Protective Gear Equals Safety In The Nhl Essays - Protective Gear

Protective Gear Equals Safety In The Nhl PROTECTIVE GEAR EQUALS SAFETY IN THE NHL The NHL should force their players to wear protective gear. Three reasons why protective gear should be worn are: one, it would prevent physical injuries; two, the players would set a good example for the future generations; three, it would take away from the negative aspects of the game. Protective gear helps a somewhat violent game remain as clean as possible. Wearing protective gear would prevent physical injuries in hockey. There were many hockey players who have worked hard all of their lives to become professional hockey superstars and when they finally got to the NHL, they become injured and were forced to watch the game instead of playing in it. An example of this is Brett Lindros. At the age of sixteen, the New York Islanders drafted Brett in the first round of the entry draft. He played his first NHL game against the Buffalo Sabers when he was eighteen years old. One year later, on February ninth, his whole life came crashing down on him. His lifelong dream to win a Stanley Cup had come to an end. He was hit with a thundering bodycheck into the boards and was knocked unconscious. Soon it was discovered that Brett had a history of concussions that dated back to when he was sixteen years old. The collision forced him to retire at the age of nineteen and spend the rest of his life pondering what was now the fact that he would have to quit in order to live. What actually happened was, when he was hit against the boards, his head hit the glass and that impact forced him to collapse and fall to the ice. He was immediately taken to the emergency room and there the doctors said that they could not examine the severity of the injury so soon. The severity of a concussion depends strictly on how much force is applied to the head and whether it is a head-on or a glancing blow.1 The following week, doctors told him that he had to stop playing hockey because the concussion was very severe and there was no way that he could regain his health and play hockey. This gruesome injury could have been avoided if Brett was wearing an approved helmet. The helmet that he was wearing at the time of the injury had no foam on the inside. That foam helps absorb the impact of a blow to the head. If he had been wearing one, there would have been a huge chance that he could have left the ice with only a mild injury instead of a career ending one. Another example is Brian Berard. His whole career came to an end on March the eleventh when he was playing against the Ottawa Senators. Marian Hossa was taking a slapshot and Berard fell to the ice to block the shot. When the puck was shot, the end of Hossa's stick struck Berard in his eye. The blow caused a 20-millimeter cut across the eyeball, detached the retina, sliced off the lens, and caused other problems.2 Brian Berard is only twenty-two years old and is forced to finish his career because of his health. All of which could have been avoided if he had been wearing a visor on his helmet. If he had been wearing a visor, Hossa's stick would have just bounced off the plastic and Berard would still have blocked the shot. It's very sad to think of all the good people who have been injured whil e playing this very physical sport of hockey. It is even more heartbreaking to think about all of those whose injuries that could have been avoided if they had just had the proper protection. Brett's older brother Eric Lindros defines this best. There is no player more valuable to his team than Eric is to the Philadelphia Flyers. But on December fourteenth, his career came to a halt when he was hit with a painful elbow to his head. He was playing against the Florida Panthers when Alex Hicks elbowed him in his face. He got a ten- 1 Levy Allan, Sports Injury Handbook (Toronto: John Wiley &

What Ive Learned, and Earned, Using This Newsletter

What Ive Learned, and Earned, Using This Newsletter I have been subscribing to Hope Clark’s Funds for Writers newsletter for ten years. Initially, the listings overwhelmed me, because I hadn’t yet â€Å"turned pro† and only wrote when I felt like it. But here’s how I learned to use the FundsforWriters listings to structure my writing practice and eventually earn income as a professional writer: Competitions Not every contest is right for you – but every writing prompt is. The goal is not to write a perfect, submittable poem, short story, or essay. Instead, practice so your craft improves to the point of actually having a worthwhile submission one day. Years ago, a contest listing called for car essays. I used the prompt, wrote a terrible first draft in five minutes, and filed it away. Recently, a local publisher placed a call for car essays. I dusted off that draft and revised it for submission. That essay â€Å"My Ba Grants If you’re not an undergraduate journalism student, don’t apply for such a fellowship. Similarly, if you’re not interested in spending two months in a National Park cabin, don’t apply for that retreat. But every grant link is highly informative. You learn about the grant-giving organization, their requirements, and the nuts and bolts of an application packet. Information like this is valuable so that when the right opportunity comes along, you can recognize it. You can’t recognize the opportunity just In the past 12 months, I applied for three grants. Two applications were rejected, but one is under consideration. Wish me luck. Freelance Markets Often, aspiring freelancers mistake an idea for a pitch. A pitch requires three elements: idea, angle, and timeliness. Using the listings for freelance markets, challenge yourself to push past ideas and write a viable pitch. It’s hard to nail all three elements, but it is essential practice. In 2013, I saw a listing for The Writer magazine. I had an idea and fleshed out a pitch. It was the 10-year anniversary of the Tony Hillerman Writers Conference in Santa Fe. The conference is run Jobs Job ads are gold mines because they reflect the state of changing times. Most ads are straightforward, but if a particular writing skill is listed and I have no idea what they’re talking about, I start researching. In this way, the job ads have helped me to keep my skills relevant. At the start of this year, I clicked on an ad and landed a part-time assignment as an SEO writer consulting with the web designers. If I hadn’t taken the time to learn how to broaden the foundation of good writing to these new standards, I would have lost out on this steady writing income. Ads The sponsored ads in this newsletter promote services and events, offer discounts, and sometimes include a testimonial from Hope. But wait, spend money to earn money? Yes. Not only have I earned writing income through this newsletter, but I have also used the advertised services to make valuable investments in my career. For example, I contacted Shaila Abdullah through her House of Design ad (see below). She helped me build a website that truly reflects my spirit and is not some cookie-cutter template. I keep the site up-to-date with recent clips and it is an essential part of my daily pitching routine. Time may not permit you to practice on all of these listings in a given week. But if you are new to a writing career, studying the listings and practicing your writing can help you figure out the type of writing you want to do. On the other hand, if you are a seasoned writer and know exactly what you want, then you have great leads. Yet for all writers, practice always precedes publication. Where there is â€Å"Hope,† there is opportunity.

International trade theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International trade theory - Essay Example Economists beginning from the age of Adam Smith nevertheless, have vehemently refuted this theory and established the concept of comparative advantage which could arise only when the scope of international trade is open. Comparative advantage theory which is widely followed today states that factors of production are not available uniformly around the world. It is wise for a nation not to invest in producing all its needs; rather it could specialise in the production of the good which could be produced most efficiently and at the cheapest rates (Peng, 2008, p. 127). This is the innate strategy being followed by most successful nations in the world today. Hence, it could be claimed that mercantilism is a bankrupt theory that has no place in the modern world. Answer to Question 2 Free trade is an economic phenomenon which supports an unbarred flow of goods and services across international boundaries. Since there is no government intervention in this case, the actual demand and supply positions of the commodity in question is reflected through its market price. Since there are no mark ups to prices, such a policy is advantageous for the producers as well as consumers of the concerned commodity. However, government intervention could be regarded as necessary in case of certain exhaustible resources whose supply needs to be rationed to guarantee future consumption as well. Such a restriction cannot be imposed in situations where free trade exists. A good example is that of oil prices which had been at pretty low rates prior to 1971, when these values were guided by market mechanism. However, concerns about the precious resources being replenished compelled the World Trade Organisation to sanction its restrictive use. Answer to Question 3 There has been an increasing tendency among developed nations to assume a protectionist position in many aspects of international trade. Many of them who had previously sought the services of less developed or emerging nations to c ater to the needs of their residents, have turned dead against such a strategy, posing a view that such a mindset could hamper employment opportunities in the recipient nation. They have termed it as â€Å"unfair† import competition due to the potential loss of jobs that such practice is leading to. Such a standpoint however has differentiated impacts upon various sections of the recipient nation. (a) It might be of high interest for the union houses who often adopt practices to apparently pacify the workers and show them the former’s alignment to them. (b) The people who are represented by the unions might be benefitted if the national government adopts such policies, since in the short run, they would be rewarded with higher employment opportunities. (c) The nation however, is likely to land up in a worse situation since they have to subsidise the companies which adhered to such practices. Even if they decide not to fund their needs, they would be in an inferior posi tion given that the companies no longer reap as wide a profit margin as before which reduces the national income statistics. Answer to Question 4 A free-trade regime had been supported by Ricardian economic theory after David Ricardo pointed out the scope of comparative advantage that partner

