Monday, September 30, 2019

How does music affect your heart beat? Essay

The heart is a vital organ in the human body. Though only the size of the fist, it pumps blood to the rest of the body by rhythmic expansion and relaxation. The frequency of this cardiac cycle is measured by the term heart rate. The heart rate is the number of contractions (beats) of the heart in a minute. The heart rate tends to increase with response to a wide variety of conditions like vigorous physical activity or according to our hypothesis, music. Music has an arousal effect which is related to its frequency and tempo. Slow or meditative music can induce a relaxing effect and thus put the psychological sense in rest. Music may be used as an alternative technique of relaxation or meditation. Recent research suggests slow music influences a person’s relaxation, and that musical pauses modulate heart rhythms (in a good way). The researchers found that music with faster tempos resulted in increased ventilation, heart rate, and blood pressure. When the music was paused, ventilation, heart rate, and blood pressure decreased, sometimes below the beginning rate. Slower music caused declines in heart rate, with raga music influencing the largest decline. Overall, researchers agreed that the style of music wasn’t as important as its pace. Music has also been shown to reduce stress, benefit athletic performance, and enhance motor function in people with neurological impairments. So turn up the volume and chill out. Listening to music can influence your heart rate and how fast you breathe – especially if you’re a trained musician, a new study indicates. Listening to faster music with a more upbeat tempo has the opposite effect – speeding up respiration and heart rate. The results support a growing body of research on the potential stress-reducing health benefits of music, the researchers say. In the current study, Sleight and colleagues monitored breathing rate, blood  pressure and other heart and respiratory indexes in 24 healthy young men and women, before and while listening to short excerpts of different kinds of music. The music ranged from slow and fast classical compositions of differing complexities to rap. They also monitored the subjects during two minute musical intermissions. Half of the subjects were trained musicians and the other half had no musical training. The investigators report that listening to music initially produces varying levels of arousal – accelerated breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate – that are directly proportional to the tempo of the music and perhaps the complexity of the rhythm. The style of the music or an individual’s music preference appears less important than the tempo of the music. They also found that calm is induced by slower rhythms and by short pauses or intermissions in the music. Pausing the music for two minutes actually induces a condition of relaxation greater than that observed before subjects began listening to the music tracks, the investigators report. Sleight suggests these effects are most striking for people who have musical training because they have learned to synchronise their breathing with the musical segments. â€Å"Musicians breathe faster with faster tempi, and had slower baseline breathing rates than non-musicians,† he says. The researchers speculate that music may give pleasure, and perhaps health  benefits, because it induces a controlled alteration between arousal and relaxation. They say the present study suggests that an appropriate selection of music – alternating fast and slower rhythms interspersed with pauses – can be used to induce relaxation and may therefore be beneficial in heart disease and stroke. References: above background information obtained from:Reader’s Digest December 2006Specific Research DesignWe will be measuring the heart rates of each subject to determine the effect of music on cardiovascular activity. In order to do this, we first must measure, using a heart rate monitor, the resting heart rate of the subject, as the control. Furthermore, the subject will be asked of their physical activity level, as well as to rank, in terms of preference, thefive genres of music to be used for testing. The subject will then be exposed to, sequentially, five genres of music: 20th century classical, ambient electronica, rock, metal, and rap. During each piece of music the heart rate of the subject will be recorded, and following each piece the subject’s heart will be allowed to return to resting heart rate to eliminate any sampling error that might otherwise occur. Which genre has the greatest effect on heart rate?Aim: To find out which genre of music has the greatest effect on heart rate. Hypothesis: I believe – from research, that either house or rock will get the heart rate going the most. Apparatus:Heart-rate Monitor: This object is usually a strap attached to the person’s chest with electrodes in contact with skin, which detects the hearts voltages. Once these are detected, they are then sent to the receiver through radio signals, which is usually around the wrist. The receiver uses these findings to determine the subject’s heart rate. iPod: This device will be used to expose the subject to the 7 different pieces of music throughout the experiment and at the same volume at 2mins  each song. The Human: The people tested are all between the ages of 18-23 and similar physique to keep a somewhat constant. We are also taking into account their favourite type of music based off of the seven choices we give them to see if this affects the way they react to the stimulus of the music. We are also considering their physical condition, for this will influence the heart’s activity. Method:Step 1. The volunteer was allowed to rest for 1 minute while seated. Step 2. The volunteer’s heart rate was measured using the LifeSource heart rate/blood pressure monitor. Step 3. The first music track was played using a CD player. When the track was completed, the volunteer’s heart rate was recorded. Step 4. The volunteer’s heart rate was recorded after playing each of the 7 music tracks. The music tracks were played consecutively, in the same order for each volunteer as follows:a) Acoustic: No Other Way by Jack Johnsonb) Blues/Jazz: Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charlesc) Classical: Leave No Man Behind by Hans Zimmerd) House/Electronica: La Musique by Riot In Belgiume) Hip-Hop: Don’t Matter by Akonf) R&B: Stronger by Kanye Westg) Rock: Start Me Up by the Rolling StonesVariables:Controlled: Ipod, volume, songs, heart rate monitor, time of music play, volunteer’s age bracket and gender. Dependent: Heart rate of volunteers measured in beats per minute. Independent: The songs played, time of play, different volunteer. This shows that the tempo is like the human heart and how it beats. Conclusion:From the experiment, I found that the genre of Dance, House/Electronica had the most affect on heart rate with an average of 69.7 beats per min. The genre of Classical music had the least affect on the heart rate with an average of 57.3 beats per min. Bibliography: Reader’s Digest, sciencebuddies.org, www.uncp.edu, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/, agsci.eliz.tased.edu.au, Encarta, sonybmg.com.au, musiclab.com, Mozart.org/

Sunday, September 29, 2019

My First Pocket Money

I had never felt so good in my life. I earned my first pocket money when I was in high school. During school holidays, many students preferred to stay at home or go on holidays, but I wished to experience the school holidays differently this time. As soon as the school holidays started, I began to look for a part-time job. The first day of the holiday, I went to grocery stores and malls to look for a job. I saw a lot of places that wanted to hire part-time sales associates, and I decided to go into a clothing store.The store assistant gave me an application form to fill out. After I completed the application, the store supervisor came in and asked me some questions while she was checking my application. Unfortunately, she immediately declined my application because I was a student. I went to other stores and tried my best to get a job, but every time my application was rejected. I went home feeling disappointed. The next day, I went to the mall located not far away from my house. I a sked about part-time jobs store after store.Finally, I found a restaurant hiring part-time workers for the coming Friday. The restaurant owner was so nice and friendly even knowing I was a student. She told me that she would interview me in 10 minutes. Then she called me go into her office and asked me some basic questions about my education, skills, and availability. She also asked a couple of personal questions about my family and the reason I was looking for a job. After I answered all her questions, she decided to hire me. I was so happy, and before leaving the restaurant, I confirmed the time I would report to work.The following Friday, I arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes earlier. The restaurant owner felt so happy and welcomed me with a smile. After a short meeting with the staff, we began to set up tables, chairs, and decorated for the wedding party. As soon as the wedding party began, I got very busy serving drinks and food to the guests. Some of the guests keep on as king for new plates or new cups, so I needed to walk to the store room many times. After the wedding party ended, we cleaned up tables and helped the other staff who were cleaning the floor and kitchen.Before I went home, the owner paid me fifty dollars. She was very happy with my performance at work. I went home with my first earned pocket money and felt happy. Even though my first part-time job made me tired, I enjoyed it because of the nice boss. I was disappointed in the beginning because my job application was rejected many times, but I did not give up. Finally, I was hired and worked hard as a waitress. This job was only a one-time event for a wedding, but I gained a lot of experience.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Research Proposal - Essay Example The effects of such a trend will be very long lasting on the area of marketing and advertisement. The costs of advertising are ever increasing and the trend of including celebrities in the promotional campaign is also driving up the compensation celebrity’s demand for endorsement. Also brand wars have also increased and globalization has caused boundaries to blur. This has increased competition and this in turn has made organizations more dependent on wide scale marketing. In such an environment it is very important for managers to find whether use of celebrity really adds value to the product or not. The metric usually used for effective advertisement is ad recall. If audiences remember advertisements then chances are that they will go and buy that particular product. The research that will be conducted is based upon the relationship between celebrity endorsement and ad recall. The effect of celebrity endorsement on ad recall will be analyzed in the telecommunication industry . This proposal will include the details of the research conducted and will also include a literature review of the topic. Research methodology and design will also be elucidated in the proposal with a set of recommendations for further research on the subject. Literature Review As we know that celebrity endorsements are regularly used for marketing of different brands all over the world, the research conducted on the subject is very extensive. Researchers have tried to identify the relation of celebrity endorsement and many things like brand image and brand equity. The work done in this regard is very diverse and many cultures have been tested regarding the importance and worth of celebrity advertisements. Research has also been conducted on how ad recall can be improved and what factors can affect recall rate of advertisements. It is very important for research purpose to define who a celebrity is. According to Kamins (1989) celebrity is a person â€Å"who is known to the public (actor, sports figure, entertainer, etc.) for his or her achievements in areas other than that of the product class endorsed†. This definition of celebrity is appropriate for our research purpose. It is acceptable for the culture in which we are conducting this research. Celebrity endorsement was found to be very effective in portraying a credible image of the product or service in terms of perceived expertise and trustworthiness (Till & Shimp, 1998). Credibility can positively affect brand image of the product by increasing the element of trust among customers regarding the particular product. The impact of celebrity endorsement was also found to be great on brand equity but the extent of this impact was dependent on the level of perceived credibility of the celebrity endorser (Spry, Pappu & Cornwell, 2011). Audiences actually find a sense of credibility when the message to buy a product comes from a celebrity because he is conceived as credible. This is the reason why credib ility plays a role in celebrity endorsement. Expert celebrity can influence audience more when the product is high technology oriented (Biswas, Biswas, & Das, 2006). One of the main factors identified in studies is the fact that it is very important to match the celebrity to the product he or she is endorsing. This match should be on the basis of age or gender. A good match between the product or service and the celebrity endorser can increase the effectiveness of advertisements (Hsu & McDonald,

