Hip Replacement Surgery Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hip Replacement Surgery - Research Paper Example However, pain refractory to pain medications and severe arthritis restricting the daily activities of life do require a hip replacement surgery (Kennon, 2008). Hip replacement may be total, with a ball and socket type of implant or partial, as in case of a hemiarthroplasty, depending upon the extent of damage present (Kennon, 2008). Once the decision is made, the patient is thoroughly examined locally as well as systemically, radiological and other investigations are obtained depending upon various patient related factors and if the surgeon deems fit, a preoperative physiotherapy program is initiated (Kennon, 2008). Total hip replacement is a major surgery. The cost of surgery depends upon the health care facility, the kind of implants used and the status of medical insurance of the patient (Kennon, 2008). Surgical as well as related expenses can add up to 20000 US Dollars or more (Kennon, 2008). Tendinitis Tendinitis is the inflammation of the tendon which is the part of the muscle that attaches to a joint. It is clinically evident as pain, tenderness, redness and swelling (Kennon, 2008). Tendinitis is caused due to trauma or overuse and misuse of that specific muscle or joint. As in the case of hip joint, ilio-psaos tendinitis can cause persistent chronic pain in the joint even after hip replacement surgery (Kennon, 2008). Treatment of tendinitis is aimed at reducing pain and inflammation by measures such as resting the affected site, ice packs, pain medication, steroids and ultimately surgery for tissues with extensive involvement (Kennon, 2008). What to expect after surgery In the immediate postoperative period, patient’s vital parameters are observed till effect of anesthetic wears off and patient is clinically stable (Kennon, 2008). Medications for pain and prevention of infection and blood clotting are continued (Kennon, 2008). Early ambulation and application of compression stockings is encouraged (Kennon, 2008). Gradually, physiotherapists work with the patient and help him resume walking and weight bearing on the operated hip with the aid of a walker for the first few days (Kennon, 2008). After that, specific joint exercises are taught at discharge along with certain modifications in posture, body movements and positioning of the joint (Kennon, 2008). Recovery after hip replacement is a continuous process incorporating regular checkups and visits to the physician and physiotherapist, occupational physiotherapy, exercises and care of the artificial joint (Kennon, 2008). Living with hip replacement   In most of the cases, hip replacement surgery successfully alleviates the symptoms and allows the patients to resume their daily activities. Mild to moderate level of stress can be applied to the prosthetic joint. However, high impact activities which are likely to cause dislocation and loosening of the prosthesis or cause fracture at the adjacent bone sites are not allowed (Kennon, 2008). It is of utmost importance that to m aintain the function of the joint and to maximize the life of the implant, the instructions regarding

Counselling in workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Counselling in workplace - Essay Example More important, it will develop an understanding of how this affects both employees and the corporation so the correct types of designs can be used for creating the right work space. Traditionally, workers are brought into a career field through either a formal education or by gaining a specific amount of experience. It is expected that once one is placed in a given position, they use skills and training which has already been developed to create the right approach. However, employees also need to accommodate to individual preferences of businesses while acquiring skills which fit to different job descriptions and expectations in the work force. Even though there are learning processes which are required, most businesses don’t focus on providing education and skill sets for employees to grow within a corporation, causing difficulties in growth for employees and the given corporation. There is limited information that is given to those that are working within a given environment and which require specific types of information. The inability to understand learning in the work environment as well as its effectiveness with employees is some of the limitations involved. This is combined with problems that arise in understanding how to incorporate various training methodologies for effective outcomes. The work environment culture, expectations with job performance and the outcomes which occur are often not regarded as one which requires education and training. This overlooked option for businesses then limits the ability to reach different options for change and growth within a company. The purpose of this study will be to examine the effectiveness of learning in the workplace as well as whether it makes an impact over the way in which a business functions. There will also be an examination of the types of learning which can be

Post Modernist Director Jim Jarmusch Essay Example for Free

Post Modernist Director Jim Jarmusch Essay Jim Jarmusch is one of the prominent post-modernist directors whose works produced a profound impression on the audience and often evoked quite controversial emotions. His films are very original and convey the authentic message of the author, but the director often chooses such means of conveying his ideas that his works are perceived in different way by different people. In fact, some people enjoy his films and believe they are genius, while, on the other hand, there are people who do not really understand his works and are very critical in relation to his works. At the same time, it should be said that his films are destined not only for specialists but also for the mass audience, though the director’s ideas may be not always clear for ordinary viewers. Nevertheless, the artistic value of his works is practically undeniable. As a rule, his films are stylistically and artistically rich. The director skillfully applies different stylistic devices which help him convey his message to the audience. Among films created by Jim Jarmusch, it is possible to single out his film â€Å"Down by Law†, which depicts the tragedy of main characters who have to pass through serious challenges in the course of the film. At the same time, this film is a perfect sample of post-modernist films, where main characters confront severe reality of the modern world and where it is really difficult to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong. In his film the author shows that in the epoch of high technologies, there are still a lot of problems which affect the life of ordinary people and make the life very difficult and even tragic. On analyzing the film â€Å"Down by Law† by Jim Jarmusch, it is necessary to start with the title of the film because it gives insight into the contents and message of the film. In fact, the title of the film is quite symbolic, though it is practically directly indicates to the overwhelming power of law and its impact on an individual. The title of the film clearly conveys the message that the law can affect the life of people dramatically and, what is even more important, the law is not always right or good. Basically, it is possible to estimate that Jim Jarmusch attempts to moralize and analyze the relationship between an individual and the law. Judging from the title, the director stands on the ground that the law can oppress an individual, it can deprive a person of freedom and punish severely. In this respect, the events depicted in the film are quite logical and basically support first ideas that the title of the film evoke. To put it more precisely, the main characters, three inmates, Zack, Jack and Bob, are cellmates and the director attempts to show that all of them are innocent and were wrongfully accused of crimes they have never committed. Nevertheless, all of them are sentenced and, therefore, punished by the existing judicial system which executes the law established in the society. In such a way, the author uses the title to prepare the audience to the perception of the film and adequate interpretation of his main message and ideas. It gives insight concerning the problem raised in the film, but, at the same time, the title also creates certain emotional state or mood which prepares the audience to perception of the film in the way the director finds the most suitable. To put it more precisely, the