Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Cultural Ethnography, Schein’s Model Essay

Introduction: Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless company in the United States. The company boasts the largest voice and data network and over 58 million customers. In 2004, Cingular generated over $32 billion in revenue. Cingular is owned by AT&T Inc. and Bell South. Cingular‟s vision is, â€Å"To be the most highly regarded wireless company in the world, with a driving focus around best-in-class sales and service† (Cingular, 2006, p.1). The corporation values customers, integrity, performance, teamwork, and its employees The goal of this study was to reveal the organizational culture of Cingular Wireless at a retail sales location. To help determine the culture, this study focused on what is the nature of work for Cingular Wireless sales consultants, and how do employees identify themselves within the corporation according to Edgar Schein‟s models of organizational culture. To guide this study, several aspects of employment at Cingular were studied includin g employee daily routines, flexibility, expectations, and the relationships between managers, sales representatives, and customers. To analyze Cingular, this study will be utilizing Edgar Schein‟s model of organizational cultures. â€Å"Edgar Schein is a management scholar and consultant interested in the role of leaders in the development and maintenance of organizational culture† (Miller, 2006, p. 105). Schein (1992) believes that culture can be studied in levels, which are the degrees to which the culture is visible to observers. His three levels include artifacts, espoused values, and basic underlying assumptions. According to Miller, artifacts are the most obvious in Schein‟s model which consist of the architecture, furniture, technology, dress, written documents, art, forms of address, communication during meets and decision-making styles. (Miller, 2006, p. 107108). â€Å"The problem with artifacts is that they are palpable but hard to decipher accurately. We know how we react to them, but that is not a reliable indicator of how members of the organization react† (Schein, 1990, p. 111-112). The second level of culture Schein recognizes is that of espoused values. Schein‟s espoused values are, â€Å"the articulated, publicly announced principles and values that the group claims to be trying to achieve† (Schein, 1992, p. 9). Schein (1990) believes that the values, ideologies, and norms can be found using interviews, questionnaires, and surveys. Schein believes that, â€Å"Open-ended interviews can be very useful in getting at this level of how people feel and think† (Schein, 1990, p. 112). The third and most difficult level of culture for observers to witness is that of basic assumptions. Miller (2006) believes that members of the group can rarely articulate these basic values since they are a natural part of their daily lives, making the basic assumptions even more difficult for observers to see. From Schein‟s models and definitions it is apparent that the Schein views, â€Å"culture as a complex pattern of assumptions, values, behaviors, and artifacts† (Miller, 2006, p. 111). Schein (1990) believes that through intense observation and the involvement of motivated employees usually unconscious assumptions and perceptions can be discovered about the organizations culture. Schein states, â€Å"Working with motivated insiders is essential because only they can bring to the surface their own underlying assumptions and articulate how they basically perceive the world around them† (Schein, 1990, p. 112). In addition to these three basic levels this study will also utilize the ten major categories Schein uses to help define an organization‟s culture. These will include (Schein, 1992).: 1. Observed behavioral regularities when people interact 2. Group Norms 3. Espoused values 4. Formal philosophy 5. Rules of the Game 6. Climate 7. Embedded skills 8. Habits of thinking, mental models, and/or linguistic paradigms 9. Shared meanings 10. â€Å"Root metaphors† or integrating symbols Although Schein‟s models are widely applied and studied, areas of disagreement with his methods include how much time is actually required to reveal the levels of an organization‟s culture. How many participants are needed to properly assess the culture, and if bias affects the review of an organization also can all hinder the accuracy of a study based off of Schein‟s model. To conduct this study eight of Schein‟s ten major categories were incorporated. The first, observed behavioral regularities are the languages, rituals, traditions and routines of employees. The second category is espoused values which are publicly known goals of the group. The third category is the formal philosophy which is company policies and interactions with customers. The fourth category will be the rules of the game which are the things new employees must learn to fit in. Embedded skills and shared meanings will be the fifth and sixth categories incorporated into this study. These are the necessary skills to do the job and how the employees have similar meanings for certain things. Finally, the basic assumptions will be the eighth category incorporated into the study of the organizational culture of Cingular Wireless. (Schein, 1992) Methodology: To discover how Cingular fits into Schein‟s categories of organizational culture a method f participant observation will be used including observing daily routines, employee interactions amongst themselves and customers, and participating as a member of the Cingular staff at a retail store location. This ethnographic approach is influenced by an article Esteban, Hirt and McGuire. The article incorporated Schein‟s model in a study on â€Å"The Work Life of Student Service Professionals at Rural Community Colleges. The article was helpful in the organization of this study as well as an example of different methods of conducting the study itself. (Esteban, 2003). Applying Schein‟s Model To Cingular Wireless-7 For this study, information from Cingular Wireless was collected including orientation information, employee handbooks, daily forms and corporate publications. In addition, the company owned retail store at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie, Maryland was extensively observed and studied. The store has a manager, three full-time employees, and one part-time employee that were interviewed as well. These methods are being used because they will provide a window for gaining insight into the culture of Cingular Wireless. These methods will reveal the way the organizational culture is shaped by the management, employees, and corporate headquarters. The methods are better than others in this situation because it will allow the study to examine a variety of aspects rather than only one or two. Participants: Jason Celani, 34, has been the manager of the Marley Station store since its opening in the fall of 2005. Celani was a former AT&T employee and has been in the wireless industry for about 8 years. His job consists of scheduling staff, ordering products, conducting inventory checks, reporting to a regional manager, conducting weekly meetings, and attending training sessions. Jason loves technology and enjoys reading about new products in his spare time. (J. Celani, Personal Communication, 11/06/2006). Tracy Corcoran, 39, is a full-time employee that has been in the wireless industry for 6 years. Previously Corcoran was also an AT&T employee. He is the senior sales representative at the Marley Station store and is not very interested in new technology. Tracy is hoping to get out of the wireless industry within the next few years. (T. Corcoran, Personal Communcation, 10/28/2006). Is a part-time college student that has been working at the Marley Station store since March 2006. She enjoys having the newest phone on the market and loves being able to get her email wherever she goes. She has no previous experience in the wireless industry. (L. Andes-Miller, Personal Communication, 10/27/2006). Chuck Payne is the newest full-time employee at the store. Payne is 20 years old and a former radio broadcaster for a gospel station in the Washington D.C. area. Payne has never worked in the wireless industry but also enjoys getting new phones when they come out. Payne began his employment in late July of 2006. (C. Payne, Personal Communication, 11/01/2006). Alejandro Quant is the only part-time employee observed and interviewed at the Marley Station store. Quant, 21, is a full-time student at the University of Maryland. Quant is valuable to the location because of previous job experience with T Mobile, another wireless provider and also because he is bilingual. He speaks both Spanish and English. (A. Quant, Personal Communication, 11/05/2006). The participants were all observed and interviewed and the way in which they interacted was noted. They were asked about likes and dislikes, daily operations, and if they saw a future within the company. This study was conducted at the Cingular Wireless at Marley Station by a parttime employee that has been with the company since June 2006. As an embedded observer internal access to the organizational culture of the Cingular store was gained. The research for this ethnography also benefited because as an employee the basic workings of the company was easily accessible, the other employees are not uncomfortable interacting with me, and access to internal documents and meetings was possible. The goals of this ethnography are to gain a better understanding of the basic assumptions of the organization. The representatives studied work long hours and they have a good grasp on the organizational culture of Cingular. To bracket avoid bias in this study observations and interviews were conducted off the clock. Time was spent observing the employees out on the sales floor and also via the security cameras located in the office. Also to avoid bias, interviews were conducted outside of the work environment at local restaurants. They were not conducted during or after scheduled shifts. Materials: A variety of materials and sources will be used to support this study. This will include orientation and training documents, internal employee handbooks, external documents, interviews with employees, and on site observations. Analysis of Data: To analyze the data collected in the study of Cingular Wireless at Marley Station Mall this portion will be organized according to eight of Schein‟s categories utilized for this study. They will be supported using internal and external documents, observations, and employee interviews. Artifacts: The Marley Station Cingular store had a plethora of easily observable artifacts. The most apparent was the colors and logo of Cingular all over the store. There was no furniture and a very linear floor pan. In general all of the staff members said that they disliked the floor plan because standing all day got tiring and it was hard to maneuver around the store when it got crowded because it was small and the counter‟s linear design made it impossible to get around each other. The colors of orange and blue were on most signs and popular slogans such as â€Å"raising the bar,† â€Å"roll over minutes,† and â€Å"All over network† were visible all over the store. The floor plan pushed what Cingular refers to as its advantages over other wireless carriers. Cingular shirts and name tags were the next most obvious artifact. All of the employees wear Cingular branded shirts and a name tag on the right hand side. Cingular has a contract with Lands End clothing company to customize what the company refers to as its â€Å"Team Colors.† (See Appendix A) Each employee is allowed $125 for their spring wardrobe and $175 for their fall and winter uniforms. Specific vocabulary and language is very obvious at the store. Celani often sends text-messages to all of his employees at the end of the business day and he refers to them collectively as â€Å"team.† When a representative has customers come in, they are referred to as an â€Å"opportunity,† and extras that can be added onto a calling plan are referred to as a â€Å"bolt-on† (J. Celani, Personal Communication, 11/01/2006). Cingular boasts that it has the largest product variety in the wireless industry. The store itself has a large amount of products on the wall which are referred to as „live.‟ This means that the phones are in working condition and the customers can try them out in the stores. â€Å"At de alers the phones on the walls are dummies, customers can‟t try them out† said Andes-Miller (L. Andes-Miller, Personal Communication, 10/27/2006). There is a large amount of documentation conducted at Cingular Wireless stores. Every morning a form titled â€Å"Non-Negotiable Standards† is filled out by employees. (See Appendix B) This is a check list of standards such as cleanliness, work attire, and merchandise that is to be completed before the store opens. â€Å"The non-negotiables are like getting a cup of coffee in the morning, we all are used to doing them,† said Corcoran (T.Corcoran, Personal Communication, (10/28/2006). Every time a representative makes a sale or adds on to a customers account they are also required to mark it on the â€Å"Daily Sales Record† sheet. (See Appendix C) Observed Behavioral Regularities: Cingular has what they refer to as a six step sales process. (See Appendix D) Each employee is introduced to this on their first day of new-hire training, which is a program that introduces new employees to the Cingular way of selling. According to this process each customer is to be greeted within 10 feet/10 seconds of entering the store. The representatives at the Marley Station store do this without thinking. Also included in this process is building value for the customer, offering solutions, asking for the sale, educating the customer, and thanking the customer. In addition to a set sales process each representative knows to sell what is referred to as â€Å"The Cingular Advantage.† (See Appendix D) All of the representatives are required to have skills on a computer system called Opus. This is the computer system which allows the representatives access, create, and change accounts. â€Å"Opus is much easier to use than past systems,† said veteran employee Corcoran, â€Å"It freezes but we all know how to deal with it. Each of us uses the same system and procedures every day to work on and verify accounts† (T. Corcoran, Personal Communication, 10/28/2006). Every employee realizes that they must attend a meeting every Friday morning before the store opens. At this meeting the floor plan is discussed, scheduling is worked out, and any other issues are brought up. The communication between the employees and the managers is very informal. Everyone has a chance to speak and the staff knows that once all business is completed they will go out to breakfast. It is very obvious that Cingular‟s first level of organizational culture, the artifacts, is prevalent through out the store. Employees have a common vocabulary specific to their work, they have uniforms, a system for selling and a store that advertises what the company is all about, being the best wireless provider. Espoused Values: The team at the Marley Station Cingular store is constantly striving to achieve goals which are advertised by the wireless company. While working with customers the sales representatives know that they need to promote the Cingular Advantages. The Cingular Advantages include the best technology, great value, best products and services, newest handsets, and the most convenient services. (See Appendix D) â€Å"Orientation and training pounds these ideas into our heads from the first day we have our jobs,† said Quant. â€Å"Cingular has high standards that we all must uphold† (A. Quant, Personal Communication, 11/05/2006). To ensure that the representatives uphold the values of the company Cingular sends out mystery shoppers to each store at least once a month to make sure that the representatives are selling in accordance to Cingular policy. The mystery shoppers have a checklist and grade the representatives. (See Appendix E) The company also makes what it values available to the general public. On its website Cingular lists its goals and core values, as well as their definitions and what the values mean to the company. (See Appendix F) Basic Assumptions: The basic assumptions and values of Cingular wireless are hard to observe as both an outsider and as an employee initially. After extensive observation, job experience, and interviews there are some basic assumptions that surface. The first is that the organization values employees that are „hungry.‟ If it is a slow day at the store employees print out flyers and distribute them to local business or make calls to customers asking how their service is going in hopes of adding onto their plans. These behaviors are highly praised by the manager of the store for being innovative and going above and beyond the job description. An example of this is employees distributing flyers outside of their scheduled hours for events such as â€Å"Friends and Family Day,† which gives customers extra discounts for coming in on designated dates. (See Appendix G) Unlike many full-time workers that have benefits the employees of the Marley Station store expect to work nights and weekends. If an employee begins to gripe about working these hours the other employees tend to remind them that that is just the way things are. Finally, all employees seem to understand that they are expendable by the company and do not question quotas, paperwork, or seemingly superfluous procedures that waste time and do not make sense. New employees tend to learn quickly the way are and solutions that have been turned into operational policies. All staff members know to let a customer know that not all phone numbers may be successfully transferred when they upgrade their phone but they will do their best. Very rarely are numbers unable to be transferred but employees know the steps necessary to cover themselves in case rare things actually happen. â€Å"I didn‟t understand half the stuff when I started working here, I thought that Friday morning meetings were stupid, and I did not want to be here at 9am on Saturdays. Now I just how things are, I didn‟t realize that those things were a part of Cingular‟s culture. I didn‟t even know Cingular had a culture, but I guess that makes sense,† said Payne (C. Payne, Personal Communication, 11/01/2006). Conclusion: This study tried to examine the organizational culture of Cingular Wireless in relation to Schein‟s model and his levels of artifacts, espoused values, and basic assumptions. The study would have been improved if there was an employee in the process of leaving the company that an exit interview could have been conducted on. This would have benefited the study because it would probably have uncovered some downfalls of the culture of Cingular. The next step and question in this study would have been to compare the employee experiences at the Marley Station Mall store to employees at a stand-alone store or at a kiosk to see if their experiences were any different. Finally, the implication of this study on later discussions of the corporation is that this study provides a solid base for a person trying to research this wireless provider in the Washington D.C./Baltimore market. References Cingular Wireless. (2006). About us- Cingular at a glance. Atlanta, GA: Retrieved on †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.November 8, 2006 from http://cingular.com/about/ Cingular Wireless. (Spring 2006). 2006 COR team colors program guide. Atlanta, GA. Cingular Wireless. (2005). Expectations: Selling the Cingular advantage. (Cingular †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦publication, CGL-PT-PG-050605). Atlanta, GA. Esteban, R., Hirt, J., McGuire, L.(2003). Editor’s choice: The worklife of student service †¦ professionals at rural community colleges [Electronic version]. Community College †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Review. Retrieved November 8, 2006 from †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0hcz/is_1_31/ai_107200755. Johnson, D. (2000) The Corporate Culture Survival Guide. (Review). In Journal of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Leadership Studies, 7, p111. Retrieved November 8, 2006, from Academic Onefile †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦via Thompson Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Documents&type=retrieve&tablD=T002&prodld=AONE&dcld+a65538125&source. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦=gale&usergroupname=aacc. Miller, K. (2006). Organizational communication: Approaches and processes (4th ed.) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Belmont, Ca: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Schein, E. (1993). On Dialogue, culture, and organizational learning. (Special issue on †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the Learning Organization). In Organizational Dynamics, 22, p40 (12). Retrieved †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.November 8, 2006, from via Thomson Gale: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC- Applying Schein‟s Model To Cingular Wireless-16 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Documents&type=retrieve&tablD=T002&prodld=AONE&dcld+a14606098&source. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦=gale&usergroupname=aacc Schein, E. (1990). Organizational Culture. American Psychologist, Vol. 45 (No.2), p. ,,,,,,,,,,111-113). Schein, E. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership (2nd ed.) San Francisco, Ca: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Josey-Bass Publishers.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Psychology Revision Notes Essay

