Analyse website traffic data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyse website traffic data - Essay Example However, there have been significant improvements since 30/06/2006 reaching a figure of 80,000, on that date. By Hour of Day: the activity tends to increase by around 7.A.M. and reaches its zenith by around12.59 PM. Noon. The activity tapers down after noon and reaching its lowest ebb at 11.PM. The highest activity recorded is at 12.59 PM and the lowest at 3 PM. Activity by day of week: The activity by day tends to increase after Sundays with Wednesdays registering the most peak activity of hits. It is lowest during the weekend on Saturday recording 2494 hits on that day of the week. One of the main reasons why some of the results may not be valid may be due to the presence of invalid or incomplete data, due to technical or other reasons. Therefore a certain provision for errors has to maintain while collating statistical datas. On certain occasions, there may be mismatch between the total website hits in the summary and the website hits in the daily visitor activity. This is because the summary indicates only passed or validated requests, whereas the daily activity indicates all activities, valid or invalid. Website traffic helps to evaluate the positive and negative areas of websites. â€Å"However, the data receive from host company can be overwhelming if it is not able to understand how to apply it to particular business and website. It is essential to examine the most basic data - the average visitors to the site on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.† (Johnson, Cameron, 2007). Color choices and layout and design aspects could be regimented. Additionally the website needs to be updated on regular basis and newer and better features incorporated so that the visitors and hits could be conspicuously increased over a period of time. The use of â€Å"CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and XHTML (eXtensible HyperText Markup Language) to design and

Decision making on workplace Essay Example for Free

Decision making on workplace Essay In my workplace I look after a gentleman who likes to go to the shops on his own. He is deemed too have mental capacity to make this decision. On making this decision it was discussed with him what certain protocols we needed to put in place to support him and to make this happen safely. This man is very much involved in his care plan and he has read, and reviews his care plan when changes are needed. Firstly it was explained to this man that we needed to put a risk assessment in place which says if anything was to happen to him when he was out and about that he took full responsibility of what might happen, for example if this man was to fall when out by himself that the workplace would take no responsibility for this, this man was very happy with this statement and was willing to sign and agree to this risk assessment. The family were also made aware of this decision and were happy for this to be put in place. Family suggested that maybe before he goes out that he was to tell a member of staff where and when he was going, just so that someone is aware. All parties agreed to this. Letting this man go out to the shops by himself really helps with his self-esteem because it makes him feel important, respected and makes him feel like he is as independent as possible and that he doesn’t have to ask all the time about what he wants to do. Also if any changes have been made to his care plan for whatever reason he is always consulted first and asked if he is happy with the decisions that are being made. If he isn’t happy for whatever reason he is more than capable to speak up and say what he would like or prefer. On the other hand if this man didn’t have the mental capacity to make any of these decision or had no family to make decisions on behalf of him and advocate would be brought in and they would be able to make best interest decisions on behalf of him.

Richelieus Great Success :: European Europe History

Richelieu's Great Success Machiavelli, More, and Richelieu all at one point or another occupied a high post in their respective governments: Italy, England, and France; from such a vantage point, or rather in the case of Machiavelli after descending from office, each identified the ills existent in his given state and derived his own remedy for such ills. However, the efforts of Machiavelli and More proved less fruitful in the short run than did Richelieu's; while Richelieu raised the state of France under Louis XIII to a condition of greatness through the elimination of internal strife and discord which had for so long plagued the nation and through the advocacy of increased involvement in the international realm, his two predecessors in their renowned works, The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and Utopia, made a number of espousals concerning certain desirous reforms which would prove extremely influential in the future and throughout the world, but which would fail to be adopted as remedies for the immediate c oncerns which fostered them. Italy, and Florence itself, the birthplace and residence of Niccolo Machiavelli had endured violent political and social upheavals throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 1440's the social balance which had permitted the germination of much of Renaissance thought a few decades prior was already beginning to fall into decay as a result of heavy wartime taxation; Florence had been forced to keep Spanish held Naples and Milan at bay for years and consequently found herself lacking in funds to continue such a defense. The Florentine military was composed primarily of mercenaries who proved both a costly and not necessarily loyal force. The increasing costs incurred by warfare inevitably led to a centralized state led by the Medicis that could more readily generate and amass the necessary revenues; however, the outward trappings of a republican form of government were preserved. The Medici maintained their dominance of the Florentine Republic until1494 when Piero d' Medici was oust ed from office. The ostracization of Piero by his Florentine counterparts was in direct correlation to the invasion and capture of Naples from Spanish control by the French King Charles VIII. In 1494 on route to Naples the French took Pisa, Florence, and Rome without conflict; however, Piero's surrender of Pisa, which left Florence vulnerable, provoked a fierce rebellion in Florence putting an end to Medici rule there for the time being. Despite such unrest the Dominican Friar Girolamo Savonarola who sought to create in Florence a "new Jerusalem" restored the Republic; regardless of his good intentions Savonarola made multitudous enemies, the most dangerous being Pope Alexander VI. Richelieu's Great Success :: European Europe History Richelieu's Great Success Machiavelli, More, and Richelieu all at one point or another occupied a high post in their respective governments: Italy, England, and France; from such a vantage point, or rather in the case of Machiavelli after descending from office, each identified the ills existent in his given state and derived his own remedy for such ills. However, the efforts of Machiavelli and More proved less fruitful in the short run than did Richelieu's; while Richelieu raised the state of France under Louis XIII to a condition of greatness through the elimination of internal strife and discord which had for so long plagued the nation and through the advocacy of increased involvement in the international realm, his two predecessors in their renowned works, The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and Utopia, made a number of espousals concerning certain desirous reforms which would prove extremely influential in the future and throughout the world, but which would fail to be adopted as remedies for the immediate c oncerns which fostered them. Italy, and Florence itself, the birthplace and residence of Niccolo Machiavelli had endured violent political and social upheavals throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 1440's the social balance which had permitted the germination of much of Renaissance thought a few decades prior was already beginning to fall into decay as a result of heavy wartime taxation; Florence had been forced to keep Spanish held Naples and Milan at bay for years and consequently found herself lacking in funds to continue such a defense. The Florentine military was composed primarily of mercenaries who proved both a costly and not necessarily loyal force. The increasing costs incurred by warfare inevitably led to a centralized state led by the Medicis that could more readily generate and amass the necessary revenues; however, the outward trappings of a republican form of government were preserved. The Medici maintained their dominance of the Florentine Republic until1494 when Piero d' Medici was oust ed from office. The ostracization of Piero by his Florentine counterparts was in direct correlation to the invasion and capture of Naples from Spanish control by the French King Charles VIII. In 1494 on route to Naples the French took Pisa, Florence, and Rome without conflict; however, Piero's surrender of Pisa, which left Florence vulnerable, provoked a fierce rebellion in Florence putting an end to Medici rule there for the time being. Despite such unrest the Dominican Friar Girolamo Savonarola who sought to create in Florence a "new Jerusalem" restored the Republic; regardless of his good intentions Savonarola made multitudous enemies, the most dangerous being Pope Alexander VI.

Ghani Glass (Strategic Management Report)

