The Changing Role and Status of women in Britain since 1900 – source related study

1. Source A is useful as it shows how united the Suffragettes were in 1908. It says in the caption beneath the photograph, that there was said to have been 200000 people who attended. They look like they are determined to get what they want. Some of the women are holding banners, flowers and flags. There is a policeman in the corner of the picture. This shows that the police thought that the protest might become violent. The Suffragettes were known for heckling at meetings, deliberately trying to get arrested and get sent to prison, and in 1908 they began to attack properties. The Suffragettes believed that peaceful campaigns were getting them nowhere. In 1908, women had already achieved many improvements in their education, legal rights and job opportunities. However they still wanted to earn the right to be able to vote in General Elections. This may be what the protest was for. The Suffragettes had a lot of support, particularly in London. There were thirty-four branches of the WSPU in London alone and fifty-four branches in the rest of the country. Source A shows that the Suffragettes are like a big team and family. They all look determined to get what they want. The WSPU's motto was ‘Deeds not Words,' this meant that they believed that actions were stronger than words. Emmeline Pankhurst is leading the protest. In the Suffragettes first public demonstration in 1905 Emmeline said, â€Å"Then amid uproar and shouting, the women were seized and flung out of the hall.† In conclusion this source shows that the Suffragettes were a strong group of women who had strong opinions and views. This source shows that the Suffragette movement was a strong force to be reckoned with thus affecting people's attitudes. There would be those people in full support, with many women openly and many offering passive support. Men's attitudes would be very different. Up until now the women's place was in the home. The police's attitude was one of recognition of their considerable power and they feared the implications of this, thus the police presence in Source A suggests the need for containment and prevention of violence. 2. Source D and E are both extremely useful in showing us what peoples views about the Suffragettes were in 1910. Source D is taken from a British newspaper, and is obviously written by a man. It is reliable to show the some peoples opinions of what the Suffragettes were doing at the time. Source E is also useful as it is a postcard that was issued by the Suffragettes. It shows the suffragettes opinion. The postcard would be used to persuade people to become one of them. It shows what women could be a mayor or a nurse, and can't vote however men could be lunatics or drunkards and they can vote. This is biased as it has been created by the suffragettes, and is very one sided. However Source D is also biased as it doesn't show the views of the suffragettes, only the writers view about what went on. In Source D the writer uses phrases such as ‘shameful recklessness' and ‘desperate women' to show how the country should be ashamed of the way the suffragettes have acted. This newspaper article does not once say why the suffragettes were doing what they were doing. I'm sure many people agreed with what was written however I am also sure a lot of people were against what was written. In the headline it says ‘ DISGRACEFUL SCENES Reckless Women Charge Headlong into Cordon of Police.' The word ‘disgraceful' suggests that the country should be ashamed of the actions of the Suffragettes. Men expected women to be quiet and obedient so when women started to rebel against this stereotype, the campaign for women's votes was important news, especially with the papers. The Suffragettes began to create posters, which got them some sympathy from people in the public. In Source E it says ‘What a woman may be and yet not have the Vote.' Underneath, it has pictures of women being a mayor, a nurse, a doctor, teacher and a factory hand. It also says ‘what a man may have been and yet not lose the vote.' Underneath, it has pictures of men being a convict, a lunatic, an owner of white slaves, being unfit for service and a drunkard. Of course, women could also be all of the things the males are, and the males are able to have all of the livings the females have however in this postcard the women have only been shown as being good things, whereas the men have been shown as being bad. This would have got the suffragettes some more support. In conclusion I believe that both sources are equally reliable. They both are biased and they both show different opinions of different people at the time. 3. When the First World War began so many men had gone away to fight, that women were needed to do their jobs. This meant that the number of women working in industry increased massively. The war made it acceptable for women to work in shipyards, collieries and brickyards. Some of them worked as highly skilled engineers and carpenters. In some of these jobs, women were welcomed, however in others they were resented because they had little or no training for jobs, which had previously needed very skilled people. If there was an election during the war most soldiers wouldn't be able to vote. Women soon realised that this could be their chance to pressurize the government to let them vote. There were no demonstrations, however there were many meetings between women's leaders and politicians and telegrams and letters were sent to MPs. In 1918 Parliament passed a new law, which allowed women over the age of 30 to be able to vote. From my knowledge of what happened, I believe that the war was a big part of Parliament passing a law allowing women to vote. As there may not of been enough males in the country at the time of the war, to vote if there was an election, they needed females. I also think that because most men were away during the war, the women proved themselves to be useful, as they started doing work in factories and so on. Men had never seen females do this before so it may have been a shock to them to see that women could do things just as good as them. In Source J, Herbert Asquith says, â€Å"I will find it impossible to withhold from women the power and the right of making their voices heard.† This proves that women proved themselves by working while the men were away at war. They even convinced an ex prime minister that they were worthy of having a say about what goes on in there life. The war didn't help the French Suffragette women gain the vote. In conclusion I do agree with the statement: â€Å"Without the First World War British women would not have gained the right to vote in 1918.† I also believe that women would not have received as much respect from men as they do today if the war hadn't of happened. Women had a chance to prove to people that they were able to do things just as well as men in this period of time.

Bathroom Fittings and Fixtures Industry in India Essay

Bathroom Fittings and Fixtures Industry Industry overview: The bathroom fittings industry which was not given much importance till a few years back in India has suddenly picked up. This has mainly happened due to the rising income of the people, rapid urbanization, and growth in the class conscious middle class. The Bathroom fittings industry in India is among the most booming industries in the country. Every year companies are coming up with new products or refurbishing old products with new designs and features. Due to the rapid growth of the country’s population the need for houses is continuously increasing. Both the Government and private sector real estate companies are investing huge amounts of money in this sector. The rise in the demand for good housing facilities is giving rise to the demand of quality bathroom accessories market in India. Countries like India and China are ranked among the major bathroom fittings market currently mostly because of their sizable populations. Industry Structure: India is home to numerous top bathroom fittings brands. The Industry is both organized and unorganized. The Bathroom fitting industry in India consists of a number of small, medium and large manufacturers. The small companies are mostly the local players that cater to a small section of the society. Whereas the popular bathroom fitting companies are mostly the top foreign and domestic players that have managed to establish a reputation in the Bathroom accessories market. Key Drivers of the Industry Industry works on the principle of demand and supply. Every industry is drive by the market forces and the market forces are affected by various forces. Key driver’s infact generated demand for the industry. Bathroom fitting industry is no exception to this rule. This industry is too like other industries are driven by various market forces which are as follows: Rising Income of the people and hence their purchasing power parity (PPP) The rapid urbanization due to which the demand for bathroom fittings is growing More and more investment in the construction sector both by domestic players and the foreign MNCs. Growing awareness among the people regarding bathroom architecture and fittings. Advertisement especially in developing nations is key factor in creating product awareness and hence the demand. Market Overview: Indian Sanitary Ware Industry bullish India, today, is all set to become the biggest manufacturing hub for international sanitary wares brand. The bathroom fittings market in the country is growing at a rate of 13. 3% per annum; India’s current sanitary ware market size is almost 500 crores and is growing at an annual growth rate of 3-4 percent in the industry. Going forward, India will have a huge market for sanitary ware products and of course the export market will also grow simultaneously. Further, government’s support to improve sanitation and hygiene and increasing urbanization has given a big push to the Indian sanitary ware industry. The companies are applying accurate standards and using top machinery and stringent quality measures with latest designs to manufacture finest quality machines India, today, is all set to become the biggest manufacturing hub for international sanitary wares brand. For the starters, Indian sanitary wares are comparatively cheaper as opposed to our western counterparts, courtesy availability of ample raw materials and low cost labor in comparison to other countries. This in fact has given Indian sanitary ware products an edge over the competitors from the nearby countries and naturally the exports of sanitary wares from India is scaling up. Certainly, Industry’s growth is directly related to the development in real estate. Today, housing’s demands are on rise. And interestingly people have started taking interest in top sanitary wares. The increased demand for sanitary ware is not just emanating from the new projects but there is a huge market for replacement products also. The remarkable growth by the industry has inspired industry majors to enhance their manufacturing system and even apply latest technology to give customers value for their money. Moreover, Indian companies are taking a step further to enlighten people about the advantages of premium sanitary wares. With 15 to 17 percent growth per year, Indian manufacturers have strengthened their dealer network all across the country. Demand for Made-in-India Sanitary Wares in the International Markets Market Share: Key Players: 1. Hindware: In 1960 Mr. Rajendra K. Somany established Hindustan Twyfords, in collaboration with Twyfords Ltd. of UK. With a bent towards innovation coupled with the intention to introduce vitreous china ceramics in India, he identified the sanitaryware market as the segment of interest.

Risk Assignment

498 Assignment 4 Spring 2013 Due Date: March 26, 2013 1. Consider the Luxury Seaside Hotel Risk Management case you put together in your previous assignment. Answer the following questions regarding each one of the risk sources you have identified (at least 4). i)If you desired to follow a statistical approach in the assessment of the risk, what hard data would you need, what hard data do you think would be available, what near accident data could be used to support the available insufficient accident/failure data? i) What would be the key probability distributions of interest, which of these do you think you would be able to estimate (given the data environment that you have imagined in (i))? iii)What regression relationships would be of interest, which of these do you think you would be able to accomplish (given the data environment that you have imagined in (i))? Guideline for Answering / Grading: i)Data availability/unavailability scenarios should be reasonable and based on facts , observations, assumptions, examples, beliefs. the related discussions could be very brief). ii)Suggestions for the key random variables and the associated probability functions should be clearly stated and based on well founded arguments (again, the related discussions need not be very long). Parameters of these distributions and how are they to be estimated from the data environment imagined in (i) should be clearly stated. ii)Suggestions for the regression relationships should be clearly stated and based on well founded arguments (again, the related discussions need not be very long).Related independent and dependent variables should be well defined. 2. A researcher from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is interested in how variables, such as GRE (Graduate Record Exam scores), GPA (grade point average) and prestige of the undergraduate institution, effect admission into graduate school. Since the response variable, admit/don't admit, is a binary variable, she considered logistic regression.A small data set is conducted to fit a logistic regression equation relating the admit/don’t admit decision y to GRE score x1, GPA score x2, and prestige of the undergraduate institution x3.. The data set is ready in both excel and SPSS data format, which can be obtained from course website by downloading binary. xlsx or binary. sav. The purpose of this homework is to use logistic regression to arrive at an appropriate model that predicts the outcome variable  admit, using  gre,  gpa, and  rank.

