Angle of Vision free essay sample

I see and hear numerous things occurring around me. I am near numerous others and the entryways to different stores. As the individuals stroll by me there Is a little whirlwind from behind them that feels like when a vehicle drives by you out and about. This spot Is so extremely quiet. A couple of individuals plunk down close to me, and they all talk unobtrusively while drinking Struck. Everybody that is strolling through the parlor and chatting with their companions is by all accounts making some great memories Just hanging out.Most individuals are grinning. I hear individuals murmuring and giggling. One understudy strolls rapidly with a miserable look all over. A few people are staying here tuning in to their case and examining. The peaceful buzz from their pods is quieting. With everything going on in this one single room it despite everything appears to be tranquil and serene to This room Is so uproarious I cannot remain to be In here. We will compose a custom exposition test on Point of Vision or then again any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Somebody spilled their beverage everywhere throughout the floor. It made a tremendous chaos. It would appear that It has Just down-poured Inside the structure since there Is an immense puddle now.Some of the beverage arrived on the divider and Is presently running down the divider Just Like a drop of downpour. It has gotten extremely loud with any individuals strolling through to go to supper. They are stepping down the steps as a crowd of elephants would stroll through the fields. Somebody gets knock when they are strolling down the steps and shouts. Individuals are talking noisily to their companions and giggling. As the horde of individuals move first floor very few individuals are left. The vast majority are beginning to leave.There are not many individuals in here now and most are made a beeline for their space to go to examine, unwind, or rest. The calm is so not quite the same as the entirety of the clamor prior. Examination I chose to utilize Sheen Lounge as my perception spot since It appeared to be an alma and spot to sit where I could watch the environmental factors. There are numerous organizations, individuals, and spots to sit inside Morris so it felt as a prevailing spot to mention objective facts. With individuals experiencing here to go to lunch or supper or just to go to classes it was a very occupied setting.I utilized a few unique methodologies in my papers. I utilized non-literal language in my exposition much of the time. At the point when I discussed somebody spilling their beverage everywhere throughout the floor and it running down the divider, I said that it appeared as though it had come down everywhere throughout the room. I additionally utilized a comparison in my exposition. At the point when I discussed how it got extremely uproarious inside this specific room I said it seemed like a group of elephants strolling through the fields. In my positive view I utilized the lounge chairs as my center point. This Is the place I sat and watched everything that happened.As I said In my positive view everybody strolling through with their companions making some great memories was additionally another center point for me. Another model is the troubled understudy. This is a case of word decision. Commotion it nearly appeared to be difficult to concentrate on what I was doing at that point. Since I think back on it I dont realize how individuals do schoolwork in the parlor during the day. I utilized a genuine model or word decision in my negative view. I said that it has gotten extremely uproarious and it seems like elephants going through the plains.This gives me an exceptionally distinctive visual picture in my psyche. Since my perspectives are expressed I need to end by saying that the Sheen Lounge isn't the best spot to watch or the best spot to do anything with the exception of be boisterous and lively. Utilizing sentence structure, word decision and comparison shows precisely what you need the crowd to see. By changing around a word it could be taken as positive or negative. Taking everything into account you generally need to catch a psychological picture for your crowd, else they wont realize what you are discussing.

Expansion Essay Essay

There were two presidents that did a lot for our nation in the zone of development. These two presidents are Thomas Jefferson and James K. Polk. In spite of the fact that they had totally various arrangements on development and outside issues, them two tremendously extended the nation. Jefferson was a devotee to the Monroe Doctrine which essentially said we will mind our own busi ness. He was likewise an exceptionally firm adherent to a severe translation of the constitution. He didn't look to incomprehensibly extend our nation and whenever the open door introduced itself he made some hard memories settling on the correct choice. The United States was encircled by European claimed territories: England had Canada, Spain had Florida, and France had Louisiana. Dreading a potential war Jefferson reinforced the military particularly by Louisiana. This demonstration frightened Napoleon, he was in a war with England and didn’t even need the Louisiana Territory, so dreading a war with the U.S. what's more, requiring cash for his war with England he offered to sell the entire Louisi ana Territory to us for inexpensively. Jefferson not certain if the constitution supported the demonstration of settling on this buy battled with the choice. He chose he didn’t have quite a bit of a decision and acknowledged Napoleons offer. Then again, James K. Polk was a firm adherent to Manifest Destiny, which was the conviction that the United States was foreordained to control all of North America. At the point when Polk ran in the 1844 political race his crusade motto was 54-40 or battle. In spite of the fact that he never understood that limit he got much more in various pieces of the nation. After Texas revolted from Mexico Polk was anything but difficult to persuade that the U.S. should step in and take Texas from Mexico. Despite the fact that he needed Texas he felt that the best prize would be California. After Mexico over and over declined Polk’s offers to purchase Mexico and California Polk sent a military to the Rio Grande. This activity prompted the Mexican War. Polk pushed and pushed for Texas and California which after thirteen thousand American lives and fifty thousand Mexican lives were lost he got his territory. Both of these presidents extended the region of our nation a colossally. Jefferson’s approaches on development kept us out of war and multiplied the size of our nation with incredible land that would be truly necessary in coming years. Polk didn’t keep us out of war yet he got us a great deal. He picked up the United States a large portion of a million sections of land of prime land. Texas was a superb maker of cotton and different harvests, while Califor nia was inexhaustible in gold causing the gold rush where a large number of men would travel west to California looking for gold. In spite of the fact that Polk and Jefferson had practically inverse strategies, in the territory of development, the two of them air conditioning quired much land for the United States. Jefferson, the adherent to the Monroe Doctrine, and Polk the devotee to Manifest Destiny, most likely would not have concurred with one another however both did a ton of useful for our nation.

