Pak Elektronic Limited

Case Report Pak Electronic Limited: Converting Systems to ERP Executive Summary Pak Elektron Limited (PEL), a large manufacturer of consumer home appliances and power transformers, initiated an information system conversion to a Tier 1 enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in 2007. After the Phase I of implementation by 2011, Pak Elektron was facing a liquidity crisis that hindered implementation of further modules. Legacy systems were still being widely used, and staff had grown uncomfortable and resistant to change.The contents of this case report include problem identification, decision criteria evaluation, alternative analysis, and recommendation. Those aforementioned sections will address Pak Elektron’s problems in their project management, their budget forecasting and planning, their financial support, and their human resources and information system implementation. Based on those problems and our analysis, four alternatives were identified, and the option of a Phase d Module ERP implementation was recommended.Pak Elektron Limited (PEL) had over a hundred different systems being used internally, mostly in-house developed stand-alone applications, with some multi-user applications interspersed. Independent operations and systems promoted the lack of integration and standardized reporting, as well as poor quality and timeliness of data. Beginning in 2007, PEL had started converting its information systems to Oracle’s EBS Tier 1 ERP system. Problem Identification Project Management: Since the resignation of Atif Ameen, PEL has lacked a project champion with extensive experience in IT operation and system implementation.In addition, the estimated implementation period had extended beyond the proposed 2 years, which has increased cost and economic uncertainty for the company. Budget Forecasting and Planning: PEL had poor budget forecasting and analysis, which resulted in insufficient short-term assets to support the purchasing of necessary equ ipment, training costs, and consultancy costs. Financial issues: PEL faced a short-term liquidity crisis, and did not have the financial means for full system implementation. To mitigate this, some bank loan repayments were restructured in 2010 to conserve cash flow in response to the liquidity crisisHuman Resources: Staff were resistant to a systems change. New skills were required, which meant that staff’s expertise with the legacy systems were inconsequential. Morale was low, which resulted in experienced staff leaving the company. Likewise, the IT department encountered a mismatch between current and needed skill set, resulting in new hires and increased project duration due to this transition. Salary discrepancies with old staff and new hires also resulted in high turnover within the IT department Information Systems Implementation: The implementation process was ineffective and inefficient.PEL needed to spend extra resources to run parallel implementation, as numerous s ystem functions were not supported. Evaluative/Decision Criteria: Cost: infrastructure, systems, implementation, maintenance: (40%) Cost is the most important decision criterion for PEL. Due to the numerous financial problems that the company has experienced, including a liquidity crisis, it is important that the proposed solution is cost-efficient with regards to infrastructure support, purchasing new systems, implementing systems, and supporting system maintenance.Integration among business silos and processes: (35%) PEL has 25 branches in Pakistan, therefore, communication between the branches and with the central database is necessary. The solution needs to support or improve the integration of as to allow PEL to shorten the time required to obtain useful information for timely decision-making. In addition, the solution needs to link up all the branches with the central database in a better network structure as to reduce the internal e-mail traffic. Quality and accuracy of data: (10%)The proposed solution needs to address PEL’s earlier problems of double-entry, frequent reconciliations, and other issues concerning the quality and accuracy of data. Ideally, the solution will either mitigate the systems that impede quality and accuracy, remove them, or improve them. Effective and timely implementation: (10%) Unexpected changes in business operations lead to disruptive structural changes during systems implementation. Such changes can add complexity and deferred the progress, which means longer the time of implementation and higher risk of failure.The proposed system will need to be effective and timely with regards to implementation to mitigate this risk. Real-time and useful financial reporting: (5%) This criteria addresses PEL’s need for the system to create a more real-time and useful financial reporting system that is standardized across the organization in order to fulfill reporting standards, and promote greater financial decision making. Alternatives: 1. Phased Module ERP implementation PEL is being stretched thin many areas due to external factors, and their broad-based systems implementation plan, which was demonstrated in Phase I.Within Phase I, they took a look at 18 different systems, and only managed the implementation of five. PEL needs an immediate action phase-it-in strategy as to focus all of its implementation into the financial reporting Oracle suite. The organization has 5 systems implemented; further implementation in this area will be more cost-effective and time-efficient. Furthermore, following this implementation, all legacy systems with regards to financial reporting will be removed, and the rest of the project will be re-assessed until implementation of other business suites is feasible. 2.Recall Oracle system, and take a look at other module and ERP options General ERPs, like Oracle’s EBS system, share a similar weakness; they are made for general organizations, and therefore may not acc ommodate a specialized fit. PEL has other options with regards to systems implementation and selection, such as developing custom ERP software based on the current legacy system that disrupts the business model as little as possible. PEL can also purchase and implement separate, more specialized suites such as Salesforce for CRM, a cloud based accounting system for financial reporting (Wave), amongst others.It terms of cost, this is an expensive option as customized ERP software is extremely expensive and requires development time. Purchasing individual modules for certain business functions will also be more expensive than a general system due to reduced bundle savings. A customized ERP system will help the silos reintegrate more efficiently due to more in-line processes supported within the system. Customizable modules would ideally improve efficiency of each individual silo. 3. Full rollout of ERP modules – Implementation of Phase II and III Budget is the biggest constrain t in this option.However, this will ensure full migration away from legacy systems, and will address the concern of generating standardized reports and ensuring data quality. Although data integration may be achieved, PEL should expect high resistance from staff. With full rollout, PEL has the options of: a. Hiring/developing in-house expertise to lead implementation of Phase II and III b. Re-hiring AFF Recommendation Systems conversion risks could have been mitigated had PEL properly planned the ERP migration. Project management was poor and did not assess the full needs and requirements of the company as a whole.Alternative 1, Phased Module ERP implementation, is the best option for PEL. Once the financial systems have been properly implemented (whether in-house or through consultants), PEL can then take a regroup strategy and reassess their situation. If the long-term implementation of the finance suite is successful, then they can move forward with reduced employee resistance. I f the changes in productivity are minor, PEL can choose to avoid implementing systems in other business functions, and avoid disruption the silos. The goals of integration and timeliness of data will be achieved.

