Reebok Pursuing Generation X

Reebok: Pursuing Generation X Reebok is a global, American inspired brand, in a highly competitive athletic and sportswear industry, committed to creating products and marketing programs that reflect the brand’s unlimited creative potential (Reebok). The 2003 rankings place Reebok in third place of U. S. athletic shoe market share with 13%; Nike dominates at 36% while other athletic brands make up 26% of the U. S. market (Sporting Goods Intelligence). In 1982, Reebok was a main component in introducing a women’s athletic shoe designed specifically for the latest trend in exercise known as aerobic dance.This, as we all know, was not a trend but rather an athletic revolution towards women’s fitness and increase entrance into sports, which expanded the target market for the athletic and the sportswear industry. The acceptance of sneakers as an adult casual wear evolved in the 1980’s as well as a market prediction that was a catalyst to the early success of Re ebok as an athletic brand leader. Since the 1980’s, the market environment has changed dramatically and has proven to be a complex and highly competitive advertising arena. Print and TV ads of the past are no longer the premier marketing platforms as they once were.The athletic and sporting goods companies of today must bring to the consumers a compelling and gripping advertising campaign to earn the attention and revenue of today’s technology driven consumer. Target markets are evolving from the baby boomer era to the Gen Xers and with that shift, comes a new consumer ideology and therefore new marketing strategies. The advertising mediums that companies utilize are challenged to reach an elusive target audience guarded by TiVo technology, mobile internet as well as personal philosophies seeking purpose and added value, even in product selection.This case outlined advertising challenges, as well as opportunities Reebok faced in an expanding digital media world and its players; Generation X. Question 1: How would the team explain viral marketing to the class? Viral marketing wasn’t made up out of thin air; it started before the birth of the Internet under another name known as word-of-mouth. There are many differences between the two strategies but the principle is identical: exchange information about an event, place, person or idea from one outlet to another. So, to understand how viral marketing works one must understand word-of-mouth.Word-of mouth marketing is when a company provides consumers, a reason to bring up their company in normal conversation. This could be from an ad on the television, a flyer that you saw downtown in a deli, or maybe an advertisement that you heard on a radio station that caught your attention while you were driving. That sounds a lot like viral marketing, but a person only has so many hours in the day; so why would they ever think of calling all of their friends/family up to tell them about something they s aw, previous to their conversation?Unless it was a catastrophic event or something that was deeply related to them personally, that’s just not likely to happen. With viral marketing, there are two main components that are needed: a large audience, and a way to spread information exponentially, also known as the Internet. The first traces of Internet viral marketing were, according to â€Å"The Virus of Marketing†, in 1997 when Hotmail attached ads to outgoing messages. It was rather astonishing the reaction that the public had after forwarding the ads to other email addresses, allowing users to reach thousands of potential clients in the matter of a few easy clicks.These were only the primitive years of viral marketing, and it has become one of the most valued marketing strategies of the 21st century. The term ‘viral marketing’ is one that is used, both, on a regular and large scale. This is mostly due to the highly populated areas, such as YouTube and oth er social media outlets where video, music, photographs, ideas and other forms of entertainment, can be passed from one individual to another easily. Social media sources and YouTube allow users to be interconnected with millions of people in the matter of seconds.Over 500 million people around the world, have an account with Facebook, which not only makes marketing researchers drool, but also makes up a huge population of word-of-mouth users that are able to upload and send information to their ‘friends’. Within the past decade, viral marketing has taken exponential leaps thanks to the increased use of the Internet. A successful viral marketing campaign works when an individual views information online and passes it on to another; the individuals whom were showed the information to will also share it to their list of friends via the Internet.This creates a snowball effect and the subject in discussion becomes extremely popular in an impressive amount of time through ma ss word-of-mouth aka viral marketing. Question 2: How did Mickey Pant introduce viral-marketing to Reebok’s promotional strategy? To what extent does viral-marketing replace traditional media such as TV, radio, direct mail, etc.? Mickey Pant, the chief marketing officer at Reebok, understood the increasingly changing culture of consumers today.Gone are the days where TV advertisements and radio spots were enough to capture the mass audience of target consumers, waiting idly by to be swayed into purchasing the latest and greatest products. Evolved, is a new generation of consumers, known as Generation X; not easily penetrated by brand loyalty and logo suaveness, but are rather driven by a sense of worthiness and greater purpose. Gen Xers are characterized as skeptical of advertising and are active users of digital media, especially the Internet and are compelled to lead a life filled with meaning rather than monetary gains alone.According to OnPoint Marketing, Gen Xers make up 17% of the population and spend $125 billion annually on consumer goods in the U. S. With a growing target audience that thrives on digital media, Mickey Pant understood that Reebok would have to pursue a new direction in advertising that would resonate with the Gen Xers. This concept would have to connect and appeal to what drives the consumers and outshine the competition in an already saturated market dominated by Nike and Adidas.Pant chose the 2003 Super Bowl XXXVII as the platform, launching â€Å"one of the most popular viral marketing campaigns ever to be aired in history: the infamous Terry Tate Office Linebacker ad. † The commercial was a largely successful campaign that reached a market of consumers that were heavy users of the Internet and TiVo, which earned Reebok. com the ninth largest content provider on the internet. The Tate commercial became an instant hit with its office humor of politically correct antics and depiction of cubicle mishaps, which appealed to the undervalued Gen Xers and caused the ad to go viral across the Internet.After the Tate commercial aired, the Reebok website underwent 20 commercial downloads per second and the Reebok online store traffic increased seven-fold, creating a viral phenomenon. Ultimately, Mickey Pant understood the cultural changes that characterized the life of Gen Xers and relied upon the Internet to carry the campaign. Even though the ads weren’t aired on TV again, they will forever live on, on the Internet. With the undoubtedly increasing digital age, a shift from the more traditional media platforms such as newspaper and TV, to online and mobile advertising is inevitable. 003 was the year Reebok launched the first digital media campaign, and since then, numerous digital campaigns have followed. The growing need for companies to create a more interactive and transactional experience with its customers is expansive, allowing for such outlets as the Internet and mobile advertising to become more attractive. In the case, Reebok notes a shift in investments away from magazines and newspapers, to online and mobile platforms. The advertising breakdowns, according to an outside source, the Yankee Group, reports that TV advertising dropped 21. % during 2008-2009 and fell an additional 12% in 2010. The trend fairs similar for the newspaper industry, reporting that in 2005 the industry had revenue around $47 billion while today it is only half that amount. The report lists the 2009 statistics for U. S. consumer’s average time spent watching TV as three hours 17 minutes, while the average time spent online is four hours and 13 minutes and mobile phone usage average per day is one hour and 18 minutes. Due to consumers spending less time viewing television and extended time on the internet, online advertisements revenues grew 8. % between 2008 and 2009. While traditional TV advertising still has a large role in sportswear marketing strategies, viral marketing, digital adve rtising and mobile marketing are the platforms to focus in on to reach the largest consumer base. Question 3: What’s the Team’s assessment of the Terry Tate campaign? Did it increase Reebok’s brand equity? Was the central message effective? Memorable? In 2003, Terry Tate and Reebok teamed up to produce a series of 60 second T. V. ads, at a cost of $4 million, which aired during the Super Bowl; these commercials were an instant hit.Reeboks website, soon after the ad’s aired, was clocking 20 downloads per second. While the ads were an instant classic, having more than 20 million views to date, they did not produce an increase in sales or market share. How could an ad so popular and funny not create the brand equity Reebok was hoping for? Our team, after reviewing the Terry Tate spots, decided that was because the ads did not tie Reebok sufficiently into the ads. During the videos, Terry Tate wore a gold Reebok chain and the Reebok logo was shown at the end of the spot; this was not enough.One of the consequences of Reebok not showing its brand enough in the commercial was that people would not be able to tie Terry Tate to Reebok. The commercials were memorable, yes, but in order to have brand equity, the viewer needs to remember Reebok and Terry Tate, not just Terry Tate. Reebok’s marketing team believed that the Tate commercial brought a â€Å"new cool dimension† to the brand, even though Reebok’s brand perception and awareness had not changed. Overall, we think the central message was not entirely effective. While the ads were memorable and funny, they were not memorable and funny in a way that helped Reebok’s Brand Equity.Even though there main goal with the ads were not met, Reebok did create something that generated a massive â€Å"buzz† and hype around Terry Tate. Question 4: To what extent should traditional advertising effectiveness measures be relied upon in the Terry—Tate/Reebok case ? In this Reebok case, the traditional advertising method was the â€Å"Terry Tate Office Linebacker† television advertisements. The campaign was extremely successful on television and the Internet. The Gen Xers and the public related to the commercials because they were office based and because a large linebacker would tackle employees that everyone hates.We believed that Reebok understood that their target markets would see the commercial on television, like it, and then seek other ways to view or learn more about the commercials and the brand. Because Gen Xers were technology savvy and used the Internet on a regular basis, even after the commercials had stopped airing on television, the public would watch the commercials and advertisements on Reebok. com. Reebok decided to make longer Terry Tate films, and after that marketing move, Reebok’s website became the ninth largest content provider on the Internet, streaming 1 terabyte of data per day and using 16 servers.R eebok. com was averaging 20 downloads per second and 20 million downloads to date. The Reebok online store increased and even began to sell Terry Tate bobble head dolls and shirts. We believe that traditional advertising was relied on heavily to launch the Terry Tate advertisements, but once the commercials became popular, the Internet was the predominant method of exposure. The Internet gave Reebok more freedom and versatility to really push the limits and make their audiences fall in love with the brand. Mickey Pant was able to air longer films of Terry Tate and sell Terry Tate merchandise from the online Reebok store.Not only did the Internet help Reebok develop the Terry Tate character, it also increased Reebok sales and brand awareness to the world. Question 5: Is this type of campaign capable of capturing the attention of the Gen. X consumer? Why, why not? We felt like this type of campaign was very capable of gaining the attention and respect from members of Generation X, bec ause of one general thought: it was something that they could easily identify with. This series of commercials showed instances that Gen Xers were familiar with and had some sort of emotional connection to.In many office cultures, it is considered very rude to do such things as, drink the last pot of coffee and not refill the coffee pot, or to fart when in a small elevator when there are other people in there; those were the norms that the Reebok ads sought to use. According to Rawson Thurber, the man who played Terry Tate, â€Å"(the popularity) has very little to do with football and a lot to do with how much people hate office culture† (Thurber, 10). To us, that meant that Gen Xers enjoyed the commercials so much, not because they were dedicated to the Reebok band, but because the commercials depicted things that they could easily identify with.Even though there were so many different things that could have gone wrong with this campaign, it went off without a hitch. Gen Xe rs were drawn into this series of commercials because they enjoyed Terry Tate so much: he was the person who punished those who didn’t obey the unspoken etiquette rules that office life comes with. When looking back on this campaign and its success, Mickey Pant, the chief marketing officer of Reebok, mused that the success of the campaign was, â€Å"that the campaign was hysterically funny and immediately generated a massive â€Å"buzz† and hype around Terry Tate and, by extension, Reebok† (Pant, 10).In essence, the campaign worked because Gen Xers loved the spokesperson of Reebok, and not because they had some sort of brand loyalty to Reebok as a whole. Overall, we believe that the digital revolution played a major role in getting Reebok’s name out there. Even though the ads never really had any major ties to Reebok, as a brand, it still helped generate revenue to Reebok, through their website.As a team, we feel like the Terry Tate ads wouldn’t ha ve been as successful if they were just present in print or even if they were destined to remain on TV. TV ads are vastly different than Internet ads because of the simple fact that TV ads cost a lot more to produce. As mentioned before, Reebok spent $4 million to show the Terry Tate commercials on TV; having commercials on the Internet cost much less. The digital revolution has made cheaper, more widespread advertising possible and more available to everyone.

