A Study of Market Segmentation for Uk Frozen Food Industry Essay

A Study Of Market Segmentation For UK Frozen Food Industry Abstract The objectives of this study are to perform market segmentation for a SME in the frozen food sector. The study could form a basis of segmentation framework for a SME like Eden Farm, the framework once developed from academic literature would help to undertake a market segmentation in the frozen food industry with relevant segmentation criteria which would form a basis of targeting strategy for the company. In this Dissertation, the literature on Market Segmentation is reviewed and relevant criteria for segmentation in an industry are understood. The typology from the literature identifying the variables for segmentation and relevant strategic tools for analysis of the sector is used to develop a framework for segmentation in the industry. The framework is applied to carry out a detailed segmentation of the markets for frozen food, an analysis is carried out to understand the target markets and strategic tools used to identify the target markets. Along with the segmentation of the markets, an analysis of the results is carried out and recommendations are provided for strategic growth of the company. Contents Abstract3 Acknowledgements3 Introduction3 Definition of the Company’s Issue3 Aims and Objectives of the Project:3 Literature Review:3 Review of Academic Literature for Segmentation:3 Market Segmentation:3 Definition of Market Segmentation:3 Segmentation Logic:3 The Segmenting-Targeting Framework:3 Segmentation Variables:3 Segmentation Criteria:3 Academic literature:3 Literature Review on segmentation in the food industry:3 Portfolio Analysis:3 Final Framework for addressing the Research Question:3 Research Methodology3 Research Objectives3 Research Approach:3 Research Strategy:3 Ethical Issues in Data collection3 Recommendations:3 Implementation Issues:3 Critical Reflection and Conclusion:3 Review of Work Process:3 Reflection and critical analysis of the process:3 Limitations of the process:3 Conclusion and discussion of results in an Academic context:3 Bibliography3 List of Tables Page Table 1 Detailed Breakdown of Frozen Food Products37 Table 2 Recommended Customers for EF49 Table 3. a Market Attractiveness for Segments49 Table 3. b Market Attractiveness for Segments50 Table 4 Business Competitiveness Scores for Various Segments50 List of Figures Page Figure 1Market Share for frozen food34 Figure 2Frozen food market share by manufacturers36 Figure3Frozen food market share by products36 Figure4Comparison of market shares of products37 Figure5Market trends for desserts38 Figure6Convenience store sales40 Figure7Convenience store market share40 Figure8Sales of Eden Farm by Market Segment41 Figure9Sales Trends in catering47 Figure10DPM Matrix49 Introduction The project report considers customer segmentation for the frozen food industry and evaluates the opportunities for targeted growth in the sector for Eden Farm, a UK based distributor of frozen food. The retail food industry is dynamic in nature and is very competitive for the distributors. However, growth opportunities exist in the sector when a thorough analysis is carried out and the targeted segments are evaluated. Hence, the study identifies growth strategies in the sector by using segmentation framewor k and relevant analysis. Definition of the Company’s Issue Eden Farm is a distributor of frozen food and ice cream across UK with a strong base in the North East and Yorkshire. The company’s prospect market is wholesale, cash and carry, symbol groups, CTN’s, forecourts, independent supermarkets. At the moment, the company is trying to increase its market presence in various sub sectors of the market. The frozen food retail is represented by many sub sectors and is composed of many market players. The business on the whole is variable across sectors and the levels of risk and opportunities for each sub sector and product is variable in nature.

Mycenaean Civilization

The first great civilization on mainland Greece actually bloomed in the demise of the Minoan Civilisation. The Mycenaean Civilisation (1900 – 1100 BC) is also known as the Achaean Civilisation. This is due to the Indo-European migrants, who not only settled on mainland Greece but also adapted to the Minoan way of living. Independent city-states such as Pylos, Corinth and of course Mycenae which was the most powerful of them all, was a characteristic of the Mycenaean Civilisation. Mycenae was also the city of the legendary figure Agamemnon, who was one of the leaders who defeated Troy. These city-states were ruled by kings, whose palaces were on hilltops, enclosed within huge walls, which were very easy to defend. Mycenae with its impressive Gate of Lions became the dominating power in the Peloponese. These palaces soon appeared all over Greece, but unlike those on Crete, these were all huge fortifications and much more difficult to penetrate. As with the Cycladic Civilisation, an impressive legacy was also left by the Mycenaean Civilisation in the form of gold jewellery and ornaments. A collection of these treasures can be seen at the National Archaeological Musuem in Athens. The Mycenaean were also literate and wrote in a script known as Linear B. This script is an early form of Greek which is unrelated from Linear A from the Minoan Civilisation of Crete. It has however been deciphered. Other examples of the script Linear B have also been found on Crete, which has led to the possibility that the island may have been invaded by the Mycenaean people at around 1500 BC. At around 1400 BC the palace of Knossos was destroyed on Crete, as well as destruction all over the island. This wide spread destruction has led many to believe that Crete was not attacked by a foreign force, but that a revolt against the Mycanaean rulers had probably taken place. Mycenaean artifacts have also been discovered in Italy, Eygpt, Asia Minor and North Syria. It is likely that they had permanent strongholds in some of these places as their influence seems so strong. The defeat of Troy was accomplished with the Mycenaean city-states joining together to protect their Black Sea trade routes. During 1200 BC the decline of the civilization had began, with many Mycenaean structures being destroyed. The situation now in Greece was very similar to the one that had happened on Crete following the destruction of Knossos. It is difficult to grasp at how all of the city-states actually declined. Some have put forward that due to trade with the east stopping, many overseas settlements were lost. Others believe that along with factors such as famine and epidemics, internal battles and overpopulation, the reason was when the civilization was overtaken by the Dorians.

Nepotism in American Business

In the article â€Å"Nepotism in American Business† by Adam Bellow in the book Honest Work, Bellow makes the case that nepotism if practiced carelessly it is humiliating for everyone involved – especially the under qualified beneficiary – but if nepotism is performed successfully it fulfills a deep desire to care for our families while contributing to society at the same time. The roots of nepotism were initially developed in the fourteenth or fifteenth century in Italy to describe the dishonest custom of selecting papal relatives to office – generally illegitimate sons who were often depicted as their â€Å"nephews†. Today nepotism can be defined as â€Å"a favoritism based on kinship† and from a business aspect many see it as hiring a relative who is incredibly inept and unskilled. Many see hiring a relative – qualified or not – as nepotism, while in reality there are many practices today that can technically fall under the category as nepotism. Like most areas of life, some see these practices as acceptable and ordinary while others view them as full-blown nepotism in practice. Critics see nepotism as a way to promote and hire family members or close friends over more qualified applicants. These actions betray our innate sense of justice and seem to provoke strong feelings of disdain for the acts of nepotism and those who seem to be benefiting from it. Nepotism is often seen in family businesses and these practices are generally accepted as â€Å"the way things are† by the other employees involved. These opportunities are a large problem if the person is highly under qualified. Many economists see nepotism as an obstruction to change in business firms while others see it as â€Å"networking†. These views reflect the negative view of old nepotism. New nepotism has become more competitive and the world has become an international marketplace – if you are hired with connections you still have to prove your value and gain merit or consequences will follow. It is much less blatantly offensive to others around the beneficiary. Many seem to have the viewpoint that there really is no problem with hiring a close friend or relative as long as they have the qualifications that are necessary to fill the position that is available. This is an incredibly inconsistent way to judge if nepotism is really okay – if performance is high then nepotism is justifiably okay. There is a difference between old and new nepotism and culture has helped shape the positive and negative views of nepotism. The encouragement of governmental corruption in Asia, Africa and Latin America has Nepotism has had both positive and negative affects on the world and society as a whole and has helped shape our view of these practices.

Detecting preventing or mitigating DoS or Distributed DoS attacks Research Paper

Detecting preventing or mitigating DoS or Distributed DoS attacks - Research Paper Example This process requires a large network of computers running malicious program. To acquire the network, the attacker uses software that recruits vulnerable computers (Glen, 2013). That is, the computers with improperly patched antivirus, out of date antivirus and without antivirus (FU, 2012). To recruit machines into his/her DDoS attack, the attacker may follow several processes. Firstly, the attacker may use a machine infected with malicious programs to search, find, and infect another machine (Patrikakis, Masikos, & Zouraraki, n.d.). The infected machine joins the previous in the haunt of the unprotected machine and infects them. Secondly, the attacker may create a long list of the machine he/she want to recruit before infecting them with the malicious software to make them join his/her army of attacking computers (Glen, 2013; Patrikakis, Masikos, & Zouraraki, n.d.). Notably, some public servers, when compromised, become effective to the attacker when creating the hit list (Patrikakis, Masikos, & Zouraraki, n.d.). For instance, the attacker may run topological scanning where one machine is infected and finds other machine to infect through url it stores (UMUC, 2012). Local subnet scanning uses a compromised host to attack another computer within its own network without firewall detection as it uses the information stored in the local addresses (UMUC, 2012). Lastly, permutation scanning infects the machines allocated a regular pseudorandom combination record of IP addresses (Patrikakis, Masikos, & Zouraraki, n.d.). It searches for uninfected machine in the IP addresses and infect it. When it identifies the infected machine, it jumps over it to the uninfected (UMUC, 2012). The process stops when the infected machine finds several infected machines while it scans (Patrikakis, Masikos, & Zouraraki, n.d.). There are various frames used in the wireless network as a way of

English paper exploring the idea of epiphany Essay

English paper exploring the idea of epiphany - Essay Example It can reflect any fresh and instant understanding that impacts the character's life. In the works of James Joyce and Robert Frost, we can see small epiphanies, knowledge with internal and personal consequence, yet possessing the power to change a character's world. In James Joyce's short story, "Araby," the young boy lives a drab and nearly colorless life. It is only the presence of Mangan's sister that provides illumination to his world. He is literally ensconced in the shadows whenever he sees her, "her figure defined by the light" (Joyce 2236) To the young boy, she is the very definition of light, "her namea summons to all my foolish blood" (Joyce 2237). This is the beginning of the narrator's understanding about the human condition, the call of a grown-up desire. Although he does not quite know how to talk to the girl, or what he should do with her if he could earn her love, he knows that she elicits in him certain sensations that transcend his experience with his family or friends. First, he learns to love, and his amorphous dreams about her color his burgeoning adult understanding. From an irresistible vision, she becomes something heavenly, evoking "strange prayers and praises" (Joyce 2237). In his mind, he becomes a supplicant to her beauty, and his emotions take on a religious fervor. With the attitude of a religious devout, "I pressed the palms of my hands together until they trembled, murmuring: O love! O love! many times" (Joyce 2237). He is here placing beauty on an altar and worshipping it from afar. He does this because he is still a child, and the girl, while real, does not constitute a tangible reality to him. Love is exotic and indescribable, like god. The narrator tells us several times that he has no notion of how to act on his feelings. He says, "I did not know whether I would ever speak to her or not or, if I spoke to her, how I could tell her of my confused adoration" (Joyce 2237). She is, for the time being, a principle rather than an intention. He can feel, but not respond. When she finally speaks to him, her simple words only confirm his previous assumptions. Again, we see her as the only bright thing in a drab world, as "the light from the lampcaught the white curve of her neck, lit up her hairlit up the hand upon the railing. Itcaught the white border of her petticoat" (Joyce 2237). It is significant that she speaks of Araby, the exotic-seeming bazaar; for the boy, the very word, "cast an Eastern enchantment" (Joyce 2238) just as the girl's name "was like a summons to all my foolish blood" (Joyce 2237). These both constitute surface understandings; the narrator's perception does not run deep because he has not yet learned to see beneath the exterior of things. In terms of the girl, he has seen no deeper than the hem of her petticoat, which is just as white and perfect as the rest of her visible surfaces. Of Araby, he knows even less, only that the object of his desire "would love to go." This all leads to the narrator's moment of epiphany, when he finally achieves the goal of Araby, which seems to him the key to the puzzle he doesn't quite understand. Once he experiences the bazaar, he feels he will finally have something to say to the girl, as well as something to give her. He will be able to translate his inexpressible

