LANGUAGE FOCUS: THE VOCABULARY SHIFT

LANGUAGE FOCUS: THE VOCABULARY SHIFT A distinctive feature of academic writing style is choosing the more formal alternative when selecting a verb, noun, or other part of speech. Verbs English often has two (or more) choices to express an action or occurrence. The choice is often between a phrasal or prepositional verb (verb + preposition) and a single verb, the latter with Latinate origins. Often in lectures and other instances of everyday spoken English, the verb + preposition is used; however, for written academic style, the preferred choice is a single verb wherever possible.This is one of the most dramatic stylistic shifts from informal to formal style. Researchers looked at the way strain builds up around a fault. (less formal style) Researchers observed the way strain accumulates around a fault. (academic style) Choose a verb from the list that reduces the informality of each sentence. Note that you may need to add tense to the verb from the list. assist reduce create investig ate raise establish increase determine fluctuate eliminate 1. Expert Systems can help out the user in the diagnosis of problems. . This program was set up to improve access to medical care. 3. Research expenditures have gone up to nearly $350 million. 4. The use of optical character readers (OCRs) should cut down the number of problems with the U. S. mail service. 5. Researchers have found out that this drug has serious side effects. 6. Building a nuclear power plant will not get rid of the energy problem completely. 7. Researchers have been looking into this problem for 15 years now. 8. This issue was brought up during the investigation. 9. Engineers can come up with better designs using CAD. 10.The emission levels have been going up and down. Reduce the informality of each sentence by substituting a single verb for the one in italics. 1. The implementation of computer-integrated-manufacturing (CIM) has brought about some serious problems. 2. The process should be done over until t he desired results are achieved. 3. Plans are being made to come up with a database containing detailed environmental information for the region. 4. Subtle changes in the earth's crust were picked up by these new devices. 5. Proposals to construct new nuclear reactors have met with great resistance from environmentalists.Nouns and Other Parts of Speech English has a very rich vocabulary derived from many languages. Because of this, there may be more than one way to express an idea. You should strive to choose words that are less informal in nature and also precise. In lectures, you will likely heartless formal speech; however, in writing you should use a more formal form if one exists. Which of the underlined words would be more suitable for an academic paper? 1. The government has made good I considerable progress in solving environmental problems. 2. We got I obtained encouraging results. . The results of a lot of I numerous different projects have been pretty good I encouraging. 4. A loss of jobs is one of the things that will happen I consequences if the process is automated. Supply a more academic word or phrase for the one underlined in each sentence. 5. The reaction of the officials was sort of negative. 6. The economic outlook is mighty nice. 7. The future of Federal funding is up in the air. 8. America's major automakers are planning to get together on the research needed for more fuel efficient cars.Language Focus: Formal Grammar and Style The followings are some nonvocabulary-related recommendations for maintaining a formal academic writing style. 1. Avoid contractions. Export figures won't improve until the economy is stronger. > Export figures will not improve until the economy is stronger. 2. Use the more appropriate formal negative forms. not . . . any —; no not. . . much —; little not . . . many —; few The analysis didn't yield any new results. —> The analysis yielded no new results. The government didn't allocate mu ch funding for the program. ; The government allocated little funding for the program. This problem doesn't have many viable solutions. —>This problem has few viable solutions. 3. Limit the use of â€Å"run on† expressions, such as â€Å"and so forth† and â€Å"etc. † These semiconductors can be used in robots, CD players, etc. —> These semiconductors can be used in robots, CD players, and other electronic devices. 4. Avoid addressing the reader as â€Å"you† (except, of course, if you are writing a textbook). You can see the results in Table 1. - » The results can be seen in Table 1. . Limit the use of direct questions. What can be done to lower costs? —> We now need to consider what can be done to lower costs, or We now need to consider how costs may be lowered. 6. Place adverbs within the verb. Adverbs often are placed midposition rather than in the initial or final positions. In informal English, adverbs often occur as clauses a t the beginning or end of sentences. Then the solution can be discarded. —* The solution can then be discarded. The blood is withdrawn slowly. —* The blood is slowly withdrawn. LANGUAGE FOCUS: THE VOCABULARY SHIFT LANGUAGE FOCUS: THE VOCABULARY SHIFT A distinctive feature of academic writing style is choosing the more formal alternative when selecting a verb, noun, or other part of speech. Verbs English often has two (or more) choices to express an action or occurrence. The choice is often between a phrasal or prepositional verb (verb + preposition) and a single verb, the latter with Latinate origins. Often in lectures and other instances of everyday spoken English, the verb + preposition is used; however, for written academic style, the preferred choice is a single verb wherever possible.This is one of the most dramatic stylistic shifts from informal to formal style. Researchers looked at the way strain builds up around a fault. (less formal style) Researchers observed the way strain accumulates around a fault. (academic style) Choose a verb from the list that reduces the informality of each sentence. Note that you may need to add tense to the verb from the list. assist reduce create investig ate raise establish increase determine fluctuate eliminate 1. Expert Systems can help out the user in the diagnosis of problems. . This program was set up to improve access to medical care. 3. Research expenditures have gone up to nearly $350 million. 4. The use of optical character readers (OCRs) should cut down the number of problems with the U. S. mail service. 5. Researchers have found out that this drug has serious side effects. 6. Building a nuclear power plant will not get rid of the energy problem completely. 7. Researchers have been looking into this problem for 15 years now. 8. This issue was brought up during the investigation. 9. Engineers can come up with better designs using CAD. 10.The emission levels have been going up and down. Reduce the informality of each sentence by substituting a single verb for the one in italics. 1. The implementation of computer-integrated-manufacturing (CIM) has brought about some serious problems. 2. The process should be done over until t he desired results are achieved. 3. Plans are being made to come up with a database containing detailed environmental information for the region. 4. Subtle changes in the earth's crust were picked up by these new devices. 5. Proposals to construct new nuclear reactors have met with great resistance from environmentalists.Nouns and Other Parts of Speech English has a very rich vocabulary derived from many languages. Because of this, there may be more than one way to express an idea. You should strive to choose words that are less informal in nature and also precise. In lectures, you will likely heartless formal speech; however, in writing you should use a more formal form if one exists. Which of the underlined words would be more suitable for an academic paper? 1. The government has made good I considerable progress in solving environmental problems. 2. We got I obtained encouraging results. . The results of a lot of I numerous different projects have been pretty good I encouraging. 4. A loss of jobs is one of the things that will happen I consequences if the process is automated. Supply a more academic word or phrase for the one underlined in each sentence. 5. The reaction of the officials was sort of negative. 6. The economic outlook is mighty nice. 7. The future of Federal funding is up in the air. 8. America's major automakers are planning to get together on the research needed for more fuel efficient cars.Language Focus: Formal Grammar and Style The followings are some nonvocabulary-related recommendations for maintaining a formal academic writing style. 1. Avoid contractions. Export figures won't improve until the economy is stronger. > Export figures will not improve until the economy is stronger. 2. Use the more appropriate formal negative forms. not . . . any —; no not. . . much —; little not . . . many —; few The analysis didn't yield any new results. —> The analysis yielded no new results. The government didn't allocate mu ch funding for the program. ; The government allocated little funding for the program. This problem doesn't have many viable solutions. —>This problem has few viable solutions. 3. Limit the use of â€Å"run on† expressions, such as â€Å"and so forth† and â€Å"etc. † These semiconductors can be used in robots, CD players, etc. —> These semiconductors can be used in robots, CD players, and other electronic devices. 4. Avoid addressing the reader as â€Å"you† (except, of course, if you are writing a textbook). You can see the results in Table 1. - » The results can be seen in Table 1. . Limit the use of direct questions. What can be done to lower costs? —> We now need to consider what can be done to lower costs, or We now need to consider how costs may be lowered. 6. Place adverbs within the verb. Adverbs often are placed midposition rather than in the initial or final positions. In informal English, adverbs often occur as clauses a t the beginning or end of sentences. Then the solution can be discarded. —* The solution can then be discarded. The blood is withdrawn slowly. —* The blood is slowly withdrawn.

