International Business - Change Management Case Study

International Business - Change Management - Case Study Example It has won the following awards: the Northern Ireland Quality Award (twice); the Supreme Irish Quality Award; the parent company's overall quality award (four times); and the British Quality Award. With a turnover f around 258 million, it is among the top 10 companies in Northern Ireland, and is viewed as an exemplar by many local organizations. In addition, BTNI is one f the few companies in Ulster to have undertaken both TQM and large-scale BPR. The need for effective change management dates back to the mid-1980s when the parent company was privatized. Its former monopoly status and Civil Service ethos did little to equip the company to survive and prosper in a market-place which was changing at a rapid rate and becoming increasingly competitive. It quickly became apparent that a new culture, skills and value system were needed--the customer could no longer remain out f sight and out f mind'. Accordingly, this subsidiary, which with around 2600 employees is the smallest f the nine geographical zones' that together cover the whole f the UK, began its formal total quality journey in 1986. Senior management, with involvement from the corporate chief executive office, drew up the company's vision statement and quality policy, and its first cost f quality exercise was undertaken. This revealed that BTNI was overmanned, inefficient and expensive. Benchmarking exercises indicated that BT had approximately 10 times more staff than some f its major competitors. At this point the company could be described as being in crisis'. Its response to this crisis is interesting and informative. Response to crisis. Many writers believe that companies which regard themselves as being in crisis have no option but to re-engineer. It is also argued that the potential risks f BPR make it a last option for businesses, used only for company turnaround. Ryan (1994), for example, states that, in reality, crisis is the necessary trigger to push companies into such radical change. Talwar (1993) takes the opposite view, arguing that high-performing companies are more likely to undertake BPR. This is consistent with Bashein et al. (1994), who consider that re-engineering in a crisis may be inappropriate, as crisis can promote fear and even panic, neither f which is conducive to focused BPR. At BTNI, rather than immediately rushing into re-engineering, senior management developed a complex and long-term change strategy, key elements f which were BS 5750/ISO 9000 accreditation, total quality and, finally, process re-engineering. BTNI's improvement journey. Once the vision statement and quality policy were in place, a Quality Council was established to drive the company's improvement efforts. Figure 1, which maps the company's improvement journey, is revealing. As can be seen, early moves towards TQM in the mid-1980s proved less than successful, when compared with the rate f improvement achieved after BS 5750 accreditation. This was awarded for the company's maintenance operations in 1988/89 and for installation in 1991, followed by ISO 9001 accreditation for all parts f the company in 1993. BTNI's experience is consistent with

Business report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Business report - Essay Example Manufacturing only accentuates the packaging industry operations. Packaging is itself a wide and complex industry. It takes different forms. This is because products to be packaged are different. For this reason, you find that the industry is as diverse as the products to be packaged. Liquids cannot be packaged the same way solids like biscuits are packaged. The magnitude of the product to be packaged is also considered when it comes to packaging. As the cost of packaging trickles down to the cost of producing the entire product, then size is a key feature which if ignored it would result to unknown costing mistakes. This report presents a detailed business report on a plastic bottle manufacture. Bottling is a giant industry. Basically, many liquid processors have often opted for bottling to package their output. The convenience which comes with bottling lacks an equivalent. Plastic bottling is accommodative to many forms of liquids and hence many manufacturers result to it. Any investor who wants to invest in the most dynamic industry then needs to embrace plastic bottle packaging industry. It is a sector where the rate of return is high and risks involved are minimal. Actually it is the only industry which violates the principles of investment of the higher the risk the higher the profit. The report analyses possibility of entrance into the market. It gives details of the market analysis and its interpretations. All costs involved have been analyzed. These costs include the Fixed and variable costs. Budgeting is a key element in the financial management of any organization and this report includes a budgetary estimate which comes with production of these plastic bottles. The stocking aspects have been taken into account also to ensure that the best policy is adopted in the implementation of plastic bottles production. Production of these bottles call for technical inputs. This report presents a

