PharmaSim Report OCM Group Allstar Brands Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PharmaSim OCM Group Allstar Brands - Lab Report Example Showcasing plan or technique must depict the key or increased item qualities and the sort of advantages they give to the client, the critical cost that limits organization productivity yet offering some benefit for cash for the client, enticing advancements that wil pull in individuals to purchase the item and a sound circulation and situation system to make access for the clients. Our objective market sections was essentially the resigned portion where Allround had the most infiltration and the biggest (30%) piece of the pie. The prime purpose behind the choice of this market was the way that they are generally inclined to body longs because of maturing. Since Allround item had the most measure of Analgesic, it was more appropriate for hurts and fever than cold side effects. The brand is the unmistakable market pioneer in this market section. Most customers utilize this item for evening alleviation as a result of the quality of the drug and on the grounds that the liquor and antihis tamine help the patient rest. How you balanced your estimating, channel, and advancements because of the adjustments in: a) Macroenvironment of the Industry: Macro-monetary condition changes, for example, change in government guidelines; charges, segment changes and world of politics exceptionally influence the exhibition of the brand. For instance, decrease in industry development and ascend in infaltion adversely influenced all the organizations (counting Allround brands) in the market. The expense of merchandise sold got higher than the past period and subsequently our primary concern endured a shot. After a steady decrease in the business benefits and development, as a result of the serious idea of the business or changes in government strategies for OTC, the macroeconomic condition changed in Period 8 when it expanded by practically 12% period-over-period development. Because of expectant high development, the costs of the item were barely expanded ($1) in the separate time fra me so as to use the advantages of market blast. b) Consumer Behaviors: Generally, showcasing spins around individuals. In the expressions of Peter Drucker, â€Å"Marketing is the total of the business from the point of view of the customer.† Hence, it is basic to comprehend buyer conduct so as to pick up client bits of knowledge and apply it to one’s brand system. In PharmaSim, shopper conduct was concentrates through statistical surveying reports and investigating shopping patterns of the clients. The accompanying bits of knowledge were increased about our objective market portions: Majority of the client purchased their over-the-counter meds from supermarkets Majority of the doctors and drug specialists suggested brands Coughcure and End c) Competitors’ moves: Similar to this present reality, one can't play in insolation in PharmaSim, consequently competitors’ responsive and forceful moves influence your Dripstopperformances and techniques. For instance , Besthelp, Coughcure and End

Educational Psychology Essay

Clarify the Vygotskian thought of the zone of proximal turn of events. Assess the viability of ways to deal with educating and learning [eg. proportional instructing, intellectual apprenticeships, and networks of learners] which join this thought. Numerous scholars during the time have created ideas that have investigated and clarified how a kid gets the hang of during their tutoring years. Instructive scholar Lev Vygotsky created the social improvement hypothesis of learning. He accepted social communication is the essential driver of psychological turn of events. He named this the zone of proximal turn of events. There are numerous ways to deal with learning in the zone of proximal advancement, for example, framework, corresponding instructing, subjective apprenticeships and networks of learning, each with their own one of a kind method of shipping the student into a simpler progressively spurred condition of learning. Contrasted with Piaget’s hypothesis of psychological improvement where the kid apparently goes through four phases of advancement; sensorimotor, preoperational, solid tasks, and formal activities, Vygotsky accepted that the subjective formative procedure ought to be examined through social settings. He accepted this was a deep rooted process that was affected by social cooperation with family, educators, and companions in the social network encompassing the understudy. He underscored the instruments that particular societies give to look after reasoning, and the possibility that youngsters utilize the instruments they’re given to construct their own understanding of the physical and normal world. He named this the Zone of Proximal Development. Vygotsky characterizes this as â€Å"the separation between the genuine improvement level as controlled by autonomous critical thinking and the degree of potential advancement as decided through critical thinking under grown-up d irection or in a joint effort with increasingly fit peers† (Vygotsky, 1978, refered to from McInerney and McInerney, 2006,part 1,ch 2,p58). During this time subjective advancement happens. All through this improvement the youngster is said to experience four phases of development (Gallimore and Tharp, 1990): 1. Help: in their daily practice from other increasingly fit friends, guardians, and instructors. 2. Developing freedom: from their increasingly proficient companions as they assemble their own thoughts by utilizing self coordinated discourse and accept accountability for their learning. 3. Computerization of reaction: they create, make the development of thought programmed and disguise their reasoning. Help from others isn't required. 4. De-automatisation and recursion: consistent act of routine is fundamental so as not to lose the information and reappear the zone of proximal turn of events. At times there is consistently a development among all through the zone of proximal turn of events. Vygotskian standards are clear in regular showing rehearses and are kept up by guardians, companions and educators who accept that utilizing a social constructivist viewpoint for training will offer their youngster or understudies the chance to develop inside themselves through the assistance of others from various degrees of information. Vygotsky accepted that the job of the instructor utilizing the zone of proximal improvement for learning is to locate a suitable phase of intricacy for the student to deal with. This is called helped learning. Educators give â€Å"strategic help in the underlying phases of learning, step by step decreasing as understudies gain independence† (Woolfolk, 2001, p49). The instructor must disentangle errands so they are reasonable for the understudy to manage. This direction or help is called platform. It is the help for learning and critical thinking. The help could be pieces of information, updates, consolation, separating the issue into steps, giving and model, or whatever else that permits the understudy to develop as an autonomous student. They furnish understudies with the chances to additionally broaden their present abilities and information. For instance, consider an arithmetic issue. Expect that the student has gained great ground and the opportunity has arrived to figure out how to do a Pythagoras hypothesis question. We realize that the less fatty can't finish the undertaking autonomously yet has enough information to ace the issue with the assistance from an arithmetic educator. The student is in the zone of proximal turn of events and will have the option to profit by the framework, through clarifying, showing and managing by the instructor. While doing this, educators search for disparities between student’s exertion and the arrangement they think of. They are hoping to control the dissatisfaction and hazard that the understudy experiences. Likewise they model a romanticized form of the demonstration of adapting so the student can utilize it to assist them with taking care of their instructive issues (Hausfather, 1996). The way to getting understudies to assist themselves with adapting autonomously isn't to cause the understudies to reexamine data or rediscover it themselves. The educator must make the data accessible for the student to inspect and work out their own thoughts and arrangements while permitting them to be available to exhortation from individuals who are increasingly educated regarding the matter. So despite the fact that platform is an amazingly accommodating apparatus for instructors to use in their instructing and their student’s learning, they should ensure that the kid is taught in the correct methodology so as not to hinder the kid from making propels on their own instructive abilities. Psychological apprenticeships have demonstrated valuable throughout the hundreds of years as a compelling type of training. The bond that is shaped among ace and student is both individual and inspiring. By working close by progressively experienced individuals, youngsters can get familiar with the little-known techniques direct. There is a making of exchange among understudy and instructors that goes past addressing questions and participates in the talk all the more casually (Driscoll, 1994). Correspondence is significant among ace and student and the educator must figure out how to appropriately utilize proxemics, paralanguage, and kinesics directly for the results to be reached. The exhibitions expected of the student are genuine and significant and develop increasingly unpredictable as the student turns out to be progressively equipped (Collins, Brown, and Holum, 1991). A few scholastics accept that information and aptitudes learned in school have gotten isolated from the ordinary world. To make up for this, numerous schools have embraced a considerable lot of the highlights of apprenticeships. Apprenticeships in schools would concentrate on intellectual destinations, for example, perusing, composing, critical thinking and scientific issues. There are six fundamental highlights of psychological apprenticeships: 1. Understudies watch a specialist model the presentation 2. Understudies get outer help through instructing or mentoring 3. Understudies get reasonable platform, which is then steadily blurred as the understudy turns out to be progressively equipped and capable 4. Understudies constantly articulate their insight †articulating their comprehension of the procedures and substance being found out. 5. Understudies ponder their advancement, contrasting their critical thinking with an expert’s execution and to their own previous exhibitions 6. Understudies are required to investigate better approaches to apply what they are realizing †ways that they have not polished at the master’s side. (Woolfolk, 2001) In the study hall there is regularly one educator to 30 or so understudies, so where is there time for psychological apprenticeships? Regularly there are understudies on the class that are at an a lot more elevated level of abilities than different less able understudies. Educators put these understudies into bunches where they can learn at an agreeable rate while have been inundated in an ace and disciple style learning condition. A case of an intellectual apprenticeship is the idea of corresponding instructing. This is a technique dependent on displaying, to show perusing cognizance procedures. The objective of equal instructing is to assist understudies with comprehension and contemplate what they read (Palincsar, 1986). Palincsar’s inquire about has concentrated consideration on systems that improve understanding appreciation. In Brown and Palincsar’s 1989 contextual investigation understudies and instructors took it in goes to lead little gathering conversations on a significant issue. They were indicated 4 understanding techniques and the understudies started to educate themselves. This sort of instructive style demonstrated critical increases over other instructional systems as they didn't permit understudies to slowly educate themselves. Research on proportional instructing has demonstrated some astounding outcomes. Most research was completed with understudies who were more youthful young people who can peruse reasonably precisely so hence the exploration doe not have results and information from understudies who are in an alternate age gathering and who are not truly fit in perusing understanding aptitudes. So the general research isn't entirely solid, anyway of the understudies that was included their perusing capacities improved. The individuals who were in the lower base portion of their group climbed to average or better than expected level on trial of understanding cognizance. Palincsar has perceived there are three core values for successful complementary instructing (Palincsar and Brown, 1984). 1. The move from educator control to understudy obligation must be progressive. 2. The trouble of the undertaking and the duty must match the capacities of every understudy and develop as these capacities create. 3. Educators ought to deliberately watch the â€Å"teaching† of every understudy for pieces of information about how the understudy is thinking and what sorts of guidance the understudy needs. By thinking about equal educating, instructional methodologies are utilized to accentuate social association between student’s dynamic developments of importance. In a network of students, understudies and instructors together build a culture that qualities the qualities everything being equal and regards their inclinations, capacities, dialects, and lingos. Understudies and educators move among the jobs of master, re

