The Business Report of the Australian Major Footwear Retailer

The Australian UGG Company Major Assignment The business report of the Australian major footwear retailer-UGG Table of content 1. 0. Executive summary4 2. 0. Introduction5 2. 1. Background of UGG Company5 2. 2. Assumptions and limitations5 3. 0. Overview of the market5 4. 0. The marketing environment5 4. 1. The Microenvironment5 4. 1. 1. Key competitors6 4. 1. 2. Other environment6 4. 2. The Macroenvironment6 4. 2. 1. Demographic environment6 4. 2. 2. Economic environment7 4. 2. 3. Political environment7 4. 2. 4. Cultural environment7 5. 0. Product7 5. 1. The three level of the product7 5. 1. 1.Core Product8 5. 1. 2. Actual Product8 5. 1. 3. Augmented Product8 5. 2. Brand, packaging and labeling9 6. 0. Target segments9 6. 1. Demographic segment—Gender, Age and life-cycle stage segment9 6. 1. 1. Evaluation the needs and wants of the segment (key users benefit)9 6. 1. 2. The market positioning of the segment10 6. 1. 3. The trend of the segment11 6. 2. Geographic segment11 7. 0. The product categories11 7. 1. Evaluation of the categories11 7. 2. The trend and development of the categories11 8. 0. Conclusion12 9. 0. Recommendations12 10. 0. Reference list13 1. Executive summaryThe following report analyses the demographic segment which is classified by gender and age-cycle is targeted by The UGG Company. Firstly, the report briefly describes the background of UGG. Secondly, it shows a general impression of the footwear market and identifies its microenvironment and macroenvironment. Thirdly, it emphasizes the product of UGG and points out the three levels. Fourthly, it judges the two variable segments and illustrates the demographic segment in detail. Then, the report also exhibits its product categories. Finally, it draws a conclusions sum up and gives the recommendations.The secondary information which has close relationship to marketing is the sources of the report. For example, academic journals, textbook, statistics from formal organizations and company websites and newspaper. There are some assessments to evaluate the field of marketing in The UGG Company after assessing. There are two main recommendations for The UGG Company to improve its business: 1. UGG should improve marketing information system in order to do some research to satisfy customers’ needs and wants. 2. UGG should utilize sustainable material to produce products aiming at undertaking its social responsibility and gaining reputation. 0.Introduction 2. 1. Background of UGG Company The UGG Company was first established in California by Brian Smith, a young surfer from Australia (Deckers Outdoor Corporation, 2009). It was acquired by Deckers Outdoor Corporation in 1995. Thompson (2004) reports that the sale astonishingly increased from $250,000 to $11. 75 million between 2003 and 2004. The brand becomes national and year-round nowadays because of more than 70 shoe styles except its classical-style boots and slippers (Thompson, 2004). He also mentions that the sales project in 2004 was set up at $75 million which was in double growth of 2003’s. 2. Assumptions and limitationsThe limitation of the report is not enough adequate information presenting. With the development of globalization, the company should take actions depending on the varied circumstances to have a strong position in its marketplace. 3. Overview of the market IBISWorld Pty Ltd (2009) defines the footwear retail as a connection between the manufacturing company and customers. It also identifies that the shoe retail is mainly concerned about purchasing and promoting attractive shoes without any change to the customers. Other activities such as customer service, cash handing are also involved in the footwear retail (IBISWorld Pty Ltd, 2009).According to the statistics by IBISWorld Pty Ltd (2009), the industry has revenue of $2475. 0 million between the year 2008 and 2009. But meanwhile, it experienced a real growth of -2. 9%. 4. The marketing environment 1. The Microe nvironment 1. Key competitors Footwear market is a competitive marketplace because of globalization. There are 3,238 retails providing large number of appealing shoes to customers in Australia and there are 48 sheepskin retails among them (Yellow Pages Australia, 2009). Barack (2008) recognizes that in the present environment it is a difficult task for retailing to maintain the same revenue as before.Other famous brands like Chukka boots and Rocky are the direct competitors to UGG (Wikipedia, 2009). IBISWorld Pty Ltd (2009) asserts that Ascendia Retail Pty Limited is the top indirect competitor to UGG because it holds 16% of the Australian market. Followed by that, Betts Group Pty Ltd takes up 6. 8%. And 77. 2% of the market is made up of other companies such as NIKE Australia and Foot Locker. 2. Other environment The footwear retail industry including UGG often depends on resellers which belong to marketing intermediaries like Myer to promote its goods.And the market for UGG is con sumer markets which individuals purchase shoes for personal use. 2. The Macroenvironment 1. Demographic environment According to the research by IBISWorld Pty Ltd (2009), the demand of footwear retail is affected by age which involves three generations: Generation X, Generation Y and Baby Boomers. Generation X and Y stand for aged 32 to 43 and 14 to 31 respectively. The former group accounts for 42. 0% of the footwear sales in the end of 2007; the latter group has 30. 0% of that. Baby boomers which have aged 44 to 62 account for 25. 0% of the share (IBISWorld Pty Ltd, 2009). . Economic environment Consumer sentiment index, trade weighted index and Real Household Disposable Income play vital roles in the footwear retail industry. Firstly, IBISWorld Pty Ltd (2009) points out that consumer sentiment index represent the consumers’ confidence of economy. It also mentions that trade weighted index has a significant effect on customer demand for imported footwear. Furthermore, incom e is closely related to customer’s purchasing power. For instance, wealthy customers have more buying power to choose whatever they like. 3. Political environmentThe Australian government performed a policy which led to an enormous change in the world of Australian footwear retail. It reduced the protection of the Australian footwear sector in the mid-1980s (Webber &Weller, 2001). They indicate that the footwear industry has to restructure in the modern world in Australia because of globalization. 4. Cultural environment Cultural issues also shape the marketing decisions. Wikipedia (2009) asserts that boots was originally invented by the people who live in cold countries to protect their foot in low temperature environment. Australians form a habit of wearing boots in winter to keep warm. . Product Footwear can be classified into the category of shopping products which are evaluated in the aspect of comfort, quality, price and style. 1. The three level of the product 1. Core Product The core benefit that consumers are really purchasing in the market of footwear is to protect their foot. According to what customers actually want, UGG provides sheepskin footwear which can control the temperature of the bare feet to close to the body regardless of the temperature outside, especially in winter in order to keep customers warm (Deckers Outdoor Corporation, 2009). . Actual Product Actual product defines as â€Å"a product’s parts, styling, features, brand name, packaging and other attributes that combine to deliver core product benefits† (Kotler, Brown, Adam, Burton and Armstrong, 2007, p. 388). Deckers Outdoor Corporation (2009) claims that the philosophy of UGG is to provide comfortable, high quality, attainable as well as fashionable products aiming to deliver core benefits. It also points out that UGG ®Australia is relatively well-known brand because it is the world’s largest purveyor of grade-A sheepskin.Furthermore, actual product of UGG includes its relevant sheepskin care product which is a unique product to retain customers. 3. Augmented Product A number of authors propose that augmented product is â€Å"additional consumer services and benefits built around the core and actual products† (Kotler et al. , 2007, p. 388). UGG creates a website to give convenience for customers searching information and knowing more about UGG. Moreover, UGG provides not only sales service telephone number and e-mail address, but also aftersales service to maximize customer satisfaction (Deckers Outdoor Corporation, 2009).These intangible augmented products contribute the value to the core product in order to gain competitive advantage. 