Child Development Models Essay

This essay will describe the different explanations for children’s behaviour, examining the Psychodynamic, Behaviourist and Social Learning perspectives. It will also evaluate each of these theories and make reference to their practical application. In doing so, the essay will set out how parents, child psychologists, social workers and teachers can aim to understand children’s behaviour.  As Haggerty (2006) states, â€Å"The theory supporting psychodynamic therapy originated in and is informed by psychoanalytic theory.† The psychoanalytic approach to therapy was developed by Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychiatrist. Freud’s model proposed that an individual has three elements to their psychological self: the ego, superego and id. The id is the most primitive, consisting of largely unconscious  biological impulses. The ego uses reality and its  consequences to modify the behaviour being urged by the  id. The superego judges actions as right or wrong based  on the person’s internal value system.  (Strickland ed., 2001, p.637)  According to Freud, children progress through various psychosexual stages of development. He claimed that, at particular points in the process, a single body part is particularly sensitive to erotic stimulation (Stevenson, 1996). The first stage begins at birth and continues until approximately 1 year old. It is classified as The Oral Stage because the mouth and lips are the main focus, displaying biting, sucking and chewing behaviour. The Anal Stage comes next and usually occurs between 1 and 3 years old. Toilet training encourages the child to enjoy expelling faeces. At this point the id will be satisfied by this instantaneous pleasure and will be in conflict with the ego and superego, which are concerned with controlling bodily functions to satisfy social expectations and practicality.  The Phallic Stage occurs between approximately 3 and 5 years old and contains one of Freud’s most controversial theories, the Oedipus complex (or Electra complex in females). His theory states that the child becomes focused upon the genital area and experiences turmoil in the form of an unconscious desire to possess the opposite-sexed parent and eliminate the same-sexed parent. What Freud termed the Latency Period comes next. He believed that sexual drive lay dormant due to repressed impulses and desires. At this stage, children focus upon non-sexual activities and form same-sex friendships.  At approximately 12 years old, a child faces puberty and enters what Freud classes as The Genital Stage. The focus returns to the genitals but this time in relation to others. There is now an interest in relationships and exploring sexuality. When a child is unable to resolve the conflicts that occur at any of these stages, fixation can occur. â€Å"If needs are not met in a satisfactory way or if the individual’s conscience or superego cannot deal with impulses and drives to love and to hate, then complex character traits emerge† (Errington and Murdin, 2006). For example, oral fixation may result in an adult displaying pessimism, sarcasm or gullibility, whilst phallic fixation may result in recklessness or fear of commitment. Freud, like many who begin a movement, now receives much criticism. One area of weakness is the limited scope of his research, as his therapy work mainly focused upon upper middle class women. Another popularly criticised aspect of Freud’s work is the emphasis on sexuality as, in his view, everything seems to stem from expression or repression of the sex drive (Boeree, 2006). Despite criticism, Freud’s methods underpin the commonly held belief that childhood experiences are hugely important to personality development. In practical terms, those working with children today place great importance on ensuring that a childhood contains opportunities to develop, to learn the difference between right and wrong, and to learn to appropriately act upon or repress urges.  Behaviour therapy is defined as â€Å"A collection of psychotherapeutic techniques aimed at altering maladaptive or unwanted behaviour patterns, especially through the application of principles of conditioning or learning.† (Colman, 2006). The main influencers of this theory were Pavlov, Watson and Skinner. Ivan Pavlov, later to receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his research into the digestive system, observed that â€Å"†¦dogs would salivate upon seeing their keeper, apparently in anticipation of being fed.† (Strickland ed., 2001, p.478). Pavlov extended his experiment and rang a bell immediately before food was served to the dogs. Eventually, the dogs would salivate upon the bell ringing, even if no food was then served. This led Pavlov to develop an understanding of conditioned responses and unconditioned reflexes.

Views of the Essence of Numbers over the Course of History Essay

Views of the Essence of Numbers over the Course of History - Essay Example The second is the idea that mathematics and numbers are simply a way of interpreting and interacting with arbitrarily defined symbols, and that holds their only usefulness (36). The final is the idea of the logicians led by Russel, who claim that mathematics are useful because the universe is structured in a logically coherent way, and mathematics are thus simply an expression of that logic (36). The latter two theories have enough holes in them that they have been considered disproven, so many mathematical philosophers rely on the first, Platonic theory to describe the role of numbers in our universe. This, however, is completely un-provable, and sidesteps around the problem of describing what numbers are without actually explaining anything; if numbers are simply things that exist in another realm, that is not philosophically useful and thus not a very compelling theory. I believe that numbers and mathematics actually need to be explained by a new theory, and that while we currentl y do not have a completely formulated theory to explain what numbers are and how mathematics work, each of the aforementioned theories has some of the components that a complete theory of mathematics must have. The single biggest problem with the Platonic theory is its lack of utility. Its main usefulness is in the fact that it describes mathematical principles as being fundamentally true based on their existence in the Platonic realm, allowing mathematicians to pursue their goals unhindered by doubt. The theory, however, is impossible to prove, because if numbers exist in a non physical realm that has no contact with our own then it obviously cannot be observed (36). The theory that numbers exist in a non-physical realm is just as useful and un-proveable as the theory that numbers exist only in physical form inside of black holes; it could be true, but if so, who cares? This theory does, however, hold one of the fundamental principles that must be in any theory of numbers, which is the idea that numbers, even though they may certainly not exist in any kind of physical way, are real. Their interaction with the physical world, such as the fact that one can use numbers to plot a path to the moon, execute that plot and then end up on the moon, shows that there is something fundamentally real. So while the Platonic theory is fundamentally marred by its lack of usefulness and the impossibility of proving (or disproving) its accuracy, its assertion that numbers are real in some way must be part of any eventual theory of numbers. Without numbers being real things no theory of mathematics is complete. Like the platonic theory of numbers, formalism, which states that mathematics are simply a series of series of convention governing symbols (36), has both problematic and useful components for creating a useful theory of numbers. The fundamental problem with formalism is that it fails to account for the fact that, as shown above, numbers do have some relationship to real ity. It is useful, however, in admitting the failings of numbers when applied to the real world. Numbers, when interacting with physical bodies, rely fundamentally on human conceptions and sensibilities. For example: when a person sees two coins, they can say that there are two coins and in some senses be correct. The problem, however, is that this relies on a human made category of what constitutes a â€Å"coin.† When someone shaves a small amount off of one of the coins,

Memorandum Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Memorandum - Annotated Bibliography Example As the article moves on it gives some techniques that helps the reader understand his role and be friendly and agreeable in his writing. In conclusion, it tells the readers how to wrap up the employee profile in the company newsletter. The technical document could have been made better if it was supported with examples which would clear out any confusion that was left in the mind of the readers. But largely, the article is very well written. It is not complicated and does not have many jargons but still gets its message across in an informative manner. This memo was written to evaluate and present my views regarding the technical document. I will be expecting feedback of my analysis from you before the end of this month. It will help my analysis in future. Thanking you in anticipation. This memo is being written in order to critically analyze the style of writing of a professional proposal that gives details about its upcoming Computer Education Program for low income teenagers and children and requests Corporate Giving Program to provide funds for it. The proposal throughout its content emphasizes on the fact that this particular company serves community members by carrying out a variety of such constructive programs. This way it reminds the receiver that their partnership with the organization would be for a good cause. The writer's project plan is very convincing and his writing reflects confidence. This style of writing reassures the receiver of the proposal that they are investing in the right place. A strategy used by the writer to persuade the Corporate Giving Program is that in the last paragraph, the writer has reminded them of the incentive that this funding will provide for them. It emphasizes on the point that their logos will be printed on their brochures and the website. This reminder in the end of the proposal would be a motivating factor for the giving program to provide the funds. Also simple language is used and jargons are avoided which minimizes confusion on the reader's side. This style is very effective as su ch proposals present what they have to offer and what they want in return in the simplest form with most impact on the reader. This memo was written in order to evaluate the style of writing of a proposal for grant. I will be expecting feedback of my evaluation from you before the end of this month. Thanking you in anticipation. MEMORANDUM To: Mr. XYZ, Professor, ABC University From: JKL Date: July 22, 2008 Subject: Critical Analysis of a Poorly Designed Website This memo is being written in order to critically analyze the design of a website which in my opinion is very poor. The address of the webpage is http://www.havenworks.com/. Haven Works' website clearly does not follow the five design principles. First of all, there is too much going on the main page of the website because of which there is no balance. The eye can only focus on one thing rather than steady flow down the page. The items on the webpage seem like they are placed there randomly and

The Greek challenge for European economic integration Dissertation

The Greek challenge for European economic integration - Dissertation Example The paper scrutinizes the likely economic effects to individual European nations as a result of the exit of the Greek nation with the burden of the debts incurred with entry into the euro zone and the use of the Euro as a result. Introduction Economic integration among countries involves the countries joining hands to achieve one economic goal. When countries integrate economically they benefit in the increased revenue as a result of the reduction of the trade tariffs. The reverse is true for the countries not in economic integration as such countries will suffer high trade tariffs set by their counterparts that will in the long run make trade expensive and not easy to run. Economic integration involves countries making their counterparts easier to trade with. This involves coming up with a common currency akin to the Euro that is used by the states in the European Union as a form of currency. The countries can also make trade between them easier by providing goods and service needed by the one country say x in exchange for what the other country say y produces and is needed by x. The main concepts of economic integration include the following. ... It was originally formed by six countries that are Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Germany and France. Currently the union boasts a list of 27 members after entry of other European countries over the years. The idea to come together as united nation was informed by the following. To help rebuild each other after the economic destruction occasioned by the World War 2. This was also meant to foster peace and stability in the European countries through economic development as economic instability was perceived to bring about political instability through support of growth of extremists in facism and communism. This was informed by the breaches done during the world war and efforts to heal the wounds so caused as a result. Further the integration was meant to foster bilateral ties between the European nations. In addition the intergration was meant to bring unity between east and west Europe that was separated and to counter threat from the Soviet Union. After the formation of t he European Union, countries in the union decided to come up with a common currency to facilitate trade between the member nations in the bloc. With the use of a common currency the countries are able to carry out trade efficiently and the transactions are effective. The Greek nation Greece is a member state of the European economic integration. It is said to have joined the euro zone in the year 2001. Initially, the union was only meant for the country in the higher upper end like Germany and France as opposed to the countries in t he periphery like Greek. The country however, managed to convince the members of the euro zone for it to be considered into the integration. This Greek nation thought will help prosper it economic growth with the

