response to shrek the movie :: essays research papers

Film Response   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It’s always hard to pick a single favorite movie, because there are so many good ones. If I had to pick a favorite it would be a toss up between Gladiator, and Old School. I have a hard time choosing between comedy, and action. I would have to say that Gigli staring Ben Affleck, and J-lo is the least favorite movie of mine. In my opinion Gigli had a bad plot, bad acting, and was to long. I recently have seen the Client which was writer by John Grissim. The Client was originally a book, and like a lot of his work was great. The Client had a great plot, and incredible acting. It’s easy to say I’m a movie buff I love to rent movies and go to the theater as much as possible. I recently stop renting movies, because the late fees were killing me, so my thing now is to just by the new releases I like. It just makes sense if you consistently have late fees it is cheaper to just buy the movie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My latest film experience was Shrek 2. Shrek 2 is a new release animation film. This is a great flick using the new state of the art animation. Shrek is not just a kid’s movie, but adults also find it funny. The movie is about an ogre named Shrek, who lives in a swamp. Shrek spent his whole life living in sham, because he was an ogre, and all the other creatures, and people felt threatened by him. Shrek meets a donkey played by Eddy Murphy, and they become friends. Later in the movie Shrek meets a beautiful princess named Fionia. Shrek, and Fionia fall in love, and go to ask for her father the king for his blessing in marriage. Instead they run into several problems the king does not approve of the marriage, and tries every thing in his power to separate them. The king opposed their marriage, because a princess can not marry an ogre, and live happily ever after... Shrek and Fionia are ugly green ogres who are constantly mistreated for their looks and race, but over come all the stereo types. Shrek teaches people not to judge other people by their race, color or looks. The movie has a great lesson to teach kids, but I know some adults that could benefit as well.

Technology Management Assignment

Introduction The emergence of new technologies has made a big impact on business management. Technology applications have been proven to enhance the acquisition of information and resources. Technology has also become an important element in decision making and product innovation. As such, without technology management, organizations cannot survive in the current business environment. Technology management has also been proven as a key component in the creation of wealth. Therefore, the management of technology, especially for technology intensive firms, is essential for their survival and to maintain their competitive advantage. Technology management is a multi-disciplinary field, which works as a bridge between engineering and business disciplines. The importance of technology management cannot be overlooked. In recent years, all leading developments in the global business environment are the result of the application of technology management (Khalil, 2000). Technology management is related to innovation (Mortar et al., 2009). In the current business and technological environment, corporations and SMEs must be able to adapt and evolve if they want to survive and expand their business. The ability and willingness to change is essential to survive in today’s highly competitive environment. As such, innovation has become an important aspect in the culture of an organization and is seen as a driving force in achieving growth (Trott, 2005). Innovation, in turn, is recognized as one of the results of efficient technology management. Technology management is a dynamic tool that can be utilized for various industries, both in the private and government sectors. The education sector is one of the areas where technological improvement is needed. This can be achieved through the use of online learning software and other related tools. Online learning communities are a growing feature in the landscape of educational technology. These tools and technology-oriented software are the key improvements in the education system and this has been proven with the passage of time (Herrington & Oliver, 2000) This essay analyses Pakistan’s education market to find the gaps in the use of technology in the country’s education sector. To illustrate the importance of technology management, the essay also discusses its application in relation to the development of new software targeted for the education sector in Pakistan. The development of the new software is carried out with the guidance of an appropriate technology oriented-business model and business plan. This is done to minimize the risk and uncertainty involved in the product development process. Literature Review Benefits of Technology ManagementLooking at the economic history of the UK, technological management has been recognized as one of the key factors in the birth and development of the industrial sector during the nineteenth century (Trott, 2005). Since then, technology management has been an important aspect in economic and business growth. Technology management is recognized as an important element in business management. Firms have utilized technology management in their operations and have adapted it to suit their business needs (Pilkington & Teichert, 2006). Many organizations are going through radical transformations due to technological changes that are happening on a global scale (Levin & Barnard, 2008). In this scenario, technology