Friday, September 27, 2019

Write the benefit part of the issue Is It Time to Think Seriously Essay

Write the benefit part of the issue Is It Time to Think Seriously About Climate Engineering - Essay Example and Atlantic ice sheets which pose a great environmental danger to the ecosystem thus an alternative measure to curb this â€Å"long term effects† menace. Carbon levels and other heat trapping gases have been on the increase and to some extent surpassed the tipping point; as of May 2012, carbon dioxide had reached 396.18 parts per million in the atmosphere which is way over the 350 parts per million upper limit, a stable climate’s relative point. With earth’s atmosphere monitoring stations over the last two decades indicating an increase in annual carbon emissions by 41% mainly from the fossil fuel combustions, indicate that the carbon concentration has approximately been increasing with 2 million parts per million each year; with this trend, it might be more than twice of the pre-industrial levels by the end of century resulting to further ecosystem damages. Geo-engineering measures more so the suggested strategies of pumping 5million to 10 million tons of sulphur dioxide in to the stratosphere; where they cannot be washed away easily by rain, intended to form microscopic particle to shade the planet from direct radiation, advancing bio-technological research on the algae fertilization to enhance carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere and invention of an alternative to fossil fuels, will go an extra mile in combating the global warming menace. Despite these measures being faced by a couple of limitations such as lack of effective understanding of ecological problems, increasing the acidity of the oceans, ineffective measure of full implication tests and barriers from the economically benefiting segments and organizations/governments with interests in these biodegrading activities, extensive research more so on the geo-engineering to curb the radiation and carbon emissions. A further global warming of 1 degree centigrade defines a critical threshold with the earth creating more Venus like conditions characterized by unhealthy and unlivable conditions

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Digital Radiography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Digital Radiography - Research Paper Example hich relies on a digital media to capture and present the pictures it takes, rather than the more classic use of photographic film† (McGuigan, n.d.). There is not much difference between the examination styles of digital radiography and screen-film radiography from the patient’s perspective. The presence of a digital receptor and a computer system makes digital radiography different to screen-film radiography. Some of the main components of the digital radiography system include a digital image receptor, a digital image management and processing system, a display device, and data storage device. There are a number of advantages of digital radiography over screen-film radiography. Some of the key advantages of using digital radiography system include improved contrast, immediate observation of images, facility of magnifying the images, facility to transfer the images to other computer systems, real time interpretation of the images, better abnormality detection ability, reduced image processing time, and facility of storing images using computer technology. â€Å"Pulling up specific stored radiographic images from a comput er database is easy because of the highly organized nature of computer file storage† (Christensen, 2004). One of the key advantages of digital radiography is that of its efficacy in contemporary screening practices. A faster and more accurate examination is possible through digital method of radiography, which not only results in the reduction of the test duration but also provides comfort to the patients due to reduced examination time. Denise and Farleigh (2005) states, â€Å"One of the principal advantages of any digital imaging system is the separation of image acquisition, process and display, allowing optimization of each of these steps†. Speed is one of the major advantages of digital radiography system. The radiologists can produce the images very quickly using digital technology as compared to screen-film radiography. Digital

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

HISTORY of western civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HISTORY of western civilization - Essay Example There were activists, propagandists and scientists in the Enlighteners who wanted to understand the world in a new insight and change it. The Enlightenment had its impact in France, Britain, Germany, Spain, Portugal, America, Italy and the Netherlands and resulted in great historical developments like the establishment of the United States of America and French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The Enlightenment was not a single movement nor was it carried out by a unified group of individuals. Instead, it happened piecemeal and to have a clear idea of its impact on human life, one has to assess the history from the second half of seventeenth century to the beginning of eighteenth century. The beginning of Enlightenment is visible in the thinking of Francis Bacon who lived during the Renaissance period as he strongly supported pragmatic thought which was the basis of enlightenment. There was Benjamin Franklin who was an efficient statesman, scientist and political philosopher. He made two crucial scientific inventions; bifocal spectacles and lightning conductors as a scientist and also played a crucial role in the development of the new American Republic (Porter, 3). Another eminent Enlightener was the French philosopher and writer Denis Diderot who is famous as the editor of Encyclopedie. Giving up Roman Catholicism, he started philosophical materialism. Yet another prominent figure was Condorcet who argued that social ills take place not due to human nature, but due to ignorance and mistake. Another very important Enlightener is Voltaire who fought against the religious dogma of the time and vehemently supported social reform. Some others who had their role in this great revolution are Thomas Hobbes, Spinoza, Kant and Hegel. Montesquieu, d’Alembert, Turgot, the Britons, Locke, Hume and Gibbon, The Genevan, Rousseau, d’Holbach and Herder too were prominent influences in the movement. In the simplest possible terms, the aim of E nlightenment thinkers was to fight ignorance, superstition and despotism for the creation of a better world. As it was in eighteenth century, the main culprits that suppressed the free thinking of man, according to Enlighteners, were the Catholic Church and the hereditary aristocracy that existed all over Europe. An understanding of the social situation prevailed in Europe will show how urgent a social change was for them. The 17th century Europe was totally restless by wars in the name of religion and also in the name of imperial invasion. Both the church and the state were hand in hand in torturing people in the name of religion and state. Even the scriptures were twisted and used for the advantages of the church and the state. Those who tried anything against the state or religion were imprisoned or executed. From the above, it is clear that Enlightenment was the need of the time, which freed human mind from the dogmas of religion, which insisted that logic is the way to truth. I nstead, Enlighteners claimed that logic should be accompanied by reason, and that experience and experiment are the way to real truth. It is seen that Enlighteners were mainly against the dogmatism and irrationality present in Christianity. Enlightenment thinkers aimed mainly at the religion as it was the Catholic Church that chained the brain of people from thinking rationally. One of the earliest critics was Thomas Hobbes.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Criminology Case Study - Mass Murder Research Paper

Criminology Case Study - Mass Murder - Research Paper Example This time of murders mostly occur in single locations where victims are killed by the murderer. The aim of this paper will be explaining the crime of mass murder and its relationship with the above three theories. A case in point will be on a mass murder of an individual who shot dead 12 movie goers in a movie theatre in Denver. James E.Holmes is accused of acting alone in the incident. According to Burke (2009), a mass murder can be committed by an individual or by organizations. This type of mass shootings has in recent times increased in number and magnitude. Shootings are occurring in schools and other social places in alarming frequency. Innocent children and adults have lost their lives due to indiscriminate mass shootings. After carrying out investigations, the FBI concluded that Holmes was acting alone. Crimes have a background and objectivity to occurrence (Carole et al, 2010) and this paper will try understanding the crime of mass murders from this perspective. The Crime Th e suspect, Holmesis accuse of indiscriminately shooting 12 victims dead and seriously injuring 58 others in a movie theatre in Denver Colorado. Holmes legally bought guns and ammunition in the Denver area and proceeded to a movie theatre that was screening a movie by the title â€Å"The Dark Knight Rises†. ... According to the law, Holmes faces charges of mass murder among other charges and accordingly faces a life sentence in jail if found guilty. Hagan (2010) explains that crimes are committed by criminals and therefore Holmes could be inadvertently a serialized criminal even though his criminal past only consisted of a single traffic summon.According to Fox & Levin (2012), over 90% Americans of Americans advocate for background checks on individual who purchase arms as a way of controlling who owns arms.Crimes of this nature have and still continue to occur. Mass murders are becoming a common scenario in the everyday life of American Citizens. There has been a gradual increase in use of lethal force during these incidents. The reason behind an individual taking up arms and killing fellow humans according to Brent &Kraska (2013) can be attributed to personality as well social structures around the individual among other factors. In light of these factors, the three theories shed light on the reason behind this crime of mass shootings. Rational Theory Starting with the rational theory that seeks to explain the reason why individuals behave the way they do, especially so for criminal related behaviors. According to (Hagan, 2010), blame is directed toward personal choice as the reason behind crime. An individual like Holmes might have carried out the mass shootings in the movie theatre out of personal choice. The authorities determined that Holmes was working alone and therefore there could be incidents of persuasion on him. Welsh (2008)states that human beings are rational and thus individuals choose behavior, criminal on otherwise, based purely on rationality. The basis of this rational behavior is an analysis on cost versus benefit of choice.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 183

Essay Example I was a bit upset for there was nothing interesting about them; they were just common people everyone can see in a cafà © in the morning. Despite this, I enjoyed being there because of the sun that shone just right through the window, the cafà © smelled of coffee and freshly baked muffins, and I felt peaceful and contended with my life. At that very moment, a man came in and caught my attention immediately. He seemed to be very excited, even nervous. He looked around as if he was looking for someone or something, sat down at a table and ordered tea. The man was dressed very neatly, and at first I thought that he came on a date; it was too early for that though, and I put that thought to rest. Also, it was quite an early morning for a business meeting. Curiosity was eating me up as the man checked his watch almost every two minutes and looked out the window. He was definitely waiting for someone. About fifteen minutes of waiting passed, and a boy bounced into the cafà ©. He was about thirteen or fourteen years old, not too tall, and he reminded me of someone I had already seen before. When he came up to the man, I understood who the boy reminded me of. It became obvious they were a father and a son. When the man saw the boy, he glowed with happiness and finally calmed down. The boy was also very glad to see his father for he ran up and hugged him. It was such a nice and moving scene! I think that the fact that they met at the cafà © suggests that they did not live together; perhaps, the boy’s parents were divorced, and his mother had a sole custody of her child. In any case, it was clear that they had not seen each other for a long time. As I looked around, I noticed that everybody who was at the cafà © at the moment also was watching the man and his son. Just like me, they also seemed to be moved by the scene. At that very instance, I felt that the entire cafà © was filled with peace, happiness and even

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Written analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Written analysis - Essay Example Giving it as a hypothetical case, if the customer is late queuing in a place, he or she misses out on a business engagement and hence losses money just because poor service provision on part of the business. If it is a personal engagement, an individual’s name carries some costs to it that cannot be quantified. A person’s dignity cannot be bought with money hence making it even a bigger loss. For the company, the losses that accrue from customer queuing are immense. The company only manages to serve very few customers out of a large number of them hence losing on the opportunity to make money. Secondly, the customer who queues in a place waiting to get some services will avoid coming to do business again and will search for such similar services providers. In the common perfect competition and monopolist market structures, the business will obviously lose on customers. There will be no customer loyalty, and hence this will define the end of the business. This can be managed by having many business agents to serve the customer and expand rooms where these services are offered. At Macro, however, the management is very aware of these queues and the costs they have on business. Arguably, they knew how to manage the situation better by avoiding falling in the pitfall. In this era of the technology revolution, the management could not gamble with it and have introduced highly specialized e-services to the clients by liaising with various service providers. As has been the case, word of mouth has been a potent business marketing tool. Word of mouth, in other words, means customer feedback on the services offered at any organization. Customer feedback is number one yardstick that evaluates and determines if the customers are getting services worth time and money. Only if the customers have satisfied with the business will they comment positively and when they are not satisfied, certainly, they would respond negatively. For any

