Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd Research Paper

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd. (NAL) - Research Paper Example (NAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nestlà © Company of Vevey, Switzerland. NAL operates 14 factories throughout Australia, employs 5,000 people and generates sales of A$2 Billion/annum. It manufactures and markets a diverse range of products from Maggi sauces and powders to Milo powdered beverage modifiers. â€Å"Nestlà © Australias objective is to implement policies which promote the best utilisation of its human resources in order to ensure optimum productivity and efficiency while also satisfying and meeting employees needs and expectations†. The words of NAL’s CEO Graham Campbell resonate throughout the organisation on a daily basis. This is particularly true of the department that is at the centre of employee engagement and utilisation: Team HR. The HR department within NAL consists of approximately 65 professionals spread out across all factories, distribution centres and the Head Office located in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes. Team HR is lead within Australia by the HR Director, who reports directly into the CEO of NAL. In the words of Jennifer Jones (HR Business Partner or HR BP, NAL) â€Å"The purpose of the Human Resources (HR) team is to increase Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage through People - by having engaged and talented individuals at the right place at the right time, driving business success†. Team HR consists of 3 distinct groups: 3. Centres of Excellence (CoE) in recruitment, talent and capability, reward & remuneration and employee relations. These are specialised sections of Team HR that focus on one area of knowledge and expertise. As one of the six core business units within NAL, the Human Resources department is involved in all stages of the development of the organisations’ business strategies. According to Jennifer Jones (HR BP, NAL), â€Å"The level of involvement of HR personnel in determining the goals and objectives for each of the business units is very impressive and certainly greater than any organisation I

The Lifestyle Theory by Larry Siegal Research Paper

The Lifestyle Theory by Larry Siegal - Research Paper Example Thus the lifestyle theory brings forth the issue of a rational choice that determines an individual’s involvement in crimes (Johnson, 2011). The present study focuses on an understanding of the lifestyle theory and the vital issues that may be associated with the theory as well as understand the probable solutions to complicated problems related to the theory. The Lifestyle Theory: A Brief Overview: As far as the lifestyle theory is concerned there are three interlocking models that constitute the theory. These are the structural model, the functional model, and the change model. Through a structural model, a lifestyle is defined operationally along with its features. It also explains how the lifestyle fits into a larger system of classification. The functional model delivers the developmental features of a lifestyle with respect to the fears, beliefs and values of a person in a community, distinguishing such factors into initiating ones and maintaining ones. The change model of the theory deals with the focus of change in a lifestyle. This is primarily concerned with the changes that occur naturally in the lifestyle of an individual during a lifetime influencing the behavior of the lifestyle (Walters, 2006, p.1). Vital Issues Associated with the Theory: The most important issue associated with the lifestyle theory is the fact that depending on lifestyles, individuals tend to get victimized and get involved into criminal activities. This has been discussed in several studies. Different individuals have different styles of living their lives. The different activities that individuals are involved may be mandatory or optional, leading to lifestyles being patterned, or customary, or persistent, common or involving routine activities (Robinson, n.d.). It can be discussed here that while there are certain activities that are customary or mandatory for almost all individuals to follow regularly which may be the routine activities of life, the discretionary act ivities are the ones that individuals choose on their own to be involved in. A person having a highly active lifestyle are prone to greater victimization since they tend to mix with greater number of people irrespective of whether they are good or bad, having no proper knowledge of their intentions. Hence victimization may be influenced. However the criminal victimization also depends on the individual’s incapability of not being able to predict the wrongdoers and the incorrect activities that might lead to crimes (Robinson, n.d.). With the active lifestyles of individuals, particularly among the youth, there are greater risks of exposures to offenders in a society. This has been more associated with the assaults and criminal activities from strangers. For example, parental violence might also lead younger individuals to perform crimes. However such activities or crimes cannot be associated with the lifestyle theory. Lifestyle theory discusses about the cases where individual s spend large amounts of time out of their homes, with strangers, even at the time of night and become prone to criminal victimization (Finkelhor & Asdigian, 1996, pp.3-4).

