Innovation of Diffusion on Eco

Introduction The success of an innovation is largely dependant on vital intelligence which when incorporated into the open innovation process, may produce what the innovators call technical thrust1. Reflectively, when properly planned and executed, intelligence is the main force behind successful and accelerated innovation2.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Innovation of Diffusion on ‘Eco-Friendly Bags specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the boundary spanners, innovations should be fairly fast and inclusive of all the stake holders. Innovation decision process is inclusive of knowledge, persuasion, implementation, and confirmation among the innovators, early majority, and late adopters3. Thus, this reflective essay explores on the innovation decision process for the innovator, early majority, and laggards in reference to introduction of eco friendly bags. In the reflection, I have employed scenario as story, history, and recollection. Scenario – Innovator As the need for greener lifestyle emerges following the much hyped need for sustainability and environmental friendliness, using the readily available biodegradable raw materials might be the awaited solution to save planet Earth from the devastating effects of green house and pollution4. To capitalize on the immediate needs of the mass, GreenTech Company releases a biodegradable, affordable, light, and formal bag which can be used in the formal and in informal settings5. As part of their green products, this bag is 98% biodegradable. As the product hits the market, GreenTech offers the most competitive price available, in the market. The management has factored in the need for safety in use and reusability. In the final meeting of the top management, Plum, the marketing manager, decides to approach the local green campaign group for a partnership aiming to capitalize on their influence. The product seem admirable, the market e xtensive, and if it become successful, the demand could be heavy. In the opinion of Erick, the general manager, safety standard has been met following the approval by the local standards department. Graig, the production manager has presented the right formula backed by what he termed as polyetherine component which has never been introduced into the market.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the fact that the creation of this product was as a result of thorough research, every member of this team is anxious on the expected response once the product hits the market. As an introductory approach, the marketing manager approached Mr. Ali, a local grocery owner to stock a quantity for trial of which he immediately agrees. Scenario – Early Majority Ericka, a local ice cream vendor has just gone into the local grocery to purchase extra polythene bags for his business. Often, he wo uld purchase 250 pieces for an entire week. While almost done with the shopping, Ericka notices the unique nicely packed bags with green symbol on their side. He moves closer and consults Mr. Ali, the store keeper. Mr. Ali offers no explanation but hand him a brochure with explanation. Despite the risks involved in trying a new thing, Ericka decides to have the bags. The following day, Ericka show up and purchase even more bags from Mr. Ali who surprisingly enough has not even attempted to use any. Being a lover of new products in the market, Ericka seem convinced that this new model of bags are lighter, more descent, and larger than the usual ones. While at the Ice cream company, he reveals the new finding to the ice scream steward, Mrs. Hannah. Despite getting a sample from Ericka, she would rather give out the sample to a fellow worker first before even trying anything out. Unfortunately, the friend also turns down the gift claiming that a friend had issues with the product. Scen ario – Laggard Back at the store, Mr. Ali, despite selling the new product, has not tried any out and is still waiting for a response from some of his clients. Mr. Ali thinks of the new product as a mere test and experimentation. He is unable to neither decide nor accept the message from his best customer, Mr. Ericka. He is ready to find out more information on this product before event attempting to use one for personal activities. Regardless of the good intention of the innovation, he is unable to recognize any positive benefits but would rather prefer the usual polythene bag. Ericka cannot tell whether Mr. Ali likes the new product or he is just being difficult. The following day, at the Ice factory, Mr. Ericka is surprised at Mrs. Hannah’s positive response even though she rejected the product the previous day. She is too willing to try the new product out after having seen a picture advertisement in the local television station. However, her friend is still uncomf ortable with the new product and would rather wait until it hits the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Innovation of Diffusion on ‘Eco-Friendly Bags specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the above scenarios, the company is the innovators faced with the anxiety on the forecasted response on their product. Despite proper management, thorough research, pre-contemplation, contemplation, and action, none is sure6. Rather, they are risk takers. Mr. Ericka and Mrs. Hannah present themselves as early adopters. They are willing to take the risk of trying out a new product; they are on the look out for new information, and positive on innovations. However, Mr. Ali and Mrs. Hannah’s friend fall in the bracket of laggards. They would rather stay in the comfort zone and awaits the outcome of a new invention before attempting to adopt the same. Bibliography Cascio, Jamais. â€Å"Futures Thinking: Writing Sce narios† Fast Compan. 2010. Web. Dismukes, J., Miller, L. K, and Bers, J. A. â€Å"Technologies of Thinking Seen Key to Accelerating Radical Innovation†, Research Technology Management, Vol. 48, 23-32, New York: Cangage, 2005. Etzkowitz, H. and Leydesdorff, L. The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and â€Å"Mode 2† to a Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations. Research Policy, 45-47, Alabama: Cangage, 2000. Porter, Alan. â€Å"Tech Mining† to Drive Open Innovation (Georgia Tech: Technology Policy Assessment Center, 2006). Web. Robinson, D. K. R., and Propp, T. â€Å"Multi-path mapping for alignment strategies in emerging science and technologies,† Second International Seville Seminar on  Future-Oriented Technology Analysis .Web.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Footnotes 1 Dismukes, J., Miller, L. K., and Bers, J. A. Technologies of Thinking Seen Key to Accelerating Radical Innovation, Research Technology Management, Vol. 48   (July-August), 2-4. 2005. 2 Porter, Alan, â€Å"Tech Mining† to Drive Open Innovation (Georgia Tech: Technology Policy Assessment Center,2006) 3 Porter 4 Etzkowitz, H. and Leydesdorff, L., The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and â€Å"Mode 2† to a Triple Helix of university-industry-government, 2000. 5 Cascio, Jamais. â€Å"Futures Thinking: Writing Scenarios,† Fast Compan.  2010. 6 Robinson, D. K. R., and Propp, T. â€Å"Multi-path mapping for alignment strategies in   emerging science and technologies,† Second International Seville Seminar on  Future-Oriented Technology Analysis. This essay on Innovation of Diffusion on ‘Eco-Friendly Bags was written and submitted by user Hailee Livingston to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Third Stream Movement essays

Third Stream Movement essays While jazz has sometimes been seen in a negative light, it has recently experienced a more positive appreciation. In addition, the different aspects of jazz have gained a greater appreciation. According to Gunther Schuller, jazz is worth much more. He says jazz has evolved from: humble beginnings that were hardly more than sociological manifestations of a particular American melee, has developed as an art form that not only possesses a unique capacity for individual and collective expression, but in the process of maturing, has gradually acquired certain intellectual properties . . . Its strength has been such that it has attracted interests in all strata of intellectual and creative activity. (Gunther qtd. in Gennari). From this perspective, we can begin to appreciate the Third Stream movement. This movement finds its roots in the 1950s and it came about as the result of a conflict of desires and ambitions. According to Gennari, the 1950s were a critical time for jazz because the "music itself was in the process of assimilating and transforming the momentous aesthetic advancements of bebop; not only because the cool, Third Stream, and free experiments were taking jazz to places it had never been before" (Gennari 478). Understanding how this movement came to be lies in America's changing cultural landscape. During this time, jazz was beginning to earn fame not only nationally but abroad as well. Jazz was also being perceived as an art form to be studied. As a result, many sub genres of jazz emerged and although they may have been reflected as art forms in and of themselves, all of jazz has Gennari explains the divide that existed between swing and bebop as a "a dispute between groups that were simply looking for different things from the music. The established audience was looking for familiar rhythms and melodies ...