Anja Balanskat, Stella Kefala and Roger Blamire Research Paper

Anja Balanskat, Stella Kefala and Roger Blamire - Research Paper Example In primary schools in Europe, the authors note that use of ICT improves achievement in English as a home language in addition to encouraging better performance in science and design in children aged from seven to sixteen years. Schools with well developed ICT programs and related resources demonstrate better achievement in all subjects compared to those with poor levels of the technology. However, better performance while using ICT in schools is realized if education policy makers establish favorable environment for effective application of the technology in educational institutions (Anja, Stella and Roger, 14). Use of ICT in learning institutions has remarkable impacts on teachers and teaching process. According to Anja, Stella and Roger(17) the technology increases enthusiasm among the instructors leading to heightened positive attitude towards their careers. Ina addition, ICT enhances their efficiency especially in preparation of teaching plans. Effective use of information manage ment systems while teaching encourage collaborative learning among teachers leading to better teaching experience. However, various barriers impede realization of projected gains of adopting information technology. These include poor ICT competence in the teaching fraternity, which lowers their confidence in the class while applying the technology. In addition, poor organization, inadequate maintenance of ICT hardware and limited access to appropriate ICT infrastructure prevents learners from gaining maximum benefits from ICT technology (Anja, Stella and Roger, 17-28). 2. Ellen, Wartellla and Nancy Jennings. â€Å"Children and Computers: New Technology, Old Concerns.† The Future of Children, 10.2(2000): 31-40. The authors examine the concerns of increased exposure of children to computer applications and related technology. According to, Ellen and Nancy (32), wired computer provides the modern society with new mass media including computer games, CD ROMs and the web. In Unite d States, about 60% of homes with young children aged from eight to seventeen years own computers that are connected to the internet with intention of learning (Ellen and Nancy, 33). However, Ellen and Nancy notes that the society needs to balance the educational benefits of using computers with the potential harms. The authors compare the recent controversy of using computer technology with the controversies that characterized application of earlier technologies such radio, television films and movies. Introduction of films in American society in the early 1900 was met with considerable support from parents who considered them as important sources of entertainment and education to their children. Later, the same society that supported watching of films especially among young children began opposing them on the grounds that they promoted immorality, violence and delinquency in children and teenagers. These concerns raised the issue of censorship and restricting access of various fil m and movie content to the children (Ellen and Nancy, 35). Unlike film industry that was regulated later after the society raised concerns about its effects on children, radio was regulated by the federal government immediately after it was introduced. Similarly, introduction of

First Constitutional Amendment and Protection of Freedom Research Paper

First Constitutional Amendment and Protection of Freedom - Research Paper Example It furnishes the right of vocalization liberally; showing their apprehension about the government scheme to the residents/press of United States. The objective of this analysis is to understand the first amendment to the constitution and freedom of speech. First rectification in the Bill of Rights satisfies the fundamental legitimate right, i.e. autonomy of speech. It grants us the authority to express our opinions concerning the government scheme, state condition, and industrial conditions. However, it can be limited during wartime or any other condition; for example, if autonomy of oration grows into a cause of a vilification, obscenity, violation of law and order requirements, etc. it could be limited. First section of the first amendment forbids the Congress to bestow any supremacy or preference assuming one religion over other. It has patently bordered Congress to admire everybody despite everything of religion or non-religion. Nonetheless, this was only enforced on federal auth orities but later, under the internalization conviction, picked out sustenance was wielded to the states.

Water in the California desert Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Water in the California desert - Research Paper Example As the climate continues to change the appearance of the planet,those who inhabit it, are faced with the various issues that come with such changes occurring in the first place. In times of considerable rain occurring,the concern becomes the potential flooding that would require specific plans in place,in order to aid those most affected. The same would also be said in instances were there would be a lack of water in the given environment that would also lead to problems that would need to be addressed in order to aid the general populous in the surrounding area, as well as any other regions that may be impacted. One such region to consider, in terms of discerning as to whether or not they would have a noticeable issue with water, would be the southern part of California.Different factors would be in place, in terms of assessing the situation in its entirety and determining whether or not the area of Southern California, would in fact have an issue with water availability. In terms o f describing the region of Southern California, "California's 25,000 square miles of desert can be divided into two basic zones; the Mojave, or high desert, and the Colorado, or low desert. Each of these areas contains unique fauna and flora, as well as other natural resources that make them an important part of California's present and future. California's deserts are home to two National Parks (Death Valley and Joshua Tree), a National Reserve (East Mojave), and California's largest state park, Anza- Borrego," ("California's", p.1). With the above mentioned importance that this region of California would have, it would remain essential to answer any problems that may arise for the area, which in this case, would be the issue of water shortage. Different organizations would be in place, with the essential purpose of gauging the water levels present within their locale. In the case of Southern California, according to testimony provided by the chairman of the board of directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, in his testimony before a Senate committee handling such an issue, the director would outline what he felt were the issues facing the region, in testimony that would go toward the assertion that, in terms of a potential water issue for the region of Southern California, they would in fact be facing such a problem. In terms of describing the group that Timothy F. Brick would represent, "Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the nation's largest provider of imported water to an urban area. The population in its service area is more than 18 million, and it is projected to rise to 22 million by 2030. Metropolitan is comprised of 26 member public agencies that service an area spanning 5,200 square miles and six southern California counties," (Childs, 2007). As an organization that would represent a wide a rea and would service multiple counties within the region of Southern California, in terms of making the assertion that there would in fact be an issue with the availability of water in the area, they would be an organization that would know what they were talking about. In the period of time just before the Director would give his testimony, the area of Los Angeles alone, would have received an alarmingly low amount of rain, which in turn, would have translated into an issue for the overall water supply. From a political standpoint, the Governor for California would set forth with a plan to handle the continuing issue of water deficiency that areas within the state, such as California would continue to see. As those involved would allude to, there would be methods possible in the process toward remedying the issue and seeking the best possible outcome. In terms of the political legislation suggested from the state level, "The plan is comprised of four policy bills and an $11.14 billion bond. The package establishes a

STIGMA and prejudice can have a big impact on the lives of people Essay

STIGMA and prejudice can have a big impact on the lives of people dealing with mental illness - Essay Example In addition, the paper will allow an in-depth analysis of the ways treatment can be provided to schizophrenic people. Understanding the Peculiar Terms In literal terms, schizophrenia is a mental disorder in which an individual who breaks down his or her thought process depending upon the emotional experience. Schizophrenia is greatly characterized by a number of factors of which stigma is one with profound impact (Lucas & Phelan, 2012). Stigma is referred to as resistance by public and person’s own attitude towards schizophrenic situation. Also to note is the fact that critical attitude have created notions and prejudice in societies where it has become critical for the schizophrenic patients. Herein, prejudice means an act of decision-making without making any necessary investigation into the issue (Ries, Miller, & Fiellin, 2009). According to the article entitled, â€Å"STIGMA and prejudice can have a big impact on the lives of people dealing with mental illness†, peo ple with mental illness have delayed early treatments because they have been under severe stigmatic fears. The questions remain regarding the factors which have rather created the fear of stigma among mentally ill person to a high degree (Heath, 2013). As a matter of fact, the factors involved with stigma against schizophrenic people are no different from other mental sickness such as depression, anxiety, hypertension etc (Knifton & Quinn, 2013). Public Stigma There are a number of factors and issues which have made stigma and prejudice a critical barrier for people with mental illness in seeking early treatment. General public involved in stereotyping and prejudice making stigma as a critical hindrance point against people with mental illness, especially patients with schizophrenia, include employers, relatives, family, friends and service providers. Each set of these people have maintained different attitudes and behaviors against mentally ill person. It is one true fact that almo st every person in the world has one or more mental problems that they deal with each day. Some of them reach to a higher degree of mental state which is probably treatable when they are provided a normal daily routine with maintained social interactions with other members of the societies (Goffman, 2009). It has often been noted that employers deny opportunities to employees with mental illness. This takes away job and accommodation from a person. It will not be incorrect to state that such an attitude towards mentally ill person creates an air of stigma in the society. This clearly gives an idea that a person who might be aware of his or her symptoms indicating schizophrenia would not opt for treatment from a psychiatrist because of the fear of stigma (Osuji, 2012). Thus, it can be said that employers play a major role in creating stigma for people with mental illness. Stigma, often called as social distancing has been noted in different walks of life. Be it relatives who would no t like to associate with a schizophrenic person. In addition it is expected of inconsiderate relatives that they would make it more critical for the person with mental illne

