My Visit to the Art Institute of Chicago Research Paper - 5

My Visit to the Art Institute of Chicago - Research Paper Example The museum is by far the most alluring museum in Chicago, with an amazing array of art. The museum, which is located on South Michigan Avenue (111) in Illinois, is home to numerous pieces of art that I later came to know from the curator were around 300,000. During my visit, 27th November, 2015, the museum was opened from around 10 am and closed at 8 pm. Even before I begin to describe my experience inside the museum, I have to highlight the awe I felt when I was at the entrance. Just at the entrance, visitors were greeted by the sculptures of lions strategically placed in such a manner that it gave the illusion of a palace been guarded by the vicious creatures. I found this to be like an aphrodisiac, in the sense that it enticed visitors to visit the museum in order to have a glimpse of the art inside. Even if a person, may not have originally been interested in visiting the museum, the sight of the lions is enough to lure anyone. Furthermore, the building is a good example of the ingenuity of the architecture of the many buildings in Chicago. I was able to learn a lot about the city by just being at the entrance; it was a very good presentation. Mind you, the premise offers a spectacular glimpse of the Millennium Park. I have to confess that I did not expect to be bombarded by thousands of art on display. There were numerous exhibitions on display, but as staunch Van Gogh fan, I was naturally propelled to admire one of his paintings, The Bedroom (1853-1890). The pictures I had previously seen on the internet cannot begin to explain the intensity of the colors or the mastery of the brush strokes.

Bollywood and Cricket Essay Example for Free

Bollywood and Cricket Essay The two things that unite the rich and the poor, the educated elite and the illiterate, the city-dwellers and the villagers in India are undoubtedly – Bollywood and Cricket! Both have their own share of success and star factor – Shah Rukh Khan has a big fan following in Germany, while Sachin Tendulkar was gifted a Ferrari by Michael Schumacher. Both are big businesses – the Bollywood stars as do the cricketers appear regularly on TV to endorse everything from under-garments to life insurance to passenger cars. How about bringing them together – and that’s what happened in 2008 when the Indian Premier League (IPL) was inaugurated. Cricket, in its traditional form, usually being a day-long or a five-day game, because of the the duration of the game, was always seen by the Europeans and Americans as something boring that only cricket-crazy Indians could watch. How about making it shorter, spicing it up with some Bollywood masala adding a huge entertainment and star factor to it – and this in short is the definition of IPL. This format of the game has many similarities with both the traditional game of cricket as well as Bollywood. First, the duration – this format of the game, more popularly dubbed T20 (for Twenty-20 as it has 20 overs (1 over = 6 balls) a side), runs for around 3 hours – the same duration of a typical Bollywood movie. And the heroes are both on and off the field. The on-field heroes are the cricket stars from around the world who entertain the audience with their cricket skills. While the teams with fancy names like Delhi-Dare-Devils, Chennai-Super-Kings, etc. , have a mix of Indian and international players are mostly owned by Bollywood stars or big Indian business houses. The off-the-field heroes are thus the Bollywood stars and other page-3 regulars (the ‘socialites’) who add to the star quotient. The only thing that is left from a typical Bollywood movie are the ‘item numbers’. These are substituted for by the grooving cheer-leaders with skimpy outfits employed by each team. Not to mention the IPL Nights-after party that brings in more glitz and glamour. In short, this combination of two big business machines – Bollywood and cricket resulted in a bigger business – the IPL. So, where is technology in all these, given that my writings are connected to technology most of the time. Here we go – in 2010, IPL became the first ever sports event to be telecast live on YouTube – and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In a way this is indicative of the future of television – given that cricket events are closely associated with commercials and TRPs. We already see the convergence of mobile, desktop and more recently television devices. I am confident that not so far from now, we would be watching all sporting events and movies through the internet. The other technology marvels include the use of Spider-cameras (which was actually borrowed from other sporting events like soccer) and the high-definition reviews. And yes, there are iPhone apps too!

racism :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Washington August 23, 1968. Racism is probably the fist form of discrimination that is thought of. It is the belief that some people are inferior to others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Often times it’s in their school†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is believed racial slurs are just jokes but not to those who they are ridiculing. Many are perpetrators of joking racism and usually feel that these types of jokes are harmless. They can be harmless and maybe at times funny but are also hurtful and degrading. Some of the biggest racists are those who don’t even know that they are and even deny it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Kings day racism was much deeper. It was a livelihood for many people. They based their lives on haste and discrimination. Today it may occur, but the majority of society does not base a lifestyle on hate and discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Martin Luther King Jr. used a very effective, non-violent form of prostest, which helped African Americans gain equal rights.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These events led to many civil rights movements to develop throughout time until the present day: â€Å"Because of some of these boycotts†¦ An example of this is â€Å"The largest ever non-violent protest in Washington August 23, 1968, where 200,000 people attended (World Book Encyclopedia).† King was a great influence to the Civil Rights Movement. Eventually the Civil Rights Movement let to some freedom for blacks, even though racism still exists today, and most laws were passed due to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The African-American community no longer has limited rights or segregation from society. People have grown closer to racial unity. Despite all of this, racism remains in the minds of people, and hate crimes, as well as white supremacist organizations, still exist.

The Theme of Alcestis :: Alcestis

The Theme of Alcestis      Ã‚  Ã‚   Alcestis by Euripides is distinct from other Greek Tragedy, due to its fairy tale origins. It was the fourth play in a set and would therefore have taken the place of a satyr-play. Satyr-plays were usually a light, comic play used as a form of relief from the previous heavy tragedies. The play has its comic elements, Heracles and Death playing the main comic figures but is there a more serious meaning hidden within the comedy? Philip Vellacott in his introduction to a collection of Euripides' plays, states that the main theme of the play is the "unequal relationship of man to woman." He believes this theme to be a reading of the play that would not be accessible to spectators who watched the play purely for enjoyment, but would be found by those capable of serious reflection. Did Euripides foresee such a reading of the play and is there enough evidence to support such a view?    In the play, the experience of man and woman do appear to be set up against each other. On the one hand there is Admetus and the chorus of the citizens of Pherae and on the other, there is Alcestis aligned with other second-class citizens, the servants. The chorus sympathise almost exclusively with Admetus and the servants with Alcestis. The servants and Alcestis are associated with each other from line 192:    "She took each one by the hand, and spoke to each...even the humblest."    Alcestis shows how she cared for the servants by being so thoughtful during her suffering. Later in the play another servant hails Alcestis as a mother figure. With such a bond between them, the servants see things from Alcestis' point of view. In telling the chorus the events of the day, the servant speaks entirely with sympathy for Alcestis, recalls what she has said and done and how she is becoming weaker and weaker. The servant does not mention Admetus until the chorus pointedly ask about him. In her reply the servant shows how Admetus is coping with the situation. Line 200: "Oh, yes, he weeps...Beseeching her not to desert him."    Here the irony of the situation is recognised by the servant.

