Drama for Development in Africa

Introduction This paper is aimed at discussing the way in which TFD (Theatre for development) is used in Swaziland where people have to struggle with such difficulties as HIV pandemic, poverty, inequality, and sexual abuse of women. The use of TFD workshops is helpful for promoting good qualities of the community and highlighting many of the social problems. Moreover, this approach is critical for understanding the underlying causes of difficulties that people can encounter on a daily basis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drama for Development in Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This method has already been adopted in various African countries such as Zimbabwe, Nigeria, or Kenya. Volunteers and social workers began to apply these techniques three decades ago. Yet, in Swaziland, this practice is relative new. Thus, it is necessary to determine whether these TFD workshops correspond to the principles discus sed during the class. Overall, it is possible to argue that these performances can increase people’s awareness about the social problems affecting their communities. Apart from that, they encourage people to change some aspects of their behavior and re-evaluate many of their worldviews and stereotypes. Yet, they do not prompt the spectators to examine conflicting arguments or views. Furthermore, more attention should be paid to the empowerment of individuals, especially women who are usually underprivileged both social and economically. So, the principles of TFD are only partly followed. These are the main questions that should be discussed more closely. TFD workshops in Swaziland and the main principles of this approach At first, one should focus the transformative effects of TFD. To some degree, it is aimed at changing some of the beliefs and values of individuals. This is one of the main principles that should be kept in mind. These people should believe that they are able to bring improvements into the live of the community. At present, the workshops, which include both songs and plays, increase people’s awareness about the risks of HIV infection. This task is critical for reducing the pandemic of this disease in this country. This is one of the most acute problems that Swaziland currently faces. This issue is addressed during the Siphocosini Youth Group TFD Workshop. In particular, these people show that HIV patients can be victimized by the society. In most cases, they are marginalized by others. As a result, the spread of this disease is not reduced in any way. However, there is a significant limitation. In particular, this TFD performance does not show how individuals should act in order to minimize the risk of HIV transmission and make sure that children are not exposed to this threat. They only speak about the shortage of financial resources or lack of governmental attention to this problem, but they do not show how people’s life styles should change or what ethical decisions that they should take. This question is not examined during this workshop. This shortcoming should not be disregarded because TFD workshops are primarily aimed at changing the ethical decisions of individuals, rather than entire societies. Certainly, this process is very time-consuming, but it is vital for bringing improvements into the lives of people. In a country like Swaziland, the use of strategy can support the needs of many individuals and groups. This is one of the issues that can be singled out.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondly, it is vital to speak about conscientisation which is also an important element of TFD. This process means that a person is encouraged to think critically and place themselves in the position of other people. This activity is also critical for brining improvements into the life of the communi ty because individuals are less likely to harm others if they fully understand the problem encountered by others. This issue is addressed by TFD practitioners in Swaziland. In particular, many young people in this country create plays which show that people with HIV may be the victims of rape, and they are usually treated only as outcasts by their neighbors or even relatives. This is one of the details that should be taken into account. Overall, conscientisation is important for demonstrating that marginalization of people creates a vicious circle that prevents a society from achieving progress. This issue is particularly important for Swaziland where the spread of this disease can be explained by people’s unwillingness to support people who have HIV. The main goal of conscientisation is to promote empathy or understanding the feelings of others because in such a way, communities can support underprivileged individuals who are not usually able to voice their discontent with t he policies of the government or existing social norms. In turn, TFD workshops prompt many people to put themselves in the position of these individuals. Moreover, one should pay attention to the active participation of spectators in performances because effective TFD workshops should be based on this principle. In particular, the viewers should not isolate themselves from people who are portrayed in the plays. This is one of the goals that can be attained with the help of TFD. In particular, practitioners of TFD should prompt the audience to express their views on a particular problem and offer their recommendations or suggestions. This is one of the aspects that can be distinguished. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about Zibonele TFD workshop. People, who organized this performance, presented a certain story and encouraged viewers to provide their recommendations to the actors. The audience also participated in this performance by responding to the questions t hat the actors posed. For example, some members of the audience said people should not be afraid of taking HIV tests because it is not possible to turn a blind eye to this threat. Moreover, they noted that people should not conceal their HIV status from their relatives because in this way, a person could only contribute to the spread of HIV and AIDs in the country.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drama for Development in Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To a great extent, this strategy encourages the viewers to re-evaluate some of their perceptions on the norms of behavior. For instance, Swaziland, young people are often reluctant to speak about their HIV status. In turn, the practitioners of TFD in Swaziland were able to change their attitudes toward this problem. Thus, these workshops fully comply with this principle of TFD. This is one of the points that can be made. Another important issue is that TFD should put to an internalized oppression. Many people do not have the authority to address social problems. People, who practice TFD in Swaziland, attempt to reach this objective. Yet, some of their strategies can be questioned. For instance, there are several performances, which can show why many people become exposed to the risks of HIV. In particular, the actors highlight the importance of using the services of professional medical workers, rather than healers who are more likely to expose people to put the health of patients at risks. Additionally, these plays show that Swazi women are exposed to the threat of rape. More importantly, this phenomenon is not regarded as something outrageous. However, the practitioners of TFD do not prompt women to depart from conventional gender roles according to which they have to accept the authority of males without any question. They are not encouraged to become more independent. In other words, the developmental needs of these women are not properly examined. This is one of the drawbacks that can be singled out. This task should be an important element of TFD workshops, especially in a country like Swaziland. Thus, the organizers of TFD workshops need to pay more attention to this problem while developing their future strategies. Conflict resolution is another element which is important for TFD. Such workshops are supposed to show how people, who have conflicting values or priorities, can resolve their disagreements. In order to attain this goal, one should present the views of conflicting people and prompt these people put in the position of one another. However, this goal was not attained by the performers. For instance, they did not prompt men and women to discuss the most significant family problems such as abuse, stigmatization of many women, or absence of employment opportunities.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By engaging the spectators into this discussion, TFD practitioners can help people understand many social or family conflicts. This is one of the details that should not be disregarded by social workers or other people who want to improve the living conditions in various Swazi communities. This principle of TFD is useful for challenging many of the conventions and stereotypes that exist in the community. One can say that Swaziland is a country which has to struggle with many economic, political, and social problems. They can be attributed to various factors such as the functioning of governmental organizations or economic inequalities. However, it is not possible to overlook behavioral norms adopted in this country because individuals become alienated from others. The five elements of TFD are useful for addressing many problems such as the marginalization and victimization of women. These are the main difficulties that should be considered by community leaders, social workers, and p olicy-makers who should focus on the factors that slow down the development of Swazi society. Conclusion Overall, this discussion suggests that the adoption of TFD can help many communities in Swaziland. In particular, this method is important for understanding the experiences of people who can struggle with poverty, discrimination, or ostracism. Moreover, such workshops should prompt to evaluate their behavior and identify the most appropriate course of action. TFD organized in Swaziland attain these objectives. Yet, there are certain shortcomings that should not be disregarded. First of all, these workshops do not emphasize the need to resolve or at least explain existing conflicts or disagreements. As a result, people are not able to place themselves in the position of others. Secondly, more attention should be paid to the empowerment of individuals who are often treated as pariahs by others. These are the main arguments that can be put forward. This essay on Drama for Development in Africa was written and submitted by user Aubrie F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The History of the Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls

The History of the Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls During the 1983 Christmas season, parents in the United States frantically searched everywhere for the coveted Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. While many stores had extremely long waiting lists, others had a first-come first-serve policy, which led to shocking, vicious fights between potential buyers. By the end of the year, approximately three million Cabbage Patch Kids dolls had been adopted. The Cabbage Patch Kids frenzy of 1983 was to be the first of many such holiday-season, toy frenzies in the years to come. What Is a Cabbage Patch Kids Doll? In 1983, a Cabbage Patch Kids doll was a 16-inch doll, usually with a plastic head, a fabric body, and yarn hair (unless it was bald). What made them so desirable, besides the fact that they were huggable, was both their supposed uniqueness and their adoptability. It was claimed that each Cabbage Patch Kids doll was unique. Different head molds, eye shapes and colors, hair styles and colors, and clothing options did make each one look different than the other. This, plus the fact that inside each Cabbage Patch Kids box came a birth certificate with that particular kids first and middle name on it, made the dolls as individual as the kids who wanted to adopt them. The official Cabbage Patch Kids story tells of a young boy named Xavier Roberts, who was led by a Bunnybee through a waterfall, down a long tunnel, and out into a magical land where a cabbage patch grew little children. When he was asked to help, Roberts agreed to find loving homes for these Cabbage Patch Kids. The real Xavier Roberts, who invented the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, had no trouble adopting out his dolls in 1983, for real kids around the country vied to be one of the few whose parents were able to buy them one. The Real Story Behind the Cabbage Patch Dolls The real history of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls had little to do with Bunnybees; instead, the real story began with 21-year-old Xavier Roberts, who, when he was an art student, came up with the beginning doll idea in 1976. By 1978, Roberts joined up with five of his school friends and started a company called the Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc., which sold the entirely plush, hand-made Little People dolls (the name was to change later). Roberts would travel to arts and craft shows to sell his dolls, which already had the signature adoption aspect to them. The dolls were a hit even with the first buyers and soon orders started to pour in. By 1981, Roberts and his dolls were being written about in many magazines, even appearing on the cover of Atlantic Weekly. In 1982, Roberts and his friends were unable to keep up with the orders and thus signed a contract with Coleco, a toy manufacturer, who could mass produce the dolls, which were now to have plastic heads and be called Cabbage Patch Kids. By the following year, Coleco couldnt keep up either. Kids were demanding the doll, causing a buying frenzy at the end of 1983. A Few Things You Dont Know About Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls Later, when Hasbro took over manufacturing (1989 to 1994), the dolls shrunk down to 14 inches tall. Mattel, which manufactured Cabbage Patch Kids from 1994 to today also kept the smaller, 14-inch size. On the left-side of every dolls tush, you can find the signature of Cabbage Patch Kids inventor, Xavier Roberts. However, what you might not know is that just about every year the dolls were made, the color of the signature changed. For instance, in 1983, the signature was black but in 1993 it was forest green. If you are an avid fan of Cabbage Patch Kids, you can go visit the Babyland General Hospital and see the birth of a doll. Located in Cleveland, Georgia, the large, Southern-style house holds thousands of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. Be forewarned, it is highly unlikely that you could bring kids here and escape without buying them a doll. Do you have a Cabbage Patch Kids doll in your garage that youre hoping will eventually bring you lots of money? Check out the Doll Collecting site at About.com to find out if what you have is worth anything.

Explore the different types of media domestication using Roger Essay

Explore the different types of media domestication using Roger Silverstone's media domestication theory - Essay Example It allows for analysis in its economic, social, and sociological concerns. The approach to media domestication is a consideration of the practical as well as the symbolic dimensions for the adoption while using the necessary technologies. It shows how the elements of meanings of different things coupled with their respective materiality, have equal importance in the understanding of how technologies form part of daily life. It remains a consideration of the social theory through highlighting the various negotiations, control and power challenges, rule breaking, and making accompanying any introduction for technologies for different social settings (Silverstone, 2005). Such a domestication approach endures roots within the social studies of media use even though this is well informed through gender studies of household technology, everyday life sociology, innovation and consumption studies, which are widely considered the study components of the mass adoption in mobile phones, internet, and computers. As part of the technological approach towards an understanding of how media technologies come to be, domestication theory highlights the importance of innovation users with the works done through individuals and communities through making technology do practical work outside the standard intentions within the community. This work strand links to the responsibility end and lead users (Bilandzic, Patriarche & Traudt, 2012). In innovation processes, the domestication studies create a general institution through the use qualitative methods while the ethnography and long interviews explore the importance emerging technologies meanings and changing routine s that are usually not accessible to quantitative techniques. The domestication approach applies different concepts in distinguishing different prospects for the process. For instance, the appropriations process includes bringing technologies into households and local social contexts. However, the lead domestication

Universal Healthcare in the United States Essay

Universal Healthcare in the United States - Essay Example This paper argues that the universal health care system would be beneficial for the United States. The statement passed by Institute of Medicine is the US is the only developed nation that does not provide universal health care system. In United States, around 84% of citizens have some form of health insurance, either through their employers, purchased individually or provided by government programs. Some publicly funded health care programs are provided for the elderly, disable, children and poor and federal law mandates public access to emergency services1. The US government schemes reported for over 45% health care expenses. This makes US government the largest insurer in the nation. Based on health care expenditure, The US government has been placed in the top ten highest spenders among the United Nations member countries in 2004. Still more than 16% of population in America is without health insurance2. The health insurance costs are increasing faster than wages and medical bills, leading to personal bankruptcy in the United States. The lack of health care for all America is fundamental moral issue. In order to understand universal health care we need to understand its concept. It is a broad concept that can be applied in many ways. Universal health care is the form of health care benefit that is provided by the government. The government introduces varieties of programs aimed at promoting the right of admittance to the public to health care as much as possible. Many countries apply universal health care through lawmaking, regulatio n and through taxes. Some of the costs are paid by the patients but later they are reduced in taxation and paid to the patient. There is a need of universal health care system in United States of America. A single paying system operated by the government will help save on bureaucracy and investor profits. In this way

Discovery of gold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discovery of gold - Essay Example Several explorers came in search of gold and the subsequent major discoveries of gold deposits contributed to the rise of the region’s economy as well as industrial growth (The History of Gold Mining). The earliest reported discovery of the yellow metal was in the year 1803, when the explorer James Purcell found some nuggets of gold by the South Platte River (The History of Gold Mining). This was followed by other discoveries such as the 1820 expedition lead by Lieutenant John. C Fremont during which members of his exploration party discovered gold in about six different places in and around present day Colorado (A General History of Colorado). However, as the California gold rush happened during this period these findings did not gain much importance; nevertheless it provided an opportunity for gold-seeking groups to pass through the rocky mountain region of Colorado. As these prospectors returned with very little findings of gold in California, they decided to explore gold along the South Platte River, Cherry Creek and Clear Creek and were successful (Gold!Gold!Gold!). One such group from Georgia lead by William Russell became the first to discover small quantities of placer gol d. These people settled down in that region and collected gold deposits from the streams between the years 1858-59. However, rich deposits of gold were found by George Jackson in the year 1859 along the Clear Creek region. With this finding he began to mine the placer gold deposited in the region near Idaho springs where the Clear creek joins the Chicago creek. In the same year another gold-seeking prospector from Georgia, John Gregory discovered a quartz vein made of gold resulting in the first discovery of consolidated or lode gold. This paved the way for the establishment of the Blackhawk-Central city mining region near the Creek. Following this find several deposits of gold were found in many locations around present day Colorado leading