Medication administration via enternal tubes, a survey of nurses Essay

Medication administration via enternal tubes, a survey of nurses practices - Essay Example The report was authore by Nicole Margaret who is a PhD holder, a lecturer and administrator at Deakin University, and Ruth Endacott, a professor at Monash University. This paper seeks to analyze the nursing research article. The paper will look into benefits of ‘evidence-based’ practice in the scope of nursing profession and then review the research article. Why evidence based practice is important in nursing Evidence based practice is important to all stakeholders in the scope of nursing. Patients are one of the categories of stakeholders that enjoy the benefits of ‘evidence-based’ practice. As beneficiaries of healthcare and with the precision in diagnosis, prescriptions and recommendations that are prompted by ‘evidence-based’ practice, the patients stands to benefit from higher quality healthcare services (Polit and Beck 1. P. 34- 36). Evidence based practice also enhances patients’ confidence in the offered services based on the beli ef that the personnel are competent and would only use the practice for a good cause. Development of ‘evidence-based’ practice has also induced higher level of proficiency among nurses by keeping them informed. In order to apply the practice that is research based, the personnel have to conduct a literature review over each subject matter, a step that keeps the nurses informed of the skills and knowledge in the profession. The nurses therefore benefits from improved capacity in knowledge and skills in the profession. Healthcare organizations, operating in a competitive market in which customers are quality oriented also benefits from ‘evidence-based’ practice. The level of precision in approach to healthcare based on the practice and the associated quality makes an organization that applies evidence base practice more competitive than those that do not use the practice. Development of the practice therefore helps health organizations to be more credible com pared to their competitions. The community on the other hand benefits from better services for a healthy society (Courtney and McCutcheon, 2009, p. 5). Evidence based practice is also generally important to stakeholders in the nursing scope due to its effects of improved quality services in practice. By forming grounds for informed â€Å"decisions and actions,† evidence based practice ensures competence in administration of healthcare. It means application of most appropriate approaches to solving precisely identified problems. This has been associated with practices that â€Å"are appropriate, cost effective, and result in positive outcomes for clients† (Polit and Beck, 2008, p. 4; Houser, 2012, n.p.). Similarly, Holland and Rees applauds ‘evidence-based’ practice for effectiveness in service delivery within the nursing profession. Evidence based practice is therefore important to all stakeholders in the nursing profession. Its underlying advantage is the induced precision, efficiency and effectiveness that is associated with better utility (Holland and Rees, 2010, p. 7). The research problem as it relates to the chosen article The research problem is to investigate the article within the scope of a quantitative research approach. Features of qualitative research and analysis of the extent of application of the features in the article therefore form the basis for evaluation of the relationship between the research proble

Calculate the bounce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Calculate the bounce - Essay Example There are 49 employees, with a total monthly payroll output of  £101,400. Each employee, on average, earns  £2069 monthly or  £24,828 yearly. However, bonus amount should be based on profit figures. Employees are used to receiving  £70,000 in commissions, therefore bonus should be more equal to this figure in which they have become accustomed in order to improve motivation and performance incentives. Analysis methodology should consider current objectives, such as whether the business is looking to invest or, perhaps, expand the company which will require additional expenditures. Questions should be asked such as whether owners’ equity, for the investor stakeholder, should be considered prior to paying a bonus. There is one important factor to consider: In 2008, the company agreed to  £16.5 million in goods in exchange for 50 percent of the company, giving the business these goods for a period of one year. This agreement raised inventory assets in the company, which only improves its position for growth or perhaps access to new credit. The current global accounting standards would identify these goods or perhaps depreciate their value over time, however its rising liquidity from the goods exchange makes the company stronger at the accounting level. Therefore, bonus should not be reduced as current profit levels remain unchanged even with the new 50/50 ownership. The goods received are still part of the company’s inventory. Profit in 2009 was  £7.72 million. There was no cash balance from 2008 to consider as profit was used to expand sales for 2009. With this in mind, if the company divided the entire profit among the 49 employees, it would be calculated as: However, this is far outside of industry norms and equates to more than the employees are used to receiving with their sales commission and would not add to the business’ cash balance, which is strategically

Stirling Sports Essay Example for Free

Stirling Sports Essay Stirling Sports opened their first Store on Dominion Road in Auckland in 1964. The first Stirling Sports franchises were awarded in 1983 after Stirling Sports had invested almost 20 years in developing the best sports retail stores in New Zealand. Stirling Sports Dunedin’s mission statements asserts, ‘The Dunedin community speaks positively about their Stirling Sport experience’. Their logo is ‘We love our sport’, an apt summary of the passion held by management and staff for their products, service and the specialist knowledge they provide. Stirling Sports is the one of the New Zealand leading retailers of sporting goods. Stirling Sports has a huge range of sports clothing and mens and womens shoes, supporter gear and more. In 2004, Russell and Sue became aware of an opportunity to purchase the Stirling Sports Dunedin area franchise and made the decision to buy within a week. Since they originated from the Otago region, this was an opportunity ‘to come home’. After some negotiation they successfully acquired the franchise and began to determine how best to manage the two operations. After some deliberation, the  decision was made that Sue would move to Dunedin and manage that store, while Russell continued to manage the Kapiti store. Russell and Sue decided to buy the franchise with the existing staff at the Dunedin store. The store had to become profitable, so changes needed to be made. However, the change in structure and process did not suit everyone and staff left. Previously, the store had been managed from Auckland, so some having the manager on-site was very different from the previous management style. Stirling Sports adopts marketing strategies based on the seasonal nature of  various sports, student population migration during semester and holiday periods, public holidays and festive seasons Christmas is one of the biggest financial periods with equipment, clothing and shoes being in demand for Christmas gifts. In-store specials, glossy flyers, and newspaper and radio advertising are all useful means of marketing their products to all of their customer segments. The March/April period is the second-largest cash-flow period with the beginning of winter sports, such as rugby, soccer, netball, volleyball and basketball, traditionally boosting sales. September/October is also a peak period, with the focus particularly on fitness and getting ‘back into shape’ after the ravages of winter lifestyle choices. Sports such as cricket, tennis and softball also begin which may require the purchase of new equipment, uniforms and speciality footwear. Many sports are now played all year round, which is beneficial in maintaining an acceptable level of monthly sales in addition to seasonal cash-flow peaks. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://STIRLINGSPORTS. CO. NZ Rebel Sport is a well known brand name throughout New Zealand and Australia. Until 2006, Rebel had no big-box sports competitor, prompting the use of the well-known slogan No ones got more sports gear. However, Lane Walker Rudkin, owners of sports franchise Stirling Sports, have announced plans to launch several large format stores across the country, beginning with a store in Christchurch, which opened in mid-2006. This followed the collapse of a deal between Briscoe Group and LWR a year earlier, which would have seen Briscoe buyout the Stirling franchise. Since Stirlings big box launch, Rebel has dropped their original slogan, which has been replaced with Lets Play, backed by a new  marketing campaign which targets a wider audience from the traditional club-orientated team sport audience. The company is also continuing their aggressive expansion programme, launching several smaller-format stores such as Napier and Taupo to allow branches to reach further into provincial areas. Briscoe Group. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 15, 2014 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Briscoe_Group The latest retail customer satisfaction report for New Zealand from research organisation Roy Morgan Research reveals that Rebel Sport has emerged as the  sports store with the highest percentage of satisfied customers. Rebel came in at at 82. 0 percent for the 12 months to December 2009 (up 4. 4 percent points from the 12 months to December ‘08). Stirling Sports was third with 77. 5 percent (down 2. 9 percent from the same period). â€Å"The category as a whole has performed below the average for all non-food stores. It seems all sports stores need to close the gap in improving their levels of satisfaction. † Sports Link. Sporting Goods Outdoor Retailing. (May 17, 2010). Retrieved from http://www. mysportslink. net/rebel-sport-leads-the-way-cms-837.

