Summary of Post-Structuralism free essay sample

For example: the word ‘red’ may have a completely different meaning in the words ‘red rose’, which means ‘love’ while in traffic lights, red means ‘stop’. The red of traffic lights, then carries the ‘traces’ of amber and green within it, and is not pure red (2008: 97). * The ‘present’ of a word we speak is therefore not the true present, which forever eludes language: ‘spacing’ and ‘temporization’ intervene. Derrida captures this in a self-coined term, differance that contains both the idea of difference and the process of deferral of meaning. Derrida destabilizes the relationship between signifier and signified. The signifier or the word we hear or read – is of course stable enough, but what it signifies – the signified – is according to Derrida subject to an inherent instability (Bertens, 2008: 98). Assumptions of Post-Structuralism Derridean Deconstruction * It begins with and emphatically affirms Saussure’s decree that language is a system based on differences. Derrida agrees with Saussure that one can know the meaning of signifiers through and because of their relationships and their differences among themselves. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Post-Structuralism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page * However, different from Saussure, Derrida also applies the reasoning to the signified. Like the signifier, the signified (or concept) can also be known only through its relationships and its differences among other signifieds. In this case, Derrida sets forth some assumptions: Transcendental Signified * Derrida asserts that the entire history of Western metaphysics is founded upon a classic, fundamental error: the searching for a transcendental signified, or an external point of reference on which one may build a concept or philosophy * Once found, this transcendental signified would provide ultimate meaning, being the origin of origins, and provide a â€Å"reassuring end to the reference from sign to sign. * The transcendental signified would have to be understood without being compared to other signifieds or signifiers. Logocentrism * According to Derrida, Western metaphysics has invented a variety of terms that function as centers: God, reason, origin, being, essence, truth, humanity, beginning, self, to name a few. Each can operate as a concept that is self-suffic ient and self-originating and can serve as a transcendental signified. * Derrida names this Western proclivity for desiring a center as logocentrism: or the belief that there is an ultimate reality or center of truth that can serve as the basis for all our thoughts and actions. To decenter any transcendental signified is to be caught up in the terminology that allows that centering concept to operate. For example, if the concept man functions as the center and one then â€Å"discover† woman, he places in motion a binary operation: man and woman. By decentering and questioning the man, he causes woman to become the new center. By questioning the old center, he establishes a new one. Binary Oppositions * Since the establishing of one center of unity means to decenter another, Derrida assumes that Western metaphysics is based on a system of binary oppositions. The philosophy holds that in each of these binary oppositions, one concept is superior and defines itself by its opposit e or inferior center. For example, one knows boy because he knows girl; one knows tidy because he knows messy. Phonocentrism * In the binary oppositions, one element will always be in a superior position, or privileged, whereas the other becomes inferior, or unprivileged. For example: man/woman, human/animal, soul/body, employer/servant, etc. even in speech/writing. This privileging of speech over writing is called phonocentrism. * Speech implies presence, while writing signifies absence. Since phonocentrism is based on the assumption that speech conveys the meaning or direct ideas of a speaker better that writing, phonocentrism assumes a logocentric way of thinking. Methodology of Post-Structuralism The Structuralist seeks: Parallels/Echoes Balances Reflections/Repetitions Symmetry Contrasts Patterns Effect: To show textual unity and coherence The Post-structuralist seeks: Contradictions/Paradoxes Shifts/Breaks in: Tone, viewpoint, tense, time, person, attitude, conflicts, absences/omissions, linguistic quirks, aporia Effect: To show textual disunity (Peter Barry, 1995)

Poe Essays - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask Of Amontillado, Poe

Poe Essays - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask Of Amontillado, Poe Poe This essay is about how Poe uses the description of environments in his narratives. I shall explain this usage with close reference to several short stories by Poe. A full listing of the stories used appears in the List of Works Consulted at the end of this essay. It is important to note that in all of the stories, the narration is in the first-person. This has deep-reaching effects on how particular environments are described. This will also be commented upon. The first excerpt comes from a story entitled ?MS Found In a Bottle?: Our vessel was a beautiful ship of about four hundred tons, copper-fastened, and built at Bombay of Malabar teak. She was freighted with cotton-wool and oil, from the Lachadive islands. We had also on board coir, jaggeree, ghee, cocoa-nuts, and a few cases of opium. The stowage was clumsily done, and the vessel consequently crank. Poe describes his environments in great detail ? thus giving the reader a clear representation of where the scene is taking place. The above description is short and concise compared to a usual Poe description. Here he has described the ship as beautiful ? this is an opinion and not a description, and Poe often gives opinions in his descriptions. His description consists of the weight of the ship, what it is made of, where it was built, of what it was built, and the cargo it was carrying. A further minute detail is that the ship was lopsided because the cargo wasn?t stowed properly. This is the sort of meticulous detail that Poe generally uses. It is unusual in his works to find a detailed description this short however. This next excerpt is from the same story, and is more typical of Poe?s descriptive style ? particularly the length of the description: I have made many observations lately upon the structure of the vessel. Although well armed, she is not, I think, a ship of war. Her rigging, build, and general equipment, all negative a supposition of this kind. What she is not, I can easily perceive what she is I fear it is impossible to say. I know not how it is, but in scrutinizing her strange model and singular cast of spars, her huge size and overgrown suits of canvas, her severely simple bow and antiquated stern, there will occasionally flash across my mind a sensation of familiar things, and there is always mixed up with such indistinct shadows of recollection, an unaccountable memory of old foreign chronicles and ages long ago. I have been looking at the timbers of the ship. She is built of a material to which I am a stranger. There is a peculiar character about the wood which strikes me as rendering it unfit for the purpose to which it has been applied. I mean its extreme porousness, considered independently by the ! worm-eaten condition which is a consequence of navigation in these seas, and apart from the rottenness attendant upon age. It will appear perhaps an observation somewhat over-curious, but this wood would have every, characteristic of Spanish oak, if Spanish oak were distended by any unnatural means. The introductory sentence to this paragraph forewarns the reader that Poe is about to make a lengthy description, as he proceeds to do. He offers more speculation than actual description here, but he does to eliminate what is unlikely about the true features of the ship and his rambling resembles the thought processes of the ?average? person. Poe meanders a lot. By this I mean that there is no clear logical progression to his description. In his meandering, there is a sense that the reader is not actually meant to follow the meaning, and that it is only for the narrator?s benefit that it has been written at all. This is consistent with the story, as the narrator commented earlier in the story that he was going to record his observations in case he did not survive. He mentioned specifically that it would be a journal, but this paragraph does not read as a journal. I reads more as notes taken down with the intent to organise and elaborate later. This could quite possibly be the effect Poe was looking for when he