The Situation Of Hong Kongs Ocean Park

The Situation Of Hong Kongs Ocean Park Introduction In contemporary international business with an increasingly open market, many local enterprises are facing severe competition from large scale international company. In the case of disparities in overall strengths, it is quite essential and necessary for local business to explore new development ideas as well as new space for development. With its continuing effort on re-engineering these years, Hong Kong Ocean Park has turned a profit of 95.7 HK$ millions in 2004. However, with the coming opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong Ocean Park should be well prepared for the challenge from its main competitor by starting from its own characteristics, repositioning, identifying its absolute advantages, carrying out redevelopment plan with the support from its partners and local government. This report is mainly focused on the statement of the current situation of Hong Kong Ocean Park and discussion about its future development. To begin with, there will be some basic introduction of Hong Kong Ocean Park like its mission, vision and so on. Next goes the analysis of external and internal environment. After that, strategic choices will be discussed. And finally, suggestion and recommendation are proposed to the CEO and Board of Ocean Park. 1. Strategy concepts and vocabulary Mission: Ocean Park provides all guests with memorable experiences that combine entertainment and education, while inspiring lifelong learning and conservation advocacy. Our aim is to maintain a healthy financial status, while striving to deliver the highest standards of safety, animal care, products and guest service (Ocean Park Hong Kong, 2010). Goals and objectives: -boost the number of annual visitors from four million in 2004 to five million by 2010; -to make a 0.5 per cent contribution to Hong Kongs gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010. Vision: Ocean Park aspires to be a world leader in providing excellent guest experiences in a theme park environment connecting people with nature (Ocean Park Hong Kong, 2010). And, more specified, its vision is to become number one marine-based park for each family not only from Hong-Kong but also from mainland China. The main performance measures to determine the success of Ocean Park are the following: Firstly, it has high reputation in both Hong Kong and mainland China. As it has been operated for more than 28 years, it become a long-time favorite of several generations, many local people were sympathetic to Ocean Park. Thus, people who had visited the park as children were now bringing their own children to it. Secondly, it had become a fixture of Hong Kongs cultural heritage. Thirdly, the number of visitors in 2004 is 4 m of people (with daily maximum capacity 35 000 people); total revenue in 2004 was 536.2 HK$ m comparing to 428.3 HK$ m in 2003, surplus for 2004 year was 95.7 HK$ m comparing to deficit 4.1 HK$ m in 2003. And finally, its new brand (Whiskers) is recognizable at every house in China and plays a major role in the success of Hong Kong Ocean Park. On one hand, we have stakeholders, who help to achieve parks purpose and mission, such as Hong Kong government, Home Affairs Bureau and the Tourism Board, employees of Ocean Park corporation and parks visitors (customers). On other hand, we have those, who interfere with achieving parks purpose and mission, such as activist groups (certain environmental groups and animal rights activists), who insist on forbidding of buying and transportation exotic animals to park, trade associations and unions (bus companies and taxi drivers), who are against building a mass transit railway (MTR), and competitors, who want to regain the market share. 2. External Environment Key driving forces and their ranking Raise and spend HK$5.55 billion from private and government loans to revamp parks well-worn product line (approval of development plan) Global changing in tourism for Hong-Kong and Asia-Pacific region (development of tourism in region) Disneylands arrival worldwide success of main competitor-Disneyland, coming to Hong Kong (Disneys success or failure) PESTEL ANALYSIS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS for amusement park industry 1) Threat of new entry As entertainment and theme park industry requires a lot of money (for park equipment, human resources maintenance), the entry barrier is high. Also lots of time is required for parks planning, construction, development and launching, a lot of licenses and legalization is needed (safety, sanitary, security etc). Besides this, a large space of land is essential to the development of the amusement park, especially in Hong Kong, where the land price in real estate market is high. 2) Threat of rivalry With low differentiation of products visitors choice will be based on price and service only. As a result, there is an additional pressure on the price and service competition. Ocean Park needs to carry out different plans and activities such as redevelopment and introduction of new attractions. There are no rivals with exactly the same range of products. Disneys arrival is only expected. 3) Threat of substitution In the familys leisure activities segment, where Ocean Park is operated, many organizations provide different kind of services. These include Cultural Center, Zoo and Botanic gardens. Thus, Hong Kong, as a metropolis, has a variety of cinemas, karaoke clubs, family cafes, concert halls and museums. Such services cant offer full range of activities, which Ocean Park provides, but they have an impact on number of customers, especially during the days of unique events, such as blockbusters premieres or festivals. 4) Bargaining power of buyers (visitors) As Ocean Park successfully established and positioned its image with unique attractions, it has become a must see place for foreign visitors. The tourist bargaining power is low due to it is hard for visitors to get the same experience at any other place as they have had in Ocean Park. Local residents have a high buying power as they have many other choices for leisure. For instance, they can go to Wetland Park for ecotourism and nature and wildlife experience, they can also go to movies or fitness club for entertainment purpose. Moreover, the switching cost is relatively low for them. 5) The power of suppliers Suppliers have quite high power. Thus, construction elements of amusement rides are huge and complicated, thats why park is highly tied with supplier. Additionally, supplier is responsible for maintenance of objects he has developed for park. This caused in higher dependence of selected constructor. Otherwise, this market is developed and the choice of suppliers is become greater now. While constructing buildings (hotels, etc) with particular contractor park cant easily change to another contractor because of high switching cost). The situation with the exotic animals is such as Ocean Park can buy in particular country only. The underlying dynamics, which are driving five forces 1) Aftermath of economic crises and increasing in number of suppliers will decrease supplier power. 2) Disneys arrival decrease entry threat in entertainment park industry and increase competitors rivalry. 3) Developing of new technologies will affect rising of substitutes. Also competitors with new technologies will win (in this aspect Disney has an advantage) 4) Disneys arrival increase demands in diversification of Ocean Parks products. 5) Ticket price advantages (185 HK$ for adult ticket at Ocean Park compared to 295HK$ for the same ticket at Disney). 6) The main rival (Disney) is also same market oriented (families with children), therefore, this could rise buyers power. Based on the five forces analysis, the main dominant force of industry is substitutes. Less importance has suppliers and further buyers. Looking forward, the five forces will change in this way: -Rivalry will increase with Disneys arrival; -Buyer power will increase slightly; -Substitute threat will also increase; -Entry threat decrease dramatically; -Supplier power will also decrease. Five forces much more affect Wetland Park Ocean Parks key competitor, located at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen Long, than Ocean Park itself, because Wetland parks products are less differentiated. It has a 10,000m2 visitor centre, Wetland Interactive World, and a 60-hectare Wetland Reserve (Hong Kong Wetland Park, 2010). Arrival of other competitor Disney and its substitutes doesnt affect much Ocean Park because it has its own niche. More differentiation of new products, directed mainly to Chinese native culture will affect rivalry, substitutes and buyers. Unique high-quality products and services also will influence buyers. For seeking suppliers big impact will have Internet and special web-sites with best quality of service, characteristics, recommendations and prices. Strategic group/space analysis for Ocean Park There are 2 key competitors for Ocean Park: 1) Hong Kong Wetland Park, mentioned above. It is a conservation, education and tourism facility, consisted of large visitor centre, Wetland Interactive World and a Wetland Reserve. This park provided visitors with opportunities to observe wildlife, awareness and understanding the values of wetlands throughout the East Asian Region and beyond, wetlands conservation. So, its mainly about wetlands. The Hong Kong Wetland Park is also going to be a world-class ecotourism facility to serve both local residents and overseas tourists (Hong Kong Wetland Park, 2010). Compare to Disneyland and Ocean Park, Hong Kong Wetland Park has different facilities and product range (such as themed exhibition galleries, a theatre, a souvenir shop, an indoor play area), provide different services and thus, like Disney and Ocean Park, has its own niche. The range of facilities provided is the narrowest among 3 parks. Therefore, Wetland Park cant meet demand of those visitors, who are looking for excitements and extreme pleasure, which can be found on a rides at 2 other parks. 2) Hong Kong Disneyland, arriving in a nearest future. After 28 years of operating as a near monopoly, Ocean Park would soon have to compete with one of the biggest names in the entertainment and theme park industry. Moreover, Disneyland targets the same group of parks customers families with children. It has well-known brand and reputation. Its the world leader in terms of entertainment. Several of Disneys characters (Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh) were household names all over the world, including in Hong Kong. Image, which Disney company holds almost for a century (The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923) and Disneyland itself (first park was opened in 1955) for half a century (compared to 28 years of Ocean park) helps to attract visitors not only from Hong Kong and midland China, but also from different part of the globe, especially those who are from the USA and Europe (The Walt Disney Company, 2010). But, despite of distinguish of Chinese culture, Disney characters may be not as popular in Hong Kong as Ocean Parks mascot, Whiskeys. Among other advantages of Disneyland are: location (it could be reached in just 10 minutes from Hong Kongs airport and less than 30 minutes from downtown Hong Kong); the price claimed to be the least expensive among the five Disney amusement parks throughout the world; the area of Disneyland is 310 acres compared to 215 acres of Ocean Park; 5 times greater investment than for Ocean Park; world-renowned innovation; high customer service standards. Strategic groups within the entertainment and theme park industry in Hong Kong Broad Ocean Park Disneyland Product range Narrow Wetland Park Global Local Geographical Scope On one hand, Ocean Park is a part of entertainment and theme industry. Its market is families with children. On other hand, Disneyland, its future competitor, applies to the same market. Despite of this, Ocean Park has its own niche with visitors from mainland China and products range, combining entertainment and leisure as well as education. 3. Internal Environment Ocean Parks resources 1) Tangible: financial private and government loans; expected HK$5.55 billion investment; HK$145 billion economic effectiveness; surplus from operations in 2004 was HK$182.2 million on revenues of HK$536.2 million; net current assets HK$283.2. physical Sea World, marine life and real animals: 35 rides and attractions; favorable and convenient location on the southern side of Hong Kong Island; wide range of new activities, such as the Abyss Turbo Drop thrill ride, seasonal and special events (Chinese New Year, Easter Holiday, Summer Holiday, Halloween and Christmas), popular water-related activities, interactive activities with animals, edutainment programs, successful Sea Jelly Spectacular and so on. 2) Intangible: long-time reputation of park with government, customers; new brand sea lion named Whiskers; cultural heritage of Hong Kong; great number of repeated visitors. 3) Human: 37 100 employees, their skills and knowledge; Thomas Mehrmann, new CEO of Ocean Park, and his previous experience at US-based Six Flags Corporation. Main capabilities of Ocean Park 1) New products, facilities and services development capability continually adding new features and attractions. Therefore, in a nearest future Ocean Park will become one of the best marine-based theme park with strong connection with nature. 2) Research and development, marketing and sales capabilities: plan to refurbish and rename Ocean Parks 2 major areas (the Lowland and the Highland), new hotels to be developed, including a five-star boutique, spa-type hotel, plan to open offices in the major urban areas of Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai to enhance promotional activities in Hong Kong and attract more mainland visitors. 3) New incentive compensation that linked employee compensation to the financial performance of park. The competences of Ocean Park local market loyalty, customers trust and love long-term reputation, distinct Chinese characteristics recognizable brand education in combination with recreation cost and differentiation of product, encouraged visitors to return to the park distinctive work culture, with its own norms and practices Competitive Advantages of Ocean Park over Disneyland cultural heritage of Hong Kong, orientation mostly on visitors from midland China first-mover advantages primary focus of Ocean Park on real nature and wildlife in contrast to Disneys strengths in cartoon characters, castles, virtual reality and fantasy no need to engage in high-profile advertising and publicity, rely more on word-of-mouth more diverse and wide range of products price advantage: the admission price for Disneyland is expected more than twice higher for child and one and a half higher for adult than price of Ocean park. And visitors from mainland China are very price sensitive. SmartFun Annual Pass program with unlimited admission to the park for its holders within a year, and discounted prices for food, souvenirs orientation not only on entertainment, but also on education of visitors special events for traditional Chinese holidays (Chinese New Year) besides events for western holidays (Halloween) Despite Ocean Park build its strategy on its resources, capabilities and competences, it cant relay only on them they need to be developed, innovated and refreshed, because they may begin to look dated and shabby for their visitors. For example, it can import more species, construct water/sea-related facilities and hotels. Overall, Ocean Park resources are sustainable, with some exception such as, the impact on these resources from environmental groups opposition. SWOT ANALYSIS Positive impact Negative impact Internal environment Strengths -diversified and wide range of amusements (thrills, animals, seasonal and special events) -product line revamp -highly linked with culture of mainland Chinese visitors, knows their demands and behavior -the main, oldest and most famous amusement park in the country, hometown favorite -28 years of operating as a near monopoly -no need to engage in high-profile advertising and publicity, rely more on word-of-mouth -strong business connection to the local government (support from the government of Hong Kong and mainland China) -previous experience of Thomas Mehrmann (new CEO of Ocean Park) in theme park industry (at US-based Six Flags Corporation) -local market loyalty -positive image of park Weaknesses -located on a hills-hard to get to some riders-thats why visitors experienced rides only once -different facilities are old and un-attractive and need renovation -a lot of activities depend on weather -no substantial capital investment External environment Opportunities -focusing on delivering mainland Chinas visitors as well as foreign visitors -plan to build a mass transit railway (MTR) station to connect Ocean Park to the subway grid -the development and improvement of the amusement machinery, which can impact the services and features of the organization and its relationship to their foreign visitors -raise the standards of park with Disneyland arrival fostering sponsorships -plan for building new hotels (boutique and spa-type) orientation on new luxury tourism market segment Threats -economical instability (such as the Asian financial crisis of 1999-2001, lasted for 3 difficult years for Ocean Park), outbreak of different diseases, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 (Both these factors can affect number of visitors and their buying behavior, worsening the park financial situation) -arrival of Disneyland Hong Kong -location on valuable real estate: it could be shut down and its land could be sold off for other recreational or commercial purposes. 4. Strategic Choices Business-level strategy Hong Kong Ocean Park uses hybrid strategy, which seeks simultaneously to achieve differentiation and low price relative to competitors (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008). Most activities were carried out based on this Strategy. 1) Hong Kong Ocean Parks admission fee is Adult HK$185, Child HK$95 which is lower that of Disneys: Adult HK$295(weekdays) HK$350(holidays); Child HK$210(weekdays), HK$250(holidays). 2) Hong Kong Ocean Park did not spend too much on new fixed-asset attractions due to short life circles of them and difficulty in coming up with an encore. 3) It keeps part attractions fresh, novel and exciting while minimize costs. Instead of buying in new attractions, Hong Kong Ocean Park focused on culture innovation. Some relative low-cost ideas proved successful: Seasonal and special events attracted repeat visits every year. 4) Hong Kong Ocean Park did not take part in highly cost advertising campaign. Compared to its competitors, Hong Kong Ocean Park tended to rely more on word-of-mouth to generate additional business. Since Hong Kong Ocean Park was the local residents favorite theme park and had high reputation in Hong Kong even in Asia. Hong Kong Ocean Park had profound influence on several generations in Hong Kong, people who had visited the park as children were now bringing their own children to visit the park. Actually, Hong Kong Ocean Park was locally born and bred and had become a fixture of Hong Kongs cultural heritage. 5) Hong Kong Ocean Park had a clear organizational structure, no too much redundancy. It can save labor cost. 6) Hong Kong Ocean Park had identified its strategic customers clearly; those are Local tourists and Mainland Tourists. So, it carried out several plans to attract its key customers. a) It hosts several festival events and activities to complement its park offerings with distinct features, like Chinese New Year. It had distinct Chinese characteristics that reflected its roots in Hong Kong, a quintessentially Chinese city. b) Retained its unique SmartFun Annual Pass Program and tactically reviewed and developed value-added benefits to build sales and local customers loyalty. This program encouraged annual pass holders to visit the park repeatedly. Visitors to the park would spend money in other areas to boost revenue beyond the admission fees. 7) Hong Kong Ocean Parks had clear and definite position; that was to become the best marine-based theme park in the world need a source here!!, to provide customers with a place for recreation and education about marine life and environmental conservation. This unique strategic position is differentiated Hong Kong Ocean Park from its competitors and ensure its advantages over the main competitors. Competitive strategies of Hong Kong Ocean Parks competitor Disneyland was regarded as Hong Kong Ocean Parks main competitor and it adopted a differentiation strategy. With a differentiation strategy, a company provides products or services that offer more benefits than those of its competitors which are widely valued by buyers. The aim is to make a company advantageous over its competitors by offering better products or services at the same price or increasing profits by a slightly higher price (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008). More specifically, Disneyland took below action plans in line with its differentiation strategy: 1) The selling points of Disneyland were Disney cartoon characters, fantasy world and famous Americans brands, 23 rides and attractions. 2) Disney has strong abilities to create fantasy and virtual situations, and it was going to leverage the benefits of animation into its amusement parks. 3) There would be two hotels in Hong Kong Disneyland which could provide guests with better recreation facilities. 4) There was going to be a subway station linking Disneyland to other parts of Hong Kong which enable Disneyland to has convenient transportation advantage over its competitors. 5) Unique Disney World-styled wedding ceremony was offered to guests in Disneyland. Strategic direction In 2005 Ocean Park had good business characteristics it became profitable, with significant market share, effective management team and successful recognizable brand. Otherwise, arriving of Disneyland could negatively impact on success of a company. To avoid this, Ocean Park must define a right strategic direction. Most preferable direction is product development. This means that Ocean Park need to improve its products range and number of additional services. Thus, by offering new wide set of entertainment and educational products for all target groups, the company can gain advantages to harden its brand, attract new consumers and retrieve lost customers, who not engaged with old facilities and services any more. Despite the international tourists is a minor group in customers totals, company could start to develop a new markets. This development includes marketing campaign directed to tourists from selected countries and making contracts with tour agents. Realization of these methods helps to increase tourists share when local citizens share will decline after Disneyland coming. International Strategy International Strategy for Ocean Park is limited to marketing policy for preferable countries. The main reason of this limitation is that Ocean Park cant be expanded to other countries like Disneyland does, for example. Its based on local flora and fauna and strongly attached to Chinese culture. Also other countries may not have such resources. Ocean Park is a unique, not common product. Not every country even needs it. Thus, expansion is considered in case of marketing development only, such as connection with potential tourists, opening of offices, TV advertising and so on, which helps to enhance promotional activities in Hong Kong and attract visitors. CAGE FRAMEWORK for Ocean Park Cultural distance: With increasing popularity of the Ocean Park, the CEO and Broad of Ocean Park need to think about it attractiveness to tourists in case of the whole world. Indeed, Ocean Park activities are affected by cultural heritage, but it only helps park to attract tourists not only from Asia, but also from all over the world. High priorities should be given to those countries, from where the number of tourist is significant. Administrative and political distance: Its important to consider at first countries with good and stable relationships with China and Hong Kong. Geographic distance: High priority should be given to those countries, from which the number of tourist is significant, then to neighbor countries. Therefore, Ocean Park need to make agreements with tour agents in these countries, organize different sales and advertising, so, expand its marketing presence in these countries. Economic distance: The economic circumstances of a country is an important factor when carrying out international strategy. Therefore, the amusement theme park cant be developed well in the countries with bad economic circumstances. Thus, the main orientation of Ocean Park will be on countries with high income per capita or high level of consumer wealth. 5. General introduction and future of development Hong Kong Tourism Since the reunification (except during the SARS outbreak in), the Hong Kong tourism industry has performed well. In 2004, Hong Kong tourism industry reached new heights, with 21810630 tourists, increasing by 40.4% compared to the figures of 15536839 in 2003 (subject to SARS impact), meanwhile, the revenue of tourism amounted to 91.8 billion Hong Kong dollars, up to 9.6% over 2003 (http://www.discoverhongkong.com). Hong Kong government has always been thinking of a new positioning and development direction. In the Governments policy report, it is identified that Hong Kong to be Backed by the Mainland and towards the world, to be an international metropolis providing quality services, and it is clearly stated the new policy as Market Leads, Government Facilitates. need a source here!! Tourism is the most robust momentum in services industries, one of the pillar industries of Hong Kong and is paid high attention by Hong Kong government. In the new situation and new policy paradigm, the Government begins to make overall planning for the tourism industry, which means that the Government will take more proactive measures to promote the development of tourism (http://www.gov.hk). In 2004 mainland visitors continued to be the majority of Hong Kong tourism with a number of 12245862 tourists, increasing by 44.6%. Free exercise program was the driving force to promote further expansion of mainland market. Moreover, from July 1, 2004, the free exercise extended to 32 cities in South China and East China, 100 million 58 million residents from these cities could apply for travel to Hong Kong with the name of free exercise. In 2004, there were 426 million free exercise visitors, accounting for 34.8% of the total number of tourists; which rose more than twice than 134 million tourists in 2003 (http://www.discoverhongkong.com). With the support from the government as well as the increasing trend of visitors travelling to Hong Kong, it is predicted that there will be a bright future for Hong Kong tourism which will directly promote the development of them park industry in Hong Kong. 6. Suggestions to Hong Kong Ocean Park Generally speaking, Hong Kong Ocean Park, with Disneylands arrival, should transform hybrid strategy to differentiation strategy. More specifically, it involves two main parts: marketing strategy as short term goals and infrastructure construction as long term objective. However, it should always stick to its mission and vision of delivering the highest standards of safety, animal care, products and guest service, be a world leader in providing excellent guest experiences in a theme park environment connecting people with nature. put a source here! Marketing strategy Product: Keep on introducing a variety of interactive activities with animals. For example: the Ocean theatre that staged dolphin and sea lion shows every day. Keep focus on seasonal and special events like Chinese New Year and Halloween. For instance, during summer holiday, some water-related activities such as water-war of foam parties should be organized which target teenagers. Develop a niche products, e.g. Sea World-styled wedding ceremony. Provide more sophisticated products to its customers than Disney. For example, build boutique hotel and spa-style hotels for tourists with higher income, expectations and needs. Such, move to a new market segment, even luxury tourism. Price: Concentrate on giving value for the money the customers have paid. It is quite essential to attract mainland visitors who are more sensitive on price. Provide guests with more amusement facilities at a lower price than Disneyland to attract more visits. As to the local residents, it is suggested to offer them the annual pass as it creates loyalty and a real sense of value by encouraging annual pass holders to visit the park repeatedly. Some special offer to different groups in the society is also recommended, for example, a discount for students during holidays. As a step of moving from hybrid to differentiation strategy after Disneys arrival, at first, Ocean Park should keep its prices, but later, with differentiation of its products range, the prices could be increased. Promotion: Make full use of word of mouth marketing and the advantage of being the localized theme park. Proceed the promotion through the unique feeling of growing together with Hong Kong (Yan Le, 2007). Advertising campaign in Hong Kong can be carried out through the interactive quiz of the knowledge about animals to inspire their interest in nature and wildlife. As there is a significantly increasing number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong, it is strongly suggested that Hong Kong Ocean Park should establish agencies in major cities in China to showcase its unique attractions and attract more mainland visitors. Expand the marketing campaign to international markets to attract foreign tourists. In case of Disneys arrival, Ocean Park can start more aggressive marketing politic for attracting tourists from all over the wor

