Superpave Binder Specifications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Superpave Binder Specifications - Essay Example The distresses include fatigue, thermal cracking, and rutting. Tests related to performance were essentially applied to address the three distresses. The distresses are attributed to climate changes. Another specification is grade selection. The grade selection specification entails the determination of temperature extremes for the performance of the pavement. Typically, pavement performs under a certain range of temperatures (Texas Department of Transportation). The grade can be established by indicating the low or high temperatures for pavement performance. Distress and tests form another specification in which the binder and pavement life become predictable when the pavement lasts long enough. Testing for compliance is important to establish the PG binder grade. This is done through classification and verification for unknown and known PG grade respectively (Texas Department of Transportation). The proper binder grade for Bowling Green, Kentucky area is selected based on the Super pave aggregate requirements. The pavements have to satisfy the compaction requirements, which are unusual. The binder grade needs to have at least 92 percent of solid density (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). This would be due to the unusual compaction requirements that would be applied (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials). Segregation may be used to describe various phenomena, but it is typically short of homogeneity in the constituents of hot mix asphalt for the in-place mat. It has such a magnitude to an extent that there is an expectation of pavement distresses that are highly accelerated. The segregation of HMA pavements is a major problem because it results in poor performances in many pavements (Cross and Brown, 1).

Brewing - Beer Essay Example for Free

Brewing Beer Essay The history of beer dates back hundreds of years prior to written history. Besides water and tea, beer is one of the most-frequently consumed beverages in the world. Contrary to popular belief, that all beers are typically the same, there are many variances in color, flavor, strength, production method, ingredients and origin. Beer can be divided into 2 broad sub-categories: ale and lager. Ales were the first type of beer ever created before brewers knew the role yeast played during the beer making process. Ale yeasts flocculate at the top of the fermentation tank and are brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation. The yeast ferments the beer quickly, which gives it a full bodied and fruity taste. They also contain hops, which gives the bitter herbal flavor that helps balance the sweetness of malt and preserve the beer. After fermentation, ales are usually aged no more than a few weeks or so. Most are served close to room temperature and contain rich aroma and flavor. There are many different types of ales including brown ales, pale ales, dark ales, mild ales, strong ales cream ales, Burton ales, German ales, Belgian ales, and more. Each type of ale differs in color, flavor, strength, and origin. The second type of beer is called a lager, the most popular style of beer in the world. Some have stated that lagers account for 90% of beers consumed across the globe. Many feel that this is attributed to the more watered down lagers produced in the United States. Lager is derived from the word â€Å"lagern† in German, which means, â€Å"to store†. A lager is a type of beer that is brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast at lower temperatures and is aged for a much longer time than ales creating a cleaner, clearer beer. The yeast used in lagers, Saccharomyces Uvarum, produces fewer ester by-products than seen in ales, allowing other flavors, such as hops, to become more noticeable. The range of flavors noticeable in lagers is more limited than ales. They are always going to be hoppy, malty, sweet, or dry. There is nothing wrong with these flavors, but there are fewer variations, which explains why many people insist that all beers taste alike. They are invariably served cold and can pair easily with a wide variety of food. There are some fundamental differences in the way ales and lagers are produced. There are three main discrepancies between the making of ales and lagers: types of yeast, temperature and time, and additional ingredients. In terms of the variances in yeast, ales typically use yeast that ferments at the top of the fermentation tanks. The yeast normally rises to the top closer to the end of fermentation. Also, there are chemicals that are produced in ales, called esters that inhibit a sweeter, fruity taste to the beer. However, in lagers, the yeast used is classified as â€Å"bottom-fermenting† yeast, meaning that the yeast ferments at the bottom of the fermentation tanks. One of the benefits of using bottom fermenting yeast is that brewers can reuse the left over yeast to produce more beer. Unlike the fruity, sweeter tastes of ales, the yeasts used in lagers do not add any flavor to the beer itself. Much of the taste in lagers can be attributed to other ingredients, including malts and hops. The second major differences between the production of ales and lagers are temperature and time. The yeast used in ales usually ferments better in warmer temperatures, usually around room temperature or close to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the benefits of being able to ferment at this temperature is that ales can age and mature faster than lagers. While ales are best produced in warm temperatures, lagers are made primarily in colder temperatures, around 45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. As stated earlier, lager is derived from the German word â€Å"lagern† meaning to store. Production of lagers is all about the â€Å"lagern† storing process. Lagers have historically been produced in more European countries where the climates are typically colder. The unique combination of cold temperatures and the bottom fermenting yeast, causes lagers to have much more of a mild, crisp taste. Something else that adds to the taste of a beer, are additional ingredients. The last major difference between ales and lagers are there supplementary ingredients. Ales typically have more of a malty taste, due to an elevated amount of hops, malts, and roasted malts that are added during production. Ale brewers, typically have more leeway with how they produce their beer, and tend to add a several different ingredients during brewing, like the ones mentioned above. These extra ingredients are referred to as, adjuncts. Brewers of lagers only have a few, simple ingredients: malted grain, hops, yeast, and water. The production method of lagers is somewhat due to the stringent Reinheitsgebot Law, also known as the â€Å"German beer purity law†. This law prohibits any adjuncts during the brewing process of lagers, only permitting water, barely, and hops as ingredients. Tea and water maybe two of the most consumed beverages in the world, but beer is right behind in a close third. Beer is gradually becoming more and more popular. This is evident through the new trends of beer companies that have begun to accommodate for the new low calorie beer trend. Corona, Heineken, and Anheuser-Busch have led the pack by producing â€Å"Corona Lite†, â€Å"Heineken Lite†, and â€Å"Budweiser Select†. With more and more companies attending to these trends, beer has broadened their target market. Overall, these companies are innovating the deeply historic production of ales and lagers, that will appeal to people now, and into the future. Although there are a variety of differences between ales and lagers, they do share one common trait, which is that people have enjoyed them across the world for centuries upon centuries. Works Cited Eddings, Bryce. Beer Styles 101 All Beers are Either Ales or Lagers. About. com 17 July 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://beer. about. com/od/beerstyles/a/BeerStyles101. htm. Mork, Rachael. Understanding Different Types and Beer Pairings of Beer. Life123 04 March 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://www. life123. com/food/cocktails-beverages/beer/understanding-different-types-of-beer-and-beer-pai.shtml. Thadani, Rahul. Lager vs Ale. Buzzle 29 May 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://www. buzzle. com/articles/lager-vs-ale. html. Rich, Stephen. Ales vs. Lagers. Modern Gentleman 10 July 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://themoderngentleman. ca/2010/ales-vs-lagers/. Viljanen, Susanna. Beer brands,types,styles and brewing. Did You Know? 06 February 2010: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://didyouknow. org/beer/. Zagata, Darlene. Lagers vs Ales. Livestrong 23 December 2009: n. pag. Web. 5 Nov 2010. http://www. livestrong. com/article/67308-lagers-vs-ales/.

