Test Bank Ch1

Test Bank—Chapter One (Data Representation) Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following Boolean operations produces the output 1 for the fewest number of input patterns? A. ANDB. ORC. XOR ANSWER: A 2. Which of the following best describes the NOR operation? A. An XOR followed by a NOTB. An OR followed by a NOT C. A NOT followed by a NOTC. An AND followed by a NOT ANSWER: B 3. Which of the following bit patterns cannot be expressed in hexadecimal notation? A. 11111111B. 1001C. 110011D. 100000000001 ANSWER: C 4. Which of the following is the binary representation of 4 5/8? A. 100. 11B. 10. 11C. 110. 101D. 100. 101 ANSWER: D 5. Which of the following bit patterns represents the value 5 in two’s complement notation? A. 00011010B. 11111011C. 00000101D. 11111011 ANSWER: C 6. Which of the following bit patterns represents the value -5 in two’s complement notation? A. 00011010 B. 11111011C. 00000101 D. 11111011 ANSWER: D 7. In which of the following addition prob lems (using two’s complement notation) does an overflow error occur? A. 0011 B. 0100 C. 1100 + 1010 + 0100 + 1100 ANSWER: B 8. Which of the following representations in two’s complement notation represents the largest value?A. 00000010B. 11111111C. 00000001D. 11111110 ANSWER: A 9. Which of the following bit patterns (represented in hexadecimal notation) represents a negative number in two’s complement notation? A. 7FB. 55C. A6D. 08 ANSWER: C 10. What value is represented by the bit pattern 01011100 when interpreted using floating-point format in which the most significant bit is the sign bit, the next three bits represent the exponent field in excess notation, and the last four bits represent the mantissa? A. -1 1/2 B. 1 1/2C. -3/8 D. 3/8 ANSWER: B 11.Which of the following values cannot be stored accurately using a floating-point format in which the most significant bit is the sign bit, the next three bits represent the exponent field in excess notation, and th e last four bits represent the mantissa? A. 2 1/2B. 3/16C. 7D. 6 1/4 ANSWER: D 121. Which of the following bit-patterns represents the smallest value using the floating-point format in which the most significant bit is the sign bit, the next three bits represent the exponent field in excess notation, and the last four bits represent the mantissa? A. 01001000B. 1011000C. 00101000D. 01111000 ANSWER: C 13. Which of the following data storage systems provides the most efficient random access to individual data items? A. Main memoryB. Magnetic diskC. Optical CDs and DVDs ANSWER: A 14. Which of the following storage systems is best suited for storing and retrieving long strings of data that are processed in their sequential order? A. Main memoryB. Magnetic diskC. Optical CDs and DVDs ANSWER: C 15. Which of the following mass storage system does not require physical motion? A. Magnetic tapeB. Magnetic diskC. DVDsD. Flash drives ANSWER: D 16.Assuming that each of the following bit patterns originally had even parity, which one contains an error? A. 10110100B. 11000011C. 00011000 D. 10001001 ANSWER: D 17. How many errors per pattern could be corrected when using an error-correcting code in which any two code patterns differ by a Hamming distance of 8? A. 3B. 4C. 5D. 6 ANSWER: A 18. Which of the following is a possible LZW compression of the message â€Å"xyz xyz xyz†? A. 1234B. 1234545C. 232D. 12 ANSWER: B 19. How many different symbols can be encoded using Unicode? A. 256B. 4,096C. 65,536D. 1,046,476 ANSWER: C 20.Which of the following systems is least efficient when encoding numeric values? A. Two’s complement notationB. Excess notation C. ASCIID. Floating-point notation ANSWER: C 21. Which of the following is a means of encoding music? A. ASCIIB. MIDIC. JPEGD. GIF ANSWER: B Fill-in-the-blank/Short-answer Questions 1. A computer’s main memory consists of numerous memory cells, each of which contains ________ bits. Each memory cell is identified b y a numeric value called the cell’s _________. ANSWER: eight, address 2. Represent the bit pattern 1011010010011111 in hexadecimal notation. ________ ANSWER: B49F 3. A7DF is the hexadecimal representation for what bit pattern? ____________ ANSWER: 1010 0111 1101 1111 4. How many different bit patterns can be formed if each must consist of exactly 6 bits? ____________ ANSWER: 64 5. Translate each of the following binary representations into its equivalent base ten representation. A. 1100__________ B. 10. 011__________ C. 0. 01 __________ D. 10001__________ ANSWER: A. 12 B. 2 3/8 C. 1/4 D. 17 6. Rewrite each of the following values (represented in base ten notation) in binary notation. A. 7__________B. 23__________ C. 2 1/4 __________ D. 5/8__________ ANSWER: A. 111 B. 10111 C. 10. 01 D. 0. 101 7. If the patterns 101. 11 and 1. 011 represent values in binary notation, what is the binary representation of their sum? ____________ ANSWER: 111. 001 8. Using a two’s complemen t notation system in which each value is represented by a pattern of six bits, represent the value 3. ____________ ANSWER: 000011 9. Using a two’s complement notation system in which each value is represented by a pattern of six bits, represent the value -3. ____________ ANSWER: 111101 10.What is the largest positive integer that can be represented in a two’s complement system in which each value is represented by eight bits? ____________ ANSWER: 127 (represented by 01111111) 11. In a two’s complement system, what value is represented by the pattern 11111111111111001? ____________ ANSWER: -7 12. When using two’s complement notation, what bit pattern represents the negation of 01101010? ____________ ANSWER: 10010110 13. What value is represented by each of the following patterns in excess notation? A. 10000 ____ B. 0110 ____ C. 1011 ____ ANSWER: A. 0, B. -2, C. 14. Using an 8-bit floating-point format in which the most significant bit is the sign bit, the next three bits represent the exponent field in excess notation, and the last four bits represent the mantissa, write the bit pattern that represents the value 1 3/4. (Use normalized form. ) ____________ ANSWER: 01011110 15. What is the largest value that can be represented in a floating-point system in which each value is encoded by a byte whose most significant bit is the sign bit, the next three bits represent the exponent field in excess notation, and the last four bits represent the mantissa? ___________ ANSWER: 7 1/2 (represented as 01111111) 16. Which of the following addition problems cannot be solved accurately when using a floating-point system in which each value is encoded by a byte whose most significant bit is the sign bit, the next three bits represent the exponent field in excess notation, and the last four bits represent the mantissa? A. 2 1/2 + 1 3/8B. 3 1/2 + 4 1/2C. 7 + 3/4 ____________ ANSWER: A, B, and C 17. The following is an error-correcting code in which an y two patterns differ by a Hamming distance of at least three. Symbol Representation A 000000B 001111 C 010011 D 011100 E 100110 F 101001 G 110101 H 111010 Decode each of the following patterns 010011 ________101010 ________011000 ________101101 _______ ANSWER: C, H, D, F 18. How many errors in a single code pattern could be corrected when using an error-correcting code in which each code pattern is a Hamming distance of at least seven from any other code pattern? ____________ ANSWER: 3 19. The following is a message that was originally encoded so that each pattern had odd parity. Circle the patterns in which an error has definitely occurred. 0110101 11110000 10010010 00000000 11111111 00001000 00111101 ______________________________________ ANSWER: Second, fourth, fifth, and sixth 20. Data compression techniques apply various principles to reduce the size of data. One, called _______________________, avoids repeating long strings of the same data item. Another, called _____________ __________, encodes the difference between consecutive blocks of data rather than encoding each block in its entirety. Still another, called _________________________, uses short bit patterns to encode frequently occurring items and longer patterns to encode less frequent items.ANSWER: Run-length encoding, relative encoding, and frequency-dependent encoding. Vocabulary (Matching) Questions The following is a list of terms from the chapter along with descriptive phrases that can be used to produce questions (depending on the topics covered in your course) in which the students are ask to match phrases and terms. An example would be a question of the form, â€Å"In the blank next to each phrase, write the term from the following list that is best described by the phrase. † TermDescriptive Phrase bitBinary digit Boolean operationAND, OR, XOR, NOT addressA numeric value used to identify a memory cell exadecimal notationAn efficient way of representing bit patterns sectorA segment of a track in a mass storage system zoned-bit recordingA means of increasing the storage capacity of a magnetic disk system bufferA storage area used to hold data on a temporary basis, often as a step in transferring the data from one device to another ISOAn international organization for establishing standards ANSIA major standardization organization within the United States ASCIIA system developed by the American Standards Institute for encoding text. lip-flopA digital circuit capable of holding a single digit two’s complement notationA means of encoding whole numbers floating-point notationA means of encoding numeric values that may involve fractions truncationAn error that may occur when using floating-point notation pixelA small part of an image GIFA means of compressing an image file by restricting the number of colors availableJPEGA means of compressing images by blurring the boundaries between different colors while maintaining all brightness information UnicodeA mea ns of encoding text in which each symbol is represented by 16 bits LZWAn example of adaptive dictionary encoding MIDIA means of encoding music in terms of notes and instruments rather than actual audio Key fieldA part of a logical record in a file used to identify the record. VLSIA means of constructing complex circuitry in a very small space.General Format Questions 1. Describe how a computer can produce an incorrect answer when performing numerical computations even though it has not malfunctioned. ANSWER: Most students will probably refer to overflow and truncation errors. 2. Describe ho the concept of Hamming distance is used to produce an error-correcting code. ANSWER: By designing a code in which each pattern has a Hamming distance of n from any other pattern, patterns with fewer than n/2 errors can be corrected by replacing them with the code pattern that is closest. . a. What is the output of the circuit below? [pic] b. In general, how does the three-bit input pattern across the top of the diagram relate to the circuit’s output? ANSWER: a. 0 b. The output is 0 if the input parity is odd; the output is 1 if the input parity is even. 4. If the input and output bit patterns in the circuit below are interpreted as binary representations of numeric values, what operation does the circuit perform? [pic] ANSWER: The circuit subtracts one (except for the case of the input being 000). . Explain why such terms as kilobyte, megabyte, and gigabyte have acquired double meanings. ANSWER: The prefixes kilo, mega, and giga are used traditionally to refer to units measured in powers of ten. However, due to the early misuse of the prefix kilo in reference to units of the size 1024, these prefixes are now often used to refer to units that are powers of two—especially when referring to the capacity of main memories. 6. Convert the following addition problem into two’s complement notation using four bits per value), perform the addition, convert the an swer back into base ten notation, and explain the results. 6 + 3 ANSWER: In two’s complement notation the problem is to add 0110 and 0011. The sum is 1001 which translates to -7. This answer is incorrect due to overflow. 7. Under what condition is each of the following data compression techniques most effective? a. Run-length encoding b. Relative encoding ANSWER: a. Compresses most when data consists of long strings of the same entry. b.Compresses most when each block of data differs little from the previous block. 8. What is frequency-dependent encoding? ANSWER: Frequency-dependent encoding is an encoding system that uses short bit patterns to represent data items that occur most often and longer patterns to represent less frequently occurring items. The result is that entire blocks of data can be represented in less space than would be required if each data item were represented by the same size bit pattern. 9. Construct the entire two’s complement scale in which eac h value is represented by three bits.ANSWER: 3 011 2 010 1 001 0 000 -1 111 -2 110 -3 101 -4 100 10. To what does the term â€Å"normalized form† refer in the context of floating-point notation? ANSWER: Normalized form refers to a standard for positioning the bit pattern within the mantissa field. Many values can be represented in floating-point notation by different bit patterns, only one of which is in normalized form. Hence, restricting representations to normalized form assures that each value is represented by a unique pattern. 11.Explain why the final version of the dictionary need not be transmitted with a message encoded using LZW compression. ANSWER: The dictionary can be constructed during decompression in the same way it was constructed during compression. 12. Among the Boolean operations AND, OR, EXCLUSIVE OR, and NOT, which is least like the others? Explain your answer. ANSWER: There is not really a right or wrong answer. The student’s explanation is the m ost important part. Most students will probably answer NOT because it has only one input whereas the others have two. 3. If a term paper consisted 42 pages, each containing 40 lines of 100 symbols each (counting each space as a symbol), was to be encoded using Unicode, how many bytes of storage space would be required? ANSWER: 336,000 bytes (168,000 symbols times 2 bytes per symbol) 14. Explain why adding only a few characters to a text file may increase the file’s size by several hundred bytes and at other times may not increase the file’s size at all. ANSWER: File space is allocated in terms of physical records, each of which is several hundred bytes in size.Thus, the size of a file grows by physical record units rather than by byte size units. 15. In a two’s complement system, what value can be added to any other value without causing an overflow? How many values in the system have this property? Explain your answer. ANSWER: Adding the value 0 to any other va lue will not produce an overflow. However, if m is the largest positive integer that can be represented in the system, then any value in the range 1 to m will produce an overflow when added to m, and any value in the range -1 to -( m + 1) will produce an overflow when added to -( m + 1).

