Starbucks Case Study

Media Industry and Management in India essays

Media Industry and Management in India essays The growth of communication from sign language and drumbeats to the instantaneous transmission of words and pictures round the globe via satellite is a long and fascinating story. After Gutenbergs invention of the movable printing press in 1468 and the emergence of newspapers thereafter, we saw the first signs of mass media. The world witnessed major breakthroughs like the first black and white photograph by Fox Talbot in England in1939, the development of electric telegraphy in 1850s, the first movie by the Lumiere Brothers in Paris 1895, the invention of the phonograph by Edison in 1896, the wireless radio by Marconi in 1912 and the first regular television sets and transmission in 1936. Today, media has become a social institution whose main function it is to inform, analyse and entertain. It is dictated by societal norms and is a mirror of the prevalent cultures and thought processes. It includes within its gamut, various channels of communication like newspapers, magazines, television channels, radio stations, the Internet, news agencies, publishing houses, etc. These media organisations together form the media industry. One characteristic of the media industry is that it functions as a people to people dynamic chain. Organisation and proper management of this industry is, therefore, essential for success as well as survival. This means the effective application of management principles and techniques through the process of planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. Media organisations thus create organisational systems and structures to enable speed and efficiency of all operations. Keeping these requirements in mind, let us focus on an important component of the media industry - the news agency. The following aspects will be dealt with The Big Five news agencies Role and importance of news agencies Organisational structure, reve...

MFRD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MFRD - Essay Example This is one of the major decisions that a manager is faced with. He has to decide how the available resources will be utilized efficiently. Financial resources are always scares and limited. Therefore, they have to be put into the best possible use that will give optimum benefit to the organization. The manager has to spend them in the order of priority and urgency (Baker and Powell, 2007). The best way to ensure good services is to ensure proper planning of the way financial resources will be utilized. The manager has to point out the financial shortages and surpluses. Financial statements are important in this since they help managers to control the resources and make the right decisions. Through them, the manager is able to predict the costs and expenditure. He will in turn make the right decision on how to use the resources available to meet the costs. This essay focuses on the issue of financial resource management and decision making in an organization. It discusses the various sources of finance, their advantages and disadvantages as well as how budgets can be used to help in decision making. The essay is based on Mr T. Jones Fast Foods Restaurant. The source of finance for a business depends on the type of business and the stage at which the business is (i.e.) a start -up business or a continuing business. The larger the organization, the wider the variety of finance sources available to them. In case of a start- up business, the initial investment is referred to as capital. The sources of this capital could range from savings, inheritance, loans as well as investments. This is the most difficult part of starting a business. The entrepreneurs need to get enough capital to start the business and get it going. When the business is on -going or becomes established, it has ways in which it increases its capital. The capital can be increased through internal means or external means. Internal sources of finance are the funds that are

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) - Essay Example Further, with the 16-detector row CT (16D-CT), the spatial resolution increased and the contrast medium efficiency improved. Finally, with the 64-detector row CT (64D-CT) scanner, a true isotropic high spatial resolution of the entire volume was possible. Thus, the multi-detector row CT angiography (MDCTA) has developed as an accurate method in assessing the peripheral arteries. Clinical history This is the clinical history of a 70-year old man who presented in the hospital with symptoms of pain in the calf muscle with walking that was relieved with rest. He also gave a history of diabetes and hypertension for the past 25 years. Although he was taking medication for both diabetes and hypertension, it was poorly controlled. Blood analysis revealed an elevated fasting and postprandial sugar values. Physical examination revealed an elevated blood pressure measurement. Examination of the feet revealed distal hair loss, trophic skin changes and hypertrophic nails. There was ulceration in the heel. Social history revealed that he was a chronic smoker for the past 30 years and had a sedentary lifestyle. His physician advised him to undergo a CT angiography and he presented in the radiology department for the same. Pathology Atherosclerosis, which primarily is a systemic inflammatory process, is the most common cause of PAD. Histopathologically, an atherosclerotic lesion is initiated with the appearance of fatty streaks, which initiates an inflammatory process. This promotes the deposition of cholesterol, and finally, plaque buildup (Garcia 2006). Plaque is made up of fat, fibrin, cellular waste products, cholesterol and calcium.

