Police culture

Police Culture Number 8 powerpoint (Definition)The knowledge, attitudes, expectations, behaviours and rituals that exist amongst police, or which more broadly, characterize a police force. Police Culture affects: how police see themselves and their role as police how they see the world around them, how they police (how policing is performed). Differences exist within and between police cultures. Police officers, as individuals, will not all equally adopt or adhere to the dominant police culture. Police culture cannot be divorced from the social, political, economic, legal and organizational context of policing. Police cultures can change.Police Culture: Characteristics Sense of Mission: the thin blue line' A crucial, dangerous but thankless Job ,Not Just a Job, but a way of life0 Policing thought of as protecting the weak from the strong (not at all political, relating to power within society). o ‘Us versus them' mentality evident Law enforcers and law abiders versus law breake rs Action Orientated: ‘Real Policing' Emphasis on ‘real policing as that which occurs in the public sphere and which involves dangerous or potentially dangerous situations and confrontations. ?(ie. responding to reports of rime, raids, shoot outs, car pursuits and so on).Greatest status attached to Homicide Squads and Tactical Response Units. Cynicism and Pragmatism Required to obey law, yet see law as limiting and naive Must go beyond the law, to do their Job and get results. Favour expedience over due process These characteristics of police culture have been related to various negative behaviours: Unlawful detentiono- The improper use of force0- Breaches of proper interview processes – Corruptiono- Dismissal of some crimes/victimso- Commission of some offences Isolation and Solidarity Feel different from other people based on work and work-related xperiences.Sense of isolation intensified by problems socializing with non-police due to others reactions, difficult ies turning off, shift work. Closest bonds forged with other police Very loyal to, and protective of, other officers MasculinistDominance of masculinist perspectives and practices. Reiner has described police culture as an ‘old – Ofashioned world of machismo'. ‘Real policing' associated with confrontation, physical strength, danger Male-dominated composition of police forces has contributed to this. Racism Widely documented evidence of suspicion, hostility and rejudice in police dealings with racial and ethnic minorities.Evidenced in well- known instances (ie. Rodney King) through to everyday policing practices. Once again partly attributable to historical composition of police forces. Also relates to their role acting on behalf of states to administer racially- Obased laws and policies (segregation, removal of indigenous children). 7. Conservatismo Social and politically conservative. Emphasis upon maintaining the status quo. Once again, partly a consequence of h istorical composition and role of police Approaches to policing and the community Number 9 Traditional Policing- (as developed with rise of modern police forces).Community Policing (developed over past 30, largely in response to concerns raised over the methods and outcomes ot traditional policing. ) Traditional Policing: Police seen as separate from the community ,Role of the police is to respond to crime. ,Police effectiveness is measured by changes in crime rates and arrest rates. Concerned primarily with the policing of public sphere, rather than private sphere. Use of force is viewed as legitimate and necessary to Opreservation of order – militarization of police over past 40 y ears with rise of law and order.Community Policing The development of community policing was based upon recognition that a lack of familiarity and respect between police and specific communities sometimes resulted in negative and repressive policing practices being used, and the fostering of mutua l suspicion and antagonism between police and communities. Young people? gays and lesbians, indigenous people, ethnic and racial minorities recognized as particularly affected. What is Community Policing? No universally accepted definition of community policing.As an approach to policing, it can best be described as onsisting of a broad range of strategies designed to improve policing by connecting police more closely to local communities and supporting relationships. Includes programs such as: 0 Neighbourhood Watch 0 Crime Stoppers00 Blue-light Discos School Education Programs Development of specific community policing units The appointment of Liaison Officers (such as: YLOs /0MLOs ) and committees involving police and community members . Formalised relationships with other community agencies0(for example, sexual assault and domestic violence services, ambulance services, welfare service).Reform of procedures for dealing with some types of ffences – SOCIT (Secual Offences an d Child Abuse Investigation Teams Increased police presence, visibility and availability (for example, police on bicycles, shop fronts) Use of media to involve public in policing and crime prevention Police organising and hosting activities and programs – particularly for young people (such as the Ropes Program) Police learning and demonstrating the ‘art of negotiation' with difficult groups Police taking a more gentle/balanced approach to policing Community Policing Compared to the traditional approach to policing, community policing Aims to be more pro-active and pre-emptive. More concerned with peacekeeping and conflict resolution than crime fighting0 Based on complexities of local context and on building relationships Envisages police as part of the community and as needing to be responsive and answerable to it. Police Culture Police Culture in the United States Team B: Sean Milton, Shane Hunter, Joshua Nine, Tim Eichler, and Jason Fougere CJA/214 November 20, 2012 Bernard Fitchpatrick Needs to be 1,050-1400 words Police Culture in the United States Analyze police culture, including the significance of stress in policing The study in police culture started in 1960 and the 1970’s by the work of Cain and Banton in the United Kingdom and Skolnick and Westlesy in the United States.Even though the study work wasn’t specifically concerned with police culture but rather sociological analysis of police officer and police work, it provided a wealth of material through the observation and analysis that was then later used to help formulate the theories of police culture. The characteristics of police culture have tended to remain static since the early days when first police researching program started. The literature on the police culture remained uncontenious for many years.Once the research started the results were rarely challenged and it is in only recent years that anyone has begun to see a body of work that is questioning these ‘core assumptions’ (Chan, 1997) about policing that has emanated from a culture analysis. It makes the police more then rather than less human than they have and reproduce their own culture. The police officer job is a very stressful job in many aspects, the occupational stressors as a cop rank most highly within the population were not specific to policing.The organization issues such as the demands of work impinging upon the life at home, lack of consultation and communication, the lack of control over workload, and the support and excess workload in general. The most recent study confirms previous findings of organization culture and workload as the key issues in officer stress. Given that the degree that symptomatology appears to be worsening, management action is required. Further research is indicated within the police population into a possible increased susceptibility in female officer proven by research.Analyze the culture for women and ethnic minorities in policing and how they can achieve equality in law enforcement Describe the internal and external mechanisms that control police discretion Conclusion * References * Grant, H. B. & Terry, K. J. 2012. Law Enforcement in the 21st Century, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall. * Walker, S. & Katz, C. M. 2011. The Police in America: An Introduction, 7th ed. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill. * University of Phoenix. (2011). CJ Interactive [Multimedia]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, CJA214 website. * * * * Police Culture Police Culture in the United States Team B: Sean Milton, Shane Hunter, Joshua Nine, Tim Eichler, and Jason Fougere CJA/214 November 20, 2012 Bernard Fitchpatrick Needs to be 1,050-1400 words Police Culture in the United States Analyze police culture, including the significance of stress in policing The study in police culture started in 1960 and the 1970’s by the work of Cain and Banton in the United Kingdom and Skolnick and Westlesy in the United States.Even though the study work wasn’t specifically concerned with police culture but rather sociological analysis of police officer and police work, it provided a wealth of material through the observation and analysis that was then later used to help formulate the theories of police culture. The characteristics of police culture have tended to remain static since the early days when first police researching program started. The literature on the police culture remained uncontenious for many years.Once the research started the results were rarely challenged and it is in only recent years that anyone has begun to see a body of work that is questioning these ‘core assumptions’ (Chan, 1997) about policing that has emanated from a culture analysis. It makes the police more then rather than less human than they have and reproduce their own culture. The police officer job is a very stressful job in many aspects, the occupational stressors as a cop rank most highly within the population were not specific to policing.The organization issues such as the demands of work impinging upon the life at home, lack of consultation and communication, the lack of control over workload, and the support and excess workload in general. The most recent study confirms previous findings of organization culture and workload as the key issues in officer stress. Given that the degree that symptomatology appears to be worsening, management action is required. Further research is indicated within the police population into a possible increased susceptibility in female officer proven by research.Analyze the culture for women and ethnic minorities in policing and how they can achieve equality in law enforcement Describe the internal and external mechanisms that control police discretion Conclusion * References * Grant, H. B. & Terry, K. J. 2012. Law Enforcement in the 21st Century, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall. * Walker, S. & Katz, C. M. 2011. The Police in America: An Introduction, 7th ed. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill. * University of Phoenix. (2011). CJ Interactive [Multimedia]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, CJA214 website. * * * *