2. Brand, packaging and labeling UGG achieves in the selection of brand name because its brand name can be distinguished from its competitor and easy to recognize. Currently, UGG uses brand extension strategy to launch new products in men’s footwear. In addition, UGG labels â€Å" made in Australia† in the packaging to differentiate from others. 6. Target segments Due to differential needs and wants, the market can be divided into three segments: Gender, Age and life-cycle stage and Geographic segmentation (IBISWorld Pty Ltd, 2009).The target group for UGG is the demographic segment which classified by gender and age-cycle. 1. Demographic segment—Gender, Age and life-cycle stage segment 1. Evaluation the needs and wants of the segment (key users benefit) Classifying segments effectively can bring success to the company (Dibb and Simkin, 1991). Kotler et al. , (2007) assert that gender segmentation has been widely used in the business of footwear. Therefore, the category of footwear retail can be categorized into three main parts: women, men together with children and infants footwear.IBISWorld Pty Ltd (2009) evaluates that women’s footwear occupies a dominant position in the market because it holds 50. 0% of the Australian market share. Ho wever, men’s footwear as well as children’s and infants’ footwear has the same percentage which takes up only half of the percent of women’s footwear in the market share (25. 0%). UGG Company uses differentiated market-coverage strategy to target several market segments and offers several different products. UGG sells the shoes of women as well as men, but it started from women boots originally.It seems apparent that the frequency of purchasing shoes for women is much higher than men. Consequently, UGG focuses on women want initially. Women select their desired shoes in the aspect of styles and colors (IBISWorld Pty Ltd, 2009). Typically, women regard the styles and colors as fashion. Most of them will try their best to follow the current fashion. Deckers Outdoor Corporation (2009) declares that providing fashionable products is one of the objects of UGG Company to satisfy the women want of fashion.In the modern world, many famous stars like Julia Roberts wearing the boots of UGG causes a fashion of wearing UGG boots (Blakeley, 2004). Compared with women, men are more concerned with the price and quality of the shoes. According to Deckers Outdoor Corporation (2009), UGG Company offers the footwear which value comfortable and the highest quality in order to attract men customers. It also claims that UGG Company only use the perfect material to produce products such as the highest quality leathers, suede and the world’s finest sheepskin to keep user warm and comfortable.For instance, the company only uses vegetable-based dyes and put shoes in refrigerated container to prevent melting when transfer (Palmeri, 2006). 2. The market positioning of the segment The UGG Company chooses product differentiation as its positioning strategy. Deckers Outdoor Corporation (2009) promises that it produces accessible luxury products to differentiate from other competitors. For example, Women’s footwear of UGG is range from $60 to $400 (H irshlag, 2006). As a result, the behaviors of buyers who buy the products of UGG are affected by their economic situation. 3.The trend of the segment Currently, men prefer casual and fashionable street shoes rather than athletic shoes (IBISWorld Pty Ltd, 2009). This trend brings new opportunity to the company. O’Loughlin (2005) demonstrates that UGG Company expands its business by crossing gender lines to target men. Sales to men of UGG are up to $53. 4 billion in 2006 (Thompson, 2006). 2. Geographic segment IBISWorld Pty Ltd (2009) lists the footwear retailing locations in Australia by states. A number of authors claim that the geographic segmentation brings benefit in satisfying local differential needs (Kotler et al. 2007). For example, Victoria can be thought of a competitive and mature market in terms of high average income. According to the data by yellow pages Australia (2009), there are 13 retails selling the products of UGG in Victoria. 7. The product categories 1. E valuation of the categories The UGG Company supplies a strong market for unique footwear to outwear (Wilson, 2007). In brief, it involves a variety of boots, casual, slippers and accessories (Deckers Outdoor Corporation, 2009). The category satisfies a variety of customers’ desires. The unique boots bring warm and luxury to buyers.The series of casual shoes meet the expectation of customers who prefer casual lifestyle. The slippers and accessories offer a varied choice for customers. Moreover, the company also provides care products for customers to take great care of the sheepskin shoes for the sake of retaining customers. 2. The trend and development of the categories Edelson (2009) reports that the company will focus on its outwear line in future to appeal more customers who seek sheepskin outwear. She also mentions that the company is interested in expanding the collection of accessories and designing handbags for UGG fans. . Conclusion From analysing and evaluating the s tatistics searched, we can conclude that UGG can target the demographic segment which is classified by gender and age-cycle effectively. It takes the microenvironment which includes marketing intermediaries, customers and competitors together with macroenvironment which involves demographic, economic, political and cultural environment into consideration. Furthermore, it identifies the emerging trend of the product categories and discovers the opportunity for attracting potential customers to make the profit as high as possible.However, UGG still lacks efficient information about marketing intelligence and research. 9. Recommendations 1. UGG should improve marketing information system in order to do some research to satisfy customers’ needs and wants. †¢ David (1989) emphasizes that marketing research can assist marketing managers perform and recognize the market segments well. For UGG, the company should design some survey to collect primary data to analysis customer pr eference such as the colors, size and length. 2. UGG should utilize sustainable material to produce products aiming at undertaking its social responsibility and gaining reputation. UGG should continue using vegetable-based dyes and healthy material. 10. Reference list Barack, L. (2008). From Ugg to Utterly Impressive. On Wall Street, 18(9), 64. Blakeley, K. (2004). Foot Fetish. Forbes Global, 7(1), 20. David, C. (1989). Trends of Marketing Research. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 7(9/10), 17-24. Deckers Outdoor Corporation. (2009, September 29). Retrieved November 05, 2009, from http://www. uggaustralia. com. au Dibb, S. & Simkin, L. (1991). Targeting, Segments and Positioning. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 19(3). Edelson, S. (2009).Ugg Taps Nichols for Outwear Line. Women’s Wear Daily, 197(103), 9. Hirshlag, J. (2006). Ugg’s First Boutique Set to Bow in SoHo. Women’s Wear Daily, 192(116), 16. IBISWorld. (2009, October 14). Footw ear Retailing in Australia (G5222). Retrieved from IBISWorld database. Kotler, P. , Brown, L. , Adam, S. , Burton, S. and Armstrong, G. (2007). Marketing (7th ed. ) French Forest, NSW: Pearosn Education Australia. O'Loughlin, S. (2005). UGG Step up Licensing, Tries Appealing to Men. Brandweek, 46(21), 11. Palmeri, C. (2006). Sensitive Soles. Businessweek, 3987, 14. Thompson, S. (2004). Ugg Australia.Advertising Age, 75(44), 19. Thompson, S. (2006). Ugg, others take a shot at gender bending. Advertising Age, 77(21), 4-6. Webber, M. & Weller, S. (2001). Trade and inequality: Australia's textile, clothing, and footwear industries, 1986-1996. Journal of Economic Geography, 1(4), 381. Wilson, B. (2007). Ugg goes for Gold Coast. WWD: Women's Wear Daily, 194(80), Wikipedia Foundation. (2009, November 14). Retrieved December 12, 2009, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Boot Yellow Pages. (copyright 2006). Retrieved November 06, 2009, from http://www. yellowpages. com. au

