Li Ning Company Limited Case Study Essay Example

Li Ning Company Limited Case Study Essay Li Ning is one of the world’s most profitable and biggest selling sports goods companies, yet it remains almost unknown outside China. Few sports enthusiasts or business analysts in Europe, or North America are familiar with the brand[i]. Li Ning takes its name from the company’s Chairman, a triple gold medal winning Olympic gymnast, who founded the sports goods company in 1989[ii]. It has a manufacturing near Beijing, a registered office in the Cayman Islands and since 2004 has been listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Li Ning specialises in sports shoe and apparel manufacture for what it sees as its five key sports: Basketball, tennis, running, football and fitness. It sells exclusively in The Peoples Republic of China but in 2008, China’s Olympic year, it is trying hard to develop an international identity. In 2007, 97. 6 per cent of sales were made using the Li Ning brand with Z-Do, an economy brand selling primarily via hypermarkets and Aigle (a joint venture with the French outdoor brand) making up the other 2. 4 per cent of sales. In 2007 it acquired a controlling interest in the Chinese table tennis company Double Happiness. We will write a custom essay sample on Li Ning Company Limited Case Study specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Li Ning Company Limited Case Study specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Li Ning Company Limited Case Study specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Company Performance Li Ning’s financial performance is very strong. For the year ending 31st December 2007, revenue was up 37 per cent, profits attributable to equity holders were up by 60 per cent on the previous year[iii]. Unsurprisingly with figures like these shares perform very well on the Hong Kong stock exchange[iv]. However, Li Ning has a problem. It is being out sold by its two big international competitors, Nike and Adidas in China and popularity among young Chinese consumers in the big cities is if anything in decline. Chinese students studying in the UK, (a great source of information when discussing this case) would much prefer to be seen wearing Nike, Adidas or Puma the top three international sports goods brands rather than Li Ning. Yet Li Ning sells large volumes of sports goods, especially in Northern and Western China and smaller urban centres, where value for money may be more important to consumers than international brand associations. Adidas and Nike are both making big efforts to grow their business in China in view of a predicted 71 per cent growth in demand for sporting goods (between 2007 and 2011)[v]. Both companies have opened branded stores in many Chinese cities, they have sponsored Chinese athletes and Chinese teams competing in the Olympics and both are trying to incorporate Chinese influences into designs of products aimed at the expanding Chinese market. Marketing Strategy In order to be more appealing to China’s trendy urban youth market, Li Ning has set about creating itself an international identity[vi]. To this end it has started sponsoring international teams and athletes[vii]. The present list includes: The Spanish and Swedish Olympic team uniforms, the American table tennis team, tennis player Ivan Ljubicic, pole vaulter, Yelena Isinbayeva and Shaquille O’Neal, one of America’s top Basketball players. This is in addition to a range of Chinese teams who wore the Li Ning logo at the Beijing Olympics. The other strategic intentions identified in the 2007 Annual Report are to continue developing new brand identities, opening more retail outlets (increasing market penetration) and continuing to invest in new product development especially focusing on anti-shock footwear products. The multi-brand identity strategy is a potentially interesting development and could see Li Ning following the same route to international growth taken by Lenovo, the Chinese PC and consumer electronics company that acquired the IBM personal computer business and Think Pad brand and Chinese car manufacturers who have acquired Rover and MG car brands. On the other hand it could be emulating Adidas, which owns Reebok and Taylor Made sporting brands and Nike, which owns Converse and Umbro. Some UK and US business analysts are intrigued by the idea of Li Ning using the Beijing Olympics as a trigger for an international expansion[viii]. Li Ning did not signal any international expansion plans in the 2007 Annual Report, however in January 2008, they opened a US based design centre. Questions Li Ning is trying to make itself more attractive to China’s trendy young urban consumers. Do you think their strategies will work? Why do you think the sports goods industry uses multiple brands? Do you think Li Ning is right to sponsor international teams and international sports stars in order to develop their home market? International Marketing: How would you expand Li Ning sales in international markets? New Product Development: Nike and Adidas are trying to be more Chinese, Li Ning is designing new products in the US. Why do you think this is? [i] Sporting Goods Business (2006) Brand Power, 39,7:14-20 [ii] China. org. cn 12/09/03 Li Ning Anything is Possible, available on line at http://www. china. org. n/English/ (accessed 19/06/08) [iii] Li Ning Company Limited (2008) Annual Report 2007 available on line at http://www. lining. com/EN/investors/inside-4_2. html (accessed 17/06/08) [iv] Financial Times 28/06/04 Li Ning Shares surge 13% in debut in Hong Kong, available on line at http://www. FT. com (accessed 17/06/08) [v] Market Watch (09/09/08) Shoe makers gunning for Olympian Feet, available online at http://marketwatch. com (accessed 19/06/08) [vi] Business Week (01 /05/08) China’s Li Ning Toe to toe against Nike and Adidas, available on line at http://businessweek. om (accessed 17/06/08) [vii] For an in-depth look at sports celebrity endorsements see: Liu M, HangY amd Minghua L (2007) Relations among attractiveness of endorsers, match-up and purchase intention in sport marketing in China, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 24,6: 358-365 and Summers J and Morgan M (2008) More than just media, considering the role of public relations in the creation of sporting celebrity and the management of fan expectations, Public Relations Review, 34,2:176-182 [viii] The Economist (2008) Chery Picking, available online at http://www. economist. com/theworldin/china/ (accessed 20/06/08)

