Fiat 500 Failed Project

Reasons for failure Feasibility study is an essential element in project management. Project managers need to carry out comprehensive feasibility study before spending money on projects. Fiat 500 emerged as one of the biggest product flops in 2011 despite its efficiency in fuel consumption.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Fiat 500 Failed Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It lied on the sixth among the most flopped products in the US market. A key reason that led to failure of Fiat 500 project was failure to carry out adequate market feasibility. An Italian company (Chrysler Group LLC) produces the Fiat 500 car. The company’s main target market for the product was America. The company did not carry out adequate market study to establish taste and preferences of the people of America. Another factor that led to flop of the product was delay in decision making on which stores to us for sale of the product. The decision makers were indifferent on whether to us Chrysler dealership or open new dealership in the US. During this period of indecision the company had an opportunity to take advantage of low supply of small cars from other companies. This is because Tsunami in parts of Japan interrupted supply of such vehicles. Therefore, there was a problem in distribution channel which resulted to unavailability of the car. The third factor that contributed to flop of the product was inadequate publicity. There was no adequate fund for marketing the product. This resulted to low customer awareness and hence reduced sales. High price of Fiat 500 also played a role in failure of the project. Some dealers complained about the pricing of the car (Bhasin, 2011, p.1). Strategies for improvement in future projects Successful implementation of projects is a challenging task. Project managers have a lot to take into consideration before they succeed in these ventures. The ultimate goal of each and every project manager is to ensure that benefits outweigh costs and project financers get a return out of their investments. However, it is not only cost optimization that defines success of a project. Other factors such as product position strategies are of essence in defining success of a project. For instance, before launching a product, project manager should ensure that the product meets the needs of the target market. Also, the product should be better than alternate product in the market. Second factor to consider is the penetration strategy. Areas to consider when coming up with penetration strategy of the product are distribution channels and pricing. A company launching a new product should ensure that there are adequate distribution channels. This will ensure that the product is readily available. A company should also come up with a favorable price that will allure the target market segment. This price should be competitive and the product should provide valu e for money that is, it should be of high quality. Finally, there should be adequate publicity before launching the product. A company launching a new product needs to create massive awareness of the product before the launch.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company should carry out prelaunch survey and check whether the product meets customer needs. This can be done using prototype models. Results of such surveys give room for adjusting final product before launch. The company needs to allocate adequate resources for marketing the product. This will ensure that there is adequate awareness of the product in the market. It will also help build customer confidence (Kerzner, 2010, p.34). In summary, price, product, place, and promotion are essential to ensure successful product launch. References Kerzner, H. (2010). Project management best practices: Achieving glob al excellence. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Bhasin, K. (2011). The Launch Of The Fiat 500 Was Supposed To Be A Huge Deal In The US, But It’s Not. Web. This research paper on Fiat 500 Failed Project was written and submitted by user Kara Stanton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Information systems proposal Essay Essays

