Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Consumer Behavior Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Consumer Behavior Bachelor - Essay Example This product-centric view of market segments has been long discarded as being inadequate for very logical and plausible reasons. For any given product or service, there are usually at least four or five different segments of prospective customers that may utilize that product to solve a particular problem or satisfy a specific need. Each one of these segments will have different needs and values. But companies with a product-centric view cannot even sight these differences not to approach the issue of comprehending them and using them to advantage in their marketing plans. They end up treating the various customers' segments with a one-size-fits-all, generic solution. This fixated view is virtually a chink in the armor which competitors are waiting to pounce upon. In fact such an approach works to leave entry gates to the various segments wide open to the competitor. The competitor quietly enters in, reads the consumer needs and behavior and positions his products attributes and qual ities with requisite differentiation to make up a most relevant product bundle to the most valuable segment and skim it happily. Therefore it is a prudent marketing stance to examine in depth not only one's own products and services but also the market of users for such products and services. ... Market Segmentation We have always stayed with a short menu of brands as a strategic focus. Some critical buyer behavior shifts, however, have defined new segments. Newer needs have emerged which help consumers acquire and reinforce newer images. Our products have to transform to address these needs. First our smokers had turned health conscious primarily as a result of robust state funded and persistent campaign against smoking highlighting its hazards. The macho image of Marlboro man was overcast by dark health awareness clouds. Then there was a distinct movement towards several other 'light' consumer goods the consumption of which defined an entirely new segment of consumers; movement was fuelled by both factors viz.health consciousness as well as to be a part of this new sophisticated 'light' segment. We found that this movement was particularly strong among the young, educated urban dweller in the developed world. This was a fairly strong external stimuli driving consumers to Lights. This was imme diately set as the Marlboro Light's target group. We further discovered that this breed of consumer ate low fat spread, drank light beers, used ozone friendly deodorant, drove a lead free car and had a distinct preference to smoke Marlboro Lights. To many smokers around the world, Marlboro Lights presented a product image of a definitive light cigarette. It was serving two internal consumer ambitions viz to be identified as a Macho Man without hurting health or being Macho in a 'clinical' manner. Marlboro Light was a big success with this segment cutting across demographic lines. Soon a gap was perceived by us when we found

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Application On Blood Donation Using Android Platform

Application On Blood Donation Using Android Platform Android powers hundreds of millions of mobile devices in more than 190 countries around the world. Its the largest installed base of any mobile platform and growing fast-every day another million users power up their Android devices for the first time and start looking for apps, games, and other digital content. Android gives you a world-class platform for creating apps and games for Android users everywhere, as well as an open marketplace for distributing to them instantly. Android is revolutionizing the global cell phone market. Its the first open source mobile application platform. Android is a Linux based operating system designed primarily for touch screen mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers ,which Google backed financially and later brought in 2005, in collaboration with the open handset alliance. Android is an open source market where user can develop any application and get it publicized in the market. Android market is having approximately 4, 50,000 apps but there is no application available in the android market which motivates the public regarding blood donation. There are many factors that have allowed Android to become the worlds most widely used Smartphone platform, overtaking Sembilan in the fourth quarter of 2010, and the software of choice for technology companies who require a low-cost, customizable, lightweight operating system for high tech devices without developing one from scratch. As a result, despite being primarily designed for phones and tablets, it has seen additional applications on televisions, games consoles and other electronics. Androids open nature has further encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced users or bring Android to devices which were officially released running other operating systems. In this paper we propose algorithm which mainly aims at developing an android application which motivates the youngsters for donating blood and check whether they are eligible for donating or not. This application will serve as an effective tool for creating awareness in public. . Furthermore, we will try to demonstrate with an application that might be used by the people using android phones. Objectives By developing this application, we want to create awareness among the android users and motivate them to help the needful. This application will help the user in all the possible ways helpful in blood donation. Detailed problem Definition After a long research we found that there are no apps in the Google play store which motivates the public in donating blood and clearing there misconceptions. We found out that there is a requirement of an application which is helpful for people in many ways. As we all know that donating blood is a good deed but due to some misconceptions people hesitate in donating blood. By going through the applications already available, we found out that all the applications are lacking the feature of connecting the people who are interested in either donating the blood or they urgently require the blood. The main feature of our application is connectivity provided by us. The donors and receivers can contact to each other depending on their needs. Sometimes in urgency u may have thought of any platform from where we can get the details of hospitals, blood banks, important contact numbers and contact numbers of social organizations but we fail to get such an application or platform. We found out that there are apps on internet but they are lacking some of utilities which we had developed in our application. Solution Methodology Registering Donors The one who would be using this application is requested to register for the cause. The process of registration is simple no complex interface is used for the same, everyone is welcome for registration. Even a person can register for other person. The following fields for registration: Name Contact Number Gender Blood Group Last Date of Donation Regular Donor/not Email Address It creates a hub of donors who are available of android. People who are under age are also welcome for registration for prospective donation. The Process and fields are made simple or possible so that the user should not feel hectic while providing the details. Database The secondary utility of this application is to provide the user the details of various hospitals and blood banks. Irrespective of the application usage, if user wants the contact of hospital or blood bank he can easily get. Efforts are made to provide the nearest hospital and blood bank details with assistance of GPS technology Bulk Messaging For Camps. As we know social organizations and NGOs come in front for organizing blood donation camps at various places with this application we provide another platform for broadcasting about the event. For this cause, the NGOs can contact using email or Face book page which is also is also administrated. About checking the genuine news of the event the registered donor will be send a message automatically. Even if the user is not under donation period he can spread the news to his friends or relatives regarding the blood donation camp. Motivation and clearing the misconceptions related to blood donation Our application contains videos and photo albums which plays a very important role in motivating the public. The videos contain motivational quotes and phrases. For clearing the doubts and confusions of the users regarding blood donation, we have created a FAQ section in which all the important questions are displayed. We had also introduced ask questions by using this user can ask questions. Working User Interface of this application asks the user to choose an option by displaying an option menu. Menu includes the various tabs namely registering donors tab, direct link to some hospitals, motivational videos, and social networking links. A very special thing about this application is that it includes FAQs (Frequently asked questions) section which is fastest way to clear the doubts of the users. Addition to that, application includes another option through which user can raise his personal questions; the question will be replied by the application administrator at earliest so that the dignity of application is maintained. The interface of the application is made as simple as possible so that even a new user can get familiar to it and use it to full extent. The On-device view icon of the application looks like: When the user click the application icon then the second page opens displaying various menu options. On clicking the first option of the menu that is ABOUT. The following page opens and it contains the details regarding the application. When the user clicks the registration menu option the following page is displayed which registers the users and save all the details. When the user clicks on the option CMC Hospital it redirected to the CMCs Blood Bank Homepage. Motivation videos Option open the following page which contains some motivational videos. If the User will have any queries regarding our application and its working he can contact the developer/Administrator. Conclusion This application will help the android users to get information about blood donation. The need of blood donation and all the queries related to that. We had focused on the productivity of the application by maintaining a database of the donors containing their contact numbers and email ids so that we can make the most of it. We had designed the application in such a way that it helps the user in all possible ways when he or she needs help. If time will permit we will add more features and improve the productivity of the application. Referential Web Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/ Google http://www.google.co.in/ Android.com http://developer.android.com/guide/components/index.html

Friday, October 25, 2019

Evolution in the United States Education System Essay -- Essays Papers

Evolution in the United States Education System In July of 1925, a Tennessee high school teacher named John Scopes sat in a court room facing a violation of state law by teaching evolution, the idea that human beings and monkeys share a similar ancestry. This was no ordinary trial, this was the â€Å"trial of the century†; it featured heavy media attention, it was a battle between two of the best attorneys in the nation, and it raised many questions about evolution and creation, the theory that human beings were put on Earth by God. Today, these questions still are not answered, with cases and debates still popping up 78 years after the famous â€Å"monkey trial,† with the same issues at hand: creation versus evolution (Futuyma 6). The evolution theory goes back to the times of the Greeks, who believed that humans went through a form of evolution. Later on in the 18th and 19th centuries, many scientists and philosophers from Europe wrote theories pertaining to evolution. Finally, in 1859 On the Origins of Species, a book on observations by Englishman Charles Darwin, was published explaining his theory, that in the long run, the fittest of all species survive, passing on different characteristics to help the next generation survive. This theory changed the aspects of biology and sparked much controversy in society. Beginning in the 1870s in the United States, about ten years after Darwin released his controversial book, Southern Christians began to fight the idea of evolution, while in the North, much was not made of the topic. It was almost completely ignored. In the early 1900s, teaching of evolution had become pretty normal in an American elementary, middle, or high school, although sometimes with some controversy. In the... ...d J. (1998). Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion. Boston: Harvard University Press. Levenson, J.C. (2004). The age of Darwin. Raritan, 23 (3). 115-149. Linder, Douglas. (2002). Tennessee vs. John Scopes Monkey Trial. Retrieved April 19, 2004, from http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm Morgan, Jeffrey P. (2003) Reading race into the Scopes trial. Journal of American History, 90 (3). 891. Robinson, B.A. Teaching of Evolution of U.S. schools. Retrieved: March 30, 2004, from http://religioustolerance.org/ev_school.htm Shultz, Lynne H. Summary of Evolution in Public Schools. Retrieved: April 19, 2004, from http://infidels.org/activist/state/evolution.shtml Scopes, John T. & Presley, James. (1967). Center of the Storm. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston Books

