Theme in ‘Shakespeare in Love’

Describe one idea worth learning about in the text. Explain why it was worth learning about. John Madden’s Shakespeare in love is a ‘romantic comedy’ set in sixteenth century England. Through its two unfortunate protagonists, Will Shakespeare ‘a lowly player’ with writer’s block and wealthy Viola De Lesseps who dreams of ‘love as there has never been in a play,’ it explores the idea of ‘the truth and nature of love’ in the Elizabethan era.Madden portrays the harsh realities of the time through filmatic techniques such as dialogue, motifs and costuming to constantly remind the viewer throughout the film that the romance that is shared by Will and Viola cannot last in sixteenth century England. This is worth leaning about because as a 21st century viewer I become more able to appreciate the struggle faced by the two protagonists, especially Viola as a woman, in the name of love.Madden makes it clear to the viewer from th e beginning of the film Shakespeare in Love, that the truth of love in sixteenth century England which is based on the idea of marriage as a method of obtaining social or financial gain divides the two protagonists who are separated by the class system. Madden enhances this key idea through the use of dialogue in Will and Viola’s conversations. Viola is quicker to come to terms with the inevitable idea that their love is ‘too flattering sweet to be substantial. The two are living in a brief ‘dream’, which can only last until Viola’s marriage to Wessex. â€Å"Master Will, poet dearest to my heart, I beseech you, banish me from yours –I am to marry Lord Wessex-a daughter’s duty. † However Will and Viola continue to pursue their risky love, getting caught up in the romance and Will boasts to Viola â€Å"for one kiss, I would defy a thousand Wessexes! † As a twenty-first century teenager, the concept of a class system preventi ng two people who love each other from being together was new to me.However I admired and appreciated the two protagonists for going against the rules of society and seeing each other in secret trying to convince themselves that â€Å"love knows nothing of rank or riverbank. † Throughout the film we are reminded through the various recurring motifs, that Will and Viola’s love is one that will not last the expectations and realities of Elizabethan England. The river Thames is a constant setting focus in the film, being the large body of water that not only divides Will and Viola, but The Rose Theatre and The Curtain Theatre.The Thames is spoken of and shown in large establishing wide shots throughout the film. This helps to remind the viewers that Will and Viola are separated, not just by the river but the laws of society that forbid one of the lower class masses to love a wealthy upper class woman. â€Å"Oh Will, as Thomas Kent my heart belongs to you but as Viola the river divides us and I must marry Wessex a week from Saturday. † Often when Will and Viola are together they are shown with the river as a background always highlighting the rift that the class system has created between them, they can never openly be together.This is also shown in the extensive use of disguise used throughout the film. Viola dresses as a boy, ‘Thomas Kent,’ so she might act in Will’s plays. Will also disguises himself as a woman so he can go with Viola to Greenwich. This motif is an allusion to the play that Will Shakespeare would later write, Twelfth Night, but its main purpose is to remind us that in order to be together in public they must appear as disguised forms of themselves, they cannot openly declare their love. The only occasion when Will and Viola can express their love for each other in public is in the opening performance of Will’s new play Romeo and Juliet.This shows the viewer that only in the theatrical world can th ese two really be together, this was interesting to see as the nature of love in sixteenth century England means that the two protagonists will fall in love but the truth of love in this era means that if they are not from the same class in society then they cannot be together. It was worth learning about the risks Will and Viola take in order to try and fit into each other’s worlds as it made me invest much more emotion into their relationship.Shakespeare in Love won an academy award for its use of costuming in the film, which is reflected when we see Viola throughout the film. She is dressed immaculately in elaborate gowns with intricate beading often shown in regal colours such as red and gold which highlight her wealth and status and remind the viewer that she is too above Will for their relationship to be acceptable in Elizabethan society. This is contrasted when we first see Will, he is clearly one of the masses in his worn workman boots, plain white hirt and ink staine d hands. He relies on his words for a living. Viola and Will are from separate worlds and are only equals in the opening performance of Romeo and Juliet where Will is dressed in equal amounts of finery as Viola. This shows that only in the make-believe world of the theatre can these two be equal and accepted. The idea that they cannot marry each other even though they are in love is hard to grasp in the modern day and is the reason why many were unsatisfied by the ending of the film.However it is worth learning that â€Å"love can spring between a queen and the poor vagabond who plays the king. † We see Will and Viola defy â€Å"rank and riverbank† in an awe-inspiring way but we learn that despite their risk taking, there is not always a happy ending. An unfortunate life is particularly likely for Viola because as a woman, during this era she had fewer rights. â€Å"Will she breed? †¦Yes, if she does not send her back. † Women also suffered greater conseque nces if they were to be caught acting in the theatre.This was a foreign idea for me to be learning about because as a twenty first century girl seeing actors regarded as ‘two-a-penny’ in the Elizabethan era was strange and hugely contrasting to the celebrity status actors enjoy today. So it can be seen that the truth of love in Elizabethan England separates the two protagonists who are without control over their own relationships and life choices, a reality for the time that is hardly seen in twenty-first century New Zealand making this theme in the film almost alien to a modern teenage girl like myself.John Madden successfully portrays the constrictions of Elizabethan England and the trials Will and Viola must undergo to be together through his use of dialogue, motifs and costuming. Even the queen ‘cannot part a couple who have been joined before God† and it is worth learning that we don’t always get a happy ending in life. Theme in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ Describe one idea worth learning about in the text. Explain why it was worth learning about. John Madden’s Shakespeare in love is a ‘romantic comedy’ set in sixteenth century England. Through its two unfortunate protagonists, Will Shakespeare ‘a lowly player’ with writer’s block and wealthy Viola De Lesseps who dreams of ‘love as there has never been in a play,’ it explores the idea of ‘the truth and nature of love’ in the Elizabethan era.Madden portrays the harsh realities of the time through filmatic techniques such as dialogue, motifs and costuming to constantly remind the viewer throughout the film that the romance that is shared by Will and Viola cannot last in sixteenth century England. This is worth leaning about because as a 21st century viewer I become more able to appreciate the struggle faced by the two protagonists, especially Viola as a woman, in the name of love.Madden makes it clear to the viewer from th e beginning of the film Shakespeare in Love, that the truth of love in sixteenth century England which is based on the idea of marriage as a method of obtaining social or financial gain divides the two protagonists who are separated by the class system. Madden enhances this key idea through the use of dialogue in Will and Viola’s conversations. Viola is quicker to come to terms with the inevitable idea that their love is ‘too flattering sweet to be substantial. The two are living in a brief ‘dream’, which can only last until Viola’s marriage to Wessex. â€Å"Master Will, poet dearest to my heart, I beseech you, banish me from yours –I am to marry Lord Wessex-a daughter’s duty. † However Will and Viola continue to pursue their risky love, getting caught up in the romance and Will boasts to Viola â€Å"for one kiss, I would defy a thousand Wessexes! † As a twenty-first century teenager, the concept of a class system preventi ng two people who love each other from being together was new to me.However I admired and appreciated the two protagonists for going against the rules of society and seeing each other in secret trying to convince themselves that â€Å"love knows nothing of rank or riverbank. † Throughout the film we are reminded through the various recurring motifs, that Will and Viola’s love is one that will not last the expectations and realities of Elizabethan England. The river Thames is a constant setting focus in the film, being the large body of water that not only divides Will and Viola, but The Rose Theatre and The Curtain Theatre.The Thames is spoken of and shown in large establishing wide shots throughout the film. This helps to remind the viewers that Will and Viola are separated, not just by the river but the laws of society that forbid one of the lower class masses to love a wealthy upper class woman. â€Å"Oh Will, as Thomas Kent my heart belongs to you but as Viola the river divides us and I must marry Wessex a week from Saturday. † Often when Will and Viola are together they are shown with the river as a background always highlighting the rift that the class system has created between them, they can never openly be together.This is also shown in the extensive use of disguise used throughout the film. Viola dresses as a boy, ‘Thomas Kent,’ so she might act in Will’s plays. Will also disguises himself as a woman so he can go with Viola to Greenwich. This motif is an allusion to the play that Will Shakespeare would later write, Twelfth Night, but its main purpose is to remind us that in order to be together in public they must appear as disguised forms of themselves, they cannot openly declare their love. The only occasion when Will and Viola can express their love for each other in public is in the opening performance of Will’s new play Romeo and Juliet.This shows the viewer that only in the theatrical world can th ese two really be together, this was interesting to see as the nature of love in sixteenth century England means that the two protagonists will fall in love but the truth of love in this era means that if they are not from the same class in society then they cannot be together. It was worth learning about the risks Will and Viola take in order to try and fit into each other’s worlds as it made me invest much more emotion into their relationship.Shakespeare in Love won an academy award for its use of costuming in the film, which is reflected when we see Viola throughout the film. She is dressed immaculately in elaborate gowns with intricate beading often shown in regal colours such as red and gold which highlight her wealth and status and remind the viewer that she is too above Will for their relationship to be acceptable in Elizabethan society. This is contrasted when we first see Will, he is clearly one of the masses in his worn workman boots, plain white hirt and ink staine d hands. He relies on his words for a living. Viola and Will are from separate worlds and are only equals in the opening performance of Romeo and Juliet where Will is dressed in equal amounts of finery as Viola. This shows that only in the make-believe world of the theatre can these two be equal and accepted. The idea that they cannot marry each other even though they are in love is hard to grasp in the modern day and is the reason why many were unsatisfied by the ending of the film.However it is worth learning that â€Å"love can spring between a queen and the poor vagabond who plays the king. † We see Will and Viola defy â€Å"rank and riverbank† in an awe-inspiring way but we learn that despite their risk taking, there is not always a happy ending. An unfortunate life is particularly likely for Viola because as a woman, during this era she had fewer rights. â€Å"Will she breed? †¦Yes, if she does not send her back. † Women also suffered greater conseque nces if they were to be caught acting in the theatre.This was a foreign idea for me to be learning about because as a twenty first century girl seeing actors regarded as ‘two-a-penny’ in the Elizabethan era was strange and hugely contrasting to the celebrity status actors enjoy today. So it can be seen that the truth of love in Elizabethan England separates the two protagonists who are without control over their own relationships and life choices, a reality for the time that is hardly seen in twenty-first century New Zealand making this theme in the film almost alien to a modern teenage girl like myself.John Madden successfully portrays the constrictions of Elizabethan England and the trials Will and Viola must undergo to be together through his use of dialogue, motifs and costuming. Even the queen ‘cannot part a couple who have been joined before God† and it is worth learning that we don’t always get a happy ending in life.