title has quite a negative connotation of the law. Traditionally, the law is associated with justice. The modern society gets used to perceive law as the basis of the social life, since laws regulate relations between people and support the existing social order and social stability. The violation of law naturally leads to the punishment of an individual through which the individual is supposed to be corrected and change his lifestyle and behavior. In other words, the law is viewed as a tool of the adaptation of the behavior of an individual to socially appropriate and acceptable norms. In such a context, the law is viewed as a positive concept since it maintains justice and social stability that are highly appreciated in the modern society. However, the title of the film suggests an alternative view on the law. Implicitly, â€Å"Down by Law† tends to convince the audience that the law is the punishment above all and its power is used to get people down, while there is little indication to any kind of justice in the title of the film. On the contrary, such a title rather produces an impression that the law is not absolutely just, if not to say unjust. In actuality, the title of the film refers probably to one of the major themes of the film – the relationship between a man and the law. Remarkably, the author attempts to show that the law is really oppressive that may be seen from the title of the film. However, such a conclusion is logical and the title is only a tool with the help of which the director conveys this idea. In actuality, the entire film shows that the law, as a tool of human justice, is often blind. Jim Jarmusch shows that the law is not a synonym of justice. In stark contrast, the law is shown as a powerful tool which has little in common with the concept of justice (Jilesen, 236). Even thought the concept of justice is not clearly defined by the director in the film, it is very difficult to get rid of impression that the law is wrong, at least in relation to the main characters, who got their sentences for crimes they had never committed. In actuality, the director manages to show that the concept of law, as a symbol of justice, is very conventional and it seems as if he wants to convince the audience that people should not totally rely on the law and the justice system at large, because there still remains the risk of errors and innocent people can go to prison. At the same time, Jim Jarmusch pays a lot of attention to interpersonal relations between people. In fact, it is even possible to estimate that the director attempts to underline the significance of interpersonal relationships, which can outweigh even the relationship between a man and the law. Unlike the relationship of a man and the law, the relationship between people is not conventional. In stark contrast, they are very personal and people can learn more about each other through communication and, in such a context, decisions of the judicial system made on the basis of law are absolutely irrelevant to people. What is meant here is the fact that the main characters of the film, the three cellmates, could perceive each other as criminals. Formally, all of them were accused and sentenced to different terms. Therefore, they could naturally perceive each other as criminals because the law defined them as criminals. At the beginning of the film, the director actually shows that such stereotyping on the basis of decisions of the judicial system can affect the perception of people. In such a situation, it seems to be quite natural that Zack and Jack soon come to blows because they perceive each other as criminals and, in actuality, their conflict is, to a significant extent, provoked by stereotyping and biased attitudes of Zack and Jack to each other. In fact, it is the biases and stereotypes imposed on them by the law lead them to the conflict. However, the director of the film apparently does not really believe that the law and the existing judicial system is worth trusting. Jim Jarmusch lays emphasis on the importance of interpersonal relationships which actually define the life of people and their perception of each other (Jilesen, 218). In other words, the director puts human relationships consistently higher than any conventional norms or regulations imposed on people by laws, traditions, tc. In fact, it is through the interpersonal relationship between people their nature and character is revealed. In this respect, it should be said that from the point of view of the law all the three inmates are criminals, but through their interpersonal relationships, they reveal the fact that they are not as bad as they seem to be judging from their sentences and crimes they are accused of. On the other hand, the director avoids labeling his main characters as either positive or negative. He wants to show that his characters are real people, they are alive, they have their own feelings, emotions, ideals. Briefly speaking, they are humans and, therefore, they are imperfect. At any rate, Jim Jarmusch does not idealize his characters and shows that they have both positive and negative qualities. At the same time, he shows that the world, society get used to perceive people in such a way, i. e. through the antagonism between good and bad. In this respect, the use of black and white color in the film is very symbolic. Traditionally, good and bad is associated with white and black color respectively. Jim Jarmusch has shot the film in black and white intentionally in order to convey his message to the audience. In fact, it is possible to view his film as a kind of mirror where the traditional perception of the modern world is reflected. To put it more precisely, people get used to perceive each other either positively or negatively, people are either good or bad. Hence, the choice of colors in the film is very original and unusual for the late 1980s, when there were quite a few films shot in black and white. The director attempted to convince the audience that people get used to perceive this world only in two colors (Hertzberg, 175). Therefore, the use of black and white was quite logical since the film just shows people the world in the colors people get used to perceive the world in. In such a way, the director also warns people about the danger of the loss of other colors since, on perceiving the life through the antagonism of black and white, bad and good, wrong and right, people forget about intermediary states and other colors and concepts. In such a context, when black and white dominates in the film, it is the complexity of interpersonal relationships of the main characters that makes the film really colorful and bright. And again it is possible to speak about a profound attention of the author to interpersonal relations between people which are extremely important to each individual. Moreover, it is relationships with other people that make human life purposeful and brings in certain sense. However, the director creates quite an unusual relationship between the main characters. For instance, Zack and Jack do not speak to each other after the conflict which occurs at the beginning of the film. Nevertheless, it does not prevent them from the establishment of good relationships and it is even possible to speak about a strange but strong friendship between these two not very talkative men (Hertzberg, 153). Their friendship grows stronger as they come through all the hardships after the escape from the prison. In such a way, the author shows that human relations are very complicated and it is very difficult to understand what actually makes people help each other and become friends. At first glance, Zack and Jack have no chances to become friends, at least at the beginning of the film, but by the end of the film they cannot be viewed otherwise but friends, even though they do not talk to each other. Consequently, there should something else in humans that makes them feel confident in each other and become friends. In this respect, it is possible to speak about strong post-modernist trends that can be easily traced in the film, especially through the relationship between Zack and Jack. What is meant here is the fact that Jim Jarmusch actually challenges the existing social norms and purely materialistic view on human life. Obviously, he rejects the supremacy of the law as a synonym of justice. Moreover, he even rejects traditional views on human relations and denies the rigid materialism of the conservative or traditional artists. His characters’ friendship cannot be rationally explained by a scientific theory or logic. Traditionally, normal or positive