Text Analysis: Comparing Formal and Informal Dialogue

Text Analysis: Comparing Formal and Informal Dialogue A comparison between a formal text and an informal dialogue. 1.0 Introduction In the traditional way of looking at syntax, an adult, child or the learner of English as a second language ought to gain knowledge of the syntactic rules. During speaking, the speaker is always assumed to have mastered the rules of syntax which should produce coherence in communication. Syntactic rules are always present in the system that features them, as it is assumed, but this is not always the case. Usually, the patterns which are always observed in linguistic data represents what is in the minds of the people who produce such data. In as much as there are varied types of sentences, clause and phrasal types, there are usually agreed rules on how phrases, clauses and sentences should be arranged to give a particular meaning. 2.0. Theoretical Background: 2.1 Types of sentences: The sentences can be categorized with syntactic rules depending on the on the types of clauses that they possess. Greenbaum (1996) also agrees with this fact and defines a simple sentence as one with only a subject and a verb. For example. He went home last Thursday. He further describes a compound sentence as one with one or more independent clauses. For example, I have finished examinations and I know I will pass. While the other category of sentence types is the complex sentences which consist of a subordinate clause supported main by clause. For example, If the phones are cheaper in Barka, I will come to buy there. The other category is the compound-complex sentence structure which consists of two independent clauses and one main clause. For example, The lecturer believed he would pass and with higher grades after he promised to improve. 2.2 Clause Types: When a group of words have a subject followed by a predicate, it is called a clause. Adjective clause can be a sentence or constructions which look like sentences. 2.2.1. Dependent and Independent clauses A clause is commonly defined as a set of words which contain a subject and a verb. According to Carnie (2000), there are two types of clauses thus, independent clause and the second is a dependent clause. Whereas an independent clause cannot stand on its own in a sentence, always beginning with a capital letter and ending up with a punctuation, a dependent clause cannot stand alone in a sentence and must always be attached to an independent clause to obtain coherent sentences. He further adds that a clause may at time be a complete sentence as in the case of independent clause or a construction that looks like a sentence in the case of dependent clause. A dependent clause is used as an adjective in a sentence. This is referred to as a relative clause or an adjectival clause. They have a characteristic of beginning with a pronoun (that, which, whose, whom). For example; [I went to school with that Member of Parliament] [whose constituency borders ours.] The sentence above has two clauses. The one in the first bracket is independent while the second bracket is dependent. As we can see, the first makes complete meaning on its own while the second cannot stand alone. Again the adverbial or the subordinate clauses usually begin with a subordinating conjunction such as when, although and includes a subject or a predicate. 2.2.2. Relative Clauses and Nominal Relative Clauses: When a relative clause has an antecedent within itself, it is referred to as a nominal relative clause while the relative clause is one which contains any of the relative pronouns (who which, that) to introduce a noun phrase or a noun. 2.3 Phrase Types: A phrase, according to Driscoll et al (2010), is defined as a set of related words which occur within a sentence or a clause. A phrase is a part of speech which has a headword which defines the nature of the unit within a sentence. 2.3.1 Noun Phrases There is usually a thin line differentiating noun phrases and adjectival phrases in a sentence. Noun phases always consist of a head noun as well as the adjective or more adjectives which describe it. Look at the sentences below: â€Å"She’s an extra ordinary looking woman, and yet I cannot name anything out of the way.† 2.3.2 Adjectival and Prepositional Phrases. According to Kohl (2008), the following are the types of phrases; adjectival phrases which modify the nouns. For example; John lost his red brown shoes. The other types of phrases are prepositional phrases which work as post modifiers in a sentence. The pre-modifier in a sentence must always be an adverbial phrase while a post modifier can either be a prepositional phrase or a clause. For example; â€Å"Ahmed thought that the pizza smelled awfully funny.† 2.4. Complementizers: The definition of complementizers according to Nelson (2002) is a complement clause which functions so as to complement adjectives, adverbs, verbs and even nouns. Complementizers can take the form of â€Å"who, why, or that† clauses. At times they take to-infinite clauses. For example, â€Å"I don’t understand why he’s carrying an arrow†. Here, the complement clause has completed in the sentence, the subordinate clause. The word why acts as a complementizer. 2.5. Conjunctions: These are those parts of speech which act so as to connect the words, clauses, phrases, and sentences to give it a meaning. The most commonly utilized conjunctions are; for, but, and, yet, nor, and so. They do the work of joining the elements to form a coordinate structure. If a sentence uses a coordinate conjunction, it is referred to as a polysyndeton sentence while the one without conjunction is called an asyndeton sentence. According to Yagoda (2007), there are contrasting characteristics between the coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. These are; the coordinating conjunctions connect phrases, words and clauses of equal rank while the subordinating ones join words of unequal ranks. Example; â€Å"There was a period in history where money and happiness were not synonymous, but now they seem to be synonymous.† In this sentence, though debatable, the conjunction and compares equality between money and happiness while the conjunction but unequalizes the two separate clauses (dependent and independent). 2.6. Adverbials: The adverbials in a sentence play the roles in three categories; 1) adjuncts, 2) conjuncts and 3) disjuncts. Simmons (1997) describes that the adjuncts are found within a clausal formation while the disjuncts as well as the conjuncts are found at the end. Adjuncts do not always form a vital part of a sentence. For instance, â€Å"He will also pass by the hardware†. In addition he adds that a disjunct similarly does not form the essential sentence part. For instance, â€Å"In fact, his main aim was to steal from you†. There are also types of sentences which present adverbials that include conjunctions like however, as a result, therefore, and thus just to mention a few. They also present some arguments which may not be part of sentences but they reveal the past part of a sentence so as to contrast it. Example, â€Å"The floods caused destruction as a result of long rains†. 3.0. Analysis: In this section the principal sentence types and clauses types are going to be discussed and differences shown. Also, the analysis of representative phrases and their categories are going to be considered and all the lexical and syntactic structures that are similar or difference in the two texts about: The apology to the Australian aborigines and The informal dialogue between the Chinese and an Australian. 3.1 Types of sentences A sentence, according to Klammer et al (2004), is a group of words consisting of a subject and a verb. More elements can be added to the sentential verb and subject to improve the meaning. 3.1.1 Simple Sentences: As observed in the theoretical background, a simple sentence consists of a subject and a verb. In the first text, it is observed that there are few instance of simple sentences. The simple sentences like these exist; Text 1 â€Å"We reflect on their past mistreatment† (line 7). Text 2 He sent somebody (line 35). These sentences are independent and they also contain subject and verb, qualifying them to be simple sentences. 3.1.2. Compound Sentences: Text 1 A compound sentence, â€Å"Saying ‘sorry’ was the new order of parliamentary business for the Labor Government led by Kevin Rudd†. This is a compound sentence comprising an independent clause as well as dependent clause separated by a conjunct â€Å"for†. Text 2 In the second text, there are a few compound sentences like; â€Å"Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor to control the whole of China†. Again, the conjunct â€Å"to† has been used to separate the independent as well as the dependent clauses. 3.1.3. Complex Sentences: Text 1 The complex sentence is the one that begins the text on the line 1, thus; [Eleven years after the Australian Human Rights Commission recommended a formal apology to Australian Aborigines], [Prime Minister Rudd has said sorry]. This is because it has an independent and one dependent clause since the first bracket shows a dependent clause while the second, an independent clause forming a meaning even without the independent part. Text 2 In text 2, there exists a complex sentence like the one shown in the example below. [If you drink the elixir of immortality], [you can live forever]. This is a complex sentence separated by comma but begins with a disjunct â€Å"if†. Again, the first bracket is a depedent clause while the second, is an independent one. 3.1.4. Compound-Complex Sentences: The type of sentences which according to Carnie (2001), have two main clauses and at least one subordinate clause. They shares the characteristics of compound and complex sentences. Text 1 On line 20, we meet a compound-complex sentence, [A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, indigenous and non-indigenous], to [close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational] and [economic achievements and economic opportunity]. It has one independent clause and two dependent clauses, making it a compound-complex sentence. The first bracket is an independent clause, second is dependent while the third is also a dependent one. Text 2 There is no clear indication of the existence of a compound-complex sentence here. 3.2 Clause Types: 3.2.1. Main Clauses and Subordinate Clauses Text 1 Looking at line 4, there exists a main clause at the beginning saying, â€Å"The prime minister John Howard refused to apologise† while the second sentence starts with â€Å"saying today’s Australians should not say sorry for the policies of the past†. Text 2 In this text, the independent clause is evident in line 13, â€Å"We call him the emperor of China†. And in line 6, â€Å"When we had the first emperor of china†, doesn’t have complete meaning and needs an independent clause to support it. 3.2.3 Relative clause. Relative clauses, also known as postmodifiers, modifies the noun phrase or noun which precedes them. Traditionally, the relative clauses are categorised into nominal and non-nominal relative clauses. Text 1 In line 20, the following sentence is observed, â€Å"A future where we embrace the possibility of the new solutions to the enduring problems where old approaches have failed†. In this sentence, the realative adverb, â€Å"where† has been used to play the role and turn the clause into a relative noun clause. Text 2 In line 20, the same relative adverb when has been used to relativize a clause â€Å"†¦ when he occupied all the lands, we said he wanted to live forever†. 3.3. Phrase Types: 3.3.1 Noun Phrases: Noun phrase, according to Leech et al (2001), is defined as a word group consisting of a noun or pronoun as its head. It can be a simple one with a single noun. The noun may also in most cases be accompanied by determiners like (a, the, he or her) and complements. Such types of sentences derived from the texts are shown below: Text 1 The parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology †¦.. this in bold shows the noun phrase. Text 2 In the second text, â€Å" Mh-m. China was very small. Shows another noun phrase beginning with China as a noun. Verb Phrases: Text 1 In the first text, a verb phrase is witnessed in line 21, â€Å"†¦ for the breaking up of families†, this verb phrase depicts whet the noun (Government) did to the Aborigines. Text 2 â€Å"The yellow emperor is the†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this verb phrase yellow describes the emperor as the first emperor of the whole of China. 3.3.2 Adjective Phrases: An adjective phrase is defined by Zuckermann (1997) as a word group that contains an adjective as the head. It is usually accompanied by modifiers or qualifiers. Adjective phrases are modifiers of nouns. Text 1 â€Å"And for the dignity and degradation of the afflicted people †¦.† The afflicted people is an adjectival phrase portraying the type of people being addressed. Text 2 There exists an adjective clause, â€Å"the first emperor of China†. This adjectival phrase precisely describes the real noun being talked about to distinguish him from other emperors. 3.3.2 Prepositional phrases. Text 1 â€Å"The children were placed in orphanages and church homes in the white community† The prepositional phrases cited in line 3 have been placed in bold. Text 2 â€Å"Similar Chinese characters in Japanese language†. The bold part shows the prepositional phrase. 3.3.3 Complementers and relativisers. Text 1 Like any other organised text syntactically, the text one has various situations of complementers. For example, .. â€Å"resolving that this new page in history of our great continent can now be written†. That in this sentence is a relativizer. Text 2 In text 2 the complementizer has been use and it is, â€Å"which†. For example â€Å"The words which like yao†. Has been joined using a complementiser, â€Å"which†. 3.4 Coordination Conjunctions 3.4.1 Co-ordinating Conjunctions: Text 1 There are many sentences, clauses and phrases in the first text where the coordinating conjuctions exist. For instance. â€Å". educational achievements and economic opportunity†. The conjunct and joins the two phrases to give the whole sentence a meaning. It shows that one thing has happened and another will follow. Text II There are a few instances of the coordinating conjunctions in the second text, For example, â€Å"words with the same pronunciation† here the conjunct with joins two words with similar strengths and this is another example of a coordinating conjunction. 3.4.2 Subordinating Conjunctions: Text 1 In the first text, the line number 2 provides us with a good example of subordinating conjunction. It exists between a main clause and a subordinate clause. For example, â€Å" the human rights commission estimated that from 1901 until 1970 more than †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Text 2 In the second text, we observe a subordinating conjunct because when it separates the â€Å"Did not come back because if he could †¦.† This also separates the main clause and the subordinate clause. 4.0 Conclusions Since the two texts represent different situations, one being formal and the other, informal, it becomes hard to come up with a good summary of comparisons because they represent different genres. It is evident that the first text is syntactically organized in its sentential, clausal and phrasal levels while the second is a dialogue prone to interjections so that the sentences are not formally structured. All the same, text 1 has good organization, less simple sentences but more compound, complex and compound-complex than the text 2. References Carnie, A., (2001) Syntax. Oxford: Blackwell Pubishers. Driscoll, D. Brizee, A., (2010) Purdue OWL Engagement: Sentence and Clause Arrangement for Emphasis. [Online] Available at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/609/04/ [Accessed 29 April 2015]. Greenbaum, S. Nelson, G., (2002) An Introduction to English Grammar. 2nd ed. Edinburgh : Pearson Education Limited . Hana, J., (2011) Introduction to Linguistics Syntax. Oxford: s.n. Klammer, P., Schulz, M., Volpe, D., (2004) Analyzing English Grammar. 4th ed. Longman. Kohl, J. R., (2008) the Global English style Guide: Write Clear, Translatable Document for a Global Market. SAS. Leech, G., Cruickshank B., Ivan R.,(2001) An A-Z of English Grammar Usage. 2nd ed. Edinburg: Pearson. Simmons, R., (1997-2015) Grammar Bytes. [Online] Yagoda, B., (2006) Parts of Speech, N.Y. TiMESJuly 9, ,  § E (Magazine). Zuckermann, G., (2006) Complement Clause Types in Israeli. In: W. Dixon A. Aikhenvald, eds. Complementations: A Cross-Linguistic Typology. s.l.:s.n., pp. 78-81. Hamlet | Character Analysis Hamlet | Character Analysis In the play, Hamlet: Prince of Denmark by Shakespeare, Hamlets soliloquies reveals much about his character. From to the beginning to the end of the play, Hamlets soliloquies reveal that he is virtuous and he is a man with courage, but is quite indecisive. In the beginning Hamlet expresses that he is reluctance and indecisive. Towards the end of the play, Hamlet still shows a constant sign of being reluctance. However, there are other traits that shine through from his soliloquies. Towards the end, Hamlet shows that his is an honorable man, but at the same time he is not a genuine man. These characteristics are explored through Hamlets various ways of insulting himself for not acting on his beliefs. Hamlet needs constant reassurance from others that he is choosing the right path and proceedings with the correct actions. Hamlets first appearance in the play and his early soliloquies show signs of a human without any emotional or feelings. Once Hamlet is notified about the new King of Denmark; Hamlet expresses to his uncle, how weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie ont! ah fie! tis an unweeded garden (1.2.135-137). Hamlet explains that the world seems to him to be quite meaningless, now that his mother is married to his uncle. However, soon after, in the same soliloquies; Hamlet speaks insensitively of his mother. He expresses extreme sorrow towards his mothers choice to marry his uncle. Hamlet expressed his true feelings regarding his mothers poor choice, married with my uncle, my fathers brother, but no more like my father than I to Herculesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (1.2.153-154). He claims that his mother disgraces his fathers name. He is quite depressed over the loss of his father and his mothers quick marriage to his uncle. Hamlet believes that no one will ever be as great as his father. He contrasts his father to his uncle, saying that Claudius and King Hamlet have nothing in common; similar to himself and Hercules. In away, Hamlet is insulting himself; showing a sign of insecurity. The fact that Hamlet is contrasting himself to Hercules, who display a symbol of intellectual and physical strength; he implies that he lacks self worth and self esteem. Hamlet also shows a sign of a man with honor. He shows a sign of virtuous as he expresses his feelings regarding Gertrudes marriage, O, most wicked speed, to post, with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not nor it cannot come to good, but break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue (1.2.158-161). Hamlet must restrain from revealing his true feelings because he is afraid to hurt his bother. However, this decision shows that Hamlet is reluctance fix what he believes is wrong. Hamlet believes that he should not say or do anything about his mothers relationship with his Uncle. He cannot expre ss his true feelings. Even though, he sees this as a betrayal to his father. Hamlet appears to be indecisive because he will not act as he wishes, despite what he believes. After speaking to his fathers ghosts, Hamlet discovered new and profound dedication, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ my sinews, grow not instant old, but bear me stiffly up. Remember thee! Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat. In this distracted globe. Remember thee! Yea, from the table of my memory Ill wipe away all trivial fond records (1.5.94-99). In this soliloquy, Hamlet is exhibiting courage by agreeing to follow the ghosts order. Hamlet is telling himself to hold to his fathers ghosts commandment and to drop all other distractions from his mind. As the play begins to reach its raising action, Hamlet contemplates the purpose of life, to be, or not to be: that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (3.1.64-67). Hamlet is still showing qualities of an indecisive human being. He cannot decide whether it is better to live with suffering or to die and not know what is going to happen. This soliloquy also shows a positive side of Hamlets characteristics. Hamlet expresses, that the dread of something after death, the undiscovered country from whose bourn. No traveler returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have, than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all. And thus the native hue of resolutionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (3.1.88-92). This soliloquy also shows that Hamlet is a man of reason. He sees that it is better to live and suffer than to die and not know wha t is going to happen. He is not completely indecisive or reluctant about what choices to make. He is able to contemplate the questions and the issues surrounding the questions; which will lead him to successfully make a choice. As the play beings to reach its climax, Hamlet still shows signs of indecisiveness. Even though at times, he shows signs of being a man with honor and virtue; the indecisive and reluctant in him gets worst. Hamlet plans to carry out the ghosts wish. However, he acts one way, but feels differently in his heart. This reveals that Hamlet is not a genuine person, as he expresses, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦now he is a-praying, and now Ill dot. And so he goes to heaven, and so am I revenged. That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that I, his sole, son, do this same villain send to heave. Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge (3.3.77-84). Hamlet is not able to carry out the ghosts wish because he is indecisive. For this reason, Hamlet is disappointed and frustrated with him because he has not taken the granted opportunity to avenge his fathers death by killing Claudius. Soon, Hamlet decides to end his indecisive thoughts on the act of a murderous revenge. Hamlet declares, o, from this time forth my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth (4.4.69-70). His frustration with himself and his lack of action has driven himself to realize that it is his destiny to kill Claudius. No matter what, Hamlet will carry out the ghosts wish. In this soliloquy, it can be seen that Hamlets characteristic improves upon denouement of the play.