management is seen as playing an important role in managing organizational change. Over the years, many authors have focused on how to manage technology resources (Cetindamar, Phaal & Probert, 2009). Technology management involves processes to enhance performance and utilization of resources. It involves the acquisition and integration of existing knowledge into the creation of new knowledge. This is an important factor for an organization to survive in the current competitive environment. Every organization must have the flexibility to change and create new knowledge by adapting to the changes in the market. This will lead to higher performance and sustainable competitive advantage (Liu et al., 2006). Technology management is identified as a crucial factor for the long-term success and profitability of an organization. Technology is considered as one of the core assets that a firm relies on (Cockburn & Henderson, 1998). Technology management enables an organization to utilize its resources in creative ways in order to enhance performance and increase profit margin and market share. The company can also acquire and manage resources with the help of technology management. Challenges in Technology ManagementOne of the main difficulties in business is to manage uncertainty. This is the same challenge in technology and innovation management. New product innovation is a complex process. There are numerous factors and risks involved in innovation. The organization has to manage internal and external risks. Some of these are manageable while others are beyond their control. The management of the innovation process, which is a subset of technology management, involves trying to develop the creative potential of the organization. It involves the fostering of new ideas and generating creativity. Managing uncertainty is a central feature of managing the innovation process and managing technology (Trott, 2005). When there is new product innovation related to technology, the chances of uncertainty arises. Different experts have worked on these issues and have developed theories to avoid uncertainty or to create a better understanding of uncertainty, which occurs from new innovation. One of the theories in avoiding uncertainty is Pearson’s Uncertainty Map. This was developed after extensive analysis of different case studies of major technological innovations, including Pilkington’s float glass process, 3M’s Post-It Notes, and Sony’s Walkman (Pearson, 1991). Establishing something new is the essence of product innovation and this process necessarily involves risk. Therefore, early risk identification and management is required by innovative firms. Risk and uncertainty usually occur at the beginning of a new innovation process. It is important to note that innovation is not just about opening up new markets. Innovation can also present new ways of serving older and established markets. Technology Management and InnovationIn today’s fast changing business world, innovation has become a fundamental component in organizations. The speed of innovation has changed the nature of global economic growth – made possible by the rapid evolution of technology, shorter product lifecycles, and a higher degree of new product development. Additionally, the availability of more knowledge to firms has made innovation even more complex (Du Plessis, 2007). From this perspective, innovation is undeniably a product of technology management. One of the primary roles of technology is as an enabler – it ‘encourages the constant need to evaluate, update, and employ changing job descriptions and business processes’ (Savino 2009, p.1). Technological advancements have significantly changed how businesses operate and how employees go about doing their work. The new paradigm in business organizations is the continuous demands for improvement and the acquisition of knowledge in a very dynamic and constantly evolving environment. The catalyst that enables constant improvement and innovation is technology (Savino 2009). As such, it is highly important to manage technology in the pursuit of innovation. Researchers have recognized that large multinational firms are one of the key drivers for the globalization of research and development (R&D) and innovation activities. A study by Gerybadze & Reger (1999) found that R&D and innovation strategies have changed over the years. Since the mid-1990s, multinational corporations have been inclined to consolidate and streamline their operations. This shift in technology management strategy is due to the failures of distributed R&D activities and globally-dispersed innovation processes, which have led to highly complicated and unmanageable organizational structures. Consequently, firms have opted for leaner and more effective types in managing the portfolio of innovation activities. Using Business Models for Product Innovation One of the ways to manage risk in new product innovation is to come up with an appropriate business model or business plan. A business model helps in making the innovation successful and avoiding the chances of failure, which is one of the risks of innovation. Although creating and implementing the business model for a small firm is not an easy process, many firms utilize this in order to minimize the chances of failure (Lindgren, 2011). Business models have been the focus of both the academic writers and practitioners. Creating a business model is now a part of the innovation process (Zott, Amit & Massa, 2011). Researchers found that most firms have a variety of activities and corresponding business models. As such, a firm can use different business models to suit their various activities or