Audit proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Audit proposal - Essay Example This therefore shows that an audit should be frequently undertaken and in a very concise manner. Another reason it should always be undertaken is that it helps mitigate the possibility of any risks in the operations of the business. In line with the above, an auditor selected to conduct one to an organization needs to write an audit proposal to convince the management on the importance of conducting the audit and how cost effective they are likely to do it and achieve the organizational objectives. A proposal must be detailed and thorough, prepared in an ethical and professional manner (Blazek, 2008). Types of Audits applicable There are several forms of audit that can be performed to Kudler fine foods. This is to ensure its smooth operations, sure financial stability, and accountability and the most is, the audit to ensure that it’s system controls function effectively. Among the types of audits we have; financial audits, this is done ascertain the reliability, reliance, fair ness, accuracy of the financial data. Financial data that can be relied upon aids in the planning of several company activities, good financial data helps an organization in focusing into the future (Blazek, 2008). Another type of audit is the operations audit that is generally concerned with the audit of the general operations, with operations audit there comes an aspect of evaluation and assessment of the fine foods operations accompanied with complex operation structures incorporating the use of modern technology like the use of software in handling the assets of the restaurants. Information systems audit entails general controls review, application controls review and systems control review. General controls would involve assessment of the general system applications and security. Their development is fundamental and their maintenance comes with the package of these controls. Application control revolves around the review of several application systems within the organization. T he controls on inputs, processing and outputs are extensively analyzed, examined, and then assessed to determine their effectiveness. The last on this is the systems control review is the overview of the systematic development of a new system. This runs right from the identification of the organizational objectives, then the system development organizational needs. Lastly, there is the implementation of a system and evaluated. To crown it all Kudler fine foods can also apply the integrated audit system, which is easier to apply since it, summarizes all the above types of audits in totality (Blazek, 2008). Audit process recommended and application The fine foods restaurant is established in a system, which is industry specific and is in the verge of cost reduction measures. Its employees also have vast knowledge of the systems under which the fine foods restaurant operates. Kudler fine foods have installed a software system for efficient inventory control, efficient monitoring, and c ontrol of cash as the major assets of the business venture. The system handles effective acquisition of materials for the organization and issuance of the same materials. The software is also used to handle the accounting needs of the organization and therefore accurate financial reporting for decision-making. To control and allocate labor costs efficiently, the software system allows for a clock card process to account for the number of labor hours actually worked. Dummy workers are a major problem in majority of organizations and many organizations normally loose monetary resources through such leakages. The payroll process ensures that the right payments are made to the right people at the right time and without any loss of valuable

Bereavement & Aging According to Reality Theory Research Paper

Bereavement & Aging According to Reality Theory - Research Paper Example The accessed memories trigger the individual’s vibes or feelings, which in turn motivate behavioral response to generate pleasant vibes and prevent the unpleasant one. This process is rapid and automatic, from the appearance of the stimulus to the production or behavioral response. Basic to reality theory is the interaction of preconsciously and consciously held beliefs. In terms of adjustment, the meaning of an event, derived from the experiential system, takes more precedence over the consciously held rational beliefs (Stroebe, Stroebe, and Hansson, 1999). For instance, in the conscious state of an individual, his rational system could induce emotional distress due to the death of a sibling, but his experiential system could evoke a feeling of triumph, along with regrets, in the death of a rival. In this scenario, an individual experiences confusion on his inappropriate feelings. Aging is an intricate multifactorial process which generally influence by the genes and the environment. The physiological and biological bases of aging measurements revealed the prevalent changes brought by the complex processes. These changes in the tissue, molecular and cellular organizations affect the entire organ system of an animal. Most of these changes involve molecular mechanisms that cause cellular damage which in turn can adversely affect the individual (Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, 2006). Hence, aging is generally described as a sequence of time-dependent changes which increase the probability of death as the organism gains progress in age. On the other hand, death is a prominent characteristic of biological aging. Death can occur at any phase of human development, but is mostly ascribed to results and implications of the processes of aging. With aging, the function of liver, kidneys, and gut is reduced. Like all other organs, these also become atrophie because cells are not being replaced after their

Hazardous Waste Incinerator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hazardous Waste Incinerator - Essay Example However, it will be worth it because the environment will be safe for future generations. Annual cost of the household hazardous incinerator = Running costs + Salaries + Insurance costs = Construction costs / 15 years (Dividing the construction cost by 15 years, allows the estimation an annual cost of the incinerator over the 15 year period) Although the hazardous incinerator costs $ 389,667 annually, the community’s incinerator is useful to the environment. It prevents the unfortunate occurrences of the 20th century in the United States. Municipal councils are often unable to achieve proper and safe disposal of refuse. As a result, issues like the Mobro incident of 1987 occur (Worell& Vesilind, 2012). However, a household incinerator for the community ensures that solid waste does not contribute to environmental pollution or the municipals burden. Finally, the incinerator will be useful for around five years. This means that the community will have an opportunity to upgrade the incinerator’s technology to be able to process solid waste products more safely. This is because environmental technology is fast developing to satisfy the environments

Reflective Writing Study Skills Essay Example for Free

Reflective Writing Study Skills Essay At the beginning of the task no one took the initiative of introducing themselves. Our initial concern was getting started on the jacket. This seemed to be of more importance to everyone. This could be viewed as unsociable, but on reflection, previous to this task we all took part in an ice-breaker session, whereby we had to introduce our selves by name, followed by a descriptive word, this meant we were already acquainted with one another, so concentrating on the task in hand seemed most appropriate. I believe we were all very wary of taking over as we were always asking one another do you think this is a good idea? and shall we do this?, rather than just doing it without the opinion of other team mates. Although this was the case it is possible we were being very agreeable to any idea put forward in order to keep peace, and put over a likable persona. Upon reflection the organisation of our group to begin with was very inefficient, we did not consult one another about how we would make the jacket, before getting on with the task, this meant the sleeves were being made by myself, whilst the body of the jacket by another, with no idea how they would fit together. I believe this is because we all wanted to have a share in making the jacket and help as much as possible, but no one wanted to adopt the role of task leader. On the other hand our team displayed great efficiency in the way we worked together, at one point we had a production line, where one would pass the Sellotape, then one would hold the piece in place, while the other stuck them together. We became a more efficient team the more we worked together on the task. Communication between us became more important. On the whole and on the basis of the finished product, it is evident that our team did work together efficiently, as we finished the task in good time and all of us had an input in the overall finished product. I believe I took on many different roles within the team. Initially I took on the role of energiser. This was evident by my enthusiasm, I was eager to get started and began listing many different ideas I had about how to put the jacket together, Jake was also an energiser as he had many different ideas he wanted to express and was fully involved in the task. Ricky initially  took on the role of relaxer as he was contemplating how things would work out and managed to condense our ideas to form a jacket. In these kind of situations I would usually put forward a good argument as to why my idea should be used above someone elses. I did not adopt this attitude in this instance because my team mates were new acquaintances so I wanted to leave a good impression, I was more conscious of their thoughts and ideas and accommodating them was important to me. With this in mind I would conclude that we worked as a collective rather than a hierarchy. Further into the task I took on the role of nurturer. I wanted to make sure that everyone had an input on the finished product and that all of our ideas had been listened to fairly, and put in place if all agreed. This was evident in that I was asking my team members what other ideas they had, and finding ways of accommodating them. I did not want anyone to feel left out or less involved. Rickys mathematical mind meant that it was easier for us to measure out the different parts of the jacket equally and in proportion. As Jake is used to working as a team when he plays football, this quality was evident in this task, as he was an up building and upbeat member of the team, trying to include everyone in the activities. Jake was soon nominated by myself and Ricky to be the model for the jacket, therefore it was up to me and Ricky to actually make the jacket. We both had an equal share in the labour, cutting, sticking and measuring different parts of the jacket at the same time, then finding a way to fix them together. This was important because if somebody was uninterested or just giving out orders the whole team could be affected and not want to take part. We all helped each other when needed and were happy in our individual tasks. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate the importance of achieving the task 6/10. This is because I did view the task as a competition, even though we were never told it was such. On reflection this would show I am a competitive person and I like a challenge. When a task is viewed competitively one will be more inclined and motivated to try their best and ultimately reach their potential. Initially the task seemed menial and pointless hence why I only  scored 6/10. I was aware the jacket itself had little importance and that rather the emphasis was on team work. Even though I was aware of this my competitiveness made me want to create an excellent jacket. With the prospect of becoming a teacher one day, this teamwork exercise has taught me that there are many different roles people can take on under a team building exercise. Everyone within my team had different skills and abilities. This exercise has taught me, not only how to identify these skills and abilities but also how they can be used in a beneficial way to complete a task. As a teacher I will have to cater for the needs of each student identifying their strengths and weaknesses and using them in a positive and up building way, so they can reach their potential. I have also seen how important these exercises are in terms of the class getting to know one another, for the student this can help by taking the emphasis of social fear and more onto learning. This is evident by more members of the class being involved in group discussions after the task. This could have the same effect on my future students.

Negative Aspects of Stereotype Essay Example for Free

Negative Aspects of Stereotype Essay What is diversity? Why is diversity valued? Diversity is the difference by race, age, ethnicity and culture. Diversity is valued because the it is what makes everyone and everything unique. If we were all the same this would be a boring world we live in with no room for growth. With diversity everyone has something to offer society in their own unique way. What is ethnocentrism? In what ways can ethnocentrism be detrimental to a society? Ethnocentrism is judging another culture or way of living solely based off your own culture or way of living. This can be detrimental to society because it is border line racism. To judge someone because they do not believe what you believe or live the way you live is wrong. It is almost like not giving someone a job because they dont believe what you believe. Define emigration and immigration. Emigration is when Mexicans leave Mexico to settle in American illegally and immigration when someone from another country leaves their country to become a permanent resident of America. What are some of the ways groups of people are identified? Groups of people are identified by race, gender, age, religion, social status i.e. Rich, middle class and poor. Why do people label and group other people? People label and group other people out of habit and in order to give them a distant identity in society. Define culture. Is culture limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds? Explain. Culture is your way of life. Your beliefs on how you think you should live and conduct yourself. Culture is not limited to race or ethnic background because several groups of people regardless of race can be from the same culture. Source for all answers: Racial and Ethnic Groups, Thirteenth Ed. Richard T. Schaefer. Merrill Prentice Hall. 2012.