nationalism :: essays research papers

Founded in 1965 by Ron Karenga, US emerged in Southern California shortly after Watts exploded into a riot and Malcolm X was assassinated. As nationalist sentiment grew among African American organizations because of the impact of Malcolm X, US established itself as a cultural nationalist group. It called for racial unity and for black people to free themselves from white oppression by embracing a "recovered" African culture. For US, that meant Kawaida, a quasi-religious system of beliefs and rituals advocating black pride, unity, culture and self-defense. Upon becoming a member or "advocate" of US, a person was given a Swahili name, urged to wear African clothing and immersed in the group's complex doctrine, practices and organizational hierarchy. Karenga, a budding scholar of African studies who was fluent in Swahili, constructed Kawaida, says Brown, by adapting rituals and beliefs -- primarily from the Zulus of South Africa -- to the organization's own rituals, beliefs and holidays. Kwanzaa, a holiday created by US in 1966, is now observed by millions of African Americans. Brown's portrait is historically sharp and honest. He includes a discussion of the damaging effects of sexism and of Karenga's cult of personality. Brown's research is also sensitive to misconceptions that have plagued US' past, such as the name standing for "United Slaves." The name, Brown says, simply "stands for Black People: the pronoun 'US' as opposed to 'them,' the white oppressors." Brown's study of US emerges as a keen observation of how a relatively small group became a central force in a mass movement through its ideological influence. "The group's approach to organizing," Brown writes, "which resisted mass recruitment into its ranks . . . saw no need for a large membership. Their goal was to ideologically influence other organizations with its united- front approach, and thus direct the course of the coming 'cultural revolution. ' " Brown illustrates this best in the section "The New Ark Laboratory," in which he cites US' alliance with writer-activist Amiri Baraka and several organizations in Newark, N.J., which not only helped elect the city's first black mayor but also turned Newark into a stronghold for the Kawaida doctrine when US fell into decline in the early '70s. Brown is equally attentive to the stumbling blocks faced by US. For instance, the section "Operational Unity and the US-Panther Conflict" gives a dynamic history of the escalating tensions between US and the Black Panther Party, as well as Karenga's political missteps that jeopardized US' anti- establishment credibility. nationalism :: essays research papers Founded in 1965 by Ron Karenga, US emerged in Southern California shortly after Watts exploded into a riot and Malcolm X was assassinated. As nationalist sentiment grew among African American organizations because of the impact of Malcolm X, US established itself as a cultural nationalist group. It called for racial unity and for black people to free themselves from white oppression by embracing a "recovered" African culture. For US, that meant Kawaida, a quasi-religious system of beliefs and rituals advocating black pride, unity, culture and self-defense. Upon becoming a member or "advocate" of US, a person was given a Swahili name, urged to wear African clothing and immersed in the group's complex doctrine, practices and organizational hierarchy. Karenga, a budding scholar of African studies who was fluent in Swahili, constructed Kawaida, says Brown, by adapting rituals and beliefs -- primarily from the Zulus of South Africa -- to the organization's own rituals, beliefs and holidays. Kwanzaa, a holiday created by US in 1966, is now observed by millions of African Americans. Brown's portrait is historically sharp and honest. He includes a discussion of the damaging effects of sexism and of Karenga's cult of personality. Brown's research is also sensitive to misconceptions that have plagued US' past, such as the name standing for "United Slaves." The name, Brown says, simply "stands for Black People: the pronoun 'US' as opposed to 'them,' the white oppressors." Brown's study of US emerges as a keen observation of how a relatively small group became a central force in a mass movement through its ideological influence. "The group's approach to organizing," Brown writes, "which resisted mass recruitment into its ranks . . . saw no need for a large membership. Their goal was to ideologically influence other organizations with its united- front approach, and thus direct the course of the coming 'cultural revolution. ' " Brown illustrates this best in the section "The New Ark Laboratory," in which he cites US' alliance with writer-activist Amiri Baraka and several organizations in Newark, N.J., which not only helped elect the city's first black mayor but also turned Newark into a stronghold for the Kawaida doctrine when US fell into decline in the early '70s. Brown is equally attentive to the stumbling blocks faced by US. For instance, the section "Operational Unity and the US-Panther Conflict" gives a dynamic history of the escalating tensions between US and the Black Panther Party, as well as Karenga's political missteps that jeopardized US' anti- establishment credibility.