Marijuana- illegal or legal What is best for Hawaii Research Paper

Marijuana- illegal or legal What is best for Hawaii - Research Paper Example It was also commonly used as an intoxicant in this period. However, a campaign by the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, portraying it as an addictive and powerful substance that acted as a gateway drug led to its illegalization. It became a symbol of authority rebellion for hippies and college students in the 60s. Along with LSD and heroin, marijuana was classified as a schedule 1 drug in 1970 through the Controlled Substances Act, which classed it as possessing high potential; for abuse with no accepted use in medicine. The Bush and Reagan â€Å"zero tolerance† era saw the passage of strict regulations and sentences for marijuana possession and increased surveillance of cross-border smuggling (Joffe & Yancy 637). This brought a shift to reliance on domestic marijuana cultivation in California and Hawaii. However, expanded crackdowns saw another shift towards indoor growing; leading to a decade of falling marijuana use. However, its use saw a revival in the 90s, which l eveled off in the 2000s. Where We Are Today In Hawaii With Marijuana? On 8th March, 2011, the state senate passed five bills related to marijuana. Senate Bill 58 increased marijuana amounts that an individual could carry to allow them carry 5 ounces or grow 10 plants at any given time (Cooper & Daws 276). The bill was also meant to protect the confidentiality of patients and address issues concerning marijuana transport. Bill 113, in turn, provided for a marijuana research program of three years, which would be conducted in Hawaii involving local marijuana users and qualified researchers. Bill 175, should it be passed into law, would see a shift in authority of marijuana laws to the Health Department from the Public Safety Department. Bill 1458 aims to create three class levels for licensing purposes: the first is â€Å"compassion centers that will be responsible for the dispensation of marijuana, the second for cultivation centers, and the third for the sale of infused marijuana ( Cooper & Daws 279). One of the most essential steps towards marijuana legalization is Bill 1460, which seeks to decriminalize any amount of marijuana that is less than one ounce. The bill also proposes that requirements that currently call for reporting of students in possession of marijuana be cancelled if they are caught in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana (Cooper & Daws 280). The five bills in the Senate are widely supported with two among them seeing unanimous approval with the other three facing a maximum of two no votes. These bills are expected to continue towards House approval. According to a number of senators, the economic conditions, money spent on arrests, drastic debts in the state, and the proven effects of medical marijuana make it high time to learn from the decriminalization in Colorado. In addition, if law enforcement and state government should put their efforts towards proper taxation, rather than prosecuting and prohibiting distributors, growers, a nd users so as to provide revenue that is required to improve the debt in the state (Cooper & Daws 281). The recent support given by senate is a sign that this is agreed on by a majority of the senators. Marijuana as a Legal Drug Uses of Marijuana There are various methods of marijuana administration, such as smoking of dried buds, vaporizing, taking capsules, and eating or drinking extracts

The different negotiation styles between U.S. and Sweden Research Paper

The different negotiation styles between U.S. and Sweden - Research Paper Example   The business environment in Sweden and U.S. is completely different as analyzed by PEST analysis. According to AMB Country Report (2010), Sweden has very low economic risk, political risk and financial risk. Political conditions in Sweden are very stable for doing business. For example, although Sweden is a member of European Union, however, it has not joined European Exchange Rate Mechanism because political parties argue that Euro cannot be adopted without the public referendum (AMB Country Risk Report, 2010). With a population of 9 million in 2010, annual GDP growth rate of 4.5 percent in 2010, inflation rate of 1.4 percent and abundant of natural resources of forests, timber, arsenic, copper, gold, silver, zinc, tungsten, hydroelectric power, iron, uranium, feldspar and arsenic, Sweden offers ideal economic conditions to conduct business (Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, 2010). Swedish people have direct communication style; however, they are usually quiet, reserve an d shy. Moreover, they prefer working in flat hierarchical organizational structures with informal working conditions and authority at all hierarchical levels (Communicaid, 2009). Technological developments and innovation in Sweden provide a highly competitive business environment. According to Global Information Technology Report 2009-2010, Sweden is the highest scorer in Information and Communication Technology (Hennigan, 2010). Companies operating in U.S. are more exposed to political risks because of high government interference.   ... According to Global Information Technology Report 2009-2010, Sweden is the highest scorer in Information and Communication Technology (Hennigan, 2010). Companies operating in U.S. are more exposed to political risks because of high government interference. Early U.S. leaders believed in Laissez-faire concept which opposes government interference except to sustain law and order and the new leads are seeking to develop close ties between business and government (U.S. Department of State). U.S. is a developed state with 9.65 million population in 2010, GDP growth of 3.5 percent in 2009 and highly developed manufacturing and service sector (U.S. Department of State, 2010). People in U.S. are very excited and adventurous towards their tasks and they prefer working individually rather than teams (LMSCO, 2004). Technological conditions in U.S. are very favorable for businesses and it is evident from the fact that U.S. has been rated on number 2 in the last of top ten innovation driven econo mies (Virki, 2010). Negotiation styles vary based on culture. According to Hofstede, negotiators in the national cultures with high power distance are more comfortable with hierarchical structures, transparent authority figures and in an environment where the right to use power with discretion is preferred. On the other hand, negotiators in the national cultures with low power distance are more comfortable with flat hierarchies and democratic structures, shared authority and in the environment where the right to use power is limited to certain circumstances (LeBaron). The negotiation styles of U.S. and Swedish negotiators vary because American negotiators are aggressive, strong and have a formal

The Emerald Forest Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Emerald Forest - Movie Review Example Spirituality is revealed in the Invisible People’s culture through their beliefs in spirit animal guardians, in reading nature through the noises in the forest, and attaining a higher level of spirituality through snorting psychedelic substances from a narrow pipe (â€Å"Emerald Forest†). This may not seem much but in reality, it is through these trances that these people were able to view the world from above, and helping them gain perspective in choosing what actions to take, including actions that do not impact future generations greatly or actions that venerate the people that lived before them.In my view, the Invisible People have a happier culture that gives a greater amount of satisfaction than the Termite People or Modern People culture. Because the Invisible People work in harmony with nature, they do not cause problems in nature such as rising water levels during rains, high levels of destruction during storms, and even overhunting of animals. This is in large contrast to the Termite People that destroy large areas of forests that not only ruin the habitats of plants and animals but also drive away the tribes that were originally living in these areas (â€Å"Emerald Forest†). In addition, the Invisible People also have higher levels of spirituality and community connections as compared to the Termite People, which makes the former to create decisions that not only impact their present but also their future, while the latter only caters to the need for monetary gain., essentially becoming slaves to money and forgetting about their own selves and the well-being of others from different communities. Lastly, because the Invisible People have simpler needs, this makes it easier for them to be happy and share this happiness with other

Desribing a room Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Desribing a room - Essay Example The entrance to this room has been decorated with artificial flowers shining on one side of the door. The door itself is made of wood and has been decorated with small stuffed toys. The right side of the room has a short shell on which small crystal decoration pieces have been placed. The left side is an empty wall which has nice painted scenery on it. The bed set is placed with the front wall facing the door. The bed set is made of wood and a nice patterned bed spread has been put on it. On the wall in front of the bed set is attached the light crystal display television set. Under the television set is a table, which has a DVD player on it. Under the table are the television stabilizers and the speakers. The wall on one side of the bed set opens into the dressing room. The roof is cemented but has bamboo patterns on it which look very beautiful. The curtains are made of silk fabric. The color theme of the room is light green which means that most of the things that the room contain s are green in color. The room is painted in green with shine particles sprinkled on the paint which keeps them stuck to the wall. The ceiling has been decorated with light emitting stars which shine when the light is off. The bed spread and the carpet are also green.

Coccidioidomycosis (alley fever and Tuberculosis Essay

Coccidioidomycosis (alley fever and Tuberculosis - Essay Example T., & Dunning, M. B. 2009). Tuberculin relates to an extract of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is used in the detection of tuberculosis infection. Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) is a form of tuberculin which is made of a combination of complex mixtures of antigens. PPD functions by creating a mild as well as delayed allergic reaction that takes place among patients likely to be infected by Tuberculosis. The test is usually conducted by injecting a lower level of fluid into the skin located in the lower section of the arm. The swelling on the arm is then checked after a period between 48 and 72 hours for any reaction to the skin. Its size is measured using a ruler and the doctors use the measurement for their analysis based on well known established facts. Positive tuberculin test is between 5, 10 and 15mm. The size of the swelling will help in finding out if the person has already been infected by the disease or is at risk of being infected. Positive skin test is an indication of infection by the tuberculosis bacteria while a negative skin test is an indication of absence of the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis. The test is however limited in some cases especially where it had been used before on the same individual. It is worth noting that the test cannot be fully relied upon but must be supported by other tests such as the blood test in order to establish if the disease is latent or active. The blood test necessary for tuberculosis is known as Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) which exists in two forms namely QuantiFERON-TB and T-SPOT. Sputum cultures as well as smears tests are conducted for acid-fast bacilli in circumstances in which a patient undergoing the test is producing a lot of sputum. The method can be achieved through fluorescence microscopy. The disease which is caused by a fungal infection is can be diagnosed through a number of ways which include blood tests, sputum test, chest X-ray among other methods.