Political Economy and Economics Research Proposal

Political Economy and Economics - Research Proposal Example The term political economy is used in yet a third sense. â€Å"It is the name of the science, which treats of this nation-wide complexus of economic activities.† (Knight, 2005) The subject matter of political economy: Political economy studies the laws, which cover the functions of production and exchange of material means. Both important functions constitute. Production is an independent function but the exchange is dependent on production since exchange can only be done of products. Although the external influences affect both of the two functions but in order to put up with these external influences both the functions have their own laws. Production and exchange are the major activities, which constitutes the economics curve. The circumstances affecting these two functions can be different in different countries. The difference in time span in which both of these functions are practiced can also change the notion of political economy. â€Å"Political Economy belongs to no nation; it is of no country: it is the science of the rules for the production, the accumulation, the distribution, and the consumption of wealth. It will assert itself whether you wish it or not. It is founded on the attributes of the human mind, and no power can change it.† (Speech on the Irish bill, 1870)

Referring to at least two of Ted Hughes' poems, discuss how the poet Essay

Referring to at least two of Ted Hughes' poems, discuss how the poet makes use of the natural landscape - Essay Example Ted Hughes nature poems include Wind, Rain, October Dawn and November. Wind is a wholly descriptive poem. It describes a storm .The description and the fierce mood nature is beautifully recorded in it. The portrayal of a tremendous dramatic picture of a landscape severely affected by weather is fully packed with imagery. The poem begins with a kind of metaphor It Seems to the poet that The house in which he is sitting at this time had been out at sea all night. He has this feeling because all night a storm had been raging. It seemed to the inmates that the house was being buffeted on the sea by the raging wind and waves. According to Alan Bold this poem takes as its physical starting point the house of Hughes parent’s. Hughes descries that house as some fine green goblet† The poem is full of magnificently arranged physical images which transform the so-called ordinary objects into objects of wonder. The comparison of te house to a ship is beautiful. â€Å"The house has been far out at sea all night. ... The difficulty in moving against the wind is also created by saying â€Å" I scaled along the house –side†¦..The landscape containing hills suddenly changing to a tend during the dreadful storm ,the magpie which was flung away etc gives the moving landscape instead of the stillness in some other poems. Wind is a not a tough poem to a reader who had some personal experience with of a furious storm Hughes was writing what he experienced during his stay there. On the subject of the poem Hughes himself said† On and off I live in the house on top of a hill in the penniness where the wind blows without obstruction across the top of the moors . I have experienced some gale in that house and wind is a poem I once wrote about them. In writing that poem I was mainly concerned with the strength of the blast, the way it seems to shake the world up like a box of toys†. ‘The rain’ is another notable poem of Ted Hughes in which we get a powerful display of a la ndscape affected by rain. This poem beautifully sketches the graphic visionary images of the rain. It has been raining. The rain brought floods and then came frost. After the frost there was more rain. Thus we get different pictures in quick succession. The opening line contains picture if rain floods frost, roof drumming, the purple bare woods heaved water and sleet. Then follow pictures of the fields, the hedge, the hill a, farm toads cows, a pheasant soaked thickets and so on. Through this long series of pictures the landscape affected by the rain closely viewed by the readers. The keen observer or perceiver in the poet Ted Hughes is most active in this poem Crab Robinson says that Hughes takes microscopic visual close

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in Labor Essay

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in Labor - Essay Example In the case Davenport who is the human resource manager questions Slover about union activities in the hospital, Slover answers no and at this point he uses the avoiding style because he knew his chances of wining in this situation were limited, the other negotiation style evident is the case where the hospital decides to remind its employees about the rules, in this case the hospital was using the competing negotiation style where it was a win lose situation and the company had to make a quickly decision to stop the employees from joining the union and to discourage those who were introducing others to the union. Finally the accommodation negotiation style is evident where after the court case the hospital management accepts responsibility whereby Ostrowski is compensated, workers union rights are redefined and therefore this is an accommodative negotiation style where the hospital accepts the demands of the employees. There are a number of negotiation principles that were violated in the hospital case, it is evident that emotions take over when Ostrowksi decides to become apart time worker, emotions make Maher not to accept Ostrowksi working as a Diem nurse who are paid a higher wage, he is replaced by a new employee named Elaine Troyer.