Difference Between Criminal and Civil Cases

Difference Between Criminal and Civil Cases PA101: The Paralegal Professional Unit 8 Dianna Marsh 11/13/2012 In today's society there are rules and regulations in place that determine how citizens are to behave. When these rules are not upheld, a need to resolve or punish the offending parties exist. Whether the offense is criminal or civil, the case is settled in a court of law. Although there are similarities between civil and criminal cases, there are many differences in the way these cases are handled. Both criminal and civil cases starts with filing a complaint.The parties that file the complaint is called the plaintiff. In a civil case the plaintiff can be an individual, corporation or government agency. In a criminal case the plaintiff is always the state or federal government. One of the key differences between civil and criminal cases is the burden of proof. In a civil case the burden of proof depends on a preponderance of evidence. In legal terms, a preponderance of evidenc e means that a party has shown that its version of facts, causes, damages, or fault is  more likely than not  the correct version, as in personal injury and breach of contract suits.This standard is the easiest to meet and applies to all civil cases unless otherwise provided by law. (Preponderance of the Evidence, 2010) In a criminal case the Burden of Proof is the responsibility of the plaintiff. The plaintiff must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. For example, in the case of the State v O. J. Simpson. The state of California was unable to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, that is why OJ was found not guilty of the murders he was accused of. He was, however found guilty of wrongful death in a civil suit filed against him with the same evidence.It is the juries responsibility to review the evidence and reach a verdict in the case. In a criminal case, the jury must return a unanimous vote for conviction. This is determined by whether or not the evidence and testimony presen ted proves guilt beyond reasonable doubt. If unable to do this, a not guilty verdict is reached and the defendant is released. In a civil case only 51% or 9 of 12 jurors votes need to be obtained for a guilty verdict. Once the verdict is reached a sentence or punishment is handed down by the judge. There are differences in this too.In a criminal case the punishment can be as little as a fine or as large as capital punishment, but most normally receives imprisonment. In a civil case punishment is usually monetary. You cannot be sent to prison. There are many other difference, but these are only a few. These systems are in place because they deal with the civil rights of an individual, and the protection of those rights. References: Cheeseman, H. ; Goldman,T. (2010). The paralegal professional  (3rd  ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. www. courts. uslegal. com, Burden of Proof, Preponderance of the Evidence, 2010

English Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

English Imperialism - Essay Example As the ssay discusses  english imperialism can be explained in the context of old and new colonization. In the colonial years, Britain made all of its colonies to learn and speak English. To date, most countries that were colonized by Britain have English as their official language.From this paper it is clear that  the imperialism theory by Galtung is used to explain imperialism. In this theory, Galtung identifies six types of imperialism including economic, political, communicative, military, social, and cultural imperialisms. Galtung considers imperialism to be a type of relationship where there is a dominant society and a minority society and the former dominates over the latter. Fragmentation, exploitation, marginalization, and penetration are the four major forces that are considered to perpetuate imperialism. Galtung in this theory considers shows the world as having a dominant centre, which in this case symbolizes the powerful nations of the west including their different interests, and the peripheries, which symbolize the developing and under-developed countries in the world. However, centres of power are shown to exist in the Centre and the peripheries and these exploit their respective peripheries.  Linguistic penetration in the periphery would act as a replacement of the old crude colonial tactics. Language is the major means that is used in communicating ideas and neo-neo-colonialism is enforces its control by ideas.  

Relapse Prevention the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors Term Paper

Relapse Prevention the Treatment of Addictive Behaviors - Term Paper Example In most cases, such individuals attempt to quit completely or try to modify such addictive behaviors such as by reducing their alcohol intake or smoking (Fisher and Harrison 2). A majority of individuals who make attempts in most cases become successful in changing such behaviors. However, among those who make attempts by seeking medical attention to change addictive behaviors, about 60 to 80% is seen to return to the same behavior after some time (Jonson 765). This is what is termed as relapse. Despite all the challenges that an individual faces in an attempt to move away from addictive behavior, it is necessary that such individuals be helped to cope with the challenge. Johnson (766) argues that the ultimate goal of relapse prevention and recycling success entails helping such individuals stop drug abuse or help them become more successful as they learn from experience. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on relapse prevention and substance abuse. Johnson (769) notes that interventions designed for relapse prevention have been made under the clinical application of Marlatt and Gordon’s model. The model came about after the advent of a focus on maintenance and relapse prevention. Under this model, interventions are designed so as to enhance the maintenance of behavior change and to ensure that there are self-management and skills for withstanding the challenges posed by relapses (Fisher and Harrison 12). Johnson notes that relapse prevention goals are twofold: preventing initial relapse and management of relapse to abate a complete relapse in case it fails to occur. Nevertheless, treatment goals based on the reduction of harm and reduction of substance use have also been tried. The effectiveness of relapse prevention models have been reviewed with regard to different substances and then matched with numerous intervention alternatives.

Identify at least three types of project procurement contracts Essay

Identify at least three types of project procurement contracts. Describe each and discuss the risk associated with both the buyer and the seller - Essay Example This contract settle the costs incurred by the seller and a pre-determined fee above the actual costs which represent the profit enjoyed (Carstens, Richardson & Smith, 2013). The seller therefore embarks on a project without limitations to expenditure but files all expenses incurred to be passed on to the buyer. This contract exposes the buyer to more risk than the seller because valuation will contain all expenses despite cases of poor workmanship and material resource mismanagement. An example of risk is where the buyer only receives receipts of purchases that are subject to negligence of the seller who may overlook good pricing of commodities in favor of convenience. Time and Material Contracts contain elements that are characteristic of the Cost Reimbursable Contracts and The Firm Fixed Price Contract. The contracts are best applied in cases of ambiguity or unclear statement of work (Carstens, Richardson & Smith, 2013). An example is where the workers need to be increased for shorter executions with an aim of meeting challenges previously unforeseen on the project. Alternatively, engagement of experts on certain aspects of work may require such contracts. This type of contract shares the burden of risk between the sellers and buyers. The risk falls more on the partner who requires the adjustments beyond basic agreements of project procurement contract. However, most cases call for open ends on buyers cost increase during periods of

Mammalian Stem Cells Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mammalian Stem Cells - Research Paper Example However, research has raised ethical and religious issues which oppose the duplication of body tissues. Our research shows that the benefit of mammalian stem cell culture has increasingly become important over the years in the production of antibodies, hormones and other vaccines essential for the treatment of various body ailments. Introduction Stem cells are found throughout the body of an animal. They occur in numerous numbers in the tissues such as the brain, adipose and the muscles. Stem cells help in maintaining the functioning and integrity of the tissues throughout the lifetime of an organism. This is because their main role is the replacement of the differentiated cells which are lost through attrition or other damages. Mammalian stem cells have the capacity of proliferating while maintaining their primitive states. In addition, they also differentiate into other specialized lineage. Due to their expansion and differentiation capabilities, there is high promise in the develo pment of cell based models of human diseases. This is because such diseases can be treated during the cell replacement therapies. Engineers and researchers have developed a theoretical approach and other cell culture systems. All this technologies are vital in the control of stem cell fate which is the ultimate goal to scale up the clinical grade during the production of stem cell therapies. Advancement of stem cells science and broadening of cell culture technology has led to arising of therapies and tissue engineering. This paper work gives an overview of tissue engineering and therapies of mammalian stem cells. It describes the current progress and prospect of stem cells research and its potential application in the medical treatment. Discussion Stem cell technologies and tissue engineering have currently emerged rapidly with an approach of addressing disease problems and other serious body complications. The two technologies are the interdisciplinary fields that use the principl e of bioengineering and other sciences towards assembling of the stem cells. This is important in restoring, maintaining and improving the functioning of the cell following their damage by disease or other traumatic processes. It is, therefore, easy to manage incurable diseases and loss of tissue through the successful therapies of artificial transplant of body organs. The general principles of stem cell engineering and tissue therapy are the combination of living cells with other synthetic scaffold to build three dimension living cells. The three dimensional cell structures aid in guiding the growth, organization and differentiation of cells. Synthetic scaffold should be biocompatible and designed in a way that it assists in meeting the nutritional and biological needs of different cells on the body. Their growth factors should be made of soluble peptides that are capable of binding the cellular receptors that provide permissive or preventive response of the cell towards differenti ation of the body tissue (Kim and Evans 12). Therapy And Tissue Engineering Fundamentals The concept of tissue engineering started in 1933 when tumor cells from the mouse demonstrated survival ability when they were implanted in the abdominal cavity of an embryo chick. Few decades later the chick’s pancreatic beta cells demonstrated that they responded by releasing insulin depending on the concentration of glucose in the body. In 1980, through the principle of tissue enginee

