Statement of purpose in Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Statement of purpose in Architecture - Essay Example It gave me an opportunity to think about what the meaning and values of architecture are and how architecture can affect not just a person, but an entire society. With five years of architectural study, research and practice, it helped me to establish a consciousness that kept me explaining, and questioning my surroundings. Though I was often confused, my studies inspired me to work through the many different changes in my living environment. It is a frustrated process because of the unknown and the fear of change. It is true that I was always been fettered and manipulated by some problems that were brought about by the change. People try to find a solution because there is a problem. However, the solution as part of the change can also bring many new problems and finally take us into a death loop. For example, what I learned from the structure class in the third year is what kind of relationship exists between the physical force and an architectural reaction been examined. Even though the physical force and the reaction influence each other, they integrate themselves into a co-work system so that they rely on each other and amplify their advantage. Also, when I drove around in Los Angeles with my mother, she kept asking me, â€Å"where is Los Angeles?† Is it because the highly developed infrastructure system alienate the emotion between people and cities? Although the process was frustrating and lowered my confidence, the results can always be inspirational. The undergraduate program flamed my passion in discovering architectural interpretations. Pursuing of a master’s degree in architecture will give me an excellent chance to explore further intricacies of architecture. With a Chinese international background, I always have a more diverse view to think and analyze the results that have been obtained. Through five years of architectural studies, I was very excited and happy to graduate

Harnessing Information Management, the Data, and Infrastructure Essay - 1

Harnessing Information Management, the Data, and Infrastructure - Essay Example A good information management system must therefore be able to evaluate the kinds of data/information a firm needs in order to function and progress well in all its operations. Taking American wireless as an example, information management can be seen to influence various aspects its performance. First and foremost, it is important to note the main usage information is to set strategies and accomplish firm’s objectives. By having efficient information management American Wireless will first and foremost benefit from a reduced operating cost (Brien, 2007). Proper information management considerably reduces per linear foot of records to store inactive records in data record centers verses doing the same in an office. A better information management also helps in improving efficiency and productivity. Through a well-managed information system acting as an asset will facilitates a firm’s operation and enables it to objectively evaluate their usage of information (Laudon & Laudon, 2000). This system will help American wireless to accurately lay out a roadmap for improvements that optimize business returns. An effective information management can a lso help a firm to make better decisions in its daily operation (Perks & Beveridge, 2003). Most firms with accurate and relevant information will always take the day as far as competition is concerned. Through a well-managed information system, a firm can therefore be guaranteed quality information they need when they need. Enterprise architecture can be said to be a framework upon which structure and operations of a firm is defined. It is a conceptual blueprint through which a firm determines how to react to disruptive forces by identifying and analyzing the execution of change toward desired business vision and outcomes (Brien, 2007). Enterprise Information architecture adopted by American Wireless will help the firm