Reading skill Essay

Highlighting or Underlining Key Ideas When you highlight or underline key words and ideas, you are identifying the most important parts of the text. There’s an important skill at work here: You can’t highlight or underline everything, so you have to distinguish between the facts and ideas that are most important (major ideas) and those facts and ideas that are helpful but not so important (minor or supporting ideas). Highlight only the major ideas, so you don’t end up with a text that’s completely highlighted. An effectively highlighted text will make for an easy and fruitful review. When you jump back, you’ll be quickly reminded of the ideas that are most important to remember. Highlighting or underlining major points as you read also allows you to retain more information from the text. Skim ahead and jump back. Mark up the text. Make speci? c observations about the text. Skimming Ahead and Jumping Back Skimming ahead enables you to see what’s coming up in your reading. Page through the text you’re about to read. Notice how the text is broken down, what the main topics are, and the order in which they are covered. Notice key words and ideas that are boldfaced, bulleted, boxed, or otherwise highlighted. Skimming through the text beforehand will prepare you for what you are about to read. It’s a lot like checking out the hills and curves in the course before a cross-country race. If you know what’s ahead, you know how to pace yourself, so you’re prepared to handle what’s to come. When you ? nish your reading, jump back. Review the summaries, headings, and highlighted information in the text. Notice both what the author highlighted and what you highlighted. By jumping back, you help solidify in your mind the ideas and information you just read. You’re reminded of how each idea ? ts into the whole, how ideas and information are connected. When you make connections between ideas, you’re much more likely to remember them. Circling Unfamiliar Words One of the most important habits to develop is that of circling and looking up unfamiliar words and phrases. If possible, don’t sit down to read without a dictionary by your side. It is not uncommon for the meaning of an entire sentence to hinge on the meaning of a single word or phrase, and if you don’t know what that word or phrase means, you won’t understand the sentence. Besides, this habit enables you to quickly and steadily expand your vocabulary, so you’ll be a more con? dent reader and speaker. If you don’t have a dictionary readily available, try to determine the meaning of the word as best you can from its context—that is, the words and ideas around it. (There’s more on this topic in Lesson 3. ) Then, make sure you look up the word as soon as possible so you’re sure of its meaning. Marking Up the Text Marking up the text creates a direct physical link between you and the words you’re reading. It forces you to pay closer attention to the words you read and takes you to a higher level of comprehension. Use these three strategies to mark up text: x – HOW TO USE THIS BOOK – Making Marginal Notes Recording your questions and reactions in the margins turns you from a passive receiver of information into an active participant in a dialogue. (If you’re reading a library book, write your reactions in a notebook. ) You will get much more out of the ideas and information you read about if you create a â€Å"conversation† with the writer. Here are some examples of the kinds of reactions you might write down in the margin or in your notebook:  ¦  ¦  ¦  ¦ Making Observations Good readers know that writers use many different strategies to express their ideas. Even if you know very little about those strategies, you can make useful observations about what you read to better understand and remember the author’s ideas. You can notice, for example, the author’s choice of words; the structure of the sentences and paragraphs; any repetition of words or ideas; important details about people, places, and things; and so on. This step—making observations—is essential because your observations (what you notice) lead you to logical inferences about what you read. Inferences are conclusions based on reason, fact, or evidence. You are constantly making inferences based on your observations, even when you’re not reading. For example, if you notice that the sky is full of dark, heavy clouds, you might infer that it is going to rain; if you notice that your coworker has a stack of gardening books on her desk, you might infer that she likes gardening. If you misunderstand what you read, it is often because you haven’t looked closely enough at the text. As a result, you base your inferences on your own ideas and experiences, not on what’s actually written in the text. You end up forcing your own ideas on the author (rather than listening to what the author has to say) and then forming your own ideas about it. It’s critical, then, that you begin to really pay attention to what writers say and how they say it. If any of this sounds confusing now, don’t worry. Each of these ideas will be thoroughly explained in the lessons that follow. In the meantime, start practicing active reading as best you can. Begin by taking the pretest. Questions often come up when you read. They may be answered later in the text, but by that time, you may have forgotten the question! And if your question isn’t answered, you may want to discuss it with someone: â€Å"Why does the writer describe the new welfare policy as ‘unfair’? † or â€Å"Why does the character react in this way? † Agreements and disagreements with the author are bound to arise if you’re actively reading. Write them down: â€Å"That’s not necessarily true! † or â€Å"This policy makes a lot of sense to me. † Connections you note can be either between the text and something that you read earlier or between the text and your own experience. For example, â€Å"I remember feeling the same way when I . . . † or â€Å"This is similar to what happened in China. † Evaluations are your way of keeping the author honest. If you think the author isn’t providing suf? cient support for what he or she is saying or that there’s something wrong with that support, say so: â€Å"He says the dropping of the bomb was inevitable, but he doesn’t explain why† or â€Å"This is a very sel? sh reason. † xi READING COMPREHENSION SUCCESS IN 20 MINUTES A DAY Pretest B efore you start your study of reading skills, you may want to get an idea of how much you already know and how much you need to learn. If that’s the case, take the pretest that follows. The pretest consists of 50 multiple-choice questions covering all the lessons in this book. Naturally, 50 questions can’t cover every single concept or strategy you will learn by working through this book. So even if you get all the questions on the pretest right, it’s almost guaranteed that you will ? nd a few ideas or reading tactics in this book that you didn’t already know. On the other hand, if you get many questions wrong on this pretest, don’t despair. This book will show you how to read more effectively, step by step. You should use this pretest to get a general idea of how much you already know. If you get a high score, you may be able to spend less time with this book than you originally planned. If you get a low score, you may ? nd that you will need more than 20 minutes a day to get through each chapter and improve your reading skills. There’s an answer sheet you can use for ? lling in the correct answers on page 3. Or, if you prefer, simply circle the answer numbers in this book. If the book doesn’t belong to you, write the numbers 1–50 on a piece of paper and record your answers there. Take as much time as you need to do this short test. When you ? nish, check your answers against the answer key at the end of this lesson. Each answer offers the lesson(s) in this book that teaches you about the reading strategy in that question. 1 – LEARNINGEXPRESS ANSWER SHEET – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b 3 c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d – PRETEST – Pretest The pretest consists of a series of reading passages with questions that follow to test your comprehension. Cultural Center Adds Classes for Young Adults The Allendale Cultural Center has expanded its arts program to include classes for young adults. Director Leah Martin announced Monday that beginning in September, three new classes will be offered to the Allendale community. The course titles will be Yoga for Teenagers; Hip Hop Dance: Learning the Latest Moves; and Creative Journaling for Teens: Discovering the Writer Within. The latter course will not be held at the Allendale Cultural Center but instead will meet at the Allendale Public Library. Staff member Tricia Cousins will teach the yoga and hip hop classes. Ms. Cousins is an accomplished choreographer as well as an experienced dance educator. She has an MA in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she wrote a thesis on the pedagogical effectiveness of dance education. The journaling class will be taught by Betsy Milford. Ms. Milford is the head librarian at the Allendale Public Library as well as a columnist for the professional journal Library Focus. The courses are part of the Allendale Cultural Center’s Project Teen, which was initiated by Leah Martin, Director of the Cultural Center. According to Martin, this project is a direct result of her efforts to make the center a more integral part of the Allendale community. Over the last several years, the number of people who have visited the cultural center for classes or events has steadily declined. Project Teen is primarily funded by a muni? cent grant from The McGee Arts Foundation, an organization devoted to bringing arts programs to young adults. Martin oversees the Project Teen board, which consists of ? ve board members. Two board members are students at Allendale’s Brookdale High School; the other three are adults with backgrounds in education and the arts. The creative journaling class will be cosponsored by Brookdale High School, and students who complete the class will be given the opportunity to publish one of their journal entries in Pulse, Brookdale’s student literary magazine. Students who complete the hip hop class will be eligible to participate in the Allendale Review, an annual concert sponsored by the cultural center that features local actors, musicians, and dancers. All classes are scheduled to begin immediately following school dismissal, and transportation will be available from Brookdale High School to the Allendale Cultural Center and the Allendale Public Library. For more information about Project Teen, contact the cultural center’s programming of? ce at 988-0099 or drop by the of? ce after June 1 to pick up a fall course catalog. The of? ce is located on the third ? oor of the Allendale Town Hall. 2. Which of the following statements is correct? a. Tricia Cousins will teach two of the new classes. b. The new classes will begin on June 1. c. People who want a complete fall catalogue should stop by the Allendale Public Library. d. The cultural center’s annual concert is called Pulse. 1. The Creative Journaling for Teens class will be cosponsored by a. The Allendale Public Library. b. The McGee Arts Foundation. c. Brookdale High School. d. Betsy Milford. 5 – PRETEST – 6. The title of the course â€Å"Creative Journaling for Teens: Discovering the Writer Within† implies that a. all young people should write in a journal daily. b. teenagers do not have enough hobbies. c. writing in a journal can help teenagers become better and more creative writers. d. teenagers are in need of guidance and direction. 3. According to Leah Martin, what was the direct cause of Project Teen? a. Tricia Cousins, the talented choreographer and dance educator, was available to teach courses in the fall. b. Community organizations were ignoring local teenagers. c. The McGee Arts Foundation wanted to be more involved in Allendale’s arts programming. d. She wanted to make the cultural center a more important part of the Allendale community. 7. Which of the following correctly states the primary subject of this article? a. Leah Martin’s personal ideas about young adults b. The McGee Foundation’s grant to the Allendale Cultural Center c. three new classes for young adults added to the cultural center’s arts program d. the needs of young adults in Allendale 4. Which of the following factors is implied as another reason for Project Teen? a. The number of people who have visited the cultural center has declined over the last several years. b. The cultural center wanted a grant from The McGee Arts Foundation. c. The young people of Allendale have complained about the cultural center’s offerings. d. Leah Martin thinks classes for teenagers are more important than classes for adults. 8. This article is organized in which of the following ways? a. in chronological order, from the past to the future b. most important information ? rst, followed by background and details. c. background ? rst, followed by the most important information and details. d. as sensational news, with the most controversial topic ? rst 5. From the context of the passage, it can be determined that the word â€Å"muni? cent† most nearly means a. complicated. b. generous. c. curious. d. unusual. 6 – PRETEST – (excerpt from the opening of an untitled essay) John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, was followed ten years later by A. B. Guthrie’s The Way West. Both books chronicle a migration, though that of Guthrie’s pioneers is considerably less bleak in origin. What strikes one at ? rst glance, however, are the commonalities. Both Steinbeck’s and Guthrie’s characters are primarily farmers. They look to their destinations with nearly religious enthusiasm, imagining their â€Å"promised† land the way the Biblical Israelites envisioned Canaan. Both undergo great hardship to make the trek. But the two sagas differ distinctly in origin. Steinbeck’s Oklahomans are forced off their land by the banks who own their mortgages, and they follow a false promise—that jobs await them as seasonal laborers in California. Guthrie’s farmers willingly remove themselves, selling their land and trading their old dreams for their new hope in Oregon. The pioneers’ decision to leave their farms in Missouri and the East is frivolous and ill-founded in comparison with the Oklahomans’ unwilling response to displacement. Yet, it is they, the pioneers, whom our history books declare the heroes. 11. Which of the following excerpts from the essay is an opinion, rather than a fact? a. â€Å"Both Steinbeck’s and Guthrie’s characters are primarily farmers. † b. â€Å"Steinbeck’s Oklahomans are forced off their land by the banks who own their mortgages†¦Ã¢â‚¬  c. â€Å"John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, was followed ten years later by A. B. Guthrie’s The Way West. † d. â€Å"The pioneers’ decision to leave their farms in Missouri and the East is frivolous and ill-founded in comparison with the Oklahomans’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  9. From the context of the passage, it can be determined that the word â€Å"frivolous† most nearly means a. silly. b. high-minded. c. dif? cult. d. calculated. 10. Suppose that the author is considering following this sentence with supportive detail: â€Å"Both undergo great hardship to make the trek. † Which of the following sentences would be in keeping with the comparison and contrast structure of the paragraph? a. The migrants in The Way West cross the Missouri, then the Kaw, and make their way overland to the Platte. b. The Oklahomans’ jalopies break down repeatedly, while the pioneers’ wagons need frequent repairs. c. Today’s travelers would consider it a hardship to spend several days, let alone several months, getting anywhere. d. The Joad family, in The Grapes of Wrath, loses both grandmother and grandfather before the journey is complete. 