Overcome the Identified Weaknesses and Threats

Performance SWOT analysis IKEA is amongst the biggest retailers of furniture in the world. It has grown rapidly since it was founded in 1943. It sells more than 10,000 furnishing products from well over 300 stores in around 40 countries. The company has in excess of 600 million visitors to its stores, and it is very successful website attracts in excess of 600 million visitors every year. IKEA is a Scandinavian company famous for furniture from living rooms to children's bedrooms. The majority of IKEA's furniture is flat-pack, ready to be assembled by the consumer. Strength IKEA is an environmentally friendly business with a keen focus upon sustainability. In years gone by the company had been accused of encouraging wastefulness since it made a very large numbers of furniture products at low prices. As part of an integrated public relations campaign – IKEA now focuses on sustainability and made it an underpinning principle of its business philosophy. * A democratic design reac hing an ideal balance between function, quality, design and price. IKEA Cost Consciousness means that low prices are taken into account when each product is designed from the outset. * IKEA likes satisfied customers.The business manages to score highly in customer satisfaction surveys. Many marketing research companies rank IKEA in their top 10 companies for customer satisfaction. They managed to enhance their brand association with such great results. * IKEA has maintained long-term partnerships with its suppliers. By committing to buying large volumes over a number of years IKEA can negotiate lower prices. This ensures that the company has access to high-quality materials at reasonable prices. This also benefits the suppliers because they enjoy the greater security of having guaranteed orders. Weaknesses The business is experiencing problems in one or two home markets. For example in the European market of the United Kingdom, IKEA has recently opened more stores which means that t he number of visitors is divided by a greater number of retail outlets. So in the past the consumers would travel many miles to visit stores and each store had a large number of visitors, now these consumers have not really increased in number, but are now able to visit a more local store. This has reduced the footfall per store and any sales density * The size and scale of its global business. This could make it hard to control standards and quality.Some countries where IKEA products are made do not implement the legislation to control working conditions. This could represent a weak link in IKEA's supply chain, affecting consumer views of IKEA's products. The IWAY code is backed up by training and inspectors visiting factories to make sure that suppliers meet its requirements. * The need for low cost products. This needs to be balanced against producing good quality. IKEA also needs to differentiate itself and its products from competitors. IKEA believes there is no compromise betw een being able to offer good quality products and low prices. Opportunities * IKEA can further capitalize on the â€Å"green† movement and IKEA's customers' desire to have less of an impact on the environment to denoting the demand for cheaper and greener products .* IKEA has a number of areas of focus to its work with sustainability, each of which it supports in various ways such as offers tips and ideas online for costumers to create a more sustainable home , developing strong social responsibility by giving to a wide range of different charities and reducing carbon footprint by packing in less material. IKEA is traditionally famous for its diversification strategies. For example in the past they have sold food products and opened restaurants in their stores. So the online opportunity of trading through highly advanced e-commerce technologies is an ideal avenue for IKEA. Obviously this helps the business to overcome problems with out-of-town stores since consumers can stay at home to shop and then request that goods are delivered to their doorstep. Threats * Businesses such as IKEA will struggle against the larger portfolio suppliers such as Tesco in the United Kingdom and Walmart in the United States.For example Tesco's sells not only groceries, but TV sets and mobile phones, so it is only a matter of time before the business diversifies into a range of bedroom furniture or kitchens. * Like any global marketing company IKEA has to compensate for the global economic situation. The business needs people to move through the family life cycle. Empty nesters need to equip their homes with furniture. So interest rates need to be low enough so that they can afford to borrow money to equip their new homes. There needs to be plenty of low-cost housing for them to be able to do this.Do they have job security? The changing economic environment will impact and influence IKEA’s furniture business. * IKEA is trading in relatively mature consumer markets, an d has entered all plausible free markets countries. The new and emerging nations of India and China sometimes make it difficult for IKEA to embed itself as a supplier to new consumers. For example, there are often foreign ownership rules which mean that IKEA might have to take a local business partner. The new partner could take more than 50% of its business and this is not always acceptable to its board.

