Wednesday, October 30, 2019

3G technology features and their impact on the business world Term Paper

3G technology features and their impact on the business world - Term Paper Example This paper discusses various features of 3G technology that are generally present in all products and explores the impact of 3G technology on business in the contemporary age. Features of 3G technology: The two key features of 3G technology that most consumers look forward to are data transfer rate and data security. They and many other features of 3G technology are discussed below: Using such devices as cell phones, consumers are able to access the Internet, listen music, watch movies and make calls 24/7. In order to frequently download large files from Internet, consumers want to have high data transfer speed, which is a facility that many latest cell phones offer. The security features of 3G technology secure the data and confidential information in the wireless communication system. Most forms of 3G technology like videoconferencing are compatible with a whole range of internet browsers and platforms. Old concerns of checking the compatibility of the product with the internet bro wsers have been obviated with the use of 3G technology. Videoconferencing can be equally efficiently conducted on a PC, platforms of Linux computing and a MAC. Likewise, people can participate in a videoconferencing session from all types of web browsers including Chome, Firfox and Internet Explorer. Similar is the case with online conversation through cell phones using skype.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Case Analysis Of Dippin Dots Marketing Essay

Case Analysis Of Dippin Dots Marketing Essay The case analysis of Dippin Dots utilizes tools such as Porters Five Forces Mode, Contingency Framework, SWOT analysis and Value Chain analysis to research Dippin Dots position. These tools have also been used to analyze its potential for the expansion of its franchises. From its inception, Dippin Dots has prided itself on being The Future of Ice Cream, but in recent years the company and the industry as a whole has been relatively flat. This case will review the issues as well as offer alternative solutions that might resolve some of the issues and issue recommendations that the company should consider. Introduction Dippin Dots is an ice cream snack that was created in 1987 by Curt Jones. This product was created by a patented six step flash-freezing process that uses liquid nitrogen. Currently Dippin Dots is operating over 400 franchise locations and is selling products such as ice cream, frozen yogurt as well as frozen ice (Dippin dots, inc., 2011). The company is currently utilizing the marketing slogan as its ice cream being Ice Cream of the Future Dippin Dots Inc. is a privately traded company meaning they do not offer or trade its company stock to the public or in the stock exchange. This company also has global licenses that reach to 10 different countries outside of the United States of America. Most of Dippin Dots are manufactured at their headquarters in Paducah, Kentucky. Dippin Dots believes that through its flash-freezing the ice cream ingredients would lock in flavor as well as freshness (More info, 2011). The company is home to the nations largest -50OF commercial walk in freezer. The once patented company lost its freezing process patent in 2007 through a series of lawsuits. This patent was deemed invalid because Jones had made over 800 sales of the product prior to applying for the patent (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. C209). Problem Statement Given the case study on Dippin Dots Ice cream a few problems have been identified. Firstly the company is faced with an issue of its previous customers becoming uninterested in the product. Secondly Dippin Dots has seen a significant reduction in franchising numbers since the year 2000. Finally the company is no longer the only company who offers flash-frozen ice cream. All of these factors have contributed to the recent stagnant growth of Dippin Dots. Through extensive research several recommendations will be made in this analysis to address the previously mentioned problems that Dippin Dots faced. Strategic Analysis Contingency Analysis Dippin Dots is facing an issue of whether or not they should continue to expand both its franchises in the midst of a flattened market or should it continue to reduce its number of franchises that it allows to operate. Dipping Dots can also expand into different markets with the most popular being the in-home ice cream market which it has stayed away from in years past do to the shelf life of the product. The contingency analysis below will analyze the different market conditions scenarios and the possible consequences and outcomes that the company might face. Market Condition Scenarios /Possible Consequences Market Continues to flatten out Market starts to grow/ Buyer spending increases Cut back on number of franchises globally Cutting back the number of franchises will cut down some of the overhead expenses for the company if the market continues its trend of flattening out This is the more likely of the two scenarios. If the company continues to cut back on the number of franchises that it has globally and the markets grow then it might not be able to handle the demand for that product which will give competition an advantage if they are better equipped. This is the less likely of the two scenarios. Keep number of franchises where they are This strategy will be more costly than the option to cut back the number of franchises like it has been doing over the past several years. If the market starts to grow then this will be a profitable option. While this decision is profitable the company must be cautious to not over expand in case the market shrinks again. Continue to expand in to different markets such as the in-home ice cream market If the market continues to react the way it is currently, this would result in a failure of entering a new target market. This new target market coupled with a growing market could prove to be one of the most profitable options for Dippin Dots. Value Chain Analysis The value chain analysis of Dippin dots is fairly typical. The different aspects that make up this analysis are its franchising opportunities, finance department and financial information, technical development, marketing and how it converts its traffic to buyers Franchising Dippin Dots, Inc. has very strict rules when it comes to its franchising opportunities. Dippin Dots offers two types of franchising opportunities: an event-based opportunity and a store-based opportunity. In 2008 the initial franchise fee was $12,500 just to be able to use the name. This also came with an initial investment range that topped out close to a quarter-million dollars (Book, p.c208). The companies website gives extra criteria in which owners must meet before they can become a franchise. A few examples of the criteria includes: the location has to be around great neighbors (beach, tourist areas, movie theatres or restaurants) and have great space (good visibility, strong mixture of pedestrian and auto traffic, must be within 800-1000 sq feet and have appropriate signage) (Dippin dots franchising, 2011). Finance Dippin Dots is a privately traded company which makes its financial records and information on its financial department virtually impossible to find. While researching financial information and information about the finance department, the only relevant information that could be accessed was that the director of finance is Sheri Dikin (Dippin dots, inc., 2011). Technical Development (R D) Innovation has always been the driving force behind Dippin Dots, Inc. Their Research and Development departments are constantly looking for the next big thing. New products, such as Coffee Dots, are hopeful in the efforts of Dippin Dots to return to the top of the innovative throne. Marketing Marketing could very easily be a strong point for Dippin Dots. Each of the companies 400 franchises place  ½% into the companies overall advertising fund (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. C209). While most marketing it targeted at youth, one set of marketing techniques proved to be highly successful. One thing that consumer value is the approval from celebrities. In 2008 Oprah Winfrey had Curt Jones on her show to talk about the product and after she tasted it, she gave Dippin Dots a thumbs-up approval (Horovitz, 2009). Conversion from traffic to buyers The bulk of Dippin Dots sales are based at what the company calls Fun Places. The organization classifies theme parks, major league sports venues and water parks (The original beaded, 2007). Dippin dots is also starting to be involved in on-line sales with the product being delivered in a cooler packed in dry ice. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Innovative Product Brand Recognition Advertising Fund High Prices Limited places that the product can be sold Storage Issues Target Marketing Opportunities Threats In-Home ice-cream market Different forms of Ice-cream Competitors such as Frosty Bites and Mini Melts Strengths: The first strength for Dippin Dots is what made them famous, their innovative product. Dippin Dots has claimed to re-invent ice-cream (The original beaded, 2007). Innovation is has a great impact on consumers, especially when its based on a technology that hasnt been seen or used before. This was the case with the flash-freezing technique that Dippin Dots employed. Dippin Dots also has a brand recognition that gives them a slight advantage of its competitors. Being the market share leader in high profile locations gives Dippin Dots a brand that is viewed hand in hand with Fun Venues. Any franchise of Dippin Dots must agree to give one-half of one percent to the general advertising fun. This creates strength because with over 400 franchises worldwide, Dippin Dots advertises globally instead of having each individual store be held accountable for its own advertising expenses. This allows for the company to be more unified in its advertising efforts. Weaknesses: The first weakness of Dippin Dots is its extremely high prices. Prices range from an individual Pre-Packaged Dots for $2.50 to a 2.5 gallon tub for $50.00 (Check out dippin', 2011). These high prices are an extreme weakness since the market for ice-cream products as well as an overall buyer downturn in America. Coupled with high prices, Dippin Dots is weakened in the locations in which they can sell their products. The product has to be served at sub-zero temperatures, -10 to -20 to be exact. This makes it nearly impossible to be consumed unless it is near a retail location (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). This also causes storage issues. Because of the fact that Dippin Dots can only hold it shape for roughly 2 weeks any type of inventory is virtually impossible. This means that if they dont sell their product it goes to waste within two weeks. Target marketing is usually a good thing and it is the first step in creating a marketing plan. For Dippin Dots it was act ually the opposite. Dippin Dots targeted a market that consisted of a younger demographic (The original beaded, 2007). Limiting your demographic, in this case, will also limit your profits. Some of Dippin Dots customers feel like they are being ignored and want something new to keep up with their claim of being the ice-cream of the future. Opportunities: This case only revealed one opportunity for Dippin Dots. Based on one of the companys weaknesses, the move from solely an out-of-home ice-cream company to one that encompasses in-home as well could be very promising as well as profitable. Exploring this market would be difficult based upon the shelf-life of the product, but if Dippin Dots was able to fix this it would add a convenience factor to the marketability of the product. For instance, if you wanted to curb your craving for Dippin Dots at 2am on a Sunday morning, the way the company was set up in the case wouldnt allow you to get any of their products. If there was some way to enhance their product to where it could be bought and frozen in a household freezer, the product becomes that much more valuable and convenient. Also based upon the 2008 numbers there is an $8.9 billion on ice cream products that were strictly for at-home consumption (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p. c205). Threats: Dippin Dots faces a few threats based off of the information given in this case. The first threat is the presence of different types of ice cream. Most of the novelty ice creams could be found at local supermarkets and at a cheaper price. This brings into question, how willing is the buyer to be loyal to Dippin Dots when it can get the other types of ice cream wherever they desire. Secondly the competition from companies who offer the same flash-frozen ice cream is starting to become an issue. If companies like Frosty Bites are marketing its nitrogen frozen ice cream as The Ultimate Ice Cream Sensation and the failed lawsuit to halt Frosty Bites production, it will be hard for Dippin Dots to contain as much of the market share as it currently has (Mehl, 2004). Five Forces Analysis The reasoning behind Michael Porters five forces analysis is to be a model for industry analysis. This is done on an industry by industry basis because different industries can sustain different rates and levels of profitability. This analysis takes into consideration the variance in industry structures. Dippin Dots is classified to be in the frozen dairy industry. The degree of rivalry The degree of rivalry in the frozen dairy industry is relatively high. Not only does Dippin Dots compete with other flash-frozen companies such as Frosty Bites and Mini Melts but they are also in competition with their more traditional counterparts. According to the yahoo directory, there are currently 43 companies who sell ice cream and frozen dairy products nationally, with more companies selling world-wide (Yahoo! directory, 2011). This rivalry is fuelled by the availability of most products. Nearly every convenience store and grocery store that you go to sells multiple brands of ice cream or other frozen dairy products. Based upon a high buyer power companies in this industry must compete to have a quality product that its consumers must enjoy and offer it at the lowest price that they can. The threat of new entrants The threat of new entry for the frozen dairy industry is extremely low. There are several barriers to entry that a company must fight through in order to join the industry. Each of the eight sections that are categorized in the frozen dairy industry has different and high standards that are regulated by the federal government (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). Things such as different percentages of fat content, weight per gallon and package size make smaller companies with less cash flow for RD nearly impossible to be successful. High start-up costs are another determining factor as to why the threat of new entry is low. Porter says that one thing that would make threat of new entry low is if brand names are well-known. In this industry there are several known brand names including: Dippin Dots, Good Humor, Ben Jerrys and Klondike. The threat of substitutes There is a medium threat of substitutes. The frozen dairy industry is mostly consumed by the same consumers of other desert. If something was to go on with the currently flat industry, many of the consumers would be able to switch to items such as cakes and pies and other deserts. This makes the probability of product substitution high. With this being known the frozen dairy industry has to find more ways to make customers want the frozen dairy products over alternative dairy products. Currently there is also a trend of consumers heading towards a more health-conscious treats (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). Buyer power The buyer power for the frozen dairy industry is mixed. There are two types of buyers for this market, there are the individual consumers and then there are the retail clients. Individual consumers are more brand-conscious when it comes to this market, meaning that they look at the brand first before they look at the price. Retail clients are the opposite. While frozen diary is a multi-billion dollar industry, it does not make up a significant portion of a food retailers business, which will increase buyer power and heighten price sensitivity at the same time (Ice cream in, 2008, p. 15). The buyer power becomes mixed due to the fact that the consumer still drives the retailers purchases based upon their demand. Supplier power Overall the supplier power for frozen dairy products is moderate. In regards to large manufacturers there is a strong negotiating position and there is also an absence of fixed-term agreements. This makes for the cost of switching suppliers and supplier power to be low (Ice cream in, 2008, p.15). The dairy companies are slightly larger than most of the frozen dairy product companies, and since the companies must maintain a certain level of quality the strength of dairy suppliers is relatively high. Alternative Solutions Utilize the innovation that brought you your initial success Dippin Dots must get back to doing some innovative things that brought them their success from the companys inception. Curt Jones and the rest of his executive staff must make their products stand out at a time in which the market for frozen dairy is stagnant. Its recent efforts have shown that they are taking a step in that direction. In 2009 Jones mentioned that the company was going to try and take its innovative lead business a step further. Keeping the same flash-frozen technique, Jones has gone on record to say that he will be offering coffee dots. All you would need to do is add hot water and the consumer would have freshly brewed coffee. He has affectionately given Coffee Dots the same slogan as its ice cream counterparts by calling it The Coffee of the Future (Horovitz, 2009). Dippin Dots needs to pump money into its Research and development team to find the next big things that will help their company if not the whole industry out of the slump that it currently faces. Dippi ng Dots has made its money being ahead of the curve and without added funding to its RD other competitors may take that competitive advantage. Get rid of targeted market Target marketing in a business strategy is very risky. Targeting a certain market may be risky since it can hamper the organizations ability to quickly respond to changes in the markets condition and needs (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2009, p.252). With target marketing a narrow segment can be accessed less expensively through outlets such as the internet. Dippin Dots was targeting the youth which seemed like a good idea at first. The problem with targeting the youth is that they become older and then they arent targeted again. As seen in the case the adults who still purchase the product are looking for something different from the brand. One customer went on record as saying How can this stuff keep continuing to call itself the ice cream of the future? Well the future is now (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c209). Integrate more health conscious items to the company Frozen dairy products arent considered to be the healthiest of industries. By definition ice cream must have at least 10 percent butterfat in it before the additions of its bulky ingredients (Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, 2010, p.c205). In recent years there has been a trend towards a more healthy option for after dinner treats. Companies like Nestle and Haagen-Dazs have been offering a low-fat option since 2004. Coupled with the fact that the company needs to be more innovative, it must also become more health-conscious. With a number of consumers going to healthy alternatives such as frozen yogurt and smoothies, Dippin Dots must do something to ensure that they are not losing their consumer base. Increasing product differentiation will also allow them to reach out to a broader market. They must be careful not to go away from the product that made them so successful, but reach out to different markets such as the health-friendly market. Doing something as simple as offering a no-sugar pro duct will show its diabetic consumers, who might not been able to eat the normal product, that they are concerned about them as well. Take no action Doing nothing is always an option. This option poses the most risk for Dippin Dots. If the market continues to flatten out like it currently is, then Dippin Dots and the rest of the market could find itself in more trouble than they currently are. Many would agree that this reactive stance might not be the best stance in regards to growth, if the market continues in the slum that it is in Dippin Dots could potentially save itself a lot of money in the long run. This alternative may also allow for competition to move ahead if Dippin Dots sits back and waits for the market to improve. Recommendations In regards to the overall United States economy, it is recommended that Dippin Dots should continue its expansion efforts and broaden its target market. Based off the above analysis there are a few steps in which Dippin Dots can approach the current problems faced with the following steps: Focus on creating a non- seasonal product that you can market equally year round. (Coffee Dots or Smoking Joes a good start) Keep innovative breakthroughs secret and ensure that all patents are filed correctly. This will hinder competitors from stealing ideas. Put the advertising fund to good use. Continue to build brand equity through the use of celebrities such as Shaq and Oprah. Switch slogan. Ice Cream of the future isnt as promising as it initially was. This approach will allow Dippin Dots to continue to have a competitive advantage with its innovative efforts through its Research Development departments. Currently Dippin Dots has brand recognition advantages over its competition but without working on some of its weaknesses one of the other competitors might close in on the market share. Conclusion The frozen dairy industry and Dippin Dots has faced a reasonably flat market over the past decade. This has made the company reduce its number of franchises in every year since 2005. Dippin Dots has also fluctuated on its position on Entrepreneurs Franchise 500 lists. Through careful analysis of the company and the industry I have illustrated a few alternative solutions for the company that might stimulate potential growth as well as made some recommendations that Dippin Dots should strongly consider. Since Dippin Dots is a privately traded company, its financial records arent made public. These financial records could have given more insight to the financial health of the company and could have yielded some other recommendations. One thing that became completely evident through this case analysis, Dippin Dots must continue to build upon its brand equity and sustain its innovative advantages over its competitors if it wants to stay relevant in its industry.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Death of a Salesman :: essays research papers

