Views of the Essence of Numbers over the Course of History Essay

Perspectives on the Essence of Numbers throughout History - Essay Example The second is the possibility that arithmetic and numbers are just a method of deciphering and associating with self-assertively characterized images, and that holds their lone value (36). The last is the possibility of the scholars drove by Russel, who guarantee that science are helpful in light of the fact that the universe is organized in a sensibly sound manner, and arithmetic are in this way essentially a declaration of that rationale (36). The last two speculations have enough gaps in them that they have been considered disproven, such a large number of numerical logicians depend on the principal, Platonic hypothesis to portray the job of numbers in our universe. This, in any case, is totally un-provable, and evades around the issue of portraying what numbers are without really clarifying anything; if numbers are basically things that exist in another domain, that isn't thoughtfully helpful and along these lines not an exceptionally convincing hypothesis. I accept that numbers and arithmetic really should be clarified by another hypothesis, and that while we as of now don't have a totally defined hypothesis to clarify what numbers are and how science work, each of the previously mentioned speculations has a portion of the segments that a total hypothesis of arithmetic must have. The single most serious issue with the Platonic hypothesis is its absence of utility. Its primary handiness is in the way that it depicts numerical standards as being on a very basic level genuine dependent on their reality in the Platonic domain, permitting mathematicians to seek after their objectives unhindered by question. The hypothesis, in any case, is difficult to demonstrate, in such a case that numbers exist in a non physical domain that has no contact with our own then it clearly can't be watched (36). The hypothesis that numbers exist in a non-physical domain is similarly as valuable and un-proveable as the hypothesis that numbers exist just in physical structure within dark gaps; it could be valid, however assuming this is the case, what difference does it make? This hypothesis does, in any case, hold one of the central rules that must be in any hypothesis of numbers, which is the possibility that numbers, despite the fact that they may unquestionably not exist in any sort of physical way, are genuine. Their association with the physical world, for example, the way that one can utilize numbers to plot a way to the moon, execute that plot and afterward end up on the moon, shows that there is something on a very basic level genuine. So while the Platonic hypothesis is in a general sense defaced by its absence of convenience and the inconceivability of demonstrating (or negating) its precision, its declaration that numbers are genuine somehow or another must be a piece of any possible hypothesis of numbers. Without numbers being genuine articles no hypothesis of science is finished. Like the non-romantic hypothesis of numbers, formalism, which expre sses that arithmetic are basically a progression of arrangement of show administering images (36), has both hazardous and valuable parts for making a helpful hypothesis of numbers. The basic issue with formalism is that it neglects to represent the way that, as appeared above, numbers do have some relationship to the real world. It is valuable, in any case, in conceding the failings of numbers when applied to this present reality. Numbers, while communicating with physical bodies, depend on a very basic level on human originations and sensibilities. For instance: when an individual sees two coins, they can say that there are two coins and in certain faculties be right. The issue, nonetheless, is this depends on a human made classification of what establishes a â€Å"coin.† When somebody shaves a limited quantity off of one of the coins,

An Inspector Calls Essay Example for Free

An Inspector Calls Essay Miss Sheila Birling, a noticeable character in Priestlys play An Inspector Calls, experiences numerous progressions all through the play. The crowd and perusers viewpoint towards her additionally modifies. Sheila changes before our eyes from a young lady into a solid young lady. In the first place, Sheila is portrayed to us as being in her mid twenties and satisfied with life. This gives us a feeling that she is only a young lady, who has not seen enough of the world yet and is youthful in her contemplations. We consider her to be as a rule extremely juvenile from the outset, tending to her folks as Mummy and Daddy. She is plainly a mummys young lady who adheres to her folks directions and requests For instance, she submissively follows her mom to the drawing-room and leaves the men including her better half to-be. Despite the fact that she is locked in to Gerald Croft, Sheila places her significant other to-be on a platform, appreciating him and calling h9im dear. She takes the wedding band like a young lady would get another toy look, mummy! The way Sheila acts in the initial segment of the play causes her to appear somebody who is delicate, blameless and senseless, or plain juvenile. After the Inspector shows up, our conclusion towards her changes. After she admits to the Inspector, Sheila separates. She feels extremely upset for all the torment she has caused Eva Smith. The Inspector causes her to feel liable for utilizing her riches, significance and impact to get a really honest young lady sacked from her last solid employment. Sheila wails and cries, similar to a youngster. Be that as it may, our supposition truly changes when she stands up to Gerald. Sheila chuckles insanely, toward the finish of Act One, when she says, You fool. Obviously he knows. What's more, I would rather not think what he realizes that we dont know yet. This conduct is somewhat similar to that of a youngster pitching a fit, giving her developing acknowledgment and development. When Gerald starts to admit, Sheila shows an insubordinate streak. She will not be driven away by her folks who need her to be ensured. This resembles what the normal pre-adult would do when they wish to a cross new area. Sheila starts to control herself somewhat more soundly during Geralds cross examination Gerald tumbles off the high putting he was initially on as Sheila calls him by name instead of by some fun loving moniker.

Fresh Ink New Books Out Today January 15, 2013

Fresh Ink New Books Out Today January 15, 2013 Its a nonfictionpalooza this week! Best Sex  Writing 2013: The State of Todays Sexual Culture edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel  (Cleis Press) If the only sex-related pieces youve read latelyor, gasp, everwere about Fifty Shades of Grey, youve got some catching up to do! Start with this annual anthology, which brings together the best essays about sexuality and sexual culture. Judged by Dr. Carol Queen and edited by Rachel Kramer Busseltwo rad women who know from sex writingthis collection looks thought-provoking and fun. Variety being the spice of life, it presents a wide range of topics and perspectives; you might not like them all, but youre bound to love something. While I havent read this years collection just yet (reviewers, too, must sometimes wait for actual publication dates), Ive found the previous installments to do be thoroughly satisfying and filled with Oh, I never thought of that! moments. Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are by Carlin Flora (Doubleday) I was first alerted to this book when fellow Rioter Kim featured it in a list of  books about friendship last month. She recommended it for science nerds, fans of narrative nonfiction, living room sociologists, and I thought, I am all of those things! If you are too, take note. It seems were in a season of  books about friendshipIve recently read and adored Julie Klams Friendkeeping  [reviewed here] and Susanna Sonnenbergs memoir-in-friendships She Matters [reviewed here]and Carlin Flora adds depth the personal stories by presenting a scientific look at why we have friends and how they influence our personalities and behaviors. This is my  favorite kind of nonfiction; its engaging, not stuffy, and directly related to things we all experience in our daily lives. Oh, and it will give you tons of fun facts to spout off at dinner parties, or the next time you need to drive your partner mad with a case of the Did-You-Knows. The Mistress Contract by She and He (Unbridled  Books, now in paperback) Their  relationship began in 1981. It began with a contract. She suggested it, agreeing to provide her lover with housekeeping, companionship, and sexual services, while He agreed to give her a separate home (he was married, living with his wife and children at the time they began) and cover her expenses. Their affair continue through several decades, as they recorded themselves discussing their  relationship and the shifting power and sexual dynamics that defined it. This book presents the transcripts of those conversations, and they are nothing short of fascinating. She and He quarrel about her reluctance to tell him what she wants in bed. They wonder if their  relationship is revolutionary, or really quite traditional. The talk about feminism, and choice, and how this arrangement of theirs is something other than prostitution. They love each other. They age together. They are tender and passionate in private, careful to be discreet in public. They know they have chosen to do something that most consider wrong, and many wouldnt consider at all, and with this memoir, they attempt to put it in context. This is a challenging and provocative read that raises more questions than it answers. It sheds light on one unconventional  relationship, affording readers the opportunity to consider how changes they might make (or dream of making) in their own and inviting deeper deliberation about the organization, construction, and restrictions of committed  relationships in todays society. I loved this when I first read it in 2011, and I appreciated it even more upon rereading. Highly recommended. Sign up for True Story to receive nonfiction news, new releases, and must-read forthcoming titles. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Honors Geoscience Summer Project Task 3 - 730 Words

Dan Kondel Honors Geoscience Summer Project Honors Geoscience Summer Project Task 3 Section 1: Earth’s changing climates 1. What do the colors indicate about the change in average temperature over time from 1884 to 2012? The colors indicated that the average temperature rose in all continents from 1884 to 2012. 2. In the past 50 years, where has the temperature changed the most? In the past 50 years, the temperature has changed the most in the northern part of the world. 3. Describe the average temperature change from 1880 to 2010. The average temperature changed 0.7 degrees celsius from 1880 to 2010. 4. Why is the curve between 1950 and 1980 relatively flat and centered around zero degrees difference from the baseline? (Hint: how is the temperature change being compared over time?) 5. The green bars are called error bars. They indicate the range of uncertainty that scientists have about the data on the graph. (Note: Not all error bars are shown.) Why do you think these error bars are smaller near the year 2000 than in the 1890s? I think these error bars are smaller near the year 2000 than in the 1890s because the technology has advanced immensely since 1890. 6. Why is the black line so much more variable than the red line? What s the difference between the data they show? The black line is so much more variable than the red line because the black line represents the annual average temperature and the red line represents the 5 year running average temperature. 7.Show MoreRelatedCNPC CSR report25861 Words   |  104 PagesResponsibility Report China National Petroleum Corporation About the Report This is China National Petroleum Corporation’s seventh annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report since 2006. This report accurately represents what we did in 2012 to honor our commitments to the economy, the environment and society. It is important that we provide the following information: Reporting company: China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Alternative reference: China National Petroleum Corporation is