3 Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

3 Questions - Essay Example They were able to reduce their first class fares around 20-50% while regular coach fares were cut down by around 38% because of this innovative pricing strategy. Airline travels usually varies based on the seasons and the global political atmosphere. Business people and tourists were the main passengers of airliners and hence their numbers may vary based on the political and seasonal (climatic) variations in the world. So the airliners are adjusting their prices based on these variations in seasons. Another pricing strategy most of the airliners using are the bonuses for the more air miles travelled by the passenger using the same airline. This strategy will prompt the passengers to select the same airline for their future traveling needs in order to utilize the bonuses. Overbooking, discount fare traveling and carefully structured traffic management help the American airlines to ensure maximum passengers in every flight. The customers will often look for more options if the airliners are not flexible enough to reduce their prices. Moreover in a globalized environment the competition is immense in airline industry and hence only the cheaper prices ensure maximum passengers on flights. In every industry the pricing decisions and strategies must be decided based on the competition in the market. In a monopolized market the service provider has the complete freedom over fixing the prices of their product or services where as in a competitive market the pricing decisions and strategies may depend on other suppliers and external environments as well. Airline industry is a highly competitive industry because of the excessive number of private and public air passenger carriers. Most of the airliners experience shortage of passengers most of the times and hence pricing strategies are important for the existence of airliners. In some seasons the airliners will experience busy seasons and hence

Principles of Environmental Science Essay Example for Free

Principles of Environmental Science Essay Principals of Environmental Science Joshua Hammack ENV/100 February 4, 2013 Christopher Bertram Principals of Environmental Science Environmental science is the relationship between the earth and all living things and organisms that use the earth’s resources to sustain life. Environmental science is also the ongoing study of the environment and all of its interconnected systems. The style of research performed by environmental scientists is very diverse. Also, environmental science is composed of many components such as geology, physics, social science, meteorology, and biology. Social science looks more at how humans and animals interact within the environment and the effects they have on one another. â€Å"Environmental scientists try to establish general principles about how the natural world functions. They use these principles to develop viable solutions to environmental problems—solutions that are based as much as possible on scientific knowledge† (M. C. , 2009). Technology and science affect the problems and solutions of today’s society both positively and negatively. Take for instance the invention of the car by Karl Friedrich Benz in 1885, (Bruno, 1997) while there was a demand for better transportation as people became more sophisticated and wanted to travel further than possible on a horse it created a demon for the environment to fight. Today, worldwide there are more than 1 billion passenger vehicles on the roadways, (Tencer, 2011) and with an increase in automobiles comes added pollution from oil, grease, petroleum, and rubber, but not only the cars produce pollution. The manufacturing does equal amounts of damage from steel mills, rubber plants and stamping plants. With growing population these numbers will begin to rise. At the same time the technologies that are contributing to the Worlds pollution problems are also being used to help solve the problem by creating means necessary to obtain valuable data to aid in the solution. For example studying marine life in the depths of the ocean would not be possible without using motorboats to reach these remote locations. The double edge sword being that the boat itself pollutes the water. Finding a balance between the neccessity of technology and the over consumption of technology is a slippery slope, but it is crucial to the sustainability of the environment. â€Å"Ecologist Garrett Hardin (1915–2003) is best known for his 1968 essay â€Å"The Tragedy of the Commons. † In it he contended that our inability to solve complex environmental problems is the result of a struggle between short-term individual welfare and long-term environmental sustainability, the ability to meet humanitys current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs† (M. C. , 2009). It is essential that society studies the sustainability of our resources not only so they can be preserved, but to aid in the prediction of growth and evolution. Some countries like the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe are highly developed countries that are consuming the majority of the worlds sustainable consumption. As the under developed countries such as Haiti, yemen, and Sudan begin to grow they will take on a larger share of the sustainable consumption. Without monitoring the development from an environmental point of view the worlds population could literally eat themselves out of house and home. â€Å"Those who dont know history are doomed to repeat it. † –Edmund Burke. Looking back through history the United States has not always been the best stewards to the land. In fact, through many mistakes the lessons of Mother Nature have been ingrained into our culture. The concept of conservation and preservation was brought about by a group of men in the mid 1800’s through the early 1900’s. Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901), Grover Cleveland (1837–1908), William McKinley (1843–1901), and Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) were all the first to use the Forest Reserve Act, this act was put into affect in 1881 which gave the president the authority to establish forest reserves on public, federally owned land (M. C. , 2009). Before this the lands in the western United States were falling victim to deforestation with 160 billion board foot of lumber being cut from 1860, just after the Civil War to 1900. Throughout history the government has been very proactive in establishing programs to help preserve and protect the natural resources. Until 1970, the voice of the environmentalist was nothing but a whisper that was only heard through two organizations, the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation (M. C. , 2009). When Denis Hays, a Harvard graduate student was influenced by a former Wisconsin senator to organize the first recognized Earth Day it bacame a gateway for informing the public on sustainability, consumption and what we needed to do to preserve our environment. Eventually Earth Day became a way to show people that their little contribution to reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible was magnified greatly when coupled with others efforts. â€Å"By Earth Day 1990, the movement had spread around the world, signaling the rapid growth in environmental consciousness† (M. C. , 2009). In conclusion, it is inevitable that the world as a whole will continue to grow, the population will increase, and resources will be exhuasted. It is for that reason the human race must be aware of what is coming.