Homeostasis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homeostasis - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss four ways human physiology responds to athletic training from the perspective of musculoskeletal system, body composition, thermoregulatory system and cardiovascular system and explain physiological mechanisms. Exercise programs promote muscle development, which takes place in conjunction with body fat reduction resulting from the difference between the intake and output of energy. In the initial stages of weight reduction, the body fat available for the body to use as fuel is often counteracted as denser muscle tissues are gained. The adenosine triphosphate chemical (ATP) facilitates muscle contraction and after several repetitions, ATP levels are depleted. Glycogen is initially burnt to replenish the level and the longer exercise takes, the more fat is burnt, like in short and high-intensity exercises (Curtin & Woledge 583). If the exercises are longer, the muscles release more lactic acid, which could eventually lead to muscle fatigue and cramping. However, flexibility and stretching exercises create greater motion range in joints subjected to the associated stresses. The result is that when the joints gain the ability to move with more dynamism, there is a notable increase in stability , power and speed in the motions of the related structure. This greatly reduces chances of injury or being overstressed. Body composition accounts for the most visible physiological change in response to athletic training. The human body is constructed from skeletal bone, organs, lean muscle mass and body fat. Although training does not alter their dimensions, specialized exercise reduces body fat percentage while increasing the mass of lean muscle. Processed triglycerides are stored in the form of body fat in the adipose tissues for indefinite periods. When exercise is combined with the right diet, it will result in

Search report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Search report - Research Paper Example The question is why women than men? This is explained biologically by the fact that female urethra is relatively shorter and more close to the anus than the males. The risk of UTI among women increases with age due to the lost of vaginal flora during menopause when the level of estrogen falls, thus loss of virginal protection (Pooler, 2011, p.67). Women are more likely to get infected by the UTIs than men since the bacteria easily reach their bladder because of the shortest distance the bacteria has to travel in the urethra. Besides, the location of the urethra near the rectum makes it easier for the bacteria from the anus to travel to the urethra causing infections. Sexual intercourse with the males increases the risk of UTIs among women as more bacteria are pushed into their urethra. Kidney UTIs are more common among expectant women as the pregnancy causes a lot of pressure to the ureters, thus causing hormonal changes (Foster, 2008, p.241). Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are bacterial infections which mainly affects the urinary tract systems of both sexes. The infection that occurs at the lower urinary tract parts is referred to as the cystitis; a bladder infection. On the other hand, the UTIs which only attack the upper urinary systems is popularly referred to as pyelonephiritis, a kidney infection (Pooler, 2011, p.45). About 80-85% of the UTIs are caused by E.coli while Staphylococcus  saprophyticus only causes 7% infections. The urinary tract organs which are most affected by this bacterial infection are urethra, kidney, bladder, and ureters. Though all parts of the urinary tract can be infected by UTIs, the urethra and bladder are the most commonly infected. The common symptoms and signs of UTIs are frequent urination and burns during urination. Other symptoms which are mainly common among the elderly population are: fatigue, blood infections, and change in mental status (Foster, 2008,

Cost of Poor Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cost of Poor Quality - Essay Example Theoretically there are two costs of quality related with the production and R&D. Firstly, the cost of the good quality and the cost of poor quality. The cost of poor quality affects the internal and external costs resulting from failing to meet the requirements whereas the cost of good quality affects the cost of investing in the prevention of non-performance to requirements and cost of appraising a product for conformance to the requirements. The costs related with the internal failure are the costs that are caused by non conformance to what the customer wants and these costs are found before the delivery of the product or service. This would off course lead to the customer dissatisfaction and demotivation of R&D staff. These internal costs will result in re-works, delays, re-designing etc. External failure costs are costs that are caused by deficiencies found after delivery of products and services to external customers, these costs will result into complaints, repairing and re-do ing services, warranty claims as well as losses due to sales reduction and which lead to customer dissatisfaction. By launching the product before the complete testing of the product, our company has made a tradeoff between generating sales and compromising on the quality. It was a gore mistake on the part of Mr. George Chadwick to start the production before the complete testing of the material for its fine-tuning. Backed by more of ambitions and less of reality, this decision has now seems to backfire as the company is facing strong quality costs. One of the important quality control tools is called Pareto Analysis.  