Quality Services Improvement

Quality Services Improvement The Quality of Services in Emirates Airlines: The Challenges of Continuous Improvement Summary This study examines quality of services at Emirates Airlines and reflects on the associated market orientation. The study also examines challenges and avenues for continuous improvement. These inter-connected objectives shape three research questions that are addressed based on customer responses to a structured instrument. This instrument has its origins embedded in the wealth of developments in methodological aspects to do with service quality assessment. The ‘perception- expectation gap and the gap with respect to ‘service delivery are reviewed across a multitude of research studies that are pegged around the central conceptual feature of SERVQUAL. This concept is discussed in detail including instances of its use in examining the airline industry. A structured close ended questionnaire informs this study that uses data generated from 250 respondents. The study is limited in methodological rigor due to use of descriptive statistics alone but at the same time provides a rich narrative using the data that is often not possible unless results are very strongly skewed in the case on inferential statistics. The lack of robustness has arisen due to data gaps which the study acknowledges. Findings suggest that staff training on understanding the scope of service quality, and continuing with modernization and infrastructure upgrade- should be on top of the agenda at Emirates. The results also show that personalized attention provided to customers is a key selling point in why customers choose Emirates, but that there is lack of understanding related to proper customer relations management. Some conflicting results also tend to suggest that the dichotomy between customer expectations and perceptions is influenced by the relative offerings competitor airlines make. There is also a hint that short term resource impetuses like frequent flyer schemes do not do much to improve service quality perceptions. It is the long term embedded development of staff capabilities and understanding about the holistic nature of service quality that may prove to be ‘the competency for sustained competitive advantage. The study posits a need for further research in developing comparabl e service quality metrics across international airlines that are available only in the US at present (AQR), and also a need for comparative case studies in the industry to inform globalization intentions. Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1. Background Emirates airlines is one of the largest and probably the most consistently profitable airlines of recent times. Since its inception in 1985 it has grown astronomically and in the last couple of years it has embarked upon a fleet upgrade and expansion that dwarfs other major airlines. It sailed through the 9/11 related downturn in aviation business, and the disturbance in the gulf to become an airlines whose success formula mystifies management wisdom. Off the cuff solutions to issues and problems as they arise seems to have worked exceedingly well for the airline. The airline claims to have an open culture and an open agenda where the need of privacy does not subsume the need to deliver from individual competencies under what can be termed a ‘fluid strategy process (Sull et al, 2006). The focus on fine issues and macro aspects alike are shared across all management levels comprising a multi-cultural workforce like no other airline. The company is used to making leaps whether it is by using the recognition from airline of the year award in 1994 to establish itself among the giants, to the massive fleet expansion in 2004-2005- to become the envy of even the giants. Surviving the 9/11 depression clearly points to the merits in Emirates approach. The key issue seems in operating as a family, where when other airlines were downsizing and cutting staff, Emirates kept status quo on these fronts and communicated a feeling of belonging in its staff. This was the crucial lever that kept Emirates going- and in fact even prosper in times that were so trying for the industry. As Carlzon (1989) notes in his aft cited work ‘Moments of Truth this is flattening of structure in the true sense so that messages get across quickly and effectively makes for a â€Å"powerful organisation that serves customers better and unleashes the energy in employees†. However, putting both these together to fine tune the market orie ntation through service quality is a challenge especially in times of growth and high momentum in external factors affecting the industry. Other beliefs at Emirates like around the prosperity of Dubai that it keeps as the nerve centre of its network, and keeping a rather conservative outlook towards alliancing with other airlines are not conventional. These shape a flexible core around which other attitudinal and behavioral aspects of the business model emerge. This emergence has often been punctuated with imposed or deliberated change this study takes place at a time of deliberated change that of rapid expansion of Emirates airlines across the globe (Leckic, 2007). The openness also transcends into the beliefs the airline has. The airline now seeks to grow more aggressively and reduce overt centering on Dubai. Creating a global brand based on current success is on the agenda. The airline realizes that reputations in a service industry are leveraged around service quality. In this light as it stretches out to routing across the globe and hiring more staff and acquiring physical infrastructure, that service quality does not get compromised remains a concern close to heart (Sull et al, 2006; Byles, 2007, Leckic, 2007; Sending 2008). 1.2. Motivation The international airline industry has seen a struggle to deliver profitability alongside ‘truly satisfying the flying public (Van Pham and Simpson, 2000). The alliancing arrangements, route mapping and offering packaged services through such alliances have tried to affect industry standards of service quality- which may not be the true reflection of customer expectations. The perception of customers about what is central to service quality vis-à  -vis the state of affairs in crucial for informing service quality initiatives and the market orientation of a firm. Needless to say given the dynamic nature of offerings that exist across industries including the airline industry, such expectation-perception balances are continuously shifting, and are even more fast moving for an airline that is growing rapidly and encountering new customers around the globe. The challenge also thus extends to one of continuous improvement (Emirates, 2005-2007). Given the success of Emirates and its unprecedented growth and plans for growth, it is clear that customer perceptions will be central to deciding performance in the future. In times of growth and expansion to new routes the probability of variation in service quality levels and variation in customer expectations is likely to be higher. How the airline can absorb such feedback to modify and fine tune its strategic marketing in the global environment is intriguing for managers, academics, and the wider industry -all having been amazed at the Emirates story so far. This study examines customer perceptions about service quality and relates it with market orientation to ponder over the way forward for Emirates, clearly something very central to research and practitioner interests in Emirates. The recommendations may also have some food for thought for the airline itself as it seeks continuous improvements for a story that is already a bestseller. From a methodological perspective the use of service quality assessment approaches like the SERVQUAL and its interface with the market orientation of the company has been a motivation (Webb, 2000; Engelland, 1998; Devlin et al; 2002; Van Pham and Simpson, 2006). That these have informed the airline industry among others on service quality, customer and market orientation among others make this research founded on robust theoretical and methodological grounds. 1.3. Research Questions This dissertation seeks to examine service quality at emirates, and examine the way forward as the airline seeks to market its image in times of rapid investment and growth. The first builds upon the second as it is service quality perceptions as customer views that need to be the focus when shaping marketing strategies. This is in particular for a business model that is well resourced as in the case of Emirates and the main concern seems to be of monitoring and improving customer uptake of service quality as the airline grows. This is to be contextualized with the market orientation of the company so far for shaping key initiatives that can augment the alignment between customer perceptions of service with their expectations of the same. Thus three central questions that inform this dissertation are: What factors affect service quality perceptions about Emirates airlines? What factors are perceived to be central in informing continuous service quality improvement initiatives? How do these perceptions associate with the market orientation of the airline from past initiatives? 1.4. Dissertation Outline The dissertation starts with an introduction to the context, scope and potential contributions from this study as here. The next chapter examines the literature in detail examining the concept of quality before leading on to the idea of service quality and research to develop methodological and conceptual paradigms around it. The idea of market orientation as a complement and associated aspect is also dwelled upon before closing the literature review that also uses research evidence across industries including the airline industry. The hypotheses development chapter links the research questions to the backdrop of service quality drawing upon the research site of the airline industry and the conceptual orientation from the literature review. The Hypotheses are aligned closely with a structured instrument that is discussed in the approach and methodology chapter. The approach and methodology chapter also provides for a rationale for selection of methodology, issues in conducting the study, limitations, and a time plan based narrative of how the study has been conducted. The sample profile, data and methods in analyses description here is carried forward in the findings chapter where results associated with each of the hypotheses are presented. A discussion chapter connects the results for a further discussion on implications and then leads on to conclusions. Here the recommendations are once again highlighted as study deliverables under each of the research questions. This is followed by a discussion on study li mitations that include revisiting methodological limitations discussed before. The final chapter closes by some focused suggestions about future research in the area of service quality that are argued to be of much use for the industry and for globally expanding firms like the Emirates Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This comprehensive literature review builds up the agenda of examining service quality in extant literature by starting off in the realm of Quality itself. In discussing TQM and consumer expectations it opens up a window to start examining the specialized concept of service quality. This concept is discussed in all its nuances especially around SERVQUAL definite leap both conceptually and methodologically in this area. This is linked up with the idea of market orientation to extract a conceptual backdrop relevant to the investigation under this study. The use of extant research both in the airline industry and in other industries provides for resources to adapt the concept of ‘gaps and dichotomy between service expectations and perceptions to shape hypotheses and instrument to collect data for this study. 2.2 The concept of Quality Quality has always concerned the societal intent of consumption. The reasons are fairly colloquial at one level where lack of quality can result in insufficient and unsatisfactory delivery of requirements from a product or service. At another level given the growing complexity of the business processes over the last century quality has evolved into a discipline characterized by an equally intertwined interface between control, assurance, and management in general (Dooley, 2006). Broadly speaking in the business context quality is the ‘perception of the ability of a product to satisfy its users. By extension it also applies to the processes and management of the processes that shape the product. However, the satisfying paradigm underpinning quality has multiple manifestations: â€Å"conformance†, â€Å"fitness for use†, â€Å"basic minimum requirements vs. attractiveness†, and as a matter of â€Å"interest and individual disposition† to name a few (e.g. Juran, 1945; Pirsig, 1974; Corsby, 1981; Kano, 1984; Reeves and Bednar, 1994). The definition of quality is rather difficult to come by because of the sheer nature of its wide applicability and strands of origin- ranging from the practical business origins to metaphysical origins. The American Society for Quality aptly captures this subjectivity in understanding quality by stating it as †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"a subjective term for which each person has their own definition† (Wade, 2005; ASQ, 2007). Quality management is made up of two complementary aspects one is quality assurance and the other is quality control. The former is about ensuring a basic minimum standard through upfront production process design. The latter is about reviewing and monitoring output to wean out the ‘defectives. Assurance is thus inherently preventive and control is mainly curative in a functional sense (Gunter, 1998). Irrespective of the disparate origins, quality management can be safely said to be largely associated with the idea of excellence. A range of concepts and their operationalisation stem from this broader view of quality and mark the growth in research and practice of quality management. Six Sigma, Quality Circles, and Total Quality Management- are but a few from amongst numerous such frames of reference (dti, 2007). The idea of quality at the advent of the century had been around as a selection paradigm- accepting the superior and rejecting the inferior and biased towards ‘control at best- most of the time the evaluation came from the end user. Along the business value chain as production became large scale after the 1st World War- quality assurance procedures started becoming formalized. It was not only the ‘end of the road customer assessment but also a series of filters ensuring only the better quality output being delivered to the customer made control and assurance an important in house practice . The inspection oriented quality control schema had its problems mainly in terms of competent individuals that could ensure monitoring despite not being the ‘know all skill set champions. Formalized roles of inspection and quality manager thus emerged and along side assurance models provided a great lift to quality management as a capability. Generic tools for quality management l ike the control chart emerged in the 1920s and statistical process control matured towards the middle of the century. The revival of the manufacturing of war torn Japan on mature principals of quality control and management finally brought quality management into the forefront. By the end of 1970s it was a global pre-occupation with everyone trying to imitate the success of Japanese low cost and high quality products (dti, 2007; Dooley, 2006). When the word total quality came to the fore in 1970s and finally pinned quality management as a fundamental capability that ran through the organization. The