McCarthy’s power Essay

We also see this clearly when the corrupt Putnam ruthlessly and heartlessly kills off his neighbours to buy their land, using his daughter and Tituba as mediums to accuse people with and feeding names into their mouths, as he does with the words, â€Å"Sarah Good? Did you ever see Sarah Good with him (the devil)? Or Osburn? Before his daughter Ruth has even admitted to witchcraft, he spreads the word of witchcraft, cruelly calculating his next move. The words, â€Å"That is a notorious sign of witchcraft, a prodigious sign,† indicate his joy at the opportunity to make some money and settle some old grudges. His disregard for his daughter’s health is yet another example of his lack of humanity. Parris is equally selfish and cold. When questioning Abigail about her dancing in the woods, Parris proceeds to say, â€Å"I must know it now, for my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it†¦ you must understand I have many enemies†¦ there is a faction sworn to drive me from my pulpit,† like Putnam lacking any concern for Abigail. It is clear that people like Danforth, Parris and Putnam aren’t in the business of helping Salem’s society, as people of their status should be, but in furthering their own possessions. Without these individuals keeping order and maintaining justice in the town, all of the old grudges and petty grievances are allowed to run riot and influence the proceedings in court, as we see when Ann Putnam accuses Rebecca Nurse, arguably the most respected person in the town, of killing her babies. This is also an example of how little scientific knowledge was available at the time, and how eager people were to place blame on other people. Aside from the few individuals with integrity, like Proctor, Corrie and Rebecca Nurse, the rest of Salem’s society will sacrifice others to safeguard their name in the town. When questioned by Hale, Abigail seems to instinctively play the innocent child which the audience knows she is definitely not, an example of dramatic irony. â€Å"I’m a good girl! I’m a proper girl! † These words highlight how quick she is to defend herself, and her insecurity about her image and reputation in the village. Once she is safe, she proceeds to shift blame onto others, like Tituba. â€Å"She tried (to make me drink the soup) but I refused†¦ She made me drink blood! † Abigail realises her word is taken over Tituba’s because of the racial prejudice at the time the play is set in. People like Abigail, Parris and Putnam aren’t afraid to use this discrimination to their advantage, which only serves to kill more people, or to ruin their lives. It is ironic that one of the few admirable qualities that are found in the town is the reason that so many people die. Ultimately, people like Hale and Proctor realise that it isn’t being seen as a good Christian or letting people think you are innocent that matters, but knowing yourself that you are innocent and have nothing to fear. It is this that convinces them that everything should be done to protect your innocence, even giving your life, in Proctor’s case. People like Proctor and Reverend Hale are purified by Danforth’s crucible but for the wrong reasons. While Danforth’s words, â€Å"We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment,† would appear to be correct, they are ironic, in that the only way the truth comes out is if innocent people die first These men, along with the many others who are convicted, struggle long and hard with the decision of confession and lies versus integrity and righteousness. For others like Rebecca Nurse the choice is already decided, as her words, â€Å"Let you fear nothing, another judgement awaits us all,† suggest. She is firm in her belief that they will be repaid by God for maintaining their innocence. John’s dilemma is much worse, as he has family and children to worry about, and his name is ruined in the village already, as news of his adultery charges would have circulated. The impact of outpourings like, â€Å"I lie and sign myself to lies! I am not worth the dust of the feet of them that hang,† gives you the feeling that he realises the complexity of his situation, and that he is trapped either way. The real problem to him is that he believes it is his fault. Elizabeth’s last line, â€Å"He has his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him,† lets you know that she understands his choice and she respects and forgives him once again, which is ultimately what he wanted. The society has the ability to let innocent people die, not only because they are loyal to themselves and no one else, but because these people are willing to die for what they believe, or what they want, in Proctor’s case. There are many other people in the village who try to speak their mind, and do what is morally right, but whose aspirations are crushed by the opposing factors, like Parris, Danforth and Abigail. Mary Warren is a good example of this, as she hides from her fears, but then confronts them, only to be brought to her knees by the sheer callousness of Abigail. We can also attribute this to the earlier mention of Danforth’s interrogation-style cross examining as well, as he repeatedly asks the same question to Mary, â€Å"Has Mr. Proctor ever threatened you for this deposition? †¦ Has he ever threatened you? †¦ Has he threatened you? † It personifies the disorder of the court’s legal system, as if Danforth doesn’t get the answer he wants, you will suffer, whether you are right or wrong. Mary eventually caves in to the pressure, condemning Proctor in the process, although sympathy is felt for her, as all of her weaknesses are ruthlessly exploited by the girls, betraying Mary and leaving her with no other alternative. When Mary goes to court, she feels as if she is on trial and it is her credibility that is questioned, even though it is she who is accusing the girls, again linking to Hale’s earlier comment, â€Å"Is every defence an attack upon this court? † Danforth refuses to question the girls, as if they are found to be guilty, his reputation will be ruined and his judgement will be compromised. Instead he turns a blind eye you any damning evidence against the girls, and with the help of Parris, forces people to lie to save themselves, vindicating his decisions in the process. This is revealed when Parris declares, â€Å"There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning! † This is ironic, as Parris’ church is already â€Å"burning like Hell† as a result of his wayward leadership. Outbursts like this not only show the real character behind Parris’ fai ade, but they also serve to highlight the way he and Danforth work against the community, with an attitude that only helps the corrupt. Once Danforth has weakened the accuser, he provides them with a way out, as he does with Mary, slowly pushing her to convict Proctor with suggestions like, â€Å"It may well be Mary Warren has been conquered by Satan,† practically putting words in her mouth. His desperation becomes much more apparent when he threatens Mary, â€Å"You will confess or you will hang,† another example of his twisted logic and self-serving nature. This pressure to do what is expected draws parallels to the McCarthy era, when Un-American activities were seen as wrong, and the one person who should represent hope, Danforth in the case of The Crucible, is in fact an antagonist in the whole predicament. This pressure again links to fear, but in this case it is fear of authority that reigns supreme, as there are few people who have the courage to challenge the decisions made by Danforth, and face the harsh consequences. Any Salemites who enter the court are forced to choose between Danforth’s and Parris’ version of right, and the Christian right, which, in a just system, should be the same thing. As the play goes on, the audience’s antipathy for Parris grows, as they see him twisting the words of others and lying in court to protect himself, hardly the actions people expect of a priest. A prime example of dramatic irony is witnessed as the audience can see straight through Parris’ false exterior, as he desperately tries to cover up anything that could point to his knowledge of the girls â€Å"just dancin’ in the woods†. Few Salemites have any knowledge of his ulterior motives, or that anything he does or says is purely for his own well being, and the manner in which he projects himself is a far cry from his real character. Parris attempts to use theology to secure his position in the good books of Danforth and the community, often referring to the Bible during the proceedings in court. He leads most of the society to believe that he is trying to help them and, by lulling them into a false sense of security, he then seizes the opportunity to rid the town of anyone he believes is a threat to himself, or his position. Utilising his status and reputation, he preaches, â€Å"You should surely know that Cain were an upright man, and yet he did kill Abel,† in an attempt to have Proctor convicted. No court can provide unbiased or uncorrupted justice if its own minister is trying to have the defendant killed. His words, â€Å"The devil lives on such confidences! Without confidences there would be no conspiracy,† are ironic but true, as it is he who as kept much greater secrets, and it is he is the devil of Salem. In this sentence he is accusing someone who contrasts greatly with him, Giles Corey. Miller uses Corey to bring humour to the play, but he also stands alongside Proctor and Rebecca Nurse as one of the main symbols of integrity and righteousness. Although he is revealed as a nai ve, slightly puzzled man, he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, albeit with some harsh consequences like his wife’s death. Unlike Parris, he values his friends, which eventually leads to his death. His response to the choice of betraying his friend or dying is admirable, his integrity clear as he replies, â€Å"I stand mute. † The audience feels a great deal of sympathy and admiration not only for Corey, but also Proctor and Rebecca Nurse who set a great example that, few others follow. There is immense injustice, as the only people who die are innocent, and they are the privileged few who have integrity. Although he can’t stop the proceedings in the court, Hale disassociates himself from the fraudulent proceedings in the Salem court, with the statement, â€Å"I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court,† ruining his reputation in the process. His efforts to correct Danforth’s judgement are brought to a halt, often by Danforth himself who quips, â€Å"I will have nothing from you Mr. Hale! † This again highlights the stubbornness of Danforth, as he refuses to listen to anyone The structure of the play is quite regimented, as there always appears to be a glimmer of hope in each act, but the end of every act ends with chaos. This shows that the situation could never be resolved, as the paranoia and hysteria undermined any efforts to do this. In reality, it was the Salem society that was the devil, as Proctor declares, â€Å"A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours Danforth! † This again shows the humbleness of Proctor, as he has the integrity to face up to his shortcomings, while Danforth would prefer to hide, frantically trying to drown out Proctor’s words with his own, with the frenetic cry, â€Å"Take him (Proctor) and Corey with him to the jail! † This is another illustration of Danforth’s cowardice, and his inability to confront his flaws. Proctor’s earlier quote, â€Å"God is dead! † also serves to show the disorder in the justice system. The people who should represent God, like Parris and Danforth, are now the devils. We see further irony when Danforth states, â€Å"I will not deal in lies,† in a bid to obtain Proctor’s confession, when in fact, every pardon or conviction was based on a lie. No one can be sure if Danforth believed he was right in doing what he did, but it is obvious that he wasn’t right. In contrast, it is more obvious that Parris had a hidden agenda. However, both were responsible for the deaths of innocent people, although it seems that this was the only thing that could bring their reign to an end. One of the reasons Miller wrote this play was to denounce McCarthyism, and the end again draws parallels to this period, as the whole saga only came to an end when someone took a stand against the state. There were very few people who were willing to stand up for their beliefs, not only in Salem, but also during the McCarthy era, which is understandable given the consequences. . Miller projects other figures as unlikely heroes, everyday people like Rebecca Nurse, Giles Corey and John Proctor, who have the courage and integrity to admit to their faults, and die for their beliefs. In this era, with the town steeped in anger, vengeance and despair, these individuals stand alone making their achievements even greater. Once a stand had been taken however, the repercussions suffered by the corrupt leaders of these eras were also similar. Danforth’s power over the public diminished rapidly and Parris â€Å"walked the highroad, and was never seen again. † McCarthy’s power ceased as well, highlighting again, that a few individuals with a conscience can make a difference, one way or the other.

