The Assassin – Creative Writing

He stood alone in the dilapidated old home. The shadows were gathered and the man in the moon was screaming in agony. His face was expressionless, with eyes as sharp as a spinning needle, His skin was pasty white. The television emitted a soft glow upon his face, highlighting his pupils. In his hand, was as blade, long and sharp, The very point was shimmering as he slid the cloth up and down the side of the machete-like knife, he pulled his slimy, greasy lips back over his yellow stained teeth and smiled. He sat in his armchair in front of the television and slid the knife into the holder around his waist. Then a loud ringing pierced the silence, He picked up the receiver and a shadowed, scratchy voice began to give him details; â€Å"11:45, Elm Street,† He carried on, â€Å"He's a â€Å"6'2†³ft dark haired guy; He will be wearing a suit and will be carrying a gun†. He was waiting for one last detail â€Å"à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½16,000†. Then he dropped the phone and looked at the clock, â€Å"10:55pm† He left for Elm Street. The night was cold; snow fell gently, giving the road a smooth, white blanket. The car engine purred as he sat waiting and watching. The victim was seen, the engine was stopped. He stepped out of the car and began to walk to where the victim's car was parked. Both men were headed to the parked car. The victim was a middle-aged man, shivering in the cold. When they both reached the car, the Assassin walked up to the victim from behind. There was a flash of steel, a blood boiling scream and a final splash of blood. Then there was silence. 6 Weeks later. Punchenello's hotel. It was old and beaten up. Most of the guests were drug addicts, drug dealers or prostitutes. On the top floor were two men; the first was Mr.Punchenello and the other was one of his men, Jack Finito, † He took out Louie, cut a great hole n his back.† â€Å"We gotta get this guy boss† Louie Punchenello was getting frustrated, â€Å"Ok, ok, ok! I know just the guy to pop him, leave it to me† Punchenello sounded confident that his man would take care of business. Back at the Assassins home, he was shining his blade when he received a letter that read. Dear Mr.Payne I know of your recent doings. 6 weeks ago you did a little job for someone, now I need you to do a job for me. Come to Punchenello's hotel tonight at eleven if your not there, we will come find you. We need your skills Max, 11'o clock. Yours Jack Finito The letter sounded fishy so Max would have to have a little more firepower, just in case. Max went to see a man called Alex Gigoni A.K.A â€Å"Ammo† he supplied Max with more than a knife. A colt commando, pump-action shotgun and a few Molotov Cocktails. The clock hit 10'o clock and Max was preparing his weapons, shining his blade. The time flew by and it was soon â€Å"10:35† and Max was on his way. The car engine died and he stepped out, In front of the hotel. He knocked firmly on the door and Jack Finito opened it â€Å"Come in Mr.Payne, your late†. The room was suddenly filled with men, all armed and pointing their guns towards Max. Reacting almost immediately Max dived out of the room while hurling a Molotov Cocktail into the room. The bottle hit the floor with a crack and a burst of flames flooded the room, it was like a bottle of fire had been opened. Max stood at the door of the blazing inferno, pulled out dual Berrettas waiting for men trying to get out of the smoke; there were no survivors. Max had been set a trap, but he hadn't taken the cheese, so he was going after the rat, Punchenello at the top floor of the hotel. The elevator obviously hadn't been used in years and there were at least 6 floors. He would have to climb the stairs without being spotted by more of Punchenello's men. Max flew up the stairs and standing there was Finito, Jack jumped out of skin, â€Å"MAX PAYNE! How the hell did you survive that?!?† â€Å"Lets just say an angel was watching over me† â€Å"Your Finito, Finito† and with that Max pulled the trigger on his handgun and blew Jack away. He carried on flying up the stairs still holding his guns firmly between his sweaty palm and fingers, he came to the penthouse door he could hear heavy breathing on the other side of the door. He smashed the door open and saw Punchinello on the phone. Punchinello jumped out of his seat and reached for his gun. â€Å"I wouldn't do that if I were you† Max said in a cocky voice. Punchinello smiled I think that tables have already turned Max. Max felt a guns barrel stick into the back of his head leading him into a chair in front of Punchenello's desk. Max saw him, he was 7ft tall and built like an Ox still pointing his gun straight as Max's forehead. â€Å"Hello Max† He said, Max hid his guns around his back waiting for his back to be turned. Punchenello began to speak to Max about how not to cross paths with serious men † We are dangerous Max, please don't think about making any more business around these parts. We own this town now and we wouldn't think twice about disposing of you†. The large man in front of him pulled the gun away from Max, and Max sighed a sigh of relief. Punchenello carried on talking, but Max wasn't listening he was figuring out how to kill both of them so quickly that no sound could be heard†¦ then Max remembered his blade†¦ with his knife in one hand and his handgun in the other. Max jumped out of his seat and drove the 8-inch knife deep into the hired Assassins back killing him instantly. Max rolled on the floor and jumped up, pumping Punchenello full of lead he could use his finger as a pencil. Someone must of heard the gunshots because the whaling of sirens could be heard in the distance.. Max jumped down the fire escape and ran into the night†¦ then he pulled his slimy, greasy lips over his stained yellow teeth and smiled. The Assassin – Creative Writing Engulfing his surroundings, as it crept out from the opening of his mouth, the smoke slowly drifted away from his lips. He leant back onto the damp wall, creating a haze of thick opaque smog and slowly tilted his head backwards in ecstasy. He gently exhaled into the cold bitter air of the night. Frequently he would be startled by the wail of police sirens, but they became increasingly fainter as they moved further and further away, the occasional barking of a dog and the rustling of leaves through the alleyway in which he was standing were the only other sounds that could be heard. The adrenaline surged throughout his body and he was left fidgeting in anxiety. The potent smell of marijuana was vivid in the depths of the alley where he gripped a neatly rolled and tightly packed cannabis joint; he inhaled deeply and was breathing with deep satisfaction. As the THC floated through his bloodstream and as the dopamine was released in his brain, he suddenly felt tranquilized and more relaxed. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his nerves and he swayed uneasily for a second, before shaking his head and regaining control. The darkness of the early morning was menacing; few stars glittered in the night sky and the subtle glow of the moon was partly concealed by the passing clouds, where black faded into hues of dark blues and deep, daunting violets. The gloom was still surrounding him and the frosty mist shrouded everything wanting to be seen. His shifty eyes watched in anticipation from the corner of an alley way for any kind of living being, while he clenched the revolver that was held in his right hand. The rubber soles of his sneakers were damp from the dew. From his still position, he could see the door of the apartment from the light of a street lamp. He was trying to remain hidden to maintain his stealth. The rest of the scenery was unfocused in his vision, as he stared at the door in expectancy. There was no one to be seen in the empty street. The only breathing creatures around were a few alleyway rats, shuffling around near the dustbins. The sight of marshy greens and soiled browns merged together to create the outlook of a risky situation. He became slightly excited as a midnight blue BMW M3 coupi was approaching from a distance; roaring from afar, before breaking quickly causing a loud screech leaving visible skid marks on the tarmac, the car slid to stop outside the apartment door where it knocked three dustbins over. He noticed the scratch on the driver's side door and the damaged bumper from the collision. Even though the thought of his mission was driving him; he knew it had to be done with care. He kept calm and composed still with the cannabis joint hanging from the tip of his lips. It began to drizzle with rain; he lifted up his hood and placed it over his head to conceal his face. He pushed away from the wall, concentrating on his assignment. He dropped the joint as all of the contents had burnt away and stamped it out. Desperately trying to make as little noise as possible, he stood up straight and prepared himself with not even a prayer in mind, for the sin he was about to commit. A tall middle-aged man emerged from the vehicle; the man looked well off with pinstriped trousers, a white shirt that became drenched instantly due to the precipitation, a colourful tie and a blazer that he slung over his shoulder. He slammed his car door in a manner which made it obvious he was agitated due to his collision with the dustbins. He sighed loudly with disappointment as he observed the damage to the bumper and the scratch. The rain turned from a light drizzle to a heavy shower, the victim walked a couple of paces through the large puddles towards the building. Little did this man know that he was being closely watched, were these the last breaths of his life? He paused at the door while he searched for his keys. As he established the pocket in which his keys were, before he had the chance to reach them, the loud sound of a gunshot echoed through the neighbourhood. A 9mm bullet penetrated through his head like a key in a lock, knocking him to the ground instantly. Within a second, his mind departed the scene of flesh, blood and bones. Tearing his soul away from him, like pulling cotton through a bush of thick thorns. The victim lay there, the most stupid of people would be able to realise that this man was dead. It was a disturbing sight but the assassin still stood in the same position in which he had fired the weapon, with no mercy or reconciliation. The assassin slowly brought the gun back down to his side. He tucked the weapon into the back of his jeans. The assassin withdrew a cigarette from his a box of twenty Silk Cut. He lit it and took a deep draw and exhaled in a way of relief. He poked his head out of the alleyway to check if anyone was in sight, yet nobody but a stray cat was there. The surroundings were still; the atmosphere was damp, depressing and dead. The corpse was lying frozen by the curb. In a cavalier fashion, he walked out of the back alley with his shoulders shrugged in chilliness; his head low in cautiousness, and took a sharp left into a side street towards his carbon black Mercedes SLR. Unexpectedly, the wailing of a distant police siren grabbed his attention. The sound grew louder and louder and it seemed to be coming closer. A single drop of sweat began to form above his brow. What if he had been seen? What if for the first time, he had blown his cover? At that moment, a white police car rapidly passed by as he stood in panic. He sighed in relief and continued towards his automobile, uncaringly rattling his keys in his hand. His firm, steady footsteps represented his attitude, hard, harsh and heartless. He entered his car; seated himself, wedged the key in the ignition, turned on the engine. He took one last look at the scene through his rear view mirror and drove away never to return.