herody Free Essays: Heroes in the Poem Women and Homers Odyssey :: comparison compare contrast essays

Heroes in the Poem Women and Homer's Odyssey A hero is a brave and strong person, who is also very human. A hero feels fear and every other emotion that we do. A true hero is a person who does something great and does not expect to be given any thing in return. A hero does something that effects a large number of people. A hero thinks more of others than he or she thinks of him or her self. The characters in the poem, "Women", and The Odyssey are both epic heroes. Odysseus is a strong and brave man, but I think he lacks one of the major characteristics of a hero. I think he thinks of himself more than of others. I think the characters in the poem, "Women," are better heroes because they can be related to easier. I don't think the poem characters are like an epic hero because they are less into them selves than an epic hero. They also seem to have done lesser things, I mean epic heroes always do something so great, like take twenty men on, or lead an army to victory. Everyday heroes seem to be more realistic and do something that's great, but its not written up in every news paper in the country. Odysseus is a brave man that did great things. In The Odyssey he conquers a monster using smarts and strength. He also looks out for his crew mates. He is faithful to his wife, well, in his mind he is. He kills many men on his own in a battle at his home. He cries a couple of times in the story, showing sensitivity. Overall, Odysseus is a brave and caring human that is a little too conceited He is also very smart, like in the book when Odysseus said, "He thought he'd find out, but I saw through him."(on page 750 line723.) Also like most epic heroes Odysseus is physically strong, like when Odysseus said, "I rammed it deep in his eye."(on page 751 line 843.) Odysseus rammed a large spike into the beast's eye. The poem "Women" was a great description of black women in the mid