The Implication of EPOS Systems

The Implication of EPOS Systems William Hill is a major bookmaker worldwide, with over seventy years experience in offering betting services.   It is currently one of the leading gaming companies in the UK, where it operates over 1600 betting shops, serves over 800,000 betting slips each day via phone (standard and mobile), and recently began Britains first interactive digital television channel devoted entirely to gambling (Lee 2004).   It is the countrys most successful Internet gambling company in a country where over four million people bet in online gaming rooms every month (Thomas 2004).   William Hill was the first major gaming organisation to offer online betting, opening its website in 1996 (Lee 2004). The William Hill culture pairs low-cost, low-risk emphasis in businessdecision making with a willingness to be innovative, particularly inregards to use of technology (Hargrave 2004)).   This makes it all themore surprising that the organisation has waited so long to implementelectronic point of sale   (EPOS) machines in its betting shops.   Whilethese are expected to make the company more profitable, efficient, andcompetitive, the implications of these machine span across theorganisation.   Of specific interest is the effect of the system on thepeople involved, traditionally an important part of William Hillssuccess.   This study seeks to consider the possible benefits and losses to William Hill from the implementation of the EPOS system. Three specific areas of consideration are the effect of the machines oncorporate and local shop culture, whether the EPOS system will increase efficiency, and whether the system will contribute to increased competitiveness. The objectives of this study are to critically examine the introductionof an electronic point of sale system as implemented at William Hill.  Specifically, this study aims to examine the strategic considerationsof the EPOS and how its effectiveness can be optimised.   The studybegins with a review of literature and research available about WilliamHill, the firms operations, and EPOS systems in general.   ThisLiterature Review serves as a foundation for understanding analysis ofthe rest of this work.Following the Literature Review, of first consideration will be theeffect of EPOS on the corporate and local culture of William Hill.  Will EPOS enhance or detract from positive aspects of current culture?  Will the increase in customer information and the ease of its analysisdraw new customer groups into traditional betting shops?   If so, whatwill be the effect of this on the shops and their regulars?  Ã‚   How willstaff react to the changes caused by the EPOS system?   W ill EPOS changehow customers and staff interact?   How does the introduction of EPOScompare to the effect of technological advances on workers in general? The second objective is consideration of the efficiency of the EPOSsystem.   It will be compared to the traditional manual betting systemit replaced, with analysis of improvements in or negative effects ontime and cost.   Has William Hill become more efficient, and moreimportantly more effective, with the introduction of EPOS?   It is abetter organisation as the result of automation?   Finally, the study seeks to project the effects of EPOS on WilliamHills competitiveness.   Will the system encourage customers to switchto William Hill?   Can the organisations market share be expected toincrease?   What are the overall results on a holistic, corporate levelof automation, and how can the firm best implement such technologywithout undermining its established strengths?   What is the moststrategic way the system can be implemented, and how can it mostgreatly benefit the organisation as a whole?This study seeks to address these questions through the study ofinformation and data provided by William Hill and in literatureavailable about the firm, similar gambling companies, and electronicpoint of sale systems in general. It is anticipated that the EPOS system will be found to increaseefficiency and competitiveness for William Hill, albeit at some changeto and possible loss of culture.   This is anticipated to be an overallpositive innovation, however, increasing profit across several gamingplatforms, allowing for improved marketing activities, and increasingmarket share for the company.   The system is anticipated to provide afaster, more accurate, and more secure way of processing bets, inaddition to generating data relevant for market analysis. Many articles about William Hill, including the companys ownpublications, describe the organisation as an innovator (William Hill2005).   This is certainly the case, and low-cost, low-risk strategyhasnt kept the firm from pursuing technological advances and marketexpansion in many areas, the most recent being the installation of anEPOS system in its betting shops.   The company currently provides fourvehicles for gambling:   traditional betting shops, phones-basedbetting, including via mobile phones, Internet gaming, and interactivedigital television.   Plans to expand into casino gambling have beentemporarily shelved, as the Gambling Bill under consideration by thegovernment now appears less likely to benefit gaming organisations whoexpand into casinos (WH Annual Report 2005).   All of these may beeffected and possibly benefit from the introduction of EPOS machines.  Ã‚  EPOS can support all four major betting vehicles, and enhance how theycan work toget her to increase the number of customers, repeatcustomers, and customers spend.Traditional betting shops, also called retail shops, remain thebackbone of William Hills operations.   The retail division contributed166m of the pounds 232m, or almost seventy-two percent, of the totalprofits brought in by the organisation in 2004 (WH Annual Report2004).   The shops also provide a credibility and recognisable brandseen as contributing to the success of other gaming vehicles (Thomas2004).   The retail shops are the location of the EPOS machines, and arelikely to be most effected operationally and culturally by theirimplementation.   Demographically, the customers of William Hillsbetting shops tend to be older than customers using other bettingvehicles (Hargrave 2004).   It has been observed that shop customers arealso predominantly male. Internet gamblers are demographically younger, and many have neverentered a retail betting shop (Hargrave 2004).   They often participatein a variety of onlin e games in addition to traditional odds betting.  They are likely to hop from site to site, and show little loyalty toany one gaming organisation (Thomas 2004).   Online gambling firms musttherefore work harder to differentiate their site from the many othersavailable.   As over time a natural consolidation of the market islikely to occur, those organisations that can reinforce their marketpositioning are more likely to succeed (Thomas 2004).   William Hill hasthis positioning as a sector leader with multiple gambling vehicles.  This positioning will be enhanced by the EPOS system, a way to linktraditional shops with their credibility and market presence, to thefirms online offerings.   The convenience of EPOS and the organisations electronic vouchersystem could encourage online gamblers to consolidate their gamingactivity with William Hill.   The EPOS support William Hillsintegration of their online business and local shops, with onlinecustomers now able to deposit mo ney into or draw from accounts at anyWilliam Hill shop.   The voucher system allows customers to depositmoney or withdraw winning from any William Hill shop.   This wasoriginally handled over the counter; however, the new EPOS system nowallows the entire system to be handled by machine (Anon 2003).This has the potential to increase both shop-based and onlinebusiness.   For example, a thirty-something career woman might behesitant to frequent one of William Hills betting shops, perceivingthem to be historically male-dominated, older, and perhaps evenworking-class.   However, she is on her way to do some shopping, anddecides to quickly draw off her recent online winnings.   