Information systems proposal Essay Essays Information systems proposal Essay Essay Information systems proposal Essay Essay In order for our nostalgic. brick and howitzer record shop to go on its success and remain afloat in today’s unsmooth economic system our first aim is to see the right engineering systems needed for our concern. Information engineering can assist us in many ways. This includes maintaining records of stock list. company paysheet. gross revenues. and tracking return clients. There are five types of systems in which would be helpful for us to look over and reexamine. 1. Functional country IS- This system allows for automated paysheet by tracking employee hours. revenue enhancement rates. hire day of the month. and personal information used by direction. 2. Management information system- This system can bring forth studies summarized from transactional informations. This will let us to track stock list. 3. Transaction treating system- This is the point of sale terminus where clients buy our ware. even at a self-checkout station. 4. Electric commercialism system- This system gives us entree to the web. With the web we are able to market and sell merchandises electronically. 5. Enterprise resource planning- This system combines all functional countries within one database. All of the systems listed supra will assist the concern even if some may present a bantam drawback in certain countries. With our concern being really physical. with a personal face-to-face client experience. it would be best to hold many options that would profit our concern and our manner of managing clients. Understanding these different systems will besides assist us better our pull offing accomplishments. The tabular array below briefly describes the benefits and/or drawbacks within each system. SystemBenefits/FunctionDrawbacksFunctional country ISAutomated employee tracking ( hours. personal info. etc. )Forged hours of work. Access to sensitive informationManagement information systemEasy stock list tracking Transaction processing systemPaths all purchases made within the shopLarceny at self-checkoutElectric commercialism systemExpand ware to the web for high net incomesComputer bugs. non-updated online stockEnterprise resource planningEasy entree to all section informationsEntree to sensitive information Although we run a really simple record shop. it is highly of import to maintain our engineering and information systems updated. These are five different systems that are typically used in all shops that help direction and employees serve their clients. Functional country IS. Tracking employee agendas and hours will assist to pay the employees for their work or even forestall over paying them. A little drawback may be forged hours of work where an employee could swipe out subsequently than their worked hours. Management information system. This system provides easy stock list tracking. It makes summarized studies of all ware bought and sold from the shop. This systems information could be automated or manual. leting employees or direction to input informations. Transaction processing system. This system is self-explanatory ; it processes the minutess in the shop. This is largely done at the point of sale terminuss operated by tellers or at self-checkout Stationss. The lone drawback I see would be theft. Automated self-checkouts may be excessively much for our shop. but it would be good to maintain it in head. Electric commercialism system. This system allows entree to the web. leting for electronic gross revenues. Often times I have experienced online shops non being current with their on-line stock. This may travel manus in manus with the direction information system mentioned earlier. Enterprise resource planning. This system integrates all functional countries into one database. Easy entree to any information needed would be helpful to direction and employees. The lone reverse would be the ability to entree unneeded information that should merely be seen by certain forces. This system must decidedly come with password entree. In decision. implementing each of these systems at our record shop will guarantee proper operation from direction and employees while still maintaining our nostalgic. brick and howitzer manner. Understanding these systems is of import. but continuing our flair of concern is our cardinal constituent. Mentions R. Kelly Rainer Jr. ( 2011 ) . Information systems: Concepts and direction. Retrieved from University of Phoenix. BIS220 web site.

Data Collection and analysis of data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Data Collection and analysis of data - Essay Example by Canbaz et al (2002) the risk of having chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, coronary heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and osteoporosis rises at the proportion of elderly people increases. It is also stated that chronic disease cause medical, social and psychological problems which limit the activities of elderly people in the community and decrease their quality of life. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that leads to elevated blood glucose and glycosuria which can be result in significant problems among older people who are often predisposed to skin trauma and malnourished (Dunning, 2005). According to Kennie (1993) diabetes mellitus is an extremely common condition in elderly people and it is estimated that the disease is prevalent among 18.7 percent of women between the ages of 65 to 74 years to 29.9 percent 65 to 85 years. It is further stated that over 98 percent of diabetes in the age group is of the Type II or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NID DM) variety. The medical fraternity has progressed over the preventive care provided to the elderly people with regard to diabetes mellitus; technology being used to screen the diabetes patient, there is conflicting evidence on the efficacy of treatment in reducing the progression is lacking for an elderly population. The preventive cares for the diabetes include strenuous sessions of medication which may reduce the incidence of microvascular complications, which is very rare among the elderly people. The preventive treatment includes insulin injections, change in life style, dietary habits, undesired levels of monitoring or supervision to ensure safe compliance and an increased risk of hypoglycaemia and other drug side effects. Apart from this the patient has to prevent himself from getting any injury as it may lead to further added complications to the treatment. In this age of development and globalization, when nations come together to discuss the implications of new diseases