Meaning of Life and Poem Essay

Introduction Chinodya is a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe. A good writer, he won the first prize in Literature in English in the Zimbabwean Book Publishers Associations’ Award in 1991. He has also published several children’s books in his life. Discussion There is no set garentee to unlock the meaning of a poem. Each poem dictates an individual mode of approach. A useful approach to the analysis or discussion of a poem is to list some of the elements that are foregrounded in the poem. M H Abrams defines foregrounding as follows: `To foreground is to bring something into the highest prominence, to make it dominant in perception’ (Abrams 1993:274). Foregrounding may be achieved in several ways. The writer may repeat certain words or an entire line to draw our attention. Sometimes, the typography (setting of type) and punctuation may be manipulated for effect. Even images, such as visual or auditory, may be heightened for attention. Now that you know the meaning of the term foregrounding, use it sometimes in your discourse of poetry. Just as Banoobhai foregrounds irony in his poem `He’s a Good Boy, This One’. Chinodya foregrounds certain elements in his poem for our immediate attention. Before proceeding any further, list at least THREE elements that are foregrounded in `Recollection’. Your list would probably look like this: . Repetition of words: remember, thorn . Use of sound devices (appealing to the sense of hearing) . Use of colour (appealing to the sense of sight) . Conversational tone . Use of long vowel sounds to slow down the rhythm . †¦ and so on. Try to incorporate some of the above points in your discussion of the poem. The English poet William Wordsworth celebrates the power of the imagination to recall and re-live memorable experiences in his famous poem `I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ (often referred to as `The Daffodils’). Chinodya’s poem is reminiscent of Wordsworth’s poem. The foregrounding of the word `remember’, by its repetition, suggests that the speaker’s memories of his childhood days are vivid. It also induces a nostalgic mood which contributes to the overall effect of the poem. Minute details such as `crouching thorn trees’, `criss-crossing bush paths’ and `coarse crop of grass’ suggest memories that are still alive after all these years. Unlike Wordsworth’s poem, `Recollection’ sketches a past which was not always idyllic (look up the meaning and pronunciation of this word if you are not sure). In the third stanza, the speaker’s description of his childhood days is interrupted by the unpleasant memory of a harsh law: I remember the big sign that said Something about people not being allowed in ? Such memories are indelible and often shape our attitudes as adults. We recall how in our own country apartheid laws restricted Black people (including Indians and Coloureds) free access to public places. Although as a child the speaker was too young to know the significance of the `big sign’, its effect on him as an adult is a lasting one.

Ethnocentrism Hinders Effective Cross-Cultural Dialogue and Common Understanding Essay

As human beings, we are inherently biased in our judgment of issues and others- by others I mean those who do not belong in the same socio-cultural group we ascribe to. Our inborn predilection to take a subjective view of reality leads to the common-and equally incorrect- assumption that we are right in our ways, while ‘others’ are wrong in theirs. This tendency of biased notions of cultural superiority in relation to other cultures is what political scientist William G. Sumner (1906) summed up with the coinage of the term ‘ethnocentrism. ’ By definition, ethnocentrism is the tendency by individuals to believe, unconsciously and through false assumptions, that their culture is better than that of others. Notably, there is a running thread of collective concurrence among whites that ‘we westerners’, with our western civilization and attendant lifestyles, are superior to the backward races of Africa, which we conveniently label a jungle of savagery. The negative effects of ethnocentrism are manifest in international relations, where effective intercultural communication is hampered by cultural differences and culture transitional challenges (Moran, Harris and Moran, 2007, 265). Nonetheless, to avoid collective generalizations by claiming that it is ‘we westerners’ rather than ‘I, me and myself,’ who suffers this cultural prejudice- a claim by which I unwittingly admit my ethnocentric conditioning to include fellow tribesmen in my narrow worldview corner- I hereby set out to examine how I have severally paid homage to this populist bandwagon of cultural subjectivity in judgment. Finally, I will outline the course of remedy I have chartered to liberate myself from the blinding ignorance of ethnocentrism. Was it me, really, now that I’m thinking from a relatively wider perspective? Late last year, I accompanied a close friend of mine from Saudi Arabia (whom I will not disclose for the pang of guilt that gnaws at my conscience) to pick some forms from our embassy. Well, it seems that since September 11, a kind of phobia for our Muslim brothers has eaten into our national psych. At a personal level, I always change lanes every time I meet one donning a flowing white garb and†¦. err, an unusually long beard. Anyway, the security man at the embassy just ran the metal detector over my body and patted me on the back. But when it was my friend’s turn, the security guy, perhaps seeing Osama’s ghosts, took a deep breath and started what was the most rigorous personal search I had ever witnessed. He yanked the garb from the underside and ran the detector inch by inch, grinned with relief upon finding nothing (read bombs) and then allowed him to pass through. However, the issue here is not the security man’s exaggerated fears, but the fact that I took it as normal, without bothering to question why it wasn’t. The culture I grew up in had taught me to regard some religions as being synonymous with terrorism, and to dismiss others as pagan idolatry and pure superstition. In my evaluation of world religions, I’m often tempted to associate Islam with terrorism, a belief that is largely fed by media stereotyping in relation to incidences of suicide bombings. As for most traditional African religions, customs and rituals, I always found ‘evidence’ to dismiss them as the demonic chants of a pagan charlatan. Their polygamy I considered the ways of an uncivilized society that still harbors the wild caveman’s genes. On this score, my blindness was informed by the western glorification of the nuclear family unit, which greatly contrasts with other cultures’ recognition of the unifying aspect of extended families and kinship systems (Moran, Harris and Moran, 2007, 11). In regard to religious convictions, the only true Supreme Being I believed existed is the Christian God I worship, whom I assumed held in contempt the ungodly ways of unchristian religions. For such a long time, I erroneously believed that with the exception of Christians, all other believers are doomed for hell. This ethnic and cultural belief that the religion in which one belongs is centrally important (Andersen, 2006) is one of the sub-divisions that promote ethnocentrism. Personally, it was my honest conviction until I realized that every believer thinks likewise of other religions. Remarkable is my said friend’s vehement assertion that Jesse the son of Mary (Christ) was an imposter whose legend deceived people that he was the son of God. Instead, he argues that Mohamed is the true messenger of Allah, the creator of everything. Nonetheless, it will be a self-contradiction for me to consider my system of beliefs as not being the right one and the most appropriate. It is an inconsistence and admission of its falseness, which I consider the height of ideological hypocrisy. I recognize the reality that I belong to a particular culture; and the fact that to fit in my society I must conform to its cultural beliefs and value systems. However, to reconcile my cultural beliefs with other cultural worldviews, I find insight in the principle of cultural relativism by Franz Boas, who argued that â€Å"civilization is not something absolute, but is relative, and our ideas and conceptions are true only so far as our civilization goes† (Degler, 1992 p 67). Accordingly, people’s behaviors, customs and beliefs should be understood in the context of their cultures. When we use the lens of our cultures to understand other cultures, there is always the risk of prejudice and biasness. The problem of ethnocentrism leads to failure of constructive communication and misunderstandings, which in turn causes cultural differences and conflicts (Moran, Harris and Moran, 2007, p 4). Similarly, the theory of functionalism by Bronislaw Malinowski posits that cultures are systems of structures by which different societies function. Each society, therefore, has unique needs which can only be served by its own culture. As such, we can only understand the behavior of other cultures when we take that culture’s viewpoint, to avoid the misconceptions created by our experiences within our own culture. References Andersen, M. L. (2006). Sociology: understanding a diverse society. New York: Thomson/Wadsworth. Degler, C. N. (1992). In Search of Human Nature: The Decline and Revival of Darwinism in American Social Thought. US: Oxford University Press. Moran, T. R. , Harris, P. R. , Moran, S. V. (2007). Managing cultural differences: global leadership strategies for the 21st century, 7th Edition. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann Sumner, W. G. (1906). â€Å"Folkways. † In McCann, C. R. (2004). Individualism and the social order: the social element in liberal thought. New York: Routledge.