Marketing Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing - Research Proposal Example The credit crunch currently being experienced provides an opportunity for an understanding of its influence on buyer behaviour. This learning will allow marketing to work out strategies to operate efficiently in markets, where there is a paucity of credit. Such strategies could include giving tangible value to brands and pricing and promotion strategies in a market where there is a paucity of credit. Lenard, 2008 suggests that during paucity of credit, consumers tend to equate price and brand. In other words in the credit crunch have made consumers hypersensitive to price and this provides an opportunity to develop a pricing strategy that capitalizes on this hypersensitivity of consumers to price. Less of brand promotion and more of competitive pricing may be the requirement in such a marketing strategy (Lenard, 2008). Why has price become such a dominant factor in consumer behaviour? Even prior to the credit crunch wages as a share of national income has been showing a downward trend over the last three decades raising the level of the influence of price on purchase decisions. The credit crunch has heightened this influence of price on purchase decision (Harman, 2008). High value capital goods are among the first places to feel the impact of credit crunch. This can be seen in the changed behaviour in car purchases in the United Kingdom, fuelled by the higher prices of petrol and the credit crunch. In the United Kingdom new car registrations fell by 21.8% in September 2008 (Committee on Climate Change, 2008). Consumer behaviour reaction has not just impacted high value capital goods, but almost every product and service. For almost fifty years consumers were given a surplus of credit that enabled them to purchase with the minimal influence of price. The credit crunch changed all that in that it sparked recession in the UK in the final quarter of 2008, which led to an increase in

Legislative and Ethical Issues COPYRIGHT PROTECTION IN THE DIGITAL PowerPoint Presentation

Legislative and Ethical Issues COPYRIGHT PROTECTION IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT - PowerPoint Presentation Example This type of convergence leads to innovation and tight competition that is beneficial to everyone. However, some rules require review in order to cater for the new technological developments and policies (Ogawa 2006). New growth types will be generated by a digital market that is genuine and benefits will be registered at all European Union sectors of economic (Mazziotti 2008). The e-commerce growth rate is skyrocketing nationally but it is still marginalised in the retail trade of Europe and this hinders online services development (Solovay & Reed 2003). The deficiency of knowledge about the applicable rules, rights conferred and opportunities offered by digital economy enhances their reluctance (Blythe 2011). The difficulties associated with transactions across the border such as deliveries, dispute resolutions and payments discourage business people from accepting the internet advantages to purchase or distribute their services and goods (Ogawa 2006). Digital single market therefore has a long way to go before achieving its complete potential. Objectives that are geared towards growth potential of online services and commerce must be set up (Solovay & Reed 2003). Their boosting at the European level needs action that is concerted and firm as stipulated in the Digital Agenda for Europe (Tian 2008). This commission is dedicated to working along with stakeholders in order to achieve the set objectives. Most of the initiatives outlined in this commission have been adopted (Perritt 2001). Peer-to-peer networking is making use of computers that are relatively powerful, are personal and their computing tasks are beyond those of the client (Campbell & Woodley 2002). The current personal computer has a large memory, very fast processor and a large hard disk, not all of which are used when browsing or e-mailing (Ogawa 2006). This computer acts as a server and a client (a peer) for several applications. The features of

Anomaly Detection Methodologies Research Proposal

Anomaly Detection Methodologies - Research Proposal Example Besides, current practices and procedures aimed at identifying such patients are slow, expensive and unsuitable for incorporating new analytical mechanisms. Buckeridge (2007) argues that Current algorithms used for achieving this risk stratification are dependent on the labelling of the patient data as positive or negative. This classification implies that determining trends and subsets that are rare in a given population requires an analysis of large data sets and the identification of positive aspects up to a threshold level. This process, as explained above, is not just slow or expensive, but puts additional burden on patients and hospital administrators, thereby affecting the validity and effectiveness of such practices. The proposed study aims to use appropriate anomaly detection methods that are known to be suitable for detecting interesting or unusual patterns in a given data set. Bohmer (2009) says that new frameworks allow anomaly detection to be applied towards determining anomalous patterns in subsets of attributes associated with a data set. In simpler words, anomaly detection methods identify unusual occurrences with the data that appear to deviate from the normal behaviour exhibited by a majority of the data set. Examples of such anomalies include an epidemic outbreak, traffic congestion in a certain section of roads or an attack on a network (Applegate, 2009). The proposed research aims to extend the standard approach to anomaly detection by devising techniques to identify partial patterns that exhibit anomalous behaviour with the remainder of the data set. Such techniques are believed to aid in the detection and assessment of unusual outcomes or decisions related to patient management in healthcare institutions. Anomaly Detection Several studies by researchers like Nurcan (2009) and Anderson (2007) have applied anomaly detection techniques to healthcare. In fact, anomaly detection has proved useful in areas under clinical behaviour and medical t echnology such as blood samples, vestibular information, mammograms and electroencephalographic signals (Brandt, 2007). However, the same principles have found little application in enhancing the quality of patient care or identifying existing deficiencies in the assistance extended to patients. The proposed study aims to improve and extend anomaly detection techniques to such relatively unexplored domains. While previous studies have relied primarily on detecting existing conditions such as diseases, the proposed research will apply similar methods to ascertain the level of risk that accompanies a potential outcome being analyzed. Thus, the measurement of this risk as a result of uncovering anomalies is likely to help in forecasting the vulnerability of patients to certain diseases or deficiencies. The study proposed to utilize several anomaly detection methods by applying them to existing clinical data on patients. In doing so, the number of outcomes and patients being analyzed wi ll be much larger and wider than those adopted by previous studies. Some of the detection methods that will be included as part of the proposed study are listed below: Nearest Neighbour method As the name suggests, the nearest neighbour method helps detect patients (anomalies) from a given population based on information pertaining to their ‘n’ nearest neighbours. This method is based on the principle of vectors that are used to sum the distances between a point and it ‘n’ closes neighbours. As a result, dense and sparse regions are identified based on the total score which is lesser in the former case

The Piazza of San Marco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Piazza of San Marco - Essay Example The essay "The Piazza of San Marco" explores The Piazza of San Marco, the heart of Venice. This is where the famous Grand Canal, the largest canal in Venice takes its beginning from and where the most popular sights are located. The square is very old and has its roots as far back as in the ninth century. It was created then as a small space in front of the Saint Mark’s Basilica, and later, in 1777, it was extended and preserved its size up to nowadays. As we are to compare the condition of the Piazza in the Renaissance (approximately in the year 1500) and nowadays we should mark that, according to the information above, the square remained in its original size at the time of making the map of Jacobo de Barbari and the painting by Gentile Bellini. Nevertheless, i should be mentioned that in the painting of another artist, Giovanni Antonio Canal, square has the same look as in the modern times. To add more, it is notable that the square isn’t actually a square, it is a t rapezoid (Imboden).Regarding the general composition, the location of the buildings haven’t changed over centuries, but the details have. The architectural dominant of the Piazza is the Doge’s Palace, a building that used to serve as a residence for Venetian Doges. The palace is built in Italian gothic style. The first building appeared at that place back in the ninth century and looked as a fortress. In 976 this building was burned as a result of the rebellion, and later rebuilt in 1106. The major part of the modern palace.

Cambodian Genocide Essay Example for Free

Cambodian Genocide Essay Mass graves overflowing with bodies. Bodies which have been mutilated and burned lay on the ground. Carelessly thrown everywhere as if they are not even human. This was the sight in war torn Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge controlled Cambodia and terrorized the people. They killed people who were educated, from a certain ethnic group, from a certain region, opposed the Khmer Rouge or just wore glasses. People were taken to facilities used for killing and torture and were never seen again. People were forced out of the cities and put in work camps. The people from the cities were called the New People while the existing farmers and rural peasants were called Old People. The New People were despised by the Khmer Rouge for their Western ideas. The leader of the KR, Pol Pot set up the communist government in Cambodia after the U. S. A carpet bombed Cambodia and made it politically unstable. The genocide that followed this was horrendous. The effects of it still remain. The Cambodian Genocide followed the eight steps of genocide and negatively impacted Cambodia for years to come. Classification categorizes people based on their ethnicity, race, religion or nationality. A classification in this genocide was the Old People and the New People system. The people that were kicked out of the urban cities were called the New People because of their Western ideas. The people that were farmers before the Khmer Rouge takeover were called the Old People. The Khmer Rouge got most of their support from the rural people unlike the Soviets who gleaned their support from the urban elements. The New People were more abused than the Old People. They were considered the lowest in the village and had no freedom of speech. They had to listen to the other classes. They were also not allowed to farm because they had led â€Å"corrupt† lives and had to be trained to be â€Å"productive† workers. In order to break their spirits and instill a sense of loyalty, the New People were given the longest and hardest work. The New People were not the only people that were abused and killed by the Khmer Rouge. Muslim Chams were heavily killed and oppressed. They were forced to eat pork (which is highly discouraged in Islam). If they refused to eat it then they were killed with a blow to the back of the neck with a hoe. About 400,000 Muslims were killed through this extermination process. The classification stage was heavily used in the Cambodian genocide. Symbolization refers to how people apply symbols to these different categories. The Khmer Rouge assigned a blue scarf to the people who were from the Eastern Zones of Cambodia. This blue scarf was a basically a sign that told the Khmer Rouge who was marked for extermination.. They also killed people who wore glasses. They said that the glasses symbolized that the wearer could read and was therefore literate. They also targeted cities. They destroyed some and others were re purposed to fit their needs. They believed that the cities depicted a westernized ideology and that they could not fit into their peasantism ideology. Dehumanization is the third stage in genocide. It is the denial of the other groups humanity. It depicts the other group as being less human and helps the extremists get over their squeamishness to kill. This tactic was used to demonize higher ranking people of the opposition. This means that they painted their enemies as demons who threatened the well being of the revolution. All genocides are organized. No matter how little. The Khmer Rouge evacuated Phnom Penh which led to the desolation of cities. They also classified people as Old or New People which led to the division of the people. They separated families and children and sent them to work camps where they were forced to do hard labor. They also processed city dwellers and asked them to provide autobiographies in order to document their class background. This helped them draw up kill list for people who were suspected of treason or were just from an ethnic class that was despised by them or was unfit to live. Polarization is the act of killing the opposition or the moderates who oppose the extremists. The Khmer Rouge basically decided that they wanted to show that they had enemies. So they put the New People against the Old People. The New People hated the Old People because they were favored more by the Khmer Rouge and were not worked so hard and received more food. The Old People hated the New People because the Khmer Rouge hated them. This widened the gap between the people and made them easy to manipulate. They also painted the U. S. A and Vietnam as their enemies. Basically anyone who was tied to the West was considered an enemy. Dehumanization made it easier for the to kill the â€Å"enemy†. Identification is identifying the victims and classifying them. The Khmer Rouge was secretive from the beginning. They had an agenda that included the eradication of the Vietnamese in Cambodia, yet they relied on them as allies. In preparation, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia secretly killed Cambodians that had been trained by the North Vietnamese. They were also forced to remain hidden because they were violently attacked by Prince Sihanouks government. Ironically after his exile, he joined forces with the Khmer Rouge. But all their alliances were temporary even though the Vietnamese and Prince Sihanouk thought of them as permanent. The Khmer Rouge had their own agenda. The forced evacuation of Phnom Penh was a preparation step for the genocide. Extermination is basically a fancy term for genocide but the frankness of it shows the effects of dehumanization. Extermination is a term that describes the killings of pests. The victims are not considered humans. They are considered vermin or pests. This prompted the makings of mass graves and the brutal killings that took place. People were killed by harsh forced labor, mass executions and internal killings. The KR imposed harsh labor. They forced the people to work from dawn till dusk. They barely had any food and they were not allowed to grow their own. The KR also conducted mass executions in which hundreds of thousands of people were executed. After sometime the KR became paranoid and started killing their own members who they suspected of treason. They also killed members who were not behaving in a way that the KR wanted them to. Denial is when the country in which the genocide took place tries to cover up the evidence and divert attention away from the atrocities that were committed there. They basically burned all the records and then don’t allow historians to view the very little records that have survived the burnings. They hide the evidence. They cover up the mass graves. They burn then or try to dig them up some more. This is done to make sure that they cant be tried by a court for their actions. Denial is a big problem because the destruction of the evidence makes it harder to try the people behind the genocide. The cruelty that the Cambodian people under went is unimaginable. But the worst part is that we could have stopped this atrocity during the first six stages of the genocide. Our reluctance caused suffering for people who unfortunately lived in Cambodia. The people who were behind it may have been brought to justice but their actions are still affecting Cambodia today. The Cambodian Genocide followed the eight steps of genocide and negatively impacted Cambodia for years to come.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Analysis