12. The language in the paragraph implies that which of the following will happen to the Oklahomans when they arrive in California? a. They will ? nd a means to practice their religion freely. b. They will be declared national heroes. c. They will not ? nd the jobs they were promised. d. They will make their livings as mechanics rather than as farm laborers. 7 – PRETEST – Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Address (excerpt from the opening) When George Washington ? rst took the oath I have just sworn to uphold, news traveled slowly across the land by horseback and across the ocean by boat. Now the sights and sounds of this ceremony are broadcast instantaneously to billions around the world. Communications and commerce are global. Investment is mobile. Technology is almost magical, and ambition for a better life is now universal. We earn our livelihood in America today in peaceful competition with people all across the Earth. Profound and powerful forces are shaking and remaking our world, and the urgent question of our time is whether we can make change our friend and not our enemy. This new world has already enriched the lives of millions of Americans who are able to compete and win in it. But when most people are working harder for less; when others cannot work at all; when the cost of healthcare devastates families and threatens to bankrupt our enterprises, great and small; when the fear of crime robs law-abiding citizens of their freedom; and when millions of poor children cannot even imagine the lives we are calling them to lead, we have not made change our friend. 15. When President Clinton says that â€Å"most people are working harder for less,† he is a. reaching a reasonable conclusion based on evidence he has provided. b. reaching an unreasonable conclusion based on evidence he has provided. c. making a generalization that would require evidence before it could be con? rmed. d. making a generalization that is so obvious that evidence is not needed. 13. What is the central topic of the speech so far? a. how Americans can keep up with global competition b. ways in which technology has undermined our economy c. ways in which technology has improved our lives d. how change has affected America and our need to adapt 14. By comparing our times with those of George Washington, Bill Clinton demonstrates a. how apparently different, but actually similar, the two eras are. b. how technology has drastically speeded up communications. c. that presidential inaugurations receive huge media attention. d. that television is a much more convincing communications tool than print. 16. Assuming that Clinton wants to add something about crime being a more serious threat in our time than in George Washington’s, which of the following sentences would be most consistent with the tone of the presidential speech? a. If I’d been alive in George’s day, I would have enjoyed knowing that my wife and child could walk city streets without being mugged. b. In George Washington’s time, Americans may not have enjoyed as many luxuries, but they could rest in the awareness that their neighborhoods were safe. c. George could at least count on one thing. He knew that his family was safe from crime. d. A statistical analysis of the overall growth in crime rates since 1789 would reveal that a signi? cant increase has occurred. 8 – PRETEST – The Crossing Chapter I: The Blue Wall (excerpt from the opening of a novel by Winston Churchill) I was born under the Blue Ridge, and under that side which is blue in the evening light, in a wild land of game and forest and rushing waters. There, on the borders of a creek that runs into the Yadkin River, in a cabin that was chinked with red mud, I came into the world a subject of King George the Third, in that part of his realm known as the province of North Carolina. The cabin reeked of corn-pone and bacon, and the odor of pelts. It had two shakedowns, on one of which I slept under a bearskin. A rough stone chimney was reared outside, and the ? replace was as long as my father was tall. There was a crane in it, and a bake kettle; and over it great buckhorns held my father’s ri? e when it was not in use. On other horns hung jerked bear’s meat and venison hams, and gourds for drinking cups, and bags of seed, and my father’s best hunting shirt; also, in a neglected corner, several articles of woman’s attire from pegs. These once belonged to my mother. Among them was a gown of silk, of a ? ne, faded pattern, over which I was wont to speculate. The women at the Cross-Roads, twelve miles away, were dressed in coarse butternut wool and huge sunbonnets. But when I questioned my father on these matters he would give me no answers. My father was—how shall I say what he was? To this day I can only surmise many things of him. He was a Scotchman born, and I know now that he had a slight Scotch accent. At the time of which I write, my early childhood, he was a frontiersman and hunter. I can see him now, with his hunting shirt and leggins and moccasins; his powder horn, engraved with wondrous scenes; his bullet pouch and tomahawk and hunting knife. He was a tall, lean man with a strange, sad face. And he talked little save when he drank too many â€Å"horns,† as they were called in that country. These lapses of my father’s were a perpetual source of wonder to me—and, I must say, of delight. They occurred only when a passing traveler who hit his fancy chanced that way, or, what was almost as rare, a neighbor. Many a winter night I have lain awake under the skins, listening to a ? ow of language that held me spellbound, though I understood scarce a word of it. â€Å"Virtuous and vicious every man must be, Few in the extreme, but all in a degree. † The chance neighbor or traveler was no less struck with wonder. And many the time have I heard the query, at the Cross-Roads and elsewhere, â€Å"Whar Alec Trimble got his larnin’? † 18. Judging by the sentences surrounding it, the word â€Å"surmise† in the third paragraph most nearly means a. to form a negative opinion. b. to praise. c. to desire. d. to guess. 17. Why did the narrator enjoy it when his father drank too many â€Å"horns,† or drafts of liquor? a. The father spoke brilliantly at those times. b. The boy was then allowed to do as he pleased. c. These were the only times when the father was not abusive. d. The boy was allowed to sample the drink himself. 9 – PRETEST – 22. Which of the following adjectives best describes the region in which the cabin is located? a. remote b. urban c. agricultural d. ?at 19. The mention of the dress in the second paragraph is most likely meant to a. show the similarity between its owner and other members of the community. b. show how warm the climate was. c. show the dissimilarity between its owner and other members of the community. d. give us insight into the way most of the women of the region dressed. 23. The author most likely uses dialect when quoting the question, â€Å"Whar Alec Trimble got his larnin’? † in order to a. show disapproval of the father’s drinking. b. show how people talked down to the narrator. c. show the speakers’ lack of education. d. mimic the way the father talked. 20. It can be inferred from the passage that Alec Trimble is a. a traveler. b. a neighbor. c. the narrator’s father. d. a poet. 21. What is the meaning of the lines of verse quoted in the passage? a. Men who pretend to be virtuous are actually vicious. b. Moderate amounts of virtuousness and viciousness are present in all men. c. Virtuous men cannot also be vicious. d. Whether men are virtuous or vicious depends  on the dif? culty of their circumstances. 10 – PRETEST – (excerpt from a letter to a pet-sitter) Dear Lee, As I told you, I’ll be gone until Wednesday morning. Thank you so much for taking on my â€Å"children† while I’m away. Like real children, they can be kind of irritating sometimes, but I’m going to enjoy myself so much more knowing they’re getting some kind human attention. Remember that Regina (the â€Å"queen† in Latin, and she acts like one) is teething. If you don’t watch her, she’ll chew anything, including her sister, the cat. There are plenty of chew toys around the house. Whenever she starts gnawing on anything illegal, just divert her with one of those. She generally settles right down to a good hour-long chew. Then you’ll see her wandering around whimpering with the remains of the toy in her mouth. She gets really frustrated because what she wants is to bury the thing. She’ll try to dig a hole between the cushions of the couch. Finding that unsatisfactory, she’ll wander some more, discontent, until you solve her problem for her. I usually show her the laundry basket, moving a few clothes so she can bury her toy beneath them. I do sound like a parent, don’t I? You have to understand, my own son is practically grown up. Regina’s food is the Puppy Chow in the utility room, where the other pet food is stored. Give her a bowl once in the morning and once in the evening. No more than that, no matter how much she begs. Beagles are notorious overeaters, according to her breeder, and I don’t want her to lose her girlish ? gure. She can share Rex (the King’s) water, but be sure it’s changed daily. She needs to go out several times a day, especially last thing at night and ? rst thing in the morning. Let her stay out for about ten minutes each time, so she can do all her business. She also needs a walk in the afternoon, after which it’s important to romp with her for awhile in the yard. The game she loves most is fetch, but be sure to make her drop the ball. She’d rather play tug of war with it. Tell her, â€Å"Sit! † Then, when she does, say, â€Å"Drop it! † Be sure to tell her â€Å"good girl,† and then throw the ball for her. I hope you’ll enjoy these sessions as much as I do. Now, for the other two, Rex and Paws†¦ (letter continues) 26. According to the author, his or her attachment to the pets derives at least partially from a. their regal pedigrees and royal bearing. b.having few friends to pass the time with. c. these particular animals’ exceptional needs. d. a desire to continue parenting. 24. The tone of this letter is best described as a. chatty and humorous. b. logical and precise. c. con? dent and trusting. d. condescending and preachy. 25. If the pet-sitter is a business-like professional who watches people’s pets for a living, she or he would likely prefer a. more ? rst-person revelations about the owner. b. fewer ? rst-person revelations about the owner. c. more praise for agreeing to watch the animals. d. greater detail on the animals’ cute behavior. 27. The information in the note is suf? cient to determine that there are three animals. They are a. two cats and a dog. b. three dogs. c. a dog, a cat, and an unspeci? ed animal. d. a cat, a dog, and a parrot. 11 – PRETEST – 29. From the context of the note, it is most likely that the name â€Å"Rex†is a. Spanish. b. English. c. French. d. Latin. 28. Given that there are three animals to feed, which of the following arrangements of the feeding instructions would be most ef? cient and easiest to follow? a. all given in one list, chronologically from morning to night b. provided separately as they are for Regina,  within separate passages on each animal c. given in the order of quantities needed, the most to the least d. placed in the middle of the letter, where they would be least likely to be overlooked. 30. If the sitter is to follow the owner’s directions in playing fetch with Regina, at what point will he or she will tell Regina â€Å"good girl†? a. every time Regina goes after the ball b. after Regina ? nds the ball c. when Regina brings the ball back d. after Regina drops the ball (excerpt from a pro-voting essay) Voting is the privilege for which wars have been fought, protests have been organized, and editorials have been written. â€Å"No taxation without representation† was a battle cry of the American Revolution. Women struggled for suffrage as did all minorities. Eighteen-year-olds clamored for the right to vote, saying that if they were old enough to go to war, they should be allowed to vote. Yet Americans have a deplorable voting history. Interviewing people about their voting habits is revealing. There are individuals who state that they have never voted. Often, they claim that their individual vote doesn’t matter. Some people blame their absence from the voting booth on the fact that they do not know enough about the issues. In a democracy, we can express our opinions to our elected leaders, but more than half of us sometimes avoid choosing the people who make the policies that affect our lives. 33. By choosing the word â€Å"clamored,† the author implies that a. eighteen-year-olds are generally enthusiastic. b. voting was not a serious concern to eighteenyear-olds. c. eighteen-year-olds felt strongly that they should be allowed to vote. d. eighteen-year-olds do not handle themselves in an adult-like manner. 31. This argument relies primarily on which of the following techniques to make its points? a. emotional assertions b. researched facts in support of an assertion  c. emotional appeals to voters d. emotional appeals to nonvoters 32. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the main idea of the passage? a. Americans are too lazy to vote. b. Women and minorities fought for their right to vote. c. Americans do not take voting seriously enough. d. Americans do not think that elected of? cials take their opinions seriously. 12 – PRETEST – Improving Streamside Wildlife Habitats (excerpt from Habitat Extension Bulletin distributed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department) Riparian vegetation [the green band of vegetation along a watercourse] can help stabilize stream banks; ? lter sediment from surface runoff; and provide wildlife habitat, livestock forage, and scenic value. Well-developed vegetation also allows bank soils to absorb extra water during spring runoff, releasing it later during drier months, thus improving late-summer stream ? ows. In many parts of the arid West, trees and shrubs are found only in riparian areas. Woody plants are very important as winter cover for many wildlife species, including upland game birds such as pheasants and turkeys. Often this winter cover is the greatest single factor limiting game bird populations. Woody vegetation also provides hiding cover and browse for many other species of birds and mammals, both game and nongame. Dead trees (â€Å"snags†) are an integral part of streamside habitats and should be left standing whenever possible. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, brown creepers, and other birds eat the insects that decompose the wood. These insects usually pose no threat to nearby living trees. Occasionally a disease organism or misuse of pesticides will weaken or kill a stand of trees. If several trees in a small area begin to die, contact your local extension agent immediately. 36. Assume that the author has done some other  writing on this topic for a different audience. The other piece begins: â€Å"Remember the last time you walked along a stream? No doubt thick vegetation prevented easy progress. † What is the likely effect on the reader of this opening? a. an aroused interest, due to the reference to the reader’s personal experience b. resentment, due to being addressed so personally c. loss of interest, because the opening line makes no attempt to draw the reader in d. confusion, because not every reader has walked along a stream 34. What is the effect of the word choice â€Å"riparian†?