Brant Case Analysis

CASE: BRANT FREEZER COMPANY Question 1: When looking at execution during the initial five months of 2004 with execution in 2003, which distribution center shows the most improvement? St. Louis is the just one indicating any improvement, utilizing cost per unit sent as the presentation basis. The expense for the initial five months of 2003 was $9. 97 and for the initial five months of 2004, it tumbled to $9. 07. Question 2: When looking at execution during the initial five months of 2004 with execution in 2003, which stockroom shows the most unfortunate change in performance?The most exceedingly awful change is the company’s own distribution center (situated in Fargo), where costs per unit dispatched expanded 31%. Among the open distribution centers utilized, Denver was the most noticeably awful regarding cost per unit took care of. It is additionally the most costly open distribution center that Brant employments. Question 3: When examinations are made among each of the eight stockrooms, which one do you think does the best employment for the Brant Company? What standards did you use? Why? Utilizing the expense per unit dealt with basis, St.Louis does the best employment, firmly followed by Chicago. Question 4: J. Q. is forceful and will suggest that his dad drop the agreement with one of the stockrooms and give that business to a contending distribution center in a similar city. J. Q. feels that when expression of this gets around, different distribution centers they use will â€Å"shape up. † Which of the seven should J. Q. suggest be dropped? Why? Denver has the most minimal volume and most noteworthy unit costs among all the open stockrooms used.In expansion, it had been shut by a strike which more likely than not troubled the Brant Company. It might be that the distribution center workers’ associations are solid in the Denver territory. J. Q. ought to most likely look at rates and profitability proportions of other Denver distribution centers before choosing to drop its present stockroom there. Question 5: The year 2004 is about half finished. J. Q. is advised to decide how much the firm is probably going to spend for warehousing at every one of the eight distribution centers throughout the previous a half year of 2004.Do his work for him. There isn't sufficient data to do an exact estimate. J. Q. accept that the extent of expenses happening during the initial five months of 2003 ought to be in a similar extent in 2004. (1)â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â (2)â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â (3)â â â â â â â  â â â â (4) Warehouse location| % 2003 expenses happening in initial five months| Actual expenses for initial five months of 2004 ($)| Projected all out expenses in 2004 ($)| Projected expenses over the most recent a half year of 2004 ($)| Atlanta| 22. 88| 40,228| 175,822| 116,204|Boston| 44. 00| 29,416| 66,885| 32,085| Chicago| 53. 43| 141,222| 264,312| 105,556 | Denver| 35. 00| 14,900| 42,571| 23,714| Fargo| 54. 00| 9,605| 17,787| 7,012| Los Angeles| 72. 20| 93,280| 129,197| 30,781| Portland| 49. 30| 42,616| 86,442| 37,559| St. Louis| 44. 80| 19,191| 42,837| 20,265| The anticipated expenses in 2004 (section 3) are determined by separating the genuine expenses for the initial five months of 2004 (segment 2) by the percent of 2003 costs that happened in the initial five months (segment 1).For model, Atlanta’s real 2004 expenses of $40,228 partitioned by 2003’s 22. 88% yields anticipated 2004 expenses of roughly $175,822. The anticipated expenses over the most recent a half year of 2004 (segment 4) are determined by taking away the real expenses for the initial five months of 2004 (section 2) from 2004’s anticipated all out costs (segment 3). This gives us the anticipated expenses throughout the previous seven months of 2004. Be that as it may, we are just keen on the most recent a half year of 2004, so this number is du plicated by 6/7, or . 857.Continuing with Atlanta, 2004’s anticipated all out expenses of $175,822 less the initial five months’ real expenses of $40,228 rises to $135,394. Duplicating this by 6/7 yields anticipated six months’ expenses of around $116,204. Question 6: When contrasting 2003 figures and the 2004 figures appeared in Exhibit 13-A, the sum planned for each distribution center in 2004 was more noteworthy than genuine 2003 expenses. What amount of the expansion is brought about by expanded volume of specialty (units sent) and what amount by swelling? There are a few different ways to move toward this question.One includes computing the volume distinction and expansion contrast for each distribution center, as follows: Volume distinction = 2003 unit costs x (2004 units transported †2003 units sent) Inflation distinction = 2004 units dispatched x (2004 unit costs †2003 unit costs) For instance, Atlanta’s volume and swelling contrasts are : Volume distinction: $8. 99 x (18,000 †17,431) = $8. 99 x 569 = $5,115 Inflation contrast: 18,000 x ($9. 97 †$8. 99) = 18,000 x $. 98 = $17,640 Question 7: Prepare the firm’s 2005 warehousing financial plan, appearing for each stockroom the foreseen number of units to be transported and the costs.Again, this should be possible in a few different ways. One is to accept that the 2004 to 2005 increments will be the very same sum as the 2003 to 2004 increments (with units sent adjusted to the closest hundred, and costs adjusted to the closest $500). This would yield the accompanying outcomes: Warehouse location| Differences in units sent b/w 2003 and 2004| Units shippedâ in 2004| Projected units dispatched in 2005| Difference in distribution center costs b/w 2003 and 2004 ($)| Warehouse costs in 2004 ($)| Projected stockroom costs in 2005 ($)| Atlanta| 600| 18,000| 18,600| 21,000| 178,000| 199,000| Boston| 300| 7,200| 7,500| 9,500| 73,000| 82,500|Chicago| 1,900| 30,00 0| 31,900| 38,500| 285,000| 323,500| Denver| 100| 3,100| 3,200| 3,000| 31,000| 34,000| Fargo| 0| 2,000| 500| 17,000| 17,500| Los Angeles| 500| 17,000| 17,500| 24,000| 176,000| 200,000| Portland| 700| 9,000| 9,700| 12,000| 85,000| 97,000| St. Louis| 2,100| 8,000| 10,100| 4,000| 56,000| 60,000| Another strategy would utilize rate changes. Question 8: While going to classes at the college, J.Q. had scholarly of coordinations organizations. Should Brant Freezer Company endeavor to go into an organization relationship with these distribution centers? Assuming this is the case, what approach would it be a good idea for it to utilize? Expecting that an association approach was to be utilized, Brant would need to think about a type of sharing of potential dangers and benefits. Spur of the moment, the case doesn't give a lot of data to go on, other than cost regulation or decrease is an issue.

How to Make Sure Divorce Doesnt Disrupt a 529 Plan

There's no question that divorce often results in financial chaos, and as couples seek to untangle their financial lives from one another, a 529 plan often gets neglected. Though the funds inside a 529 plan can be significant, they may be overlooked because people assume the money belongs to the child, says Leslie Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst at Spectrum Management Group in Indianapolis. "People often see a 529 as their child's asset, but it's an asset of the marriage, and that means it really needs to be planned for as a part of the divorce," she says. Indeed, missteps can be costly. Without careful planning, an ex-spouse could potentially drain the account, leaving your child with fewer options for his or her college education. Protecting your child's future Preserve your child's financial future by taking these smart steps with your 529 plan account: Consider splitting the account. A 529 plan account has just one owner, which is fine when parents are together. However, when they split, each will have a separate stake in the child's education. "If a 529 account stays with the husband, for example, the wife isn't going to want to be funding that legacy account," says Thompson. "Just as you divide your other marital assets, you'll want to divide your 529." It's generally a relatively simple, administrative procedure to divide a single account into two accounts and that will give each parent control over a portion of the assets. Be sure your divorce decree specifies uses for 529 plan funds. If you're worried that an irresponsible ex-spouse might siphon off 529 plan funds for things other than your child's college education, you'll want to set forth some clear language in your divorce decree, says Laurel Alberty, president of Alberty Financial Planning Services in Atlanta. "Make sure the decree specifies that funding can only be pulled for education," she says. If a 529 plan withdrawal will result in a penalty of any kind, you may want to add language in the decree that makes it clear that both parties need to be informed of it or sign off on it. Ask for interested party statements. Just because a 529 plan account isn't in your name doesn't mean you can't keep tabs on it. By requesting interested party statements from the financial institution of your 529 plan, you can make sure that your ex-spouse contributes regularly and doesn't pull out funds without reason. Usually, you can request this service from the financial institution by filling out a few forms. "You should be able to get statements quarterly, and you can also be alerted if there are withdrawals," says Linda Pietroburgo, a principal at the Moneta Group in Clayton, Mo. Be clear on successor owners. You may not be the owner of a 529 plan account, but you should be in line for it if something were to happen with your ex-spouse. "Parents are generally the best people to be successor owners," says Pietroburgo. "If something happens, you at least want to know who will be controlling the money and that this person will have your child's best interests at heart." Lay out future funding. As time goes by, it's not always clear to ex-spouses who will cover what with regard to educational expenses, says Thompson. Be sure to outline in advance how much each spouse will be responsible for covering higher educational costs -- whether in percentages of the total cost or in dollars and cents -- so that they can plan accordingly for 529 plan savings. Posted July 16, 2010 There's no question that divorce often results in financial chaos, and as couples seek to untangle their financial lives from one another, a 529 plan often gets neglected. Though the funds inside a 529 plan can be significant, they may be overlooked because people assume the money belongs to the child, says Leslie Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst at Spectrum Management Group in Indianapolis. "People often see a 529 as their child's asset, but it's an asset of the marriage, and that means it really needs to be planned for as a part of the divorce," she says. Indeed, missteps can be costly. Without careful planning, an ex-spouse could potentially drain the account, leaving your child with fewer options for his or her college education. Protecting your child's future Preserve your child's financial future by taking these smart steps with your 529 plan account: Consider splitting the account. A 529 plan account has just one owner, which is fine when parents are together. However, when they split, each will have a separate stake in the child's education. "If a 529 account stays with the husband, for example, the wife isn't going to want to be funding that legacy account," says Thompson. "Just as you divide your other marital assets, you'll want to divide your 529." It's generally a relatively simple, administrative procedure to divide a single account into two accounts and that will give each parent control over a portion of the assets. Be sure your divorce decree specifies uses for 529 plan funds. If you're worried that an irresponsible ex-spouse might siphon off 529 plan funds for things other than your child's college education, you'll want to set forth some clear language in your divorce decree, says Laurel Alberty, president of Alberty Financial Planning Services in Atlanta. "Make sure the decree specifies that funding can only be pulled for education," she says. If a 529 plan withdrawal will result in a penalty of any kind, you may want to add language in the decree that makes it clear that both parties need to be informed of it or sign off on it. Ask for interested party statements. Just because a 529 plan account isn't in your name doesn't mean you can't keep tabs on it. By requesting interested party statements from the financial institution of your 529 plan, you can make sure that your ex-spouse contributes regularly and doesn't pull out funds without reason. Usually, you can request this service from the financial institution by filling out a few forms. "You should be able to get statements quarterly, and you can also be alerted if there are withdrawals," says Linda Pietroburgo, a principal at the Moneta Group in Clayton, Mo. Be clear on successor owners. You may not be the owner of a 529 plan account, but you should be in line for it if something were to happen with your ex-spouse. "Parents are generally the best people to be successor owners," says Pietroburgo. "If something happens, you at least want to know who will be controlling the money and that this person will have your child's best interests at heart." Lay out future funding. As time goes by, it's not always clear to ex-spouses who will cover what with regard to educational expenses, says Thompson. Be sure to outline in advance how much each spouse will be responsible for covering higher educational costs -- whether in percentages of the total cost or in dollars and cents -- so that they can plan accordingly for 529 plan savings. Posted July 16, 2010

