Linux Companies

LINUX COMPANIES 1. Quintet solutions National Residency Complex, Edappally, Kochi-24, Kerala, INDIA [email  protected] com +91-484-4055472 2. Vipoint solutions 3. Spark supportWindows Engineer SparkSupport Infotech Pvt Ltd. 3rd Floor, Leela Infopark Phase II, Kochi-30, Kerala, India Phone:+91 484 6561696 [email  protected] com 4. Ideamine technologies Linux System Engineer (1 – 3 years) 111/347-B, PTRA 106, First floor, P T Road, Chembumukku, Kochi – 682021 Kerala, India [pic]  91-484-4044362 [email  protected] com 5. Armia 6. Admin ahead First Floor, Image Arcade | |Airport-Seaport Road | |Kakkanad | |Cochin – 682037 | |Kerala , India | [email  protected] com 7. Admod technologies 8. Syntrio technologies 9. N dimensionz 10. On mobile 11. Hash root 12. Hashcod 13. BVS technologies 14. Rmesi 15. X Minds 16. OOPS Matrix (Denoct) 17. KSWAN 18. Vanilla networks 19. Sequires 20. Aigensolutions 21. Xieles 22. Webhostrepo 23. Supportsages 24. Servadm 25. Logic support 6. Bobcares 27. Bigserversolutions 28. Cliffsupport 29. Liquidsupport 30. Supportlobby 31. Best value Support 32. Supportresort 33. Asteriskssoft 34. Igloo 35. Takira solutions 36. Active Lobby NB:These are the companies i know. You do one thing search the contact number of these companies in google and call them and say that you heard about some vacancies there. Then they will give their mail id or will say to come directly to their company. Before that study DNS,DHCP,HTTP server,mail server, all port numbers,basic commands,hardlink,softlink,nice value,find,grep,pipe,all configuration files,mysql port number etc†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦

Palm Hospital Notes

Palms Hospital (Traditional Project Analysis) Palms Hospital * 250 bed capacity; investor owned; Islamorada, Florida * Founded in 1946 by Rob Winslow, went back in 1967 after the war * High economic growth, population expansion Acknowledged to be one of the leading healthcare providers in the area * Currently evaluating a proposed ambulatory (outpatient) surgery centre * More than 80% o all outpatient surgery is performed by specialists * Minor procedures take about one hour or less, major procedures take two or more hours * About 60 percent of the procedures are performed under general anesthesia, 30 percent under local anesthesia, 10 percent under regional or spinal anesthesia * Operating rooms built in pairs for prep and surgery efficiency * Outpatient surgery market has experienced significant growth since the first ambulatory centre opened in 1970; 1990 – 2. million surgeries, 2009 – more than 20 million surgeries * Growth was fueled by three factors: rapid advance ments in technology made it possible for inpatient surgeries to be performed as outpatient surgeries,; Medicare has been aggressive in approving new minimally invasive surgery techniques, meaning number of Medicare patients who use outpatient surgery services has grown substantially; patients prefer outpatient surgeries for convenience, and third party payers prefer them for less cost * Inpatient surgery numbers have been flat due to these factors over the last 20 years; outpatient procedures grow at 10% annually * No other outpatient surgery centre exists in Palms Hospital’s immediate environment, but rumors about physician owned facilities are surfacing * Palms Hospital owns a land adjacent to the facility that would be a perfect location for the new ambulatory surgery centre; the land was bought for $150,000, spent $25,000 to clear the land (also expensed for tax purposes) to put sewer and utility lines. If sold today, the land will ring in $200,000. * The supposed buildin g will house four operating suites that will cost $5,000,000 plus another $5,000,000 for equipment costs for a total of $10,000,000. *Note: the building and the equipment fall into the modified accelerated cost recovery system (MACRS) five-year class for tax depreciation purposes; in reality, the building has to be depreciated over a longer period than the quipment * Although the project may have a longer life, the hospital assumes a five-year life in its capital budgeting analyses and then approximates the value of the cash flows beyond year 5 by including a terminal/salvage value in the analysis; to estimate this value, the hospital uses the market value of the building and equipment after five years, which in this case is $5M before taxes, excluding land value. *Note: taxes must be paid on the difference between an asset’s salvage value and tax book value at termination; for example, if an asset that cost $10,000 is depreciated to $5,000 and then sold for $7,000, the firm owes taxes on the $2,000 excess in salvage value over tax book value * Expected volume for this centre is 20 procedures a day, with an average charge of $1,500 but charity care, bad debts, managed care plan discounts and other allowances lower the net revenue amount to $1,000; the centre will be open 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year, 250 days out of the year.Labor costs are expected to run at $918,000 a year excluding fringe benefits; utility costs run at $50,000 a year * If the centre is built, hospital’s cash overhead will increase by $36,000 annually, primarily for housekeeping, building and grounds maintenance; centre will be allocated $25,000 of the hospital’s current $2. 8M administrative overhead costs. On average, each procedure will require $200 in expendable medical supplies, including anesthetics. The hospital’s inventories and receivables, as well as accruals and payables will increase. Overall change in net working capital is expected to be small, the refore not imperative to the analysis. The hospital’s tax rate is 40%. * Inflation – one of the most difficult factors to deal with in project analysis. Input costs and charges have been rising at twice the rate of overall inflation. Inflationary pressures are highly variable.Analysis is started by assuming that both revenues and costs, except for depreciation, will increase at a constant rate – which they project will be at 3%. * Board members’ concerns – wants to make sure that a complete risk analysis including sensitivity and scenario analysis is performed before the proposal is presented (board was forced to close a daycare that appeared to be profitable but turned out to be a big money loser – 2 years ago) * Another concern would be the impact of the centre on the current volume of inpatient surgeries. Surgery department head projected that the outpatient surgery centre could siphon off up to $1,000,000 in cash revenues annually, hat c ould lead to a $500,000 reduction in annual cash expenses * The data developed for risk analysis were as follows: three input variables are highly uncertain – number of procedures per day, average revenue per procedure, building/equipment salvage value. If another centre was built to compete with theirs, number of procedures could be as low as 10 a day, but if acceptance to their centre is strong, they could be doing 25 procedures a day. * Net average revenue (cost of procedure) is $1000. But if surgery severity is high, net average revenue could be $1,200. If severity is low, it could be $800. If real estate and medical equipment values stay strong, salvage value could be as high as $6M, but if it weakens, it’ll be as low as $4M – considering that the average salvage value is $5M. Another board member question why the scenario analysis only had three scenarios and suggested 5 or 7. * Based on historical scenario analysis data that use best case, worst case, and most likely, the hospital’s average project has a coefficient of variation of NPV (net present value) in the range of 1. 0-2. 0 and the hospital typically adds or subtracts 4 percentage points to its 10 percent corporate cost of capital to adjust for differential project risk. * Note: the case asks us to conduct complete project analysis and present findings. It suggests the application of Monte Carlo simulation (but that is bullshit because that’s the simulation you need a computer software for).

Acne Dressing project Essay

Introduction In early 2005 T.C. Chung, the departmental head of 3M Taiwan healthcare division was facing a decision whether to launch a product called Acne Dressing in Taiwan. The Taiwanese subsidiary had been transformed from a petty sales office in 1969 to one of 3M’s most extensive and successful subsidiaries in the 2000’s. The development project has a couple of major problems that need to be solved before Acne Dressing can be kicked off in Taiwan. Chung had the product go through 3M’s evaluation system and now he’s facing a big question – what to do with the product and how to make rational decisions about the future. In this case answer we analyze the problems that need to be solved if the launch is to be done. We address these problems and offer concrete recommendations for Chung and his team on how to continue with the project. Although Chung seems to be quite inexperienced and in need of support, the powerful 3M resources for product development and the knowledgeable project team consisting of different departments in 3M will provide him with all the resources he needs. Analysis As the development of Acne Dressing is a strongly technology-based project, the company HQ was heavily involved in the NPIS review that the product ultimately passed. Some aspects of the final form on the product however, still remain not clear enough. During the review process the local financial and technical divisions took part in finding ways to transform Hydrocolloid Dressing into a marketable product which costs were reasonable. The extent of this analysis seems not to have been adequate, as in the final stage of the review the HQ raised the issue of the potentially very costly product development. As this was the main concern raised by 3M HQ, it should be  carefully looked into and further analysis done. There were two additional concerns, these raised by the local project team. Firstly, according to the teams review, the potential customer group for acne treatment products in Taiwan seemed to be used to traditional methods for acne treatment. However, 3M had already noted that especially teenagers were using other kinds of products to help with acne – e.g. 3M’s Micropore Surgical Tape. Another thing to note relates to the fact that at this point nurses were the primary consumers of 3M hydrocolloid dressings. The case states that nurses had a tendency to cut the product into small pieces and use those pieces for superficial skin blemishes. This shows 3M that well-educated users of the product had already started using it for their planned purpose and in an innovative way – even without 3M asking them to do so. Secondly the team concluded that there are no similar products as Acne Dressing in the taiwanese market. As this was the case, the information on customer behaviour and potential sales was limited. This strongly suggested that customers would need to be educated to realize the potential of the new product. During the time there was an ongoing hype for do-it-yourself health care in TW during the time, and people were actively looking for new ways to look healthy. This fact suggests that the target groups of Acne Dressing could well be very receptive for the marketing of never-seen-before products. Conclusions Chung has multiple options concerning the product. With help from HQ, he should analyze the process costs of transforming the high-end hydrocolloid materials into customer-size Acne Dressing. The team should calculate if the material could be reworked into a usable size with the designs made by technical service department, and specifically focus on the costs of manufacturing. If the process is costly, the retail price of the product might be too high for the average 15-35 years old customer. A layman’s idea would be to cut down the size of the package and redesign it so it would be used like a plaster, of which one can cut suitable sized pieces for use. Also, the project team should have the HQ laboratories conduct a proper research on the dressing’s effectiveness against acne. This would be crucial in marketing efforts especially as the customer group is used to ‘traditional’ scientifically proven acne-treatment methods. A thorough  research for all hea lth effects is not needed with this position innovation because the material has already proved its value in hospitals around the world. This would follow the position innovation strategy through product upgrading (John Wiley & Sons, 2009). As 3M’s marketing department sees an opportunity in the new product, this would be a great possibility for a nation wide marketing campaign around the new product. With the risk that the price might be too high for some consumers, it should be sold in three different varieties of packages. Small, medium and large. The small package would be aimed at a segment that could not afford to constantly use the product. It could be used for the absolute worst kinds of acne induced blisters. Also the small package would work as an low risk purchase for the customers. After the product proved its excellency, the consumer would gradually move on to the medium and large packages. As the product would be quite new and require consumers to change the way they purchase health-care, it is important to emphasize two aspects: sampling and user experiences. This would be achieved by letting consumers test the product and see its effectiveness. Then it would be important for the user experiences to be distributed in nation-wide campaigns in the largest media platforms. Recommendations The Acne Dressing is a great product for the current market situation. It has gone through 3M’s organization-wide evaluation system, NPIS, without too many challenges. The product should be launched if the financial and technical service approve of the costs of manufacturing and deem the product positive. Chung must trust his local team and their advice, and abandon HQ’s advice in this matter. Should Acne Dressing prove to be a tremendous success in Taiwan, the possibilities for expanding are huge. As 3M Taiwan already has expanded to China, bringing in a new product to the market of a billion people could be business transforming. The whole acne market in the world is estimated to reach revenues of over $3 billion by 2016 (Wood, 2010). Chung must remain firmly behind the decision and trust the local team in Taiwan. The pessimism of the headquarters are not to be taken into wider consideration as long as necessary additional analysis is done. References Bibliography: Wood, L. 2010. Research and Markets: The Global Acne Market Is Estimated To Reach Revenues of $3.02 Billion by 2016 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) Of 0.7%. [online] Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/05/07/idUS223712+07-May-2010+BW20100507 [Accessed: 30 Sep 2013]. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2009, Managing Innovation (Lecture slides)

