Sustainability in civil engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sustainability in civil engineering - Essay Example Sustainability in civil engineering would therefore mean to have balance between these three objectives, both now and into the future. Let us take an example of the Three Gorges Dam project in China, which clearly illustrates that, lack of sustainability in Civil engineering projects could undoubtedly cause serious social and environmental issues. The proposal for a dam on the Yangtze, the world's third largest river, took shape Eighty years ago and since then it had been in the plans of the Government of China. The Three Gorges dam which in under construction currently is expected to be completed by the year 2009. Upon its completion the dam will be around 600 feet high, 1.5 miles long, and will form a reservoir which is 400 mile long, in the middle section of the Yangtze River. This is supposed to be the largest dam project in the world. This project is expected to meet four important objectives, Flood control, Generation of Power, Improved navigation on the Yangtze River and Fresh water accessibility. The reports released by the Chinese government and the concerned contractors of the Three Gorges Dam do not emph asize on the negative impacts caused by this project on the environment, atmosphere and social life. The most important impacts on the environment include deforestation, excessive emission of greenhouse gases, loss of aquatic life and severe impact on water quality. When the project is completed there would be a dynamic change in the silt levels and water temperature. Due to this extensive silting the anticipated positive benefits of improved navigation and Energy production are questioned. The Yangtze River is known for its extreme silt content. The silt settled down at the bottom of the reservoir would slow down the water flow. Thus, the silt which has formed upstream would reduce the navigation. And the silt that gathers near the dam may reduce effective power generation. The environmental changes that occur during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam would also cause a significant loss of the aquatic, plant and wildlife species. The Chinese Academy of Sciences Mountainous Di saster and Environment Institute has divided the natural and social ecology and environment into 78 subsystems varying from climatology to terrestrial fauna. According to a study conducted by them, the report says that the Three Gorges Dam would affect nine subsystems positively, six of them neutrally and sixty three subsystems negatively. While we see the above environmental implications of the Three Gorges project, the social implication of this project involves the relocation and resettlement of more than a million people from the Yangtze basin area. The Chinese government initially estimated this number to be lesser than 0.75 million while the real number lies somewhere between 2-4 millon. The problem that might arise due to this is, most of the people who will be relocated are peasants and they are to be compensated by providing them with new lands. However, the lack of land in the area and high erosion levels make this impossible. Therefore, The Three Gorges dam which

John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry Research Paper

John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry - Research Paper Example Following his execution after the raid on Harpers Ferry, Brown was hailed as a martyr among the opponents of slavery. Moreover, his actions were deemed as one of the causal factors of the American Civil War. John Brown disgust for slavery stemmed back during his childhood. Evidently, he was conceived in Torrington, Connecticut on 9th May 1800 (West Virginia Archives and History). Furthermore, he was brought up with strict religious values in which his father taught him that slavery was against God’s will and sinful. Moreover, after Brown’s family relocated to Ohio, he witnessed the brutality meted against slaves by their masters and became a strong opponent of slavery. To this end, Brown passion of eliminating slavery grew to the point of advocating for violence as an end to slavery. Brown believed that the roots of slavery had grown so deep in society and only violence offered the best solution to its end. Interestingly enough, John Brown gained support from other oppo nents of slavery who had grown frustrated of the peaceful method. His first violent exploits against slavery were established on Kansas which became known as bleeding Kansas. In 1856 of May, Brown is reported to have led his sons in an attack against proponent of slavery at Pottawatomie Creek in Kansas. Consequently, Brown set his objectives his anti slavery war higher by contemplating to start a slavery uprising in the South. To this end, Brown commenced his plans of a raid and capture of a federal armoury at Harpers Ferry in Virginia. To accomplish this, he moved into a farm in nearby Potomac River, Maryland (Lieutenant Green & Major Russell). He was with his sons and loyal followers where they were trained in military tactics. Brown’s option to attack Harpers Ferry was founded on two notions. Foremost, he believed that he would be able to gain access to weapons that would be used in violent revolts against the southern slavery proponents. Second, he aimed to distribute the weapons among the enslaved negroes and eventually succeed in ending slavery. To this end, Brown conducted a night raid on Harpers Ferry on Sunday, October 16. His group was composed of 5 Negroes and 16 whites. Evidently, Brown’s initial raid was successful as they began by slashing off telegraph wires. This was a tactical moved aimed at cutting off communication between the town and the outside world. Moreover, Brown and his men seized the rifle manufacturing plant, arsenal and local armoury. They further proceeded to hold up 60 hostages from the town. A key hostage in the raid was George Washington’s great grand nephew, Colonel Lewis Washington. However, the efforts to isolate the town by cutting of communication were not successful. The apparent blunder was caused by the detention and release of a B&O train passing through the town. Upon the train’s arrival in Baltimore, the federal troops led by Colonel Robert E. Lee, were notified and sent over to Harpers F erry. Meanwhile, the local militia had barricaded the town and blocked any possible escape routes for the raiders. Consequently, John Brown marshalled his small contingent and hostages to tiny engine house next to the armoury. Upon the arrival of the federal forces, they raided the fire engine, overpowered Brown and killed most of his men. To this end, 15 insurgents and 5 citizens were killed, 3 insurgents were wounded while 5 insurgent