Business to Business vs Business to Consumer Sites

Ethical, legal and regulatory issues of Business to Business (B2B) sites are quite similar to Business to Consumer (B2C) sites. The only difference is that the costumer is either a company or just an average Joe consumer. If he/she/it is a victim of a scam, false ad or leaking of valuable information, then the only result is loss of customer or possible revenue for the business. Rules governing online business differ from place to place so fraud is quite common on the online world. B2C web sites are about publicity, but B2B is often unmentioned because it is always in the background.Here we will look at the issues governing both web sites. It is important to take note that the ethical, legal and regulatory issues overlap or connect with each other. Ethical Since the boom of the Internet, ethics became very important online. Ethical issues in B2B sites deal with information about their companies and transactions they had. Ethics in this situation is very important. Sharing information about one’s company to another is unethical since it could be used by other companies against the company itself.Since the transactions had been done online one of the companies involved in the transaction could post the information about the transactions. The information posted could be virtually impossible to trace back to a company. Codes of ethics was developed to protect both parties. While on B2C sites, the issue is the privacy of the consumer. Not every consumer wants his name being advertised on web pages without his permission. For example, a famous artist bought an item over the net. Consequently, the company had his personal information since most of them require it. And the company posts his name as their customer.Then at that instant the famous artist became their endorser. But the privacy issue applies in both B2B and B2C sites. New technologies have emerged and these have impacts on the lives of consumers and businesses. Security and privacy become significant for the protection of both businesses and consumers. Anyone can post advertisements, unethical and illegal marketing and Ebusiness email scams that it is hard to determine who to trust online. For the most part, the participant’s ethics are set forth by ethical codes developed by international governing bodies which protect both parties.Legal Legal issues concerning B2C sites include copywriting and publishing. Libel can have bad implications if negative or defamatory articles were published about people and companies on other websites. Information must be fully researched before posting. Intellectual property rights should also be observed to prevent from any legal damages. Copyright infringements in both B2B and B2B websites should be avoided since this will affect the credibility of the websites and their relationship with the consumers or businesses. Only factual information should be posted.Before publishing anything, the web site must get permission first from the clie nts. Scams also have bad legal implications for the websites. They can be sued for publishing information that is incorrect or malicious. Both B2B and B2C sites should avoid money making scams. Identity theft, as well as Internet frauds in B2C sites will result to major problems. Moreover, if webmasters do unethical alterations in a clients web site, it will result to long lasting negative consequences for the business and for the client. This may urge clients to take legal action that may be harmful to the life of the B2C sites.Another area where B2B and B2C sites differ is on revealing trade secrets or intellectual property. Violation will only occur if an employee leaked information or sold it to a competitor. But unless a consumer invented or patented a product and was taken advantage of by a business, any statement saying that revealing or selling intellectual property will not apply here. Regulatory Regulations of B2B and B2C sites vary from state to state. Regulatory issues c oncerning B2B sites include activities which look into regulating the site.Since these sites post advertisements or pop-ups about their businesses, regulation must be observed so that only pop-ups of the business or company appear. The traffic of information is also regulated so that clients are not lost when they navigate these web sites. Regulations also play an important role to keep everything on track. B2C sites, on the other hand, also see regulation as important. Oftentimes, other companies post their ads on the sites of their competitors, thus attracting the consumers to visit and maybe try their services. This is stealing of customers, which is also an ethical and legal issue.Through regulation, this kind of situation can be prevented. Other regulatory issues involved include regulations on electronic, e-commerce, credit/cash policies, international trade, tariffs, privacy, digital media offers and security. REFERENCES Franz, Nora. (28 March 2006). Consumers: Beware of Onli ne â€Å"Freebie† Scams, Including Magazine Subscriptions Ethics in Question for Online Businesses Offering Freebies. Warholic, James A. Importance of Ethics on the Internet. Warholic, james A. Internet Marketing B2B vs B2C Comparisons for the Twenty-First Century.

Realism: Citizen Kane & Double Indemnity Essay

Movies have long been known to create a portal through which its viewers can transcend through their own realities and experience the unimaginable. The visual, sounds, and narrative of great movies immediately attract the focus of its audience as they move into a trance for those 1-2 hours of screen time. While many great movies introduce their audiences to varying experiences that heighten their senses and grasp their focus, some measure of relatability is necessary to connect with audiences. Such concepts of implementing elements of realism into the various facets of a film help establish a relevant connection, through which audiences can relate. However during the Hollywood Classical era, introducing such techniques of intensifying realism in movies was often unconventional and not an achievable goal for directors and cinematographers. The techniques required to implement such elements were either not well known or plausible. There were some movies during this era that did defy such tendencies and broke barriers in terms of delivering a movie that differentiated through such concepts like realism. Two famous films that have utilized certain techniques in creating an intensified form of realism in their own ways are Citizen Kane, by Orson Welles, and Double Indemnity, by Billy Wilder. The story of Citizen Kane and its main character Charles Foster Kane is actually loosely based of the real-life media mogul William Randolph Hearst, and Chicago tycoons Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick. Considering that the movie is based loosely off the lives of famous individuals already brings in a strong sense of realism within the film that audiences can understand. Yet just because Charles Foster Kane is somewhat based on these figures does not immediately equate it to an intensified form of realism. In fact, what really separates Citizen Kane from many other films, in aspects of compounding realism, are its use of unconventional cinematographic techniques. In an article from American Cinematographer in February 1941, Gregg Toland, the cinematographer for Citizen Kane, emphasizes that the movie’s â€Å"keynote is realism.† Two important techniques that were used by Toland and Welles in making the movie into more of a reality were the mis-en-scene and visual flow of the picture. The mis-en-scene and sets developed for Citizen Kane were crucial in establishing certain aspects of reality with the audience. One important feature that Toland and Welles made sure of during their shootings was that scenes in rooms actually had ceilings. As silly as it may sound now, conventionally shots taken inside a room on set rarely used to have ceilings. Even if they did have ceilings, viewers could only see them during Extreme long shots. In the case of Citizen Kane however, Toland and Welles realized that in reality, the audience would consciously realize anytime they are in a room that a ceiling exists. Thus it would make sense to bring such practicality into the scenes of the movie. In fact, this technique is employed multiple times through out the movie like when Kane, Leland, and Bernstein are in the office of the Inquirer and Kane comes up with the Declaration of Principles. During this sequence, the ceiling is within the frame of the lens for almost all the shots. Another sequence in which the ceiling is clearly visible is right after Kane loses the election and has a quasi-argument with Leland about his ideologies. In this sequence the camera is placed at such a low angle that almost every shot is a long shot where the audience can clearly see the whole figures of the characters and the ceiling. Such a technique of ensuring not only the construction of a ceiling on set, but also its presence on shots through out the movie intensifies the notion of realism. The audience is not just watching characters on a set in some studio, but they are actually seeing characters in a normal room. Another great thing about the mis-en-scene and set production of Citizen Kane is that it actually helped in delivering smooth visual flows, thus promoting notions of realism. Welles’ concept for the film was to make it as real as possible and executing that concept through the details of shooting the film. Welles and Toland came upon the agreement of avoiding straight cuts as much as possible as it was unnatural. Instead they focused more on developing a depth of field and pan/track shots. For instance, during the beginning of the movie, there is a scene during which Kane’s mother and father agree to sign over their son to Thatcher to be educated. During this sequence the shot starts with Kane playing outside in the snow. The camera then tracks out through the window of the house and all the way back into the dining room where Kane’s mother signs the papers provided by Thatcher. Through out this single shot, the depth of field ranges from young Kane playing outside all the way into the dining room. Conventionally, such a shot would have probably been broken up but Welles and Toland insisted on delivering long shots through the film to preserve its form of realism. Contrasting to Citizen Kane, the crime/thriller film Double Indemnity brings upon different technical aspects that intensify its notion of realism. As a film noir and crime thriller, Double Indemnity focuses on the fatal romance between a smart insurance salesman, Walter Neff, and a greedy housewife, Phyllis Dietrichson. Double Indemnity is glorified as one of the classic film noirs with its peculiar style such as an affinity for the night and rain, romantic narration, and presence of a femme fatale. However in addition to depicting a classic film noir, Double Indemnity utilizes certain effects to heighten its sense of realism and produce a stronger connection with its audience. One unique feature within this film is its predominant use of on-screen narration, depicting what the protagonist Walter thinks. A lot of times during the film, the on-screen narration will appear during moments of high tension or scenes exhibiting the restricted narrative. It also comes on when Walter starts to think to himself why he is committing to the idea and execution of murder and how he does not care if it is wrong because he is infatuated with Phyllis. For instance, in the beginning of the film, after Walter leaves Phyllis’ home, realizing she may want to purchase accident insurance for the â€Å"wrong reasons,† the on-screen narration comes on depicting his thoughts at his apartment. The audience hears Walter’s thoughts and how he feels completely out of it and cannot stop thinking about Phyllis. Such thoughts of infatuation and confusion are feelings the audience can relate to and put into perspective in their own lives, which intensifies the realism effect. Another technique utilized in Double Indemnity is the lighting effect on-screen. Coinciding with the style of a film noir is the use of low-key lighting in significant portions of the film. Many shots through out the movie, such as in Phyllis’ home, Walter’s apartment, and the car ride to the train station when Phyllis’ husband is murdered all use low-key lighting. The usage of the effect itself does not immediately signify a sense of realism but the fact that the lighting technique is used during moments of tension and suspense adheres to the mood and emotions of the movie. This combination is essentially what is picked up by viewers and again builds upon the idea of creating a relatable connection through which viewers can watch the film. Another combination that is prominent in the film is the crafted amalgamation of the non-diegetic soundtrack and the tension built up in certain scenes. A perfect example is during the car ride to the station when Walter murders Phyllis’ husband, the music slowly builds up in speed and volume as the scene gets closer to the time of the murder. During the action of the murder, the music is blaring with eerie music. Another interesting point is that instead of focusing on the murder, the shot is focused on Phyllis’ face and her glaring eyes lit by the low-key lighting. This combination of the various elements of lighting, sound, and camerawork culminate together to create a very real and thrilling scene. In might even seem contradictory to say these â€Å"added† elements intensify the form of realis m evident in the film, but as mentioned earlier, to deliver realism, a connection needs to be established with the audience. The connection created in Double Indemnity is based on tone and the mood set through the elements mentioned above. The notion of incorporating a form of realism within a film is beyond creating a narrative that would seem feasible in the real world. Actors and Actresses can also do their best in mimicking the habits of society in their performances but at the end, a movie will be just a movie in the eyes of the audience. However through the usage of distinct cinematic elements, a relatable connection can be created between the film and the audience. Such a connection allows for the concept of realism to be achieved considering the concept itself falls in the perception of the viewers. From the analysis provided above, both films Citizen Kane and Double Indemnity employ special techniques that aim to intensify the form of realism evident in their narratives. In doing so, each film delivers, in their own unique way, a screenplay that objectifies a truth held in the general values of our society. For Citizen Kane, it could be the power and destruction caused by greed, and for Double Indemnity, the possibility that lust stains even the good. Regardless of the â€Å"truth,† or message sent, the techniques used by both movies allow for viewers to perceive the story in their own fashion.

