The Battle of Quiberon Bay During the Seven Years War

The Battle of Quiberon Bay was fought November 20, 1759, during the Seven Years War (1756-1763). Fleets and Commanders Britain Admiral Sir Edward Hawke23 ships of the line5 frigates France Marshal Comte de Conflans21 ships of the line6 frigates Background In 1759, French military fortunes were waning as the British and their allies were gaining the upper hand in many theaters. Seeking a dramatic reversal of fortunes, the Duc de Choiseul began planning for an invasion of Britain. Preparations soon commenced and invasion craft was gathered for a thrust across the Channel. The French plans were badly damaged during the summer when a British attack on Le Havre wrecked many of these barges in July and Admiral Edward Boscawen defeated the French Mediterranean fleet at Lagos in August. Reassessing the situation, Choiseul decided to push forward with an expedition to Scotland. As such, transports were assembled in the protected waters of the Gulf of Morbihan while an invasion army formed near Vannes and Auray. To escort the invasion force to Britain, the Comte de Conflans was to bring his fleet south from Brest to Quiberon Bay. This done, the combined force would move north against the enemy. Complicating this plan was the fact that Admiral Sir Edward Hawkes Western Squadron was holding Brest under close blockade. In early November, a large westerly gale struck the area and Hawke was forced to run north to Torbay. While the bulk of the squadron rode out the weather, he left Captain Robert Duff with five small ships of the line (50 guns each) and nine frigates to watch the invasion fleet at Morbihan. Taking advantage of the gale and shift in the wind, Conflans was able to slip out of Brest with twenty-one ships of the line on November 14. Sighting the Enemy That same day, Hawke departed Torbay to return to his blockade station off Brest. Sailing south, he learned two days later that Conflans had put to sea and was heading south. Moving to pursue, Hawkes squadron of twenty-three ships of the line used superior seamanship to close the gap despite contrary winds and worsening weather. Early on November 20, as he neared Quiberon Bay, Conflans spotted Duffs squadron. Badly outnumbered, Duff split his ships with one group moving north and the other moving south. Seeking an easy victory, Conflans ordered his van and center to pursue the enemy while his rearguard held back to observe strange sails approaching from the west. Sailing hard, the first of Hawkes ships to spot the enemy was Captain Richard Howes HMS Magnanime (70). Around 9:45 AM, Hawke signaled for a general chase and fired three guns. Devised by Admiral George Anson, this modification called for the seven leading ships to form line ahead as they chased. Pressing hard despite increasing gale winds, Hawkes squadron quickly closed with the French. This was aided by Conflans pausing to deploy his entire fleet in line ahead. A Bold Attack With the British approaching, Conflans steered for the safety of Quiberon Bay. Littered with a myriad of rocks and shoals, he did not believe Hawke would pursue him into its waters especially in heavy weather. Rounding Le Cardinaux, rocks at the entrance to the bay, at 2:30 PM, Conflans believed he had reached safety. Shortly after his flagship, Soleil Royal (80), passed the rocks, he heard the leading British ships opening fire on his rearguard. Charging in, Hawke, aboard HMS Royal George (100), had no intention of breaking off the pursuit and decided to let the French ships serve as his pilots in the bays dangerous waters. With the British captains seeking to engage his ships, Conflans tacked his fleet up the bay hoping to reach the Morbihan. With the British ships seeking individual actions, a dramatic shift the wind occurred around 3:00 PM. This saw the gale begin blowing from the northwest and made the Morbihan unreachable for the French. Forced to change his plan, Conflans sought to exit the bay with his unengaged ships and make for open water before nightfall. Passing Le Cardinaux at 3:55 PM, Hawke was pleased to see the French reverse course and moving in his direction. He immediately directed Royal Georges sailing master to put the ship alongside Conflans flagship. As he did so, other British ships were fighting their own battles. This saw the flagship of the French rearguard, Formidable (80), captured and HMS Torbay (74) cause Thà ©sà ©e (74) to founder. The Victory Wearing towards Dumet Island, Conflans group came under direct attack from Hawke. Engaging Superbe (70), Royal George sank the French ship with two broadsides. Shortly after this, Hawke saw an opportunity to rake Soleil Royal but was thwarted by Intrà ©pide (74). As the fighting raged, the French flagship collided with two of its comrades. With daylight fading, Conflans found that he had been forced south towards Le Croisic and was leeward of the large Four Shoal. Unable to escape before nightfall, he directed his remaining ships to anchor. Around 5:00 PM Hawke issued similar orders however part of the fleet failed to receive the message and continued pursuing French ships northeast towards the River Vilaine. Though six French ships safely entered the river, a seventh, Inflexible (64), grounded at its mouth. During the night, HMS Resolution (74) was lost on the Four Shoal, while nine French ships successfully escaped the bay and made for Rochefort. One of these, the battle-damaged Juste (70), was lost on the rocks near St. Nazaire. When the sun rose on November 21, Conflans found that Soleil Royal and Hà ©ros (74) were anchored near the British fleet. Quickly cutting their lines, they attempted to make for the harbor of Le Croisic and were pursued by the British. Proceeding in heavy weather, both French ships grounded on the Four Shoal as did HMS Essex (64). The next day, when the weather had improved, Conflans ordered Soleil Royal burned while British sailors crossed to and set Hà ©ros afire. Aftermath A stunning and daring victory, the Battle of Quiberon Bay saw the French lose seven ships of the line and Conflans fleet shattered as an effective fighting force. The defeat ended French hopes of mounting any type of invasion in 1759. In exchange, Hawke lost two ships of the line on the shoals of Quiberon Bay. Lauded for his aggressive tactics, Hawke shifted his blockading efforts south to the bay and the Biscay ports. Having broken the back of French naval strength, the Royal Navy was increasingly free to operate against French colonies worldwide. The Battle of Quiberon Bay marked the final victory of Britains Annus Mirabilis of 1759. This year of victories saw British and allied forces have success at Fort Duquesne, Guadeloupe, Minden, Lagos, as well as Major General James Wolfes victory at the Battle of Quebec. Sources History of War: Battle of Quiberon BayRoyal Navy: Battle of Quiberon Bay

Effects Of Steroid Hormones And Neuropeptides On Social...

A Review of the Effects of Steroid Hormones and Neuropeptides on Social-Emotional Behavior Bos, Peter A., Panksepp, Jaak, Bluthà ©, Rose-Marie, van Honk, Jack (2011). Acute effects of steroid hormones and neuropeptides on human social–emotional behavior: A review of single administration studies. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology 33 (2012) 17-35. 1. Introduction/Background Information The discovery of hormones and their function has been relatively recent. The term was first coined by Professor Earnest Starling in 1905. He derived the word from the Greek meaning â€Å"to arouse or excite.† However, the idea of the role hormones could be traced back as far as ancient Greece. Though Hippocrates’ theory on humors has been refuted, the concept of â€Å"bodily fluids,† or in this case, the amount of hormones circulating in the blood directly affecting temperament and emotions are related. Scientists continue to research the relevance of hormones, as well as neuropeptides on human behavior (J.R. Tata). Amazingly, throughout evolutionary history, both neuropeptides and steroid hormones were able to preserve their molecular structure, and their effect on cross-species sexuality. An estimated 450 million years ago, the neurotransmitter oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVT) were present in the earliest phyla, and the ir varied functions are similar in both animals and humans. Much like OT and AVP, the steroid hormones, testosterone (T) and estradiol (E) play a significant role inShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Steroid Hormones And Neuropeptides On Social Emotional Behavior1800 Words   |  8 PagesAcephalia A Review of the Effects of Steroid Hormones and Neuropeptides on Social-Emotional Behavior Bos, Peter A., Panksepp, Jaak, Bluthà ©, Rose-Marie, van Honk, Jack (2011). Acute effects of steroid hormones and neuropeptides on human social–emotional behavior: A review of single administration studies. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology 33 (2012) 17-35. 1. Introduction/Background Information The discovery of hormones and their function has been relatively recent. The term was first coined by ProfessorRead MoreThe Discovery Of Hormones And Their Function1568 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction/Background Information The discovery of hormones and their function has been relatively recent. The term was first coined by Professor Earnest Starling in 1905. He derived the word from the Greek meaning â€Å"to arouse or excite.† However, the idea of the role hormones could be traced back as far as ancient Greece. Though Hippocrates’ theory on humors has been refuted, the concept of â€Å"bodily fluids,† or in this case, the amount of hormones circulating in the blood directly affecting temperamentRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article The Unbroken 1811 Words   |  8 Pagesdeveloping PTSD. A newer approach to studying stress disorders, as the article establishes, is the study of resilience. Using the example of Louis Zamperini, the article describes an interdisciplinary approach to studying resilience including biological, social, and lifestyle factors. The article begins by introducing the story of Louis Zamperini. Zamperini was an Olympic runner that underwent a series of extraordinary circumstances. He was a member of the American Air Force in World War II when his planeRead MoreAU PSY350 M5 A1 Rodriguez A Essay2073 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ LASA 2: Effects of Stress Angie Rodriguez Physiological Psychology | PSY350 A03 Faculty:   Courtney  McKinney November 3, 2014 Abstract As stress we all know is a normal physical response to events that give us the feeling of threatned or a unbalance in the mind. Whether, it is danger we fear or if it is real living events the way the body reacts to stress it automatically high gears in a fast, way that it process what we recall as â€Å"fight-or-fight† the way reaction is towards stressRead MoreUnit 2 study guide8637 Words   |  35 Pages1. Review the anatomy of the brain. Which portion is responsible for keeping you awake, controlling thought, speech, emotions and behavior, maintaining balance and posture? Emotions and behavior are controlled by the hypothalamus (p.455) The cerebellum is responsible for maintaining balance and posture (p.455) The reticular formation is essential for maintaining wakefulness and in conjunction with the cerebral cortex is referred to as the reticular activating system (p.450) The Broca speech