Lego

Lego Lego is a line of plastic toys that can be constructed into specific sets, characters from movies or books, and anything you want it to be. The Lego Group started out in 1932 and today it's one of the world's leading toy companies, In 2016 alone, Lego made 12.4 billion dollars from only lego sets. Today they also have amusement parks with lego rides, stores, and statues made out of legos, such as a pirate ship, Hulkbuster, and Hulk. The man who started the lego group was known as Ole Kirk Kristiansen, who grew up with five brothers and five sisters. By the age of seven he was working for a local smallholder, then a few months later he began to work at a nearby farm. In the year 1903 he was apprenticed as a carpenter with his brother, and worked hard until 1911 when he completed his training. Ole Kirk Kristiansen buys Billund Maskinsnedkeri for DKK 10,000 when the area is just a bunch of small farms and store fronts. This factory manufactures doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, cupboards, coffins, chests of drawers, and tools for digging peat. They also contributed for larger projects, such as fixing farm machinery or constructing buildings, such as the local church. With this skill set and the help of a local architect, he built a new house for him, his wife, and his kids all while paying little to nothing.During the great economic crisis, Ole Kirk Kristiansen was still trying to sell carpentry, but almost nobody could afford his works, forcing him out of work. After that, his wife left him with 4 kids and no money to take care of them. To make easy money during the crisis, Ole Kirk Kristiansen began to make toys, first wooden cars, then airplanes and yoyos. After that he began to make ironing boards, ladders, and christmas tree stands. This did get him through the crisis, but he doesn't make any real profit and his family doesn't think his store is very important. Kristiansen asked his brothers and sisters to be guarantors for a loan that would secure his company's future, they asked him,† Can't you find something better to do?†Ole Kirk Kristiansen ended up having kids during the 1920s, but the kid who had the most effect on the family company was the third son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen. He was helping his dad in the shop when he was only four years old. He always said his first memory in there was when they turned on the glue heater, and some wood shavings caught fire and burned the whole place down. The reason Ole Kirk Kristiansen and Godtfred Kirk Christiansen have different beginnings to their names is because people pronounced the name with the â€Å"Ch† and when casually spelling out the name they would use the â€Å"Ch† as well. Ole Kirk Kristiansen never minded the confusion but Godtfred was bothered by it so he had it legally changed to Christiansen.After World War II, Ole Kirk Kristiansen noticed that a new material for making toys was becoming more and more popular; plastic. Plastic was less more malleable than wood and could be acquired easier. Ole Kirk Kristiansen and other Danish toy manufacturers attended a demonstration of an injection-moulding machine in June of 1946, and the machine impressed Kristiansen so he made an order for an injection-moulding machine for his own shop. Ole Kirk Kristiansen's sons, who were all involved in the family company at the time, collectively disagreed with their fathers decision to invest money into this new technology. They thought while plastic could be used to make prettier toys, wood was the better material because it was the stronger of the two. Their father argued that if they got it right; they could produce toys for the whole world.In 1949, the first of the plastic lego bricks had begun production. They were known as Automatic Binding Bricks, but in 1951, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen changed the name to LEGO Mursten, or LEGO Bricks to further spread popularity of LEGO.By 1953 the LEGO company was ready to go international, starting with the Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Iceland. After that they turned to Europe; starting with Germany. At the time, Germany was the world's epicenter of toy production. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen during this time often said, â€Å"If we can conquer Germany, we can conquer the world!† In the end they did get to the whole world, but it did take them a while. In 1961, LEGO finally licensed an American company which would begin to sell around the country and in Canada. Once LEGO began to make a name for itself across the entire world, other people and companies started competition with LEGO, giving them a hard time. In 1960. Godtfred Kirk Kristiansen laid down the company rule: following the crucial decision to concentrate all efforts into the LEGO system, saying â€Å"No one must be able to do this better than us.† He also outlines all of their development so far, like this,†We know our idea is a good one. We want only the best †¦ we must make better bricks from even better material on even better machinery. We must get the best people that money can buy for our company.† In 1962, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen's cousin, Dagny Holm, joined the company and showed a very immense potential for model building with a skilled eye that seemed like it could make anything out of those bricks. She made buildings, castles, animals, people, and furniture. Her skill attracted the public eye and inspired anybody who worked with the LEGO product, making the company's golden age. Godtfred Kirk Christiansen came up with the idea to use his cousin's skill to make a display of LEGO models and contacted a few friends to startup the first LEGOLand. Thousands of pounds of earth and vegetation were removed to make ever-changing landscapes in the Miniland. The final product included a train, puppet theater, Native American camp, driving school, neighborhood, windmill, and church, all created by Dagny Holm and her creative team. Within the year of the first LEGOland's opening, around 625,000 people visit it to see the models or play with the thousands of LEGO bricks around the property.The LEGO company continued to expand and grow until today, where it is still achieving new things and breaking records every day. Almost everybody grew up playing with legos, either building the sets that they sell, playing with friends or making their own creations just for fun. You can ask almost anyone and they can tell you a few memories they have of playing with legos, whether it's going to Legoland to stepping on them getting out of bed. Today LEGO makes things called Lego Sets. They are meant to be little figurines or models from real life, movies, books, TV shows, and video games. Some examples of these Lego Sets are: hospitals, The Millenium Falcon, Helms Deep, The Death Star, and Space Ships. These sets are sold in boxes, which contain bags of pieces, big and small. Some of the are just meant to be walls, but some of the pieces are doors, stairs, cups, and windows. The sets always have a different number of pieces, depending on the size of the set. Sometimes the piece count is 50, other times it is over 1000. The box also contains a book of instructions, telling the builder where to put the pieces and when to move to other parts. People use these sets for many things. Some people put them up for observation in their rooms, other people play with them until they break, and a very special few people wait several years until that specific set isn't sold anymore and they sell it for a big price.