Cornelius Vanderbilt essays

Cornelius Vanderbilt essays Cornelius Vanderbilt, known for most of his life as the Commodore, is perhaps the best known of American rags to riches stories. Lacking any real education, the hard work, personality, and keen business sense possessed by Vanderbilt catapulted him from being a poor child on a farm to being the wealthiest industrialist in America. Vanderbilt was born the fourth child to a poor farmer and his wife during America's early, agrarian society of 1794 in rural Staten Island, New York harbor. Not only was he financially unable to get a respectable, formal education past the age of eleven, but also he had a dislike for schools and books, and understandably so, for the norm of education in the 18th century (a plodding one of memorization without thought or understanding) did not suit the young Vanderbilt's clever mind. But what Vanderbilt lacked in academia, he made up for in with his intense competitiveness throughout his life. From childhood, when he nearly drowned a horse while racing with it against a neighboring slave boy two years older , to later in his life, when his business ventures were more inspired by his desire to win than by his desire for wealth, he displayed a remarkable will to succeed. At the age of 16, Vanderbilt founded the Staten Island fairy with a $100 loan from his mother. After its first year in operation, the young Cornelius was able to repay his mother the $100?and an extra $1000 as well, not a bad return for her investment! The Commodore's unprecedented wealth came through his involvement in the area of transportation, initially by boat. Up to the age of twenty-four, Vanderbilt had been making a respectable living as a reliable provider of transportation through sailboats, but with the implementation of the steamboat Clermont by Robert Fulton among others, Vanderbilt decided that his future lay in steamboating. However, Vanderbilt was never one to make decisions unwisely. Vanderbilt rarely was a pio...

Customer Service at Nordstrom Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Customer Service at Nordstrom - Case Study Example The habitual ways that are encompassed in the theory can be illustrated in two entities namely cooperativeness and assertiveness. The dimension gave rise to five different styles of conflict management. These styles are accommodation, competition, collaboration, compromising and avoiding. These styles are essential in the life of human beings. People need to adopt them so as to live in harmony with each other in the society.   The approach of Nordstrom to the management of customer relationship and service is a crucial way of defusing or preventing possible conflict situation. Customers have varying preference and needs. The Nordstrom’s approach involves the provision of personalized and customized services to every customer. This ensures that the organization is addressing the unique necessities of individual customers thereby avoiding probable conflict situations. Customers are normal people with names, independent as well as rational. They understand what they specifically looking for from any organization. They hence need to be attended to person rather than generally, with respect and honesty. Listening to and addressing the complaints of customers makes the customers feel respected. The organization understands that returning money to their customers once they demand it demonstrates the respect of the customer’s intelligence as well as their choices.   The Nordstrom approach enhances customer’s experience. Each time a customer interacts with the organization, they gain a particular experience. They may leave the organization feeling either valued or exploited by the organization. The approach involves listening to customers and responding appropriately to their needs as well as complaints (Bolman & Deal, 2013).  

Can educational inequalities be explained by children and young Essay

Can educational inequalities be explained by children and young people's social economic and cultural background - Essay Example Antoine defines this phenomena as â€Å"a situation in which individual groups in a society do not have equal social status, social class, and social circle.† (THE INEQUALITY PROJECT). Such social stratification is known to exist in the form of income groups and cultural backgrounds. Research and case studies provide further evidence to the sociologist’s claim that social class has an impact on educational opportunity. The disadvantage that a student faces as compared to other students can be explained as an extension of the disadvantages he or she may face as a result of belonging to a certain social group. Thus, a strong positive relationship can be drawn between social class and educational opportunity – the higher the social class is, the higher the quality of education achieved, and vice versa. Based on credible research and scholarly work, educational inequalities can be explained through the social economic and cultural background of the individual, making the attainment of education a process highly influenced by social factors. To understand educational inequality, it is important to first look into the factors that cause such inequalities to exist in the first place. Sociologists identify three main influences in this respect, namely, the income, gender and ethnicity group an individual belongs to. The correlation between poor income households and poor education has been proven through multiple researches. A Research report by Michael Holzman titled â€Å"A Rotting Apple† focuses on educational inequalities in New York City. It reveals that districts with high rates of poverty have a generally low quality of education, with teachers that are less experienced and schools having limited access to resources such as computers and internet as compared to schools in high income localities (SCHOTT FOUNDATION, 2012). This may be explained by the fact that households belonging to low income strata of the society may be not be able to afford sending their children to schools that offer better education with skilled teachers. As a result, the children in these low income area schools, when compared to those from high income areas, achieve less academic success. This supports the point that educational inequality is caused by differences in the income levels of the household the students belong to. Another factor that influences educational inequality is the cultural advantage students for middle class households have as compared to those from working class families. Basil Bernstein explains how children from varying backgrounds develop different codes, or forms of speech, during their early lives, which affect their subsequent school experience.† (GIDDENS, 1996) Bernstein classified the speech of working class families and middle class families as represented by a restricted code and elaborated code respectively. Working class parents are most likely to instruct or explain values and lessons to their chil dren using the minimum of words, and assuming that certain things are understood. On the other hand, middle class parents are most likely to explain and instruct their children by giving them elaborate explanations and reasons about why something is good or bad (BERNSTEIN,1977). In schools, teachers use the elaborated