Mental Illness Paper free essay sample

A child with ASD may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement. Children with an ASD may fail to respond to their names and often avoid eye contact with other people. They have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they can’t understand social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions, and don’t watch other people’s faces for clues about appropriate behavior. They lack empathy. Many children with an ASD engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of â€Å"I† or â€Å"me. † Children with an ASD don’t know how to play interactively with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking. Children with characteristics of an ASD may have co-occurring conditions, including Fragile X syndrome (which causes mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis, epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder. About 20 to 30 percent of children with an ASD develop epilepsy by the time they reach adulthood. ASD varies widely in severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps. Very early indicators that require evaluation by an expert include: * no babbling or pointing by age 1 * no single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2 * no response to name * loss of language or social skills * poor eye contact * excessive lining up of toys or objects * no smiling or social responsiveness. Later indicators include: * impaired ability to make friends with peers * impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others * absence or impairment of imaginative and social play * stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language * restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus * preoccupation with certain objects or subjects * inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals. Health care providers will often use a questionnaire or other screening instrument to gather information about a child’s development and behavior. Some screening instruments rely solely on parent observations, while others rely on a combination of parent and doctor observations. If screening instruments indicate the possibility of an ASD, a more comprehensive evaluation is usually indicated. A comprehensive evaluation requires a multidisciplinary team, including a psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist, and other professionals who diagnose children with ASDs. The team members will conduct a thorough neurological assessment and in-depth cognitive and language testing. Because hearing problems can cause behaviors that could be mistaken for an ASD, children with delayed speech development should also have their hearing tested. Scientists aren’t certain about what causes ASD, but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role. Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with the disorder. Studies of people with ASD have found irregularities in several regions of the brain. Other studies suggest that people with ASD have abnormal levels of serotonin or other neurotransmitters in the brain. These abnormalities suggest that ASD could result from the disruption of normal brain development early in fetal development caused by defects in genes that control brain growth and that regulate how brain cells communicate with each other, possibly due to the influence of environmental factors on gene function. While these findings are intriguing, they are preliminary and require further study. The theory that parental practices are responsible for ASD has long been disproved. There is no cure for ASDs. Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific needs of individual children. Most health care professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better. Educational/behavioral interventions: Therapists use highly structured and intensive skill-oriented training sessions to help children develop social and language skills, such as Applied Behavioral Analysis. Family counseling for the parents and siblings of children with an ASD often helps families cope with the particular challenges of living with a child with an ASD. Medications: Doctors may prescribe medications for treatment of specific autism-related symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Antipsychotic medications are used to treat severe behavioral problems. Seizures can be treated with one or more anticonvulsant drugs. Medication used to treat people with attention deficit disorder can be used effectively to help decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity. Other therapies: There are a number of controversial therapies or interventions available, but few, if any, are supported by scientific studies. Parents should use caution before adopting any unproven treatments. Although dietary interventions have been helpful in some children, parents should be careful that their child’s nutritional status is carefully followed. Children with some symptoms of an ASD but not enough to be diagnosed with classical autism are often diagnosed with PDD-NOS. Children with autistic behaviors but well-developed language skills are often diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Much rarer are children who may be diagnosed with childhood disintegrative disorder, in which they develop normally and then suddenly deteriorate between the ages of 3 to 10 years and show marked autistic behaviors. For many children, symptoms improve with treatment and with age. Children whose language skills regress early in life—before the age of 3—appear to have a higher than normal risk of developing epilepsy or seizure-like brain activity. During adolescence, some children with an ASD may become depressed or experience behavioral problems, and their treatment may need some modification as they transition to adulthood. People with an ASD usually continue to need services and supports as they get older, but many are able to work successfully and live independently or within a supportive environment. Autism affects children of all races and nationalities, but certain factors increase a childs risk. They include: Your childs sex. Boys are four to five times more likely to develop autism than girls are. Family history. Families who have one child with autism have an increased risk of having another child with the disorder. Its also not uncommon for the parents or relatives of an autistic child to have minor problems with social or communication skills themselves or to engage in certain autistic behaviors. Other disorders. Children with certain medical conditions have a higher than normal risk of having autism. These conditions include fragile X syndrome, an inherited disorder that causes intellectual problems; tuberous sclerosis, a condition in which benign tumors develop in the brain; the neurological disorder Tourette syndrome; and epilepsy, which causes seizures. Parents ages, there may also be a connection between children born to older parents and autism, but more research is necessary to establish this link. With today doctor check-ups and monitoring young children and adults that have autism, there are many things that can actually detect the problems that is going on early with the brain then what they was able to detect in the past. The reason many doctors were not able to do so because of poorly, technology that they had and not enough equipment to find out the results. Today there are many doctors that are able to solve many people problems with autism and are able to provide the proper medications that can give someone a life as a normal human being.

Odyssey vs. O Brother Where Art Thou free essay sample

Everett tries to escape Parchman Farm after learning that his wife was in two days ready to remarry a suitor of the name Vernon T. Waldrip. He is able to trick the two other men in his Chain Gang into thinking that the gang is actually going after treasure in order to get them to go with him, showing much love and loyalty to his wife and family. The authorities began on a Louisiana wide man hunt for Everett as the gang continued on their eventful trip home. Similar to Everett McGill, Odysseus from the Odyssey had been wandering the sea for ten years to get home to his family. Although he was making his way home, his absence allowed suitors to pursue his wife with proposals while staying in his home and enjoying his finer things; eating his food and drinking his expensive wines. Odysseus laid siege of the suitors on his land. We will write a custom essay sample on Odyssey vs. O Brother Where Art Thou or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In this comparison, the situations that both Everett and Odysseus found themselves in are extremely similar to one another. They both had to make a long journey in order to re-unite back home with their families and claim their original lives. Another obvious similarity is their names. The name Ulysses is actually the Latin form of the Greek name Odysseus. Even though the two characters are clearly from two different eras, their names show strong connection. Both characters are seen as adventurous men trying to re-unite with their families and homes. They both take on a similar role of traveling with friends that they do not absolutely trust. For example in the Odyssey, the bag of wind given to Odysseus from Aeolus was kept from Odysseus crew until they went behind his back and opened it up themselves. In O Brother, Where Art Thou, Everett doesnt trust his gang about being baptized for the reasoning of being purified and to feel better about yourself. Both these characters are seen with great determination and even though they are faced with numerous obstacles, they never gave up hope of their dream of being back home with their loved ones.