Logistics department Essay

1. What interactions and discussion need to take place among the marketing, manufacturing, logistics, and finance departments? Explain the logistics department`s role in the introduction of the new product. The functional areas of marketing, logistics, manufacturing and finance should hold weekly sales and operations planning (S&OP) meetings to address the following: Identify firm planned orders which may be delayed to the customer. Notify key account managers and focused operations planning team(s) to expedite orders in jeopardy Address any resource constraints to meet firm planned orders for the current month and planned orders for the following three months (manufacturing capacity, labor) The focused operations planning team(s) which consists of production, procurement, manufacturing and master production scheduling (logistics) must meet daily to ensure the requirements identified in the S&OP meeting are carried out. Logistics ensures the following: – ensure that raw material inputs to peanuts arrive on time without freight damage – ensure that finished goods inventory from the manufacturing facility to the warehouse, distribution center and eventually the customer arrive on time- in full without freight damage – minimize transportation costs by utilizing full truck load (FTL shipments) and in certain instances, intermodal (rail) shipments for cross country transport 2. Why is it necessary for the logistics department to be cognizant of all the details (quality, timing) of the new product introduction? Discuss the issues that might arise (e.g. the drop in demand after the Final Four) and what responsibilities the logistics department would have as a result of these changes. This necessity comes out of the need to have the right quantity at the right time in the right place to meet customer demand. Without this close  coordination between timing and quantity, deliveries would be delayed, inventory carrying costs would increase and as a result profits would be negatively impacted. In situations where the demand drops after the Final Four, the production planning and scheduling aspect comes into play. By utilizing a master production schedule which is closely aligned with S&OP meetings, the master production scheduler can adjust the production amounts to meet decreasing demand. This ensures that product produced is delivered to the customer and does not sit in the warehouse of Pete’s. To summarize, the logistics department is responsible for reacting to market/demand changes to maintain profit margins for the business.

Learning process in behaviour Essay

Learning is a permanent change in behaviour caused by experience. The learner does not need to have the experience directly; we can also learn by observing others . It is an ongoing process. Our knowledge of the world is continually being revised as we are exposed to new stimuli and receiving ongoing feedback that allows us to modify our behaviour when we find ourselves in a similar position again Psychologists who have studied learning have developed advanced therories on the process of learning. Here we will discuss the two major approaches to learning; instrumental and classical conditioning. Classical Conditioning It occurs when a stimulus that elicits a response is paired with another stimulus that initially does not elicit a response on its own. A Russian physiologist , Pavlov introduced classically conditioned learning by pairing a neutral stimulus ( a bell ) with a stimulus known to cause a salivation to dogs ( he squirted dry meat powder). The powder was an unconditioned stimulus because it was capable of causing the response. Over time, the dog has learned to associate the bell with its meat powder and begin to salivate at the sound of the bell only. The drooling of these canine consumers because of a sound now has a linked to feeding time, was a conditioned response ( CR ). This basic of classical conditioning applies to responses controlled by the autonomic and nervous systems. When these cues are consistently paired with a conditioned stimuli such as brand names, we as consumers may feel hungry, thirsty or aroused when later exposed to brand cues. Conditioning effects are more likely to occur after the (CS) conditioned and  unconditioned ( UCS ) stimuli have been paired a number of times. Repeated exposures increases the strength of stimulus-response associations and prevent the decay of these associations in memory. Many marketing strategies focus on the establishment of associations between stimuli and responses. Behavioural learning principal applies to many consumer phenomena, ranging from the creation of a distinctive brand image to the perceived linkage between a product and an underlying need. The transfer of meaning from an unconditioned stiulus to a conditioned stimulus explains why made-up brands like Marlboro, Coca-Cola or IBM can exert such powerful effects on consumers. Operant conditioning Over the years behaviourist have carried out operant principals out of the narrow world of the skinner box and into the wider room of society. The use of the operant techniques to help people change unwanted, dangerous, or self-defeating habits in real world settings is called behaviour modification ( applied behaviour analysis ) Behaviour modification has had enormous success, behaviorist have taught parents to toilet train their children in only a few sessions etc. as you can see from everyday world behaviour modificaton is not a science but an art. Operant Conditioning : process of applying the law of effect to control behaviour by manipulating its consequences. Law of effect: behaviour followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated; behaviour followed by unpleasant consequences is not 4 basic reinforcement strategies is use in operant conditioning; – positive reinforcement -negative reinforcement -punishment -extinction Positive reinforcement : the process by which people learn to perform acts leading to such desirable outcomes. Whatever behaviour led to the positive outcome is likely to occur again, thereby strengthening that behaviour by making a pleasant consequences contingent onto its occurrence. Negative reinforcement: Negative reinforcement is the process by which people learn to perform acts that lead to removal of undesired events or unpleasant consequence contingent onto its occurrence. Punishment: administrating of negative consequences or withdrawal of positive consequences that tend to reduce the likelihood of repeating the behaviour in similar settings Extinction: ceasation of previously established reinforcer that is maintaining a behaviour by removal of a pleasant consequence of its occurrence. Positive reinforcement can take many forms. One of the strongest is praise and recognition for the good work. It is good rewards management. It shifts the emphasis and energy of the manger towards a larger number of employees, rather than focus all the attention and time on poorer employees. If done correctly it can make all but the worst employees feel that the organization recognizes and appreciates their effort and contributions. If the desired behaviour is specific in nature and is difficult to achieve , a pattern if positive reinforcement called shaping can be used. Shaping is the creation of a new behaviour by the positive reinforcement of successive approximations leading to the desired behaviour. Negative reinforcement governs a good deal of our behaviour. Some people do  think that it is a reasonable way to manage people at work that is, employees who engage in undesirable behaviour should expect something to happen to them. But there are some difficulties with this approach. First it creates a tens environment ( difficult to work everyday where the main motivation is to prevent unpleasant outcomes ) secondly, relationships often deteriorates when superiors represent a constant threat to be avoided. There can be adverse side effects in using punishment. – An action intended to punish may instead be reinforcing because it brings attention -the recepient of punishment often responds with anxiety ,fear or rage -the effectiveness of punishment is often temporay, depending heavily on the presense of the punishing person or circumstances -most misbehaviours is hard to punish immediately thus resutingin the reinforcement of the undesired behaviour -punishment conveys little info Extinction is important and quite commonly used. This strategy decreases the frequency of or weakens the behaviour . The behaviour is not â€Å"unlearned†; it simply is not exhibited. Since the behaviour is no longer reinforced, it will reappear when it is reinforced again. Whereas positive reinforcement seeks to establish and maintain desirable work behaviour, extinction on the other hand is intended to weaken and eliminate the undesirable behaviour Law of contingent reinforcement states for reward to have the maximum reinforcing value ; it must be delivered only if the desired behaviour is exhibited . Secondly, the law of immediate reinforcement states , the more immediate the delivery of a reward after the occurence of a desirable behaviour, the greater the reinforcing value of the reward. Timing of postiove reinforcement; a) the continuous reiforcemnt schedule administers a reqrd each tie a desired behaviour occurs b) b) an intermittent or patila reinforcement schedule rewars a behaviour only periodically. – 4 varieties of partial reinforcement schedule – a) Fixed interval schedules b)Variable interval schedules c)Fixed ratio schedules c) Variable ratio schedules In general , a mange can expect that the continuous reinforcement will draw a desired behaviour more quickly than will intermittent reinforcement Steps in positive reinforcement program; @identify specific behaviour that are to be changed; must be accurate and reliably observed and then recorded. Behaviour should be measurable and observable. @ determine the links between the target behaviour, its consequences and stimulus condition leading to the beaviour) @develop and set specific behaviour goals for each person and target behaviours @recording process toward the goal @apply appropriate consequences; rewards, punsihmnets,extinction

Experimental Design for statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Experimental Design for statistics - Essay Example They will be required to be in the first month of the pregnancy so that they can be monitored from early stages in their pregnancy development. Fresh mothers will not be required to take part in this study but only mothers who have at least one other child. A sample of about 200 mothers will be selected for this study. The sample will be representative of all the population. Mothers will have their blood pressure measured to ascertain that they are healthy to take place in this study. The child’s brain development will be measured using the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which measures the brain and behaviour development. This will be done as the child grows, probably up to 12 years. Further, the kids will have their IQ tested through simple tasks, their social behaviors and their computation skills. All this measurements will be recorded and put into a computer package for analysis. Based on the kind of fish his/her mother was consuming, the level of the IQ, their social behaviours and computing skills will be compared. The level of the MRI will say whether that certain kind of fish will have detrimental effects. Pregnant mothers are classified as vulnerable people thus; their protection from harm will be a priority. Further, their privacy will be protected to the highest level. Also, they will be taken through all the information concerning this study so as to make an informed decision about taking place in the study. No coercion will be used at