The importance of after sales services in small companies

The importance of after sales services in small companies Abstract This dissertation deals with the role of after sales service in the operations of small companies in the capital goods sector. After sales service is an important area of modern day business and is important for both buyers and sellers of goods. Whilst buyers require after sales service to ensure the maintenance and operations of their purchased items, sellers provide after sales service for customer satisfaction and enhancement of competitive advantage. Small companies however find it difficult to provide high quality after sales service because of constraints in areas of workforce availability and finance. This dissertation deals with the area of after sales service and its applicability to a small organisation dealing in capital goods. The research, conducted with the use of quantitative and qualitative methods, reveals that the area continues to be a matter of concern that needs to be resolved urgently by managements of small companies to ensure their growth and competitive advantage. This dissertation aims to investigate the issue of after sales service and its importance to sellers and customers of manufactured goods as also the ways in which it can be used by organisations to improve their growth and profitability. After sales service represents the activities conducted by organisations to provide services to the customer in respect of products and services after the conclusion of the sales deal, the payment of money and the handing over of the product or commencement of services (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 116). Business firms in the past were content to provide goods to customers without any obligation to attend to their needs after the conclusion of contracts and the handing over of goods (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 116). The responsibility of sellers in such circumstances ended with the delivery of their products and customers were responsible for maintenance and utilisation of products after buying them (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 116). Such concepts have however altered radically over the course of the last century and manufacturers and service providers realise the need to provide relevant and appropriate services to their customers after the completion of sales (Lele, 1997, p 141). Modern day customers expect various types of services from organisations after they purchase products and services from them. Much of this development has come about on account of the change in the structure of goods and services in modern day economies (Lele, 1997, p 141). With the bulk of trade in the past being on account of agricultural goods, customers were required to purchase agricultural products from farmers or traders and inspect such products for freshness and longevity, and were responsible for storing them properly in order to avoid spoilage. Such practices were also due to the easy verifiability of the quality of agricultural products (Lele, 1997, p 141). With the proportion of agricultural products coming down steadily in the basket of goods and services of nations across the world, customers now spend significantly greater proportions of their incomes on various types of products and services, about which they know little, and thus depend upon suppliers for product and service quality as also for satisfaction of their needs (Lele, 1997, p 141). Their dependence upon their sellers for appropriate services continues much after the time of purchase of goods. The role of after sales service is steadily increasing in the operations of small and large companies (Levitt, 1983, p 87). Driven by the need to satisfy their customers, improve their image, strengthen their brands and enhance their competitive advantage, organisations now treat after sales service, not just as an important operational function but also as a critical marketing tool in their quest for growth and expansion (Levitt, 1983, p 87). 1.2. Definition of Problem Whilst the role of after sales service is steadily growing in both production and service sectors and is required by modern day consumers, its provisioning on the part of organisations is associated with a number of problems and challenges. After sales service, in the case of many products, has to essentially be provided at the premises of the customers. They have to furthermore be provided by specialised and skilled people who are aware of the nature of products and services and have the ability to correct mistakes in supply, as well as malfunctions in products and services (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 236).The provisioning of such after sales services becomes especially onerous for small companies that work in limited markets and have restricted sales, comparatively low accruals and tight cash flows (Miragliotta, 2003, p 158). Such problems are compounded in the capital goods sectors for suppliers of capital machinery, like boilers and turbines, which whilst being complicated in nature are also installed in distant areas (Miragliotta, 2003, p 158). Whilst the modern day market is governed by customers, who insist on high quality after sales service and are ready to take their business elsewhere if their demands are not met, the provisioning of such services becomes extremely difficult for organisations engaged in manufacture and sale of capital goods, especially if they are small in size. 1.3. Purpose of Study The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the relevance and role of after sales service in small and medium sized suppliers of capital equipment, both from the perspectives of the sellers and of the buyers. The aims and objectives of the assignment are thus as under. To examine the role of after sales service for suppliers of capital goods like boilers and turbines for small organisations. To understand the relevance and importance of after sales service for consumers of such equipment. To understand the ways in which after sales service can improve the growth and performance of small companies engaged in the supply of capital goods like boilers and turbines. 1.4. Benefits of Study The findings and results of this dissertation are particularly important because little research has been conducted in the area until now. A preliminary search of information on the subject in the physical and online domain reveals that the majority of conducted research concerns products like cars and cell phones and services like call centres. The issue of after sales service is however important for the products like the ones taken up in the course of this dissertation, even though they may not have public appeal, like automobiles or cell phones, or do not belong to a controversial and debated sector like call centres. Small organisations have specific disadvantages in providing after sales service, which in turn hurts their competitiveness in comparison to larger organisations. The findings of this study will provide useful information on a lesser known area of industry. Its findings should be of interest to academics and experts in areas of manufacture and marketing, small business owners, purchasing professionals, and students of management, engineering and marketing. 1.5. Structure This dissertation is arranged in sequential sections, which deal with a review of existing literature on the issue, the research methodology, the data, findings and analysis, and conclusions. The bibliography of information sources used in the course of the dissertation is provided at the end of the study, followed by the appendices. 2. Literature Review 2.1. After Sales Service After sales services constitute the various facilities and services provided by manufacturers and sellers of items to their customers after the completion of sale and purchase transactions (Lele, 1997, p 142). Whilst after sales service in the area of consumables like food, soft drinks or items like soap and tooth paste is simple and essentially concern the replacement of items that are found to be defective, such services become complex for consumer goods and capital items like televisions, refrigerators and washing machines, or engines, turbines and boilers, which are used by their buyers for varying periods of time (Lele, 1997, p 142). Manufacturers of these items provide a range of after sales services in the form of guarantees, warranties, free and paid replacement of parts, advice on maintenance and operations of these items, and periodic checkups (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 238). The provisioning of such after sales services helps buyers to make optimal use of their purchased items, keep them in good condition and increase their operational longevity (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 238). Apart from facilitating customers to use products in the best possible manner and the longest possible time, after sales service helps in keeping such products in good condition and in ensuring their resale value (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 238). Many organisations, especially in the sector of automobiles and white goods offer buyback facilities to customers who are able to sell such goods back to company agencies and avail of exchange or other offers (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 238). After sales service is becoming an increasingly important function in most business organisations and all organisations, irrespective of their size, are making efforts to provide high quality and appropriate after sales service to their customers (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 238). All suppliers of capital goods have complex and detailed after sales service facilities that are formulated with great care (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 238). 2.2. Role of After Sales Service for Manufacturing and Selling Organisations Levitt, (1983, p 88), states that manufacturers and retailers of consumer and capital goods cannot think that their interaction with customers ends with the sale of their products. They are required to provide their clients with a range of after sales services by way of warranties, installation packages, maintenance and repair services, availability of spare parts for long periods of time, (even after the discontinuation of product lines), technical advice in various operational areas, and options for exchange and upgrading of products. The provisioning of after sales service facilities has been steadily growing over the last few decades on account of a number of reasons (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 119). Experts feel that the rapid growth of after sales services has been driven by local and global competition. The contemporary period is distinguished by intense competition in the market place (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 119). Such competition has grown exponentially on account of causes like economic liberalisation, technological advances, globalisation and the emergence of good quality but low cost production and service centres in Asia, East Europe and Latin America (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 119). The growing intensification of competition among businesses in all areas of activity has spurred manufacturers and sellers to improve and enhance their engagement with customers in different ways (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 119). After sales service not only fulfils the need of customers but also allows organisatio ns to stay in touch with their customers long after the occurrence of commercial exchanges (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 119). Such opportunities enable companies to satisfy various types of customer needs, improve customer loyalty and influence customers to engage in repeat purchases, develop market goodwill and provide word of mouth recommendations (Bundschuh Dezvane, 2003, p 119). Apart from driving customer satisfaction and influencing repeat purchases and market goodwill, after sales services provide organisations with attractive and profitable revenue streams (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 239). After sales service includes the supply of spares and the engagement of yearly maintenance contracts that are put in place after the expiry of free warranty periods. Most industries price their spares well (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 239). The sales of these spares constitute an attractive and profitable revenues stream for organisations and enhance their operational and financial performance (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 239). Maintenance contracts are also priced in such a manner that they cover the cost of maintenance and provide organisations with surpluses. The supply of spares and maintenance services has now become an important component of organisational sales, cash flows and profitability (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 239). Steadily growing customer requirements and the increasing sophistication of products plays an important role in the knowledge and expertise of business firms (Frambach, et al, 1997, p 341). Many companies use feedback from their after sales operations to improve their knowledge of products, product performance, product inadequacies and product faults (Frambach, et al, 1997, p 341). Such information helps them significantly to improve the quality and capacity of their products, reduce product defects and introduce product improvements. It helps companies to improve the overall quality of their product offerings, improve their RD efforts and enhance their competitive advantage (Frambach, et al, 1997, p 341). 2.3. After Sales Service in Small Organisations The immediately preceding section deals with the various advantages that offering of high quality and extensive after sales services can give to organisations (Brun, et al, 2004, p 172). Whilst the provisioning of after sales service can help organisations to (a) improve their market share and sales, (b) increase their profitability, (c) improve their product knowledge, (d) help their research and development activities, and (e) enhance their competitive advantage, the capacity to offer such services entails significant outlays on expenditure and manpower that is often beyond the resources of small organisations (Brun, et al, 2004, p 172). Organisations that provide after sales services are required to develop after sales service teams that are distinct and separate from members of production and maintenance departments (Brun, et al, 2004, p 172). The members of after sales service teams are required to have extensive product knowledge and good people management and customer relation ship skills. Such people have to be chosen with care, treated with sensitivity and remunerated well (Brun, et al, 2004, p 172). The development and maintenance of an after sales service team involves substantial expenses. Small companies that provide capital equipment often have customers spread across regions and in distant geographic locations (Cohen Whang, 1997, p 535). The need to attend to such customers involves extensive travelling for employees engaged in after sales service functions. Such travel not only reduces the effective time available with employees to attend to other customers but also involves substantial travelling costs (Cohen Whang, 1997, p 535). The supply of essential spares is an integral component of after sales service. Whilst the cost of such spares is by and large recovered after expiry of official warranty periods, organisations are required to keep a large range of such spares in their inventories (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 259). Many of such spares are not manufactured in house but are bought out or manufactured by other contractors. The need to keep sufficient stocks of materials, many of which are not used for long periods of time, is an expensive proposition and companies have to bear, not only the strain on cash resources in obtaining these items but also the costs of obsolescence and holding of inventory (Gaiardelli, et al, 2005, p 259). It needs to be recognised that small organisations are restricted by the size of their operations, the availability of cash flows and availability of employees. New organisations furthermore have many clients within warranty periods and have to provide after sales services free of charge. Whilst the needs for such companies to offer high quality after sales service is imperative on account of competitive pressures, the development of facilities to do so imposes substantial financial burdens (Miragliotta, et al, 2003, p 160). Many small companies are known to engage in cost cutting in this area, especially so in times of recession or sluggish sales (Miragliotta, et al, 2003, p 160). Such measures are primarily adopted out of compulsion and lack of necessary resources but result in customer dissatisfaction and adverse consequences, not just in terms of loss of market reputation, customer sales and profitability, but also by way of penalties and legal action for breach of after sales service obligations with customers (Miragliotta, et al, 2003, p 160). 2.4. Research Questions The research question for this dissertation have been formulated in line with the purpose of the study, the aims and objectives of the dissertation and the information obtained during the course of the literature review. The research questions are formulated as under. Research Question 1: What is the importance of after sales service for customers of capital equipment like boilers and turbines provided by small organisations? Research Question 2: what is the role of after sales service in the operations of small firms engaged in supply of such capital goods? Research Question 3: How can small companies engaged in the supply of capital goods use after sales service to improve their performance and growth? 3. Research Methodology 3.1. Available Research Methods It is important to obtain a broad idea on the theory of social research before deciding upon the appropriate research method (Sarma, 2004, p 84). Such understanding will help, not only in the choice of research methods and the conduct of the research assignment, but also in obtaining a holistic perspective of the issue and in approaching the subject with greater maturity Whilst the theory of social research is a vast area, a few important concepts, namely deductive and inductive thinking and positivist and interpretivist epistemology, are taken up here for discussion (Sarma, 2004, p 84). Deductive reasoning is termed as a top down approach and moves from the general to the specific (Thyer, 2001, p 9). Researchers in such circumstances commence by thinking up a theory on the topic of interest and then narrowing such theory into more specific hypothesis that can be tested during the course of research (Thyer, 2001, p 9). Such research entails the collection of observations to address these hypotheses and enables researchers to test hypothesis with particular data in order to confirm or disprove the original theories (Thyer, 2001, p 9). Inductive reasoning on the other hand grows from specific observations to broader theories and is termed as the bottom up approach (Sarma, 2004, p 84). Researchers, whilst engaging in inductive reasoning, commence with particular observations, make efforts to detect patterns, formulate tentative and primary hypothesis that can be explored and thereafter develop general conclusions and theories. Inductive reasoning is more exploratory and open ended, even as deductive reasoning is narrow and concerned with the confirmation of hypotheses (Sarma, 2004, p 84). The epistemology or philosophy of social research can essentially be segregated into positivist and interpretivist streams of thought (Babbie, 2007, p 42). The positivist way of thinking is associated with the scientific approach and assumes that the objective of knowledge should be restricted to the description of phenomena that can be experienced, and that research should be regulated by what can be observed and measured. Positivist researchers follow specific processes and procedures to ensure that observations are accurate, consistent, and verifiable in order to conduct their investigation (Babbie, 2007, p 42). The interpretivist theory however developed largely as a counterpoint and a criticism of positivism. Whilst interpretivist theorists do not reject the positivist dimension of scientific knowledge, they do question its relevance for the study of societies (Babbie, 2007, p 42). Interpretivism assumes that specific phenomena need to be understood in totality, and that positivism, because it collects and analyses data from parts of the phenomena, can miss many important aspects and thus be inadequate in the achievement of comprehensive understanding of issues (Babbie, 2007, p 42). Social research has for many years witnessed debate over the use of quantitative and qualitative methods for obtaining and analysing information (Bryman Bell, 2003, p 54-55). Quantitative methods arise from positivist epistemologies and are concerned with the measurement of numerical data and their appropriate analysis. Quantitative methods continue to be widely used in social research and are felt to be most applicable when the subjects under study are suitable for numerical observation, quantification, and analysis (Bryman Bell, 2003, p 54-55). Whilst quantitative methods continue to be widely used by social researchers, they are found, not just to be inadequate, but also to be inappropriate for the study of research issues that are essentially subjective and incapable of being measured or analysed through numerical quantification and analysis (Davies, 2007, p 139). With much of social phenomena being subjective, multilayered, multidimensional and open to interpretation, quantitative methods of research are felt to be unsuitable for their study and investigation. Qualitative research methods are used to explore attitudes, behaviours and experiences through specific qualitative research methods (Davies, 2007, p 139). Significant discussion and debate has taken place on the topic of research methodology and theories on how enquiries should proceed (Shacklock Smyth, 1998, p 107). Much of such debate has focused on the issue of quantitative v qualitative enquiry (Shacklock Smyth, 1998, p 107). Research experts now appear to agree that both these methodologies have their own specific strengths and weaknesses (Shacklock Smyth, 1998, p 107). Whilst the theory of social research is a vast area, a few important concepts, namely deductive and inductive thinking and positivist and interpretivist epistemology, are taken up here for discussion (Sarma, 2004, p 84). Social research has for many years witnessed constant debate over the use of quantitative and qualitative methods for obtaining and analysing information (Bryman Bell, 2003, p 54-55). Quantitative methods arise from positivist epistemologies and are concerned with the measurement of numerical data and their appropriate analysis. Quantitative methods continue to be widely used in social research and are felt to be most applicable when the subjects under study are suitable for numerical observation, quantification, and analysis (Bryman Bell, 2003, p 54-55). Many opinion polls and marketing surveys are conducted with the use of quantitative methods. They are particularly suitable for political opinion polls and for assessment of mood swings and their impact on voting patterns (Bryman Bell, 2003, p 54-55). Whilst quantitative methods continue to be widely used by social researchers, they are found, not just to be inadequate, but also to be inappropriate for the study of research issues that are essentially subjective and incapable of being measured or analysed through numerical quantification and analysis (Davies, 2007, p 139). With much of social phenomena being subjective, multilayered, multidimensional and open to interpretation, quantitative methods of research are felt to be unsuitable for their study and investigation. Qualitative research methods are used to explore attitudes, behaviours and experiences through specific qualitative research methods (Davies, 2007, p 139). There has been a great amount of discussion and debate on the topic of research methodology and theories of how enquiries should proceed (Shacklock Smyth, 1998, p 107). Much of such debate has focused on the issue of quantitative v qualitative enquiry, namely which could be more scientific and which could actually be the most appropriate (Shacklock Smyth, 1998, p 107). Research experts now appear to agree that both these methodologies have their own specific strengths and weaknesses which should be appreciated and addressed by researchers (Shacklock Smyth, 1998, p 107). The employment of both quantitative and qualitative methods is nowadays known as the mixed method of social research (Todd, et al, 2004, p 34). The use of multiple approaches helps researchers to capitalise on the strengths of these approaches and compensate for their weaknesses. Such studies try to bring together research methods from different paradigms (Todd, et al, 2004, p 34). Mixed methods however have to be applied with care and thought on the suitability of using both methods for the subject under study (Special Issue, 2008, p 141). It is also important for researchers to decide on the aspects of the study that are best served either by quantitative or by qualitative methods and in deciding upon the sequence of use of these two methods. Mixed method research is becoming increasingly popular and is felt to have an answer to the individual weaknesses of quantitative and qualitative approaches (Special Issue, 2008, p 141). 3.2. Sources of Information The data to be obtained for the conduct of a research study primarily depends upon the chosen research method, namely whether it is quantitative, qualitative, or mixed in nature. Obtaining of data must be preceded by a decision on choice of information sources. Information sources are primarily of two types, i.e. primary and secondary information sources (Denscombe, 2002, p 94). Secondary information sources represent the information available on the topic under investigation in the public domain. Such information is by and large prepared by experts and authors who are not involved in the subject under investigation and is available in the form of publications like books, journals, magazines and online publications (Denscombe, 2002, p 94). Secondary information sources are available either in physical or in online form and researchers have to carefully assess their quality, accuracy and relevance before using them for research. Primary information sources on the other hand represent the information obtained directly from the subjects or organisations under study through the conduct of surveys or interviews. Information contained in organisational or personal websites also fall in the ambit of primary information sources (Denscombe, 2002, p 94). Quantitative data is usually required to be obtained when adopted methods of research are positivist in nature. Such data is usually collected through questionnaire surveys or opinion polls by agents of researchers who are uninvolved in the topic under investigation (Bryman Bell, 2003, p 54). Sampling constitutes a very important element of obtaining quantitative data. Samples represent small segments of populations under study whose reactions and responses can be considered to be representative of the broader population (Davies, 2007, p 53). The determination of sample size is an important component of the sampling process. Such choice of samples can be done through various methods, statistical as well as purposive, and are decided by individual researchers (Davies, 2007, p 53). The size of a sample however has a specific bearing on the validity of the sample findings and has to be taken into account at the time of analysis (Davies, 2007, p 53). Qualitative information on the other hand is obtained through techniques like semi structured interviews and focus group discussions that are conducted by expert researchers who are involved in the study (Davies, 2007, p 140). Such interviews and discussions are often lengthy and are thus conducted with limited numbers of respondents. Interviewers usually record such interviews, use a mix of carefully designed open and close ended questions, and watch the physical responses of the respondents to locate hidden nuances and meanings (Davies, 2007, p 140). 3.3. Adoption of Research Method The research issue is complex. It involves a specific segment of industry that suffers from significant constraints but is at the same time expected to satisfy a number of obligations. The requirements of the dissertation call for information to be obtained from two sets of people, namely responsible officials of small companies engaged in supply of capital goods and the customers of such companies. Information from customers can be both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Information from supplying organisations is also likely to be both qualitative and quantitative in nature. Quantitative information will be required to gauge the broad success of such organisations in meeting after sales service obligations, whereas qualitative information will enable the researcher to locater the various issues about after sales service that are of concern to organisations. The researcher has therefore used the mixed method approach, which involves elements of both qualitative and quantitative research, to conduct the investigation for this dissertation. Information is obtained from primary sources, namely officials of a small boiler manufacturing organisation in the UK and its customers. 3.4. Ethics Care has been taken to adhere to the ethical requirements of social research. The principles of informed consent, absence of coercion, and rights of respondents have been strictly followed. All respondents have been explained the purpose of the dissertation and they have consented in writing to their participation in the research. They have also been provided with options to maintain the confidentiality of their personal identities and of their organisations. All respondents have wished to maintain confidentiality of identity. They have also been informed of their right to answer or not to answer particular questions. Care has also being taken to ensure proper acknowledgement of all information sources used in the dissertation. 4. Data and Analysis 4.1. Procurement of data Data has been obtained from three different sources, i.e. (a) from a questionnaire survey of 50 clients of a small boiler organisation, referred to as Best Boilers LLP for the purposes of this dissertation, (b) direct interviews with two customers of Best Boilers, and (c) two officials of the after sales service and marketing departments of the organisation. Appendix 1, 2 and 3 provide details about the information obtained. 4.2. Findings and Analysis Appendices 1, 2 and 3 provide details about the information obtained from the questionnaire survey and the questions asked of the customers and officials of best boilers. It is seen from the results of the questionnaire survey that 60% of the clients surveyed had dealings of less than 2 years with the company and only 10% had dealt with the company for more than 5 years. This is normal because the organisation has been established recently and is just about 7 years old. This information is also corroborated by the response that 80% of the companys customers have bought just one item from the company. The survey reveals that whilst all the respondents require after sales service, more than 50% require to be serviced only once a year and just about 20% require services more than 2 times in a year. The answers on types of after sales service are spread over various needs, but approximately 24% state that they need all types of services including advice, physical support, and supply of spares. The responses on satisfaction with quality