Thursday, October 24, 2019

India Post Strategy

Term Project ? Table of Contents Operations Constraints Matrix3 Flexibility3 Cost5 Quality7 Structural Decisions7 Capacity7 Facilities8 Process Technology9 Sourcing and Vertical Integration10 Infrastructural Decisions12 Operations Constraints Matrix Flexibility is about the operation being able to change what it does quickly. How quickly can the organization change the mix of products and services it is offering to the customer? Changing consumer tastes affects demand levels and the product range desired.For an organization to stay competitive, it needs to be able to respond to these changes with flexibility. †¢Can the organization react to demand changes and increase or decrease the volume of output in response? †¢Is a wide range of products or services on offer? Can the organization bring new product/service designs to market quickly so it is in a position to meet changing customer needs? Providing flexibility in delivery options, both the manner and the timing give an op portunity for differentiation. In case of Indian Postal Service, they are high on flexibility parameter.The range of products / services for Indian Post suits to people from all economic level, almost all customers can avail all the services of India Post in all location. India Post postal services are under two heads, Mail services and Premium Services. Mail Services LetterThe communication is enclosed in an envelope and addressed Inland letter cardCommunication is contained on a sheet of paper with prescribed size & folding, for transmission within India only. Post cardOpen communication on a card of prescribed size. Available in two varieties: Single & reply post card. Post cards are for transmission within India only.Printed Post cardPost cards containing communication recorded by printing, cyclostyling or by any other mechanical process are classified as ‘Printed Post Cards'. Printed matter includes printed pictures also. Blind literature packetPapers of any kind, periodi cals and books impressed in â€Å"Braille† or other special type for the use of blind are allowed to be transmitted by post as Blind literature packets. ParcelAnything can be sent in a parcel excepting articles whose transmission is prohibited. RegistrationThe postal article that is registered is given identification and is recorded at every stage of handling.Letters, letter cards, Book and Pattern Packets, Parcels, News papers prepaid with postage may be registered for transmission at any post office. The registered postal article is delivered specifically to the addressee. VPL/VPPThe Value Payable Letter or Value Payable Parcel is paid for at the time of receipt. Premium Services Speed PostSpeed Post is market leader in domestic express industry, for providing time-bound and express delivery of letters ’ documents and parcels across the nation and around the world Express ParcelExpress Parcel Post is an ideal service for sending the parcels up to 35 kg within India.I t is fast and reliable, provides door-to-door convenience and pick-up from customer’s premises service. Business PBusiness Post is a one-stop shop service to manage entire mail-out process. It provides cost-effective and professional mailing services, including printing, collating, inserting, sealing, and addressing to meet specific business needs. Media PostMedia Post is an innovative and effective vehicle for Brand and Marketing Managers to communicate their corporate message across the nation.Greeting PostGreeting Post is an innovative product of India Post comprises of a card with envelop with pre-printed postage stamp upon the envelope. It used to express yourself perfectly on every occasion, festival or event. Logistics PostLogistics Post caters to any demand for moving goods, parcels and consignments in terms of delivery deadline and quality of service. It offers the possibility of monitoring the delivery progress at all times. Comparison with the other players in Post al / Courier service India PostDTDC CourierBluedart CourierNo fixed delivery time guaranteeService include next business day delivery guaranteeService include next business day delivery guarantee Media post offer advertisement opportunity to marketing managerDedicated for courier and parcel delivery, no specific service like advertising Dedicated for courier and parcel delivery, no specific service like advertising Wide reach within India, specifically high penetration in rural IndiaWide reach but rural penetration is not as deep as India PostWide reach but rural penetration is not as deep as India Post Offers registered post service, where consignment is handed over to only specific addressee General service, and couriers can be received by any individual within corporation / homeGeneral service, and couriers can be received by any individual within corporation / home Consignment tracking is limited to premium products deliveryConsignment tracking facility is available for all kind s of deliveriesConsignment tracking facility is available for all kinds of deliveries Prices band is high and weight range starts from as minimum as 25gms for deliveryPrice band is narrow and weight range starts usually from 500gmsPrice band is narrow and weight range starts usually from 500gms Single delivery timing, no customized service as customer requires, although service for guaranteed timely delivery availableConsignment delivery can be defined by customers with a minimum duration of Next business day 1030AM within same time zone Consignment delivery can be defined by customers with a minimum duration of Next business day 1030AM within same time zone No special facility for weekends like Saturday or SundaySpecial pick up facility for Saturday and delivery on SundayNo specific delivery facility for weekends Proof of delivery is claimable on paid basisProof of delivery is visible online for freeProof of delivery is visible online for free Greeting card delivery, special printe d card delivery service No special greeting card delivery service at presentNo special greeting card delivery service at present Freight on delivery service available business Freight on delivery service available business Freight on delivery service available business International deliveries service available with maximum eight of 100kgInternational deliveries service available with maximum weight of 10000kgInternational deliveries service available with maximum weight of 100kg No packing, box packaging service, pick up service available on paid basisProvide packing, loading, box packaging service, free pick up serviceProvide packing box, box packaging services, free pick up service Cost is the last objective to be discussed but clearly not the least. For organizations that have adopted a low cost strategy it is the most important objective. The lower the cost of producing the goods the lower price that can be offered to customers, which in turn will boost sales and profits. Even organizations that seek to gain their competitive advantage through differentiation are keen to lower their cost basis because that will lead to improvements in profit levels. To be able to deliver a cost advantage an organization has to analyze where operation costs are incurred.When considering a service industry, like hospitals, the biggest cost element will be staff costs, then facility and technology costs followed by bought-in materials and services. Many costs in a hospital operation are fixed and will not vary according to the number of patients treated. That is to say those facilities like beds, operating theatres or laboratories are as expensive as are the highly specialized staff. These are all needed to be available if not all of the time, then most of it. That obviously has cost implications. Generally, the level of costs depends on the volume and variety of output and how variable is demand. Variety of outputs leads to greater levels of complexity and therefore increas ed costs. Cost is dependent on the other performance objectives.Improvements in each of the other four will lead to cost reductions. The relative priority of the performance objectives is determined by the demands of customers and the actions of competitors. Making these decisions on priorities links back to the statement in the strategy of what business the organization is in and who are its customers. Selling to customers who insist on error-free products requires the organization to concentrate on its quality performance. Consumer segments that are looking for low-priced products or services will lead the organization to emphasize its cost performance. In case of India Post, reaching to the mass is part of their mission.They operate at locations where, revenues do not even cover 15% of expenses. They have more than 89% of their offices in rural areas, where the cost of operation is usually higher than revenues. Even the post office in urban areas, the target given is to earn a pr ofit of 5% beyond their operating cost. India Post caters primarily in rural areas and therefore its emphasis on offering very low / economical prices to customer irrespective of their operating cost. Private postal service agencies have their motive of earning profit from business, therefore they highly emphasize on providing value service to their customers. They focus on limited services designed to fulfill general need of customers.Their service portfolio is transforming from delight services to order winning services. They emphasize on excelling in providing order winner services and compete in limited range of services. Pricing offered by India Post: India post premier service of simple post card is in no comparison with any other service agency. It is most cost effective way of mail hitherto in India. Apart from post cards, letters, India Post offers standard fixed rates for all customers depending on distance (irrespective of place of origin or destination). Speed Post: Weig htLocal (within municipal limits)Upto 200 Kms201 to 1000 Kms1001 to 2000 KmsAbove 2000 Kms Up to 50 gramsINR 15INR 35INR 35INR 35INR 35 1 grams to 200 gramsINR 25INR 35INR 40INR 60INR 70 201 grams to 500 gramsINR 30INR 50INR 60INR 80INR 90 Additional 0. 5 kg or part thereofINR 10INR 15INR 30INR 40INR 50 Express Parcel Post: WeightLocal (within municipaI limits)Upto 500 Kms. 501 to 1000 Kms. 1001 to 2000 Kms. Above 2000 Kms. Up to 2kg3550607090 Additional 1kg or part thereof58122535 India Post does not offer the air-mail service for domestic deliveries, whereas private players like Bluedart, DTDC, and Firstflight etc have the air mail service that offers next day delivery guarantee. Therefore, the prices of services offered by different agencies can be compared on the surface mode. Cost of parcel up to 500gms 500gmsIndia PostBluedartDTDC ithin city30200 Ambala50200 Amritsar60200 Mumbai80200 Calicut90210 Cost of parcel up to 10kg 10kgIndia PostBluedartDTDC within city75250 Ludhiana114 250 Ahmadabad156290 Mumbai270290 Calicut370290 India post is more cost effective and economical than other private players. It is high on providing cost effective services to its customer than its competitors. Due to its pan India reach, and easy access in rural areas, other private players cannot compete in cost factor. Quality, whether you are running a hospital or a retail superstore, is about doing things right so that error-free goods and services are delivered that are fit for their purpose.Quality encompasses both the quality of the design of the product in terms of aesthetics, reliability and performance and the quality of the process that delivers the product or service. Quality of delivery process has direct impact on costs and dependability. Quality is a major source of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Poor quality products or poor quality of service are likely to put the customer off returning, leading to future lost sales. For service sector like postal / couri er service, the primary quality factors can be following: †¢Ease of accessibility – availability, easy reach †¢Customer focus – language, service, waiting time Reliability of service design – useful for customer, trust on the service †¢Conformance to specifications – delivery on time as committed, rates as specified, influence to change or modify requisite service †¢High delivery performance – delivery at the right place, right time, right person Speed Speed is all about how long customers wait before receiving their service. Addressing the speed objective requires the organization to pay attention to the cycle time involved in their new product development. An organization also has to pay attention to its scheduling and capacity planning as well as inventory management to be able to deliver on the speed objective. Reducing inventory will also impact on obtaining a cost advantage. Speed is an important factor considering that a lot of parcels are required to reach on time and are often related to business.As such, almost all the courier services have a special service catering to this constraint. In case of India Post, .No. Services/TransactionSuccess IndicatorsService StandardsUnit AService Standards of various services for Departmental Post Offices 1MailsTime from posting / booking to delivery†¢ Excludes day of posting, holidays and Sundays. †¢ Maximum time. †¢ Articles posted before cut off time. Unit in Days /Minutes etc. 1. 2Delivery of First class mail i. e. , letters, postcards, Inland letter cards, etc. Local* and between Metro Cities** * Local – within Municipal City limits ** Metro- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. 2Days Rest of India4-6 1. 3Delivery of : †¢ Registered / Insured articles Express Parcel Post †¢ Second Class Mails i. e. Parcels, Book Packets, Registered Newspapers, etc. Local* and between Metro Cities** * Local – withi n Municipal City limits ** Metro- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. 3Days Rest of India5-7 1. 4Delivery of Speed Post articlesLocal* and between Metro Cities** * Local – within Municipal City limits ** Metro- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. 2Days Rest of India4-6 1. 5International EMS articles†¢ All International Mail articles are subject to customs examination. †¢ Period for customs examination/detention is not included in the service standards. 4-10DaysDTDC on the other hand provides a lot of services catering to this need which is case specific: DTDC Domestic2-7 daysNormal deliveries (city specific) Value added service (Speed)Days to deliverSpecifications DTDC PlusAssured Next business day delivery†¢To metros and major cities in India Prime Time Plus (PTP) PTP 10. 30 and PTP 12. 00 within the next possible business day†¢Time-critical Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Customer (B2C) Segments. â⠂¬ ¢From select origins to select pin codes at Metro locations. DTDC Blueassured second business day delivery†¢To places far and wide across the country In addition to it, DTDC provides money bank guarantee in case a delivery is not made on time on its Value added services. Blue dart Dart Surfaceline2-7 daysDistance specific Premium ServicesDart Apex1-2 daysFor commercial shipments Domestic PriorityNext dayFor time-critical parcels DP 10. 30 and DP 12. 00Time specific, within a day Blue dart, like DTDC provides money back guarantee in case a delivery is not made on time on its premium services. As such, Speed of India post is comparable to most of its competitors as far as value based services are concerned. Though, at few places delivery is guaranteed the very next day and before a specific time, which is not provided by India post. Some services like Air to Air which ask customers to collect the post from the Airport for a faster delivery is provided by some of its competitor s.Also, unlike DTDC and Blue Dart do not provide money back guarantee on a delay though they provide money back guarantee if a parcel is lost or damaged. This feature allows other players to create a better perception among consumers with respect to speed. Dependability Dependability is, of course, about consistency. An organization’s processes have to be geared up to consistently meeting a promised delivery time for a product or service. Customers are unlikely to be satisfied by an increase in delivery speed if it is not matched by consistent performance. This will require that an organization has systems in place to identify problems early and be flexible enough in its planning to be able to move to a plan B as necessary. The dependability of India post is an issue.Though its registered post is known for dependability in terms of security and handling, but the consistency in speed is still a concern in terms of dependability. The targeted dependability of 95% deliveries on time is far from the reality. Though a lot of premium services are delivered on time, but the general posts are often delayed or sometimes are even lost. When talked to an employee working in India Post, Dependability came out as one of the major reasons why people prefer high priced courier services provided by competitors over India Post. Structural Decisions An effective operations organization is one that meets the need of strategic business units competitive strategy.Therefore, once the type of differentiation has been specified , management must ensure that its operations organization is configured and managed in such a way that there is no one best way for dealing with any business problem – whether one is making, delivering, or selling a service, designing a management information / quality system, or measuring performance. In every situation, one must make choices that reflect one’s context, goals, resources and personnel. Translating the business strategy int o appropriate tangibles and intangibles involves different structural and infrastructural decisions and tradeoffs. The structural and infrastructural decisions in service industry are derived from manufacturing operations. Structural decisions address all the issues that are relevant to Capacity, Facilities, Process Technology and Sourcing (vertical integration). CapacityCapacity management is defined as â€Å"ensuring a service has the capability to meet the demand experiences, like wise capacity management is a response to demand†. Service delivery process depends on three basic factors to achieve the expected output: 1. Service load that illustrates the variety of service being offered, the variation of demand and the management of demand 2. Capacity task that illustrates forecasting methods, scheduling, bottleneck management, prioritizing and altering capacity that are used to manage capacity task successfully 3. Capacity leakage, in other words the degree that there are quality failures, scheduling losses, labor lateness, labor underperformance and changeovers FacilitiesFacility network is the configuration of an operating network in allocating various service centers and contact points. In Mail Service industry, facility is the reach of agency to the customers at different location and various services that can be offered in that service center keeping in mind the objectives and goals of company. India Post has one of the objectives as â€Å"To provide basic postal facilities, i. e. , collection and delivery of mails, within easy reach (1. 