Business Negotiation Learning Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Negotiation Learning Report - Essay Example In such a situation, negotiation is required. The negotiator must be careful in how he develops his arguments for reducing the level of damages and the length of the defects period; otherwise he will lay himself open to the argument from the buyer that the contractor has no confidence either in his or her ability to complete on time or in the quality of his product. A proper preparation is the most imperative prerequisite to successful negotiation. Neither the negotiator’s expertise nor persuasion can make up for the dearth of preparation. An adequate preparation will provide me with an opportunity to clarify the delegation’s objectives, and acquaint the delegates with the primary issues and the parties engrossed. Adequate preparation is a step close to attaining success (Garrett, 2005, p. 32). In designing the plan, I will consider the issues at hand which are the contractor’s reputation, other completed contracts by the contractor and the damages that the owner of the building will incur after breach of contract. In addition, I will also consider each party’s interests in light of the delegation’s objectives. I will ensure that I have the required information to facilitate the negotiation since information is power (Garrett, 2005, p. 41). ... In preparing for the negotiation, I will ensure that I do not confuse my perceptions with veracity. I will be ready to examine each and every situation in the contract and consider both sides of the negotiation. In preparing for the negotiation, identification of the structure of the negotiation is vital. The structure includes setting the appropriate sequence, time and venue for the negotiation. After identification of the issues at hand in the negotiation, I will come up with a clearly written and delineated path and strategies on how to achieve the desired results. In order to address the issues effectively, I will carefully plan the order by which I will address these issues. I will either start with the least important to the most salient or start with the most significant then finish with the least important. Finally, I would decide on the responsibilities of each team member in the negotiation and consider any other relevant information that could be helpful (Garrett, 2005, p. 45). In this contract negotiation, evaluating the potential risks and liabilities is the best strategy. Such a strategy allows me to think and imagine of the potentiality for something going wrong and the unforeseen costs and expense one party will incur if the contract is breached. Such a strategy will allow me to consider the possibility of a breach and the liabilities. Every negotiator has to consider the best and the worst outcomes before the negotiation process commences. As a negotiator, I will evaluate the possibility of favorable and unfavorable outcomes. Trust, power and persuasion play a significant role in negotiations. A high degree of trust with the parties will lead to an effective negotiation in the contract

