Primark and Ethical Business.Doc Essay Example

Primark and Ethical Business.Doc Paper Primark and Ethical Business Introduction Primark the leading clothing retailer Rapid changes in media, transport and communications technology have made the world economy more interconnected now than in any previous period of history. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of textile manufacture and clothing distribution. Consumers want fashionable clothes at affordable prices. Much of high street fashion is produced in various countries across the world. Businesses source clothes from countries like India, China, Bangladesh and Turkey because of lower material and labour costs in these countries. In order to meet consumer demand, Primark works with manufacturers around the world. Primark is part of Associated British Foods (ABF), a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group. Primark has almost 200 stores across Ireland, the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Portugal. Primark’s annual turnover accounts for a significant proportion of ABF†s revenues and profit. Primark’s target customer is fashion-conscious and wants value for money. Primark can offer value for money by: †¢Sourcing products efficiently †¢Making clothes with simpler designs †¢Using local fabrics and trims Focusing on the most popular sizes †¢Buying in volume †¢Not spending heavily on advertising. The largest Primark store is located on Market Street, Manchester, England. Some 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of retail space is spread across its three floors. It took over from Liverpool in 2008 after TK Maxx moved from the basement floor to the Arn dale Centre, allowing Primark to further expand Corporate Social Responsibility Every business has the corporate social responsibility (CSR) to be Ethical in its business environment and CSR is about responsibility to all stakeholders and not just shareholders. We will write a custom essay sample on Primark and Ethical Business.Doc specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Primark and Ethical Business.Doc specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Primark and Ethical Business.Doc specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer What is Stakeholder? A person, group or organisation, has direct or indirect stake in an organisation because it can affect or be affected by the organisation’s actions, objectives and policies. Key stakeholders in a business organisation include its creditors, customers, directors, employees, government agencies, owners, suppliers, unions and the community from which the business draws its resources. What are Business Ethics? Ethics are moral guidelines which govern good behaviour so behaving ethically is doing what is morally right Behaving ethically in business is widely regarded as good business practice. Being good is good business† (D. Anita Roddick) â€Å"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business† (Henry Ford) Code of Practice A common approach is to implement a code of practice. Ethical codes are increasingly popular – particularly with larger businesses and cover areas such as: Corporate social responsibility Dealings with customers and supply chain Environmental policy actions Rules for personal and corporate integrity Primark from Ethical to Unethical Business Let’s take one of the above stakeholders the suppliers to analyse how the suppliers and supply chain can affect the business ethics and can make a business unethical business. A business cannot claim to be ethical firm if it ignores unethical practices by its suppliers. Use of child labour and forced labour, Production in sweatshops, Violation of the basic rights of workers, Ignoring health, safety and environmental standards. An ethical business has to be concerned with the behaviour of all businesses that operate in the supply chain i. e. Suppliers, Contractors, Distributors, Sales agents. So the Primark could not consider and concentrate on the supply chain of its suppliers who were hiring the child labour in the factories in various states of India and Bangladesh. Those suppliers were the main source of Primark retail clothing products in UK and. This issue was exposed by The Observer, The Independent News and the BBC panorama. Primark declared as least ethical business Primark, the discount clothing chain beloved of bargain hunters, has been rated the least ethical place to buy clothes in Britain. Primark scores just 2. 5 out of 20 on an ethical index that ranks the leading clothing chains on criteria such as workers rights and whether they do business with oppressive regimes. Mk One and Marks Spencer were ranked second and third worst for ethics by Ethical Consumer magazine (By Martin Hickman Consumer Affairs Correspondent Thursday, 8 December 2005, The Independent news) The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), of which Primark is a member, has undertaken an investigation in to the reports. The ETI confirmed to Drapers this week that the investigation was ongoing and no conclusion had yet been reached. Primark refutes the claims stating it can offer good value and good quality because of low mark-ups and big volumes. We use simple designs, our overhead costs are extremely low and we dont run expensive advertising campaigns. Lapse in standards The information provided by the BBC enabled us to identify that illegal sub-contracting had been taking place and to take action accordingly, Primark explained. According to Primark, the garments affected accounted for 0. 