Sunday, October 13, 2019
Three Varieties of Bathtubs :: Jeffrey Harrison Literature Essays
Three Varieties of Bathtubs Past, present and future are the simplest ways in which humans perceive time. We recognize the past through our memories and our recall of events that already have happened. When looking into the future, we can only look at where we are now in order to guess what our fate might be in the future. Or else we only have our dreams and goals that we look forward to one- day accomplishing. When viewing the present, however, everything around us is not an idea or memory in our head, but a reality that we use our senses to see, feel, touch, smell or hear. We are using our body's functions to live and take in what is around us at the moment. When "living in the present" (as one would say to someone who is constantly aware of the moment and what is around them), there is less chance to miss what's in front of us rather than always looking behind or too far ahead. Jeffrey Harrison, in his poem "Bathtubs, Three Varieties," seems to feel the same way about living in the here and the now. The three varieties of bathtubs Harrison writes about were separated into three stanzas according to their design and their purpose now, in the present. In the first stanza of the poem Harrison describes an old- fashioned bathtub, one that was raised off the floor by porcelain animal paws that extended off each corner. The particular bathtubs that he was describing were no longer serving their intended purpose, but rather were outside in a yard like an old car that was once one's hotrod, now scrap metal. These bathtubs, retired from their original purpose, now just sat through the seasons and let outside forces such as the weather and changes in other living things like the walnut tree carry on without regard to their presence. In the description of these bathtubs, Harrison shows something that although is still here, is part of the past and really does not have a life of its own anymore except just lying underneath the walnut tree. This is very much like a person whose thoughts ar e caught up in the past, because they, too, are still trying to live something that is over and then lose purpose in the present. Harrison also relates these bathtubs twice to sheep, which are commonly viewed as animals that follow each other, never really having a choice or idea of their own.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Fruitless Love :: Dialogue Essays
Fruitless Love        I waited for Bob to head out for his three o'clock before I packed up my things and left the office. I didn't have to. Bob isn't my boss, he's just the guy who sits in the next cubicle. And it's not like he would have said anything, or even thought anything. It was just one of those days when I felt like leaving without anybody noticing.         I smoked a whole cigarette walking from the office to the shuttle stop two blocks away. I walk slowly now, even when I feel like I'm rushing. The shuttle was parked at the stop when I got there. The driver had run inside the McDonald's to use the bathroom. I sat down on one of those sideways seats near the front and I smiled at the young woman sitting across from me. We sat there awkwardly facing each other for several minutes while the bus driver did his thing in the McDonald's. I had a newspaper in my briefcase.         It was a quarter to four when I got home and for a good five-some minutes I stood at the dining room table trying to decide what to do next. Laura would be home in an hour or so. That's why I took off early. To have an hour or so. But I wasn't sure what to do with it. I took a beer from the fridge and started a bath.         I was still in a towel, shaving, when Laura came home. I heard her call my name down the hallway. She was winded. I heard packages. â€Å"I'm in here,†I said. My voice sounded funny, high. I drew the razor up toward my chin.         â€Å"Are we late?†she asked. â€Å"I had to stop at the supermarket first. I got us a cake to bring.†        â€Å"Renee said not to bring anything.†        She walked into the bedroom, struggling to undo her top. â€Å"Are we late? I didn't even see what time it is.†        â€Å"What kind of cake?†I asked.         â€Å"Did she call? I left a message on her machine. I said we might be late.†        â€Å"We're fine,†I said.         I rinsed my face and leaned in close to the mirror to see if I'd missed anything. I couldn't remember if I'd brushed my teeth. Laura walked up behind me. She reached around and pinched one of my nipples. â€Å"Hello, you,†she said.