My Father’s Dream and My Reality The bond between a boy and his father is one that should sustain the test of time. I have looked up to my father for the majority of my life and he’s beliefs of life have influenced the way I grew up to be the man I am today. However in the end, a true man will follow his own dreams and make his own future. My dream was working with my hands in the outdoors. It has taken many years but I now knew that was what I wanted to do with my life. My father, Willy Loman, I believe shared this same passion, however, he suppressed his dreams as it did not fit in with is predetermined mould for a beloved salesman. So, it then became my father’s dream to work in sales and be well-liked. This is what my father had implanted into me from a young age. Now returning home after fourteen years of trying to ‘find myself’, we still had money to pay off on the refrigerator and the mortgage on the house still needed to be paid. These pending debts, like daggers ripping through my dreams, forced me suppress my own dreams and now seek the stable career of a salesman. I had once worked as a salesman for Bill Oliver so I decided to go to him in order to find a job. Bill Oliver’s office was finely furnished and had a wafting smell of cologne. The waiting room walls seemed to tower down upon me somehow mocking me. As with each hour that went by the walls seem to become larger and I become smaller. Sitting in that room waiting hour after hour for Bill Oliver made me think about why I was there and what I was doing. After much deliberation I concluded; I was never a salesman for him, I was just a shipping clerk. I had talked my self up so much that I had turned my dishonesty to what I believed to be true. I had blurred the line between illusion and reality foolishly thinking everyone else would follow. I questioned myself why this was so. The answer to my question lied somewhere in the foundations of my past. Throughout my life I have been filled with great ideas and aspirations but nothing has ever become of them. I am a failure.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