Wests take on quality management was more about ‘standards than ‘culturalisation-but based around the same operational frameworks as in Japan. These gave rise to national standards in response to the need to have a quality association with the national economy as a whole. At the business level quality is now a key management responsibility and a functional paradigm that has continuous improvement at its very heart (Gitlow et al., 1989). Aside from the generalized profile of emergence of quality management above there are a few key landmarks that need to be noted. The first is probably the statistical developments in the 20s and 30s and the emergence of concepts related to probability of acceptance, risk, tolerance levels, and sampling aspects (Shewart, 1931; Dodge and Romig, 1959) establishment of standards and societies also marked the 1930s and 40s (Hutchins, 1995; Dooley, 2006). Industrial production was never under as much pressure as in the II world War. While quality assurance could not keep up with the pressure control came to the forefront to ensure acceptable working products. The maturing of the statistical processes and standards in this regard was a key development. The large scale transmission of these standards to the then military suppliers ensured that the War provided an acceleration to the diffusion of quality management standards and systems (Dooley, 2006; Grant and Lang, 1991). With the end of the war in the formative phase of reconstruction quality was again given a ‘less rushed attention. The role of top management, the interface between organisation wide processes, among others found attention. Total quality control came to the fore as a holistic concept with a stage gate approach right from design to delivery to consumer (Fiegenbaum, 1951, 1957, 1961). As mentioned, the post war Japanese revival is a key factor in development of quality management. Over the 1950s and 1960s the ideas of cultaration of quality with pride in workmanship, top management support, liberalized communication and quality circles took hold stemming from Japanese success. The good practice concepts like quality circles emerged as competencies that were tightly woven into the culture of business unique to Japan and required some effort when it came to imitation by the west (Koyangi, 1964; Deming, 1967; Juran, 1967). Quality became integral to organisational behaviour, goals, and associated personnel development. 2.3 Total Quality Management, Consumer Expectations and Continuous Improvement The coining of ‘Total Quality Management (TQM), encapsulates this coming of age of quality management as an indispensable competency in the competitive arena that is augmented by increasing customer expectations (Deming, 1986; Anderson et al., 1994; Akers; 1991; Stratton, 1990). The main characteristics-changes and developments though numerous can be safely said to be around making quality: -a responsibility for everyone, -a necessity rather than a differentiator, relate better to services and information, and ever increasing set of non-manufacturing industries. relate to best practices, dissemination and learning -recognized a key function and accordingly resourced in organizations reinforce the primacy of the customer (Green and Welsh, 1988; Marquardt, 1991; Dooley, 2006) As TQM goes from strength to strength the balance between assurance, control, and the new fangled third strand learning is becoming vital given the dynamic nature and complex requirements that are associated with quality (Green and Welsh, 1988). The standardized tools need to be customized for organisational applications with a sense to create the competitive edge-because the omnipresent paradigm itself is tending to defeat the objective to seeking the competitive edge through quality (Dean and Bowen, 1994). Context specificity or in other customization of model and tools is the call of the day for research and practice alike The generic nature however needs to be preserved in the background given wider economic and societal association of quality management. For instance, as new frontiers like e-commerce open a fertile bed of quality concepts and models will be very valuable for learning and adaptation to the economic and social context (Doty et al., 1993; Dooley, 2006). . However, having an adaptable bed for quality management across diverse industries to draw from is not sufficient. The societal realties have also undergone transition quality needs to broaden its founding grounds to reflect on new aspects like information management and the virtual realm where quality may have to question its own foundations that are deeply rooted in manufacturing. The successful adaptation to non-manufacturing i.e. services however, is evidence of the emergent nature of quality management that can take on fresh challenges that include alignment to ever changing marketing and consumer orientation needs. 2.4 Service Quality Service quality is a subjective concept that remains challenging to define and to measure (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). This associates itself and can be understood as the application of total quality in the service sector in the main and also implying the service function in frontline delivery of product in other industries. The understanding of service quality has been synthesized from extant literature by Jennifer Rowley (1998). In her work it is seen as a â€Å"perception judgment from a comparison of what they feel service organizations should offer and the performance of the organisation offering the services†. There is no dearth of definitions that try to pack in comprehensiveness to this abstract concept. For instance, Hedvall and Paltschik (1989) refer to ‘willingness and ability to serve with a mention of ‘access, Lehtinen and Lehtinen(1982) view service quality in a three-dimensional space that looks at ‘interactive, physical and corporate quality fac ets. Furthermore Gronroos (1984) simplifies the idea by seeing service quality as shaped by ‘technical and functional aspects of quality (Rowley ,1988). The link between service and performance and by extension satisfying the customer is challenging because services have a unique combination of characteristics. The first of these combinations is their intangibility- causing issues in measurement as they are a function of the ‘experience of the customer. The next is their perish ability -meaning that they cannot delivered from existing stock and thus lending a dynamic nature to service delivery that is difficult to condition. The third is inseparability between production and consumption of service and the last is heterogeneity or customizability as each end user receives a different level-nature of service partly owing to individualized perceptions that are involved in assessment (Zeithaml et al., 1985; Rowley, 1998; Engelland, 1998; Webb, 2000;; Devlin et al; 2002). The need is thus to work on ‘perceptions to assess quality given the cognitive frame of reference that dominates the characteristics of service. The associated requirement is to be able to classify services so as to peg a cognitive frame on a type of service. Such an attempt has provided for groupings within the service industry as a starting point to deliver customized measurement models (Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). The influences on consumer expectations have also been classified to augment such efforts (Gronroos,1994) . While the seminal work towards generic developments like SERVQUAL (Parasuram et al., 1988), provide founding grounds to service quality measurement- literature sees several issues in the applicability of this generic framework. This also relates to the inclusion exclusion and reconfiguration of the understanding of service attributes and the industry categories discussed before (e.g. Sasser, 1978; Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). A critical perspective on SERVQUAL comes later but upfront it is of essence is to recognize the importance and complexity in measurement given the sheer abstractness of the idea of service and its quality. The customization of measurement efforts and models in light of different service industry groups has been key to efforts at improving measurement (Dotchin and Oakland, 1994). In SERVQUAL the conceptualization of satisfaction has been found to be too simplistic and the multiplicity of the ‘total experience is arguably not captured this is in addition to the non-customized generic nature of the SERVQUAL. A longitudinal and sometimes phenomenological analysis is suggested to capture these nuanced but important characteristics of service quality (Singh, 1991; Rowley, 1994). However, the difficult in devising a comprehensive tool still disposes wider practice of measurement to simplistic methods. Important adjustments and realizations like the use of ‘importance and satisfaction grid (Harvey, 1995) provide a very useful feedback and prioritization. For instance, high importance and poor satisfaction is a combination that merits urgent management attention. Another important variable in the service quality metric that needs to be accounted for is the nature of the contract. Again this is because of the attribute of ‘psychological contracts that is unique in nature to services (Thornrow, 1998). This has found particular appeal in measurement related to provision of public services. Having formal, informal and psychological components in service contracts provide a platform for balancing expectations and perceptions. These are otherwise very difficult to manage given the basic characteristics of service discussed at the onset of this section. Finally the perceptual plane needs to be also looked at with a balance though by classical definition the perception of the customer is the defining feature of quality-for service quality in particular the perception of the provider and the resultant psychological interface is also key to the metric. The role of customers is also not to be taken uni-dimensionally. There are different stakeholde r brackets eg. users, influencers, deciders, approvers that associate with a service category and also vary in their significance (Rowley, 1988). These influence the generic satisfaction and associated performance variable. Given this multiplicity and the psychologically complex nature of interactions, the ‘relationship exchange process (Morgan and Hunt, 1994) is key to providing some cognitive stability to overtime service quality measurement. It is also a suitable conduit to ensure that feedback is smoothly translated into strategic action for improvement. Such relationships can be supported by associating service with some ‘bonds (Chu and Lin, 2004). For instance, providing unique services, incentives, and even building social ties between provider and customer. However, on the other hand, the impact of such relationships on service quality needs to be moderated for a reliable assessment. They provide grounds for stabilizing the psychological map to better associate performance and expectations but at the same time bias it. 2.5 Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality Perceptions Broadly speaking customer satisfaction is a performance indicator of the extent to which a firm has managed to meet customer expectations through its business deliverables. Having formed the foundation of the marketing concept for nearly half a century the attempts at harnessing the good practices and measurement approaches is a much explored realm when it comes to customer satisfaction (e.g. Drucker, 1954; Levitt 1960; Gronroos, 1990). Over the last few years customer satisfaction has received a reinvigorated interest. Possible reasons for this have been seen as the after effects of a maturing TQM paradigm that is linked with several recognition awards, and also, arrival of national customer satisfaction barometers (Garvin, 1991; Johnson et al., 2001; Helgesen, 2006) The associated concept of customer relationship orientation is posits a strong link between customer loyalty and profitability with customer satisfaction (Zeithaml, 1988; Oliver, 1996). While customer loyalty has been referred to as central to ‘competitive advantage (Porter, 1985; Chao, et al., 2007)- this is delivered through customer -satisfaction. This is the basic rationalization behind customer satisfaction being so central to both short term and long term performance assessment. That the ‘ultimate aim of any firm is to achieve customer satisfaction remains the central thesis of market orientation (Levitt, 1960). Customer orientation seeks to align â€Å"organizational values, beliefs, assumptions and premises† to deliver a mutually enabling relationship between the customer and the firm (Day, 1994; Strong and Harris, 2004). Strong and Harris ( 2004), define a set of tactics that can deliver customer orientation. They define three sets of tactics. The first define relational tactics (essentially relationship marketing) that engages a nurturing philosophy for long run gains. The second tactic as human resource tactic is more about the direct interface with frontline of the customer and rest of the organisation -essentially empowering the front line through training and support to reap rewards of realized quality of experience of the customer. The final tactic relates to procedural aspects that routinise and systemize customer care and support systems. The study posits that there is a strong interaction and dependency between the three tactics. This key work that examines customer satisfaction and its manifestations under the customer orientation paradigm shares ground with some key extant literature (Narver and Slater, 1990) However, other studies tend to put one set of such aspects though differently labeled as more important than the others. For instance, Chao et al. (2007) say that while satisfaction remains an abstract idea sometime there is an overt component of interpersonal relationship building that because of over emphasis- instead of complementing customer orientation tends wean resources away from conditioning deliverables to meet consumer expectations. Research suggests that such a lopsided drive is ill-found in the long run While relationship marketing remains important it has to be pegged on consumer satisfaction from products and services for sustainability (Chao et al., 2007). Businesses need to focus attention on relationship building. This however has to be conditioned for long run profitability. Customer satisfaction through meeting expectations from goods, transaction services and pure services, and a sustained follow up and support culture has to be the basis for relationship building. For instance, financial incentives/offers are likely to be ineffective and short lived if quality is undermined. As most of the research in customer orientation gets focused on relationship building this is an important consideration to use as a moderator. Value to the customer can never be undermined for seeking short term profitability. This is because such profitability is not suitably tied in with satisfaction which in turn guides customer loyalty. Views to the contrary also exist mainly from some practitioners. Bruce Clapp (2007) of the Carlson marketing group says that â€Å"relationship strength is more important than satisfaction as a true indicator of loyalty. Customizing the experience of our customers, in-branch and in home, impacts the strength of relationship as it builds. In the experience, ensuring our message is relevant requires that we be closer to our customer. The communication we use, whether direct mail, e-mail or in person, must be tailored to the needs of the customer at an individual level. The term mass customization has gained ground as we look for ways to become partners with our customers and be there when they have a financial nee