Consequences of Water Scarcity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consequences of Water Scarcity - Research Paper Example Water scarcity effects can clearly be analyzed from this group of people i.e. from North Africa. The first issue we look at is the impact on the economy. Africa being a continent that is not much into industrialization, its economic backbone is therefore agricultural based which is directly affected by water scarcity. Plants need water to survive which can be administered to them through rainfall or irrigation. This means that agriculture as an economic sector use close to 78% of all water consumption in Africa. Apart from food which is normally grown for consumption by a family, there is also surplus that is normally sold for income not forgetting the cash crop industry that sees most European and Asian countries use the same in the processing industries from coffee to cocoa. With water shortage this chain is clearly broken with the end results being detrimental not only for Africa as a continent but to the end user consumer who may be subjected to prices that are inflated due to a higher demand for a scares commodity. The United nation commission for Africa noted that since a large percentage of Africa as a continent relies heavily on rainfall fed agriculture, global warming has a direct impact on it. Thus a structure has to be established to encourage irrigation as an alternative and since the machinery required for irrigation is expensive the world in general will have to be subjected to higher charges on commodities that initially were in their price range (UN Economic commission for Africa). The other issue that stands out is the environmental preservation as affected by water scarcity. We know very well that for an economy that is somehow able water scarcity is usually talked through use of boreholes and sinking of wells. In most parts of northern Kenya (Africa) there has been an increased number of sinking of wells and boreholes sponsored by non-governmental organization. This they say is one way of helping the indigenous communities from migrations in search of water. In as much as it is for a good cause, there have been reports of sinking grounds in those areas. Just like in the state of Denver Colorado, the effects are real. This is due to the fact that when water is drained out the soil particles and rocks are coalesced closer together as a result of spaces left by the drained water. In as much as it is not a great concern in the East African country, its effect in places like Denver is catastrophic since buildings become unstable in sinking soils meaning that engineers have to take into account such calculation to avoid disasters in the future. This has seen the state adopt the use of recharge basins which have been dug into the sandy grounds of the area. This allows collection of water during rainy seasons and from surrounding rivers that tends to seep into the ground with time allowing for replenishment of the groundwater that initially had been drained out for use. These means that the environmental preservation is somehow conserved which reduces the effect of sinking of grounds that is associated with grounds that have been drained off their water. (Thirst cities: water management in a hanging environment). As we have seen, the scarcity of water affects a third of the world’s population. Thus there is prone to be stresses in relation to available water resources which may see human conflicts arising from the