The Soft Drink Industry Essay Example for Free

The Soft Drink Industry Essay Indiana University-South Bend he average U.S. consumer drinks more soft drinks per capita (2.3 eight ounce servings a day) than any other beverage, including milk. Table 1 shows the per capita consumption of various beverages in the U.S. for 1991-1995. In terms of 1995 retail sales, soft drinks in the U.S. are a $52 billion dollar industry (Standard Poors Corp., 96:11). The U.S. market growth for soft drinks, however, has slowed to single digits since the end of 1980s (Sawinski, 95:550). Fifty-four percent of the worlds soft drink volume is sold outside North America, and in 1995, the per capita consumption of soft drinks in continental markets outside North America ranged from a low of 2.02 gallons in Africa to a high of 13.86 gallons in South America. INDUSTRY PRODUCTS AND VALUE CHAIN The industry, once synonymous with the Cola, has now grown into one with a wide range of products. Additional flavors such as orange, cherry, lime, lemon, pepper, and ginger ales have appeared in the market, and caffeine-free and diet versions of almost all of the industrys products have been introduced. In 1996, Cola brands occupied the top two marketshare positions in the U.S., while non-cola brands such as Mountain Dew, Sprite, and 7UP were also among the top ten best-selling soft drinks. Also, in 1996, sales volume for the top two Colas, Coca-Cola Classic and Pepsi-Cola, grew 3.2% and 3% respectively, while sales volume for Mountain Dew and Sprite grew 5.7% and 17.6% respectively. Table 2 shows the list of 10 best selling soft drinks in the U.S. market. Soft drinks are made by mixing syrup (which is made from raw materials such as sugar, sweeteners, and flavoring additives) with carbonated water. While some of the soft drinks are sold at fountains, others are packaged in bottles or cans. A large portion of the soft drink industrys sales is in the packaged form (Sawinski, 95:549 estimates that 75% of all soft drinks sold in the U.S. were in the packaged form). Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo have historically maintained control over bottling and distribution through part or full ownership of some of their bottling plants. Cadbury Schweppes, on the other hand, has chosen to outsource its bottling function in the U.S. market. Cadbury Schweppes relies on independent bottlers and the bottling operations owned by Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo to bottle its products. Recently, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo decided to drop some of Cadburys brands from their bottling operations to make room for their own brands. As a result,  Cadbury estimates that it has lost about 20 million cases in sales (Theodore, 97a:40). In another recent event, PepsiCo lost a significant part of its Latin American business when its Venezuelan bottler defected to Coca-Cola Co. (Sellers, 96:74-78). Bottling operations and syrup production differ in their capital intensity and profitability. For example, in 1995, Coca-Cola Enterprisesa company engaged primarily in bottling and distributionhad revenues of $0.75 for every dollar invested in assets, while Coca-Cola Co., which is primarily engaged in syrup production, enjoyed revenues of $1.25 for every dollar invested in assets. Also, while Coca-Cola Co. earned a 17% return on sales in 1995, an average company engaged primarily in bottling and distribution of soft drinks would earn between 2 to 5% (Standard Poors Corp., 96:22). INDUSTRY STRUCTURE Industry Players and Competition The U.S. and global soft drink industries are quite concentrated. Long dominated by two companies, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo, the industry saw the emergence of a third significant player when Cadbury Schweppes acquired the Dr. Pepper and 7UP brands in 1995. Table 3 shows that the top three firms accounted for 90% of the U.S. soft drink market in 1996, and Table 4 shows that the same three firms controlled 77% of the world soft drink market in 1995. Appendix 1 provides a list of product lines and their performance for each of the three firms, and Appendix 2 provides selected financial data for the three companies. Soft drink sales volume in the U.S. has grown at an average annual rate of 3.28% over the last five years, reaching 14,199.5 million gallons in 1996. Soft drink sales outside North America represented 54% of the world sales volume in 1995 and have grown at an average annual rate of 6.52% between 1990 and 1995. Table 5 shows worldwide soft drink sales volume by continent, and Table 6 shows worldwide per capita soft drink consumption by continent. New Entry Into the Industry The production technologies required for manufacturing soft drinks is widely available for potential entrants. Competing on a national or global scale, however, requires the ability to manufacture and distribute a well-recognized brand. Soft drinks are among the most advertised products, and soft drink commercials are a regular feature in most high-profile advertising events. In 1996, for example, Coca-Cola Co. had an unprecedented one hundred commercial spots during the Summer Olympics, and PepsiCo had a  number of commercials during the super-bowl. Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, and Cadbury Schweppes spent a total of $469.1 million on media advertising in the U.S. market between January and September 1996, up from the $370.7 million spent during the corresponding period in 1995 (Beverage Industry, 3/97: 40-41). Channels of Distribution As mentioned earlier, there are two main channel categories in this industrypackaged product channels and fountain channels. The packaged product channels include supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drug stores, and vending machines. Fountain channels include fast-food restaurants, sports arenas, convenience stores, and gas stations. While supermarkets are, at present, the largest channel in the U.S., the fountain channel has been growing fast. According to Bill Perely, Senior Vice President/General Manager of fountain/foodservice for Dr. Pepper/7UP, fountain sales in the U.S. grew at an average annual rate of about 5% in the last five years, while overall soft drink sales in the U.S. grew at an average annual rate of about 3% during the same period (Sfiligoj, 97:54). Bill Perely attributes the growth in fountain sales to the increased popularity of fast foodsin particular the carry-out segment of fast foods. Soft drink companies have stepped up their efforts to capture a larger share of the fountain business by introducing more of their brands at the fountain, by aggressively competing for service contracts with high-profile customers, and by working with fountain outlets on joint promotion and dispensing technologies. Jeff Dunn, Vice President of field sales and marketing at Coca-Cola Co., notes that fountain customers are becoming increasingly brand conscious. He says, For years, consumers have basically asked for a generic kind of soft drink from the fountain dispenser at the restaurant they were in, but thats changing. Now consumers actually ask for a soft drink by its namelike Sprite instead of 7UP, for instanceand wont substitute one for the other (Sfiligoj, 97:60). To fountain outlets like fast-food restaurants or convenience stores, increased brand consciousness means that they can attract more customers by carrying many  soft drink brands instead of just a few. Signs of fountain outlets seeking to diversify the brands that they carry emerged in early 1996 when Circle K corporation took Coca-Cola Co. to court seeking to terminate its fountain contract which precluded Circle K from selling other company brands at its fountains (Sfiligoj, 97:56). Circle K prevailed in its efforts, and its stores now have a range of non-Coke brands along with Cokes products. It remains to be seen if Circle Ks court battle signals a new era in the fountain business, one where fast-food restaurants and other fountain outlets no longer carry the brands of just one soft drink company. In international markets, soft drink companies face a number of distribution challenges. In many of the emerging country markets such as India, China, and Indonesia, for example, poor road conditions and other infrastructure problems render efficient distribution by trucks very difficult. Physical distribution in these markets often involves using an army of people on tricycles and bicycles to haul the products through narrow and winding streets. At the retail end, problems include lack of refrigerators in retail outlets and even lack of power lines in some places. Overcoming these distribution problems has required and may continue to require sizable investments in infrastructure development and giving away or loaning coolers. Supplies Supplies for soft drinks include various ingredients used in the production of soft drinks and packaging materials used for the finished product. Soft drink production involves mixing a number of ingredients including water, preservatives, sugar/sweeteners, flavors, coloring agents, and carbon dioxide. Appendix 3 provides an example of a soft drink production batch sheet. Table 7 shows the worldwide soft drink ingredients consumption for 1996 and consumption estimates for 2001. Bulk sweetener refers to sugar manufactured from agricultural produce such as cane and beat. According to the economic research unit of the U.S. department of agriculture, the world spot price for sugar has been trending down and averaged 12.10 cents a pound in the  last quarter of 1995. Looking ahead, the economic research unit forecasts the world sugar production for 1996/97 (October 1996 to September 1997) at 125.1 million metric tons and the global consumption of sugar for the same period at 123.0 million metric tons (Beverage Industry, 5/97:43). High-intensity sweeteners, in contrast to sugar, are compounds that result from extensive research and development by food product companies. These sweeteners are subject to very close scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before being approved for use in soft drinks and other food products. Currently used primarily in low-calorie and sugar-free beverages, the consumption of these high-intensity sweeteners remains low. A beverage industry report points out that the consumption of high intensity sweeteners in soft drinks is expected to rise as more companies producing these products gain FDA approval. In the 1960s, aluminum cans began to make inroads into the beverage container business. Working diligently to capture a larger share of the container market, aluminum can companies had reduced the cost of using their products by minimizing the aluminum content in cans and by helping their customers develop equipment to produce cans at machine-gun speed and fill them at very high rates (2,000 cans per minute). These innovations enabled aluminum can makers to capture just over a quarter of the soft drink container market by 1985. In the last few years, however, aluminum can companies have faced intense competition from plastic bottle makers. As soft drink companies began to realize that customers valued the way a product looked and felt, and were willing to pay more to get these attributes, they increased their utilization of the more profitable single serve plastic bottles. Brian W. Sturgell, Executive Vice President of the aluminum can maker Alcan, observes that the soft drink companies sell 20 ounces [in plastic bottles] for a buck, while you can buy a 12-pack of cans for $2.39 . . . Its an amazing profitability gap (Baker Harris, 97:108). In wake of these developments, aluminum can makers are attempting to stay competitive and grow their market shares by rethinking their plain looking cans. They are experimenting with new shapes, new feel, and reclosable lids for their cans. Redesigning the cans along these lines will not be easy, however, because the can makers have to invest in research and development to overcome the technical  challenges involved, even as competition forces them to hold or lower their prices. See Table 8 for soft drink container marketshares. Table 8 Soft Drink Container Market Shares (%) (Gallons of Soft Substitute Products Health and fitness concerns, as well as an increasing appetite for something new and different, have resulted in a flurry of alternative beverage product introductions in the U.S. market. For example, 3524 new products were introduced in 1996 compared to 1540 new products introduced in 1986 (Beverage Industry, 3/97:53). The range of new products introduced include cold coffees, caffeinated and flavored water, carbonated flavored milk, fruit and vegetable juice blends, caffeinated orange juice, micro-brewed root beer, and alternative lifestyle products such as anise-based drinks blended with vanilla and other extracts and cinnamon-based beverages flavored with garlic and cayenne pepper. Table 9 shows the sales volume for new beverages between 1990 and 1996, and Table 10 compares the sales of new beverages with soft drink sales. Although some soft drink companies have their own alternative beverage operations, the rapid growth of alternative beverages brings forth many new companiesinc luding Starbucks, Campbell Soups, Tropicana, and Quaker Oatsthat soft drink makers need to contend with. TRENDS General Economy The annual GDP growth in the U.S. averaged 2.32% between 1991 and 1995. During the same 1991-95 period, inflation in the U.S., measured by the consumer price index, averaged 3.19%, and the lending interest rate charged by U.S. banks on loans to prime customers averaged 7.34%. Table 13 summarizes these numbers and also provides corresponding numbers for two earlier five-year periods. Table 14 provides key economic indicators for twenty other countries of the world. Technology Advances in technology have improved all aspects of the soft drink industry. For example, advances in additives such as sugarless sweeteners, caffeine free products, and new flavorings have enabled the industry to provide products that meet changing customer tastes and preferences. Computerized manufacturing technologies have contributed to higher efficiency and quality in bottling operations. Computerized systems can now be used to measure key aspects of beverage production such as syrup usage, Brix count (per cent sugar), and beverage carbonation (Sawinski, 1995:552-553). Advances in logistics and information technology are helping companies enjoy better inventory control, faster truck check-in and check-out, better stock rotation at the warehouse, and eliminate truckload errors (Sawinski, 1995:552-553). Technological advances have also helped the sales end of the business. The so-called smart vending machines use electronic components to track sales patterns, stocks, and equipment breakdowns. When equipped with wireless  communications software, these machines can also automatically reorder stock, eliminating the need for manual stock checks. Faster fountain dispensers are also being developed to better serve customers on the go. Another innovation that could revolutionize the business is the self-chilling can developed by The Joseph Company (Dawson, 97:74-78). The technology for this product involves mounting a small aerosol can filled with pressurized liquid refrigerant upside down in a 500-ml beverage can, leaving room for 330 ml of beverage. The aerosol valve head and the activator button is located at the bottom of the can. When the activator button is pushed, the liquid refrigerant draws heat from the warm beverage and escapes out as gas through the valve in the cans base. In the process, the temperature of the beverage drops by 30 °F in 120 seconds. This product would eliminate the need for refrigeration and is slated for commercial introduction in the last quarter of 1997. Initially targeted to the high-convenience sector of the U.S. market, the self-chilling can could eventually help soft drink companies overcome refrigeration problems faced in emerging country markets. Political Many countries that were once inaccessible to foreign companies are opening up their markets. Countries that have opened their markets in recent times include China, India, and Indonesia, which together account for nearly half of the worlds population. These countries also have among the lowest per capita soft drink consumption levels in the world. While the mere opening of these markets does not assure success for multinational soft drink companies, they do provide an opportunity previously unavailable to them. Success in such new markets will depend on learning to operate in dissimilar cultures, managing political and currency risks, and overcoming infrastructural problems. Regulative Environment The soft drink industry is subject to a range of government regulations. In particular, regulations in two areas are noteworthy. First, as a food  product, soft drinks come under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. and corresponding regulative bodies overseas. The FDA, for example, tests and certifies new ingredients such as high-intensity sweeteners before they are allowed to be used in soft drink production. The second area of regulation that is of particular interest to the soft drink industry relates to the natural environment. The impact of soft drink packaging materials on the natural environment has been one of the most important issues in this respect. In the U.S., in response to public concerns, there has been a series of legislative activity at both the federal and state levels (Beverage World DataBank, 1997:213-226). While individual proposals may differ in some respects, most federal legislative proposals address one or more of the following objectives: (1) Minimize the quantity of packaging material entering the nations solid waste system; (2) minimize the consumption of scarce natural resources; (3) maximize the recycling and reuse of packaging materials; and (4) protect human health and the natural environment from adverse effects associated with the disposal of packaging materials. In addition to the federal efforts in this regard, many states have adopted laws to govern packaging materials. Fifty-one states enforce laws dealing with litter control and prevention and administer recycling and public awareness programs. Nine states have adopted deposit laws for beverage containers, and twenty-seven states place restrictions on multi-pack carrier materials. The multi-pack carrier restrictions require that the plastic ring carriers be made of degradable material that decomposes when discarded. Also, thirty-eight states have laws that regulate the sale of beverage containers with detachable metal pull tabs. In most of these thirty-eight states, it is unlawful to sell a beverage in a container designed with a detachable metal opening device. In a demonstration of social responsibility, the major players in the soft drink industry and the national soft drink association have joined the Environmental Protection Agencys voluntary program WasteWi$e (Beverage Industry, 9/97:39-41). The program requires members to commit to implementing/expanding their waste reduction programs in three areaswaste  prevention, recycling, and purchasing or manufacturing recycled products. A charter member of the program, Coca-Cola Co. recycled more than 1.2 million pounds of corrugated paper and other recyclables in 1995. Coca-Cola Co. also purchased $2 million in recycled content materials. PepsiCo has made modifications to its soda cans and the containers that transport them. For example, PepsiCo has replaced single-use corrugated transport containers with reusable plastic cases for its 1-liter and 20 ounce packages, eliminating 196 million pounds of corrugated material in the process.