BUS WK4 HOMEWORK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

BUS WK4 HOMEWORK - Essay Example The following section discusses the literature review in support of universal precautions and identifies gaps in the research. Research on the topic supports the use of universal precautions over contact barriers. Kirkland (2008) explains that the emphasis on contact isolation in most hospitals is not based on strong evidence. Instead it is based on conventional beliefs about patient safety. Similarly, in an important study Ribner et al. (1986) share the opinion that a more effective substitute to strict isolation may be available in the form of a modified approach based on a case by case analysis. Although they do not recommend doing away with the use of gloves and gowns, their study reveals the potential for developing precautions on the basis of the necessity for preventing the spread of infections in each case. Allegranzi and Pittet (2009) state that hand hygiene is the most important factor in preventing the spread of infections in a hospital setting. Furthermore, Brouqui (2003) is of the opinion that the practice of adopting hand hygiene procedures among hospital staff can be encouraged by the use of alcohol sprays in hospitals. Cepeda et al. (2005) also show in their study that the continuous use of gowns and gloves is likely to increase the transmission of infections. They also state that the use of gloves tends to reduce adherence to hand hygiene practices among health professionals. In addition to cost savings, the research will also study the effects of universal precautions on the emotional well-being of patients. Barratt et al. (2011) explain that the use of gloves and gowns can be restrictive and may act as a barrier to the information and empathy needs of patients. This can result in the patients experiencing greater anxiety and frustration. In a similar research, Skyman et al. (2009) also reported that patients who were isolated for risk of spreading MRSA infection described their experience as a

Strategic analysis and directions for Google Essay

Strategic analysis and directions for Google - Essay Example Figure 1: Comparison between Tata and Toyota by volume manufactured). In some categories, such as heavy buses and heavy commercial vehicles, Tata Motors even produces more vehicles (see Appendix 1 for full data). Going by revenue, the automotive industry, which develops, designs, manufactures, markets and sells motor vehicles a significant economic sector of the world. The industry, though very capital intensive, yet is marked by fierce competition and demand elasticity being plagued by a host of recent political, economic and social macroeconomic developments such as: credit crisis, fuel crisis and technological changes necessitated due to global climatic change. Economic developments: The automotive industry suffered significantly during the previous ensuing years as part of global financial meltdown, which affected the American, European and Asian automobile manufacturers. Canada too felt the heat due to the Automotive Products Trade Agreement. Geopolitical developments: Substanti al increase in fuel prices triggered by geopolitical developments resulted weak car demand, which further weakened the automotive industry. Sports utility vehicles, pick-up trucks and other high gasoline consuming vehicles were under pressure due to fuel hike and their sales decreased substantially. Many American manufacturers such as Ford, GM and Chrysler were forced to roll out more fuel efficient vehicles. Technological changes required due to global climatic changes: Due to impact of global climatic changes and the resultant stringent emission norms increased investments in technology significantly. The tell-tale situation of the industry is marred by negative growth leading into the automotive industry crisis of 2008-2010. Table 2: Percentage change in global car manufacturing during 2007 to 2010. Year Production Change Source 22007 73,266,061 5.80% (OICA, 2007) 22008 70,520,493 -3.70% (OICA, 2008) 22009 60,986,985 -13.50% (OICA, 2010) Figure 2: Percentage change in global car production year 2007 - 2010 As a result of these macroeconomic developments, the industry is currently undergoing radical changes and is moving towards consolidation by means of mergers and acquisitions and strategic tie-ups and partnerships for joint production, and marketing and selling. Chances are that more weaker and unprofitable companies will further be taken over and acquired and in the end will leave only those strong enough to sustain the downturn. Under these circumstances, Tata Motors need to maintain economy of scale and need to invest more on R&D and innovation, and also need to explore new products and markets. All these have to be undertaken simultaneously under the constraints of the emerging geopolitical

Overpopulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Overpopulation - Essay Example The most rapid population growth has occurred during the past 300 years. Overpopulated countries like Africa, Asia & America increases its crime, epidemics and workforces. Overpopulation can be defined in several ways. One way is in terms in carrying capacity. Other way to define overpopulation is in terms critical factors. Critical impacts such as malnutrition, lack of food supply, unemployment, lack of education, destruction of ecosystem, poverty, lack of housing & uncontrollable diseases indicate that there is overpopulation, regardless of the carrying capacity of ecosystem. The third way is population size and resource use to their environmental consequences (Addison,1994). The world is over populated if the environment is damaged by factors like pollution and habitat destruction on large scale. "One cause that affect the amount of food produced is because the amount of land available for growing crops".(Persell, 1990). Due to overpopulation the supply for food is affected. For example in a irrigation area, extensive irrigation may deplete underground water supply more rapidly than they replenish. In the long run, overusing those areas may cause them to dry up and also become unfit for farming. And because of this it does not seem to offer an easy solution to the problems of world food production. . Food is not the only resource that determines carrying capacity in the ecosystem. (Manongdo,2003). B. Housing Problems "Inadequate housing is not just one of a lack of housing, it also a problem of unaffordable housing."(Kerbo,1989). Due to overpopulation, many people are homeless. According to (Newsweek, March 23,1981) 30,000 people were homeless in LA in 1984. During the high employment many people were seen sleeping in the street because they can't afford to buy homes. C. Human Behavior Human behavior of overpopulated area believed that is harmful to humans. The extensive daily contact with strangers, due to overcrowding can affect the behavior of a human. According to (Kerbo,1989) "The lack of strong social - were believed to cause many problems such as mental, illness and crime". With this kind of environment certainly has a higher crime rate but seems due to the often found poverty and many children without adequate support. D. Lack on water supply because freshwater have been polluted and there's inadequate water treatment facilities. Overpopulated country suffers from different diseases such as tuberculosis, parasites diseases and leprosy. And almost 75% of this came from the water that they are using. Commonly polluted water causes death to thousands of children all over the world. Diseases contribute to poor heath conditions in many parts of the world. Diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis are becoming common again, even though effective medical treatments once made them rare. E. Destruction of nature. Because of this problem many people especially children

National Trust CaseStudy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

National Trust CaseStudy - Essay Example A SWOT analysis is a useful instrument for helping managers to identify internal strengths and weaknesses of a business and external opportunities and threats facing it (Strydom, 31). Based on the case study, it can be noted that National is a registered charity that looks after special places and was founded in 1895. The major strength of the organization is that it is unique since it specialises in looking after historic places that are centers of attraction. Many people are attracted by the beautiful places under its jurisdiction and this helps National Trust to generate substantial revenue from the number of visitors that go to the place every year. The main weakness confronting National Trust is that it is not for profit business. It relies on membership and entrance fees to cater for its operational costs. Costs incurred in maintaining the places as well as advertising are high which leaves the organization vulnerable to financial constraints. The major threat for National Trust is that the members of the public have alternative ways of spending their time. This entails that National Trust might not be in a position to attract the large envisaged numbers. Research has also shown that a lot of young people are not comfortable to work for the organization. Promotion is very important in the operations of the organization. For instance, this marketing strategy is used to raise awareness among people about the product and services offered, appeal to the interests of people as well as to remind them about the product (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). In case of National Trust, promotion is used to raise awareness among the people about the product as well as to explain the benefits of the services offered. Different marketing communication tools such as new media including social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, Youtube, Weibo, MSN and advertising are often used. National Trust promotes its activities mainly through the use of social

Emergence of Capitalism in Western Europe Essay

Emergence of Capitalism in Western Europe - Essay Example ationship amongst the various processes of production, distribution, consumption and exchange, it was, nevertheless unable to visualize the importance of creating facilitating environment of growth through incentives to farmers. The farmers were therefore forced to produce not for profit but for sustenance. Another key factor that contributed to the decline of feudalism was its tendency to encourage population growth for both the peasants and the feudal lords (Dobb, 1963). The large peasant family helped in farming but it led to defragmentation of land holding and lower production in the long run. The enlarged family of local rulers strengthened their political power as the family members were absorbed in the military. This again put pressure on the farmers as surplus was used to support growing number of military. The enlarged family of rulers also witnessed reduced power as land was divided amongst larger number of inheritors. In order to strengthen the position of feudal lords, th e major states of Western Europe like Germany, France, Italy, Portugal etc. raised taxes and appropriation on surplus that led to the widespread revolt of the peasant (Maddison, 2007). The revolt of peasants was joined by the proletarian class which significantly helped in the fall of feudal system in Western Europe. All these factors became key issues for the decline for feudal system in Western Europe. 3. Emergence of Capitalism in Western Europe in 17th to 19th century One of the most important factors that had emerged from the fall of feudalism was the development of bartering economy and expansion of trade over larger geographical areas (Ingram, 2008). The money was minted and used for payments in various economic activities like sale and purchase/ lease/ rent of land, goods and... The enlarged family of local rulers strengthened their political power as the family members were absorbed in the military. This again put pressure on the farmers as surplus was used to support growing number of military. The enlarged family of rulers also witnessed reduced power as land was divided amongst larger number of inheritors. In order to strengthen the position of feudal lords, the major states of Western Europe like Germany, France, Italy, Portugal etc. raised taxes and appropriation on surplus that led to the widespread revolt of the peasant (Maddison, 2007). The revolt of peasants was joined by the proletarian class which significantly helped in the fall of feudal system in Western Europe. All these factors became key issues for the decline for feudal system in Western Europe.3.   Emergence of Capitalism in Western Europe in 17th to 19th century  One of the most important factors that had emerged from the fall of feudalism was the development of bartering economy and expansion of trade over larger geographical areas (Ingram, 2008). The money was minted and used for payments in various economic activities like sale and purchase/ lease/ rent of land, goods and services. The peasants and farm workers were more motivated because of wage based labour. Most importantly, the payment system in standardized form of money made it easy to switch the occupation, the feudal soldiers and serfs could now be replaced with paid soldiers and peasants boasting greater skills. It helped to highlight the importance of labour.