a multi-business model approach can be used. Carrying out the perfect business model is not an easy task especially for the SME’s because they have limited resources; lack knowledge about the business; and have few business tools to support their activities (Neffics, 2010). Developing a new software for Pakistan’s education sector There is an existing gap in the use of technology in Pakistan’s education sector. Although there are some online tools that are used to manage online data and news, the information is usually found and managed in university websites only. There are currently no private providers of online learning software in universities in Pakistan. The new ruling of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) requires all education institutes to set online databases. As such, universities need to develop online learning software to fulfill the requirements and facilitate their students into using these new tools. This represents a good opportunity for the development of e-learning software for use in universities and colleges in Pakistan. Our plan is to develop software similar to â€Å"Moodle† for use in universities. Industry and target market A few years ago, Pakistan had no framework for the use of technology in higher education. This meant that the country’s education standards and quality were not at par with the rest of world. Pakistan was unable to make any progress in the education sector until 1991. There were only 34 universities serving a population of over 100 million and from 1997 to 2002, only 10 private universities were added. However, the rapid growth of the education sector resulted in the establishment of 53 private institutions by 2004. There are currently more than 74 universities across the country (HEC, 2012). Product Description The software that will be offer to customers is similar to â€Å"Moodle,† which is the acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. Moodle is an open-source course management system (CMS) / learning management system (LMS) / virtual leaning environment (VLE). It is used as a tool for creating online dynamic websites for students (Moodle 2013). Recent surveys show that it is considered as one of best e-learning software used by educators and is used by several primary and secondary schools in the UK (The Guardian, 2008). The software is customizable and there will be some modifications depending upon the circumstances and requirements of the clients. Using Moodle, the teacher can upload data form anywhere and student can access it instantly (The Guardian, 2008). Our aim is to introduce Moodle and to customize the software according to the needs of the higher education system in Pakistan. The software will allow tutors to manage their courses according to their requirements and students will be able to access available data from anywhere. University administration will also be able to upload news, results, and other related information using this software. There are various benefits in the application of the e-learning software in Pakistani universities. These include increase in availability of information, quick feedback, and better communication. The Moodle e-learning system provides users with an online platform for communication and sharing of content, information, and news. Communication – is the basic function of the Moodle e-learning software. Professors can post any course-related announcement for students. Students can chat with other students in real time. Discussion threads can be created. Students and teachers can participate in the discussion. Content – is the second core function of the software Teachers can post lectures, articles, assignments and other related information. Teaching calendar of the year can be included. Teachers can post quizzes and exams and allow students to access them via the internet. Students can submit their assignments online. Business Model A business model serves as a guide to help businesses create, deliver, capture and exchange value (Trott, 2005). There are main four components of a business model. Source: Trott, 2005 Core StrategyCore strategy is the first component of business model. It describes how a firm competes with its competitors. The core strategy involves customizing the software according to the needs of the organization and to set an optimum cost. Initially, we are targeting one university only, which is the Bahira University Islamabad. Other education institutions will be approached later on. Mission StatementOur mission is to provide excellent technology services to universities in Pakistan at the best cost. Product ScopeThe e-learning software will be developed by focusing on the needs and requirements of the clients. E-learning software is popularly used in UK schools. Teachers and students have given positive feedback on the use of e-learning software. We are expecting the same positive response from Pakistan’s education sector. Our focus is to develop the software based on some key points. Ease of use is one of the main objectives of the e-learning software. The product is new so we will ensure that it is easy to use and manage so that our clients will not have difficulty in using it. We will also ensure administrative flexibility so that they can manage it according to their needs. Our aim is to provide maximum value and optimize institutional investments to help them reduce their overhead costs and manage their finances better. We will also develop the software so that it is easily upgraded in the future should the client require changes. Basis for DifferentiationThere is currently no e-learning software in Pakistan, which is customized for the education sector and has