Preparation narrative report Essay

My experience in shipboard is very memorable for me, every day your going to treasure it. My experience goes this way, trip to Manila. I’m very excited and when at the port i’m very disappointed because our CoOJT’s from LPU Laguna is some kind of â€Å"maarte† and we met our STO Sir Joepet a very kind STO and I really like him. see more:examples of narrative report When we embark at the ship I feel a little bit nervous but not because of I’m of I’m afraid that the ship is going to sink while underway I’m afraid of what if I can’t do all task that they are going to give us. After fixing our things we go straight to the multi purpose room for our orientation, after that our STO gave us a time to familiarization we proceed to the Island Fiesta where the tourist accommodation eat their meal. We woke up very early and to be exact 2am for us not to be late in our duty. We are 14 so we 7 pairs and my partner is Erika my dear friend.  Our first duty is at the Island Fiesta, its really a Fiesta because of 80% of the passengers ate at Island Fiesta. our time of duty is 10hrs but its s broken sched were in we have a time to rest, in Island Fiesta it measures how long your patience is, how good you are in selling and convincing power sales talk. at first I’m shy but when I find it exciting and fun I really enjoy it I really do my best to call all attentions of the passengers and we have a good sales, after that I was assigned to dining and I do bussing out are first complicated and hard to do but at the end I enjoy even if the other passengers are irritating and annoying. Second duty is housekeeping I really enjoy it especially the trash out things and bed making even though the one casual is snob I still enjoy and in our third duty in Quik Mart we sell snacks and beverages we shout and shout walk and walk, sometimes could by passengers and sometimes the passengers get mad of us because we can’t understand them, and their pronunciations is very hard to understand. Forth duty at the front office I got mad because in whole duty we just stand there after our duty my legs aches. Our fifth duty is at the galley or kitchen I really enjoy it the chefs are very kind they are all approachable and funny they make us laugh the whole duty, and the task they gave us to slice 100 kilos bittergourd and peeling other staff. And food in ship is errr! sometimes tasteless sometimes they are very rich in salt, and the food is  just the same the whole OJT. And the casuals are very nice and kind unlike the other trainees seems they are the manager or supervisor. -Angelica Dominguez HRM 3A â€Å"My Magical Experience on Shipboard† May 14, 2014 was the day when we leave Nueva Ecija and go to Tondo, Manila(North Harbor Pier4) to start our Practicum1 at Ship. On this day also was our first voyage(Manila to Cagayan de Oro). when we already board at the ship, the first thing we do is meet and greet our STO Mr. Joepet Gallego discussed and issued the rules and regulations while were on the ship as well as our schedule and we also had our tour on ship to familiarized every department of the ship. On the next day, May 15, 2014 we already started our first duty at Island Fiesta food court wherein we bussed out, we served etc.,. On my first day on the ship I fell boring, but when the day had been passed I enjoyed every second, minute, hour and days with my co-trainees. I already learned to love what I am doing because they all treated me well especially casuals, they treated us good. We learned a lot from them and we will never forget this experience. I can tell everybody that this experience is magical because it helps me to grow up and become a matured one. -Erica Portacio HRM 3A I was so excited that we experienced being a part of 2GO TRAVEL. it was so nice because all of them the casual, the crew especially to our STO,all of them, they are so very kind. They share us their knowledge and experiences at the ship. During the 1st and last day of our duty we enjoyed being a trainee together with my partner. I learned a lot on this training that you need to treat all passengers good, respect them and show them that they are welcome,and even when passenger say bad words all you can do is smile show to them that looks like nothings happen. I experience in this ship that its hard to become a employee because even they are tired no matter what’you need to welcome them with a beautiful smile. This On-the-job training experienced was very happy because it was my 2nd time to travel on board. I could probably say that I really learned a lot of things there’and i can also say learning is not just seen in the four corners of the room. i am hapy and proud because we finish our duty and it is a great memory to remember in our college life. -Princess Tagaro HRM 3B Having my OJT at 2GO Travel is really enjoy. I’ve learned a lot especially in time management. We duty in the 6o’clock in the morning, so we need to wake up early. We learned how to socialize in other people. I gained more knowledge about my course. I gained more friends because the bonding in our room. And we enjoy to go other places here in the Philippines. When we are on the ship, they taught us about the history, mission and vision of the company, corporate values, vessels, facilities and services of our prescribed logistic company. They also told us about the training rules and regulations, basic house rules and standards like the standards of courtesy and decorum on board, uniform requirements and grooming standards. Also familiarize with the safety alarm, signs and symbols. Most of all, we are very happy because our Shipboard Training Officer is very nice, he take care of us while we are on our duty. And all of the employee in the ship is very friendly. This is v ery memorable experience in my OJT. -Mariel Miranda HRM 3B As an Hrm Student, we were required to take On-the-job training related to our course. I decided to take my Ojt at MVSJP II, a vessel from 2Go travel. I started my Ojt on May 14, 2014.   On our first day on the ship, we took a lecture headed by our STO or Shipboard Training Officer, Mr. Joepet Gallego, then he gave us our  assignments of duties. Our duties revolved on Food and Beverage, Housekeeping, and Front Office Department. On the Food and Beverage Department, I have experienced a lot of works from bussing out dishes, serving foods, setting up the table, and kitchen works. I can say that I’ve learned bunch of things there like the proper way of talking to the customers and to work grace under pressure. On the Housekeeping Department, we cleaned, took out trash, and do â€Å" bed making† on the different accommodations of the ship. I have applied my knowledge on bed making which I have learned from school and made my work easier. Also, on this department, we have assigned to assist passengers to their rooms or accommodations, this was very enjoying because I was able to meet different people. On the Front Office, it was a must to always wear your smile in every situation. I have learned here to always stay calm and polite to the guests whatever their mood was. I have also learned the proper way of grooming myself. The whole Ojt experience for me was very challenging but fun . I have practiced and developed a lot of my skills. As a trainee, I’ve learned to follow strictly on instructions. I improved my self confidence and somehow became more sociable to people. I’ve learned to become flexible, to act professional and be polite at all times. I became aware to treating the customer’s right. I’ve learned to enjoy my work and my workplace, and to enjoy working with the people around me. I can say that I gained a lot of knowledge that I can apply in the near future, and I can say that I chose the right the course for me. 2go Travel’s MVSJP II offers good working environment, which made my experience very enjoying. -Samantha Ellaine Beltran HRM 3B Performs other functions as may be given by my supervisor from time to time and maintain cleanliness and orderliness of assigned at all times, serves meals to the passengers following to the proper food handling procedures