Horace Mann: Foundations of Education Essay

Abstract Horace Mann, the father of free public schools. He saw how education was and wanted to improve and expand the opportunities for every student and teacher. Mann’s vision for improving education was to give Americans a better quality of life for years to come. Horace Mann Horace Mann is known as the father of the common schools. His concept for the common school stressed several principles, the biggest of them was the desire to create a foundation proficient for teaching and preparing students to build a more positive and thriving society. To achieve this desire, Mann advocated his ideas for what show education should be. First Horace Mann believed that training men and women who would be dedicated only to the profession of teaching America’s youth. Secondly, he wanted religion taught. Many of Horace Mann’s ideas concerning education were embraced by America, and to this day our school system shows that the philosophy of Horace Mann is still revered and being used. Horace Mann’s education was limited, he had no more than ten weeks of schooling a year. Mann talks about his early teachers saying, â€Å"My teachers were very good people, but they were very poor teachers†¦with all our senses and our faculties glowing and recepti ve how little were we taught† In 1837, Mann became Secretary of Massachusetts Board of Education. In his second and twelfth annual report he states â€Å"Facts incontrovertibly show, that for a series of years previous to 1837, the school system of Massachusetts had been running down. Schoolhouses had been growing old, while new ones were rarely erected. School districts were divided, so that each part was obligated to support its schools on the moiety of a fund, the whole of which was a scanty allowance† (Downs, 1974, Chapter 4) In the Common School Journal, Mann writes â€Å"that the duty of government is see that the whole people are educated,-but that the duty has  been neglected by both the general and state government† (Mann, 1852, p. 1). The most destructive all was that the private schools were taking all the funds, the common schools of Massachusetts were weakened, they lacked supervision and the wealthy families had lost interest. Horace Mann wanted to bring school districts to a centralized authority and also to being some sort of standardization to the towns throughout the state, this was the Prussian educational system. â€Å"Schools were established, supported, and administered by a central authority: The state supervised the training of teachers, attendance was compulsory, parents were punished for withholding their children from school, and efforts were made to make curricula and instruction uniform† (Brouillette, 1999, para. 9). Mann had to get the whole state of Massachusetts to increase the tax revenue for the common school system, if they were to build more adequate school and get well qualified teachers to teach in them. After observing broken run down schools and inadequate teachers, he went to build normal schools, these were schools or academies for training teachers. He argued that students deserved a curriculum that was stimulation and textbooks that were for different age levels (Gibbon, 2002). Today there are placement exams that teacher have to take to show that they are proficient in the areas they are hoping to teach, and states now require teacher to be evaluated to show that they are meeting the needs of the students and school. There may be training a teacher may need to take to stay up to date. Some believed that public, or free schools were only for children that were poor, but rather publicly supported schools are for all children regardless of social class, gender, religion, ethnicity, a nd or country of origin (â€Å"Common school movement,† n.d.). It was not till the General Court of 1642, where it passed the compulsory education law; this is where every child in their districts should and could be educated. However, the 1642 law did not make education free, it was not till 1674 when another law was passed to change the discrepancy and would make schools compulsory and education both free and universal. Mann’s second ideas was the topics one of which is considered to be controversial today; religion in schools. â€Å"He was absolutely convinced that if children were given the proper moral and religious education, they would grow into the citizens needed to maintain and develop the democracy of the great American states† (Buck, 2002, p. 115). Today we see this going battle still, we have  parents not wanting their children to say the pledge of allegiance, religious holidays are now called seasonal parties, there is no more praying, we now have a moment of silence. He was absolutely convinced that if children were given the proper moral and religious education, they would grow into the citizens needed to maintain and develop the democracy of the great American states Today we see this going battle still, we have parents not wanting their children to say the pledge of allegiance, religious holidays are now called seasonal parties, there is no more praying, we now have a moment of silence instead. If religion was till in schools there would be more time spent on each religion rather than on the more academic learning aspects of school. Horace Mann wanted religion taught not for the spiritual teaching but more for the moral and integration character. In the end Horace Mann’s crusade improved education, he had done just that and improved teacher salaries, he had lengthened the school year, and established new high schools. The question is, Does Horace Mann’s work still exist today? Yes, his work is still being used to this day. School districts get their funds through the raised taxes, although like in Mann’s time there is still that gap between districts where taxes are not as high as other areas causing for schools of rural areas to be less equipped with the necessities needed to learn. Teachers are more thoroughly trained with years of schooling and are tested before going into schools to teach. After each year teaches are evaluated on their performance. As for the religion in schools, Horace Mann fought for a good cause but with all the different religions it was going to be an uphill battle to keep it in the schools. He believed that if the children were taught morals and religion it would an improvement to both individual and society. References Brouillette, M. J. (1999). The 1830s and 40s: Horace Mann, the end of free-market education, and the rise of government schools. Retrieved from http://mackinac.org/2035 Buck, T. M. (2002, December 15). A leadership challenge: Horace Mann and religion in public school. Lutheran Education, 138(2), 113-123. Retrieved from http://lej.cuchicago.edu/files/2011/07/LEJ-138.2-Archive-scan1.pdf#page=33 Common school movement- Colonial and Republican schooling, changes in the antebellum era, the rise of the common school. (n.d.). Retrieved from education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1871/Common-school-movement.html Downs, R. B. (1974). Horace Mann; champion of public schools. New York, NY: Twayne Publishers Inc. Gibbon, P. H. (2002, March 29). A hero of education. Education Week, 21(38), 33-36. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2002/05/29/38gibbon.h21.html Mann, H. (1852). The common school journal and educational reformer [Entire issue]. , IV Retrieved from http://archive.org/details/commonschooljou00manngoog

Jose Garcia Villa Essay

â€Å"When you are old and beautiful, And things most difficult are done, There will be few who can recall Your face as it is ravaged now By youth and its oppressive choice.† -At Majority Punched. The many memorabilia and personal trinkets of one of the most famous writers in Philippine literature surprisingly epitomized the exact contradictory, or some will say the exact sentiment, of the lines of the beautiful poem above. The personal touch of the displays in the 2nd floor gallery brought an intimate ambience to the whole exhibit, and it brought to light another aspect of a renowned writer apart from his professional excellence. Jose Garcia Villa is one of the most eminent Filipino writers of all times, and the Rizal Library and the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies collaborated to bring to the Ateneo de Manila University a collection of Villa’s books and papers from his own personal library. Hung on the walls were frames relating Villa’s biography. From his childhood through his foreign stints to his success, the story was completely divulged to the visitors. There was also a timeline of the writer’s personal and professional milestones. Personal letters from EE Cummings, Nick Joaquin, and some of his other idols and friends in the literature field were also there. Villa supposedly decided to be a writer after he had read Cumming’s works, and Villa’s personal favorite from Cumming’s work was exhibited. Sherwood Anderson was also one of his influences. It was also fascinating to read his very first poem about love. Dated on 1925, his handwriting and writing style was simplistic yet elegant since then. There was also a poem for Marky Mark or Mark Wahlberg, discussing his very attractive physique. Copies of hardbound editions of his poem collections, trial publication designs, and several original old print of his works were displayed. There were also special editions of his works such as 55 Poems with his own signature and a handsome-boxed edition which is now a collector’s item. It was also said that his first love was drawing, and frames of his own old personal drawings were hung. There were also pictures of him from his youth to his old age. There was one picture of him with Manuel Arguilla, a friend he hangs out with when in Manila, which especially haunted me. His typewriter was also showcased in the exhibit. I was also impressed to find out that Villa is only the second Filipino to be published by Penguin; the first was national hero, Rizal. He was really larger than life. I was particularly taken by one of the poem displayed, At Majority. For me, it immortalizes into words how the Filipinos and his readers will now remember Villa- a beautiful sliver of words and poetry, a figure larger than words, deeper than his writings, and even more beautiful and remembered even in his death.