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry | Analysis Playwrights of Color A Raisin in the Sun To be young, gifted and black (Lorraine Hansberry) is a phrase which is commonly associated with Lorraine Hansberry, which comes from the collection of autobiographical pieces which were put together by her ex-husband in her honor when she died. Throughout the years, individuals from all walks of life have come to America with dreams of a better life, in many different areas such as social, educational, and economical opportunities as well as political and religious freedoms. With these wishes and dreams, the phrase life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (Mitchell), which to many Americans embodies the American dream, can become a reality or just a harsh reminder of what the American dream stands for because for some it comes true but for many, they are never able to reach their dream. She wrote the play A Raisin in the Sun to show people that supporting friends and family members is important through the hard and trying time. If you are able to work hard and truly believe in you rself, dreams can come true in one form or another. The American dream to each individual, no matter age, race or gender has a different meaning. A Raisin in the Sun is important because it crosses over the continued debate of racial and gender issues which arose during the time this play was written, and even during the present day and age. Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago in 1930. Through her earlier years, Hansberrys parents sent her to public school rather than private schools in a protest against the segregation laws. In 1938, the Hansberry family was one of the first African American families to move into an all white neighborhood. After moving in, the neighbors threatened them with violence and legal action, but the Hansberrys would not put up with any of it and Hansberrys father would later bring his case all the way to the Supreme Court. When she finally went to college, she ended up studying at multiple schools including, the University of Chicago; at the Art Institute of Chicago; at the New School of Social Research in New York; in Guadalajara, Mexico; and at the University of Wisconsin(Encyclodpedia of World Biography on Lorraine Vivian Hansberry). While attending college, she saw a school performance of a play by the playwright Sean OCasey and decided to become a writer. In 1950, she ended up dropping out of college and moved to New York. While in New York, she decided to take classes in writing at the New School for Social Research and ended up working as an associate editor of Paul Robesons newspaper/magazine Freedom. During this period of her life, she met many leading African-American intellectuals, activists and famous writers, such as one famous writer, Langston Hughes. In 1953 Hansberry ended up marrying Robert Nemiroff, who was white, also a graduate student in Jewish literature, a songwriter, and took part in participating in the political events of the time at the protesting discrimination at New York University. Nemiroff gained his huge success with his hit song, Cindy, Oh Cindy, and after Nemiroffs success, and Hansberrys many part time jobs, she was able to settle down and devote herself entirely to writing. While writing, it eventually took its form in a play, which came from a poem by Langston Hughes, called Harlem. The success of the play, A Raisin in the Sun, end ed up winning the award for best play of the year, which made Lorraine Hansberry the first African American and the youngest American to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. She used her new fame to help bring attention to the American civil rights movement as well as African struggles for independence from colonialism(A Raisin in the Sun). After many years, Hansberry had marital problems with Nemiroff and they decided to divorce in 1964. Hansberry was only able to live long enough to see one other play, besides A Raisin in the Sun, be produced. On January 12, 1965, Hansberry died of pancreatic cancer at the young age of thirty-four. She ended up being one of the first playwrights to portray real African American characters and their struggles in day to day activities of African American life. This was shown in her play by the inspiration of her own familys struggles against the legal battles in segregated housing laws during her childhood. The working title of A Raisin in the Sun was originally The Crystal Stair after a line in an earlier poem by Langston Hughes, who was another African American playwright, poet, novelist, and short story writer. Hansberry ended up changing the title of her play again, after another one of Langston Hughes later poems, which asked: What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode (Hughes)? Produced and finished in 1957, the play A Raisin in the Sun, was the first drama by a black woman to be produced on Broadway. It took two years after it was finished, on March 1959, for the play to be revealed on Broadway at the Ethyl Barrymore Theater. From there, the Broadway production moved to the Belasco theatre and ran for 530 performances, where it started earning many awards. This play is unique in many aspects and covers many important issues. The play was unique because it was the first play to be produced on Broadway, written and directed by an African American and the first to have an all-black cast. The play gained huge success even though the producer, Phil Rose, had never produced a play, and large investors were initially not interested in it. In all the places the play was shown, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, the audiences absolutely loved it and shortly thereafter it became a huge success. With its huge success and fame, it ended up having a long run in theater a nd was later turned into a movie and after that, was later turned into a Broadway musical. The play, A Raisin in the Sun, is important in many different aspects of everyday life. With Lorraine Hansberry growing up how she did, in the neighborhood and time, she knew all about disappointment, false hope and despair. Hansberrys ancestors also knew about the hard times with exploitations, despair, frustrations and their dreams turning into dreadful nightmares as they came north to hopefully find a better life. Hansberry records the history of her ancestors nightmares in a Raisin in the Sun, by portraying a classic story of the Younger family, struggling to realize their dreams by escaping ghetto life. Hansberrys screenplay shows the story of the Younger family, but it actually reveals the plight of all families and individuals who have at one point experienced or those who are living right now, in despair, have lost hope in their life and have failed dreams and goals. Her immense dedication to this play, gives it its power for all people who read it and for those who end up de aling with it in everyday life. This play is an excellent choice for many different types of classes such as, literature, drama, history and film classes. The play will keep the attention of many different types of people based off of the plays action, dialogue, and cast of dynamic characters which captivate many different types of audiences from high school students through college students up to the adult readers. Young people endure many different frustrations with their lifestyle and rebel against parents which can bring little gratification at times. However, the adolescent who wants to truly believe that dreams do come true and are not made up, comes from the adolescent who is hiding beneath the cynical surface, making the heart beat of the true idealist. Through Hansberrys careful craftsmanship, the universal themes of the importance of dreams and the frustration of dreams deferred, the strength of family, the importance of not selling out, the problems of conflicting expectations, the belief that love and trust will win over deceit and selfishness, and the dangers of prejudice and stereotyping are as powerful today as they were nearly four decades ago when she wrote the play (TeacherVision). Adolescents come from many different families, with different types of problems and family structures, so they need exposure to the values which are shown within a traditional family, and this play delivers that without lecturing or preaching. Another reason A Raisin in the Sun is important is because of its historical value. The play shows the challenges and conflicts by reflecting the provocative natures through the racial attitudes through time, starting around the 1950s making its way to the present. Prejudice is seen in many forms, and the characters in Hansberrys play along with the screenplays visuals bring this theme to life like nothing ever could.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   This play represents life in the racial or ethnic community in many different and unique ways. The play is considered a turning place in American art because it addresses so many important issues and conflicts when this play was produced during the 1950s. The 1950s brought along the stereotypical age of the happy housewives and portrayed the African Americans as being comfortable with their inferior status. These stereotypes resulted in the social resentment that would eventually find public voice in the civil rights movement and importance in later movements such as the feminist movements of the 1960s. The play was also a revolutionary work for its time and can be shown by the way Hansberry created the African American Younger family, by portraying one of the first real and honest depictions of a black family on an American stage.   Usually in a play, groups o r individual African-Americans were always portrayed in the typical ethnic stereotypical roles and were displayed as small and comedic but this play overall portrays a united black family in a realistic light, which ends up being far from the comedic style which most people may think of. Hansberry uses black dialect throughout the play and introduces important issues, questions and concerns which many other families during this time and even during the present day and time run into, such as poverty, discrimination, and the creation of African-American racial identity. This play looks at the racial tensions between the black and white communities in addition to exploring the tensions within the black community itself. This can be shown when the family tries to reach their goals despite the challenges of poverty and racism all around them, by putting a down payment on a house in an all-white suburb neighborhood and shortly after this, the family is hit with racism in an unusual form f rom the white community. Throughout the play, Hansberry asks difficult and thought provoking questions about assimilation and figuring out ones true identity. One way this is shown, is through revealing Beneatha to a trend of celebrating African heritage, through the character of Asagai (her boyfriend and maybe future husband). Another important issue this play represents is how it addresses feminist questions about another important issue, marriage. The topic of marriage comes up for Beneatha in this play towards the end, which Hansberry portrays as not being necessary for all women and that every women should have ambitious career goals instead of giving up on their dreams before they have a chance to fight for their own personal dreams. Hansberry also approaches an abortion debate, which is touched on during a time when abortion was not allowed and is still causing concern and a lot of controversial talk today. Having this play written during the time period and being produced wh en it was, was such a huge success for someone with her status as being young, black and a woman growing up in the 1950s. This showed how much she overcame as a woman, how much people were starting to accept change and how people started understanding important topics which needed to be addressed during this time. No matter the age, race or gender of a person, it shows just how important the idealism of a single persons, race and gender is in the pursuit of dreams and just how crucial dreams are in an individuals life. As the play focuses primarily on dreams and what happens to the dreams in driving and motivating the main characters actions, emotions and feelings throughout the play, it also reveals what happens to people out in the real world. Any negative dreams that happen in an individuals life, no matter the age, gender or race of a person, seem to stem from the fact that people are placing stress and importance on objects rather than on family pride and happiness. Like the ma in point of this play says, if everyone attempts to support and encourage their family, and not only focusing on themselves and being selfless, they can lift each other up and support each other through the toughest of times. This can happen if you never give up hope on each other and never give up on your own dreams.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   This play focuses on major issues such as racism between white and black communities, abortion, marriage, assimilation and finding ones true identity but in the end the play boils down to a timeless point; dreams are what make each person, white or black, push on in life in order to live each day like it was their last. A Raisin in the Sun is central, in the continued debate over racial and gender concerns, making this play a critical cultural document in an essential period of American history. MLA Citation A Raisin in the Sun. 2009. SparkNotes. 15 November 2009 . A Raisin in the Sun. 2000-2009. TeacherVision. 14 November 2009 . A Raisin in the Sun: The Quest for the American Dream. EDSITEment. 4 December 2009 . Encyclodpedia of World Biography on Lorraine Vivian Hansberry. 2005-2006. BookRags. 14 November 2009 . Hughes, Langston. Harlem (A Dream Deferred). Lorraine Hansberry 15 November 2009: 1040. Liukkonen, Petri. Lorraine Hansberry. 2008. 14 November 2009 . Lorraine Hansberry. 15 November 2009: 1037. Mitchell, Diana. A Teachers Guide to Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun. A Teachers Guide to the Signet and Plume Editions of the Screenplay Lorraine Hansberrys Raisin in the Sun. 2 December 2009 . Moon, Andrea and Cathy Hartenstein. A Raisin in the Sun Study Guide. The Cleveland Play House. 4 December 2009 .