Information System Flexibility and the Cost Efficiency of Business Processes Essay

The work of Gebauer and Schober entitled â€Å"Information System Flexibility and the Cost Efficiency of Business Processes† states that for an information system (IS) must be flexible if it is effective and must â€Å"be able to accommodate a certain amount of variation regarding the requirements of the supported business process.† The problem statement is clear noting the need for flexibility in the information system. The study is noted as being significant in that it â€Å"contributes to IS theory building with a focus on the effects of IS flexibility on the cost efficiency of a given business process.† (Gebauer and Schober, 2006) The primary objective is stated to â€Å"present a theory of the impact of IS flexibility on the cost efficiency of a given business process† as well as establishing the â€Å"importance of IS flexibility as a success factor of IS management.† (Gebauer and Schober,) The literature review is thorough and examines the characteristics of a business process and specifically the three dimensions of the business process including: (1) uncertainty; (2) variability; and (3) time-criticality. (Gebauer and Schober, 2006) Many previous studies are cited in the study of Gebauer and Schober (2006) and the shortcomings in those studies as well as the strengths of the study being noted. The concept of Information Systems (IS) flexibility is reviewed as well as past studies in this area. The study is clear in its statement of several preliminary propositions. A model structure is illustrated outlining a two-stage decision process. Relationship between variables of analysis were specified by distinguishing among three strategies to perform a process task: IS flexibility-to-use, IS flexibility-to-change, and task performance outside of an IS (manual operations). (Gebauer and Schober, 2006) The study is reported to systematically analyze a formal quantitative decision model, which allowed us to obtain a refined set of propositions that included combinatorial effects of business process characteristics, yet that at the same time also become more situation-specific.† (Gebauer and Schober, 2006) Findings of the study are stated to demonstrate that â€Å"IS flexibility-to-change is cost efficiency deployed to support a business process characterized by a high level of uncertainty, whereas a low level of uncertainty corresponds efficiently with IS flexibility-to-use.† (Gebauer and Schober, 2006) The model is stated to indicate that â€Å"high process variability tends to limit the value of an IS over manual operations, whereas a high level of time-criticality of process requirements tends to increase the value of an IS over manual operations.† (Gebauer and Schober, 2006) The discussion is based on the research problem and there is adequate interpretation of the findings. The interpretation is separate from the results and the results are discussed in regards to previous research studies. There are some limitations stated in the study and the conclusions are clearly stated and reasonable. There are suggestions for methods that could be used to better refine the study process and ultimately render more accurate results.

Leadership & Motivation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership & Motivation - Research Paper Example The organizations are focusing on effective leadership strategies and motivation process to retain employees. Lack of motivation and self confidence level of an employee can affect the organizational performance. Therefore, the organizations are trying to fulfill the personal needs of an employee to achieve significance work performance. Leadership Effective leadership strategy is an important tool that helps an individual to achieve organizational objectives and goals by influencing or motivating other employees (Williams, 2008). Successful leadership strategy depends upon specific situation and environment involved in those dynamics. Leaders within an organization have to follow several pathways to fulfill organizational goals. Following theory will help the readers to examine different kinds of behavior of a leader. Path Goal Theory of House Robert House stated that most important activity of a leader is to clarify the pathway of different goals of interests to the employees and s ubordinates. Effective leaders always try to develop a connection between the organizational goal and subordinate goal. Major objective of a leader within an organization is to improve the group performance through several motivation processes. ... In participative behavior, leaders generally consult with the employees and subordinates and then consider their views and options. Leaders with achievement oriented behavior support and encourage the subordinates or employees to apply superior efforts. The leaders try to strive for a superior level of goal achievement (Chance, 2009). Achievement oriented leaders believe that their subordinates can accomplish the goals. The characteristics of subordinates and several environmental aspects effectively influence the success. Moreover, these create potential opportunity for the successful leadership. Motivation The leaders and the managers of an organization try to motivate their employees through several motivational strategies in order to accomplish the organizational goal. Individuals can be motivated by several external environmental factors like supervision, pay, job perks and job benefits. This motivation process is known as extrinsic motivation. Moreover, people also can be motiv ated by the effective relationship between the job task and workers. This motivation process is known as intrinsic motivation. Following motivation theories will help the readers to understand about several aspects of human needs. Hierarchy of Needs Theory of Maslow Abraham Maslow established a theory based on five sets of human needs that are effectively arranged in a hierarchy. These are physiological, safety, social recognition, self esteem and self actualization needs. Physiological needs include needs for water, shelter, clothing, money and food. Safety needs include stability, structured environment and job security. Social recognition needs include affection, love, socialization, friendship and companionship. Self esteem needs include

Managing Diversity and Equality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Diversity and Equality - Essay Example Legislation may only put the figure in the boardroom for example but without the same accountability and power, as well as pay, the figure means nothing. Legislation has mandated equal salaries for equal positions yet there are no true definitions as to what an equal position is. Women, for example receive very little middle management training so is their salary not worth less when they are moved up to the boardroom The answer here, again, may not be the legislation. In the last 30 years, the global market place has become the way of business. To survive in that marketplace corporations must be diverse and able to use every bit of knowledge and ability that is contained within their very diverse staffs. Only those that are able to do this will be able to survive. Women are not only a major part of the workforce throughout the world but are also a major part of the purchasing force. Therefore, to not put them in an ideal position is a mistake. They know what is going to be purchased and what is not. Their ideas of how to work with other women, how to motivate them, and how to move their corporations forward will be essential. Leverage is a word often used by corporations throughout the world.

Would Tesco Be Successful Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Would Tesco Be Successful - Essay Example Smith P.R. and Chaffey D. have argued that E-commerce is commonly thought to include e-tailing, online banking and shopping – it involves transactions where buyers buy and shoppers actually shop. Others suggest e-commerce is any transaction such as a support or an online catalogue search (Smith, Chaffey, 2002). Tesco’s history has shown that the dynamic vision of its bosses combined with the creative and innovative approach in strategy and market planning would pay off in spades. Initially, Tesco with its ‘Pile it high and sell it cheap’ motto, was able to strengthen its market position considerably. The aggressive market strategy, based on acquisition, further took the total number of stores to more than 600 in 1960s and thanks to Cohen, the largest supermarket of Europe came into being in 1961 in Leicester. 1970s and 1980s saw the rapid decline of Tesco primarily because of the low quality product. But under the dynamic leadership of Lord MacLaurin, Tesco underwent tremendous change. His business acumen was so sharp that he had realized early that introducing technology and building committed customer base would accelerate the growth of Tesco manifold. He introduced technology in the two main areas of sales and distribution and at the same time, made special efforts to attract the upper class by opening superstores with high end products. MacLaurin made many changes in the basic format of the store by not only introducing a whole lot of new products lines including non food items, clothes, home appliances, electronic goods etc. but stores in new formats like Tesco superstore, Tesco Metro, Tesco Express, Tesco Extra were also opened to meet all segment of the society. Tesco superstores were characterised by huge space and were designed to attract customers of all strata. It was followed by an intensive drive to make committed customers as members through clubcard so that they could offer their customer extra benefits.  