The facilities management

The facilities management The late 1980s saw a growing awareness and increased recognition for facilities management both in the public and private sectors. Corporate strategies for competitiveness have caused businesses to relook at all their processes and restructure them in a way that decreases costs and improves efficiency. (Alexander, 1994) Definitions of Facilities Management There are many varying definitions of facilities management. The British Institute of Facilities Management perceives it as the integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities (BIFM, 2010) Price describes facilities management as an integrated approach to operating, maintaining, improving and adapting the buildings and infrastructure of an organisation in order to create an environment that strongly supports the primary objectives of that organisation (Price, 2000; Baldry, 2008) The facilities management movement can be summarized as a belief in potential to improve processes by which workplaces can be managed to inspire people to give of their best, to support their effectiveness and ultimately to make a positive contribution to economic growth and organizational success. (Alexander, 1994) The Role of Facilities Management The role of facilities management is gaining recognition within the economy. Government policies in a market economy, such as competitive policies, deregulation and privatisation, have each had an influence on the growth of facilities management over the years. In the Japanese economy, facilities management is already considered as a key element for economic success. They place a greater importance on office productivity and therefore facilities management is seen as a way of improving the efficiency of office workers in Japan. (Alexander, 1994) Alexander, (1994) says that the role of facilities management should be defined by the relationship of facilities to the core business of an organisation in which success is measured by the degree and quality of support they provide to achieving key business objectives or goals. The role and responsibility of facilities management will vary in different organisations. Selecting the correct role of facilities management is critical to the success and effectiveness of an organisation. Creating a facilities management profile based on a case specific basis should potentially lead to successful facilities management practice. The growing pressures of the competitive business world have made organisations realise that they must gain some form of competitive advantage from every section of their organisation. This must also include the costs of running the working environment. In these organisations, facilities are no longer allocated insignificant time but the strategic role of facilities management is widely recognised as well as the benefits of effective management (Baldry, 2008). In the past businesses were operating within a fairly stable economic environment. However the evolution of technology, cost of space, global competition and the greater impact of making mistakes has forced organisations to manage their resources effectively. This issue has given rise and placed more importance on the concept of facilities management. The biggest challenge facilities managers come across is the management of resources in a rapid and constantly changing environment. (Barrett, 1998) As Alexander (1996), emphasizes, the role that facilities management plays in its contribution to the success of the organisation has gained increasing importance since the start of the facilities management concept. Initially facilities management was managed as an isolated activity and considered as an expense like any other cost within a business. Now facilities management is managed as an integrated activity, with the commercial, manufacturing and marketing function of the organisation. Facilities management has bought to the surface many opportunities to gain a competitive advantage over your competitors. Therefore, it seeks organisational effectiveness to help organisations to allocate their resources in a way that allows them to flourish in the very competitive markets. This has therefore encouraged management and business owners to realise that for organisations to benefit from their huge investment in facilities, they have to manage them actively and creatively, with commitm ent and a broader vision (Amaratunga, 2001) The Centre for Facilities Management (CFM) describes facilities management as the process by which an organisation delivers and sustains a quality working environment and delivers quality support services to meet the organisations objectives at best cost It is accepted that facilities management covers a wide range of services and the success or partial failure of an organisations business is dependent on the management of those services (Chotipanich, 2004). Such services can include property management, financial management, change management, human resources management, health and safety management, in addition to services such as building maintenance, domestic services (cleaning and security) and utilities supplies. The essence of facilities management lies in the ways in which facilities are adjusted to business needs and in the effectiveness of the systems that ensure non-core activities deliver value for money (CFM, 1992). At a national level, the strategic objective of facility management is to provide better infrastructure and logistic support to businesses of all kinds and across all sectors. At a local level, its objective is the effective management of facility resources and services in providing of support to the operations of organisations, their working groups, project teams and individuals (Nutt, 2000). Therefore, according to Nutt (2000), the primary function of facilities management is resource management, at strategic and operational levels of support. McNaughton 2007 says Facilities management provides an opportunity for businesses and large conglomerates to focus on their core business leaving the secondary services of security, mailing and cleaning in the hands of the facilities management experts. If implemented correctly, facilities management can benefit your company in the following ways: Reduced risk and increased productivity Reduced operating costs by focusing on core business structures Encourages and sustains a healthy and safe corporate culture Delivers sustainable resource utilisation Optimise asset utilisation Operational and Strategic Facilities Management Facilities management can be divided into two sections, namely operational facilities management and strategic facilities management. Operational facilities management is the interaction within the facilities department itself (i.e the facilities manager and the various functional units such as maintenance, interior planning, architecture etc). The various functional units can be in house or outsourced. Each functional unit should be aware of current techniques and regulations within their specific area of work. The facilities manger is expected to communicate with the core business regularly to identify current facilities requirements. The facilities manager will then benchmark facilities service currently in practice within the organisation against other facilities management organisations and see where an improvement can be made (Barrett, 1998). It can be said that the primary function of facilities management is the operational side as it is the most visible. The function support s the regular needs of the core business. (Chotipanich, 2004) Strategic facilities management looks at the future. The facilities manager will interact with the core business to establish future changes that might occur to the business due to external factors such as competitors etc. The facilities manager will also identify possible developments within the facilities management arena. Interaction between strategic and operational facilities management must occur and the aim is to synergistically balance current operations with the needs of the future. (Barrett, 1998) The figure above (Barrett, 1995) is a generic facilities management model developed by Barrett. It clearly shows the different relationships and communication lines as well as the difference between operational and strategic facilities management. The separation of the core business and facilities management is clear in the above diagram and this emphasises the fact that facilities management is only beneficial if it supports the primary business objectives. It also distinguishes between the current and future environment and makes it easier to understand how facilities management is conducted. Linkages 1, 2 and 3 are at an operational level and 4, 5 and 6 are at a strategic level. The structure of facilities management is related to the needs, environment and circumstances of the organisation at the time. Its practice and composition are particularly important to the characteristics and contexts of the organisation. (Chotipanich, 2004) Barrett (1998) suggests that facility managers should not just select service items from the standard list at random, but provide only those services that are needed by their particular organisation. Facilities management practice is seen as adapting to its situation. Barrett (1998) also stands by the fact that facilities management practice needs to be personalised to a specific organisation. The facilities managers are involved in strategic planning i.e plans for the future as well as daily operations, particularly in relation to buildings and premises. Responsibilities and duties may vary depending on the type of corporation but the most likely responsibilities include: contract management procurement management maintenance of the grounds and buildings general cleaning of the facility and refuse disposal catering and vending health and safety security utilities and communications infrastructure Facilities management is a very important concept in this competitive business world. If this concept is not managed correctly or neglected, it will be to the detriment of your organisation. In the past businesses were operating in a stable economic environment and as a result the setting of goals were done and not redone for a considerable amount of time. In this current economic state, the goals of organisations often change as the economic environment presents new challenges. The increase in competition, employee expectations and the changes in technology forces businesses to manage their resources effectively to stay profitable. References Baldry, D. (2008), Knowledge management practices in facilities organisations: a case study, Journal of Facilities Management British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM). (2010), http://www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/about/facilities Accessed 22 March 2010 Alexander, K. (1994), Facilities Management Theory and Practice Alexander, K. (1996), Facilities Management Theory and Practice Amaratunga, R.D.G. (2001), Theory building in facilities management performance measurement: application of some core performance measurement and management principles Centre for Facilities Management (CFM), (1992). An Overview of the FM Industry Part 1 Chotipanich, S. (2004), Positioning facility management, Journal of Facilities. Nuttt, B. (2000), Four competing futures for facility management Journal of Facilities McNaughton (2007), http://www.eprop.co.za/news/article.aspx?idArticle=9211 Accessed 25 April 2010 Barrett, P. (1998), Facilities management. Towards Best Practice. Barrett, P. (1995), Facilities management. Towards Best Practice. Price, I. (2000), FM and Research, Journal of Facilities.