Use of Private Military Companies (PMCs) in Africa Essay

PMCs emerge in a history course as an inevitable result of the changing in world structure and technology development. This critical review examines Anna Leander’s article on the paradox of implementing private military companies (PMCs) in Africa. The central issue is how security can be influenced by the using of PMCs. Building on Leander’s argument, this review argues that PMC is a double-edged sword that can be used to provide security as well as to stir insecurity. The blurred public and private lines and ambiguous regulations of PMCs cannot be neglect thus the use of PMC forces need stronger regulation and a better system of cooperation with other national or international actors. The review will first analyze the reasons for using†¦show more content†¦What need to be added to this point is that PMCs also diminish the possible hatred which could be brought by ethnic conflicts between states. Ethnic conflicts frequently take place between Africa states as m ost of their economies rely on primary resources and thus they are a huge tempt causing conflicts. While neither the primary sources are part of PMCs goal of profit nor they consist of major ethnic groups in the states, thereby the possibility of causing ethnic conflicts and the aggravation of hostility between ethnic groups by war are less possible. Second, Leander (2005) argues that PMCs are respectable as they follow professional knowledge and business rules (p.609). PMCs are â€Å"strategically effective† for most of their team consist of professional military members, and their equipment are highly effective and advanced compare to the weak military force of African states (Leander, 2005, p.609). A third argument for PMCs in Africa is that they are more efficient and professional forces than local forces (ibid). According to Singer’s work on PMCs (2003), lacking of professionalism and the failure of local military is one of the reasons contributing to the rise of PMCs. The corrupted system, untrained local soldiers and poor arm conditions weaken the local military power, which is unable to solve conflicts (Singer, 2003, p.54). Besides, sophisticated equipment and advanced weapons requires skilled personnel to maintain and control which weakShow MoreRelatedHow Private Military Companies Affect Modern Africa1446 Words   |  6 PagesSouth-West Africa 500 years ago. It is difficult to find a war in Africa, especially post-World War Two, where mercenaries were not employed by at least one side, if not both. With the growth of professionalized military companies and the loss of political will to deploy conventional forces by Western countries, the usage of mercenaries is only going to increase. This growth is leading to studies about the ethical, economic, and political applications and ramifications regarding private military companiesRead MoreThe Role Of Private Military Contractors ( Pmcs )1912 Words   |  8 PagesThesis: The role of private military contractors (PMCs) has expanded tremendously since the end of the Cold War when western governments began the process of trimming their bloated military forces. As privatization commenced, governments began to rely upon a new kind of contractor that sold not only hardware but also manpower and expertise. 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Strategic Evaluation of South West Airlines Free Essays

string(73) " the airline industry as it requires a large initial capital investment\." Introduction Southwest Airlines has been a strong growth company over the last 4 decades. Using its low-cost, no-frill, customer friendly, point-to-point operational strategy, Southwest has been able to sustain considerable growth over the years and reported straight profits since its incumbent. Southwest Airlines now has a market capitalization of $9. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Evaluation of South West Airlines or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 billion and is positioned as one of the strongest airlines in the struggling airlines industry. Over the last decade, many airlines have reported record losses in the US while many have filed for bankruptcy, Southwest has been able to remain profitable and continue to grow. However, with the airline reaching its maturity, it remains to see whether this growth can be sustained for the upcoming years. This essay uses various tools and frameworks to analyze the external environment and its challenges, and internal resources and capabilities of Southwest airlines. This external and internal analysis is aimed to guide the strategic management of company in understanding the environment it business operates in, and how it can respond to that environment by realizing its internal resources. External Analysis Understanding the environment in which a company operates is a critical element of a rational approach towards strategic management. It underscores an organization’s need to appreciate numerous factors in its operating environment, and how these can impact upon it. For the purpose of evaluating the external environment of Southwest Airlines, this essay uses two of the most popular tools; namely: Liam Fahey and V. K. Narayanan’s STEP or PEST concept (1986); and Michael Porter’s five forces model (1980; 2008). PEST Analysis Political factors Southwest Airline operates domestically in US and therefore its strategy is significantly influenced by the airline policy of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (see www.faa.gov). Specifically, the 1979 ‘Wright Amendment’; a legislation regarding the ‘Wright Zone’ which prohibits any airline to fly non-stop or provide through-plane service from Dallas Love Field to any city in any state except for location in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kansas has been affecting Southwest’s operation for the past three decades. Recently, new legislation has been passed to repeal the Wright Amendment. It would come in effect in 2014 (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). The political environment in the US has been unfavorable for Southwest Airlines over the years due to strong lobbying in congress by supporters of rival airlines against the company’s interests. However, Southwest Airlines has on numerous occasions won le gal battles against rivals in the US courts. An important political factor affecting the Southwest Airlines strategy is terrorism. During the last decade, the threat of terrorism in civilian aircrafts has had a negative impact on airline industry in that it has increased the airport costs incurred due to additional security measures. Economic factors Aircraft derives its fuel from oil; therefore a rise in the price of oil has a major impact upon Southwest Airlines’ profitability travel (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). The future trends of oil prices are highly unpredictable due to the political changes occurring within the Middle-East region, especially the relations between US and Iran. On the other hand, the recession in 2008 has had a favorable impact upon Southwest’s operations. Although the customer demand for air travel reduced due to cuts in personal and business expenses across the US, the consumer demand for low-fares no-frills Southwest Airline underwent a growth due to a shift in consumers’ preferences towards cheaper, no- frill airlines (Southwest, 2010). Concerning monetary issues, since Southwest Airline operates only within US, hence currency fluctuations do not impact Southwest Airlines’ operations. Social Factors Unlike other low-fare and no-frill airlines in the Europe, Southwest Airline has a strong commitment towards customer service. The airline has always adopted a customer centric approach for its management and marketing activities (Campbell, 2010). Its customer services personnel are widely encouraged upon going a step forward in appeasing customers through unusual tactics. Their efforts are rewarded through recognition and rewards, and are not punished for implementing their good judgment (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). Technological factors Technological developments have both created new opportunities as well as threats for Southwest Airlines. The emergence of teleconferencing and robust communication other the internet has provided businesses with an alternative for frequent travelling. On the other hand, technology has also provided airline industry with the opportunity to expand their outreach directly to consumers through e-commerce sites. Indeed Southwest Airlines was the first airline company to introduce ticketless travel and allows customers to make reservations online through its e-commerce website (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). Porter’s Five Forces Model To analyze the operating environment of Southwest Airlines and evaluate the nature of the competition Southwest Airline faces, a Porter’s Five Forces analysis will be used, created by Porter E.M professor at Harvard University Business School. The five forces are as follows: The bargaining power of suppliers is high in the airline industry. For example fuel is a major input into an airline company (it accounts for 40% of all operating costs) (Thompson and Gamble, 2012), and the companies which provide fuel tend to be large, and hence have immense bargaining power. Their bargaining power is further enhanced due to the absence of any viable fuel alternative. Therefore charging a premium price by oil companies is only natural. Another cause of concern for the airline industry is the bargaining power of aircraft suppliers. The aircraft manufacturing companies have a monopoly as only two companies exist in the industry namely Airbus and Boeing. Bargaining power of buyers is also high as the customers of airline industry are constantly looking for alternative air travel companies to get best value for their money. Additionally, many other full service airlines are considering adopting a low cost model for shorter routes with no frills, thus increasing choices for customers (Mouawad, 2010). Competitive Rivalry: Southwest Airlines’ no frills model is been widely pursued by various long-haul, full-service airlines within US. Therefore, the airlines industry is highly competitive for Southwest Airline. Entry Barriers; There are high barriers to enter the airline industry as it requires a large initial capital investment. You read "Strategic Evaluation of South West Airlines" in category "Essay examples" Furthermore, the airline industry is faced with increased competition and is no longer as lucrative as before in conjunction with the price wars, thus making survival difficult for new entrants. Substitutes: Although customers can switch to travel through train, coaches and cars, such travel modes are considered as uncomfortable and the cost advantage is neither too substantial. Therefore, the threat of substitute is very low. Internal Analysis The resource base view of strategy emphasizes upon a company’s internal capabilities in formulating strategies to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in its market (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990). It deals with the competitive environment faced by an organization through an inside-out approach. The following are Southwest’s internal resources. The Combative and Can-do Culture at South West Southwest Airline has a strong combative can-do attitude ingrained in its corporate culture. The company’s legal struggle in its formative years produced a strong ‘esprit de corps’ among the company’s employees. With the media reporting Southwest Airlines difficulties, the company’s employees were clearly aware of the fact that the airlines existence was on the line. According to Colleen Barrett, the challenges faced by Southwest Airlines due to fierce adversaries by rivals and local officials were instrumental in building the passion of Southwest employees and ingraining a combative, can-do spirit in the corporate culture (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). Southwest’s Leadership and Management One of the most celebrated leaders of the company was Herb Kelleher, under whose leadership the company prospered for almost four decades, including its formative struggles. Kelleher preferred to do much of the management from outside the office whilst being among the staff members. He was a good listener, and a proponent of direct observation. He always encouraged his staffers in performing their duties. He attended most of the