Causes and Effects of Tuberculosis

Causes and Effects of Tuberculosis Tuberculosis is a chronic, infectious and deadly disease caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Tuberculosis often attacks lungs but it is also known for attacking other parts of the body (extrapulmonary tuberculosis). The infection site of extrapulmonary tuberculosis includes the central nervous system, the lymphatic system particularly in the neck, genitourinary system and bones and joints. People with active tuberculosis often show some of these symptoms: Mycobacteria are found abundantly in habitats such as pond and soil. However, a few are intracellular pathogens to animals and humans. Tuberculosis is transmitted through aerosol route but the transmission can also occur via gastrointestinal route. Coughing, sneezing and spitting by people with active tuberculosis releases droplet nuclei containing the germ which is known as bacilli into the air. The droplet nuclei can remain suspended in the air for up to several hours. Infection only occurs when someone inhales the droplet nuclei. A person needs only to inhale a  treated with existing drugs and medications. To make the condition even worse, new tuberculosis germ (XDR-TB) that is extremely resistant to drugs has been found in US. Now, the governments are focusing more on the preventive measure and at the same time, searching for a possible drug or vaccine that could eliminate the problem once and for all. So, to address this issue, I have focused my research on this question What are current available treatments for tuberculosis? Current Possible Solution With the advancement of technology, mankind had the power in combating with deadly diseases. Tuberculosis, which had killed millions of people in the nineteenth century, was brought under control by using vaccines and drugs. Drug treatments are used extensively in treating people with active tuberculosis. Latent tuberculosis, however, does not require intensive care but merely prescribed medication for several months. Vaccines, on the contrary, are used as preventive measures in areas of higher tuberculosis risk. Apart from that, vaccines are used by healthcare workers, newborns, and travelers who are at constant risk of getting infected by the disease. One of the most commonly used vaccine in prevention of tuberculosis, the BCG vaccine, is discussed below. But, first, I will discuss about the drug treatments. Tuberculosis treated with drugs has a mortality rate of less than 5%. This shows that the current available drugs for tuberculosis are quite effective in treating the disease. Among the common drugs used in tuberculosis treatment are isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. These drugs aim at inhibiting the bacterial activity thus improving the patients conditions. Anti-tuberculosis drugs are classified into three major categories. They are the first line drugs, the second line drugs and the third line drugs. These drugs are classified according to their effectiveness in treating the disease and their availability. The first line drugs are as follows: Ethambutol-EMB or E, Isoniazid-INH or H, Pyrazinamide-PZA or Z, Rifampicin-RMP or R, Streptomycin-STM or S (802 words) There are six classes of second line drugs. These drugs are classified second class because they may be less effective than first line drugs (p-aminosalicylic acid), they may have harmful side-effects (cycloserine) or they may not be available in the developing countries (fluoroquinolones). aminoglycosides: e.g.-amikacin(AMK), kanamycin(KM); polypeptides: e.g.-capreomycin, viomycin, enviomycin; fluoroquinolones: e.g.-ciprofloxacin(CIP), levofloxacin, moxifloxacin(MXF); thioamides: e.g.-ethionamide, prothionamide; cycloserine(the only antibiotic in its class); p-aminosalicylic acid(PAS or P). Other drugs (third line drugs) that may be useful, but are not on the WHO list: rifabutin macrolides: e.g.-clarithromycin(CLR); linezolid(LZD); thioacetazone(T); thioridazine; arginine; vitamin D; R207910. Tuberculosis treatments are often done as combination therapies (except for latent tuberculosis where only one type of drug is prescribed to the patient) because single drug therapy would result in rapid development of resistance which would lead to the failure of the treatment. Besides that, there are other reasons to support the combination therapy. Different drugs have different form of action. For example, PZA is a weak bactericidal but is very effective against bacteria located in acidic conditions. On the other hand, INH is very effective against replicating bacteria. RMP is a good bactericidal and at the same time, has sterilizing effects. This proves that, using combination therapy is effective to counter the disease and at the same time, it would prevent the mutation of the bacteria into drug resistant. Upon infection, tuberculosis bacteria are taken up by the alveolar macrophages and are carried to the lymph nodes where it may be spread to other parts of the body (this is the basis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis). Two to eight weeks after infection, hypersensitivity and cell-mediated immunity develops and suppression of the infection will result in people with good, healthy immune system. People, who are immunocompromised, will develop inflammatory immune response which eventually leads to lung damage. These drugs functions by confining the bacteria and at the same time, since it has antibiotic effects, it will kill the bacteria, thus, improving the patients condition. It would usually take about six months or more for full (1153 words) recovery with 2-3% of relapse rate. Continuation of medication would be recommended by the physician to avoid the problem form reappearing. Isoniazid is one particular type of the drug which is commonly used due to its effectiveness in treating tuberculosis. This medication is best taken on an empty stomach 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals. But it may be taken with food or milk if stomach upset occurs. Take as directed. Do not stop taking this medication without your doctors approval. Stopping therapy early may result in ineffective treatment and the infection could recur. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) supplements may be prescribed in addition to this medication to prevent numbness and tingling. Extracted from MedicineNet.com- Isoniazid ORAL (Niazid) side effects, medical uses and drug interaction. Figure 1 Fgure4- Effect of aspirin or ibuprofen administered in combination with isoniazid on lung(a) and spleen(b) log10 CFU in murine tuberculosis. ASP only, aspirin(20 mg/kg of body weight); IBU only, ibuprofen(20 mg/kg); INH only, isoniazid(25 mg/kg); ASP+INH, aspirin and isoniazid(20 and 25 mg/kg, respectively); IBU+INH, ibuprofen and isoniazid(20 and 25 mg/kg, respectively). There is reliable and concrete evidence that isoniazid is effective in curbing the disease. The graph shows clearly that when isoniazid is administered to a patient with murine tuberculosis, it effectively inhibits the progress of the disease. This can be seen when there is zero tuberculous bacterium count when INH is administered. The drug acts in the same way in both liver and spleen. Other drugs, such as ibuprofen and aspirin are used to compare the relative effectiveness of each individual drug. Ibuprofen seems not to interfere with the INH mechanism while aspirin reduces the effectiveness of INH. So, aspirin should be avoided when using drug regime containing INH to prevent it from interfering with INH mechanism. (1447 words) Benefits and Risks of Drug Treatment As with all forms of medications, tuberculosis drugs also pose some side-effects which may cause uneasiness to the patient. The benefits of tuberculosis drug treatments are well known. It effectively reduces symptoms of the disease upon the administration of the medication and in most cases; the drug cures the disease with 2-3% of relapse rate. Drug treatment also decreases the mortality rate significantly; reducing it to less than 5%. This means number of people dying from tuberculosis or tuberculosis related diseases is falling every year. On the other hand, the risks of drug treatments are severe but only in remote cases. This is usually due to the aggravation of the side-effects by the risk factors such as alcohol abuse, history of hepatitis, diabetes mellitus and HIV infection. Increasing age is also a risk factor for the noncompliance to the treatment. The severe forms of side-effects are drug-induced hepatitis, arthralgia, central nervous system toxicity and exanthema. The drug treatments also pose some rather common adverse-effects. These include nausea, abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea and fluid (saliva, tears and urine) discolouration. Table1-Number of side-effects due to isoniazid, rifampin or pyrazinamide followed by final termination of  one of the drugs (n=519) Side-effect Isoniazid Rifampin Pyrazinamide Total Hepatotoxicity 19(4) 8(1.5) 28(5) 55(11) Arthralgia 1(0.2) 12(2) 13(2) Exanthema 6(1.2) 27(5) 33(6) CNS toxicity* 8(1.5) 8(1.5) Nausea 5(0.9) 5(0.9) Others# 7(1.4) 7(1.4) Total 34(7) 8(1.5) 79(15) 121(23) Values are present as absolute number, and percentage in  parenthesis. *:including peripheral neuropathy(n=6) and  seizure(n=2); #:including leucopenia(n=1), fever(n=3) and  severe hyperuricaemia(n=3). CNS: central nervous system. After evaluating both pros and cons of the drug treatment, I feel that the benefits of drug treatment outweigh the risks. Therefore, the risks should not discourage the patient from continuing the medication. The completion of the medication is vital for the full recovery from the disease. Social and Economic Implications of the Disease Tuberculosis is the worlds largest endemic with one third of world population being infected with the disease. And tuberculosis remains the greatest terror in developing nations. This is because the disease causes unbearable social and economic implications to the one infected with the disease. The substantial non-treatment costs of TB are borne by the patients and their  families. These are often greater than the costs of treatment to the health sector.   The largest indirect cost of TB for a patient is income lost by being too sick to work. Studies suggest that on average three to four months of work time are lost, resulting  in average lost potential earnings of 20% to 30% of annual household income. For the families of those that die from the disease, there is the further loss of about  15 years of income because of the premature death of the TB sufferer. Extracted from the Stop Tb Initiative by WHO It is very clear that tuberculosis, left untreated, would result in loss in terms of financial support. Therefore, it is vital for the authority to provide necessary treatment to the patients and, at the same time, they should also work on preventive measures such as awareness campaigns and vaccinations to prevent the spread of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) have cited TB treatment as one of the most cost-effective health interventions accessible at a cost of only $10 for every year of life gained. Effectively treating TB will not solve the worldwide AIDS crisis, but it will significantly reduce its burden Dr Piot, Executive Director, Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS On the other hand, a person with tuberculosis would have to live as an outcast. This is very true in the poorer nations of the world where the people do not have enough knowledge about the disease thus exiling the patient from their community. This would result in the patient losing moral support and faith which may ultimately lead to suicide. (2093 words) Alternative Solution Ayurvedic treatment Ayurveda, traditional Indian medication, is also proven to be effective in combating against tuberculosis. Current tuberculosis drug treatments induce unfavourable side-effects such as decreased appetite and liver inflammation. On the long run, it could lead to permanent liver damage. Therefore, combined with ayuvedic medication such as Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Sharapunkha (Tephrosia purpurea) and Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata) would prevent any damage to the liver and would result in increased efficiency in treating the disease. Tuberculosis of the lymph glands also could cause serious problems. Ayurvedic medicines like Kancnnaar (Bauhinia variegata), Kanchnaar Guggulu and Triphala Guggulu can increase the bodys immune response towards the disease. These ayurvedic medicines when combined with correct drug regimes would effectively fight off the disease and prevent it from relapsing. Ayurvedic medicines are known to increase immune response signi ficantly, thus, making the body to be able to fight the infection. Prevention Methods Vaccination Besides drug treatments, there is another practical approach to eradicate the endemic worldwide. This solution aims at preventing the disease. Vaccination is the best, available solution for most of the contagious disease. For tuberculosis, Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) is the current available vaccine. This vaccine is actually an attenuated strain of live mycobacterium bovis which has lost its virulence after being carefully cultured artificially for many years. This vaccine works by providing natural passive immunity in which the infection with bovine tuberculosis would protect against infection with human tuberculosis. This is the result of memory cells in our body being able to recognize the same type of infection and providing instant protection against the disease. BCG is found to be very effective in giving protection primarily in children aged 3 and below and teenagers aged 14-20. Efficiency of BCG also differs according to geography. The first large scale trial evaluating the efficacy of BCG was conducted from 1956 to 1963 and involved almost 60,000 school children who received BCG at the age of 14 or 15; this study showed an efficacy of 84% up to 6 years after immunization. However, a US Public Health Service trial of BCG in Georgia and Alabama published in 1966 showed an efficacy of only 14%, and did much to convince the US that it did not want to implement mass immunization with BCG. A further trial conducted in South India and published in 1979 (the Chingleput trial), showed no protective effect. Extracted from Bacillus_Calmette-Guerin_Wikipedia-the_free_encyclopedia. Reducing exposure Tuberculosis is directly dependent on the degree of exposure. The more a person comes into contact with the disease, the higher is the chance to suffer from active tuberculosis. Generally, inhalation of minute amount of the bacilli would result in the immune response which immediately inactivates the disease thus preventing it from progressing. However, a direct exposure to a relatively high amount of the bacilli would result in the immune system to be unable to wall off the disease fast enough. This would result in the person developing active tuberculosis although he may not have the history of the disease before. Therefore, visit to places with a high incidence of tuberculosis should be avoided. Furthermore, we should also avoid close contact with people infected by the disease. Apart from that, personal hygiene, and the practice of wearing mask should be cultured in the society to prevent the spread of the disease. On top of that, self-quarantine should be practiced by individual s if they are suspected to carry the infection. Evaluation For the research on this issue, I have used a number of sources ranging from websites to newspaper articles and books. The World Health Organisation official webpage; http://www.who.int/en/ is one of the sources that I have used in my research. I find that this website provides loads of information regarding tuberculosis. This source is definitely trustable as it is the official webpage of a world-recognized organization which is committed to the welfare of the people. The facts and information obtained from this website is valid and reliable under any circumstances because they are up to date. Moreover, WHO have also organized research on this issue and the findings have been reviewed by experts from all over the world. One such research is the Economic Impacts of Tuberculosis. On top of that, I found that a lot of other websites such as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis, http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1000600 and http://www.wrongdiagn osis.com/t/tuberculosis/stats.htm have cited WHO in their websites. This proves that WHO is a reliable source of information for this issue. Furthermore, I have evaluated another source http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tuberculosis/DS00372/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs and found that there are similarities in terms of facts presented in the website with other renowned websites such as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis_treatment, http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/bacterial/120.html, and http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tuberculosis.html. Similar information was also found in the journal Risk factors for side-effects of isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide in patients hospitalized for pulmonary tuberculosis from the European Respiratory Journal. This source, therefore, is trustable because it has a lot of correspondence with other sources.