What to Know Before Signing a Non-Compete Clause or Non-Disclosure Agreement

What to Know Before Signing a Non-Compete Clause or Non-Disclosure Agreement Non-compete clause and non-disclosure agreement used to be reserved for high-level executives and top-secret industries.But they are now popping up in industries you least expect.As an employee, it’s important to know what these agreements are all about and how you should deal with them when presented with one.THE TWO AGREEMENTS MEAN DIFFERENT THINGSLet’s start by examining what the agreements are since they both mean different things and could be offered under different circumstances.The definition of a non-compete clauseThe non-compete clause is signed to cover situations that might occur after you stop working with your current employer. It prevents you from directly competing with your former employer once you end your contract with them.The agreement outlines how long you’re prevented from competing with the former employer and often goes into more details in terms of the geographical limits of the contract.The purpose of a non-compete clause or NCC is to protect your empl oyer from you just resigning and taking your talent to a competitor â€" leaving them in trouble.It’s typically not just about working for a competitor either but it also prevents you from launching your own competing business.If you were fighting for the same commercial space, then you would be prevented from doing it for a specific period of time.The definition of a non-disclosure agreementThe non-disclosure agreement deals with sharing information.When you sign the NDA, you agree not to disclose anything the company considers proprietary or confidential.You are not allowed to share this information or use it to your advantage while you’re in the company or after you’ve left it. The information can range from business plans to models and financial information.The purpose is to prevent you from leaking confidential information that might help the competitors.Unlike the NCC, you are able to start your own business or work for a competitor but you just can’t use the proprietar y or confidential information you gained during employment at the new job.NEVER SIGN EITHER AGREEMENT ON THE SPOTNow, if an employer presents you with an NCC or an NDA to sign, you should never do so on the spot.There is no legal justification for the employer to ask you to sign one immediately â€" you must be given time to go over the paper. You shouldn’t make the opposite hasty decision either.Don’t refuse to sign one altogether before understanding what the agreement is about. There are valid reasons for the employer to ask you to sign it and the agreements are not always harmful or bad.You also need to remember the employer could potentially withdraw their job offer if you refuse to sign the agreement.The Winona Search Group, a Minnesota-based recruitment company, says on their website, “General objections to signing non-competes can end up being red flags for employers” â€" rather than just saying ‘no’, you want to produce an informed response to open dialogue.When you’re presented with either of the agreements, you should ask to have a day or two to go over it before signing. You want to fully understand the implications because once you sign it, the document does become legally binding.If you feel like the details are unclear or murky, you should consider discussing the content with an employment attorney.You might find free legal advice online.This is a useful thing to consider, especially if you’ve never had to sign an NCC or NDA before.Once you are ready to sign the document, you need to remember to ask for a copy. Some employers might offer to hold on to the only copy but you have the legal right to your own copy and you should definitely get it. Keep it in your records to ensure it isn’t changed.If the is any problem with the agreement, having a copy will help you dispute it or take proceedings further.Furthermore, remember the employer has to present you with a new version of the agreement to sign if they want to make changes.Itâ €™ll effectively be a new document, which you then need to read and understand before signing. The employer cannot make changes without your knowledge or without you agreeing to them.YOU CAN NEGOTIATE THE AGREEMENTSIt’s important to understand you don’t have to agree to sign the documents as they are presented to you. It is a good idea to negotiate the agreements, especially if you find something troubling.The employer may or may not agree to this but it’s always worth asking for changes if you are uncomfortable with the agreements in their current form.When you are negotiating either the NCC or the NDA, you should do the following:Know what you are looking to achieve. Have a clear idea of the clauses you want to change or the details you aren’t comfortable with. It’s much easier to start negotiations when you know what you want to change rather than just stating you want the documents changed.Do you think the specific limitations are off (such as timeframe or geographical limits)? Perhaps you find the wording wrong or unclear. Whatever your objections, it’s important to determine what you want out of the negotiations and what a good agreement would look like to you.Understand the company’s real concerns. It’s important to realize the real concerns the company will have and the reasons they are asking employees to sign these agreements. You want to ensure you don’t ask the agreement to be scrapped but you show compassion and understanding for the employer’s concerns.The employer might agree to not have a geographic limitation in the NCC if you agree to add a non-solicitation clause to the agreement.You could also point out the timeline for NDA seems too excessive in terms of your career progression. Instead of scrapping it altogether, you could simply suggest the timeframe is cut a little shorter.This shows the employer you understand where they are coming from. It reassures them that you take the agreements seriously but you also have to t hink about your own career path and the impact the agreement might have on you.Ask for career reassurances. It is important to ensure you don’t end up signing the document only to feel like your career progression is stuck.Since you might be restricted to working with a competitor or starting your own business, you don’t want your career to just be stuck.The employer should provide you with enough reassurances that career progression is possible at the firm â€" you want to have the ability to advance and change jobs, as well as to improve your earnings.If you can’t get any of these reassurances then you need to consider what the agreements might mean for your career path.Consult the HR department or an employment attorney if needed. Throughout the negotiations, you should talk to an attorney or the HR department to clear any confusion and to get support.You don’t want to deal with the issues alone if you feel uncertain about the procedures or the different elements in the ag reement.THE CONSEQUENCES OF BREAKING THE NCC OR NDA ARE SEVEREYou also need to understand the documents are not just a random paper you need to sign. Breaking the NCC or the NDA is not a minor thing.It can have serious consequences, which is why it’s essential for you to understand the agreement fully before signing.Businesses take confidentiality seriously and they are always wary of competitors gaining ground â€" they will look to enforce these agreements to protect the business.What can happen if you are found to be in breach of the agreement?Your employer is most likely going to sue you and you’ll need to defend yourself in court.Of course, the issue might be settled before it goes that far â€" you should consult a lawyer to ensure the issue is resolved smoothly.It is your responsibility to prove you haven’t broken the contract. If you can’t do this and the employer has a strong case against you, then you will most likely face two outcomes:You will need to pay a fine. Th is might be determined by the actual agreement or it might be decided by the judge.You will lose your job. If you are working for the employer and you break the NDA, the employer could dismiss you from your job.It’s actually this threat of a costly legal battle that makes employers use these agreements. The threat of having to pay a fine can be enough for employees to seek employment elsewhere or to stay with the company to avoid having to find an employer that’s not direct competition.Now, if you are thinking the fee can’t be that bad and you are prepared to lose your job, here are a few examples of the cost of breaching the agreements.According to a post by G G Law, the amounts former employers have won have been anything from $7,313.72 to $138,000.Therefore, you aren’t going to be talking about a few pennies â€" making it imperative, you know what you are signing up for.THE RULING BOILS DOWN TO REASONABLE AND UNREASONABLE DEMANDSWhen it comes down to considering whether you’ve broken the agreement or not, it’s the courts that can have the final say.What the decision boils down to is to decide whether the demands in the agreements are reasonable or not.Five major points determine the rulingWhen courts are determining the legality of an NCC or an NDA, they focus on examining five points. These are:The potential harm â€" When presenting the case to courts, the employer has to be able to establish your breach as harmful or potentially harmful to the company. You simply breaking the agreement tend not to be enough. The employer has to show that your specific action in breaking the agreement harmed or had the potential to harm the business.There must be legitimate business interest at stake for the courts to accept the claims. This means your action must have an impact on trade secrets, proprietary information, investments in special technology or training, or harm in terms of long-term customer relationships.The specific time period â€" Courts will also examine the time period defined by the agreement (if any). The idea is to determine whether it’s reasonable or not and the ruling can often depend on the industry and the nature of the job.For example, when considering the non-compete contract, the courts will examine what is a reasonable timeframe for preventing you from working for a competitor or launching your own business. If you’re a hairdresser, then anything below a year might seem reasonable (often even less than this).On the other hand, if you’ve been a top executive, the courts might think anything from two to five years can be a reasonable timeframe.The prohibited territory â€" Similar to the previous point, the courts will examine the territory defined in the agreement and whether it is reasonable.In today’s world, most people move about quite a bit and NCCs and NDAs must take into account this kind of territorial context. You can’t expect the local cafeteria in a different country is a competitor of the bakery you worked for 20,000 miles away!The reasonable territory, therefore, depends on the business and the nature of the organization. In the example of the hairdresser, a small ten-mile perimeter might be considered reasonable and for the executive of a global company, the perimeter might be much wider.The impact on the employee â€" The courts will also examine whether the agreements seriously hinder your ability to work. In essence, they will consider the impact of the agreement on your career path.Your ability to make a living will be considered and things such as forced relocation can come into question. For example, the agreement might be deemed unreasonable if it means you have no other option than to move to a different city, state or country.On the other hand, if your skills are easily transferable and you aren’t restricted by industry, you might not be as successful in overturning the agreement.The interest of the general public â€" Finally, there is the consideration o n what the agreement means for the general public, especially in terms of the issue of monopoly.In essence, if the agreements create a situation that severely stifles competition, then it might be deemed unacceptable because it helps to create a monopoly.It’s important to understand there needs to be a distinction between normal competition and intended harm. The courts won’t accept agreements that prevent normal competition from taking place.Now, it’s important to remember the above five points are just things the courts will consider â€" how much weight they give to each point will depend on the courts and the local laws.It’s, nonetheless, a good idea to understand these points as it can help you during the negotiations and in figuring out what the agreements might mean to you.RELEASING YOURSELF FROM THE AGREEMENTBefore you sign the document, it’s essential to check what the agreement says about the length of validity.You should know how long it will be enforced and what happens when you leave the job.If these issues are not clearly defined, you definitely want to ask the employer to add them to the contract before signing.A detailed timeline for the enforcement will help you live your life accordingly and ensures you don’t end up breaking the agreement.Now, despite the contract having a release clause or defined enforcement time, it is possible to ask for a release earlier.For example, if you are changing jobs, you might negotiate with the employer whether it is possible to release you immediately from either of the agreements.Whether you will be released from the contract or not will depend on your reasons for leaving the job.If you are changing jobs, the employer might feel the agreement doesn’t have to be in place any longer â€" especially if you are changing industries or moving far away.However, if you are leaving to work for a direct competitor, it’s unlikely the employer agrees to release you from the clause.If you have been laid off, it’s definitely a good idea to ask to be released.Your argument in this scenario is strong â€" your employment has ended without you wanting that to happen.Therefore, you’re not leaving the employer out of your own desire and it’s not reasonable for the employer to enforce the agreements.However, it is not something they are necessarily required to do â€" so you shouldn’t expect it to automatically happen.THE BOTTOM LINEThe key thing to know about NCCs and NDAs is that they are becoming more common.But this doesn’t mean you should just sign them on the spot.It’s important to read and to understand the agreements â€" including the fine print. You want to ensure you don’t get in trouble simply because you didn’t bother reading the documents.While it can mean a loss of a job opportunity to decline to sign an agreement, you shouldn’t get into a bad deal just to get a job. If you can’t negotiate the terms, it might be time to look for another job opportunity.