Intermediate Sanctions - Home Confinement Assignment

Intermediate Sanctions - Home Confinement - Assignment Example Electronic monitoring is mainly used as a supervisory tool. This helps the officers monitor the activities of the offender more effectively. The offenders are usually required to adhere to a strict schedule of activities. Under the home confinement, there are two main types of programs. First, there are the pretrial programs which use home confinement as an alternative form of detention before the individuals are taken to court. Secondly, there are post-adjudication programs which use home confinement as an alternative to incarceration. This program was initially intended to serve as an alternative to sentencing for drunken driving offenders but has expanded to include other offenders as well. Generally, home confinement mainly excludes offenders of serious and violent crimes. The level of supervision or restriction is given depends on the type of the offender. These restrictions may be simple curfews or may be as severe as lock-downs. There are three main levels of restrictions: curfews, home detention, and home incarceration. When it comes to curfews, the participants of this program are required to be at home every day at specific times. Home detention requires that the participant remains in his home throughout except for specific approved times. Finally, home incarceration is when the offender is put under complete lock-down, except for specific activities approved by the court. Home confinement may be used by the courts as a sanction for people who go against the regulations of their supervision. The purpose o f home confinement depends on the stage of the criminal justice process in which it is applied. Regardless of the stage, however, it is mainly used as a means of protecting the public.

Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Immigration - Essay Example Nevertheless, the political and social significance of immigration goes clear of numbers as immigration engrosses populace, and not just the factors of production but also the dreams, hopes, frustrations, human interests and plans. As such, immigrants are n active force that drives the novel international realities both in their host countries and their native countries. In actual fact, immigration has turned out to be a key force that shapes global reality. Immigration is a dominant force with regard to both cultural and social interaction and change in the host nations. It offers the immigrants considerable opportunities to enable them to progress. Immigration is also an issue that has significantly dissimilar developmental impacts on both the native and host nations. The worldwide population has, therefore, recognized the aforementioned facts in their considerations on immigration and as a consequence has acknowledged the requirement to set up a more rational political rejoinder t o the trend. This paper is, therefore, written with the objective of bringing out the differences in immigration patterns between the United States of America and other countries across the globe. In doing so, the paper will look at aspects such as the difference in immigration policies between the USA and other countries and also the differences in opportunities offered to immigrants in USA and other countries. Immigration in the USA and Canada One of the notable differences between the national policies on immigration between Canada and the United States of America is that while Canada has been actively involved in soliciting for immigrants for several years, the United States of America has put up several restrictions aimed at limiting immigration into the country Dalmia. Dalmia further observes that the Canadian public has consistently shown support for immigration as was seen in a poll whose outcome indicated that only a third of Canadians considered immigration as a problem an d not an opportunity. This was far much lower than all the nations that had been surveyed. However, the Canadians showed concern on â€Å"brain wastage† and making sure that alien credential were accurately acknowledged and recompensed in the job markets. In concurrence with the above statement, Dalmia acknowledges that unlike the United States that only elects natives to leadership and political positions, Canada offers immigrants opportunities in both political and leadership positions. For instance, during the 2011 parliamentary elections, approximately 11 percent of all the individuals elected to the Canadian parliament were immigrants. He further maintains that this is not a coincidence as just about 20 percent of Canadians are immigrants. On the other hand, the United States of America limits immigrants from participating in elections and holding political offices. That is, the policies do not allow immigrants to vote or vie political offices such as congress, presidenc y and senate. In observing the difference of opinions on immigrations between Canadians and Americans, Dalmia noted that there are two key reasons as per why Canadians are tolerant to immigration while

Driving Around a Bend Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Driving Around a Bend - Assignment Example Higher is the speed and more is the angle of inclination. Many times, the turn is too sharp and/or the speed is too much to negotiate by the motorists and the vehicle skids causing fatal accidents. A car driver, unfortunately, cannot lean like a motorcyclist and therefore, he needs something else to help him negotiate a bend without skidding and that is banking on the road. In case of banking, there is an upward slope on the road from inner side towards the outer side of the circle. So the question is by what angle a motorcyclist should lean and also, what should be the angle of banking on the road near a bend to avoid skidding off a vehicle. These two are an essentially same problem and have been treated analytically in the subsequent section. Suddenly a bend comes on the road and he has to move along a circular arc. Moving along a circular arc requires centripetal acceleration and there must be a force to produce this acceleration. If the motorcycle goes on a horizontal circular path, this resultant force will also be horizontal. Let us consider a motorcycle of mass ‘m’ moving at a speed ‘v’ is negotiating a bend of radius ‘r’ and the road is horizontal. Therefore, the external forces acting on the vehicle are the following: As the road is horizontal, the normal reaction force ‘R’ is vertically upward. The only horizontal force that can act towards the center of the circular path is friction F. This is static friction and self-adjustable. The tires get a tendency to skid outward and the frictional force which opposes the skidding acts towards the center. Thus for the safe turn i.e. for the turn without skidding

The Modern History of Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Modern History of Computing - Essay Example The source will trace the history of computers from early 1900s to the modern times. It will equally provide information relating to technological changes over that period and considerably highlight the contribution of computer technology innovators like Atanasoff, Babbage, and Colossus. The recognition of the book’s authors, its proper citations, worldwide sponsorships, and relevant outsourcing, promote the credibility and authoritativeness of the source. Additionally, the source document is equally factual, easy to read and understand. Hence, it is relevant to the topic. Ensmenger, Nathan "Who Invented the Computer? The Legal Battle That Changed Computing History." American Scientist 91.5 (2003): 467-468. Although the book is long and loses focus on the main issue about computer inventions, it is relevant to scholarly work. The source will help me to understand a legal case that explains Atanasoff as the actual inventor of the modern computer. However, although the judgeâ₠¬â„¢s ruling on this case is questionable, the authority of the author and the information will be applicable in this study. A more balanced and broader book on computer history would be more appropriate. Hodges,  Andrew. ... Additionally, the source will highlight the limitations of early computers as well as showing a brief history of computers. The source is authoritative and relevant. It is consistent with other sources on computer information and is widely recognized by many organizations. The author is highly knowledgeable and recognized. The planning and writing of this source document is easy to read and understand. Thus, the source document is widely applicable and relevant in this study. Miller, Stephen. "Pioneer Programmer Shaped The Evolution of Computers." Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition 14 Oct. 2011: A. Newspaper Source The wall street journal is a prominent academic material and its authority in information is reliable. The document helps me in analyzing information on the inventors of computer programming language and other software. The document will considerably highlight the contributions of Mr. Ritchie in computer technology from the early times to the recent times. It will also brief me with the difference between the early computer and modern computers. The Wall street journal is reliable in technological and business news in US. Thus, I will reasonably use this source document in my study. Rojas,  Raul and Hashagen,Ulf The first computers: history and architectures London: MIT Press, 2002 Print. This scholarly book is up-to-date with its publishing being 10 years ago. The information herein helps me to understand the origin of computers, the early computers, and their uses. Indeed, it highlights the development and components of early computers. This information will help me in analyzing the origin and development of early computers. Just like any other print media, the source

Freemium pricing at dropbox case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freemium pricing at dropbox - Case Study Example That is the reason the company had to use the freemium pricing strategy. The company also coupled the strategy with referral activities, where individuals got the upgrade of storage when they referred their friends to the company (Teixeira and Elizabeth, 196). The result for this strategy was that Dropbox hold a large portion of client cloud storage market. The company also outpaced the internet giants like Amazon and Google in the market. This made the company to start targeting the corporate customers directly. Additionally, the Dropbox consumer version started at $120 increased to $800 for five years (Teixeira and Elizabeth, 195). Consequently, the company’s business product allowed the employers to manage the document of their employees. The product also incorporated single-sign-on option that can be installed to the computer system across the business. The strategy has no significant failure or a negative result. The only disadvantage of the strategy is that unless one is a master, the company cannot attain the customer acquisition objective. This is applied to startup companies. For corporate customers and business clients, Dropbox marketed his new brands to businesses. He carried out an endless decision cycles and made use of gatekeepers. The company opted to target the individual users. The idea behind the strategy was to get employees using the service within the company. The objective of the strategy was getting individuals to use and then like which they would get the employers to register as well. To achieve this, the company gave people ways of trying the service. To achieve this he used a freemium pricing strategy (Teixeira and Elizabeth, 197). Additionally, the company incentivized satisfied client to recommend them to their family and friends. Alternatively, Dropbox could choose Search Engine Marketing. This marketing is critical because it will give Dropbox chance to compete with other titan of the internet by being visible on the search