5 kms) of all people and businesses. This is to be achieved through opening of more post offices, relocation of existing post offices, giving out franchisees to individuals, shops, institutions, self-help groups, etc. In order to achieve this objective, they constantly thrive to open new service centers at desirable places and shutoff from redundant locations. Apart from post offices, there are approximately 5. 7 lacs letterboxes, processed by network of Mail Offices and conveyed by rail, road, and airlines all over the country to reach the customers. Postal operations at the post office counter encompass the entire gamut of basic postal service that include sale of stamps, booking of registered articles, insured articles, value payable articles, booking of parcels and other banking transaction. Below data shows the penetration of India Post in rural and urban segment. Year2011201020092008Urban13904089. 78%13918289. 81%13914489. 76%12548980. 94% Rural1582610. 22%1579710. 19%1587110. 24%2954619. 06% Total154866100. 00%154979100. 00%155015100. 00%155035100. 00% State wise presence of post offices in India: Andaman102Dadar and Nagar Haveli39J&K1656 Andhra Pradesh16152Daman & Diu20Jharkhand3092 Arunachal Pradesh295Delhi531Karnataka9761 Assam4023Goa263Kerala5054 Bihar9015Gujarat8934Lakhasdweep10 Chandigarh51Haryana2662MP8031 Chattisgarh3119Himachal Pradesh2778Maharashtra12490 Manipur697Rajasth an10338 Meghalaya475Sikkim209 Mizoram409Tamilnadu11897 Nagaland328Tripura710 Orissa8192U. P. 17584 Pondicherry91Uttarakhand2719 Punjab3842W. B. 8700Each facility center in the network is independent in itself, thereby satisfying the condition of Horizontal Networks, but each central / metro / common facility center is dependent on the traffic / mail at other service centers also, thereby working as Mixed Network Structures. India post has about 387 mail offices to process the mails through its network and conveyed by rail, road, and airlines all over the country. Facility decision in mail service sector includes the office layout, customer support, guidance, and customer interface with employees, basic facilities for employees and services available. India Post is oldest mail service in India and some of the offices of India Post are very old.The ambience, infrastructure, facilities is not comparable to private agency offices, which are equipped with modern infrastructure and facili ties. â€Å"Project Arrow† is a step toward modernization of post offices. It focuses on creating conducive and friendly work environment for staff and customers, information technology enabled services and improving the quality of core business services, primarily focusing in rural areas. It has been implemented in more than 15000 post offices and more post offices are in process of implementation. In comparison to private service providers, India Post has maximum reach, are available at the last mile. Private agencies are working for profit maximization therefore they operate in limited space, and their presence is imited to metro cities and some critical business locations. Due to limited offices and service centers, they have made their offices IT enabled and customer friendly. Process Technology The meaning of the process technology lies behind the meaning of focus. Well-managed service organizations are characterized by a high degree of focus. Better focusing such as th e utilization of classification schemes, refers to †¢to delivery systems that allow customers to have high contact with the system †¢easy segregation / sorting of mails †¢ease of tracking †¢improving the quality of delivery †¢connection of various location with centralized database †¢management information system and database maintenanceAutomation and information technology leads to cost savings, consistent and reliable services, it helps to increases the availability of a service operations and the speed of service delivery process that helps in marketing and customer benefits. In mail service, the level of automation depends on amount of load, types of services, quantity of parcels, cost, and risk appetite of the company. For India Post, the scope of Automation and upgradation in process technology can be defined in many areas: †¢Computerized booking of mails and parcels †¢Segregation / sorting of mail according to destination through bar co de scanner †¢RFID technology to track the consignment location in real time †¢Hand held devices to confirm the delivery status on real time basis †¢Centralized data management Automatic loading of mails in the Transporting Mode †¢Automatic packing of goods and mail to utilize as full load (except in case of lower quantity) †¢Connectivity of all facility centers to check the system information in real time †¢Advance booking and pick up parcel †¢Centralized database to better control the address database of customers India Post is lagging in automation of its process. It has implemented barcode technology in most of its services, but it is not fully supported by its aging staff. Most of the post offices in the rural areas are manually functioning. Many post offices, Mail offices, Administrative offices are not yet computerized.Automatic letter sorting machine is under installation in four metropolitan cities of India, which can increase the sorting s peed to approx. 35000 per hour. In addition, Mixed Mail sorting machine are also under process of implementation to sort large size letters, parcels/packets to the speed of about 16000 per hour. These machines will help to automate the process with better speed, quality and efficiency. As compared to private mail service providers, most of the offices are fully computerized, with full system integration with centralized server. Their offices are connected with real time information system and the core business functions are controlled through IT. Sourcing and Vertical IntegrationSourcing is an important structural aspect of an operations organizations encompasses decision regarding how much of the total work required to create and deliver its services will be done internally and how much can be outsourced from outside organizations. In service industry, outsourcing can reduce the cost of operation. Strategic control in the operation decides the level of outsourcing in mail service. India Post is operating under huge geographical exposure. As a part of its public service, it has to reach to the last consumer in the map. Establishing self-employed service centers at all operating location is costly proposition, therefore to maintain the presence and cost effectiveness it has to outsource some of its activities in the extreme areas of operation. Apart from its front office activities, India Post has scope for outsourcing at almost every stage of operation. Post office maintenance at certain location as per India Post terms and Condition †¢Transportation of dak / mail by road, rail and air through third party agency rather than self procuring the trucks and loaders †¢Deploying a local team for post office maintenance at distant location, but centralized control through district head or regional head post office †¢Dealership and franchise network apart from regular staff †¢Liaison with government organizations and PSU’s to deliver all the mails of govt. institutions through India Post Front office counter franchise India post has a franchise scheme that offers various products and services in urban and upcoming urban areas.Basic features of the Urban franchise model: †¢It provides only counter services, delivery and transmission lies with India post. †¢Provision of services under franchise across the counter for a minimum defined time schedule with flexibility to work round the clock Products and services offered †¢Sale of Stamps and stationery †¢Booking registered articles, speed post articles, money orders, e-post etc. †¢Functioning as an agent for PLI and provide related after sales service, including collection of premia (subject to fulfillment of criteria for PLI agents). †¢Marketing products for which the Department has a corporate agency or tie-up and provide related follow up services (subject to agreement with the other organizations involved). Providing retail and bill/tax/fin e collection/payment services of the Department (Subject to agreement with the other organizations involved) †¢Facilitating the provision of e-governance and citizen-centric services (subject to agreement with the other organizations involved) †¢Any other service introduced by the Department in future through its outlets which is considered amenable to the franchisee model. (subject to agreement with the other organizations involved) Transportation Service The transportation of mail is through various modes 1. By hand 2. Surface line, road transport 3. Surface line, rail transport 4. Air line, Plane transport India Post has manages mail transportation with their own facilities as well as third party service providers. India post has huge employee base to deliver the post by hand to the recipients, but for the transportation on surface and air, it has its own vehicles and also arrangements with third party logistics vendors.Air transport – international deliveries, I ndia Post has tie-up with premier DHL logistics Mail Motor Services (MMS) – For transmission of mail between mail offices and post offices between cities, India Post has its own fleet of 1282 vehicles, full-fledged maintenance workshop facilities Rail transport – for long distance transmission of mails, India Post has tie-up with Indian Railways Scope for Sourcing 1. Road transportation – India post can outsource the transmission of mails between cities and reduce the load of maintenance and fixed fleet expenses, third party service dedicated to India Post can help in focusing on timely delivery and maintenance of quality service. It offload the risk of transportation, maintenance expenses, buying-selling of vehicles etc 2. Franchise for rural areas – India Post franchise scheme is primarily for Urban Areas where the post office is justified but cannot be opened.For India Post, the focus of expanding the reach should be associated with cost factor. As in urban areas, the cost of opening a post office would be high. Similarly, operating cost in the far distant rural areas will also be high. In order to minimize the cost of operation, India Post can outsource some of its urban offices, and similarly rural office, where the cost of operation for local would be lesser than setting up self-employed service centers. 3. Long-term contracts with Customers – India Post can leverage on its wide presence, and govt. institution tag for getting long-term contracts with other govt. institutions and PSUs for delivery of all mails through India Post.This will ensure dedicated source of Income for India Post, and beyond that, it will be a great financial assistance to serve the rural areas. Infrastructural Decisions A company’s operations infrastructure is composed of its policies and systems governing a number of activities, from capital budgeting and equipment selection to organizational structure. Each of these systems often has rep ercussions and implications for other infrastructural and structural elements. Resource allocation and capital budgeting systems Human Resource systems India Post has workforce, which is old aged, there has been no fresh recruitment in India Post from many years for junior and senior level management positions.In the present system, where consumer are growing at fast pace, and the technology and information system is growing in the industry, there is need of well-informed and responsive workforce that can understand the existing IT and customers need. Due to aging workforce, computer literacy among the employees is not at par and training and development of employees has taken a back step in the policies of India Post. Although, India Post organizes many training program for its middle / senior level management employees but due to aging factor, the life expectancy in the organization as well the contribution in the organization is limited. Work Planning and Control systems Quality systemsThe quality system has been focused upon by India post since 2005-06. With the prioritization of computerization in 2006-07 for the development of India post, the Government has laid focus on improving service levels and to enable electronic networking of about 1, 30,000 rural Post Offices. Recently, A Plan costing Rs. 1877. 2 Crores has been formulated to computerize the Post Offices in Rural areas to further improvise on this front. Project Arrow was launched in April 2008. The project envisages up gradation of Post Offices in urban and rural areas both in terms of upgrading and enhancing the quality of service in â€Å"core areas† and improving their â€Å"look and feel†.The project aims at creating a conducive and friendly work environment both for the staff and the customers visiting the Post Offices, providing all IT enabled services through secure connectivity, improving the service quality levels in the core business areas e. g. Mail delivery, Remittance s both electronic and manual and Postal Savings schemes. The â€Å"Look and Feel† activity focuses on improvement in Branding, Information Technology, Human Resource and Infrastructure. Based on the audit report of Project Arrow conducted over 50 post offices of 10 states: 1. In terms of Performance on Mail Delivery, Registered letter performances were 99 %, where as the figures for Ordinary mail varied between 94 to 100%. For Speed post it ranged between 98 to 99 %. 2.In terms of time taken for delivery of letters, post offices scored between 90 to 92% during the 3 rounds of Audit though a higher score was expected. Till June 2012, the Project has been implemented in respect of monitoring of core areas in more than 15,500 Post Offices and â€Å"Look and Feel† has been improved in 1,530 Post Offices. The Government has recently started a new Automated Mail Processing Centre (AMPC) in Delhi on August 20, 2012 to improve mail quality with next-generation sorting centres and to modernize the mail processing operations at India Post. The new letter sorting machine can sort 35,000 letters per hour, while the mixed mail sorter can process 20,000 letters, packets and small parcels an hour.The automated sorting systems should â€Å"considerably† improve sorting errors and improve the quality of mail services, the government said, with the new mixed mail sorter scanning tracking barcodes automatically as items are being sorted. Processing efficiency should also improve because mail can be sorted in a single run, while manual sorting had required a second stage of sorting. As per an interview given by Siemens, the developer of AMPC, to the media; â€Å"The automation route will â€Å"significantly† reduce processing time and save â€Å"considerable† cost for the Indian postal department. Handwriting or language is no longer a barrier as the special IVR by Siemens can read various scripts e. g. Greek, Cyrilic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Hindi.For the postal centers at Delhi and Kolkata, this machine will be able to read English and Hindi and as a result will enable Department of Post to provide better and more efficient services with hig h level of productivity† . From quality aspects as such, the ministry is taking measures like the introduction of AMPC and Project Arrow to improvise the quality. Still, a lot of rural villages are not computerized and timely delivery of mails has been a major issue. Also, the technologies like AMPC need to reach out to more major cities for further reducing the cost and improve service levels. The Government provides money bank guarantee of Rs 500 on damage or loss of any parcel but no specifications regarding this are provided.As such, a lot of people prefer other courier services to send valuable or important mails/parcels. Measurement and reward systems One of the major problems with India post is the undefined promotion structure. The employees are bound for a fixed pay and no variable pay/ Incentives are provided. The promotion is based on experience rather than utility/ quality and irrespective of poor showing at work, job security is provided which makes the system lazy. Frequent transfer of employees and low growth potential for an individual are few other concerns which needs to be addressed upon along with a continuous feedback system of employees. Product and process development systemsIndia Post although the oldest and most significant player in mail service but with time the competitors has taken a lead and the social obligation of India Post has put them in back step in process development, improvement and fast implementation. The project team for process improvisation works on the guidelines given by the members after approval for the Ministry of Telecommunications and IT, larger projects has to get the approval from the ministry before commencement. Organization structure The organization structure of India Post is a complex organizati on structure (Exhibit 1). It has many vertical layers and simultaneously horizontal divisions. India Post is a government body, therefore the bureaucratic organization structure is inevitable, it has members deputed by Govt. of India as well as personnel that are recruited by India Post itself.Due to various business dimensions (postal mail service, PF fund, MNREGA fund, Bank, Finance, Forex etc) of India Post, each business vertical is treated as separate business unit and therefore makes the structure more complex. The organization structure is a centralized, and bureaucratic, power to take decision lies with the senior management and staff is primarily to do the regular business / operational activities. Operations Strategy for India Post Considering, the fact that India post is the Govt. institutional body and their prime focus is to serve the mass market by offering its services at lowest possible rates with high quality and good speed.In addition, India Post desires to be self -sustaining organization, it involves trade-offs between operation strategy matrix parameters (Price, Quality, Dependability, Flexibility and Speed). They can make their product primarily in two segments: 1. Business Mails2. General Mails General Mails – it is for mass market focusing on public, for cost sensitive customers (primarily poor people), delivery of mails to any location with a specified time delivery. Business Mails – it is specialized service, other than just sending mails (other than General Mails), the prices should be competitive with other private players, delivery time specified, service customization as required by the customers. E. g. speed post, registered post, logistics, parcels and box parcel etc. Exhibit 1 : Organization Structure, India Post