Bacchus and Ariadne Titian: Critical Analysis

Bacchus and Ariadne Titian: Critical Analysis Bacchus and Ariadne Tiziano Vecello, known in the English speaking world as Titian, was born in Cadore which is in the Southern Alps between the years of 1487 -1490. He was born into a family of lawyers and administrators and so enjoyed a relatively privileged upbringing. The early Sixteenth Century saw a flourishing in Italian art. Indeed, set against the span of Art History it was one of the greatest periods and is known by the term â€Å"Cinquecento[1]† and The Venetian Cinquecento masters included Giorgione and Titian. Titian, as a painter, pushed the boundaries of art and its meaning and challenged the pre eminence of the sculptural art form. His paintings are characterised by their ability to capture the qualities to be found in the subject through composition, technique and use of medium. His early influences were seminal. Around 1500, and before he was ten years old, Titian was sent to Venice. He was initially destined to be an apprentice to a mosaicist, Zuccati, but when his master saw he had the ability to draw he was sent to work in a painting school. Titian found himself under the tutorage of the elderly Giovanni Bellini, who was the leading artist in Venice. Whilst working under the Bellinis father and then son Titian was exposed to the new influences that were to be found in the work of the Flemish painters especially in their use of oils and varnish glazes. Bellini softened his landscapes through the use of these techniques. Titian embraced these techniques during these formative years and it soon became apparent he possessed a rare talent eventually out shining his master. The popular and accomplished masters in Venice heavily influenced Titian. As a teenager he worked with Giorgione and it is this influence that is evident in Titians early paintings, such as the ‘Gipsy Madonna in 1510. Four years after the death of Giorgione, Titian decided to start up his own workshop. His career went from strength to strength, precipitated in part by the commission of ‘The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Frari Church. By the age of thirty, Titian was established as the leading artist in Venice; this granted him celebrity status with a European clientele, which included noblemen, merchants and eventually monarchs. Titian started to attract the attention of famous Italian Patrons, such as the Renaissance family DEste from Ferrara. The DEste family originally commissioned ‘The Triumph of Bacchus to be painted by Raphael who had been paid in advance for the work but unfortunately Raphael had only completed a preliminary sketch before he died in 1520. This commission was then assumed by Titian and led to the production of five paintings that were to hang in the Camerino room, a private luxury apartment in the Ferrara Place. Titian was sought after and by an impressive list of patrons and esteemed clientele such as the Holy Roman Emperor, the Pope and Charles the 5th. Titian was now in a position to pick and choose his commissions. He was known as the â€Å"Lomazzo described him as the sun amidst small stars not only among the Italians but all the painters of the world†[2]. An illustration of the esteem with which he was held is quoted by Titians early biographers â€Å"even the Emper or Charles V picked up the paint brush Titian had dropped[3]†. Titian was as an outstanding draughtsman regarded on a par with Michelangelos genius. A milestone in Titians career was his appointment as a court painter. He became a member of the â€Å"Order of the Golden Spire[4]†, which gave him the rights of a courtier. Titian lived a long and prosperous life and died on the 27th of August 1576. He was laid to rest in the very church in Frari, which was home to his ‘The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The very painting that marked the start of Titians glorious carrier as one of the most influential Venetian painters in Italian history. One of Titians most remarkable paintings is hanging in The National Gallery in London. This is the painting of Bacchus and Ariadne, which was completed around 1520-23. This painting was commissioned by Duke Alfonso DEste who ordered a set of five paintings for his private room in his palace at Ferrara. The series was known as one of the high points in Italian Renaissance art. This diagram shows the exact location in the Camerino room where the painting of Bacchus and Ariadne (No 1) would have hung. Showing that the painting was above a door in the private room. It also illustrates that the painting would experience light through the window at dusk and dawn, illuminating the painting at the start and the end of the day. This would make it the focal point in the room, hung to its best advantage so that its owner, Alfonso DEste could enjoy his passion and indulge his love for the Greek and Roman style of paintings. The other paintings in the room also commissioned by Titian are as follows: 1) Bacchus and Ariadne; 2) The Andrians; 3) The feast of the Gods; 4) Bacchanal with Vulcan and lastly the 5) is The Worship of Venus. Three of the five paintings are dedicated to exuberant feasts and falling in love. Titian derived most of his painting from Greek and Roman literature. The story of Bacchus and Ariadne was specifically drawn from the classical writers Ovid and Catullus. In fact Titian often depicted scenes that were inspired by Classical Mythology and that feature Bacchanalian scenes. The painting illustrates the moment in classical myth when Ariadne is stranded on a desert island. Bacchus the god of wine is riding in his chariot when he stumbles across her. The picturesque landscape with the receding sea touching the magical coastline gracefully lends itself as a fitting backdrop to this magical, chance rendezvous. The painting depicts the moment the lovers meet for the first time: â€Å"She, then, pitifully looking out at the receding boat,/ wounded, was spinning convoluted cares in her mind./ Then came swooping from somewhere Bacchus in his prime/ his cult of Satyrs, with his mountain-born Sileni,/ seeking you, Ariadne, aflame with love for you†[5]. This poem by Catullus, describes a covering on the royal marriage bed, embroidered with scenes from the legend. The King of Crete had a daughter named Ariadne. She is one of the main characters depicted in this painting on the left. She abandoned her home to follow the Athenian Theseus, with who she was in love. Although she had helped Theseus escape Crete and the ferocious wrath of the Minotaur, Theseus abandons Ariadne on this island of Naxons. His ship is still visible in the distance as he sails off. The ship acts as a symbol to the viewer of lost love. Naxos is where the painting is set and captures the moment that a new lover in the form of Bacchus the God of Intoxication enters her life. It is clear from the expression on Ariadnes face that she is still grieving for Theseus but is also startled by the God of Inspiration and Intoxication accompanied by his Satyrs. The story continues with Bacchus instantly falling in love with Ariadne and convincing her that if she will marry him, her wedding present will be that when she dies he will take her wedding diadem, raise it to the havens and turn it into a constellation in the sky. This symbolises their union. The stars that are visible above Ariadnes head in the painting represent this. This painting holds all the key elements of a joyful, energetic and manic love, which takes the traditional subject matter of art mythology and revitalises it. From looking at Bacchus we can see the intensity of his passion. The most shocking, unusual and visually interesting part of this picture is the way in which Bacchus is frozen in time and that his stare is tangible. The wild party and entourage seem to be paused in their frivolities, some critics think that this parallels a brief but paused moment in Titians own career. Titian always manages to portray a sense of unity within his paintings even though his contemporaries at the time would have unfavourably judged his work and thought it disjointed, even going so far as to call it lopsided, a comment made about the portrait of a ‘Young Englishman. But he managed to balance his pictures using light and colour and form and the result is he â€Å"fused beauty and harmony to marry with Greek and Roman antiquity[6]†. This fusion and unity is clear once the elements of this painting are broken down. The calm blue waters to the left of the painting balance the riotous satyrs and maenads who are carrying the symbols of Bacchus cult. He also used complimentary colours in this painting, red, green, blue and orange as it equalises the overall impact of the piece to the viewer. The painting is given depth and perspective by the use and colour of the sea surrounding Naxos. The deep blue is heightened by the orange complementarities, which stand in sta rk contrast to the reds and greens. Although the art form is often thought to be merely about colour, arrangement and drawing, Titian thought about the nature of what he was trying to depict. Titian was a master of vibrant exuberant Venetian colour and this painting is a glorious celebration of ‘colour balance. This new way of thinking signified the shift of art into a new realm. Amongst his contemporaries Titian was seen to break the traditional rules of composition. This colour experimentation is seen in the painting of Ariadne, which almost gives the illusion that the painting is lit from behind, giving the feeling of luminosity. Titians skills and techniques are quite extraordinary and he can almost turn oil paint into flesh while strongly portraying the characters physical expressiveness. It is thought that the satyr struggling with the snakes which is depicted in Bacchus and Ariadne is based on a classical sculpture discovered in 1506, ‘Laocoà ¶n in the Vatican. There is much symbolism that can be derived from this picture in the National. There are the obvious clues that are distinctly visible to the viewer, such as the starry crown to the left of the picture and Theseusship. But there are also hidden meanings that can be coded from studying certain aspect of the picture. The frivolous company of maenads and stryrs that are carrying symbolic items that distinguish Bacchus cult. For instance the satyr that is covered in grapevines is waving a bulls leg whilst the bacchante is waving a tambourine, adding to the sense of riotous joy and exothermic energetic excitement. The viewer can also see that these two members of the carnival are looking at each other, mirroring Bacchus and Ariadne. This rebellious, drunken procession is fuelled with power, aggression and a hint of violence shown by the severed calfs head. As if the company have ripped the animal part in the state of frenzy. This calfs head is being  dragged by the baby satyr who is hal f man and half goat. He seems to be leading the procession but give the impression that he is not involved in the commotion. The formal leader of this rabble, Bacchuss foster-father is depicted as the fat Silenus at the back. He is sleeping off his hangover whilst still rounded on his donkey. Silenus depiction injects humour into the painting, as we can see his companions trying to prevent him from falling off his donkey. These smaller figures add a sense of distance and the three bigger figures in the foreground, lead the eye backwards into the landscape as we follow the orthogonal lines resulting in a triangle of perspective and depth. The Sixteenth Century marked a unique era in Venetian style painting, which stood in stark contrast to the traditional characteristics of design and draftmanship commonly found in Italian art. This new style, pioneered by Titan, focused on colour, light and sensuality. It was not just the new subject matter and pigments that were in this state of flux, Titian pioneered new techniques in oil painting. Venice was renowned for its damp, changeable climate and as a result the ancient practise of fresco painting was rendered almost impossible. This affected the painters artistic creativity, which resulted in Titian and his peers favouring oil paints on canvas rather than board. But it was in the use of oil that Titian surpassed all other painters. Titian also was able to draw upon the rich literature of the Ancients and he used its subjects as sources of inspiration as in another painting ‘Europa which was based upon the themes to be found in the Metamorphoses of Ovid extended by a contemporary of Titians the poet Poliziano. Titian gained from studying other artists and incorporated ideas from well-known pieces of classical sculpture. His painting of Bacchus and Ariadne is a triumph of artistic skill and composition with an iconic, freeze frame pose that is instantly recognisable. Through his work Titian is considered one of the most talented painters of the Italian Renaissance and his influence is to be found on painting throughout the subsequent centuries. Bibliography E.H. Gombrich. (1995) ‘The Story Of Art: London: Phaidon. Patrick De Rynck. ‘How to read a painting, published by Thames and Hudson (London) July 2004. B Cole. (1984) ‘From Pisano to Titian: Boulder: Westview Press. C.Hope, J Fletcher. J Dunkerton (2003) ‘Titian: London National Gallery P Humfrey ‘The Age of Titian: Edinburgh: National Galleries of Scotland Visual Arts Film. (1989) Great Artists Titian. Great Artists Titian. Available at www.videosift.com/video/Great-Artists-Titian [1] E.H.Gombrich The Story Of Art (1995) p287,329. [2] Giovanni Boccaccio The famous final line of Dantes Paradiso, Dante Alighieri 1308-1321, [3] E.H.Gombrich The Story Of Art (1995) p331 [4] Great Artists-Titian, Televised Autobiography [5] Catullus, The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis 64:249-264 trans. T.Banks. [6] E.H.Gombrich The Story of Art (1995) p368.