New Global Strategies for Competitive Advantage

1. High intensity domestic competition breeds international success. 2. In the diamond-shaped chart, there are key elements of it success is to be sustained: Company strategy (structure and rivalry), factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries. 3. The home base shapes a company’s capacity to innovate rapidly in technology and methods and to do so in the proper directions. 4. A global strategy supplements and solidifies the competitive advantage created at home base. 5. The most important sources of national advantage must be actively sought and exploited. 6. Caught up in a never-ending process of seeking out new advantages and struggling with rivals to protect them. 7. Stability is valued in most companies, not change. Protecting old ideas and techniques becomes the preoccupation, not creating new ones. The long-term challenge for any firm is to put itself in a position where it is most likely to perceive, and best able to address the imperatives of competitive advantage. Expose a company to new market and technological opportunities that may be hard to perceive.Preparing for change by upgrading and expanding the skills of employees and improving the firm’s scientific and knowledge base. Overcoming complacency and inertia to act on the new opportunities and circumstances. Much attention has rightly been places on the importance of visionary leaders in achieving unusual organizational success. Great leaders are influenced by the environment in which they work. Innovation takes place because the home environment stimulates it. Innovation succeeds because the home environment supports and even forces it.The right environment not only shapes a leader’s own perceptions and priorities but provides the catalyst that allows the leader to overcome inertia and produce organizational change. Great leaders emerge in different industries in different nations, in part because national circumstances attract and encourage them In many industries, the national environment provides one or two nations with a distinct advantage over their foreign competitors. Leadership often determines which particular firm or firms exploit this advantage.The ability of any firm to innovate has much to do with the environment to which it is exposed. Seeking safe havens and comfortable customer relationship only reinforces past behavior. Innovation grows out of pressure and challenge. It also comes from finding the right challenges to meet. The main role of the firm’s leader is to create the environment that meets these conditions.8. The new rules for innovation, a company should actively seek out pressure and challenge not try to avoid t hem. Part of the task is to take advantage of the home nation in order to create the impetus for innovation.Some of the ways of doing so are: seel to the most sophisticated and demanding buyers and channels seek out the buyers with the most difficult needs, establish norms of exceeding the toughest regulatory hurdles of product standards, treat employees as permanent, and establish outstanding competitors as motivators.9. The true costs of stability. Such a search for a quiet life, and understandable instinct, has led many companies to buy direct competitors or from alliances with them, in a closed, static world, monopoly would indeed be the most comfortable and profitable solution.In reality competition is dynamic. Good managers always run a little scared, they respect and study competitors. Seeking out and meeting challenges is part of their organizational norm. A firm need not exclusively serve demanding buyers nor should it compete head on with any rival. The aim in seeking pres sure and challenge is to create the conditions in which competitive advantage can be preserved. In global competition, the pressures of demanding local buyers, capable suppliers, and aggressive domestic rivalry are even more valuable and necessary for long-term profitability.These drive the firm to a faster rate of progress and upgrading than international rivals, and lead to sustained competitive advantage and superior long-term profitability. A tough domestic industry structure creates advantage in the international industry. A comfortable, easy home base, in contrast, leaves a firm vulnerable to rivals who enjoy greater dynamism at home. If a firm lacks the pressures for improvement and innovation, it must create them10. Perceiving industry change. One of the most important advantages an industry can have is early insight into important needs, environmental forces and trends that others have not noticed.Firms gain competitive position before rivals perceive an opportunity and are able to respond. Identify and serve buyers with the most anticipatory needs. Some buyers will confront new problems or have new needs before others, because of their demographics, location, industry, or strategy. Buyer with anticipatory needs should be identified, designated as priorities and cultivated. Discover and highlight trends in factor costs. Increases in the costs of particular factor or other inputs may signal future opportunities to leapfrog competitors by innovating to deploy inputs more effectively or to avoid the need for them altogether.Maintain ongoing relationship with centers of research and sources of the most talented people. Identify the places in the nation where the best new knowledge is being created that is now or might become relevant to its industry. Identify school, companies, institutions where the best specialized human resources needed in the industry are being trained. Invest time and money. Study all competitors, especially the new and unconventiona l ones. A firm should designate the most forward-looking or unconventional competitors for particular study, including foreign competitors who may enjoy the benefits of a very different home base.Learn from competitors as to develop strategies to counter them. Bring some outsiders into the management team. Managers from other companies or industries or from the company’s foreign subsidiaries. Benefit the innovation process.11. International within the national cluster. Firm gains competitive advantage from the presence in its home nation of world-class buyers, suppliers and related industries. Have a strong cluster at home unblocks the flows of information and allows deeper and more open contract than in possible when dealing with foreign firms. Buyers, channels and suppliers.Recognizing that home-based buyers and suppliers are allies in international competition, a firm must persuade: regular senior management contact, formal and ongoing interchange between research organiza tions, reciprocity in serving as test sites for new products or services and cooperation in penetrating and serving international markets. Related industries. Industries those are related or potentially related in terms of technology, channels, buyers, or the way buyers obtain or use products, are potentially important to creating and staining competitive advantage.Locating within the nation. A firm should locate activities and its headquarters at those locations in the nation where there are concentrations of sophisticated buyers, important suppliers, groups of competitors, or especially significant factor-creating mechanisms for its industry. Geographic proximity makes the relationship within a cluster closer and more fluid.12. Serving home base buyers who are international and multinational. Identify and serve buyers at home that it can also serve abroad.13. Improving the national competitive environment.14. Diversification.Part of company strategy in virtually every nation. Acqu isitions were involved in international success stories, the acquisitions were often modest or focused ones that served as an initial entry point or reinforced an internal entry. Theory for diversification strategy are as follow:New industries for diversification should be selected where a favorable national â€Å"diamond† is present or can be created. Diversification proposals should be screened for the attractiveness of the home base.Diversification is most likely to succeed when it follows or extends clusters in which the firm already competes.Internal development of new businesses, supplemented by small acquisitions, is more likely to create and sustain competitive advantage than the acquisition of large, established companies.Diversification into businesses, lacking common buyers, channels, suppliers or close technological connections is not only likely to fail but will also undermine the prospects for sustaining advantage in the core businesses.15. To sustain competitiv e advantage in global industries, a firm must sell to all significant country markets. Identifying such buyers in other nations will help a firm understand the most stimulate rapid progress in products and services.16. A firm must be willing to source products or equipment from foreign firms if they are superior. Also work to upgrade local suppliers. Loyalty to domestic suppliers, for its own sake, is ultimately self-defeating. The best form for this is to confront them in no uncertain terms with the need to match their foreign competitors in quality and productivity in order to retain the business.A firm aspiring to competitive advantage must be aware of, and ideally have some access to, all the important scientific work going on in the world that is related to its industry.17. A firm must be the best rivals in the marketplace in order to sustain and upgrade its advantage. Must find a way to gain advantage over the best rivals in order to assure its market position. Meet rivals in all the important markets is to deny them profits in safe markets that can be used to cross-subsidize low profits in contested markets.18. Choose a location that will expose the firm to significant needs and pressures lacking at home. The purpose is to learn as well as raise the odds that information passes credibly back to the home base.19. Foreign acquisitions can serve for: gain access to a foreign market or to selective skills and to gain a highly favorable national diamond.20. Alliances or coalitions are final mechanism by which firm can seek to tap national advantages in other nations. Alliances take form as joint ventures, licenses, sales agreements and supply agreements. Alliances are a tempting solution to the dilemma of a firm seeking the home-base advantages of another nation without giving up its own (are rarely a solution).21. Real leaders believe in change. Energize their organizations to meet competitive challenges. Find ways of overcoming the filters that limit infor mation and prevent innovation. Have a broad view of competition in which their national environment is integral to competitive success. Work hard to improve that environment and to encourage appropriate government policies.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Strategic operations issues and Lean Synchronisation