Impact Of Recession On Business Of British Airways Commerce Essay

Impact Of Recession On Business Of British Airways Commerce Essay The global economy is experiencing problems ever since. There have been notable economic recessions in international business history. These recessions were managed in a variety of ways depending on the strategies which were implemented on a business-to-business basis. Each international company have intensified their efforts in order to come up with a variety of strategies which are geared towards the implementation of business policies and practices aimed towards the reduction of the impact of economic problems in the performance of their business. Depending on the extent of damage that the recession has caused the financial performance of a particular company, they have differing efforts in terms of redirecting their strategies and goals just to be able to combat the adverse effects of this economic downturn. Some efforts have proved to be effective. Unfortunately, some proved to be not effective which even forged some businesses to shut down or to merge with other businesses in o rder to battle the survival of the fittest in the environment of the worlds toughest businesses. In the field of economics, the term economic recession is described to an incident in the situation of a country wherein the gross domestic product reflects a negative growth in a period of at least two consecutive quarters  [1]  . Given the fact that the United States is the global leader when it comes to the consumption of goods and services, once this country experiences the phenomena of the recession, such will send shockwaves to the global economy and will inevitably affect the other countries in the world. When the United States experienced the phenomenon of the economic recession, many countries have been affected and their economy also experienced a downturn as the financial crisis hit their respective areas and shows effects which are negative to the business. Furthermore, in a scholastic work published by Leamer (2008), he stated that it is not enough that we only take a look at the two consecutive quarter negative growth of the gross domestic product in order to define recession. In his work, he mentioned that recession according to the National Bureau of Economic Research refers to that situation wherein there is a significant decline in activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, visible in industrial production, employment, real income, and wholesale-retail trade. Such definition of the concept of economic recession takes a broader look on the phenomenon rather than paying dedicated attention on the decline of the nations gross domestic product. There are other academic works which contest the inclusion of only the gross domestic product in understanding economic recession. The occurrence of recession is not primarily concentrated only on one sector of the economy that is why there is a need to take a look at economy-wide measures in order to fully understand the theory which lies beneath such economic activity. The committee also holds that there are four indicators which wil be useful in understanding economic recession including employment, personal income less transfer payments, and volume of sales of the manufacturing and trade sectors, and industrial production.  [2]  This concept strengthens the assumption that understanding the occurrence of economic recession cannot be full by only looking at the gross domestic product, rather it also entails an understanding of other economic variables which may prove to be just as useful in understanding recession. The occurrence of every recession in the global economy can be characterized by the painful increase in the rate of unemployment and a decline in the personal income of the citizens of the nation  [3]  . Such aspects should not be disregarded in order to understand the realizable signs to claim that the economy is in trouble and it is in fact experiencing the occurrence of recession. In 2001, when economists claim that the United States is experiencing economic recession, such signs have been visible in their business performance. Although the occurrence of such has been hard to accept, there is no way but to do so to move on with global business. As mentioned earlier, to fully combat recession, various strategies have been formulated in order to improve business performance with the objective of bringing in additional profit for the company to provide a better living on its employees. While some efforts have proved to be useful, it is very unfortunate that some caused more troub le and resulted with a number of companies shutting down, especially the small ones and those which were hardly hit, causing a big number of employees to have lost their jobs. In the course of this paper, the researcher will study the concept of recession, including the variety in its definition and the signs which will be indicative of the economic trouble. While studying the concepts which underlie recession, the researcher will study the case to the situation faced by the British Airways, one of the worlds providers for air travel. Just like any other businesses, it cannot be denied that British Airways also experienced recession. The paper will examine how the company faced these problems, including the strategy which it has formulated to combat recession and also the long term effect which were brought about by the recession. RESEARCH PURPOSE As what has been mentioned, economic recession is a global phenomenon. The United States is a global leader in business, any economic downturn in the country will send shockwaves all over the world, affecting every local market. The main purpose of this research is to take a closer look on the impacts of global recession in the economy of United Kingdom, specifically in the business performance of British Airways. In the course of the research process, adhering to its main purpose, various economic indicators will be studied to know how it leads to the occurrence of economic recession. Furthermore, the core of the study will be focused on the business of British Airways and will look at how recession affects its global business in terms of sales, profitability, and sustainability of the business in the global market. RESEARCH QUESTION To fully understand the study, the researcher will be guided with several questions which will shape the foundation and backbone of this paper. The research questions will guide the researcher to be able to achieve desired results of this study. One of the questions which the research will try to answer will be those associated with recession itself including how it occurs, historical background, what are the signs and indications that the economy is indeed experiencing recession, and its variety of effects on different businesses globally. Moreover, with much more intensive focus, the research intends to answer question regarding the business performance and status of British Airways in the global market. The study will answer questions including those associated with the indications that the business of British Airways is indeed affected by economic recession and what are the efforts including business strategies and redirection of business practices done by the company to combat the inevitable effects brought about by recession. The main question which the research will consider will include main focus on the significant effects of recession with British Airways in terms of sales, profit, and sustainability. RESEARCH STRATEGY AND DESIGN The design of research which will be utilized in the conduct of this study will be a conclusive research. The researcher opted for this research design because of the belief that such design will be the most useful and most appropriate in the process of gathering relevant information and in provision of the effects which the occurrence of economic recession has brought in the business of British Airways. The conclusive research is a formal and structured research in which data will be subjected to quantitative analysis  [4]  . By quantitative analysis, the research will make use of presentation of relevant figures especially those related to sales and profit in order to fully grasp the effect of recession in the business. Moreover, the type of conclusive research which will be utilized in the study is descriptive research. Descriptive research is one of the two types of conclusive research wherein the major objective is the description of something, which normally refers to marke t functions or characteristics. In the case of this study, the researcher will describe the characteristics of the market of British Airways as reflected by the obvious results of economic recession. This will be made possible by providing a picture of the current situation of the company in the global landscape. The major assumption in which the research will operate is that these characteristics are brought about by the inevitable effects of global economic recession in every international business. It will include the description of various groups related to the critical operation of the business such as the consumers, salespeople, organizations, and the market areas. Through a description of these relevant groups, the researcher will find it easier to provide a look at the effects of recession as shown by the people who were affected the mostly by the occurrence of such situation. Such research design is also expected to provide an association of to until what degree is marketin g variables associated with such economic situation. The research strategy will attempt to answer the 6 Ws which are associated with the conduct of a descriptive, conclusive research. The first is concerned as to who were considered the market of the business, which pertains to the bulk of passengers flying through British Airways. Another one will be what information are relevant and can be obtained on these passengers such as on why, if ever, they no longer fly the said airline. The research strategy will also attempt to delve into when such incident began to happen, where, and why it leads to such situation. Lastly, the chosen research design will also provide information as to the ways in which the company combats the recession. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology will include data collection and analysis which will provide a better understanding of the issue at hand. Because of the difficulty of obtaining first hand information from the groups which are directly concerned with British Airways including its market of passengers and the authorities or business divisions which are associated in the performance of business, the data will mainly come from secondary sources which will provide the backbone of the study. The primary sources of information will be useful in this study because they can provide first hand information on the problem because they have a direct connection to the business. Nonetheless, such will be hard to obtain and will entail dedicated time to be extracted. With that, the researcher opted to make use of secondary data sources which will also provide the same quality of information as primary data. The secondary data which will be collected in the purpose of this study will include those information extracted from secondary sources such as books, academic journal, scholastic articles, and information which will be derived from the website. It will include sources such as annual company reports and financial statements which will show relevant quantitative information which will prove the claim that the occurrence of economic recession has indeed affected the business operation of the company. This information were previously collected and used for other problems, other than the topic of the researcher. Nonetheless, to be assured that the use of such data is valid, the researcher will see to it that those data were used on studies which are of the same context as to that of this research. These data will be carefully analyzed, including methods to verify the veracity of the sources and steps to assure that the data are genuine and indeed reflective of the situation of the compan y. There is a need to careful select the sources so as to be assured of relevant information usage. A thorough analysis of these data will assure the researcher of a more coherent study with findings which are true. The data will be analyzed to derive information relevant to the economic situation and to input actual variables in business operation. If these data are not carefully analyzed, a weak research will result. With that, the researcher will put an utmost importance to data analysis to be assured of reaching the purpose and objectives of this study as these data try to answer the relevant research questions. VALIDITY AND COHERENCE Aside from a careful analysis and presentation of information relevant in the completion of this research, the researcher also puts an unwavering emphasis on the validity and coherence of the information. This means that the data which will be presented must reflect only what is relevant or essential in the study that is, economic recession and will omit information which are invalid, or those which are related to variables other than recession. The data must be also coherent with the purpose of the study to avoid deviance from the topic at hand. REVIEW OF RELATED CONCEPTS AND THEORIES Currently, British Airways is celebrating 90 years of flying with pride, providing its wide array of clients with excellent services on their flights resulting to ultimate customer satisfaction. To fully understand the current business of British Airways, it is also of utmost importance that we take a closer look at its extensive history. The very beginning of the rich history of this airline can be traced back as early as the beginning of the history of civil aviation pioneering on the days after thee First World War. After a period of 90 years since the worlds first schedule air service which happened on August 25, 1919, there have been a lot of changes in terms of air travel. Each decade was marked by new innovation and developments which brought British Airways into its current position in the global market. The first decade of the operation of the company was marked by launching the worlds very first international scheduled air service which flew between London and Paris. The se cond decade, however, was characterized by the merging of Britains four major fledging airlines to provide a better service to the flying public. On the other hand, the third decade was marked by the merging of small air transport companies in the United Kingdom to form the British Airways Limited which became the primary competitor of the merger formed by the four companies during the second century. Furthermore, on the fourth, fifth, and sixth decade up to the present of the companys operation, more and more innovations had been on the rise to make the airlines known in the global market in terms of provision of excellent air services  [5]  . It is said that British Airways is United Kingdoms largest international scheduled airline with flights to 148 key destinations globally at best located airports. It is also said to be one of the leading scheduled premium international airline in the world. The principal business of the company is in the airport in Heathrow, which is one of the premiere airports in the world and serving a relatively large geographical area. During the end of the year 2009, it is said according to company statistics that they have already flown a total of 33 million passengers in different key destinations globally. During the same year, the company said that they have earned nearly a total of  £9 billion in revenue which was almost 2.7% higher than the revenue which they have generated in the previous year. The traffic of passenger is said to have accounted to 87.1 per cent of the total revenue, 7.5 per cent is attributed to airline cargo and 5.4 pr cent is constituted from other business activitie s of the airline  [6]  . The main activities which were carried out by British Airways in the course of its business operation include undertakings on both local and international scheduled air services involving carriage of the traveling public, and freight and mail and provision of ancillary services. The fleet of the company operates in different places in the global landscape with 38 networks in the America, 9 in the United Kingdom, 67 in Europe,12 in Middle East and South Asia,15 in Africa and 7 in Asia Pacific. These networks of operation of British Airways only go to show that the company has intensified operations all over the globe. Such also connotes that once economic trouble comes along the way of their operation, it is indeed inevitable that the global operation on these locations will also be dramatically affected  [7]  . The occurrence of global recession has affected global markets and brought about bad performance for every global business. One of the most significant years in which the recession was felt in the global market was during the year 2001. When the World Trade Center bombing happened, the economy of the United States suffered and it sent shockwaves to different local economies which affected the global market as well. The effects brought about by recession did not only last during that year. Until the present, the effects of the said recession can still be felt by some while others have already recovered from the economic downturn in terms of realizable increase on their sales and profit. During the first month of 2009, it was declared that Britain was experiencing recession  [8]  . While some are actually trying hard to escape the adverse effects of recession, unfortunately for Britain its effects were highly realized and very visible in their economy. This was said to be one of th e most unfortunate events in the history of the countrys economy since the 1990s where it experienced the adverse effects of the episode of economic recession. When the British economy was declared to be officially in recession during January 2009, the Office for National Statistics announced that the gross domestic product of the countrys economy showed a decline of 1.5 per cent during the last quarter of the year 2008 and a .6 per cent drop during the previous quarter. Following the definition of recession, which connotes two quarters of consecutive drop in the gross domestic product of the country, such statistics would have been enough to show that indeed the British economy is suffering from a recession, just like most economies in the global landscape. Prior to this occurrence of recession, the biggest drop in the gross domestic product of Britain is said to be during the 1980s. The recession brought about in Britain is said to be because of the direct result of the credit crunch in the global market in which manifestations were seen and felt as early as August 2007 and seen to be worsening during the autumn of 2008. The central probl em is said to be the banks operating in Britain which is said to have invested their reserves into assets which were assumed to be illiquid, unsafe, and worthless. This uncertainty in the economic situation is said to be damaging into different businesses in Britain for reasons including: lack of credit opportunities which resulted into the companies weakened abilities to hire workers, make new investments, and start innovative projects. This prompted various economic activities to slow down and cut back on the two main drivers of growth which include investment and employment  [9]  . Although recession was just declared in Britain during the year 2009, the early effects of such economic occurrence have been already felt by British Airways during the year 2001 in which the economic downturn in the United States have sent shockwaves towards other economies in the globe. During the 2001-2002 Annual Report which was released by British Airways, it acknowledges the fact that they have been on a bad year of operation as shown by their sales and profit margins. In the statement of the chairman of the company during that year, it showed that the company incurred a pre-tax loss of 200 million pounds compared to the previous year in which they registered a profit amounting to 150 million pounds. To add to the consequences of the economic downturn, no interim dividend has been paid and the Board also recommended not paying any final dividend because they have been operating on a loss. The disappointing financial report in their annual operation that year did not at all surp rised the shareholders for it was somewhat expected because of the obvious situation in the global economy. That year was also regarded as the worst in their operations, although it has not been the most difficult by far for the management. On that same year, the people working behind the company were also affected. There has been a significant 20 per cent reduction in the workforce of the company brought about by thee economic crisis. Nonetheless, this reduction was done on a voluntary basis such as through elected severance and early retirement  [10]  . Moreover, also on the annual report for the year 2002, the Chief Executive Officer of British Airways strengthen the assumption that the company is experiencing financial crisis as brought about by the global recession. They considered that year to be the toughest in the history of their business and they also considered it as an impact of the terrorist attack in the United States affecting the general of the global economies. In their efforts to bring back the company in the landscape of profitability, they have formulated various strategies and policies which are all geared towards a better business performance in the upcoming years. They have formulated various activities in order to practice cost efficiency and used technology in order to develop a more convenient way for the public to be bale to book their flights  [11]  . When the economy of Britain was declare to be experiencing recession during January 2009, in the Annual Report released by the British Airlines the occurrence of such has also been acknowledged as shown by their business performance on that given operating year. The company also recognized that the global airline industry is highly and fiercely competitive subject into heavy global regulations, and highly exposed to the changes which were evident in the behavior and confidence of the consuming public. They are even more challenged with the current economic situation that is an economy which was suffering highly from the consequences of the occurrence of recession. The sharp declines in growth can also be highly associated with record prices in oil and commodity and the unprecedented financial crisis bringing about global recession. One of the most significant effects of recession in British Airways is seen on the market to which it caters. The most significant impact of recession in the airline company is reflected by its premium passengers who cut back sharply their travel spending in order to save money. Statistics shows a significant 2.8 per cent decrease in the traffic of premium passengers in British Airways. This is said to last longer because a recent survey showed that almost 47 per cent of businesses will incur fewer travels abroad in order to save. In addition to this, more passengers are opting to spend the holidays in the comfort of their own homes to cut back on costs  [12]  . Furthermore, in a statement which was released by the Chief Financial Officer of British Airways, he acknowledges the fact that during the previous year that their record profitability has put them into a condition in which they can combat economic slowdown. However, with the recession greeting the year 2009, it proved otherwise as they have suffered from dramatic losses in terms of sales and profit making them face the sharpest downturn in the course of the history of their business. When they have incurred profit in the previous year, they said that they are in a good position to combat economic downturn and the perpetual increase in the price of fuel. Unfortunately such did not come true and they instead suffer from the consequences of the poor condition of the economy in the global landscape. In order to control the effects of recession, measures to be able to combat market, credit, capital, and liquidity risks have also been implemented. The over-all management of these risks is focused on the unpredictability of the financial markets as it seeks to minimize the adverse effects brought about by the occurrence of recession. More efforts have been extended by the management to be bale to combat the adversity of recession and to bring back profit in the operation of the business of Britush Airways  [13]  . The business of British Airways during the turbulent time of economic recession can be better understood by taking a closer look at the key performance indicators of the business. Because of the unprecedented downturn in economic conditions, the company was not able to meet their financial target. In terms of their financial operating margin, a loss has been incurred attributed to soaring fuel prices and the economic recession  [14]  . In December of 2008, the International Air Transport Association a 2.5 billion dollars in terms of loss for the airline travel industry to be brought about by decrease in traffic because more people or travelers are cutting down on their costs because of the economic crisis. These were brought about by current economic conditions. After the economic downturn brought about in 2001, the airline industry recovered during the year 206 but that does not seem to be for long because eon January of 2009, recognizable losses in terms of profit have been incurred. Many of the worlds leading airlines, including British Airways, have been in poor financial health and are not well-equipped to combat the global recession.  [15]  The financial loss for the year 2008-2009 has been very drastic for the companys management and made them formulate strategies in order to combat the downturn. However, even though they are experiencing losses, they have not formulated any policy related to increase in air fare. The management believes that doing so will not help increase sales, rather it will just lower demand  [16]  . In the balance sheet which was released by the Annual Report of the British Airways, the total assets for the year 2008 totaled to 11,229,000 million pounds which was relatively lower compared to 11,938,000 million pounds during the year 2008. Moreover, their cash and cash equivalents for the year 2009 only totaled to 219 million pounds as against in 2008 where it was 433 million pounds  [17]  . These significant declines as reflected in the companys annual financial statements are enough testimonies to the fact that British Airways, just like any other company in Britain is indeed in the turmoil of economic recession. The management of British Airways acknowledges the fact that it has been a very difficult year for the financially but they are doing well financially. For the operating year 2008-2009, the company was able to incur a loss before tax amounting to 401 million pounds as compared to its profit before tax of 922 million pounds in the previous yea  [18]  r. In order to manage sustainability of business performance, the company is also geared towards various measures. One of which is to strengthen their name through their brand reputation. Their brand, being of significant commercial value, is taken well care so that it can be prevented from erosion and destruction from the publics perspective. Competition is also highly managed in order to achieve sustainability. The management ahs acknowledged the fact that indeed competition is very fierce in their industry. With that, they have formulated conscious efforts in order to get ahead of the competition and find their edge in the market. Moreover, other issues which were addressed in order to manage sustainability include employee relation, debt funding, management of environmental conditions, fuel prices and currency fluctuation, and deregulation among others  [19]  . In order to potentially manage sustainability despite an economy suffering from recession, the future direction of Brit ish Airways is also geared towards environmental related strategies which they hope will also increase their performance. The efforts of the company are focused towards adding value and enhancing their reputation in the global landscape while getting the trust of the shareholders and stakeholders in achieving a sustainable business  [20]  . Furthermore, to be able to combat the effects of such economic downturn, it is just but normal for British Airways and other businesses to invest on their intensive and conscious efforts to bring back profitability to the business. In the undeniably incredibly tough environment in which the airline operates, a dedicated focus is given towards pulling the business through the immediate crisis as it embarks on immediate preparations for better economic times. They have developed strategies which were mostly based on an upgraded customer service, competitive cost base, corporate responsibility, perpetual plans for growth, and other strategies which aim to improve the way they do business  [21]  .