Program for High School Drop Outs

A New Dawn is a program which will help students who have dropped out of high school become members of society who will be more successful. It is our hope that with the implementation of this program that more students will be able to return to school to finish their education and learn vocational skills which will allow them to earn more, help provide for their families, and build better self-esteem.Participation should reduce the number of youth who are lured away by low-paying, entry-level obs and by other social entities that can defeat the positive attributes of their lives (i. e. gang activity, drugs, alcoholism, etc. ). With this program outline, it should be evident that we can work with the budget allotted and still provide the essential services to our target population; the young people of the community who need to be able to return to school. A new day is dawning; how will you make it a successful one? educational, vocational, and training services to many sections of the local population.They have been involved in the community for many years (undefined in he scenario) and have decided to face a new and dangerous challenge; the increased dropout rates of high school age teenagers in the area. With increasing economic strains because of Job loss, relocation of companies to other cities, and budgetary losses due to lower property tax revenues, the students in the area are being forced to look for work to help support their families. It has been an ongoing challenge for local schools to retain and recruit qualified teachers that can hold the interest of these students.Unfortunately, this means that education comes second in heir lives and they lose the motivation to continue to improve themselves. Our agency proposes a new and innovative approach to allow them to complete their high school education, gain new skills, and be better prepared to handle life's challenges as they present themselves. Statement of Opportunity We are a group of dedicated indi viduals who want to see the high school dropouts of today become self-sufficient, productive members of the community tomorrow by offering them the skills to begin a new Journey.Education, vocational skills, and training are the key to success; our plan is to make a seemingly impossible challenge nto success through hard work, perseverance, and the true spirit of belief in our fellow human beings to want to be better than they are today. Impact on Organizational Structure Vision in organizational program development is important because it gives hope and direction to all those who hold stake in a project; in this case, students, parents, educators, administrators, potential grant donors, community members, social services workers, and businesses in the area.An executive director's vision is crucial because it shows that they truly believe in the proposed program and that it will ucceed in its goals and objectives. Challenges present themselves every day; the true challenge is taking the problems and turning them into opportunities. The positive is far more productive than allowing others to wallow in despair and give up on the possibility of success. Reaching for the stars is unrealistic, but hope is a powerful motivator; my goal is to make that hope into a reality for the students who are often forgotten members of society.With any change within an agency, comes an mission, goals, objectives, and vision of any program. Structural changes must occur o allow for new programs to be implemented. Organizational mission, goals, and objectives may have to change slightly to reflect new aspects of the program being developed, but should pretty much remain the same. While all of these areas may be detailed, it is important not to make goals and objectives which are too expansive as it could cause the entire program to fold if not managed carefully.I can see where there may need to be some changes when incorporating youth into a program which may have been initially de signed to assist adults who have different issues. The new oals and objectives of this project must dovetail with existing agency directives because if they do not, they may cause unpleasant and potentially devastating changes to services already offered. Organizational planning may be need to be revamped to include the program in the short- and long- term plans. Any time changes take place within an organization; there will be changes in the planning.From development to implementation and beyond, new plans which influence current programs will have to be addressed. In this scenario, the implementation of a dropout program may require facility changes, changes in staffing, community utreach that has not been needed before, coordination with school officials, budgetary changes, and development of new funding sources. It will be important to keep in consideration the needs of current programs when developing new structure for this program so as not to damage already successful program s.Organizational operations will also need to change based on the needs of clientele, staff members, and facility availability. There will be a need for more space for classrooms, more instructors, and different equipment and materials; using the same materials for igh school age students may not be realistic in terms of safety. Costs will quite definitely increase as the demand for hands-on vocational learning becomes reality for this group of students, hours are extended, and new materials for classroom learning need to be purchased.Administrative staff and Board of Directors support will require a clear and accurate picture of how things will need to be altered in order for them to run effectively and efficiently. Human resources is an area that will clearly need to be given a lot of thought and creative thinking to best utilize the staff hat is already employed by our agency. It has been difficult for local school districts to hire qualified, motivated instructors to work with t his fairly specialized group.It is no easy task to work with students who have given up on the academic environment to search for work to support their families. The key to the success of this program is to grab their interest, give them the tools and resources to better themselves, and then help them to be successful in the outside world. Since we cannot offer extravagant salaries to these professionals, we must have more to offer them; the esire to help a group which is underprivileged and in desperate need of help in addition to fairly flexible class schedules may help convince them to come teach for this worthwhile project.In addition to this, formal classroom positions are being cut by all districts, so by hiring teachers who have been displaced and do not wish to relocate there is a benefit to all involved. Continued education may be necessary to ready these instructors for different types of students and teaching methods. Technological resources will need to be added or adapt ed to build this program and heir involvement, they may quit again which would defeat the purpose of the program.The project will require more computers and software for student use, new and safer machinery, improved software for administrative staff to be able to track, organize, and make formal reports of progress, budgets, and program usage. Because these students are high school age, the need for reporting to state agencies will be a requirement if this agency is to receive funding and the average daily allowance (ADA) for each eligible student; that money will be essential as the rogram grows and thrives.Training for staff members may be necessary to ensure that they have the required skills that have not been needed before. Financial resources are probably the largest challenge to making this opportunity a reality for this organization. Additional money will be needed to supplement the already lean budget of past years. Employing more teachers, counselors, trainers, and suppor t personnel will not be inexpensive; salaries and benefits are required to attract qualified individuals.A reward and incentive program will need to be developed ince salaries and benefits may not be as rich as many are used to in the educational industry. The number of eligible high school dropouts is expected to be 1,000 individuals with a rise to 2,000 each year after inception. The total funding for this program at present is $1,600,000, so until further funding can be acquired budgets will still have to run very lean. Accumulating needed materials and equipment can be done on a graduated need base so that not all of the finances are spent on these line items.It will be necessary to apply for outside grants from government agencies and other non-traditional options. Community Environmental Factors The local economy in the area is severely depressed because many companies are leaving the area for other cities; the loss of property and other tax revenue has caused local cutbacks i n services with significant impact on school budgets. When budgets are reduced in education, the first individuals who suffer are the students. Loss of teachers, materials, extra-curricular activities, and support staff markedly increase the dropout rate among teens.There are few choices for students other than to attempt to find work to help support their families; making school an mpossibility and limiting further success. Competition is a problem because students need to find work and will turn to businesses when they should be attending school. If the youth of this community feel that the needs of their families is too strong, they may forego returning to school; no matter how easy the road is made for them. They have to find value in furthering their education; our goal is to show them that there is a better life available through education and give them the skills they need to succeed.The employment market locally is not helping the situation; rather it is a hindrance. The mor e pressure exerted on the market, the more businesses will move out of the area because there is incentive to do so. As companies leave, property and other taxes drop which means less money is available for schools and other local services. The amount of teachers and support staff drops and students feel it is not worth their time to attend. Financial resources will always be limited, so the time is now to take advantage of loans and grants offered by the school district and government agencies.Applying for outside grants will need to occur, but without firm commitments they cannot be The risks that the agency will take will be directly correlated to the success of the program. If the project shows that it is successful, more money will be fed into its coffers. If the program is questionable or fails, money will be withdrawn which could seriously hamper current programs as well as the proposed program. In theory, this investment could make or break the organization which is more tha n likely working on a very limited budget in the first place.Adding additional staff and technical resources is expensive and if these people would have to be terminated because the rogram fails, there will be other separation costs associated; machinery and other items may have to be sold for a significant loss if they cannot be used in other programs. The benefits of this program to the community is that the teenagers who have given up on their education may return to school to learn more skills which will help them to find better paying Jobs in the future.By becoming more highly trained and better educated, it will be easier for them to find employment. The increase in the dropout rate from five percent to 15% is astronomical in Just two years and is nacceptable; something must be done to stop the bleeding! By developing and implementing a program which helps local youth, the status of this organization will increase; allowing more money to flow in for all programs and increase c ommunity support.This support encourages more students to see the value in returning to school because they can see the evidence of going through the program. Human Resources It will be important to hire new instructors, trainers, and more than likely some support staff to work with students and provide the administrative assistance to make this program operate efficiently and effectively. The one thing you cannot be short on is instructional staff to help students to learn the skills they need to be able to walk away with the ability to become productive members of the community.Because many school districts are cutting staff members, there is a surplus of unemployed or underemployed teachers and we may be able to secure some trainers from the private industrial sector on a part-time basis if they feel it will be to their benefit to have better trained employees. Our staff is truly one of the most important keys to the success or failure of this program; without them, there would e no way to make success a possibility. With staffing cuts, come reductions in pay for many school employees, so we will need to provide other incentives to attract qualified, motivated instructors.Paid time off, health benefits (at least partially covered by the agency), incentive rewards for number of students who perform well and/or graduate from our program, and other extrinsic reward systems will be implemented as the budget allows. Intrinsic rewards such as recognition by other staff members, community recognition, publication in journals to recognize the successes each member has worked hard to attain, and ven something as simple as a smile and a good Job from supervisory personnel will make a big difference in the way employees feel about their Jobs.As Executive Director, I personally will take this responsibility to make this happen and encourage others on my staff to do the same. The operating budget for this program is not large at only $1,600,000. It will take a great dea l of hard work to make this budget work and still have a successful program. With the help and dedication of our staff, along with positive support from community members, we can make it work. We will be applying for grants from theNational Education Association (NEA), California Teachers Association (CTA), government title grants (such as American With Disabilities Act (ADA)) funding, and other non-traditional grant donors. It is our hope that we can procure enough money to make this program operate smoothly and employ more staff members to encourage students to want to participate in a variety of programs. It is recognized that budgets will need to be increased each year because new students will be Joining established students in the program. It is estimated that for the first year there will be 1,000 eligible students and 2,000 each year after.If the program works well, we estimate this number will continue to grow as the individuals leave the program and find that their ability to find work at a better rate increases. As students hear that the program is working, they will want to participate more; word of mouth is by far one of the most important and cheapest methods of advertising.

Homeland Security essays

Homeland Security essays Many Americans have argued against the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, saying that it will take away too many freedoms. I ask, What good are these freedoms if terrorist events wipe us out before we can enjoy them? The department is being created due to the events of September 11th. The new department should ensure security for our homeland. Three candidates (George Bush, John Kerry, and Ralph Nader) are battling neck to neck in the 2004 election for President. Each candidate has strong and different views on Homeland Security in which they plan to make this country a safer place to live. President Bush created this department in response to the nine-eleven attacks. Before the department was created, all the different agencies were scattered all over the place. Now all the agencies are unified into one single department that is committed to protecting the United States. This department consists of twenty-two agencies and 180,000 employees. The mission of homeland security is to prevent us from terrorist attacks and to protect and respond to any threats or hazards to the nation (DHS). The department is divided into six major categories. They are Border and Transportation Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Science and Technology, Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, Intelligence and Warning, and defending against deadly One main topic that is brought up in the issue of Homeland Security is the U.S. Patriot Act. The act allows law enforcement officers to access private medical, library, or student records and can prevent from letting the person know. This Act was passed through both houses of Congress with little debate and no formal hearings on October 26, 2001 (Doyle). Bush said, Don't let Patriot Act expire-terrorist threat won't (Bush). Bush supports the Patriot Act and believes the act was one of his great achievements in his firs ...