INTRODUCTION:Lean synchronisation is an emerging practice that seeks to streamline the ‘flow of products and services’ in order to eliminate waste (Slack et al. 2012 p. 352).The aim of this paper is to identify the strategic operational issues in relation to A&B Partners (a law firm referred to as â€Å"A&B†), more specifically with the process of signing out mail, which is referred to in Figure 1.1 below.The paper has three sections. Firstly, the definition of lean synchronisation (referred to herein as â€Å"LS†) will be defined, especially within the service industry, followed by outlining the current process of signing out mail at A&B. By analysing the existing procedure in the context of lean synchronisation, the paper will highlight the delays and imperfections of the existing procedure, as well as provide recommendations to improve the process in order to improve the five performance objectives.WHAT IS LEAN SYNCHRONISATION?LS is a process of producti on with the ‘aim of achieving a flow of products and services that always delivers exactly what customers want, in exact quantities, exactly when needed, exactly when required, and at the lowest possible cost’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 358). It has successfully been implemented in such corporations as Toyota and the Bolton Hospitals National Health Service Trust. Both examples aim ‘to achieve perfect synchronisation through smooth and even flow’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 358). It is important to note that LS cannot be achieved overnight, but it is a continuous process and should serve as an objective that managers should incessantly strive for (Slack et al. 2012 p. 353).Given that LS requires the co-operation of everyone involved in the process and the supply network, there needs to be transparency and communication between everyone involved, especially those involved with the operational components of the process and/or supply network (Jullien & Tjahono 2009 p. 32 5). The goal of LS is to open up the work process and abolish the usual hierarchies of traditional management to provide ‘smooth, uninterrupted flow without delay, waste or imperfection of any kind’ (Slack et al. 2012 p. 359).Whilst the idea of LS is well established in the manufacturing sector, the benefits of implementing the philosophy to the service industry can achieve equally valuable results. (Jullien & Tjahono 2009 p. 321). Pixar Animation Studios adopted Toyota’s approach to management and it has resulted in being a leader of computer graphics in filmmaking (Slack et al. 2012 p. 373).The encouragement of continuous advice and criticism from its creative teams, brings problems to the surface before it becomes and crises and affects the overall operation (Slack et al. 2012 p. 373). By encouraging open communication during LS the responsibility for solving the problem is now shared with everyone, ‘improving the chances of the problem being solved†™ in the most efficient and cost-effective manner in order to reply to the customer’s needs and demands (Slack et al. 2012 p. 355).  A & B PARTNERSA & B Partners (â€Å"A&B†) is a specialised insurance and commercial litigation law firm. The objectives of the business are to be the leader in the area of  insurance law, more specifically motor vehicle insurance, public liability and home insurance. The firm acts for various insurance companies and there is often a panel of law firms acting for these insurance companies.Whilst in most law firms there is only one client, in insurance litigation there are various stake holder interests to weigh up. There is the insurance company (â€Å"Client†) who insures the insured (â€Å"IO†) or the insured’s company, motor vehicle or home, the shareholders of the Client and upholding the Client’s obligations to the Insurance Commission Board, to which it is a signatory to. Weighing up these interests is sometimes a difficult and, often, a contradictory juggling act, which is made even more difficult with the solicitor’s obligation to the firm, his/her budget, the impact of settling one file affecting another file with the same opposition, complying with one’s obligations with the Legal Services Board and a solicitor’s primary duty to the court as an officer of the court, which overrides every other obligation.In insurance litigation, more specifically, in motor vehicle insurance, there are often the same law firms within the â€Å"game†. However, occasionally the other driver involved in the accident (â€Å"TPD†) chooses not to go through their insurance company and either goes through another law firm or a recovery agent law firm who specialises in issuing against insurance companies or choses to be unrepresented. Therefore, you often have more multiple matters against any one firm at the one time and, hence, how you interact with that firm on one matter will most likely influence how settlement negotiations will be dictated in another.Because of the contract A&B has with the client, all new files must be actioned within 48 hours. This is high volume, low variety work which often sees a solicitor handling 100- 115 files. The main principles are: – provide concise, practical and commercially focused advice – proactively manage all disputes– resolve disputes at the earliest possible opportunity – build long term client relationship – deliver value for moneyBecause A&B is often part of a panel of firms that continuously have to re-submit tenders every 5-7 years, it is competing with other firms to provide the best service. This is measured but to key performance indicators: 1. Total days it took to resolve the matter; and2. Recovery/Settlement rate (how much the client spent on legal costs compared to how much was recovered or how much was paid out to the TPD).MAIL SIGNINGGiven the main KP I’s are total days turnover and recover/settlement rates, speed and accuracy of advice is important. Law is often a game of chess. Even though most matters follow the same formula there is often one detail that can change the solicitor’s strategic approach to the whole matter and anticipating the other solicitor’s move will determine your next action. Because A&B is well regarded nationally as being one of the foremost leaders in its field, ensuring every document that leaves the firm from all 20 plus solicitors are consistent and align with the objectives of the firm, the client and the insured is important. This has resulted in a policy that all outgoing mail/documents must be signed off by a Partner.There are two Partners that are in charge of the motor vehicle team which consists of twelve Solicitors. Throughout the day solicitors place their completed correspondence in a designated pile in the respective partner’s office. Because each solicitor handl es files from more than one jurisdiction, often the solicitors have to drop off correspondence in both partner’s office. At approximately 3pm the process of mail signing and discussing any issues or problems with files commences. This is often a long and arduous process, eating into valuable billing time of the solicitors and partners, who also have 100 plus files of their own they are running.A minor mistake in a letter, for example an incorrect spelling of someone’s name, will result in the mail not being signed out and having it be  forwarded back to the solicitor’s secretary for amending. By the time it returns to the solicitor to give back to the partner, it is the end of the business day, mail people have gone home or worse, the designated partner has left for the day and the letter must be re-amended to change the date to the next business day. What may be a simple task of forwarding documents to another party in the proceedings has taken more than two days to complete. Figure 1.1 is a process flow map of the procedure.PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT SYSTEMThe aspects of the current mail signing procedure do not comply with all of the performance objectives of A&B.QualityThe quality of work is high as most letters are of similar standard and style. Whilst most of the documents conform to some type of readymade precedent on the system, many do not. Furthermore, the precedents are often out of date and do not correspond with costs allowed by the court. Additionally, numerous new cases have been handed down, which contradict the precedent letters regarding advice on liability and apportionment of costs. Even though the decisions in these cases are not upheld strictly in the local court and the courts of similar jurisdiction in other states and territories, it does add to the persuasiveness of one’s argument.SpeedAs previously stated one of the KPI’s is the total amount of days the matte was open with the firm and h ow long it took to resolve the matter Therefore, timing is crucial. It is generally a rule that all matters be issued or actioned within 48 hours of the files being received by the firm. However, one to two days are lost at the beginning with the claims department printing the file, and forwarding the said file to a partner who then allocates it to a solicitor. If, in the unlikelihood, the file contains all the documents needed to be actioned, it will still take a further two days at best to send out the first letter due to the backlog of dictation waiting to be typed up by the secretaries (at this stage, the ratio of secretaries to solicitors is 1:2.5), checked by the partner and ready to be sent out on  the first attempt. Within the first week of receiving the file, the file is sitting idle in a partner’s office or in a dictation line for at least half of the time.DependabilityWhilst every attempt is made to respond to a client’s request within 48 hours, it is diff icult with the amount of file load a solicitor has and the amount of â€Å"urgent† matters that need to be actioned that very day. As every solicitor’s schedule is difference, (i.e time or hearings and amount of hearings) it is difficult to provide a guaranteed response time across the whole firm.FlexibilityA&B values its relationship with its clients. Ensuring that we are able to provide general advice that we do not bill for, whilst performing the billable work is essential in ensuring A&B maintain client relationships as contracts must be re-tendered every 3-5 years. It is this â€Å"extra-value service† that sets A&B apart from the competition. Often it involves dropping whatever billable task is being performed and providing the client with a comprehensive researched advice based on current law and trends in a particular jurisdiction by the close of business that day or the next morning.CostDue to the highly competitive nature of the market, A&B have been t he leaders in introducing a fixed fee pricing framework. If a matter only gets to a certain stage, A&B will only charge a pre-determined amount no matter how many phone calls/letters were drafted or how much work was required. This has reduced the time solicitors spend on costing a file and it also forces the solicitor to adopt lean processes to ensure maximum results with minimum effort.Discounts are provided if the matter has not been finalised within a required time and if the settlement/recovery rate is not achieved. Conversely, solicitors are entitled to charge an uplift if matters are finalised within  the agreed time frame and the recovery/settlement rate is achieved. The days of putting certain files in the â€Å"too hard† basket and waiting for schedules to slow down are gone due to this new pricing framework.LEAN SYNCHRONISATIONThe rigidity of conforming to a certain style of writing affects the dependability, speed and, ultimately, the cost of the performance obj ectives of A&B. Not enough training is provided to new solicitors as to the â€Å"A&B way† of drafting and negotiating. Furthermore, the knowledge and experience of the partners are vital to the solicitor’s application of the law to current files. Seeing each solicitor individually and having to wait until mail signing time to request guidance does not assist with the firm’s objective of providing quick and efficient legal solution as it adds to the waste of irregular flow (Slack et al. 2012 p. 360).Given the new pricing framework, the importance of lean synchronisation has never been more important. The goal for all solicitors is to provide advice that will ensure an excellent recovery/settlement rate and quick resolution of the matter. With difficult files that do not fit the established precedent letters, advice from the partner’s is essential. However, as stated above, waiting until mail signing time is not ideal as there are often other solicitors ne eding their mail signed out and often there will be corrections that need to be made.Often making an appointment the next available business day is required to go into depth the theory behind certain legal principles as well as formulating a response that â€Å"fits† the intended audience as writing to a client differs greatly to writing to other firms and there is even a difference in the style of writing depending on who the law firm is.Often the Partner’s do not understand why things have taken as long as it has due to non-transparency and non-communication between the different processes; 1. The amount of dictating the secretaries have to type; 2. The file load of the solicitor; 3. The amount of extra research the solicitor is doing that is unable to be billed; 4. The insufficient claims documents  being supplied by the Client and, therefore, the amount of time spent chasing the client or IO for additional information; and 5. The amount of time wasted whilst bein g on hold with the Client to seek further instructions. All of the above factors contribute to waste on a file that is simple and straight forward. Files that are complex are expected to take longer as it often needs to be explained to the Client and IO in more detail.RECOMMENDATIONS Given the word limit only two recommendations will be outlined briefly.DECREASE FILE LOAD OF THE PARTNERS Within the legal field imparting one’s experience of a certain judge, opposition or client is just as important as one’s knowledge of the principles of the law. Knowing the credibility of your own client will be a major deciding factor of any case. The wisdom and experience of a partner is vital. Therefore, the Partner’s should assume more of a mentor role and harness their time to teach the solicitor’s the skills they have acquired throughout their careers.In time this knowledge can be passed on to the Senior Associates who can then share the responsibilities of signing out mail of the other solicitor, as well as aiding the solicitors with any queries. Access to knowledge and guidance will be readily acceptable, therefore, reducing the waiting time and delays between activities.REGULAR SOLICITORS MEETINGS Conducting regular solicitors meetings of 4-5 solicitors where each solicitor raises any problems they have with a file or a particular process (i.e secretarial support is spread to thin) can serve two purposes; 1.It communicates any processes to senior management that is not working on an operational level; and 2.It encourages solicitors to work together to resolve â€Å"problem files† whilst allowing greater access to knowledge from other solicitor’s successful (not so successful) negotiating techniques, approaches, legal strategy etc†¦ In time the solicitors will have confidence  in their ability to provide correct legal advice that the inefficient process of mail signing will be eradicated for experienced solicitors.7. CON CLUSIONBased on the analysis above, we can conclude the current mail signing process is time consuming and involves unnecessary processes that can eradicated completely or modified to increase the time available the solicitors can bill the client for. Eventually, the aim of adopting LS processes should be to increase access to information, whether that is recent trends in specific courts to theoretical knowledge of the legal principles so as to avoid the current bottleneck system. Partner’s should assume more of a mentor role and harness their time to teach the solicitor’s the skills they have acquired throughout their careers. Access to knowledge and guidance will be readily acceptable, therefore, reducing the waiting time and delays between activities