Maternity Leave Essay

Maternity leave benefits is found under the Article 133 of the Labor Code and Section 14-A of â€Å"Social Security Act of 1997†³ (Republic Act No. 8282). Checklist for Availment of Maternity Benefits under Social Security Act The pregnant woman employee must have paid at least three monthly contributions within the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage. She has given the required notification of her pregnancy through her employer if employed, or to the SSS if separated, voluntary or self-employed member. Maternity Leave Under Article 133(a) of the Labor Code, â€Å"Every employer shall grant to any pregnant woman employees who has rendered an aggregate service of at least six months for the last twelve months, maternity leave of at least two weeks prior to the expected date of delivery and another four weeks after normal delivery or abortion, with full pay based on her regular or average weekly wages.† From the above provision, a qualified pregnant woman employee shall be entitled maternity leave of at least two weeks prior to expected date of delivery and another four weeks after normal delivery or abortion. That’s a total of six weeks maternity leave. (Note: Article 133, particularly provisions pertaining to benefits and procedure for availment, must give way to Social Security Act.) Leave extension Maternity leave may be extended on account of illness arising out of the pregnancy, delivery, abortion or miscarriage, which renders the woman unfit for work. Extended maternity leave is without pay, but may be charged against any unused leave credits. Maternity Benefits under SSS Law A pregnant woman member of SSS who has paid at least three monthly contributions in the twelve-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage shall be paid a daily maternity benefit. Amount SSS maternity benefit shall be equivalent to 100% of the pregnant employee’s average daily salary credit for 60 days, or 78 days in case of caesarian delivery. Time of payment The full payment of maternity benefits shall be advanced by the employer within 30 days from the filing of the maternity leave application. Who makes the payment The SSS shoulders the payment of maternity benefits. But the procedure is that the payment is to be initially advanced by the employer, subject to immediate reimbursement by SSS. Checklist for Availment The pregnant woman employee must have paid at least three monthly contributions within the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage. She has given the required notification of her pregnancy through her employer if employed, or to the SSS if separated, voluntary or self-employed member. â€Å"3-monthly Contribution† Illustration To avail of maternity benefits, the woman employee must have paid at least three monthly contributions within the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage. A semester refers to two consecutive quarters ending in the quarter of contingency; A quarter refers to three consecutive months ending March, June, September or December. To illustrate, assume that the projected date of delivery is March 2010. The semester of childbirth would be from October 2009 to March 2010. This is called the semester of contingency. Count 12 months backwards starting from the month immediately before the semester of contingency, which is September 2009. Hence, the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of childbirth or miscarriage is from October 2008 to September 2009. To avail of the benefits, the employee must have paid at least 3 monthly contributions during this period. Note that this requirement supersedes Article 133, which requires that the woman employees must have rendered an aggregate service of at least six months for the last twelve months. Valid marriage not required Unlike in paternity leave where valid marriage is a requisite for availment, the existence of a valid marriage is not required to avail of maternity leave benefits. Limitation on Availment Entitlement to maternity leave under the Labor Code and maternity benefits under the SSS Law applies only for the first four delivery. Bar to recovery of sickness benefits. That payment of daily maternity benefits is a bar to the recovery of SSS sickness benefits for the same period for which daily maternity benefits have been received. Effect of Failure of Employer to Remit Contribution. If the employer fails to remit the required contributions, or to notify SSS of the time of the pregnancy, the employer shall pay to the SSS damages equivalent to the benefits which said employee member would otherwise have been entitled to. Tax Treatment of Meternity Benefit Maternity benefits advanced by employer to employee are excluded from gross income and thus exempt from withholding tax. Under the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), all â€Å"benefits received from or enjoyed under the Social Security System in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 8282†³ shall not be included in gross income and shall be exempt from taxation. (Section 32 [B][6][e], NIRC) What You Should Know About Maternity Leave Benefits in the Philippines? Maternity Leave Benefit in the Philippines varies depending on your employment. This article only covers employees from the private sector . According to Book III Title III Chapter 1 of the Philippine Labor Code [Presidential Decree No. 422, as Amended]: ART. 133. Maternity leave benefits. – (a) Every employer shall grant to any pregnant woman employee who has rendered an aggregate service of at least six (6) months for the last twelve (12) months, maternity leave of at least two (2) weeks prior to the expected date of delivery and another four (4) weeks after normal delivery or abortion with full pay based on her regular or average weekly wages. The employer may require from any woman employee applying for maternity leave the production of a medical certificate stating that delivery will probably take place within two weeks. (b) The maternity leave shall be extended without pay on account of illness medically certified to arise out of the pregnancy, delivery, abortion or miscarriage, which renders the woman unfit for work, unless she has earned unused leave credits from which such extended leave may be charged. (c) The maternity leave provided in this Article shall be paid by the employer only for the first four (4) deliveries by a woman employee after the effectivity of this Code. Furthermore, Republic Act No. 7322 AN ACT INCREASING MATERNITY BENEFITS IN FAVOR OF WOMEN WORKERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14-A OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1161, AS AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES states: SECTION 1. Section 14-A of Republic Act No. 1161, as amended, is further amended to read as follows: SEC. 14-A. Maternity Leave Benefit. – A covered female employee who has paid at least three monthly maternity contributions in the twelve-month period preceding the semester of her childbirth, abortion or miscarriage and who is currently employed shall be paid a daily maternity benefit equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of her present basic salary, allowances and other benefits or the cash equivalent of such benefits for sixty (60) days subject to the following conditions: (a) That the employee shall have notified her employer of her pregnancy and the probable date of her childbirth which notice shall be transmitted to the SSS in accordance with th e rules and regulations it may provide; (b) That the payment shall be advanced by the employer in two equal installments within thirty (30) days from the filing of the maternity leave application: (c) That in case of caesarean delivery, the employee shall be paid the daily maternity benefit for seventy-eight (78) days; (d) That payment of daily maternity benefits shall be a bar to the recovery of sickness benefits provided by this Act for the same compensable period of sixty (60) days for the same childbirth, abortion, or miscarriage; (e) That the maternity benefits provided under this Section shall be paid only for the first four deliveries after March 13, 1973; (f) That the SSS shall immediately reimburse the employer of one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of maternity benefits advanced to the employee by the employer upon receipt of satisfactory proof of such payment and legality thereof; and (g) That if an employee should give birth or suffer abortion or miscarriage without the required contributions having been remitted for her by her employer to the SSS, or without the latter having been previously notified by the employer of the time of the pregnancy, the employer shall pay to the SSS damages equivalent to the benefits which said employee would otherwise have been entitled to, and the SSS shall in turn pay such amount to the employee concerned.† SEC. 2. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to diminish existing maternity benefits under present laws and collective bargaining agreements. SEC. 3. All laws, executive orders, prodamations,.presidential decrees, rules and regulations, and other issuances, or parts hereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes earlier. In short, you are entitled to a 60 days maternity leave (78 if you had a caesarean delivery) provided that: 1. you have notified your employer of your pregnancy including your estimated delivery date; 2. you are an active SSS member and employee at the time of your delivery; 3. you have paid a minimum of three month contribution to SSS within the 12-month period prior to your delivery (miscarriage); and 4. this is your first, second, third or fourth pregnancy (and/or miscarriage) So remember, Once you’ve confirmed your pregnancy (usually once you’ve got your first ultrasound), make sure to file the necessary papers to notify your company. This is around 6-8 weeks of pregnancy. It’s very important that you file early so you can avail of your benefits should anything happen to you like miscarriage or other complication that would require you to take an early leave. File your maternity leave early. Your company is mandated by law to give you your maternity benefit within 30 days of filling. They usually release advance payment before your leave if you file it on time. Otherwise, you might have to after giving birth. Company may have other policies about maternity benefits, so make sure to review your contract and talk to your company’s HR personnel so know what you’re entitled to. Also once you’ve given birth, don’t forget to submit all the necessary documents to your HR so they can submit them to SSS for reimbursement. You would need to submit following: SSS Form MAT-1 and MAT-2, your child’s birth certificate, your SSS ID, obstetrical history and operating record for caesarean delivery. The SSS forms are available in your HR department or you can get a copy at sss.gov.ph. The full list of requirements is also available in the site. When I posted about maternity leave benefits in my old blog, a lot of people ask why some of them got less than their 60-day salary. The maternity benefit you are entitled as an SSS member is 100% of your average daily salary credit multiplied by 60 (78) days. The details of the computation can be found here. You’ll also see there that the maximum salary credit per day is around Php 500 so at most, you’ll be able to receive around Php 30,000 for normal delivery and Php 39,000 for caesarean delivery. Self-employeed SSS members and also voluntary SSS members are also entitled to this same SSS Maternity Benefits as long as they meet the requirements mentioned above. The only difference is they do the filing and notification directly to SSS. I work in the government sector. Am I entitled to maternity leave? Every pregnant employee is entitled to maternity leave but the conditions change depending on several factors. If you are a government employee, you are allowed to take a maternity leave of 60 calendar days with pay, whether you deliver via normal or cesarean delivery. You are also entitled to maternity benefits in full if you have been working for your government office or agency for at least two years. If you have rendered service for more than a year but less than two years, you will receive maternity benefits in proportion to your length of service. (And half-pay if you have been working there for less than one year.) Maternity leave covers both childbirth and miscarriage. The law provides minimum requirements that you can expect from your employer. Talk to your human resources manager or administrative officer to find out if your employer provides greater maternity benefits than the required minimum. Read your employment contract or collective bargaining agreement carefully and see what it says about your employer’s policy on maternity leaves and benefits. I work for a private company. What maternity benefits am I entitled to? A private sector employee is entitled to take a leave with full pay for 60 calendar days (for normal delivery) or 78 calendar days (for cesarean delivery) as long as certain conditions are met: * You are an SSS member employed at the time of delivery or miscarriage. * You have previously notified your employer about your pregnancy and due date. * You have paid at least three monthly contributions to the SSS within the 12-month period preceding your semester of childbirth or miscarriage. * Understand that you can claim maternity benefits only for your first four deliveries, including miscarriages. What do you mean by semester of childbirth? This is the six-month period prior to your giving birth. For example, if you expect to give birth in June 2012, your semester of childbirth is the period from January 2012 to June 2012. What about the three monthly contributions preceding the semester of childbirth? SSS requires that in the 12 months preceding your semester of childbirth (if you’re due in June 2012, then the period is January to December 2011), you should have paid at least 3 monthly contributions. This 12-month period is important because they will determine how much maternity pay to give you based on your monthly salary during this 12-month period. SSS has a formula for computing your maternity benefit using your six highest monthly credits. What do I have to submit to my employer? Make sure that you: * Give your employer a notice of your pregnancy and due date by submitting SSS Form MAT-1(Maternity Notification Form) at least 60 days from the time you know about your pregnancy and proof of pregnancy, such as laboratory test results, ultrasound report and a medical certificate from your doctor. Your employer will then submit these documents to the SSS. * Maternity leave covers both childbirth and miscarriage. The law provides the minimum requirements that you can expect from your employer. Some companies give more than the minimum requirements. Talk to your human resources manager or administrative officer so you’ll know what your company offers. It would be good to read your employment contract or collective bargaining agreement and learn more about your employer’s policy on maternity leaves and benefits. Your company’s maternity policy may be better than the legal minimum. Thus your entitlements could be different from those of your colleagues or friends working for other companies. Find out exactly what your entitlements are by contacting: * your human resources or personnel manager * your labor union representative * the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office in your place of work Before taking maternity leave File your maternity leave application a few weeks before the start of your leave. You will want to give your employer enough time to make arrangements and ensure that the company is not affected by your absence. The common practice is to go on leave two weeks before your due date so you can have enough time to prepare for the birth of your child. How do I claim my SSS maternity benefits? You may claim your SSS maternity benefits directly from your employer in full within 30 calendar days from the filing of your maternity leave application. Your employer is required to pay the amount of the claim in advance, subject to reimbursement by the SSS. You also need to submit other documents such as: * SSS Form MAT-1 and MAT-2 * your child’s birth certificate * operating room records for cesarean delivery * obstetrical history in cases of miscarriage or abortion * your SSS I.D.