Mla Quiz Essay - 691 Words

Amanda Galardi Gargiulo ENG 102 9/25/11 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/675/01/ http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocMLA.html http://www.easybib.com/ http://citationmachine.net/ Quiz (MLA Documentation) – 60 points A. Answer the following questions using the above MLA Documentation websites (2 points each): 1. How do you arrange the entries on the Works Cited page? (Spacing, numbering, indentation) Alphabetically, do not number, double spaced, and must have a hanging indent. 2. What is the MLA rule for a book with two or more authors? Do you list just one or all of them? Do you or do you not reverse the authors’ names? You list all authors up to three (last, first, first, last) 3. What months are†¦show more content†¦Thomas in 1977. 3. An article from the Washington Post, titled â€Å"NFL Tests Replays for Officials,† that appeared March 9, 1997, on page 7. 4. An article by Leslie Kaufman and John McCormick, titled â€Å"Year of the Employee,† that appeared in the July 2, 1998, issue of Newsweek on pages 38-41. 5. An article titled â€Å"the Free Verse Spectrum,† by Eleanor Berry, which appeared in the continuously paginated journal College English, volume 59, in December 1997, on pages 873-897. 6. Your research led you to a book titled Emily Dickinson: A Collection of Critical Essays, in which you found an essay called Emily Dickinson and the Limits of Judgement. The book was edited by Richard B. Sewall, and the essay was the work of Yvor Winters. The essay begins on page 38 and ends on page 56. The book was published in 1963 by Prentice-Hall in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. 7. Your research uncovered an essay, Father and Daughter: Edward and Emily Dickinson, which was published in a journal, American Literature, in January 1960. This is volume 40, and the essay covers pages 510 to 523. The writer is Owen Thomas. 8. An article called â€Å"Reforming Big-Time College Sports† that appeared in The CQ Researcher Online database. The article was written by Joseph Tom Price and was accessed September 14, 2010. 9. An article called â€Å"Choosing a Micro.† the article is included in New Directions in OfficeShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet 871 Words   |  4 Pagespart in creativity, but it shows that he cares that his students understand. In all of my English classes throughout high school, I never had an English teacher who did an activity like this. The last activity I saw in this class was a creative way to quiz the students. Mr. Romono chose a number without telling the students what that number was. He then would go arounf the room and ask the students to give him a number. When a student got the same number as he did, he would ask them a question aboutRead MoreAnalysis Of An Institution I Attended Windham Technical High School1251 Words   |  6 Pagesnonetheless it shows that he cares that his students understand. In all of my English classes throughout high school, I never had an English teacher who did an activity resembling this. The last activity I viewed in this class was a creative way to quiz the students. Mr. Romono chose a number without telling the students what that number was. Next, he would walk around the room and ask the students to offer him a number. When a student acquired the same number as he did, he would ask them a questionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Fox s Hollow 1138 Words   |  5 Pageschallenges a student’s time managements skills is the Hybrid Friday part of the class. This part of the class is an online portion where, instead of coming to class on Fridays, the student is required to go online and complete a task such as taking a quiz, writing a summary, or watching lectures. This requires the student to remember to take time out of their day to go online and complete the assignment. This also may challenge a student’s time management skills because each Hybrid Friday assignmentRead MoreWriting and Research Paper2935 Words   |  12 Pagesreadings, †¢ completeness in development, †¢ unity and coherence, †¢ appropriate strategies of development, †¢ sensitivity to audience †¢ effective choice of words and sentence patterns, †¢ grammatical and mechanical correctness, and †¢ appropriate MLA citation format. 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Sometimes, you may have to scroll down to find the submit button. IvyTILT will display a response to your answer. Read the response then go to the next question. You can take the quiz over again, but you must complete it before retaking any questions. The last page of the quiz displays a summary of your answers. You will be able to print out your results. StartRead MoreMy Reading And Literacy754 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout these first five years of school, I had to keep a reading log. Every Monday I would go to the library and pick out a book that was in my grade section and write the book and author down in my log. On Fridays, I would have to take a ten question quiz online over what I had read which determined my reading level. When I was in second grade, I was put in special reading classes for people who struggled with it. I went on Tuesday’s, Thursday’s, and over some of the summer. After that summer, goingRead MoreHi How R U Guys1542 Words   |  7 PagesLucia. Skill Set: Strategies for Reading and Writing, 2nd ed., Oxford, 2011 ISBN 978-0-19-544169-7 * All students are required to use the following Research Guide for their assignments: * Seneca Libraries. Guide to Research and Citation: MLA Style. 3rd ed. Toronto: Seneca College, 2010. Print. * A good quality English-language dictionary (The Oxford Dictionary and the Longman’s Dictionary are recommended.) * A folder/portfolio to keep all your work throughout the semester Read MoreSolving Technology Problems Within Hybrid Classes1700 Words   |  7 Pagessome the basic Microsoft application usage. Just like in our reading last week, students feel they are tech savvy because they are on Facebook, Tweeting, or playing League of Legends online game. However, they have no idea how to format a paper in APA/MLA format in Word, how to create a formula with Excel. Most do not even know what the word query means let alone how to create one in Access and the last aspect is they want to make a PowerPoint presentation into a movie not realizing it is just a toolRead MoreWhen I Analyzed The Evidence, I Looked At Both The Statistics1274 Words   |  6 Pagesthis formative assessment, I created a short presentation that allowed me to provide direct instruction to students on how to determine credible sources and how to use Noodle Tools, a webtool that creates MLA in-text citations and works cited pages. I also created a formative multiple choice quiz in which stud ents had to determine if two different websites were credible, identify four properly cited sources, and cite two sources that I provided to them using Noodle Tools. To review the use of Noodle

The Strategy Adopted By the Capsim Company Free Essay Example, 750 words

According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that both the profitability and activity ratios of the Capsim Company show how successful the company has been in terms of the timing and outcomes of its strategic and operational decisions. The timing and outcomes of Capsim Company strategic and operational decisions have been positively influenced by competitive factors such as competitor limited production capacity and competitor dominated segment. The company competitors lack the production muscles to compete in the production of low technology products for low technology customers. Most of its competitors are not willing to invest in the production of low technology products for fear of risks that are associated with such a strategy. However, even though the company deals with low technology products, it has been able to produce those products that offer value to its stakeholders by virtue of the reliability of the product, which has resulted in the increased compan y profitability. Most of the Capsim Company competitors have dominated in the high technology segment leaving the company with few competitors in the low technology market. This has given the company a competitive advantage in the market, which then explains its outcomes in terms of profitability. We will write a custom essay sample on The Strategy Adopted By the Capsim Company or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Jesters Pies Free Essays