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Kaplan MCAT Courses

Kaplan MCAT Courses If youve set your sights on mastering the MCAT before you register, then you know youll need to prepare for it with practice tests, books, apps, tutoring or MCAT courses. If taking a class has been on your mind, then youre in the right spot. Many test prep companies out there offer MCAT courses to help you master the skills, testing techniques and knowledge youll need for test day. Kaplan is one of those companies, but their programs are top-notch and their reputation is typically outstanding. Heres what Kaplan has to offer. Kaplan MCAT Courses Kaplan Test Prep is the largest test prep company out there, and with its size comes great products and test prep materials. The MCAT course options listed below, taught by one of Kaplans trained teachers, all come complete with the Kaplan Higher Score Guarantee: If youre not ready to take the MCAT, you can study with Kaplan again for free. Or, if for any reason youre dissatisfied with your score gain, you can study again for free. And, if you dont score higher on the MCAT at all, you can study with Kaplan for free or get your money back. MCAT Classroom: On Site The Kaplan On Site MCAT course is just as it states: youll take your classes in an actual classroom with an actual Kaplan teacher. Why is this good? Personal attention, of course, with an interactive setting. The classes and times will vary according to your exact location, but I typed in my zip code, and found nine classes available for enrollment in less than 15 miles from my location. At press time the cost was $1,999 or three payments of $666.33 Whats Included: 11,000 practice questions, in addition to MCAT Qbank custom quizzes19 full-length exams11 supplemental lessons online, with a live teacherOver 200 hours of MCAT instructionAccess to all AAMC exams, including the Self Assessment PackageA Mobile-enabled and optimized syllabus in MCAT prep MCAT Classroom: Anywhere The Kaplan Anywhere MCAT course is   for those of you whod like a teacher, but dont have the time to travel to a physical classroom. The classes are live, so you will have to boot up the old computer at a certain time to take the course, but there are literally scores of options for class times and days since you arent restricted to your zip code. At press time the cost was $1,999 or three payments of $666.33 Whats Included: 25 live, online classroom sessions led by expert instructors11,000 practice questions, in addition to MCAT Qbank custom quizzes19 full-length exams130 additional hours of on-demand video instructionAccess to all AAMC exams, including the Self Assessment Package MCAT On Demand The Kaplan On Demand MCAT course is designed for people with hectic schedules, who need to cram in some prep time whenever they can. Its available 24/7 because the lectures are not live like the Anywhere and On Site MCAT courses – theyre recorded. Watch them whenever youd like, as often as youd like, for as long as youd like. Pause and start over if you need to or watch the entire lecture again and again. At press time the cost was $1,833 or three payments of $633.00 Whats Included: 25 core lessons- and over 130 hours of total instruction-led by expert instructors11,000 practice questions and custom quizzes with Kaplans MCAT Qbank19 full-length examsAccess to all AAMC exams, including the Self Assessment Package Signing Up for Kaplans MCAT Courses If you like what you see with Kaplans MCAT courses, you can call 1-800-KAP-TEST to enroll, or you can head to Kaplans website to check availability and sign up online.

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Civil Rights Act as a Milestone Element of American Legislation

The Civil Rights Act as a Milestone Element of American Legislation Civil Rights Act The Civil Rights Act is a milestone element of American civil rights legislation that seeks to prohibit discrimination based on a number of aspects such as gender, religion, nationality, ethnicity, and race.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Civil Rights Act as a Milestone Element of American Legislation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the Civil Rights Act has undergone several amendments, the Civil Right Act amendment of 1964 was the main amendment that addressed the above types of discrimination (Lawson 22). Moreover, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 removed discrimination in learning institutions, at work and other facilities termed as â€Å"public accommodations.† These institutions are entities, whether public or private, that are for public use in the US. President Kennedy proposed these changes in response to some experiences of racial based violence in the southern reg ion (Bowron 20). According to the Act, all public accommodations must be accessible to every person regardless of his or her color, race, national origin or religion. Improving on the Civil Rights Act of 1875, the 1964 amendment introduced clauses seeking to prohibit discrimination in all state facilities. It also gave the Attorney General the power to support court cases against state agents that support or perpetrate segregation in schools. However, the proposal did not accommodate some provisions considered important by civil rights activists. For instance, it did not consider giving the department of Justice the authority to start court cases on job discrimination or desegregation, stopping discrimination in private sectors, and public protection against law enforcement cruelty. The Civil Right Act of 1968 aimed at introducing housing rights as a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act 1964. It discriminated any act that tends to discriminate individuals based on color, race, creed, e thnicity or origin when providing housing opportunities (Branch 73). The Act allowed the federal government to make it an offense to intimidate, injure, force, threaten using force, or restrict someone based on nationality, color, ethnicity, or race. Moreover Civil Right Act of 1968 (Title VIII) is known the â€Å"Fair Housing Act† and was intended to enhance the Civil Right Act of 1866,which had banned different forms of discrimination in housing, federal crime was not included in the proposal. The Fair Housing Act banned any discrimination regarding finance, leasing, and sale of housing based on nationality, religious grounds, and race (Conroy 621).Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, although it did not have much impact during its early years, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 had a significant influence on succeeding legislation processes. For example, it supported the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, which removed discrimination against people with disabilities. This issue had not been addressed in America before the enactment of the Civil Rights of 1964 (â€Å"Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964†). Voting Rights Act Voting Rights Act of 1965 is an important element of federal legislation that banned any form of discrimination during voter registration and voting. President Johnson signed the Act into law in response to various civil right movements. To improve voter protection, the Congress made five changes in the original proposal. In order to impose the voting rights assured by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had criminalized discrimination against racial minorities. This Act is one of the most valuable elements of civil rights legislations in the country (â€Å"African-Americans Vote in South Carolina†). The Voting Rights Act allowed the federal government to oversee elections. Supporting the statement in the Fifteenth Amendment, the Voting Rights Act forbids all states or agents from enforcing any voting requirement, process, practice, or standards that may cause rejection or violation of voting rights based on minority status or race. Along with this general ban, the proposal explicitly bars literacy tests and other tools that were traditionally used to discriminate minorities during voting (Branch 91). The Voting Rights Act is made up of two main provisions- special provisions and general provisions. While General provisions address national issues, the special provisions address particular local government or states. These two provisions are intended to provide protection of voting rights based on language and racial minorities. The special provisions support persons who are American Indian, Asian American, Alaskan Natives or of Spanish heritage (Conroy 664). Section 5 of the Act addresses special provisions by prohibiting authoriti es from enforcing any law that may influence voting process without initially passing through the â€Å"preclearance† process. Preclearance process permits changes after confirmation from the judge panel or the Attorney General (Lawson 36). The changes in voting process are only allowed if they do not have any influence on race or language status. The Congress has made some changes in 2006, 1992, 1982, 1975, and 1970 on the Voting Rights Act. In all these changes (except 1992), the Congress improved the preclearance standards. For instance, the coverage formula was improved in 1970 and 1975. In addition, section 2 was updated in 1982 and bans any discriminative voting law (Conroy 664).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Civil Rights Act as a Milestone Element of American Legislation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These are laws that have a discriminatory effect or purpose, which was banned regardl ess of whether they were passed or sustained for a discriminatory purpose. Moreover, the latest amendment of 2006 has updated various protections that offered the Department of Justice the ability to approve any voting changes, monitoring during Election Day and allowing language assistance. Noteworthy, the voting Rights Act has allowed a free and equal voting process. The voting rights have been protected because the Act provides the minority groups with various privileges to vote during all elections. African-Americans Vote in South Carolina. Prime News., BBC, New York, 23 Mar. 1965. Television. Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964. Prime News., BBC., New York, 27 Mar. 1964. Television. Bowron, Aaron. Celebrating the Progress of Michigan’s Civil Rights Laws. Michigan Bar Journal 2.3 (2012): 20-21. Print. Branch, Taylor. Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years 1963–65, New York: Simon Schuster, 2008. Print. Conroy, Terrye. The Voting Rights Act of 1965: A Selected Annotated Bibliography. Law Library Journal 98.4 (2006): 663-690. Print.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lawson, Steven F. Black Ballots: Voting Rights in the South, 1944–1969. New York: Columbis University Press, 2006. Print

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Write Natural Dialogue for Narratives