MR4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MR4 - Assignment Example VoIP system has the huge potential to provide call quality as well as reliability as compared to other competitor who generally offer the service of landline calls or mobile phone (Moran). VoIP or Voice over IP provides a lot of benefits over typical telephony, since they normally provide great reduction in cost, less complication and extra highly developed features of communication. The most prominent benefit of VoIP technology is the prospective planned for savings the costs of telecommunications. The traditional and ancient phone services used for business can be quite costly as we take into account the cost of numerous phone lines, extra charges planned for some specific features similar to three-way or conference calling, as well as the details that the majority telephone service provider’s use to bill business calls during a minute. So VoIP allows us to efficiently make our voice calls all through the similar data network that we generally use for every day applications like Web access as well as e-mail, thus greatly confiscating the cost of dedicated voice lines (Moran). The Kaestners company provides a free online test to facilitate and verify the appropriateness of Internet connection designed by considering VoIP. It estimates how many concurrent VoIP calls our network might be possible to hold through measuring its bandwidth of both directions (which may be significantly less than the raw upload bandwidth of network) as well as latency. With the implementation of this technology we are able to provide a better support for the enhanced business administration and efficient working support (Moran). Moran, Joseph. "VoIP: A Primer for Small Business." 16 November 2005. SmallBusinessComputing.com. 27 September 2010

Romeo and Juliet Tragedy Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Tragedy Essay Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy play by Willam Shakespeare. The play is about two young adults who are in love. They are both victims of a bitter feud between their well-respected families. I have looked up Romeo in the dictionary to give me an insight as to what the play was about and as soon as I read the meaning of Romeo I knew it was a love play: A hero- hence a man who is an ardent lover The play is set in the city of Verona. Romeo and Juliet (the main characters of the play) are part of the Montague family (Romeo) and part of the capulets family (Juliet). The play begins with a street fight between the servants of both families. The price brings the fight to an abrupt end. Juliet is meant to be getting married to Count Paris, chosen by her father. However Romeo and Juliet, who meet at a ball, soon fall in love and get married in secret. Juliet fakes her own death with a drug friar Lawrence issued her and is found in bed dead on her wedding day in which she is too marry Count Paris. She is buried in a tomb, which is where Romeo finds her. Romeo has not yet received a note saying that Juliet is not dead and kills him with poison. Juliet wakes up after the drug has worn off and Romeo dead and she kill herself (for real) with Romeos dagger. The two grieving families end the feud between them at the end of the play. Only do they end the feud when death is struck upon them. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because Romeos and Juliets love was singled to end in death and is the only thing that ends the feud between the families: The fearful passage of their death-marked love I understand that dramatic tension is when someone is creating a scene being big and powerful, having something struck upon you suddenly. This relates to the play because the play is powerful and it captures the audiences attention. It has a lot of cliffhangers for example; where Romeo kills Tybalt in act 3 scenes 1 we think what will happen next? Will Romeo die? What will Juliet do if her love is brutally murdered by her own family? All of these create dramatic tension. By the use of characters, events, lanuage the essay aims to explain my views on Romeo and Juliet and to tell and explain to people the play of Romeo and Juliet so that they understand what is happening and what it is all about. It will also increase my knowledge of the play so I can understand it and put myself in their shoes hopefully capturing what they must have felt and been like. From reading the prologue I understand that both of the capulets and Montagues is as equal as one another, they both have the same amount of wealth and respect: Two households both alike in dignity I know that Romeo and Juliet are madly in love and are destined for one another: A pair of star crossed lovers takes their lives A pair of star-crossed lovers could mean that Romeo and Juliets love is doomed by the influence of the stars and that they are madly in love. However the stars are crossed and this shows us that there is a shadow in the way and that something will go wrong. Also from the prologue the audience is told of the ending of the play, they are told that the lovers are fated, they are star-crossed, their love will end in death, and that the lovers death, and the lovers death is the only thing that will end the long feud between the families. But their childrens end, nought could remove In act 3 scenes 1, Mercutio, who is Romeos best fiend, picks a fight with tybalt who wants to fight Romeo. Instead Romeo trys to prevent the fight between Mercutio and tybalt. Romeo then kills tybalt and flees the scene of the murder. Before Romeo appears on the scene he has come from his secret wedding to Juliet. Friar Lawrence has married them, so only the friar, Romeo and Juliet know about the marriage and the Montagues and capulets are bonded. They are bonded through the two lovers marriage, unknown to lady Capulet she is now Romeos mother in law. I think that this scene has more dramatic tension because in this scene we are really on edge as to what will happen to Romeo now that he has murdered tybalt. Also we are anxious to know what will happen to Mercutio now that he has been wounded and we wonder whether he will live or die. Mercutio is brave in this scene and when he is injured by tybalt he puts a brave face on and pretends his injuries are not serious and people believe him because he is known as the fool, however after a while Romeo realises he is lying and that he is dieing. This also causes tension because when Mercutio is first injured we (the audience) believe that he is not really hurt, so we wonder what will happen? Will he be ok? Will his injuries cause his death? The action in this scene is crucial because it keeps us on edge and makes sure that we continue watching the play to see what happens, the action builds up the tension for the final scene when both Romeo and Juliet take their own lives. The action shows that whatever happens Romeo is still a good guy because although he has killed tybalt he has done it in good faith for Mercutio. The characters involved in act 3 scene 1 are Benvolio, Mercutio, tybalt, Romeo, Petrucio, a citizen, the prince and lady Capulet, lady Montague. My thoughts/ impressions of the families from this scene are: The capulets are an evil family who only care about them selves. However there is some caring members of the family (Juliet), as she does not hold any grudges against the opposite familys think the family is uncaring because when tybalt kills Mercutio although he did not mean it he does not show any signs of sorrow for what he has done. I think that the Montagues are a caring family because as soon as Romeo enters he talks about love, this shows he has loving feelings for someone, also Romeos best friend Benvolio is a peacemaker and does not like fighting: Out of her favour where iam in love Romeo does not want to fight, he does not want to harm anyone or cause trouble or fight with a member of the family and he only kills tybalt because he has murdered his best friend, and this shows that Romeo values friendship: I thought all for the best Mercutio pretends or trys to tell everyone that he is not in pain and this makes us wonder whether he is lying or whether he is telling the truth. However Romeo sees through him and we realise how much Mercutio and Romeo are hurting and we wonder what will happen next. Romeo is hesitant to get involved because he is Tybalts cousin, because he is a member of the family. This shows that he cares not just about himself and his reputation but that he cares about his family as well. At the end of the scene lady Montague feels that Romeo must not live and hat he deserves to die a tybalt has. I think that this has come about because Romeo has killed tybalt therefore he is a murder, and in time when the first play was wrote, death was a penalty for murder. I also think that the capulets do not want to accept that a member of their family was in the wrong. The characters change in act 3 scene 1 because Benvolio turns into a troublemaker; Romeo shows the audience his bad side and turns really angry and upset resulting in the murder of tybalt. In act 3 scenes 1 lady Capulet takes up the violence of the fed and demands that Romeos punishment is death. She does not change throughout the play and remains a hard, unfeeling, unsympathic woman who pushes her daughter away and is party responsible for her death. In act 3 the prince is personal because Mercutio is a kings man has been killed, the prince fulfils his words from act 1. Instead of killing Romeo the prince banishes him from the country as a result of causing death of tybalt: Else, when hes found, that hour is his last The play ends in tragedy. The death of two lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Romeo arrives at the tomb where Juliet has been buried, meets Paris and kills him. Believing Juliet is dead, Romeo takes the potion and dies. Juliet awakens, sees that Romeo is dead and commits suicide. As a result of this the capulets and Montagues promise never to feud again: Poor scarifies of our enmity I have learnt hat dramatic tension is as I thought it to be; it is something that is big, powerful but also keeps the viewers on edge because we wonder constantly what will happen next. In this play there are lot of themes. The themes involved are: Disorder this is a theme because there is fighting, anger, passion and false love (between Juliet and Paris) disorder means: A lack of order or confusion There is light and darkness because there is death, violence, sadness and secrets. Lightness is represented by the love between Romeo and Juliet. Darkness id represented because Romeo is sad and depressed and the sadness at the end of the play of the lovers death. Light is represented by love, life and hope. Darkness means: Gloomy, dismal, sullen, threating, obscure, mysterious, evil, in secret Light means: A way of looking at or considering a matter; aspect There is also love and passion because Romeo is in love with Juliet and passion because lady Capulet is only in her marriage because it makes her wealthy and noticeable. Romeo also shows passion regarding his feeling for Mercutio when he kills tybalt in revenge. Love means: Deep affection and warm feeling for one another Passion means: Strong desire or lust Overall I think that the play is very dramatic. The other themes as well are lies, deceit, truth, love and hate.