5 Ways to Evaluate Your Writing Group

5 Ways to Evaluate Your Writing Group 5 Ways to Evaluate Your Writing Group 5 Ways to Evaluate Your Writing Group By Mark Nichol The writing group you started three or six months ago is still going, but there’s something not quite right about it. It’s time to step back and evaluate it: 1. Attendance Are the charter members all still attending? Or, if one or more people have dropped out, was it mutually beneficial for them to do so, or do you wish they had continued to participate? If the latter is true, and you haven’t already done so, send them a note asking for their frank appraisal, assuring them that you want the truth so that you can apply their response to improving the group. They might have simply found they lacked the time or the motivation, or they might have had a personality clash with someone else in the group or a problem with the meeting format. If one or more people is regularly tardy or absent, ask them why. You won’t know whether you can help them if you don’t know the reason they aren’t on time or present all the time. It might be as simple as needing more time at home after work before heading to the meeting, or they might just be hesitating about quitting. 2. Skill Are the skill levels of the members basically on par? Not everyone needs at exactly the same place in terms of facility with writing, but it helps to have an only slightly divergent range. An especially skilled group member might make others feel inadequate, and someone who is noticeably deficient in talent may be dragging the group down. You will likely feel uncomfortable about approaching either type of outlier, but the more skilled writer will probably take it as a compliment if you suggest that they seek a writing group with higher collective abilities and may be glad to have â€Å"permission† to do so. For the person not quite up to the group’s level, it may take no-punches-pulled criticism respectful but candid to prompt them to look for a group more suited to their level of development. 3. Workload Are group members keeping up with the workload? If members routinely come to group meetings unprepared lacking either a writing sample for others to critique or completed evaluations of others’ passages perhaps the amount of preparation required is excessive. Consider reducing the frequency of meetings or the length of submissions, or mix up the way submissions are presented: If group members usually email their pieces for others to review and critique before the next meeting, alternate this approach with cold critiques (responses to writing samples that have just been distributed at that meeting). Alternatively, have members submit samples at every other meeting rather than each time, or skip critique meetings in place of tutorials (everybody presents a fifteen-minute lesson about character, plot, narrative structure, or some other element). 4. Development Do group members feel that the writing group is helping them develop as writers? Set aside part or all of a meeting to discuss how everyone feels about their progress. Are other members too timid about providing feedback, so that one or more people feel that they aren’t getting anything out of the critiquing sessions? Is criticism writer centered rather than writing centered? Critiques that focus on the author rather than on the writing samples not only hinder development but may also make members feel uncomfortable, which may also be the cause of absentees or dropouts. If you haven’t yet done so, model constructive comments that are specific and that respond to the piece, not the person. 5. Feedback External feedback, that is. At three months after the group’s launch, this step will likely be premature, but for a group that’s met for six months or more, it might be time to step up to the plate. Talk everyone in the group to committing to submitting: With a given period, everyone must send an article or poem or short story to a certain number of publications or writing competitions for consideration. That’s certainly one way to evaluate a writing group. If one or more people get a prize or get published, also-rans might feel resentment, but try to forestall any bad feelings by suggesting ahead of time that if anyone hits the jackpot, it means everybody has the potential to do so. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureTen Yiddish Expressions You Should KnowEach vs. Both

Qué es el programa de Comunidades Seguras

Quà © es el programa de Comunidades Seguras Comunidades Seguras es un programa del gobierno federal de colaboracià ³n con autoridades locales y estatales para identificar inmigrantes para proceder a su remocià ³n inmediata de los Estados Unidos o al inicio de un procedimiento de deportacià ³n. Las razones por las que el migrante puede verse en ese problema pueden ser variadas, desde estar en el paà ­s como indocumentado a haber cometido violaciones migratorias o delitos o  faltas penales. En este artà ­culo se explica cà ³mo funciona este programa, por quà © tiene fieros defensores y crà ­ticos, cul es la relacià ³n de Comunidades Seguras con las ciudades santuario y quà © se puede hacer. Cmo funciona el programa Comunidades Seguras El funcionamiento es realmente sencillo. En Estados Unidos cuando una persona es arrestada o detenida se le toman las huellas digitales, conocidas en algunos paà ­ses como dactilares. A continuacià ³n esa informacià ³n se le envà ­a al FBI. El FBI las compara contra varias bases de datos, por ejemplo, IAFIS, donde estn fichadas personas con pasado delictivo. Adems, las compara con bases de datos de otras agencias como IDENT, del Departamento de Seguridad Interna (DHS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) en la que se guarda toda la informacià ³n disponible sobre inmigrantes, sobre criminales y sobre personas consideradas terroristas o sospechosas de serlo. Asimismo, tambià ©n se comparan esas huellas dactilares con la base de datos  de los oficiales de migracià ³n, como por ejemplo US-VISIT, con las que controlan los  pasos fronterizos terrestres, puertos y aeropuertos. Si el resultado es que la persona es inmigrante y tiene rà ©cord criminal o una orden de deportacià ³n pendiente o se sospecha que est en el paà ­s ilegalmente entonces se considera que se produce un  ¨hit ¨. Aclarar que se puede creer que una persona est como indocumentada tanto porque no aparece rà ©cord de su ingreso legal y se cree que es extranjera o porque es evidente que ingresà ³ legalmente pero no ha salido a tiempo.   Si se produce ese  ¨hit ¨, es decir, una coincidencia de interà ©s para Inmigracià ³n, entonces el FBI lo notifica tanto a la autoridad que tiene a la persona arrestada o detenida como al Centro de Apoyo para el Cumplimiento de la Ley (LESC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), que es un departamento dentro de ICE. A partir de ahà ­, ICE analiza la situacià ³n y decide, segà ºn lo que considere prioritario, quà © hacer. Puede decidir emitir un detainer, tambià ©n conocido como hold. Esto quiere decir que se solicita que se retenga al detenido por 48 horas ms a partir del dà ­a que deba ser liberado, con el objetivo de darle tiempo al ICE de hacerse cargo. En ese plazo de 48 horas no se incluyen sbados, domingos ni feriados. Adems, en la actualidad los detainer van acompaà ±ados de una orden (warrant, por su nombre en inglà ©s), que pueden ser de dos clases: para remocià ³n/deportacià ³n o para arresto. A partir de ahà ­, si la autoridad que recibe el detainer decide cumplirlo, entregar al detenido a las autoridades migratorias, que segà ºn el caso, procedern a su deportacià ³n inmediata o iniciarn  un procedimiento judicial de deportacià ³n. Argumentos a favor y en contra de Comunidades Seguras Los defensores de este programa consideran que es una gran herramienta para deportar a migrantes, particularmente los que tienen un historial como  criminales violentos.   Sin embargo, un estudio de Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse de la Universidad de Syracuse argumenta que en la actualidad no hay datos pà ºblicos de cuntos detainers se emiten y que no est nada claro cuntos son causa de deportacià ³n. Es ms, aseguran que solamente un porcentaje mà ­nimo de las deportaciones tienen su origen en un detainer emitido dentro del marco de Comunidades Seguras. Entre los argumentos en contra de Comunidades Seguras se citan, entre otros, que rompe la confianza entre la policà ­a y la comunidad y hace que muchos delitos no se reporten. Adems, se afirma que da lugar a la deportacià ³n elevada de inmigrantes con rà ©cord criminal limpio, cuyo à ºnico problema es que estn en el paà ­s como indocumentados. Finalmente, tambià ©n se aduce que Comunidades Seguras es un gasto excesivo para las municipalidades. Lo cierto es que este programa ha tenido un historial conflictivo. Fue creado en el aà ±o 2008 por el presidente George W. Bush en el condado de Harris en Texas y de ahà ­ se extendià ³ progresivamente por todo el paà ­s, incluidos sus territorios como por ejemplo Puerto Rico, bajo el mandato de Obama. Bajo ese presidente se establecieron prioridades en su aplicacià ³n y, finalmente, se suspendià ³ su aplicacià ³n. Sin embargo, la llegada de Donald Trump a la Casa Blanca supuso su activacià ³n mediante orden ejecutiva del 25 de enero de 2017. En la actualidad sigue siendo un programa muy criticado, que causa miedo entre la comunidad migrante y que ha dado lugar a oposicià ³n de municipios e incluso estados en la forma de lo que se conoce como ciudades santuario. Qu son las ciudades santuario y cmo se relacionan con el programa Comunidades Seguras Uno de los temas migratorios ms controvertidos y debatidos en los Estados Unidos es el de las ciudades santuario, a las que sus crà ­ticos acusan de no cumplir con las leyes migratorias.   Para entender este asunto lo primero es saber de quà © realmente se est hablando. Hay que partir de que no hay una definicià ³n legal de lo que es una ciudad santuario, pero puede entenderse como tal a aquella  jurisdiccià ³n -estado, condado o ciudad, que limita su colaboracià ³n con las autoridades federales en materia de inmigracià ³n. Ese là ­mite puede estar declarado pà ºblicamente o puede ser algo que simplemente ocurre, es decir, es un asunto informal. En cuanto a las formas que puede tomar la falta de colaboracià ³n, à ©stas pueden ser muy variadas. Por ejemplo, la prohibicià ³n de que un funcionario pà ºblico municipal pregunte sobre el estatus migratorio de una persona. Otro ejemplo comà ºn es el de no compartir informacià ³n sobre datos en los que conste la situacià ³n de indocumentado de un migrante como es el caso de la Ciudad de Nueva York que no comparte lo que sabe sobre los solicitantes del I.D. de la ciudad. Pero quiz el ejemplo ms conocido y el que levanta ms crà ­ticas y que est directamente relacionado con el programa de Comunidades Seguras  es el de no cumplir con las peticiones de deteiners que emite el ICE solicitando a otra jurisdiccià ³n que retenga, por un plazo de 48 horas, a un migrante que tiene arrestado o detenido por otro asunto no relacionado con temas migratorios. Algunas ciudades santuario incumplen los deteiners siempre mientras que otras los ejecutan cuando el objeto del deteiner es un inmigrante con un delito en su rà ©cord.   En la actualidad, segà ºn el Inmigrant Legal Resource Center, hay ms de 300 jurisdicciones que en algà ºn grado pueden ser consideradas como ciudades santuario y han sido amenazadas con la retirada de fondos federales, en particular de subvenciones del Departamento de Justicia. Sin embargo, no es seguro de que se pueda aplicar este castigo y en la fecha en la que se escribe este artà ­culo est inmerso en una batalla legal de la que se desconoce cà ³mo puede finalizar. Qu se puede hacer Lo cierto es que estamos viviendo una à ©poca que causa gran ansiedad entre la comunidad migrante. Los residentes permanentes deberà ­an considerar convertirse en ciudadanos mediante naturalizacià ³n y evitar cualquier tipo de problemas que pueden dar lugar a su deportacià ³n. Los extranjeros con visa deben conocer los tà ©rminos de la misma y evitar violaciones migratorias. Y en cuanto a los migrantes indocumentados deben informarse sobre si existe alguna posibilidad real para arreglar su situacià ³n, deben conocer sus derechos si son parados por la autoridad y no mostrar ninguna documentacià ³n que pueda dar lugar a revelar que estatus, como por ejemplo la matrà ­cula consular. Finalmente, es siempre aconsejable que tengan a mano el telà ©fono de un abogado migratorio u organizacià ³n de apoyo a inmigrantes de confianza para comunicarse en el caso de problemas. Estar informados es siempre la mejor arma para estar preparados, defender los derechos que se tienen y evitar ser và ­ctimas de fraude por parte de personas inescrupulosas que toman ventaja de la situacià ³n de miedo en la que muchos migrantes viven en la actualidad. Este artà ­culo es informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso en particular.