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Communication in Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Communication in Early Childhood Education Essay Effective communication creates a learning environment where students can learn according to their individual needs in a safe and accommodating environment. Think about your early childhood education (or your child’s early education), was it flexible to suit individual learning experiences or were children required to conform to the teacher’s methods of teaching? If you answered the latter, do you think the former would improve the quality of education? Pedagogues’ in all divisions of education should possess proficiency in different levels of communication, whether  they are teaching primary or secondary students or university alumni, to be able to address a combination of the various age groups (colleagues, students, parents or superiors). Educators will face difficulties in providing a satisfactory level of education without the necessary skills to communicate effectively to these groups of people. Early childhood educators with effective communication skills demonstrate an ability to adapt their teaching methods to suit the needs of their young individual students, which benefits the progression in child development. The teacher’s positive mood determines the emotional climate of the classroom,  creating a healthy and safe learning environment for the children and allows teachers to communicate comfortably with children, parents and colleagues, therefore, resolving issues efficiently. Early childhood educators who communicate effectively with children and parents create a positive classroom atmosphere, where successful learning can take place. Teachers and parents must be able to communicate and cooperate to build a strong relationship for the best interests of the child. Do parents have an innate trust in teachers? (For them to leave their children in the teachers care, in some  cases, almost a stranger) Whether or not this is accurate, teachers must build on this trust to create a supportive parent-teacher relationship. Each situation is different and teachers should be aware of their body language, and use of language, so when speaking with parents their communication should be different when talking to parents than when they are chatting with friends. The first step is establishing a dialogue by approaching the parent first and making them feel welcome and relaxed, as parents may be resistant in making first contact, due to, a bad experience with teachers themselves, as children or bad experiences in other  schools with other teachers (Miller, 2003 Roffey, 2002 as cited by Porter, 2008). There are different strategies teachers can use to maintain effective communication with parents and build strong relationships once they have made communication. Keeping a parents trust is important in maintaining open lines of communication so they can discuss concerns relating to the child and solve issues promptly. Teachers can gain parents confidence by always respecting confidentiality and avoiding rumors. If a parent finds out that, their child’s teacher breached confidentiality or is  a known gossip, parents will find it difficult to confide in them with an issue regarding their child, particularly if it is of a personal nature. Parents are also more likely to approach their child’s teacher if they know they can discuss issues and reach a mutual agreement (Bender, 2005). Teacher-parent communication is all about showing trust and comfort with each other. Frequent communication between these two parties creates less tension, when an issue arises, allowing a constructive discussion to take place and reaching an agreement sooner without hostility. Teachers can increase parent participation in the child’s learning by updating  them in upcoming activities and events, so they can be included in their child’s education, stay informed in their child’s successes and concerns, participate in special events, and contribute to their child’s overall learning process. The activities and responsibilities of the school should not be limited to the school environment and cease once the child has reached home, therefore, teachers and parents should allow room for overlapping (Edwards, 2000). Keeping parents updated on their child’s school progress allows parents to provide the necessary support and encouragement at home, giving them a better understanding of their child’s development. At the same time, teachers should obtain information from parents regarding the child’s progress at home, so teachers can help children accordingly at school. This back and forth communication between parents and teachers will provide students with a supportive network that benefits everyone concerned (Ramirez, 2006). It is also the responsibility of teachers to advice parents when their child is involved in an accident. Teachers should always take detailed notes of incidents, remembering to keep confidentiality (between parents), if more than one student was involved (Koza, 2007).  If a parent became aware about an incident through their child, it may give the parent the impression that the teacher tried to conceal the incident. By keeping parents constantly informed, reinforces the parent-teacher relationship, giving parents’ confidence in the teacher’s ability to care for their child. Teachers need to be flexible in their teaching, to meet each individual’s needs. Teachers must demonstrate various teaching styles to accommodate how each individual â€Å"learnt-to-learn† (Edwards, 2009), by applying the learning methods children are familiar with enables them to accomplish more and feel comfortable in  their new learning environment. The way children learned to do tasks at home is crucial to their learning when they reach early childhood education, since each child learned to follow instructions and complete tasks differently, it would be insensitive to treat all children the same without taking into account their cultural differences and experience (Marotz, 2009). Educators teaching young children must consider the learning methods each individual is already accustomed to and design their teaching methods around the children’s experiences, and so, communication can be  used effectively by incorporating different teaching strategies such as speaking, writing and visual demonstrations. For example, a child who has learned to complete a task by reading instructions will perform more efficiently if they are able to read from the board or paper, instead of following verbal instructions from a teacher. Teachers should make the effort to understand each child’s previous learning experience and background, so they can identify the best teaching method required by each child. Teachers must adopt appropriate methods and language for teaching and should outline the schools (or teachers) code of conduct regarding  language, to parents, so they can enforce the same rules at home to avoid children bringing inappropriate language to school, causing disruptions in the learning of other children and disgruntling other parents. As teachers gain experience with children and parents of different cultures, religions and abilities, they develop their own communication skills so they can provide improved services to the children they teach in the future. A safe and positive classroom is an important environment for the learning and development of a child. As a classroom leader, the teacher must behave and  communicate in a manner that creates a positive emotional climate in the classroom; firstly, teachers must resolve or reduce stress caused by work and personal issues, doing so outside of the classroom, so they can concentrate on the needs of the children when they are in the classroom. Secondly, by displaying self-confidence, a strong sense of self-worth and control over their emotions creates a classroom atmosphere where children are happy, comfortable and safe, as a result, children respond more positively to their teachers and classmates (Marotz, 2009). Ebbeck Waniganayake (2003) stated that young children generally have a  sense of happiness and positiveness in them, but society depresses this and upsets the way children view the world and future, by creating fear in them (the media showing violence, bad behavior, and superficial concerns). However, teachers can empower children by showing them â€Å"how to take their place in society and create a better now and future† (Ebbeck Waniganayake, 2003) and give them a feeling of optimism in everything they try to accomplish. Teachers who build a trusting bond with their students are also better equipped, in understanding each individual, allowing children to open up and discuss personal problems with them. This enables  teachers to speak and listen to each individual easily and identify signs of possible abuse, bullying or other health and safety concerns. In conclusion, effective communication is essential to all learning environments and without it, teachers will struggle to teach and students will face learning difficulties, resulting in a decline in the quality of education. In early childhood education, it is up to the teachers to ensure that each child’s education environment is safe and comfortable for the child, by showing flexibility in teaching to meet individual requirements and showing care and understanding to assist children with concerns. A strong parent-teacher relationship creates a support network where information is exchanged and issues are solved, to allow the child to concentrate on his or her learning and development. Early childhood educators are there to guide and support children in all aspects of life. References Ebbeck, M. Waniganayake, M. (2003). Early childhood professionals: Leading today and tomorrow. East Gardens, Australia: Maclennan Petty Pty Ltd Edwards, MC (2000) Center for effective parenting is a collaborative project of: The Jones center for families, 3. Retrieved from http://www. parenting-ed. org/handout3/Parental Involvement/Communicating with. Teacher Handout. pdf Edwards, S. (2009). Early childhood education and care. Castle Hill, Australia: Pademelon Press Koza, W. (2007). Managing an effective early childhood classroom. Huntington Beach, USA: Shell Educational Publishing. Marotz, L. R. (2009). Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child (8th ed. ). Australia: Cengage Learning Porter, L. (2008). Teacher-parent collaboration: Early childhood to adolescence. Camberwell, Australia: ACER Press Ramirez, L (2006) Parent teacher The benefits of creating a supportive parent teacher relationship. Retrieved from http://www. parenting-child-development. com/parent-teacher. html.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Modern Theory Of Business Strategy Business Essay