Tools for E-Businesses Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tools for E-Businesses - Research Paper Example Since the first website appeared online, organizations, companies and institutions have gone on a rush. It is not enough to be on-line with a domain name and a simple website. A useful and well-designed website is an important factor to consider. Website statics are a major concern for the management who want to realize a return on investment for their money1. Despite the overrated chants for this new-age business concept that has suddenly become the goal of many commercial organizations, not much has changed in the traditional way of handling various business processes. E-business maintains the same principles of business operation as traditional commerce: people, both sellers and buyers, come together to exchange commodities and services over a network of computers. Ordering, buying, bidding, selling, customer services, inquiries and virtually all the business processes still uphold the underlying principles of commerce. E-commerce is a subset of the overall e-business strategy. It chiefly seeks to improve the buy-sell transaction activities in a business; as a result it increases the revenue. In a way e-commerce covers a range of on-line business activities for services and products, both businesses to customer and business to business on the Internet as a platform. E-commerce breaks the process of online business into showing the scope activities and information that is provided to the customer to conduct business and online shopping. Multiple and different functions go into the requirements of e-businesses. For instance, there are some basic functional necessities that cover the sort of specialized that perform the functions that run on the e-business mode. There are also other functions that cover the software and hardware requirements to carry out the same services. An analysis of how e-businesses verity credit, process an order and how they fulfill the order as well as how they verity shipments and all or any post sales process needs to be considered wh ile assessing the performance of an e-business. Functionality, both technical and non-technical, is fundamental for an e-business2. Technical functionality refers to the information processing capability of the e-business systems. It points to the server requirements, Internet speed requirement etc. These functional requirements are the foundations and platforms of the e-businesses. The nature that makes business processes virtual in e-business is supported by these systems. Many stakeholders control the entire system and as such an e-businesses smooth operation especially when operating online is controlled by many other people or organizations. Additionally, e-businesses need other functionality such as security, scalability and reliability to be in place. This may make or break a venture and essentially are what keeps any e-business venture in operation. Without security, performing reliable business functions will not be with trust on the end of the consumer. Consumer trust is v ital just like with a traditional store. Building consumer confidence in your system is in this case a good sign of growing business. Order processing needs the transaction processing and database information mining. Speed and efficiency are factors that are considered in evaluating the usability of a system supporting e-business. Payment methods include credit cards, electronic checking and digital cash.

Why Did Honda Choose the In-production Facilities Rather than Case Study

Why Did Honda Choose the In-production Facilities Rather than Contracting the US Auto Company - Case Study Example The investment in a foreign market is favored by some of the factors that are explained in the theories of Foreign Direct Investment. The following is a discussion that explains why the Honda decided to invest in production facilities. Market imperfections are the connections that exist between exchange rates and foreign direct investment. These imperfections are experienced where the world integrates the capital markets. Thus they are subjected to information limitations. In this situation, there is a domestic currency depreciation that can eventually lead to the acquisition of assets from foreign countries. This leads to international capital flow. In Honda’s case, the decrease in the dollar value leads to the increase in the foreign direct investment (Agmon 3). This chance brought an opportunity for Honda to invest in the US. Since the dollar was weaker to some extent, Honda found it easier for it to invest in the US. This was because the assets were cheap for Honda since it had a different currency. The modern theory of FDI occurs because of the domestic assets worth more under foreign control. Honda was able to manage its plant in the US than its counterpart. It accessed the same capital market with th e US hence was very easy for it to penetrate. Honda took advantage of the dollar when it depreciated and then invested in the United States. It is because, the United States becomes a cheaper place to invest when the dollar decreases in value, and thus, it was easy for Honda to produce in the United States. It is noted that the depreciation of a dollar does not affect the opportunities of the foreigners to invest in the United States. Therefore, it was a good chance for Honda to invest in the United States of America since its opportunity to produce there was not affected by the decrease in the value of the dollar (Asmussen 50). Due to the exchange rates, the United States contributed 75% of the final cost of the Honda car, and the imported parts paid the 25% cost.

Online Business of Vibe T-shirt Would Be Remunerative and Profitable Essay

Online Business of Vibe T-shirt Would Be Remunerative and Profitable - Essay Example The business of online T-shirts by the brand name of Vibes has been set up with an appropriate forecast according to the plan. The Vibe T-shirts would be sold through the online website of the company. The customers would be able to purchase the T-shirts with visiting the physical store and taking advantage of virtual shopping mode. There are various payment options for the customer as they offered credits for 30 days and 60 days for online purchase. The online marketing and selling of T-shirts of Vibe brand are considered to be highly competitive as e-commerce has emerged to be a recent trend with various companies investing in an online commodity business. The detailed forecast of the business in terms of the initial capital available, cash budget, the forecast of the income statement and financial position of the business has been given below.   The business has paid due consideration in pricing the Vibe T-shirts so that it is affordable to a wide range of customers. The pricing strategy of Vibe T-shirts has been designed in order to meet the mission and vision of the business which is to connect to people of different cultures all over the globe. Vibe T-shirts business envisages emerging as the most desired T-shirt brand through the virtual model of e-commerce. The pricing has also been fixed taking into consideration the expenses incurred for procuring the raw materials, wages, general selling and administrative costs. The price of each Vibe T-shirt has been fixed at 25-pound sterling which is expected to drive in the forecasted revenue and the profits to reach the break-even point within a short period of time.  The cash budget for the business of Vibe T-shirt has been computed as given in the excel calculations. The cash budget has provided an indication of the amount of cash deficit or surplus that would occur from the online selling of Vibe T-shirt.  

To what extent do rational perspectives on management continue to Essay - 1

To what extent do rational perspectives on management continue to dominate and are they still relevant to contemporary managers - Essay Example It aims in creating mutual dependency and trust among the management and the employees such that they operate in a combined fashion to help in meeting the organisational objectives. Development of such a harmonic atmosphere in the organisation is observed to be conducive and beneficial for both the managers and the employees. The third principle as outlined by Taylor relates to the development of cooperation between the managers and the employees in the meeting of end objectives. Operating in a cooperative fashion contributes in the setting and development of standards in the workplace for conducting of tasks. This strategy thus would help in the resolution of conflicts between the managers and the employees (Taylor 2012). The last principle outlined by Taylor relates to the generation of equal opportunity for the development and growth of people pertaining to different levels in the organisation. It helps in promotion of people to shoulder newer and higher responsibilities by dearth of efficiency, skills, expertise and experience gained. This principle also calls for the development of training and development activities by the human resource managers in the organisation for the enhancement of existing ability and knowledge of the people. The above strategy is taken to enhance the sense of loyalty and belongingness in the minds of the employees for the organisation and thereby it helps in reducing the attrition levels (Murugan 2007). The first principle relates to the division or the unitisation of the total work or task generated by an organisation among a group of people. The essence of dividing the total work in basic units contributes in encouraging the different individuals to lay focus and attention on meeting of specific details related to the allocated task. Division of task based on specialisation of the employees also contributes in rightly allocating and using the organisational

Juvenile Justice Cases Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Juvenile Justice Cases - Assignment Example The future lies with the children hence, today’s laws subject them to various systems different from the adults’. It is necessary to mention that today’s child has not had enough chance at her disposal leading to marginal changes in the traditional roles that children play in several parts of this state. Most of them have actually adapted to the common proverbial silver-spoon which had an unimaginable meaning in the uneconomical era. Some are fortunate enough to have the necessities of a life while others face controversial and diverse problems. Some of the problems might be a direct effect of increasing strength of the economy; something that has substantially reduced the responsible behavior expectations during childhood. Most irresponsible children behavior is a result of inadequate attention from preoccupied parents who leave their children with the responsibility of taking care of themselves when they return home from school (John, 2007). Question 1 A& B: Although it might be a little easier to jump into conclusion and think that the 15-year old would be thrown to jail and manhandled, it is crucial to point out that the justice system came up with a system that aims at, not only committing itself to the restoration and protection philosophy but also provides diverse opportunities for diversion and emphasizing on the rehabilitation process other than mere punishment hence Mrs. I should not be worried due to several ways used to deal with that issue without necessarily having the little boy harassed. The punishment principle states that there can never be an occurrence of a crime in a situation where lawful punishment specifications do not exist. For example, Larceny would never be considered a criminal offence if a clearly defined law against that does not exist. The law of the land cannot simply state that, ‘stealing is illegal’. Criminal punishment should be clearly specified in order to ensure that there is lawful imposition of sanctions when an individual if found guilty. In this case, the boy would be found in possession of a car that was stolen, driving without a license and even crushing the car. This may be a hard case to handle as the defendant had been found with (not just one) three offences to answer for. However, there might still be hope. He might escape a harsh punishment but must be subjected to other means of correcting his behavior (Davenport, 2009). One thing that must be put into consideration is whether or not Mrs. I could be willing to take res ponsibility of seeing to it that the future of this little boy is bright through economic means and absolute mentorship programs. That is the most lenient option adopted by a court of law in implementing justice as a means of reversing the juvenile delinquency’s negative trend. A relatively strong program of diversion relevantly impacts recidivism and delinquents. As a replacement of juvenile court, sentencing and prosecution, there had to be an implementation of diversion programs. Another significant point is whether or not