The report examines an in depth analysis of the Jesters Pies and its brand equity in the market. The report also looks at the brand associations of the product through which it is being recalled by the consumer. Interviews will be taken by consumers of Jesters Pies in order to get an understanding of the brand association. We will write a custom essay sample on Jesters Pies or any similar topic only for you Order Now This will show what consumers feel, think and do with the brand. The report will also look at the elements that make the brand up and make it was it is which includes the logo, URL , name and slogan. This is an important part of a company because if these elements aren’t used in a correct way then there is a higher chance the brand won’t be as successful. Having an effective name, logo and slogan can have a huge effect, just look at Nike and their ‘tick’ symbol. The third part of the report will focus on the Jesters marketing programme. This includes an analysis on the product, pricing, communication and distribution of the brand. This is more about how the company operates in actual business rather than what the consumers think about the brand of the company. Finally to wrap the Jesters report up recommendations will be made to the CEO of the company. These will be based on the consumer knowledge and marketing evaluation. These recommendations will be made so the company can use them in the future to help improve their business and overall brand. Company Profile Jesters are a franchising company in New Zealand who are specialist in making and selling pies. Their menu ranges from the traditional Beef Pie to the not so traditional Spud Delux. Their company motto sums them up pretty well; â€Å"serious about pies†. Jesters are New Zealand wholly owned and managed Pie Company. However the first original concept of it was started in Perth in 1997 when the idea of making the finest, healthiest pies in the market, was first created. Jesters pride their Jaffle Pie range to be of good quality, fresh, taste and health. Jesters are located in four cities nation wide which includes Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin. With the first being opened in 2002 at Lynn Mall shopping centre. The business is spreading fast with 34 stores being opened in Western Australia and many more planned. The reason for success Jesters feel is because of the niche $1 billion fast food industry, which they feel, is growing fast. Also because of the uniqueness of the brand and products for sale are new and interesting for the consumer. With over 15 varieties of pies Jesters feels there is something for everyone. The company also caters for your family or a party along with the sit in restaurant layout. The company promises to the customer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ you’ll never stop at one!† (Jesters, about Jesters, 2007) Analysis of Marketing Mix Product Jesters Pies is a unique company in the New Zealand market. Even though the product they are selling is just a pie, which can be brought from any bakery, it is the first to sell them in a fast food style restaurant. Jesters Pies offers 15 varieties of pies which appeal to a wide variety of customers. This is important because you want to cater to as many people as possible so you get more customers. Jesters also diverse their product from other pies by confidently saying that theirs are the healthiest and finest in the market. Another attribute of the pies is that the filling is low fat, lean meats and fresh vegetables, which you probably couldn’t say about your local bakery pie. The final attribute of the product is no artificial colourings, preservatives and MSG are used. This is a good look for the product as it has become so important for consumers in recent times to eat healthy, fresh food (Jesters Pies, 2007). Price Pricing is very important for a brand as it can create associations in the mind of the consumer. It can also be used to build brand equity. So a company needs to price its products correctly in order to get the most out of the consumer. Jesters’ pies are ranged from $3.50 to $4.10. With the $3.50 pies being the classic beef, mince and bacon and egg and the more expensive pies are the fancier ones with more ingredients such as the Popeye which contains spinach mushroom and feta. The pricing strategy they have I feel is good as the consumer gets what they are paying for. The pies are more expensive than the bakery, but are of much better quality and better ingredients are used. Distribution Channel Distribution can have a huge effect on the equity and success of a brand. Distribution is so important because it is the process of getting the product to the consumer. Jesters use a direct channel method to distribution where they sell their product straight to the consumer through their stores. This is probably the most effective way for a brand like Jesters .Jesters Pies stores can be found around New Zealand and in some parts of Australia. They are located in four cities in New Zealand. However all the stores in the Auckland area are found a long way out from central Auckland, with only one store being located in the CBD. However they do have stores located throughout the country so their distribution is pretty good. Promotion/Marketing Communication Promotion and marketing is very important for almost every brand in any industry. Without it you would not be able to get your product into the market and gain awareness from your potential consumers. Jesters have not done a huge amount of advertising that we could recall or find. From what we did find was mostly advertising for magazine and billboards. This could be one reason for the fact that their brand awareness amongst consumers is not very strong. Television is the strongest form of media and is the best for developing a brand image and creating awareness. However even without this the brand seems to be getting more popular which could be put down to things such as word of mouth. With a bit more promotion and marketing the brand could become very popular as it is a unique fast food outlet. Brand equity for Jester Pies Brand equity is an intangible asset that depends on associations made by the consumer. There are various perspectives from which to view brand equity. Brand equity just does not include the value of the brand, but it also includes the value of proprietary technologies, patents, trademarks and other intangibles like manufacturing know how (article 1). So in case of jesters pies, jesters jaffle pies are not oven baked like traditional pie, but they are cooked in a unique jaffle pie makers using ultra-thin light puff pastry and finest quality natural ingredients. Therefore the the difference in technical know how adds to the brand equity of the product. (article2.) Another way to measure the brand equity is the financial aspect of the brand. In this case one way to measure brand equity is to determine the price premium that the brand commands over a generic product. In case of jester’s pies, the pies are priced at $ 3.40 which is normally higher than most of the pies in the market place. As jesters pies have positioned itself as a quality product and people are also willing to pay more for a quality product, it commands high brand equity. Brand equity also represents the added value endowed to a particular product or a service as result of past investments in the marketing of the brand. (Article 1). In case of jesters pies it commands very good brand equity due to its advertising and promotion. Jesters pies has used three mediums of advertising that is print radio and TV. Brand equity also helps the brand to grow globally.( article 1) As jesters pies is a successful brand in Australia, it can use its good brand equity to expand further in new Zealand and other countries as well. Brand Associations These are the things that consumer relates or associate when they think about the brand. It can be how the brand makes them feel, what they think of the brand, what comes to their mind when they think of the brand or even what they do with the brand. The interviews were limited as we only interviewed four people, however the information we got back was good as all consumers had pretty similar answers. This shows that the consumers are all getting similar associations with the Jesters Pies brand. From the answers to the interviews we came up with the following brand associations. †¢ People are aware of the jesters pies because of its logo and the colours used in it. †¢ Most of the people when asked about jesters pies, they have a positive response like, ‘good quality for the price’. So they provide incredible value for money by giving fresh, quality natural ingredients. They also provide fresh vegetables, lean meats and guarantee every pie meets health standards. †¢ People are also attracted towards jesters pies are because of the variety of the pies and value meals the company provides. †¢ People associate jester’s pie as specialised pie outlet. †¢ Most people think jesters as a healthy meal which is free of artificial flavourings, colourings and MSG. †¢ People don’t associate jester’s pie with its other products like sausage rolls, wedges, or coffee. But they feel that some changes can be made by introducing chips to the menu. Recommendations This report has analysed the Jesters Company. It has looked not only the marketing programme side but also the side of the consumer. From what we have found from looking at these components the following recommendations can be made- †¢ Firstly from what was gathered in the interviews not a lot of the consumers had seen much Jesters advertising and if they had it wasn’t very effective. Jesters should start advertising through the most effective medium, TV, this will increase brand awareness. †¢ Another recommendation follows on from the previous one. Jesters need to develop more awareness amongst its target customers. From people we have spoken to a lot of them were unaware of Jesters pies and the brand itself. In order to be successful brand awareness needs to be built up amongst the potential customers. †¢ Another issue gathered from the interviews was that the people who consumed Jesters said they were limited because of the lack of restaurants in handy locations. Perhaps to get more out there in the market they could locate some stores in key areas like around universities and more locations in the CBD How to cite Jesters Pies, Essay examples