How to Write Natural Dialogue for Narratives Writing verbal conversations or dialogue is often one of the trickiest parts of creative writing. Crafting effective dialogue within the context of a narrative requires much more than following one quote with another. With practice, though, you can learn how to write natural-sounding dialogue that is creative and compelling. The Purpose of Dialogue Put simply, dialogue is narrative conveyed through speech by two or more characters. Effective dialogue should do many things at once, not simply convey information. It should set the scene, advance action, give insight into each character, and foreshadow future dramatic action. Dialogue doesnt have to be grammatically correct; it should read like actual speech. However, there must be a balance between realistic speech and readability. Dialogue is also a tool for character development. Word choice tells a reader a lot about a person: their appearance, ethnicity, sexuality, background, even morality. It can also tell the reader how the writer feels about a certain character. How to Write Direct Dialogue Speech, also known as direct dialogue, can be an effective means of conveying information quickly. But most real-life conversations are boring to read. An exchange between two friends may go something like this: Hi, Tony, said Katy. Hey, Tony answered. Whats wrong? Katy asked. Nothing, Tony said. Really? Youre not acting like nothings wrong. Pretty tiresome dialogue, right? By including nonverbal details in your dialogue, you can articulate emotion through action. This adds dramatic tension and is more engaging to read. Consider this revision: Hi, Tony. Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe and pushed around a pile of dust. Hey, he replied. Katy could tell something was wrong. Sometimes saying nothing or saying the opposite of what we know a character  feels is the best way to create dramatic tension. If a character wants to say I love you, but his actions or words say I dont care, the reader will cringe at the missed opportunity. How to Write Indirect Dialogue Indirect dialogue doesnt rely on speech. Instead, it uses thoughts, memories, or recollections of past conversations to reveal important narrative details. Often, a writer will combine direct and indirect dialogue to increase dramatic tension, as in this example: Hi, Tony. Tony looked down at his shoe, dug in his toe and pushed around a pile of dust. Hey, he replied. Katy braced herself. Something was wrong. Formatting and Style To write dialogue that is effective, you must also pay attention to formatting and style. Correct use of tags, punctuation, and paragraphs can be as important as the words themselves. Remember that punctuation goes inside quotations. This keeps the dialogue clear and separate from the rest of the narrative. For example: I cant believe you just did that! Start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes. If there is action involved with a speaking character, keep the description of the action within the same paragraph as the characters dialogue. Dialogue tags other than said are best used sparingly, if at all. Often a writer uses them to try to convey a certain emotion. For example: But I dont want to go to sleep yet, he whined. Instead of telling the reader that the boy whined, a good writer will describe the scene in a way that conjures the image of a whining little boy: He stood in the doorway with his hands balled into little fists at his sides. His red, tear-rimmed eyes glared up at his mother. But I dont want to go to sleep yet. Practice Makes Perfect Writing dialogue is like any other skill. It requires constant practice if you want to improve as a writer. Here are a few tips to help you tune your ear. Start a dialogue diary. Practice speech patterns and vocabulary that may be foreign to you. This will give you the opportunity to really get to know your characters.Eavesdrop. Carry a small notebook with you and write down phrases, words, or whole conversations verbatim to help develop your ear.Read. Reading will hone your creative abilities. It will help familiarize you with the form and flow of narration and dialogue until it becomes more natural in your own writing.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Case Analysis(another one) Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis(another one) - Case Study Example The tables and a chart will compare the price of tickets from 1981 to vision 2023 and its resultant cost of inflation. Table 1 shows the SWOT analysis for Walt Disney Company. The SWOT analysis is used in the case analysis in order to predict the current and future outlook of the Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company is supposed to reduce the cost of their services such as tickets. Also, the creative and innovative ideas are needed in the company. The name of the company is supposed to be associated with a wide range of audience not only children, but also adults. The suggested recommendations will help the Walt Disney Company to reach its target of remaining the leading company worldwide. For example, reduction in the price of tickets and other services will help in attracting a large number of customers. Also, creative and innovative ideas are needed in order to retain their disappearing customers due to the increasing price of the products and services. In addition, the name of the company needs to be associated with not only children, but also attracts. The change in name will help in attracting many customers irrespective of the age. As indicated by the type of analysis, the recommendations play a significant role. The recommendations will help the Walt Disney Company restructure its strategic plans and to reduce the cost of their services and products. In conclusion, the restructuring of the strategic plans and reduction of the cost of their services and products will attract many customers to the Walt Disney Company. As shown in table 3, the strategic plans for the company hold true that the expected price of items will continue to increase unless the strategies are

Friday, October 18, 2019

Affect Of Global Recession on Hospitality and Quality Management in 4 Dissertation

Affect Of Global Recession on Hospitality and Quality Management in 4 Star Hotels in Eastbourne, London - Dissertation Example The hotel industry is one of the highest income generators in London due to the booming tourism that is experienced in London and its environs. This has been going on for decades, and not just in London, but also in various cities around the world. Travelling has become a common occurrence in people’s lives for purposes of business, leisure, academic commitments and visiting friends and close associates. With tourism comes hospitality, hence, the high proportion of tourists who every year flock into London has necessitated the establishment of hotels and other forms of accommodation for the tourism. The hospitality sector has for decades grown, and currently it is one of the highest earners in the United Kingdom. As a result of this, global trends also affect tourism in the UK, which would further have an impact on the hospitality and hospitality management in London. The global recession affected the circulation of money around the globe, and since tourists visiting London are derived from UK and various parts of the world, it is evident that tourism was affected. With global recession came an increased standard of living among people. These changes ensured that numbers visiting London were not the same as those that initially visited the city. As a result of all these factors, hospitality and quality management in hotels was markedly affected since hotels were operating under new financial factors and new visitors.

Stem Cell Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Stem Cell - Research Paper Example Scientifically, stem cells can be defined as primitive unspecialized types of cells that can renew themselves and develop into more mature cells with specialized functions. They are fertilized eggs that are less than a week old. The typical scientific definition of stem cells describes them as "blank cells that can be turned into specialized cells such as heart cells, or any kind of tissue in the body, such as skin, muscle, or the brain" (Gupta). One of the distinguishing characteristics of stem cells is that they have the ability to renew themselves for long periods through the process of cell division. Also, stem cells can be converted to become cells with special functions, such as the lung cells, liver cells, the beating cells of the heart muscle or any other specialized cells (Rockville). There are primarily two types of them: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Each of these two types has its own functions and characteristics that are different from the other. Before stu dying stem cells of human beings, scientists made a lot of experiments on stem cells from mouse embryos for years. These experiments on the mouse embryos led to the successful discovery of the ways of isolating stem cells from human embryos and grow them in the laboratory. At the beginning, these human embryonic stem cells were created for infertility purposes through in vitro fertilization procedures. When they were no longer needed for that purpose, these stem cells are usually donated for research and experiment with the consent of the donor (Rockville). Due to the extreme importance of stem cells in organ transplantation and other medical purposes, it is ethical to conduct more research on stem cells, as long as these experiments do not distort any of the established religious beliefs. Objectives: Most scientists agree that stem cells have many medical advantages. Some scientists even regard stem cells as offering a great potential for the alleviation of human suffering, as they can provide cure for a number of diseases. Millions of people around the world suffer from diseases that may be treated more effectively with stem cells. These diseases include Alzheimer, Diabetes, Parkinson’s, and heart disease, and certain types of cancer (Takahashi et al.). In addition, stem cells can offer great help in many different areas of health and medical research. For example, studying stem cells helps us to understand the mechanism of their transformation into the various specialized cells that are essential for the existence of human beings. By becoming aware of the way they transform into other cells in the human body, scientists will gain better understanding of normal cell development, which will allow them to correct the errors in these sells, which cause the medical conditions from which human beings suffer. Besides, a third medical advantage of stem cells is that they provide an opportunity of making cells and tissues for medical therapies. In other words , stem cells can be used to replace those tissues or organs in the human body that are diseased or destroyed. Prior to the discovery of the stem cells technology, the only way to transplant a new organ in a human body was by donation from other persons. However, a new discovery about stem cells illuminated the scientists about the possibility of using these stem cells in transplantation. This use of stem cells in organ transplantation solves many of the problems caused by organ donation from oth

Metabical Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Metabical - Case Study Example However, Metabical has faced competition ever since the FDA approved an OTC drug known as Alli. Therefore, Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals had to come up with new marketing strategies, such as advertisements on TV, radio, celebrity endorsement and printed advertisements in medical publications. Its top priority was to ensure that patients gain knowledge and awareness of the drug. A Metabical potential customer is, therefore, required to make a well informed decision before settling for Metabical drug2. First, an overweight patient should be willing to lose weight either to be healthy or to avoid discrimination from others. Secondly, after an overweight patient is aware of their condition, they are required to start an exercising program and ask health care providers for assistance when they need it. Thirdly, after consulting healthcare providers, the consumers are required to consider and engage a different method that could be easier in achieving their goal of losing weight. Last ly, if all the other methods fail, the health care providers can recommend the use of the Metabical drug under observation. This way, patients can observe their progress in weight loss as well as evaluate the effectiveness of Metabical. Consumers and health care providers are the parties involved in the decision making process. This is because they are the target market for the Metabical drug. As such, it is also important to note that Metabical is a prescription drug that can only be acquired through a prescription. However, CPS should place into consideration the concerns raised over new weight loss drugs and focus on providing solutions to solve any problems that may arise. In addition, CSP should make up marketing communication strategies that attract consumer awareness, elicit their interest and arouse their desire hence purchasing the Metabical weight loss drug. However, these marketing communication strategies must be tailor-made to suit the interests of different targets3. I t is important to note that the consumer decision making process goes through some stages. The first stage entails recognition of the need for the Metabical drug. Many overweight people lack self esteem and consider themselves as outcasts. For instance, given an American case, more than sixty five percent of Americans are overweight. Here, the Metabical drug share needs with the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that include the need for belongingness and love for companionship since no one likes to be excluded4. The next stage is alternative search, where the prospective consumer collects information from marketing sources such as advertisements, public sources such as newspapers and magazines. Some consumers opt to ask friends who have tried diet drugs before, family and health care experts for suggestions on recommendable overweight drugs. So far, the prospective consumers have been exposed to adequate information on diet drugs. The next step involves evaluation of available alt ernatives rather than Metabical drug. In this case, the consumer compares the Metabical drug to other products such as OTC products, the Alli drug, ephedrine and many others5. The consumer is also able to evaluate the ingredients of the drugs and rule out those that they may be allergic to. In this step the consumers’ objectives are to discover the side effects and the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