African American Essay

Created in 1975, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf, focuses on the struggles of black women not only from that era, but issues still pertaining to black women 35 years later. Shange’s powerful choreopoem is comprised of seven women trying to â€Å"sing a black girl’s song†¦. Sing a song of life, she’s been dead so long†(Shange 18), creating a voice for every woman. None of these women possess a name, only a color, to show that they represent all women of color. Shange includes themes of love, abandonment, sexuality, abortion, and domestic violence to emphasize what women in her community were and still are subjugated to. Through dance, poetry, and music these women slowly but surely find their true identity. Ntozake uses her work as a tool to empower all â€Å"colored girls† by creating these seven strong women that form a bond when they are able to find their identity as black women, and essentially in their journey make it to the end of their rainbows without committing suicide. When looking into Shange’s life there’s no question that situations, which she had observed day-to-day or experienced herself, were imposed on her writings. Born as Paulette Williams she was raised in a middle class family, which was not a childhood common for blacks. Her family moved to St. Louis and she attended a non-segregated school where she had to endure blatant racism at the mere age of eight years old. She rebelled against her family’s satisfaction with being a part of the middle class when she still had to deal with the hardships of being black and a woman. Realizing that in the real world there were limitations being set on blacks and women in society, produced her anger: the catalyst to her decision to write to not only empower women, but to empower and teach young girls about social issues as well. Paulette showed that women could be successful when she entered Barnard College, but during this time her happiness that stemmed from her success turned into melancholy when her husband left her and she attempted suicide many times. She overcame this and let her voice come alive through her works. Her experience shows why the theme that runs rampant throughout her writings is for black women to rely on themselves, and to not allow themselves to become dependent on a man, for this is the only way they will become whole and attain their true identity. The girls in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf, like Paulette all overcome their issues when their voice is no longer silenced, and do not commit suicide. Williams later took the African name Ntozake Shange meaning, â€Å"she who brings her own things,† and â€Å"one who walks with lions. † She explained to Allan Wallach in Newsday that it was necessary for her to embrace a new name because she felt she was â€Å"living a lie:† â€Å"[I was] living in a world that defied reality as most black people, or most white people, understood it – in other words, feeling that there was something that I could do, and then realizing that nobody was expecting me to do anything because I was colored and I was also female, which was not very easy to deal with†(qttd. in Wainwright). She did this to show that she was no longer Paulette Williams who society believed was a black woman who wasn’t suppose to amount to anything, and didn’t want other women to believe that black women being successful should be deemed unusual. In her essay, â€Å"is not gd to be born a girl†, she wants all women to understand that †we pay for being born girls/ but we owe no one anything / not our labia, not our clitoris, not our lives. we are born girls & live to be women who live our own lives/ to live our lives/ to have/ our lives/ to live†(Rothenberg 132). Her theme in this essay, that women will gain a self satisfaction only when they are able specify their own dreams without allowing society to hinder their destiny from becoming reality, is the same philosophy that is within for colored girls, and seems to be what Ntozake Shange followed in her own life. The significance of Shange’s title for this choreopoem should not be overlooked. The title’s rich meanings gives readers an insight on what the author’s views are, and also allows the reader to imagine their own possible meanings. Shange uses the word â€Å"Colored† which calls attention to when it was once used as a derogatory term used by white oppressors. Although â€Å"Colored† was used as a derogatory term, it was also used within the black culture to bring them together. For colored girls, was used in the title to specifically target young â€Å"colored girls. † In the beginning of the journey of the seven women they all sing, Mama’s little baby likes shortnin, shortnin, Mama’s little baby likes shortnin bread Mama’s little baby likes shortnin, shortnin, Mama’s little baby likes shortnin bread (Shange 20). From this childhood song to lady in yellow talking about her â€Å"graduation nite† where she â€Å"was the only virgin in the crowd†(Shange 21), Shange used these poems to show her readers the journey from girlhood to womanhood. She wanted the dangers that black woman struggle to overcome, information that most parents will withhold, to be heard by these young girls: The reason that For Colored Girls is entitled For Colored Girls is that’s who it was for†¦I want a twelve year-old girl to reach out for and get information that isn’t just contraceptive information but emotional information†¦if there is an audience for whom I write, it’s the little girls who are coming of age. I want them to know that they are not alone and that we adult women thought and continue to think about them (Hamilton 79-80). Even though Shange’s work is intended for children it is still considered inspirational for both women and girls. In addition to the word â€Å"colored† within the title, the image of the â€Å"rainbow† also holds important meanings. The rainbow symbolizes the emotional aspect, which Shange discusses. All these women go through emotional pains caused by either men or themselves, but at the end of their storm or distress they all eventually make it to the end of the rainbow that is â€Å"enuf† for them to go on without committing suicide. The rainbow has a human form, and comes alive through the seven women that give a voice to all women. Even though there are statements from different women, Shange writes in such a way where you read each statement as a whole entity putting this rainbow of women together. The rainbow also refers to how unique each â€Å"colored girl† is, each having their own attributes that allow them to amount to something in society no matter what is believed by others.

