Ups Management Styles Essay Example Essay Example

Ups Management Styles Essay Example Paper Ups Management Styles Essay Introduction United Parcel Service â€Å"We run the tightest ship in the shipping business† Laura Andonov Mission Statement â€Å"To guide the company’s efforts to provide responsible, =://essaysafe.com/essay-what-are-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-ethical-behavior-in-business/ class=ilgen data-wpel-link=external rel=nofollow>ethical business behavior and manage business conduct to achieve and maintain compliance with all applicable regulations and policies for all aspects of UPS business worldwide, including all wholly owned subsidiaries. † UPS is a global package delivery business that specializes in not only managing the movement of goods, but the information and funds that moves with those goods in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. UPS’s target market is primarily U. S. companies that ship business to business via ground delivery and whose delivery time is not urgent. Major customers are manufacturers that ship directly to retailers and online bus inesses that ship goods to private households. UPS is a large C corporation, a legal business entity that is separate from its owners and managers. It’s unbounded in terms of shareholders and dividend income is taxed at corporate and personal shareholder levels. The benefit of UPS taking on this form of organization is that the company has limited liability, transferable ownership, will have continuous existence, and has easier access to resources. The disadvantage to this type of organization is that it is expensive to set up, they are usually closely regulated, and taxation is doubled therefore extensive record keeping is essential. In 1907, Jim E. Casey borrowed $100 from a friend and started this Seattle based private messenger and delivery services company. Ups Management Styles Essay Body Paragraphs From there his motivation and innovation turned into one of the largest package delivery companies in the world that delivers more than 15. 1 million packages daily to 7. 9 million customers in more than 200 countries and territories all over the globe. UPS has had 103 years to perfect their business plan. There are numerous strategies and values that have pulled UPS through the years and allowed the company to maintain that competitive edge. UPS is a household name and oftentimes a business’s primary choice in delivery needs due to its extensive U. S. and European ground network operations which makes it easy for their delivery trucks to access every address in the U. S. and Europe from one of hundreds strategically positioned hub locations. The hub design and locations were the end result of a known issue of not having the proper coverage to efficiently reach businesses and households in remote locations in a timely manner. UPS has a definite stability strategy that aims to continue doing what they have been doing, but to continue to expand its number of markets in new developing markets. American businesses are importing more goods due to the lower cost to obtain the finished product/materials and UPS has applied one of their strategies from not only going global, but recently focusing on penetrating Latin America. Latin America’s market volume expanded by 50% early this year and a major problem for them was that their market was growing so rapidly that their delivery companies could no longer keep up with their booming business. Look who jumped in to save the day, why UPS! Not only does UPS have to continually expand, but they also have to be updated with what their competitors are doing. The transportation industry is highly competitive and UPS’s three top competitors are Deutsche Post AG (DHL), United States Postal Service (USPS), and FedEx. All three companies offer similar, if not the exact same services, but pricing and availabilit y depend on regions. I believe the competitive advantage UPS has over these three companies is that they listen to what their customers want and then they deliver exactly that. The initial competitive advantage that credited UPS’s early and continual success is that they always focus on courtesy to their customers, maintain low rates, and their round the clock service. UPS has probably at one point or perhaps frequently performed determined the five competitive forces that establish the industry attractiveness and profitability. The threat of new entrants is very unlikely for UPS. This would be an intimidating market to attempt to infiltrate with UPS and its trailing competitors. Whereas the lack of new entrants is a key advantage, the threat of substitutes in place of other industries products is very high. As mentioned before, UPS has three major competitors that offer similar products at a similar price. This is an area that management has to constantly evaluate. UPS evalu ates what they have to offer the customer verses their other delivery needs counterparts and the customers have a no bargaining power whatsoever. If the customer is unhappy with the service or the pricing, UPS acknowledges that DHL and the FedEx will be waiting with open arms to assist them and attempt to win their loyalty. The bargaining power of the suppliers is also very low due to cut throat competition. If low prices are what the customer wants and they can easily take their business elsewhere, UPS must try to maintain reasonable fees to keep the customers happy as well as be profitable. With examining four out of five forces, we can assume that the rivalry among current industry competitors is intense and management must be aware of what each competitor has up its sleeve at any given time. UPS has successfully managed to defray a lot of their costs by having such a successful website. Customers can do a number of things on the website from their home without having to call and physically come into one of their stores or hub locations and tie up their agents at the counter. One unique thing that you can do on UPS’s website is that you can enter in the senders address, your address, the weight of the item, how fast the package needs to get its destination, and you can print a shipping label from home. The free tracking feature UPS provides has also been a successful product of the website with over 18. 5 million hits daily! The website also allows an anonymous forum for customer suggestions and complaints, thus allowing the company to see what areas they need to make improvements on. By offering this type of open forum it demonstrates that management operates with an omnipotent view. By asking for, listening to, and acting upon customer feedback, managers can anticipate change, develop opportunities, correct poor performance, and continue to lead their organizations. UPS offers incentives for managers to keep up the good work by offering bonuses and stock options when profits are up. In the event if profits are down, someone is pinpointed and held responsible for the loss and is required to do something to correct it. UPS has a strong organizational culture embedded into its daily operations. Employees that work with the public all wear uniforms and ask any one of the 400,000 employees world-wide and each one of them will be able to tell you who the founder was and the early history of the company. At meetings, they still use the same policy manual that they have been using for 90 years. They all know how to treat their customers, their fellow employees, drivers know how to carry their keys, and move away from left-hand turns. It’s the same in China as it is in Turkey. Managers spread the culture around at each location more than any other company out there. Managers at UPS have also managed to attract and retain employees better than any other company as well as integrate a high level of ethics into their operations wh ich is seen as a competitive advantage by its customers. This is achieved by having each employee review the code-of-ethics manual through annual workshops and daily communications, which is updated regularly and provides examples of detailed situations and ethical responses that employees may face. They make it known that there is a hotline to discuss anonymously about ethical issues, which then will be investigated and will be mentioned at the next managers meeting, so they can come up with a way to avoid any further issues of that type. In the 70’s and 80’s UPS was doing so well that they could have stayed domestic and would have still been successful, but founder Jim Casey was in Germany and witnessed how poorly the national post office operated and decided to act upon this incredible opportunity. Casey sent over four of his best executives to access the situation, to see if they did, in fact, need a more efficient delivery service and how they should respond. Case y and his executives did not consider the cultural differences and had an ethnocentric attitude about expanding in the Germany market. They decided to replicate everything from the trucks down to the uniforms and hoped that everything would work out. It did not. First cultural mistake was that in 1976 the unemployment rate in Germany was 3%, so nobody really needed jobs and another cultural difference that they were unaware of is that a truck driver in considered one of the least desirable jobs in Germany, so it was extremely difficult to even get applicants. They sent over American managers and implemented the same brown American uniforms and that was a disaster as well. The American managers weren’t adapting well with the German’s customary operations and the employees and customers were getting upset at the brown uniforms and trucks saying that they reminded them of the brown Nazi uniforms. Casey recognized early on in the game that they took a huge risk and that if they were going to make operations in Germany work they needed to step back and reevaluate everything before proceeding further. From that point on UPS in Germany was build from the ground up by acquiring a small group of driving companies and their already present employees. Another example of cultural differences occurred with employees in Singapore were not compliant when it came to wearing uniforms due to the hot, humid weather and their work ethic is quite different from ours. We will write a custom essay sample on Ups Management Styles Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ups Management Styles Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ups Management Styles Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Tracer Pain and Staff Member Essay