Participants were divided into four groups which were acoustically similar, acoustically dissimilar, semantically similar and semantically dissimilar. Participants were presented with the list a total of 4 times and each time was interrupted to try to prevent rehearsing. They were then presented with a 20-minute interval task and afterwards were asked to recall their list. Semantically dissimilar words were recalled the most telling us that encoding in LTM is semantic. Summary of study on capacity of STM and LTM  Summary of study on duration of STM  Peterson & Peterson-  Showed PPs a list of nonsense trigrams and asked them to count back from 400 in 3 second intervals for a duration ranging from 3 to 18 seconds. Found that duration of STM was 18-30 seconds maximum.  Summary of study on duration of LTM  Bahrick-  400 participants aged between 17 and 74 were tested using different methods including free-recall tests, photo-recognition test, name recognition tests and photo-name matching test. PPs performed less well on free recall tests (30% after 48 years) but were much better in the photo-name test (90% after 60 years). Models of memory  Description of the multi-store model of memory, plus evaluation inc. research  Atkinson & Shiffrin-  Multi-Store Model which consists of three parts – sensory, short term and long term stores. Rehearsal is required in order for information to move across stores and retrieval is needed to access the information. If information is not rehearsed it will decay.  Description of the working memory model, plus evaluation inc. research Baddeley & Hitch-  Working Memory Model which consists of three parts – central executive, phonological loop (store and articulatory control system) and the central executive. Memory in the real world  Knowledge of what Eye Witness Testimony (EWT) is-  The evidence provided in court by a person who witnessed a crime, with a view to identifying the perpetrator of the crime. The accuracy of eyewitness recall may be affected during initial encoding, subsequent storage and eventual retrieval.  Loftus & Palmer’s (1974) study on EWT-  Reconstruction of an Automobile Disaster. 9 student PPs per 5 conditions (bumped, contacted, hit, smashed and collided). All watched a video then asked to estimate speed. Smashed the highest (40.8mph) and contacted the lowest (31.8mph). PPs in second part of experiment then asked a leading question about broken glass. 16/50 of the smashed condition PPs said yes in comparison to 7/50 in the hit condition. Knowledge of the factors which affect the accuracy of EWT  anxiety-  Christianson and Hubinette (1993)  Anxiety and EWT – real incidents involving high levels of stress lead to more accurate, detailed and long lasting memories.  Deffenbucher (2004)  Carried out a meta-analysis of 18 studies, looking at the effects if heightened anxiety on accuracy of EWR. It was clear that there was considerable support for the hypothesis that high levels of stress negatively impacted on the accuracy of EWM. Age-  Parker and Carranza (1989)  Compared the ability of primary school children and college students to correctly identify a target individual following a slide sequence of a mock crime. In the photo identification task, child witnesses has higher rate of choosing ‘somebody’ than adults witnesses, although they were also more likely to make errors of identification than college students.  Weapon focus effect-  Loftus(1987)  In violent crimes, arousal may focus attention on central details e.g. a weapon. Loftus et al identified weapons focus effect. 2 conditions, one involving weapon the other not. Condition 1 (less violent) people was 49% accurate in identifying man. Condition 2 (more violent) people were 33% accurate. Suggests weapon may have distracted them.