Gangs and the Criminal Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gangs and the Criminal Justice System - Essay Example As per the recent news even the cargo ships were robbed by gangs near the territories of Somalia and hence the subject and gang and criminal justice system is more prevalent under present circumstances. Gangs have been in existence for as long as there have been inhabitants of this world. The history of criminal gangs can be traced back to even the biblical times. Such gangs are a part of history for thousands of years and their roots run deep into America’s past and culture. â€Å"The birth of America’s gang problem can be traced to the dawn of the country, a time when many Europeans migrated to the East coast with the intent of making a better life. After arriving, their savings was quickly depleted and many were forced to take out loans with local merchants and colonization companies, who charged steep interest rates. Life for many was more difficult than they imagined and death due to poverty and disease was common. There were many who died orphaning their children. With no money to send the children back to their homeland and with no relatives to care for them in America was a common problem in many cities†. ((Jared L. A wide variety of historical gangs, such as the Muslim Assassins, Adam the Leper s gang, Indian Thugs, Chinese Triads, Japanese Yakuza, American Old West outlaw gangs and Italian Mafia crime families have existed for centuries. Throughout the 19 th century, America was troubled with the gangs and gagsters like The James Gang, Billy the Kid, Irish gangs like the Whyos, Dead Rabbits, Plug Uglies, Jewish gangs like the Monk Eastman Gang, Five Points Gang etc. The Five Points Gang, led by Italian immigrant, Paolo Antonini Vaccarelli, was the most significant street gang to form in the United States, ever! The Five Points Gang became the Major League to many young street gangsters and a farm club for the Mafia. The most notorious recruit into the

Digital marketing presents opportunities and challenges to Essay

Digital marketing presents opportunities and challenges to organizations - Essay Example This has in return triggered the human need to stay connected with their friends, thereby triggering the platforms of social networking like Facebook, Twitter etc. in every corner of the globe. Social networking which provides the power to develop linkages between individuals, communities and even organizations have sponsored the growth and development of digital marketing, which runs exclusively on the people media. The purpose of this discussion is to highlight the advantages and negative aspects of digital marketing. The discussion also intends to cover the strategies in which organizations can implement it in order to generate their competitive advantage in the market. Body Chitty and other writers have outlined in their book on digital marketing that the concept of digital marketing helps to target consumers located in every corner of the globe, irrespective of any impenetrable geographical barriers. Also, another point that was highlighted was the fact that the usage of digital marketing leads to the fact of lower cost per contact with regards to the advertising prospects of other marketing media and platforms (Chitty & et.al, 2011, p. 224).Another unique advantage as cited by Kimmel in his book is the fact that online marketing provides the companies with the chance to increase the level of involvement among the intended target audience (Kimmel, 2010, p. 210).However, Smith and Zook in their book, has outlined the fact that the digital marketing pose a significant amount of challenges as well. The important factor is that in the presence of online communities, the company sponsoring the digital marketing is unable to control the comments and feedback of online users. Thus, it has the potential to destruct a company’s brand image on the basis of negative word of mouth marketing by online users on the social networking sites (Smith and Zook, 2011, p. 152). An extra disadvantage as mentioned by Prakin is the fact the digital marketing by multiple com panies may lead to overload of information to the consumers and this increasingly leads to less amount of retention for any particular brand that has participated in online branding activities (Prakin, 2008, pp. 121-139). It has to be increasingly taken into consideration that digital marketing is another form of marketing where the marketing is done online using the internet, while specifically targeting the consumers with the products and services as desired by them. Hence, it is of extreme importance that the companies need to keep in mind that the online marketing activities should be done in a complementing manner with respect to the entire marketing campaign, so that it adds value and increasingly serves the purpose for the marketing campaigns as a whole. The very initial point that has to be taken into consideration while increasingly implementing the tools of digital marketing is the process of delivering the right message from the organizational point of view to the desired target market, which helps in creating a strong bonding between the organization and the target audience. The delivery medium for the voice can range from company sponsored blog pages, twitter updates to the more commonly used social media interfaces ranging from updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. It has to be increasingly kept in mind that the previous mediums that are exclusively sponsored by the companies itself helps in marketing

In what ways are the basic rules of media economics changed by the Essay

In what ways are the basic rules of media economics changed by the 'digital revolution' and in what ways do they remain the same - Essay Example Digital revolution has effected cost reduction by replacing analog into binary representation of ones and zeroes, felicitating multiple generations of copies similar to the original. Digital revolution goes far beyond multimedia applications of storing all information in a binary digital format. The horizon of digital revolution has expanded to the extent of putting an end to privacy, to quote the example of Walmart labeling all its products with RFID tags, causing worry to the privacy groups. Hoskins, McFadyen and Finn of University of Alberta have very appropriately and forcefully analysed links between media and communication in their book â€Å"Media Economics: Applying Economics to New and Traditional Media. They have reasoned with arguments on questions like the Internet affecting the information-rooted entertainment and cultural products; how is broadcasting generally regulated and often supported, segregating newspaper publishing from it. Media economics rules have taken different moulds as multi-faceted aspects of digital revolution unfold. On the basis of microeconomic principles and concepts, it peeps into media industries to discuss and analyse topics in the resulting media environment. In media industries, demand and supply of products is affected by their variables. When packet switching to circuit networks is employed for the Internet, the economies of scale work to give competitive advantage to US in comparison to other countries and on top of that the mergers of entertainment industry such as Disney’s acquisitions of Miramax and ABC, AT&T’s acquisition of the cable company TCI happen. Digital revolution through the medium of the Internet affects the supply of media goods and services. The time has come when possessing a commercial television-broadcasting license is â€Å"like having a license to print your own money† ï â€ºBraddon, 1965, p. 240ï   Here comes the all-important role of digital technology in affecting the demand of media

Critical analysis of Yemens current Military Capabilities Research Paper

Critical analysis of Yemens current Military Capabilities - Research Paper Example The Yemen military has demonstrated that it follows the basic doctrine of the Yemen armed forces. The military uses different weapons, artilleries and ballistic missile, during the wars and conflicts to reduce the strength and fighting capabilities of the rivals. The military doctrine of Yemen shows that the armed forces have compulsory reserve training for several specialist groups. After the civil war a series of proclamations was issues by the Councils of Ministers in 1994 that provide the guidelines for the organization of the armed forces and the allocation of the authorities to different personnel (Nation Master, 2010). The military of Yemen has been divided in two three branches including army, navy and air force. The warfare proficiency of these three branches of Yemen army is discussed below The Yemen air force has been given the name al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yamaniya. The army was created in 1926 however; the unified air force was created in 1990 after the unification of South and North Yemen. Since its establishment in 1926 the air force has received several weapons from different western and gulf region countries (Damen, 2008). The northern Yemen Arab Republic Air Force (YARAF) got MiG-15, MiG-17 MiG-21s from Russia and F-5E and F-5B and two C-130H Hercules Transport aircraft from Saudi Arab. The Southern air force got BAC 167 Strike master Mk81s, DHC-2 Beavers, Jet Provost Mk52As and Bell 47G helicopters from the British government. The Yemen air force employs 3500 personnel. An air defense force is also included in the Yemen air force. After the union of the south and north Yemen, the navy is more focused towards getting more MiG-29s. It has modified the MiG-29s that could attach air as well as land targets. These equipments have proved their significance in the fight against terrorism and Sah’da conflict. In 2004, Yemen received first MiG-29SMT whereas two MiG-29UBs are also modified to take them to the SMT standards. The

I will down load the story that it needs to be taken from Essay

I will down load the story that it needs to be taken from - Essay Example Since its inception technology’s infusion into life has transformed the lives of human beings slowly and steadily and has evolved the human society into its present state- the state which is miraculously poles apart from where the society stood just a few decades ago. This infusion of technology and successive increasing inclination is, however having both good and bad effects upon it adapters. One the one hand there is one school of thought which argues that technology is to ma like blood is to human body. They claim that technology is extremely beneficial and it unending benefits make life extremely feasible for man to live their life. From computing devices assisting man at every unit time to the limitless number of software that do thousands of tasks for man, people argue that there is now way by which such a beneficial invention could be non- beneficial for man. â€Å"Digital technologies have had a profound impact on most aspects of human life. The rapid pace of technol ogical development has given the current generation one of the most fascinating eras in which to live. Technological advances are leading to life changing scientific breakthroughs, new business management paradigms, and a more inclusive and connected global society.† (Baldauf, Stair, 2011) On the other hand there is this other school of thought who argues that technology infusion is gaining a dangerous pace among human beings and it is thus becoming highly dangerous for their own personal lives. People afraid of the dangerous inclination of technology towards man contend that people get so very used to checking their connecting gadgets and their office work all the time that they even tend to forget their meal times and their personal obligations towards their families and friends. It is as if technology infusion has actually taken over their lives and their distractions from their personal lives are not even detectable to them. Others even maintain that the thought of assumin g that multitasking enables more productivity is actually not true. While people think that they actually are multitasking and are getting several tasks done simultaneously they originally are unable to concentrate on even one single task. There is absolutely no task of getting creativity done if one is multitasking and is trying to work at the same time on their Smartphone, laptop and tablet etcetera. People become this much freaks that even the thought of not remaining connected to their gadgets for the sixteen seconds in which the train in which they are travelling passes through a subway is not acceptable to them. The look forward to the passing of those sixteen seconds as soon as possible so that the connectivity to their gadgets is maintained again. â€Å"Technological change is the major source of cultural change in any society.† (Andersen, Taylor, 2007) My view is that over exposure to any thing is not safe and not good for anyone. Thus even the overexposure to techno logy is not recommended. Our personal lives are the most cherished things man has been blessed with. Thus we would be taking advantage of the benefits of technology but should not let them take over our minds and souls for all times. When it comes to the topic of the affects of things on the personal lives of human beings, most of us will readily agree that our family and personal lives should have the utmost importance and should not be neglected at all. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether this dangerous