Friday, October 11, 2019
The Physiological Effects of Exposure to Nature
It has been suggested that humans have a genetic predisposition for forming a close affinity with nature (Wilson, 1984). It has long been established that people have a broad range of emotional and physiological responses to nature, and that there are positive physical (Moore, 1981; Ulrich, 1984), cognitive (Cimprich, 1990; Hartig et al. , 1991) and psychological (Kaplan & Talbot, 1988; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) benefits to forming close attachments to nature. According to Ulrich (1983), experiencing nature is physiologically healthy and has biological value for people.Mayer & Frantz (2004) also established empirical evidence that connection to nature was associated with subjective wellbeing. In light of these noted effects, this review focuses on the impact which exposure to nature may have on mental health, and possible explanations for the noted effects. Exposure to Nature and Mental Health Although it has been acknowledged that contact with nature has multiple physiological benefits , it has also been noted that there are specific benefits to an individual’s mental health from exposure (Taylor et al., 2001). For example having close contact with nature has been found to foster recovery from general mental fatigue (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989). In addition, seeing nature is effective in relieving stress and improving wellbeing (Kaplan, 1992; Leather, Pyrgas, Beale, & Lawrence, 1998, Lewis, 1996). When people view natural scenes, particularly natural scenes that depict water, human health can be improved and have a positive psychological benefit (Ulrich, 1982; cited in Rohde & Kendle, 1994).In their research, The Wave Nature of Being: Ultradian Rhythms and Mind-Body Communication, Rossi and Lippincott (1992) commented: An extensive matching of the clinical-experimental data of chronobiology and psychology suggests that what the biologist calls the â€Å"entrainment of ultradian and circadian rhythms by psychosocial stimuli†is the psychobiological basis o f what psychotherapists call â€Å"hypnotic suggestion to facilitate mind-body healing. (para. 1) There are also noted effects on specific mental health conditions which have been found in the available research.Ulrich commented that viewing nature effectively lowers stress. When stress is lessened, levels of stress hormones, such as norepinephrine, often are lowered as well, and this may alleviate the experienced intensity of pain†(1983, p. 103). The stress-reduction theory perspective taken by several authors (Ulrich, Dimberg, & Driver, 1991) also supports this, suggesting that â€Å"nature reduces stress for evolutionary reasons†(Cackowski & Nasar, 2003, p. 747). Types of Exposure to Nature Research indicates that forming a bond with nature does not have to be a physical activity to hold benefit.For example Kaplan and Kaplan (1989) found that office workers who had a view of trees and bushes from their office suffered significantly less frustration than those with out such views. Research by Ulrich (1999) also suggests that looking at natural environments as opposed to urban scenes is more effective in restoration from stress. Ulrich (1983) also noted that: â€Å"When patients cannot be provided with an actual view of nature or direct contact with nature, representing nature in photographic images and other artwork has also been shown to be beneficialâ€â€though the results are not quite as dramatic.Nature photographs and artwork of natural scenes are common in the more progressive hospitals today. Expanding on this concept is the SkyCeiling, an illuminated ceiling system that provides an illusion of an attractive sky scene that helps people relax†(p. 201). In addition, the sounds of nature have also been investigated as a means of improving mental health. Tsuchiya et al. (2003) found that playing sounds from nature to patients undergoing general anesthesia had a positive impact on blood pressure and heart rate. This then also corr esponded to reduced stress in the patient.Reasons Behind the Positive Effects of Nature on Mental Health There are numerous different explanations as to why exactly exposure to nature has such a notable impact on human mental health. Alexander et al. (1977) noted that â€Å"In some way, which is hard to express, people are able to be more whole in the presence of nature, are able to go deeper into themselves, and are somehow able to draw sustaining energy from the life of plants and trees and water†(p. 806). Ulrich (1983) suggests that these positive benefits are largely due to evolutionary causes:â€Å"Because humans evolved over a long period in natural environments, we are to some extent biologically adapted to natural as opposed to build content. A theme common to this perspective is that individuals are innately predisposed to respond positively to many natural settings. Such evolutionary notions are not new†(p. 116). It is also possible that it is something whi ch is fostered in adults from an early age, for example Kellert (2005) commented that â€Å"children’s emotional, intellectual, and evaluative development depends on varied ongoing experiences of natural process and diversity†(p. 88). Equalizing Brain HemispheresOne of the most cited explanations behind the impact of nature on mental health is that of the effects which it creates to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Pettigrew (see Blakeslee, 1999), an inventor of the sticky-switch idea of depression, believes that there is a sticky-switch that connects the right and left brain hemispheres, and Chowdhary (2007) claimed that the key to brain equalization was the corpus callosum. In addition, a psychology professor, Cindy McPherson Frantz (2006) supported the idea that the balanced brain may possibly relate to well-being as per Swara yoga claims.