The Diversity Of The Natural Ecosystem - 1014 Words

1.0 INTRODUCTION Nigeria is placed between latitudes 4 0 16IN and 130 52IN and between Longitudes 20 49IE and 14037IE. The land covers a add soil area of 923, 768 km2 with a population of 140,431,790 in 2006 (NPC, 2009). Due to its gigantic geographical extent, the country covers diverse climatic and ecological zones. The diversity of the natural ecosystem ranges from semi-arid port in the northern, to rain forest and vast freshwater swamp forest with another different coastal vegetation in the southwesterly. The land s heavy capableness of biodiversity let around 20,000 species of insects, near 1000 species of birds, 247 species of mammals, 123 species of reptiles and most 1000 species of fish. The land is also fortunate with near 7,895 species of plants (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2001). Nigeria s economy is characterized by vast rural-based conventional sector with almost 70% of the assemblage lives on agriculture guiding to legal felling, infringements by farmers and cattle herders, firewood collectors and illicit procurement of shielded wildlife. Fast growth and high measure of poorness (Omonoma, 2009), has led to burden on water, land and other natural resources. while many of the local communities live on the wild species biodiversity (Northerner Governing of Nigeria). Mismanagement and over exploitation of these natural resources has led to degradation of natural forest, loss of ground fertility, water, environmental abjection, extinction of biodiversity,Show MoreRelatedThe Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Introduction Since humans have come into existence they have always been a cause of change of whatever natural areas they inhabit along with the living organisms of those natural areas. The different types of organisms such as plants, animals, and microorganisms that inhabit these areas are known as biological diversity or biodiversity. (USEPA 2010 ) Biological diversity can be affected by many different things, climate changeRead MoreEvaluate the Importance of Ecosystem Management and Protection1135 Words   |  5 PagesEvaluate the importance of ecosystem management and protection An ecosystem is defined as a group of organisms and their biophysical environment interact and exchange matter and energy, collectively, they form an ecological system. By identifying the characteristic patters of interaction it is possible to distinguish different types of ecosystem. Many forms and features have been accountable for the destruction of different ecosystems. This has been achieved within the atmosphere-varies in temperatureRead MoreBiodiversity. Biodiversity Is The Variability Among Living1684 Words   |  7 Pagesmarine and other aquatic ecosystems. This includes diversity within species, between species, and ecosystems. 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As a result we have become increasingly aware of the need to protect and manage the ecosystems that we do have remaining for their utility, genetic, intrinsic and heritage values and also for the need to allow natural change and thus evolution to take place. Natural ecosystems have provided much that has been of benefit to humanity and with careful protectionRead MoreThe Importance of Biodiversity1521 Words   |  7 Pagesgiven in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) from the 1992 Earth summit: ‘Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which th ey are part ; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems’ (Hambler, C., 2004, 11). Within planet earth today Biodiversity forms the foundation for the vast array of ecosystem services that critically contribute toRead MoreNatural Selection Paper1502 Words   |  7 PagesNatural Selection Paper Natural selection is considered one of the most important processes for a variety of species and the environment which allows the fittest organisms to produce offspring. To prevent a species from extinction, it is necessary for them to adapt to the surrounding environment. The species which have the ability to adapt to new surroundings will be able to pass their genes through reproduction. Within the process of natural selection, it is possible for the original genetic make-upRead MoreImpact Of Biodiversity On The Environment1267 Words   |  6 Pagesof plants, animals, protists and fungi. It was recognized in the 1980’s that species were being lost at rapid rates from ecosystems. It is known that all organisms play important roles within their ecosystems being that organisms interact with their ecosystem through feedback mechanisms (Cardinale, B. J., et al., 2012). If biodiversity is diminishing then food webs and ecosystems will also be disrupted. In humanity, Health cann ot be sustained without a viable environment (Yassi, A., 2001). The primaryRead MoreAssignment : Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function1128 Words   |  5 PagesSUS 601: APPLIED ECOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 1- BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION MEKALA KARTHIK How has the challenge of determining how to quantify biodiversity been handled by researchers working on this problem? The maintenance of diversity of living systems is critical for ecosystem functioning, the accelerating pace of global change is threatening its preservation. Quantifying biodiversity on the basis of diversity indices is essential both for developing successful policies to mitigate biodiversity

MGT 521 Week 2 Knowledge Check Essays - 1128 Words

Week 2 Knowledge Check Concepts Mastery Score: 12/12 Questions Strategies for SWOT Analyses 100% 1 2 3 Strategic and Operational Plans 100% 4 5 6 Differentiate Between Goals and Plans 100% 7 8 9 Examples of Contingency Factors in Planning 100% 10 11 12 Concept: Strategies for SWOT Analyses Concepts Mastery Strategies for SWOT Analyses 100% Questions 1 2 3 1. As a process of self-examination during her senior year of college, Casey decides to develop a SWOT analysis of her prospects relative to getting a job. Casey realizes that she has a personal characteristic that suggests she is not comfortable interacting with strangers. She†¦show more content†¦Planning D. Operations Correct! The correct answer is: C. Plans outline how goals will be achieved. Many organizations have an annual planning process that helps outline how the organization will achieve its annual or strategic goals. 8. Goals are different from plans because ________. A. goals identify specific steps that the organization needs to achieve, and plans identify the overall mission of the organization B. goals describe financial objectives, and plans describe objectives related to social responsibility C. goals are important only for small companies, and plans are important only for large companies D. goals are desired outcomes, and plans describe how those outcomes will be accomplished Correct! The correct answer is: D. Goals are desired outcomes. Managers use goals as a guide when creating plans. The plans outline how managers will accomplish the set goals. 9. Most company goals can be classified as either ________ or ________. A. operational; tactical B. social; economic C. strategic; financial D. strategic; operational Correct! The correct answer is: C. When companies set goals they want to be sure those goals do not just focus on company profits. A single goal pertaining to profits may result in unethical behaviors. Companies want to have multiple goals that not only improve business but motivate employees. Most company goals are either strategic or financial because financial goals are related toShow MoreRelatedStr 581 Essay1954 Words   |  8 Pages†¢ Review the Week One Study Guide. †¢ Review the Capstone Examination Study Materials. Jul, 09 - Jul, 15 Objectives Mission, Vision, and Values 1.1 1.2 1.3 Identify major components of a strategic management process. Evaluate the organizations motivation strategy, innovation strategy, and people strategy. Explain the role of ethics and corporate responsibility in strategic planning. Required Learning Activities †¢ Strategic Management, Ch. 1 †¢ Strategic Management, Ch. 2 †¢ Strategic ManagementRead MoreSpecialty Retail Industry1901 Words   |  8 PagesP/Book(mrq) 13.07 P/Cash Flow(mrq) 11.17 Profitability(ttm) Gross Margin % 34.59% Operating Margin % 9.54% Net Profit Margin % 9.19% Financial Strength (mrq) Quick Ratio 0.49 Current Ratio 1.46 LT Debt/Equity 110.07 Total Debt/Equity 118.25 Mgt. Effectiveness (ttm) Return on Invstmt % 13.23% Return on Assets % 9.09% Return on Equity % 25.77% Key Issues The growing popularity of online retailing is attracting competition from traditional and online multi-retailers such as Wal-Mart andRead MoreAccounting12472 Words   |  50 Pages............................................................................................. 1 Assignment Background .................................................................................................................................. 2 Bigg-Glowbell Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 3 The Company History .....................................................................