Drama Essays West End Production

Drama Essays West End Production In the West End production of The Woman in Black, assess the skills of the two male performers when performing their role(s). Essay Outline: ‘As Alfred Hitchcock noted, suspense and atmosphere are more potent than scary events themselves’ Part 1 Introduction Introduction: ‘The Woman in Black,’ West end mainstay and classic enjoyed by many people since 1989, is a remarkable adaptation of a superb horror novel. Stripped down to a minimal cast by the impressive Stephen Mallatrat who has fitted a cunning theatrical frame around it, the play, which has seen many different duos taking the roles involved in the drama and ‘always bringing something new to it’ , is still to this day a massive hit. Undoubtedly talented, the two actors on stage, Brian Miller and William Rycroft, handled their varied roles superbly and brought the tension and terror inherent in the adaptation forth, using the limited props, large amount of space and excellent writing, to scare the audience witless.     Ã‚  Ã‚   Part 2 – Physical appearance and specific actor traits Physical and vocal qualities – Vital in creating the characters and expressing the different contexts of the change within the play, in a wonderfully orotund, flamboyant and self confident way, Rycroft educates the storyteller in the ways of theatre and the techniques of acting. Coaching the older ‘Kipps,’ clearly portrayed as a less confident and able man, his magnificent vocal expressions display him as the stereotypical Victorian actor. Especially with a two man cast, it is vital that the ranges of vocal abilities in the two men are expressive and changeable, and there is no doubt that through the different characters portrayed this is in evidence. Range of facial expressions and other actor skills– Perhaps the most dynamic and vivid use of a facial expression for me, was Rycroft’s reaction to the final twist in which he is asked about providing the ‘woman in black’ as part of the performance. Twisting in horror, his abject terror contrasts beautifully with the perceived ‘pale, wasted face and expression of desperate, yearning malevolence’ of the woman in black. Elsewhere throughout the play, his confident, expressive features work well in expressing the slightly woebegone look of Kipps, the actor who has slipped a little too far into the horrors of his past but still manages to become more adept at ‘performing’ throughout the play. From the self conscious, withdrawn character at the opening, through to his improved attempt at reading Shakespeare and finally onto his ability to switch characters, his facial expressions, and indeed whole character, seems to evolve. Creation of emotion – In a ‘two hand’ minimalist play, creating base, thrusting emotions within the hearts and minds of the audience is vital in place of spectacular effects, impressive sets or big choral numbers. Indeed, the raw fear and suspense (as well as dark humour) produced by the two actors is extremely well done. Using many of the devices discussed within this essay, and manipulating the vulnerability of the stark setting, they are able to, and carry off a wide range and evolving set of personal movements, expressions and speeches. Coupled with this, the fact that there are only two of them, makes their dialogues, and emotion fuelled actions, paramount to the audience’s concentration span, as they focus on these two purveyors of this simple, chilling and edgy tale. Part 3: Interaction Rapport with audience and response/ Use of Black Comedy – Again, I was very impressed with the skills of the two actors in terms of their ideas of audience participation. From the moment that Rycroft came striding up the aisle of the theatre talking about the need to really make the morbid tale ‘live in performance to an audience of family and friends,’ one immediately felt a part of this close knit group. It was as if he was striving to please and perform admirably directly for the benefit of the audience in the theatre itself, and lift the moribund tale for our immediate benefit. The occasional smattering of black comedy in this piece is also beautifully dealt with, Rycroft’s cool delivery of amusing lines giving the audience an element of relief to hold onto, before the actors deliver them once more into the unfurling horror. Interaction with other performers – The use of the two narrators within the performance allows an additional dimension to be added to the play, with the very process of storytelling and its purpose being investigated, as well as the chilling tale itself. Rycroft is magnificent in portraying the vessel, for which Miller (as Kipps) can relay his tale, and the heated discussions between the two talented performers split the mind away from the horrors somewhat, to concentrate on the issue of truth within a story that may be lost to the ideas of excitement within storytelling. Rycroft is also effective in moulding his reaction subtly differently to each of the different characters that Miller plays, making sure that the changing of characters does not seem stilted. Part 4 Setting Costume – The use of varied costume between the two actors, offers an almost surreal twist to the play, and while Miller is spectacular in manipulating his acting talents to drift between his roles, the occasional modern costume mixed with Victorian imagery does a lot to distort the mind of the already shaky audience. Less really does mean more in this production, and the fact that a mere change of coat can transport the two actors into entirely different roles, speaks volumes of the performances of the two men and the level of versatile performance required to suitably mix up their acting characters. Space – The key to this play, and inspiration for much of the horror generated by the stark atmosphere, is the power of immense space that setting the adaptation inside an empty Victorian theatre conveys. The feeling of spiritual goings on outside the main two characters is paramount, and Miller and Rycroft are able to exist all over the theatre, bringing the realism and terror to life within a large, empty setting. They have room to build their characters and through use of facial expressions and extravagant posture, utilize it widely. Part 5 – Interpretation of the on stage atmosphere Directorial interpretation of play – Mr Mallatratt adds ‘deliberate environmental anachronisms’ so claimed the Times review in 1989, and so it seems, much to the mystical improvement of the production. Set in a Victorian theatre, yet at no particular, specified time, modern touches (such as electric torches and sound effects) are used, allowing the audience to become uneasy with the setting and allowing the actors to spread their story in a setting that cannot be entirely tied down to anything specific within the mind. Form and production aims/ Sensitivity to style – Apparently, the original aim in performing ‘The Woman in Black’ with only two authors was to save money, and while a magnificent job has been done to use minimal output to produce such a thriller, one cannot help to wonder how a big budget production may handle this play. Mallatrat himself admits that ‘there are scenes he would have loved to have included but simply couldn’t,’ but I feel the actors have taken on board the necessity to make this appear a ‘classic ghost story’ and have taken the necessary steps to provide the exuberant and expressive performances within the stark setting that are required. Part 6 – Conclusion and Bibliography – The Woman in Black is undoubtedly a very tense and exciting script reaped from a ‘classic style’ horror tale in the vein of Henry James, and requires two excellent actors to take on the roles, engage an entire audience with their characters internal struggles, and essentially build up a horrific tale and ghostly presence. In my opinion, Miller and Rycroft both performed excellently using a wide variety of styles, stage devices and a mixture of expression and clever use of scenery, stage play and setting to grip the audience into what is a very compelling tale. Of course, with a story so moreish, it could be claimed that their jobs were easier than those of someone acting out a more complex and ‘slow’ narrative, but the fact they were able to mould their acting techniques to fit the changing of characters, lack of physical prop stimulus and slightly eclectic timeframe of the events taking place, shows the p resence of great skill. I am only interested to see how the next two actors can deal with the roles!  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cix.co.uk/~shutters/reviews/00191.htm Review of former actors http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/reviews/womaninblack.htm Reviews of The Woman in Black performed by other actors http://www.thewomaninblack.com/pdf/wib_pack.pdf Interview with Susan Hill describing her reaction to the on stage version Irving Wardled, The Times, January 1989 Susan Hill The Woman in Black (Vintage: 1998) http://www.susan-hill.com/pages/books/the_books/the_woman_in_black.htm Interview with Susan Hill

The Allegorical Young Goodman Brown :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

The Allegorical Young Goodman Brown The story about Young Goodman Brown centers around the allegory of a man pitted against his past and his desires to reach beyond that which his benighted heaven would put before him. The allegory is Christian due to the references in Young Goodman Brown to the devil and Satan; it only seems logical that the crux of the story is based upon the religious imagery of Hawthorne's New England in the times of Salem and active religious strife. The beginning of the story mentions the goodman's wife, Faith. The names of the characters alone serve as an indication of what Hawthorne puts as an obvious religious allegory with the goodman and faith soon to be pitted against an unspeakable evil. The goodman even swears that after this night he will "cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven." The devil awaits Young Goodman Brown as he states that the clock of the old south was striking but a few minutes past (Hawthorne is stating how quickly the devil can move--intensifying the airs of the pret ernatural). Young Goodman Brown replies to the devil that faith was keeping him away--Hawthorne's play on words should not be overlooked as this also leads to the realization that a man (a good one) can deal with the devil and possibly win. At this stage in the story the reader still has hope for the goodman who must now deal with what he feels is his duty honor-bound. A "good man" in Hawthorne's day was a person who came from a proper lineage. This very lineage Hawthorne exploits as he begins the goodman's discourse with the devil. The goodman claims that he is from a family of good men that have never been into the forest on such an errand to meet the devil; Hawthorne depends upon this defense to criticize the patriarchal lineage upon which a person places his worth. This view is quickly derailed as the devil himself states that all of his ancestors were with him as they tortured women in Salem or burned to the ground Indian villages, and afterwards the devil and his ancestors would go for a friendly walk. Hawthorne has derided the institution of Young Goodman Brown's lineage, and his society's view of honor by pointing to some simple facts. The question remains as to whom or what is the devil.