Raising the Driving Age 18 :: essays research papers

Raising the Driving Age to 18   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Changing the driving age is unreasonable I think. I am not saying that there is good in changing it. I am just saying that it isn't the best way to go. It gives teens freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think it's unreasonable because some sixteen-year-olds are responsible and can handle themselves. I think that there are crazies in every age when it comes to driving. I see so many middle aged and older people driving like mad people. They act as if nothing bad can happen to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also believe that there is really no difference in an eighteen-year-old and a sixteen-year-old when it comes to driving. I am not saying that they aren't maturer. I am basically saying that a twelve-year-old can be a good driver. Changing it from sixteen to eighteen is not a drastic step. Maybe changing it to like twenty is different, but not eighteen. Most sixteen when they drive start out driving all right. When they get to seventeen and eighteen they may drive a little crazier but mostly they don’t change   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also believe that teens being able to drive help them be more respectful people. I think that most of the people that get their driving license are responsible. I mean there are some bad apples, but every kid is not a bad apple. Having cars also keeps teens from hanging around places. If you have a car you don’t have to walk everywhere or bum a ride from your friends mom or your mom. It gives you a feel of confidence knowing that you can drive.

Is Foreign Aid Is Blessing Or Curse?

Since the time of independence Pakistan has been facing macroeconomic exertions, such as vicious circle of poverty, less utilization of available natural resources, unfavorable political circumstances that influenced domestic economy and so on. To seize the deficiency, Pakistan has had to depend greatly on financial assistance made by distant countries. Pakistan has been seeking aid since 1947 from global lenders including International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank.This financial aid poured mostly in the form of loans or debts with high interest rates. Focal of such assistance is the socio-economic development of the country. Financial assistance once taken as a blessing, appeared as to remove all the dearth of the economy. Resultantly many of the sectors started nourishing at par. Pakistan commenced its way towards developing nation but 2005s earthquake ruined Pakistan leaving its awful economy further worsen.Though foreign aid showered in the cou ntry but, in fact, it directly went to the bank accounts of few effluents and hence with the passage of time, it proved that foreign aid has become a curse instead of becoming blessing, not only perished the confidence of local people but corrupted more government officials. All the authorities here are now seeking more and more aid rather than to rely on their own available resources. Pakistan has already borrowed too much foreign aid in the form of loans and is still borrowing that has reached the historic over $60 billion.Debt burden is continuously increasing so its interest rates that worth more than the debt itself. Now the economic position is so deteriorated that for the payment of interest, Pakistan tries to get more loans. Pakistan has become now an aid addict and does not make policies to develop their economy with their own domestic resources. Officials do not pay attention for the development of the technology. They just become entirely dependent on others. Major portio n of aid particularly commodity aid is misappropriated by the concerned Government officials.Moreover, when aid is in terms of commodity such as wheat etc, which many times is provided at a very nominal price, discourages local production of that commodity because of higher cost of production within the country. This situation discourages local agricultural production. If donor country has assisted in establishing imported substitution industry then raw material for the industry will have to be imported from loan given country otherwise industry will not continue its production because particular raw material is not available locally.This causes heavy foreign exchange burden on economy. Pakistan is obtaining foreign aid for bridging gap between domestic savings and investment and also to improve balance of payments position but till now it has not been able to accomplish this task, rather both gaps are continuously increasing. Sometimes aid giving countries interfere in the defense and foreign affairs of Pakistan. That’s why it is said that there are always political strings attached to the bilateral loans. Thus this is to be reveal here that all aid is not for economic rationales but also political.Most of the politicians misallocate the aid for its appropriate concern so to raise their pay, power and prestige. Thus aid is also promoting greed and selfishness among the leaders of the realm. Pakistan was accessed as an independent nation but Pakistan is now fully dependent on the aid drug to eradicate all the absences. As soon as a new government takes office it is out to woe the US for aid, begs from the Saudis for a few crumbs and looks to countries like China for handouts. This must stop.To achieve self-respect and start to improve the lives of the impoverished masses the country needs corrective surgery. The starting point should be adopting a culture of austerity and simplicity. The President, Prime Minister, Army Chief and Chief Justice should be given homes and protocol of ordinary citizens. The vestiges of colonial days, the pomp of office must go. Leaders must present themselves as a role model of modesty rather to complex the masses by their luxurious stuff.One has only to look across the border that how people present themselves in public in simple clothes, sans jewels and accessories, where ministers don’t drive in flashy imported vehicles if a role model is needed. The next step is to generate resources by taxing all. The first step should be agriculture. There is no more favorable time than now. In the past 3 to 4 years produce price including cotton have witnesses a runaway increase and most farmers have had their incomes increase by over 400 percent in three years. Income tax is a failure in Pakistan however consumption tax can be promoted.All students going abroad for study should be required to get an NOC which would require their parents to explain the source of funds. All property purchase, vehicle purch ase and airline ticket purchase should require an NTN number. Put in place consumption taxes. For examples vehicles over 1000 cc should progressively be taxed. Measures such as the above would document the economy and bring more of the black economy into the main stream. With a corrupt bureaucracy, political elite and military this may virtually impossible. So a revolution is needed to unshackle Pakistan.

First aid impotance

Here are eight reasons you should take Child CPR and First Aid: 1 . There are differences between Infant CPR and Child CPR, including: hand placement; the technique for compressions; how deep to push; the technique to give a breath. 2. Practice matters! We know from science that the retention of CPR skills is at best 6 months without review, and a change in skills complicates the issue. The American Heart Association recommends everyone should take a CPR class every two years; but f you only took Infant CPR, you haven't yet learned what to do on a child older than one. . Your toddler is mobile. This developmental fact changes a lot! Injuries are now more common. And since a toddler is still gaining a sense of balance and his head is still heavy, the majority of falls in a toddler impact the head and face. Would you know what to do? 4. First Aid is used on a weekly, if not daily, basis for most toddlers! Think of everything your toddler gets into these days. Theyre more ndependent, ex ploring their world, and testing limits.We'll discuss how to make their environment safer. Prevention is key. 5. Choking is more common. Young children, ages 1-5 are at a higher risk for choking since they are now eating new foods, and are also more likely to try to run while eating or not properly chew their food. The choke-saving skills are different for children than infants, so again that hands-on practice is important! 6. A chance to share experiences. In almost everyChild CPR and First Aid class, there are a few people who have already been to the ER with their toddler or called their pediatrician with concerns over an injury. Learn from other parents! 7. This class is for ALL caregivers. Anyone who cares for your toddler needs to have this knowledge. Nannies, grandparents, parents. 8. You'll have the skills to save a life. I saved my daughter's life. As an American Heart Association instructor, as the Program Manager for CPR and Safety at Isis, and most importantly as a paren t, I want you to have these skills, too.

The Middle Ages Essays - Legal History, Trial By Ordeal, Free Essays

The Middle Ages Essays - Legal History, Trial By Ordeal, Free Essays The Middle Ages During the English middle ages law often took on the form of an ordeal. An ordeal is a method of trial in which the accused was given a physical test that could only be met successfully if he or she was "innocent" in the eyes of God. I will discuss specifically three types of ordeals that were commonly used. I Ordeal of White Hot Iron This ordeal was used to test a person?s honesty. If a person was accused of lying to an official pertaining to a crime supposedly committed, then the individual would be given a choice. If the accused held the white hot iron and did not get burned by it then he was innocent. If the accused held the iron and was burned then he was considered to be guilty and then punished according to the law. The accused would also be held as guilty if he chose not to undertake the ordeal at all. II Ordeal of Fire This ordeal was the only ordeal administered to women accused of cheating on their husbands. The suspected woman, dressed in white cloth, was made to walk through fire. If the clothing singed or turned black, then she was guilty and faced punishment. III Trial by Combat Of all medieval ordeals, this one may be considered the most fatal. To settle a dispute in this manner the plaintiff and the defendant would agree to wage a combat with each other until the death. Armor, if allowed would be scanty and only a sword or dagger would be used. Often the event would be conducted in a public meeting place such as the town square. This led to the entertainment aspect of the ordeal. The townsfolk would often demand one arm tied behind the back or have weights tied around each leg to contribute to the fun of spectatorship. While these methods of trial may seem unjust or even cruel by today?s standard they were widely accepted by the people on the basis on religious beliefs that God would reign as the supreme judge over the matter. However, rarely did one ever walk away from ordeal by white hot iron with an unblemished hand. And very few times did the "David" slay the "Goliath" in trial by combat. Yet the townsfolk continued to support these events, even after the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 outlawed clerics to take part in the trials. The ordeals lasted unofficially until the early nineteenth century.

Soylent Green Essays

Soylent Green Essays Soylent Green Paper Soylent Green Paper While the subject matter and the world of the story present in Soylent Green is thoroughly fantastic, the themes of the film are far from removed from reality. To a great degree, that is the irony of great science fiction: even if a setting is incredibly far more removed from reality, the film can still provide a unique and realistic point of view into the current world that we live. In Soylent Green, the population of the world has exploded so much that in order to feed the population the government is rationing a product called â€Å"soylent green† to feed the masses. At the conclusion of the film, the audience learns, as Charlton Heston famously espoused, â€Å"Soylent Green is people!† If anything, what the film presents is the notion that all actions have reactions and consequences. The problem of an overcrowded and overpopulated world will have dramatic problems inherent with such an environment and may require drastic steps to correct. In the case of the film, the drastic steps required involve a complete removal from humanity and morality in order to solve the greater problem. The message the film leaves us with today is the warning that if we over-consume in an extreme degree and avoid taking the necessary actions of proper conservation, it may lead to great problems down the road that may not have any easy solutions. The concept of ‘cannibalism’ becomes symbolic of how society consumes itself when it centers on greed and self-indulgence to the point of excess. As such, Soylent Green becomes a cautionary tale that parallels our own environmental over-consumption that has slowly grown to epically problematic proportions in recent years.

How to Use i.e. and e.g. Correctly in Business Writing

How to Use i.e. and e.g. Correctly in Business Writing A client in a business writing course asked if the abbreviations i.e. and e.g. were interchangeable. They are not. Each has a specific meaning and use. Example: There are standard abbreviations to use when writing a business document (e.g., an email, memo, or text message) and you need to add clarifying information (i.e., grammar rules and tips): i.e. is the customary abbreviation for "that is." It is derived from the Latin term "id est." e.g. is the customary abbreviation for "for example." It is derived from the Latin phrase "exempli gratia." (So I don't have to worry about remembering the Latin derivations, I simply remember that example and e.g. both start with the letter e. E=example=e.g. Therefore, examples use e.g. while clarifications use i.e.) hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(41482, 'bf4ee473-8e6b-46bf-b9e3-368d74d60b44', {}); e.g. in a sentence: The marketing team will require only the basic presentation materials for the Atlanta trip (e.g., Product Benefits PowerPoint, Competitor Comparison Checklist). Be sure everyone receives full travel itineraries by tomorrow. i.e. in a sentence: We eliminated the Alexa shoe from our upcoming catalog after customer complaints alerted us of quality issues (i.e., the red ink was not colorfast). When you meet with department store managers, I recommend substituting the similar Daniella shoe. CLARIFICATIONS Only use these abbreviated forms e.g. and i.e. in more informal or expedient documents. It is always correct to simply write out, "for example," or "that is." Since these are abbreviations, they do require a period after each letter. All but one main style guide recommends a comma after use: i.e., and e.g., If you are looking for more tips and tricks check out our full list of business writing tips.