Parenting goals that must be generated Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Parenting goals that must be generated - Essay Example Kids need to watch their parents as they support their teacher. It is very important that this child watch what you do as a parent. They will establish and see the extent to which the school system is important. You as a parent have to support it and come over it. This must be done naturally; it should become part of your kids’ life. It is a simple, real deal such as telling the kids to do their homework, and thereafter, take two hours to play video games. As you do this, you will make a connection between the school and your kid’s education. II. Teach your child to feel Human Beings; it is important to deal with their feelings through stress management, which starts at 15 years of age. In the school environment; attend all child activities show you care If you do not want to deal with feeling, then you cannot teach your kids. God gave us feelings as a gift. III. Teach your child to be responsible When the child is, about 10 years old, he or she should carry out basic h ouse roles such as; Let the mother be where he or she is Organize the bed after waking up Not answering the door when he or she is alone in the house Not using the kitchen Not screaming, and other unwritten roles IV. Teach your child to like themselves and get along with other This is through loving themselves. 2. Responsibility connected to freedom If your kids say that, they are going to the library, as a parent it is important to go and check out if it is indeed true. ... In many cases, there should be a balanced side, at age 18 they can legally make a decision. In addition, let your children grow up do not mislead them. Give them responsibility for a real life. How much you give them, have let them to either fail or succeed. Some kids experience under maturity because of dilemma in parenting. In essence, parents have parenting skills for one to ten year olds, but they do not have parenting skills for eleven years and above. 3. Parenting Styles Each of your parents had parenting style. A lot of parenting styles are basic that is they seem to come from personal skills, and thus, they are passive. If my dad were aggressive, then I would develop same behavior as his. However, you are you cannot stick in a pattern you can learn and grow. In any case, if you are passive, you can bond more. Every parent should deal with roles. You have to create (save room) for our children through shaping then to distinguish between a good thing and a bad thing. When I do a right thing, I will take the positive side (master shaper), when I do a bad thing I will take the negative side. The child will know what drives you out, and this is child shaping. You have to start (shaping kids) it is very powerful. Shaping kids should be through infecting them with positive things. We should not fail as parents. Between a chaotic and rigid parenting style, a parent should be flexible, between best friends to a child and being alone, a parent should be connected, between being permissive and authoritarian, a parent should be democratic and between being passive and aggressive, a parent should be assertive. It is best for a parent to

The new atkins diet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The new atkins diet - Essay Example The diet allows for portion control and an explanation of how the restriction of carbohydrates can be beneficial to people. There is evidence that restricting carbohydrates can be beneficial to those looking to lose weight, with further evidence that restricted carbohydrates can help with diseases such as those involving seizures, Alzheimer’s or type 2 diabetes. Restricting carbohydrates, however, can be seen as restricting the body from some of the food items needed to have a balanced diet. The consideration of the New Atkins Diet is controversial and is likely not a good recommendation for a patient in search of healthy weight control. One of the first things that the writers of the New Atkins Diet state is that the diet was once a fad, but has been proven medically safe for those needing to lose weight (Westman, Phinney and Volek 2010, p. x). Westman, Phinney, and Volek (2010, p. xi) also go on to describe the benefits of low carbohydrate diets to the management of Alzheimer’s, autism, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and brain tumours. The authors do go on to say that there are a great many people, both medical professionals and layman, who do not believe that the Atkin’s form of eating is healthy or practical, but in pursuing their goals to fight obesity, they believe that the once ‘fad’ diet has the potential to revolutionize the lifestyles of those who adhere to their concepts. Looking at the framework within which the eating style is based can begin to reveal whether or not the diet is valuable as a tool for weight loss. Figure 1 is a diagram pyramid that shows how foods should be cons idered in a low carb diet. As the food lifestyle is explained, it is clear that the hope for this version is to make the consumer understand that the diet is not about eating nothing but â€Å"beef, bacon, and butter† (Westman, Phinney, and Volek 2010, p. xv). In Dr. Atkins book of 2002 which further explored his theories on weight loss, the diet is

Universal Health Care Is Socialism Essay Example for Free

Universal Health Care Is Socialism Essay Europe is considered one of the most ideal places to live. Its fascinating history and being home to some of the worlds most beautiful sights, who wouldn’t want to live there. While those are great incentives, some educated might argue that there are better amenities if one decides to reside there. Aside from what I just listed, Europe is home to some of the best working conditions. A 30-hour workweek, lengthy vacation packages, its wide-ranging early retirement benefits and its government sponsored health care coverage (Goldman). While some call this desirable, everyone calls it socialism. Socialism is an act of government stepping into the free market in an attempt to equally distribute goods to the public. Therefore the liberal agenda to enforce a universal healthcare system in America is an act of socialism. America was built and is where it is today due to our free market, or for a better term, capitalism. Capitalism is having the power in the people, letting the people decide how and what they want to spend their money on with no interference from the government. Letting the people strive and attempt to achieve the highest paycheck is the best way to motivate workers, therefore increasing the economic output as well as GDP. When a government takes more money away from the rich in hope to provide more for the lower classes with generous benefits for little work, it can erase the incentive for hard work. Therefore decreasing workflow as well as total economic prosperity. Merriam Webster defines socialism as any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods. Socialism dates back to the 1700’s during the French Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was seen as machinery replacing human labor. With poor housing, poor working conditions, slave labor, and the richer, all led to the envy for a society that was more equal, and with these conditions continuing to grow, the socialist ideas caught on rapidly (truth-it). The socialist movement is instilled in Europe and, here in America, the Democratic party has pushing and pressuring the federal government into developing political and economic system, similar to Europe’s. This movement led by President Obama and his left leaning supporters has been bringing America’s capitalistic system closer to the socialist left, that of Europe. Universal health care being a front-runner of his massive government spending plans has only been a glimpse of the socialist agenda and the true desires the President has for this country. The people of America needed to decide if they wanted to move in this direction or stick with our roots and continue on our free market economy. I believe that after this recent election and the Republicans winning a majority in the House of Representatives shows the direction most Americans want to focus our effort and energy as a country. That being in a more, free market, free of universal health care. This increase in government spending can only be financed by increasing taxes or government borrowing. While we should be open to all ideas, we should take a look at how socialism has affected Europe. The people of Europe are just now facing the reality of their lavish lifestyle for the past few years, many people were not making as much as they were spending. Leading a breakdown in their economy and now facing the hurt of a deep recession. Universal health care falls into the realm of Socialism due to the fact that government would be responsible for funding this massive new program. Government would be controlling the distribution of the health care as well as funding. That definition could also describe the regulations already set in Europe, where is widely accepted as a socialist policy. Universal health care would be an attempt to properly cover all Americans with adequate health care for a very low, if not a free, price. Stating that all Americans deserve health insurance and anything else is unacceptable. For this to become true government would have to own and regulate the vast majority of health care therefore taking responsibility for the use and distribution health care. While many people are reluctant to dub universal health care as socialism, the truth of the matter it is. They need to realize if we go ahead with this act we will be drifting away from our roots of a capitalistic society. Socialism has taken over Europe and is to blame for their current state.