The Modern Theory Of Business Strategy Business Essay Strategizing is much more than just visioning, forecasting, planning and reviewing. In the new rapidly changing economy, all important tasks of strategy have been redefined as issues of implementation. These days strategizing is concerned with the match between the internal capabilities of the company and its external environment. The modern subject of business strategy is a set of analytic tools techniques for understanding better, and so influencing, a companys position in its actual and potential marketplace. As strategy today is a subject of application; the obvious key disciplines for strategy are economics and organizational culture. One needs to employ them to define a structure in which the process of strategy formulation and its implementation are bound together. Putting it simply, strategy refers to the technique or direction one would adopt in achieving a certain objective. For business purposes, objectives are usually more precisely defined using numerical values 10% increase in sales in the next year could be an example of a business objective (sales). Objectives differ depending upon the conditions one may find himself in and therefore would result in the adoption of varied strategies. Business strategy refers to the combined strategies of single business firm or a strategic business unit (SBU) in a diversified corporation. A firm must devise a business strategy that incorporates either cost leadership, differentiation or focus and the like in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and long-term success in its areas or industries. 1b) How strategy can be constructed and carried out effectively, even by small businesses? There could be political strategies, business strategies, social strategies and so on. It is nothing but natural for strategies to differ in matter but they all share some common issues that get addressed in the process. So, in order to work on strategic substance it is imperative to understand the issues that need to be answered in our strategic choices. Firstly, strategies are to be thought of in long term basis. Strategies are formed keeping in mind the vision of an organization that helps further decide the direction to be taken. Vision is basically the broad reason for an organizations existence. This being the first structural block. Secondly, strategies are formulated under the characteristics of an organizations strengths and weaknesses. The resources and competencies of a firm help define and shape the variety of strategic choices available to the management to choose from. This forms the second major structural block and alongside the first lays the basic foundation for strategy formation. The rest is basically a web where we need to analyse the current domain of the organizations activities and possible future expansion, the culture of the organization, the values and expectations of stakeholders, the operational and business environment and the competition. Once this analysis is done, strategies can be derived that help to provide a competitive advantage in the current environment after considering its expected future outcome. This aspect is very important as strategies cannot be altered time and again. They should keep room for a little change as they have to stand the test of time and therefore need to be aligned correspondingly to dynamic business environments. To sum it up, strategies are essentially long term choices of an organization that define the manner in which competitive advantage shall be obtained, alongside the fulfillment of stakeholders expectations, within the boundaries of the organizations strengths and weaknesses. Evidently, the process of developing strategies is a tedious one and requires concrete analysis of many inter-related factors. It is extremely complex and has an inherent uncertainty about its conception. However, a careful analysis of the business environment including that of competitors can greatly reduce this complexity. As a strategy developer one has to be in harmony with the vagueness of the opportunity costs for a particular strategic choice and once decided, should focus entirely on the chosen strategic direction. All actions are linked to the strategy of the organization and hence a thorough analysis of various direct and indirect factors is critical to its success. The most important strategic choice a small organization can make is prepare to do battle with the future, which includes five steps. Step 1: Anticipate both threats and windows of opportunities for the vision and mission of the organization. Step 2: Decide how to react to these emerging threats and opportunities. Step 3: Identify the source from which those risks and opportunities will come from. Step 4: Identify when the risks will hit or if the opportunity is really valuable. Step 5: Execute necessary actions to mitigate the threats or take advantage of the opportunities. Strategic planning for a small business doesnt have to be as formal, or as detailed as with a large company. The most important step to take is to strike up a discussion with your customers, employees, vendors, investors, and do your homework about your competitors. It helps to talk about your strategy with a partner, advisor, or trusted consultant to reduce ambiguity and bring some focus to your mind around the strategic issues that could impact your business in the future. The biggest mistake a small business owner can do for his organization is, be unprepared or surprised by unfolding future events. Even if he simply thinks things through in his mind and then briefly share his strategic choices or decisions with his employees, he will be ahead of the curve and enabling people to understand how they can connect with his strategy. For a small business working toward a strategic plan the one thing that can make a lot of difference is to commit all the strategic decision to paper. This is one move ahead of many of its competitors. Inviting the strongest employees to respond to the strategic issues, concerns and getting them involved so they feel some ownership in this simple process brings a clear and thorough insight into the strategic planning. Arranging a strategy adaptation meeting with all hands twice a year for a couple of hours to clarify the direction, make adjustments and respond to questions is yet another time-proven way of facing the changing business demographics. The strategic analysis should look at six aspects of the business. The customers: Figure out who your customers are now, who they will be in the future, how they are changing, and what they will want in the future. The people and talent: What skills and capabilities will be needed to address the threats and opportunities? How many people, what kind of new roles will be needed, how will peoples roles change in the future to handle the threats and grab the opportunities? Will the organization grow and are we developing the leadership to manage the changes coming? The Suppliers and Vendor: Can they give you what will be required to meet future challenges? Are there new offerings that can help you resolve your particular business issues? The Competitors: Who are the players in your market? What are the strengths they possess? How can you take advantage of their vulnerabilities with your unique capabilities? The Products and Services: Are you preparing something new and value added for your customers or users which enable them to be more productive? The Organizational infrastructure technology: What will the organization need to do differently in the future to keep up with new and emerging customers? Are you using technology to improve productivity? Strategy really isnt rocket science; rather it is a common sense and a willingness to ask some challenging questions and bringing the workable answers. Be willing to think it through, communicate with others, and solicit additional perspectives. Writing down the conclusions and sharing them with the rest of the organization. Lastly, issuing a call to work on strategic action each day to compliment the routine tactical work that has to be done to pay the bills and meet current obligations. All of the above help the small business stay ahead of the curve. 1c) The value of using key analytical tools to help in the strategy-making process Strategic Analysis This is all about analysing the strength of position of business and understanding the important external factors that may influence that position. The process of Strategic Analysis can be helped by a number of tools, including: PEST Analysis a technique for understanding the environmentin which a business operates [See Appendix A for details] Porters Five Forces Analysis a technique for identifying the forces which affect the level of competition within an industry [See Appendix A for details] Competitor Analysis a broad range of techniques and analysis that seeks to summarise a businessesoverall competitive position Critical Success Factor Analysis a technique to identify those key areas in which a business must outperform the competition in order to succeed SWOT Analysis a useful summary technique for summarising the key issues arising from an assessment of a businesses internalposition and externalenvironmental influences. Analytical methods and tools are key to ensuring that consistency and an appropriate level of rigour is applied to the analysis. The aim of the analytical tool is to intensify the focus of the analysis and to ensure a methodical and a balanced approach. All analytical tools rely on historical and statistical data to extrapolate future assumptions. It is important to exercise caution when interpreting strategic analysis results. Otherwise the analysis may be influenced by preconceived notions within the organisation which seek to validate a particular strategic assumption. One of the key skills of a strategic analyst is in understanding which analytical tools or techniques are most appropriate to the objectives of the analysis. One of the most common analytical tool used in devising a business strategy is SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis is a simple but widely used tool that helps in understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a project or business activity. It starts by defining the objective of the business activity and identifies the internal and external factors that are important to achieving that objective. strengths and weaknesses are usually internal to the organisation, while opportunities and threats are usually external. Often these are plotted on a simple 22 matrix. Strengths à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What does your organisation do better than others? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are your unique selling points? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do your competitors and customers in your market perceive as your strengths? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What is your organisations competitive edge? Opportunities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What political, economic, social-cultural, or technology (PEST) changes are taking place that could be favourable to you? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Where are there currently gaps in the market or unfulfilled demand? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What new innovation could your organisation bring to the market? Weakness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do other organisations do better than you? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What elements of your business add little or no value? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do competitors and customers in your market perceive as your weakness? Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What political, economic, social-cultural, or technology (PEST) changes are taking place that could be unfavourable to you? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What restraints to you face? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What is your competition doing that could negatively impact you? 2) Based on the case study, carry out an analysis of Making It Bigs: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ strengths and weaknesses, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ opportunities and threats Strengths Making It Big has had wonderful years over the past couple of years. For the last 10 years MIB enjoyed steady average sales increase of 12%. This was made possible due to the fact that Cynthia, the owner of the business, contributed significant amount of her time and effort to keep the cash flow running. Cynthia learned the whole trade of a business at an early age and rode on the surge of the feminism movements. She was already mentally prepared and economically challenged to take on the risky path of setting up her own venture. Her earlier stint with Cheap Frills also enabled her to learn the tricks of trade and get really close to the suppliers, manufacturers, whole-sellers and customers. This proved to be a foundational platform that let her project her thoughts and evaluate an opportunity that can be filled. Hence, the birth of Making It Big took place. This opportunity was plus-size clothing manufacturing selling business. It was only possible for her to evaluate and pick such an opportunity because she was able to put herself in the shoes of the her potential customers. She, being a female and a fat one at that, helped her empathize her customers and bring to them a product that can truly add value to their lives. Besides, she had personal beliefs of strengthening fat women. For that she had to attend various seminars, feminism conferences, fashion shows and other such social events to market her clothing collection of the season as well as learning more about the reservations of her customers. She had to use these platforms to raise awareness and to strengthen the fat category of female population to lead a normal life. This step of approaching a new customer bracket is always risky and frought with FUD phenomena among customers. FUD phenomena also known as Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt, leaves a whole set of problems of manufacturin g, marketing and selling for the niche to be addressed. It also turned out in the very beginning that no manufacturer is willing to accept orders to custom make plus-sized ladies garments for a new venture. To overcome these challenges, Cynthia needed a partner, an expert in the area of ladies garments manufacturing, a dedicated sales person, a manufacturing facility, long list of suppliers, transporters, sewing staff and other office personnel. Moreover, she was also supposed to raise awareness and market her products to the category of fat women who usually stay indoor. One of her strengths played in the initial stages of her setup was a brilliant discovery of an expert seamstress as a contractor who helped MIB hire/train more such experts. This solved a major issue of getting the staff ready to take on the challenges that may lay ahead. It has been observed over years that staffing alone can take running businesses down if care is not taken and successful businesses have always invested largely on human resources functions. Therefore Cynthia focused on selecting and grooming a culture among employees who were hard-working and committed individuals. This strengthened the confidence of MIBs management on employees performance especially during times of tight money supply. This enables management to take sound decisions and face competition without fear of being wiped out. Another factor that improved the success rate of MIB tremendously was that Cynthia had two parallel businesses Cheap Frills and MIB running in parallel; with one complementing the other. In such circumstances, its easy to loose sight of the direction due to the division of owners attention. However, Cynthia managed it well and had highly motivated staff to take care of both of her businesses. This helped Cynthia maintain a healthy level of cash flow and also to acquire short-term credit from financial institution. Since, the two businesses were identical therefore there was also some overlap in their customers. Later on, when Cynthia dissolved one of her business, Cheap Frills, she was not only able to generate cash on liquidating its assets but she also converted it to MIBs warehouse. In short, running two businesses had a symbiotic relationship not parasitic and when she sold one of them it benefited the other even more. When it comes to manufacturing, MIB also met with a good luck in that it developed a product line that could carry over the season and still look new item because of different colors. This helped MIB manage SKUs and inventory at the very early stages of manufacturing. This also streamlined MIBs manufacturing processes so that the owner-manager could divert her attention on the more pressing tasks of sales and marketing. Another strength that MIB was successfully able to capitalize on was the idea of using various marketing channels; retail store ads, catalog for mail-in orders and a comprehensive website. Especially, when it comes to mail-in orders, Cynthia used a very unconventional approach of reaching out to the customer segment of fat women. This approach let MIB reach true potential customers, read fat women, rather than shot-gunning all the housholds in the area for search of potential customers. This caused MIB to develop strong relationship with new customers and repeat sales were possible apart from saving tremendous amounts of marketing budgets for a yet growing MIB. Weaknesses One of the biggest weaknesses that was figured out for MIB is the improvisational style of business that cannot cope with change. This style, although good for executing short-term goals while maintaining a tight grip on cash flow, is difficult to adapt to changing external factors. Cynthia, being the owner-manager, did not have a business degree to start with. She was working on her business purely through determination and intuition. This can bring short-term success but to really succeed in the global scale and expand the business beyond the territorial boundaries, one has to endeavour into the realm of experimentation and critical analysis of the various medium-term strategies and its market acceptance. Secondly, Cynthias partner Janet wasnt contributing much in the early days of MIB as a business startup. Although, she provided the much needed cash other financial help but she lacked dedication. This naturally led Cynthia to take on the role of both the partners and hence the role of strategist in MIB was lost forever. Had Janet been taking care of some of the daily sales and marketing matters then Cynthia would be in a better shape to use the above mentioned analytical tools to provide regular insight into business and the way to look forward to. This lack of strategic planning skills among the top management of MIB caused sales growth to come to stall. Another weakness cited in the case study was that MIB was serving a niche market. Niche markets are always a headache for sales and marketing professional. Customers, fat women staying indoors, were hard to find and their buying patterns, no prior experience or passion of shopping, caused MIB to look for alternate channels of marketing. The case study also points to a claim by industry experts that most retailers dont know how to sell to larger or fat customers. The reason for that was the buying behaviour of those customers in that those women were not working due to their hesitation of the social gathering in general. Thus those women were confined to the indoors and therefore they have to approached within the boundaries of their household. Even though MIB tried various marketing channels but they were still not their. The financial figures show that most of their sales were within their base state, California, and thus there was a huge market outside their base state that still needs to be accessed. Lastly, the case study reveals that MIB employees are over-worked so there is a chance of them leaving MIB despite of their loyalty. This problem is not limited to the leaving of managers only but also to all of the staff members within the organisation. Every year, industry experts quote a huge replacement cost associated with an employee. Therefore its in the best interest of firms to provide enough benefits and compliant human resource policies to retain existing employees. It has also been observed that small firms often make the mistake of not hiring enough employees matching the increase in their business activity. This ultimately leads to employees being overworked and eventually leaving the firm for one of their competitor with better work ethics. The weakness has also been found in MIBs case. Opportunities There are a lot of opportunities that MIB can exploit to project its sales and come out as a successful firm in the long run. In the very early days of MIB setting up its business, Cynthia developed a small line of credit with a bank to improve growth and opportunity. This is very important to enable a startup fulfill the orders that are beyond the financial capacity of the firm. This immediate or sometimes seasonal surge in sales can only be managed by taking short-term loans. MIB easily managed this opportunity and was able to keep sales growing at a steady rate of 12% over 10 years. Another opportunity that knocked on the MIBs door was the fact that Cynthia had no familiarity with mail-order business rules. Those rules were in fact good for marketing of only general household products but MIB was serving a niche market. Had Cynthia invested heavily in a certain mail-order marketing firm, it would have caused severe budgeting problems with no tangible impact on actual sales growth. That niche of a customer segment only stayed indoors and was not very easily approachable. Thus an unconventional approach helped MIB reach its true customers and enable it to cause recurring sales to existing customers. To reach those difficult to find customer, Cynthia regularly attended trade shows to keep up with the trends and new potential customers. This helped her stay in touch with few of her existing customers as well as attract new ones. Since, MIB needed brand awareness and brand recognition all throughout its lifespan apart from saving finances from huge marketing budgets therefore it was prudent to specifically target the potential customers in such events. Cashing on this opportunity caused MIB to stick in this niche marketplace. Another bright opportunity that was unveiled was that women plus-size market is growing in 2000s to $47 billion in 2005. MIB being an established player in this market only has to increase its capacity and reach out to customers. This rather unique opportunity that even the statistics agree is hard to miss for MIB. Moreover, careful strategic planning and evaluation of the outcome can result in tremendous growth of MIB in the years to come. Another NPD groups survey revealed 35% adult Americans as overweight and 26% as obese, 60% women wear 12 plus size and 16% teenage girls are overweight. This revelation is proof enough for Cynthia to invest in finding the right mix of short-term and long-term strategies to boost its sales and in the process increase market share. Thus there are ample growth opportunities that MIB needs to cash in and raise its business value. Threats There are numerous threats that were mentioned in the case study. However, how many of these MIB has been able to identify and take necessary steps is what we have yet to see. One of its competitor Charming Shoppes has a huge market share in plus size apparel industry. Charming Shoppes is acquiring its competitors and growing its business annually with billions of sales and thousands of retail outlets. Taking this competitor head on is difficult and unmanageable. However, the more troublesome situation is if Charming Shoppes shows interest in taking over MIB. Not only will this result in doubts among its customers, suppliers and other stakeholders but it will also create an environment of uncertainty among its employees. This will cause reduction in the productivity of its employees internally and loosing its sales instantly externally. This hostile bid may eventually result in Cynthia succumbing to pressure and even agreeing on weaker terms to sales her business to the giant competitor. Another threat that this niche market is facing is that famous brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Old Navy, have also started releasing plus-size women apparel. With big brands entering this market, there is little room for breathing left for smaller players like MIB. IT currently does not carry any brand recognition. Therefore big brands pose a significant threat to the existing sales of MIB. The market leader, Charming Shoppes, is investing heavily on sophisticated MIS to keep detailed profiles of customers and thus refine direct sales. MIB currently does not possess the financial backbone to undertake such a huge task. The best it can do is to hire more effective sales and marketing personnel to increase market reach beyond its base city and state in order to beat the onslaught of the competition. Lastly, as can be seen from its balance sheet that MIB has more business coming from mail-orders and internet. However, it has been observed over the past year by the top management of MIB that mail-orders are decreasing over the past few quarters. Therefore, it needs to immediately look for alternatives to mail-orders in order to keep running a positive cash flow. 3) From your analysis above, write a considered assessment of what needs to be done to develop and strengthen Making It Bigs competencies and capabilities, to the point where the company has a competitive advantage. The SWOT analysis conducted above presents a picture for MIB that if proper steps are not taken immediately, it could risk loosing its business to the competition. The owner-manager, Cynthia, needs to take helm of affairs and be able to come up with a business strategy and a plan to implement it that not only neutralizes all the threats but also drastically contribute to the growth of MIB as an enterprise. One important part of the overall strategy that MIB needs to develop must include augmenting the strength of already hard-working and committed employees in the form of better marketing sales professionals. Care must be taken that the hired marketing personnel are able to launch effective campaigns that can drive sales even in hard economic times. Cynthia herself has not been able to fulfill this role properly and there are currently no one in this position within the organisation. Small business generally do not have the resources ot plan and purchase external advice and support; they are very susceptible to small environmental changes; owner-managers may not have the necessary experience for managing all aspects of a small business; and owner-managers cannot devote a lot of time to consciously working through plans because of day-to-day work pressures. A consequence of this is that owner-managers tend to have a shorter and more functional emphasis on planning. (S. Carter D. Jones-Evans, 2006) Therefore this emphasis on marketing can cause positive change for MIB at large. Another strategic planning that MIB needs to conduct is to look for sales outside the confines of its base city and state of California. Even though MIB is not geared for globalization just yet but it is in a position to dramatically increase its market share as well as its brand recognition by effectively marketing its products in the rest of the states of Americas. MIB has a very strong manufacturing arm and an able manufacturing manager, which can handle increasing the production capacity as well as increase in order processing. Going beyond the psychological boundaries of its base city and state isnt easy. MIB may have to forge new partnerships with garments retailers in other parts of America. This can eventually result in reduction of financial pressure due to marketing and also raise its brand recognition among the new set of customers across the country. It has also been observed that the mail-in orders are decreasing over the last few quarters. This may be because of the increase in the usage of internet based business. MIB needs to invest heavily on generating more business electronically by investing heavily on its e-commerce infrastructure. This will not only prove to be a viable alternative but if executed correctly can give significant boost to the existing sales. Another aspect that Cynthia as an owner of MIB can improve upon is by hiring experienced managers with relevant educational background. It seems that the new hired managers have matching skills and relevant past experience yet they fail to build a sound strategy that can help Cynthia steer the business towards increasing sales. A couple of vocational training courses may not be adequate to make these managers think outside the box. Therefore, MIB needs to invest in hiring seriously strong candidates with relevant qualifications and education. Cynthia needs to take some vocational training as well as management courses to improve her perspective of her business and the market in general. Another aspect clearly missing from the case study as well as Cynthias perspective is that there is no mention of any SWOT analysis done for the MIBs competitors. Without a competitors analysis there can be no strategic planning that can yield significant positive change. 4) How well do you think the tools and techniques for crafting and executing business strategy work for small businesses run by owner-managers with limited resources (including key staff members)? Overtime strategic planning has been evolved into a concept that is commonly considered as the most effective solution to all the business issues. Some businesses follow strategic planning so religiously and focus so much of their energies on their strategic plan that it seems like their primary product. Even though, appropriately executed strategic plans are wonderful. However, they must be taken as a tool of a corporation to achieve its goals, not to make them a goal unto themselves. Most importantly the strategic plans must not take most of the valuable time of employer or employees. Several business ventures also carry a misguided belief that strategic planning is reserved only for large businesses that can afford the effort, time and resources to develop a sound plan. However, a small business intends to compete against the industrial big guns in the marketplace then it is imperative to guess some of their tactics and game plans and strategic planning is a primary component of any successful and large venture. It also does not suggests that a small venture needs all the bells and whistles and the complexity of larger corporations strategic plans. For a working entrepreneur it is possible to devise a good working draft in a matter of hours that is sound enough for the small business to keep on the course to becoming a solid competitor. The original idea of strategic planning is to set up a strategy that a small business is going to follow over a short to medium term of time period. It can be for a specific business unit, like strategizing a production planning strategy, or it can for the whole of a business. Usually its the job of board of directors to set an overall strategy for the whole of business and to execute that high-level strategy each area of the company plans their strategy which is compliant with the overall strategy. Various businesses use various periods of time for the planning of their strategies. Basically, this time period depends on rate of change the industry is going through. In a fast-changing environment for example the internet, devising a 5-year plan is worthless. For slowly changing industries th

