CRM lessons from Ikea

We restricted ourselves to two potential furniture suppliers: a UK-based company,Habitat, with what appears to be a fairly conventional business model, which provides fairly stylish, relatively expensive furniture, and ‘kea, a Swedish furniture retailer with a less conventional business model, with much less expensive furniture, perhaps less stylish. I thought that we would probably end up buying nearly all our furniture from Habitat, whereas actually Kea was our main supplier.Whilst buying this furniture, a number of interesting points about Kike's business model became apparent: o Most of Kike's products are delivered as â€Å"flat-pack† self-assembly kits. Habitat also supply goods in that format, primarily it seems, to ease shipment (and reduce associated costs). However, Kike's products had been designed not only to reduce shipment costs, but also to minimize production assembly costs. Clever design had been used to produce goods which can be assembled by the purcha ser with minimal skill (use of a screwdriver and spanner only), from parts manufactured by machine with little human effort in the production plant.The design also ensured a robust, stylish piece of furniture despite the limited skills of the assembler. Much of the work involved in manufacturing the piece of furniture had been moved from the factory, to the customer. The reduction in cost had also been passed onto the customer. For at least this customer, there was also a significant feeling of achievement in assembling the table or chair. The result – a high quality piece of furniture at low-cost, but with a lot more work for the customer, but tit a resulting sense of achievement. There are differences in the retail outlet model as well. Habitat provides a conventional Main Street retail outlet, with room to display the goods, and attentive sales staff to discuss the furniture. Kike's out-of- town, large-scale outlet had the space to attempt something different. The products were displayed in a number of room mock-ups so that pieces could be seen in relation to other products, with ‘design stations' to help the customer to build their own design. Kea staff were on hand, but not as sales assistants, more to advise on sign, check whether stock was available, etc.This approach helps with the interior design aspects of selecting furniture, again for this customer at least, a difficult aspect of buying furniture. O Distribution: It is here that the most obvious differences with a conventional retail store occur: – You have to pick the goods from the warehouse yourself deliver (though there is a 3rd-party delivery service at a cost). All this may appear to be poor customer service, but again, it takes out a lot of cost from the distribution process, and this is passed on to the customer. Customer Direct Transactions: If you think about it for a minute, because Kea wont take orders, it is key that customers can find out if Kea has a particular it em in stock. (You don't want to go to an out-of-town store, to be told that what you've come for isn't in stock and the store doesn't take orders. ) Kea have recognized this and so provide an automated phone service to allow you to check whether the item you want is in stock. That item is number 1 in the automated service menu – first plus mark.There are a large number of stores I use which I wish provided a similar service. Next, I'd like you to think what ATA you'd ask a customer for if you were designing a ‘check-in-stock' transaction. Well, it's obvious isn't it – you ask for the stock code. Well Kea don't think it's obvious to a customer and when you use their service you recognize that they're right. Instead, they ask you for a catalogue page number, and then the price of the item you're interested in. They then tell you the items on that page at that price and you confirm which one you want.A pretty weird transaction by IT standards, but customer-friendly. If you're a customer interested in stock levels, you're very likely to have the catalogue open. The page number is meaningful to you, is short and easy to enter on a phone keypad (all digits). The price is also meaningful, again short and easy to enter (all numeric). No company I've ever worked for has simple stock-codes. Someone has designed this transaction with the end-user (the customer) in mind. What, if anything has this to do with CRMIn my view, a lot: o Kea have chosen to change from a conventional business model to reduce prices significantly, by placing a lot of burden onto the customer. CRM is not necessarily about better customer service, but about giving the customer a better value reposition, or ‘increased value for money'. O Their change in business model leads to a need for a new transaction for the customer. That transaction is designed to be simple and fast for the customer to use. In Ken's words (nearly) in this week' newsletter – they've listened to their customers.

Amazon Case Analysis

The case Analysis Outline Introduction- Brief summary of the firm, officers, industry and location Problem identification: major problems to be resolved-use the 4ps model Swot Analysis: strengths: weakness: opportunities: threats Alternatives: strategic choices-solutions to the problems identified Analysis of alternatives: cost/benefit analysis of the solutions. Recommendation: best/optimal solution based on the cost/benefit analysis 1. Introduction Amazon began in 1994 created by Jeffrey Bezos a computer science and electrical engineering graduate from Princeton University.Amazon was created to be an online bookstore that would be customer friendly, be easy to navigate, provide buying advice, and offer the broadcast possible selection of books at low prices and submit product reviews. Bezo operated from his garage in Seattle. Bezo launched his online venture in 1995 with 7 million in borrowed capital. Because Amazon was one of the first major Internet or dot com retailers, it receiv ed a huge amount of free national publicity, and the new venture quickly attracted more and more book buyers. Amazon has a 200,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center.Amazon employed a relatively small number of workers about 2500 worldwide. Amzon employees own over 10% of their company, a factor behind Amazon. com’s rapid growth. Amazon has pizza teams that are given considerable autonomy to develop their ideas and experiment without interference from managers. Those pizza teams come up with most of the innovation. 2. Problem identification Product- Amazon has a customer review section on its website so that a customer may display any problems that he or she has sustain with the Amazon product purchased. However maintaining the physical infrastructure to to obtain supplies of books from book publishers and then to stock, package and ship the books to customers were much higher than anticipated. Price- Amazon was at a competitive advantage with their low prices * Ma intaining the physical side of amazon’s value chain was the source of the greatest proportion of its operating cost, which were draining profitability even though Amazon was at a competitive advantage with their low prices. *Price competition was also heating up due to the other companies such as Barnes and Noble and Borders who were also selling books online. Place- Amazon place in the book selling market changed the industry forever since it was the first online book selling company. * People can purchase books from anywhere as long as they can use the internet. Promotion-Since Amazon was the first online book seller it received a lot of free publicity. * Amazon was able to capture customer’s attention and establish a first mover advantage. 3. SWOT Analysis Strengths- -First online Book selling website. -low pricing -purchase from anywhere -offers 1. 5 million books -product reviews * Weaknesses -operating costs * Oppurtunities -Global expansion -retailer -aquiring s mall companies -New software -Branching in new market segments * Threats -opposing companies -price wars Pressure on profit margins 4. Alternatives * Forging allies with other companies so that when customers wanted a purchase immediately they could pick it up from one of the alliance retailers such as office depot or circuit city. Continue being innovative with prices such as having buy one get one half off sales or reducing prices by certain percentages on particular days. 5. Analysis of Alternatives * Buy sharing profit with allies the high product stocking and distribution costs were avoided. * Profit sharing also turned the company from book seller to â€Å"leading internet product provider. 6. Recommendation Allow any small business that operate a website to become affiliated to amazon by putting a official Amazon hyperlink to Amazon’s website on its own website.

You can chose from the instruction that I attarched Research Paper

You can chose from the instruction that I attarched - Research Paper Example This essay discusses acupuncture and the ways in which its appliances help in the healing process of the body, mind and spirit. Acupuncture relieves the body’s utilities and stimulates the natural self-healing progression by triggering particular anatomic points typically known as acupoints or acupuncture points. The most typical technique employed to stimulate acupuncture points is the injecting of fine, sterilized needles into specific site of the body. Electrical stimulation, heat, or pressure may promote more impact of acupuncture. Additional acupoint stimulation methods comprise of linaments, heat therapy or moxibustion, cupping, manual massage and the use of topical herbal medicines (Bruno, 2012). Customary Chinese Medicine is centered on an early philosophy that refers to the world and the body, in reference of two contrasting energies: yin and yang. If these energies happen to be in balance, then the body is healthy. Force, known as "qi" moves along particular passageways, named meridians, all over the body. This continuous movement of force maintains the yin and yang energies in balance. Nevertheless, if the movement of force gets jammed, the blockage can lead to illness, lack of function, or pain. Acupuncture treatment can cleared â€Å"qi† in the body and arouse function, inducing the physical, natural restoration reaction through numerous physiological systems. Contemporary studies have proved acupuncture’s impact on the cardiovascular system, immune systems and endocrine, nervous system and digestive system. Through stimulating the body’s different systems, acupuncture can assist to heal pain, and enhance sleep and a sense of comfort (Cim.ucsd, 201 5). To start with, the acupuncturist attending will query about the general health history of the client. After that, he or she will scrutinize the tongue’s coating, color, and shape, feel the client’s pulse and maybe perform some extra bodily checkups relying on the person health requirement.