Descriptive Essay About Childhood free essay sample

When I was a baby, the world was a lot different. Everything was incredibly bright, or awfully dark. I was remarkably happy, or I was terribly scared. I lived in a world of extremes. I was trapped on an elevator that soared to the top floor in an instant, and plummeted to the basement the next. Nothing, not one feeling, not one moment in time, lasted long enough for me to explore. Then, as I stood up for the first time, the elevator came to a halt and the shiny, metal door slid slowly open. With a ding, I opened my eyes. What stood before me, framed in the elevator door, was a giant, majestic tree. As I took my first steps out of the elevator, the soothing carpet beneath my feet was replaced with short, prickly grass. The horizon was hazy and golden and the air was fresh and crisp. We will write a custom essay sample on Descriptive Essay About Childhood or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As I approached the tree, the elevator door shut violently behind me, and a loud bang echoed for an eternity before it vanished in a cloud of grey fog. The cloud of fog grew steadily, like bacteria spreading, and I was paralyzed as I watched it engulf the entire world. I was startled, but the giant tree demanded my attention. I continued towards it until I arrived at the trunk and wrapped my arms around as much of it as I could. It was covered in microscopic needles and I relinquished my grip on it almost at once. I looked down at my chest and arms, and found that they were covered with red scrapes. I gazed back up at the tree. I followed its trunk until it disappeared into the fog. I wondered what the fog was hiding. The more my curiosity grew, the less pronounced my scrapes became, until they had completely disappeared and were replaced with tougher skin. Then, by instinct, I reached for the lowest branch and heaved myself upwards. When I grabbed each branch, it felt rough, but no longer punctured my skin. The further up the tree I climbed, the further apart the branches became, until I arrived at a point which I could no longer reach any branches. I could see nothing below or above. The entire world was a mystery to me, but I was growing; and before long, I was tall enough to reach all of the branches I needed. I happily climbed and lived on the tree for many years, striving to reach the top and penetrate the fog. As time passed, I grew taller and stronger, yet still, the mystery of the world remained. Then, as suddenly as the elevator door had opened so long ago, I rose above the fog. I was blinded by a bright, white light, and while my eyes were adjusting, a howling wind threw me off balance. I grabbed mindlessly for any branch I could use to hang on, but it was no use; and I fell. I landed on my back with a dull thud. I found myself lying at the foot of a sad, dying, peely tree; as I had been growing, the tree had been shrinking. I stared up at a clear, blue sky, as the hair on my arms erected, and tiny goose bumps emerged on the surface of my pale skin. Each breathe I took exploded into a cloud of fog, and evaporated at once. Now every blade of grass, every antenna attached to every insect, every mountain range contained within every chunk of bark on every tree, was in sharp relief. It seemed that the mystery of the world had vanished. Had I finally discovered the truth? I saw, heard, touched, tasted and smelled all that I could, but I was not contented. The feeling of anticipation; of not knowing; the mystery that had consumed me as a child, was missing. And as I sat in a smoggy traffic jam eating a drippy burrito, I wondered if I could ever get it back.

Intrusion Detection Systems Essay Example

Intrusion Detection Systems Paper Intrusion Detection Systems In 1980, James Anderson’s paper, Computer Security Threat Monitoring and Surveillance, bore the notion of intrusion detection. Through government funding and serious corporate interest allowed for intrusion detection systems(IDS) to develope into their current state. So what exactly is IDS? An IDS is used to detect malicious network traffic and computer usage through attack signatures. The IDS watches for attacks not only from incoming internet traffic but also for attacks that originate in the system. When a potential attack is detected the IDS logs the information and sends an alert to the console. How the alert is detected and handled at is dependent on the type of IDS in place. Through this paper we will discuss the different types of IDS and how they detect and handle the alerts, the difference between a passive and a reactive system and some general IDS intrusion invasion techniques. First lets go over what the difference is between a passive and a reactive IDS. In a passive IDS the sensor of detects an potential threat then logs the information and sends an alert to the console. With a reactive IDS, also known as an intrusion prevention system(IPS), the threat would be detected and logged. We will write a custom essay sample on Intrusion Detection Systems specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Intrusion Detection Systems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Intrusion Detection Systems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Then the reactive IDS would either reset the connection or reprogram the firewall to block network traffic from the suspected source, which could be automatic or at the control of an operator. Therefore a reactive system will act in response to the threat were as a passive system will only log and send an alert to the console informing the operator of a threat. There are many types of intrusion detection systems, network intrusion detection, host based, protocol based, application protocol based, anomaly based and hybrid. The first one we are going to discus is network intrusion detection systems or NIDS. With NIDS the system attempts to detect threats and attacks, such as denial of service attacks, port scans and attempts to hack into computers by monitoring the network traffic in real time through a promiscuous connection. It does so by first filtering out all known non-malicious traffic and then analyzing the remaining incoming packets for suspicious patterns that could be threats. It is not however limited to just analyzing incoming packets, the system also analyzes the outgoing local traffic, in case of an attack/threat that originates inside of the local network. Snort is an example of this. Host based intrusion detection systems unlike network intrusion detection systems, which focus on a computing system’s external interfaces, host based systems focus on the monitoring and examination of the computing system’s internals. Host based systems are more concerned with the changes in state of a computing system. It detects these changes by analyzing system specific logs either in real time or periodically. When there is any change in the logs the IDS will compare the current configuration of the security policy to the changes and react accordingly. An example of this would be tripwire. Protocol based intrusion detection systems (PIDS) monitor the dynamic behavior and state of the protocol. In a typical setup there is a system or agent sitting at the front end of the server. This agent or system monitors the communication protocol between the computing system, it is trying to protect, and a connected device. The main goal of protocol based IDS is to impose the proper use of the protocol used between the protected computing system and all connected devices. Bro and sort are examples of protocol based intrusion detection systems. Application protocol based intrusion detection systems (APIDS) are used to monitor the protocols specific to certain applications and protocols being used by the computing system. The typical setup, similar to protocol based IDS, consists of a system or agent that sits in front of a group of servers where it will monitor and analyze the communication protocols specific to applications. An example would be to have an APIDS between a web server and a database system where the APIDS monitors the SQL protocol being used between them. Anomaly based intrusion detection systems detect attacks and threats through the monitoring of system activity and classifying it based on heuristic or rules instead of patterns and signatures. The IDS classifies activity as either normal or anomalous based on its analysis. Since the classification is determined by heuristic or rules it has a significant advantage over systems that use signatures. In signature based detection the signature has to have been previously created where in anomaly based any type of use that doesn’t coincide with the normal use of the system will be detected malicious or not. Snort is an example of this type of system. Hybrid intrusion detection systems consist of a combination of one or more approaches to intrusion detection systems. Typically you would use a host based IDS and a network IDS to develop an extensive overview of the entire network. The biggest benefit that a hybrid IDS has over any single type of IDS is the large amount of sensors it has to detect malicious activity. Prelude is an example of an hybrid IDS. As with any other type of security device there will always be some one looking for holes in the fence. Intrusion detection systems are no different. Through many intrusion invasion techniques people are able to avoid detection by changing the states of the IDS and the targeted computing system by manipulating the attack or the network traffic that contains the attack. Some of the techniques we will cover in this paper are obfuscating attack payload fragmentation and small packets, overlapping fragments, protocol violations, inserting traffic at the IDS, denial of service. Obfuscating attack payload is simply what it means, which is to encode the attack so that the IDS will be unable to reverse the packets but the target computer can. A way to do this is through encoding attack packets with a Unicode character in which an IDS recognize but an IIS server will be able decode thus being attacked. You can also use polymorphic code in so that you can trick signature-based IDSs by creating unique attack patterns so there is not a distinct attack signature that can be easily detected. Another technique used to evade IDS is through fragmentation and small packets. With this technique you simply just split the packets up into smaller packets or create packets with a small payload also known as ‘session splicing’. Although small packets alone, will not be enough to evade an IDS with a packet reassembler. Hope is not lost though you can still modify the packets to complicate reassembly. One way to confuse the reassembler is to pause between sending parts of the attack in hope that the reassembler will time out but not the target computer. Another way is to send the packets out of order so that the reasssembler gets confused but the target computer does not. An IDS evasion technique, known as overlapping fragments, uses TCP sequence numbers to confuse the IDS. It basically creates a series of packets with TCP sequence numbers configured to overlap. So for example you send the first packet that includes 80 bytes you then send the second packet with a sequence number of 76 bytes after the start of the first packet. The target computer, when it tries to reassemble the TCP stream, has to decide how to handle the 4 bytes that overlapping. Some systems take it from the older data and some from the newer data, it is dependent on the operating system of the target computer. Protocol violations are another technique of IDS intrusion invasion. Using protocol violations you simply exploit known violations to a protocol that will be interpreted differently by the IDS than by the target computer. An example of this would be to use the TCP Urgent Pointer that is handled differently by different operating systems and the IDS may not handle it correctly. Another evasion technique is inserting traffic at the IDS. This is where you send packets that the IDS will see but the target computer will not. This is accomplished by simply crafting packets whose time to live fields have been configured to reach the IDS but not the target computer. This creates a situation where the IDS is in a different state than the target computer. Denial of service attacks or DoS attacks, are used to evade detection by overloading and disabling the IDS. To achieve this the attack will exploit a known bug in the IDS using up computational resources needed by the IDS. This can also be accomplished by intentional generating a large number of alerts to set up a front to hide the real attack. Utilities such as stick and snot are designed to send a large amount of attack signatures across a network to spawn a large number of IDS alerts. However this will only work on IDSs that do not maintain application protocol context. As you can see with the numerous ways around intrusion detection systems, as with any network security system, there is no complete security solution. Even with this there will always be a need for intrusion detection systems. The best of which would be a combination of network and host based IDSs, in other words a hybrid IDS. These will give you the benefits of both worlds of IDS and allow for greater security. Whatever your opinion on which solution is right for you, intrusion detection systems are here to stay and are a valuable tool in network security. Resources http://www. securityfocus. com/infocus/1514