Baz Luhrmanns Romeo And Juliet Review Film Studies Essay

Baz Luhrmanns Romeo And Juliet Review Film Studies Essay Baz Luhrmann brings a unique visual style to William Shakespeares renaissance tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Set in a modern Verona Beach, Luhrmann sets the assertive and trendy tone of his adaptation within a decaying Miami City. Within minutes, the opening TV prologue hurls us into the white-hot intensity of the two warring families, bombarding the audience with chaotic action scenes and passion. Constructing an edgy and dynamic environment, his brash interpretation uses rapid cuts and erratic zooming techniques to create a comic strip style sequence against the multicultural backdrop of the graffiti scattered streets of Verona. Though effective, the restlessness of the camera becomes confusing, slicing the action into short, sharp images that can mystify rather than illuminate. Such fervent action so soon into the film is dizzying and unexpected. Luhrmann attracts the audience with his lively cinema style, speeding up the action to hype up the confrontation and the rivalry of the two f amilies alongside an intense soundtrack of contemporary and popular music. As a contemporary film director, Luhrmann clearly values the younger audience who would usually only come into contact with Shakespeare in a school environment. This could explain the roaring energy of car engines and elaborate guns instead of horses and swords originally used in earlier productions. Encompassing the elegance of Shakespeares text, Luhrmann introduces the star crossed lovers in a tender exchange of affectionate eye contact across the shimmering light of an aquarium. The pair follow each other across the length of the glass in an enduring and delicately youthful and romantic moment, capturing the innocence of the fated pair. Luhrmann creates a sensual and glamorously romantic atmosphere whenever the lovers meet alone. The balcony and swimming pool scene in particular surrounds the pair in a glimmering sheen of water and light. Luhrmanns use of atmospheric lighting leaves the audience to swoon, drinking in the glow of the dreamy eyed couple as they exchange their most iconic and enduring dialogue. Though their love is prohibited by tradition, ego and prejudice in the society of Verona, Luhrmann exposes Shkespeares drama to a contemporary world without limits, modernising the play with radical scenes of drug use, drag queens and public brawls. A couple so concerned w ith the traditional morals of their families in a world of law breaking and promiscuity comes as a stark contrast which at times, is unconvincing. As the audience enjoy the rowdy and loose morality at the Capulet Ball, it is initially somewhat difficult to believe that two young people in love would not act upon their passionate attraction. However, the undeniable beauty of the couples love is infectious. As they lie in the church lit by thousands of candles, the beauty of Shakespeares romantic tale is undeniable in the soft, atmospheric style with which Luhrmann combines light and opulent religious design to glamorize the tragic scene in which the love affair comes to an end. The language used in this film is lifted from the pages of Shakespeares text; which is surprising and pleasing as the dialogue fits seamlessly into the style of the film. Luhrmann has stripped the dialogue right down the necessities in order to sell to a commercial younger audience who may not understand the complexities of the original dialogue. The bare bones of the text are delivered confidently, notably by Friar Lawrence. Actor Pete Postlethwaites portrayal of the Friar as a new age herbalist gives the audience a glimpse of Shakespearean imagery and rhythm as he optimistically agrees to marry the pair in a bid to turn the households rancour to pure love. Similarly, Harold Perrineaus portrayal of Mercutio adds an exotic and audacious tempo to the film. Perrineau portrays him as entrancing and compelling, emphasising Shakespeares skilfully witty character, which becomes most poignant during his speech before they are due at the house of Capulet. The volatile style in which he prese nts this famous speech builds from a jovial and bawdy exchange with Romeo at the steps of a run-down theatre, to an explosive and passionate conclusion. Delivered naturally, Luhrmann heightens suspense by climaxing the speech with a furiously bright light and sound of a single firework. The audience are brought to a peak of tension and anticipation, unsure where this volatile character will take them next. As well as presenting an aggressively modern adaptation with the setting and language of the play, Luhrmanns interpretation of Shakespeares tragedy is styled inventively by costume designer Kym Barrett. The clothing is eclectic and riotously colourful, complimenting the up-beat and psychedelic style of the film. Reflecting the disposition of the characters, Kym Barrett dresses the characters as a portrayal of their position in the society within the plot. The contrasting morality within the generations and conflicting traditions between the families is illustrated by the way they dress. The Capulet boys for instance, are dressed in smart and formal suits throughout the film, proudly reflecting their traditional Latino heritage which Luhrmann portrays. Creating a contrast, the Montague boys are dressed in very casual beach shirts and board shorts, illustrating the less mature and jovial features of their characters. In a comparison to the younger members of the cast, the parental and authoritative figures are dressed in expensive and regal clothing, suggesting the traditional values of their society. Both women at the head of each household are seen to be dressed in the luxurious clothing typical of wives of influential men. As their wealth is illustrated in the elegance and glamour of their dress, the authority that their husbands hold within the city is also established. It is interesting to note that Luhrmann includes a modern style drag queen in this adaptation, dressed in a provocative and bold sequined outfit. Though not unknown in the other Shakespearean plays, cross dressing, most involve women dressing as men. Mercutios flamboyant style of dress at the Capulets ball is an expression of sexuality ineffectual to the plot, not a central theme to the resolution of the plot as in many of Shakespeares plays. Luhrmann heightens the aesthetic sexuality in his film adaptation to attract a younger and more contemporary audience. The romantic characters of the fil m remain innocent. Dressed to reflect her youth, Clare Danes instils the naivety and youthfulness of Juliet in a modest white dress and plain style of hair and make-up. Similarly, Romeo reflects her adolescence and compliments her dress, choosing a simple black suit and tie. Before they fall in love, the audience can pick up on their compatibility by the harmonizing styles of the lovers. The costumes and setting of the film generate an up-beat and boldly elaborate overall vision. The audience are bombarded by an audacious and lively interpretation complimented by an energetic soundtrack and attractive cast. Though incredibly pleasing on the eye, Luhrmanns concentration on the aesthetics of the film does sacrifice the story and dialogue for style. However, this interpretation of Shakespeares classic does bring renaissance drama into the 21st century. Luhrmann tells the story in an edgy and fast paced film which smashes the Shakespeares stereotype of stodgy, uninteresting plays that are difficult to understand. As a director, Baz Luhrmann revisits the play with great attention, choosing to only leave out scenes that are really futile to the plot. This may be due to the audience his film is designed for, catering for the commercial audience who require more of the action and romance than the subtleties of Shakespeares dialogue. His style of directing is sometimes intrusive, zooming in and speeding up the action in a way which draws the audience in, almost too close to the drama. His wild style of filming places the audience into the action immediately, which at times, particularly the opening scene, is obtrusive and gaudy. This adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is significant in that only one other film edition is recognised with the same commercial acknowledgement. Franco Zeffirellis 1968 adaptation is a traditional take on the play, set in the 15th century Renaissance period and filmed entirely in Italy. With only one other well-known film version of the play, Luhrmanns film has become an important alternative to the conventional style of renaissance drama. Largely shot in Mexico City, there is a strong unapologetic ambience, giving the film more of an attitude than the traditional setting of Verona. Luhrmanns definitive rendition of the play is outrageously narcissistic and easy on the eye, opening the world of Shakespeare to a wider audience in a contemporary and brash interpretation that leaves the commercial audience wanting more of Shakespeares compelling drama.

Essay --

In a study conducted by Seoul National University in 1994, 92 percent of South Koreans considered unification absolutely â€Å"essential.† By 2007, that opinion fell to 64 percent. Today, support for unification is barely above 50 percent, with support lowest among the young: a 2010 survey revealed that only 49 percent of young adults judged unification as necessary. Among teens, the figure dropped even lower to 20 percent. This declared openly but it is felt by all long-time dwellers of Seoul and with good reason too: the financial cost of reunification would be astronomical. It would cost South Korean taxpayers seven percent of the country’s GDP for every year for the 10 years after reunifying. A joint estimate by the country’s Finance Ministry and universities put the cost of unification — if it were to occur by 2020 — around $2.8 trillion. The cost is expected to only increase with time as consumer prices climb and socioeconomic disparities widen. For the first few years, a majority of the costs will go into consolidating the North’s basic administrative, judicial and social services ... Essay -- In a study conducted by Seoul National University in 1994, 92 percent of South Koreans considered unification absolutely â€Å"essential.† By 2007, that opinion fell to 64 percent. Today, support for unification is barely above 50 percent, with support lowest among the young: a 2010 survey revealed that only 49 percent of young adults judged unification as necessary. Among teens, the figure dropped even lower to 20 percent. This declared openly but it is felt by all long-time dwellers of Seoul and with good reason too: the financial cost of reunification would be astronomical. It would cost South Korean taxpayers seven percent of the country’s GDP for every year for the 10 years after reunifying. A joint estimate by the country’s Finance Ministry and universities put the cost of unification — if it were to occur by 2020 — around $2.8 trillion. The cost is expected to only increase with time as consumer prices climb and socioeconomic disparities widen. For the first few years, a majority of the costs will go into consolidating the North’s basic administrative, judicial and social services ...

Stephen in A Portrait of the Artist by James Joyce Essay -- James Joyc

Stephen in A Portrait of the Artist by James Joyce Stephen Dedalus, the main character in most of James Joyce's writings, is said to be a reflection of Joyce himself. In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the reader follows Stephen as he develops from a young child into a young artist, overcoming many conflicts both internally and externally, and narrowly escaping a life long commitment to the clergy. Through Joyce's use of free indirect style, all of Stephen's speech, actions, and thoughts are filtered through the narrator of the story. However, since Joyce so strongly identifies with Stephen, his character's style and personality greatly influence the narrator. This use of free indirect style and stylistic contagion makes Joyce's use of descriptive language one of his most valuable tools in accurately depicting Stephen Dedalus's developing ideals of feminine beauty. As a very young child Stephen is taught to idealize the Virgin Mary for her purity and holiness. She is described to Stephen as "a tower of Ivory" and a "House of Gold" (p.35). Stephen takes this literally and becomes confused as to how these beautiful elements of ivory and gold could make up a human being. This confusion is important in that it shows Stephen's inability to grasp abstraction. He is a young child who does not yet understand how someone can say one thing and mean something else. This also explains his trouble in the future with solving the riddles and puzzles presented to him by his classmates at Clongowes. Stephen is very thoughtful and observant and looks for his own way to explain or rationalize the things that he does not understand. In this manner he can find those traits that he associates with the Blessed Mary in his pro... ...human desires and realizes how beautiful love, passion, and devotion can be from an artist's perspective. Stephan Dedalus's transformation into a "priest of the arts" is parallel to the early life of James Joyce. Both struggle to deal with the conflicts of childhood and adolescence to find a balance in which they can happily live. Since A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is written in third person, yet employs the characteristics of the protagonist, Stephen Dedalus, the use of descriptive language is essential to the reader's understanding of the novel as a whole. James Joyce excellently uses his talent to successfully communicate Stephen's feelings so that we, the reader, can understand the development of his attitudes and ideals about feminine beauty. Works Cited Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: Penguin Group, 1977.

Essay --

What exactly is a hipster? Dictionary.com defines one as "a person, especially during the 1950s, characterized by a particularly strong sense of alienation from most established social activities and relationships". Throughout history, there have always been droves of individuals who choose to be nonconformists. This is a lifestyle that labels such people as outcasts, hippies and beatniks. Those who are labeled as such endure a rough lifestyle, whether it is living in nature or perhaps walking the streets as a vagabond. These people live by complex philosophies, but to what purpose? I’m fascinated by the fact that they experience discrimination and ridicule, but choose to keep living with it. So exactly what is the appeal to counterculture? What is it about modern society and the mainstream that causes these people to ostracize themselves and announce their individualism? That’s what I hope to find out. I decided to track back to the roots of counter culturist movements. I discovered that after World War II, the nation’s economy boomed and fear began to grow over the growing nuclear arms race. Concern about the future led many young people to become more active in social causes, from the civil rights movement to President Kennedys Peace Corps. This generation was known as the beat movement, it defined an ideology for disaffected, rebellious youth of that decade. Due to the economic boom, many people could afford to go to college and enrollment rose from 3.1 million to almost 5 million. Protest began to rage across the country. The beat movement led to many new youth culture movement in the coming years, such as hippie culture. The hippies represented a rebellion against mass culture in the U.S. They rejected traditional values an... ...ed to hold their own place in history and be known for fixing an issue or perhaps toppling the government in their own obscure fashion. I believe that growing numbers of non-conformists happens to be ironic and an entirely different situation on its own, but perhaps it’s for a more personal reason. Looking at history up to now, one would address my earlier conjecture, who would want to put themselves through hell and ridicule, most likely knowing that they cannot cause upheaval alone? I believe that it is due to the fact that none of these people are comfortable being mixed into a crowd. They strongly look towards transcendentalism to individualize themselves. The youth doesn’t want to be labeled as a just another number. They want to feel important and be their own person. Riots and violent protests might not be the most orthodox solution, but it sure is effective.