â€Å"In our research, we demonstrate that connectedness to nature is a better predictor of environmentally friendly behavior than are attitudes. It also correlates with several health and well-being indices†(Frantz, 2006, para. 2). Furthermore, in his book, Of Two Minds: The Revolutionary Science of Dual-Brain Psychology, a neuroscientist and a medical professor from Harvard University, Schiffer (1998) commented that, â€Å"a healthy left and right mind with a respectful, cooperative relationship between them can lead to a life of greater meaning, creativity, productivity, and fulfillment.Only when the relationships within yourself are in harmony are you best able to sustain a healthy relationship with another person†(p. 15). Rossi (2007) suggests that when one experiences an equal nasal dominance, our brain is in a balanced state, which could mean that our body and mind are then in a balance state which allows them to behave in more healthful ways. Furnass (1979) commented that an experience with nature can help to restore the functions of the right and left side of the brain in harmony as a whole. Yogendra (1958) also stated that the act of contemplating nature can reduce the brain’s nervous system activity.In their research, Rossi and Lippincott (1992) demonstrated the physiological link toward bi-lateral brain hemisphere activity and stated that, The most significant of the[se] studies for understanding mind-body communication are those of Debra Werntz (1981) who reported a contralateral relationship between cerebral hemispheric activity (EEG) and the ultradian rhythm of the nasal cycle. They found that relatively greater integrated EEG values in the right hemisphere are positively correlated with a predominant airflow in the left nostril and visa versa . . .an irregular nasal cycle, particularly one in which the person remains dominant in one nostril or the other for an excessively long period of time are associated with illness and mental disorder (Rama, Ballentine, & Ajaya, 1976). (para. 20-22) Research in support of the Swara yoga tra dition believes that â€Å"nostrils are the windows to the state of our body and mind†(Chowdhard, 2007, p. 39), and â€Å"when both nostrils are open, this could mean that the body and mind are in balance and more prepared to act in mindful ways from the balanced dialogue between left and right hemispheres and a reduction in stress†(Nirgunananda, 1999, p.58). This is supported by a review by Wernts et al. (1981) which found that during the deepest states of consciousness, nostril breathing was equal, indicating a balance between both sides of the brain. Medically-based research by Ri (2008) also found that fMRI brain scans revealed that when subjects watched a nature film they experienced equal nasal dominance and also entered a state in which their brain was completely calm.This research indicated that there was an active communication through the corpus callosum between the right and left hemispheres, which shows that the film put the participants’ brain int o a balanced state. This supports Schiffer’s (1998) theory that: â€Å"a healthy left and right mind with a respectful, cooperative relationship between them can lead to a life of greater meaning, creativity, productivity, and fulfillment. Only when the relationship within yourself is in harmony are you best able to sustain a healthy relationship with another person†(p. 15). Physiologic/Emotional/Psychological ResponseThe effects which are noted on psychological well-being are actually most likely to be a result of a combination of psychological/emotional and physiological changes relating to psychological (Kaplan, 1973; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989; Kaplan & Talbot, 1988), physical (Moore, 1981; Ulrich, 1984), and cognitive aspects (Cimprich, 1990; Hatig et al. , 1991). Within only 3-5 minutes of exposure, views of vegetation or garden-like features elevate levels of positive feelings (e. g. , pleasantness, calm) and reduce negatively toned emotions such as fear, anger, and sadness.Certain nature scenes effectively sustain interest and attention and accordingly can serve as pleasant distractions that may diminish stressful thoughts. Regarding physiological manifestations of stress recovery, laboratory, and clinical investigations have found that viewing nature settings can produce significant restoration within less than 5-minutes as indicated by positive changes, for instance, in blood pressure, heart activity, muscle tension, and brain electrical activity (Cackowski & Nasar, 2003; Ulrich, 1981; Ulrich et al. , 1991).Conclusions It is apparent from the literature available that exposure to nature may have a positive impact on an individual’s physical and mental health. This may result from activities which create an interaction with nature, or merely from sights and sounds of nature. The health benefits which have thus far been shown focus predominantly on stress reduction, but it is possible that the combination of physical, emotional, psycho logical and cognitive effects may also have benefits for recovery across a wide range of mental health disorders.A particularly important element in the physical and psychological interaction which underlies these benefits is the manner in which experiences with nature may be able to facilitate a balancing of the brain’s two hemispheres. It would appear that experience with nature creates a state in which equal nasal dominance is initiated, which then appears to reduce brain activity, putting both brain hemispheres in a state of equal relaxation. It is this effect which then appears to create a sense of balance, which is conducive to a more positive state of mental health. References Cabeza, R. , & Kingstone, A. (2001).Handbook of functional neuroimaging of cognition, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Cackowski, J. M. & Nasar, J. L. 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Thursday, October 10, 2019
Philosophy of managing people in higher educational settings Essay