Portrayal of vampires in cult tv Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portrayal of vampires in cult tv - Dissertation Example End Notes Introduction Vampires have haunted the pages of history since times immemorial; in most cultures around the world, there has been a confluence of these creatures and people have created a sense of fear and associated these mythical wonders with a sense of peril. But what are they? Vampires have been described as â€Å"blood sucking ghosts or souls of dead people superstitiously believed to come from the grave and wander about by night, sucking the blood of those that sleep and thus, causing their untimely death.† (Easton, 2009). Many people correlate vampires with bats; they say that during the day bats hang asleep and at night time, they come alive in the form of these blood sucking creatures. People have instilled in themselves a sense of dread and terror because of the idea of a vampire. They have believed that these creatures should not be allowed to live. Most legends suggest killings of vampires to eradicate them from the face of the planet, because they Ã¢â‚¬Ë œdo not belong’. However, in the 21st century, today, people have come to terms with the fact that vampires do not exist (Sklar, Rachel). Most people do not believe in the supernatural and idea of immortality in this day and age of fast communication, information and technology. Even then, the idea of maybe having such creatures around and existing excites a vast amount of the population of the world. As seen with time, the most popular form of entertainment has usually been in the form of fiction or letting people think about what ‘might’ exist. Thus, much the same way, vampires have been popularised today through television, books and movies. People crave an understanding of things that have not yet been explained by scientists or do not have reason. Staying alive eternally, having super powers to carry out tasks etc are things that human beings get thrilled with because they are not able to do so. It is because of an endless thirst of curiosity that people wan t to know more and more and try and delve into the unknown. It is because of the same reason that today, people are eager to know about vampires and whether or not they do exist in real life. People often wonder, ‘what if there is a vampire amongst me and all the people I interact with?’ Scary and exciting as it may be, all this has led to the creation of very popular vampire cult television; series that depict forms of vampires, interacting with normal human beings on a daily basis, doing everything they do - and a little more. From Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, these immortal beings have been reflected over the years with dramatic changes in their characteristics and surroundings. In television most of the current â€Å"Vampire Series† have achieved a â€Å"cult† status. As Roberta Pearson (2010) explains â€Å"As a quick google will show, the term â€Å"cult television† flourishes beyond the confines of acade mia in the virtual world and, by implication, in the â€Å"real† world.† The word â€Å"cult† depicts a religious group that is devoted to, or even obsessive about what they believe in. The term â€Å"Cult Television† is somewhat close to this. It is a term gained for a show that has an obsessive or even extreme following; a show that might not have been appreciated when it was first broadcast and is a step away from the mainstream. â€Å"There is no single quality that characterizes a cult text; rather, cult texts are defined through a process in which shows are positioned

Using the media 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Using the media 6 - Assignment Example In order to influence public opinion and as a nurse, I would use the media to apply pressure and advance the public policy issue. This would serve as a way of marshaling the constituents. Additionally, in order to communicate the public policy issue through the media, the message to be conveyed would need to be framed to make the information understandable by the public (Mason et al., 2011). The media can also be ineffective if the messages are conveyed to the wrong target group. It is at this point that I would determine the target group or audience for the communication. The social networking media can be effective means of communicating the public policy issue. A message passed through any of the social media sites and websites such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs can be weighty (Anderson & Puckrin, 2011). Therefore, it would be effective to have a post in all social networking websites and blogs on the current state of the policy issue, and an expounded state of the policy issue a nd comments of a policy maker in an opinion editorial. However, although social networking websites may be helpful in conveying useful information, there are numerous concerns that need to be considered (Miller, 2011). These include privacy and confidentiality of information. Patient confidentiality and privacy is an essential issue that continues to be violated by social media users (Anderson & Puckrin, 2011). It would be ethically and professionally wrong for a nurse to expose patient information without their

How To Resolve The Conflict Through The Executive's Intervention Essay

How To Resolve The Conflict Through The Executive's Intervention - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that hostile environment in a workplace is inevitable and it naturally happens in any business enterprise all over the world. Employees should not veer away from these dilemmas but instead, they should be able to determine the origin of the conflicts, identify the effects, and pinpoint the typology. Learning how to manage the interaction accordingly will be critical for the improvement of the working environment inside the enterprise. According to Bergman and Moore, a deposition can normally consist of a lawyer or a self-representing individual that asks the deponent with questions. It may seem informal in its sense since it is conducted within the premises of the enterprise, such as conference rooms with the absence of a judge. However, the deposition should be considered with an equal amount of importance as a testimony in court since it shares several characteristics with it. It is through the nature of a deposition that lawyers, as well as individuals that prepare the letter, give utmost care on how they write as it could result to a major impact when taken to court. Conversely, the deponent must also be extra careful in attaining accurate deposition testimony as it may have great repercussion on the ruling of the case. Enterprise policies should ensure that complaints of illegal or unethical conducts are investigated and addressed as quickly and as effectively as possible. In addition, â€Å"whistleblowers† should also be given protection against reprisals for the complaints that they make that are in good faith. The enterprise should also support and follow reporting conditions which are mandatory and in accordance with government institutions. Policies such as The Code of

Irresponsible drinking - is it getting worse Essay

Irresponsible drinking - is it getting worse - Essay Example More than one fifth of women and one third of men consume more than the daily recommended alcohol levels (OCR 2011, p. 2). People are also more concerned about irresponsible drinking because young adults and children are beginning to drink at a much younger age than ever before. Statistics further indicate that out of every secondary school student, one drinks alcohol more than once a week. Even the government is concerned that the drinking rates, especially among minors, have reached worrying levels. Parents, friends, and licensed premises have been largely blamed for contributing to irresponsible drinking among children (OCR 2011, p. 2). One proposal that has been made to deal with irresponsible drinking entails appointing auditors to examine how the alcohol industry abides by the codes of practice that check on responsible retailing. Change of laws has also been proposed to force alcohol suppliers into line. Increasing taxes on alcohol prices so as to discourage irresponsible drinking has also been proposed. There have been campaigns about the dangers of abusing alcohol, aimed at discouraging irresponsible drinking (OCR 2011, p.

DENISON DAM (TX-OK) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

DENISON DAM (TX-OK) - Essay Example Ever since the dam was built, the lake has reached its spillway three times; which is 200m or 640 feet above the sea level: in 1957, 1990 and the most recent happened in 2007 (Mathews p44). The dam is renowned for its large size and power production magnitude. Though there are more dams that have been constructed ever since, it makes a good deal of contribution to the general output of the Unites States dams. It has 14 million cubic meters or 18,800,000 cubic yards of rolled –earth fill; it also produces about 250,000 megawatt of hydropower electricity annually. Lake Texoma itself provides about 154,000,000 cubic meters or 125,000-acre feet of water storage to the local communities in five permanent contracts. Additionally, the dam has offered some other benefits such as the federally owned and managed wildlife refuge areas. Through this, it has provided about 47 areas for recreational activities. These recreational areas are owned and run by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Ojeda p85)). There are two state parks – one situated in Texas while the other is situated in Oklahoma. In addition, there is an extra 32,000 hectors or 80,000 acres of land opened for public use as hunting grounds. Lake Texoma has two main sources, which are the Washita river from, the north and Red river from the West. The minor sources of the dam that can be noted are the Little Mineral Creek, Big Mineral Creek, Rock Creek, Buncombe Creek and the Glasses Creek. Lake Texoma then drains to the main outlet, the Red River into the Denison dam. Normal elevation of the pool fluctuates from 615-619 feet which is about 187-189 meters NGVP (National Geodetic Vertical Datum. These limits depend on the time of the year. The flood control section extends the height to about 197 meters (645feet) NGVD (National Geodetic Vertical Datum). Texoma Lake has crested the Denison dam’s spillway at the level of

Critically evaluate the ways that the HR function could play a more Essay

Critically evaluate the ways that the HR function could play a more strategic role in the organisation - Essay Example By stepping away from subordinate-based practices and theories, the human resources manager develops practices that are geared for long-term success as it relates to the tactical side of objective fulfilment and long-run market orientation. The HR manager can take a more strategic role in the organisation by focusing on line management, executive leadership, new training development, and involvement in change management principles in an effort to expand their presence in the organisation as an HR leader. The strategy angle â€Å"The overall purpose of HRM is to ensure that the organisation is able to achieve success through people† (Armstrong 2006: 11). Success does not necessarily pertain to human capital needs and motivational practice development, it involves market orientation, market position of the business, operational efficiency, general staff productivity, and development of competitive strategies to gain cost and human capital advantages. Therefore, to become more st rategically oriented, the HR manager needs to expand their organisational presence to include executive management involvement and line management education to achieve competitive success using people as resources. In most organisations, change is a constant scenario. New technology implementation or procedures that relate to attaining market profitability (as two examples) dictate a need for improving change leadership and gaining employee/management support. In a situation where the business requires new information technology, changes to how employees conduct their job roles is inevitable, usually on the back of workflow redesign or complete changes to job responsibility. Kappelman, McKeeman and Zhang (2009) identify that when IT projects are part of change management, failures occur due to weak team commitment, lack of senior executive support, or team members who lack the requisite skills and competencies needed to complete the project effectively. In most cases, large-scale im plementation of new technologies consist of months if not years of labour investment and contribute significantly to cost reduction activities or improving process flow related to meeting customer demands. This is where the HR manager can take a more strategic role in the business in promoting change management principles to meet strategic goals. When change is required, management is described as â€Å"undeserving victims of irrational and dysfunctional responses of employees† (Ford, Ford and D’Amelio 2008: 362). The human resources manager can become more involved with the team functioning during the implementation phases of the new technology launch, promoting more effective interpersonal relationship development and team functioning. Weak team commitment may be stemming from employees, executives or mid-tier management due to the illogical and dysfunctional inherent psychology of the team members. By applying subordinate-based practices to higher-level individuals involved in project teams, the HR manager is promoting a more strategic angle that leads to more positive information technology and process improvement outcomes. Outside of technology scenarios, the HR manager can