Mall Culture Essay

Gone are the days when people had to buy different things from different places. People would visit local Kirana stores for purchasing daily-required household materials, and go to some other local markets for buying clothes. Shopping was never as convenient for people as it is now. The shopper gets the experience of one stop shop. From apparels to FMCG goods, the consumer gets leisure time visiting malls. Each store offers an individual a wide variety be it for choosing a stationery pen or a laptop. One of the reasons for the existence of mall culture is globalization. Products and brands from various places, cultures and communities are under one roof. One of the central features of conventional shopping areas and stores has been their uni-dimentionality. Local festivals and events are given special importance within the mall world. Festivals often become the occasion of greater consumption and are also reflected in the fashion trends of the season. The globalization of cultureof immense economic activity, though at some expense to the environment. A large mall situated along a narrow road in Gurgaon or Noida is a host to queues of vehicles. Queues that line up several kilometres causing huge deficiency to nation already starved for diesel and petrol. Please check the smog that results from fumes emitted from exhaust tubes of these vehicles. Electricity distributers never have enough to supply to the shopping malls. So they need to burn on an average of 5000-7000 litres of diesel per day to stay in operational mode. Quite a huge volume! This can light up an apartment complex for a month. Now the food courts where you relish your favourite food generates 2-3 tonnes of toxic waste every day. The landfills are helpless. Look where the polystyrene cups and plates that you use go every day. And the poor washroom in a mall that has to take a load of ten thousand visitors every day. You are aware that 50% people never wash their hands after peeing. Then they†¦

Coping up with loss Essay

However easy it might sound to cope up with a loss, only the person undergoing the mental trauma can feel the pain; – Affects personal, social and mental stability; – When you love someone or something that is very precious to you, the grief is intense; – It can be quite unsettling and frightening to cope up with a loss or a crisis or a life-changing event; – Talking to a very close friend or a spouse might help to a great deal; – Counseling and healthy advice on coping with a mishap might help; – Isolation is never a solution to heal grief. Face the loss; – Let your pain come out in all the possible forms; – Distract yourself with things you like to do and people you like to talk to; – Allow time to heal. Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any loss can cause grief, including: †¢Divorce or relationship breakup †¢Loss of health †¢Losing a job †¢Loss of financial stability †¢A miscarriage †¢Retirement†¢Death of a pet †¢Loss of a cherished dream †¢A loved one’s serious illness †¢Loss of a friendship †¢Loss of safety after a trauma †¢Selling the family home The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief. However, even subtle losses can lead to grief. For example, you might experience grief after moving away from home, graduating from college, changing jobs, selling your family home, or retiring from a career you loved.

Strategic Human Resource Management. Performance-Related Pay Systems Essay

Strategic Human Resource Management. Performance-Related Pay Systems - Essay Example The paper tells that within a modern business environment, employers must balance the needs of the business with the requirements of the employees. Human Resource Management (HRM) is an important aspect of this, where employers organise and develop strategies for working with their employees. Many employees work inefficiently, as they have no desire to perform well for the company. This comes from the fact that what is good for the company is not necessarily the same as what is best for the employee. Businesses are generally aiming to make the highest profit possible, while employees are working for the money that they need to live. Performance-related pay is a system in which the company attempts to align the interests of the employees with the interests of the business, by providing employees with incentives to work hard. The exact form of the system differs substantially between different companies, with some offering commission-based pay, some paying employees a certain rate per unit produced and others paying based on team performance. There are many other variations of performance-based pay and it is a popular means of increasing overall output for a business. Performance-related pay is common in Britain and has been used for government employees as well as many large companies. However, despite the popularity of the system, current research is questioning whether performance-related pay is actually effective. Evidence suggests that this may be a mechanism that is useful in some circumstances, and counterproductive in others. The need for performance-related pay In the standard work environment, people work because they need the money, not because they have a strong loyalty for the company. While some individuals may strive to put in effort to make sure that they perform well and that they are an asset to the company, most are content with doing the minimum that is required of them. Because the success of the company does not directly affect their pay che ck, most people have no interest in how well the business does. Research suggests that compensation is the most effective driver of motivation, behaviour and attitude within the workplaces. While forms of compensation vary, money has been shown to be the most influential . Consequently, the money that employers pay their staff members plays a crucial role in maintaining relationships and the development of motivation. Pay is an essential component of the relationship between employer and employee. For the employer, it is an important component of the costs of the company and is used for bringing in new talent as well as maintaining the current labour force. For the employee, pay is used as a way of paying for living expenses, and also represents how valued he is by the employer. A person who receives a higher wage feels that what they do is important, and may put in more effort as a result. In contrast, people who feel that they are being underpaid often do not work hard, and tend t o have low morale which further decreases productivity. The traditional method of wage distribution has been non-performance-related, and pay increases have been related to a range of aspects, such as minimum wages, seniority, the cost of living or the need to retain staff. However, this system does not encourage skill development or employees to work at their maximum potential. Additionally, under this system pay rises were often associated with promotions. This can be difficult, as a person must be promoted in order to receive a pay rise and the number of positions present in a company is limited. Increasing an individual’s pay acts to reinforce positive behaviour, making it more likely that the behaviour will be repeated. Within a company, there are often many individuals that perform the same role, however they differ in terms of knowledge, experience and performance . For a business to remain competitive, it is important that their employees work to their maximum pot

Brownings Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Brownings Plan - Case Study Example The operational efficiency and profitability of an organization is greatly related to its organizational structure. For the better functioning of the organization, the duties and responsibilities of each of the individuals in the organizations have to be clearly defined and implemented. The restructuring of the organizational structure will be capable of introducing new organizational culture in the firm. Division of work helps to avoid the waste of time and effort resulting from the inefficient operations of less experienced personnel. Thus by consulting with Howard, the firm is going for a restructure by implementing Likert Linking Pin Model. It is used to bring effective change in an organization by introducing team work. As per the model there will be several interrelated working units in the organization and these units will be linked through some individuals. These individuals are known as linking pins. The interrelated work units are formed in upper levels and lower levels. The member of a higher level unit will be the leader of the lower level unit. These people act as linking pins between the upper and lower groups. Thus he holds a dual task of leading his team and at the same time he has to represent his team and protect the interest of that team in the organization. Thus Likert Pin model focuses on the group relationship and these groups will lead the firm to progress. (Linking Pin Model). Organizational Culture, Planning and decision making: These three are the important factors for the success of an organization. When the organization is going through tough conditions, there is a need for organizational changes. Here Browning and Howard are going to implement Likert Plan. Selecting a plan for the restructuring is not a difficult task. But the implementation needs cautious steps. Here the organizational environment and culture has to play an important role. Every strategy will be changed according to the specific organizational climate. Otherwise there will not be desired output. Likewise the planning and decision making are other important factors. Implementation and controlling etc. should be done in this stage. Effectiveness of Browning's Plan in respect of principles of organizational culture: Organizational culture plays a very important role in human system. The culture of a group means the sample of some assumptions that the group learned and solved the problem of external alteration and internal amalgamation. In organizational culture, values are already declared and some values are assumable ones. In the society, the history of the group consists of many stories and mythology. In organization people interact with each other, with outsiders and the surroundings. The organizational culture concentrates on the human side of the organizational life and it creates the significance of suggest a system to promote the people jointly work together and accomplish the desired objectives. This approach needs members. The members consist of leaders. Leaders have a specialized skill and behavior. They recognize the impact of their behavior in the organizationa

3D of shoe and tire impressions in forensic evidence Research Paper

3D of shoe and tire impressions in forensic evidence - Research Paper Example This paper discusses the three-dimensional (3D) impressions of shoe and tire track in forensic evidence. It looks into the value of footprint and tire track evidence, preservation and photographing of the evidence in addition to casting of the impressions. Perpetrators of many crimes usually leave tire track or footwear impressions at the scene of crime. These impressions, if in dirt or mud, can be readily visible, but if on other surfaces, for instance footprints on linoleum, they may be undetectable by the naked eye (Levinson, p1444). Footwear, an example of primary evidence, is very important since on its own, it is potentially conclusive devoid of other strong evidence. There are at least three kinds of footwear evidence including footwear insole impressions, footwear outsole impressions, plus footwear trace evidence. Whenever something physically contacts another, it either takes a portion of the other or else, it leaves a portion of itself - a theory that Edmond Locard developed, and that crime scene investigators as well as physical evidence analysts use. They hold the assumption that since crime perpetrators must enter and exit the scene of crime, there may be traces of their footwear, or in case they used a vehicle, a track o f its tire. To avoid eyewitness recognition and leaving fingerprints, crime perpetrators normally wear masks over their faces along with gloves over their hands respectively. They however make little effort to cover up footwear and tires. Footwear evidence thus, when the investigator of a crime scene appropriately collects and preserves it, and then a footwear expert examines it keenly, becomes an important source of evidence in criminal investigation that helps in proving or disproving an individual’s presence at the scene of offense. Unfortunately, disruption or failing to secure the scene of a crime appropriately may result in the destruction or neglecting of this form of impression evidence.

Marketing Principles and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Principles and Practice - Essay Example According to the study of consumers’ buying behaviour, the fundamental influences are generally focused on certain basic aspects including Cultural, Social, Personal and Psychological factors of a buyer on their purchase decision. However, from the perspective of postgraduate students’ buying decisions, it has been observed that there is a significant variance in terms of buying decisions regarding fashion products within this customer segment. Hence, the buying decisions of the postgraduate students have significantly modernized or evolved accordingly to the modern situational influences such as, influence of peers, social media, benefits of advanced electronic shopping methods and influence of recent trends among others. The modern organisations are significantly conscious regarding the desires of the college or post-graduate student segment. In general, there is a positive attitude which has been observed in the postgraduate students with regard to their purchasing or acquiring of fashion products and advanced services. The customers in that specific segment have more favourable attitudes on buying high-end fashion products. The postgraduate students form a positive or indifferent attitude concerning purchase of fashionable products in keeping with their previous buying experience. Moreover, beliefs regarding the benefits of buying fashionable products generally facilitate to derive an encouraging influence on postgraduate students’ attitudes towards purchasing fashion products. ... onal influences such as, influence of peers, social media, benefits of advanced electronic shopping methods and influence of recent trends among others. The modern organisations are significantly conscious regarding the desires of the college or post-graduate student segment. This segment highly involves in acquiring the products according to their attitude and beliefs (Wang & Xiao, 2009). In general, there is a positive attitude which has been observed in the postgraduate students with regard to their purchasing or acquiring of fashion products and advanced services. The customers in that specific segment have more favourable attitudes on buying high-end fashion products. The postgraduate students form a positive or indifferent attitude concerning purchase of fashionable products in keeping with their previous buying experience. Moreover, beliefs regarding the benefits of buying fashionable products generally facilitate to derive an encouraging influence on postgraduate studentsâ₠¬â„¢ attitudes towards purchasing fashion products. However, the risk of being out of fashion by purchasing products that might not be suitable according to the present trend is a negative influence on postgraduate students. Although in terms of purchasing fashion products personal needs as well as preferences play a dominating role, the various ethical issues that might be negatively associated with a company can create pessimistic influence towards purchasing of that fashion company’s products by postgraduate student segment of customers (Lee, 2009). Buying Behaviour and Influences The buying decision of the postgraduate students is highly focused towards focusing on recent trends along with maintaining attitudinal involvement with the products they acquire. Moreover, there are several major