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 7

Assignment Example 2 At any time during the tax year, was any partner in the partnership a disregarded entity, a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership), a trust, an S corporation, an estate (other than an estate of a deceased partner), or a nominee or similar person? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . a Did any foreign or domestic corporation, partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership), trust, or taxexempt organization, or any foreign government own, directly or indirectly, an interest of 50% or more in the profit, loss, or capital of the partnership? For rules of constructive ownership, see instructions. If â€Å"Yes,† attach Schedule b Did any individual or estate own, directly or indirectly, an interest of 50% or more in the profit, loss, or capital of the partnership? For rules of constructive ownership, see instructions. If â€Å"Yes,† attach Schedule B-1, Information on Partners Owning 50% or More of the Partnership NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a Own directly 20% or more, or own, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the total voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote of any foreign or domestic corporation? For rules of constructive ownership, see instructions. If â€Å"Yes,† complete (i) through (iv) below . . . . . . . NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . b Own directly an interest of 20% or more, or own, directly or indirectly, an interest of 50% or more in the profit, loss, or capital in any foreign or domestic partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership) or in the beneficial interest of a trust? For rules of constructive ownership, see instructions. If â€Å"Yes,† complete (i) through (v) below . .NO 5 Did the partnership file Form 8893, Election of Partnership Level Tax Treatment, or an election statement under section 6231(a)(1)(B)(ii) for partnership-level tax treatment, that is in effect for this tax

Restoring the Force of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Restoring the Force of Life - Essay Example In this respect Magesa admits that to remediate various afflictions means to have a person mature in this area of expertise (Magesa 194). It is vital to have it with a leader of the tribe or within the larger community. In dealing with affliction, there should be much attention to the accuracy and focus so that to evade the hardships. The next step is to pray. Prayer lets various mystical forces to come into the life of a person with the goal of the release. However, African prayer is a bit different from that usually practiced in Christian churches. It is a manifestation of the unity as every member get involved into it. Mutuality is at stake: â€Å"Not to express oneself completely in prayer is dangerous, moreover, because it implies a further breach of trust between the visible and invisible worlds† (Magesa 197). Hence, the need for sacrifices and offerings is crucial to please the invisible powers and attract the mercy of spirits to the community instead. To have an idea of how African people evade the affliction through the curative medicine, there should a clear understanding of this medicine itself (Magesa 210). In this respect a special attention is grabbed to sà ©ances and dreams as the main sources for identifying the reason for the affliction. Each tribe has its spiritual advisor serving as a medium between two worlds (visible and invisible). In this case Magesa strictly notes that â€Å"their â€Å"spiritual† gifts render them capable of diagnosing what kind of spirit of â€Å"force substance† is causing what kind of affliction to the individual, the family, or the society† (214). Due to such persons the revelation comes easily. Furthermore, when talking about the force of life, it is necessary to have an idea of the methods of divination and reconciliation so as to keep the tribe and all its members in safety. Different objects are taken to perform the ritual of divination. Moreover it is

Contemporary Masculinity Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Contemporary Masculinity - Coursework Example Some say the shift was caused by the women's movement, which brought men and women on equal footing. Others argue the reason is simple economics, with men needing to be well groomed to be more competitive in a tightening job market. Still others trace the phenomenon to the proliferation of media and the changing face of consumerism. Whatever the reasons, the men exhibiting the old attributes of manhood are held less likely to play a significant part as role models for the youth in modern civilised life. Today's examples of modern manliness are David Beckham and his courtliness, Peter Mandelson and his buttoned-up punctiliousness, and Ruth Kelly and his dogged refusal to buckle under pressure 1. The new models of masculinity, according to the growing literature on the subject, require that they no longer engage in barroom brawls and out-drink everybody. They get themselves into trouble now and then but they are not above regretting their actions and feeling contrite for these, as gleaned from the frequent outbursts of Beckham on court, for which he would apologize to the sports fans later on. More important, the new icons of masculinity are fastidious about their appearance such that this has given rise to the unisex beauty salons, which used to service an all-female clientele. What brought about this marked shi ft in perception about the concept of true masculinity Were there any events or male personalities then and now that influenced this phenomenon If so, how exactly did it happen These then are the major questions that this paper will seek answers to. The objective is to see what factor or conglomeration of factors and events brought about the change in the new concept of masculinity, and why characteristics previously considered unbecoming of a real man now seem to make up the epitome of manliness. Toward this end, the dissertation explores both the field and the literature for possible explanation. Section 1 will address metrosexuality, the name by which contemporary masculinity is now known, by focusing on its origin, spread and influences. Section 2 discusses the possible role of celebrities from the movie world, politics and the upper crust of society in bringing about this fascination with a new kind of

The Marketing Mix for Pets.com Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Marketing Mix for Pets.com - Case Study Example Diversity of product was what differentiated the site from other competitors, both online and bricks-and-mortar, thus attracting more potential target segments. During the launch and growth period of Pets.com, product was one of the primary selling points along the marketing mix. Place was emphasized for convenience, providing new opportunities for consumers to get pet products without having to visit a bricks-and-mortar competitor. Place was important in the late 1990s as the Internet was just beginning to become part of consumer lifestyle and thus represented innovation in sales strategy. Furthermore, price was an important part of the marketing mix. This was reflected in the company’s guarantees for a flat rate shipping fee of $4.95 regardless of the volume and weight of the products being delivered. Sales and discounting incentives that provided further value also emphasized the company’s focus on pricing as a differentiation tool. Finally, Pets.com also utilized pr omotion effectively, gaining brand exposure through cross-promotional strategies with The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. A very large expenditure to be included in the 2000 Super Bowl ad gave the company considerable promotional exposure and gained more consumer interest in the process. Analysis of Differentiation Strategy Diversity of product variety served to differentiate from other pet-related competition, illustrating that the business wanted to gain market attention and assist many different target segments. However, there were difficulties with this strategy as the company did not maintain the distribution and warehousing capacity needed to support this differentiation tactic. Further, holding costs of high volume inventories must be considered that include lighting, labor, and taxation that can significantly raise operating costs (Heizer and Render 174). Sales and discounting incentives also differentiated the business from competition. The advantage of this is that pr ice-sensitive consumers are more attracted to the business model over competition. When offering a flat rate guaranteed shipping price, this also had advantages related to price. Furthermore, using expert consultations from experts in the pet field, such as breeders and scientists, gave the business more credibility and expressed perceptions of competence to many target segments. Some of the differentiation strategies were implemented successfully, including having expert information available to pet owners that gave the business a better market position under quality. However, discounting and high volume merchandise selection offerings conflicted the process of avoiding losses associated with operational budget. If the business had re-examined its low flat rate shipping policy and redetermined its distribution network strategy, it is likely the cost of goods sold would not have been so high and attracted more investor confidence and interest in common stock purchasing. The Product- Market Growth Matrix Analysis Adding horse products to the business model was a diversification strategy, branching into untapped or new markets with a new line of relevant products (Boone and Kurtz 218). The result of this strategy along the product-market growth matrix proposed by Ansoff is having presence in a new market where the business had not previously been devoted. The company’s diversification strategy, however, was not efficient, especially since the business did not have the capacity to sustain such high volume inventories and inventory holding costs. Horse ownership is a niche market and most consumers procure their products from local organizations and, because of this, it is not likely that Pets.com would have gained much revenue growth in an effort to lure horse enthusiasts to buy

The Rwandan genocide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rwandan genocide - Essay Example The Rwanda civil war was fought between the Hutu regimes. The Francophone nations of Africa and France also supported the regime. The Rwandan Patriotic Front, took the support of Uganda and created a lot of chaos and tension within the country which eventually led to the rise of Hutu Power. Hutu Power believed in an ideology. They claimed that the Tutsi wanted to enslave Hutus and should be restrained from at any cost. Irrespective of the concurrent ethnic turmoil, inclusive of the displacement of Hutus in huge in the north at the hands of the rebels, the pressure on the government of Juvenal Habyarimana continued to mount up. It paved way for a ceasefire in 1993 and a pre-mature implementation of the Arshua Accords. Habyarimana’s assassination took place in April 1994. It was the closest and biggest reason behind the killings of Tutsis and proponents of a peaceful Hutus. The mass genocide took place primarily due to two Hutu militias who were associated with political parties i.e. the Interhamwe and the Impuzamugambi. The genocide was carried out by a Hutu power group popularly known as the Akazu all over. The massive killing sprouted the demise of the peace agreement for the war end. Tutsi RPF on the other hand, relaunched their offensive and eventually defeated the army while seizing complete control of the country. Ethnic tensions in Rwanda are no new phenomenon. Disagreements had always been there between the majorities, the Hutus against the minority Tutsis. However, the bitterness grew even further during the colonial period. On the exterior, the two ethnic groups resemble a lot in their mannerism. The language they speak is the same; they pursue the same traditions and culture and have inhabited the same areas. However their difference lies in their appearance. Tutsis are taller and thinner than the Hutus. Many claim that the origin of the Tutsis, traces all the way back to Ethiopia.

Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Essay In the book â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck, the characters felt considerable loneliness, even around other people. They feel left out, ignored, and even invisible with no one to talk concerning his own thoughts. Although a person is surrounded by others, feelings of loneliness can occur. For instance, in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† the characters ignored by other people at the farm felt lonely. One character who expressed her loneliness was Curley’s wife. At one point she said to Lennie, â€Å"I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely†¦ I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. † (Steinbeck 86) She expressed to Lennie how she is ignored and lonely. On the contrary, if a person were surrounded by friends then he would not feel lonely. A good example of this would be George and Lennie. The two men were close friends and were not lonely as they stuck together no matter what might happen. Although there were other characters in â€Å"Of Mice and Men who were lonely, if they reached out to those around them, the profound loneliness felt would disappear. On the other hand, many workers during this time period often go from one job to another to survive. Many people who lived at this time had little chance to have a asting friendship and became lonely as a result. In the book, George lost his friend Lennie would be lonely how without a friend. Another character, Crooks was an lonely person, but his loneliness was due to his race. In the end, many of the characters wanted companionship though sadly most ended up alone. All in all, in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† many characters felt loneliness in their daily lives even with other people around them. In fact a person who can be surrounded by others and have strong feelings of loneliness. In life if someone is lonely and seeking friendship he should reach out to others so as to remove the loneliness one may feel.

George Wickes, Silversmith: Artist and Works Analysis

George Wickes, Silversmith: Artist and Works Analysis Introduction In this essay I have chosen to analyse an 18th century British work of decorative art. The object I shall be closely looking at is a two handled silver cup and cover. The piece was produced by George Wickes in 1735 and is currently to be found in Gallery 53 in the Victoria Albert Museum in London.[1] In my essay I shall describe the piece and the artist and their place in the art movement of the time. My conclusions shall be drawn from my research and personal opinions. George Wickes and 18th Century Silver Art George Wickes was born in Suffolk in 1698. He moved to London to become an apprentice to silversmith Samuel Wastell in 1712. A decade later Wickes registered his first mark in 1722 while working in Threadneedle Street. During this period it is most probable that the young silversmith found regular work in the city from rich clients employing his skills as a repairer of items rather than a designer and producer of silverware: â€Å"†¦even extremely wealthy families spent regular sums [of money] over long periods on the repair of basic household items (candlesticks, punchbowls, etc.).†[2] In 1730 he went into partnership with John Craig and moved to Norris Street in Haymarket which was: â€Å"rapidly succeeding Cheapside as the jewellers’ quarter of London.†[3] When Craig died five years later Wickes opened his own workshop in Panton Street, Haymarket (this is when he produced the two handled silver cup and cover I am analysing). In 1747 he went into partnersh ip with Edward Wakelin and jeweller Samuel Netherton to create Wickes Wakelin; the company that were later to become Garrard Company Limited: â€Å"Crown jewellers and goldsmiths during six reigns and in three centuries.†[4] George Wickes eventually died in 1761 at the age of 63. It has been rumoured that Wickes tutored a young apprentice during his London years. This apprentice was perhaps one of the greatest British artists of all time; Thomas Gainsborough: â€Å"Legend has it that Gainsborough’s first teacher in London was a silversmith. Various suggestions have been made to the identity of the artisan in question. Two contenders are George Wickes and George Coyte, both Suffolk men.†[5] It is also interesting to note that Wickes himself was always trying to improve his knowledge and artistic abilities and frequently sought to learn new techniques from his peers and contemporaries: â€Å"Wickes achieved distinction in the craft as a close follower of [Paul] Crespin and [Paul de] Lamerie.†[6] The silver cup and cover I am analysing is approximately 25cm in height and 35cm in width and was most probably designed as an object of display rather than an actual drinking vessel. By the 1730s, covered cups were no longer primarily intended as drinking vessels, even though they may still have been drunk from on ceremonial occasions, but were now more important as objects for display and as fine gifts passed between gentlemen. The overt grandeur of the cup heralds a period in British history that applauded opulence and demonstrations of wealth. The new cultural practice of social etiquette was centred around the dining table: â€Å"The table was the centre of social activity in the 17th and 18th centuries and, as earlier in polite society, the silver with which it was dressed reflected the wealth and social standing of the host.†[7] With this in mind it is quite easy to imagine the cup perched proudly as the table’s centrepiece as the guests sit in wonder of the host ’s grandeur. The cup is shaped as if it were a trophy, and for all intents and purposes that is what it is; draped with ornate, elaborate cast and chased representations of flourishing vine leaves and bunches of tempting grapes; both exaggerating the images of sumptuousness and overflowing prosperity. The piece falls neatly into the early Rococo phase with its Bacchic theme, proudly pointing back to the original function of the ceremonial vessel in the hands of Bacchus, the god of wine. The vase-shaped two-handled cup was a popular design in English silver throughout the 18th century and this piece is perhaps one of the best representations of the style. The thing that literally caps it all is the regal crown sat on the very top. With this motif Wickes has undoubtedly demonstrated that he believes this piece to be one that should adorn the table of nobility. Conclusion I believe that this decorative work of art by Wickes is a superb representation of 18th century British design. The sheer magnificence of the cup is a testimony to a period when attention to lavish detail was paramount to the object’s design rather than the object’s function. It is a world poles apart than the one in which I live, in fact I do not think that a similar object would be produced today; the absurdity of a cup that was not meant to be drunk from would be too much for some! It is my opinion that Wickes was an extremely important figure in the British art movement who has been largely overshadowed by his contemporaries, in particular William Hogarth. The fact that Wickes’ cup has found a home in the Victoria Albert Museum is testimony both to the artist and the work of art. Bibliography Asfour, Amal Williamson, Paul (2000) Gainsborough’s Vision Liverpool University Press Barr, Elaine (1997) Gainsborough and the Silversmith Burlington Magazine CXIX Cock, Matthew (1996) The Arrival of the Dinner Service in Glanville, Philippa [ed.] (1996) Silver Victoria Albert Museum Evans, Joan (1989) A History of Jewellery 1100 – 1870 Courier Dover Productions Newman, Harold (2000) An Illustrated Dictionary of Silverware Thames and Hudson Pointon, Marica R. (1997) Strategies for Showing Oxford University Press Walford, Edward [ed.] (1915) Antiquary E. Stock Publishing Wolf, Lucien (1934) The Origins of the Provincial Communities Essays in Jewish History Victoria Albert Museum Website Footnotes [1] George Wickes: Two handled cup and cover silver 1735 (M.280-1975) [2] Pointon, Marica R. (1997) Strategies for Showing Oxford University Press (p32) [3] Evans, Joan (1989) A History of Jewellery 1100 – 1870 Courier Dover Productions (p151) [4] Walford, Edward [ed.] (1915) Antiquary E. Stock Publishing (p157) [5] Asfour, Amal Williamson, Paul (2000) Gainsborough’s Vision Liverpool University Press (p71) [6] Barr, Elaine (1997) Gainsborough and the Silversmith Burlington Magazine CXIX (p113) [7] Cock, Matthew (1996) The Arrival of the Dinner Service in Glanville, Philippa [ed.] (1996) Silver Victoria Albert Museum (p40)