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Harriet Beecher Stowe :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was born in Litchfield, Connecticut in the year of 1811. She was a housewife of six, and wrote articles for magazines for a living. Stowe’s sister, Isabella Jones Beecher, was furious from the passing of the Fugitive Slave Law, passed as part of the Compromise of 1850. The law required all Northerners to return runaway slaves to their Southern owners. The result of the anger of the two sisters resulted in the production of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. When reading the book, it is quite obvious to an observant reader that the book was written by a nineteenth century woman during the nineteenth century. The opening scene of the book, where Mr. Shelby talks to Haley about Tom, is a reference to Harriet Beecher herself. She is trying to portray that all themes in this book about the evils of slavery are unfortunately true. There were some bright points besides the evils of slavery. Stowe mentioned that slavery in Kentucky was not so badly-off. This, however, angered abolitionists. Even though, there were still many fears to worry about. Another point is that Stowe makes Eliza and George, the parents of little Harry, light skinned. Stowe remarks that light-skinned women, like Eliza, are often especially attractive. This is one stereotype that whites have over blacks. The stereotype is described fully in the description of the two light-skinned story characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All of the characters in Uncle Tom’s Cabin are based on real acquaintances of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Eliza is based on a young woman that Stowe had met in Kentucky. The first indication of this is found in Chapter 3: The Husband and the Father. In this chapter, George Harris decides to run away to Canada and work to buy Eliza and Harry’s freedom. Also in this chapter, George and Eliza possess completely different thoughts about slavery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All in all, most of the situations and characters in this book are references to Harriet Beecher Stowe and the life she lived.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Working Poor Essays -- essays research papers fc

American factories can comprise of about up to 1000 workers. If American factories are shut down and moved to other countries, this takes many American people out of work. Companies are now also importing jobs. This is where employers hire people such as immigrants to work less than minimum wage. For that reason, many Americans are stuck with the other minimum wage, and low-paying jobs that barely get them through life. Because of this, many Americans are working full time jobs that are below the Federal poverty line. These types of people are often called the â€Å"working poor†. Due to this the working poor have to run to welfare. This affects all Americans because taxpayers are the ones paying for welfare. The more jobs that are taken overseas, the more poverty we will have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is now said that the middle-class Americans are now becoming the poor in America. According to William H. Jasper of the New American magazine: To stop this job exporting for happening, American middle class workers must combine to force Congress to reverse the destructive policies that are importing foreign workers and exporting our productivity. That means abolishing the H-1B and L1 visa programs, drastically reducing all other levels of immigration, and insisting on credible INS and Border Patrol enforcement levels. It also means defeating all proposals to grant yet another amnesty to millions of illegal aliens who have come to the U.S. since the last amnesty. I...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Truth about Crime Prevention Essay -- Crime Violence Job Corps Ess