4% of the retailers worldwide sourcing. It added that the sub-contracting involved home working and in some instances children were also found to be working at home We take this lapse in standards very seriously indeed, said Primark, which is owned by Associated British Foods Under no circumstances would Primark ever knowingly permit such activities, whether directly through its suppliers or through third party s ub-contractors. The Primark supplier in question, a major Indian exporter called Fab n Fabric, had employed a subcontractor who had discovered the ultimate disposable workforce: child refugees. Primark’s Code of conduct and Initiatives taken Under the terms of its code of practice for suppliers, Primark prohibits the use of child labour in its manufacturing chain. Primark says it will terminate relations with suppliers guilty of certain transgressions and those unwilling to make the necessary changes to their employment practices when breaches of its code are uncovered. Primark and Stakeholders Engagement Primark sacked the three suppliers before being hit by a wave of negative publicity inevitably coming its way from the documentary. The firm, owned by Associated British Foods, said it had made the statement to fulfil a responsibility to shareholders, not as cynics suggested to lessen the shock of an international expose. The retailer said that, as soon as it was alerted to the practices over a month ago by The Observer and the BBC it cancelled new orders with the factories concerned and withdrew thousands of garments from its stores. A statement from Primark Stores on Bangladesh 19/11/2010 A Primark spokesman said: â€Å"Primark shares and recognises many of the concerns raised by No Sweat. We acknowledge that conditions for workers in some factories do not always meet them high standards that we and other brands sourcing from these factories, expect. Primark believes ethical business practices are of the highest importance and that is why we work tirelessly with our supplies and other stakeholders, including those in Bangladesh, to raise standards and the welfare of the workers that depend on the orders placed at these factories. Primark is working in several ways to continually improve ethical standards and working conditions among suppliers. Primark’s Initiatives and Working with stakeholders Working closely with external partners featured strongly in much of what Primark achieved during 2010. Highlights include the following: Primark in Bangladesh In Bangladesh, 16 of the factories from which we buy have been working with Nari Uddug Kendra (NUK), an NGO that focuses on women’s rights. Together, Primark and NUK have provided training for factories on how to manage workers more fairly, and educate them about their rights. In 2009, 974 workers received training through this programme. Furthermore, Primark has created a new Ethical Trade Manager position in Bangladesh. One of the first initiatives to be launched by the Ethical Trade Manager will be tailored ethical training for suppliers in Bangladesh. Further plans are underway to recruit a female Ethical Trade Executive with a specific remit to focus on women’s issues in factories, which we know are particularly important I this context. Primark in China In China and Bangladesh, Primark began projects that aim to create long-term, sustainable improvements in labour standards and provide living wages for people. Several visits had been undertaken to both countries in 2009, to identify suppliers, factories and local implementation partners including NGOs, worker organisations, employer associations, and technical experts. Primark in India In southern India we are working at grassroots level with an NGO to understand and address the challenges faced by workers in communities where Primark’s products are made. The programme includes surveys to identify workers, families and children at risk, as well as providing a counselling service and helpline for people. A core part of this initiative is worker education and we have established groups that look at issues from hygiene and personal development to gender equality and workplace rights. Primark with International Organisations Through Primark’s membership of the ILO and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Better Work programme, we engage and collaborate with retailers and labour experts within countries to provide localised supplier training, remediation and worker engagement. Primark’s supplier factories in Vietnam are part of the initiative, and we support the efforts and plans of the ILO to implement the programme in other countries from which we source. Primark and BSR This year Primark joined Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), a CR organisation with over 250 corporate members. Primark is an active member of the BSR Mills and Sundries working group, a coalition of clothing retailers which looks at ethical and environmental performance within spinning mills, dye-houses and sundry manufacturers. BSR also worked with Primark on identifying key trends in labour migration in China, and how Primark suppliers could mitigate potential labour shortages through good human resource management. Finally, we are proud that Primark is BSR’s partner in Bangladesh for the health enabled returns programme, a groundbreaking initiative that provides healthcare and education for women in factories. Primark and ETI As a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), Primark continued to be actively involved in a number of ETI groups in 2010 relating to the following: General Merchandise, Home working Principles of Implementation, Annual Report, Purchasing Practices, and China. Primark also increased its collaborative efforts with other brands, via membership of cross-brand forums in a number of countries as well as more informal joint efforts on supplier remediation. As 95% of the factories that supply Primark also supply other retailers, this joined-up approach is one of the best ways