The evaluation of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Coursework

The evaluation of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust - Coursework Example Using post-investigation developments, this essay will attempt to draw lessons from this experience in the light of strategic business management principles in health care. The Trust Case MSNHSFT provides healthcare for 300,000 residents and targeted to deliver high level and culture of care by following regulations and aiding its staff to perform their duties responsibly and accountability. However, the last four years proved the institution’s failure to exhibit these themes and the increasing death toll of patients was appalling. A full independent investigation of MSNHSFT was done to hear, review, appraise and evaluate the capacity of administrators and its human resource about poor professional services, how it negatively impact to patients and eroded the institution’s credibility (Francis, 2010). Investigating team were mandated to look into the culture, systems, processes, or the general performance of management to understand how it miserably failed to meet the e xpectation of excellent service. The investigation gathered 966 persons and 82 staff of the Trust as respondents. Such encouraged review of the Department of Health (DoH) too and periodic monitoring since then. Recommendations were thereafter formulated for immediate actions (Francis, 2010 & Care Quality Commission, 2010). Investigation and recommendations The investigation covered reports relating to diagnoses and medication, health and sanitation, patients’ care and management, safety and risk mitigation in its facilities, nutrition and patients diet, cleanliness and infection prevention, reporting and documentation, as well as on its flow of communication (Francis, 2010 & CQC, N. and Care Quality Commission, 2010). The investigation’s results summarily pointed: failure in operations management, failures in business processes and failure in customer/patient handling aspects. a. Failures in Operations management—is illustrated with issues on (a) administrationà ¢â‚¬â„¢s so much focus on processes but not on outcomes; (b) gaps between management and staff which resulted to the latter’s exclusion in management; and (c) negligence to increasing figure of mortality rate of patients (Francis, 2010 & CQC, N. and Care Quality Commission, 2010). b. Failures in Business processes -- The institution failed to maintain professional standard in the absence of genuine performance appraisal, supervision assessment and professional development. MSNHSFT has weak management decisions and was not transparent on its accountability. It also relied on false guarantees from external assessments. (Francis, 2010 & and Care Quality Commission, 2010). c. Failures in Customer/patient handling aspects—The hospital staff failed to maintain professional standard as depicted in their (a) inability to fully listen diligently to patients’ complaints; (b) failure to respond to challenges on geriatrics care; and (c) absence of concern to increasing stat istics of patients’ who died while under care (Francis, 2010 & Care Quality Commission, 2010). Considering all of these problems, the investigating team and the DoH made 18 recommendations, on top of which is for the Secretary of Health to consider asking the Monitor to enforce its de-authorization over MSNHSFT, or if it will be sustained of its operation, to enforce professional standard managing this hospital foremost. Recommendations also demanded from the institution to live out professional leadership

Application of the theory of Panopticisim Term Paper

Application of the theory of Panopticisim - Term Paper Example Ray Wrighti stated Panopticism includes the installation of CCTV cameras in grocery stores to catch shoplifters. The grocery camera films are strong evidences in a court of law. The prosecution presents the grocery camera film to the court to prove the suspected shoplifter tucked the grocery items under his or her shirt and brought the items outside the grocery store without paying for the shoplifted items. The shoplifter will be discouraged to pursue one’s shoplifting intention upon seeing a CCTV camera inside the department store or grocery. Further, strict implementation of Panopticism to modern society is necessary to reduce future crime statistics. The cost of installing a CCTV camera is less costly compared to other alternatives. It would be more costly to hire a security guard to monitor the possible areas of shoplifting within the grocery area. It would be more use the cameras as a deterrent to the shoplifters. It would be less costly to prevent the grocery theft by in stallation of CCTV cameras when compared to hiring a lawyer to prosecute the shoplifterii. Tara Magdalinskiiii opined Panopticism includes installation of CCTV cameras in banks to reduce the bank robberies. The CCTV camera shows the actual actions inside a bank on the centralized security center. Upon witnessing a robbery, the centralized security center officer can contact the other bank guards to protect the bank. The same centralized security center officer can easily contact the nearest police station to come to the rescue of the bank. The alerted police officers can block all robbery exit points to prevent the robbers from escaping with their loot. The CCTV camera is an important tool to reduce and stop bank robberies. John Wilsoniv theorized the CCTV camera is a useful to safeguard the train station passengers from accidents. The train station has CCTV cameras to monitor the passengers inside the train stations. The CCTV cameras will alert the centralized train center monitori ng department of any passengers entering an accident-prone area. The train center monitoring officer can alert the trains to stop in order to prevent a passenger from meeting a preventable accident. The CCTV camera is very instrumental in spotting a drunken train station passenger jumping onto the train tracks to commit suicide. Likewise, the CCTV camera can spot another drug-crazed train passenger accidentally crossing the forbidden train tracks. The train center monitoring officer can alert the busy guard to approach the erring passenger. The CCTV camera is a necessary tool to reduce train accidents. As evidence, Cathleen Berrickv stated 29 out of 32 train operators implemented an upgrade of their CCTV cameras to increase the current monitoring of its train stations, yards, or trains. The train monitoring center personnel feverishly go the extra mile to ensure every area of the train station territory is observe for possible accidents, thefts, or other illegal activities. One rail operator, the New Jersey Transit, installed smart cameras. The smart programmed CCTV cameras alert the security personnel of any suspicious activities occurring within the perimeter of the computerized cameras. For example, the smart cameras will immediately inform the nearest security officer that one passenger left a suspicious bag on the passenger-loaded train. The New Jersey Transit train officers proudly stated that the cost of the smart CCTV cameras is slight compared to the cost of the trains being bombed

Friedrich Froebels Ideas On the Role of Play In the Early Years Education Essay Example for Free

Friedrich Froebels Ideas On the Role of Play In the Early Years Education Essay Play is probably the very first thing that comes to our minds when we start thinking about our childhood. Certainly its hard to talk about early years without referring to play, as it is a part of childrens natural behaviour, embedded in their spontaneous day-to-day life. The fact that the play is enjoyable is generally agreed, but the value of play in school, however, has been in the centre of much debate in the past (and it seems like that debate is still going on today). The roots of contemporary understanding of the role of play in early childhood education extend clearly to Friedrich Froebel, a German educator, who organized and systematized the methods of early childhood in accordance with the idea of the spontaneous, self-sustaining nature of children (E. Evans, 1971, p. 43). Froebel believed that every child had within him all he was to be at birth, and that the proper educational environment was to encourage the child to grow and develop in the most favourable manner. Young children are to be regarded and tended essentially like plants. Like these, if they were given the right conditions, they would grow and unfold and flower, by their own law, each according to its individual capacity and destiny. (E. Lawrence, 1969, p. 195) In his study of child-nature one of the most marked characteristics, which attracted Froebels attention, was the childs inborn desire for activity, which reveals itself in play. According to Froebel, play is the freest active manifestation of the childs inner self which springs from the need of that inner living consciousness to realize itself outwardly. (H. Bowen, 1907, p. 116) Froebel made a significant contribution to early childhood education by seeing play as a process in which children bring to realization their inner nature. He recognized that children began to learn as soon as they began to interact with the world, and he reasoned that since the interaction was mostly in the form of play, the way to educate a child was through play, as a means of awakening and developing the active and presentative side of his nature; wherefore none, not even the simplest gifts from a child, should ever be suffered to be neglected. (F. Froebel, 1901, p. 77) Froebels continuous studies of the function of play in a childs life came to fruition in the concept of the Kindergarten ? a place where children instruct and educate themselves and where they develop and integrate all their abilities through play. Froebel believed that play provided the means for a childs intellectual, social, emotional and physical development. Games were not just idle time wasting, but the most important steps in the childs development, and they were to be watched by teachers as clues to how the child is developing. It is through play that the child learns the use of his limbs, of all his bodily organs, and with this use gains health and strength. Through play he comes to know the external world, the physical qualities of the objects which surround him, their motions, action, and reaction upon each other, and the relation of these phenomena to himself, ? a knowledge that forms the basis of that which will be his permanent stock for life. (H. Bowen, 1907, p. 101) However, Froebel didnt think that the play of young children should be unprompted at all times. For him the skill of adults was in knowing how and when to intervene, how to support and extend childrens play to help them to grasp and to try out their learning in concrete ways. (T. Bruce, 1997, p. 23) To stimulate learning through well-directed play Froebel designed a series of instructional materials, which he called gifts and occupations.