Capability to manage a team effectively is one of the main qualities which any professional seeking success needs to possess. However, the position of a leader requires many outstanding skills, and it may be very challenging at times. According to Sun Tzu, Chinese General who lived in the 5th century B. C. , â€Å"when one has all 5 virtues together: intelligence, trustworthiness, humanness, courage, sternness, each appropriate to its function, then one can be a leader†(Deal, Kennedy, 1988). Leadership means the ability to influence other people and guide them to the success. During many centuries it has been believed that the key to success in a team lies in the skills of the manager. No company can remain on top unless it has an outstanding manager who guides it into the right direction. Management of people in higher educational settings is a very challenging task due to the complexity of the field of education. Some of the general principles of management can be applied efficiently, but at the same time additional attention needs to be devoted to characteristic features which are common only for educational sphere. The task of the leader in higher educational settings is to manage the staff in such a way that all the skills which the members of the staff possess turn out applied at their maximum. This task is very complicated because â€Å"building the winning team requires more than just hiring a bunch of talented people. It means hiring people who will work well together. It means developing a shared vision and commitment. It means physically bringing people together in formal group meetings for open discussion of broad-based issues. It means encouraging positive, informal interactions between group members. It means instilling a â€Å"winning†attitude throughout the organization. It means watching for and quickly trying to reverse team-building problems such as jealousy, cynicism, and defensive behavior. †(Building a winning team. Retrieved on November 14, from source: www. businesstown. com). The most important issue in managing the team in higher educational settings is choosing the right form of motivation for them. Since all people in the staff are different, all of them need different forms of motivation. For some staff members, only money works, and they do not get motivated by any other benefits. For others, there is nothing more important than social recognition of their efforts. Other staff members will care about the possibilities of future promotion in case of their successful performance. Therefore, in order to manage the staff effectively, the first task to do is to define where the needs of employees fall in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. After some communication with the members of the team it is easy to discover what staff members are very ambitious. They have a very high need of esteem. They need to be praised for the work they do, get recognition from senior-level management, be aware about the possibilities of their future promotion, and fulfill tasks which require lots of responsibility. These staff members are very experienced, they have already made large contributions into the university’s success, and therefore they can be motivated only through getting more and more complicated tasks to fulfill. Other staff members will not be as success-oriented, and not as experienced. They can be rather knowledgeable in the field of education but they do not seek promotion because they are quite happy with their present work. Therefore, they can be motivated by money awards and praise for their work because their needs fall into the category of belonginess and love. The next step of successful staff management in higher education setting is defining relationships between staff members, and making a sociogram which identifies the types of interactions within the social network. Without the knowledge of interactions between the staff members, there is no way to manage the team effectively. In order to manage the members of the team, it is useful at times to apply the approach of influencing some members of the team through other members. It is necessary to identify the member of the team who has the strongest influence on other members because teams are usually aligned to such staff members. It is also necessary to keep up â€Å"healthy culture†in the educational setting. â€Å"A healthy culture can promote identification (who we are), legitimation (why we need to do) communication (with whom we talk), coordination (with whom we work) and development (what are the dominant perspectives and tasks)†. (Davies, 1997, p. 135). The last step of managing the team is choosing the leadership style. Such styles include â€Å"considerate, structuring, autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire and the like†(Bjerke, 1999, p. 57). Some authors determine supporting, directive, coercive, transformational leadership styles. The most efficient styles in the majority of establishments of higher education are democratic and supportive styles, but for some types of situations autocratic and directive styles might be appropriate. For example, when the faculty leader wants to set direct goals for the staff members and make them increase their performance, it can be appropriate to use directive style. The choice of the style mainly depends on the environment in the organization and the goals which it needs to achieve. Autocratic and directive styles can sometimes represent some danger of faculty leaders becoming power-oriented. When managers care only about their own power, they tend to choose those 2 styles of leadership. It is well-known that leadership styles can be oriented on the performance of the team or on the concern about staff members. The analysis of these theories is particularly important for managing staff members in educational settings. Blake and Mouton (1964) have introduced a grid in which they identified the main styles of leadership according to those 2 characteristics. Orientation on the performance of the team means that the manager is very concerned about the results which they are going to have in the end of the period, the extent to which goals will be met. Orientation on people means that the leader will pay lots of