Entrepreneurship And Innovation Assignment Business Essay

Entrepreneurship And Innovation Assignment Business Essay Being in the competitive environment, innovation and entrepreneurial leader are essential for an organisation for its survival and success. The definitions of entrepreneurship, innovation and the way in which they are applied in Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) is briefed in this assignment. The SME operates in textile industry and the name of the organisation is Sri Vishnu Perumaal Spin Yarn Ltd, a family business run by founder and his a son (Managing Director) in Coimbatore, South India. The growth of the Indian textile industry is limited because of the Chinese entrants. In spite of this limitation, Indian entrepreneurs who operate their business in this industry are continuously changing their production process to compete with the Chinese competitors. The growth and development of the Indian SMEs is also discussed. The process of generating ideas, selecting one among the available ideas and implementing them are explained. Timmons model of individual entrepreneurship is used to explain the entrepreneurial behaviour of the founder and way in which he managed the innovation. The opportunity found leads to a incremental change in the production process of the firm. As succession is widely seen in Indian family business, the process of succession and the characteristics required by the successor to make the succession successful are explained in detail. Some the characteristics, that a successor should posses are intellectual knowledge, personal motivation and commitm ent towards the firm are discussed. Apart from this factors which facilitates the entrepreneurship within the firm are highlighted. These factors are knowledge management, organisational culture, individual resources, size of the firm, internal and external networking. Employing a non family member in the senior management and changing the issue raising culture are recommended by the author. This could take the company to higher levels and increase the responsibility of all the employees working the organisation. Production process is explained in Appendix A and Appendix B consists the organisational structure. This assignment will take you through the all the above mentioned. Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Individual Entrepreneurship in Sri Vishnu Perumaal Spin Yarn Ltd 6 1.1Managing Innovations 7 1.1.1Generating Ideas 7 1.1.2Selecting An Idea 8 1.1.3Implementing The New Idea 8 3. Timmons Model Of Individual Entrepreneurship 9 1.2Opportunity 9 1.3 Resources 10 1.4 Team 10 4. Sri Vishnu Perumaal Spin Yarn Ltd A Family Business 11 5. Factors Facilitating Entrepreneurship In The Organisation 12 1.5Knowledge Management 12 1.6Individual Resources and Size Of The Firm 13 1.7Organisation culture 13 1.8Internal and External Networking 13 6. Recommendation 14 7. References 14 8. Appendix 15 Introduction Entrepreneurship is nothing but the way of thinking, reasoning and acting which is highly influenced by opportunities, leadership balanced for value creation and a holistic approach. Entrepreneurship is a human act which results in creation, enhancement, renewal and realisation of values. In todays competitive world entrepreneurship has evolved beyond the classic start-up notion, which includes companies of all types from micro to corporate level in all stages. Thus entrepreneurship can be seen in slow and fast growing, old and new, small and large, in private, non profit organisation and in public sectors as well (Timmons A., 2009, p.101). The individuals who possess the skills of entrepreneurship are Entrepreneurs, they build/create values from nothing . It also requires vision, passion and commitment which motivates other team members to work towards the vision. And involves calculated risks taken by the entrepreneur to achieve their goal (Timmons A., 1990, p.37). Entrepreneurs ar e moulded with combined innovative and management skills. They also have control over the entrepreneurial management process with in their organisation. Entrepreneurial management mainly emphasises on collecting ideas, aligning them, finding the correct opportunities, implementing them by marshalling their resources (employees and technology) and reviewing the outcomes of the same. As said by Schumpeter, innovation is introducing new products or improving the quality of the already existing products; finding new markets, new methods of production or distribution; or new sources for producing already existing products; or introducing new forms of economic organisations (Schumpeter J. A., 1942) (This is available in lecture slides of Catherine Gurling). Author of this report worked for Sri Vishnu Perumaal Spin Yarn Ltd, a spinning mill in Coimbatore, South India. Approximately 190 individuals are employed in the company at present, has an average turnover of Rs 30.1 million per annum and operates in textile industry. Hence the company is categorised as Small and Medium size Enterprise (SME) (Bridge S 2003, p.182). The product of the firm is Yarn, which is produced from natural/artificial (man-made) fibre. The natural/artificial fibre (raw material) is sourced from the local and national market depending on their availability. The raw materials used in manufacturing process are cotton, rayon, acrylic and polyester. The products are delivered as per the customer requirements. The company mostly manufactures cotton and polyester yarn for stitching and weaving purpose in garment production. In recent years, the capacity of the firm has increased rapidly. However it manufactures fewer quantity of product, when compared to its capacity. This is due to the influence of high productivity in similar type of products from Chinese manufacturers in the International market, the degree of producing various products has been limited to the Indian manufactures. According to the report from Office of the Textile Commissioner, the total demand for cotton yarn would be 3.46 MT million for the year 2010/11 in which 2.65 MT million would be for domestic demand and the remaining 720,000 MT for export purposes (Dr Ramkumar S, 2010). The quantity for export purpose has remained the same for recent years, because of the above mentioned reason. Being an SME, the founder of the firm significantly stresses on continuous improvement in manufacturing process and good quality product. Thus most of the Indian manufacturers in the SME segment of textile industry concentrate in the production proce ss and they are finding all possible ways to reduce the production costs, wastes and improve the quality of product. Since its founding in 1989, the company is profoundly influenced by the spirit and values of its founder, chairman Srinivasan Perumaal. The business is run by the founder and his family member, its a family business. He emphasised more on production methods to be ahead above the market and customer expectations. This increased the number of customers and contracts for manufacturing good quality product in recent years. Figure 1A and Figure 1B is the diagrammatic representation of SMEs growth, development and employment in the past five years of Indian economy. The report clearly state that the number of MSMEs has increased to great extent and has also generated employment (Anon, 2010). Figure 1A: Growth of MSMEs in India Sourced from Ministry of MSME Annual Report 2009/10. Figure 1B: Employment in MSMEs in India Sourced from Ministry of MSME Annual Report 2009/10. Individual Entrepreneurship in Sri Vishnu Perumaal Spin Yarn Ltd At the heart of the individual entrepreneurship is innovation and the risk involved in implementing the idea. Organisms survive and grow by generating variations, selecting a new element in the variations, adapting the new element in their environment and spreading it among their species. The organisms which do this right survives, whilst those which do not do this properly disappears. Similarly in the case of the spinning mill, the founder search and generate the ideas for production process, with the help of his employees. They collectively bring all the ideas together and a variety of choices are available to select. Among the various options available, the senior management chose a particular feasible idea and implement the same by calculating the risk involved in it. This process of deciding a particular idea results in the survival of the company in future . Survival of the fittest in short(Bessant J, 2007, p.10). The production process is briefly explained in Appendix A. As said earlier, company concentrated more in process innovation which increases the production performance on the whole when implemented. The idea of installing conveyors for material handling within the company was found to be an incremental innovation in the production process (Bessant J, 2001). Figure 2 shows the diagrammatic representation for dimensions of innovation. Figure 2: Dimensions Of Innovation (Bessant J, 2001). From the figure it is clear that the perceived extent of change is incremental over a period and the production process is changed/altered with respect to the opportunity found. This would gradually increase the performance and helps in bench marking the production process and product quality. Managing Innovations Generating Ideas The senior management found that there was a problem in transporting the unfinished goods from one machine to another machine for further processing, in other words issue raised in the material handling within the production process. Founder, chairman who always insisted in improving production process, initiated a survey within the firm to find the best idea. He trusted that the employees within the firm and the other people from outside firm in the same industry would contribute towards finding new ideas. All the employees did participated in the survey conducted within the firm. The survey had questionnaire which could help them communicate their concerns to higher management in the firm. It also had a column to suggest ideas, to solve the issue/concern they mentioned in the survey. Many ideas were suggested by the employees who worked in the production department of the firm. Selecting An Idea In order to choose a particular idea from the suggested or giving out a new idea, announcement was made in the company. The middle managers are the people who communicate with the customers and responsible for updating the company with the latest news in the market. They also came up with an idea of conducting survey within the organisation, to solve the identified issue. They took forward this to many who were out in the market. Finally the middle management came up three ideas from their interaction by networking inside (survey) and outside the company, they were increasing the number of employees for material handling, installing a automatic conveyor (transporter machine) which moves with the help of conveyor belts and the last idea is to slowdown the production, so that the employees will be able to transport the sliver cans from one machine to another easily. These sliver cans contains unfinished goods from carding process and then moved towards drawing process. Implementing The New Idea On discussing the options with the managing director and middle managers and calculating the risks involved in it, the senior management decided to install the automatic conveyor in four carding and drawing machines and compare its performance with the similar type and same number of machines which uses manual transportation. This trail method was insisted by considering the costs and risks involved in installing the conveyor machine. If the idea chosen reflects higher performance than the manual, then implementing the idea in all the carding and drawing machines was considered by the senior management (founder). Innovations happen with a defined structure and a number of influences. The aerial view of the founder towards what happens inside the firm and how it should be managed, helped him to build a Spaghetti Model of Innovation (Bessant J, 2007, p.83), through the conducted survey. This survey influenced the employees from different departments and levels to interact and share the ideas about the existing production process and performance. Timmons Model Of Individual Entrepreneurship The firm operates in family business, however the deciding authority for any changes lies with the founder, chairman of the firm. Thus Timmons model of individual entrepreneurship is considered in this assignment. This model is the place where theory and practise collides in the real world. According to Timmons forces such as Opportunity, Resources and Team plays a major role in entrepreneurial process. Among these forces, Opportunity is at the heart of the process, followed by Resources and Team (Timmons A., 2009, p.109). Figure 3 shows the diagrammatic representation of Timmons Model. Figure 3: Timmons Model Of Individual