Leadership: An Islamic Perspective

Leadership: An Islamic Perspective Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in the life of this world: and We raise some of them above others in ranks so that some may command work from others. But the Mercy of your Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass'(Quran, Zukhruuf, 43: 32). Leadership is about developing, nurturing and motivation skills and talent among people who are motivated towards working for a common goal for the organization working towards attaining an objective that people collectively seek out to attain. The term leadership is often broadly classified into two primary nodes, that of holistic leadership and also that of entrepreneurship. Leadership is looked upon as a means of motivating and guiding people in a manner and direction that is well prepared and planned such that it is in the best interest of the organization in the long term. Leadership is basically and broadly speaking, making a change for the betterment of the organization. The main objective, looking at a broader horizon and speaking entirely from the perspective of humans itself, is to be able to achieve and get for others happiness (al falah) not only in this world but also afterword (dual worldview). To attain the maximum possible output expected out of a leader, it is important to maintain a thorough obedience and sincerity in the fullest possible sense to the Shariah. Also, a leader is always required to be able to act in a way and in accordance to how the Allah and His Prophet would have him behave. Amanah, Taklif and Masuliyyah respectively mean trust, responsibility and accountability in that order, and these are qualities and principles to guide a leader in his quest. Because of the qualities desired in a leader, as well as the responsibilities that he is expected to fulfil, The Prophet Muhammad is considerable and unarguably the greatest ever leader in the history of our times. Thus, the leader is one of the most important members in any organization. In this era when the Muslims of the world are experiencing and undergoing what could be called as renaissance, more and more leaders from the Muslim community rise up, and assume larger roles at a global level. It becomes extremely imperative for the people of the world, including Non-Muslims as well, to acknowledge this fact. Most importantly, certain aspects of leadership incorporated into the religion of Islam and best epitomised by the Great Prophets, need to be understood and examined. In the Islamic context, leadership basically means to guide an organization towards success and the achievement of the common goal, and to create a system where there is happiness, or al falah, for everybody. It is befitting here to recount some of the great and exemplary qualities which some of the greatest Muslim leaders of all times have displayed and possessed- Adl-Justice ( to be impartial, fair and just) Marefah-Knowledge Tadhhiya-Self Sacrifice ( which involves putting others before oneself when required) Sabr-Patience A suitable leader is one who works in accordance with the values and moral base prescribed by Allah, the Merciful. Problem Statement The issue at hand is to deeply study the leadership in the Islamic world, and also in general, and to then present an analysis and a brief view of the all the aspects of leadership viewed in the Islamic perception. The rationale from which the objectives of this study stem is that leadership in the Islamic perspective is productive for the society, and is unknown in a major part of the world. Even though studies have been made into this area, a huge number of Muslims as well as Non-Muslims are unaware of this notion and its aspects. Furthermore, the problem has been extended to study the managerial aspects of Islamic leadership, and delve especially into the area of the aspects of management and its importance in leading as viewed and perceived in the Islamic context. Objectives The primary aim of the study is to get an overview, and then subsequently analyse, leadership from the Islamic point of view. After defining leadership, both in the general and Islamic religious context, the objective is chiefly to elaborate upon how the Muslims of the world have attempted to define leadership from a religious and ethical angle. Henceforth, Managerial Leadership has been specifically delved into, which has been followed by an elaboration that accentuates the main aspects of Islamic leadership. Since few studies have been done in this area, the reason behind the choice of this specific and particular objective is clear. Moreover, a genuine attempt has been made to identify and judge the fundamental aspects, principles and attitudes of Islamic leadership. To particularly zoom into the area of leadership of the managerial kind is also an aim which has been sought to achieve. Following this and extrapolating the results, we wish to been in a position to be able to see an d locate some of the differences that come up when we compare Islamic leadership with that of the Western world, and the purpose is also to define leadership and power in a concrete way. Importance and Significance Islam as a religion and as an ideology also, in certain ways, defines a good leader. The Holy Book Quran suggests and makes practical suggestions for the qualities that must be there in a leader so as to result in an effective leadership, in a political or societal background. Moreover, since these days the Muslim idea of leadership seems to have faded away, with its replacement with Western ideas, studies like these can help in reviving the idea of proper leadership and society. Such a study which endeavours to gain an insight into the Islamic perspective is not only important; it is extremely significant in many ways. Since it is known that till date not much research has been done in the area of management-leadership from the Islamic viewpoint, it will be useful to know and give the reader the impetus, along with the necessary rationale explaining its significance, about how leadership is defined in Islam, and especially how managerial leadership is viewed. In addition, since the knowledge interconnections between Islam and modern-day leadership may prove to be useful in many way, such as to implement them practically, this study becomes all the more significant and crucial. It has been noticed by great and erudite Muslim scholars that often Muslim leaders tend to ignore the religion of Islam and what it recommends where decision-making on practical issue is the matter of concern. Furthermore, the most proper followers of Islam, for instance the Sheikhs, only play a role in the society limited to spiritual or religious concerns. Thus, this study aims to resuscitate the idea of ethics, which is already been on the rise recently in the modern era, in the view of Islam. As more and more democracies emerge in the world, and the global map of power changes, people have been found to increasingly choose Islam, as a result of which, the Muslim community is rapidly growing, and Islam one of the fastest growing religions of the world. Hence, the importance and signif icance of the study increases manifold. As global status and power is achieved by competent Muslims individually, as well as Muslim-majority countries, it is imperative to understand the kind of leadership that takes form at the much higher level, since it can have far-reaching and huge consequences and repercussions. Hypothesis The hypothesis stated is that Islamic perspective, and more essentially, the Islamic way of leadership is beneficial to the society. To draw up the differences between Western and Islamic leadership, and hence to characterize Islamic leadership, which entails in the course of this study, to analyse and present the traits of a good Islamic leader is also a task. It is to be gravely considered that leadership in the Islamic context has to been emphasized in the Muslim community. As more and more Muslims rise up to the global level and achieve great heights in all spheres, leadership is an integral part of their day-to-day work. Hence, for Muslim leaders to properly, ethically and effectively play their part as frontrunners in various companies and organizations, the idea of leadership from the Islamic perspective needs to be disseminated, and known. In addition to this, the hypothesis on which this study has been premised involves a much ideological facet; that of the question whether leadership and power go hand in hand and to what extent, and whether the entailing authority is justified. Questionnaire First and foremost, it has to be understood that the questionnaire designed should be in a way which is easy to fill out, and not time-consuming. Since the subjects involved in the study could be many, it greatly helps to understand regional aspects and effects on the attitudes and responses towards such a study. Thus, it must first be known about the general Muslim communitys opinion, notion and formulation of leadership. The different ways of how a leader could be perceived in different parts and among different sections of the Muslim society also matters crucially. Some of the important questions which could potentially be included in the list- Do you think its important for your leader to have a deep knowledge of the Shariah? Is it absolutely necessary for the manager or the leader to look into the sources of the Islamic jurisprudence (Quran, Hadith and so on) or can the leader, at times, make use of his own judgement and conscience and make decisions? Is perfectly living by the Quran strict and compulsory? Do you think the Western philosophy of leadership differs greatly from the Islamic perspective? What is the first quality that you think a leader must have? Do you think leadership requires scholarly knowledge of religion? Does a great leader always make a good manager? In your opinion, what does leadership mean more-position or action? Rate the qualities in the leader on a scale of 1-10. (The rating should be proportional to the intensity of its requirement) Dignity Ethical competence Organization capability Initiative taker Problem Solver and Visionary Accountability or Answerability Skills related to motivation, team-building, etc. Shura (Consulting with team-mates/people during decision-making) Independence of thought Justice Do you think power and authority are same? Yes or No. In addition to this, we may add many more questions which could help us gain an insight into specific areas like managerial leadership, educational leadership, etc. Providing the subjects with enough spaces for responses, particularly in questions which require descriptive answers must be taken care of. Methodology This study is primarily desk-based and whatever research has been carried out in order for the researchers to come to a conclusion has mainly been library-oriented. This study has mainly been put to the structure such that it could be perceived in light of the objectives of the research. The methodology used in this particular research work was qualitative in nature. The conclusions driven were based on tight facts and the entire essence of the survey was in gathering information from sources that contained explanations as well as descriptions that were well grounded and thorough pertaining to local contexts. Some of these question that were put forward to various leaders and entrepreneurs were open-ended, so as to leave scope for multiple answers and not demand or be suggestive of requiring specific answers. Semi-structured interviews that were face to face were beneficial and extremely consequential in collecting qualitative data. When a need was felt for more clarification on cert ain questions, non-directive questions were asked as a follow up. The main aim and added advantage of face to face interviews is that this gives an opportunity to be able to obtain information that is very crude and applicable to the real life scenario and the ground reality, in addition to providing information that may not otherwise be so detailed and informative through media. The key significance and advantage of semi-structured interviews on the other hand is that this enables the researcher to have a better in-depth understanding of the concepts that are being surveyed, in addition to the fact that being present physically enables the researcher to develop and share a healthy rapport with the source of the information. Also, in addition to obtaining and recording data merely from what is said and conveyed by the person being interviewed alone, in a face to face interview, there is scope for collecting and assessing other kinds of data as well, for instance, that of trying to g et visual cues, making behavioural observations and recording the instant reactions of the persons being interviewed when they are asked a question. Also, in a face to face interview, there is greater scope and probability of getting an adequate response as compared to preparing a questionnaire for the person to answer. The researchers are the primary tools and instrument for all kinds of collection and analysis of all the various kinds of data that is available. Conclusion The most important conclusion to be drawn is the basic characteristics of the Islamic leadership can now be defined in a definite way. A true Muslim leader is most importantly a follower of Allah, and all of his deeds and actions and driving factors are sanctioned by Allahs message and the teachings of the Prophets. Furthermore, most significantly, we see that Islamic leadership skills are most relevant in the present day time, when it becomes necessary to have the appropriate skills for leading and managing. Hence, a leader not only works for the interested of the group or organization, but also for the broader achievements of Islam and the betterment of the Muslim community. The quality of self-sacrifice sets apart Islamic leaders from other leaders of the world, and leadership qualities recommended in Islam are the most useful for any leader. Also, the success of the organization depends considerably on the teamwork and efforts from the group as a whole. We are also able to compar e Western leaders with Islamic ones. Foremost, an Islamic leader bears allegiance to Allah, whereas no allegiance is sworn by Western leaders. As against their counterparts, the knowledge of shariah, Islamic system is required for an effective Islamic leader to play his role. Only profit-making is the primary concern for the Western leaders, whereas Islam recommends strongly that loss-sharing during difficult times must be a quality in the leader. Furthermore, most importantly the difference which is extremely relevant to the business organizations of the present-day world is the issue where the executive manager has, though only in certain circumstances, total power and right to command his subordinates, who as a consequence of his authority have to obey him. Putting this in the Islamic perspective, and linking it with the concept of shura, which implies mutual interpersonal consultation during crucial decision-making times, this does not conform to Islam. Absolute authority is opp osed and denounced, no matter what the situation, in Islam. Some of the most significant results that emerged were involved with the fact that even Muslims in the Arabic world had a vague idea and poor awareness of the way Islamic leaders are meant to be, and the way Islam provides for leadership quality recommendations which are all-encompassing. Where specifically the area of management is concerned, the Islamic model of leadership comes to pertinence. It fundamentally includes Leaders, followers and the organization, and require the leaders to have full faith in Allah after making any decision, and the followers to actively participate and work towards the success of the organization. This model was based on the rationale that leadership designs differ in the Islamic world, where the discernment of the idea of leadership is inclined more towards the betterment of the Muslim community as a whole, rather than just the material achievements. Hence, it becomes necessary to redefine l eadership when the context changes, as in this case-Islamic. Research Design The research done during the carrying out of the study basically revolves around fundamental literature related to the concept of leadership in Islam. Moreover, it is enhanced by the study of various other studies that have been made in the recent past as an attempt to put the notion of leadership in an Islamic context and present it to the world. Hence, after briefly reading the literature that concerned with principles, qualities and traits of a leader as recommended by Islam, the objective was set to find out whether the idea was existed, and if it did, to what extent was it well formulated, in the minds of Muslims as well as Non-Muslims. Browsing various other studies, and going through blogs over the internet served well in knowing what ideas and opinions Muslims in the Arabic world held relevant to leadership. The design basically included a group of subjects who were given the questionnaire. Interpretation of the responses is always subjective in these cases, and hence there c an be more than one possible result. The questions designed were not only restricted to what appeared significant and important after carrying out a thorough literature review, but also on the chief aim to know about leadership. The subjects were not obliged to disclose their identity, as to avoid any sort of bias at all.