She stops in abetting shop, and has a positive experience.   It is clean, well run,with professional, courteous staff.   She can draw on her winningseasily using the EPOS terminal.   Because the woman has a favourableexperience with the product and people in her transaction, she issignificantly more likely to use the EPOS terminal again, and to stopin the betting shop.   William Hill has possibly converted an onlinecustomer to an online and shop customer.   Similarly, some shop regulars may eschew credit cards.   Online gamingis therefore unavailable to them.   EPOS in combination with WilliamHills combined online and shop accounts allow these customers todeposit cash at their local betting shop, and use those funds foronline bets.   This has the potential to further increase the firmsonline customer base.   Internet customers may be further intrigued bygaming options offered online that go beyond their options via shops orthe phone.   Using the Internet to place traditional bets, for example,increases the chance these customers will try arcade or casino gamesavailable online, thereby increasing the types of product purchased(Anon 2003).   This expands the purchase mix for William Hill, andincreases the likelihood of larger total purchases per customer.A concer n for management should be the potential of one gaming vehiclesuch as the Internet to draw customers away from the firms othervehicles, in effect cannibalising its own operations one for theother.   William Hills most recent Annual Report acknowledges thisissue (2004).   The company has analysed profit and other financialdata, and is confident that no cannibalising is taking place.   Allthree gaming vehicles in operation for the year have shown modest toimpressive growth, with no indication of one taking customers at thedetriment to the others (WH Annual Report 2004).Phone betting, including mobile betting via WAP technology, is seen bymany as the gaming vehicle of the future (Hargrave 2004).   The EPOSsystem could contribute to the expansion of phone betting by making iteasier to draw on winnings and deposit funds for future bets.   The OffTrack Betting organisation in New York City, USA, found lines andcustomer wait time reduced by up to forty percent at some outlets wit hthe implementation of various betting and point of sale machines (OTB2003).   The system can similarly support William Hills newest venture,interactive television.   There are questions whether the firms brandis strong enough to support a television channel, although thepotentials for increased revenue are significant (Hargrave 2004).   Theorganisation does not intend to broadcast many sporting or otherbet-producing events, given the prohibitive cost of doing so.   Rather,the television channel will offer number generated betting options, aswell as gambling games similar to those offered by the firm on itswebsite (Hargrave 2004).   This allows the non-computer literate toparticipate in betting outside of traditional shops.   Their anonymityand access to gambling increase, both of which have been linked toincreased consumer spend (Anon 2003).   Non-computer literate gamblersare no longer bound by the restricted hours of the betting shop, andcan play a variety of gambli ng games through their televisions(Hargrave 2004).   The EPOS s ystem supports this gaming vehicle in thatthese customers must have some way to deposit money for their gamblingactivities and withdraw any winnings they may have.   The EPOS systemallows them to do this conveniently and with the same discretionafforded to them by interactive television or the Internet gamblingvehicles.One potentially negative effect of the EPOS system is reduction ofcustomer loyalty.   Loyalty occurs when a consumer experiences goodproduct at a reasonable price and convenience, with acceptableservice.   If these expectations are met, the customer is likely torepeat the shopping experience.   Over time, the customer forms a habitof this shopping experience, which then develops into an attitude ofloyalty (Duffy 1998).   One component of loyalty development is staff,and in particular customers interaction with staff.   The peoplerepresenting an organisation and the service they provide can m ake orbreak a customers purchasing experience (Garavan 1997).   The EPOSsystem will replace some functions currently performed by people, whichmay have a negative impact on both customers and remaining staff.Repeat customers make up a significant portion of retail bets in thegaming sector, and many have established some form of relationship withretail staff.   These relationships contribute to the loyalty or habitsof customers, causing them to frequent one gaming retailer, and therebyincreasing the customer spend at that shop (Anon 2003).   This customersegment may feel overlooked with the replacement of some stafffunctions by machines.   For example, a man regularly frequents hislocal William Hill betting shop, gambling regularly as a hobby, but notto the gambling addiction level of play.   His visits to William Hillmay be for him the same as another persons frequenting a neighbourhoodpub; in this case he has the opportunity to interact with others whoshare his interest. The common denominator in such social interactionwill often be the shopkeeper or retail staff (Gamble and Gamble 2005).  If this social interaction is lost, the customer may switch to asimilar s hop operated by another organisation where such interactionis supported.   Fortunately for William Hill, the other major bookmakerswith whom it competes have already implemented EPOS systems, makingthis customer loss less likely to occur (Hargrave 2004).The EPOS removes the feeling of being disloyal to shop staff by bettingonline instead of at their establishment, which could also potentiallycontribute to lost customers.   Customers who shop at one establishmentfor a long period of time may feel guilty or embarrassed when changingto another store.   They may try to avoid contact with staff from theirprevious shopping preference if they have been trying out other storesfor a period of time (Gamble and Gamble 2005).   With the reduction ininteraction between William Hill staff and cu stomers caused by the EPOSsystem, the customers may no longer have social need to continue to betexclusively or predominantly with William Hill.Another possible loss is to the William Hill culture, particularly thatof local shops.   Steve Smethurst quotes David Russell, William Hillsgroup HR director, as acknowledging, â€Å"Once we have that in place [theEPOS system], the requirements on shop managers to settle bets will begone:   that challenges the very core of what people have been doing foryears† (2004, 36).   For one thing, the introduction of the machinesreduces the number of staff required at each shop.   The company has nostated plans for layoffs, but also has not addressed the impact EPOSwill have on staff (WH Annual Report 2004).   This may be in part to thetraditionally high turnover in some segments of the gaming business,although more prevalent in the telephonist position that in retail shopstaff (Smethurst 2004).Management of gaming organisations need to examine the importance ofpeople in their product differentiation.   Consideration is called forin examining the fact that all the major betting shops now utiliseelectronic point of sale technology, and much of this is produced bythe same company, Alphameric Red Onion (William Hill PLC 2004).   If onecan access the same machines at any shop, and each has similar bettingoptions, what would cause the customer to frequent one shop overanother?   While some online gaming organisations seek to an image ofglamour and escape to paradise after a long day at work, this type ofpositioning is more effective for the casino venturing into onlinegaming than the traditional betting shop down the street (Thomas2004).   Re-branding a company as old and established as William Hillwould be difficult, expensive, and unlikely to be effective.   Nor is it possible for any one gaming establishment to differential itsproduct on price in the long-term.   