Research Paper on Finance

Research Paper on Finance The research and financial analysis of this report are based on the information provided by the Ryanair Financial Report, relevant internet and library. Introduction The purpose of this research paper is using financial management techniques to provide an overview of Ryanair Holding Plc. After analyzing the information from different resources, this research paper will supply other companies with a guide to make many decisions required to effectively manage of their business and to develop their future financial plans for the future requires reliable and pertinent information on the financial performance and financial position of the firm although if the analysis forecasts serious financial problems. Financial management techniques in todays business The main objective of financial management is maximizing shareholders wealth. Company needs money to acquire resources to operate. Money for investment is referred to as finance, financial management is concerned with managing a companys finances. When company decides to use their expertise, time and money in a particular way, they have an objective in mind. The objective governs the decisions to be made. A companys major objective is maximizing the wealth of its shareholders, but other objectives should be satisfied at the same time, like managerial objective, short-term objective, other parties objective, non-financial objective. The company needs machine, staff, and working capital to exist and grow in the market, which is the reason why we have to invest. First, we should have strategic management and analysis. Like current environment, capacity for change. Where are we now? Where are we going? P.E.S.T and SWOT analysis can help you analysis the companys situations. The rule of t humb is that long-term assets should be financed by long-term funds and short-tem assets by short-term funds. Short-term finance is usually cheaper than long-term finance. This is largely due to the risks taken by creditors. There are some financial management techniques that we could apply in the chosen company Ryanair Holding PLC. About Ryanair The Irish company Ryanair is the famous low-fares airline company in Europe. It started in 1985 and had IPO in 1997 when it floated Ryanair Holdings plc on Dublin and New York (NASDAQ) Stock exchanges. Company goal is to be the Europes largest airline in the next 8 years. Ryanair operates 45 routes across 11 European countries. They have daily services from most of these routes. In 1995, Ryanair had become the biggest passenger carrier on the Dublin-London route. But compare with other large airlines, Ryanair only operates European continental routes. It lacks the link with other continents. However, in addition to route availability, the actual flight schedule is also important to maximize the available flying time of the airlines most significant tangible asset, its aircraft. Ryanair has a fleet of 31 Boeing 737s, orders for up to a further 25 new 737-800s which will be delivered over the next 2 years. Over the past ten years it has increased its annual traffic from under 700,000 t o over 15 million passengers. Along the way it changed the face of air travel, broke hire fare cartels, rocked airport monopolies and made it possible for millions to travel. Ryanair provide unique services with low price. If their seats are not booked, customers can seat wherever they like. However, their in-flight services are limited. For example, customers have to pay if they want any drinks or food. There are always some complains about seats overbooking from customers. Ryanair has committed itself to safe operations and has put in place extensive safety training programs to ensure the recruitment of suitably qualified pilots and maintenance personnel. In addition, the company is also committed to the operation and maintenance of its aircraft in accordance with the highest European Aviation Industry Standards, which are closely monitored by the Irish Aviation Authority. In year 2000, Ryanair launched Europes largest travel website at WWW.RYANAIR.COM, which within three months of its launch was taking over 50,000 bookings per week, by offering unbelievably low airfares. The passenger acceptance of this website enabled Ryanair to reduce travel agent commission. Ryanair is well positioned in European market to implement its low cost strategy. After the full EU air transport deregulation in 1997, Ryanair was free to set up new routes to Continental Europe. The airline entering these market offered air fares which were more than 50% lower than the cheapest fares then provided by the flag carrier airlines. The European airline sector is dominated by high cost; long haul national carriers like British Airway, Lufthansa and KLM. These airlines control 50-60% of market share, but are beginning to lose the bottom end of the market to low cost carrier like Ryanair. Financial Situation The major revenues of Ryanair gain from the tickets that they sold during the year. Therefore, we can regard the tickets as a kind of the stock of the airlines company. But they dont have any value before they are sold. That is the only different with the tangible stock value. Once the tickets are sold, the company gets the revenues from the operation. They have amount of cash and debt. The company uses cash to pay the relevant cost, like staff wages, fuel and oil cost, marketing and distribution cost and so on. The rest of the revenues are kept in retained profit as the capital of company. If the profit grows, the company share price will increase accordingly. Once the share price increased, the shareholders will enjoy the prior return on their investment, more and more investors will have more interest in the company. Therefore, the company achieves the source of finance. After that, they should consider about where they should invest to growth in the market and expand their compan y. Last year, Ryanair companys operation revenues are 298149 in 2002 (Increase 64413 than 2001). It includes net cash inflow from operating activities: 125417. This should thank for the contribution of the sales team. Ryanair insists to offer lower airfares in European countries and try to increase sales continuously. Increased revenue is one of the major sources of finance. The strength of the performance is highlighted by the fact that the groups cash on hand is equivalent to 53.6% of annual turnover. This figure is a little bit high according to their sale growth. They should invest the cash flow to generate more return. But there is a special reason that they have to maintain a deposit US$500,000 with the guarantor bank for as long as the bank gave its guarantee. The operating expenses during the year are Ђ 229740; Net cash inflow from operating activities is 12304; profit and loss account is 112758. As the growth of the profit during the year, EPS increased by 17% to 35.16 and is based on 164,759,808 shares which represent the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year. We can see the profit is increasing; the capital of the company is increasing. Because the market is growing, Ryanair should think about where they should invest and how. i.e. Invest new aircraft, improve quality of service or setup new routes. Ryanair announced a new investment program with a US$2billion order for up to 45 new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft. Continued strong cash flows generated from trading operations combined with the proceeds of the London offering and the receipt of debt financing for the first of the Boeing 737-800 next generation aircraft, has allowed the group to increase its cash on hand by 74m. Before Ryanair makes decision about buying what type of aircraft, the two alternatives would be mutually exclusive, in that the choice of one will exclude the other. The company may use NPV and IRR to calculate which one may give more return. Appendices: Net Profit Ratio: In 2001, 54822/233736*100%=23% In 2002, 112758/298124*100%=38% Return On capital Employed: In 2001, 56736/149385*100%=38% In 2002, 68410/287752*100%`=28% Asset Turnover: In 2001, 233736/149385=1.56 In 2002, 298124/287752=1.04 Current Assets Ratio: In 2001, 88979/71877=1:1 In 2002, 197879/115319=2:1 Acid-Test Ratio: In 2001, (88979-6638)/71877=1:1 In 2002, (197879-13021)/115319=1:1 Total Gearing: In 2001, 14834/(134551+14834)*100%=10% In 2002, 34760/(252992+34760)*100%=12% Equity Gearing: In 2001, 14834/134551*100%=11% In 2002, 34760/252992*100% =13% Interest Cover: In 2001, 63017/(1087+13388)=4.4times In 2002, 76662/(239+11368)=6.6times Ratio Analysis Ratios are quiet common method of analyzing financial management. It refers to the use of simple ratios which are calculated from the figures of financial statements in order to measure certain aspects of a firms financial condition. Ratios make comparisons with: The performance of the business in previous years The budgeted or planned performance in the current years The performance of similar business The ratios make easier to make better decision. However, there are some limitations in ratio analysis. For instance, since ratios are constructed from accounting data, if we do comparison within two different firms, their accounting policies (i.e. depreciation charge, the accounting years) could lead to the inaccurate illustration. The Net Profit Ratio was dramatically increased by 15% during the year 2001 and 2002. Even though their expenses cost had increased by a certain percentages in different items and because of their low fares system. They still gained a high return in net profit when compared to 2001. The reason of this was because the rise of sales and the interest received. These revenues gave the company a good return that could cover the expenses and other additional costs. The increase in profitability reflects the positive impact of the growth in passengers volume because of the increase in seat capacity on exiting routes and the launch of new 7 European routes during the year. In the Return On Capital Employed Ratio the amount of money that the investors can get back after investing in the company, the ratio decreased to 28% in that year. The explanation of this figure was because their company needed to consider the contract that with Boeing worth US$2 billion by ordering for up to 45 aircraft in the coming years, in order to succeed the expansion of our company. Asset Turnover Ratio is a measure of productivity as much as profitability. Within 2001 and 2002, the ratio dropped from 1.56 to 1.04, it meant that more assets were to be used to generate every unit of sales .The reason was because their introduction on new fleet of 22 aircraft on our network of 27 routes in request to increase the level of passengers and the low fares system. According to the Current Asset Ratio, The company had a well cover of their current liabilities under current assets. Even though in Acid Ð C Test Ratio, which we examined that by excluding the inventories, their current assets also covered the liabilities by 1.14 in 2001, and 1.60 in 2002. It increased by 46%. From the current assets, cash was the major inflows to their company in the past two years. Especially in 2002, there was an increase in cash from 892160 TO 12742400. Move to the cash flows statement. Cash is King. Company fail, not because of their insufficient profits, but because they have run out of cash to pay their liabilities. Cash and bank balances should be kept to a minimum, as they earn nothing for the company, but make sure you have enough cash to pay employees and creditors. Cash generated from operating activities grew up for 25.6 million. This increase was due to the increase of sales and profits and the add back of the non-cash items primarily depreciation charge since they had a new aircraft during the year. The cash flows was from trading operations combined with the proceeds of the London offering and the receipt of debt financing for the first Boeing 737-800 next generation aircraft, has allowed the group to increase the cash on hands despite having to pay advance deposits to Boeing. The performance is highlighted by the fact that the cash on hand is equivalent to 53.6%of annual turnover. The next ratio is Gearing which means how reliable of the company on the financial institutions when raising the finance. Even though their ratio was slightly increased by2%, they were still in a low-geared situation in these two years. The interest cover were good since Ryanair only needs to pay interest once a year and they could pay 4.4 times in 2001 and 6.6times in 2002. The Earning Per Share considers the profits that could be paid to each ordinary shareholder. The increase in profit resulted in the increase in EPS. This also stated that the increase in the value of shareholders as the companys profit and traffic has grown. After finishing the ratio analysis, we can see that Ryanair is healthy. Here is the comparison ratio with other major airline companies and industrial average. After seeing this you will more agree that Ryanairs performance is good. Other non-financial consideration Ryanair has a bad reputation for over booking and early check-in time. On the other way, every company has limitation. For airline companies, these problems are normal. Ryanair changed their booking system last Christmas and the new system is more accurate and working well. Company said that they will not only improve the hardware but also the staff. There are a group of new staffs now is trained by American Airline. Conclusion After reading the research paper, hopefully you have an understanding of airline finance. Ryanair is a new member of airline companies (started from 1985). It is young and healthy. Based on Europe and has a strong relationship with America, there are lots of areas that it can improve and expand to. Ryanairs developing speed like a flying superman, going up and away. It is the kind of company we should put money in.