Entrepreneurship Jeffry A. Timmons and Stephen Spinelli, Jr (2009). Opportunity Through communicating with other people in the industry and survey conducted within the firm. The idea of installing automatic conveyors to move sliver cans, which works with help of conveyor belts was found to be an opportunity to increase the productivity performance by 8% to 11%. The company was the first to install conveyors in Coimbatore. Various factors such as customer demand versus companys supply, break even time, growth of the company, production rate during and after the installation were considered for implementing the idea. The idea was finally decided for implementation, when it satisfied the above mentioned criteria. The final decision was made by the founder of the organisation. Resources The main resources considered for implementing idea were co-operation of employees for increasing the productivity in other machines during the installation process to equate the customer demand, availability of the conveyors in market, financial resources. The company insisted its employees to learn the mechanism of the conveyor transporter, which would help them to understand its operational functionality. Among these above mentioned resources, financial resources was least considered, as the company approached the Yarn Spinners Association (Government Organisation) for subsidy. Being the first company in Coimbatore to install conveyors, the company was funded by the Yarn Spinners Association to implement the idea. Thus the founder marshalled all the resources towards implementing the identified opportunity. Team A six member team was formed by the founder to work on the installation of the conveyor machine. The team had three employees from production department which included the production manager and the rest three were from administration and marketing department. Roles of the team members were assigned by the senior management, founder. Team had members from various departments for the following reasons, The tasks of the three employees from production department were to learn the functionality of the machine which is to be installed, report about the production rate in both manual and automated transportation of sliver cans and to maintain the same production rate as earlier during the installation process. The role of the employee from administration department was to help the other members in the team financially and communicate the reports generated and issues raised to the senior management. These reports, issues were generated and raised by the other members in the team. Two members from marketing department were looking into customer demands, forecasting the demand and insisted in timely delivery of the product to the customers during the installation process. The organisational structure is given in Appendix B. Rounding out the three forces through finding the opportunity, marshalling the resources and choosing a correct team, the founder of the company made the best fit and balance among these forces. He also created a sustainable base through converting the opportunity to a business, this was possible because of the following traits of the founder, Understanding the opportunity and economics of business through customer and market trends. Communicating vision and goals effectively, motivating for creativity and leading the employees in the right direction. Dynamic capability of fixing, shaping, moulding and making it happen. Also by understanding social awareness which includes various factors such as energy conservation, pollution and global warming. Sri Vishnu Perumaal Spin Yarn Ltd A Family Business Small and family business firms plays a major role in economic development and wealth (Bracci,  E.,  and  E.  Vagnoni.,  2011, p.7). Sri Vishnu Perumaal Spin Yarn Ltd is categorised as family business firm, as it is actively managed by Srinivasan Perumaal, the founder (with decision making authority) and his son Vishnu Perumaal, the managing director (managing the operations) of the firm. It is said that the entrepreneurs who run their family business not only concentrate on the survival of the firm, more over the business should nurture the future generation of the family. Succession is commonly seen in Indian family business. It is clear from a survey conducted few years ago, that the success of family business depends on the five unique resources such as human capital, social capital, patient financial capital, survivability capital and lower cost of governance. When all these resources are directed in the correct direction, it would eventually lead to a successful famil y business (Anon, 2011). Family businesses in India are still in existence because of the reason, that the younger generation dont have inheritance taxes unlike in US (Anon Mint, 2010). It is known that the head of the family plays a major role in development of bonding among the family members, similarly the founder of a family business plays a major role in developing the culture, values and performance of the organisation. Succession is one of the critical process in a family business which takes time, needs good planning and managing to be successful. Intellectual capital such as tacit knowledge, work-related knowledge, work-related competencies, owner-managerial spirit, culture, values and others are considered to be most important factor during succession process, which should be transferred to successor. Founder being the centre of the firms network and source of knowledge, must ensure that all the above mentioned intellectual capital are transferred to the successor before the succession. The successor is the person who represents the source of knowledge and the recipient of the knowledge transfer process and posses basic knowledge about the business through formal education and training. They should have characteristics such as, responsibilities, personal motivation and commitment towards the firm. Mutual understanding and relationship between successor and predecessor is the basis of the successful process. Vishnu Perumaal, managing director of the firm would be the successor of the founder of the firm in future. He has good relationship with his father, the founder of the firm and working with the firm for than eight years. Thus by having the work experience, interaction with the employees, business knowledge and the above mentioned intellectual capital characteristics of a successor. It is believed that he would be a good successor after the succession process. After all, succession in the small family business is all about understanding the creation and development of values (Bracci,  E.,  and  E.  Vagnoni.,  2011, p.7). Factors Facilitating Entrepreneurship In The Organisation There are many factors such as knowledge management, individual resources, internal and external communication networks, organisational culture and size of the organisation that facilitates the entrepreneurship. They are briefed below, Knowledge Management The acquisition of knowledge involved both internal and external environment scanning. Ideas were identified as opportunity after searching, filtering and evaluating its potential in long run (Bessant J, 2007, p.186). Scanning the internal environment of the organisation was given high priority than the external by the founder of the firm. This influenced the knowledge flow from bottom to top and the vice-versa. Because of the belief that, the individual who works closely in a particular process would know its functioning, dos and donts, pro and cons of the process. More over the company maintained a database for the ideas which are generated within the company, with the help of which an idea can be retrieved and reviewed at any point of time. The company had a policy of external networking at different levels with others in the industry, this helped to categorise the type of idea/knowledge they received from outside. Founder emphasised more on learning through mistakes. This was mai nly due to reason that a employee when makes a mistake and learns through it, will never do the same again and he/she will also communicate the learning to team and other employees in the firm. Individual Resources and Size Of The Firm The individuals in the firm had responsibilities, personal motivation and sufficient knowledge about the process in which they work. Founder interacted with the employees in the firm on daily basis, this was possible because of the size of the firm. Employees had both professional and personal relationship with the other members of their team. The company has 190 employees at present. There are 16 teams in production and packing department with 16 supervisors and seven to nine team members in each team. The firm had a maximum of ten members in a team, to have smooth control over the team. Organisation culture The firm had defined set of rules to be followed within the organisation. They were, employees can report any kind of issues to the senior management through the point of contact or supervisors with whom they work. However, the founder organised meetings with different departments in weekly basis, which helped the employees to convey their views and share ideas about the organisation and its functioning. Strategy of the firm was communicated effectively to employees in all the meetings. These meeting helped the founder to keep track of the employees attitude, behaviour towards the organisation and also the culture inside the firm. Internal and External Networking It is believed that communication among the individual plays a vital role in success of the firm. Reassigning the tasks and realigning the teams were done within the production and packing department, to build a strong network among employees. Employees also had the capability of adapting them in the new team or to work for the newly assigned task, through willingness to learn from others. Being a small firm, the employees were aware of the individuals who work in different departments and teams. The employees from senior to lower level of the firm interacted with outsiders equivalent to their level. All the above mentioned were controlled, directed towards sustainability and growth by the founder. Founder serves as the driving force towards business success, with leadership behaviour, intellectual knowledge and governing skills. On installing the conveyors, the company found that the production rate has increased by 9%. Hence the trial worked well, founder decided to implement in all the machines. Recommendation Indian industry has been dominated by family businesses traditionally. Businesses operating in the growing Indian economy should have non-family member in the senior management level. This person could share different perspectives and ideas about the business and market in which it is operating. The younger are more energetic and involved in the family business. In todays competitive world all the products are globalised and firms wishes to be in the global market (Anon Mint, 2010), hence it is recommended to have another managing director in the senior management level for this company, which would eventually strengthen the strategy of the firm, increase the momentum, bring more opportunities and success to the business. This would also take the business globally in future. More over the culture of reporting the issues to the senior management, instead of reporting to point of contacts/supervisors and middle managers is recommended. This could bring increase the responsibilities of the employees. References Jeffry A. Timmons and Stephen Spinelli, Jr., (2009), New Venture Creation Entrepreneurship for 21st Century, 8th ed, New York, Mc Graw Hill. Jeffry A. Timmons, (1990), New venture creation: Entrepreneurship in the 1990s, 3rd ed, Homewood, IL, Irwin. John Bessant and Joe Tidd, (2007), Innovation and Entrepreneurship, England, John Wiley. Simon Bridge, Ken ONeill and Stan Cromie, (2003), Understanding Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2nd ed, England, Palgrave Macmillan. Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar, (2010), India Caps Cotton Yarn Exports at Highest Limit In Three Years, Available at , [Accessed on March 20, 2011]. Anon, (2010), MSME Annual Report 2009/2010, Available at , [Accessed on March 20, 2011]. Anon, (2011), Family Business, Available at , [ Accessed on March 21, 2011]. John Bessant, Joe Tidd and Keith Pavitt (2001), Managing Innovation :Integrating Technological, Market and Organisational Change, England, John Wiley. Bracci,  E.,  and  E.  Vagnoni.,  (2011).  Understanding Small Family Business Succession in a Knowledge Management Perspective.  IUP Journal of Knowledge Management  9,  no.  1,  (January  1):  7-36.  Available at   [Accessed March 22, 2011]. Anon Mint, (2010), Family businesses tend to get insular.  Ã‚  Mint,  September  17,   Available at   [Accessed March 22, 2011]. Schumpeter J. A.,(1942), Unpublished session slides from Catherine Gurling.