Ultimately Disgusting :: essays research papers

Ultimate fighting is one of the most brutal and barbaric sports ever to be seen on television. Ultimate fighting is a no-rules fighting competition, designed to provide violent entertainment for its viewers. In this competition a fighter is allowed to punch, kick, and choke his opponent to win a fight. Ultimate fighting first came to the United States in 1993 when SEG began promoting it as, 'The Ultimate Fighting Championship.'; Ultimate fighting is an unsafe sport and people should not be permitted to view or compete in such violent competitions. Dr. George Lindberg editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association says, 'Someone's spinal cord could be fractured, an arm could be broken, and choking could result in brain damage. The possibility of injury is very high'; (Sokolove 1). The American Medical Association wants an all out ban on boxing and ultimate fighting. Senator John McCain, the leader in the opposition wants it banned because he is concerned about injury to the competitors (Kirby 20). In the UFC competitors have received broken arms, damaged their spinal cord, and been knocked out on several occasions. In a recent event in the Ukraine, a competitor died after he was beated badly. After the fight he collapsed, was taken to a hospital, and later died (Kodi). Cockfighting is banned in almost all states in this country, however in most states ultimate fighting still goes unregulated. Why are we allowing humans to compete in events that we have decided is too dangerous for animals (Sokolove 1)? Isn't allowing this type of event to go on telling our children that it is ok to fight? This type of event serves no positive purpose, and only increases the tolerance for violence in our society. Fans and promoters of ultimate fighting argue that fighters should be allowed to compete in any type of violent event if both participants are consenting. Isn't there a point then where all of this goes to far though? Suppose someone wants to televise the death of someone who consents to being killed. Under their logic this type of thing would be ok because everyone is consenting. We have already banned such consenting activities such as prostitution, drugs, and assisted suicide; we should just add this to the list. John McCain believes that the fighter's consent is deceptive. He says a fighter is, 'driven by profits or the enticements of publicity associated with it and unknowingly is placing his or her life at risk (Kirby 20).

Corn Research Essay Essay

Throughout my life I always had an idea that corn played a pretty large roll in our diets, but never gave the topic very much interest or investigation until this assignment. I found myself shocked by a lot of the information that I came across in the assigned reading, supermarkets, internet, and my own home. I immediately learned that I had many different misconceptions of both raw corn, and the foods that it is an ingredient of. This assignment had questions running through my mind regarding the healthiness of corn, the versatility of corn, and whether or not corn is even a vegetable. My investigation included a small notebook of mine, my kitchen and bathroom, two very well known supermarkets in Foods Co. and Smart & Final, and the world wide web. Searching through my own home, I found plenty of items that I never would have guessed to have corn in them. I was not too surprised with anything that I found in my kitchen or inside my refrigerator, but in my restroom were things that definitely caught me off guard. Both my toothpaste and tooth brush contain some type of corn product. My toothpaste bottle/tube stressed that the sorbitol in their product was sourced through the hydrogenation of corn oil, and that if the user has any sensitivity to corn he or she should see a doctor before using. The bristles of my sister’s tooth brush is filled with corn starch, for the purpose of creating a soft brushing experience for sensitive gums. Although both of those products surprised me greatly with their being made with corn, that was not my biggest shock. I found that even my deodorant was produced with corn-derived ingredients. I went on to read an article that says all natural deodorants are made with corn starch. The fact that corn is something that we use to both help restrain perspiration, and to generally keep a nice odor to ourselves really had me scratching my head. After explaining to my mother why I was wandering around the house gazing at random things and their ingredient labels, she pointed me in the direction of a few more corn involved products in her room. I soon discovered a few unexpected items such as hairspray, perfume, and nail polish remover. Never did I expect to see so many things that we use in our every day lives, outside of food products, to be created from, or influenced by corn-derived ingredients. The next area of my corn investigation was Supermarkets; specifically Foods Co. and Smart & Final. There were a few things that shocked me greatly in these places, but not quite as much as the search through my own home. Walking through the isles of Foods Co. and Smart & Final, I found quite an unpredictable corn filled product in both Wonder Bread and Pepperidge Farm Bread. Turns out that both of these brands run high in fructose corn syrup, being each of their fourth ingredient. As well as most breads, probably the most well known brand of ketchup, Heinz, is high in both corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup. Apparently I grew up pretty naive in believing that ketchup was made purely of tomatoes and possibly a little bit of salt. One thing that I found to be strange is that high fructose corn syrup is an ingredient in both protein/nutrition bars and candy bars. I was scratching my head for a good while trying to figure out if corn syrup was actually a healthy ingredient or an unhealthy one. Power Bars might have misunderstood the word â€Å"nutrition†, because the very famous Hershey Chocolate brand and Life Savers gummy candy are both very high on their amounts of corn syrup. The contrast of Power Bars claiming to be a healthy alternative to sugary snacks left me a bit confused. Overall I wasn’t completely blown away by most items found in supermarkets that use different forms of corn in their production, but there were a few that definitely made me scratch my head and think for a second. My investigation concluded after my venture to the supermarkets. Once I was home and reflected on my entire page of notes on what I discovered, my eyes were opened to the importance of corn in today’s culture. I began to realize that corn is much more than a bunch of kernels that feed our stomach and help create other basic foods. I always knew that corn played a large role in the production of common foods such as tortillas, chips, candy, and believe it or not I also knew that it was used in some brands of yogurt. Never did I expect to find it in condiments such as ketchup, or nutrition bars like the popular brand â€Å"Power Bars†; and I don’t think anybody would have guessed that corn is used in the production of in-home items like some hairsprays, toothpaste, and deodorants. I still think it is strange that corn is something that takes part in cleansing our bodies of odor and cleaning our teeth. The exploration throughout local supermarkets and my home helped me gain proper knowledge of corn’s versatility. I discovered that corn is not purely an edible product, but that it is something that can be used as an ingredient for cleansing tools such as toothpaste, and odor removers such as deodorants. Also, I learned of the different ways that corn can be altered to be a proper ingredient for certain products. When we say that corn is all around us, we certainly do not mean that there are yellow kernels in our soda cans, or that solid corn has been mixed into our toothpastes. There are different subdivisions of corn, or derivatives. When we say corn is all around us, we could mean corn starch, sweet corn, corn syrup, or others. As my in-home and supermarket exploration reached an end, my online investigation was about to begin. I decided to first answer the question that had me most intrigued: How healthy is corn for your body? I quickly found a very informative and factual blog website that provided exactly the information that I was hoping to learn. Eatingwell. com contained two articles written by separate authors, in two different years. The first article answered my question with two strong points, while the other brought to light five different myths about sweet corn. The first article, â€Å"What’s Fresh: Is Corn Healthy Or Not? † explained that corn is indeed a healthy ingredient. The author, Carolyn Malcoun, made it known that corn is a starchy vegetable. Like most other starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and peas, it contains a solid amount of fiber. Specifically speaking, corn contains four grams of fiber per one cup of kernels. Fiber, like most of us probably realize, is an indigestible portion of plant foods that is extremely healthy for us. Fiber is known for lowering blood sugar, reducing cholesterol, and very well could help prevent colon cancer. As well as containing fiber, corn is also filled with a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, like most yellow or green colored vegetables are. Lutein and zeaxanthin are both well known for reducing risk of chronic eye diseases such as cataracts, especially as you begin to age. So ultimately, this article was written to prove the fact that corn can very well be a part of a healthy diet. One note that was made very clear was that the corn this author was writing of was corn that is to be bought on the cob, not corn that makes enthol and high-fructose corn syrup, which is definitely not the same. Unfortunately, that is the type of corn that is found most common in the American diet. In fact, of the ninety-four million acres of corn that was grown in the United States in the year 2007, about one percent of it was sweet corn. It was a high recommendation to support your local farmers and receive your corn and other plant and ground-grown vegetables fresh. The next article that I examined was written by Matthew Thompson, in July of last year. Thompson is the associate food editor for EatingWell Magazine that brought to light five different but common myths about sweet corn, the corn that is found most commonly used in the American diet. The first myth that he tackled was the myth that most sweet corn is genetically modified. In the year of 2011, only three to four percent of the sweet corn grown on United State’s soil was genetically modified, which is planned to be a much different number in the summer of 2013. Monsanto, a giant sustainable agricultural company, is approving new genetically modified performance sweet-corn seeds. Although there has not been much word on how many of the new seeds will be planted throughout the summer, USDA (United States Department Of Agriculture) organic corn has been proved to be the way to go. The second myth was that corn is both fattening and sugary. The truth is that one ear of corn contains the same number of calories and even less than a quarter of the amount of sugar. Although that might mean that corn is one of the healthier choices at your family get together doesn’t mean that we should decide to scarf down a corn on the cob that is smothered in butter and other condiments of that nature. The third myth was that corn is made less nutritious when cooked. Although you might be thinking to yourself how much that makes sense (much like I id), cooking the corn actually increases antioxidant activity; which helps protect the body from diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The fourth myth is that corn has zero healthy benefits, which was quickly verified as an invalid assumption when I learned that one mid-sized ear of sweet corn offers a three-gram dose of dietary fiber which we earlier discovered to be extremely nutritious for our bodies. The fifth and last myth that was brought to light was that the best way to choose corn is by color. Turns out that the variety of the corn is far less important than the freshness of the cob. The color of the kernels actually doesn’t matter. Preferences will vary, just like choosing your flavor of ice cream. Curious as to how to choose the corn that would be considered most fresh? Simple. Don’t purchase corn that has been out of the field for over twenty-four hours. A quick Google search answered my last question: Is corn a vegetable? I had assumed that since corn is something that grows from the ground that it must be a vegetable, which I now know as not to be true. I learned that corn is actually considered to be a grain. Corn indeed grows from the ground, but is not attached to a stem, leaf, or root. However, this is a highly debated topic throughout America, ask the US State Senators of New York. They had the liberty of deciding the state vegetable. Despite the fact that the state of New York is the second largest onion producer in the United States, the popular vote went to corn. How can corn be the official vegetable of a state when it is actually considered a grain rather than a vegetable? I never found the answer to that one. Once my study of corn had completely reached an end, I finally realized how much I actually did not know about corn. A large number of different facts were brought to light, and the air was cleared referring to the different misconceptions and assumptions that I too have made about corn, as well as many of the people around my every day life. This is an assignment that I am happy I tackled on full force, because it had to do with my every day life. I am glad that I was able to have an assignment that was so relevant to the American lifestyle.