to achieve progress Primark altered internal system Primark has brought many changes in its internal system to meet the requirements of Ethical Trading Initiative and to over come the issue of least ethical business. Appointment of Ethical trade Director Team The Primark has employed Katharine Kirk, from Gap Inc, as Ethical Trade Director. No new supplier can be appointed without being audited, and then Cleared by her. Primark has been steadily expanding the size of its own ethical trade staff over the last 2 years. In-house there is currently an 8 person team (including the Director). Recent additions to the team include a new Ethical Trade Manager in Bangladesh and plans are underway to recruit a female Ethical Trade Executive for Bangladesh with a specific remit to focus on women’s issues in factories. Primark also has a new Ethical Trade Manager in Turkey, and a new Ethical Trade Executive to add to the strength of the existing team in India. The aim is to have in place a team of 15 by the end of 2010. Monitoring and Auditing In 2009 Primark had conducted over 1080 audits, which is almost double the number in 2008 (533 audits). The growing in-house ethical team, new third party auditor partners, and the online audit database are helping to support this growth. Audits are accompanied by a remediation programme for each supplier as required. This is the accepted way the industry seeks to raise standards. Primark uses a mix of our own in-house and third party auditors. Third party auditors performed around 70% of our audits last year. So the Primark is increasing the number of them. Most of their visits are unannounced or semi-announced. They are paid for by Primark, to reduce the burden on suppliers and factories. The focus of Primark’s auditing programme is the top 250 suppliers which represent 87. 6% of the selling value of the business. Primark had audited all suppliers ranked in the top 250 by the end of 2009. Primark audit according to: Level of turnover with a supplier, proportion of a supplier’s production that is dedicated to our business, country of manufacture, risk of production process, any other information about a particular supplier or factory that identifies risk. However, Primark recognised that audits are a necessary, but not sufficient, part of the solution to raising standards in the supply chain. Much is dependent on remediation and training. Remediation plan with Factories Primark has third party auditors and staff works out a remediation plan with each factory after an audit, and then a follow-up is conducted, mainly by our own team members. More than half the audits we do are follow-ups (55% of Audit in 2009) 18 months ago Primark began work on a new, cutting-edge, online audit management system. BSI Entropy’s management system helps us to keep track of non-compliances at the individual production site, as well as at country and buying department levels. The system helps us to follow up non compliances in a timely manner and identify root causes of problems and where additional training is required. Primark has established a dedicated living wages projects in China and Bangladesh. The lessons learned and models developed will be rolled out more widely within Primark’s supply base. The project entails using local experts in each country – NGOs, trade unions and productivity experts – to improve the systems within the factories. Primark buyers will also be involved in encouraging factories to make the necessary changes, sharing knowledge and experience with the factory management, as well as looking at how they can improve the way they buy – for example by paying close attention to the timing and volume of orders so as not to overstrain the factory. Training programmes †¢ All Primark buyers and key personnel have been trained in ethical trade. In total this has covered 209 staff equating to over 1,672 hours worth of dedicated ethical trade training. †¢ New staff members are also given training on ethical trade during their induction. Ethical trade training was provided to Primark’s China-based staff. †¢ The supplier training programme has been extended and dedicated events took place in China, the UK and India last year. In November Primark hosted 3 days of ET training for the top 50 Chinese suppliers and their factories in Shanghai. 192 individuals attended these sessions. In July 40 Irish and UK suppliers and factories attended one of the ethical trade workshops held in Reading and Birmingham Primark is about to launch a new Suppliers’ Extranet, an online information resource centre for suppliers which will include helpful training tools and guides for factories. Primark has also developed an online compliance training tool for suppliers with a specialist provider, so we can reach more factories, more quickly. Recommendations to improve Ethical Practices The ethical climate of a business organization can make the difference between a successful venture and an unsuccessful one, that there may be a connection between how a business is perceived and its internal ethical climate. Improving the ethical climate of your own business enhances and preserves its reputation, inspires loyalty and advertises that it has its ethics message right. It also fosters an ethical culture within the organization. Evaluating Ethical Behaviour I would like to recommend and suggest that companies should undergo internal ethics audits on a regular basis because that the regular internal audit of the business organizations ethics and compliance program adds great value to the organization. A business organization should take a top-down approach to ethics. By communicating and modelling behavioural standards from the highest levels of your business down to the entry-level positions. So we can ensure that