Analysing Gap Model On Burger King Commerce Essay

Analysing Gap Model On Burger King Commerce Essay The purpose of this assignment is to partially fulfil the requirements for MBA program and address the tasks as stipulated by the assignment brief for unit 19- quality and system Management. It shows understanding and application of key concepts of quality management in relation to its process, models and techniques by applying on Burger King. The assignment produced in a form of a business report. The report first outlines the using of theories, tools and techniques such as: gap analysis, time lines, and expectations on. This report devotes to various quality management theories and their application on Burger King. The contents of this assignment have been prepared after through research carried out by the author of the report on different organization using the guidelines and solutions offered by reputed authors on the subject of quality and system management. The report concludes on the issue of analysing gap model on Burger King to constantly evaluate its current marketing situation by using options available in line with theoretical framework. A full list of reference used is provided in the end of the report. 1.2 Research methodology: Two paradigms related with research methodology that are positivism and interpretive. Positivism is an epistemological position that advocates the applications of the methods of the natural sciences to the study of the social reality and beyond. But the term stretches beyond these principles, though the constituent elements vary between authors. However, positivism is also taken to entail some principles such as: only phenomena and hence knowledge confirmed by the senses can genuinely be warranted as knowledge. The purpose of theory is to generate hypothesis that can be tested and that will thereby allow explanation of laws to be assessed. In Positivism, knowledge is arrived at through the gathering of facts that provides the basis for laws. Positivism includes observation and experiments. It normally dominates business studies and does not require thorough justification. In positivism, experimental studies investigate relationship between variables where independent variable is mani pulated to observe the effect of dependent variable. Experimental studies confounding variable to obscure the effect of another variable. . Interpretive focuses on interpretation and understanding of text in the context of underlying historical or social forces. It makes a relationship which exists between direct description of experience and underlying dynamics or structures. This report is a descriptive one where interpretive methodology is used. Because by using this methodology the author is trying to describe social world and analyze the culture and behaviour of people from his own point of view. This report was basically contained on qualitative data by taking different employees interview, using computers and studying books related with topics. The report was administered by collecting secondary data. Task 2: 2.1 Research analysis and result: Company description: Company: Burger king Address: City: London Post code: E-mail: Fax: Mission statement of Burger King Companys vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. Burger king will meet customer expectations of: Highest quality Leading technology Competitive pricing Individual and company accountability Best-in-class service and support Flexible customization capability Superior corporate citizenship Financial stability About company: The name of my company is Burger king. It was founded by 2001 for the purpose of meeting customer expectations. Basically, the company serves hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts. With related to obesity condition in western nations and in the face of criticism over the healthiness of its products, the company has change its menu to include such healthier alternatives as salads, wraps and fruit. The companys business model is slightly unsimilar from that of most other fast-food chains. In addition to ordinary franchise fees and marketing fees, which are calculated as a percentage of sales? Customer expectation from: The company has a aim to continually build its brand by listening to its customers. It also determines the various stages in the marketing process. Customer expects consistent quality from the company. Its product is not high-quality because it is assumed a premium product, but because it consistently meets customer expectations. If a customer expects a quick, tasty meal in 3 minutes for about 5 bucks, then they know thats exactly what theyll get at Burger King. For the purposes of playing out the analogy, in Burger king: Value is served by meeting or exceeding a customers expectations for a price they are willing to pay. Quality is providing value consistently over time. But the customers of are not the same. Different customer expects different things from. Such as: Customer type Service Parents with two children to give the Children a treat they visits s Children They considered it as a funny place. A business customers Quick service and great taste. Teenagers Affordable saver menu. 2.2 Data Management: PEST Analysis: Product and marketing strategy: Burger king considered three elements in marketing strategy to be the worlds best quick service restaurant: People (being the best employer), Customers (providing them excellence) and System Growth (for owners/operators, suppliers and company. Burger King is bringing new products, usually for a limited period of time. Because management find that consumers like different things and different taste as well as a continuation of good products such as big Macs and Cheeseburgers. Also, they are well aware that if has too many products running at the same time then the speed of customer service will deteriorate. Alongside, doesnt give emphasis on healthier products in response to growing concerns about obesity. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the extent to which fulfils customers demands. According to 2001 consumer survey which is conducted by Sandelman Associates, was ranked as last out of 60 chains for taste. Statistics that explain cleanliness are not available and therefore the achievement of this objective is difficult to examine. Customer service quality is impossible to assess but it is renowned for being quick. So, there we can find a gap between product variety and customer demands. Ethical stance: The company thinks that their ethical stance is a way of considering, caring, and responding to issues within society, illustrating that they are a socially responsive organisation. Their main aim is to utilise and leverage every opportunity to develop the level of awareness and depth of understanding of various social responsibility issues, policies and practices so that they can increase their roles to society Burger King helps to many charities to achieve and show their commitment to being a good neighbour and partner within society. Despite of this, Youngster sue for Burger king for failing to warn that fast food can lead to obesity), heart disease, and diabetes, which customers are not warned about. This action stress on Burger king goal of doing what is right. Burger king apply strategy to overcome this problem is to serve nutritional information about every product it sells, while also putting fruit, salads, and pasta meals onto its menu. This is helping Burger king to transform into its junk food image. Although nutritional information is now accessible, more customers need to be made aware that this information is available. Environmental policies: Burger king is now wholly give emphasis to sustainable environmental practices believing in considering for the future generation and not misusing the facilities of today. Burger kings cleanliness is not available and therefore the achievement of this objective is difficult to examine. Wastage is another considerable factor where many companies fail in terms of utilising the available. Burger king is comprehensively environmentally friendly and does reach most of the stated aims and objectives. The goal in terms of encouraging environmental values and practices needs to be addressed more spontaneously to employees and managers similarly as opposed to the specialised Burger king Environmental Management System so that all employees of this organisation can give concentration on its environmental roles. Using this correctly could help the company to develop on environmental friendliness. Also, there needs to be a way of quantifying all necessary environmental data in order to ensure th at all employees are accepting an environmental responsibility resource. Financial performance: Return on capital of Burger kings stands at 9%, 23% less than Diageos and 11% less than that of the Yum Brands. Return on shareholders funds of its stands at 21%, 14% less than Diageos and 836% less than that of the Yum Brands. The reason the Stock Holders equity is so low because the fact that YUM has accumulated deficit and loss of income. The main comparison between Burger king and Diageo, its closest rival, is that their Sales per employee and profits per employee are significantly less at - £233,405 and - £45,791 respectively. This is largely due to them having six times more employees. Burger king hopes to close these gaps by a heightened focus on restaurant level execution and marketing. It can be argued that a reduction in significant item costs and an improvement in worldwide economic conditions will both also help to close the gaps. In fact, Burger kings success will be depend on continuation of their product consistency, better location choices and improved retail business model execution, particularly with regard to the training of employees. Service blue printing: They can links on: physical evidence, customer responses, service contact actions, support processes. Burger king can apply some processes for developing the standards: Identify the existing or desired encounter sequence. Translate expectation into behaviours or actions. Select behaviours or actions for standardization. Set as soft or hard standards. Develop feedback mechanism. Set target levels. Track performance against standards. Feedback to employees. Update target levels. Seven marketing mix of Burger king Product: When offering menu items, the important thing is to remember to customers is that they have a choice. They have a huge number of options of spending their money and places to spend it. However, Burger kings places considerable importance on developing a menu which customers want. Market research establishes exactly what this is. However, customers demands change time to time. What is fashionable and attractive today may be discarded tomorrow. Marketing continuously monitors customers preferences. For meeting these changes, Burger king should introduced new products and phased out old ones, and will continue to do so. Therefore, Care is not only taken to affect adversely the sales of one choice by introducing a new choice, which will cannibalise sales from the old one (trade off). Burger kings knows that items on its menu will vary in popularity. Their capacity is to generate profits will vary at different points in their life cycle. Action of marketing undertaken and the resources invested will be different depending on the stage a product as reached. For example, a new product launch will typically relate to television and other advertising support. In any time a company will have a products portfolio, where each in a different stage of its cycle. Some of Burger kings options are growing in popularity while arguably the Big Mac is at the maturity stage. Price: Value of customers perception is an important factors of the price charged. What a product is worth customers draw the picture of product on their mind. A product is a physical item and it has psychological connotations for the customer. There are some difficulties