Theories of Buying and Selling

Jan Bronowski is a salesperson for Packard Bell (a computer company www. packardbell. com) and works exclusively in PC world  (www. pcworld. com) a retail company selling personal computers, printers, software and ancillary computer-related equipment. Working on a one-toone basis, the job involves demonstrating the functions of hardware and software packages, answering any questions the prospect may have and solving problems by matching the appropriate products to the customer’s needs. At the point of purchase, the prospect is ‘handed over’ to someone else who deals with payment, credit arrangements and invoicing. After six months, Jan has been relatively successful. He has worked hard and believes that his confidence, the ability to strike up rapport with prospects and his ability to ‘read a prospect’ have contributed to his success. The company have decided to promote him to their direct business division, selling to local firms. As part of his new job, Jan has contacted by telephone the office manager of a local company which produces chemicals and employs 60 people, 12 of those in office and administrative positions. He is excited at the prospect of making his first sale. The office manager was interested in his products and has asked Jan to call and see him the following week. Prior to his visit, Jan has been asked to post the relevant details of his products to the office manager. He has also been requested to bring some of the equipment to demonstrate to the office staff who would eventually use any such equipment. Thinking about his forthcoming visit, Jan is apprehensive; his background in retail has been with relatively inexperienced customers, and he is unsure of his ability to explain the product in these new surroundings to a more technical audience. He is also worried about demonstrating the product to the office staff since one of the advantages which will become apparent at any such demonstration is the potential staff savings of the equipment. Meanwhile, back at the chemicals company, the office manager is trying to convince his managing director of the wisdom of his decision because of the capital outlay required. The purchasing manager is upset because he has not been consulted about the proposed purchase and rings Jan directly to complain of his annoyance at being bypassed, telling Jan that he is determined to block the purchase on principle.

The Rainmaker Essays (500 words) - The Rainmaker, John Grisham

The Rainmaker Essays (500 words) - The Rainmaker, John Grisham The Rainmaker The Rainmaker Enticing readers and basically giving people something good to read, John Grisham is an established star in literature. What makes his books so great is that they are so realistic. He applies his personal law and trial knowledge into the books he writes. Put together with creative story telling, his makes his novels hard to put down. The Rainmaker starts with the last semester of law school for Rudy Baylor. He was assigned to give free advice to a group of seniors. It is at that very time, and that very place, that Rudy encounters his first and most important clients, Dot and Buddy Black. A powerful insurance company with millions of dollars has apparently swindled them. They have caused the suffering and inevitable death of a young man, Dot and Buddys son. The coverage that was obliged was not issued, and Donny Ray, stricken by Leukemia, therefore lost his chance to live. This case plays out for a matter of months, while the broke Rudy Baylor rents a room from one of his clients, a Mrs. Birdy Birdsong. He is also forced to work for a felonious lawyer when the firm he was going to be initiated into merges with a larger one. Eventually, he goes to head with one of Americas most experienced and accomplished defense attorneys. From the beginning of the novel to the last word, Rudy is plagued with a series of mishaps and problems. When something looks bright the clouds come rolling in. However, as the big trial begins, he is assigned to a judge that is definitely on his side and twelve jury members who believe in the same morals as Rudy. After researching Great Benefit, the insurance company, Rudy discovers cover-ups in the company. He also discovers Great Benefits harsh way of making their numerous mistakes disappear. He enters all the facts he has discovered and uses them to help solidify his position in the minds of the jurors. Meanwhile, Rudy discovers a beaten girl at the hospital during some studying. Her husband has repeatedly beaten her with a bat. Rudy know that these beatings will continue, but the eighteen-year-old girl is afraid. John Grisham does not maintain a single story, but instead creates numerous events so that the reader does not get bored with the main story. By the last few chapters, the reader cannot put the book down, and is forced to read the exciting conclusion, which I will not spoil. I have read many books by John Grisham, because I enjoy his writing style immensely. He writes conspiracies, which some authors make unbelievable, and action that is realistic. The reader believes what he is reading can actually happen, so this contributes to the illusion of reality. In The Rainmaker, Grisham has woven his talent into the storyline and created a powerful, and at times humorous tale of one young lawyers quest for fame, fortune, and most importantly, happiness. Bibliography the rainmaker notes and book

Index to French Grammar and Pronunciation Glossary

Index to French Grammar and Pronunciation Glossary This index to the glossary of French grammar and pronunciation terms treated in our lessons provides definitions and links to further information about each of the French verb tenses, pronouns, and other grammatical structures weve discussed. It also includes information about various pronunciation issues. You can search for definitions by topic or by using the full alphabetical list in either  English  or  French; all definitions are in English. Or you can get just the highlights:  top grammar terms. English Index Aactive voiceadjectiveadverbadverbial pronounadverb of frequencyadverb of manneradverb of placeadverb of quantityadverb of timeagentagreementantecedentarticleauxiliary verbCclausecomparative adverbcognatecompound pastcompound tenseconditionalconditional perfectconditionalsconditional sentenceconjunctionconjugateconjugationcoordinating conjunctioncopular verbDdefinite articledemonstrative adjectivedemonstrative pronoundependent clausedescriptive adjectivedirect objectdirect object complementdirect object pronoundisjunctive pronoundummy subjectEeuphonyFfalse cognatefamiliarfeminineformalfuturefuture anteriorfuture perfectfuture subjunctiveGgenderHhelping verbhiatushistoric pasthistorical tenseIif-then clauseimperativeimperfectimperfect subjunctiveimpersonal pronounimpersonal verbindefinite articleindefinite adjectiveindefinite pronounindefinite relative pronounindependent clauseindicativeindirect objectindirect object complementindirect object pronouninfinitiveinflectioninformalinterro gative adjectiveinterrogative adverbinterrogative pronounintransitive verbinversionLliaisonlinkinglinking verbliterary registerliterary tenseMmain clausemasculinemoodNnarrative tensenear futurenegative adjectivenegative adverbnegative pronounnormal registernounnumberOobjectPparticiplepartitive articlepassive voicepast anteriorpast conditionalpast infinitivepast participlepast perfectpast perfect subjunctivepast subjunctiveperfect participlepersonpersonal pronounpersonal verbpluperfectpluperfect subjunctivepluralpossessive adjectivepossessive pronounprepositionpresentpresent participlepresent perfectpreteritepronominal verbpronominal voicepronounproper nounRreal subjectrecent pastregisterreflexive pronounreflexive verbrelative clauserelative pronounSsimple pastsimple tensesingularstate-of-being verbstressed pronounsubjectsubject pronounsubjunctivesubordinate clausesubordinating conjunctionsuperlative adverbTtensetransitive verbtrue cognateVverbverb conjugationvoicevulgar (register) French Index Aaccordadjectifadjectif dà ©monstratifadjectif descriptifadjectif indà ©finiadjectif interrogatifadjectif nà ©gatifadjectif possessifadverbeadverbe comparatifadverbe de frà ©quenceadverbe de lieuadverbe de manià ¨readverbe de quantità ©adverbe de tempsadverbe interrogatifadverbe nà ©gatifadverbe superlatifagentantà ©cà ©dentapparentà ©argotiquearticlearticle dà ©finiarticle indà ©finiarticle partitifauxiliaireCCODCOIcomplà ©ment dobjet directcomplà ©ment dobjet indirectconditionnelconditionnel passà ©conjonctionconjonction de coordinationconjonction de subordinationconjugaisonconjuguercopuleDdà ©sinenceEenchaà ®nementeuphonieFfamilierfaux amifà ©mininformelfuturfutur antà ©rieurfutur passà ©futur procheGgenreHhiatusIimparfaitimparfait du subjonctifimpà ©ratifindicatifinfinitifinfinitif passà ©inversionLliaisonlittà ©raireMmasculinmodemot apparentà ©Nnomnom proprenombrenormalOobjetobjet directobjet indirectPparticipeparticipe passà ©participe prà ©sentpassà © antà ©rieurpassà © composà ©passà © composà © du participe prà ©sentpassà © rà ©centpassà © simplepersonnephrase de conditionplurielplus-que-parfaitplus-que-parfait du subjonctifpopulaireprà ©positionprà ©sentprà ©tà ©ritpronompronom adverbialpronom dà ©monstratifpronom disjointpronom impersonnelpronom indà ©finipronom indà ©fini relatifpronom interrogatifpronom nà ©gatifpronom objet directpronom objet indirectpronom personnelpronom possessifpronom rà ©flà ©chipronom relatifpronom sujetpropositionproposition conditionnelleproposition dà ©pendanteproposition indà ©pendanteproposition principaleproposition relativeproposition subordonnà ©eproposition subordonnà ©e relativeRregistreSsi clausesinguliersubjonctifsubjonctif futursubjonctif passà ©sujetsujet apparentsujet rà ©elTtempstemps composà ©temps de la narrationtemps historiquetemps littà ©rairetemps simpleVverbeverbe auxiliaireverbe copulatifverbe impersonnelverbe intransitifverbe pronominalverbe rà © flà ©chiverbe transitifvoixvrai amivulgaire Topic Index Adjectives  Ã‚  Ã‚  demonstrative adjective  Ã‚  Ã‚  descriptive adjective  Ã‚  Ã‚  indefinite adjective  Ã‚  Ã‚  interrogative adjective  Ã‚  Ã‚  negative adjective  Ã‚  Ã‚  possessive adjectiveAdverbs  Ã‚  Ã‚  adverbial pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  adverb of frequency  Ã‚  Ã‚  adverb of manner  Ã‚  Ã‚  adverb of place  Ã‚  Ã‚  adverb of quantity  Ã‚  Ã‚  adverb of time  Ã‚  Ã‚  comparative adverb  Ã‚  Ã‚  interrogative adverb  Ã‚  Ã‚  negative adverb  Ã‚  Ã‚  superlative adverbAgreement  Ã‚  Ã‚  gender  Ã‚  Ã‚  number  Ã‚  Ã‚  adjectives  Ã‚  Ã‚  articles  Ã‚  Ã‚  pronounsClauses  Ã‚  Ã‚  dependent clause  Ã‚  Ã‚  if-then clause  Ã‚  Ã‚  independent clause  Ã‚  Ã‚  main clause  Ã‚  Ã‚  relative clause  Ã‚  Ã‚  subordinate clauseConjunctions  Ã‚  Ã‚  coordinating conjunction  Ã‚  Ã‚  subordinating conjunctionObjects  Ã‚  Ã‚  object  Ã‚  Ã‚  direct object  Ã‚  Ã‚  direct object complement/pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  indirect object  Ã‚  Ã‚  indirect object complement/pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  intransitive verb  Ã‚  Ã‚  transitive verbParts of speech  Ã‚  Ã‚  adjective  Ã‚  Ã‚  adverb  Ã‚  Ã‚  article  Ã‚  Ã‚  conjunction  Ã‚  Ã‚  noun  Ã‚  Ã‚  preposition  Ã‚  Ã‚  pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  verbPronouns  Ã‚  Ã‚  adverbial pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  demonstrative pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  direct object pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  disjunctive pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  impersonal pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  indefinite pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  indefinite relative pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  interrogative pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  negative pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  personal pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  possessive pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  pronominal verb  Ã‚  Ã‚  reflexive pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  relative pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  stressed pronoun  Ã‚  Ã‚  subject pronounPronunciation  Ã‚  Ã‚  cognate  Ã‚  Ã‚  euphony  Ã‚  Ã‚  hiatus  Ã‚  Ã‚  liaison  Ã‚  Ã‚  linkingVerbs* conjugate/conjugation  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  inflection  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  mood  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  number  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  person  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  tense  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  voice* compound tense  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  auxiliary/helping verb  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  compound past  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  conditional perfect  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  future anterior/perfect  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  past conditional  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  past perfect subjunctive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  past subjunctive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  past anterior  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  past infinitive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  past perfect  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pluperfect  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pluperfect subjunctive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  present perfect* historical/literary/narrative tense  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  historic past  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  past anterior  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  imperfect subjunctive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pluperfect subjunctive* inversion* mood  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  conditional  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   imperative  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  indicative  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  infinitive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  participle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  subjunctive* participle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  past participle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  perfect participle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  present participle* simple tense  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  conditional  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  future  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  future subjunctive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  historic past  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  imperative  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  imperfect  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  imperfect subjunctive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  present  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  preterite  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  simple past  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  subjunctive* types of verbs  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  copular verb  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  impersonal verb  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  intransitive verb  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pronominal/reflexive verb  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  transitive ver bMiscellaneous  Ã‚  Ã‚  agent  Ã‚  Ã‚  antecedent  Ã‚  Ã‚  conditional  / conditional sentence  Ã‚  Ã‚  proper noun  Ã‚  Ã‚  register  Ã‚  Ã‚  subject  Ã‚  Ã‚   - dummy subject  Ã‚  Ã‚   - real subject