The EPOS system will produce costsavin gs compared to the former manual bet-taking and managementinformation systems (WH Annual Report 2004).   This cost savings occursfrom reduction in staff needed to operate a betting shop, more rapidprocessing of bets, and standardisation of bet settlement by removingthe local human component.   The EPOS system also replaces manual inputinto management information systems, allowing increased communicationbetween shops and the corporate offices, and increasing the companysability to respond to betting fluctuations (William Hill PLC 2004).  The firm did incur additional capital investment expense during 2004due to the purchase of the EPOS system, but the Annual Report indicatesthis is a negligible amount and will be easily amortised. Cost benefits, resulting in increased profits and more competitiveprice structures, in combination with lack of product differentiationin the gaming sector, can be expected to result in increased marketshare for William Hill.   This increase should occur across all four ofits gaming platforms, although primarily in Internet, mobile andtelevision sales, as lack of differentiation causes sector-wideconsolidation and the elimination or absorption of smaller firms byindustry leaders (Thomas 2004).   Some market advantage certainly goes to the organisations with the most(and most convenient) locations.   William Hill CEO David Hardingstresses the importance of place in the firms differentiation efforts,contending branding and convenience are the most important factors ingaming choice.   â€Å"People always underestimate the guiding principle ofbetting, and thats to make it convenient,† he states, â€Å"branding willalways remain dominant, and as long as you make it easy to gamble,people will do so† (Hargrave 2004, P20).   Along this line of thinking,over time the sector power of larger organisations with theirestablished shop sites will cause market consolidation, squeezing outsmaller firms (Thomas 2004).   This then further enhances theconvenience of the shops of large-sector players.   Organisations thatcan integrate their various services, as described above in theinteraction between internet gamblers, William Hill  rquote s voucher system, and EPOS machines in the local retail shops, also have an advantage in the convenience department.   However, loss of personal touch is something William Hill should beseriously considering.   Atomisation historically causes loss of jobs,and â€Å"William Hill employs more than 10,000 people:   8,500 in shops,1,000 in call centres, and 1,000 in support† (Smethurst 2004, 36).  People, particularly retail staff, play a major role in product andorganisation differentiation within a service-based firm such asWilliam Hill.   This is particularly relevant as the company pridesitself for its rigorous hiring practices and top-notch staff.   WilliamHill undertook a complicated pre-hiring screening process to help thecompany ensure i t was bringing in workers with the best possible jobfit (Smethurst 2004).   For example, the human resources department atWilliam Hill â€Å"identified the motivational factors that make someonegood at a job,† then formulated a profile of the ideal front-line staffperson (Smethurst 2004, 36).   This profile was used to c reate anautomated telephone screening process that was used with all initialapplicants to the retail shops.   The company then sends potentialrecruits through interviews and role-play exercises before making a joboffer (Smethurst 2004).   All these evaluate the attitude as well as theskills of potential employees.   Smethurst quotes Russell as saying,â€Å"you can add skills to people, but if they had the wrong attitude inthe first place then its not going to work† (2004, 36).   HopefullyWilliam Hill management has considered the possible impact on staff andtheir attitudes in their implementation of EPOS machines.Human Resources Consultant Richard Samson of the EraNova Instituterecently presented his theory of out-peopling (Frauenheim 2001).   Justas jobs can be off-shored from one country to another, so jobs can beout-peopled, going from work performed by people to work performed bymachines.   While this can offer short-term advantage, Samson arguesthat similar potential losses are likely in the long-term.   â€Å"Most ofthe work tasks done now by people will be done by smart technologywithin twenty to thirty years† (Frauenheim 2001).   Job loss causesanger and resentment amongst those put out of an organisation, andoften-sympathetic bad attitudes with workers who remain.   This shouldbe of particular relevance for a firm so concerned about workerattitude that they developed a complex and expensive screening processto ensure proper attitude amongst new hires.   Remaining employees alsobecome even more key to the generation and maintenance of customerloyalty, as   the fewer employees with whom an individual customerinteracts, the more important the quality of interaction with theemployee becomes (Garavan 1997).Reduction in employees in proportion to machines can also influence thepublics perceptions of the organisation.   William Hill is a companythat promotes service as part of its corporate image.   This serviceinfers a level of caring amongst those at the company for theircustomer (Company Website 2005).   If the customer begins to viewWilliam Hill shops as simply a place lined with electronic kiosks, muchlike the gambling version of the local Laundromat, this image of caringservice is no longer projected.   This can contribute to customerloyalty and repeat purchase over the long-term.   Management must find away to maintain its positive corporate image, therefore, while goingforward with its atomisation and cost-saving plans.Loss of jobs also creates macroeconomic impacts for both the sector andthe country.   This has historically been evidenced across manyse ctors.   In agriculture, for instance, small farms that once requiredan entire family to run have been swallowed up and consolidated withlarge commercial ventures that employ many machines and few people(Gottheil 1999).   Economic impacts of rapid changes in job availabilityand employment can destabilise an entire economy.   If unemploymentsoars and discretionary income plummets, William Hill and other gamingorganisations will likely see a sharp drop in profits, as they are adiscretionary spend for most consumers (Gottheil 1999).  Ã‚  Ã‚   More machines also lead to the increased likelihood of gamblingabuse.   The University of Sydney, Australia, undertook a significantstudy of the effect of gambling machines, ATM machines, and EPOSsystems on gambling abuse and addiction (Blaszczynski, Sharpe andWalker 2001).   They found customers were more likely to abuse gamblingor display addictive behaviour when gaming places were primarilymachine-serviced.   The more people invol ved in gaming transactions, theless likely addictive behaviour was evidenced, unless such behaviourwas encouraged by the staff involved (Blaszczynski, Sharpe and Walker2001).   They additionally found limiting the combination of machines,such as removing ATM machines from shops where EPOS and similar wereavailable reduced addictive behaviours.Also, while gambling addicts are often profitable in the short-term togaming establishments, too many people suffering from this malady hastraditionally led to public outcry, tightening of gaming regulation,and increased taxes on winnings (Blaszczynski, Sharpe and Walker2001).   It is in the best interests of all involved, therefore, forgaming organisations to strive to increase customers gambling spendingwithout crossing the line into gambling addiction.   The University ofSydney study showed that slowing the timing on machines, for example,reduced the likelihood of display of addictive behaviour Blaszczynski,Sharpe and Walker 2001.   Research and findings such as this should bestrongly evaluated by William Hill management to ensure the optimum useof gaming machines in its shops.Still, not withstanding possible detractions to the organisation, theEPOS system offers many potential benefits to the William Hill firm.  