After anne frank Essay Example For Students

After anne frank Essay After anne frank Essays diary, It continues onward to grim results. During their hiding in the secret annexe, a Dutch informer hinted to the Gestapo (German Police) that the frank family was in hiding. On August 4, 1944, the Frank family was discovered and sent Gestapo Headquarters in Amsterdam. The Franks, Van Daans and Mr. Dussel were sent to Westorbork in Holland. On September 3, the Allies captured Brussels and the Franks Along with the Van Daans were the last ones to be sent on a freight train with seventy-five people per car. Each car was sealed tight with only one window. For three days and nights the train ventured across Germany to reach its final destination, Auschwitz in Poland. There the Franks and the Van Daans were then sent to concentration camps. There the conditions were horrible. Healthier prisoners shaved their heads and worked twelve hours a day digging sod controlled by the merciless Kapos, Criminals who served the SS as labor overseers. In October 1944, Anne, Margot and Mrs. Van Daan were among a group were sent to Belsen in Germany. Mrs. Frank died in the infirmary back at Auschwitz. Otto Frank survived to be liberated by the Russians. Margot died February or March of 1945. Anne died soon after. This tells you the reason why the Franks went into hiding that long while and why hiding from everybody, your friends, your family was the sacrifice you had to take to stay out of these death camps. .

Ex3 Music Assignment answer the questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ex3 Music answer the questions - Assignment Example Sitar India idiophone it is a gourd Idiophone 13. Nay (Nai) Middle East Chordophone flute 14. Buk or Puk Korea Membranophone leather drums Short Essay 15. The only of Islam that uses music is the children’s songs. These are however considered secular though under the Islam religion. They are written in Arabic. 16. Tala is the term used to describe the rhythmic patterns of any composition and the whole subject of rhythm in the Indian classical music. A tala can also be termed as the regular repeating of a rhythmic phrase. The country that uses tala is India in classical music. 17. The three layers of Indian music are; 1. The melodic layer. This layer is made up by a melodic soloist and an accompanist. The voice is the main component of melody though other melodic instruments such as violin, vina, bansuri, nagasvaram and saxophone may be used. 2. A percussion layer. In this layer, a percussion instrument known as mridangam is used. This is double-headed drum. Tavil, tambourine, mouth trap and a clay pot are some other examples of percussion instruments that can be used to supplement mridangam. 3. The drone or scruti layer. This is the layer that is often played by specialized instruments such as tambura which is a four-stringed plucked instrument with a buzzing timber. 18. Vajrayana Buddhism is practised in India. It is considered the fifth and the final period of Indian Buddhism. 19. Some of the countries that form Zen Buddhism include; China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. 20. The notable predecessors of Japanese Geisha were Saburuko, who had come into existence in the 17th century and the Shirabyoshi who emerged during the late Heian. 21. Nongak is a Korean folk music tradition that consists of drumming, dancing and singing. The performances are done outside, with tens of players, all in constant motion. It falls under the pungmul style of Korean music. 22. Slendro and pelog are the two oldest essential scales of gamelan music that are natives to Bali and Ja va in Indonesia. 23. King Bumibol of Thailand composes Jazz music. He is commonly referred to as â€Å"The Jazzy King†. 24. They believe that the Venus is the morning star that represents the spirits of their god Munyal that whispers to them how to dance and how to sing for each living thing. They listen to his instructions and they come as ideas. 25. Met allophone is any musical instrument in which the sound is produced by striking metal bars of varying pitches. Examples include Gangsa and Fangxiang. 26. The two Korean genres that were once Buddhist rituals are Jeongak and salpuri. Kathak dance is the Indian dance that is performed in theatres but used to be a religious dance. 27. These are the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. Countries they were experienced include china, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. 28. It can be used to refer to leather constructed puppets theatre. These puppets are carefully chiselled and supported by buffalo horn handles and control rods. It can also be used to refer to the ancient Indonesian art of shadow play. They are found in Indonesia. 29. This is the positive thinking towards music making. Examples include Flemish far-right, multiversity, axiological and rigorous fusion. 30. Tibetan â€Å"Primordial A† is a musical album that is produced in the Tibetan language by Primordial. The album contains two discs. The first disc has eight songs and the second one has ten songs. The Chinese music follows a high level of cosmos. The lyrics of

Waiting for the Barbarians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Waiting for the Barbarians - Essay Example The book waiting for the Barbarians is one such book written by a linguistic and novelist Coetzee that highlighted some tentative strategies in the question of torture. In the book, he admits torture to be a threatening and a dark fascination on his life. While bringing out the vivid theme of torture in the dark African country, Coetzee faces many dilemmas, for instance, in the dark chamber where his moral judgment is challenged whether to find a middle way between ignoring the obscenities or being part of the obscenities. In as much as torture is necessary in many instances, the question, which the paper attempts to address, is whether torture was necessary while waiting for the Barbarians. The elite unit of colonel Joll and their treatment to the Barbarians is a case in point where torture gets exhibited. He is an administrative officer in charge of running the empire where he get rumors that the natives of the land (Barbarians) are coming back to fight for their land. He is not ha ppy with the idea; therefore, conducts an expedition in the land beyond the frontier. He organizes himself and arrives in one of his government outposts where he is determined to gather information from the local band of uncivilized Barbarians (Coetzee 34). The Barbarians represent an omniscient and present outside threat to the colonel who cannot sit back and wait for the attack. They are seeking to trample security of Colonel Joll and safety of the empire, a factor that does not make the colonel calm and instead uses every means possible to prevent the attack, which is likely to affect the strength of his empire. Instead of using peaceful means, he captures prisoners in a dubious way, which makes him wonder whether there was an army to attack his kingdom. This is because he finds the natives to of similarity to nomadic heathens rather than the barbarian army he suspected. However, he does not stop at this point questioning his intelligence by committing a series of torture on the natives to â€Å"confess† the details and whereabouts of the Barbarians. Although the magistrate is not happy with the way, he handles things he does not intervene or make an attempt of stopping since he understands the barbarian manner. In as much as their confessions and the nature of torture were too much, the truth behind the confessions was only because of torture. This leaves many questions whether the torture was necessary as one prisoner it killed one a prisoner and left another partially black haired woman partially blind (Coetzee 44). The torture of the barbarian girl is another instance where questions arise on the need for torture. She is one of the captives of colonel Joll who gets subjected to punishment with the aim of getting information. The torture vicariously eliminates the validation behind torture as the little girl is left partially blind. Coetzee, for instance, laments, â€Å"the true challenge is how to play the game by the rules of the state, how to establish own authority, how to imagine torture and death on one own terms.† (Coetzee 13) This is a moral question, which makes Coetzee wondering the reasons behind the colonel’s action, where he kills one of the captives, based on his own terms. The magistrate sympathizes with the little girl taking her to his house where he offers her a job as a cook. At a tender age, she receives sexual assault at the magistrate’

The Disappearing Data Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Disappearing Data Center - Essay Example In addition, the system should have adequate authentication, access control and administration. The company should therefore examine the authentication options that are available, for instance, whether the system has trusted proxy, good security measures and so on. Comparatively, should access whether the technology and hosting are fit for purpose and is scalable. The company should determine whether the hardware is modern, reliable, the development cycle of the system, its ease in integrating with other systems and so on. Therefore, in a nut shell, when deciding where to host their system, the companies should evaluate the system’s navigation and interface, content production and workflow, authentication, access control and administration, and the fitness level of the technology and hosting. Other considerations could comprise of whether the operating system, scripting software and server software meet the purpose of the company. Many small businesses are moving towards cloud computing as a way of saving their costs and attaining sophisticated and powerful hardware (Plant 2009). However, there are several issues surrounding moving a company’s data center to the cloud computing. Some of the issues facing companies that have opted for cloud computing include the following;- First, cloud computing brings with it issues to deal with the security of the company’s data transfer. This is because all the information that travels between the company network and the cloud passes through the and therefore there is a chance that hackers could distort it. Due to this, the management should ensure that their systems are well secured through the use of internet security measures such as encryption, proxy, industry standard protocols and so on. Equally important, the use of software interfaces could be a major issue affecting cloud computing. The use of a weak set of software interface could expose the company to various

Philip Island Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philip Island - Essay Example Enroute to the Philip Island the Cranbourne, Richmond, Tooradin and San Remo cities were also superficially studied to examine the impact of urbanization as well as tourism on these cities. I. Cranbourne: Melbourne, on its south east seemed to be rapidly expanding into the agricultural estates of Cranbourne. The transition of agricultural lands to residential plots as an answer to the growing needs of people daily commuting to city was clearly evident. The houses were usually single storeyed made up of bricks and tiles of medium blocks separated from each other. It provided space for business like news agencies, bakery and hardware stores. However agricultural practice and agricultural products were still evident. III. Tooradin: Tooradin is a rural area with rich darker clay sand where agriculture is the main occupation. But recent trend is that it supports tourism for holiday lovers who wish to spend quiet holidays and enjoy fishing. IV. San Remo: San Remo a former fishing village is well connected to Philip Island through the bridge. San Remo provides a better lodging and boarding facility at reasonable prices with excellent beach activities like fishing for tourists who visit Philip Island. The impacts from inappropriate changes due to urbanization such as conversion of agricultural land for residential purpose, deforestation, soil erosion, over population, transportation and other related problems could be resolved by implementing proper land use planning, construction practice, engineering, architecture, and design processes. Attractions in Philip Island V. Cape Woolamai Faunal Park: Cape Woolamai is the home to the short-tailed shearwaters on Philip Island. The sand dunes reveal the perfect interaction between the lithosphere-the sand and rock, the atmosphere-the wind, and the biosphere components- marram grass and the spinifers. The vegetation is completely covered by the dunes due to winds. Sand for the beach of Woolamai mainly comes from the erosion of cliff coast present towards the east of coast of cape Woolamai. Attempts are being such as car not allowed on sand dunes, making exclusive car parking facility, people not allowed to walk on vegetation, regulations to impose fines if violated etc., are made to prevent erosion of sand dunes which formed due to long shore drifts. VI. Cowes: Cowes is the principal township of Philip Island lying on the northern side facing French Island and Western Port Bay. The Cowes have safe beaches with fine sand caused by the deposition of waves. Waves are small and not too wild providing a safe zone for beach swimming and boating. Piers have been constructed on the shores. The waves are harsher near the rocks, eroding them. VII. The Nobbies: The Nobbies are at the western most end of the Philip Island. It is a strong volcanic rock which is more resistant to erosion. It is a popular tourist destination with a blowhole, a spectacular sea cave that thunders during big southern swells. The Nobbies boardwalk