Nigeria And The Achievements Of Ecowas Politics Essay

Nigeria And The Achievements Of Ecowas Politics Essay The ECOWAS treaty of 1975 provides for the freedom of movement and residency. This means the abolition of visas and the right to reside anywhere in West Africa. The phase one of the protocol guaranteeing free entry of community citizens without visa for ninety days was ratified by member states in 1980 and became effective to usher in an era of free movement of ECOWAS citizens within member states. The right of entry, residence and establishment were to be progressively established within 15 years from the definitive date of entry into force of the protocol.  [2]   The Nigerian investment in the ECOWAS as an organisation has been considerable. At the same time, it has been an investment from which Nigeria has gained much in return. The vast sums of money and resources given by Nigeria to ECOWAS and its member states has been based on what might be called a general policy of enlightened self interest. For example, Nigeria has realized that the promotion of regional free trade, which is one of the objectives of ECOWAS, is crucial if she is to enjoy the benefits of balanced future economic development.  [3]  However, in spite of the big brother role Nigeria plays in ECOWAS, the Buhari regime was unable to observe the protocol on free movement of individuals which is required by the article 3 of the ECOWAS treaty. The administration closed the Nigerian borders and expelled illegal aliens. The closure of the Nigerian borders affected Nigerias neighbours to the extent that many West African leaders pleaded publicly that the borders be re-opened. The closure of the borders resulted in ECOWAS chairmanship being offered to Buhari at the ECOWAS summit of 1984. But he turned down the offer giving the excuse that the regime needed total commitment to the domestic issues in Nigeria.  [4]   However, in August 1986, the Babangida regime came to power. This new regime having realized the dangers inherent in the continuous closure of the countrys borders with her neighbours decided to re-open them to give a boost to their economies which had been strangulated by Buharis policy.  [5]  This new position however, was not without conditions. In that same year, Nigeria adopted a new immigration policy. According to Mr Dahiru Mohammed, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who was representing Colonel John Shagaya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria had ratified the protocol, and would allow citizens of ECOWAS member states live and work in Nigeria without visas and work permits.  [6]  However, only immigrants in six professional categories would be allowed. These include engineers, doctors and health personnels, teachers, architects, surveyors and bilingual secretaries. Other professionals such as journalists, lawyers, and accountants, as well as un skilled workers will be excluded  [7]  . According to him, the certificates of professionals in the approved six categories would be verified by government agencies, and such immigrants would be required to find employment within six months of arrival, failing which they would be expelled. It was this principle of admissible categories of expatriate professionals that Nigeria put forward to ECOWAS as a basis for the conferment of resident status on a community citizen. This was accepted at the Abuja summit in 1986.  [8]   ECOWAS remains the only region in Africa where the citizens do not need a visa to visit one another. 3.2TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT As part of efforts towards the physical integration of the sub-region, ECOWAS has embarked on programmes to interconnect existing networks in areas of transport and communications. These are projects capable of promoting integration and constitute the major links in the development of the community. Transport, communications and energy services are a crucial element in improving economic competitiveness and strengthening regional integration. In particular, for export promotion and intra-regional trade, the improvement of road and telecommunications networks, and provision of energy at affordable cost should be treated as key priority areas as we strive to carve a place for ECOWAS countries within the world economy.  [9]   According to analysts, the economic wealth and military power of a people or a nation have been closely tied to efficient methods of transportation. This provides access to natural resources and promotes trade, allowing a nation to accumulate wealth and power. Transportation also allows the movement of soldiers, equipment and supplies.  [10]   Nigeria, on her part has realized that her national intereststhe development and expansion of its economy, the raising of the standard of living of its population, and the future physical security of its territorycan only be effectively secured through joint programmes of balanced production, distribution and consumption of goods and services on a regional basis. In the long term, an industrialized Nigeria hopes to be able to export manufactured products freely to other West African states as well as to invest directly in the production of raw materials in ECOWAS nations, which would then be used to supplement local needs.  [11]   To this end, Nigeria in the 1970s, undertook the construction of roads to link up two member states in order to facilitate trade and boost contact among states. For example, the Lagos-Cotonou highway was constructed at a highly subsidized rate by the Nigerian government.  [12]  On March 6, 2006, the Nigeria-Niger joint commission met in Abuja. At the meeting, the ministers of transport for Nigeria and Niger discussed the building of a rail link from Kaura Namoda through Sokoto to Birnin-nKonni in Niger Republic.  [13]   Over the years, Nigeria has emphasized and assisted in the creation of the communitys structures. She believes in the building of strong regional institution as a pre requisite for the establishment of a meaningful regional integration.  [14]  For example, Nigeria has made substantial contributions to the generation of hydro-electric power to Niger and also supplied gas to Benin, Togo, Ghana under a 5 million Naira inter ECOWAS pipeline gas project.  [15]  The Authority of Heads of State and Government, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, approved the Community telecommunications programme known as INTELCOM I at its May 1979 session held in Dakar. The objective of the programme was to improve and expand the sub-regional telecommunications network. The principal objectives of the INTELCOM I programme were as follows: to open-up the Member States which did not have reliable links with the outside world; to complete the missing links in the PANAFTEL network in West Africa; to establish direct micro wave links between the capital cities of Member States; to increase telecommunications traffic within ECOWAS. From 1983 to 1992, the Community, through the ECOWAS Fund, made significant efforts to finance the first programme which attained 95% of its initial objectives as confirmed by the evaluation undertaken by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The Authority directed the Executive Secretariat to elaborate and implement a second telecommunications programme to be known as INTELCOM II. The main objective of the INTELCOM II programme is to provide the Community with a regional telecommunications network that is modern, reliable, and capable of offering a wider variety of services, including multimedia and wide band services. This will reduce transits through countries outside Africa and improve direct links between Member States.  [16]   3.3 PEACE WITHIN WEST AFRICA NIGERIA AND ECOMOG The years 1972-1975 have been said to be the most peaceful period in the history of the sub region. As from 1980, West Africa became a jungle of wars. Thus, ECOWAS deviated from its original vision of economic integration to a peace keeping organization.  [17]  Various Nigerian governments, military and civilian, have tried to maintain the big brother role played by Nigeria in the sub region. The economic focus of the Ibrahim Babangida regime led to the greater interest in ECOWAS as well as trade and security. Links with Nigerias neighbours resulted in the regimes restoration of good neighbourliness in West Africa.  [18]  Unlike any other period in West Africa, the Babangida regime witnessed quite a number of conflicts. One of these was the border division of the Ewes between Ghana and Togo which has often been criticized by the Ewes who have for long expressed desire to live in one country. Unfortunately, the Ewe irredentism had become a ready tool in the hands of the Eyadem a administration. Accusing fingers were often pointed in the direction of Ghana. This was demonstrated in 1989 when the call for multi-partism to replace the one party system was made. The Eyadema administration played up the Ewe irredentism to implicate Ghana, a country with a large concentration of Ewes. To allow the Ghana-Togo crisis go unchecked would have carried with it a high security risk for the sub region. The Babangida regime offered itself as an impartial arbiter on the issue.  [19]  Article 52(1) and (2) of the revised ECOWAS Treaty (1993) provides not only for the prevention and resolution of conflicts, but also contains a clause on the establishment of a regional peacekeeping force for the prevention, containment, moderation and termination of hostilities between or within member states through the medium of a third party intervention and directed intentionally, using multi-national forces of soldiers and civilian personnel to maintain peace.  [20]  The idea o f a peace keeping force hinged on the idea that development cannot be achieved without security and peace. The Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, once said this about insecurity in the sub region, it takes us away from our original mandate: economic cooperation, economic development and fighting poverty, stepping up trade, etc. political instability in any member state diverts our attention.  [21]  In 1990, due to the Liberian crisis, there was a revision of ECOWAS goals. Events in Liberia, being a member of ECOWAS impacted directly on the fortunes of both the organization and all its constituent member states. Thousands of people died in conflict related situations, most of them civilians, and hundred thousands of others were turned into refugees as a result of the war. In addition, Liberian nationals, citizens of other ECOWAS states, diplomats and foreign citizens were increasingly exposed to the triple hazard of war, starvation and disease.  [22]  Th e stage for Nigerias involvement in the Liberian crisis was decided at the 13th session of the Authority of Heads of States and Government in Banjul, Gambia from May 28-30, 1990 under the chairmanship of Blaise Campraore of Burkina Faso. A committee was set up for the formation of ECOWAS Cease Fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).  [23]  Despite the genuine fears of informed Nigerians about the capacity of the economy to accommodate the Liberian crisis, the Babangida regime saw the issue in a different light. As far as the administration was concerned, the outbreak of hostilities in Liberia called for practical demonstration of the countrys age long good neighbourliness tradition. In addition to the security implications of the crisis, the regime foresaw the damage the carnage in Liberia would cause its leadership role in Africa.  [24]  Subsequently, ECOMOG was instituted for the Liberian crisis. Nigeria also led ECOMOG to dislodge the Johnny Koromah led military junta that ousted Teejan Kabbah in Sierra Leone in 1997 and restored peace in the country. Nigeria also closed down her embassy in Freetown with six other countries in compliance with the directives of the ECOWAS Council of Foreign Ministers.  [25]   Nigerias efforts at finding peaceful means to end the wars in the sub region could be seen in her contributions of man power, technical assistance and aid via ECOWAS. Nigeria alone has committed eight field commanders to ECOMOG and contributed about 70% of the troops in the peacekeeping operations in Liberia.  [26]  According to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria spent eight billion Dollars and lost about five hundred men in the Liberia and Sierra Leone crisis.  [27]  On the platform of ECOWAS vis-à  -vis the ECOMOG, Nigeria intervened in Liberia and Sierra Leone revolutionary conflict over the control of government structures, which were rooted in political and ideological differences lasting till the late 1990s. Not wanting a re-occurrence of the situation and aftermath of the Liberian and Sierra Leone civil war, ECOWAS working in collaboration with Nigeria, did not allow the Ivorian civil war linger for a long time before prompt intervention providing solutions to the c onflict. Thus, Nigeria in West Africa has successfully led the way in resolving the crisis situation in Liberia and Sierra Leone through the instrumentality of the sub regional peacekeeping mechanism, ECOMOG. The establishment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) despite its handicaps, has proved to be one of the most durable and outstanding achievements of ECOWAS. It has not only provided a novel method for the maintenance of peace and security, which is now widely acknowledged, it has more importantly saved West African states and their nationals from mindless brutality, if not extinction.  [28]   ENDNOTES Dr S.K.B Asante ECOWAS and Freedom of Movement West Africa (London) 3 July 1978. p.1285 Richard Alkali, West Africa: ECOWAS-Its Formation and Achievements. http://allAfrica.com Anyanwu et al, History of Nigeria: Nigeria in the Twentieth Century. (Nigeria: Longman, 1991) p.213 Bunmi Odenubi, Nigerias Foreign Relations in the New Millennium Nigerian Forum. Vol 22, No 7-8. July-Aug 2001. p.157 Hassan A. Saliu, The Foreign Policy Legacies of Ibrahim Babangidas Regime in Nigeria. Nigerian Forum. Vol 22, No7-8, March-April 1995. p.50 Edem Kodjo, ECOWAS: Braving Troubled Waters West Africa (London) 30 June 1986. pp.1363-1364 Ibid R. Omotayo Laniyan, Nigeria and the ECOWAS: A Role and Problem Analysis, in G.O Olusanya and R.A Akindele (eds), Nigerias External Relations: The First Twenty Five Years. (Ibadan: University Press Ltd, 1986) p.127 Achievements of ECOWAS http://www.ECOWAS Official Site.org Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. Anyanwu et al, History of Nigeria,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ p.214 Ibid. p.213 Bulletin on Foreign Affairs. Vol 21. March 2006. R.O Olaniyan, Nigeria and the ECOWASà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ p.132 Achievements of ECOWAS http://www.ECOWAS Official Site.org Ibid Information from Professor Adebayo Adedeji, aged about 80 years, ACDESS, Ijebu Ode, 11 Feb,2009 Nigerian Forum. Vol 22, No 5-6. May-June 2001.p.133 Hassan A. Saliu, The Foreign Policy Legacies of Ibrahim Babangidas Regime in Nigeria. Nigerian Forum, Vol 22, No 7-8, March-April 1995. p.51 Dele Ogunmola, ECOWAS and Conflict Management in Cote dIvoire: Appraisal and Prognosis Nigerian Forum. Vol 26. No 5-6. 2005. p.152 Daily Trust online editon, May 25, 2005 Odeyemi Oluwafunmilayo, Economic Cooperation in West Africa: A Look at the Achievements of ECOWAS 1991-2005. (A B.A Long Essay submitted to Babcock University Ogun State.)April 2007. p.45 Bunmi Odenubi, Nigerias Foreign Relations in the New Millenium. Nigerian Forum. Vol 22, No7-8. July-August 2001. pp. 158-159 Hassan A Saliu, The Foreign Policy Legacies of Ibrahim Babangidas Regime in Nigeria. Nigerian Forum.Vol 22, No7-8, March-April 1995. pp. 51-52. http://www.news.bbc.co.uk Ibid http://www.google.com http://www. Africa week magazine.com