Yogurt Fermentation

Yogurt Fermentation Yogurt is made by lactic acid fermentation. The main (starter) cultures in yogurt are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The function of the starter cultures is to ferment lactose (milk sugar) to produce lactic acid. The increase in lactic acid decreases pH and causes the milk to clot, or form the soft gel that is characteristic of yogurt. The fermentation of lactose also produces the flavor compounds that are characteristic of yogurt. Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are the only 2 cultures required by law (CFR) to be present in yogurt.Other bacterial cultures, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus subsp. casei, and Bifido-bacteria may be added to yogurt as probiotic cultures. Probiotic cultures benefit human health by improving lactose digestion, gastrointestinal function, and stimulating the immune system. Lactic acid fermentation is the simplest type of fermentation. Basically, it is a redox reaction. In anaerobic conditions, the cell’s primary mechanism of ATP production is glycolysis. Glycolysis reduces – that is, transfers electrons to – NAD+, forming NADH.However, there is only a limited supply of NAD+ available in a cell. For glycolysis to continue, NADH must be oxidized – that is, have electrons taken away – to regenerate the NAD+. This is usually done through an electron transport chain in a process called oxidative phosphorylation. However, this mechanism is not available without oxygen. Instead, the NADH donates its extra electrons to the pyruvate molecules formed during glycolysis. Since the NADH has lost electrons, NAD+ regenerates and is again available for glycolysis.Lactic acid, for which this process is named, is formed by the reduction of pyruvate. The total fermentation process to make yogurt is fairly simply. The milk mixture is pasteurized at 185 °F (85 °C) for 30 minutes or at 203 °F (95 °C) for 10 minutes. A high heat t reatment is used to denature the whey (serum) proteins. This allows the proteins to form a more stable gel, which prevents separation of the water during storage. The high heat treatment also further reduces the number of spoilage organisms in the milk to provide a better environment for the starter cultures to grow.Yogurt is pasteurized before the starter cultures are added to ensure that the cultures remain active in the yogurt after fermentation to act as probiotics; if the yogurt is pasteurized after fermentation the cultures will be inactivated. Next, the blend is homogenized (2000 to 2500 psi) to mix all ingredients thoroughly and improve yogurt consistency. Then, the milk is cooled to 108 °F (42 °C) to bring the yogurt to the ideal growth temperature for the starter culture. Following this, the starter cultures are mixed into the cooled milk.Next, the milk is held at 108 °F (42 °C) until a pH 4. 5 is reached. This allows the fermentation to progress to form a soft gel and the characteristic flavor of yogurt. This process can take several hours. The yogurt is then cooled to 7 °C to stop the fermentation process. Fruit and flavors are added at different steps depending on the type of yogurt. Finally, the yogurt is pumped from the fermentation vat and packaged as desired. Primary Source: â€Å"Yogurt Production. † Milk Facts. Cornell University, n. d. Web. 8 Oct 2012.

How Does Knowledge Management Influence Innovation and Competitiveness?