T-Totals Investigation :: Papers

T-Totals Investigation Introduction If you look at the 9x9 grid with the T-shape, you can see that the total of the numbers added together is 37 because it is1+2+3+11+21 which equals 37. This is what we call the T-total (37) And T-number is the number at the bottom of the T-shape which in this case is 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 My tasks The tasks I have been set are: 1) Investigate the relationship between the T-total and the T-number. 2) Use grid of different sizes. Translate the T-shape to different position. Investigate relationships between the T-total, the T-numbers and the grid size. 3) Use grids of different sizes again. Try other transformation and combinations of transformations. Investigate relationship between the T-total, the T-numbers, the grid size and the transformations. Standard T-shapes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Toby Keith: Unleashed :: Music Essays

Toby Keith: Unleashed At this point in time, music is among the hardest businesses to achieve success in. The music industry and fans are looking for more than just talent and energy. They want someone who they can respect. Toby Keith fulfilled these expectations when he entered the music world. His huge success depended not only on his talent, but his boldness to speak his mind. Toby was born on July 8th, 1961 in Clinton, Oklahoma. Although most of his childhood and high school years were spent playing football, he was involved in the Easy Money Band with several of his friends. After singing with the group for awhile, Toby decided to become a solo performer, and went to Nashville where he landed his first contract with Mercury Records. He produced and wrote many hit singles, including â€Å"We Were in Love† and â€Å"Wish I Didn’t Know Now,† but sappy love songs did not satisfy his full artistic vision, nor the visions of his listeners. Mercury Records had turned down a number of songs he had written because they feared the songs were too controversial. Finally, he moved his contract to Dream Works Records, who released his single â€Å"How Do You Like Me Now,† released in 1999. The song was a smash hit, catapulting him into popularity. Toby wrote another song that not only boosted his career, but lowered some Americans’ respect for him. â€Å"Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue† is a passionate ballad concerning the attacks on the World Trade Center, that some United States residents feel is too prideful. Despite the controversy caused by the new hit single, Toby Keith won the hearts of many Americans. He expressed their feelings about the attack of September 11th, 2001, in ways that they could not. However, the following lyrics created an uproar: â€Å"You’ll be sorry that you messed with the U S of A†¦ ‘Cuz we’ll put a boot in your ass, It’s the American way!† Peter Jennings refused for a long time to allow Toby to perform on his television show for the Fourth of July because of these lyrics.