Plastic Bags In Australia Haoran Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Plastic Bags In Australia Haoran. Answer: Problem statement The plastic bags pose many threats to the ecosystem which jeopardize human life and also give a bad impression of the environment, the excerpt is to identify the impact the polythene bags has on marine life which is major problem another problem is landfilling space, whereby the plastic bags because of their non-biodegradability makes it difficult in decomposing the materials. The expert also intends to solve the problem of greenhouse effect since when coal, oil, and gas are used they emit life-threatening greenhouse accelerators, on the other hand, the plastic pockets result in filling the land which is also a significant generator pf greenhouse accelerators. Lastly, plastic bags contribute much in cleaning up the filthiness, so governments incur many costs as they channel a lot of resources into the cleaning up programFehily (2009). Change is irresistible when a new dawn came every mechanism used to fight the ban was useless and the baby was set for birth. Different classes of people hovered with their interest glaring however change was due and ban had to be effected. Following more closely to the ban the council issued directives to the staff with their steadfast dictate on the process execution. Important to note is that the ban didi not allow space for adoption but it was actualized as soon as it was proposed. Objectives Help give the public, information that is up to date about issues on the anti-plastic. Another objective is that it helps recycle, reduce and reuse so as to achieve a zero waste policy. Helps educate the public about the effects of the plastic bags on the environment, how the plastic bags destroy the natural resources, the high cost incurred in the future so as to clean up the litter. It is overly broad referring to utilities. It should be incorporated as the elimination of impacts in relation to use of plastic carry out bags as environmental pollution, biological resources, terrestrial environment, water quality, marine, and aesthetics. In addition, the objective is varied since it supports past environmental impacts of the use of bags. It is considered as an objective with no negative documented environmental impact in relation to use of plastic bags, thus a not valid objective. The other objective aims at promoting a shift regarding the use of reusable carry out bags used by retai l customers. In an ordained proposal, the consumer has three choices; a reuse able bag, recyclable paper bag or no bag at all. Finally, decreasing litter and environment pollutants to prevent water systems, aesthetics, and terrestrial environment. This entails the summary of other objectivesJalil (2013). Credibility of the campaign To make the campaign more credible we have to consider several emerges, the campaign required a clearly delimitated goal which makes the campaign more achievable, the campaign demanded the understanding of the audience who are ones to make decisions concerning plastic bag ban. The campaign also for credibility calls for s more strong content reflecting the ant plastic use campaign, the message is required to concisely state what the purpose and overall aim of the campaign. A strategy is key in making the campaign credible because the campaigner will have the leverage of influencing decision makers to campaign with interest of reducing paper bag use. The campaign needs to make the ban of plastic bag a requirement, this is to be done through education of the public and also avail statistics and facts basing on how the plastic bags pollute the environment which is an expense to the taxpayers when money is used to persuade individuals to instead campaign. A strategy to implement the anti-plastic bag use will be: Enforcing measures for recycling and recovering of life end products Restriction of plastic bags supply Having must requirements in position concerning deposition of plastic bags Enforcing restrictions to some products to enhance recycling An integrated strategy map of this schemes is stipulated below. A strategy to implement the anti-plastic bag use will be: Enforcing measures for recycling and recovering of life end products Restriction of plastic bags supply Having must requirements in position concerning deposition of plastic bags Enforcing restrictions to some products to enhance recycling An integrated strategy map of this schemes is stipulated below. Campaign outcome The campaign objectives did not meet all the objectives at it was required there was still some significant plastic bag use. No substantial parity in effectiveness among the means of communication this was because of low intensity of campaign communications Oman(2010). Conclusion In summary, plastic bag ban is very important to the environment as reduces the green gas effect, marine life is protected from dirt emitted to it by plastic bags and lastly, a plastic-free environment is more appealing and gives a good look. A strategy to implement the anti-plastic bag use will be: Enforcing measures for recycling and recovering of life end products Restriction of plastic bags supply Having must requirements in position concerning deposition of plastic bags Enforcing restrictions to some products to enhance recycling An integrated strategy map of these schemes is stipulated below. Campaign outcome The campaign objectives did not meet all the objectives at it was required there was still some significant plastic bag use. No substantial parity in effectiveness among the means of communication this was because of low intensity of campaign communications. Conclusion In summary, plastic bag ban is very important to the environment as reduces the green gas effect, marine life is protected from dirt emitted to it by plastic bags and lastly, a plastic-free environment is more appealing and gives a good look. Campaign outcome The campaign objectives did not meet all the objectives at it was required there was still some significant plastic bag use. No substantial parity in effectiveness among the means of communication this was because of low intensity of campaign communications. Conclusion In summary, plastic bag ban is very important to the environment as reduces the green gas effect, marine life is protected from dirt emitted to it by plastic bags and lastly, a plastic-free environment is more appealing and gives a good look. Environment policy Environment policy will assist in the governance of anti-plastic use through the establishment of environmental laws and supporting initiatives. This is rules and norms based on environment pollution some of the environmental policies will include; a dedication to the environmental policy, this policy requires assessment of efforts to abbreviate pollution and bring off their innate resources. Establishment of performance reviews program, this will aid in establishing communicated decision concerning the environment. Having a monitoring and appraisal program. The environmental policy also needs to address how the public will be educated for sustainable development of the environment. Again the environment policy contains issued based on ecosystem impact assessment, industrial accidents, and water resources and lastly, it requires public participation for effective implementation Sutton(2012). A strategy to implement the anti-plastic bag use will be: Enforcing measures for recycling and recovering of life end products Restriction of plastic bags supply Having must requirements in position concerning deposition of plastic bags Enforcing restrictions to some products to enhance recycling An integrated strategy map of these schemes is stipulated below. Campaign outcome The campaign objectives did not meet all the objectives at it was required there was still some significant plastic bag use. No substantial parity in effectiveness among the means of communication this was because of low intensity of campaign communications. Conclusion In summary, plastic bag ban is very important to the environment as reduces the green gas effect, marine life is protected from dirt emitted to it by plastic bags and lastly, a plastic-free environment is more appealing and gives a good lookStakeholdermap (2017). References Fehily, T., Company (2009) Consultancy study on plastic bags. Report prepared for the Department of Environment and Local Government, Dublin. Haoran, H., 2010. The effects of an environmental policy on consumers: lessons from the Chinese plastic bag regulation. Institutionen fr nationalekonomi med statistic, Handelshgskolan vid Gteborgs Universitet. Homan, 2010. The effects of an environmental policy on consumers: lessons from the Chinese plastic bag regulation. Institutionen fr nationalekonomi med statistic, Handelshgskolan vid Gteborgs Universitet. Jalil, M.A., Mian, M.N. and Rahman, M.K., 2013. Using plastic bags and its damaging impact on environment and agriculture: An alternative proposal. International Journal of Learning and Development, 3(4), pp.1-14. Santos, S.C., Sousa, C.V.E., Sampaio, D.D.O. and Fagundes, A.F.A., 2013. The impact of using compostable carrier bags on consumer behavior in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Ambiente Sociedade, 16(4), pp.1-18. Stakeholdermap.com. (2017). Articles on Stakeholder Management. Sutton, J. and Turner, B., 2012. Plastic Bags: Hazards and Mitigation.vvv

Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training