Comparative esaay comparing three stories. Everyday Use,Rose for Essay

Comparative esaay comparing three stories. Everyday Use,Rose for Emily,Dead Mans Path. How each story shows progression - Essay Example In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, the Grierson house stands as a testament to a different era that has withstood the test of time. First, it stood as a monument, a breathing, living symbol of the Griersons’ wealth and power in their town. The looming structure sheltered Emily’s ancestors, her father and aunt, and lastly, herself. After her father’s death, it became a shield with which she drove away others from her, and she hid behind her shield so well that nobody had access to what was going on inside the house. And yet, as time passed, the house also became her prison. She was chained to the comfort and protection that her family’s house provided. Her faithful manservant became her only contact to the outside world, and even he was not fully aware of the developments in the town. Emily did not even know that the mayor who spared her family from taxes has been gone for a decade. It is this kind of sameness within her cocoon that made her retreat from th e world so effective. The house also contained her secrets, and hid them well. Nobody has ever set foot inside the house for so long, and this has added to that air of mystery that it embodied. Even when Emily opened her house to children who came to learn china painting, she did not reveal to them all of the hidden nooks and crannies of her abode. The house remained formidable, a stalwart witness to the passing of time. In the end, however, time was the only thing that remained, and upon Emily Grierson’s death, the house had to be opened up to enquiring neighbors. It was then that they finally discovered the secrets that the house harbored for a long time, and in a way, this became Emily’s posthumous salvation, for in the very end, they understood that she too experienced love for a man, and that she too, whom they previously thought was above them, was very human and was not after all alien to the willful demands of passionate love. The house then became a symbol of Emily’s emancipation and liberation, and of how, when it finally opened up to the outside world, it had withstood the progression of time. A similar symbol of liberation can be found in â€Å"Everyday Use.† The quilt, which was handed down from generation to generation, represented Maggie and Dee’s family heritage and identity, and the richness of their family’s history. The significance of the title lies in the way that the quilt brought out the fundamental differences between Maggie and Dee. Each saw the quilt quite differently: Dee thought that the quilt was good to hang in the wall and to be preserved, given that she has learned, through her progression to being cultured and educated, that the quilt must be handled with care. Maggie – and her mother – on the other hand saw the quilt as a source of comfort and connection to their older generations, and as such, must be kept closer to heart and be used daily for the very purpose that it wa s intended. The way they viewed the quilt represented the fundamental difference between their characters. The conversation revolving around Dee’s name change also revealed the kind of relationship that Dee had with her family. It can be inferred that Dee was not aware that she was not named after white people, but rather, that her name was a derivative from their ancestors. It was this kind of not-knowing, of ignorance of their family

Sport Policy, Politics and Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sport Policy, Politics and Ethics - Assignment Example 44). Due to the importance of sport and benefits accruing from it, there are policies that have been developed at country, regional, and international level to provide framework in which sporting activities can take place. Policies are aimed at enhancing physical activity and participation in sport. However, it should be noted that policies of sport are highly influenced by sporting dynamics and shifting instruments and priorities of respective governments. Policy for sport is also aimed at promoting the interests of sport at local, sub-regional, regional, and international levels. Besides, development of sport policy has been informed by the realization that sport can be used as a means of delivering a wide range of policy aspirations such as local economic viability and health improvement among others (Bloyce and Smith, 2009, p. 101). Implementation of policy by for sport by governments is faced with various challenges and barriers. Implementation of sport policy is often faced with barriers and challenges just like are the case with implementation of policy in other respects. One of the main challenges is declining participation among the population in sport. Studies show that participation in sport has been declining significantly in most countries despite its importance (Bodin and SempeÃŒ , 2011, p. 60). Particularly, it has been noted that the participation of those aged over 15 years has dropped dramatically in recent years. Experts argue that this challenge in implementation of sport policy can be attributed to the fact that physical activities in the population has been declining especially after children have attained 12 years of age. The increased number of population suffering from obesity and overweight is a proof that physical activity has been declining. In addition, implementation of policy for spo rt has been faced with various barriers to access; that is, there are barriers

An Environmental Analysis Of Russia Economics Essay

An Environmental Analysis Of Russia Economics Essay In Russia by 2010 Despite a projected decline in population of 10 million. Middle class is rising and it reached 4 million adult and children. .this population influenced by western taste therefore their demand is premium,higher quality and increased convenience from the retail sector.therefore food industry has storng need to fullfill this demand by introducing veriety of higher quality innovative products(such as healthy snacks and healthy juice drinks) Market It is estimated that Russian grocery market will reach $186 Billion USD by 2010 which will be good for WBDs future in the juice and dairy market . In city centres especially, supermarkets are also selling foods.So that by 2010, 45% of it will be sold there as compared to 28% in 2006 . According to these figures the future of totally depends upon supermarkets and strategic customers Globalisation Now a days whole world is globle village. With an increase in globalisation, there is decrease in unemployment and resultly increases in disposable income; the Russian consumer market is very attractive for global players. In recent years, Wal-Mart, Marks and Spencer, and other Global retail chains have started their businesses in Russia, however,only 6 are International food retailers and 25 are currently. Dangers If we look at future there are a number of areas of concern for WBD. Politically, Russia continues to be uncertain, volatile and governmentally restrictive . Corruption is also an ongoing limitation for organisations . According to SWOT analysis present threat for WBD is that if it expend widely, then it will be more chances to corruption and political influence. External Factors Political In recent years, Russia has been undergoing a substantial political transformation from communist party rule and a centrally controlled economy to a pluralist democracy and a market oriented economy. The Russian political system is vulnerable to the populations dissatisfaction with reform, as well as to social and ethnic unrest. Russian politics will see increasing authoritarianism and statism in economic policy. Corruption at all levels of society will present considerable constraints to economic development. Increasing statism in economic policy is hindering growth. The slow pace of institutional change (and other factors) will lead to decreasing of growth economy. Over regulation, uncertainty and corruption remain serious problems. War with Chechnya; bomb attacks from Chechen militants in Moscow and other cities Economic Despite the political influences the Russian economy will continue to stabilise, and the GDP is expected to rise annually. Steady growth in house hold income and the increase in spending power of middle class will have a positive impact on the economy. Western companies are investing in the markets like Russia will boost the economic conditions. Russian consumer market continues to grow, helped by decreasing inflation and consistent growth in GDP, as well as rising personal and disposable income levels, declining unemployment and developing western life-styles. Russia has experienced acute financial and economic distress. The Russian economy has been characterized by declining industrial production, significant inflation, rising unemployment, and an unstable currency, Economic factors also include high government debt relative to gross domestic product, high levels of inter-company debt and high levels of corporate insolvency. Driving away from resource-driven export economy towards domestic demand for goods and services. Social The population of the Russia is decreasing day by day due to the increase in number of diseases and act of violences in the country. The government has set strict the rules regulations for the immigration. The political and economic changes in Russia in recent years have resulted in substantial social issues, including crime, labour and social unrest, and claims of official corruption. This segment has a taste for westernised affluence, so is demanding higher quality, premium, healthy products and increased convenience from the retail sector. There is a strong need for organisations to address this demand by supplying more innovative products of higher quality to the market (such as premium-range yogurts and healthy snacks). Russia is a huge consumer market with a population of 142 million. Urban Russia accounts for 73% of the total population, containing 85% of all purchasing power. The Russian grocery market is highly fragmented and there is no retailer covering or dominating the whole country. The top 25 retailers, out of which there are currently only 6 international players reached a combined market share in a population that is becoming more affluent and a middle class that is growing steadily, consumers will increasingly equate high prices with high quality Legal The Russian legal system is characterized by Inconsistencies between and among laws, Presidential decrees, and Russian governmental, ministerial and local orders, decisions, and resolutions and other acts; Conflicting local, regional and federal rules and regulations. The lack of judicial and administrative guidance on interpreting legislation. The relative inexperience of judges and courts in interpreting legislation. A high degree of discretion. Land in Russia is also taxed by the local authorities, and prices have risen dramatically over the last few years. Technological Main communications across Russia are by air and rail. Road system not well developed. Nearly 1Mn km of roadways. Retail market has developed faster than the infrastructure needed to support it, meaning that delivery reliability is poor. Low level of technology and time-worn operational methods. Environmental Wide natural resource base oil, gas, coal Agricultural pollution, soil contamination from chemicals, radioactive contamination, groundwater contamination from toxic waste, abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides. Much of country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture. Government has illicit crop eradication programme. Growth in Bio-fuel crops is placing pressure on arable land for food production.