Business Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Improvement - Essay Example The nature of supply chain may vary across industries and products. The supply chain network is highly engineered as it exploits economies of scale, JIT, outsourcing, strategic inventory. With the use of advanced technology in supply chain, this paper will discuss how â€Å"the quality of a firms supply chain performance can mean the difference between business prosperity and failure† (Gattorna, 1998). Logistics is a practice to determine how to move people and materials most efficient between the source and the destination. Chain is used to describe the various companies connected loosely, connected for the most efficient economical delivery of a product (Aghazadeh, 2004). Information about products and services can easily be linked which facilitates the supply chain management. Chalasani & Sounderpandian (2004) describe supply chain as a network of collaborating partners who collectively engage in activities such as procurement and transformation of materials into products, and distribution of products to customers. The figure below describes the collaboration between the suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and the customer in a supply chain management system (SCM). Kaufman describes supply chain management as to †¦ â€Å"remove communication barriers and eliminate redundancies through coordinating, monitoring and controlling processes† (Kaufman cited by Power, 2005). Zeng et al cite Lee (Table 1), who points out that supply chain integration constitutes the following three dimensions: information integration, coordination, and organizational linkage. The supply chain concept originated in the textile industry with the quick response program and then to efficient consumer response in the grocery industry. In the 1990s as competition increased, companies became specialized, they started searching for suppliers who could provide low cost quality

Basic Academic Writing Essay Example for Free

Basic Academic Writing Essay Making a Venn diagram or a chart can help you quickly and efficiently compare and contrast two or more things or ideas. To make a Venn diagram, simply draw some overlapping circles, one circle for each item you’re considering. In the central area where they overlap, list the traits the two items have in common. Example: 1. Write each topic name above one of the circles. List attributes or qualities of that topic in the circle, placing any shared qualities in the overlapping section. Be specific and use details. 2. Review the lists and identify three categories or aspects that describe these details. 3. Then choose one option (point by point or block method) to structure your essay. Comparison-contrast Thesis The thesis of your comparison/contrast paper is very important: it can help  you create a focused argument and give your reader a road map so she/he doesn’t get lost in the sea of points you are about to make. As in any paper, you will want to replace vague reports of your general topic (for example, â€Å"This paper will compare and contrast two pizza places,† or â€Å"Pepper’s and Amante are similar in some ways and different in others,† or â€Å"Pepper’s and Amante are similar in many ways, but they have one major difference†) with something more detailed and specific. For example, you might say, â€Å"Pepper’s and Amante have similar prices and ingredients, but their atmospheres and willingness to deliver set them apart.† Be careful, though—although this thesis is fairly specific and does propose a simple argument (that atmosphere and delivery make the two pizza places different), your instructor will often be looki ng for a bit more analysis. In this case, the obvious question is â€Å"So what? Why should anyone care that Pepper’s and Amante are different in this way?† One might also wonder why the writer chose those two particular pizza places to compare—why not Papa John’s, Dominos, or Pizza Hut? Again, thinking about the context the class provides may help you answer such questions and make a stronger argument. Here’s a revision of the thesis mentioned earlier: Pepper’s and Amante both offer a greater variety of ingredients than other Chapel Hill/Carrboro pizza places (and than any of the national chains), but the funky, lively atmosphere at Pepper’s makes it a better place to give visiting friends and family a taste of local culture. How do I know if my thesis is strong? If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following: Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than  making an argument. Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like â€Å"good† or â€Å"successful,† see if you could be more specific: why is something â€Å"good†; what specifically makes something â€Å"successful†? Does my thesis pass the â€Å"So what?† test? If a reader’s first response is, â€Å"So what?† then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue. Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s o.k. to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary. Does my thesis pass the â€Å"how and why?† test? If a reader’s first response is â€Å"how?† or â€Å"why?† your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning. Example of Comparison-Contrast Essay The Similarities and Differences between Public and Private Universities Malaysia has progressed in many areas since its independence. One significant area that all our past and present leaders have emphasized is education. The drastic growth in the number of universities over the past 20 years signifies this, together with the increasing demand for post-secondary education. Therefore, when public universities faced major challenges in operating within the limitations of the financial aid given by the government, the government not only encouraged private institutions to play a more active role in the higher education industry, but also supported these institutions in their efforts to increase their student intake. In 2006, there were 17 public universities and 21 private universities. Within a year, these numbers ballooned to 20 and 30 respectively. Today, students who wish to pursue higher education are spoilt for choices as there are plenty of courses offered in both public and private universities. However,  deciding on which higher education instit ution to go to, after completing secondary school, is a crucial undertaking. Students need to compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of both types of institutions based on the courses available, the course fees charged and the competitiveness of these universities. Firstly, the types of courses that public and private universities offer vary significantly. Public institutions offer a whole range of courses that cover various aspects of science, business, social sciences and humanities in an ala-carte form. For example, the engineering programmes incorporate all aspects of engineering which include specialised areas such as marine, gas and aeronautical. Likewise, the business programmes in these institutions include various degrees in business administration like Islamic banking and insurance. In contrast, private universities only focus on programmes that have higher market value such as health sciences, religious studies, history and literature are not offered by these universities. This is especially so since they are profit-driven institutions. In fact, private institutions only specialise in certain fields, such as health sciences. University Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak, for example, specialises in medicine, pharmacy, nursi ng and radiotherapy, while Masterskill University College specialises in nursing, physiotherapy and environmental health, among others. With such vast choices available, students should choose which university to go to and what programme to enrol in wisely. Another difference between public and private universities lies in the course fees. Even though the roles and responsibilities of both types of institutions are similar, the way they are structured is different. Public universities charge rather modest fees as compared to private universities. The primary reason for this is that public universities are largely funded by the government, as opposed to private universities that are usually privately funded by shareholders. For a public university the high cost involved in managing one is borne by the government. In contrast, private universities manage their institutions through the shareholders’ funds and the revenue they earned. Private universities charge a high fee for their  courses as a means of increasing the revenue. The amount charged is normally very much higher compared to that charged by public universities, where the course fees are subsidised by the government. For instance, the fee to study medicine in University Malaya is about RM100 000 whereas in International Medical University (IMU), the fee is about RM350 000. However, since the income per capita of Malaysians has increased; many parents can afford to pay such expensive fees. Moreover, education has become a priority in Malaysia. The government is willing to support these private institutions by making student loans such as those offered by Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) available for students. This helps to lessen not only parents’ burden, but also the shareholders’. Despite these differences, public and private universities are similar in being competitive in nature. They compete to be the best educational institution in their respective fields of study. Both types of institutions strive to stay abreast to sustain their position in the education industry. The benchmark has been raised very high so that every university has to be sensitive to their customers’ needs. Most universities have made wi-fi connections available around their campus and have upgraded facilities such as computer laboratories, hostels, cafeterias and transportation. Apart from that, these universities also recruit the best faculty staff to make the teaching and learning process an exciting journey. In addition, these universities advertise their annual graduation ceremonies and highlight their top academic achievers to maintain their name and ranking among the top universities. All these criteria have become the yardstick for universities to measure their reputation as world-class education institutions. There is paradigm shift today in the way parents and children regard education. Parents nowadays are sending their children to higher education institutions so that they could obtain a minimum university qualification. Students take up university courses not only to obtain wisdom and knowledge, but also to acquire the expertise and qualifications needed to compete in today’s knowledge-based economy. Thus, it is up to the students to compare the similarities and differences between a public university and a private  university before deciding which institution to pursue their tertiary education in.