IT Solutions for Small and Medium

IT Solutions for Small and Medium Introduction The Internet of Things (Internet of Things) will grow over the next years in application and adoption. As it grows, its associated technologies will also have to undergo major advancements to accommodate customization and scaling needs of the Internet of Things. For example, privacy, security and semantic interoperability are all features that need further attention.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on IT Solutions for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, other IT advancements like cloud technologies and big data, as well as future networks like in the case of proposed 5G will also have to be considered when contemplating the adoption of the Internet of Things now and in the medium-term. For Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the IT solutions combined with the Internet of Things promise to enhance competitiveness and to make the daily running of businesses easy. E nhancement will come through better customer relationships, better supply chain management and relationships, as well as the provision of an affordable innovative avenue that translates to better services and products. However, the uptake of cloud computing, big data analytics, the Internet of Things, among other features faces the hurdle of overcoming sceptical thoughts about the advancements and their actual need for SMEs (Ruggieri Nikookar 2013). Research mythology The findings of this research come from a secondary literature review guided by the papers title. The researcher relied on internet sources for publications that discuss the present and past features of SMEs adoption of the novel IT features. It also relied on published research findings from other scholars to make deductions and to inform the analysis part of the paper. Application of theory/methods This paper will rely on the theories about diffusion as they apply to technology adoption in reviewing the various rese arch reports and industry reports on the use of technologies. The various states of technology adoption are awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption. The provided states allow practitioners to categorize a country, institution, or sector according to its stage of adoption. Alternatively, adoption could be categorized in the form of two categories; the innovators and the imitators. This would apply to the users of the technology and its creators. SMEs that are innovators would be those that base their decision to embrace the solution independently. Meanwhile, the imitators would be the ones that are influenced by other firms and industry trends to adopt the given technologies.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), behavioural intentions rely on the attitude about the likelihood that a given behaviour will lea d to an expected outcome. At the same time, it will depend on the subjective review of associated risks of the behaviour and the benefits of the outcomes. In this respect, when looking at an SME as a social entity, its behaviour of adoption will depend on its attitude or the known features of adopting, as well as the expected outcomes and the risk associated with the uptake compared to its benefits (Al-Qirim (ed.) 2004). The use of the TPB is informed in part by the fact that in SMEs, the business owners mostly behave like individual decision-makers. At the same time, the secondary literature available shows that new technology adoption, behaviour of SMEs is similar to a person’s processing of adopting technologies. However, in the business case, social influence would translate to influences happening in the competitive environment, such as the need to grow competitiveness or to catch up with the competition (Dahnil et al. 2014). Lastly, the Task-Technology Fit Theory is als o useful in explaining the adoption of technologies. According to the theory, the task and technology characteristic will affect its suitability and performance when used by humans and compatibility affects adoption (Dahnil et al. 2014). Findings A requirement of cloud computing is that the infrastructure must have access to data anywhere, anytime, and on any devices at a level that meets the minimum threshold of quality service. In many European countries and in North America, a high number of individuals have access to broadband and almost all corporate entities are hooked to broadband internet services. The existence of a network of connected individuals and companies provides the market requirement for cloud computing and offers demand for the service (Kloch, Petersen Madsen 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on IT Solutions for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For cloud compu ting to make sense, it has to be combined with broadband and for SMEs; the inclusion of e-commerce makes the uptake more exiting in the business sense. According to Kloch, Petersen and Madsen (2011), there is a huge number of SMEs that still apply manual billing systems, like the use of Excel-like systems. Such SMEs are also ill equipped in their respective IT departments, such that they are unable to embrace advances in the automation of their systems. As a result, they spend most of their human resources on their manual system. For the society, which includes businesses of all sizes, to benefit from the possibilities of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the applied processes must be efficient. In this regard, there is a need for ease of maintenance, flexibility, and scalability to a worldwide platform. A possible solution has been to remove the hardware limitations caused by the geographical and physical needs of hardware for computing. Instead, solutions are offer ed by cloud computing, which serves as the necessary infrastructure upon which other normal business system services lay (Kloch, Petersen Madsen 2011). In Hong Kong, the existence of an excellent and affordable ICT infrastructure that supports the delivery of secure e-services and the development of the local ICT industry has been instrumental in facilitating the update of cloud computing, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things (So 2013). In addition, market liberalisation has allowed internet access to penetrate throughout the population at an affordable price. In such a geographically small area, in comparison to the mainland China, the broadband penetration is 85 per cent (So 2013). On the other hand, Hong Kong enjoys a mobile penetration rate of 231 per cent, which makes it one of the highest in the world. Typical speeds for users are about 10 Mbps, while peak speeds reach more than 60 Mbps (So 2013). Now and then, SMEs have to deal with the fact that technology comes a long in a way that is so profound, powerful, and universal, such that it changes the way of doing business totally (Ramsey et al. 2003). In theory, the top performing SMEs are the ones that embrace ICT in all their operations.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The reason for this theory is that the services and systems under ICT provide a business with competitive advantages, which are distinctive in the first instance, but they become common after wide adoption. Even then, the businesses that are left out of the ICT bandwagon cannot match efficiencies and scalability enjoyed by their counterparts that are already seeking more robust ICT features to improve their production processes and service delivery, as well as customer and supply chain relations (Ramsey et al. 2003). In 2003, according to research by Ramsey et al. (2003), most SMEs in European countries were not using ICTs, such as the Internet for commercial transactions. They were missing out on the benefits of e-business and the upstream or downstream application. In North Ireland, 83 per cent of business respondents mentioned that they had no strategy for including the Internet or ICT in general as part of their marketing strategy (Ramsey et al. 2003). On the other hand, overwhe lming evidence also presented by Ramsey et al. (2003) shows that despite the numerous possibilities of ICT and the different levels of maturity for e-commerce usages, most SMEs have low-level requirements and they follow non-linear path. Unfortunately, at the time, available models were weak in theoretical underpinning, even though they obliged to the principles of e-business. Nevertheless, most SMEs were subjected to heavy usage of their scarce resources on these models (Ramsey et al. 2003). Zhuge (2011) helps to link human intelligence and control to the advancement of intelligent information processing technologies and their various uses. The research notes that unlike humans, machines can only process pre-designed algorithms and data structures in the cyber space. They cannot move beyond the cyberspace to learn thinking rules or know the effect of linking. Neither can they explain what happens when computing results are added to physical, psychological, and social laws. Neverthe less, researchers, developers, and practitioners are advancing their knowledge and applications that link various spaces to create a complex space, where cyber space is only a part of it. A consequence of such integration is the development of cyber-physical-psychological-socio-mental environment (Zhuge 2011). Indeed, Zhuge (2011) points out the possibilities of linking various spaces to realize a human-machine environment uniting society, cyberspace, and nature. Here, patterns of social individuals’ movements are collected and analysed to reflect the status of the individual or a society. With these patterns, it is possible to provide appropriate services to users and to make the right decisions to change a given status. Thus, the application of the interconnections is helpful to both organizations delivering goods and services and consumers of the goods and services, as it increases understandings of entire systems of components of the system. According to Mui (2012), SMEs adopt business intelligence products and services for growth, differentiation, and agility. They are able to understand their businesses and make better decisions, which should lead to more sustainable growth together with differentiating pursuits and agility. This is what Zhuge (2010) theoretically presumed when contemplating the effect of super networked spaces. Cloud technologies that incorporate in-memory computing allow businesses to obtain immediate answers through a remarkable increase in the speed of analytics. They also get real-time access and deeper insight as they can interrogate a large scope of granular data. Moreover, the solutions are simpler and more cost-effective because the IT complexity burden is low (Mui 2012). With big data analytics, it is possible to employ in-database, predictive algorithms to obtain various insights into internal and external business trends. At the same time, SMEs can access open source algorithms that directly integrate into their big da ta analytics systems, such that they would not have to incur additional programming and customization costs. Moreover, it is possible to embed specific or entire components of the big data analytics framework to existing business platforms and extend the obtained business intelligence into company reports, with delivery options of the information happening real-time to companywide communication channels, such as alerts to smartphones (Mui 2012). The European Commission (2013a) evaluated the current adoption, plans of adoption, and drivers or barriers of big data usage by EU companies. The report shows that big data include hardware and software integration, organization, management, and analysis with the presentation of data that is massive in volume of data and is varied in the breadth of data sources and formats (European Commission 2013a). In addition, there is a velocity characterized by a high speed at which information arrival, analysis and delivery happen, and value character ized by cost of technology and utility (European Commission 2013a). When considering adoption of big data, SMEs have to invest in the following features either as services provided by intermediary companies or as an in-house solution. They need the infrastructure, which includes storage systems, servers, and data centre networking. They also need software to manage and organize data, software to analyse and discover, as well as decision support and automation software. Other than that, companies implementing big data technologies need business consulting services, business process outsources, and other outsourcing services for IT and IT project based. They may also demand support and training services for big data implementations (European Commission 2013a). According to Miller and Mork (2013), SMEs require a plan that considers the entire continuum of big data application from the begging of data collection to the final decision based on the data collected. Thus, the biggest benefi t arises when all stakeholders in the continuum integrate big data solutions. After a decade of the Ramsey et al. (2003) research that reported limited uptake of ICT by SMEs, the European Commission (2013b) report quotes a 29 per cent figure for European companies that are ready for big data uptake. At the same time, a majority of business included in the survey content that they need to re-asses their current information management processes to meet the challenges of data growth. Nevertheless, big data adoption is still in its infancy at 6.2 per cent for SMEs, with 10 to 250 employees (European Commission 2013b). However, from the same survey, trends show that adoption among SMEs will increase significantly due to vertical integration along the supply chain and in particular industries, such as financial, oil and gas, telecom, computers, and electronics where data processing needs are high. Drivers of adoption include the data explosion witnessed in recent years. In fact, compared to 2003 when Ramsey et al. (2003) made their report, 2013 witnessed an extraordinary increase in internet usage and data transfers. The world now creates about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily (Xia et al. 2012). Today, sources of data include social media, digital imaging and video, smart meters, non-traditional networked smart devices, and machine to machine communication in factories. IT vendors are also producing tools for collection, storage, and analysis to meet the emerging needs of dealing with the data. Consumers and customers are also becoming more connected and demand access and availability of ready-to-use information. As consumers demand personalization, they are ceding more privacy to enterprises. Now data and personalization is not only happening in traditional environments like call centres and mobile applications, but also on cars and domestic appliances in the Internet of Things. But, as hinted earlier, resistance to share personal and proprietary data and inform ation will remain hindrances for the adoption and full utilization of cloud computing, big data, social media, and the Internet of Things. For SMEs, the lack of time and resources to study trends and opportunities and threats serves as a barrier for uptake of the IT innovations. Language differences make data analysis complex, just like differences in national regulations on privacy and data usage also complicate matters for SMEs seeking to fully utilize the novelty of the various technologies. According to Duhnil et al. (2014), social media is among the most popular novel IT technologies embraced by SMEs across the world. Social media has become a fresh tool for marketing communication. It fits well with the need to deploy rapid and dynamic campaigns for businesses that are already using other forms of electronic media. Its adoption is helped by the social uptake of the technology and service, which now make it relevant for both businesses and customers (Michaelidou, Siamagka Chri stodoulides 2011). Social media marketing is now a subset of marketing, where the marketing practices, information, and ideas spread through social media online. Nevertheless, social media marketing and usage are not social marketing. The latter is the bigger environment within which the former falls into (Dahnil et al. 2014). End users remain a major factor in influencing the adoption of social media by SMEs; a second influencing factor is the technological orientation of the SMEs, which determines just how compatible the intended adoption will be. A third reason is the management when looked at from the business environment perspective (Durkin, McGowan McKeown 2013). Critical analysis The uptake of cloud computing, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things among SMEs globally has not been very successful in the past decade, as it would be expected. Part of the reason, as elaborated in the findings of this paper, is the misalignment of risk and costs with the expected benefit s of the technologies. As the European Commission (2013a) report stated, the uptake was more in bigger companies than in SMEs, which would be partly attributed to the accessibility of technology. The findings have also shown that SMEs have discontinued systems that would benefit most SMEs in integration, but the integration would be too costly. In this respect, it is not surprising to see that there are many research reports on SME adoption of social media compared to the Internet of Things, Big Data analytics, and Cloud Computing. During the research, this researcher encountered many pointers to social media usage by SMEs, especially in their marketing efforts. It explains why the other features of IT developments have not caught up with business owners. The reason is that they do not directly affect the customer as much as social media does. Most help in the backend, thus they are not readily considered as revenue generating opportunities for the small and medium firms. As Mui (20 12) and Zhuge (2011) showed, the uptake of networked based implementation, such as big data analytics and the Internet of Things depend more on the level of vertical integration. Thus, when one compares firms operating in highly integrated industries, such as the financial sectors, one is most likely to find SMEs that embrace cloud technologies and big data, while those in manufacturing chains may not have deep linkages with vertical partners other than basic business process relations (Schwertner 2013). The limited uptake among SMEs of the mentioned technologies is changing rapidly because the cost of not catching up to the competition is rising. The demand for efficient and usable systems for handling data will also increase among all business sizes, thus SMEs are not spared. As the report by So (2013) on Hong Kong highlighted, and as Zhuge (2011) also contemplated, the future will see the connection of various spaces to realize a multi-networked environment where data gathering a nd analysis will be key to survival and understanding. Thus, SMEs will undoubtedly have to adopt at a faster rate than they currently do. Limitation and implications This research was restricted in scope by relying on secondary literature. It does not provide new information other than the analysis due to the lack of primary data sources as part of its limitation. Another limitation of the research would be the existence of errors in the researches and reports consulted for the study, or biases exist in the scholars’ analysis of their findings. Nevertheless, the paper serves as an important contribution that brings together the analysis of big data, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and social media in one report. Thus, practitioners will be able to get insights at a glance. Lastly, the recommendation to SME owners is that they should embrace these technologies as a matter of survival. Reference List Al-Qirim, N (ed.) 2004, Electronic commerce in small to medium-sized e nterprises, Idea Group Publishing, Hershey. Dahnil, MI, Marzuki, KM, Langgat, J Fabeil, NF 2014, Factors influencing SMEs adoption of social media marketing, Procedia Social and Behavioral Science, vol 148, pp. 119-126. Durkin, M, McGowan, P McKeown, N 2013, Exploring social media adoption in small to medium-sized enterprises in Ireland, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol 20, no. 4, pp. 716-734. European Commission 2013a, Business opportunities: Big data, Report, EC. European Commission 2013b, Horizon 2020 Work programme 2014-2015, http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal4/doc/call/h2020/common/1587758-05i._ict_wp_2014-2015_en.pdf. Kloch, C, Petersen, EB Madsen, OB 2011, Cloud based infrastructure, the new business possibilities and barriers, Wireless Personal Communications, vol 58, no. 1, pp. 17-30. Michaelidou, N, Siamagka, NT Christodoulides, G 2011, Usage, barriers and measurement of social media marketing: An exploratory investigation of sm all and medium B2B brands, Industrial Marketing Management, vol 40, no. 7, pp. 1153-1159. Miller, HG Mork, P 2013, From data to decisions: A value chain for big data, IT Professional, Jan-Feb 2013, pp. 57-59. Mui, E 2012, Do small businesses have big data needs?, Ecosystem Channels Product Marketing at SAP, SAP AG. Ramsey, E, Ibbotson, P, Bell, J Gray, B 2003, E-opportunities of service sector SMEs: an Irish cross-border study, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol 10, no. 3, p. 250. Ruggieri, M Nikookar, H 2013, Internet of things: Converging technologies for smart environments and integrated ecosystems, River Publishers, Aalborg. Schwertner, K 2013, Modern Information Technology (IT): Factor for business efficiency and business driver, Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing, vol 9, no. 8, pp. 1131-1139. So, G 2013, Public consultation on 2014 digital 21 strategy, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Hong Kong. Xia, F, Yang, LT, Wang, L Vinel, A 201 2, Internet of Things, International Journal of Communication Systems, vol 25, no. 9, pp. 1101-1102. Zhuge, H 2011, Semantic linking through spaces for cyber-physical-socio intelligence: A methodolgy, Artificial Intelligence, vol 5, no. 6, pp. 988-1019.