The Channel Tunnel Project Construction Essay

The Channel Tunnel Project Construction Essay Two centuries ago, in 1802, a French mining engineer called Albert Mathieu was the first one to propose a tunnel under the English Channel to link the UK and France. Since that time several proposals have been put forward however none of them could be realized due reasons such as lack of technology or the critical relationship between these two countries. In July 1985 a proposal submitted by the Channel Tunnel Group/France-Manche (CTG/F-M) beat those put forward by their four main competitors and was accepted. This proposal was amongst others more favoured by the British and French government due to the privately funded nature, financial robustness and technological simplicity. Scope of the Project The channel tunnel was project was completed over 7 years time, involving 15,000 workers at the peak of construction. The tunnelling commenced in 1988 and began to operate in 1994. Eleven tunnel boring machines were used on both sides of the channel to cut through the chalk marl and to construct 3 tunnels, 2 for rails and 1 for maintenance. The shuttle terminals are at Folkestone and Coquelles near Calais and the main aim for constructing such a massive tunnel of 32 (50km)miles length, of which 23.6 (30km )miles are underwater, was to allow people to travel between those countries in an unprecedented travel time of only 35 minutes. Main Participants The main participants were Channel Tunnel Group/France-Manche (CTG/F-M), which formed a new entity called Eurotunnel (ET), a bi-national company. ET was owned by banks and 10 other companies and is the owner and operator of the project for 65 years, until 2052. and client of the contractor Transmanche Link (TML). Design, construction and commissioning fell in the responsibility area of TML and commissioning of the project. An interesting sidenote is that both groups consisted of employees from France and the UK. This project is supervised by the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), on behalf of both governments to ensure the Eurotunnels compliance with the Concession. This body was in charge of the reviewing design, procedures, specifications and in particular issues related to environment, operation and safety of the tunnel. The Maà ®tre dOeuvre, an independent Consulting engineer, has been appointed technical auditor and was reporting to ET, the IGC and the Banks. Technology Used Eleven tunnel boring machines (TBM) have been used in total on both, the French and the British sides, to work their way through the chalk marl stratum, which is between the gray chalk and glauconitic layer. ( See Figure XXX). On the English terminals 6 TBMs were operating while on the French side five TBMs were used. Due to the high pressure nature of the water which were present in the folded and faulted chalk on the French side, three special TBMs, namely Earth Pressure Balance machines (EPBM), had to be used. On the English side, simpler but faster open face TBMs started digging from the Shakespeare Cliff. On average the TBMs worked 873 m per month. In the best month it set a world record of 1,719m per month which yet has to be beaten. Project Life Cycle 1) Initiation April 1985 Promoters were formally invited by the French and UK government to submit scheme proposals for a fixed link between those countries -January 1986 Mandate awarded to the Channel Tunnel Group/France-Manche -Feb 1986 Treaty of Canterbury is signed allowing the project to go ahead Setup of IGC to supervise the project -April 1987 French Parliament allows the project 2) Planning Design and Financing Jan 1987 Design phase was relatively short as it was based on the 1975 project and the proposal which was submitted in 1985. Aug 1987 TML and 5 banks (Founder Shareholders) put initial equity of  £47 million (Equity 1) -Sep 1987 Loan syndication of  £6bn with the European Investment Bank (EIB) Oct 1987- Private placement of  £206m in shares with institutions (Equity 2) Nov 1987 Public Issue (Equity 3) worth  £750 million and  £5bn bank loan is agreed Nov 1990 Rights Issue (Equity 4) Second round of financing worth  £566 million Nov 1994 Rights Issue (Equity 5) Second round of financing worth  £566 million 3) Execution and Controlling June 1988 First tunnelling commenced in France Dec 1988 British TBMs start to drive towards France Dec 1990 Service tunnel breaks through under the sea linking the UK and France 4) Closure (Delivery) Dec 1993- Contractor TML hands tunnel over to client ET May 1994 The tunnel was formally opened by HM The Queen and President Mitterran -June 1994 First passenger train travelled through the tunnel beneath the English Channel, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A brief definition of the roles and responsibilities of the project sponsor and the project manager at each of the stages of the life cycle shown above. The project manager was appointed in the initiation phase after the concessioner agreement was signed. Separate project managers were appointed to manage the British side and French side; they were Atkins and Partners (UK) and Setec (France) respectively. During the initiation phase the project managers planned the project, agreeing on milestones and determining the tasks that would need sub-contracting. The project sponsors Eurotunnel justified the funding required and set up the success criteria. In the equity phase the project manager did not have a very big role. The optimistic plan to open the tunnel by May 1993 meant that the design phase was short with insufficient accuracy and detail. This had many repercussions and was the main contributor to the delays felt later on in the project. In this stage the project manger was managing the over all drive of the project and ensuring the design met the concessions specifications. Eurotunnel set the time, cost, and quality specifications and set all minimum constraints. All major changes made to the design had to be approved by the sponsor. In the Development phase the project manager had to make a variety of managerial decisions to maintain and bring the project back on the required time schedule. The project manger was also in charge of ensuring there was sufficient linking of tasks. The two teams met monthly to review progress and adapt schedules. Eurotunnel monitored the project progress from an objective point of view. Eurotunnel also reviewed and had final say on all major changes made to the design in this phase. In the Delivery phase the project manger and the sponsors review the project and decide whether the deliverables had been met. The contractors TML and the project managers handed over full responsibility of the channel tunnel to Euro-Tunnel who would have to fulfil the Concessions agreement for the rest of the duration in which they would run the Tunnel. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A statement of the ORIGINAL PROJECT OBJECTIVES: TIME The channel tunnel took 7 years to build. The first train carrying passengers and their cars journeyed to France on the 22nd December 1994. The initial plan has foreseen the tunnel to be ready on the 15th May 1993 therefore the work has been completed more than one and a half after schedule. COST The Channel tunnel is the largest privately funded project in history. It was clear from the beginning that the two governments would not get involved in the funding of the project as this was the only basis on which Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, would accept the project. Funds have been raised through equity raising in capital markets and loan agreements. In total more than 200 banks, including the founder shareholder banks Natwest and Midlands in the UK and the French banks Credit Lyonnais, Banque Nationale de Paris, Banque Indosuez raised a total capital of  £4bn in various equity issues. The actual completion costs were at an 80% cost overrun in 1994 compared to the cost estimate of  £2600 compared by the contractor group TML in 1985. Underestimation of rolling stocks, changes in the fixed equipment work and terminals as well as the initially poor tunnelling process all contributed to the cost overrun. QUALITY As mentioned above an organizations such as Intergovernmental Commission(IGC) and Maà ®tre dOeuvre (MdO) was a form of engineering supervision employed by the Eurotunnel. The main task of this body was to monitor all activities on the project and write quarterly reports to keep government and banks updated whether the project was executed in accordance with the requirements of the Concession and the quality assurance standards established by TML. To achieve the required quality of standards a classification system has been used on the management plane to make the whole process more flexible by assessing and prioritizing the tasks. Although quality requirements were of equal importance for every single task, the management style was categorized in 3 different levels according to complexity, maturity of the technology and overall impact of the task.

Muslim Women Essay -- Immigration Islam Essays Papers

Muslim Women When I chose the topic of Americanization of immigrant Muslim women, I think I expected a straightforward, easy to categorize, research project. On the contrary, what I found was surprisingly different. While I think of myself as a liberal, open-minded female, this project gave me a very new perspective on myself and many of my views as well. Muslim women living in the United States are quite honestly more diverse, more complex, more structured, more contemplative, and more culturally intuitive than I could have ever imagined in my limited experience and knowledge of them. The ‘Americanization’ I sought to illustrate turned out to resemble something closer to a religio-cultural tug-of-war than the predicted homogeneous transformation, or adaptation, to our Western society and religious orientation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The women whose lives I read about (individually as well as in group studies) seemed without exception to be in a constant state of tension from numerous external and internal sources. The many token examples of varying degrees of Americanization- or in some cases, resistance to this phenomenon- included, but were not limited to, wanting to uphold traditional homeland customs and practices; asserting new freedoms to take on more responsibility in religious and political arenas; working to improve traditional inadequacies of U.S. mosques to better accommodate women of faith; the dilemma of appropriate dressing for religious and professional communities; challenging traditional and current marriage practices and the difficulties associated with them; and maybe most significantly, combating the general naivetà ©, or even outright discriminatory ignorance of Americans about Islam. Considering the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world (between n ew births and the increasing number of conversions), and the United States is arguably the most influential and powerful country in the world, the last of these examples must, and will, be given some extra attention at the end of this paper. Finding Balance Between Islamic Tradition and U.S. Culture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although almost every source I consulted stressed the progressive nature of the Quran and its ability to adapt to changing society, I found that a main thrust of the American Muslim communities was best exemplified in a quote from Carol L. Anway, that women strive toward â€Å"b... ...usaf Ali.† 12-18. A.H. Jaffor Ullah, Ph.D, New Orleans,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louisiana, 2001. . Anway, Carol L. â€Å"American Women Choosing Islam.† Muslims on the Americanization Path?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ed. Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad and John L. Esposito. Oxford, NY: Oxford University   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Press, 2000. 145-160. Aswad, Barbara. â€Å"Attitudes of Immigrant Women and Men in the Dearborn Area Toward   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women’s Employment and Welfare.† Muslim Communities in North America. Ed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad and Jane Idleman Smith. Albany, NY: State University of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York Press, 1994. 501-519. Hathout, Samer. â€Å"Challenges Facing American Muslim Women.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.islamfortoday.com/americanmuslimwomen.htm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hermansen, Marcia K. â€Å"Two-Way Acculteration: Muslim Women in America Between   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Individual Choice (Liminality) and Community Affiliation (Communitas).† The Muslims   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  of America. Ed. Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, 1991.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  188-201. Smith, Jane I. â€Å"Women’s Issues in American Islam.† The Duncan Black MacDonald Center for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. Hartford Seminary, Hartford CT,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2002. http://macdonald.hartsem.edu/smithart1.htm.

Lais Of Marie De France :: essays research papers

Literary/Analytical Essay “Romeo and Juliet is a play about two silly, immature teenagers who lack common sense. Therefore, the play expresses the danger of a love in which two people become the whole world to one another.'; To what extent do you agree or disagree? The story of Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. The two lovers go against their families and against their hate to be together but they don’t think about the consequences, which in the end are devastating.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Romeo and Juliet engage in a love that they believe is the one true love. They don’t even know each other and don’t know each others personality so they can only be attracted sexually. Instead of taking things slowly and getting to know each other or on the other hand engage in a type of relationship just to satisfy each others desires they act like they have known each other for a long time and that they can’t live one without the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the start of the play we see that Romeo is in love with Roseline and that he only talks about her but when he meets Juliet at the party he totally forgets Roseline and falls in love with Juliet. Friar Laurence clearly states this to Romeo: “Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes';. This is exactly how Romeo behaves. Juliet on the other hand had to marry Count Paris so her love with Romeo is simply a way to get out of it. She never had a relationship with a man and she didn’t like to have her first and only relationship with a man her parents arranged for her. She wanted freedom and Romeo was her ticket to it. During the story Romeo and Juliet convince them selves to be in love with each other and they become obsessed, not with the love for each other, but with the fact of being in love with each other.

Biological And Physical Process Of Aging Essay -- essays research pape

The aging process is difficult to analyze because of the way that the body’s organ systems work together. The breakdown of one structure will ultimately affect the function of others. The medical field of gerontology deals with examining the biological changes of aging, both passive and active, that occur at the molecular and cellular levels. This paper will seek to explore those changes, and the affect that they have on the process of aging. Aging as a passive process involves the breakdown of structures and the resulting slowing of functions. At the molecular level, passive aging is seen as the degeneration of the elastin and collagen proteins of connective tissues. These proteins are primarily responsible for the smoothness and firmness of young skin. Consequently, when these proteins breakdown, the skin will sag, and the muscle will lose its firmness. Another sign of passive aging is the breakdown of lipids at the biochemical level. As aging membranes leak during this lipid degeneration, a fatty, brown pigment known as lipofuscin accumulates. As this happens, the mitochondria, or the â€Å"powerhouse of the cell† begins to break down, thereby decreasing the amount of energy that is being supplied to the cell. This cellular degeneration may be set into action by highly reactive chemicals known as free radicals. These molecules have an unpaired electron in the outermost valence shell. This causes the molecule to grab electrons from other molecules, setting into motion a chai...