Total Quality Management Deming Prize Management Essay

Total Quality Management Deming Prize Management Essay The Deming prize is an award given to the company that has highest continued development of quality control in Japan. It was established by the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) in December 1950 to appreciate and honor of Dr. William Edwards Deming for his contribution in quality control and development of Statistical Quality of Control in Japanese industry.http://www.juse.or.jp/e/deming/75/images/medal_deming.gif This award have high role in supporting the Total Quality Management (TQM) in many ways. Firstly this award acts as a catalyst for companies in Japan on implementing TQM. They will develop a new and effective quality management method for their own benefit. If the method have major influence directly or indirectly on the development of quality control, then they will established the method for implementation and can be practice by others company. For a company, getting Deming prize award is an advantage for them because it will lift up their reputation among others competitor on eyes of client. Besides this award can measure their achievement in continuous improvement further implementing the Total Quality Management (TQM). CONTENT 1 There are three categories of award, The Deming Prize for Individuals, The Deming Application Prize or Deming Prize and The Quality Control Award for Operation Business Unit. The Deming Application Prize given to companies or divisions of companies that have achieved distinctive performance improvement through the application of TQM in a designated year while The Deming Prize for Individuals given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the study of TQM or statistical methods used for TQM, or individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the dissemination of TQM. [1] Then for The Quality Control Award for Operations Business Units is given to operations business units of a company that have achieved distinctive performance improvement through the application of quality control/management in the pursuit of TQM in a designated year. [2] There is also The Deming Application Prize for Overseas Companies. In 1984, overseas companies can apply for Deming prize with established of the Deming Application Prize Administrative Regulation. Then in 1997, it was change to enable overseas companies to apply for the Quality Control Award for Operations Business Units. [3] Nowadays, The Deming Application Prize, the Quality Control Award for Operations Business Units, and the Japan Quality Medal are open to overseas companies. However, the Deming Prize for Individuals is open only to Japanese candidates. There are three type of organization that has implemented TQM qualified for receiving the Deming Prize. They are: Customer-oriented business objectives and strategies are established in a positive manner according to the management philosophy, type of industry, business scale, and business environment with the clear management belief. TQM has been implemented properly to achieve business objectives and strategies as mentioned in Item 1 above. The business objectives and strategies in the Item 1 above have been achieving effects as an outcome of the Item 2 above. After an organization applies for this award, they will go through 2 examinations. First is the document examination that is based on the description of TQM Practice and if pass the document examination then they will have an on-site examination. Committee will judge on the evaluation criteria and reports the result to the Deming Prize Committee. Once they determine the winner, they will publish with the reason why the organization receives the prize followed by the award ceremony. CONTENT 2 The Deming Application Prize is given to an applicant company that effectively practices TQM suitable to its management principles, type of industry, and business scope. More specifically, the following viewpoints are used for the examination to determine whether or not the applicant should be awarded the Prize. Policy Policies pursued for management quality, and quality control Method of establishing policies Justifiability and consistency of policies Utilization of statistical methods Transmission and diffusion of policies Review of policies and the results achieved Relationship between policies and long- and short-term planning Organizational and its management Explicitness of the scopes of authority and responsibility Appropriateness of delegations of authority Interdivisional cooperation Committees and their activities Utilization of staff Utilization of QC Circle activities Quality control diagnosis Education and dissemination Education programs and results Quality- and control-consciousness, degrees of understanding of quality control Teaching of statistical concepts and methods, and the extent of their dissemination Grasp of the effectiveness of quality control Education of related company (particularly those in the same group, sub-contractors, consignees, and distributers) QC circle activities System of suggesting ways of improvements and its actual conditions Collection and use of information of quality Collection of external information Transmission of information between divisions Speed of information transmission (use of computers) Data processing statistical analysis of information and utilization of the results Analysis Selection of key problems and themes Propriety of the analytical approach Utilization of statistical methods Linkage with proper technology Quality analysis, process analysis Utilization of analytical results Assertiveness of improvement suggestions Standardization Systematization of standards Method of establishing, revising, and abolishing standards Outcome of the establishment, revision, or abolition of standards Contents of the standards Utilization of statistical methods Accumulation of technology Utilization of standards Control Systems for the control of quality and such related matters as cost and quantity Control items and control points Utilization of such statistical control methods as control charts and other statistical concepts Contribution to performance of QC circle activities Actual conditions of control activities State of maters under control Quality assurance Procedure for the development of new products and services (analysis and upgrading of quality, checking of design, reliability, and other properties) Safety and immunity from product liability Customer satisfaction Process design, process analysis, and process control and improvement Process capability Instrumentation, gauging, testing, and inspecting Equipment maintenance, and control of subcontracting, purchasing, and services Quality assurance system and its audit Utilization of statistical methods Evaluation and audit of quality Actual state of quality assurance Result Measurements of results Substantive results in quality, services, delivery time, cost, profits, safety, environments, etc. Intangible results Measures for overcoming defects Planning for the future Grasp of the present state of affairs and the concreteness of the plan Measures for overcoming defects Plans for further advances Linkage with the long-term plans Effect of the Deming Prize From the date of establishment until now there more than 200 organizations have receive/awarded the Deming Prize. Study and information from these prize winner organizations show that there are several positive effects impact of been awarded with Deming Prize. Quality Stabilization and Improvement Concept of quality and controlling business activities with reduction of part defects, service defects, installation defect and market claim have allowed organization to provide customer with quality products and services that are matched with customer requirements and organization policies. Due to this improvement many organizations have acquired a world-class reputation. Productivity Improvement/Cost Reduction Activities such as lower manufacturing defects, increased customer satisfaction, reduce man-hour and improve production control systems have also enhanced productivity. Expanded Sales With strengthen their management system have contribute to capture new customer and market which have improved customer satisfaction and result in increased sales. Increased Profits By improvement cost reduction and expand sales of course will increased profit for the organization. This shows implementing TQM will result of highly cost effective business performance. Thorough Implementation of Management Plans/Business Plans In order to secure profits, the management or business plan plans must base on the profit plans. By analyze historical business performance can improve the deficiency and will efficiently policies and objective of business plans. Realization of Top Managements Dreams To realize top managements dream the main factor that hold this is the organization culture and tradition or the habit. Top management at these organizations often pleasantly states, We were able to achieve at once many things we had wanted to accomplish for years. [4] TQM by Total Participation and Improvement of the Organizational Constitution Some top management says, Through challenging for the Deming Prize, we became convinced that it is possible for us to accomplish anything when all our employees cooperate. We have become much better at interdepartmental communications and cross functional management. [5] Others than that are Heightened Motivation to Manage and Improve as Well as to Promote Standardization, Uniting Total Organizational Power and Enhancing Morale and Establishment of Various Management Systems and the Total Management System CONTENT 3 In order to check for effectiveness of something or some method, people usually tend to compared with others method that is closed to it. Same goes to The Deming Prize. Here I will compare and differentiate the Deming Prize with the Baldrige Award and ISO 9000. Basis Baldrige Award Deming Prize ISO 9000 Purpose Encourage sharing of competitiveness learning and drive this learning nationally Award companies that continually apply company-wide quality control based on statistical quality control Provide common basis for assuring buyers that specific practices, including documentation conform with providers state quality systems Focus Customer satisfaction prevention of quality problems Customer satisfaction prevention of quality problems Conformity to practices specified in the registrants own quality system Eligibility Limited to U.S. companies only Individuals, factories and divisions or small companies worldwide Companies, divisions and facilities around the world Time frame 1 year cycles renew after 5 years 2 to 5 years preparation with JUSE apply when ready Takes 6 to 12months depending on starting point and urgency Information sharing Winners required to share nonproprietary information on quality strategies with other US organizations Dissemination of information is voluntary and minimal Registrants have no obligations to share information with others The actual Deming Prize which is provided to businesses offers a good impact directly and indirectly within the improvement high quality management within the Japanese. The Deming winning firms from the Toyota group represented companies with significantly more experience in TQM on average prior to competing for the Deming Prize than the rest of our sample. Further, we suggested that the degree of experience in TQM could play a moderating role in the relationship between winning a quality award and firm performance. For example, researchers have found that while the phenomenon of the winners curse rarely dissipates, it can diminish in size (Lindand Plott, 1991). In one study, Hanson and Lott (1991) found that reducing the uncertainty over an items value can decrease the average price paid by the winners. Therefore, the reduction of uncertainty appears to have a moderating effect on the size of the winners curse. Further, Lind and Plott (1991) found that in winners curse situations, experience is related to the degree of uncertainty reduction. Specifically, the more experience a firm has with the item that it is bidding for, the more efficient and ef fective those firms are in providing the winning bid. It would seem reasonable to suggest that the degree of experience a firm has with TQM, the more efficient and effective they could be in bidding for a quality award. Further, it is also reasonable to argue that firms with more experience in TQM prior to competing for a quality award will not have to focus as exclusively on winning to the degree that an inexperienced firm would. Therefore, experience would also have a moderating effect on the dangers of simplicity. In sum, by moderating the effects of both the dangers of simplicity and the winners curse, experience would have a moderating influence on the relationship between winning a quality award and firm performance. More specifically, the more experience the firm in TQM prior to competing for a quality award, the less likely they will be adversely affected by the dangers of simplicity and the winners curse and thus the more likely they will experience improvements in performance after winning a quality award. Conversely, the less experience the firm in TQM has prior to competing for a quality award the more likely is it that they will be adversely affected by the dangers of simplicity and the winners curse and thus the more likely that these firms will experience performance shortfalls after winning a quality award. CONCLUSION In my opinion, The Deming Prize has major contribution in affect the implementation of the TQM among the companies. People tend to seek for this award by making improvement involve of all company from top management to general worker. If they dont win the award but their own achievement is not a waste. Other than that, an organization that have implemented of TQM will gain improvement in productivity, cost reduction and stability of quality besides expand sales and increased profit. REFERENCE [1] Anshuman Sharma, Kushal Rastogi, Priya Rajvansh, Deming Prize [2] Anshuman Sharma, Kushal Rastogi, Priya Rajvansh, Deming Prize [3] http://deming.org/index.cfm?content=511 /11 December 2012 / 9.12a.m. [4] Introduction of the Deming prize 2012 for overseas. Gary Dessler, Dana L. Farrow Implementing a Successful Quality Improvement Programme in a Service Company: Winning the Deming Prize T. Fasil, H. Osada An Empirical Study on Deming Prize Winners from India and Thailand Graduate School of Innovation Management, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan Anthony L. Iaquinto Can winners be losers? The case of the Deming prize for quality and performance among large Japanese manufacturing firms (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() The W. Edwards Deming Institute Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) http://www.juse.or.jp/e/deming/index.html http://deming.org/index.cfm?content=51