excellent communication and content features. Most universities in Pakistan are using their websites for announcement and other news but they do not have a comprehensive software similar to Moodle. Our core differentiation is that we offer a customizable, flexible and easy to use software for the education sector. Strategic ResourcesFor the development of this software, we will hire the best software developer form Pakistan. The reasons for hiring the software developer from Pakistan are lower labor costs and familiarity with Pakistan’s education sector. This will help us to minimize our costs and be more efficient in our product development. Our strategic asset is our developers and our business plans. Technology Strategy The technology strategy is part the overall corporate strategy takes into consideration the components of the core strategy. In pharmaceutical firms and high tech equipment manufacturers, it is common for the technology strategy to be related to the corporate strategy. This concerns the management and use of technology for further expansion and development (Burgelman & Doz, 2001). Our core strategy is to focus on innovation and excellent services for our clients. Our goal is also to build reliable and flexible software that is cost effective and sustainable. The product we offer is based on Moodle. Although Moodle is already available in the market, we will develop a new e-learning software based on the Moodle framework. This new e-learning software will be customized to suit Pakistan’s education sector. Our basic strategy is to understand the client’s requirements and create products that will address all their needs. The service strategy provides guidance on how to design, develop, and implement our service management plans. We will provide not only the software to our clients, but also services such as installation, customization, and post-sales support. We will also provide trainings to teachers and administrative staff on how to upload data and use communication tools. Trainings will also be provided for university students who will be using the e-learning software. Financial Strategy The financial strategy is an important component of any business plan. Initially, we are going to finance our business using our personal savings and from investments of our family and friends. Our initial capital investment is ?3,000 to ?5,000. For future expansion plans, we will loan from a bank or other financial institutions. Partnership Networks We are going to start with one project, through the help of a partnership with a small software firm. This will help to minimize our development costs. The partnership contract will be based on profit sharing. The reason for entering into a partnership is to allow us to offer our products to other universities in the future. It is my responsibility to secure the contract from the university. It is my task to find out the requirements and needs of the university and to negotiate with them in terms of cost and other pertinent issues. Customer Interface Our target market is the Pakistani education sector. The main reason for targeting this market is the lack of educational software in Pakistan. Initially our target is one university, which will be Bahria University Islamabad. The motive for choosing this organization is the fact that some of our colleagues have studied there and are very familiar with the university. According to students of Bahria University, the administrative system that their university is currently using is not user friendly compared to other well-known universities in the Pakistan. As such, it will be a great idea to offer the new e-learning software to this university. To get the contract for developing this service, we will talk to the university’s management team. We will present them our product’s features and offer our services to them. Pricing Model We are new in the market and we want to compete with existing players. Our main focus is to attract a lot of customers and this can be achieved by making our products affordable. We are applying a cost leadership strategy. We will offer the best products at low cost to persuade customers to avail of our products. This is an ideal market entry strategy. maximum customers and for this out for going for cost leadership strategy. We will offer best low cost to facilitate our clients and make them comfortable to deal with us. Initially our motive is to adjust our self on low profit and gain market share. Conclusions Success of an organization depends on leaning, innovation, and constant change in a systematic and scientific way. Every organization will constantly have to acquire new knowledge to remain competitive. Change and uncertainty is managed by having a plan for the future. With a business plan, uncertainty ceases to be a threat and becomes an opportunity. Different models must be used to avoid uncertainty and risk. In entering a new market, we will use a business model to avoid uncertainty and carry out the innovation process in a manageable way. Being management student, we admire the importance of literature on technology management and new product innovation. On the basis of that literature and examples, we can conclude that if we ignore all those theories and models, product innovation will not be achieved. Our plan is based on the review of relevant literature and carried out through a business model. References Burgelman, R.A. and Doz, Y.L. (2001). The Power of Strategic Integration. MIT Sloan Management Review, 42(3), pp. 28-38. Cetindamar, D., Phaal,R. & Probert, D (2009). Understanding technology management as a dynamic capability: A framework for technology management activities. Technovation, 29(4), pp.237-246 Christoph Zott, Raphael Amit and Lorenzo Massa, Journal of Management published. Vol No. X online 2 May 2011 Pilkington, A. (2008 ). Engineering management or management of technologyA bibliometric study of IEEE TEM. International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management. 