interpersonal relationships are established through verbal communication, but Zack and Jack have none. Instead, it is rather a kind of spiritual unity or spiritual communication between the main characters. In fact, their friendship is, to a certain extent, almost mystical. At any rate, it is irrational and does not meet any scientific approach that is very typical for post-modernist art at large and films in particular. In this respect, it should be said that, being a post-modernist director, Jim Jarmusch is very skeptical about science as well as about existing stereotypes, social norms, and the law (Suarez, 186). Instead, he argues that people are spiritually rich and it is impossible to explain logically and rationally all their actions and behavior. They can make errors and they can suffer from errors of other people or the existing social or justice system, but still they remain people. Basically, it seems as if the director cannot fully understand human beings, this is why he shows that some of their actions are defined by their internal inclinations or spiritual world. At the same time, the entire film may be viewed as a post-modernist protest against the existing social norms, stereotypes and biases, which limit humans by boundaries of social and legal conventions, norms and regulations. In such a context, the successful escape of the main characters from the prison is very symbolic because, in such a way, they escaped from the social biases and stereotypes, they freed themselves not only literally as they got freedom to move wherever they wanted, but they also got moral and spiritual freedom. They escape from the prison of social stereotypes and unjust laws. Moreover, after the escape, Bob even found his love and became happy that implies that only freeing themselves people can become really happy. Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible to conclude that Jim Jarmusch is a successful post-modernist director, who attempted to convey his original ideas and his unique vision of the world and men through his works, among which it is possible to single out â€Å"Down by Law†. In this work, the author perfectly illustrated the imperfectness of the contemporary world and humans. He lays emphasis on the erroneous nature of the existing laws, stereotypes and traditional views of people which heavily rely on materialism, rationalism and logic. Instead, he appeals to human nature, to human spirituality and he underlines that people should strive for their own freedom from their own biases and stereotypes. People, according to Jim Jarmusch should be really free as are his characters.

Case Study On Strategic Analysis Management Essay

Case Study On Strategic Analysis Management Essay This will be done through analysing the variety stores industry in which Woolworth operates, the companys past, present and future growth strategies and its current performance. Using recognised strategic tools, the various options available to the company will be recommended and evaluated. METHODOLOGY: The Methodology that will be used to compile this dissertation will mainly be in the form of secondary research. This is largely because the nature of the project requires the co-operation of managers at very strategic level of the company. The Managers understand and have sufficient information on the strategic direction of the organisation. The writer was unable to arrange interviews with the management in the company, as information they have cannot be made public for confidential reasons. As a result it is deemed that the information gathering from other sources within the company would not be as reliable as desired for this topic. Informal primary research interviews will be arranged to gain general information on Woolworths PLCs policies and operations with members of Woolworths store staff. Secondary information will also be used to compile this dissertation due to the availability of reliable and valid information on Woolworths PLC and the variety retail industry. Secondary research will be conducted through examination of annual reports and accounts of the company and its main competitors. To evaluate these, sources such as Mintel Marketing Intelligence Reports and Marketing and Business trade journals will be used. Published academic books on Strategic Management will also be used to assist with the theoretical elements of this dissertation. HISTORY Woolworths is generally described as a variety store. These are organisations that concentrate their efforts on the retailing of a range of products in the lower and more popular price ranges. They provide a walk in, shop and carry facility as the major route of purchasing (home delivery and pre ordering being rare), with open display and self-service merchandising. They are unlikely to be departmentalised. Other related categories include department stores, discounters and specialist shops (also known as category killers) (Oxford English Dictionary 2001). Woolworths was first established by Frank Winfield Woolworth in 1879 with the concept of selling products costing no more than 5 cents. This proved a popular idea with the consumers and the turnover continued to grow. The concept was of no frills shopping, with a range of low priced, non-perishable items. When F.W. Woolworth died in 1919, he had built an empire of 1,081 stores with sales in excess of $118 million per year (Faulkner et al 2003). The company continued to grow and developed internal competencies in areas such as marketing, finance and estates management (Faulkner et al 2003). Faulkner et al also comment that this period of Woolworths history was characterised by the focus of its strategy: it was able to deepen its existing competencies and incrementally expand both its competency base and it knowledge of different market environments (such as suburban retailing) (Faulkner et al pp. 279 2003). However, this was to prove insufficient when discounters and category killers became more prevalent in the market. Wal-Mart had begun trading in general merchandise at low prices and specialist retailers, such a Toys- R- Us provided a destination shopping location for those consumers seeking a particular product, a wider range of products or specialist knowledge about the products. Woolworths began a decline in sales in real terms due to its lack of insight of how to capitalise on the prevalent retail preferences. They failed to take the move to expand their business either into a wider focus or a narrower one, strategies which would have given them a platform from which to take on their competitors. It wasnt until the late 1980s that Woolworths changed their strategy in the United States with their diversification into specialist areas, such as Kids Mart and Little Folks, as well as entering the discount retail business with the Woolco concept. However, they lacked the competencies and capabilities to make up for the time they had lost which had allowed their competitors to establish a strong market lead and in 1995, Kids Mart and Little Folks both closed down. This was on top of the closure of 400 stores in the USA and the sale of 122 Canadian Woolco stores to Wal-Mart (Faulkner et al 2003). One of the specialist areas they had entered into, footwear, did prove to be a success and led Woolworths in the USA to open over 7, 000 athletic footwear stores covering a range of gender and age segments by 1998. The company decided at this stage to change its operating name in the USA to the Venator Group (Faulkner et al 2003) and to reposition itself as a specialist sports footwear reta iler. The groups business in the UK moved in a different direction and kept the original company name. At present, in the UK, Woolworth currently owns around 900 stores selling toys, confectionary, house wares, seasonal products and electronic entertainment. The UK business has also moved into specialist areas with the introduction of MVC home entertainment and electronics which currently has 85 shops, E.UK, which is the largest distributor of home entertainment products in the UK, and the music and video publishing arm VCI (Cornell date unknown). Having become a public company in 1931, Woolworths was briefly taken over in 1982 by Kingfisher, but returned to public ownership again in mid-2001. Woolworths stated aim is to be at the heart of the community and the best loved retailer for kids, home and family leisure (www.woolworthsgroupplc.com). As will be seen Woolworths performance has been variable over recent years and in January 2005, they received a takeover bid from the private equity group, Apax. Although the Woolworths board