Custom Written Term Papers: Othello Is a Tragedy of Fortune

Othello Is a Tragedy of Fortune  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello we find a tragedy of fortune, in which the Moor falls from a great height into dishonor and disgrace. Let us dwell upon this theme in this essay.    H. S. Wilson in his book of literary criticism, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, discusses the misfortunes in the play and the hero’s attitude:    But if a man is betrayed into destroying what he loves most, if he ruins himself through his own folly without understanding what he is doing or being able to help himself, and then is forced to look at just what he has done and acknowledge his fault, his misfortune is harder than most. There is nothing necessarily tragic about the misfortune itself, hard though it is. Terrible misfortunes happen to   people every day. We read about them in the newspaper, and turn over the page. The tragic quality lies not in the happening alone, but chiefly in the human attitude to it. (60)    In her book, Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack comments on the heroine’s final song, a song of fortune:    The most moving retrospectives come later. Desdemona, preparing for bed on the night that will be her last, remembers her mother’s maid â€Å"called Barbary†:    She was in love, and he she loved proved mad And did forsake her. She had a song of â€Å"Willow;† An old thing ‘twas; but it expressed her fortune, And she died singing it. That song to-night Will not go from my mind. (4.3.25)    Here time present, in which Desdemona speaks and sings, and time future, in which we know she (like Barbary) is to die from an absolute fidelity to her intuition of what love is and means, recede... ... Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Shakespeare: The Pattern in His Carpet. N.p.: n.p., 1970.    Gardner, Helen. â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from â€Å"The Noble Moor.† British Academy Lectures, no. 9, 1955.    Jorgensen, Paul A. William Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