Literature Search Strategy â€Å"Strategic Management can be defined as the Art and Science of formulating, implementing and evaluation cross-functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve its objectives† [1] â€Å"Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term which achieves advantage for the organization t Through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment to meet the needs of markets and to fulfill stakeholder expectations†. [2] Stages of Strategic Management The strategic-management process consists of 3 stages that are; pic] Strategic Analysis This is all about the analyzing the strength of businesses' position and understanding the important external factors that may influence that position. The process of Strategic Analysis can be assisted by a number of tools, including: †¢ PEST ANALYSIS – a technique for understanding the â€Å"environment† in which a business operates †¢ SCENA RIO PLANNING – a technique that builds various plausible views of possible futures for a business †¢ FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS – a technique for identifying the forces which affect the level of competition in an industry MARKET SEGMENTATION – a technique which seeks to identify similarities and differences between groups of customers or users †¢ DIRECTIONAL POLICY MATRIX – a technique which summarizes the competitive strength of a business’s operations in specific markets †¢ COMPETITOR ANALYSIS – a wide range of techniques and analysis that seeks to summaries a businesses' overall competitive position †¢ CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR ANALYSIS – a technique to identify those areas in which a business must outperform the competition in order to succeed SWOT ANALYSIS – a useful summary technique for summarizing the key issues arising from an assessment of a business’s â€Å"internal† position and â€Å"exte rnal† environmental influences. STRATEGIC CHOICE This process involves understanding the nature of stakeholder expectations (the â€Å"ground rules†), identifying strategic options, and then evaluating and selecting strategic options. STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION It is the trickiest part†¦ When a strategy has been analyzed and selected, the task is then to translate it into organizational action. VISION STATEMENTS Vision statements are defined by organizations as â€Å"What do we want to become? † [3] â€Å"Strategic visions ought to convey a larger sense of purpose- so that employees see themselves as â€Å"building cathedral† rather than â€Å"laying stones†. [4] MISSION STATEMENTS â€Å"Mission Statements are enduring statements of purpose that distinguish one business from other similar firms. A mission statement identifies the scope of the firm’s operations in product and market terms. † [5] â€Å"A mission describes the organization’s basic function in society in terms of the products and services it produces for its customers†. [6] A clear Mission statement should have each of the following elements: [pic] External Assessment: Porter 5 Forces Model That Shapes Industry The process of performing an external audit must involve as many managers and employees as possible. Awareness of the 5 forces for external assessment can be very useful for the firm as it is able to determine the position of the respective company in the industry. To perform an external audit a company must accumulate competitive intelligence and information about economic social cultural demographic environmental political governmental legal and technological trends. Other sources include magazines, newspaper, internet and business journals. Following are the 5 forces that shape strategy. [7] These 5 forces determine the attractiveness of the industry. If the rivalry is intense, for example in auto and gaming industry, we can say that it has reduced the attractiveness of the industry. Similarly, if the forces are moderate, as they are in industries such as software, soft drinks, and toiletries, many companies are profitable. Industry structure drives competition and profitability, not whether an ndustry produces a product or service, is emerging or mature, high tech or low tech, regulated or unregulated. While a myriad of factors can affect industry profitability in the short run – including the weather and the business cycle – industry structure, manifested in the competitive forces, sets industry profitability in the medium and long run. These five forces are further affected by the external environment which are rather uncontroll able and are widely popular as PEST in Porter theory of 5 forces. They are called Political, Environmental, Social and Technological. Relationship between External forces and Organization [pic][8] Internal Assessment: Strengths and Weaknesses A strategic-management audit of a firm’s internal operations is imperative to organization’s health. Increasing number of successful organizations are using the internal audit to gain competitive advantage. Management, marketing, financial/accounting, production / operations and management information systems represent the core competencies of the organizations and their value chains. An organization should identify and evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses in order to effectively formulate and choose among alternative strategies. [9] GENERIC COMPETETIVE STRATEGIES The second central question in competitive strategy is a firm's relative position within its industry. Positioning determines whether a firm's profitability is above or below the industry average. A firm that can position it well may earn high rates of return even though industry structure is unfavorable and the average profitability of the industry is herefore modest. Each of the generic strategies involves a fundamentally different route to competitive advantage, combining a choice about the type of competitive advantage sought with the scope of the strategic target in which competitive advantage is to be achieved. The cost leadership and differentiation strategies seek competitive advantage in a broad range of industry segments, while focus strategies aim at cost advantage (cost focus) or differ entiation (differentiation focus) in a narrow segment. The specific actions required to implement each generic strategy vary widely from industry to industry, as do the feasible generic strategies in a particular industry. While selecting and implementing a generic strategy is far from simple, however, they are the logical routes to competitive advantage that must be probed in any industry. [10] COST LEADERSHIP: Cost leadership is perhaps the clearest of the three generic strategies. In it, a firm sets out to become the low-cost producer in its industry. The firm has a broad scope and serves many industry segments, and may even operate in related industries — the firm's breadth is often important to its cost advantage. The sources of cost advantage are varied and depend on the structure of the industry DIFFERENTIATION: The second generic strategy is differentiation. In a differentiation strategy, a firm seeks to be unique in its industry along some dimensions that are widely valued by buyers. It selects one or more attributes that many buyers in an industry perceive as important, and uniquely positions itself to meet those needs. It is rewarded for its uniqueness with a premium price. FOCUS: The third generic strategy is focus. This strategy is quite different from the others because it rests on the choice of a narrow competitive scope within an industry. The focuser selects a segment of group of segments in the industry and tailors its strategy to serving them to the exclusion of others. By optimizing its strategy for the target segments, the focuser seeks to achieve a competitive advantage in its target segments even though it does not possess a competitive advantage overall. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: A firm that engages in each generic strategy but fails to achieve any of them is â€Å"stuck in the middle. † It possesses no competitive advantage. This strategic position is usually a recipe for below-average performance. A firm that is stuck in the middle will compete at a disadvantage because the cost leader, differentiators, or focusers will be better positioned to compete in any segment. If a firm that is stuck in the middle is lucky enough to discover a profitable product or buyer, competitors with a sustainable competitive advantage will quickly eliminate the spoils. In most industries, quite a few competitors are stuck in the middle. Ghani Glass – An Introduction: The founder of Ghani Group Sheikh Abdul Ghani (late) started business in 1963 and established a coal / silica sand mining firm in the name of Ahmad Brothers and Company. Now, the group is running a diverse range of businesses including three glass manufacturing plants, an automobile plant and a number of leading mining companies have an annual turnover of over Rs. 8 Billion. The origins of this group can be found in the mining industry given its involvement in coal, salt and sand mining since 1959. The substantial strategic benefits of vertical integration led them to consider venturing into the manufacturing field in subsequent years. The chosen manufacturing field was glass manufacturing due to the robust demand for glass products in the country. The Ghani Group was not new to the glass manufacturing industry. They had been supplying silica sand to the glass industries four decades back. Their dedication to quality and customer service allowed them to land an exclusive 25 year excellence certificate from Phillips. Their venture into the manufacturing field took the form of Ghani Glass, incorporated in 1992 and starting production in 1995, forming the first step on the road to success of Ghani Glass limited, which today own three glass plants namely GGL1 – Hattar, GGL2 – Landhi and GGL3 – Sheikhupura Road. Companies of the Group The diversified businesses operating under the umbrella of Ghani Group are as follows: †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Hattar (GGL-I) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Karachi (GGL-II) †¢ Ghani Glass Limited, Sheikhupura (Float Glass Plant) †¢ Ghani Automobiles Limited (formerly Ghani Textile Ltd. †¢ Makerwall Collieries Limited †¢ Ghani Mines (Pvt. ) Limited; †¢ Ghani Chromites Mines Pvt. Limited †¢ Ghani Corporation †¢ Ahmed Ghani Joint Venture †¢ Al-Muhandus Corp. †¢ Ahmed Brothers and Co. Vision: To indulge in honesty, integrity and self determination, to encourage excellence in performance and most of all to put our trust in Allah, so that we, eventually through our efforts and belief, become the leader amongst glass manufacturers not only in Pakistan but in Asia. Mission: The company has no mission statement and according to them, their vision connotes their mission. External Environment Porter’s Five Forces Applying Porter’s five forces to the Glass Industry allows us to acquire a fair view of the potential attractiveness in terms of profitability of the industry and Attractiveness. | | |Yes |~ |No | |A | |(+) | |(–) | | |Threat of New Entrants | | | | | |Do large firms have a cost or performance advantage in your segment of the industry? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any Proprietary product differences in your industry? | | |[pic] | | |Are there any established brand identities in your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do your customers incur any significant costs in switching suppliers? | |[pic] | | |Is a lot of capital needed to enter your industry? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is serviceable used equipment expensive? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer to your industry face difficulty in accessing distribution channels? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does experience help you to continuously lower costs? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Does the newcomer have any problems in obtaining the necessary skilled people, materials or | | | | | |supplies? |[pic] | | | | |Does your product or service have any proprietary features that give you lower cost? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Are there any licenses, insurance or qualifications that are difficult to obtain? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Can the newcomer expect strong retaliation on entering the market? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | The threat of new entrants is significantly low as there is high capital investment required for establishing a manufacturing facility in this industry. Besides, the current players in market are well settled and have strong brand identities. Incase any new firm wants to enter this industry; it will be faced with predicaments in setting-up distribution links as the existing companies have substantial control over main channels. PEST ANALYSIS P: The Government of Pakistan has certain regulations related to establishment of a manufacturing facility. All new firms are subject to different licensing and regulatory procedures and the industry’s tax structure in also not supportive. E: Primarily, the economic conditions do not affect the behavior of this industry as glass has no direct substitutes and all the buyers including domestic and commercial ones are bound to buy glass when they need it. S: With a strong cultural heritage, Pakistanis are well known for their arts and crafts. The words beautification and decoration are directly related with glass. Besides basic usage, people decorate their houses with vases and other decorative items made up of glass (mainly float glass). Hence, the social and societal values are in favor of this industry. T: Pakistan is an underdeveloped country and one of the basic reasons for that is lagging behind in the field of technology. The technology required in this industry is not only expensive but the manufacturing / processing equipments are also not easily available in Pakistan. All existing companies have to import the machines from countries such as Japan, Germany and China. | | |Yes |~ |No | |B | |(+) | |(–) | | |Bargaining Power of Buyers | | | | | |Are there a large number of buyers relative to the number of firms in the business? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Do you have a large number of customers, each with relatively small purchases? | | |[pic] | | |Does the customer face any significant costs in switching suppliers? | | |[pic] | | |Does the buyer need a lot of important information? | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is the buyer aware of the need for additional information? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Is there anything that prevents your customer from taking your function in – house? | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Your customers are not highly sensitive to price. | |[pic] | | |Your product is unique to some degree or has accepted branding. |[pic] | | | | |Your customer’s business are profitable |[pic] | | | | |You provide incentives to the de cision makers. |[pic] | | | In this industry bargaining power of buyers is very low. This is due to low number of producer of glass compare to large number of buyers of glass. There are hardly four companies existing in this industry. PEST ANALYSIS P: As such, the politico legal system has not influenced the bargaining power of customers in this industry. Even in the turbulent times, the company has been successful in achieving sales targets and net income is continuously showing an upward trend. E: Economic conditions do not impact the bargaining power of buyer in this industry because the offerings of Ghani Glass are quite high in quality as compared to that of others. S: The float glass has become an indispensable element of modern infrastructure thereby; it has resulted in an increase in demand and decrease in bargaining power of buyers. T: The element of technology is very significant in glass industry and the processes involve high-tech machinery which makes superior glass. It can, therefore, be concluded that technology factor is lessening the buyers’ power. |C | |Yes |~ |No | | |Threat of Substitutes |(+) | |(–) | | |The industry is growing rapidly. | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |Industry is Not Cyclical with intermittent over capacity. | | |[pic] | | |The fixed costs of the business are a relatively low portion of total costs. | | |[pic] | | |There are significant product differences and brand identities between the competitors. | | | | | | |[pic] | | | | |The competitors are diversified rather than specialized. | |[pic] | | |It would not be hard to get out of this business because there are no specialized skills and | | |[pic] | | |facilities or long-term contract commitments, etc. | | | | | |My customers would incur significant costs in switching to a competitor. | | |[pic] | | |My product is comple x and requires a detailed understanding on the part of my customer. | | |[pic] | | |My competitors are all of approximately the same size as I am. | |[pic] | PEST ANALYSIS P: Political conditions of our country don’t hit the rivalry factor of this industry up to large extent. But when small players in the industry leave the business due to unrelenting political mayhems, big players like Ghani Glass take the advantage of a decrease in competition, direct or indirect. E: The GDP of our country is growing and so is per capita income. Glass is a commodity where consumption is dependent on income. As incomes of individuals and corporations tend to increase, the consumption of glass also increases. Glass is also used in bottling of soft drinks, medicines and automobile industry. The consumption of consumer goods also helps glass industry to endure economic slowdowns. S: Since the social factors are causing an increase in demand for glass, every player gets a chance cater certain segment of users. Thus it reduces the intensity of rivalry among the exiting competitors. T: Due to the enhancement in technology and emergence of internet, both domestic and corporate customers have easy access to different suppliers thus it is increasing the rivalry among the existing competitors. F | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Opportunities |   |   |   | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 20 |4 |0. 80 | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply rising demand in |0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |construction of business arcade (in which float glass is the main | | | | |ingredient) | | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince Glass which is |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | |technologically well-equipped | | | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional conglomerates in |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |pursuit of globalization | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in Afghanistan, Iran and Indian |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 | |markets. | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | |Threats | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 0 |3 |0. 30 | |The emergence of substitute products such as aluminum and wood |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium and Malaysian Float Glass |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 05 | INTERNAL FACTOR EVALUATION | |IFE MATRIX | | | | | | |Critical Success Factors |Weight |Rating | | | | | |Weighted Score | |Strengths |   |   |   | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |2. Team Vigilance |0. 10 |3 |0. 20 | |3. Loyalty of employees |0. 15 |4 |0. 60 | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their business |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 | |5. Better product quality compared to rivals |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 | |6. A widely recognized brand |0. 05 |4 |0. 20 | |7. Strong distribution channels |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  8. Dedicated human resource at managerial levels |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | | |   | |Weaknesses | | | | |9. Weak R & D related to new product development |0. 10 |2 |0. 20 | |10. Lack of technically-sound labour |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |  11. Not upgraded training facilities for labor |0. 05 |1 |0. 5 | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 15 | COMPETITIVE PROFILE MATRIX (CPM) | | |Ratings |Total |Ratings |Total | |Product Quality |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Technology |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |Advertisement & Communication |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |1 |0. 05 | |Financial Position |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Management |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Market share |0. 10 |4 |0. 40 |2 |0. 20 | |Competition |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |1 |0. 10 | |Price Competitiveness |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 |2 |0. 20 | |Dedicated Human Resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |3 |0. 30 | |Distribution Channels |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 20 | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 20 | |2. 20 | Competitors Analysis Pharmaceutical Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Float Glass Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 75% in this industry. Food & Beverages Industry: Ghani Glass has a share of 88% in this industry. Major Customers: Leading national and multinational companies of Pakistan †¢ Construction companies – local and multinational †¢ Architectural and engineering companies †¢ Also being exported to over 12 countries KEY SUCCESS FACTORS UNMATCHED QUALITY: Ghani Glass is successful because of the quality it offers. In connivance wi th same, they charge a premium price and this results in high profit margins. Consequently, the company has more money to reinvest. STRONG DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL ALL OVER PAKISTAN: Ghani Glass has successfully formed a strong distribution network by giving better margins to distributors. SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY: Ghani Glass uses the most advanced technology in the industry. The company installed its first state on the art plant in 1993. Later on, the company set-up first Float Glass manufacturing facility in 2003. Since then, they are constantly improving their technology and resultantly, they have been able to make quality oriented products and it helped them in becoming a trend setter and market leader. MARKETING STRATEGIES: Word of mouth is the most important tool which they have used for the promotion of their products. They have also used billboards and personnel selling tools to promote their products. In nutshell, they were able to position their product as the best in terms of quality through marketing strategy. This also increased their brand equity. SKILLED ENGINEERS HIRED FROM FOREIGN MARKETS: In Pakistan, the education level is backward that has led to lack of availability of skilled labour in the country. Also there is such institution in Pakistan that engineer can be trained to handle the technology. Therefore to overcome this hindrance they have hired employee mainly engineer from foreign market. As compare to their rival their engineer are more skillful and efficient. DEDICATED HUMAN RESOURCE & EMPLOYEES: Ghani Glass provides is staffs with three time meal that is breakfast, lunch and dinner free of cost. It means that they make sure their employee and labors are fit and healthy. It is due to their policy that their labor has become dedicated and hard working. Company makes sure that no labor or employee is ill-treated. They follow strictly the labor law which has made the labor and employee loyal to the company. Core Competencies: – Technology: The company is using superior technology as compared to others in market and it has helped them in retaining market leadership status. – Dedicated HR: The employees are extremely loyal and the company is using strategic tactics to retain their motivation level. For instance, there are no overtimes and each and every employee is given free meals throughout the day. – Product Innovation: Ghani Glass is leading the industry by innovating round the year and becoming pioneer in every segment of glass industry. Value Chain Financial Ratio Trends Financial Ratio Trends |Ratios |2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 | |Activity Ratio | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Inventory Turnover |6. 55 |6. 13 |5. 67 |4. 04 |2. 0 | | | | | | | | |Fixed Asset Turnover |1. 86 |1. 78 |1. 6 |1. 45 |2. 68 | | | | | | | | |Total Asset Turnover |1. 04 |0. 78 |0. 79 |0. 86 |1. 