Monday, July 29, 2019

A Refreshing Analysis of T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

A Refreshing Analysis of T.S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† To say that The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a typical romantic ode to the wonders of love, as the title may suggest, is quite far from the truth. To the contrary, this poem enters the straggling mind of J. Alfred Prufrock, a man plagued with irresolution, and because of this irresolution will probably never realistically be in love with a woman. Love Song is a dive into Prufrocks inconsistent thought processes, and the foggy workings of his less-than-optimistic mind. Through bleak imagery, a wavering tone that feels timeless, and carefully connoted diction, T.S. Eliot portrays J. Alfred Prufrock as an uneasy, indecisive, and ultimately scared man. The first few lines of the poem set the scene as to what kind of content Prufrock has to offer. He uses a simile in comparing the evening, spread out against the sky, to a patient etherized upon a table (2-3). Its a fairly unappealing comparison, and it puts an awkward image in the readers mind from the beginning. He goes on to set the scene of a kind of tour through a city-like atmosphere: Let us go, through certain half-deserted streetsof restless nights in one-night cheap hotels and sawdust restaurants (4-7). Again, a bleak image is cast into the mind of the reader, reminiscent of a twisted Gotham City where no one would want to be unless accompanied by someone very dear a someone who Prufrock is not with. He goes on to make another type of etherized comparison later on, which adds to the bleak, uneasy feeling: And I have known the eyes already, known them all- The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase, And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall, Then how should I begin To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways? And how should I presume? This stanza dives into Prufrocks uneasy nature through the use of carefully connoted diction (e.g., pin) that conveys imagery of a bug or animal ready to be dissected. He is describing what happens when he runs into people he may know: they fix [him] in a formulated phrase, and then pin him down, and when he is pinned and wriggling on the wall, he is then forced to interact with them and make a decision about how to go about saying how his day went. To almost everyone else in the world, this type of interaction is a daily occurrence of life, and usually isnt conveyed as a feeling of being pinned down. However, Prufrocks uneasy nature is very similar to that of The Catcher in the Ryes Holden Caulfield, in the fact that he really isnt one for lighthearted social interaction. Instead, every little detail of life, in Prufrocks eyes, is not considered an idle task, but a high-strung, uneasy chain of decisions. Throughout the poem, Prufrock seems to jog around in his mind, and is quite abstract with his thoughts. The result is a wavering, fragmented tone that further suggests Prufrocks indecisiveness and digressive habits. One of the subtle ways that Eliot adds to this wavering tone is the fact that no definite rhyme scheme is used throughout Love Song. For example, one stanza includes mostly rhyming words, ending lines with words such as dare, stair, and hair, and then thin, chin, and pin. But the next couple of lines in the stanza may have no rhyme pattern at all, and the same goes for the next stanza; its totally fragmented. This wavering rhyme scheme cleverly adds to the notion of an indecisive Prufrock. Besides the wavering rhyme scheme, the overall tone suggests that Prufrock is very uneasy and indecisive. Prufrock really does continually ask questions, always questioning things. This may seem normal, but considering the subject matter and the uneasy feeling connoted with them, this mode of thought does not come off as entirely healthy. There are close to 20 stanzas in Love Song, and in almost all of them, Prufrock is questioning something. Whether the subject matter consists of whether he should disturb the universe or not, or how he should deal with people who ask him how his day is, he is constantly questioning everything. He almost mockingly asserts his indecisive manners by saying Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse (45-48). Essentially, he is declaring that he can make a decision now, with only a minute left, but since in one minute there will be no time anyway, hes leaving it at that. This feeling of time passing too rapidly is present throughout the poem. More than a couple of times he says, And indeed there will be time, or a variation of this line, which not only adds to his irresolute manner, but also reiterates the fact that he often trails off and picks up another topic on a whim again, recalling Holden Caulfields digressive tendencies. Prufrock even directly refers to this tendency when he analyzes a womans arm in the lamplight; he says, It is perfume from a dress that makes me so digress? (65-66). He mentions, too, his awareness of the passage of time and of the fact that he is growing old by confirming that he is becoming slightly bald. Ultimately, this realization of mortality makes him afraid: And in short, I was afraid (86). Towards the end of the poem, the tone of Love Song seems to waver more and more, and Prufrock becomes even more of a shaky, uneasy, scared figure. Starting from line 120, he begins to trail off: I grow oldI grow old, filling the readers mind with an image of a man who sits silently, the world passing him by while he ponders questions without answers. The final stanza, solidifies the elusive nature of Prufrocks thoughts: We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown. Through Eliots use of bleak imagery, a wavering tone, and carefully connoted diction, Prufrock is portrayed as a highly uneasy, indecisive, and scared man. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is not a true love song, but instead a plunge into the shades-of-grey world of J. Alfred Prufrock, and ultimately the grave flaws of a fragmented mind.

Critique of a Postmodern Philosophy on Thomas Kuhn Essay

Critique of a Postmodern Philosophy on Thomas Kuhn - Essay Example He later taught at the University of California and it was during his tenure in the same capacity that he published his book "The Structure of Science Revolution", which soon became the jewel in his crown. More than a million copies of Thomas Kuhns book have been published in a wide variety of languages. His books are regarderded as nothing less than sacred by students of scientific history and knowledge(The Tech - Online Edition, 1996). Before we begin on the very philosophy that his books contained and later became the purpose of his life as well as his identity, it is important to note here that Kuhn was a staunch believer that the science of current day holds more potential within it than it chooses to realize. The controversy raised by Kuhn was his opinion that if the currently available knowledge is the judge of what we desire, we can hardly expect to achieve anything except for what we had in mind when we set out to achieve it. In other words, inferences can be made and new techniques can be derived from old ones, but the expectation to come across new discoveries will come to no consequence in such situations. Rather Thomas Kuhn argued that if the frame of reference is based on the currently available knowledge, the unless the thinking process is set outside of the current frame, no new advancements can be made except for the ones we already have in front of us when we set out to achieve them. In other words, man sets out to prove only what he already knows and does not add anything to his knowledge but rather continues to dwell in the frame of mind he has built for himself using the knowledge he already possesses. The Paradigm Shift Concept in Kuhn's terms The Paradigm, in the terms of Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", refers to the frame of thought that the scientists of today choose to adopt and the slowly evolving process that comprises of inventions and discoveries as the need for these developments arises. This process continues until a need arises that is not satisfied by any of the present knowledge that science has accumulated, and a new school of thought has to be established altogether to replace the old one if the need has to be met. It is important to note here that before Kuhn, science was considered to be a very generally evolving process and any discoveries and inventions were considered nothing else than an addition in the reservoir of knowledge that science had accumulated to that point. Kuhn however was of the opinion that science does not simply move on but from time to time, undergoes episodic transformations. These episodic transformations do not merely add to the accumulated knowledge but serve to change the very lens through which the science of that time frame is viewed. A real life example of Kuhn's philosophy in play An example of this fact can be seen in how mans knowledge of the world within which he lives evolved over time. For a period of time, man considered the world to be flat and that the earth was the center of our solar system. After having lived for centuries with this belief, man finally realized that

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Reflection assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflection assignment - Essay Example The basic introduction in unit I was perfect since it forms a stepping stone to unit II that involved research. At this point it, the knowledge acquired in unit I help in determining and drafting the requirements of Unit II. Therefore, it is worth noting that Unit I improved my critical thinking that led me to effective selection of research topic. Despite looking into varied areas to research on, my concerns were on the topic that was of the public concern and interest. Hence, I decided to settle on effects on smoking to the all involved parties including first hand smokers, second hand or perceive smokers, families of smoker, and the society. My concern in this step was whether my research question will be approved or not. Fortunately, it was approved and the task afterwards was to carry out relevant and thorough research on the selected topic. The Unit III and IV were good ventures in teaching and perfecting both research and writing skills. Moreover, from these units, I learned h ow to search for resources in completing my work. Different resources are usually available for every research topic, but the most important thing is to select resources that will help in accomplishing or answering research questions effectively. Therefore, the book or article reviews that were learnt in this class are effective and necessary research tools that this class offered me. Moreover, different examples that were used during these class sessions were directly productive in compiling all the relevant materials in writing the final paper as per Unit IV. Additionally, the peer review section or the Unit III is a good unit since it leads to appreciation of other people’s work. It also makes students to learn from each other. The unit gave me an opportunity to know what other students’ interests were and how they intended to contribute to their topics towards answering the research questions. Moreover, the unit also helped me to understand and appreciate other peo ple’s work on my research topic and helped to determine how I would complete my assignment using their contributions on my topic area. The translation project was a perfect lesion that taught me how to read and comprehend. Comprehending other people’s ideas in any form usually leads to deeper understanding to their contributions. After understanding the same, it becomes easier to use their ideas in different ways to achieve certain goals or towards answering question involved around such understanding. For instance, the translation project that led to the understanding of each student’s topic area made use (students) to provide different translation of each student’s topic or research question. Additionally, translation topic helped to paraphrase other people’s work as I appreciate their contribution to their work. The translational topic also made me to appreciate other students and helped know that people have different personalities. For instanc e, some students have same concerned but presented them in different and varied way. This really opened mind and since then I have remained opened minded never to look or consider a problem or solution on only one end buy giving the same different understandings. Finally, it is worth noting that Unit IV is the most vital for all other lower Units since all other units are based on completing Unit IV effectively and qualitatively. This topic unit led