Megaraptor - Facts and Figures

Megaraptor - Facts and Figures Name: Megaraptor (Greek for giant thief); pronounced MEG-ah-rap-tore Habitat: Plains and woodlands of South America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (90-85 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 25 feet long and 1-2 tons Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; bipedal posture; long, single claws on front hands About Megaraptor Like another impressively named beast, Gigantoraptor, Megaraptor has been a bit oversold, in that this large, carnivorous dinosaur wasnt technically a true raptor. When the scattered fossils of Megaraptor were discovered in Argentina in the late 1990s, paleontologists were impressed by a single, foot-long claw, which they assumed was located on this dinosaurs hind feethence its classification as a raptor (and one that would have been even bigger than the biggest raptor yet identified, Utahraptor). On closer analysis, though, it turned out that Megaraptor was actually a large theropod closely related to Allosaurus and Neovenator, and that those single, oversized claws were located on its hands rather than its feet. Sealing the deal, Megaraptor has proved to be similar in appearance to another large theropod from Australia, Australovenator, a hint that Australia may have been connected to South America later into the Cretaceous period than was previously thought. Its place in the dinosaur bestiary aside, what was Megaraptor actually like? Well, it wouldnt be surprising if this South American dinosaur was covered with feathers (at least during some stage of its life cycle), and it almost certainly subsisted on the small, skittery ornithopods of its late Cretaceous ecosystem, or perhaps even on newborn titanosaurs. Megaraptor may also have encountered, or even preyed on, one of the few true raptors of South America, the appropriately named Austroraptor (which only weighed about 500 pounds, or a quarter of Megaraptors size).

Race & ethnicity Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Race & ethnicity - Term Paper Example Take for instance, the African Americans, badge of identity is their black skin color. However, this characteristic does not fully identify members of a particular race because of the notion of inter-marriage. For instance, there is a high rate of inter-marriages amongst members of different races such as blacks, and whites, and this interferes with their genetic characteristics. On this basis therefore, race is a societal issue, and can compose of people who have a share dialect, and experience. In America for instance, race explains why people of African descent were forced to work as slaves, deny them some of their rights and basic freedom (Flax, 51). The federal government for instance, enacted some legislation to deny African American some benefits that citizens of the Union had. Take an example of the naturalization act, which came into existence in 1790. The aim of this law was to deny people of African descent the citizenship status of America. Other racial laws include, the national origins act of 1924, and the Chinese exclusion act of 1882 (Flax, 32). The national origins act was meant to regulate the number of immigrant coming into the United States of America. The target of the law was the Jews, the Eastern and Western Europeans, the Indians and Asians. On this basis therefore, we can argue that other racial groups were also a target of the American government, and people. Despite these aspects, African Americans are the people who suffered most under the policies of the Federal government. This is due to slavery and other discriminative tendencies from the white people and the government. Racism still continues to dominate the American social life and Bell Hook agrees with this notion. Hook (23) observes that racialism is even on the minds of the educated white people. She denotes that in a cultural conference she attended, there were arrangements denoting the supremacy of the white men (Hook, 33). This was depicted on the people who were invited t o talk in the conference; and the different manner in which the organizers of the meeting handled white and black speakers. This was a clear indication of people who came from a white race, looking down upon people of different races, and this attitude instilled fear in her. Therefore, this paper analyzes how African Americans suffered from racialism in United States of America. It starts by analyzing the impact of slavery upon African-Americans, the human rights movement that advocated for an equal opportunity, and the various laws that the Federal government enacted to solve the problem of racialism in United States of America. The conclusion of this paper is a summary of the major points found in it. African American Experiences with Racialism: African Americans began their stay in United States of America as slaves for purposes of supporting an economic system that did not benefit them in whatever circumstances. This is because they did not enjoy the benefits of a naturalized ci tizen. The naturalization act of 1790 prevented anybody who was not a white person from gaining citizenship, by naturalization. Due to their status as slaves, African Americans could not vote, could not hold any political or administrative office, could not serve on a jury, or could not own any property. Slaves were not allowed to speak before their master, or before a congregation of white people. Bell Hooks denotes, in one of her

Assignment 2-2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

2-2 - Assignment Example It catapulted the lead star, Miley Cyrus, to up roaring fame. Still the success of these concerts and movies perplex me, not because I have forgotten my own teenage years, but because the â€Å"it† girl of the moment sparks no diamonds to me. How about Michael Jackson? Boy is he famous! He practically basked in fame (and fortune) for all of his life. His shocking death caused so much heartache to the world who watched him as he grew from the cute black boy singing ABC with his other brothers to the man who surprised all of us with his powerful dance moves and not to mention, white skin. I am one of those people. I grew up dancing to his songs. Thriller is my favorite. I’ve always heard it in radios back in the days. How ironic is it that though I grew up with that song I haven’t seen the video; not until his death. I was one of the millions who viewed his music videos while feeling the pang of his death. I was one of the thousands who first lined up in theaters to watch Michael Jackson show his perfect moves once again. George Lucas would pass as brilliant in my dictionary for having created Star Wars and the iconic Jedi’s weapon: the lightsaber. It comprises of a metal hilt that is the base of a blade of energy. It can practically cut through anything but is deflected by another lightsaber. Along with the blue, red, or green laser-like sword is a vibrating sound developed by sound engineer Ben Burtt. Having been able to follow the Star Wars movies it’s such a joy to play the part of a strong Jedi wielding that lightsaber and humming that distinct sound. Lightsabers are definitely

Crossing Brooklyn Ferry Essay Example for Free

Crossing Brooklyn Ferry Essay Ferry is considered one of the greatest lyrical poems of all time. In Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, Walt Whitman uses connotative diction, prying questions, and critical reader engagement to convey a feeling of connection and unity of people through time. By using these certain rhetoric strategies, Whitman creates a piece of poetry that seems to be timeless. Whitman carefully chooses certain words and phrases that really highlight his intentions to connect himself and others readers throughout time. In part 2 of the poem, Walt chooses the words â€Å"simple† and â€Å"compact† to describe a â€Å"scheme† in which we are all â€Å"disintegrated†. These words, precise and carefully chosen, attribute to the great lyricism of the poem. A scheme that is simple is a scheme that we can all live by. And a compact, simple scheme connotes togetherness. Whitman continues to say we’re all disintegrated, but part of the scheme. Being disintegrated could also means we are all little pieces of the same body, or scheme Another simple rhetoric strategy imposed by Whitman to convey a sense of unity between he and the reader is reader engagement. Whitman involves and engages the ready by asking the reader questions, and relating to the reader. By effectively asking questions, Whitman suggest to readers from past and future times that maybe there is not much that separates them. â€Å"What is it then between us? What is the count of scores or hundreds of years between us? The use of these rhetoric strategies are just a few the devices that makes Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry† a timeless masterpiece.