04 | Analysis Ghani Glass is the market leader of its industry. It is financially sound with increasing returns and stable inventory control. Following is an in depth analysis of Ghani Glass Ratios: LIQUIDITY RATIO Liquidity ratio examines the liquidity position of the company. This means, whether the company has enough liquid or cash or inventory to cope up with its short term liabilities and expenses. The current ratio FY2005 was 2. 9 which is very high. Ghani had a lot of liquid FY2005 which was idle and needed to be invested back in the company, and hence doing so GHANI reduces its current ration to 1. 98 FY2009 which is still very high, but it defines GHANI to be in a strong position with enough liquid to cope with short term liabilities. Quick Ratio describes whether the company is able to pay its short term liabilities without relying on its inventory. GHANI FY2009 has an adequate quick ratio of 1. 05, hence defining GHANI to be in a better position even if it runs short of inventory. Price to earning ratio, though has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06x in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical , law and order situation. Profitability Ratio Ghani has been able to produce good profits and returns for its investors. Ghani has been able to maintain its Gross Profit Margin between 25-30% and Net profit Margin between 15-20%. This explains a balanced business operation that has been able Ghani to maintain this level of profits, despite deteriorating political and economic conditions. Return on Capital employed has been increasing since 2006. In 2006, the return on capital employed was 12. 06% but now has been increased to 25. 65% which is clearly overwhelming. It clearly shows that Ghani have been successful in producing excellent returns but every penny invested in the company by its investors. This proves Ghani to be a market leader and why Ghani is financially sound. Price to earning ratio, though ,has fallen very hard. It has fallen by 11. 06 xs in a year. It is due to the conditions that took place in KSE and instable political, economical, law and order situation. MATCHING STAGES THE Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix The Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix is another important Stage 2 matching tool of formulation framework. It explains that what is our strategic position and what possible action can be taken. It is not closed matrix. It is prepared on graph. It is closed matrix. This follow counter clock wise direction. It contains four-quadrant named aggressive, conservative, defensive, or competitive strategies. The axes of the SPACE Matrix represent two internal dimensions financial strength [FS] and competitive advantage [CA]) and two external dimensions (environmental stability [ES] and industry strength [IS]). These four factors are the most important determinants of an organization's overall strategic position. |Financial Strength (FS) |Rating | | | | |1. Return on investment |+4 | |2. Leverage |+3 | |3. Liquidity |+3 | |4. Cash Flow |+3 | Financial Strength: Ghani has a strong Financial Condition with increasing returns and has enough liquidity to cope with its short term liabilities. |Industry Strength (IS) |Rating | | | | |1. Growth Potential |+4 | |2. Profit Potential |+3 | |3. Technological know-how |+3 | |4. Financial Stability |+3 | Industry Strength The growth potential of the entire Glass industry has been on the higher side since the demand of glasses in households and offices had taken shape in our businesses and daily lives. Financial stability is quite positive in the industry as Ghani has been performing well along with its competitors who are located in the informal sector of the market. Technology is an important factor here as people get more and more aware of the new technologies coming in the market & their benefits the more they will demand it as influenced by the external as well as internal forces. Profit potential in the industry is quite high as population & demand are ever growing factor. Environmental Stability (ES) |Rating | | | | |1. Technological Changes |-2 | |2. Barriers to entry into market |-2 | |3. Competitive Pressure |-1 | |4. Price range of competing products |-3 | Environmental Stability Barriers to entry are low as Technology required for producing glass is very high. Competitive pressure is low du e to only 2 major companies in the Industry. Also price range of competing product is stable in the industry Competitive Advantage Ghani has excellent market share which accounts for 71% in the market. Ghani has a good product quality to cater to its audiences. The industry doesn’t necessary has customer loyalty and any customer would be looking for good quality affordable glass irrespective of the producer of the glass. |Competitive Advantage (CA) |Rating | |1. Market Share |-1 | |2. Product Quality |-2 | |3. Customer Loyalty |-3 | |4. Technological know how |-1 | SPACE MATRIX RESULT |x-axis: 5 + -2 = 3 | |y-axis: 6 + -3. 25 = 2. 75 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | |POSITION |   |   |   |   |   |   |COMPETITIVE | | | | | |   | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | | | | | | |IV |V |VI | | | | | |VII |VIII |IX | [pic] 3 to 4 [pic] 2 to 2. 99 [pic] 1 to 1. 99 |STRENGTH |WEAKNESSES | | |Superior Technology than competitor. |Weak R&D related to new product development | | |Team Vigilant |Lack of Abundant quantity of quality labor | | |Skilled and abreast with knowledge employers|Not upgraded training facilities for Labor | | |Ample financial resources to reinvest and | | | |grow their business. | | |Better product quality relative to rivals | | | |A Widely recognize market leader | | | |Strong Distribution channel | | | |Dedicated Human resources | | |OPPORTUNITIES | Strengths-Opportunities SO |Weakness-Opportunities WO | |Increasing demand of glass products | |With increasing demand of glass products, | | |With superior technology, better skilled |Ghani glass should improve its research and | |Forward integration (opening retail outlets) |employees and increasing demand of glass, |development department. (W1 O1) | | |Ghani Glass can pursue product development | | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply |by producing products such as bowls and |Partnering and ventures with regional | |rising demand in construction of business |glass crockery. (O1 S1 S3 S4) |conglomerates will bring in skilled labor. |arcade in which float glass is the main |Ghani should export glass to Afghanistan (S4|(O5 W2) | |ingredient |O6) | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince |Ghani should install plant in Iran (S4 O6) | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |With ample financial resources, Ghani Glass | | |well-equipped |can acquire small businesses in the | | |Partnerships and joint ventures with regional|industry. (O4 S4) | | |conglomerates in pursuit of globalization | | | |Uprising demand in Afghanistan and Iran | | | |markets. | | |THREATS |Strengths-Threats ST |Weakness-Threats WT | |Gas Load Shedding |Increase trade promotion as a proactive |Ghani R&D should produce new products to | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |measure to silent emerging rivals. (S4 S5 S6|compete with emerging rivals like Khawaja | |The emergence of substitute products such as |T2) |Glass. (W1 T2) | |aluminum and wood |Negotiate with the Government to receive | | |Importing of glass from China, Saudi Arab, |exemption in Gas Load Shedding. T2 O6) | | |Malaysia a nd Belgium | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From the I-E Matrix it can be concluded that Ghani Glass is internally very strong with the IFE of 3. 15 and EFE weighted score of 3. 05 which means that it lies on the first quadrant of the I-E matrix. Company lying on the first quadrant of the matrix are suppose to adopt aggressive strategy. Company which lies on Quadrant I,II or IV are suppose to grow and build. Here Ghani Glass lies in First Quadrant so it should Grow and build its market which means it has to adopt aggressive strategy such as forward integration, Market penetration or product development. IMPLEMENTATION STAGE Q S P M | |Key Success Factors |Weight |Market Develop. In Iran & |Product Development (Glass | | | |Afghanistan |Crockery) | | |AS | | |TAS | | | |TAS |AS | | |Opportunities | | | | | | |Increasing demand of glass products |0. 0 | | | | | | | |4 |0. 80 | |0. 60 | | | | | |3 | | |Forward integration (opening retail |0. 10 | | | | | |outlets) | |- |- |1 | | | | | | | |0. 0 | |Ability to grow rapidly because of sharply | | | | | | |rising demand in construction of business | | | | | | |arcade in which float glass is the main | | | | | | |ingredient | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 5 | | | |Acquisition of small players such as Prince|0. 15 | | | | | |Glass which is technologically | | | | | | |well-equipped | | | | | | | | |3 |0. 45 |3 |0. 45 | |Partnerships and joint ventures with |0. 05 | 2 |0. 10 |2 |0. 10 | |regional conglomerates in pursuit of | | | | | |globalization | | | | | | |Uprising demand of Float Glass in |0. 05 | | | | | |Afghanistan and Iran markets. | | | |3 | | | | |2 |0. 10 | |0. 15 | |   | | | | | | |Threats | | | | | | |Gas Load Shedding |0. 0 | | | | | | | |- |- | | | |Emerging rivals such as Khawaja Glass |0. 10 | | |2 | | | | | | | |0. 20 | |The emergence of substitute products such |0. 05 |- |- |- |- | |as aluminum and wood | | | | | | |Import of Chinese, Saudi, Belgium made and |0. 05 | 3 | 0. 15 |3 |0. 5 | |Malaysian Float Glass | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | | | | | | | |Strengths | | | | | | |1. Superior Technology than Rivals |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |2. Team Vigilant |0. 10 |- | | | | |3. Skilled and abreast with knowledge |0. 15 |3 |0. 45 | | | |employers | | | | | | |4. Ample financial resources to grow their |0. 10 |3 |0. 0 | | | |business | | | | | | |5. Better product quality relative to |0. 10 |- | |2 |0. 20 | |rivals | | | | | | |6. A Widely recognize market leader |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 |3 |0. 15 | |7. Strong Distribution channel |0. 05 |2 |0. 10 |3 |0. 15 | |8. Dedicated Human resource |0. 10 |3 |0. 30 |2 |0. 0 | |Weaknesses | | | | | | |9. Weak R&D related to new product |0. 10 |- | |1 |0. 10 | |development | | | | | | |10. Lack of Abundant quantity of quality |0. 05 |1 |0. 05 |- | | |labor | | | | | | |11. Not upgraded training facilities for |0. 5 |- | |- | | |Labor | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL |1 | |3. 60 | |2. 35 | Interpretation of QSMP After tho roughly analyzing the QSPM scores, it can be concluded that the Market Development in Afghanistan and Iran is much more feasible rather than opting for product development. The pitfall in applying this strategy can the cultural mismatch in the organization. Balanced Business Scorecard | | | [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] ———————– [1] Fred R. David, Strategic Management Concept and Cases 12th Edition. p. 4 2 Johnson and Scholes, Planning and Strategic Management, 1999. p. 10 [2] Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 [3] Thompson, Strategic Management 13th edition p. 40 5 Fred R. David, Strategic Management 12th edition p. 11 6 Mintzberg [4] Strategic Management by Thompson, 13th edition p. 80 [5] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th edition p. 73 [6] Strategic Management by Fred R. David 12th Edition p. 104 [7] Creating and sustaining superior performance by Michael E. Porter Free Press, 1998 (1985) ———————– 10 2 1 3 1 10 4 10 1 2 10 1 3 10 1 [pic] Objective 1. Continuous training and development 2 Organizational cultures which encourages change and development. Measure Create a supportive work environment & corporate culture. Target 1. Increased one-to one contact at all levels; 2. Real time communication. 3. Collective decision making Initiative 1. Empowerment. 2. Restructuring of Human Resource department and policies. Learning & Growth Initiative Simplify procedures and streamline workflows. Target More strategic acquisitions of small players Measure Engineering efficiency, continuous technology adoption Objective To bring continuous improvement in business processes and reduce costs Internal Processes Objective To strengthen relationship with customers. Measure Number of co-operative efforts Target Maximum customer participation and involvement Initiative Increase focus on check-in services. Customer Objective Increasing profit by 3% in F. Y 2010 Initiative Trade promotions locally and internationally Target Retain Market Domination Measure Strive for an incline in Sales Revenue Financial TOWS Matrix AMMa