Development of Tools Throughout Time Essay -- essays papers

Development of Tools Throughout Time Our world today has many different kinds of tools. I realized this when I was walking through The Home Depot a few weeks ago. On one isle are nails, and screws, the next isle there are power drills to go along with power saws and power sanders. Now imagine the world with no tools, no nails or screws. It would be pretty difficult to do most anything. We would have no houses to live in, no cars to travel to work in, and we would have no place of employment in which to work. Without tools our world would be nothing. This is the world our ancestors faced, and they had nothing but rocks and sticks. Homo Habilis had the challenge of being the first hominid with a larger brain, which allowed him to have the ability to do more things. With early hominids lacking size and strength to kill large animals they used certain objects to kill and devour these animals. This ultimately led to the development of tools. By 2.5 million years ago, a new human evolutionary trend had begun. The change to a upright bipedal posture, and existing flexibility at the shoulder, arms, and hands allowed hominids to carry and manipulate objects much more readily. Early hominids began to manipulate the physical world, inventing solutions to the problems of human existence. Instead of foraging, as do most primates, on a more or less individualistic basis for food sources, early hominids invented stone tools with which they could slay larger animals. This began a switch from scavenging to hunting as the main means by which meat was acquired. The earliest known tools yet discovered were found by Louis and Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge dating back to about two million years ago. They originally thought that these tools were made by the Australopithecus, but later determined that they were made by the Homo Habilis . The first tools found were classified as lower paleolithic tools. These tools belong to the Oldowan tool tradition. These tools which were opportunist in nature were characterized by an all-purpose generalized chopping tool. These were produced by removing a few flakes from a stone either by using another stone as a hammer or by striking a pebble against a large rock. Manufacturing tools this way is called the percussion method. Many of these tools were made out of quartz or lava; which were not the most common st... ...hominids we would have no understanding of any prehistoric life. Their technological advances helped us to create more efficient tools which allow us to research these ancient cultures. As one can see, we are presently expanding our modern tool kits every decade; so who is to say what technological advances will be made in the next several millennia's. Tools have evolved to influence, if not determine, human history. Bibliography Burenholt, Dr. Govan. The First Humans - Human Origins and History to 10,000 B.C. New York; Harper Collins Publishes. 1993 Haviland, William A. Anthropology - Ninth Edition Orlando ,Florida; Harcourt College Publishers. 2000 Johanson, Donald and Lenora. Ancestors New York; Villard Books. 1994 Leaky, Richard. Origin of Humankind New York; Harper Collins Publishers. 1994 Rowlett, Ralph M., Michael G. Davis, and Robert B. Grabe. Friendly Fire http://anthropology.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.discoveringarchaeology.com%2F0599toc%2F5feature3-fire.shtml Time-Life Books. The Human Dawn New Jersey; Time-Life Books. 1990 Wallbank, T. Walter. Civilization Past and Present New York; Harper Collins Publishers. 1992