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Data Structures and Algorithm Lesson Plan Essay

Data Structures and Algorithm Lesson Plan - Essay Example Vocabulary reinforced are: Reading skills: Listening skills: Library skills: collecting and abstracting information: Speaking skills: Writing skills: analyzing tasks, panning, drafting and editing various types of writing skills: Study techniques: Planning work, organizing, storing and retrieving information. Students will be expected to: †¢ Demonstrate capacity to obtain information from listening. †¢ Demonstrate ability to obtain and synthesis information on a subject from various written sources. †¢ Demonstrate ability to communicate in writing. †¢ Demonstrate ability to make oral presentations Materials: Textbook: Data Structures and Algorithms Analysis in C by Mark Allen Weiss Introduction to Algorithms, Second Edition By Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, and Ronald L. Rivest and Clifford Stein Computer Software: Java SDE software will be pre-installed in the Computer lab that will be in use during Practical lessons. WISE The Web-based Inquiry Science E nvironment (WISE) provides a platform for creating inquiry science projects for middle school and high school students using evidence and resources from the Web.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Proposal Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Proposal - Dissertation Example From this we derive that dating is basically an activity of knowing each other over a longer period of time to see if a romantic relationship that is built within themselves should extend further or not. Online Dating An  internet dating service, commonly  known as  online dating, is a  dating system that gives the platform to people seeking for a romantic relationship. The individuals are able to meet their date online and can start a new romantic or sexual relationship through this online service. The online dating service provides its services through the help of  personal computers, the  Internet, and phones. It allows people to give their personal information, and requirements so that they can search for the individuals accordingly. The criteria they are asked to share include gender, age bracket, location and much more. There is also an option to upload one’s own photos on the website so that the other members of the website can view the photo. There are othe r services offered by the sites including  online chat, message boards, webcasts etc. There are various sites that do not charge for its registration whereas some require a monthly subscription fee. Usually the concept of online dating fills the distance gaps and that is the reason most of the members belong to a variety of backgrounds seeking a different types of relationships. But there always some sites that are more specific about the type of members, their interest, location, background or relationship. Aim of Research Project The topic of the research is well introduced. The following are the aim of this research paper: To analyze the concept and trend of online dating. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online dating. To see its effects and results, by closely monitoring and surveying the direct consumers. To have the insight of people involved in this business. To evaluate it from both a consumer and a business point of view to judge the practicability and feas ibility of this particular e-business. Background of Online Dating The online dating and its trend originated from a basic part of North American culture as the internet itself. Gradually the process and practice caught the eye of millions of people globally and hence the trend was spread. For Emily Livingston from  Match.com, one of the largest matchmaking website, the 1998 film, â€Å"You’ve got Mail†, became the inspiration and one step towards the global acceptance, as the film was a story of online romance. Talking about the native place of online dating today in North America, the membership of internet-based dating organizations are over 50 million. Refining itself over time and meeting the requirement, the service of online dating became more inclusive and sophisticated as it was a platform to initiate the relationships. Lately, the most practiced or the famous ritual was to approach someone you like through friends, bar encounters, blind dates, singles clubs , etc. Today, these practices are considered as outdated styles of the â€Å"bad old days† by many of us. In  2002, a  Wired  Magazine  article forecasted that, â€Å"Twenty years from now, the idea that someone looking for love without looking for it online will be silly, similar to skipping the card catalog to instead wander the stacks because the right books are found only by

Thursday, July 25, 2019

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

ERP - Essay Example Everything that one can manage in an organization will be a business function; however, everything that one can perform will be a business process. Moreover, a business function can comprise different business processes; however, a business process will never consist of business functions, and will only comprise more business processes. Furthermore, a business process will always have an input component, as well as an output section that make it a process. In the past, conventional organizations were focusing on functional departments for the management; however, studies indicated that a number of business processes usually cut across functional lines internally that resulted in a paradigm shift, essential for efficient managers, and thus, managers are now putting efforts to manage their teams while focusing on business processes, rather than business functions. One of the crucial reasons of split by business process is involvement of various departments and individuals in a single process that results in cutting across of functional lines. It is an observation that this horizontal focus on business processes has enabled efficient managers to improve their processes while ensuring customer value in the organization, a significant benefit of this paradigm shift. Think of the last time you bought a pair of shoes. How does this process of buying those shoes cut across the store’s various functional lines? What information from your receipt would need to be available to the business functions? Which business functions would need that information? A significant objective of ERP is alignment of business projects/processes with strategic aims of the organization. In other words, major aim of implementing ERP is the enhancement and improvement of key metrics that requires proper flow of information from one functional department to another, and this is

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Current Event Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Current Event - Article Example A number of strategic factors have contributed towards Samsung’s increased success and dominance in the technological market. First is that Samsung is an ultimate fast follower. One successful strategy devised by Samsung in achieving success is the ability to learn from the competitors, and making innovations of the products and services. From the competitors’ products, Samsung has understood the market demands of the products and designed improved versions of competitors’ products thereby, capturing new markets (Nisen). The second strategy for Samsung’s success is its spending on research projects. Whenever funds are available, an organization needs to spend such cash on researching on new ideas of improving technology. As such, Samsung currently spends 5.7% of its revenue on research projects as compared to Apples 2.4%, a factor that has contributed towards its speedy success (Nisen). Samsung is not only a smartphone-maker, rather, a manufacturer and world’s largest chipmaker. Such a contribution enables flexibility in products production, and, therefore, making Samsung one of the greatest innovators in the technological

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

The importance of banqueting and what type of events there are and how Essay - 1

The importance of banqueting and what type of events there are and how banqueting fits in - Essay Example Many guests introduce each other during a banquet and thus one can consider banqueting as a social event. Here you meet new people and make friends. Even the marketers, now days, use banqueting to promote and advertise their products. Many marketers even hold lucky draws and other brand activities during a banquet and all of this signifies the great importance that banqueting holds for people of our generation. A special event is a one-time event and does not recur on a continuing basis. This makes it unique and it basically held for the purpose of ground breaking, grand opening or other significant moments in life. Concerts and job fairs are also considered as special programme because they cannot be repeated or reproduced. Since, special events are one-time events, special management techniques are required to make these events a success. Many people suffer from improper management of these events which kills the purpose of these events. Therefore, planning these events is the key. You need to make sure that you have the resources and manpower to arrange and successfully host the event. A good starting point in the event management is developing a check list of the resources that you need. A written checklist is important because it can be referred to in the future and important details are not forgotten. Once the event is successfully stage, you need to take some time after the event to evaluate the significance of the event, that is how well it was hosted and stage. For this, a written document is better because you can write down the details while still fresh, reducing the chances that you forget your mistake and they might reoccur again. These steps make events unique and fulfill the purpose of ho lding special events. Banqueting fits in any event as a closing gesture, and signifies the end of an event. The food that is to be

The Decline of Our Sea- a Paper on Overfishing Essay Example for Free

The Decline of Our Sea- a Paper on Overfishing Essay The Decline of Our Sea SCI 275 Environmental Science Steve List-Instructor The fishermen across the world invest their lives into their boats and their men. They venture out into the open water and catch all that they can. The fisherman knows that this is what all the other fishermen are doing as well; it is a survival of the fittest. The man with the most fish wins, they get the biggest check. The world is home to six billion people and there are not enough fish in the seas to feed the world. According to the video, there is a problem with overfishing and the ocean is being harvested of all its fish faster than it can repopulate. There are not enough fish left to allow this resource to thrive for our future. According to Scientist Jeremy Jackson, it is reversible; there is still hope. Overfishing is not just fisheries taking fish from the sea; although that is the larger part of it. Fisheries also bycatch, which means they accidently catch other fish when fishing for certain species. Bycatching is causing depletion of other species and it is wasteful. Fisheries also harm habitats and breeding grounds by fishing and dragging equipment and nets. The fisheries create pollution as does the rest of the world, causing severe damage to our oceans. Climate changes also serve as an issue. Water temperatures are changing and causing damage to fragile ecosystems. All of these factors are taken into place as we create a plan, and help repopulate and save our oceans. We must sustain and maintain this resource for our future generations. My plan is to utilize a catch share system. This system has been studied for many years now in the United States. This plan will help the fisheries, save jobs and help our oceans to provide for a great future. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has researched the plan and stands behind it to save the fish and the fisheries. Fishermen will be required to meet a conservation goal and will be accountable for what they catch. They will be allowed to fish in certain zones and catch a certain number of fish. With this plan in effect, the fisheries will be able to still fish and the resource can replenish itself. It is a win-win situation for both parties. Fisherman may view the plan negatively, believing that they are being too restricting with a catch share plan. Fisheries make money from what the catch, if they are limited; it may mean less money for them now. The fishermen have to see the plan as a long term goal. The plan has already worked in the Gulf of Mexico according to the EDF. The plan was initiated for red snapper in January of 2007. Fisherman in that area are now able to fish year round for the first time in a decade, gaining 25% more in earnings and bycatch is down by 70%. Environmentalists will see the plan as a positive approach to saving our oceans. There will be fewer fishermen on the water, therefore less pollution. The fishermen will have restrictions and limits on the number of fish they catch, therefore allowing replenishment of the fish naturally. This may be looked at negatively as well; there will be a decrease in jobs in the fisheries. Manpower will be reduced as less fish can be caught. As of now, over 200 million people worldwide are employed by fisheries. The environmentalists and the fisheries will need to work together to make the catch share plan work. The two must realize that it will not happen overnight and it will take time to reverse the effects we have caused. As the catch share plan is put in place; we will work in zones allowing fisheries to catch and reduce bycatch, thus reducing the chances of eliminating other species of sea life. As time goes on, the fish will repopulate and harvesting can be opened a little more at a time. This plan will increase revenues for fisheries since certain fish are diminishing and will replenish later. The catch share plan will allow fisheries to stay open; jobs will not be eliminated and communities worldwide can enjoy the nourishment of the catch. With the plan in effect the fish population can repopulate and communities can thrive on the additional earnings that large catches can bring in when zones are opened. People all over the world can still continue to apply for fishing licenses as leisure and can enjoy a wide range of fish species in their diet. With the catch share plan in place, we can keep fisheries open, create new jobs, and allow the fragile oceans to thrive. We can reverse the damage that we have caused on our ecosystem and make a difference for generations to come. References Burnham, Katharine (2008). New Study Offers Viable Solution to Overfishing. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://www. edf. org/pressrelease. cfm? contentID=8458 Jeantheau, Mark (2005). Pretty Mermaids are Always Over Fishing for Compliments: The Causes and Effects of Overfishing. Retrieved June 19, 2009, from http://www. grinningplanet. com/2005/06-07/overfishing-article. htm