Coral Reefs Need Help Essay -- Environment, Oceans, Fish

Beautiful beaches, a hot sun, glistening sand, and a clear ocean would make the perfect vacation, right? Many of us would enjoy being somewhere tropical. This kind of vacation won’t last much longer if we don’t start taking care of endangered coral reefs now! World government leaders should establish laws to protect them. People may ask, â€Å"If coral reefs are in such danger, why don’t we fix the problem since they provide benefits for the whole world?† Frankly, it’s not that simple. Protecting endangered coral reefs will provide the whole world with long lasting benefits. To figure out how to solve the problem, we must start with the benefits they provide for humans and nonhumans. Coral reefs support 128 corallivorous fish species, one third of which feed almost solely on coral (80%) (Cole 286). These reefs also provide the corallivorous fish species like butterfly fish with shelter and living space (Cole 287). Most of these fish feed on Scleractinian coral (â€Å"hard† coral) while the others feed on â€Å"soft† coral due to regional variation (Cole 288, 292). For the balance of fish and coral reefs to remain in sync, the feeding intensity of the fish and the regeneration of coral reefs need to balance one another (Cole 297). When combined with other stressors like pollution and coral bleaching, it’s hard for the reefs to recover (Cole 299). Since so many people rely on the fish caught around these reefs, limiting stress on them is important. They supply the benefit and necessity of food to many people. In developing countries, c oral reefs contribute to one fourth of the fish caught that feed about one billion people in Asia alone (Moore 1). Fish seem to be plentiful, at least right now. Much of the world’s poor population depends on fis... ...urces like water. Citizens can also help by taking showers instead of baths, buying locally grown foods, carpooling, walking, or bicycling. Citizens need to collaborate and motivate one another when it comes to using less fossil fuel. Fixing this issue will certainly be difficult, but we can adjust our lifestyles in a way that’ll keep the environment safe for coral reefs. Human, nonhuman and coral reef health is likely to improve! Paying to save coral reefs will be more beneficial to the world, and international governments should share the cost to protect the reefs. People who pollute more than regulations allow should be fined with that money going towards the maintenance of coral reefs. Food, life-saving medicine, income from tourism, and coastal protection will all diminish if we don’t start helping today!