DENISON DAM (TX-OK) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

DENISON DAM (TX-OK) - Essay Example Ever since the dam was built, the lake has reached its spillway three times; which is 200m or 640 feet above the sea level: in 1957, 1990 and the most recent happened in 2007 (Mathews p44). The dam is renowned for its large size and power production magnitude. Though there are more dams that have been constructed ever since, it makes a good deal of contribution to the general output of the Unites States dams. It has 14 million cubic meters or 18,800,000 cubic yards of rolled –earth fill; it also produces about 250,000 megawatt of hydropower electricity annually. Lake Texoma itself provides about 154,000,000 cubic meters or 125,000-acre feet of water storage to the local communities in five permanent contracts. Additionally, the dam has offered some other benefits such as the federally owned and managed wildlife refuge areas. Through this, it has provided about 47 areas for recreational activities. These recreational areas are owned and run by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Ojeda p85)). There are two state parks – one situated in Texas while the other is situated in Oklahoma. In addition, there is an extra 32,000 hectors or 80,000 acres of land opened for public use as hunting grounds. Lake Texoma has two main sources, which are the Washita river from, the north and Red river from the West. The minor sources of the dam that can be noted are the Little Mineral Creek, Big Mineral Creek, Rock Creek, Buncombe Creek and the Glasses Creek. Lake Texoma then drains to the main outlet, the Red River into the Denison dam. Normal elevation of the pool fluctuates from 615-619 feet which is about 187-189 meters NGVP (National Geodetic Vertical Datum. These limits depend on the time of the year. The flood control section extends the height to about 197 meters (645feet) NGVD (National Geodetic Vertical Datum). Texoma Lake has crested the Denison dam’s spillway at the level of

Funding Higher Education Essay Example for Free

Funding Higher Education Essay In order to address budget requirements during revenue deficit years, other opportunities are available to the government other than simply raising taxes. One viable opportunity is opening research facilities in higher education to private use. Higher education institutions have various wet and dry laboratories that can be very useful to commercial and other private business entities conducting research. Some of these entities usually enter contracts with private laboratories. By opening school resources, government would be able to tap the finances of these private entities into the schools. In fact, the government can take this strategy one step further by constructing an internship curriculum for its students that involve working on private company projects (Gordon, 2000). Through such an internship program, qualified students would be sent to work in school facilities on research work required by funding entities. Of course, interns would be given an appropriate allowance. This provides an innovative and practical learning experience for the students as well as a minimal source of income. Furthermore, it creates linkages to the industry where they might be able to more conveniently find employment after graduation. Another possible strategy is opening campus grounds to private promotional projects. These projects set up booths and conduct activities that target the attention of students and/or faculty members to avail of certain products or services. Of course, entities that would like to promote their products would have to be screened thoroughly according to the academic institution’s mission-vision to ensure that no contradictions are present. These two strategies can raise revenue up to appropriate levels and allow the school budget to be funded for the revenue deficit academic year. Reference Gordon, J. (2000). Private Education Management. N. Y. : Doubleday.

Pestel Analysis Political Factor Management Essay

Pestel Analysis Political Factor Management Essay China automobile industry, the top vehicle superpower in the world has become the backbone in the national economy due to the fast growing of the industry in 2009. Protections and privileges have been set up by Chinese government to the foreign automakers which directly allow those foreign companies have easy access in Chinese automobile industry. Therefore, China is successfully attracted many multinational companies to enter the country such as Ford, and Volkswagen. Economy Factor The open policy have brings the country rapid and continuous economic growth and today, China has playing an important role in the global economic environment. Based on China currently growing economy position, huge market size, and the dominating position in the global economic environment which showed there are high profits potential have attracted big international vehicle manufacturers. Social Factor Firstly, any international firm needs to understand the Chinese concept of guanxi which is completely different meaning from Western concept of relationship. However, it is important for Western organisations to build their own guanxi networks in China in order to smoothen their operations. Finding local partners when begin a business in China is a sensible way. Thus, many of the multinational automobile manufacturers are choose joint venture as their entry mode where it can ease the process in both administrative and political processes, yet, cultural differences may become the obstacles for them to handle. Technology Factor The technologies in automobile industry are keeps upgrading, for example, automobile makers are now designing a car with environmental consciousness in order to protect the environment and they comes up with hybrid cars. Moreover, several automobile companies are using computers system in their car diagnosing problems. Environment Factor The consequences of the growth sales in automobiles are such as air pollution, sound pollution, and of course the global warming due to the overconsumption of oil which is causing the release of CO3 that harm the earth. Nevertheless, the responsibility is not only in the shoulder of China but also the burden of the whole world. Legal Factor China laws and regulations are usually often known as unclear, ambiguous and difficult to understand. However, the government is trying to liberalize the legal and regulatory environment for foreign investors. Michael Porters 5 Forces Threats of Product Substitutions The factor presenting the strongest threat of substitutes in the industry is the second hand car. This may be seen in the face of used automobiles which are sold by dealerships along with new cars. Especially, when it is in the economic recession which directly impact the increase of buying second hand cars and reduce sales in new cars. Public transportation like bus, train, monorail and others are another alternative mode of transport as the substitutes to cars. Threats of New Entrants Due to the economic booming and the rise of demand in purchasing cars in China, thus, it will attract more new entrants in the Chinese automobile industry. A large investment is needed by every new entrant in order to set up necessary facilities in producing large amount of production. The fixed costs are high, and then it will be a major entry barrier for new entrants. Besides, new entrants need to face some authorization processes before launch their new business. However, the lack of transparency in China legal system may bring substantial difficulties for them and it will create barriers too. Intensity of Rivalry As we know that, to involve in automobile industry the fixed costs are high. So, assuming a company wants to leave the industry, their loss of revenues and assets will be high too. Hence, to avoid disinvestment, companies will increase their research and development and invest in marketing in order to attract customers which will increase the intensity of rivalry amongst companies. Besides, international automobile companies not only need to competing each other, but also amongst the local automobile companies. Although it is true that customers might buy foreign cars by the mindset of quality, but, local customers will more prefer local automobiles where their design may fit their needs compare to foreign cars. Bargaining Power of Buyers Dealerships is the key buyers for those car manufacturers, yet, the end-user customers also importance to be counted. The exclusive contractual agreements make the switching costs for the dealerships are extremely high. But, dealerships are vital to those car manufacturers too in the sense of reaching the end consumers. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is seem to be high. This is because by the small size of reliable suppliers whose are producing high quality raw materials and readymade components and parts which are no substitutes for all needed raw materials. Michael Porters Diamond Analysis Factor Conditions China is a large population country with its increasing purchasing power has made it as the ideal place for investments. In order to attract international automobile companies, the State council of China has developed a new development outline, called the Outline in March 2009 where it is about industrial upgrading, technological enhancement and promotion of new engines. It is no doubt that China has enough facilities including land capacity and natural resources that able to support every interested company. Demand Conditions Today, there are change in the level of Chinese needs and want which is come along with the increase of purchasing power and disposable income amongst the demographics. Moreover, the improvement in the Chinese lifestyle and economic life of state power risen the private consumption of them. The demand in China was especially heavy for cars that were perceived to be of higher quality than most of those produced by Chinese government and in China only about 20% of people owned car. Related and Supporting Industries China has realized that the reliance on low-end and labor-intensive manufacturing which use mainly imported technology is being no longer sustainable. Therefore, the development of the automobile industry shall involve restructuring of the production and technological advancement. The presented Outline by the Chinese government entails that passenger cars produced with domestically independent brands shall account for over 40% of the total car market, comprising about 10% (around one million) of the whole export production and sales in 2011. A powerful information system aimed at enhancing the Joint Ventures capabilities by better managing the entire value chain of the enterprise, including research, design, sourcing, production, marketing, sales, and service. Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry In terms of market expansion it is a moderate factor influencing rivalry among competitors due to the established powerful brands in the industry, nevertheless some companies engage in more than one segment by utilizing different brands, e.g. BMW and Mini. Rivalry among competitors is also little reduced through a degree of differentiation in few diverse segments within the automobile industry like luxury cars and budget cars. The models offered by Changan-Ford in the Chinese market sold well because they appealed to a sophisticated segment of buyers, who saw Western-designed cars as differentiated because of their overall superior quality, innovative technology and aesthetic appeal. Hofstedes Dimension Social Orientation China scored 20 in the index which is showed that Chinese is a highly collectivist group where they act based on the group majority decision and not themselves. In contrast, United States is a highly individualistic community where this can be proved by they achieved a 91 score. In order to solve the problem between collectivist and individualistic culture, Changan-Ford can held workshops or seminars which are able to educate their employees about the important of teamwork (ie. Team building). Power Orientation By the high score of 80, China is a definitely power respect culture where they will obey to their superiors command and instructions. However, United States scoring a low score in this dimension which is only 40. And this is showed that Americans are practicing power tolerance where they will just follow their leader if they think that their leader is right, whereas the superior will listen to the employees opinion. Therefore, empowerment atmosphere is in the Americans culture. Changan-Ford may benchmark the Toyota lean productions strategy whereby Toyota is believed in bottom-up report and this beside can formalized the process but also can decentralized the organisation. Uncertainty Orientation In this dimension, China has score 30 which is showed that Chinese do not avoid risk and contented with ambiguity. Slightly scores higher score than China, US scores 46 which presented that Americans are risk takers and willing to accept new ideas, innovative products and willing to try new practices. Goal Orientation By the scores of 66, China is proven to be masculine society. Thus, many Chinese will rather sacrifice their family than careers due to they are more eager to be successful in their jobs. Not far different from China, US score 62 on this dimension showed that Americans are masculine society too. Time Orientation Chinese is known as the country that needed longest time to make decision making where persistence and perseverance are normal. This can be proved by they achieved extremely high score in this dimension which is 118 score. Contrast, US scores 29 in this dimension and showed that they are short-term oriented culture. Therefore, Americans make fast decision making than Chinese. The suggestion for Changan-Ford to solve this problem is they may set dateline to all decision-makings that all managers need to make.