attention to maintaining trust in the company, establishing warm relations with all the employees, giving them only appropriate tasks and motivating them. Blake and Mouton have come up with several types of managers based in their grid. â€Å"Under the style referred to as ‘impoverished management’, managers concern themselves very little with either people or results and have minimum involvement in their jobs. †(Bjerke, 1999, p. 59). Such managers usually do not achieve good results because they show minimum concern about the activity of the company. â€Å"Team leaders†, on the contrary, manage to combine both concern about people and achieve great performance of the company. This type of managers cannot be accepted in education settings because it prevents the faculty staff from making large contributions to the development of the educational establishment. â€Å"Another style is management called country club management, in which managers have little or no concern for results but are concerned only for people. †(Bjerke, 1999, p. 59). Such companies might not have great results because employees will not be working to the fullest. â€Å"Autocratic task managers are concerned only with developing an efficient operation, who have little or no concern for people and who are quite autocratic in their style of leadership. †(Bjerke, 1999, p. 59). This type of manager is more favorable than the previous one, but it is also inefficient in the educational setting. In order to make the staff work efficiently, the faculty leader needs to choose the style combining both concern about staff members and concern about the performance of the team. It is very difficult to make the faculty function effectively, but this task can be achieved through the right choices of staff members’ motivation and leadership style. The field of education requires a leader with good communication skills, able to provide success-oriented policy, capable of solving all the possible problems which may arise in the team. Bibliography. 1. Alison, H. Managing people Managing Universities and Colleges Guides to Good Pratice Open University Press McGraw Hill. 2003. 2. Bjerke Bjorn. Business Leadership and Culture: National Management Styles in the Global Economy. Edward Elgar. 1999. 3. Blake, R. R. and J. S. Mouton. The Managerial Grid, Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company. 1964. 4. Building a winning team. Retrieved on November 14, from source: www. businesstown. com. 5. Davies, J. The evolution of university responses to financial reduction. Higher Education Management, 9(1), 127-140. 1997. 6. Deal, T. and A. Kennedy. Corporate Cultures, London: Penguin Books. 1988. 7. Garvin, David A. What makes for an authentic learning organization? Management Update: Newsletter from Harvard Business School 2, no. 6 (July 1): 7-9. 1993.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Apple external environment analysis Essay
Business background Apple.Inc. was founded in 1976 by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. It became successful in the personal company industry because of its incredible innovative products and business strategy. Small computer was the costumer- friendly product that has a clear future vision. Steve Jobs found this market and believe the demand for this market was big. Apple was the most successful initial public offering after Ford Motor Company in 1980. Apple also was the fast company that hit the Fortune 500 in the history. However, Apple nearly goes into bankruptcy by the middle of 1990s due to the fierce external competition from the IBM and the Microsoft and the internal rapidly growth. In order to stay afloat, apple focused on innovated their personal industry line. This helps Apple became successful ever after. Nowadays, the Apple Company involved in designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices and portable digital music players. It also sells the relative service, software, third- party digital content and applications and etc. The main product included IPhone, IPad, Mac, Ipod, AppleTV. The professional software applications and operating system IOS and OS X are also the part of product for the Apple. Apple sells the delivers digital content and application online through ITunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, and Mac App Store to provide service for the item they sale such as Mac. Customer can buy the entire product through online store, the retail stores, direct sales force that located worldwide. Not only these, customer can buy the Apple product as well as through third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. (Apple Inc. Form 10-K, September 28, 2013) Mission statement According to the information show on the Apple website, there is no clear â€Å"official†Apple’s mission statement. The following paragraph can be seeing as the mission for the Apple Inc on the Apple Corporation website. â€Å"Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers on the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devises with iPad.†(Apple Inc. Form 10-K, September 28, 2013) This is Apple’s mission statement because it matches with the characteristics of a mission statement in some parts. During this paragraph, the product, services and the market for Apple has been clearly described. Customer can understand who are they and what they do through this short paragraph. However, in another way, this â€Å"mission statement†is more like a product list. Without list all the product, this mission statement nether mentioned customer nor the value or the purpose for the company. It is clear to see that Apple Corporation is the product-oriented company. Vision statement The vision for the Apple Corporation is also can be seen as its mission statement. â€Å"Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to student, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.