Tccc Business Strategy

This report is centered on research of The Coca Cola Company (Global) in the carbonated beverage market. Various methods and models of analysis were used in examining the company’s market position and determining its strategic competitive advantage. The Pestel model and Porter’s five forces model was used to identify the company’s opportunities and threats. The barriers to entry in the carbonated beverage market are really high which means that the threat of other companies successfully entering into the industry is low and this has been a big advantage for the company. Brand loyalty is another. People today in general are becoming increasingly aware of a healthier lifestyle in light of new information regarding nutrition and this has been a major threat to the company and the market in general. The Company’s strategic competitive advantage stems from its three main core competences. The manufacture and distribution system of its beverages (products), branding through marketing campaigns and the innovative nature of the company in its market are all major strengths. One thing special about the company is that it uses its resources in a way unique to its competitors and consumers see value in their product. The Coca Cola Company understands the clout of their stakeholders and they have set their strategic objectives to meet their individual demands. This message has been firmly implanted in the company’s mission statement. Coca cola competes on the basis of value added for customers. People will pay the premium over lesser brands for the coca cola product and this may be why they have chosen (from Porters model) a differentiation strategy. This has paid off for them. Their manufacturing and distribution system has been an effective business level strategy. The Coca Cola Company and its bottlers can work together to determine local responsiveness and produce products that best suit the local tastes in that particular geographical area. Amongst other business level strategies these two would have to be the most effective. The companies structure and systems lend there hands to the successful implementation of their planning. Without which it might not have its position within the carbonated beverage market today. Strategic Analysis External Analysis We looked at the external environment of the carbonated beverage industry using the pestel model and Porter’s five forces model to find the key trends or influences on the industry. People today in general are becoming increasingly aware of a healthier lifestyle in light of new information regarding nutrition. People are trying to eat and drink a lot healthier and as a result there has been an increase in market demand for drinks such as orange juice, water, and other healthier alternatives. This was once a threat to the business of The Coca – Cola Company. Instead they eliminated this threat through product diversification. As you may have seen The Coca – Cola Company has a product from most drink categories. The barriers to entry in the carbonated beverage market are really high which means that the threat of other companies successfully entering into the industry is low. Virgin once tried to enter into the industry with Virgin Cola and was unsuccessful because Coke and Pepsi were already too strong. The Coca Cola Company has already well established brand awareness and distribution channels and the production costs are also substantial in the industry. Creating brand awareness and achieving market acceptance is a very costly procedure, extensive market research needs to be undertaken to understand local tastes and preferences. The Coca Cola Company has arrangements with certain Fountain Outlets (MacDonald’s and Subway) who are contractually obliged to distribute only their drink product. There are many other fountain outlets that have existing contracts with one of the soft drink companies and this makes it harder for new entrants. The large quantity of marketing and propaganda has lead to increased brand loyalty and is a major strength for the Coca Cola Company. It has also lead to the brand Coca Cola being perceived as the premium Cola drink. The dominance of Coca Cola can be seen by the failure of the drink Virgin Cola. Because of the limited size of the market, the growth in market share of one brand will result in the decrease of another. The Coca – Cola Company has used the large amount of resources at their disposal to wage competitive war on PepsiCo and other brands and results have shown that they have come out on top. One of the major strengths of The Coca – Cola Company is its sheer size in the industry because of which it can effectively utilize economies of scale. TCCC concentration is on marketing the brand, new product development, researching future venture opportunities and warding off competition. Their operations take place in a very dynamic environment and therefore innovation is vital to their success. Internal Analysis The company as the leading brand of carbonated beverages has a number of core competencies which it utilizes to give it its strategic competitive advantage (SCA) in the market. The manufacture and distribution of non alcoholic beverages The process of manufacture and distribution of Coca Cola products is unique to the industry. The Coca Cola Company has different bottling partners throughout the globe which manufacture and bottle the final product which the end consumer ultimately receives. The Coca Cola Company produces the concentrates and syrups of the products itself and then sells the rights to manufacture the products to its bottling partners. They do not control the policies and programs of these bottling partners, but they do have mutual self-interests and therefore work together to find common ground and take common action in many areas. Through this system they can effectively devise the appropriate strategy for responding to the needs of the local environment. Branding through marketing campaigns The Coca Cola Company has put a lot of emphasis over the years on creating and maintaining its brand name through large scale marketing campaigns. They have effectively used their resources to build a brand that is unique and known on a large scale throughout the world for its quality. This has led to a brand loyalty factor. Innovation: Product, packaging, equipment and marketing Coca Cola is always bringing out new carbonated beverages. Through the use of its resources and technology, it has led the innovation of new, improved, and different soft drinks around the world. A recent example of this from Coca Cola is â€Å"Jianchi† meaning strong inner energy in Chinese, the drink, made with fruit juices and plant extracts and available in three flavors is inspired by ancient Chinese wisdom to enhance the inner balance. The Coca Cola Company has invented a bottle which is made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent plant-based materials named the ‘plant bottle’. It is a significant development in sustainable packaging innovation. The new bottle reduces carbon emissions by up to 25 percent, compared with petroleum-based PET, and is 100% recyclable. â€Å"The Coca-Cola Company is the first company to introduce a beverage bottle made with recycled plastic has been focused on ensuring the sustainability of its packaging for decades. It has put resources behind creating packaging that is recyclable and investing in recycling infrastructure to ensure that its packages are collected, recycled and re-used†. The Company has built the world’s largest recycling plant with the ambition of reducing costs and the amount of materials in their packaging through recycling. The packaging being lighter will also reduce the cost of fuel on delivery etc. To increase the market for recycled materials, The Coca Cola Company has also released a line of merchandise which is made from 100% recycled material. Overall the innovation of recycled packaging will reduce costs, prevent waste and maximize value over the life of the product and inadvertently adding value to the Coca Cola brand. Coca Cola won the Gold lion in the point of sale category at the 2009 Cannes lion’s international advertising festival with the â€Å"video vendor† being the latest innovation in vending machines. It is believed to create a uniquely immersive experience for consumers. Strategic Directions; Strategic Objectives Vision The vision of Coca Cola â€Å"specifies what the organization could achieve if it performed perfectly† (Viljoen and Dann, 2003:97) â€Å"To refresh the world, to inspire moments of optimism and happiness and to create value and make a difference† Mission The mission statement of The Coca Cola Company has all the elements a good mission statement should have. It specifies the company’s commitment to their shareholders. Their mission is to: Achieve sustainable quality growth, be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be, bring the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy peoples desires and needs, nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers, be a responsible citizen that makes a difference be helping build and support sustainable communities, maximise long term return to s hareholders while being mindful of our overall responsibilities and be a highly effective, lean and fast moving organisation. |Stakeholder |Salience |Stakeholder demands / needs |strategic objective(s) to address | | | |that must be satisfied |stakeholder demands / needs | |   |   |   | | | | | | |Shareholders |Definitive |High dividends & growth in share |Growth in profitability | | | |price |Increase in revenue | | | | |Financial stability | | | | |Efficiency | | | | |Research and development | |   |   |   |   | | | | | | |Customers |Dominant |Quality products at lowest price |Social Responsibility | | | |socially and environmentally aware |Product quality and service | | | | |Higher level of customer satisfaction | | | | |than rivals | | | | |Research and development | | | | |Focus on the needs of consumers, | | | | |customers, and franchise partners | | | | |Listen, observe and learn in the market | |   |   |   |   | | | | | | |Employees |Domina nt |All employee benefits satisfied |Employee welfare | | | |Clean and safe working environment |Financial stability | | |Friendly working environment |Be a great place to work where | | | |Job security |people are inspired to be the best | | | | |they can be | |   |   | |   | | | | | | |Community |Dominant |Minimal environmental impact |Social responsibility | | | |Support the community |Be a responsible citizen that makes a | | | | |difference by helping build and support | | | | |sustainable communities | | | | |Support charities and community | | | | |organizations | | | | |Research