Coastal management

Coastal management Introduction This report studies the concepts surrounding coastal management. It includes the history of the British coastline in particular the East Anglian coast, the current theories of coastal protection and the challenges that will be faced in the future as a result of possible climate change. The report also describes the different responsibilities and roles that Government funded organisations such as The Environment Agency take in coastal protection management. The report focuses on coastal erosion and protection schemes in the East Anglian region. The History Of The East Anglian Coastline Throughout history Britains coastline has been under attack from the forces of the sea. This has lead to some significant changes in the coast over the last two thousand years or so. However these changes have not been constant. Fluctuations in temperature over hundreds of years have altered climates causing sea levels to alter, changes in levels of precipitation and varying probabilities of the occurrence of storm surges. As described by Cracknell (2005) East Anglias coast has changed significantly in the last two thousand years. This is shown in figure 1. taken from Cracknells (2005) Outrageous Waves. The map shows how the city of Dunwich, a settlement on Suffolks coast, has been eroded over the last seven hundred years. The map clearly shows how the sea gradually eroded the city of Dunwich taking with it many important buildings such as the Chapel of Francis. The past destruction of some of East Anglias coastline can be put down to storm surges, which can cause a large amount of erosion in a very shout amount of time. The scale of destruction cannot be seen over a long timescale, such as in figure 1 as averages are taken of the distance of land eroded. The East Anglian coastline has not only been destroyed by coastal processes but also new land has been created as a result of them. For example the now named Scolt Head Island off the coast at Brancaster has formed. This natural forming sand bar is now a natural sea defence protecting the local villages from possible erosion. Others villages on the other hand have not been that lucky with many of them falling victim to coastal erosion in the last hundred years or so. These include such settlements as Sidestrand, Slaughden and Eidesthorp. As stated by Cracknell (2005) â€Å"East Anglia is unlike many other parts of the British coastline as it is still being eroded to this day, at a significant rate.† This is mainly due to its geology of mainly clay and soft rocks. It is also believed to be due the isostatic readjustment of the United Kingdom caused by the melting of the ice caps after the last ice age. The resultant outcome from this process is that East Anglia is sinking below sea level. This is shown at Potter Heigham where a bridge built in 1385 has been disappearing under the water level. Coastal Processes Coastal Processes Introduction Coastal processes are made of inputs, outputs, transfers and stores. These ideas are used when designing new coastal management schemes, as it is vital for engineers not to design a scheme which will have a negative impact on the coastline. Coastal Erosion There are four main processes involved in the erosion of the coastline. The first is hydraulic action; this involves water compressing air inside small cracks in the cliff and causing the rock to fracture. The process also involves the actual force of the waves on the cliff face. The second process involved in coastal erosion is abrasion also known as corrosion. This type of erosion involves eroded material hitting the coastline. The material is carried by the forces involved in wave action. The third process is corrosion, which is a process whereby a chemical reaction takes place causing the coastline to erode. This process is not normally associated with East Anglias coastline as it predominantly involves the chemical reaction between sea water and limestone. Attrition is the final process and is when already eroded material is worn down further by contact with other material. Long Shore Drift Long shore drift is the process when eroded material is transferred down the coast by the sea. It principally acts in only one direction along the coastline and is a main factor when designing coastal defences. By altering this process eroded material can be prevented from being deposited further down the coast, thereby exposing the coastline to more coastal degradation. Natural Sea Defences Beaches Natural sea defences are normally a result of the transfer a deposition of eroded material. The most common natural sea defence is the beach. These form when eroded material is either deposited straight below the place of erosion or whereby eroded material is transported along the coastline by the process of long shore drift. Offshore land forms Offshore land forms are created when the forces involved in carrying eroded material by long shore drift become too small and material is deposited on the sea floor. These land forms create natural barriers against wave action and significantly reduce the amount of energy the waves have when they reach the coastline. Coastal Management To Date Coastal Management Introduction The English coastline is nearly 3000 kilometres long. Nearly two thirds of this coastline is protected by man-made sea defences put in place to protect against both coastal erosion and sea flooding. The East Anglian is however heavily protected as it is much more prone to coastal processes compared to other stretches of the English coastline. Bodies involved in Coastal Management Four main bodies are involved in the coastal management of East Anglias coastline. The first is The Environment Agency, which has no accountability to protect the coastline from erosion. However it is responsible to protect the land against flooding from the sea. This role comprises of designing and creating coastal flood defences, but also includes producing flood-warning systems. The second group involved in coastal protection is the local authorities, which have the power to protect the land from coastal erosion. Local authorities and The Environment Agency are both funded by DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs). DEFRA is a government body which funds coastal schemes. Before these schemes are funded they have to go through rigorous assessment. This is done to prioritise the schemes for funding. Private landowners are the final group responsible for coastal protection. This group includes business which can afford to fund there own coastal management schemes. These do however have to be authorized by the local authority to make sure they comply with planning regulations. Government Policies The Government has four main policies concerning the protection of East Anglias coastline. These are shown in the table below. These policies are assigned to different stretches of the coast. The coast is split up into units and depending on the assessment made of the value of the land they will be put under the four different policies. Policy Name Action to be taken Do nothing No action to be taken to prevent the natural erosion of the coast Hold the line Create a defence to keep the coastline as it is Advance the line Produce a defence seaward of the current coastline defence Managed retreat Allow the sea to erode the coastline and create defences further inland Current Schemes East Anglias coast is split into four separate units. Each section has its own specific SMP (Shoreline Management Plan), which has been put together by the local authority and The Environment Agency. These are shown on the adjacent map taken from http://www.essex-estuaries.co.uk/EastAng lianStrategies/Coastal.htm Each unit is made up of many sub units, which have been assessed and assigned a coastal defence policy (eg. Hold the line). Map of East Anglias 4 different SMP units. http://www.essex-estuaries.co.uk/EastAnglia nStrategies/Coastal.htm Types of Defence There are two categories of sea defence which are used on the East Anglian coastline. These are hard defences and soft defences, each work in different ways to slow coastal degradation. Hard defences are constructed to create a static line of coastal protection. Whereas soft defences are designed so they are responsive to sea processes. Both categories of defence need to be designed with information on how local sea processes may react with their construction. Much research is carried out to find how the local tides, wave action and other factors will be affected by the introduction of new defences. This research may include scaled down models of the coastline and use of computer models. Hard Defences Sea Walls Sea walls have been used for many years now, in the protection of the East Anglian coast. The sea wall is mainly used as part of the hold the line coastal management policy. The walls are designed to deflect the wave energy away from the coastline. Early sea walls were vertical, but these designs were easily damaged and had to be repaired frequently. For example at Sheringham, where the sea wall had to be replaced after only five years. The reason these sea walls are no longer used is that they absorb most of the waves energy rather than deflect it like new sea walls. New sea walls are constructed with a curve to channel the waves energy back on itself. This however can have a negative effect on the beach, as it can cause more erosion to take place. The erosion can expose the foundations and eventually lead to the collapse of the sea wall. typical sea wall design taken from http://www.northnorfolk.org/coastal /microsite/documents/Coastal_Environment_002.pdf. Sea walls need foundations to provide stability to the structure. In this design piles have been used as they can penetrate deep into the ground to reach a suitable subsoil. A wave step constructed out of concrete has been incorporated into the design to break up the energy of the waves. A rubble drain is situated behind the step so that water does not build up and undermine the sea wall. Sea walls are very expensive compared to other sea defences. The main reason for the costs ranging from  £2000- £5000 per metre is that they can be quite complicated to construct. The need for pilling and large amounts of concrete makes the design very costly. However sea walls can last up to 30 years making them more cost effective. Groynes are used to slow down the process of long shore drift along the coastline. The groynes are built perpendicular to the coast so they catch sediment which is being carried by the sea. The construction of the groynes helps to increase the size of the beach and therefore creates a better natural defence against coastal erosion. Groynes are designed according to the strength and direction of long shore drift on the coastline. If badly designed groynes can stop the supply of sediment further along the coast. This has lead to the design of a new semi permeable groyne, which allows some sediment to travel through the groyne and travel along the coast. Figure 5 shows the more common impermeable groyne design. Most groynes are constructed from tropical hardwoods as they are resistant to erosion processes and marine animals which might try to burrow into the groynes. The groynes are supported by timber and steel piles to make sure they can withstand the forces of the sea. Diagram of impermeable groyne design. Taken from http://www.northnorfolk.org /coastal/microsite/documents/Coastal_Environment_002.pdf Revetments Revetments are used in the place of sea walls. They are normally used at the bottom of cliffs which are at the risk of collapse. The revetments act as sloping barrier to the sea, reflecting and absorbing the energy. Timber revetments are much cheaper than sea walls and have become a real alternative as they cost only  £1200 per metre. However they are prone to rapid degradation as seen at Weybourne cliffs. They are constructed using piles or a concrete apron to give the structure enough support to withstand forces during high tide events. Revetments are built so they are permeable structures, thus allowing sediment to build up behind it. This creates an additional protection at the foot of the cliff. However this can have its disadvantages, it can cause the foundations of the revetments to become exposed and ultimately undermine its structural integrity. They can be built from timber and pebbles, but recently there has been a tendency to design them using different sized rocks. This sort of design named rip rap has become more popular recently as it is seen as more aesthetically pleasing. Offshore Breakwaters Offshore reefs or breakwaters are used as a way to significantly reduce the amount of wave energy reaching the coast. By altering where the waves break on the coastline the size of beaches can be changed. Offshore breakwaters at Sea Palling have been very successful. The Environment Agency installed 9 reefs to protect the coastline. The diagram below shows how the breakwaters can significantly increase the size of the beach. However this success comes at a cost of several million for each reef. Soft Defences Beach Nourishment Beach nourishment is used where a beach is too small to act as a sufficient barrier against the coastal processes. It may involve the dredging of sediment from offshore stores which is then added to the beach. Another option is to collect and transport sediment from somewhere along the coastline which is in rich supply. Dredging is favoured as it does not involve the mixing of two sediment types which is believed to be less pleasing to the eye. Dredging can involve high pressure hoses which are used to spray sediment onto the beach. Managed Retreat Managed retreat is policy whereby a stretch of coastline is allowed to erode to a point where another line of coastal protection has been constructed. This enables a natural beach or other type of coastal landform to form creating a second line of defence. This sort of policy is becoming more popular with the realisation that not all of East Anglias coastline can be saved. Future Climate Change Past Climate Change Over the last thousand years or so Britains climate has changed many times. It has seen a small ice age and many fluctuations in temperature. With these changes there have been transformations in sea levels as well. It is described in Cracknells (2005) Outrageous Waves a period known as the medieval warm period which saw a large number storm surges. These storms are connected in Cracknells book to the warm period the United Kingdom experienced from 1300 to 1600. In which a number of coastal settlements were destroyed due to coastal erosion. This period was then followed by a period named the little ice age by Cracknell (2005) where the temperature decreased to the lowest in the last millennium in the 17th century. Then was followed by an increase to the temperature we have today. Predictions of Future Climate Change It is predicted by Cracknell (2005) that sea levels will rise significantly in the next century. Figure 7 shows a map of Britain with forecast sea levels in 2100 taken from Outrageous Waves, Cracknell (2005). This map shows the sea levels Cracknell believes to be most probable in 2100. The map shows how in East Anglia the sea level is predicted to rise as much as 69.6 cm by 2100. This sudden rise is said to be down to two factors by Cracknell (2005). Firstly due to the isotstatic readjustment of Great Britain. This is caused by ice melting and reducing the weight on earths crust causing some areas to rise and others sink. Secondly to the increased volume amount of water in the worlds oceans due to ice melt. Map of Britain with forecast sea levels in 2100 taken from Outrageous Waves, Cracknell (2005) It is suggested by Cracknell (2005) that the effects on the climate caused by global warming may only become apparent after a lag time. Cracknell states that this lag time maybe due to an acceleration of climatic changes as time progresses. He implies there will be more significant changes towards the end of the 21st century. Future Management Of The East Anglian Coastline It is stated in Making space for water a consultation exercise from DEFRA that a new coastal management strategy is needed to tackle the forecast climate changes. It also identifies that a significant proportion of Englands GDP is dependent on industry on the coast. This and other contributing factors have lead to DEFRA putting together a new and improved set of possible guidelines to prevent the degradation of Englands coastline. In Making space for water the possibility of changing roles of different bodies involved in coastal protection are argued. It is suggested that a new national authority could take control of all coastal protection. However this seems unlikely to happen, as it would reduce the amount of European funding coastal schemes could claim. It identifies in the DEFRA consultation exercise the need for sustainable development on the coast. It suggests that new developments in coastal regions need to be regulated better to ensure that they can be sustainable. This includes better planning guidelines to whether new developments built on flood plains and on eroding coasts should be protected with defences paid by the government or whether they should be built at all. It appears the idea of cost-benefit analysis is bound to continue to take an important role in the future of coastal management. This will be essential in deciding which areas of coastline need protecting in the future. However with the increasing realisation that the coastline is a natural landform, it is becoming more and more apparent that a policy of managed retreat will become more common. This policy is destined to become more popular as the cost of more complicated sea defences exceeds the value of the land they are meant to be protecting. I think it is clear from researching the current coastal policies in East Anglia and the possible consequences of predicted climate change that there will be significant changes in the coastline of Great Britain in 100-200 years. Moreover I feel that East Anglias coastline could change the most compared to others of coasts, mainly due to the fact it seems to be experiencing nearly all of the problems associated with coastal erosion. If not tackled effectively in the near future I envision East Anglia will face irreversible economic, environmental and social problems. References CRACKNELL, B., 2005.Outrageous Waves. Chichester: Phillimore CO. LTD SAMPSON, A., 1998. Processes affecting North Norfolks cliffs and coastal defences. Sheringham: Sheringham Museum Trust DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)., 2004. Making space for water, A consultation exercise. London: Defra Publications ENVIRONMENT AGENCY. Essex Estuarine Strategies. Available at http://www.essex-estuaries.co.uk/EastAnglia nStrategies/Coastal.htm on (5/01/2007) ALUN WITHERS, 2001. Document 2-Coastal Protection in North Norfolk. Available at http://www.northnorfolk.org/coastal/microsite/documents/Coastal_Environment_002.pdf. on (5/01/2007) DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs), 2002.Soft Cliffs Manual for Managers. London: Defra Flood Management Division. Available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/cliffsrepfinal2.pdf DAVID RAYNER BEAGLE GRAPHICS (GeoResources), 2001. Coastal Management. Available at http://www.georesources.co.uk/coastman.htm#L1 on (6/01/07) DOVER DISTRICT COUNCIL. Coast protection. Available at http://www.dover.gov.uk/coast/constructing-coast-defences.asp on (5/01/07)