†(Apple Inc. Form 10-K, September 28, 2013) Unlike the mission statement, the vision statement is clearly customer- oriented. The market, product, customer and the self-concept for the future Apple Corporation has been mentioned in this one sentences. The future path of the Apple is clearly described as to bringing the best personal computing experience to all the customers. Strategy Based on the vision of Apple Corporation. Company will continue bringing the best product for the customers by innovation. Using unique ability Apple will continue design and improve its own operating system and all the other service, hardware and application to customer. Let the customer enjoy the new product that more easy-to-use and innovated design. Apple Corporation will continue investment in research, design, marketing and advertising. All these investments will play important role at developing and sale the new products. As the part of online store, all the customers who have â€Å"IOS†devices can discover, buy and download application and book from Apple store and iBook. Third- party application and digital content also are the important parts of iTunes store, which provide large number of revenue for Apple Corporation. To expand the discovery and delivery platform for the third- party who provide high quality hardware or software are also parts of strategy. The comp any believes that knowledgeable salespersons who can transform the value of product has the ability to attract and keep customers. The strategy for the marketing part is included that enhancing and expanding both online and retail stores to reach more customers and provide them a high-quality buying and post sales experience. (Apple Inc. Form 10-K, September 28, 2013) Strategy objective The financial objective- Continuing working in product innovation to extent the current product lifecycle. Through update the current system or launch the new product to maintain and growth market share and make profit. The customer related objective- the best way to keep loyal customer is by launch new innovative product. Keeping current customer base and extent the new market with the special focus on the developing countries like China and India will help Apple Corporation win the competition with the competitors. External Macro environment analysis Political Factors: Apple Corporation manages its business based on the geography base, which are general based on the location of its customers. Nowadays, Apple has retail store in 13 countries and sell their product through reseller and other ways all over the world. According to the annual report of 2013, the domestic and international sales accounted for 39% and 61%. The international market plays an important role for Apple Corporation. Wars, disasters, bad global relations and terrorism can affect business. In order to inter the foreign market, the company activity is affected by the local laws and regulation. For example, tax import and export requirement, intellectual property, labour, ownership and infringement, foreign exchange controls, environment and etc. those policy are different in different countries. In some of the countries, to enter the market may need to do the additional testing, product modifications, delays in product shipping dates, or decline product from the product list. All these will increase the operation cost and affect the sales of Apple product. As the policy may consistent change, in the future, the cost of doing business will continue increase. Any delay the introduction of new product caused by the changes of law or regulation has the possible result that product or service are less attractive to the customer even worst may damage the Apple image in its customers and retailers. (Apple Inc. Form 10-K, September 28, 2013) Economic Factors In the past few years, the world’s economy starts getting better from the recession. But the inflation rate still high, while the earning for the customers did not change. The unemployed rate is increase in many countries. Due to all these reason, customer’s purchasing power may reduce. People trend to spend less and do not buy the product that is experience. According to the finance data provide by the Apple annual report, the net income of 2013 (37,037 million) was less than the 2012(41,733 million). (Apple Inc. Form 10-K, September 28, 2013) The sales in some product are decreased. During the economic recession period, currency exchange rate become volatile. Apple using the margins on sales of the products in foreign countries to paid the foreign suppliers. Using this way to minimum the affect of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Social Factors As the global warming become more and more serious. Environmental protection problem become major issues in many countries. Some of them are where Apple operates. Most of the Apple product is produced outside the American. For example, iPhone is mainly produced in China. However, in the past few years, as the people and government in China are start consider the environment issues that caused by the manufactories. And the labor cost has increased in China. The total cost for producing iPhone has consistent increase. Technology Factors: Apple Corporation is in the market that has fast technology changes, no matter for personal computer, mobile phone and all the other electronic products. All of products are facing the heavy competition to the other companies such as Samsung. The characters of the technical industry are short product life period, need to introduce new product frequently and need to improve product performances frequently. In order to facing the rapidly changes in this industry, companies need to spend lots of money on research, design and development. However, this is good for Apple Corporation as they are using the unique operation system that designed by themself. Macro- environment affect industry Environment Apple Corporation are belong to the electronic industry, which is the industry that worth billions of dollars. More and more people’ work and daily life communication are relay on the consumer electronic such a computer and mobile phone. The size of the electronic manufactories continues increase. The electronic