Public Private Partnerships Vasco da Gama Bridge in Portugal

Better usage of regional and municipal land use plans in the future. Conclusion Even though the project did not reach its original goal, it had a great impact on regional development. The Visas dad Gamma Bridge is a six lane bridge that spans the Tags River in Lisbon, Portugal. It is the longest bridge in Europe and has a life expectancy of 120 years. Its characteristics are described in the Table here below: Official name Point Visas dad Gamma Carries Six road lanes, 7 sections Crosses Tags River Location North of Lisbon (right bank), municipality of Allocable (left bank) Maintained by Illusions DesignerRandom Riot Design Total Length 17. 182 km, longest in Europe, 9th longest in the world Width 30 m Height 155 m Longest span 420 m Speed limit 120 km/h Serves 50 million vehicles/year Construction 1995 (beginning) – 1998 (ended) Opened 29. 03. 1998 Cost 897 million euros As a result of economic globalization, countries are seeking more efficient and effective ways to improve t heir resources. One way of doing so is through Public- private partnerships especially for the development and operation of infrastructure.Public-Private partnerships provide a tool to increase the quality and efficiency of public services and to overcome the limited public funds available in a country. APP is an agreement between the government and one or more private partners in which both sides invest different resources in order to reach the target/goal by splitting the gains and losses between them. It is usually a long-term contract between the two parties, in which the private partner bears significant risk and great management responsibility.Peps may be formed in areas such as infrastructure projects such as motorways, bridges and in service areas such as schools and hospitals. There are our typical phases in implementing a APP project: the identification of the need and the legislation involved in implementing the project, the preparation and planning and the development of a contract between the public and the private partners, the award procedure, and the implementation and control of the project. Peps offer significant advantages to the public sector.These include the ability to raise additional funds in a country with budgetary restrictions, make the best use of public sector efficiencies in operation in reducing the costs and increasing the quality and offering a quicker service. Peps come in many forms and are still evolving in order to adapt to the needs of each individual project. Several elements that have to be taken into account: Political Leadership: commitment has to come from the top. Legislative and control framework: The application of these must be followed strictly. Protecting the publics interest: Quality and performance standards are required.Public Sector Involvement: Public sector must remain actively involved once a APP is established by monitoring the project. A well structured plan: Each side must know exactly what to expect f rom the beginning of the cooperation. Responsibilities must e clearly defined. Income stream: The sources of income must be clearly defined for the whole duration of the implementation of the project. Communication with stakeholders: Open communication between the parties involved must be enforced. Ensuring open market access and competition: Open and fair competition, transparency has to be taken into account during Tendering/Bidding procedure.Selection of the right partner: The selection must be done carefully taking into account the previous experience of the candidate in the specific area. In a typical APP project, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SSP) is created, which is a separate gal entity established to undertake the project, thus it is responsible for the design, building, and operation of the project. The initial capital required for a APP project may be provided by public grants, private funds, European Commission financing, loans from the owners of the SSP and/or from banks. The SSP is a consortium usually formed by a building contractor, a maintenance company and a bank. Subcontractors may also be used in the APP in order to deliver their specialized services. Until a couple of decades ago, countries followed the traditional infrastructure procurement models. However, due to the public budget constraints and the difficulty to manage large projects, many countries experienced the need to change the traditional model of public procurement. This resulted to today's Peps model which manages to deliver large infrastructure that requires large capital availability.Opportunities and Limitations of Ifs Opportunities that may appear during the implementation of a project: The risks are allocated to the ones that can manage them and are distributed. Public sector capital expenditure is reduced Cost efficiencies are better achieved – Value for Money. Delivery of the project is faster. Construction is done more efficiently with fewer contractual errors. Bet ter quality of service. Innovation and performance of personnel involved in the project is highly encouraged and promoted through incentives.Increased productivity. Infrastructure provision is accelerated. Crisis, there is higher cost in financing a project. There is less control over budget. There is less contract flexibility. The ultimate risk is still undertaken by the public partner. Private financing is usually more complicated than public financing. There are high termination costs in case of spite. Fear of prevarication of public services may be evident. Peps in Portugal Over the last 25 years Portugal has been through a major infrastructure investment program.After the end of dictatorship in the ass, Portugal went through a political stabilization phase. In the ass, after Portugal Joined the ELI, the country was able to access large capital funds. Since the country aimed to decrease its infrastructure deficit, it was evident that a new model for procurements was required and this was the APP model. The first large project developed under the APP model was the Visas dad Gamma ridge which was created under a tight schedule in time for the 1998 World Exhibition.After that several other projects followed totaling to the number of 36 APP projects until 2012. Portugal uses the APP model mainly for the creation/extension of roads, rail, health care and security. Need for the creation of Visas dad Gamma bridge – Background information The Government of Portugal identified the need to solve the congestion problem on Elision's other bridge (25 De April Bridge), and to Join previously unconnected motorways between north and south around the capital city of Lisbon, and therefore n 1991 it decided to construct a second crossing over the Tags river.As soon as the decision was made AGATES (office for the crossing of the Tags river at Lisbon), was established which was actually an inter-ministerial agency chaired by the Ministry of Public Works, with representa tives of the Ministries of Planning, Environment, and Finance. The two main goals of AGATES were to solve the ever-increasing traffic Jam on the 25 De April Bridge and supporting the north-south traffic around Lisbon. By September 1991, AGATES issued a series of studies comparing three options/locations or a new road bridge: eastern, central, and western.The option chosen was the eastern and was based on a strategy of opening new urban development, with top priority to roadways and individual transport. This option was greatly supported by the Minister of Public Works and the municipalities surrounding that area. In April 1994, Illusions, a consortium of Portuguese, British, and French companies won the international public tender to design, construct, finance and operate the new bridge. In February 1995, the construction of the bridge begun and in 29 March 1998 it opened to the public.The project was completed in a very tight schedule in order to allow easy access for World Expo '9 8, the World's fair that India by Visas dad Gamma. The construction of the bridge is considered to be one of the largest and most successful projects of the 20th century in the history of civil engineering. It gained international recognition and was awarded with the 1st prize by the Fiber-Americana Institution of architecture and civil engineering in the year 2000.The Visas dad Gamma bridge is a cable-stayed adjoined by viaducts and it carries six road lanes, with a speed limit of 120 km/h, the same as motorways, except on one section where speed is limited to 100 km/h. On windy, rainy, and foggy days, the speed limit is reduced to 90 km/h. Fifty million vehicles cross the bridge every year. The traffic on the bridge is managed in the traffic control room located in the Toll Plaza building. The bridge has a life expectancy of 120 years. Legal Framework for Peps in Portugal The legal framework for Peps in Portugal was amended on July 27 2006 by Decree Law 141/2006, which substituted the Decree Law no. 6/2003. The new law defines the general rules of interaction of the State with APP model, from definition and conception to supervision. These principles have to be followed by the public entities t the national level. The Decree Law 141/2006 requires the division of risks between the public and the private partners, which has to be clearly specified in each APP project. It also establishes the rules to follow and states that all APP proposals have to be evaluated by a commission including the Ministry of Finance and other relevant to each specific project institutions.There is also the Code of Public Contracts (COP), which is a legal document concentrating on national and legal contexts relating to public procurement. This document derives mainly from the transposition of the EX. isolations on public procurement and it applies in projects related to services, public work contracts, and many others. More specifically, this document regulates the procedures of pub lic procurements from the beginning of the Tendering process until the selection of the successful Tender, it covers the way contracts should be awarded and sets the specific rules in doing so.It also states the follow-up rules as well as possible fines if not complied. As Monitor (2005) puts it, a key feature of the institutional setting of Peps in Portugal, is that a decision in favor of a APP has to be made with the involvement of the Ministry of Finance (experts). The APP proposals have to specify long-term budgetary implications and make necessary arrangements prior to the agreement of a APP project.Another institutional framework is a APP Unit (Parabolic), which is dedicated in implementing, facilitating, evaluating and advising APP projects. It should be noted that this project with a total value of 897 million Euros was impossible to be realized only with public funds. Therefore, the APP had to be formed project is the decision about the location of the bridge. The location of the Visas dad Gamma bridge was the fundamental element for its success. As mentioned before there were three options/locations for a new road bridge: eastern, central, and western.According to Melt (2000), the eastern (Save ©m-Monotint) location for the bridge to be constructed leads to the question Why on earth was the Save ©m-Monotint road bridge option chosen? One may answer that the decision made was due to political and financial issues. The possible alternatives to this option were the central, and western locations. The central (Shells-Barriers) and the western (Alga ©s-Traffic) location could have been better alternatives satisfying the goals of decongest, and not having the active environmental impacts that the selected location of the bridge created.Critical Analysis of APP Model chosen by the Government of Portugal – Description of app Model The project was mainly funded by the private sector under a BOOT â€Å"Build, Operate, Transfer† model, more specifically the variation of DOFF (Design, Build, Finance and Operate). The BOOT model is a type of infrastructure project based on granting of concession by a principal (I. E. Government) to a promoter (private partner) who is responsible for the construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of a project over the period of concession.A BOOT project is normally funded by a mixture of private equity, through shareholders, bank loans, and sometimes with grant aids. The shareholders carry the risks but receive a return on their investment and dividends during the concession period, while the government's reward is to obtain an infrastructure without using its own budget. Governments mainly use the BOOT model for the construction of airports, waterworks, etc. In Peps, the BOOT model involves reasonable support and risk sharing from the government side. After the concession period, the promoter transfers the facility to the principal at no cost, in a fully operational condition.In this project, Illusions had the obligation to design, construct, finance and operate the new crossing/bridge. The contract was signed in 1995, for a maximum concession period of 35 years in a design, build, finance, operate and transfer scheme. In my opinion, at the time that the contract was signed, the APP model used was the most suitable since there was the need to design and build the bridge quickly with the main funds coming from the private sector. Financial Structure of the Project and the role of the participants The Visas dad Gamma bridge cost 897 million Euros, mainly financed by the private sector.The project was funded by a combination of private equity, through bank loans, shareholders, government grants, etc. More specifically the resources for this European Investment Bank Loan grant (299 m), 33% of the project Toll revenues collected from 25 April bridge (50 m), 6% of the project other resources such as shareholders and government grants (299 m), 26% of the project Both shareholders and government benefit from the project, since they receive dividends for their investment during the concession period. It should be noted that the toll price to cross the bridge varies from 2. 0 to 11 Euros, pending on the size and type of vehicle crossing the bridge. TOTAL COST 897 MILLION EURO Table 1 (Funding of Visas dad Gamma bridge) The European Investment loan was for 20 years with no capital repayment over the first 120 months, guaranteed by the commercial banks for only 15 years. Out of the total cost of the project, around 640 million Euros was for construction, payment of land, re-housing, environmental projects, and maintenance costs. It is worth mentioning that in 2000, Illusions and the Portuguese government signed an agreement in order to extend the duration of the concession period untilIn the case of the Visas dad Gamma bridge, both the public and the private partners undertook the financial risk (currency, interest rate, equity, foreign exchange , liquidity, commercial and economic risk. They also undertook the political risk (related to the provision of loans and overall investment situation in the country). Both partners undertook the shareholder's risk (market, changes in management personnel). The private partner, Illusions, undertook the technical risk (construction, operation, and maintenance risk).Problems and Limitations of the project The European Accounts Tribunal (EAT) detected a series of irregularities in the financing and the construction of the project. Some drainage and negative results ere detected to the resistance of some of the material used in the construction of the bridge. Regarding the finance aspect, the EAT stated that 95% of the costs of the building of the structure of the bridge was funded by the European Union, which is in conflict with the regulations of the community.Recommendations A few recommendations may be welcomed at this point. There should be more compliance with project goals in the future. In addition, there should be more compliance with the European legislation in the future. Another alternative location for the bridge would have been highly recommended or the construction of two mailer bridges in different locations. Moreover, a more careful study has to be made regarding the location of future similar projects, and a better usage of regional and municipal land use plans in the future is recommended.Conclusion Even though there is a lot of criticism about the APP of Visas dad Gamma bridge in Portugal, it is evident that without this procurement model the fast development of under public scrutiny. The Visas dad Gamma bridge aimed to solve the decongest problem of the other bridge of Lisbon (the 25 April bridge) and to create the north-south connection around the capital city. According to data, traders prefer to use the bridge in Scorecard (30 km from Lisbon to the North, built after the Visas dad Gamma bridge.This bridge seems to have solved the problem of the north-south connection around the capital city. The daily traffic on the Visas dad Gamma bridge is approximately 70,000 vehicles, which is below the daily traffic on the 25 April bridge with approximately 170,000 vehicles per day. Taking this into consideration, we conclude that Visas dad Gamma bridge did not manage to meet the expectations and to solve the decongest problem, however it affected positively other areas such are regional development.