there is no gap between ethical standards and the actual behaviour of employees. By regularly evaluating these standards and the behaviour of your companys leadership, you can effectively promote compliance to ethical behavioural norms for your organization. Educating Employees A business organisation should Increased focus in the business community regarding ethics-based issues has led to increased funding and research to increase ethical awareness. One strategy to improve the ethical climate of your business organization is to offer or even require classes in business ethics. Business ethics classes at the local community college or even classes offered directly through the human resources department can be a practical and cost-effective way to offer ongoing ethics training and motivation. Protecting Employees One problem that might arise in the promotion of ethical guidelines to your orkforce is the fear employees may have regarding their role in reporting unethical or questionable behaviour by another employee or even a supervisor. Employees must be assured that they will be safe from retaliation from other employees or supervisors who might be turned in for engaging in questionable activities. The best way to make this assurance is to offer employees a confidential channel through which they can report bad behaviour. A company ethics hot line is one way to increase employee willingness to speak out. Another might be a suggestion box kept in a secure location where other employees are not likely to see one of their fellow employees turning them in. Employees must be confidently assured that reporting bad behaviour is expected and safe. Supply chain sources Every business organisation should choose its supply chain sources with carefully and make sure that all your suppliers are taking care of human rights in their factories by visiting the factories of your business suppliers. Conclusion For companies with plans to establish a more formal code of conduct and ethics program or to improve existing ones, the tone must be set at the top. Effective standards for ethical conduct must be initiated, supported, encouraged, and practiced by top management. Furthermore, a code of conduct cannot be effective if it is not adequately communicated and explained. Todays technology provides various cost-effective methods for communicating an ethics code. These communication efforts should be provided in a steady stream even after the initial awareness campaign. The advantages that are to be gained from formally practicing in ways that adhere to ethical principles include, the development of company documentation that guides and informs staff members on their proper conduct both during normal business interactions and during ethically-challenging situations; A better understanding by staff members of their responsibilities, and an ability to align their values with those of the organisation; The assumption of an appropriate level of accountability by staff members in identifying and anaging business risks; The facilitation of fairness and moral management in business activities; Increased trust from, and between, internal and external stakeholders. Increased employee satisfaction; A more open-minded organisational culture in which the interests of the employer, employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders are protected; An enhanced reputation within the community that helps attract new staff and customers, increases both public and community relations, and the potential for improved financial performance; and an enhanced reputation with competitors, governmental agencies and financial institutions by working with external agencies such as the International Labour Organization, the ETI and independent auditors, Primark helps to set and maintain standards. Its auditors work with suppliers over a period of time to help them meet the exacting standards set out by the Ethical Trading Initiative. This enables the supplier to become approved. So the PRIMARK has proved it wrong that its business operations are unethical, by taking the key measures and introducing many changes in its internal and external operations. Now Primark’s operations are based on Based on international Labour code and this is Translated into 26 Languages and published on Primark website. PRIMARK has sets off full policies and is part of terms and condition †¢Training for suppliers and buyers to ensure adherence to ethical practice †¢Tough selection process for new suppliers Reference: http://www. tutor2u. net/business/strategy/business-ethics-issues. html http://www. tutor2u. net/business/strategy/business-ethics-introduction. html http://www. tutor2u. net/blog/index. php/business-studies/comments/1175/ http://tutor2u. net/blog/index. php/economics/comments/my-primark-answer-and-more-questions/ http://www. abf. co. uk/stakeholder-engagement. spx http://www. ethicalperformance. com/news/article. php? articleID=6068 Source: tutor2u AS/A2 Economics Blog Source: tutor2u Business Studies Blog http://www. businessdictioneray. com : http://www. investopedia. com/terms/s/shareholder. asp#ixzz1Q7yKwTDG www. primark. co. uk/Ethical www. primark-ethicaltrading. co. uk/ /primark_announcement_on_eti_review . htm Read more: Strategies to Improve the Ethical Climate of a Business Organization | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/way_5891381_strategies-ethical-climate-business-organization. tml#ixzz1QJ2wEgBZ Published in 2004, Curtis C. Verschoor NASDAQ letter to the SEC, April 11, 2002, http://www. nasdaqnews. com/ news/pr20 02/corporate%20governance. pdf Lei singer, KM, Corporate Ethics and International Business: Some Basic Issues http://www. foundation. novartis. com/business_corporate_ethics. htm, Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development (June 2, 1994) Murphy, Diana E. , The Federal Sentencing for Organizations: A Decade of Promoting Compliance and Ethics, Iowa Law Review (January 31, 2002), pp. 703-704. Anonymous, (2001), The importance of business ethics, HR Focus, Vol 78, Iss 7, p 1, 13+, New York Brandl, P. and Maguire, M. , (2002), Codes of ethics: A primer on their purpose development and use, The Journal for Quality and Participation, Vol 25, Iss 4, PP 8-12, Association for Quality and Participation, Cincinnati, OH Hopen, D. , (2002), Guiding corporate behaviour: A leadership obligation not a choice, The Journal for Quality and Participation, Vol 25, Iss 4, pp 15-19, Association for Quality and Participation, Cincinnati, OH Lovitky, J. A. and Ahern, J. , (1999), Designing compliance programs that foster ethical behaviour, Healthcare Financial Management, Vol 53, Iss 3, pp 38-42, Healthcare Financial Management Association, Westchester, IL Malan, D. , (2002), Applying tick-box ethics, Accountancy SA, PP 3-9, Hinesburg, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ken gray, Johannesburg. Master, M. , (2002), Ethics at work: The disconnect in ethics training, Across the Board, Vol 39, Iss 5, pp 51-52, New York Read more: http://www. hetimes100. co. uk/case-studyconclusion158-412-6. php#ixzz1QJJhwWDY Messmer, M. , (2003), Does your company have a code of ethics, Strategic Finance, Vol 84, Iss 10, pp 13-14, Institute of Management Accountants, Montvale, NJ Niedermeier, S. and Rhodes, L. , (2002), Creating a culture of credibility, The Journal for Quality and Participation, Vol 25, Iss 4, pp 13-14, Association for Quality and Participation, Cincinnati, OH The Work Foundation, (2002), Managing Best Practice No. 8: Co rporate Social Responsibility Case Study 1, pp 20-21, The Work Foundation, Birmingham Verschoor, C. C. , (2000), To talk about ethics, we must train on ethics, Strategic Finance, Vol 81, Iss 10, p 24, Institute of Management Accountants, Montvale Wells, S. J. , (1999), Turn employees into saints? , HRMagazine, Vol 44, Iss 13, pp 48-58, Society for Human Resource Management, Alexandria http://www. thetimes100. co. uk/case-studyconclusion158-412-6. php#ixzz1QJJhwWDY

Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Example

Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Example Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Shredni Vashtar (1910) is a story of relationships and escape. It is an example of equivocal gothic, according to Montague Summers categorizations in his essay The Gothic Quest: A history of the Gothic novel (1938). The story is typical to the Gothic genre as it contains ideas of exploring the unconscious, and the idea of metaphorical constraints (like those of Conradin due to his illness and his controlling guardian) represented by physical and literal constraints (like that of Shredni Vashter). Conradin is a curious character, whos reality seems to drive him into his own imagination, as he feels happier in his own world than in the world of Mrs. De Ropp. Freud in his works spoke about two major principles, the pleasure principle which opposes the reality principle. Conradin bases his life on the principle of escaping his reality in search of happiness and pleasure in his own world Perhaps Conradins masking of his dislike for Mrs. De Ropp is an element of the pleasure principle which avoids conflict and displeasure in favour of gratification and happiness. Gothic novels are often praised for exploring (and often prematurely) ideas, which Freud explored and legitimised. An important element of Gothic is infertility, as it represents death and paths the way for the authors vivid description of the narrators or characters surroundings. In this story, the dull, cheerless garden with few fruit trees and dismal shrubbery seems to reflect Conradins own life, which is full of wearisome things. The garden is described as an arid waste which creates the uncanny atmosphere so needed for a successful Gothic story. The subject of the uncanny is a Freudean idea used frequently in Gothic to arouse a sense of dread, horror and terror. The Gothic makes places obviously unheimlich (or un-homely) such as The Garden, or Heimlich (homely) such as the shed, which is described as a haven to create differing dimensions of fear from the locations in the story. The Garden is used to represent Conradins reality, always under surveillance by Mrs. De Ropp as it is overlooked by so many windows. The Shed however is representative of Conradins imagination, an escape, which is his own, hidden and private from his dominating and controlling guardian. An interesting idea I noticed in the story is the portrayal of religion, the ferret which promotes fear and curiosity in Conradin is associated with being a God, whereas the Houdan hen, the only character to which the boy lavished an affection that had scarcely another outlet is associated with being an Anabaptist (a Christian group who believe in belief baptism, or the re-baptising of adult believers). This is interesting because Conradin associates Mrs. De Ropp with respectability as well as normal Christianity (as it says The Woman indulged in religion) and so seeks anything but. This could be involving ideas of nature versus nurture, as Mrs. De Ropps loveless, cold and domineering treatment of her cousin has resulted in his loneliness and his desire to be independent in his beliefs rather than to learn from his guardian as children are expected to. Conradin is ill, and has but a short time to live, this is typical to the Gothic genre as deterioration is important rather than progression. Mrs. De Ropps short-sighted eyes which she uses to peer at the boy with may be used to show her lack of perception at the boys feelings towards her, and