and assists in the requisition and issuance of stock from the store room and  performs suggestive selling technique to increase sales and ensures that no unauthorized personnel take out serving from the food on display for sale and free meals and line performs other functions as may be given by the housekeeping supervisor from to time. -Verna Salamanca HRM 3B The first time I saw the ship I felt nervous and excited, when the time the ship is ongoing that night I don’t know what I really feel. The night also I can’t sleep because i feel a little beat scared because of the ship is swaying. The first day of my duty is in Quik mart, my partner is Benjie Cardenas, He is also my partner in my whole OJT in the Saint Pope John Paul II. Every day in my duty we enjoyed together, the casual of the ship and my co trainee from other school. I’m very thankful, blessed and happy for being a part of the shipboard training, 15 days working hard but full of learning and also happiness. A lot of moments once in a lifetime. I can say that my OJT will never forget in my whole life. -Byron Macalinao HRM 2B My on-the-job training experienced is very happy because that is my first time to travel the diff. parts of the Philippines. At first, I felt so excited and also nervous. Our first day in the ship is just an orientation. My first experience in OJT training, me and Byron assigned in Quik Mart. I feel shy and nervous, the we sell clothing, we enjoy it because supposedly turned just like itinerant. Second day in housekeeping also we assigned. We meet Sir Toto, he is the kindest crew, he taught the technique in how to bed making etc. We  experienced to mop a staircase, we also assign ports. It is not easy because it’s too many passengers need to assist but it is okay because we requested the hotel manager assigned. We also experienced the Island Fiesta difficult because too many passengers eating. Also taught proper bus out, I enjoy it even fatigue. We also dropped in Cagayan to buy goods and also flesh out, food trip. The street food in Cagayan was very delicious. Then in Cebu we go to the most important ancient church and the Magellan’s Cross. -Benjie Cardenas HRM 2B During my OJT, I learned how to be a responsible in my own way, on the first day of my OJT, I feel nervous but I’m so excited, I learned how to love, care and respect our customer. Me and my partner experience or encounter some trials or problems but we solve it because we helped each other. This OJT is unforgettable moment and I can say that this is one of the best part of my college life. -Jommel Caba HRM 2A I have a lot of experience at the 2GO Travel Shipboard. First, to entertain guest, if what they need in the front desk. Second, on how to serve the food and to bus out. Third, to sell a product even though it’s expensive to the other guest, but they obligated to but it. Fourth, on how to bed making, to clean the cabin or accommodation. Fifth, at the galley or kitchen, I cut a lot of vegetables and sometimes my own finger ï Å . And of course, the casuals and our STO, their so good to us, they like friends, brothers and sisters to us. But all in all I enjoyed, that was a best experienced I’ve ever feel. I will not forget those experience at 2GO Travel, and I will missed them. THANK YOU!! -Princess Cammille Ferrer HRM 2D At first I feel nervous because I don’t have any idea on what we do while were staying there but then there’s a feeling that I’m so excited to feeling onboard. Then, we met Mr. Joepet Gallego our Shipboard Training Officer (STO). His a nice person, he tours us onboard then he teach us everything onboard, accommodation and other facilities. On my first duty, we assigned at the front office, I feel bored ï Å' but the day past, we all getting haggard, we need to woke up as early as 3am to arranged ourselves for everyday duty. I experience a lot of thing that on shipboard experience. At first, yeah it’s so hard to work especially on Island Fiesta but time after time it’s become easy because we enjoyed what we’re doing. Two weeks was done, I feel bad because I know I will missed my days with other OJT’s, the casuals that teach us how to work easy and most especially I missed my new friends, the person who make me laugh every time even weà ¢â‚¬â„¢re tired we have a time to talk on everyone’s experienced ï Å  -Jaymie Natividad HRM 2D Last May 14, our OJT start. The name of our ship is MV St. Pope John Paul II. During the day of my duties I felt so nervous and excited especially on the first day because I am a first timer so they teach me how to assist guest and serve customer. Then after a long time of being there I learned the diff. ways/ techniques on how to deal with the customer. Having a successfully completed 300 hours of OJT on the ship I learned a lot of things like on how to socialize with other people. I easily control my temper to the customers that are very demanding and not talk nicely. -Aira Jane Canlas HRM 2D During our On the Job Training at MV Saint Pope John Paul II, we were assign at eight different types of areas at the shipboard like Front Office, Quick Mart, Galley, Horizon, Island Fiesta, Cabin, Mega Value and Super Value. Every day we have a rotation for those different areas. First week of our practicum at the shipboard was not easy for me because every day we have to  the different kind of task for that area, so the crew teach us like on housekeeping at the cabin we learned the bed making, towel folding and on different rooms we also do cleaning passengers room, the comfort room and we also do trash out. At the Front Desk , we were great and assist the passengers about their concerned, at Restaurant like Horizon and Island Fiesta we were serving foods for the customers, bass out, washing dishes and cleaning the table. we are also selling foods and beverages at the Quik Mart. All Crew teach us well for what we were doing on their area and they treat us like their family also our STO Mr. Joepet Gallego who rounded every hour to see were doing , check our attendance and care for us when one of us are sick, we met a lot of student in different schools they are our co-trainees. Practicum at MVSJP was unforgettable we were well trained and learn to be organized for every aspect. We learned to be patient and control our temper because we were joining a lot of people every day who have different attitude. For all of that we enhance our confidence, socialization and skills. -Nelissa Paz HRM 2D DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES A. Front Office Apply customer service skills Facilitate registration and rooming-in of guests Handle guest’s requests and inquiries Manage safety deposit boxes and lost and found service Assist in the in-house entertainment services Clean and organize the Front Office B. First Class Dining Saloon/ Horizon Apply customer service skills Carry out food portioning Take guests’ orders Serve guests’ orders Bus out dishes Wash the dishes Clean the First Class Dining Saloon C. Economy Dining Saloon/ Island Fiesta Apply customer service skills Carry out food portioning Carry out sanitation and hygiene standards on Food and Beverage areas Bus out dishes Wash the dishes Clean the Economy Dining Saloon D. Ship Shop/ Quik Mart Apply customer service skills Sell Merchandise Clean Ship Shop Make sales report E. Galley Carry out inspection of finished product prior to servicing to customers Apply proper handling of foods for delivery Clean cutlery, pots and the galley equipment Carry out proper storage procedures like sorting, labelling ,FIFO Method Prepare raw materials for food processing F. Housekeeping- Cabin Apply customer service skills Perform housekeeping inspections Clean guests’ accommodations Clean restrooms in cabins Make-up bed G. Housekeeping-Tatami/ Mega Value Apply customer service skills Perform housekeeping inspections Clean guests’ accommodations Clean public comfort room Clean hallway areas H. Housekeeping-Economy/ Super Value Clean hallway areas Clean lobbies and viewing decks Apply customer service skills Perform housekeeping inspections Clean guests’ accommodations Clean public comfort room