graduation ceremonies of his flight attendants classes and even helped load bags on ‘Black Fridays’. He was highly combative and had a flamboyant lifestyle; both of which were reflected in the company’s operations and management. Surprisingly, Kelleher was an adherent of conservatism when it came to the financial side of the business (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). Much was the future leadership of the company was directly mentored by Kelleher himself. For instance, James parker (CEO 2001 – 2004) was associated with Kelleher with more than 23 years. Kelleher and Parker were considered to think much alike. Similarly, Colleen Barrette (President 2001 – 2008) was also associated with Kelleher and the company for more than two decades. Both these executive also followed Kelleher footsteps in spending most of their time on culture building, morale building and customer service. Gerry Kelly (CEO 2004 – Onwards) further advanced the corporate culture by through a steadfast focus upon triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet (Thompson and Gamble, 2012). Human Resource Management Herb Kelleher was a strong believer in the principle that if a company keeps its employees happy, its employees will in return keep its customer happy. Therefore, he contended that the employees- not the customers- came first. Kelleher knew thousands of employees by their name. Likewise, Colleen Barrette, put much efforts in creating a family like atmosphere within the company and put forth a network of contacts to stay in touch with each employee (Baum, 2006). The company’s corporate culture treats its employees like a family, insisting upon their important contribution towards having a satisfied clientele. It regards its employees as the ‘creators’ of the company. The company has a strong ethos of listening to its employees ideas, and does not believe in constraining their thinking. The company also insists upon hiring only those who share the same values as its corporate culture and does not lay off any of its employees (Thompson and Gamble, 2012) Southwest Airlines Strategy Southwest has pursued a low-cost, low-price, no-frills, strategy from day one. It made air travel affordable to the mass American population. Southwest advance ticket purchase requirements are more lenient than rivals and the company offers deep discounts for some seats purchased through its website. The company offers ‘Business Select’ fares for economy minded business travelers. This fare offers early boarding privileges to passengers along with extra Rapid Rewards (Anthony, 2011). Despite many of its rivals charging extra for add on services, like checking bags, in-flight snacks, buying a ticket in person from airport, fees for changing reservations, etc., Southwest insists upon an all-inclusive lowest fare. Its concept of price elasticity that is, the erosion of profit margins through offering lowest fares in more than compensated by increases sales volumes is proven to be true for most of its markets. Southwest’s point to point route system also minimizes connections, delays and total trip time. Its emphasis on non-stop flights between pair of cities allows 75 % of its passengers to fly non-stop to their destination. (Thompson and Gamble, 2012; Anthony, 2011) Strategic Options Based on the aforementioned external and internal analysis of Southwest Airlines this essay presents a set of strategic options for the company. First this essay presents a TOWS matrix to generate strategic options: StrengthsWeaknesses OpportunitiesSouthwest Airlines can use its huge customer base to sell ancillary product apart from free add-ons service in its flightsSo far, Southwest Airline is the only airline making a consistent profit and undergoing constant growth in the US. It does not have any particular weaknesses in its current corporate strategy Southwest Airlines can further imbibe e-commerce technology in its operation through developing applications for smart phones that enable customers to purchase tickets, check for promotional and discount offers, and check in. Southwest Airline can promote its Triple Bottom line ethos as its commitment towards environment and promote a ‘green’ image. Sustain its employees motivation and devotion level through further improving the company human resource policies pertaining to  ·Performance management and appraisal  ·Rewards and amenities  ·Stocks and shares options as compensation and bonus ThreatsSouthwest Airline has so far not engaged in strategies that promote the Airline’s ‘green’ and environment friendly image. This can be a threat as customers are increasingly involving environmental concerns in their purchase decisions.The company can react to unstable oil prices by hedging for oil prices Strategic Direction for Growth Strategies Business firms must undergo continuous growth and change in order to retain their relative position in the market and in order to improve their position, they must grow â€Å"twice as fast as that† (Ansoff, 1957, p.113). According to Ansoff, there are four growth strategies namely: market penetration, market development, product development and diversification. Southwest Airlines can pursue growth strategies as its strategic direction for the company. Based on Ansoff’s growth matrix, the following is the strategic growth direction strategies for Southwest Airlines: Products ExistingNew MarketExistingMarket Penetration and ConsolidationProduct Development This should be a key strategic direction for the company. Southwest Airlines should consolidate existing routes and increase its market share on existing routes. The company should also exist from its current routes with low customer volumes where many of the flight seats go empty.Southwest Airlines should expand into ancillary products and services such as car rentals, hotels and accommodations, taxi services, etc. This could be a good strategic fit for its popular destinations. These services should also adhere to its corporate strategy of best value for the money and lowest costs. NewMarket DevelopmentDiversification The company should continue to explore new destinations to expand its business operations. It can be a profitable strategy. Over the years, the company has associated several values with its brand image such as a highly competitive, survivor, and best value for the money. This brand equity could be used by the company to expand into related diversification such as, catering and hospitality business. Expansion outside the US domestic market might not be a viable strategy for the company and it might be a diversion from the company’s core competenciesSouthwest Airlines’ diversification into long haul flight or flying more than point to point flights might not be a good diversification strategy as this would again be a drastic shift from the company’s core competencies Evaluation of Strategic Options According to Goold and Luchs (1993), the management literature and practice has extensively explored how organizations could best exploit their corporate expertise since the early 1990s. This exploration led to the emergence of themes such as core competencies and dominant logic view in formulation corporate strategic direction for companies. Based on these views, three important principles have emerged for corporate growth strategy: Growth and diversification should be limited to those businesses that generate synergy; synergy occurs when the performance of several products and services (or businesses) adds up to more than the sum of its parts. It pertains to the creation of economies of scales in that two or more products/services or businesses can lower their costs by combining operations or manufacturing facilities, using common sales force or advertise jointly (Thompson and Martin, 2005). The corporate strategy focus should be on exploiting core competences across a diverse product and service portfolio, and, Successful growth strategies depend on building a portfolio of businesses or products/services which fit with the managerial â€Å"dominant logic† of top executives and their management style. (Goold and Luchs, 1993; Lasserre, 2003) Coinciding with this dominant business view, the aforementioned strategic directions for Southwest Airlines are deemed suitable and viable for its corporate growth. For instance all the aforementioned strategic options for Southwest Airlines pertain to: Using the airlines strong customer base to sell ancillary products; Further advancing its e-commerce services; Promoting its Triple Bottom line for ‘green’ image And enhancing the company’s human resource policies All of these options are based on the Southwest existing core competencies and management dominant logic view as identified in the internal analysis. Similarly the company’s growth and diversification strategies, which pertain to: Consolidation of existing markets Refraining from diversification is un-related products and services (long haul flight, international flights, hubs-spoke flights) Expansion into ancillary products and services and new profitable destinations within US And diversification through related business (hospitality and catering) All of these options reaffirm the company’s core competencies and management dominant logic view along with creating synergies for the company. Conclusion Southwest Airlines has faced fierce competitive environment and averted intense market entry barriers over the years to emerge as a highly successful and sustainable airline business. It operates in an industry with high bargaining power of suppliers and customers and strong rivalry from well established competitors. The company has successfully mitigated political hurdles and used its core competencies towards its advantage in an economic environment where others have scaled down. Moreover, the company has used technologies in its favor to sustain efficiency in its business operations. The internal strengths of the company lie within its corporate culture, and motivated and committed workforce. It core competency pertains to its point to point, no-frill, low-cost and low-price air travel service business model. Concluding this strategic analysis, this essay recommends Southwest airlines to implement strategic options and embark upon growth and diversification strategies which reaffirm the company’s aforementioned core competencies and further advance its internal strengths. These strategic directions are vital for the company’s continued growth and survival in the upcoming years within its respective industry. References Ansoff, I. (1957) Strategies for Diversification. Harvard Business Review. Vol. 35 Issue 5. Anthony, R. N. (2011) Management Control Systems. Tata McGraw Hills Educations. Baum, T. (2006) Human Resource Management for the Tourism, Hospitality And Leisure. Cengage Learning EMEA Campbell. S (2010) How Southwest Airlines Became a Model for Customer Loyalty. TMCnet. Available from http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/customer-support-software/articles/87080-how-southwest-airlines-became-model-customer-loyalty.htm (cited on 20th, March, 2013) Fahey. L and Narayanan, V. K, (1986) Macroenvironmental Analysis for Strategic Management. St. Paul: West Publishing. Goold, M. and Luchs, K. (1993) Why Diversify: Four Decades of Management Thinking. Academic of Management Executive. Vol. 7 No. 3 Johnson G. Scholes K. Whittingham W. 2008. Exploring Corporate Strategy. 8th edition. Prentice Hall Lasserre, P. (2003) Global Strategic Management, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Mouawad, J (2010). Pushing 40, Southwest Is Still Playing the Rebel. New York Times. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/business/21south.html?pagewanted=all_r=0 (cited on 20th, March, 2013) Porter, M. (2001) Service Operations Strategy. Harvard Business School Porter. M (2008). The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, January 2008, p.86-104. Prahalad, K. and Hamel, G. (1990) The Core Competence of Organization. Harvard Business Review. 68(3), 79-91. Southwest (2010). Southwest Airlines One Report. Available from http://www.southwestonereport.com/_pdfs/2010SouthwestAirlinesOneReport.pdf (cited on 20th, March, 2013) Thompson, A. and Gamble, J. (2012). South West Airlines in 2010: Culture, Values, and Operating Practices. Case 13. In Essential of Strategic Management. McGraw Hill. Thompson J L Martin F (2005), Strategic Management Awareness Change. 5th Edition, Thomson learning How to cite Strategic Evaluation of South West Airlines, Essay examples