Impacts of Globalization on Development Notions Essay

Impacts of Globalization on Development Notions - Essay Example Globalization enhances the prosperity of the economies and leads to efficient resource allocation. Prosperous economies and proper allocation of resources result in increased employment opportunities, high outputs, lowered prices of goods, and high standards of living. Due to increased trade, direct foreign investments, flexibility of countries to operate across borders, and enhanced communications, there is an easy access to information, and easier delivery of goods and services. Realizing this situation, the people in various countries get fast access to goods and services saving time and concentrating to develop their economies. When more investors come to an area, the people get employment opportunities leading to increased income thus boosts their living standards. Similarly, better access to information allows the people to realize the global market price of goods and services to avoid unnecessary expenses. However, critics of globalization emphasize that the concept fosters of fshoring and outsourcing, which leads to the destruction of the manufacturing sector of the developing nations. Globalization stimulates reforms in institutions and supports financial developments. The conception of economic globalization in relation to capital accounts and trade elevates the quality of the financial institutions. Further, these institutions create and uphold robust property rights, better financial guidelines, and sound legal systems that are critical in the promotion of financial development.

Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act Research Paper

Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act - Research Paper Example In addition, the team conducted a research of former attempts that have been made in addressing the issue in question (Payne, 2015). The subsequent part of the essay covers the stakeholder analysis where issues related to them have been discussed. The section also provides the stakeholders who are adversely affected by the problem associated with the Act. The stakeholders have different objectives that are with policies that are implemented by the relevant institutions. Conversely, the section discusses how stakeholders are affected by the implementation of the Act. The next section provides alternative solutions that can be used to resolve the issue related to the Indiana Religious Act. In addition, an evaluation of the possible outcomes of the alternatives has been provided. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the alternatives given to mitigating the problem that arise from the application of the policy in the business environment. Lastly, the last section provides the anticipated future trend of the problem (Robertson and Pà ©rez-Peà ±a, 2015). The Act was introduced in Indiana after it was enacted by the Governor of the State. One of the problems that have been widely associated with the Act is that it discriminates certain groups of people in the society. Critics argue that the move to introduce the policy was intended to exclude particular groups such as the gay community in the business sector. In the year 1993, President Bill Clinton signed a law allowing states to have their religious laws. The senators who participated passing the law voted overwhelming in support of the law. However, it was established the Indiana State operated in contrast to the legislation of the federal government. The decision to allow states to come up with their religion created a loophole in the legal system where the state of Indiana legalized gay marriage. The decision to allow gay marriage in State came with negative implications especially to

Financial accounting and Managerial use Essay Example for Free

Financial accounting and Managerial use Essay Background LJB Company , a small business local distributor who understands to go public in the future, the company should be in accordance with the law and may need to take more stringent internal control principles. At the request of the president, an independent internal evaluation of internal controls was conducted to evaluate the direction of strength and weakness. Objective The objectives of this report should evaluate the existing controls and make recommendations that will ensure the companies assets and help get the most accurate financial information. Based on a system of internal checks and balances will be just in my recommendations to the president of the company, since most of the internal control systems provide for independent internal control; This principle involves the review of data prepared by employees. To get the maximum benefit from an independent internal control : Control values and Integrity from the top make it clear that it is unethical activities will not be accepted, and set the tone for the companys culture . There are several principles of management : 1. Establishment of responsibility: management is most effective when a single source may be responsible for the problem, including the authorization and approval of transactions. Weakness: LJB has only one accountant who serves as treasurer and controller , which can optimize the processes , but it creates an inherent risk . Cashier handled informally . Accountant is so busy that the company handles the checkout bit differently . All employees have access to the petty cash drawer and just put a note asking if they use any of the cash. Recommendation: * Align the specific obligations of employees to limit access to authorized employees so that the buyer is not the same person who authorizes the payment without the approval of the head at least . Otherwise , a person may make payments that are made to yourself. * Use unique passwords per employee to protect the purchasing system to provide adequate documents and records management. * Assign petty cash custodian. 2 . Segregation of duties : After one employee should , without duplication of effort , provide a sound basis for evaluating the work of another employee. 2 * Strength: Accountant receives the checks and completes the monthly bank reconciliation. This force , as the bank and the company maintain independent records , which may not always agree on what may be a simple mistake of either party. To maintain maximum benefits , a worker who has no other duties associated with cash should prepare a reconciliation. * Weakness: The same accountant all purchases of supplies and pays for these purchases per hour is a dual role . Petty cash handled all . * Recommendation: 1. Divide the purchase task to avoid the temptation of possible abuse. Keeper of the petty cash fund makes payments , but the reviews accountant to recharge . 2 . Require the authorization of the buyer and payment of employees on vacation at different times of the year. 3 . Documentation and procedures to provide evidence that the transactions and events occurred * Strength: Accountant recently started using pre- numbered invoices. * Weaknesses: Unclear procedures for shipping requirements , invoices and time signatures in developing accounting documents . All employees are required only to leave a note in the box , not supply a receipt. * Recommendation: * Delivery document indicates well have been shipped, invoice sales means that the client has been announced. Use remittance advice (mail receipts ) , cash register tapes, and deposit slips . * Require signature to identify the person responsible for the activity . * If possible , the user pre- numbered documents . It also helps to ensure that the transaction is no recorded several times or not at all . * Require time when documents should be sent in accounting for timely accounting. * Require receipts for most, if not all operations on a small number of dollars. Note: accountant wants to buy an indelible ink machine to print their checks. I would recommend the purchase of this equipment , depending on the cost-benefit analysis . Keep blank checks in safes with limited access will  be my first suggestion to cut spending immediately , with no additional costs. | 4 . Physical control can be mechanical and electronic asset protection . * Strength: Before leaving for the weekend accountant , accountant will move checks in a safe in his office . * Weakness: For salaries , checks selected accountant and left in his office for pick-up . Cashier box is not locked. * Recommendation: * Closed storage inventory and records management and control at all times, and not just for the weekend . * Alarm to prevent tampering if appropriate cost benefit * Closed petty cash . 5 . Independent internal verification includes an overview and comparison of the data to reconcile * Strength: Does not work . * Weaknesses: Unclear procedures requirements signatures , such as small cash transactions. Accountant is so busy that the company handles the checkout bit differently . All employees have access to the petty cash drawer and just put a note asking if they use any of the cash. * Recommendation: 1. Require an accountant to examine receipts and documents to verify costs to replenish funds. 2 . Surprise internal audits 6. Office of Human Resources * Strength: Employees seem to stay with the company for a long time and seems to be loyal . * Weakness: The President is still quite embarrassed because he was forced to fire one of their employees for viewing pornography on a company computer. He later learned that this man was a convicted felon who served time for molesting children. The Company had a hard time getting the employee to admit that this is it, because the company does not assign individual passwords. The President expressed his disappointment because he and an accountant and an interview and approve all new employees. * Recommendation: 1. Perform back ground checks and verify education credentials 2 . Check references , but never used the figures provided a reference sheet 3 . Employees bonds that deal cash 4 . Assign unique passwords for employees Conclusion: There are limitations of internal control , but they must provide reasonable assurance that assets are protected and accounting are accurate. Currently, as a small company LJB can not have a very complicated system of internal control , but must recognize the reality of the law for trading companies with the public are held at a higher level of compliance . LJB Company does some things right , but there are several areas for improvement . Literature : http://map.ais.ucla.edu/go/1002631 Paul D. Kimmel , Jerry J. Weygandt, Donald Kieso 2010 Business Economics http://www.macomb.edu/About+Macomb/College+Policies/Policies/Guidelines+for+Purchasing+Activities.htm https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance//fin106c07.pdf http://www.brockport.edu/intcontrol/questions.html