Benetton Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Benetton - Speech or Presentation Example Their usage of technology and the media is the greatest, bearing in mind that Benetton’s main tool of advertisement is the media; it will be easy to sell the Group’s products to them. In order to maintain Benetton’s competitive edge, the company has to make important strategic positioning changes. Europe is Benetton’s biggest market, however, the cost of running business in Europe is quite high, and the profit margins are minimal. Thus, it would be wise to cut the expenses in Europe. The Asian market provides Benetton with a large population to which it can sell its products. In spite of the Asian countries providing varying characteristics and regulations, the market shows expansive development in the retail sector that Benetton can take advantage of and sell more of its products. (Suh & Howard, 2013). The developing aspect of the Asian market presents a favourable offering that Benetton can occupy with the help of the funds it saves from the spending reduction in Europe. Moreover, the competition in Asian markets is not as harsh as that in Europe where Benetton’s competitors have established themselves. The Benetton Group has to improve its standing with more utilisation of the green strategy. One thing for sure is that it has to develop products that are environmental friendly and show dedication to the green strategy. Thus, it has to remodel the strategy around its products by signing with recognised labels. These labels have to show the company’s eco-friendliness. As noted by Garcia (2015) there number of eco-labels globally stands at 437. Using recognised labels like Energy Star in the U.S. will help Benetton to improve believability to its advertisements especially the benefits its products have on the environment. Especially at such a time when people are more aware of the importance of the environment in their lives with the effects of global warming and climate change. With the continued digitalisation of nearly every aspect of day-to-day

Stroke Rehabilitation Certification Program including education and Research Paper

Stroke Rehabilitation Certification Program including education and core competencies required for all Certified Rehab Registere - Research Paper Example This stroke is caused by clotting of blood, which in turn prevents blood flow through an artery or vein to the brain. When discovered early, this kind of stroke is treated by a drug that dissolves obstructing cots in the artery. Hemorrhagic stroke is the second common type of stroke. It is less common, and is caused by rupturing of a blood vessel in the brain thereby spilling to the surrounding tissue. As a result of the spillage, brain cells in the area die due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients required for them to function. The most common stroke risk factors are high blood pressure, heart disease, carotid artery disease, cigarette smoking diabetes and excessive consumption of alcohol. Its symptoms include numbness especially on one side of the body, confusion (either talking or listening), a severe headache, and dizziness, as well as, lose of balance. This paper will examine the role rehabilitation nurses’ play in caring for stroke patients, how certification for the prog ram is awarded as well as the core competencies required. The paper will also look at the impact by CNS, aspects of spheres of influence and synergy model. Introduction Stroke rehabilitation is the process within which patients suffering from stroke are treated in order for them to be able to continue with their daily life. Its main goal is to assist patients relearn the skills that were lost when stroke affected them. But the rate at which one relearns these skills varies according to the person affected. Stroke rehabilitation includes therapy to regain communication disorders such as listening, writing and comprehension. It also involves patients undergoing excises in order for them to regain their muscle strength. Once patients gain their muscle strengths, this is usually accompanied by mobility training which usually includes patients being taught how to use walking aids. In some instances, the use of electrical stimulation is involved in order to arouse weakened muscles so as t hey can contract (Chick et al., 2004). Stroke rehabilitation should begin once a patient has discovered what he/she is suffering from. This is aimed at stabilizing the patient’s medical condition. On the other hand, the duration of stroke rehabilitation depends on the recovery of the patients as most stroke survivors require more time. In essence, a rehabilitation center is supposed to ensure that a patient in a position to do better and became independent especially through enabling the patient to tolerate the changes that have emerged on their brain and body due to the stroke. This makes them be able to adjust more to living within their home, with family or even the entire community (Lindley, 2008). Need for Stroke Rehabilitation Program Stroke rehabilitation is aimed at helping stroke survivors reach high levels of independence and try to restore their productivity (Massaro, 2006). A rehabilitation program begins immediately a person is confirmed to be suffering from stro ke. They offer the program even after a patient is released from the hospital as per the flexibility of an individual. Rehabilitation does not necessarily cure the stroke, but it helps survivors achieve greatest achievable long term outcomes. On the other hand, rehabilitation will largely depend on the damage that has been caused to the brain. Of most important is to ensure that survivors are in a position of

Emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry to promote quality Research Paper

Emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry to promote quality - Research Paper Example Therefore, in ensuring that nurses embrace this change, a leader should understand the level of social focus in responding to nurses about changing situations. For health institution to be competitive, this change is inevitable especially in the contemporary society where majority are moving to digital platforms. According to Sadri (2012), being emotionally intelligent allows one to build mental health resilience which helps in successfully managing change. In this case, as a nurse, I will use emotional intelligence as an effective tool for communicating change. It is certainly that I will advocate for training of all nurses. Emotional intelligence as a communicating tool will allow me manage emotions of nurses, cope with stress and uncertainty, and influence my leadership style particularly in deciding who, when and how the training will be carried out. The change I am initiating lies on the premise of achieving high standards as a nurse. Therefore, to achieve positive perspective among nurses, I will use appreciative inquiry tool to win over their resistance. In this case, nurses will be in a position to recognize the need for change and open up their minds to the world of discovery. A better understanding as a result perhaps will subject nurses to challenge for new possibilities (Cooperrider & Godwin, 2010). The two skills will help me as nurse to win over the emotions of nurses and make them be part of change which will reduce resistance to change. In the end, nurses will have confidence with that change being advocated thus facilitating positive

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 32

Case Study Example Talent and succession planning has become an important area of focus as far as organizational leadership is concerned. Many business organizations are coming up with ways of ensuring that they develop among their current staff, which is able to steer them through the changing times to make the organizations successful. This paper examines how the process of talent and succession planning in organizations is taking shape, using the case study of Apple inc., a technology giant in the United States and the world at large. Talent management as used in most multinational organizations refers to the process of implementing systems and strategies that are properly designed and integrated in order to create and enhance the productivity and efficiency of employees. This process can only be achieved through attracting, developing, retaining employees that have aptitudes and skills for meeting current needs and those in future for the business. Talent management can also be described as the chief driver of organizational performance and success by ensuring that the top management is able to have employees that can take on the changing roles and functions in the company. Research reports have indicated that about 85% of all human resource managers in organizations are of the view that one of the greatest obstacles to effective workforce leadership and management is the creation and maintenance of an organisation ability to compete for talent (Cohn, Khurana & Reeves 276). This understanding means that talent management is being ranked as a practice that bears a strategic advantage for companies, especially in these changing times for businesses. Therefore, one of the main functions of effective leadership is to ensure that businesses are better placed create a workforce that will always be there for the present and future success of the company. In response towards the rapidly changing business environment, organizational leaders are supposed to have a

The methods adopted by the construction industry to remedy Health and Literature review

The methods adopted by the construction industry to remedy Health and safety non conformities and to ensure that they to not rec - Literature review Example Some of the very important methods were identified from the revitalisation campaign which was conducted by the HSE to help the construction industry become a more health and safety environment to work within. At the same time such methods identified corresponded with the methods mentioned by the interviewees within my results. Thus illustrating that the identification of a methods to remedy health and safety non conformities was not so difficult and it also shows that professionals within the industry are aware of such compliance issues as methods have been identified and created to ensure that they do not occur in the future. The methods which were identified within the literature review included information as to how the management methods, pertaining to health and safety should be systematically and properly allocated from the top management down. Collins (2007). Behavioural management methods which include adopting more positive safety management rules, such as involve and motiva te individuals do not carry out inspections on the basis to find faults and communicate health and safety effectively. ... Finally Singh, Hinze & Coble (2009) suggest inspections as a method to remedy health and safety non compliances. In comparison the methods which have been mentioned by the interviewees include: behavioural management techniques such as motivation, effective communication, rewards (prizes), name and shame, red card yellow card system, issuing non compliance notes on employees portfolio, management techniques such as to lead by example and not by criticism, law and regulations to follow as an organisation such as the construction site safety handbook GF700, and finally training and education requirements before and during an employee`s journey on a construction site, such as CSCS card scheme, and even regulatory training courses for managers to attend can all help to ensure health and safety non conformities do not reoccur. Overall one can conclude that only two methods identified within the literature review and the interviewees are similar which include the CSCS card scheme and the l ed from the top management down approach. This illustrates that all the methods identified within the interviews are all methods which have developed within industry and are methods which the organisation feels are effective to remedy health and safety non conformities. It is easy to list or even identify all the methods that an organisation uses to remedy health and safety non conformities as illustrated above, the main issue is how effective are these methods in ensuring that a corrective action has been achieved rather than an instant (non corrective) change. Thus justifications from interviewees where given into why they felt that these methods will

Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System Dissertation

Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System - Dissertation Example The project focuses on the design of a sensor system that can trigger accumulation of copper on the pad or detect the optimal parameters of the CMP equipment. Contents Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System 30 1 1.0 Introduction 5 1.1 Background information 5 1.2 Statement of the problem 6 1.3 Statement of the problem 8 On 13h Dec 2010 PCUD712 went to check P2 trace and found Cu was not fully polished at wafer. This problem of having wafer edges that are not fully polished has caused the need for this project. No one did recognize the occurrence of the problem until one of the maintenance team did a random testing. Making CMP equipment that has a sensor can trigger any drop caused by the presence of copper and call for a response from the team. 8 1.4 Project scope 8 1.5 Objective 9 1.6 Specific objectives 9 2.0 literature Review 10 2.1 Types of planarization 10 2.1.1 Doped Glass Reflow 10 2.1.2 Spin etch planarization (SEP) 10 2.1.3 Spin on deposition (SOD) 11 SOP is mo stly applied in deposits on different glasses, porous low-k dielectrics and polymer ILD. By mixing different base catalysts and suitable additives, a precursor solution is prepared at room temperature. Pretreated wafer surface provides an effective surface for solution spreading. A little amount of the solution is dripped on the wafers that are then rinsed, spun dried baked and later cured. This process shows excellent gap filling qualities. Nevertheless, several defects are noted on the spin in the deposited materials. When the materials from this process are exposed to plasma, they show non-homogeneity in subsequent operations. Undue stresses are induced by the tendency of the spin to absorb moisture from the air and releasing it with evolution of thermal stresses. The stresses result to cracking, peel off, shrinking, degradation and contamination of interconnects and thermal instability. 11 2.1.4 Reactive ion etch and etch back 11 2.1.5 Chemical mechanical polishing 12 Historical ly, grinding has always been an inexpensive operation compared to polishing. The level of polishing required nowadays in the IC fabrication can not be matched to these advantages (Yoshio, 2000). Unlike grinders, polishers use elastic media to sever bonds on a molecular level ejecting nanometer sized particles. The grinders’ use rigid media that create cracks through a work piece, the clusters are micron sized. Recent research has shown that the maximum force is a key variable of sub surface damage (Chandra etal., 2000 p.81). CMP focuses on the insights accruing from the investigations on minimizing force/grit by applying knowledge of errant particles that plague polishing processes (Chandra & Bastawros, 2004 p.65). The process involves incorporating the wafer pattern into a gimbal and replacing the polishing pad with two diametrically opposing wheels. The trapped particles will induce a torque on one of the wheels thereby making the gimbal rotate away from offending particle. Through optimization of the dynamics of the gimbals’ response to the acute forces resulting from the errant particles, a defect mitigating maximum-force minimization is realized at low cost. 15 2.2 IC interconnects 17 2.3 Photometric dispersion analyzer (PDA 2000) 19 To monitor properties of flowing suspension and emulsions, a PDA 2000 is used both in laboratories