Tracer Pain and Staff Member Essay Tracer: Pain and Staff Member Essay Surgical Patient Surgical Patient Tracer Worksheet Nightingale Community Hospital – in Year 2 of Audit Cycle MR#__453355______________________ Admission/Service Start Date:___________ Language/Culture:_English_____________ Tracer Surveyor(s): Sequence of Care/Services 1._Surgical Date Admitting/Presenting Dx/Condition: Nursing Unit__________ 2. _Radiology_______________________ 3. _OR_____________________________ 4. _PACU__________________________ Admitted with post-op wound infection Went to surgery for drainage Long term antibiotics Supportive spouse Plan home health at discharge Current Location _Surgical Nsg Unit ___ Questions / Actions Ask the staff member to give you a report on the patient like he/she may give to an oncoming shift. Notes/Deficiencies Identified Tracer Tips Does the staff member know the course of care? Show me the patient’s admission assessment (or initial nursing assessment). When is the assessment done? By whom? Can an LPN do an admission assessment? History and physical not done within 24 hours of admission ( 72 hours) Review admission history Ask nurse about any gaps or blank areas Should be completed by end of shift when pt admitted Ask about med reconciliation process How is care plan generated? Describe the medication reconciliation process. Primary nurse able to verbalize med reconciliation process. Review of chart had evidence of med reconciliation on admission and after surgery Where is your functional assessment? OR What precipitates PT, OT, or SLP referral? Function assessment triggered based on admission assessment but no documentation found Nutritional assessment documented Home med list is obtained and verified at time of admission Med recon done when patient transfers location (OR to floor, floor to floor, ICU to floor, etc) Med Recon is done at discharge- any discrepancies and nurse can hold up discharge Have staff show f/u if a referral was triggered. Where is your nutritional assessment? Have staff show dietitian’s f/u if a referral was triggered. What would precipitate a social work referral? Nurse verbalized indications for social work referral Have staff show social worker’s f/u if a referral was triggered Does this patient have advance directives? Where is it documented? Is a copy of the document in the medical record? Nurse said patient has an advance directive but did not bring it with her. Family was reminded a copy was needed but failed to bring in. If patient does not have Advance Directive, was information provided? What are the patient’s allergies? No allergies Note allergies on all documents where they are documented (ie, H&P, ED, MAR) and whether all sources agree. Does this patient have any cultural/ spiritual needs? Priority Focus Areas (PFA) Addressed: ïÆ' ¾ Assessment & Care/Services ïÆ' ¾Communication Credentialed/Privileged Practitioners Equipment Use ïÆ' ¾ Infection Control Information Mgmt ïÆ' ¾ Medication Mgmt Organization Structure Orientation & Training ïÆ' ¾ Rights & Ethics Physical Environment ïÆ' ¾ Quality Improvement ïÆ' ¾ Patient Safety Staffing Coach staff to avoid responses with â€Å"usually†, â€Å"sometimes,† and other descriptions that could indicate that the practice is not consistent. Questions / Actions Is this patient at risk for skin breakdown problems? Where is it documented? What breakdown prevention measures are taken? Notes/Deficiencies Identified Is this patient at risk for falls? Where is it documented? How is the risk for falls communicated shift to shift? Dept to dept? What precautions have been implemented for this patient? Yes. Documented in the nursing admission assessment. Fall risk is included in handoff form. Precautions: slip proof socks, night light Does this patient have a plan of care? How are care plans updated or changed? How do all disciplines come together for a plan of care? Initial nursing plan of care documented but not updated since surgery. Interdisciplinary Rounds (IDR) or Caring Rounds Are IDR documented? Are

Methodology Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Methodology - Dissertation Example Methodology Qualitative research methodology gives a detailed picture of the data that needs to be a part of the research (Adler 1994). Due to qualitative methodology, the information that needs to be incorporated in the research is descriptive and informational. According to Merrigan and Huston (2004), the qualitative research method functions fine at the preliminary phases of a project as it permits the researcher to bring together information in a way that is evocative and coarse. It is also said that by employing qualitative means, the researcher is not capable to have an unchanging or wholly distinct plan; he may only have an approximation about the plan of the project (Ader, Mellenbergh and Hand 2008). The researcher is capable to identify about the upshot of the project or some measurement of the project with the passage of time, as he constantly employs the qualitative approach for compilation of data (Patton 1990). 1.1 . Research Methodology Qualitative research method and quantitative research methods are very influential in terms of collection of suitable data for any kind of research. Qualitative methods for data collection are used to gather qualitative data. The techniques that are employed for data collection through qualitative methodology are qualitative interviews that are also called in-depth interviews, direct observation, case studies, literature reviews and focus groups (Adler 1994). Qualitative research techniques are used for many educational disciplines for gathering of suitable research data required for the research. These disciplines include history, sociology, anthropology, geography and other social disciplines. (Adler 1994). It is not essential that qualitative research methodology is necessarily adopted for the above-mentioned disciplines but it suits these disciplines more as compared to other disciplines. The restrictions and peripheries of any research can be clearly recognized with the help of qualitative research (Patton 1990). Quantitative research method is used for collection of quantitative data. As far as qualitative research techniques are concerned, they are used for collection of data or information that is uncountable and descriptive but quantitative research techniques gather data or information in a countable order as the collected data is in numeric format. Like qualitative methodology, quantitative methodology also suits some disciplin es or educational areas. These disciplines include accounting, physics, taxonomy, statistics and social sciences (Roessner 2000). The data collection techniques used in quantitative research methodology are with the help of survey forms, tabulations, questionnaire designing, statistical model designs and much more (Roessner 2000). Survey forms and questionnaires are much more used as compared to other techniques of data collection and gathering as they are much convenient to develop and distribute for numeric data collection. The objectives associated with a research are already known to the researcher and he/she works in according to a set plan (Saris and Gallhofer 2007). According to Saris and Gallhofer (2007), the researcher is already aware that the data will be gathered in shape of number format and can be easily employed for statistical evaluation for progress in the research. 1.2. Qualitative Research Method According to Byram and Feng (2006), â€Å"

September 11 Attack on America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