toward his own life, I believe this is important as it is repeated twice in the story in quick succession and I therefore believe that we as readers are supposed to pity Conradin. Her lack of knowledge may be used to speak out against societies and leaders rules, which are reflected by Mrs. De Ropps. There may be some gender issues as well, as Mrs. De Ropp is described as being a middle-class feminist who said that making toast gave trouble, she may have issues with Conradins gender as it seems as if Mrs. De Ropp has no children of her own, perhaps she would rather have a healthy girl of her own than an ill son who is not. The locked hutch door is a threshold, these are very important at perfectly concealing and releasing evidence and further knowledge of what is happening in gothic stories. This locked door is the division, which keeps Conradin away from what he so fears, as well as keeping Mrs. De Ropp away from the secret he so loves (Shredni Vashtar). The ferret parallels Conradin himself, as he is metaphorically imprisoned by his guardian and his illness, unable to reach his full potential in life, just as the captured and literally imprisoned Shredni Vashtar is. Typical adjectives are scattered in this story to create a better sense of atmosphere, such as cold, darkness and dusk. Shredni Vashtar is, for Conradin, the embodiment of his own suppressed power and anger, his thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white. Our reactions to the killing of Mrs. De Ropp are strange, as we cannot help but feel slightly victorious if not a little pleased. It is ironic that in the end Mrs. De Ropp transforms from the capturer to the one that frees them both from captivity. Conradin is a dark character as we see him doing to Shredni Vashtar, what he so hates about his own life, control, obsession and captivation. There are few characters with no dark aspects to them in this story, and it is hard to know which one to support. This is a clever technique as it replicates the confusion felt by Gothic characters in most stories. I believe that the escape of Shredni Vashtar is a possible representation of Conradins own future, as the two parralel one another, and Shredni Vashtar is the doppelganger or dark double of Conradin. The doctor who analysed Conradin with an early death is said to be effete a term regarding a person who seeks money (which he surely would receive for the purchase of Conradins medicine) and lacks a sense of responsibility I can not help but be left with the feeling that the short-sighted Mrs. De Ropp and her doctor may be wrong about Conradin. Mrs. De Ropp refuses to accept his health as this way she could exert more power over him, and the doctor is simply greedy for money. Conradin is freed with Shredni Vashtar, and I believe he is freed to of his metaphorical illness posed by enlightenment figures. This brings in another important Gothic trope, which is the mocking of the enlightenment.

Personal development record Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Personal development record - Coursework Example environment issues incorporated in the module presented not only the responsibilities of an engineer but that the profession has great influence in several areas in the society. The site visit and guest talk added value and made the profession a real life experience. The aims and objectives of the module were well presented in the consecutive lectures. All lectures were relevant to the module towards molding of civil engineers. Lack of procurement case studies that assist in critical thinking of real life situations made the lecture slightly difficult to understand. Some lectures presented in power point slides like the Guest lecture required that they be availed to students with more emphasis on assignments to aid student be critical thinkers. The learning approaches used in the module were classroom lectures, guest talk, site visit, and group discussions. The classroom lectures were vivid and relevant to the topics of study. Through the guest talk and site visit, issues of concern in construction practice were well understood. Acquiring professional accreditation from engineering bodies such as The Institution of Structural Engineers, The Institution of Highway & Transportation, ICE, and Joint Board of Moderators among others at no cost. Professional attributes cover engineering knowledge, application, management and leadership, independent judgement, commercial ability, health safety and welfare and sustainable development. The module was well presented although interfered with reticence of individuals. At the same time, research and writing of own notes makes one get a better understanding of the subject. A career talk can be organized for the future classes, conducted with professional engineers from engineering institutions and companies. This will motivate the learner to have vision for the career. Visits incorporated in the module enhances better understanding of the module The lecture enabled me learn that a procurement route is a way of making sure

Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