3(1) pp. 63-70. Herrington, J., and Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. HEC, (2012) Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. Available at: http://hec.gov.pk/Pages/HECMain.aspx. Jaldemark, J., Lindberg, J. O., & Olofsson, A. D. (2005). Sharing the distance or a distance shared: Social and individual aspects of participation in ICT-supported distance-based teacher education. Challenging prospects. p. 142–160. Jack Kenny, (2008) Moodle takes lead in secondary, â€Å"The Guardian† Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/sep/18/link.link (Accessed: 30 March 2013). Khalil, T. M. (2000). Management of Technology: The Key to Competitiveness and Wealth Creation. Boston: 18th Edition, McGraw-Hill. Liu, J.J., Qian, J.Y. & Chen,J. (2006). Technological learning and firm level technological capability building: analytical framework and evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms. International Journal of Technology Management, vol.36, pp. 190-208, 2006. Levin, D.Z., & Barnard, H. (2008). Technology management routines that matter technology managers. International Journal of Technology Management, 41(1-2), pp.228-237. Mortar, L., Kerr, C. I. V., Phaal, R. & Probert, D.R. (2009). A toolbox of elements to build technology intelligence systems. International Journal of Technology Management, 47(4), pp. 322-345. NEFFICS, (2010 /11). Business Models and Business Model. Innovation in a Secure and Distributed Cloud Clustering (DISC) Society. p.58(1) , pp. 159-167. Pearson, A. (1991). Managing innovation: an uncertainty reduction process. in Henry, J. and Walker, D. (eds) Managing Innovation, Sage/Oxford University Press: London. p.18–27. Pilkington, A. & Teichert, T. (2006). Management of Technology: Themes, Concepts and Relationships. Technovation. 26(3), pp. 288-299. Trott, P. (2005). Innovation Management and New Product Development. 3rd Edition. Prentice Hall. Tidd, J., Bessant, J. and Pavitt, K. (2005). Managing Innovation. Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Life-Based Leadership Principles from Jack Welch Essay

During the hundreds of millions of years of natural evolution on this planet, survival has always been a continuous challenge for living creatures. It has recently to come into light that in the past four million years, there have been scores of human species on the earth, besides us homo sapiens. However, all of these various human-like beings including the Neanderthal man perished in the course of evolution; we humans have outlived all of them. We have emerged as the true survivors. We are the last â€Å"man† standing. However, in the whole history of the world, survival could have never been as tough as it is in today’s world of big business. It is an ever-changing, dizzingly fast-paced, intensely competitive and danger-saturated environment out there. There are many survivors and many winners in this arena, of course. Of all such exceptional people in the recent decades, there is one man who stands out as a celebrated icon of leadership and business success. And it is none other than Jack Welch of GE, arguably the finest CEO in the latter half of the twentieth century. Speaking from a broad perspective, he is not just an exemplary business leader, but a hero, a survivor, a symbol of the triumph of man. Jack Welch is a man who believed that each individual should control his or her own destiny. Welch sums up his conviction thus: â€Å"†Today, I see winning as people defining their objectives and fulfilling them, not being a victim. You define where you want to go, and then you go for it† (Knowledge@Wharton) And from the depth of this belief perhaps sprang the secret of his greatness. Starting from the early Eighties, Jack Welch, CEO of the General Electric Corporation, has led his company through one of the most revolutionary and far-reaching changes ever witnessed in modern business history. Having taken GE with a market capitalization of about $12 billion, Jack Welch turned it into one of the largest and most admired companies in the world, with a market value of about $500 billion, when he stepped down as its CEO 20 years later, in 2000. Although Jack Welch was the legendary leader of a global manufacturing giant noted for its technological might and superiority, he has utilized a very human process to drive change through GE’s vast organization. He honoured the individual above all, and the humanity of the individual. To him, the individual was the pivotal force in bringing about organizational change. And for the major part of his immensely successful career at the helm of GE he relentlessly embraced change. It was change that made GE businesses leaders in their markets, added profitable, productive businesses to GE’s family, and tapped the brains of knowledgeable employees. Welch worked for change, and change worked for him. Jack Welch of course knew how difficult change could be. Nevertheless he viewed change as his only real chance to transform GE into the kind of top-notch competitive enterprise that he wanted it to be. Only through continuously undergoing massive changes, GE could win, and Jack Welch firmly believed in winning. He wanted to be a winner. And winners were not afraid to make changes. However, pursuit of change, empowerment of individuals, and such principles are only part of a broder human-centric principles