Case: Pizza Chains of the United States and Pizza Hut Essay

Executive Summary Competing in the market today can be very complicated. â€Å"The Pizza industry is a 30+ Billion per year industry (â€Å"Facts,† 2010)† Maintaining a steady position in this industry is very imperative to us being successful in such a competitive market environment. Deciding when to expand a company is very important. There are decisions to be made for example whether management wants to vertically or horizontally integrate. What Resources will be needed? Other decisions may be to add a new product line to compete with other companies already in the market. Recognizing these issues early on help to eliminate falling behind in the market due to not recognizing competition when as it arises. So far to date Domino’s has done a remarkable job at staying ahead of the game. Being an innovator in deliver, later marketing the HeatWave bag, and even entering into new markets with hot oven subs and pasta bowls. The latest of our strive for excellence has resulted in us revamping our recipe. Just like everyone else we have our weaknesses, but our strengths are where we prevail. We have a great supply chain and have integrated it quite well. Our ability to change and implement these though our franchises have been relatively impressive. This is very unique to us indeed. We have overcome many obstacles. Since 2007 the economy has taken a downturn and has yet to recover completely. We have adapted by reducing prices, adding menu items and integrated a new recipe into our company to achieve more of a competitive advantage in this every changing market. As Trends change so do we. Even though we are doing great with the current changes, we need to take full advantage of the momentum and enter into a new market before a new competitor rises up and blindly and takes us by surprise. The frozen pizza market has almost exploded in the last few years with America trying to get more for the buck. â€Å"The frozen pizza market continues to perform well as consumers continue to seek value and convenience and are trading down from delivery and restaurant pizza companies(Shea, 2010)† to include us and our competitors. This is our chance to get into the frozen pizza market. With brand recognition alone we should be successful and now that we have our new recipe behind us we should be able to be a strong contender. Expanding that even further and not only offering frozen but offering unfrozen pizza as well with fresh topping in my opinion has a recipe for success. Imagine customers grabbing a domino’s pizza while grocery shopping. They would be getting the same over freshness we offer without the need for delivery. We could penetrate that market from customers who normally don’t order delivery. Dominos has made these decisions before â€Å"We made a lot of tough calls in terms of expanding our menu and changing our recipe(Veenendaal , & York, 2010) â€Å"according to Mr. Brandon. This is something we obviously are getting really good with. Without recognizing this new threat of competing with the frozen food isle we are destined to fall behind. Introduction Domino’s pizza first began in 1960 from a pizza store known as DomiNicks. It was purchased by Tom Monaghan and his brother James Monaghan for $900. James later sold his half of the partnership to Tom for a Volkswagen Beetle. In 1965 Tom now the sole owner of the company renames it to the name we recognize today as Domino’s. The first Dominos pizza franchise originated from Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1967. In 1978 the Franchise had grew to over 200 stores. Then again only 5 years later in 1983 we hit another bench mark in our company by reaching our 1000th store and were international. Today approximately 90% of our company’s domestic stores are franchised. We use our company owned stores as a testing ground for our new products and technologies which we then pass onto our franchisees. Over our 45-year history, â€Å"Domino’s has developed a simple business model focused on its core strength of delivering quality pizza in a timely manner. This business model includes a delivery-oriented store design with low capital requirements, a focused menu of pizza and complementary side items, committed owner-operator franchisees and a vertically-integrated distribution system (Reuters, 2010). †In 1993 we had to discontinue a successful marketing campaign for delivery that was well known as the 30-min guarantee and redirected out emphasis on more on the Total Satisfaction Guarantee; â€Å"If for any reason you are dissatisfied you’re your Domino’s Pizza dining experience, we will re-make your pizza or refund your money(â€Å"Our Heritage,† 2008). † In the 1992 we rolled out bread sticks which had significance in that it was our first non-pizza menu item. Shorty after that in 1994 we introduced Buffalo wings to our domestic stores. This another technique used to complement our already thriving pizza delivery business. When compared to others in the industry during this time we were sustaining our competitiveness by offering more of a range of products with speedy delivery. Spinning off into the hot wings market allowed us to grab attention of being more than just a pizza delivery business. We now had more variety with the same great speed and service. With the dot com bubble coming to light in the 90’s, we again led the way by getting in early on the dominos. com. â€Å"The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995-2000(â€Å"W dot-com bubble,† 2010). †We recognized this competitive advantage early and launch our first website in 1996, Dominos. com. Our ability to continue to recognize the importance of adapting to an ever changing market has been the key to us maintaining our current position today. In 1998 we launched another industry innovation by offering the first patented technology bag that keeps the pizza oven-hot to the customer door. It was called the Domino’s Heat Wave and was used heavily in advertisement to gain customer confidence in the delivery of a hot piping pizza directly to their door and is still used today. This added to our already strong brand recognition in the market and continued to add more of a distance between us and our competitors. By taking full advantage of the opportunity to be an innovator to pizza delivery, we not only provided a service that was not yet established in the market place early but established the brand name recognition for pizza delivery which is the key advantage over other competitors in the pizza delivery service. After most of the recent research that has been done today, it has come to our attention in today’s market that customers would prefer a great tasting pizza over a speedy delivery. The fact that we have shifted our ideas to revamping our recipes was a great challenge for us this past year and has worked out rather well. This was big step from our traditional idea of being successful by competing to make a speedy delivery and cheaper pizza. Today we are competing by making a great pizza with the added convenience of delivery to the customer door step hot and fresh as well. We operate out business in three segments, domestic stores, domestic supply chain, and international. Our domestic stores are comprised of 4461 franchise stores and 466 company-owned stores, generated revenues of $493. 6 million and income from operations of 121. 5 million during the fiscal year ended jan3, 2010. Our domestic supply chain segment, generated revenues of $763. 7 million and income from operations of $57. 0 million during 2009. Our international segment generated revenues of $146. 8 million, of which approximately 53% related to franchises royalties and fees, and generated income from operations of $66. 8million, of which approximately 91% related to franchise royalties and fees. This was all data taken from the 2009 dominos 10k. This shows our ability to compete. Our mission statement says a lot about us as a company. â€Å"Exceptional franchisees and team members on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world (â€Å"Bloomburg business week,† 2010)† shows that even though we have focused on selling more pizza than any other competitor in the market we want to encourage a fun atmosphere. By encouraging our employees to work as part of a team, it not only encourages a successful work environment, but also reflects over the counter to our customers. This high energetic atmosphere surrounding our establishments has a great impact on the customer’s perspective and how they perceive us and the value of not only the product we sell but our company as a whole. This is in line with our vision statement as well. One of our international vision statements of being â€Å"number one in pizza, number one is people (â€Å"Inside domino’s,† 2008)† shows our commitment not only to making great pizza but ensuring our customer’s stay happy. Today more than ever people are addicted to fast food. It is a fast growing industry. Fast food is considered by most to be a food that is consumed on the go. Customer’s today love style, taste, and have preferences that we as a participant in the pizza delivery sector must tap into to be successful. â€Å"The Pizza industry is a 30+ Billion per year industry (â€Å"Facts,† 2010)† Maintaining a steady position in this industry is very imperative to us being successful in such a competitive market environment. We have made a significant step forward by changing our game plan and mixing up our ingredients to get more of what Americans are in tune with. â€Å"Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day or about 350 slices per second (â€Å"Facts,† 2010)†. Understanding the current eating habits of our customers today is the key to being successful in tomorrow world. We have led the way by being an innovator and setting the standard in delivery when we first began and don’t need to stop now only by spicing up our ingredients. We now have the momentum to achieve so much more and I highly recommend we take full opportunity of this push forward to regain our customers and compete not only in pizza delivery industry, but in the frozen food isle as well. There are so many avenues of completion we could look at and I would like to take this opportunity to give you’re my insights and the direction I think we should pursue to take our company far in to the future and deter other from entering our industry. Analysis-Debt Analysis In analyzing our debt, I have discovered that our greatest strength according to standard and poor’s is our ability to continue to have reductions in debt. This gives us a favorable upper hand in the market being that our competitor’s realize that we now have plenty of working capital. â€Å"Our favorable view of DPZ reflects the expected benefits we see from the company’s four-pronged strategy. Namely, its ongoing reductions in debt, the early success of efforts to gain domestic market share via its â€Å"New Inspired Pizza,† a heightened focus on operational excellence and financial strength among its domestic franchisee base, and continuing international expansion. (â€Å"S&p focus stock,† 2009). †Hopefully this will help sustain our competitive differences among our competition. In looking at the financials from moneycentral.com, I have discovered that our net profit margin to be 5. 5% and papa john’s net profit margin to be 5. 44%. This shows that we have a slighter higher return on every dollar we have invested and thus leading us to have a stronger position than papa johns. According to the 10k posted on investing. businessweek. com we have a strong cash flow and earnings stream â€Å"A substantial percentage of our earnings are generated by our committed, owner-operator franchisees through royalty payments and revenues to our vertically-integrated supply chain system(United states securities, 2010). †Our system has produced strong cash flow for us, this had led to our success enabling us to invest in the domino’s pizza brand, our stores, and our supply chain centers, pay dividends, and repurchase share of common stock, and repurchases and retire outstanding principle on our fixed debt notes and deliver a better than average return for our stockholders. Our system is a very diversified franchise system. We have come a long way in our line of business. Being that we not only integrated a new recipe to integrate it into this whole supply chain has been quite impressive. With corporate deciding to change our ingredients in our pizza recipe to regain our customer base has been more than a success and the number reflect on our 10k for 2009. This reflects to an extent that our â€Å"new inspired pizza† for the moment is working. New Inspired Pizza This new strategic decision to ramp up our recipe all came about after a study we conducted a study in 2009. We discovered that a lot of people did not like our pizza. With statement made like â€Å"Domino’s pizza crust, to me, taste like cardboard (burkitt, 2009). † We had no other option but to change the way we made pizza dough and sauce recipes and launched new and inspired pizzas earlier this year. We reformulated our ideas to regain new and old customers. After weighing the fact that we no longer have the lead in delivery and the taste of our pizza is a very important to our customers. This alerted us to the how our old strategic performance measured up. This again gave us a much needed opportunity to give the customers something different. Our competition has decided to stay with their traditional style recipes and we now have the opportunity to surge forward and offer a more value to our customers with our new look and feel. We took a huge gamble in our advertising campaign for our â€Å"New Inspired Pizza† by acknowledging our previous shortcomings of our pizza. This campaign included TV ads giving customers a snapshot of our new ingredients. We have encouraged many to try our new pizza and so far it has been a successful campaign. According to the data we collected I am pretty confident that the new pizzas have been a huge success, leading to 14% sales increase in the first quarter of 2010 at most locations opened more than a year. The fact that the customer realizes we listened to them, and we changed our pizza shows our loyalty to how our customer feel. They reacted by returning. As of the quarter ending march 28th, 2010 â€Å"the company’s domestic same store sales grew 14. 