Lee Harvey Oswald Essay Example for Free

Lee Harvey Oswald Essay Oswald was born in New Orleans on October 18, 1939, to Robert Edward lee Oswald, Sr. and Marguerite Frances Clavier. Oswald had two older siblings. Brother Robert Edward lee Oswald, Jr. and half-brother John Edward Pic. Oswald’s father died prior to Oswald’s birth, marguerite raised her sons alone. On may 7,1945; his mother married Edwin Adolph Ekdah in Fort Worth, Texas. As a child, Oswald was withdrawn and temperamental. In august 1952, while living with half-brother John Pic, at the time a U.   S. coastguardsman stationed in New York City, Oswald and marguerite were asked to leave after Oswald allegedly threatened Pic’s wife with a knife and struck their mother, marguerite. Charges of truancy, led to psychiatric assessment at a juvenile reformatory. The psychiatrist, Dr. Renatus Hartogs, described Oswald’s â€Å"vivid fantasy life turning around the topics of omnipotence and power, through which he tries to compensate for his present shortcomings and frustrations. Finding a â€Å"personality pattern disturbance with schizoid features and passive-aggressive tendencies,† Dr. Hartogs recommended continued treatment. However, in January 1954, Oswald’s mother returned with him to New Orleans. At the time, there was a question pending before a New York judge as to weather Oswald should be removed from the care of his mother to finish his schooling, although his behavior appeared to improve during his last months in New York. In New Orleans, in October 1955, Oswald’s left the 10th grade after one month. He worked as an office clerk or messenger around New Orleans, rather than attend school. Planning for his enlistment, the family returned to Fort Worth in July 1956, and he re-enrolled in 10th grade for the September session, but quit in October to join the marines, he never received a high school diploma. By the age of 17, he had resided at 22 different locations and attended 12 different schools. Oswald enlisted in the united states marine corps on October 24, 1956, just after his 17th birthday . e idolized his older brother Robert. Enlistment may also have been an escape from oswalds overbearing mother, oswalds primary training was a radar operator, a position requiring a security clearance. A 1957 document states that he was â€Å"granted final clearance to handle classified matter up to and including confidential, afer careful check of local recorda had disclosed no derogatory data. â€Å"in the aircraft control and warning operator course, he finished seventh in a class of 30. he course included instruction in aircraft surveillance and the use of radar. † He was assigned first to marine corps air station el toro in july 1957, then to naval air facility atsugi in japan in september as part of marine air control squadron 1. Like all marines, Oswald was trained and tested in riflery, scoring 212 in December 1956 (slightly above the minimum for qualification as a sharpshooter) but in may 1959 scoring only 191( barly earning the lower