wastes are coming with the development of industry. The electronic devices are usually made by the toxic materials that are very hard to recycle. In one year, over 3 million tone electronic waste are produced in the United States. (EPA.) It’s clearly to see that in today’s society people are trend to be more environmental friendly. Not only the material that use to make the electronic devices need to be save, but also the other materials. Currently, the people in the industry are trying to design the sustainable electronics to help reduce the wastes. Tim Cook reveals his vision of industry. The future of the electronic industry is to use greener materials, less packaging, keep electronic product out of the landfills. (Jay Yaro, 2014) Demographics Currently, the customer for the electronic devices like computer and mobile phone are the young people at age between 18 and 35. It’s turn out that lots of company are forgot a important market-the middle age adult. The adult in the age between 40 and 60 should be the major market as most of them are earning money. Nowadays, with the technology development people are forced to use electronic devices. Especially for the middle age people who has a job. Those people are willing to buy the product for the work and start learning technology. Middle age is the group of people that has the highest purchasing power no matter in what time. After ten years, the young people at age of 18 to 35 are growing to the middle age and start work. This group of people is both familiar with all the electronic device and have money will provide much more revenue for the electronic industry. The developing countries like China also have a potential to growth in the future. Based on the population of those developing countries, the major market for the electronic industry in the future will transform from developed countries to the developing countries. Economic Electronic industry is one of the fastest developing industries in the world. In some way, it is driving the economy growth. Electronic is important for almost every major industry in the world. The trend for the global industry is to become more and more automated. The productivity for the electronic industry or the information technology industry will increase much more than the other industry, especially in the developing country where skilled labor are experience. Porter’s Five Forces model Rivalry Among Existing Competitors- Strong The electronic and information technology industry are both well know as the fast growth industry. The competition between companies is strong. This is the reason why the larger companies for the industry are less. The threat of existing competitors is very high for the Apple. The company is now operating three major markets: personal computer, mobile phone and the music players. For the personal computer area, Apple needs to compete with the big company like Dell, Toshiba, HP and etc. Apple using its unique operation system successful occupied parts of the market. However, as the difference of the market strategy, all the company is focus on different market. For the mobile phone area, Apple has to compete the big companies like Samsung and Blackbarry. For the music player area, Apple occupied 72% of the market. (Cole, 2013)However, the competitors like Sony are continue improve themselves. The only way to keep all the market share is to consistently improve and provide new product. In the future, as the market for the industry are moving from the developed countries to the developing countries, how to win the competition without lower price will be the top issue that Apple should work with. Bargaining Power of Buyers – Strong For the Apple Corporation, the â€Å"buyers†will be almost every one in the world. According to the large customer base, it’s clearly to say that the bargaining power of buyers is strong. There are so many choices for buyers. (different brand that provide the similar product.) Customers can easily switch between the brands. The individual buyer often knows the basic information for the product. These group of customer looking for the computer that has high quality but lower price. The bargaining powers for them are moderate. Apple is mainly targeting the customers that have academic institute, colleges and schools students, and retail buyers. School and some other organization is the big buyer for the apple computer area. Their bargaining power as a buyer is high. As the technology industry continues development, the new buyer come into the market. This large number of customers may change the current market. But one thing will not change is that the power is control by the customers. Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Weak Expect the suppliers like Intel. The bargaining power for the suppliers is low. For the big company like Apple, there are thousands of suppliers want to establish the relationship with it. For the suppliers, the competition between their own industries is strong. The low enter requirement caused lots of new enter. However, it’s hard to get large order since the existing relationships between current suppliers and company. Apple has lots of choices, the number of satisfaction substitute suppliers are many. The cost for Apple switch the supplier from one to another is low. The bargaining power for Apple as the buyer is strong, which sometime can influence the price for the product. Not only Apple as a buyer can influence the price, the price competition between the suppliers will also lower the price, which lower the cost for Apple. Currently, people are start pay more attention on the environment protection. According to Tim Cook’s vision of environment, the current supplier may have to become even greener to maintain the relationship with Apple. Threat of New Entrants – moderate The electronica industry keep attracting to the new enter with its rapid growth and increasing customer base. In another way, the industry are not attracting new enter as they are enter to the mature market that have to face the