Geography of Jamaica

Geography of Jamaica Population: 2,847,232 (July 2010 estimate)Capital: KingstonArea: 4,243 square miles (10,991 sq km)Coastline: 635 miles (1,022 km)Highest Point: Blue Mountain Peak at 7,401 feet (2,256 m)Jamaica is an island nation in the West Indies located in the Caribbean Sea. It is south of Cuba and for comparison, it is just under the size of the United States state of Connecticut. Jamaica is 145 miles (234 km) in length and 50 miles (80 km) in width at its widest point. Today, the country is a popular tourist destination and it has a native population of 2.8 million people. History of Jamaica The first inhabitants of Jamaica were the Arawaks from South America. In 1494, Christopher Columbus was the first European to reach and explore the island. Beginning in 1510, Spain began to inhabit the area and by that time, the Arawaks began to die off due to disease and war that came with the European settlers.In 1655, the British arrived in Jamaica and took the island from Spain. Shortly thereafter in 1670, Britain took full formal control of Jamaica.Throughout most of its history, Jamaica was known for its sugar production. In the late 1930s, Jamaica began to gain its independence from Britain and it had its first local elections in 1944. In 1962, Jamaica gained full independence but still remains a member of the British Commonwealth.Following its independence, Jamaicas economy began to grow but in the 1980s, it was hit by a severe recession. Shortly thereafter, however, its economy began to grow and tourism became a popular industry. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, drug traff icking, and the related violence became a problem in Jamaica. Today, Jamaicas economy is still based largely on tourism and the related service sector and it has recently held various free democratic elections. For example, in 2006 Jamaica elected its first female Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller.​ Government of Jamaica Jamaicas government is considered a constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm. It has an executive branch with Queen Elizabeth II as chief of state and a local position of head of state. Jamaica also has a legislative branch with a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives. Jamaicas judicial branch is made up of a Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Privy Council in the U.K. and the Caribbean Court of Justice.Jamaica is divided  in 14 parishes for local administration. Economy and Land Use in Jamaica Since tourism is a large part of Jamaicas economy, services and the related industries represent a significant portion of the countrys overall economy. Tourism revenues alone account for 20% of Jamaicas gross domestic product. Other industries in Jamaica include bauxite/alumina, agricultural processing, light manufacturing, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products and telecommunications. Agriculture is also a big part of Jamaicas economy and its biggest products are sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables, poultry, goats, milk, crustaceans, and mollusks. Unemployment is high in Jamaica and as a result, the country has high crime rates and violence related to drug trafficking. Geography of Jamaica Jamaica has a varied topography with rugged mountains, some of which are volcanic, and narrow valleys and a coastal plain. It is located 90 miles (145 km) south of Cuba and 100 miles (161 km) west of Haiti.The climate of Jamaica is tropical and hot and humid on its coast and temperate inland. Kingston, Jamaicas capital has an average July high temperature of 90 °F (32 °C) and a January average low of 66 °F (19 °C). Sources Central Intelligence Agency.  CIA - The World Factbook - Jamaica.  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jm.html Infoplease. (n.d.).  Jamaica: History, Geography, Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107662.html United States Department of State. (29 December 2009).  Jamaica.  state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2032.htm

The Winning Formula for Writing Success

The Winning Formula for Writing Success The Winning Formula for Writing Success The Winning Formula for Writing Success By Mark Nichol When I wrote the heading for today’s post, I thought to myself, â€Å"I should be making infomercials and workshop presentations, offering my ‘secret’ for a thousand dollars.† A thousand dollars a head for even a few dozen participants? That’s what I call successful writing: With one phrase and a few platitudes, I could take a couple of years off from work. Nah. I’ll give it to you free of charge: Quality requires quantity. Yes? And? That’s it. Quality requires quantity. Oh, all right. I’ll expound. That’s a layered statement, one that’s as deep as you want to dive. But on its most basic level, it means that an output of high quality must be preceded by an input of high quantity. In other words, a return of quality takes an investment of quantity. The new publishing model is that, thanks to the Internet, everyone’s a writer. That’s the good news. But it’s also the bad news, because it means that because many writers in this suddenly expanded universe are not highly qualified, the universe is degraded. There have always been less-than-stellar writers, but it was more difficult for them to publish their work and sustain success. Now, however, nonprofessional writers can be forgiven for believing that because it’s easy to type, it’s easy to write. And the remaining exemplars of great writing are lost in the leveling of the signal-to-noise ratio if they are sought out at all anymore. The brave new world of formal publishing is also degraded, in this case by a business model that no longer values quality because remember, quality requires quantity (and quantity, of course, requires financial investment). So now, I can find six typographical errors stuffed into a twenty-word caption in the website for a major metropolitan newspaper (since corrected because, hey, it’s the instant Internet, and we can always fix it later!), and I can find my enjoyment of a newly published book compromised by shoddy editing (improvement of which must wait for the second edition, if there is one, and if there is the wherewithal to improve it but that’s too late for me). That’s why I may come across as a dinosaur about these things, because I believe that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. And because I believe that, that’s why I’m proud to remain part of the old-school old guard, editing book manuscripts for publishers willing to spend time, effort, and especially money to ensure that their products reflect their high standards. Quality requires quantity. Oh, quality is sometimes accidentally produced with a minimum of quantity, but standards cannot rely on serendipity. The work ethic is called that for a reason: Good isn’t easy. It takes effort. Quality requires quantity. There’s at least one other layer to the formula. Last week, I wrote a post about another formula, what I call a writing-competence matrix. Rather than explain it here, I invite you to read the post, if you haven’t already, or to review it, if you have. Go ahead. I’ll wait. What does it take to score high on this matrix? Don’t expect to ever hit â€Å"Expert† on all three counts; many successful writers may excel in only one category. But to rate highly in even one area takes time. Remember the 10,000-Hour Rule? (That’s all right. I’ll still be here when you get back.) If you want to be a great writer, be content at first with endeavoring to be a good writer. Great can wait. But to become a good writer, you must invest quantity in your quest for quality quantity of time and effort. And you must be willing to labor not only longitudinally, putting in years of skill development, but also latitudinally, massaging, refining, and polishing each piece of writing along the way. Remember this truism: If it’s easy, you’re probably not doing it right. Quality requires quantity. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Do you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?Is "Number" Singular or Plural?

Are You on Google+ Users Beware!

Are You on Google+ Users Beware! I don’t know about you, but I get frightened easily. Especially by how much Google knows about me. Yesterday my office chair fell apart and so I did a Google search for a balance ball chair; in the right margin, up came an advertisement for Jockey underwear. Let’s see: I ordered from Jockey yesterday. Do they really think I need *more* underwear today? Maybe the bots aren’t smart enough to know whether I actually purchased that item or just browsed and might need a reminder to pull the trigger. Or maybe they can’t tell what items are likely to be re-purchased and which will last me the next two years? I mean, if I purchase bus tickets to Chicago I very well might need them again next week. But underwear? In any case, Google knows me well. Too well. And now they’re invading even more. As of November 11, Google is able to tell my friends, family and colleagues that I endorse certain products, unless I opt out. My picture and even quotations from me can be used in ads for these items! Here’s what Google has to say about their new policy: Here are a few examples of shared endorsements on Google. The Summertime Spas example below shows a shared endorsement displayed in an ad: Setting: Shared Endorsements in Ads This setting below allows you to limit the use of your name and photo in shared endorsements in ads. It applies only to actions that Google displays within ads; the Summertime Spas example above shows a shared endorsement appearing in an ad on Google Search. Changing this setting does not impact how your name and photo might look in a shared endorsement that is not in an ad - for example, when you share a music recommendation that is displayed in the Play Store. You can limit the visibility of activity outside of ads by deleting the activity or changing its visibility settings. So after I buy my balance ball chair, and especially if I write a review of that chair, my connections may get ads telling them that I recommend the chair. Yikes! As a businesswoman, this frightens me even more than having Jockey underwear ads pop up in my browser. I do *not* want to use my position of respect (dare I say influence?) to sell products unrelated to my field. How obnoxious! And to make matters worse, Google won’t even give me a piece of the pie if my influence leads to a sale (yes I am mercenary too). Thankfully, there is a way to opt out. But insidiously, I received no announcement from Google warning me about this change in their privacy policy. Instead, I heard about it through my networks. It will not surprise me if a petition starts circulating asking Google to have the default setting be that someone’s picture and information can NOT be used to promote products. But as of now, it’s up to me and others like me to spread the word. If you have a problem with this policy, please take the opportunity to opt out. Note: If you joined Google+ after October 15, it seems you are automatically opted out. If your account is older than that, the default is to opt you in. Beware! I may as well take this opportunity to invite you to connect with me on Google+. I happen to know that many of you have accounts, since I am already connected to you. And since I opted out of this Google+ craziness, you don’t have to worry about Brenda-endorsed Jockey ads appearing on your computer screen! Finally, if you do start getting strangely endorsed advertisements, you may want to let the alleged endorser know. That person probably wants to know how to stop the madness. Category:Social MediaBy Brenda BernsteinNovember 19, 2013 4 Comments Penelope J says: November 19, 2013 at 9:21 pm Funny, I had the same problem with Jockey underwear a year ago. Ads kept popping up when I clicked on links and blogs. All I did was check if name was capitalized or generic. Log in to Reply Patrick G says: November 20, 2013 at 5:45 pm Yep that is scary Brenda thanks for sharing the details. I recently asked Google to make some of my personal information private as it was showing up on websites that I did not give permission to. What might be even scarier is when Google forces all the millions of email users to sign up for Google+ accounts. If you do not you may face the reality of not being able to read your email. Log in to Reply donitta says: December 2, 2013 at 7:07 pm Thanks so much! My G+ account is older, so I did need to go in and opt out. I really try to limit how much of me gets out there in that fashion, so I really appreciate your warning! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 2, 2013 at 8:36 pm Youre welcome Donitta! Log in to Reply