September 11 Attack on America - Research Paper Example A Description of the historical event Analysis of the historical and contemporary causes of the event Analysis of the different historical interpretations of the event Evaluation of the positive and negative outcomes of the event Conclusion September 11 attack on America Introduction September 11 attacks on America remain to be the main memorable event of the twenty first century all over the world. The recent decades have seen scientists, academicians and the theorists conduct comprehensive research in a bid to establish the causes of such a thrilling event as well as the impacts, which some remain unfolded. However, the historical descriptions in regard to this event are quite amazing to the extent of instilling fear on the contemporary society. The issue has long raised a variety of truths as well as controversies since its occurrence as many as try to swallow the event’s bitterness. There are countless historical and contemporary causes of the challenging 9/11, which are i nclusive of the bitterness of the Al-Qaeda towards America for supporting Israel. The demonstration of this bitterness is viewed in the recent incident where America portrayed its deed of killing the then Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden. The event sets the stage of understanding the extent to which great psychological, social, political, and economic impacts overtook the contemporary America. The discussion in this paper seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of September 11 attacks. A discussion of the historical context in regard to the even will be provided. ... The terrorists are said to have hijacked four passenger Jet airliners that were meant for commercial services and crashed them at various destinations, which included the north and south towers of the world trade center, pentagon house and forth targeted the white house, the location of the American capital. The 9/11 morning dawned in a devastating state when the Al-Qaeda’s hijacked jet airliners. Two airliners were intentionally crashed at the World Trade Center Twin Towers that collapsed within two hours of attack. The third airliner was as well crashed at the Arlington, Virginia pentagon house, while the fourth was directed onto the rural Pennsylvania’s Shanksville. Three thousand people were killed on the sport, and no one survived from the crashing flights, including 60 military officials (Griffin, 2009). The report of the investigations conducted by the Newborn research personnel indicated that there had been prior plans by the terrorist group on the procedure of attacking the entire United States, including the capital city. The attack is always remembered since it resulted in massive deaths of people, who included 60 military officials, a case that has never occurred in any other war or attack in the world. Therefore, the 9/11 attacks left a legacy that all Americans have in mind up to date. The chief suspect at the time was Al-Qaeda under the leadership of Osama bin laden, who denied responsibility of the act. In 2004, he agreed to take responsibility and disclose the act where it became identified worldwide. The history commences with a heavy burst where in May 2011, the then AL-Qaeda leader Osama was found and put to

History of Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of Germany - Essay Example Although nominally a league of equals, in practice the empire was dominated by the largest and most powerful state, Prussia. The period of Bismarck was considered a golden era under whom, Germany rose to become one among the greatest powers of the world. The imperial crown was hereditary in the House of Hohenzollern, the kings of Prussia. The last king in the Prussian era was William II. William became internationally known for his aggressive foreign policy positions and strategic blunders which pushed the German Empire into political isolation and later into World War I. Under William II, Germany no longer had long-ruling strong chancellors like Bismarck. William II wanted Germany to have its "place in the sun" like the British Empire and set Germany to begin colonial efforts in Africa and the Pacific. With much territory in Africa colonized, Germans got only a small share. This created a fight for power, which eventually triggered World War I. Emperor William II abdicated the throne and then Government received an armistice on November 11, 1918 which marked the end of World War I. It also signed the Humiliating Versailles treaty. The imperialism was succeeded by the democratic, yet flawed, Weimar Republic. It was doomed from the beginning since even moderates disliked it and extremists on both the left and right loathed it. It eventually brought Nazis led by Adolph Hitler to power. Nazism or National Socialism refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party under Adolph Hitler; and the policies adopted by the government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. It established a kind of imperialism on Germany and despised Jews and communists. It ruled Germany during the pre-war period and Hitler became "The Fhrer". He started World War II citing the humiliation of Germany in World War II. Germany was defeated by allied forces in the War. Following Germany's defeat in World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, Germany was split, representing the focus of the two global blocs in the east and west. International plans for the unification of Germany were made during the early years following the establishment of the two states, but to no avail. During the summer of 1989, rapid changes took place in East Germany, which ultimately led to German reunification. Only in 1990 would Germany be reunited. Towards end of the Century, Germany became the centre of attraction in European Union. It is one of the most industrialized and developed nations of the world. (The Causes of World War One (2004)) German Education: The German Empire had a strong influence on German culture, including its education. Kingdom of Prussia was among the first countries in the world (if not the first at all) to introduce free and generally compulsory primary education, consisting of an eight-year course of primary education, Volksschule. Under the German Empire the school system became more centralized. More secondary schools were established, and the state had the right to set standards and to supervise the newly established schools. Four different types of secondary schools developed: A nine-year classical Gymnasium (focusing on Latin and Greek or Hebrew, plus one modern language), a nine-year Realgymnasium

The History Of The Digital Citizenship Information Technology Essay

The History Of The Digital Citizenship Information Technology Essay A digital citizen is a tool which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students, children, and technology users should know to use technology the right way and also having knowledge of it. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool it is a way to prepare technology users for a society full of technology. To be considered a digital citizen you must have any record of you being in touch with electronic devices in the world. These people create blogs and use social networks. Signing up for an e- mail address is the first step into becoming a citizenship for many people. The government uses this tool a lot to transfer and record its information; this is called the e- government. Many governments that do not have this are a disadvantage to them because they cannot organize so well their important information. There is also something called the e- democracy, it involves campaign web sites online. People who do not cooperate so much with technology te nd be isolated socially and not kept up to date in our world. Practically being a digital citizen makes life a lot easier. There are nine themes of digital citizenship. One of these nine themes is digital etiquette. It is defined as the standards of conduct and procedure. People must be taught to be responsible in this area. Another theme is Digital literacy. This is the process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology. Schools have been doing a great part in this, but still a lot has to be done. Learners must be taught on how to deal with digital society. Business, military, and medicine are good examples of how technology is being used differently. Another theme of technology is digital communication. This is the electronic exchange of information.à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ One of the significant changes within the digital revolution is a personà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s ability to communicate with other people. In the nineteenth century communication technology was very limited, but by the twenty first century this boosted up. The expanding of communication technology changed everything because people have the ability to keep frequent communication with anyone else, anywhere else. Although people do have to be very aware to whom they talk to because there are a lot of thieves and sexual predators. The fourth theme of digital citizenship is digital access. This is the full electronic participation in society. Technology users need to be alert of internet access and also support it. People should be able to have full access to technology no matter who they are. To become good, productive citizens we need to be committed to digital access. Another theme of digital citizenship is digital commerce. This is the electronic buying and sales of goods. A large portion of the market economy is being held electronically. For example like when people shop cloths online. Unfortunately there are illegal sales electronically, like the sales of pornography and gambling. Our society has to learn to be effective consumers in the new digital economy. The sixth theme of digital citizenship is digital law. This is the electronic responsibility for actions and deeds. This takes care of the ethics of technology in our society. Unethical use makes it a form of theft and crime. This includes for example stealing other peopleà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s information or identity. Hacking into stud and downloading illegal music violates the digital law. The Seventh theme is digital rights and responsibilities. This is the freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world. Just like how in the constitution there is a bill of rights, there is a set of rights for every digital citizen as well. Digital citizens have the right to free speech, privacy and so on. These rights also point to responsibilities as well, people have to use technology in the right manner and not violate these rights. In the digital society these two must fuse together in for everyone to be active well. The eighth theme of citizen ship is digital health and wellness. This is the physical and physiological well being in a digital technology world. Eye safety, repetitive stress syndrome, and sound ergonomic practices are problems that we need to be aware of in the technological world. Physiological issues are becoming more prevalent, like internet addiction. The final theme of digital citizenship is digital security. This is the electronic precautions to guarantee safety. In the digital community there are people who steal and corrupt other people. Therefore people should be careful and not trust other people in the digital world. Like how we have locks on our doors and alarms for fires in our house, we have to have the same for our digital world and have virus protections, backups of data, and surge control for our equipment. This is being a responsible digital citizen. In conclusion, people of our society must get in touch more often with the digital world. There are a lot of benefits for using it, but we always have to be careful in the digital community just like how we are in the non-digital community. Be the best digital citizen you can be. Work Cited Digital Citizenship Resources for Educators. Web. 24 Aug. 2010. . Digital Citizenship Education. Web. 24 Aug. 2010. . Digital Citizenship. Web. 24 Aug. 2010. . Digital Citizen. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 24 Aug. 2010. . Digital Citizen. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 24 Aug. 2010. .