Proposal Preventing School Dropout Essay

Introduction Currently, it is expected that all students should graduate from high school. Still, hundreds of students in American schools drop out of school before graduating. Many observations made clearly show that more students continue to drop out of schools and the goal ensuring that each student graduate from high school remains a pipe dream. It is becoming clear that the issues of students dropping out of school are related with the social and economic issues affecting the society and can not be dealt with separately. These social-economical issues include unemployment, poverty, social values, discrimination family, the welfare, drug abuse and child abuse. Students who drop out of school are forecasted to increase in future and create a bigger problem. Dropping out of school is a multifaceted problem of which there is no single solution for it. Putting emphasis on solving one element of the issue leads to the need of getting solutions for other related issues. Thus, that is why that a broad range of activities and agencies be involved to help solve the problem. The mission for proposal Having a mission statement is very important as it gives the proposal a direction and objectives and goals of the stated activities. The mission statement is; Ensuring that all students in schools graduates through creating partnership with schools, students, the community and all the stakeholders. How the proposals services is structured Having a clear structure of the proposal is very important in ensuring that proposed services are successful delivered. Accordingly, the proposal services will be structured in way that there is a division depending on the different services. Different divisions will carry out different services accordingly. For example, outreach program division, financing division and vocational training division. The resource path for proposal Financial resources human resource is important in implementing any proposals. In accordance to that the proposal will be financed from grants and aids from private or public bodies including the local government and the federal governments. The human resources will include professional who will work as volunteers and other social workers who will assist the in implementing the objectives and the goals suggested by the proposal. Individual who will carry out this proposal will be social workers, child workers professional, and psychologists. They will do this through conducting group sessions, taking with teachers concerned with students learning progress, doing parenting management and carrying out training skills in students homes. The content of proposal services It has been noted that any meaningful student dropout prevention program should offer strong educational alternatives, challenges, opportunities services and support to the students to assist them to be able to complete and graduate from their respective schools. For the purpose of this proposal program, the key areas that the proposal has identified are; accountably Instructional focus Community involvement School structure Relevancy and learning The above issues when well implemented will provide both the students and their parents with a holistic approach to motivate students to be able to complete school. The agency will coordinate its activities with schools, districts, students, parents and the whole community in carrying out its activities. This will ensure that the agency creates an effective school dropout prevention program. The agency will provide; Professional improvement activities Technical assistance Counselling Financial assistance The content of proposal services Any successful program to prevent students from dropping out of school has to use various strategies to support students’ achievements. I strongly thus suggest that the following programs have to be implemented in the program. Relevancy learning; This program has the ability to motivate a student to learn, the strategies provides a chance for the student to integrate more with the school and the community. The strategy will involve; Mentoring the student; where the student will be mentored by a mentor and be provided with academic support which address the student needs such as math, writing or reading competencies. Service learning; this aspect connects school learning to important community services and experiences. This will provide the student with real world situations and promote the student social, personal and academic growth. Civil responsibility and career development will also be covered here. Alternative schooling; this strategy provides students who may want to dropout with various options which can make the graduate from school. Such options includes, flexible scheduling, distance learning and technology and different program setting. How agency will link with proposal The proposal will be linked with the agency through the management and the outreach program. The program proposal will be carried out by the outreach program which will have a duty of implementing the proposal policies. Partnerships with other agencies with same objectives will be sought to ensure that proposal is well linked. How proposal services will be linked to communities Community participation in any program that involves the society as a whole is very important. Connecting the students to the community at large helps to remove what is seen as the â€Å"school barrier† and assists in providing chances for complete support and planning. It motivates the students towards their career advancement and participation. It also provides the students with the necessary interpersonal and social skills to make them be successful in life. Several strategies will have to be undertaken to achieve this goal, this are: Systemic renewal; it calls for involving the community and other stake holders in regular process of assessing the objectives and in planning, and formulating   policies to prevent students from dropping out of the school. This will also require using the available data, analysing the school system and evaluating the progress made by the students. Community collaboration; community collaboration is beneficial to both the students and the school community. This will help to put up strong infrastructure ad also support the teaching staff with the current complex objectives and goals for the current students. Conflict resolution; an all-inclusive program to build interpersonal skills, enhance conflict resolution ability, and building awareness to prevent violence highly promotes the success of dropout prevention program. Conflict resolution creates an enabling environment and for the young youths (students) to achieve in the society. How you will see implementation of proposal For this proposal to be useful, it has to be implemented by the responsible bodies. Thus, the proposal suggest that the school have principals will have to implement strategies in their schools as suggested in the proposal. The district education board will ensure that the proposals are being carried out correctly. It will be expected that the implementation of the proposals will be done immediately. At the same time the community will be educated through social workers on importance on school dropout programs. Personal effective; carrying out retreat program designed to improve student’s self esteem, through regular classroom- based discussion, participation on interpersonal relations, and individual counselling. Academic; this will be achieved by providing special educational courses, instruction methods that are individualized. Family outreach; this will include home visits and feedback strategies. Work related; this program strategy will involve vocational training, service program and partaking in volunteer service. To ensure that the proposal program is carried out effectively, there will be a project coordinator who will work together with different groups to coordinate activities for effective implementation Evaluating the impact of proposal service on the people you intend to benefit from your proposal To analyse the effectiveness of the proposed program, regular reviews of the number students attendance will be examine in specific schools where the program will be being carried out to analyze the impact of the program. The assessment will be based on measuring the percentage of dropout in schools that have carried out the proposal suggestions. Other measures as the impact of rate of school attendance will also be measured, to ascertain the counselling and interpersonal training effects of the program on the specific students.   Emphasizing the rational reasoning for each of the nine recurring policy issues To support the policies of the proposal research and studies finding will be used. Also practical field experience will be collected and data complied to support the measures of the proposed policies. The results of the proposed proposals from the field will be used to emphasize the measures taken. This will be supported by interviews from participants and from the schools where the program will be carried out. Social work ethical dilemmas does your proposal recognize and address The proposal recognizes the social issue of keeping research information confidential and protecting participants of in the program. All participants observation notes, responses and personal information will be held in the strictest of confidence and will not be revealed even after the study has concluded.   All participants will be required to sign a confidentiality statement and will be encouraged vehemently to concur with the terms of the agreement. (Addressing the `digital divide Technology remains important in facilitated education across the board. Technology allows schools and teachers to carry out effective teaching and educational programs. Schools with well technological equipments have been observed to perform better than those with poor technological facilities. Technology remains in schools and in programs to prevent school dropouts. The implications of lack of access to and or skill in using information Observations show that those schools with better technology have high chances of retaining their students in schools than those with poor technology. At the same time students who have access to computers and other technology equipments are like not to dropout of school than those who do not have the access to technology. Technology such as computer also allows a student to continue with studies for instance by use of distance learning which limits dropout rates. Thus, the badly impacted groups due to lack of technology will be students and teachers Ways to change this lack of access and skills into easy and quick Students and schools can be assisted to access technology through grants and/or financial or technology assistance to equip these schools. Students on the other hand can be trained on technology, given aid in terms of technology or learning materials on the technology. This has to be continuous process so that there lack of technology can be minimized through these programs. Also a program should be introduced in which to regularly train teachers on new technologies available so that they can be equipped with latest technology. Conclusion The issue of school dropouts remains crucial and alarming in the United States. Statistics continue to reveal that a large number of students dropout of schools before they can graduate. Thus, it is important that the issue be addressed fully, it has been noted that school dropout is a social issue that requires to be tackled by different ways to solve it. Some of these ways include involving the community, counselling students and availing technology to both schools and students. However, school dropout problem will continue to challenge the education policy makers in the country.

