History of the Euro Essay -- Europe Eurpean Currency Money Essays

History of the Euro After the hotly anticipated single money execution known as the euro, there have been many high points and low points to this financial framework. Many have rushed to censure while others despite everything acclaim its worth guaranteeing it will before long be esteemed emphatically against the dollar. Our paper investigates the different parts of the euro and the advancement it has made since its introduction. We start with a short history of the euro at that point proceed onward by bringing up certain issues concerning the impacts of the euro on different monetary angles, for example, rivalry and worldwide budgetary organizations. We at that point give understanding to the different qualities and shortcomings of the euro and the suggestions this cash has on different organizations, for example, banks. We close the paper by introducing various difficulties the euro may look soon, just as its present conditions. Presentation As of late in Europe and its neighboring nations, the discussion has been about the recently introduced euro into the ever-developing European market. The euro has been the new money for the twelve nations having a place with Euroland since January 1, 2002. The nations that have received the euro are the accompanying: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The enormous inspiration driving the euro is to empower a market that an ever increasing number of seems as though one European market. The objective is for the European capital market to be as proficient as could be expected under the circumstances, as this is an essential for practical financial turn of events. To more readily see how the euro came to fruition, one must return to 1979. This is the point at which the possibility of the euro was in its absolute first stage. History of the Euro On March ... .../html/rubrique-cadre5html?pag=rubrique- europa5.html/lang=5/chap18/rubrique=261 â€Å"The European Union in Your Hand† 7) Eltis, Walter. Euro Debate Panel. www.kingston.ac.uk/~en_5007/euro/eurosum.htm 8) www.fortune.com 9) Gazi, Ercel: Governor of Central Bank of Turkey. Dunya Gazetesi, Euro Meeting, Istanbul, Nov 27, 1998 10) George, Edward: â€Å"Progress of the Euro.† www.bis.org/survey/r001024.a.pdf 11) Hersch, Warren. PC Reseller News. â€Å"Euro Progress Crawls Along.† Manhasset; Feb 21, 2000 12) www.howstuffworks.com/euro7.htm 13) â€Å"International Effects of the Euro.† www.brook.edu/dybdocroot/com/Policybriefs/Pb042/pb42.htm 14) White, William: â€Å"The Euro and Financial Markets: Challenges for Bankers and Policymakers.† www.bis.org/talks/sp991113.htm 15) http://cobweb.creighton.edu/cps/â€Å"Euro†

Marxism Politcial Economy Essay -- Economics Marx

As indicated by Marxist political economy, abuse is the key factor which supports the very essentials of society. By this Marxists accept misuse is more than basically a financial wonder, yet rather a standard made through bogus cognizance, which has swarmed itself inside all parts of society; extending from the state, to the very structure of the social framework. Marx accentuation on misuse lies in his conviction that the estimation of a ‘commodity’ is simply gotten from the collected work consumed to create such a decent. In spite of the fact that the ‘labour hypothesis of value’ was initially pondered by Classical Economist, for example, Smith/Ricardo the accentuation for Marx was on work as a worth instead of essentially an expense in the creation procedure. As Dooley clarifies ‘Marx kept up that work was the sole worth making substance’ (Dooley 2005) and this point is additionally evolved by Sayer who expresses that the central distinctive trait of Marxism ‘is the presence of work power as a commodity’. (Sayer 1979). For Marx work was the wellspring of all riches in the public eye, which would at last be changed by the bourgeoisie into ‘surplus value’ and benefit through various modern approaches, for example, specialization through division of work. Private enterprise is a framework that supports ‘alienation’ of the specialist as the products created are not delivered for need or want, however rather in the quest for benefit. It’s from this idea that abuse can be clarified. Marx characterized misuse as the excess worth removed from the work power so as to create benefit. This would be accomplished through paying wages lower than the estimation of the ware created. Such a hypothesis stays obvious in the n... ...Economy. London: International Publishers. 19 - 23. Marx, K and Engels, F (2002). The Communist Manifesto. third ed. London: Penguin. 219. Marx, K and Engels, F (2002). The Communist Manifesto. third ed. London: Penguin. 258. Powell, B and Skarbek, D. (2004). Sweatshops and Third World Living Standards. The Independent Institute. 53 (1), 6, 10. Sayer, Derek (1979). Marx's Method Ideology, Science and Critque in Capital. second ed. Brighton: The Harvester Press Limited. 44-45. Sumner Colin (1979). Perusing Ideologies an examination in to the Marxist hypothesis of belief system and law. London: Academic Press Inc. 44. Woodley, Daniel (2009). Political Ideologies. Spain: p43. Woodley, Daniel (2009). Political Ideologies. Spain: p42 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hello there/business/7242492.stm (2008) http://www.indexmundi.com/bangladesh/gdp_real_growth_rate.html

Calculus in Context

Calculus in Context Classes at MIT will have you looking at a subject from about three different angles, and my   Single Variable Calculus class is no exception. I think the true definition of drinking from a firehose is to be learning calculus and seventeenth century history in equal measure all in a span of a fifty-minute lecture. Theres nothing quite like it. I must admit that this class did not start out well for me as all I had from high school was basic knowledge on differentiation and integration. I did some self-studying before I got to school that probably cushioned me from the shock I’d have gotten if I had to learn about natural logs and Euler’s constant and all that scary mathematical jargon for the first time. The fact that I have always loved math is probably working in my favour as well! During lectures, my professor brings up some interesting facts about the early development of calculus to emphasize that there were brilliant people who developed all that we learn today. This is eye-opening since I’ve never really thought before about how maths came into being. Turns out that calculus, which I least expected to have anything to do with the humanities in any sense, was actually partly developed by renowned philosophers. Leibniz, in particular, used mathematical concepts to reinforce his optimism that a supreme being chose the best possible conditions for the world to exist as we know it. John Napiers Mirifici Logarithmorum, where he devises the theory of logarithms In a recent lecture, my professor presented translated manuscripts from the School of Kerala, which showed their work in calculus and their derivations of what we learn today as differentiation. This dates back to the early 1600s, way before Newton’s time. The birth of calculus in modern society, however, was in the mid-seventeenth century, thanks to scientists like Newton, Leibniz and Hooke who have come to be regarded as the greatest thinkers of our time. The well-known dispute between Newton and Leibniz has come up in our lectures, as well as the claims that Barrow was the true inventor of Calculus, and that Newton and Leibniz were simply interpreters of the subject to an algebraic form. Newton wrote a book, Introductio ad Quadraturum Curvarum (Introduction to the Quadrature of Curves)  where he introduces concepts like derivatives and tangencies. Leibniz had been working independently and developed much of calculus himself as well. Leibniz also made great strides in Optics, such as deriving laws for both reflection and refraction of light. Leibniz struggles to relate mechanical theories to religion, and comes to the conclusion that not only is the mechanical philosophy consistent with theology, but the mechanical philosophy demands that there is a God. As Garber writes in his book, The Mechanism of Religion: “We today are inclined to see science and religion at odds with one another. Nor was this an idea that was foreign to the se venteenth century. But for Leibniz, the two were intimately interwoven. For him, even the laws of motion and the path taken by a ray of light were testimony to the wisdom of the Author of nature.” Leibniz was a philosopher, and was careful about finding good approach to talk about things. Newton had introduced derivatives in 1665, describing them as ‘fluxions’- Leibniz discussed most of the same concepts in his book but used terms like dy/dx. In his book, Nova Methodus pro Maximis et Minimis, he describes more philosophical methods of finding tangent lines, maxima and minima, and deriving the product and quotient rules. A page from Leibnizs book explaining his derivations of limits of functions Calculus was not well received by everyone in society, and Newton had just as many critics as he did admirers. To show one such instance of this, my professor presented a piece published by William Blake in 1804. Blake was a somewhat eccentric poet, and an excerpt of his poem ‘Jerusalem’ focused on what was a stirring contemporary issue at the time: the worry about social disruption caused by the industrial revolution going on at the time (mechanical looms driven by water power had just made their debut). He also implies that the concepts introduced by Newton and the Enlightenment was causing chaos in society. Excerpt from Jerusalem by William Blake I turn my eyes to the Schools and Universities of Europe And there behold the Loom of Locke, whose Woof rages dire, Washed by the Water-wheels of Newton: black the cloth In heavy wreathes folds over every Nation: cruel Works Of many Wheels I view, wheel without wheel, with cogs tyrannic Moving by compulsion each other, not as those in Eden, which, Wheel within Wheel, in freedom revolve in harmony and peace. Excerpt from Jerusalem Science and religion have perennially been at odds with each other, and these new developments fanned those flames. The Newtonians had to bend their teachings to fit into the general idea of religion which was that of a universe ordered by a supreme being, and so they carefully manipulated their material to avoid controversy: as Samuel Clarke (an influential Newtonian) explained, There is no such thing as what men commonly call the course of nature, or the power of nature. [It] is nothing else but the will of God producing certain effects in a continued, regular, constant, and uniform manner. In the seventeenth century, Science was considered to be in support of Christianity, so young Newtonians had their ideas endorsed and even rewarded by religious leaders. The Boyle lectures were held to discuss the collision of science with religion, and the possible integration of the two. Newtonians tried to attach scientific discoveries to religion, to tie all phenomena they discovered to a supreme being in some way. Freethinkers did not believe in the presence of a superior being, so they accepted Newton’s mathematical discoveries but dismissed the theory of ‘natural philosophy’ which was the Newtonians’ way of tying their scientific beliefs to religion. In fact, they used Newton’s work as evidence that there was no superior being, but that nature acted on its own principles. Yet another of Newtons critics, Bishop Berkeley, wrote a book, ‘The Analyst’, which did not attempt to disprove calculus but argued that science did not stand up to rigorous scrutiny and could not substantially overpower religion. The development of calculus also amplified the issue of the place of women in science. It was generally considered inappropriate for women to dabble in issues of science and mathematics. Most Science papers in the time of Newtonianism were written in Latin, and women were not taught Latin, so if they wanted to learn about scientific developments, they had to resort to popular science books, or private tuition if they were wealthy enough. Newtonianismo per le Dame (Newtonianism for the Ladies) was one such popular science book published by Francesco Algarotti as an easier alternative for the Newtonian theories for ladies. One of the most important women in early Science was Emile du Chatelet. She translated Newton’s entire Principia Mathematica to French. She also wrote a book, Les Institutions de physique which she had to say she was writing for her son since that was acceptable; a mother teaching her son Physics was to be expected. What she could not do was take credit for her work, or say that she was making an independent contribution to Physics. She also had to state that her book had been reviewed by a male figure for people to consider her theories plausible. To further diminish her efforts, her tutor, Samuel Koenig took credit for the book, claiming that he had taught her the same concepts in their lessons. Emile turned to the Academy of Sciences for help, but they were unwilling to vouch for her integrity and she had to contend with this unjust shared credit. Emile was exceptionally ardent in her work, and she worked on her book on Newton’s theories through her pregnancy up to the time sh e had to deliver the baby. Unfortunately, she and her baby died soon after. Then there was the poem by Lord Byron, Don Huan: Canto 1  written in 1818 where the poet writes of Don Huan’s mother, praising her intellect and mathematical skills, even describing her as a “walking calculation”: His Mother was a learned Lady, famed For every branch of Science known â€" In every Christian language ever named, With Virtues equalled by her wit alone, She made the cleverest people quite ashamed, And even the Good with inward Envy groan, Finding themselves so very much exceeded In their own way by all the things that She did. Byron voices mainstream opinion; the popularity of Newtonianism in the 18th century had opened a window for women to get involved, but the following Romantic period was not as welcoming to the idea of women in science. Ironically, his daughter, Ada Lovelace, was the mother of computer programming, and one of the most brilliant mathematicians of the 19th century. An artists impression of Ada Lovelace At the end of our weekly problem sets (see below), my Professor attaches an excerpt from a random poem in The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, which is a collection poems written by Jeanine Hall all sharing a common title. We’ve all been wondering how this fits into the content of the class itself, and I personally admit to thinking it was part of some puzzle that would perhaps be set in the final, so it’s a relief to discover he just wanted to expose us to this amazing piece of poetry because of its relevance to us in the issues it addresses. In his words, “I thought it might resonate with some of you, because it balances a science-is-cool view, including pop culture references, a science-is-profoundly-scary-and-messes-with-my-body view, and plenty of issues with gender roles and stereotypes.” One of my p-sets Its an amazing way to learn math, and it gives a whole other perspective to what we do in class! And here’s a twilight picture of the Great Dome. No camera can fully capture its magnificence, and I’ll probably never stop staring at it every time I cross Killian Court at night. Great Dome At Night Post Tagged ##firehose #18.01 Single Variable Calculus