Attending a Reading by Leon Dash :: Rosa Lee Leon Dash

Rosa Lee and Leon Dash The Reading Brown Series hosted a reading by Leon Dash at the YMCA. Professor Dash was born in 1944 in Massachusetts, but he grew up in the Bronx of New York. He worked as a writer from 1966-1968 for the Washington Post. He was also in the Peace Corp shortly after traveling throughout Africa. He later went back to the Washington Post and has since done studies on various things. I had a hard time trying to find out exactly where the reading was going to take place as I walked around the YMCA. I finally got the guts to walk up to someone and ask for help, the male phenomenon. The event took place in a back room behind the kitchen. The room had four tables put together as to look like two. There were many chairs and few people to fill them as I walked in. There were a handful of people in the room and most seated around the tables set up in a V-shape from the podium. The room slowly started to fill as it came closer to twelve o’clock. As I looked around the room, I saw the â€Å"bleacher section†, a set of 12 chairs to the side of the room away from the speaker nearly filled. Most of those seats seemed to be occupied by students who appeared to be taking notes. The rest of the room had an odd accumulation of people. For a reading based around the commemoration of the Brown vs. Board of Education case, there was only one African American in the room besides the speaker. There were many older white people who gave the impression that they were faculty. A few of them and others brought lunch in on a tray or in a bag, presumably on their lunch break. The room looked as if it was split fifty-fifty between students and faculty. I would guess that there were around 20 to 25 people in the room. The room was large enough and had enough seating to make it seem as if the people were very spread out. There was very little interaction between the people before and during the event. It seemed as though everyone was just eager for the reading to start and finish.