Marketing Survey Form Essay

We are Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management students currently conducting a feasibility study with regard for a proposed foodservice business venture entitled as Silog Express which will offer variety of silog dishes like tapsilog, adsilog, chicksilog, embosilog, porksilog, etc. It will be located in front of Tomas Del Rosario College, San Jose, Balanga City, in partial fulfilment of our course requirement HRMG-413B Feasibility Study with Thesis. Due this, we prepared this questionnaire to gather necessary information which will be very beneficial to our study. May we request you to provide the necessary information for each of the following questions. Rest assured that any details provided will be treated with utmost confidentiality. Thank you very much! -Researchers Name (Optional): ____________________________ ____________ Gender: ________ Address/University/Company: ____________________________ ________ Age: ________ Put a check mark on the space provided for your answer. 1. Where you do usually ate breakfast? ( ) at home ( ) canteen ( ) restaurant/fast food others: ______ 2. Where you do usually ate lunch? ( ) at home ( ) canteen ( ) restaurant/fast food others: ______ 3. Where you do usually ate dinner? ( ) at home ( ) canteen ( ) restaurant/fast food others: ______ 4. How often do you eat at any restaurants/fast foods here in Balanga? ( ) twice a day ( ) daily ( ) weekly ( ) twice a week others: ______ 5. How much is your daily allowance? ( ) Php100 ( ) Php120 ( ) Php150 ( ) Php200 ( ) Php250 others: ______ 6. How much do you usually spent for food when eating in a fast food/restaurant here in Balanga? ( ) Php30-40 ( ) Php40-50 ( ) Php50-60 ( ) Php60-70 ( ) Php70-80 others: 7. Are you familiar with tapsilog, hamsilog, tosilog, chicksilog, porksilog, etc.? ( ) Yes ( ) No 8. Do you eat silog dishes? ( ) Yes ( ) No 9. How often do you eat silogs? ( ) daily ( ) weekly ( ) twice a week ( ) thrice a week others: ____ 10. Have you ever experience dining in a silog food service? ( ) Yes ( ) No 11. Where have you tasted/experienced silogs? ( ) at home ( ) school canteens ( ) fast foods others: ____________ 12. In what meal do you think silog will most be eaten. ( ) breakfast ( ) lunch ( ) merienda ( ) dinner 13. Choose at least 5 of your best choices. ( ) adsilog ( ) bangusilog ( ) burgsilog ( ) chicksilog ( ) cornsilog ( ) daingsilog ( ) embosilog ( ) hamsilog 1 Republic of the Philippines BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY Main Campus, City of Balanga, Bataan ( ) liemsilog ( ) longsilog ( ) malingsilog ( ) porkbbqsilog ( ) porksilog ( ) sigsilog ( ) specialpares ( ) tapsilog ( ) tosilog ( ) tuyosilog others: __________ 14. Would you like to have a silog food service here in Balanga? ( ) Yes ( ) No 15. Are you in favour of putting up the â€Å"Silog Express†? ( ) Yes ( ) No Thank you very much for spending time answering this questionnaire!

Free Essays on Big Bang Theory

It is always a mystery about how the universe began, whether if and when it will end. Astronomers construct hypotheses called cosmological models that try to find the answer. There are two types of models: Big Bang and Steady State. However, through many observational evidences, the Big Bang theory can best explain the creation of the universe. The Big Bang model postulates that about 15 to 20 billion years ago, the universe violently exploded into being, in an event called the Big Bang. Before the Big Bang, all of the matter and radiation of our present universe were packed together in the primeval fireballan extremely hot dense state from which the universe rapidly expanded.1 The Big Bang was the start of time and space. The matter and radiation of that early stage rapidly expanded and cooled. Several million years later, it condensed into galaxies. The universe has continued to expand, and the galaxies have continued moving away from each other ever since. Today the universe is st ill expanding, as astronomers have observed. The Steady State model says that the universe does not evolve or change in time. There was no beginning in the past, nor will there be change in the future. This model assumes the perfect cosmological principle. This principle says that the universe is the same everywhere on the large scale, at all times. 2 It maintains the same average density of matter forever. There are observational evidences found that can prove the Big Bang model is more reasonable than the Steady State model. First, the redshifts of distant galaxies. Redshift is a Doppler effect which states that if a galaxy is moving away, the spectral line of that galaxy observed will have a shift to the red end. The faster the galaxy moves, the more shift it has. If the galaxy is moving closer, the spectral line will show a blue shift. If the galaxy is not moving, there is no shift at all. However, as astronomers observed, the more distance a galaxy is... Free Essays on Big Bang Theory Free Essays on Big Bang Theory It is always a mystery about how the universe began, whether if and when it will end. Astronomers construct hypotheses called cosmological models that try to find the answer. There are two types of models: Big Bang and Steady State. However, through many observational evidences, the Big Bang theory can best explain the creation of the universe. The Big Bang model postulates that about 15 to 20 billion years ago, the universe violently exploded into being, in an event called the Big Bang. Before the Big Bang, all of the matter and radiation of our present universe were packed together in the primeval fireballan extremely hot dense state from which the universe rapidly expanded.1 The Big Bang was the start of time and space. The matter and radiation of that early stage rapidly expanded and cooled. Several million years later, it condensed into galaxies. The universe has continued to expand, and the galaxies have continued moving away from each other ever since. Today the universe is st ill expanding, as astronomers have observed. The Steady State model says that the universe does not evolve or change in time. There was no beginning in the past, nor will there be change in the future. This model assumes the perfect cosmological principle. This principle says that the universe is the same everywhere on the large scale, at all times. 2 It maintains the same average density of matter forever. There are observational evidences found that can prove the Big Bang model is more reasonable than the Steady State model. First, the redshifts of distant galaxies. Redshift is a Doppler effect which states that if a galaxy is moving away, the spectral line of that galaxy observed will have a shift to the red end. The faster the galaxy moves, the more shift it has. If the galaxy is moving closer, the spectral line will show a blue shift. If the galaxy is not moving, there is no shift at all. However, as astronomers observed, the more distance a galaxy is...

40 Back From Christmas Break Writing Prompts

40 Back From Christmas Break Writing Prompts Christmas break is over and now its time to get back into the swing of things. Your students will be very eager to talk about all that they did and received over the holiday break. A great way to give them the opportunity to discuss their adventures is to write about it. Christmas Break Writing Prompts What was the best gift that you received and why?What was the best gift that you gave, and what made it so special?Write about a place that you went over the Christmas break.Write about something you did with your family over Christmas break.How did you bring joy or happiness to someone other than your family this holiday season?What are your familys holiday traditions? Describe all of them in detail.What is your favorite Christmas book? Did you get to read it over break?Are there any parts of the holiday that you didnt like? Describe why.What are you most grateful for this holiday season?What was your favorite holiday food that you had over break?Who was the person you spent the most time with and why? What did you do with them?What would you do if Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanza was canceled this year?What is your favorite holiday song to sing? Did you get a chance to sing it?What did you miss the most about school when you were on break and why?What was one new thing you did this h oliday break that you didnt do last year? What will you miss the most about Christmas vacation and why?Did you get to see a movie over winter break? What was it and how was it? Give it a rating.Think of three New Years resolutions and describe them and how you will keep them.How will you change your life this year? Describe the steps you are going to take.Write about the best New Years Eve party that you have ever attended.What did you do for New Years Eve? Describe in detail your day and night.Write about something you are looking forward to doing this year and why.Write about something you hope will get invented this year that will change your life.This will be the best year because†¦I hope that this year brings me†¦.Make a list of five ways your life is different this year than it was last year.Its the day after Christmas and you noticed you forgot to unwrap just one gift†¦This year I really want to learn†¦.In the next year, I would like to†¦.My least favorite thing about Christmas break was†¦List three places you wish you could have visited over winter break and why. If you had a million dollars, how would you spend it over winter break?What if Christmas only lasted one hour? Describe what it would be like.What if Christmas break was for one three days, how would you spend it?Describe your favorite holiday food and how you can incorporate that food into every meal?Write a letter to Santa thanking him for everything you received.Write a letter to the toy company about a defective toy you received.Write a letter to your parents thanking them for everything you received for Christmas,If you were an elf how would you spend your Christmas vacation?Pretend you are Santa and describe how you will spend your Christmas break. Celebrate the Holidays with Christmas Activities

Focus on Adjectives Ending in -ic and -ical

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Strategic Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

Strategic Audit - Essay Example Worldcom was regarded as world’s second-largest long-distance telecommunications company (Lyke, 2002). It was established in 1983 by Bernard Ebbers as a long distance discount service (LDS) provider. It initially sold AT&T WATS lines to small businesses. WorldCom was successful in selling LDDS and thus, the business grew rapidly (Lyke, 2002). The company acquired about 70 small and medium-sized companies. The acquired companies included IDB WorldCom, largest international carrier; WilTel, telecom carrier; and lastly, international phone company and parent of UUNET, MFS Communications (Lyke, 2002).  During the period 1997, the operational networks of CompuServe and America Online formed part of the giant company, WorldCom. The company also merged with Brooks Fiber and thereafter, it had acquired MCI. The merger and acquisition had rendered the company the second largest long distance carrier in the United States. However, prosperous position in the market of United States had not sustained as the company had to file bankruptcy in 2002 (Lyke, 2002). WorldCom filed for bankruptcy since it had encountered huge financial deficit. The company disclosed to have earned the inflated profit of $ 3.8 billion for the previous two years. Nevertheless, the amount was observed to rise beyond $ 10 billion, rendering it the â€Å"largest accounting fraud in U.S. corporate history† (Yahoo! Inc., 2007; Lyke, 2002).  The external auditor of WorldCom was Arther Anderson LLP and later, KPMG.