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How are robots involved in medicine - Term Paper Example The level of technology in the first robotic leg prostheses made it the first artificial leg controlled by the human thought after it integration with an interface. Researchers at the institute acknowledge the fact the technology in the first robotic leg was high-tech. The robotic contained lithium-powered batteries that provided powerful electricity that powered the machine. It also had powerful electric motors and micro sensors that acted as muscles and nerves respectively. Such duplication of the human leg allowed the robotic to a viable alternative for a human leg for amputees (Salisbury, 2013). The first robotics leg prosthesis is better than the passive artificial leg in many aspects. In addition to moving independently and sync with movements of the user, it also recognizes the intentions of the user to switch activities. The robotics allows the user to walk faster, uses less energy and reduces the rate of fall among users. Therefore, the ability of the robotic to move like a natural human leg makes it a viable option to amputees. However, various factors limit the adoption and usage of robotic leg prostheses. There are strict regulatory requirements set by government authorities regarding the use of multi-joint devices such as the first robotic leg prostheses. Clinicians also require additional training in robotics before prescribing the prostheses to patients. After development of the first robotic lower-leg prostheses, the Center for Intelligent Mechatronics also developed an advanced exoskeleton that allows paraplegics to stand and walk upright. The Indego exoskeleton was an award-winning piece of technology in 2013 (Ward, 2013). For people paralyzed from the waist down to the legs, this technology can be a source of hope. The exoskeleton can fit around the torso and extend down to the legs and ankles. The level of technological advancement in this machine is high to the extent that it integrates an individual’s movements

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Types of Health Insurance Plans - Case Study Example Offering a health insurance plan helps in retaining and attracting quality workers. Accordingly, this results in a higher productivity and customer satisfaction. Additionally, a health insurance makes employee accept better benefits instead of a higher salary. Consequently, this reduces the organizational expenditure and provides more financial resources for development (Morrisey,  2008). Furthermore, a health benefit decreases absenteeism and improves the workers’ health and morale. As a result, the workers are more willing to offer better services that assist the firm in realizing its objectives. On the other hand, such a benefit is expensive for the organization, considering its small size and sources of finance. Additionally, the administrative cost of designing and implementing such a plan is very expensive for the business (Morrisey,  2008). Furthermore, the current cost of insurance policies is increasing, making it less viable and an expensive endeavor for the organization. For this reason, any mistakes made in the benefit plans can lead the team to serious legal problems that might lead to costly charges or regulatory fines. There are different types of health insurance plans designed to meet specific needs of an employee or employees. Specifically, the most common in the market is embedded in a network of providers in order to benefit from the economies of scale. Some of the available plans include the exclusive provider organization, health maintenance organization, a point of service, and the preferred provider organization (Morrisey,  2008). The most desirable and cost-effective plan for the organization is the Preferred Provider Organization. Specifically, this is because the method is cost effective as it allows members of the network to pay less when the employees use services from the providers within the network. The Preferred Provider Organization is network specific, and the employees do not pay for the plan.  

Causes and effects of globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Causes and effects of globalization - Essay Example the importance of multinationals operating in their nation and as companies recognized the importance of expanding their business globally (Ritzer, 2007, p.70). Decrease in trade barriers such as quota systems and import, export duties even became an underlining reason that promoted globalization. When trade barriers were removed, consumers realized that they can obtain goods and services at much lesser prices as compared to the goods and products available and produced locally. Globalization was even created as organizations and nations understood the importance of technological advancements that were taking place in other regions and due to their desire to obtain these technological advancements. Globalization has been impacting humankind both in negative and positive way. This process has increased job opportunities for the workforce throughout the world, now people can find employment anywhere around the world. Another positive effect was that the developing nations have started working for developed nations which aided in solving the problem of unemployment rate in these nations. Due to globalization, interaction between cultures increased and cultural boundaries became blurred, and due to this people of one nation started accepting and adopting the cultures of other

Personality Inventories Reliability, Validity, Correlation Essay

Personality Inventories Reliability, Validity, Correlation - Essay Example There is much that can be postulated concerning these two groups. The GESS questionnaire is an adaptation of Hale, Fiedler and Cochran's 25 item inventory (Hale, Fiedler & Cochran, 1992). This inventory is a measure of the optimism that an individual possesses concerning the likelihood of achieving goals in life. A person with a high GESS score has a great degree of optimism in their own ability to complete a task. While a person with a low GESS score is considered to be pessimistic about their own ability to reach a desired goal. Participants were selected randomly from the classroom. Of the 17 subjects participating in this study, 6 were male and 11 were female. Ages ranged from 19 to 30 years old. Two personality inventories were used in this study, the Internal Control Index and the Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale. Each test subject was seated in a relatively quiet and secluded environment and asked to fill-in the answers on the two separate inventories. The results of the first administration of the test questions are shown in Figure 1. GESS numbers and ICI numbers were calculated by hand scoring each questionnaire. GESS scores ranged from 86 to 149, out of a possible range of 30 to 150.

Ports of Auckland industrial dispute and Part B as well Assignment

Ports of Auckland industrial dispute and Part B as well - Assignment Example e Port of Auckland wanted to compete with its closest rival, which is the Port of Tauranga by increasing its operational efficiency and increasing its production levels (Ports of Auckland, 2012). Ideally, any worker belonging to a union has the right to negotiate for an employment contract as provided in the collective employment agreement on meaning that the Port of Auckland employees were within their rights to seek a renewal of their contracts through their union (Blackstock, 2012). During the course of the strike action by the Port of Auckland employees, several parties developed an interest in the case, each citing various reasons for their involvement in the matter. In this part of the research, this essay will identify the various parties involved in the dispute and outline the key issues that propelled this action. Further, the focus will be on collective bargaining strategies and tactics used by the interested parties to the industrial action and the four conflict theories that are relevant in explaining the dialogue process and are able to influence the outcomes of industrial disputes. The principleparty involved in the dispute were the workers whose employment contracts had ended and their families as this action affected directly as compared to any other party. The second party whose involvement could not be avoided was the port itself, meaning that the Ports of Auckland had to be a party to the dispute. Ideally, the port began operations in 1988, and has grown to be one of the largest ports in New Zealand, as its location is in one of the principle cities in the country (Ports of Auckland, 2012). Ownership and control of the port is by the Auckland Council Investments Ltd, which holds significant shares in the port. The third party to the dispute was the Maritime Union of New Zealand in which its chief mandate was to spearhead the negotiations for their members to their employer (MUNZ, 2013). The union is a result of a merger in 2002 between

Fiction Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fiction Analysis - Essay Example Updike possibly built on the character of Sammy as an observant, typical male teen-ager. The current discourse hereby presents an analysis of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, needs and wants that drive Sammy throughout the story. The motivational drives that embodied Sammy’s behavior first included the biological nature of male adolescents who have developed sexual awareness, as evidenced from his apparent detailed observation and narration of the young ladies’ physical features and appearances. Sammy’s vivid descriptive details of the teen-aged girls’ physical traits focused mostly, not only on what could be seen; but also on what could be imagined. For instance, when Sammy described the first teen-aged girl who fancied his interest, Sammy noted that â€Å"She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the backs of her legs† (Updike par. 1). In addition, as a teen-aged male, Sammy also disclosed that at his age, he still was vaguely aware of how teen-aged girls think. This was evident from the statement that â€Å"You never know for sure how girls minds work (do you really think its a mind in there or just a little buzz like a bee in a glassjar?) but you got the idea she had talked the other two into coming in here with her, and now she was showing them how to do it, walk slow and hold yourself straight† (Updike par. 2). The way that the three teen-aged girls walked and behaved apparently intrigued Sammy too much and confirmed his initial thoughts that as a member of the male species, he never could understand how females think. Another behavior that was exhibited by the protagonist was Sammy’s apparent need to belong; to be accepted as a hero; to be acknowledged as favoring other teen-agers of