Influence of packaging on consumer attitudes and perceptions in the Dissertation

Influence of packaging on consumer attitudes and perceptions in the luxury market - Dissertation Example Therefore, the process of packaging must evolve as consumer perceptions and expectations evolve. Packaging must reflect the authenticity and superiority of the products based on the consumer experiences and orientation. Luxury branding is more psychological than physical (Chevalier & Gutsatz 2012). Therefore, the cultural identity and the collectivism must play a significant role in addressing the consumer expectations. The situational stimuli and the social identity are necessary in ensuring that products and services meet the psychological standards set by the consumers (Heine 2012). These include the need for social recognition, show of might and satisfaction. In the United Kingdom, some luxury products believe that sustainability is necessary in the development of products. Therefore, luxury products are expected to be durable and classic. The uniqueness of products should be reflected in packaging and quality. For example, luxury cars are expected not only to be comfortable but durable. A growing number of luxury brands in the United Kingdom have devised products that are appealing to the social class especially after the purchasing power continues to decrease. The rationale of luxury concept is to develop differentiated products for the upper class (Michman & Mazze, 2006). This justifies the use of exclusive prices while marketing the products.... The logos and symbols are intended to identify with the consumers’ definition of superiority. Cultural factors influence consumer perceptions and hence the buying behavior. Members of different societies define luxury and uniqueness differently. Luxury brands in the United Kingdom market have been consistent in reflecting sophistication, national heritage, good taste and style to the consumers (Hines & Bruce, 2007). A telling example is the Victoria’s secret. The modern luxury brands in the United Kingdom market reflect liberalness and power of women (Mira, 2008). Consumers are willing to pay more for brands that capture their perception and expectations (Martinez, 2012). The current global trends have caused the world to be saturated with logos and symbols (Kapferer, & Bastien 2009). The interpretations of these logos and symbols are expected to lead to competitive advantage for the brands involved. The concept of logos and symbolic consumption is pushed by the need to have a status that is reflected in the symbols and logos. Therefore, it is important for luxury products to have competitive and visually appealing logos. Luxury brands are expected to have logos that carry the mission and vision of the company in a graphical and stylish manner (Chevalier & Gutsatz 2012). Symbolic consumptions rhyme with consumer expectations and the concept of perceptions and attitudes. Logos or symbols are known to reflect status and social classes (Kapferer, & Bastien 2009).The necessity of luxurious view on a product is largely influenced by the culture of a different society. With increasing competition, industry is unstable and the level of innovation has been on the rise (Martinez, 2012). Different strategies of packaging are used to ensure the

I'm not sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

I'm not sure - Essay Example behavior which are wisdom, trustworthiness, sobriety, righteousness and kindness Confucianism is a way of life sometimes considered a religion and sometimes spiritual philosophy. Taoist beliefs are a way of life including ways of your daily activities i.e. meditation, breathing, diet, use of natural materials. Taoism is all about staying aligned with the natural and basic way of life which the humans have gotten far away from, it’s about the natural cycle of our life system and planet. Both Taoist and Confucian beliefs share the same meaning, they have co-existed in China for over 2000 years. Both of these started as philosophies and turned into religious beliefs. The difference between Taoism and Confucianism is that one relates itself with the search of meaning and the other guides through social matters respectively. 2) Compare and contrast the four schools of Japanese Buddhism we examined in class (Pure Land of Honen and Shinran, Nichiren Buddhism, and Zen) with regard to the issue of self-power (jiriki) and other-power (tariki).  Ã‚  Discuss the implications of each schools position in relation to religious practice and attitude toward human possibilities in the age of  mappo. Pure Land Buddhism is the concept of Honen, a religious reformer. Relating to the teachings of Buddha Honen derived a concept of saving oneself once fallen to the dark depths of life through following the pure land teachings which is a way to salvation and liberation. Pure land Buddhism is and easy path to follow with a few basic beliefs and revolving around discovering one’s inner strength to attain spiritual freedom. Pure land tells that people must use their inner strength in order to improve where as in Shinran beliefs it’s said to entrust oneself to Amida Buddha ( Tariki â€Å"other power† ) which triggers belief and faith and lets Buddha work in the believers mind. According to Shinran true religious state is when not human himself but spirituality i.e. faith heals his inner