3% as a result of increased store traffic from the successful introduction of its new and inspired pizza(â€Å"Domino’s pizza announces,† 2010). †There has been a lot of noise around the change to our pizza. I feel that it has obviously showed it was successful. Our President and chief executive officer J. Patrick Doyle, has been quoted as stating â€Å"a remarkably better pizza, and our honesty in how we told consumers about it, is paying off with a revitalized overall category – with dominos leading that trend. We couldn’t be more please with the success of our new and inspired pizza (â€Å"Domino’s pizza announces,† 2010). † This is a very important statement in that that not only demonstrates that our president is in full tune with what is going on in our company but he truly understood what we faced and has inspired to our competitors that we will not throw in the towel and that we will be giant to contend with if they decide to get into our market. He later added â€Å"Our international division kept up its phenomenal growth trajectory again this quarter, with continued success in our existing markets, along with new markets expected to open in Europe, Asia and Latin America yet in 2010. I think we have by far the best international story in the sector. (â€Å"Domino’s pizza revenue,† 2010) . † This is very significant in that is relays another message that we not only concerned about one division but multiple ones. We are very good at what we do. We show diversification and show the world we are global contenders. Sub Competition Another strength I see that we recognized approximately 2 years ago and was the idea to add oven baked sandwiches. This has led to our competitiveness in that we deliver not only pizza but hot oven baked sandwiches as well. Prices at just $4. 99 and available in 4 varieties offers competitiveness to more than just pizza hut and papa john’s but other fast food chains as well. Papa johns does compete in this area with chicken strips but have failed to expand any further. They have desert pizza’s but so far that decision has not affected our sales. Customer’s ability to have the convenience of sitting at home and have us deliver their oven baked sandwich versus having to drive not only appeals to them on a convenience level but also that they save gas as well. The president of dominos USA commented on the launch stating â€Å"as of today, we are the largest sandwich delivery company in the nation. This launch springboards dominos in the lunch business by providing a product that is high quality, priced right and aimed at convenience-minded people without a lot of time. Of course, sandwiches are also available any time our stores are open (â€Å"Domino’s pizza extends,† 2008). † Reevaluation We have also reevaluated our domestic franchisee stores to change things up a bit. We have recognized the need for improved performance. We recognized the three dimensions of performance according to the Strategic management by bandford and west â€Å"1) summery measures that reflect the impact of integrated efforts across the entire company, 2) measures that can be compared to competitors and 3) measures that account for longer periods of time(Bamford, West, & Reviews, 2009)† We gave the stores a grade from A to D Based on sales, operating profits, and the strengths of their financials. This analyzed the summary of how the franchise stores measured up across our domestic market. This allows to recognized problems and fixes them without causing damages to our reputation. The franchise’s that scored the lowest were offered assistance and advise on how to regain back their customer base. This big push forward in the implementation of reevaluation and adjustments to our existing stores to how we do business is was much needed. We provided them with the option to be bought out. Due to our ability to repurchase these weaker franchisees locations, this led refranchises to its stronger operators. These were measured we considered important when comparing to our competitors. We did have to shut down a number of stores but the results we hope to achieve are higher sales for franchisees and a boost to company royalties as well. This all played in as a part of return on assets (ROA). After this strategic decision of realigning our stores this gave our existing stores more company profitability, and also focused on each stores strengths and weaknesses. Marketing Campaign Without an effective marketing campaign and getting the word out that we got it, our changes would have been pointless. There comes a time when we realized changes needed to be made. The fact that we discovered customers were not completely satisfied with our pizza and reacted was a great move on our part to recognize it could damage us dramatically if changes were not made accordingly. This led to our drive to become better. In taking advantage of today technologically advances and using YouTube to relay the message that we got the message. It allowed customers to see exactly what we were doing to combat the flaws that they had pointed out. We were aware they were unhappy and this has helped in significantly getting the word out our pizza has changed and we do care about how our product taste. Weakness A huge weakness that I feel that we really need to consider and get on board with today is the entry into the pizza into the frozen pizza industry. This has many potential upsides. This may be one of the best strategic moves we could make using the momentum we have with the revitalizing of our pizza. We need to show we can take on any competitor. Taking full advantage of the opportunity provided by the economy and using this to our advantage not only guarantees that we can be successful in the market but also seals the deal that when the economy picks up that we will remain victorious there. The customers have rushed the frozen food isles in grocery stores since it may be cheaper to purchase and microwave a pizza than ordering from delivery which in general tends to be more expensive. Providing pizza’s cheaper grasp the customer’s attention when deciding where money gets the most for its value. We still provide a superior product but in my opinion we have to compete with price in this market to be successful and to do that we need to be in this market. We have to look further than our traditional competitors and broaden our horizon. This way of thinking and planning ahead assures we continue to be competitive and reestablished our ability to adapt to change. The Competition It is not secret who our biggest competitors are. The tradition pizza wars between us and pizza hut, and papa john’s has been among the greatest. Today we not only compete with pizza hut as a top competitor but Papa john pizza as well. There are some other local establishments that try to compete but for the most part domestically, these are the top two we need to be concerned about and devote our attention to analyzing our marketing approach. We need to remain vigilant and aggressive in assessing our competition and not forget that at any moment they could regain the momentum. So far we have sustained our position but to obtain sustainability in the market takes being very proactive and not underestimating the competition or taking for granted our current position. In comparing ourselves among other in the industry it is no secret that we must compete with papa johns and pizza hut to remain successful in our market. In analyzing the big three, domino’s pizza they reported a â€Å"1. 4% increase in domestic same store sales for the fourth quarter ending jan3rd (Morgan, 2010). †2009, pizza hut reported sales were â€Å"down 9% for 2009(Morgan, 2010)†,and papa john’s â€Å"reported same-store sales were down . 5% this quarter (Morgan, 2010). †These numbers have demonstrated our ability to regain our competitive separation. We have focused more on ramping up our recipe but â€Å"it is hard to gauge how to sustainable it is. Typically you see a few good weeks on any promotion, but this is such a different thing (Morgan, 2010). †This approach should prove to be a successful market campaign but time will tell. Pizza hut has elected to go with more of a traditional approach focused on price competition, with a â€Å"$10 any way you want it(Morgan, 2010)† promotion. This shows their ability to at least acknowledge the market in that with a weaker economy customer want more the buck but in long term our ability to take time now to focus more on taste and excitement surrounding our company is a long term solution. Competing with price is fairly easy to implement but recipes take time and focus more on were a company want to go. Papa johns have also got caught up in this price war with pizza hut. Offering same price comparisons similar to what pizza hut offers. Frozen Pizza In comparing ourselves with the frozen food industry which I feel we should consider a competitor, I have noticed a market that is quickly being dominated by a company Nestles(PK) who I think could soon be considered a serious competitor. By recognizing this threat now we can jump ahead of our traditional competition by entering into the market. Nestles add such brands as DiGiorno, Tombstone and California pizza kitchen when they recently acquisitioned Kraft(KFT) . They now own more than 50% of the frozen pizza market.â€Å"this is more than there twice the share of their next major frozen pizza competitor Schans foods, maker of red baron, tony’s and freshmetta brands, who slightly hold less than 25% share of the category(Shea, 2010). † When analyzing and looking at the total sales generated in the 52 week ending august 9th, 2010 the brand digiorno generated sales of $591,262,700 and for the week ending may 17th,2009 generated $534,356,200. The following charts are referenced from (â€Å"Pizza sales 2009,† 2010) Top 10 Frozen Pizza Brands (for the 52 weeks ending August 9, 2010) DiGiorno| $591,262,700|. Tombstone| $270,412,700| Red Baron| $256,308,000| California Pizza Kitchen| $175,750,800| Totino’s Party Pizza| $152,630,700| Top 10 Brands of Frozen Pizza (for the 52 weeks ending May 17, 2009) Brand Name| Dollar Sales| Unit Sales| DiGiorno| $534,356,200| 100,464,200| Tombstone| $254,147,400| 69,809,980| Red Baron| $245,141,600| 62,940,960| California Pizza Kitchen| $175,838,600| 32,818,720| This shows that the frozen pizza industry is having a huge impact on our society today and they are demonstrating that they can achieve a significant growth of sales in a relatively short amount of time. Recommendations In researching out company and analyzing our success to date, and the current market conditions, I see a great opportunity for us to consider entry into the frozen pizza market and not only offer frozen but offer unfrozen daily made fresh pizza’s as well. This will allow the consumer to take our pizza home and get the oven freshness that we can offer without delivery as well. This not only will complement our ramped up recipe but will take less time to cook when a customer is not interested in delivery but rather take advantage of the convenience of cooking it themselves. Unfrozen pizza and made daily with fresh toppings will be a great advertising campaign as well. â€Å"the frozen pizza market continues to perform well as consumers continue to seek value and convenience and are trading down from delivery and restaurant pizza companies(Shea, 2010)† to include us and our competitors. For us to assume that this market doesn’t affect us may be a big mistake on our part. I have seen no reason why we couldn’t penetrate that market effectively, especially with our brand recognition. So far we have done a great job at anticipating the market the knowing when to make changes and adapt or market to make successful changes that keep us on top of the market. We obviously understand our ability to adapt to change and get into other markets rather easily. From hot wings to now hot oven sandwiches our implementations are rather efficient and are easily transitioned to our stores. I have explained that the market is very intense and failure for us to expand into other parts that affect our industry may be a big mistake. I also think that we can take advantage of reducing our prices as well. There is no reason why we cannot bundle our advertisement campaigns together and run them consecutively. Competing with pizza huts price not only may regain customers but also gives customer that otherwise shop for the cheapest delivery service a chance to taste our new pizza. With the time and effort we have put in the new taste of our pizza, I feel that we need to not only get the word out though commercials but through word of mouth as well being not only competitive with taste but price will be our another one of our tools to success. Citations. Facts. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. pizzaware. com/facts. htm http://www. dominosbiz. com/Biz-Public-EN/Site+Content/Secondary/About+Dominos/Diversity/ Inside domino’s. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. dominospizza. co. nz/corporate/inside/visionmission. aspx Our Heritage. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. dominos. com/Public-EN/Site%2BContent/Secondary/Inside%2BDominos/Ou r%2BHeritage/ W dot-com bubble. (2010). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved (2010, May 31) from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble Reuters, T. (2010). Domino’s pizza inc. marketwatch, Retrieved from http://www. marketwatch. com/investing/stock/dpz/profile S&p focus stock of the week. (2009). S&P The Outlook, Retrieved from http://www. spoutlookonline. com/NASApp/NetAdvantage/FocusStockOfTheWeek. do? &context=Company&docId=15485805 Domino’s pizza announces first quarter 2010 financial results. (2010, may 04). Retrieved from http://finance. yahoo. com/news/Dominos-Pizza-Announces-First-prnews-3155025210. html? x=0&. v=1 burkitt, l. (2009, Dec 22). Domino’s launches massive $75 million ad blitz. Forbes.com, Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/2009/12/21/dominos-pizza-recipe-ad-campaign-cmo-network-dominos. html Veenendaal , P, & York, e. (2010). After Tumultuous year, new domino. Advertising Age, Retrieved from http://adage. com/article? article_id=141334 Bamford, Charles, West, Page, & Reviews, Cram101. (2009). Outlines & highlights for strategic management. Academic Internet Pub Inc. Morgan, s. (2010, April 12). The Pizza portfolio. Smartmoney, Retrieved from http://www. smartmoney. com/investing/stocks/the-pizza-portfolio/? cid=1186 Shea, R.(2010, April 12). Nestle: the new 800 pound gorilla in frozen foods. Seeking Alpha, Retrieved from http://seekingalpha. com/article/207736-nestle-the-new-800-pound-gorilla-in-fr ozen-foods Pizza sales 2009. (2010, Feb 18). Retrieved from https://www. aibonline. org/resources/statistics/2009pizza. htm Domino’s pizza extends its menu. (2008, 2009 09). Retrieved from http://www. franchisekey. com/us/franchise-news/Domino-s-Pizza-extends-its-menu-. htm. Bloomburg business week. (2010, may 31). domino’s pizza inc 10-k , Retrieved from http://investing. businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/secfilings. asp? ticker=DPZ:US United states securities and exchange commission washington, d. c. 20549 form 10-k. (2010). [Commission File Number 001-32242]. (web), Retrieved from http://investing. businessweek. com/research/stocks/financials/drawFiling. asp? docKey=136-000119312510045334-2CPIO5V2KAG3763AONFHFPD3VN&docFormat=HTM&formType=10-K Domino’s pizza revenue up 18. 4 per cent. (2010, may 06). New Statesman, Retrieved from http://www. newstatesman. com/business-food-and-drink/2010/05/quarter-store-international.