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Romanticism vs Rationalism

Romanticism vs Rationalism Romantics value Individuality while, Rationalist value conformity. In the Poem â€Å"Ode: Intimation of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood† by William Wordsworth, stanza VII deals with conformity. The young man will have to â€Å"fit his tongue to dialogues f business, love, strife† (Wordsworth 13-14) just so that he fits in. He is trying to conform to the ‘imaginary’ rules of society. Another way he conforms is when he is a â€Å"little Actor [that] cons another part† (Wordsworth 18). It’s like instead of him being himself he takes on different parts.He wants to fit into the crowd instead of being an individual. On the other hand in the poem â€Å"Saturday at the Canal† by Gary Soto, there is a 17 year old guy that hates where he is. He wants to go to San Francisco to â€Å"be with people who knew more than three chords on a guitar† (Soto 13-14); people that were following their own indi viduality. He also did something different then all the people he knew, he â€Å"didn’t drink or smoke† (Soto 14). Most teenagers drink to fit in with the ‘cool’ people but, he goes against the grain. Rationalism is being safe and fitting into society while, Romanticism is being yourself-different.Another aspect of Romanticism is innocence, and experience being Rationalism. In â€Å"Ode: Intimation of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood† stanza V it talks about the innocence of a young child. â€Å"Heaven lies about us in our infancy† (Wordsworth 9) when we our born. Everyone says that heaven is the purest thing out there; they also say babies are. Being so pure makes them innocent because they don’t know the difference between right or wrong. But innocence doesn’t last forever the boy â€Å"beholds the light† (Wordsworth 12) of innocence.The boy starts to experience more and loses his innocence. In â€Å"S aturday at the Canal† the 17 year old boy thought that â€Å"school was [just] a sharp check in the roll book† (Soto 2) because he thought he had experienced enough of that environment. Another way that he thought he was experienced was the he â€Å"knew more than three cords on a guitar† (Soto 13-14). Being able to do that made him capable of being better than the people around him. More experienced. These examples of Romanticism and Rationalism show the aspects of innocence and experience.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