Big Skinny

In 2010, Big Skinny CEO Kiril Alexandrov was looking to transcend from retail distribution and print advertising to the world of online marketing to achieve maximum growth. The retail sales pitch was an easy one, as Alexandrov focused on the value of the wallet and the impulsiveness of consumers (Benjamin & Kominers, 2012). Unfortunately, translating this type of sales pitch was much harder to do in the world of cyberspace. Big Skinny centered their online marketing efforts around display Ads, keyword searches, social media and relationships with online distributors and deep discounted sites such as Amazon and Groupon respectively.The expansion caused much hardship, as Big Skinny received negative feedback on the review website Yelp that stemmed from their Groupon experiment. They also faced a glitch in their online promotion that allowed 4,000 people to order free wallets from their online store. Big Skinny needs to refocus their online marketing strategy by getting rid of display A ds, refining keyword searches and severing ties with deep discounted sites. Big Skinny can create value for their product and manage their orders better by being more selective with who distributes their product and by keeping the price steady.A more seasonal approach surrounding keyword searches can create new revenue from those who are looking to make quick and impulsive purchases. Lastly, by being responsible for who distributes their products, Big Skinny can deliver their product in prompt and timely manner, which will resolve the majority of customer complaints against Big Skinny. Problem Statement Despite successful in-person sales campaigns, Big Skinny struggled to find an effective online marketing platform that would grow and connect them to their consumer base.Big Skinny also ran into glitches with their current online marketing campaigns that brought unwanted negative attention and resentment towards the company. Data Analysis When Big Skinny transcended into the world of online marketing, it had to develop a way to attract visitors to the website while attempting to convince these visitors to buy wallets. Since most of their wallets were being sold at trade shows or retail stores that centered on a straight-forward approach regarding impulse and value, the translation of this strategy to the internet proved to be a tall task.Big Skinny looked at various means of advertising such as display ads, algorithmic search, sponsored search, A/B Testing and social media. Display ads offered a two-frame animation; however, the click-through rate of general display ads in 2009 was only . 1% (Bejamin & Kominers, 2012). Algorithmic searches use algorithms that the search engine deems most relevant to the user’s query. The websites that most resemble the query appear the highest on the search engine’s list. Sponsored searches use keywords that the advertisers specify that they want to target.These are mostly sold on a â€Å"per-click† basis; however the company loses money if the clicks aren’t converted into sales. A/B testing is a marketing technique that shows different advertisements to different users to compare the response rates between the two. Lastly, social media utilizes websites such as Facebook and Twitter to try and create an interactive relationship with consumers. Alternatives 1. Big Skinny could eliminate their means of online distribution and paid online marketing, only utilizing social media and their website to conduct advertising and business transactions. 2.Big Skinny could be more selective in their selection of online distribution, while tailoring their paid sponsored searches to generate interest and sales. 3. Big Skinny could scrap their online marketing plans, with the exception of social media, and reallot their advertising money strictly on deep discounted sites like Groupon and Living Social. 4. Big Skinny could focus their efforts on expanding in more brick and mortar retail stores b y target marketing towards different demographics. They could use traditional media such as TV and radio to drive these efforts. Key Decision Criteria 1.Increase customer satisfaction and corporate image 2. Increase sales and market share 3. Improve (or at least maintain) profitability 4. Ease or speed of implantation 5. Be consistent with corporate mission or strategy 6. Within our present resources or capabilities 7. Within acceptable risk parameters 8. Minimize environmental impact 9. Maintain and build employee morale and pride Alternatives Analysis 1. By limiting their online marketing to free social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, Big Skinny can greatly reduce their marketing costs. With display advertisements only getting clicked through .1% of the time the money is essentially thrown away. Investing in A/B testing requires the hiring of a permanent person and huge overhead. Getting rid of online distributors allows Big Skinny to eliminate the 7-15% commission they p ay to Amazon and eBay while being able to manage their order load. Social Media is more than enough because 71% of social media participants say they are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow online. 91% of local searchers say they use Facebook to find local businesses online (Bennett, 2013). The cons of this are that they are missing out on a lot of potential customers by eliminating Amazon and eBay.While online paid marketing can be expensive, there is still benefit to sponsored searches. Some of the cost per conversions are profitable and by completely eliminating these searches would be throwing away potential opportunities. 2. The pros of Big Skinny being more selective with their online distributors allows for a happy customer base. There have been several negative reviews on the Yelp site regarding slow delivery and non-existent customer service. By eliminating deep discounting sites such as Groupon, Big Skinny can manage their order load and keep customers happy.B ig Skinny would also keep the revenue from the top paid sponsored searches rather than eliminating them all together. The negatives of this are that Big Skinny could miss out on a lot of revenue by not using Groupon or Living Social. They could also miss out on the repeat customers that are generated by these sites as well as missing out on the people who want to try their product without having to pay full price. 3. Instead of eliminating sites like Groupon and Living Social, Big Skinny could embrace the huge influx of customers that it brings.According to the customer satisfaction and analytics company ForeSee, 91% of customers have already or plan to conduct business with the merchant since buying the deal (Bedigian, 2013). This strategy generates a large influx of customers in a short time while attempting to generate residual income by repeat customers. The cons of this are that company’s often lose money during the initial Groupon. The product is discounted by 50% or mo re and then Groupon takes a 50% commission on the sale price, which leaves the seller receiving only 25%of the original selling price of the item (which in some cases is less than the cost of the item). Forbes has found that 1/3rd of businesses have lost money on a Groupon deal and there is no guarantee that the customers ever return to pay full price from the merchant again (Gleeson, 2012). 4. The pros of using a more traditional advertising medium such as TV or radio would bring brand recognition for Big Skinny. Big Skinny has always had success selling in retail stores because they market their products based on value and impulse.By putting the product in more retail stores, there is a greater chance people will put it in their hands and buy on impulse. Instead of targeting just one big audience, Big Skinny should advertise by target market such as Big Skinny Sport or Big Skinny Women. By doing this they could partner with big retail chains to get into more stores and generate mo re revenue the old fashioned way. The average time an American spends watching TV is 5 hours compared to just 1 hour browsing the internet, which leads for greater exposure.The cons of doing this are that TV advertising is much more expensive than online marketing (Nielsen, 1997). Another con is Tivo allows people to record their favorite shows and then fast-forward past the commercials. The last con is that TV advertising seems to be a thing of the past, as the amount spent on TV advertising was only up 4. 5% in 2011 as compared to 21. 7% via online marketing (Gleeson, 2012). Recommendations Based on the data, it is best for Big Skinny to be more selective of their online distribution, while tailoring their paid sponsored searches to generate interest and sales.In regards to online distribution, Big Skinny should keep eBay and Amazon, however, should drop deep-discount sites such as Groupon or Living Social. To offer a Groupon deal, Big Skinny is guaranteed to be taking a loss. To be eligible to offer a Groupon, Big Skinny must discount the price of their wallet by at least 50%. This turns a $20 wallet into a $10 wallet. Groupon takes a commission of 50% on the sale price, which leaves Big Skinny walking away with only $5 for every wallet sold (Bice, 2012). Essentially, they are taking a loss with every wallet they sell on Groupon.The goal of a Groupon is to try and get repeat customers; however, the people that use Groupon are bargain-hunters. They won’t return to Big Skinny, but rather, they will return to Groupon again looking for another bargain deal. By using Groupon, Big Skinny also decreases the value of their brand (Gibbard, 2011). Why would a customer pay full price for a $40 wallet when they just bought it on Groupon for $15 or $20 just a short time ago? In addition to dropping Groupon, Big Skinny needs to manage their online distribution better because of customer satisfaction issues.On the review site Yelp, Big Skinny’s wallets are o nly receiving a rating of 2. 5 out of 5 stars. A lot of the reviews include gripes about not receiving their order for 3-4 weeks or non-existent customer service (most of the negative reviews are from users who bought a Big Skinny wallet on Groupon). If the online distributor doesn’t ship your product in a timely manner, your company risks a tarnished reputation. Whether Big Skinny didn’t have enough stock to fulfill orders or whether Groupon didn’t ship the products in a timely manner, Big Skinny is taking the fall and abuse from customers.When people do research for a product they are going to see Big Skinny’s products with poor ratings. These poor ratings can scare potential customers away. Big Skinny should only use Amazon, eBay and their website to sell their wallets. This allows them to manage their inventory, not get behind on orders and make sure their product gets shipped in a timely manner. Big Skinny has excellent Amazon ratings and should cont inue to grow their product through the sterling reputation of Amazon. They should sell the product for a higher price on their website so that people are encouraged to buy through Amazon.This is a win-win for Big Skinny because if people buy through Amazon then Big Skinny doesn’t have to waste time and effort fulfilling and shipping orders. If they choose to buy direct than Big Skinny receives a larger profit on their wallets. Lastly, Big Skinny needs to tailor their sponsored keyword searches. They need to eliminate the term â€Å"leather wallet. † They don’t manufacture a true leather wallet and the cost per conversion for this keyword is a sky-high $20. 26. Big Skinny should also bid less for the term â€Å"thinnest wallet. † The cost per conversion for â€Å"thinnest wallet† also has a high cost, which is $10.53.After replacing leather wallet and lowering the bid for thinnest wallet, Big Skinny should add keywords centered on holidays. Wallets are popular gifts on occasions such as Father’s Day and Christmas. Big Skinny should add season keywords such as â€Å"Father’s Day Wallet,† â€Å"Wallet for Dad,† â€Å"Best Wallet for Gift† and â€Å"Wallet for Christmas. † This will bring seasonal shoppers into the mix who are looking to spend quickly and impulsively. Action and Implementation Plan CEO Kiril Alexandrov will be responsible for delegating the following tasks.The Director of Marketing will pull any promotions or future plans with deep discounted sites such as Groupon or Living Social. The Director of Marketing in combination with the Director of Product Management will reach out to all of those who left negative reviews on Yelp to satisfy the customer complaints and retract the negative ratings. The Director of Sales will carefully select the online distribution channels which Big Skinny will sell through. Big Skinny will only sell through Amazon, eBay and any online outlets of the retail stores that they are currently featured in.The Director of Sales will also raise the prices of wallets on the Big Skinny Website by 10-15% to create value for the product and promote customers to purchase through the select online distribution. Doing this saves Big Skinny the time it would take to fulfill and pack orders, however, if a customer decides to purchase direct, then Big Skinny recoups the 10-15% it would pay Amazon or eBay to sell and fulfill the order. This new price point will be conveyed in a message from the Director of Sales to Big Skinny’s distribution channel.