Calculus in Context

Calculus in Context Classes at MIT will have you looking at a subject from about three different angles, and my   Single Variable Calculus class is no exception. I think the true definition of drinking from a firehose is to be learning calculus and seventeenth century history in equal measure all in a span of a fifty-minute lecture. Theres nothing quite like it. I must admit that this class did not start out well for me as all I had from high school was basic knowledge on differentiation and integration. I did some self-studying before I got to school that probably cushioned me from the shock I’d have gotten if I had to learn about natural logs and Euler’s constant and all that scary mathematical jargon for the first time. The fact that I have always loved math is probably working in my favour as well! During lectures, my professor brings up some interesting facts about the early development of calculus to emphasize that there were brilliant people who developed all that we learn today. This is eye-opening since I’ve never really thought before about how maths came into being. Turns out that calculus, which I least expected to have anything to do with the humanities in any sense, was actually partly developed by renowned philosophers. Leibniz, in particular, used mathematical concepts to reinforce his optimism that a supreme being chose the best possible conditions for the world to exist as we know it. John Napiers Mirifici Logarithmorum, where he devises the theory of logarithms In a recent lecture, my professor presented translated manuscripts from the School of Kerala, which showed their work in calculus and their derivations of what we learn today as differentiation. This dates back to the early 1600s, way before Newton’s time. The birth of calculus in modern society, however, was in the mid-seventeenth century, thanks to scientists like Newton, Leibniz and Hooke who have come to be regarded as the greatest thinkers of our time. The well-known dispute between Newton and Leibniz has come up in our lectures, as well as the claims that Barrow was the true inventor of Calculus, and that Newton and Leibniz were simply interpreters of the subject to an algebraic form. Newton wrote a book, Introductio ad Quadraturum Curvarum (Introduction to the Quadrature of Curves)  where he introduces concepts like derivatives and tangencies. Leibniz had been working independently and developed much of calculus himself as well. Leibniz also made great strides in Optics, such as deriving laws for both reflection and refraction of light. Leibniz struggles to relate mechanical theories to religion, and comes to the conclusion that not only is the mechanical philosophy consistent with theology, but the mechanical philosophy demands that there is a God. As Garber writes in his book, The Mechanism of Religion: “We today are inclined to see science and religion at odds with one another. Nor was this an idea that was foreign to the se venteenth century. But for Leibniz, the two were intimately interwoven. For him, even the laws of motion and the path taken by a ray of light were testimony to the wisdom of the Author of nature.” Leibniz was a philosopher, and was careful about finding good approach to talk about things. Newton had introduced derivatives in 1665, describing them as ‘fluxions’- Leibniz discussed most of the same concepts in his book but used terms like dy/dx. In his book, Nova Methodus pro Maximis et Minimis, he describes more philosophical methods of finding tangent lines, maxima and minima, and deriving the product and quotient rules. A page from Leibnizs book explaining his derivations of limits of functions Calculus was not well received by everyone in society, and Newton had just as many critics as he did admirers. To show one such instance of this, my professor presented a piece published by William Blake in 1804. Blake was a somewhat eccentric poet, and an excerpt of his poem ‘Jerusalem’ focused on what was a stirring contemporary issue at the time: the worry about social disruption caused by the industrial revolution going on at the time (mechanical looms driven by water power had just made their debut). He also implies that the concepts introduced by Newton and the Enlightenment was causing chaos in society. Excerpt from Jerusalem by William Blake I turn my eyes to the Schools and Universities of Europe And there behold the Loom of Locke, whose Woof rages dire, Washed by the Water-wheels of Newton: black the cloth In heavy wreathes folds over every Nation: cruel Works Of many Wheels I view, wheel without wheel, with cogs tyrannic Moving by compulsion each other, not as those in Eden, which, Wheel within Wheel, in freedom revolve in harmony and peace. Excerpt from Jerusalem Science and religion have perennially been at odds with each other, and these new developments fanned those flames. The Newtonians had to bend their teachings to fit into the general idea of religion which was that of a universe ordered by a supreme being, and so they carefully manipulated their material to avoid controversy: as Samuel Clarke (an influential Newtonian) explained, There is no such thing as what men commonly call the course of nature, or the power of nature. [It] is nothing else but the will of God producing certain effects in a continued, regular, constant, and uniform manner. In the seventeenth century, Science was considered to be in support of Christianity, so young Newtonians had their ideas endorsed and even rewarded by religious leaders. The Boyle lectures were held to discuss the collision of science with religion, and the possible integration of the two. Newtonians tried to attach scientific discoveries to religion, to tie all phenomena they discovered to a supreme being in some way. Freethinkers did not believe in the presence of a superior being, so they accepted Newton’s mathematical discoveries but dismissed the theory of ‘natural philosophy’ which was the Newtonians’ way of tying their scientific beliefs to religion. In fact, they used Newton’s work as evidence that there was no superior being, but that nature acted on its own principles. Yet another of Newtons critics, Bishop Berkeley, wrote a book, ‘The Analyst’, which did not attempt to disprove calculus but argued that science did not stand up to rigorous scrutiny and could not substantially overpower religion. The development of calculus also amplified the issue of the place of women in science. It was generally considered inappropriate for women to dabble in issues of science and mathematics. Most Science papers in the time of Newtonianism were written in Latin, and women were not taught Latin, so if they wanted to learn about scientific developments, they had to resort to popular science books, or private tuition if they were wealthy enough. Newtonianismo per le Dame (Newtonianism for the Ladies) was one such popular science book published by Francesco Algarotti as an easier alternative for the Newtonian theories for ladies. One of the most important women in early Science was Emile du Chatelet. She translated Newton’s entire Principia Mathematica to French. She also wrote a book, Les Institutions de physique which she had to say she was writing for her son since that was acceptable; a mother teaching her son Physics was to be expected. What she could not do was take credit for her work, or say that she was making an independent contribution to Physics. She also had to state that her book had been reviewed by a male figure for people to consider her theories plausible. To further diminish her efforts, her tutor, Samuel Koenig took credit for the book, claiming that he had taught her the same concepts in their lessons. Emile turned to the Academy of Sciences for help, but they were unwilling to vouch for her integrity and she had to contend with this unjust shared credit. Emile was exceptionally ardent in her work, and she worked on her book on Newton’s theories through her pregnancy up to the time sh e had to deliver the baby. Unfortunately, she and her baby died soon after. Then there was the poem by Lord Byron, Don Huan: Canto 1  written in 1818 where the poet writes of Don Huan’s mother, praising her intellect and mathematical skills, even describing her as a “walking calculation”: His Mother was a learned Lady, famed For every branch of Science known â€" In every Christian language ever named, With Virtues equalled by her wit alone, She made the cleverest people quite ashamed, And even the Good with inward Envy groan, Finding themselves so very much exceeded In their own way by all the things that She did. Byron voices mainstream opinion; the popularity of Newtonianism in the 18th century had opened a window for women to get involved, but the following Romantic period was not as welcoming to the idea of women in science. Ironically, his daughter, Ada Lovelace, was the mother of computer programming, and one of the most brilliant mathematicians of the 19th century. An artists impression of Ada Lovelace At the end of our weekly problem sets (see below), my Professor attaches an excerpt from a random poem in The Robot Scientist’s Daughter, which is a collection poems written by Jeanine Hall all sharing a common title. We’ve all been wondering how this fits into the content of the class itself, and I personally admit to thinking it was part of some puzzle that would perhaps be set in the final, so it’s a relief to discover he just wanted to expose us to this amazing piece of poetry because of its relevance to us in the issues it addresses. In his words, “I thought it might resonate with some of you, because it balances a science-is-cool view, including pop culture references, a science-is-profoundly-scary-and-messes-with-my-body view, and plenty of issues with gender roles and stereotypes.” One of my p-sets Its an amazing way to learn math, and it gives a whole other perspective to what we do in class! And here’s a twilight picture of the Great Dome. No camera can fully capture its magnificence, and I’ll probably never stop staring at it every time I cross Killian Court at night. Great Dome At Night Post Tagged ##firehose #18.01 Single Variable Calculus

William Shakespeare s The Of And My Madness

Kierra Crenshaw â€Å"I have found both freedom and safety in my madness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Derived from Kahlil Gibran, this quote correlates with Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Madness is an utmost theme within the play, affecting various characters in distinctive ways. Shakespeare conveys the message that madness is an extremely liberating realm and one should allow their mind to experience this release. Often a person is so caught up with life, responsibilities, and duties that they extract themselves from the pleasure of freedom. The highly negative aura surrounding madness, to the degree that it is even classified as an illness, adverts many away from allowing this opportunity to take over. The id is the impulsive side of our mind, often characterizing our†¦show more content†¦Through this method of freedom, her once restrictive lifestyles was gone. Previously, she was often denied of her own thoughts and beliefs, resulting in her submission to those around her. The condescending and often v ulgar tone used in reference towards Ophelia is extremely prominent throughout the play. Despite this, she upholds herself with dignity and grace, allowing others to use her as they plead. At one point (During Act III, Scene II) Ophelia and Hamlet are speaking publicly. The lewd diction and actions presented during this act displays how others truly think of her; a pawn to simply mess around with. Hamlet often uses sexual innuendos towards Ophelia, stating comments such as â€Å"Lady, shall I lie in your lap?† Yet, everyone simply dismisses the actions. Although she does not purposely go mad, it did allow her freedom from these factors. No one expects anything from her due to her illness. Madness is an opportunity for the mind to relax and experience life for what it is. Shakespeare uses Ophelia as a way to convey this message to his audience. Madness is not alway direct like Ophelia’s and can be found in various ways. Laertes is a prime example of this. His madness is driven by the rage not only felt when he realized that Hamlet had murdered his father, but also when it was noted that Ophelia desired him as well. The primitive and instinctive portion of his mind, referred to as the id, was the controlling factor throughout

Zelda Fitzgerald Quotes

Zelda Fitzgerald, born Zelda Sayre, was an artist, ballet dancer, and writer. Married at 19 to writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, her zany and racy antics (and his) seemed to symbolize the freedom of the Jazz Age. She wrote in part to battle her restlessness while her husband was absorbed in his writing. Zelda Fitzgerald was diagnosed as a schizophrenic. She was hospitalized after a nervous collapse in 1930 and spent the rest of her life in sanatoriums. Zelda Fitzgerald died in a hospital fire in 1948. It was the 1960s before her writing began to be studied seriously and she began to emerge a bit from the shadow of her more famous husband. Selected Zelda Fitzgerald Quotations I dont want to live -- I want to love first, and live incidentally. Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold. Why do we spend years using up our bodies to nurture our minds with experience and find our minds turning then to our exhausted bodies for solace? Women sometimes seem to share a quiet, unalterable dogma of persecution that endows even the most sophisticated of them with the inarticulate poignancy of the peasant. Oh, the secret life of man and woman -- dreaming how much better we would be than we are if we were somebody else or even ourselves, and feeling that our estate has been unexploited to its fullest. By the time a person has achieved years adequate for choosing a direction, the die is cast and the moment has long since passed which determined the future. We grew up founding our dreams on the infinite promise of American advertising. I still believe that one can learn to play the piano by mail and that mud will give you a perfect complexion. Most people hew the battlements of life from compromise, erecting their impregnable keeps from judicious submissions, fabricating their philosophical drawbridges from emotional retractions and scalding marauders in the boiling oil of sour grapes. I wish I could write a beautiful book to break those hearts that are soon to cease to exist: a book of faith and small neat worlds and of people who live by the philosophies of popular songs. Its very expressive of myself. I just lump everything in a great heap which I have labeled the past, and, having thus emptied this deep reservoir that was once myself, I am ready to continue. I have often told you that I am that little fish who swims about under a shark and, I believe, lives indelicately on its offal. Anyway, that is the way I am. Life moves over me in a vast black shadow and I swallow whatever it drops with relish, having learned in a very hard school that one cannot be both a parasite and enjoy self-nourishment without moving in worlds too fantastic for even my disordered imagination to people with meaning. Mr. Fitzgerald -- I believe that is how he spells his name -- seems to believe that plagiarism begins at home.