The Days :: essays research papers

It all happened so fast; it felt like a dream. I wish I could tell everybody my story but no one is listening now. Yeah, that was the best: the dreams we had. Nothing mattered except for those otherworldly dreams. Every day, Louie and I would wake up, whether it be in a high school boiler room or a urine-soaked alley, and talk about what we dreamt. He used to always have dreams with that Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters in them. We talked about it for a while and came to the conclusion that Louie probably just wanted to sleep on a pillow. A long time ago I had a dream that Louie and I were rabid monsters and we beat each other into bloody pulps. We had a good laugh about that one. That's what kept us going day after day: dreams. Well, dreams and our "business partnership." See, we didn't hobble up to you like sick dogs and beg you for a nickel or a cigarette. We took whatever the hell you had on you. We were so good at it, too. It was all about picking the right people at the right time. Friday nights, we used to drink a 12-pack and approach people in a raging frenzy using a toy squirtgun as a concealed weapon. It was hilarious. Don't get me wrong, though: being nineteen and homeless wasn't "fun." Checking 45 year old women's pockets for money was the closest I had been to getting some in three years. I looked like the garbage that I slept in. The only time I showered was when Louie and I could afford to rent a cheap hotel room for the night. But above all, Louie and I hated being cold. Those biting Detroit winters used to suck the life out of us and not give it back until April. The date and time didn't matter in the winter; all that mattered was that you were cold. Our dreams really did keep us alive at those times. Your mind is all you've got when the rest of your limbs are numb with frostbite and hunger pulsates through your body. Louie was such a great guy. I just wish I could go back down there and talk to him. We could talk about nothing for hours upon hours. Louie would make me forget that I hadn't eaten in two days. In February, we would get wasted in parking structures and take turns smac king each other across the face until the pain and laughter made the cold go away.

El Niño, A Non-technical Description :: essays research papers

El Nià ±o, A Non-technical Description An El Nià ±o is a temporary change in the climate of the Pacific ocean, in the region around the equator. You can see its effects in both the ocean and atmosphere, generally in Northern Hemisphere winter. Typically, the ocean surface warms up by a few degrees celsius. At the same time, the place where hefty thunderstorms occur on the equator moves eastward. Although those might seem like small differences, it nevertheless can have big effects on the world's climate. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What causes it? o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What makes it stop growing? o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What effects does it have? o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How long does it last? o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How often do we get them? o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How well can we predict El Nià ±o? o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A more technical explanation What causes it? Usually, the wind blows strongly from east to west along the equator in the Pacific. This actually piles up water (about half a meter's worth) in the western part of the Pacific. In the eastern part, deeper water (which is colder than the sun-warmed surface water) gets pulled up from below to replace the water pushed west. So, the normal situation is warm water (about 30 C) in the west, cold (about 22 C) in the east. In an El Nià ±o, the winds pushing that water around get weaker. As a result, some of the warm water piled up in the west slumps back down to the east, and not as much cold water gets pulled up from below. Both these tend to make the water in the eastern Pacific warmer, which is one of the hallmarks of an El Nià ±o. But it doesn't stop there. The warmer ocean then affects the winds--it makes the winds weaker! So if the winds get weaker, then the ocean gets warmer, which makes the winds get weaker, which makes the ocean get warmer ... this is called a positive feedback, and is what makes an El Nià ±o grow. Back to top So what makes it stop growing? The ocean is full of waves, but you might not know how many kinds of waves there are. There's one called a Rossby wave that is quite unlike the waves you see when you visit the beach. It's more like a distant cousin to a tidal wave. The difference is that a tidal wave goes very quickly, with all the water moving pretty much in the same direction. In a Rossby wave, the upper part of the ocean, say the top 100 meters or so, will be lesirely sliding one way, while the lower part, starting at 100 meters and going on down, will be slowly moving the other way.

Employment Skills :: Job Work Academics Success Essays

Employment Skills Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my essay I will talk about the skills required to get a good job nowadays. There will be three main points I will be discussing such as academic, personal management, and teamwork skills. I will give you examples of these skills, and reasons why this skill is important for you to get a job. Academic Skills   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Academic skills are probably the most important skill you will need to get a job. It is one of the or the first thing an employer looks for in an employee. They are skills which give you the basic foundation to acquire, hold on to, and advance in a job, and to achieve the best results. Academic skills can be further divided into three sub-groups; communication, thinking, and learning skills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Communicate. Communication skills require you to understand and speak the languages in which business is conducted. You must be a good listener, and be able to understand things easily. One of the most important communicating skills would be reading, you should be able to comprehend and use written materials including things such as graphs, charts, and displays. One of the newest things we can add to communicating skills would be the Internet, since it is so widely used all around the world - you should have a good understanding of what it is and how to use it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Think. Thinking critically and acting logically to evaluate situations will get you far in your job. Thinking skills consists of things such as solving mathematical problems, using new technology, instruments, tools, and information systems effectively. Some examples of these would be technology, physical science, the arts, skilled trades, social science, and much more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Learn. Learning is very important for any job. For example, if your company, gets some new software, you must be able to learn how to use it, quickly and effectively after a few tutorials. You must continue doing this for the rest of your career. It is one thing that will always be useful in any situation, not just jobs. Personal Management Skills   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personal management skills is the combination of attitudes, skills, and behaviors required to get, keep, and progress on a job and to achieve the best results. Personal management skills can be further divided into three sub- groups just as academic skills, which are positive attitudes and behaviors, responsibility, and adaptability.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Positive Attitudes And Behaviors. This is also very important to keep a job. You must have good self-esteem and confidence in yourself. You must be honest, have integrity, and personal ethnics. You must show your employer you are happy at what you are doing and have positive attitudes toward learning,