Zara Fast Fashion

1. Features of Zara’s business model that affect its operating economics: †¢Zara owns much of its production and most of its stores, while competitors Gap and H&M own all of their stores but outsource all of their production. Benetton, on the other hand, owns all of its production but goes to market through licensing agreements. †¢Zara places more emphasis on backward vertical integration. Production runs are short and inventory is strictly controlled. This is in contrast to industry trends of high volume production. Zara's product cycle time from the design phase to the manufacturing phase is 4 to 5 weeks while the industry average is 6 to 9 months. The short cycle time enables Zara to commit to a bulk of its product much later than its competitors. 85% of Zara's in-house production occurs after the season has started in contrast to 20% in-house production of traditional retailers. †¢Zara's pricing is lower than its competitors, but profit margins are higher du e to direct efficiencies gained from a shortened, vertically integrated, supply chain. At Zara, a high inventory turnover rate results in minimal obsolescence costs, clearance sales or mark downs. Zara estimated 15%-20% of total sales as markdowns/close-outs vs. 30% to 40% for its competitors. This helps to preserve a strong profit margin and bolster market image as a â€Å"must buy now† destination. †¢Zara's advertising expenses are minimal (avg. 0. 3% of revenue) compared with 3% to 4% for other specialty retailers. These helps lower expenses and preserve strong profit margins. Zara, in turn, invests more money in renovating its storefronts and buying prime real estate for store locations. At Zara, 75% of display merchandise is turned every 3 to 4 weeks which corresponds to the average time between customer visits. The average Zara shopper visits the chain 17 times a year. In contrast, the competition records an average of 3 to 4 customer visits per year. Zara's image creates a â€Å"sense of urgency† and forces loyal customers to check in frequent ly for the latest fashions. 2. Zara’s Quick Response Capabilities – Upstream and Downstream activities: †¢Zara's quick-response capability is based on improving coordination between retail stores and product manufacturers. This coordination allows Zara to respond faster to fashion trends, thus creating a competitive advantage for Zara. Effectively utilizing information technology and vertically-integrated manufacturing facilitates Zara's quick response capability. Upstream Activities: †¢Design Teams continuously track customer preferences via data sent electronically from individual storefronts. Additionally, sales data is sent upstream from the stores to give instant feedback on Zara's new product lines generating replenishment orders for sold product. This instant upstream feedback, coupled with Zara's rapid product development gives Zara a compelling market advantage. †¢Zara sources fabric and finished products from external suppliers using purchasing offices in Europe and Hong Kong. 50% of the fabric remains undyed to facilitate in-season updating via Comditel, a subsidiary of Inditex that manages the dyeing and patterning of unfinished fabric. Delaying production of unfinished fabric allows information flowing upstream to influence Zara's production. 40% of all garments are manufactured internally or by subcontractors located near Zara's headquarters. This 40% represents the most fashionable, time-sensitive garments that Zara considers risky. Zara's local production network facilitates flexibility and risk-taking on fashion trends. Downstream Activities: †¢Zara owns its own distribution center in Arteixo. All merchandise from both internal and external suppliers passes through this distribution center. Shipments occur twice a week to each store. Items move through the center very quickly. For example, a vast majority of items are at the center only a few hours and no item stays at the center for more than three days. †¢On average, Zara spends 0. 3% of its revenue on media advertising, which is focused on opening season and end of season sales. †¢Product cycles through the stores rapidly, with new designs arriving every three weeks. This fast turnover results in a significant reduction of discounted merchandise. †¢Display shelves are sparsely stocked creating a sense of urgency (â€Å"buy now†) in the minds of shoppers, resulting in immediate sales. Location is critical for Zara to attract repeat customers. Stores are occasionally relocated in response to ever-shifting popularity of shopping districts and traffic patterns. 3. Why might Zara fail? Zara could fail due to falling into what is known as the â€Å"growth trap. † In the beginning, Zara established itself as selling medium-quality fashion clothing at affordable prices. Zara went on to gain a competitive advantage in the industry by developing a quick response capability while at the same time maintaining low customer pricing. As Zara begins to expand internationally, the potential to lose their competitive advantage increases. For example, in South America, Zara had to present a high-end rather than a mid-market image. This goes against the image of medium quality fashion at affordable prices that Zara had built and maintained since their inception. As Zara continues to grow, their stores may eventually be found on every street corner around the world. As a result, Zara runs the risk that their products may become less unique in the eyes of the consumer. According to the â€Å"growth trap,† efforts to grow can blur uniqueness, create compromises, reduce fit, and ultimately undermine competitive advantage. In the end, Zara runs the risk of becoming an ordinary retail chain as they lose sight of their competitive advantage and become more like every other retail player. In order to maintain their market share, Zara should remember their roots and focus on the excellence of their existing chain with very minimal increases in selling space. Zara Fast Fashion Inditex – Zara: Fast fashion Case analysis Company Structure and Goals Overview Zara’s vision on growth and global strategy -Building up fixed assets -Vertical integration -No advertising, creating premium stores -Fashion follower – QR to fashion trends -Strongly customer oriented -Stable growth -Markdowns half the average (15% as supposed to 30% ) -Pricing market based Business model: -Vertical operations and downstream activities -Multi-chain concept -Creative design team -Competitive advantage – Sustainable growth As attachment: Porter’s Five forces; Company structure; Financials) Problem Statement Growth challenge – 20% per annum expected, 76% of equity value implicit on Inditex’s stock price was based on expectations on future growth. Failure to deliver expected growth results might cause a serious offset in company’s market capitalization. Room for non-local growth – in average a retailer was present in 10 countries while e. g. a pharmaceutical company averaged operations in 125 countries. Problem statement is: In what geographical area(s) should further Zara expansion follow? Should there be another logistics-distribution centre created as increase of operations might cause dis-economies of scale? Should it acquire additional chains given the complexity of managing those and the risk of own-product-replacements? Preserve the margins; (visible threat to the sustainability of Index’s competitive advantage) Evaluation of the alternative solutions 1. Growth challenge: Notes: not much potential on the local market; -different markets require different positioning -though costs grow as distance grows, prices also change (margins are kept) -50% of all export is to developing countries -Zara shopper visits the store 17 times a year, average is 2-4 times -Creating a climate of scarcity and opportunity in stores Evaluate growth options in different markets: Spain Europe str4 – production in North Africa, turkey and East Europe. US – production in Mexico and the Caribbean subjected to retailing oercapacity, less fashion-forward than Europe, demands larger sizes and exhibits considerable internal variations Japan – no quotas to restrict imports, produced in China. – teenage market segment considered as the trendiest in the world Italy – fashionable, visit stores frequently and spend more on clothing 2. Change in marketing strategy Current: Three types of entering a market: company owned stores, joint ventures, franchising Strategy is standard across the countries -No adv -One big shop central city (capital) Followed by smaller ones (spreading around the country) -Shop windows used excessively -Products do not differ much from country to country -Model is downstream -No knowledge is shared -From design to stores within 4-5 weeks , industry average 9 months -Due to product testing, failure rate only 1% compared to industry average of 10% 3. Change in pricing strategy Current: Prices vary on the different markets, due to transport costs (all supplied from the base in Galicia) – this changes positioning Lower mark-down than industry average Zara: Fast Fashion The Spanish retail chain Zara has unique supply chain management practices that enable it to gain a competitive advantage over other fashion retailers in the industry. Zara’s rapid response time enables the firm to quickly respond to changing fashions while deliberately under producing products. This strategy, which is supported by competencies in logistic management, design and information systems, allows the company to maintain less inventory and higher profit margins and is a key factor to Zara’s success. The firm should continue to add value by seeking new opportunities to expand in the retail market and maintain their sustainable growth. Financial Analysis Being aware of a company’s financial health and profitability of its competitors is highly essential for everyone interested in engaging in business with Inditex. In this part of the paper, through analysis of 4 key ratios and return on invested capital, we are going to discover some of the company’s drivers of sustained competitive advantage. The 4 key ratios will focus mainly on company’s liquidity, activity, solvency and profitability, while ROIC will show how well the company manages the capital invested in operations of the business. In order to measure ability of Inditex to meet its short term obligations and to assess liquidity, it is important to calculate current ratio. As shown in exhibits section below, in 2001, Inditedx had 1. 02 million in current assets, while Gap and H&M had 1. 48 and 3. 4 million Euros in current assets for every Euro in short-term debt. This indicates that Inditex’s main competitors demonstrate greater ability to meet current payments of debt; therefore liquidity is not one of the company’s success drivers. When it comes to comparing company’s sales to various assets categories it is significant to take a look at the total assets turnover. This ratio indicates how efficiently assets are being used to support sale. From 1999-2001, this ratio increased by 1. 