Arabic Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Arabic Culture - Essay Example This paper is a discussion comparing the influence Arab and American TV programming have on shaping cultural practices of these two groups. One of the main issues which TV in programs, in Arab world, focuses on is the conservative dressing code, while in America, is dressing fashionably. Women who feature on TV in the Arab world in most cases put on veils, which cover their whole body and some parts of the head. The women in Arab world in turn, are influenced to continue on with the conventional mode of dressing. Contrary to the Arab world, women who feature in TV programs, in America, embrace the culture of dressing according to the current fashion. This translates on to the society in that women copy the latest mode of dressing they watched on TV. TV programs have great influence on fashion cultural trend while in Arab world TV programs does not influence fashion because of its conservative nature (Monaco 15). The other issue that can be compared in TV in the Arab world and America is the portrayal of freedom. It is evident that a lot of TV programs in America portray satire, irony, and at the same time, the themes are against government policies. People watching TV in America enjoy the sense of mental and intellectual freedom; this is because they are able to watch many programs that are the critic of the government without being victimized by the government. Watching programs that are satirical to the government in America have made people mentally free, and that is why there is democracy in America. However, people watching TV programs in most countries of the Arab world are not mentally free due to governments’ control most of the content to be watched. Satirical programs, which can instill mental freedom to individuals and address the ill nature of the governments, are limited to the Arab world. This fact has seen to it that people living in the Arab are under the

A Case of Lengthier Annual Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Systems Integration in Information Technology Research Paper

Systems Integration in Information Technology - Research Paper Example Shortly after the system wide integration, in 2006, problems within the system architecture resulted in a dangerous breach of patient care. The system breakdown as described by Kaiser Permanente executives and industry leaders was a direct result of integration of an information technology (IT) component of the KP Health Connect system. Kaiser Permanente envisioned the KP Health Connect system as a seamless integration of resources that in theory would electronically connect members to their health care team, to their personal health information, and to all relevant medical knowledge available to promote integrated health care.(Cochran, 2009) Ideally Kaiser Permanente members would complete an annual online health risk assessment, then receive customized feedback on behavioral interventions, start pro-active health behavior change programs, and choose whether to send results to KP Health Connect to facilitate communication and information sharing with their with their physician.(Montalbano, 2008) In reality Kaiser Permanente was abandoning a very costly attempt made in the late 1990’s and early parts of this decade to build its own clinical information system with IBM. Kaisers approach shifted to "buy, not build," (Montalbano, 2008) after the earlier failure with the IBM system. The project’s expansive scope was unprecedented for a civilian company. To purchase an â€Å"off-the-shelf system† (Montalbano, 2008), Kaiser studied two medical software vendors, Cerner and Epic Systems, ultimately selecting Epic as the primary vendor for a new system that would eventually become KP Health Connect. .(Cochran, 2009) Kaiser Permanente attempted with the â€Å"off-shelf† system to fully integrate the company’s previous EHR’s and collect all their data into one system.(Cochran, 2009) The resulting loss of access and availability of patient records and billing histories has

The Oresund Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Oresund Bridge - Essay Example In this case, people or basically the target audience of this bridge has the option of the ferry available. A rise in the prices will lower the demand for the bridge by a larger ratio as people will prefer to travel by ferry. Similarly, a fall in price will increase the demand by a larger ratio because more people would be able to afford it now. The second factor is that people like to travel from Denmark to Sweden, or vice versa, but they do not need it. Therefore people will only travel if the price is right, which is to say low. Whenever the price decreases, more people can afford it and this results in price elasticity. Q2) The Swedish government has estimated the price elasticity to be at -1.4. This has several implications for the traffic on the bridge. The Swedish government knows that first of all, an inverse relationship exists. This means that a decrease in price will definitely increase the demand and this can help the government in properly pricing it. The second implication is that any change in price will have 1.4 times the change on the demand. This means that for the government, it is beneficial to decrease the price to increase the demand. For example, if the government reduces the price by 10%, then it will result in a 14% increase in demand. Therefore, this information can be helpful in pricing the tickets for the bridge. Q3) This calculation of price elasticity of -1.4 is not beneficial in the long run because first of all, price elasticity tends to change overtime. Secondly, the government is thinking of changing the price and there is always different price elasticity for every pri ce level. Therefore if the price changes in the near future, then the price elasticity will change instantly. Lastly, advertisement campaigns play a huge role in changing the price elasticity, thus calculation is not useful in the long run. Case study 3.3: The Texas state bird Q1) PED= % Change in demand % Change in price Burbank-Oakland route PED= 120.68% =- 2.51 48% Kansas City-St. Louis route PED= 50.0% = 0.714 70.0% Q2) The above calculated price elasticity applies for the entire industry operating these routes. It does not specifically represent the price elasticity of Southwest Airlines because the values considered for the calculation are for the entire industry. This includes Southwest as well as its competitors. Q3) The Burbank-Oakland route has a high price elasticity of demand which means that the demand is price sensitive. The implication for the price setters is that these airlines should reduce the price of this route a little bit because this increases the demand by a great deal and increases the profitability. On the other hand, it must be kept in mind that the demand will decrease rapidly if the price of this route increases even by a little bit. If the price increases, then it will lower the demand by a large ratio and this will reduce the profits earned. Therefore this high price elasticity of demand can have very crucial implications for Southwest. (AmosWEB) Q4) Although the Kansas City-St. Louis route shows positive price elasticity, it may still prove to be profitable for Southwest to reduce their price. When a company reduces their prices or fares their market share increases and this often results in a long term profit. When Southwest will have a greater market share, they can change the prices according to their strategy. Also, although the price elasticity is positive, it is not at a high level and thus lowering the prices and making small short term losses is not a bad deal if it means increasing market share. Case study 5.1: Microso ft – increasing or diminishing returns? Q1) It is unlikely that a firm is experiencing increasing and diminishing return

Systems Integration in Information Technology Research Paper

Systems Integration in Information Technology - Research Paper Example Shortly after the system wide integration, in 2006, problems within the system architecture resulted in a dangerous breach of patient care. The system breakdown as described by Kaiser Permanente executives and industry leaders was a direct result of integration of an information technology (IT) component of the KP Health Connect system. Kaiser Permanente envisioned the KP Health Connect system as a seamless integration of resources that in theory would electronically connect members to their health care team, to their personal health information, and to all relevant medical knowledge available to promote integrated health care.(Cochran, 2009) Ideally Kaiser Permanente members would complete an annual online health risk assessment, then receive customized feedback on behavioral interventions, start pro-active health behavior change programs, and choose whether to send results to KP Health Connect to facilitate communication and information sharing with their with their physician.(Montalbano, 2008) In reality Kaiser Permanente was abandoning a very costly attempt made in the late 1990’s and early parts of this decade to build its own clinical information system with IBM. Kaisers approach shifted to "buy, not build," (Montalbano, 2008) after the earlier failure with the IBM system. The project’s expansive scope was unprecedented for a civilian company. To purchase an â€Å"off-the-shelf system† (Montalbano, 2008), Kaiser studied two medical software vendors, Cerner and Epic Systems, ultimately selecting Epic as the primary vendor for a new system that would eventually become KP Health Connect. .(Cochran, 2009) Kaiser Permanente attempted with the â€Å"off-shelf† system to fully integrate the company’s previous EHR’s and collect all their data into one system.(Cochran, 2009) The resulting loss of access and availability of patient records and billing histories has

Kellner and Kahn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kellner and Kahn - Essay Example lots of persons rely on the internet for information Among the users of the internet are the politicians, who are also not spared from meaningful contribution to the society. With the campaigns of the hactivists as Durham &Kellne indicates, one would argue that a lot still needs to be done to deal with hacking on the internet that leads to the spread of negative information (599). Since the internet is being used by the politicians, politics is spread on the internet, notably the Bush administration that used the internet to spread capitalism ideologies (Durham &Kellne 599).The internet has also been responsible for creating a community of opposition politics that represents a group of people that feel that their views are not listened to by the present governments. Technopolitcs is at its peak with the internet providing a chance for every individual to air their views. Through massive circulation the internet, there emerged an internet community that is well versed with the on-goings in the present day political world (Durham &Kellne