Bjs Restaurant Brewery Group Project Marketing Essay

Bjs Restaurant Brewery Group Project Marketing Essay Introduction For 32 years BJs Restaurants and Brewhouses have expanded from one small Chicago style pizzeria to over ninety-two chain foodservice establishments. Over these years, Paul Motenko and Jerry Hennessy, the companys duel owners, have expanded the companys concept from a small family owned restaurant to a full service casual dining restaurant. Today BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse has more that 100 menu items including appetizers, specialty salads, soups, pastas, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. (www.bjsbrewhouse.com) Over ten years ago, in 1996, BJs introduced their hand crafted homebrewed beers into the mix adding a unique and lucrative spin on the concept while further distinguishing themselves from other competitive restaurants in their segment market. BJs restaurant further went on to fully engulf themselves in this new concept by changing their name from BJs Restaurant to BJs Brewhouse and BJs Restaurant and Brewery. Since then BJs has been recognized by many different brewing associations and competitions by earning medals and high remarks. To fully submerge themselves in this new beer market BJs has opened several microbreweries, which help produce and distribute BJs hand crafted beers throughout their restaurants. Throughout the years that BJs has been in business they have gone through and successfully accomplished many of their strategic directions. They have over taken several objectives including transitioning BJs Restaurant concept to a premium casual or sometimes called casual plus sit down dining experience. Also, BJs general net revenues tend to increase about twenty to forty percent each year which is a great entity for their current share and stockholders and will help new investors choose BJs over other players in their business segment. Because of a result of the failing economy, recent mass foreclosures and rising interest rates and gasoline prices another one of BJs Restaurants strategic directions has somewhat skewed their goals to be more of a higher quality, more approachable casual dining restaurant. They believe that the main stream customers are now more likely to cut back on their participation in more of the mediocre mass market casual dining and change their dining behaviors to more of a higher quality concept that will offer a better overall dining experience and also better value for their money. Today BJs Restaurant and Brew house current strategic direction is to have a passionate desire to provide extraordinary value for their guests in a high-energy, fun, child-friendly environment, along with a sincere commitment to support the communities in which they do business goes to the heart of what differentiates BJs from other restaurants. They are committed to ethical business practices and strong corporate governance standards. The Board of Directors and management believe sound corporate governance principles are important to ensure that the Company is managed for the long term benefit of its key stakeholders investors, guests and employees. (www.bjsbrewhouse.com) Along with BJs current strategic direction the company strives to differentiate themselves by being a huge cash donor to many different philanthropic organizations and charities. For example BJs Cookies 4 Kids program has raised millions for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by donating a portion of all Pizookies, a fresh baked cookie of choice served with two scoops of cold ice cream, to this great cause. This year round fundraising event strives to help BJs by showing their customers and investors how much they care for their community and by creating a strong competitive advantage over other similar markets. BJs Environmental Analysis Restaurant industry Analysis: Figure 1-1 The food dollar Source: National Restauramt Association Inc. The restaurant industry is a competitive one, every year thousand of restaurants open and close. But lifestyle changes, demographics, and trends continue to fuel its steady growth. More and more people have less time, resources, and ability to cook for themselves. The average American spends 15% of his/her income on meals away from home. People are eating out more because of convenience, making the industry sky rocket. According to the National Restaurant Association the industrys sales are expected to reach $580 billion in 2010 over 2009 sale (Figure 1.2).  Even though the industry has been hit hard these past two years, Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, supports the industry by stating, With a total economic impact of more than $1.5 trillion, the restaurant industry is a strong player in the economic recovery. Restaurants are the cornerstone of communities across this nation and we are a key player in propelling job retention and creation acr oss the United States. Despite the losses the industry has outperformed the national economy, expecting job growth in 2010. The restaurant-and-foodservice industry still remains one of the nations largest employers. Today almost one in 10 working Americans work in restaurants, employing nearly 13 million people and expected to grow further by 2020. There are still challenges that the industry continues to face such as future economic recessions, competition, maintaining sales volume, recruiting and retaining employees, and labor costs. Therefore restaurants will continue to keep their eye on new consumer and menu trends to stay in competition since socioeconomic trends and demographic changes have a great impact. Figure 1.2 Restaurant industrys sales BJs Broad Environment Analysis: Sociocultural influences on BJs restaurant have grown as the restaurant industry compete and become sensitive to consumers wants. Society expects money making business to give something back to it. Besides monitory contributions BJs has created a foundation that helps out the community where they do business in. As stated in their BJs foundation page, The BJs Restaurants Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to support charities benefiting childrens healthcare and education, with primary focus on the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In addition, [their] Foundation recognizes and rewards the volunteer efforts of BJs Restaurants team members across the country as they help to give back to the communities in which our restaurants do business. In 2009 BJs received the Restaurant Neighbor award given by the National restaurant Association because of BJs continuous contributions to the communities; some examples are: BJs TASC Force program has helped to fulfill the wishes of special needs kids, placed flags in a national cemetery by the graves of fallen soldiers, painted over unsightly graffiti and helped clean up beaches, parks and school grounds. In addition, have hosted blood drives, worked with Special Olympics, painted houses for elderly citizens, supported Habitat for Humanity and re-built playgrounds. [Their] teams have also worked at food banks, participated in fundraising runs and walkathons and delivered food to families in need on Christmas morning. All this is possible by the TASC team members who work and donate their personal time for such causes. They claim to do it because it is the right thing to do and inevitably come away as better individuals and more responsible citizens. Many other charities are benefitted through the work of BJs TASC team. BJs keeps thinking of new ways to raise money and society awareness BJs also makes charitable contribution from new restaurant opening to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Fundraising events are also supported by BJs restaurants. One of BJs major fundraising events directly benefiting the Foundation is a yearly charity golf tournament. BJs Foundation page states that All proceeds from the tournament go to the foundation which then disperses funds throughout the year to designated charities defined by [their] mission statement.  Ã‚  This years tournament will take place on Monday, June  7, 2010  at Dove Canyon Country Club in Orange County. Other programs such as the Cookie 4 Kids have raised millions. The program donates portion of all Pizookie dessert sales to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. BJs Signature Pizookie is a fresh baked cookie [topped] with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and served hot, and cold, a favorite for thousands of BJs guests making it a wonderful fundr aising campaign for their charity. It is a goal for BJs to continue to be a good corporate citizen to satisfy society needs. Through any way possible, as you can see, BJs focuses greatly in contributing to its community. And since customers may view BJs as an unselfish corporation this could be a value added to the name of the company. It may also be a competitive advantage against competitors whose major focus is making money for themselves and its investors. Besides the sociocultural influences, BJs has adjusted to the technological innovations that are becoming more and more popular in the industry. The Idea of Online ordering is a new one and BJs is not staying behind. They are currently doing online ordering which is easy and convenient. You find the location nearest you by typing in your zip code, click on the online order link and place your order, and last but not least pick it up inside or curbside, delivered right to your car. Technology for BJs doesnt stop there one of the challenges for restaurants is training employees so one of the first things a new server at a BJs Restaurant Brewery does is put on a headset and spend a few minutes in front of a POS monitor, working through an interactive video training module. Then the trainer reviews and demonstrates the tasks and works with new hire in a live session. This combination of high-tech and high-touch training has helped BJs Restaurants Inc. control turnover among its 4,000 employees and reinforces its ranks in anticipation of growth. BJs has also adopted technology through its dà ©cor. Flat panel televisions are displayed throughout their restaurants, making it a fun and entertaining environment for the customers. Even though the economic downturn did not have a big impact on BJs restaurant, they have come up with new ways of maintaining and attracting its customers. On March 2, 2010 the companywide updated its menu offerings. It includes the introduction of a new BJs Snacks and Small Bites menu category, along with five new lunch specials. These menu creations are big in flavor and small on price, yet still delivering the good value BJs guest expect. This was done to give guest the opportunity to try something new at a good value. BJs new Snacks and Small Bites ranges from $2.95 $3.95 that can be eaten as an appetizer or added to your entrà ©e. Through such promotion BJs tries to reach customers who are afraid of spending too much money. Yet some of the threats BJs may face may be changes in consumer spending trends for casual dining occasions. For example trends change to quick service or fine dining. If that was the case restaurants like BJs would suffer a big loss, but since there is big industry for casual diners it is very unlikely for that to happen. Examination of Key External Stakeholders: Key external stakeholders include supplier and customers, maintaining a good relationship with its suppliers is crucial for BJs Success. An annual award is presented by BJs to its biggest quality product contributors. Supplier partner awards for the year 2009 are Jacmar Foodservice Distribution, Nestle USA, Fresh Point Inc. and RR Advertising. The award is give to the most significant contributors for the quality, differentiation and value that BJs restaurant concept requires to give the consumer. Some of the threats BJs may face as stated in their forward looking statement is, the [variable] commodity costs and availability of food in general and certain raw materials related to the brewing of their handcrafted beers and energy. Nevertheless such threats are present for most restaurants in general. Customers are also a very important external stakeholder whose feedback is appreciated. Attracting customers is a goal for all businesses but for BJs as their BJs Gold Standard of Operational Excellence states it is, [their] genuine commitment is to take pride in passionately connecting with every guest, on every visit, through flawless and relentless execution of every detail during every shift to create and keep fanatical fans of BJs concept and brand. The company does not only want to attract customers but keep them so they become fans of dining experience at BJs. Given that customers and sales are strongly correlated, the objective of the industry is to maintain both. The loss of consumers means a loss in sales as well therefore customers are affected and can affect BJs success. Organizational Resource Analysis BJs has always had a desire to provide extraordinary value for their guests. They strive on providing excellent food with great customer service. They not only strive to live up to the expectations of their guests but they work hard to provide a high energy, fun loving, child friendly environment. They also try and support their communities with full commitment so everyone involved understands that BJs is different from other restaurants and is concerned for their stakeholders. As BJs definition states that to be the very definition of WOW for the casual dining experience but BJs also strives to WOW not only with their dining experience but also with their customer service and quality of food. Their promise is to be the best and never to compromise! They take immense pride in what they do. They take pride in passionately connecting with every guest so they understand what the customer actually wants so they can provide them with the utmost care and attention. We are excited to introduce additional menu creations that are big on flavor and small on price, and that deliver the high quality and good value that our guests have come to expect from BJs, said Matt Hood, BJs Chief Marketing Officer. By expanding our popular lunch specials, we are giving our guests the opportunity to try something new at a good value. Our new Snacks and Small Bites menu category offers outstanding value and portion sizes that are perfect as individual appetizers or as additions to a favorite entree. (www.bjsbrewhouse.com) BJs financial situation has also been improving. According to BJs official website, Total revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 increased approximately 13.5% to $112.6 million compared to $99.3 million for the same quarter last year. Comparable restaurant sales such as The Cheesecake factory decreased by 0.2% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 compared to a decrease of 0.7% during the same quarter last year. Net income and diluted net income per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 were $1.7 million and $0.06, respectively. Jerry Deitchle is the Chairman and CEO of BJs brew house. He is a CEO who is very concerned and involved with his company. His leadership and management style has led to BJs financial performance which has been very successful. With the nature of todays economy and its continuing pressure on consumer spending for restaurant occasions BJs reported profits for the financial year of 2009 and this is largely because of Jerry Deitchles performance as CEO. BJs popularity is a solid testament to how strong their performance has been over the years. Casual dining customers are preferring BJs style over competitors such as the Cheesecake factory and Chillis. Another reason for BJs success is the ease of approachability and the ability to consistently and correctly execute the routine within the four walls of the restaurant. That includes front of the house, back of the house, chefs, servers, cooks, bus boys, managers, etc. This is a statement the CEO made at a recent press conference where he talks about the impact of the economy on consumer spending for 2010. While we do not expect consumer spending for restaurant occasions to significantly recover during 2010, we remain confident in BJs ability to gain market share in the estimated $80 billion casual dining segment, said Deitchle. Our 2010 new restaurant development pipeline is in excellent shape as of today, and we are already working on potential locations for 2011 openings. Additionally, we will continue to make prudent investments in the core of the BJs concept to further strengthen its competitive advantages of quality, differentiation and value for the casual dining consumer.(www.bjsbrewhouse.com) The company has been advancing since it has started. BJs has excelled in customer service and in quality of food. BJs strengths has been its phenomenal attention to customers needs while at the same time providing them with great tasting food and a huge variety of self brewed beers. The variety of beers has definitely been BJs great strength over the years as competitors such as The Cheesecake Factory only have company brews. They also have great happy hour deals which other restaurants do not. BJs weakness is hard to define as they dont have many. They have been very successful as they have grasped on to the essential elements of great food along with great customer service. The only weakness they probably have is that there menu is not as extensive as compared to the cheesecake factory. They have a very good continental cuisine but they lack variety of ethnic foods. But they are working on that. It is also hard to spot a weakness for this institution as they have doubled profits and plan on investing more into the company. Future Strategic Direction The future strategic plan of BJs Restaurant Group is to expand globally, and ultimately sell their beers to public from grocery, liquor, or beverage Distribution Companys instead of only offering them in restaurant. Internal Analysis: BJs has the resources to produce beer that so many people enjoy while dining at BJs Restaurants Brewhouse. Diversifying their business to provide a line of beer sold in stores is a great opportunity for the company. The company already operates several microbreweries, which produce and distribute BJs hard crafted beers within the chain, so promoting it to other distributors and stores would be the next step for them to branch out. Some of their first place award winning beers include, BJs Brewhouse Blonde , A light and refreshing pale beer in the style of a German Kolsch. Slightly malty with delicate hopping to balance. Bottom-fermented and well-conditioned for exceptional smoothness. and Harvest Hefeweizen, Not just another wheat beer [it is] fermented with authentic Bavarian weizen yeast to produce its unique flavor profile fruity, spicy, and refreshing. These beers would make great candidates for distribution, resulting in greater revenue for the company and jo b enlargement for current and future employees. Since it would be a big expense for other restaurants to make and sell their own beer if they dont already do; it gives BJs a sustainable competitive advantage. Competition would most likely arise from current beer companies whose brands have been sold in stores for year and are widely known by consumers. External Analysis Distributing BJs beer and Expanding BJs globally would also greatly increase sales and brand recognition. Some of the benefits in choosing to expand globally can be the extra resources available for the companys operation, cheaper labor, and the economies of scale access to more customers and markets. However it may also tempt BJs to import beer to the United States instead of making it there since resources and labor would be a lot cheaper in other countries. Exploiting other countries resources might be viewed as unethical by consumers and investors, leading to decrease in consumer loyalty. BJs needs to be careful in not taking away the quality it currently provides to its own country by commoditizing their brand. Besides the threats of expanding an advantage BJs has is the new trend for microbrewery beer. Microbreweries are limited to small batches of hand-crafted beer resulting in enhanced taste. Due to this trend people are willing to pay more for better beer such as New Belgium beer brands. Some examples of the most popular microbrewery and future competitors in the U.S. for BJs include: Anchor brewing Company (San Francisco, CA), Full Sail Brewing Company (Hood River, OR), Real Ale Brewing Company (Texas), and Stone Brewing Company(San Diego, CA). Focusing in external distribution as mention before is a great opportunity for BJs to expand into a different segment. It would allow for BJs name to expand nationally using the distribution as a marketing tool for their restaurants. Along with their microbrewery BJs has been extremely successful in California. There style and service has attracted thousands and has led to massive profits and numerous advantages for the stakeholders. BJs should be very smart about their future direction and should pounce on any opportunity and they should make sure that all the rules and regulations are implemented. BJs should focus on embarking in the international market for the future. Their direction should be to crack the tough European Market as American beer is very popular in Europe and BJs can really pounce on the idea of opening an American Brew House in Europe. Apart from the beers, BJs can also attract a lot of European customers with its cuisine. They can introduce every entrà ©e as a dish from a different region of the United States. BJs should also look to focus on making their menu more extensive as it is important to have variety of food, especially if you want to attract customers in such a culturally diverse place as Europe. BJs goal should not change, but their vision should be broadened onto a bigger scale as they should try and implement their success story in some other part of the world and should take advantage of a growing hospitality market around the world. It does not necessarily have to be in Europe but places like Malaysia and Thailand have a booming tourism economy and these places could be an ideal place for BJs to jump start their international career. Overall, BJs future strategic direction should be directed towards the world! They should focus on bringing the elements of classic and delicious American dining along with great customer service to different parts of the world where this style would be appreciated. A lot of brands have expanded into the global market as BJs should do the same as they have been very successful in the way they have implemented their strategies.