War Tactics of the Mongols Essays

War Tactics of the Mongols Essays War Tactics of the Mongols Essay War Tactics of the Mongols Essay A brute, a cannibal, a hooligan, a monster, a rascal, and a barbarian all describe a savage person in a primitive state or a person without culture, refinement or education. Barbarians have always been seen as uncivilized, wild, savage, crude, and uneducated. So is it just to describe the Mongols as such? The answer is no. The Mongols were not barbaric. As the documents discussed in this essay demonstrate, they had highly sophisticated military tactics; they lived by a code of conduct, and actually helped improved life for a conquered people. The Mongols grouped their warriors in armies of 10,000. These in turn were organized into 1,000-man brigades, 100-man companies, and 10-man squads. Their strategy was to attack the enemy head-on and far right left to surround them. The Mongols could be outnumbered, but they brought women and children on horses so it would appear they had many more soldiers. They positioned themselves to surround the fortress so that no one can enter of leave. They divided their up their forces and take turns fighting so they did not get too tired. John of Plano Carpini, the person who saw them fight, most likely did not see all of the Mongol’s war strategies or he might have not have described it in the exact way. He could have left out a valuable note to winnings of the entire Mongol’s battle. With their warmongering maneuvers, they killed over 6 million people. These are reported deaths from varied sources. That is like slaughtering everyone in Chicago twice. They conquered 4,860,000 square miles of land, more than the United States. They controlled more land in 40 years than any â€Å"non-barbarians†. More than Alexander the Great and Tamerlane combined. To achieve such feats the Mongols had to be educated to gain an empire larger than the United States. (Documents 1-4) Barbarians have no code of conduct. They could not care less what happened to there conquered people. The Mongols did care have each other behaved. There were two codes of conduct that guided Mongol life. On of these was the yasa, usually referred to as the Mongol law. The second was the bilik, which was a set of rules to live by. Both codes had rules on hospitality, drinking, and adultery. The codes taught them to share, that adultery could be punished my death and that too much drinking is a punishable offense. The Mongol rulers wanted to root out all adultery and theft and kept severe laws against theft. Scenes have been recorded of Mongol soldiers burying Persian prisoners not just leaving their bodies out to decompose. Barbarians would not care about how they treated other people, but the Mongols were taught to show considerable respect to each other. The Mongols believed in one god and tolerated the religion of others. All Mongols did not live by these codes and did what ever they wanted. Document 5, 7, 9, 10) The Mongols conquered control of the continental caravan routes from China to Persia. The Mongol Empire made significant contributions to economic development. They promoted diversified economic development by taking up residence among their new subjects. In both China and Persia, agriculture and craft production flourished because the leaders were patrons o f art. The Mongol emperors built canals to improve transportation and communication. When one of the Great Khan’s messengers set out, they used the system of post-horses. Every 25 miles a messenger arrived at post to rest and trade horses. It is sort of, like when a trucker stops in a small town to refuel and rest before hitting the road again. Marco Polo most likely never used the Yams to travel and did not how difficult to was to ride an unfamiliar horse, to keep the message uncompromised, and to stay safe from attackers through the route. If the Mongols were barbaric, they would care about helping China and Persia flourish their economy and would not be such fans of art. Of course, the documents did tell of how the Mongols weakened the economy of conquered people. Documents 6 8) None of the documents discusses the opinions of the Mongols from a citizen of a conquered nation. That would tell whether they thought their new leaders were just or cruel. Also, while the documents provide examples of the Mongol’s military tactics they do not mention the life of an average Mongol compared to any other soldier who is apart of an army that is conside r known barbaric to compare behaviors and daily;iug;iug;i routines. Memoirs or a diary demonstrating a Mongol leader’s opinion on whether or not his people are barbarians would have been useful to get his idea of his empire that they rule.

Environmental Factors and Human Activity

Environmental Factors and Human Activity Introduction A growing population will generally put pressure on the available resources. These resources include land, social infrastructure and even employment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Environmental Factors and Human Activity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result the expansion of these resources and addition of new ones will be called for and this will in return have a negative impact on the environment as the natural ecosystem will be tampered with as people try to get land and building materials for these expansions. The environmental impact is even worse when the population involved cannot afford the basic services that help minimize the effect of such human activities. This is the scenario when the rate of rural to urban migration is so high that the resources available in urban centers cannot cater for the fast-growing urban population. In this essay, the causes and impact on the environment and the human population will be discussed. The question of who is vulnerable and why will also be answered. Over the years, urban centers have played a major role in provision of employment, shelter and better social facilities such as heath care facilities, schools and cultural centers. Opportunities for income generation as well as centers for technological development are better founded in urban centers. These together with other factors such as; the high rate of population growth, conflict, exhaustion of natural resources and land degradation particularly in the third world have led to an extremely high rate of rural to urban migration (UNEP 2000). This migration exerts pressure on the available resources such as housing facilities, hospitals, schools and other social facilities, leading to increased unemployment, environmental degradation and lack of basic services (UNCHS 2001b).This calls for expansion to cater for the growing population which is a major challenge due to the hig h urban population growth rate.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A larger portion of the urban population lives in dire poverty. This group of people lacks the ability to compete for the limited resources and due to the state of living they cannot even protect themselves from natural or human climatic hazards. The housing market fails to incorporate the poor in their housing plan (UNCHS 2001a); the provisions are mainly for the top and middle class earners hence making the situation even worse. The mismatch between income and cost of housing for the low-income earners has forced poverty to be localized in some locations where it is affordable. Quite often these settlements are informal, situated in the outskirts of major towns and cities or in marginalized land within cities. In most cases these areas are at a higher risk of natural disasters such as floods, lands lides and earthquakes. This means that the poor are more vulnerable to such calamities. In the event that a natural disaster strikes, there is no way to escape because they lack the means. Hazards such as floods can be reduced by proper drainage systems which are not available in these settlements. These settlements lack basic services like sanitation and clean water supply and the effect is higher risk of infection and disease outbreaks. Dense population pattern also increases these risks. The fact that they are poor makes the slum dwellers victims of other people’s mistakes. Garbage collectors use the environs of slums for dumping, industrial effluent, sometimes end up in rivers and the same water is used here for domestic chores. As the economic and demographic growth goes upslope, negative environmental impact is recorded; trees are cut down to give room for more buildings and provide fuel, rivers are destroyed by dumping and building along the banks, quarrying on the lar ge scale as more and more building materials are on demand each day, dumpsites emit poisonous gases into the atmosphere and greenhouse gas emission by cars and industries. The outcome of these and many more is human health complications, global warming and destruction of the natural ecosystem. Air pollution causes respiratory illnesses, while water pollution leads to water borne disease outbreaks such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhea, intestinal worms and as a result, high mortality rates especially in children (Satterthwaite 1997).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Environmental Factors and Human Activity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These effects are particularly felt by the urban poor (Hardoy, Mitlin and Satterthwaite 1992) whose direct exposure to harsh conditions such as lack of access to clean water, poor waste disposal and dense population (Listorti 1999). Lack of compensatory resources such as money to buy water from clean water vendors increases the vulnerability among the poor. The poor bear the lion’s share of the negative impact of urbanization; however, the scenario can be changed by employment of a few strategies; first to reduce the negative environmental impact and second to alleviate poverty among the urban population. As a first step, Good urban planning techniques should be employed. These include planning of settlement areas to hold large populations yet offering the basic services effectively. This will greatly reduce the conversion of wetlands, agricultural and forest lands to settlement areas (Hardoy, Mitlin and Satterthwaite 2001). Reuse of certain materials will be made possible and less costly, social infrastructure and other services can be provided more efficiently, thus cutting down the cost of distribution making them more affordable. Water resources should be conserved by introduction of strict legislation laws and proper waste management. Secondly the p oor should be supported in an effort to improve their living status and alleviate poverty. By encouraging micro financing and micro enterprise funding, credit services are made available to the poor who are otherwise excluded from credit financing programs. This helps them to establish businesses that will earn them livelihoods and reduced the number of the unemployed. By subsidizing social services such as healthcare for the poor, the respective government ensure that a larger number of people get access to these services. The informal sector should also be encouraged as this creates employment while raising the living standards of the people involved. Also by upgrading the informal settlements the government can provide quality and affordable housing to the slum dwellers thus improving their social placement and their welfare.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By developing infrastructure in the urban periphery, the cost of planned subdivision is reduced; minimum standards should be set to affordable requirements that can be afforded by the majority. A mortgage and housing market that recognizes the poor should be developed. Good governance practices where the parties are actively involved are a key factor (Tuts and Cody 2000). Financing and expertise provision without proper planning and democratic participation by the key players is useless. Conclusion As the urban population continues to grow at a very high rate, sustainable development of these centers is critical. With proper planning, this can be achieved and it will greatly minimize the environmental impact and the disastrous outcomes associated with it. Also if proper strategic measures are put in place, poverty will be reduced. This will lead to positive economic growth, environmental conservation and low mortality rates. Urbanization is here to stay and so the question should be how to manage it not how to eliminate it. References Hardoy, E., Mitlin, D. and Satterthwaite, D. (1992). Environmental Problems in Third World.  London, Earthscan. Hardoy, E., Mitlin, D. and Satterthwaite, D. (2001). Environmental Problems in an Urbanizing  World. London, Earthscan. Listorti, J. A. (1999). Is environmental health really a part of economic development – or only an  afterthought? Environment and Urbanization, 11(1) 9-12 Satterthwaite, D. (1997). Sustainable cities or cities that contribute to sustainable development?  Urban Studies, 34(10) 1667-1691. Tuts, R. and Cody, E. (2000). Habitat’s experience in Local Agenda 21 worldwide over the last years: approaches and lessons learned. UNEP Industry and Environment, 23(2) 12-15. UNCHS (2001a). Cities in a Globalizing World: Global Report on Human Settlements 2001. London: Earthscan. UNCHS (2001b). State of the World’s Cities 2001. Nairobi: United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) . UNEP (2000). The urban environment: facts and figures. UNEP Industry and Environment,  23(2): 4-11.