McDonalds top five critical success factors

McDonalds top five critical success factors Executive Summary This report will lay out the importance of McDonalds top five critical success factors which has made the company this successful. Firstly, the history and background of the company will be established to get the mood and feel of the restaurant, this will include the positioning of the company within the market as well. Secondly, the critical success factors of the company will be elaborated in this section. Thirdly, the report would give examples of the downfalls of McDonalds as well, as every product and company has its declining stage, and how it overcame the situation. And lastly, insights and conclusions will be stated to give a broader sense of the importance to why it is important to discuss about such company. Introduction to McDonalds McDonalds has become a wide spreaded company in the world today. It would be interesting to look into the factors to what made the company so successful. However, before going into details of any insights and findings, we must first establish understanding from the background and histories of the company first. McDonalds Background It is probably safe to say that McDonalds existence and expansions has been one of the prominent events in revolutionizing the eating habits and lifestyles of people globally. Located in 119 countries world-wide, it is estimated that more than 46 million people dine at one of the 31,000 outlets everyday. (xxx) While 9,000 of the venues are owned and operated by the corporation itself, others are managed by franchisees or affiliates. (xxx) McDonalds History Originally, the McDonalds business was started by two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonalds in 1940. At that time, the restaurant in California was using eight of Ray Krocs Multimixer milkshake machines. Curious about the learnings to his great sales success of his Multimixers to the McDonalds company, Ray Kroc decided to find out more details of the restaurant. During the time of Krocs visit, he witnessed the restaurant at its peek. Families were much attracted to the concept of the restaurant, for it was a simple self-served, streamlined operation that had a simple menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, shakes, soft drinks, and apple pie. (xxx) The most attractive aspect of the restaurant had to do with the workers efficiency level, because each workers steps were formatted in such a way that resembled the assembly line, it allowed the savings in preparation time which directly related with the increasing in volume, ultimately resulting the restaurant to lower the price of a hamburger from 30 cents to 15 cents. (xxx) A clear price competitive advantage over its competitors at that time. With the success of McDonalds in 1954, Ray Kroc foresaw bigger and better potential growths for the company by means of franchising the name out. Indifferent and unbothered by the plan, the brothers allowed Kroc to get on the mission by himself using their restaurants name. (xxx) McDonalds first advertising campaign Look for the Golden Arches, made its way in 1960 with great achievement. In that year, McDonalds became larger and larger, which could be linked to the vast growth of U.S. automobile industry that came with suburbanization. (xxx) The following year, Kroc decided to embark the journey alone with the McDonald brothers, he bought out the restaurant for $2.7 million USD and made it a mission to make McDonalds the number one fast-food chain in the country. (xxx) McDonalds amazing growth continued in 1970. Fast service was always preferred by the Americans and McDonalds was fastest at its service. By 1972 it crossed the profit margin of 1 billion in annual sales and by 1976 McDonalds sold as much as 20 billion hamburgers for which the sales exceeded $3 billion. It broke new ground in breakfast by introducing Egg Muffin in 1973 when market research point out that quick breakfast would be preferred. And 5 years later it introduced a full breakfast menu and by 1987 maximum breakfasts of USA were ordered from McDonalds By 1970, McDonalds had restaurants in all fifty states and a few in Canada and the Caribbean. Foreign operations exploded during the 70s and 80s, as the company expanded into Asia, Australia, South America and Europe. Kroc counted on the expertise of local companies to help them adapt McDonalds food and service to other lands. Only within the first 30 years after the establishment of the company, McDonalds dominated the domestic market with more than 10,000 restaurants throughout the states of USA. In 1980, about 28% of new McDonalds restaurants were opened outside the United States market borders, this number increased to 40% in 1986 and went up to nearly 60% in 1990. In 2000, McDonalds collected about 21 billion dollars from 28,707 restaurants located in the external market, made up for 53% of total revenue of 40 billion. According to statistics in 2000, with each 25,000 American, there was a McDonalds restaurant, this rate made the competitors in the fast-food industry admire and envy. By 1992 almost 40 percent of the companys sales came from overseas. Today, McDonalds has more than 31,000 chains across 119 countries around the globe. In 2007, McDonalds served more than 16 billion customers, equivalent to one lunch and one dinner for everyone on the world. With revenues of 4 billion worldwide, McDonalds became the largest provider company of food worldwide. (DAVID) McDonalds Position in the Market The simple yet profound concept in which is still being used today was established in the early developmental stages of the new franchised outlets of McDonalds, under Ray Krocs supervision, which is: Quality, Service, Cleaning and Value. This standard procedure was enforced in order to obtain maximum quality and standards. (xxx) Unsurprisingly, their vision and mission statements of the company followed such statement. The Vision: McDonalds vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. (xxx) The Mission: Be the best employer for our people in each community around the world Deliver operational excellence to our customers in each of our restaurants; and Achieve enduring profitable growth by expanding the brand and leveraging. (xxx) Even though the earlier stages of McDonalds attracted more families than it did other categories, nowadays, McDonalds has made it clear that it positions itself to target and cater people of all backgrounds. Suitable for people of various needs and wants; from families to young children, to people who love to enjoy life to people who are on the go, and meat lovers to vegetarians, virtually anybody and everybody can find something on the menu for themselves. Critical Success Factors for McDonalds Aggressive Business Goal Hello, Im the new McDonalds supervisor . . .Were going to run you out of business was infamously said by Ralph Lanphar to a competitor near by. Although this saying might come out as aggressive and rude, looking at it from a different perspective, it could very much be a manifestation of pride and the eagerness to grow bigger and stronger. From this statement, it is evident that McDonalds was committed to build the strongest superior operation firm. This pride and eagerness has been carried on until today. All staff, employees and top management have been engrained in their early stages of training to love the company, to understand that there are benefits for them and that together McDonalds and they can grow together. They should take pride in the success. Even to this day and age, the mission to instill loyalty to the company could be seen today. Charlie Bell, McDonalds CEO in 2004, used to say that the people at McDonalds people must be proud of where we work, proud of what we do, proud to wear the McDonalds pin, proud of our food offerings, proud to eat our food offerings and proud to be part of McDonalds. Going back to the point where McDonalds has a strong and aggressive business plan, McDonalds plans to make everybody in the world know McDonalds (from the video) Uncompromising Standards One of the most influential factors that made the initial set of McDonalds possible would have to be credited to the restaurants extreme commitment to their aimed standards of consistency and their motto of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. In which both were created by Kroc himself. Even customers knew that no matter where they travelled, they could rely on those qualities at every McDonalds they visted. Tom Peters said keeping it simple in amdist of the growing complexity. Uniformity. (from the video) Consistency In 1955, Kroc incorporated his company as McDonalds corporation and opened his first very own restaurant in Illinois. Placing his concern over the consistency and uniformity from store to store, he decided to establish strong restaurants first before franchising them out. (xxx) Wants McDonalds to be a multi local and not a multi national corporation. (from the video) QSCV For example, cleanliness is one feature of the McDonalds corporate system that needs no explanation; clean toilets are universally appreciated. McDonalds is widely credited with starting a revolution of rising expectations among East Asian consumers who had never experienced high standards of public hygiene in the catering trade. In Taipei, Beijing, Seoul, and Hong Kong, local restaurateurs had to match this new standard or watch their customers go elsewhere. Young people began to draw an equation between the condition of a restaurants toilet and the state of its kitchen. Willingness to Adapt McDonalds success is dependant on adapting to its consumers needs and demands McDonalds franchise business has not only survived but thrived through boom times and recessions and has successfully reacted to consumer trends. It was one of th first franchise restaurants to post nutritional information about its menu, and now offers salads and other healthy options in recent years. Also, the key to McDonalds worldwide success is that people everywhere know what to expect when they pass through the golden arches. This does not, however, mean that the corporation has resisted change or refused to adapt when local customs require flexibility. In Israel, after initial protests, Big Macs are now served without cheese in several outlets, thereby permitting the separation of meat and dairy products required of Kosher restaurants. Similarly, McDonalds restaurants in India serve vegetable McNuggets and a mutton based Maharaja Mac. Innovations that are necessary in a country where Hindus do not eat beef, muslims do not eat pork. In Malaysia and Singapore, McDonalds underwent rigorous inspections by muslim clerics to ensure ritual cleanliness; the chain was rewarded with a Halal certificate, indicating the total absence of pork products (Watson, 1997) This also includes the fact that McDonalds needs to take the environmental factors and the changing world into consideration as well. McDonalds continually seeks for innovation and they need to adapt to new market conditions according the fast paced globalize world. For example, in 1963, McDonalds introduced the Filet-of-Fish sandwich in the Cincinnati area for Catholics who were restricted not to consume meat on Fridays. This new offering was later on implemented to the standard menu, then to the national menu and lastly world wide. In 2005, another adaptation to the times and consumer demand was the provision of WiFi with Nintendo in select locations; and delivery service in Singapore, where customers can phone in their order and have it delivered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company has also departed from its standard free-standing units, and installed quick service kiosks in busy places, like malls and airports. Valuing People Approach The real secret to successful operation system is not found in its regimen but in the way it enforces uniform procedures without stifling the entrepreneurship of franchises. For example, in Japan, without the freedom of franchisees and suppliers to exercise their entrepreneurial instincts, to test their own ideas. . . it would lose touch with the market place. (from the video) think of people. Everybody from below to top. Also, McDonalds views people, including the maintenance people, partners, corporate managers, hostess in the restaurant, suppliers etc. what to see our associates grow. If one example of a family succeeds, we all succeed. Franchisees/ Associates/ Partners His idea was to start the franchisee without paying the franchisee charges. This was the start of Mc Donalds success. First, make your partners rich. Though Kroc focused more closely on the burger than others, his real innovation was to turn the business of franchising on its head. Typically, franchising deals were struck by firms that wanted to get rich quick by being paid up front for licensing their brand name and menu and supplying products. They were not confident in their long term survival, so they wanted to pocket money now Kroc burst with confidence in McDonalds future and thats why he was willing to get rich at a slower pace, if it meant that his franchisees would prosper. Kroc felt that his competitors cared only about jamming profitable stuff down the throats of their partners, rather than long term growth. He noticed how casually and negligently the companies supervised their stores. Kroc felt passionately that his job was to make his franchisees rich by cutting thir cos ts and improving their products. (Buchholz, 2007) Krocs business model required an extra helping of patience. Kroc trusted a bunch of novice franchisees. Kroc may have been confident, but not completely naà ¯ve. He slowly distributed the stroes, testing and training the franchisees and requiring them to meet his excruciating standards for QSCV. Because other companies were eager to collect big bucks fast, they sold off vast statewide territories to rich speculators. Kroc sold just one at a time and refused to sell a second franchise to an operator unless his performance was stellar. Wanted the corporation to have control over its franchisees, the local business people who paid the corporation to run its restaurants. Other chains let franchisees buy the right to open as many stores in a region as they could. Kroc sold his franchisees just one store, so he could make sure they kjnew how to run a McDonalds the way he wanted it run. He made sure his franchisees did well, their success served his interests, since the corporation earned money on their restaurants sales. Also, from his background knowledge of being a successful salesman, he understood that he would not be a supplier to his franchisees, for it would jeopardize the relationships between the two because of profits. You cannot be a partner and a supplier at the same time says Kroc. Because it creates beaucracy. Do it another way and it builds trust.Kroc was adamant in helping out his franchisees as much as possible, as he knew that McDonalds growth was highly dependant on their success. He trained franchisees in McDonalds methods at the companys hamburger university. As John Love writes in McDonalds behind the arches, In the end, the genius of Ray Kroc was that he treated franchisees as equal partners. Suppliers Kroc wanted to tame his suppliers by making them rich. He wanted better prices and better quality. . Ray Krocs plan to do business with outside suppliers was giving many small but new companies a chance to make