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie by Luis Buñuel Movie Review

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie by Luis Buà ±uel - Movie Review Example One of the most obvious features of the movie is its surrealist presentation of the important events. The movie is celebrated as a mocking and surrealistic political comedy masterpiece which deals with about a wealthy group of friends who cannot begin their elaborate dinner due to the ever more strange events surrounding them. It is most significant that Buuel applies his surrealist touch to a very commonplace event and makes it an occasion to mock at the social order of the day. There are several elements in the movie which contribute to its great success in theatre and the artistic as well as technical elements contributed to its success. "The movie is broken into self-contained sequences, showing the bland surface of polite society and the lusts that lurk beneath Bourgeoisie manners, Bunuel believes, are the flimsiest facade for our animal natures The film's narrative flow is cheerfully shattered by Bunuel's devices. As women have drinks in a garden cafe, a lieutenant walks over a nd begins a harrowing tale of childhood. We see his story in flashback Dreams fold within dreams, not because the characters are confused, but because Bunuel is amusing himself by using such obvious tricks." (Ebert, 2000). Therefore, the movie The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is an important work of art which deals with the cultural elements of a particular group in a very surrealist and mocking way. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie deals in detail with the cultural background of a particular community in Paris and it mocks and presents the wreck and ruins of the bourgeoisie society and its culture. The movie can be understood as the bourgeoisie's filmic postmortem which is essential in realizing the realities concerning the cultural system there. The surrealist depiction of the bourgeoisie society and its culture in the 1970s of Paris suggests how the culture has deteriorated and there is a significant loss of centrality in the movie. "In The Discreet Charm Buuel zeroes in on Paris, the cultural capital of modern bourgeoisie civilization Yet, as Buuel's probing lens clearly shows, under its folds are hidden the wreck and ruins of the bourgeoisie society and culture In this sense, The Discreet Charm is the bourgeoisie's filmic postmortem, which helps account for the inter-texts of the second part Despite the glitter of the consumer society's not so 'discreet charm', Paris, t he capital of modernity in the 1920s and 1930s, is now in the 1970s an empty center. At least, that is how it appears in Buuel's movie, which is attuned to the fact that in post-modernity the centers have lost their centrality." (Fuentes, p 83-4). Therefore, the surrealist treatment of the essential but hidden wreck and ruins of the bourgeoisie society and culture in the movie makes The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie by Luis Buuel a very significant film. In a reflective analysis of the major themes and concepts incorporated in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, it becomes obvious that the movie deals mainly with the cultural and social decay of the bourgeoisie society and culture in Paris. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend the cultural background of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. In the film one recognizes several structural elements such as journey and

Future demographic change in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Future demographic change in the UK - Essay Example This paper explores the benefits associated with the demographic change to businesses in the UK. Wealth The older population is wealthier than present and former generations of retirees. Previous studies show that the increasing number of this population results to high rates of home ownership, investment and savings. This has positive impacts on the economy in general and the businesses enjoy increased stability (Davidson and Fielden, 2004:26). In addition to, there has been an increased grown in share prices and in the worth of superannuation. This provides increased disposable incomes that contribute positively to overall spending and investments (Hobbs, 2008:384). Older people have also been observed to make sound decisions while investing their money and this leads t increased economic growth and a better performing stock market. Work The UK is a difficult situation as the most populous age group is on the verge of retirement, wealthier and even healthier than other generations. The government has come up with policies to tap into the strength of this population to boost economic growth and allow their positive participation in the business sector. The current government policy is aimed at discouraging the trend of early retirement. This will lead to a stabilized tax revenue and productivity in companies (Davidson and Fielden, 2004:26). Most workers opting for early retirement find it difficult to fund a comfortable life for the remaining part of their life. This explains why the government and companies are coming up with incentives to make the older generation work for longer. Retaining or hiring mature age workers has numerous advantages to an entity. Allowing older people to work longer gives them the chance to share their vast experience and knowledge for the benefit of the business (Davidson and Fielden, 2004:26). Older people have a higher work experience and have been experienced a number of economic changes that have taken place over the years. Th ey can be instrumental in advising the company on how to deal with economic downturns crisis and any other challenges facing the company. However, for a long time older people have been undervalued and are deemed fit for the elderly homes instead of the current business environment. Companies in the modern times prefer hiring employees from the younger generation so as to give the company a positive public image. Additionally, the younger generation is techno savvy and owing to the increased use of modern technology, this is the appropriate work force to retain (Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: Science and Technology Committee, 2005:67). However, with this demographic change, companies will have to have hire mature workers. Contrary to popular belief, mature workers belonged to the baby boomer generation that was highly educated and competitive. The older workers can quickly adjust to the use of the cutting edge technology being adopted by companies in the modern world. Ag e advocacy groups have constantly asserted that early retirement is wastage of experiences, skills and knowledge that are much needed in the current business environment (Great Britain: Parliament: House of Lords: Science and Technology Committee, 2005:67). Most companies argue that older people have declined physical capabilities. However, it has been found that age does not lead

Goverance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Goverance - Essay Example s and responsibilities of senior management, the crucial problems that affect success in the total enterprise, and the decisions that determine the direction of the organization and shape its function†. Policies and strategic management are responsibilities of the chief executive officer (CEO). A major task under these responsibilities is corporate governance which is simply defined as â€Å"controlling, restraining and directing the making and administration of these policies† (Webster 1997). In health care, like in any other enterprise, administrative issues that affect the relevant structures of the health institution are ultimately governed by the CEO or the board of directors. It is in this regard that this paper aims to examine a specific administrative issue that required the skills and professional expertise of the CEO to steer the health organization’s direction towards the attainment of its goals. The mission of one of the top ten hospitals in Asia is to improve the delivery of quality health care conforming to the strict standards of the Joint Accreditation Commission of Health Organizations (JACHO). It came to the attention of the Vice President for Nursing that their Nurse Managers are torn between prioritizing functions which are administrative in nature vis-à  -vis functions that cater to the delivery of patient care. Due to the Nurse Managers’ theoretical orientation for health care, the administrative tasks such as completion of reportorial requirements, monitoring and upkeep of equipment and supplies, staff requirements and budgeting are frequently neglected or seconded with priorities being focused to patient care. Every nursing unit in the hospital is headed by a nurse manager who is assigned as the chief head nurse on duty. Her job responsibilities entail patient care as the primary task and managerial functions such as planning, directing, staffing and control. These multi-task functions coupled with low pay contributed to low

Supporting Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Supporting Activity - Essay Example Mobile computing has resulted in a marked increase in productivity of employees because of their easy access to data which they need. Web 2.0 is another development whose impact in the information technology of companies cannot be undermined. â€Å"Web 2.0 is the popular term for advanced Internet technology and applications including blogs, wikis, RSS and social bookmarking† (Rouse, 2011). With Web 2.0 employees gain an easy access to various business applications which the IT department can benefit from. Web 2.0 allows for people to create, work together, edit and share user generated content online; thus, making it easier for the IT department to disseminate information. Aside from mobile computing and Web 2.0, social media networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn are used by some organizations to reach out to their customers. Inter-office memos are sometimes broadcasted through social media networks because of its accessibility to everyone. As more advances in technology are developed, the information systems of corporations are also enhanced leading to a more efficient and accurate transfer of information. These new trends are reshaping the manner of doing business today and in the

The Man I Killed Essay Example for Free

The Man I Killed Essay â€Å"The Man I Killed† the author Tim O Brien is the character in the story but the story does not use first person. This is because the story is not revolved around him but revolved on the man he has just killed in the Vietnam war. The character in this story focuses on the dead mans physicality and the story he has fabricated for him. The character in this story seems to be in shock because he does not speak or stop looking at the dead soldier, â€Å"Kiowa shook his head. There was some silence before he said, â€Å"Stop staring Talk to me† (p. 797-798) In the story â€Å"The Lives of the Dead†, the narrator is Tim O Brien who tells the story of his first love who happens to be his first death. This story is in first person and he describes how he keeps those he has known alive by telling stories about them, â€Å"When I write about her now, three decades later, its tempting to dismiss it as a crush, an infatuation of childhood, but I know for a fact that what we felt for each other was as deep and rich as love can ever get. † Tim also describes his experiences in the war, â€Å"I remember the smell of burnt straw; I remember broken fences and torn-up trees and heaps of stone and brick and pottery. † (p. 799) The repetition of dialogue in â€Å"The Man I Killed† gives the readers a sense of truth in the story and imagery of what the dead man looked like for the character. As the character repeats over and over again what the man looked like and what his life was like before the war, it gives the readers a sense of the psychological affects the war had on men. Using these techniques of imager and dialogue repetition in this story allowed me to get a deeper feeling of what shock and guilt felt like for these men. Although the reader may not have intended for me to feel these emotions this is what I felt during the reading. It allowed me to understand how the character consoled himself and also punished himself. For me if I imagined the youngs mans life before the war and I took that away, I would consider this as a form of punishment. Imagery is very detailed in both stories because one of them describes the man he has just killed, â€Å"His jaw was in his throat, his upper lip and teeth were gone, his one eye was shut, his other eye was a star-shaped hole † (p. 795) and the soldiers fabricated life story, â€Å"He had been born, maybe, in 1946 in the village of My Khe near the central coastline of Quan Ngai Province, where his parents farmed † (p. 795) In the other story he describes his first live, her death  at age 9, and his experiences in the war especially with death, â€Å"The place was deserted-no people, no animals- and the only confirmed kill was an old man who lay face up-near a pigpen at the center of the village. † (p. 799) The imagery of the people he has lost and his experiences with them allow the readers to get a feeling of how many people the narrator has lost or has seen died. We are allowed to get a feeling about death and the certain ways those around him coped with it and how he did too. In the story â€Å"The Man I Killed† the character copes with his first kill in war by providing him with a story. He gives the young man a story which in turn gives him symbolically life. His life becomes to have meaning and he is no longer thought as a dead man but a person who had dreams, a wife, and longing to be far away from war, â€Å"He had no stomach for violence. He loved mathematics And as he waited, in his final year at the university, he fell in love with a classmate, a girl of seventeen The use of Linda in the war story, â€Å"The Lives of the Dead† is to show his readers how he coped with his fisrt death who happened to be his first love. Linda, a girl at the age of 9 died from a brain tumor which devastates Tim O Brien who than begins to dream about her at night which provides him comfort knowing that in his dreams she still lived. This is how Brien coped with the deaths he experienced in war, â€Å"But ths too is true: stories can save us. Theyre all dead. But in a story, which is kind of dreaming, the dead sometimes smile and sit uo and return to the world. † (p. 799) The author story tells, metafiction, to keep those that have lost their lives from truly dying. Through the form of story he keeps them living and although these are stories of fiction, to the author it is preserving their lives. In the story â€Å"The Man I killed† he preserves the fallen soldier by inventing a fictitious life for him. For Linda and his fellow comrades he gives them stories too. â€Å"But in a story I can steal her soul. I can revive, at least briefly, that which is absolute and unchanging. Its not the surface that matters, its the identity that lives inside. † Just as he imagines them and dreams of them, his stories become their new lives where they continue to live on. He knows if he continues to create these stories, they will never die and through this we can see the power of storytelling. â€Å"and sometimes I can even see Timmy skating with Linda under the yellow floodlights. Im young and happy. Ill never die. †