Of Mice And Men: Mini-critique :: essays research papers fc

Of Mice and Men: Mini-Critique John Steinbeck was born in Salinas California on February 27, 1902. His mother was a school teacher in the public school in Salinas. Steinbeck grew up in the beautiful Salinas Valley which furnished most of the material for his novels. His mother read to him, at an early age, famous literature of the world which planted a seed in his imagination. He entered Stanford in 1920, remaining there until 1925 but never graduating. In 1930 Steinbeck married Carol Henning. Steinbeck died in 1968. After college, Steinbeck moved to New York, where he worked briefly for the old New York American newspaper and helped with the construction of Madison Square Garden. His first book, Cup of Gold (1929), appeared two months before the stock market crash and sold about fifteen hundred copies. Steinbeck returned to California, living in migrant worker camps to furnish inspiration for writing novels that described the problems and stresses of the times. Of Mice and Men takes place during the great depression in the Salinas Valley, California. It is a story about two farm-hands, George Milton and his large retarded friend, Lennie Small. George and Lennie are on their way to a farm that has harvesting jobs available. While camped along side a river George and Lennie talk about their dreams of someday owning a farm with rabbits for Lennie to take care of. The next day George convinces the farm boss to hire Lennie and him. Lennie's Love for feeling soft things becomes a problem when he is playing with a puppy and accidentally kills it. The wife of Curley, the boss's son, comes into the barn to talk to Lennie. The climax comes when Curley's wife lets Lennie feel her hair, but he strokes it too hard and she becomes scared. Lennie holds her tightly to keep her from screaming and ends up breaking her neck. The resolution of the story happens when George shoots Lennie through the back of the head. George does this for Lennie's own good. The main theme of the story is that, no matter how lowly on the social scale, everyone has the unalienable right to pursue their individual dreams. While the value of friendship is another strong point that comes through in the book. Magill, Frank N. "Of Mice and Men" Masterpieces of American Literature. Harper Collins Publishers, 1993. "[Of Mice and Men] is perhaps the finest expression of the writers lifelong sympathy for abused common people." Roberts, James L. Cliffs Notes on Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Lincon, Nebraska: Cliffs Notes Inc., 1966.

The Pathogenesis of Down’s Syndrome Essay -- Science Medical Genetics

The Pathogenesis of Down’s Syndrome Down’s syndrome (DS) is the most common cause of mental retardation in the United States. It occurs with a frequency of one in 700 live births. The disease is caused by the presence of three copies of chromosome 21 as a result of chromosomal mutation (95% nondisjunction, 5% translocation) during cell division, leading to a total of 47 chromosomes instead of the normal number, 46. There are no individuals with the clinical signs of DS who do not have at least partial trisomy of chromosome 21. Conversely, there are no cases of people with trisomy 21 who do not have DS (Patterson, 1987). Patients suffer from a variety of physical and mental problems. Physically, the disease manifests itself in epicanthic folds of the eyes, flattened facial features, unusual palm creases, muscular flaccidity and short stature (Patterson, 1987). Many are born with congenital heart defects and increased risk for cataracts, leukemia and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to the anatomical abnorm alities, DS patients suffer from biochemical imbalances including elevated levels of purines - a condition that can by itself lead to neurological impairment, mental retardation, and immunodeficiencies. The life expectancy for DS patients is approximately 30 years. However, with advancing medical care and therapy more patients are living to the age of 50. All individuals with DS over the age of 35 develop the same kind of abnormal microscopic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain as people who die from Alzheimer’s disease, the major cause of presenile dementia. Although a vast amount of literature exists on DS, little is known about why the presence of an extra chromosome causes mental retardation. In addition to ... ...ogy and Experimental Neurology, 49: 509-518. Ferrer, I., Gullotta, F. (1990): Down’s Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease: Dendritic Spine Counts in the Hippocampus. Acta Neuropathol, 79: 680--685. Mann, D. M. A., Brown, A., Prinja, D., Davies, C. A., Landon, M., Masters, C. L., Beyreuthers, K. (1989): An Analysis of the Morphology of Senile Plaques in Down’s Syndrome Patients of Different Ages Using Immunocytochemical and Lectin Histochemical Techniques. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 15: 317-329. Patterson, D. (1987): The Causes of Down Syndrome. Scientific American, 255: 52-60. Takashima, S., Ieshima, A., Nakamura, H., Becker, L. (1989): Dendrites, Dementia and the Down Syndrome. Brain Development, 11: 131-133. Wisniewski, K., Bobinski, M. (1991): Hypothalamic Abnormalities in Down Syndrome. The Morphogenesis of Down Syndrome., 153-167. The Pathogenesis of Down’s Syndrome Essay -- Science Medical Genetics The Pathogenesis of Down’s Syndrome Down’s syndrome (DS) is the most common cause of mental retardation in the United States. It occurs with a frequency of one in 700 live births. The disease is caused by the presence of three copies of chromosome 21 as a result of chromosomal mutation (95% nondisjunction, 5% translocation) during cell division, leading to a total of 47 chromosomes instead of the normal number, 46. There are no individuals with the clinical signs of DS who do not have at least partial trisomy of chromosome 21. Conversely, there are no cases of people with trisomy 21 who do not have DS (Patterson, 1987). Patients suffer from a variety of physical and mental problems. Physically, the disease manifests itself in epicanthic folds of the eyes, flattened facial features, unusual palm creases, muscular flaccidity and short stature (Patterson, 1987). Many are born with congenital heart defects and increased risk for cataracts, leukemia and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to the anatomical abnorm alities, DS patients suffer from biochemical imbalances including elevated levels of purines - a condition that can by itself lead to neurological impairment, mental retardation, and immunodeficiencies. The life expectancy for DS patients is approximately 30 years. However, with advancing medical care and therapy more patients are living to the age of 50. All individuals with DS over the age of 35 develop the same kind of abnormal microscopic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain as people who die from Alzheimer’s disease, the major cause of presenile dementia. Although a vast amount of literature exists on DS, little is known about why the presence of an extra chromosome causes mental retardation. In addition to ... ...ogy and Experimental Neurology, 49: 509-518. Ferrer, I., Gullotta, F. (1990): Down’s Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease: Dendritic Spine Counts in the Hippocampus. Acta Neuropathol, 79: 680--685. Mann, D. M. A., Brown, A., Prinja, D., Davies, C. A., Landon, M., Masters, C. L., Beyreuthers, K. (1989): An Analysis of the Morphology of Senile Plaques in Down’s Syndrome Patients of Different Ages Using Immunocytochemical and Lectin Histochemical Techniques. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 15: 317-329. Patterson, D. (1987): The Causes of Down Syndrome. Scientific American, 255: 52-60. Takashima, S., Ieshima, A., Nakamura, H., Becker, L. (1989): Dendrites, Dementia and the Down Syndrome. Brain Development, 11: 131-133. Wisniewski, K., Bobinski, M. (1991): Hypothalamic Abnormalities in Down Syndrome. The Morphogenesis of Down Syndrome., 153-167.