of successful leadership in which Jack Welch passionately believed in. Welch’s original approach to management and leadership, which proved so successful in transforming GE could be summed up unders six heads: Control your destiny, or someone else will. Welch’s first maxim became the title of a semi-autobiographic bestseller that described the revolution at GE. The basic approach that Welch followed to carry out a dramatic revolution at GE was to trust the individual and let him or her believe in their own desitiny. Welsh believed in delegating authority freely, fairly and responsibly, within the company. In a general context, however, while no mere human being can have absolute control over his or her destiny, the point is to take total personal responsibility for one’s own life and actions, and assume intelligent control of the course of things. 2. Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it were. Facing reality is tough. Facing reality means looking directly into suffering, failure, inadequacy of ourselves, others, and the world, something which we human beings are programmed to avoid. When corporations do not face simple realities, however, such as their products costing more to produce and being worthless than those of their competitors, market share and profits drop, the company and its employees suffer. Welch saw all these things happening at GE. Only when we are ready to honestly examine ourselves and acknowledge our shortcomings, will we be able to do anything about them. Acceptance can lead to transformation. 3. Be candid with everyone. Traditional wisdom says that honesty is the best policy. This home-spun truth has great relevance in today’s hyper-modern corporate settings. Welch strove to create an atmosphere at GE where people could effortlessly speak up to somebody â€Å"in authority,† who could then do something about their problems. It is an atmosphere, it is in the air of GE. Welch himself regularly spoke with front-line employees on the plant floor. Welch was equally open to hear both the good and bad things about GE. Honesty, sincerity and candor: they have their own rewards. â€Å"In a bureaucracy, people are afraid to speak out. This type of environment slows you down, and it doesn’t improve the workplace,† says Jack Welch. He therefore calls for promoting a corporate culture that appreciates and rewards honest feedback. â€Å"You reinforce the behaviors that you reward. If you reward candor, you’ll get it. † 4. Don’t manage, lead. Welch abhorred a strictly hierarchical type of management built on the concept of control. To Welch, managers should become leaders who show the way to other people by inpsiring and motivating them. Instead of controlling and exploiting workers, leaders should liberate and empower them. Do not push and pull your employees at every opportunity, gently guide them towards greater possibility. Welch’s leadership philosophy continues to be very simple: empower others, ask questions, tap into the potential of all of your associates, choose integrity and candor over charts, graphs, and politics, and spend more time in action instead of planning and posturing budgets. 5. Change before you have to. That is to say, proactivity. One has to be able to look ahead and predict changes that future is going to necessitate. In the context of a business organization, it is far better to change early those things in a company that need to be changed to stay competitive, when there is still plenty of time, rather than forcibly having to change them later when an adverse reality in form of failure and loss thrusts itself in the face of the organization. Welch was fond of yelling across the table at meetings, â€Å"Change, before it’s too late! † 6. If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete. Welch often quoted his business maxim that every division at GE had to be â€Å"number one or number two† or get out of that specific business. In the 1980s, Welch was convinced that inflation would soon become rampant thereby slowing down economic growth. The elimination of the old-line businesses was not going to be an easy job in terms of loss of jobs and lowering of morale that it implied. But Welch had to do what he had to do. The â€Å"Number 1 or number 2† philosophy – as ruthless as it sounds – had been critical for GE to grow and survive in the modern world.

Explain why certain types of environmental pollution

As such and to begin with our study, It is recommended that we need to first revisit some of the salient and prerequisite overview of shipping before we move on to having detailed review and study of shipping finance In subsequent modules In view of the facts that: the overview to be gone through In this module Is closely related to and specifically associated with shipping finance, and most Importantly, contents of this module are ongoing to be mentioned and re-examined again In subsequent modules concerning sloping finance For our study, this module Intends to cover the following major topics and areas:- A.The four shipping markets, B. The sea transport system (or the economic model of sea transports C. The shipping market cycle, D. Ship registration, E. One-ship company and Mare injunction, F. Maritime lien, G. Merger and acquisition in the shipping industry, and H. Ship investment strategy and criteria. As a start of this module, it is widely noted that the central role of shippi ng offers sea rainspout to facilitate global trade and promote economic development.In addition, the shipping industry is an integral part of the international trading system and its core function is to facilitate international trade through connecting the sources of supply and demand