Importance Of Audit Evidence Accounting Essay

Importance Of Audit Evidence Accounting Essay According to Companies Act 1965 Section 174, auditor should perform the following duties, Statutory Duties. Auditor should examine and form an opinion whether the financial statements compliance the financial reporting standards of Malaysia and the Companies Act 1965. Duty to carry out audit. Auditor should examine and form an opinion whether the financial statements give a true and fair view of the financial position of the Company as of the financial year end and of its financial performance and cash flows of the year end. Duty to report to appropriate management. Auditor should report the accounting and other records and the registers required by the Companies Act to be kept by the company have been properly kept in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Duty to be independent. Auditor is under a duty to exercise the appropriate standard of care to shareholders and outsiders. Duty to use reasonable care and skill. Auditor should obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatements. (2) The auditor must plan the audit so as to enable him/her to detect all misstatements. Discuss. The purpose of planning stage is plan the audit so that it will be performed in an effective manner. During the planning stage, auditor should design and perform the audit planning to detect the potential threat that may be occurred and also limited the audit risk to a lower level. Auditor will get the knowledge of the clients business, auditor able to identify the potential threat that may be occurred. The planning stage will be emphasis on the material misstatement based on the professional judgement but not absolute detect all the misstatement such as immaterial misstatement will not be concern. (3) Explain the steps to be taken by the auditor if there are reasons to believe that there are (i) errors and (ii) frauds. According to SAS 110, the auditors shall indicates that fraud or error that exist by obtaining an understanding of the nature of the event and the circumstances, and sufficient other information to evaluate the possible effect on the financial statements. If the auditors believe that the indicated fraud or error could have a material effect on the financial statements, they should perform appropriate modified or additional procedures. Where there is a significant error or fraud, the auditor should consider the necessity for a disclosure of the error or fraud in financial statements, and report to the relevance third party (management level). If adequate disclosure is not made, the necessity for a suitable disclosure in his report so called qualified audit report. (4) What is an audit engagement letter? What steps should be taken by the auditor after receiving the audit engagement letter? According to standard, audit engagement letter refers to a written contract between accounting firm and the client. Its purpose is to confirm the relationship between the client engaging the auditor and the accounting firm accepting the audit engagement and to define matters such as the objectives of the engagement, the scope of the audit, the responsibilities and duties of each party etc. The audit engagement letter has statutory binding force. After receiving audit engagement letter, there will be an interview or opening conference between engagement parties and audit firm. During the meeting, auditee is asked about the system to be reviewed available resources and other relevance resource. The auditor may be required to meet the person in charge those relevance resources. After getting the required information, auditor will perform a general overview on it and review the internal control of the auditee in order to determine the audit risk that may be occurred. (5) What are the purposes of the audit working papers? 1. To provide a basis for planning the audit. The auditor may use reference information from the previous year in order to plan this years audit, such as the evaluation of internal control, the time budget, etc. 2. To provide a record of the evidence accumulated and the results of the tests. This is the primary means of documenting that an adequate audit was performed. 3. To provide data for deciding the proper type of audit report. Data are used in determining the scope of the audit and the fairness with which the financial statements are stated. 4. To provide a basis for review by supervisors and partners. These individuals use the audit documentation to evaluate whether sufficient appropriate evidence was accumulated to justify the audit report. Audit documentation is used for several purposes, both during the audit and after the audit is completed. One of the uses is the review by more experienced personnel. A second is for planning the subsequent year audit. A third is to demonstrate that the auditor has accumulated sufficient appropriate evidence if there is a need to defend the audit at a later date. For these uses, it is important that the audit documentation provide sufficient information so that the person reviewing an audit schedule knows the name of the client, contents of the audit schedule, period covered, who prepared the audit schedule, when it was prepared, and how it ties into the rest of the audit files with an index code. (6) Describe the different types of information that are kept in the current file. Current audit file include following resources: Audit plan, report and audit programmes copies Clearance the problems and confusion during the time of audit work such as journal entries and minutes of meetings. Copies of annual records such as trade account, trial balance and profit and loss account and balance sheet Bank reconciliation statement Minutes of meetings Current financial statements Working papers supporting account Paper of calculation of tax bonus. List of lost proofs Paper regarding stock evaluation (7) State the nature and the importance of audit evidence. According to ISA, there is nine type of audit evidence which include physical examination, confirmation, documentation, analytical procedures, inquiries, scanning, recalculation, reperformance and observation. The nature of audit evidences includes invoices, contracts, and worksheets, general and subsidiary ledger and so on. Audit evidence is important as it provides the auditor with the information regarding the potential threat or weakness that may be occurred in the clients financial statements. Audit evidence is useful as it provides the auditor with some degree of competent evidential support for the expression of an audit opinion. It facilitates the completion of audit programme scheduled and undertaken. (8) According to ISA 500, what type of evidence is the auditor required to collect? According to ISA 500, auditor required to collect sufficient and appropriate audit evidence in order to draw reasonable conclusions on which to base the audit opinion. Sufficiency and appropriateness are interrelated and apply to audit evidence obtained from both tests of controls and substantive tests. Sufficiency is a measure of the quantity of evidence and it refers to sample size and items to select. Higher quality evidence results in a lower quantity of audit evidence. Appropriateness is a measure of the relevance and reliability of evidence, or the degree to which evidence can be considered believable or worthy of trust. Appropriateness relates to the audit procedures selected, including the timing of when those procedures are performed.