The Inverted Pyramid

The Inverted Pyramid The Inverted Pyramid The Inverted Pyramid By Michael Heres a tip from the newsroom: the inverted pyramid style of writing. It will help you to get your message across faster. It was developed by journalists for reasons that are completely irrelevant today or are they? The inverted pyramid principle says you should put your most important point at the top of the article, followed by your next most important point, and so on, in diminishing order of importance. Newspapers still use this principle today, but where did it come from? Many historians say that the inverted pyramid was invented by 19th century wartime reporters, who sent their stories by telegraph. They wanted the most crucial information to get through first, just in case the transmission was interrupted. But, you say, we dont send many telegrams today. Ah, but more than ever, we do send messages that can easily be interrupted! Distraction, impatience, confusion, even boredom; all these can keep your reader from finishing those precious words that youve written. Busy people expect writers to get to the meat quickly, or theyll find something else to read. The next time you write something, decide what your most important point is. If they dont hear anything else you say, what do you want them to hear? Then, say that first. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. Had"Confused With" and "Confused About"The Difference Between "Phonics" and "Phonetics"

Gaonic Society and Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Gaonic Society and Culture - Research Paper Example The first â€Å"Gaon of Sura† was Mar Rab who took the charge in 609 and the last was Samuel ben Hofni who died in 1034. The last â€Å"Gaon of Pumbedita† was Hezekiah Gaon who was agonized and he died in 10401. During the â€Å"Golden Age† of Arabs Jews were prominent in the society and their religious and cultural practices and economic living flourished. After 681, the Jews were severely victimized by â€Å"Christian Visigoths† and therefore they invited the Muslim Arabs mainly the â€Å"Berber† conquerors. These conquerors successfully removed the â€Å"Christian Visigoths† and brought an end to their tyranny, providing the Jews their religious autonomy2. Thereafter a period of tolerance began as Jews devoted themselves in studying the sciences, commerce and industry to augment the prosperity of the country. They engaged themselves in translating Arabic texts into Roman and Greek and Hebrew texts into Arabic. The involvement of the Jews w as also found in several other disciplines such as â€Å"botany, geography, medicine, mathematics, poetry and philosophy.3† During this time Jewish ideas blossomed leading to partial Jewish autonomy. Again insecurity of the Jews developed around 976 and the situation further deteriorated in 1090 with the attack of â€Å"Almoravids†, a Muslim protestant sect from Morocco. Under their rule Islamic belief was imposed on the Jews. The famous educational bodies of the Jews were closed. Then by 1085 there was invasion by the Christian forces. Jewish community was still prominent. Some scholars such as Maimonides, born in 1135, were well-known figures in Judaism. Jewish existence still continued until they were powerfully debarred or converted by the â€Å"Christian Monarchs†4 The purpose of this paper is to show that the uniqueness of the gaons could be attributed to their piety and practices apart from their scholarly talents and achievements which reflect discipline , integrity and wisdom. The Gaons, their practice and religion During the Islamic period, due to the absence of corporate groups, the commercialized and crafted guild of the European variety was not restricted to those members having majority belief in Islamic culture. There was significant resemblance among the Muslim and Jewish practices. This encouraged flexible interactions between the Jews and Muslims in economic activities and led the Jewish to adopt liberal attitude towards the Muslims. They preferred to in developing business contracts and settling disputes in the Muslim religious courts as opposed to early Talmudic prohibition. According to one of the Babylonian Geonim this practice was implicitly recognized by the Jewish judiciary on account of mutual faith. â€Å"Ashkenazic rabbis† persisted on stringent observance of Talmudic controls. Therefore the Geonim and later halakhic authorities in the â€Å"medieval Arab world† objected on Jews relevance to Muslim courts and emphasized on continual Talmudic ban. The Gaon after considering many contradictory biblical verses exhibits that they do not include abrogation. Islamic religious expressions were used in â€Å"Judaeo- Arabic† writing of the Jewish scholars. Saadya Gaon, the first great â€Å"rabbinic† who wrote in Arabic referred deliberately to the â€Å"Torah†. His Arabic translation of the Bible reflected an integration of â€Å"Arabic-Islamic† culture. The considerable resemblance between the Jewish and Islamic law, the corresponding operation of both of their legal systems and their sharing of linguistic discourse across

Entrepreneurship in the global evironment Essay

Entrepreneurship in the global evironment - Essay Example His entrepreneurial prowess is evident from his engineering work and being an inventor of dual cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner, roles that have made him allegedly over 1 billion pound rich. Dyson’s idea of vacuum cleaners started back in 1970 when he innovated his first product named the sea truck and later he invented the ball barrow, which resembled a modified wheelbarrow. Dyson faced some challenges in marketing his product in the United Kingdom since no distributor was willing to distribute his product because of fear that his vacuum cleaners would overtake the replacement cleaner bags. He then opted to launch his product in Japan where he made profitable returns and even won the international design fair prize in Japan, in 1991. As a result of manufacturers failing to sell his product, Dyson decided to take that as a challenge and set up his own company in 1993 in a small town named Malmebury. Luckily, in 2005, Dyson’s vacuum cleaners were leading in sales in the Un ited States and employment had increased in Malmebury by 1,200. Indeed, Dyson was awarded with the Queen’s award for enterprise for the outstanding growth and success abroad (Loch, 2008, pp 119,120). According to BBC News (2006), after dyson received a Knighthood, he told BBC that he is an entrepreneur who produces things that people want to buy. He adds that he has failed 5,126 times and has learnt that success alone teaches one nothing, but failures teach someone everything, since when one makes a mistake, he/she learns from that mistake to better on the product. According to BBC News (2006), by then, the company had 1400 staff in the United Kingdom and 4,000 workers placed in Malaysia plants. Therefore, Dyson is the best choice of an entrepreneur, since he has come a long way by putting his innovation into practice, beaten all odds of marketing, and failed numerous times before achieving the best and being contented with his products. Why James Dyson is classified as an en trepreneur According to Bolton (2004, p. 134), â€Å"Dyson is another entrepreneur who has challenged the industry giants with a revolutionary of vacuum cleaner, since his dual cyclone cleaner has a UK market share in excess of 50% and his international sales are prospering.† The main admirable aspect of Dyson as an entrepreneur is that he is always innovative and creative, thus focuses on what the customers want, and he always desires to improve his products. Dyson has also proved to be a risk taker, since he invested his resources on his dream of appropriate vacuum cleaners. Finally, he succeeded and his returns tell it all. Dyson’s idea of a vacuum cleaner started back in 1979 when he was only 31 years of age. At that time, he needed a machine that would separate particles from air. He faced many challenges, one of them being that manufacturers rejected his idea, since they did not want his machine to interfere with the replacement dust bags market. In 2000, Dyson m anaged to launch the dual cyclone cleaner that used battery to operate. He later launched a washing machine with the ability to spin and almost dry clothes. These were some of his achievements after being rejected by other manufacturers (Bolton, 2004 pp 135, 136). Dyson portrays the spirit of a true entrepreneur, since entrepreneurship is about opportunities and risks in business. Successful entrepreneurs usually spot an opportunity especially where others

What Is 'Trust' (After Niklas Luhmann) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What Is 'Trust' (After Niklas Luhmann) - Essay Example In his work he views trust as s very important sociological phenomenon that makes possible the functioning of individuals within society, and at the same time the very existence of this society. Beginning from the 1990s, the sociologists began developing the concept of trust as a key element of social relationships, and the upsurge of interest to the problem of trust is conditioned, among all, by certain characteristics of the modern society, those being more active position of people towards their own future, and at the same time the uncertainty of this future, increased interdependence of individuals and communities, multiple opportunities offered by social and technological development, and the risks connected with them. All these presuppose the necessity of trust for normal and efficient life and social functioning. Earlier, trust was often characterised as a purely personal attitude, but Luhmann regards is as an aspect of interpersonal relations and a motivating factor for individuals to act. For the scholar, trust is an important element of social, political, personal, and cultural life of any human being. For N. Luhmann, trust is, above all, the absence of sureness, and the result of the impossibility to predict the future. So, there is no wonder that that the key terms for Luhmann's understanding of the concept of trust are risk and uncertainty. He, however, offers a way to solve the contradiction between trust and certainty. The main problem when analysing the contemporary society is making no division between trust and non-trust. For Luhmann, there are two structural changes of paramount importance that are happening in the modern world: the diversification and insulation of the known and the unknown, and the growing tendency to substitute risk for danger, i.e. considering and envisaging all the dangerous consequences that may occur as a result of human actions or non-actions. Differentiating between trust and certainty, Niklas Luhmann pinpoints the fact that in the modern conditions of openness and lack of integration, the nature of relations between trust and certainty are changing. Certainty, for the researcher, is something that presupposes complete absence of any disappointment; whereas trust always takes into account some possible risks, or at least an element of risk. The main difference between trust and certainty depends on the peculiarities of personal perception and attitude. If a person does not consider any alternatives to some event of action, it means he is certain - that is, in the state of certainty. If, however, a person prefers one action or event to the rest that are potentially possible, this situation is described as a situation of trust. Therefore, even if there is a high possibility of disappointment, preferring a particular line of actions is referred to by Luhmann as trust. Consequently, it is impossible to either trust or not trust to something that is completely unknown. "[T]rust is only possible in a familiar world; it needs history as a reliable background"1. Only awareness of how the things are (familiarity) makes both trust and distrust possible - it makes any expectations possible, however it does not guarantee that what we are expecting is going to happen. Awareness is not knowledge of how somebody will act, or what

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS (Strategic Management) Essay

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS (Strategic Management) - Essay Example On the external assessment, aspects such as the political environment of the host nation are very important to be assessed. This is because hostile political landscape is very unforgiving to the economic progress, which can delay the breakeven point once investment has been made on the global market. Additionally, economic nationalism is another component that needs to be examined. According to Greenfield (2003), strong economic nationalism in the host nation will result in a strong affinity on the homemade products than those of the foreigners hence this will result in rejection or poor entourage to the host nation as the global market. With assessment, host nation that embrace economic nationalism should be avoided. The internal assessment, on the other hand, is also a component that needs a consideration when it comes to making inroad to the global market. The firm resource strength to make it in the global market is a key component. The strength of firm is encapsulated on a host of factors that include the economic capacity of a country, the political status, the local taxation the source of capital to make the inroads to global market and business factors. These will determine the success of making it into the global market (Benli,