Exam is Not Everything Consideration Essay

Exam is Not Everything Consideration Essay Exam is Not Everything Consideration Essay Sample Exam is Not Everything Consideration Essay Sample From the time immemorial, exams have been used as the main way of assessment. Exams have turned out to be an important segment of human lives. Since I was in the junior school, I have been taking exams. The same case has happened to anyone who has been in the school system. Since exams have been a part of our lives in almost all instances, people have developed a strong mentality that the only way to succeed in life is by passing exams. This mentality has developed in people’s mindsets and since every person wants to succeed in life, they fear exams and take them seriously. The most amazing thing is that the same mentality has developed in the society. Individuals who pass exams are seen as successful, while those who fail are encouraged to work hard. Seriousness that people have during exams raises more rhetoric than answers. I tend to question whether exams measure what they are meant to measure. This kind of thinking provokes me to think otherwise. I argue that exams do not measure what they are intended to measure. I find gaps in the way exams assess individual abilities and skills. I also blame exams as a key contributor to challenges that we have today. There are people who have useful skills, but they cannot be captured by exams and, thus, such skills get wasted (Little). Exams and Alternative Method of Assessment In this paper, I shall extensively argue on proposition that exams should be replaced with an alternative method of assessment. Firstly, I do not believe that exams measure what they are meant to measure. They do not achieve their intended goals. Real intentions of exams are to help a teacher and a student to achieve certain objectives. Exams allow the teacher to assess what students have learned. Such kind of information is very helpful to the teacher since the teacher will realize weak areas that need to be revised. The teacher will be able to engage students and identify the best ways of covering certain areas. If this is done, learning will be exciting and it will remain quality-oriented. Unfortunately, this does not happen. On the one hand, teachers focus on administering exams just because it is mandatory. They never take exams as a way of assessing weak areas so that they can assist students to improve them. If students fail exams, teachers conclude that students are foolish or they never take their class work seriously. The whole issue is forgotten and the teacher continues with the syllabus. Students have no chance to prove their abilities (Morris). Students, on the other hand, end up discouraged since they believe that they are failures. From the above perspective, it can be argued that exams are not beneficial to students or teachers. The same proves the argument that exams should be replaced with alternative methods of assessments. It also proves that exams do not measure what they are intended to measure. Exams are just a cause of trauma to students. I tend to argue that teachers do not even care what they test. They are out to ensure that they have something that they can make grades from. They do not care whether what they test is helpful to students so long as it is an exam (Gnad). Secondly, I totally agree with the notion that exams are a way of assessing student’s performance. However, the question of how accurate exams can evaluate students in terms of their ability and intelligence makes me believe that exams should not be used as a way of assessment. I tend to concur with Albert Einstein’s argument that everyone is a genius and individuals should not be judged using only one method since it may discourage them. In relation to the above case, I argue that we should not judge students’ abilities by exams only. If exams are used as the only way of assessment, it will be impossible to capture abilities and skills that students possess. Their real potential and ability would remain unrealized. Moreover, exams tend to pose a very wrong assumption. Exams assume that a single method can be used in assessing students accurately. Such an assumption is very incorrect. Student population presents a lot of diversities. Students possess different le arning styles; however, exams are inefficient in capturing differences in learning and it calls for different ways of assessing their abilities and potential. The same argument poses another critical question. If teachers clearly understand that students have a lot of differences and they cannot be assessed in the same way, why are exams still used as a way of assessing students’ potential and ability? The same argument justifies the reason there should be different methods of assessing potential of students (Dowling). Thirdly, I believe that exams should be replaced with an alternative method of assessment because exams are more of a mind game than assessment. Exams are aimed at testing whether students can easily recall what has been taught in class. While some students require a lot of time to study and understand, some will read a textbook the day before the exam and pass it, while others who cannot do that fail. Moreover, some students may perform poorly in exams, but they can easily demonstrate what they have learned through presentations and applications (Gnad). However, such capabilities are not captured in exams and such students end up failing. It is thus right to state that exams do not measure individual ability and skills, but rather they test the ability to recall. In the end, a student with the strongest ability to recall and memorize is classified as intelligent. From the above revelations, exams are a way of gambling and it does not test the ability of an individual nor skills that one has. In addition, exams have resulted in a scenario where there are many people who can pass exams, but they cannot be able to translate their learned skills into practice. The same calls for the need of having an alternative way of assessing abilities of students in a more comprehensive way (Dowling). Exams are highly susceptible to teaching. Despite strict penalties that exist, it is eminent that exams are still susceptible to cheating. Students can easily sneak exam materials and cheat in exams. Furthermore, some teachers can easily provide their favored students with questions that appear in exams. The same proves that exams are susceptible to cheating. When such a scenario happens, some students end up having the upper hand and they acquire merit that they do not deserve. Furthermore, computer systems that store exam results before release are also vulnerable to hacking. Such a scenario calls for an alternative method of assessing students. A method that is not susceptible to cheating or hacking need to be put in place (Morris) Exams shift mentality of a student from seeking knowledge to seeking grade. Students do not bother to add more knowledge that is not in the syllabus since they believe that it is useless. Their main intention is to obtain a good grade and not to attain new knowledge. This form of mentality hinders creativity and exploration of new knowledge. It is unfortunate that teachers only encourage students to read past papers so that they can master questions that will appear in exams, but they do not encourage them to get additional knowledge on the topic. This form of mentality is against the main goals of education. Exams only tie up the mind of students to certain principles that are unclear instead of setting them free so that they can explore new knowledge (Gnad). Furthermore, although exams are marked using the same standards, it remains eminent that different examiners may grade the same paper differently. Cases of favoritism are also evident in exams. Students can also coerce teachers to change their marks. These kinds of inefficiencies prove that exams do not measure what they are meant to measure. While I do not advocate for a system that is totally perfect, I believe that inefficiencies presented by exams as a way of an assessment prove that the method is very ineffective. The method needs to be replaced with an alternative method that can capture various aspects in a more comprehensive way (Morris). From the various arguments presented above, it is undisputable that exams need to be replaced with another alternative method of assessing students. Inefficiencies revealed by exams prove that exams cannot assess students fairly. Inconsistencies and inefficiencies prove that exams do not measure what they are intended to measure. End results are students who cannot apply what they have learned in class, but they can pass exams. These students will be irrelevant in the job market since they cannot apply theoretical skills (Little). Nevertheless, opponents paint a different scenario Firstly, they argue that different variables such as intelligence and competence cannot be measured accurately by any method since they are not straightforward. As a result, there is a need for a formal system that will help in measuring such variables so that the education system can remain relevant. There is a need of accessing differences that exist in the levels of knowledge as well as experience. Opponents strongly argue that there is no other method that can test students in an impartial manner like exams. Exams have clear and measurable outcomes and, thus, they are not vague. For this reason, exams should not be replaced with alternative methods of assessing students (Dowling). Secondly, opponents argue that exams are still relevant. They argue that proponents do not appreciate the fact that exams are better off than the lack of any test. According to opponents, although exams are not perfect, they help to some extent. Opponents agree that cheating prevails in exams, but they also reiterate that exams do not cheat. They pose a strong argument that these are prevailing conditions that allow cheating, but the exam does not cheat. Opponents argue that individuals should focus on ways of improving existing conditions so as to ensure that cheating does not prevail instead of doing away with exams. Opponents challenge proponents to accept the hard reality that there is no alternative method that can be perfect and, thus, the focus should be on improving on exams (Morris). In addition, opponents challenge proposed alternatives such as discussions and group works as ways of assessing students. They discredit such alternatives by arguing that cheating also prevails in such methods. Students are more likely to copy from other students in a group work than when they are in the exam since there is supervision. Moreover, group works can promote laziness in one way or the other. Students can take advantage of hard working students and they fail to do their work since they know that they will be graded as a group and they will get equal marks. In case of exams, they are very specific. They gauge individual capacity and, thus, it is possible to get more accurate results than when people are assessed as a group (Dowling). Opponents also believe that exams provide an excellent way of measuring understanding and knowledge. In addition, exams measure the ability of an individual to express him or herself. What an individual writes in an exam is a clear indication of what an individual has learned. If there were no exams, individuals would not even bother working hard since they would hold an assumption that they know everything while that may not be true. Opponents challenge proponents to recognize that without exams education system will be irrelevant (Gnad). In conclusion, I believe that exams should be replaced with an alternative method of assessment. Exams do not provide a fair playing ground. They do not recognize diversity among students. Teachers do not focus on ensuring that exams are useful to students, but they only administer them since they are mandatory. Cheating is prevalent in exams and, thus, the main aim of exams is undermined. It is unfortunate that exams produce students who cannot apply theoretical skills into practice. Students always read so that they can excel in their exams, but they never seek knowledge.