Job Satisfaction :: Human Resource Management

During the last decades, most of the social scientists have reached to a common understanding about the meaning or definition of the job satisfaction. Spector, 1997 cited in (VanVoorhis and Levinson, 2006), defined job satisfaction as the level of how individuals like their jobs as well as their feeling about different aspects of their jobs. According to Fogarty (1994) job satisfaction is â€Å"refers to the extent to which employees gain enjoyment from their efforts in the workplace"(Tuzun, p.729, 2007). Similarly, Locke (1976) has been defined Job satisfaction as "a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one's job or job experience" (Biswas, p. 28, 2009). Job satisfaction is critical to retaining and attracting qualified individuals. Job satisfaction include specific aspects of job such as pay, benefits, promotion, work conditions, supervision, policy and procedures and co-workers relationships (Misener et al., 1996). Kivimaki and Kalimo (1994) cited in (Al-Zu'bi, 2010) pointed out that employees who are satisfied in their work have more innovative in their work which contribute to quality improvement. In addition, job satisfaction found affecting customer's satisfaction in positive way. Many researches conducted in different fields such as business, industry, medicine, social sciences, and education, reveals that job satisfaction is associated with employees’ performance, absenteeism, productivity, task success, turnover, professional attitude, and other social and personal variables that that have impact on the employees’ life. Over the past five decades, the job satisfaction study has been of interest to scholars in organizational studies since the 1930s, when Elton Mayo had conducted his famous Hawthorne studies. These studies were concerned mainly on the effects of supervision, incentives, and working conditions in the job satisfaction. Results of a meta-analysis concluded there is a strong relationship between job satisfaction and performance (Tillman et. al 2010). Job satisfaction is a mixture of cognitive and effective reaction to the different perception of what employees would like to receive in comparison with what they actually receive from their organizations. Job satisfaction has two sides - positive and negative. The positive side is where the employees are experiencing high level of satisfaction that leads to positive reaction toward their job such as high work quality, high productivity, high loyalty and organizational commitment as well as better health and quality life of the employees. The negative side is where the employees are experiencing low level of satisfaction (dissatisfaction) that leads to negative reaction toward their job such as low productivity, low quality, employees’ problem, high absenteeism, high turnover, and employees’ grievances that is affecting the performance and reputation of the organization negatively.

Godfather Moral Downfall Essay example -- essays research papers

Critics agree that in The Godfather, the protagonist, Michael Corleone (Mikey) changes from a person with moral principles and a legitimate role in society to a cold-blooded mobster. In the beginning of the movie, Mikey shows his reluctance to involve himself in the Mafia when he tells his girlfriend, Kaye, about his father’s (Vito Corleone) business methods of coercion and says he will never be like his family. However, as Mikey’s involvement with the family business increases his violent tendencies become more apparent as he volunteers to murder a rival thug and a corrupt police officer. In the final scene, Mikey kills his brother-in-law, and when confronted by Kaye, he looks her in the eyes and claims no role in the murder. At this point, he completely transforms from a military hero and legitimate citizen, to a Mafia don capable of lies and murder. While Mikey’s transformation is quite obvious, the reason for this change in moral behavior is a more complex i ssue. The change in ethical behavior is a result of Mikey’s decision to become more involved with his family, consequently putting him in an environment that promotes immoral behavior. Michael Corleone’s problem is an internal conflict between loyalty to family and moral principle. After an assassination attempt on Mikey's father, Mikey decides to return to the family and assume leadership, even though he disapproves of Mafia business practices. The strength of family ties, ingrained in Mikey as a youth, influenced his choice. Decisions in choosing between right and wrong should not be confined to just a matter of the individual, but a response influenced by the family. Psychologists feel that the rearing of a child during early years plays a particularly important role in influencing behavior throughout a child's life. So, certain choices simply will not be made due to values established at an early age, since cognitive moral development restricts "free will" to some degree. Obviously, growing up in a Mafia family would put Mikey in an environment where he experiences a tainted view of right and wrong. Also, in the family situation, pressures from the group (the family) often influence the individual's behavior making the individual's decisions more difficult. Therefore, someone not taught independence will have trouble standing up against the family. For example, Mikey holds a notion o... ...uot;no regrets." Mikey only nods in agreement showing his acceptance of his new position. Mikey’s moral downfall is most likely a result of genetic influences, coupled with his current situation in a Mafia environment. His genetic makeup prohibits him from withstanding the pressures and influences of Mafia life. His violent behavior in the killings coincide with the Corleone notion of loyalty, and family business practices. Possible inherited defects in the Corleone family, such as those found in the five generations of Dutch men stated previously, fit well with Mafia methods of coercion and getting rid of competition. Also, the fact that Mikey feels responsible in helping with the protection of his father, and his expected role in the matter, affect his decision about involvement in the family business. Since the viewer only sees a short span of Mikey’s life, it is difficult to predict if Mikey will ever deviate from his current unethical practices. Theory suggests that he will change because altering personalities permanently is nearly impossible. However, only by viewing subsequent parts of Mikey’s life can we know for sure if he will return to moral standards of living.