Northstowe Good or Bad

In this study, I will endeavour to discover if Northstowe is the answer to Cambridge's problems and if anything has been learnt from development of earlier settlements, such as Bar Hill, Cambourne and Arbury. This means I am going to review the circumstances that were there when the settlements were built and see if the move made by the planners at the time was best for what happened in terms of the growth of the population and people wanting to live and work in the Cambridgeshire area, this has caused a lack of houses. This has meant huge price rises in houses making them unaffordable for first time buyers in the area. As people cannot move into Cambridge directly because of the lack of housing, they have to move into the surrounding villages and towns making them also full, this is producing a lot of traffic moving in and out of Cambridge everyday which is a huge problem as the roads cannot handle the amount of traffic as Cambridge is a medieval town and was meant for horse and carts. This has created a lot of problems such as congestion and pollution. I went to Cambridge, Arbury, Oakington, Cambourne and Bar Hill to compare the housing, layout of the settlement, the environment and the services and jobs available. I was looking for open spaces, good sized houses and houses in good condition and overall a nice environment to live in. I collected my data from what I observed and my thoughts of the visited location. Chapter 1 Just after the Second World War men were coming home and having spent years with the officers who were previously thought to be way above their class discovered that they weren't so different and so there was a huge demand for housing as men and their wives began to want houses of their own away for the family. Bar Hill began to be planned for in 1952 after the Development plan tried to contain growth, including the industrial growth inside the city of Cambridge and to limit the population to 100,000. Growth was instead to be encouraged in a ring of key villages around Cambridge. By 1964 these villages had grown so fast that the villagers were concerned that the character of the villages would be lost, so other villages further away were encouraged to grow. Also the idea of developing six new villages was put forward. Bar Hill was the only site to be developed. It met the three basic criteria, single ownership, marketable location, and well related to the existing development pattern. Bar Hill was designed to have 1,250 houses, shopping and social facilities and a light industrial estate. It used the â€Å"Radburn† design principle which is where vehicles and pedestrians are segregated by having a perimeter road which has residential cul-de-sacs inside, linked by pedestrian routes leading to the village centre. Bar Hill was divided into 12 parts residentially and it was up to private developers who would meet some of the cost of village infrastructure and services. Developers needed to sell houses at a competitive price and soaring caused several developers to sell out, and slowed development. The village centre didn't get built soon enough and so this discouraged people to buy houses more. The council had to eventually pay for a new fly over to encourage development, something that should have been paid for by the developers. A local plan was made that made the final population 5,000 and demanded higher quality housing as produced originally, before developers tried to cut costs. During the 70's houses building was slow but once the remaining land was sold off in parcels, construction speed up, although many low quality houses had already been built. More warehousing and office floorspace was put forward to decrease the commuting in and out of the village and create a more inwardly motivated community. The parish council promoted community facilities and in 1980 the village hall was finally built. A lot of progress was made when Tesco gained permission to build a superstore and petrol station, although Tesco bought the land and controlled what shops were allowed to operate. Tesco continued to grow, developing its floorspace and range of goods, it provides many jobs, although it reduced the number of smaller shops and services in Bar Hill. Industrially the land was taken up steadily, in 1985 there were 6 units vacant for a total of 56. Bar hill has attracted firms from abroad, other parts of the country and local companies wishing to expand in the area. In 1994 South Cambridgeshire District Council granted outline planning permission for the settlement of Cambourne, 9 miles west of Cambridge and south of the A428 in the parishes of Bourn and Caxton. It is planned on 1000 acres of land to be an almost self contained community. When completed it will be 3,300 houses planned around three villages with traditional village greens, a local shopping centre, a 50 acre business park, shops, community facilities, such as a health centre, library and community centre, two primary schools, a public open space including a country park and recreational facilities such as a golf course. In 1998 construction began on the infrastructure of the first housing areas as well as the site entrance and roundabouts. The first residents began living in Cambourne in august 1999, with 75 homes including low cost housing, occupied by the end of the year. More roads were built as more houses were built. Work began on the first phase of the business park, building two units. Landscaping started and the country park began. Construction began on the sewage system and balancing lakes. More houses and roads completed in Great Cambourne in 2000 and work started in on lower Cambourne, with 170 families living there by the end of June. Monkfield park primary school completed along with the first children's play area. The first phone box, post box and notice board were provided. Footpaths built in the Eco Park and country park. Structural landscaping continued on the outskirts of the site and Great Cambourne village green, and the five balancing lakes were finished. Morrison's supermarket opened in 2003. Planning permission for 1774 more houses was refused. By Easter 885 houses were occupied. 90 houses were built in 1999 and 300 more are being built per year over a further 11 years. 900 of the approximate 3,300 houses are to be rented. The homes are meant to be for all ranging from one to six bed roomed apartments and houses, retirement homes and affordable housing. The 50 acre business park, 5 acre industrial estate and village shops and services will provide at least 3,000 jobs so many villagers can live and work in Cambourne. Two primary schools will eventually be provided at Cambourne. Secondary education will be provided at an expanded Comberton village college. Once the 1000th house has been occupied the community centre has to be built. It is fifteen years since the government recognised that developers receiving planning permission should be expected to make a contribution to the local community from the uplift in value which occurs when planning permission is granted. This policy was enshrined in section 106 of the Town and Country planning act 1990 which introduced a system of planning obligations enforced by contract between the local authority and the developer. At the same time the provision for affordable houses became a material consideration. This means that permission could be refused unless an appropriate contribution was agreed in areas where there was an identified need for additional affordable housing, which encompassed the vast majority of areas in England. Providing affordable housing in this way has the potential for meeting thereof the government's main affordable housing objectives. Ensuring land is made available for that housing and does not have to be bought by housing associations on the open market. Providing a financial contribution from developers to expand the supply of affordable housing that can be obtained given available government funding. Supporting the mixed communities agenda both by putting as much as possible of the supply on the same sites as market housing and mixing what is provided between social renting and intermediate tenures to ensure that a range of household groups are on the site. This relates to the Greenbelt because if anything is going to be built on the Greenbelt, it has to be sent to the government to be approved which if it is given shows a true cause and it will also be a good thing for the place where it is being built. Chapter 2 In this section I have included annotated photos of the sites that went to and graphs to show the results of the neighbourhood survey. I am going to discuss how well each site was designed to be a residential environment, whether it has a well designed environment and whether or not the facilities are adequate whether self-contained or not and whether there are any problems for example parking or traffic and whether it helps to solve Cambridge's problems. Accordia, Brooklands Avenue Catherine Square, Arbury Oakington Bar Hill Cambourne Brooklands Avenue, as you can see in photo 1 the site was clean, the traffic was light and the houses were in good condition but the houses were not very spacious, there was a lack of privacy as well as a lack of open space and a lack of parking. As the graph 1, 2 and 3 show Brooklands Avenue although the housing isn't spacious show that the environment around is nice and it's in Cambridge and so there is not far to go to get into the centre. This suggests that it could have been planned better as the houses are not very private and are quite small, this maybe because the flats where built on a brownfield site so the planners did the best they could also there is a lack of parking which is a problem because people will have 2 park on the street outside, creating the traffic problem worse. From my analysis you can see that the recent high density like Accordia near the centre of Cambridge are bad because they create more traffic problems and there isn't enough room to house the cars. This supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it takes the parked cars off of the roads in Cambridge making the traffic move more swiftly. Arbury, as you can see in photo 2 the site is clean, the traffic was light, the houses were in a good condition, there was open space, it was more private than in Brooklands Avenue and the houses were more spacious and there was off street parking. As graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the environment is well planned because there is open space, it is clean, and the housing is spacious and private. From my analysis you can see that recent low density developments like Catherine Square on the outskirts of Cambridge are good because it takes people out of Cambridge but bad because they have to commute into Cambridge to work. This both supports and doesn't support the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because although it would be getting people out of the centre of Cambridge they would want to commute back into Cambridge to work so the traffic problems would worsen. Oakington, as you can see in photo 3 the site is clean, the traffic was light, there is off street parking, there was a variety of housing styles and the landscape was nice. As graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the environment was well planned, the houses were in good condition, the houses appeared spacious, there appeared to be amenities and the privacy was good, unlike Brooklands Avenue. This suggests the environment is well planned because the houses were in good condition, there was no vandalism, the houses had privacy, the area was clean and the place was well landscaped. From my analysis you can see that old low density developments like Oakington outside of Cambridge are good because the housing is much better and the area is generally nicer, this supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it is out of the city so better housing can be built and the landscaping will be better, however the commuting traffic will still be a problem inside the centre of Cambridge. Bar Hill, as you can see in photo 4 the housing is small, and the style is unvaried and there is a lack of landscape, but the environment is clean and the houses are in good condition, but as graph 1, 2 and 3 suggest the poor housing outweighs the good environment and the closeness to services and jobs. This suggests the environment was well planned but because it was built in the 50's the planners didn't think ahead and so the houses are too small and all the same style because they were built to budget. From my analysis you can see that the recent development of Bar Hill outside Cambridge is good because it is possible to never leave Bar Hill because you can work, shop and eat there but people commute to other places to work because the work there is all the same, this is a problem because of the traffic going into Cambridge causing pollution and congestion. Cambourne, as you can see in photo 5 has open spaces, spacious houses, the houses have amenities, the houses are styled differently, there private and there all in good condition. As graph 1, 2 and 3 show this was probably the best place we visited as I had the highest average score, also the area was clean, it was quiet, well landscaped and the traffic was light. This suggests the environment is well planned because of the good roads, the off street parking, the open space and the pavement for pedestrians. From my analysis you can see that the recent development of Cambourne outside Cambridge is good because it has made a place to live that u can live and work in without having to go elsewhere. This supports the suggestion that settlement growth should be in new settlements like Northstowe because it keeps the villages which the greenbelt was founded to protect. Commuting people from villages who work in Cambridge have been severely affected by these developments because everyone is now trying to get into Cambridge the traffic is piling up and because Cambridge was not built to hold the vast amount of traffic that there is there are daily jams when people are trying to get in and out during peak times. Chapter 3 My analysis of the 2 Cambridge sits and the 3 out of Cambridge sites reveal that although the housing is better quality and the places are of better standard outside they are producing huge amounts of traffic going into Cambridge where there is nowhere for them all to go, whereas the Cambridge sites make Cambridge easy to walk to making the traffic problems less but at a reduced niceness of house. Advantages of Cambridge site Disadvantages of Cambridge site * Easy to get into town * Can do things in town without having to worry about getting transport back * Doesn't increase traffic problem * Not far from the centre of Cambridge * Not far from a train station * Not far from work * Not very much space * Can be loud * Can be impossible to get out of Cambridge because of the traffic * If there are road works you can still be late because of the traffic jams from the other cars * Houses small and expensive Advantages of non Cambridge site Disadvantages of non Cambridge site * Open spaces for parks and play areas * Cleaner environment * The area is well landscaped * Quiet environment * The traffic is light * There is off street parking * Pedestrians are well served for as well as cyclists * Good roads for motorists * Can be far away from Cambridge * Commuting causes huge traffic problems by large amounts of people all needing to get in at the same time * There might not be any public transport routes in where the new village is. The alternatives being suggested are new villages/towns, new business parks next to old settlements, re-use land inside Cambridge or to use land on the edge of Cambridge's greenbelt like Milton or King's Hedges. These are not likely to happen in the near future because Northstowe is currently being planned, also the new town idea is Northstowe, and it will be a new town when built. The best choice would be to use brownfield sites in Cambridge itself or to revitalise places by building business parks next to old settlements providing more work out of Cambridge. Chapter 4 6,000 new homes to be built at Northstowe by 2016, with an expansion to approximately 8,000 new homes by 2021 and beyond, there is going 2 be another boom in traffic in the centre of Cambridge and it won't be able to cope so the pollution level will increase and so will the vandalism and crime in Cambridge. The way to reduce impact on the city of Cambridge when Northstowe is built is by making Cambridge easily accessible by bus, guided bus or train, this would reduce the traffic in the centre of Cambridge. To make this settlement work, in my findings, there should be open spaces, spacious good quality housing, a variety of style of housing, the houses should have amenities and they should have privacy. Also the area should be quiet, well landscaped and should be suited for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. There should be nearby schools, leisure facilities, shopping facilities, and a business park and also it should be well served by public transport. Doing this would reduce Cambridge's problems by making jobs outside of the centre of Cambridge, reducing the commuting, likewise with the good public transport. The schools would mean that people wouldn't have to do a school run into Cambridge making the traffic even less. Having open spaces makes people stay in a village because they can go and relax there and also it means there can be clubs held which get the village together. Leisure facilities such as a swimming pool, cinema or a gym would give the people an alternative nearby instead of having 2 go into Cambridge for these. Also a village hall would be good for hosting parties or clubs such as a youth club that would keep youths out of Cambridge and keep them off the streets. Conclusion I agree that lessons have been learnt from Bar Hill and Cambourne but I doubt that these lessons will be used to full effect, because although Bar Hill's circular outer road has been abolished from Cambourne and from what they expect Northstowe to look like (see diagram 1) it was quite a clever idea. Also from Bar Hill we have learnt that just because there are jobs that are in the village/town you are in, it doesn't mean that the people will work there, they are more likely to commute to either Cambridge or London from a nearby train station. The lessons learned from both of these new developments are saying the same thing that Cambridge cannot cope with the traffic that is pouring in from all the new settlements and from all the older ones. Also they have learnt that schools must be built nearby or in the town to help cope with the children because they cannot fit into the existing schools and the commuting to school would also put huge amounts of traffic on the road and this is what we are trying to stop. I don't believe that Northstowe is the answer to Cambridge's problems but other than flattening it and starting again from scratch, which is not do-able I believe it is the best way forward. Another thing that should be built is a church of some kind because people commuting into Cambridge or nearby villages to go to church could also be seen as a problem to some people especially is a town like Northstowe had to move into the surrounding villages it would spell disaster for these quiet country villages. Evaluation If I did this project again I would improve it by going at a better time of day where there are more people about to complete the survey, and by visiting there more than once, to go back on a variety of occasions to see what exactly happens there. I think I'd need more time to get better feel for the survey and I could use more information on Northstowe to truly discover what they will be building.