An inspector calls is set in entirely one room Essays

An inspector calls is set in entirely one room Essays An inspector calls is set in entirely one room Essay An inspector calls is set in entirely one room Essay you admit being prejudiced against her case? By Mrs Birling Admitting to being prejudiced we find out that Mrs Birling is just as bad as the whole family because its partly her fault that Eva smith killed herself. The writer uses this admission to show that there was a big gap between the rich and the poor people were selfish and didnt care for society. I believe priestly is saying that if we dont care for each other then things like this will happen to us. This could make the audience ashamed of Mrs B because she had treated somebody badly, and make them consider their own actions towards others. Another way Priestly uses context to create tension is when Shelia and Gerald start arguing. With Sheila stating, Why you fool. This relates to context because preistly wanted to write about how wars began and this was a perfect example because all the fights at some level, have the potential to lead into war. This Therefore creates tension because the audience can link everything thats going on in the play to real life, and comprehend the warnings of the play. Priestley uses sound effects to create and maintain tension I know this because in the text he writes sharp ring of a front door bell when the inspector first arrives. By using the words sharp ring suggests it was loud and that it rudely cuts into the conversation and interrupts birlings speech. This could also have an effect on the audience by making them jump because they were so drawn into the speech. This means that the inspector could also have this sort of effect on them too. This therefore creates tension because everything else is silent as the front bell rings and the audience want to know who is at the door. This makes the audience intrigued. In Mr Birlings speech at the beginning of the play, he proudly states that as a hard-headed businessman he thinks there isnt a chance of war so priestly interrupted him because he might of wanted to shut him up because he was making such a fool of himself priestly already knew and he wanted to display the moral of this story Which is the fact of society how we as people treat each other. The door is used to similar effect later in the play with gerald they watch him go in silence. We hear the front door slam. By using the word silence suggests that the atmosphere is sad and everybody is depressed and ashamed. But this also makes the tension very high because Geralds secret has just been revealed and theyre all standing there, this could make the audience feel shocked and appalled at what they have just seen. By using this silence creates a sort of awkwardness for the audience. By using the word slam creates an aggressive atmosphere for the audience. This is also the technique of onomatopoeia. This loud noise breaks the silence and almost breaks the tension by surprising and waking the audience up alerting them to the high emotion the characters are feeling. As well as sound there is also silence which is sometimes more effective then sound we can see that when priestly writes Eric enters and the others are staring at him this is when Eric has just entered after the rest of the family were talking about him. This silence creates tension by the suspense because the audience are waiting for somebody to say something. Finally, perhaps one of the most effective devices in the whole play is the way priestly utilises the character of the inspector to maintain high levels of tension. In the inspectors final monologue preistly writes we are responsible for each other. if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish by using the words fire and blood and anguish This is the linguistic device of imagery which seems to suggest that if we dont care for one another we will be taught to in hell or through our deaths. This connects to the way of the main message of the play by priestly writing responsible for each other he is saying that this will happen to us if we dont care about each other. Birling was saying be selfish but priestly disagrees with the attitudes he gives to birling. The inspector says care for one another and preistly agrees with the ideas of the inspector. Another way the character of the inspector creates tension is when we find out the inspectors name Goole which is like ghoul which could mean ghost, this suggests that the inspector was actually a ghost and was never there in the first place and that he was just there to make them think about what they have done, that it was a warning of what can happen if they continue treating society and people badly. This creates tension because the audience want to know was he real or not? In conclusion I think that the plays main message was that if we didnt care for the society and the people around us we could be the reason bad things happen. This therefore reflects on the time the play was written, because at this period of time there was a big gap between the rich and the poor and people were selfish; in this play it shows that between the birling family and Eva smith that they couldnt care less about her until she was dead. Another way it reflects priestly views was that at that time there were lots of factories where people got treated badly just like Eva smith did before she committed suicide. The Inspector calls is set entirely in one room I think priestly was successful in doing this by creating tension because this creates the feel of claustrophobia as if they are trapped, nowhere to go until the answer is revealed this obviously creates tension because its almost like a bribe If you answer my question, you can go. And youre trapped unless you do.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Significant Leaders of the Russian Revolution essays

Significant Leaders of the Russian Revolution essays Revolutions in the past have occurred because of powerful dynamic leaders. The Russian Revolution implied complete and drastic change, but the revolutionaries were the people who tried to bring about such changes. Lenin and Stalin were influential revolutionary leaders that set up a new way of living and thinking which helped lead to the Russian Revolution. The Russian Revolution is regarded as one of the most remarkable events in human history. It brought an end to the Czarist regime. In its place, a republic was established. The success of the Russian Revolution changed the character of the nationalist revolutions in the colonial world. They were given new social and economic content. The Russian Revolution of 1917 transformed a poverty-stricken Czarist Russia into a superpower, under the guiding and very powerful and harsh spirits of Lenin, Stalin, and other leaders. The major leader of the Bolsheviks was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov who later adopted the name of Lenin. Lenin and the Bolsheviks took control of the government and lead it to the Bolshevik Revolution. The civil war in Russia and the revolution destroyed the Russian economy. Lenin shifted his role and started to revive the economy and reconstructed the government. This Bolshevik Revolution ushered in social, political and economic equality. It gave a turn to the current th oughts of socialism and communism. The communists in Russia struck at Czarism vigorously through a revolution and established a communist regime. Their communism was based on the doctrines of Karl Marx. Most people today when they hear of the word revolution think of political revolution and summon up visions of terror, bloodshed, and change brought about by a few with the use of a force. Revolution, therefore, means a threat, fear and something essentially evil to most people. An example of this definition was Russia under the rule of Joseph Stalin. After Lenin died, Stalin seized power and tra...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

General Billy Mitchell - Father of the US Air Force

General Billy Mitchell - Father of the US Air Force Billy Mitchell - Early Life Career: The son of wealthy Senator John L. Mitchell (D-WI) and his wife Harriet, William Billy Mitchell was born on December 28, 1879 at Nice, France. Educated in Milwaukee, he later enrolled at Columbian College (present-day George Washington University) in Washington, DC. In 1898, prior to graduating, he enlisted in the US Army with the goal of fighting in the Spanish-American War. Entering the service, Mitchells father soon used his connections to obtain his son a commission. Though the war ended before he saw action, Mitchell elected to remain in the US Army Signal Corps and spent time in Cuba and the Philippines. Billy Mitchell - An Interest in Aviation: Sent north in 1901, Mitchell successfully built telegraph lines in remote areas of Alaska. During this posting, he began studying Otto Lilienthals glider experiments. This reading, combined with further research, led him to conclude in 1906 that future conflicts would be fought in the air. Two years later, he witnessed a flying demonstration given by Orville Wright at Fort Myer, VA. Sent to the Army Staff College, he became the only Signal Corps Officer on the Army General Staff in 1913. As aviation was assigned to the Signal Corps, Mitchell was well placed to further develop his interest. Associating with many early military aviators, Mitchell was made deputy commander of the Aviation Section, Signal Corps in 1916. At age 38, the US Army felt that Mitchell was too old for flying lessons. As a result, he was forced to seek private instruction at the Curtiss Aviation School in Newport News, VA where he proved a quick study. When the US entered World War I in April 1917, Mitchell, now a lieutenant colonel, was en route to France as an observer and to study aircraft production. Traveling to Paris, he established an Aviation Section office and began connecting with his British and French counterparts. Billy Mitchell - World War I: Working closely with the Royal Flying Corps General Sir Hugh Trenchard, Mitchell learned how to develop aerial combat strategies and plan large-scale air operations. On April 24, he became the first American officer to fly over the lines when he rode with a French pilot. Quickly earning a reputation as a daring and tireless leader, Mitchell was promoted to brigadier general and given command of all American air units in General John J. Pershings American Expeditionary Force. In September 1918, Mitchell successfully planned and orchestrated a campaign using 1,481 Allied aircraft in support of ground forces during the Battle of St. Mihiel. Gaining air superiority over the battlefield, his aircraft aided in driving back the Germans. During his time in France, Mitchell proved a highly effective commander, but his aggressive approach and unwillingness to operate in the chain of command made him numerous enemies. For his performance in World War I, Mitchell received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and several foreign decorations. Billy Mitchell - Air Power Advocate: Following the war, Mitchell expected to be placed in command of the US Army Air Service. He was blocked in this goal when Pershing named Major General Charles T. Menoher, an artilleryman, to the post. Mitchell instead was made Assistant Chief of the Air Service and was able to retain his wartime rank of brigadier general. A relentless advocate for aviation, he encouraged US Army pilots to challenge records as well as promoted races and ordered aircraft to aid in fighting forest fires. Convinced that air power would become the driving force of war in the future, he pressed for the creation of an independent air force. Mitchells vocal support of air power brought him into conflict with the US Navy as he felt the ascent of aviation made the surface fleet increasingly obsolete. Convinced that bombers could sink battleships, he argued that aviation should be the US first line of defense. Among those he alienated was Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt. Failing to achieve his goals, Mitchell became increasingly outspoken and attacked his superiors in the US Army, as well as the leadership of the US Navy and White House for failing to understand the importance of military aviation. Billy Mitchell - Project B: Continuing to agitate, Mitchell managed in February 1921 to convince Secretary of War Newton Baker and Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to hold joint Army-Navy exercises in which his aircraft would bomb surplus/captured ships. Though the US Navy was reluctant to agree, it was compelled to accept the exercises after Mitchell learned of their own aerial testing against ships. Believing that he could succeed in wartime conditions, Mitchell also held that a thousand bombers could be built for the price of one battleship making aviation a more economical defense force. Dubbed Project B, the exercises moved forward in June and July 1921 under a set of rules of engagement that greatly favored the survivability of the ships. In the early tests, Mitchells aircraft sank a captured German destroyer and light cruiser. On July 20-21, they attacked the German battleship Ostfriesland. While the aircraft did sink it, they violated the rule of engagement in doing so. In addition, the circumstances of the exercises were not wartime conditions as all of the target vessels were stationary and effectively defenseless. Billy Mitchell - Fall from Power: Mitchell repeated his success later that year by sinking the retired battleship USS in September. The tests incensed President Warren Harding who wished to avoid any show of naval weakness immediately prior to the Washington Naval Conference, but did lead to increased funding for military aviation. Following a protocol incident with his naval counterpart, Rear Admiral William Moffett, at the beginning of the conference, Mitchell was sent overseas on an inspection tour. Returning to the US, Mitchell continued to criticize his superiors regarding aviation policy. In 1924, the commander of the Air Service, Major General Mason Patrick, sent him on a tour of Asia and the Far East to remove him from the limelight. During this tour, Mitchell foresaw a future war with Japan and predicted an aerial attack on Pearl Harbor. That fall, he again blasted the Army and Navy leadership, this time to the Lampert Committee. The following March, his term of Assistant Chief ended and he was exiled to San Antonio, TX, with the rank of colonel, to oversee air operations. Billy Mitchell - Court Martial: Later that year, following the loss of the US Navy airship USS , Mitchell issued a statement accusing the militarys senior leadership of almost treasonable administration of the national defense and incompetence. As a result of these statements, he was brought up on court-martial charges for insubordination at the direction of President Calvin Coolidge. Beginning that November, the court-martial saw Mitchell receive broad public support and notable aviation officers such as Eddie Rickenbacker, Henry Hap Arnold, and Carl Spaatz testified on his behalf. On December 17, Mitchell was found guilty and sentenced to a five-year suspension from active duty and loss of pay. The youngest of the twelve judges, Major General Douglas MacArthur, called serving on the panel distasteful, and voted not guilty stating that an officer should not be silenced for being at variance with his superiors in rank and with accepted doctrine. Rather than accept the punishment, Mitchell resigned on February 1, 1926. Retiring to his farm in Virginia, he continued to advocate for air power and a separate air force until his death on February 19, 1936. Selected Sources National Museum of the US Air Force: Brigadier General William Billy MitchellUS Army: William Billy MitchellEarly Aviators: Billy Mitchell