Digital Divide People and Communities

Question: Discuss about theDigital Dividefor People and Communities. Answer: Introduction Digital Divide is a term that refers to a gap that exists between various entities in terms of people, communities, organizations and likewise on the basis of various reasons such as social and economic levels that has led to varying opportunity and accessibility to the Information Systems and Technology. The divide is between the sections that have the opportunities along with the accessibility to various components of Information and Communication Technology with the ones that are still not able to make use of the same to gain advantages (Oecd, 2016). There are a number of parameters that help in the better understanding of the concept of digital divide. Primary Subject: The major or the primary subject is the entities that make use of various components of Information Systems and Technology that may be individual users, group of users, entire business and likewise. Attributes: There are a number of attributes that are associated with the presence of the digital gap in terms of gender, ethnicity, geographical areas, and education opportunity and likewise. Usage: Usage of the IT resources and components are associated with the ease of accessibility, requirement of the usage and the opportunities that are provided. Source of Connectivity: There are a number of sources which can be used by the users to make use of IT services and digital components such as mobile devices, laptops, personal computers, shared computers and likewise. Reasons for Digital Divide Education Opportunity and Level The benefits of the Information Technology and Systems is understood in a better way by the users that are educated to benefit from the same and have the knowledge of the potential advantages that they can bring. There are also many individuals who do not get the education opportunities and therefore fail to understand the benefits of Internet. Such individuals do not make an attempt or an effort to gain opportunity of usage. Economic Levels The basic requirement of using the web is to have a device to access the same along with the network infrastructure as well. There are many users who fail to afford these basic necessities to make use of the web whereas on the other hand there are users who can easily afford the same. The varying economic condition of the people and communities is one of the major reasons behind the presence of digital divide. Race and Ethnicity The accessibility and permission to use the web also depends upon the factors such as race and ethnicity. There have been people of particular race that actively make use of the web for various purposes whereas there are some who are refrained from gaining access to the Internet for any of the purposes (CsStanford, 2016). Age and Gender There have been characteristic variances observed in the use of ICT by people belong to a particular gender or a particular age group in comparison to the counterparts. The same has emerged as a prime factor behind the presence of digital divide. Changes with Solutions to Digital Divide Huawei is an organization that collaborated with one of the largest neighborhood transporter in Bangladesh to initiate the Phone Lady extend. The basic idea behind the project was to install banded Communication Information Centers (CICs) to Provide Universal Access Services (UAS) to the users. The project enabled the residents to make use of the web through easy accessibility to the services and gain financial and social benefits out of the same. The major task that was covered in the project was the connectivity of the bearer with a huge number of nearby proprietors with majority of them being females. It included the organization of activities for the purchasing of the cell phone gadgets and providing the basic knowhow on the usage of the same. The project resulted in the understanding of the major issues behind the problem associated with UAS in the region and aided in the creation of the countermeasures to resolve the same leading to better opportunity and accessibility to the w eb. There was another successful activity around the issue of Digital Divide that was conducted by Maitland Commission and was termed as Telephone for All The goal of the project was to allow the broadband inclusion for all the entities and the same has been accomplished as per the report covered by ITU Secretary-General. The project targeted the public and private sector organizations along with the individual users and was a big success in the attempt to provide ease of accessibility and connectivity to the users (Huawei, 2016). Along with the organizations, there are also initiatives and active attempts that are being made by various countries. These attempts are done with the objective to reduce the digital gap and bring together the users at a same platform to allow them to benefit with the opportunities that are offered by web. Singapore Singapore is one of the most active participants in the attempts to include the policies around data innovation, digital advancement and electronic procedures in all of its processes. It stands second in the list of the nations with the opportunities associated with online administrations and cooperation that is provided in terms of electronic instruments standing just behind United Arab Emirates. Also, the nation also stands second with next to Finland in the list of countries that have automated workforce in the business operations and services. With the presence of advanced infrastructure, the nation has been able to achieve an enhanced level of portable broadband memberships per capita. On the other hand, the web uptake is not up to the mark as only seventy five percent of the entire population makes use of the web which can be far better with the existence of the advanced infrastructure. However, the country is making active attempts to improve the numbers and has managed to ach ieve the better percentage of internet users. Finland Finland is another country that has been actively working towards the process of bridging the digital gap that is present across the globe in the present era. It has been recorded as the top most country in the list of the number of licenses per capita that are issued. There are a number of data innovation policies and attempts that are being made by the country to allow the users to benefit from the various opportunities that are provided by web. There have also been a number of approaches that are followed for the improvement in the web based business that is being used all across the nation. The country again scores a top spot in the existence of automated workforce. Sweden More than half of the population that is associated with Sweden is engaged in the information based operations that are carried out. The infrastructure and policies that are present in the country for the use and access of the internet for personal and professional operations are huge in number. The same has led to a number of economical and social benefits to the users as well as the government which has made the country as one of the top most nations in the list of digitally advanced nations. Sweden Government has been constantly working towards the goal of reducing the digital divide. The Netherlands The Netherlands has managed to position itself on the third sport in terms of the ease of accessibility to the devices and network that is required to make use of the web. There are a number of organizations that operate from the country to enable its residents to have hassle free Internet services and allow them to make complete benefit of the same. The country scores will on the basis of the framework that is required to access the web, business operations that are carried out for opportunities and access along with the developmental activities that are carried out associated with the same. Norway In terms of the accessibility, Norway has managed to come second in the race just behind Iceland. The framework and infrastructure that the country provides is ideal to allow the access to the users. The country also makes sure that the correct training is provided to the users to gain maximum benefits out of the Internet sources. Also, the country has managed to grab sixth spot in terms of the optimum utilization of the automated resources (Weforum, 2016). Recommended Solutions for Controlling Digital Divide Mapping of the community Assets It is necessary to have a clear picture of the assets that are associated with a particular community prior to the process of bridging the digital divide that has been created. The same can be done through data collection and analysis around the details and factors such as the individuals and households that have the access to the web, the individuals and households that can easily manage to gain the access to the web in case of absence, the number and types of devices that are owned by each household, the major problem areas that are present and likewise. The analysis of these factors along with the mapping of the same with the requirements would enable a better procedure for the creation of the opportunities to the users who do not have the access and privilege to the web in a particular community (Bates, 2016). Local Support A number of public and private sector organizations along with many of the not-for-profit organizations are currently working to bridge the gap created by the digital advancements. It is necessary for the nations to come up with the Government policies and support to encourage the attempts that are made by such organizations. Also, the local support shall be provided by the community representatives and individuals to make the organizations understand and analyze the requirements in a better manner and come up with the corresponding solution to the same. Cost-Savings through Constant Tracking of Offers There are often scenarios in which the users refrain from the usage of the web due to the high rates of the plans and services that are associated around the same. However, there are numerous plans that are made available by the providers as per the usage requirements. There are also time to time offers that are rolled out by the providers that may benefit the users in terms of low cost and high usage limit. It is recommended to keep a track of such offers and services to avail the same (Dugan et al., 2014). Permission to Make Use of White Space White space is a term that is used in the internet world to those frequencies and bandwidths that are not utilized by any particular channel at a specific timeframe. These frequencies must be allowed to be used by the business units and users to make successful use of web for the execution of operations and transmission of information from one location to the other over the web. It would also allow increased network usage, improved network speed along with lesser collisions among the data packets (Rogers, 2016). Adoption of the Dig- Once Process During the setting up of a network structure, there is a lot of effort that is made towards cabling and installation of the links such as through optical fibers, twisted pair cables and likewise. In case of the wired networks, it is these cables that form the links and connectivity for communication and access to the web. However, there are scenarios in which the network requirements may change over a period of time and the re-installation of these links may require a lot of work and may also damage the existing connectivity. It is therefore required to make use of the dig-once approach during the installations and connections which is a onetime process for setting up the connections and can be scaled up and down as per the requirement without any re-work involved in the process. The process has also proved to be extremely inexpensive as well. The accessibility and connectivity can therefore be provided at low costs to the users (Riggins and Dewan, 2015). Creation of Local Content There are situations in which the users fail to make proper utilization of the web especially the users that do not have the prior knowledge of the benefits that can come out with the correct use of the services and applications that are offered through web. In order to make such users connect with web, it is necessary for the developers and business units to come up with the content that is of particular interest to the users. For instance, a community group shall be introduced with a web application that has all the necessary information associated with the community in terms of location, services, and residents and likewise. It would allow the community users to build interest in the web usage and will also enable them to explore other areas of the web as per their requirements and necessities (IEEESpectrum, 2016). Conclusion Digital Divide has come up as one of the major causes of concern of the current digital era and the issue is being tackled at a number of individual, organizational and national levels. There are attempts that are being made by the entities to bring down the gap that has been created and provide equal opportunities and accessibility to all the users irrespective of their location, race, ethnicity, social status, economical status and likewise. Many countries have been working towards achieving this goal with some of the frontrunners such as Singapore, Sweden, Norway, Finland, The Netherlands and many others in the list. There are a number of solutions which can be used by the entities to control the problem of digital divide such as careful analysis and examination of the community assets that are present, development of local content for the users, local and government support to the organizations, utilization of the white space on the web and many others. It is also necessary to im prove the status and level of education all across the globe to enable the users with the understanding of the benefits of the web and also the ability to afford the same. References Bates, K. (2016). Closing the Digital Divide: Promoting Broadband Adoption Among Underserved Populations. [online] Available at: https://www.nlc.org/Documents/Find%20City%20Solutions/Research%20Innovation/Infrastructure/Closing_Digital_Divide_Promoting_Broadband_Adoption_Underserved_Populations.pdf [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016]. CsStanford, (2016). The Digital Divide. [online] Cs.stanford.edu. Available at: https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/digital-divide/start.html [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016]. Dugan, S., Bolsinger, A., Bolsinger, A., Bolsinger, A., Larson, S., Bolsinger, A., Meier, N., Dugan, S. and Dugan, S. (2014). Three ways to bridge the digital divide in Oakland (Community Voices) - Oakland Local. [online] Oakland Local. Available at: https://oaklandlocal.com/2014/04/three-ways-to-bridge-the-digital-divide-in-oakland-community-voices/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016]. Huawei, (2016). Huawei India - Bridging the Digital Divide. [online] Available at: https://huawei.com/in/about-huawei/corporate-citizenship/bridging-digital-divide/index.htm [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016]. IEEESpectrum, (2016). 3 Ways To Bridge The Digital Divide. [online] Available at: https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computing/networks/3-ways-to-bridge-the-digital-divide [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016]. Oecd, (2016). [online] Available at: https://www.oecd.org/sti/1888451.pdf [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016]. Riggins, F. and Dewan, S. (2015). "The Digital Divide: Current and Future Research Directions" by Frederick J. Riggins and Sanjeev Dewan. [online] Aisel.aisnet.org. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol6/iss12/13/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016]. Rogers, E. (2016). The Digital Divide. [online] Available at: https://con.sagepub.com/content/7/4/96.abstract [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016]. Weforum. (2016). The top 10 nations for bridging the digital divide. [online] Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/04/which-nations-are-top-for-digital/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2016].C