Home safety assessmeny Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Home safety assessmeny - Coursework Example L The presence of a chair in the balcony as well as unenclosed reagents has the greatest potential of jeopardizing with the safety of my household members. The children in my household are ever active and curious, and as a result of these it is evident that their safety is at risk. M I have decided to ensure that the door to the balcony is ever closed when an adult is not around. I also lock all reagents and lotions in their respective shelves after and before use. To prevent children from being burnt, I will ensure that the kitchen is always under key and lock when all adults are out of home. N This evaluation assignment has enabled me realize that there are a lot of things that we do ignore in our respective homes that are very detrimental to our own health. It has also made learn the essence of ensuring everything is well stored at home so as to reduce the health hazard

New ventures and entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

New ventures and entrepreneurship - Essay Example Formulating a vision is, indeed, a business challenge because sometimes entrepreneurs should transform themselves into magicians. Majority of people are receptive to the current entrepreneurial approaches, but it is an entrepreneur’s responsibility to visualise and predict the future. An entrepreneur should always remain a couple of steps ahead of development to avoid becoming irrelevant (Birley & Muzyka, 2000:45). It is also the responsibility of an entrepreneur to fit futuristic plans and ideas into the present, and to create solutions for others’ problems. Most innovative, entrepreneurial ventures in the last four decades were envisioned long before they became realities. For example, for Apple CEO Steve Jobs wanted every to have a PC while Bill Gates wanted to develop user-friendly software for personal computers. These visions allowed Gates to become the richest individual in the world while Jobs became the most recognisable business personality of the 21st century .Sourcing CapitalHaving developed a sound business proposal, the next challenge involves raising capital in order to support the creation of the new venture. Only entrepreneurs have an excellent understanding of business ideas. Attempting to rope investors into ideas that are only good on paper is a very big challenge for all entrepreneurs. Attempting to convince them that they are capable of actualising the idea and being trustworthy is extremely challenging, especially in new ventures (Chandra, 2013:34).

Counterfeiting and Pricing in China and UK Dissertation

Counterfeiting and Pricing in China and UK - Dissertation Example 2.5 Consumer Behavior: 12 2.5.1 Psychological Influences: 12 2.5.2 Personality: 13 2.5.3 The important of uniqueness in genuine market: 13 2.5.4 Gender and Self-image: 14 2.5.5 Attitudes towards fake and genuine products: 14 2.6 Conceptual Framework: 15 2.7 Conclusion: 15 Chapter-3: Research Methodology 16 3.1 Introduction: 16 3.2 Research Value: 16 3.3 Research Methods: 16 3.4 Sampling Methods: 17 3.5 Ethics: 17 3.6 Analysis – limitations: 17 Chapter 4- Findings: 18 4.1 Introduction: 18 4.2 Findings: Primary Research 18 Research Question 1 18 Research Question 2 19 Research Question 3 21 Chapter 5- Discussion and Conclusions: 23 5.1 Introduction: 23 5.2 Overall Summary: 23 5.2.1 Conceptual Framework: 24 5.3 Recommendations for Future Work 24 5.5 Recommendations for Luxury Brands/Shops: 25 List of References 26 Appendix: Survey Questionnaire 29 Chapter 1- Introduction: 1.1 Chapter Summary: This chapter gives introduction of the research conducted for counterfeit products in Ch ina and UK. Background of this research is given in this chapter including the research questions that will be discussed in this research. Research aim and presentation is also given in this chapter for the better understanding of the research. 1.2 Background: The form of consumer fraud is product counterfeiting in which product is sold claiming to be a product that it is not. This is different from violation of copyright as it is based on organized group of activity so that maximum profit is achieved (UNODC 2010). The lack of regulatory capacity makes manufacturing of unauthorized products possible and products that are high in demand made on similar design and branded in a way that make them distinguished from original product. The counterfeit products sell in the parallel markets or... This essay discusses that the form of consumer fraud is product counterfeiting in which product is sold claiming to be a product that it is not. This is different from violation of copyright as it is based on organized group of activity so that maximum profit is achieved. The lack of regulatory capacity makes manufacturing of unauthorized products possible and products that are high in demand made on similar design and branded in a way that make them distinguished from original product. The counterfeit products sell in the parallel markets or introduced in authorized supply chain. These products make extreme profits because of no overheads of licit products and this is the reason that these products are very price competitive. Because of this competitive edge, counterfeit products are common than original products in some part of the world. Counterfeit products in UK causing lower profits, lost sales, and brand trust affect legitimate businesses. The government of UK is also affected because it sees lower tax revenues and high spending on health services, welfare, and prevention of crime. The companies in UK are cutting jobs and reducing their investment leading lower economic growth due to counterfeiting. This study is conducted to determine factors affecting buying behavior of consumer when buying counterfeit products and luxury brands. The study also examines the effect of counterfeiting and piracy on the people living in UK.

Micro econmics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Micro econmics - Essay Example Once the US market tumbled the markets around the world followed suit. Some Asian markets even lost 40% (China)while others lost almost 60% (India) in a matter of months. Most analysts hold the subprime lending crisis as the root cause for the current economic slowdown. In their enthusiasm to outdo other banks and get the maximum number of customers, banks were ready to lend any amount to anyone, without even verifying their credit worthiness properly. As a result, many banks had to close shop, including big names like Citibank and Merryl Lynch. Thousands of people the world over lost jobs, companies had to be bailed out and even turn to government support for their functioning and existence. The latest victim is the automobile giant, General Motors. After being the iconic company that it was, it had to declare bankruptcy and carry out a sale to the U.S government. The subprime lending crisis does not seem to be an isolated one in the financial world. Persistent industrial loan defaults and massive loan losses have become a regular feature in developing countries. According to Hoque (2004) and the World Bank (1993), 150 development banks in 33 developing countries have been haunted by massive debt default and loan loss. The present subprime mortgage crisis that hit the credit markets and banking systems is due to the massive increase in loan defaulters, thus forcing the banks to go bankrupt. Industrial Development Finance Institutions (IDFIs) form the backbone of the economy in both developing and developed countries. These institutions are expected to stimulate industrial investment in both private and public sectors in the country. They play the key role of injecting capital into the system. However, a job bigger than that is to blend capital with entrepreneurial skills to support industrial advancement in an underdeveloped economy. This is precisely what IDFIs are doing in a majority of the

An Overview of Paul's View of the Law as Shown Primarily in His Research Paper

An Overview of Paul's View of the Law as Shown Primarily in His Letters to the Galatians and the Romans - Research Paper Example Permitting law to be above everyone only makes one a slave. According to Paul, salvation cannot be based on one’s ability to keep the law since no one is perfect which could mean all are cursed. The law is supposed to guide but not to enslave or condemn. Pauls warns gentiles that they are accountable and will still face judgement since it is possible to be disobedient even in absence of the laws. He ascertains that the laws will also judge those who commit offences by the laws. The main theme Paul wants to clarify is that salvation from sin is through faith as opposed to the Jewish believes that it was on basis on strict observation of law. 9 Bibliography 10 Paul’s View of the Law as in his Letters to the Galatians and the Romans Introduction The term law has several definitions and denotes a number of things. It is used in reference to norms that guide the conduct of people. It is also a scheme of regulations and guidelines that govern the behaviour of people. Law can also be a description of as set of practices that binds a group of people. Paul’s view on the law and jurisdiction occupies a fundamental position as far as comprehending Pauline’s theology is concerned. ... A reason for this contradictory approach could be that Paul was trying to show the negative features of the law. He was thus cautioning the Galatians against considering observance of law as the only requirement for salvation. Paul mainly uses the term law in reference to Mosaic Law though he at times displays Abrahamic covenant as a form of guidelines that should direct Christians who are not bound to slavery by Judaism. In his letters to both Galatians and Romans, Paul clarifies that circumcision, which was a cherished Jewish tradition is not constituent of gospel of Christ. He asserts that salvation is by Gods grace and not out of our efforts, thus it is for all but not Jews alone as Judaism proposed. This paper focuses on Paul’s outlook on the law as portrayed by his letters to the Galatians and the Romans. Law in the Early Church When Paul wrote these letters, Christianity was novel and foreign to the Jewish civilization that insisted on strict observance of the law. He w rote the letters to address the different churches facing different conditions. To understand Paul’s utterances about law, it is important to have an understanding of the viewpoint of the people he was addressing in his letter. Pauline epistles were written to a society that revered Judaism, which demanded austere compliance to Jewish laws. Such laws include bodily male circumcision as a compulsory requirement for salvation. Those who did not abide were considered gentiles and unrighteous.1 Paul’s efforts to dismantle some of their customs received opposition to an extent that some went following him from church to church to revise his teaching2. Within the same Church were Pharisees who believed