Assessing Change in Homeland Security Policy and Practices Case Study

Assessing Change in Homeland Security Policy and Practices - Case Study Example Maryland responded to the threat of terrorism in the United States during September eleven in broad way that linked its security organs, legislature and administration and there were changes in security administration and emergency management to suit the urgent situation after September 11. The state of Maryland did not experience a territorial attack on the September eleven 2001. However, the event served as an opportunity to catalyze change in the state security organs creating the need to reassess the security and emergency approach. Therefore, the related departments of the state in conjunction with federal agencies were put to test regarding their ability to respond to emergency more specifically terrorism. Basically, the state has a vital, immensely noticeable army and intelligence agency manifestation that offers unique security and admission matters during incidences of keen watchfulness creating intense traffic support on the nearby infrastructure systems. Furthermore, imperative links to regional cooperation regarding infrastructure exist involving federal administration, Columbia, Maryland and Virginia at the strategic Potomac River junction along with Baltimore Parkway. Owing to the fact that there was no territorial attack on Maryland, the reaction was mer ely concentrated and anticipatory. This comprised of augmented vigilant checks on burrows, roadways as well as viaducts; measures to guarantee infrastructure safety, traffic jam organization, providing alerts and announcements and aiding Virginia DOT after the attack on pentagon. The State’s transport department was well organized and was concentrated on being receptive. What emerged from the entire episode was that the relevant departments of security and emergency response in Maryland were administratively excellent, with perfect though developing protocols and had the required power to respond swiftly to emergency at a

A review of the relationship between poverty, uninsured children, Essay

A review of the relationship between poverty, uninsured children, childhood obesity and the well-being index - Essay Example The current study aims to look at obesity and chronic obesity causing conditions since these are emerging as major reasons for negatively affecting the well being of people. Data for the study has been acquired from Gallup-Healthway’s Well Being Index  ® website from a survey conducted and compiled in 2009. Data was also acquired from the State Health Facts website for targeted states only. The data acquired from Gallup-Healthway was used to demarcate five states that formed the upper most and lowest tiers of obesity prevalence in the United States. The states of West Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky exhibit the highest obesity rates while the states of Hawaii and Colorado displayed the lowest obesity rates (Mendes & McGeeney, 2012). The states were chosen in this order also because West Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky are on the lowest rung of the WBI while Colorado and Hawaii are near the top of the WBI list. In addition to these statistics, three other variables were also used that include the population in poverty, the amount of uninsured kids and the amount of obese kids. Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics were tabulated for the acquired data (shown in Appendix A). Gallup uses defined metrics in order to survey well being which can be listed as the Composite, Life Evaluation Index (LEI), Emotional Health Index (EHI), Work Environment Index (WEI), Physical Health Index (PHI), Healthy Behavior Index (HBI) and Basic Access Index (BAI) (Gallup-Healthways, 2009). The other variables used include the Population in Poverty (POP IN POV), uninsured kids and obese kids (State Health Facts, 2012). Results for the descriptive statistics are presented in the table shown below. Table 1 Descriptive Statistics WBI (Rank) State Health Fact (%) Descriptive Statistics for WBI and State Health Facts for the Nation Overall and the Five States Selected Descriptive Statistic COMPOSITE LEI EHI WEI PHI HBI BAI POP IN POV UNINSURED KIDS OBESE KIDS Mean 65.03 44.73 78.2 48.82 75.33 62.27 80.78 23.5 7.83 34.05 Median 64.95 44.55 78.5 48.9 75.7 62.15 81.1 23.5 8.5 33.55 Range 9.7 15.9 8.5 8.3 9.5 10.1 7.1 12 9 17.2 Standard Deviation 3.51 5.83 2.93 2.67 3.66 3.88 2.89 4.04 3.31 6.36 Standard Error 1.43 2.38 1.2 1.09 1.5 1.58 1.18 1.65 1.35 2.6 The mean and median for the Gallup data remain fairly close to each other for all reported metrics. In contrast, the data acquired from State Health shows some skewness for uninsured kids with the mean being 7.83 while the median is 8.5. The range for most variables being analyzed stays under 10 except for LEI (15.9), population in poverty (12) and obese kids (17.2). these variables could be expected to display larger standard deviations as well since the range of data is greater. In terms of the standard deviation, the highest value is displayed by obese kids (6.36) followed by LEI (5.83) while other variables display standard deviations of around 4. The standard error tabulation reveals similar res ults with LEI exhibiting a standard error of 2.38 and obese kids displaying a standard error of 2.6. In contrast, the standard error for population in poverty is 1.65 while other variables display standard errors of less than 1.6. Based on these results it could be safely assumed that the data acquired displays a near uniform distribution except for LEI and obese kids that tend to exhibit some skewness. Composite and domain scores by state as well as the

Poem Explication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Poem Explication - Essay Example There are six stanzas in it, but none of them follow traditional poetic forms or a set meter. Instead, Hughes allows the lines to be choppy, like how he imagines a hawk might think. The animal's self-impression is given as he seems to judge his body, "on falsifying dream / Between my hooked head and hooked feet: / Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat" (2-4). The thoughts are presented as fragments only loosely connected to each other. As the hawk surveys his land through these choppy thoughts, it becomes clear he considers himself the master of his domain, â€Å"Nothing has changed since I began. / My eye has permitted no change. / I am going to keep things like this† (22-24). The mind of the hawk is flighty, but shows two primary drives -- an appreciation for beautiful detail and a deadly purpose. Hughes demonstrates a strong understanding of the hawk's world as something that is both beautiful and terrible. He says, "the earth's face is upward" (8) as he talks about th e trees poking into the sky, the buoyant air of the mountain and the warm sunshine. These details bring to mind a beautiful spring day glittering with promise.