Monday, July 22, 2019

Sammuri Argumentative Essay Essay Example for Free

Sammuri Argumentative Essay Essay Whether it is through the martial arts, the peaceful arts, or their beliefs, the samurai continue to influence life to this day. The Samurai’s ethics are major in Japanese society as well as business; the idea of Bushido exists in society today as the Japanese business ethics illustrate honor and duty to Japan. To be a Samurai was a huge honor and it took an abundance of training and extensive hours of practice. Samurais had to be completely dedicated to their lifestyle; they repeated their schedule day after day: wake up in the Samurai village, meditation, hours of training, dinner, and sleep. Their routine was very rigorous however; it was compensated when they went into battle. Samurais were an elite group of warriors who were very skilled in battle and killing. Many may say that the Samurais were very violent and provocative group, however, the Samurais were always on the defensive. Though the entire movie, the Samurais never picked the fight, it was always the Americans- or in any case, it was never the Samurais who were picking the fights. The Samurais’ code of honor, Bushido, was much like a knights’ code of honor, chivalry; the only difference was â€Å"seppuku†. Seppuku was the traditional suicide after a battle was lost. The leader of the losing team was to commit suicide by carving a figure 8 into his abdomen because he shouldn’t live with the shame of losing a battle. If the man could not complete the figure 8, the leader of the opposing side would cut off the loser’s head. This was all part of honor; however, many people saw it as barbaric and couldn’t understand this ritual. The Samurai were trained warriors and their job was to kill predators so any way they are viewed; they were still violent peoples so in a way it was a good thing that the tradition was discontinued. The weapons the Samurais used were swords, bow and arrows, and a spear; no fire arms. In the movie, The Last Samurai, it was said that the â€Å"sword is part of the soul†. The Japanese took this very seriously; training took up most of a warriors’ day. The samurai rose to power out of the constant fight for land in feudal Japan. They became experts at fighting from horseback and on the ground. They trained in armed and unarmed combat. They wore many layers of armor and used only the sword passed down from previous generations. As mentioned previously, the Samurai were trained warriors and their job was to kill predators so in a way it was a good thing that the tradition was discontinued. However, much like the Samurai, soldiers fighting the war today are much more aggressive than the Samurai and they are armed with much more lethal weapons than a sword. Others may view this as hypocritical that the centuries long tradition was put to an end yet we continue to fight and kill to get what we need; we aren’t even fighting to protect our people like the Samurais were, we are fighting for something that we want.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Iron Deficiency Anemia and Early Childhood Caries