Inline Skating

Inline Skating Marketing Plan Pegasus Sports This sample marketing plan was created with Marketing Plan Pro software. Plan Outline †¢ Executive Summary †¢ Situation Analysis o Market Summary ? Market Needs ? Market Trends ? Market Growth o SWOT Analysis ? Strengths ? Weaknesses ? Opportunities ? Threats o Competition o Product Offering o Keys to Success o Critical Issues †¢ Marketing Strategy †¢ Financials †¢ Controls Executive Summary Pegasus Sports International is a start-up aftermarket inline skating accessory manufacturer. In addition to the aftermarket products, Pegasus is developing SkateTours, a service that takes clients out, in conjunction with a local skate shop, and provides them with an afternoon of skating using inline skates and some of Pegasus' other accessories such as SkateSails. The aftermarket skate accessory market has been largely ignored. While there are several major manufacturers of the skates themselves, the accessory market has not been addressed. This provides Pegasus with an extraordinary opportunity for market growth. Skating is a booming sport. Currently most of the skating is recreational. There are however a growing number of competitions, both team orientated such as skate hockey as well as individual competitions such as speed skate racing. Pegasus will work to grow these markets as well as develop the skate transportation market, a more utilitarian use of skating. Several of Pegasus' currently developed products have patents pending and local market research indicates that there is great demand for these products. Pegasus will achieve fast, significant market penetration that will be achieved through a solid business model, long range planning, and a strong management team that will able to execute on this exciting opportunity. The three principals on the management team have over 30 years of combined personal and industry experience. This extensive experience provides Pegasus with the empirical information as well as the passion to provide the skating market with much needed aftermarket products. Pegasus will sell their products initially through their website. This â€Å"Dell† direct to the consumer approach will allow Pegasus to achieve higher margins and maintain a close relationship with the customers which is essential for producing products that have a true market demand. By the end of the year, Pegasus will have developed relationships with different skate shops and will begin to sell some of their products through the use of retailers. [pic] Sales Forecast | | |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Sales | | | | |Recreational |$455,740 |$598,877 |$687,765 | |Competitive |$72,918 |$95,820 |$110,042 | |Total Sales |$528,658 |$694,697 |$797,807 | | | | | | |Direct Cost of Sales |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Recreational |$82,033 |$107,798 |$123,798 | |Competitive |$13,125 |$17,248 |$19,808 | |Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales |$95,159 |$125,046 |$143,605 | Situation Analysis Pegasus is entering their first year of operation. The products have been well received and marketing will be key to deve lop brand and product awareness as well as grow the customer base. Pegasus International offers several different aftermarket skating accessories, serving the growing inline skating industry. Market Summary Pegasus posesses good information about the market and knows a great deal about the common attributes of the most prized customer. This information will be leveraged to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how Pegasus can better communicate with them. [pic] [pic] [pic] Market Analysis | | | |2003 |2004 |2005 |2006 |2007 | | |Potential Customers |Growth | | | | | |CAGR | |Recreational |10% |19,142,500|21,056,750|23,162,425|25,478,668|28,026,535|10. 00% | |Fitness |15% |6,820,000 |7,843,000 |9,019,450 |10,372,368|11,928,223|15. 00% | |Speed |10% |387,500 |426,250 |468,875 |515,763 |567,339 |10. 00% | |Total |11. 36% |26,350,000|29,326,000|32,650,750|36,366,799|40,522,097|11. 36% | Market Needs Pegasus is providing the skating community with a wide range of acc essories for all variations of skating. Pegasus seeks to fulfill the following benefits that are important to their customers: †¢ Quality craftsmanship: The customers work hard for the money and do not enjoy spending it on disposable products that only work for a year or two. †¢ Well thought out designs: The skating market has not been addressed by well thought out products that serve skaters needs. Pegasus' industry experience and personal dedication to the sport will provide Pegasus with the needed information to produce insightfully designed products. †¢ Customer Service: Exemplary service is required to build a sustainable business that has a loyal customer base. Market Trends Pegasus will distinguish themselves by marketing products not previously available to skaters. The emphasis in the past has been to sell skates and very few replacement parts. The number of skaters is not restricted to any one single country, continent, or age group, so there is a world market. Pegasus has products for virtually every group of skaters. The fastest growing segment of this sport is the fitness skater. Therefore, the marketing is being directed to service this group. BladeBoots will enable them to enter establishments without having to remove their skates. BladeBoots will be aimed at the recreational skater, the largest segment; however SkateAids are great for everyone. There is one more way the sport of skating will grow, and that is through SkateSailing. This sport is primarily for the medium to advanced skater. The growth potential for this sport is tremendous. The sails Pegasus' has manufactured so far have ended up in Europe. The same thing happened with windsurfing. It started out here in Santa Monica but did not take off until it had already grown big in Europe. More and more groups are getting together on skate excursions in cities all over the world. For example, San Francisco has night group skating that numbers in the hundreds of people. The market trends are showing continued growth in all directions of skating. [pic] [pic] Market Growth With the price of skates going down due to competition by so many skate companies, the market has had steady growth throughout the world, with 22. 5 million in 1999 to over 31 million in 2002. The growth statistics for 2003 are estimated to be over 35 million. More and more people are discovering, and in many cases rediscovering, the health benefits and fun of skating. [pic] [pic] SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company, and describes the opportunities and threats facing Pegasus. Strengths †¢ In-depth industry experience and insight. †¢ Creative, functional product designers. †¢ The use of a highly efficient, flexible business model utilizing direct customer sales and distribution. Weaknesses The reliance of outside capital necessary to grow the business. †¢ A lack of retailers who can work directly face to face with the customer to generate brand and product awareness. †¢ The difficulty to develo ping brand awareness as a start-up company. Opportunities †¢ Participation within a growing industry. †¢ Decreased product costs through scales of economy. †¢ The ability to leverage other industry participants marketing efforts to help grow the general market. Threats †¢ Future/ potential competition from an already established market participants. †¢ A slump in the economy that could have a negative effect on people's spending discretionary income on fitness/ recreational products. The release of a study that calls into question the safety of skating or the inability to prevent major skating induced traumas. Competition Pegasus Sports International is forming its own market. While there are a few companies that do make sails and foils that a few skaters are using, Pegasus is the only one that is truly designed for and by skaters. The few competitors' sails are not designed for skating, but for windsurfing or for skateboards. In the case of foils, storage a nd carrying are not practical. There are different indirect competitors who are manufactures of the actual skates. After many years in the market, these companies have yet to become direct competitors by manufacturing accessories for the skates that they manufacture. Product Offering Pegasus Sports International now offers several products: †¢ The first product that has been developed is BladeBoots, a cover for the wheels and frame of in-line skates, which allow skaters to enter places that normally would not allow them in. BladeBoots come with a small pouch and belt which converts to a well-designed skate carrier. †¢ The second product is SkateSails. These sails are specifically designed for use while skating. Feedback that Pegasus has received from skaters indicates this could become a very popular sport. Trade marking this product is currently in progress. †¢ The third product will be referred to as SkateAid and be in production by December. Other ideas for products are under development, but Pegasus must hold back until they can protect themselves through pending patent applications. Keys to Success The keys to success are simply designing and producing products that meet market demand. Additionally, Pegasus must ensure total customer satisfaction. If these keys to success are achieved, Pegasus will become a profitable, sustainable company. Critical Issues Pegasus is still in the speculative stages as a start-up business. The critical issues are: †¢ Establish themselves as the premier skating accessory company. †¢ Pursue controlled growth that dictates that payroll expenses will never exceed the revenue base. This will help protect against recessions. Constantly monitor customer satisfaction, ensuring that the growth strategy will never compromise service and satisfaction levels. Marketing Strategy The key to the marketing strategy is focusing on the speed, health and fitness, and recreational skaters. Pegasus can cover about 80% of the skating market since they produce products geared towards each segment. Pegasus is able to address all of the different segments within the market because although each segment is distinct in terms of its users and equipment, Pegasus' products are useful to all of the different segments. Mission Pegasus Sports International's mission is to provide the customer with the finest skating accessories available. We exist to attract and maintain customers. With a strict adherence to this maxim, success will be ensured. Our services and products will exceed the expectations of the customers. Marketing Objectives †¢ Maintain positive, strong growth each quarter (not withstanding seasonal sales patterns). †¢ Achieve a steady increase in market penetration. †¢ Decrease customer acquisition costs by 1. 5% a quarter. Financial Objectives †¢ Increase the profit margin by 1% per quarter through efficiency and scale of economy gains. †¢ Maintain a significant research and development budget (as a percentage relative to sales) to spur future product developments. †¢ A double to triple digit growth rate for the first three years. Target Markets With a world skating market of over 31 million and steadily growing (statistics released by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association), the niche has been created. Pegasus' aim is to expand this market by promoting SkateSailing, a new sport which is popular at both Santa Monica and Venice Beach in California. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association survey indicates that skating now has more participation than football, softball, skiing, and snowboarding combined. The breakdown of participation of skating is as follows: 1+% speed (growing), 8% hockey (declining), 7% extreme/aggressive (declining), 22% fitness (nearly seven million–the fastest growing), and 61% recreational (first-timers). Our products are targeting the fitness and recreational groups, as they are the fastest growing. These groups are gearing themselves towards health and fitness, and combined, they can easily grow to 85% (or 26 million) of the market in the next five years. Positioning Pegasus will position themselves as the premier aftermarket skating accessory company. This positioning will be achieved by leveraging their competitive edge: industry experience and passion. Pegasus is a skating company formed by skaters for skaters. They are able to use their vast experience and personal passion for the sport to develop innovative, useful accessories for a broad range of skaters. Strategies The single objective is to position Pegasus as the premier skating accessory manufacturer, serving both the domestic market as well as international market. The marketing strategy will seek to first create customer awareness concerning the offered products and services and develop the customer base. The message that Pegasus will seek to communicate is that they offer the best-designed, most useful skating accessories. This message will be communicated through a variety of methods. The first will the use of their robust website. As well as a rich source of product information, the site will also be used for purchasing. A lot of time and money will be invested into the site to provide the customer with the perception of total professionalism and utility for Pegasus' products and services. The second method will be advertisements placed in numerous industry magazines. The skating industry is supported by several different glossy magazines designed to promote the industry as a whole. Additionally, there are a couple of smaller periodicals that serve the smaller market segments within the skating industry. The last method of communication is the use of printed sales literature. The two previously mentioned marketing methods will create demand for the sales literature that will be sent out to customers. The cost of the sales literature will be fairly minimal as it will use the already compiled sales information from the website. Marketing Mix Pegasus' marketing mix is comprised of the following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service. †¢ Pricing: This will be based on a per product retail price. †¢ Distribution: Initially Pegasus will use a direct to the consume distribution model. Over time Pegasus will use retailers as well. †¢ Advertising and Promotion: Several different methods will be used for the advertising effort. †¢ Customer Service: Pegasus will strive to achieve benchmarked levels of customer care. Marketing Research Pegasus is blessed with good fortune of being located in the center of the skating world, Venice, CA. Pegasus will be able to leverage this opportune location by working with many of the different skaters that live in the area. Pegasus was able to test out all of their products, not only with the principals who are accomplished skaters, but also the many other dedicated and â€Å"newbie† users located in Venice. The extensive product testing by a wide variety of users provided Pegasus with valuable product feedback and has led to several design improvements. Financials This section will offer the financial overview of Pegasus as it related to the marketing activities. Pegasus will address Break-even Analysis, sales forecasts, expense forecast, and indicate how these activities link to the marketing strategy. Break-even Analysis The break-even analysis indicates that $7,760 will be required in monthly sales revenue to reach the break-even point. [pic] [pic] [pic] Break-even Analysis | | | | |Monthly Revenue Break-even |$6,372 | | | | |Assumptions: | | |Average Percent Variable Cost |18% | |Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost |$6,363 | Sales Forecast Pegasus feels that the sales forecasting is conservative. Pegasus will steadily increase sales as the advertising budget allows. Please refer to the Sales Forecast Chart. Please note that while in the market segmentation section all of the potential customers have been broken down into separate groups, for the sales forecasts, the grouping has been changed Recreational and Competitive. By reducing the number of categories it allows the reader to quickly discern information, making the chart more functional. [pic] [pic] Expense Forecast The expense forecast will be used as a tool to keep the department in target and provide indicators when corrections / modifications are needed for the proper implementation of the marketing plan. [pic] [pic] [pic] Marketing Expense Budget | | |2003 |2004 |2005 | |Website |$25,000 |$8,000 |$10,000 | |Advertisements |$8,050 |$15,000 |$20,000 | |Other |$1,725 |$2,000 |$3,000 | | |———— |———— |———— | |Total Sales and Marketing Exp enses |$34,775 |$25,000 |$33,000 | |Percent of Sales |6. 58% |3. 60% |4. 14% | Controls The purpose of Pegasus' marketing plan is to serve as a guide for the organization. The following areas will be monitored to gauge performance: †¢ Revenue: monthly and annual. †¢ Expenses: monthly and annual. †¢ Customer satisfaction. †¢ New product development. Implementation The following milestones identify the key marketing programs. It is important to accomplish each one on time and on budget. [pic] Milestones | | | | | | | | |Advertising |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Marketing plan completion |1/1/2003 |2/1/2003 |$0 |Stan |Marketing | |Webiste completion |1/1/2003 |3/15/2003 |$20,400 |outside firm |Marketing | |Advertising campaign #1 |1/1/2003 |6/30/2003 |$3,500 |Stan |Marketing | |Advertising campaign #2 |3/1/1999 |12/30/2003 |$4,550 |Stan |Marketing | |Development of the retail channel|1/1/2003 |11/30/2003 |$0 |Stan |Marketing | |Name me |1/1/2 003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2003 |1/15/2003 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Advertising Budget | | |$28,450 | | | |PR |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total PR Budget | | |$0 | | | |Direct Marketing |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | Total Direct Marketing Budget | | |$0 | | | |Web Development |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1 /1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Web Development Budget | | |$0 | | | |Other |Start Date |End Date |Budget |Manager |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Name me |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Other |1/1/2006 |1/15/2006 |$0 |ABC |Department | |Total Other Budget | | |$0 | | | |Totals | | |$28,450 | | | Contingency Planning Difficulties and Risks †¢ Problems generating visibility, a function of being a internet-based start-up organization. †¢ An entry into the market by an already established market competitor. Worst Case Risks Include †¢ Determining that the business cannot support itself on an ongoing basis. †¢ Having to liquidate equipment or intellectual capital to cover liabilities.