Apollo vs. Green Arrow

Apollo and Green Arrow/ Oliver Queen When I first learned about the Greek god Apollo in my Classical Mythology class, he reminded me of Oliver Queen. Oliver Queen is a character from one of my favorite television show called â€Å"Smallville†. He inherited a big industrial empire from his parents when they passed away. He was a playboy who did not care to give back to the society and only did what pleases him. One day, when Oliver was out on his boat, he was pushed overboard into the sea by an employee. After being marooned on an island, he learned to hunt and improved his survival skills.He later found a small settlement on the island and saw that some of the islanders were cruelly disposed of in a nearby well. It shocked him and he became focused on avenging their deaths. He resorted to making his own weapons and pursued the escaping men in the boats, who turned out to be drug dealers. His stamina and skills helped him overcome them, and was later able to turn them over to t he police. Oliver had his first taste of crime fighting then. He vowed to change the world for the better with the resources he had. He became a vigilante under the name of â€Å"Green Arrow†. â€Å"Comic Vine†) I think that Oliver Queen and Apollo seems so alike yet different at the same time. I believe that they will make a great comparison to each other. The very first and obvious similarity between Apollo and Oliver is that they are both skillful archers. Apollo is the god of Archery. When Apollo was still an infant, he claimed that the bow was his. (Mayerson 118) Oliver created his vigilante persona based on his skill and passion for arrows and bows. When he was marooned on an island, he improved his already talented archery skills.He made his own makeshift bow and arrows and used them to hunt to eat. With his refined archery skills, he later tracked down the drug dealers who were escaping in a plane. He managed to gain upper hand by shooting them down. Oliverâ₠¬â„¢s vigilante character â€Å"Green Arrow is considered by even the superhuman members of the Justice League to be the greatest archer in the world. † (â€Å"Comic Vine†) Oliver himself always said that Green Arrow never misses a target, not even when he was not looking at the target. Apollo and Oliver are also both full of wit and charm.Apollo is the God of Music. According to Mayerson, â€Å"the infant-god †¦ declared that the †¦ lyre would be his†. He later joined the other gods in Olympus and played the lyre them. Oliver is also very charming. In various episodes of Smallville I have watched, Oliver is often seen offering a glass of wine for a beautiful lady and impressing them with his charming personality. (â€Å"Smallville†) He is also sometimes seen playing the piano, where he intentionally lets people see the soft and refined side of him. Oliver have the kind of personality that is not easily forgettable.When he enters a room, he make s a great impression on everyone with his charm and wit. He converses with just about anyone and his conversations are usually laced with humor. Compared to other wealthy billionaires, Oliver has become very down to earth and he does not let his status in society and wealth hinder him from ridding the world of evil. (â€Å"Appointment in Crime Alley†) As very powerful and handsome men, Apollo and Oliver’s lives are filled with women and their love interests are numerous. Unfortunately, their affairs never last or are always cut short by another factor.Philip Mayerson explained in his book of various relationships of Apollo. Apollo’s first love Castalia changed into a spring of water. His next love Cassandra, a Trojan Princess, was cursed by Apollo himself. Sibyl was granted her wish of living as long as the grains of sand in her hand, therefore becoming just a voice. Daphne turned into a tree nymph. His wife Coronis was burned to death. While Oliver’s lov ers did not have brutal endings like Apollo’s, Oliver still went through various women. He was in a relationship with Black Canary when they were working together for the Justice League.He later came across Shado, a Japanese assassin who was killing the yakuza, and had an affair with her. Oliver was also seen kissing a girl named Marianne now and then. (â€Å"Scott McCullar's Green Arrow Compendium†) Throughout his first appearance in Smallville, Oliver was seen dating Lois Lane, the future wife of Superman. They had differences that cannot be overcome and their relationship ended. After that, Oliver seemed to rekindle with an on-and-off old flame Tess Mercer, who was also Lex Luthor’s, Oliver’s enemy, ex-wife. She is also very cunning and self-perseverative.She only cared for herself and fled when Oliver came into trouble. She later came back to be a good friend and support system for the vigilante team. Oliver also had flings with Betsy Braddock and Adr ienne Frost. Betsy Braddock was noticed by Oliver because she had psychic abilities. Oliver came across Adrienne Frost because she seemed to have telepathic abilities. (â€Å"Smallville Season 6 – 10†) Oliver’s fascination with these two ladies especially reminded me of Apollo and his †¦. Oliver’s latest and last known relationship is with Chole Sullivan and they have a child together.While there are many similarities between Apollo and Oliver Queen, there are also several differences. Apollo is the God of Prophecy; therefore he or his oracles are prophetic and can know what will happen in the future. While their answers are ambiguous, the oracle or the priests who interpret them still seemed to predict well enough. (Mayerson 124) Among the superheroes, Oliver is one of the few people without any metahuman skills. He compensates it by improving his skills as well as trying to predict and be more aware of possible threats. He does this by using the Wa tchtower, along with a team of superheroes.The Watchtower is ran by Chloe Sullivan, his then-friend and now-wife. However, the equipment and research is funded by Oliver’s very own Queen Industries, whose support is very crucial. The Watchtower allowed Oliver’s Justice League to assess any incoming supernatural problems and patterns, observe happenings in the world, and access almost any paperless trails. (â€Å"Watchtower†) In Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Philip Mayerson states that Apollo is â€Å"a god of Purification, particularly from acts, such as homicide†. On the other hand, Oliver does not have a problem with stealing and murdering.It does not necessarily make him a bad man. Oliver decided use his improved archery skills to become a vigilante. This requires him to defeat and overcome opponents who were very similar to the man he used to be. He thwarts greed and corruption from hurting average citizens. He channels a modern d ay Robin Hood persona and constantly fights for underdogs. Since his days stuck on the island was full of misery, sweat, blood, and desperation, he came to understand the â€Å"testament to what it takes for someone to answer that wake-up call, change their ways, and fly straight. As straight as an arrow. (â€Å"Green Arrow†) While Apollo and Oliver Queen both went through various relationships and affairs, there is one major difference between them. Apollo dearly loved Coronis but was worried she might not stay faithful him. She did not, and he or his sister Artemis punished her transgression by setting her on fire. Apollo â€Å"regretted the hasty action, but it was too late. † (Mayerson 131) Oliver, on the other hand, was much luckier. After going through many obstacles together as a crime-fighting team, Oliver finally realizes his love for Chloe, who already seems to be in love with him as well.In â€Å"Warrior/ Super girl†, viewers can obviously see how co mpatible Oliver and Chloe are with each other. It was a beginning of a romance that changed their lives. They stopped hiding their feelings and kept no secrets. This lifted some weight off of Oliver’s shoulders since he does not have to hide his secret identity as Green Arrow from her either. Unfortunately, their relationship was tested with various situations, such as both of them sacrificing themselves into enemies’ hands and going far away to keep the other one safe. However, they just cannot stand to be apart from each other.During the episode called â€Å"Fortune†, they happily married in the tenth and final season of Smallville television series. Oliver tells her â€Å"You saved my life, Chloe. Both the myth and the man. † (â€Å"KSite TV†) There are many similarities and differences between the Greek god Apollo and the television show character Oliver Queen. Despite their various statuses situations, they both are powerful men, who went thro ugh many heartaches and obstacles. They are so different yet so alike. This is why I believe that Apollo and Oliver makes a very good comparison to each other.

My Community Internship Experience

The aim of this community internship program is for us to provide knowledge and practical experience necessary for functioning competently and effectively upon licensee in a health-system pharmacy. As a first year pharmacy student, I feel so nervous before entering into this kind of internship because I don't know what will happen when I'm into it and what will be the possible effect, but I'm really glad when I finished the required number of hours because all the hard work and sacrifices has paved off.During my internship period In MD-Rosary I experienced a lot Like organizing of drugs and arranging It to Its respective gondola, paper tabulating, dispensing, and more that Is not being practiced at the school. During our first day at MO-Rosaries they introduced to us the rules and regulations of the drugstore from the signing of DART before we leave and enter the store and also the body search overtime we leave the store, then after that Ma'am Carol showed the Rag area to us hen we s tarted copying the drugs In the Rag area after that we roam around and observed the whole drugstore.The next day we do the same thing as well, and we started copying each book from book 1 to 10 till the last day of our internship and we are always having an exam per book weekly. The best experience in this internship is when we were permitted to dispense drugs and at the same time we encounter different kinds of customers. I'm grateful that I finished this internship and learned a lot that will lead me too brighter future.

Carol Sheriff’s The Artificial River Essay

APUS, Section 4 Mr. Gordinier January 8th, 2013 All situations and topics have multiple views and perspectives to them. A paradox exhibits contradictory aspects in which there is not either a single good or a bad, positive or negative. In The Artificial River The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862, written by Carol Sheriff, there are many different examples of paradoxes. Towns initially saw the Canal having a negative impact on them, but realized it could help. The Canal provided for faster transportation, but in the case of a crash would take a long time to recover from. Also businessmen benefitted from the Canal, but other lost a lot of money because of it. The Canal provided dramatic change to the upstate New York area. In some cases this change resulted in prosperity and in others it resulted in failure and loss. At the time prior to building the Canal many negative impacts were the only things being considered. In 1826, a Canal Board was set up to deal with many of these complaints and problems. Most of the agreements and compromises were expressed through contracts made between the Canal Board and the people of the towns. Individuals questioned the right to take land to build the canal, water resources being used, and also commercial structures being built along the Canal. The thought of how much these commercial structures could drastically benefit these towns were not contemplated. When the Canal was built towns all along the route from Buffalo to Albany prospered from the revenue and the attraction the Canal brought with it. Whether the Canal was being used for business people, immigrants, settlers of the region, or tourists, the border-towns all had some appeal to these persons. After some time the state was continually asked to expand the Canal from the original route to include connecting canal routes. However, the same towns along the route from Buffalo to Albany had already been established along the lines of the original canal. These towns would need to be relocated in order to obey these new requests. This presented a major problem because the people in these towns had formed a life around the Canal and many of them made their income based of the Canal. The inhabitants of the towns changed their mentality from not wanting the Canal to invade on their lives, to it being an essential part of their lives they depended upon. The Erie Canal provided an extremely fast source of transportation compared to other ones of that time. A lot of the land that the Canal went through was uninhabited and therefore people weren’t able to move through these areas. Once the Canal was built it served as that pathway through these areas. The Canal also was a much cheaper source of transportation that was used by residents, tourists, emigrants, and workers during this time. Evangelical preachers used the artificial river to seek salvation among these people. Also the Canal helped to serve as an underground railroad, transporting slaves from Syracuse to Buffalo, near the Canadian border (Sheriff 53). The Canal not only sped up transportation, but also cost much less for goods to be delivered. Before the Canal goods from Albany to Buffalo would increase to five or six times their actual value just because of transportation. This helped business prosper and served as a positive aspect for the Canal. Although transportation was faster if a boat along the Canal crashed it would hold things up for a long time. A boat crashing had a chain effect on other boats because they then would be slowed down as well. People would not get where they needed to be on time was well as goods. A lot of the times if a boat did crash the goods were not able to be salvaged and hurt the business that owned them. There was also the issue of passing under bridges and how low they were. In a play of William Dunlap the brother of Amelia describes the inconvenience this was saying â€Å"In constant dread of lifting your head above your knees for fear of having it knock’d off your shoulders by a bridge† (Sheriff 55). Inconveniences such as these eventually encouraged travelers to find a different source of transportation; the railroad. The railroad had advantage over the Canal in the fact that it could run all year round. Individuals took advantage of the Canal and used it to help themselves gain profit. Businessmen and entrepreneurs saw the Canal as an opportunity to make money. Some bought their own boats and turned them into their business place. Boats were transformed to stores and markets in which people would buy off of them. Business was not only done on the Canal, but other men would use all the people, especially tourists, and try to sell consumer goods to them. A lot of times these vendors would scam people buying from them. They would sell fake remedies with false claims. Many times they would also trade counterfeit bills for items of actual value. The Canal helped solo merchants in a way that had never been done before. On the other hand the Canal was also very detrimental to many people as well. The people it affected were those whose land and water supply it had taken. When the Canal was built it ruined early settlers property such as the Archbalds. Frequently properties were cut in half. Once water was let into the Canal it caused a number of problems. Majorly because of poor workmanship and laziness water would stream out of the Canal and into farmers’ land. Fields and basements would be flooded, livestock would be injured, and gardens would be damaged. Also the workers feet would trample over fields, showing no regard or carefulness of their surroundings. One farmer claimed that workers torn down his fence simply for their own amusement. Without a healthy stock of crops the farmers would not make as much money and financially were negatively affected by the Canal. The Erie Canal had widely varying results on the people it impacted. Businessmen and entrepreneurs received financial success through the Canal while farmers and people already established along the lines of the Canal seemed to be negatively affected by it. There is no question transportation was faster and cheaper than any other source around that time. Communities and towns both benefitted from the Canal being around them. Initially there was a great amount of hype surrounding the Canal and all this hype brought people. Businesses thrived off these tourists and newcomers. Positives and negatives came from the opening of the artificial river that would change history forever.