Iron Deficiency Anemia and Early Childhood Caries Association between iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries Tommy Ye Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are a global health problem in both the developing and developed countries such as China, India, United States (US) and the United Kingdom. ECC is a term coined by the Centers of Diseases and Control (CDC) at a 1994 workshop â€Å"in an attempt to focus attention on the multiple factors (i.e. socioeconomic, behavioral, and psycho-social) that contribute to caries at such early ages, rather than ascribing sole causation to inappropriate feeding methods (Colak, 2013).† As the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry states, ECC can be only be defined as â€Å"the presence of any smooth surface caries for children under the age of 3 and the presence of one or more smooth surface lesions in any primary maxillary anterior teeth for those 3 to 5 years of age (or a dmft [decay, missing, filled, teeth] score of ≠¥ 4 (age 3), ≠¥ 5 (age 4), or ≠¥ 6 (age 5))† (Schroth, 2013). These are the same definitions and criteria that most dental practitioner used to assess children of early childhood caries. ECC commonly starts off as a demineralization of the enamel, which leads to severe decay in mostly the cervical regions of primary maxillary incisors and then later into the other anterior teeth. The decay, in some cases, can also affect the labial and/or lingual surfaces of the maxillary anterior teeth. The etiology of ECC is very complex and is considered multifactorial, but one commonly accepted etiology is the â€Å"associat[ion] with frequent consumption of fermentable carbohydrates and improper bottle- or breast-feeding practices (Tang, 2012).† Anemia is the reduction of the total circulating red cell mass below the normal limits, which in return reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and ultimately tissue hypoxia and ischemia. Anemia is classified by either its cause (hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenic anemia, etc.) or its RBC size (macrocytic, microcytic anemia). Nearly half of anemia cases are caused by iron deficiency anemia (IDA), where IDA is â€Å"the consequences of the lack of iron for hemoglobin synthesis (Shaoul, 2011).† IDA is prevalent among young children and pregnant women. If left untreated, IDA can lead to the mental and physical development of children and increased death and morbidity of the other anemic patients. Diagnostic exam used to establish the diagnosis of IDA is the peripheral blood smear. With the blood smear, we want to analyze â€Å"ferritin, hemoglobin, and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), as they are key biochemical indicators of iron status (Schroth, 2013).† As you can see above, both ECC and IDA are very similar health problems that can both affect children and the patients’ quality of living tremendously. Some studies have shown that â€Å"dental caries and its resulting discomfort and pain can interfere with proper nutrition including iron intake, causing IDA (Shaoul, 2011).† This research has shown that there is some connection between ECC and IDA. Despite the fact that ECC and IDA are global health problems declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), there is not enough strong evidence to highlight the close relationship between the two conditions and the mechanism used to explain this deadly relationship. In this report, I aimed to use my clinical case and analysis of multiple studies to prove my point that there is a strong association between iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries and that more needs to be done to address this concern in terms of dental management and treatment. Introduction of F.B. and her presentation of condition or risk: F.B., a 25-year-old woman with a history of iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries, presents to New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD), for a dental check up. She takes no medication for her anemic condition and review of the CBC from her MD were all within the normal limits. On exam, she needs several restorations and multiple fixed prosthodontic works. Methodology: Clinical Question: In ECC patient, will patient with iron deficiency anemia increase their chances of having more dental caries and periodontal problems in the future, compared to patient without a significant medical history? PICO: Pà ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚  ECC patient, Ià ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚  patient with iron deficiency anemia, Cà ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚  patient without a significant medical history, and Oà ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚  increase their chances of having more dental caries and periodontal problems Literature Search: Literature searches were done in PubMed using the keywords â€Å"iron deficiency† and â€Å"anemia† with the Boolean operator â€Å"and.† Literature Review: From the literature search, I found three articles that were applicable to the clinical question and the aim of this report. The three articles are listed below: â€Å"Association between iron status, iron deficiency anemia, and severe early childhood caries: a case-control study† by Robert J. Schroth et. al â€Å"The Association of childhood iron deficiency anemia with severe dental caries† by Ron Shaoul, et. al â€Å"Relationship between dental caries status and anemia in children with severe early childhood caries† by Ru Shing Tang, et. al The goal of Schroth’s study was to investigate the relationship of the different iron and hemoglobin levels btn the ECC and caries-free patients. In order to do such a thing, Schroth and the others decided to perform a case control study. They recruited 266 children, where 144 of them have ECC and the last 122 of them are caries-free. ECC patients were all recruited from Winnipeg, Canada between October 2009 and August 2011. All of these children fulfilled the inclusion criteria where they must have â€Å"severe tooth decay involving multiple primary teeth necessitating rehabilitative dental surgery under general anesthetic (GA) (Schroth, 2013).† The caries-free patients were the control group and were recruited from the same area and time period. They all â€Å"underwent a dental assessment, without radiographs, by [the researchers] to ensure they were caries-free (dmft = 0) (Schroth, 2013).† Both the ECC and the caries-free patient must be healthy and are less than 72 months of age; the average age of all the participating children were 40.8 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ± 14.1 months. Schroth and the others collected demographic data by making the parents of the children answer an interviewed questionnaire regarding their â€Å"child’s nutritional habits, use of supplements, physical and oral health, oral hygiene and dental habits, socioeconomic status (e.g. household income), and family demographics. (Schroth, 2013).† Afterward, they collected serum samples of all but 4 children in the operating room by the attending anesthesiologist. From the laboratory results, Schroth and the others were able to obtain the necessary data to arrive at the following conclusions: Children w/ ECC had significantly lower ferritin status and hemoglobin levels than caries-free children Children w/ ECC had significantly greater odds for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia than caries-free children This conclusion helped to reinforce and help to support the authors’ claim that there is an indeed an association between iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries. The authors do not understand the reasons why that is the case, but they hypothesized that it might be due to the body’s inflammatory response that accompanies from dental caries. They believed that â€Å"inflammation associated with ECC may trigger a series of events which ultimately leads to the production of cytokines, which may, in turn, inhibit erythropoiesis and thus reduce the level of hemoglobin in the blood (Schroth, 2013).† Dental caries may also cause severe pain and discomfort for the ECC patient, which may, in turn, caused the patient to eat less and hence the low iron level. Ultimately, the decrease in hemoglobin and iron are the main contributor to anemia or IDA. The purpose of Shaoul’s study was to investigate the differences in the levels of hemoglobin (Hb), iron, and other anemic indicators before and 4-6 months after an ECC dental restoration. In order to do such a thing, Shaoul and the others decided to perform a case control study. They recruited 155 children, where 33 of them are the control group, who visited the dental clinic for treatment for ECC at Bnai Zion Medical Center in Haifa, Israel between January 2007 and September 2008. All of these children fulfilled the inclusion criteria where they have to all be healthy with no chronic diseases and all within the age range of 3-18 years old who are presented with ECC and microcytic anemia that are caused by IDA. The exclusion criteria â€Å"included chronic or acute illness, known blood dyscrasia, any known form of haemoglobinopathy, children who had undergone abdominal surgery or had been diagnosed with malignancy (Shaoul, 2011).† The 30 children that were selected, as the control group, must meet these additional inclusion criteria where they must be presented for an elective minor surgery such as inguinal or umbilical hernia repair, orchiopexy and circumcision and is also caries-free upon examination. For the other 122 children, the surfaces of all their erupted teeth were assessed with the DMFTS index and they must have â€Å"had six or more teeth that required restoration treatmentâ€Å" to be actually included in this study (Shaoul, 2011). In order to consider the confounding variables that may skew the results of their study, Shaoul and the others collected the age, sex, height, weight and the number of teeth that needs to be treated from both groups. Afterward, they obtained 5 mL serum samples of two groups before and 4-6 months after an ECC restorative procedure. From the laboratory results, Shaoul and the others were able to obtain the necessary data to arrive at the following conclusions: ECC and caries-free children had significantly low BMI, Hb, iron, ferritin, MCV, and RDW (or red cell distribution width) levels before an ECC restorative procedure There are significant differences between the Hb, iron, ferritin and RDW levels 4-6 months before and after an ECC restorative procedure This conclusion highlighted that there is an association between iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries. In addition to that, this study have also demonstrated that a dental treatment of a ECC lesions can effectively restore the anemic indicators to a non-IDA level, without the need of any supplemental iron. The authors are unsure how there is an association between IDA and ECC, but they hypothesize that it might be due to malnutrition (which can explain the low BMI in the results) or due to inflammation from dental caries. The objective of the last study by Tang et. al was to evaluate the nutritional status of an ECC patient and the relationship with IDA. In order to do such a thing, Tang and the others decided to perform a case control study. They recruited 101 children between 2 and 5 years of age who visited the Department of Pediatric Dentistry of Kaohsiung Medical Center. All of these children fulfilled inclusion criteria where they must be diagnosed with ECC according to criteria established by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. The exclusion criteria included â€Å"children with medical problems, mental or physical disabilities, and those who had been born prematurely (Tang, 2012).† Demographic information such as sex, income, body weight and height were obtained from most parents except 50 parents who did not provide their income via a questionnaire. The surfaces of all the children’s erupted teeth were assessed with the DMFT and DEFS indices. In order to adjust for the confounding variables that can skew the result of the study, Tang and others obtained the age, gender, BMI, and mother’s education. Besides obtaining the demographic information, Tang and the other also collected blood serum from all but two participants. With this sample, Tang and the others were able to arrive at the following conclusion: Children with ECC had significantly greater odds for anemia and IDA and are independently associated with each other. This conclusion demonstrated that children with ECC are at an even higher risk than caries-free patients for anemia and IDA and that this association between ECC and IDA is a very deadly combination that needs to be addressed as early as possible by pediatric dentists and pediatricians. The authors do not understand the etiology behind this association but they provided their own hypotheses behind it. They argued that children with ECC cannot consume iron-rich and vitamin-C rich food because of the pain and discomfort they felt and as a result, they are forced to rely on softer food that does not impinge on their teeth by drinking lots of cow’s milk. Furthermore, because the children with ECC have lots of dental caries, they are suffering from inflammation from these caries that may â€Å"induce the production of cytokines that suppresses the synthesis of Hgb (Tang, 2012).† In relationship to the Literature analysis form (LAF) adapted from Dr. Ralph V. Katz of NYUCD, (presented below) the above three articles all lack a null hypothesis and can contribute to a moderate statement of causation for being a case control study. All authors have clearly separated the independent variables by using a control group, eligibility criteria, and adjusted statistical analyses such as the Chi-square and T-test in the first and third study and T-test in the second study. Almost all of the findings were of statistical significance (P Description of F.B.: F.B. emigrated to the U.S. at age 15 from Albania with her parents, in pursuit of the American Dream. She drinks socially and do not smoke. She is a dental student at NYUCD. Upon entering dental school, F.B. had poor oral hygiene where she did not floss regularly but brushes twice a day. She consumed a heavy carb-rich diet. Her iron deficiency anemia has been better controlled through a well-balanced diet that includes iron and folate intake. This had been confirmed via a CBC, where all anemic indicators were within the normal limit. She had no other significant medical history. Her vital signs were within the normal limits as well. Discussions: The general consensus of the three articles clearly indicates that there is clearly a relationship between ECC and IDA and that more studies needs to be done to determine the actual etiology behind this association. Despite all the evidence that show that there is an association, the studies including the above three articles that are available are just not substantial to show a strong causation. In addition, the limitations in each of studies that I described above are also making these articles less convincing to incorporate into our dental practices. Conclusion: Despite the fact that the studies do not show a strong causation for the association between ECC and IDA, the evidence is convincing enough that warrants further research and questions among the dental and medical communities throughout the world. The evidence also helped to answer my clinical question if ECC patient with IDA (in this case, patient F.B) will increase their chances of having more dental caries and periodontal problems in the future. As you can see from the results provided by the three articles, there might be some connection between ECC and IDA and can cause more dental decay or worsen the patient’s IDA condition if left untreated, which was noted in Shaoul et. al’s studies. These results prompted me to make some modifications of my dental management for patient F.B. I would put patient F.B. on more frequent recall and on an aggressive fluoride therapy due to her past ECC history. I will complete all dental restorations or restore any defective restorat ions prior to performing any prosthodontic work. To make sure that she understands the association between ECC and IDA, I would also make sure to monitor her blood count frequently and reinforce oral hygiene instructions. Works Cited Çolak, H., Dà ¼lgergil, Ç. T., Dalli, M., Hamidi, M. M. (2013). Early childhood caries update: A review of causes, diagnoses, and treatments.Journal of Natural Science, Biology, and Medicine,4(1), 29–38. Doi:10.4103/0976-9668.107257 Tang et al. (2012), Relationship between dental caries status and anemia in children with severe early childhood caries. Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences, 29, 330-336. Schroth et al. (2013), Association between iron status, iron deficiency anaemia, and severe early childhood caries: a case–control study. BMC Pediatrics 13(22), 1-7. Shaoul et al (2011), The Association of childhood iron deficiency anemia with severe dental caries. Acta Pediatrica 101, e76-9. Appendix: LAF: Photographs of F.B.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Human Nature in Bartholomae and Petroskys Our Time, Theft, and Music of the Swamp :: Petrosky Our Time Essays Theft Essays

Human Nature in Bartholomae and Petrosky's Our Time, Theft, and Music of the Swamp Why should college students read the stories that are assigned in English courses? Other than to satisfy the professor, what is the purpose of reading these difficult writings of people we don't know or care about? Many of these students find themselves asking, "What is this writer talking about?" Confused, some quickly give up trying to understand the story and make reading something just to get through, diminishing both their understanding and their grade. Knowing what these writers are trying to explain makes their stories much easier to read. Throughout history, we humans have tried to understand why we do the things we do. To aid in our understanding, many storytellers throughout literary history have written fictional and non-fictional stories about human nature to help others, as well as themselves understand. Human nature is what the writers of Our Time, Theft, and Music of the Swamp, three excerpts from the anthology Ways of Reading edited by David Bartholomae and Ant hony Petrosky, often read in English courses, are trying to explore. My personal story, Chinese Food Can Save Your Life, written for my English composition course is also an example of this exploration. The human nature in these stories is to blame other people, places, or situations for failures and general unhappiness. Most readers can probably relate to this since at one point or another, they have thought that, if they just had some extra money, a better job, a different lover, a new home, or a better childhood, they could be happier. To assign the blame to other people and things is easier than to point the finger at ourselves. Although a few things individuals are not responsible for do exist, such as ethnicity and hereditary characteristics, most of the things good or bad that happen to us are a result of choices we have made. In these stories, this human compulsion to obsess for what we (supposedly) don't have destroys any possibility of obtaining the particular possession. In Theft a chapter from Joyce Carol Oates' novel Marya: A Life, the main character Marya blames dependency for her unhappiness. Early in Marya's life she decided that dependence on other people and involvement in relationships resulted in her limited freedom.