Importance Of Salesmanship In Carrying Out Duties

Importance Of Salesmanship In Carrying Out Duties Front desk job of any hotel is very important from hotel sales point of view. Marketing and sales department is called revenue generator. Front desk job is part of the marketing department so its directly linked with revenue generation activities of a hotel. An employee working as front desk employee is having direct interaction with the guests. So it becomes very important for that employee to have all the chief characteristics of a good salesperson. A good sales person can convert first time guest in to repeat business guest by make him or happy and achieve customer satisfaction. This is the hospitality and customer demand only that can be kept in mind while handling customers at front desk that will bring customer satisfaction. Desired hospitality and less cumbersome process of check in and checkout will bring customer satisfaction. Working as a Front office manager or staff, first of all he or she should consider the available resources of the hotel concerned which need to be focused to the materialization of the business. Good salesmanship is all about selling own product with acceptance of the customers. Whatever product one have a good salesperson will sale that product and make feel to the customers that this is the right product he was looking for. This is simply quality of a sales person that he or she will find out the budget of a customer while conversation and offer the product that give within the budget feel to the customer. While conversation it is the quality of a salesperson to explain the facilities of the product to the customer that will again give feel of the right product customer was looking for. Abbey J.R (1998) Customer relationship management is new concept in the field of any business. So it is the quality of a good salesmanship that helps in effective implementation and management of customer relationship in the hotel organization. In this competitive world getting new business is big challenge so hotel organization believes in repeated business from the same clientele. With the help of knowledge and smartness in work of a salesperson management of customer relationship is possible. These days it is being managed by ecommerce so knowledge of ecommerce to the front desk employee can be added quality of a good salesmanship and it will bring the business from existing clientele. If an organization utilizes the available resources properly, Implementation of yield management will makes major changes in the hotel. It will bring maximum market shares of the city concerned. Guest generally always looks for the comfortable stay and the luxury facilities for their money. It is the quality that always speaks better than any other advertisement. So if front desk employee gives proper feedback to the hotel, hotel can maintains the quality towards the tariff and the interiors which will bring the maximum revenue within a short period. So it is the benefits of the good salesmanship. So as conclusion author would like to say that good salesmanship is very important while performing duty of front office department of hotel industry because it helps hotel not only to get good business but maintaining relationship with customers and feedback to the hotel for up gradation of its quality of product and services as well. Q.1 (2) Explain, with examples what selling techniques you might use when checking in a guest. Overall selling technique is depends upon salesmanship and kind of guest but in general a front dest person has to apply his or her selling skill keeping in mind normal procedure of checkin.Selling techniques for checking guest is nothing but quality of a good salesperson. A salesperson should be very friendly and caring to the guest so that customer will be satisfied. Sales person should use up sell technique first while explaining price of the available rooms, followed by prestigious pricing and cut rate pricing. Along with these salesperson should explain how brilliant the facilities are within the room to justify the price of the room. There may be a case that same room can be sold at different price. It is the duty of a good salesperson to find out the level of desire of the customer for the product he or she is asking for and charge price accordingly. During heavy demand of the accommodation it is totally depends upon front desk employee-salesperson to maximize the yield of accommodation by selling the same product at different prices as per the customer profile and need. Being a good salesman a front office employee can suggest various pricing techniques-top down pricing, prestigious pricing, cut rate pricing etc, to the hotel to maximize its yield. So it is the quality of a salesperson to identify and recognize the level of demand and ability of a customer to pay for the same accommodation and fixed the price accordingly. Abbey J.R (1998) For example if there is arrival of guest first of all front desk person should handle the guest with friendly approach, asking for the kind of room looking for then explain the kind of room available with its pricing. First of all salesperson should try to sell the room at higher price then depending upon the negotiation skill of the salesperson and budget of the customer price can be prestigious or if required and supported by the market sentiment it can be cut rate price be fixed. After this negotiation skill guest should be registered and room should be assigned promptly. As per the situation if needed guest will be assisted in completing registration process. Then there will be verification of method of payment to be made by the guest-whether cheque, cash, card or payment by company etc.will is known by conversation and then there will be escort to the guest till the room. Q.2. Discuss the type of check in system that you would expect to see at the turner Hotel. Hotel Turner is a big chain of Hotel with 297 rooms hotel located in Central London. It is part of a well reputed group of hotels with 12 hotels running successfully in London and other major European cities. 42% of its clientele is corporate. Only 8% and 14% amount to walk-ins and leisure guests respectively. For this type of hotel, front office system should enable reception staff to maintain track of all bookings, state of rooms, guest details and charges. It should be efficient in coordinating restaurant reservations for guests, plan housekeeping duties and process guest check-in and check-out as per the market segmentation. Hotel Turner would also require a system that should provide a means to communicate effectively with all travel agents and activity operators linked to the online reservation system. Hospitality management systems are the applications/ modules that smoothens a hospitality business. From the room service system in a restaurant, to online reservation and an easy and fast check in procedure, it enables efficient communication and management of operation, eventually growing business and revenue. (www.wikianswers.com) Features that Hotel Turner should look out for includes: Reports for arrivals departures on a specific date. Guest ledger and reservation details, including activities and special requests. Room rates, discounts, package deals, group bookings, etc. Visual schematic of hotel rooms and status. Visual schematic of calendar with room availability. Facility for printing check-in cards for guests. Flexibility in re-assigning guests to different room. Facility to easily add charges to rooms from restaurants, spa, gift shop, etc. Incorporate all payment options upon check-out and print receipt. Print work roster for staff Facilities for storing guest history Communicate efficiently with reservation and travel agents Hotel Turner should have a system that can be efficiently used for online reservation system. This type of software package is essential as per the hotels cancellation and Guarantee policy. It will help in increasing direct online bookings instantly. Prospective guests can view hotel rooms (size, choice of beds), availability and prices, plus services and facilities offered. The systems should have instant confirmation of credit card payments or other secure online payment method. After payment of deposit and confirmation by email, guests should be able to login to view or change their reservation details. Cancellation policies should be stated, airport transport options mentioned. How would the check in procedures differ when dealing with? ( a) A guest with a reservation Usually guest check in procedure for reserved guest and chance guest is same except for slight variations. Check in procedures for a guest with a reservation will be as follows: Receive the guest with a smile, and greet according to the time. Check if he/she is holding reservation Get the guest registration card and fill it up with all the necessary and required details of the guest. Fill up the key and the welcome card If the guest is a foreigner, get the C form and fill it up. Allot the accommodation Fill the arrival register Make information slips and send them to telephones, room service and housekeeping Open guest folio In case of VIP, CIP etc inform all the departments Lastly inform the bellboys to carry the luggage and escort the guest to the room and wish a comfortable stay in the hotel. Typically pre registered guests or guest with reservation only need to verify information collected by reservations agents during the reservations process. They only need to verify information already entered onto a registration card and provide a valid signature in the appropriate place on the registration card. On the other hand, chance guest or walk in guest needs to fill the pre-registration card at the time of check in. Pre registration also involves room and rate assignment and creation of guest folio apart from producing registration card. The registration process can be divided into six steps Pre registration activity Creating the registration record Assigning the room and the rate Establishing method of payment Issuing the room key Fulfilling the special requests (b) A chance guest In the case when guest is a chance guest the process of check in would almost be same except some cases. Like as guest is a chance guest so there will be no earlier reservation done for the guest so in this case first of all as process front desk person should check for availability of rooms and there will be efforts to create room for him or her. Rest of the process like fill up the key and allotting the accommodation escorting till the room will be similar. There may be a case that in case of a chance guest a front desk employee has to utilize his or her negotiation skill for the price of the room as per the level of need of the room by the guest. This is the skill of the employee to materialized the opportunities then and there. So overall the difference in check in procedures for a guest with a reservation and a chance guest is not much the only thing is role of a front desk person becomes very important because while negotiation and first interaction a materialization of an oppo rtunity depends. Q.4. Explain the necessity of overbooking and its legal implications in relation to Turner Hotel. The term overbooking is concerned with a situation which shows booking of the room have done excessively than the actual available room with the hotel. In general hotel does this because of reaching 100% occupancies. Hotel books over rooms than the available one with historic information and trend which includes unexpected cancellation. It is the synonyms of over commitment and oversold. No show has been a major cause of concern for the hotels worldwide. It amounts to major loss of revenue. However, no-shows and early departures still cost hotels money. The reservation guarantee through credit cards compensates hotels for one nights stay in the case of a no-show, but the hotel still needs to make up for a revenue loss if that no-show guest had a multiple-night reservation. (http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals) Because of this panorama of no-shows and early departures, the hotel turner must unavoidably engage in some level of overbooking to help ensure that those potentially unsold rooms are filled. As we all know, however, hoteliers who overbook might have to walk guests after the hotel is full. (http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals) Overbooking is another important element of the revenue management or yield management. Hotels overbook to redeem for customer cancellations and no-shows. For this reason, it is obligatory to forecast cancellations and no-shows. Insufficient overbooking results in unsold inventory; on the other hand excessive overbooking results in penalty cost which includes both the financial remuneration given to bumped customers and the prospective loss of future revenue due to customer dissatisfaction. The optimal level of overbooking is where the anticipated cost of overbooking for the next unit to be sold is equal to the expected marginal revenue from that unit. (International encyclopedia of hospitality management by Abraham Pizam) Most legal authorities agree that when overbooking results in walking a guest, a breach of contract occurs. Under certain circumstances, it may constitute fraud or misrepresentation as well. In addition, certain overbooking practices are likely to fall under the ambit of state consumer protection statutes prohibiting unfair and deceptive acts and practices. While the hotel industry attempts to portray overbooking as an economic necessity and legitimizes the process by attempts to provide guests with alternative accommodations, the hotels have failed to address the true effect and implicit costs association with the practice. Primarily because it is left to the individual state authoritys to regulate the industry. (http://legaldefinition.us) As far as Turner Hotel is concerned from the view point of overbooking, it is advisable not to go for overbooking because there will be breach of contract between hotel and its guests. But from the view point of business and maximizing revenue, it the only way to proceed little aggressively to achieve 100% occupancy. This is because after advance booking there is chances of cancellation of reservation as well, even if payment has been made in advance hotel organization has to bear loss for the foregone opportunities in case of booking not done. So keeping in mind these thing and profit maximization it can be done equal to the normal trend of cancellation. Hotel Turner must find a room for everyone who has a reservation and shows up on time to save themselves from any legal complications. Q.5 a) Explain the benefits to a hotel of accepting group bookings? Group booking is simply acceptance of bulk business. In group bookings both the parties-customers as well as hotel be benefitted. Customer got benefit of low rates of the rooms due to the bulk booking and on the other hand hotel gets bulk business at a time so even at a less room cost per person hotel welcome this kind of deal to get instant business and achieves its 100% occupancies. A group reservation is for a block of rooms in a hotel. The block of rooms can be for a convention, a meeting, a special event, a tour group (as in present case of hotel turner), or various other reasons. A group reservation can be as small as 5 rooms to thousand rooms depending on the size of the hotel. Usually every hotel has different norms and parameters for considering a booking as group booking, which generally depends on the number of rooms booked. By booking rooms in large quantities, the group receives a lower rate. Hotel is benefitted in this as they get business in bulk and their occupancy percentage increases giving them a competitive edge over their competitors. Group booking also makes the reservation process easy and hassle free for both; the guest as well as the front office associates. Usually when a group reservation is made a code is generated which is specific to that group and each reservation should include this code. To ensure that reservations get coded to the proper group and that correct rates are offered, the person taking the reservation should always inquire if the guest is part of that particular group. Bulk booking is beneficial to the hotel that is similar to any other business organization where organization gets benefits of bulk business. It is the deal that gives instant cash but per head cost becomes cheaper for the customer and organization both. But from organization point of view it is the instant cash that attracts bulk business and so to the hotel organizations. Other benefit of bulk booking is that there will be less chances of cancellation. In case of individual business if there is cancellation of the booking it is completely loss to the hotel organization because rooms are very highly perishable products. But chances of this kind of loss due to cancellation is very less because of concrete plan of the entire group. In group bookings even if one or two persons are not coming there will be almost no impact to the business because of the compact deal for the entire group-this may depends upon case to case, but bulk booking definitely good for the hotel organization. Q.5 b) what factors should the turner Hotel Front Office manager consider when deciding whether to accept the reservation request from Excelsior Tours? Group revenue management is evolving quickly. Revenue managers typically set guidelines for size and rate objectives based upon projected demand for higher valued transient demand. These criterions should be regularly reviewed and revised in hotel Turner. Even if a group request falls outside the preset parameters of the hotel, managers should still evaluate the request. (http://tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/a2-micro-price-discrimination.html) The basic objective of revenue management is to maximize yields. Acceptance of group bookings would be a great contribution towards achieving the basic objective of revenue management. So first of all Front office Manager of turner hotel should consider the objective of maximizing revenue of the hotel so keeping in mind this objective he or she should accept the offered group bookings. While deciding whether to accept the reservation request of 40 double occupancy rooms for 3 nights 4 days from Excelsior Tours, Hotel Turner should look into the room rate, which is currently GBP 300 on single occupancy. Among the major advances in Revenue Management technology is the incorporation of demand price- responsiveness for any property at any time period and for any market segment, including group. Other than the group being considered, front office manager must consider that this hotel might only have transient demand for these three days. Assuming that even if the forecasted demand shows that hotel can pick up 145 transient rooms each day at an average rate of GBP 320, which would give the 95% occupancy. Considering these assumed factors we can plot a line that shows incremental contribution at any given price point. From this hypothetical analysis, one can see that there will be break even ( no profit no loss situation) with the group at a GBP 230 rate, and that one could generate an incremental contribution. This approach says all about the factors of accepting a group at a requested rate. Some of the information is required to decide whether group booking should be accepted or not? This information is present occupancy level of the hotel. This information would have very helpful in deciding the acceptance of the deal.