Titanis Prehistoric Bird Facts and Figures

Titanis Prehistoric Bird Facts and Figures Name: Titanis (Greek for titanic); pronounced tie-TAN-iss Habitat: Plains of North America Historical Epoch: Pliocene-Early Pleistocene (5-2 million years ago) Size and Weight: About eight feet tall and 300 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; large, heavy bill; bipedal posture; grasping hands About Titanis To many avid horror fans, Titanis will be familiar as the predatory bird in James Robert Smiths best-selling novel The Flock. This prehistoric bird could certainly wreak its share of mayhem: at eight feet tall and 300 pounds (give or take a few inches and pounds for possible sexually dimorphic differences between males and females), the early Pleistocene Titanis closely resembled its theropod dinosaur forebears that went extinct 60 million years before, especially considering   its puny arms, massive head and beak, fully bipedal posture, and long-taloned, grasping hands. Like other so-called terror birds, Titanis had a particularly gruesome hunting style. This long-legged bird easily outran the smaller mammals, lizards and birds of its North American ecosystem, at which point it would grasp its hapless prey in its long, wingless, taloned hands, convey it to its heavy beak, bash it repeatedly on the ground until it was dead, and then (assuming it was small enough) swallow it whole, perhaps spitting out the bones and fur. In fact, Titanis was so well-adapted overall that some paleontologists believe this bird managed to survive up to the very end of the Pleistocene epoch; however, convincing fossil evidence for this has yet to be discovered. As scary as it was, Titanis wasnt the most dangerous carnivorous bird of prehistoric times, and not as deserving of the epithet titanic as the truly enormous Elephant Bird and Giant Moa. In fact, Titanis was merely a late North American descendant of a family of South American meat-eaters, the phorusrachids (typified by Phorusrhacos and Kelenken, both also classified as terror birds), which attained comparable sizes. By the early Pleistocene epoch, about two million years ago, Titanis had managed to penetrate from its ancestral South American habitat to as far north as Texas and southern Florida, the latter of which is The Flocks modern-day setting.