Introduction Developing an effective and efficient labor force is essential in organizations’ pursuit to achieve long-term excellence. Acemoglu and Pischke are of the opinion that human capital is the engine of achieving the desired growth (112). Human resource managers should ensure that their workforce has the right skills in order to improve the organizations’ performance.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The effectiveness of an organization’s human capital will play a vital role in enhancing its competitive advantage and efficiency. Organizations characterized by quality-oriented employees will outdo quantity-oriented workforce. One of the ways through which an organization can transform its labor force into being quality-oriented is by investing in apprenticeship training. Investing in apprenticeship is an effective way through which an organization can enhance employee development by instilling the desired skills and competence. This aspect increases the employees’ level of effectiveness and efficiency (Ryan The economics of training 56). Additionally, the skills acquired must be utilized effectively in order to achieve the desired growth. Acemoglu and Pischke contend that the long-term success of an organization is subject to the degree to which employees are committed in developing specific skills (112). Some of the specific skills cannot be acquired through general-purpose education. Currently, organizations are operating in a vibrant environment arising from the high rate of economic, social, political, and technological changes. Vemic asserts that the increase in the level of uncertainty, turbulence and complexity arising from the environment demands organizations to invest in knowledge (209). Subsequently, organizational managers have an obligation to invest in continuou s learning, which is effectively achieved through workplace training. In an effort to achieve the desired level of efficiency, policy makers including governments are increasingly appreciating the significance of apprenticeship. For example, during his first term in office, Clinton made skills development through training a key policy issue. The objective was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the less skilled employees.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Acemoglu and Pischke are of the opinion that the â€Å"increase in the returns to a college degree and other skills experienced in the OECD countries over the past 20 years has added the sense of urgency to concerns regarding skills† (112). Considering the importance of apprenticeship in organizations’ efforts to achieve long-term survival, this paper evaluates the costs and motives of apprentice ship training on the employers’ perspective. In order to understand the significance of apprenticeship, the paper assesses its application in Germany and Switzerland. Cost analysis of apprenticeship training Mohrenweiser and Zwick are of the opinion that an â€Å"increase of the apprenticeship share in trade, commercial, craft, or construction occupations has a positive impact on establishment performance; however, apprenticeship training increases the net cost of operation during the apprenticeship period† (631). Subsequently, employers incur a number of costs by investing in apprenticeship training. Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders cite apprentice wages as one of the major costs incurred by employers in their efforts to invest in apprenticeship (10). The apprentices’ remuneration increases due to the different aspects such as workers’ compensation, payroll tax, superannuation, and wages. Employers have an obligation to make payment to the apprenticesâ⠂¬â„¢ superannuation fund (Wolter and Ryan 550). Acemoglu and Pischke assert that different countries have formulated extensive and complex legislations, which aim at protecting workers (119). During the apprenticeship period, employers have the duty of safeguarding the apprentice in the workplace. Consequently, the employer must ensure health and safety of the apprentices. In the event of an accident or injury, the employer has the responsibility of meeting the apprentices’ hospital bills. In a bid to safeguard against such issues, employers are required to include the apprentices in the workers compensation plan within the organization. Various governments have made it mandatory for organizations to ensure that apprentices receive a fair remuneration during their apprenticeship. The amount of remuneration is dependent on a number of factors. Some of these factors relate to the years of training, nature of apprenticeship, and year of school completion. Entry-level apprentice s receive a relatively lower remuneration as compared to mature age apprentices.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The differences arise from the view that mature apprentices are more productive as compared to their young counterparts, which contributes to higher organizational performance. For example, the UK government has made it mandatory for employers to pay apprentices during the entire period of their apprenticeship. According to the UK government policy, the payment has to be equal to the set national minimum wage. Apprentices serving for the first year and whose age is above 16 years are entitled to a minimum wage at the rate of  £ 2.68 per hour. After one year, the employers have an obligation to pay the apprentices at the rate applicable to their age. Furthermore, the remuneration is also pegged on the trainees’ educational grade. The remuneration paid has to reflect the training received, which reflects their responsibility. Booth and Snower argue that employers have an obligation to treat the apprentices in a similar manner as employees (19). This aspect means that the apprentices are entitled to other benefits similar to other employees in an organization. Some of these benefits include allowances and any other financial benefits that the employer may be required to pay over and above the set gross wages. In Australia, employers are required to pay apprentices all the benefits as outlined by the workplace agreement and the industry award. In addition to remuneration, employers also incur substantial costs in paying the training personnel (Stevens 37). In an effort to ensure that employees are trained adequately, an organization may decide to outsource the training function. Outsourcing the training function may be expensive for an organization. The outsourced firm may charge high trainin g fees especially in training executives, which hikes the cost of outsourcing the training function. This assertion holds if an organization is required to train its workforce constantly. Furthermore, the organization may decide to source the training function in-house. Despite this aspect, the internal trainer may charge a high fee.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mohrenweiser and Backes-Gellener define training fees as the costs incurred by an organization in paying an internal or external trainer (5). It is imperative for organizations to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether outsourcing the training function or conducting it in-house (Ryan The institutional requirements 12). Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders further assert that employers incur a number of indirect costs (10). Examples of such costs include administration costs, material wastage and extra maintenance, and apprentice supervision costs. During the apprentice period, the employer has an obligation to ensure that the apprentice receives appropriate qualification. Subsequently, the employer should ensure that the apprentice is supervised effectively during the entire apprenticeship program. Clark asserts that organizations should not assume that the apprentice is conversant with the responsibilities being allocated with time, hence diminishing the intensity of supe rvision (245). This assertion arises from the view that the apprentice will encounter new challenges in the course of undertaking the on-the-job training. In most cases, the supervisory responsibility is allocated to a qualified employee, who is charged with the responsibility of constantly reviewing the apprentice’s practices in order to ensure that he meets the intended quality, thus ensuring that his/her safety at the workplace is guaranteed. Therefore, the amount of time that the supervisor is actively involved in the operation of the firm is affected, which reduces his productivity. Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders further argue that the cost incurred is relatively high if the apprentice does not complete the apprenticeship (10). This assertion emanates from the view that the employer does not enjoy the apprentice’s productivity later during his or her time in the organization. Substantial administration costs are involved in planning apprenticeship. For example, human resource managers spend a lot of time scheduling work and planning off-the-job training. The apprentices have the right to attend off-the-job training. In addition to the above costs, the employer also incurs a substantial costs originating from material wastage and extra maintenance. An organization may be required to purchase additional equipment and materials in order to undertake the training process successfully. An analysis of how the costs of apprenticeship are shared between employers, apprentices and the government Most governments are cognizant of the role of organizations in enhancing organizational performance. Subsequently, governments are increasingly supporting organizations in their operations. Dustmann and Schonberg contend that industrialized countries are appreciating vocational training as an important aspect in strengthening their growth and competitiveness (36). One of the avenues through which this goal is being achieved is by supporting organizationâ₠¬â„¢s apprenticeship programs. For example, Sweden, the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK are some of the economies that have advocated organizations to invest in apprenticeship. In an effort to support such initiatives, governments are contributing a substantial amount in supporting the apprenticeship schemes. Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders cite incentive payments as one of the ways through which governments are supporting apprenticeship schemes (24). One of the requirements that organizations are required to invest in includes off-job training such as in-class training. In a bid to support organizations, governments are increasingly paying the tuition fee for organizations that have incorporated a comprehensive apprenticeship-training program. Nechvoglod, Karmel, and Saunders assert, â€Å"The tuition fees charged to students make up a very small part of the overall apprenticeship cost† (24). However, governments support organization in order to sustain such appr enticeship programs in organizations. Dustmann and Schonberg argue that the appreciation of apprenticeship in some industrialized countries such as Austria, France, the US, and Italy have led to significant increment in support of apprenticeship programs through school-based and full-time apprenticeship colleges (36). Similarly, countries such as Switzerland and Germany have adopted firm-based apprenticeship programs. These schemes are designed to train employees through a combination of on-the-job training and school-based training. The programs last for 2 to 3 years (Dustmann Schonberg 36). In Canada, the provincial and federal governments are involved in funding the apprenticeship program. For example, during its â€Å"2011/2012 fiscal year, the Canadian federal government provided direct support to apprenticeship program amounting to approximately $185 billion† (Dustmann Schonberg 38). Furthermore, the government supported organizations that have adopted apprenticeship schemes through a $ 172 million fund, which was specifically set aside for the apprentices’ insurance. In Ontario, Canada, the provincial government provides employers, who have adopted the concept of apprenticeship, with a tax credit amounting to 35% to 45% of the total cost of recruiting an apprentice (Lerman 4). Other governments support apprenticeship by incorporating a subsidy on the training firms. For example, the UK government has developed a fund through the National Apprenticeship Service. The fund covers the total costs incurred by organizations through off-the-job training. However, the fund only supports apprentices aged between 16 and 18 years. Furthermore, the UK government supports organizations that have adopted an apprenticeship-training program for individuals aged between 16 and 17 years through the Apprenticeship Grants for Employees, which was established in 2010. Employers who incorporate apprentices within the 16 to 17 years range receive  £2,500 gra nt. In Australia, training firms receive $ 1,250 support, which is increased to $ 4,000 upon completion of the training. This aspect highlights the extent to which governments are committed in supporting organizations to invest in developing their workforce through apprenticeship. Therefore, it is imperative for organizational managers in such economies to consider investing in employee development by investing in apprenticeship programs. Governments’ support for apprenticeship training is also applicable in Germany and Switzerland. However, Dustmann and Schonberg assert that public funding in Switzerland and Germany is only applicable to part-time vocational education (36). This aspect means that Swiss and German companies receive minimal direct public funding as opposed to British firms, which receive substantial direct public funding. Comparison of apprenticeship training; Switzerland and Germany; cost and benefit analysis Soskice assert that a number of studies have been conducted in an effort to assess costs and benefits of apprenticeship training practices in Switzerland and Germany (25). These studies provide significant insight on the apprenticeship systems implemented in the two countries (Soskice 25). Available empirical research shows that apprenticeship training in Switzerland is subject to the net cost of the training program (Hanushek and Welch 618). Similarly, another study conducted in Germany shows that the costs and benefits associated with training have a significant influence on apprentice training in Germany. Dionisius et al. assert that Germany and Switzerland â€Å"have adopted dual vocational education and training [VET] system† (1). Therefore, the apprenticeship system is comprised of school-based education [training through special vocational institutions] and through on-the-job training. Subsequently, the two countries are effective in enhancing apprenticeship training (Wolfgang and Soskice1). However, the costs and ben efits associated with the apprenticeship training behavior amongst the two countries vary significantly. Apprenticeship training in Switzerland is usually beneficial to an organization during the training period. German firms incur significant net costs in the course of training apprentices. The difference between the two countries emanate from the prevailing â€Å"structural differences such as industry structure, wage levels, and firm characteristics† (Dionisius et al. 1). Moreover, the differences between the two companies arise from the prevailing labor market regulations. The study conducted by Dionisius et al. shows a significant difference with regard to cost-benefit ratio from the employers’ perspective between the two countries (5). According to the study, â€Å"the average annual cost of apprentice training in Germany amounts to â‚ ¬15,537 and that of Switzerland is estimated to be â‚ ¬18,131† (Dionisius et al. 5). During the three years of the a pprenticeship training, the total costs amounts to â‚ ¬7,785, thus making a substantial impact on the organizations’ wage bill. Despite this aspect, an organization can gain significant benefits during the apprenticeship program. Dionisius et al. assert that the â€Å"value of productive contribution of apprentices is high in Switzerland, where the average benefit amounts to â‚ ¬ 19,044, and thus the average benefit accrued by training a single apprentice in Germany amounts to â‚ ¬ 8,008† (5). Apprenticeship training in Germany leads to higher net costs of approximately â‚ ¬ 7,528 per year as compared to a net benefit of â‚ ¬913 per apprentice in Switzerland. Consequently, the change between Germany and Switzerland with regard to a 3-year apprenticeship-training program amounts to â‚ ¬25,323. The net costs of apprenticeship training amongst German firms are relatively higher as compared to Swiss firms. The high net cost of apprenticeship arises from t he costs of the training personnel and the apprentices’ wages (Ryan Apprenticeship 102). The cost of â€Å"training an apprentice at the managerial level is 46% higher while that of a full-time trainer is 24% higher in Switzerland as compared to Germany† (Dionisius et al. 7). Similarly, wages of training specific skill such as technicians, artisanship, and administrative skills are 53%, 71%, and 60% higher in Switzerland as compared to Germany. Additionally, training an apprentice who does not have any vocational qualification is 59% higher in Switzerland as compared to Germany (Dionisius et al. 5). Despite the above comparison, the wage costs incurred in training apprentices are higher in Germany as compared to Switzerland (Hanushek and Welch 618). Wage costs are higher during the first year, but they decrease significantly through the second and the third year. The chart below illustrates the change in wage costs for apprenticeship training during the 1st to the 3rd year. Year Change 1 â‚ ¬ 1,344 2 â‚ ¬ 456 3 -â‚ ¬ 981 Table 1: Graph 1 Source: (Dionisius et al. 6) The differences are as a result of the duration that an apprentice spends at the vocational school, which varies significantly between Switzerland and Germany. The difference is estimated to be â€Å"15 days, 10 days, and 8 days during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years in Germany† (Dionisius et al. 6). This aspect explains why apprentices in Germany spend a relatively long durations in undertaking external and internal courses and in undertaking internship programs in diverse establishments (Hanushek and Welch 619).On the other hand, Swiss apprentices spend most of their time at the workplace, which increases the performance and productivity of the training firm. Dionisius et al. assert that Swiss apprentices spend an additional 23 days during the 1st year, 18 days during the 2nd year, and 13 days during the 3rd year in of their apprenticeship training in the wo rkplace (6). In addition to the above differences, the variation in the costs and benefits between Germany and Switzerland arises from the nature of training within a particular firm. Firms have the discretion in allocating tasks to apprentices during their training program. This aspect leads to the development of specific skills, and thus they can be