and Development – | | | | |Environmentally friendly products | | | | |Possess a world view | |   |   |   |   | | | | | | |Suppliers / Bottlers |Dominant |Network and communication |Nurture a winning network of customers | | | |Reliability |and suppliers, to together create mutual | | | |Support |and endearing value | | | | |Research and evelopment | |   |   |   |   | | | | | | |Government |Dormant |Abide by the laws and legislation |Abide by the law | | | |governing each county TCCC has |Be mindful of overall responsibilities | | | |its products | | |   |   |   |   | The strategic objectives of The Coca Cola Company are in alignment with the demands of each of its stakeholders. Its strategic objectives are firmly bound within its mission statement showing their commitment to upholding their responsibilities to meeting the demands of all possible stakeholders. Key Strategies – Current Using Ansoff’s product / market strategies model it can be determined that The Coca Cola Company is pursuing a product development / diversification strategy. This means that their aim is to keep distributing new products into the same existing market as well as look for opportunities in new markets. An example is the release of Jianchi a new product made from fruit juices and plant extracts. Miles and Snow’s adaptive strategies model reveals that the company is in the prospector / defender position in the market. The company is a prospector leading change in the industry through creating new products and identifying new opportunities in the market place. High innovation is key in the prospector business strategy. However it could be said that it is a defender as well in terms of the original coca cola product and its position in the Cola market. They are defending vigorously focusing on high quality and creating barriers to entry. Their position on strategy is characterized by stable growth, profits, efficiency and flexibility in a dynamic environment. Their business structure is flat / loose and authority is decentralized within the organization. The high level of innovation can be seen through the company’s marketing at a functional level with the recent release of the new four and a half minute Music Video released by The Coca Cola Company titled – â€Å"open Happiness† which has taken marketing in the carbonated beverage industry to a new level. Coca cola competes on the basis of value added for customers. People will pay the premium over lesser brands for the coca cola product and this may be why they have chosen (from Porters model) a differentiation strategy. In the past the company has focused cost leadership however this sometimes leads to lowered market entry barriers this has led them to a differentiation strategy and a focus on pervasive penetration, preference and price related value. Due to economies of scale Coca Cola has the opportunity to be a low cost provider and undercut Pepsi's prices but from what we can see it chooses the differentiation strategy and distributes its products at a premium. A possible reason why they may not have chosen a cost leadership strategy is that it can generally be seen as a weak competitive advantage. Competitors may undercut you and it is easily emulated as well as difficult to sustain over time. In order to differentiate from the conventional Coke product, The Coca Cola Company has produced / innovated other such products as cherry coke, vanilla coke and diet coke and it has undertaken competitive marketing against such companies as PepsiCo and Cadbury / Schweppes to advertise how their products are so different and better in quality. The Coca Cola Company has employed a strategy which closely resembles a multidomestic strategy. A multidomestic strategy is characterized as being â€Å"orientated towards local responsiveness†, establishing â€Å"semiautonomous national units in each country in which it operates to produce and customize products to local markets†. It does this in a unique way in collaboration with its bottling. Together The Coca Cola Company and all its bottlers form one system called The Coca Cola System. The benefit of this strategy is that The Coca Cola Company and its bottlers can work together to determine local responsiveness and produce products that best suit the local tastes in that particular geographical area. We have seen this strategy in action with the introduction of the Coca Cola equivalent of red bull being â€Å"Mother† the energy drink being release certain regions but not others. Strategic Implementation; General Perspective Evidence of unrealized strategy The Coca Cola Company was set for the acquisition of the Huiyuan Juice business in China around March earlier this year, which looked to agree with their product development / diversification and differentiation strategy. Unfortunately the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) decided to decline approval for the proposed purchase. Coke released a statement saying: â€Å"We will now focus all of our energies and expertise on growing our existing brands and continuing to innovate with new brands, including in the juice segment. † The innovation of one of their newest products – â€Å"Jianchi† came approximately around this time. Apart from minor setbacks such as the failure of the Chinese juice company merger and acquisition, the coca cola company has implemented its strategies of diversification and differentiation well and this can be seen in the popularity of their products and their prosperous position in the carbonated beverage market. Key Strategic Implementation Issues Using the Mckinsey 7’s’ model we found that the three major strategic implementation issues that confront The Coca Cola Company is structure, style and systems. Structure The Coca Cola Company has in the past gone through major restructuring of its organization. It has cut out various levels and moved to a more multi-domestic structure. A couple of years ago they restructured their operations in both North America and internationally. â€Å"Not to save pennies but to simplify decision making and expedite the speed in which we can execute†. To this day they continue to refine their business structure. In June 2009 they integrated three core functions for a new business structure: Global Business Services, Global Information Technology and Transformational productivity. This will allow the company to deliver services that are highly dependent on technology and standardized processes to its business units in a more effective and efficient way. Style Amongst the list of The Coca Cola Company’s seven â€Å"values† includes integrity and accountability. Muhtar Kent the current CEO of the company was caught betting against the company’s stock allegedly based on insider information then claimed not to know that his actions were illegal. This does not constitute good leadership and could however be classified as an implementation issue for the company. The style of leadership a CEO shows can have a massive effect on the shared values or culture of an organization. So far there are no further signs of further situations like the one described above by the CEO and the company is continuing to improve. The signs point towards Muhtar Kent redeeming his reputation in the company. Systems The Coca Cola Company has the largest beverage distribution service in the world. With close to 1. 6 billion servings a day consumed in over 200 countries, The Coca Cola Company has had to develop effective and efficient system to cope with the magnitude of the business. Systems are as important to The Coca Cola Company as they are to any business. The distribution system of their products is unlike any other in the industry. It ties in with their business structure closely resembling a multi-domestic organizational structure. The Coca-Cola Company frequently utilizes promotional merchandise to connect consumers with its brands. It is critical that all such merchandise make a positive impression upon consumers. It is important that they monitor quality control not just for their concentrates and syrups but also on their promotional merchandise. The organization of The Coca Cola Company comprises many systems which enable the company to run smoothly. It takes strong successful systems for a company to survive and they can also give a company its strategic competitive advantage. However they must also be monitored and evaluated. TCCC has a triple bottom line approach to reporting and they utilize the balanced scorecard to achieve this. Evaluation of Strategy – Current / Future Efficient evaluation has been implemented through a triple bottom line reporting approach. They understand due to their large public profile they have to maintain a focus not just on financial reporting but also on their social responsibilities and the environment. The balanced scorecard is used in their financial reports based on key performance indicators to measure their performance in implementing their strategic objectives. The message is therefore communicate to their stakeholders through their general purpose financial reports (GPFR). References Textbooks Hill et al. 2007, Strategic Management: An integrated approach 2ed, Wiley and Sons. Page: 4 – 19, 64 – 72 Internet News Article I’d like to sell the world a Coke http://www. nytimes. com/ref/business/20070527_COKE_GRAPHIC. tml Viewed: 10:52 Monday 31st August The Coca Cola Company Website: Innovation http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/innovation. html Viewed: 4:59 Monday 31st August The Coca Cola Company Website: The System The Coca Cola logo (used above) is a registered trademark of The Coca Cola Company http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/the_cocacola_system. html Viewed: 4:59 Monday 31st August Strategic management http://www. docstoc. com/docs/10713752/Strategic-Management Viewed: 4:00 Saturday 10 October 2009 Brand Spotlight: Coca-Cola http://www. brandingstrategyinsider. com/2007/04/brand_spotlight. html Viewed: 6:31 Sunday 11 October 2009 Organization Strategies: Strategies used in Coca Cola http://www. findfreecollegeessays. com/show_essay/47865. html Viewed: 6:40 Sunday 11 October 2009 Open Happiness: Music Video http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=Cxfkg3RaRjs&feature=related Viewed: 4:53 Saturday 10 October 2009 THE COCA-COLA COMPANY INTRODUCES INNOVATIVE BOTTLE MADE FROM RENEWABLE, RECYCLABLE, PLANT-BASED PLASTIC http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/presscenter/nr_20090514_plantbottle. html Viewed: 10:16 Sunday 11 October 2009 ACQUISITION OF HUIYUAN JUICE GROUP IN CHINA NOT TO PROCEED http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/presscenter/nr_20090318_huiyan_juice. html Viewed: 11:37 Sunday 11 October 2009