2 - Assignment Example The McWane Story included various issues which are contrary to the obligations and requirements of a good employer. This include important problems and issues with the balance between profitability and the requirement for ethics in relation to social and environmental matters that culminated into health and safety issues and major employment challenges that led to important and serious problems for the employees of the organization. Primarily, McWane was fundamentally involved in ensuring that profitability was at the center of its practice and its operations. This includes the focus on profits rather than other issues and matters like working with sensitivity and concerns for employees and workers. This led to a strong desire and a strong quest for attaining profits without concerning workers of the plant. OSHA Rules have various requirements for employers like McWane. This includes the fact that employers are required to follow health and safety in protecting employees in dealing with their work. However, McWane’s Tyler Pipes plant was one that overlooked numerous processes and systems that was necessary to improve profitability. However, this process was limited because the firm focused significantly on profits without concerning themselves with the demands and expectations of workers. Safety was sacrificed for meeting productivity targets and for ensuring that workers continue to attain important results and important ends. This led to numerous accidents and processes that led to important processes and systems. The management practices and processes of McWane were such that workers were required and expected to adhere to strict management practices and standards. The implication was that the managers had to overlook important employment statutes including some Common Law and other legal requirements for the regulation of employee

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MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS - Essay Example Relational exchanges are supported by more frequent communication activity. McDonalds is one of the largest fast food chains in the world with more than 30,000 restaurants across the world (Sweney 2004). It operates in innumerable markets, in different countries and cities and thus caters to consumers with different cultures, backgrounds, languages and tastes. Thus its marketing communication plan is not standardised and needs tailoring for different markets. Previously McDonalds focused primarily on the US and thus the marketing communication was similar in all the regions as the market characteristics were the same. However, argue Brinkman and Brinkman (2002) as the US market saturated, challenges increased as McDonalds surged new markets abroad. Though the marketing mediums are similar in all the countries, however, as per Fill (2006), the extent to which communication medium is used depends upon the market exposure to that medium. As Brinkman and Brinkman (2002) explain, it realised that it could not appeal to all the countries together so it adopted the ‘brand globally, act locally’ strategy to communicate its messages. For instance according to Douglas, in China, the trend is that when consumers watch TV, the in-between advertisements between programs are generally ignored. Thus keeping this in mind, McDonalds thought that it was a waste to spend large sums of money on TV commercials and thus it concentrated on print m edia in China. At the same time, adds Cheung (2006) the few TV commercials it ran in the country featured more male kids than female, as it is a male dominated society. In East Asia, as Schultz and Philip (1999) exemplify, McDonalds concentrates on TV commercials and features children in them to optimise the results. To retain the attention of customers in the US, McDonalds employed the interactive method of advertising via television where the viewers could participate in a competition

Mindless Machines :: Essays Papers

Mindless Machines The official foundations for "artificial intelligence" were set forth by A. M. Turing, in his 1950 paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" wherein he also coined the term and made predictions about the field. He claimed that by 1960, a computer would be able to formulate and prove complex mathematical theorems, write music and poetry, become world chess champion, and pass his test of artificial intelligences. In his test, a computer is required to carry on a compelling conversation with humans, fooling them into believing they are speaking with another human. All of his predictions require a computer to think and reason in the same manner as a human. Despite 50 years of effort, only the chess championship has come true. By refocusing artificial intelligence research to a more humanlike, cognitive model, the field will create machines that are truly intelligent, capable of meet Turing's goals. Currently, the only "intelligent" programs and computers are not really intellige nt at all, but rather they are clever applications of different algorithms lacking expandability and versatility. The human intellect has only been used in limited ways in the artificial intelligence field, however it is the ideal model upon which to base research. Concentrating research on a more cognitive model will allow the artificial intelligence (AI) field to create more intelligent entities and ultimately, once appropriate hardware exists, a true AI. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines intelligence as the capacity to apprehend facts and propositions, to reason about them, and the ability to understand them and their relations to each other. A. M. Turing had this definition in mind when he made his predictions and designed his test, commonly known as the Turing test. His test is, in principle, simple. A group of judges converse with different entities, some computers and some human, without knowledge of which is which. The job of the judges is to discern which entity is a computer. Judges may ask them any question they like, "Are you a computer?" excepted, and the participants may answer with anything they like, and in turn, ask questions of the judges. The concept of the test is not difficult, but creating an entity capable of passing the test with current technology is virtually impossible. Current AI entities are only different applications of algorithms already in heavy use and are not actually intelligent.