Depeds Thrusts Essay Example

Depeds Thrusts Essay HigTest formerly known as the Non-formal Education AE Test is a paper and pencil test. The test is designed to measure the competencies of those who have not finished either the formal elementary or secondary education. Passers of this test are given a certificate/diploma certifying their competencies as comparable to graduates of the formal school system. Hence, they are qualified to enroll in high school (for elementary level passers) and to enroll in college (for secondary level passers). 2. Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) is the principal instrument used in Accreditation and Equivalency Program (AEP) which was first established in 1977. The main objective is to retrieve out-of-school youths and place them in the formal school system, if they so desire, and to place over-aged in-school youth in the grade/year level corresponding to their ages. The PEPT tests the competencies gained through formal, informal and non-formal education which is equivalent tot hose developed in five subject areas – Communication Arts in English and Filipino, Science, Math and Social Studies – from first grade in the elementary school to fourth year in the secondary school. 3. Special Education is an educational program or service designed to meet the needs of children with special needs that cannot profit from general or regular education because of disabilities or exceptional disabilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Depeds Thrusts specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Depeds Thrusts specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Depeds Thrusts specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The ultimate goal of special education shall be the integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system and eventually in the community. Special education also aims to develop the maximum potential of the child with special needs to enable him to become self-reliant and shall be geared towards providing him with the opportunities for a full and happy life. It gears up to the development and maximization of learning competencies, as well as the inculcation of values to make the learners with special needs a useful and effective member of society. . Every Filipino child now has access to Early Childhood Education through the universal Kindergarten. At 5 years old, children start schooling and are given the means to slowly adjust to formal education. Research shows that children who underwent Kindergarten have better completion rates than those who did not. Children who complete a standards-based Kindergarten program are better prepared, for primar y education. Education for children in the early years lays the foundation for lifelong learning and for the total development of a child. In Kindergarten, pupils learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors through games, songs, and dances, in their Mother Tongue. 5. The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) work focuses on supporting the children’s development through this vital period – ensuring they are physically healthy, cognitively stimulated, emotionally resilient and socially competent. ECCD program also strengthen children’s protective environment by supporting parents and pregnant women, as well as looking for wider contexts such as government policies and attitudes. . The Drop Out Reduction Program (DORP) aims to curb the high dropout rates in public schools by offering alternative modes of education for students at the risk of dropping out (SARDO). First implemented in 1998, the DORP is already perceived to have achieved some success, with a decrease in the dropout rate from 12. 51% in AY 2005-2006 to 7. 45% in AY 2007-2008. A â€Å"dropout† is defined by the DORP as a s tudent who has stopped attending school before completing the prescribed level of education within the specified school year. The dropout rate, meanwhile, is the percentage of students who drop out from a level of education in a given school year, including those who complete the school year but fail to enroll in the next. In a school implementing the DORP, a DORP support team must be formed. They shall be tasked with organizing, designing and implementing the schools DORP through setting the targets for the program and choosing the appropriate intervention methods in the context of the available school and community resources. . The Alternative Learning System is a free education program implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) under the Bureau of Alternative Learning System which benefits those who cannot afford formal schooling and follows whatever is their available schedule. ALS aims to open more educational opportunities for Filipino citizens of different interests, capabilities of demographic characteristics, socioeconomic origins and status as well as addressing the needs of marginalized g roups. The program cuts the time needed to finish high school, hence, significantly cuts the expenses as well. Aside from giving hope to the less fortunate, it also provides opportunities to Out-of-School Youths (OSY) and adults elementary and secondary school drop-outs; industry-based workers; housewives; maids; factory workers; drivers; members of cultural minorities; indigenous people and the disabled/physically challenged. 8. The Adopt-A-School Program is enacted in 1988 for the very purpose of providing a venue for the strong and dynamic private sector to participate in nation-building through investments in the education of Filipino children. The rewards of such investments come through an educated generation that will succeed ours, run our enterprises, and steer this nation to greater heights. Over the years, DepEd introduced interventions to reduce student dropouts and keep the youth off the streets. It has sought to increase student achievement levels and improve teacher performance. It continues to bring the issues and needs of public education to every Filipino who cares, in an effort to invite each and everyone to help boost education opportunities for our young. With Adopt-A-School, each Filipino can have the opportunity to enjoy his right to education, to open his eyes to the wonders and challenges of the world, to pursue his dreams, and to contribute capably towards the nation’s progress. 9. The Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) is designed for the Muslim Migrants to be able to positively contribute to the peace efforts of our government in order to improve that quality of life of Muslim out-of-school youth and adults. It teaches the language of the Holy Qur’an and the beliefs and value system of the Muslim religion. It has components, namely, Basic Literacy Program + ALIVE, Accreditation Equivalency (AE) Program + ALIVE, Informal Education + ALIVE, Technical Vocational Education Program + ALIVE and Entrepreneurship Development +ALIVE. In the Philippines, the teaching of Islamic values and Arabic used to be done only in Islamic schools, however, DepEd ordered the mainstreaming of these lessons in the curriculum in some selected public elementary schools particularly those who have Muslim communities. The order mandated the teaching of Islamic values and Arabic language in public elementary school with at least 30 Muslim students. 10. Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses for schools are use to pay expenses for utilities like electric and water expenses. It can also be to pay salaries for janitorial and security services or use for other mandatory expenditures except for the procurement of textbooks and other instructional materials and school furniture and equipment. Other uses of MOOE include travelling expenses, communication services, repair and maintenance, transportation services and many others. 11. Brigada Eskwela is a nationwide voluntary effort which started in 2003, bringing together teachers, parents, and the community to do clean up and repairs in public schools to prepare the facilities for the June school opening. Undertaken in all public schools every third week of May or two weeks before classes begin, it is participated in by private organizations, individuals, national and local government agencies, local businesses, and international organizations and foundations, among others. Volunteers paint classrooms, repair furniture, and clean up the school grounds. Materials and supplies are usually donated by the parents or by private businesses and foundations. Brigada Eskwela encourages the public to share their time, strength and resources in kind. In 2012, Brigada Eskwela pooled more than P1. 5 billion-worth of resources-in-kind and man hours by over six-million volunteers in various parts of the country. 12. K to 12 aims to make basic education sufficient enough so that anyone who graduates can be gainfully employed locally and globally and will have a productive life. The K-12 Education plan is to add two years in the secondary level plus kindergarten and it will look at the specialized education in high school which will focus on a specific field of interest. If the K-12 Education Plan becomes successful, then the Philippine education system can become more competitive among other countries around the world. Though there are still some problems that the government needs to solve before they can successfully implement the plan. Such elements include the number of public school classrooms plus the adequate supply of classroom chairs, books, etc. If the government could allot a bigger budget to educational needs, then we could be one-step ahead towards the success of the K-12 program. Furthermore, parents (especially those who belong in the poor sector) should be properly informed and motivated of the advantages of the K-12 Education Plan. This is very important since parents play a major role in providing the childs school allowances, supplies, and fees for other school projects and activities. Once this succeeds, it is best hoped that Filipino students would be more literate, skilled, and competitive to be able to find jobs more easily and contribute to the countrys pride as well as the countrys economy. 13. A Lingua Franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a first language, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both speakers first languages. Examples of lingua francas are numerous, and exist on every continent. The most obvious example is English, which is the current dominant lingua franca of international business, science, technology and aviation. There are many other lingua francas centralized on particular regions, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. With the rich experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of the use of lingua franca or mother tongue as language of instruction, the DepED has expanded this in its multilingual education implemented in SY 2008-2009 until SY 2012-2013. The project is called Lingua Franca and Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MLE). Its main goal is to develop lifelong learners who are proficient in the use of their lingua franca or mother tongue (language 1), the national language (language 2) and other languages (language 3 and language 4) who take pride of their heritage and culture. This move helps to improve schools performance indicators specifically dropout, repetition, retention and completion rates among elementary pupils; increase pupils’ academic performance through the acquisition of oral fluency, reading and writing skills in their lingua franca or first language that provide them a bridge to learning Filipino and English enabling them to become more competent in all areas of study; and demonstrate self-confidence and pride in one’s culture, tradition and values. 14. The Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) has been implemented in all public schools, specifically in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2, and 3, as part of the K to 12 Basic Education Program, starting the School Year 2012-2013 to support the goal of â€Å"Every Child-A Reader and A-Writer by Grade 1. † The MTB-MLE aims at language development which established a strong education for success in school and for lifelong learning and at cognitive development which focuses on Higher Order Thinking Skills. It also aims at academic development which prepares the learner to acquire mastery of competencies in each of the learning areas and at socio-cultural awareness which enhances the pride of the learner’s heritage, language, and culture. In the MTB-MLE implementation, the following eight major languages or Lingua Franca and four other languages will be cited as learning area and utilized as language of instruction for SY 2012-2013: Tagalog, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Iloko, Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Tausug, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, and Chavacano. 5. In anticipation of over two million students enrolling in the start of the school year, the Department of Education sees the Alternative Distance Learning Program as a way to decongest schools which will allow students to do their schoolwork without coming to school every day. Instead, the students will study at home and report to school for exams and group activities. DepEd created also the Internet-based Distance Education Program (iDEP) as an alternative way for students to complete their education in an attempt to reduce high school dropout rates in the country. iDEP offers formal secondary education to qualifying students using Internet-based technologies and classes are conducted and managed completely online. The program is seen to benefit many students, as well as those working in the entertainment industry, those with health and financial problems, and those in rehabilitation centers.