Saturday, October 19, 2019

US fiscal deficit Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

US fiscal deficit - Annotated Bibliography Example "Long Term Fiscal Imbalances, Us External Liabilities and Future Living Standards". The Long-Term International Economic Position of the United States. By Bergsten, C. Fred. 1st Ed. New York: Peterson Institute, 2009. 11 - 23. Print. This chapter of the book focuses on the rising deficit of USA , decreasing savings among corporate and households and increasing external debt liabilities of USA. It explores the interrelationship among the three. It warns that exports from USA are continually decreasing with the rise of China which makes our external debt huge. This external debt coupled with fiscal deficit can cause problems for the economy in future if the saving rate does not increase. Conason, Joe. "Dick Cheney was right : Deficits dont matter and Republicans who are complaining about Barak Obamas spending are hypocrites." 2009. Web. 19 Mar 2013. . This article is about 2 major points. The first point which has been raised is that although Republicans are having been responsible for raising most of the United States debt. The second point mentioned is that national debt does not really matter provided that it is incurred to create long term growth for the country. Productive debt which kick starts the economy is much more beneficial in the long term which more than covers the short term negative effects of the debt. Concordcoalition.org. "Understanding the Federal Debt Limit | The Concord Coalition." 2013. Web. 19 Mar 2013. .

Friday, October 18, 2019

Optimality Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Optimality Theory - Essay Example Joseph Paul Stemberger And Barbara Handford Bernhardt "The Emergence of Faithfulness" http://www.linguistics.ubc.ca/People/Stemberger/S_B_1999.pdf. Stemberger & Bernhardt, 1999 asserted "The basis of OT is the use of constraints rather than rules. Rules within language are procedures that construct representations and alter them in particular ways. Constraints, in contrast, are limitations on what is possible in a system. Constraints can also lead to the alteration of a representation such that information is lost or added. From a cognitive-psychological perspective, however, the mechanisms are quite different". (Stemberger & Bernhardt, 1999, pp. 417-446) If we conceptualize phonology as part of the process for producing and understanding language, the phonological properties of language must result from the fact that it is an extremely practiced behavior linked with the vocal tract of human beings. To move away from the more theoretical views of phonology, it is perhaps helpful to compare speaking to other moderately complex but repetitive neuron-motor activities, such as playing the piano. While a person learns to play the piano, he or she learns not just to strike notes, but to strike notes in sequence. Every piece of music has its own sequence of notes that should be learned. Practice is essential; the motor patterns that guide to the fluent, striking of longer and longer sequences of notes should be automated for a piece to begin to sound like music. With practice, the transitions linking the notes become more fluent, and the speed of execution mechanically increases. In order to maintain the correct rhythm and tempo, the player should at times hold back and not play every note as fast as doable. Several analogies with the acquisition and use of phonology are observable. Children learn phonological sequences as parts of words, never separately of words. Articulatory routines that are by now mastered are called forth for the production of new words, leading to a propensity of children to expand their vocabulary by obtaining words that are phonologically comparable to those they already know (Ferguson and Farwell 1975, Lindblom 1992). This propensity leads to the structuring of the phonological sequences across words and the restrictive of the potentially massive phonetic inventory. Put another way, the repetition of gestures and sequences across words permits relations of identity and similarity to expand in stretches of speech, giving rise to segment, syllable, and foot-sized units. Through practice, speakers become more fluent in stringing words together and this fluency and automation is typified by the smoothing of transitions and overlapping of movements forced by the need to retain information value. Several repeated sequences become highly automated and abridged in form. At the same time, speakers should be able to access and recruit sequences into new combinations to state their thoughts and intentions. With practice, t

Logistics and Supply Chain Management Coursework

Logistics and Supply Chain Management - Coursework Example A critical analysis and comparison of the supply chain networks of both the companies is done using the case studies provided to us. The analysis of the two cases has been done in line with the literature review. The final part of the document deals with two more companies in the fast fashion industry and compares their supply chain strategies with the strategies of H&M and Benetton whose case has been provided to us. The analysis of the two case studies provides us with an insight in to the importance of supply chain for the success of a firm. Supply chain is no longer considered just another element but is considered by many firms to be as important as marketing. It can drastically reduce the cost of the firm and give a strong competitive advantage to the firm which is hard and difficult to duplicate. Benetton was established in Italy in 1965.It has it presence in 120 countires.12 of its 18 factories are located in Italy. It sells its good through a network of 6500 retailers. It's positioning in the international market is that the company sells good quality garments which are moderately priced. With the analysis of the case we will critically analyse how Benetton has increased its supply chain by utilizing the "Dual Supply Chain" system. We will see how this system takes advantages of both the push and pull factors of the supply chain and increases the performance objectives for the company. H & M H &M case H & M is a well known Swedish company and has been a leader both in terms of market share and financial performance of the company. The company's strategy has been continuous expansion to search for the most promising markets available, to produce goods in a cost effective and fast manner and to reduce lead times drastically in order to reach the retailers quickly and capture changes in customer moods and preferences and provide longer shelf life for its products. H&M is also an example of how e-business solutions can be used to obtain competitive advantage in the supply chain of a company. Procurement and logistics can easily track the sales as they share a common IT platform with the retailers. This allows the company to react quickly to any changes in the trends prevalent in the market. H&M also has an efficient inventory management system which reduces the lead times for the firm and ensures efficient stock management. Literature Review Operation Strategy of a firm may be defined as set of principals adopted by the organization for decision making to achieve at a reconciliation of the market demand and the operational resources available to the

Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) Research Paper

Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) - Research Paper Example The study indicates a sequence of mechanisms to mend municipal substructure services with the incorporation of underprivileged settlements in the town expansion procedure. Precisely, the Project will deliver simple substructure services to upsurge financial openings and to decrease susceptibility to ecological ruin and civic inadequacy and improve city governance and upsurge volume of the civic corporations to assume town design activities. The Project will as well emphasis on refining the settings of the poor by taking responsibility of municipal substructure progress and poverty mitigation actions at every civic corporation. Introduction After Independence, India pursued a unique combination of ‘mixed economic’ policy. As of the initial 1980s, there was an ongoing policy change in the direction of opening up the economy and marketplace restructuring. As against to the preceding 40 years, strategy as of 1990 is considered through reform of markets, globalization, deregu lation and governing back of the public sector. However, the procedure of transformation is steady and the responsibility of the government remains central in nearly all areas of the economy. Zonal yield and impact to GDP demonstrate an accustomed form of emergent nations. Growth in farming sector is irregular, industrial progress is optimistic but rational and the services sector has delivered the dynamic push behind the fiscal progression attained in the previous decade. The municipal regions are the net providers to GDP. Appraisals of the involvement of municipal regions to GDP are about 50% to 60% (NIUA, 2001), at higher level of suburbanization of 28% of the populace. The assessed per capita efficiency ratio amid the city and countryside populaces in India is 7:2. (Suresh, 1998) Fiscal progresses in India are consequently reliant on the city regions and their capability to draw investment, upsurge production and sustain to deliver the effort for service segment performance. Con secutively, this capability will rest on the capacity of towns to provide substructure services and offer a suitable urban environs and excellence of life. It is likely that production growth in the services segment has been a main underwriting feature, alongside essential vicissitudes in the fiscal system. GDP per capita has improved comparing to the previous years. In 2003 the assessed GDP per capita was only Rs.25, 700, an equivalent of US$560 (ADB, 2004). This study looks in to the infrastructure development of southern state of Kerala’s five major cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Trissur, and Kozhikode through the project Kerala sustainable urban development plan (KSUDP, 2005). Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project -Thiruvananthapuram The mission is to inspire sustainable financial development and poverty elimination in urban Kerala through the setting up of urban substructure services and the elevation of respectable municipal governance to city local o rganizations in Kerala. The study involves a series of mechanisms to expand city wide municipal substructure services with the addition of poor reimbursements inside the whole municipal growth procedure. Explicitly, the Project will deliver rudimentary substructure services to upsurge financial openings and to lessen susceptibility to ecological ruin and urban scarcity, and advance municipal authority and upsurge ability of the municipal organizations to assume municipal scheduling events. The Project will as well emphasis on

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Management Systems & Financial Information for Decision Making Assignment

Management Systems & Financial Information for Decision Making - Assignment Example Additionally, key information regarding revenue and company’s overall performance help them in their regular decision making (Tesco, 2014a; BT, 2014a). Managers and executives operate at middle level and operational level within a corporation. They are essentially responsible for a variety of operational, strategic and investment related decision making on a regular basis. However, all these decisions require accurate, consistent, timely and reliable financial information regarding firm’s activities. For instance, managers at Tesco are responsible for sales forecasting and projections and for this purpose they need information such as past revenue data, sales volume and so on. Another illustration can be, if an operational manager wishes to minimise operational cost at BT, then the manager will require information related to various general and operational expenses. Such information can be obtained only from the financial statements of BT (Tesco, 2014a; BT, 2014a). Owners and partners are ultimately held responsible for proper functioning of a business firm. Organisations such as BT and Tesco are public corporations that are managed by group of shareholders where primary decision making is done by board of directors and chairman of the company. Board of directors including the chairman are responsible for framing strategic decision such as merger and acquisition, expansion to new market, new product development and undertaking new projects. All these activities require capital and scope of future prospect for the firm. Board members generally evaluate capital structure of the company, returns on investment and overall financial position of the firm from financial prior taking long term strategic decision. Owners are mostly interested in liquidity and solvency of a firm so that they can pay off various creditors and investors (Tesco, 2014a; BT, 2014a). Organisations such as Tesco and BT have a number of