Make or Buy Decision Essay

Taiwanese smart phone maker HTC Corporation is considering outsourcing manufacturing to other companies to improve its efficiency. Before building its own brand, HTC concentrated on manufacturing low-end smart phones for companies like Apple. However, in recent years, HTC has been under pressure from shareholders to reduce costs because of loss net operating income for the third quarter of 2013. Now, HTC wants to change its strategy; they want to concentrate on the research and development of high-end smart phones and outsource some of their low-end smart phone production to increase their sufficiency and lower the costs. In the smart phone industry, in order to improve efficiency, it is important for the phone makers to build more commoditized products and universally outsource some products to manufacturers who can produce cheaper products. However, just as the Yuanta Securities analyst Dennis Chan says, there are many factors that effect whether to make the decision to outsource. HTC definitely needs to consider many factors to decide whether they will continue making products or outsourcing (Dou, 2013). Problem Identification The case above is talking about how HTC suffers from a new situation about whether to continue producing smart phones or outsource them to other manufacturing companies. Actually it is a â€Å"make or buy decision† problem in accounting. Make or buy decision is a decision to carry out manufacturing a product in-house or purchasing it from an outside supplier. As every company comes under increasing pressure to reduce costs and increase their return on assets, it shows an increased importance to managers whether to keep the activities, even the key parts, in-house or outsource them (Gambino, 1980). Outsourcing is an important part in make-or-buy decision making. For HTC, if the production cost is much higher than outsourcing the low-end smart phone to other companies, or it doesn’t have sufficient production capacity to produce it internally, outsourcing seems a better choice for the company. However, in the business world, it is not easy to determine whether a make-or-buy decision is good for the company; there are many factors to consider. The following part will describe the factors which have an effect on make-or-buy decisions. Accounting Method Explanation—Make-or-Buy Decision Make-or-buy decisions occur in business when a company needs to decide whether to produce goods internally or to purchase them externally. This typically is an issue when a company has the capacity to manufacture products or they can purchase the products on the market. When analyzing a make-or-buy business decision, it is necessary for managers to look at several factors. The analysis must examine thoroughly all of the costs related to manufacturing the products as well as all the costs related to purchasing the product. 1. Quantitative factors and Qualitative factors. The make-or-buy decision involves both quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. Quantitative factors can be calculated and compared; subjective judgment and multiple opinions are required when we want to examine some quantitative factors. Also, we need to consider various factors from all angles when the make-or-buy decision is used, because some of the factors involved can be quantified with certainty, while other factors cannot. Quantitative factors include things such as the availability of production facilities, production capacity, and all of the resources needed. Variable and fixed costs are also important factors when analyzing the make-or-buy decision. Similarly, quantitative costs also include the price of the product in the marketplace. The comparison between the production cost and purchasing cost is one of the most important processes in analyzing the make or buy decision. Qualitative factors are more difficult to measure than quantitative factors and more subjective judgment needs to be taken into consideration. For example, the reputation and reliability of the suppliers, the possibility and the likelihood of changing or reversing the decision in the future, and the long-run outlook regarding production or purchasing the product are all typical qualitative factors. In the HTC outsourcing case, identifying and picking up the quantitative and qualitative factors is the first step. First, for the quantitative part, the variable and fixed costs of producing the smart phones must be taken into consideration. Usually, variable costs include direct materials, direct labor, and variable overhead. Also, we need to collect the data about the salary paid for workers and supervisors, depreciation of the equipment, and the a llocated general overhead. The purchasing price of smart phones which the supplier  offered is another required factor when comparing production cost. Secondly, for the quantitative part, HTC needs to do a lot of research to know whether their supplier has a good reputation and reliability, and analysis the benefits and costs if they choose to purchase the smart phones from the supplier instead of producing them. 2. The analysis must also separate relevant costs from irrelevant costs and look only at the relevant costs. When making the make-or-buy decision, it is necessary to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant costs. Relevant costs for making the product are all the costs that could be avoided by purchasing the product. An avoidable cost can be eliminated in whole or partially through choosing one alternative over another. In the HTC case, by choosing to purchase smart phones from another supplier, the cost of manufacturing the phones can be avoided. In reality, opportunity cost is very common when considering the relevant costs. Opportunity cost is the potential benefit that is given up when one alternative is selected over another. Take the HTC case for example; if the smart phone manufacturing facilities are idle, and the company accepts to outsource the smart phone, the opportunity cost is zero and it means there is no impact on the cost related to the opportunity cost. However, if the company decides to use the facility to produce another kind of product, the opportunity cost incurred. According to the different situations, it may change the manager’s decision. Irrelevant costs are the costs that will be incurred no matter whether the product is manufactured internally or purchased externally. There are two kinds of categories of irrelevant costs when we make the make-or-buy decision. The first one is suck cost, which is always incurred during the operation process and cannot be avoided regardless of what decision the manager makes. In the HTC case, the manufacturing facilities have been purchased; no matter if the smart phone is made or purchased from a supplier, the costs of the manufacturing facilities (fixed cost) have been incurred. Another irrelevant cost is future cost which has no impact on the alternatives. Following the HTC case, the company needs to promote the smart phone through advertisement in order to gain big sales. If the company is going to allocate the same ad fee to the promotion regardless of producing them or purchasing them, the future cost is an irrelevant cost when making the decision. The analysis must also consider the availability of the product and the quality of the product  under each of the two scenarios. Other factors—such as the availability of the product and the quality of the product under different alternatives—are also important for an manager to make the make or buy decision. Following the HTC example, if the company chooses to produce the smart phone internally regardless of their deficiency in production capability, it can lead to poor quality products or low efficiency in production. In a long-run perspective, the company may not make a good decision. In order to get more accurate information about the products and the suppliers who can offer suitable prices and high quality products, the company needs to do research. This includes internal research and collecting business data from outside professional research companies which can provide more accurate information. References Dou, E. (2013). HTC May Give In to Lure of Outsourcing. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/10/23/htc-may-give-in-to-lure -of-outsourcing/?KEYWORDS=htc+ Gambino, A. (1980). The make-or-buy decision. New York, N.Y.: National Association of Accountants.

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Whirlpool Case Analysis July 12, 2003 Group 3 Cindy Branon Zach Evans Melissa Holder Kendall Joseph Brandon McLain Shane Morgan Whirlpool Case Analysis 2 Whirlpool Case Facts The Whirlpool Corporation is one of four top appliance manufacturers in the world. Whirlpool has annual sales of between $4 and $6 dollars. Whirlpool supplies Sears with Kenmore washers and dryers, which accounts for thirty-seven percent (37%) of Whirlpool’s sales. Since growth of the United State’s appliance market had been evening out, Whirlpool looked to expand operations and sales in Europe.At that time, Europe’s market for appliances was twenty-five percent (25%) larger than that of the United States and was growing by four percent (4%) a year. In 1989, Whirlpool acquired a majority interest (53%) in Philips, an appliance manufacturer in the Netherlands. In the late 1980’s, the company also acquired the Kitchen Aide Company. Whirlpool has a highly automated factory in Clyde, Ohio , that is the largest of its nature. It is approximately 1. 5 million square feet and employs 3,500 people.Whirlpool’s information technology (IT) consists of domestic processing for manufacturing, sales, and engineering located in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Parts information technology for the manufactured appliances is located in an Indiana facility. International IT locations have their own data centers. These data centers support local manufacturing, materials, and inventory and are locally managed. Whirlpool also established an eight-node T1 network in a mesh topology to support these systems.Problems and Opportunities Whirlpool wanted to maintain current growth rates, so it was necessary to consider expanding to markets outside the United States. Whirlpool also looked to increase the quality of its products, improve supplier relationships, decrease costs, and to increase sales. The company hoped to increase supplier relations through acquiring Whirlpool Case Analysis 3 co mponent suppliers and encouraging these companies to lower costs and improve quality. The company also wanted to develop products for special needs customers such as the blind, elderly, disabled, etc. sing computer-assisted development applications. Whirlpool also wanted to integrate ITs' capabilities into operations such as research and development, the study and forecasting of sales, and the evaluation of its products. Whirlpool also had the problem of integrating the newly acquired Philips Corporation into its own business IT architecture. Whirlpool faced problems with the European culture, telecommunications inconsistency, and different manufacturing standards abroad. Whirlpool envisioned a global information system to establish competitive advantage to enable better sales predictions and improve supplier relations.Alternatives We believe that Whirlpool has a couple of alternatives. The first being developing and implementing a global IS systems. The company could foster Europea n relations by having a team from all countries involved in working on a global solution. Consulta nts might aid the development of the system by incorporating current national and international telecommunication standards, business practices, and other issues of global magnitude. Once a global system is in place, any acquired companies would be integrated into the existing global network.This network would ideally be centered in the current US location with connections to each country allowing real-time access and local input. Another alternative would be for Whirlpool to let each country continue to operate its' own data centers. This allows for competition in each IS shop, and the data would Whirlpool Case Analysis 4 be different among each unique location. Combining data from different shops would pose a definite challenge to the company. However, Whirlpool would not ha ve to spend money to upgrade current systems.The company might have to spend money to upgrade telecommunicatio n lines to make them compatible with US telecommunication standards. Recommendation We believe that Whirlpool should develop and implement a global IT system. Whirlpool should use IT staff from Europe as well as outside consultants to provide input into the specifics of the system. A global system would enable Whirlpool to serve customers in the United States and abroad better through improved sales forecasts and faster supply service for appliance Components (better supply and demand forecasts for each country).The first alternative would be the best alternative for Whirlpool. Actual Implementation Whirlpool is still looking for a global solution. According to Dave Whitman, Whirlpool Chairman and CEO, the company has only achieved fifty to sixty percent of building a global company. The first object for Whirlpool to achieve a global company is to integrate the procurement process, and the n technology, and last, product development. Each acquisition is carefully studied to ascertai n how it can benefit Whirlpool as a whole.By combining these three attributes, Whirlpool can become more efficient and produce better products. At this time, Whirlpool has not been able to develop a global information system, although it hopes to some day. In 1999, Whirlpool had problems with an implementation of software from SAP and E-Commerce. The company started the system even though there were problems Whirlpool Case Analysis 5 with it. Eventually, the problems were worked out with SAP, and the company continued to use it.Whirlpool also implemented web technology for customer research and ordering capabilities for retailers. Eventually, the company would like to add the capability for repair facilities to submit invoices for work completed to receive payment. One-half of sales from retailers were generated from the Internet in 2000. Whirlpool acquired manufacturing facilities in Mexico and in Poland in 2002. Local Whirlpool companies are still fulfilling market niches in their own regions. The company also hopes in incorporate IT strategy into its overall business strategy in the future.

Elizabeth Jennings ‘Old Woman’ Analysis Essay

This poem is written to tell us the fact that no matter how much we think we can control the directions of life, but as time passes, we will be convinced to accept our destiny. This is illustrated through an old woman who tries to arrange her life and the things around her to the way she wanted but it all turns out that she has little control over them and mostly are gone as years go by. This poem is a metrical verse of 4 sestets. The first two sestets shows the disappointment of the old woman despite how badly she â€Å"arranges† and wants her husband or children to stay with her but her â€Å"love is now a flicker or memory† and â€Å"no child or man, and where I live is what remains when men and children go†. In the third sestet then, shows how the old woman comforts herself that actually not all is lost and â€Å" she owns more than residue of lives that she has marked and altered.† That she is able to stop the mysterious force of time and â€Å"control† the flowers from wilting â€Å"by keeping flowers fed† and take care of her silver by polishing them. In the last sestet, however, she finally realizes all these do not matter anymore as she ages and feels â€Å"her years grow less and less†. Time, which she once feared that took away many things she cherished does not bother her as before because she knows that time eventually is going to take her life away too. It is also time, that made her understand the significance of what previously happened and she has to learn to accept. â€Å"her own life she places in the vase† – Like the flowers she arranges, her life is arranged by time too. This poem is written in a series of run on lines. â€Å"Warns time from too much touching her possessions/By keeping flowers fed, by polishing/ Her fine old silver† gives a dragging, monotonous and â€Å"controlled† feeling which probably illustrates how time reduces the life of the old woman and taking things away from her slowly and naturally. The run on lines also give a very repetitive effect that time will continually alter one’s life. Jennings uses very domestic and ordinary language: â€Å"†¦cool walls of the house†¦flowers in a vase†¦fine old silver† to present to us that this is very typical of life and we may experience the disappointment of the old woman too.