Marketing Objectives In Tourism And Hospitality

Marketing Objectives In Tourism And Hospitality This report represents a detailed analysis of current business and marketing strategy of Hilton Hotels Resorts a global hotels and resorts company with more than 540 locations in 78 countries (A Room for You, 2012, online). The parent company, Hilton International comprises a range of famous brands such as Waldorf Astoria Hotels Resorts, Conrad Hotels Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, and Hilton Grand Vacations (Our Brands, 2012, online) The reasons for the choice of Hilton Hotels Resorts amongst many other brands in particular include a high level of brand awareness, and availability of vast amount of information about the brand. The report starts with a situational analysis of Hilton Hotels Resorts, including its current position within travel and tourism industry in the UK, analysis of companys main stakeholders and their interests, PESTLE analysis conducted for Hilton Hotels Resorts and description of marketing issues faced by the company. This is followed by a marketing report that comprises description of Hilton Hotels Resorts services, and analysis of the companys pricing, promotion and distribution strategy. Moreover, this report comprises a market research plan for Hilton Hotels Resorts that explains actions involved in each stage in the research process in order to achieve the research objective. The report is completed by discussions about importance of sustainability and corporate social responsibility for Hilton Hotels Resorts and an assessment of the companys policies in these two important areas of business practice. 1. Situational analysis 1.1 Position of Hilton Hotels Resorts within Travel and Tourism Industry in the UK Travel and tourism industry in the UK represents one of the key sectors in the national economy and according the research conducted by Oxford Economics travel and tourisms total contribution to GDP in the UK was GBP 101 billion in 2011 or 6.7% of total GDP (The World Travel Tourism Council, 2012, online) Figure 1 represents the structure of the UK tourism industry, and within this structure Hilton belongs to accommodation category. Moreover, the UK is the second biggest market for Hilton Hotels Resorts after the US (Barnett, 2011), and thus the UK market represents a point of focus for Hilton strategic level management. Figure structure of the UK tourism industry (field work) 1.2 Hilton Hotels Main Stakeholders and Their Interests Stakeholders of companys including Hilton Hotels Resorts can be divided into two categories: internal and external. Internal stakeholders represent parties that belong to Hilton such as shareholders and employees. The primary interests of shareholders are profit maximisation, whereas employee interests include gaining a wide range of tangible and intangible compensation from their employment. External stakeholders, on the other hand, are parties that do not belong to Hilton; nevertheless they have interest in the business from various perspectives. The following figure illustrates a range of Hilton external stakeholders and their interests: External stakeholder Interests Communities The nature of impact of business activity to the community Customers Purchasing products and services in lower prices Government Business employment relations, corporate taxation, compliance with laws, rules and regulations etc. Suppliers Long-term partnership in mutually beneficial terms Media Corporate performance, corporate conflicts, employee relations etc. Table External stakeholders and their interests 1.3 Hilton Hotels PESTLE Analysis PESTLE abbreviation is interpreted as political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors impacting businesses, and PESTLE is an important framework for assessing external factor impacting business practices. 1.3.1 Political Factors Political stability is the key to the success of any industries and it is applicable to hotel industry as well and it needs to cope with political situations everywhere in the world. The political approaches can influence the number visitors, both, tourists and business travellers visits to a nation (Jones, 2002). It may a concern for many people those who are visiting Northern Ireland because of the ongoing very delicate political situation. Moreover, Hiltons performance is directly affected by consumer protection and employment laws in UK, as well as, the nature of competitive regulation, and risks of military invasion in the country. 1.3.2 Economic Factors National macroeconomic situation and factors and events impacting the situation are major factors affecting Hilton Hotels Resorts business in the UK. For example, during the Olympic times in the UK most of the hotels were occupied and booked fully for the whole period. However, the situation was completely different once the Olympic Games were over. Additional economic factors that affect Hilton may include the extent of expected and real economic growth in the UK, national taxation policies, and seasonality and weather problems. 1.3.3 Social Factors The Hilton brand is very well known amongst international visitors and the UK is one of the popular destinations for the tourists and shopping lovers. A wide range of social factors impacting Hilton Hotels Resorts include emerging trends in consumer lifestyle, consumer demographic variables, the impact of role models in consumer decision making, and growth rate of population. For example, increasing numbers of young consumers from emerging economies like China and India visiting the UK for various purposes can be specified as an important social factor that impacts the UK hotel industry. 1.3.4 Technological Factors An overall development of technological infrastructure related to catering industry might have great impact on Hilton performance. Matters associated with the use of energy and their costs and the potential for innovation within the industry can be classified as important technological factors (Sandhusen, 2008). Furthermore, hotel bookings have become very sophisticated than ever before. Anyone can book a hotel room in a simple step with the help of internet. Increasing number of social media such as Facebook, tweeter and websites like trip advisor help both the customers and the hotels. 1.3.5 Legal Factors Legal factors are also important source of external impact on Hilton performance and they include any changes in the UK jurisdiction that affect the catering industry in direct and indirect ways. Additionally, there are many visa restriction rules are there in many countries such as the USA, the EU countries, Australia etc. for the international visitors and these countries are plays important role in the travel and tourism industry. 1.3.6 Environmental Factors The hospitality and catering industry often becomes a point of criticism for polluting the environment particularly in most of tourist attractions such as historical places, beaches, forest areas, hills etc (Foskett and Paskins, 2011). A range of activities related to tourism not only creates pollution, but also disturbs animals and related environment. Moreover, hotels and related businesses are contributing a considerable amount of carbon emissions with negative implications to the issues of global warming. Accordingly, businesses like Hilton are facing tight regulations to operate their business in the UK. These regulations are inevitably increasing the levels of operational costs for the company. Additionally, the UK being a part of the European Union (EU), Hilton performance is also impacted by relevant jurisdictions introduced by the EU. 1.4 Marketing Issues Faced by Hilton Hotels Currently, Hilton is faced with a range of substantial marketing issues in the UK threatening its long-term growth prospects. Increasing level of multiculturalism in the UK can be specified as a major marketing challenge Hilton has to deal with. Specifically, due to the increasing level of competition in the marketplace the level of cultural diversity in the UK is rapidly increasing. Accordingly, Hilton is left with a complex task of formulating and implementing a marketing strategy that needs to address cultural diversity amongst its customers. Additional marketing challenges faced by Hilton Hotels can be specified as increasing level of guest sophistication, and difficulties associated with market segmentation due to overlaps in Hilton International brands. In other words, Hilton International consists of Waldorf Astoria Hotels Resorts, Hilton Hotels Resorts, Conrad Hotels Resorts, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, and Hilton Grand Vacations (Our Brands, 2012, online), and there is a little difference amongst these brands in terms of their market positioning. This fact creates marketing challenges for Hilton Hotels Resorts in terms of differentiating this particular brand from other brands within Hilton International portfolio. 2. Marketing Report 2.1 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Strategies used by Hilton Hotels The process of market segmentation involves dividing the market into segments or groups based on the characteristics from the specific market. In this way the most attractive or suitable segment based on the services and products can be targeted very effectively and efficiently. Generally the market can be divided into four different groups, and they are geographic, demographic, psychographic and benefit oriented (OGuinn, et al., 2011). 2.1.1 Geographic Segmentation. Geographic segmentation involves targeting specific consumer groups according to their geographic locations in national and international levels. Hiltons geographic segmentation strategy mainly focuses on the local preferences and the location. For instance, Hilton open hotels in London for attracting mainly business people and the services mainly focus on business travellers. 2.1.2 Demographic segmentation A set of variables used in demographic market segmentation include gender, life-cycle stage, age, income, social class, and lifestyle. From this perspective, Hilton target customer segment represent middle and senior aged professionals with high level of income belonging to upper social class. Moreover, Hilton Hotels Resorts mainly target individuals that pursue luxury lifestyle, and accordingly, the company charges premium prices for its products and services perceived to be of a relevant quality. 2.1.3 Psychographic Segmentation Psychographic segmentation goes beyond demographics as it examines how a person thinks, feels and behaves, using personality, lifestyle and values as segmenting variables (Cant et al., 2009, p.118). The nature of psychographic segmentation used by Hilton involves targeting ambitious individuals who would like to express their perceived high status and achievement by staying in five star rooms offered by the hotel at premium prices. 2.1.4 Benefits Segmentation Benefits segmentation involves implementing market segmentation on the basis of benefits customers aim to obtain using products and/or services offered by the company. Accordingly, perceived or real benefits offered by Hilton to potential and existing customers include sense of achievement, a high status in society, and luxury. 2.2 Description of Hilton Hotels Products and Services In order to capture every opportunity in the market, Hilton operates hotels and other related services in accommodation, gambling and entertainment areas. Few areas are entirely new for Hilton Group, including a gambling business. Hilton Hotels Resorts offers mainly accommodation services through its hotels, resorts, apartment hotels etc. Most of the revenue is generated through selling hotel rooms to customers. There are also a range of other services and products that contribute to the level of revenue stream such as restaurants, bars, smaller shops, spa, laundry services, travel desk, business centre, banquet halls etc. Among these products and services the core one is rooms divisions which brings most of the revenues. Generally, products are divided into three levels: core, facilitating and supporting products. Core products can be explained as a basic form of a product. To put it simply core products are the main reasons for customers purchasing from a business. For Hilton Hotels Resorts core product is hotel rooms that customers stay in for a specific period of time. Peripheral services can be explained as additional products and services above the core product that businesses offer to get competitive edge in the marketplace. Facilitating products involve services that assist consumers in consumption of core products. Hilton offers a set of popular facilitating products such as customer services, bars and restaurants, and online reservation facilities. Supporting products include additional products and services that are offered in order to obtain competitive advantage for the business by increasing the value of core products and services. A range of supporting products offered by Hilton Hotels include 24/7 room service, free newspapers and magazines for business travellers, concierge services etc. (Reid and Bojanic, 2010). Augmented product is benefit offer made by businesses that consist of core product and peripheral services. Augmented products offered by Hilton Hotels Resorts include membership discounts, luxurious room and exterior designs, high class restaurants and relaxed hotel atmosphere. 2.3 Hilton Hotels Pricing Strategies Pricing strategies used by businesses are divided into four broad categories within the framework of Pricing Strategy Matrix: economy, penetration, skimming and premium pricing strategies. Economy pricing strategy involves selling products of basic features and characteristics to consumers with low budgets. Penetration pricing strategy, on the other hand, involves offering high quality products and services in low prices than the competition in order to increase market share. Skimming, as a pricing strategy is opposite to penetration in a way that products and services are offered in a higher price levels than the competition. The main rationale for the choice of skimming pricing strategy may include the desire to associate products or services with exclusiveness and a high quality. Figure Pricing strategy matrix Source: www.marketingteacher.com Premium pricing strategy involves charging high level prices for products and services that are perceived to have excellent quality and additional characteristics and features. From the classifications provided above the type of pricing strategy adopted by Hilton Hotels Resorts can be specified as premium. Hilton only offers five star and four star rooms and the company is able to charge its customers at premium levels because beyond the core product, Hilton also sells a set of intangible benefits such as sense of achievement, high status and luxury. 2.4 Hilton Hotels Promotion Strategy Hilton Hotels Resorts employ promotion strategy that utilises various components of promotion mix. Generally, major elements of promotion mix include advertising, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotion. 2.4.1 Advertising Advertising is a paid, mediated form of communication from an identifiable source, designed to persuade the receiver to take some action now or in the future (Klever, 2009, p.25). New advertisement slogan of Hilton Hotels Resorts Stay Hilton. Go Everywhere is aimed to communicate the marketing message of the hotel being a large global brand and maintaining a high level of quality in all of its hotels. This marketing message is communicated through a set of specific elements of advertising promotional strategy such as advertisements in newspapers and magazines popular with senior level management professionals such as Forbes, Fortune, The Economist, and Financial Times. Moreover, the communication of Hilton Hotels Resorts marketing message is also facilitated through broadcast advertisements in selected television channels. 2.4.2 Public Relations Officially, The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPD) defines public relations as planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics (CIPD, 2012, online). In simple terms, public relations can be explained as a one way communication between the company and the public. Hilton Hotels Resorts public relations are maintained through communication with a range of parties such as customers, employees, and other private and public organisations. Specific methods of public relations used by Hilton Hotels Resorts include issuing online and offline press releases in a regular manner, and communicating through newsletters with organisational stakeholders. Moreover, the company website serves as an effective platform for Hilton Hotels Resorts for engaging in public relations. 2.4.3 Personal Selling Personal selling involves company sales representatives contacting potential customers through various channels with the aims of making a sale. The advantages of personal selling include the possibility to attract customer attention, application of interpersonal skills in order to mage the sale, and the potentials for forming and maintaining long-term customer relationships. At the same time, personal selling promotion mix has some disadvantages such as being overly expensive to conduct and reaching fewer numbers of perspective customers in a given period of time compared to other elements of marketing promotion mix. Promotion strategy used by Hilton Hotels Resorts does not involve personal selling due to the nature of the business. 2.4.4 Sales Promotion Sales promotion relates to attempts by a business to persuade potential customers to purchase products or services through introducing various incentives (Evans et al., 2004). Sales promotion is popular in hotel industry, and accordingly this specific element of promotion mix is used by Hilton Hotels Resorts in an intensive manner. Hilton Hotels Resorts engage in sales promotion through HHonors points based rewards program and discount vouchers available on official company website. Moreover, Hilton Hotels Resorts offer a wide range of deals on their website in order to increase the level of their revenues. Hilton Hotels Resorts gains practical advantages from using sales promotion in the forms of increasing the level of revenues and achieving utilisation of their rooms at a greater extend. However, it is important to note that by introducing aggressive sales promotions Hilton Hotels Resorts may be risking compromising brand value in a way that sales promotion and the possibility to use the brand services in cheaper prices might be compromising the level of exclusiveness of the brand. Furthermore, sales promotions only offer short-term advantages and thus this element of marketing promotion mix is best used only in an occasional manner. 2.5 Hilton Hotels Resorts Distribution Strategy The ultimate aim of the distribution strategy for a hotel firm can be specified as making available the products and services to consumers where, when and how they prefer them (Reid Bojanic, 2010). Hilton Hotels Resorts distribution strategy heavily relies on information technology and internet in various formats. Firstly, the official website of the company serves as an effective platform for service distribution as it is supplied with a wide range of features and capabilities providing practical assistance to customers such as booking a room, planning events and weddings, scheduling meetings and booking airport pick-ups. Moreover, the distribution of Hilton Hotels Resorts products and services is also facilitated through mobile convenient applications made available for IPhone and Android platforms. Social media is adopted as another effective instrument by Hilton Hotels Resorts in distribution of its products and services. For example, the official page of the company in leading social networking website, Facebook has been liked by more than 405,300 people who receive latest news about the company and special offer announcements through the website. The main reason behind the selection of internet platform as the base of Hilton Hotels Resorts distribution strategy relates to a wide range of conveniences associated with internet. Specifically, internet presents Hilton Hotels Resorts customers with the possibilities of purchasing products and services in advance on the go and within a timeframe of a few seconds. 2.6 Usage of Three Ps of Extended Marketing Mix by Hilton Hotels Resorts Traditional four Ps of marketing mix discussed above have been specified as product, price, promotion, and place, and additional three Ps of extended marketing mix have been adopted as process, physical evidence and people. 2.6.1 Process The process element of marketing mix is approached by Hilton Hotels Resorts according to its selected business strategy. Specifically, the company aims to maintain the process of service provision in a premium levels in a luxurious manner. Generally most of the hotels are running 24/7 their businesses unlike banks or schools. It is because the accommodation services need to be provided around the year and 24 hours in a day. In order to remain competitive the marketing process used by the hotel is very important. According to Rutherford (2007) the marketing process of a hotel should begin from deciding what to be and what to offer to whom. Creating awareness and stimulating the demand among the consumers are the key marketing process can help to achieve the competitive advantage. 2.6.2 Physical evidence Physical evidence can be explained as tangibility of Hilton Hotels Resorts services and physical outcome that is generated from consumption of the service. Specifically, physical evidence for Hilton Hotels Resorts includes luxurious interior and exterior design, attitude of hotel workforce towards customers and service provision, and inclusion of tangible goods within the service. 2.6.3 People There are various people groups that play a vital role for the success of Hilton Hotels Resorts. Broadly, people that have direct implications on Hilton Hotels Resorts performance can be divided into three categories: customers, employees and suppliers. Customers represent an important group of people for Hilton Hotels Resorts for obvious reasons. Generally hotel firms target a wide range of customers from leisure to business travellers, people those are want to eat outside etc. One of the big challenges to the hospitality marketing is satisfying the different mind-set customers. Over a period these customers needs and wants will also be changed (Bowie Buttle, 2011). Employees are classified as another group of people that can have tremendous impact on service outcome, and consequently on the level of profitability of Hilton Hotels Resorts through their performances. Moreover, Hilton Hotels Resorts rely on a wide range of suppliers and the performance of people employed by suppliers also might have indirect implications on the performance of the company. 3. Market Research It is critically important for Hilton to be conducting researches in a regular basis in order to identify the level of customer satisfaction and identify specific aspects of the service customers are particularly happy or unhappy with. The market research plan proposed for Hilton Hotels Resorts consists of the following stages: defining the problem, selecting appropriate methodology, data collection, data analysis, data presentation. 3.1 Defining the Problem Marketing research starts with a problem definition. Alternatively, this stage can be marked with formulation of research objectives. Failure to define the problem in an appropriate manner or formulate market research objective can result in the waste of time and financial resources invested in the project. The main objective of the market research plan proposed for Hilton Hotels Resorts can be specified as follows: Identifying the level of Hilton Hotels Resorts customer satisfaction and detecting specific aspects of the service customers are particularly happy or unhappy with Achievement of this marketing research objective can contribute to long-term growth of Hilton Hotels Resorts in a way that according to the findings of the marketing plan specific aspects of the service contributing to the level of customer satisfaction can be further strengthened, and equally, aspects of the service causing customer dissatisfaction can be eliminated. 3.2 Selecting Appropriate Methodology Once the problem has been clearly identified, appropriate methods need to be selected for the purposes of data collection. The methods of data collection can be divided into two categories: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative methods use non-numerical elements such as sounds, emotions, feelings, words and others, whereas quantitative methods involve the use of numbers and calculations in various formats. Comparison dimension Qualitative research Quantitative research Types of questions Probing Non-probing Sample size Small Large Information per respondent Much Varies Administration Interviewers with special skills are required Fewer special skills required for interviewers Type of analysis Subjective, interpretive Statistical, summarisation Hardware required Tape recorders, projection devices, video, pictures, discussion guides Questionnaires, computers, printouts Ease of replication Difficult Easy Table A Comparison of a qualitative and quantitative research Source: Wiid and Diggens (2009) The most popular data collection techniques that can be used in market research include questionnaires, interviews, observation and focus groups. Table 2 illustrates a brief description of popular data collection methods Technique Description Observation Monitoring behaviours of sample group members or observing event by humans or non-humans Focus groups Organising group discussions with sample group members with the participation of a moderator addressing research questions in direct and indirect ways Projective techniques Collecting data through appealing to motives, urges, emotions or feelings of sample group members in indirect ways Survey methods Questionnaire Formulating a set of questions to be answered by sample group members in an individual manner Interviews Verbal questioning of sample group members in one-to-one basis in order to extract needed information Table Description of popular data collection methods Source: Knight and Ruddock (2009) 3.3 Data Collection The process of data collection through questionnaires is not a simple task as it may seem and there are important aspects of data collection process that need to be addressed. Firstly, ethical considerations of market research need to be addressed in this stage in a way that participation in the survey should not be made compulsory amongst Hilton customers and their personal and contact details should not be collected. Moreover, data collection and analysis needs to comply with Data Protection Act (1998). Sampling represents another important aspect of data collection from members of population. Popular sampling techniques that can be used in market research include cluster, systematic, theoretical, convenience, quota, purposive and snowball sampling methods. A critical assessment of advantages and disadvantages of sampling techniques listed above finds quota sampling as the most suitable to be utilised in the proposed market research. Utilisation of quota sampling method in an appropriate manner necessitates introduction of certain requirements for individual population members to be included in the survey (Serakan and Bougie, 2009). Accordingly, taking into account the nature of marketing plan objective the requirement introduced to individual population members can be specified as an experience of using Hilton Hotels Resorts products and services. In other words, only individuals that have used products and services of Hilton Hotels Resorts need to be asked to complete the questionnaire. This task can be appropriately implemented by offering Hilton visitors in selected hotels from various parts of the UK to participate in the survey. In order to generate adequate amount of responses questionnaire questions, answers need to be obtained from at least 1000 respondents. Moreover, Hilton Hotels Resorts market research questionnaire needs to include both, close-ended and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions are needed to generate data about consumer demographic variables and assessment of specific aspects of service, whereas open-ended questions need to be included in order to reflect customer suggestions about potentials for improvement and to capture additional relevant issues not included in questionnaire. 3.4 Data Analysis Data analysis, as an important stage in market research involves critical analysis and interpretation of questionnaire findings. Data analysis for Hilton Hotels Resorts market research involves the application of quantitative and qualitative methods. The application of quantitative methods is needed for answers given to closed-ended questions. Specifically, percentages associated with the selection of each alternative answers to questions need to be calculated and critically analysed. The application of qualitative methods, on the other hand, is needed to analyse answers provided for open-ended questions. Qualitative data analysis in market research involves detecting common patterns within information given by questionnaire respondents and analysing these patterns from a critical viewpoint. An important point to be addressed during data collection and data analysis stages of Hotels Resorts market research relates to validity and reliability issues. In order to address these issues correctly researchers need to remain objective at all stages of research process in general, and during data analysis stage in particular. 3.5 Data Presentation The main purpose in this last stage of the marketing research is to present findings of data analysis in such a format that it can be understood by