The Break Up Of Austria Hungary History Essay

The Break Up Of Austria Hungary History Essay In 1867 a dualist structure of Austro-Hungary came into existence in substitution with the former sole Austrian Empire (1804-67). This was the time when Austria came weak in strength and lost power, as it had gone through wars against Italian Peninsula (1859) and the states of German Confederation (1866). Besides these wars some other factors were also the cause such as constitutional changes which was causing continuous Hungarian frustration with rule from Vienna on growing national awareness in the other nationalities of the Austrian Empire. This frustration with Austrian rule had increased with time within Hungary which also caused Hungarian liberal revolution (1848-49). In the late 1850s, a huge quantity of Hungarians who joined their hands in the revolution agreed to accept the Habsburg monarchy. This took it as it will deliver the full right of internal independence to Hungary with common rights of defence and foreign affairs to both Austria and Hungary. At the time the Emperor Franz Joseph commenced comprising efforts with the Hungarian upper class and gained their support. Further the Hungarian leaders claimed Emperors coronation as King of Hungary and a separate parliament at Budapest with authorities to endorse rules and regulations. (H. Kohn, 1961) The creation of semi-independent Hungary caused the ascending a forceful ethnic Hungarian Magyar identity within the Kingdom of Hungary. At that stage the other minorities the Romanian and Slav began to dislike the government support to the Magyars. The same situation happened in the Empire of Austria as well as a stress was widely spread amongst the ethnic German and Czech citizens. Furthermore, ethnic issues got increased in new independent Romania and Serbia due to awareness of national identity. By the beginning of the 20th century the problem of disaffected ethnic groups had dominated the political situation in central and Eastern Europe for some 50 years. Upon the outbreak of the World War I in 1914, many of the smaller ethnic groups began to press for self-determination. These groups sought to capitalize on and dislocation of the war in order to attain independence. As a result the question of self-determination became an important issue during the war and in the subsequent peace conference. In this regard various promises of the allies and the central power to disaffected ethnic groups are considered. (Musgrave, T.D. 1997) Ethnic groups frequently claim to have a right to self-determination on the basis that they are peoples, and are therefore entitled to determine their own political status. This notion of self-determination originated in central and Eastern Europe and grew out of the phenomenon of nationalities. The unification Germany and Italy in the 19th century and the creation of nation-states such as Poland and Czechoslovakia after the World War I constituted acts of self-determination consistent with this understanding of the principle. (Musgrave, T.D. 1997) The allies also felt that a settlement of racial problem of South Eastern Europe on the basis of that the various nationalities therein contained should be as far as possible grouped in autonomous units with securities for religious and language rights of minorities to be an essential of lasting peace. As to the relations who exist between these national entities they have no fixed ideas, provided they are not brought under the political and military domination of Berlin. (Calder, K. J.1976) Apart from the ethnic groups, another major problem was regarding the setting up of a language which could be considered as customary. The Germans urged to consider their language as to be considered as a traditional language in the entire Empire. As the Italian language was also treated equally by the Germans they also claim their language to be used for this purpose. On the other hand the Slavic were demanding theirs. However, in upcoming times in multiple laws beginning from 1867, many languages were used as official language in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Initially the Croatian language was given equal rights against Italian in Dalmatia. Due to increasing Slovene majority in Carniola and the capital their language was replaced by German in 1882. In 1869 in Galicia Polish was set as a government language. The Ukrainian language was not granted with this status as they always remained in minority. The language argument was aggressively fought by the Czechs in Bohemia, Prague and Pilsen against the German in 1880. Selection of official language became the most difficult task in the Austro-Hungarian politics. All the governments faced huge conflicts in considering any language for official use and educational purpose. Minorities always urged up to maximum extent to regard their language for education against the dominating Hungarian and German languages. The Austria-Hungarian Empire contained different people with different languages including 24% German, 20% Hungarian, 13% Czech, 10% Polish, 08% Ruthenian, 06% Romanian, 05% Croat, 04% Slovak, 04% Serb, 03% Slovene and 03% Italian. There were many parts of Europe which had been part of the Habsburg monarchy at some stage and left it even before its dissolution in 1918. These parts comprised Lombardy, Veneto (Italy), Silesia (Poland), a large portion of Belgium and Serbia, and some parts of northern Switzerland and south-western Germany. Following in the footsteps of Germany, the Empire of Austro-Hungary implemented economical policies and practices. Industries starting growing in the early stage, people were leading a good living with exceptional facilities and large homes. Further foreign investment was sought for further development. Besides of these betterments the ethnic German groups felt that their position was weakening and they started opposing the leadership. In this regard they made an alliance with the ethnic groups related to Slavic and Taafee to oppose and weaken the liberals. Further they imposed Czech language to be as the official and educational language to decline the German speakers hold on offices. As the Czechs got the benefit other ethnic groups also started claimed for their rights. The government tried its best to play a prominent role in holding together the competing interest groups in an era of rapid change. Still there was a huge influence of the powerful Slavic. On the other hand the Bal kan nationalists also claimed independence from the Ottoman Empire which was also facing declination. After that in 1876 the Slavs of Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina came against Turkish rule and killed Ottoman officials. Further two other small Balkan states, Serbia and Montenegro, also revolted against the Sultan. All these rebels were greatly supported by Russians and ultimately in 1877 Russia declared war against Turkey and defeated the Ottomans with the help of Romania and Greece. At this occasion a treaty was formed and a large Pro-Russian Bulgaria was formed. This enlarged Bulgaria became a threat to the Austro-Hungary and Britain as it may become a Russian satellite and dominate the Balkans. Due to this fear British warships were move towards the Russian border to restrict Russia not to advance in the eastern Mediterranean as the Suez Canal let to Britain. The Britain started propaganda and tried to spread this issue worldwide. However, the other big powers were absolutely against the happening of war in Europe and played their part to stop or slow down the increasing tension in these areas. In 1878 The Congress of Berlin rolled back the Russian victory as the large Bulgarian state which Russia conquered from Ottoman territory was dissolved into partitions. Austria conquered Bosnia and Herzegovina as a way of obtaining influence in the Balkans. Montenegro and Serbia claimed and won full independency. Nevertheless the Balkans lingered as a site of political turbulence, teeming objective for independence and great power rivalry. Viewing the success of the Congress of Berlin the European powers started focusing to guarantee stability vide a multifaceted series of alliances and treaties. In 1879 keeping in mind the apparent Balkan instability and the aggressiveness of Russia Austro-Hungary made an alliance with the Germans. The main target was to create protection against Russia who had great potential to incite Slav rebellions. Italy also joined hands with them in 1882 against its imperial rivalries with France. Stress continued increasing between Russia and Austro-Hungary so a replacement was made as the Three Emperors League was substituted with Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. This was done to safe from war against Russia. There were three main elements of the ruling Empire of Austro-Hungary, the Hungarian government, the Austrian government and Common foreign and military policy. Separate parliaments were maintained in the Empire and ruled by its own prime minister. The coordinated monarch was theoretically strong but lacked strength in practice. The Empire had to cover all regions such as army, navy, foreign policy etc. Within Austria and Hungary some territories, like Galicia and Croatia gained special status with their own exclusive governmental structures. The common government was ruled by a common Ministerial Council which comprised three ministers to handle the joint responsibilities of finance, military, and foreign policy. There were two prime ministers, one from each side. There were two delegations containing 120 members, 60 from each side the Austrian and Hungarian parliaments. All the decisions were made through voting system to Common Ministerial Council. However, the ministers ultimately answered only to the monarch, and he had the final decision on matters of foreign and military policy. With the passage of time overlapping of responsibilities started amongst ministers and the ministries of both sides which led to huge conflicts and army became the major target of these conflicts. Both sides increased the use of their powers to gain dominancy and prominence in military and non-military affairs. Each half of the Dual Monarchy proved quite prepared to disrupt common operations to advance its own interests. Beginning from 1867 both halves maintained their relations for about fifty years now started facing enormous and repeated disputes to the share of each half in financial contribution and usage of resources. As the Austrian side contained approx 57% of the monarchy had more population and consumed greater resources. To conclude these problems Austro-Hungarian Empire renegotiated an agreement every ten years. On June 28, 1914 the heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, Francis Ferdinand, during his visit to Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, was assassinated by Serbian militant group Black Hand. Gavrilo Principe was the person who killed him. (Shepard B. 1984) The Austro-Hungary getting favoured by the Germans got determined to stop the Serbian military as there was a chance of revolution in the empire. In this regard they gave the Serbians an Ultimatum which was based on ten demands and considered that they will never accept these demands, yet again the Serbians accepted nine of them and a partial disagreement was on the tenth one, the Austro-Hungarian empire declared war. All these events occurred during the course of July and August 1914, which was the beginning of the Great War. (Horne C.F. 1923) Russia heavily supported Serbia in this war with the continuous mobilization of its army. Italy who had an alliance with Austro-Hungary remained neutral in the beginning but in the year 1915 it showed its participation against the Austro-Hungary just to gain more territory from its ally but the Austro-Hungarians fought well at this side and held back the huge Italian army. This fight lasted for three and half years. (Horne C.F. 1923) The Austro-Hungary army fought in parts with Serbia and Russia, the lesser part was sent to the Serbian border while the wider strength was fighting against the Russian army. This step taken by the Austria-Hungary ended up in a disasters way as it lost 227,000 men from its army which comprised of 450,000 in the beginning and also was unable to gain any territory. In the summer of 1915 a combined attack by Austro-Hungarian, German and Bulgarian armies Serbia was conquered. Again in the year 1916, the Russians continued attack on Brusilov which contained very less strength of Austro-Hungarian soldiers and made them suffer to lose 1 million men. Due to the war, loss of men, shortages in supply, declined morale and uncountable casualties the Austro-Hungarian Empire became weak and sought support from the Germans. Further as it comprised of multiple ethnicity, with different peoples, languages, and customs caused further differences in the army and political leaders. At this stage the Austro-Hungarian Empire was completely dependent on the German support and caused a further increase in the ethnic groups of Austro-Hungary. At this stage the Germans were facing problems as they had expended their reservoir of manpower that would supply fresh recruits from the Homeland to the front. They lost reserves to replenish any losses they had to face during the war. They also faced problems from the Americans as they strengthened the Allies with an additional four million troops. (New York Times, September, 1918; John, K. 1999) In 1914 the British government was not interested in national self determination in Eastern Europe. By Nov-1918 it was deeply involved with various eastern European subject nationalities and was omitted by implication to their independence. The government was not formally committed to national self determination, but it could not have abandoned the subject nationalities without being subjected to accusation of bad faith against which it would have had the greatest difficulty defending itself. This paper attempts to explain that evolution in policy by analyzing the British reaction to national problems in Eastern Europe and to the desire of the subject nationalities for self determination. It concentrates on policy during the war, not on the origins of any future policy. It is based primarily on the official records of the British government which have been supplemented with correspondence from private collections. It concentrates on the evolution of the governments relations with the Poles, Czechoslovaks and Yugoslavs because they were the only eastern European nationalities to conduct, throughout the war, an extensive campaign in Britain for national self determination. Amongst the à ©migrà ©s they alone had meaningful relations with the government. (Calder, K. J.1976) When war first broke out between the allies and the central power, the allies had not thought of destroying Austro-Hungary. Even as the war progressed and centrifugal nationalities pressure on Austro-Hungary increased in intensity the allies were not prepared to seek its dismemberment. As late as January-1918 Lloyd George was insisting that the destruction of Austro-Hungary was not one of the war aims of the UK. This was in line with statements made by Wilson at the time. France also favoured the continued existence of Austro-Hungary that its German speaking areas could otherwise seek to unite with Germany. (Louis Leger, A. B. Hill. 1889). When the Central powers collapsed, events moved so quickly that the government did not have time to alter its relations with the subject nationalities to suit those aims it wished to pursue at the peace conference. In fact, on the subject of national self-determination, the government had not decided exactly what aims it wished to pursue. (Calder, K. J.1976) The collapse of the enemy cut short the war-time relations between the government and the à ©migrà ©s before they could be developed to their logical conclusion. Throughout the war, even while it sought a separate peace, the government gradually least limited support for their aspirations, in this situation the government might have been forced to make a formal decision on the fate of Austria-Hungary by giving a general endorsement to the idea of national self-determination. Such developments would have carried the pattern of British relations with the subject nationalities during the war to is ultimate, logical and extreme conclusion but the collapse of the Central powers, premature in terms of British military, cut short this development and left the government in a position which was, to say the lease, confused. By 11 November-1918, it had not formally endorsed the general application of the idea of national self-determination and had not decided, or accepted a commitment, to de stroy Austria-Hungary. Austro-Hungarian Empire can be blamed itself, for its defeat in World War I as all the suffering was caused just to confront the Serbians. The whole idea was turned down due to participation of Russians and further by the discreet act of Italians. After the war Austria-Hungary could not continue much as the Hungarian part became less supportive. Beginning from the later stage of 1916 till early 1917 food supply became very irregular for the Hungarian side and the government had to seek settlement against its enemies, but all the attempts were failed. This was the time when it became clear that the war winners will be the Allied powers of the British Empire, France, Italy and the United States. At this stage nationalist movements which had previously been calling for a greater degree of autonomy for various areas started pressing for full independence. Further the liberal movements and the politicians amongst the Austrians and Hungarians majority also supported the separatism of ethnic minorities in their areas. This began in October of 1918 when Austria was distributed into four portions German, Czech, South Slav and Ukrainian. The Polish State came into existence with rights of full independence. Czechoslovak joined their hands with the South Slave which were already united with Serbia. These happenings came in series as Czecho-Slovakia declared independence on October 28, the Slovaks in Martin on October 30, and on October 29, the southern Slav areas declared the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. Finally on October 31, 1918 the government of Hungary terminated its union with Austria and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was officially dissolved. Then in November separate republics were declared in Austria and Hungary and new border of territories were brought to the world map. The war ended when the peace agreement took effect on November 11, 1918. In the result of the war the political, cultural, and social order of the world was radically changed, even in those areas which were not directly involved in the war. Many new countries were formed, while many were abolished. After a thorough study of all the events, incidents and scenarios it may be concluded that the coalition of Austria and Hungary and development of Austro-Hungry Empire was a negative decision. The residents, besides being different in communities with different cultural and linguistic values, all of them tried to be together and support the government at one stage but later they were confront to go for the independence due to the conquering approach of both parts of the government, the Austria and Hungary, which finally ended in the dissolution after a huge loss in the shape of territory as well as manpower in the World War I.