rejected that offer, a higher one was received four weeks later and is currently under consideration. This means that the future for Woolworths is an uncertain one, with the possibility of a substantial cash injection, but diminished control for the current management team. Should the Apax offer be rejected again, Woolworths is likely to receive offers from its major competitors. PORTERS FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS. Threat of new entrants Despite the high number of retailers dealing with general merchandise, two areas are seen as being particularly relevant. Currently, there are only two catalogue based shopping concepts in the UK, Argos and Next. This market remains highly under-represented considering the success particularly of Argos and it could be expected that the concept will be taken up by more companies in future. These businesses offer the full range of house wares, electrical goods, toys and gifts as available from Woolworth, and have a distinct competitive advantage in their practice of minimal stock holdings in store allowing extra selling space to be released. They may face difficulties in finding the number and size of locations they would need to become a major player in this market, but this could be overcome through the acquisition of an existing retailer. Further new entrants may be seen as foreign companies try to increase their market share. These have already been seen in two main forms. Firstly the specialist retailers who started from nothing in the UK and have achieved good organic growth. Examples include Toys-R-Us, Ikea, Gap, HM, Beneton and Poundstretcher. The second group are those who gain a foothold in the UK market through acquisition. These include Wal-Mart, Brantano and Claires Stores. There is no reason to expect the level of foreign retail interest in the UK to decrease. Bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers has been much diminished with the development of e-commerce. Because of the vast increase in access to information between potential suppliers and buyers, the suppliers pricing strategy may be the only way to secure business. This is likely to increase as more use is made of the Internet. One recent development has been the practice of reverse auctions where a retailer specifies what they want and competing suppliers out bid each other, via a web site, by lowering the price rather than by raising it as in the traditional auction (www.gusplc.com). Once suppliers have been agreed, the large size of this retail sector also ensures buyers can act from a strong negotiating base, as they have significant control over the future health of dedicated suppliers. Recently there has been publicity around the practice of large retailers setting what are seen as unfair terms with suppliers and of insisting on price reductions even though the supplier then operates at a loss (Telegraph 2005). However, it is not expected that any legislation will bring about changes in this situation in the foreseeable future. On the negative side, specialist suppliers such as those supplying mobile phones and computer games, have an increasing amount of power due to the demand for their products. A retailer would need to ensure they have sufficient quantities of a product such as the latest Playstation, for the Christmas market, but are frequently left in the hands of suppliers who can give preferential service to other customers. Threat of substitutes Product substitutions can be used in two different ways. Firstly, as is the strategy of many of the main supermarkets, own brand labels are seen as acceptable substitutions for everyday grocery items. The cost of substitution is low to the customer i.e. they feel that there is little risk because of the loyalty they have to the store. The other type is through introducing higher priced, luxury type items. This strategy can be seen in the Marks and Spencer food sector where they market the products as being superior to other brands.For the variety retailers, the concept of substitution does not seem to have been fully exploited and it is a possible strategy for securing market share in the future. Bargaining power of customers The high level of competition amongst retailers has led to a position of power for the consumer. Having moved from seasonally driven sales events to permanent deals, the aggressiveness of these approaches has also increased. Customers now expect to be able to get three for two offers throughout the year. This puts the retailer at a disadvantage, as they will lose the potential benefits of targeting marketing promotions and means they are continually forced to take the path of competitive pricing. This can lead companies to over rely on the profits made from a limited range of products whereas the rest of the ranges operate at unsustainably low profit margins as loss leaders. Competitive rivalry within the industry The variety stores sector is highly competitive and there is no reason why this should not continue to be the case. It is suggested by retail analysts, Peters, Elworthy and Moore, that the variety store business in the UK has become saturated and that the larger stores are likely to take over or merge with the independents (cited in Potts 1996). Competition from superstores and supermarkets is expected to increase as they add to their ranges of non-food items in a bid to gain a higher share of the overall consumer market (Potts 1996). It is also expected that the differentiation between department stores, variety stores, home shopping and supermarkets will become less sharp as retailers look to alternate channels and increasing product ranges to maximise their turnover (Potts 1996). This will make it difficult for new entrants to enter the market unless they benefit from a unique selling point such as discounting, as has been seen with companies such as Wilkinsons. PEST ANALYSIS: Political Ecological/environmental issues- corporate social responsibility (csr)- The main belief around csr thinking is that the practice of businesses within the capitalist economy to concentrate their efforts on providing wealth for its shareholders, is unacceptable and that companies should take the responsibility of considering the well being of society as a whole (The Economist, January 22nd 2005). It has been countered by Lynch that failure to make a specific statement on ethical issues, does not mean that a company is not fundamentally ethical in the way that it does its business (Lynch 2003). Retailers generally are coming under increasing pressure to ensure they cannot be charged with poor practices with regard to the developing world or the environment. The activities of and publicity around the anti-globalisation movement, may dissuade organisations from expanding their markets abroad, although many see these as a small minority and it is questionable as to whether their activities would cause a company to alter their strategy. It is more likely that they will take the issues into account in terms of having a robust csr policy and when reporting to the media. Woolworths made the following statement on csr in their latest financial statement: During 2003/4, through the CSR Committee, Woolworths Group has continued to work to understand the impacts, both positive and negative, of our business. A proper understanding of the risks we must manage and the opportunities we have to be a catalyst for improvement is a fundamental part of how we do business (www.woolworthsgroupplc.com). Woolworth has specific policies on the areas of timber and chemical usage, a strict code of ethical trading and has set up its own charity (Woolworth Kids First) to provide the opportunity for their employees to help children on a local basis (www.woolworthsgroupplc.com). Whilst Woolworths are outwardly taking their csr seriously, it is an area that has come from nowhere to heavily impact organisations in the past and Woolworth would do well to bear in mind the impacts on Nestle of the baby milk episode and on Marks and Spencer of the sweat shop issues.   