Understanding the Strength of Poetry Essay Example for Free

Understanding the Strength of Poetry Essay Poetry celebrates the senses, and sharpens the mind. These attributes make the genre a favorite among readers who like their literary adventures short; in as few as four brilliantly written lines, a poem reader emerges enlightened, his senses heightened by the verses. Such an experience is rendered by impeccable poets like Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes. These two very different poets give us two very different poetic experiences, two very different voices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emily Dickinson’s strength as a poet lies in her ambiguity.    Most of her verses need at least a second reading, because her poetic style makes her poems unconventional readings. The use of dashes and capitalizations make the verses require attentive focus and intellectual understanding straightaway; they are not easy to read, compared to conventionally-written poems. Nevertheless, this writing style does not diminish the brilliance in the text; it instead enhances it. One example is the poem entitled, â€Å"Much Madness is divinest sense.†    The first two lines alone require a pause from the reader so he could go on and read the rest of the lines to be able to get the message of the poem. Another striking attribute of Dickinson’s poetry is her preference for death as a topic or as a symbol, at least based on the selection supplied for this paper.   The surprising thing about is that although the poems are largely about tragedy, madness and death, the verses do not have a melancholic feel about them. Dickinson seems to cushion the readers from feeling melancholia through her brilliant symbolism and her presentation of detailed evocations of the subject. For instance, in the poem entitled â€Å"After great pain, a formal feeling comes,† Dickinson likens sadness to death, the use of the words ‘tomb’ (line 2), ‘wooden’ (line 6) and stone (line 9) all pertain to, or connote death (please cite the page number of your resource here).   The poem describes the numb emotional state of a person, that space we go through after grieving and before moving on. The literary device used may be grim, but it is most appropriate. The poem succeeds because it effectively communicates the message. Emily Dickinson’s verses are a good read. Her ambiguity however, is what the reader likes and at the same time, dislikes about her. This is the attribute that makes her verses intriguing, the attribute that draws, magnetizes the reader to leaf through the pages; but it could also make the reader frustrated in trying to decode what Dickinson really meant. Despite this, the strength in Dickinson’s poetry is undeniable. She is one poet whose place in literature will always be secure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Langston Hughes is in an entirely different position, compared to Dickinson. Most of his verses reverberate with racial and cultural themes, so that a reader needs to know his background to thoroughly enjoy his poems. Nevertheless, most of his poems in the selection provided for this paper have universal themes, so that the verses may be understood and interpreted as they are, without the cultural context. â€Å"Dream Deferred†, for instance talks about the figurative outcome of dreams, of plans, withheld. It causes a deep a resentment that could corrupt the soul; Hughes writes that the dream may, â€Å"fester like a sore/and then run† (lines 3-4), or â€Å"stink like rotten meat† (line 6) signifying a dreamer’s inadequacy to cope with his failure (please cite the page number here). Thus, the reader needs no cultural briefer to understand this poem and to fully relate with its themes. His poem, â€Å"Same in Blues† and â€Å"Mother to Son† also express universal themes.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Same in Blues† is the illustration of dreams deferred, a humorous portrayal of goals not reached, dreams not fulfilled. â€Å"Mother to Son,† meanwhile, is a touching poem about a mother sharing her life experiences to her son, so that he may be able to handle life better. The language however, is unmistakably African-American. His other poems in the selection, however, weigh heavily on his African-American race and its sentiments. In the poems, â€Å"The Negro speaks of Rivers,† and â€Å"I, Too† Hughes gives a voice to the African-American people, asserting their clamor for an equal position in society and dignifying their identity as a people (please cite page number here). The strength of Langston Hughes as a poet lies in the strong voicing of his African-American convictions. He is an important figure in literature precisely because of his strong sense of racial pride. However, his poems appeal not only to the specific group of his race, but to everyone. His verses have the quality of boosting one’s pride in one’s identity and culture, certainly a universal theme every person can relate to.   Ã‚  What is most likeable in the poetry of Langston Hughes is its motivational effect for racial pride. Its verses seem to leap out from the pages and arouse the reader into asserting his racial and cultural identity. The attribute that may make the reader dislike Hughes’ verses is the fact that his poems are hinged on racial and cultural contexts. The reader who has no familiarity with the African-American culture may not feel the African-American sentiment. The reader must read up on African-American history first before thoroughly enjoying the Hughes poetic experience. Nonetheless, Langston Hughes is considered a premier poet, a true artistic hero among his people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The vicarious experiences offered by both brilliant poets, Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes, affirm the strength of poetry to awaken the reader’s intellect and emotions.

Discrimination laws: An analysis

Discrimination laws: An analysis What are the strengths and weaknesses of the law relating to either race discrimination, sex discrimination or disability discrimination? Relating to disability discrimination: Disability discrimination is legally prohibited and controlled in the UK via two main statutory instruments, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA) (previously the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) Act 1999. Further legislation extends the scope of coverage; for example, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 providing children equal access to education regardless of their ‘ability’. The main aims of these legislative pieces is to effectively end discrimination towards disabled people and provide them an egalitarianism in society mainly reflected through equal rights in employment; access to goods, services, facilities, products and places; buying, selling and renting land and/or properties and to maximize ease of use of the public transport system (to be implemented by the government). The law in this area remains rather unclear, however, despite the limited and rather straightforward statutory coverage p rovided. This opacity has generated a collection of strengths and weaknesses in the law relating specifically to disability discrimination, some of which will be discussed and explored below. These strengths and weaknesses demonstrate how the law is virtually ineffective in attacking such a concept as discrimination because of enforceability. For the purposes of this essay, focus will reside with anti-discrimination in employment. The greatest weakness in the law in relation to disability discrimination is, as touched upon above, it’s recondite ness. The legislation suffers from the proof problem, qualifying for protection under the Acts. How is a does one define who is and who is not disabled? What is and what is not discrimination? How can you be sure you are being discriminated against as these tests are all a matter of perception, excepting of course when there is clear-cut objective discrimination like a dismissal or non-accommodation of physical ability (Corker, 1999). With regard to defining who is and who is not disabled the DDA states: those who have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities are disabled (DDA 1995 s1.1). The DDA was further extended on April 7th 2005 to include those with some mental illnesses and those suffering from cancer, HIV and MS (multiple sclerosis), yet it did not encapsulate th ose suffering from depression. The reason given by the Commons for this exclusion was because the illness was re-occurring rather than fundamentally long-term and the DDA only covers those illnesses which are long-term (BBC 2005). Depression may be a severely debilitating disorder and much research has attributed depression with biological roots, therefore being an effect of a physical long-term disability which merely manifests sporadically. Yet the purpose of the DDA, to render those with disabilities equally amongst society by removing the constraints their disability places on them, is lost with depressed persons. Many argue however, that a line must be drawn somewhere in order to prevent the floodgates from opening and every even minor disability, from scraped knees to headaches, to fall subject to the anti-discrimination legislation.   This lack of definition within definition is supplemented with a series of guidance notes, issued by the DRC, on interpreting the various terms. Yet, as would be perceived, these notes are merely guidance and not fundamental law and therefore have no enforceable effect. Only a judge could make the decisions as to whether or not a person qualifies as disabled. To activate the process of filing and issuing proceedings, paying court fees and actually going to court while waiting for a potentially adverse outcome is not a walk in the park. Of course this is all providing the perpetrator is difficult. This discrepancy between legal theory and practical application is an obvious flaw in the anti-discrimination regulation and will be touched upon again later. The greatest strength in the law relating to discrimination is its generation of awareness. A simple effect, but a nonetheless extremely important one. Awareness is the first step in a winning battle against discriminating, changing the mind-set of the population en masse. Employers are focused on accommodating the disabled, businesses think more about how effective a disabled person remains. Colleagues are alerted to the fact that a disabled person functions equally well as one who is fully abled if given the right environmental conditions. Yet this legislation may also suffer from institutionalization. When a person is diagnosed as being depressed, checked into an institute and treated by all being depressed then the disorder is perpetuated. On a simpler note, a child who is told they are mentally slow at a young age may begin to live up to that expectation, having been ‘institutionalized’ into stupidity (Cohen, 2002). With physical disabilities this concept applies le ss but with mental disorders it may have some side effects. Further, even with physical disabilities, many disabled persons attempt to integrate themselves into society as much as possible. This legislation, when implemented as intended may instead cause it to be more difficult for the person to move beyond their ‘pigeon-holing’.  Ã‚   A further strength in the law regarding disability discrimination is the provisions it makes for those who defend the disabled. It falls under the term victimisation in the statute and covers both disabled and able people who have either provided evidence or information in a case of discrimination or brought proceedings of discrimination under the DDA, regardless of whether these proceedings were followed through or not (Corker, 1999 and Halsburys, 2005). This applies particularly in the scope of employment, where colleagues may become involved. This provision enhances fair justice as the witness, in this instance the colleague, will know they are protected from being discriminated from by statute and can speak up.   However. The case is never that straightforward. A fundamental weakness with this facet is also the proof problem. What is discrimination, who is being discriminated, who is disabled and so on. Further, a point must be made on the incompatibility (often) between theory and practice. It is fine for a business to change the working area of a disabled person, allowing them greater benefits than other workers, but it doesn’t often follow that the abled workers will not continue to socially discriminate against those who are disabled who are now, due to the anti-discrimination legislation even bigger targets through their labeled, identification parade like treatment. Students suffering from dyslexia often receive special treatment through time extensions during exams and even the possibility to take exams on a computer versus writing. Many have argued that this should be abolished as ultimately they will have learned the same amount than others and just because they have a learnin g disability does not mean that they should receive special treatment over others, especially not those who are of lower than average intelligence. Ultimately could this also not be classed as a disability? Conceptually the anti-discrimination regulations would work well to enhance egalitarianism but how individual people react to it, thereby shaping the environment in which we work, is questionable. The silent treatment, passing work on to others, not being invited to travel and to particular meetings can all feel like discrimination but an abled person can equally be passed over due to lower performance ratings (Butler and Drakeford, 2003). How to find the link between corporate behaviour and discrimination is a problem. The behaviour is also often a matter of perception and some people may be more sensitive than others, reading everything against a backdrop of disability.  Ã‚   The anti-discrimination legislation has another side to it too. The party who is to accommodate the disabled and implement the regulations. This area of law is effective in so far as it clearly lays out for an employer, or other persons who interact with disabled people, what it is that they must do to comply. It also imposes limitations. Employers with 20 or less employees do not need to comply (DDA 1995 s7.1). This prevents the regulation from causing a financial hindrance to those businesses which are smaller and potentially therefore generate less turnover. This is important so as not to become a cause of possible financial and economical ruin. There is a fine balance to be met between protecting the discriminated and imposing rules on the discriminator.   Acceptance and equality within society are fundamental facets, and at that perhaps even the most important ones, that define and shape our society (here in the UK) yet capitalism, consumerism, competition and entrepreneurship ultimately generate the economical and fiscal foundations upon which our high standard of living is based. The weaknesses this area of law experiences are perhaps rather just reflections of a balancing act, attempting to maintain the core backdrop to our standard of life while dabbling at moving the concept of total egalitarianism from ideology to reality. References: BBC, April 7 2005. Peers back down on Disability Law. London: BBC News.   Berlins, M. and Dyer, C. (1994) The Law Machine (4th Edition). Harmondsworth: Penguin.   Butler, I. and Drakeford, M. (2003) Social Policy, Social Welfare and Scandal. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Cohen, S. (2002) Folk Devils and Moral Panics (3rd Edition). London: Routledge. Corker, M. (1999). The UK Disability Discrimination Act – disabling language, justifying inequitable   social participation. In Silvers, A. and Francis, L. (2000). 10th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities. New York: Routledge. Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Disability Discrimination Act 2005. Queens Printer of Act of Parliament (internet version). The Stationery Office Limited (hardcopy). London. Halsburys Laws: Disability Discrimination. Butterworths Legal Series, 2005. www.butterworths.co.uk/halsburys Slapper, G. and Kelly, D. (2003) The English Legal System (6th Edition). London: Cavendish. Smith, O. (2000) Challenging the Closed Class Concept of Disability under Disability Discrimination Legislation. Liverpool: University of Liverpool, School of Law