Which Gender Is More Likely To Drive After Drinking? :: DUI, Drunk Driving, Alcohol

IntroductionLast year a student from my high school was killed in a drunk driving accident. As shocking as the death was for many students, people still continued to drive while intoxicated. This year two of my close friends received DUI's and numerous people I have encountered have also been convicted of Driving Under the Influence. Working at a local bar, it is very seldom that I see a person choosing to remain sober because they "have to drive", and I began to wonder which gender was more likely to drive after consuming alcohol. I hypothesize that men are more likely to drive after consuming alcoholic beverages than women. I have decided this for several reasons, the primary one being that when on a date, usually the male drives.ResearchI began my research on the Internet, and found several very useful sights. MADD (mothers against drunk driving) had some fairly new statistics regarding alcohol consumption and driving. I also visited the National Clearinghouse for Drugs and Alcohol, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. While reviewing some statistics regarding fatal accidents related to alcohol, I noticed that California had a very high number of deaths-second only to Texas (this number did not reflect the percentage of the population-with this in mind, Nevada and Texas had the largest percents). With this in mind I investigated the current laws regarding alcohol consumption and driving. Currently, the law in California declares a person to be legally intoxicated if their blood alcohol content is .08% or greater (this law of course is different for minors). The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services define a standard drink as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. MethodI decided to Survey 50 people, 25 men and 25 women. Although laws prohibit people under 21 from consuming alcohol, I chose to survey people 16 years and older simply because I know that many minors do drink and drive. In order to get a more representative sample, I decided not to survey at CSUSM but at the mall where my sample population would consist of people other than students. Before handing people the survey I asked them two simple questions: Are you a licensed driver? and Do you consume alcoholic beverages? To those that answered yes to both questions, I passed out the following survey:1.

James Baldwin Essays -- Biography Bio

For The World to See James Baldwin was a man who wrote an exceptional amount of essays. He enticed audiences differing in race, sexuality, ethnic background, government preference and so much more. Each piece is a circulation of emotions and a teeter-totter on where he balances personal experiences and worldly events to the way you feel. Not only did he have the ability to catch readers’ attention through writing, but he also appeared on television a few times. Boston’s local public television station WGBH, under the leadership of Hartford Gunn, presented an array of educational and cultural programming. Similar to an earlier interview, in a 1963 taping of â€Å"The Negro and the American Promise,† Baldwin is interviewed by Dr. Kenneth Clark. This happened just months after Alabama’s governor, George Wallace, expressed his support of â€Å"segregation forever† (qtd. in PBS Online). To inflect the possibility that blacks were not as equal or fairly treated as whites in the mid-twentieth century, two very different African Americans were brought on air. Malcolm X based his interview on historical and present references, but James Baldwin took a more personal approach. As a grown black male Baldwin had encompassed a range of experiences, both horrifying and gratuitous. Those occurrences most treacherous were a focal point when he adds that, â€Å"It doesn’t matter any longer what you do to me; you can put me in jail, you can kill me. By the time I was 17, you’d done everything that you could do to me† (â€Å"The Negro† 2). Reflecting back on â€Å"Down at the Cross† for a moment, Baldwin starts by explaining the metamorphosis of both the black girls and boys. Most of his friends became pimps and whores, and the b... ...erance for those who are disrespectful, but realizes that people can and hopefully will change and that we need each other to change. The New York Times described the James Baldwin segment as "a television experience that seared the conscience" (qtd. in PBS Online). In one instance Baldwin makes a hearty and honest â€Å"can’t we all get along† statement. â€Å"In short, we, the black and the white, deeply need each other here if we are really to become a nation – if we are really, that is, to achieve our identity, our maturity as men and women† (Baldwin 342). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1962. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347. â€Å"The Negro and the American Promise.† Citizen King. 2004. PBS Online. 10 Mar. 2004 . James Baldwin Essays -- Biography Bio For The World to See James Baldwin was a man who wrote an exceptional amount of essays. He enticed audiences differing in race, sexuality, ethnic background, government preference and so much more. Each piece is a circulation of emotions and a teeter-totter on where he balances personal experiences and worldly events to the way you feel. Not only did he have the ability to catch readers’ attention through writing, but he also appeared on television a few times. Boston’s local public television station WGBH, under the leadership of Hartford Gunn, presented an array of educational and cultural programming. Similar to an earlier interview, in a 1963 taping of â€Å"The Negro and the American Promise,† Baldwin is interviewed by Dr. Kenneth Clark. This happened just months after Alabama’s governor, George Wallace, expressed his support of â€Å"segregation forever† (qtd. in PBS Online). To inflect the possibility that blacks were not as equal or fairly treated as whites in the mid-twentieth century, two very different African Americans were brought on air. Malcolm X based his interview on historical and present references, but James Baldwin took a more personal approach. As a grown black male Baldwin had encompassed a range of experiences, both horrifying and gratuitous. Those occurrences most treacherous were a focal point when he adds that, â€Å"It doesn’t matter any longer what you do to me; you can put me in jail, you can kill me. By the time I was 17, you’d done everything that you could do to me† (â€Å"The Negro† 2). Reflecting back on â€Å"Down at the Cross† for a moment, Baldwin starts by explaining the metamorphosis of both the black girls and boys. Most of his friends became pimps and whores, and the b... ...erance for those who are disrespectful, but realizes that people can and hopefully will change and that we need each other to change. The New York Times described the James Baldwin segment as "a television experience that seared the conscience" (qtd. in PBS Online). In one instance Baldwin makes a hearty and honest â€Å"can’t we all get along† statement. â€Å"In short, we, the black and the white, deeply need each other here if we are really to become a nation – if we are really, that is, to achieve our identity, our maturity as men and women† (Baldwin 342). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1962. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347. â€Å"The Negro and the American Promise.† Citizen King. 2004. PBS Online. 10 Mar. 2004 .