Atlanta Race Riot Free Essays

Taylor Schultz History 1100 Dr. Howard November 15, 2010 Influences of the Atlanta Race Riot â€Å"A city lay in travail, God our Lord, and from her loins sprang twin Murder and Black Hate. Red was the midnight; clang, crack and cry of death and fury filled the air and trembled underneath the stars when church spires pointed silently to Thee. We will write a custom essay sample on Atlanta Race Riot or any similar topic only for you Order Now And all this was to sate the greed of greedy men who hide behind the veil of vengeance† (Primary Source 20, line 20). The Atlanta Race Riot occurred in 1906 in Atlanta, Georgia. Many innocent African Americans were murdered by hostile mobs of white men. Racism and hatred towards African Americans had been around long before the Atlanta Race Riot, but previously built tensions of jealousy, hostilities, abuse of blacks and whites eventually lead to this event. Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Dubois, and many other African American and white leaders tried to gain respect from whites for the black community and earn equality, but the majority of whites were not willing to cooperate. The main influences of the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 were poor whites and the â€Å"sexual assaults† they accused blacks of, politics, and media releases. After slavery had ended, and African Americans were free, whites still felt that they held a power over the blacks. So, when African Americans were becoming more successful, by owning their own pharmacies, grocery stores, and businesses the poor and middle class whites were not thrilled. These white classes were angry, because blacks were accomplishing more and making better wages then they were. The poor whites were so furious that they started creating mobs against all African Americans accusing them of wrong doings that many had no part in. The men composing the mobs, which created the disorder were principally of the hoodlum class† (Primary Source 13, page 7). Anytime a white man even heard of an African American touching a white woman, mobs would immediately form and attack, often killing a black man who looked remotely close to what the victim described him as. In 1906, the Savannah Morning News reported â€Å"there were four attempted assaults on white women by negroes in and around Atlanta today, and these and the publication of them in extras led to the gathering of the mob which killed ten or fifteen Negroes in the city tonight† (Primary Source 11, page 1). African Americans were not given the chance to go to court for any of the trials and were killed without proper identification by the court. It was getting to the point where blacks could not even walk outside their homes at night without being hunted by the white mobs; â€Å"attack spread rapidly and within a few moments the appearance of a Negro was the signal for a riot. The Negroes scattered from the streets, going to their homes by back alleys, or flocked to Decatur Street, the home of the tougher element† (Primary Source 12, page 2). All of these lynchings and outburst of rage from the poor whites over â€Å"sexual assaults† from black men towards white women were not fair towards the blacks. It was a way of whites getting back at blacks because of their own personal issues of jealousy, hostility, and personal self-assurance that they were better. After a long fight to gain freedom, African Americans wanted political equality. Many black philosophers and educators had their own views on how political equality should be met. Booker T. Washington was a black man who had been born into slavery and had gained his independence. He was a highly successful man who attended an Agricultural Institute. He founded the Tuskegee Institute, providing technical education for African Americans. Washington believed that blacks needed to work hard to show whites that they had value, so that eventually whites would realize this and accept black equality. â€Å"Washington was willing to accept social, residential, commercial, and educational subordination†(Secondary Source 1, page 46). On the other hand, W. E. B. Dubois was another successful black man whose views differed from Booker T. Washington. Dubois grew up in a largely white community, earned a PhD at Harvard, and believed that equality should be pushed for and gained as soon as possible. African Americans sided with both views from Washington and Dubois and had faith and believed that no matter which strategy worked it would eventually lead them to gaining equality. But, most elite whites wanted no part of it. Once white elites had heard speeches from both these leaders and knew what a good majority of blacks wanted, they came up with scandals to get African American’s votes. Many Democratic and Republican parties promised African Americans that if they gave their vote to them, they would stop lynching and crime rates would go down. â€Å"The party in which gave them the ballot had really no means of protecting them in the enjoyment of it† (Primary Source 8, page. 291). Laws like the Klu Klux Klan Act and The Compromise of 1850 were put in place during voting times to stop prejudice and violence, but once votes were gained, acts were dropped, giving none of the protection to African Americans that they had been promised. The whites, on their side, rather helped this plan by the savage means to which they resorted on those States in which the Negros were in majority, to overturn or prevent Negro rule† (Primary Source 8, page. 291). The Media attention that was brought up during the times of the Atlanta race Riot became a large influence on the whites and their bias opinions towards blacks. For the most part, the media sided with the whites, an d encouraged the white people to start uproars with their black neighbors. The media loved all the press that they were able to release at this time in 1906, because they knew it would get a lot of attention, and people would believe everything they were posting. When the Riots were at their highest, Mayor Woodward wrote, â€Å"I am thankful for all the papers that did not join in the business of getting out extras Saturday night. Many of the reports that were published were not only fuel to the fire, but entirely false† (Primary Source 5, page. 1). This statement shows that the media approved violence and did not mind the killing of innocent people, because it gave them something to broadcast about. When these mobs saw that they were getting press from the media, they started to consider themselves famous â€Å"protectors of the people†. â€Å"Flaring headlines in the special editions of the afternoon papers wrought the populace to a high pitch of excitement† (Primary source 13, page 2). Even though the media had no proof of reporting rapes or crimes that black men had done they would still write about them. Eventually, it got to the point where African Americans were getting fed up, and even announcing to places like the New York World saying, â€Å"There has been no carnival rapes in and around Atlanta. There has been a frightful carnival of newspaper lies† (Secondary Source 2, page 153). The white mobs already had so many racist views on blacks without the media leaking in, so when the media did decide to write alleged reports accusing the blacks falsely, it swept up the intensity and encouraged whites to be more violent then they ad ever been before. The Atlanta Race Riot caused many unnecessary deaths, and lead to more hostilities between blacks and whites then there had ever been. Although many events caused the Race Riot, the main ones were: the bad judgments poor whites held against blacks, and their horrendous approaches at getting back at them, the disagreement on political views from whites and blacks, and the media that influenced and encouraged whites to rebel against blacks and cause violence instead of trying for equality. Leaders and protectors stood by and watched deaths occur, and nobody tried to make any changes until after the Riot took place. If whites and blacks had come together and taken away prejudice views and hatred towards each other, they could have accomplished more things and many innocent people could have lived. How to cite Atlanta Race Riot, Papers