Implement Change Management Processes Essay Example for Free

Implement Change Management Processes Essay During the demonstration of skills did the student: (Tick if completed) ⠝‘ Plan IT system changes ⠝‘ Current system evaluation ⠝‘ Organisation needs vs benchmark ⠝‘ Identify technology system change needs ⠝‘ Access changes ⠝‘ Prioritise changes ⠝‘ Implement change ⠝‘ Monitor and review implementation Trainer’s Name:Date: / / Trainer’s Signature: Reviewed Auditor’s name:Date: / / Auditor’s Signature: Instructions for assessor(s) Ensure that all activities are completed. Ensure the completeness of this form before handling to the training manager. Provide a copy of this document to the student. Results of this assessment are to be recorded in to the SAFHIN system. Person responsible for recording to SAFHIN: SAFHIN Code: Instructions for students This unit will be assessed in simulated environment. The task should be completed in reasonable timeframe which will be determined by assessor and depends on circumstances of particular task. After completion of the each project you have to complete the documentation and handle it to your trainer/assessor. OHS and safety rules must be observed. The assessment will be stopped immediately if the work practices are unsafe. Scenario A local graphic studio is based on the Apple platform. The new management is considering the change of the platform for Windows 7. The cost of maintenance, application and hardware support is indicating that the new platform could be more viable than the Apple. Your tasks are: Based on the organisational requirements, business strategy and project requirements develop an IT change management plan document. †¢ Research and develop change procedures and conventions. †¢ Identify key personnel responsible for change management policies and procedures for the company, and those responsible for authorizing and implementing the change management plan. †¢ Identify training needs of staff and management in relation to the changes that will take place. †¢ Evaluate current IT system and determine changing user or business patterns. †¢ Determine current benchmarks. †¢ Compare the organisational needs against performance benchmarks to identify possible changes in the organisation. †¢ Assess proposed changes to determine impact to the organisation. Plan a schedule for the changes that will take place and include the schedule in the change management plan being documented. †¢ Prioritise the changes according to needs. †¢ Allocate resources across the changes that will happen. Implement the plan and obtain new performance benchmarks. Record data from the new performance benchmarks and compare against previous performance data to measure change performance. Update the training requirements of the staff as necessary in accordance with the new performance benchmarks. Record, document and submit the results to appropriate person. Produce required documentation. Attach zipped files produced as part of this project. Document the file structure and each file in individual document. Instructions for trainer You will be required to participate with student on behalf of client. Provide student with your â€Å"client† e-mail for this scenario ([emailprotected]). Interview Record Sheet |Unit(s) of Competency |ICASAS601A Implement change-management processes | |Student’s Name | | During the demonstration of skills did the student: (Tick if completed) ⠝‘ All sections of the practical assessment task are completed according the requirements and instructions. ⠝‘ OHS policies and procedures were followed during the work. ⠝‘ Student has demonstrated communication skills on the appropriate level Trainer’s Name:Date: / / Trainer’s Signature:Student’s Signature: Reviewed Auditor’s name:Date: / / Auditor’s Signature: Instructions for assessor(s) Ensure that all activities are completed. Ensure the completeness of this form before handling to the training manager. Provide a copy of this document to the student. Results of this assessment are to be recorded in to the SAFHIN system. Person responsible for recording to SAFHIN: SAFHIN Code: Interview/Discussion Trainer will conduct the interview with the student after the completion of the project. Student will be asked to present their work. Trainer will ask questions related directly to the project or scenario, trying to establish enough evidence for each element of competency, where required. Student will have the opportunity to explain the approaches and methods used in this project. Student should provide trainer with enough evidence of his competence against each criteria. Trainer must ensure that the student fully understands the area, and is competent in each element of this competency. Trainer has to also ensure that the underpinning knowledge for each unit of competency is verified. Where applicable the practical demonstration of the knowledge can be demonstrated. The duration of the interview will be up to 2 hours. The interview/discussion will be documented in stand-alone document. The references to the performance criteria are to be noted as well. Suggested questions for the interview Discuss the process of planning IT system changes Discuss the process of identifying technology system change needs Discuss any difficulties that you have experienced during the process Assessor’s comments Assessor’s comments

Coming of Age In Mississippi

Coming of Age In Mississippi The life of Anne Moody and the events of the civil rights movement are chronicled in her autobiography and a book called Coming of Age in Mississippi which was published in 1968. In this essay, this autobiography will be drawn upon and her involvement in the movement will be analyzed. The thesis for the essay is that Anne Moodys change in perspective about the movement brought about a shift in the civil rights movement. Biographical Narrative Anne Moody was born in the Jim Crow era in Mississippi where she was also raised as a kid. The details of racism, patriarchal control, injustice and her involvement with grassroots organizations such as Congress of Racial Equity (CORE), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) have been documented in her autobiography. Moody, as a graduate of Tugaloo College, reflects upon her participation with local leaders and other Tugaloo students in order to protest against racial injustices. Her narrative includes a piece of history, which comes from meeting many leaders and witnessing many unforgettable movements, which otherwise would never have been documented or told. Anne lends her story and voice through narrating events such as Emmett Tills lynching, Medgar Everss assassination; sit-ins and rallies in which she fully participated (Page, 2007). Factors Influencing Moody to become Involved in the Movement Anne Moody witnessed the worst form of racism and discrimination in Mississippi in the era of Jim Crow. However, the biggest factor that contributed to Annes involvement in the movement was that she was a daughter of poor African American family and a female. Her father left the family when she and her other 8 siblings were still very young. Moodys mother supported her nine children through restaurant work and domestic chores. Moody attended a segregated school in Centreville in which she seemed to be a bright student despite her impoverished conditions. Anne witnessed a lot of discrimination against women and the African Americans in the area where she lived since her childhood. Being and African American and moreover a female, she experienced a lot of discrimination and racism herself. She was active throughout her college life which forced her to work for the independence of women from discrimination and get them voting rights, to create a history for the Southerners and give the African Americans the freedom they deserve and await (eNotes.com, 2010). Change in Moodys Perspectives about the Movement Overtime Moody started to work in the fourth grade as she was the eldest in her siblings and her mother could not earn much for the nine children. She won basketball scholarship at junior college and an academic scholarship to Tugaloo College from where she graduated in 1964. Anne Moody became an activist in the civil rights movement while she was at Tugaloo College and maintained involvement with CORE, NAACP and SNCC. She was one of the three youngsters in 1963 who staged a sit-in at a segregated Woolworths lunch counter in Jackson. In the same year, Moody also took part in a march on Washington DC (eNotes.com, 2010). As Moody learned that she was both an African American and a woman, she was quick to adapt to the situations which would have been fatal. She did not allow anyone to dominate her and did not accept being an inferior African American woman to any white person or men. She never became satisfied from or accustomed to the mandated subordination due to the white people in the US. Instead, her participation in the civil rights movement expanded when she began to challenge the myths, authorities, false heirs of superiority and assumptions in the society. Her perspective about the civil rights movement changed when she began to question her assumed position and role in the society in opposition to the other white people. She also began to ask other African Americans about their fulfilling roles and why they did not react against the white racists and discrimination (Page, 2007). As Moody continued to mature, her perspective about the movement changed when she learnt about the murders, the lynching and the threats to the lives of those African Americans who reacted to the impudence and rebellion that Anne has awaited to demonstrate (Page, 2007). These crimes not only disgusted her but also they stopped her from reacting or taking any actions as she writes in her book on page 155 Negroes are being killed, beaten up, run out of town by these white folks and everything. But Negroes cant even talk about it (Moody, p.155). Moody constantly learned about the differences between expectations and behaviors and the rules governing the whites and the African Americans. She sought to move out of Mississippi as she never accepted the Jim Crow system. She moved out to New Orleans and Baton Rouge to live with her relatives. She expected to find equality and more freedom there but was disappointed there as she again encountered racism and prejudices. She learnt that the rea lity is that these flavors of discriminations and racism are present all over the Southern states (Page, 2007). When she returned to her home state Mississippi, she learned that it was even more difficult to live in the state than before as the fear of losing own life and the life of loved ones was pertinent in the African Americans. At this point in time, Anne Moody became fed up of the differences shown by the African Americans, her community, her friends and her family. She decided to step up and make a difference as she could no longer be afraid and inactive. She notes in her autobiography Courage was growing in me too. Little by little it was getting harder and harder for me not to speak out (Moody, p.163). This led Anne to attend a greater number of meetings with the city leaders, other Tugaloo students and professors, and activists. She participated in a number of marches, riots, meetings, rallies, sit-ins and many other activities in order to fight and plead for equal rights for all the African American citizens (Page, 2007). Reflection of Moodys Change in Perspective In the 1950s, the major strategies involved in the civil rights movement were litigation and lobbying in order to abolish discrimination against the African Americans. However, in 1955, the black citizens became frustrated because of the gradual approaches of the state and federal governments to implement desegregation. The other reason for this frustration was the massive resistance from the proponents of voter suppression and racial segregation. Most of the actions that were taken in the 1950s and the early 1960s were nonviolent resistance and indirect actions by the African Americans. However, these actions were not voiced until the mid and the late 1960 when the civil rights movement took major steps such as the march on Washington and speech by Martin Luther King. In the past, it was difficult for the African American leaders to cooperate and work on a combined purpose. The strategy of the civil rights movement emphasized more direct actions and mass action replaced litigation. Therefore the civil rights movement reaped no results in the 1950s and early 1960s. However, when the African Americans united and the people felt courageous, then only results such as nullification of the legal article of separate but equal, banning of segregation, banning of discrimination in employment practices in 1964 and restoring of voting rights. These broader shifts in the civil rights movement from the 1950s to 1960s hence reflect the changing perspective of Moodys activism. She was active at first but then was discouraged by the lack of cooperation of the blacks and the height of murdering and killings of African Americans by the white people. Then she again became courageous and became active with participation in the riots and other strategies. . Conclusion Hence the change in perspective of Anne Moore about the movement was clearly reflected upon the broader shifts in the civil rights movement from 1950s to the end of 1960. The movement was taken by storm because of the mass action of the African Americans which can also be reflected by Moodys growing courage when she returned to Mississippi. Although Moody became disenchanted with the movement earlier when she moved out to another state, but she became an active member of the movement afterwards as the perspective of civil rights movement also shifted.