Islamic architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Islamic architecture - Essay Example (Burckhardt, Art of Islam, p. 203) The divine reflections and revelations of Islamic architecture have deep historical roots in multiple cultures and religions. From ancient Greece to twenty-first century technological marvels, Islamic architecture draws from a plethora of rich influences and resources in creating its own unique experience of bringing the sacred and the divine into the human experience. The earliest historical influences arise out of the architecture of Ancient Greece with its Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles of architecture as defined by their columnar structures. The influence of the Ionic and later Corinthian styles can be seen in columns of the earliest mosques, such as the Hagia Sophia built in 532 A.D in Istanbul (then Constantinople) in which Corinthian style columns can be seen on the left side knave and Ionic-style columns in the center kiosk in the picture at left (Wegner, Hagia Sophia, [internet]) and in the Tulun Mosque in Cairo Egypt built in 876 A.D. in the picture on the right in which the Corinthian style columns provide the supports to all the doorways and arches. (â€Å"Islamic Architecture† in Free Dictionary [internet]) The Romans also added their influence to Islamic architecture. Roman architecture was socio-policitical in nature. Its aim was primarily focused on public events of which the collisem in Rome is the main existing example. Islam absorbed this focus in its architecture as well in the way its people built their communities in consideration of community needs rather than individual glory. (Helms, pp 129-132) Mosques and Madrasahs reflect the spaciousness of the Roman buildings, as places with space for the whole community to gather for edification and worship. A mosque in Armenia provides an example of this with the photograph to the left illustrating its outer simplicity and the photograph to the left showing a floor-plan of its inner spaciousness. When the Byzantine Empire became the dominant force in

Ancient Art Forms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ancient Art Forms - Essay Example From the Louvre museum I will look at the Stele of a master craftsman. The stele is made out of limestone. It was found in a place called Abydos where many Egyptians went for pilgrimage. The stele has fifteen lines of hieroglyphic text covering its body. It symbolizes the Egyptian ritual of pilgrimage. There are religious images below the text that symbolize the Egyptian practice of making offerings to their gods and goddesses. In the same museum we have the ‘Spoon in the form of a bound ibex†. It is curved out of tamarisk wood. It is a spoon with an animal body sculpture. The animal body represented is a Nubian Ibex which is a desert animal. It represents the Egyptian Environment which is primarily a desert and the Egyptian culture of being animal hunters. Finally I will highlight works from the Smithsonian Institution Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery. First I look at A Journey to Xiangtangshan. This is a stone sculpture carved into the mountains in northern China. They represent a moment of glory of the Qi (â€Å"Chee†) dynasty as they were curved to mark the achievements of the dynasty. The mountains are covered with limestone and as a result the sculpture was curved out of limestone. Finally from the same institution, I go through the â€Å"Fresco†. It is a rock painting found in the Ajanta caves in India. It represents the way of life at the time of the people in India, their belief and cultural practices. Starting with the metropolitan museum I will look at the Statuette of an African also known as Ethiopian.

Patients and Clients in Home Care Essay Example for Free

Patients and Clients in Home Care Essay It is said that â€Å"there’s no better place than home†. This is the comfort that home care provides its patients. It permits the assistance of people that have special needs in the comfort of their homes and with the companionship of their families. Medical services and health assistance can now be obtained without going away from the confines of your home. It is now possible that health service providers will be the ones to go to the patient’s home so that the patient will not have to be confined in a hospital or a nursing institution. Home care is an alternative method to sustain the growing demand for medical health services. Due to the observed surge in the number of people with special needs, unconventional venues for taking care of this people aside from hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes were considered. The establishment of home care services answers the demand of different venues for health services. Home care is the offering of medical services by formal providers such as doctors, registered nurses, and physical therapist or by informal providers such as caregivers in the patient’s homes. It aims to promote, reinstate, and sustain the comfort, function, and health of a patient to its maximum limit. Taking care of patients during the last days of their life is also part of the objective. Classifications of home health care includes: preventive, promotive, therapeutic, long-term maintenance, rehabilitative and palliative care(DOH). People that need home care are geriatric individuals, chronically ill patients, persons with disabilities, and patients that are recovering from surgeries. Seventy percent of the clients that availed home health care services are geriatric people of age 65 and above. Disease diagnoses that are most rampant in these home care patients are: Heart disease, diabetes, cerebral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), malignant neoplasm, fractures, congestive heart failure, osteoarthritis and allied disorders, and hypertension(NCHS). Care from registered nurses, physical therapists, and social workers; access to medical equipments; check up by doctors; help with running errands; medication delivery; and meal preparation are some of the services that are offered by home health care providers. Types of home care vary with different kind of providers. Skilled care type is offered by licensed medical practitioners like doctors, registered nurses, medical social workers and physical therapist. This type of home care service focuses on the reinstating and maintaining the health of a client. It includes disease diagnoses, disease treatments, wound care, injection and intravenous therapy, medical assessments, nutritional management, and counseling. The other type of service is the home support services that are offered by caregivers or health care aides which are more inclined to domestic tasks like personal hygiene or bathing assistance; running errands; grocery shopping; cooking and eating assistance; light house keeping; and medication reminders(MFMER ). Clients of home care services expect the providers of these services to meet their specific needs. The most common client specifications are good quality care; availability of service; health service provider with appropriate training and expertise; high quality, effective care; and affordable service. Home care providers are expected by clients to give them respect, inflict no harm to them, and treat them well(Nina Preto). They also expect to have their rights as a patient considered, respected and instituted. The law currently implements the home care patients right to: choose their care providers; be informed fully by the health service agency provider of his/her rights and responsibilities as a patient; obtain the needed professional care following the doctor’s orders; receive continuous care; be asked consent prior to any treatment regimen or procedure; advised for any plan changes prior the change; avail service that is safe and in accordance to the professional care needed; be informed of actions in the event of emergency; and to voice opinions regarding the treatment or procedure(Hospice). Different individual conditions require varied specific needs so the provider should be competent enough to be able to address these circumstances. The geriatric or elderly persons for example have various conditions that have complex needs. Usually diseases of the old individuals are multi-factorial; the change of their condition is unpredictable; and outcome of treatment or management is random. So it is best if the home care providers of the elderly with diseases to be registered nurses or doctors for prompt treatment and disease management. Though in other instances home care is employed by geriatric patients that are healthy but in need of assistance in performing their daily tasks from as simple as opening doors for them to household chores. Another example of patients with different needs is the patients with cancer. These individuals are more at ease in the confines of their homes and families. They do not want to be separated from there families because usually these patients gain there strengths from them. The emotional and moral support the families give are vital for a cancer patient. Home care allows these patients to have all the support they can get from there families. As cancer is a devastating disease the home care provider should be able to give support to the patient, address his/her medical needs, and educate the family about the situation of the patient. Diabetes patients on the other hand, need home care providers to always encourage them to control the blood glucose levels because complication development can better be prevented with serious control on glycemia. These patients also need home care providers that are inclined in nutrition for diabetes patients to obtain the needed nutrients without sacrificing their blood glucose levels. Along with the boost of home care industry are problems or issues that need to be resolved. Some of these problems that affect both the home care consumer and the provider are the following: worker related injuries; worker abuse and exploitation by the client; competency of the health care provider; abuse of the client; client prejudice toward the caregiver; worker benefits issue; confidentiality issues in the clients home; and clients being at risk of theft and other forms of crimes. Confidentiality issue in client-caregiver relationship is one of the prime problems of home care services. Prone to this problem are the caregivers or health care aides that have little backgrounds or training in professional ethics and usually provide service to their clients twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Most of them also stay in the houses of their clients so it is common that they know the things that happen inside the house especially among family members. The dilemma is in situations that either the caregiver spill the information he/she knows or if the information is critical to the well-being of the client and the caregiver will not know whether to keep it confidential or not. An example situation is when a client is being battered by a member of his or her family, what will the caregiver do? Is he/she supposed to tell anyone like the authorities or is he/she will just keep silent and wait that other people will discover the situation? If the caregiver gives the information to authorities it might be an invasion of the client’s privacy. Moral risks, virtues, intimacy, and professional ethics are bound with confidentiality issue in home care. Home care service providers should be made sure to have proper training in professional conduct and ethics to avoid any problems that will interfere with the client and their family relationship. Problems such as this needs attention of legislators for the home care consumers to be secured that the service provider they employ are properly trained and knows his place as a home care worker in a family setting. Client prevention of problems related to the home care service provider begins with choosing a competent agency that ensures the capabilities of their workers. Clients should not just consider the monetary factor involve in employing a home care worker to prevent the hiring of low paid providers and yet incompetent in many aspects of health service provision. Health care organizations have to address these problems and anticipate other issues that will emerge for the improvement of the home care service, benefit of the client, and avoidance of dilemma in the part of the caregiver. Government agencies concerned need to make rigorous effort towards the establishment and implantation of rules that would not just protect the home care consumers but the home care service workers as well. In every development there is always the emergence of problems and this is just what happened in home care. The burst of this industry is high-speed that problems are realized only when it was already encountered. The shift from institutionalized health care to home care brought about problems that touch aspects like professional ethics, unavailability of equipments in the patient’s home, monetary factors, client-worker relationship, and home care provider-patient’s family relationship. Despite of this, home care still provides an alternative venue for the patients or clients to have their needs being taken care of. The problems will just have to be addressed for the improvement of the industry. Home care is a promising revolution of institutionalized care wherein patients of institutionalized care are deprived of their right to spend their lives in the comfort of their home and with the presence of their loved ones. Reference http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/home-care-services/HA00086/METHOD=print

Evidence On Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Evidence On Global Warming Essay Svante Arrhenius was really an erudite as he was the pioneer in discovering the concept as early as 1886 in the absence of many modern technical instruments and super computers. During December 1995, United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] , an international network of more than 2,550 scientists have confirmed that there existed many evidence of global warming and such phenomenon could not be denied ,though it is difficult to quantify. With the help of precise satellites measuring equipments and with the assistance of super computers, scientists have irrevocably proved that there are firm ground for the existence of global warming on the basis of process of large quantity of weather data’s. The other evidences of global warming are as follows: ? Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro legendary snows have melted down about 81% since 1912 and it would completely disappear by the year 2020. ? Bermuda’s coastal mangrove forest is annihilated by rising sea levels. ? Over the past forty years, world ocean temperature has increased by a net 0. 12 degrees Fahrenheit. ? Glaziers at Himalayas in India are withdrawing at a record speed and it is predicted by scientists that all eastern and central Himalayan glaziers will vanish by 2025. ? Pakistan witnessed the longest drought from 1999 to 2001 which had affected about 2. 3 million people and about 16. 1 million livestock. ? As compared to 20 to 40 years before , the ice volume in Arctic ocean has decreased by 40% ? In Washington D. C, Cherry trees have advanced their blooming season. ? Europe has witnessed an extreme heat wave in 2003 and more than 25,100 people were died. ? During May 2002, southeastern parts of India witnessed heat wave which exceeded more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit and more than 1210 people died.