Review Of The Historical Perspective Animation Essay

Review Of The Historical Perspective Animation Essay This section in my dissertation focuses not on the history of animation per se but on the evolution and progress of animation in films and in particular claymation which is one form of stop-motion animation. The desire to animate is as old as art itself. Animation is a form of movie magic with its origins in art form. The earliest examples are still drawings, found in Palaeolithic cave paintings depicting animals with multiple sets of legs in superimposed positions, that attempted to convey the illusion of movement. While such images came to life through fairy tales and folk lore, it was only during the 19th century -when inventions were made to make motion picture- that animated pictures became a real possibility. A live -action film and an animated film are different because the live -action camera captures a scene moving in real time, automatically freezing into separate still pictures that can then be projected on to a screen. In an animation film, the animator, on the contrary, can not film anything until and unless he/ she creates through drawings(2D animation) or models (3 D animation) or computer imagery every single frame of a film from scratch. While animation is definitely a highly creative medium, it entails time-consuming processes for an animator who should have vision, faith in the concept and creation, abundant patience and capacity for sustained efforts. THE DEVICES: The development of devices from crude form to highly technical gadget has played a key role in evolution of animation over the years. The earliest device to create an image of a moving picture is known as Zoetrope, invented in China around 180 AD. The modern day zoetrope contraption was produced in 1834 by William George Horner and is considered to be the beginning of the animation devices. The device is basically a cylinder with vertical slits around the sides. Around the inside edge of the cylinder there are a series of pictures on the opposite side to the slits. As the cylinder is spun, the user then looks through the slits producing the illusion of motion. Actually, even in present day animation classes for the beginners, the Zoetrope is being used to explain the early concepts of animation. The magic lantern, believed to have originated from China in the 16th century, is the precursor to the modern day projector. It consisted of a translucent oil painting and a simple lamp. When put together in a darkened room, the image would appear larger on a flat surface. The most significant early day animation device was Phenakistoscope (1831) disc, invented simultaneously by the Belgian Joseph Plateau and the Austrian Simon von Stampfer. The photographic sequence experiments done by English-born American Eadweard Muybridge in 1872, using 24 still cameras set up along side horse race track, have been of help to later generation of animators. The animated film took a major step thanks to a sophisticated version of Zoetrope, known as Praxinoscope, invented by French scientist Charles-Émile Reynaud in 1877, a painter of lantern-slides. It used the same basic mechanism of a strip of images placed on the inside of a spinning cylinder, but instead of viewing it through slits, it was viewed in a series of small, stationary mirrors around the inside of the cylinder, so that the animation would stay in place, and provide a clearer image and better quality. After fifteen years of hard work, Reynaud also developed a larger version of the praxinoscope, an animation system using loops of 12 pictures, that could be projected onto a screen, called the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre Optique, first demonstrated at the Musee Grevin, Paris in 1892, comprising 500 pictures on a transparent strip of gelatin. This was the first animation film entitled Pantomimes Lumineuses which lasted up to fifteen minutes. Reynauds films were simple tales mainly concern ed with love and rivalry. Reynaud used drawings rather than photographic images, and every subsequent animated film using line animation -from Felix the Cat and Micky Mouse to the Rugrats and the Simpsons -is a successor to the moving pictures that he created. Flip Book, patented in 1868 by a John Barns Linnet, was another development that brought us closer to modern animation. The Flip Book creates the illusion of motion through a set of sequential pictures flipped at a high speed. The Mutoscope (1894) is basically a flip book in a box with a crank handle to flip the pages. 1919 marked the invention of rotoscope. While Emile Reynaud, showed the first animated film using his Theatre Optique system in 1982, three years later, two French brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumiere, presented the first authentic demonstration of what we now think of as cinema. Lumiere Brothers characters were images of real people and hence overshadowed the Emile Reynauds presentations of moving drawings. Humorous Phases of Funny Faces made by J. Stuart Blackton in 1906, featuring a cartoonist drawing faces on a chalkboard, and the faces apparently coming to life, can be termed as the first animated work on standard picture film. This film was released by Vitagraph. Two years later, the French director Émile Cohl (also called Émile Courtet), created Fantasmagorie which was screened for the first time on August 17, 1908 at Theatre du Gymnase in Paris. It was Émile Cohl who relocated to New York City in 1912, spread its technique in the US. Though these animations were rudimentary, Gertie the Dinosaur in 1914 and Koko the Clown in 1919 by Max Fleischer, considered as classics, stepped up the pace of animation films in silent movie era in USA. The Beautiful Lukanida released in 1912 and conceived by the Russian-born director Wladyslaw Starewicz (later known as Ladislas Starevich) gets the honour of being the first puppet animation film. Neither this film, nor the first animated feature film -El Apà ³stol, made in 1917 by Quirino Cristiani from Argentina as well as his two other animated feature films, including 1931s Peludopolis, {the first to use synchronized sound}, have survived the present day. The silhouette-animated Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) directed by German Lotte Reiniger and French/Hungarian Berthold Bartosch is one of the earliest-surviving animated feature. This film used colour-tinted scenes, perhaps for the first time. The list of other animated films during the silent era included the following films: Gertie the Dinosaur made by Winsor Mccay in 1914, The Sinking of the Lusitania in 1918, Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend in 1921 by John Randolph Bray who rediscovered some of McCays techniques, The Dinosaur and the Missing Link by Willis OBrien in 1915, the first cartoon super star Felix the Cat in 1919 and The Lost World , a stop motion marvel made in 1925. This was followed by the famous Aesops Film Fables during 1921-1929 created by Paul Terry, released by Van Beuren Studios. Initially, Walt Disney also made silent cartoons like Laugh-o-Grams, Alice Comedies, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse. Other significant silent era series were Heeza Liar, Mutt and Jeff, Krazy Kat, Bobby Bumps etc. The notable production houses during this period were: Barre Studio, Bray Productions, Barre-Bowers Studio {The Bray Studios was the first and foremost cartoon studio, housed in New York City-} Many budding cartoonists like Paul Terry of Mighty Mouse fame, Max Fleischer of Betty Boop fame, and Walter Lantz of Woody Woodpecker fame, all statrted their career in this studio.The cartoon studio was based in Circa during 1915-1928. Farmer Alfalfa by Paul Terry and Bobby Bumps by Earl Hurd were well known cartoons produced by the Bray studios. Fleischer Studios, set up by Max and Dave Fleischer created the Koko the Clown, Out of the Inkwell, and Sound Car-Tunes series. In addition, this era also saw distributors of animated films such as Margaret J. Winkler, Charles Mintz, Educational Pictures, Red Seal Pictures, and Bijou Films. Although 1930s witnessed a few more animated feature films, Walt Disneys Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs released in 1937 is deemed to be the first animated feature film with sound effects. It could be because Snow White became successful and well-known within the English-speaking world. The first animation to use the full, three-color Technicolor method was Flowers and Trees (1932) made by Disney Studios which won an academy award for this work. We are all aware how Walt Disney dominated throughout the 1930s, through revolutionary cartoons Silly Symphonies, Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck. The 1930s, termed as the Golden Era in USA animation also witnessed the emergence of big studios making animation films like Warner Bros, MGM and The Fleischer Studios with their creations like Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons. Following the golden Age of American animation (1920s through 1950s), animation evolved at a more hectic pace during the television era i.e. 1950s through 1980s. During this period, the theatrical cartoons and feature films declined to some extent. Hanna-Barbara productions did dominate this phase with their TV animated series. Then we saw the emergence of morning cartoons on