Article Review on Workplace Collaboration for Business Management

Question: Write about theArticle Review on Workplace Collaboration for Business Management. Answer: Summary of the article Due to the change in the business trends and activities, collaboration is strongly needed in the workplace. According to the reports, collaborative outputs have increased more than 50%. As the competition between the brands has intensified, the need for teamwork has attained necessity in terms of completing the projects within the stipulated time (Rosemann and Brocke 2015). The major drive behind this is the globalization of the business. This globalization has enriched the workplace diversity. Countering this, globalization has generated conflicts, discriminations and harassments within the workplace. These issues contradict the coordination and unity, represented by teamwork. Key questions According to the recent surveys, the time spent by the managers on cooperating the team members has expanded. It has been found that most of the company managers spent 80% of their times in assisting the staffs so that they can indulge in teamwork. Here, one of an essential question is how the leaders encourage the business? Role of leaders is crucial in terms of providing motivation and encouragement to the team members (Chang 2016). This is in terms of enhancing the efficiency in the business activities. One of the other questions in this context is the types of collaborations the companies and organizations adopt. Collaboration is dependent on the workplace requirements. For this, the team formation is a vital step. Taking into consideration Tuckmans stages of team development is helpful in terms of creating strong and flexible team. The surveys reveal that the distribution of the work among the employees is lop-sided. Most of the collaborative outputs come from the employees (Jacobs, Chase and Lummus 2014). The phrase, In Demand yet disengaged reflects the issue of low engagement to the workplace issues in case of the topmost position in the organizational hierarchy. These personnel are considered as an important source of collaborators. The evidence of this lies in taking valuable lessons while leaving the organization. Herein lays one of the other most important question, the time criteria adopted in the workplace for equal distribution of the tasks among the staffs. The phase discovers a related question, What is the role of the top performers in collaboration? Distribution of the tasks within the staffs begins from the organization itself. This is with adequate planning for the achievement of positive results (Wheelen et al. 2017). This planning includes the consideration of the supply and demand, which needs to adhered for the efficient execution of the business activities. Surveys and feedback reflect the effectiveness of the task distribution among the staffs. Mention can be made of tools like Do.com monitors enhance the awareness of the managers regarding the time taken by the managers and the employees towards the business activities. Literature review Concept of collaboration in workplace Teamwork is necessary in the present age in terms of coping up with the intense external pressure and forces of the market. Teamwork helps in completion of the challenging and enduring tasks within the stipulated time (Harmon 2015). The role of the managers is crucial for the achievement of best results in exposure of collaborative output. For this, the assistant managers need to send drafts about the formation of the teams, allotment of the workplace and the tasks to the team members. This activity engages the topmost personnel in the workplace activities. These drafts reflect the reflective practices adopted by the personnel for executing the business activities. The main component in the types of collaboration involves the behavioral science of the personnel. Herein lays the appropriateness of the concept of behavioral change. This change is the change of the personnel upon receiving the instructions of exposing collaborative output (Kerzner and Kerzner 2017). These behavioral changes has both positive and negative connotations. Positive connotation relates to the enthusiasm of the staffs in terms of indulging in teamwork with the colleagues. Negative connotation is related to the aspects of conflicts, discriminations and harassments, which contradict the aspect of unity, coordination and integrity within the workplace. Behaviors towards collaboration Pressurization is also one of the behaviors, which brings noticeable changes in the performance of the staffs. The staffs have differing and wide-ranging grasping power towards the workplace issues. Provision of adequate motivation and encouragement to the staffs generates an urge within the staffs for exposing better performance (Rees et al. 2015). Sometimes, the staffs are hesitant towards working with others. This is in terms of averting the clashes and conflicts. Here, the managers need to play the role of the guardian in terms of guiding the staffs. One of the other aspects of the behavior change is the intake of the information, which is being shared among the staffs. Some of the staffs are interested enough for learning the information shared by the colleagues. Yet some other staffs expose disinterest towards intaking the information shared by the others. These behavioral specifications reflect the functions of the software Basecamp, which allows the staffs to create a boundary around them for preventing any external information (Czajkowski and Salort 2017). Countering this, the boundary obstructs the growth and development of the employees, which is harmful for the enhancement of professionalism. The software offers the employees with a choice, which reflects the concern of the managers towards the wellbeing of the employees. The access to the personnel reflects the addition of values for the investments made towards exposing the appropriate attitude towards carrying out the business activities. Respect towards the efforts of the employees adds new vigor and energy into them. This respects forms the keystone in enhancing the stability in the relationship between the management and the employees (Ross and Ressia 2015). Example can be given of Fortune, where 60% of the employees have been found to spend 60% of the time on the production of collaborative output. Interestingly, the rest of the 40% preferred to spend their time in taking coaching, training or monitoring the performance of the employees. The request of the employees was placed before the management. The managerial authorities spent quality time in making plans for ensuring the wellbeing of the employees. After minute speculation of the request, the managers affirmed the decision of the staffs. Once the requests of the staffs were respected, the re were fewer mistakes in the performance of the employees (Yew and Goh 2016). Technology and the work space The managers of Dropbox discarded the thought of meetings, as it needed lot of time for emailing the matter to the respective departments. The suspension period was two weeks. This incident represents the lack of coordination between the personnel in terms of exposing appropriate attitude towards the workplace activities. This step of the managers alarmed the employees regarding the importance of meetings within the workplace issues. The immediate outcome was the preparation of agenda for the meetings. One of the other steps was addition into the workforce, which proved ineffective in terms of organizing productive meetings (Logan 2017). Ineffective meetings relates with encountering instances like customer and employee turnover, resulting in huge losses. Transparency in the technological devices and the personal space assures the employees regarding the services of the companies and organizations. This assurance is necessary in terms of exposing productive and collaborative output for fulfillment of the identified and the specified objectives. Mention can be made of the tools Slack and Salesforce.com, which enhances the awareness of the employees regarding the various workplace issues. Along with this, tools like Syndio and Volometrix proves beneficial in terms of enhancing the decision-making process of the employees through the means of accessing the networks (Ammentorp and Madden 2018). Structural changes Structural changes alter the collaboration needed in the workplace. Allocating the duties and responsibilities to the personnel according to the skills, expertise and knowledge of the personnel proves helpful. This is in terms of convincing them towards adopting the changes. However, this is impossible if the staffs are entrusted with heavy responsibilities. In most of the organizations, it is seen that half of the personnel are collaborators. Overlaps in the organizational structure can topple the organizational hierarchy. Some of the employees are overwhelmed upon getting easier projects that they deviate from the focus (Lee and Bonk, 2014). This is the reason why they expose poor performance. Herein lays the role of the managers regarding the equal distribution of work between the staffs. Tools like network analysis, peer recognition programs and value added performance metrics hold prime importance in the workplace. Practical examination on one of the life science companies resulted in twists and turns in the employee structure. The managers feared about losing corporate minds. The same experiment on a consultancy company resulted in the introduction of retention bonuses for the leaders. This bonus was a means for luring the leaders for effective management of the business activities (Sawyer 2017). These bonuses can be considered as the means for encouraging the leaders for effective regulation of the business activities. This approach went in vain, as it lacked the consideration of those employees, who are heavily involved within the workplace activities. Mention needs to be made of Network Analytics, which helped in restoring equality within the employees. Transfer of knowledge Sharing of information generates teamwork within the team members. However, rationality needs to be maintained in this sharing, as wrong and incorrect information leads to conflicts and differentiation of opinions. Here, all of the personnel need to be considered for the achievement of positive results in terms of collaboration (Ammentorp and Madden 2018). Collaboration between the personnel is important for handling all types of clients for carrying out the business transactions in an efficient and effective manner. Lucrative schemes, offers and discounts are needed in terms of retaining the staffs into the workplace conditions. Bonuses can lure the leaders towards taking the charge of managing the team members. However, adequate planning is needed in terms of planning for the changes in the workplace issues and conditions. True essence of collaboration One of the criterias highlighted is the generation of revenue. This means that the needs, demands and requirements of the employees are compromised for the enhancement of the profit margin (Yew and Goh 2016). This approach contradicts the true essence of collaboration. Here, one of the other considerations is ensuring that the staffs have adequately catered to the colleagues grasping power. Consciousness towards this direction is the main agent in terms of bringing collaboration within the workplace. For this, the power and authority needs to be placed on the hands of such personnel, who emerge successful in maintaining the balance between the individual needs of the employees and the organizational requirements (Rees et al. 2015). Conclusion Collaboration acts as an address for the potential challenges faced by the companies and organizations in the competitive ambience. Mostly, the leaders fail to recognize the kind of collaborative effort needed for fulfilling the identified goals and objectives. This understanding is crucial in terms of gaining an insight into the needs, demands and requirements of the clients. Hiring collaboration officers have proved effective in terms of enhancing unity and coordination between the departmental units. This unity and coordination is essential in terms of enhancing the efficiency in the business activities. References Ammentorp, L. and Madden, L., 2018, January. Learning From Others: Developing Preservice Teachers Workplace Skills. InThe Educational Forum(Vol. 82, No. 1, pp. 85-96). Routledge. Chang, J.F., 2016.Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Czajkowski, J.W. and Salort-Pons, S., 2017. Building a Workplace that Supports Educator-Curator Collaboration.Visitor-Centered Exhibitions and Edu-Curation in Art Museums, pp.237-48. Harmon, P., 2015. The scope and evolution of business process management. InHandbook on business process management 1(pp. 37-80). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Jacobs, F.R., Chase, R.B. and Lummus, R.R., 2014.Operations and supply chain management(pp. 533-535). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H.R., 2017.Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Lee, H. and Bonk, C.J., 2014. Collaborative learning in the workplace: Practical issues and concerns.International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC),7(2), pp.10-17. Logan, S., 2017. SoftServes workplace launch for global collaboration.Strategic HR Review,16(5), pp.207-210. Rees, C.S., Breen, L.J., Cusack, L. and Hegney, D., 2015. Understanding individual resilience in the workplace: the international collaboration of workforce resilience model.Frontiers in psychology,6, p.73. Rosemann, M. and vom Brocke, J., 2015. The six core elements of business process management. InHandbook on business process management 1(pp. 105-122). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Ross, P. and Ressia, S., 2015. Neither office nor home: Coworking as an emerging workplace choice.Employment Relations Record,15(1), p.42. Sawyer, K., 2017.Group genius: The creative power of collaboration. Basic Books. Wheelen, T.L., Hunger, J.D., Hoffman, A.N. and Bamford, C.E., 2017.Strategic management and business policy. pearson. Yew, E.H. and Goh, K., 2016. Problem-based learning: an overview of its process and impact on learning.Health Professions Education,2(2), pp.75-79.

Poorly Done Personal Essay Example

My appearance is not remarkable; when you look at me, you see a five-foot-nine, brown-haired, blue-eyed, 16-year-old high school senior. A sweater, long pants, and sneakers constitute my dress code; my ties and expensive shoes remain in the closet. As such, to those who do not know me, I am ordinary. Nonetheless, after becoming acquainted with me, you will see that my cover is no indication of my true self.I am more serious than most of my contemporaries. Frequently, I study in the third-floor basement of the Princeton University Library to avoid the incessant rings of the telephone, leaving only as the sun sets and trekking home for an hour via train and foot. While other secondary school students may tune to the hard rock of Princetons 97.1 WPST, I watch Prime News with Bernard Shaw. If someone tells me that he or she does not understand the days calculus lesson, I voluntarily explain it—even if that means losing all of a valuable 40-minute study hall. When the typical You d on t have to bother response comes, I say, Yes, I do; you dont understand it. Now be quiet and listen. Although for the past ten years I have consistently endured long, strenuous practice sessions with my viola, the thought of ending this career truly frightens me.Motivation plays a key role in my success. I suffer from a disease that affects many people: lack of time. Twenty-four hours in a day simply is not enough. Nevertheless, motivation keeps me going on the days when I wake up at six oclock to go to high school, leave school to walk a mile to the train station, wait for the train, walk to my Spanish class at Princeton University, study, walk another mile to the Medical Center at Princeton, volunteer for three hours, and return home at seven oclock to eat dinner, write an essay, and study for an economics exam. Still, I enjoy going through my daily routine. The thought of sifting through pages of scholarly works to gather information for a class does not discourage me; it intri gues me. A recent research paper for my A.P. American government and comparative politics class using mathematical calculations and equations to demonstrate biases of the Electoral College was not only, as my instructor said, without question, the best paper Ive ever read but also an aid to my concurrent study of derivatives in my A.P. calculus class.Conversations with me on current events will often result in heated debate. No matter what my position, I attempt to argue the other view—a habit that often causes me to alter my opinion. During the most recent presidential campaign, I spent two weeks at lunchtime questioning the best solution for deficit reduction. Of the four people who ate with me, all expressed their position on this issue: Cut government spending before raising taxes. I was also a steadfast proponent of this view. However, after gathering my thoughts for a few moments, I vehemently argued that while government spending should be cut in some sectors, taxes ne eded to be raised at the same time. I argued so forcefully that I and three others at my table now hold that the only way to maintain our current standard of living and cause significant deficit reduction is to combine spending cuts with tax hikes.Although my cover may not be extraordinary, I like to believe that my inside is unique and creative. If a stranger could imagine my habits, personality, and feelings just by looking at my face, of what value would I be? People are not their covers; to judge them as such would merely be foolish.CommentsThe major problem with the essay is that the student goes out of his way to include information about his achievements, as if he were afraid to leave out any detail that might impress his reader. The sentence about his viola lessons, for instance, is tacked on to the second paragraph. That he enjoyed his research for his paper on the Electoral College nicely illustrates his scholarly bent; that specific detail is well chosen. He spoils its ef fect, though, by dragging in the additional information that his teacher thought the paper the best he had ever read.Another reservation is about the students vocabulary. The essay begins engagingly, with an unassuming, understated opening that plays nicely with the idea that people cant judge a book by its cover. Fairly quickly, however, the language becomes stiffer and more formal. By the end of the piece, the student is presenting himself as a steadfast proponent of a view and vehemently arguing for his position. To write that he held a view and argued strongly for it would have been adequate. The essay would be stronger if the words were drawn from the students spoken—rather than written—vocabulary. Its always a good idea to read an essay aloud: If the writer cant imagine himself ever saying the words he has put on the page, he needs to adjust his vocabulary until he sounds like himself.The writer comes off as a pedantic overachiever. The command to a classmate to be quiet and listen makes him seem overbearing and impatient—qualities admissions officers do not want in successful applicants.

Retaining the Connotation of Retinue

Retaining the Connotation of Retinue Retaining the Connotation of Retinue Retaining the Connotation of Retinue By Mark Nichol What is a retinue, and do you need one? That depends on whether you need to be retained. This post defines and discusses the term retinue and its synonyms. Retinue, derived from the French verb retenir, meaning â€Å"retain,† or â€Å"keep,† refers to a group of associates or attendants. Originally, it applied to retainers (that word also stems from retenir), servants who attended to a person of high rank. Now, it is more likely to pertain to friends, employees, and hangers-on a celebrity surrounds himself or herself with. Associated words include entourage, from the French verb entourer, meaning â€Å"surround†; this word is cognate with tour (a tour â€Å"surrounds† the area circumscribed by the travel route) and tourist. Then there’s cortege, from the Latin term cohors, meaning â€Å"enclosure† (and the origin of court as well as cohort), by way of the Italian verb corteggiare, meaning â€Å"court,† as in an effort to influence someone politically or romantically; cortege also refers to a parade of attendants and may apply specifically to a funeral procession. Suite (ultimately from the Latin word sequere, meaning â€Å"follow†- and the source of sequence- by way of Old French), tail (from an Old English word meaning â€Å"lock of hair†), and train (from the Middle French verb trainer, meaning â€Å"drag† or â€Å"draw†) are also used in the sense of â€Å"those attending on an important person.† Following is another word with this connotation, though it can easily be misunderstood to apply to someone’s far-flung fan base rather than to close associates. Two slang terms synonymous with retinue are crew (ultimately from the Latin verb crescere, meaning â€Å"grow†- and the source of crescent- by way of Middle French and later Middle English, in the sense of reinforcement), from an association with the company of sailors or other workers who conduct operations (though with the connotation of a convivial assembly), and posse. That last word is a truncation of the Latin phrase posse comitatus, meaning â€Å"power of the county† and referring to a group of citizens deputized to assist in law enforcement or rescue. In popular culture, posse became associated with the Old West, conjuring the image of a band of men in a frontier town temporarily authorized to assist a county sheriff or a federal marshal with hunting down a fugitive outlaw. This meme inspired an association of the term with a rambunctious retinue accompanying a pop star. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives 5 Brainstorming Strategies for WritersUsing "May" in a Question