My Ascent Into 8th Grade Stardom :: essays research papers

My Ascent into 8th Grade StardomIt was very hard moving to a new town in the summer of 1994. This event meant having to attend a new middle school and reestablish myself in a new environment. Even though I had moved about every two years of my entire life, that did not make this time any easier. I still had to make new friends and ground myself all over again.Middle School, like most other middle schools, had an "in" crowd. At Crossroads, it was mainly the football players. After I started school at Crossroads, football tryouts were being staged. I saw this as a most significant event on my path through adolescence, a chance to get recognized by my new school, as well as a chance to make some friends and gain some glory along the way. Getting up at one Saturday morning and going up to the school, I was very nervous about whether I would make the team or not. I've always had athletic ability, but since this was a new town, I was unsure about how my skills would compare with the other kids. Football tryout was a grueling event. When tryouts started, it was explained to all of us that the coaches would run drills in order to gauge our skills, and then place us in specific position groups. After the drills, which I did exceptionally well in , Coach Jones placed me in the running back group. He told me that I was extremely strong and fast, and that I would make a good tailback. It felt so good, not only making the team, but being singled out by Coach Jones as possibly one of the better players on the squad.Throughout the next couple of weeks, the Crossroads Vikings held football practice every day after school from 2:45 until 5:00. We always started with some team stretching and then we moved onto our positional drills. We running backs always had drills such as running through ropes and practicing plays. It was fun. As the days and practices went by, I made many new friends. All the starters, me being the starting tailback, just began to hang out together, in and out of school. That is just the way it went. Chad, Rick, Bill, Derek, Ben, and I were hanging out together all the time. Eventually, they introduced to me to all the "cool" kids in school and the feeling of being the "new kid" went away.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Leonardo Da Vinci Essay -- essays research papers

"Leonardo da Vinci...oh yeah, that is the guy who painted the Mona Lisa!" That was all I knew about Leonardo da Vinci before I started this report. I knew that he lived during the Renaissance and that he was a very important man, but that is about it. There is so much more about Leonardo that he is known for, other than him being the painter of the famous Mona Lisa. Leonardo was a universal genius, (as said in "What Makes a Leonardo a Leonardo?" By: Richard MÃ ¼hlberger, Copyright: 1994) because he excelled in numerous areas of knowledge and contributed so much to the Renaissance. He was one of the great masters of the High Renaissance (as said in the following website: http://metalab.unc.edu/cgfa/vinci/vinci_bio.htm) who was a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, mathematician, geologist, astronomer and scientist. Birthplace and Childhood: Leonardo da Vinci was born at 10:30 PM on Saturday, April 15th, 1452. He was born in the small Tuscan town of Vinci, which is near Florence. Although, in another reference, it said that he was probably born in a farm house in Anchiano, which is about three miles away from Vinci. The family of Leonardo lived in this area since the 13th century. When Leonardo was born, Ser Piero, his father, was a twenty-five year old public notary. Also, when Leonardo was born, Ser Piero married his wife. He didn't marry Catarina, his mother, because she probably the daughter of a farmer. Leonardo was christened from the parson Peiro da Bartolomeo, in the Baptismal Chapel. He was baptized to the name Lionardo, not Leonardo. The chapel is inside the church of Vinci. According to a tax record, when Leonardo was five years old, he was living with his grandparents. Francesco, his uncle, probably taught him about nature though the wild countryside that surrounds Vinci. When Francesco died, about fifty years later, he willed his estate to Leonardo, which showed a sense of fondness to Leonardo. Apprenticeship: Leonardo lived in Vinci until 1466. Vinci is a small town, in the foot of Monte Albano, in the Tuscany in Italy. When he was fourteen, he moved to Florence, where he bagan an apprenticeship in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio. Verrocchio was the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. The apprenticeship program provided all artistic training. He was introduced to many thing... ...tructure; for that, indeed, be it may, is a Devine thing. Leave it then to dwell in its work at its good pleasure, and let not your rage or malice destroy a life~for indeed, he who does not value it, does not himself deserve it." "Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind." "Man is the model of the world." "Science is the captain, practice the soldier." "Painters who wish to represent the relief of things they paint must cover the service with a half-tint, then paint in the darkest shadows and lastly the main lights." "He who wishes to see how the soul inhabits the body should look to see how that body uses its daily surroundings. If the dwelling is dirty and neglected, the body will be kept by its soul in the same condition, dirty and neglected." "Nothing flows faster than the years, daughters of time." "When fortune comes, seize her firmly by the forelock, for, I tell you, she is bald at the back." "Avoid excessive study; it will give rise to a work destined to die with the workman."

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Review Questions MGMT Essay

1) Scheduling and sequencing are typically viewed from a technical perspective; that is, they are focused on minimizing quantitative measures such as lateness or cost. However, schedules also have intangible effects on customers, employees, and the perception of service quality. Discuss what some of these intangible effects might be and how managers should consider them when constructing schedules. Some intangible effects of schedules on customers, employees, and the perception of service quality could be, employee morale (overworked, underworked); customer/buyer satisfaction with rate of production/delivery of service; perception of efficiency of potential clients and ancillary support systems. Managers need to take into account that constructing schedules will impact stakeholders in different ways (Collier & Evans, 2013). Where a quicker delivery time might make a customer happy, a salaried employee working 14 hour days to meet that demand may ultimately be causing more harm to the company in the long run. One of the best methods for developing schedules is an Activity-on-Node model. In this model, we can see the earliest start (ES) latest start (LS) earliest finish (LS) and latest finish for each activity of the project. Some of they may be able to run concurrently, which leads us to determining what the â€Å"critical path† would be. The critical path is the shortest time between activities that the project may be accomplished (Collier & Evans, 2013). 2) Select two of Deming’s 14 Points and discuss the importance of them to operations managers (as well as all managers) in today’s business environment. Deming’s steps 13 (Encourage Education and Self-Improvement) and 14 (Take Action) are the two that I find the most respectable attributes in operations managers and normal managers, alike. I have seen first-hand what sort of morale detriment can occur when self-improvement and education are not fostered in top-performers. For example, employee John Smith decides  he wants to obtain his Project Management Professional PMPâ„ ¢ certification. His company has a training budget that allows for such training, but Smith’s manager cannot rationalize the need for the certification, based on Smith’s current duties. Smith then decides to take vacation time and pay out of pocket to achieve this certification, nearly $2000 of his own money spent on professional development. Several months later, Smith’s company is awarded a substantial Earned Value (EV) contract from the DoD, in which a requirement was that there needed to be a certified PMPâ„ ¢ on the project team. Smith’s manager lacked the foresight to see the benefit of such a certification, and to this day, Smith has not been formally reimbursed for what ultimately led to the acquisition of a multi-million dollar contract. Needless to say, Smith’s regard for that manager severely diminished. Taking Action stood out to me as well, because I have seen what cost-plus contracts can do to a company. The â€Å"chaos is cash† mindset that melds into the minds of managers whose incumbencies are those contracts can be sickening. I once witnessed a company with a directorate that was so focused on this mind-set that deliveries were constantly late or with error, and it was considered the norm to have such things occur. DoD contractors are normally evaluated by the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), and this company was consistently in the unsatisfactory rating. With a new directorate and management, this company was able to climb that rating system two levels for the first time in over a decade. I attribute this to those whom replaced the previous directorate and managements â€Å"Take Action† attitude in correcting that horrific â€Å"cost-plus† mindset. 3) Explain how service quality is measured. Specifically, discuss how you may have experienced each of the five SERVQUAL dimensions as a consumer of services. â€Å"Service quality is consistently meeting or exceeding customer expectations (external focus) and service-delivery system performance criteria (internal focus) during all service encounters† Collier & Evans, 2013). The 10 dimensions of SERVQUAL are as follows: SERVQUAL Dimensions Reliability Responsiveness Competence Access Courtesy Communication Credibility Security Understanding/knowing the customer tangibles In regards to reliability, I have had amazing reliability with MESA/BOOGIE guitar amplifiers. My MESA amp has lasted over 10 years with no issues. In regards to competence, USAA’s customer service and knowledge of their own products/services continues to amaze me every time I speak to them over the phone. I would also attribute the courtesy, responsiveness, and communication dimensions to USAA, as well. Their representatives are always well spoken, pleasant, and prompt to return inquiries. With understanding/knowing the customer, I would say Pacific Caliber is high on my list. We at Pacific Caliber can recognize the true, earned-value potential in the candidates we place with our clients, because we have been subject matter experts in those fields already. Much of this has to do with military affiliations and core values, as well. Access would go to Cotixansâ„ ¢ Mexican Restaurant. They have amazing food, 24/7, and are adjacent to my home. Security would go to Lockheed Martin’s private flight-test facilities, that is all I can comment on that. References Collier, D., & Evans, J. (2013). OM4 (4th ed., Student ed.). Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