Legislation- a new White Paper has been announced that will give retailers the ability to offer legal advice through their own law companies. Dubbed Tesco Law, it provides a further service to encourage the one stop shop approach of the large supermarket chains (BBC D). Supermarket chains, which are one of Woolworths main sources of competition, have had a strategy of offering a one-stop shop opportunity to their customers with the introduction of such facilities as pharmacies, banking facilities and insurance. It is not yet known whether Woolworths is planning to introduce such offerings in its store. Government policies- in the recent budget, Gordon Brown announced a doubling of the threshold for stamp duty on house purchases to  £120,000. This was done to assist particularly first time buyers. Encouraging the housing market will have a beneficial effect on Woolworths house wares, furnishings and DIY ranges, but this will obviously extend to their competitors as well. Government term and change- whilst a General Election is due in the UK, the writer believes that there would be no significant impact, either positive or negative, were the political party currently in power were to remain or change. Economic Home economy situation- the current economic situation in the UK can be seen as a positive factor for Woolworths with low interest rates (2.7%) and high property values leading to record levels of borrowing. However, there are concerns over the level of borrowing as debt levels for have reached more than  £1 trillion (BBC E). It should also be noted that low interest rates would dissuade people who are living off investments from spending, although these tend to be those in retirement who are not considered to be Woolworths target consumer. They have identified that their typical customers are mothers with dependent children living at home(www.woolworthsgroupplc.com). Home economy trends. The Government states that Council tax will rise by an average of 4.1% in the next financial year, the lowest increase in more than ten years (BBC B). In the housing market, figures for changes in house prices vary by source with the Halifax quoting a 0.5% rise and the Nationwide a 0.5% fall (BBC A 2005). There is currently no solid evidence of a crash in the housing market. Should this occur, the impact on the whole retail industry would be immense. Overseas economies and trends- oil prices had risen to a high of $56.15 per barrel in mid March (BBC F). Although they are currently falling, they remain 25% higher for the year (BBC F). Long term, the situation is likely to worsen as demand for oil increases from growing economies such as China, where the economy is growing at 9% and a 10% increase in oil use is predicted for 2005 (BBC F 2005). High oil prices will affect both production and distribution costs for all retailers and will have to be passed onto the consumer through increased prices if alternative savings cannot be made in the value chain. Market and trade cycles- despite good economic factors such as low interest rates, the UK retail economy seems to be slowing down. In March Morrison, Boots and Jessops put out profit warnings and it was reported that data suggests generally poor retail sales and weak spending for the period since Christmas (Verdin 2005). The figures point to a growth in consumer spending of only 0.2% for the last quarter of 2004 the weakest figure for almost two years (Duncan 2005).No specific cause for this downturn has been identified; although the writer would suggest that the publicity around levels of personal debt and the worsening pension crisis may have some influence. Social Consumer attitudes and opinions- Mintels annual lifestyle report has found that consumers are shunning the larger supermarkets and chain stores which they find impersonal, and are much more likely to frequent local, independent shops (cited in BBC C). The implications of this for Woolworth could be positive or negative. To many people, they may be classed as a multi-site retailer and therefore avoided by the consumer. However, the history of the company, its generally high street locations and the nature of the products it sells may lead some to choose it as a shopping venue over large supermarkets. In this area, the history and reputation of Woolworths can only be beneficial. Fashion and role models- the value of celebrity endorsement is well understood by the retail industry and icons such as Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith and David Beckham have all become associated with particular brands. Woolworth identified this pattern and adopted the puppet characters, Woolly and Worth, for their 2004 Christmas campaign. Its success has encouraged them to continue the use of these characters for future advertising campaigns (www.woolworthsgrouppls.com). Technology- the rate of increase in use of cutting edge technology based items has given retailers a highly lucrative new product range. For example, mobile phone technology only became widely available in the early 1980s, but today, approximately one in six of the worlds population owns one and in most of the developed countries, market penetration exceeds 70% (The Economist 2005). As well as the phones themselves, the associated hardware and software are highly popular and unexpected markets have developed, for example, ring tones. There are no indications that these products will do anything other than maintain their growth and the continual developments in technology help to keep the market buoyant. Consumer buying mechanisms/technology- the growth of e-commerce has provided two new strategic directions for retailers. Firstly, there is the opportunity of selling the technology itself- mobile phones, personal computers, software, downloads, games- and secondly, it provides a further channel through which to sell goods. All the major retailers have web sites on which customers can research products, compare prices, order and pay for goods and, as such, there is reasonable competition to encourage consumers to visit particular web sites. An extra dimension is the number of companies who sell only through the Internet. This provides them with a competitive advantage of having lower overheads as premises and shop floor staff are not required. A good example of this is the book retailer Amazon.com who have diversified into clothing, apparel, DVDs and compact discs following their success with books. Further channels have yet to be fully utilised including ordering goods through mobile phone technology and digital television shopping channels. Whilst building their e-commerce business, Woolworths need to ensure it is based on a stable and secure foundation. Although not alone in the experience, they had to close their www.woolies.co.uk site for two months in 2000, when a customer reported that they could view other peoples credit card details on the site (Azeez 2002). Maturity of technology- Radio Frequency Identity Tagging (RFID) is seen as the way forward by many retailers who are undertaking trials of the technology. The most well known is probably Tescos who have been testing it on their high relative value, easily portable items such as razors. Woolworth had been trialing systems but has announced this year that there is no longer funding for the project (www.woolworthsgroupplc.com). They are allowing the technology to reach maturity and should then be able to capitalise on the research done by others. There are some risks with this strategy as it gives the competitors the opportunity to realise the benefits of such technology at an earlier stage. However, it also protects Woolworths from the high level of risk associated with this technology and dealing with issues raised by the Data Protection Act. STRATEGIC GROUP ANALYSIS. The competitors of Woolworth are deemed as being: Discounters those stores which offer stock at particularly low prices and have this as a unique selling point. These would include: Wilkinsons, Asda-WalMart and Poundstretcher Supermarkets stores that historically sold predominantly food items, but have now generally expanded their range to include substantial non-food categories. Examples are: Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda-WalMart and Waitrose Department stores a store which sells a range of items, usually non-food, that divides its goods into distinct areas of the store. In the UK this category includes: MS, Debenhams, House of Fraser, British Home Stores (BHS), and John Lewis Catalogue stores the retailer has a large proportion of the store space dedicated to storage rather than selling space. Few, if any goods are on display and customers select from a catalogue, usually without viewing the product first. Argos and Next are the most well known in the UK. Special ist stores those who concentrate on selling a particular product, which corresponds to part of the Woolworth range. For example, Mothercare and the Early Learning Centre for childrens clothes, BQ, Homebase and Focus DIY for DIY products. Competition is high for all segments of the retail industry which has lead to a blurring of the differences between the categories. Many companies are diversifying into