Ecological Hermeneutics Essay -- Science Technology Ecology Papers

To what extent does Hans-Georg Gadamer’s theory of science provide a basis for the articulation of an ecological hermeneutics? As "hermeneutics" is the art of interpretation and understanding, "ecological hermeneutics" is understood as the act of interpreting the impact of technology within the lifeworld. I consider the potential for ecological hermeneutics based upon Gadamer’s theory of science. First, I outline his theory of science. Second, I delineate ecological hermeneutics as an application of this theory. Third, I discuss what can be expected from the act of ecological hermeneutics. Finally, I make some general comments about the affinity between ecological hermeneutics and brute common-sense. Our question is: to what extent does Hans-Georg Gadamer’s theory of science provide a basis for an articulation of an ecological hermeneutics? As "hermeneutics" is the art or activity of interpretation and understanding, "ecological hermeneutics" is to be understood as the activity of interpreting the impact of uses of technology within the context of the lifeworld. (1) Our considerations of the uses of technology (2) include the spheres of scientific research on one hand and industrial production processes on the other, specifically capitalism. The similarity which makes these two spheres felicitous to ecological hermeneutics is their respective detachment from the lifeworld, a detachment which characterizes each of their decision procedures. Gadamer’s hermeneutic enterprise is modeled on a retrieval of the Aristotelian model of science which calls into question the modern notion of ratiocination detached a priori from experience, from the lifeworld. Through this hermeneutic enterprise Gadamer develops a theory of science whic... ...g strategy designed to stimulate sales? (15) Op. cit., trans. David Ross (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984), p. 3. (16) Reason in the Age of Science, p. 8 (17) Ibid., p. 105. Italics mine. (18) In passing it is interesting to note that from the perspective of ecological hermeneutics, such attempts such as Julian Simon’s to discount any aspect of human life which cannot be quantitatively measured are exceedingly tenuous. As he sees it, the "simplest and most accurate measure of health is length of life, summed up as the average life expectancy." But in an effort to remain objective, Simon blatantly overlooks the possibility that life expectancy might have nothing to do with quality of life, as in the cases of terminally ill patients kept alive on respirators. See The Ultimate Resource (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1981), p. 130.

Assessing the Role of Motivation on Employees Essay

In this light the study sets to identify the most ranked factors among the ten motivational factors. The analysis from the empirical findings showed that Job satisfaction† was the most ranked factor for both sub groups that made up the sample survey. However a study from previous researches used in this study showed that different results could be obtained from different groups of already working employees. This study therefore can be seen as an introduction to a more detailed study to be carried by future researchers on the field of employee’s motivation. Background When looking at factors that affect job satisfaction, I find that Agency theory might be helpful as it explains the extent to which organizations need to think of their human resource responsible in producing the output needed by organizations to meet shareholders value. Agency theory is concerned with issues related to the ownership of the firm when that ownership is separated from the day-to-day running of the organization. It assumes that in all but owner- managed organizations the owner or owners (known in agency theory as the â€Å"principal†) of an organization must vest authority to an â€Å"agent†-corporate management- to act on their behalf. The principal recognizes the risk, here and act on the assumption that any agent will look to serve its own as well as the principal interests as it ulfils it contract with that principal. However, this is not the situation in real life situation. As all agents are perceived to be Opportunistic. These approaches are to examine the problems of human exchange derived from the field of finance and economics but they are often applied to the study of shareholders Risk Management (SHRM). Agency theory is therefore used to analyze this conflict in interest between the principal (shareholders of o rganizations) and their agents (leaders of these organizations). Whereby the â€Å"Agents† in keeping with the interest of the shareholders and organizational goals turn to use financial motivational aspects like bonuses, higher payrolls, pensions, sick allowances, risk payments, perks to reward and retained their employees and enhance their performance. There is a strong lobby propounding the view that human resources and their management are the source of competitive advantage for the business, rather than, say, access to capital or use of technology. It is therefore logical to suggest that, attention needs to be paid to the nature of this resource and its management as this will impact on human resource behavior and performance and consequently the performance of the organization. Indeed Boxall and Steeneveld (1999) argue that there is no need to prove the relationship between firm critical influence on performance and labour management as it is self evident that the quality of human resource management is a critical influence on the performance of the firm. Concern for strategic integration, commitment flexibility and quality, has called for attention for employees motivation and retention. Given this perception, the principal in an organization feels unable to predict an agent’s behavior in any given situation and so brings into play various measures to do with incentives in other to tie employee’s needs to those of their organization. Thus getting employee’s identification with respect to the organization, and thus increasing their commitment level. As an approach to mediate the employment contract, elements of human resource strategy (especially those to do with rewards and retention) can offer a way of ensuring an efficient transaction process that enables both parties to get committed towards the fulfillment of each other needs. The fundamental problem, dealt with is what drives or induces people to exploit their potential resources in the way they do in organizations? The issue of motivation and performance are they positively related? By focusing on the financial aspect of motivation problem like bonus system, allowances perks, salaries, etc. By paying attention to the financial aspect of motivation, I intend to probe in to the role this aspect has on enhancing employee’s performance. I believe, financial motivation has become the most concern in today’s organization, and tying to Mallow’s basic needs, non-financial aspect only comes in when financial motivation has failed. Though in some situation, it is being operated side by side. But as a research topic for my thesis I will employ the financial aspects of motivation used by the agents of organization in enhancing their employee’s performance and the extent to which non-financial aspects of motivation turn to enhance employee’s performance. To evaluate the methods of performance motivation in organization in organizing some motivational factors like satisfies and dissatisfies will be used to evaluate how employees motivation is enhanced other than financial aspects of motivation. Problem Statements As a research question, the research seeks to answer what role motivation plays in enhancing performance in organization. This will be possible through analysis of information gathered from students. Hence this thesis is mainly quantitative. * Objectives In trying to find an answer(s) to the research question and on the basis of the above background discussion and research question, the main purposes developed for this thesis is to assess the factors t hat motivate employees to perform best at work. This is done by carrying out a survey in which respondents responding to a survey, ranked the least two most important factor on a list of ten factors, and how these factors influence them. * Limitations and Demarcations The limitation is being considered in relation to the natural explanation to which the researcher has limited the study and the active choices to limit the study area that is financial motivation as a determinant of performance. The study is limited to existing theories and models, and their influence and limitation on performance enhancement. By considering the financial and non-financial aspect of motivation on employees’ performance relating to existing theories and models, I intend to mark a demarcation for the study. Here I have considered limitation in line with the research objective that is the study is limited. I believe that with the changing nature of the work force, recent trends in development, information and technology, the issue of financial motivation becomes consent on one of the most important assets in an organization. A lot has been said on the outside forces of an organization. This research considers the inside forces as a starting point. Ideally, a study of all the explanatory variables will be considered appropriate in order to capture the interactive influences of other variables and thus be able to come up with holistic and generally more acceptable results, of financial motivation and performance. * Definitions Motivation: Motivation by definition refers to what activates, directs human behavior and how this behavior is sustained to achieve a particular goal. Also it can be defined as the set of processes that arouse, direct and maintain human behavior towards attaining some goals. Jones (1955) argues that† Motivation is concerned with how behavior gets started, is energized, is sustained, is directed, and is stopped and what kind of subjective reaction is present in the organization while all this is going on. † Role of financial motivation: The potential role of money is – (1) Conditioned reinforce (2) An incentive which is capable of satisfying needs (3) An anxiety reducer (4) Serves to erase feelings of dissatisfaction Employee satisfaction: This refers to the positive or negative aspects of employee’s altitude towards their jobs or some features of the job. Organizational Goals: A concept, which refers to the focus of attention and decision-making among employees of a sub-unit. Organizing: This involves the complete understanding of the goals of organization, the necessity of proper co-ordination, and the environmental factors that influence the goals and employees within the organization. Employee attitudes: Mental state of readiness for motive arousal.