Relationship Between Freedom And Authority

Relationship Between Freedom And Authority In this essay I will discuss the relationship between freedom and authority in Jean-Jacques Rousseaus essay The Social Contract, and John Stuart Mills essay On Liberty. I will argue through my comparison of each philosopher that Mills conception of liberty is the richer and more persuasive of the two. Rousseaus conception of freedom in The Social Contract is that people attain their freedom through a transformation from a state of nature to civil society. We give up our natural freedom in exchange for civilized freedom. His contention is that we can be both free and subject to political authority; Rousseau thinks its possible to be autonomous and subject to law, when we obey those laws of which we are the author. He justifies this model of political authority by saying that government and laws are the will of the sovereign we give our consent for them to exist. That consent is guided by what Rousseau calls the general will. The general will is an idea that signifies the wishes or welfares of society as a whole. The purpose of the general will is to guide society to a common good, to advise society in its creation of laws and express what is best for all individuals. The problem with the general will, Mill claims, is that it seems to reject individual diversity. Mill is worried that minorities may be oppressed if they think differently to the majority. Considering all individuals revoked their natural liberty through the change from a state of nature to civil society, Rousseau thinks that society must force individuals to conform to the general will, or as he puts it, society must force them to be free. He thinks that by associating ourselves with the general will we acquire morality, and actually become freer than we were before. To Rousseau, freedom is attained when one follows the general will. Mills essay On Liberty is a strong counter argument to Rousseaus conception of freedom, especially regarding the general will. Contrasting Rousseau, Mills idea is not a social contract theory. According to Mill, in order for a society to be free it must avoid interfering with the lives of its people wherever possible. The threat, as Mill sees it, is that if we subscribe to the concept of the general will then society risks becoming paternalistic, or a tyranny of the majority where minority views are supressed if they do not conform to those of the majority. Mill thinks that society constrains the individual, and that society should be limited in the power it can exert over individuals; he enumerates three conditions upon which society must follow in order to be free: freedom of thought and feeling, freedom of tastes and pursuits and the freedom to unite with other consenting individuals for any reason providing it does no harm to others. He says that if a society does not follow these conditions it is not free. Mill wants to avoid principles and laws as much as possible because he sees them as unnecessary constraints. The only principle that Mill does want to establish is the harm principle what he calls the object of his essay. The harm principle says that the only time one can interfere with the liberty of another person, individually or collectively, is for self-protection. This principle claims that if an individual is not doing any harm to anyone in their actions, then society has no right to interfere. Over himself says Mill, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign it is the individual, and not society, who should decide how best to live. Mills conception of freedom appears to be a version of negative liberty, a type of freedom that allows one to do what they want free from restrictions. His freedom is the absence of obstacles, barriers or constraints. Rousseaus social contract theory is a type of positive liberty, that allows citizens to act in such a way as to take control of ones life and realise ones fundamental purposes. Rousseau characterises two types of freedom in The Social Contract: the natural liberty, which is limited only by the strength of the individual and civil liberty, which is limited by the general will. Natural liberty is the freedom to follow ones own desires. Civil liberty is the freedom one attains when they follow the general will. Like Rousseau, Mill talks about a type of civil or social freedom; however, unlike Rousseau he doesnt speculate about a state of nature. Rather, Mill states that his theory is justified by utilitarianism, he isnt making a comparison between a state of nature and civil society. I think this makes Mills argument more persuasive because he isnt making an assumption that we have natural rights. Mill doesnt seem to think we have natural rights, and even if we do, Rousseau doesnt tell us how we can actually know what they are. Rousseau appears to think that we have an intrinsic freedom that exists in the state of nature, and he wants to merge the individual liberty one supposedly has in the state of nature, with civil society. He thinks the way to do this is by following the general will. I think the biggest problem at the heart of Rousseaus social contract theory is the way he deals with individuals who disagree with the general will. He states that if anyone refuses to obey the general will he will be compelled to do so by the whole body; which means nothing else than that he will be forced to be free. His social contract declares that if an individual disagrees with the general will, then they must be wrong, and for their own good they must be forced to conform to the general will. Mill would undoubtedly consider such forced conformity a tyranny of the majority because of his strong belief that individuality is something that should be cherished and valued. Mill would disagree with Rousseaus notion that people should be forced to be free since he thinks its detrimental to both the individual and the majority when an alternative opinion is oppressed. Rousseau on the other hand, thinks that taking up the general perspective of the community is always the right thing to do. Contrary to Rousseau, Mill doesnt think that the majority gain their power because they are infallible, but simply because they are the most numerous or the most active part of the people. Mill states that silencing the expression of an opinion deprives the human race. Firstly, reasons Mill, if a majority silences an opinion that is different or less popular than their own, and that alternative opinion turns out to be right, then they are depriving themselves of what is right. Almost as great a benefit to society is listening to an alternative opinion even if it turns out to be wrong, because challenging dominant opinion prevents stagnation. Stifling opinion is always a bad thing; Mill says that Absolute princes, or others who are accustomed to unlimited deference, usually feel this complete confidence in their own opinions on nearly all subjects because their opinion is never tested. It is through this collision with error that the truth becomes stronger. Mill thinks that this proc ess of listening to a whole variety of thought and feeling leads to a healthier cultural climate and a place of greater freedom and liberty. Rousseau might object to Mills importance of minority opinion by saying that emphasis on individuality undermines social and political obligations. That its somehow an unrealistic idea to consider everyones opinion. He says in the social contract that citizens must be forced to follow the general will, because it means society will not depend on any one person for change to occur. Rousseau says of the general will that this condition is the device that ensures the operation of the political machine. He thinks its naÃÆ'Â ¯ve to listen to a minority not only because he assumes they must be wrong, but because they prevent the political system from making any progress. Rousseau thinks that without the general will, a political system would be absurd and tyrannical, and subject to the most terrible abuses. However, Mill would still disagree and respond by saying that if all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. I think where they really differ here is that Mill doesnt think anyone can be free if theyre forced to conform to the majority, whereas Rousseau thinks conformity is necessary for liberty and best for the community- he says that every authentic act of the general will, obligates or favours all the citizens equally. He knows that its unrealistic that all citizens will agree to the general will, and so he says minorities must be forced to follow it (forced to be free). Perhaps its painfully obvious here that Rousseau has left himself in a vulnerable position he doesnt really explain to us how one must be forced to follow the general will. Thus, theres possibly an element of compatibility between Rousseaus and Mills conceptions of freedom. If its the case that the process of being forced to be free includes Mills notion that people should be free to debate and discuss, and providing everyones opinion is treated with respect and they are convinced, through discussion, to change their vi ews, then its certainly possible that eventually all citizens will individually come the same conclusions about the common good of their community. Its certainly conceivable, but it seems unlikely. Even if this compatibility were to exist, Mill would object by saying that we still need a variety of opinion even if its wrong to prevent social stagnation and to challenge popular views. He would say that providing an individual is doing what they please by means of the harm principle, then society has no right to demand such an active citizenship from them. Rousseau may take issue with Mills harm principle but asking what actually constitutes harm. Its obvious that physical harm is detrimental and people shouldnt be free to harm others but there are forms of consequentialism that can piece together seemingly harmonious actions, and prove that they actually have damaging effects. For instance, universal consequentialism focuses on the consequences for all people rather than the individual agent. Rousseau might say that a person may not seem to be harming another individual in their actions, but an ingenious person could find harmful consequences for almost anything a person does. One might find themselves aroused by conflicting emotions if made to choose between the philosophies of Rousseau and Mill, depending on how they feel about an issue. It seems especially difficult to feel one has to conform to the majority when they disagree with it, but of course when one is on the side of the majority it can be hard to understand why anyone wouldnt be. The majority of climate scientists support global warming, and if one believes in global warming it seems hard to understand why anyone would reject it. If you want gay marriage but the majority doesnt, it seems crazy to think you have to conform to the general will. I think this is what makes Rousseaus and Mills conceptions of freedom so attractive to us. I find Mills argument to be more persuasive than Rousseaus because even with modifications to Rousseaus social contract, the general will seems unable to avoid a tyranny of the majority. The general will seems too abstract to utilise without thinking of it as simply the sum of all private interests; Rousseau makes it hard for us to recognize what the general will is or how to determine it, and he offers no reassurance that the majority knows what is best. He seems to be making a huge assumption that we have natural rights in the first place, but he provides no evidence for them. Works Cited Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty and The Subjection of Women. London: Penguin Group, 2006. Rousseau, Jean Jacques. The Social Contract, A new translation by Christopher Betts. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