week ends, adult animation in the 70s, and a slew of commercial cartoons in the 1980s. The present day animation (1980s onwards) boasts of mind boggling creations most of which are futuristic in concept such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the Disney Renaissance and Steven Spielbergs collaborations with Warner Bros like ET, Jurasic Park etc. The Simpsons is one of the most successful series that revived the adult-oriented animation. The other series of this genre is Cartoons Networks late night animation show Adult Swim. Many studios all over the world have joined the bandwagon of making animation films for world wide distribution. The rise of CGI , increasing popularity of Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and the Anime explosion which is mainstream version of Japanese animation represent the current scenario in animation. HISTORY OF STOP -MOTION CLAYMATION: Stop motion and cel animation are two basic techniques in traditional animation. Stop motion animation, is used for many animation productions using physical objects rather than images of people, as with traditional animation. An object will be photographed, moved slightly, and then photographed again. When the pictures are played back in normal speed the object will appear to move by itself. Clay animation is one the forms of stop-motion animation. It is the animation of clay models made preferably of plasticine clay. Producing stop-motion animation using clay /plasticine clay is a time consuming and labour intensive process. That is because, to produce a 30 minute stop motion animation movie using clay models, approximately 21,600 times one has to stop to change the figures for the frames. In the case of feature-length films, in addition to clay, rubber silicone and resin-cast components are used to create models. The term Claymation is a registered trade mark in USA, registered by Will Vinton, the greatest pioneer in clay animation. Though foamation, meaning use of foam-rubber process, invented by Will Vinton has found a place in stop motion animation films, it is clay which is the preferred material to bring about aesthetic effect as well. A variant to claymation is the clay melting used in Will Vintons film Closed Mondays. While there are several forms of clay animation, the notable few are: Freeform claymation represents a process wherein the shape of the clay changes significantly as the animation progresses, as exemplified in the films of Eliot Noyes Jr and Ivan Stang. Character Clay animation maintains a recognisable character throughout the shot as in Art Clokeys and Will Vintons works. The Strata -cut animation entails long bread like loaf of clay packed with varying figures/ images, which is sliced into thin sheets with the camera taking a frame of the end of loaf for each cut as a result of which one could eventually see the movements of internal images within. This technique was pioneered by the German animator Oskar Fischinger during 1920s and 1930s subsequently upgraded by David Daniels in mid-90s as seen in his film Buzz Box. Clay painting is termed as another form of claymation. This process requires clay to be placed on a flat surface and moved like wet oil paints. This technique results in a seamless merger of stop motion and traditional flat animation. Early films using stop-motion were the clasic Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit, and later The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. Sometimes even objects are used, such as with the films of Jan Ã…  vankmajer. Stop motion animation was also commonly used for special effects work in many live-action films, such as the 1933 version of King Kong and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. It was in 1920s, though eight years earlier Edison Manufacturing released a clay animated trick film called The Sculptors Welsh Rarebit Dream, the clay animation films using either cels or the slash system became the dominant mode in animation film production. Although the cel method was preferred for cartoon films by the studios, clay animation was the medium in the well known film called Modelling produced by Fleischer Studio in 1921. Joan Gratz, won academy nomination for her clay animation films Creation (1980) and won the Oscar for yet another film Mona Lisa descending a Stair Case made in 1982. Craig Barlett, another Vinton animator was known for variation in clay animation used in his series of short films Arnold in the mid 90s. Charles Bowers a comedian with great talent in animation made many bizarre films in the 1920s combining stop-motion animation and comedy. Academy Award winning short films such as Closed Mondays made by Will Vinton and Bob Gardiner in 1974, The Sand Castle'(1977) and Creature Comforts; , produced by Aardman Studios in 1989 and all four Wallace Gromit films created by Nick Park of Arrdman Animation and last but the least The Presentators again filmed by Aardman Animation are typical claymation films. Clay animation has been creatively employed in several computer games as well viz. The Neverhood, Clay Fighter, Patypus, Primal Rage. Besides TV commercials such as Chevron Cars, childrens shows in the electronic media in the recent times are dominated by clay animation techniques which are often seen on Cartoon Network. Computer graphic image of clay animation is presented in a film called Flushed Away. COMPUTER -GENERATED IMAGERY {CGI } What has caused a real revolution in animation industry is the Computer -generated imagery- abbreviated as CGI. It is significantly different from traditional animation because the drawings (known as 2D animation) in traditional animation gave way to 3D Modeling which is the virtual version of stop-motion. CGI combines these two forms of animation through computer aided animation but on 2D Computer drawing. CGI is as tedious as the traditional animation and many of the underlying principles of traditional animation are used albeit through computer aided software programmes. Most of the characters employed in CGI films are based on animal characters, monsters, machines or cartoon-like humans. The latest rend is to create realistic-looking humans. The notable animation films of this genre are Films are Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within in 2001, Final Fantasy: Advent Children in 2005, The Polar Express in 2004, and Beowulf in 2007. The constraint in this method of animation is to create the nuances and details of a living person if one has to make a realistic CG character; in particular, to synchronise the movement of the hair and clothing with the animated human character. CEL-SHADED ANIMATION Cel shading is a type of rendering, known as non photorealistic rendering, to make computer graphics appear to be hand-drawn. A recent development and a comples process, this is generally applied to mimic the style of a comic book or cartoon. The console video games use cel- shaded animation in addition to computer graphics. The material used in cel- shaded animation is the clear sheets of acetate , called cels. Some animators consider Cel -shaded animation as 2.5 D form of animation, a via media between 2D and 3D animation. It was only the console video games which shows the true real-time cel-shading as seen in Segas Jet Set Radio launched in 2000 for their Dreamcast console. This style of animation was used in Freedom Project in 2006. ANIMATION IN INDIA: As in the western countries, the roots of animation in India are in Indian Cinema. In the early 20s, Dadasaheb Phalke, arguably one of the founders of Indian Cinema, {in whose name a prestigious award has been instituted to honour every year outstanding contribution in the field of cinema}, match sticks and a stop-motion camera to create a short film which was unfortunately not distributed for public viewing. After a lot of struggle, he succeeded in making a stop motion film The Growth of A Pea Plant in 1912, marking the beginning of animation in films in India. However, the first animation film ever released in a theater was The Pea Brothers produced by New Theatres Limited, and directed by Gunamoy Banerjee, and released on June 23, 1934. It took nearly seventeen years to produce the next animation film called Jumbo The Fox coming from Ranjit Movietone and released in 1951. In the same year, another animation from New Theatres, Michke Potash, directed by Bhaktaram Mitra was release d. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting , Government of India set up a Cartoon Film Unit as part of its Filns Division to promote animation films. This unit produced in 1956 Radha and Krishna, a 22 minute film based on cel animation, directed by J.S. Bhownagary. It is believed that camera movements over the miniature paintings of Indian art were employed to create the animation. This film won prestigious awards in International Film Festival held in Berlin. Films Division had a team of animators like Kantilal Rathore, Pramod Pati, G.K. Godbole, and V.G. Samant, along with Ram Mohan, Bhimsain, Satam, Suresh Nayek. A film which impacted animation in India was Kalpana, made in 1948, directed by the legendary dance maestro Uday Shankar, although it was not an animation film. Because, the use of feet movement, film language with rhythm and melody skillfully synchronized appealed to all the film makers including Satyajit Ray Mrinal Sen, doyens of Indian Cinema.