Critical reflection on waste management class project The WritePass Journal

Critical reflection on waste management class project Executive summary Critical reflection on waste management class project ), and the other is from the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) requirements to reduce carbon emissions, which are derived from waste (HEFCE, 2010).   These two factors have meant that universities across the United Kingdom have had to seek to reduce the amount of waste that they dispose of to landfill sites. This project has been undertaken to seek to investigate the ways through which bio-waste, which is derived from food sources may be reduced.   To this end, my mission is to introduce a waste management system for food disposal, with the aim of lowering the Universitys carbon emissions. This essay focuses on the cost of composting in relation to landfill sites.   These shall be examined from three different perspectives, which are derived from environmental, social and economic considerations.   Each of these shall be discussed and examined to seek to critically evaluate the options, which may be available to seek to redress the aforementioned issues. 1.Introduction This project seeks to ascertain which options are most suitable to seek to reduce food waste, which is produced from a university site being sent to landfill. There are three main factors, which need to be considered in order to ensure that, this viable.   The first of these are the economic considerations, the second are the environmental benefits, which may be derived from this, and the third are the social advantages to disposing of food waste.   Each of these options shall be discussed and critically evaluated in turn.   However, before this analysis is undertaken, a brief background to the reasons why this is so important shall be presented. Food waste is an intrinsic part of the economy. It is, in effect, a result of economic activity produced by businesses, government and homes. The management of food waste has economic implications (DEFRA, 2012). A green economy is underpinned by maximal economic value and growth coupled with sustainable management of all natural assets (DEFRA, 2011). The Government’s ‘Review of Waste Policy 2011’ aimed to deliver a ‘zero waste economy’. Over the last decade, significant advances were made to reduce the quantity of food-waste transport to landfill sites and increase the rate of more environmentally friendly methods (DEFRA, 2012). Reducing bio-waste is an important target of the UK government. The ‘Waste Strategy 2007’ for England identifies food waste as a key aim, thereby reducing landfills for local authorities. The ‘Waste Emissions Trading Act’, ‘Landfill Allowance Schemes’ and the ‘EC Landfill Directive’ include key objectives that encourage local authorities to utilise environmentally friendly means of processing food waste or face financial penalties (WRAP, 2009). In line with each of these targets in April 2010, HEFCE announced that it expected all universities to have a carbon management plan in place by December 2010.   This was to include how universities would seek to reduce their carbon emissions from all sources (including Scope 3 emissions included all sources of waste, which may arise from universities).   Therefore, since this time many UK universities have sought to find ways through which they may reduce the waste, which they send to landfill sites (HEFCE, 2010). In line with each of the requirements which have been highlighted above, my mission is to introduce a waste management system for food disposal.   Therefore, the aim of this project is to seek to lower the Universitys carbon emissions, which may arse through the disposal of food waste to landfill sites (see the poster and learning log). The objectives of my project are to: Create an operation that allows us to process food waste into compost whilst maintaining green principles Increase the involvement of staff and students, creating an awareness of the importance of implementing a food waste system Implement a well maintained operation that manages food waste sustainably This essay will focus on the cost of composting in relation to landfill sites, which can be placed into three categories: environmental, social and economic. 2. Environmental costs Food waste provides a feeding ground for rodents and insects, harbouring diseases and parasites that are harmful to humans (Sharp, 2007). Food waste may contaminate surface water, soil, air and ecosystems (Rushton, 2003). Most notably, landfill, the most frequent method of disposal, produces significant GHGs (Bogner et al. 2008). The food degrades over a period of years, emitting methane, a CHG that is 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (Shin et al. 2005).   Therefore, from this we can start to ascertain that it is possible to reduce the amount of food waste that is sent to landfill sites as this waste is biodegradable. Twenty million tonnes of CO2e emissions are generated from food waste every year.   This equates to around 3% of the UK’s CHG emissions and 6% of its global water footprint (DEFRA, 2011b). Some food waste is not biodegradable such as teabags, bones and banana skins. However, it remains an essential principle to prevent this waste from being sent to landfill sites unnecessarily.   Food waste should be treated in the most sustainable way, minimising GHG emissions and other environmental harm (DEFRA, 2011b). Article 4 of ‘EU Waste Framework Directive’ outlines the five steps for dealing with waste, referred to as the ‘waste hierarchy’. Prevention, the best impact on the environment, is at the top of the hierarchy, then, in descending order, preparing for re-use, recycling, recovery and landfill (Directive 2008/98/EC) (see Figure 2.1). Figure 2.1: Waste hierarchy (based on the EU Directive 2008/98/EC) Segregated waste is the waste that has been removed from the normal waste stream for recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion or landfill. This waste includes both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste (DEFRA, 2011b). Residual waste refers to the waste left following sorting or waste emanating from purely unsorted waste (such as black bag waste) (DEFRA, 2011b). There are a number of advantages to collecting food waste separately from the refuse stream (WRAP, 2009b): Improving recycling efficiency Reducing waste disposal costs Reducing the environmental harm linked with landfill Reducing CHGs However, despite each of these advantages implementing a food waste system within a university is a complex task.   One must consider a number of drivers for example, how will students and staff react to the introduction of a new waste management system under the guise that it is environmentally beneficial, how often are waste collections required from different areas and how will this be managed to ensure that odours or other factors which may cause different forms of environmental harm do not arise from these operations.   Of course, this does not mean that this is impossible, but a number of issues need to be considered, for example, does the cost of recycling this food waste out weigh the environmental benefits, which may be gained from diverting this from landfill.   One must consider that there are a number of options, which could cause more harm to the environment and be less cost efficient.   For example, if on site composting is to be used, how will this be managed, who will pay for the facilities required, where will the residual waste from the food disposed of be managed.   Or if one was to pay refuse collector to dispose of this waste, would the number of the collections by vehicles increase the overall environmental effects of composting this food waste or not? Therefore, implementing a food waste system, which is environmentally beneficial, is complex.   However, if this is undertaken properly a number of environmental advantages may be realised.   Each of the aforementioned factors need to be carefully considered and a number of calculations need to be performed to seek to ensure that emissions to air and water or land contamination do not arise through the implementation of a composting system.   Therefore, the university needs to consider each of these factors before they decide whether this is an environmentally friendly way, through which waste, which arises from food, may be managed rather than sending it to landfill sites.   In conjunction, with each of these considerations there are also a number of economic factors which need to be consider, these shall now be discussed and critically evaluated in more detail. 3. Economic costs Food waste is excessively high in the UK; each year households in the UK waste over 8 million tonnes of food, which equates to a cost of  £12 billion (costing the average household  £480/year). A further 5 million tonnes are lost in the supply chain, costing  £5 billion annually (Chapagain James, 2011). The National Health Service wasted  £26  million on food wastage alone (Ssentif, 2011). In a rare example, Cornwall primary care trust has implemented a sustainable food waste management program coupled with locally sourced food (Tudor et al. 2008). By adopting prevention, the UK would save combined manufacturing and distribution costs of  £1588/tonne of waste (Lee Willis, 2010) to its food supply chain. Based on that figure alone, it makes economic sense to avoid food wastage both for the private and public sectors.   However, there are a number of factors, which need to be considered before the university decides whether they will be changing the ways in which they dispose of their food waste.  Ã‚   The first of these is related to the potential means through which this new system will be implemented.   Here there are two options to be considered, the first is siting a composting facility on site.   The second of these is to pay a waste disposal contractor to dispose of the waste at their composting plant.   The economic considerations, which need to be considered in regards to both of these options, are how much do they cost?   For example, does the university dispose of enough food waste to justify the initial costs of setting up a composting plant on their site?   Alternatively, is the amount of food waste that they generate a smaller amount, which could be cost effectively, collected by a waste contractor?   Once these questions have been answered, the considerations for each of these two options start to differ considerably. In regards to the first of these options, one must consider whether it is economically viable to set up a composting facility on site, for example what are the potential savings that could be generated from not paying landfill tax and how soon will these be realised?   