Americas Role in World War II

America's Role in World War II When events began happening in Europe that would eventually lead to World War II, many Americans took an increasingly hard line towards getting involved. The events of World War I had fed into Americas natural desire to isolationism, and this was reflected by the passage of Neutrality Acts along with the general hands-off approach to the events that unfolded on the world stage. Increasing Tensions While America was wallowing in neutrality and isolationism, events were occurring in Europe and Asia that were causing increasing tension across the regions. These events included: Totalitarianism as a form of government in the USSR (Joseph Stalin), Italy (Benito Mussolini), Germany (Adolf Hitler), and Spain (Francisco Franco).A move towards fascism in Japan.The creation of Manchukuo, Japans puppet government in Manchuria, beginning the war in China.The conquest of Ethiopia by Mussolini.Revolution in Spain led by Francisco Franco.Germanys continuing expansion including taking the Rhineland.The worldwide Great Depression.World War I allies with large debts, many of which were not paying them off. America passed the Neutrality Acts in 1935-37. These created an embargo on all war item shipments. Americans were not allowed to travel on belligerent ships, and no belligerents were allowed loans in the United States. The Road to War The actual war in Europe began with a series of events: Germany took Austria (1938) and the Sudtenland (1938)The Munich Pact was created (1938) with England and France agreeing to allow Hitler to keep the Sudetenland as long as no further expansion occurred.Hitler and Mussolini created the Rome-Berlin Axis military alliance to last 10 years (1939)Japan entered an alliance with Germany and Italy (1939)The Moscow-Berlin Pact occurred promising nonaggression between the two powers (1939)Hitler invaded Poland (1939)England and France declared war on Germany (September 30, 1939). The Changing American Attitude At this time despite Franklin Roosevelts desire to help the allies (France and Great Britain), the only concession America made was to allow the sale of arms on a cash and carry basis. Hitler continued to expand taking Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium. In June 1940, France fell to Germany. Obviously, this quick expansion got America nervous and the US began to build the military up. The final break in isolationism began with the Lend-Lease Act (1941) whereby America was allowed to sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government....any defense article. Great Britain promised not to export any of the lend-lease materials. After this, America built a base on Greenland and then issued the Atlantic Charter (August 14, 1941)- a joint declaration between Great Britain and the US about the purposes of war against fascism. The Battle of the Atlantic began with German U-Boats wreaking havoc. This battle would last throughout the war. The real event that changed America into a nation actively at war was the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was precipitated in July 1939 when Franklin Roosevelt announced that the US would no longer trade items such as gasoline and iron to Japan who needed it for their war with China. In July 1941, the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis was created. The Japanese began occupying French Indo-China and the Philippines. All Japanese assets were frozen in the US. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor killing over 2,000 people and damaging or destroying eight battleships greatly harming the Pacific fleet. America officially entered the war and now had to fight on two fronts: Europe and the Pacific. After America declared war on Japan, Germany, and Italy declared war on the US. America actually followed a Germany First strategy, mainly because it posed the greatest threat to the West, it had a larger military, and it seemed the most likely to develop newer and more lethal weapons. One of the worst tragedies of World War II was the  Holocaust  in which between 1933 and 1945 it is estimated that from 9-11 million Jews were killed. Only with the defeat of the Nazis were the  concentration camps  closed down, and the remaining survivors freed. Events Leading up to World War II The events in Europe unfolded as follows: Early German Victories  - The Germans successfully fought off the Russians in 1942. England was being bombed, and U-Boats harassed American shipping.North Africa  - The allies led by  General Dwight D. Eisenhower  fought against the French forces who were working in conjunction with Germany in Morocco and Algeria. The allies did take Tunisia in May 1943.Battle of the Atlantic  - The allies were able to control the Atlantic sea lanes by May 1943 though the battle continued to rage throughout the rest of the war.Italy  - The allies captured Sicily in July 1943 leading to Mussolinis downfall. The Italians then joined the allies. Germany still occupied much of Italy including Rome.Normandy Invasion  - This began on D-Day, June 6, 1944. General Eisenhower led the allies onto the beaches of France. They were able to liberate Paris on August 25, 1944.Battle of the Bulge  - Germany launched a counteroffensive in December 1944.  General Patton  led the 3rd Army to victory by January 1945.The Battle of Germany  - Early in 1945, Russians invaded Germany from the East while the allies moved in from the West defeating Germany. Hitler along with many top officials committed suicide. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945 - V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day). America followed a defensive policy in Japan until the summer of 1942. Following is a list of the events that occurred during World War IIs War in the Pacific:Early Japanese Victories  - Japan was able to have many victories in the Pacific and began attacking the Philippines. The Americans eventually had to surrender after  General Douglas MacArthur  and his troops failed to hold the  Bataan Peninsula  and the island of Corregidor. This was when MacArthur said his famous line, I will return.Pacific Offensive  - America began an offensive campaign during the summer of 1942. They defeated the Japanese at  the Battle of the Coral Sea  and  the Battle of Midway. In August 1942, America invaded Guadalcanal and by May 1943 had freed the Aleutians.Island Hopping  - The Americans led by  Admiral Chester W. Nimitz  took back many Japanese held islands on their way to the Japanese mainland. In June 1944, Saipan fell and then in July America captured Guam. In March 1945, America took  Iwo Jima  and held Okinawa by June. Philippines  - MacArthur kept his promise and returned to the Philippines after important victories in the  Battle of Leyte Gulf  (led by  Admiral William Halsey). By January 1945, they had landed at Luzon to battle for the Philippines.China  - Chiang Kai-Shek led the Chinese against the Japanese. In January 1945, the Ledo Road was opened, and the allies were able to get supplies to the Chinese who then expelled the Japanese.Atomic Bombs  - Throughout the war, America had been working on the creation of atomic bombs  through the  Manhattan Project. In August 1945, America led by  Harry Truman, who took over the presidency after FDRs death, decided to  drop atomic bombs on two cities in Japan.  Part of the rationale for this decision was that they wanted to avoid the loss of life that would accompany an invasion of the Japanese mainland.  Hiroshima  was the first target on August 6th and then Nagasaki was hit on August 9th. The two bombs killed approximately 100,000 Japanese instantly. By September 2, 1945, the Japanese had unconditionally surrendered. This was V-J Day (Victory over Japan day). American Rationing   Americans at home sacrificed while soldiers fought overseas. By the end of the war, more than 12 million American soldiers had joined or were drafted into the military. Widespread rationing occurred. For example, families were given coupons to purchase sugar based on the size of their families. They could not buy more than their coupons would allow. However, rationing covered more than just food- it also included goods such as shoes and gasoline. Some items were just not available in America. Silk stockings made in Japan were not available- they were replaced by the new synthetic nylon stockings. No automobiles were produced from February 1943 until the end of the war to move the manufacturing to war specific items. Many women entered the workforce  to help make munitions and implements of war. These women were nicknamed Rosie the Riveter and were a central part of Americas success in war. Japanese Relocation Camps Wartime restrictions were imposed on civil liberties. A real black mark on the American home front was the  Executive Order No. 9066 signed by Roosevelt in 1942. This ordered those of Japanese-American descent to be removed to Relocation Camps. This law eventually forced close to 120,000 Japanese-Americans in the western part of the United States to leave their homes and move to one of ten relocation centers or to other facilities across the nation. Most of those relocated were American citizens by birth. They were forced to sell their homes, most for next to nothing, and take only what they could carry. In 1988, President  Ronald Reagan  signed the Civil Liberties Act that provided redress for Japanese-Americans. Each living survivor was paid $20,000 for the forced incarceration. In 1989, President  George H. W. Bush  issued a formal apology. However, nothing can make up for the pain and humiliation that this group of individuals had to face for nothing more than their ethnicity. America and Russia In the end, America came together to successfully defeat fascism abroad. The end of the war would send the US into a  Cold War  due to concessions made to the Russians in exchange for their aid in defeating the Japanese. Communist Russia and the United States would be at odds with each other until the downfall of the USSR in 1989.