Schopenhaeur Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Schopenhaeur - Term Paper Example Many people have tried to explain this and there are many different religions which have been formulated on this basis. Many religions have different viewpoints on death however; Buddhism is one of the best in describing life after death. This paper will focus on the perspective utilized by Schopenheur. My friend life is something which we are given unknowingly and there is no knowledge from where we come from hence making us existence in the absence of our knowledge and will. This makes us mere existing objects who are unaware of our origins before birth and where would go after death. Since every person came onto the world without any worry of the future he or she has no reason or substantial basis to worry about the afterlife. Therefore my friend, as you age you can only enjoy and reminisce on the moments which you have lived as these are the ones which have had control over and were able to witness and acknowledge. These are the moments which were yours and you had control as well as the desire to make. There is no reason for you to think what will happen as you move to the next stage of life because you have already experience the most fulfilling part. There are many things which we do not know and if they are not in our hands then there is no reason which we should stress over them. If there is another phase of life after we die, then there are many ways which we can attempt to understand this phase. Yes my friend, curiosity is perhaps something that is existent in all of us; however, this is not to say you should be worried. In the past, many people, particularly religions have attempted to explain the afterlife and this makes it a very interesting subject. What you choose to believe of course entirely up to you. For example, Christianity has attempted to explain the afterlife from the viewpoint of eternal life. This is one aspect which is very controversial as there is a

How far does the British state conform to, or depart from, the ideal Essay

How far does the British state conform to, or depart from, the ideal of an enterprise association, as opposed to a civil association - Essay Example The Marxist interpretation of Colonialism will be our point of departure, due to its scientific validity in our estimation. Thereafter, the Marxist stand point losses its relevance for our paper as it tends to adhere to a meta-analytical perspective and tends to be clichà ©d, lacking a predictive quality, whereas the paper requires to focus on British Colonialism and its reverse influence on the state structure of Britain. To fascilitate our argument we have appropriated and borrowed David Easton’s Systems’ Approach to comprehend the complexity of the reverse interaction in focus. Thereafter we will further our argument by referring to the useful categorization of Hanrieder to demonstrate that how colonial interests ultimately shaped the British state at the institutional level. Great Britain was a relatively late entrant on the world stage as a colonial power. The Spanish and Portuguese seaborne empires preceded Britain. These colonial empires were built on the linchpin of maritime power and subsequent colonial acquisitions. The dominance of Iberian Peninsula lasted roughly till late 16th century (Brewer.1989). This was what the Marxist call ‘Mercantile Period’. Britain as a mercantile state par-excellence began to dominate world colonial matrix by the end of 16th Century. One reason for emergence of Britain’s dominance was that the ‘industrial revolution had centered on Britain, thereby necessitating an â€Å"organization of production and accumulation†, designed to fascilitate a merchant capitalist economy, looking for raw material, cheap labour and markets for finished products’ ( Luxemberg.1951). Britain’s colonial expansion was propelled by the emerging needs of a nascent political economy which needed co lonies. Thus at the outset of this epoch, British State geared itself to colonize and acquire territories to safeguard the interests of a mercantile state, thereby as a corollary almost canonizing principle of free trade and

KLM airlanes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

KLM airlanes - Research Paper Example is facility (Meet & Seat) allows travelers to choose who should be seated next to them by forwarding a request through company’s the newly implemented reservation system†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. KLM airlines hugely depends upon online social media networks to market its services worldwide†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The company offers numerous free benefits like free airport transfers to its members†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines or simply KLM airlines is the flag carrier airline of Netherlands. Although KLM was founded by Albert Plesman on 7th October 1919, the company originally commenced its operations on 17th May 1920 by operating its first flight from London to Amsterdam (‘History’ KLM, para.1). The company is headquartered at Amstelveen. The KLM airlines carry out scheduled passenger and cargo services worldwide to over 90 destinations. The organization possessed workforce strength of 31,787 people as of 31st March 2010. KLM airlines is the world’s oldest airline still using its original name. As specified in Plunkett’s almanac, KLM Cityhopper, Martinair, and Transavia.com are the major subsidiaries of KLM airlines. This paper will discuss the recent marketing activities at KLM airlines in detail. While analyzing the recent marketing activities at KLM airlines, it is clear that the company increasingly focuses on social media marketing, because the management believes that social media marketing is the most cost effective way to promote company services worldwide. In order to take advantages of online social media marketing, recently the company has created three marketing campaigns namely KLM Surprise, Tile & Inspire, and Live Reply. Under the KLM Surprise campaign, the firm tries to reach out to its passengers with intent to reward them for remaining with the company. For this purpose, the company extensively used social media monitoring to identify individuals who mentioned KLM in their check-in. The company located those persons and presented them small