I Miss your Beauty and Vibes Essay

â€Å"A Mixed Tex-Cal marriage,† an article written by the author Jose Burciaga, Texan, tells us about his new life after getting married to a Californian woman, Cecilia. At first, the author tells that he thought that he and his wife have common ideas and beliefs because they were both Chicanos. Then, he shows that he was surprised when he noticed the different customs and ideas he and his wife have because they were from different grounds. They lived for a couple of years in Washington, DC and Alexandra, Virginia, then, they settled in California near the beaches and the soft weather. The writer argues that Texas Chicanos are more attached with their traditions than Californian Chicanos who show more Americanization. After some years, he grew to like California food and drink, but still missed the weather and the smell of Texas. From Burciaga s’ article, I can understand what he went through to get used to Californian traditions. Like him, I also miss my native land. Despite the beauty and extra opportunities in Chicago, my heart still aches for Oran. Oran is a wonderful city located in the northwest of Algeria, known for its beautiful beaches and food. Chicago to me is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with its beautiful tall buildings, green spices. However, Burciaga was satisfied with the weather of California, like he says,† I am totally spoiled and laid-back in Northern Califias†, In contrast it was hard for me in getting used to the cold weather of Chicago. In fact, the difference between Oran and Chicago is evident in weather, beauty, movement and food. First, the weather of Oran is often beautiful and mild. In autumn, when we are on our way to school, the wind blows softly and rapidly as if its spirit is pushing me to be on time. When going back home at 12 pm for lunch the weather is warm, the sun sparkles, the birds sing, we’d think spring has already come. However, most of the autumn nights were horrible because the wind blew strongly; it sounds like bad spirits are trying to unlock the windows. By the winter the rain fell mostly at night, the buildings seem freshly washed and the roads are already dried in the mornings but the weather is cold. Stepping to March, the gardens and forests become green and full of flowers. Once May is over, the summer is already there. The weather is warm but not stifling and the sea at the beaches is sparkling and full of life with many swimmers. This is in contrast to Chicago where the weather is often unacceptable. In the winter, when I am outside, I am afraid that I will lose feeling in my legs when the freezing sensation emerges from the soft snow. Autumn in Chicago is a lovely, pale, orange view with the golden leaves covering the streets. It is disappointing when most of springy days are cloudy and rainy. Fortunately, we can see the mild warm weather during summer in Chicago. Second, Oran is a small, pretty city full of life. From a distance you can see the long green balcony along the city center next to the short pretty buildings engraved from top to bottom. Going through the city center, cafes are already full and active at 9 am and the roads are busy with the noisy cars. I lived in Bir El Djir, a quiet neighborhood 28 Km far from the city center. Bir El Dgir is a luxury neighborhood full of villas. From the window of our kitchen, I could see our beautiful garden and our neighbors’ gardens too, I could also overhear their conversations and shouting. I felt always happy and full of life in this lively environment. It is quite different in Chicago, a big wonderful city with more stillness. Downtown Chicago is a wide stretch of tall buildings, we notice any clutter or cracks in the roads, every building and road is shiny and neat, the luxurious clothes and furniture are apparent from the stores’ wide show cases. Tourists hang their shopping bags; they seem fascinated by the beauty of Chicago. Third,Oran is a city of Haute Cuisine. Along all the big avenues of Oran, the savory sweet smell of pastry travels from the bakeries. Approaching a bakery, our eyes are stunned with the colorful cookies. In front of the showcase, we can’t choose between the attractive pieces of pastry. I remember one of the soft chocolate pastries I once picked, covered with frothy cream; as much as I describe it can tell how it really tastes. Unlike Chicago, the land of immigration, where restaurants offer many food traditions. For example, I have been once in Us’mania , an Indian restaurant, where I tasted Biryani, a tasty spicy rice with chicken. Also, we go often to Pita Inn, a Lebanese restaurant where we like to order Shawarma, a thin long piece of grilled chicken, salad and tomato twisted in a thin bred. I am glad to discover many foreign traditions; I feel that I have visited many countries. In conclusion, Chicago is very cold in the winter, but I appreciate the magical time of snow falling. When skating in the ice rink, I feel like flying in the air. Downtown Chicago, is a magnificent place that i dream to visit every day; however, I always think about the lively activity of Oran and miss the savory pizza and dishes.

Free Essays on Why The North Won The Civil War

Why the North Won the Civil War "In all history, no nation of mere agriculturists ever made successful war against a nation of mechanics. . . .You are bound to fail" -Union officer William Tecumseh Sherman to a Southern friend. The American antebellum South, though steeped in pride and raised in military tradition, was to be no match for the burgeoning superiority of the rapidly developing North in the coming Civil War. The lack of emphasis on manufacturing and commercial interest, stemming from the Southern desire to preserve their traditional agrarian society, surrendered to the North their ability to function independently, much less to wage war. It was neither Northern troops nor generals that won the Civil War, rather Northern guns and industry. From the onset of war, the Union had obvious advantages. Quite simply, the North had large amounts of just about everything that the South did not, boasting resources that the Confederacy had even no means of attaining (See Appendices, Brinkley et al. 415). Sheer manpower ratios were unbelievably one-sided, with only nine of the nation's 31 million inhabitants residing in the seceding states (Angle 7). The Union also had large amounts of land available for growing food crops which served the dual purpose of providing food for its hungry soldiers and money for its ever-growing industries. The South, on the other hand, devoted most of what arable land it had exclusively to its main cash crop: cotton (Catton, The Coming Fury 38). Raw materials were almost entirely concentrated in Northern mines and refining industries. Railroads and telegraph lines, the veritable lifelines of any army, traced paths all across the Northern countryside but left the South isolated, outdated, developed in the form of economic colonialism. The Confederates were and starving (See Appendices). The final death knell for a modern South all too willing to sell what little raw material... Free Essays on Why The North Won The Civil War Free Essays on Why The North Won The Civil War Why the North Won the Civil War "In all history, no nation of mere agriculturists ever made successful war against a nation of mechanics. . . .You are bound to fail" -Union officer William Tecumseh Sherman to a Southern friend. The American antebellum South, though steeped in pride and raised in military tradition, was to be no match for the burgeoning superiority of the rapidly developing North in the coming Civil War. The lack of emphasis on manufacturing and commercial interest, stemming from the Southern desire to preserve their traditional agrarian society, surrendered to the North their ability to function independently, much less to wage war. It was neither Northern troops nor generals that won the Civil War, rather Northern guns and industry. From the onset of war, the Union had obvious advantages. Quite simply, the North had large amounts of just about everything that the South did not, boasting resources that the Confederacy had even no means of attaining (See Appendices, Brinkley et al. 415). Sheer manpower ratios were unbelievably one-sided, with only nine of the nation's 31 million inhabitants residing in the seceding states (Angle 7). The Union also had large amounts of land available for growing food crops which served the dual purpose of providing food for its hungry soldiers and money for its ever-growing industries. The South, on the other hand, devoted most of what arable land it had exclusively to its main cash crop: cotton (Catton, The Coming Fury 38). Raw materials were almost entirely concentrated in Northern mines and refining industries. Railroads and telegraph lines, the veritable lifelines of any army, traced paths all across the Northern countryside but left the South isolated, outdated, developed in the form of economic colonialism. The Confederates were and starving (See Appendices). The final death knell for a modern South all too willing to sell what little raw material...

The 13 Forms of Insect Antennae

The 13 Forms of Insect Antennae Antennae are movable sensory organs located on the head of most arthropods. All insects have a pair of antennae, but spiders have none. Insect antennae are segmented, and usually located above or between the eyes. How Do Insects Use Antennae? Antennae serve different sensory functions for different insects. In general, the antennae might be used to detect odors and tastes, wind speed and direction, heat and moisture, and even touch. A few insects have auditory insects on their antennae, so theyre involved in hearing.  In some insects, the antennae may even serve a non-sensory function, such as grasping prey. 13 Different Shapes Because antennae serve different functions, their forms vary greatly within the insect world. In all, there are about 13 different antennae shapes, and the form of an insects antennae may be an important key to its identification. Learn to differentiate the forms of insect antennae, and it will help you improve your insect identification skills. Aristate Are Pouch-Like Aristate antennae are pouch-like, with a lateral bristle. Aristate antennae are most notably found in the Diptera (true flies). Capitate Have a Prominent Club or Knob at Their Ends Capitate antennae have a prominent club or knob at their ends. The term capitate derives from the Latin caput, meaning head. Butterflies (Lepidoptera)  often have capitate form antennae. Clavate Have a Gradual Club or Knob The term clavate comes from the Latin  clava, meaning club. Clavate antennae terminate in a gradual club or knob (unlike the capitate antennae, which end with an abrupt, pronounced knob). This antennae form is found most often in beetles, such as in carrion beetles. Filiform Are Slender and Thread-Like The term filiform comes from the Latin filum, meaning thread. Filiform antennae are slender and thread-like in form. Because the segments are of uniform widths, there is no taper to filiform antennae. Examples of insects with filiform antennae include: rock crawlers (order Grylloblattodea)gladiators (order Mantophasmatodea)angel insects (order Zoraptera)cockroaches (order Blattodea) Flabellate Look Like a Folding Paper Fan Flabellate  comes from the Latin flabellum, meaning fan. In flabellate antennae, the terminal segments extend laterally, with long, parallel lobes that lie flat against one another. This feature looks like a folding paper fan. Flabellate (or flabelliform) antennae are found in several insect groups within the Coleoptera, the Hymenoptera, and the Lepidoptera. Geniculate Are Bent or Hinged Sharply Geniculate antennae are bent or hinged sharply, almost like a knee or elbow joint. The term geniculate derives from the Latin genu, meaning knee. Geniculate antennae are found mainly in ants or bees. Lamellate Are Flattened and Nested The term lamellate comes from the Latin lamella, meaning a thin plate or scale. In lamellate antennae, the segments at the tip are flattened and nested, so they look like a folding fan. To see an example of lamellate antennae, look at a scarab beetle. Monofiliform Look Like Strings of Beads Monofiliform comes from the Latin monile, meaning necklace. Moniliform antennae look like strings of beads. The segments are usually spherical, and uniform in size. The termites (order Isoptera) are a good example of insects with moniliform antennae. Pectinate Have a Comb-Like Shape The segments of pectinate antennae are longer on one side, giving each antennae a comb-like shape. Bipectinate antennae look like two-sided combs. The term pectinate derives from the Latin pectin, meaning comb. Pectinate antennae are found mainly in some beetles and sawflies. Plumose Have  a Feathery Appearance The segments of plumose antennae have fine branches, giving them a feathery appearance. The term plumose derives from the Latin pluma, meaning feather. Insects with plumose antennae include some of the true flies, such as mosquitoes, and moths. Serrate Look Like a Saw Blade The segments of serrate antennae are notched or angled on one side, making the antennae look like a saw blade. The term serrate derives from the Latin serra, meaning saw. Serrate antennae are found in some beetles. Setaceous Are Bristle-Shaped The term setaceous comes from the Latin seta, meaning bristle. Setaceous antennae are bristles of insects with setaceous antennae include mayflies (order Ephemeroptera) and dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata). Stylate Terminate in a Long, Slender Point Stylate  comes from the Latin  stylus, meaning pointed instrument. In stylate antennae, the final segment terminates in a long, slender point, called a style. The style may be hairlike but will extend from the end and never from the side. Stylate antennae are found most notably in certain true flies of the suborder Brachycera (such as robber flies, snipe flies, and bee flies). Source: Triplehorn, Charles A. and Johnson, Norman F. Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects. 7th Edition