for commodities. Indeed, shipping, trade and economic development all go hand in hand: it is estimated that over 95% of international trade In terms of volume is carried out through shipping, and over the past decades, shipping has developed into a high profile industry which has become a riving force for the creation of wealth in the world and well being of the people.Module 1 – Overview of Shipping and Shipping Finance Page 2 Shipping Is essential to the functioning of the global economy and Its dependence upon moving goods from production to consumption sites. Raw materials and finished goods have been the mall cargoes in international trade. In later decades, trade In Intermediate goods for further processing has grown steeply and In parallel with the so-called fragmentation of production processes. Fragmentation Implies that the production recess Is split Into several geographically different locations so that each component Is produced where the production costs are most favorable.Trade In these components constitutes an important share of seaborne trade. World seaborne trade rises with economic growth. The development of world gross domestic product (GAP) and the seaborne cargo flows show this. Fragmentation and specialization further increase the volume traded relative to the production volume. Furthermore, shipping with the world economy, exploring and exploiting the ebb and flow of trade. Today, it as become a tightly knit global business community, built on communications and free trade.Henceforth, when studying shipping and its relevant topics (shipping finance is one of the most important topics of shipping), one must bear in mind that there is a close link be tween shipping, international trade and economic development since the demand for sea transport is well-driven by international trade and economic development (regional or global) – based on which the up-and-down of the shipping business is by and large in line with the movement of international read and development of global economies.Diagrams 1 and 2 below displays the relationship between world GAP cycles, volume of the sea trade COED industrial production, and the most important influence on demand for sea transport is largely the world economy (which also drives international trade): A.The Four Shipping Markets The international shipping industry can be divided into and sea transport services are provided by four closely related shipping markets, each trading in a different commodity: the freight market trades sea transport, where the ship-owner charters he ships and concludes freight agreements, the sale and purchase market trades second-hand ships, where the ship-owner trades (buys or sells) the ships, the unbinding market trades unbinding and new ships, where the ship-owner orders the unbinding of the ships from the shipyard, and the demolition market deals in ships for scrapping, where the ship-owner finally sells the ships for scrapping.International trade and economic development Demand and supply of shipping Demand and supply of shipping finance The four shipping markets Shipping market cycles Shipping investment strategy and criteria freight market sale and purchase market unbinding market demolition market Demand and supply of sea transport Module 1 – Overview of Shipping and Shipping Finance Page 5 These four markets are somehow linked by cash flow and push the market traders in the direction they prefer and want. In addition, because the same ship-owner may be trading in all four markets, their activities and the relationship with cash flow are closely correlated and can be summarized in Diagram 4:

Course of Action for Owens Corning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Course of Action for Owens Corning - Essay Example This meant the company had to develop new IS capabilities and also to plan for a strong IS human resources management. It was also found that when the staffs were getting trained in SAP their requirements outside was very attractive and people were moving out of the company. Â  At the planned implementation time, the first release was done - October 1995. Second and third releases identified training as a major lacuna during the implementation phase which cost them quite some time and efforts. Not just teaching the computers and PC operation but also processes that are being adopted by the company. Release 4 was the SAP R/3 roll out at the Roof and Asphalt plants a total of 140 units where this was to be switched on by Mar 1997. This was to be followed closely by the other units of insulation and composites of North America. But then there were lots of issues relating to bugs in SAP, attrition among people and a swift implementation of switching it all on at the same time. From our analysis, we find that the issue is one of staged implementation and now they need to take a measure of putting unit after unit in order and lessons learned in one place could go on to help the rest. A plan to put all these in a phased manner needs to be worked out and implem ented with the same vigor when it was started in 1994. Â  Owens Corning was swiftly growing with its new acquisitions and there was an ongoing incorporation of new technologies that improved their working situation and the profitability of the company. The Roof and Asphalt plants divisions of OC were just over 80 units strong and the implementation of SAP R/3 was to happen in these. But the rapidly changing scenario and the acquisitions of units caused a number of changes in the company resulting in the implementation of SAP R/3 for R&A divisions alone at more than 140 locations. All this meant that the exercise is going to get tougher than planned.