RFID in Health Care Industry

Radio Frequency Identification is one of the technological advancement that has made its way into almost all the industries. It serves the purpose of identifying and tracking the objects by transferring the data. Health care sector is one of the industries in which RFID is being used to enhance clinical practice, patient care and access the medical records of patients. RFID also helps in improving the operational efficiency and also patient safety. This paper gives a basic overview of the use of RFID in health care industry and the standards associated with it. Radio Frequency Identification is the process of identifying a person or an object or a thing using the RF-transmitted identification code. Over the years, the technology has played a vital role in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of health care systems. Today the health care systems are using a wide range of RFID applications to enhance the overall performance of their industry. A few applications include; RFID tracking system, RFID bracelets, RFID under the skin, RFID for patient management system and RFID for resource management system (Banks, 2007). Hand Hygiene Monitoring in Hospitals According to (Symonds, 2011) â€Å"RFID can also be used to ensure that proper hygiene (and other) procedures are followed† (p. 10). Hand hygiene monitoring is an important step to be taken by healthcare industry. The RFID system can keep a track of the employees washing their hands and also the cycle time of their hand washing process using an RFID card or a bracelet. This system utilizes the simple concept of washing hands and aids in reducing the number of infections passed on by the staff in the hospitals (Symonds, 2011). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare associated infections are one of the major causes for the death of hospitalized patients. Humans or the healthcare workers are one of the major means of transmission of viruses and infections. Infections can spread either through direct contact or through the equipment used by these health care workers. Hand hygiene is therefore the fundamental measure in reducing the number of healthcare associated infections. The main aim of RFID systems here is to improve the hand hygiene in hospitals by building an automated monitoring system (Bennett, Jarvis, & Brachman, 2007). The hand hygiene system comprises of the following measures to be taken to prevent the transmission of diseases: * Cleaning hands with soap * Hygienic hand rubs The main objective here is to kill the bacteria that live on the surface of the skin to avoid its transmission to other people when in contact. The hand rubs consist of alcohol that kills micro organisms from nails, hands and forearms. They prevent drying of skin and reduce the rapid re-growth of bacteria (Raftery, 2008). RFID Hand Hygiene Monitoring System The RFID technology uses small â€Å"tags† which emit radio signals. These signals are read by the RFID readers. One of the recent developed RFID enabled system is a IntelligentM’s wrist band system which functions as follows. * The RFID readers are placed on the hand washing and sanitizing stations and the RFID system know all the locations of these stations. The employees who wear the wrist band developed by IntelligentM consist of the tags that can be read by the readers that are present on these sanitizing stations. The accelerometer that is present in the wrist band will identify the time spent by the wearer in washing the hand. The wrist band will not buzz once if the hands are washed correctly and thrice if they are not. * The RFID tags are also placed on some of the equipment and outside the patient’s rooms. Before carrying out any procedures that have higher risk of carrying infections, this system alerts the health care workers to properly clean their hands. * The employees are monitored at the end of each shift by collecting the data from the wrist band through the micro USB. In this way the hand hygiene system is monitored by the use of RFID (Young, 2013). RFID World Regulatory Bodies The regulating bodies from the following countries have an influence over the advancements of the RFID related technologies. * United States: FCC regulates electromagnetic spectrum. * Japan: Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (MPHPT) * Europe: Bothe FCC and MPHPT are related to European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT). RFID Standards in Health Care Industry International Standards Organization (ISO) ISO is a â€Å"non-governmental, international body based in Geneva, Switzerland† (McDonnell & Sheard, 2012). It provides standards for the tag data management and air interface protocols. European Committee for Standardization (CEN) European Committee for Standardization is a â€Å"European based non-profit organization located in Belgium†. CEN works in collaboration with ISO to develop balanced international standards in healthcare (McDonnell & Sheard, 2012). British Standards Institute (BSI) British Standards Institute â€Å"is a national standards body in the UK†. It is concerned with the products that are used in Healthcare and standards of these products (McDonnell & Sheard, 2012). American National Standards Institute (ANSI) American National Standards Institute is a body that is based in USA. It provides guidelines to develop products and approves the products that have met the recommended practices set by Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (McDonnell & Sheard, 2012). It provides standards related to the RFID labels on the products used by health care providers. ISO Standards for Health Care * ISO 13485: Provides guidelines for companies that manufacture medical equipment. * ISO 11784: Provides guidelines for structuring data on the tag. * ISO 18047: Provides guidelines for testing the conformance of RFID tags and readers. * ISO 18046: Provides guidelines for testing the performance of RFID tags and readers. * ISO 17664: Requires guidelines to be provided by the manufacturer to re-sterilize and decontaminate the medical devices. ISO 14937: Guidelines for developing and validating the sterilization process of healthcare devices (McDonnell & Sheard, 2012). Conclusion The RFID technology has come a long way in improving the productivity and efficiency of healthcare sector. By using the RFID technologies healthcare organizations can aim at providing improved patient care. By providing standards for development of various products equipped with RFID, t he products can be easily trusted and widely accepted.

Non violent movement

There is a wide-spread conception in the theory of nation-building that violence is an ultimate way to express disagreement and overcome injustice as well as fight a dictatorship. But the last century has proven the fallaciousness of this conception. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Dalai Lama and many others have shown that nonviolence can be more powerful force in defeating oppressive rulers and laws.Their lives and actions are examples how oppressors or unjust legislation may be defied by the force of word and soul rather than by the force of weapons. Gene Sharp summarizes the effectiveness of nonviolent actions with such words: â€Å"nonviolent action is possible, and is capable of wielding great power even against ruthless rulers and military regimes, because it attacks the most vulnerable characteristic of all hierarchical institutions and governments: dependence on the governed† (p. 18).Nonviolent action is an application of a very simple tr uth: people do not always do what they are told to do, and sometimes they do that which has been forbidden. When people refuse their cooperation, withhold their help, and persist in their disobedience and defiance, they do this to deny their opponents the basic human assistance and cooperation which any government or hierarchical system requires. If they do this collectively through their established independent social institutions or newly improvised groupings for a sufficient period of time, the power of that government will weaken and potentially dissolve.The world history has witnessed the cases when nonviolent means have been chosen over violence for religious or ethical reasons. In some cases, even when pragmatic political considerations were dominant in the choice of nonviolent struggle, the movement has taken on certain religious or ethical overtones. This was the case in the campaigns of the Indian National Congress for independence from Britain in the 1920s, 1930s, and 194 0s. Those struggles, often under Gandhi’s leadership, and also the civil rights campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s in the Deep South of the United States, under the leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr., are very important.Mohandas Karamchand  Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi, is the first name that comes to mind when one speaks of nonviolence in the 20th century. His charisma and his action not only had a profound effect on India’s modern history, but also provided firm basis for all future nonviolent struggles in the world. Gandhi’s political philosophy revolved around three key concepts: satyagraha (non-violence), sawaraj (home rule), and sarvodaya (welfare of all). Whereas satyagraha was essentially a tactic of achieving political ends by non-violent means, sawaraj and sarvodaya sought to encourage ideas of individual and collective improvement and regeneration. Such regeneration, Gandhi insisted, was necessary if India was to rediscover her enduring h istorical and religious self and throw off British rule. (Andrews, 1949)Perhaps Gandhi’s best-known act of civil disobedience, known as the second satyagraha (‘hold fast to the truth’) was Salt March that was taking place in 1930 from  12 March to 6 April. It expressed increasing frustration by Congress at its own impotence and, specifically, the British refusal to grant Dominion status to India. Gandhi chose the hated salt tax as the object of his campaign. At the time, the Indian government maintained a monopoly over the manufacture of salt, an essential basic commodity which was thus heavily taxed. Those using their own salt, e.g. if they were living close to the sea, were subject to heavy punishment.The 61-year-old Mahatma started the 240-mile-long march from Sabarmati to the coastal town of Dandi together with seventy-eight of his followers. He was joined by thousands along the way, in a march that received vast international and national attention. When t he protesters marched on to a government salt depot, he was arrested, as were between 60,000 and 90,000 other Indians in subsequent months, as well as the entire Congress leadership. Gandhi was released and called off the campaign in March 1931 following the Gandhi–Irwin Pact, which allowed Gandhi to participate in the second Round Table Conference, and symbolically permitted the production of salt for domestic consumption.From the 1920s to early 1940s, he led a series of passive resistance campaigns in pursuit of Swaraj, which redefined the character of Indian nationalism. He sought tolerance between Hindus and Muslims and the eradication of caste untouchability. In January 1948 he was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic for his pro-Muslim sympathies. Gandhi’s insistence that means were more important than the ends distinguished him from other great political leaders of the twentieth century.Since his death Gandhi has become the source of inspiration for non-violent polit ical movements such as the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. Desmond Tutu in the article A Force More Powerful a Century of Nonviolent Conflict rightfully points out: â€Å"The leaders who opted for nonviolent weapons often learned from resistance movements of the past. Indian nationalist leader Mohandas Gandhi was inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1905. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other African American leaders traveled to India to study Gandhi’s tactics.† (Tutu, 2000) Non-cooperation was a major tactic employed by Gandhi when he felt the state had become immoral or unjust.In the King movement, such action was called boycott, the most effective nonviolent tactic employed in the movement to abolish discrimination in public transportation in Montgomery, Alabama. The justification for such action lies in the fact that rejection is as much of an action as acceptance. Thus, King, like Gandhi, while emphasizing the necessity of courage, utilized the boycott to achieve rejection of unjust laws regulating public transportation and public lunch counters.The net effect of the various expressions of the nonviolent protest, especially the boycott, strike, demonstration and jail, was to draw one’s opponent off balance, hoping thereby to change his mind. (Smith, p.58) Nonviolence, therefore, was not a sign of weakness or of a lack of courage. Quite the contrary, King believed that only the strong and courageous person could be nonviolent. He advised persons not to get involved in the civil rights struggle unless they had the strength and the courage to stand before people full of hate and to break the cycle of violence by refusing to retaliate.King just as Gandhi emphasized the need to prepare for action. The Civil Rights Movement initiated by Martin Luther King, Jr. succeeded in mobilizing massive nonviolent direct action. Innovative tactics included economic boycotts, beginning with the yearlong boycott of a bus company in Montgomery, Al abama, begun in December 1955 and led by Martin Luther King, Jr.; sit-in demonstrations; and mass marches, including a massive mobilization of whites and blacks in the August 1963 March on Washington, which culminated in King’s â€Å"I have a dream† speech, and protest marches led by King that met with police violence in Selma, Alabama, in January 1965.The goal of these protests was to overthrow the entire system of racial segregation and to empower African Americans by seizing the franchise. Participants of the Civil Rights Movement were often beaten and brutalized by southern law enforcement officials, and thousands were arrested and jailed for their protest activities. Some leaders and participants were killed.Nevertheless, an endless stream of highly visible confrontations in the streets, which contrasted the brutality and the inhumanity of the white segregationists with the dignity and resolve of black protesters, made the cause of black civil rights the major iss ue in the United States for over a decade during the 1950s and 1960s. The nation and its leaders were forced to decide publicly whether to grant African Americans their citizenship rights or to side with white segregationists who advocated racial superiority and the undemocratic subjugation of black people.In conclusion it would be relevant to provide a brief revision of the similarity and differences the detection of which was purpose of this analysis. The parallels between Gandhi and Martin Luther King are self-evident. This preliminary look at Gandhi and King’s activity gives us the understanding that nonviolent movement cannot be limited by time frames or specific location. It rather needs a leader with strong character, resilience and ability to persuade people. The two leaders preferred nonviolence at a time when their people were being oppressed. Both struggled against the yoke of white oppression. Like Gandhi, King valued the power of nonviolent political action in ke eping with the spirit of Gandhi’s satyagraha. King’s role in organizing the Montgomery bus boycott enabled him to emerge as the creator of a strategy of civil disobedience that earned for the civil-rights movement in the United States unprecedented media coverage, new forms of public recognition, and greater access to political power.Though both agreed that nonviolence is successful tactics on condition that every individual is committed to truth and justice, Gandhi tended to lay stress upon the necessity of personal suffering when participating in nonviolent movement, an attitude that to some extent was less aggressive than King’s emphasis on self-sacrifice. Moreover, Gandhi claimed that to achieve the goals through nonviolence one needs patience and non-cooperation and King believed that it is a certain degree of confrontation that is necessary to accomplish change. One more difference between Gandhi and King lies in the paradigm of their activity.While Gandhi was concerned about social injustice suffered by Indian people, King’s concerns bore upon racial discrimination of African Americans in the USA. And probably the most striking difference is the result of their struggle. While Martin Luther King’s ideas after his death were followed through by his followers and found an echo in common American’s heart, Gandhi was criticized that his tactics unnecessarily delayed the departure of the British, precipitated the partition of India, and led to the Hinduization of Congress because of his over-emphasis on religion. Few of Gandhi’s ideas were put into practice by independent India.While both of them deserve respect and admiration, it is possible to recognize that their approaches to the practice of nonviolence later grew strong one as opposition, the other as protest. Gandhi and King help us to believe that peaceful resolution of a conflict will live up to its promise.References:Andrews, C. F. Mahatma Gandhi†™s Ideas.   London: Allen & Unwin, 1949McCarthy, R. and Sharp, G., eds., Nonviolent Action: A Research Guide. New York, 1997Sharp, G. The Role of Power in Nonviolent Struggle. Monograph Series, No. 3. The Albert Einstein Institution, 1990Smith, Kenneth and Zepp, Ira. Search for the Beloved Community: The Thinking of Martin Luther King. Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1974.Tutu, Desmond. â€Å"A Force More Powerful a Century of Nonviolent Conflict†. Social Education. (64):5, 2000