Essay --

In order to understand Bilingual education it must first be defined, as the compilation of multicultural views through which diversity is enriched and bilingualism becomes an ability to communicate with two or more languages with similar degree of proficiency language (Gallo, Pinuelas and Youngs 2008). Other perspectives state that the process of bilingual education is a process which educates students to be effective in a second language while maintaining and nurturing their first (Necochea and Cline 2000). In this process of educating students in a bilingual education many students do not completely acquire both languages. We would also have to consider the meaning of language acquisition, the process where children acquire their first language. Some children may attain one or more first languages depending on their environment children grow up in for example if a child grows up in an environment of only English they will only acquire that language, but a child that is exposed to both Vietnamese and English and are heard equally will acquire both languages. Other considerable research found that â€Å"young children do not learn another language effortlessly† that they do not learn faster with more exposure to the new language, that their oral fluency outstrips their academic competence, and that they require many years of grade level academic ability in the new language†(Berman, 1997.p17). It is important to understand the effectiveness of bilingual education in schools setting to better sever students in acquiring both languages and to smoothly transition to all English instruction. Since the passage of the Bilingual Education Act in 1968, it has been an extremely controversial and continuous topic among educators about the... ...at needed to become fluent in both languages is the six years which can positively affect the children in acquiring both languages. It can also vary on the effectiveness of the bilingual education program that is offered in many schools. In the research there were no significant findings that stated that bilingual education was ineffective, there was more evidence that showed that learning a primary language first and then transitioning to a second language had benefits because it has a positive effect in eventually becoming bilingual. There are still some implications that can be addressed about the effectiveness of bilingual education. Is there evidence that shows that these students have completely acquired both languages? How effective are bilingual programs in having students successfully transition to general English classes in middle school and high school.

Ski Stories, Retold :: Personal Narrative Writing

Ski Stories, Retold My parents were avid amateur skiers. For years they have told me the stories of their attempts down the hills and across the countries of Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland. My dad becomes animated, imitating the huffing and puffing of his trips and laughing until his belly bounces, a result of less physical activity since those adventures. My mom laughs more quietly and requires more questions to keep her stories going. But both remember the same highlights and downfalls. When they were both stationed in Bitburg, Germany they signed up for the USAFE (pronounced u-safe-y) ski team. USAFE is the United States Air Force – Europe, the American Air Forces in Europe and European Air Forces. â€Å"Some were very good. They had made the Junior Olympics [before joining the Air Force],† Mom said, â€Å"but we were just doing it for fun and a free vacation.† They had minimal ski practice beforehand, but couldn’t pass up the prospective of a free vacation. They got TDY (temporary duty elsewhere) for the ski competitions, so they didn’t have to take leave time. One competition lasted for a week in Berchtesgaden, Germany, a small village near Austria. Mom did the giant slalom and the downhill. The giant slalom is a downhill event with two parallel poles called gates spread apart from other gates all the way down the mountain. The object is to ski through the gates in a specified order as fast as possible. Mom can’t remember how well she did but she â€Å"maybe made it down.† She said, in reference to the downhill event, â€Å"I made extra turns to try to slow myself down. I was fourth place or something; there weren’t many in it. Dad did well in his cross-country event. He was tenth.† Dad said, â€Å"We were lousy.† He chickened out at the top of the downhill. â€Å"We had to stand up there, all cold and holding our poles close, and then just throw ourselves down. We got so stiff, and it hurt so bad.† Mom joined in, â€Å"The tension. Oh, we were so tense. Our neck muscles and shoulders. Because you’re up there and so scared. [Those nights] we filled up the hot tub several times.† Both remembered Harry Morse, the ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat doctor).