Why you can not use your phone while standing watch in the military Essay

Why you can not use your phone while standing watch in the military (navy) - Essay Example Mobile phones are huge distractors in the current society and there are many accidents that have been triggered by careless use of the mobile phones. Regardless of the type of watch, watch stander must devote full attention to it because the watcher helps in keeping the ship running smoothly. Moreover, maintaining a watch is essential in ensuring quality communication, security, and safety, elements that do not require any form of attention. Military requires high quality discipline is paramount because failure to abide by laws put in place may cause serious danger to the health of others or even risk in facilities. Watches such as security watches are supposed to prevent sabotage, protect property from damage and prevent access to restricted areas or even protect personnel, all these cannot be carried out successfully in case of any distraction by mobile phones. Mobile phones may lead to divided attention or even make an individual forget the duties to be carried out. Duties assigned to security watches do not require any form of distraction that mobile phones are associated with. Using mobile phone makes it difficult to maintai n continuous patrols above and below decks and reduces alertness for evidence of sabotage, thievery, and fire hazards. Additionally, use of mobile phone interferes with attention required in checking security of weapons, obtaining periodic sounding of designated tanks and inspecting damage control closures. Security watch is crucial in barracks in protecting it against fire, for safety of personnel and property as well as carrying out routines, all these requires security watch to be responsible for understanding and carrying out provisions of the fire bill and emergency bill. A security watch stander has essential responsibility of maintaining prescribed standards of order and discipline and therefore use of mobile phone

Leadership and the Symbolic Framework Assignment

Leadership and the Symbolic Framework - Assignment Example On the other side, when an ineffective leadership is considered, a symbolic leader is compared to a fanatic or a fool who leads through the use of smoke and mirror. This means, the symbolic leader, in this case, will be using false symbols that are ineffective in driving to effective leadership to the people. In an ineffective leadership situation, the leader is one that uses symbols in his leadership option but that only acts as a mirror since the leader does not emulate the symbols they suggest. In such a way, a symbolic leader becomes a leader who does not lead by example to make it ineffective. Symbolic leaders give organizations the view of being a theater or stage to play a given set of role so as to give impressions. Symbols are used by the leaders to catch attentions of the followers. Experiences are framed by the leaders organization by providing logical interpretations of the said experiences. As such, there is a vision that is discovered and is communicated by the leaders. As can be perceived very easily, transformational leadership style is one leadership style that imparts change into the organization. This kind of leadership style uses its characters and the traits of the leader to enforce change on the followers as well as on the organization. As can be seen from the above description of the symbolic framework, transformational leadership style closely parallels the framework. This can be seen from the way the symbolic framework is perceived to be inspirational.

Trademark Dilution Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Trademark Dilution - Coursework Example A sobering statistic in as far as avdvertising and dilution are concerned is that ‘according to one estimate around 60 percent of all advertisements are at least indirectly comparative in the sense that it relates to another firm’s product’. This is a baffling statistic. It is easy to resign and say that dilution seems like a necessary part of successful advertising. But several countries are trying to sift through this mess so as to re-define the meaning of dilution even in this challenging context. The E.U seems to have led the way with a demarcation of advertising into misleading advertisisng and comparative advertisisng (Hackner, J. & Muren, A., 2004). There is the economic angle that is challenging to deal with. Without such laws, there will be rampant dilution which shall eventually in the companies that spend the most on product research stopping to do so but insead seeking to improve on their rivals products and therefore abandoning research altogether. One of the commonly agreed issues in this light is that dilution has little welfare goals in mind. Even more surprising however is that dilution offers little benefit to both the company using it and even the company on which it is targeted. This is under Bertrand competition. It even states that the profits and prices for both firms decrease. This might be the case but it might be designed to tame runaway leaders. By bringing their prices lower to the prices of similar products across the board, those using dilution might therefore be seeking to ‘level the playing field’. There has also been a laser like focus on dilution especially the fact that it seeks to bring lower quality goods to the level of higher quality goods. It is worth noting that the converse is also true. Dilution is also designed to lower the quality of the high quality goods. By close association with these ‘pretenders to the throne’, high quality goods can similarly be poorly

Emergency Management 670 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency Management 670 - Essay Example However, it is good to know that mitigation and response are two very important aspects of each disaster management plan, due to the fact that they complement and supplement each other (Avery et al., 2008). In this regard, the most important thing to do even while choosing to trade off is by making sure that if one is favored for a specific risk, the other will still be financed even if in only a small portion of the budget for that particular risk. The best way for local government to deal with the situation is by treating each risk individually, and having a budget for each risk. This will allow each risk to be considered in terms of its characteristics and then based on these characteristics; the disaster management team can decide whether it is important for mitigation or response planning. Some risks such as those that are predictable and preventable will be better managed using mitigation planning while those that are less predictable and less preventable will be better managed using response mechanisms. Whether to trade off between response and mitigation should however be considered for each type of risk individually, rather than for the overall risks that face a community (Mueller & Stewart, 2011). This is because each risk is unique and would require a unique risk management method. For the risks that are preventable and predictable, the authorities can choose to use mitigation to manage the risks. On the other hand, for those risks that are not predictable, the best way is to prepare for a comprehensive response. In a nutshell, if each risk of a disaster is considered individually, then it is possible to trade off between mitigation and response for the risk of that disaster. The efficiency of a disaster management plan is dependent on both mitigation planning as well as response planning (Hess & Gotham, 2007). It is therefore not entirely correct to argue that a response plan or a mitigation plan can be ideal for the management of a

Hewlett-Packard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hewlett-Packard - Essay Example At the present moment, the company enjoys a strong brand, but the loyalty of the customers is decreasing since they are switching to other products for various reasons. In spite of the fact that one it used to be the leader of innovation, nowadays, HP is not known to have produced anything groundbreaking. The major problems that the company in question is facing today include bad acquisitions, lack of innovation and outsourcing (Mourdoukoutas, 2014). For example, it acquired the company called Autonomy for a considerable amount of money, but the purchase appeared to be not useful at all, resulting in heavy financial losses. The similar can be witnessed when one analyzes sales as well. As for the issues that the company is facing, one should note lack of certainty in the future. In the middle of the previous century the organization could boast a widely developed culture, but now it is torn apart. Therefore, with the lack of proper leadership and innovations, it is highly unlikely tha t there will be bright future for it. There are many threats that HP recognizes. First of all, it is increased competition from another brand. For example, Lenovo is known to have taken over many areas that HP used to dominate, including server production. In addition to that, the major players in the market like Google and Apple are known for their innovation which is surely not a characteristic feature of the contemporary HP. That is why is nothing changed the company will be pushed off the market.

The New Scientific Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The New Scientific Management - Essay Example Leadership within this day and age can only be remarked as one of the stronger aspects of management because it brings quite a few strengths to the fore (Wheatley, 2006). The essence of any leadership is decided by the ones who work under this leader’s aegis or alongside him on different levels. There are a number of tools that can be used in order to think differently. These include the likes of properly understanding where anomalies within leadership lie and how these can be resolved amicably. Measuring analytics is indeed one of the most sought-after tools that is studied under the aegis of leadership. If these realms are seen from a perspective of deriving the strengths more than anything else, then there is little reason why leadership should fail in the very end. Leadership does have its merits and demerits which need to be understood in order to reach upon a conclusion which is elaborately drawn from all angles. This is the need of the hour, more so within the health fi eld where patients are constantly looking up to the doctors and paramedics for their help and assistance. Since analytics are measured from a number of angles and considerations, there is little reason why there should be any hiccups encountered within the said equations. Also leadership can also be gauged through the ethical boundaries which have been manifested within the health field (Morrison, 2011). If one finds more ethical issues surfacing, then this means that the leadership tangent lacks its cohesiveness and perhaps there needs to be a number of aspects which should be taken care of to bring sanity. It must be remembered that strategic thinking comes from looking at the mission and vision objectives which are indeed of significance within any health field organization or setting. If these considerations are looked upon at with a sense of understanding and empathy, there is no reason why strategic thinking would fail to develop over a period of time. Strategic thinking invol ves an ideology which is comprehensive from all angles and brings into consideration some of the more important points as agenda areas which will be given the necessary highlight. It is mandatory on the part of the leadership to understand that strategic thinking requires tact and planning as well because if these two aspects seem missing, then there is no point in tackling the nuances involved with strategic thinking basis. Strategic thinking after all is a positive that should always be seen with a clear mind and complete focus. I will approach leadership in such a way that there would be more inspiration for the people involved in the process for which leadership has been enacted in the first place. This will make sure that the negativities that shall exist within the relevant domains are taken care of in a very easy manner. There is a sense of empathy that needs to be looked upon at, more so when the discussion centers on the premise of bringing a positive change within the medi cal basis and how leadership contributes to the said perspectives is another significant point that should always be seen and understood. I will take care of the ethical issues which remain very pivotal because I believe that leadership always instills in a sense of morality within the leader who transfers the same to his subordinates in a downward fashion (Owen, 1990).  