Three Strikes Law Essay -- Law, Recidivism, Career Criminals

Three Strikes Law Recidivism is a tendency to relapse into a former pattern of behavior or a tendency to return to criminal behavior. Many studies have been conducted about criminals who begin with petty crimes (misdemeanors) that repeat the same crimes or graduate to serious crimes (felonies). The fear of repeat offenders and the increase of recidivism ignited the federal and state governments to seek harsher ways to protect citizens’ safety. Mike Reynolds a photographer whose daughter, Kimber, was murdered in1992 during a purse snatching incident introduced the Three Strikes Law in 1993. State legislators did consider and rejected this law because they believed the measures were harsh and costly. However, the Three Strikes Law received national attention from a second incident, the 1993 kidnapping of Polly Klaas from her Petaluma home. Polly was kidnapped and murdered by Richard Allen Davis who was on parole during this time. Because of this second incident, in January 1994 during Preside nt Clinton’s State of the Union Address, he requested for the enactment of a federal Three Strikes Law. In March 1994, California passed the Three Strikes bill. â€Å"Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy criticized the politics surrounding the enactment of the Three Strikes Law of California’s famous recidivist sentencing scheme as ‘sick’† (Romano, 2010). Although the Three Strikes Law centers on California, Washington was the first state to adopt the law while California followed with a broader version. According to Dickey and Hollenhorst (1999), â€Å"23 states and the federal government adopted some form of â€Å"three strikes and you’re out† law intending to target repeat violent offenders (p.1). The law varies among states, but the intent i... ... of offenders convicted on a second strike and 44 percent of those convicted on a third strike† (p. 10). Overcrowding Conclusion Generally, the Three Strikes Law is effective. It has met the goals of deterrence and incapacitation of career criminals without putting a strain on state budgets and overcrowding prisons. The law has progressed to ensure that it targets only career criminals. Each state has its own methods of exercising preferences to ensure the law is fairly applied. The Three Strikes Law focuses on individuals and determines whether they receive longer sentencing because of their past criminal conduct. Justice O’Connor explained, â€Å"Recidivism is a serious public safety concern in California and throughout the nation† (Goodno, 2007). The law was enacted to handle this concern, and currently, the law is showing that it is doing its job.