Personal Narrative - One of My Most Coveted Achievements :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

One of My Most Coveted Achievements    Dr. Ross’ Comments: This essay is a very good example of a personal experience shared by the writer. She clearly describes an important episode in her life and vividly reveals a part of her true â€Å"self† to her audience.    What began in my life as yet another effort in weight loss became one of my most coveted achievements. After the birth of our third child, and too many pounds that were not disappearing, we purchased a small above ground pool. While the kids splashed, I began my aquatic exercise program. Within a short time, I yearned to swim laps in a larger pool, and soon we were swimming at Southeastern Louisiana University’s near Olympic size facility. Setting my sights on becoming a long distance swimmer, I had indeed begun to lose weight as my fitness improved. I discovered a real satisfaction from swimming. As I learned to improve my stroke and lung capacity, I savored the quiet world that I was immersed in during my workouts. It became my special time to allow my thoughts to glide as effortlessly as my body did while my distance increased to an uninterrupted mile. I truly loved the permanent smell of chlorine on my skin. I was a swimmer. The coach of the adult swim team invited me to join, and I was delighted to be considered an athlete of any kind. Morning workouts with the team were now interspersed with my evenings at the pool with my children, as I prepared to enter the world of competition. Shortly before one meet, our coach had recruited several twenty year old, physically fit men to join our team. Having now competed a few times, I was no longer a novice, but still not a veteran. I fully expected this to be like most of my team practices, faster than the slowest, but not able to keep up with the more skillful swimmers. The pool was unusually empty for the day before a competition as some chose that time to rest and restore in order to be in peak condition for the event. I only recall the coach, these new swimmers and myself in the water. As the coach called out the directions for each lap, his voice bounced off the walls that shimmered with the under water lights that seemed to move as the water ripples above.