Carnival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Carnival - Essay Example This paper aims to discuss the statement of Bakhtin stating that carnival has undergone a great deal of transition from medieval time to romanticism. Furthermore, a discussion or implementation of the idea that was presented by Bakhtin will be done on Batman (1989) and Night before Christmas (1993). It is important to understand the context of carnival theory presented by Bakhtin before discussing the difference between medieval and modern carnival and the reasons behind transition. The contextual understanding of carnival by Bakhtin is based upon the European tradition of carnival. Critics claimed that Bakhtin took interest in assessing the seventh century forms of the grotesque because he was impressed by carnivals as he viewed them as occasions where the lows and highs of the society submerged together for some time. In simpler words, the authority of the church and state came together without any control. It will not be incorrect to state that Bakhtin’s account of carnival was anarchic where everyone liberated as audiences and performers (McNay, 1994). It has further been stated by Bakhtin that Carnivalesque bodies were involved in the use of absurd or laughter in order to present the difference between life and death. Festivity lingered all these years in order to provide people to express their views about life. In short, carnival was just a way to provide a platform for expression for people in all geographic locations of societies over the years. It should be noted that carnival rather gave a way to people to cherish their identity and presence by giving up undertaking a re-birth of experiences (Muggleton, 2000). Bakhtin celebrates the mediaeval culture of the carnival, but he does this in the context of its relevance to the development of the classic  literature of the  Renaissance  ; Rabelais, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Dante and Boccaccio etc. Moreover, Bakhtin asserts that  the Renaissance would not have happened without the carnival  ,

The most viable foreign market to invest in between China and UK Essay

The most viable foreign market to invest in between China and UK - Essay Example The paper tells that the world is rapidly being converted into a global village. It is rapidly becoming cheaper and faster to communicate and transact business worldwide. Many companies are seizing the opportunities that arise from the technological advances occurring worldwide. Companies are expanding beyond their local zones and investing in other lucrative markets overseas and making huge profits running into billions of US dollars. These they achieve by acquiring new foreign markets for their products and taking advantage of cheaper production costs that may be in that foreign country and eliminating transport costs that would arise from transporting products from the original country of production. The firms are also better placed in accessing other markets that are close to the new market. This Canadian firm is no different. There are ready foreign markets overseas which would see the firm increase its profit margins and market share. It is therefore of great importance that th e company acquires new markets and increases its profit margins. In choosing the best foreign market in which to invest, Porter’s diamond model was used. According to the model, there are four attributes of a nation that shape its business environment in which firms compete for market share. They include: factor endowments (conditions); demand conditions; supporting and related industries; and firm’s structure, strategy and rivalry. Foreign market analysis revealed that; China has a booming economy with good infrastructural development while UK has falling business investment and rising unemployment rates. ... oduction costs that may be in that foreign country and eliminating transport costs that would arise from transporting products from the original country of production. The firms are also better placed in accessing other markets that are close to the new market. This Canadian firm is no different. There are ready foreign markets overseas which would see the firm increase its profit margins and market share. It is therefore of great importance that the company acquires new markets and increases its profit margins. c) Choice of market In choosing the best foreign market in which to invest, Porter’s diamond model was used. According to the model, there are four attributes of a nation that shape its business environment in which firms compete for market share. They include: factor endowments (conditions); demand conditions; supporting and related industries; and firm’s structure, strategy and rivalry (drypen, 2010). 1) Factor Endowments While examining factor endowments it i s worth noting that any company can obtain certain non key factors like raw materials and unskilled labour rending these factors useless when generating a competitive advantage. Certain specialized factors like technology, communication infrastructure are more useful while creating a competitive advantage in the new market. This is because these specialized factors are more difficult to duplicate (drypen, 2010). Both China and UK have well developed transport and telecommunication infrastructure. According to human Resource Management Guide (2012), UK’s unemployment rate has from by 0.4% over the year to 8.4% up from 8.0%. The Chinese economy on the other hand is booming. According to Morison (2011), China is one of the fastest growing economies emerging as both a trade and economic power. The

Biology, How Body Shape Affects Heat Loss Essay Example for Free

Biology, How Body Shape Affects Heat Loss Essay Introduction Small organisms have a surface area that is large enough, compared with their volume. As a results they lose heat rapidly when the environmental temperature is lower than their body temperature. However when the animal gets bigger their volume increases at a larger rate than their surface area, so the surface to volume ratio decreases. Adaptations help organisms to survive in their habitats. Adaptations can be structural, behavioral and physiological. Cold resistant organisms evolved in various ways to cope with very low temperatures. Some animals hibernate, take shelter or migrate to warmer countries. Others, such as Antarctic seals have warm fur and a thick layer of fat for insulation. Antarctic seals are adapted to live in the sea and on the land. They’re big mammals which can survive in the cold and are adapted to not lose heat. For example in comparison to their bodies their heads are really small which decreases the heat loss. Also they have a large and thick layers of fats which insulated the animal on land and in water. Their fur is another characteristic that helps the seal to stay warm. The seal’s black skin reduces heat loss as it absorbs light from the sun and it does not reflect it. Another example of Antarctic animals is a penguin. They have a compact shape, low surface area to volume ratio to reduce heat loss. They also have very thick specialized feathers and a layer of fat which is used for insulation. An example of an animal which lives in hot environment is a desert tortoise. They can be active during the day or the mornings and evenings, it all depends on the temperature. They burrow under the sand to protect themselves from extreme hot temperatures. They can survive without water for nearly a year, they are able to obtain water from their diet as well. They can withdraw their head, legs, and tail into the shell providing themselves protection against other animals, mainly predators. Another example could be the fennec fox. They have large ears, which are 15cm long, those help the fox to lose heat on hot days in the desert. This fox is the only carnivore living in the Sahara desert, and they’re able to survive without free water. They kidneys are adapted to limit water loss. Their burrowing lifestyle helps t decrease the water loss. The thick fur helps insulate them from the cold deserts nights. They sandy fur helps to reflect the heat, and also provides excellent camouflage. The thick fur on the soles of their feet insulates against the hot sand of the desert. Hypothesis: As the surface area of the beakers will increase the time taken to lose the heat from 50 to 40 degrees will decrease. Method: Equipment required: 3 different size beakers like shown in Figure 1, thermometer, timer, ruler and measuring cylinder. 1. Pour 50ml of hot water in one of the beakers, it has to be above 50 degrees. 2. Place the thermometer into the beaker with the hot water in it. Check the temperature, if it’s above 50 degrees wait until it gets to 50. If it’s under 40, heat the water again. 3. As soon as the temperature it’s at 50 degrees, switch on the timer and wait until it gets to 40 degrees. Record the time. 4. Before pouring the water away measure the height of the to the point where the water reaches and the diameter, so the surface area can be calculated. 5. Repeat the entire experiment for each beaker.