Advantages of supply chain management Essay

One is cost advantage. Companies that have implemented supply chain management have a 45% supply chain cost advantage over their competitors. [1] Price of raw materials and end product are optimized due to collaboration between two parties. The sharing of vital information in the early stage of development, and the effective communication of methods and requirements allows parties within the supply chain to effectively benefit each other in terms of cost. Another is faster time to market. Companies met their promised delivery dates 17% faster than their competition. [2] Through early information and forecast, suppliers can also efficiently design their production and implementation process through collaboration. This allows supplier to reduce the lead time to produce their products within the supply chain. Disadvantages of supply chain management over traditional competitive procurement processes. First is the difficulty of maintaining supply chain relationship. Supply chain relationships are probably the most fragile and the most susceptible to breaking down. [3] This is because a poor relationship at any part of the supply chain can cause major problems to the entire supply chain. In today’s global market, the customers have the power over the suppliers. Everyone else in the supply chain must quickly satisfy the demands or else face the possibility of loosing them. Another disadvantage is the need to share vital information for collaboration purposes which leaves a company vulnerable to illegal copying of ideas or methods. Although these can be safeguarded by proper agreement between parties, but the forces of market competition may compel violations of agreement intentionally or unintentionally.   If supply chain management is actually a superior way of managing procurement and production, how (if at all) does that modify any of the economic `big ideas` we examined in Module 1?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Supply Chain Management plays a major role in the concept of supply and demand. With parties closely related through collaboration, the identification of demand which is needed by the suppliers to support the collaborative company is easy, allowing suppliers to maximize profit given the level of demand. On the side of the collaborative company, the control of supply of raw materials is easy, which again would allow them to optimize profit. References: Ferguson, B. (2000). Implementing Supply Chain Management. Retrieved December 3, 2006 from http://www.apsreview.com/archive/spring2004/images/APICS.pdf    [1] See Implementing Supply Chain Management at http://www.apsreview.com/archive/spring2004/images/APICS.pdf    [2] See Implementing Supply Chain Management at http://www.apsreview.com/archive/spring2004/images/APICS.pdf    [3] See Implementing Supply Chain Management at http://www.apsreview.com/archive/spring2004/images/APICS.pdf   