From Literacy to Electracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

From Literacy to Electracy - Essay Example This rote memorization is not uncommon in other religions besides Islam itself. Christians also emphasize the importance of hiding words in one's heart with regards to the Bible (both with the Old and the New Testaments, but especially the New Testament). Many cultures are orally-based cultures, which is to say, they have no need for writing. "The Brazilian Indians sporadically studiedbetween 1935 and 1939, as well as the American Indian and Polynesian and African tribes who have figured in other reports, exemplify societies which....did not require the support of a developed orality with a complex vocabulary."1 Julian Jaynes notes, from a scientist's perspective, that "In the last paragraph of The Origin of Species, [Darwin] implies that God created mind and body in the first primitive organisms and then both evolved in parallel together."2 If this is true, then the mind had as much importance as the body, and consequentially, what a human said. "But this sunk the problem in metaphysics, and it was soon realized that there should be some criterion of consciousness. It seemed obvious in the empiricist climate of the time that this was learning. So the question became: when did learning originate in evolution"3 The answer is, learning evolved with the word. This is because, before reading or writing of any stripe, the spoken word came first. This is the basis of all of our literacy and electracy, ultimately-the linguistic representation of some form of information. Ultimately, people became seemingly uber-sophisticated, and a new avenue of expression came into being. III. Literacy Tribes, as well as individuals, are having a difficult time with literacy. As Barton states, "There are common social practices associated with learning."4 Being able to read and write well (in print) is what truly makes humans superior to other animals. What truly distinguishes men from the beasts is the fact that humans can not only verbalize (which is orality), but they can read and write languages due to the advanced development of their brain structures. "'Civilized' peoples have long contrasted themselves with 'primitive' or 'savage' peoples[which] should be replaced by 'without writing.'"5 Interestingly enough, the phenomena has occurred that people are now less able to read books as a result of the fact that everyone is now living in a post-literate society-post-literate meaning that the use of visual images is more favorable than materials that people can actually see to read. "Bruce Freidmanhas described how the Internet has altered his mental habits. 'I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print,' he wrote earlier this year'I can't read War and Peace anymore,' he admitted. 'I've lost the ability to do that. Even a blog post of more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it."6 This is the beginning of electracy. IV. Electracy "Part of electracy (which is to the Internet what literacy is to print) is to help citizens think with the image."7 Increasingly, visual images are becoming the new book for individuals as well as schools. In fact, no one has the time to read a book. Truthfully, why would someone read a book when he or she can

Fashion and Consumer Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fashion and Consumer Culture - Essay Example Consumers like changing taste of products that they consume in the market. Clothing industry takes the advantage of advancing technology into wooing their customers to consume their products. The diversity in the society is a major factor that influences the market trends that fashion designers use to manipulate the market. For example, the television shows affect the demand for new fashions in the market. Television viewers usually tend to go for the designs that they view in the television channels. Some of the fashions that they feel they should consume belong to the royal family while others belong to the celebrity. It is a common trend in the society for artist and other special people in the society to come up with cloth designs, which distinguish them from the rest of the society. Artists who criticize the social trends in the society may come up with a design that seems to drum their views to the society. On the other hand, the society would pick the fashion without considering factors that led to its design. The society seems to incline on views and opinion of a few designers and artist to buy their products. For instance, lovers of a specific artist would be willing to dress the way the artist does no matter the cost that it takes. The aim of this paper is to discuss the notion; consumers are passive victims manipulated into buying commodities they cannot resist. Modernity contributes a lot in shaping the type of products that people buy. Social integration and mimicking of cultural practices by other communities has influenced the method fashion designers use to develop their products (Arpan & Peterson, 2008:78). Cultural practices are unique and diversified according to the number of tribes that exist in the society. Some cultures seem to dominate the market with their products because the majority of people in the society feel that they should associate with the cultural practices of a particular community. It is important to note that such practices have led the fashion trends to incline towards building the market with products that belong to that community. For example, western holiday lifestyle has influenced the kind of fashion during relaxation in beaches. Many women wear bikini in beaches and feel comfortable in it. This trend has influenced the consumption of bikini in other parts of the world because of growing civilization and gl obalization. For example, the African coasts have adopted the product because they share the shame cultures as shaped by civilization. Notably, consumers do not wish to know about the history of a specific product, instead, they would consume the product as it present itself to the market. Fashion in the market tends to follow seasons (Sassatelli, 2007:59). During hot season, the fashion designers would come up with products that seem to obey the climate change. Once the product come into the market, many consumers will rush for the product shunning the previous products in the market. This consumer trend is beneficial to fashion designers because it makes their product sell in the market. The intention behind designing a variety of products in the market is to control the amount products that consumers buy. Methods of creating and retaining customers applied in business contribute a lot in influencing the work of fashion designers. In many cases, the need to attract customers leads to innovative practices employed by the designers. In attracting customers to buy a particular product, the preference of the consumer would influence the approach that designers would take in rolling the product into the market. For instance, when the product had a single slit, the designers would add another slit and roll