Explain, Analyze and Critique Critical Aspect of Film Writing in Amadeus

Explain, Analyze and Critique Critical Aspect of Film Writing in Amadeus 1. The American feature film â€Å"Amadeus† directed by Milos Forman, released in 1984, inspired this essay. The film was so successful that it was rewarded with eight Oscars.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Explain, Analyze and Critique Critical Aspect of Film: Writing in â€Å"Amadeus† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aim of this paper is to explain, analyze and critique critical aspect of this film: writing. In the end of the essay, one can easily understand that there are certain differences between film and literature. As â€Å"Amadeus† has the features of a literary adaptation, it gives an opportunity to compare the mediums. What are the peculiarities in the writing of the mentioned film from the critical point of view? It seems to be extremely important to achieve the aim of the essay to reveal the film through the other light. 2. The structure of the essay is similar to Giannetti†™s chapter of the book about understanding films in the area of writing; being the author of a book in cinema theory, he masterfully described all the necessary components of film writing (Gianntti, 2010). Any details concerning the writing of feature films provide people â€Å"with a new way of looking at familiar films† (Giannetti, 2010, back cover). â€Å"Amadeus† is a drama biopic, based on the stage play by Peter Shaffer, British screenwriter. In 1979, under the impression of Pushkin’s tragedy â€Å"Mozart and Salieri†, Shaffer wrote the play that can be described as free interpretation of the composers’ biographies. Thus, Shaffer can be considered the principal screenwriter of the film â€Å"Amadeus†. Of course, Milos Forman and actors saturated the scenario with their own words. Nevertheless, the collaborative screenwriting in this film is evident. 3. The screenplay is based on a quite famous plot. Many people may consider that â₠¬Å"Amadeus† is Mozart’s biography, but this opinion is wrong. Actually, this is a tragic story of Antonio Salieri, who is talented but not a genius composer, as Mozart. The screenplay reveals his desperate struggle with God by means of Mozart. In spite of the noticeable difference between Mozart’s music gift and Salieri’s mediocrity, evil Salieri’s plan, and Mozart’s death, Salieri realizes that Mozart was with a God-given talent. In the final scene, where Salieri spends his last days in the asylum, annoying and childish Mozart’s laugh shows that God always has the last laugh. Thus, the screenplay reveals the main theme of â€Å"Amadeus†: God gives people a strong wish to achieve something (in this case, to become a prominent and perfect composer), but he does not give them equivalent abilities (Forman, 1984).Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Being the blueprint of the finished product, the scenario has exceptionally literate language. Naturally, the screenplays are often modified by the actors who play the characters, and this film is not an exception. Good acting and beautiful music of the prominent composers (Salieri and Mozart) make a valuable contribution in realizing of the scenario in the film. However, non-verbal figurative techniques play an essential role in the cinema. In â€Å"Amadeus†, one can see the traces of motifs, symbols and metaphors. Owing to them, people can catch the main film’s massage, and understand its profound essence. 4. The principal motif of the film is based on Salieri’s and Mozart’s biographical facts in Shaffer’s stage play. For example, the director successfully shows the legend about Mozart’s death: in the episode, when Solieri forces Mozart to compose the requiem. Also, the spread opinion about Salieri’s envy and negative attitude to the talented figure of Mozart is presented through detailed Salieri’s character. Besides the motifs, the film is saturated with symbols. Mozart can be compared with God. According to Salieri’s opinion it is God who helps the genius Mozart to compose such brilliant pieces of music art. Mozart’s genius suggests the mediocrity of his music â€Å"rival†. Mozart’s composed requiem symbolizes his death, and the idea that Mozart’s talented music works can not be stolen by either Solieri or anyone else. One more symbol in the film is thought provoking. When Solieri is transported past madmen in the asylum, he sees in them the symbol of human mediocrity. Slieri’s bitter experience shows that he is one of the most untalented and mediocre men in the world. The brightest metaphor in the film is Mozart’s embodiment of God, who is cursed by Solieri. As the film is based on the play with the famous plot, â€Å"Amadeu s† is full of allusions. An allusion helps to imply the reference to a well-known personality, event, or historic fact. In this case, the film depicts Solieri’s tragic story, where real facts are described: the Solieri’s and Mozart’s characteristic features as personalities and composers, Solieri’s suicide attempt, his relationships with Mozart, Mozart’s music works (especially, â€Å"Requiem† and â€Å"The magic flute†), the circumstances of his death, etc. 5. Point of view in literary fiction generally concerns the narrator, through whose words the events of a story are understood. The ideas and incidents are sifted through the consciousness and language of the storyteller. In â€Å"Amadeus†, Solieri is the participant in the action, and may be a reliable guide for readers to follow.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Explain, Analyze and Critique Critical Aspect of Film: Writing in â€Å"Amadeus † specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He is the first-person narrator: he tells the priest his story, and events of the film, that happened thirty years ago, bring the viewers to Vienna, when Solieri was a successful and popular court composer. One can see his character’s evolution, his tragedy that in the end led him to the asylum. 6. As it was mentioned, â€Å"Amadeus† is the film adaptation of the literary source. In some respects, adapting a novel or play requires more skill and discipline than working with an original screenplay. Moreover, a good literary work is difficult to be adapted. The real problem of the adapter is centered not in the content of a literary work (in this case, the stage play), but in the subject matter. The film may be considered as faithful adaptation. Its degree of fidelity is rooted in recreation of a true story with real characters; the director keeps the spirit of the original, as close as po ssible. The base for the film, together with all modifications, introduced by the director and actors, and creative work of the film crew created the unique piece of cinema art called â€Å"Amadeus†. 7. In spite of the majority of critical opinions concerning this film (the director is critics for subjective views of real facts that can not be distorted), Milos Forman masterfully presents to the public the cinema, based on the play and real events. The aim of the essay is surely achieved: the critical aspect of writing in â€Å"Amadeus† is explained, analyzed and criticized. Both literary and film work are pieces of art; in contrast to the literature, the film adaptation has the right to modify the content, keeping the subject matter. Nevertheless, one thing is evident: â€Å"Amadeus† is a good example of faithful adaptation of Shaffer’s stage play about Mozart and Solieri. References Forman, M. (Dir.) (1984). â€Å"Amadeus†. Videocassette. MGM/UA Home Video. Giannetti, L. (2010). Understanding Movies (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon, Incorporated.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Disaster Recovery Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Disaster Recovery Planning - Essay Example This article looks at the various essential elements of disaster recovery planning how NIST guidelines can be applied to implement a disaster recovery plan. Physical risks for business include and are not restricted to natural calamities like Earth Quakes, Storms, and Floods etc. Fire accidents, power failures, Use of Unsafe machinery and Equipment all come under Physical Risks. Malfunctioning of Individual units in a system, Network Cables, Cable tapping are some of the physical factors that pose risk to a Business (Cooper, 1995). Physical risks to a business also include risks to the physically existing things like buildings, the computers, related media and equipment. Few of the physical risks are mentioned below. Natural Calamities: Natural Calamities like Earth Quakes, Storms and Floods disrupt any business and their corresponding data that is stored. A single quake can destroy entire business information in no time and nullify its existence. Continuous monitoring of this information and assessing the risks that these factors cause, becomes an important issue. All business data and resources (movable and immovable) are at stake if risk due to these factors is not analyzed. Malfunctioning of Cables and Other C... All business data and resources (movable and immovable) are at stake if risk due to these factors is not analyzed. Malfunctioning of Cables and Other Components: Another major risk faced by the business is due to the improper functioning of components present in a system or the Network cables that make up the backbone of any network. Hardware faults are inevitable, so nullifying them will not be possible. Their affect could be equally frustrating and annoying. Even these cause many problems to the organizations that include data loss, increased response time, network congestions, and un-timely break up of systems and temporary stagnation of work (Cooper, 1995). Managing these risks is not only necessary but also very important for the growth of an organization. Trashing: Trashing, also known as dumpster diving is a possible physical risk commonly found in the corporate sector. In this method, sensitive data is searched for in the trash and most of the times, the crackers become successful. History has proved that many industrial spies achieved remarkable success with this approach. It is common for crackers to find useful information in used tape drives, disks and discarded print outs. Crackers often find computer manuals, passwords and other information in them. All sensitive data that should not be saved will be saved and can be easily recoverable from trash. This becomes the initial point for the risks. A cracker sees a highway ahead to breach the system with this approach (Cooper, 1995). Eaves Dropping: Business data may be prone to interception with this approach, commonly known as Eaves dropping. It is a known fact that upon pressing a key on the keyboard, Electro Magnetic waves will be generated