Practicing a Presentation - Advanced Business English

Practicing a Presentation - Advanced Business English Mike: Anne, can I run the new presentation by you?Anne: Certainly, Id love to hear some of the new concepts. Mike: OK, here goes ... On behalf of myself and Sport Outfitters, Id like to welcome you. My names Mike Andersen. This morning, Id like to outline our new campaign concepts that have been recently developed.Anne: Excuse me, who was invited to this conference? Mike: Our sales representatives from our branch offices were asked to come. I think a number of upper-management representatives were also invited.Anne: Thats good. Our marketing approach is going to be completely revamped. Mike: And thats why we need everyone to be informed. So, Ill continue. Youll be given the background and Ill talk you through the results of some of our recent market studies.Anne: How many surveys were completed? Mike: I think about 100,000 were returned to the company. Our marketing team was very pleased with the response.Anne: OK, continue... Mike: The presentation has been divided into three parts. First, our past approach. Secondly, present changes that will be made. Thirdly, future forecasts ...Anne: That sounds good. Mike: If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to ask. At the end of this presentation, a short advertisement will be shown to give you an idea of where we are going.Anne: Good job Mike. I hope your graphics are being put together by Bob. Mike: Of course they are, you know hes the best! Multiple Choice Comprehension Questions 1. Why does Mike want to speak to Anne? to practice his presentationto get her opinion on the new campaignto show her some pictures 2. Besides sales representatives, who will be attending the conference? marketing staffsome representatives from upper managementmachine workers 3. What is going to be completely changed? the surveysthe product linethe marketing approach 4. How many surveys were completed and returned to the company? 10,000100,0001,000,000 5. Who are the graphics going to be done by? MikeBobAnne Answer Key Answers are in  bold. 1. Why does Mike want to speak to Anne? to practice his presentationto get her opinion on the new campaignto show her some pictures 2. Besides sales representatives, who will be attending the conference? marketing staffsome representatives from upper managementmachine workers 3. What is going to be completely changed? the surveysthe product linethe marketing approach 4. How many surveys were completed and returned to the company? 10,000100,0001,000,000 5. Who are the graphics going to be done by? MikeBobAnne More Business Resources Business English for ESL LearnersSample Business MeetingHow to Write a Business Report for English  Learners