Procter Gamble: Business Model

Procter Gamble: Business Model Business level strategy: Procter and gamble (Strategies and recommendations) Executive Summary William Procter and James Gamble founded Procter and Gamble in the year of 1837, and started working as a candle and soap maker. It is a consumer goods manufacturing company whose slogan is improving lives and moving towards betterment with time. Unique Selling Preposition of Procter Gamble is â€Å"our one product is equal to one vaccine towards the betterment of consumers†. It sells the products in more than 180 countries around the globe. It has also undertaken a number of brands, one of them are Revlon. The product being offered by Procter Gamble are health care, grooming, beauty, home care and fabric, family and baby care, pet care and snacks. Some of the company’s items earned a profit of $1 billion each year and some around $50 million annually. Procter Gamble is on maturity stage and potential competitors are Unilever, L’Oreal. It is facing fierce competition by competitors. Since it is one of the most growing companies, it has captured thousands of mi nds all over the world. It operates in countries like China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Indonesia etc. the strategies of Procter Gamble in order to sustain its goodwill and profitability in the market are: availability of its products, concentration on growing opportunities, evolving more products, concentrating on most strong and profitable markets, devoting and dedication towards research and development etc. products being offered by the company are Ariel, Tide, Vicks, Crest Tooth Paste, Gillette products, Head Shoulder shampoo, Olay, Oral-B, Pantene, Always, Bounce, Herbal Essence, Ivory soap, Gain, Whisper, Mr. Clean, Puffs tissues, Safeguard soaps etc. OVERVIEW OF OFFERINGS AND CUSTOMER SEGMENTS OF THE COMPANY PROCTER AND GAMBLE Procter and Gamble is an American based company, known as PG mostly, is one of the largest and leading multinational consumer goods and manufacturing company which operates all over the world (Ranker, 2015) since 1837 till Today and offering jobs to the millions of people from all around the world (PG, 2015). Procter Gamble was founded and named on William Procter and James Gamble. It deals with multiple natures of products such as hair care products, personal care products including cosmetics (Nguyen, 2013), tissues, odor control products, home care products such as detergent and much more (PG, 2014). Company says â€Å"We are in the business of making life better every day, our each packet is equal to each vaccine towards the betterment and enhancement† (PG, 2014) and it is working firmly on that. Millions and billions of customers uses PG’s products which satisfies their needs and demand they like it to be (PG, 2014). Multiple of brands are associated with this company whose profitability touches more that $1 Billion each year (PG, 2015). Some of those star brands are Ariel, Tide, Vicks, Crest Tooth Paste, Gillette products, Head Shoulder shampoo, Olay, Oral-B, Pantene (PG, 2014), Always, Bounce, Herbal Essence (Forbes, 2014), Ivory soap, Gain, Whisper, Mr. Clean, Puffs tissues, Safeguard soaps which earns net profit of Billions of US Dollars every twelve months (PG, 2014). Procter and Gamble serves more than 180 countries and 6.5 million customers across the globe (PG, 2014). It operates in Asia (Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Bangladesh etc) (PG, 2015), Latin America, North America and Western Europe. It has its head quarters in Singapore for Asian region (Lafley, 2008). Critical discussion And Strategies of Procter and Gamble: One of the most important and say efficient strategy of Procter Gamble is availability of its products (Global-Operations, n.d.). Products manufactured by this company are highly available worldwide and are being offered and sold on convenience stores, super markets, hotels, motels, retailers, wholesalers, drug stores and intermediaries (MIT, 2015). The product availability of the company gives it an edge and makes it far superior that its competitors like Unilevers etc (SlideShare, 2015). Consumers get products easily and effortlessly when they are in need of a vaccine to make their life better (Favaro, 2013). The availability and accessibility of the specific products makes it brand brawny and hefty (PG, 2015). This in turns makes customer loyalty towards the brand much tough and muscular with time and targeted customers start trusting the brand, and same is the case with Procter Gamble (PG, 2015). Supply chain of the brand is as strong as it needs to be in order to result in a s uccessful chain management (Favaro, 2013). Likewise many other competitors of the brand, PG a further strategy is Research and Development (Riley, 2014). Brand devote approximately $2 billion each year on its RD department contains 8000 employees around the world (Ng, 2015). In spite of having 8000 employees in its RD department, company somehow failed to initiate a further brand successfully (Nisen, 2013). Hence, it faced intricacy regarding the department. One of the professors, named Charles Fine suggested the company to have a view on the world as innovation lab (SlideShare, 2012). Subsequently they start sourcing innovation through valued supply chain network as they deals the customer on one on one basis because of which they are rich on the drawbacks as well as the complains for products (MODE, 2015). This step resulted in innovation success rate three times than it was before. To take advantage of the advice, PG also launched its own website which motivates and welcomes innovations as well as feedback by the targeted customers, shareholders, stakeholders, partners and general public for further enhancement of the products (Khosla Sawhney, 2014). Another significant strategy being applied by Procter Gamble as an efficient and effective tool is change management (GCI, 2014). The company observes and on the blink of an eye takes action to bring up the change and exploit the opportunity to meet consumer’s expectation on the very first place (Neff, 2014). As competition is growing faster and fastest, very next moment involves business bodies in the shock of sudden and significant change. PG is a brand, who knows splendidly about their vision (Tode, 2014). Company takes change management as its one of the most crucial and unavoidable manner (Lafley, 2014). Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care, said by Theodore Roosevelt (Forbes, 2012). Famous saying that is being followed by PG as it should be as it focuses and devotes more of its attention and care to the products who works as stars in portfolio and because of which entire corporation is enjoying free lunches, such as US market is strongest market being targeted by PG (SlideShare, 2012) and they are continuously treating it as focal point with jam-packed devotion and dedication in order to make it strongest (PG, 2014). Before finishing the strategy, I more point to be mentioned is Procter Gamble’s strategy is concentrating on improving operations, at least better than competitors (SlideShare, 2013). This is one of the rich ways to win customers trust and loyalty towards the brand (PG, 2014). When introducing to one more line of attack of Procter Gamble, it is essential to say that to uphold and retain its brand image; it is all about captivating trust and confidence from the targeted segment of market (Pakistan-Business-Journal, 2015). At the end of the day, all the steps, strategies, planning, developing and designing starting from a scratch is followed by a reason of winning trust and loyalty from customers because when nothing else seems to be helpful, this tactic does and it is not a piece of cake to get one’s trust. It takes abundant of efforts and plentiful of care, since one slip can destroy the whole. One more strategy being introduced recently by Procter Gamble is â€Å"Connect+Develop†. In this age of advancement, where the whole of the universe has become a global village, the connection is necessary for any company to float up in the lively market with its loyal consumers. However, in this social age, in which each and every individual is socializing has made us little more aware about our surroundings and circumstances taking place in this village (PG, 2015). Bruce Brown, Chief Technology Officer said â€Å"this strategy has helped us to deliver a number of successful and leading innovations which has accelerated the growth of Procter Gamble critically†. The company is by hook or by crook managing to uphold this strategy and maintain its prospering innovation rate. Laura Becker, General Manager said that they wanted develop and connect themselves in order to deliver products that has a greater level of innovation such as Swiffer Dusters which has broken down the innovations for market place manipulation. Moreover, she also stated that a category of products will be made that changes marketplace, and attracts customers which claim that they require the company’s products as they fulfill their requirement as per their wishes (PG, 2012). RECOMMENDATIONS In order to maintain its position in the market, Procter Gamble should keep an eye on its most profitable brands and products to even polish them so that not any competitor would have been able to eradicate the demand of leading products. For example, Swiffer Dusters-a product introduced by PG which changed the direction of market trend so seriously. As market conditions and market trends are changing so drastically these days, Procter Gamble should have a close look than its competitors to innovate and exploit opportunity from the changing trends of market. If brand to be a brand get successful innovations, it could have touch top position in the markets as well as in the sights of consumers, investors, shareholders, stockholders and regulating bodies. Creating a recommendation culture could aid to Procter Gamble for being more victorious and unbeaten company in the market. Motivating and encouraging culture could be proved as back bone behind the success of the brand. Managing change as soon as possible could also be proved as a strong tool behind the success. Since incorporating change in this unpredictable competing environment cold give support to the accomplishment of goals, reaching to the vision and creating win-win situation at the end of both, consumers and company. Better growth opportunities to the employees will in return adds to employee’s sincerity and dedication towards work. Employees, who are the core bodies of any organization, will work dedicatedly and devotedly for their organizations, this will result in better quality works and services to the organization. Quality assurance and image building could also prove to be helpful to capture the minds of targeted consumers. CONCLUSION Procter Gamble was founded by William Procter and James Gamble. It deals with multiple products such as hair care products, personal care products including cosmetics. Millions and billions of customers uses PG’s products which satisfy their needs and demand. Procter and Gamble serves more than 180 countries and 6.5 million customers across the globe. One of the most important and efficient strategy of Procter Gamble was found to be its item’s availability. Consumers get products easily and effortlessly when they are in need of a vaccine. The availability and accessibility of the specific products makes it brand brawny and hefty. This in turns makes customer loyalty towards the brand much tough and muscular with time and targeted customers start trusting the brand, and same is the case with Procter Gamble. Supply chain of the brand is as strong as it needs to be in order to result in a successful chain management. The company observes and takes action to bring up cha nge and exploit the opportunity to meet consumer’s expectation at instant. Company takes change management as its one of the most crucial and unavoidable manner. Bibliography Favaro, K., 2013. Does PG Need Product Innovation or Strategic Innovation?. [Online]  Available at: http://www.strategy-business.com/blog/Does-PG-Need-Product-Innovation-or-Strategic-Innovation?gko=b27ca [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Favaro, K., 2013. Does PG Need Product Innovation or Strategic Innovation?. [Online]  Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/boozandcompany/2013/07/12/does-pg-need-product-innovation-or-strategic-innovation/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Forbes, 2012. The Perfect Marketing Strategy for Soap, Soda, and Startups. [Online] Available  at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brianclark/2012/04/24/entreproducer/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Forbes, 2014. Procter Gamble. [Online] Available at:  http://www.forbes.com/companies/procter-gamble/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. GCI, 2014. The Strategy Behind PG’s Divestments. [Online] Available at:  http://www.gcimagazine.com/business/marketers/positioning/The-Strategy-Behind-PGs-Divestments-270370711.html [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Global-Operations, n.d.. Where We Operate. [Online] Available at:  https://www.pg.com/en_US/downloads/media/Fact_Sheets_Operate.pdf [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Khosla, S. Sawhney, M., 2014. The wisdom of less: How Procter Gamble can grow by  shrinking. [Online] Available at: http://fortune.com/2014/08/07/why-pg-can-grow-by-shrinking/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Lafley, A., 2008. PG’s Innovation Culture. Innovation, Volume 52, pp. 1-8. Lafley, A., 2014. The wisdom of less: How Procter Gamble can grow by shrinking. [Online]  Available at: http://fortune.com/2014/08/07/why-pg-can-grow-by-shrinking/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. MIT, 2015. Bringing process innovation and creativity into operations. [Online] Available at:  http://executive.mit.edu/blog/bringing-process-innovation-and-creativity-into-operations#.VNxMLfmUeI9 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. MODE, 2015. Care Quotes. [Online] Available at:  http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/care.html [Accessed 12 February 2015].   Neff, J., 2014. As PG Looks to Cut More Than Half Its Brands, Which Should Go?. [Online]  Available at: http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/p-g-s-big-questions/294443/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Ng, A., 2015. PG: Company Strategies and Challenges. [Online] Available at:  http://www.academia.edu/5826081/P_and_G_Company_Strategies_and_Challenges [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Nguyen, L., 2013. Copy of PG STRATEGIC ANALYSIS. [Online] Available at:  https://prezi.com/r79dnp1uyg_d/copy-of-pg-strategic-analysis/ [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Nisen, M., 2013. PGs Ex-CEO Used A 5-Step Formula To Make Billion Dollar Decisions.  [Online] Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-5-step-strategy-prcoess-2013-2 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2012. PG Names New C+D Leader, Aims Acceleration of Open Innovation Work.  [Online] Available at: http://news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporate-announcements/pg-names-new-cd-leader-aims-acceleration-open-innovation-wo [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. Committed to responsible operations. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/policies_practices/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. Committed to responsible operations. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/policies_practices/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. Leadership Brands. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/brands/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. PG EVERYDAY. [Online] Available at: http://www.pg.com/en_US/ [Accessed 12  February 2015]. PG, 2014. PG Sets Four New Sustainability Goals: Revises Existing Goals. [Online]  Available at: http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. PG Story of Innovation. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/company/heritage.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. Strength in Structure. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/company/global_structure_operations/corporate_structure. shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2014. The Power of Purpose. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_US/company/purpose_people/ [Accessed 12 February, 2015]. PG, 2015. Always #LikeAGirl Sparks Social Movement During Super Bowl XLIX and Beyond.  [Online] Available at: http://news.pg.com/blog/likeagirl/SB49 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. Company Strategy. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pginvestor.com/GenPage.aspx?IID=4004124GKP=208821 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. Company Strategy. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pginvestor.com/GenPage.aspx?IID=4004124GKP=208821 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. PG Moments. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_balkans/company/heritage.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. PG Views: Company Strategy. [Online] Available at:  http://news.pg.com/pg_views_company_strategy [Accessed 12 February 2015]. PG, 2015. The Power of Purpose. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pg.com/en_balkans/company/purpose_people/index.shtml [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Pakistan-Business-Journal, 2015. Procter Gamble Pakistan (pvt) Ltd.. [Online] Available at:  http://www.pakistanbusinessjournal.com/b2b-directory/procter-gamble-pakistan-pvt-ltd_28081.html [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Ranker, 2015. All Procter Gamble Brands. [Online] Available at:  http://www.ranker.com/list/all-procter-and-gamble-brands/werner-brandes [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Riley, J., 2014. Marketing Strategy PG Takes the Axe to its Brand Portfolio. [Online]  Available at: http://beta.tutor2u.net/business/blog/marketing-strategy-pg-takes-the-axe-to-its-brand-portfolio [Accessed 12 February 2015]. SlideShare, 2012. pg marketing strategies. [Online] Available at:  http://www.slideshare.net/ritulakhotia/pg-marketing-strategies [Accessed 12 February 2015]. SlideShare, 2012. Procter Gamble Strategic Analysis. [Online] Available at:  http://www.slideshare.net/perdoch/pg-strategic-analysis [Accessed 12 February 2015]. SlideShare, 2013. PG. [Online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/deeparosejacob/pg-29329959 [Accessed 12 February 2015]. SlideShare, 2015. Procter Gamble Strategic Analysis. [Online] Available at:  http://www.slideshare.net/perdoch/pg-strategic-analysis [Accessed 12 February 2015]. Tode, C., 2014. How PG’s mobile social strategy helps build its brands. [Online] Available at:  http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/social-networks/17242.html [Accessed 12 February 2015].