new sectors or aiming for higher market penetration in their existing products. A good example are the supermarkets which have had many years of fierce competition with the main three, Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda, regularly changing places in the retailer league. Their strategy involves adopting a hybrid approach. Cost leadership to some degree by ensuring they maintained competitive pricing for generic products and then offering their own brands at a significantly lower price and differentiation in terms of the range of products they offer by branching out into greater ranges of non-food items. New entrants to the market had to have a unique selling point to appeal to the consumer and found it in terms of outperforming the established market in cost leadership. Aldi, Netto and Lidl have achieved some success in this, p roviding generally unfamiliar brand named, everyday products at a significantly lower price than the main supermarkets. The supermarkets also attempted to increase their market share through increasing their ranges of products and increasing the size of their stores to include superstores and hypermarkets. Other tactics include offering an appearance of being more exclusive (such as Waitrose and Marks and Spencer), positioning as a leader in corporate social responsibility (as in the Co-Operative stores and their Fair-trade products) and seeking new selling opportunities (for example, Marks and Spencers food outlets in service stations). The amalgamation of Asda and WalMart and Morrisons and Safeway showed that some of these strategies left companies with no clear customer focus, trying to be all things to all people, and, with decreasing sales and market share, they became attractive propositions to companies wishing to achieve a foothold in a new geographical location (the south of England in the case of Morrisons and the whole of the UK in the case of WalMart). The biggest threat to Woolworths from these stores has been through product diversification. Initially seeking to offer a one stop shop experience, with selling general merchandise, they then took on specialist stores such as Lloyds pharmacies, and non-retailers with the offerings of financial services. The specialist stores have had to recognise that as well as competing between themselves where products overlap, they are now also having to take on the supermarkets. Music retailers, such as HMV and Virgin, are experiencing pressure from supermarkets, who area able to take them on in terms of cost leadership due to economies of scale and value chain efficiencies, leaving the music stores with the only option of maximising their niche qualities. However, the increasing popularity of e-commerce, both in terms of new retailers and innovative product formats (such as downloads), has put this strategy at risk as their niche status is coming under attack. The implications for Woolworths high street stores are that they are having to rely on appealing to customers who are not seeking a specific item when they enter a store, as they cannot compete on grounds of price or specialism. Their appeal is to the impulse purchaser or those who are buying for someone else and are unsure of what they want. This merges well with the Woolworth strategy of concentrating on Kids and Celebrations. However, if they are positioning themselves as a one stop shop provider for celebration events, they are still in competition with the supermarkets who are able to provide the same items and the opportunity to purchase them whilst doing the regular grocery shopping. In areas where Woolworth has traditionally been seen as a key provider, childrens clothes, again, the supermarkets are offering a cost leader alternative with a strong fashion selling point, by employing well-known designers to support their products (such as George at Asda). Tesco recently showed their power by offering Levis jeans at a price point lower than the manufacturer. Coupled with this is the strategy of other companies to move into this line as a new product or to increase their market share. Key players are Mothercare and The Early Learning Centre. Seen as specialists for the child market, their threat to Woolworth is significant as is that of clothing retailers identifying the market for childrens clothes and exploiting it using their strength in reputation to appeal to the consumer (Gap Kids for example). Whilst all these forms of retail outlet vie for the consumers business, there is an inherent risk for all of them in terms of being able to convert their sales into profit. With competition being so fierce and coming for several different directions, most retailers have to ensure that whilst they are not necessarily the cheapest, they are competitive. The exceptions to this are those that promote themselves as exclusive, such as Waitrose. All these retailers are seeking to reduce their costs through driving savings with the value chain. This has wide reaching implications. As pressure increases to produce the goods at a lower cost, the source of production moves to countries with lower wages and poorer working conditions. As well as affecting the UK economy through increased unemployment, there have been cases where the apparent violation of human rights has produced poor publicity for the retailer. An example of this is the situation Marks and Spencer encountered in the late 1990s. On the one hand they were being accused of being too expensive, so they moved production of their clothes to developing countries. This led to an outcry in the media when companies in the UK who had been supplying them for years, could no longer operate and had to close down. Another strategy to reduce production costs is to use cheaper raw materials, but again, the negative aspects of this receive attention, with the current example being the questions raised over the nutritional value of cheap food products. Within the organisations themselves, streamlining head office personnel in terms of numbers and outsourcing support functions such as recruitment, have shown to be effective in the short term, but the long-term effects of cutting costs in areas such as research and development and training has yet to be seen. SWOT ANALYSIS. Strengths Many of Woolworths strengths come from its long history. They have a recognised internal competence in supply chain management and are able to use this both to reduce their costs and to enter into agreements with organisations that would traditionally be classed as their competitors, such as Tesco. They are using their expertise to provide additional turnover. Their contracts with other companies that utilise their strengths also allow them to minimise the risks to themselves. Having been long established, Woolworth has a good reputation in the UK and is a recognised name on the high street. They have a strong presence in toys, house wares, confectionary and seasonal products markets and due to their size can boast a dominant position over the majority of their suppliers. The perception of consumers is of a high level of corporate social responsibility, having not been subjected to significant poor publicity in any areas. The general economic conditions in the UK are promising although the recently reported slow down in consumer spending must be regarded as a risk. The locations and number of stores operated by Woolworths can be seen as a further strength, especially as consumer preference moves away from out of town shopping. They have made a good move in the adoption of advertising icons, which are considered to be a key element of their marketing campaign. Recent improvements in their stock management systems involving the introduction of an integrated replenishment system and the Kingstore till systems, gives them the ability to manage their stock levels more efficiently, thereby reducing both costs and instances of stock outages. They have undergone a recent review of how they can improve their operational efficiency and this shows a proactive strategy to take on their competition. They have a high level of understanding of customer base which they have developed through their long history in the retail market. This enables them to predict changes in consumer requirements and gives them the potential to maintain a competitive edge. Their decision to increase their use of their own brand products gives them the opportunity to heighten their market penetration in these areas, whilst their expansion of electronic entertainment offerings shows a desire to widen their range within a specific sector. These strategies seem to be successful at present.