Market and company overview of pret a manger

Market and company overview of pret a manger Prà ªt a Manger established in 1986 by two college friends Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe (who also is the founder of Itsu sushi bar/restaurant). It is a UK based sandwich retailer, which now is an international business (Prà ªt). They named the company Prà ªt a Manger, which in French means ready to eat (see Appendix 1.0) Rix (2004) states, a product is a set of tangible attributes in an identifiable form and he adds, each product is identified by a commonly understood descriptive (p. 199). Prà ªt produces sandwiches, filled baguettes, soup, salad and coffee. It also prepares desserts, muffins (the American variety), cakes, and croissants. Some locations also serve sushi and noodles. Prà ªt has a range of vegetarian options including roasted vegetable sandwiches and hummus wraps. In marketing though, customers seek to purchase its quality and benefits (Rix, 2004). Prà ªt essentially provides fresh fast food made with natural ingredients. They are passionate about freshness all food is made fresh in the shop on the day of purchase. Sandwiches are packaged in paperboard rather than sealed plastic, to emphasise that they are fresh and cannot be kept overnight. Some packaging contains recipes for some of their products; these are for people who want to make sandwiches like Prà ªts for themselves. Mor eover, Prà ªt also provides a delivery service for orders over  £30 minimum. Service can be identified as activities that meet customers needs or wants solely on intangible benefits (Rix, 2004). Their services are excellent; the staff are friendly, always greet with civility, approachable and enthusiastic, which makes their customers feel welcome (ref). Rix (2004) states Marketers are increasingly being faced with a choice between profitably satisfying the wants of their customers and complying with the wishes of various other groups in the community (p. 5). Prà ªt is aimed at the middle to upper class including white-collar workers and businessmen and women who use it regularly to have a coffee before work, especially the City type customers (ref). Therefore, Prà ªt stores are normally found near the train or tube stations, affluent places such as Canary Wharf, and cities such as Central London. These are places where will be more consumers that they are targeting at. Prets competitors include Starbucks, Costa, Nero and Eat. Relatively speaking, Starbucks is the biggest competitor since it is the largest coffeehouse business in the world. Companies that anticipate changes in consumer behaviour and respond with new gods and services are likely to achieve long-term health and profitability. But companies that change consumer behaviour have the opportunity to make major breakthroughs in new markets and industries (Hoffman et al. 2005) Already there are about 240 Prà ªt shops, which are mainly based in the UK. Statistically, their yearly turnover is approximately  £270 million a year (see Appendix 1.1) Task 1 P 1.1 Situation Analysis A thorough analysis of the situation in which the firm finds itself serves as the basis for identifying opportunities to satisfy unfulfilled customer needs (City of London Academy, Edition 1). Need to be changed One of procedures of the marketing planning is the marketing audit, which plays a huge part that constantly is being conducted throughout the whole process. It is to study internal factors, while also anticipates stakeholders and external factors. The Chartered Institute of Marketing says: Carrying out the marketing audit provides the opportunity to review and appraise your whole marketing activity, enabling you to assess past and present performance as well as to provide the basis for evaluating possible future courses of action. (year) Marketing audit breaks down into two categories: The microenvironment is the forces close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers (Kotler et al. 1998, pp. 885-886). This is focusing on the internal business experiences, where an organization has a complete control, giving this opportunity to improve the business. The macro-environment is the larger societal forces that affect the whole microenvironment (Kotler et al. 1998, pp. 885-886). This is the external factors, where a business barely or has absolute no control on, that changes may adversely affect the organisation. (ref) SWOT analysis is a method, which came from the research conducted at Stanford Research Institute. It draws all the evidence from several analytical techniques used, provides basic useful information of developing the business, marketing objectives or aims and new products into the market. Prà ªt undertakes a SWOT analysis, which its abbreviation is Strengths, the strong features and positions of the company, Weaknesses, where the company needs to improve in order to maintain the best image of the business as possible internal issues, Opportunities, where the company can grab chances to better themselves and to expand their reputation, and Threats, where the company relish challenges that may affect the business external issues (Rix, 2004). Example of SWOT analysis is shown below: Table 1: (1.1 Explanation of SWOT analysis) Strengths Non-stop producing new products. Often do offers. Prices are cheap and affordable. Always create new advertisements. Services are fast and easy. Weaknesses Products are not healthy. Advertise unhealthy products i.e. burgers Contributes to obesity. Loaded with sugar. Opportunities Exploitation of interest in healthier eating. Sponsoring could help the business their sales. Home deliveries service Threats International exchange rate Increasing labours wages Competitors pricing Competitors invent similar products, might be better. Source: The researcher PEST is an analysis of external factors, generally considered to be outside the control of a business. The PEST analysis is to identify both presents and futures opportunities and threats. PEST stands for Political; Economic; Social and Technology (ref). Clear explanation of each of these are shown in the following: Table 2: (1.1 Explanation of PEST) Political These are factors that are controlled by the government policies. Economic These factors are related to political and are concerned about interest rates, exchange rate, economic growth and income levels. Social Concerning the factors of age, size of families, healthy lifestyle and religions. Technology Factors concern such as computers, machineries, motor vehicles etc. Source: The researcher P 1.2 A mission or vision statement is a statement that provides a signpost of where your business aims to be in the future (Chartered Institute of Marketing, ). Choose better one A mission statement has to be concise and explicitly explain that provides a clear view of Prà ªts intention to customers and stakeholders, what is their business and who their customers are. It also provides motivation within the organization, helps them to focus on accomplishing their objectives (ref). This helps marketer to make informed decisions of suitable strategies and programs. Here are the two mission statements of Prà ªt: Turnover currently  £270 million: to increase 9% within 2 years time. To expand wider and open new stores this year: 3 new stores to be opened in Birmingham, (BBC News, 2010). According to media sources, Prà ªts turnover is constantly increased in the recent years. Although economic crisis has just ended, nonetheless the business somehow managed to make profits. This shows that the businesss financial situation is stable and secure. Table 3: (1.2 Marketing Mix for Prà ªt a Manager) Product Hoi sin Duck Wrap is a Cantonese style of wrap Prà ªt does. Inside the wrap has shredded roast duck, hoisin sauce, red onions, cucumber, leaf spinach and a touch of mayo in a tortilla wrap. The wrap contains nuts, sesame free, dairy free, GM free and high protein, which keeps customers full longer. Every single Pret store has its own kitchen, they make the product every single purchase day, to make sure it is fresh and healthy. Those left unsold at the end of the day, they will not be re-sold, but will be collected by the charities, and then given to those are homeless. Price This product quite pricey due to the qualities it contains, which cost  £2.95 each. This can be cost plus pricing, average cost of the product and service plus a profit margin; it has a high mark-up. Place The channels of distribution of this product will be service providers to consumers, as well as direct marketing through the website so the consumers can shop at home, but minimum of  £30. This product sells in a clean and pleasant environment, affluent places like the city, where the market targets will perform the desire behaviour. Usually during lunchtime, when this product can be purchased the most. Promotion Prà ªt promotes the product through word of mouth by informal communication about the product by ordinary individuals, satisfied customers or people specifically engaged to create word of mouth momentum. Sales staff often plays an important role in word of mouth. This promotion also includes leaflets, shop windows, and its own website, targeting at older group, middle and upper class groups. Source: wesite SWOT analysis is used to get something in the right position in the market and help in companys strategic planning. It must be done before Prà ªts product (Hoi Sin Duck Wrap) is launched and at regular intervals after that, also needs to spend resources to maximize profit and minimise potential threat (ref). The following table shows the SWOT analysis of Prà ªt that may influence their sales of the new product. Table 4: (1.2 SWOT Analysis for Prà ªt a Manager) Strengths Prà ªt is well known for handmade sandwiches, which are made with natural ingredients, and immaculate service, which the quality of products and customers are the companys priorities. The business also does delivery service that other sandwich bars do not provide, as well as online order. Thus, these advantages may aid to gain repeat sales of Hoi Sin Duck Wrap. Weaknesses Prà ªt is considerably to be one of the most expensive sandwich bars in the world. This also means that the business only has certain target audience and stores can be found in affluent areas only. Prà ªt stores are generally small that unable to provide sufficient seats for customers to eat in. Thus, the sales of Hoi Sin Duck Wrap will not be expectedly high. Opportunities Prà ªt does not franchise. The business could take this opportunity to franchise out; not only Prà ªt can gain popularity, the business can also earn some fees from franchising! Prà ªt does not involve a lot of advertisements. Advertising plays a major part in every organization Prà ªt should seriously think about advertisements on television and newspapers etc. Thus, Hoi Sin Duck Wrap is highly unreachable. Threats The risk of competitors entering the market. Competitors such as Starbucks often distribute discount vouchers. Customers are aware of the price and generally; they tend to go for cheaper options. Thus, Hoi Sin Duck Wraps product life cycle is predictably short. Source: website Prà ªt must consider on the external environment influences, which may have impact on its product. It is a strategic planning technique that provides a useful framework for analysing the environmental pressure on Prà ªt and its product (ref). Table 5: (1.2 PEST for Prà ªt a Manager) Political Economic Social Technology Source: The researcher Task 2 P 2.1 Marketing Barriers Barriers are vague obstacles that tend to thwart a marketing plan and unable to pass messages to external stakeholders. A marketer needs to understand and identify each of the barriers that they are confronting, in order to avoid scuppering the plan. Marketers generally realise these barriers when they manage to envisage a business is not growing or a prolonged unstable position (ref). These barriers can be both internal and external, and all must take into account: Not knowing your product Lack of knowledge in a businesss product and what services the business can provide to their customers can be an immense barrier to the business success. There will be no guarantee, security, customer loyalty, and number of complaints will increase, the business is ineffectual and needs improvement immediately. Whilst the business competitors understand their products, this can adversely affect the business turnover and repeat sales will not occur. Not knowing your competition If a researcher does not know where a business stands and positions of the business competitors, it is highly unlikely that the business can topple its competitors. Competitors study and observe their own competitors. This will give competitors the ideas how to better their performance. Gradually, competitors successfully satisfy customers and therefore eventually, the business will be ceased. Not understanding the market A product is ready to enter the market. However, if a researcher does not know what a business segmentations are can cause problems to the sales campaign. If the researcher does not know where these segments are, which segment should be regarded and disregarded, the marketing plan will not be effective. It is also concerned with costs. For example, the researcher does not study the environment for the business products, high premises cost, electricity and gas, the business will have no the potential to reach the top. Capital requirements The amount of financial resources that every new business enters a market is immense. Businesses such as manufacturing industries and building constructions are required extortionate machineries in order to run its business. Investments can also occur to existing businesses. For instance, investing in new product: finance availability for research and development, production, marketing etc. The investment risk is great, therefore creates barrier. However, there is a prospect of overthrowing the business competitors. Government policy This is concerned with macro-environment. Government policies sometimes are forced to halt competition. For example, laws and regulations such as product testing regulations, global warming and limits on access to raw materials can inhibit the growth of competitions due to licensing requirements. P 2.2 Solutions for marketing barriers Knowing your product It is vital to understand wholly and study what products and services that Prà ªt are providing, how they are functioned and any most recent information that a marketer should know. This will guide the marketer to the right direction and helps to plan a marketing strategy. Having knowledge of the companys products can laden relationships with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. For instance, customers expectations will be made, therefore sales enhance. Suppliers will be delighted to supply, as Prà ªt seems stable and able to meet payments on time. Knowing your competition It is important to know and learn about competitors. Competitors can be one of keys to a Prà ªts achievement, as researchers can study and observe the business competitors to acknowledge its weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This consists of competitive pricing, niche market availability, promotion, advertisements and other relevant useful information that can be learned. Understanding your market Researchers must know what are the target groups and who prà ªt is selling its products to. To conduct a market research can help researchers to understand the specific target audience and customers expectations in terms of price and quality. Methods of market research can be primary and/or secondary, quantitative and/or qualitative. Internet is a very effective tool that can help Prà ªt to overcome its barriers. Information and data that are needed can mostly be found online. Also, if researchers are struggling, good guidelines can also be found on the Internet. Until researchers are fulfilled with the results, decisions are then made and subsequently, implement a marketing plan. Task 3 P 3.1 In competitive world, companies need to produce new products to satisfy customer needs. A company cannot expect to continue growth or to maximise profit by relying exclusively on its existing products. The company must retain to control its market by continuous product innovation that involves complete new product development, product improvement, which is to discover different ways in improving existing products effectively, and imitative products, which means a copied product that is already exist in the market by other companies. It is essential to know how to manage a new product, which goes through its life cycle (Kotler et al., year) Every product has its life cycle, showing how long a product will last for. Product life cycle is the phases a product goes through from its introduction to its final decline (ref). The product life cycle has five main phases: Table 6: (3.1 Product Life Cycle) Induction This is the starting point, where a product has just begun its sales life. There is usually no profit making due to higher cost of marketing and development. Growth This is the period when a products sales has just set to rise, and the cost begins to fall due to economies of scale the more consumers purchase the product, the quicker the product will run out, therefore the more quantities of the product will be supplied by the suppliers. Maturity A sale is expanding at a slower rate and profits are soaring. More and more consumers purchase the product. The pricing may be lower due to greater competition. Saturation A market is begun to fall due to many other similar products, better products, out of date etc. The product will not be produced as much as it used to. Decline The ending of a product where the sales cannot survive again, therefore the price will be reduced more. The product then is withdrawn. Source: author , date Hoi Sin Duck Wrap is a product, which has been developed and marketed to Prets customers, and is currently market leader. Still as the researcher knowledge, there is no market follower for this product. Kotler et al. (year) believe a product tends to develop, improve and modify through research, as well as to identify, create and deliver the new product that has not emerged in the market yet. Every business must have its segmentation and targeting, its own branding and knowing relationship marketing in order to innovate flawlessly and increase demand. Segmentation technique is separated a market into groups, where there will be different segments requires and different market approaches. It is concerned on understanding customers lifestyles, preferences and aspirations. This can help businesses to find out what consumers are expected and their needs in order to develop products and increase overall demand. ACORN and MOSIAC help to identify groups consumers who are willing to purchase, therefore there will be a market for each product. Table 7: (3.1 Segmentation) ACORN A Classification Of Residential Neighborhoods, is a tool used to identify and understand the population and the demand for products and services. Businesses use this information to identify consumers needs and try to target at more consumers. Also identifying consumers age, income, employment, and type of holidays they go for etc. CACI Information Services develops classification of residential areas, market analysis and provides information. MOSIAC This is another classification to identify household types by combination of credit history, share ownership, postcode data etc. This can help businesses what type of characteristics they are aiming at. Source: author, date Segmentation technique also includes geographic, demographic, and psychographic. This can be developed so that it can create an effective marketing plan. Geographic This is a method to identify customer behavior information, such as consumer density, past purchasing behaviors etc, which may differ from other countries. Demographic This uses population factors based on variables such as age, gender family size, income, occupation, education, religion, race and nationality (ACORN). Psychographic A breakdown of consumers according to different characteristics, including the attitudes expectations and activities of consumers, their interests and lifestyles. Source: author, date Task 4 P 4.1 Marketing ethical is related to or concerning morals, justice or duty, based on ideas of right and wrong. Rules or laws that have already been set, everyday we make any decision may consider on those principles (Baker, 2006). There two main approaches in ethical identified by Rix (2004) are rules approach and outcomes approach. Rules approach is otherwise known as deontological. It is when rules must be strictly adhered, despite of the outcome. Rix (2004) states trust is one of the main keys of ethical rules in marketing. For instance, a products appearance is deceptive that lures a customer into purchasing the product, although it does not physically harm the customer is still ethically wrong. Likewise a company intends to maximise profit by conducting unethical approaches, such as making redundancies without a reason, the action is regard as unethical (Rix, 2004). Outcomes approach is otherwise known as teleological. It is occurred when an outcome is seemingly good and bad, dependi ng on the outcome prospective. For instance, Tesco brings a product into the market, but other groceries have had the product in the market already. Tesco set an unreasonable price for the product that is much lower than other competitors, which competitors accuse Tesco of unethical pricing. A contrary point of view from Tesco, that the outcome is beneficial to its stakeholders. If this action stays on, it may produce a greater amount of good than damaging others (Rix, 2004). P 4.2 Marketing mix is a tool that a company has the complete control. There are 4 main elements (4ps) in marketing mix, which are product, price, place and promotion. The fifth P, which is people, sometimes is added to demonstrate the relationship with customers. 2 further Ps are usually added within service industry, which are process and physical evidence (Lancaster and Reynolds, 1999). Conclusion