The role of self in the workplace relationships Essay

The role of self in the workplace relationships - Essay Example Social psychology represents a blend of sociology and psychology in its investigation of attitudes and behavior in groups (Bellevue Community College, 2006). Social psychology studies the behavior of individuals in social setting. An individual's thoughts, actions, and even the conceptualization of the self are influenced by external factors, such as people within the immediate surroundings, friends, family, and location. This paper takes a look at a work in which both the protagonist and the work setting are considered. Through this dual integration (in relation to workplace, and self) this paper will achieve a broader and deeper understanding of how an individual's thoughts, actions, and even the conceptualization of the self are influenced by others. Individuals found in a happy and entertaining atmosphere tend to be more creative and involved than in places where they face admonishment and pressure. Research claims that individuals who 'feel good' are prone to a cognitive process that instigates a more flexible, fluent, and original thinking. This can have a positive influence on other individuals around them. When effective laws, rules and regulations, financial incentives or penalties, and social pressure leave little room for personal values become weak, do personal factors influence an individual's behavior. And because a variety of factors influence an individual's behavior, creative approaches involving multiple influences on behavior offer the greatest potential for change (Stern P.C, 2005). There are quite a few environmentally significant behaviors attributed to an individual. In the context of this dissertation however, the following situations address the subject of workplace relationships and its effect on self, co-workers and the work environment. The first type of behavior is committed activism; the second is non-activist; and the third relates to the influence of individuals on the environment in which they work, affecting the actions of the organization. An individual can be categorized to be under committed activism, if, he or she is involved actively in organizational and political demonstrations supporting public policies that affect the work environment. Non-activist on the other hand, indirectly affects the environment in which they work, such as the financial contributors to organizations. The above two classes of individual

Micheal jackson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Micheal jackson - Essay Example Some of his commonly known music videos include Beat It, Thriller, Scream, Black or White and Billie Jean which were considered to be advocating for racial integration in the American society (Fisher, 23). He emerged with a number of dance moves such as the robot and moonwalk to which people knew him best and became part of his thrilling performance whenever he was on stage. The curtain finally went down in his life in June 25, 2009 in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California, in the United States aged fifty when he died. The life as well as the music career of Michael Jackson is filled with numerous remarkable events and he made a great contribution to the music industry that has long lived beyond his death. He is therefore worth writing about owing to the fact that very few music artistic have achieved what Michael was able to achieve in his entire music career. Many people all over the world have something to remember about this popular pop artist who inspired them in life. He had a great influence on other genre of music such as hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop, and rock by being the role model to the artists who performed such genres (Danesi,57). Despite the fact that pop culture has been witnessed in a number of departments and areas of life, music has registered the most remarkable application of this culture and it is mainly attributable to the King of Pop; Michael Jackson. His biography clearly demonstrated the formation as well as the establishment of this form of culture that has become a way of life in various parts of the world to date. In June 1975, the Jackson 5 made a historic signing with Epic Records which is a subsidiary of CBS Records. The move necessitated a change in their name from The Jackson 5 to The Jacksons. It was at that time that another Jackson known as Randy formally joined the band. The Jacksons continued to tour internationally, and released six more albums

Analysing American Sign Language English Language Essay

Analysing American Sign Language English Language Essay Mistakenly, many people think that American Sign Language is a code system like Morse Code or Braille just with different symbols (Alliance, par 6). American Sign Language is actually a series of hand signs and symbols that are used when communicating with the deaf (NMCDHH, par1). It consists of not only hand gestures but facial features such as eyebrow motion and lip-mouth movements (Nakamura 1). Because deaf people hear with their eyes instead of their ears, it is considered to be rude not to make eye contact while communicating with a deaf person (Basic, par 14). American Sign Language is used by the Deaf community not only in the United States but in English speaking parts of Canada (Nakamura 1). Until the eighteenth century not a lot was known about American Sign Language (About, par1). An estimated 2,000 deaf people lived in the United States at that time (About, par1). During this time period deaf people were denied human rights (About, Par 2). There are many interesting facts of the history of communicating with deaf people, how to communicate with the deaf, and much advancement for the deaf community. American Sign Languages exact beginning is unknown (American, par 3). Charles-Michael Abee de Lepee founded the first school, in France, to achieve public support for the deaf (About, par 1). Students came from all over the country for this (About, par 1). He is famous in France for being the founder for deaf organized education throughout the whole world, he has now built twenty one schools (About, par 1). Also, Laurent Clerc was Americas first deaf teacher (About, par 2). Him and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded Americas first school for the deaf people, they also, in Hartford, Connecticut, co-founded American School for the Deaf (About, par 2). Lip reading and oralism was declared the appropriate way to communicate, signing became not acceptable in 1880 (About, par 5). In 1965 William Stoke published the dictionary of American Sign Language (About, par 5). Up until the eighteenth century deaf people were not allowed to buy homes, get an education, or sign marriage contracts. While there are many interesting facts about communicating with the deaf, one of the strangest non-deaf people encounter is that they will tell you where they are going (Basic, par 17). This is considered being polite since deaf people can not hear when a person leaves the room (Basic, par 17). Always make sure to have a deaf persons attention before trying to communicate or speak (Tips, par 5). The acceptable way to get a deaf persons attention is waving a hand or lightly touching their shoulder (Tips, par 5). There should never be physical barriers between people during conversations (Basic, par 15). This is because a persons face and facial expressions are important when communicating with a deaf person (Basic, par 18). Barriers include covering the mouth with a hand or a long mustache or beard (Tips, par 7). Though it is considered polite for non deaf people to say excuse me to walk between people having a conversation rude for deaf people (Basic, par 19). Deaf people consider this as interrupting a conversation (Basic, par 19). It helps to communicate with deaf people by using body language and pantomime (Communication, par 4). Most deaf people appreciate when hearing people make an attempt to communicate with non deaf people (Communicating, par 5). Also, when saying goodbye to a deaf person make sure to use (SK) for signing off and (GA) for go ahead, and dont ever end the conversation without making sure the other person is ready to end the conversation (Tips, par 9). Many times an interpreter can be used when a non deaf person is communicating with a deaf person (Communicating, par 3). When talking to the interpreter or hearing what the deaf person signs always look at the deaf person not the interpreter (Communicating, par 3). Do not shout while communicating with a deaf person because no matter how loud your voice is the words will not be heard by a deaf person (Communicating, par 1). There have been many communication methods developed since the eighteenth century (Basic, par 2). Hearing aides are used for people that have a wide range of hearing loss (Basic, par 16). The TTY is a machine for deaf or hearing people to communicate over the phone with other people who have equipment by typing messages to and from each other, back and forth (Communicating, par 10). This is also known as Relay Services (Communicating, par 10). In the 1980s closed captioning for television was developed (National, par 1). Closed caption brought deaf people into the mainstream (National, par 1). This was considered the most important development for that century (National, par 1). It officially started in March 16 1980 (National, par 1). This allowed deaf people in America to read and understand what they had been missing on television (National, par 11). The caption decoder was an overnight success (National, par 12). The University of Washington engineers developed the first cellular device over the United States to transmit American Sign Language (University, par 1). The engineers have been working to improve video signals for sign language (University, par 2). They have increased the image quality around the hands and the face, they have brought data rate down to thirty kilobits per second and still having delivered sign language (University, par 2). Also, MobleASL uses motion detection to tell whether a person is signing or if the person is not, to save the battery life when using the video (University, par 2). This test began July 18 of 2010 and ended that Wednesday, a larger study will be done during the winter (University, par 5). Parents are their childs acquisition of language, a deaf child born to parents that are deaf who know sign language already will begin to learn it naturally just like a hearing child learns its parents spoken language (American, par 1). Also, hearing parents choose to teach their own deaf children sign language (American, par 1). Todays deaf people can now use cell phones by using the video (University, par 2). They can now watch television and understand what is going on and what they are watching (National, par 1). Also, they can now talk on the phone or use a telephone because of the TeleTYpewriter (Communicating, par 10). Works citied About American Sign Language. 2010. About ASL. 10 Nov. 2010 . Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts. 2008. Listening with an Open Eye Background. 27 October 2010 . American Sign Language. Feb. 2008. American Sign Language. 27 October 2010 . Collins, Bill. Signwriting. 2 Dec. 1997. Signwriting and American Sign Language. 27 October 2010 . Nakamura, Karen. Deaf Resource Library. 28 March 2008. About American Sign Language. 27 October 2010 . National Captioning Institute. A Brief History of Captioned Television. 11 November 2010 . Sign Language. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. 6 (1 July 2010): 1 of 4. History Reference Center. EBSCO. Brandon Public Library. 27 October 2010 . University of Washington News. 16 Aug. 2010. Deaf, Hard-of-hearing Students do First Test of Sign Language by Cell Phone. 27 October 2010 . Walker, Lou Ann. Losing the Language of Silence. 13 Jan. 2008. New York Magazine. 27 October 2010 . William C. Stoke. Jr. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2010 ed.

Personal Narrative: Fate :: essays research papers

I gazed out the window, amazed at how the sun rose from the horizon and illuminated the dimly lit car. It was the beginning of August but my teeth chattered violently as I sat against the cold seat. My grandfather was wise to insist that I change from my bathing suit before we left from our annual trip in Atlantic City, New Jersey, however, my sister and I choose to spend our last minutes merrily wadding in the ocean. A feeble yawn escaped my lips as I felt the cold penetrate through the flimsy blanket and make my clothes cling to my skin. I was going home. I had anticipated the trip all summer long and now that it was over, I wanted one more swim, one more ride, and one more delightful taste of fluffy cotton candy. It was time to go back to the reality of an unhealthy grandma and the fear of death. My grandma was an alcoholic and I had grown used to the numerous trips to the hospital and the promises of change with the apologies of regret. Day after day, she would sit in the old flower-patterned wooden chair drinking the forty-ounce beer, which she weakly tried to obfuscate in the wrinkled brown paper bag. At the innocent age of eleven, I knew about the evil brown elixir that she tried to conceal and the smell of it made my nostrils flare and stomach churn in repulsion. The silence in the car became deafening as the reality of what awaited me at home became translucent. The doctors would do as they always did, give her advice, the number to a rehabilitation center and she would come home with a cry of redemption. After a week of abstinence and several incidents of violence, she would sooth her emotions with a drink. In order to regain composure she needed divine intervention and the support of her family. Unlike most of the members of my family, I still believed that she was capable of recovery but I was also slowly losing faith in her. Before we left for New Jersey, she had learned that her liver was failing and she had no more chances to rectify her life. She had to stop. Through my tired eyes, I observed a feathery white cloud float across the sky and obscure the radiant sun. We were almost home and I could not get the haunting thoughts out of my head.