Marketing Simulation Report for the Product PirateEye Term Paper

Marketing Simulation Report for the Product PirateEye - Term Paper Example The term paper "Marketing Simulation Report for the Product PirateEye" presents the outcome of a marketing simulation, which was undertaken as a brand manager for the introduction of the new product, PirateEye. When dealing with a monotonous competitor who has monopolized the market for such a long time, it is very difficult to penetrate the market and make any remarkable impressions. But this could be made possible in the midst of hard work and dedicated service. It is for this reason that as a brand manager, much time was taken to undertake a detailed marketing simulation to identify the rubrics of the present marine transport market and make necessary impact on the market. Presently, there are several services and product providers in the marine transport business. However, not much of these people deliver security systems to boat owners. There is actually only one competitor when it comes to the provision of pirate related security systems. This report, therefore, presents all po ssible options to the company to implement in order to ensure that the company achieves its goals for penetrating the current market. The report identifies the market target, the consumer behavior of the identified market, market segmentation, targeting, and positions, as well as the appropriate marketing mix to use in other to achieve the goals and objectives set for the company in the next six years. Recommendations are made throughout the report to on how competition with the existing competitor can be rigorous and result oriented.... There is actually only one competitor when it comes to the provision of pirate related security systems. This report therefore presents all possible options to the company to implement in order to ensure that the company achieves its goals for penetrating the current market. The report identifies the market target, the consumer behavior of the identified market, market segmentation, targeting and positions, as well as the appropriate marketing mix to use in other to achieve the goals and objectives set for the company in the next six years. Above all, recommendations are made through out the report to on how competition with the existing competitor can be rigorous and result oriented (Knill, and Tosun, 2008). Evaluation of the Targeted Market The target market referred to in this case are the customers with whom the company may want to do business (Jost, 2003). From this perspective, it can be said that boat owners on the coastal lands of the localized marine industry are the targete d market. This not withstanding, there is even a larger market for the company as the fortunes of globalization and break in corporate borders makes it possible to trade off products to boat owners all over the globe. The demographics of the targeted market are such that there can be two major groups of boat owners found. The first group is those who own larger boats whiles the second group is made up of those who own smaller boats. Currently, the business attention of those who own larger boats is on crude lifting while the business attention of those who own smaller boats is on human transport (quote). With any of these two however, there is a high level of security concern, especially when it comes to the issue of pirate activities. With

The Rise of China, its effect on Reshaping the Business Environment Essay

The Rise of China, its effect on Reshaping the Business Environment and how this Affects Multinational Enterprises - Essay Example Disadvantages include increased competition in the export market and increased competition for raw materials. In addition, it is unknown what China will be like as a world economic leader and what effects this will have on the rest of the world. Introduction The economic boom in China has resulted in continued significant growth to the Chinese economy and the growth is predicted to continue. Already China has the second strongest economy worldwide and projections indicate that this growth is likely to continue. Calculations suggest that by 2035 the economy of China will have completely overtaken that of the United States, who is the current economic world leader. As the economy of China continues to grow, there is already evidence of the country reshaping many economic variables and the environment for businesses. There are a large number of implications for businesses as a consequence of this growth particularly those which span multiple countries. A multinational enterprise (MNE) i s a corporation or enterprise that has its headquarters in one country, and operates in other countries also. This operation may be in terms of having distinct branches or stores in other countries, or it may mean outsourcing production or a portion of production to a different country. MNE’s vary significantly in size, with some being small, and others large, with budgets that are so large they exceed the gross domestic products of some countries. The countries in which MNE’s have their headquarters play an important role in the way in which they operate and their ability to generate revenue, however the international economic situation also plays a significant role. The rise of China has already significant affected economic relationships and trends internationally and there are strong indications that this trend will continue. As a consequence, the rise of China has many potential effects for MNEs including both positive and negative effects. The Economic Rise of Ch ina The financial crisis which has been affecting enterprises, governments and countries worldwide has provided significant opportunity for the economy of China to strengthen itself and emerge as one of the fastest developing economies worldwide. The economic boom that has caused this rise has been steady for four decades, and indications suggest that the rise is sustainable. Already it ranks as the second strongest worldwide economy, after that of the United States. It is the largest exporter of products worldwide, and the second largest importer of goods. It has been projected that the economy of China will be stronger than that of the US by 2035, and will be twice the size of the US economy by 2050 . The growth of China’s economy has always been independent of the US, having low growth when the US economy was soaring, and now growing rapidly as the US economy is having significant difficulties. As China is gaining economic strength and power internationally, the consequenc e is a shifting of economic power and the redistribution of economic linkages as well as the creation of new ones. The continued growth and development of China’s economy will eventually result in the displacement of the US as the predominant market economically, resulting reassessment and changes within all major economic markets worldwide. Before the financial crisis, China used an export model for its economy, exporting goods to

Hobbies Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hobbies - Article Example I love McDonalds, and Starbucks is my home away from home. Some people like to collect to stamps, some like to paint'..I like to eat. Simple! I have yet another hobby that most people aren't aware off. I'm a serial killer!! Yes I'm the same person who some people and even animals are afraid off. Yes...and that's because I kill mosquitoes. I have a record hunting spree of killing 103 mosquitoes in a single hour. I kill by the dozen and that too with my bare hands. And I enjoy it. Weird right' Well that's me! Oh I left the favorite hobby of mine for the last. This is the most normal hobby that I have and it's a kind of hobby that most people have. Yes I'm talking about reading books. Bookworm sounds too nerdy, yet if it had been something cool, I would be a a proud bookworm. But obviously I read E-books. Harry Potters, Lord of the Rings, Stephan Kings, Dan Browns'.you name it and I most probably would have read it. I suppose you weren't expecting such a normal hobby from me, right' Wel l, I have to say it again'that's me '

Extended definition of an object Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Extended definition of an object - Essay Example In the later half of the nineteenth century, the great train wrecks helped the railroad pocket watch serve as a staple for the workers of railway. It was on 18 April 1891 when in Kipton, Ohio, two trains came across each other. An engineer’s pocket watch who was on a passenger train, stopped to function for about four minutes. The temporary dysfunction of the pocket watch was making the train late. The unfortunate event happened when the mail freighter, another train came moving in the same direction as the first train. The second train was heading towards a different side of the town. As a result of the delays caused by the dysfunction of the pocket watch, the two trains did not meet each other at the supposed location. Rather they collided near the town’s edge causing eight casualties that included the two conductors of the respective trains. This unfortunate accident instigated a lot of changes in the rail community. One of the people for whom the incident proved for tunate was Mr. W. C. Ball who was a watchmaker as well as a jeweler and had specialized in the skill of pocket watch making. Ball knew how to keep track of time.

Why should get a good grade A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why should get a good grade A - Essay Example So it is an important decision when a teacher gives a grade to a student. How can you as a teacher know when a student deserves an A Fortunately, you can look to my personal performance over the past semester to see what must be done to earn an A. I deserve the top mark because of my strong work ethic, my steady improvement, and my knowledge of the writing forms featured through our class. My strong work ethic has served me well in this class and supports that I should get an A. Even though English is my second language, I have shown my best effort in my performances. I realize that hearing the teacher in class and working with my peers are excellent ways to improve, so I have been to every class. Sometimes it is easy for students to convince themselves they need to miss a class to work on a project or paper, but I am careful to plan my time so that I can complete my assignments and attend all classes, too. I know that I need to put in time and quality practice to improve my writing, and I am willing to do it because it will give me big benefits in the future. In addition to my strong work ethic, another reason to award me an A is my steady improvement throughout the semester. By making such a steady effort, I have learned much more about writing as a process. Now I know that even good writers practice, make mistakes, and even look back at old pieces and find things they would now like to change.

Credit Risk Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Credit Risk - Research Paper Example The following part of this paper will make one aware of the concept of credit risk in detail. Credit risk-background The last few decades witnessed the collapse of some major banks as a result of borrowers’ credit repayment failure. Hence, many of the world’s largest banks and other financial institutions have developed comprehensive systems in order to deal with credit risk arising from different aspects of their businesses. The main objectives of such systems involve the identification, quantification, aggregation, and management of credit risk exposures. In modern days, those systems constitute a major part of risk management and performance measurement. Circumstances of credit risk Credit risk issues mainly include lost principal and interest, diminishing cash flow, and rise in collection costs. The credit risk arises in a number of situations and some of them are described below. A business or consumer fails to pay the amount due on a mortgage loan, credit card, or other loan. A business or consumer makes no payment due on a trade invoice. A business fails to pay a worker’s earned wages when due. A government bond issuer does not pay the amount due on a coupon or principal payment. An insolvent insurance company does not make a payment due on a policy obligation. A government sanctions bankruptcy permission to an insolvent business. Types of credit risk The credit risk is mainly of three types including default risk, credit spread risk, and downgrade risk. Default risk: When companies or individuals are unable to make payment due on their debt obligations, it is called default risk. Lenders and investors are vulnerable to default risk in all forms of credit extensions. In order to mitigate the issues associated with the default risk, lenders often charge return rates that equals the debtor’s level of default risk. Credit spread risk: According to Fabozzi, when an issuer’s obligation performs inefficiently relative to othe r bonds as a result of an increase in the credit spread, it is called credit spread risk (638). When the credit spread increases, it leads to a proportional decline in the market price of the bond issue. Downgrade risk: as Fabozzi points out, an unexpected downgrading of an issue results in an increase in the credit spread and it subsequently leads to a decline in the price of the issue (638). Such a risk is known as downgrade risk; it is very closely related to credit spread risk. Assessment of credit risk Nowadays, a variety of improved sources and sophisticated programs are applied to evaluate and manage credit risk. Some companies have established separate credit risk departments to examine the financial potency of their customers and sanction (or not) credit accordingly. Such departments conduct in house programs to effectively deal with the avoidance, reduction, and transfer of credit risk. Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings, and Dun and Bradstreet are some of the example s of organizations providing credit risk management services for a fixed fee. Majority lenders use their own models to determine and class existing as well as potential customers on the basis of risk and thereby to apply most suitable strategies. In case of products like unsecured personal loans and mortgages, lenders usually charge relatively higher price for higher risk clients in order to secure the transaction to some extent. In

Why should get a good grade A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why should get a good grade A - Essay Example So it is an important decision when a teacher gives a grade to a student. How can you as a teacher know when a student deserves an A Fortunately, you can look to my personal performance over the past semester to see what must be done to earn an A. I deserve the top mark because of my strong work ethic, my steady improvement, and my knowledge of the writing forms featured through our class. My strong work ethic has served me well in this class and supports that I should get an A. Even though English is my second language, I have shown my best effort in my performances. I realize that hearing the teacher in class and working with my peers are excellent ways to improve, so I have been to every class. Sometimes it is easy for students to convince themselves they need to miss a class to work on a project or paper, but I am careful to plan my time so that I can complete my assignments and attend all classes, too. I know that I need to put in time and quality practice to improve my writing, and I am willing to do it because it will give me big benefits in the future. In addition to my strong work ethic, another reason to award me an A is my steady improvement throughout the semester. By making such a steady effort, I have learned much more about writing as a process. Now I know that even good writers practice, make mistakes, and even look back at old pieces and find things they would now like to change.