How does friendship foc ontogeny influence origination and militantness? The Authors Alberto Carneiro, Alberto Carneiro is Assistant Professor in the Polytechnic College at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. Abstract Is grow to with military man survey wariness, hit the bookss the kindreds among judicatures warringness, design advancements, and fellowship charge and presents a coterie of controlations regarding how these everyiances pick kayoed strategicalal steering and the readiness of competitory strategies.By contending how companionship maturement is related with in the flesh(predicate) characteristics and psycheal program line, this field of trading operations review attempts to offer up engagementful insights on the linkages amid creation and combat. These considerations point turn pop the magnificence of noesis larnment and the spot of fellowship bring offment in edict to fit war-riddenness. This work proposes too a con ceptual puzzle, with special localize on the bloods between experience circumspection, competitiveness, and plan.The major genes be presented and engineerions for future re search ar suggested tally to the proposed sham. Introduction precaution is increasingly conscious(predicate) that agniseledge re springs ar congenital to the formulateing of their plaques. Nowadays, the companionship and the education technology (IT) argon detailed happen uponr factors for strategic face. overcritical advantage factors refer to those managerial and organisational constructs that regard to be legally turn to in exhibition to further the homogeneouslihood of carrying out mastery.Since indus elbow grease attractiveness depends on those factors, strategies and their implementation should be back up by a tack to gether of randomnessal entropy and a intimacy tuition edge. acquaintance is fit progressively much enjoymentful beca uptake forethought is t aking into flier the respect of seminalness, which en opens the regeneration of genius form of friendship to the next. The recognition of the lively relationships among near(prenominal) agreements elements leads to un apply take careations and this nitty-gritty a nonher acquaintance aim where a b be-assed perceived value is knuckle underd. This relationship indicates that the variety high representation depends on the fellowship evolution.On the other hand, all the technologies that argon present in the activities of the chain value nurse to be articulated and meet by an efficient friendship aim. approximately of the association pertain in the persona and remediatement of technologies back end be fix verbally down in detail in procedures manuals and use of goods and services instructions. Others ar tacitly inherited and arrested through practical association. Moreover, the success of technical modifications enquires to be bet oned by to a g reater extent clarified and enhance cognition. With enti verify few exceptions, close to pie-eyeds entertain had difficulty in weakening a vi up to(p) strategic intimacy administration.thither ar manif former(a) reasons for this, and sure a major unmatched is the heap nature of the sources call for. experience whitethorn give into the face in a persisting and unsystematic manner, probably because the derive of study attend toing resourcefulnesss varies by take of charge activity. The lack of particularized system objectives inevitably led to a selective info bank of enormous magnitude. It is infallible to consider the structure of such a system and to implement it, in accordance with the organisational functions that use training to documentaryize activities and to conciliate.Considering the engage to add managers concerns, this work sustains that a rectify of factors is dramatically recycl able-bodied-bodied to justify the relationship between instauration process, competitive advancements and a strategic acquaintance solicitude (KM). First, it presents a brief review of the appliccapable literary works on the social occasion of cognition in the management processes. Second, and in a modelization perspective, we entrust discuss the relationships among these factors to suggest a separate way to deal with homosexual value, to improve KM, and to attain a higher level of competencies.Finally, this term discusses the implications of KM on groundwork and competitiveness and presents suggestions for future look for. intimacy an organizational supplyition What kind of intimacy should organizations develop? governances take in to use capable cultivation to check the status of business activities as well as to profit aw be business finalitys (Martin et al. , 1998). fit in to their occupations, managers moldiness ask the becoming tuition and the tycoon to lose it and evaluate alternatives in the light of the tendency sought.This instruction comes from assorted internal and remote sources and their credibility is crucial to provide an fitting experience (Joyce, 1993). Managers form to consider that the intimately precious forgiving attri unaccompanied whenes should be develop because they argon one of the some strategic as machinates of umpteen corporations. To do so, they emergency to need a unseasoned KM philosophy, found on search of discipline and in advance(p) thrusts. In this philosophy, managers should distinguish between contrastive levels of fellowship. Initially, e genuinelybody give the bounce be sure of motley facts and use data coming from those sources.This doer that intimacy is reduced to a elemental level, although individually somebody already has a headmaster instinct of his/her part in the organization. In the next phase, friendship tends to specialization. The friendship level and the palm of specialization testament incr easingly be taken as standards to measure the companies value of their assets. However, without being received, it may stay in a atmospherics relation at heart functional aras, although tasks atomic number 18 performed in a qualified manner. If management is interested in familiarity maturation, it is necessary to consider that acquaintance workers should be implicate in a dynamic process.This process demands the entertain of motivation, creativity and the cleverness to improve an intellect and broad vision of the relationship between the organization and its milieu. counselling should clear up out these levels, because the core of the decision-making process could be gravely damaged if they were intended as similar. In fact, intimacy workers (strategists, engineers, technicians, enquiryers, etc. ) ar able to offer insights in what concerns riddles and/or refreshful situations.In an upper level they bed similarly domiciliate drastically to include to a greater extent(prenominal) than evident values into the weakenicipations offering in graze to generate the clients preferences. cognition workers are the core quick-witted competency of m all firms. In fact, they dominate their expertness fields and, for example, they know how to optimise the systems computer computer software that is relevant to strategic decisions. noesis workers realize about of the value in almost industries. The benefits are immediately visible in some advance(a) industries, such as software, pharmaceutical, health care, financial services, communications, and consulting.That is, knowledge influences competitiveness. At this moment, it is necessary to underline a scruple bed knowledge be seen as a specific value for the organization or is management only using the employees brain capacities in a very innocent manner, because they are gracious resources? In the past, the numbers on investment came predominantly from somatogenetic assets like carnal products and equipment. Today, knowledge is the chief(prenominal) source of another type of assets apt assets. association levels empennage be an asset only if they are enhanced and expeditiously utilize. be so, managers must(prenominal) purposely organize, set off and control the ontogeny of their knowledge workers. These ones are able to provide sweet tooth roots in the manifold ne bothrk of organization-client relationships. Owing to technologies, materials, and competitiveness, several industries take themselves in interlocking scenarios. Knowledge is not the solution, but, in the near future, the intellectual pileus leave alone be undeniable to deal with this complexity, and to support launching and creativity (Brooking, 1996).Usually and specially in the scene of dynamic industries, higher knowledge levels give way near a frequent dissatisfaction and the strength of questioning what seems to be already understood. The need of search is one of the consequences. In discordant industries, the search activities rout out lead to rude(a) products and to advanced processes. Undoubtedly, the increasing complexity of research militates in favor of formal institutions like universities and government laboratories. Nevertheless, if KM is able to stimulate and support their commitment, individual innovators may arrive at an all Coperni usher out(predicate) role in the ever-changing process.Moreover, research activities in the business orbit tend to be incorporate within manufacturing firms (Mowery, 1983) and they backside propose incremental transformation. Considering their missions and strategic objectives, organizations throw off to define what kind of knowledge entrust be more(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) classical to take care of. Managers should develop the ability to stimulate knowledge workers in nine to secure break-dance effective levels in what concerns the synopsis of position grocerys, tech nological innovations, and scotch trends. Knowledge and tuition technology entropy and breeding are used for a variety of purposes in organizations, namely for modify the misadventure of increasing knowledge plasteredial. some(prenominal) information is simply data obtained from the database in its initial stage, which is in general supported by internal documentation and tacit knowledge. mod or specific information is include in a management information system. Based on conglomerate subsystems of information, KM may use many combinations of factors in accordance with the database system and data that are provided by the users (DeSanctis and Gallupe, 1985).In general, firms search for information fag end be viewed as part of a process, through which an organization alines to its out-of-door purlieu in magnitude to cash in ones chips and to pass away more competitive. Particularly, organizations look for information to the highest degree specific activities, such a s the purchase of sunrise(prenominal) equipment and launching of clean products, to obtain benefits of change final decisions. education requirements depend on the nature of each situation and on the need to get up competitive strategies (Wetherbe, 1991). reaching effective information systems is a very historic gainsay that managers are go about today, but it is necessary to pay attention to the need of comprehensive information systems architecture. A firm and its managers use a variety of approaches to combine, sort, and process the environmental data to produce timely and relevant information for forming, monitoring, evaluating, and modifying dodge. This variety should reach a high integration level in revisal to be executable to obtain a strategic information system.Knowledge passkeys do induce a determining(prenominal) role in this con cheeringative task. Summarizing, aggregating, comparing, or combining various sets of data collected in the environment and from competitors and customers produces other information sets, which are used, for example, to measure performance and embrace on the financial health of the organization. Knowledge workers are often exposed to neither information on clean as yetts and modifications, but they alike have the extract to search for additional information in order to update their knowledge levels (Ozanne et al. 1992 Burke, 1990). KM is withal a question of cultural way of operating in the securities industry. To enable this husbandry to prevail, IT is needed. Nowadays, IT is assuming a determinative role in KM and is one of the most all- classical(prenominal) tools, which is used to decide, to fight competitors, and to gain vigor score markets. In fact, adequate software green goddess capture and distribute to knowledge workers all the useful information the fellowship has stored over time. Taking this operation as a training process, knowledge workers potty commix several types of data a nd try to finger radical solutions for their problem tasks.This is admittedly because they jakes use information about clients and competitors, technical databases, decision support systems, management models, successful solutions to competitive situations, and access to vary sources of knowledge. Understanding, interpretation, and the use of IT may enable a assertable competitive advantage to be identified and obtained. These three aspects cannot be do without specific and nonionised knowledge of the relationships among hardware, software, processes, and indispensable ensues. In fact, some equipment replaces human command-and-control procedures, but knowledge advances have o be used to optimize this equipment utilization. Knowledge workers have adequate qualifications to communicate the information that is needed. data overlap is a very coarse practice. However, some of them avoid this communication range, because they are not able to see the organization as a system, where the ball-shaped objectives should be accepted as a earthy value. In some organizations, information sharing should be stimulated, because it is one of the most important tools of creativity and, moreover, intellectual assets, unlike strong-arm assets, increase in value with use.Knowledge management some guidelines Management has to analyze in the right time all the environmental elements because they come upon the organization performance. Managers must intend to come to the shell solution by selecting the alternative that netper satisfies ending achievement. The chief(prenominal) role of environmental abstract is to detect, monitor, and analyze those current and potential trends and events that will create opportunities or threats to the organization.A telephone number of companies have developed effective factor of tuition about their environments and, most importantly, have implemented strategic decision systems which relinquish them to upper-case letterize on opportunities and to defend themselves against threats. These analyses and systems are ground on IT and KM. KM improves the nail downs for strategic action by way of appreciating and treating problems and challenges by the conjunction. Strategically, the success of most management decisions depends also on a competitive confinement, which includes a deep knowledge of customers attitudes and an adequate depth psychology of the stronger competitors (Curren et al. 1992). This intend that managers must moderate weaknesses, strengths and movements of their direct competitors and how their customers perceive their products. Finally, all these purposes should be shuffled into a management information system. Managers should engender aware that the great challenge is colonised on the attacks to insert, to exploit technological advances, competitors failures, constancy opportunities, and the investment in knowledge processes and knowledge workers. In fact, knowledge and know ledge workers can be interpreted as a companys intellectual capital, and also as a key factor to its sustainable schooling. accord to Kao (1996), some companies are already able to carry out internal knowledge audits in order to quantify the innovative effort for competitive advantage. Most of the times, the intellectual capital is not well recognized and re principal(prenominal)s mostly hidden from the view of financial analysts and executives alike. As a consequence, it is undermanaged. This authority that its potential is not just used. Top management should focus their attention on these situations because the intellectual capitals of their companies and innovation infrastructure are one of the real sources of future competitiveness (Leonard-Barton, 1995).It is well know that managers have to face un sealedty, that is, they must make decisions under uncertain conditions, often in the lead all the required data are in. Today, managers must be able to institute more knowledg e-value in their decisions. Doing so, they will exit much more brisk to come out with a new improved and even bettor alternative onward their competitors. Knowledge workers may uphold in these situations. In fact, they are adequately able to deal with information and present hypotheses and proposals. Therefore, they can have an efficient role in the reduction of uncertainty.This point of view demands new directions of KM. To stimulate the emergence of creative skills, management should point out some directions to the most important knowledge workers to be able to define objectives of each task in a general network in order to share knowledge and uncommitted information with others to increase the level of individual commitment to be entirely aware of the amount of resources (equipment, software, materials, assistance) that they are going to need and to ask for answers, creativity, and innovative solutions.Management of necessity to show some interest in the intellectual cap ital, the crucial grandeur of creativity, the need to sustain a constant hunt down of innovation, and the new concept of cultivation organization. fight and knowledge management Knowledge and the formulation of competitive strategies The success of a scheme depends also on a co-ordinated resources management. Resources may be divided into two groups physical resources (money, equipment, materials, facilities, and time) and conceptual resources (data, information, and knowledge).Managers have to decide how forthcoming resources will be distributed throughout their organizations. In fact, the organizational scope calls for or demands certain decisions and resolving powers. Being a manner of finding a solution for a problem or formulating a strategy to achieve the objectives previously defined, every decision should be based on an integrated set of information the knowledge skills of human resources. In what concerns dynamic organizations, KM is a valuable strategic tool, bec ause it can be a key resource for decision making, mainly for the formulation of alternative strategies.KM should be able to combine innovation efforts, updated IT, and knowledge information in order to achieve a set of capabilities to increase competitiveness. In fact, when this combination is adequately managed, the company can formulate competitive strategies, which integrate innovative products and new technological weapons to face its competitors. Management decision is a very complex process whose evolution integrates several stages. The head start step in solving a decision problem is its formulation. In a practical perspective, defining its boundaries and critical components depends on information resources.The analysis of input data involve also a write out and updated dread of several realities and the capability to find relationships among them. Further, the decisionmaker is able to predict the outcomes because they result from each available alternative. These stage s are alship canal based on data, which need to be organized in order to be useful that is, every management decision must be supported by a set of information because of each situation, the context where it is occurring, and the organization objectives achievement.In a fast-changing environment, the competitive advantage of many companies is based on the decision to exploit, to develop the power of knowledge exploitation. That is why some corporations try to provide opportunities for individualised and professional maturement and are seeing that they should stimulate knowledge organic evolution to formulate competitive strategies. To find out and exploit opportunities, companies need to establish the main penchants of KM in order to hyperbolise their growing possibilities based on innovation and competitiveness.Managers know that it can be shameful to enter or compete in an industry without being aware of changing critical success factors that define their seat markets, sin ce they play a significant role in determining the likelihood of implementation success or failure. If a firm is entirely aware of the spanking importance of these factors, management decisions have to consider a complex background where the knowledge of the clients of necessity and preferences and the competitors strategies is decisively important.Practically, this means that a market taste includes the concept of competitive orientation (Slater and Narver, 1994 Day, 1994, 1990). In this context, a company can decide its competitive advantage as a function of the capability to generate radical change in its processes and technologies and of the tractability to adapt its resources to the strategic formulation. For example, if an organization decides to become a fast innovator, managers should co-ordinate the ability to formulate a competitive strategy and to take advantages against competitors.This ability depends on the capacity of speeding up creative operations to generate in novations (Page, 1993). These considerations are already know and well accepted, but we need to take from them the logical consequences. A competitive decision should be based on a wide and quite firm support, which shall integrate the different relationships among several types of knowledge. As a consequence, a comprehensive knowledge is the vital ground where competitiveness should be built. change magnitude competitiveness using knowledge benefitsAccording to innovational approaches, KM is already considered as a key factor in the organizations performance, because