Emergency Management 670 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency Management 670 - Essay Example However, it is good to know that mitigation and response are two very important aspects of each disaster management plan, due to the fact that they complement and supplement each other (Avery et al., 2008). In this regard, the most important thing to do even while choosing to trade off is by making sure that if one is favored for a specific risk, the other will still be financed even if in only a small portion of the budget for that particular risk. The best way for local government to deal with the situation is by treating each risk individually, and having a budget for each risk. This will allow each risk to be considered in terms of its characteristics and then based on these characteristics; the disaster management team can decide whether it is important for mitigation or response planning. Some risks such as those that are predictable and preventable will be better managed using mitigation planning while those that are less predictable and less preventable will be better managed using response mechanisms. Whether to trade off between response and mitigation should however be considered for each type of risk individually, rather than for the overall risks that face a community (Mueller & Stewart, 2011). This is because each risk is unique and would require a unique risk management method. For the risks that are preventable and predictable, the authorities can choose to use mitigation to manage the risks. On the other hand, for those risks that are not predictable, the best way is to prepare for a comprehensive response. In a nutshell, if each risk of a disaster is considered individually, then it is possible to trade off between mitigation and response for the risk of that disaster. The efficiency of a disaster management plan is dependent on both mitigation planning as well as response planning (Hess & Gotham, 2007). It is therefore not entirely correct to argue that a response plan or a mitigation plan can be ideal for the management of a

The New Scientific Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The New Scientific Management - Essay Example Leadership within this day and age can only be remarked as one of the stronger aspects of management because it brings quite a few strengths to the fore (Wheatley, 2006). The essence of any leadership is decided by the ones who work under this leader’s aegis or alongside him on different levels. There are a number of tools that can be used in order to think differently. These include the likes of properly understanding where anomalies within leadership lie and how these can be resolved amicably. Measuring analytics is indeed one of the most sought-after tools that is studied under the aegis of leadership. If these realms are seen from a perspective of deriving the strengths more than anything else, then there is little reason why leadership should fail in the very end. Leadership does have its merits and demerits which need to be understood in order to reach upon a conclusion which is elaborately drawn from all angles. This is the need of the hour, more so within the health fi eld where patients are constantly looking up to the doctors and paramedics for their help and assistance. Since analytics are measured from a number of angles and considerations, there is little reason why there should be any hiccups encountered within the said equations. Also leadership can also be gauged through the ethical boundaries which have been manifested within the health field (Morrison, 2011). If one finds more ethical issues surfacing, then this means that the leadership tangent lacks its cohesiveness and perhaps there needs to be a number of aspects which should be taken care of to bring sanity. It must be remembered that strategic thinking comes from looking at the mission and vision objectives which are indeed of significance within any health field organization or setting. If these considerations are looked upon at with a sense of understanding and empathy, there is no reason why strategic thinking would fail to develop over a period of time. Strategic thinking invol ves an ideology which is comprehensive from all angles and brings into consideration some of the more important points as agenda areas which will be given the necessary highlight. It is mandatory on the part of the leadership to understand that strategic thinking requires tact and planning as well because if these two aspects seem missing, then there is no point in tackling the nuances involved with strategic thinking basis. Strategic thinking after all is a positive that should always be seen with a clear mind and complete focus. I will approach leadership in such a way that there would be more inspiration for the people involved in the process for which leadership has been enacted in the first place. This will make sure that the negativities that shall exist within the relevant domains are taken care of in a very easy manner. There is a sense of empathy that needs to be looked upon at, more so when the discussion centers on the premise of bringing a positive change within the medi cal basis and how leadership contributes to the said perspectives is another significant point that should always be seen and understood. I will take care of the ethical issues which remain very pivotal because I believe that leadership always instills in a sense of morality within the leader who transfers the same to his subordinates in a downward fashion (Owen, 1990).  

Bargaining Power of Buyers Essay Example for Free

Bargaining Power of Buyers Essay According to Michael Porter, one of the 5 forces that can cause competition and influence a corporation is buyers/consumers. Without customers a business is nothing. Buyers cause corporations to compete against one another by causing them to lower prices and produce higher qualities of goods/services to consumers. The following are when a buying group has the greatest influence. When a buying group purchases large volumes When one buyer purchases most of a supplier’s sales, the importance of that buyer to the supplier is significant. If they stop buying, the supplier takes a dramatic financial hit. When items purchased are standard If all items in a market are similar or standardized, it allows a buyer to feel confident in doing business with other suppliers. Suppliers need to lower prices to keep consumers coming to them. When the buyer faces few switching Costs If a buyer faces little to no costs to switch to another supplier, there is no reason to stop them from switching if a supplier is offering a product for cheaper. Buyers can roam the market looking for the best deal. Suppliers on the other hand may have large switching costs making it hard to change markets. When buyers can backward integrate A buyer may not need to buy from a supplier if they can acquire items from inside the business. An example could be a bakery that requires wheat to make bread. They would backwards integrate by buying a farm with a wheat processor and no longer having the need to buy wheat from a supplier. When buyers product quality doesn’t matter Buyers will be price sensitive if the products they are producing do not require great quality. The buyer will go to whoever is the cheapest.