Biological Terrorism: Our City Streets as the New Battlefield Essay

Biological Terrorism: Our City Streets as the New Battlefield The last 60-70 years of the twentieth century might be called the modern era of biological warfare. During this period, nation states developed biological weapons to be used on a far-away â€Å"European battlefield†. Even after ratification of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972, the most impressive BW program in the history of mankind continued for 20 years, effectively cloaked in secrecy. Yet between 1970 and 1990, little thought was given to the possibility of a biological warfare or biological terrorist attack on US cities. Funding for biological defense in the US was minimal and most of the federal government was oblivious about the threat. In fiscal year 2000, the US government has committed more than $1.5 billion to military biodefense and another $1 billion to domestic preparedness for biological attack. What happened? In 1991, the US decisively engaged the Iraqi force, demonstrating vast conventional technical superiority while the world watched on CNN. Shortly thereafter, with economic implosion in the Former Soviet Union, our concern turned to the fate of tens of thousands of Russian scientists and engineers who had developed an impressive programÃâ€"which may never be surpassed in scale or offensive capability. We feared that lesser nations might turn to now jobless Russian bioweaponeers for help in building their â€Å"great equalizer.† All this occurred with a backdrop of increasing evidence that the dual-use nature of bioweapons programs might make treaties unverifiable. Here at home, the equally dual-use biotechnological revolution screamed forward while novels imprinted the horror of bioterrorism on our minds and experts proclaimed that â€Å"there are no... ...se who would use these breakthroughs for evil---taking away their freedom through effective intelligence programs and law enforcement---we will be more likely to stay steps ahead as we use the technologies for good, and provide an additional deterrent to the threat. Bioterrorism presents a daunting problem to our free society, especially at the unique intersection of politics and biotechnology that occurred during the last decade of the 20th century. We may have been lulled by our prosperity and strategic isolation from major conflict into a sense of invulnerability. However, we are vulnerable todayÃâ€"and there is no reason to believe that will change in the near future. We must carefully evaluate the real threat, make the hard cost-benefit decisions and continue to build a fully integrated defense against the distortion of biology by those who would do us harm.

Personal Narrative - My Mother, the Hippie Essay -- Personal Narrative

My Mother, the Hippie My mother is a "hippie" in every sense of the word. Therefore, as a young child, I spent a lot of time in the Great Outdoors. There were even some years in which we traveled around living on commune farms. I remember the huge gardens where you could always find my mom, and where I earned my nickname "Beans". I recall the cats and goats that were always roaming around, and I remember falling asleep in rooms stacked to the ceiling with bunkbeds, where all of the kids on the farm slept. So what in the world does this have to do with a reflection of the first day of class? Simply put, it reaffirms the old adage that we become exactly like our parents. When I reached my adolescent years, I hated being outside and going camping with no water or electricity for days--for fun. But now that I am an adult, I find myself becoming exactly like my mother. I enjoy a life of simplicity, and I love being outside--whatever form that may take--be it work or taking a class such as this. Therefore, my single most vivid reflection of this entire first day of class is...

Issue of Kashmir and Role of Pakistan

The Quaid was not given to making rhetorical pronouncements. He was a realist; not an idealist. As a pragmatist and a jurist, he chose his words with care before uttering them; and he was a man of his word. The jugular vein and the body are mutually inter-dependant. Pakistan’s life-blood – water – passes through Kashmir. Kashmir’s life force – its commerce, its people’s very livelihood, its cultural heritage – all lay through its contacts with what is now Pakistan. Both Kashmir and Pakistan have suffered all these years because of artificial man-made barriers between the two. Regrettably, the Quaid-e-Azam did not live long enough to influence the events that followed. The question that presents itself begging for an answer is: if he had lived for a few more years would he have allowed this issue to linger on for so long? We may do well to give this aspect some thought. Regrettably, the leadership that followed the Quaid singularly failed to live up to his ideals. Several issues – the Kashmir issue among them – that should have been tackled betimes and were not are a testimony to this. This is neither the time nor the occasion to go into the history of this issue. Suffice it to state that after the Quaid, successive leadership appear to have missed the bus. The struggle of the people of the State predates the partition of what was then British India. Even before the British left, the people of the State had already asserted, through a valiant struggle, their inalienable right to decide their own future. When the matter landed in the Security Council of the United Nations, the World Body went on to put its stamp of approval on this fundamental right of the people of the Jammu and Kashmir. The right of self-determination of the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir was guaranteed by the United Nations. As a result of the resolutions of the world body, four parties to the dispute were explicitly recognized: 1) The government of India; 2) The government of Pakistan; 3) The people of the State; and, by implication, 4) The international community, through the United Nations. Any movement towards a final settlement of the issue should, therefore, need to be endorsed by all the four parties. No one party has the right to unilaterally impose a settlement nor, in deed, to move the goal posts. This remains the internationally recognized position. In 1947, British rule in India ended with the creation of two new nations: the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan, while British suzerainty over the 562 Indian princely statesended. According to the Indian Independence Act 1947, â€Å"the suzerainty of His Majesty over the Indian States lapses, and with it, all treaties and agreements in force at the date of the passing of this Act between His Majesty and the rulers of Indian States†,so the states were left to choose whether to join India or Pakistan or to remain independent. Jammu and Kashmir, the largest of the princely states, had a predominantly Muslim population, while having a Hindu ruler (Maharaja Hari Singh. ) On partition Pakistan expected Kashmir to be annexed to it. In October 1947, Muslim revolutionaries in western Kashmir and Pakistani tribals from Dir entered Kashmir, intending to liberate it from Dogra rule. Unable to withstand the invasion, the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession that was accepted by the government of India on 27 October 1947. The resulting war over Kashmir, the First Kashmir War, lasted until 1948, when India moved the issue to the UN Security Council. Sheikh Abdullah was not in favour of India seeking UN intervention because he was sure the Indian Army could free the entire State of invaders. The UN had previously passed resolutions for setting up monitoring of the conflict in Kashmir. Following the set-up of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNCIP), the UN Security Council passed Resolution 47 on 21 April 1948. The resolution imposed an immediate cease-fire and called on Pakistan to withdraw all military presence. The resolution stated that Pakistan would have no say in Jammu and Kashmir politics. India would retain a minimum military presence and â€Å"the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. † The ceasefire was enacted on 31 December 1948. The Indian and Pakistani governments agreed to hold the plebiscite, but Pakistan did not withdraw its troops from Kashmir, thus violating the conditions for holding the plebiscite Over the next several years, the UN Security Council passed four new resolutions, revising the terms of Resolution 47 to include a synchronous withdrawal of both Indian and Pakistani troops from the region, To this end, UN arbitrators put forward 11 different proposals for the demilitarization of the region. All of these were accepted by Pakistan, but rejected by the Indian government. Resolutions passed under the UN charter are considered non-binding and have no mandatory enforceability, as opposed to the resolutions passed under Chapter VII. In 1965 and 1971, heavy fighting broke out again between India and Pakistan. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 resulted in the defeat of Pakistan and the Pakistani military's surrender in East Pakistan. The Simla Agreement was signed in 1972 between India and Pakistan. By this treaty, both countries agreed to settle all issues by peaceful means using mutual discussion in the framework of the UN Charter. In 1989, a widespread popular and armed insurgency started in Kashmir. After the 1987 State legislative assembly election, some of the results were disputed. This resulted in the formation militant wings after the election and was the beginning of the Mujahadeen insurgency, which continues to this day. India contends that the insurgency was largely started by Afghan mujahadeen who entered the Kashmir valley following the end of the Soviet-Afghan War. Pakistani and Kashmiri nationalists argue that Afghan mujahideen did not leave Afghanistan in large numbers until 1992, three years after the insurgency began. Yasin Malik, a leader of one faction of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, was one of the Kashmiris to organize militancy in Kashmir, Since 1995, Malik has renounced the use of violence and calls for strictly peaceful methods to resolve the dispute. He developed differences with one of the senior leaders, for shunning the demand for an independent Kashmir and trying to cut a deal with the Indian Prime Minister. Pakistan claims these insurgents are Jammu and Kashmir citizens, and are rising up against the Indian army in an independence movement. Pakistan accuses the Indian army of committing serious human rights violations in Kashmir. Pakistan denies that it has or currently is supplying weapons and ammunition to the insurgents. India claims these insurgents are Islamic terrorist groups from Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Afghanistan, fighting to make Jammu and Kashmir part of Pakistan. They claim Pakistan is supplying munitions to the terrorists and training them in Pakistan. India states that the terrorists have been killing many citizens in Kashmir and committing human rights violations. They deny that their own armed forces are responsible for human rights abuses. On a visit to Pakistan in 2006 current Chief Minister of Kashmir Omar Abdullah remarked that foreign militants were engaged in reckless killings and mayhem in the name of religion. Indian government has said militancy is now on the decline. The Pakistani government calls these insurgents â€Å"Kashmiri freedom fighters†, and claims that it gives only moral and diplomatic support to these insurgents, though Indiabelieves they are Pakistan-supported terrorists from Pakistan Administered Kashmir. In October 2008, President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan called the Kashmir separatists terrorists in an interview . these comments by Zardari sparked outrage amongs many Kashmiris, some of whom defied a curfew by the Indian army to burn him in effigy. There has been a â€Å"purely indigenous, purely Kashmiri†peaceful protest movement alongside the insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir since 1989. The movement was created for the same reason as the insurgency; it began with the disputed rigged elections of 1987. The Kashmiris have grievances with the Indian government, specifically the Indian Military, which has committed human rights violations, according to the United Nations. In mid-1999, insurgents and Pakistani soldiers from Pakistani Kashmir infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir. During the winter season, Indian forces regularly move down to lower altitudes, as severe climatic conditions makes it almost impossible for them to guard the high peaks near the Line of Control. The insurgents took advantage of this and occupied vacant mountain peaks of the Kargil range overlooking the highway in Indian Kashmir that connect sarinagars and Leh. By blocking the highway, they wanted to cut off the only link between the Kashmir Valley . This resulted in a high-scale conflict between the Indian Army and the Pakistan Army. Fears of the Kargil War turning into a nuclear war provoked the then-United States President Bill Clinton to pressure Pakistan to retreat. Faced with mounting losses of personnel and posts, the Pakistan Army withdrew their remaining troops from the area, ending the conflict. India reclaimed control of the peaks, which they now patrol and monitor all year long. Pakistan's claims to the disputed region are based on the rejection of Indian claims to Kashmir, namely the Instrument of Accession. Pakistan insists that the Maharaja was not a popular leader, and was regarded as a tyrant by most Kashmiris. Pakistan maintains that the Maharaja used brute force to suppress the population. Pakistan accuses India of hypocrisy, as it refused to recognize the accession of Junagadh to Pakistan and Hyderabad's independence, on the grounds that those two states had Hindu majorities. Since he had fled Kashmir due to Pakistani invasion,Pakistan argues that even if the Maharaja had any authority in determining the plight of Kashmir, Pakistan claims that Indian forces were in Kashmir before the Instrument of Accession was signed with India, and that therefore Indian troops were in Kashmir in violation of the Standstill Agreement, which was designed to maintain the status quo in Kashmir From 1990 to 1999, some organizations reported that the Indian Armed Forces, its paramilitary groups, and counter-insurgent militias were responsible for the deaths 4,501 Kashmiri civilians.  Also from 1990 to 1999, there were records of 4,242 women between the ages of 7–70 being raped.