European Single Currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

European Single Currency - Essay Example Prior to its launch there were ambiguities but after the launch all the issues quickly disappeared and Euro within no time became a favorite among the citizens residing in European Countries. Roughly around 320 million European citizens use the currency and find it really amazing and beneficial in more ways than one. Euro is used in almost all the European Countries but there are still exceptions like Denmark and United Kingdom who still use their own currencies, the British pound is used in United Kingdom and the DKK better known as the Danish Krone is used in Denmark. One of the biggest advantages of Euro is that it saves a lot of time and effort of the travelers who choose to travel with Europe. For instance if there is a Soccer game in Spain which a Greek citizen wants to witness, he/she can just straight away catch a flight and reach the Soccer stadium in Spain and watch the game. There is no need to covert the currency into some other currency. The same has resulted in saving a lot of time and effort of the European Citizens. This was not the case prior to the introduction of Euro. The people had to exchange money every now and then to meet their demands but after the introduction things have changed for better. Another major advantage is the clarity in prices whenever an European citizen travels to another European country it becomes very easy to compare and buy the products of his/her choice; this facility was not available to the citizens prior to the launch of the Euro. Earlier even if a Tourist wanted to buy a product desperately, he/she was made to think thrice about it because of the different currencies within Europe but these days there is transparency in prices with regard to the currencies and this has only happened because of the introduction of the Euro. Euro has brought in a lot of Economic and financial stability, a Businessman is much less prone to risk when using Euro as his/her currency. Single currency keeps the inflation rate under a good check, which is extremely important for an economy and the Euro does exactly that. It keeps interest rates and the rate of inflation under check hence it can be said that the Euro plays a pivotal role in maintaining the economic growth of the European nations. "Having a single currency and an economic and monetary union strengthens Europe's role in international fora and organizations like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development." (The Euro & You, 20 October 2008). Euro strengthens the position of all the European countries, having a single currency helps a lot in the growth of the country and in this particular case Europe on the whole. Euro is very frequently used in international trade; it has very quickly become a part and parcel of the lives of many businessmen who carry out trade at large scales. Countries also have started using Euro as the currency for International trade. "A single currency makes Europe a strong partner to trade with and facilitates access to a genuine single market for foreign companies, who will benefit from lower costs of doing business in Europe." (The Euro & You, 20 October 2008). The investors get a lot of positive things by using the Euro as their currency; they get more access to liquid financial markets and also they get a

Concept Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Concept Analysis - Essay Example Concept analysis informs and clarifies nursing practice since it will synthesize isolated pieces of information and help in nursing diagnosis development. Therefore, concept analysis enables a researcher to identify attributes related to a concept in the nursing area such as diagnosis of a disease and enables a proper approach to situations. Empirical knowledge is based on the assumptions that a nurse can diagnose a situation by assessing it through the physical senses such as touching, seeing and hearing. Empirical knowledge is expressed in practice as competence, which is as a product of research and applying theories (Chinn, & Kramer, 2008). Aesthetic knowledge is involves understanding the nature of a medical condition, inferring this information and responding to it with a skilled action. It is expressed by the nurse knowing what to do without a lot of deliberation, and is based on the skill of the nurse in the given situation. Personal knowledge in nursing is based on confidence in the nurse that she knows how to deal with patients and this self-awareness grows with time as the nurse interacts with others. It needs to be integrated with professional responsibilities and is the basis of curative relationship between the nurse and patients. Ethical knowledge encompasses the moral knowledge of nurses and directs how nurses should interact with their patients. It requires an understanding of social values and requires the nurse to ensure they apply ethical reasoning when dealing with

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

European Single Currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

European Single Currency - Essay Example Prior to its launch there were ambiguities but after the launch all the issues quickly disappeared and Euro within no time became a favorite among the citizens residing in European Countries. Roughly around 320 million European citizens use the currency and find it really amazing and beneficial in more ways than one. Euro is used in almost all the European Countries but there are still exceptions like Denmark and United Kingdom who still use their own currencies, the British pound is used in United Kingdom and the DKK better known as the Danish Krone is used in Denmark. One of the biggest advantages of Euro is that it saves a lot of time and effort of the travelers who choose to travel with Europe. For instance if there is a Soccer game in Spain which a Greek citizen wants to witness, he/she can just straight away catch a flight and reach the Soccer stadium in Spain and watch the game. There is no need to covert the currency into some other currency. The same has resulted in saving a lot of time and effort of the European Citizens. This was not the case prior to the introduction of Euro. The people had to exchange money every now and then to meet their demands but after the introduction things have changed for better. Another major advantage is the clarity in prices whenever an European citizen travels to another European country it becomes very easy to compare and buy the products of his/her choice; this facility was not available to the citizens prior to the launch of the Euro. Earlier even if a Tourist wanted to buy a product desperately, he/she was made to think thrice about it because of the different currencies within Europe but these days there is transparency in prices with regard to the currencies and this has only happened because of the introduction of the Euro. Euro has brought in a lot of Economic and financial stability, a Businessman is much less prone to risk when using Euro as his/her currency. Single currency keeps the inflation rate under a good check, which is extremely important for an economy and the Euro does exactly that. It keeps interest rates and the rate of inflation under check hence it can be said that the Euro plays a pivotal role in maintaining the economic growth of the European nations. "Having a single currency and an economic and monetary union strengthens Europe's role in international fora and organizations like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development." (The Euro & You, 20 October 2008). Euro strengthens the position of all the European countries, having a single currency helps a lot in the growth of the country and in this particular case Europe on the whole. Euro is very frequently used in international trade; it has very quickly become a part and parcel of the lives of many businessmen who carry out trade at large scales. Countries also have started using Euro as the currency for International trade. "A single currency makes Europe a strong partner to trade with and facilitates access to a genuine single market for foreign companies, who will benefit from lower costs of doing business in Europe." (The Euro & You, 20 October 2008). The investors get a lot of positive things by using the Euro as their currency; they get more access to liquid financial markets and also they get a

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Compare Ode to a Nightingale and A Draught of Sunshine by John Keats Essay

Compare Ode to a Nightingale and A Draught of Sunshine by John Keats - Essay Example Much of his youth was stigmatized by poverty and poor health. He also got into an understanding with Frances â€Å"Fanny† Brawne but the relationship didn’t last long because of Keats’ failing health, although Fanny was loyal to Keats and tended him very near to his last days. It was during this period of his failing health when he wrote Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems (1820) which included the poem â€Å"Ode To A Nightingale†. Ode To A Nightingale is a poem that was very close to Keats’ personal life. The poem was evocative of all the sufferings that Keats faced in his short-life like the death of his parents; the suffering and pain which he witnessed in people as a surgeon apprentice, the death of his brother and ultimately his own vain life spent in convalescing from the deadly disease of tuberculosis and the pangs of a relationship that couldn’t shape up. The poem speaks of the life of a nightingale in which the poet compares it with that of the life of a human being. Keats says in the poem that the life of a nightingale is blessed because it hasn’t seen the stressed life of humans which is impregnated with worries and sickness. He further says that the life of humans is so sad where beauty is not perpetual and affection is not consistent but the nightingale is above all this and its music is fluid and it is immortal. The writer wishes very hard to flee from the human world to the world of the nightingale. Keats also further wishes to succumb to death painlessly by delightfully listening to the melodious music of the nightingale. The nightingale’s song has been taken to be the ticket to the other world which is free of materialism and physicality. Keats achieved to flee to the world of the nightingale by alcohol and opium but later agreed that the sweet musical chants of the nightingale will help him transport to Utopia. â€Å"A Draught of Sunshine† is another of Keats’ poem which

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Leadership Of Prophet Muhammad Religion Essay