a profit on high volume orders. Kroc negotiated better deals with small suppliers who were hungry for his emerging business. Kraft had the McDonalds cheese account early on, but when Kroc requested a sharper- tasting cheddar for the burgers, Kraft was too busy or too comfortable to develop a new recipe. When Kroc went looking for good-quality beef, major players like Armour and Swift refused to extend credit. So Kroc made mulitimillionaires of the quick and hungry suppliers. When Kraft failed him, Kroc turned to a cheesehead in Green Bay, Wisconsin, named L.D. Schreiber. Today the Schreiber company is a multibillionaire dollar firm. Kroc could not negotiate great deals with Wesson oil and Procter Gamble. Instead he turned an upstart named Harry Smargon into a very rich man. Staff McDonalds saw the importance of doing an internal marketing plan. Explaining that external plans and programs will not be as successful if you put the outside world before your own people. Employees come first (xxx) When im loving it was first globally launched, McDonalds launched it internally first before a single consumer saw the advertising and experienced the marketing. This demonstrated that the people were the most important elements for making the revitalization of the McDonalds brand work. They wanted im loving it to become an internal rallying cry, and not just an external slogan. Charlie Bell recognized that proud employees provided greater service, which can make an incredible impression that will have an impact on a customers loyalty. Also, they initiate staff to go out and be creative, contribute to the company. Fred Turner, I want you to go out there and make mistakes. Better than doing nothing and being concern free. Learn but dont do the same mistakes twice. (from the video) Currently, approximately 1.6 billion people all over the world are employed or own a franchise at McDonalds. Though much of the success could be contributed from the sharp eyes of Ray Kroc and his management team, we cannot deny that one of the contributers to the success lies within the employees inside the organization. Since employees play such an essential role in the main activities of the company, There have been surveys conducted concerning employees and staff of the growing popularity of this chain of restaurants and employees contribution to it. One of the most important points is that employees are motivated in their work and duties. Company provides with a set of benefits for their internal staff, such as: Employees are allowed to eat for free; Employees have a month of paid holidays; Employees have an access for private health care; Employees have discount card; Employees are awarded for servicing for 3, 5, 10, 15 and more years; Employees have an opportunity to get sponsorship program, etc. Moreover, training sessions are provided for the internal new coming staff. These training sessions are properly structured and highlight the main values and principles of the company Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSCV). Newcomers and freshmen are trained how to provide the better service to customers and clients. What is more important is that the training sessions are constantly updated, to become more modern and realistic. McDonalds has went further and established its own education center for learning and training classes, called Hamburger University, in which is now opened in many parts of the world . In this university there is a centralized system of education, which teaches new staff about the importance of people in marketing management, the sense of employee training and so on. That is why even every day new technologies appears, McDonalds remain the number one in the fast food providers. The career ladder is very attainable for everyone who wishes it in McDonalds. Approximately 20% of the top management staff passed through the very beginning position in the kitchen. For example, If the person really has a willing to be promoted further, he always can reach it. Everything in the hiring and promotion people in McDonalds depends on ability and hardworking skills of a particular person. For a new coming employee there is a set of stages he/she should take in order to have a desired position within the company. People taking high positions within the company and willing to know all internal processes need to pass through them by themselves. They should clearly understand all the details their subordinates report to them so that they do not only rely on their results, but can estimate what has been made incorrectly or in improper way. McDonalds exactly gives such an opportunity for people to start from the early steps and grow till the desired point of destination. Nowadays, more and more students come to interviews trying to get the job in McDonalds. It becomes popular among the youth to have a part time job and the companies like McDonalds also benefits it as they offer a little bit higher the industrys average minimum salaries. Students have several benefits working for McDonalds; they have free meal and have the opportunity to earn their own pocket money. McDonalds, on the other hand, should have trained employees, whom they need to teach immediately, and accurately introducing to the existing process and paying them less. To reach the goal of fast training and not disturbing other employees from their routine work, managers of McDonalds decided to implement the E-learning system for freshmen, consisting of videos, role plays, newspapers and so on. Employees are the most essential part in every organization. McDonalds wholly understands the importance and contribution of every one person within the organization; that is why there is well known principle: The result is done by a man. In order to fulfill the requirements of the company Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSCV) McDonalds considers each employee as the vital part for success in achieving the above mentioned characteristics. In the desire to fit the reputation of brand as number one fast-food restaurant, McDonalds tries to follow four simple rules to help their employees to improve, such as: The company has to maintain different kind of motivation to different departments within the organization; Every member of the staff has to have one goal, which will be reachable and clearly viewed; As a particular employee grow in his positions, his goals should also be changed, so that every position up will spread his goals broader; An increase in salary should be attractive for an employee. This will be a good motivation technique. McDonalds uses different aspects of motivation tools, which include financial, non financial and social ones. Variety of motivation methods were chosen for implementation because the research conducted internally in the company showed that people need not only monetary refunds, but social recognition too. They should not be separated, but rather combined for serving as the strong motivation technique. The results of conducting the survey clearly underlines that although the motivation tools were based on the theory of Maslows hierarchy of needs, in the reality employees need the mix of all aspects of motivation, not excluding some of them, in order to improve the performance of people and as the result increase the productivity of the whole activities of McDonalds. (NADIYA) Giving Back to the Community Kroc became extremely wealthy following McDonalds enlisting in the stock market in 1965. . Kroc believed in giving something back to the community where you do your business This extreme wealth did not stay with him alone, he decided that he would like to share his wealth amongst others too. The Kroc foundation, which supports researches on diabetes, arthritis and multiple sclerosis, is a testimonial of that. Other wealth sharing opportunities known was that he gave 8 million USD to some of his top employees. Over the years, the corporation also donated food and money to many charities, and the company encouraged local franchisees to get involved in their communities. The best known charitable effort is the Ronald McDonald house, which is located near hospitals where families can stay for free while their children receive medical treatment. . In 1974 McDonalds first opened the Ronald McDonalds house in Philadelphia thus following Krocs philosophy to provide the home away from home for the families of children in nearby hospital followed by 100 similar McDonald houses all over US after 12 yrs Kroc makes it a mission to give back to the people, as it reflects on the consideration and serves as a thank you to those who have always been supporting McDonalds. Facing Hardships and Overcoming Them In Feb 2006, McDonalds stock traded at 27 times earning. However, only one year afterwards, McDonalds second quarter profit growth was just 4% with a 2% decline in earnings from the US businesses. In 2002, after McDonalds stocks have been declining for three years, the board of directors replaced Jack Greenburg with Jim Cantalupo as CEO. Mcdonalds sales were in decline, market share was shrinking, franchisees were frustrated, employee morale was low, and customer satisfaction was even lower. On the plus side, McDonalds had one great asset: People recalled their happy experiences at McDonalds as a child. The problem was that the majority of consumers did not have recent fond experiences. Now, looking back into the unfortunate event, we can see that there were three areas to where McDonalds has neglected. Which were, the restaurant lacked, renovation, innovation and marketing (xxx) When the image of the brand was declining, instead of investing in brand experience renovations and innovations, McDonalds focused merely on monthly promotions. Completely neglecting the means of brand building. The aforementioned three basics guidelines to profitable growth were mistakenly seen as to place focus on more cost reduction methods, instead of properly managing quality growth of the top line. For example, the teeny beanie baby promotion in the US had kidss dragging parents in for the toys while tossing the food into trash bins. But, this had the unintended consequence of reinforcing the image of happy meals as a toy with food as an incidental attachment rather than as a great tasting food with a toy promotion attached. With a decline in food quality, poor service, etc. It was not surprising that opportunitic monthly promotions became the dominant marketing focus. Happy meals had become a promotion of a desirable toy, rather than a promotion for desirable food. This is not a way to build an enduring brand. Overemphasis on the deal rather than the brand results in customers becoming deal loyal rather than brand loyal. For brands to live forever, they must be loved forever. McDonalds leadership fell out of love with the McDonalds brand, and consumers franchisees, employees and the financial community also fell out of love with the McDonalds brand. However, fortunately, Denis Hennequin has brought modifications and redesigned interiors for McDonald are giving it a warmer, more eco-friendly look. This brought in more customers, as the new look generated a fresher image to McDonalds in Europe. Also, Charlie Bells idea of McCafe to offer quality coffee, tea and pastries in a quieter, more attractive atmostphere also made McDonalds competitive with the other fastfood joints, as it offered more than just burgers and fries, it offered coffee in which many restaurants were not able to give the customers such variety. Insights to Other Critical Success Factors Now that McDonalds critical success factors and how it dealt with hardships is established, we can now clearly see that there are some essential parts that must always be intact in order to sustain a business. In contrary to many beliefs, although McDonalds is regarded as a fast food restaurant, the profit made from the goods sold within the restaurant is not actually what keeps McDonalds rich. It is actually the real estate business that is doing it. Even in Fortune Magazine they said that McDonalds is considered as the largest estate in the world (from the video) . It earns revenues as investor in properties, a franchiser of restaurants and an operator of restaurants. Most of the income was coming from 1.9% of service tax from the franchisee. Initially the franchisee fee was only $950 which is currently approx $45000. McDonalds started averaging an annual sale of $200000 in the early 1950 only which shows how people started liking the food and service of it. $1000 went as a royalty to the McDonalds brother and thus the average franchisee was making an operating profit of $40000.Its now making a profit of 1 billion on system wide sales. It was the real estate business which converted McDonalds into a real money machine. The real estate investment strategy is the most important reason why McDonalds boasts a plan that is not close to being equalled in the food service business. Mr Sonnerborn the top financial officer never tried to follow the Kroc-Turner operating system which is the reason why McDonalds is what now. He came up with an idea of money making on real estate that Mc Donalds would lease to its franchisees. He started implementing this plan of making McDonalds a separate real estate company which would locate and lease restaurants sites from land owners which would also be leased to the company. He also had this idea which helped for its major success is that it sold food equipment and food supplies to licensees charging a minimum of $840 per month with interest. In addition to franchisee fees and marketing fees McDonalds collect rent calculated as a percentage of sales. The joint has made a good profit percentage even in the recession making a profit of 23million dollar after tax. Also, the huge size of McDonalds could be factored into one of the biggest critical success factors of all. Because of the humougous size of the corporation, it allowed it to do many things which other franchisees or small businesses could not do on a large scale. Along side its philosophy, vision and mission statements, McDonalds has definitely managed to beat the mediocre standards during the earlier stages, allowing it to take off and penetrate quicker into the fast food market than its rivals. This is mainly by its Attributes of speed: Initially, this was the main factor to McDonalds success. Even from the earlier days, McDonalds has earned a reputation for serving meals efficiently fast. In comparison to other similar fast food competitors, such as Hardees and Rex Burger joints, McDonalds was always developing its method behind the counters to speed up their process of delivering the goods. Types of products offered: A variety of goods catered to all types of people in every region of the world. In India, for example, McVeggie has become a popular delight among the locals, as the majority of the population is vegetarians. Prices of products: Affordable to everybody. This was hugely contributed by the speedy process of the food preparation time. Since it took less time to cook, assemble and serve the burgers and fries, this only meant that McDonalds was able to sell more products in a shorter time as well. Hence, the economy of scale, prices were able to fall lower than its main competitors. Level of service: Consistency of the services. Ray Kroc understood that the uniformity and precision was key to a successful franchise. He made sure that there were rules set and abided, by carefully creating a manu