Electronic point of sale technology will enable the bookmaker to take,settle and pay bets electronically, record information from suchtransactions in a central software system, display and distributetargeted betting opportunities and manage estate-wide risk (WilliamHill PLC 2004).   Of these benefits, the two most intriguing from acorporate standpoint are the ability to gather data and profilecustomers, and the resulting use of such data in creating targeted andevent-specific marketing.The EPOS system also allows for extensive capture of customerinformation.   Data generated from customer input can include the numberand frequency of bets, the type of events bet upon, the average amountof each bet , and much more.   This allows the firms management tocreate customer profiles, representing current and target consumergroups.   (Woodruff and Gardial 1996).   For example, a middle-agedcustomer bets on dog races every other Friday.   He typically bets onthe favourites, in the total spend range of pounds forty to sixty, witha typical mix of eight to twelve bets of three to five pounds each.  Since he frequents William Hill, the company can assume some level ofretail brand or local shop loyalty.   The firm would like to see thecustomer bet more often, and in greater amount.   Because they havecollected this data on the customer through the EPOS system, they cansend him direct, targeted advertisements for dog races, and bettingwithin his favoured range.  Ã‚   If they can entice him to place a betoutside his pattern, they have potentially increased his regular spendin addition to this one betting event (Smethurst 2004).   Data gathered from the EPOS system can also b e used to create customerprofiles, which can then be targeted for marketing and event-specificadvertising.   William Hill noticed from similar data gathered on itswebsite that many were registering but not betting.   They hired aprivate firm to assist them in converting this web traffic into betting(Lee 2004).   The firm divided website registrants into four randomgroups.   One group was sent nothing, one was sent a service-led followup email, one was sent an offer-let follow up email, and one received areminder email that they had yet to place a bet.   The company was ableto demonstrate that service- and offer-led email follow up increasedthe number of registrants who became bettors by more than five percent(Lee 2004).   If an experiment such as this can have such positiveresults with random groups, imagine the impact of targeted emails andadvertising on William Hills customer base.Another benefit to the company is that electronic point-of-saletechnology will increase t he efficiency of William Hills bettingoperations.   Prior to the EPOS system, all bets were placed andrecorded manually in betting shops.   In an oversimplified explanationof the manual process, a customer would place a bet by giving a writtenticket to a retail shop staff member, who would give them a receipt inreturn.   The customers bet would be recorded in the shop, and if theywere entitled to winnings, these would be settled by the shop manageror designated staff person.   The organisation had various managementinformation systems into which data from individual shops was recorded,and this was forwarded to the central offices on a regular basis(Caldecote 2004).   Issues for management with the manual system included both the accuracyand detail of reporting.   For example, under scrutiny regarding theannual amount of unclaimed returns at William Hill, David Hood claimedthe company was unable to quantify annual unclaimed returns because thepre-EPOS reporting system did not record or allow for such (Caldecote2004).   This type of information is vital to managements analysis ofthe overall health of the organisation, in addition to profit and losscalculations.   The detail of information provided by the EPOS systemwill easily rectify these reporting difficulties.   The electronicsystem will also save time, allowing data from each shop to be capturedalmost instantly (William Hill PLC 2004).   This enables the company tocalculate statistics and perform analysis on events as they occur, forexample.   In a time-sensitive business such as gambling, this can be ofgreat advantage.Another benefit is that the EPOS system potentially allows William Hillto expand business hours at reduced cost.   As it reduces the need forstaff, betting shops can remain open longer for the same staff costs.  Longer hours give customers more opportunity to bet, increasing thelikelihood of more customers betting because of the enhancement inconvenience, and increas ing the amount customers are likely to bet, asthey are in the betting shop for a longer period of time.   Morecustomers and more spend mean more profit, and potentially more marketshare, all of which are naturally favourable to management (Woodruffand Gardial 1996).     Ã‚  Ã‚   Increased efficiency typically leads to increased competitiveness,provided the firm is being efficient about the right activities.  William Hill was a bit behind its competitors, being the last major UKbookmaker to implement an EPOS system.   It faces one primary competitorin the broader sector, Ladbrokes, and a slew of smaller competitors,primarily in the online market (Thomas 2004).   While many of thesesmaller competitors are striving for differentiation along a variety oflines, William Hill holds to its position that its company branding andstatus will carry it through against such firms.   It has the advantageover Ladbrokes of being in the online gambling arena longer, and hasstepped ahead of them in its entry into television.   Ladbrokes has alarger number of traditional shops, however, which must be factored ingiven William Hills emphasis on the importance of convenience andplace in its loyalty strategies (Thomas 2004, Hargrave 2004).   Ladbrokes also has employed EPOS for a longer time, and has thereforeincreased the integration of the machines and the data they generateinto its overall business and marketing strategies (Hargrave 2004).  The two have similar brand recognition, and are viewed as primecompetitors.   Given Ladbrokes already uses an EPOS system, it is morelikely that increased market share for William Hill will come from theelimination or absorption of smaller competitors, rather thansignificant customer win from Ladbrokes.  Ã‚   Findings of the analysis of available literature concerning WilliamHill, EPOS systems, and potential benefits and losses are generallyfavourable for the EPOS system.   The potential drawbacks of the EPOSsystem include lessened customer loyalty and damage to the corporateimage of a service-oriented firm.   Staff attitude and feeling of valuealso have the potential to suffer from automation.   The system fits inbroad corporate culture of a firm innovative in its use of technology,but may have a negative impact on employees and could potentiallychange local shop culture.   This is particularly important if jobs willbe lost or phased out due to the introduction of the EPOS machines,although the company has not indicated this will be the case.   Theorganisation must finally be cognisant during both implementation andcontinued operation of the potential for gambling abuse and addictionusing EPOS and other automated gambling devices, and make an effort toprovide   a safe, contro lled betting environment.The anticipated benefits of the system, however, outweigh potentialdrawbacks.   First, the EPOS system will increase efficiency in how betsare taken, settled, and paid, both increasing security in bettingtransactions and making each transaction faster and less expensive.  This provides the firm with the potential to forward such savings tothe consumer, increasing the companys ability to meet or beatcompetitors on price issues.   Whether or not any cost savings are passed along to the consumer, thesystem also makes William Hill more competitive in a number of otherways.   In combination with the voucher system already in place, theEPOS system greatly increases the convenience afforded to the customerin placing and settling bets, and withdrawing winnings.   This increasedconvenience is anticipated to result in new customers, particularlythose drawn from other