Raoul

Executive Summary FJ Benjamin is a Singapore based fashion and lifestyle company. The company distributes major clothing brands and accessories, and is one of the leading fashion distributors in Singapore. Their success is derived from their ability to secure distribution rights from major brands. FJ Benjamin introduced it very own house label, Raoul, in 2002. Raoul was created to increase the company? s portfolio as well as to diversify away from distribution risk. Raoul contributes a large percentage of FJ Benjamin? s annual revenue.With intensive competition in the fashion industry, Raoul must have it own identity in order to differentiate itself from the competitor. Analyses have been undertaken to determine what necessary strategies to be implemented to enhance the brand image so as to increase profits. Strategies are recommended by taking advantage of Raoul? s strengths and building on their weaknesses in order to take advantage of the available opportunities in the market and to defend it from threats. Studies of the internal and external environment had been conducted to be able to work with Raoul? core competencies to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors.This report concludes that Raoul needs to make adjustments on its marketing strategies, and maintain some of its current strategies, in order to be more competitive in the fashion market. Hence, it is proposed that (1) Raoul focus on a single-market strategy and focus on the local market as well as to create strong market commitment, to be able to serve customer better. (2) Introduce a new ecofriendly product line based on product improvement strategy, and offer product customization for current and new products, as well as enhance current product and services. 3) Maintain current product pricing, and implement price skimming strategy on new product line. (4) Maintain its efficient and cost effective distribution strategy. (5) Changes are to be made on its promotional efforts in order to g ain max exposure possible. Benefits of the proposed recommendations would allow Raoul to achieve the proposed objectives which includes increasing in sales revenue, repurchase rate, and introducing a new product line within the next three years.It is there for proposed that the recommended strategies be implemented at Raoul to be able to reap in revenues as well as gaining a competitive edge in the fashion industry for a highly sustainable business.Over the last 20 years, Singapore has taken a great leap in its fashion industry. Singapore is recognised as the second largest fashion apparel business and sourcing hub in Asia-Pacific after Hong Kong. Special fashion events such as Singapore Fashion Week and Singapore Fashion Festival are some of the impressive achievements made in the fashion industry. These events played a critical role in portraying Singapore as a major fashion hub in the whole of Asia Pacific region. This also gives both local and international designers a platform to showcase their talents to the fashion industry in this region.Today, a total of 4,500 wholesalers, retailers, and manufacturers generate some $7 billion in operating receipts and $1. 2 billion in value added to Singapore economy. As Asian consumers become more affluent, they increasingly drive global demand. With Singapore? s strategic location, cultural affinity and connectivity with the region made Singapore an ideal place to serve as a test-bed to gather and analyse consumer insights, to develop products for the Asian market. This also made Singapore an optimum location for many companies to set a base in, managing and controlling their regional and global operations. . 0 Corporate Background F J Benjamin was founded in 1959 by Frank Benjamin, who came from a well-to-do family who have been in the fashion industry before World War 2. The company was initially FJ Benjamin and Sons but due to the nature of the business, where it positioned itself as a holding firm with subsidiar ies, it was later renamed to FJ Benjamin Holdings Ltd in 1993 (Wang 2009). The company started of dealing with photographic equipment, and everyday novelties such as paper products as well as pots and pans.However, in the 1960s, the company started to modernise its operations by entering into partnerships with many fashion labels, by importing and retailing designer jeans. The success motivated Benjamin to focus his business on the fashion industry. The company brought in brand names such as Lanvin, Gucci and Fendi in the early 1970s, and was a big player of the fashion industry in Singapore (Wang 2009). FJ Benjamin was listed on the SGX in 1996, before the Asian financial crisis, posting a net loss of over $40m in their first financial year; it was mainly due to high operating expenses and fixed cost.The profitability of the company continued into the early 2000s, where they lost major brand names such as Gucci, Lanvin and Fendi. The company learnt to diversify away from distributo rship risk by developing its own brand, thus the creation of Raoul. 1 Company Present Operation& Business Core Today, FJ Benjamin has operations in eight cities worldwide, including Singapore, Sydney Australia, Jakarta Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Taiwan and Bangkok Thailand carrying over 20 brands and has over 180 retail stores in the Asia Pacific region.FJ Benjamin focuses on 3 core business; fashion retailing and distribution, timepiece distribution, and licensing and design: (FJ Holdings Limited 2009). ? Fashion retailing and distribution core – Acquired rights to distribute major fashion labels across the South East Asia and the Pacific region ? Exclusive distributers of timepiece – Acquired rights to distribute timepieces in the South East Asia and the Pacific region ? Licensing and Design – Has a design division to design for Guess Kids and its own house label, Raoul However, they also have their fair share of failures, one exampl e was with the Manchester United brand and Devil? Bar that were unprofitable, which the company had a joint venture with CEO of St James Power Station, Dennis Foo. The company dropped the Manchester United brand name and closed all its retail stores and cafes. Current Developments FJ Benjamin is benefiting from Singapore? s healthy economic growth. With Singapore transforming into a tourism hub, and the opening of Marina Bay Sands (MBS), the company had took advantage of the influx of visitors and has opened four new retail stores at the MBS, including brands names like Guess, Banana Republic, La Senza and Raoul; totalling the number of stores in Singapore to 32.The management was optimistic with its new stores as it was able to secure attractive rental rates at MBS and would be able to benefit from the ever growing number of tourist. The company also stand to avoid other competition with the opening of new shopping malls in Orchard Road and other shopping districts in Singapore (FJ Holdings Limited 2009). Future Developments FJ Benjamin had secure exclusive distributorship for high end brands such as Goyard, Givenchy and Dewitt, building the company? s brand portfolio to more than 20 reputable brand. The company? success is evidenced by its ability to attain distributorship of French luxury giant Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton? s (LVMH) Celine and Givenchy; this is only the beginning of their collaboration with LVMH (FJ Holdings Limited 2009). 2 Company’s Milestones & Achievements FJ Benjamin have made its mark in Singapore and have been contributing much to the fashion industry and providing various lifestyle products [See Appendix 1]. Corporate Vision FJ Benjamin? s vision is to be a global company ? Dedicated to delivering their promise to their customers by fulfilling their lifestyle aspirations ? Committed to talent development Delivering sustainable and superior returns to their shareholders Corporate Mission FJ Benjamin? s mission is strive to lea d in everything they do ? Implementing brand strategies with deep market penetration ? Delivering superior customer service with long-term customer loyalty ? Empowering employees to deliver value processes for phenomenal growth ? Pursuing best-in-class economics with strong margins Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) FJ Benjamin has been committed to various charities in Singapore since the company was founded in 1959. The company believes that charitable giving is a necessary element of CSR.The company? s Charitable Giving Committee is made key employee of the company. The committee meets on a quarterly basis to review the company? s charitable initiatives and approves all charitable giving. The company sets aside up to 1% of its net profit for a fiscal year, in forms of monetary or in-kind gifts. FJ Benjamin? s charitable objectives includes, supporting good causes relating to health, education, arts and/or the community in Singapore. The company also encourages and supports pro jects and activities that helps strengthen in which their employees work and live in. FJ Benjamin? Contributions to the society [See Appendix 2]. Company Structure FJ Benjamin Holding employs a divisional structure that is divided according to geographical region and further subdivided into countries and product [See Appendix 3]. In the South East Asian region, the company branch out to various countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Each country would then be fragment base on products, e. g. Timepieces, Investment and Concepts (FJ Holdings Limited 2009). 3 As of financial year end 2009, Douglas Benjamin is the Chief Executive Officer for FJ Benjamin Singapore.Mr. Douglas oversees the operation in Singapore, directs the international expansion of Raoul house label and heads the Raoul design team as a Creative Director. Douglas Benjamin has strong experience in brand management and development of retail distribution thereby allowing the company to expand quickl y into various regions within eight years and having a diverse range of products (Star Creation 2010). The senior management board in Singapore includes Samuel Benjamin, Quah Kim Tong and Matthew Chan (FJ Holdings Limited 2009).Samuel Benjamin is the Group Director of Timepiece and the Senior Vice-President of FJ Benjamin Fashion U. S. Inc. He joined the company Fashion division in 1991 and has more than 19 years of experience in the retail industry (FJ Holdings Limited 2009). Quah Kim Tong is the Director for Wholesale. He administers the logistic/ distribution center in Singapore, plus the distribution business of Sheridan and Guess Accessories. He started his career as a product manager in 1982 and steadily moved up the corporate ladder. Matthew Chan is the Divisional CEO of Fashion and Corporate Services.He oversees the day-to-day running of the fashion retail in Singapore, as well as the managing the back end support services in the company. Mr. Chan joined the company back in 2006, providing strong organizational and financial knowledge from his past experience as Director for Head of Channel Acquisitions and Head of Acceptance with American Express. Key stakeholders FJ Benjamin key stakeholders are directly affected by the company? s performance, which includes: ? Customers who purchase products from various SBU ? Employees – Management staff to salespeople ?Licensors who sell the distribution rights to FJ Benjamin ? Retail malls that leases out spaces for company? s retail division ? Investors who own FJ Benjamin? s corporate share ? Creditors – Banks ? Shareholders ? Government agencies which may require the company to abide/ conform to accounting standards, taxation regulations and employees? CPF ? Trade unions which may certain framework that the company needs to work within; such as working hours and minimum wage 4 Financial Performance Financial Year Profits after tax and shares 2005 4. 26 million 2006 10. 17million 2007 1. 47millon 2008 14. 8 million 2009 (2. 66 million) Table 1 Financial performance of the past 5 years The growth from financial year 2005 to 2006 was mainly attributed by attainting the distribution rights for Gap and Banana Republic in Singapore and in Malaysia. During the same year, other SBUs, namely Raoul and Timepieces started its expansion into the Middle East and Thailand (FJ Benjamin Limited 2006). The significant growth from 2006 to 2007 was further encouraged by the optimistic economies and mainly by the conversion of warrants to share (FJ Benjamin Limited 2007).The decline in profit for 2007 to 2008 was caused by the subprime crisis in America, the increasing inflation rate that reduced consumer spending power and the high volatility in the financial market. It was also noted that, FJ Benjamin exited from the Thailand market due to the political instability and shut down two timepiece shop in Hong Kong due to poor results (Leong 2010). On the other hand, the company reassured shareho lders through their diversified portfolio of brands and vigilant cost discipline; the company business is still viable (FJ Benjamin Limited 2008).As of financial year end 2009, FJ Benjamin had made a net loss of $2,661,000 compared to a net profit of $14,804,000 in 2008. The loss in 2009 was caused by the financial crisis. FJ Benjamin minimizes their financial risk by ensuring that there is sufficient cash reserves to meet any unforeseen circumstances and is committed to a low gearing ratio. 5 Breakdown of Financial Result Liquidity ratio Current ratio Quick ratio 2009 2. 11 times 7. 8 2008 1. 67 times 14. 7 Table 2 Financial results – Liquidity Ratio The liquidity ratio refers to the company? ability to meet its short term obligation (Madura 2007, 580). As compared to 2008, the current ratio has increased but it is still within the healthy range of 1 – 2. Excessive liquidity could imply that the company may have excessive cash or stocks in inventories (Madura 2007, 58 0). Leverage Ratio Debt/Equity ratio 2009 2. 13 2008 1. 14 2009 -2. 02% 2008 10. 65% Table 3 Financial results – Leverage Ratio Return on Equity Table 4 Financial results – Return on Equity Return on equity measures the return of investments in the firm for the shareholders (Madura 2007, 586).Although losses were made in 2009, the company has since been making steady progress in their quarterly financial results as show in Figure 1. 2009 Earnings per share (cents) 2008 -0. 47 2. 61 Table 5 Financial results – Earning/share Earnings per share serve as an indicator for the company? s profitability. Since in 2009 losses were made, it is accepted that the earning per share would decrease significantly as compared to 2008. Figure 1 Analysis of Financial Results Despites the losses made in 2009 due to the financial crisis, FJ Benjamin has since been making steady progression.For first quarter 2010, a net profit of $459,000 was made, followed by the second quarter with a net profit of $1. 72 million and latest financial results for third quarter 2010 showed a net profit of $3 million. 6 The company is financially sound; based on the breakdown of ratio, financial reports and third party recommendation for investors to invest in the company. FJ Benjamin has recently secured license for Goyard, a French luxury retail brand and has intention to introduce three other new brands in 2011 (Seow 2010). Currently the company has plans to expand into China and widen its existing market in US and Europe (Leong 2010). . 