Bus303 Final Paper

Human Resources Management Reflective Paper BUS 303 Human Resource Management Reflective Paper In analyzing the concepts discussed in Human Resource Management, I have found an interesting mix of education and forethought into the role of a human resource manager. Many of the aspect of human resource management such as HR planning, recruitment and selection, as well as, human resources development and labor relations all play a significant role in the success of any organization.There are many benefits to the learning that has taken place in this course that has helped me better understand HRM and its roll that will shape not only my position in business now but for future positions in the years to come. The primary function of human resource management is to increase the effectiveness and contribution of employees in the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. For a human resource department to function correctly its many functions need to work together and it all starts with human resource planning.All businesses have a human resource planning process. Many times upper management teams work with human resource experts when it comes to human resource decisions. These HR decisions help to shape the overall strategic plan of an organization. Human Resource departments function at their best when they are viewed within an organization as a partner with upper management that will aid with the planning and administration of human resource decisions. The HR head is a centerpiece to the decision making process.HR managers often times evaluate the availability of talent, employee behavior and analyze current skills that are needed within the organization. Human resource planning is â€Å"the ongoing process of systematic planning to achieve optimum use of an organization's most valuable asset – its human resources. † (http://www. investopedia. com) The main goal of human resource planning is to make sure there is a functional and working conne ction between employees and the jobs in which they do. There has to be a balanced pproached for human resource managers because there is a fine line trying to avoid deficiencies and surpluses of labor within the organization. For HR managers the balance is kept by analyzing current labor demand verses future labor demand and balancing the supply and demand between the two. Often times HR planning has to be flexible so that organizations can adapt and keep up with the changing business environments in the markets in which they serve. Human resource planning is an ongoing task that must look at the long term and short-term goals of an organization.Without the flexibility and the ability to adapt to a changing business environment, organizations could be left behind in the competitive marketplace. Planning needs to take into account many factors such as recruiting, training, outsourcing, employee development, job analysis and others just to name a few. Ultimately, it is human resources responsibility to make sure that the organization has the right people in the right place in order to successfully navigate the organization to fulfill its strategic plan. When it comes to HR planning there are six specific factors for the HR planning process.They are environmental scanning, labor market analysis and forecast, internal analysis and forecast, gap analysis, developing HR plans and strategies, and HR strategy implementation and assessment. â€Å"HR planning and organizational strategic planning should not be treated as separate activities: they must have a mutual relationship for their integration to be valuable. Similarly, HR planning should be guided by organizational goals and strategies and should inform each and every one of those processes; the various HRM processes can then be conducted effectively. (Youssef, C. 2012) I believe that the HR planning process is the absolute most important part of an HR management team’s work. The reason is that there is s o much that goes into the planning that shapes the overall strategic plan of an organization. The many other factors that HR deals with are important, yet without an overall plan and vision, the overall long-term goals of the organization could not be reached in an efficient manner. For example, I had worked at a small local company that had started up about a year prior to my arrival.At the time that I had started it was ran by a husband and wife both of which did not have any HR experience. They had goals on what they wanted to do both long term and short term yet the organization was unable to reach many of those goals primarily because of the lack of an HR professional. In order to recruit new people the owners relied on referrals from other business owners in the area and ads that were posted in the local newspaper. They had no online presence and they were not able to keep up with the competition for qualified candidates.They were losing quality potential employees to their co mpetition because of a lack of planning and non-flexibility. After about a year of continuous struggles, they brought in an HR consultant that brought many good ideas and the owners fortunately embraced many of them. They had decided to recruit and bring on board a professional HR manager with many years of experience that helped the owners in an area that was one of their weaknesses, HR management. The new HR manager brought plenty of changes to the processes within the organization while keeping in mind the overall long-term goals of the owners.Many of the changes were to the recruitment process. She did things such as adding an â€Å"apply now† link on the company’s website and got the organization more of an online presence in on-line job boards within the area. Along with that, the interview process was more formal with the changes that she made. More of the work was done electronically such as applications, and resume submitting. The owners of the company also in vested with an organization that provided services for companies to give personality and aptitude assessments so that they could better understand a potential employee.Of course, this all happened over time and the organization became better at understanding what type of labor force they needed. This is exactly why the planning process is so important. It helps to organize and execute the overall strategic plan of an organization and that is the exact reason that HR exists, to increase the effectiveness and contribution of employees in the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Culture, it comes down to organizational and employee behavior and HRM plays the biggest role. â€Å"There is no one omnipotent culture.What works this year may not work in the next†. (www. sjsu. edu) The culture of an organization is not automatic. It takes time and hard work for an organization to build and cultivate its own identity and culture within the workplace. Many times HR manager s forget the importance they have in shaping the culture of an organization. I have seen it before in companies in which I have worked. For instance, the organization that I currently work for had sort of a laid-back culture one in which it was ok for sales people to work in business casual clothes such as slacks and a polo shirt.A couple of years ago the CEO was replaced and when the new CEO came in, change came to the culture. No longer, was the sales team allowed to wear business casual, it was professional dress only and it made a big difference in the professionalism with the organization. It also made a difference with new hires and made the biggest impact with our customers. This is just one example of the how the culture changed within my organization but the important thing to note was that the new CEO led this change by example as he did with everything else.He would only wear suits and ties and never did we see him or any other person on the management team in business ca sual. It was just one-step but a very important one in changing the culture of the organization. The best way for HRM to shape organizational and employee behavior is to lead by example. There are other control methods to make sure individual employee behavior is kept in check, such as utilizing a corporate code of conduct that must be signed and followed by all of the employees.For this to work, an organization must have meaningful penalties when the code of conduct is violated, and it must make sure that those policies are enforced and that enforcement is structured and consistent. Overall, HR managers need to lead by example to create or maintain a positive culture within their workplace. It is critical that all managers are aware of their roles and responsibilities in upholding positive workplace environments that can increase employee satisfaction and it all starts with HRM. In conclusion, HRM plays one of the biggest and most important roles in the success or failure of an org anization.Without the right planning and having the right people in the right place, it is very hard for an organization to meet the overall goals in which they have set out to succeed. Looking at the learning that has taken place in this course, it has opened my eyes to the importance of a competent and structured HR department. The course has helped me to look at past experiences and better appreciate the HR directors that I have worked with in the past and it has helped me better understand HRM and its roll that will shape not only my osition in business now but for future positions in the years to come. References Youssef, C. (2012). Human resource management. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education http://www. investopedia. com/terms/h/human-resource-planning. asp#axzz2LJdsjswT (Retrieved from World Wide Web, February 16, 2013) http://www. sjsu. edu/people/phyllis. connolly/courses/c17/s1/kane_umanageroleorgcul200(Retrieved from the World Wide Web, February 18, 2013