Computers And Finance :: essays research papers fc

Computers have made financial bookkeeping much easier, and people no longer have to spend hours tracking investments or pay someone else to do their taxes. Moreover, the advancement in technology has allowed governments to cut back on the number of big companies and employees hired to process tax returns, resulting in the saving of millions of dollars. Although these advancements are extraordinary, they are not without their shortcomings. The IRS has had increased trouble in tracking fraudulent tax returns, and has had to revamp its detection system. The most surprising part of Microsoft's current purchase of Intuit, the maker of the Quicken line of personal finance software was not the $1.5 billion price, which was fifty percent over the market value (Schlender 14). It was not even the fact that Bill Gates, America's richest entrepreneur, is in a position to become America's richest banker (14). The most surprising thing was that it did not happen earlier (14). For years Gates has had a dream of putting "electronic commerce at the core of personal computing," and now he finally has the software to accompany that dream (14). His idea includes a "Wallet PC" that can be carried around with people at all times (14). Microsoft believes that it can provide what executive VP Mike Maples refers to as a "whole new value chain" that will allow customers to interact by modem with banks, insurance companies, pension funds, etc. (14). Quicken is already being used by six million people to pay bills, manage credit, write checks, and handle taxes (14). For those of you scoring at home, it has 5.2 million more users than Microsoft's Money software (14). That is a prime reason that Gates basically wanted to give up the product and donate it to his competitor Novell (14). Programs such as Quicken are excellent for keeping track of what is spent at home, but can be a big hassle for keeping track of the money spent on business trips (Baig 20). One way to solve the problem would be to carry a notebook computer with Quicken on it, but as Edward Baig states "It's just not practical to boot up a laptop each time I step out of a taxi" (20). Intuit has released Pocket Quicken, a "Quicken Lite" for those who carry around digital assistants to help alleviate that problem (20). Pocket Quicken is built into the new Hewlett-Packard 200LX palmtop, the Tandy/Casio Zoomer PDA's, and the AST Gridpad 2390, but is not sold as a separate product just yet (20). Computers And Finance :: essays research papers fc Computers have made financial bookkeeping much easier, and people no longer have to spend hours tracking investments or pay someone else to do their taxes. Moreover, the advancement in technology has allowed governments to cut back on the number of big companies and employees hired to process tax returns, resulting in the saving of millions of dollars. Although these advancements are extraordinary, they are not without their shortcomings. The IRS has had increased trouble in tracking fraudulent tax returns, and has had to revamp its detection system. The most surprising part of Microsoft's current purchase of Intuit, the maker of the Quicken line of personal finance software was not the $1.5 billion price, which was fifty percent over the market value (Schlender 14). It was not even the fact that Bill Gates, America's richest entrepreneur, is in a position to become America's richest banker (14). The most surprising thing was that it did not happen earlier (14). For years Gates has had a dream of putting "electronic commerce at the core of personal computing," and now he finally has the software to accompany that dream (14). His idea includes a "Wallet PC" that can be carried around with people at all times (14). Microsoft believes that it can provide what executive VP Mike Maples refers to as a "whole new value chain" that will allow customers to interact by modem with banks, insurance companies, pension funds, etc. (14). Quicken is already being used by six million people to pay bills, manage credit, write checks, and handle taxes (14). For those of you scoring at home, it has 5.2 million more users than Microsoft's Money software (14). That is a prime reason that Gates basically wanted to give up the product and donate it to his competitor Novell (14). Programs such as Quicken are excellent for keeping track of what is spent at home, but can be a big hassle for keeping track of the money spent on business trips (Baig 20). One way to solve the problem would be to carry a notebook computer with Quicken on it, but as Edward Baig states "It's just not practical to boot up a laptop each time I step out of a taxi" (20). Intuit has released Pocket Quicken, a "Quicken Lite" for those who carry around digital assistants to help alleviate that problem (20). Pocket Quicken is built into the new Hewlett-Packard 200LX palmtop, the Tandy/Casio Zoomer PDA's, and the AST Gridpad 2390, but is not sold as a separate product just yet (20).

The Diary of Anne Frank Rtl: Mood

When the Franks and Van Deans enter the annex they still have hope that they can et through this especially Anne â€Å"You could not do this you could not do that but somehow we children managed to have fun†. Everyone is nervous as well; they feel a touch of nervousness of what Lies ahead. â€Å"I don't ever want you to go beyond that door† ( Mr.. Frank, pig 711). They spend their time doing nothing but moving around In their little annex at first, but then the tension in their families start to break. Peter and Anne start to make fun of each other; Anne mocking Pewter's Cat and Peter reminding Anne of old schoolyard names she used to be called.Anne starts to annoy everyone as well. But the real conflict starts with the Van Deans. â€Å"You ought to be ashamed of yourself† (Mr.. Van Dana, pig 718) Mr.. Van Dana directs to Peter, showing off his disappointment of Peter. The annex becomes heated with arguments between Anne and the Van Deans, them calling Anne rude and troublesome. After all this arguing everything becomes still and calm Just as Mr.. Diesel arrives. Anne and her mother's relationship takes a toll on the group leaving them all depressed. They all try and make things work but they can't shake that feeling.They all feel hurt from all the squabbling, Anne says it best â€Å"Oh Pimp, I was horrible wasn't They all feel down In the dumps but when Hanukkah arrives. It's the first night of Hanukkah and they are all happy for once. â€Å"That was very moving† (Mr.. Diesel, pig 736) responded Diesel to Mr.. Franks prayer. They are all uplifted by everything and everyone especially Anne as she generously gave presents to everyone. That Is until Peter and Mr.. Van Dana start to fight about his cat, and from bad to worse a burglar comes and scares all of them dampening their mood.But through all of that they sing a Hanukkah song and end their night in happiness. As always this does not last. They are all hungry and bitter. The Van Deans more than anyone, â€Å"Their discussions becoming more violent† (Anne pig 749) described Anne. They all are becoming even angrier. Except for Peter and Anne, they are becoming closer, but leaving everyone else lonely. They all become slightly more optimistic because of news from MIPS. The Invasion had begun, the allies landed on Normandy. This gave everyone hope of survival. Peter and Anne are still friends, they are all happy.Anger arises when Mr.. Van Dana is caught stealing food, Mrs.. Frank furious and yelling at him to leave. This 1 OFF all spirals Into something worse when ten Nazis Tina teen, teen are all captured t dread they had felt the whole time in the annex finally hits them with full force. The Franks and Van Deans experience in hiding was terrible. They all felt dread the whole time. They were hiding their emotions as best as they could. They clung to their memories and ultimately their lives. They felt a dreadful mixture of hope and misery.