The Truth about Crime Prevention The truth about crime prevention is more complicated –less utopian than some liberals would like, but far more promising than conservatives will admit. Prevention can work and that it can be far less costly, in every sense, than continuing to rely on incarceration as out first defense against violent crimes. Instead of simply insisting that prevention is better than incarceration, then, we need to pinpoint more clearly what kinds of prevention work—and why some programs work and others do not, the most encouraging efforts share important characteristics; there are reasons why they work, whether the ‘target’ population is abusive families, vulnerable teens, or serious juvenile offenders who’ve already broken the law. Likewise, there are reasons why other programs fail, no matter how fashionable or popular they may be. Given what we’ve learned about crime prevention in recent years, four priorities seem especially critical: preventing child abu se and neglect, enhancing children’s intellectual and social development, providing support and guidance to vulnerable adolescents and working intensively with juvenile offenders. These aren’t the preventive strategies that can make a difference, but they are the ones that offer the strongest evidence of effectiveness. And they also fit our growing understanding of the roots delinquency and violent crime. The first priority is to invest serious resources in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. The evidence is compelling that this is where much of the violent crime that plagues us begins, especially the kinds of violence we fear the most. It is known that most abused children never go on to injure others. But the correlation between later violent crime and childhood abuse is strong and consistent, especially for the most serious kinds of violence. It turned out that being abused or neglected had little effect, if any, on minor forms of delinquency. But for serious delinquency—and violent crime in particular it mattered a great deal. The youths who had been abused were arrested almost twice as often, and reported almost twice as many violent offenses. The ideology is that if we prevent these tragedies, we can reduce violent crime. The Elmira program is amongst one of the programs that have been developed. This program served vulnerable—mostly white, poor, young, and m... ...programs. The last priority in crime prevention is to invest time and attention in youths who have already begun a serious delinquent ‘career’. All of the programs we’ve considered up to now were designed to keep young people out of trouble in the first place. But it is also critically important to halt the downward slide of youths who are already in trouble. Hence, keeping troubled youth from becoming ‘chronic’ offenders by addressing, early on, whatever got them into trouble in the first place should be crucial part of any serious preventive strategy against crime. The above is by no means an exhaustive list. The author have focused on these programs because they not only offer encouraging evidence of success but also provide glimpses into the more complicated question of what it is that makes succeed likely. They reveal some themes that can help can help us design programs that work even better—and avoid wasting resources o ones that probably cannot work at all. It is nowadays often said that either we don’t know how to do this or that it would make little difference to the crime create even if we did. But nowhere does the conservative depart more sharply from reality.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Ethical Business Practices

Today we will evaluate the PepsiCo past performance marketing their product using the six pillars of the marketing code of ethics—honesty, responsibility, caring, respect, fairness, and citizenship. I will also outline how PepsiCo could make further progress as a good corporate citizen when it comes to consumption of its products, such as green initiatives and philanthropic commitments. Code of Ethics According to â€Å"World’s Most Ethical Companies† (2011), PepsiCo made the list for most ethical company’s in the world. So you may be asking yourself were can there be room for improvement. Let me be the first to fill you in on a little secret, no matter how good you are room for improvement will always be there. The PepsiCo include soft drink brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Mug. Cola is not the company's only beverage: Pepsi sells Tropicana orange juice brands, Gatorade sports drink, SoBe tea, and Aquafina water. The company also owns Frito-Lay, the world's #1 snack maker with offerings such as Lay's, Ruffles, Doritos, and Fritos. Its Quaker Foods unit offers breakfast cereals (Life, Quaker Oats), rice (Rice-A-Roni), and side dishes (Near East). Pepsi's products are available in more than 200 countries. In 2010 the company acquired its two largest bottlers: Pepsi Bottling Group and PepsiAmericas. Responsibly and Caring PepsiCo takes pride in their quest of providing more food and beverage choices made with wholesome ingredients that contribute to healthier eating and drinking. This means increasing the amount of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy in our global product portfolio. It also means reducing the average amount of sodium per serving in key global food brands, in key countries, by 25 percent by 2015 reducing the average amount of saturated fat per serving in key global food brands, in key countries, by 15 percent by 2020) reducing the average amount of added sugar per serving in key global beverage brands, in key countries, by 25 percent by 2020 (â€Å"Human Sustainability†, 2012). Honesty According to â€Å"Nutritional Labeling† (2012), PepsiCo is committed to providing safe products and to protecting equity in our brands, trademarks and goodwill. In addition, we're working to ensure that by 2012, basic nutritional information is available to consumers on packages (where feasible to print on the packaging and where permissible by local regulations) for all of our food and beverage products in key markets. In countries where we've already met this standard, we're also working toward an additional goal displaying calorie or energy counts on the fronts of packages. We have already implemented front-of-pack labeling on many products in the U. K. and many other European countries, as well as in Australia. And we are rapidly expanding implementation in a number of countries around the globe, including the U. S. , Canada, Mexico and Brazil (â€Å"Nutritional Labeling†, 2012). Improvements PepsiCo could make a few changes to improve their ethical ranking with the people and media. The first improvement would be triple checking are product for quality and safeness. Nothing worst then having case of sodas sitting in the warehouse with rats around dropping waste everywhere. Or giving you kid oatmeal and it has a dead bug on the inside that kind of stuff will change a person life. I know you can’t catch everything, but they need to minimize to the fullest. The second improvement would be lower some of the sugar levels in a lot of their products. With America youth being obese parents would take notice that this company is stepping the proper steps to help with their kid’s future. I’m sure America’s youth consumer over a billions sodas year and with the lack of working out kids are getting obese it is not just because they drink soda, however soda doesn’t help. While we all know it hard having a good reputation it’s even harder trying to maintain it. PepsiCo has been during ok for many years and I’m sure that will not change for some time to come. The code of ethics is just a stepping stone for companies to follow it is total up to them to go above and beyond the call of their ethical duties to improve the quality of their employees and consumers alike. So in closing I feel PepsiCo has room for improvement and I’m sure they will close that window soon enough.