Ferrari Case Study

ENZO FERRARI The Making of the Motor Racing and Sport Cars Knowledge Cluster Case study of an inspired leader Piero Formica Taking its place to support the others The complete consort dancing together. Eliot (1970) ‘Little Gidding’ in the Four Quartets In 2002 Ferrari was awarded as the most respected Italian company in the world, according to a survey of more than 1000 top managers in twenty countries across the globe. Ferrari’s legend extends well beyond the automotive world and motor racing and sports-car industry, to reach the broader business community as well as the general public.The legend has been built around the efforts and determination of his founder and mentor, Enzo Ferrari. There is an untold part of the outstanding legacy that Enzo Ferrari left behind him. This is the invaluable contribution he made to the creation of a knowledge cluster in the motor racing and sports car industry. It deserves to be observed that the making of the Ferrari’s knowledge cluster bears much relation to the combined influence of different personalities, all strong and extremely demanding, who, to a greater or lesser extent, shared: Extraordinary ingenuity and sensibility along with a way to face work with humility. †¢ Strong conviction and stubborn determination with which they pursued their objectives. †¢ Awareness of their worth, having started from scratch and knowing that results are obtained with struggle and diligence, not by chance or shortcuts. On top of these traits there was the Ferrari’s anticonformist posture. He was someone who thought for himself. His innovative daring made appealing to him to deal with young men endowed with freshness and imagination. . 1898-1917: On-the-field knowledge and training Since the very early days of his education Ferrari was driven by the tacit knowledge embedded in the field of the father’s experience as a rural metal worker. His father's company, a small foundry, made shed s and gangways for the railroads in Italy. Ferrari was never interested in school. He had aspirations. One of these was to be a race car driver. Ferraris’ on-the-field education produced the cultural space which enabled, nourished and thrived formal education and training in sports-car.The case of Ferrari Owners Club Florida Region – Drivers Education The school is recommended for anyone without significant track experience or not completely familiar with the track, those who have never attended a formal driving school and anyone wishing to simply become a better driver. A morning and after lunch classroom session combined with individual instruction and ample track time will greatly enhance comfort level at speed. Diploma will memorialize accomplishment as a Florida Region Driving School graduate. All drivers will participate in one of three groups:The beginning group is designated for drivers with little or no track experience, who simply wishing to drive on the trac k and enjoy their cars at a very controlled speed. The touring group is intended to allow enjoyment of your car at speeds greater than allowed on public roads. The sport group requires a full FIA rated fire suit including shoes, socks, and gloves. No passengers are allowed. A club approved driving instructor may ride in the car with permission of the track steward. Speeds are not limited but must be well within the capability of the driver and the car.The club reserves the right to determine, at the track, the appropriate run group for any participant. This decision will be based on prior training, experience and demonstrated skills. The track steward's decision will be Final and reflect a concern for the drivers safety as well as the safety of others. 2. At the end of the First World War Building informal and personal relationships, and from the know-nothing land ascending the steep slope of the â€Å"Motor Racing Industry† hill of knowledge Aged barely 20, Ferrari spent muc h of his time frequenting the Bar de Nord on Turin's Ports Nuova, getting to know people and making connections.He aimed at creating trust, fashion, roles, and maximising the joint product of personal relationships within his small groups of peers, interacting informally out of the shop floor. Sharing and learning in the cafe, even playing cards rather than playing by business cards in the meetings: this was a common trait to the founders – in most cases, blue collars and technicians – of small companies in Italy. Ferrari got a job with CMN, a fledgling carmaker which concentrated on converting commercial vehicles left over from the war. His duties included test driving which he did in between delivering chassis to the coach builder.Through this association he got the chance to start racing himself at a time when drivers were far from the celebrity figures they would subsequently become (ironically) under the patronage of team owners like Enzo Ferrari. In 1920 he finis hed second at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo in Targa Florio. Although Ferrari was a good racer, his talent was in the direction of organisation and handling of small details. 3. 1920s 3. 1 Creation of the Ferrari’s community of knowledge practice[1] Throughout the 1920's Ferrari spent a lot of time judiciously massaging his commercial and engineering connections.He also began surrounding himself with a loyal cabal of close collaborators, including Gioacchino Colombo – the man who would eventually design the first Ferrari car after masterminding the Alpha 158s under Ferrari's patronage – and former Fiat technician Luigi Bazzi, a man who would survive into the 1960's as possibly Enzo's longest-standing lieutenant, having originally joined him in 1923. Bazzi had joined Alfa Romeo as long ago as 1922 after a spell in Fiat's experimental department, and would later become tagged as the man who conceived the fearsome twin-engined Alfa Romeo ‘Bimotore' in the 1930's . . 2 Team building by an autocatalytic process: Transforming personal knowledge into organisational knowledge Ferrari ‘made’ Bazzi and Bazzi ‘made’ Ferrari. Not only Bazzi was a valued technical guiding hand, but also his long association with Enzo Ferrari enabled him to help smooth over the differences of opinion and temperamental problems which made working with his boss an increasingly unpredictable, sometimes tempestuous, challenge in later years. Through dialogue and discussion cognitive conflicts and disagreement were raised, which questioned the existing premises.This made possible the transformation of personal knowledge into organisational knowledge. During the time with Alpha Romeo, Bazzi was also responsible for tempting the highly respected engineer Vittorio Jano to leave Fiat to join the rival firm. Bazzi, who had also worked with Fiat, was at least partly responsible for persuading Ferrari that Jano was the right man for the job. Within month s of joining Alfa, the ex-Fiat man was putting the finishing touches to the historic supercharged 2-litre P2, which made its competition debut in 1924. 3. 3 Creative creation by unexpected events: The origin of the Prancing Horse logo 7th June 1923: a sequence of events gave rise to what is unquestionably regarded as one of the most widely identified logos used by any car maker in history. That day Ferrari won the first Savio circuit, which was run in Ravenna, Italy. After the event, a man elbowed his way through to the front of the excited crush immediately surrounding Ferrari and shook the winner warmly by the hand. It turned out that this was the father of Francesco Baracca, the legendary First World War Italian fighter ace who shot down no fewer than 35 enemy planes during the conflict.Baracca's squadron had sported a shield in the centre of which was a prancing horse. Subsequently Ferrari met Francesco Baracca’s mother, Countess Paolina. One day she said to him, â€Å"F errari, why don't you put my son's prancing horse on your cars; it would bring you luck. † Thus was born the famous ‘Prancing Horse' logo. The horse was black and has remained so. Ferrari added the canary yellow background because it is the colour of his town, Modena. 4. 1930s-1940s Clarity of vision and ambitious goals at the heart of Ferrari’s visionOver the 1930s Scuderia Ferrari was a small, autonomous division of the Alpha Romeo Company. At the heart of Ferrari's disagreement with Alfa Romeo was the Milanese company's intention to re-enter motor racing under it's own name in 1938, the Alfa Corse organisation absorbing the Scuderia Ferrari operation and transferring the Tipo 158 development – which was essentially a Ferrari design and concept – back to Milan. Enzo Ferrari clearly felt affronted by this challenge to his own personal domain. His ego urged him to go his own way. Ferrari abandoned the existing patterns and practices.He did something when people said it is crazy to do it. 5. The origin of knowledge pools and a knowledge cluster of motor racing entrepreneurs: long-standing rivalry and co-operation Interpersonal collaboration across multiple boundaries – across cultures, functions, rivalries, geography – featured in a mix of rivalry and co-operation between motor racing entrepreneurs. Which gave birth, first, to knowledge pools and, then, to a knowledge cluster[2]: The springboards for innovation through collaboration, rivalry and creative imitation.In a personality-driven context, the key players were ‘strong heart’ individualists endowed with a hedgehog-minded[3] personality, who relate everything to a single central vision and focus maniacally on executing it. By raising rivalry but also building relationships among people, they made changes happened beyond the conventional wisdom horizon. 5. 1 The healthy rivalry Bitter rivals to fellow Modena racing entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari were th e Maserati brothers, the founders of Maserati in Bologna, Italy in 1914.The Trident trademark that still identifies Maserati cars today was designed by Mario, the artist among the Maserati brothers, who drew his inspiration from the Giambologna statue of Neptune in Bologna's main town square. Sold the company to the Orsi family of Modena just before the Second World War, the firm was then moved to Modena where it is still based today. The brothers remained as technical collaborators for 10 years until 1948. In 1947, Enzo Ferrari founded the company that bears his name in Maranello, a few kilometres south of Maserati.This marks the beginning of their long-standing rivalry. Enzo Ferrari and Maserati brothers felt themselves reciprocally free when kept apart from one another in creating a new tier of intra-domain business in the motor racing and sports-car industry. The challenge, which displayed itself in constant new models with original technical solutions, developed along the roads where Maserati could construct a series of excellent versions in terms of performance but less extreme and aggressive than Ferrari.Customers started to make their choices known: they were looking for a flexible and refined automobile, opting for the more conservative colours of the Maserati and for the increased on-board comfort and liveability which Ferrari had neglected in favour of sporty essentials. Yet, the same forces that kept apart the founding fathers later on bound up the inheritors and successors. Once involved in relationships with one another, they were no longer free: They were part of the inexorable stream. Today Ferrari owns Maserati and together they form a specialised ndustrial group that is unique in the world. The two makes compete in complementary market sectors with cars that have different characteristics. While Ferrari offers compact two-door coupe and spiders for street use, which find their origins of design in the advanced laboratory of Formula 1, Maserat i works in a different way. Maseratis, with equal technology to Ferrari, offer performance that is less extreme and a level of comfort and everyday usefulness that allows it to stand out as an authentic grand touring vehicle of the highest level.Maserati and Ferrari have not lost the healthy rivalry of long ago. 5. 2 The golden handshake ‘The Adam Smith’s invisible hand of the market must be accompanied by an invisible hand shake’. Over the past five decades, Ferrari and Pininfarina have had the world's best-known and most influential association between an automotive manufacturer and a design house. Though Enzo Ferrari and Battista Pininfarina yearned to work with each other in the early 1950s, the road to international stardom was hesitant to start. †Ferrari was a man of very strong character,† Sergio Pininfarina recalls. Therefore, Mr. Ferrari was not coming to Farina in Turin, and my father was not going to visit him in Modena, which was approxima tely 120-130 miles away. So they met halfway in Tortona. That fateful rendezvous would alter the world's automotive playing field. â€Å"Everything became extremely easy once they sat down at the table,† Pininfarina continues. â€Å"They never spoke about any type of price. Both were very enthusiastic, for each thought, ‘This will be great ‘ It was, ‘I will give you one chassis, and you will make one car. † The first steps were tentative, much like two outstanding dancers being paired for the first time. The initial effort yielded a handsome perfectly proportioned 212 Inter cabriolet that had its official public debut at 1952's Paris Auto Show. References Amidon, D. (2003), The Innovation SuperHighway, Butterworth-Heinemann, New York Berlin Isaiah (1953), The Hedgehog and the Fox, Simon & Schuster, New York, Crow, James, T. (1981), Ferrari's Early Years. Road & Track: 44 Forgacs, David and Robert, Lumley (1996), Italian Cultural Studies an Introductio n, Oxford University Press.Oxford Formica , Piero (2003), Industry and Knowledge Clusters: Principles, Practices, Policy, Tartu University Press: Chapter 2 Galt, Tony (1997) Lecture Italy, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. Levin, Doron P. (1988), Enzo Ferrari, Builder of Racing Cars, is Dead at 90. New York Times, August 16. Section D23 Moritz, Charles (1968), Current Biography. 1968. New York: H W Wilson Company: 120- 122 Vorderman, Don (1980), The Man, The Myth, The Machine, Town & Country. February: 26, 30, and 34 Web sites Ferrari History http://www. thecollection. com/new/maserati/history. htmHistory of Ferrari in Formula One http://home. clara. net/nigelk/history. htm Interview with Sergio Pininfarina, Automobilia, Milano, 1997 http://www. pininfarina. it/eng/history/cooperation/ferrari2. html Nre, Doug, An Appreciation of Enzo Ferrari, in: Prova on-line Ferrari magazine Http://www. prova. com/ (look under â€Å"Editorials†) 51st Annual Pebble Beach concours d'eleganc e – 19 Agust 2001 http://www. pininfarina. it/eng/press/edition/14. html Ferrari Owners Club Florida Region – Drivers – Educationhttp://www. focfloridaregion. com/education. htm ———————– 1] A community of knowledge practice is a constituency of many different characters. This community helps to harness the creativity and promote cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for innovation (Formica 2003: Chapter 2; Amidon, 2003). The notion of communities of practice originated with John Seely Brown, the director of Xerox Corp. ’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Brown suggested that â€Å"At the simplest level, they are a small group of people who’ve worked together over a period of time†¦ not a team, not a task force, not necessarily an authorized or identified group†¦They are peers in the execution of ‘real work’.What holds them together is a common sense of purpose and a r eal need to know what the other knows†. [2] Different communities of knowledge practice coalesce in a knowledge pool. Different knowledge pools form a knowledge cluster (Formica, 2003: Chapter 2). [3] â€Å"The Greek poet Archilochus says: ‘The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing’. The hedgehog’s vision is of one, of a single substance. The hedgehog is a monist† (Berlin, 1953).