How much would it cost to set up a new waste management system in the universities halls and food outlets and around the campus?   How much will the plant cost to set up, manage and operate?   Do the costs of these enable a quick pay back, if for example this was done in conjunction with a biomass plant where waste could be used to generate electricity?   What would be the costs of siting this on the campus and how efficient would the plant need to be to achieve optimal savings.   Would the advantages of the cost savings outweigh the disadvantages?   Could this be achieved in other ways, such as working with suppliers to seek to reduce the amount of waste, which is generated? Each of these needs to be caref ully analysed before this option is chosen by the university. Further to this, if a waste contractor were going to be employed by the university to take the waste away, a number of other factors would need to be considered.   These are would the costs of sending this waste to a composting facility be cheaper than sending it to a landfill site.   Most waste contractors work on a pay per weight basis and if most of the food waste is wet, this is heavy.   Therefore, it may cost more per tonne of waste to send this to landfill than it would to a composting facility.   Furthermore, other saving also need to be considered, for example would the university save more money if these were sent to any energy from waste plant?   How many collections would be required per week to seek to ensure that the waste was appropriately managed?   What would the costs of extra collections be when the university hosts functions such as, conferences or graduation week?   Each of these factors needs to be carefully considered.   However, some have said t hat the costs linked with the implementation of food waste collection are negated by savings generated in the reduction of waste collection (ACR, 2009).   This may not be true of all university sites as the cost efficiencies also depend on the size, location or layout of a campus, the number of food outlets or student halls on the campus and the number of students and anticipated volumes of waste that may be derived from foodstuffs.   Therefore, one must carefully not only consider the environmental benefits, which are complex, but they must also seek to ensure that any new waste management system is economically sustainable in the longer term.   The final factor, which needs to be considered by the university in regards to implementing a new waste management system to dispose of food waste, is the socially based. 4. Social costs Food waste prevention is an area of waste prevention where there is little public resistance, with 90% of people being unopposed to the idea of reducing their food waste (WRAP, 2008).   However, this does not mean that they are happy or willing to segregate their waste in practice.   Encouraging both staff and students to properly segregate their food waste from other streams is a complex task.   This is because each individual has their own values and beliefs and often though they say they believe in something, it does not mean that they will act in accordance with these.   Therefore, one of the most important considerations that needs to be taken into account before changing over to a composting system is how are we going to get staff and students to segregate their waste?   How will we sell this idea to them?   Will we use economic, environmental or ethical arguments to seek to change their behaviours?   Each of these groups behaviours, values and attitudes need to b e aligned to seek to successfully implement a new waste management system with a university.   Therefore, this is one crucial factor, which needs to be carefully considered before any changes are implemented in practice and this costs money. Further to this, other considerations arise from the publics feelings of the health risks associated with waste management highlight differences in understanding, education and underlying social values (Vrijheid et al. 2002).   This is another challenge, which needs to be carefully considered before the new waste management system is implemented.   Factors such as, the siting of waste receptacles or plant, how the waste is stored ore how often it is collected also need to be considered.   This is because if they are not issues such as, complaints about odours, increased visits from pest e.g. foxes or rats, noise from the collection vehicles or the composting plant, the appearance of waste that has been insufficiently stored or left for too long could all cause serious social problems for the university or result in legal action being taken by the local authorities.   Therefore, each of these factors needs to be carefully considered to seek to ensure that the risks of each of these problems arising are mitigated as much as possible. Conclusion Food waste is an intrinsic part of the economy. It is, in effect, a result of economic activity produced by businesses, government and homes. The management of this waste has economic implication. Reducing bio-waste is an important target of the UK government. The ‘Waste Strategy 2007’ for England identifies food waste as a key aim, thereby reducing landfills for local authorities. The ‘Waste Emissions Trading Act’, ‘Landfill Allowance Schemes’ and the ‘EC Landfill Directive’ include key objectives that encourage local authorities to utilise environmentally friendly means of processing food waste or face financial penalties. Our strategy uses ‘price penetration’ strategy. Our service will be of good quality, but initially would not stand out as superior against competing compost services. However, our initial service charges will be low to undercut any rival competitors, thereby penetrating the marketplace. The evidence highlights the fact that a large percentage of local authorities in the UK are implementing food waste collections. Additionally, educating householders on their responsibility to the environment is critical in changing public attitudes to food waste. Half of all landfill site complaints relate to their odours. There is, additionally, conflicting evidence on the health effects of living within proximity to a landfill site. Evidence suggests that living within proximity it may also negatively impact on house prices. However, the public’s normally positive behaviour, even in those aware of the positive impact, may change should a compost plant be constructed in their neighbourhood. References ACR+ Municipal Waste in Europe Towards a European Recycling Society’. Victoires Editions. 2009. ISBN: 978-2-35113-049-0. Print Bogner J, Pipatti R Hashimoto S (2008). Mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions from waste: conclusions and strategies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report. Working Group III (Mitigation) Waste Manag Res; 26: 11–32 Chapagain A James K (2011). The Water and Carbon Footprint of Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK. Banbury, Oxon: Waste Resources Action Programme. Available at: wrap.org.uk/retail_supply_chain/research_tools/research/report_water_and.html. Available August 2013 DEFRA (2011a). Applying the Waste Hierarchy: evidence summary. London: DEFRA DEFRA (2011b). Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011. London: DEFRA Department of Environment and Conservation (2004). Composting and related organics processing facilities. Sydney: Department of Environment and Conservation Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives Elliott P, Briggs D, Morris S et al (2001). Risk of adverse outcomes in populations living near landfill sites; BMJ: 363–8 Environment Agency (2013). Composting and potential health effects from bioaerosols: our interim guidance for permit applicants. Available at: environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/Composting__bioaerosols.pd. Accessed August 2013 Evans TD; Andersson P, Wievegg, A et al (2010). Surahammar – a case study of the impacts of installing food waste disposers in fifty percent of households. Water Environ. J; 241: 309–319 EN330 Measuring to Manage: How reducing waste can unlock increased profits, Envirowise. Available online at envirowise.gov.uk/page.aspx?o=117540 Accessed August 2013 HEFCE (2010) Carbon Management Plan.   Available from hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2010/201002/ Access 08/08/2013. HM Treasury. Budget 2010. Available at officialdocuments. gov.uk/document/hc1011/hc00/0061/0061.pdf. Accessed August 2013 HPA (2011). Impact on Health Emissions from landfill sites. London: HPA Hutchins, D and White, S (2009). Coming round to recycling. British Medical Journal; 338: 746-748 Lee P Willis P (2010). Waste arising in the supply of food and drink to households in the UK. WRAP, Branbury, UK. McCarthy EJ and Perreault WD Jr. Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach. Irwin, 1990 Noble R, Elphinstone JG, Sansford CE et al (2009) Management of plant health risks associated with processing of plant-based wastes: A review. Bioresource Technology; 10: 3431-3446. NHS. The NHS in England. Available at nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/overview.aspx. Accessed August 2013 Rà ¶sch C Kaltschmitt M (1999). Energy from biomass do non-technical barriers prevent an increased use? In: Biomass and Bioenergy; 16: 347-356. Rushton L (2003). Health hazards and waste management. British Medical Bulletin; 68: 183–197 Sharp D (2007). On Rats, Refuse, and Recycling. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine; 84: 637–638 Shin H-C, Park J-W, Kim H-S, et al (2005). Environmental and economic assessment of landfill gas electricity generation in Korea using LEAP model. Energy Policy; 33: 1261–70. Ssentiff (2011). Protected mealtimes failing as nine million hospital meals go uneaten. Available at: ssentif.com/archive/4_oct2011.shtml. Accessed August 2013. Tudor T, Barr S Gilg A (2008). A novel conceptual framework for examining environmental behaviour in large organizations: a case study of the Cornwall National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. Environment and Behaviour; 40: 426–50. Vrijheid M, Dolk H, Armstrong B et al (2002). Chromosomal congenital anomalies and residence near hazardous waste landfill sites. Lancet; 359: 320–2 WRAP (2008). The food we waste. Available at http://wrap.s3.amazonaws.com/the-food-wewaste.pdf. Accessed August 2013 WRAP (2009a). Food Waste Collection Guidance. Banbury: WRAP WRAP (2009b) Food Waste Collection Guidance. Available at: wrap.org.uk/downloads/food_waste_collection_guidance_-_amended_Mar_2010.451b7293.7749.pdf. Accessed August 2013 WRAP (2013). Information sheet – Courtauld Commitment. Available at wrap.org.uk/content/information-sheet-courtauld-commitment. Accessed August 2013 Yun H, David M and Elliott R (ud). The Valuation of Landfill Disamenities in Birmingham