Financial reporting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial reporting - Assignment Example rganization is not to simply promote its very own business and increase the ultimate goal of profit figures but, on the other hand, these organization also acknowledges their secondary responsibility towards its society people and environmental affects. The primary purpose of conducting various CSER activities by Company is the clear acknowledgement on the part of the Company that they do care about its society, their peoples, and environment and therefore, is consistently working on the promotion of various subjects of the society including, literature, sports, health, safety and others. CSER involve in incurring some short-term expenses and costs for the organization that do not also provide an instant financial benefit to the business, but instead it provides some qualitative return to the business in the long run. The activities of CSER widely promote many positive and beneficial transformations into the society and environment, in which the organization is performing their operations. With the help of CSER report, the ultimate aim of the business is to signify towards the society that they are the organization which have strict regulations and controls over the various business evils, including, Frauds, Bribery, Political influences and gifts, conflict of interests, compromise of independence issues, tax evasion, unethical business practice, unfair competitive activities, lack of confidentiality of business information and acumen, harassment of human rights and values, discrimination and many others, depending on the structure and needs of the organization. Through, CSER, business organization also wants demonstrate they strictly follow health and safety measures, its code of conduct, regulatory guidelines and are continually striving for improvement in order to accrue lesser and lesser damage to physical environment and nature. ABF Plc’s Corporate Responsibility Report clearly demonstrates that how much importance they are actually giving to the area

Marijuana should be legalized in the united states Essay

Marijuana should be legalized in the united states - Essay Example Diseases like nausea, vomiting, glaucoma etc can be treated effectively with marijuana. Moreover, it can be used a pain reliever, hunger stimulant etc. Even though marijuana has good potential in medical science, it has not achieved the status of a medicine yet in America. FDA has not shown green signal to marijuana yet. It is still included in the list of drugs which are misused for changing moods rather than treating diseases. Roth (2008) has pointed out that â€Å"To date, marijuana is still classified as an illegal Schedule 1 drug by the Controlled Substances Act. It is defined as having "no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States" (Roth). This paper argues in favor of legalization of marijuana in United Sates, after analyzing the arguments in favor and against it. Pundits like Fox Newss Glenn Beck and former judge Andrew Napolitano have joined in the debate, on the pro-legalization side. "You know what, I think its about time we legalize marijuana. Hear me out for a second†¦" Beck told viewers in April. "We have to make a choice in this country. We have to either put people who are smoking marijuana behind bars, or we legalize it. But this little game were playing in the middle is not helping us, and is causing massive violence on our southern border." Even Sarah Palin, whos opposed to legalization, has called pot a relatively "minimal problem," telling Fox Business Network this summer, "I think we need to prioritize our law-enforcement efforts. And if somebodys gonna smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody else harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at to engage in and try to clean up some of the other problems that we have in society"(Conant and Maloney) Neither the administration, nor the judiciary has any ideas about what to do with the issue of legalization of marijuana. Instead of conducting a pilot study to learn more about the pros and cons of marijuana use, the

The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love - Essay Example In the past, just like it is today, love reigned in the lovers’ hearts. However, unlike today, it was always seen as a phenomenon very distant from love and mostly a threat to the â€Å"societal order.† Precedence was given to the people’s obligation to not only their extended families, but also to the society in general and the creator. As such, love was perceived as a big interference. For instance, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in Europe, there was a strict distinction between love and marriage. Those with desires to express their true love or intimacy could only do that through adultery since marriage was purposefully instituted to fulfill obligations. There is a good example in one love story that involved a theologian (Peter Aberlard) and a mistress (Heloise). Heloise declined Aberlard’s proposal to marry her in secret because that would put her reputation in jeopardy. For her, â€Å"marriage would not only harm his career but also und ermine their love† (Coontz, 132). In most societies (for example, Greeks, Romans, Christians, and Muslims), people despised those lovers who publicly expressed their love for each other. Such an act was not only sinful but also drew people away from God. For Christian theologians, married partners who had too much love and affection for each other were seen idol worshippers. In addition, it is still considered bad, in Cameroon, to express intense love for your partner, since it is believed that this isolates couples from the rest of the society (Coontz, 132). And for those societies in India as well as Europe, it was believed that love could only exist after marriage. A well-matched couple and one with financial stability would eventually see partners experiencing a perfect love for each other. Love was considered as a benefit, and therefore, any marriage built on it would inevitably lead to sadness in life. Today, an ideal marriage is totally different.