Effect of positive feedback on achievement Essay

Effect of positive feedback on achievement - Essay Example The study focuses upon the impact of positive feedback on achievement. This might be best supported by the idea of formative assessment techniques, which help in shaping a student’s learning ability and educational gains acquired by the child during the process of classroom education. Interaction between a teacher and a student is the key to improvement in the effective gains from education accruing to the student. Formative educational techniques entail the diagnostic application of evaluation means where the teacher needs to assess a student based on observations, discussions in the classrooms, homework done by the student, tests and analysis of the work of a student. Taras (2008) notes that much needs to be done in order to understand the recent improvements or changes brought about in the area of assessment in education. Black & William (1998) in their work â€Å"Inside the Black Box† observe that the evaluation system is formative when the feedbacks or information collected by the teachers are utilized in reshaping the teaching and learning process such that the actual requirements are met. These might incorporate some alternative teaching practices, adjustments in the instruction or providing more occasions for practice to the students. The aim of this paper is to explore the impact of positive feedback on the achievement of an individual with a focus on the areas of improvement essential for the implementation of formative assessment procedures. In the context of education, assessment plays a very important role. This is especially true in case of children and adolescents. Certain teachers believe that earning involves the transfer of knowledge from the teachers to the learners and understanding can develop later. Others are committed to form a teaching base, which involves interactions. In such an environment formative

Estimate critical analysis of the companys recent history with Essay

Estimate critical analysis of the companys recent history with Financial Analysis of Heartland Express company - Essay Example (Rm-Rf) is the risk premium rate and beta can be defined as a measure of how much the stock and market move together. The following values have been traced through relevant financial sources WACC or the weighted average cost of capital is the weighted average cost of the company’s equity and long term debt. WACC is calculated by multiplying the cost of equity with the market value of the equity and cost of debt with the market value of the debt. Cost of debt is usually the interest rate that the company’s pay on its long term and short term financial borrowings. However, an analysis of the company’s financial statements will show that the company does have any long term or short term interest bearing financial debts. All of its debts comprise of trading nature and the company does have to pay any interest on such securities. Does the cost of debt for the heartland express is nil. Keeping all the above factors into consideration, the WACC of heartland express is equal to its cost of equity i.e. 6.11% The estimated value of the company’s equity is calculated by discounting the free cash flow of the company for the foreseeable future using the weighted average cost of capital of the company (WACC). Free cash flow method is basically a measure of financial performance of the company which is calculated as free cash flows minus the capital expenditure. From pure financial management’s perspective, free cash flow can be defined as the cash which the company is able to generate setting aside the money required to maintain or expand its current asset base. The following table presents the free cash flow calculation and the equity value of the company as at financial year end December 31, 2010. Note 2: In the free cash flow method, the depreciation and amortization expense are added to the profit after taxes since these are the non-cash items. For the

Case response Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Response - Case Study Example Southwest’s growth strategy has always been to stay away from big cities characterized by delays in airports and instead concentrate on secondary options, which basically are less crowded. Such an approach as this has worked for the airline in the past allowing it to swiftly turn around its aircrafts in addition to flying more routes while at the same time staying realistically on time. Nevertheless, regardless of what looks like a cannot-lose situation, the airline could also be taking a huge gamble in LaGuardia; although a pretty secure one. Southwest is an airline that is known for its reliability on timely service, not only for its customers but also behind the scenes. The delay issues experienced in New York cannot just be underestimated-every one of the big 3 regional airports is frequently among the poorest performers especially in terms of punctuality-and will pose a great challenge for Southwest to surmount. Thus for Southwest to turn around the situation, and sustain its fast-turnaround approach of operation, it has its work already cut out. Whitney Eichinger-Southwest’s spokesperson has been on the record pointing out that the airline has proved critics wrong and succeeded in Philadelphia where everyone thought Southwest would run into difficulties (Heskett & Sasser Jr, 2013). Nevertheless, a move to LaGuardia is an exceptional opportunity that will not only open a huge population of business travelers but also the 8 million New Yorkers-some of whom may forego a ride to Long Island simply to snag low fares offered by the airline. This would especially be a catch if Southwest flies to Chicago and possibly Florida. The Airline’s fans in New York will especially be extremely happy since they will say goodbye to long and boring drives out the expansive Expressway of Long Island. In addition, Southwest will have access to a wide pool of weekday customers flying to such cities as Dallas, Toronto and Chicago. The airline will also increase its

PUBLIC LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PUBLIC LAW - Essay Example The legislative or law-making function, which is the enactment of rules for the society. The executive or law-applying function, which covers actions taken to maintain or implement the law, defend he state, conduct external affairs and administer internal policies. Finally came the judicial or law enforcing function, which is the determining of civil disputes and the publishing of criminals by deciding issues of fact and applying the law. The three functions of government should be carried out by separate persons or bodies and that each branch of government should only carry out its own function. For instance, the legislature, executive and judicial branches should have equal status so each could control the excessive use of power by another branch2[Constitutional and Administrative Law Pg 105]. The doctrine of separation of powers has been attributed to Aristotle3. However, the clearest exposition of the doctrine can be found in the France writer Baron de Montesquieu's De L'Esprit des Lois (The Spirit of the Laws) [1952]. In order to answer this question it is necessary to discuss about the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, the relationship between executive and legislature, legislature and judiciary; executive and judiciary. ... The Constitutional Reform Act modifies the office of Lord Chancellor and makes changes to the way in which some of the functions vested in that office are to be exercised. Part 2 of this Act modifies the office of Lord Chancellor and provides for the future exercise of certain functions of that office and for continued judicial independence4. [Constitutional and Administrative Law Pg 109] The Executive: The Executive may be defined as that branch of the state which formulates policy and is responsible for its execution. In formal terms, the sovereign is the head of executive. The Prime Minister, Cabinet and other ministers, for the most part, are elected Members of Parliament. In addition, the Civil Service, local authorities, police and armed forces, constitute the executive in practical terms. The legislature: The Queen of the parliament is the sovereign law making body within the United Kingdom. Formally expressed, parliament comprises the Queen, the HL and House of Commons. Parliament is bicameral, that is to say there are two chambers, each exercising a legislative role-although not having equal powers-and each playing a part in ensuring the accountability of the government. The judiciary: The judiciary is that branch of the state which adjudicates upon conflicts between state institutions, between state and individual, and between individuals. The judiciary is independent of both parliament and the executive. It is the prime feature of judicial independence which is of prime importance both in relation to government according to law and in the protection of liberty of the citizen against the executive. As Blackstone observed in his Commentaries that the administration of common justice be in some degree separated both from the legislative and

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Management - Essay Example Diversity, gender, and philosophy are becoming increasingly important variables for a manager to base decisions on (Hersey, Blanchard, & Johnson, 2001, p. 160). Its imperative that they be able to act, react, and interact in a management environment where they may seem to have little control, yet are actively engaged in command. Lets face it. The goal is the bottom line, the bottom line is the goal and getting there requires that a company maintain a workforce that is highly productive. Buckingham and Coffman (1999) assert that the role of the manager is crucial in providing the company with the four vital signs of a healthy business; Productivity, Profitability, Retention, and Customer Satisfaction (p. 31). Yet, all of these key components are influenced by the differing perceptions each employee has of their own role. Though some points may overlap, it is striking that the points most influenced by managers are also related to employee satisfaction and retention (Buckingham, et. al., 1999, p. 33). These points will vary across the workforce and will manifest as ability and readiness to perform a given task (Hersey, et. al., 2001, p. 176). Once again, the manager will have to maintain control over the resource. In the case of ability, two major components are knowledge and skill (Hersey, et. al, 2001, p. 176). Having the materials, knowing what is expected, and the opportunity to excel are also components that make up greater employee satisfaction (Buckingham, et. al., 1999, p. 34). In fact the way to safeguard against under-achieving employees in complacent positions is to enhance employee status through ongoing training programs (Hersey, et. al., 2001, p. 168). This insures that the workforce has the necessary ability to do the job and a greater motivation to do the task. The willingness of an employee to perform will also be tested. An employee requires a duty to their position, assurance that they have the ability, and a desire to do the