Successful Property Development

Throughout this paper the masculine gender is used when referring to developers. This is purely for convenience and does not imply that successful developers have to be male. Demand for new buildings from tenants and owner occupiers is the basis of all commercial property development in the United Kingdom. A typical development scheme will be initiated by a developer identifying a demand for a new building or buildings in a certain location. A major office user for example may wish to combine a number of regional offices into one new building able to accommodate new echnology and enable all of the Company's departments to be housed under one roof. The image to be presented by the new building will also be important and the Company may prefer a prominent town centre location with easy rail access or a fringe of town location on the motorway network. The experienced developer will know that if a development is to be successful the location must be the one which will appeal to tenants or purchasers who will either pay rent or a capital sum to occupy the property. There are many examples of unsuccessful schemes which failed because of poor location. With shopping centre evelopment the choice can be very subtle and a slightly ‘off-pitch' location may be enough to discourage tenants from leasing shop units in the new centre. If a site for a new development is identified and the site (or redundant buildings) is available for purchase, planning consent for the scheme must be sought from the Local Authority. It is usually the case that the developer will have concentrated on those locations where the planners will support development proposals and planning consent is likely to be received. If the location is correct and planning consent is likely the developer must also rrange finance to buy the site, build the scheme and let (or sell) it. He may also wish to sell the completed income producing investment. If he does so and the money he receives from the sale of the investment is more than the capital and interest he borrowed to build the scheme, he will receive a monetary profit. There are many sources of finance for developers but conventionally money will be borrowed from banks to buy the site and build a scheme with long term finance being provided by life assurance funds and pension funds. Long term finance in this ontext means the purchase of the completed investment by the fund which will enable the developer to repay all his short term debt and (hopefully) give him a profit. The investment market and development market are therefore closely linked and the developer will be mindful of the fund's requirements from the start of the development process. The most common form of development funding which involves the institutions if known as ‘profit erosion, priority yield'. This method allows the developer to borrow most of his short term finance from the institution and not pay it back until the cheme is completed and let. At this time the fund takes over the scheme in return for providing the developer's short term monies. The developer departs with a lump sum fee for carrying out the project which will be calculated by capitalising that amount of rent from the scheme which will be calculated by capitalising that amount of rent from the scheme which exceeds the fund's required return on the money lent; in other words its ‘priority yield'. Even if the rent from the scheme does not exceed the fund's priority yield, the developer will still receive a fee but obviously not as uch as he would get if he lets the building(s) at a high rent. There are many other types of development funding some of which are described in ‘Property and Money' by Michael Brett (see the bibliography at the back of this booklet). The developer will employ a professional team to design and cost the proposed building. The architect as leader of the design team has a crucial role to interpret his client's intentions and produce a design which will meet the requirements of tenants, planners and long term funders. Other commentators such as journalists, he general public, and the Prince of Wales may also criticise the design of a scheme where it is perceived to be ugly or inappropriate for its location. Successful commercial development requires therefore a combination of good location, planning consent, good design and funding. Even if these factors are present the scheme may still fail, at least in the short term, if the economy is weak and firms cannot expand. This introduction provides a resume of a typical development and the process can now be considered in more detail. The Developer The developer is the instigator of the scheme. He provides the entrepreneurial flair to identify the development opportunity and bring it to a successful conclusion. In doing so he will make use of established relationships with commercial estate agents and his knowledge of the occupier market. Most large development companies specialise in particular areas of the market. Slough Estates for example, built its reputation in the development of industrial and warehouse property whereas Hammersons developed the first shopping mall in the United Kingdom at Brent Cross. Some life assurance funds act as their own developer and one example is Norwich Union in the development of the Bentalls centre in Kingston on Thames. Various government agencies also act as developers such as District and Regional Health Authorities with hospital building. Increasingly, the newly privatised utilities will carry out their own developments. There are many types of developers. Some are ‘developer traders' who build with a view to selling the scheme when it is complete. Others will develop and hold the completed investment in their investment portfolio. Some developers are quoted on the stock exchange and others are little more than one man bands. Throughout the development process, but crucially at the start before funds are committed, the commercial developer will carry out an appraisal which will predict the eventual profits to be earned from the scheme. A considerable amount of work has to be done to produce a full appraisal as all the costs of the scheme have to be considered. The site itself will have to be fully investigated and this will involve bore hole surveys to enable the structural engineer to estimate the cost of the foundations. An environmental impact study may be required before planning consent is forthcoming. With the assistance of his agent, the developer will also predict the rent which the scheme will produce and (if the investment is to be sold), the investment value. If a scheme is to be successful the investment value less all capital and interest costs will have to leave an acceptable profit. If a developer has used rents in the appraisal which are too high, perhaps in expectation of rent rises in the development period, he may eventually make no profit at all and the scheme (from the developer's viewpoint) will have failed. To avoid risk and to attract other tenants to a development, a developer will often eek a pre-let tenant for a scheme. Before construction starts, a tenant will sign an agreement to lease all or part of the scheme at an agreed rent. This is particularly valuable in shopping centre development where an anchor tenant such as a department store will make a commitment before development commenced, thereby giving confidence to other lessees to take shop units. A developer who borrows money to buy a site, construct a building, and seek lessees will have no appreciable earnings until the scheme is let. It would be difficult therefore, for any interest on capital borrowed to be repaid during the development period. It is usually the case that interest is repaid as a lump sum when the fully let investment is eventually sold. Interest in these circumstances is said to be ‘rolled up' until the end of the development period. In arranging finance, the developer will often have a short term interest in the scheme, whereas the fund purchasing the investment when fully let, has a long term interest. Funds are, therefore, particularly interested in tenant quality in the longer term and building flexibility which may not be of primary importance to the developer. Local Authorities may initiate development, particularly retail, by making town centre ites available on ground leases to developers. The Authority will have a long term interest in the scheme's success, as they will receive a grounds rent, probably geared to the full rental value of the development. Not all developers have a short term interest in a development. Major developers may hold completed investments in a portfolio rather than ar range long term finance by selling the investment to a fund. Planning In the words of Clara Green ‘planning applications (like prayers) receive one of three answers – yes, no or yes but. ‘ The process can be one of great frustration and ifficulty for developers and for a major scheme it is usual for a specialist planning consultant to be employed to negotiate a consent with the Local Authority. Planning law is complicated but in general terms, planning consent is required for most major building in the United Kingdom. The department of the Environment is responsible for planning and the Secretary of State for the Environment is advised by teams of professional planners, surveyors and architects. All applications are made to local councils and it is only the most important or controversial applications which will be of interest to the higher tier of overnment. Most applications are, therefore, decided locally although the Secretary of State may decide to call in any application at his or her discretion. To obtain planning permission, an application will be made to the District Council although applications in the future also may be considered by the new unitary authorit ies. The developer can choose the type of application he wishes to make. If he wishes to seek approval to the principle of development, he can make an outline application. This is sometimes referred to as a red line application, as a red ine is drawn around the site plan supporting the application. If consent is granted, this will be subject to reserved matters and the developer will have to seek a subsequent consent for these detailed matters later. Alternatively a full application may be made which will include all detailed matters as well as the basic principles. The Local Authority will decide the application in the context of plans which will have been previously published and approved by the Secretary of State. Under the present two tier system of Local Government, the County Councils produce structure lans for their area which show in strategic terms the type and location of development which will be permitted during the period of the plan. The District Councils produce local plans which deal with detailed matters related to specific areas of land. If the planning application does not accord with the local plan, the Local Authority will be justified in refusing the application but obviously a developer would be unwise to make an application of this type. Structure plans have a life of between 5 and 15 years and comprise a lengthy written statement supported by explanatory diagrams. The important matters dealt with in the structure plan are strategic matters such as tourism and leisure, waste disposal, new housing, employment and transport. The Authority has a two month period in which to decide an application but it can ask the applicant for more time. If the application is refused the applicant can appeal to the Secretary of state and the matter in the majority of cases, will be decided by a Government Inspector. In major cases, the Inspector will make recommendations to the Secretary of State who will, after advice, take a decision. There may also be a Public Local Enquiry here evidence is heard by the Inspector over a number of days from all interested parties. In producing their structure and local plans as well as deciding applications, Councils have to take into account policy statement produced by the government. These are called Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs) and they are published or amended from time to time. Two of the most important are PPG 6 which relates to out of town retail development and PPG 13 which deals with transport. There are a total of 25 PPGs and many are frequently revised. For example a new PPG 12 was produced in April 1999. This revision emphasised the importance of regional planning which now has it own PPG (PPG 11) and also stressed the government's commitment to a plan led system. Any developer seeking to build against government guidance as stated in the PPGs faces a long, expensive and uncertain battle and therefore is well advised to tailor development proposals to accord with published guidance. The government is at pains to demonstrate that the plan led system is sensitive to demographic changes and this is seen in the revisions to PPG 3 (Housing) which take account of the prediction that ‘7 out of ten new ouseholds forming over the next 20 years are likely to be single person households' (Nick Raynsford, Housing and Planning Minister). A topical revision PPG 25 (Flood Risk) which aims to avoid development in flood risk areas and emphasises a precautionary approach in marginal areas with flood defences to be shown to be in place (and paid for by the developer) before development is approved. The Development Team The team will be employed by the developer at the start of a project and it role will encompass design, costing, funding and marketing. In summary its functions are as follows: Architect The Architect is the leader and coordinator of the design team who has a major role in interpreting his client's requirements and producing a design brief. The brief establishes the client's basic requirements and from this the Architect and other members of the design team will produce detailed design drawings. These will eventually be given to selected building contractors who will tender for the job of constructing the building. During construction, the Architect will inspect the work as it proceeds on behalf of his client. Because the Architect's work is so important he ill be paid a fee based on a percentage of the total cost of the building work. For a new building this will normally be between 4% and 5% of the cost of the work. Quantity Surveyor The Quantity Surveyor estimates the eventual cost of the new building and will produce regular cost checks as the design is developed. Before tenders are invited from building contractors, he will inform the client of the estimated cost of the works (the pre-tender estimate) and the client can then proceed to tender with confidence. Services and Structural Engineers In some instances the engineers will be responsible for producing design drawings nd specifications of the building services (air-conditioning, electrical installation etc) and the structure (foundations, structural frame). Increasingly however, the services engineer will only produce a statement of how the services will perform (a performance specification) rather than a full design. In these circumstances, design becomes the responsibility of the contractor. Estate Agents Developers usually have established relationships with firms of estate agents who will be aware of development opportunities. The agent will also provide marketing advice and will be responsible for letting the building. Other Consultants Other consultants include solicitors, landscape architects and planning consultants. With some complicated and large schemes, a project manager may oversee the project on behalf of the client. Specialist noise or environmental consultants may be required where development will take place in environmentally sensitive areas where special planning conditions have been imposed. Successful Schemes A scheme will be successful if its location and design has attracted a number of first class tenants and will continue to do so in the future should any tenants vacate. A uccessful scheme will provide a secure and growing investment for the eventual long term investor as well as an adequate monetary profit for the developer. There are many reasons why development schemes are unsuccessful, some of which are discussed below: Poor Location This is the most obvious but nevertheless very common reason for failure. A shopping scheme may be located where there is a lack of pedestrian flow. An office building may be located where vehicular access is difficult or the chosen site does not provide the required image and identity for the tenant/s. On a wider scale, he development may be located in a city which is in decline, to the detriment of long term investment quality. Some commentators are casting doubt on the future quality of fringe of town retail warehousing schemes which do not have the support of an established town centre. Poor Design A shopping centre must be designed to maximise pedestrian flow and enable shoppers to both park and gain easy access. If the design fails to do this, the public may avoid the centre and tenants will be hard to find. Also shopping centres must allow frequent changes of image and must provide the correct ambience for the ublic. Attention to detail with the internal design will allow this to benefit the investment. Thee are many examples of office buildings constructed in the 1960's and 1970's which do not provide the necessary ducting and image for modern tenants using today's technology. These developments may have been regarded as successful when they were first constructed, but in terms of a long term investment are of dubious quality. Lack of flexibility with many buildings means that where occupier requirements change the buildings cannot and voids are the result. Increased Costs during Design or Construction If a developer allows costs to increase, he will eventually make no profit whatsoever from the scheme. If costs increase beyond those used in the appraisal the developers profit will be eroded. The expertise of the design team to contain costs whilst, at the same time, producing a quality building is of vital importance but sometimes mistakes are made. A lack of coordination between building work and services is a typical example leading to redesign, delay and increased costs. Planning Errors When a contract is awarded to a contractor, it is important that the site of the evelopment is firstly in the legal control of the developer and secondly the same site for which planning consent has been granted. There have been many examples of mistakes in this area to the detriment of the project. Empty Property A newly built shopping centre with few tenants is clear evidence of a scheme which falls short of success. There are many examples amongst those centres completed during the recession. As with office and warehousing property pre-let tenants are particularly valuable in recessionary periods. Public Sector Development The Private Finance Initiative. In the past public sector development such as roads, hospitals and bridges were built by government contracting with the private sector for the design and construction works. Civil servants and their consultants would work to precise specifications of what was required to be built. When the development was complete the government would then be responsible for running the completed hospital, road or whatever to the benefit of the public. The Private ~Finance Initiative (or PFI) is intended to revolutionise the traditional method of producing public facilities described above. It was conceived in 1992 during Norman Lamont's troubled chancellorship and was vigorously supported by his successor Kenneth Clarke. In essence PFI only required the government to state how the building is to be used and the performance it must achieve. The private sector is then invited to tender for the design, construction and running of the new facility. The reward for doing this is negotiated with the government agency responsible for the facility and will usually take the form of a regular monetary payment so long as the facilities provided continue to meet the agreed criteria. Kenneth Clarke stated that PFI is ‘a radical and far reaching change in capital investment in public services which will break down further barriers between the public and private sectors'. The central argument in favour of PFI is that the private sector is more capable of promoting efficiency than government and will provide business solutions to public sector requirements. It is also argued that the risks of increased construction and running costs, which appears to be a feature of public sector schemes, will disappear with PFI where all the risks are borne by the private sector. Critics of PFI point out that it is extremely difficult to produce a performance specification for, say, a highly complex building such as a hospital and this will lead to private sector contractors being allowed to cut corners to the detriment of the public. It is also pointed out that the government can always borrow money more cheaply than the private sector and that this will inevitably lead to increased costs which will be passed on to the public. The change of government in May 1997 led to a thorough review of the experience gained from using PFI in the previous five years. Malcolm Bates was appointed to arry out a review which resulted in 29 recommendations aimed at rationalising and reinvigorating the PFI process. The ‘Treasury Taskforce' was the government's response to the review and this body consisted mainly of city financiers who were charged with building up PFI expertise in government. The taskforce had a life of three years and is replaced by ‘Partnerships UK' which will operate as a joint private/public consultancy to assist with the PFI process. There are currently hundreds of PFI schemes in the process of completion and the present government is wedded to this form of procurement for public sector projects.