Journey of the Magi :: Literary Analysis, T.S Eliot

â€Å"Journey of the Magi† is a poem by T.S Eliot extracted from the Ariel poems and published in 1930. It is a dramatic monologue of one of the Magi telling us about his expedition throughout Palestine to find the Christian messiah: Jesus Christ. Through the narrator’s dramatic monologue, Eliot treats the envisioning of reality, usually distorted by the human mind. In the poem, the travelers witness something that changes their reality forever. How does this monologue illustrate the narrator’s envision of his experience traveling through Palestine? In order to analyze the narrator’s perception of his past journey, I will precede with the study of Eliot’s poem by a linear analysis. In his dramatic monologue, Eliot uses vivid understanding of the three Kings journey by the use of imagery. The different use of details guides the reader to use his imagination about a Biblical reference of more than 2,000 years ago. The narrator starts his story by describing the climate challenges encountered: â€Å"A cold coming we had of it.† He uses the diction of winter: â€Å"cold, winter, snow†, combining visual and tactile senses for the reader to experience the difficulties faced by the three wise men. The narrator is generally very negative about what he encounters during his trip. He uses pejorative vocabulary in order describes the season: â€Å"Just the worst time of the year†. (v.2) â€Å"deep and sharp weather† (v.4) â€Å"the very dead of winter† (v.5). Not only the Three Kings seem to be tired and upset about their adventure, but their camels as well. They were â€Å"lying down in the melting snow† (v.7) â€Å"galled, sore -footed and refractory†. The role of this enumeration is to insist on the animal’s physical fatigue and also to show that both human and animals were affected by the weather conditions. In the second half of the first stanza, the narrator describes summer in the different cities he and the other kings traveled. By taking track of the seasons, the Magi inform the reader about the length of his Palestine journey. The transition from winter to summer setting is smoothly made by the verse: â€Å"There were times we regretted.† (v.8), which exemplifies the Magi’s envision of his experience. The challenges of the trip were so great and unexpected that most of the times tempted the three Kings to give up on their mission in finding the Messiah. The Magi depicts palaces, terraces, sherbet (a central Asia’s sorbet) and silken girls to help the reader visualize the places he passed by.

Majungatholus Atopus: A Dinosaur Cannibal :: Anthropology Essays Paleontology Papers

Majungatholus Atopus: A Dinosaur Cannibal The dinosaur Majungatholus atopus is a meat-eating dinosaur that lived 65 to 70 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, in what is now the island of Madagascar. The Majungatholus has long been known for being a carnivorous dinosaur, but it wasn’t until recently that researchers revealed that this dinosaur was probably a cannibal. They were able to conclude that this was probably the case as a result of discovering several bones of the Majungatholus dinosaur with specific tooth marks in them that researchers have proven belonged to the Majungatholus dinosaur. In her 2003 press release for the National Science Foundation (NSF), Cheryl Dybas quoted the NSF program director Richard Lane, â€Å"this research greatly expands our understanding of how dinosaur species related to each other in the context of their environment, and also serves as a way of increasing public awareness of and appreciation for the earth sciences."1[1] There was one other discovery of what might have been another cannibal dinosaur; the Coelophysis bauri, a small Triassic theropod2[2], this discovery however has not yet been proven and may be unconfirmed. The discovery of the Majungatholus however has what geologist Raymond Rogers calls the â€Å"smoking gun in the form of diagnostic tooth marks,† which are â€Å"a ‘snapshot’ of a day in the life-- and death—of Majungatholus.†3[3] There is however no evidence to point to whether or not Majungatholus killed its meals or simply scavenged. Rogers says the evidence for the theory of cannibalism comes from twenty-one tooth marked elements which were a part of two different Majungatholus individuals found in two isolated locations on the island of Madagascar.4[4] On these bones are distinct sets of tooth marks that point only to being from the jaws of a Majungatholus dinosaur; the marks not only match the size and spacing of the teeth found in the jaws of the Majungatholus, but they also have the same smaller grooves that match the sharp irregularities of this particular dinosaur. According to Rogers, â€Å"measurements taken from the modified bones and the Majungatholus teeth are comparable.†5[5] The set of parallel tooth marks found on one of the bones matched up with the same approximate inter-tooth spacing as the jaw of the Majungatholus. This particular dinosaur also can display an even pattern of tooth eruption that is evident in several of the bones in the sample.

Some Notes Concerning Affections and the Sublime in the Work of Jonatha

Some Notes Concerning Affections and the Sublime in the Work of Jonathan Edward Jonathan Edwards’s attention to the separation of the body from the soul combined with his efforts to account for the spirit of revivalism during the â€Å"Great Awakening† implicates the sublime as both a rhetorical tool and psychological experience that, in either case, foregrounds the relationship between an individual’s perception of the self and his or her relationship to a community. Comparing Edwards’s personal writing to his public writing , an exploration of the phenomenon of conversion is clearly developed. Sublime experiences represent potential moments for conversion to Christianity because such events are moments that define the self in absence from the community. Edwards himself insisted that conversion testimony be required for admittance to the Puritan community. Rarely argued in Edwards scholarship, his focus upon philosophy and theology may be an attempt to both scientifically explain the moment of possible conversion and theological ly typify the conversion experience. Whereas he wasn’t seeking to standardize conversion, he was attempting to normalize it, to make it practical. In this way, Edwards is a pioneer in American pragmatics. The moment of conversion, whether or not it is genuine, is a monumental moment because it builds community by uniting an individual’s self-concerned state of being with the Puritan community’s dependence upon the conversion narrative. Each conversion strengthens the community; however, the community has no control over the conversion experience. Hence, the desire to justify, to authenticate, each conversion. For, unless shared through narrative, sublime moments are strictly private affairs. Wh... ...S. Stout, and Kenneth P. Minkema. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1995. ---. â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.† A Jonathan Edwards Reader. Ed. John E. Smith, Harry S. Stout, and Kenneth P. Minkema. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1995. ---. â€Å"The Spider Letter.† A Jonathan Edwards Reader. Ed. John E. Smith, Harry S. Stout, and Kenneth P. Minkema. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1995. ---. â€Å"A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections.† A Jonathan Edwards Reader. Ed. John E. Smith, Harry S. Stout, and Kenneth P. Minkema. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1995. Longinus. On the Sublime. Trans. by W. Hamilton Fye. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1965. Monk, Samuel H. The Sublime. Ann Arbor: U Michigan P, 1960. Wainwright, William J. Reason and the Heart: A Prolegomenon to a Critique of Passional Reason. Ithaca and London: Cornell UP, 1995.

Ethanol Production from Banana Peels Essay

Abstract: This study entitled â€Å"Ethanol Production from Waste Banana Peelings† aims to produce an alternative way in producing energy. Production of green energy from waste material has played an important role in recent days due to the depletion of non-renewable energy resources. Ethyl alcohol commonly called as Ethanol, is found useful widely as an alternative fuel for engines. In view of the growing demand of the ethanol, search of an alternative source for its production has also been increased. Banana is one of the most familar and widely used fruit. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, India is the largest banana producing nation. Many items like banana chips, juice, banana cue are made from banana. After the consumption of the flesh, the peelings are just thrown as garbage with no use. India is facing two major problems, energy crisis and proper waste disposal. So, we are here with an idea of using that waste peelings to produce ethanol to help for its increasing demand in the present situation. Method: The production of Ethanol from Banana peels involves two phases. i)Fermentation ii)Distillation The peels of nendran variety of bananas are taken as they are rich in cellulose and are kept in hot oven at 338K and dried sample is taken and is dissolved in hot water for starch extraction through soxhlet apparatus. This solution is treated with amylase enzyme for hydrolysis of starch to occur. It is the subjected to fermentation process by inoculation of S.cerevisiae for 3 days at 300K which results in the production of ethanol. Ethanol from the solution is extracted by the Steam distillation which is the most efficient of all the distillation processes. Steam is supplied from the top of the flask in which ethanol solution is present and the ethanol vapours are collected from another outlet and are cooled to obtain ethanol. Result: For 320 gm of dried sample, this yields 18.36% of the ethanol production. The main advantage of Ethanol is its organic origins. Ethanol does burn cleaner than gasoline and also doesnot contain significant amounts of toxic materials like lead and benzene.When Ethanol of 15% when blended with 75% of gasoline is used for vehicles, it emits less amount of toxic substances comparatively. Conclusion: This experiment finds an effective bio-waste that could be converted into ethanol to help relieve the dependency on oil and the environment. Banana peel is a wastage material by using it we can produce more ethanol because it has more sugar when compared to other household bio-wastages. This also meets the need of energy crisis as well as a solution for the disposal of waste materials. Bibliography: www.techtop.in/asset http://www.sciencedirect.com http://region3.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=402:ethanol-production-from-waste-banana-peelings-&catid=15:chemistry&Itemid=45