Pronoun Case on ACT English Tips and Practice Questions

Pronoun Case on ACT English Tips and Practice Questions SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Pronoun case is a grammar rule that tends to be broken by most English speakers. Perhaps of more concern to you, questions that test your knowledge of pronoun case often appear on the ACT. Master this rule and you’ll be one step closer to mastering the ACT English section. There are multiple pronoun rules that are tested in ACT English. This one is relatively straightforward and tends to be tested less often than ambiguous antecedents or pronoun antecedent agreement. However, if you are aiming for that 30+ score, you should be ready if you encounter a pronoun case question. In this post, I’ll do the following: Explain the difference between subjects and objects. Give you a clear understanding of pronoun case. Offer strategies that can help you correctly answer pronoun case questions. Provide you with practice questions so you can test what you’ve learned. Quick Review: What's a Pronoun? A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. The noun to which the pronoun refers is called the antecedent. Some examples of pronouns include I, he, she, it, me, him, her, their, we, andus. What Is Pronoun Case? Case refers to whether a pronoun is being used as a subject or an object. What Is a Subject? Simply, a subject is the noun that corresponds with a verb in a sentence. In a sentence in which there is an action, the subject is the noun that's doing the action. Here is an example: Dave likes techno music. Dave is the subject because he's doing the liking. In a sentence in which there's a description, typically using a form of the verb "to be," the subject is the noun that is being described. Check out this sentence: Dave is brilliant. Dave is the subject because he is the person who is brilliant. What Is an Object? An object is a noun that receives an action. An object can be a direct object, an object of a preposition, or an indirect object. This is an example sentence. The direct object of the verb is in bold: I opened the door. The direct object is "the door" because that is what I opened. Here is a sentence with an object of a preposition: Chuck spoke to his girlfriend. Chuck's girlfriend is the object because she is the person to whom he spoke. Also, an object of a preposition always follows a preposition. In this case, "girlfriend" follows the preposition "to." An indirect object comes before the direct object and indicates to whom or for whom the action is done and who is receiving the direct object. Here's an example sentence with the indirect object bolded: The government gave Matt a tax refund. Matt is the indirect object because the government gave a refund to him. He received the direct object.If you're confused by the concept of an indirect object, for pronoun case questions, just remember that the object receives the action, either directly or indirectly. Subject Pronouns Vs. Object Pronouns If a noun is being used as a subject, the noun can be replaced by a subject pronoun. If a noun is being used as an object, the noun can be replaced by an object pronoun. Here's a list of subject pronouns: SUBJECT PRONOUNS Here's a list of the object pronouns that correspond with the subject pronouns from above: OBJECT PRONOUNS If you understand everything up to this point, you're ready to take on pronoun case questions on the ACT. Here we go! Pronoun Case in ACT English The ACT tests whether you should use a subject or an object pronoun. You will be tested on the following subject/object pairs. I Vs. Me She, He Vs. Her, Him We Vs. Us They Vs. Them Let's go through the process of how to decide whether to use a subject or an object pronoun in a given sentence. ACT English Strategy Here are some example sentences demonstrating how subject pronouns can replace subjects and object pronouns can replace objects. Take a look at the following sentence: Nancy offered valuable guidance. Let's replace "Nancy" with a pronoun. First, we have to determine if Nancy is a subject or an object. What do you think? Nancy isthe subject because she did the offering. She did the action. Therefore, we must replace "Nancy" with a subject pronoun and the resulting sentence reads: She offered valuable guidance. You can't replace Nancy with an object pronoun. You can't write, "Her offered valuable guidance." That would be an example of a pronoun case error. Now we'll go through the same process with another example sentence: Dave Chappelle gave his autograph to Irene. To replace "Irene" with a pronoun, we have to determine if Irene is a subject or an object in the sentence. Well, in our example sentence, "Irene" is an object. Why? She is receiving what was given by the subject, and she is the object of the preposition "to." After replacing "Irene" with a pronoun, the sentence should look like this: Dave Chappelle gave his autograph to her. If we had made a pronoun case error when replacing "Irene" with a pronoun, the sentence would have read, "Dave Chappelle gave his autograph to she." This rule seems relatively simple, right? Subjects do actions. Objects receive actions. Well, we know the ACT likes to complicate the most basic sentences and truly test your understanding of a grammar rule. Pronoun case questions become more difficult in sentences with compound subjects and compound objects. The Same Rules Apply for Compound Subjects and Compound Objects Compound just means that two nouns are connected with the word "and." In a sentence with a compound subject, there are two nouns that serve as the subject. In a sentence with compound objects, there are two objects of the same verb. Here's another example sentence for you (I love examples!): Taylor Swift and Justinmet at Target. "Taylor Swift" and "Justin" are the subject. They are the people who did the meeting. They did the action. Now, let's replace "Justin" with a pronoun. We know that "Justin" is a subject so we have to replace "Justin" with a subject pronoun. Because I am Justin, this would be my sentence: Taylor Swift and I met at Target. If you were writing this sentence about me, this would be your sentence: Taylor Swift and he met at Target. That sentence probably sounds awkward to you, but it's grammatically correct. Most people would use the object pronoun and write, "Taylor Swift and him met at Target." That would be a pronoun case error. Remember, always follow the grammar rules and avoid relying on what "sounds right." Let's follow the same process with another example sentence: Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to Marc and Justin. Again, we'll replace "Justin" with a pronoun. In the above example, are "Marc" and "Justin" subjects or objects? They're objects. They received the action. They were offered the bandana. Also, they follow the preposition "to" and are the object of the preposition. Therefore, we have to replace "Justin" with an object pronoun. Because I'm Justin, this would be my sentence: Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to Marc and me. Many people think "Marc and I" would be the correct phrase for that sentence. However, that would be a pronoun case error. Remember, "I" can only be used as a subject and "me" can only be used as an object. If you were writing the previous example sentence about me, you would write: Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to Marc and him. Because you are replacing an object with a pronoun, you have to use an object pronoun. The ACT tends to use compound subjects or objects in questions that test pronoun case because the correct answer often sounds wrong to us. So is there a strategy that enables us to more easily identify pronoun case errors in sentences with compound subjects or objects? Absolutely!! He didn't really offer me his red bandana. ACT EnglishStrategy If you see a compound subject/object, cross out the other noun and "and." For compound objects, the sentence should still be grammatically correct. Let's try this strategy with the previous example: Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to Marc and me. This sentence probably sounds less awkward to you. Most likely, you would be able to identify a pronoun case error if you saw a sentence that read, "Hulk Hogan offered a red bandana to I." If you do the same thing with a compound subject, the sentence will be grammatically correct if you also change the verb from plural to singular, due to subject-verb agreement. Keep in mind that the singular and plural forms of a verb can be the same. Now we'll use the cross-out method with a compound subject to help determine if there's a pronoun case error. Here's our example sentence: Him and Joe were talking to the cashier. After crossing out the noun and "and," we're left with "Him were talking to the cashier." Once we change the verb to singular, this is our sentence: Him was talking to the cashier. At this point, you can probably figure out if there's an error, but let's follow the rules. In the sentence, is "Him" a subject or an object? It's a subject because he was doing the action. Therefore, we must use a subject pronoun. After plugging a subject pronoun into the original sentence, this would be the correct version of the example: He and Joe were talking to the cashier. Now we'll apply what we've learned to a question from an actual ACT. Real ACT English Example So how do we determine if there is a pronoun case error? First, let's employ our strategy and cross out "and her cousin." We're left with "her had staged." Does that look right to you? Now, let's determine if "her" is a subject or object. Well, "her" should be a subject because she's doing the action. She had done the staging. Then, after we plug the rest of the compound subject back into the phrase with a subject pronoun, we have "she and her cousin had staged." The correct answer is C. Who Vs. Whom Occasionally, the ACT will also test you on whether to use "who" or "whom" in a sentence. These words are known as relative pronouns. Most people have no idea when and how to properly use "who" and "whom." Luckily, the rule is pretty simple. The word "who" is a subject pronoun and "whom" is an object pronoun. Here's a strategy to make life easier when answering questions involving "who" or "whom." ACT EnglishStrategy For pronoun case purposes, "who" and "whom" function like "she" and "her" (or "he" and "him"). The word "who" is a subject pronoun and "whom" is an object pronoun. To determine if there's a pronoun case error, replace "who" with "she" and "whom" with "her". If the antecedent is plural, replace "who" with "they" and "whom" with "them". If there's not a pronoun case error in the original sentence, the resulting phrase should be grammatically correct. Take a look at this sentence: Justin, who is too self-absorbed, always references himself in his example sentences. The sentence is saying that Justin is too self-absorbed and "who" modifies Justin. Justin is being described as self-absorbed. If we replace "who" with "he," the phrase would read, "He is too self-absorbed." The word "he" is being properly used as a subject. Therefore, there is not a pronoun case error and "who" is being used correctly. Here's another example: My mother, whom I admire, graduated from nursing school. In the above sentence, the clause with "whom" is stating that "I adore my mother." Because "whom" is modifying "my mother," let's replace "my mother" with "her." The resulting sentence should be grammatically correct if "whom" is being used correctly. After replacing "my mother" with the pronoun, we have, "I admire her." That's correct because the word "her" is an object pronoun and "her" is receiving the action in the sentence. Here's one final example using "whom" as an object of the preposition: To whom much is given, much is expected. Here, the sentence is saying that much is given to whom.If you replace "whom" with "her," â€Å"much is given to her† is grammatically correct. If the relative pronoun follows â€Å"to† or â€Å"for," you should always use â€Å"whom." Truth Now we can take what we've learned and apply those lessons to actual examples from the ACT. Real ACT English Example This is a real example from an ACT English section. Use our strategy and your knowledge of pronoun case to answer the following question: So here we have the phrase â€Å"friends whom have died." The â€Å"whom† refers to â€Å"friends," which is plural, and â€Å"whom† is an object pronoun. Therefore, let’s replace â€Å"friends whom† with â€Å"them† to determine if the sentence is grammatically correct. â€Å"Them had died† is incorrect; the pronoun should be in the subject form. â€Å"They had died† is correct. They did the dying. Therefore, we need to use the subject form of the relative pronoun. The answer is B, â€Å"friends who had died." Let's take a look at another example: In this sentence, â€Å"whom† refers to â€Å"Banneker’s grandmother† and the verb is â€Å"bought." This sentence is made a little more tricky because the prepositional phrase starting with â€Å"after† separates â€Å"whom† from â€Å"bought." However, this sentence is saying that she (Banneker’s grandmother) bought some land. However, â€Å"whom† is in the object case which is equivalent to â€Å"her." â€Å"Her bought some land† is obviously incorrect. The relative pronoun should be changed to the subject case. The answer is B. General ACT English Strategies For Pronoun Case #1: If a Pronoun is Underlined, Check for an Error in Pronoun Case If you see that a pronoun is underlined, check to see if there is a pronoun case error. #2: Determine if the Pronoun Is Being Used as a Subject or Object If the pronoun is doing the action or being described, it's a subject. If the pronoun is receiving the action, it's an object. Use subject pronouns for subjects and object pronouns for objects. Also, use the replacement strategy, if necessary, to help determine if a noun is a subject or object. #3: The Same Rules Apply for Compound Subjects or Objects If you see a compound subject or object, the sentence should be grammatically correct if you get rid of one of the nouns and "and." Change "Peter and I went to a baseball game" to "I went to a baseball game." The sentence is still correct, so if you see a compound subject or object on the ACT, use the cross out strategy to help determine if there is a pronoun case error. For compound subjects, also make sure that you change the verb from plural to singular. #4: If a Pronoun Follows a Preposition, It is an Object Pronoun Pronouns that follow prepositions, specifically "to," "for," or "between," should be in the object case. #5: Use the Replacement Strategy for Who Vs. Whom If you're trying to determine whether "who" or "whom" should be used, replace "who" with "he" or "she" for singular antecedents and "who" with "they" for plural antecedents. The word "whom" should be replaced with "him" or "her" for singular antecedents and "them" for plural antecedents. Finish strong! Additional ACT English Practice Question Hopefully, by this point you thoroughly understand pronoun case and how to correctly answer any pronoun case question that may appear on the ACT. I've created some realistic practice problems to test you on what you've learned. Remember to use the general strategies I referenced above. 1. After I woke up yesterday, my parents decided to take my brother and me to breakfast. A. NO CHANGE B. I C. we D. their 2. Despite her friends’ objections, her and George decided to go to Las Vegas to elope. A. NO CHANGE B. her C. she D. or her 3. Christopher Hitchens, whom was a prolific writer, ruffled a few feathers during his public debates and television appearances. A. NO CHANGE B. which C. that D. who 4. His boss told him that Jane and him would be given the day off tomorrow. A. NO CHANGE B. he C. his D. their Answers: 1. A, 2. C, 3. D, 4. B What's Next? Since you're all at various points in your ACT prep, read this article to find out when you should take the ACT. For those of you who are comfortable with ACT English but struggling with Reading, learn these strategies for the ACT Reading section. Read our staggering list of high quality ACT English prep guides here. Finally, for those of you who aspire for perfection, get advice on how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Evolution Seminar Unit 8 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Business straegies,development and management of Glaxo-Smithcline Essay

Business straegies,development and management of Glaxo-Smithcline - Essay Example Glaxo started as a small firm in 1970s with dried milk business and added antibiotics, nutritional supplements and respiratory drugs. Glaxo Inc was born as a result of acquisition of Meyer Laboratories in the US (Heller, 2006). It started investing in R&D during the 1980s which gave the company a phenomenal growth. By 1994 Glaxo had 3.6 percent share of the world market and had a strong presence in Europe and US (BÃ ¡tiz-Lazo, 2003). Its position as the leader was established in 1994 when the industry as a whole faced increased drug discovery costs. Wellcome Foundation (WF), the largest non-profit drug medical institution in the UK, had an ‘academic’ approach to pharmaceuticals – with strong science but weak in marketing. WF had a 40% stake in Galxo’s Zantac which contributed to 43 percent of Glaxo’s revenues. To a large extent the growth of Glaxo was based on the success of Zantac. Glaxo strategically engineered a takeover of Wellcome as Zantac’s patent was due to expire in 1997 and Wellcome had the capability to dissipate risk and ensure that resources would be able for research. The merger further consolidated Glaxo’s position as the third largest company by market capitalization in London and the world’s largest research firm with 54,000 employees. Organizational culture differences erupted trouble in the merger. While WF had a laid back management style and focused on science, Glaxo had a commercial and control-driven culture. The drugs pipeline was unimpressive and ne w products failed to live up to expectations. This paved the way for the merger of Glaxo Wellcome with SmithKline Beecham at the turn of the century. Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) was formed in December 2000 by the merger of Glaxo Wellcome plc and SmithKline Beecham plc. In 2005, it became the world’s second largest research-based pharmaceutical company in the industry (RedOrbit, 2006). The demand of the market was very high and integration of new people