2%; however it was still below industry performance. Currently Inditex is industry leader with total assets turnover of 1. 8. This shows that company’s recourses are being well managed and that company is able to realize high level of sales from its investments in property, plant and equipment such as manufacturing facilities. Debt to equity ratio is used for solvency evaluation. The main purpose of this ratio is to show company’s ability to repay long-term creditors. As shown in exhibits section, this ratio decreased from 1999-2001, however, when compared to its rivals, Inditex confirmed to have the best leverage among them. When it comes to company’s financial flexibility and profitability it is highly essential to calculate Net Profit Margin ratio. This ratio measures how successful a company has been at the business of making profit for each euro earned. As presented in the exhibits section, Inditex was and still is an industry leader with Net Profit Margin ratio of 10. 6% in 2001 and 13. 10% in 2010 which means that company has currently â‚ ¬. 3 of net income for every dollar sale. In addition, according to Inditex’s income statement, we could see that company is delivering higher net income due to its ability to keep operating expenses and COGS much lower than competitors. Furthermore, the company is able to gain sustained competitive advantage by making its own products, efficiently covering lower advertising expenses and maintaining cost-effective number of employees per store. In order for Inditex to maintain continuous growth it is important to keep its profit margins at the high level. Last but not least ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) gives a good judgment on how well a company is using its money to generate returns. Inditex ROIC varied through past couple of years but is currently able to earn around 7% on each euro invested. From the exhibit table below, we could conclude that the company is making wiser investment decisions than its competitors. SCP Analysis Zara competes in a monopolistically competitive industry due to the number of players. No business in this type of industry has total control over the market price and there are no barriers to entry and exit. Because of its monopolistically competitive playing grounds, Zara’s conduct is to increase its market power by producing demand for its heterogeneous products. Through differentiation and cost leadership, Zara attempts to increase market demand by offering new items weekly while keeping a low inventory, thus making its products unique and attractive to consumers. Because of its backward vertical integration model, Zara creates a strong synergy throughout its production process. Zara has sustained a competitive advantage globally by expanding into new markets and becoming more efficient. In a onopolistically competitive industry, Zara is expected to make profits in the short run but will break even in the long run because demand will decrease as average total costs increase. This means in the long run, a monopolistically competitive firm, such as Zara, will make zero economic profit (AmosWEB, 2001). Porters Five Forces Barriers to Entry: Due to the recent recession and weak economic market, many new players have avoided entering the retail industry. Zara has taken advantage of this opportunity to be the first to enter into many markets across the world before its competitors. With the economic future improving, Zara will be facing more and more competition especially in the United States. Rather than implementing new strategies on how to differentiate itself even more, Zara will need to focus more on creating brand awareness and staying on top in the game. Zara has been the odd ball in the industry with its creative business model but with more and more retailers quickly catching on and critiquing their business model to match the economy changes, Zara faces intense competition. Unlike other retailers, for example Gap and H&M, Zara needs to fight threats around the globe. In the states, Zara competition is intensified with American retailers because many customers still do not know who Zara is or what it offers. In Europe, Zara is like a Macys for us in the states so the brand awareness is there but competition is still also high. Many retailers in Europe offer the same products as Zara, at the same or similar prices; therefore Zara needs to find ways to keep ahead of competition. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Zara is famous for its business model of just in time inventory. No other retailer can produce a garment from scratch and have it hanging in the stores within weeks than Zara. Zara also distributes large number of shipments to its stores around the world twice a week. All merchandise is shipped from Spain and all stores receive shipment on the same days, Monday and Thursday. Zara produces nearly 16,000 new designs a year which is much more than leading competitors. With the constant changing apparel Zara keeps its inventory levels extremely low. Zara customers know that if they see something in the store to buy it right then and there because tomorrow that garment will not be there. US customers are still adapting to this quick turnaround time. With their advanced technology, Zara knows what its customers want and will deliver that to them within 2 weeks’ time. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Zara manufactures all its clothing in house. This way it has control of the entire process and can make changes more quickly and efficiently when needed. After the garments are cut and ready for assembly, Zara sends out the fabric to different sewing companies to assemble the pieces. There are many competitors that Zara can choose from when deciding where they want its clothes put together which makes the bargaining power weak. Zara also took control of this process by taking over Comditel. Comditel is in charge of nearly the entire garment process. Once the garments are ready and fully assembled they are then stored in Zara's own distribution centers. From the distribution centers they are then shipped around the globe to the thousands of Zara stores. Like many other aspects of Zara's business model, the distribution center moves even more quickly. Once the garments are in the distribution centers, they only stay there for a maximum of 3 days before be sent out to the appropriate destination. Substitutes: Some may describe Zara as a higher end replica of fashion forward items. The items featured on Prada, Chanel, and St. John runways will be replicated in 2 weeks in Zara stores at a much more affordable price but poorer quality. Therefore, there are not many substitutes that customers can use because a majority of the products are out of the price range of many customers. This is a huge benefit for Zara because its customers are willing to pay a much less price for a lesser quality replica. Competition: Zara's direct competitors include H&M, Gap, and Benetton. H&M offers nearly the same products as Zara to its customers, but a much lower quality and price. For those customers who are price sensitive, H&M would be their choice of retailer. The Gap possesses more competition in the states because it has been around longer and has its loyal customer base which is hesitant to shop elsewhere. Even though these retailers give Zara a run for its money, none of them can keep up with Zara’s business model. Other retailers do not have in house production like Zara and ship their production to other countries for the cheap labor costs. This does save money but it increases time. Time is money so while others are still in production stage, Zara is already selling out of the garment. VRIO Analysis We can use the VRIO framework to determine the competitive potential of Zara’s resources and capabilities. As we analyze Zara’s resources and capabilities, it is evident that Zara has built a highly effective, self-reinforcing business system. Three elements in particular – (1) extensive vertical integration, (2) the company’s flat management structure, and (3) exceptional communication and coordination throughout the business system – allow Zara to successfully execute its â€Å"Very Quick Fashion Follower† business model. Each of the three make the grade of being Valuable, Rare, costly for competitors to Imitate, and for which the company has Organized to take advantage. Extensive Vertical Integration: Zara prides itself in its vertical integration, with near full control over its value chain through to the end-user. The company owns or closely controls its manufacturing and distribution facilities, manages its own logistics and transportation, and wherever possible owns its own stores (except for in markets with high risk or barriers to entry). This integration brings value primarily through speed-to-market, as Zara has achieved significantly shorter cycle times than its peers. Full vertical integration is rare in the apparel industry, which typically sees companies foregoing direct involvement in elements of the value chain (e. g. , H&M outsourced all of its production, and Benetton sold the bulk of its production through licensees). It would be extremely costly for a competitor to imitate Zara’s vertical integration, and even if they were able to do so it is unclear how much or how soon they would profit from it, as much of Zara’s advantage comes from the degree to which it has developed its integrated organization over many years. Flat Management Structure: While the drive, insight, and guidance provided by founder Amancio Ortega and other top executives have obviously been crucial to the success of Inditex, it is the structure and incentives they have put in place that truly drive Zara’s exceptionality. Zara’s management structure is very flat, with autonomy and significant incentive-based compensation for store managers, thus closely aligning their interest with that of the company. This structure adds value to the company through diligent hands-on management at the local level, something so rare that Zara’s CEO noted that the availability of store managers capable of handling these responsibilities was â€Å"the single most important constraint on the rate of store additions. † The structure would be highly difficult for ompetitors to imitate, as it has been built into the culture and processes of the company over several decades. Zara has certainly proven that it is able to organize around the flat structure model – in fact many of the company’s business processes depend on the communication and input of enabled employees at the edges of the business system. Exceptional Communication and Coordination: From early on, Zara developed a focus on com municating and coordinating activities up and down the value chain and across functions. This capability focused on speeding important information on customer preferences and trends to the store network, and feedback on successful and unsuccessful products back up the line to headquarters. Exceptional communication and coordination are crucial to maximizing the value derived