The Road to Coorain :: Road to Coorain Essays

The Road to Coorain    Have you ever wondered how much your up bringing and early family life affected the person you are? Jill Ker Conway, in her autobiography The Road to Coorain, both literally and figuratively maps out her early life, placing specific emphasis on geographic location and the importance it made to her as an adult. Her life as a young girl in the western outback shaped her view toward the world, just as our backgrounds have shaped who we are.    After Conway's trip to England she states that,    It took a visit to England for me to understand how the Australian landscape actually formed the ground of my own consciousness, shaped what I saw, and influenced the way a scene was organized in my mental imagery.    By reflection on my past, I can support, just as Conway has, that a person's up bringing directly affects their perspective on life. During the earlier part of her life Conway lived in the hostile western region of Australia that produced men and women that never complained about hard work. Reversly, I have been raised in a green, forgivable climate, where my family urged me to express my feelings and I have become sensitive to not only my own feelings, but also to those others.    After Conway's father died, she and her mother moved to Sydney. During Conway's schooling she attended the local public school for only one day. Had Conway stayed there she said she would have discovered the true nature of the Australian class system. As it was, it took, "another fifteen years to see the world from my own Australian perspective, rather than from the British definition taught to my kind of colonial." Unlike Conway, I have always attended the local public school; forcing me to mix with people with incomes slightly above, below, and equal to my family. Additionally, this summer I interacted with a new dimension of my city's residents while working at the Cabbage Patch Settlement House -- an organization that works to break the chain of poverty through inner city children. This eye opening experience provided me with a broad base from which to perceive other members of society.