Sales Management Project Report

We were tasked with interviewing the sales manager of a firm, in order to analyze the working of their sales department. We chose Atlas Honda as our company for this project and secured an interview with their sales manager, and questioned him in detail about the operational procedures of the sales department of Atlas Honda. This report contains his responses that shed light on the workings of Atlas Honda’s sales force, as well as our evaluation of their sales operations.Selected CompanyAtlas Honda is a joint venture between Atlas Group of Pakistan and Honda Motor Company of Japan. We chose Atlas Honda as it is the market leader of motorcycles in Pakistan, and thus conducts hefty sales of motorcycles every month, employing a number of effective sales techniques in order to make new customers and to retain old customers.When asked why he chose to pursue a career in sales, he expressed his gratification in working to achieve a target of sales against his competitors, the incenti ves offered for achieving more than the target, and the freedom and travel opportunities that only a sales job could provide. His philosophy regarding his sales career resides in giving a proper product to the customer for the money spent by him, and to create customer lifetime value and build long-term relationships with customers.InterviewQ1. How do you see the marketplace today-changes and trends? Ans. â€Å"In terms of motorbikes, there has not been much of a change in the market in reference to commuter bikes, hence little changes have been made to the existing CD70 model as it is still used as a simple commuter motorcycle. The CD125 model has received a deluxe edition, giving it a sporty look to appeal to more image conscious segment.The Pridor was introduced as a 100cc sporty bike, targeted at customers who wanted something in between the existing 70cc and 125cc motorcycles. The most significant change in the market has been the developing interest in sports bikes. To meet t his new growing  segment in the market, we have launched the Honda CBR150 and Honda CBR500 sports bikes. Atlas Honda closely observes market changes and trends and adjusts its product line accordingly.†Q2. How do you view the importance of cultural diversity in the marketplace? Ans. â€Å"Here in Pakistan when we talk about cultural diversity, it is not particularly significant in terms of commuter motorcycles, as customers looking for commuting motorcycles generally have the same needs such as low price and economical fuel consumption, making the difference in culture largely irrelevant. However, diversity in culture has led to a new market of customers who want high-performance sports and are willing to pay more, a market that we have tapped with the launch of the CBR150 and CBR500.†Q3. How do you define the role of sales support? How important are ethics? Ans. â€Å"Sales support forms an important part of the sales department here at Atlas Honda. They assist the salespersons by various means, such as market research, lead generation, making travel arrangements, scheduling meetings, sending out sales materials and review and reporting of sales. As for ethics, we have always believed in serving the customer in the best possible way so as to cultivate long-term relationships.†Q4. How do you expect sales force to follow a sales process? Ans. â€Å"The sales process followed consists of an initial contact, an approach where needs of the customer is evaluated, followed by a presentation or proposition, finalizing the sale, and lastly follow up. Salespersons are encouraged to close sales using minimum amount of resources and with minimum sales calls.†Q5. How do you organize the sales force-is it local or centralized? Ans. â€Å"Organization of sales force is localized, that is to say that it is decided upon by the regional sales managers, who assign the number of salespersons to specific areas based in the amount of current and poten tial customers.†Q6. How do you select salespersons when positions become vacant? Ans. â€Å"Our Human Resource department is responsible for hiring of new salespersons. They prepare a list of candidates and determine which candidates are most  suitable for the position through interviews. Salespersons with prior experience are naturally given preference, however we also take fresh graduates, in which case they undergo a short period of training before starting work.† Q7. How do you train new personnel? Train experienced salespersons?Ans. â€Å"Our training here is very strong because Atlas Group believes very strongly in development of human resources. The more effort is put into developing our human resources the more the company will grow. We generally avoid hiring people from the top universities. Instead, we take mediocre students who are willing to learn and work hard. In this company there is much to learn and we provide training for new employees. As for train ing experienced personnel, every year we send our employees to study at IBA and LUMS.Additionally, every year one person is selected to study at Harvard University. So training and development is constantly observed here. Here we have SAP system in our computers and for human resource we have HAY system. So every person is evaluated quarterly and then half yearly and then yearly. Then the company goes over their weaknesses and provides relevant training and coaching to overcome their limitations.†Q8. How do you select and interact with partners? Determine sales force size? Ans. â€Å"We have a system in which we divide Pakistan 7 regions. Every region has a head called Regional Manager. Then above him there is a National Manager. Then there is General Manager Marketing. Then Vice President Marketing. And then there is CEO. Every region has a geographical distribution in which there may be four or five territories according to that area. We make territories under the regions. In every territory under the Regional Managers there is a Head of Sales, a Head of Services and a Head of Parts.† Q9. How do you motivate the sales force? Use monetary and non-monetary incentives?Perceived success of these actions? Ans. â€Å"There is a monthly target which the salesperson has to achieve and upon achieving that target he gets an annual raise. We use a scale to classify how good a salesperson is at closing sales. If he is close to the target that means its fair. If he achieves his targets that means his is good. If he goes 10% above his target that means he is very good. If he goes beyond that then it means that he is outstanding.So basically there are four categories on which a salesperson is evaluated for the raise in his salary; fair, good,  very good, excellent. Additionally, the advantage for salespeople is that after a year or two there are foreign vacations awarded to them. They may win by achieving the most sales. They are sent to places like Europe, Brazil etc. They get extra money for it in addition to the vacation to enjoy and relax.†Q10. How do you reimburse the sales force for expenses?Ans. â€Å"Laws are defined here for the reimbursement of expenses. No one is allowed to interfere whether it may be Vice President or General Manager. The laws defined here are working on two systems. The first is called Management Executive Committee (MEC). Then there is Group Executive Committee (GEC). Only GEC has the right to change laws because only high profile members are allowed in it. So everything is defined.Every person has a grade wise allowance. Kilometers are standardized. Whether a General Manager uses it or may it be an ordinary sales representative. It is already defined that a particular amount per kilometer would be paid when travelled. If he has to stay overnight then there is hotel allowance. If there is no hotel then there is an independent allowance given to that person. So a healthy amount of incentives are gi ven and they are clearly defined and no one can misuse them.†Q11. How do you evaluate the sales force? Frequency and methods? Ans. â€Å"As I have mentioned we have got HAY system in which objectives are defined. They are evaluated on quarterly, half yearly and yearly basis. After three months an analysis is done on the objective to check whether that salesperson is achieving his target or not. We work on a PDCA format which is Plan Do Check Action. We see whether the targets are being achieved or not. If they are, then good.If not, then we examine targets are not being achieved. What were the problems faced and how can we counter them? This is PDCA. Every person’s job is defined. What he has to do, what he doesn’t, and his responsibilities. He knows the result that he has to produce after a year. Hence, salespersons are evaluated on their achievement of target sales.†Q12. How do you play a role in forecasting? What methods are utilized? Ans. â€Å"For fo recasting basically two methods are used. One of them is by using  historical growth data. We take the data of last three years, sum it up and forecast the market growth. Then there are assumptions and usage of alpha. Factors like history, assumption and the economy are always studied closely when forecasting.†Q13. How do you contribute to the firm’s strategies and annual planning? Ans. â€Å"As a sales manager, the forecasts that are generated by my department affect the company’s strategies and operations. For example, new strategies may need to be formulated when attempting to penetrate new markets, or when introducing new products into existing markets. Forecasts of sales also affect the company, for example if forecasts show an increase in sales, then more salespersons may need to be hired.†Q14. How do you utilize CRM and practice relationship marketing? Ans. â€Å"It has been almost 50 years since people are related to this company. By this you ca n imagine the worth of the company. Atlas Honda has worked hard to develop brand loyalty with its customers. We are providing our customers with services throughout Pakistan. There is hardly a single town where you cannot find a Honda service facility. Almost every city has got Honda’s sales dealerships. At this very moment there are 650 dealers across Pakistan. Then we have developed the 5S concept as opposed to the 3S concept.Normally companies provide only 3S that is Sales, Service and Spare parts. But in addition to that we also provide additional Second exchange which means you can trade in your old motorcycle for a new one. Then there is Safety. Then to satisfy the customers we have customer care department. There’s a telephonic department which takes care of the customers. We are going to introduce new CRM software next month. If you buy a motorcycle today all your information will be entered. Previous issues will also be displayed in it. You would be greeted by your name upon calling the department and your picture will also be shown.†Q15. How have you successfully managed portfolio of products? Ans. â€Å"We currently have 7 models in production. Everything is controlled by the General Manager. We have a very big setup. A very vast one. There are many things under the General Manager which are being monitored by different  people. We have a department of product planning. All the pros and cons of all models are discussed there. Then the marketing department is also related to them.They decide the best way to sell the product. There are no bookish systems here in this company as you study in the university. Many of the books and theories that you have studied, you won’t find them here. We have got a very straight system here. There’s only one channel of distribution. The company makes the product and then gives it to the dealer. There is no such thing as sales dealer or this and that dealer. More than 90% of the pla nning done here is successful.†EvaluationQ1. How effective is this sales manager? Ans. He is a very effective sales manager. He has effectively organized the sales force in such a way so that no territory is left out. He is vigilant about providing training to employees so that their skills may be developed and they are able to work to their full potential. He is a good leader and actively motivates his sales force to achieve their targets and instructs his sales force to foster long term relationships with their customers.Q2. Which of his/her activities are reflective of what you learned in class and what activities differ? Ans. He organized his sales force and divided the market into territories in order to use his sales force efficiently. He instructs his sales force to use CRM to better manage and service customers and to retain their information about previous purchases and problems for easy access. He gives great importance to training and developing his salespeople so t hat they may overcome any weaknesses. And he gives great importance to generating customer relationship value rather than just making a one-time sale to a customer.Q3. How do they differ and why do they differ? Ans. There is hardly anything among his activities as sales manager that differs from what we studied in class, as he has organized and developed his sales force very effectively, hardly leaving any room for improvement.