Jaguar Land Rovers Targeted Audiences

Jaguar Land Rovers Targeted Audiences This short brief intends to scrutinise Jaguar Land Rovers targeted audiences from a present generation analytical position. Jaguar, despite the recession and the age group of the audience, has been in a leading position. It continues to occupy, in spite of occasional budget recommendations and communication obstacles, a product that provides the ultimate customer satisfaction. 1. Current Marketing Situation The British Jaguar and Land Rover Manufacturers were acquired in 2008 for approximately $2.3billion by Indias Tata Motors from Ford Motors. (Hoovers, 2010, p1). Jaguar offers luxury coupes, sedans and convertibles. The recession, despite restructuring of the company, has resulted in falling sales volumes, and erosion of brand equity. Jaguar XFR occupies a difficult competitive niche. It faces competition from BMWs M5, and the Audi RS6 and Mercedes E63 AMG (Carsuk.net, 2009, p1). 2. Marketing Objectives Jaguar topped the globally accredited JD Power Associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study, considerably up from its 10th position in 2008 (Daye Van Auken, 2009, p1). Its primary marketing objective is to strengthen its brand equity and achieve retailing mileage out of the above position. The objective needs to bridge the gap between its consumers inherited brand perceptions of unreliability and its actual performance (Daye VanAuken, 2009, p1). 3. Target Audiences Jaguars targeted market profile consists of individuals who are over 40 years in age and have a high net worth retail customer record. Jaguar XJ, despite being a fine car, did not succeed because of the common perception of it being analogous to the iconic original 1968 XJ Series I (CarsUK, 2009, p1). Jaguars current slogan Born To Perform, appears to be contrary to the perceived style-quotient, which owners cite as reason to acquire the car (Kerwin Kiley, 2004, p1). 4. Positioning Strategy Jaguar requires constant positioning, akin to BMWs enduring 30 year old Ultimate Driving Machine (Kerwin Kiley, 2004, p1). Jaguars marketers need to position the brand as contemporary and cool; in line with the younger age profile of an increasingly affluent target audience (Carsuk.net, 2009, p1). The positioning strategy needs to differentiate Jaguar from its direct competitors, BMW, Audi and Mercedes, areas of performance, dependability and styling. 5. Communication Objectives Fords policy of a mass market approach was contrary to its luxury niche image and ruined Jaguars marketing (Kerwin Kiley, 2004, p1). Its communication objective should now be to prevent brand erosion and strengthen its old image as a special and luxury product (Ã…Â  trach, Everett, 2006, p1). The communication objectives should be realistic in terms of reaching the maximum relevant target audience, without compromising brand exclusivity. The objectives should above all, endeavour to negate perceptions of unreliability in its brand equity. 6. Communications Mix Jaguars Adam Henderson highlighted the companys 360Degree approach on deployment of all available communication marketing channels. The companys communication mix comprises of the following (Riley, 2010, p1): National communications through press, TV advertisements, Out of Home posters/billboards, video and in-market magazines, Digital communications, Experiential luxury drives and track events, Public Relations Social media, Brand Partnerships to engage with similarly interests viz. Barclays Wealth (investment bank), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Local dealer marketing 7. Budget Recommendations Much of Fords investment, (of around $10 billion since 1989), went into unsuccessful brand-stretching exercises, rather than in brand extension (Madslien, 2007, p1). The marketing budget is approximately is  £25 million. The marketing focus is on bringing in new customers (Riley, 2010, p1). Restricted budgets are making brands hesitate to invest in mobile campaigns. Jaguar, with achieved benchmarks, should continue such channel investments (Butcher, 2009, p1). Section B: Creative Brief 1. Target Audience Communication regarding current Jaguar offerings, in terms of their exclusive features and break-through styling, should reach the targeted audience of individuals, aged between 35 to 54 years, with high levels of disposable income (MobiAD News, 2008, p1). It is practical to include young financially secure people in the target audience, without estranging its core customers ([emailprotected], 2005, p1). 2. Communications Objectives The communications objective should look at striking a balance between solid old-fashioned elitism and contemporaneous innovative luxury (Riley, 2010, p1). Brand communication should be analogous to that of a design-directed luxury brand, amidst the contemporary luxury world of intelligence, imagination and innovation. Communication should render the brand relevant and compelling to the target audience (Riley, 2010, p1). 3. Communication Obstacles Decades of negative consumer testimonials regarding Jaguars unreliability and under-performance constitute huge obstacles to communications (Daye VanAuken, 2009, p1). Another obstacle amongst luxury auto brands pertains to their desire to endorse exclusivity, which clashing with the demographic distribution of social media (Silverstone, 2010, p1). 4. Key Promise/Benefit The key benefit for the targeted audience is higher levels of customer experiential satisfaction. Increased interaction will accomplish exclusivity to more segments of relevant targeted audience and will benefit all customers, dealers and prospects in terms of continuous customer satisfaction feedback. This will result in improved levels of dependability and customer satisfaction. 5. Reasons for Key Promise Outweighing Obstacles The key promise/benefit equation should bridge the gap between its targeted audiences perceptions of unreliability, versus its actual performance. This gap should be bridged by deployment of direct marketing methods deployed towards its core and potential target segments. Engaging consistently with relevant segments of target audiences through experiential or other channels will help better CRM practices and removal of obstacles. 6. Tone/Key Feeling of this Communication The key feeling needs to be a sustainable zeal for the Jaguar brand (Riley, 2010, p1). It should inspire products and surpass Jaguars historical brand values. It should differentiate itself in conveying that Jaguar, at heart, is a lavish and awe-inspiring sports car company (Riley, 2010, p1). 7. Media (Newspaper, Radio and Direct Mail) to reach the Target Audience The targeted audience needs to be reached through deployment of different marketing channels, viz. newspapers, journals and magazines, both online and offline, and selected radio channels that promote luxury brands (Riley, 2010). Direct mail can be effective only when focused on known and specific HNWI customer segments (Viswanathan Chiam, 2007, p1). 8. Other Creative Considerations Marketing strategy and communications should aim to get the attention of HNWIs attention, by portray the products successful qualities, rather than depending on them (Viswanathan Chiam, 2007, p1). Such audiences are often fickle and can be swayed by differentiated products or services that give them bragging rights (Viswanathan Chiam, 2007, p1). They can thus be persuaded by differentiated products or services that give them bragging rights (Viswanathan Chiam, 2007, p1). Marketing through social networks is also important in the modern day atmosphere of online penetration (Riley, 2010, p1). 9. Budget/Financial Constraints The overall marketing budget limits the budget for the campaign of the current XFR launch and decreases available expend. The digital communication budget is expected to cannibalise the operational budget because of the earlier success of the mobile campaign initiatives. This will constrain the budget for long-term marketing commitment, required for preserving and enhancing brand equity. Section C: Scripts 1. Quarter Page Newspaper Advertisement The innovative Jaguar XJ embodies a bold and spirited automotive magnificence. Its sophisticated, sporting and sleek demeanour, offers an enticing blend of outstanding design, awesome performance and engineering without compromise. The XJ customer can choose from four refined and powerful engines, which utilize the newest power train technology, to get an exceptional mix of class-leading efficiency and dependable performance. Principles of aerospace engineering and extensive use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) have determined the cars aerodynamic line. The lightweight aluminium body uses over 50% recycled material. Body panels manufactured from recycled material utilise only 5% of the energy needed for new aluminium, leading to a possible saving of 3 tonnes CO2 per vehicle. Building on recent XK and XF successes, the all-new XJ is the new introduction, offered to our ever discerning Jaguar customers. It is the companys four-door flagship, meant to fulfil aspirations of the new generation of customers (CarsUK.net, 2009, p1). 2. A 20 Second Radio Commercial The following script is meant for broadcasting over radio channels and should target distinct layouts and demographics. Both live reads and produced spots can be used simultaneously. Drive times, latter day parts and weekends are recommended for broadcasts. Script: Louis Armstrongs What a Wonderful World is this commercials music bed. What do the acronyms XFR, M5, RS6 and E63 portray? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦well, they are neither clandestine intelligence agencies of worldwide governments or alphanumeric codes representing chemical compounds. They are sports luxury saloons. If you do know about these life-changing products, you have already heard of the path-breaking Jaguar XJ. The epitome of British luxury, the all-new Jaguar XJ, exudes automotive magnificence (CarsUK.net, 2009, p1). It is sophisticated, sleek and sporting. It offers unparalleled comfort along with a mix of awesome performance, outstanding design and uncompromised engineering (CarsUK.net, 2009, p1). If you wish to test drive a Jaguar, do give us a call or book online vide our website: https://jaguarukforms.aplicor.net/testdrive.aspx. Our telephone numbers are: .. . We promise you an unparalleled experience at Jaguar.

Poverty in Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck :: Grapes of Wrath Essays

Throughout history, less fortunate people have been set apart or shunned from the general public. In the Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, this statement holds true. Throughout the whole book, all of the less fortunate people are treated like they aren’t even human. This is not much different than how our society is now. In the news article â€Å"Major Cities Get Tough With Homeless†, by Angie Cannon, Judy Appel said, â€Å"We are saying it is your fault that we have created a structure where there aren’t enough jobs and housing for you to lead a decent life.† (Cannon 1) Appel is saying the same thing Steinbeck was saying in his book. Many homeless people are homeless because they were forced to be that way, and the general public doesn’t realize it. In the Grapes of Wrath, and in the present time, the general public has set the less fortunate apart from themselves without even realizing it. â€Å"I’m seeing more apathy on the part of people. I think people used to feel badly. And now, I think people feel bothered. That’s a dangerous shift.† (Cannon 1) What she means is that at one point in time we used to care for the homeless. We used to try and help them out. Now we don’t care and we just want to get rid of them. This is very similar to the situation in the Grapes of Wrath. At first they wanted thousands of people to come and work, but when they actually started coming, the general public wanted to get rid of them. â€Å"And the men of the towns and of the soft suburban county gathered to defend themselves; and the reassured themselves that they were good and the invaders were bad, as a man must do before he fights. They said, these Okies are dirty and ignorant. They’re degenerate sexual man iacs. These Okies are thieves. They’ll steal anything. They’ve got no sense of property rights.† (G.O.W. 363) This was the general publics’ feeling towards the Okies, even though they asked them to come there in the first place. What the people don’t understand is that the Okies are being forced to steal and the general public is the one who is forcing them. In the Grapes of Wrath, and in the present time we, the general public have shunned the less fortunate. It isn’t that we want them to be poor, but we have a hard time fitting in with them.