Organizational Structure in the Pharmaceuticals Industry

Industry Abstract Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson are the largest and most successful pharmaceutical companies in the world today. Each company has a massive workforce and conducts business in countries all over the globe. Both companies have used a high degree of horizontal differentiation in order to manage their business units more effectively. Operating companies are grouped together by their function, as well as the type of product the produce. There are concerns about the lack of control that results from decentralization.The benefits, however, appear to outweigh the risks, as evidenced by the successes enjoyed by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. Organizational Structure in the Pharmaceuticals Industry Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer are both pharmaceutical companies that can be found near the top of the Fortune 500 list. Johnson & Johnson was ranked 33 and Pfizer 50 on this year’s list (Fortune 500, 2010). The complexity of this industry requires a very large wor kforce with many specialized roles. More specialized roles in an organization call for more differentiation within the company.There is a great deal of all three types of differentiation within each company: horizontal differentiation, vertical differentiation, and spatial differentiation. This high level of differentiation results in a very complex organizational structure (Nelson & Quick, 2011). Globalization presents significant challenges to all organizations that operate in many different countries. These challenges are typically created by the cultural differences that may exist among the countries in which a company operates. Hofstede believes work-related attitudes are formed by five dimensions of cultural differences.These dimensions are as follows: individualism vs. collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity vs. femininity, and time orientation (Nelson & Quick, 2011). It is important for a company to consider these dimensions when developing i ts organizational structure for the global marketplace. Johnson & Johnson owns more than 250 companies located in 57 countries. Each operating company is placed into one of three business segments: consumer health care, medical devices and diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals (Company Structure, 2010).This classification is based on the types of products the company produces. The grouping of subsidiaries in this manner represents horizontal differentiation. Johnson & Johnson gives each operating company a fair amount of control within their environment. This decentralized structure can create concerns about lack of control, but there are benefits as well. As stated above, many of these companies are located outside of the United States. The decentralized structure yields much of the power to the leadership within each company and country, who are more familiar with the environment in which they are working.Furthermore, decentralization provides a great opportunity to develop emp loyees. The leader of a smaller subsidiary may move to a larger sister company if he or she performs well. Innovation can also thrive in a decentralized environment. When people are developing ideas in independent environments, there is greater creativity. Innovation and creativity are paramount in the pharmaceuticals industry (â€Å"Johnson & Johnson CEO,† 2008). Pfizer, like Johnson & Johnson, utilizes a high degree of horizontal differentiation within its organizational structure.Like many companies, Pfizer has gone through several periods of restructuring over the past few years. The latest round of restructuring occurred after Pfizer acquired Wyeth in 2009. Pfizer’s operations can be split into two distinct categories: research and global health care businesses (â€Å"Pfizer Announces,† 2009). After the acquisition, Pfizer formed two separate research organizations. The PharmaTherapeutics Research Group focuses on small molecule research, while the BioTherapeutics Research Group concentrates on large molecules. Within each group, small teams work on specific projects of high potential.This decentralized structure provides sharper focus and less bureaucracy for those working in this critical field (â€Å"Pfizer Announces,† 2009). Upon acquiring Wyeth, Pfizer reorganized its operating companies into two diverse categories: Pfizer BioPharmaceutical Businesses and Pfizer Diversified Businesses. Pfizer BioPharmaceutical Businesses contains five distinct biopharmaceutical businesses: Primary Care, Specialty Care and Vaccines, Emerging Markets, Oncology, and Established Products. Pfizer Diversified Businesses is made up of four unique businesses: Animal Health, Capsugel, Consumer Health, and Nutritional Health.Each of these nine businesses has clear expectations for results from initial product development to the end of the product’s life cycle (â€Å"Pfizer Announces,† 2009). This type of decentralized environme nt provides employees with a sense of pride and ownership in their products. Each business is also able to react more quickly and respond more directly to consumer needs in this decentralized structure (Besthof, 2009). While there are many benefits to a decentralized structure, there are also drawbacks as well. Management often times does not like to yield power and control to others, which may result in micro-managing.There is also concern whether the values and ethical standards of upper management are being practiced by those making criticial decisions. This may be of particular concern for situations in which it is difficult to monitor the activities of those trusted to make these decisions. When working in a global environment, however, the benefits of a decentralized structure certainly appear to outweigh the risks. Nelson and Quick believe the three biggest challenges facing managers today are globalization, diversity, and ethics (2011).All three of these issues are certainly present in the pharmaceuticals industry, and in particular for large global companies such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. Decentralization can be very beneficial for a company operating in a global environment. Managers working daily in that country should be actively involved in decision making, since they are most familiar with the environment. Operating globally can also bring diversity issues to the forefront. These issues can also be aided by decentralization, which allows situations to be addressed by those closest to them. Ethics is a major challenge in the pharmaceuticals industry.In a decentralized structure, upper management must be able to trust that others are doing things the right way. If they are not, the reputation of the entire organization may be damaged by the poor decisions of one person in a relatively minor role. Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson have many similarities in the structure of their organizations. Both companies utilize a high degree of horizo ntal differentiation, some of which is required by their wide range of operations. Each company, however, has also made a commitment to allowing these business units to operate with a high degree of autonomy.ReferencesBesthof, Robert. (2009). Pfizer Makes Push in Ophthalmic Market With Restructuring, R&D Strategy. Ocular Surgery News. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from: http://www. osnsupersite. com/view. aspx? rid=42818 Business Wire. (2009, April 7).Pfizer Announces Operating Structure and Select Senior Leadership Posts to Be Effective Immediately Upon Close of Wyeth Acquisition. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from: http://www. businesswire. com/news/home/20090407005717/en/Pfizer-Announces-Operating-Structure-Select-Senior-Leadership Fortune 500. (2010).Retrieved October 7, 2010, from: http://money. nn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2010/industries/21/index. html Johnson & Johnson. (October 2010).Company Structure. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from: http://www. jnj. com/conne ct/about-jnj/company-structure [email  protected] (2008, June 25).Johnson & Johnson CEO William Weldon: Leadershipin a Decentralized Company. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from: http://knowledge. wharton. upenn. edu/article. cfm? articleid=2003 Nelson, D. L. , & Quick, J. C. (2011).Oranizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