Mapping the Issue

Tammy Lin ENGL 1302 051 Brittain 5/11/12 Trimming the Fat of a Growing Problem Obesity is becoming a major problem to many Americans as well as many people around the world. Being the second cause of preventable death in the United States, obesity increases the risk of numerous adverse health problems including breast cancer, heart disease, type II diabetes, osteoarthritis, colon cancer, stroke, and more. Obesity is defined as an excess proportion of total body fat, with a person being considered obese if his or her weight is twenty percent or more above normal body weight.A common way to measure obesity is by calculating the body mass index. An individual is considered overweight if his or her BMI is between twenty five and thirty, while a person is seen as obese if his or her BMI is over thirty. With that said, it has been estimated that sixty million Americans twenty years and older are obese, which makes up thirty percent of the adult population; meanwhile, nine million children and teenagers ages six to nineteen are overweight. The number of overweight and obese Americans has increased since 1960, a trend that shows no sign of slowing down.In this paper I will review three main positions regarding the issue of ways to approach the multiplying rate of obesity. First, there are those who advocate for the implementation of fat taxes. With the administration of taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks, this group believes that it will significantly discourage the consumption of such foods and will, in turn, promote healthy and responsible eating. Second, there are those who remain persistent in maintaining the privacy of one’s decision making concerning food intake.With the expansion of diverse kinds of food production, this group considers an individual’s food preference as unique, exclusive, and personal. Third, there are those who believe that lowering the costs of healthy foods will encourage the purchase of nourishing and health-benefiting foods. They embrace the belief that most people would eat healthier if the food was more affordable. The first position is the support of fat taxes. The people who stand in this position are those who are concerned with America’s public health issue today, especially the issues centering on obesity. Lisa Baertlin recently ublished an article on Reuters, an international news agency headquartered in the UK, entitled â€Å"Battle Lines Drawn over Soda, Junk Food Taxes† in response to the the wide-growing obesity epidemic today, with the proposition that fat taxes could help save individuals their health and money. She claims that taxes could help make up for the at least one hundred and forty seven billion dollars spent on treating diseases related to obesity and fund programs that battle for this issue. According to U. S. lawmakers, soda tax is one of the most probable sources that would most likely be used to tackle healthcare reform.In relativity to the taxing of cigarettes , these people believe that by taxing soda, it would also similarly reduce consumption and its revenue stream; by taxing more than ten percent for beverages, purchases would be cut down by eight to ten percent. According to a recent Thomson Reuters survey included within Baertlin’s article, â€Å"about fifty-eight percent of Americans are willing to bear a tax increase of one percent or more to support healthcare reform† (Baertlin 1), which proves that more than half of American citizens are willing to take a step forward for the promotion of a healthy nation.Writers like Baertlin sympathize with those who are in the center of the public health crisis today, specifically â€Å"overweight adolescents who are starting to suffer problems that used to plague middle-aged adults† (1). Baertlin herself is in favor of administering fat taxes and is certain that levies on fattening foods are an essential factor of any anti-obesity endeavor. The food industry plays a larg e part in the causes of obesity. Most food companies are culpable of false advertisement, which swallows consumers into their too-good-to-be-true trends.Journalist Karlee Weinmann contributed a piece to Business Insider concerning food companies’ false advertisement. In the article â€Å"14 False Advertising Scandals That Cost Brands Millions†, Weinmann states that for companies that cross the line to making false claims, it can cost millions of dollars, while also having to face public negativity. However, even with all this said, will companies modify their marketing policies for the greater good, or will they uphold their profits as far more important than a consumer’s right to know the truth?More than likely, most brands will continue to false advertise their products, which is why these people in this group believe that fat taxes are efficient in lowering consumption of soda and other health-stripping foods. According to Weinmann, â€Å"there’s a bi g difference between pushing the truth and making false claims. Is a product really ‘scientifically proven’, and are ‘results guaranteed’? † (Weinmann 1). Food brands such as Activia yogurt, Splenda, Kashi, and Eclipse gum have been caught with such false advertisement scandals; the more unhealthy the food really is, the more beneficial its company would make it seem.Writers like Weinmann identify with those who have been misled by deceitful food claims made by the companies they trusted. Therefore, supporters of fat taxes are certain that the implementation of fat taxes would solve these complications by creating more awareness and heedfulness when consumers purchase junk foods. The second position is the promotion of health education and that one’s food choice should not be hindered or influenced to reduce obesity. The people who stand in this position believe that an individual should have choices in the items he or she buy, and be guilt-fre e.In the article â€Å"Childhood Obesity: A Global Public Health Issue† published in International Journal of Preventive Medicine†, writer Amar Kanekar states that the main cause of childhood obesity in today’s public health crisis in both developed and underdeveloped countries is because of the disproportion between the child’s caloric intake and the calories effectively used for growth/development and physical activities. To these people, what we eat is not the sole reason of the cause of obesity; genetic, behavioral, and environmental are all constituents of childhood obesity.Moreover, many health-related risks are present when a child is obese; negative body-image and low self-esteem inevitably result in psychological and social issues. Cardiovascular disease, increased cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure are all possible potential health risks involved and that there is, indeed, â€Å"preventive programs that help regulate obesity by educatin g individuals about healthy nutrition and diseases† (Kanekar 2). According to a report presented from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in the years of 2007-2008, there was an estimation that â€Å"16. % of children and adolescent in the age group of 2-19 years were obese†¦The data collected for the same period shows that the adolescent (age group 12-19 years) obesity has increased from 5. 0 to 18. 1%† (2). By letting people know about health hazards and the importance of physical exercise, the chance of obesity could greatly decrease. Those who are pro-food-choice would side with Kanekar in that they believe there should not be any direct government intervention with food costs, but that there should be a public informing of the effects commonly eaten unhealthy foods would result in.Kanekar, Baertlin, and Weinmann all believe that the prevalence of obesity seen in children and adults is increasing and that some form of action must be done. While th ese writers see and support the benefits of the reduction of junk food intake, Kanekar is more focused on declaring health education, with the hope of lowering BMI and the rate of weight gain. All three authors recognize the importance of lowering consumption of fatty foods, but the position here does not endorse the advocating of fat taxes. The third position is lowering the costs of healthy foods.The people who stand in this position believe that by decreasing the costs of healthful foods sold, there would be a habit shift in the people’s purchases of fatty foods to foods that are much more nutritional. Journalist Katherine Bauer published an article entitled â€Å"Price and Availability Matter† in Room for Debate, a running commentary by outside contributors from The New York Times, where she states the â€Å"lack of access to high quality, reasonably priced fruits and vegetables and other healthful foods has been associated with poorer diets and, in many cases, hi gher risk for obesity.This is especially true among lower-income individuals whose purchasing habits are more sensitive to the cost of food† (Bauer 1). There is strong evidence that shows a clear impact between change in food access and the pricing on one’s purchasing habits. For example, there are programs that decrease the cost of healthier foods, which resulted in the increased purchasing of the healthier foods. Cheaper prices on healthy foods reduce one’s weight, even if the cost of junk foods remains the same price. A news report conducted from the USDA observed the BMI of children and how it changed in correlation to food prices.It was shown that â€Å"if the price of 100% juice decreases 10%, BMIs decreased . 3%. The same process works for lowfat milk (. 35% decrease) and dark, leafy vegetables (. 28% decrease)† (2). Moreover, Bauer identifies with those who receive low-income and struggle with the purchase of healthy foods, and also with those who believe that it is not only the wealthy that ‘deserve’ the most benefits from the healthy aisles in the food market. Bauer’s views is relatively similar with Baertlin, Weinmann, and Kanekar, in that public attitudes towards obesity and obesity policy should be given much more ttention than it is now, but Bauer herself has a different approach in this matter, especially from Kanekar. She believes that health education may not be sufficient enough to cause a significant awareness in individuals that junk foods should no longer be habitually purchased. Instead, she considers the perspective that by lowering healthy foods, there would be an effective overall change in the nation’s weight and BMI and that the idea would more readily fit within one’s budget.Works Cited Page Baertlein, Lisa. â€Å"Battle lines drawn over soda, junk food taxes. † Reuters [Los Angeles] 1 Sept 2009, n. pag. Print. Katherine, Bauer. â€Å"Price and Availability Matter. † New York Times. (2011): 1-2. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. Kanekar, Amar. â€Å"Childhood Obesity: A Global Public Health Issue. † Int J Prev Med. (2011): 2. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. Weinmann, Karlee. â€Å"14 False Advertising Scandals That Cost Brands Millions. † Business Insider. (2011): 1-2. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. <www. businessinsider. com>.