Montecarlo Simulation Essay

Economy is the necessity of the consumers as well as to gain the utmost credit for it. In that way our superlative innovation of â€Å"VIVO† light has its own personal history which has originated the greatest solution for the community these times. By this time, all should have been aware of the outrageous news about the ‘rising of electric bill’. One could hardly expect anyone to accept the situation. Especially people who live in areas where there’s neither electricity nor power supply. There are people who often go for adventurous trips where they are greatly in need of light. Lighting with less capacity is always not an effective way to hold the light. There lies the problem but not without a solution which is a simple one. In this situation our team had a technical advanced resource that came up with the solution. It is none other than the â€Å"VIVO†- LED rechargeable light itself. It has the power of luminescence which will continuously last long hours. As we have just incorporated the company, the business is in the infant stage. Further we hope to identify it as legal soon 2. 2 Vision Statement â€Å"We develop the solutions beyond your expectations based on cutting edge technologies interlinked with economy and ecology. † 2. 3 Mission Statement â€Å"To be the leading integrated system and lights supplier to the global to the micro electronics industry and to offer complete energy saving solutions to customers for their lighting needs and prov iding total customer satisfaction with our highly innovative and cost-effective products. † 2. 4 Business Model We focus to produce one of the essential products to the customer with a standard product design and size. We have a bunch of knowledgeable and talented team to produce our initial set of production. At the mean time we target to market our products through direct marketing tool. Because we believe Door Step marketing would facilitate us to approach each and every customer individually. We mainly concentrate our product with high quality and the relationship with our customers by providing better service. Also we hope this will create a primary value for our firm. In future we hope to spread our product to Sri Lanka, island wide. 03. PRODUCT PLAN 3. 1 Features The product will be designed based on the emerging technology of Light Emitting Diode (LED). Currently the Sri Lankan market for this type of product is dominated by imported Lamps from China, which mostly contains a florescent tube lamp inside. As per the market research the problem with these type of lamps are; these will provide light usable for maximum of one hour, even if the rechargeable battery inside is charged fully for more than three hours. The main contributor for this inefficient performance is the florescent tube lamp used. This lamp will consume more power than LED lamps. And the brightness will also be lower than a five watts Light Emitting Diode (LED). The target customers of the company’s product are unable to use these imported lamps for the purpose of studying, working and adventurous travelling. So their needs will be satisfied with this product since the proposed product will be designed by using large number of LEDs and a rechargeable battery which is compatible and portable. It is efficient to the extent that, it will provide more hours lighting with the charging time of only few hours and more charging time will increase the usage time. . 2 Key Attributes Company is planning to incorporate two functions in the product using the LED units. That is the unit will have an Active mode and a Bright mode for convenience of the user. Bright mode: This mode is the differentiating feature of the company’s product from other lamps. This is where the unit will be supplied with more power, to the extent that the LEDs will function with its full capacity. So the lamp can be used for studying, cooking or travelling in night purposes. Active mode: This is where the Light emitting diode will be supplied with low power using a small circuit with a help of a switch. This will result in the lamps, emitting light at a lower capacity than its full capacity. This mode can be used to place the lamp in a hall area where you don’t need too much bright. This will significantly reduce the power consumption and increase the operating hours of the unit while the durability of the LED will improve and the battery life will also increase. 3. 3 Enhancements The firm is planning to enhance its product to the extent that, it will charge itself using solar panel technology. Currently the firm is unable to incorporate this technology, because it is not having sufficient financial aid. But once it is established in the market place it will be possible to get additional bank loan or any other sources of financing. Then the firm will be able to produce more number of units with additional features. After the incorporation of this new technology the product may be subject to a price revision and this may increase the piece. The product is made up with light emitting diodes, this means that there is low probability that this unit will fail due to the failure of this LEDs. But the riskier part is the rechargeable battery, where the average life of a battery is around two years, so that in order to be more cautious, company is expecting to give a one year warranty for its customers. 3. 4 Product Strategy The opportunity identification suggests that, the people who suffer with the increased electricity tariffs and who are trying to reduce their electricity expenses are expecting some other forms of lighting. On the other hand there are certain areas of the country that do not supplied with the power by the electricity board, in order to carry out the native’s chores. So this Market Gap analysis helped the emergence of the efficient rechargeable LED lamps. Initially the target segment of the firm is the consumers who live in the North and in the up country of Sri Lanka as the company has small distribution channels to market the products in these areas. After wards within the next three years it will expand the target market and company will sell the product to at least 50% of the consumers in Sri Lanka covering Eastern, Western, Sabaragamuva, Central and Uva Provinces. Currently the product strategy is to produce the rechargeable LED Lamps which could be used for lighting purpose at houses, working places and for travelling purposes. But in future after establishing the product in the market place it will use a product mix which will include more technological products such as solar power lights and etc. The product is differentiated to attract customers, through its unique feature of brightness which could be used to light and cover a vast area (more than 500 square feet) and the efficiency where the power saved for half an hour can be used for more than five hours. The current products in the market are less efficient and it cannot be used for the purpose of lighting a vast area, as most of the products related to this technology are small portable torch lights. The major risk of introducing a technological product is the emergence of new technologies. So company should be aware of the emerging new technologies and based on the consumer requirement, a continuous Line extension, Market Development, Product Development and Diversification strategies will be required to succeed in the business. According to this, it has planned to introduce a self charging unit in the forth coming periods. The introduction time of this new product will not be defined at present, in order to avoid product proliferation. 3. 5 Benefits of the Product The objective behind the firm’s strategy is to make business that satisfies the customers who do not have proper and adequate electricity facilities in their region. So the target customers are the people who are in the remote areas, mainly in hill countries and north and eastern province. Based on the preliminary study conducted, on target customers, it was identified that the main concern is lack of electricity facility and the amount of money that they can afford to obtain electricity facility through other means. The following benefits of the company’s product will full fill the above requirements and it is believed that, this is a competitive advantage of the firm compared to the other players in the industry. ? Compatibility and convenience: The product is designed with the intention that the users should be able to carry it easily where ever they go. So the weight of the unit will be less and the size is also reduced up to the maximum. ? Expensiveness: The product incorporates the emerging new technology of LED. This has helped the company to substantially reduce the production cost. So the final output of the product will be priced in accordance with the market price, while the firm can also reduce the distribution cost, import expense and intermediation cost. Because when a company import and sell a product, the producer, distributer and ultimately the importer has to make profit from the same unit. So the product normally will have more selling and distribution cost than the manufacturing cost. This huge disadvantage is purely eliminated from our product because it is a Sri Lankan product. So in this context the company will set the price well below the market price. So the customers can get a good quality product at a lower cost. ? Efficiency and durability: The main competitive advantage of the product is the efficient use of the product that is 30 minutes of recharge ime will enable the user to operate the unit for 300 minutes, which is comparatively high usage when comparing with other similar products in the industry. The other benefit is that we have incorporated two options to satisfy the customer needs, which is bright mode and active mode. This will further enhance the usage. ? Warranty claims: The Company will provide a one year warranty for the product. That is our company will bear all the repair and maintenance expenses of the product which is returned to us within one year from the sales date. It increases the reliability of the product among customers. ? Customer Support: In this industry normally after sales services are not a popular facility provided by the producer. So the company has planned to provide technical support to customers after the sales regarding the usage and warranty claims. This will be done through the telephone conversation and through the business agents. So this service provides an additional comfort with the company’s product. 3. 6 Trade Secrets and Patent Rights This is a very important area to be considered. But the firm is protected in this area because according to the initial market research there are very few Sri Lankan companies producing this type of products by importing the partly finished components and doing the latter part of the production (Assembling) in Sri Lanka. So there is no direct competitor for the firm in the current context. Bur the product may face Reverse Engineering in future. But this type of risks is common in this business area, so it is very difficult to protect this. But if the marketing team of the firm communicate the customers clearly, then it will be easier to promote the original products. The firm is sure that it has unique knowledge and skills about its product and the business, so this is the strongest competitive advantage of the firm and, it may not disclose it to others. As many would expect, this approach has its own issues like disclosure requirement, but many ventures have competed successfully this way. 3. 7 Stage of Development The product is in the prototype stage and the company has successfully completed the previous two stages of conceptual and design stages. It will be ready for marketing once it has started the business activities. And it is possible for the firm to grab the first mover advantage of this type of LED technology. 