PUBLIC LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PUBLIC LAW - Essay Example The legislative or law-making function, which is the enactment of rules for the society. The executive or law-applying function, which covers actions taken to maintain or implement the law, defend he state, conduct external affairs and administer internal policies. Finally came the judicial or law enforcing function, which is the determining of civil disputes and the publishing of criminals by deciding issues of fact and applying the law. The three functions of government should be carried out by separate persons or bodies and that each branch of government should only carry out its own function. For instance, the legislature, executive and judicial branches should have equal status so each could control the excessive use of power by another branch2[Constitutional and Administrative Law Pg 105]. The doctrine of separation of powers has been attributed to Aristotle3. However, the clearest exposition of the doctrine can be found in the France writer Baron de Montesquieu's De L'Esprit des Lois (The Spirit of the Laws) [1952]. In order to answer this question it is necessary to discuss about the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, the relationship between executive and legislature, legislature and judiciary; executive and judiciary. ... The Constitutional Reform Act modifies the office of Lord Chancellor and makes changes to the way in which some of the functions vested in that office are to be exercised. Part 2 of this Act modifies the office of Lord Chancellor and provides for the future exercise of certain functions of that office and for continued judicial independence4. [Constitutional and Administrative Law Pg 109] The Executive: The Executive may be defined as that branch of the state which formulates policy and is responsible for its execution. In formal terms, the sovereign is the head of executive. The Prime Minister, Cabinet and other ministers, for the most part, are elected Members of Parliament. In addition, the Civil Service, local authorities, police and armed forces, constitute the executive in practical terms. The legislature: The Queen of the parliament is the sovereign law making body within the United Kingdom. Formally expressed, parliament comprises the Queen, the HL and House of Commons. Parliament is bicameral, that is to say there are two chambers, each exercising a legislative role-although not having equal powers-and each playing a part in ensuring the accountability of the government. The judiciary: The judiciary is that branch of the state which adjudicates upon conflicts between state institutions, between state and individual, and between individuals. The judiciary is independent of both parliament and the executive. It is the prime feature of judicial independence which is of prime importance both in relation to government according to law and in the protection of liberty of the citizen against the executive. As Blackstone observed in his Commentaries that the administration of common justice be in some degree separated both from the legislative and

Acounting for pensions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Acounting for pensions - Essay Example However, most employers invest the pensions to be managed by a separate entity. The entities that manage the pensions recognize the assets and liabilities on their net values. The accounting practices for pensions faces a lot of criticism such as lack of clarity in the disclosure of the postretirement accounting information. The accounting practices ignored the importance of full recognition of the effects of pension contracts on the company’s performance. For this reason, a big deal of pension contract related costs are borne by the users of such information. Secondly, some investors have expressed concerns on the reporting of gains and losses. They propose the elimination of the smoothing of gains and losses as allowed under GAAP. This method should be replaced by a separate recognition of pension plan’s assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. Lastly, preparers criticize the short-term approach to accounting for pension transactions (The United States Securities and Exchange Commission 49 – 59). In view of the above criticism, the staff members propose an improvement regarding the accounting practices. First, they suggest a long-term approach to accounting for pensions since the post retirement contract is long-lived. Second, further disclosures besides those contained in the financial statements should be provided to ensure further clarity of the contents of the financial statements. Lastly, the staff proposes that issuers should give more time the preparation of the postretirement financial information in order to facilitate the provision of more useful information to the users (The United States Securities and Exchange Commission 107 – 108). The United States Securities and Exchange Commission. N.d. Report and Recommendation Pursuant to Section 401 (c) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 On Arrangements with Off-balance sheet Implications, special purpose

Globalisation Book Review Essay Example for Free

Globalisation Book Review Essay The world economy is becoming more global in its format. People may not be able to realize the correct depth of this globalization trend and the complexities it creates for the state. International businesses have a huge impact on our daily lives. Right from morning till night we are in the habit of using variety of goods and services made by different countries of the world. The globalization trend started after World War II. U. S. economy became the strongest economy at that time and U. S made their dominance worldwide in almost all major industries. Businesses were forced to build new plants and other facilities, and citizens turned to their work as a source of economic security. Gradually the economy developed and each country developed a competitive advantage in those circumstances. With the passing of time those advantages are being exploited to their maximum. ENVIRONMENT OF GLOBALISATION Environment refers to the totality of all the factors which are external to and beyond the control of individual global business enterprises. Environment furnishes the macro-context, the business firm is the micro-unit. The environmental factors are essentially the givens within which firms and their managements must operate. The value system of society, the rules and regulations laid down by the Government, the monetary policies of the central bank, the institutional set-up of the country, the ideological beliefs of the leaders, the attitude towards foreign capital and enterprise, etc. , all constitute the environment system within which a global firms operate. These environmental factors are many in numbers and various in form. Some of these factors are totally static, some are relatively static and some are very dynamic — they are changing every now and then. Some of these factors can be conceptualized and quantified, while others can be only referred to in qualitative terms. The environmental factors generally vary from country to country. The environment that is typical of Germany may not be found in other countries like the USA, the UK, and Japan. There may be some factors in common, but the order and intensity of the environmental factors do differ between nations. The magnitude and direction of environmental factors differ over regions within a country, and over localities within a region. The environment differs not only over space but also over time from country to country. We can talk of temporal patterns of environment, i. e. , past, present and future environment. Sometimes the environment may be classified into market environment and non-market environment depending upon whether a global firm’s environment is influenced by market forces like demand, supply, number of other firms and the resulting price competition, or non-price competition, etc. , or by non-market forces like Government laws, social traditions, etc. Further, we may classify the environment into economic and non-economic. Non-economic environment refers to social, political, legal, educational and cultural factors that affect state functioning. Economic environment, on the other hand, is given shape and form by factors like the fiscal policy, the monetary policy, the industrial policy resolutions, physical limits on output, the price and income trends, the nature of the economic system at work, the tempo of economic development, the national economic plan, etc. The non-economic environment has economic implications just as the economic environment may have non-economic implications. Since the environment is the sum total of the history, geography, culture, sociology, politics and economics of a nation, the interaction between economic and non-economic forces is bound to take place affecting the society functioning. ECONOMIC FINANCIAL FACTORS Analysis of the business environment in any economy, we may examine the basic propositions as: 1. Business is an economic activity. 2. A business firm is an economic unit. 3. Business decision-making is an economic process. These propositions may be examined separately or jointly to justify the study of the economic environment of global business. Business is an economic activity An economic activity involves the task of adjusting the resources to the targets, or the targets to the resources. An economic activity may assume different forms such as consumption, production, distribution, and exchange. The nature of business differs, depending upon the form of economic activity being undertaken and organized. The manufacturer is primarily concerned with production; the stock exchange business is mainly concerned with the buying and selling of shares and debentures; the business of Government is to run the administration. The Government may also own, control and manage enterprises. These examples can be easily multiplied. The point is that each business has a target to achieve, and for this purpose each business has some resources at its disposal. Sometimes the target has to be matched with the given resources, and sometimes the resources have to be matched with the given target. Either way, the task of business is to optimize the outcome of economic activities. A business enterprise is an economic unit A business firm is essentially a transformation unit. It transforms inputs into outputs of goods or services, or a combination of both. The nature of input requirements and the type of output flows are determined by the size, structure, location and efficiency of the business firm under consideration. Business firms may be of different sizes and forms. They may undertake different types of activities such as mining, manufacture, farming, trading, transport, banking, etc. The motivational objective underlying all these activities is the same viz. , profit maximization in the long run. Profit is essentially a surplus value — the value of outputs in excess of the values of inputs or the surplus of revenue over the cost. A business firm undertakes the transformational process to generate this surplus value. The firm can grow further if the surplus value is productively invested. The firm, therefore, carefully plans the optimum allocation of resources (i. e. , men, money, materials, machines, time, energy, etc. ) to get optimum production. The entire process of creating, mobilization and utilization of the surplus constitutes the economic activity of the business firm, Business decision-making is an economic process Decision-making involves making a choice from a set of alternative courses of action. Choice is at the root of all economic activity. The question of choice and evaluation arises because of the relative scarcity of resources. If the resources had not been scarce, an unlimited amount of ends could have been met. But the situation of resource constraint is very real. A business firm thinks seriously about the optimum allocation of resources because resources are limited in supply and most resources have alternative uses. The firm, therefore, intends to get the best out of given resources or to minimize the use of resources for achieving a specific target. In other words, when input is the constraining factor, the firm’s decision variable is the output. And when output is the constraining factor, the firm’s decision variable is the input. Whatever may be the decision variable, procurement or production, distribution or sale, input or output, decision-making is invariably the process of selecting the best available alternative. That is what makes it an economic pursuit. Since business is an economic activity, a business firm an economic unit, and business decision-making an economic process, it is the economics environment of business which is the primary consideration in evaluating the business policies, business strategies and business tactics of a corporate entity in any global economy.