Homeland of the Free

In the poem â€Å"Let American Be America Again† by Langston Hughes, the author portrays America as a place where people try to escape their old life of oppression and struggles to this so called â€Å"American Dream†. But, what they find is â€Å"the same old stupid plan of dog eat dog†. Hughes sees that American is being seen as a ideal utopia while he actually views America as a place where there are too many obstacles in the way to achieve the American Dream. The dream is only stood in the way by the obstacles we create.For the dream to come true, change must happen. â€Å"The dream that’s almost dead today†. The dream is not what it is but, the dream is what you want it to be. The dream pushes down other people when also, the people who are degrading others are no better. Hughes believes the dream is made out of three things: liberty, equality, and opportunity. He hopes that United States will be the dream where â€Å"opportunity is real, and life is free†. Obstacles that we create are made by our selfishness by being tangled in the â€Å"ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! . We discriminate against each other which makes it harder to achieve our goals and dreams. Because of the hatred between each other to certain people makes it that, The Homeland of the free was never The Homeland of the free to them.In the text Hughes states that change is needed if we are to achieve this dream. Hughes says that the U. S. A. has never been the dream it should be. Yet, it must be the dream where it is â€Å"the land where everyman is free. That the land is everyone, the people who made America, â€Å"the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME—†. We have to work hard to â€Å"bring back our mighty dream again. † The vision of America that Hughes shows is that the U. S. A. is not what it should be. He shows it as a place where America is no different from anywhere else, and that the same things happen. How can America be a utopia if it is made out of imperfect people? He also shows that even though America has not achieved this dream yet, it must become this dream, because America is the dream.

Internal analysis of Apple Corporation Essay

Apple Inc was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne and has its headquarters based in Cupertino, California. The company is well known for the manufacture of computer software and hardware. The computer hardware manufactured by Apple Company include: iPod, iPhone and iPad. The computer software produced by the company are Mac OS X operating system, iTunes, iLife, iWork, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, and Logic studio. By the close of the financial year 2009 the company had employed 34,300 permanent workers and 2,500 temporary workers globally in all its subsidiaries. Most of the employees are located in the United States while others are located in the subsidiaries of the company world wide (Linzmayer, 2009). Steve Jobs is the president of the company and has acted as the chief executive officer since 1997. Recently, Steve Jobs delegated his duties to Tim Cook due to the health problems he has encountered. Apple Inc is headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is assisted by a board of directors; to manage and make supreme decisions about the organization. Various committees are elected to coordinate the operation of the projects and strategies of the organization. There are various departments which are used in the daily operation of the organization. Officers have been elected to head the departments. Some of the departments are the finance department, operations department, product marketing, industrial design, retail, engineering, applications, and other departments (Linzmayer, 2009). Financial According to Menn (2010), Apple has dominated the United States market for personal computers and a sales revenue of more than one million is being made each moth in the US market alone. As competition in the personal computer industry continues to intensify, there is need to have a strong financial background. Apple has increased the sales volume for most of its brands and this has provided a good foundation for manufacturing better products which are competitive (Menn, 2010). In the capital markets, the company has been performing well and this has been a source of capital for carrying out different innovations. The stock price of Apple’s stock has increased from $6 per share to more than $80. The market performance of the shares of the company has surpassed that of Dell (Colvin, 2010). Marketing Supporters of Apple Company have suggested that it has made great success in dominating the domestic and international markets through better marketing strategies. It is estimated that the company can sell more than ten million iPads in one year due to the appropriate use of marketing strategies. The US market has indicated strong support for Apple products since it has been the major market for iPod and other brands. Sales target of more than one million for iPod are achieved every month. More than six million iPod and iPhone brands are sold on a monthly basis and this suggests that the company has been able to capture a large market for its products. According to Menn (2010), the company has maintained a very high customer loyalty for most of its brands. Many consumers in the market are ready to re-purchase products from the company. This trend has been generated by manufacturing brands which match the market demand. Sales trend for other traditional products has been progressive, for example in the quarter ending March 2010; the company sold almost three million Macs. Menn (2010) estimated a sales value of one million for the Macs during this period. Generally, the total sales of the company have been increasing over the years. The success of Apple Inc has been indicated by the increase in sales that have been reported by the company over the last one decade. In the financial year 2009, sales value of US $42. 91 billion was registered by the company. In 2010, an increasing trend was observed in the overall sales volume of the company (Colvin 2010). Apple’s Strategy Menn (2010) is of the opinion that Apple has been very successful by introducing competitive technologies. The company has carried out innovations which have placed the products at a very competitive position in the global market. Apple has been able to compete with Microsoft Company, the major company in the industry, by introducing the iPad brand. The company has been introducing differentiated products in the market and this has intensified the competitiveness of the products manufactured by the company. Before the introduction of iPod brands, the iPhone brand had captured a huge number of customers, both in the domestic and global markets. The use of new technologies has been the main strategy adopted by Apple to sustain stiff competition in the market. To accomplish technological progress, the management of Apple Inc has established partnership with universities and research institutions. A team of researchers has been established as well as collaborating with research and development department of the company to come up with products which are acceptable in the global markets. To accomplish these strategies, the management has put in place better management processes and human resource management strategies to ensure all aspirations are achieved (Linzmayer, 2009).