04. MARKET AND INDUSTY ANALYSIS Industry analysis and market analysis are two different ways to look at the environment in which a business competes. Although related, these two types of analysis differ in their scope. The purpose of the market and industry analysis is to identify the market opportunities for our product, LED rechargeable lights. LED lights are the next generation of lighting solutions which going to emerge in coming years. Therefore there will be a good opportunity for our product in future. 1. Market Analysis In today’s technological world, we find a challenging and ever-expanding marketplace for almost any product or service. The role of the market analysis is to help guide the process of better understanding of the most important market segments, how fast the opportunity is growing, what are the key sustainable differentiations and why are these important. In this section we are going to discuss the following components: †¢ Target market segment strategy †¢ Market needs †¢ Market trends †¢ Market segmentation Overall market The lighting industry is in the early stages of shifting away from established technologies – fluorescent, incandescent, and high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting – toward light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Adoption rates of LED lighting are expected to grow in the coming years as the efficiency and quality of LEDs surpass those of competing technologies and as the price is low. Not only the quality and low price of LED rechargeable lights, people not having the comfort of using the electricity, especially like a country like Sri Lanka, also makes way for us to make a market appearance. Our market would be mainly based on North and central provinces as those areas have no regular and proper supply of electricity. Over the past few years the market for LED rechargeable lights has shown a growing trend and it is likely that the current trend will continue. Future development of the northern and eastern provinces may decline the demand for LED rechargeable lights in those areas as they may get the regular supply of electricity. But the increase in the price of electricity makes the market opportunity for LED rechargeable lights outshining as more people opt for cheap lighting systems. In future, growth in the market for LED rechargeable lights is highly anticipated and it will be made possible by rapidly decreasing LED prices, ever-increasing efficiencies and improved quality of light. Therefore the revenue is expected to increase and the future looks bright for LED rechargeable lights in the coming years. Addressable market Although our overall market covers northern, eastern and central provinces our main focus would be on the rural areas of these provinces, where there is no electricity facility or the supply of electricity is interrupted often. People who are in search of a way to minimize their cost for electricity will be also included in our addressable market. Segmentation We have identified our market segment as follows, †¢ Groups of customers: Our main customers would be people who have no regular access to electricity, low income earners and people who want to minimize their spending on electricity. †¢ Geography: First we would introduce our product in the local market giving more attention to northern, eastern and central provinces. †¢ Product features: Our LED rechargeable lights give more brightness with less power consumption. Benefits: Saves power, money and time. †¢ Prices: Our strategy would be cost leadership. We would produce the lights at a very low cost, add a profit margin to that and price our product at a low price. †¢ Distribution channel: We would distribute our product using direct distribution methods. There won’t be any intermediaries in our distribution chain. Entry point Our main target is to cater the people who have no electricity and people who are in search of an alternative to fulfill their need for light, with a proper lighting system. This would become an entry point for us as there are many people in Sri Lanka searching for a proper lighting system. And the recent hike in electricity prices has made many people seeking for a cheaper electricity solution as our product is cheap and power saving, this opportunity would pave the way for us to enter the market. 2. Industry Analysis Industry analysis is a vital part of the decision-making process in a business. A comprehensive industry analysis helps to take an objective view of the underlying forces, attractiveness, and success factors that determine the structure of the industry. Understanding the business’s operating environment in this way can help to formulate an effective strategy, position the business for success, and make the most efficient use of the limited resources of the small business. We are going to discuss the following sections in the industry analysis: †¢ Industry Description †¢ Industry Trends †¢ Industry Size and Attractiveness †¢ Profit Potential †¢ Target Market †¢ Competitive Position Industry analysis on LED Rechargeable Light The industry for LED rechargeable lights is very small with few manufacturers, therefore the competitors of our proposed product would be less and as a result of this, it is possible enter easily and cater the market need with cost effective, efficient solution. Another significant advantage over the product is there are no other manufacturers in Sri Lanka, who produce LED rechargeable lights. The prevailing competitors compete mainly on price and the technologies used by the competitors are relatively similar. The degree of competition is lower in the industry therefore the probability of success is comparatively higher for a new entrant in this market. Industry organization Majority of LED Rechargeable lights available in Sri Lanka are produced in Japan, China, Taiwan and India and there are few small assemblers in Sri Lanka. The products are mainly distributed via supermarket channels, LG Abans, Singer and small retail electronics shops and distribution is extensively made in main cities such as Colombo, Kandy, Galle suburban areas. There is less number of distribution points in Northern and Central Province and only the customers in the capital city are purchasing LED rechargeable lights. Value is created to the proposed product via operations, sales and marketing, service and usage of advanced technology. The competitive firms mainly use the above value adding activities to improve profit margin. Competitive Environment The competitive firms compete mainly on price and quality, and the introduction of new products is in a lower rate. Products are differentiated from one another mainly based on the number of LED bulbs used in light and priced accordingly. Customer support is given in the mean of quality warranty; in average one year service warranty is given by the competitive firms. Number of firms prevail in the market is very few, since the degree of rivalry is also low. A new entrant should compete mainly based on Quality (efficiency), Price (cost effective), and service excellence (Warranty) in order to survive and to attract more customers in the market. Since the market is dominated by imported goods the response to new entrants is slow and LED rechargeable lights are not sold many dealers in Sri Lanka. Market is highly fragmented and the competitors are traditional and old. There is high demand for Nippon products but its price extensively higher than other similar products The problems faced by the target customers due to the competitors’ products are a. Since the distribution channel is not well established in the target customers’ geographical area (Northern and Central Province), it is difficult for the customer to find the dealers to repair the product if any fault is identified in the product. b. Similar products available in the market are less efficient in case of electricity consumption (high electricity consumption when charging), charging life is lesser than mentioned in the product catalogue, and the power is lesser than expected. c. Price of the product is high and the target customer segment find it difficult to purchase LED rechargeable light even though they have a need of it. Barriers to Entry When a new venture enters into the LED rechargeable lights industry it has to mainly face the following barriers from its competitive forces. a. Competitors such as Nippon, Kanchen are well established firms in the international market and equipped with advanced technologies therefore these firms will enjoy economies of scale and at the initial stage our firm has to incur comparatively more costs for technology, product designing and manufacturing. Therefore at the initial stage product efficiency and manufacturing efficiency is vital. b. There are some well established brands in the market and customers are loyal to those brands but the price of those brands are relatively higher therefore target customers may not be able to afford that higher price. c. Distribution channel of the product is not well established in the target geographical area therefore there are no competitors who have control over the channel. d. Switching cost for the proposed product relatively higher since the current market price of the competitors’ product. Even though there is an opportunity for the new entrants since the distribution channel of existing products is not reached to the target customer segment. Control over industry Competition of LED rechargeable lights are mainly based on price therefore pricing should be made in the way of value adding and it is important to set price lower than industry average. The bargaining power of customers is higher since they prefer cost effective solution. Suppliers of the raw material have more power since at the initial stage the production volume is low therefore it is difficult to obtain discounts from the supplier by bargaining. Competitive advantage can be gained only through effective production process. Existing competitors are mainly using indirect channels to distribute; it would be successful if proposed product adopts direct means of distribution. Competition prevailing in the industry. There is no aggressive competition in the market and proposed product is the pioneer locally produced product in the industry. The direct competitors in LED rechargeable light industry are Nippon, Kanchan and Orbit and few small importers. a. Nippon LED Rechargeable Lights Nippon LED rechargeable lights are the products of Nippon Electric Company (NEC), Japan. It is a well reputed brand in Sri Lanka and the products are imported by Nippon Lanka (pvt) Ltd. The distribution of products made via its showroom in Bambalapitiya and through super market chains (Arpico, Keells Super), customers are loyal to the product since they perceive it has good quality than the products available in the market. Nippon Lanka doesn’t have sellers in the Central and Northern Province. b. Kanchan Rechargeable Lights Kanchan is an Indian product and price is relatively cheaper than Nippon but the technology used by Knachan is different since the major technology used is Fluorescent Bulbs and these bulbs are comparatively inefficient than LED. The main mean of distribution is online selling and it is not reached in the rural areas of Sri Lanka. c. Orbit Star LED Rechargeable Light Orbit Star is a product from Orbit and it uses online selling as a major source of distribution to reach the target customer (www. anything. lk and www. topshop. lk), the accessibility of internet is poor in Central and Northern Province. Indirect competitors of LED rechargeable light would be the producers of Solar Power Lights, Kerosene, Dynamo, Bio gas but the above substitutes are inefficient and expensive than proposed product. Future potential competitors would be the producers who are using advanced technologies such as NANO and OLED. Opportunity Based on the market and industry analysis there is a need for efficient, environmental friendly, cost effective, environmental friendly LED rechargeable lamp especially in Northern and Central Province. The weakness of the competitors will be used as an additional feature in order to capture the market via prevailing opportunities.