Death of a Salesman Essay

How effective is the ending? Who do we sympathise with? ‘Death of a Salesman’ is a play based on the examination of American life and the effects of the American Dream. Arthur Miller wrote it in 1948, and shows how life was when living a life based on the American Dream. Willy, a failed salesman spent his life following the American Dream, effecting all of those around him and leading him to suicide. The ending of the play greatly effects the feeling and sympathy given for all of the characters. It is a very effective way of ending the play, as the last  scenes seem to link very well to show Willy’s funeral. It allows the characters true feelings to be shown, and the full extent of the American dream is revealed. The ending of the play shows the true feelings and actions of the characters, in particular Happy. Happy shows his true feelings towards his father and his life; throughout the play this has not been very well shown and Happy has been left a mysterious character. That is until the Requiem, at this point Happy shows his belief in his father and how much he truly looked up to him, â€Å"He had no right to do that. There was no necessity for it. We would’ve helped him. † Of the two brothers Happy still believes in the American dream, and has fallen for its poor existence. He still supports it after seeing what has happened to his father and the life he has lived. This is shown at the very end of the play, † I’m not licked that easily. I’m staying right in this city, and I’m gonna beat this racket! † I think Happy believes that he owes it to his father to follow in his footsteps, so that he has at least one successful son. Happy spent his life trying to prove himself to his father and mother, as no attention was paid to him,†Happy: I’m gonna get married, Mom. I wanted to tell you. Linda: Go to sleep, dear. Happy (going): I just wanted to tell you. † At the beginning of the play Happy tends to fight for the attention of his parents to over come Biff’s success. He is always trying to prove himself and obviously cares for his father. Towards the beginning of the play when Linda and Biff begin to worry about Willy’s mental state Happy always seems to be the one to stand up for him and care, â€Å"He’s going to get his licence taken away if he keeps that up. I’m getting nervous about him, y’know, Biff? â€Å". As the play progress Happy grows as a person. Although it is not very visible Happy does try to keep the family together. As he sees himself as successful in Willy’s eyes he tries to help Biff become successful by setting up a business together, â€Å"Wait! We form two basketball teams, see? Two water-polo teams. We play each other. It’s million dollars’ worth of publicity. Two brothers, see? ‘The Loman Brothers’. Baby, we could sell sporting goods! † This all shows that Willy was wrong about his sons, Happy is the son with the courage and strength to be part of the American dream. He is the son that will follow on from Willy and either be a success or a failure. Within the ending of the play Biff’s true character is also shown. During the play he has a moment of self-realisation, showing him who he really is and how he is living a life of lies. The ending develops this and shows him as who he really is. Just before Willy’s death Biff confronts Willy about everything in his life. Biff tries to explain to Willy about how he is living a lie leading to an argument and a loving moment between the two. This shows how the American Dream truly effect those around Willy and brings the play to a good ending. It shows that although the two men had a moment of forgiveness and happiness together it was still not good enough for Willy. As Biff still had no success and did not wish for it Willy still felt a failure. Willy expected Biff to succeed in many ways, from the beginning of the play this is visible. As a child Biff was popular in school and was succeeding in sport although his school grades were dropping. His popularity is visible within the beginning of the play as Willy looks back on his life, â€Å"Biff [goes through the wall-line of kitchen to doorway at the back and calls down]: Fellas! Everybody sweep out the furnace room! I’ll be right down! Voices: All right! Okay, Biff. Biff: George and Sam and Frank, come out back! We’re hangin’ up the wash! Come on, Hap, on the double! † Willy seemed to care more about Biff’s popularity and friends rather than his success in school. This is the influence of the American Dream upon Willy’s life and family. As Biff grows older this still seems to be the case, although Willy also seems to expect Biff to be earning a lot of money. This is Willy’s idea of success; it is more materialistic rather than personal goals. During the end of the play Biff makes a number of short speeches full of his thoughts and feelings. I think this is very effective for the end of the play as it shows emotion in a different way. An example of one of the speeches is, â€Å"Pop, get this now, will you? Every time I’ve left it’s been a fight that sent me out of here. Today I realised some thing about myself and I tried to explain it to you and I – I think I’m just not smart enough to make any sense out of it for you. To hell with those whose fault it is or anything like that. † This shows how Biff feels about himself and his father; it is the beginning of the argument and shows great feeling. The very end of the play is shown as Willy’s funeral, it is very small and consists of only 5 or 6 people. This is very much different to what Willy expected, he hoped for a large funeral with every one he had ever known or met. These expectations were all due to the falsity of the American Dream and the funeral shows this in many ways. It is a very effective ending as  the funeral puts life in prospective for the others and shows their true character. It shows that Biff really cared for his father, as he paid little notice to the amount of people there, he did not need to be impressed with popularity. Where as Happy was concerned about the funeral and still believed in his fathers dream, â€Å"I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Loman did not die in vain. He had a good dream. It’s the only dream you can have – to come out number – one-man. † There are three other main characters within the play that show the contrasts and other parts of the harsh reality of the American dream. Howard is Willy’s boss; he cares for money and not people and is also very fascinated with technology. He shows the growing business world and the effects of the American Dream as a truly successful man. His fascination with technology tends to over power his care for people. For example Howard has purchased a Dictaphone and is showing it to Willy whilst he is trying to talk, â€Å"Willy: It certainly is a – Howard: Sh, for God’s sake! His Son: ‘It’s nine o’clock, Bulova watch time. So I have to go to sleep. ‘

IN THE HOUR BEFORE MIDNIGHT essays

IN THE HOUR BEFORE MIDNIGHT essays THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS NOVEL HAS A MULTI-CHALLENGE LIFE LIKE MANY PEOPLE.STACEY WYATT WAS A MAN RUNNING FROM WHAT HE KNEW TO BE REAL AND WHAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO FACE.STACEY MET A MAN WHO COULD MANIPULATE PEOPLE INTO BELEIVING HE WAS SOMETHING THEY WANTED HIM TO BE.MANY OF US TODAY HAVE A FAITH IN A CERTAIN PERSON OR PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO BELIEVE IN A COMMON GOOD OR THAT WHAT WE ARE RAISED TO BELIEVE IS TRUE.EVERYONE WANTS TO FEEL SECURE IN THEIR BELIEFS AND STACEY IS NO DIFFERENT.THIS ESSAY DISPLAYS HOW HE COME INTO KNOWLEDGE OF HIS FRIENDS TALENT TO CONTORT ONE'S BELIEFS TO GRATIFY THEIR OWN FEELINGS OR FAITHS IN MAN. IT TOOK ABOUT FIVE YEARS FOR STACEY TO GROW HIS BELIEF IN THE COMMON GOOD OF MAN AND ABOUT THREE DAYS FOR HIM TO LOSE IT, OR REALISE THAT THE BELIEF WAS NOTHING MORE THAN HOPE.ONCE THE FALSE HOPE WAS GONE HE WAS AWAKE TO MAN'S TRUE EVIL AND CRUEL INTENTIONS TO GET WHAT SOMEONE WANTS FOR THEMSELVES FOR PERSONAL GAIN.STACEY COULD NOT REALISE THIS OF COURSE UNTIL HE HAD SOMETHING PROFOUND HAPPEN IN HIS LIFE.HE SPENT TIME IN A VERY SMALL AND SECURE HOLDING GROUND IN EGYPT.HE WAS LOCKED UP FOR ILLEGAL TRANSPORT OF DRUGS AND LAUNDERED MONEY.HE WOULD LATER FIND OUT THAT BEHIND IT ALL WAS ONE OF HIS GOOD FRIENDS WHO HE THOUGHT WAS HELPING HIM ALL ALONG.THROUGHOUT THE TIMES IN HIS LIFE WHEN HE NEEDED TO FEEL THAT SOMEONE WAS A HELPING GUIDE OR MENTOR. IN LIFE MAN MUST CREATE INSTANCES WHERE HIS BELIEFS AND HOPES ARE SATISFIED.THIS IS DONE EITHER TO CREATE A SECURITY BLANKET TO HIDE BEHIND OR TO FULFILL A FALSE SENSE OF HOPE. THIS NOVEL GIVES A LESSON THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS AS IT SEEMS ALWAYS.LIFE IS FILLED WITH CHALLENGES AND STRIFE.THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO OVERCOME THESE PROBLEMS BUT ONE OF THE LEAST KNOWN IS CURTAINED BY FALSE KINDNESS AND MANIPULATIVE PERSONS. ...