Sonata form in Beethoven's piano sonatas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Sonata form in Beethoven's piano sonatas - Essay Example Initially, music domineered in courts and churches. Public concerts emerged in the music scene for enjoyment and entertainment for the commons. Developments in instrumental music made it equal and even at times superseded vocal music. Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven dominated composition of chorale music in the classical era. Advancement in music during the era was depicted in instrumental forms. The symphony, concerto, sonata and instrumental chamber music like the Beethoven string quartets became common.1 In the beginning of classical era, the harpsichord was replaced by the piano as a common keyboard instrument. Most composers used it to write most works including sonatas. The sonatas written had the same forms like those of symphonies, concertos and chamber works although they had three movements instead of four. Mozart’s piano sonatas were light and tuneful and therefore suited the piano that was available at that time. The piano mode l changed greatly from Mozart’s period to Beethoven’s time. Metal braces were added to the frame that permitted additional tension to the strings. This allowed the musical instrument to produce loud powerful sounds. Ludwig van Beethoven, a German, lived in the period of 1770 to 1827. He was a composer of instrumental music. Instrumentals he used were symphonies, the piano and string quartets. The music he developed from these instruments brought a transition from classical music to romantic style. His choral music formed part of repertoire with his Mass in D Major and Missa Solemnis taking key roles in traditional western music. Beethoven played an important role in development of sonatas. His main instrument was the piano. His piano sonatas are known by their numbers, key and nicknames. Beethoven wrote thirty-two piano sonatas which were longer and more profound than Mozart’s work. The piano sonatas contain repeated notes, characterized with sudden changes of d ynamic level. His opuses are technically demanding, making use of high and low notes on the piano (Dale, 1954).2 Beethoven also composed wonderful overtures, chamber music works, concertos and vocal compositions. Despite being deaf, he wrote many outstanding music that has inspired today’s music. This paper discusses Beethoven’s sonata Op. 53 and Op. 57. 2.0 Musical Form Musical divisions are marked with letters designated from repeated melody, new presentation and contrasting material. Common forms encountered in instrumental music of the classical period include strophic form, through-composed, binary form and ternary form. Strophic form is a design used in vocal music, repeated in several different verses or strophes of words. Through-composed is a form that has no repetition of the large-scale. Binary form contains two parts in which the important sections are repeated while Ternary form has three parts focusing a return of initial music after a contrasting section . In the course of the return, symmetry and balance is achieved. This paper explores classical music through sonata and sonata forms of Beethoven. 2.1 Sonata and Sonata Forms Sonata has a long musical history, with an ever-expanding and ever-changing organism. Through its history, it contains borrowed features of other types of musical form and texture. The design is composed of various series of short movements like those found in one, long unbroken movement that resembles fantasy. The