Life & Work of Dr. Maria Montessori Essay

Birth & Family: Montessori was born in Ancona, Italy. Her father, Alessandro Montessori, 33 years old at the time, was an official of the Ministry of Finance. Her mother, Renilde Stoppani, 25 years old, was well educated for the times and was probably related to Italian geologist and paleontologist. While she did not have any particular mentor, she was very close to her mother who readily encouraged her. She also had a loving relationship with her father, although he disagreed with her choice to continue her education. Education: Maria herself proved remarkably talented. She was a confident and strong-minded lady who excelled in school by the role of leader in different games and conversations. At the age of thirteen she got admission in a technical school, a thing considered off-limits to females at that time. She scored high marks that when she graduated, in 1886; she was able to enter in the Regio Istituto Tecnico Leonardo da Vinci. Here she studied math, natural sciences, and languages, again excelling beyond all expectations. It was here too that she became fascinated with the biological sciences, and began to dream of pursuing a career in medicine. Despite her gender, she was allowed to study medicine. When she presented her thesis in 1896, her absolute brilliance so impressed the all-male board of review that they awarded her a medical degree, making her Italy’s first woman doctor. After this accomplishment she was promoted to surgical assistant at Santo Spirito, where she had worked previously as medical assistant. As a physician, Montessori specialized in pediatrics and the new field of psychiatry. She continued research at the University of Rome, joining the university staff in 1897. She became interested in psychology and human behavior, and in 1900, at the elapse of just a short span of four years after her degree in medicine, she accepted a professorship in anthropology at the University of Rome. Work of Dr. Maria Montessori: After accepting a professorship in anthropology, Montessori researched & worked on so-called â€Å"phrenasthenic† children—in modern terms, children experiencing some form of mental retardation, illness, or disability. She also began to travel, study, speak, and publish nationally and internationally, coming to prominence as an advocate for women’s rights and education for mentally disabled children. In Rome during this time, children who were considered mentally deficient were sending in asylums. Montessori’s early observations of these asylum children formed a crucial element of her theory that would later influence many people. She observed children who use to crawl on the floor to grab crumbs of bread after mealtime and realized that â€Å"not all children developed through phases of life in the same way.† Her initial focus was to rehabilitate mentally retarded children, with behavioral problems, orphans, and the desperately poor. Montessori’s early efforts were so surprisingly successful that she soon had a large following, not only of parents desperate for her help, but of teachers desperate to learn her methods. Montessori was much influenced by the earlier work on child development and psychology, in particular research conducted by Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard and Edouard Seguin. Their experiments & research were a source of inspiration for Montessori who believed that â€Å"mental deficiency presented chiefly a pedagogical, rather than mainly a medical problem†. Satisfied with the fact that so-called â€Å"mentally deficient† children could learn the same things as normal children, sometimes at a faster pace or by attaining a higher mastery level, Montessori began to focus on working directly with normal children in the field of education. The opportunity to work with normal children came to her in 1907, when she was offered the position of a medical director for a day-care center that was being organized for working-class children who were too young to attend public schools. Casa Dei Bambini (House of Children) The 1st day-care center, named Casa dei Bambini (House of Children) was located in the worst slum district San Lorenzo in Rome on January 6, 1907, & the conditions Montessori faced were atrocious. Its purpose was to provide a space for pre-school age children who were damaging and destroying the houses while their parents were at work. Montessori believed in taking the time to learn from the children, as she herself learned through her observations of the children in the asylums. As Montessori herself wrote, â€Å"I merely wanted to study the children’s reactions. I asked not to interfere with them in any way as otherwise I would not be able to observe them.† Montessori surprised when she saw children’s lack of interest in the toys or the drawing materials and their keen interest in the educational materials. Each educational material had some carefully planned objective that was pre-determined by Montessori. â€Å"Liberty of the pupil† was fundamental met hod according to her. The spread of Montessori education in Italy The first Casa dei Bambini was a success, and a second was opened on April 7, 1907. The children in her programs continued to exhibit concentration, attention, and spontaneous self-discipline and the classrooms began to attract the attention of prominent educators, journalists, and public figures. Three more Case dei Bambini opened in 1908, and in 1909 Italian Switzerland began to replace Froebellian methods with Montessori in orphanages and kindergartens. International Recognition and Growth of Montessori Education As early as 1909, Montessori’s work began to attract the attention of international observers and visitors. Her work was widely published internationally, and spread rapidly. By the end of 1911, Montessori education had been officially adopted in public schools in Italy and Switzerland, and was planned for the United Kingdom. By 1912, Montessori schools had opened in Paris and many other Western European cities, and were planned for Argentina, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, Syria, the United States, and New Zealand. Public programs in London, Johannesburg, Rome, and Stockholm had adopted the method in their school systems. Montessori societies were founded in the United States as AMI (the Montessori American Committee) and the United Kingdom (the Montessori Society for the United Kingdom). Maria Montessori’s writings were also being translated to different languages. She was continually giving lectures around the world where she is always welcomed. She also continued her research and application of her principles to school aged and preschool aged children as well as infants from birth. Her research about the child’s early years is written in â€Å"Absorbent Mind† (1949). Alternatively she also took notice of the social possibilities based on the idea that â€Å"true education is an armament of peace†. In 1939 she flew to India where she met Mahatma Gandhi. In 1949 she addressed UNESCO where she received an ovation. She was honored with the Legione d’Honneur and received an honorary of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Amsterdam. Awards and Recognition: Montessori truly deserved and referred to as a lady much ahead of her time. She was a true pioneer of a modern education system. She was honored by many countries with royal, civic and academic awards and was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949, 1950 and 1951. Regarding her work and efforts in educational sector her picture was on Italian 200 lire coin and in 1990 on the 1000 lire bill. Montessori’s Death: Maria Montessori died in the Netherlands on May 6, 1952 aged 81. Her name always lives through the method of teaching that she introduced because she said once that, â€Å"I did not invent a method of education, I simply gave some little children a chance to live†. She was truly a woman ahead of her time.

Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership

Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership Introduction Organizations have from time to time; carry out a thorough evaluation of their practices so as to be able to gain insight in ways of streamlining their organizational processes and improvement of revenue and high profit making potential. Both the internal and external aspects are analyzed and it must also be a wide-ranging and all inclusive activity so as to be able to gain proper strategic approach. The model of corporation management examination is derived from the unpredictable economic settings in which companies function.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Investors usually want assurance in a corporation’s wellbeing before they engage in investing in public owned companies, this shows that they want to be provided with reports showing the businesses strength, comprehend how a business bounced back fro m a plunge in returns or whether its cash flow is hampered by its clientele who dont meet their obligations. Reports and analysis done to investigate all this always give potential investors with specifics they require to make knowledgeable choices. With precise tabulations of inward bound returns and reliable evaluation of market tests, company analysis has turned out to be nearly requisite to many market-watchers. To a certain extent business owners and top management opt to use company analysis to assess procedures and boost their companies practices and revenue earnings, instead of refusing to go along with change and resolving for business as usual. Key Focuses Case study 1: Netflix Netflix being one of the world’s largest online providers of movie rentals serves over ten million clients/ subscribers who have access to more than 100,000 DVD titles plus a variety of over five thousand selections that its subscribers can view instantly in real time on their computers. Netf lix has transformed the way movies are rented by delivering them directly to their clients. With todays demanding way of life, and clients demanding extra value and control, its no doubt that Netflix has turned out to be the most favored online source of home entertainment. Netflix has since then developed to be the world’s leading online movie rental provider with it being named the top internet movie retail site for client contentment in 10 out of 11 reviews since 2005 carried out by ForeSee Results. In the same year Fast Company declared it the winner of its yearly Customers First Award. Among other achievements of Netflix include, Retail Innovator of the Year(2007), number one online retailer by Nielsen Online(December 2007), Netflix Player ranked top 10 device of the year by time magazine(December 2008), and 2010 number one e-commerce corporation by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. NetFlix.com, Inc. was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. Netflix manages an online-based limitless movie rental service for digital video disc (DVD) formatted movies. The DVD has made available a new technology for storing and playing movies with image and sound quality exceeding that of traditional videocassettes.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A DVD is same in size to an audio compact disc and is capable of storing an entire film, as well as added material such as subtitles in different languages, additional shorter videos about the making of the film or other related subject matter, and information about the actors, director, and producers. With its high quality and additional features, the new DVD technology provided an attractive alternative to traditional videocassettes for the home video market. A key aspect of the Netflix business model is the â€Å"Marquee Queue† concept. The â€Å"Marquee Queue† allow subscribers to rent several movies at once for viewing. This is simply a subscriber’s queue where a list of all the movies that the subscriber had selected, but which had not yet been sent to the subscriber is presented. After logging on to the Netflix Web site, a new subscriber browses the virtual aisles and select movies that he or she desires to watch. These movies are then used to build the subscriber’s queue. The website makes it easy for subscribers to edit the queue, such that the list can be arranged in the desired order. The company then ships the DVDs at the top of the queue to subscribers. Netflix is plagued with technological concerns as far as its ability to move to offering online video from DVDs, this leads to a loss in subscribers. Netflix still has indications of a cash flow Achilles heel as compared to its competitors (Blockbuster, Comcast). They also experience high cost on product acquisition. It experiences competition from about every part of the entertainment industry from cable, digital, and satellite services, including the pay-per-view option and movie channels such as HBO, and Showtime. Due to this an extensive choice of substitutes is offered as a result from the diverse competition. (Marks, 2005). Case study 2: Blockbuster Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation is an adjustable company that notices prospects and is conscious of the challenges that come with every business venture. In so doing it has to be conscious of forthcoming corporations that provide same kind of services for example Hollywood Video. Blockbuster has seized the opening to spread out their services from providing just movies to offering new movies and video games. A main element of Blockbuster’s products is made up of video games. Blockbuster has expanded its operations to include products such as the console games which have further increased its market share by the acquisition of American Satellite and Video Inc. â€Å"American Sat ellite operates Rhino Video Games, which is a games retail chain. Rhino Video buys, sells, and trades video games. Rhino has 40 retail stores in the Southeast, including Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina† (Leon, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Expansion and Acquisition of Stores Locations Blockbuster seized the opportunity to expand to different countries and will continue to spread to other countries. Blockbuster has greatly expanded internationally and is currently in 27 countries across North America, Central America, South America, Asia, and Europe. Blockbuster went from 1500 stores in 1990 to over 8000 stores worldwide in 2002; this expansion is the key to Blockbuster’s success. They have used this expansion to penetrate the market and capture market share. In 2001, Blockbuster’s worldwide revenues surpassed $5 billion, and 20 percent of that was generated outside the U.S. Blockbuster will continue to expand as it is doing in Central America to capture more and more market share (Lamb McDaniel 2005), Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation is an adaptive company that sees opportunity and is aware of the challenges. New ideas are important on topics such as how to compete with internet video rental companies and how to capture the video game rental market. Entering into new countries has been a main focus as well. Blockbuster has also used its three main revenue producers to compete in the vastly growing industry. Blockbuster has also had to keep up with many technological threats. Investments have been down so strategic alliances have been formed to strengthen the company. Online movie rentals and sales have proven to be a necessity considering all the recent technological advances. With all of these things in mind Blockbuster has m ade many adaptations since the case and should be able to remain competitive in the industry. (Haag Phillips, 2005). Key Findings A thorough examination of strategies, resources, and fund raising procedures for up-and-coming growth and middle-market corporations is mandatory for any intended growth to be achieved or realized. This paper has examined both Netflix and blockbuster and provides wide-ranging and convenient recommendations on appreciating and applying the basics of corporate finance to upcoming and middle-market corporations. Haag Phillips ( 2005) notes â€Å"by means of utilizing empirical data and real company case studies to demonstrate resource structures and investment approaches, the recommendations provide an in depth argument of the numerous grant mechanisms.