History of Fashion Merchandising

History of Fashion Merchandising Introduction An apparent gap exists between skills and job demands in the United States. Community colleges that offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) have emerged as important institutions that attempt to bridge the gap owing to their positioning in the society. This is in lieu of the fact that the demand for technical skills will continue to grow in future and in an unprecedented way.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on History of Fashion Merchandising specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the United States, the number of employment opportunities that require specific technical skills will surpass 51 million by 2018 (Carnevale et al. 2010). This is notwithstanding current deficiency in skilled laborers within the country. Among career clusters that are intrinsic to CTE are fashion and artistry (Ruffing, 2009). To that end, it is important to highlight the career pathways that fashion industry provide to post se condary education graduates. Fashion merchandising is a career pathway that connects students to careers related to fashion. It also resonates with home economics. This paper seeks to explore the history of fashion merchandising within the larger picture of CTE. History of Fashion Merchandising Fashion merchandising is a sub discipline of marketing that involves selling and promoting fashion designs, clothes and other elements of fashion (Conley, 2007). The sub discipline has grown tremendously over the last century owing to the apparent growth in fashion industry (Breward, 2003). In fact, fashion industry has grown in popularity all over the world. It is important to mention that fashion merchandisers are at sometimes fashion designers who have attained technical skills from different institutions. As such, the growth of technical education particularly in the field of fashion has created a career pathway where skilled post secondary school students can enter the job market. Fashio n merchandising requires impeccable skills in marketing fashion products as well as promoting them (Breward, 2003). Further, it is essential to highlight that fashion merchandising has grown exponentially partially because of vibrant media. In fact, many students who have skills in fashion design have encountered momentous challenges relating to marketing strategies and increasing their sales revenues. As such, fashion merchandising has increased the need for knowledge in home economics as well as marketing. According to numerous educationists, fashion merchandising has opened many career pathways for post secondary school students who have the basics of home economics (Breward, 2003). By the middle of 20th century, the field of fashion merchandising was not popular as it is in the modern world (Perrot, 1994). The rationale is that there has existed a historical gap between technical and theoretical education in education institutions.Advertising Looking for coursework on ed ucation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As such, many postsecondary graduates proceeded to join universities and continued with academic inquiry (theory) at the expense of CTE. Nonetheless, the need for CTE increased at the onset of 21st century (Perrot, 1994). According to Swanson Holton (2009), the profit making objectives of corporate organizations across the world have led to minimization of labor costs. This implies that organizations and companies do not only seek to employ highly educated laborers only but also seek to reduce the number of employees as a way of remaining competitive and profitable (Swanson Holton, 2009). Hence, there has been a shift in the labor market from highly educated individuals to highly valued technical skills. Fashion merchandising has a history that is intertwined with fashion industry (Breward, 2003). The rationale is that the rise of fashion industry came along with the concept of merc handising. Fashion industry traces its roots in Paris, France. In the 20th century, specific mediums of communication such as magazines had begun to publish fashion photographs leading to an increase in avenues of merchandising. It is important to underscore that fashion industry had taken route in Western Europe. This in turn led to increase of fashion merchandises (Perrot, 1994). In the early 21st century, fashion industry had expanded as people begun to adopt independent lifestyles. According to Perrot (1994), many people had begun to spend conspicuously on fashion and other outfits by the end of First World War. Due to the rise in demand of lavish and expensive fashion outfits, many individuals ventured in the lucrative fashion industry. Such fashion designers as Jacques Doucet emerged to fill gaps that existed in the market (Swanson Holton, 2009). It became apparent that fashion outfits and design required specialized skills and training. During the Great Depression of 1930s, the fashion industry was affected like all other industries but it created an avenue for self-employment and jobs. Many unemployed people showed unprecedented interest in fashion. According to Ruffing (2009), prominent designers such as Elsa Schiaparelli remained resilient amidst the harsh economic and social challenges facing the country. In 1950s, fashion industry had attracted many individuals, companies and other stakeholders. This implied that many people were required to meet the growing demand of fashion products. According to various educationists, education curriculum was rigid in the sense that technical education was not popular (Swanson Holton, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on History of Fashion Merchandising specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite the increase in the demand for technical skills, public education institutions continued to offer conventional education to post secondary school education. However, many people continued to adore lifestyle and fashion in 1970s. This precipitated the emergence of many fashion destinations like Hollywood. Notwithstanding the popularity and growing incentives in the field of fashion, the gap in skilled and trained designers continued to typify the industry (Swanson Holton, 2009). It is important to highlight that many technical institutions had began to emerge in many parts of the world by 1980. To address the gaps that existed, many institutions started offering curriculums that encompassed fashion merchandising. This is in lieu of the fact that many students who acquired skills in fashion and design did not have equivalent skills of marketing and selling their outfits (Conley, 2007). Although the concept of fashion merchandising was not popular by the end of 20th century, it became clear that fashion industry would provide a platform for jobs and employment (Ruffing, 2009). Besides, trained fashion designers would benefit c onsiderably if the acquired skills of marketing and selling their designs. According to Ruffing (2009), fashion merchandising is typical of marketing and selling of fashion outfit and designs. The concept has expanded in the modern world to the advantage of unemployed and skilled secondary graduates. Post secondary students should use their skills in such field as home economics in fashion merchandising. The reason is that they require business skills to sell their outfits and nurture their careers. For instance, a post secondary student who has acquired skills in fashion merchandising will be in a position to develop a clear marketing strategy that will allow him or her to sell his products in an efficient and profitable way. According to Carnevale et al. (2010), a post secondary credential is important and necessary in order to obtain a well paying job and a career. The rationale is that it is increasingly difficult for high school and college graduates to enter job market without the necessary skills. While it is important to acquire skills through technical education, it is essential to highlight the gaps that have existed within education curriculum. By early 19th century, there was an apparent divide in education especially between technical education and secondary education (Gonzalez, 2010). This was not only in the field of fashion but also in other technical fields. It implied therefore that many students who graduated from high schools and colleges lacked essential and technical knowhow to make an entry in many fields. The recent efforts have focused on aligning CTE with the conventional high school curriculums and degrees. In fact, Kawamura (2005) notes that development of CTE strategies is in accordance with the need to align secondary and postsecondary technical education.Advertising Looking for coursework on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, high school graduates did not receive the requisite skills about fashion merchandising during their secondary education. Therefore, they are not adequately prepared for employment in many sectors especially in the fashion industry. The continued need for CTE has also precipitated changes in school curriculums for many schools across the United States (Kawamura, 2005). Many states have recognized the importance of ensuring that technical education has been integrated into the mainstream education curriculums. By 2009, almost all local and state governments had initiated various strategies to ensure that the apparent gap in skills (Kawamura, 2005). Education institutions have also recognized the importance of fashion and have consequently integrated it in secondary education syllabuses (Gordon, 2008). This is in recognition of the fact that CTE’s main objective is to prepare the workforce (Soares, 2010). Undoubtedly, industries and private sector have raised conce rns on the gaps that exist in the labor market. Integration of CTE in the mainstream curriculum of secondary education will increase workers readiness for careers and other avenues of postsecondary education. To enhance effectiveness in this sector, governments have collaborated with the private sector and corporate organizations to improve preparedness of students and increase relevancy of acquired education (Gordon, 2008). In fact, there has been an increase in support for vocational and community training institutions especially from the private sector. The reason is that the private sector has comprehended the importance of equipping students with technical skills and preparing them for postsecondary entry (Gordon, 2008). As companies aim to reduce their operation costs, it has become imperative to hire employees who have requisite skills and knowledge in order to reduce expenses associated with recruitment of employees (Soares, 2010). This is because many companies incur costs when they train new employees who lack technical skills. As such, it has become important to create synergy with stakeholders to address the apparent gap in the field of education. As elucidated by Soares (2010), community colleges have the ability and diversity in pedagogy required to improve CTE for numerous members of the society. As such, it is important for community colleges to create collaborations with private sector in order to improve educational attainment (Gonzalez, 2010). This is in terms of high quality skills and diploma attainment. Undoubtedly, fashion merchandising has opened an avenue through which private sector, educationists and community colleges can collaborate to increase quality of training among students (Ruffing, 2009). Many fashion outlets and companies ought to increase their responsiveness to the gaps that exist in CTE and secondary education. The rationale is that fashion merchandising is an excellent model and a platform where the private sector and c ommunity colleges can work together to complement skills that students acquire in secondary education (Kawamura, 2005). Most fashion schools offer postsecondary education that complement the skills and knowledge that students acquire during their secondary education (Conley, 2007). It complements theoretical education with practical skills by providing relevant experiences to the students (Carnevale, 2010). This is in the form of cooperative environment and employment in the field of fashion and design. Secondary education, fashion schools and occupational areas work together to develop a student and benefit all stakeholders involved (Carnevale, 2010). Although many students are drawn into emerging technical careers within fashion industry, there is a whole range of other technical areas that have become popular in the contemporary world (Soares, 2010). In particular, information technology (IT), tourism and hospitality industries have continued to provide numerous opportunities for students with high school certificates and diplomas (Kawamura, 2005). Fashion merchandising provides students and trainees with employment while at the same time improving their skills owing specialized training (Soares, 2010). In many instances, fashion merchandisers begin their occupations and careers with their chosen employer. This implies that the employer pays for their training, which allows the student to understand dynamics of the organization. Although acquisition of skills in fashion merchandising may take long since it requires continuous upgrade of priory acquired skills, the trainees gain necessary knowledge that will allow them to succeed as employers and job creators in future (Gonzalez, 2010). Currently, trainees and mentors who have graduated require guidance and mentorship in a huge way. The rationale is that making a transition from a trainee into an employee is a challenging process that should involve guidance. This is at a time where a trainee begins his or h er career and any important decision may have long lasting effects and impacts. As such, fashion schools and community college should ensure that the trainees understand the main aspects of training and occupation entry. According to Soares (2010), it is not enough for trainees to learn skills in community colleges without making an occupation from the training. All stakeholders should work in line with the standards of the labor market to ensure that graduates from technical schools achieve their objectives (Carnevale, 2010). While fashion merchandising is an important technical career, other areas and sectors have dominated the modern world. As such, it is upon the trainees to choose the right technical career that is marketable and relevant to business needs. Conclusion In essence, an apparent gap exists between secondary and postsecondary education. CTE has emerged as a strategy to align secondary education with relevant skills in business environment. This follows concerns rais ed by various industries about lack of requisite skills in US labor market. While high school diplomas and certificates were essential in providing students with employment, companies look for individuals with specialized skills to perform specific jobs. Fashion merchandising skills are important for success in fashion industry. This is in recognition of the rich history that fashion merchandising has especially regarding career and employment. As such, all stakeholders should work together to improve the alignment of conventional education with CTE. References Breward, C. (2003).The Culture of Fashion: A New History of Fashionable Dress. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Carnevale, P., Nicole, S. Strohl, J. (2010). Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018. Washington, DC: Georgetown Center. Conley, T. (2007). Redefining College Readiness. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Gonzalez, J. (2010). Apprenticeship programs expand with help of community col leges. The chronicle of higher education, 57(4), 4-8. Gordon, H. (2008). The History and Growth of Career and Technical Education in America. New Jersey: Pearson Books. Kawamura, Y. (2005). Fashion-ology: an introduction to Fashion Studies. New York: Berg Publishers. Perrot, P. (1994). Fashioning the bourgeoisie: a history of clothing in the nineteenth century. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Ruffing, K. (2009). The History of Career Clusters. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers Soares, L. (2010). The power of the education-industry partnership: Fostering innovation in collaboration between community colleges and businesses. Center for American Progress, 67(3), 34-67. Swanson, R. Holton, F. (2009). Foundations of Human Resource Development. Irwin: Sage Publishers.