Research paper on carnival Essay

Mardi gras Just the name Mardi gras conjures up images of drunken, bead-wearing revelers dancing through the streets of New Orleans. But how, and when, did this huge mid-winter party get started? Here’s a look at the history of Mardi gras throughout the ages and across the nations. Herman states, Historians tell us that the ancient Romans probably kicked off the Mardi gras celebrations. (pg. 115)Their mid-February festival known as Lupercalia honored the god Lupercus, alternately known as the god of fertility and the god of agriculture and pastoral shepherds. In either case, his party definitely had Mardi Gras-like qualities, including days of feasting and drinking. And a little enjoying the â€Å"pleasures of the flesh†, probably, too — in fact, the term Carnival, often synonymous with Mardi gras, is derived from the Latin expression meaning â€Å"farewell to the flesh.† Like most of the ancient Roman and Greek festivals, Lupercalia was adopted and adapted by the Ch urch as a way of subtly converting the local pagans to Christianity. The carnival-like celebration of Lupercalia thus morphed into a last â€Å"fling† before the beginning of the Lenten period. Lent refers to the 40 days of pertinence and purification celebrated between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. During Lent, the religiously faithful refrain from a number of indulgences of the â€Å"flesh†, including eating meat. (pg. 220) What began as a Roman-based celebration quickly spread across the European continent. By medieval times, lords were hosting carnivals prior to Lent in honor of the conscription of their new knights. Each region and country celebrated their own traditions, but all were indulgent. [pic] In France, this period of revelry before Lent was especially raucous. In fact, the term Mardi gras is a French expression meaning â€Å"Fat Tuesday† — likely referring to the indulgent nature of the pre-Lenten celebration. The name may have been more than just allegorical, however. Ancient pagans often marked their fertility ritual by parading a fattened ox through the town before sacrificing it. (lent pg. 101) It was also the French who brought the celebration to America. Many historians believe the party crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1699, on the ship of a French explorer named Sieur d’Iberville. The Frenchman landed in what is today Louisiana, just south of New Orleans, the heart of America’s modern-day Mardi Gras celebrations. In fact, his landing is believed to have coincided with the French celebration of Mardi gras, explaining his choice of name for his point of entry: Point du Mardi Gras. However, dispute the d’Iberville connection, contending that it was the early French settlers to Louisiana who introduced Mardi gras to America. Regardless of the precise origin, Mardi gras can clearly be attributed to a Franco-influence. By the mid 1820s, Mardi gras was firmly rooted in the New Orleans culture. Lent later states that Today, the city’s celebrations are considered one of America’s biggest parties, with towns and cities throughout the Gulf Coast Region getting in on the fun. (112) Zulu (krewe of Mardi gras) Early in 1909, a group of laborers who had organized a club named â€Å"The Tramps,† went to the Pythian Theater to see a musical comedy performed by the Smart Set. The comedy included a skit entitled, â€Å"There Never Was and Never Will Be a King like Me,† about the Zulu Tribe. (herman pg. 201) The earliest signs of organization came from the fact that the majority of these men belonged to a Benevolent Aid Society. Benevolent Societies were the first forms of insurance in the Black community where, for a small amount of dues, members received financial help when sick or financial aid when burying deceased members. Conversations and interviews with older members also indicate that in that era the city was divided into wards and each ward had its own group or â€Å"Club.† The Tramps were one such group. After seeing the skit, they retired to their meeting place (a room in the rear of a restaurant/bar in the 1100 block of Perdido Street), and emerged as Zulus. (pg 210). According to herman, This group was probably made up of members from the Tramps, the Benevolent Aid Society and other ward-based groups. While the â€Å"Group† marched in Mardi gras as early as 1901, their first appearance as Zulus came in 1909, with William Story as King. The group wore raggedy pants, and had a Jubilee-singing quartet in front of and behind King Story. His costume of â€Å"lard can† crown and â€Å"banana stalk† scepter has been well documented. The Kings following William Story, (William Crawford – 1910, Peter Williams – 1912, and Henry Harris – 1914), were similarly attired. (pg. 214). 1915 heralded the first use of floats, constructed on a spring wagon, using dry good boxes. The float was decorated with palmetto leaves and moss and carried four Dukes along with the King. That humble beginning gave rise to the lavish floats we see in the Zulu parade today. On September 20, 1916, in the notorial office of Gabriel Fernandez, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club were incorporated. Twenty-two of the organization’s officers and members signed the first official document. The Geddes and Moss Funeral Home, located on Washington Avenue, played an integral part in Zulu’s beginning, and have continued to do so throughout the years. The first official toast of King Zulu and his Queen is held at this establishment each year. Zulus were not without their controversies, either. In the 1960’s during the height of Black awareness, it was unpopular to be a Zulu. Dressing in a grass skirt and donning a black face were seen as being demeaning. Large numbers of black organizations protested against the Zulu organization, and its membership dwindled to approximately 16 men. James Russell, a long-time member, served as president in this period, and is credited with holding the organization together and slowly bringing Zulu back to the forefront. (pg. 220) In 1968, Zulu’s route took them on two major streets; namely, St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, for the first time in the modern era to see the Zulu parade, you had to travel the so-called â €Å"back streets† of the Black neighborhoods. The segregation laws of this period contributed to this, and Zulu tradition also played a part. In those days, neighborhood bars sponsored certain floats and, consequently, the floats were obligated to pass those bars. Passing meant stopping, as the bars advertised that the â€Å"Zulus will stop here!† Once stopped at a sponsoring bar, it was often difficult to get the riders out of the establishment, so the other floats took off in different directions to fulfill their obligations. Zulu has grown tremendously over the years. This continual growth is credited to the members for their love, loyalty and dedication to this organization. In 1978, the organization opened its doors to their new home, a two-story frame building houses a lounge downstairs for members and guests to enjoy themselves. Of all the throws to rain down from the many floats in the parades during carnival, the Zulu coconut or â€Å"Golden Nugget† is the most sought after. The earliest reference to the coconut appears to be about 1910 when the coconuts were given from the floats in their natural â€Å"hairy† state. Some years later there is a reference to Lloyd Lucus, â€Å"the sign painter,† scraping and painting the coconuts. This was the forerunner to the beautifully decorated coconuts we see today. (pg. 229) With the proliferation of lawsuits from people alleging injury from thrown coconuts, the organization was unable to get insurance coverage in 1987. So that year, the honored tradition was suspended. After much lobbying, the Louisiana Legislature passed SB188, aptly dubbed the â€Å"Coconut Bill,† which excluded the coconut from liability for alleged injuries arising from the coconuts handed from the floats. On July 8, 1988, then-governor Edwards signed the bill into law. (pg. 233) Carnival in the Caribbean Hundreds of years ago followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, ‘carnevale’-which means â€Å"to put away meat.† (internet site: â€Å"caribbean carnival†)As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous. The practice spread to France, Spain and Portugal. As these Catholic countries began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of celebrating Carnival. In many parts of the world, where Catholic Europeans set up colonies and entered into slave trade, carnival took root. Today Carnival celebrations are found throughout the Caribbean. Traditions of the cultures have come together and especially African dance and music traditions transformed the early European carnival traditions in the Americas. Important to the Caribbean festival arts are the ancient African traditions of parading and moving in circles through villages in costumes and masks. These traditions were believed to bring good fortune, to heal problems and chill out angry spirits. Caribbean carnival traditions also borrow from the African culture the tradition of creating pieces of sculpture, masks and costumes. For the Caribbean people carnival became an important way to express their rich cultural traditions. It takes many months of coming up with a theme or overall concept and developing costumes for the dancers. Lots of creativity, energy and patience is put into work such as welding, painting, sewing, gluing, applying feathers, sequins and glitter. Carnival groups, entertained by music orchestras, parade and dance wearing costumes depicting a common theme. When Carnival first began it was celebrated from December 26 until Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday). Nowadays Carnival festivities and activities are being held year-round in the Caribbean. The dates on which Carnival celebrations such as; music competitions, festivals, concerts, street ‘jump-up’s’, beauty pageants, balls, parades etc. take place may vary from country to country, from island to island. For days, sometimes weeks, the people of the Caribbean express themselves socially and artistically and sheer joy with visitors from all over the world. (internet sit â€Å"Caribbean carnival†)Everyone, including the spectators, is part of the celebrations. Antigua and Bermuda The festivities reveal the many influences that formed the Antiguan society, cultural, social and political. Over the years cultural elements from countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Holland, Colombia and the United States have slipped into the Antiguan community and blended with and into the unique world famous carnival celebration with its typical characteristics of creativity and rhythm, dance happiness, Flamboyant costumes, Beauty pageants, Talent shows, and Great music. All these and more define a fantastic celebration of happiness that is the Antigua Carnival. In retrospect, the Antigua Carnival dates back in August 1 of 1834 when slavery was entirely abolished. In 1666, it was ravaged by French inhabitants but was soon conquered by the British and was formally restored to them by the Treaty of Breda. It all started when the local natives immediately went to the streets to express their joyful celebration of freedom. As the years passed by, it continued not until in 1957 where it was declared an official Antigua Carnival. (oduber pg. 97) Since then, the Antigua Carnival has developed into ten days packed with revelry in a glitzy manner of dance to the beat of the Calypso. It includes marches, jump-ups and shows which always took place around the last week of July up to the first week of August. The Antigua Carnival is undeniably the best time for tourists to immerse with the culture of this Caribbean island. If you head to the city, you are fortunate to witness the Pan Ban, a steel orchestra, practicing for the event.(oduber pg. 99) They go by troupes as they set up a Mas Camp, a base where their intricate wardrobes are made. It is also the starting point as they walk to the metropolis to open the Antigua Carnival. The lively event culminates by a massive road party called J’ouvert, which means â€Å"day break†. Everybody is literally on their feet as they sway to the beat of the dr ums from the young night until the middle morning. Barbados (Crop over) Masquerading was an old African tradition, where they paraded in masks and costumes through the villages to bring good luck and to remove evil spirits. Originally materials for costumes were natural things such as; grass, beads, bones, etc. Head-pieces and Masks were made of feathers to symbolize that people can spiritually rise above anything. Most European colonies within the Caribbean who were part of the slave trade have Carnival or Carnival-like celebrations. (praiser pg. 23)Now in large countries like USA, Canada and England, where they are Caribbean communities you will find Carnival celebrations. The History of Crop Over The end of the sugar cane harvest, or Crop Over as it is almost always referred to, has long been the occasion for celebration. In what seems to be the earliest reference to the Crop Over festival, we find the manager of Newton Plantation writing in 1788 to the estate’s owner in England, telling him that he had held a â€Å"dinner and sober dance† for the slaves, saying: â€Å"twas a celebration of Harvest Time after the crop.† (housman pg. 304) Many aspects of plantation life in Barbados carried on unchanged after the end of slavery, and the Crop Over festival likewise continued. Never the less there must have been an important difference in the way in which the festival was perceived. Before emancipation, the planter had no choice but to support his slaves, well or badly as the case might have been, all year round. After 1838, for most people Crop Over meant not just the end of a period of hard work, but also the beginning of a period of less work and lower wag es. For many the interval between two crops would indeed have been â€Å"hard times†, and the symbol of these, perhaps not invented until after Emancipation, was the figure of a man stuffed with trash (the dried leaves of the sugar cane plant) which was known as â€Å"Mr. Harding†. (pg. 311) Mr. Harding was formally introduced to the manager of the plantation, and, according to some accounts, later burnt as part of the celebrations which must have had a tinge of desperation to them as people strove to enjoy themselves while they could. The festival was apparently fairly common at the beginning of the present century, by which time the name Crop Over seems to have ousted that of Harvest Time. A procession of carts would bring the last canes to the plantation yard, the draught animals being decorated with flamboyant, frangipani and other flowers, whilst brightly colored kerchiefs would be tied like flags to the canes. The laborers would parade around the yard, and it was at this point that that they would introduce Mr. Harding to the manager, after which they would adjourn for a dance, for the manager or the owner of the estate would normally contribute some salt meat and rum. Even by 1940 Crop Over was being described as a â€Å"custom which has very nearly died out†, according to Housman (pg. 316), and the continuing decline of sugar and the growing availability of other sources of employment had put an end to much of traditional plantation life. The modern Crop Over, revived by the Board of Tourism in 1974 and now administered by the National Cultural Foundation, pays tribute to the fact that sugar is still important in Barbados and the immense influence which it has had on our history. The present day festival is very different from the old time Crop Over, but it continues as a tradition by offering a thrilling celebration of many aspects of Bajan Culture, old and new. CROP-OVER CARNIVAL Crop-over has become the centerpiece of Barbados culture, a process enriched by much history, a savvy visitor promotional sense, and the great nearby pre-Lenten Carnival of Trinidad & Tobago. Conga-line from April 22 – May 01 begins with the longest Conga line in the Caribbean and features a series of concerts at the Malibu Conga line Village. May 1 is the finale, where bands, floats and Carnival goers take part in the May Day Parade, The Caribbean’s largest summer Carnival begins on the first Saturday with the Decorated cart and float opening and Gala crop-over opening. (praiser pg.31) This parade begins at Bridgetown Independence Square in the early afternoon and finishes at the National Stadium. Here, the opening ceremony takes place with the ceremonial delivery of the last canes and the crowning of the king and queen of the festival followed by an excellent night of entertainment and socializing. The festival, revived in 1974 following a 30-year hiatus, continues to grow and evolve with the culture. Unlike most Carnivals whose roots are in spring, Crop-over is a harvest festival dating back centuries to the end of the sugar cane season. The end to all the grueling and arduous work was marked by the final delivery of canes to the mill. Surely a cause for song, dance and general jubilation, as such, the workers would begin the festivities by boisterously telling each other â€Å"CROP OVER.