Renaissance Man and Renaissance Women Essay -- essays research papers

Between the 1300s and 1500s, Europe experienced a period of cultural rebirth known as the Renaissance, marking the transition from medieval times to modern times. The Renaissance brought new importance to individual expression, self-consciousness and worldly experience. The Renaissance man and woman characterized the Renaissance ideals. A renaissance man was a well- educated gentleman who had cultural grace, courage and who understood the arts and sciences. On the other hand, a Renaissance woman was supposed to marry well, be loyal to her husband and give birth to boys. The most famous Renaissance man was Leonardo Da Vinci who was born on April 15th 1452 in Florence, Italy. Da Vinci was truly recognized by many to be a Renaissance child and later a Renaissance man because of his many talents. He revealed his artistic talents at the age of 17 when he was hired as a studio boy to Andrea Del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. In Verrocchio workshop, Da Vinci was introduced to main techniques, from the painting of altarpieces and panel pictures to the creation of large sculptural projects in marble and bronze. His ‘’Last Supper’’ and ‘’Mona Lisa’’are among the most widely popular and influential paintings of the Renaissance. At the same time his scientific interests deepened: his concern with anatomy led him to perform dissections. After a period of time, Da Vinci’s scientific research began to dominate his other activities so much that his artis...

Midterm Exam Essay

Utopian Stories After reading the short stories thought this semester, I have found that many of the Utopian stories are thematically the same. A Utopian story is a short story or novel in which someone pays the cost for perfection in society. There are three short stories that are most thematically alike those are: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson in 1948; The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin in 1975; and Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. in 1961. I have chosen these three stories because someone pays the cost in each of these stories and the results in each of them are the same. The elements of plot, characterizations, settings and symbols of each of these stories are alike. The story The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is about village who stones a villager, old or young, once a year, for good crops and harvest. This person is chosen by a draw from a box. As in the lottery, the short story entitled The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K Le Guin is about a community that isolates and eglects a child for a â€Å"perfect† community and in Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. he community is restrained by handicap’s so that everyone can be equally perfect. All of these stories plots have the one person that is tortured or killed for everyone else’s happiness. Someone has to die or be neglected for perfection, they become sacrifices and not willingly. They are chosen unfairly or are held back of their gi fts. The characterizations in each of these stories are simply innocent. None of the main characters had a choice and if they rebelled they were still put to death. In The Lottery Mrs. Hutchinson seems to be a normal mother and a great wife. She was doing as women in that time should have done, and she was late because she was doing the dishes. She was innocent. In The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas a young boy is neglected and frowned upon as a sacrifice. It is not said that this boy had done anything to deserve this, or that he was chosen because of his behavior. He was innocent and very young, most likely pure. In Harrison Bergeron both the mother and father were a normal family however the father had to wear a handicap to make im less intelligent and Harrison was a normal boy that was smart and talented however he disagreed and paid a cost. I believe that all the characters were treated unfairly. They all seemed to be nice and normal. The settings and Symbols of each of the stories are in a small village or community. A smaller community is easier to control and persuade. I think that the symbols are similar they are all restraints in a way or isolation. Stones were used in the lottery and when thinking of a stone I think of something cold and hard and very uncomfortable. In the Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas they used a basement to keep the boy in. When thinking of a basement I think of a dark cold place also very hard and uncomfortable. In Harrison Bergeron they used handicap’s that were probably uncomfortable and the loud sounds in their all very uncomfortable. In conclusion I believe that these three stories were all thematically alike. The Lottery, The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas, and Harrison Bergeron were all great stories and I would recommend them to anyone who would like to read a utopian story.

Preliminary Ruling under Article Essay

Question 1. EC legislation and the national legislation of the Member States were integrated by the European Community Treaties. As such the national courts act in accordance with Community law and refer cases to the European Court of Justice. National judges play a key role in implementing Community law in their Member States. The preliminary reference system thus enables the national courts to comply with Community law and maintain cooperation with the European Court of Justice. Under this system the national courts refer cases for a preliminary ruling to the ECJ, in accordance with the provisions of Article 234 EC . Article 234 EC contains the jurisdictional requirements for a preliminary reference. First, the referring institution has to be a court or tribunal of a Member State. Second, the referral should be in respect of Community law’s validity or interpretation and finally, the referring court or tribunal should determine whether at all there is a need to deliver a judgment, by the ECJ. In Bosman it was opined by the Advocate General Lenz that the ECJ can refuse to consider a preliminary ruling request, if such a request apparently bears no relation to the main action . The European Court of Justice is an autonomous body that is independent of any Member State or institution of the European Union. The major function of the ECJ is to interpret the Community Treaties and Community law in accordance with the spirit of the EU, and to implement the EC law, throughout the EU. Therefore, the ECJ shoulders the responsibility of uniformly applying the EC law in all Member States. It constitutes the judicial pillar of the EU . While hearing cases, if a conflict arises between the national legislation and the EC law, with regard to the application of the Community law; the national courts should not declare the EC law to be inapplicable. It is the duty of the ECJ to resolve such situations through its case law. Article 234 EC contains the procedure to be adopted when national courts refer cases to the ECJ for a preliminary ruling. A wide range of jurisdictional requirements have to be met by the ECJ in order to give a preliminary ruling. However, the ECJ can refuse to entertain a preliminary reference if it is satisfied that Community law is not invoked in these referred cases . In the Meilicke case, the issue was the right of shareholders to obtain information from the company management, as per the provisions of Directive 77/91/EEC. The Directive requires certain safeguards to be implemented by the Member States, so as to protect the interests of shareholders and others. The Member States have to act in accordance with the second paragraph of Article 58 of the EC Treaty. The national court referred the case to the ECJ on the compatibility of the German Aktiengesetz with the Directive with regard to the process of forming public limited liability companies, their maintenance and changes in their share capital . The national court was required to interpret these safeguards in accordance with the Second Directive. The ECJ keenly looked into the facts of the case. Its objective was to determine whether the German legislation, in the context of treating certain cash contribution preceded or followed by the company’s transactions of payment of amounts to shareholders, so as to offset the debts of the company to the shareholders or subscribers, violated Community law. The national court had held that Community law had been violated, because these amounts had been in the form of disguised contributions in kind . However, the ECJ refused to respond to the referral, as it felt that it would be exceeding the scope of its jurisdiction . The underlying principle involved is that the national courts have to refer novel and subtle questions, regarding the application and interpretation of EC law, while making a reference for a preliminary ruling. Subsequently, the ECJ would develop new case law, which would serve as a guideline to national judges and other legal professionals in the EU. National courts are expected to develop a pan European perspective and thereby contribute to the integrity of the Union. As such the ECJ does not compel the national courts to refer cases for a preliminary hearing. Though, the ECJ cannot force national courts to submit cases for preliminary reference, Article 234 EC imposes such a requirement in some cases. In some other cases it requires national courts to directly refer the cases to the ECJ by suspending the cases in the first instance itself . Article 234 EC differentiates between lower courts and national courts of last instance. The lower national courts have discretion, whether to make a reference or not. The national courts of last instance are obliged to refer cases for preliminary reference, if the interpretation of Community law was such that referral was warranted. Most of these cases originate in the lower national courts. Hence, they possess the discretion to refer the cases to the ECJ. The courts of last instance are under an obligation to make such a reference, however, they possess some discretion in this matter and this has been specified in Article 7 EC . If a national judge has to deal with cases in which the validity and applicability of the EC law is challenged, or if the application of EC law is argued to be illegal; then the national judge is under an obligation to make a referral to the ECJ for a preliminary reference. However, national judges are not competent to declare EC law invalid or unlawful. This is because, if a provision of EC law were to be declared as unlawful, then its application would have to be declared invalid in the entire EU. Therefore, it is unacceptable to declare a provision of the EC law invalid in a particular Member State; while it is valid in other Member States, without any dispute or conflict with national legislation . In the Foto – Frost case, the ECJ held that the national courts are under an obligation to refer questions regarding the applicability and validity of EC law to it. The ECJ held that national courts could only consider the applicability and legality of Community legislation. A national court cannot declare that a piece of Community legislation is invalid. Hence it only the ECJ that can invalidate Community legislation or an act of an EC institution . In Gaston Schul Douane-expediteur and International Air Transport Association the ECJ reiterated that the national courts were under an obligation to seek a preliminary reference from it. In Gaston, ECJ ignored the subject matter of the case and only considered the preliminary reference made by the national court. Afterwards, the ECJ held that the referral had been incorrect, because in an earlier decision on a similar subject, it had given the same decision, due to the fact that a specific piece of EU legislation would be declared invalid. Question 2 [a] The Employment Tribunals are competent to refer cases, under Article 234 EC, to the ECJ, whenever a clarification is needed regarding an EC Directive. This is exemplified by Coleman . In this case it was held that the ET was well within its powers to make a referral to the ECJ. This is provided for in Rule 58 of the ET Rules of Procedure 2004. Question 2[b] A disciplinary committee is neither a court nor a tribunal. Therefore, it is precluded from referring to the ECJ for a preliminary hearing. Moreover, a disciplinary committee, though a quasi – judicial body, is all the same dependent on the administrator; hence, the   ECJ will not accept a preliminary hearing referral from it. This is on the basis of the ruling in Corbiau . Question 2 [c] The Appellate Court had deemed the issue to be irrelevant and unarguable and consequently, unfit to be referred to even the House of Lords. Therefore, the issue is definitely not to be referred to the ECJ.   In the Max Mara Fashion Group case, no questions had been submitted for a reference. Further the case was so ambiguous that the ECJ refused to have anything to do with it. It was also unclear as to why the case had been sent for reference and there were no provisions of EC law that had been violated . Question 2 [d] The House of Lords need not refer to the ECJ, because it is fully convinced that it has comprehended the piece of legislation under consideration. Since, there is no breach of EC law by the national law, nor is there any difficulty in interpreting EC law, there is no necessity to approach the ECJ for a preliminary reference. Question 2 [e] In the Nolle case, the ECJ held that a referral would not be entertained, if its purpose was only restricted to fact finding . As such the ECJ requires a verification of all the facts before filing a reference with it. Moreover, the Home Office is not a judicial body. Therefore, the Home Office cannot refer to the ECJ, in order to ascertain whether the Iranian student is to be deported or not. Bibliography Case 314/85, Foto-Frost v Hauptzollamt Là ¼beck-Ost (1987) . Case C – 16/90 Nolle v. Hauptzollamp Bremen – Freihafen (1991) ECR I – 5163. Case C-83/91, Wienard Meilicke v ADV/ORGA FA Meyer AG, [1992] ECR I-4871. Case C – 24/92, Corbiau v. Administration des Contributions, (1993) ECR I – 1277. Case C-307/95 Max Mara Fashion Group (1995) ECR I-5083. C – 415/93 Bosman v UEFA (1995) ECR I – 4921. Case C-461/03, Gaston Schul Douane-expediteur BV v Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit, (2005). Case C-344/04, R (International Air Transport Association and European Low Fares Airline Association) v Department for Transport, (2006). C – 303/06, S. Coleman v. Attridge Law, Steve Law, (2006). The Relation Between National Courts and the European Court of Justice in the European Union Judicial System: Preliminary Ruling Regimes According to Articles 234 EC, 68 EC, and 35 EU. February 2007. 3 February 2008.