Hispanic Girls Growing up on the Border Essay -- Essays Papers

Hispanic Girls Growing up on the Border The Southwest United States is an area of great diversity. It is located on the border between the US and Mexico. In this region there are four main ethnicities represented: Hispanics, African Americans, Anglo Americans, and Native Americans. These groups interact daily working in the same offices and going to school together. Youth of each ethnicity face risks as they grow up. By focusing on the Hispanic adolescent girl the extent of the possible risks to one ethnicity can be explored. These risks will include motivation at school, the risk of dropping out of school, the at-risk classification, which includes gang involvement, and teen pregnancy. The results of studies focused on the risks to Hispanic girls will be compared to an interview with a Hispanic girl living in Tucson, Arizona and what she feels the actual risks are. Through the comparison a full view of the risks to adolescent Hispanic girls growing up in the border region will be seen. At-Risk girls is a term used over and over in order to describe girls that may be predisposed to problems such as dropping out of school or joining gangs. Girls classified as at risk share many of the same characteristics. Not having English as a native language is one of the risk factors attributed to the at risk girl classification. For first and, often, second generation Hispanics the language barrier is a problem leading to poor economic standing and poor education. In the border region this problem is evident in some schools since they may "consist primarily of Mexican American students, most of whom are considered at-risk based on language barriers, economic disadvantages, and poor family education"(Sonne... ...erimental Education 62.1 (1993): 60-71. Granleese, Jaqueline & Joseph, Stephen. "Self-Perception Profile of Adolescent Girls at a Single-Sex and Mixed Sex School." Journal of Genetic Psychology 154.4 (1993): 525-530. Jones, Randall M. & Lauver, Philip J. "Factors Associated With Perceived Career Options in American Indian, White, and Hispanic Rural High School Students." Journal of Counseling Psychology 38.2 (1991): 159-166. Menchaca, Velma D. "Achievement Motivation in Mexican-American Eighth Grade Students." Psychological Reports 72.3 (1993): 971-978. Osborne, Jason W. "Race and Academic Disidentification." Journal of Educational Psychology 89.4 (1997): 728-735. Sonnenblick, Melissa D. "The GALLS Club: Promoting Belonging Among At-Risk Adolescent Girls." The School Counselor 44 (1997): 243-245. Smith, Josie. Personal interview. 24 Mar. 1999.

Stereotypes and Stereotyping - I Was a Teenage Hippie Essay -- Example

Stereotyping - I Was a Teenage Hippie Imagine a 17-year-old kid. He is five feet eleven inches tall, weighs 180 lbs., with very long hair and a beard. His hair parts in the middle and stops at his waist, meaning his hair is about three and a half feet long. He dresses not for the fashion of the day, but with old standards: blue jeans and a flannel shirt in the winter or blue jeans and a short sleeve shirt in the summer. Generally, his shirts in summer are T-shirts, typically with some provocative text or an advertisement for a rock group. That kid was me in 1974. I was the stereotypical "hippie," and my social circle during that year and the four years preceding it (two of those years in middle school and two years in high school) included other hippies. The hippie subculture has often been subject to a stereotyped image over the years. The image identified with the hippie is one of an individual that is generally unclean and unkempt, usually lives in squalor, has a drug habit, and is not very smart. Of course, male members of the hippie subculture all had long hair. Though the conservatives stereotyped me and my friends by what they saw, they did not know a single thing about us. The group I was involved with socially was made up of eight other guys besides myself and two girls, but the eleven of us were known by our peers as "The Dirty Dozen." We were looked upon by the conservatives in our town as being "just a bunch of damn hippies." Obviously, The Dirty Dozen was stereotyped because of our appearance. Indeed, it would have been easy for any of us to change our image to something more socially acceptable. For example, cutting my air, shaving off my beard, and changing my... ...day. I find myself not being so quick to judge by looks alone. I find myself consciously thinking that I should not stereotype what I see before me. I do not know the person; I only know the image. I certainly do not want to consider myself so narrow minded that I engage in the very behavior displayed by the conservatives in the 1960s and 1970s. Because of the tendency of people to stereotype others, I hold the belief that I would be subject to stereotyping today. While I maintain views that might be politically incorrect and continue to hold dear a bit of the non-conforming attitude embraced by the hippie subculture, would people guess that to look at me today? Considering my conservative image today, would people guess that on the inside I might still be a "hippie?" Or would they look at me and see me as a "boring old fart" conservative yuppie?

An Exhibition of Portraits by Alice Neel Essay -- Art Appreciation

An Exhibition of Portraits by Alice Neel An exhibition of portraits of the family by Alice Neel, one of the finest painters of her generation, is at the Norton Museum of Art February 14 through March 29, 1998. Both critics and the subjects of her paintings have written of Neel's ability to portray the dynamics of relationships. Kinships focuses on particular family relationships: siblings, domestic pairs, parents and children, and members of her own family. The exhibition was organized by the Tacoma Art Museum, and is sponsored by The Elizabeth Norton Society. Born in 1900, Alice Neel worked as a figurative painter during the decades of WPA realism, postwar abstract expressionism, and 1970s minimalism. She persevered in her work despite a turbulent personal life that included a year of hospitalization after a nervous breakdown, the destruction in 1934 of over two hundred and fifty paintings and drawings, and little attention to her work until the 1960s. Her art demonstrates a vigorous working manner, an unsparing skill in observation and a generous tolerance for the unpredictability of human nature. Neel disliked being called a portraitist, but rather labeled herself as a "collector of souls." She believed that each person has an identity, an essential core of personality, and it was this that she sought to reveal in her paintings. She often captured aspects of relationships of which her subjects were not aware, and combined in her work her stringent analysis of their interactions with a broad acceptance of the depth of human emotions. She painted her subjects as distinct individuals, in the poses that were natural to them; poses that, in Neel's words, "involve ... all their character and social standing ... what the world has done to them, and their retaliation." The compositions, as well as the subjects' body language, of such works as The Black Spanish American Family or Annemarie and Georgia, allows the viewer to observe how family members draw together tenderly or reluctantly, look away, touch one another, draw back, or open up. The arms of the parents often encircle their children in Neel's paintings. The early Mother and Child, Havana, 1926, uses this pose to depict a simple, secure relationship. However, in later works, such as Mother and Child (Nancy and Olivia), 1967, the poses are more attuned to the ambivalent emotions present in... ...t on Neel's own art. No better evidence exists than her portraits of pregnant nudes. It was a subject she first approached in 1964, ultimately painting a total of seven such portraits, with Evans's being her last. The subject had a powerful resonance at a time when women were newly educating themselves about the form and function of their anatomies. The Boston Women's Health Book Collective published Our Bodies, Ourselves in 1973, while Adrienne Rich's classic Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution appeared in 1976. As opportunities for women widened dramatically, debate and discussion about their biological destinies and responsibilities intensified. Neel's paintings of pregnant women offered no clear opinions or solutions. But, in retrospect, as with all of Neel's best work, Margaret Evans Pregnant endures as both a portrait of a person and a picture of a time. Ann Temkin is the Muriel and Philip Berman curator of modern and contemporary art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She organized the Alice Neel exhibition that opens at the Whitney Museum of American Art next month and travels to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, February 18 through April 15, 2001.