Im Not Really Like That, Am I? :: Men Women Female Male Macho Essays

I'm Not Really Like That, Am I? Once upon a time . . . Who am I kidding? It was yesterday. I was reading the article "I'll Explain It to You," by Deborah Tannen. Now I'm a male and I'll have to admit, I feel like I've been persecuted. She claims men can be macho, dominating, and self-centered with a woman during a conversation. I feel this is a horrible stereotype to give us. We don't really act like that. To prove my point I'll use a conversation I had with three other people: two girls and another guy. Now this conversation will clearly prove that we (men) aren't how Tannen describes us in her article. Before I describe the conversation, I should begin by talking about some of the situations that led up to it. For instance, I came up to the group of people wanting to speak to my friend. He wasn’t doing much of anything, besides sitting on a couch. So I sat down beside him and I started to have a conversation with him. Now I noticed that the two girls, who were sitting on the couch beside him, were attractive so I began to speak a little more openly. This encouraged the girls to join in (my plan was just starting). They became interested in what we were talking about and began to give their opinions on what we were discussing, which leads into the discussion . . . The topic of this conversation was relationships. When the girls became interested they asked, "What are you guys talking about?" My friend answered, "Women, and how they play with our minds." Now see, two guys can have a perfectly meaningful conversation without degrading anyone. Of course, I then asked one of them if she would like to play with my mind, but that just got us off track of the conversation. Oh, no! I just proved one of Tannen's point's by making a joke. Not only a senseless joke, but a macho joke. Tannen claims that men tend to tell more jokes than women during conversation. According to the article, telling jokes can be a way of negotiating status (266). The article also claims that because women do not care if they hold center stage in a group, they are less likely to use jokes as a form of getting their audience's attention. So, I guess by telling my flirtatious joke, I demonstrated how men like to hold control of a conversation.

Hostel Management

Hostel Management Abstract For the past few years the number of educational institutions is increasing rapidly. Thereby the number of hostels is also increasing for the accommodation of the students studying in this institution. And hence there is a lot of strain on the person who are running the hostel and software's are not usually used in this context. This particular project deals with the problems on managing a hostel and avoids the problems which occur when carried manually . Hence to reduce the load on the person handling this.It includes some of the following features. RULES AND REGULATIONS: In this the rules and regulations of the hostels are given in details. HOSTEL FACILITES: In this the details of facilities provided in the hostels are given in details. ACCOMODITY: This deals with the total no. of rooms available with the details of total no. of students accommodating in a room. Here the details of equipment provided are also listed. WARDENS AND TEACHING STAFF DETAILS: It deals with the details of the wardens.Here the details of the teaching staff are also mentioned with details of their mess calculations ,etc. STAFF DETAILS: The staff working in the hostel and their salary calculation,leave,etc can be attained from this section. The existing system of hostel management is done manually which is an ineffective manner. This way of managing the hostels has many limitations. The chances of occurring errors are more. So the records must be accurate, informative and dynamically updated. †¢ TIME CONSUMING †¢ HUMAN ERROR SLOW PROCESS †¢ BACKUP †¢ POOR QUALITY †¢ DATA INCONSISTENCY This is a software created for the purpose of managing all the works of a hostel in a most efficient manner. The project includes all the basic events carried out in a hostel like mess bill calculation, daily voucher etc. The software keeps a close track on the number of inmates, teaching staff, non -teaching staff. Room details and student registration a re also included. The project is a complete software package for hostel management.

Inhumanity Breeds Inhumanity

In Elie Wiesel’s Night, the protagonist Eliezer enters a spiritual struggle to maintain faith, not only in God but in humanity. Turned upside down, his world no longer makes sense. He becomes disillusioned through his experience of Nazi cruelty, but even more so by the inexplicable cruelty that fellow prisoners inflict upon each other. Eliezer is appalled by the human depth of depravity and capacity for evil, his own included. Within the story there seems to be an emphasis on how inhumanity begets inhumanity. Seeing the Jews as inhuman, the Nazis cruelly treat them as animals, in turn producing cruel and animalistic behavior among the prisoners. The first example of inhuman behavior by prisoners in the story is when Eliezer and his family board the train. At first, Eliezer didn’t think the Germans seemed all that monstrous. He describes them as distant but polite. However the incremental removal of human identity and community had already begun. They seemed human like any other group of people. Over a few months time however, they became more monstrous. The Jews were stripped of their homes, possessions and dignity and forced into cattle cars bound for extermination camps. Eliezer comments on the overtly inappropriate sexual behavior displayed by some of the prisoners during the ride in the cattle cars. Such behavior presumably stems from being denied basic human respect, prompting lower self respect in the prisoners. Although hardly as violent as the Nazi’s actions, this behavior foreshadows the downward spiral in human depravity that will result from the tortuous experiences of the concentration camps. As the prisoners endure more and more horrific and monstrous Nazi abuse, they themselves become abusers. Forced into a â€Å"kill or be killed† survival situation, the prisoners often turn on each other in similar fashion to the ways in which they have been mistreated. The Kapos provide an example. As prisoners themselves, they inevitably endure the same horrendous conditions of the camps, granted mildly less horrendous than the average prisoners. Yet rather than encouraging or aiding fellow prisoners under their charge, the Kapos actually further the Nazi cause with their unnecessarily cruel and dehumanizing behavior, and destruction of hope. One Kapo remarked to Eliezer, that in the camps, it was every man for himself†¦There were no fathers, brothers, sons or friends, just survival alone without thought of anyone else. The position of Kapo symbolizes how the holocaust’s cruelty breeds more cruelty for its victims, turning decent people violently against each other in a race for self preservation. Eliezer’s narrative further details how inhuman behavior is spawned by inhuman treatment. Beaten, starving and pitted against one another for survival, sons beat or abandon their fathers. Eliezer witnesses a son beat his father for an improperly made bed, another abandon his father on the blizzard run, and yet another beat his father to death for a crust of bread. Although appalled by such behavior, Eliezer finds himself resenting his own father, feeling him to be a burden rather than the support he actually is. Even as his father lies dying, Eliezer asks himself why he shouldn’t eat his father’s rations. As the Nazi dehumanization reaches its climax, Eliezer finds that self preservation becomes the highest virtue and struggles to maintain any semblance of human dignity. Night demonstrates how cruelty breeds cruelty, and abuse creates abusers, spreading like an infection. If human beings are treated as animals, they will often begin to act like animals. There is no doubt that all humanity is capable of depravity, and under the right circumstances, incapable of controlling its manifestation!