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the Hotel Industry Case Study

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the Hotel Industry - Case Study Example This paper illustrates that the customer relationship management process also tracks customer behaviors so that you can clearly identify and act on customer motivation that is unique to your client base†. To nurture the stability of a hotel in today’s global market, managers need to respond effectively to the changes in CRM that have taken place in the last couple of decades in order to remain connected with the customers. As Roberts states, â€Å"in the 1990's companies began to improve on Customer Relationship Management by making it more of a two-way street†. Let us discuss how hotel industry has taken a shift since the 1990s until now both in terms of consumers and marketplace. Hotel industry all over the world has taken a major shift since the 1990s. If we talk about the changes with respect to consumers, we can say that hotel industry has changes changed significantly. For example, earlier managers of the hotels used to prepare a limited range of food items that could satisfy the needs of local people. However, after the 1990s the trend of immigration started finding a strong place all over the world, which resulted in grouping different cultures together. This change forced managers of hotels to prepare a wide range of food items to satisfy the needs of people belonging to different cultures. Another change that has taken place is regarding communication with the customers. Earlier, managers hardly used to focus on maintaining a communication link with the customers. They only focused on providing some limited services to the customers. However, from the last couple of decades managers have started focusing on developing long-term relations with the customers. Therefore, they have started reaching the customers through different channels to establish a strong customer/hotel relationship. Changes With Respect To Marketplace Before 1990s, hotel industry was not so big and evolving as it is today. For example, at that time the idea of opening franchises in other countries was not very gripping and trendy. Managers of hotels used to focus their attention towards the consumers living in any particular area or location. They used to prepare the food of the choice of the consumers of some particular locations. Moreover, they used to market new food items and meals in some particular locations. After 1990s, the idea of opening international branches started to find a solid grip making managers of many hotels think towards going global. This idea also brought up many other changes in the hotel industry. For example, managers of hotels have started marketing their products and services to international consumers in order to attract them. â€Å"The 90s truly saw CRM technology and software evolve out of simple database marketing† (Koble n.d.). Answer B: Let us now discuss the ways the above-mentioned changes in the hotel industry with respect to consumers and marketplace would have influenced Summer Palace’s CRM strategy and practices. Meeting the Needs of Diverse Customer Base First major change in the hotel industry is the culturally diverse customer base. As Summer Palace hotels are currently operating in more than 50 countries around the world, its management authorities has implemented such CRM strategy, which meets the needs of all types of customers. The reason behind this strategy is to satisfy the

Parent's of Sex Offenders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Parent's of Sex Offenders - Essay Example Or, even if it’s known, the parent of an offender could be in denial and attest to the innocence of his child based on offender’s denial. On the same note, parents of the offender might be in disbelief, aghast or maybe in an extreme incredulity or wonder what have gotten into the psyche of their child that prompted him to do sexual offense to another. The incident will generate quick personal evaluation how they’ve been parenting to their children. Offender’s parents will likewise be subjected to trauma and psychological disturbance as impacts of their child’s abuses has consequential effect to them, too. Larger than this, the parents must importantly address the following questions to their very selves. Is the kind of behavior you expected from your child at that age? Is the incident true or not? If true, how long has he been exhibiting this behavior? Why this behavior occurred? What are the factors that motivated him to harass or employ lewd desig ns against the innocent? If the accusation hurled against alleged abuser is true, under Juvenile Sex Law, it’s likely that the accused will be held under judicial action or if it’s a minor with mental disorder committing it, offender will likely be put under rehabilitation institution. If they cannot cope with the problem, parents may seek the professional support from the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers—a global organization devoted on multi-disciplinary support system working to prevent sexual abuses (ATSA, 2012). The institution offer services on extensive research, education, and empirical-based learning process using practical experiences, advocacy on public policy and community-based intervention strategies that will pave for effective holistic evaluation, medication or treatment, and about managing individuals who have sadly caused sexual abuses or posed sexual risks or vulnerabilities to others (ATSA, 2012; Ethical Treatment for All Youth s, 2012). ATSA (2012) contended that they could support person, family and association that are committed to â€Å"community safety, reduction of sexual recidivism, protection of sexual offenders, and safe-keeping vulnerable populations (p. 1).† They assured parents to provide intelligible and emotional support that could transform the very lives of people who’ve been intricately involved in the commission of sexual violence and could be directed to change their behavior to facilitate the prevention of sexual abuse (ATSA, 2012, p.1). Other than ATSA, the National Center for Reason and Justice (NCRJ, 2012) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2012) also help assist families in developing child-protective laws by educating stakeholders of child rights, responsible judicial system and promote laws, investigation and treatment to those who’ve been accused of sexual crimes. If legal measures aren’t enough to discipline a child, maybe institution that c an help subject a child to psychological and emotional healing can assist in normalizing and understanding an offender’s state. No, it’s not too late. Parents of offenders should recognize and study their children’s behavior as they grow into adolescence. They should be assisted to have a healthy adult sexual lifestyle since they are constantly challenged by numerous factors and pressures while at their respective developmental stages as persons (Hart-Kerkhoffs,