Advanced research methods - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Advanced research methods - Smart Custom Writing Functions of fleet managementThe function of fleet management is to enable organizations which depend on transportation in their operations to discard or reduce perils associated with motor investment, improving competency, productivity and minimize the long run expenses, and offering policies which are 100% government friendly among others (Crainic, p 10). Fleet management involves vehicles such as Lorries, tractors, cars, containers among others. It comes with a wide range of functions which includes maintenance, tracking and health management. A system of tracking, GPS (global positioning system), can be used to perform all these functions (Broida, p11). A recent study indicates that, commercially, the numbers of fleet units which are in offing in Europe are over one million (Crainic, p 12). This article attempts to define the possible on-going functions in fleet management. It will highlight the differences between the initial activities from on going functions in fleet managemen t. Finally, it will explain why the ongoing functions are needed (Crainic, p 13). The major function of fleet management it motor tracking system. Basically, this system uses global positioning system (Broida, p11). This particular system is so efficient that it can track a car in any place in different languages. This is one of the on going functions. Initially this was difficult because the GPS facility was not in the offing (Broida, p11). Another ongoing function is getting information by linking the motor with the global positioning system to get information for the user. When this is done, it assists in getting rate of fuel consumption and readings on the mileage. Initially, this was only possible physically and not through the computer (Dolce, p32). Fleet management has played a big role in getting information how the drivers are carrying themselves around. This has been made possible by integrating information from the tracking device and the computer. This is yet another on-going function by fleet management which initially was not possible (Dolce, p35). Another important function is the security. The security covers the car while at rest or while moving and it carefully disconnects the car while on the move. Through this, the fleet management has made it possible to recover any stolen car. The security is yet another development which was not there initially. This service is needed because it helps in reducing losses as far as the number of vehicles stolen is concerned (Broida, p23). Ship management is control of the ship while in water. This basically is done so as the fleet management can provide competent staff, offer maintenance and manage the daily operations. By doing this, the owner is given an opportunity to go book cargo. Initially, the whole responsibility was left in the hands of the owner. This type of arrangement is needed so as to ensure quality services are offered by the ships (Broida, p25). The device that disconnects vehicles using a remote is yet another function of fleet management. This facility does not allow the engine to work and therefore the car does not move (Crainic, p 22). The system is even able to alert the one driving the car that the disconnection is almost happening. The same system of disconnecting remote can be merged with danger remote so that in case of an urgent thing the driver can easily communicate thus the situation is addressed immediately (Crainic, p 22). Initially the remote had only the key responsibility of disconnecting the engine but it has been discovered it can be used to alert I case of emergency. This is needed because it can be used to reduce accidents on the road and in water (Crainic, p 23). In conclusion, fleet management has experienced what can be said to be a milestone if compared with its functions initially. The advancement of technology has made it possible for global positioning system to be discovered. This has seen the fleet management grow. Works cited: Crainic, T.G., Crainic, G. Fleet management and logistics New York: Springer, 1998 2-56 Dolce, J. Fleet management New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984 3-46 Broida, R. How to do everything with your GPS New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003 4-78

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Performance Management - Essay Example 1. Focus on Performing Best to Achieve Organizational Objectives Link between Individuals, Team and Organizational Objectives Every organization hires and employs individuals who possess different sets of skills and are expert in their respective fields. These individuals are provided training to understand and learn what is required from them to put in their respective jobs, so that the organizational goals and objectives can be achieved. The objectives of an individual are to put their best efforts in their work so that they can earn good and move up in organizational hierarchy. Team’s objectives are to work as a unit to achieve organization’s objectives whereas the organization’s objective is to maximize the stakeholder’s wealth by performing well. The objectives of an individual are linked to the objectives of team, as when the individual being a member of the team, performs well, it will put positive impact on the moral of the team. When each individu al in a team performs well, it will be easier to achieve the objectives of the team and consequently, the working relationship of individuals within a team will help the organization to achieve its objectives. Being a potential manager or a leader of team, I would focus on working with each individual in my team separately. In my opinion, it is essential for me to discuss work related issues and solutions with every individual of my team so that the team members can get motivated and work towards achieving the organizational objectives. Selection of Individual and Team Objectives Individual objectives are selected after the analysis of each individual’s personal competencies and skills, whereas the team objectives are selected after considering the nature of work that is required to be performed by the team. There are numerous reasons for setting different objectives for a team and individual to achieve. Bering on a managerial position, I would set different objectives for my team and the individuals who are member of my team. Considering the fact that organizational objectives becomes difficult to achieve due to the knowledge, skills and abilities that are required from a single person. Provided that I would select a team of diversified individual, it will provide me a chance to fill the gaps left by one individual, by utilizing the skills of other individual who have skill to fill that gap. Areas of Individual and Team Responsibility To achieve organization’s objectives, a manger must create a distinctive line between the responsibilities of team and the individuals within that team. If I were the manager, I would have based my leadership style prescribed by John Adair (Adair 2012). As proposed by Adair, an action centered leader will identify aims and vision of a group, gather resources, create a plan, allot responsibilities, set standards and control the flow of activities. Being a manager of a team, I would be responsible for establishing ob jectives and reaching to a point where my team members agree with my work method and than work towards achieving the objectives. On the other hand, being a manger for individuals in my team, I would assess personal skill, problems, highs and lows of every individual and than assort individual responsibilities accordingly. Need to Trust and Support An environment where every individual of a team have a right to speak and share ideas, develops self-confidence and intrinsic motivation among the individuals. As being a manager, I would pay especial consideration towards winning trust of my team and individua

Structure and Components of the Nervous System Essay

Structure and Components of the Nervous System - Essay Example The autonomic division is made up of motor neurons which connect skeletal muscles with the central nervous system, thereby coordinating and controlling functioning of various organs. The brain and spinal cord together control all body functions, behavior as well as body movements in coordination with the peripheral nervous system. The CNS and PNS are interdependent for effective functioning. Besides these, various parts in the brain are involved in memory-related activities because of which the brain is very important part as memory leads to cognition and human learning. The brain also aids in reasoning, thinking, recognizing and other cognitive activities (Carlson, 2011). Yet, the brain receives stimulus for memory from the sensory neurons of the PNS. The spinal cord’s function is to coordinate muscle movements and cause body or muscle reflexes to external and internal stimuli. All these functions are carried out through structures within each component that are highly comple x and are made up of nerve cells or neurons. Hence, the most important components of CNS are brain and spinal cord and that of PNS include sensory and motor neurons. References Carlson, N. (2011). Foundations of behavioral neuroscience (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.