The Benefits Of Cooperative Learning For Students Education Essay

Why the Cooperative Learning is good for ELL pupils? The range of this research paper is to show the importance of using the concerted acquisition groups to assist ELL pupils to accomplish English linguistic communication proficiency. How does cooperative larning benefit English scholars? David Noyes answers this inquiry with a profusion of research-based facts as it follows: it is non â€Å" endangering † promoting a low affectional barrier, which facilitates a better comprehensive input, the information provided comes from at least two beginnings, the instructor and equals, with the consequence of an improved keeping, and is strategic and purposeful through staging and differentiated direction. In add-on to already advert Multisensory Approach noticed by Noyes, Hammerken suggests that practising with a equal, experimenting different survey attacks help pupils achieve better on appraisals ( 2000, p.88 ) . In add-on, the concerted acquisition activities encourage sharing and edifice background cognition. The cultural, emotional, and geographical scheme of each pupil is enhanced through brainstorming, group treatments, the usage of in writing organisers, reappraisal of text, reappraisal vocabulary in context . Furthermore, an of import supporting statement is that it â€Å" maximizes the acquisition of English. † Noyes cites Cummings naming the co-op larning an â€Å" empowerment teaching method. † Dr. Cummings in his article Putting Language Proficiency in Its Topographic point: Reacting to Critiques of the Conversational/Academic Language Distinction stress the importance for pedagogues to do the differentiation between basic accomplishments and academic proficiency accomplishments, â€Å" I have suggested that in order to turn to these issues ( Critiques of the Conversational/Academic Language Distinction ) we need to do a cardinal differentiation between colloquial and academic facets of linguistic communication proficiency ( originally labeled basic interpersonal communicative accomplishments [ BICS ] and cognitive academic linguistic communication proficiency [ CALP ] † ( Cummings,19797 ) . The linguistic communication development for bilingual pupils is recommended, â€Å" by supplying pupils with extended chances to transport out undertakings look intoing their ain and their community ‘s linguistic communication usage, patterns, and premises † ( Cumm ings, 1979 ) , which are the features of concerted larning groups activities. Furthermore, Dr. Krashen in his article What is Academic Language Proficiency? explains that understanding and doing the difference between basic interpersonal linguistic communication accomplishments and Academic Proficiency accomplishments is of import for pedagogues in their attempt to back up linguistic communication acquisition, going the â€Å" cardinal end of linguistic communication learning plans. † The article ‘s accent is on the schemes employed to ease the linguistic communication acquisition on accomplishing the academic proficiency versus learning schemes that kids of course develop anyhow and consider, rote memorisation. The efficient schemes recommended for developing cognition of academic linguistic communication and content as they represent â€Å" one of the grounds for the success of bilingual plans â€Å" are ; triping the background cognition, the usage of images, realia, group treatments, narrow reading, and scaffolding for job resolution. All th e schemes indicated can be found in concerted acquisition groups activities. Another ground the Cooperative Learning groups are recommended for ELL pupils is that of the consequence of take downing the affectional barrier followed by the addition of comprehensive input, â€Å" the effectual linguistic communication instructor is person who can supply input and assist do it comprehendible in a low anxiousness state of affairs † ( Krashen,2009, 163 ) . Entire Physical Response as defined by Dr. Krashen ( 2009, p. 140 ) represents the pupil ‘s apprehension and reaction to teacher ‘s directions/commands and shows the degree of motive and engagement during the instructional procedure. The Cooperative Learning Group activities guarantee the entire physical response of the participants by leting the ELL pupils to travel over the submergence â€Å" soundless † phase through a low affectional barrier and reply when they are ready ( Krashen, 2009 ) . In add-on to the pro statements for Cooperative Learning Groups usage is the sum and quality of conversation involved. Harmonizing to Dr. Krashsen conversation, as a method to get linguistic communication proficiency, gives good comprehensive input, is interesting/relevant, and with the presence of a native talker has a low affectional filter. â€Å" Conversation will give the acquirer a opportunity to pattern the tools he has learned and give him possibly the best chance to get new 1s † ( Krashen, 2009, p.163 ) . Rothstein and Turnbull accentuate on instructor outlooks for pupils to utilize a logical-scientific type of discourse, which is really the formal academic linguistic communication as opposed to societal narrative. They suggest â€Å" bridging between narratives and academic discourse † by utilizing schoolroom direction structures which â€Å" promote pupil ‘s battle in signifiers of discourse that they do non utilize at place † ( Rothstein & A ; T urnbull, 2008, p. 140 ) . As a portion of the Bridging Cultures classrooms the collaborative acquisition is considered supplying the necessary support by furthering positive mutuality, on undertaking behaviours, and advancing academic discourse. Dr. Jimenez explains that pupils are of course supposed to interact during concerted acquisition activities which make monitoring academic address a must. She suggests expressed instruction, charting, and monitored pattern in order to heighten academic address maps. Freeman and Freeman, the writers of English Language Learners ; The Essential Guide, are to the full cognizant of the importance of developing the academic linguistic communication for EEL pupils. Besides, the writers recognize that the ELL pupils have troubles utilizing the formal English linguistic communication every bit opposed to a so called proficiency utilizing the insouciant linguistic communication. In order to develop the CALP and supply more context-embedded direction the writers suggest the usage of in writing organisers, working in concerted groups, and prosecute in hands-on activities which are the forms of concerted acquisition groups ; â€Å" When learning occurs in Quadrant C ( context embedded and cognitively demanding ) pupils develop the academic linguistic communication † ( Freeman, 2000, p. 155 ) . Supporting the subject, Echevaria and writers explain the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol as being the instructional theoretical account designed to assist bilingual pupils to accomplish English linguistic communication proficiency ; â€Å" Effective sheltered categories are characterized by a assortment of grouping constructions, includingaˆÂ ¦cooperative acquisition groups ( 2004, p.105 ) . Furthermore, â€Å" competent linguistic communication scholars actively prosecute these cognitive accomplishments, and research workers know these scholars are effectual, in portion, because they have particular ways of treating the new information they are larning â€Å" ( Echevaria, 2004, p.82 ) . The acquisition schemes considered by the SIOP theoretical account are the Metacognitive, Cognitive, and Social/Affective Strategies. These schemes that are employed through explicit instruction, mold, and scaffolding are the features of direction needed for a instructor implement ing concerted acquisition groups. Making the content comprehensible is done by using attacks as the usage of mnemonics, SQP2RS, PENS, GIST, Rehearsal Strategies, Graphic Organizers, Comprehension Strategies ( Echevaria, 2004 ) . The Sheltered Instruction Protocol is based on research which points out clearly that the grouping constellations has to be diverse â€Å" advancing the development of multiple positions and promote coaction. † Besides, as Noyes suggests every bit good, avoid grouping the low-average acting pupils with ELL pupils. The of import thought is that the ELL pupils get excess support in being grouped harmonizing linguistic communication proficiency degree, but merely for specific activities when excess support is needed ( paraprofessional monitoring, practising a specific linguistic communication impression, etc ) . The concerted acquisition grouping gives every pupil the chance to entree every bit the course of study ( Echevaria, 2004 ) . The writers of Teaching Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities ; Research Based Practices, Cohen and Spenciner, acknowledge the benefits of concerted acquisition for pupils â€Å" both with and without disablements † ( 2005, p.235 ) , because they work collaboratively to accomplish academic public presentation. As a common note the ELL pupils and pupils with larning disablements have troubles understanding and using their cognition to job resolution and higher order believing accomplishments ( Cohen & A ; Spenciner, 2005, p.194 ) .The grounds are different of class, but the instructor ‘s attack is to rectify and better pupil ‘s public presentation by learning metacognition accomplishments. Consequently, the ELL pupils will larn how to believe and how to larn from their equals during concerted larning group activities following instructor ‘s mold and cues. A immense importance in the acquisition procedure is made by addressing/applying Gardener ‘s Multiple Intelligences Theory. Hammerken suggests that pupils are experimenting in their attempt to happen the one which supports their learning manner, â€Å" the most effectual method is the method that will capitalise on pupil ‘s strengths † ( 200, p. 87 ) . Noyes considers that â€Å" the multiple intelligences are a accelerator for distinction of direction in category † ( 2010 ) . The Cooperative Learning groups activities address and congratulate all types of MI including the interpersonal ( single work ) , intrapersonal ( pair-share ) which are harder to make utilizing other direction theoretical accounts. In decision, scaffolding on David Noyes ‘ reply to the inquiry â€Å" How does cooperative larning benefit English scholars? † we have explained the important elements that makes concerted learning activities able and indicated for accomplishing the end of English linguistic communication proficiency. Concerted acquisition activities are designed as to diminish the affectional barrier while increasing the comprehensive input, the keeping degree is high, information coming from diverse beginnings with a high degree of hierarchal effectivity, monitored interaction /conversation and instructor ‘s illustrations utilizing formal/conversational linguistic communication easing academic linguistic communication acquisition, anterior cognition is activated and facilitates background edifice, multiple intelligences are approached through staging and differentiated direction.