Al Capone Essays - Five Points Gang, Bootleggers, The Untouchables

Al Capone Essays - Five Points Gang, Bootleggers, The Untouchables Al Capone Al Capone is America's best known gangster and the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the 1920s Prohibition era. Capone had a leading role in the illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city. Capone was born on January 17, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York. Baptized Alphonsus Capone, he grew up in a rough neighborhood and was a member of two kid gangs, the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors. Although he was bright, Capone quit school in the sixth grade at age fourteen. Between scams he was a clerk in a candy store, a pinboy in a bowling alley, and a cutter in a book bindery. He became part of the notorious Five Points gang in Manhattan and worked in gangster Frankie Yale's Brooklyn dive, the Harvard Inn, as a bouncer and bartender. While working at the Inn, Capone received his infamous facial scars and the resulting nickname Scarface when he insulted a patron and was attacked by her brother. In 1918, Capone met an Irish girl named Mary Mae Coughlin at a dance. On December 4, 1918, Mae gave birth to their son, Albert Sonny Francis. Capone and Mae married that year on December 30. Capone's first arrest was on a disorderly conduct charge while he was working for Yale. He also murdered two men while in New York, early testimony to his willingness to kill. In accordance with gangland etiquette, no one admitted to hearing or seeing a thing so Capone was never tried for the murders. After Capone hospitalized a rival gang member, Yale sent him to Chicago to wait until things cooled off. Capone arrived in Chicago in 1919 and moved his family into a house at 7244 South Prairie Avenue. Capone went to work for Yale's old mentor, John Torrio. Torrio saw Capone's potential, his combination of physical strength and intelligence, and encouraged his prot g . Soon Capone was helping Torrio manage his bootlegging business. By mid-1922 Capone ranked as Torrio's number two man and eventually became a full partner in the saloons, gambling houses,and brothels. When Torrio was shot by rival gang members and consequently decided to leave Chicago, Capone inherited the outfit and became boss. The outfit's men liked, trusted, and obeyed Capone, calling him The Big Fellow. He quickly proved that he was even better at organization than syndicating and expanding the city's vice industry between 1925 and 1930. Capone controlled speakeasies, bookie joints, gambling houses, brothels, income of $100,000,000 a year. He even acquired a sizable interest in the largest cleaning and dyeing plant chain in Chicago. Although he had been doing business with Capone, the corrupt Chicago mayor William Big Bill Hale Thompson, Jr. decided that Capone was bad for his political image. Thompson hired a new police chief to run Capone out of Chicago. When Capone looked for a new place to live, he quickly discovered that he was unpopular in much of the country. He finally bought an estate at 93 Palm Island, Florida in 1928. Attempts on Capone's life were never successful. He had an extensive spy network in Chicago, from newspaper boys to policemen, so that any plots were quickly discovered. Capone, on the other hand, was skillful at isolating and killing his enemies when they became too powerful. A typical Capone murder consisted of men renting an apartment across the street from the victim's residence and gunning him down when he stepped outside. The operations were quick and complete and Capone always had an alibi. Capone's most notorious killing was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. On February 14, 1929, four Capone men entered a garage at 2122 N. Clark Street. The building was the main liquor headquarters of bootlegger George Bugs Moran's North Side gang. Because two of Capone's men were dressed as police, the seven men in the garage thought it was a police raid. As a result, they dropped their guns and put their hands against the wall. Using two shotguns and two machine guns, the Capone men fired more than 150 bullets into the victims. Six of the seven killed were members of Moran's gang; the seventh was