Brand Positioning Of Sap Erp Marketing Essay

Brand Positioning Of Sap Erp Marketing Essay What positioning strategy does is to create an image for the product that a company wants to bring in the mind of customers, in order to make them realize the current situation of market and competitors. Positioning is a strategic tool which is applied at all levels and which also makes marketing and its functioning less tedious. With Competitors and opportunities as a point of view the process which helps in identifying the consumers use of product and its patterns, attitudes and perceptions will help us to determine the best place for product or organization. (Karadeniz, 2009) Brand positioning of SAP-ERP SAP started as an ERP software vendor and today they are players in the ERP market. SAP to help themselves and to be provided with arms and ammunitions to build ERP, built a strong relationships with a variety of alliance partners. And today there are ample number of third-party developers who are suppliers of numerous add-on programs that work in conjunction with SAP products. SAP also offers ERP solutions appropriate for all sizes of companies and geographical needs are also sufficed. According to SAP their functional strengths includes: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Strong product development à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ease in supporting Make-To-Order processing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Integrated retail module à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clear visibility to goods-in-transit orders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Good quality control and quality assurance functionality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Good compliance with SOX and tax regulations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Strong cash management functionality SAP ERP Comparison with competitors: According to recent survey by panorama consulting they compared the offerings of SAP, Oracle and Microsoft Dynamics which showed that each of the companies has both strengths and weaknesses. It is important to remember that the suitability of a particular ERP solution for an organization is wholly dependent on the specific needs and requirements of that organization. Our positioning strategies: Keeping in mind the marketing techniques, for our product positioning we have made slogan which can be easily positioned in consumers mind i.e., Customization up to your Satisfaction is what we sell Customization by our Competitors? Be the first to leave a mark of your own, so it is always to help ourselves by being first. We can easily penetrate into everyones mind by a good first impression. As an old saying says First impression is the nest impression, when you are the first it is very easy to create an impression which lasts long. There are always second in the race and yes they create an impression but the first one to make a remarkable move wins attention. And its also known that the best one and the first one wins with more confidence irrespective of the environment. By being the first to claim a unique position in the mind the consumer, a firm effectively can cut through the noise level of other products. (Trout, 1981) Manufacturing Market Positioning strategy: Use and Application Manufacturing market is a vast area with different sized firms dealing with that for many years now. And with the current economy which is diminishing everyday it is important to note that small sized and mid-sized markets are the most affected. Positioning of SAP ERP here has to be done with respect to the Use and Application for the customers in the market, when we talk about use and application we mainly are concerned with how well the customer knows to make use of ERP and how they can apply to make themselves jump up to a better position. This now can be achieved by spreading knowledge about the product in order to reach the requirements and to serve the purpose of SAP ERP. Summary: A product can expand itself by making itself better known to customers and by increasing consumption by developing its uses and applications. The product has to be positioned accordingly in the minds of the customer with respect to individual target market. Service Industry Position Strategy: Product Class Service industry is a sector which contains business organizations in themselves which are working depending on cohesive information systems. ERP for this has to be able to deal with multiple aspects like billing, CRM, HR, supply chain management and so on. When we are using the product class, what we do is define the nature of the product and its services offered so as to serve the needs which are branded to be a part of particular market. When we divide the market keeping size and geographical conditions in mind, it is so done that each product designed for a market is capable of serving the purpose of the customers who buy it. So positioning by product class can be done if two products lie in the same product class. Positioning by product class mainly uses sales promotion as it tool. Example Get a toothbrush with a toothpaste free. Both of these products lie in the same product class and hence can be positioned accordingly. So what we do here is when the customer buys SAP ERP, we offer him few services they need for a trial and try to prove ourselves that we are the best for them to rely on. Once such a strategy is implemented and the product is released company simultaneously gains recognition in the market and the special offers steal peoples attention. Thus the company would have a better positioning once it advertised itself in its own product class. Henceforth, being in your own product class where your major target customers are is very important. Retail Industry Positioning: Characteristics and Customer benefits. Retail industry majorly deals with problems like requirements of stocks and placing orders and dealing with the wholesalers. Positioning can be done by using product characteristics or the customer benefits associated with the product to suit this market. In essence, the strategy relies on providing a superior product to the customers to have a better positioning. A strategy which is capable of positioning the product so that the customers can deal with all their issues at one single point. Characteristics and customer benefits show them that it is achievable to handle all the works by using one product. SAP ERP should be positioned as one such product, which helps in many ways with advantages. Few of those advantages are retail components, storeroom maintenance, workflow automation and technology integration. We agree there will be presence of few restrictions but it is also not deniable that the purpose wont be served. What we try to do here is just a plain strategic development blue print for our product which we portray as the best for them and we prove it by providing all possible characteristics there should be and the benefits that we can offer at no cost for self.

T.S. Eliots use of Poetic techniques in The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufr

T.S Eliot, widely considered to be one of the fathers of modern poetry, has written many great poems. Among the most well known of these are â€Å"The Waste Land, and â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†, which share similar messages, but are also quite different. In both poems, Eliot uses various poetic techniques to convey themes of repression, alienation, and a general breakdown in western society. Some of the best techniques to examine are ones such as theme, structure, imagery and language, which all figure prominently in his poetry. These techniques in particular are used by Eliot to both enhance and support the purpose of his poems. The theme of Prufrock is the negative, individuality repressing effect that society has on its people. The Prufrock persona illustrates this, he is alienated by the inane social rituals that define his life, â€Å"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons† and make it insignificant and useless. The Waste Land’s theme is that the world, in particular western civilisation, is a culturally and spiritually barren place. Society is portrayed as a pile of â€Å"†¦stony rubbish†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , the ruins of a once great city now reduced to rubble where nothing can grow. Lives mean nothing, but the poem also offers hope through a return to basic religious values, ending with the repeated chant of â€Å"Shantih shantih shantih†, which means, â€Å"the peace which passeth understanding†. The poems both portray the same basic idea, but they have two main differences. Firstly, there is the way in which the themes are expressed. In Prufrock , Eliot uses a pers ona as an example of the debilitating effect of living with so many expectations, rules, standards and meaningless rituals has on a the individual. In many ways, this is a very effe... .... Figuring very prominently is Dante, with the epigraph in Prufrock an exact quote from Inferno, and more subtle references found in The Waste Land that are very suggestive of a Dantean descent into hell. Dante, and to a lesser extent Joseph Conrad, from whom Eliot derives a certain amount of horror, which subtly complements his themes, have had a profound impact on Eliot’s writing. He chooses to quote or allude to parts of other works that complement his own. The techniques used by Eliot in creating both The Waste Land and Prufrock, are used in largely similar ways as far as furthering his purpose, yet differ slightly in style or small alterations when examined more closely. Some techniques, such as imagery, are more similar than others. Though he may use devices differently for each poem, it is only in such a way that makes them unique, and conveys his purpose.

sports psychology Essay example -- essays research papers

Sports is by far one of the fastest growing past times in the United States (Rainer 1987). Even if people don't take it to the professional level, sporting events are happening in our backyards, and at all of our local schools around the country. With the growing popularity and the increasing competitiveness of the sports, it will take more than just a physical advantage to compete at the highest level. This is where the psychology of sports comes into play. Goal setting is a hugely powerful technique that can yield strong returns in all areas of an athlete’s life. At its simplest level the process of setting goals and targets allows people to choose where they want to go in life. By knowing what a person wants to achieve, they know what they have to concentrate on, and what is merely a distraction. Goal setting gives long-term vision, and short-term motivation. By setting goals the athlete can achieve more, improve performance, improve the quality of the training, increase the motivation to achieve, increase pride and satisfaction in their performance, and improve their self-confidence (Bull, 1983).Research (Bull, 1983) has shown that people who use goal-setting effectively suffer less from stress and anxiety, concentrate better, show more self-confidence, perform better, and are happier with their performance. The way in which an athlete sets his goals strongly affects their effectiveness. Before setting goals, the athlete should have set the background of goal setting by understanding their commitment to sports, understanding the level they want to reach within the sport, knowing the skills that will have to be acquired and the levels of performance that will be needed, and know where this will fit into their overall life goals. The following broad guidelines apply to setting effective goals. Positive statements, be precise, set priorities, write goals down to avoid confusion and give them more force, and keep operational goals small (Rainer, 1987). "Your body is a beautifully evolved sporting machine, comprising, among other things, muscles that can be trained to a peak of fitness and nerves that control the muscles" (Morris 1992). The nerves are massively linked in an athlete’s brain: vast numbers of nerve cells are linked with a hugely greater number of interconnections. Many of th... ...in negative thinking (Bull 1983). The athlete needs mental energy to be able to concentrate their attention and maintain good mental attitudes. If the athlete is concentrating effectively then the athlete can conserve physical energy by maintaining good technique when their muscles are tired. The athlete can waste mental energy on worry, stress, fretting over distractions, and negative thinking. Over a long competition, these not only damage enjoyment, but also drain energy so that performance suffers. It is therefore important to avoid these by good use of sports psychology, and by resting effectively between events and by ensuring that the athlete sleep properly. Sports psychology is a relatively new idea and just now it is becoming more of a normal thing rather than something only pro athletes do. The study of the mind and how it relates to sports is a beneficial thing that even our own school uses to help improve performance. Over the last two years our Varsity and JV boys basketball team has used a sports psychologist from Boulder two or three times during the year. Sports psychology is no longer looked down upon, it is now a legitimate practice.