Essay --

Frank Carellini Professor Joseph J. Ellis Honors 290C Death Of A Financier: From Establishing America’s Credit To Financing The Revolution To Debtor’s Prison Amer ·i ·can noun É™-ˈmer-É™-kÉ™n, -ˈmÉ™r-, -ˈme-rÉ™- : A person born, raised, or living in the U.S. An American is defined as a person born, raised or living in the U.S. There are sacred grounds from which American roots clearly stem. There are words that instantaneously come to our minds when our American pride is questioned or insulted. Financial stability is not one of them. Passionate, idiosyncratic, united, diplomatic, relentless: these are the synonyms of American and our associated founding. But not â€Å"Financially Stable.† Actually most â€Å"Americans† are disgusted by one or more facets of the American financial system, bellowing at its corrupt, dishonest methods and lack of sympathy for our people. We are often quick to dismiss money and business as unethical creatures. It is easy to praise controversial soldiers and philosophical demigods and wooden teeth and cherry trees, when relishing in America’s emotional and inspiring foundation. Despite its stagnant reputation as a crippling agent, â€Å"Finance† and the almighty dollar (or should I say the almighty â€Å"Morris note†) once held a genuine place in the fight for American independence and maturity as a newly-birthed nation. Money was once a note of trust, a building block for international commerce and relationships. As America was born, commerce did not only translate into profits, but it was the beginning of an international web that would be the site of synthesis for social, political and economic paradigms. In the wake of America’s foundation, Robert Morris personalized currency. Coupling transactions with handshakes and... ...f financially networking. The simple misappropriation of funds tore his life apart. Money is a perception game. With money one can easily be characterized by arrogance and selfishness; without it, desperation and despair. America is a place of commerce and we need to be. There has been an everlasting parting from the original isolationist policies, instituted by Washington. I have reason to believe his close friend Robert Morris, is the reason for our global success. The first official act of Hamilton, as Secretary of the Treasury, was to recommend that the domestic and foreign debt be paid, dollar for dollar. When the paper containing this recommendation was read before Congress, it thought that the new Secretary of the Treasury had gone mad. How was a nation of less than 4,000,000 of people to voluntarily assume a debt of $75,000,000! In The Financier, I Trust.

The Highlights of My Teaching Pedagogy Essay -- Teaching Philosophy Ed

The Highlights of My Teaching Pedagogy Through my own experiences, and as enforced by others' opinions in the profession, I have found that teaching is one of the most rewarding careers. Not only are you placed in the position of instructing and guiding children and young adults through the life long learning process, but you are able to give back to the schools and communities which have supported your early education and experiences that opened you up to a bright future. In becoming an educator, I hope to someday share the knowledge and lend the helping, supportive hand that I was once given, allowing students to formulate their own perspectives of the multicultural society and world around them. Teaching is a career I have been interested in pursuing throughout high school, and as my experiences and study in the field expands, I feel that my desire to teach will grow stronger and develop more soundly. As a teacher, I have numerous personal goals. Mainly, my goal is to provide students with the opportunity and encouragement to succeed in life and to develop as free-thinking individuals in society. I consider myself a progressive and an essentialist, according to theory. I feel that students need to be given multiple opportunities to explore many different life skills that sometimes are overlooked in the education system. Testing, rote memorization, and lecture, in my opinion, do not promote students' own inquiry and does not give students opportunities to tap into their own source of knowledge that they each bring with them to the classroom. As a teacher, I hope to leave my students able to set and accomplish goals through the use of these life skills. Some teachers I have had while in hi... ...hods of fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice exams. In my classroom, grades won't carry as much weight as the actual learning the students undertake. I could go on at length, discussing all aspects of my praxis as an educator, however, that would lead to a paper of excruciating length. These aspects of my teaching pedagogy that are delivered in this praxis statement are those that I feel strongest about upholding. It is important for educators to value their students and the perspectives and cultures they bring to the classroom. Student-centered education is what I find to be the key to great teaching, and overall, is the greatest way to allow students to value and grow through their own self-exploratory and self-directed education. Valuing and appreciating each of your students is what makes teaching such an enlightening, uplifting profession.

Willa Cathers Death Comes for the Archbishop :: Willa Cather Death Comes for the Archbishop

Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop In a 1927 letter, Willa Cather wrote that her book, Death Comes for the Archbishop, that "many of the reviews of this book begin with the statement: 'This book is hard to classify.' Then why bother? Many more assert vehemently that it is not a novel. Myself, I prefer to call it a narrative." (On Writing 12). The questions pertaining to whether or not it is a novel or why does Cather herself call it a "narrative" can be strange ones. First, breaking down the question of if it was or wasn't a novel. According to Webster's New World College Dictionary, a novel means "a relatively long fictional prose narrative with a more or less complex plot or pattern of events, about actions, feelings, motives, etc. of a group of characters." This definition of a novel pertains in every way to DCA, which leads the reader to question why would Cather say that it isn't a novel? Was she being sarcastic when she wrote this? In my opinion, the definition alone classifies DCA as a novel from the aspect that 1) it is a "relatively long fictional prose," 2) it has a complex plot and pattern of events about a group of characters. However, if one was to look at Cather's view from another angle, one could see that DCA is not a novel through a variety of ways. One of these reasons is that DCA is broken down into ten "books" (including the prologue) ranging from 15-38 pages. When it is set up like this, the reader may interpret them to be read into a common day serial and take each "book" as a different story, even though Cather incorporates most of her characters throughout the book. Another question that the reader must ask herself about DCA is why is it a narrative? For one, the reader is able to act as the narrator by putting herself in the story. Cather is brilliant at using explicit details and descriptions that make the reader feel as though she is getting a first-hand look at what is going on.