2 Strategic Business Unit Fashion FJ Benjamin? s fashion retailing includes prestigious line such as Guess, Celine, La Senza, Banana Republic, GAP and Raoul. It takes up two-third of its profit turnover through fashion retailing (Wang 2009). Timepieces F J Benjamin held exclusively rights to distribute timepiece brands such as Bell & Ross, GirardPerregauz, Guess, Chronotech, Victorinox Swiss Army, Marc Ecko, Rado and Nautica (FJ Benjamin Holdi ngs Ltd 2009). Timepiece contributes about 30% or one-third of FJ Benjamin? s profit turnover through retailing (Wang 2009). Creative & LicensingFJ Benjamin? s creative and licensing division has conceptualized and developed house brand Raoul and has licence to create original designs and manufactures merchandise, such as Guess Kids. 7 2. 3 SBU BCG Matrix The following is the tabulated values for BCG matrix analysis, for the breakdown of calculations [see Appendix 4]. Largest Competitor 2009 2008 RMS Growth rate % Total Fashion $48. 92 $203. 40 $226. 30 4. 17 10% 68. 00% Timepieces $35. 87 $94. 30 $113. 40 2. 59 17% 31. 00% Licensing $14. 80 $2. 20 $2. 70 0. 20 20% 1. 00% Table 6 BCG matrix analysis Star Question MarkDog Growth Cash Cow Relative Market Share Figure 2 BCG Matrix This shows that Raoul is considered a cash cow of FJ Benjamin? s business with high relative market share and average industry growth rate. Raoul is currently positioned under a maturity stage where growth ra te and market share may decline into dog in the next few years. Therefore, new marketing strategies are needed to maintain the Raoul? s position by altering the product, price, distribution and promotional strategies to increase growth and maintain its current market share. 8 3. 0 SBU Raoul Situation AnalysisRaoul is the brainchild of creative director Douglas and Odile Benjamin (Raoul 2008). Currently Raoul is one of the most profiled fashion brands coming out of Asia. It is being known as a stylish, innovative fashion brand offering high quality accessible luxury products to their consumers. Raoul? s is designed, manufactured, and retailed under a corporate vertical marketing system with is solely owned by FJ Benjamin (FJ Holdings Limited 2009). 3. 1. 1 SBU Culture FJ Benjamin believes that Raoul can help them move up a level from being a brand distributor to a brand owner.Frank Benjamin claims that in fashion today, there is no shortage of brands and there would be market that Ra oul can cater to (Sim 2009). Raoul has created a new history for Singapore by introducing luxury fashion-forward corporate wear at an affordable price to business executives in Singapore. Raoul has become a renowned homegrown label that is now known to many business executives that demands style in corporate wear. (Smart lines for business times n. d. ) Raoul has such a strong influence in Singapore that local Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wore a pink Raoul tailor shirt during his National Day Rally Speech.Therefore, with a strong culture and adequate support from the parent company and local government, Raoul culture can become part of the Singapore heritage brand (Jalal. 2010). 3. 1. 2 SBU Resources Tangibles Resources Physical Physical refers to the equipments, furniture, retail outlet which can use to grow or sustain the business. With 24 Raoul flagship stores in Southeast Asia and Dubai, the company is still looking to expand its geographical footprint. Currently, FJ Benjamin occupies the second floor of the â€Å"The Alpha† at the Science Park. It is filled with show boutiques and workrooms.It is used by the company's visual merchandising team for training purposes and doubles as an impressive space for press samples (Simon 2009). This allows Raoul? s staffs to provide quality service to the consumers by using boutiques to train, giving them a chance to experience in a real life scenario. The availability of showroom allows Raoul to customize its concept layout before executing on the actual shop front. 9 Technological With the help of FJ Benjamin? s support in terms of finance and experience, Raoul is able to fully utilize technology to help Raoul perform more effectively and efficiently.Raoul also has its very own Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. CRM system is effective in increasing spending per customer, by tracking the spending patterns of customers, increasing the efficiency of marketing communication strategies. In addition, the front-end point-ofsales system has been upgraded to integrate with the CRM to improve in-store service quality (FJ Benjamin 2008). Sales Force Automation (SFA) is combined with CRM system to record stages of a sales process. It helps to manage customers? contact for future follow ups through contact management system.SFA would increase productivity and allow salespeople to utilize their time efficiently and effectively. SFA can help increase customer satisfaction which leads to increased customer loyalty and in return, high profit margins. Technology used on Supply Chain Management has improved the efficiency of the back-end support. Having implemented a new auto replenishment system, Raoul has been able to make inventory distribution more efficient. This help to save time and labour cost to keep track on all the movement of stocks and can provide a more accurate prediction of the delivery time (FJ Benjamin 2008).Financial FJ Benjamin achieved three consecutive quarters of earni ngs recovery in the first nine months of Financial Year Jun10. Earnings surged from a loss of $0. 1m for Financial Year Jun 2009 to a net profit of $5. 2m for Financial Year June 10 (Lee 2010). The outperformance in core earnings was driven by an improvement in gross profit margin, reflecting FJB? s strengthening brand portfolio and astute merchandising capability, as well as rising consumer demand (Lee 2010). In June 2010, the group? s turnover from the fashion business was flat at $49. m, with the marginal increase in the Southeast Asia markets offset by the slide in the Australian market. Geographically, sales in Southeast Asia rose three per cent, with fashion up two per cent (Seow 2010). As economics begin to recover, consumers? confidence begin to rise so purchasing increases. 10 Organization There are 9 directors on the board, consisting of Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Independent Director, Executive Director, Non- Executive Deputy Chairman and Non- Executive Directors [see Appendix 5].In Singapore, there are 2 members on the senior management, consisting of the top management, such as Group Director and Wholesale Director FJ Benjamin adopt Traditional Organization Structure (Subhash and Haley 2009, 207), where different departments concentrate specifically in an area which they are an expert in it. Therefore, it helps Raoul to have a strong management team, which can grow Raoul to the next level and sustain a competitive edge. Intangibles Resources Goodwill As mentioned in section 4. 1 FJ Benjamin has been proactive in its CSR.This helps project a positive image of FJ Benjamin to the public. Therefore, in the future they can do a combine sponsorship with Raoul to increase brand exposure and awareness. Goodwill are intangible assets, this includes the company being in a dominant market position by building a positive brand image, create a positive reputation and increase consumer confidence of the company (Reference for Business : Encycl opedia of Business, 2nd ed n. d. ). Under the context of Raoul, they continuously explore different strategies where they aim to ecome a global renowned luxury brand that is recognised both regionally and internationally. As shown in appendices [see Appendix 6], Raoul had participate in numerous fashion events where they are able to showcase its products with other major luxury brands in the world. This would create a perception that Raoul as an international luxury brand. In Singapore, FJ Benjamin also creates a positive image by supporting and grooming Asian talents to become professional designers. Raoul had also won numerous prestigious awards, portraying that Raoul is a prestigious brand to Singaporeans.Innovation FJ Benjamin? s expertise and capabilities in original design manufacturing allows the company to create its own house-brand, Raoul. FJ Benjamin is committed to deliver innovative and differentiated products to the market. Raoul aims to create and deliver new value-add ed products and invest in research in order to respond to the ever changing needs of consumers. 11 Knowledge/Skills FJ Benjamin has rich experience in marketing and distributing luxury products. This makes FJ Benjamin an industry leader for building brands and management.This can help Raoul has a clear directions and a strong strategy to grow the brand. FJ Benjamin place customer service top on their priority list, therefore, every year they will send their staffs for upgrading or training to increase their service quality. After years of hard work, in 2009 FJ Benjamin won â€Å"Best Service Provider in the Industry† award. In retail, FJ Benjamin has a rich experience in marketing and advertising campaign to expand its market share. They also have the capital to heavily advertise Raoul on traditional print such as fashion magazines, newspapers, posters and billboards (Wong and Lim 2009). . 1. 3 SBU Stakeholders Stakeholders hold an important to affect Raoul? s ultimate growth . Raoul needs to take in the view of the interest of their stakeholders in order to have a positive growth. Stakeholders can also influence the directions of Raoul. The stakeholders are further classified into 4 different groups: Classification of Stakeholders The Community The Customers / Partners The Competitors The Investors ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Government regulators Media General public Shopping Mall Developers Shopping Mall Management EmployeesFashion Designers Customers prospects Strategic alliances partners Raw Materials Suppliers Insurance Company Supply Chain/Freight Forwarding Company Schools (e. g. School of Business, School of Art and etc) Direct Competitors (e. g. Massimo Dutti, G2000 Black Label) Non- Direct Competitors/Substitutes Board of directors Investment Analysts / Financial Consultant Shareholders/Investors Table 7 Classification of Stakeholders 12 3. 1. 4 SBU Performance Raoul entered into the fashion industry at the right time, where men have b een paying more attention of their looks.With the successful launch and business, Raoul has also further strengthened its well established values (Sunny Side Up: Start your day the Kim Eng Way 2010). Financial Year Profits after tax and shares 2005 724,200 2006 1,728,900 2007 3,649,900 2008 2,516,000 2009 (452,200) Table 8 Financial Performance for the past 5 years Base on assumption from the above financial year performance under section 1 with Raoul having a financial contribution to FJ Benjamin profit of approximately 17%. From 2005 to 2007 shows a steady increase mainly attribute by positive financial economies.From 2008 to 2009 a dip in Raoul? s sales was caused by financial crisis across the world. As of June 2010, FJ Benjamin recorded a net profit of $8,260,000 from a net loss of $2,661,000 in 2009 (FJB Singapore 2010) and Raoul accounts for approximately 15% – 20% of FJ Benjamin? s sales revenue, it is clear that FJ Benjamin wishes to take this opportunity to venture into other big market to increase their revenue and market share. 3. 2 SBU Customers Characteristics Segment 1 Segment 2 Working Adults Generation Y Sex Male and Female Male and Female Age 36-60 22-35 Education ;gt;Diploma gt;Degree Monthly Income ;gt;$3800 ;gt;$2800 Purchasing Power High Medium – High Benefit Sought Seek Prestige Services ; Product Seek Individualism, Status ; Self Quality Image VALS Innovators Achievers/Experiencers Lifestyle Factors Traditionalist Modernist Brand Loyalist Opinion Leaders Opinion Leaders Early Adopters Purchase Frequency Occasionally Occasionally Occasion of Use Work Work and Social Size 65% 35% Demographics Description Table 9 SBU Customers 13 3. 3 SBU Competition 14 Table 10 SBU competition 15 3. 3. 1 Current Product Positioning Quality +ve Price -ve + ve -veFigure 3 Current Product Positioning Purple: Raoul, Blue: Massimo Dutti, Orange: G2000 Black Label The above shows the current position of Raoul and its competitor, Massimo Dutti and G2000 Black label. Raoul currently offers high quality products at a mid-range price, while competitor such G2000 Black label offers slightly lower priced and quality clothing. Massimo Dutti offers slightly lower price and same quality clothing as Raoul. 16 3. 4 Key Findings PESTLE Environment Political Political Stability and Risk Political stability and risk varies between countries in the region.Singapore has very little political issues compared to neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand. Singapore is rank 1st in Southeast Asia as the least corrupted country and 4th worldwide. Low degree of social unrest, political sovereignty, conflicts and low government interventions, makes Singapore a safe place for any business operation. As indicate in the World Bank? s Doing Business Report, Singapore is the world? s easiest place to do business in the year of 2009 and 2010 due the political stability of Singapore. Economic Singapore? economic growth, inter est rates, exchange rates and inflation rates, consumer purchasing power and the standard of living in Singapore are part and parcel of the economic environment. In May 2010, Singapore topped the list of world? s most competitive nation in the World Competitiveness Yearbook. Singapore dethroned USA as from its 16 year reign (Lim 2010). Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Singapore? s GDP expanded strongly by 15. 5% in the 1st quarter of 2010, it exceeded the projected 13. 1% estimates. On a quarterly basis the Singapore economy grew 38. 6 %, 6. 5% more than the government? s estimates (Howells 2010).According to World Bank, Singapore GDP is worth 182 billion dollars or 0. 29% of the world economy (Singapore GDP Growth Rate 2010). Singapore has a highly developed and successful freemarket economy and it soared above 30% in the first quarter of 2010, the manufacturing sector growth was doubled as compare to previous quarter of the year recovering from a 2. 8% drop in fourth quarter of 2009. The growth of the manufacturing sector accounts for up to one quarter of the country? s economy. This would cause the projected forecast of the GDP to increase to up to 9% in 2010 (Adam 2010). Inflation Rates As of 2010, Singapore? inflation rate is 1. 6% (Singapore Inflation Rate 2010). Inflation is an increase of overall price level in the country. This would increase the cost of living as products/services would now cost more than previous years. It is interrelated to the Consumer Price Index, which will be further discussed in the next section. 17 Consumer Price Index The current CPI of Singapore is 1. 