The Black Death in the Middle Ages Research Paper

The Black Death in the Middle Ages - Research Paper Example The bacillus normally persists as a mild infection in the bloodstream of infected rats. The rat flea, or Xenopsylla cheopis, is the vector which transmits the bacillus to other rats. In unusual circumstances, such as the absence of an adequate rodent population, the flea may bite and infect humans. The human immune system is very vulnerable to the bacillus and the plague is usually fatal1. A study of the origin, spread, characteristics and significance of the Black Death in the Middle Ages shows that it was one of the greatest catastrophes in human history. The origin of the Black Death can be traced through historical accounts to Central Asia: â€Å"The earliest documented appearance --- occurred in 1346, in the Mongol territory called the Khanate of the Golden Horde† in present-day southern Russia2. The plague crossed biological barriers in Central Asia to attack and decimate the marmot population. These dead mammals were skinned by Asian trappers and the hides became a part of the merchandise which travelled down the famous ‘Silk Road’ from China, across Asia and to the Crimea.3 The outbreak is reported to have emerged after earthquakes and strange atmospheric conditions. The pestilence first ravaged the teeming populations of China and India, and moved to Persia, supposedly resulting in twenty-four million casualties in the East. There are accounts of horrendous casualties in China, India, Mesopotamia, Cairo, Syria and Cyprus. Gabriele de’ Mussis, a notary of Piacenza, writes that â€Å"In the year 1346, in eastern parts an immense number of Tartars and Saracens fell victims to a sudden and mysterious death.† ... Tartars and Saracens fell victims to a sudden and mysterious death.†5 The Tartars besieged the Black Sea port of Caffa (modern Feodosia), a Genoese settlement in the Crimea, where Italian merchants had taken refuge. The Tartars reportedly catapulted plague-infected corpses into Caffa, spreading the infection to the Genoese, who in turn carried it to Genoa. By 1348, the plague had moved from the seaports to reach the inland areas of Alexandria, Tunisia, Italy and France. It jumped across the seas to Britain, Ireland and Norway. It continued to spread until, â€Å"By 1350 virtually all of western and central Europe has been affected.†6 The plague moved eastwards to Poland and the Baltic lands the next year and then back to Central Asia in 1353, when it finally subsided. Historians currently estimate that, between 1346 –1353, the Black Death may have caused 50 million deaths in Europe. This constituted about 60 percent of the population. The characteristic symptoms o f the Black Death show it to have been a lethal combination of the Bubonic plague and the pneumonic plague. At the onset of the bacillus’ entry into the human bloodstream, the immune system responded with fever and the swelling of the lymph nodes in an attempt to flush out the contagion. These painful, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits and groin, were called buboes: hence Bubonic plague. These swellings were referred to as the gavocciolo. Boccaccio states that some of these swellings â€Å"were egg-shaped while others were roughly the size of the common apple.†7 By the third day the victim experienced high fever, diarrhea and delirium and the skin showed dark splotches due to the rupture of blood capillaries and the clotting of blood beneath the epidermis. This darkening of the skin may be the

Paraphrase and summarize Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Paraphrase and summarize - Essay Example Therefore men are differentiated from women biologically because they produce testosterone in larger quantities than women. The effects of testosterone begin in early stages of development, where an embryo is usually a female unless its hormones are altered. Therefore, a testosterone is normally used to effect this change into a boy, and normally men experience two periods of testosterone flood. This is during conception at six weeks and at teens. At six weeks, the testosterone functions to masculinize mind and body and complete the process at puberty. This hormone is, therefore, very important, for in its absence humans would always go back to the female sex which is the default sex of mankind (Morgenentaler, 39) This implies that the effect of testosterone is systemic. This is evident in genital distinction and its role in development of some characteristics such as deep voice, muscle and strength of upper body that women do not have. It also brings about behavioral differences. However, this is only based on research, for it is unethical to conduct such studies on man. However, it has been proved that in certain species where females are aggressive as compared to their males, it is because of females having more testosterone than males (Morgenentaler, 39).A good example is in the female hyenas. This means that levels of testosterone influence any behavior characteristic of man, and either males or females may exhibit