BT Global Services Strategic Analysis

BT Global Services Strategic Analysis In the past BT Global services strategy has experienced hard times, resulting in the company incurring high levels of debt through the heavy use of joint ventures. In recent times, BT Global Services have adapted from this past by offering more homogeneous products, leading to a needs-based strategy focusing on multinational corporations instead of products intended for domestic use, as they offer in the UK. Their strategy is based on their strategic position in the telecoms industry: Hard for new competitors to enter, however they have a competitive parity with their main competitors ATT, Verizon Business and Orange Business Services. Their large client base and brand image has played a key role in their strategy for targeting multinational corporations and world governments. However, they show a weakness that they have a relatively high senior management turnover which may have had a negative effect on their strategy formation process. Due to the size of BT Group, it is difficult to judge the success of BTGS strategy in relation to the whole of the corporations operations. However, as a business unit, their financial results are inconsistent potentially showing that improvements are needed to be made. Recommendations made relate to maintaining key senior management staff; truly differentiating themselves by innovating to create a temporary competitive advantage; and to focus on European based multinational corporations to take advantage of BTs brand power that it has developed in that region. 1. Introduction to the report This report contains a strategic analysis of the international company BT Group (BT) focusing upon its business unit BT Global Services (BTGS) through the lens of strategic formation. The report starts with an analysis of BT Groups overall strategy, then their subsidiary BT Global Services global strategy, then the report progresses onto conducting an external and internal analysis before concluding with recommendations. 2. Introduction to the Company British Telecommunications (BT Group) is one of the largest publicly traded companies in the FTSE 100 at the present time, with a market capitalisation of  £ 13,818 million (London Stock Exchange, 2011). The company operates in the telecommunications industry supplying various products ranging from Broadband to Ethernet to Voice. From humble origins as a subsidiary of The Post Office and its initial public offering in 1982, BT has grown into a large multi national company whilst maintaining itself as the market leader in the UK. Since its flotation, BT has been prevalent on the international scene, entering joint ventures with many overseas corporations, most notably ATT. (BT Plc, 2011) 3. BT Group Overall BT Groups strategy has been focused on standardisation of their products and services; since 2009 they have decreased their range of products from 3,500 to 1,400 (BT, 2011). In the future BT are planning to combining their global networks into one standard network, by doing this they aim for a cost transformation (BT Plc, 2010). Since Global Services expansion abroad, BT Group has had to change its strategy to protecting its dominant market share in the UK after deregulations in the UK and the subsequent emergence of foreign competitors has posed a threat (Turner and Gardiner, 2007). BT Groups strategy for their domestic marker involves diversification into new markets such as Broadband, Online gaming, Voice, TV and IT services (BT Plc, 2010). 4. BT Global Services BT Global Services have experienced some large changes over the past decade, they have just recovered from incurring large losses standing out from BT groups improving subsidiaries financial achievements: their pre-tax profits fell 45% in three months (BBC, 2009). These large losses were contributed to BTGS bad global strategy during the period of 1994 to 2004. During this period BT set out to become the largest supplier of telecommunications, therefore its strategy was to expand globally. The companys target market was multinational corporations who have operations in a variety of regions. However, due to BTs industry, heavy investment in physical infrastructure would be needed. To overcome these market entry barriers, BTs strategy had to involve forming strategic alliances with foreign companies: BT committed itself to numerous joint ventures. By creating a truly global network, they hoped to posses a unique and rare product to gain the advantage over their competitors who could not offer such a large network (BBC, 1999; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). Nevertheless, this did not succeed. Reasons for this could be attributed to their strategic alliance partnerships. BT failed to maintain stable relationships, such as for example, in their joint venture Concert originally with MCI but due to flaws in a takeover bid, this failed. BT then set up a new joint venture called New Concert with another US telecoms giant ATT. Yet this failed again. These flaws in BTs joint ventures, couple with the huge amount of debt that BT built up acquiring them, lead to BTs large losses (BBC, 2001; BBC, 2001; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). In response to these failures, BT radically changed its strategy. This strategic renewal saw BT initiate a radical withdrawal from the majority of its international markets, to consolidate their UK and EU market to protect their main source of revenue, the UK market (Forbes, 2010; Turner and Gardiner, 2007). At present they are forecasting a result of  £100m in operating cash flow this year, which is evidence that their current strategy is effective and that they have learned from their mistakes in the past. Their change of strategy can be seen by their offering of an increasingly homogeneous service around the globe (BT, 2011). Levitt (1983) highlights the importance of multinational corporations operating in a consistent manor, in BTs case, by offering the same service globally, by doing this BT can operate at a relatively low cost. BTGS are differentiating themselves by utilising a needs-based strategy. By focusing on meeting the needs of large multinational corporations that are constituents of strong global sector industries, they can differ from their competition by using their breath of scope, thanks to their large multi-protocol switching network (Porter, 1997; BT, 2011). One could say, that BTGS strategy formed itself out of an adaptive mode, in which their strategy was decided by many managers with conflicting views compromising over issues to produce their final decision; Turner and Gardiners (2007) case study outlined poor management behaviour as a cause for their initial strategys shortcomings (Mintzberg, 1978). BTs intended strategy was to replicate its business in the UK globally, however through the pattern in a stream of decisions, the realised strategy became focused on consolidating their home market and the European market, whilst taking on lighter activities worldwide. Their strategy has been formed through the environment of the dynamic telecommunications market, influenced by many changes in leadership (BBC, 2001; Mintzberg, 1978). 5. External Analysis De Wit and Mayer (2004) state that external and internal assessments are necessary for the diagnosing aspect to a realised strategy. Using Porters (2008) five forces, focusing on potential entrants of new competition and direct competitors, one can see how the competitive environment has affected BTGS strategy formation. Threat of new entrants The need for infrastructure to enter the market makes it very difficult for small firms to enter because of the huge amount of investment required. This point can be emphasised because one can see the problems BT experienced when they attempted to set up their own global system with joint ventures. Therefore all of BTs competition is from other large multinational telecommunication companies. New competitors may also find a difficulty to establish a market share due to brand issues; multinational corporations have high prerequisites and need established companies that have a track record of consistent and reliable services (Gardiner and Turner, 2004). However the global telecommunications industry has an estimated worth of 3.7 trillion dollars which may attract large multinational companies that have the resources to diversify their operations, such as Virgin group has done in the past in different markets (Plunkett Research Ltd, 2010). Direct competitors The global telecommunications market is made up of large competitors which have access to a large pool of funds for extensive advertising campaigns. These multinational corporations such as Orange Business Services, ATT and Verizon Business are strong competitors with strong brand images in their own right; however Ovum (2009) reports that the BT brand is dominant when compared. Since ATT was granted an operating licence in 1994, they have been in competition for BTGS MNCs but also BT groups domestic client base (Fagan, 1994). BTGS competitor ATT, have a similar strategy of differentiated their products to multinational corporations. Before Concert ATT strategy had involved leasing out its use of networks from BT, however they began to offer the same standardised service as they offered when cooperating with BT in Concert joint venture, supplying businesses with their own global IP network (ATT, 2011). This is very similar to BTs strategy of targeting MNCs, and so poses a great threat; their joint venture in the past had a negative affect on BTGS performance (BT Plc, 2002). Since the end of the joint venture, ATT have been heavily investing in improving their global infrastructure, and in product innovation (Pappalardo and Mears, 2002). Cooperation with this competitor in the past has proved troublesome, however BT and ATT have joined an additional strategic alliance by interlinking their video-conferencing product network (Taylor, 2010). By using this strategic alliances, BT have been able to stem competition from ATT and maintain their MNC client base. 6. Internal Analysis Following on from the external analysis using a SWOT analysis, focused on BTGS strengths and weaknesses, one can further inspect the diagnosing aspect of strategy formation. Strengths BTGS has an increasing brand power, which BTs management have been focusing on customer service (Servicedesk, 2009). The image that BT has built upon over the decades have given BT Global Services a good foundation in which to build and maintain its own. BTGS has a large client base comprising of MNCs such as Siemens and BNP Paribas, these providing BT with large volume sales. BT Global Services have also managed to secure key exclusive contracts, such as supplying Unilever with a four year contract. By securing these contracts, BT have pushed out the competition and have created an opportunity for them to extend these contracts in the future (Harris, 2010;International, 2010;BT Plc, 2009). Weaknesses A large weakness that BTGS possess is relatively high executive management turnover, since 2001 BTGS has seen many changes in management which may have diluted the companys strategic vision (BBC, 2001; BT Plc, 2010; Servicedesk, 2009; Glick, 2008). Finally, the need for an extensive global network is a necessity for BTGS, without it they have no value on their products from their clients perspective. These network infrastructures carry high maintenance costs and must be constantly innovated to compete effectively. 7. Evaluation of Strategy Overall BT Global Services strategy seems to be overdependent on joint ventures which have led BT into large debt problems. Evidence for this can be seen in their financial reports as they coincide with the break up of their joint venture New Concert; BTGS suffered a loss of  £1,459m in 2003 surprisingly after they recorded their largest profit of  £8,911m in 2001 (FAME, 2011). Whilst their turnover has been steadily increasing from 2006, BTGS management have been unable to make consistent gains on their return on total assets (FAME, 2011). This could be because of the senior management not efficiently utilising their assets. Their trade-off of excluding offering domestic telecommunication products globally has, in my opinion, been a good strategic move because, for example the US market for Ethernet services is saturated with fierce competition (Vertical, 2007). Their strategy of focusing on multinational corporations fits well with their other operations The deregulation of telecommunications has had a large impact on their global strategy as governments in developing countries lift competition rules to end state owned monopolies (Poh, 1994). This deregulation has allowed BT to branch out internationally and to set up global networks to offer their prospective clients. Since the banking crisis, BT Groups share price has been steadily rising, however this may not be due to Global Services but other operations of the group such as BT Retail or BT Innovate, therefore it is difficult to judge BTGS strategys success on the groups overall share performance (London Stock Exchange, 2011). 8. Conclusion In conclusion, BT Global services strategy can be viewed as insufficient. Their strategy has proved successful in the fact that they are acquiring exclusive contracts; steadily increasing their total revenue over the past five years and maintaining themselves as one of the largest international telecommunications company. One the other hand, they have been incurring large losses and sub optimal return on assets shedding a pessimistic view on the strategys success. Their external and internal environment can be seen as contradictory; the limited threat to new entrants and their large client base show a favourable business environment, however their current competitors and the need to maintain such a large infrastructure pose a great threat. 9. Recommendations Taking into consideration BT Global Services past strategic history and their internal and external environment, recommendations to improve their global strategy would include: Creating and sustaining a clear strategic vision by maintaining key senior management staff, by doing this BTGS will be able to maintain their objectives in accordance to their joint ventures, a problem they had with Concert. Truly differentiating themselves from ATT and Verizon Business, these two companies offer very similar IT and telecoms solutions to multinational corporations: Innovating will help create a temporary competitive advantage. Focusing on the European telecommunications market to continue securing key exclusive contracts with multinational corporations head-quartered there to take advantage of the strength that the BT brand has in that region. 10. References Andersen, T. J. (2004) Integrating the Strategy Formation Process: An International Perspective. 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[Online] 9th July [ Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/att-readies-for-battle-with-bt-granting-of-licence-to-us-giant-sets-scene-for-new-wave-of-competition-in-british-telephone-services-1412595.html FAME (2011) Company report: BT Global Services Limited [Online] [Accessed on 03/03/2011] Available from: FAME Forbes, C. (2010), Strategic Change, Lecture/Class, Manchester Metropolitan University, unpublished. Gardiner, P. D., Turner, C. (2007) De-internationalisation and global strategy: the case of British Telecomunications (BT). Journal of Business Industrial Marketing, Vol. 22 Iss:7, pp 489-497. Glick, B. (2008) BT Global Services chief quits after profit warning [Online] Computing.co.uk [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/1859249/bt-global-services-chief-quits-profit-warning Harris, N. (2010) BT will continue providing the phone and internet services for the Department for Work and Pension. [Online] ITPro [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.itpro.co.uk/620347/dwp-extends-bt-service-contract-worth-237-million Horsburgh, S. (2011) Strategy Formation. Lecture/Class, Manchester Metropolitan University, Unpublished. International Business Times (2010) Unilever signs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬173 million IT services contract with BT Global. [Online] [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/35898/20100715/unilever-signs-it-services-contract-bt-global.htm Levitt, T. (1983) The globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review. May-June London Stock Exchange (2011) BT Group PLC ORD 5p [Online] [Assesed on 26/02/2011] http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-markets/stocks/summary/company-summary.html?fourWayKey=GB0030913577GBGBXSET1 McIntosh (2000) BT wrestles with internal divisions over strategy The independent [Online] 19th September [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/bt-wrestles-with-internal-divisions-over-strategy-700126.html Ovum (2009) BT Global Services Scores First [Online] [Accessed on 03/03/2011] www.globalservices.bt.com/static/assets/pdf/Insights%20and%20Ideas/Ovum%20Research%20-%20BT%20Global%20Services%20Scores%20First.pdf Pappalardo, D. and Mears, J. (2002) ATT spells out international strategy. Network World [Online] [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.networkworld.com/news/2002/129527_01-28-2002.html Plunkett Research Ltd (2010) Telecommunications Industry Overview. [Online] [Accessed 28/02/2011] http://www.plunkettresearch.com/telecommunications%20market%20research/industry%20statistics Poh, L.C. (1994) The Liberalisation and Privitaisation of Telecommunications in Singapore. [Online] [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20050727180231.aspx?getPagetype=21 Porter, M.E. (1979) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard business Review, July/August 1997 Porter, M. (1996) What is Strategy?. Harved Business Review, November-December Pritchard, J., Armistead, C. (1999) Business process management lessons from European business, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 5 Iss: 1, pp.10 35 Servicedesk360 (2009) BT Global Services welcomes new chief. [Online] [Accessed on 01/03/2011] http://www.servicedesk360.com/archives/?p=937 Vertical Systems Group (2007) Ethernet Services Market Update. [Online] [Accessed on 02/03/2011] http://www.twtelecom.com/Documents/Announcements/News/2007/VSG_TWTC_Mid_year07Ethernet.pdf