Rubric Template Sample for Teachers

Rubric Template Sample for Teachers Rubrics are a fast and easy way to assess students work. They can make an educators life so much easier because they are able to quickly determine exactly where a students work excelled, and where it lacked. While they are a great tool to have, creating them can be quite time-consuming. To make it a little bit easier for you, all you have to do is use the samples below. Here you will learn what a basic rubric template should have, example qualifiers to add to your rubric, sample verbs, and verb phrases to help you write your descriptions and three sample rubric templates. Basic Rubric A basic rubric template should have the following features: Description of task or performance that the rubric is designed to evaluate.A scale or rating with three or more qualifiers.An objective of the task or performance (criteria).Descriptors, or sample words that identify the effectiveness of the expectations. Example Qualifiers Level 1 or 1 point limited, lowest quality, poor, beginning, unsatisfactory, not there yet, little evidence, needs improvement.Level 2 or 2 points some, basic, emerging, some evidence, fair, capable, satisfactory.Level 3 or 3 points accomplished, developing, proficient, constant evidence, very good, considerable.Level 4 or 4 points Exemplary, high degree, strong, advanced, displays evidence beyond, best quality, excellent, exceeds. Sample Verbs and Phrases Here are a few sample verbs and phrases to use when writing the description of the performance characteristics. DemonstratesIdentifiesMakes connectionsInterpretsExpressesAppliesPredictsBegins toCommunicates Learn how to score a rubric and view samples of expository and narrative writing rubrics. Plus: learn how to create a rubric from scratch by using this step-by-step guide, as well as view samples of informal and formal essay rubrics. Rubric Template 1 Levels of Performance (Scale) (Describe here the task the rubric is designed to evaluate) Features 4 Exceptional Quality 3 Best Quality 2 Average Quality 1 Lowest Quality Criteria 1 Criteria 2 Criteria 3 Criteria 4 Rubric Template 2 Levels of Performance (Scale) (Here you will describe the task or performance that the rubric is designed to evaluate) Features Beginning1 Developed2 Accomplished3 Exemplary4 (State objective here)1 Description of the performance and characteristics that reflect a beginning level of performance Description of the performance and characteristics that reflect a development toward performance Description of the performance and characteristics that reflect an accomplished level of performance Description of the performance and characteristics that reflect the highest level performance (State objective here)2 State Performance Descriptors Here (State objective here)3 (State objective here)4 Rubric Template 3 Levels of Performance (Scale) Â  (Describe here the task the rubric is designed to evaluate) Criteria Achievement Level 1 Achievement Level 2 Achievement Level 3 Achievement Level 4 Criteria 1 Characteristics of performance indicators goes here. Criteria 2 Criteria 3 Criteria 4

The Sub-prime Mortgage Market and Variable Rate Mortgage Market in the Essay

The Sub-prime Mortgage Market and Variable Rate Mortgage Market in the USA - Essay Example The subprime mortgage market can be considered as an extension of this lending practice prevalent in the housing market. Subprime mortgage loans carry interest rates much higher than the prime loans in order to cover the additional risk exposure of the lenders in extending credit to the borrowers who are considered to have a bad loan track and defaulters in repayments. With the increase in the subprime lending the rate of failures has also considerably increased, as most of the loans have been granted to those who did not have the adequate means to repay the loans. When such failures have reached a greater proportion, "Investors have started scrutinizing subprime loans more carefully and, in turn, lenders have tightened underwriting standard". Certain other measures including credit spreads over subprime securitizations have also been undertaken to control the rate of delinquencies. Different aspects of the subprime mortgage including the variable rate mortgage are discussed in the following sections of the report. The report also details the process of securitization being adopted by the mortgage originators to fund the growth in their mortgage lending. 2.0 What is Subprime Mortgage Although the term 'subprime mortgage' is used to indicate the loans offered to those borrowers whose credibility is doubtful, the term "subprime' does not signify the character of the loan itself but characterizes the borrower meaning the borrower has a substandard credit status. Lack of good credit history and habitual defaults in repayments make the borrowers to get into the status of sub prime borrowers. Subprime lending can take a variety of instruments like... As the report declares the subprime mortgage market can be considered as an extension of this lending practice prevalent in the housing market. Subprime mortgage loans carry interest rates much higher than the prime loans in order to cover the additional risk exposure of the lenders in extending credit to the borrowers who are considered to have a bad loan track and defaulters in repayments. With the increase in the subprime lending the rate of failures has also considerably increased, as most of the loans have been granted to those who did not have the adequate means to repay the loans. When such failures have reached a greater proportion, â€Å"Investors have started scrutinizing subprime loans more carefully and, in turn, lenders have tightened underwriting standard†. This paper stresses that lack of good credit history and habitual defaults in repayments make the borrowers to get into the status of sub prime borrowers. Subprime lending can take a variety of instruments like subprime mortgages, car loans and credit cards. The expansion in the sub-prime mortgage has made the home-ownership possible for those borrowers who otherwise would not be able to qualify for any borrowing. There has been a sharp increase in the subprime mortgage in the recent years. With the increase in the subprime mortgage market, the concerns over the adverse effects of the predatory loans have also increased.

Organizational Behavior and Communication Essay

Organizational Behavior and Communication - Essay Example Some of the popular applications are; Google Maps which is an application to view maps of towns and cities along with satellite view, Google Chrome is a web browser produced by Google, Google Finance provides customized information regarding the stock prices and financial facts and figures of the companies, Google Translate is an application that can translate so many languages inter se along with the feature of translating whole web pages. Such additional services have made Google one of the biggest companies with most innovative web applications. The success of the organization can be traced to its organizational culture and values. The mission of the company is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful (Google, 2011). The philosophy of the company is clearly apparent from the mission statement of the company which is to provide right information to the people who seek for it. This mission and philosophy has driven the company to be in novative in designing its strategies, therefore the company has become a dynamic organization which keeps changing and expanding. This continuous change and innovation is keeping Google in the spotlight among the users. Innovation is apparent from every aspect of the organization. From the layout of the workplace to the organizational structure, everything represents innovation. Employees are free to communicate to anyone at any level of the organization because it is the belief of the organization that each employee is an important contributor to the success of the organization. Employees are provided an environment where they can work comfortably and playfully. There are a number of facilities like; gyms, gourmet cafes etc. for the employees (Google, 2011). One of the main reasons behind the success of the organization is its belief in its employees. Apart from working for the organization, each employee is allowed a specific number of hours from the normal work hours to utilize o n their individual projects. In this manner each employee puts his individual input to the innovation of the organization which is appreciated by the personnel at higher levels of the organization. Each employee is free to present his ideas to the higher levels of management. Therefore, it can be said that the culture of an organization plays an important role in the effectiveness of communication that