Strategic marketing management for Boots the pharmacy

Strategic marketing management for Boots the pharmacy Boots is the largest pharmacy chain in Europe with an with an excellent reputation for differentiated health and beauty products and customer care. Our strategy is to develop Boots into the worlds leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retail brand,focused on healping people look and feel their best. Alliance Healthcare is the backbone of Alliance Boots wholesale and distributions service with twice daily deliveries to around 5,700 pharmacy shops in the UK alone. Internationally,Alliance Boots distributes drugs and cosmetics to around 150,000 outlets and operates from 360 delivery depots.In addition to supplying Alliance pharmacies ,the Alliance Healthcare distribution subsidiaries also deliver to NHS central warehouses and hospitals in the UK,alone with private hospitals, GP surgeries,local health centres and private pharmacies throughout Europe,Asia and Australia. Marketing Strategy Options. Boots is a member of Alliance Boots, an international pharmacy-led health and beauty group. Our purpose is to help our customers look and feel better than they ever thought possible. Our customers are at the heart of our business. Were committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare, offer innovative products only at Boots, with great value our customers love. Our people are our strength and they tell us that Boots is a great place to work. We are always be the employer of choice, attracting and retaining the most talented and passionate people.The strategy is to focus on its two core business activities of pharmacy led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution,while increasingly developing and intenationalising our product brands to create a third dimension.growing the core businesses in existing markets,continuing to deliver productivity improvements and other cost savings,pursuing growth opportunities in selective new high growth markets and launching our product brands in new markets. This strategy is underpinned by our continue focus on patient or customer needs and services selective partnerships and our strong financial diciplines.we are commited to providing exceptional customer and patient care be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare offer innovative products only at Boots,with great value our customer love. Pharmacy-led health and beauty strategy : Boots is the largest pharmacy chain in Europe with an excellent reputation for differentiated health and beauty products and customer care.Our strategy is to develop Boots into the worlds leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retail brand,focused on helping people look and feel their best. The key steps we are taking in the uk to execute our strategy are:- -Making Boots more convenient and accessible for our customers. -Developing our people to be at their very best for our customer -Improving our customer in store shopping experience -creating a compelling multi-channel health and wellbeing consumer offering -Increasingly differentiating our product offering -Continuing to provide customers with excellent value -Opening new stores in markets where Boots is already well established -Developing new store in markets where Boots is already well established -Developing country specific Boots branded trading formats to meet local needs. SWOT analysis STRENGTHS Boots as being one of the bigest UK pharmacy-led health and beauty group market, its brand has been well-known and already built up its reputations over Healthy and Beauty Product retailing. Under the leadership team with Alex Gourlay, the chief executive of Health Beauty Division it is showing tremendous increase in its profit. It also keeps into account the green and environmental issues. As a result it has a positive impact on consumer brand especially the green activists consumers. Strengths Weaknesses Strong Brand Equity Low profitability Store Network Lack of International Presence Opportunities Threats Store expansions in UK Intense price competition Expanding product offerings High regulatory oversight Reference: Data monitor, 2006 WEAKNESSES Boots is only presented in UK. Therefore there can be an issue if the company wants to have growth in the retailing Health Beauty Division sector. Declining Reputation OPPORTUNITY Boots alternative business, investing in properties can have major growth in the future. Staff which works at Boots are essential buyers, administrators, systems designers, finance workers and so on all are part of the whole team that must work together to make things operate smoothly and efficiently Online sales are a great opportunity for future growth. THREATS Boots operations have become a topic on various issues like environmental, planning and other factors. As a result there needs to be investment related to environmental and green issues. Porters 5 forces analysis Competitive rivalry The retail market is filled up with high competitors as more and more companies are trying to step into the Health Beauty industry All the other retailers have different competitive advantages. Boots reach in different stores allows it to reach large number of customers. The other factors which compete with the Boots bank is different banks and building societies Barriers for entry Barriers to entry is high due to a number of factors: Firstly, company looking to set up its business in UK requires lots of investment, brand development, which takes years to establish. Secondly, company in retail sectors are increasing, which itself means there is very less chance for any new entrances. Local knowledge is required for a new business in order to establish, which is highly difficult for new firms to replicate. Threats of Substitutes The threats for newcomers or substitutes is less, as the consumers views that as a necessity, especially in the developed world. The retail market is always trying to look around for new innovations with respect to Health Beauty products, alternative businesses. As a result of which it is difficult for substitution. The only major threat of substitute is an internal industry threat, wherein one supermarket can lap up the business of other supermarkets. Buyers power Because of the presence of too many competitors in the retail Health Beauty sector selling the same product, buyer power is high in the industry. During the time of recession consumers wants are taken into more demand, thereby increasing their power. Supplier power Suppliers in itself is huge company providing products to the supermarkets. If the products are not sold, consumer will shift loyalties, making suppliers more powerful. And also when the products do not reach the supermarket, sales do get affected hugely. Competitive strategy by Michael Porter MARKETING STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES The main aim of Boots is to provide Health Beauty Product to the consumers, delivering the products of outstanding quality and great service. It always looks for profit growth through a balance of strong sales growth, reduction in cost and continuing margin improvements. There are many techniques in order to achieve its aims and goals PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGY MARKET MATRIX PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGY: Michael Porter had argued that a companys strength depends on two headings: cost advantage and differentiation. By applying these strengths three generic strategies result: Cost leadership Differentiation Focus Target scope Low cost Product uniqueness Broad (industry wide) Cost leadership Strategy Differentiation Strategy Narrow (market segment) Focus Strategy (low cost) Focus Strategy( differentiation) Cost leadership strategy: Cost leadership is a strategy built on offering a customer a lower pirce than competitors and maintaining an advantage by ensuring the cost are lower than those of competitors. Factories are built; labor is recruited and trained in all sorts of knowledge for the lowest cost of production. In the process cost advantage is the focus. However low cost not always allows low price. Producers could price at competitive parity, other than the competitors. For example, such as Toyota, are good in producing autos at a low price, but have the brand and marketing skills. Differentiation strategy: It is a strategy that involves offering a product which is different to, is differential from, those of competitors. The advantage of the product will appeal to the whole market and not in a narrow segment. The company that succeeds in differentiation strategy often follows the internal strengths Access to scientific research Highly skilled and creative development team. Strongly sales team with the ability to successfully communicate the perceived strengths of the products. Corporate reputation for quality and innovation. Focus: The focus strategy strives on a narrow segment and within that segment tries to achieve either a cost advantage or differentiation. A company following the focus strategy often enjoys a high degree of customer loyalty, and this in turn leads to more customer lifetime value. The focus strategy has two variants. In cost focus a firm seeks a cost advantage in its target segment, while in Differentiation focus a firm seeks differentiation in its target segment. Cost focus exploits differences in cost behavior in some segments, while differentiation focus exploits the special needs of buyers in certain segments A company following narrow market focus and pursuing a focus strategy, have lower volumes of bargaining power with their suppliers. A company following differentiation focused strategy may be able to pass higher costs on to customers since close substitute products would not exist. Firms that succeed in a focus strategy are able to lead a broad range of product development strengths to a relatively narrow market segment Finally, other focusers may be able to carve out sub-segments that they can serve even better. Industry Force Cost Leadership Differentiation Focus Entry Barriers Ability to cut price in retaliation deters potential entrants Customer loyalty can discourage potential entrants It develops core competencies that can act as an entry barrier Buyer Power Ability to offer lower price to powerful barriers Large buyers have less power to negotiate. Large buyers have less power to negotiate Supplier Power Better insulated from powerful suppliers Better able to pass on supplier price increases to customers Suppliers have power because of low volumes Threat of Substitutes Can use low price to defend against substitutes Customers become attached to differentiating attributes, reducing threat of substitute Specialized products and core competency protect against substitutes Rivalry Better able to compete on price Brand loyalty to keep customers from rivals Rivals cannot meet differentiation-focused customer needs TASK2 MARKETING ENVIRONMENT Using of PESTEL analysis, marketing mix elements can be produced to contribute the goals and values of Boots, after analyzing the current marketing environment. PESTEL analysis: Political factors: Increasing globalization, gives challenges and opportunities to Boots. Using this company can enter into new markets through partnerships. The ongoing investigation of price fixing among the UK retailers which can have a negative impact to the industry which can make the consumer feel cheated and my lead to a negative impact on the reputation of the company. Economic factors: Because of the food crisis all over the world, can result in the purchasing cost of the company, which in turn can increase the Health Beauty Product prices which affects the purchasing power of the consumers. Because of credit crunch, the consumers purchase power would decrease, but they would still consider that as its basic necessity. Lot of incentives is given to the consumers. This affects Boots as prices have to be reduced most of the times. Social factors: There seems to be more attention on fresh and easy style cooking. This gives Boots an opportunity to encourage new Health Beauty Product. Recently government has given more emphasis to promote healthy eating because of the increasing obesity. As a result the consumer would move on to healthy eating which in turn will be an opportunity to Boots to stock in more of healthy Health Beauty Product and as a result of which there would be an increase in consumers number. Technological factors: The internet phenomenon seems to be growing more rapidly. Boots can use internet for its advantage. Standing in the queue system for few items in the shopping market is time consuming. By installing the self checkout machines it can reduce the queue system for which the customer would not have to wait for few items which in turn will increase the sales for Boots. Environmental factors: It should be mandatory to reduce carbon footprint and increasing energy efficiency. One of the important and ethical issues is, like sales of organic food and ethical treatment of animals, this can clearly affect Boots on various levels. This is a sensitive issue. This can be done by maintaining on the public stand and environment. Legal factors: The current UK grocery market is highly regulated in many aspects, which is commonly in the developed countries. The recent inquiry by OFT could act as one example, which would potentially reduce the profitability of the supermarkets. Moreover, Trade Union would also protect employees to receive lack benefits, and this would make the grocers difficult to lay off employees. Marketing audit: Mckinseys 7-S framework can be used to design an internal appraisal of an organization. The 7-S framework of Mckinsey is a management model that describes 7 factors to organise a company in a holistic and effective way. They are Strategy Plans for the allocation of firms scare resources, overtime, to reach identified goals. Structure The way in which organisations unit relate to each other centralised, de-centralised and matrix. Systems The procedures, processes and routines that characterise how the work is to be done like financial systems, recruiting and performance appraisal systems. Staff Number and types of personnel within the organisation. Style The style of organisation and how key managers behave in achieving the organisations goals. Skills Distinctive capabilities of personnel or of the organisation as a whole. Shared values What does the organisation stand for and its central beliefs and attitudes. Conclusion To survive in such a competitive market place, Boots must continue to build a strong brand in order to create a strong differentiation in the market, attract customers with a credible value proposition and to constantly engage customers in ways that would endear them to the brand and to the company. This can help improve their market share especially during periods of recession when lower priced private brands are sought by consumers. And thereby achieve competitive advantages and long-term growth.