6%, it is the measures of inflation rate, where measures consumer prices that the price changes in a fixed amount of consumer goods and services that are commonly purchased over time (Singapore Department of Statistics 2010).CPI is influenced by lifestyle, income level, household composition and consumer preference (Singapore Department of Statistics 2010) this also determines the quality of life of Singaporeans. This relates to the increasing trend in Singaporeans having higher spending power, where cost of consumer products are increasing; resulting in the increase in inflation rate. With the increasing cost of living and quality of life, Singaporeans have more disposable cash to spend on better quality products which would aid the sales growth of Raoul. Socio-Cultural Social AttitudesSingaporean has a „fear of losing? attitude, which is frequently used to describe the social attitude of Singaporeans. This refers to people who desire to always want to be first, the best and never losing out. This could be a positive attitude that reflects the high standards of Singaporeans; however it could lead graceless image to the society. It also strongly reflects on the Singaporean work ethics and competitiveness. ‘Face’ This is an important value amongst Singaporeans. It refers to saving and maintaining „face?. Singaporeans typically are not expressive in their ehaviour and emotions and do not criticize others openly in public; to avoid losing face. Losing face will lead to damage to one? s reputation, credibility and authority in the social and working environment. Technological Factor Technological Infrastructure Broadband infrastructure in Singapore allows for better global networking for businesses that enables better customer support. With the support of such technology, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Sales Force Automation (SFA) and Point of Sales (POS) system are made easier.Thus, allowing Raoul to operate more effectively and efficiently in Singapore. Furthermore, the government introduced the next generation high-speed fibre optic broadband (Next Gen NBN 2010). 18 Legal Factors Singapore Legal System Singapore? s legal system is English common law and has a strong regulation in place protecting consumer and company. Raoul, being a domestic brand would receive stronger su pport from the government. Singapore also has an additional Islamic law to cater to the Muslim community. Since, Singapore? economy is highly dependent on the revenue from import and export, it is important to implement proper regulations to protect the safety of Singapore. Also in terms of employment policies, firms need to consider the working hours and wages rate of the employees. Environment Factor Environmentalism There is an increasing trend green consumer in the global segment and since Singapore being one of the countries that is actively involved; environmentalism becomes an opportunity for Raoul to introduce environmentally friendly products as recommended in products.Targeting environmentally conscious consumers, where they are more willing to pay for greener products. Green Movement Singapore is highly involved in going green and government bodies that are responsible include National Environmental Agency (NEA) and Environmental Challenge Organisation (ECO). The NEA sign ed the Singapore Packaging Agreement with 5 industry associations, 19 individual companies, 2 non-governmental organizations, the Waste Management ; Recycling Association of Singapore and 4 public waste collectors on 5 June 2007 that aims to reduce packaging waste over a 5year period.It encourages the flexibility for the industries to adopt cost-effective solutions to reduce waste (Singapore Packaging Agreement 2008). ECO launched the „Million Acts of Green? Singapore Campaign to spur a national green movement by getting Singaporeans to think and act green in their day-to-day lives. Million Acts of Green Singapore is targeted at both Singaporeans and businesses with the aim of getting them to register their green acts and sustainability ideas on the millionactsofgreen. sg website (ECO Singapore 2010). 19 3. 5 Internal Analysis – TOWS Matrix AnalysisTable 11 Internal Analysis – TOWS Matrix Analysis 20 4. 0 SBU Objectives and Goals Table 12 SBU Objectives and Goals 21 5. 0 Recommended Strategies Recommendations have been made in order for Raoul to achieve their objectives and goals. 5. 1 Market Strategies Market-Scope Strategy It is recommended that Raoul should focus its strategy on a single market basis, where Raoul can gain competitive advantage of being able to adaptive and responsive to market opportunities threats to successfully remedying any possible changes in policies.Thus, Raoul will be able to capture the market and better serve the customers, at the same time experiencing higher profits while keeping the cost down while prices are kept high. Market-Geography Strategy Currently, Raoul has existing plans for expanding its business geographically. However, this report recommends that Raoul should return to the most traditional form of local-market strategy. As a home grown brand by a local company, F J Benjamin, it can gain competitive advantage of serving a narrow geographic area within Singapore.This can emphasis more interpersona l service with local consumers that can induce beliefs into consumers to motivate them in buying and supporting local produce. Market Commitment Strategy It is recommended that Raoul should create strong commitment with the potential consumers, where Raoul needs to create a firm foundation of operations within the market and amplifying its own economies of scales in promotion, distribution, manufacturing and promotion. This would in turn create high barrier to entry and competitors would have difficulties in challenging Raoul? s existing system.Creation of strong commitment can also be enhance with development or new products, improving product quality and increasing budget for sales force personnel. Raoul can work its product line with a more environmental approach. Such as usage of organic cotton in manufacturing of the apparels and recyclable shopping bags, to promote the eco-friendly line, to the consumers that are committed in saving the environment. Allocating resources to tra in retail associates can create a wholesome retail experience for the patrons of the boutique and would increase product and brand loyalty. 22 5. 2 Product StrategiesNew Product Strategy: Improvement ; Positioning The introduction of eco-friendly clothing aims to attract new consumers from the targeted segment. In Singapore context, organic cotton wear is still a relatively new concept. Currently there are not many fashion retailers providing formal wear made of eco-friendly materials. By being the first to introduce, Raoul could gain to attract a greater awareness for its own brand name and products. The eco-friendly clothing would help Raoul in attracting a larger number of potential consumers from the identified target segment. Quality +ve Price -ve + ve -veFigure 4 New Product Positioning Green: Eco-range positioning It is recommended that Raoul maintain its product positioning for the current clothing line. However, with the launch of eco-range, quality of product should be imp roved so as to differentiate the product from the competitors. Price of eco-range should increase so as to in-line with the new product pricing strategy (Price Skimming). 23 Value-marketing strategy: Product and Service Differentiation To differentiate its customer service from other fashion retailers, Raoul could offer complementary beverages for shoppers as well as offering image consultation service.The image consultant would make recommendations to consumer based on their needs, based on their body contour, purpose of occasion and nature of job scope. The consultation service is an optional product aimed at building the brand image and is subjected to charges. Product-design strategy: Product Customization Raoul should adopt standardise customisation to gain the extra competitive edge and to maximise benefits. Product customisation would aid Raoul in showcasing itself as a quality provider thereby differentiating the brand and increasing consumers? commitment to the brand.Standa rdise products refer to the clothing offered such as shirt, pants and blouse. Customisations could be done on various levels: ? At a basic level, clothing could be tailored in terms of length to meet basic expectations of consumers. ? At an intermediary level clothing could be tailored to meet specific needs of consumers, such as broadness of the lapel, thickness of shoulder padding in jackets, allow requests for particular colour and particular material for clothing like cashmere Lycra as well as embroidery of customers? initials on clothing. 24 5. 3 Price StrategiesWith reference to the PESTEL analysis, Singapore has a stable economy; does not face drastic changes in the environment. It is recommended that company should maintain the current pricing strategy for current products and use price skimming strategy for the new eco-friendly clothing. Maintaining Current Pricing Strategy It would allow Raoul to maintaining its position in the marketplace and enhance public image. The ben efit of maintaining price is appropriate when Raoul cannot anticipate the reaction of customers and competitors? price change. Furthermore, with this strategy it can further enhance the Raoul? public image New Product Pricing It is recommended that due to the uncertainty of consumers? demand and competitors? responds to the new eco-friendly range, that Raoul should use price skimming strategy to gain maximum revenue prior to competitors? respond with similar products.It not only serves customers who are less price sensitive, while there are demands for eco-friendly clothing in the early stage of the Product lifecycle, but also recovers the high cost of R;D used to develop eco-friendly clothing, and high promotional cost incurred to education consumers on the need to go green. . 4 Distribution Strategies Corporate Vertical Marketing System (VMS) Figure 5 Corporate VMS Raoul currently uses a Corporate VMS. As seen on the above figure, Raoul? s products are designed, manufactured and r etailed under a single ownership of FJ Benjamin. It is recommended that the distribution strategy remains the same as Raoul would have greater control over the entire distribution chains. This would eliminate the need of slow-moving suppliers for raw materials.New products designs shaped in Raoul? design centre at the â€Å"Alpha† as mentioned in section 5. 2. 1, and new designs 25 feed into Raoul? s manufacturing centres and is distributed directly to its retail outlets. This saves time, cost and keeps inventories low. 5. 5 Communication Strategies Raoul needs to further improve their current strategies and introduce new strategies to increase their market share and consumer base. Advertising A good advertising is able to stimulate interests and could lead to sales. It is able to influence customers? erception of Raoul and is able to reach out to more audience at a lower cost. Traditional advertising (Magazine) The use of traditional advertising such as magazines will be an effective medium for Raoul. Raoul could advertise in both male and female and luxury magazines such like HerWorld, Elle, Cleo, August Man, Prestige and L? Officiel, as these are the magazines that have readers that are similar to that of Raoul; targeted consumers get the latest information on fashion trends. Outdoor advertising and informative advertisingIn order for Raoul to introduce eco-friendly clothing, they have to do informative advertisements to generate environmental awareness among the public. Raoul can portray a positive brand image by introducing an eco-friendly range of clothing, and informing the public of the need to protect the environment through sustainable means. For instance, they are could place advertisements along high end shopping districts like Orchard Road, Marina Bay as well as the Central Business District areas to be able to attract attention of potential targeted consumers.However, special attention has to be made as not to place posters at cluttered en vironment as people may not notice the posters. Placing huge posters of bright green and earthy colours would draw consumers? attention, followed by a few informative words that explain the need for using organic materials which are biodegradable and pesticide free, such as organic cotton, to reduce environmental impacts. 26 Personal Selling strategy In retail line, personal touch and customer service is essential, and would differentiate Raoul from the rest of its competitors.It is recommended those salespeople are trained to be able to interact well with customers, as a good salesperson would be able to close higher sales, and customers are usually loyal to the person who provides the service, and may not be loyal to the brand. Therefore, more resources should be allocated in training of salespeople. Building Relationship through Database Marketing and CRM Building up a relationship with consumers with aim to retain consumers and increase their level of satisfaction. Raoul can imp lement customer loyalty programs so as to have a long-term valued relationship.This could be done by constantly sending update to their consumer through email or direct mail whenever there is any new launch or sales. Alternatively, Raoul could send birthday cards and offering birthday discounts to consumers on their birthday month. This will create a sense of belonging for the customer and further encourage return sales. Collaboration with designers In order to attract eco-conscious consumers, Raoul can collaborate with renowned designers to come up with a new series and designs made from organic materials.By taking a proactive approach in saving the environment, it projects a positive image of the brand. In addition, they are also able to educate the public on the need to save the environment. Product Packaging To be line with the eco-friendly range and promotion, purchase of any clothing in stores will be packaged with recycled paper wraps and paper bags. In addition, with purchas e of eco-friendly apparels, customers will be issued a specially designed recycled cloth bag with a green theme. Those special eco-bags should be able to attract potential buyers? ttention as well as raise awareness of the need to go green. 27 6. 0 Implementation Program An implementation table has been drawn up for the recommended strategies. IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROL TABLE STRATEGY WHERE DATES HOW TO IMPLEMENT BUDGET CONTROL MECHANISM Market 1. Scope – Single Market 2. Geography – Local 3 years 3. Commitment – Strong 3 years Market Research on ideal store locations 3 years Singapore Island-wide Market Research Integrate CRM system Sales return – if segment is not profitable then use market haversting strategy $1,000,000Outlet sales figure – close outlets that are less profitable due to customer traffic Measuring repurchase rate – if repurchase rate is low, $500,000 consider using market haversting strategy Product Reviewing current produc t to come Nov 10 – Jan 11 up with improvements to restore product to health 1. New Product Positioning 2. Value-Marketing – Product ; Service Differentiation Training and development of staff Work closely with customer to review the progress of the product until completion that meets customer's specification. On going 3. Design – Customization On going