Argentina Pestle Analysis

Argentina government has a strong democratic setup. In 2011, President Fernandez de Kirchner won the presidency for the second time. Her government has been successful at introducing reforms to encourage regional trade and support private sector investment, particularly for the development of the country’s infrastructure, primarily through private-public partnership. The government has also announced the creation of the oil planning commission, emphasizing its interest in the oil industry1.The Fernandez government is increasingly reliant on interventionist policies that fail to solve underlying structural problems and has been involved in several inflation figures manipulation and corruption charges, including a commotion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning inaccurate governance indicators impairing the economic outlook and deterring investment2. This has generated public discontent raising increasing protest against the government and a rapid decline in Fern andez popularity3.Argentina foreign policies are mainly concentrated on developing regional trading relations (Mercosur and UnaSur), the country has a good partnership with the UN and has been working on improving relations with the US, with particular interest to develop the technology and science sectors. Nevertheless, relations with the UK have deteriorated following an official complaint to the UN regarding the Falkland Islands4.ECONOMICFollowing the global financial crisis the Argentine economy has achieved a healthy recovery, predominantly through an increasing trade relationship with China, boosting substantially the country’s trade volume and generating a trading surplus5. However, the major concern for the economy is inflation and the great discrepancy of approximately 15% between official and non-governmental estimates. In addition, the government has increased regulatory intervention and thus reduced economic freedom and development.The government’s recent n ationalisation of oil giant YPF owned by the Spanish Company Repsol and of the private pension funds have furthermore hindered private and foreign investment. These factors combined with high public debt levels and low foreign-exchange reserves have constrained the potential for economic growth and left the country at increased risk of recession. Argentina has a strong automotive industry. The government is aiming to attract further investments into the country’s automotive sector by lessening the regulatory framework obstacles and offering subsidies and incentives6.SOCIALArgentina is a traditionally urban country and continues to experience high migration from rural areas. The urban centres enjoy a relatively high standard of living comparable to other Latin American countries, with notable healthcare and educational facilities. Argentina is facing the problems posed by an aging population. This is projected to affect government's social security budgets and generate fiscal burdens. Despite a comprehensive education system restructuring and an improving primary school education system, dropout rates continue to rise sharply7.This will eventually lead to a significant increase in the proportion of unskilled workers. TECHNOLOGICAL With a strong telecommunications industry and a growing IT market, Argentina has shown significant growth in both sectors. The government has implemented plans to augment IT service penetration in rural areas. In addition, it has supported biofuel R&D in an effort to preserve energy security and accelerate technological development8.Argentina’s energy industry is in a deplorable state as they are now a net energy importer, eroding the country’s foreign-currency reserves9. As a result, the government has shown an increasing interest in science and technology and in the biotechnology industry. However, as a result of inadequate investment in R&D, there is a low degree of innovation resulting in a reduced number of p atents granted. Moreover, the lack of respect for intellectual property rights and copyrights has exacerbated the problem. LEGALArgentina has a comprehensive legal and regulatory structure and a federal republican representative government, where each province has its own constitution. In addition, complex and bureaucratic business regulations and strong union and government ties have resulted in wages increasing at 25-35% annual rates. Furthermore, high taxes have been detrimental to investment. For instance, income and corporate tax rates are both set at 35% added to corporate social security tax of between 23% and 27%. These additional costs place an undue burden in industry10.Notwithstanding the introduction of criminal liability for money laundering offences, the judicial system requires an important overhaul to improve its effectiveness and to generate a conducive environment for new business ventures and investments.ENVIRONMENTALDespite having a remarkable biodiversity and va st natural resources, the Argentinian government has been overexploiting its natural resources as a side effect of the rapid economic development. Increasing deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats have been accelerated by soybean cultivation and beef production11.Water and air pollution are major problems, particularly around industrial metropolitan areas. Rising concerns over environmental degradation have resulted in ambitious schemes from the government to develop renewable energy sources. The government has initiated measures to collaborate with prominent multinational organisations to develop biofuel production with particular interest in ethanol from sugarcane pulp12. Moreover, the Argentine government, in partnership with Chinese investments is constructing the largest wind power project in Latin America and is projected to provide 4% of Argentina’s power requirements. ï » ¿Argentina PESTLE analysis POLITICALArgentina government has a strong democratic setup. In 2011, President Fernandez de Kirchner won the presidency for the second time. Her government has been successful at introducing reforms to encourage regional trade and support private sector investment, particularly for the development of the country’s infrastructure, primarily through private-public partnership. The government has also announced the creation of the oil planning commission, emphasizing its interest in the oil industry1.The Fernandez government is increasingly reliant on interventionist policies that fail to solve underlying structural problems and has been involved in several inflation figures manipulation and corruption charges, including a commotion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning inaccurate governance indicators impairing the economic outlook and deterring investment2. This has generated public discontent raising increasing protest against the government and a rapid declin e in Fernandez popularity3.Argentina foreign policies are mainly concentrated on developing regional trading relations (Mercosur and UnaSur), the country has a good partnership with the UN and has been working on improving relations with the US, with particular interest to develop the technology and science sectors. Nevertheless, relations with the UK have deteriorated following an official complaint to the UN regarding the Falkland IslandsECONOMICFollowing the global financial crisis the Argentine economy has achieved a healthy recovery, predominantly through an increasing trade relationship with China, boosting substantially the country’s trade volume and generating a trading surplus5. However, the major concern for the economy is inflation and the great discrepancy of approximately 15% between official and non-governmental estimates. In addition, the government has increased regulatory intervention and thus reduced economic freedom and development.The government’s r ecent nationalisation of oil giant YPF owned by the Spanish Company Repsol and of the private pension funds have furthermore hindered private and foreign investment. These factors combined with high public debt levels and low foreign-exchange reserves have constrained the potential for economic growth and left the country at increased risk of recession.Argentina has a strong automotive industry. The government is aiming to attract further investments into the country’s automotive sector by lessening the regulatory framework obstacles and offering subsidies and incentives6.SOCIALArgentina is a traditionally urban country and continues to experience high migration from rural areas. The urban centres enjoy a relatively high standard of living comparable to other Latin American countries, with notable healthcare and educational facilities. Argentina is facing the problems posed by an aging population. This is projected to affect government's social security budgets and generate f iscal burdens.Despite a comprehensive education system restructuring and an improving primary school education system, dropout rates continue to rise sharply7. This will eventually lead to a significant increase in the proportion of unskilled workers.TECHNOLOGICALWith a strong telecommunications industry and a growing IT market, Argentina has shown significant growth in both sectors. The government has implemented plans to augment IT service penetration in rural areas. In addition, it has supported biofuel R&D in an effort to preserve energy security and accelerate technological development.Argentina’s energy industry is in a deplorable state as they are now a net energy importer, eroding the country’s foreign-currency reserves9. As a result, the government has shown an increasing interest in science and technology and in the biotechnology industry. However, as a result of  inadequate investment in R&D, there is a low degree of innovation resulting in a reduced numbe r of patents granted. Moreover, the lack of respect for intellectual property rights and copyrights has exacerbated the problem.LEGALArgentina has a comprehensive legal and regulatory structure and a federal republican representative government, where each province has its own constitution. In addition, complex and bureaucratic business regulations and strong union and government ties have resulted in wages increasing at 25-35% annual rates. Furthermore, high taxes have been detrimental to investment. For instance, income and corporate tax rates are both set at 35% added to corporate social security tax of between 23% and 27%. These additional costs place an undue burden in industry.Notwithstanding the introduction of criminal liability for money laundering offences, the judicial system requires an important overhaul to improve its effectiveness and to generate a conducive environment for new business ventures and investments.ENVIRONMENTALDespite having a remarkable biodiversity and vast natural resources, the Argentinian government has been overexploiting its natural resources as a side effect of the rapid economic development. Increasing deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats have been accelerated by soybean cultivation and beef production11. Water and air pollution are major problems, particularly around industrial metropolitan areas.Rising concerns over environmental degradation have resulted in ambitious schemes from the government to develop renewable energy sources. The government has initiated measures to collaborate with prominent multinational organisations to develop biofuel production with particular interest in ethanol from sugarcane pulp12. Moreover, the Argentine government, in partnership with Chinese investments is constructing the largest wind power project in Latin America and is projected to provide 4% of Argentina’s power requirements.

Wid and Gad

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (WID) APPROACH AND THE GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) Gender by definition refers to the characteristics, trades, attributes or even roles that are expected for males and females by a given culture or society. Some can say the general social meaning of being male or female. The WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (WID) this approach was developed in the early 1970’s this came to use during the United Nation Decade of women (1972-1985).This approach viewed women as passive beneficiaries of the development according to Miller, C and Razavi, S 1995 , in actual fact there was a growing realization that women were being left out of the economic development or that they were not benefiting significantly from it. The WID therefore views women’s lack o participation as the main problem. While on the other hand the GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) approach emerged in the early 1980’s , it emerged from the limitations of both the WID and WAD (WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT) its main objective was to remove disparities in social, economic and political equality between men and women.Back to the WID it mainly focused on women, the approach seeks to integrate women into economic development through legal and administrative support. The WID approach has enhanced peoples und erstanding of the women’s developmental needs particularly the need to improve statistical measures of women’s work and to provide women with more opportunities for education and employment. WID has helped mainstream gender issues in many developed agencies and polices as well as increase women’s visibility. However the GAD approach argues that women’s status in society is in the national, regional and global economies .It is not just on moment but also on the social relations between women and men, be it the workplace or in other settings. Gender relations are seen as the key determinant of women’s position in society , not as immutable reflections of order but as socially constructed patterns of behavior. The GAD approach sees gender division of labour the work done by women in the household. Women are usually in a disadvantage position in the work place as compared to men , promotion of gender equality implies explicit attention to women’ s needs , interest and perspectives .The GAD approach looks at the impact of development on both women and men, it seeks to ensure that both men and women participate in and benefit from development. However the GAD also recognizes that women’s may be involved in development but not necessarily benefit from it (Moyoyeta, 2004). The GAD also pays special attension to the oppression of women in the family or the â€Å"family sphere† of women’s lives as a result we have seen projects develop addressing issues such as domestic violence, and violence against women. The GAD approach assumptions were that they were unequal power ratios between man and womenPrevents equitable developments (Makombe, 2010) Moreover the biggest contribution of GAD is the inclusion of man into the approach, it does not exclusively emphasize the solidarity of women. This approach acknowledges that women spent a lot of time bearing, raising children , cooking , washing , fetching water caring for the sick and elderly attending to fields and small stock. It also observes that women have no control over their fertility and over productive resources. It also helped us to understand that the gender division of labor gives triple roles thus the reproductive productive and community to women in society.The WID had the following limitations that however as already mentioned led to the formation of the GAD, the limitations of the WID are by exclusively targeting women WID creates tension, suspicion and hostility. It also does not challenge gender relations and assumes that these will change as women become economic partners in development. Furthermore the approach focuses on integration of women into ongoing development strategies. In as much as the GAD was a better approach to WID it also had its limitations, the GAD advocates for the re-examination or deconstruction of gender roles hence it is likely to depend on the goodwill of men.In a nutshell the GAD approach was a better approach to the WID; therefore the gad approach liberates, empowers and promotes partnership and equitable distribution of resources and benefits. WHICH OF THE TWO APPROACHES HAS CONTRIBUTED MORE TO INVOLVEMENT OF WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT [4] The WID approach hoped to bring women into development through providing them with opportunities for employment or engaging them in income generating projects. This would, as it were, remove them from the private sphere into the public sphere.The GAD approach goes beyond seeing development as mainly economic well being but also that the social and mental well being of a person is important. It should also be noted that the biggest contribution of GAD is the inclusion of men into the approach. The approach brings in the part played by some women in perpetuating gender inequality when these women connive with patriarchy to exploit, subordinate and oppress young women in the third world. Women in Development wanted to remove patriarchy and replace it with matriarchy as they believed that every man has a woman to exploit, oppress and subordinate.GAD concentrate more on the idea that women must be lifted from poverty and contribute more to the developments efforts. It argues that women have a role to play both in reproduction and in production process, it acknowledges their economic roles and class decisions for development to take place. GAD argues that understanding women and men`s roles and responsibilities as part of the planning of development interventions helps to improve project effectiveness and ensures that both men and women plays their part in national development activities.GAD approach does not only concentrate on economic development for women and men only but it also views the social and mental being of person as very important. 1. Boserup, E (1970) Women's Role in Economic Development. St. Martin’s Press, New York 2. Hazel Reeves and Sally Baden, (2000) Gender and Development: Concepts and Definitions, ins titute of Development, Brighton 3. Schaefer, RT 2006 , Sociology: A brief introduction, 6th Ed , McGraw Hill, New York. 4. Makombe K . (2010) â€Å"Young Women Speak† Sable Press : Harare 5.MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY Faculty of Science and Technology Name Christine T Mhike Reg Number R12960Y Programme BSc Computer Science Mode of Entry Conventional ModuleGS 201 – Gender Studies Lecturer Mrs Mukoni Level 2. 1 Due date22 March 2013