The Leadership Of Prophet Muhammad Religion Essay The choice of the topic was prompted because of the numerous impacts and transformation the leadership of prophet Muhammad (SAW) had made to humanity and the world in general. So many scholars and historians such as Michael hart Carlyle in his book the hundred and mahatma Ghandi even though they were not Muslims they made so many assertions that the world had never witnessed a leader who has achieved so much in all spheres of leadership ; socially, economically and religiously like such as man (Muhammad SAW). An Arab man who does not know how to read or write, but was able to transform the whole of Arabian Peninsula in less than three decades. He was able to change the mind of Arabian people who happens to be so barbaric during the jahiliya period killing one another. They fought so many battles due to ethnicity, ignorance and land disputes which usually last for decades. As he came in, he was able to unite them, change their focus so as to love one another as it was reported in one of his tradition that: none of you is a complete believer unless he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. In the glorious Quran, Allah the most high says: O mankind, I have created you from a single male and female and made you in to nations and tribes; so that you man know one another. None of you is greater than the other except he who fears Allah the most. Hence all are equal before Allah. From the aforementioned, I can categorically say that prophet Muhammad SAW is a role model to leaders of all kind; politically, economically, psychologically and religiously. Therefore all leaders in the world should learn and embrace the method of his leadership, this is because he conquered the whole of Arabian Peninsula without fierce battle except where they fought against him then he fought back in defense of his territorial sovereignty. I also choose the topic because he was able to liberate women from the bondage of becoming extinct. The world over, there is no religion that has given women the liberation, respect and recognition than the religion of Islam with its leader Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as it was enshrined in the holy book of Allah. But before the advent of this great leader, a female child born to a family is considered to be a cause as such, they were either killed or buried alive. This was mentioned in the glorious Quran where Allah says; whenever one of them is giving a glad tiding of a female child, his fact would become darkened in sorrow in high state of grief. He will separate from his people the bad tidings he was given should he bury it in the earth. But he was able to bring liberation to the female folks, not only to the female folk but to humanity in general as stated in the glorious Quran we do not send you expect as a mercy to the world. The prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) exhibited the sublime condu ct of Islam, which appealed to the people to accept Islam. He used his obedience to Allah to propagate Islam; he strictly adhered to the commands and prohibitions of Allah. He derived pleasure in following the commands of Allah and other people noticed and accepted the religion. The prophet therefore used soft language while appealing to people to accept Islam. He met people in their houses and at business places to tell them about Islam, he gave examples that could convince his people that he was sent by Allah. The leadership qualities I find most admirable were his humility, his recognition of talent, and his ability to think counterintuitive. Introduction The prophet Muhammad (SAW) was born in makkah 2nd august A.D 570, his father died before he was born. His mothers name is amina she died when he was six years old he became an orphan at a very young age. Khadija gave birth to four girls and three boys all the boys died in childhood. The prophet at the age of 40 he was climbing the cave outside the city to be alone to pray and ponder he was troubled by all the injustice of mekkah, slavery, ill treatment of women, gambling, sacrifice of new born babies and the reliance on idol gods made of wood and stone but for one God of Abraham and Moses and Jesus. So as he did every year he went to the cave (cave hira) suddenly he was surrounded by light when he looked up he saw angel Gabriel standing before him he was speechless. Read said the angel I dont how was the reply Gabriel repeated his command three times and each time the reply was the same and then Gabriel thought him. The angel said read in the name of your creator he created man from the clot of blood read your lord is the most merciful who thought the use of the pen and thought men what he did not know. And then Gabriel varnished. Muhammad (SAW) shook with fear he stumbled out of the cave and ran home he doubted what he had seen but on his way down the mountain the angel appeared to him again. The angel said Muhammad you are the messenger of God he repeated himself severally. Once the angel had gone Muhammad (SAW) struggled for home. He finally arrive he was shivering he asked his wife khadija to cover him, he told her everything he had seen and heard. He said he feared for his sanity but khadija assured him that God will not allow evil spirit to overtake a man like him who had always told the truth cared for the poor and needy. Khadija was the first Islam believer and soon others followed. For three years the prophet peace be upon him preached in secret. The prophet revelation the Quran offered the most beautiful one have ever heard. He thought the Muslims that all the gods of mekkah are powerless there is only one God that is God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. And we have to surrender everything to him there is no such thing as rich or slave in the eyes of God we are all equal and the poor are to be cared for. The Quran says in the name of God the merciful the most compassionate the most honored of you in the site of Allah is the most righteous of you, women arent possessions they are Gods creations just as important as any man respect them. The earth is a gift from God treat it gentle you are its caretaker and remember you will all be judged according to your deeds many became Muslims on that day. The prophet was a great believer in prayers; he made supplication to his Lord with zeal and favor rarely to be found in the religious literature of the world. The prophet said if they put the sun in his right hand and the moon in his left he will not stop what he is doing he will continue till either the word of God prevails or he perish in the process. To the prophet Raina but say, Unzurna and hearken (to him): to those without Faith is a grievous punishment. It is never the wish of those without faith among the people of the Book nor the polytheists. That anything good should come down to you from your Lord. But Allah will choose from his special Mercy whom He will- for Allah is Lord of grace abounding. The prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the head of state and was the ruler of nearly all Arabia. When the prophet noticed that the Quiraysh were preventing people from listening to him, he started to contact other people who came to madinah from other places. Among such people are the Yathribites. He met the first group of Yathribites at al-Aqbd. They accepted Islam from him and promised to preach it to the other people in Yathrib. They invited him to madinah and promised him protection. He therefore migrated to Yathrib which was renamed the city of the messenger. The Dawah got a boost with the migration of the prophet to madinah, many Muslims migrated to madinah from makkah. There were a lot of lessons derived from the prophet Dawah activities in madinah and Muslims are to apply them. Emulating the prophet in being soft-hearted to people they come across. Being patient in whatever they pursue as the prophet did when he was propagating Islam. Observing moral norms by avoiding what could tarnish their image and the image of Islam. Always giving people the benefit of doubt until w hat was presumed happened. Being very firm in upholding the teachings of Islam in both social and moral spheres of life. The truth is from you lord let him who will believe, and let him who will reject it, for the wrong doers we have prepared a fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in. if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces. As for those who believe and work righteousness verily we shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a single righteous deed. Thus did we make their case known to people, that they might know the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the hour of judgment. A revelation from the most Gracious, most merciful; a Book whereof the verses are explained in detail. A Quran in Arabic for people to understand, giving god news and admonition yet most of them turn away, and so they hear not. They say our hearts are under veils (concealed) from that to which thou dost invite us, and our ears is a deafness between us and there is a screen. The prophet say: I am a m an like you, it is revealed to me by inspiration that your God is one. So take the straight path unto him and ask for His forgiveness. Those who reject Allah and hinder (men) from path of Allah their deeds will Allah bring to naught. But those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and believe in the revelation sent down to Muhammad (SAW) for it is the truth from the lord. He will remove from them their ills and improve their condition. This is because those who reject Allah follow falsehood. While those who believe follow the truth from their Lord therefore when ye meet the unbelievers smite at their necks. It is He who sent tranquility into the heart of the believers, that they may add faith to their faith. Prophet Muhammad (SAW)s distinctive communication and leadership approach led to the increase of Islam. The findings on the Prophets values of moderation revealed that he placed a lot of weight on mannerism. Humankind has to match words with deeds. Believers were not to say one thing and do the other. When told by some of his followers that they will abstain from women and devote their entire energy to prayer, he responded by stating that he was married. This was like an indirect way to inform the speaker that there was no room for pretense. By choosing to abstain you open yourself to irresistible temptation. Getting married would therefore serve as the means to shun sin and other forms of temptation. This is certainly the landmark of difference between Muhammad and other spiritual and secular leaders of his time and today. To begin with, some other spiritual leaders remained unmarried and by deciding to do so created a pattern for their followers to follow suit. But experience has shown that most of these followers could not faithfully follow their religion without falling into the te mptation of bodily pleasures. This could have been unwelcome by Muhammad. He foresaw this kind of contradiction and so taught by examples. It was like doing justice to natures calling. The Prophet was in essence advocating justice between sexes. Battles fought by prophet The battles (Badr, Uhud and Khaybar, Ditch) fought by the prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) The patience of the prophet at the face of persecution for the most of the thirteen years of Dawah in makkah. When the prophet started open Dawah in makkah, the Quiraysh reached by persecuting him. The persecution continued through the thirteen years of Dawah in makkah. The reaction of the Quiraysh included: Persecuting the prophet through physical assault, intimidation and harassment The sahabuh were also persecuted by physical assault which led to the death of a woman The family of the prophet was harassed by the Quiraysh Banà » Hà ¢skim who sympathized with the cause of the prophet was ex-communicated from makkah for three years. Battle of Uhud (625 A.D) The immediate cause of the battle of Uhud was the defeat which the Quraysh suffered at the hands of the Muslims at the battle of Badr. The Muslims were originally one thousand, but when Abdullah ibn Ubay (the leader of hypocrites) let three hundred of his followers to withdraw, the Muslims were left with 700 men to face 3,000 makkans. When the prophet heard about their coming he contacted the sahabah and it was agreed that the Muslims should go out and meet the army. Effects of the Battle of Ditch Qurashs finally attempted to wipe out Islam and the Muslims from existence had failed. Tribes in Arabia had learnt lesson to live peacefully with the Muslims Treachery of the Jews to the Muslims came into the open The prophet, therefore, punished them with ejection, enslavement and forfeiture of property. Muslims appreciated to power of Allah who saved the from the evil machinations of the Jews and the confederations Battle of Khaybar After the confederates were dispersed by God through a heavy wind storm, the prophet decided to attack the Jews of Khaybar who broke the agreement that existed between them and the Muslims. He commanded the sahabah who remained with him to defend madinah to proceed to khaybar immediately. At khaybar, the Jews who heard about the coming of the prophet had taken cover in the mountains. The Jews attacked the Muslims in a mountain path with arrows and spears. The Muslims retreated and some of the ran for safety Conclusion The prophet Mohammed (S.A.W) exhibited the sublime conduct of Islam, which appealed to the people to accept Islam. He used his obedience to Allah to propagate Islam; he strictly adhered to the commands and prohibitions of Allah. He derived pleasure in following the commands of Allah and other people noticed and accepted the religion. The prophet therefore used soft language while appealing to people to accept Islam. He met people in their houses and at business places to tell them about Islam, he gave examples that could convince his people that he was sent by Allah. A few years later in medina after a short illness the prophet (SAW) died he was sixty-three years old he always lived a simple and humble life giving everything he had to the poor.