Twentieth-Century art Essay Example for Free

Twentieth-Century art Essay In 1902 Boccioni left Rome to study the Impressionists in Paris; later, in 1904, he settled for some months in Russia with a family he had known in France. Through a trip to France in the autumn of 1911 Boccioni had become familiar with Cubist techniques. This new experience helped him to achieve a more autonomous artistic language in which the fragmentation of color was combined with a deeper perception of space. With time Boccioni was evolving an image of staggering physical power, and explored different means of expression. In his The City Rises of 1910-11 (Fig. 1), a painting of intense ambitiousness, done just at the threshold of his breakthrough into Futurism, it is quite apparent that he was indebted to Cubist inventions for the depiction of a fractured space and the breaking down of forms across the picture plane. But to this he adds something the Cubists had noticeably shied away from: color – the kind which illuminated and even decomposed forms in Impressionist painting with its resonance and brilliance. According to the art critic, Rosenblum, Boccioni still prolifically utilizes here a modified Impressionist technique whose atomizing effect on mass permits the forceful symbols of horse and manpower to slip out of their skins in a blur of moving light (Rosenblum, 1996). Figure 1 Umberto Boccioni The City Rises, 1910-11 Oil on canvas 6 ft 6 1/2 ins x 9 ft 10 1/2 ins Museum of Modern Art, New York In this work, painted in a half-naturalistic style and made up of dots and whirling strokes of vibrant color, forms, light and color melt into frenzy of simultaneous activities, each actively pursuing the other for clarity and visual authority. The result is something like visual noise, where each gesture or diminished form takes on the personality of a boisterous shout in a turbulent crowd. The artist attempts to express not merely people moving but movement itself and the collective emotion of the crowd. The relentless activity of The City Rises typified the one of the sides of Boccioni’s character where the brooding, emotional qualities of an artist were not easily suppressed. In the City Rises against the Milanese urban background of smoking chimneys, scaffolding, a streetcar, and a locomotive, enormous draft horses tug at their harnesses, while street workers attempt to direct the animals’ explosive strength. Robert Rosenblum in the book Cubism and Twentieth-Century Art describes pictorial means of â€Å"realizing this veneration of titanic energies and industrial activity† utilized in the painting as anachronistic and focuses on â€Å"the prominent role given to horse power† as on a symbol of that anachronism (Rosenblum, 1996, 180). Yet it appears that radical Boccioni’s treatment of forms within this Cubist space was actually much more conservative than that of his less political friends Picasso and Braque, and he never completely let go of the descriptive character of his work. On the other hand, Boccioni was at some pains to distinguish his movement from that of Cubism. As he saw it, the Cubists were merely projecting as simultaneous onto the plane of the canvas the sequence of aspects from which the object was viewed, whereas the planes of Futurism emanate from the dynamic interior of desolidified objects (Antliff, 2000, 722). When war was declared, he, like many of his Futurist comrades, immediately enlisted and joined the Lombard Cyclists Brigade. After short pause he returned to military service and shortly after was accidentally thrown from his horse during the cavalry training exercise and died following day, aged 33 (Osborn, 2001). It is so ironic that a Futurist should have met his death by being thrown from a horse, when his propagating of speed and dynamism would have recommended a more suitable vehicle, like an automobile or an airplane. Even more ironic seems the fact that the horse was a kind of leitmotiv of Boccioni’s art. In The City Rises immense flamboyant horses energize the foreground while some rather poky buildings rise in the background. It is with reference to the horse that Boccioni explains the principles of Futurism. â€Å"A running horse does not have four legs,† he writes in Technical Manifesto of Futurist Painting, â€Å"It has twenty, and their movements are triangular. † (Boccioni et al. ) And perhaps the greatest irony of all was the artist’s welcome embrace of the First World War as a â€Å"cleansing† of culture. However, with the horrors of the First World War, Futurism died too. Works Cited Antliff, Mark. â€Å"The Fourth Dimension and Futurism: A Politicized Space. † The Art Bulletin v. 82 no. 4 (2000): 720-33. Boccioni, Umberto, et al. Technical Manifesto of Futurist Painting. 1910 http://www. unknown. nu/futurism/techpaint. html (accessed April 12, 2007). Osborn, Bob. â€Å"The Pre-Futurist Years. † Futurism and the Futurists. http://futurism. org. uk/boccioni/boccframes. htm (accessed February 25, 2007) Rosenblum, Robert. Cubism and Twentieth-Century Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1966 Taylor, Joshua C. Boccioni. New York: Double Company, Inc, 1961.