Women and Divorce in the Victorian Era Essay -- Victorian Era

Women and Divorce in the Victorian Era â€Å"There's a sanctity in this relation of life," said Mr. Bounderby, "and - and - it must be kept up." --Hard Times, 73 Once married, only one in ten women divorced. --â€Å"Life for Women† For Victorians, divorce was not only extremely expensive, it was very hard to do. Women and men stayed in unhappy marriages for numerous reasons. Many stayed away from divorce because of the stigma attached to divorced women. It was also considered a societal taboo. â€Å"Prior to 1857 England was the only Protestant country in Europe that did not have provisions for civil divorce. Divorce could only be obtained through private Acts of Parliament† (â€Å"Divorce†). Divorces were very hard to attain because there was no civil divorce. Private Acts were inconvenient and extremely costly. The poor had no way to attempt divorce under these circumstances. Just 322 divorces were approved prior to the passing of the 1857 Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act. Subsequent to this Act passing, divorce rates rose to about 369 in 1890, and 560 in 1900. (â€Å"Divorce†). Divorce laws highlighted the unequal status of women to men through the unequal circumstances which divorce was granted. A man could divorce a woman merely on the grounds of adultery. Yet a woman had to prove her husband guilty of adultery â€Å"†¦combined with cruelty, bigamy, incest, or bestiality† (â€Å"Marriage†). The unequal status of women to men was also evident through how the courts classified married and single females. When a Victorian man and woman married, the rights of the woman were legally given over to her spouse. â€Å"This suspension of the married woman’s legal personality was known as â€Å"coverture†. An unmarried woman was known in the law as a feme sole (... ...n before and during her marriage. * 1883: Custody Acts: allowed for women to be awarded custody of children up to the age of 16 (Moore par.4-5). Works Cited Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. Pearson Education. 2004. â€Å"Divorce.† The 1890’s, An Encyclopedia of British Literature, Art, and Culture. New York. Garland Publishing, INC. 1993. â€Å"Interesting Facts.† 5 November 2004. . â€Å"Life for Women.† 2004. 7 November 2004. . â€Å"Marriage and Divorce.† Victorian Britain, An Encyclopedia. New York. Garland Publishing, INC. 1988. Moore, Melissa. â€Å"Women’s Issues Now & Then, A Feminist Overview of the Past 2 Centuries.† 2004. 6 November 2004. .