Advantages of Raw Milk Essay Example for Free

Advantages of Raw Milk Essay From the time of Hippocrates to until just after World War II, this white blood nourished and healed uncounted millions. Clean raw milk from pastured cows is a complete and properly balanced food You could live on it exclusively if you had to indeed, published accounts exist of people who have done just that Whats in it that makes it so great? Lets look at the ingredients to see what makes it such a powerful food Proteins Our bodies use amino acids as building blocks for protein. Depending on who you ask, we need 20-22 of them for this task Eight of them are considered essential, in that we have to get them from our food. The remaining 12-14 we can make from the first eight via complex metabolic pathways in our cells Raw cows milk has all 8 essential amino acids in varying amounts, depending on stage of lactation About 80% of the proteins in milk are caseins- reasonably heat stable and, for most, easy to digest Lactoferrin (14), an iron-binding protein, has numerous beneficial properties including improved absorption and assimilation of iron Ice cream – we don’t drink milk, we eat. Milk is our first food Mammals – short time milk 50 years ago 2000 pounds of milk per year Now top producers over 50000 pounds, how is it done ? Drugs, antibiotics, hormones, specialized cow breeding†¦ breeding cows for specialized skimmed milk. Skimmed milk cow. Its insane , and rocket fuel Cow’s milk also contain blood Kills Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine Vitamin B12—Cyanocobalamin Diabitis – no proper enzymes to digest proteins.

Is Realism More Persuasive Than Liberalism Politics Essay

Is Realism More Persuasive Than Liberalism Politics Essay The two key concepts of international relations are realism with share a pessimistic view of human nature and liberalism that has an optimistic view to the rise of modern states. Realism has more persuasive account in international relations because of his pessimistic critic of human nature. As to realism definition the belief that within human morality there will always be conflict among people. In international relations realist believe that war is the only ultimate resolution of avoiding conflict. Liberalism is the international theory that holds takes positive view of human nature because human beings have ability to reason. liberalism believe that human being are self interested but also recognize that people share common interests therefore they co-operate with one another. Liberalism has a core belief in progress assumptions, for example Robert Keohane argued that liberals believes on the possibility of increasing progress. The key argument of liberalism is the aspiration to create people society where the potential can be achieved. They believe that citizens have to be brought up to do hard job. Even it the different liberals opinions in what the government role should have or be included. Classical liberal suggest that the government should not have a large functions, only three important functions are related to them such as, to guarantee order and law, to maintain protection against internal and external enemies, lastly to increase support to the two preceding functions. However modern liberals suggest that the states exist to help citizens and also themselves. The state plays important function, Liberals and conservatives strongly argued that the government is very important and play an important role in the assistances of citizens but realist dont accept the same idea. One of the most important idea of liberalism is related with freedom, that meant that all people in the world have the right to be free (natural freedom) but liberals dont trust in full freedom because they believe that people do not do what they want to do, if everyone should do what they want it would give the rely right. That should bring people in pluralism idea where is seeing as the diversity of opinion. Even if realists would see pluralism idea as strong because of the variety of opinions and is causing change in social aspect. About freedom conservatives differ with classical liberal because they suggest that freedom lead to negative freedom where everyone do what they like on every occasion they want, conservatives do not argue with that idea because they believe that individual freedom do not have the same power as the law. The conservative idea is that the law is a strong instrument to sustain peace and promote freedom from citizens that want to take the freedom and rights from the others people. Freedom is closely connected with the doctrine of laissez-fare which advocated minimum regulation and maximum freedom of action for the entrepreneur according to Goodwin. (Barbara Goodwin, 2007, pg 36, 41) Liberal belief in reason human rationality because they argued that human are completely able of achieve their own personal interests. Liberal sees reason as scientific knowledge and as a form of progress but conservative dont belief in that. Liberalism can suggest that belief in progress but conservative belief that the knowledge came from the earlier period. Reasons have never supported the idea of paternalism because paternalism is compare as authority and also helps direct that inferior level and the conservatism argued that the government is important for control of citizens. Liberalism has always repudiated the idea of real interests, arguing that that way lie paternalism and even totalitarianism, this means that only subjectively felt or expressed interests can count. Liberals also reject the Marxism contention that people en masse can be deluded about their interests and suffer widespread false consciousness, since this erodes the concept of rationality. According to Goodwin logically, argued that, Liberalism is a flexible and adjustable ideas; it has presided over what were arguably three of the most progressive and liberating centuries of human history. It should therefore be credited with many of the advances of this era even if it is also rightly blamed for many of our endemic social problems. (Barbara Goodwin, 2007, pg, 63) Realist view of human is based on the focus of individual and their own well-being. Realist believes that human have an aggressive relation with each others. Realists focus on domestic political life because they believe that the political world is consisted of international anarchy of sovereign states. Realism strongly focuses on state values, it national security and ensure state survival. Power allows states to act freely on strength resistance of each state due to their belief of anarchy government and non-existence authority in international relation. State can use their power only if they can justify their action base on evidence of their state security. According to realism states are allowed to act while using their power as long as they can evidently justify their action. Realists believe that international relations ken only improve unless an effective global democracy is put in please to prevent anarchy. Hans Morgenthau is a classic realist thinker of international relations of the twenty century; he argued that women and men have will to power. That is in particular clear in government and also specifically in global politics. Morgenthau view suggested that whatever states objectives are the will always use power to maintain t he values. According to him political activities are focus on use of power. The main concept of foreign policy is to ensure protection and defence of state interests in the political world. The great power has demonstrated effectively in modern world because of the claim of perceptive human nature to authority of the state, and they understand state behaviour as being a conflict. In the realist concept or ideas actors of the world politics are perceived as being less helpful or not important. For example International organizations, NGOs (Non- governmental organisations) and people. The main concern of realism is the state survival and protection of nation from danger. Realist argued that is the reasons to make foreign policy, and according to the realist all government in the world defend their own national interest because of self interests. Realists consider that the life of human would be terrible with no protections of state, and they also believe that there would be dreadful conditions in the peoples life and the value of state would not be certain. All the country states are seen as the defender of its land or region, and the value of life, according to Hobbes. All the foreign policies decisions should be done, on bases of the national interest. Ethics and human society cannot be extensive into the relationships of international relations. Realism is best compared with egoism or the absence of any formal system of government in a society. For example structural realists believe that international politics is important to try to overcome problem relating with power, but classical realist contrast this idea seeing that is a product of human nature, post -war realist, Hans and Morgenthau argued that the nature of man is the necessary description of international politics such fear, competition and war can be explained and also argued that, the most important aspect to consider is that festive people have to recognize that laws exist and think the most right polices that are regular with the basic fact that human beings are flawed creatures . The structural realists are more focus to the international anarchy. According to John Herz discussed that international anarchy guarantees the centrality of power; structural realism can be called also neo-realists. The biological realist focus more in human nature, in this theory is more evident that people are product of nature in action. Realist are considered more aggressive in foreign policy, they have always missing credibility for example Morgenthau went against the US war in the Vietnam to the point of rational understanding of national interest. Another good example is the US invasion war in Iraq; I would illustrate this as realisms council against the use of force. Realists in 1990 said, that Saddam Hussein in Iraq war proves that war and use of force represent dangers to the population and country. The liberal came with a different definition against the realists views of the Iraq situation or problems. They have seen the Middle East politics as exception. The liberal also argued that the world is moving towards the anarchy of sovereign state system. These contradictory ideas on the nature of global politics and how it is change will not rapidly be accepted. The realists stress permanence; the liberals stress change. Both claim the high ground of realism with a small. Liberals have a tendency to see realists as cynics whose interest with the past blinds them to change. Realists, in turn, call the liberals utopian dreamers. Liberals also argue that economic power has replaced military power as the central medium of international politics, this is greatly overstated. Security is like oxygen. It is often taken for granted when it is present, but you will think about nothing else once you begin to miss it. Realists rightly argue that economic instrument still cannot compete with military forces in their coercive and deterrent effects. Economic sanctions by the United Nations compelled neither Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait in 1990 according to Nye and Joseph. (Nye, Joseph S.1997, pg 55, 20 190) Hoffman argued that the core of liberalism continues is self-discipline, moderation, cooperation and peace where the real meaning of international politics is exactly the opposite troubled peace, at best or the state war. For example there was a brief resurgence of liberal sentiment at the end of the Second World War with the birth of the United Nations, although this beacon of hope was soon extinguished by the return of cold war. After 9/11, the US government has gain more power over the people, and they have consolidated their power to act against terror, and the states that help and give support to terrorist activities. Realism is more persuasive than liberalism because it as a realistic explanation of dynamics of the political world in the realist live and the name represents almost an unfair advantage in terms of student initial reaction to it. However, realism should be regarded just as name for an exacting way of opinion about the world; a label which is understood to imply certain basic assumptions. According to Steans and Pittsford argued also that, realists are malicious to the people, realists are necessarily heartless people who do not worry about malnourishment, authoritarianism and rainforests as long as the global system persists and conflict are unspoken and perhaps limited or controlled as much as possible.( Steans and Patti ford, 2001, pg 42). Rationality provides the final strategy to save realism as a general theory of international relation. For example, Kydd claims that the fundamental assumption behind realism is that states can be helpfully idea of as unitary rational actors substitute strategically under anarchy (1997: 120). Numerous others realists also appeal to what Robert Keohane calls the reason assumption: world politics can be seen as if states were unitary rational actors. Morgenthau argued that state act, as they must, in view of their interests as they see them (1962a:278). The issue is how they see them. Interests become interesting only when they acquire substance which is provided not by calculating, instrumental reason but by the passions (interests, desires). Realism is distinguished from other theories not by the rationality assumption, but by its substantive specifications of the interests of states leaders, and citizens. (Donnelly Jack, 2000, pg 64, 65).