† Folk Concerts celebrating the emancipation from slavery are popular events during the Carnival season the last Carnival weekend features the most important Carnival events. On Friday, there will be the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals at the National Stadium. The next night in the wee hours of Sunday morn, the Fore-Day morning jump-up will go down from 2am till dawn. Before this special event is the steelpan competition. Cohobblopot is a huge carnival-like show where the most popular calypsonians and bands perform on Carnival Sunday night. The Calypso Contest is one of the world’s best even though it features primarily local talent. Before the best singer/songwriters of the season are chosen, the talent will perform their new compositions at many venues or tents. These tents, with names like Super Gladiators, Conquerors, House of Soca, Pioneers and Stray Cats, play an important role in deciding who will win the title of Party Monarch, Road March Monarch and the Pic-O-De-Crop Monarch. The King and Queen of the bands competition is also an important part of the Cohobblopot Sunday show. Get tickets in advance since the National Stadium can sell out, particularly with all the talk about not allowing it to be broadcast on free TV. (pg. 37) All this buildup makes for a memorable Grand Finale, or as they say at Barbados Crop-over, the Grand Kadooment. Here, over two dozen large costumed bands will go dancing down de road inviting everyone to jump up with them as they make their way to the ocean surf. (pg. 42) Tuk: Indigenous to Barbados, it’s a combination of African and British military rhythms with the musicians dressed in minstrel like costumes creating music from kettledrums, bass drums and whistles. They play sounds like marching band music, old-time waltzes and almost always end with an African beat. According to praier, This is a great spectacle to see. ( pg. 51) The musicians are as serious about their music as any steelband man. Although a part of the old era, it is still very alive and a part of the modern day celebrations with completions staged during Crop Over. Calypso & Soca: Although calypso is indigenous to Trinidad, it now holds a very prominent place in the Crop over Celebration. Like Trinidad Carnival, it has all the trimmings, the Tents, parties, semi-finals judging and then to the Calypso Monarch finals, which take place just before Grand Kadooment. The Bajan artistes are holding their own with this art form and have even created new forms like Ringband and Ragga-soca, a definite invention of the Bajan calypsonians. (pg. 55) Steelband: Borrowed from Trinidad, the Bajans have taken it, and now the popularity and growth of the steelband in Barbados is phenomenal, states praiser. (pg. 68) with every year seeing the improvement of the sound and quality of the music to the extent that steelband has now taken a place on the curriculum of many of the schools on the island. Grand Kadooment: The grand finale, a parade of the costumed bands for the final competition for â€Å"Designer of the Year† Crown. The revelers are dressed in elaborate costumes depicting various themes dancing to music playing from the most popular bandstands, with disc jockeys winding their way down to Spring Garden where they would be judged for this coveted crown. (pg. 73) St. Vincent and the Grenadines (â€Å"vincy mas†) History Hugh Ragguette, a name that is synonymous with Carnival in St. Vincent explained to The Vincentian that the historic roots of Carnival lie in deep antiquity: since at the dawn of history, man celebrated several festivals of which Carnival was one. The Kalinagos and other indigenous peoples who inhabited St. Vincent had their festivals. With the introduction of slavery, the Africans with their varying cultures and rich variety added to those expressions. Although the practice of wearing â€Å"mas'† came from Africa and was subsequently adopted by the Greek and Romans, it was actually the French who celebrated carnival in the Caribbean as the highlight of the year. After the British supplanted the French, the practice continued. The wearing of Mas’ in carnival was introduced by the Pope in Rome in 1494 and then spread throughout Europe. (Sutty pg. 37) Naturally, the slaves participated in these festivals at a different level. â€Å"The slaves would have noted and partici pated in the festival, albeit at a different level. Naturally, they were not invited to the mas’ balls and dances.† stated however, when chattel slavery ended, the freed slaves embraced carnival and turned it into a â€Å"callaloo pot†, adding elements of the respective cultures.(pg 38) They took to the streets and displayed the theatrical spectacle they had created and to vent their subdued creative abilities. These street marches took place on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Unable to chain the hands and feet of the slaves any longer, in 1892, he related, the colonial Governor banned the festival claiming that the revellers were lashing out at each other and observers with whips. Ragguette held another opinion, â€Å"The main reason was to suppress the people’s culture and their peculiar African expressions. The coloniser could not understand these expressions and wanted to stifle them.† The fire that burnt within slavery was reduced to mere embers and in 1879, fuelled by the unchainabl e African spirit it leapt into flames again. In 1899, the people decided that come what may, ban or no ban, which they were going to celebrate. They began the celebrations as early as the Friday preceding Ash Wednesday. As a result, the colonisers brought out what was termed â€Å"the armed might of the Empire†. (pg 44) The people resisted and a riot broke out, writing the Carnival Riots of the 11th and 12th February into this country’s history books. From then on, Carnival has been a part of St.Vincent’s culture. Four years later, â€Å"carnival fever† spread to Trinidad in the south where the festival had been banned resulting in the Comboule Riots. throughout the years people have built on and experimented with the components of Carnival; to the extent Trinidadians have invented a musical instrument in the form of the steel pan to provide accompanying music to its calypso. ( pg. 47). By 1973, it was virtually impossible to hold all the Carnival shows during the Wednesday and Tuesday period. â€Å"Our pan, our calypso, and particularly our Mas’ has reached a level of development that it needed to spread its wings outside the Catholic Christian Carnival to a more embracing festival,† Ragguette commented. (pg. 49) Since the festival was held so soon after Christmas and the length of time available for shows coupled with the fact the Trinidad and Tobago, whom Ragguette stated â€Å"had run away with title of king of Carnival in the world and boasted of having the greatest show on earth,† held its Carnival around the same time, it was necessary to move the festival to another season. The June-July period was decided as most suitable. (pg. 50) With more time to work, the CDC wanted to introduce a Caribbean component into its programme. Antigua and Barbuda already had a Caribbean Calypso Competition and the organisation could not get beyond the logistics of a Caribbean Pan or King and Queen of the Bands competition. sutty explained that it was felt that a show should be organised to showcase â€Å"the beauty and profound intelligence of our Caribbean women†. (pg. 53). This resulted in the birth of Miss Caribbean Carnival – Miss Carnival. Trinidad Carnival’s principal components are calypso, steelpan and playing mas (masquerade). In the historic capital City of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, these elements are harmoniously structured to form a five day ritual pageant beginning with the King & Queen Contest (Friday), Panorama (Saturday), Dimanche Gras (Sunday), J’Ouvert (Monday) and the Parade of the Bands (Tuesday). (green pg 57) These main events and countless others build to an unforgettable epiphany of beauty and stunning display of the irrepressible human spirit before concluding and allowing the quiet first day of Lent and reflection known as Ash Wednesday to be admitted to consciousness. [pic]The genesis of this â€Å"world’s greatest† Carnival has been attributed to the many cultures of Trinidad and their interaction. While the African influence is predominant, the Carnival carries an overriding theme of unity, a central part of this unique culture’s mythology. Trinidad’s namesake, the holy Trinity is blessed as the unifying principle. This is the country’s well known motto, resting at the base of the ubiquitous and striking T&T Coat of Arms reads, â€Å"Together we Aspire, Together we achieve.† (pg 59).Yet the wisdom lies in paradox for there is no Carnival with more intense competition than Trinidad’s. [pic]Today Trinidad’s model for public celebration is the most widely imitated festival art form in the world. Many Trinidadian Carnival artists are able to work year round performing throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. J’ouvert Jab Jab – The name of this mas is derived from the French patois for ‘Diable Diable†. It is pretty devil mas. The costume consists of a Kandal or satin knickers, and satin shirt with points of cloth at the waist, from which bells hang. On the chest, there is a shaped cloth panel which is decorated with swansdown, rhinestones and mirrors. Stockings and alpagatas are worn on the feet, while the headdress consists of a hood with stuffed cloth horns. The costume can come in alternating colors and be divided into front and back panels. (pg 61) The Jab Jab has a thick whip of plaited hemp which he swings and cracks threateningly. These whips can reduce the costumes of other Jab Jabs to threads. It is not to be confused with Jab Molassie. JAB MOLASSIE – Jab is the French patois for ‘Diable’ (Devil), and Molassie is the French patois for Mà ©lasse (Molasses). (pg 62)The Jab Molassie is one of several varieties of devil mas played in Trinidad and Tobago carnival. The costume consists of short pants or pants cut off at the knee, and a mask and horns. The jab malassie would carry chains, and wear locks and keys around his waist, and carry a pitch fork. He may smear his body with grease, tar, mud or colored dyes (red, green or blue). The jab molassie â€Å"wines† or gyrates to a rhythmic beat that is played on tins or pans by his imps. While some of his imps supply the music, others hold his chain, seemingly restraining him as he pulls against them in his wild dance. The differences among the various forms of devil mas were once distinct, but have become blurred over time. Trinidad’s carnival is a gorgeous paradigm of how carnival can connect the entire world. In this Trinidad little nation, the lifestyle and customs of various cultures come collectively for a short five days every year, the entire country stops thinking about their dissimilarities to celebrate life! Similar to many other countries under colonial rule, the history of Native Americans and African people in Trinidad is atrocious and a sad story. At different times England and Spain both maintained Trinidad as their colonies. Around 1785, Carnival was introduced to Trinidad. The French settlers started to arrive. The custom caught on rapidly, and fancy balls were held where the rich planters pretend masks, and beautiful dresses, wigs, and dance the whole night. The employ of masks had particular meaning for the slaves, as for several African peoples, masking is usually used in their rituals for the dead. Evidently banned from the masked balls of the French, the slaves would grasp their own tiny carnivals in their gardens — using their folklore and own rituals. However they also imitate their masters’ manners at the masked balls. Carnival has turned out to be a way to convey their authority as individuals for African people, and also for their rich cultural traditions. (pg. 102) The slavery was eradicated after 1838, the Africans were freed and started to host their individual carnival celebrations in Trinidad streets. This carnival developed progressively and sophisticated and rapidly became trendier than the balls. Nowadays, Trinidad carnival is like a mirror that reflects the faces the many immigrant nations from Africa, India, China and Europe. Carnival is such a significant aspect of life in Trinidad, as many schools trust that funding/ sponsoring a carnival band is a way to train youngsters about their culture and roots. According to green, Hundreds of schools and community organizations contribute in Trinidad’s Kiddies Carnival. In this fashion, communities’ works as one to build up strong friendships and good respect for the various cultures that make up Trinidad. (pg. 59) Bibliography â€Å"Caribbean carnival† Caribseek.comhttp://www.caribseek.com/adventure_and_entertainment/carnivals/caribbean-carnival.shtml. â€Å"Carnival in Trinidad.† Mustard.org.early 1985 carnival in Trinidad†¦evolution and symbolic menaing.21 February 2008 http://www.mustard.org.uk/articles/trinidad.htm. Cowley, John. Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso: Traditions in the Making. Trinidad: Macmillan Caribbean May 4, 1988 Green, Garth L. Trinidad Carnival: The Cultural Politics of a Transnational Festival. Massasetucheuts: Harper smith, 2005 Herman, Wouk. Don’t stop the carnival. USA: Doubleday, 1965 Housman, Gerald â€Å"The kebra nagast: the lost bible of Rastafarian wisdom and faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica.† (July 1979): 299-671 Lent, A John. Caribbean popular culture. Michigan: bowling green state university popular press, 2006. Pariser, Harry S. Explore Barbados. Manatee Press: 3 edition October 2007 Razak, Victoria M. Carnival in Antigua. Boston: Cenda Pub; 1 edition May 1, 1998 Riggio, Milla Co. Carnival: Culture in Action — The Trinidad Experience (Worlds of Performance). Routt ledge: Pablo Delano, 2004: Sutty, Lesley. St Vincent and the Grenadines. Caribbean: 2 edition September 2002 Oduber, Vanja. Antigua carnival. New York: Chauvenheid Graphic Group 1996