The Computer Evolution :: Essays Papers

The Computer Evolution "Who controls the past commands the future. Who commands the future conquers the past." -George Orwell The computer evolution has been an amazing one. There have been astonishing achievements in the computer industry, which dates back almost 2000 years. The earliest existence of the computer dates back to the first century, but the electronic computer has only been around for over a half-century. Throughout the last 40 years computers have changed drastically. They have greatly impacted the American lifestyle. A computer can be found in nearly every business and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). Our Society relies critically on computers for almost all of their daily operations and processes. Only once in a lifetime will a new invention like the computer come about. The fist computer, known as the abacus, was made of wood and parallel wires on which beads were strung. Arithmetic operations were performed when the beads were moved along the wire according to â€Å"programming† rules that had to be memorized by the user (Soma, 14). The second earliest computer, invented by Blaise Pascal in 1694, was a â€Å"digital calculating machine.† Pascal designed this first known digital computer to help his father, who was a tax collector. Pascal’s computer could only add numbers, and they had to be entered by turning dials (Soma, 32). It required a manual process like its ancestor, the abacus. Automation was introduced in the early 1800’s by a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage. He created an automatic calculation machine that was steam powered and stored up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Unlike its two earliest ancestors, Babbage’s invention was able to perform various operations. It relied on cards with hole s punched in them, which are called â€Å"punch cards.† These cards carried out the programming and storing operations for the machine. Unluckily, Babbage’s creation flopped due to the lack of mechanical precision and the lack of demand for the product (Soma, 46). The machine could not operate efficiently because technology was t adequate to make the machine operate efficiently Computer interest dwindled for many years, and it wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that people became interested in them once again. Between 1850 and 1900, the mathematics and physics fields began advancing. The advancements involved extremely arduous calculations and formulas that took a great deal of time when done manually. The Computer Evolution :: Essays Papers The Computer Evolution "Who controls the past commands the future. Who commands the future conquers the past." -George Orwell The computer evolution has been an amazing one. There have been astonishing achievements in the computer industry, which dates back almost 2000 years. The earliest existence of the computer dates back to the first century, but the electronic computer has only been around for over a half-century. Throughout the last 40 years computers have changed drastically. They have greatly impacted the American lifestyle. A computer can be found in nearly every business and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). Our Society relies critically on computers for almost all of their daily operations and processes. Only once in a lifetime will a new invention like the computer come about. The fist computer, known as the abacus, was made of wood and parallel wires on which beads were strung. Arithmetic operations were performed when the beads were moved along the wire according to â€Å"programming† rules that had to be memorized by the user (Soma, 14). The second earliest computer, invented by Blaise Pascal in 1694, was a â€Å"digital calculating machine.† Pascal designed this first known digital computer to help his father, who was a tax collector. Pascal’s computer could only add numbers, and they had to be entered by turning dials (Soma, 32). It required a manual process like its ancestor, the abacus. Automation was introduced in the early 1800’s by a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage. He created an automatic calculation machine that was steam powered and stored up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Unlike its two earliest ancestors, Babbage’s invention was able to perform various operations. It relied on cards with hole s punched in them, which are called â€Å"punch cards.† These cards carried out the programming and storing operations for the machine. Unluckily, Babbage’s creation flopped due to the lack of mechanical precision and the lack of demand for the product (Soma, 46). The machine could not operate efficiently because technology was t adequate to make the machine operate efficiently Computer interest dwindled for many years, and it wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that people became interested in them once again. Between 1850 and 1900, the mathematics and physics fields began advancing. The advancements involved extremely arduous calculations and formulas that took a great deal of time when done manually.

Breakthroughs in Astronomy and Medicine in the 16th and 17th Centuries :: science

Breakthroughs in Astronomy and Medicine in the 16th and 17th Centuries It was during the 16th and 17th centuries when man's view of the unvierse and himself changed drastically. This came after a millenium of repetition and stagnation in the development of science. People finally began questioning what they were told, and they went out to find proof rather than assuming on the basis of authority and common sense. These advances in astronomy and medicine came about in the same era, and were not unparallel in their development. In both fields were some very notable people who contributed greatly to the devolopment in these areas. In the field of astronomy Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo shed Aristotle's, Plato's, and Ptolemy's views of the universe. In medicine Paraclesus, Vesalius, and Harvey did away with Galen's ancient practices. Ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was stationary, they concluded this by making some basic obsevations. One being that the Earth cannot be part of the 'heavens' because celestial bodies are bright points of light, whereas the Earth is a nonluminous sphere of mud and rock. Also in the heavens there is very little change, the same stars are there night after night, only five planets, the sun, and the moon. On Earth however things are constantly changing and reforming. Their senses also told them that the Earth wasn't moving. They believed that the air, the clouds, and the birds would all be left behind if the Earth spinning around, therefore it couldn't be moving. Also if the Earth were spinning everything would fly off due to the centrifugal force. It was thought that with all this evidence there was no way that the Earth could be moving. There were however a few descrepencies in this Earth stationary or geocentric view. The most apparent being the five planets. They moved unlike anything else, they moved contrary to the stars and occasionaly went backwards. Ptolemy was able to correct this by the use of epicycles. This said that not only do planets orbit the Earth, but they also have smaller circular moton which they perform during their orbit. This did solve the problem, but it was still imperfect and very complicated, it was un-Godlike. Nicolaus Copernicus believed in the heliocentric model of the universe. It was his belief that the sun was a copy of God, God gave us life and the sun kept us alive. Breakthroughs in Astronomy and Medicine in the 16th and 17th Centuries :: science Breakthroughs in Astronomy and Medicine in the 16th and 17th Centuries It was during the 16th and 17th centuries when man's view of the unvierse and himself changed drastically. This came after a millenium of repetition and stagnation in the development of science. People finally began questioning what they were told, and they went out to find proof rather than assuming on the basis of authority and common sense. These advances in astronomy and medicine came about in the same era, and were not unparallel in their development. In both fields were some very notable people who contributed greatly to the devolopment in these areas. In the field of astronomy Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo shed Aristotle's, Plato's, and Ptolemy's views of the universe. In medicine Paraclesus, Vesalius, and Harvey did away with Galen's ancient practices. Ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was stationary, they concluded this by making some basic obsevations. One being that the Earth cannot be part of the 'heavens' because celestial bodies are bright points of light, whereas the Earth is a nonluminous sphere of mud and rock. Also in the heavens there is very little change, the same stars are there night after night, only five planets, the sun, and the moon. On Earth however things are constantly changing and reforming. Their senses also told them that the Earth wasn't moving. They believed that the air, the clouds, and the birds would all be left behind if the Earth spinning around, therefore it couldn't be moving. Also if the Earth were spinning everything would fly off due to the centrifugal force. It was thought that with all this evidence there was no way that the Earth could be moving. There were however a few descrepencies in this Earth stationary or geocentric view. The most apparent being the five planets. They moved unlike anything else, they moved contrary to the stars and occasionaly went backwards. Ptolemy was able to correct this by the use of epicycles. This said that not only do planets orbit the Earth, but they also have smaller circular moton which they perform during their orbit. This did solve the problem, but it was still imperfect and very complicated, it was un-Godlike. Nicolaus Copernicus believed in the heliocentric model of the universe. It was his belief that the sun was a copy of God, God gave us life and the sun kept us alive.

Importance of Sports Essay

Sports such as football or baseball involve lots of physical activities. Sports and exercises help in strengthening and toning the muscles and bones in the body. In short, the importance of sports for kids is that it keeps them in an excellent shape. When children or adults plays team sports, be it cricket or hockey, they learn to work in groups. They learn that if the team wins, they win and if the team loses, they lose. This way they learn how to work in groups. Thus, the importance of sports for kids is that they understand what is team spirit and thus, when they grow and actually start working, it will help them immensely in building relationships with their co-workers, and also to work in harmony with others. Sports makes people mentally strong. Success and failure are both parts of sports as well as life. A sportsman knows that there will be times when he will win matches, there will also be times when he will lose them. A sportsperson knows how to handle defeat and thus, treats success and failure equally. This is an important life lesson too, which sports can teach a person. Besides this, another importance of sports for children or for adults is that it teaches them how to handle competition, and be fearless when facing the adversaries. Children and adolescents ooze with physical energy. When they are involved in sports, their physical energies are used up in a constructive way. Teenage is such an impressionable age, if adolescents are given free time they might get involved in wrong activities or may fall in bad company or may also display anti-social behavior. Thus, the importance of sports in society is that it keeps adolescents from becoming anti-social elements, who might otherwise disturb the delicate fabric of society. Here’s hoping that now you know what is the importance of sports. Besides being important for kids, taking up a sports career in adult life, has its own benefits. A sportsperson often travels to other countries to play matches and in the process, learns a great deal about the cultures of these countries. Even the spectators or TV viewers are thoroughly entertained while watching professional sports, making it an excellent recreational activity.