An Analysis of the Social Gradient of Health Essay Example for Free

An Analysis of the Social Gradient of Health Essay â€Å"The demonstration of a social gradient of health predicts that reducing inequality itself has health benefits for all, not simply for the impoverished or deprived minorities within populations. † (Devitt, Hall Tsey 2001) The above quote from Devitt, Hall and Tsey’s paper is a relatively well grounded and well researched statement which draws on contemporary theoretical sociological concepts to support the assertion that reducing inequality is the key to improving health for all. However the assertion that the demonstration of a social gradient of health predicts that a reduction in inequality will lead to health benefits for all is a rather broad statement and requires closer examination. The intention of this essay is to examine the social gradient of health, whose existence has been well established by the Whitehall Studies (Marmot 1991), and, by focusing on those groups at the lower end of the social gradient, determine whether initiatives to address inequalities between social classes will lead to health benefits for those classes at the lower end of the social scale. The effectiveness of past initiatives to address these social and health inequalities will be examined and recommendations made as to how these initiatives might be more effective. The social gradient described by Marmot and others is interrelated with a variety of environmental, sociopolitical and socioeconomic factors which have been identified as key determinants of health. These determinants interact with each other at a very complex level to impact directly and indirectly on the health status of individuals and groups at all levels of society; â€Å"Poor social and economic circumstances affect health throughout life. People further down the social ladder usually run at least twice the risk of serious illness and premature death of those near the top. Between the top and bottom health standards show a continual social gradient. † (Wilkinson Marmot 1998) In Australian society it is readily apparent that the lower social classes are at greater disadvantage than those in the upper echelons of society; this has been discussed at length in several separate papers on the social gradient of health and its effects on disadvantaged Australian groups (Devitt, Hall Tsey 2001, Robinson 2002, Caldwell Caldwell 1995). Within the context of the social gradient of health it can be inferred that Indigenous groups, for example, are particularly susceptible to ill health and poor health outcomes as they suffer inordinately from the negative effects of the key determinants of health. A simple example of this is the inequality in distribution of economic resources: â€Å"Average Indigenous household income is 38% less than that of non-Indigenous households. † (AHREOC 2004). The stress and anxiety caused by insufficient economic resources leads to increased risk of depression, hypertension and heart disease (Brunner 1997 cited in Henry 2001). Higher social status and greater access to economic resources is concomitant with a reduction in stress and anxiety levels, as individuals in these groups have more control over economic pressures which create this stress. This simple comparison proves that the social gradient of health accurately reflects how socioeconomic determinants affect the health of specific social classes at the physiological level. An extension of the research into the social gradient and the determinants of health is the examination of the pathways through which specific social groups experience and respond to these determinants. These ‘psychosocial pathways’ incorporate psychological, behavioural and environmental constraints and are closely linked to the determinants of health; â€Å"Many of the socio-economic determinants of health have their effects through psychosocial pathways. † (Wilkinson 2001 cited in Robinson 2002). These pathways have been demonstrated by Henry (2001) in the conceptual model of resource influences (Appendix A), a model which illustrates the interaction between the constraints mentioned above and their impact on health outcomes. Henry states that a central differentiator between classes is the amount of control an individual feels they have over their environment. Whereas an individual from a lower class group holds a limited sense of control over their well being and consequently adopts a fatalistic approach to health, those in higher classes with a stronger sense of control over their health are more likely to take proactive steps in ensuring their future wellbeing. This means that both individuals will cope differently with the same health problem. This is partly as a result of socioeconomic or environmental determinants relative to their situation, but it is also a result of behavioural/physical constraints and, most importantly, the modes of thought employed in rationalising their situation and actions. In essence these psychosocial pathways occupy an intermediate role between the social determinants of health and class related health behaviours. This suggests that, while the social gradient of health is a good predictor of predisposition to ill health among specific classes, it cannot predict how reducing inequality in itself will affect health outcomes or how a specific social class will respond to these changes. An examination of some initiatives aimed at reducing inequality in the indicators of health outcomes reveals this problem; â€Å"In 1996 only between 5% and 6% of NT Aboriginal adults had any kind of post secondary school qualification compared with 40% of non-Aboriginal Territorians. † (ABS 1998). Within the context of the social gradient of health, education is an important indicator of health outcomes. It is evident from the quote above that there exists huge inequality within the Northern Territory education system; this suggests an increased likelihood of ill health for Aboriginal people in later life. Even though there have been initiatives to address this inequality in one of the indicators of health outcomes (Colman 1997, Lawnham 2001, Colman Colman 2003), they have had only a minimal impact on Indigenous second level education rates (ABS 2003). This is partly due to the inappropriateness of these initiatives (Valadian 1999), but it is also due to the disempowerment and psychosocial malaise (Flick Nelson 1994 cited in Devitt, Hall Tsey 2001) which are a feature of Indigenous interaction and responses to the social determinants of health. Research has also been carried out into how effecting change in the inequalities in other indicators of health might affect health outcomes. Mayer (1997) cited in Henry (2001) examined the effects of doubling the income of low income families and concluded it would produce only modest effects. Henry believes that this points to the strong influence of the psychological domain in influencing health behaviours. This suggests that the key to better health for all lies not just in reducing inequality between the classes but also in changing those elements of the psychological domain which influence health behaviour. Another example of the gap between initiatives to reduce inequality and their impact on those inequalities is evident in an examination of economic constraints experienced by Indigenous Australians on social welfare. Price and McComb (1998) found that those in Indigenous communities would spend 35% of their weekly income on a basket of food, compared to just 23% of weekly income for those living in a capital city for the same basket of food. To combat this inequality it would seem logical to reduce the price of food in Indigenous communities or else increase the amount of money available to those living in remote communities, i. e. a socioeconomic approach. It has already been established that increasing income has only modest effects and in combination with the fact that smoking, gambling and alcohol account for up to 25% of expenditure in remote communities (Robinson 2002), how can it be guaranteed that the extra funds made available through either of the two suggestions above would be employed in achieving a desirable level of health? One possible suggestion is that a socioeconomic approach must be complemented by a psychosocial approach which addresses those abstract modes of thought, cultural norms and habits and health related behavioural intentions which dictate healthful behaviours. â€Å"Culture and culture conflict are factors in Aboriginal health. But instead of the emphasis being placed on Aboriginal failure to assimilate to our norms, it should rather be put on our failure to devise strategies that accommodate to their folkways. † (Tatz 1972 cited in Humphrey Japanangka 1998) Any initiative which hopes to resolve inequality in health must incorporate a sound understanding of the influence of the psychosocial pathways relative to the class level and cultural orientation of that group, otherwise its success will be modest at best. Using Henry’s model of resource influences provides a framework for understanding how addressing these psychosocial pathways can lead to greater uptake of initiatives