The impact of technology on the war in Afghanistan Research Paper

The impact of technology on the war in Afghanistan - Research Paper Example The Taliban has explicitly expressed their support of the Al-Qaeda, a global network of terrorists, and in September 9, 2011, Al-Qaeda operatives executed Ahmad Shah Massoud, a prominent commander of the Northern Alliances. Such killing assured Osama Bin Laden of the Taliban’s support and refuge after the 9/11 Attacks (Council on Foreign Relations). And so, the seed for the biggest and most wide-spread war on terrorism has been sown; the war on Afghanistan was bred, needing only the attacks on US soil to spark the powder keg. The problem about Afghan stability and counterterrorist efforts is not simple a problem; the Taliban is continually able to hold the Afghan citizens silent about their presence by the effective monopoly of fear, threatening the lives of Afghan should they provide any hint to the US troops concerning the Taliban or the Al-Qaeda operations (Ferguson). Poor governance, ethnic conflict, and administrative mismanagement have crippled the Afghan government syst em in trying to address the problem of terrorism in the post-Taliban democracy. Terrorists still plague the Afghan communities, storing ammunitions and high-powered rifles, and in some case, a Taliban flag, in places so close to Afghan homes. Security in the Afghan state and the elimination of terrorist cells is highly important to maintain global peace, and such is the goal of the United States for its involvement in places so far away from the New World. After the 1993 bombing on the World Trade Center and the more famous 9/11 attacks, global security has become US security as these attacks against the US sprang not from the American continents, but from places across the oceans. In order for the US government to ensure the safety of its people, it must secure the safety of the entire world from threats as eminent as the Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and all other terrorist networks and militant insurgent groups. As part of the study on the war in Afghanistan, there is a need to define c ounterinsurgency from counterterrorism, and in order to fulfill such, there is still a need to define the root-words that comprises the two military labels. Counterinsurgency is a concatenation of two words: counter and insurgency. Counterinsurgency is any organized military activity designed to combat insurgencies (Merriam-Webster). These are military activities geared towards combating insurgent groups that are against the central authority not recognized as belligerents. The term counterinsurgency was first used in the 1960s to combat communist-led revolutionists and insurgents, which Nikita Khrushkev termed as the â€Å"war of national liberation†, occurring all around the world that are against U.S. interest (Answers Corporation). The term replaced counterrevolution for public propaganda, since a revolution has a good connotation to the American public. Counterterrorism, on the other hand, is a concatenation of the words counter and terrorism. Counterterrorism refers to the practices, not necessarily military in nature, that acts as a response to terrorist threats and/or acts, be it real or imputed (Zalman). Terrorism is a criminal act that influences and audience beyond the immediate victim (Research-Terrorism). It seeks to achieve goals that are political, religious, or ideological in nature by inflicting terror and anxiety through the use of military equipments, usually aimed at civilian targets.

Week 7 Discussion Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 7 Discussion Questions - Assignment Example The American website offers a feel of black & white picture of the product image and the product features, while the Indian website uses the color element variously, particularly red color in sub titles of the product traits besides showing total range of all series available in black & white and color MFD models, differentiating them through the use of colored text, on the left side of the web page. The Indian webpage of the product focuses on the external features of the product, such as its design and frame but pinpointing at the same that the product is the outcome of â€Å"cutting-edge technologies.† Another mentionable difference is that the American web page of the product also includes and presents another similar product description as features of both are same. That similar product is MX-3100N. The American web page does not mention that the Open System Architecture is 3.0, unlike its Indian counterpart. Whether a gray market product available in the US market poses any risk or not, depends on the kind of product. Some gray market products can be too risky to purchase, for instance purchasing of drugs from the gray market in the US; it could be risky to the extent of life-threatening. As per the survey conducted by Premier Healthcare Alliance in 2011, a call for gray market drugs was posted in the Premier Pharmacy Weekly Update in the last week of April 2011, specifying the national drug codes (NDCs) and their retail prices for comparison with Premier base contract prices (Cherici et al. 1). Comparison of the drugs of gray market with of Premier base contract prices proved that all gray market drugs were manufacturer back-ordered or short-supply drugs. The marketing strategy used by gray vendors to sell their drugs was in the form of emails and fliers, using language tool such, â€Å"We only have 20 of this drug left and quantities are going fast.† All marketing and sale offers online were made for those drugs

The impact of technology on the war in Afghanistan Research Paper

The impact of technology on the war in Afghanistan - Research Paper Example The Taliban has explicitly expressed their support of the Al-Qaeda, a global network of terrorists, and in September 9, 2011, Al-Qaeda operatives executed Ahmad Shah Massoud, a prominent commander of the Northern Alliances. Such killing assured Osama Bin Laden of the Taliban’s support and refuge after the 9/11 Attacks (Council on Foreign Relations). And so, the seed for the biggest and most wide-spread war on terrorism has been sown; the war on Afghanistan was bred, needing only the attacks on US soil to spark the powder keg. The problem about Afghan stability and counterterrorist efforts is not simple a problem; the Taliban is continually able to hold the Afghan citizens silent about their presence by the effective monopoly of fear, threatening the lives of Afghan should they provide any hint to the US troops concerning the Taliban or the Al-Qaeda operations (Ferguson). Poor governance, ethnic conflict, and administrative mismanagement have crippled the Afghan government syst em in trying to address the problem of terrorism in the post-Taliban democracy. Terrorists still plague the Afghan communities, storing ammunitions and high-powered rifles, and in some case, a Taliban flag, in places so close to Afghan homes. Security in the Afghan state and the elimination of terrorist cells is highly important to maintain global peace, and such is the goal of the United States for its involvement in places so far away from the New World. After the 1993 bombing on the World Trade Center and the more famous 9/11 attacks, global security has become US security as these attacks against the US sprang not from the American continents, but from places across the oceans. In order for the US government to ensure the safety of its people, it must secure the safety of the entire world from threats as eminent as the Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and all other terrorist networks and militant insurgent groups. As part of the study on the war in Afghanistan, there is a need to define c ounterinsurgency from counterterrorism, and in order to fulfill such, there is still a need to define the root-words that comprises the two military labels. Counterinsurgency is a concatenation of two words: counter and insurgency. Counterinsurgency is any organized military activity designed to combat insurgencies (Merriam-Webster). These are military activities geared towards combating insurgent groups that are against the central authority not recognized as belligerents. The term counterinsurgency was first used in the 1960s to combat communist-led revolutionists and insurgents, which Nikita Khrushkev termed as the â€Å"war of national liberation†, occurring all around the world that are against U.S. interest (Answers Corporation). The term replaced counterrevolution for public propaganda, since a revolution has a good connotation to the American public. Counterterrorism, on the other hand, is a concatenation of the words counter and terrorism. Counterterrorism refers to the practices, not necessarily military in nature, that acts as a response to terrorist threats and/or acts, be it real or imputed (Zalman). Terrorism is a criminal act that influences and audience beyond the immediate victim (Research-Terrorism). It seeks to achieve goals that are political, religious, or ideological in nature by inflicting terror and anxiety through the use of military equipments, usually aimed at civilian targets.

French Revolution Discussion Questions Essay Example for Free

French Revolution Discussion Questions Essay 1. After the Sun King died in 1715, Frances financial status was bad. As the 18th century progressed these problems were never fixed and the problems continued to worsen. The Bourbons faced a variety of socio-political problems during the 18th century. After supporting the American Revolution and getting nothing in return because of the Treaty of Paris, France was left with insurmountable amounts of debt. To try to decrease the amount of debt facing France, Louis XVI tried to raise taxes but was met with a resounding protest throughout the country. The government could not inflate their currency because they did not have a central bank or paper currency. It seemed this financial situation was next to impossible to overcome. The general population was upset because the cost of living was skyrocketing; they were unable to provide for their daily needs and the monarchy was wasting money on unnecessary luxuries. 2. When the French Revolution began the French people were divided into three estates. The first estate consisted of the clergy, the second the nobility, and the third estate was the rest of France. Each estate had problems with the monarchy and wanted reform. The clergy was upset that the churchs income was being depleted from the local parishes to political appointees and worldly aristocrats the sat at the top of church hierarchy. Because of this, the economic position of local parishes were poor. The rest of the French population had simple problems but for some reason were not being solved. The third estate wanted bread to be attainable for all so they could feed their families. The price of bread was very high and the economic position of the country was terrible because of the debt caused by their support of the American Revolution, which caused widespread hunger. The three estates blamed the monarchy for their problems because no one else had enough power to come up with a solution. Unfortunately, the King couldnt make decisions and was influenced by the people around him in his decision making. Marie Antoinette and the court nobles did not care about the third estate, they just wanted to be able to maintain their frivolous lifestyle of luxury and ease. 3. The main goal of the Revolutionaries was to create a new constitution which they did in August 1789 when they issued the declaration of the rights of man. This stated that mankinds natural rights are liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression and that every man is innocent until proven guilty. It also stated that the law would express the feelings and the opinions of the general will. The Revolutionaries in 1789 attempted to create a constitutional monarchy. The Enlightenment philosophers, especially Montesquieu, influenced the type of government the French would become. Montesquieu believed in a separation of powers or a series of checks and balances so that there would not be tyranny. France wanted their government to follow that example. 4. The goal of the revolution was to reform Frances government and bring equality to all people. The revolution took such a radical turn because of political and social factors. People knew that the National Assembly was working on reforming the government and the economic situation of France. They started to become impatient and decided to take matters into their own hands. The Great Fear is one of the ways the peasants tried to free themselves from manorial rights and peasants invaded the palace as an attempt to be heard by the monarchy. The inter-conflict of the National Assembly caused the revolution to take a radical turn as well. Some people believed bloodshed was the only way to solve the problems of the revolution. They believed the monarchy needed to be disposed of which resulted of the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Some revolutionaries were determined to put an end to tyranny throughout Europe and declared war against Britain, Holland, Spain in addition to Austria and Prussia whom they were already at war with. 5. One of the most controversial phases of the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, was a step backwards in terms of the ideals developed during the Revolution. During the Reign of Terror, the Constitution previously implemented was suspended and the rights of sovereignty that the Revolutionaries had fought for all was revoked. The Reign of Terror was a political tool to scare all who might oppose the new revolutionary government. The goal was to initiate an ideal democratic republic where justice would reign supreme and there would be no differentiation between the rich and the poor. 6. Robespierre was one of the main leaders of the revolution and considered himself a disciple of Rousseau. I believe this is true because he follows the same beliefs about the general will as Rousseau does. Rousseau believes that in society everyone should be dependant of each other in all aspects of life. This dependency would prevent individual achievement, and everyone would be equal. Robespierre wanted there to be no difference between rich and poor. Rousseau also believed that nothing could be done without the consent of all people. One person could not make decisions independently and could not be without the consent of all.