The Founding Of The Vanity Fair Brand

The Founding Of The Vanity Fair Brand Founded in 1899, Vanity Fair (VF), the worlds largest publicly owned apparel company, offers various products such as jeans, bags, sportswear, footwear and outerwear. It operates mainly in the US and Europe, but also in developing countries like India, Russia and China. In the last decade, VF made some acquisitions including The North Face, Napapijri, Nautica and Vans. Five major coalitions consist of multiple brands a total of 700 brand stores in 2009 leading the Growth Plan strategy. The company recorded, in 2008, $7,561,621 of revenues. VF brands are attempting to establish close relationships with its suppliers to reduce production costs, respond to changes in other cost factors, and shorten the lead time that occurs with the traditional suppliers. Also, Fraser, the President of the Supply Chain International for VF brands, is concerned that the companys current supply chain strategies will not satisfy the future demand that will occur in the Asia-Pacific areas. In this paper, we will analyze four alternatives that VF brands can execute for its global expansion into the Asian markets. Those 4 alternatives are as follow; (1) To abandon the Third Way; (2) To continue with the current supply chain strategies; (3) To pick the best method for each coalition and products categories; and (4) Gradually switching to Third Way altogether in the end. Based on our analyses of the 4 alternatives and the apparel industry, we will suggest the best solution that will satisfy the new demand and help the other areas to become more e fficient and effective in the future. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Since the company was established more than a century ago, it was able to develop certain competencies in various areas and a good reputation. One of them is the strong performance in its internal plants, and the know-how and expertise involved. All these led to VFs own sustainable competitive advantages. In addition, the company built a technical know-how and engineering capabilities, which are very difficult to imitate. The rapid production at the internal plants and its supply chain are very valuable. Moreover, a large number of suppliers and the experience gained accumulated over time give VF a considerable and reliable network. Also, during the various acquisitions, VF preserved the unique organizational cultures and brand identities to keep the design groups intact. Every brand has then a strong personality that can be managed and developed individually, giving more diversity. Besides, the financial situation of VF is strong with a low level of debts and a high cash position th at can help them in case of tough economic situations and give them more flexibility to respond accordingly. Weaknesses When operating such a big and diversified company, some difficulties may occur. The first one is the lack of coordination and trust among suppliers and the company. A bullwhip effect may be observed due to the lack of inventories. Also, the supply chain is often illogical and highly fragmented due to various outsourcing locations. Certain dependence may be caused by some suppliers, making it very costly (ex: Nicaragua). Thus, building a reliable supplier network is very expensive. VF has a sheer complexity of its product line, leading to different needs and priorities among its numerous brands. The diversity of ideas between coalitions and directors causes some problems in the decision-making as well. Low costs pressuring for outsourcing can lead to quality matters and lack of control. Additionally, not much differentiation can be made in terms of supplying and transportation. Opportunities As the apparel industry is changing at a very rapid rate, innovative companies can see various opportunities. The supply chain management is a very first change in the companys structural changes; then the Third Way is described as an opportunity to gain another competitive advantage, going forward. Partnerships can be developed in a long term vision. Moreover, the expansion of sales in developing countries represents a huge growth opportunity. Asian markets seem like a favourable location for new stores. Also, the development of new line products at a broad range of price can be designed at any time to satisfy a new market segment. Fashion is seen differently around the world, thus, various strategies are used to fulfill each need. Future acquisitions can also contribute to the growth of VF. Threats Apparel industry is very much affected by economic situations. In times of crisis, too much dependence on some suppliers might be fatal; especially that competition is very hard and intense with brands competing directly. Continuous investment must be made, essentially in marketing to maintain margins. Plus, the growing bargaining power of mass retailing chains put pressure to lower the price at all time. Also, the frequent changes in tariffs and quotas make outsourcing unsure sometimes, making the research for suppliers challenging. Agile supply chain and vf brands The third way seems to be a new way to deal with suppliers and with a supply chain in general. However, third way could be seen as an agile supply chain in many aspects. In the next section, we will discuss what are an agile supply chain, the differences between lean supply chain and hybrid supply chain, and the link with VF Brands third Way. This part will give basic information that will be useful for our recommendations. VF BRANDS and THE AGILE SUPPLY CHAIN In a turbulent and volatile world, the only thing that does not change is change by itself . Basically, companies compete at several competitive dimensions like cost, delivery time, quality and flexibility. However, todays intensely competitive market is more and more defined by an instability and unpredictability of demand that represent the new challenges organizations face. For many reasons, the product and technology life cycles are shortening, forcing more frequent product changes in addition to new competitive pressure. Now, companies look beyond cost and quality advantages. Speed to market, speed to delivery and flexibility are being emphasized as a way to be more reactive to the needs of customers. However, more than speed, companies require a high level of maneuverability, or in other words, a high level of agility. What is an Agile Organization? Agility is a business-wide capability that embraces an organizational structure, information and systems, logistics processes, and in particular, mindsets. The key to success of an agile business is speed and flexibility. Agile organizations are market-driven, with more product research, and short development and introduction cycles. An agile organization can be defined as an organization capable to cope with unexpected challenges, to survive unprecedented threats of business environment and to take advantage of changes as opportunities. This kind of organization must be a fast moving, adaptable, robust business able to achieve a competitive advantage in a very instable environment. The basic way to define agility is the ability to quickly match supply, however, it is important to explain that agile is not a synonymous of leanness. Indeed, lean can be seen as doing more with less by implementing a lean manufacturing (Porsche Consulting) with zero inventory or Minimum Reasonable Inventory (MRI) and just in time approach. However, lean manufacturing system does not often mean flexible manufacturing system. A lean manufacturing system can result on less waste and high efficiency, but sometimes with important inventory. Finally, a company with a lean chain of supply can make their consumers wait a longer time to receive their products. We can illustrate that with the automotive industry and more specifically with the Toyota Production System. Indeed Toyota production system can be seen as lean, but that does not mean that consumers do not have to wait, often during months, to have the car of their choice. Therefore, Lean approach works best in high volume, low varie ty, and predictable environment. Whereas, Agility is needed in less predictable environment where demand is volatile and the requirement for variety is high. The Agile Supply Chains and Characteristics All organizations have supply chains of varying degrees, depending upon the size of the organization, the depth and scope of international outsourcing, the type of product manufactured, and the international production network. A supply chain describes the series of linked activities creating a process that changes supplies and components into finished products that will be distributed to customers. The agility of a Supply Chain is a measure of how well the relationship involved in the process enhances four pivotal objectives of agile manufacturing: Customer sensitivity, Virtual integration, Process Integration, and Network integration. First, all the agile supply must have the capacity to understand and respond to real demand quickly, in other words, the supply chain must be customer sensitive. The organization must be able to make forecast based upon past sales or shipment demand and convert these forecasts into inventory. For instance, the main challenge for companies is to be able to hear the voices of the market by receiving Efficient Response from customer (ECR) using information and technology to capture data on demand directly from point-of-sale and point of use. The organization must use information and technology to share data between buyers and suppliers creating a supply chain based on information rather than inventory, basically, create a Virtual Supply Chain. Sharing information using information and system (for example EDI) with our partner will create a collaborative work environment (process integration) that can be illustrated by joint product development and process improvement between buyer and s uppliers. Integrated your process offer the potential for major performance gain. This form of co-operation in supply chain is more and more important as many companies focus on their core competencies and outsource all other activities. Partnerships between buyer and supplier are inevitable to achieve an agile supply chain. To this extent, integration can mean the combination of sell through data, exchange of inventory status information, order coordination, open-book accounting, buyer supplier team, share information about the future products, and change in manufacturing process need to be changed as well as simplified pricing schemes . Figure 1 Dimension of Supply Chain Agility Supply chain agility can be discussed in terms of two dimensions of reach and range of activities covered by networking amongst companies (13;8). The figure shows this two-dimensional framework. On the vertical axis, there is the reach from Personal Division to Global. When, in the horizontal axis, there is the Range of activities from the basic way to send a message (EMAIL for instance) to Internet integration. This figure shows three steps from Bill of Material through Purchasing efficiency with electronic commerce, Supplier coaching, and Relational Database to the top level of planning, and control with Demand Planning, and Capacity Planning, and so on. To achieve agility on the Supply Chain, an organization must go through these steps and access the highest level with planning and control. In fact, the company must achieve the highest level on Reach (Global) and on Range (Integration). Indeed, on the last step, internal operations will be transparent to suppliers and customers. T his transparency allows cross companys team to work. Local teams are able to think globally and discuss the process and requirement without restriction without major problems of communication. Any change, modification, and new project can be implemented quickly, efficiently, and easily without creating high cost, or affecting quality of the output. (Figure 2) Another study, by Vankatranan and Handerson, implemented these three steps in addition with three inter-dependent dimensions of the supply chain (customer interaction, asset configuration, Knowledge Leverage). In fact, these three stages can be implemented to evaluate progress on each dimension of the supply chain and see how well integrated and agile it is. (Figure 3) Hybrid Strategy, another Solution Lean and agile supply chain are two concepts focusing on two different issues. Lean initiative is said to focus on cost and quality and impacts on flexibility and times based technology leadership objective (e.g. TPS), whereas, agile supply chain influence costs and time based technology leadership. However, companies often need to keep in mind cost quality as well as flexibility and technology leadership at the same time. A combination of the two approaches could be appropriate to create a hybrid strategy. Hybrid Supply Chain focuses on the fact that characteristics of demand must be taken into consideration when designing the supply chain. Within a mixed portfolio of product and markets, there could be some products with stable demand and some other with unpredictable demand that is why a supply does not have to be totally agile of lean. For instance, the Supply Chain of the fashion apparel, Zara, could be shown as a agile supply chain with some lean characteristic in order to have the most effective quick-response system in its industry. Indeed Zara is able to quickly understand trends, producing some items with low flexible demand in low cost country (low cost, long time delivery, and so on), but at the same time they are able to be produced quickly in response in Spanish high-automated and very efficient factories that allow quick production, shorter time to delivery in point of sale, lower risk, and more flexibility. We can discuss another case, IKEA. IKEA deals with many suppliers mostly in European Union (more than 50%) and 20% in China. Two ideas must be underlined; Ikea usually implement long-term relationship with strong partnership with its suppliers, however, these partners must respect very strict norms created by IKEA itself. IKEA can help is suppliers (by financings machines, increasing the efficiency of the supply chain, and on) that make these supplier very efficient and very dependent to the buyer. To this point of view, IKEA supply chain can be seen as an agile Supply Chain, however, Ikea produce many products in Asia (China), but these products have a more stable demand trend. VF BRAND and The Third Way: Implementation of an Agile Supply Chain? Vanity Fair brands were used to deal with their own very efficient factories located closed to the companys main market, the US. However, the group decided to extend globally by buying other brands where the policies were sometimes to totally outsource the production. VF brands needed to deal with a very complicated supply chain, very decentralized design, and so on; a kind of mix between traditional sourcing and outsourcing, for some aspect similar to ZARA. However, just chasing low cost and building its own factories are not seen as a long-term solution for Chris Fraser, President Supply Chain international for VF Brand. At the same time, some of the inefficiency was due to lack of coordination and lack of trust between apparel companies and suppliers. A new solution was adopted, the third way. Third way means that VF should focus on supplier network. Suppliers and VF brand would work together. Suppliers would own their factories, but VF brand will help them for free using their ow n resources in engineering and management forces as well as with their purchasing power to procure fabric and other raw materials -resources previously used in their own factories. This solution looks like IKEAs solution, however, Ikea focused on a network of suppliers geographically near its location which is not the case for VF Brand that have to deal