designed to address these inequalities. An analysis of the National Tobacco Campaign (NTC 1999) reveals how this initiative failed to impact significantly on Indigenous smoking rates. This was a purely educational initiative which aimed to raise awareness of the effects of smoking on health. One of the primary flaws of its design was its failure to even acknowledge those Indigenous groups at the lower end of the social scale; it also failed to communicate the relevance of its message to Indigenous people; â€Å"The only thing is that when it comes to Aboriginal people, they will not relate to Quit television advertisements because they don’t see a black face†¦. I’ve heard the kids say ‘Oh yeah, but that’s only white fellas’. They do. † (NTC 1999) Not only did this initiative fail to connect with Indigenous people, it also failed to influence the elements of the psychological domain which legitimate such high rates of smoking. Within Indigenous culture smoking has become somewhat of a social practice, with the emphasis on sharing and borrowing of cigarettes (Gilchrist 1998). It is ineffectual to put across messages about the ill effects of smoking if the underlying motivation of relating to others is not addressed. In a report conducted on Indigenous smoking (AMA APMA 2000 cited in Ivers 2001), it was suggested that one of the key themes of an initiative aimed at reducing indigenous smoking rates should be that smoking is not a part of Indigenous culture. The ‘Jabby Don’t Smoke’ (Dale 1999) is an example of an initiative whose design attempted to influence accepted social norms. Its focus was primarily on children, thereby acknowledging the importance of socialization and the instillation of cultural norms at an early age. Unfortunately no data is available detailing its impact on smoking rates. As mentioned earlier in this essay, another feature of the psychological domain which has an effect through the psychosocial pathways is the modes of thought employed in rationalising actions and responses to various determinants and constraints. Self efficacy or the amount of perceived control over one’s situation is an important contributor to health status; â€Å"Empowered individuals are more likely to take proactive steps in terms of personal health, whilst disempowered individuals are more likely to take a fatalistic approach† (Henry 2001) Examples of initiatives which have strived to empower Indigenous people in being responsible for their own health include ‘The Lung Story’ (Gill 1999) and various health promotion messages conveyed through song in traditional language ( Castro 2000 cited in Ivers 2001, Nganampa Health Council 2005). By encouraging Indigenous people to address these issues in their own way, the amount of perceived control over their own health is increased thereby facilitating a greater degree of self efficacy. The intention of this essay has not been to deny that the social gradient of health does not exist or that it is not an effective tool in creating understanding of where social and health inequalities lie. Unfortunately programs and initiatives which have been guided by the social gradient of health and have been purely socioeconomic in their approach have failed to have a significant, sustainable effect on health inequalities. In the US, despite socioeconomic initiatives to resolve inequality, the gap between upper and lower class groups has actually widened in recent times (Pamuk et al 1998 cited in Henry 2001). The scale of the intervention required to ensure a sustained impact on health inequalities has been discussed by Henry (2001), he also highlights the need to garner substantial political will in order for these changes to happen and makes the point that those in the upper classes are relatively content with the present status quo. This essay has attempted to demonstrate that in an environment where well grounded, evidence based socioeconomic initiatives are failing to have the desired out comes, it is perhaps time to focus more on altering those strongly held health beliefs which not only dictate responses to social determinants of health but also dictate responses to initiatives designed to address these inequalities; â€Å"Healthful behaviours are due to more than just an inability to pay. A mix of psychological characteristics combines to form distinctive behavioural intentions†. (Henry 2001) In the current environment of insufficient political will and finite resources it would be prudent to use every tool available to ensure initiatives aimed at reducing inequality between the classes will have the maximum amount of benefit. This approach is not a long term solution, but until it is possible to achieve the large scale social remodelling necessary to truly remove social inequality, and consequently health inequality, it is the most viable solution available. REFERENCES. ABS, 2003. ‘Indigenous Education and Training’, Version 1301. 0, A Statistical Overview, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, viewed 22nd August 2005, http://www. abs. gov. au/Ausstats/[emailprotected] nsf/Lookup/FC7C3062F9C55495CA256CAE000FF0D6 A statistical overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia 2004, Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (AHREOC), Sydney, viewed 20th August 2005, http://www. hreoc. gov. au/social_justice/statistics/. Brunner, E. 1997. ‘Stress and the Biology of Inequality’. British Medical Journal. No. 314, pp 1472-1476. Castro, A. 2000. ‘Personal Communication’. No other details available. Caldwell, J. Caldwell, P. 1995. ‘The cultural, social and behavioural component of health improvement: the evidence from health transition studies’, Aboriginal Health: Social and Cultural transitions: Proceedings of a Conference at the Northern Territory University, Darwin 28-30th September. Colman, A. 1997. ‘Anti-racism Course’, Youth Studies Australia, Vol. 16, Issue 3, p. 9, viewed 22nd August 2005, EBSCOhost Database Academic Search Premier, item: AN 12878155. Colman, A. Colman, R. 2003. ‘Education Agreement’, Youth Studies Australia, Vol. 22, Issue 1, p. 9, viewed 22nd August 2005, EBSCOhost Database Academic Search Premier, item: AN 9398334. Dale, G. 1999. ‘Jabby Don’t Smoke, Developing Resources to Address Tobacco Consumption in Remote Aboriginal Communities’, Paper presented to the Eleventh National Health Promotion Conference, Perth. 23-26th May. Devitt, J. , Hall, G. , Tsey, K. 2001. ‘An Introduction to the Social Determinants of Health in Relation to the Northern Territory Indigenous Population’, Occasional Paper. Co-operative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health. Darwin. Flick, B. , Nelson, B. 1994. ‘Land and Indigenous Health’, Paper No. 3, Native Titles Research Unit, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra. Gilchrist, D. 1998. ‘Smoking Prevalence among Aboriginal Women’, Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 4-6. Henry, P. 2001. ‘An Examination of the Pathways through Which Social Class Impacts Health Outcomes’. Academy of Marketing Science Review, vol. 3, pp 1-26. Humphery, K. , Japanangka, M. D. , Marrawal, J. 1998. â€Å"From the Bush to the Store: Diabetes, Everyday Life and the Critique of Health Service in Two Remote Northern Territory Aboriginal Communities. † Diabetes Australia Research Trust and Territory Health Services, Darwin. Ivers, R. 2001. ‘Indigenous Australians and Tobacco; A Literature Review’, Menzies School of Health Research and the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, Darwin. pp. 67-80, 93-107. Lawnham, P. 2001. ‘Indigenous Push at UWS’, The Australian, 27th June, 2001. p. 34, viewed 22nd August 2005, EBSCOhost Database Academic Search Premier, item: AN 200106061025662941. Marmot, M. G. , Davey Smith, G. , Stansfield, S. , Patel, C. , North, F. , Head, J. , White, I. , Brunner, E. and Feeney, A. 1991. ‘Health Inequalities among British Civil Servants: the Whitehall II Study’, Lancet, 337, 1387. reading 1. 5. Mayer, S. 2001. What Money Can’t Buy: Family Income and Children’s Life Chances. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. National Tobacco Campaign. 1999. ‘Australia’s National Tobacco Campaign: Evaluation report Volume 1’. Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, Canberra. Nganampa Health Council. 2005. Nganampa Health Council, Alice Springs. Viewed 23rd August 2005, http://www. nganampahealth. com. au/products. php Pamuk, E. , Makuc, D. , Heck, K. , Reubin, C. , Lochner, K. 1998. ‘Socioeconomic Status and Health Chartbook’. Health, United States. National Centre for Health Statistics, Maryland. Price, R. , McComb, J. 1998. ‘NT and Australian Capital Cities Market Basket Survey 1998’. Food and Nutrition Update, THS, Vol. 6, pp. 4-5. Robinson, G. 2002. ‘Social Determinants of Indigenous Health’, Seminar Series, Menzies School of Health Research. Co-operative Centre for Aboriginal Health. Valadian, M. 1999. ‘Distance Education for Indigenous Minorities in Developing Communities’, Higher Education in Europe, Vol. 24, Issue 2, p. 233, viewed 22nd August 2005, EBSCOhost Database Academic Search Premier, item: AN 6693114. APPENDIX A. CCONCEPTUAL MODEL OF RESOURCE INFLUENCES. [pic] Henry, 2001. .