† These can range from conventional bank credits and asset-based funding to diverse types of private equity and other innovative resolution which may include a variety of financial support sources, th eir projected rates of returns and the deal terms. (Haag Phillips, 2005)Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Geoff (2006) notes â€Å"a company analysis gives information about performance and prospects. business graph image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com thisth This investigations, or corporate analyses, refer to dealings undertaken for a comprehensive evaluation to gain a thoughtful realization of a companys precedent performance and potential prospects.† A systematic scrutiny will center on all facets of the corporate body, as well as the administration structure and know-how, assets and resources, growth forecasts, productivity and insubstantial aspects such as goodwill and the product image. Geoff (2006) notes â€Å"results of the analysis are used in reaching business decisions by external parties, such as whether or not to invest in or go into a partnership with the analyzed company.† By and large corporate excellence of a business can be assessed by examining the company’s core elements, purpose, objectives and procedures. For example, a company may prod uce products of flawless quality but have a scandalous customer service record. As such, a total company evaluation may be broken down into minor, related evaluations to look into the various parts of the company. When all the reports from the different analysis are implemented as one, a full size representation of the company’s well being is fashioned. (Geoff, 2006). Strategies for company growth recommended Company analyses often begin from top management or administration team and trickle down to subordinate ranks of the corporation. Together with every segment of the company in the scrutiny procedure make available a well-formed appraisal of the company. This examination possibly will necessitate use of departmental plans or strategies. In trade, administration analysis characteristically centers on procedures, business culture or economic performance. Operational evaluation comprises how a business carries out its responsibilities, business culture, relates to business p hilosophies and practices, and economic assessments are the returns obtained from business functions. (Gamble Arthur, 2004) Companies should find ways of expanding their geographical cover of potential market bases by setting up new stores in new areas, and also through promotion of diverse brand of products that create an appeal and attract potential clientele and retain clients they once upon a time were not able to get in touch with. Corporations intending to grow should carry out frequent analyses of the foremost industry they form a part of; this helps them get a comprehensive grasp on what is required, for example both Netflix should have a sense of the type of movies and services Blockbuster is offering to its clients so as to come up with better services and vice versa. Divide the strategies formulated after carrying out the analysis into specific groups; for example market strategies, people strategies, products and services, administration and organization and finally fi nance. These helps the company be able to implement the strategies and plans fully and realize their objectives. Hire and recruit with high energy levels and good health so as to have maximum employee output Examine the company’s potentiality in terms of resources and finances, before embarking on growth. Another important and strong strategy is to think of globalization. Relating particular products with global events like the world cup can give the world a product it can share in entirely. One should use one of the following techniques in sales. Sales staff – add the time they spend on sales, increase their human resource and their knowledge, skills; communicate with sales representatives, distributors; improve customers information of whats on hand. Evaluate peoples remuneration to ensure that all have equal packages and also that the people feel that the remuneration and compensation is awarded without bias. People should be educated in order to understand the bene fits of a company’s benefit package. Constant specialized training and skill enhancement for employees to upgrade their job output. Examine the companys association with existing and possible clients, its familiarity of varying needs and opportunities in the marketplace, the way it classifies and contacts its regulars, service quality and speed of products being offered, marketing, advertising, and the selling and management skills its possesses. Managers should monitor and utilize resources efficiently for the company’s growth by encompassing the highest quality of know-how and accounting and budgeting systems. In the process they should also be able to establish what can be done to develop precision and relevance of accounting so performance information is accessible in real time. (Andrà ©, 2007). Conclusion Businesses may opt for an outside company to carry out a company analysis for them. This option provides an objective opinion of the company and managers are p rovided with innovative ideas from an outside source without biasness, looking to make changes that will offer significant company returns and realization of objectives. The function of performance examination is to determine whether a company is carrying on well, this information is very vital in attracting investors and also identify areas that call for upgrading. Proper run companies carry out internal analysis on a frequent basis, to be able to keep in touch with changes influencing the company’s performance. Managers come with findings of the evaluation and table them before stakeholders at annual general meetings, with a purpose of catching the attention of potential business prospects. Companies that carry out regular analysis are more in touch with the diverse background issues touching the business and are more vibrant and receptive to market forces. Competition is good for business as the more quality varieties of a certain product in the market are available then, product demand is also high. Reference List Andrà ©, R. (2007). Organizational Behavior: An Introduction to Your Life in Organizations. New York, NY: Prentice Hall. Gamble, J. Arthur, T. (2004) Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Geoff, F. (2006). Marketing Fundermentals:CIM Coursebook. London: oxford publishers. Haag, S. Phillips, A. (2005), Business Driven Technology., New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Hitt, I. Hoskisson, P. (2009). Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization : concepts cases, edn 8, New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Lamb, C., McDaniel, C. (2005), Marketing. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Leon, C. (2009). Essentials of Marketing. New York, NY: Cengage Learning, 2009. Marks, K. (2005). The handbook of financing growth: strategies and capital structure. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

Bacteria Outline essays

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