Explore Shakespeare’s presentation Essay

‘The play was written in the 1600’s, at this time the role of women was vastly different than their role in today’s society. The woman was to be the dutiful housewife, being expected to run the house cook meals and look after the children. In wealthy families girls were subject to their fathers will. Marriage was a business contract, not about love, but to keep land and wealth within a family. Girls were raised to be obedient to their parents. Children in the 1600’s were to be seen and not heard a lot like later Victorian times. The girls were not to be formally educated they were to stay at and help their mothers with everyday jobs such as washing and cleaning. However this is no longer the case. Women are more and more frequently following the same career paths as men. They also have more rights. Both of these mean women are now equal to men. In the play, Juliet is fourteen, her father feels she should want to become a wife. † She hath not seen the change of fourteen years† However unlike other marriages at the time her father wants her to be happy and try to love a gentleman called Count Paris. Her father is aware of her feelings. However Lady Capulet seems to want Juliet to marry and does not consider her happiness, she uses the argument that † younger than you here in Verona ladies of esteem are made already mothers she reinforces this by telling her â€Å"I was your mother much upon these years† Juliet has a close and trusting relationship with the nurse who has looked after her since birth. She is Juliet’s mother figure. The nurse uses terms of affection for her such as † what lamb! † We first see Juliet in the scene between Lady Capulet and the Nurse. This is also the scene when we see Juliet talk to her mother for the first time in the play. † Madam I am here what is your will? † this is formal. Juliet trusts her parents and respects their wishes, by accepting marriage, however this is before she meets Romeo. Romeo and Juliet first encounter with each other is at the Capulet’s mansion during the ball, which Romeo and his friends should not be attending. They speak a sonnet together. â€Å"My lips like two blushing pilgrims, ready stand. † We see in this scene Juliet being quick witted and covering with the nurse, when she discovers Romeo’s identity. Juliet quickly loses her innocence in this scene. In the balcony scene, we are able to compare Romeo and Juliet. This scene is also important because we see the differences between the characters. Romeos language is full of romantic imagery. He is in a dream like state. â€Å"0’speak again bright angel. † He speaks about her comparing her to the â€Å"heaven and to the stars. † She is his â€Å"east. † This puts her in a higher place and shows she is above all mortals to him. Whereas Juliet seems to be more practical. Juliet is more meaningful and uses the questions wisely to find out more about Romeo. † are you a Montague? † â€Å"How did you get here? † These questions mean something whereas Romeo is more poetical, and tries to impress Juliet. Romeo’s responses are fantastical † with loves light wings did I O’erperch these walls. † In exchange Juliet never cunning, she is always sincere. While Romeo is rhapsodising over love, she realises how rash their avowals of love may be. â€Å"too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden. † Juliet responds to Romeo with generosity and infinite love. Romeo is lost in a happy dream, but Juliet looks ahead, it is she who suggests marriage. She is resourceful. She shows no fear of disobeying her parents, â€Å"what O’clock shall I send for thee tomorrow? † whilst Romeo is comparing silver sweet sounds, loves, loves tongue to the softest music. However Juliet too can be poetical, she is able to express her love for Romeo with intensity and feeling. † my county is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep† It is interesting that Juliet is the first one to mention marriage. † if that thy bat of love be honourable, thy purpose marriage. † Juliet trusts the nurse. She is the only person Juliet confides in. â€Å"to ask his name if he be married. † She trusts the nurse with such a message to take to Romeo. This shows the strength of their relationship. She can put on a good show to get her own way. She also trusts the nurse in telling Romeo to meet her for a night of passion. Juliet is as impulsive as Romeo and hurries off to meet him at Friar Lawrence’s cell. Juliet is open with Romeo, however she is happy to deceive her family in to thinking she is going to confession. Juliet later uses religion again to deceive her family. Once married, Juliet is forced to grow up very quickly as she needs to deal with a series of terrible events that happen in a short period of time. Romeo vanishes because he killed Tybalt, â€Å"murder’d her kinsman. † Romeo is then sentenced to death on the hour he is found. † when he is found, that hour shall be his last. † The pain of Romeo’s banishment is immediately succeeded by the horror of her father’s plans for another wedding, â€Å"marry, my child, early next Thursday mom! † Juliet and Romeo spend the night together at the Capulet mansion. We see the physical side of man and wife. She shows that she wants to be with Romeo all the while. However he has to go. Juliet begs him to stay. â€Å"it was the nightingale and not the lark. † She is stronger^ than Romeo when she hears about the wedding he goes to pieces. Sobbing and wailing, trying to kill himself, in the face calamity she does her best to cope. When Juliet refuses to obey her parents in marriage they are shocked her father is no longer indulgent, and he and her mother turn against her and are very cruel to her. † hang thee young baggage! Disobedient wretch! † Despite their insulting comment Juliet calm. In despair Juliet turns to the nurse for comfort, but is told to forget Romeo and marry Paris â€Å"marry, I will and this is wisely done. † She is hurt and feels betrayed by this comment from the nurse, she trusted the nurse and now that trust as gone. However she shows qualities of determination and courage, which enable her to hide her anguish, and chat wittily and apparently calm with Paris at the Friar’s cell. Juliet has no choice but to agree to the Friar’s desperate scheme, she has neither family, nurse nor husband to support her. † My dismal scene needs must act alone. † She agrees to take the potion this shows her courage and determination, with child like horror she goes through everything that could go wrong with taking the potion, finally realising she has no other option, drinks the potion with great courage. The potion heightens the drama of the scene as she is isolated from her family and friends. Juliet is true and faithful because when she awakes in the tomb the first thing she says with child like simplicity â€Å"where is my Romeo? † she is deserted once again, this lime however by the Friar. When she realises that Romeo is dead, she is ^courageous to the last minute she stabs her self. Her last act is immediate and determined and successful, it is expressive of her love for Romeo and is keeping with her character and everything she has done through out the play. However at the end of the play she is still a 14 year old girl with her whole life in front of her. She succumbs to an adolescent^ despair. At the end of the play Lord Montague says † I will raise her statue in pure gold. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet brings harmony and unison to the two families. Lord Montague at the end realises Juliet has been â€Å"true and faithful†.