Y2K: The Millenium Bug

The year 2000 problem has resulted from the common practice of using two digits to designate the calendar year instead of using four. When the year 2000 arrives, 2 digit year dates may be interpreted incorrectly causing many problems. Computer hardware and software may not recognize â€Å"00† as an actual date and will not run properly or not at all. Credit Card systems may not recognize â€Å"00† as a valid year for the expiration date, making transactions for those cards with â€Å"00† as the expiration date impossible. Day of the week calculations will be off. Computers may interpret 1/1/00 as Jan. 1, 1900. 1/1/1900 was a Monday but 1/1200 is a Saturday so all day of the week calculations will be two days off. The scope of this problem is world wide. All products using the two digit technology are potentially at risk. The â€Å"Millennium Bug† could be bring failure to everything from personal computers, home security systems, mainframes, and telecommunications equipment. The effects of the Year 2000 problem will be felt in homes, business, and government. Year 2000 conformity shall mean that neither performance nor functionality is affected by dates prior to, during, and after the year 2000.† According to the British Standards Institution Committee there are four general rules for Y2K compliance: 1. No value for current dates will cause any interruption in operation. 2. Date-based functionality must behave consistently for dates prior to, during and after the year 2000. 3. In all interfaces and data storage, the century in any date must be specified either explicitly or by unambiguous algorithms or inferencing rules. 4. The year 2000 must be recognized as a leap year. Every body that deals with this problem must be ready. To avoid the Y2K problems your computer must first be checked for compliance. Software is available that can check your computer for compliance and even make your computer Y2k compliant. Desktop computers can be checked with a simple utility but larger systems and networks may require more expertise to avoid the potential dangers. Many resources are available for checking your computer and to take the appropriate measures to correct any problems. This problem is huge. Business and government stand to lose billions of dollars if the problem is not corrected. Businesses are either already in compliance or in the process of dodging the possible disaster of the Y2k crash. II. Examples of Business Sectors: Y2K Applied in the Mexican Public Sector Computing systems and information technologies have become fundamental in production activities and everyday life. In order to prevent the Year 2000 effects on the information systems, the last June 3rd 1998, was installed the Year 2000 National Conversion Commission (Y2K National Commission). This Commission has the responsibility of coordinating the efforts of both the social and economic sectors to make sure of the adequate year handling, and therefore, the correct operation in information systems during the year 2000 and beyond. On July 9th 1998 it was published a presidential agreement which established the creation of the Y2K National Commission. Banco de Mexico was invited to participate in this Commission in order to coordinate the efforts of the financial sector regarding to the transition of information systems. The purpose of this page is to offer access to different sources of information that allow users to be familiar with the Year 2000 problem, and to get on time finan cial sector documents issued under the coordination of this central bank with the purpose of solving the Y2K problems. In January 1997 the â€Å"Project for Systems Compatibility Verification with the Year 2000† was established. Accordingly, the Board of Governors instructed the Systems Department to carry out the coordination and supervision of the necessary changes. The Systems Department elaborated an initial inventory of its own systems, asking the immediate revision of the end user applications systems in the rest of the areas. In addition, the Systems Department established a bimonthly control and progress report. In March 1998, the Board of Governors of Banco de Mexico created the Transition Year 2000 office at the Deputy Manager level, whose goal is accelerating and consolidating the progress of the global program denominated â€Å"Transition 2000†. In September 1998, the financial sector adopted a 5 phase self-evaluation methodology proposed by the National Commission for the Year 2000 Information Technology Conversion (Y2K National Commission). Banco the Mexico in his role of financial authority, took this standard of self-evaluation as a way to give a general view of the status its internal project. In December 1998, the Institution finished the correction and internal test phases. During the first half of 1999, the external testing will take place (Industry test), as well as the elaboration Since early 1997 the Year 2000 Problem has become a top priority issue in PEMEX and its subsidiary firms. This is due to the fact that for several decades PEMEX has been considered one of the most important users of information technology in our country, as a means of permanently counting on timely and accurate data to support the wide range of its business transactions. In spite of having a huge array of information systems implemented throughout the Mexican Republic, there is a strong sense of awareness in PEMEX regarding the possible implications of Y2K. Therefore, vast efforts are being carried out both in terms of information systems and automatic industrial controls in order to assess the scope of the problem and implement the necessary corrective measures, taking into consideration that the dateline is immovable. Regarding to industrial systems PEMEX has adopted a six stage strategy: Due to the technology reliance of PEMEX's production processes, there is also a conversion plan for industrial systems, which are critical for oil business. This plan comprises six stages, the first two stages, inventory and discrimination, are already completed and the other ones has been processing in 1999. Because of the nature of embedded systems, PEMEX is outsourcing their Y2K conversion to manufacturers and solution integrators, and has also identified the main vendors, which represent 70% of the inventory that have to be converted. Conversion of industrial systems is PEMEX's top priority. PEMEX's Board of Directors and Senior Management of Subsidiaries are totally aware of Y2k implications and therefore have undertaken a comprehensive plan to fully implement and effectively prioritize the solution concerning industrial systems and information systems. The company has assigned dedicated human resources to the Y2K project and a budget has been established. On July 31, a successfull Y2K readiness test was conducted in the Mexican aviation sector. The experience involved air aviation services, 6 airports and six Mexican commercial airlines. This event was unique because of the number of airlines, airports and systems tested that were involved in this experience. It has been one of the more complex that have taken place so far in the commercial aviation sector. The test was observed by some of the main hardware and software providers in the aviation industry in Mexico. Also present were representatives from ICAO, IATA, FAA and Transport Canada. Equipment on board the airplanes and airport aeronautical services simulated the rollover to the Year 2000 during flight. The experience involved the following airlines and routes: -Aeromexico MD-88 Guadalajara-Mexico City -Aeromexpress B-727 Mexico City-Hermosillo -Aerolitoral M3 Leon-Mexico City Aviacion A-320 Puerto Vallarta-Mexico City -TAESA B-727-300 Mexico City-Mexico City -AEROCARIBE J32 Minatitlà ¡n-Mexico City The tests involved the following areas: Different systems ere tested in different routes. For example, on the Guadalajara-Mexico City route, the following systems were tested:  · Data processing systems, radar and flight plan  · Digital communications processing system  · Aeronautical communications systems  · Tests of airline operational systems The Ministry of Public Education has an informatic platform relatively modern of outfitting and application programs of Institutional use, that allows them to foresee in a general way, that the impact of the initiation of the Y2K that the Institutional information systems will be manageable and relatively easy to resolve. The technological characteristics allows them to make such a statement are:  · Major computer equipment platform, where the actual systems run of Institutional use that consist of RISC architectural computers under UNIX operative system; which reduces the possibilities to obtain process errors caused by ancient computer architectures, that present risks when using ingoing/outgoing basic systems (BIOS) with the watch information, that do not support the Y2K impact, as it does in some platforms with other characteristics (architectural CISC Intel).  · The software for the handling of basis of Institutional data (Informix, Sybase), include dynamic date types of data, that support the Y2K impact while storing years using digital technology. Likewise, the organization of the information in relational tables of content, facilitate the eventual modification of the information fields in contrast to more ancient mechanisms of organization of information (sequential index files). The development tools and the methodology of analysis and design use in the construction of the most reason information systems as well as those that are in the process of development assure robustness of the systems to resist the Y2K impact. On account of its nature, the most delicate institutional system, the Integral System for the Administration of Personnel of the Ministry of Public Education (SIAPSEP), in operation since 1994, was designed in such a manner that the date fields and the calculations that involve the same, tolerate the impact mentioned when redesign in fields of four digits for the information stored for years. Nevertheless, its necessary to observe that a great amount of application programs exist in several areas of the Ministry that are not of generalized Institutional use and can present process problems during the change of the century. In particular, information systems exist that store RFC type fields, in which two digits exist and additional reference exists over the birth year. Such cases are not critical because the date does not form part of any logical or arithmetic operation, nevertheless, its necessary to have a date reference for the correct interpretation of the information for which an activities program must be integrated so as to able to detect and correct those informatic cases. III. Mexican Company's Preparation: Y2K in Mexico's Private Sector To achieve this, Grupo Vitro created in 1997 the Vitro Y2K Office, in charge of all matters related to the problem of the turn of the century. The main role of Vitro Y2K Office is: 1. To keep the organization focused, so that the Y2K issue is permanently included in the agendas of the entire Grupo Vitro. 2. To conclude successfully the Year 2000 Business Processes Program (Y2K). The Office is formed by a team of professionals devoting 100% of their time to the solution of the problem of the year 2000, and a Y2K Guide Committee, integrated by the Corporate Directors who provide services and/or define guidelines for operative areas, and are involved in any aspect of the Y2K problem, and whose main role is to provide direct support to all Y2K leaders to ensure success for the program. The Y2K Program has a wide span, since it considers our transactions with suppliers, customers, banks, business partners and institutions. In Grupo Vitro we are aware of the magnitude and complexity of this problem, since we are just one link in the supply chain and we are conscious of the fact that no company, by itself, can guarantee success in this enormous task. The year 2000 transition will challenge the expertise and capability of organizations to cope with complex technical problems with several levels of operative interactions. TELMEX is aware and ready to face this challenge. In January of 1999, TELMEX will be finished with solution implementation phase of its Y2K project, at which point TELMEX's systems related to the continuity and quality of service will be fully compliant and operational. Commitments and responsibilities for TELMEX in sight of the year 2000 transition are governed by the proper terms of its commercial relationships and contracts with its customers, as a supplier of telecommunications services, to carry out its regular activities. The Y2K project is based around a 4 phase model designed for bringing a multi-faceted and technologically complex company into compliance on time. These phases include identification, solution development, joint operations testing, and formulation of contingency plans. Both IT and Non-IT systems have been included in this process. A more detailed description of each of these phases follows. The Y2K project is based around a 4 phase model designed for bringing a multi-faceted and technologically complex company into compliance on time. These phases include identification, solution development, joint operations testing, and formulation of contingency plans. Both IT and Non-IT systems have been included in this process. A more detailed description of each of these phases follows. On the threshold of the new millennium, CEMEX is committed to undertaking every effort necessary to conduct business as usual through the year 2000 and beyond. Although the Year 2000 bug originated as a technology- related problem, we recognize that its effects extend into multiple business areas, both within and outside our company. That is why we are approaching the Year 2000 problem as a critical company-wide business issue; not just a technological one. In January 1997 we launched CEMEX 2000, a company-wide program to become Year 2000 compliant, not only for information technology, but also for our extended business network. As part of the program, CEMEX has implemented a continuous follow-up plan to monitor the progress of the significant vendors, customers and business partners. This program aims to overcome and even capitalize on the technology issues that the year 2000 presents. By upgrading and replacing our information technology worldwide, we are not only making efforts to ensure that we will be doing business through the new millennium, but that we will be doing business better. Since technology is an integral business component of CEMEX, the CEMEX 2000 Program is a global, company-wide effort. It is succeeding through the combined efforts of every business unit of the company, from top level executives to plant managers to technical, engineering and corporate support services departments. 1. Planning; In this phase the following are defined: the program's management structure, the scheduling of activities, the work team, resource and budget allocation, quality assurance strategy and the overall goals of the program. 2. Analysis; In this phase the scope of the problem is defined and the elements where CEMEX could be affected by the Year 2000 issue are identified. Dynamic business impact analyses are carried-out through and inventory of Year 2000 sensitive elements 3. Solution Design; In this phase the strategy for achieving Year 2000 compliance is defined, and a state of-the-art testing facility named SITE 200 is created. 4. Conversion; This phase includes the correction or replacement of those elements that might affect CEMEX's business operations, giving priority to those that represent a higher impact on operations. 5. Certification; The Year 2000 compliance process takes place on the SITE 2000, where an exhaustive integral acceptance testing procedure is conducted. The process of certification is completed once all revision points are passed. 6. Implementation; This phase includes the end user acceptance testing and implementation of the Y2K compliant system in every CEMEX business unit, office and plant around the world. 7. Quality Assurance and Follow-up; This phase includes the revision of the critical elements which represent business risk by the Year 2000, the documentation of the corresponding contingency plans and the preparation of immediate response work teams who will be monitoring the functioning of the business processes during the transition period and on critical dates. Mexico has been working on Y2K in most of its public sectors, and is to an extent actualized and ready to face the millenium bug. We could probably attribute this to political pressures, specially coming from the United States. In the other hand, I was only able to cover a few of the big powerful companies in Mexico, but in general most of them have a specialized department dedicated specifically to deal with the year 2000 problem. For them it's really important to work on the present problem due to the complexity and size of this companies, and also because this are global companies that can not take a chance in ruining their well developed image and systems. The problem basically remains in the small and medium businesses, as well as in personal computers. Mexico's government has established a department to help the population update their own hardware and software, but still these people has to actively participate in updating their equipment. Finally, I'd like to conclude saying that the technical problem is already fixed; but the real problem relays in the people's attitude towards the problem. If people feel insecure and start removing their money from bank accounts or doing things like that, then a real crisis will occur worldwide. So the only thing left to do is updating our own businesses and personal computers, and rest still trusting that what ever procedures were taken to face the millenium bug problem will work out.