The Golden Ratio Essay -- Mathematics Numbers Phi Essays

The Golden Ratio Certain pictures, objects, and animals appeal to the human mind more than others. Proportions and images of symmetry often contribute to our fascination with them. Often, when examined carefully, you may find a common â€Å"coincidence† between man made objects and those found naturally in nature. This fluke, however, may be used to ascertain various mathematical relationships between these objects. This paper will introduce the golden ratio and weigh its significance on math, art, and nature. 1.6180339887†¦. has been given many names varying from the â€Å"golden ratio† first coined by the Greeks, to the â€Å"golden rectangle† and â€Å"golden section†, â€Å"phi† named after Phidias a renowned Greek sculptor, as well as the â€Å"divine proportion† conceived by Leonardo da Vinci. (Blacker, The Golden Ratio) Simply put, the golden ratio is the length to width of rectangles used in art and nature. This ratio is considered to be the most agreeable arrangement, mathematically and artistically, to the eye. Perhaps the first to use the golden ratio were the Egyptians. Many (if not all) of the pyramids were made with the golden ratio kept solely in mind†¦ as if they were made only using the ratio. Later, the Greeks began using it in their architecture as well as their sculptures. Phidias and others popularized the golden ratio by basing their achievements on it. The Parthenon, specifically, as well as several other buildings and sculptures were the subject of which the ratio has left its mark. The Greeks and the Egyptians were by far not the only people to have been affected by the number. Famous painters and mathematicians have also recognized the ratio’s significance. Perhaps the most famous and blatant use of the gol... ...rt. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1994. Blacker, Steve and Jeanette Polanski and Marc Schwach. â€Å"Golden Ratio: Fibonacci in Nature.† Dec. 8, 1999. http://www.geom.umn.edu/~demo5337/s97b/spiral.html Blacker, Steve and Jeanette Polanski and Marc Schwach. â€Å"Golden Ratio.† Dec. 8, 1999. http://www.geom.umn.edu/~demo5337/s97b/art.htm Brown, Kevin. â€Å"Math Pages: The Golden Pentagon.† Dec. 11, 1999. http://www.seanet.com/~ksbrown/kmath153.htm â€Å"Fibonacci & The Golden Ratio.† Dec. 8, 1999. http://www.aegsp.br/hs/fib/ Knott, Dr. Ron. â€Å"Fibonacci Numbers and Nature.† Dec. 8, 1999. http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html#Rabbits Snyder, Brian Joseph. â€Å"The Golden Mean – The Golden Section.† Dec. 7, 1999. http://www.netreach.net/people/waterboy/phiratio/ Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York: Prentice Hall, 1999.

Photonics Lab Report :: Photonic Photons

Photonics Lab Introduction In the world of communication, lasers can be very helpful in transporting a variety of information across the planet. In this experiment, we decided to advance our knowledge about lasers and perform more tedious activities with them. Instead of shooting lasers through a gelatin substance and reading angles in which they reflect, we were going to step it up a bit. This time our final goal was to be able to verbally communicate through space using a laser. Photonics is described as science and technology based on and concerned with the flow of electrons. The Communication system that relies on the flow of photons is known as a Photonic Link. I plan to successfully be able to communicate over free space using a photonic link in the end of this experiment. Materials/Methods In this experiment, we needed the following materials: †¢ A Laser (with all hook-ups) †¢ A signal generator †¢ 2 Amplifier circuits †¢ A photo-detector †¢ An Oscilloscope (with hook-up cables) †¢ A speaker †¢ Soldering Iron for putting together circuits †¢ Transformer Task 1 Construct one of the Amplifier circuits following directions and using the soldering iron. Connect battery and speaker to the circuit. Connect the amplifier circuit to the oscilloscope and signal generator. Connect the signal generator directly to the oscilloscope. Calculate the voltage amplitude from the amplifier from the minimum and maximum settings. Calculate the gain in decibels. Task 2 Modulate the laser using the transformer. Turn on amplifier circuit. Point laser towards the photo resistor. Connect to the oscilloscope. Adjust the amplifier until you can hear the signal generator signal. Task 3 Connect oscilloscope to amplifier. Modulate laser as before. Point laser towards photo detector. Perform measurements of voltage output for different frequencies. Take measurements at the highest frequency that will provide a measurable voltage. Report data in a graph. Calculate the bandwidth of the voltages that were measured. Task 4 Construct the second amplifier circuit. Connect a microphone to the amplifier instead of a photo detector. Connect the transformer to the amplifier. Connect voltage supply to the laser. Adjust the amplifiers until you can successfully project your voice through space using the laser and it can come out the speaker on the other circuit. Results In the first task we were able to successfully solder together the circuit and it was able to amplify the signal from the generator, as it should. In the second task, we were able to modulate the laser. In the third task we were able to calculate the bandwidth and we received the following information: Voltage Vs.

Kambili Change in Character

Literature Essay – â€Å"Kambili change in character† The novel â€Å"Purple Hibiscus† by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells a story of how two Nigerain children rebelled against their very father. For these children to end up rebelling against their father they must first bring about a change in themselves, they must become more mature, more responsible and not so dependent on their father. Kambili is one of those children that does go through a considerable change in her character, she reaches maturity.In fact this novel is a bildungsroman which is a story about a character self-development, her change. At the beginning of the novel, Kambili is seen as immature and young because of the fact that she is very observant but does not say anything because she is a rather shy girl. She is also shown as a naive and innocent, which makes us feel for her more. Kambili is also obsessed with her father, she thinks he is always right and as a result obeys him.She is only happy when she makes her father happy, this is shown when she sleeps happily when she knows that her father was proud of her that she came first in class. Kambili is considered as a â€Å"backyard snob† because she never talks to anyone, never had any friends. This is not only because Eugene is very strict with his schedules and wants Kambili to be constantly studying but also she is a very shy girl and cannot express her emotions, in fact she barely ever laughs; â€Å"i was not sure wat my laughter sounded like†.Kambili can be compared to Amaka, her cousin, who is the complete opposite of Kamibli. Amaka laughs, wears make-up, is a lively girl, listens to music and basically is like another normal teenage girl. However Amaka is one of those people who caused a change in Kambili because these two people became very close, in fact they become like sisters: tell stories to each other and Amaka helps her to cook. Amaka helps Kambili to become more open and helps her make friend s. Amaka is only one of the many people that brought about a change in Kambili life.Nsukka in general brigns change. It is when Kambili and Jaja visist Nsukka that they start to change, become more mature. This is because they live a different lifestyle, they are not constrained to Papa, they are allowed to be free and experiment! â€Å"Nsukka air will be good for me, for my recuperation† Father Amadi is another person who changed Kambili. Father amadi is an encouraging person who makes Kambili change. This is shown when Amadi manages to convince Kambili to run after him! In fact she says â€Å"i had smiled, run, laughed†, 3 things she had never one before. Because of the fact that Kambili starts to idealize and fall in love with Amadi that she starts to look up to Amadi and not to her father anymore! Father Amadi can be considered as one of her only friends! Aunty Ifeoma also helped kambili become less dependant on papa, this is shown when she takes the schedules from Kambili and Jaja and for the first time in their life Kambili and Jaja are free to do what they like which causes them to change. This change and maturity in Kambili is later shown when she starts to defy papa.This is shown when she steals the picture of papa Nnukwu and keeps it in her room and when she describes Papa as a â€Å"tall stranger†! However Kambili still remains loyal to her father and obeys him still, she does not go to the extent and rebel totally against him, unlike Jaja. This also shows that she isn’t mature enough and therefore obeys her father and Jaja to an extent. One can conclude that due to Papa strictness she had a restricted life where she could not hang out with other people.She was also scared of Papa because he used to abuse her and as a result Kambili did not know how to express herself properly and was usually very silent â€Å"bubbles in my throat†. However when she went to Nsukka; Amaka, Aunty Ifeoma and Father Amadi brought chang e. Due to these people and due to the fact that she was more free she learnt how to express herself, smile and laugh more often and act more and more like a natural girl. This causes her to start to defy Papa. Due to this maturity Kambili and papa manage to rebel against their fanatic father.