Steve Jobs : Book Review

STEVE JOBS BY WALTER ISAACSON Dear all dignitaries and peers present here, Welcome to this hall, where we are all presented with the rarest opportunity on hearing about various respected and popular members of this world. On given an opportunity, I wondered what should be the theme of my speech. Should I go for the Nobel laureates or the most popular figurines or people who changed this world? Nobel laureates are historic, and popular people as noted are already quite popular. So, let’s hear about a person who changed the way we look at technology now. The way he drove a multibillion dollar company, the way he became a symbol of youth GOD!Yes, I’m here to talk about the authorised biography, the i-bio of the master, STEVE JOBS by Walter Isaacson. ‘Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography' was one of the most eagerly awaited books of the year 2011. The book is a journey into the life of a legend who revolutionized the way people saw technology. Walter Issacson brings to life, the innovator, the dreamer and the devil within Steve Jobs. An absolutely must read! In my mind the sole purpose of reading non-fiction is to learn, and if you learn something, by definition you will be changed. So, what did I learn from this book? 1.I have a better understanding of Apple products and understand why they enjoy premium pricing. 2. Jobs ability to focus on only 2-3 things at once with absolute intensity. I, like many, have too many interests and hobbies and could benefit from a tighter focus on just a few. 3. Jobs was able to get the most from his employees, but sometimes with tactics that I wouldn’t be comfortable using, including intimidation and tearing down of others. 4. His goal was to surround himself with  Grade A minds. Surrounding yourself with the best is not a bad motto. 5. Life is short-treat time with your family as if you are aware of your short time on earth.So, How does the author portray the genius Was he unbiased? Well, to the authorà ¢â‚¬â„¢s credit, Walter Issacson  is a biographer and a writer. He is also the director of Aspen Institute and has been the Managing Editor of TIME. Issacson has previously written the biographies of Henry Kissinger and Albert Einstein. As a  biographer of Albert Einstein  and Benjamin Franklin, Mr. Isaacson knows how to explicate and celebrate genius: revered, long-dead genius. But he wrote â€Å"Steve Jobs† as its subject was mortally ill, and that is a more painful and delicate challenge. He had access to members of the Jobs family at a difficult time.Mr. Isaacson treats â€Å"Steve Jobs† as the biography of record, which means that it is a strange book to read so soon after its subject’s death. Some of it is an essential Silicon Valley chronicle, compiling stories well known to tech aficionados but interesting to a broad audience. Some of it is already quaint. Mr. Jobs’s first job was at Atari, and it involved the game Pong. (â€Å"If youâ€⠄¢re under 30, ask your parents,† Mr. Isaacson writes. ) Some, like an account of the release of the  iPad  2, is so recent that it is hard to appreciate yet, even if Mr. Isaacson says the device comes to life â€Å"like the face of a tickled baby.    And some is definitely intended for future generations. â€Å"Indeed,† Mr. Isaacson writes, â€Å"its success came not just from the beauty of the hardware but from the applications, known as apps, that allowed you to indulge in all sorts of delightful activities. † One that he mentions, which will be as quaint as Pong some day, features the use of a slingshot to launch angry birds to destroy pigs and their fortresses. So â€Å"Steve Jobs,† an account of its subject’s 56 years (he died on Oct. 5), must reach across time in more ways than one. And it does, in a well-ordered, if not streamlined, fashion.It begins with a portrait of the young Mr. Jobs, rebellious toward the parents who raised him a nd scornful of the ones who gave him up for adoption. (â€Å"They were my sperm and egg bank,† he says. ) Although Mr. Isaacson is not analytical about his subject’s volatile personality (the word â€Å"obnoxious† figures in the book frequently), he raises the question of whether feelings of abandonment in childhood made him fanatically controlling and manipulative as an adult. Fortunately, that glib question stays unanswered. As far as the making of the book, that in itself is a wondrous story.During the summer of 2009, Walter Isaacson got a phone call from Steve Jobs. It so turned out that Jobs wanted Isaacson to write a biography of him. After  Steve Jobs  anointed  Walter Isaacson  as his authorized biographer in 2009, he took Mr. Isaacson to see the Mountain View, California, house in which he had lived as a boy. He pointed out its â€Å"clean design† and â€Å"awesome little features. † He praised the developer, Joseph Eichler, who bu ilt more than 11,000 homes in California subdivisions, for making an affordable product on a mass-market scale. And he showed Mr.Isaacson the stockade fence built 50 years earlier by his father, Paul Jobs. â€Å"He loved doing things right,† Mr. Jobs said. â€Å"He even cared about the look of the parts you couldn’t see. † Mr. Jobs, the brilliant and protean creator whose inventions so utterly transformed the allure of technology, turned those childhood lessons into an all-purpose theory of intelligent design. He gave Mr. Isaacson a chance to play by the same rules. His story calls for a book that is clear, elegant and concise enough to qualify as an iBio. Mr. Isaacson’s â€Å"Steve Jobs† does its solid best to hit that target.Mr. Jobs promised not to look over Mr. Isaacson’s shoulder, and not to meddle with anything but the book’s cover. (Boy, does it look great. ) Steve Jobs asked for no right to read it before it was published and had no control over what was being written before it was published. He also encouraged people to speak honestly. In the book Jobs sometimes speaks brutally and candidly about the people he worked along with and also his competitors. And he expressed approval that the book would not be entirely flattering. But his legacy was at stake. And there were awkward questions to be asked.At the end of the volume, Mr. Jobs answers the question â€Å"What drove me? † by discussing himself in the past tense. His friends, colleagues and foes offer an unparalleled view of the perfectionism, passion, artistry, obsessions, compulsions and devilry that shaped his approach to the innovative products and business that resulted. Within hours of Steve Jobs's death in October, impromptu shrines began to appear outside Apple Stores – flowers, half-eaten apples and iPhones and iPads with images of flickering candles. The man whose company had always attracted a cult following was fast becoming a saint.But, no more than a day later, the backlash began. Jobs was not a saint or even a genius, just, in the words of AN Wilson, ‘a clever backroom boy who got lucky'. What Walter Isaacson's masterful biography reveals is that both the true believers and the cynics got Jobs wrong. In a warts-and-all portrait that continually had this reader recoiling in disgust at the petulant pioneer's behaviour, he shows that Apple's co-founder was very far from being a saint. As a teenager, he browbeats his kindly parents into sending him to a college they cannot afford – then drops out after a year. After teaming up with the rilliant but naive engineer Steve Wozniak he cheats him out of his share of a bonus they get for designing a game. ‘Ethics matter to me,' the always tolerant Wozniak tells the author, ‘but, you know, people are different. ‘ And as a tyrannical leader, he is either screaming at Apple staff about their appalling inadequacies or stealing their ideas and taking the credit for them before an adoring public. Throughout, we see the cranky food habits, the misguided belief that a fruit diet means you only need to shower once a week and an almost wilful disregard for the feelings of others, including those of his family.But, hey, Henry Ford was not the world's nicest man and Thomas Edison was apparently a ruthless egomaniac. Those who aspire to change the world are almost always difficult people, and Isaacson, while obeying the instructions of Jobs's wife not to whitewash his life, presents a compelling case for his genius. Yes, he was a magpie, snatching the idea for the graphical user interface from Xerox Parc, the iPod concept from other MP3 players, the iPad from Microsoft's tablet computer. But, as he said: ‘Picasso had a saying – â€Å"good artists copy, great artists steal† – and we've always been shameless about stealing great ideas. It was what he did with those ideas that proved his genius f or spotting where technology might head next and shaping it to his will. The perfectionism meant driving his executives to distraction with constant demands for tiny adjustments – a different font, a paler shade of green – before anything could be shipped. Jobs was not a quarter the engineer that Wozniak was or as gifted artistically as Jony Ive, the designer whose close but somewhat tortured relationship with his boss is an interesting subplot in the latter half of the book.But his creative imagination changed a series of industries – computers, mobile phones, music and, with Pixar, the movie business. His greatest creation, though, was Apple itself, a company that always wanted to be about more than technology. ‘It is in Apple's DNA that technology alone is not enough,' he said at the unveiling of the iPad 2. ‘We believe that it's technology married with the humanities that makes our hearts sing. ‘ Cynics would say that it has been not the hu manities or the arts but a ruthless attention to marketing and margins that has enabled Apple to put more than $70bn in the bank.But the Jobs strategy of management remained pretty constant throughout his career, and it was always centred on product not profit. At its core was complete control over hardware and software and of every stage of the product's life cycle, from conception through to the retailer. We see that strategy triumph as early Apple products define home computing, then fail as Microsoft's rival philosophy of licensing its software prevails. Then in 1996, with Apple on the ropes, its co-founder returns.This amazing book takes you on a rollercoaster ride into the ferociously intense personality of a passionate and creative entrepreneur whose powerful drive and vision revolutionized six industries: music, personal computers, phones, animated movies, digital publishing and tablet computing. Steve Jobs also re-imagined and tried to revamp retail stores, but it did not t urn out to be as revolutionary. Instead, he paved the way for an entirely new market for app based digital content. This is a book that's mainly about innovation.Steve Jobs stands tall as the sole icon of imagination, sustained innovation and inventiveness. His vision was very clear; if you want to create value in the industry, connect technology with creativity. A company called Apple was built on this vision, which changed the entire face of technology with its imagination blended with remarkable feats of engineering. Often driven by his demons, Jobs could make those around him lurch in despair and fury. His products and personality were interrelated and his life was cautionary and instructive at the same time.Apple's rise to that position has