of using products low price as a marketing tool is that the customer may feel that a low price is symptom of compromised quality. It is very much important when deciding on the price to be fully aware of the brand and its integrity. Promotions: It includes marketing communication such as advertising which is conducted on TV, radio, in cinema, online, using poster sites and in the press. Other promotional sectors are sales promotions, point of sale display, merchandising, direct mail, telemarketing, exhibitions, seminars, loyalty schemes, door drops, demonstrations, etc. Marketing communications skill is to develop a campaign which applies several of these methods in a way that provides the most effective results. Place: The most important element of the marketing mix i.e. price is not just about the physical location or distribution points for products. Price gives emphasis on the management of a range of processes involved in bringing products to the end consumer. People: Burger kings employees have a standard uniform and McDonalds specially focuses on friendly and prompt and effective service to its customers from their employees. Process: Burger kings food manufacturing process is completely transparent where the whole process is visible to the customers. Physical evidence: Burger king s concentrates on clean and hygienic interiors of is outlets and at the same time the interiors are attractive and the fast food joint maintains a proper etiquette at its joints. The marketing strategy is in place various responsibilities are given to different individuals so that the plan can be implemented. Systems can be put in place to obtain marketing feedback which measure success against short-term targets. Burger kings has to ensure that this is done within the confines of a tightly controlled, finite marketing budget. 2.3 Resource and support: SWOT analysis of Burger King: Strength: Detailed market research and the brand to create the right marketing mix. Weaknesses: They have to keep innovating on their service because they are already existed in market during long time. Opportunities: By serving in a quickly and friendly way, number of customer can be increased. Threat: Number of competitors is increased which change customer styles and their taste and demand. Porters generic strategies: At the heart of the Porters generic strategies is the assumption that the organization will seek to dominate a segment of the market, seeing off all competitors by the excellence with which they serve those segments. Porter recommends gaining and maintaining competitive advantage. Porters generic strategies are best represented by a triangle which is shown in the following figure: Porters Generic Strategies Target Scope Advantage Low Cost Product Uniqueness Broad (Industry Wide) Cost Leadership Strategy Differentiation Strategy Narrow (Market Segment) Focus Strategy (low cost) Focus Source: Quick MBA Differentiation: This implies that the organization purses a strategy where it offers a product or service which is uniquely different from those of its competitors. It also must be known at least as a segment of the market, valued above the offer of others. Cost leadership: This is a strategy where the organization enables itself to provide the product or service at a cost less than any other competitive organization. Focus: Actually this is the combination of the differentiation and cost leadership strategy and Burger king follow the focusing strategy. Their strategies are: Aggressively restructuring to operate profitably at the current demand and changing model mix. Accelerating the development of new products that their customer want and value. Evaluating to a new level of performance. Strong marketing abilities. Product standards. Long tradition in the industry Products making skills Low cost distribution system Intense supervision of labour. Combination of these above policies directed Ford Company to focus on their target product or services at a given market. . Financial statement: Trading account of Burger king for the year ended 31.12.2010  £  £ Sales revenue 8, 30,000 Less: cost of sales Opening stock 1, 55,000 Purchases 4, 30,000 __________ 5, 85,000 Less: closing stock 1, 68, 000 4, 17,000 __________ Gross profit 4, 13,000 The profit and loss account of Windsor gifts Ltd. For the year ended 31.12.1996  £  £ Gross profit 4,13,000 Less: expenses Wages and salaries 1, 45,000 Rent and rates 50,000 Heating and lighting 25,000 Telephone and postage 12,000 Advertising 15,000 Insurance 23,000 Other miscellaneous 35,000 _________ 3, 05,000  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­________ Profit before tax 1, 08000 Less: corporation tax 32,000 __________ Profit after tax 76,000 The profit and loss account of Windsor gifts Ltd. For the year ended 31.12.1996  £  £ Sales revenue 8,30,000 Less: cost of sales 4,17,000  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­________ Gross profit 4,13,000 Less: expenses 3,05,000 ________ Profit before tax 1,08,000 Less: corporation tax 32,000 ________ Profit after tax 76,000 Dividends paid 46,000 ________ Retained profit 30,000 Burger king Ltd. Balance sheet as at 31, December 1996  £000  £000  £000 Fixed assets: Premises 350 Fixtures and fitting 80 Vehicles 75 ______ 505 Current assets: Stock 168 Debtors 120 Cash at bank 45 _________ 333 Less: current liabilities: Trade creditors 140 Taxation owed 32 Dividends owed 46  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ ________ 218 Working capital 115 Net asset employed _______ 620 Financed by: Shareholders funds Ordinary share capital (300,000 shares at  £1) 300 Reserves 100 Retained profit 30 Less: corporation tax _______ 430 Long term liabilities: Bank loan 190 Capital employed ____ 620 Task 3: 3.1 Conclusion: To survive in such a competitive market place, any company must continue to build a strong relationship between quality standards and customer expectations. And the authority should also concentrate on customer demand. The report comprises of different tasks which outline the application of different methods and techniques such as Porters generic strategy on Burger king and in last part it shows the SWOT analysis and seven marketing mix of Burger king. In task 1, it can be concluded that, Burger king must continue to create strong customer service strategies and give concentration on quality standards and customer expectations. In task 2, the report shows that Burger king should give concentration to increasing the market share in compare to yum brands and Diageo. In task 2, the report gives conclusion of downsizing business system of Burger king. Burger king should attract customer with a credible value proposition and to constantly engage them in ways to that endeavour them to the company. An extensive situational review is required to address these issues and be kept up-to-date with the market developments as well as assess risks to plan business accordingly. 3.2 Recommendations: Though there are many difficulties of Burger king in their service operation and quality standards, that and customers of this organizations can face it, but the author can recommend some solution of it. Such as: in task 1, the author find that Burger king can make their service different, improve total quality in service management, identify gap of their service and can give concentration on customer expectations and try to retain their customer.. In task 2, Burger king can provide training to improve its employees efficiencies but they should more concentrate on customer expectations and standards of quality. In the end of the report, Burger king aim can be utilising and leverage every opportunity to develop the level of awareness and depth of understanding of various social responsibility issues, policies and practices so that they can increase their roles to society but the author recommends that they should give emphasis on their variety of products because more competitor and m ore imitators are entered into the market. Not only this, Burger king apply strategy to overcome the problem of youngster sue, is to serve nutritional information about every product it sells, while also putting fruit, salads, and pasta meals onto its menu. This is helping Burger king to transform into its junk food image. Although nutritional information is now accessible, more customers need to be made aware that this information is available. Burger kings success will be depend on continuation of their product consistency, better location choices and improved retail business model execution, particularly with regard to the training of employees. Marketing continuously monitors customers preferences. For meeting these changes, Burger king should introduced new products and phased out old ones, and will continue to do so. Limitations of the report: The study is not free from some practical limitations. Following limitations have faced during the study and the time of working and data collection: The author could not collect all the necessary data due to the workload of the employees. Some desired information could not be collected due to confidentiality of the organizations. Due to lack of practical experience, some errors might be occurred during the study. Therefore, maximum efforts have given to avoid mistakes. The time frame of the report was very limited. The report was done within three months.

charhf Character in Huckleberry Finn Essay -- Adventures Huckleberry

The Importance of Character in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the world’s most acclaimed books. Twain accomplishes this with his extraordinary power of humor, his use of dialect, and by creating complex and unique characters. Developing his characters is one of the greatest assets he has in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A character that exemplifies this most is Huck Finn, first appearing as rouge, but later transforming into a character with high moral values. Early on in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, we see Huck as a rogue figure. He jokes about killing people, and he insists that it must be fun. The idea of a gang seems good to Huck and all the other boys, so they all decide to "take an oath and write [their] name in blood" (Twain, 9). All of them are now part of this vicious gang and swear "to kill the families of boys that told secrets" (Twain, 9). The whole idea of doing things that are written about in books excites Huck, so he sticks with this plan and follows Tom; that is, until he gets on the river. On the river, Huck and Jim are free of the society that binds them. Jim is free and does not bear any of the prejudices of the world that plague him on the shore, says Ben Christensen. Jim does not have to live in fear of being beaten for being himself and he does not have to worry about being called stupid. Also, he says that Huck is allowed to think for himself here -- unshaped by the thoughts of society. He is always saying how Jim does not act like any other black he had been told about. Huck’s morality prevails on the river (Christensen). There are many spots on the river where Huck... ...oke can hurt no matter what race a person is. Huck knows the difference between right and wrong and knows to stay away from wrong. Huck also knows the importance of friendship and is willing to go to Hell to preserve the friendship between himself and Jim. Even though he does not show his moral traits, Huck is a moral character whether he likes it or not. Works Cited Christensen, Ben. Huck Finn’s Contention With The Values Of Society. Online. February, 1995: http://internet.ocii.com/~benjc/essay/english/huckfinn.html. Pain, Albert. Huck Finn Comes into His Own. Online. 1999: http://marktain.miningco.com/library/biography/bl_paine_ch153.htm. Rasmussen, Kent. Mark Twain A to Z: The Essential Reference to his life and Writings. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1995. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Bantam Books, 1884.