Oedipus: A Tragic Hero or Not? Essay

Oedipus is definitely a tragic hero. In Aristotle’s theory he talks about the ways you become a tragic hero. The first thing that happened to Oedipus is the ‘the reversal of fortune leading up to a final recognition’. In the story this happens man times, When he is a baby he was sent to the mountain to be killed which would be a misfortune. A shepherd comes up to the mountain and saves him by bringing him back to Corinth. Oedipus kills his biological father. Later in life Oedipus solves the riddle of the sphinx and becomes the town hero. The next thing that happens would be when Oedipus finds out that he married his mom and killed his father which was what he was trying to stay away from his whole life. Another trait that a Tragic Hero has is experiences heavy suffering. Oedipus suffers many times in this play. When Oedipus was on top of the mountain his parents put some type of metal pipe in his feet so he could not walk. Oedipus must have felt pain there. Emotional wise when he found out the king and queen of Corinth were not his parents he must have felt pain. When he found out he killed his biological father he must have felt pain and when he found his wife/mother hanging he felt pain. When Oedipus looks back at all the tragedies in his life you can see that he had heavy suffering throughout his entire life. The last thing that can be a characteristic of a tragic hero is when his misfortune is brought about by error of judgement. This also happens a lot in the story Oedipus Rex. The fist error of judgement in my opinion would be when Jocasta and her husband decide to put Oedipus on the mountain instead of killing him right on the spot. If they would have none of this would have happened. Another misfortune by error of judgement would be when he killed  his father. He and his gang of thugs killed the king and most of his men. Why did he have to do it? That death was cause for no real reason accept for money and he could have escaped the prophecy if he would have stopped killing for money. These are the errors of judgement in Oedipus Rex.

Prevention is better than cure Essay

Out of a country’s health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventative measures. The rising costs of health care have become an issue for many countries in the world. To deal with this problem, it is recommended that a big part of the state health budget be used for health education and disease prevention instead of treatment. First of all, many kinds of diseases are preventable and preventing a disease is usually much cheaper than treating it. For example, people could prevent catching a cold if they dress warmly and get good rest when the weather first gets cold in the winter. But many people get sick because they fail to do so and have to spend much more money seeing a doctor. Another case in point is cancer, the leading cause of death in the world. But lung cancer, liver cancer and many other kinds of cancer could all be effectively prevented if people take measures for their health in an early stage. Small t hings such as smoking less or eating more healthy food would have kept millions of families from becoming bankrupt if the patients took measures for early cancer prevention. In addition, health education also plays a key role in improving people’s health. By giving people more information about health, countries could help people understand the importance of disease prevention and ways to achieve it. However, emphasizing on disease prevention is not downplaying the significance of medical treatment. After all, prevention and treatment are just two different means toward the same goal.

The Sui dynasty, The Tang Dynasty, The Song Dynasty Essay

The Sui dynasty, The Tang Dynasty, The Song Dynasty - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that China’s political landscape in the ancient period was characterized by dynasties which were often ruled by members of the same family. These dynasties would only relinquish power through subversion. The following is an analysis of the political, social and economic changes that occurred during the Sui, Tang and Song dynasty. The Sui dynasty lasted for a relatively short period – around 580 – 618 AD. Its existence, however, marked significant changes in the political structure, social and economic life of the Chinese. One of the notable changes in the political structure was the unification of northern and southern China. Emperor Wen, the founder of Sui dynasty is credited with this achievement. Sui dynasty’s main economic accomplishment was the extension of the Grand Canal. The canal facilitated transport of agricultural produce such as grain to the city. Socially, the Sui dynasty is accredited with bridging the gap between the rich and the poor through the Equal-field system. In this system, the land was owned by the government which in turn would distribute it to all individuals, including slaves. Tang dynasty can be traced to the period 618-907 AD. It was founded following the collapse of the Sui dynasty. Tang dynasty was characterized by prosperity. This was due to the enlightened political system put in place. A strict legal system guided by a legal code strengthened the administrative arm of Tang dynasty. A total of 10 political districts were established which enabled easier administration.

Exploring the Bible through literaty genre Essay

Exploring the Bible through literaty genre - Essay Example tice during the time those events had happened, and in addition to that, most of the stories were written in parables that only ancient language or literature can best describe the message. The most challenging part of studying the bible’s literature is, understanding its true meaning and the message it wants to share in every shade of the words used. Therefore in-order for people to further understand the bible, authors tried to translate it in English. English has been acknowledged and almost spoken worldwide, there would be at least a few number of people from different countries who understand, write and speak English, however the issue that surrounds language does not end with translation. Every nation or country and even culture practices and uses their own language, this is how they communicate best within that group, and is more known to be their first language. And to make communication even more effective for orienting and teaching the young ones, their literature was based on that language. Comprehending the context (voiced or literature) is how a person understands the words used to complete the message of the story, and most of the time other nationalities that has a different language rather than English would translate the meaning of the word based on their orientation, and most of the time, the word that is translated would have a different meaning and bearing. One good example of first language translation is in p23. Genisis 2: 22-23 of the material. â€Å"And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, â€Å"This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.† The literature was originally written in Hebrew and later on translated in English word per word, a natural English oriented person reading this would definitely give meaning to the literature, because English is the person’s first language, and it would go from

Specialised nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Specialised nursing - Essay Example The presentation of depression of people with autism, which is a pervasive developmental disorder, is coloured by the underlying disorder, considerably altering the manner in which it presents (Munden and Perry, 2002, 13). Nursing assessment, diagnostic process, care plan, and care delivery would thus be very complicated. The clinical presentation further complicates the already existing difficulties in communication. There is a necessity of increased nursing knowledge base to ensure people with autism receive a prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment (Stewart et al., 2006, 103-116). Mr. John has been admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of gastric cancer. Therefore, it is expected that he has presented in an advanced stage, where palliative surgery is the only means of treatment, and the outlook is poor. His understanding about his condition would be poor. The nurse who is left with his care has several challenges. Most important is his inability to communicate. The patient remains conscious about that, and as a result becomes anxious. The basis of nursing in his care would depend on social exchange between him and his nurse. However, the social impairment is extreme, leading to situations where his well-defined needs may fail to be adequately considered. The classical triad of impairments in him would be social relationship, social understanding, and imagination and social communication. These patients are often extremely anxious in an unfamiliar environment, and from that angle, admission to a hospital is a very difficult issue to deal with. The nurse must be aware of this fact, and the problem may be further aggravated by failure to communicate (Valente, 2004, 236-243). His advanced stage of gastric cancer needing palliative surgery places him in the need of palliative nursing care. Many autistic individuals need palliative care, and their care needs are different (Dell et al., 2008, 177-182). His palliative care need would need extra input from the nursing services. Palliative care is implemented for people with impending death, and being an autistic individual, his morbidity and mortality patterns, healthcare needs, presentation of symptoms, conceptualization of illness and death, and issues around education and training will be different. Palliative care has been defined as active total care for patients whose disease is unresponsive to curative management. The nursing goal is to achieve the best possible quality of life for both the patient and his family. Being autistic exerts limitations in adaptive skill areas, such as, communications, home living, skills in social relations, self-care, academic skills, concepts in health and safety, and leis ure and work. All these factors may influence his care (Tuffrey-Wijne, 2003, 55-57). The associated depression in this patient is another problem. Depression frequently coexists but is very difficult to identify, since many of these patients are noncommunicative. Behaviours may escalate or patients may shut down, where the nurses must rely on their interpretations of their behaviours and the environment. The nurse must be aware about this possibility. The presentation depends on the patient's age, level of intelligence, and level of verbal skills. There may be history of crying spells, sad affect, increasing aloofness or social withdrawal, and disturbance of sleep and

Panopticism by Foucault Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Panopticism by Foucault - Essay Example The main similarity between prisons and schools, hospitals, and working places is their functions and structure. The main resemblance is that the role and aim of the administration include the responsibility and control exercised by the state and by the nation. The relationship existing among levels of hierarchical administration, and the methods employed by each, constitute the major issues of policy. The fundamental criterion of efficiency in the administration of schools is to be found in the provision of educational opportunities for children and youth. The main function of prisons is a reformative function aimed to improve behavior patterns of criminals and their attitudes towards the society. The arrangements which make for high efficiency include freedom from partisan political control, the services of a competent professional staff, adequate support, satisfactory buildings and equipment, and programs adapted to the needs of individuals and to the society which the particular institution (a hospital or prison) are organized to serve. In this case, "prisons resemble factories, schools, barracks, hospitals" (Foucault 1995) based on universal and general principles applied to every organization. The approach suggests that organizations can be viewed as essentially the same and that there are few differences between organizations that cannot be overcome by the application of general principles. For instance, similar to regormative functions of prisons, "educational psychology is supposed to correct the rigours of the school, just as the medical or psychiatric interview is supposed to rectify" (Foucault 1995). It is not surprising that "prisons resemble factories, schools, barracks, hospitals" because bureaucratic hierarchical structure is a result of historical development of social institutions and control functions of the state. All institutions mentioned above are 'systems'. In this case, they are affected by its environment and have a structure which has both formal and informal elements. The structure covers how activities are grouped together, the number of levels in the hierarchy, the extent to which authority is decentralized to divisions and units, and the relationships that exist between different units and functions. All organizations have some form of more or less formalized structure which has been defined as comprising 'all the tangible and regularly occurring features which help to shape their members' behavior'. Structures incorporate a network of roles and relationships and are there to help in the process of ensuring that collective effort is explicitly organized to achi eve specified ends. The basic characteristic of prisons as a system is that it transforms inputs into outputs within its environment. The components of the system include the Importation of energy and throughput. Following Foucault "Panopticism of every day may well be below the level of emergence of the great apparatuses and the great political struggles". Similar to hospitals and schools, factories and barracks, prisons include key organizational processes - the major information gathering, communication, decision-making, matter/energy transporting and matter/energy converting actions of the organization's individuals and