Policy Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Policy Paper - Assignment Example In addition, certain malware programs are meant to transfer information regarding website activities to third parties (Vacca, 2013). The security policy addresses antivirus, spyware, and adware in a medium-sized organization. If defines the handling of computer gadgets in the organization including how regularly computer software maintenance is expected to be performed, the manner in which computer updates are conducted, the type of programs to be installed and used on computers. The policy also defines the means by which prevention and removal of malware programs from computers is done (Aycock, 2011). It also denotes the types of files attachments to be blocked at the mail server, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to be run on the server. The policy also specifies whether the use an anti-spam firewall is acceptable in order to offer additional security measures to the mail server (Aycock, 2011). It also specifies the manner in which files should be availed to the trusted sites and the examination process to determine unwanted or hostile content. A virus has the ability to replicate and distribute to other programs in the computer (Aycock, 2011). It also causes damage by using up computer memory, reformatting the hard disk and deleting files. A spyware automatically gathers information from a computer and online activities and transfers it to other interested parties. Adware is financially supported or that which offers financial support to a different program through the display of ads when a computer is connected to the internet (Aycock, 2011). This policy is applicable to all computers and servers that are connected or associated with the organization network through wireless connections, standard network connections, virtual private network connections or modem connections. The policy explicitly includes computers owned by the organization, individuals or sharing the organization’s network. The computer

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Management Systems & Financial Information for Decision Making Assignment

Management Systems & Financial Information for Decision Making - Assignment Example Additionally, key information regarding revenue and company’s overall performance help them in their regular decision making (Tesco, 2014a; BT, 2014a). Managers and executives operate at middle level and operational level within a corporation. They are essentially responsible for a variety of operational, strategic and investment related decision making on a regular basis. However, all these decisions require accurate, consistent, timely and reliable financial information regarding firm’s activities. For instance, managers at Tesco are responsible for sales forecasting and projections and for this purpose they need information such as past revenue data, sales volume and so on. Another illustration can be, if an operational manager wishes to minimise operational cost at BT, then the manager will require information related to various general and operational expenses. Such information can be obtained only from the financial statements of BT (Tesco, 2014a; BT, 2014a). Owners and partners are ultimately held responsible for proper functioning of a business firm. Organisations such as BT and Tesco are public corporations that are managed by group of shareholders where primary decision making is done by board of directors and chairman of the company. Board of directors including the chairman are responsible for framing strategic decision such as merger and acquisition, expansion to new market, new product development and undertaking new projects. All these activities require capital and scope of future prospect for the firm. Board members generally evaluate capital structure of the company, returns on investment and overall financial position of the firm from financial prior taking long term strategic decision. Owners are mostly interested in liquidity and solvency of a firm so that they can pay off various creditors and investors (Tesco, 2014a; BT, 2014a). Organisations such as Tesco and BT have a number of

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Journal Article Review Assignments Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Journal Review Assignments - Article Example One of the principal objectives of institutions of higher learning such as colleges and universities is to impart skills that enable its clients [the student] of whatever level to think critically while analysing problems in order to find implementable solutions that best fit the dynamic nature of the changing and challenging dimensions in the 21st century. As the title suggests, this article critiques the Teaching Practices used by instructors to achieve that very end. The authors’ argue that instructors teaching critical thinking at these same institutions do not explicitly understand the very nature of critical thinking, and as such lack the expertise to effectively transfer such knowledge [critical thinking skills] into their students’ immediate and later endeavors (Shim & Walczak, 2012, p. 16). The study, as the two co-authors explain, investigates the effects of different teaching practices used by instructors in different institutions of higher learning to sharpen the critical thinking ability of students. Shim and Walczak cite evidence from varied authors with prior interest in the same, effectively unearthing massive disagreements from how to define the concept at hand to its components. Accordingly, instructors apply varied instructional practices with no clear-cut boundaries on their suitability on course related tasks, the level of study, disciplines and/or institutions. To be sure, a standardized measure informing appropriate roadmap on the same is non-existent. Buoyed by the evidence gathered, the two dug deep into the transfer of critical thinking skills through a survey investigating the benefits derived from varied instructional methods commonly used by instructors. Like their predecessors, their findings seem to validate organized presentations, interpretation of abstract concepts, posing challenging questions and certain types of class assignment in bolstering critical thinking. The study, however, went against past studies disapproving class presentations and group projects towards the same course (Shim & Walczak, 2012, p. 24); a clear lead as to where the lack of problem solving skills needed in the workplace emanates from. Reference Shim, W., & Walczak, K. (2012). The Impact of faculty teaching practices on the development of students’ critical thinking skills. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 24(1), 16-30. 2. Arkoudis, S., & Tran, L. (2010). Writing blah, blah, blah: Lecturers’ approaches and challenges in supporting international students. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education , 22(2), 169 - 178. While the institutions of higher learning that do admit international students into their programs reap significantly in terms of revenue and sociocultural value exchanges, which includes but not limited to enhanced institutional reputation, the sustainability of such institutions with regards to the diverse needs of the students, particularly concerning an even out academic environment, remains much in doubt. Arkoudis and Tran (2010) point out that despite English language being a mandatory entry requirement for the international students in certain universities, such as those in Australia, the Language and Academic Support (LAS) programs established to assist such students in horning their English language skills are more often inaccessible, leaving a non-consultative flow of endeavors from both lecturers and their students; individual efforts that rarely converge towards the desired objective from ends. In this particular study, the authors, thus, set out to investigate the strategies used by lecturers with the view of offering