from Zara’s vertical integration and flat management structure. A look at the more disjointed businesses systems of peers such as The Gap and Benetton demonstrates how rare it is for all of a company’s capabilities to simultaneously reinforce each other, and how difficult it would be for them to imitate Zara. Zara has successfully organized to coordinate its activities around the fast communication of accurate information – about designs, customers, competitors, and micro- and macroeconomic factors – both up the line to top management and to the edges of the network where store managers and employees interact with its customers. Each of these three capabilities passes the VRIO test, indicating that they are indeed key competencies for Zara. Four Actions Framework In order to understand how Zara created a new value for both the buyer and the company, we utilize the Blue Ocean 4 Forces Analysis. Starting with what factors Zara raised above standard, we see what is also Zara’s key resource, the company’s application of vertical integration. While Zara is involved in both backward and forward integration, what sets it apart is precisely its backward integration into manufacturing. For instance, its competitors Gap and H&M are both practicing forward integration and unlike Zara, outsourcing their production. Zara is also constantly in communication with employees at the edges of its business system such as store managers in order to better identify and track customer preferences and trends. The company encourages increased frequency of customer visits with its short cycle times; customers flock to the stores in order to catch the current fashion trends and product lines. In addition, the company also raised responsibility and accountability for store managers by hiring experienced employees promoted within which the CEO believed was a necessary judgment especially for store additions. Zara increased market saturation leading to better economies of scale thus significantly cutting costs and raising higher awareness and increasing sales. On the other hand, Zara reduced several factors well below the industry standard in order to cut costs and increase customers’ willingness to pay. For instance, the company decreased the failure rate for new products with its intensified product testing program which included store-level personnel in the process. Zara also reduced its cycle time for design which enabled the company to offer the customer new designs in four to five weeks and existing products in two weeks; the industry standard for this process was six months for design and three months for manufacturing. A pioneer in its industry, Zara proudly enjoyed engendering revenues at full price with only 10%-15% of its sales generated at discount prices compared to its European industry at 30%-40%. Lastly, Zara reduced its ad spending below industry standard at 0. 3% of its revenue while its competitors advertised 3%-4%. Although it is relatively unlikely for an apparel company to create factors that its industry has never offered, Zara formed a distinct vision among its competitors. The company was the first within its main rivals to saturate international markets as fast as it did. Zara is a global apparel retailer with a truly international scope. While from 1980’s to 2011 H&M added eight countries to its international expansion, and Gap five, while Zara was at thirty two countries. In the competitive apparel industry, Zara managed to eliminate what its competitors continuously took for granted. The company focused on a flat management system which allowed capturing trend preferences directly from the customer and applying to mass markets. Eliminating the separation between merchandising and manufacturing was especially beneficial to a fast and productive design team. Strategic Vision Based on our analysis, Inditex has proven to be financially stable and can successfully manage its capital invested in its operations. Therefore, to maintain their sustainable growth and continue to add value, Inditex should use their commercial team’s micro/macro evaluations to seek new country market opportunities. They should to continue to use one of the three modes of entry; company-owned stores, joint ventures, and franchises, to open additional stores in European countries that have high apparel markets. Italy, Germany and United Kingdom are markets that show promise, especially Italy because of its high per capita spending on apparel. As discussed in our analysis, one of Zara’s core competencies is its extensive vertical integration, and because the case mentioned a second distribution hub already being built in Zaragoza, Spain, it can support additional European stores without being subject to diseconomies of scale. Increasing the density of Zara’s store locations in Europe will achieve logistic efficiencies. Zara keeps transportation costs low on the supply side, since most of the production takes place in Spain. Efficient distribution and inventory systems help Zara minimize costs. Demand based production means there is very little inventory in Zara’s supply chain, which results in lower working capital requirements and lower supplier opportunity costs. Another market that has potential is the United States. With changing consumer behaviors as a result of globalization, there are growth options available for specialty retailers like Zara. For example, Gap’s current ratio of 2. 18 is higher than Zara’s 1. 71; however Zara’s 13. 10% net profit margin is preferred over Gap’s 8. 21% (as illustrated in Exhibit A-1). Therefore, as long as Zara can maintain its low production and overhead costs, which are high for its competitors, they should be able to compete in the US market. Inditex should invest in prime locations in major cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles to maintain its positioning strategy. Zara should most likely develop a second central distribution center in America. Zara can strategically locate its central distribution center in or near countries where manufacturing can be done with cheap labor cost, such as Mexico. The close proximity of the distribution center to the American market will decrease logistics and help maintain Zara’s model of fast fashion and economies of scale. Internet retailing is another market opportunity that Inditex should consider. Zara can reach consumers faster and easier in the countries they are trying to expand into. This method can also help gauge consumer preferences from country to country. The internet retailing market will increase sales revenues and has a very low business risk considering the products are already being produced for the retail stores. Zara’s online shop would complement its stores, adding an extra level of service for its customers. It would also expand its customer base to reach areas where stores are not located. Patrons can shop from anywhere in the world and at any time of day or night. This essentially means more shoppers and more sales for the business. Based on our analysis, the monopolistically competitive industry structure is not the key factor driving Zara’s significant performance. Zara has leveraged its key resources to combine low price with product differentiation to create value and succeed in this industry structure. Zara has been able to increase the customer’s willingness to pay by constantly rotating its merchandise and creating a climate of scarcity and opportunity for customers. In conclusion, Zara has the potential for sustainable growth due to its competitive advantage and its ability to increase customer’s willingness to pay while decreasing its opportunity cost. The company keeps its operating income high, has a solid business model with unrivaled synergy and has various opportunities for expansion in the retail industry. Zara must continue to re-invent their image in order to stay fresh in the apparel industry and as long as they maintain their core competencies, they will continue to succeed. Zara Fast Fashion Inditex – Zara: Fast fashion Case analysis Company Structure and Goals Overview Zara’s vision on growth and global strategy -Building up fixed assets -Vertical integration -No advertising, creating premium stores -Fashion follower – QR to fashion trends -Strongly customer oriented -Stable growth -Markdowns half the average (15% as supposed to 30% ) -Pricing market based Business model: -Vertical operations and downstream activities -Multi-chain concept -Creative design team -Competitive advantage – Sustainable growth As attachment: Porter’s Five forces; Company structure; Financials) Problem Statement Growth challenge – 20% per annum expected, 76% of equity value implicit on Inditex’s stock price was based on expectations on future growth. Failure to deliver expected growth results might cause a serious offset in company’s market capitalization. Room for non-local growth – in average a retailer was present in 10 countries while e. g. a pharmaceutical company averaged operations in 125 countries. Problem statement is: In what geographical area(s) should further Zara expansion follow? Should there be another logistics-distribution centre created as increase of operations might cause dis-economies of scale? Should it acquire additional chains given the complexity of managing those and the risk of own-product-replacements? Preserve the margins; (visible threat to the sustainability of Index’s competitive advantage) Evaluation of the alternative solutions 1. Growth challenge: Notes: not much potential on the local market; -different markets require different positioning -though costs grow as distance grows, prices also change (margins are kept) -50% of all export is to developing countries -Zara shopper visits the store 17 times a year, average is 2-4 times -Creating a climate of scarcity and opportunity in stores Evaluate growth options in different markets: Spain Europe str4 – production in North Africa, turkey and East Europe. US – production in Mexico and the Caribbean subjected to retailing oercapacity, less fashion-forward than Europe, demands larger sizes and exhibits considerable internal variations Japan – no quotas to restrict imports, produced in China. – teenage market segment considered as the trendiest in the world Italy – fashionable, visit stores frequently and spend more on clothing 2. Change in marketing strategy Current: Three types of entering a market: company owned stores, joint ventures, franchising Strategy is standard across the countries -No adv -One big shop central city (capital) Followed by smaller ones (spreading around the country) -Shop windows used excessively -Products do not differ much from country to country -Model is downstream -No knowledge is shared -From design to stores within 4-5 weeks , industry average 9 months -Due to product testing, failure rate only 1% compared to industry average of 10% 3. Change in pricing strategy Current: Prices vary on the different markets, due to transport costs (all supplied from the base in Galicia) – this changes positioning Lower mark-down than industry average