been characterised by a management style that is now right out of fashion – the egomaniac CEO, the obsessive secrecy, the total disregard for market research, the suspicion of collaborative ventures. Walter Isaacson has written an ent hralling history of the birth of our modern digital world and the company that may have done more than any other to shape it. And, in his obnoxious, smelly, ranting, impatient, intuitive, creative and inspirational Steve Jobs, he has presented us with the greatest business genius of the past 30 years. Mr.Jobs, who founded  Apple  with Stephen Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976, began his career as a seemingly contradictory blend of hippie truth seeker and tech-savvy hothead. â€Å"His Zen awareness was not accompanied by an excess of calm, peace of mind or interpersonal mellowness,† Mr. Isaacson says. â€Å"He could stun an unsuspecting victim with an emotional towel-snap, perfectly aimed,† he also writes. But Mr. Jobs valued simplicity, utility and beauty in ways that would shape his creative imagination. And the book maintains that those goals would not have been achievable in the great parade of Apple creations without that mean streak.Mr. Isaacson takes his reade rs back to the time when laptops, desktops and windows were metaphors, not everyday realities. His book ticks off how each of the Apple innovations that we now take for granted first occurred to Mr. Jobs or his creative team. â€Å"Steve Jobs† means to be the authoritative book about those achievements, and it also follows Mr. Jobs into the wilderness (and to NeXT and Pixar) after his first stint at Apple, which ended in 1985. With an avid interest in corporate intrigue, it skewers Mr. Jobs’s rivals, like John Sculley, who was recruited in 1983 to be Apple’s chief executive and fell for Mr.Jobs’s deceptive show of friendship. â€Å"They professed their fondness so effusively and often that they sounded like high school sweethearts at a Hallmark card display,† Mr. Isaacson writes. Of course the book also tracks Mr. Jobs’s long and combative rivalry with Bill Gates. The section devoted to Mr. Jobs’s illness, which suggests that his canc er might have been more treatable  had he not resisted early surgery,  describes the relative tenderness of their last meeting. â€Å"Steve Jobs† greatly admires its subject. But its most adulatory passages are not about people. Offering a combination of tech criticism and promotional hype, Mr.Isaacson describes the arrival of each new product right down to Mr. Jobs’s theatrical introductions and the advertising campaigns. But if the individual bits of hoopla seem excessive, their cumulative effect is staggering. Here is an encyclopedic survey of all that Mr. Jobs accomplished, replete with the passion and excitement that it deserves. Mr. Jobs’s virtual reinvention of the music business with iTunes and the  iPod, for instance, is made to seem all the more miraculous (â€Å"He’s got a turn-key solution,† the music executive Jimmy Iovine said. ) Mr. Isaacson’s long view basically puts Mr.Jobs up there with Franklin and Einstein, even if a tiny MP3 player is not quite the theory of relativity. The book emphasizes how deceptively effortless Mr. Jobs’s ideas now seem because of their extreme intuitiveness and foresight. When Mr. Jobs, who personally persuaded musician after musician to accept the iTunes model, approached Wynton Marsalis, Mr. Marsalis was rightly more impressed with Mr. Jobs than with the device he was being shown. Mr. Jobs’s love of music plays a big role in â€Å"Steve Jobs,† like his extreme obsession with Bob Dylan. (Like Mr. Dylan, he had a romance with Joan Baez.Her version of Mr. Dylan’s â€Å"Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word† was on Mr. Jobs’s own iPod. ) So does his extraordinary way of perceiving ordinary things, like well-made knives and kitchen appliances. That he admired the Cuisinart food processor he saw at Macy’s may sound trivial, but his subsequent idea that a molded plastic covering might work well on a computer does not. Years from now , the research trip to a jelly bean factory to study potential colors for the  iMac  case will not seem as silly as it might now. Skeptic after skeptic made the mistake of underrating Steve Jobs, and Mr.Isaacson records the howlers who misjudged an unrivaled career. â€Å"Sorry Steve, Here’s Why Apple Stores Won’t Work,† Business Week wrote in a 2001 headline. â€Å"The iPod will likely become a niche product,† a Harvard Business School professor said. â€Å"High tech could not be designed and sold as a consumer product,† Mr. Sculley said in 1987. Mr. Jobs got the last laugh every time. â€Å"Steve Jobs† makes it all the sadder that his last laugh is over. Perhaps the funniest passage in Walter Isaacson's monumental book about  Steve Jobs  comes three quarters of the way through.It is 2009 and Jobs is recovering from a liver transplant and pneumonia. At one point the pulmonologist tries to put a mask over his face when he is deeply s edated. Jobs rips it off and mumbles that he hates the design and refuses to wear it. Though barely able to speak, he orders them to bring five different options for the mask so that he can pick a design he likes. Even in the depths of his hallucinations, Jobs was a control-freak and a rude sod to boot. Imagine what he was like in the pink of health. As it happens, you don't need to: every discoverable fact about how Jobs, ahem, coaxed excellence from his co-workers is here.As Isaacson makes clear, Jobs wasn't a visionary or even a particularly talented electronic engineer. But he was a businessman of astonishing flair and focus, a marketing genius, and – when he was getting it right, which wasn't always – had an intuitive sense of what the customer would want before the customer had any idea. He was obsessed with the products, rather than with the money: happily, as he discovered, if you get the products right, the money will come. Isaacson's book is studded with mome nts that make you go â€Å"wow†. There's the  Apple  flotation, which made the 25-year-old Jobs $256m in the days when that was a lot of money.There's his turnaround of the company after he returned as CEO in 1997: in the previous fiscal year the company lost $1. 04bn, but he returned it to profit in his first quarter. There's the  launch of the iTunes store: expected to sell a million songs in six months, it sold a million songs in six days. When  Jobs died, iShrines popped up all over the place, personal tributes filled Facebook and his quotable wisdom – management-consultant banalities, for the most part – was passed from inbox to inbox. Thisbiography  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ commissioned by Jobs and informed by hours and hours of interviews with him – is designed to serve the cult.That's by no means to say that it's a snow-job: Isaacson is all over Jobs's personal shortcomings and occasional business bungles, and Jobs sought no copy approval (though, typic ally, he got worked up over the cover design). But its sheer bulk bespeaks a sort of reverence, and it's clear from the way it's put together that there's not much Jobs did that Isaacson doesn't regard as vital to the historical record. We get a whole chapter on one cheesy ad (â€Å"Think Different†). We get half a page on how Jobs went about choosing a washing machine – itself lifted from an interview Jobs, bizarrely, gave on the subject to  Wired.Want to know the patent number for the box an iPod Nano comes in? It's right there on page 347. Similarly, the empty vocabulary of corporate PR sometimes seeps into Isaacson's prose, as exemplified by the recurrence of the word â€Å"passion†. There's a lot of passion in this book. Steve's â€Å"passion for perfection†, â€Å"passion for industrial design†, â€Å"passion for awesome products† and so on. If I'd been reading this on an  iPad, the temptation to search-and-replace â€Å"passionâ €  to â€Å"turnip† or â€Å"erection† would have been overwhelming.Isaacson writes dutiful, lumbering American news-mag journalese and suffers – as did Jobs himself – from a lack of sense of proportion. Chapter headings evoke Icarus and Prometheus. The one on the Apple II is subtitled â€Å"Dawn of a New Age†, the one on Jobs's return to Apple is called â€Å"The Second Coming†, and when writing about the origins of Apple's graphical user interface (Jobs pinched the idea from Xerox), Isaacson writes with splendid bathos: â€Å"There falls a [sic] shadow, as TS Eliot noted, between the conception and the creation. † But get past all that pomp and there's much to enjoy.Did you know that the Apple Macintosh was nearly called the Apple Bicycle? Or that so obsessed was Jobs with designing swanky-looking factories (white walls, brightly coloured machines) that he kept breaking the machines by painting them – for example bright bl ue? As well as being a sort-of-genius, Jobs was a truly weird man. As a young man, he was once put on the night-shift so co-workers wouldn't have to endure his BO. Jobs was convinced his vegan diet meant he didn't need to wear deodorant or shower more than once a week. His on-off veganism was allied to cranky theories about health.When he rebuked the chairman of Lotus Software for spreading butter on his toast â€Å"Have you ever heard of serum cholesterol? â€Å", the man responded: â€Å"I'll make you a deal. You stay away from commenting on my dietary habits, and I will stay away from the subject of your personality. † That personality. An ex-girlfriend – and one, it should be said, who was very fond of him – told Isaacson that she thought Jobs suffered from narcissistic personality disorder. Jobs's personal life is sketchily covered, but what details there are don't charm.When he got an on/off girlfriend pregnant in his early 20s, he cut her off and aggres sively denied paternity – though he later, uncharacteristically, admitted regretting his behaviour and sought to build a relationship with his daughter. Jobs himself was adopted, and seems to have had what Americans call â€Å"issues around abandonment†. He cheated his friends out of money. He cut old colleagues out of stock options. He fired people with peremptoriness. He bullied waiters, insulted business contacts and humiliated interviewees for jobs.He lied his pants off whenever it suited him – â€Å"reality distortion field† is Isaacson's preferred phrase. Like many bullies, he was also a cry-baby. Whenever he was thwarted – not being made â€Å"Man of the Year† by Time magazine when he was 27, for instance – he burst into tears. Nowadays we are taught that being nice is the way to get on. Steve Jobs is  a  fine counter-example. In 2008, when  Fortune magazine  was on the point of running a damaging article about him, Job s summoned their managing editor to Cupertino to demand he spike the piece: â€Å"He leaned into Serwer's face and asked, ‘So, you've uncovered the fact that I'm bad.Why is that news? ‘† Well.. that’s the story. Sorry if I had given out a few spoilers on the book.. but they were essential to bring out the nature of an awesome personality! The book is well written and an easy read. To tell the story of Jobs’ complete life, the cast of characters is large. Mr Isaacson identifies the importance of those he included and what influence they had on Jobs. So, in a nut shell, this book, to use a few words from Job’s dictionary, is a ‘Must read! ’