Selling Your Used Car Essay -- essays research papers fc

Process Essay Thesis: The majority of the American population has very little, or no understanding of the used car trade. A simple understanding on when and where to sell, how to get your car ready, writing a classified ad, negotiating, and making a contract.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With consumer demand rising and supply constrained by several factors, including the tendency of new-car owners to hang on to them longer, prices for used vehicles have been climbing steadily. According to one recent study, nearly three times as many shoppers now want to buy a used, rather than a new, vehicle. (Dalglish)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In trying to find the perfect buyer, your options include: new-car dealers, used-car dealers, and friends and strangers. New-car dealers are generally eager and ready to buy. They are incredibly picky about every aspect of a car’s condition. New-car dealers will be choosy about the make and model, preferring newer models in relatively good condition.(Makower) They will pay a relatively low price for the car. Used-car dealers are also eager to buy and incredibly picky about every aspect of a car’s condition. But they aren’t very choosy about the cars they buy. However, they will pay a rock-bottom price for the car. Friends and strangers are usually eager and ready to buy. They will be much less picky, and rely more on your word for information. They will be choosy about the car, but will already be interested in the car through your ad. You will get the best price, through negotiations, but you have to work harder. The best time to sell is in t he springtime when the weather turns nice. Other good times are in September when kids are going off to college; and in the dead of winter, when there is no competition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is possible to turn the average used-car into a saleable commodity in just a few hours. You should dress up your car, regardless of the condition you normally keep it in. You want to make it clean, neat, and even smelling nice. You must do this to the entire car, inside and out, from one end to the other. Most car buyers understand that appearance is a good indicator of how well someone treated the car overall. Nine important steps to take are: washing and waxing, painting and touching up, cleaning your tires, a thorough cleaning of the interior, gather all the important documents, steam... ...importantly, make copies of everything you sign. The bill of sale is the basic car-buying document that records the transaction. The following should be included: the date of the sale, year and make and model of the car, state registration, VIN number, odometer reading, amount sale is for, extra conditions, and the buyer’s and seller’s names and addresses and phone numbers. Make sure that each party gets a copy of the bill of sale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A large percentage of the population uses the automobile regularly. The majority of the population, over 90%, has little or no understanding of the car buying art. (Robertson) Many people feel that selling their car themselves can be a real hassle. But, if you can realize that you will get several hundred dollars more than what a dealer might offer you, it just may be worth a little effort and time on your part. Works Cited Dalglish, Brenda. â€Å"Better Than New: used-car prices jump as consumer demand grows.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maclean’s 10 Jul. 1995: 22-24 Makower, Joel. How to Sell a Used Car. New York: Perigee Books, 1988. Robertson, C.B. How to Deal on an Automobile. Lyons: Blue Mountain Publisher, 1988.

Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle Robert Craven and Stuart Chambers ‘Warwick Castle – the finest mediaeval castle in England. ‘ INTRODUCTION The Stratford-on-Avon and District Hotels and Caterers Association (SCATA) publishes a brochure which has described the Castle as follows; â€Å"This magnificent ancient Castle, situated at the very centre of England, is a treasure house of great beauty and splendid, rare quality collections of pictures, furniture, furnishings and an outstanding collection of arms and armour which bear witness to the power and influence of the Earls of Warwick down through the centuries.The beautiful grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, where peacocks roam freely, are a delight in all seasons. . . Excellent catering facilities are available all year round to suit every pocket and disposition, as well as several gift shops† Warwick Castle is less than two hours by road from London with easy access from all major cities by motorway, road and rail. This e xcellent infrastructure allows the area to be part of the itinerary of any visitor to the UK.The County of Warwickshire is lyrically described in the SCATA brochure: â€Å"Stratford-an-Avon and Shakespeare's Country. When you think of England, and the very best of England, you are probably thinking about this fascinating region. Here in this most English of English landscapes, the broad rolling sweep of the Cotswolds, the classic half-timbered villages of the Vale of Evesham and leafy Warwickshire, there is an unparalleled variety of attractions.The birthplace of the world's greatest dramatist, William Shakespeare; the finest mediaeval Castle and most-visited stately home at Warwick; England's most magnificent palace at Blenheim; and the world's most famous theatre in Stratford† THE CASTLE The Castle is part of the Tussauds Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pearson plc, which also owns the Financial Times Group and Royal Doulton among other varied interests.The Tussauds Gro up runs entertainment centres that include: Madame Tussauds, the famous waxworks in Baker Street, London; the London Planetarium and Laserium; the Royalty and Empire Exhibition at Windsor; Alton Towers, the UK's only world-rated leisure park; and Chessington World of Adventures and Zoo. The Castle's General Manager, Martin Westwood, works in the stately home, from a majestic suite of offices overlooking the grounds.He is enthusiastic about the Castle both as a building steeped in history and as a business. In the relaxed atmosphere of his office, where he is surrounded by portraits and old paintings of the Castle, he refers to it as ‘a brand leader' in stately homes for it is in the top five most visited historic sites that charge entry fees (see Table 1).Table 1 Historic sites attracting more than 300,000 paid admissions 1 Tower of London 2 Roman Baths and Pump Room, Bath 3 State Apartments, Windsor 4 Stonehenge, Wiltshire 5 Warwick Castle 6 Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratfor d 7 Leeds Castle, Kent 8 Hampton Court Palace, near London 9 Tower Bridge, London 10 Blenheim Palace, Wood stock, Oxford 11 Beaulieu, Hampshire 12 Cutty Sark, Greenwich, London 13 St George's Chapel, Windsor 14 Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Stratford 15 HMS Victory, Portsmouth 16 Mary Rose, Portsmouth 17 Royal Pavilion, Brighton 18 Chatsworth House, Derbyshire 19 Hever Castle, Kent 20 Fountains Abbey, North Yorks.Paid admissions (000s) 2298 950 855 703 685 604 540 525 528 517 493 411 372 365 340 333 314 306 303 300 As you pass through the ticket office from the large car park you catch your first view of the Castle. The view truly takes your breath away and fully warrants the description given by Sir Walter Scott in 1828: ‘the most noble sight in England'. MARKETING Marketing Manager, Sarah Montgomery, is another enthusiast of the outstanding beauty of the Castle.Discussing the marketing of the business she considers that the Castle's unique selling point must be that carried on al l the promotional material: ‘Warwick Castle – the finest mediaeval castle in England. ‘ But she does not discount the Castle's unique state of preservation, the breadth of attractions it offers, its location on the banks of the River Avon or its thousand-year span of history. In the year 1068 the first castle was built at Warwick and since that time it slowly developed into a mighty stronghold and later a grand mansion befitting the station of a high ranking nobleman. . In November 1978 the present Earl sold Warwick Castle and its contents to Madame Tussauds of London. The Castle's marketing team recognised that the Castle attracted a diverse audience, each segment of which wanted different things from a visit. So in targeting audiences the team had to decide whether it was trying to sell the Castle aspect, the stately home aspect or the gardens. It was felt that all three areas attracted different audiences and conjured up different expectations.Research had esta blished that from the public's point of view ‘castles' were not associated with grounds and formal gardens, and neither were they associated with the notion of being someone's home. On the other hand, stately homes were associated with grounds and gardens but were felt to be formal and museum-like, with ropes keeping the public away from the interesting areas. So, was the ‘most visited Stately Home in Britain' really a castle, or was the Castle also a stately home? This conundrum had to be solved.The Castle management has a deliberate policy of charging one overall admission charge for all areas of the Castle and Grounds open to visitors. In the past they had considered charging separate admission prices for the Castle and the Grounds but this, it was felt, would confuse the customer. (See Figure 1 for price and attraction details. ) The Castle regularly has detailed market research questionnaires compiled by an outside company. Sarah said that market research is taken v ery seriously by the team: â€Å"On average, overseas visitors represent 42 per cent of the total.Twenty-five per cent of our customers seem to come in groups of greater than 20 and these groups are predominantly from overseas. On the other hand, 58 per cent of visitors come from the UK, of which roughly half come from within a 100 km radius of the site. Another interesting point is that 25 per cent of all customers are repeat visitors which we feel reflects the popularity of the Castle. With UK visitors 33 per cent are repeats. Of the nonlocals, that is UK residents from outside the 100 km radius, 78 per cent stay overnight in the area and the remainder have travelled over 100 km to visit the area for the day.With the recent opening of the M 40 motorway into London (approximately180 km} it is felt that travel time may be a more important factor to consider than distance travelled in kilometres† Figure 1 Admission Rates and attractions at Warwick Castle The data are collected over a period of days, and the market research reports sent to Sarah include not only the profile of visitors but what parts of the Castle they visit. The popularity of various parts of the complex varies according to how busy the site is. For instance, on a quiet day 87 per cent might visit the Private Apartments, but on a busy day this igure drops to 68 per cent. Likewise, during one such busy period, the visitors to the Woodland Gardens increased from 17 per cent to 20 per cent, to the Mound from 46 per cent to 52 per cent, and to the River Island from 34 per cent to 40 per cent. On average, visitors stayed on the site for three hours. Coach parties tended to visit for three hours, probably because the Castle was part of a full-day, tightly scheduled excursion that included other nearby tourist attractions. Competition for the paying tourists' disposable cash was quite fierce in the area, it was felt.Other sites competing for the ‘leisure pound' were the Black Country Muse um, Drayton Manor (Adventure) Park, West Midlands Safari Park, Cadbury World, Blenheim Palace, Alton Towers Theme Park, Ironbridge, Stratford’s Shakespeare and Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. In the Undercroft Restaurant marketing researchers overheard an elderly professor in conversation with a friend he had encountered in the Castle grounds: â€Å"I came early in the morning to avoid the rush. Any major historic tourist site is going to be heaving by midday in the summer and personally I hate all the queuing and tourists with cameras and all that.I got here at about 10 a. m. when the place opened this morning. I was able to enjoy the pure magic of the building with relatively few other people around. By lunch-time the queues were what I felt to be unreasonably long, but it is August and this must surely be their peak time here. I do wonder, for instance, should they not encourage more visitors out of season and what about allowing people to visit early morning or in the ev ening to avoid the lunch-time crush? † MANAGING DEMAND Warwick Castle brochures show a wide variety of activities that supplement turnover outside the peak season.According to Sarah, this literature was intended ‘to push up the shoulders of demand': Every Friday and Saturday evening the Undercroft provides the setting for splendid five-course mediaeval banquets recreating the eve of the Battle of Agincourt. . A special events calendar has been published (see Figure 2). The Warwick Arts Festival uses the Castle as a venue in the evenings for a week in July. Exclusive tours of the Castle, and separately of the Gardens, are run by experts for pre-booked groups.These are available during the periods October to March, and March to November respectively, except during school half-term holidays and bank holidays. †¢ †¢ As a profit centre for the Pearson Group, the Castle is given targets that increase at a rate exceeding inflation. From these, prices are derived based on product developments, the prices that competitors are charging and known external factors that may affect demand (such as exchange rates and elections! ). The Castle expected between 700,000 and 800,000 visitors in the next year and profit projections were made based on these estimates.All catering facilities are run by the Castle, recognising franchising to another company would result in lost control and reduce potential to participate in profitable activities. Martin Westwood commented on fluctuations in demand: â€Å"Staffing varies relatively little with demand. It is felt that once the basic positions around the Castle are attended by staff, there is little that an additional staff member can provide. Winter weekends attract more visitors than winter weekdays, such that Saturday and Sunday combined turnover is the same as the other five days of the week put together.In summer things are more even, a Saturday or a Sunday being equivalent to two weekdays, although Sunday is usually busier than Saturday† Figure 2 Warwick castle Special Events Calendar BUSINESS OBJECTIVES Martin is clear that the Castle's prime objective is ‘to achieve growth in earnings per share for its shareholders'. At the same time he emphasizes the sense of responsibility the management feels ‘as custodians of this precious monument' to work within it and use integrity and sensitivity at all times. Hence all signs, directions and facilities take a very low profile. Flashing neon lights are not the order of the day!Sarah Montgomery commented on the need to underplay the commercial side of the organisation: â€Å"Coca-Cola have offered us a sponsorship deal. They will give us money for a particular project which will increase our revenue and also the number of visitors we are getting. The problem is that Coke is the epitome of youth and fizz while the Castle's target market is adults ABC 1, average age somewhere around 45! So how do we pull this deal together? â⠂¬  It is the ‘integrity' of the business in which the management take pride. It is not any business site but a very special building that is loved and cherished by the staff.Their constant concern is how to run a business from the Castle without destroying the charm and romance of the buildings, and without covering it with obtrusive signs and facilities. All staff are very polite and courteous and, though they are available to the public, tend not to interfere with the customers' visit. In fact they blend in with visitors as they wear little that suggests they are actually staff. And when the Castle is relatively empty of visitors it has a really enchanting atmosphere. PERFORMANCE Evaluation of the performance of the business has difficulties.On the one hand, queues are an obvious problem (see Table 2) but then the customers do not seem to mind too much! Above all, the business is going from strength to strength, and achieving healthy profit performance. So, while the criti cisms have to be noted, management has been achieving the high returns and growth that the shareholders require. Table 2 Observations of queuing and flow, Tuesday afternoon Queue to Private Apartments (number of people) 1. 00pm 130 1. 20 147 1. 40 128 2. 00 153 2. 20 132 2. 40 119 3. 00 137 Flow through doors to Private Apartments (number of people) 1. 00-1. 20 104 1. 20-1. 40 113 1. 40-2. 0 107 Flow from Private Apartments and State Rooms (number of people) 1. 00-1. 20 127 1. 20-1. 40 117 1. 40-2. 00 121 Queue to Rampart Walk 0-20 people at anyone time Number of people entering Rampart Walk 1. 40-1. 50 174 Queue at top of ramparts to get down (number of people) 6 minutes 63 Martin Westwood was defensive on the question of queues: â€Å"What popular tourist attraction doesn't have queues, and in any case, the queues here move pretty quickly. If we get queues for one part of the Castle we simply put out a sign suggesting people move on to the next attraction, although, to be frank, that doesn't really work.You see, the trouble is, that once people see a queue they don't want to miss out so they still join on the end of it. Our marketing questionnaires (see Appendix 1) suggest that we've got the operation about right, but there's always room for some improvement† The Professor in the Undercroft Restaurant had raised several issues connected with this: â€Å"The Castle really is in a unique condition of preservation. It's truly marvellous but I wouldn't seriously consider visiting it in the peak season. I just happen to be in the area because we're going over to Stratford tonight to see Twelfth Night at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.I'm really looking forward to it! I wonder why they don't have off-peak rates for those not visiting around midday and maybe open earlier and close later. I would be more than happy to spend more time on the site if it weren't for all the other tourists everywhere. And another thing, couldn't they do a package deal with the th eatre at Stratford? I'm sure a lot of visitors here also go there. In fact, I would pay a premium price to have the Castle almost to myself. For instance, I'd find it simply delightful to sip a Pimms or a gin and tonic in the grounds as the sun went down.I know that I am rambling but I am sure there's a way to re-jig the prices so that the site basically generates more income throughout the year. And even if you say they do things out of season I've not heard about them, so what's the use of publicity if it doesn't reach the people that want to spend money? † Sarah Montgomery, mindful of the need to keep a close eye on customers' diverse requirements, often talked to individuals at the exit. A transcript of one such encounter is reproduced in Appendix 2.APPENDIX 1 MARKETING QUESTIONNAIRE OF RANDOM SAMPLE OF PEOPLE LEAVING WARWICK CASTLE Age range 0-5 6-15 16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66+ 7 37 27 25 34 17 20 33 Area of origination Local (within 100 km) UK (outside 100 km) Euro pe (excl. UK) USA/Canada S. America Australia Africa Asia Other/unspecified Length of stay in area Day trip 1-3 days 4-7 days 8+ days Method of transport Coach trip Own transport Hire car Public transport Other (bicycles etc. ) 37 27 25 47 3 11 5 14 2 96 50 13 5 96 74 31 20 12 Did you find that you had to queue very much? Yes 186 No 12 No comment 2 Did you feel that the queues were the same as other large tourist sites?Same 190 Better 4 Worse 6 Did you visit†¦? State Rooms and Great Hall The Private Apartments The Watergate (Ghost) Tower The Armory The Dungeon The Torture Chamber The Gatehouse and Barbican 191 190 31 104 193 183 87 Guy's Tower, the Rampart Walk and Clarence Tower The Victorian Rose Garden The Peacock Gardens The Conservatory The River Island Foxes Study and Cedar Walk Pageant Field The Mound Refreshment Stall Stables Restaurant and Tearoom Undercroft Restaurant The Bookshop Did you.. .? Bring your own picnic Did you see the Red Knight Did you buy a brochure How long have you spent at the Castle? hours Is this your first visit? Yes No Would you visit again? Yes No Maybe Don't know 186 103 117 102 57 31 101 54 118 52 71 62 32 81 99 5 67 75 37 16 148 52 144 31 23 2 APPENDIX 2 TRANSCRIPT OF A CONVERSATION WITH A VISITOR Christabelle Trymko, Oldbury-on-Severn, Gloucester ‘We got here at about midday. We came up for the day from Gloucestershire. It was quite a good trip and the kids behaved themselves in the car. We had heard a lot about the Castle from some friends who have just moved up to Stratford, which is just down the road from Warwick. ‘The Castle's in superb condition!You don't know what it's going to be like until you get past the ticket office and it really is amazing. It has been kept in impeccable condition, and the gardens are beautiful as well as being far less crowded than the Castle. ‘There were too many people in and around the Castle. The queues were an irritation but I parked my husband in the queue and too k the kids elsewhere until he was near the front and then we joined him. I think a few people got upset because we seemed to be pushing in, but I'm not prepared to wait with three children in long queues in the sun.Mind you, it's nothing like the queues at Madame Tussauds in London, they really are crazy. ‘I didn't realise quite how big the grounds were. If I had known I think we would have spent longer at Warwick Castle and made a full day of it. We should have come here at about ten and then spent the whole day here. That way the queues inside the Castle would have been shorter for us. The grounds are lovely and they've got special picnic areas which I thought was a nice idea. (I wish we'd brought a picnic. ) Mind you, it does seem to be more than a bit light on entertainment for the kids. Nicky loved the man with the wonderful moustache dressed up in full Crusader uniform on the horse. He was very good with the kids. Nicky also liked the waxworks in the Private Apartments p lace. The queue wound its way up, down and around the place but apart from mild feelings of claustrophobia (that's my problem, I suppose) it went at about the right speed and I guess it lasted a bit under an hour. Oh yes, the Rampart Walk, they ought to warn you about just how many stairs you have to climb. I mean, I know there is a sign but you don't take it seriously, do you!You go up and up and then there's that great spiral staircase up the inside of that tower, I won't do that again in a rush! But it was worth it for the view. ‘All in all it was a good day. More interesting than the average castle and not full of the usual touristoriented rubbish associated with tourist attractions. The commercial side is very much underplayed and I like that. You don't feel obliged to buy ice creams and tee-shirts and pencils and tea towels. Maybe some of the signs were a bit too discreet – we had to ask where the toilets were – but it makes a pleasant change. Also I like t he one price for everything. At other places, I object to paying an admission charge and then paying on top of that for particular attractions. You always feel mean if you don't pay up, and then you also feel that you might be missing something. No, I'd recommend the place and it's so much less hassle than the tourist places in London which you almost feel obliged to visit every so often. ‘ This case is from: Cases in Operations Management (Second edition) Johnston, Chambers, Harland, Harrison, Slack, FT Prentice Hall 1997