Is Bridget jones nothing more than Pride and Prejudice in modern dress?

Love and marriage is the theme of the best selling book Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding and the critically acclaimed novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. There are numerous similarities between the two yet they are set in different eras. Despite this, the young women in both texts have to deal with family and people in their social circles pressurising them to meet the ideal man or love interest. Each story revolves around the main female characters, Bridget Jones and Elizabeth Bennet. In pride prejudice, the financial status of the women was more of an issue when it came to finding an ideal partner, than it was in Bridget Jones’ Diary. The Bennets were not very financially secure, so Mrs Bennet would arrange or attend parties with her girls that had lots of rich men simultaneously attending, hoping one of them would fall in love and find a husband. Alike to this, Bridget’s mother would also take her to parties or gatherings where suitable, single men would be lurking, although Bridget’s mother did not impose rich men on her as much as Mrs Bennet did on her girls. Bridget’s mum was more concerned about the thought of her daughter’s biological clock ticking away, and finding her a respectable man before it was too late. â€Å" You career girls, can’t put it off forever you know, tick tock.† This shows that pride and prejudice is nothing more than Bridget Jones’ Diary in modern dress as the issues with not being able to find a suitable husband, and having the family intervene in the search are still very apparent. Both Elizabeth and Bridget feel obliged to find a man as most of their peers surrounding them are settling down and getting married. This is an expectation put on them by society, as only once part of a couple, women are thought of as complete or entirely happy. In Bridget's Jones’ Diary, Bridget's inability to find a man or settle down, often pops up as a common conversation subject with friends or family. â€Å"Hi Bridget, how’s your love life?† And â€Å"so, Bridget, why is it you career girls can’t hold down a decent man?† Bridget often puts off answering the question, with a quick, witty reply. â€Å"Well I suppose it doesn’t help that beneath our clothes we’re covered in scales!† In pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth’s younger sister Lydia runs away with her love interest Mr Wickham. The couple were frowned upon, as the idea of pre-marital sex brought sh... ...Mark Darcy and Mr Darcy are too proud to approach the women and fear rejection. The men also feel slightly pressured to conform to the traditional male roles by looking after the women they love. Examples of this are when Mr Darcy pays off Wickham for the Bennets, and when Mark lets Bridget have an exclusive interview to save her getting the sack from her job. Love and marriage and the status of women in society has not changed dramatically from a male perspective as women are still expected to dress appropriately and have correct language in order to impress the opposite sex. However, in comparison to a 20th century text, the women nowadays and in Bridget Jones’ Diary have a higher opinion of themselves and feel they still have to work as well as have a love interest, mainly for the self satisfaction, and sense of achievement. In conclusion, Bridget Jones’ Diary is nothing more than Pride and Prejudice in modern dress as the women are still looking for the traditional love, to be swept off of their feet by a man, be looked after and live happily ever after regardless of whether having a colossal amount of money as both Elizabeth and Bridget proved.

How Is Conflict Presented in Bayonet Charg Essay

Conflict often has harmful effects, including causing death and destruction, so it is usually viewed negatively. However, conflict can also bring out positive traits in people, and the people involved in it may be respected. â€Å"Bayonet Charge† imagines a soldier’s experience in battle. â€Å"The Charge of The Light Brigade† recounts the story of the charge made by the Light Brigade in the Battle of Balaclava. Language One way conflicted is presented in â€Å"Bayonet Charge† is through the use of language. The language used, portrays the soldier and his actions/movements. Ted Hughes uses sibilance to portray the soldier’s actions as well as feelings. For example, â€Å"raw-seamed hot khaki, his sweat heavy Stumbling†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The use of sibilance here mimics the squelching mud. The repetitive‘s’ sounds recreates an image of the soldier walking through mud. The word ‘khaki’ suggests that the person being described is a soldier as it is normally associated with the military uniforms. The word ‘heavy’ suggests that the soldier is uncomfortable and his movements are unnatural. The word ‘stumbling’ suggests that the soldier is disoriented and could also suggest that his movements are clumsy. Another way language is used to present conflict is through the use of similes. For example, â€Å"Sweating like molten iron from the centre of his chest†. The phrase ‘molten iron’ suggests a burning, abject terror at the heart of his being. On the other hand, â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade† uses metaphors such as â€Å"Valley of Death† to present conflict. This phrase forebodes the charge as it makes it sound certain that the soldiers are going to die. It also suggests the commander has made a mistake as he has sent them into the ‘valley of death’. This makes the soldiers more courageous as they are marching into their own deaths. It also creates the allusion to psalm, where faith instils courage in the face of death. Another way language is used to present conflict is through the use of rhetorical questions. For example, â€Å"was there a man dismay’d?† The rhetorical question implies unequivocal bravery and shows the gallant nature of the men. It shows that they were used to obeying orders and leaving the thinking to their generals. Structure/Form The form and the structure of the poems also plays a part in getting the message across to the reader. â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade† has a clear and powerful rhythm and rhyme scheme that suggest the energy of the battle. The Light Brigade’s determined gallop towards its destruction is emphasised, by repetition, from the first two lines of the first stanza of the poem: â€Å"Half a league, half a league,/ Half a league onward†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Once the order has been given, the fate of the men was sealed – they had no choice but to follow their terrible destiny to its conclusion. The weapons they faced are also repeated, sometimes with slight variations, for example, â€Å"Cannon to the right of them, / Cannon to the left of them,† to emphasise the danger faced by the cavalry and their great bravery. Repetition creates a sense of impatience to enter battle and bravery in the face of danger. Alfred Tennyson uses dactylic trimester to mimicking the stea dy galloping of their horses. The stresses also create a â€Å"falling rhythm† which symbolises the soldiers who will fall. The poet has written the poem in 6 irregular lined stanzas. This could be to show the unpredictability of war. The word â€Å"Cannons† has been used as an anaphora for three lines which emphasises the fact soldiers are surrounded and can’t escape. The sheer amount of cannons blocks their vision therefore suggesting they couldn’t anticipate the attack. The form of the poem is a narrative story. This is because the poet is describing the attack to his audience. â€Å"Bayonet Charge† uses onomatopoeia, alliteration and assonance and the senses to bring the images described to life. â€Å"Stumbling across†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is an awkward line to read, which evokes the sensation of running across a muddy field. The use of enjambment throughout the poem quickens the pace and emphasises urgency and unpredictability of war. The use of medial caesuras achieves a variety of effects, from reflecting the soldier’s tiredness to deliberately making the action feel like slow motion. The use of iambic pentameter in some lines helps the poems flow and recreates a heartbeat

English as a Foreign Language Essay

The resources chosen for this exercise are a song and a series of related pictures. The pictures are images that contain science fiction-like elements which would be of interest to this elementary group within the demographic of 20 to 45 years. The lesson created for the students using these materials appeals to the development of their aural receptive skill, as the song lyrics contain many shorter phrases and sentences and phrases that students of that level are likely to be able to understand. It therefore combines audio with visual stimulation in order to create a greater impact of the students’ learning capacity. Objective: The students will function in an English-speaking role by become a member of the audience for an authentic aural experience. This reflects an attempt to move away from the Grammar Translation Method (Brown, 2000, p. 16). The students are expected to be able to understand the lyrics contained in the song with the help of several scaffolding exercises. Students will experience the reinforcement of words, phrases and grammatical constructions that have previously been taught. They will also learn new words and phrases, as well as observe authentic ways in which native English speakers sometimes bend the rules of Standard English. The reinforcement activities used in the lesson (repetition, scrambling, etc. ) will aid the production skill of speaking as it allows the hearer the opportunity to try to say the word or phrase and the repetitions done within the song (chorus/refrain). They will give the student opportunities to try and retry pronunciation until perfection is achieved. Rationale: 1. The interest of the students in music is expected be piqued by the lead-in exercise. It aids them by capturing and keeping their attention fixed on the task. Because â€Å"a complex task such as language learning involves [all methods] of learning, from signal learning to problem solving,† this task seeks to stimulate the students’ faculties so they are prompted to use all their resources (visual, aural and reasoning skills) to figure out what happens in the song (Brown, 2005, p. 91-92). 2. Students are asked to look at the pictures being generated and create an order for the story in order to keep their minds on the task and engaging their interest in it. It also gets them thinking about the possible vocabulary related to the topic. The students are given the chance to make predictions about the story in an effort to encourage their speech in English the translation of ideas into a language other than their native one. When they have practice translating their own thoughts into English, it makes each successive attempt to do so easier. This task also focuses on visual reception. 3. This task focuses on aural and visual reception, as the teacher says the name of the objects as he/she shows its picture. However, the task also aids oral production in that it identifies and unites the visual representation of the word in print with the sound it has when a native speaker uses it. This is as opposed to learning vocabulary in isolation, as according to Ausubel, â€Å"people of all ages have little need for rote, mechanistic learning† (qtd. in Brown, 2000, p. 63). The pictures act as a method of scaffolding via which the students are able to better understand (or learn) the words being spoken. 4. The pre-teaching exercises have laid the foundation and now facilitate the gathering of the gist of the song in its first playing. The scrambling of the lyrics acts as a means of scaffolding these elementary learners and helps them to know what they are to listen for. This is done so that students are able to get the broad understanding during the first viewing, and this frees them to listen for details in the second listening. It also gives them a chance to use new words and phrases they may have picked up during the exercise and aids in the clarification of details that students might have misunderstood. 5. Students are required to read various sentences and phrases of the song in order to reinforce their ability to speak the language and to make predictions about grammar and diction. It also gives them a chance to say the word in the way a native would pronounce them rather than adhering too closely to a phonetic representation of the words/phrases. It also gives them the opportunity to query new words or phrases they heard in the film. Repetition of the song also reinforces listening comprehension, especially as it regards hearing the details. Later, the collaborative listening and speaking (in pairs) allows the students to pool their resources in constructing a coherent English reconstruction of the lyrics. This gives students a chance to learn from each other. It puts the language even more into the context of social interaction—building on the idea that â€Å"language is behaviour, that is, a phase of human activity that must not be treated in essence as structurally divorced from the structure of non-verbal human activity† (Pike, 1967, p. 26). The activity also gives them practice speaking the language to each other and prepares them informally for their oral presentation assignment. 6. The oral presentation is focused specifically on the oral aspect of using the English language. The students are expected to put their own thoughts together in the form of a story and translate their ideas into an English medium. In this way, they are encouraged to speak the language so that native and non-native speakers will be able to understand. Because this part of the lesson is an extension, it allows them to use some of the words and phrases they have learned in the lesson. 7. The flexi stage of the lesson also provides the students with the collaborative help that will enhance their ability to express themselves. Because they have a choice in what they present, their interest is likely to be sustained (Brown, 2000; Scrivener, 2005). The assignment also allows them the time and freedom to locate new words and phrases that will aid their articulation of their ideas. This also encourages learning of new English words, phrases and grammatical constructions. The task also provides a means of productive discussion and extension without overwhelming the students. References Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching. White Plains: Pearson Education. Pike, K. (1967). Language in relation to a unified theory of the structure of human behavior. The Hague: Mouton Publishers. Scrivener, J. (2005). Learning Teaching. New York: MacMillan.