My Name Is Asher Lev Essay example -- essays research papers

Asher Lev Essay: Minor characters are central to our understanding of any text. Analyse their significance in My Name Is Asher Lev. Central to our understanding of â€Å"My name is Asher Lev† by Chaim Potok, is the dynamics of Asher’s relationship with different minor characters involved. Each minor character such as Yudel Krinsky, Uncle Yitzchok, the Rebbe, and Jacob Kahn each help Asher in a different way allowing the reader to interpret the text more thoroughly. Their guidance to the antagonist creates a vivid image inside the reader’s mind of the type of character and their importance to our understanding of the text. Each minor character listed has a deep impact on the resolution of Asher Lev  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yudel Krinsky is a Russian Jew from Siberia, in Russia. When he arrives in Brooklyn he is very grateful towards Asher’s father. â€Å"Did you know Asher that your father is an angel of God?† he says. When Asher first meets Yudel Krinsky his curiosity about Serbia and Yudel Krinsky begins. This curiosity soon makes him ask more and more questions about Yudel. â€Å"We saw a Jew from Russia,† he says to Mrs. Rackover. When asked about Siberia Mrs. Rackover replies, â€Å"What is Siberia? It is a land like the inside of this refrigerator. It is a land of ice and darkness where the Russian government sends people it hates. What is Siberia? No-one should know of it.† This gives a good impression to the reader the torment and struggle Yudel must have felt when living in Siberia. Asher of course does not view this information lightly and wishes to seek more answers about Yudel and Russian Jews. â€Å"The son of Reb Aryeh Lev,† is the name Asher is referred to during the beginning journeys of to Yudel’s store. It is important to note he is called the son of Aryeh Lev because they don’t really know each other but later called ‘Asher’. On the first encounter Asher does not ask Yudel any questions. On the second encounter though Asher begins to ask Yudel questions relating to the news in Russia and the relationship between Yudel and Asher begins to bloom like a rose bud. On the next encounters to Yudel’s store, Yudel starts addressing Asher as ‘Asher’ and not ‘the son of Aryeh Lev’. Asher seems almost attracted to the store and is mesmerized by the metal glass showcase of oils and paints. When Asher steals the oils because he can’t afford them, Yudel starts nurturi... ...en’t for Jacob’s significant contribution by offering Asher help and criticism Asher would have never prospered as a great painter. Throughout the text â€Å"My name is Asher Lev† by Chaim Potok, minor characters of Jacob Kahn, the Rebbe, Uncle Yitzchok and Yudel Krinsky are central to our understanding of the text. Each character plays a significant part in the artistic progress of Asher Lev and allows him to reach a level of artistic talent at a young age. Their description and techniques used to describe them help the reader interpret the text thoroughly as they have an understanding of the type of character. Each minor character is as vital as the other as without one character Asher may not have been able to accomplish his great feats. Their contributions to Asher through either materials or advice are essential for Asher to establish himself as a great painter. Each character’s actions helping Asher succeed and also attributes to the tension created between themselves and Aryeh Lev which eventually results in the downfall of the Lev household. The minor characters are in essence the key to our understanding as each evaluates Asher’s feelings, emotions, and frustrations of art.

The Progressive Period Essay -- American Government, Roosevelt, Politi

In 1901, America welcomed the youngest president to ever rule, President Theodore Roosevelt. At forty-two years old, the former New York governor dominated the news unlike any previous president had done. His many exploits, such as boxing and horseback riding, led the press to gain interest in him. Known for being very outgoing and likable, Roosevelt used his personality and popularity to advance in his programs. â€Å"His leadership and publicity campaigns helped create the modern presidency, making him a model by which all future presidents would be measured†(524). He felt that the government should take control when states show incompetence in dealing with problems. Roosevelt saw the presidency as a â€Å"bully pulpit.† He believed he could use the media to persuade the public, rather than going to congress. â€Å"By 1900, trusts-legal bodies created to hold stock in many companies-controlled about four-fifths of the industries in the United States†(525). Some trusts used unfair business practices. This gave trusts a bad reputation. There were many trusts that lowered their prices to drive competitors out of the market. These trusts then took advantage of the lack of competition and jacked prices up even higher. Even though Congress passed the Sherman Anti Trust Act in 1890, the act’s indistinct language made enforcement difficult. â€Å"President Roosevelt did not believe that all trusts were harmful, but he sought to curb the actions of those that hurt the public interest†(525). The president’s main focus was filing suits under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Roosevelt made newspaper headlines in 1902 when he ordered the Justice Department to sue the Northern Securities Company, which established a monopoly over northwestern railroads. The Suprem... ...air business practices. The FTC issued over 400 cease and desist orders. Under Taft’s administration, the LaFollette Seamen’s Act was passed in 1915. This law helped improve conditions for sailors in the merchant marine considerably. In 1916 goods manufactured by children were outlawed due to the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act. Child labor was declared unconstitutional in 1918, as was the Chile Labor Act of 1919. Interstate railroads were provided an 8-hour day by the Adamson Act of 1916. The Smith-Lever Act was passed in 1914 during Taft’s presidency. Under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture, this act granted Federal funds to states for farm extension work. Two years later, the Federal Farm Loan Act was passed in 1916, providing farmers with long-term credit facilities similar to those granted business and industry under the Federal Reserve Act.