Consultancy Business Performance Management

Consultancy Business Performance Management Profile of Alpha Consultants Alpha Consultants is a Management and IT consultancy firm. It is a multi-disciplinary consultancy house, which offers services to both private and public sector organizations in a wide range of matters. Alpha Consultants offers knowledge innovation, brings in entrepreneurial drive, helps create bonds between clients and customers and helps organizations to achieve their goals with optimal efficiency. Alpha consultants have a resource pool of over 100 of experts available at their disposal. Depending on the requirement of the job and the expertise that are required for any particular project, services are acquired from the consultants from their resource pool. What makes Alpha consultants stand out from their competitors is the diverse skillset and background of their consultants. It allows the organization to step in a wider and a bigger market and do what others cannot. The professionals seated in the highest level at Alpha consultants bring multicultural experience, mainly in the field of development and health. This allows Alpha Consultants to pitch solid proposals for both public and private sector projects in the development and health sectors. However, over the years, Alpha Consultants has managed to hire consultants from all the various fields and sectors to make sure that they are able to cope with any challenges that a project has to offer. It adds more value and reliability to their profile, while also allowing them to aim at more diverse and new business opportunities. Moreover, Alpha Consultant is an IT firm which has been providing solutions to both private and public sector institutions. By IT, it is clear that there is a significant relation of computer oriented workforce. So, it is not difficult to categorize it as a service concern business organization. It is currently not having a larger span of services so it falls into the class of small and medium enterprises. The illustrative report will provide solutions and information related to management related functions along with other core operations of the consultancy house. Performance measurement is a set of tools to evaluate the performance of a firm. The services offered by Alpha Consultants include1: Research, Evaluation and Assessment Project Management, Design and Planning Strategy Analysis and Policy Reviews Institutional Development, Training and Organizational Management Advocacy IT Media Consultancy Vision Alpha consultants aims to become partner in knowledge based innovation with institutes that are looking to bring change to the world. Their vision is to make a name in service excellence with the help of their skilled and experienced consultants. Alpha consultants looks forward to become a name that is known to provide sustainable and innovative solutions and help their clients in capacity building, partnership building and organizational development. They want to become the bridge to fill in the gap between the clients and customers with a vision for both entrepreneurial and human development. 2[i] Every business has some certified Aims and objectives based on the strategy devised by the governing structure. Alpha Consultant as one a SME aims to extend the IT departments of their clients and provide multi-disciplinary services in the ICT spectrum. The technical facilities can be managed by IT Media Division with a mix of management services or it can deliver a full fledge built IT system to clients. The mixture of both will also be offered by the firm. Mission The fundamental purpose of the organization is to use their expertise and experience to help their clients achieve new milestones. Alpha consultants have highly professional, experienced and skilled experts in the field of Management, Development and IT. It is currently engaged with various NGOs and Public sector organization who are working in development sector in various less privileged and under developed areas. It has worked in various war and disaster struck areas for different national and international organizations. In the future, it aims to expand the target projects and aim to provide consultancy not just in development and health sector, but also in IT, Media, Education and other domains. It plans to move into more professional areas such as organization development and structural environment of organizations and work in more developed areas. Factors Affecting Business Performance Internal Innovation in the technology and the response of employees is considered of the most important factor affecting the business environment. In the case of this firm, which is in a way part of the growing IT industry it is necessary to give response to every change in the technology. The employees or the software engineers are not that much trained as the new technology comes and their expertise becomes outdated. External The political environment and the legislation of the authorities for IT activities have a great impact on management consultancy businesses. The licensing services and the tax structure changes rapidly whenever new technology is introduced that the business policies and strategy has to be changed. In the case of IT one of the most important factors is the availability of low cost substitutes being offered in the international market. Assessing the Situation – SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Extensive experience of the key personals in the assignment and their relations with officials in their major clients is the key strength of Alpha consultants. They have a broad range of clients and get various types of projects on regular basis. Alpha consultants has a wide set of expertise, the diverse resource pool allowing them to select experts from all various fields for any desired job. They have been known around the world and get large scale projects from international clients and get payments in international currency hence generating revenues and enhance profitability. The old presence of the company helps to gain the advantage of trust through which a good base of loyal customers can be maintained. About 64% of the customers of this SME are using it for supplies. This is a very strong feature of a firm. Company has got a strong financial position as there is no Debt to Equity ratios due to absence of Debt. The companys share is with 150 employees but they are serving their own company and they are connected with it (100, 2014). Weaknesses: Most consultants/experts are not employees, rather Alpha consultants has to hire freelance experts who work on contractual basis. Freelancer experts charge handsome amounts of fee and every time services are acquired, company has to search, track and negotiate with experts for each separate job. There are certain weaknesses as compared to other competing companies i.e. the concentration of the firm is divided into multiple segments under the name of Alpha Consultants. There are no separate services entities. Along with this the company is only targeting the local and the concentration towards internationalization is very less while other firms are going international or global. Considering the outreach the companies have got internationally now with the social media and search engine tools the competition has gotten very tough. Moreover, the handheld devices and smartphones influx have changed the dimension of IT industry on a massive level. Adapting to the changing needs of the market and new technologies has become very important for SME like Alpha Co and not being able to expand its outreach to international market has been a very major weakness. Opportunities: Due to their wide and diverse resource pool, they can handle all different sorts of projects and explore new work areas. Yet, Alpha consultants is associated with various NGOs and public sector organizations. Alpha consultants can use their IT and Media professionals to explore new IT grounds, provide services to Telecom giants and Entertainment industry. Also they can form collaboration with defense institutes to provide various services. As they get projects on usual basis, they need young talent as well as experienced staff. They provide employment opportunities to fresh graduates and experienced jobseekers to get benefit from their energetic minds and use them in project developments by providing economic salaries. Many of the IT firms from EU are now outsourcing the basic tasks to south Asian countries like India. This can be a good opportunity for Alpha Co to save costs along with efficiency in work. Another opportunity is to establish umbrella brands and other co-brands for different segment of IT services. Threats: The consultants who are not Alpha consultants’ employees but working only on contractual basis, get to interact with their clients and form bonds. These consultants not only gain experience under the banner of Alpha consultants, but if they decide to work alone, they can ruin these connections and the inside knowledge they have to offer competition. Freelancers will be working on organization projects; they may have access to the organizational internal details and may leak out this confidential information to others. If at some stage project accomplished by freelancer comes to the organization for feature addition or updations, the freelancer may not be available to complete that project or charge fee more than the budget. In that case, Alpha consultants has to hire a new freelance expert who will first have to understand all the previous work and this leads to wastage of time as well as money. There are multiple threats associated with IT business and SME sector. To make SME is not at all a difficult task. Most of the IT business and core operations are being performed in underdeveloped countries or the third world countries. The reason is that the cost is lessoned as compared to EU. So Alpha Consultants has threat of new entrants in the same field along with the cost determination in the current scenario of changing business environment. Overcoming Weaknesses There are different strategies to overcoming the weaknesses of SME like Alpha Co. The first solution is to outsource majorly activities for the development of infrastructure and software. Secondly, branding can prove to be a key of success. Human Resource system will be needed if the company is internationalized. According to the research the internationalization of the SME brings in 7% employment chances and gives growth to the firms. So for these methods and alternatives the evaluation is given in this report: Outsourcing: Most of the processes like development of the script of different software can be outsourced to other countries like India, where the IT infrastructure is cheap. In this way the company will be able to earn more profit by covering most of the cost incurred. The outsourcing technique will provide a contribution towards social welfare as the company will provide employment sources. Outsourcing for other activities will also help the company to attain the status of global organization. Branding: The services being offered separately can be considered as different brands like: Alpha Management Consultants Alpha Media Advocacy Consultants Alpha IT Consultants In this way different service segments will be considered as different service entities. These services will be provided under the umbrella of parent brand Alpha Consultancy. It will show the expansion of business in real as well as in imaginary terms. The co-branding technique will provide boost to the company. Compensation System: After going international, the company may develop some compensation systems to provide healthy incomes to the new employees from different companies. So that the motivation level of the employees may get higher and they may contribute towards innovation and development. Constraint and Restrictions There are many types of restriction mounted by the local authorities on small businesses. In the case of consultancy business, there are following restrictions: Registration The business or the SME should be registered under authorities with correct particulars. It should mention everything related to business and prove that is ethical business and there is no harm for environment. Authorization The SME should be authorized by the governing bodies of the country. The trademark should be registered and there should be acquisition of copyrights to run a Small Medium enterprise. This is very important that the name should be unique and in the case of IT, the processes should not be imitated from any other firm. Evaluation: The evaluation of small Medium Enterprise is necessary as the government of EU countries takes the working infrastructure of employees in account. The working of employees and the utilization of human resources are checked and evaluated by different authorities. Responsibilities and Liabilities of Owner Managers Owner In small and medium enterprises there are multiple roles associated with owner of the business. Owner is not only an investor, but is also responsible to make business strategy of the business. Conduct Financial analysis and arrange the finances if needed. Check the legal requirement of the firm along with some attention to the marketing and sales activities of the business. Managing human resource and customer feedback evaluation is also one of the liabilities of owners. In SMEs with more than one owner it is important to contribute in terms of time and finance equally in the business. Manager There are four basic management functions which should be performed by every type of manager. These four basic functions include: Planning Leading Controlling Organizing By planning it is meant to plan the routine and day to day activities in the business. In the case of Alpha Consultants it is necessary to plan activities which are the part of multiple projects on going. Some are the management consultancy projects while other is the IT services being offered different firms. The manager should ensure the good planning. Then the manager should lead the working team of employees in accordance with the policy and objectives of the business. As to provide the solutions for IT and management both, it is necessary for a manager to provide a controlled environment in which the activities are organized to deliver best quality in time. Such services can only be delivered when there is a proper control and innovation is appreciated through the leading role of a manager in business (Fincham, 2000). Finance There financial status of Alpha Consultant is one of the best in its kind. It is a debt free company. There is no incorporation and the proprietorship is sole. The companys profit is increasing gradually with time due to appropriate cost base with respect to other companies. Marketing and Sales The customer base of Alpha Co must be very strong as it has started from providing services only to customers and now it reselling the services to end users as well as public and private sector. Most of the customers were of public sector organizations. The company has increased its business portfolio by providing multiple solutions. These multiple solutions include Infrastructure, Microsoft, networking, optimized desktop, Asset Management and security. The other SMEs in this category are only limited to one type of services like only security or networking. Very less firms are giving asset management software oriented services (Eikebrokk, 2007). According to the secondary research given in the assignment, IT firm from UK or EU can easily internationalize on the basis of services provided online. In this way the firm can increase the profit and employment capacity. Human resources There are about 600 people in the SME. They are very energetic and like tradition strong innovation is demanded from the skilled workers of the firm. The detailed analysis provides the competitive advantage of Alpha Co on other similar firms. This advantage is that apart from passionate employees the preference is given to disciplined, flexible and diversified employees. In this way the firm stands at its best among other firms of same category. Use of Technology As this is an IT related firm and knows better to use the technology. The company is using the technology related to multiple fields at once. It has got many advantages along with the disadvantages. It is very difficult for a SME to provide core operations of different or multiple solutions. Especially in IT one business SME can only provide expert solution for one factor of the technology. There are other firms in the category which are having customer base and expertise only in one sector of the technology. Whether it’s the web, security or networking Alpha Consultants is giving multiple solutions which is the good point but customer can perceive a Jack of all trades and Master of None type stereotype. Developing Strategies, Goals and Objectives: Considering the weaknesses and threats faced by Alpha consultants, a number of recommendations can be suggested: Alpha consultants has a huge resource pool. It has professionals and experts in tens of sectors and fields. However, the key professionals inside the organization are development experts, so they key focus is on development projects. It strongly needs a separate department that will be dedicated to hunting new opportunities and finding new projects. That way Alpha consultants will be able to target various new projects and explore untouched domains. As discussed in the SWOT analysis, when Alpha consultants has to acquire freelance experts for various projects, it not only allows the consultants and experts to get access to company’s information, but also allows them to interact with their clients. These freelance professionals can exploit this information. However, if Alpha consultants hires more experts as their employees rather than outsourcing to freelance expert, it can gain a lot of advantage. We have been discussed that Alpha consultants has both the valuable experience and a valued name in development and health sector. It can use this name and use their profile to land in new opportunities. By entering new domains, it is expanding and at the same time giving the business a bigger name. The goal of Alpha consultants at the moment should be to gain multi-sector and multi-regional experience using its already established name in development sector. Areas such as Telecom giants, Defense organizations, Financial Institutions and Entrepreneurial start-ups are key areas of focused. Alpha consultants with their experience can provide assistance to all these clients, while also helping their inner growth. References 100, T., 2014. The Top 100 European Software Vendors: European Software Vendors Ranking 2013. [Online] Available at: http://www.truffle100.com/2013/ranking.php [Accessed February 2014]. Eikebrokk, T.R., 2007. Information and Management: An empirical investigation of competency factors affecting e-business success in European SMEs. Elsevier. Europa, 2012. SoftCat: A Case Study. Europa. Fincham, J.E., 2000. Basic Management Principles. University of Kansas, School pf Pharmacy. ISO, 2012. Quality Management Report. ISO Central Secretariat. Softcat, 2014. SoftCat: Our People. [Online] Available at: http://www.softcat.com/who-we-are/our-people [Accessed February 2014]. www.softcat.com, 2014. Softcat Limited. Terms and Conditions for Customers. [Online] SoftCat Available at: www.softcat.com/explorer/files/SoftcatTerms_Conditions.pdf‎ [Accessed 2014]. [i] Alpha Consultants (2013). Alpha Consultants, Expertise in Detail. Retrieved From: http://www.Alphaconsultants.com/Alpha/closerlook.html