Navitas Kaplan Case Essay

The competition relationship between the Navitas and Kaplan is based on high educational service. They both play an important role at own educational fields and geographical fields. According to Brandenburger and Nalebuffs Value Net model Assume that Navitas is the company and Kaplan is one of competitors of Navitas. Most of customers are international students because of the target market of the Navitas. And the suppliers can be universities that have a positive relation with the Navitas such as Griffith University. Moreover, complementor can be student accommodation, good transport connections and appropriate shopping facilities such as a post office in the school. Additionally, the value of Navitas wants to add which is customer loyalty, and it is implemented very well. There is an increasingly number of international students especially Chinese students and Indian students are attracted to entry Navitas for Language improvement and preparation of university. Rules specify ways of attracting customers with strategies such as tuition fee of price-matching. Tactics are the practices sometimes used to take away a competitors possible market share, for example, Navitas provides university pathways programs. Scope is the final part, used to take a broader prospective and create links between competitors games and interests and see how co-opetition can benefit the players. Also, using the 5Qs (pp. 32-33) assess 2. What is Navitas business strategy How well is it performing Navitas business strategy 5Qs What amount of growth and level of profitability does the organisation plan to achieve It wants to grow and be quite profitable. What products and services does it plan to produce Its services are programs leading to higher education in English-speaking countries. What customer and geographic markets does it plan to service Its customers are students, especially international students. What generic strategy does it plan to follow to position itself uniquely against competitors It focuses to form relationships with established, highly credible universities. What position does it plan to hold in the future It wants to be universally recognised as the most trusted global learning organisation in the world. Navitas is a diversified global education provides that offers an extensive range of educational service for students and professionals including university programs, language courses, workforce education and student recruitment. By 2009, the company had become the largest private provider of international pathway students to Australian  universities. Moreover, the goal of the company is expanding its initial position as a university pathway program to a global education provider. Additionally, the corporate strategy of Navitas is to create seamless education pathways for students. Besides, most of Navitass colleges were also located at or near university campuses, providing students with convenience and at the same time leveraging the reputation of university. Due to Navitas also provides English language courses for most low IELTS grades international students before they enter university, the competitors fail to attract more international students. In the future, Navitas prefer to increase and strengthen relations with oversea universities and local campus expansion, and the important point is still focus on international students education. 3. What is Kaplans corporate strategy What is its business strategy in Australia How well is it performing Kaplans corporate strategy Kaplan wants to grow reasonably rapidly and be profitab le. It is a related corporation. All businesses of the corporation relate to each other. The businesses are all in the education and training areas, particularly in business-related or professional areas. The position that Kaplan wants to achieve is to be one of the worlds largest diversified education companies. What amount of growth and level of profitability does the organisation plan to achieve What products and services does it plan to produce What customer and geographic markets does it plan to service What generic strategy does it plan to follow to position itself uniquely against competitors What position does it plan to hold in the future The mission of Kaplan is to help people achieve their educational and careers goals. Kaplan wants to grow in both breadth and depth of education offerings to cover the need of individuals throughout their lifetime, such as test preparations and admissions, kids and schools, meanwhile expanded and increased professional development programs in Australia as quick as possible as well as appointed chief executive of Kaplan Australia to oversee the companys expansion in the country. 4. To what extent is Kaplan a threat to Navitas What should Navitas do to address this Clearly Kaplan and Navitas are competitive relationship in Australia, especially the expansion of Kaplan in Australia is a direct challenge to Nacitass position in the educational market. Kaplan has found its way to make an agreement with a Go8 university whereas Navitas has struggled to get entry to this group. It would signal that Kaplans services  may be better than Navitas in quality terms. It is a negative impact for Navitas in the education industry. Navitas should seek to grow internationally, trying to increase the international market share to make itself more famous and more attractive. On the other hand, Navitas should try to make an agreement with Go8 universities to steady the market share in Australia. 5. To what extent is Navitas a threat to Kaplan What should Kaplan do to address this Navitas entry into the US market is an threat to Kaplan. However, thus the US market is so large and the universities that Navitas is dealing with are not attractive enough, Navitas is difficult to cause any future threat to Kaplan. At this stage, it seems that it is not necessary for Kaplan to worry about the threat from Navitas. Kaplan should maintain the quality of service in US market and pay more attention to expand other markets. 6. To what extent do Navitas, Kaplan and similar organisations threaten existing government higher education institutions, such as universities and TAFEs The organizations like Navitas and Kaplan play multiple roles which can be competitor and complementor with existing government higher education institutions. They share student resource and built own brands to attract them. Moreover, overseas students are more profitable than domestic students. Universities are able to charge full-fees for overseas students, while most domestic placements attract a lower fee. Hence, Navitas and Kaplan pay more attention on the international educational markets, but TAFEs prefer to train professional skills to domestic students for their future careers. The difference of target market of these universities can be operated by them to maximize profits. 7. What should universities do to address this The university should improve the quality of its own service and programs, to be more customer-focused. Moreover, university can work with these profit-based organisations and clearly delineate which services and programs each should provide.