H&M in Fast Fashion: Continued Success Essay

Q1) Evaluate the impertinent environs in which H&M operates in. External purlieu refers to the ch completelyenging and complexity in which the faithful operates. It is important to upliftedlight the factors of the immaterial milieu because it is very critical to the success of the firm. PESTEL squ atomic deed 18 and Porters 5 Forces (P5F) models result be used to evaluate the external environment of H&M. These models will determine how challenging and inviting the environment is for H&M. 1. PESTELPESTEL highlights 6 environmental forces viz. political, economic, affable, technological, bionomic and legal (Johnson, et al. 2014). This model analyses the general environment that influences the manufacturing and the agreements in it as wholesome as how challenging the environment is to operate.1.1 politicalH&M is subjected to political pressures from the bear on rights movement curiously in low-wage countries. H&M has out(a)sourced its manufacturing telephone line t o low- embody countries. H&M has no or short control over the operation in those countries. Hence, the firm would be closely scrutinised by the labour rights movement to spot either abuse in the rights of employee e.g. poor working(a) condition. Government expansion and transnational c atomic number 18 policies would greatly impact the growth of the industry and add-ons opposition. menace1.2 ECONOMICH&M will not be sp ard from the accession in cotton equipment casualtys and rising fruit cost in Asia. Economic downswing will accept an impact on all the s interestholders in the environment e additionally the guests. Demand for luxury respectables would decline for customers who are price-sensitive. They would then understand H&M competitors that offers similar goods which is are much sportyer than H&M orgo for musical accompaniments. Threat1.3 SOCIALDue to the closely path ancestry, customers taste in high invent is constantly evolving. Customers are now more(pren ominal) educated and their demand for good flavor products at low prices have increased. H&M could meet the needs of the customer as it has the benefit of being a first mover in the fast fashion business. prospect1.4 TECHNOLOGICALThe management out of technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allows organisations to r severally out to its customers more quickly and effectively. H&M uses these online social platforms as a way to be closer to their customers as intimately as sharing and updating its activities to its fanbase. Opportunity1.5 ECOLOGICALDue to education and high awareness of the importance of conserving and going commonality, H&M has created a special gathering of clothing line sweatation sustainable or eco-friendly materials. Opportunity1.6 effectualLegal refers to the restriction or relaxation of legislative and regulatory constraints or changes. musical arrangement in the environment would not be able to avoid this particular external environmen t factor therefore organisation has to perceive this legal aspect. repose of the international trade has resulted in an increase of the number of providers globally and hence intensifying the competition among manufacturers in low-wage countries ThreatFrom the PESTEL analysis, H&M is in a moderately emulous environment where both threats and opportunities factors are in equal balance. on that pointfore, H&M has to exploit the opportunities available in social, technological and ecological factors. As for the threats, H&M has to embrace them and develop strategies to overcome or channelize away from them too.2. Porters 5 Forces (P5F)P5F helps to identify the attractiveness of an industry in terms of 5 hawkish forces namely threat of entry, threat of substitute, cater of buyers, power of suppliers and the extent of tilt between competitors (Johnson, et al. 2014).2.1 curse OF ENTRYFactorHLCase evidenceEffect (High/low) outmatch of experienceNeeds wide s substantially to ge t by with the officers in the environment. Low access code to supply /distri neverthelession channels enough of suppliers available to choose from.High judge retaliation followly to compete with officeholder as they have the economies of scale. Low rule or government actionLiberalisation of international trade has resulted in the increase of number of suppliers. HighDifferentiationThere is differentiation in flair and sen epochnt of the apparel industry. HighHigh threat of invigorated entries would indicate that the industry is attractive and and could decrease the profit margin of H&M e.g.UNIQLO. However, these competitors must have fitted financial resources to compete with the current incumbent in the industry. These new entries would have to frame of reference up experience over time in order to be on par with existing competitors.The competitive rivalry is moderately high because the food commercialize is disunited and there are few study incumbents in the industry. With intense rivalry e.g. Zara, each competitor is vigorously competing against the rest in order to have a market share in this apparel industry.From the P5F analysis, H&M is operating is a exceedingly attractive market where the threats of entry is high, threats of substitute is low, power of buyer is high, power of supplier is low and high rivalry. Overall, H&M is operating in a exceedingly competitive and attractive external environment. indeed H&M must take steps to look into its resources and identify its strategical capabilities in order to stay in the lead of the competition.Q2a) Identify and discuss the strategic capabilities of H&M. Strategic capabilities refer to the capabilities of an organisation that contri barelyes to its long-term survival or competitive advantage (Johnson, et al. 2014). The components of strategic capabilities are resources (what the firm has) and competences (what they do well). The table below lists down all the resources and competences of H&M. This table also identifies the showcase of capabilities for each competences namely threshold and classifiable capabilities. Threshold capabilities refer to competences that are unavoidable for the organisation to meet the necessary requirements to compete in a falln market and typical capabilities look into competences that are indispensable to achieve competitive advantage (Johnson, et al. 2014). ResourcesCompetences theatrical role of capabilitiesOrganisational resourcesCompetent leader who has a good business acumen characteristic visible resourcesStores position in the scoop up localisation of functionThresholdRapid expansion into other countries and new marketsThresholdHas 2206 com strayer memorys in 43 countries typicalAbility to deliver array within a month of initial design DistinctiveEfficient co-ordinated logistic teamDistinctive expert resourcesOwns its own clothing line and trendsDistinctiveHuman resources200 talented designers and number makersDistinct iveEmpowerment of store managers with shore leaveThresholdCollaboration with famous designers to gravel new compendium Distinctive entry resourcesBuilding creative window and store displaysDistinctiveCreated a special collection using sustainable materials (CSR) ThresholdReputational resourcesPioneered in fast-fashion businessDistinctiveEmphasize chintzy and chic business modelDistinctiveStrong brandingDistinctive assimilationInstils the importance of core time values in employeesThresholdStrong incorporated purification (spirit of H&M) Encourages experimentation, trial and error learning, determination making, initiatives, try new ideas Distinctive entropy technology (IT)Efficient reporting of gross salesThresholdEstablishment of quick social media presenceThresholdEffective development sharing softwareThreshold found on the table previous(prenominal), H&M has more distinctive capabilities than threshold. H&M now could recognise the different types of capabilities and which are the ones the organisation should focus on and farm them into sustainable competitive advantage generating above average returns. H&M has to put more effort in the distinctive capabilities such as competent leadership, somatic as wads such as stores, its ever-changing collection of designer clothes, integrated logistics function, its talented employees, prospering quislingisms, creative window display, its fast-fashion business model, healthful branding and lastly its strong corporate culture.With the SWOT analysis, H&M has to prolong its efforts strengthening its strength so that it would give the organisation an advantage over its rivals. As for its weaknesses, H&M could either legislate or work on weaknesses by turning them into strengths. H&M should confiscate the opportunities when the time is right. Lastly, threats should be avoided or lead-in away from them.Identify the key issues, contends and opportunities face H&M. The key issues of H&M are whether the ir existing resources, capabilities, practices and knowl abut are sufficient to aliment up with competition. some other key issue is the threat of new and vigorous entrants. The answer to these is yes, H&M could keep up with the competition collectable to veridical resources, strategic distinctive capabilities, strong value creating activities, strong practices and knowledge. H&M challenges would be revitalising and redefining its strategic capabilities in order to be sustainable in this apparel industry. H&M has to keep up with the latest fashion trends and proceed to explore other avenues to create value to its value chain activities. another(prenominal) challenge is to stay ahead of its competitors especially the threats by new and vigorous new entrants, by moving fast and reaching large market based by applying a simple business model cheap and chic. The opportunities would be venturing into new areas where H&M has yet to explore e.g. online shopping, coal scuttle the lar gest store in the world on Fifth Avenue, New York. H&M has to evaluate if these opportunities could give them the competitive edge against its competitors and generating an above average returns.Based on preceding analysis, formulate and discuss prehend strategies that you would recommend to H&M in order for it to achieve above-average returns in the future. H&M is now operating a cost leadership strategy. This strategy involves enough the final-cost organisation in the industry (Johnson, et al. 2014). Cost leadership strategy is an integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or function with features that are acceptable to customers at the lowest cost (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt 2013) Based on preceding analysis, it is timely for H&M to analyze its business level strategy. Cost leadership strategy is not constantly the best strategy for H&M as there will always be the risk of being undercut on price especially during the economic downturn. Secondly, low cost has always been associated with cheap type goods where products barely meet the market standard. H&M should be considering using the lock-in business strategy. This strategy is where customers become dependent on H&M and are unavailing to use another supplier without substantial switching cost. With this lock-in strategy, copycats and substitutes of H&M products would have a hard time attracting customers.With customers firmly locked in, H&M could charge prices which are well above cost. Lock-in strategies can be achieved in two ways in the main controlling complementary products/services and creating a proprietary industry standard (Johnson, et al. 2014). Another strategy which H&M could consider is differentiation strategies. Differentiation involves uniqueness on some dimensions that are sufficiently treasured by customers to allow a price premium. Based on H&Ms strategic capabilities, one of its competitive advantage competences is having its own clothing line and trends. The fashion house could use this capability to carry out the differentiation strategy. With H&Ms large kitten of over 200 talented designers and collaboration with famous top designers, customers would be uncoerced to pay more for the latest style and fashion. With the unpredictability of the fashion industry, H&M has to be able to stay well ahead of its major competitors by reviewing its strategic capabilities from time to time. Capabilities need to change and evolved into moral force capabilities. Only dynamic capabilities have what it takes to be the key driver towards strategic change. the like what fashion model, Heidi Klum, from the fashion industry always said, Today you are in but tomorrow, you might be out The similar goes to the chosen strategy of H&M, cost leadership mightwork today, but it wont be the pay off strategy tomorrow.BibliographyIreland, R. Duane, Robert E. Hoskisson, and Michael A. Hitt. The Management of Strategy. Australia South-Western Cengage Learning, 2013. Jo hnson, Gerry, Richard Whittington, Kevan Scholes, Duncan Angwin , and Patrick Regner. Exploring Strategy. Harlow Pearson, 2014.