with low cost countries regulation and particularities and many brands in order to achieve its agile supply chain. The results are not very good for the moment: difficulties to convince shareholders that sharing resources with outsourced suppliers is a good solution, and as well as difficulty linking with the country where products are supplied; which probably is the reasons why. As a conclusion, results from studies like shows that only a few companies have adopted agile supply chain practices. However, most companies have created long term collaboration with suppliers as well as customers; it can be seen as lean Supply chain or hybrid strategy. Indeed study suggests that lean supply chain has a higher level of impact on competitive objectives in contrast to agile supply chain. Nevertheless, this result would probably be discussed within a few years as it will take some time before current companies investments and research effort on agile supply chain lead to more concrete and enjoyable results on competitive outcome compared to lean supply chain. Lets see what VF Brand can achieve if it pursue this third way. ALTERNATIVES Alternative 1 Abandon the Third Way go back to the old way The Third Way could potentially cause many difficulties for VF, hence abandoning this way before investing too much money is a possible alternative. Firstly, you maintain the flexibility to change volumes or to change to a supplier who is offering a lower price. You are also independent from the suppliers problems, for instance if you are not satisfied with the quality of the product, you can simply switch to a different supplier. Following the old way, you do not need to spend money and time until the problem is fixed. Secondly, it is tough to find suppliers willing to form a partnership with the given conditions. To agree to not supply the same category of products to competitors anytime in the future is a huge barrier for a supplier and drags him into dependence on VF. Since the price paid is vague at the establishment of the relationship, the supplier faces the risk to be exploited. The fact that one of the test Third Way suppliers could not manage to survive financially is a hint that the relationship might not work out for suppliers. In Addition, VFs existing suppliers were carefully selected and since they were not interested in a closer relationship. Thus, VF needs to establish the Third Way with unknown companies, a great risk if you are concerning the trust needed. Thirdly, there is still the possibility that VFs knowledge leaks out to competitors. The technology you provide your supplier is not necessarily limited to a specific category of product, but you relationship might be. In this case, the technology could be used by competitors if they buy products of a different kind from that supplier. Since VF is not the owner of the supplier, it is also harder to control the knowledge leaking. For example, an employee may change to a competitors supplier. Fraser and Green called VFs technical capabilities a trump card, therefore it should be highly protected and not being risked. Another point is that the problem of switching costs is also an issue. To establish a Third-Way-relationship VF has to invest money to transfer their knowledge to the supplier. Since the latter is not losing any money in case of termination of the contract, the chance for dropping out is higher. Regardless whether the supplier drops out or is closing down for some reasons, it takes a long time until a new relationship is established, so VF might face severe supply difficulties. Lastly, in a study there was no significant relation between strategic sourcing and gaining competitive advantage. Therefore, the effort spent on the Third Way might not return the expected results. On the other hand, the same study showed that strategic sourcing (and therefore the Third Way) has a positive influence on business performance. A close relationship is also speeding up goods entry. Also keep in mind that the total costs for a five pocket jeans were the lowest of all three ways. Alternative 2 Continue the current supply chain strategies Another alternative strategy for the situation which Vanity Fair brands are facing could be to keep working on the current strategy. As explained in the article and supported by its strong financial performance compared to its competitors, the company has maintain its competitive position in the apparel industry. VF brands have been well established through a series of successful mergers and acquisitions of different brands, products, and styles. In the course of these acquisitions, the company was able to gain huge competitive advantages from operating its own manufacturing plants and traditional outsourcing, simultaneously. This combined strategy allowed the company to juggle between based on the geographic markets, demands, different products and coalitions. Frasers Third Way strategy seems very attractive for VF going forward. Many of the challenges the company faces are due to production inefficiency and supplier relationship based on little or no trust. Fraser and VF brands are at a crucial stage to decide which means to carry on international expansion goals in the future. Despite many benefits of the Third Way, the company must examine if this supply chain strategy is a strong fit for Asian markets. As mentioned previously, there is no doubt that a combination of full integration and traditional sourcing is a VF brands strength. Internal manufacturing sites are able to produce high quality products more efficiently and reliably compared to not only its competitors but also its outsourcing suppliers. The significantly reduced production time is a great strength with respect to the products that experiences a high inventory turnover rate. Another advantage arises in unexpected crisis such as the global economic downturn in 2008-2009. If the company operated solely based on outsourcing, it would have been very difficult to survive due to the shutdown of small shops and short notice of their discontinuation. On the other hand, outsourcing for certain coalitions or products due to the nature of its operations is inevitable. Cut and make (CM) contracts allowed the company to oversee cost drivers at each stage, mostly for heritage lines supplied in Central American and Caribbean. Full package sourcing was mainly used for the lifestyle brands in Asia, Europe, and Northern Africa. Outsourcing strategy provides VF brands with more flexibility when dealing with different suppliers across different geographic regions, especially with regards to tariffs and quotas. While the Third Way has many benefits going forward, this strategy also involves a high risk and costs associated, more so if executed without thorough research and examinations. Besides the concerns from different areas of the company itself, the Third Way should be carefully selected and applied to the most suitable product lines. For example, the strategy is most suitable for products that require the steady and regular supply of its inventory with the staffs of a certain level of education. Also these potential suppliers should be willing to build the strategic partnership for a long term. As mentioned before, switching costs are another hindrance. Since it is much easier to persuade new suppliers than existing suppliers, the company needs to thoroughly examine the qualifications of potential suppliers and there is always a risk that the supplier might not meet the standards later on. Rather than expanding globally extensively through the Third Way, Fraser and the company must fi rst identify the strategic fit for certain geographic regions for certain products/coalitions, and then pursue this strategy. A product line which makes up a small volume or not much techniques or skills should rather be outsourced. Alternative 3: Hybrid Supply Chain VF Corporation world headquarters is located in Greesboro, North Carolina where the senior management team is based, along with the corporate strategy, Finance, Global Business Technology, Law, Human resources and finally, Global Supply Chain. VF Brand Business model focuses on supporting the individuality of lifestyle of each VF Brand and has to deal with each headquarter. Indeed, each Brand has its own headquarter and focuses on its own consumers and customers.(1) However, VF Brands had divided the globe into 4 areas: US Region, Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), Asia-Pacific. VF Corporation has a specific strategy for each region even some brands are in different regions and are often global. Each brand has specific suppliers that can deliver globally and deal with the headquarter of this specific brand (not with VF Corporation). However, different brands in different regions might need the same supplier for almost the same product. For instance, two brands may need the cheapest supplier as possible for a specific type of product that can accept a long lead time whereas some other products may need a short lead time as the demand trend could fluctuate a lot. The next recommendation could be for VF Brand to have a more original and customized production and purchasing strategy. The basic idea is to create more coherence between where suppliers are based and where products are distributed. Lets take backpacks for example. Backpacks are needed for many companies inside the group, however the demand for backpacks is not fluctuating a lot and the demand is often lower for a backpacks than for jeans or a shirts or t-shirt. This implies that these backpacks could be produced in Asia with lower prices and longer lead time with classic suppliers. However, Jeans for the US market could be manufactured in Mexico in highly automated factories owned by VF Brand, and shipped quickly to the US. Manufacturing these Jeans in Mexico allowed shorter lead times and flexibility depending on fashion trend and thus, demand. The idea is to base suppliers where it is more significant for distribution. If goods are produced in Eastern Europe or Asia, these produc ts should be shipped directly from suppliers to a distribution center that will be located near where products will be sold. Indeed, nowadays, many products are produced in Asia and shipped to the US to finally be sold in Asia. This new approach will significantly reduce lead times and cost. Previously, we only talked about regular suppliers and factory owned by VF. However, VF Brands do not own their own factories for instance in the European and Asian markets. The key idea is to implement the third way in this case. Indeed, some products in the Asian or European market could have a very fluctuating demand trend; for these specific products some brand may need suppliers as efficient as VF Brands factories. Choosing specific suppliers and implementing the third way with them could be a good solution. These third way suppliers could produce for different brands of the VF Corp when they want to produce common products for a specific period of time or deal with specific products for different brands of the group. These third way suppliers could act like VF Brands factories; but in this case, close to EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region or Asia-Pacific region markets. To avoid sending products to other part of the world and then send them back to the original region , regional centers could be created. These centers will received product from normal suppliers (common for all VF Corp Brands) and then send these product to other regional centers, reducing lead time and cost. At the same time, Third Way suppliers will only focus on production for their actual area of the world. VF Brands must act local and think global. However as I will show, VF Brands do not have to think global just with its supply chain. Indeed, as we previously said, some products -like backpacks- are not often a trendy product. These not-so-specific products could have a common base -platform- share between the brands that will allow mass production with the same suppliers-reducing cost by dealing with more significant volumes-. In other words, some products could probably be designed by and for a different brand of the group but with the possibility of customization to differentiate these products. Exhibit 1 shows you an example for 3 areas, (EMEA, USA, ASIA) 1- VF Corporation Website http://www.vfc.com/about/global-presence VF CORP, how to think Globally Alternative 4: Gradually switch to Third Way altogether in the end Another alternative is that VF could gradually change their strategy to Third Way altogether in the end. As mentioned in the given case, VF can achieve more efficiency and long term stability through the Third Way. In our previous alternatives, we mentioned our concerns about the Third Way that it would not succeed. According to this point of view, the Third Way will bring loss of flexibility, leakage of VFs technology to outside and many other losses that will not benefit the company. However, to survive in apparel market of today, it is crucial for a company to satisfy various needs of consumers while supplying products as quickly as possible, which can be achieved by the Third Way. In order to quickly respond to market changes, it is important for VF to have a simplified, efficient production process so that it can immediately act when necessary. By achieving the Third Way, VF can gain two advantages. First, it can bring efficiency to its supply process. Second, it will result in a long term and sustainable supplier relationship. First, by implementing the Third Way, VF can make its supply process more efficient. By providing high technology engineering resources of VF, suppliers of VF can improve its production processes. This will result in cost benefits for VF as it will shorten lead time, and decrease production and inventory cost. Not only that, improving production process and shortening lead time mean VF can act more quickly. It is important for an apparel company to react quickly to changes to satisfy ever changing needs of the fashion market. Second, VF can create a long term and sustainable supplier relationship with its suppliers by following Third Way. As previously mentioned, contract of Third Way includes long term contract with its supplier in producing goods. By having a long term relationship, VF can decrease cost of finding new supplier for every new season. Also, by providing VFs engineering resources to improve the production process for suppliers, VF can gain trust from its suppliers. By building trust with suppliers, VF can minimize the cost of excess inventory and long lead time. Those against the Third Way argue that it will result in low flexibility, technology leakage. However, recent experiments in countries like Bangladesh showed the Third Way suppliers were able to greatly shorten lead time, allowing VF to respond to market more quickly than compared to traditional ways. Also, no leakages of VFs technology were reported. Those against the Third Way argue that the Third Way has many holes and also it is unable to persuade existing suppliers to change into the Third Way and therefore risky and ineffective strategy. However, this is a myopic view of the issue. Such problems are transitional errors that can be dealt with in the long term. Holes that might appear through the Third Way can be revised when such problems are found. Also, the supplier persuasion issue can be dealt by gradually replacing existing suppliers with the Third Way suppliers while continually trying to convert existing suppliers into the Third Way. It is essential for VF in order to sur vive in apparel market to build a supplier relationship that is sustainable and interactive; hence, the Third Way is the answer. RECOMMENDATION The company is currently in a no-return process. It needs to find the best way to satisfy the growing demand all around the world but parti