201 Week 1 Essay

Psy/201 Week 1 Essay Psy/201 Week 1 Essay My daughter has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Some of the problems that I deal with on a daily are lack of attention, failure to follow instructions, loses things easily, and impulsive behaviors. However, having to deal with this, we are dealing with growing pains, her body is growing fast, but her bones are taking their time, so she has some discomfort. With that, her physician told her when she feels pain she may have a pain pill. However this is been a constant problem, every day she has pain. Therefore, I decided to give her a low dose Bayer aspirin, instead of Tylenol. Within less than twenty minutes, she is telling me she is doing just fine. The next couple of days I changed the aspirin to a vitamin, and got the same reaction. For the past 7 months, when she feels pain, she takes a vitamin believing it is a painkiller, and again the same result. In less than twenty minutes, she is feeling no more pain, or discomfort. I used the informal research method of ex perimental research. Psychologist produces a change in one variable to observe the effects of that change on other variables. This is the placebo effect, when a patient has symptoms, they receive what they think is treatment, and their symptoms disseminate. If I had to make this decision again, I am not sure I would handle it the same way again. I personally acknowledge that I am dealing with a child not well; I believe that I am not hurting, but I know I am not helping either, I have seen that

Failure of McDonalds Company in Entering China Market Essay - 1

Failure of McDonalds Company in Entering China Market - Essay Example According to the research findings, a market is defined as the group of potential customers with similar needs who are willing to purchase goods and services towards the satisfaction of these needs. Potential entrants need to focus on the customers and come up with proper marketing mixes to a particular target market. The paper highlights recommendations that are available for proper entry and successful implementation of the company in the new market. McDonalds Corporation is a chain of fast food restaurants whose client base is 68 million customers across 119 states and over 35,000uotlets. The multi-national headed by Steve Easterbrook predominantly sells hamburgers, chicken, sandwiches, soft drinks, desserts breakfast items, salads, wraps, vegetarian items and other localized fares. Despite their seasonal deviations in certain states, the chain is subject to regional food taboos such as religious prohibition and is employed to avail products with which the regional market is more familiar such as beer in Germany, prawn in Ebi or burger in Singapore. The Corporation operates in 118 countries and serves around 168 million customers with an employment rate of 2million people. Among the states relates to Mexico, Germany, Europe, China and predominantly in the US where the company is the largest fast foods restaurant with a 96.5% market share. McDonald's has a 15% market share, and an approximate of 1750 stores in China as well as a command of 40 million worth of profits. It successful entry in other states such as Europe has led to operations in brands other than restaurants such as Piles Cafà ©. The company has expanded over the last 25 years to cover various states and currently holds 300 million worth of revenue and 30% of the US GDP.

Hispanic American Diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hispanic American Diversity - Research Paper Example Among the major Hispanic groups, Mexican Americans take the major portion. The other groups, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, and others have relevant influence in America. These Hispanic or Latino groups, that constitute a major portion among the population of America, are not well considered in the land. This research paper takes a study on Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban, and central/south Americans and analyses the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious and familial problems of these groups in America. Mexicans: Mexicans are the largest group among the Latino Americans. They contribute about one third of all Hispanic groups: â€Å"as of 2002, about 23 percent of Mexican Americans are English dominant, 26 percent are bilingual, and 51 percent are Spanish dominant† (Schaefer, 2006, p. 241). It indicates that Mexicans in America use a different language other than what is commonly spoken in America. Many times the Mexicans are denied of their heritag e towards their language- Spanish. The people who speak Spanish are considered to be less able before those who speak English. This language handicap is there among the people of Mexican Americans. The author, Schaefer in the same book makes out the distinction of Mexicans in terms of language. The students who speak Spanish were separated from the other students and bilingual education started with the hope of changing their native language towards English. The main objective of bilingual education turned to teach English as second language (ESL) among the Spanish spoken students of America in a way paved way for discouraging Spanish and establishing the supremacy of English. This language barrier affected the Mexicans in other aspects like political, social, religious and economic spheres. In the political realm many Hispanic members are considered to be non citizens and are denied to vote. Jamieson et al. observe that â€Å"at the time of the 2000 presidential election, 39 perce nt of Hispanics of voting age were non-citizens compared with only 22 percent of White non-Hispanics† (Schaefer, 2006, p. 245). This indicates that many of the Hispanic groups are not accepted in America. They are cut off at many levels. Even though much disparity is there, the political notion and involvement of Mexicans in it are on the move. If the American political scenario is watched carefully it can be understood that Democrats have gained much benefits from the Hispanic groups. It was evident in the election 2000. Schaefer says that in the election 2000, George W. Bush gained only 35 percent of their votes whereas Al Gore could gain 62 percent of the Hispanic vote. Most of the Mexicans are Roman Catholics and they consider much priority for religion whereas in America they face the language problems in religion too. The Mass in America is enacted mostly in English and these groups are denied to get actively involve with the Holy Mass. In the matters with economic too t he Hispanic Americans face hardships. Knowledge of English is considered to be a pre requisite for economic growth. In considering the economic levels of the Mexicans it can be stated that the economic level of Hispanic or Latino people are much lower than that of the non-Hispanic people. As the author states: â€Å"over the last twenty years, the proportion of Latinos in poverty has been two or three times that of non-Hispanic Whites†