Geography Pedestrian Survey

For this survey, the whole class worked as a group. We started by being given a grided map of Halifax's Central Business District and a small area surrounding it. Our teacher kept a copy of this as the master map. Each square on the map could be identified like the one below. This made identification of points easy. On this map there were (number) points marked by dots (see above) in the Central Business District and beyond. These were then grouped together into groups of approximately seven. The class was then split into pairs, and each pair was then allocated one of the groups of dots. The reason for working in pairs is so that one person could time and one could count the people passing. It was also for safety reasons. Before we started the count, we worked out some rules or guidelines for the whole class to follow. These were to * To count all people that passed, including babies in prams. * To not count pets/ animals * To count everyone on ONE side of the road only, except in precinct locations where everyone in the precinct was counted. A time limit of 5 minutes per point was decided. Each pair then went to their separate points to start counting/ timing. My pair had 6 points to count, so for 3 points person A timed and person B counted, and for the other 3 points, person A counted and B timed. The timer was started at the same time as the other half of the pair began counting. Every person was recorded as a tally on a table like the one below. Each point was named as the grid reference of the square it was in. After 5 minutes the timer was stopped, and the tally totalled. This was repeated for all 6 points. After they had all been done, we reported back and recorded our results on the master map along with the rest of the groups' results. We were all given a copy of this map so we had records for all the points surveyed. We used a tally to count al the pedestrians as it is easy to put a dash for every person and the results could be totalled quickly. This was especially useful in busy locations, where large groups of people were passing at once. We set the time limit because then the whole groups' results would be done over that amount of time. The time limit was set as 5 minutes because this would give us a reasonable time to count for, and the results would not be too high or too low. Problems/ Anomalies Our particular pair did not encounter many problems, but many of the other groups did. The only problem we had that could have affected the results was that the point nearest the bus station could have been affected by buses coming in and out. At the time we counted there weren't many buses, so the tally could have been higher at a different time of day. Here is a list of the problems encountered, as well as some other things that could have affected the survey in any way, and how I overcame them. * The weather, day of the week, date and time were recorded because any of these may have affected the survey. For example, the weather could affect the survey as if it was dry then there would be people outside than if it were raining. The day of the week could affect the survey because there would be a different number of people in town on weekdays than at weekends. The date was important, as there may be more people who would come into town at certain times of the year, for example at Christmas or at holiday seasons. The time of day could affect numbers of people if it was half day for example. Also the closing and opening times of shops must be taken into consideration. * In Halifax's Central Business District there are changes being made, and new buildings being built which occasionally meant that all pedestrians had to walk on one side of the road. This would have affected the results. * A very similar problem was that where roads were being resurfaced or dug up, pedestrians also had to walk around these, creating a disruption in pedestrian flow. * One pair found that they were standing outside the entrance to an office at lunch- time, so large groups of workers created an unusually high pedestrian density. This was because the survey was conducted around lunch- time. If it had been carried out at a different time of day then this would not have been a problem. * There were often a lot of people on streets that were important routes (to the bus station for example) this could mean that high pedestrian densities were found in areas where the other predictions of Central Business District properties weren't necessarily true. For example there may be poor shopping quality and a high pedestrian count if the road led to the Station. In this aspect the survey is flawed, but not many surveys are perfect. As so many points were done, one or two anomalies shouldn't matter too much. * The master map that was used to share out the points and on which all our results were recorded hadn't been photocopied very well. This meant that four points were presumed to be marks on the map and weren't given to anyone to survey. These were F5, F7, F8 and F10. No results were got for these points, but a reasonable estimate can be made using the results form previous surveys carried out at similar times on the same day of the week by another class. I also looked at the points in neighbouring grid squares to try and make a reasonable estimate. When these were compared with the results from the other group, they were found to be very similar. Anomalies * At F5, there were 147 pedestrians counted. This is a very high number for an area not really close to the centre of Halifax's Central Business District, or an area without department stores. This could have been because it is near Netto's and a busy newsagents and crossroads. Other Possible Problems * Groups of school children or any other unusually large groups of people in quiet areas could be a problem. * If a pair were counting outside the theatre and a film had just finished or was just starting, then more people would be around and also on the streets leading to it, especially if it was a new or popular film. * Large sales at big shops (e.g. the ‘Next' sale) often draw large crowds, and people will often queue to get in. This would also create pedestrian anomalies. Was The Survey Successful? These problems prove that the survey was not flawless but the results I got will give me an idea of pedestrian density in Halifax and where the busiest and most quiet areas are. I have covered everywhere in Halifax, but I don't feel that this would be very reasonable. There are gaps in the survey, but it would take a very long time and a lot of people to do a more accurate survey, and I don't think that the results I have would be further improved to make this worthwhile. I have enough data to be able to display in different ways and investigate further. In the next chapter I will start to evaluate these results and look for patterns and relationships. How Could the Survey Be Improved? The survey could have been improved by any of the following methods- * Counting at more points to get a more accurate result. * Repeating the survey at different times on different days, or at the same time on the same day a week later and comparing the results. If this was done, a more accurate picture could be seen, and anomalies more easily spotted. Land Use Survey To carry out this survey, I got a map of Halifax that was on a large enough scale to have every building in it's Central Business District on it. I then thought of all the possible land uses of the buildings in the Central Business District and put them into groups of similar uses e.g. chain stores/ department stores. I then assigned a letter and colour to each of these groups. I gave each group a letter because this could be written onto the map when I was in Halifax and was easier than taking a lot of coloured pencils. I gave each a colour so that I could colour each shop when I got home to make the results clearer. I then went into Halifax to carry out the survey. To carry out this survey I took the map of Halifax ‘s Central Business District, the key and a pencil to mark the letter on each building. I started in one corner of Halifax and walked along every street, marking the buildings as I went. To do the whole of Halifax would have been unreasonable, so I decided to mark groups of similar buildings, even if there may have been the odd one which wasn't in that category. I also went into the Tourist Information to find some more maps and information on Halifax. These helped me fill in any buildings that I had missed. Problems Here is a list of some of the problems that I encountered whilst carrying out the survey. * Some buildings had more than one use on different floors. In this case I recorded the most important use. In cases such as the Piece Hall, they were both classed as one type of shop, because most of the shops there are selling craft item or food. * The main problem I had was that Halifax is undergoing a lot of changes at the moment and a new set of shops was under construction in Woolshops. As the changes are very recent, none of the maps that I have show the new shops, and I had to either draw them in or colour the area as ‘under- construction'. By the time I have finished this project, the shops are likely to be finished, so it is possible that I can update the results then. * Some of the shops were so small that I couldn't fit a letter on them. To overcome this problem, I grouped shops of similar types. Possible Problems * If the town had been any bigger, then survey would have been much more difficult to do, as it would take hours to do every single shop. Was the Survey Successful? I think that the methods I used worked well and using a map and finishing the survey at home saved time. As the point of the survey is to get a general pattern of where the different types of land use that occur in Halifax's Central Business District, I don't think that colouring every single building would have been necessary. Colouring in blocks of similar shops saved time, and though some areas may not have been strictly accurate, the general pattern will not be affected. The survey will help show patterns and groups of similar shops as well as where the main shopping areas are, and where the main business areas are. It should also be related to the Peak Land Value Intersection, but I will investigate this in the next chapter. How Could the Survey Be Improved? The survey could have been improved by any of the following measures- * I could have looked at every single shop- this would have been possible if lots of people did the survey together and put their results together. * A newer map would have created a more up-to-date result. * An even bigger scale map would let me write the names of the shops on, but this isn't really necessary. Model Central Business District To start this survey, I firstly formulated some question to compare Halifax to a model Central Business District. I then got a map of Halifax and worked out where its centre was (See finding the centre of Halifax's Central Business District) and then used a compass to draw concentric circles moving outwards from the centre of Halifax. I drew 6 circles at equal intervals to represent the zones of Halifax's Central Business District and took this map into Halifax. Once in Halifax, I walked through each of the zones and answered the questions while I was there. I also used a map if I was unsure of any of the answers and this helped me when I was back at home. Every question was either a yes or no answer, so most of the time this wasn't a problem. I started in the innermost zone and answered all the questions while I was there, before moving outwards and answering all the questions for the next zone and so on until I had covered most of the areas on my map. Problems There were some problems that I encountered whilst doing this survey. These were- * It was often quite difficult to tell exactly where the zones started and finished, and some zones included a lot of road and some didn't contain any. * Some questions, like the one about building height, are affected by the fact that Halifax's Central Business District buildings are protected. This is because they are of historical value and may mean that they aren't very tall. This would not normally be the case in a Central Business District. * Parking is actually allowed in Halifax's Central Business District but a lot of it is voucher parking. * Some questions were hard to answer; like ‘Wide range of shops?' and ‘high pedestrian counts?' because it was hard to tell where to put the boundaries between high and low pedestrian counts or high and low range of shops. * There are new shops being built at the moment, and it is likely that these will have a high shopping quality, but I can't be sure unless I see them. * It was hard to define the centre of Halifax in the first place, so if it were moved, I would possibly get very different results. * The zones were hard to define in the first place- I was unsure whether to have them as circles, or try to define them by looking at the properties of the different areas and drawing on zones to suit them. Was the Survey Successful? I think that the survey was successful and that using a questionnaire was a good idea. It gave me enough information to be able to make a reasonable comparison in the next chapter. The zones are very hard to define, but I chose to put them at regular intervals, leading out from the centre of the Central Business District. The survey will also help me find patterns, like the land- use survey, and give me a good all round view of the properties of Halifax's Central Business District. In the next chapter I will compare them to the properties of a model Central Business District and see how they relate to each other. How Could the Survey be Improved? The survey could possibly be improved by carrying out a more in-depth study of the position of the centre of the Central Business District. This would ensure that I got the positioning exactly right and zoning correct. This is the only way that I can think of to improve the survey.