Valcanoes Essays - Volcanology, Igneous Rocks, Plate Tectonics

Valcanoes Essays - Volcanology, Igneous Rocks, Plate Tectonics Valcanoes The distructive power of a valcano is one of the most violent and deadly of all natural forces. In a short period of time, these massive explosions of the earths crust can shatter whole communities. Valcanoes are very distructive no matter how big or how small they erupt at. They cause the highest amount of deaths and the greatest amount of damage. Of the two major types of Volcanoes, andestic and basaltic, the two typical volcanoes begin life when a mass of low-density magma forces its way to the surface. When the density of the rising magma is the same as that of the surrounding rock, it gathers in a magma chamber. Any rise in pressure in the chamber may now push the magma upwards through cracks in the overlying rock. As the magma traveling up a crack approaches the surface, the pressure from the overlying rocks reduces; gases are released from the magma and expand so suddenly that an explosion rips open a funnel shaped vent (called a diatreme) to the surface. The lava that blasts out of the vent then cools, to form cinders, ash and dust - all referred to as Tephra. A ring of tephra collects around the vent and, as the eruption subsides, this blocks up the diatreme. Volcanoes have erupted in many different places. Volcanoes have erupted in The Philippines, Java, Papua New Guinea & Hawaii and many other places. The Ring of Fire, located around the Pacific Ocean, is 20 or so places with active volcanoes in them joined by one big imaginary line that forms a circle (or Ring) when scaled down to the size on a map. Somewhere in the world an eruption occurs at least once a month. Whether it be big or small it doesnt really matter at all. If it kills 1 person or 1 000 people it is still counted as an eruption. In some countries volcanoes are common and erupt frequently as in Hawaii. But in other countries like Australia there are no eruptions at all. That could be because all the volcanoes are dormant or there are simply no volcanoes at all. In 1815, the most devastating eruption ever recorded, killed approximately 92 000 people. 10 000 people died directly from the volcano and a further 82 000 died from famine. The volcano is located at Tambora, Sumbawa in Indonesia. Recently a volcano erupted in Monserrat, West Indies. It devastated farms, houses and streets became rivers of lava. Bibliography Just about valcanoes, it's kinda lame but oh wel

Identify the most consequential features of ‘new media’ and assess how and why sociological theory and concepts deal with these The WritePass Journal

Identify the most consequential features of ‘new media’ and assess how and why sociological theory and concepts deal with these Introduction Identify the most consequential features of ‘new media’ and assess how and why sociological theory and concepts deal with these ) The Net Delusion: How Not To Liberate the World, Penguin, London Papastergiadis, N. (2000) The Turbulence of Migration: Globalization, Deterritorialization and Hybridity, Polity, Cambridge Rheingold, H. (1993) The Virtual Community, Harper Collins, Reading, MA Webster, F. (2002) ‘Cybernetic Life: Limits to Choice’ in Armitage, J. and Roberts, J. (eds.) Living with Cyberspace: Technology and Society in the 21st Century, Continuum, London Webster, F. (2001) A New Politics? in Webster, F. (ed.) Culture and Politics in the Information Age: A New Politics? Routledge, London

Intern Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intern - Essay Example All in all, I think this was a good week. The next week, life as an intern was both easier and harder to manage at the same time. It was easier because by this week I already had a better feel of my working environment. On the other hand, it was also harder because now I am feeling the load of work of a corporate manager. Of course I knew from the start that at this line of work juggling more than one task at a time is part of the job description. I realized important it is to keep my focus and keep things organized. To make sure that things run as smoothly as possible, I devised a simple strategy: that is making a weekly schedule of my tasks and duties, spreading out my tasks in those days and setting a completion target every day. Because as much as I want to accomplish everything in 24 hours, I cannot, I found early on that this is quite difficult to manage. Thus, the system, it helps me focus and keeps me from being overwhelmed from the load of my responsibilities. By my third week, I hate to admit but I was starting to feel the stress. And I just kept thinking to myself that I cannot let stress get the better of me. I knew that it does not only affect me but my co-workers as well, such negative energy could create a domino effect. I was trying my best not to take my stress out on my co-workers and cause a stress on our working relationship, I want to earn their respect and be respected as well so I had to do something to control the matter. Fortunately, talk to my family and friends really helps. Also, when I am at work, I try to take a minute refocus my mind and take breather before moving on to new tasks. I am really relieved that this working well for me because I know how my stress can result to poor productivity and management, which can affect my co-workers and clients. On my fourth week of internship, I must say I am learning a lot of things. For instance, NYC Service Zone handles a diverse set of clients, which is

Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Narrative - Essay Example I was however born with a rebellious streak and this made me meet my male friends at a place, the rock-side park that we had designated for this purpose. (Appositive) It was peaceful, cheerful and had a wonderful scent to it, and my only goal at the time was to change people’s mindsets, despite being so young, with regard to accepting the fact that girls and boys can be friends. Soon, among all my friends, I grew to have a close bond with Ali. Ali and I grew to be very attached to each other as we would always play together and go for walks. I shared every thought with him and both of us were teased by all our other friends. â€Å"You both are going to end up getting married one day!† one of them would remark. â€Å"And then you will have little babies to play with!† another would add childishly. Ali and I always laughed these taunts off because at the time we did not understand the concept of marriage. We would often walk to the candy store, team up in games together and share our problems and achievements with each other. As time passed, our relationship grew into a very strong bond of friendship that no one could break. Ali was always protective of me and watched out for me. We stuck to each other during the good and the bad times and grew to become extremely fond of each other. While playing games, Ali and I would always side together in teams and defeat the others. Our friends would always tell us, â€Å"Both of you make an excellent pair!† Soon though, my family, including myself, relocated to the United States of America, and at that time, I was apprehensive of the relationship that shared with Ali. Till the time that we were together, things were good for us however, we had never given any thought to what life would be like without the other person around. We did not realise that we had grown so close to each other that it was impossible to spend some time apart.