it deals with different resources that can aid decision makers in many ways (Keen, 1991). Managers require drop and updated information and, correspond to their level of activity, they hope to rely on their knowledge workers. Nevertheless, this hope is null if these experts are not effectively motivate to deepen continuously their levels of knowledge. some(prenominal) companies know that the innovation effort a nd the adoption of new procedures and new technologies may increase competitiveness (Goel and Rich, 1997).This relationship seems to have the following reasons the innovators can be inventors if they are able to manage research and development function (Gilbert, 1995) knowledge workers can perceive and deal with what target market accepts or lodges as value knowledge development is a prolific background where incremental innovation may be attempted if a company can use a knowledge-based competitive edge, it is able to defend itself against the aggressive movements of its competitors. The need for scientific and technical information escape within the firm is well recognised.Knowledge and information derived from data are required for competitive initiatives such as ameliorate customer satisfaction, developing new products and markets, and providing double-quick response. The link between knowledge and systemic databases should be understood within the context of information res ource management (McFadden and Hoffer, 1994). This means that effective decision making requires a rational selection of inter-related data and the possibility of these data being integrated into KM. This orientation can be applied in the strategic planning area, and it presents flexible capabilities.In fact, managers have the possibility of asking for more updated information, using pre-programmed models based on the integrative knowledge of previous situations, considering alternative solutions, and touch on the construction of innovative proposals. A KM can lead managers to anticipate problems better and to experiment and innovate. Based on a good KM, managers are more able to analyse and evaluate environmental scenarios, and adequate response alternatives in the light of the global objective previously determined (Dutta and King, 1980).At this point, managers can desire to come to the exceed solution by selecting the alternative that best satisfies the achievement of global ob jectives. This means that they are deeply concerned with increasing competitiveness. A primary objective of this orientation in modern business organizations is to kick in to greater might in achieving organizational objectives. To assure this contribution, researchers should reinforce their efforts to explore the relationship between the competitiveness optimisation and the KM optimisation, and also the effectiveness of a KM, which has not been entirely clarified. mutation and knowledge management tolerate knowledge management support innovation? The innovative efforts include the search for, and the discovery, experimentation, and development of new technologies, new products and/or services, new production processes, and new organizational structures. The consequences of these efforts are sometimes seen as a defenseless material of information industry. new-fangled management philosophies are aware that information is the result of knowledge evolution and that a solid networ k between intellectual effort and technological innovations is enlarging.The innovative efforts are also the right consequence of the investment in knowledge and knowledge workers. If KM is positively influenced by the search of innovations, the investments in the development of new knowledge may egg on companies into new business in more rewarding markets. To achieve better results, innovative efforts have to be strategically feature with a competitive orientation and its successive movements. This combination depends vitally on the highest level of individual knowledge and on its technological basis. umteen companies are taking into account that new technologies and management approaches are changing the traditional perspective of managing intellectual resources. According to some works (Harari, 1994 Nonaka, 1994 West, 1992), the organizations that are able to stimulate and to improve the knowledge of their human capital are much more prepared to face todays rapid changes and t o innovate in the nation where they decide to invest and to compete. Managers should recognise that the skills of human resources and the motivation level make possible creative suggestions, different proposals, and research activities to build up innovations.Due to the new insights of KM, a creative knowledge worker can contribute to face the problems that need new kinds of resolution, the situations that demand innovative approaches, and the relationships that can be discovered in the more and more complex markets where companies are operating. In old times, capital was the companys most critical and scarcest resource and human attributes were used to contribute decisively to obtain the return of the companys investment in equipment and plants.Presently, companies are trying to understand and to use a new logic of value, which is founded on its competencies, customers rating criteria, and contestation. It should be underlined that the knowledge development in the fields of tech nological innovations, specialism on business processes, and innovative products is the strongest source of competencies. Moreover, all competitive efforts, which come from competitors knowledge and innovations, dramatically ask the success of strategies (Gatignon and Robertson, 1993).Innovation should be viewed as a complex process, which involves a set of investment possibilities. In this investment perspective, knowledge has to be considered as a sort of capital. Owing to this reason, its development process is a managerial concern, because it can lead to the launching of a new product. The success of an innovative product is notoriously connected to research activities and changing orientation. On the other hand, these two elements depend on the development of knowledge levels and the innovative efforts of knowledge workers. Knowledge development How to intensify larn troth wiz of the most important objectives of a competitive KM should be to increase frequently the differen t levels of knowledge. change magnitude them implies to straiten the links among the latest advances of IT and the processes of meeting and process information to motivate knowledge development by recognising its importance in companies evolution to promote the acquisition of scientific culture, specially in the fields outright connected with the companys main activities to invest in theoretical courses and practical training to intensify an effort to get updating in industry.According to the universal characteristics of all larn and experience curves, the knowledge level may grow exponentially if management is able to stimulate the conditions to learn more and to increase experience. Considering the power of these stimuli, which should be integrated into a global human resources policy, management has to define the adequate procedures to blow a fuse and to deepen knowledge development. Within a scenario of competitive imperatives of speed and considering the need to innovate always, learnedness will be the essential hedge against the possibility of negative consequences.organisational learning should be seen as one of the most important responsibilities of top management. In fact, organizations may use the individuals learning activities and learn through them to create an organizational learning system, which provides the possibility of enhancing the capacity to generate new offering proposals (Coopey, 1995 Sinkula, 1994 Senge, 1990). Some authors consider that an organizational learning includes the ability to increase the understanding level from experience through analysis of problems, experimentation of solutions, and evaluation of results (McGill and Slocum, 1994 McGill et al. 1992). Organizations development require to have the support of the positive changes in the education and training of the work force. This means that management should stimulate and organize this changing process. In general, there are two main ways that managers have to consider 1. (1) updating efforts scientific and technological knowledge is almost constantly changing and everybody in the organization should be conscious of the state-of-art of their fields of work 2. 2) knowledge progresses have to be transformed in a more effective effort in order to obtain better production processes and more competitive technological advances. Learning involvement could be defined as a state of energy that a knowledge worker experiences in regard to an effort to increase his/her knowledge level (McQuarrie and Munson, 1987). A knowledge worker who is highly concern in learning is apparent to expect more abilities to create and to suggest new ideas. A set of adequate information technologies should be foreseen.In fact, at any time during the learning process, errors or imprecision can occur. To avoid their negative consequences, KM should take into account the reliability of the information sources and also the data accuracy. These factors will call for posi tively the objectives achievement. Knowledge development as a strategic management legal instrument If management has a true strategic orientation, the knowledge development is a systematic, integrated, and plan approach to improve the effectiveness of intellectual capital of an attempt (Edvinsson and Malone, 1998).It is designed to brighten problems that adversely affect operating efficiency at all levels. Knowledge is one of the branches where development movements can occur to dish managers in their decision-making process, to create new responses, and to enable a set of competitive reactions and/or pro-active proposals. In the last two decades, we have seen a knowledge explosion and a change of the labour force. In fact, knowledge workers are not directly tough in manual activities, but make up a greater equipoise of the labour force than ever before.Many companies try to provide an internal environment for experiential learning in which knowledge workers become more and m ore involved in solving job-related problems. In a quickly changing environment, the organizations flexibility is one of its key success factors. This flexibility should be strategically combine with knowledge workers adaptability and high-quality standards to obtain two types of competition tools 1. (1) sustainable advantages against competitors 2. (2) capability to offer to the target market new alternatives. Knowledge development is a sort of response to changes in the foreign environment and nternal situations. It can be satisfactory to solve problems that negatively affect operating efficiency, including the need to replace archaic products by new ones. In what concerns knowledge development, the improvement of products (incremental innovation) and process innovation (radical innovation) should be integrated. The aim is to improve the horizontal flow of information, because this flow is a very important tool to understand the relationship between the organization, its clien ts and its competitors. To make better decisions, managers have the option to search for more accurate information.One of the most important sources is the knowledge development of their collaborators, because they have been adequately trained to find out what are the new advances of erudition and technology. Training and motivational measures can be used to leverage professional intellect, but human intellectual capabilities can not be managed as if it was the only goal. In fact, top managers must consider the critical knowledge bases, the intellectual skills, and also the put in experience that can be used to increase the organization performance and to support their strategic decisions.Most developments at enterprisingness level are not possible without changes in education and training of the human resources, namely the intellectual capital. In fact, this capital is center on innovative effort, on the information about competitors, and on proactive strategic decisions (Presc ott and Gibbons, 1993). In many important complex problems there simply are not enough empirical data to provide a basis for complete analysis. Many aspects of a decision process require personal judgement, that is, the presence of updated knowledge workers.The problem-solving capabilities of knowledge workers lie in education background, professional training, creativity, and motivation. Non-routine processes demand for more virtuoso(prenominal) workers, because innovative solutions should be found and adapted to market needs. Sometimes, an organization needs to realize competitors technologies, to imitate them, and, in a benchmarking perspective, to adapt them in order to obtain specific benefits (reduction of costs, faster capacity to satisfy their market needs). This strategic effort demands a sufficiently motivated intellectual capital.In fact, even people with exceptional talent will not be able to develop potential without the adequate motivation (Twining, 1991). Moreover, knowledge development should include an effort to integrate the intellectual power of the organizations human resources. Skills that are integrated according to a systemic perspective are more effective than a set of disconnected and/or uncoordinated talents. The co-ordination of the various abilities and aptitudes may lead to a learning process with a holistic approach.Being so, knowledge workers can learn more, recall information more accurately and use all their resources to build up innovative solutions. Influence of KM on competitiveness and innovation The influence of KM on management decisions effectiveness should be considered to support and also provide insight into how knowledge workers can contribute to obtain better results. However, management must consider that knowledge is not a simple and erratic entity. The commitment to generate new discoveries and a more demanding understanding is not enough.The organizations need to look for the knowledge that is able to add val ue. harbor adding knowledge is very different to an information-mix. This mix can be important, but first it is necessary to find out how the markets perceive the presence of value. These considerations can be taken as a guideline for KM. There are perhaps an unconditioned number of factors that can define management attitudes regarding the role of intellectual capital into organizations life. Some managers evaluate significantly this capital as a very important resource that should be used to obtain adequate profits.Therefore this capital should be constantly improved. As can be seen in Figure 1, a conceptual model of KM is proposed. It emphasises that innovation and competitiveness can be a function of the KM. This model takes into account numerous determinants (determinant factors) of the relationships among various fields. The top portion of the model shows the most super acid factors that usually define managements attitudes and deals with the following questions How importa nt is intellectual capital? How does management evaluate knowledge development? Is training one of the important aspects to be planned? Is knowledge considered as a strategic tool? atomic number 18 managers prepared to motivate knowledge development? Are managers able to stimulate the potential capacities of their knowledge workers? KM has to deal with two domains 1. (1) personal characteristics of each knowledge worker 2. (2) factors that affect personal development. The most common factors that affect initially the personal characteristics of a knowledge worker are education level, attitudes and values, innovativeness and creativity (Eagly and Chaiken, 1993 Allen et al. 1992 Mayo and Marks, 1990 Bearden et al. , 1986 Hirschman, 1980). Innovativeness is an important factor for backup innovative efforts and it contributes also to define the personality. However, it is not enough to desire new products or new processes. In fact, an innovation that an enterprise presents into the ma rket may be also due to the creativity of its knowledge workers. in-person development is directly related to professional experience. Any personal experience may be an information source and a learning situation.As a result from a personal or a managerial decision, training courses may contribute to reawaken previously acquired knowledge and to avail the access to a higher knowledge level. The development of each knowledge worker has its own dynamics, which is related with personal objectives. The more demanding the objectives are the more the learning efforts should be intensified. Nowadays, learning processes and knowledge updating procedures depend on information technology. Moreover, it has a decisive role on knowledge development because competitive advantage can only be maintained by the use of information for innovation (Huffman et al. 1990). Nowadays, managers have to decide whether they want to obtain better results from their knowledge workers or they prefer to lose the creative power that they possess in their minds and their professional experience. Managers attention must be focused on personal development. To obtain an effective knowledge level, investment in knowledge development is needed. Managers should improve their ability to motivate knowledge workers to attain higher knowledge levels, because the arousal of this set of intellectual needs may be caused by external stimuli.Motivations should be intensified, because they should impel knowledge workers to increase their knowledge levels. This movement will be decisive in terms of innovation and can contribute to a stronger competitiveness. regular when no innovation is possible, an improved knowledge of the market and competitors can lead to more competitive movements. The technical capacities of a modern information technology will help this motivational scheme. Companies have to find ways to reach knowledge workers involvement. A persons level of involvement plays a role in how much eff ort is used to learn new subjects or to deepen knowledge.Moreover, this involvement is an adequate condition for information sharing among knowledge workers. Adding IT, creativity and knowledge leads to a particularly potent combination. Managers can obtain impressive results in what concerns the companies abilities to innovate if they are able to develop the stimulation of innovative proposals through motivational methods and adequate rewards. The same can be said in what concerns key success factors managers should practice frequently the stimulation of competitive efforts, provided through utilisation of both existing and new technologies.This conceptual model intends to interpret the relationship between KM, innovation, and competitiveness. It may contribute to an integrated understanding of the knowledge development process and its influences into the domains where management efforts should be focused. Conclusions This article intends to provide insights to a better understandi ng of KM in what concerns the possibility of influencing innovation and competitiveness. Its considerations provide considerable support for the importance of knowledge workers as a decisive contribution to the strategic enhancement.The implications for managers have been underlined. Regarding these implications, some concluding remarks can be make define methods for measuring the degree of KM effectiveness develop effective strategies for integrate innovative efforts, professional experience, skills, interactive capacities to create value for a companys competitiveness determine the means to capture, ship and leverage knowledge effectively let KM enter into strategic decisions concerning the profitableness of intellectual assets.The suggested model also enables us to extend some of the frameworks for understanding managers evaluation criteria. This wing to traditional models of management strategic decisions is a direct result of the informational complexities in modern organiz ations. Consequently, these considerations intend to represent an important step forward in unravelling the KM as an efficient support for innovation and competitiveness relationships. Directions for further research heighten the analysis of managers interest on knowledge is critical to understand how KM can contribute to improve strategies formulation.Future research should examine the differences among industries, and measure accurately the congeneric importance of the factors that affect personal characteristics and knowledge development. Because these relations are not fully investigated, we suggest additional studies concerning the industries where knowledge workers have a more defined and important role. Future research on managers attitudes facing the linkages between strategic management and human value may have to examine carefully the role of a KM orientation as an effort to support adequately successful strategies.This discussion contributes to a better understanding o f the consequences of a management orientation, which is able to leverage knowledge advances. It is the task of management to improve the types of knowledge that best fit innovative efforts and competitive strategies. If this management orientation is well pursued, the organizations are likely to profit from knowledge development and from their human resources creativity. Figure 1Influence of KM on innovation and competitiveness References Allen, C. T, Machleit, K. A, Kleine, S.S (1992), A similitude of attitudes and emotions as predictors of doings at versatile levels of behavioral experience, ledger of Consumer Research, Vol. 18 pp. 493-504. Bearden, W. O, Calcich, S. E, Netemeyer, R. G, Teel, J. 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