An Overview Of Collaboration Procurement Construction Essay

Procurement is a term which describes the activities undertaken by a client or employer who is demanding to convey about the building or renovation of a edifice. Procurement has great influence on the clip, cost and quality. The made-to-order nature of many building undertakings increases the built-in hazards. These hazards include finishing a undertaking which does non run into demands, which is delivered late or costs more than the client can pay or fund. All these hazards can impact the client ‘s nucleus concern, earnestly. The procurance scheme developed balance hazards against undertaking aims at an early phase of building. This method of procurance involves the contractor being responsible for design every bit good as building, it can be suited for all clients, including inexperient clients and those necessitating distance from the undertaking and cost certainty and faster path. It is of import at the beginning to guarantee that the field of treatment is clearly defined. One of the jobs that have beset this peculiar country of building research is a deficiency of clear definition. ( rowlison, steve ) As procurance the undertaking squad will be selected. After the undertaking squad has been selected the undertaking can come on through developing initial design work to fixing drawings and paperss to exemplify the undertaking, accomplishing be aftering consent, specifying criterions to be met and apportioning duties. During this period the client ( or undertaking patron or undertaking director ) should guarantee land purchase is completed on clip, if necessary guarantee the design procedure is consistent with the strategic brief, guarantee an internal decision-making system is in topographic point to avoid design holds. Keep the wider client organisation informed set up. An appropriate support model to guarantee payments can be made on clip. Construction stage will come on under the direction of the undertaking director or the undertaking squad. ( online ) Collaborative procurance is non popular but this method is increasing in the worldwide. Collaborative procurance is seen as horizontal coaction between different local governments during one or more stairss in the procurance procedure. In this method contact is made with different little companies with the regard of their forte. Through this procedure many companies take complete equipment and make their ain undertaking. Different advantages can be gained by collaborative procurance in footings of effectivity and efficiency. In this signifier the rate of success depend on the manner of organisation which is used. The collaborative procurance proposals are the manner to utilize the professional purchasing organisation by puting up a different companies in one panel and it drive to greater coordination, consistence and transparence. ( Online ) Partnership may hold somewhat different contents and range so coaction, but the lowest common is that the parties will work as a group jointly in any regard and that the parties must hold assurance in each other. The term collaborative contract, a definition of a collaborative contract is to be controlled by client and contractor and it is besides modulate the regular interaction between the client and a contractor. It besides makes the regular contact with contractor and adviser of different undertakings. Therefore the Collaboration procurance is really of import for multi undertakings. This client will salvage the clip and cost. Quality will besides better by doing contract with all specializers in their ain Fieldss.Method statementIntroductionNahar al-wafa Est. has the expertness and resources to transport out this developing undertaking and welcoming the chance of fall ining the professional squad during pre-tender phase. From our probe program of this undertaking will done on fast path method in the order to supply our clients with the complete contract at earliest possible day of the month together with high quality.Method statementSite constitution:Investigating the site is an of import undertaking ; a study will be done to transport out indispensable pre stamp work. Before the taking the duty of work all the job of bing site must be notified to client ‘s representative. During the probe of site, contact will be made with statutory governments to place the local existing s ervices.Site Adjustment:Contact should be made to allow section sing the possible posing for adjustment. On the site after the completion of slab floor the full adjustment will be installed as followers: Client ‘s demand will stipulate on measure page Nahar AL-wafa Est Accommodation Provision for: undertaking executive building undertaking director, Site Agents, Engineers, Surveyors, General Forman and disposal. Welfare Facilities Canteen, Draying Room, Toilets and First assistance. Extra demand for chief sub contractor ‘s supervising offices and security office will setup on the demand.Site entreeDuring the infrastructure work there is opportunity of hurt. So chief entree should from north gate and south gate should utilize for issue. For lading and droping trim country is available in the site.Materials DistributionIn the order to run into the agenda and maximal coverage of site 2 Cranes will be suggested. It is besides suggested to put in the Cranes in early phase so it can be used in sub-structure work. Crain should be topographic point on rain force concrete construction. After doing the floor, riders and goods hoists should be distribute in all floors before taking the Cranes.Infrastructure works:Basement building would make with pilling. It is assumed that pile testing will be carried out to chief contract work with pilling plan. Extra clip for pilling trial will non be granted it is expected that successful pilling contractor would utilize at least three rigs. We have assumed that pre tiring pilling will non be indispensable and the advancement of pilling contractor will non enforce any consequence on other work. For velocity and efficiency, the retaining wall signifiers would be fabricated off site. Concrete universe should transport out with Cranes in the order to salvage clip and money. ( Construction Methods And Planning )Ace construction:In the order to fast method a carefull survey of model systems is carried out in the relation to rapid advancement. The selected methods showed that it is verified to acquire best consequence in less clip. Aluma system will be used on the land slab which is portion of our strategy. This system can be installed rapidly. It will besides do the building visible radiation weight. For upper slabs we have planned for the usage of winging signifiers. Round signifier work to columns would be manufactured off site in glass reinforced plastic or steel to supply the quality coating required. Distribution of concrete support and signifier work for the frame would be by crane concrete. In the order for rapid building it is suggested to utilize nomadic concrete pumps. It will salvage the clip and cost every bit good.External envelopeDue to the wellness and safety ground impermanent fencings barrier must be installed as a frame of building. It is really of import to procure the site. Curtain palisading type and industry is non being specified. Full research is non possible for the design and industry. It is designed harmonizing to the tendency of market. ( Construction Methods And Planning )Site organisation construction:Organization of this site will be provided by the Nahr Al wafa est company. This company has the directors and technology. In assorted instances they been trained by the company and have established their place on varied undertakings over long periods.Training and employment of local peopleIt is really of import that local people should use after some prepar ation. The divisional policy is to advance the formal preparation of employees at all degree. Most of these sort of preparations carried out in the houses with to the full equipped developing school. Engagement in external preparation strategies is supported and encouraged the immature people. For senior degree, the preparation is given about direction development.Health and safety:Division has the duties to do guarantee that the employs are working under safe system. The full safeguards measure has been taken and all the staff will non consequence by any operations. ( Construction Methods And Planning )