fierce competition. The giant player like Apple, Dell, Samsung are in the market and control the most of market. It’s hard to compete with these companies. To enter the high-tech industry the capital requirement are relatively high. The giant company like Apple are already controlled the supply and marketing channel. It is hard for a new enters get assessing to those channel. Another important parts is that in the current market, customer are usually loyalty to the larger and old brand. This is the challenge for the new enter to get market share from the well-know competitors. Threat from Substitutes – moderate The threat from the substitutes is moderate for Apple. There is not much product can substitute the electronic devices like computer, smartphone and music player. However for some of people, they do not need these entire products especially for the elder people. They may more like to read news on newspaper rather than on the websites and writing on the paper rather than taping on Computer. The traditional way is the substitute for this industry. However, as the industry continually developing, the threat from this part will consistently decrease. Reference Apple. Inc (Sept.29, 2013) Apple Annual Report Form 10-K. Apple.Inc. Jay Yaro (APR. 21, 2014) Tim Cook Reveals His Vision For Apple In An Environmental Video. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/tim-cook-apple- video-2014-4 EPA (n.d) Cleaning Up Electronic Waste. EPA.gov Retrieved from http://www2.epa.gov/international-cooperation/cleaning-electronic-waste-e-waste Shane Cole (December 19, 2013) Apple’s iPod continues to lead an ever-shrinking market of portable media players. Retrieved from http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/12/19/apples-ipod-continues-to-lead-an-ever-shrinking-market-of-portable-media-players
(any topic) but I choose to talk about a violence scene that happened Essay
(any topic) but I choose to talk about a violence scene that happened while I was at a place somewhere - Essay Example At the Jomo Kenyatta Airport, we were received by my father’s friend, Mr. Robert Rickaby, who works in the central part of Kenya. Mr. Rickaby is the director of USAID programs in the central part of Kenya, i.e. in Meru. From the Jomo Kenyatta Airport, we went directly to Meru, where Mr. Rickaby works. In Meru, Mr. Rickaby works at a village called Chiakariga, so we stayed at the Chiakariga village for a week before we started visiting the major tourist centres in Kenya. It was while I was at the Chiakariga village that I witnessed a bizarre incident of violence. In the central part of Kenya, as I came to learn later, the predominant religions are Christianity and the traditional African Religions (Religions of Kenya, web). Christianity and the traditional African religions, however, coexist peacefully in Kenya, although in some instances the worldview of the two religions crash. My witness of the bizarre act of violence took place on Monday, 22nd September 2013. On this day, Mr. Rickaby had taken us to Chiakariga Market to visit the people there and to have an experience of the culture of the people. In the trip to Chiakariga market, we had two tour guides, Mr. Mutegi and Mr. Mwenda, both friends of Mr. Rickaby. Shortly after arriving at the Chiakariga market, we saw a crowd of people curiously gathering somewhere. The gathering was rapidly enlarging. Out of curiosity, I asked our tour guides to take us there so that we could have a glimpse of what was happening. Our tour guides agreed to take us there but cautioned us to be wary because violence could easily erupt from the gathering. When we finally got there, I saw two men and two women; all in white robes. When we inquired from our tour guides whom the people in white robes were, our tour guides told us that the people in the white robes were pastors. The pastors were so charismatic and they were charging the crowd with good music;
Monday, October 7, 2019
Physiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Physiology - Essay Example While osteoblasts are bone-forming cells, osteocytes are mature bone cells and osteoclasts break down and reabsorb bone (†Bone Growth and Development†). Ossification is basically of 2 types, intramembranous and endochondral. In both these, the formation of bone tissue is similar. First, there is increase in the number of cells and collagen fibers. Then, the cells differentiate into osteoblasts. These cells form an organic matrix called the osteoid in which the bone salts are deposited. Some of these osteoblasts remain in the matrix and transform into osteocytes (Gardner, 856-862). The replacement of sheet-like connective tissue membranes with bony tissue is known as intramembranous ossification and bones formed by this method are known as intramembranous bones. Some of the flat bones of the skull and irregular bones fall into this category. These bones are initially formed as connective tissues membranes, later on the osteoblasts migrate to the membranes and deposit bony matrix around themselves and change into osteocytes. Replacement of hyaline cartilage with bony tissue is known as endochondral ossification. Most of the bones in our body are formed in this manner and hence these bones are known as endochondral bones. The bones are first formed as hyaline cartilage models as early as in the 3rd month of gestation. This is surrounded by a membrane called the perichondrium. Later, this becomes infiltrated with blood vessels and osteoblasts and then is called the periosteum (†Bone Growth and Development†). Primary center of ossification is the region in the bone in which the process of ossification starts first and this is indicated by an increase in the cells and fibers. Ossification continues from this center toward the ends of the bones. The time at which the primary center appears depends on the bone. The parietal and frontal bones, maxilla, and mandible appear during the embryonic period. In the long bones, the primary center of ossification
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