Female Genital Mutilation :: Female Circumcision

Female circumcision, better known as Female Genital Mutilation, is an ugly monster finally rearing its head from out of the depths of time. It can attack a girl at any age, with a little prompting from her society, and the aid of an unsuspecting human wielding the knife. Usually, it is performed from a few days after birth to puberty, but in some regions, the torture can be put off until just before marriage or the seventh month of pregnancy (Samad, 52). Women that have gone beyond the primary level of education are much less likely to fall victim to the tradition ("Men's...", 34). The average victim is illiterate and living in a poverty-stricken community where people face hunger, bad health, over-working, and unclean water ("Female...", 1714). This, however, is not always the case. As one can see in the following story of Soraya Mire, social classes create no real barriers. Soraya Mire, a 13-year-old from Mogadishu, Somolia, never knew what would happen to her the day her mother called her out of her room to go buy her some gifts. When asked why, her mother replied, "I just want to show you how much I love you." As Soraya got into the car, she wondered where the armed guards were. Being the daughter of a Somolian general, she was always escorted by guards. Despite her mother's promise of gifts, they did not stop at a store, but at a doctor's home. "This is your special day," Soraya's mother said. "Now you are to become a woman, an important woman." She was ushered into the house and strapped down to an operating table. A local anesthetic was given but it barely blunted the pain as the doctor performed the circumcision. Soraya was sent home an hour later. Soraya broke from her culture's confining bonds at the age of 18 by running away from an abusive arranged marriage. In Switzerland, she was put in a hospital emergency room with severe menstrual cramps because of the operation. Seven months later, the doctor performed reconstructive surgery on her. Now in the U.S., Soraya is a leading spokeswoman against FGM (Bell, 58). In addition to being active in the fight against FGM, she is a American filmmaker. She has come a long way. Being well-educated about the facts of FGM also brings to light the ugly truth. "It is happening on American soil," insists Soraya. Mutilations are occurring every day among innigrants and refugees in the U.S. (Brownlee, 57). Immigrants have also brought the horrifying practice to Europe, Australia, and Canada (McCarthy, 14). Normally, it is practiced in North and Central Africa ("Men's.

The Cognitive Dissonance Theory by John L. Cotton :: Cognition Psychology Essays

The Cognitive Dissonance Theory by John L. Cotton When I hear Cognitive Dissonance, I say to myself, "Cogna Who?" I could barely say the word let alone be able to explain the theory to someone else who has never heard of it. So I took it upon myself to get schooled up on the Cognitive Dissonance Theory. Doing this was no barrel of laughs. But one night while I was sitting by the fire having some wine and cheese I was reading Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, there was an article by John L. Cotton that explained the Cognitive Dissonance Theory. To my surprise the article which was named "Cognitive Dissonance in Selective Exposure." After reading the article several times so that I would not miss a single bit of information, I think I have a clear understanding of Cognitive Dissonance. Now for all that know me, I would never keep this information to myself, but I am going to share Cognitive Dissonance with all you web surfers out there. Are you ready? Well, ready or not get ready to set sail and ride into the world of Cognit ive Dissonance! Research Probably the best quote that Cotton gave was that everyone "selectively seek, choose, and screen the information that we use." How true is this in your day to day lives? Think about it, we are constantly making decisions that we think that are beneficial to us and the people around us. For instance, if all of the boys want to got to the bar and have a few smoothies, you are more inclined to go along with everyone else because you do not want to ruffle anyone's feathers. Let us dig a little deeper into this theory and break it down. First off, what is cognition? I was not too sure either until the article explained what cognition was. Cognitions are "attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about one's behavior, or any other knowledge about oneself or the environment." So basically all of our actions and feelings that we have are cognitions. Understand the cognitive part of it a little better? Do not worry we will be back to explain this further. How about we tackle the dissonance part of th is theory and see where we can go with it. Dissonance is the concept that when a person becomes "aware that two or more of these cognition's are contradictory, dissonance is created.