The Poor But Efficient Hypothesis Economics Essay

The Poor But Efficient Hypothesis Economics Essay In Chapter one we set in motion the purpose for this research and explain to the reader the essence of quantifying the amount the household is willing to pay for abating malaria both in the present and in the future. In this chapter we go a step further by reviewing literature in this area. This chapter is important because it provides the reader with a sort of history into this area of research. It also gives the reader an opportunity to understand where our research stands vis-à  -vis other researches in this area. Obtaining a value for the marginal effect of malaria on farmers technical efficiency is one of the live wires on which precise estimates for our Willingness-To-Pay depend. We therefore want to start by reviewing literature in the area of efficiency measurement; afterwards, we will research into literature in the area of Willingness To Pay. Before we go ahead we highlight the purpose of measuring technical efficiency to the reader. Technical efficiency primarily enables one to understand the relationship between input used and the output (total harvested crop). It also enables us to measure the performance of individual farms in an industry as well as provide an index for the average performance of the overall industry. This then leads us to propose policy recommendations that could help shift the production frontier- the maximum attainable harvest from each input- of the farm closer to the industry frontier at the prevailing technology. As we progress in this research the reader will further appreciate this concept and the reason why it is one of the most talked about concepts in development/resource economics. At the moment, our aim is to examine some literature that relates to our area of research. We therefore start Section 2.1 by reviewing literature relating to the poor but efficient hypothesis of Schultz (1964). Section 2.2 reviews some agriculture-based literature on efficiency and health. In doing this we divide the study on inefficiency into two; the Frequentist (Section 2.2.1) and the Bayesian (Section 2.2.2) studies. Using another method of classification, we classify the study of efficiency into single output studies (Section 2.2.3) and multiple output studies (Section 2.2.4). This puts us in good standing to review literature on Willingness-To-Pay in Section 2.4. Productivity/Efficiency Studies in Agriculture The Poor but Efficient Hypothesis The huge volume of research on efficiency in agriculture draws motivation from Schultz (1964) book Transforming Traditional Agriculture. In the book he explains why rural farmers are efficient in the management and allocation of resources. He advances a hypothesis popularly called the poor but efficient hypothesis. Researchers try to verify this hypothesis quantitatively; in doing this, a lot of issues come to the fore, part of which is; the best way to measure productivity. Before the advent of the deterministic measure of productivity pioneered by Aigner and Chu (1968), and, Afriat (1972) researchers attempt to measure efficiency. Of great importance to us in this area are the works of Welsch (1965), Chennareddy (1967) and Lipton (1968) because they specifically test the validity of Schultzs poor but efficient hypothesis. Chennareddy (1967) utilizes the linear regression analysis on a data of one hundred and four rice and tobacco farmers in South India using a Cobb-Douglas production function. His findings were in accord with Schultz hypothesis. He recommends that South Indian farmers should adopt modern technology and extension education in order to move to a higher frontier. Lipton (1986)  [1]  disagrees with this recommendation. He argues that if Schultzs findings are correct then the rural farmers do not need any expert advice to improve their productivity in other words moving to a higher frontier should not be a problem for them. He further queries Schultzs assertion believing that it only works under a neo-classical theory of perfect competition; he affirms that if Schultz uses linear programming to analyse his data his findings would show that the rural farmer is inefficient. Welsch (1965) in his study on Abakaliki rice in Eastern Nigeria makes use of the linear regression to affirm that peasant farmers respond to economic inducement by allocating efficiently among several resources at their disposal. Hence, he supports Schultzs hypothesis. One thing we want the reader to note in the above groups of literature is; the writers who concur with Schultzs assertion use parametric techniques to arrive at their conclusion while Lipton (1968) employs a non-parametric linear programming technique that assumes at least one factor is not fully employed. Just as the argument is about to cease, Sauer and Mendoza-Escalante (2007) involve themselves in it. Their work serves to reconcile these diametrically opposing schools of thought. It puts to use a parametric normalized generalized Leontief (GL) profit function technique to analyse joint production of Cassava flour and maize by small-scale farmers in Brazil. The small-scale farmers are allocatively efficient, they assert, but they show considerable inefficiency in the scale of operation. At this juncture, we remind the reader that our digression is intentional. Our aim is to show how Schultzs assertion has brought an upsurge in the number of efficiency studies in agriculture with special focus on the developing economies of the world. We like to say that the work not only instigates research in development/resource economics but it also prompts research in anthropology and sociology (see Adams, 1986 and the review by Michelena, 1965 pp. 540-541). Proper measure of productivity starts with Aigner and Chu (1968), Afriat (1972) and Richmond (1974) where they propose a deterministic method of frontier measurement. Though their studies are obsolete they however underscore the popularity of the Cobb-Douglas functional form in the early literature to show the relationship between input and output. Aigner, Lovell and Schmidt (1977), Meeusen and van den Broeck (1977), and, Battese and Corra (1977)  [2]  introduce the modern stochastic frontier analysis as we know it today simultaneously. Their model apart from incorporating the efficiency term into the deterministic model it also includes the effect of random shock, hence, the name stochastic. Lau and Yotopoulos (1971) also introduce a dual profit function model to measure efficiency but their method is not as popular in production analysis because it only yields efficiency measures for a group of farms while the frontier method gives efficiency values for individual farms in the industry (Fà ¸rsund et al 1980). The reader should note that the linear regressions of Chennareddy (1967) and Welsch (1965) give the shape of the technology of an average farm in the industry while the stochastic frontier model gives the shape of the technology of the most productive farm in the industry against which the efficiency of every other farm is measured (Coelli 1995). In other words, Chennareddy (1967) and Welsch (1965) use an average response model for their analysis. The specification of a functional form and/or distributional assumption confers on a technique the nomenclature parametric while the non-specification of a functional/distributional form confers on a technique the non-parametric nomenclature. The non-parametric nomenclature means, in the words of Koop (2003), you are letting the data speak. This he says is very difficult to achieve as even in the non-parametric system, just like in the parametric, one need to impose certain structure on a particular problem in order to achieve ones objectives. The use of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) (another technique is the Free Disposal Hull, FDH) overshadows every other technique in the non-parametric class. Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes (1978) introduce this technique and gave it the name as we know it today. The data envelopment analysis technique uses the linear programming method to generate a piece-wise envelop over the data points. The technique is widely used in technical efficiency studies but it has the shortcoming of not incorporating randomness in measuring efficiency. Also, the envelop curve is not everywhere differentiable. Our focus in this research is the parametric technique. The parametric technique has progressed so much in the literature that there are now two different econometric schools of thought for estimating efficiency. The first school of thought are the Frequentists who dominate this field since its inception and the second school of thought are the Bayesians into which our research belongs. The Frequentist Studies The first set of Frequentist study is deterministic in nature and use the technological structure of the mathematical programming approach (see Aigner and Chu, 1968; Timmer, 1971; and, Fà ¸rsund and Hjalmarsson, 1979 for exposition on mathematical/goal programming). Richmond (1974) introduces the Modified Ordinary Least Square (MOLS) approach to analyse the efficiency of Norwegian manufacturing industries specifying a Cobb-Douglas production function. Richmond (1974) is a modification of the Corrected Ordinary Least Squares (COLS) approach. Winsten (1957) introduces this model by assuming a distribution (such as half normal or exponential) for the disturbance term. The Corrected Ordinary Least Square technique involves a two step process. The first step involves the use of the Ordinary Least Squares to obtain consistent and unbias estimates of the marginal effect parameters; on the contrary, the intercept parameters are consistent but bias. The second step involves the shifting of t he intercept upwards so the frontier envelops the data from above. Greene (1980) takes Richmond (1974) work a step further as he assumes a gamma distribution for the random error term using the maximum likelihood approach. He uses the data from Nerlove (1963) which is a sample of one hundred and fifty five firms producing electricity in the United States in 1955. Apart from replicating the results of Aigner and Chu (1963), Greene (1980) tries to explain the statistical relevance of his model. The reader should note that Greene (1980)s model is deterministic. One of the early applications of the deterministic frontier were Shapiro and Mà ¼ller (1977), Shapiro (1983), Belbase and Grabowski (1985). Shapiro and Mà ¼ller (1977) attempt to estimate the technical efficiency of forty farms in Geita district of Tanzania. They follow Timmer (1971) method of analysing technical efficiency by applying the linear programming to a Cobb Douglas production frontier. Their result which is similar to that of Chennareddy (1967) shows that the traditional farmer can improve his technical efficiency by adopting modern farming practices through easy access to information. This, they say, will be at the expense of non-economic costs like the farmer being branded unsociable by his community. Shapiro (1983) working in the same district as Shapiro and Mà ¼ller (1977) tries to confirm the poor but efficiency hypothesis but discovers the hypothesis may not be applicable in terms of peasant agriculture in Tanzania because their output could still be increased if all farmers had the same efficiency as the most efficient farmer in the sample. These assertions echo the conclusion of Lipton (1968). He uses the same model and method of analyses as Shapiro and Mà ¼ller (1977). Belbase and Grabowski (1985) introduce a technique that is different from the other two stated above. They apply the Corrected Ordinary Least Square (COLS) approach of Winsten (1957) on cross-sectional sample of farms in Nuwakot district of Nepal. They record an average technical efficiency value of 80% for joint production of rice, maize, millet and wheat. The average technical efficiency value for individual frontier calculation for rice and maize is given as 84% and 67% in that order. They find correlation between technical efficiency and other variables which are nutritional level, income and education. Technical efficiency is however not correlated with farming experience. Some studies investigate the impact of certain agricultural policies on productivity. A priori one expects these policies to actually increase productivity but this is not always the case. One of such study; Taylor, Drummond and Gomes (1986) use a deterministic production function and discover the World Bank sponsored credit programme PRODEMATA did not impact positively on the technical efficiency of farmers in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Their result shows that there is no difference between the technical efficiency of farmers who participate in the programme and those that did not participate. This paper is one of the few that compare both the results of the Corrected Ordinary Least Square and the maximum likelihood approaches. Unexpectedly, the participant farmers in the PRODEMATA programmes have slightly lesser allocative efficiency than non-participant farmers. The researchers also favour Schultzs hypothesis. We want the reader to note that the deterministic frontier is still popular in the literature for example, Alvarez and Arias (2004) use Lau and Yotopoulos (1971) dual profit function model to measure the effect of technical efficiency on farm size using data from one hundred and ninety-six dairy farms in Northern Spain. They introduce technical efficiency as a parameter to estimate in a simple production function. They observe a positive relationship between technical efficiency and farm size after they control for output prices, input prices and quasi-fixed inputs. Also Amara et al (1999) use the deterministic frontier to discover the relationship between technical efficiency and the adoption of conservation technologies by potato farmers in Quebec. They found that farming experience and the adoption of conservation technologies have positive influence on technical efficiency. Croppenstedt and Demeke (1997) use a fixed-random coefficients regression to analyse data for small-scale farmers growing cereal in Ethiopia. They observe that land size is a major constraint to crop production and large farms are relatively less productive than small farms other things being equal. They note that most of the farms are inefficient. They also observe inefficiency in the use of inputs especially labour and fertiliser. Share cropping is positively correlated to technical efficiency. Karagiannis et al (2002) propose an alternative for separating technical change form time varying technical inefficiency. Their proposition uses the general formulation index to model technical change (Karagiannis et al 2002 cites Baltagi and Griffin 1988). They also model technical change as quadratic function of time. Their proposition does not assume any distributional assumption for the one sided stochastic error term. They then apply their proposition to the United Kingdom dairy sector from 1982 to 1992 using a translog production frontier. They obtain a mean technical efficiency value of about seventy-eight per cent for the dairy industry with this period. One major disadvantage of the deterministic frontier model is that it over-values our inefficiency estimates. For example, Taylor and Shonkwiler (1986) discover the deterministic frontier gives over seventy per cent inefficiency while the stochastic frontier gives twenty per cent value for inefficiency. At present, a lot of papers utilize the stochastic frontier model in their analysis. Coelli et al (2003) makes use of the stochastic frontier to calculate the total factor productivity for a panel data of crop agriculture in Bangladesh. The data contains thirty-one observations collected between 1960/61 and 1991/92 from 16 regions and the result reveals