Philosophy Plato& Personal Opinion

Philosophy Providing Answers for Questions & Questions for Answers Kristen Riso 5250378 PHIL 1F91 Professor: Dr. Lightbody TA: David Corman Word Count: 1941 The Apology written by Plato’s is an excellent piece of philosophical literature that can teach us many things. Most importantly this fine literature gives us the utmost insight into the philosophy of Socrates’. As well it teaches us the idea of asking questions and probing for answers when we don’t understand so we can uncover the truth and learn rather than thinking we know and being ignorant.The intention here is to describe the philosophy of Socrates’ and use what I’ve learned from his ideas to present my own beliefs on what philosophy is and relate it to my personal life. The start of the essay will be devoted to deciphering the ethics and ideals of Socrates’ philosophy and describing the three key components being Socratic method, irony and ethos as well as how they are engrained wi th Socrates’ belief that, â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living. During the second portion of the essay I will discuss my belief that philosophy is the process of consistently asking questions to gain understanding and insight to life’s mysteries and challenges. Similar to Rauhut I would describe philosophy as open questions but I would conclude that definition to be incomplete. Philosophy needs constant discussion and revision, yes it does begin with a simple belief or question but the whole purpose is discussion and explanation to gain further comprehension and understanding of the subject in question.In Plato’s The Apology Socrates’ uses the Socratic method as a way to prove his innocence and show the misconceptions of others. The Socratic method is a process of debate between individuals with contradictory beliefs. The debate is used to promote critical thinking and cause the individuals to consistently prove their hypothesis. In attempts to prove their beliefs they are in turn constantly trying to disprove and eliminate the ideas of anyone opposing them.To defend your opinion, questioning can be used to cause deep thought by the opposition about their beliefs and force them to provide supporting evidence to verify their perspective. Socrates’ constantly uses this technique by forcing people to explain what they think they know and by asking the right questions he is able to show the flaws in their ideas. These questions can lead a defendant to contradict himself therefore strengthening the ideas of the opposition. â€Å"And yet, I know that my plainness of speech makes them hate me, and what is their hatred but proof that I am speaking the truth? (Plato, 24a-24b). This method creates a much greater chance for a successful and applicable hypothesis and analyzes and dissects ideas to see how they fit or contradict with other beliefs. Socratic Irony is a tool used in the Socratic method in attempts to get the oppo sition to expose their deficiency of understanding or an error in their rationality. The process uses very specific questions in which the person who is questioning pretends that they lack knowledge on something that they actually know.This is displayed when Socrates’ questions Meletus and causes Meletus to bring up facts which contradict his accusations against Socrates’, â€Å"†¦ if a man with whom I have to live is corrupted by me, I am very likely to be harmed by him; and yet I corrupt him, and intentionally, too – so you say,† (Plato, 25e-26a). With this technique the person asking the question knows the answer all along and therefore when the opposition supplies an answer that is incorrect or flawed they are able to clearly illustrate the mistake that is made thus proving their point without any doubt or contradiction. But either I do not corrupt them, or I corrupt them unintentionally; and on either view of the case you lie. † (Plato, 25 e-26a). This process is very effective due to the sole reason that you can make your opponent prove your point for you. The irony of this technique therefore lies in the simple fact that by pretending to display your own ignorance on a subject you con your opponents into openly presenting their own ignorance, therefore causing them to work against themselves to your advantage. Socrates’ displays the Socratic method and clearly illustrates the ffectiveness of Socratic irony when he defends himself and his ethos to the court and jurors. Ethos being the Greek word for character depicts the defining ethics, principles and views of the person or group in question. When discussing the philosophical beliefs of Socrates, â€Å"†¦ a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong – acting the part of a good man or of a bad. † (Plato, 28b-28c) it is evide nt that he is ethically, academically and politically opposed to the majority of the population of Athens during his life.Socrates’ does not fear death and therefore he would not change his opinions or who he is even when he is put on trial with a possible death sentence. He believes in honesty and cares about enriching the lives of others, â€Å"I did not go where I would do no good to you or to myself; but where I would do the greatest good privately to every one of you, thither I went, and sought to persuade every man among you that he must look to himself, and seek virtue and wisdom before he looks at his private interests. † (Plato, 36c-36d). Socrates’ is said to be very wise and yet he always claims to have no knowledge. I am better off than he is for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows; I nether know nor think that I know. † (Plato, 21d-21e). This brings forth the idea of ignorance and how false overconfidence combined with some knowledge can lead to less wisdom than no knowledge at all. When Socrates interacts with the Artisans he finds that they have knowledge about life that he does not know and thought that they would be wiser than him. He later found that they overshadowed their wisdom with the idea that they knew more than they actually did. †¦ Therefore I asked myself on behalf of the oracle, whether I would like to be as I was, neither having their knowledge nor their ignorance, or like them in both; and I made answer to myself and to the oracle that I was better off as I was. † (Plato, 22d-22e). The idea presented by the oracle portrays the concept that men who are not overconfident and believe that they know nothing would therefore ask questions and be the most willing to learn thus giving them the advantage to become wiser and not miss out on opportunities that life presents.This implies that Socrates’ is not in fact the wisest man but that anyone who is open to new ideas and asks questions in attempts to understand is wiser than anyone who believes that they are more knowledgeable than the rest and are thus ignorant to knowledge. I would say that knowledge is a very broad term that encompasses a great deal of different skills that can be absorbed through either experience or education and can be either practically or theoretically applied. In philosophy the study of knowledge is known as epistemology.Philosophers in this area try to define knowledge and gain understanding of how it is obtained as well as connecting it to our own beliefs through explanation and rationalization. I would say that Rauhut’s claim that philosophy is the study of open questions does have some validity but it only convers part of what I would describe as philosophy. Philosophy needs to have verbal debate between many individuals to ensure that thought provoking questions are asked to probe at the brains of people causing them to really think and have to support their theories with vali d evidence and reasoning.It is not just about answering what something is but also why and how it happens. I would say that everyone uses philosophy in their everyday life, whenever we analyze something and ask others and ourselves questions we are philosophizing by forcing ourselves to search for answers that are unknown to us. Philosophy thrives on logical rational thinking and being able to verbally justify and clarify your ideas while enlightening others.A personal experience in my life, which I would directly relate to philosophy, would be the time that my best friend and I watched Inception. The movie was extremely thought provoking and had a particularly interesting concept. After the movie was finished my friend and myself were immediately diving into a conversation about perception and reality. The idea of dreams is very philosophical in my own opinion, which is why the discussion that this movie instigated was perfect.Originally we conversed about the idea of whether or no t he was still in the dream and to back up our ideas we provided evidence. Information such as the fact that at the end of the movie the spinning top started to wobble which never happened in the dream world would provide support to the idea that he had managed to escape from the dream world and make it back to his family. On the other hand looking at the fact that his children still looked the same and were in the backyard in the same position reinforced the idea that he was still in the dream world.By asking questions and seeking answers we were being philosophical and therefore gaining knowledge and understanding by asking how and why and providing rational reasoning for our explanations. This then lead us into a discussion about dreams and reality and how we can determine the truth. It made us ask questions such as, how do we know what is real? This brought up the possibility of us being in a dream world and the idea that maybe only one of us was real and the other person was a figment of imagination created by the mind of the real person to create questions and drive for deeper thinking and increasing intellect.I would conclude that discussion as being an enlightening and philosophical experience in my life due to the nature of its content as well as the thought provoking questions asked. In my mind that is philosophy and to put it elegantly, â€Å"I think therefore I am† (Rene Descartes, 1596-1650). Philosophy is all about thought; one must think to create idea and to make connections between anything. The mind must be constantly analyzing the world and asking question to obtain knowledge and understanding of the world around them.If you close your mind you give yourself up to ignorance and choose to live in a world and false beliefs and misconceptions unaware and the beautiful depth of philosophy. The idea that ignorance is bliss I would have to disagree with in a philosophical sense due to the fact that analyzing and questioning the aspects of o ur world to further your comprehension of anything that interests you has got to be one of the most important and enriching aspects of life, as we know it.If we did not ask questions and search for answers we would never grow and advance. Questioning is the key to understanding and that is a tremendous factor in expanding, developing and progressing the world as we know it. Philosophy is the study of open questions such as what, why and how as well as the process of gaining answers through rational thought, deliberation and verification. References The Apology by Plato