Monday, October 14, 2019

Effects of Culture in Teaching and Learning

Effects of Culture in Teaching and Learning Teaching English in Saudi Arabia – The Cultural Context Introduction In this essay, I aim to examine the cultural context predominant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in so far as it might affect effective teaching and learning styles and strategies in the EFL classroom. My interest in this topic is grounded in the reality of the post-9/11 world where the Western world has been pitted against the Arabic world as if there is a great social, cultural and religious divide that might never be bridged – or so the message in the media goes. This poses a great challenge and temptation for EFL teachers working in or curious about the region. The KSA makes for a particularly interesting study into how the local cultural and religious context might impact on successful English teaching and learning, because of the Kingdoms â€Å"politically sensitive geography† (Marcinkiewicz, 1995). The holy cities of Mekkah and Madinah are situated right within its borders and the KSA has thus â€Å"undertaken a protectoral role in religion.† It follows then that the Islamic religion is not only the most pervasive aspect of local culture, impacting directly on teaching method and content, it is also a significant motivating force for KSA learners who are â€Å"intensely religious, Islam having a strong influence on their minds and hearts.† (Al Haq and Smadi, 1996). It can thus be expected then that the religious dynamics in the KSA will â€Å"cause friction in the classroom† (Traynham, 2006). With Islam being the â€Å"strongest denominator† of students in the KSA (Kniffka, 1996), cultural awareness must inform any teaching methodology in order to achieve successful outcomes. Outline of essay I will introduce the cultural context underpinning effective language teaching and learning and give a brief background of the history of English instruction in the KSA as a way of introducing the larger historical and cultural context in which English-language instruction occurs. I will next consider some of the specific sociocultural and sociolinguistic issues that impact on the learning styles and strategies preferred by students and teachers in the KSA. Referring to the relevant literature, I will suggest connections between the local cultural context and the effectiveness of learning and teaching methods and strategies employed. Finally, I will conclude that while the local culture affects both students and teachers – and teachers must respond to this at the practical and theoretical levels – teachers must, at the same time, avoid overgeneralizing about cultural and religious factors and understand that each and every classroom exhibits a unique dynamic between a g iven set of individual students and their teacher and that, in fact, in many cases a universal education culture exists in all EFL classrooms regardless of social and cultural geography and context. The cultural context underpinning effective language teaching and learning In the past decade the concepts of context and culture have become increasingly more important in the literature on language teaching (Byram and Grundy, 2003). This is due to the increased acknowledgement of the significance of socio-political factors in teaching and learning and of the perception of learners as social beings who respond to learning a new language with â€Å"feelings and identities† (p. 1). In language teaching, cultural context is â€Å"usually defined as a/the culture associated with a language being learnt† (p. 1). As far as the English language is concerned, English has been taught in the KSA ever since the Kingdom was established, in 1932 (Al-Seghayer, 2005). The explosion of economic activity within the oil industry resulted in rapid development of English language programs in the 1970s, so that Saudis could successfully communicate in English with imported manpower and outside interests. Today, English is used as the major medium of instruction in universities where science, medicine, engineering and technology subjects are taught. English instruction begins in elementary school and is centralized and controlled by the Ministry of Education. Despite the ever-increasing importance of English in Saudi Arabia â€Å"as an essential vehicle for personal and national growth,† (Al-Seghayer, 2005, pp129), the system still fails to produce a satisfactory level of English language proficiency in Saudi learners. This seems to be an incongruous result, considering that the socio-cultural motivations for learning English are quite significant. Al Haq and Smadi (1996) find that a good knowledge of English rewards with social prestige and is considered to be a kind of duty to help Saudi Arabia advance economically, culturally and religiously at both the Islamic and international levels. With English being the lingua franca, in so far as technology and the sciences are concerned, Saudi citizens see English as a vital tool in advancing in this modern world. But this might be part of the problem. The English language – as the bearer of the goods of technology and science – necessarily comes with Western culture. Languages are expressions of national, historical and cultural identities. Languages are also â€Å"ideological because they are associated with aspirations of unity, loyalty and patriotism,† and â€Å"social because they are perceived as symbols of status, power, group identity, and belonging,† (Wesche, 2004, p. 279). As such, there is a fear in the KSA that the â€Å"use of English entails Westernization, detachment to the country, and a source of corruption to [] religious commitment.† (Al Haq and Samdi, 1996, p. 308). The sociolinguistic features of the English language – the grammar, phonetics and vocabulary – necessarily impact socio-affectively on the society of EFL learners (Khuwaileh, 2000, p. 287) wherever they might be situated in the world. In the case of Saudi Arabia, English language instruction often relies on Western cultural content that conflicts with Islamic culture and ideals. For example, Traynham (2006) explains how many EFL textbooks contain vocabulary – dating, alcohol, music, dance – that is offensive to Saudi students and to the Islamic faith. Khuwaileh (2000) also found similar sociolinguistic obstacles and cultural barriers when learners in an English for Science and Technology class refused to write on topics that included â€Å"taboo vocabulary† such as, AIDS, sexual diseases and contraception (p. 286), because for one student, at least, â€Å"religion,† â€Å"honor† and â€Å"politeness† were more important than gaining the certificate in English. Khuwaileh concluded that, unless modified, â€Å"course material rich in taboo content can significantly hinder the learning process.† (p. 287) Moreover, in a study of EFL textbooks – largely those written by non-Saudis and non-Muslims – used to teach freshman English in Saudi Arabia, Alhaidari (2003) found that they contained images and vocabulary â€Å"that clashed directly with Islamic and Saudi cultures.† These issues might seem easily solved, if common sense prevails even before theoretical and pragmatic considerations are examined. Offensive material should be avoided by designing unique material adapted to the socio-cultural reality of the student group. Even so, the pervasive presence of the textbook as the â€Å"dominant tool in teaching† holds a â€Å"powerful influence† over both cognitive and affective factors in individual students (Alhaidari, 2003, p. 3). Cultural revulsion towards a given text might impact on a students attitude to authority (in this case, the English language and English teacher) and on a students attitude to how important a text might be. A negative response, which is likely to be expected, will surely result in â€Å"learning difficulties, probably lost teaching objectives and, consequently, useless curricula.† (Khuwaileh, 2000, p. 287). Cultural issues in Saudi Arabia affecting effective language learning strategies For all of these reasons, awareness of cultural issues is not only beneficial, but a necessity, and Kniffka (1992) stresses that EFL instructors need to increase their level of expertise in cultural awareness and teaching language within a cultural context. Cultural awareness begins with the understanding that culture is a concept that concerns the role of the individual in the â€Å"unending kaleidoscope of life situations of every kind and the rules or models for attitudes and conduct in them† Oxford (1996, p ix). Context includes the beliefs, perceptions and assumptions that directly influence two things: language learning styles (the general approaches that guide learning) and language learning strategies (the specific steps or techniques used by learners). Of the six types of learning strategies – cognitive, metacognitive, memory, compensatory, affective and social – outlined by Oxford (2003, pp. 12-15), studies (introduced below) find that Arabic students tend to use cognitive and metacognitive strategies with greater frequency, and socio-affective strategies with lesser frequency, though students also exhibit an optimistic flexibility toward using a wide range of learning strategies. Abu-Ghararah (1996) found that â€Å"a wide variety of learning strategies were used† even while the majority of the EFL students surveyed in three public schools in Madinah â€Å"tended to use more cognitive strategies [more] than socio-affective strategies [] in acquiring English as a foreign language† (p. 6). Abdan and Almuarik (1992) also found that students exhibited a preference for multiple learning styles. In fact, gender and subject major, in their study, made no difference at all to their preferences. Riazi and Rahimi (2005) similarly found that while their Iranian student subjects used metacognitive strategies â€Å"at a high frequency,† overall they were â€Å" medium strategy users.† This can be extended to Saudi Arabia, because both Arab countries have a â€Å"similar history, culture and language† (p. 282). These studies show that students regularly â€Å"combine all the learning orientations.† Riazi and Rahimi (2005, p. 110) suggest that this openness and flexibility results from a â€Å"specific philosophy of life† where â€Å"a human being can only be perfect, when he studies all of the sciences and arts.† Reasons pointing to more frequent use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies might be that these strategies offer students direct ways to control learning and are strategies that can be employed in private study, rather than in group situations, which seem to be less preferred. Another factor suggested was that these students might not have much exposure to English in social situations so as to â€Å"pick up† the target language â€Å"unconsciously.† Reasons pointing to the minimal use of other strategies might be, apart from cultural background, â€Å"improper teaching,† and again lack of exposure to English in a native environment with native speakers. For Riazi and Rahimi, at least, it is up to the English instructors to introduce other strategies by discussing them with their students and providing appropriate opportunities to develop and use those â€Å"neglected strategies† (p. 123). To this end, Zaid (1996) evaluated the methodological preferences of teachers in an English department at a major KSA university and found that the overall preference was for a communicative style of teaching. This is interesting when considered against the findings of Riazi and Rahimi (2005, p. 103) where social learning strategies were the least frequently used strategies of EFL students. In fact, Khuwaileh (2005, p. 282) also concluded that social strategies, such as group work and openly expressing opinions in the classroom are â€Å"culturally bound practices which seem to hinder English language learning.† Zaid (1996) warns against teachers developing â€Å"personalized theories† of teaching when it might result in a â₠¬Å"methodological gap† between what they are doing in the classroom and what program administrators – working within the socio-cultural framework of the KSA – expect. Personalized teaching might also result in a preferential gap between how the teacher prefers to teach and how the students prefer to learn. Good practice then is clearly a collaboration between program administration, teacher preference, and the expectations of students as a group and as individuals. â€Å"Individual† is stressed here because, as Oxford (2003, p. 16) emphasizes, a teacher needs â€Å"adequate knowledge about their individual students style preferences† in order to provide the most effective classroom instruction. The literature examined in this essay, while clearly suggesting learning trends and preferences based on cultural background, also suggest an openness and flexibility in the learning strategy preferences of Saudi, and other Arab, students. In fact, the impact of culture is often found to be influenced by other factors, such as individual personality traits (Oxford, 2003), gender, as well as motivation (Kaylani, 1996, p75). Individual learners who are more motivated – regardless of cultural background – will use a wider range of learning strategies thus ensuring greate r success in their learning (Oxford, 1996a, p118). This may further imply that students may successfully adjust preference and expectation if a teacher introduces new activities â€Å"on trial† (Tomlinson, 2005), in the first instance, and only incorporate lesser used strategies should students find them useful and enjoyable. In fact, Tomlinson (2005) suggests that while learners may well have expectations based on cultural norms and experiences, the level of innovation introduced by any given individual teacher into the EFL classroom may have the effect of creating a new and unique to the classroom â€Å"temporary culture.† Tomlinson finds that even in significantly different cultural contexts, â€Å"educational cultures seem to be remarkably similar† (p. 139), what he refers to as a â€Å"universal† education culture. He calls it a Tomlinson seeks to stress the â€Å"teachers attitude† in response to the perceived cultural context in which they work and warns against the â€Å"dangers of cultural overgeneralization.† He concludes that teachers should remember that in a classroom teachers teach to a â€Å"class of diverging individuals rather than to a convergent group of cultural stereotypes.† Conclusion In conclusion then, the sociocultural and religious context in the KSA clearly influences teaching and learning. Teachers should not only be aware of the cultural context in which they teach and but this context should directly inform their choices of method and materials. However, teachers should avoid, on the one hand, making methodological choices based on overgeneralizations and preconceived ideas about how cultural issues influence their students, and on the other hand, should also avoid personalizing their methodology to suit their preferences and ideology. Methods and strategies employed in EFL instruction should always be negotiated anew between the teacher and the group of individual students. And all of this, of course, within the general framework of the sociocultural and religious dynamic prevalent in the KSA. References Abdan, A.A., and Almuarik, S.A., 1992. The Learning Style Preference of Saudi EFL University Students. In Journal of King Saud University. Educational Sciences Islamic Studies. [online] Vol. 4, No. 1, Abstract from King Saud University Journal Digital Library, Available from: http://digital.library.ksu.edu.sa/paper2214.html. [Accessed 15 November 2008]. Abu-Ghararah, A.H., 1996. The Learning Strategy Uses of EFL Students. [online] In Educational Journal, Faculty of Education, Kuwait University. Vol. 10, No, 38, pp. 15-32, Available from: http://abughararah.com/App_content/File/Researches/07.pdf  [Accessed 16 November 2008]. Alhaidari, A.O., 2003. The Compatibility of Freshman EFL Textbooks Used by Saudi Universities with Islamic Culture. [online] In Journal of King Saud University. Educational Sciences Islamic Studies. Vol. 15, No 2, pp1-41, Available from: http://wwww.ksu.edu.sa/printpress/researches/V28M206R2970.pdf, King Saud University Journal Digital Library.  [Accessed 17 November 2008]. Al Haq, F.A., and Smadi, O., 1996. Spread of English and Westernization in Saudi Arabia. In World Englishes, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp 307-317. Al-Seghayer, K., 2005. Teaching English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Slowly but Steadily Changing. In G Braine, ed. Teaching English to the World: History, Curriculum, and Practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, p 125-191. Byram, M., and Grundy, P., eds., 2003. Context and Culture in Language Teaching and Learning. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Kaylani, C., 1996. The Influence of Gender and Motivation on EFL Learning Strategy Use in Jordan, p 75-88. In Oxford, R.L., ed., 1996. Language and Learning Strategies Around the World: Cross-Cultural Perspectives. : University of Hawaii Press. Khuwaileh, A.A., 2000. Cultural Barriers of Language Teaching: A Case Study of  Classroom Cultural Obstacles. In Computer Assisted Language Learning, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 281–290. Kniffka, H., 1992. Cultural Identity, Life Cycles and Intercultural Communication: Teaching  German to Adults in Saudi Arabia. In Language Teaching Journal, Vol. 2, pp. 75–80. Marcinkiewicz, H.R., 1995. Educational Technology Transcends the Saudi Desert and Cultural Mores. [online] In TechTrends, Vol. 40, No. 2. Preview available from http://www.springerlink.com/content/m415w713355677h4/fulltext.pdf?page=1, Springer Boston  [Accessed: 16 November 2008]. Oxford, R.L., 2003. Language Learning Styles and Strategies: An Overview. In Learning Styles Strategies: Oxford, GALA. Oxford, R.L., 1990. Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. New York: Newbury House. Oxford, R.L., 1996. Language Learning Motivation. Manoa: University of Hawaii Press. Oxford, R.L., ed., 1996a. Language and Learning Strategies Around the World: Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Manoa: University of Hawaii Press. Riazi, A., and Rahimi, M., 2005. Iranian EFL Learners’ Pattern of Language Learning Strategy Use. In The Journal of Asia TEFL, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 103-129. Tomlinson, B., 2005. English as a Foreign Language: Matching Procedures to the Context of Learning. In Hinkel, E., ed., Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, p. 137-154. Traynham, M.S., 2006. Challenges for EFL Students and Teachers in Saudi Arabia [online] TESOL Courses.  Available from: http://www.tesolonline.com/articles/complete_articles.php?index=177category=59  [Accessed: 15 November 2008]. Wesche, M., 2004. Teaching Languages and Cultures in a Post-9/11 World. [online] In The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 88, No. 2, pp. 278-285.  Available from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3588759, Blackwell Publishing.  [Accessed: 16 November 2008]. Zaid, M., 1996. Ascertaining the Pedagogical Preferences of EFL Teaches in Saudi Arabia. In Journal of King Saud University. Educational Sciences Islamic Studies. [online] Vol. 8, No. 2. pp. 1-20. 20. Available from http://digital.library.ksu.edu.sa/V8M317R2260.pdf Abstract from King Saud University Journal Digital Library.  [Accessed 15 November 2008]. 9/ 9