technical change is convex in nature with increase starting about the time of the introduction of the green revolution varieties in the 1970s. Technical efficiency reduces at an annual rate of 0.47 per cent during the period they investigate. This has an effect on the total factor productivity which declines at the rate of 0.23 per cent per annum with the rate of reduction increasing in later years. This, they say, raises questions of food security and increase in agricultural productivity in Bangladesh. They point out the non-use of price data in their analysis which makes their work different from other authors (Coelli et al; 2003 c ites Pray and Ahmed, 1991, and, Dey and Evenson, 1991). Wadud and White (2000) compare the stochastic frontier approach with the data envelopment analysis and discover both methods indicate efficiency is significantly affected by irrigation and environmental degradation. There are a few papers that attempt to analyse technical, allocative and economic efficiencies at once in a single research. Bravo-Ureta and Pinheiro (1997) carry out a frontier analysis using the self-dual Cobb-Douglas production function to analyse farm data from Dominican Republic. They justify the use of the Cobb Douglas production function because the method they adopt requires both the use of the production and cost frontiers. Their research is important because they use the maximum likelihood technique to emphasize the essence of not only estimating the technical efficiency but also, the allocative and economic efficiency. Another paper that follows in this light is that of Bravo-Ureta (1994) who attempts to measure the technical, allocative and economic efficiencies of cotton and cassava farmers in eastern Paraguay. He estimates economic efficiency for cotton and cassava farmers to be around forty per cent and fifty-two per cent respectively. There could be spatial differences in the technical efficiencies of different farms based on ecological differences, farm size and interactions between these two variables. Tadesse and Krishnamoorthy (1997) set out to investigate this in their research on paddy rice farmers in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. They remark that the farmers still have opportunity of increasing their efficiency by seventeen per cent. They observe significant variation in the variation of mean technical efficiency in the four zones that make up Tamil Nadu. They use a two stage approach where the first task is to obtain farm-specific technical efficiency and then use a Tobit model to compare the differences in the technical efficiencies of each region and zone. Wang and Schmidt (2002) note a bias in the results obtained by this process and they went ahead to use the Markov chain Monte Carlo technique to prove that there is serious bias at every stage of the procedure. Chen et al (2009) also examine the technical efficiency of farms in four regions of China. The four regions are North, North-East, East and South-West. They observe that different inputs need to be put to efficient use in the different regions. For example, inefficient use of industrial input is the main problem in the East while in the North it is capital. They assert that farms in the North and North-East are relatively more efficient than farms in the East and South-West. They recommend a change in the land tenure system to eliminate land fragmentation in China. Other researchers have used the stochastic production frontiers to investigate the impact of government programmes on farmers efficiency. For example, Seyoum et al (1998) use the Battese and Coelli (1995) stochastic production function to compare between farmers that participate in Sasakawa-Global 2000 project and those who do not in Ethiopia. They collect twenty samples from two different districts (Keresa and Kombolcha) of eastern Ethiopia and show the difference in the levels of production in these two districts by use of a dummy for one district. The data is panel in nature which justifies their use of the Battese and Coelli (1995) model. Battese and Coelli (1995)  [3]  is a panel data extension of the Kumbhakar et al (1991) research work. Seyoum et al (1998) recommend that policy makers should expand the Sasakawa-Global 2000 project as farmers who participated have better output, productivity and efficiency than farmers that did not. Still on the impact of government programmes on efficiency, Abdulai and Huffman (2000) look at the impact of the Structural Adjustment Programme on the efficiency of rice farmers in Northern Ghana using a stochastic profit function. Their results show rice producers in the region are highly responsive to market prices for rice and inputs. They support the introduction of the structural adjustment programme because it makes the farmers more market oriented. Also, Ajibefun and Abdulkadri (1999) find the Cobb-Douglas production function as being adequate to represent the efficiency of Nigerias National Directorate of Employment Farmers Scheme. They reject the half-normal distribution assumption for the inefficiency term. Ajibefun (2002) simulates the impact of policy variables on the technical efficiency of small-scale farmers in Nigeria. He discovers that increase in education level and the farming experience would significantly improve the small-scale farmers technical efficiency. Ama za and Olayemi (2002) investigate the technical efficiency of food crop farmers in Gombe State, Nigeria and arrive at similar mean technical efficiency as Ajibefun and Abdulkadri (1999). However, the difference between the minimum and maximum technical efficiency score for Amaza and Olayemi (2002) is seventy-six per cent while for Ajibefun and Abdulkadri (1999) is about sixty-six per cent. Jara-Rojas et al (2012) look at the impact of the adoption of soil and water conservation practices on productivity and they discover a positive relation between soil and water conservation and technical efficiency. They discover that an enhancement of the technical efficiency also improves the net returns on investment. The use of the stochastic frontier model to estimate the effect of health on farmers efficiency is also very important in the literature. Croppenstedt and Mà ¼ller (2000) take up this challenge when they research into the role of the Ethiopian farmers health and nutritional status on their productivity and efficiency. They find that distance to the source of water as well as nutrition and morbidity affect agricultural productivity. Surprisingly, elasticities of labour productivity regarding their nutritional status are strong. They further affirm that this strong correlation continues with technology estimates and wage equations. However, they record considerable loss in production due to technical inefficiency even after accounting for health and nutrition of workers. Ajani and Ugwu (2008) look at the impact of adverse health on the productivity of farmers living in the Kainji basin of North-Central Nigeria. Their study shows the health variable as being positive, large and statistically significant. They therefore conclude that health capital is an essential input in agriculture. A paper that successfully combined the non-parametric technique of data envelopment analysis and an econometric model is Audibert et al (2003). They use a combination of the data envelopment analysis and the Tobit model to infer on the social and health determinants of the efficiency of cotton farmers in Northern Cà ´te dIvoire. They use the high density of the malaria parasite in the blood of an individual as a proxy for the health of the household. They use a two step process; firstly, they use the data envelopment analysis to arrive at relative technical efficiency values and then they regress this efficiency scores against factors they think will affect efficiency. The high density of malaria parasite in the blood variable enters the model at the second stage. Their results show that malaria greatly reduces farmers technical efficiency. They further conclude that it is intensity of infection by the disease that is important rather than its presence. Our research collects data on the prevalence of the disease in an area rather than just hospital reported cases; this we believe will give further credence to our results. Ajani and Ashagidigbi (2008) use numbers of days of incapacitation as a proxy for malaria incidence in Oyo State, Nigeria. Surprisingly, they ran a normal linear regression to investigate the effects of malaria on agricultural productivity. Their analysis shows that age and days of incapacitation are insignificant statistically. Olarinde et al (2008) explore the factors that affect bee keepers technical efficiency in Oyo state, Nigeria. They observe that the bee keepers are efficient by about eighty-five per cent there is still room for to increase their efficiency by fifteen per cent. They point out that some of the farmers do not take bee-keeping as their main occupation. This, they say, is a major determinant of efficiency. Marital status is also another variable that affects technical efficiency, they note. They observe that a farmer who is single is likely to be more efficient than a married farmer. Mochebelele and Winter-Nelson (2000) examine the effect of migratory labour (to mine fields in South Africa) on farm technical efficiency. They try to establish if migrant labour actually complement farm production or not. They establish that households with migrant farmers have higher production and are more efficient than households without migrant farmers. In the use of the panel data for efficiency estimation, some researchers try to see if differences exist in efficiency values between the fixed effect model and the stochastic frontiers. Ahmad and Bravo-Ureta (1996) use panel data of ninety-six Vermont dairy farms between the periods 1971 to 1984. They carry out statistical tests to investigate the better model between the fixed effect model and the stochastic frontier model. The fixed effect model gave better results than the stochastic frontier model. Hence, they conclude that the fixed effect model needs to be considered in panel data analysis. Reinhard et al (1999) estimate the technical and environmental efficiency of a panel of dairy farms. They assume the production of two outputs dairy and excessive use of Nitrogen. They analyse their efficiencies separately. Their objective involves investigating whether farmers can both be technically and environmentally efficient. They also examine the compatibility of these two types of efficiencies. They obtain a mean output-technical efficiency of 0.894 while the input-oriented environment efficiency is 0.441. They remark that intensive dairy farming is both technically and environmentally more efficient than extensive dairy farming. Reinhard et al (2000) examine comprehensive environmental efficiency in Dutch dairy farms. This paper is a continuation of Reinhard et al (1999) paper. In this paper, apart from surplus Nitrogen which they use in their earlier work, they also investigate excess use of phosphate and total energy use of these farms. They compare efficiency scores in the stochastic frontier analysis with the data envelopment analysis. The mean technical efficiency values for the two methods of analysis are different. The stochastic frontier has an output technical efficiency value of eighty-nine per cent while the data envelopment analysis has an efficiency value of seven-eight per cent. There is significant difference between their environmental efficiencies also. The stochastic frontier analysis records a value of eighty per cent while the data envelopment analysis records a value of fifty-two per cent. It is evident from the result of the two efficiencies that the stochastic frontier method over-valu es efficiency scores. Before we close this section we refer the reader to a work by Strauss (1986). The work is important because it attempts to investigate the effect of nutrition on farm labour productivity in Sierra Leone. He uses an average response model to capture this effect. He estimates a Cobb-Douglas production function which accounts for simultaneity in input and calorie choice. His exercise shows calorie intake has significant impact on labour productivity. He, however, places a caveat on this result because individual-level nutrient and anthropometric data are not included in the analysis. His result supports the nutrition productivity hypothesis to a great extent. In the last few pages we attempt to explain to the reader the preponderance of the Frequentist method of analysing the stochastic frontier especially in agriculture. We emphasize the diverse uses of the parametric method of efficiency measurement in agriculture. We believe that other literature in agriculture will fall into one of the categories we peruse above. Next, we take a look at the Bayesian econometrist view. The reader should note how few the literature is compared to the Frequentist method. Also, for a thorough perusal of the literature from the Frequentist perspective we refer the reader to Bravo-Ureta et al (2007) Delete. The Bayesian Studies The works of van den Broeck, Koop, Osiewalski and Steel (1994); Koop, Osielwalski and Steel (1994, 1997); Koop, Steel and Osielwalski (1992), and, Fernà ¡ndez, Osiewalski and Steel (1997) herald the Bayesian technique for estimating the compose-error model. van den Broeck, Koop, Osiewalski and Steel (1994) is a primer for estimating a Bayesian cross-sectional composed-error data. They resolve the problem of choosing the best functional form experienced in classical econometrics by mixing over a number of distributions. They use the Bayesian model averaging to average over the results of the Jondrow et al. (1982) and Greene (1990). In other words van den Broeck, Koop, Osiewalski and Steel (1994) solve the problem of choosing the better distribution between the two. They also carry out predictive inference on their results using the Monte Carlo technique of importance sampling. In continuation of van den Broeck, Koop, Osiewalski and Steel (1994) work; Koop, Osielwalski and Steel (1994) show how to use the Gibbs sampling Monte Carlo method to arrive at estimates for the stochastic cost frontier model. They fit an asymptotically ideal price aggregator, non-constant returns to scale composed error cost frontier. They use Barnett, Geweke, and Wolfe (1991) method for generating the asymptotically ideal price aggregator (Koop, Osielwalski and Steel, 1994 cite Barnett, Geweke, and Wolfe 1999). They caution that care should be taken in the choice of functional form for frontier analysis. We believe the use of the Bayesian model Averaging technique should circumvent this problem. Also, they discover that imposing regularity condition on the price aggregator is found to reduce the spread of the Mà ¼ntz- Szatz expansion. Koop, Steel and Osielwalski (1995) essentially show how to draw the different parameters in the composed-error model using the Gibbs sampler. They provide an algorithm to draw the different parameters of choice in the composed-error model. They show the ease with which this can be done using the Gibbs sampler. They also note the use of 0.875 as an informative prior for the inefficiency value. van den Broeck, Koop, Osielwalski and Steel (1994) propose this value. Fernà ¡ndez, Osiewalski and Steel (1997) introduce the Bayesian method for estimating panel data using a class of non- or partly-informative prior. They assert that using this type of priors for a cross-sectional data will make its posterior inference unreliable and inaccurate. This is because the total number of parameters in the entire model is larger than the sample size. They circumvent this problem in the panel data where the researcher can impose a structure on the inefficiency terms. Koop, Osielwalski and Steel (1997) take Fernà ¡ndez et al (1997)