Kellogg Book Essay

This book is intended to be a resource for members of the Kellogg School of Management Class of 2005 as they look for summer internships in the consulting industry (as well as for general management internships) for the summer of 2004. The book will also be useful to current first-year students during the fall of 2004 as they look for full-time postKellogg consulting jobs, as well as to the yet-to-be-admitted Kellogg Class of 2006 in their summer and full-time job searches. While we hope this document results in more Kellogg students reaching their employment goals, we are also confident that using this resource to prepare for case interviews will reduce the stress associated with the interviewing process. Additionally, students will find this document to be a useful reference for Kellogg’s core strategy course, MGMT 431, regardless of whether or not they plan to interview for consulting jobs. This introduction will provide an overview of the different sections of the book, recommend how it is to be used, and offer general thoughts of how this fits book in to the bigger picture. To this last point, the book is not intended to be the only resource that Kellogg students will need during the recruiting process for consulting. Rather, it is meant to be a central body of work that provides a complete and thorough introduction to the process, offers its reader a road map of the basic toolkit needed to succeed in these interviews, and also points him or her to other resources that may be helpful. Background on this book and acknowledgements can be found in Appendix A. 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 2 Sections This book is divided into six sections, plus five appendices. Section I is this introduction, whose goals are stated above. Section II provides an overview of the case interviewing process and offers general advice on how to perform magnificently during the interviews. (It is adapted primarily from the Fleischmann, Fong, and Marciano article that is alluded to in Appendix A, and has been reorganized into seven sub-sections. ) Section III provides ten sample cases. The first seven of these are meant to be solved in a 30-to-45 minute interview; the first six contain slides. The last three cases are shorter and attempt to emulate the 10-to-15 minute case nterviews that are used by some consulting firms. After all of the practice cases, Section IV discusses fit interviewing, which is a typically smaller, but no less important, part of the overall process. Again, this section is adapted primarily from the earlier work of Fleischmann et. al. Section V provides one-page overviews of each of the eleven consulting firms that are currently planning to in terview Kellogg first-years for jobs during the summer of 2004. Of special interest in this section are the interview formats used by various companies. Students who are interviewing should use this information to customize their case practice and preparation, based on the formats used by the companies that are most of interest to them. Finally, Section VI provides some concluding thoughts and attempts to synthesize the key â€Å"take-away† points of the book. How To Use The Book We would like to conclude this introduction by orienting the reader as to how we envision this book being used. We have mentioned previously that it is not designed to be the only available or necessary resource on the subject. Students who attempt to use it in this way are doing themselves a disservice. Instead, it should be used in tandem with the many other 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 3 resources that are available, such as case books from other business schools, Kellogg Career Management Center (CMC) counselors, students at Kellogg who have worked in consulting or are planning to, company representatives and literature, and the rest of the list of resources that is summarized in Appendix B. As for this book, sections I, II, IV, and VI are written to be read straight through (not necessarily in only one sitting). Section III provides practice cases that should be used or studied one at a time. Section V provides thumbnail data on companies that are interviewing at Kellogg, and is meant to be a quick reference for students who are interviewing in those firms. Particular attention should be placed on the various interview formats used by each different company. To maximize results, candidates should study cases that most closely mimic the ones that are given by the firms that they are planning to interview with and/or most want to work for. It is our hope that the combination of this book and of other available resources will maximize the effectiveness of Kellogg students during the winter quarter 2004 interviewing process. If anyone has any questions about the book or the process, they should feel free to directly contact me, either of the Associate Editors, Prof. Marciano, the Kellogg CMC, or any of the 2003-2004 Kellogg Consulting Club co-chairs1. We are all here to help Kellogg first-years get as many summer consulting job offers as possible. Best of luck in the process! Edwin Van Dusen Editor, 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book Evanston, Illinois December, 2003 1 The co-chairs are Leo Castro, Ami Fadia, Hanna Norfleet, Jason Greenwald, Brian Oxley, and Ojas Wadikvar, all from the Kellogg Class of 2004. 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 4 II. How to Ace Case Interviews2 Overview of Section This section provides a complete and comprehensive overview of the case interview process and is probably the single most important section in the book, along with Section III on practice cases. It offers advice on how to best navigate the process, and is divided into seven sub-sections to make the material easier to understand and digest: 1. Sub-section one provides an overview of the case interviewing process. 2. Sub-section two discusses the use of frameworks, and the need to strike a balance between a structured approach and the pitfalls of an overly regimented analysis. 3. Sub-section three walks through a step-by-step illustration of a case interview and is in turn sub-divided into five parts. 4. Sub-section four reviews several common case situations and how to handle them. These include public math, how to get unstuck, and the infamous estimate questions. 5. Sub-section five reviews seven common types of cases that are frequently found in case interviews. 6. Sub-section six goes through some overall tips on how to handle the process. Please do not be put off by the â€Å"laundry list† format of this section, for it contains some important nuggets of advice and wisdom. 7. Finally, sub-section seven provides some concluding thoughts about the process. 2 As mentioned in the Introduction, the text in this section has been primarily adapted from the 2001 Fleischmann, Fong, and Marciano article, although some of the content and wording are new. They, and we, would like to give special thanks to Jason Moss and Chris Riley (both members of the Kellogg Class of 2001) for their invaluable contributions to the initial document, from which this section is primarily adapted. 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 5 We have endeavored to distill the most important aspects of the case interview process into this section while keeping it to a manageable length. Obviously, since entire books have been written on this subject, it was not possible for us to include every detail or every opinion on the matter. Students should probably begin by reading this section to get the major points, and then can consult some of the additional resources listed in Appendix B if they feel that they still need to get more depth and detail. Sub-Section One of Seven – Overview of Case Interviews This section will describe the format and structure of case interviews, discuss the various types of cases that one may encounter, and provide practical tips and advice on enhancing one’s chances for success. Fit interviews will be discussed in Section IV later in this book. The consulting interview process may be unlike any series of interviews that a person has been through before Kellogg. While each consulting firm has its own distinct style and method of interviewing, virtually all screen candidates using a combination of â€Å"fit† and â€Å"case† interviews. Understanding and being prepared for both of these types of interviews improves one’s chances of obtaining a position in the field and also reduces the angst associated with the process. The framework is simply a tool to help you structure your response, so do not get too hung up here and waste valuable time that you could be using to advance the discussion. Your initial framework should be a broad sketch, not a detailed blueprint, of how you intend to go about solving the case problem. The details of your analysis should evolve interactively with the interviewer as you progress through the interview. Based on the framework you have developed, you should be able to identify several possible paths towards addressing the case issue. For example, consider a case about Firm X whose profits declined last year. Firm X’s reduced profits could be due to sagging revenues, rising costs, or both. Given that your interview time is limited, it is important to prioritize the issues you will investigate in the case. Investigate the most likely solution to the problem first, followed by the second most likely, and so on. The initial information that you have been given 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 14 may steer you towards a particular path. Take cues (subtle or overt) from your interviewer about which paths hold the most merit. For example, if you were told that Firm X recently altered its product mix, you might want to start by examining the prices of its various products. Based on the information you have received, and the framework you have developed, you should formulate an initial hypothesis about the case problem you are evaluating. In the parlance of case interviews, a hypothesis is what you believe to be the central issue of the case, or the solution to it. With regard to Firm X, your initial hypothesis could be that the root cause of its declining profits is that it is selling relatively more low price/low margin products than it had in the past. You may not be given enough information at the onset of a case to develop a reasonable hypothesis from the start. If that happens, progress through your framework, elicit information from the interviewer, and develop a hypothesis as soon as you can. If your initial hypothesis turns out to be wrong, which is often the case, try another one. It is not an automatic â€Å"ding† to not guess the answer correctly on the first try. But it is a likely â€Å"ding† to give up or to lose sight of the main issue, which is to eventually solve the client’s problem. Some firms are more or less receptive to hearing an interviewee, very early on, state a hypothesis for analysis. The key lesson here is to know the firms that you are interviewing with. If you are interviewing with a firm that conducts its cases/engagements with an â€Å"Answer First† approach, then you should probably state a hypothesis early and then relate findings to it as the case progresses: â€Å"this supports my initial hypothesis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"that seems to refute my initial belief, my revised working hypothesis is now†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Other firms may conduct their work by doing much more detailed data collection before forming a hypothesis. In this case, strive to form a hypothesis, but hold back on stating it until you have collected more data: â€Å"OK, I think I now have enough information to form a hypothesis – based on facts A, B and C, it looks like X might 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 15 be happening. Here’s how I would evaluate whether X is truly going on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With these firms, you may look like you’re jumping to conclusions if your hypothesis isn’t fact-based. Ask members of the firm about their firm’s preference prior to your interview (that’s what all those cocktail receptions are for). Step Three of Five – Articulation After you have developed your analytical framework, prioritized potential solution paths, and formulated your initial hypothesis, the next step is to articulate them to the interviewer. In the case of Firm X, it might go something like this: â€Å"Given that Firm X has experienced a decline in profitability, I am going to begin my evaluation by investigating the various elements that make up profit, namely revenues and costs (framework). Since you mentioned that Firm X has seen its product mix change over the past year, I will begin by analyzing the firm’s revenues, focusing first on pricing (prioritization). It could be that a decline in Firm X’s average price is causing its profits to suffer (hypothesis). If that turns out not to be the case, then I will look at changes in the company’s cost structure. † It is critical in case interviews to demonstrate a structured, logical, and thorough thought process. If you do not verbalize your thought process to the interviewer, (s)he will not be able to evaluate your performance. In addition to talking through your thought process, you may find it beneficial to sketch out your analysis framework on your note pad. Writing down your framework will help you to organize your thoughts, and to regain focus if you get stuck or your analysis becomes very complicated. Just as importantly, an illustrated framework shows the interviewer that you are thinking in a structured manner, and makes it easier for him or her to guide you. Many successful consulting interviewees extol the importance of â€Å"paper management† in case interviews. Interviewers often encourage candidates to take notes, and some even keep 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 16 those notes to help remember the path that the interviewee took during his or her case. Whether or not this happens to you, your notepad is an excellent communications medium during your interview. Consultants are generally graphical thinkers – even if they didn’t start this way, they now communicate in slides, charts, and graphs. Speak their language – sketch out your thoughts on your paper, write large, and show the interviewer what you are doing. It is not uncommon for an interviewer to look under an interviewee’s shoulder onto his or her notepad, and comment on it and/or ask questions about its contents. For example, â€Å"I see from your notes that you have come up with five reasons why Firm A should acquire Firm B, and the first one is distribution synergies. What do you mean by that? † Draw out your framework so that the interviewer can see where you’re going, and steer you accordingly. Many interviewees divide their paper into three sections. In the first section, they note facts about the situation (both those given in the initial situation explanation as well as facts uncovered through questions). In section two, analysis is performed, and in section three key findings/conclusions are noted (this section is especially helpful when the candidate is asked to â€Å"sum up† at the close of the case). Note: this does not have to all occur on the same page – feel free to use multiple sheets of paper; the clearer your actions are to the interviewer, the better. Be as graphical and as structured as possible whenever you seek to convey concepts like organizational structure or whenever you do quantitative analysis. Quantitative analysis, in particular, should be laid out in rows and columns â€Å"Excel-style† (ideally with the equation noted above the columns) so that interviewers can follow your calculations. Doing fancy math in your head is great, but it’s more important to illustrate to the interviewer how you are coming to your numbers than to wow them with calculation speed. Your arithmetic may be correct, but your equation may be missing a critical variable. Drawing out your thoughts helps the interviewer 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 17 identify this and correct your course. This is far preferable to leaving the interviewer wondering why your number does not match the number that is given in the case solutions. To err is human, but to do so in a way that leaves the interviewer wondering about whether the problem was with your arithmetic or your thought process is likely to prove fatal. Step Four of Five – Analysis: Ask Questions, Gather Information, and Test Hypotheses Having articulated your framework and initial hypothesis, you are ready to move into the analysis phase, which should be the bulk of the interview. In the analysis phase, you should ask questions, synthesize the information provided, and draw conclusions based on the facts. By asking questions and bringing to light new information, you will be able to determine whether your initial hypothesis was valid or invalid. If the data proves your hypothesis to be invalid, systematically follow your framework and progress to the issue with the next highest priority. In addition, based on new information you receive, develop a new hypothesis as soon as possible. For example: â€Å"Based on what I’ve learned so far, it appears as though Firm X’s product mix and revenues are not the most important cause of its declining profitability. So now I’ll move on to investigate the firm’s costs (transition to next branch of the framework). You mentioned that Firm X recently signed a new agreement with its unions, so I’ll start by examining its labor costs. It could be that an unfavorable union contract has inflated the firm’s labor expenses and negatively impacted its profits (new hypothesis). † Asking questions, collecting information, and developing and testing hypotheses is an iterative process, and constitutes a good case interview. As you receive answers to your inquiries, you should be able to hone in on the solution to the problem, and the interviewer may point you in the right direction. Even if all of your hypotheses are ultimately proved invalid, if 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 18 you have solicited relevant facts and drawn conclusions in a structured, logical manner, you will have done well. Do not forget that it is important to verbalize your thought process throughout the entire interview. Avoid long periods of silence — the interviewer is attempting to evaluate how you think, and mute introspection precludes this. When doing calculations, tell the interviewer everything that you’re doing. This maximizes the interviewer’s ability to coach you and illustrates your thought process. It takes practice to be able to do this with aplomb, but it is a skill well worth developing. Asking questions is a fundamental part of the process, but remember to do so within the context of your framework, as opposed to firing off questions in no particular order. As you work through the case, it is a good idea to verbally summarize where you are, what you have learned, what the information means in diagnosing the problem, and where you are headed next. Summarizing can also be a useful technique to buy yourself time to think if you become stuck. Take caution not to summarize too frequently, however, because it takes away from the time that you should be using to analyze the case issue. Step Five of Five – Summary and Recommendation When you feel you have covered all the bases in your analysis, or when you have run out of time, end by summarizing the situation and providing a recommendation. If at all possible, always end your interviews with a succinct recommendation. Try not to recap the path of analysis that you have just performed. Instead, draw on key facts to give a clear answer to the central question of the case. For example, â€Å"I do not recommend that the firm enter the market, given that the industry in question is characterized by low barriers to entry, intense rivalry, and significant supplier power† (all of which you discovered through your analysis). 2004 Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book 19 You might also add next steps or additional considerations, as appropriate, to make your analysis more balanced and thorough. For example, â€Å"Based on the discussion that we had today, I would not recommend at this point that the firm enter the market. However, I would also want to know more about the regulatory trends in the market, and about the industry’s distribution channel mix, before making a final decision in a real situation. † Remember, cases are usually complex. If you imply to the interviewer that you have completely addressed the issue in 30 to 45 minutes, you may be perceived as short-sighted or arrogant. It’s much better to state what you’ve found and can reasonably infer, and then identify the areas that you’d like to further penetrate (if given more time) and the assumptions that you’ve made that you think your conclusions are most sensitive to. An important point to keep in mind is that even if you are dead wrong, if you have approached the problem in a logical, structured, and thorough manner, you have done well. You will likely encounter the â€Å"elevator test† at the end of some of your interviews. It typically goes something like this, â€Å"We’re out of time. Sum this up in 30 seconds so I can tell the client our major findings. The purpose of this exercise is to see whether you can identify the most important elements of the case, distill complex issues into concise, easily understandable terms, and maintain your poise when thrust into a stressful situation.