Has the raise in the tuition-fees rule affected student’s degree choices?

Introduction The underlying aim of this research is to identify the impact of the changes suggested and implemented as part of Brown Review of Funding, in 2010, and to establish whether this has changed the overall funding approach to be taken by higher educational establishments, while also approving the raising of the fees’ cap up to a maximum of ?9,000. The previous maximum was ?3,375; therefore, the increase in tuition fees was potentially going to have a dramatic impact on the overall desirability for higher education and the degree choices that are made by students. This research paper aims to ascertain the decisions made by students and the impact that these fees have had on the industry, as a whole. Literature Review Issues relating to the funding policy of education, with the fees charged to students arguably being one of the more high-profile elements of the policy, are many and complex. Existing literature in this area has therefore looked at various different aspects of the funding policy, all of which may be relevant when it comes to determining how the student body is likely to react to the changes, at ground level. Research by Chowdry et al., 2010, suggested that the complexity of the repayment system was in itself a potentially negative factor, although this did create a situation whereby the burden of these increased fees does vary, depending on underlying factors among students, such as parental income and the eligibility for grants and loans. Research by Chowdry indicated that the average debt for students when graduating is likely to be approximately ?59,100. Given this dramatic change, it is unsurprising that there is a relatively large amount of literature looking at student uptake of a university education, although historically this has largely been focused on the links between family background and university participation. For example, research by Blanden and Machin, in 2004, looked at the link between university participation and the achievements of students, based on parental income, both before and after the year 1998, where withdrawals had had a dramatic impact on the way in which university life was funded. This work was then updated in 2008, yet no direct impact was found, creating a gap in the literature. Research in this area also exists within the United States, with researchers such as Kane, 1994, using variances across the states and within the states to monitor and track student participation, based on tuition fees. This research was undertaken in a quantitative fashion, on the grounds that an increase of $1,000 in the tuition fees being charged could ultimately results in a decrease in attendance of approximately 3.7%. Other research has taken a slightly different approach when looking at the impact of financial support, rather than necessarily considering the impact of increased fees, with Dynarski (2000) finding that an increase of $1,000 in aid increased the level of participation by 4%, thus showing a greater sensitivity to assistance than it does from increasing fees. Research does, however, suggest that both the availability of assistance and changes in tuition fees are having a direct impact on the willingness of individuals to participate in higher education, yet the precise impact of the new UK reforms in 2010 still remain relatively unexplored. Research Philosophy, Strategy and Methodology The purpose of this research is to look at the substance of quantitative changes and the impact that these have had on an individual, to make decisions in relation to participation in higher education. Type of ResearchAs the key issues at the heart of the research are to look at the thought patterns and behaviours of individuals, the appropriate research philosophy is interpretivist and phenomenological in nature, ensuring that the researcher takes into account the conscious decisions of the individual. The reasoning behind the decision to adopt this approach is based on the recognition that human decision-making is controlled by a variety of factors and not simply based on quantitative, rational and objective decision-making. The research will be a combination of quantitative and qualitative, as it is anticipated that an analysis of participation, such as that within the existing literature can be undertaken to determine the figures behind the change, yet it is also necessary to loo k for a descriptive element to the research, so that the thought patterns of students can be analysed. This phenomenological approach is much more humanistic in nature and recognises that opinion will be central to the ultimate findings within this research; however, this should be undertaken with a quantitative support structure, where appropriate.Research Approach and StrategyThe underlying research approach is inductive in nature and involves taking a particular situation, in this case the increase in tuition fees, and developing general ideas and theories as to how this is likely to impact on various different elements of higher education. This will include not only looking at overall levels of participation, but also at the impact which this has had on decision-making in relation to which degree should be studied. This research being inductive enables the researcher to start by looking at the factual basis of an increase in fees and then to spread out from this point, in order to gather ideas and theories. MethodologyThe chosen methodology therefore will be to look at the precise nature of the changes and to identify any trends in participation between the two previous increases in fees and the year after the increase in fees, something which can be achieved by looking at the figures and facts from various institutions, before then going on to take the humanistic approach by undertaking questionnaires, interviews and focus groups with students and potential students, to determine whether the increase in fees leads to changes in decision-making in relation to the choice of course that can be attributed to the figures that have been identified. Ethical Implications There are several key considerations when it comes to ethical concerns during research of any nature and, in particular, in this case many of which are identified by Saunders et al., (2003). Some of the ethical considerations which have potential implications for this research have been identified, and the researcher is mindful that other ethical considerations may arise, on a case-by-case basis. The main concern at this stage is linked to the fact that information needs to be gained directly from the student in relation to their financial status and, as such, the privacy of those individuals is crucial, with individuals having to be confident that the information being provided will be maintained in confidence, although the research is going to be objective in nature when dealing with the information the participants provide. Participation in the research must necessarily be entirely voluntary, with any participant being free to leave the study at any point. Participants need to be clear on the purpose of the research and the role which they play, as well as offering them the opportunity to make changes to the responses and to gain access to their responses, at any point, to check that they have been reported accurately and make changes, if they deem appropriate. Data Collection Data collection from primary sources, i.e. students and potential students, will be gathered through the method of questionnaires, interviews and focus groups and will target existing students and those students who are making their higher education decision, at the moment, or in the foreseeable future. On the whole, therefore, this will focus on the age category of 17 to 20 years old, although where possible, some more mature students will also be interviewed, as they may have different perspectives in terms of their higher education decisions. The most appropriate form of data collection for the questionnaires has been determined as being online, as this is likely to encourage the greatest response, due to its flexibility and the likelihood that the majority of students and potential students will have at least an acceptable level of IT experience to be able to complete a questionnaire online. As interviews will also be conducted, the fact that the questionnaires will be on closed-end questions that can provide quantitative analysis does not present a particular limitation. A copy of the enclosed questionnaire will be contained in the appendix to this proposal and the format of the interviews and focus groups will be the same as questionnaires, but encouraging longer and more open ended responses, in order to obtain a better feel for the thought patterns behind the responses. A test pilot of 10 questionnaires has been undertaken and the responses are contained in the appendix. Analysis of Pilot Data The data collected as part of the pilot is contained in the appendix and it is concluded that the questions are appropriate when it comes to meeting the aims and objectives of the research. By asking the respondents about their current position in terms of their education and whether they are currently considering a university course as well as looking at the factors that are likely to influence the decision, a broader understanding of the influence of the increased fees can be ascertained. This questionnaire will also form the basis for the interviews and open-ended answers are expected in relation to these questions, offering explanations as to why certain answers have been given by the broader questionnaire sample. For example, all the respondents stated cost as an influence on their university choices and 6 respondents stated that it was their main factor when it came to the decision-making process, suggesting that there is on the face of it a strong indication that this factor is going have a direct bearing on university choices. This questionnaire will then lay the foundation for the broader analysis and in order to determine the precise impact that the increased fees are likely to have, and not simply determining that they do in fact have an impact, but rather, it is the nature of the impact that is going to be the formative part of this research. Overall Evaluation The research strategy, on the whole, is appropriate to the underlying aim of the research, as it combines quantitative information relating to the number of students and the choices in relation to courses. This is then to be combined with the thoughts and ideas of students entering into education, to ascertain the reasons behind these quantitative changes. This issue is, however, likely to be personal to individuals and, as such, there will be limitations in the fact that it is not possible to gain responses from every single potential students simply cannot be obtained on generalisations which are likely to be present during research of this nature. References BLANDEN, J., GREGG, P. & MACHIN, S. (2003) Changes in Educational Inequality. CMPO Working Paper Series No 03/079. BLANDEN, J & MACHIN, S. (2008) ‘Up and Down the Generational Income Ladder in Britain: Past Changes and Future Prospects’ National Institute Economic Review 2008; 205; 101. BROWNE REVIEW (2010) Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education in England. www.independent.gov.uk/browne-report CHOWDRY, H., CRAWFORD, C., DEARDEN, L., GOODMAN, A. and VIGNOLES, A. (2010) ‘Widening Participation in Higher Education: Analysis Using Linked Administrative Data’, Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) Working Paper W10/04.