Compare and Contrast Literature Essay

I have chosen to compare and contrast a short story, written by Kate Chopin titled â€Å"The story of an hour,† and a poem written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson titled, â€Å"In Memoriam. † I chose these two pieces of work because I was drawn to the short story and when I read the poem it had the same theme of hope in the face of death. The topic, or theme of these particular literary works is death and impermanence. I will compare and contrast the elements of symbolism, point of view, theme, and setting. The comparison of these particular works will provide deeper insights to the hope that develops within a person when confronted with death, as well as further insight to the symbolism used within the choice of words written by the authors to convey their feelings at that particular time that the work was written. Authors are sometimes likely to deal with the superficial appearance of things rather than showing genuine knowledge of what is actually real (Evans, 2010). In the poem by Lord Tennyson the genuine knowledge of reality is definitely present, however, the short story by Kate Chopin seems to become somewhat illogical in the end when the wife dies of â€Å"joy that kills† In an analysis of short fiction, the text points out that authors will know how to manipulate words but not know how to examine the ideas seriously (Evans, 2010). â€Å"In Memoriam,† is a poem that was written in response to the death of a close friend of the author. His reflection is written to show that hope may be a sustaining factor in the face of death (Clugston, 2010). The author of this work is showing his hopefulness for all, not just himself or the deceased. â€Å"That not one life shall be destroy’d, / or cast as rubbish to the void† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). Which sounds like he feels as if his friend was â€Å"cast as rubbish to the void. † The author continues on with his words as if he is trying to gain hope for himself, along with others, and hopes that he is not cast to the void as well. The story of an hour,† is a short story that was written to coincide with the author’s personal quest for freedom, along with upholding a woman’s strength in spite of her adulterous life, and developing hope in the face of death (Clugston, 2010). This author is describing an epiphany of hope that comes in a sudden wave of emotion and confusion. â€Å"There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know. † (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). Mrs. Mallard had just been given the tragic news of her husband being in the train accident, yet she is trying to fight off the emotions of joy and freedom as best she could. To no avail, she realized that there was so much life and detail in everything around her. The birds were singing in the trees, the clouds piled in the sky above her house, and the sudden feeling of what seemed like joy! Both the poem, and the short story are made up of the emotions that surround death. An elegy, which is a lyric poem about death, has the emotions of uncertainty, confusions, hope, sadness, and even symbolism to show some of these emotions. In both works there is the mention of spring, which symbolizes birth and new beginnings. The poem says, â€Å"I can but trust that good shall fall / At last – far off – at last, to all, / and every winter change to spring† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). The short story describes the setting in this detail; â€Å"she could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). The reference to spring is the hopefulness that both authors have for the future. In contrast, the poem, compares the spring to a change from winter to spring, which symbolizes the transition from death (winter), to birth (spring), and the continued hope for new beginnings. The difference in these two literary works is how the setting and point of view are written. The poem does not have a real clear setting, and is done in first person. The short story describes the setting, minor details of the characters, and is written in third person which allows for the author to relate with the feelings and thoughts of the other characters as well as the protagonist. Even though the overall theme of death is what links these two works together, the point of view is what sets them apart. The setting of â€Å"In Memoriam† seems to be within the author’s mind or dream. â€Å"So runs my dream; but what am I? † (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). There is no definite place or time in this poem, whereas the story is set at the protagonist’s house, where she goes to be alone in her bedroom. Once there, she notices the sky and the trees within her yard that are described in detail, also with some added symbolism. For example; â€Å"There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). The patches of blue sky is where the symbolism for calm and peaceful is conveyed. In spite of the day’s events there is a calmness in the air that leads into the coming of Mrs. Mallard’s epiphany. Once I interpreted this symbolism, there was a sense of foreshadowing that I did not relate to the story the first few times I read it. I would describe the details of this setting as a ‘symbolic setting. ’ The whole picture the reader gets out of the window of Mrs. Mallard’s room is calmness, new beginning, and joy. In contrast to the story, the poem’s lack of setting leaves the reader in wonder. There is only symbolic emotion and metaphors with no clear reason or event. It is clear the author is relating his emotions of sorrow with words, but there lacks clarity in the why or whom. The work is somewhat vague, leaving the emotion of the poem in a generalized form to which anyone could connect. In the same sense, a reader may not connect with the poem because there is not a specific or personal connection within the writing for the reader to relate to. The reader must have some knowledge of the author outside the poem to fully understand the meaning and symbolism. Continuing, with a thought on symbolism, there is a metaphor in both literary works which compares emotions to a crying baby. It was not until I read the works side by side that I noticed the reference. In the poem the author writes; â€Å"So runs my dream; but what am I? An infant crying in the night; / An infant crying for the light; / And with no language but a cry† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). An infant crying for the â€Å"light,† is crying for hope, knowledge, truth, and safety (Clugston, 2010). The metaphor in the short story is described as; â€Å"†¦ when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). Similar to the first metaphor, the meaning is the same, babies cry for comfort and safety. Both characters are in a state of confusion and are relating their feelings to a baby because they want comfort and safety to reassure them, and they can hold on to their hope. When using the formalist approach to analyze the literary works, I was faced with the questions of; what makes the setting so memorable? How were the characters described, contrasted and developed? Why was the plot intriguing? Did surprise occur? And, what point of view was used? To recap on point of view, as mentioned earlier, the poem â€Å"In Memoriam† is written in first person, whereas â€Å"The story of an hour’ is written in third person omniscient. It is not limited omniscient because thoughts and feelings of characters, other than the protagonist, are conveyed to the reader. â€Å"Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too, near her. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of â€Å"killed. † He had only taken time to assure himself of its truths by a second telegram, and had hastened to forstall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). When first reading the short story, it was not the setting itself that was memorable. The theme and plot is what kept my attention as the reader. However, after analyzing the symbolism, there is more to the meaning within the story that further captured my curiosity. â€Å"The story of an hour† is set at the home of the Mallard’s, but is not described in full detail. Just before Mrs. Mallard realizes the importance of her life and freedom, there is detail of the outside setting of the house, followed by Mrs. Mallard being able to see the beauty, life, and colors that everything has to offer. The narrator even describes the sparrows singing in the trees. Mrs. Mallard never would have appreciated this simple joy previous to the ‘accident,’ and was able to finally feel everything during her hour of personal discovery. Moving on to the question of how the characters are described, contrasted, and developed, the characters in the short story are not described in detail, if at all. There is a slight emotional description of Mr. Mallard’s friend, Richards, but in the poem there is virtually no character description. Since the poem is from a first person point of view, only the emotions and thoughts are described in detail. The plot of the short story was intriguing because it started off with a surprise, followed by suspense, unlike the poem. The poem starts and ends with simple feelings of hope and uncertainty, where the short story goes on to explain the death and detail of the husband’s accident. The story starts with sudden tragedy, and the suspense develops because the reader knows the story does not end there. It must contain a climax, which is not generally given at the very beginning of a story. When reading the poem, I was able to relate with the feelings of the author, however, there is not a defined plot or turn of events. The poem starts, as well as ends, with only emotions of hope, uncertainty, and sorrow in the form of metaphors. Figurative language is used to create mood and reveal the theme in the short story. When the narrator described how the sister, Josephine, was going to break the tragic news to Mrs. Mallard, there was an immediate mood of sadness and shock that developed. â€Å"In broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. ). The theme of death and tragedy is also reiterated at this point because this is not the first mention of the accident. This is figurative because it does not make a straight forward statement, it implies that the sister is trying to communicate the information, but that alone does not mean that she will succeed in the task. It sets a mood because the reader immediately feels sad for both Mrs. Mallard and her sister who is trying to tell her in the easiest way possible. With regard to the poem, the figurative language here sets a mood, but an unsure mood. It too reveals a theme of death, but in more of a generalized way and is not specific to a certain character. â€Å"oh, yet we trust that somehow good / will be the final end of ill† (as cited in Clugston, 2020, 11. 6). Using the words, â€Å"we trust,† and â€Å"somehow,† it is difficult to know where the poem’s mood is headed. It could be happy and hopeful because it might show the possible trust that has evolved into a not so tragic death, or it may go on to reveal the â€Å"final end,† being unexpected and depressing. It is, however, obvious there will be sorrow throughout the writing. The figurative language goes on to develop hope with a form of symbolism. There is always a form of hope that develops within the mind and emotions of people when they are confronted by death. Whether it is hope that the deceased did not suffer, hope that they have moved on to a better world, hope that they knew who the people are that cared and will miss them, or hope for one’s self, and that the surviving can find enjoyment within the future, move on and be happy, along with the hope that their own death is far enough away that they will not have to live in fear of confronting death as well. The writer ends the poem with hope described as an infant would hope, for love and attention. â€Å"The story of an hour,† and â€Å"In Memoriam,† are two very similar but very different literary works, they use symbolism in the face death to convey the development of hope within the diverse emotions of a person dealing with tragedy that ultimately results in death. Finally, both authors, Kate Chopin and Lord Tennyson, not only demonstrated genuine knowledge of what reality is without a superficial appearance, but they also were careful to examine the ideas before simply manipulating words to capture attention. These literary pieces of work were a joy to read and evaluate, with the simple idea, â€Å"That nothing walks with aimless feet;† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6).