allocated productive activities, which are usually undertaken by skilled employees or other tasks undertaken by unskilled employees (Wolfgang and Soskice12). Previous studies show point to a significant difference on the allocation of duties between Swiss and German firms. The amount of time that apprentices in German firms are engaged in non-productive tasks is higher as compared to Swiss firms (Hanushek and Welch 618). The table below illustrates the extent to which duration within which apprentices are engaged in unproductive tasks in German firms exceed Swiss firms during the 3-year apprenticeship-training program. Year Points 1 +36% 2 +28% 3 +18% Table 2 Graph 2 Source: (Dionisius et al. 7) It is estimated that Swiss â€Å"apprentices spend over 468 days of their entire apprenticeship period at the workplace† (Dionisius et al. 7). Eighty three percent (83%) of this period is undertaken by productive activities. On the other hand, German apprentices use â€Å"approximately 415 days at the firm offering the apprenticeship training of which 57% of this time is consumed by productive activities† (Dionisius et al. 7). The net cost of â€Å"apprenticeship training between German and Swiss firms is estimated to be â‚ ¬ 25,000 during a 3-year training program† (Dionisius et al.17) and this difference arises from a number of factors, which include the countries’ vocational education training systems, relative wages, and allocation of tasks amongst apprentices. The above comparison shows that German and Swiss firms can be in a position to influence the costs and benefits ass ociated with apprenticeship training. Hanushek and Welch accentuate that most firms in Germany are willing to cover the net costs incurred in apprenticeship training (617). This assertion arises from the view that the German government has instituted effective employment protection legislations, which is not the case in Switzerland. Consequently, â€Å"Swiss firms are forced to train apprentices in a cost-efficient manner† (Hanushek and Welch 618). However, the wage difference for apprentices between â€Å"skilled and unskilled apprentices is an additional motivation for Swiss firms to adopt production-oriented strategy rather than investment-oriented strategy in developing their apprenticeship-training program† (Hanushek and Welch 618). Incentives and disincentives of apprenticeship training to employers An organization can accrue a number of benefits through apprenticeship training. Acemoglu and Pischke argue that apprenticeship enables an organization to enhance fir m-specific skills amongst its workforce (124). This move enhances the quality of output amongst the employees. Acquisition of firm-specific skills influences the efficiency and effectiveness with which an employee utilizes the general skills. Furthermore, adopting such skills fosters the effectiveness with which employees execute their duties effectively, which minimizes instances of injury and other safety hazards. Moreover, investing in apprenticeship training enhances the quality of work amongst employees. Subsequently, one can argue that apprenticeship increases the productivity of employees. For example, possessing knowledge on the application of certain software is beneficial to an organization if the employee uses the software to execute tasks specific to his division, which makes the general and specific skills to complement each other (Acemoglu and Pischke 124). Therefore, one can argue that investing in apprenticeship training increases the probability of an organization d eveloping a pool of experienced human capital. This aspect culminates in significant improvement in an organization’s competitiveness, performance, and growth. Investing in human capital development through apprenticeship training presents employers with an opportunity to access government support. However, an organization must invest in in-class training. In addition, organizations may access future government support. One of the benefits that the organization may access relates to tax credit. For example, the government may waive a certain percent of the corporate tax during the period of apprenticeship. Such government support may improve the organizations’ long-term performance. By investing in apprenticeship, the employer is in a position to develop a strong human capital base. One of the ways through which this end is realizable is by incorporating the concept of diversity. The apprenticeship program incorporates apprentices of different demographic characteristi cs such as age and educational qualification. This aspect improves the effectiveness and efficiency with which the organization develops a pool of experienced workforce. Workforce diversity is one of the most important organizational assets as it enhances the development of a knowledge-based organization through information sharing (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 111). Adopting apprenticeship as a way of recruiting employees can improve the effectiveness and efficiency with which an organization achieves competitive advantage with regard to human capital base. Subsequently, the likelihood of achieving business excellence increases, as apprenticeship training provides employees with an opportunity to progress through their career path. Consequently, the likelihood of achieving their desired career goals improves significantly. This aspect leads to a significant improvement in an organization’s corporate image, which further improves its competitiveness i n the labor market. Saks and Haccoun are of the opinion that the image of an organization is fundamental in its quest to develop competitiveness with regard to human capital (209). This assertion arises from the view that potential employees prefer associating and working with such a company. Subsequently, the likelihood of such a firm succeeding in its recruitment drives is high. Soskice asserts that apprenticeship training increases the employee retention rate significantly (37). Despite the attractiveness of apprenticeship training as illustrated above, a number of aspects de-motivate employers from investing in such programs. One of the main disincentives relates to the cost involved in hiring and retaining apprentices. Different economies have stipulated a comprehensive bill of rights, which is applicable to apprentices. Some of the issues articulated in such bills relate to the right to fair and equitable remuneration. For example, apprentices have the right to all the benefit s applicable to other employees. Subsequently, most organizations perceive the cost of apprenticeship training as a major factor in their operations. The other disincentive arises from the view that organizations are not guaranteed of the continued service of the apprentice in the organization. Some apprentices may leave the organization after or before completion of the training program, which is a major cost to the organization. Conclusion The above analysis identifies apprenticeship training as one of the most important elements in organizations’ efforts to develop competitive advantage with regard to human capital. Subsequently, governments are increasingly formulating policies advocating integration of apprenticeship training amongst firms. Furthermore, different governments are supporting apprenticeship programs directly or indirectly either through tax credit or by paying the tuition fee for apprentices. However, the paper shows that firms encounter a number of costs a nd benefits through apprenticeship training. Some of the major costs are associated with the â€Å"apprentices’ wages, costs of paying the training personnel, and wastage of materials† (Booth and Snower 88). These costs vary across countries. For example, the study shows that Swiss firms gain significantly as opposed to German firms. The difference in the costs and benefits arises from the prevailing legislations and industry structure. Despite the costs incurred, an organization can gain a number of benefits from apprenticeship training. Some of these benefits relate to improved corporate image, developing competitive advantage with regard to human capital, and high rate of employee retention. Subsequently, it is imperative for stakeholders and policy makers to create an effective environment for companies to adopt the concept of apprenticeship training in developing their labor force. Works Cited Acemoglu, Daron, and Jorn-Steffene Pischke. â€Å"Beyond Becker: Train ing in imperfect labor markets.† The Economics Journal 109.453 (1999): 112-142.Print. Booth, Alison, and Dennis Snower. Acquiring skills: Market failures, their  symptoms and policy responses, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print. Clark, Fahr. â€Å"Transferability, mobility and youth training in Germany and Britain; simple theoretical analysis.† Konjunkturpolitik 48.3 (2002): 235-255. Print. Dionisius, Regina, Samuel Muhlemann, Pfeifer Harld, Walden Gunter, and Wolter, Stefan. â€Å"Cost benefit of apprenticeship training; a comparison of Germany and Switzerland.† Applied Economics Quarterly 55.1 (2009):7-36. Print Dustmann, Christian, and Uta Schonberg. â€Å"What makes firm-based vocational training schemes successful? The role of commitment.† American Economic Journal of Applied Economics 4.2 (2012): 36-61. Print. Hanushek, Eric, and Finis Welch. Handbook of the economics of education,  Amsterdam: North-Holland, 2011. Print. Lerman, R obert. Expanding apprenticeship training in Canada; perspective from  international experience, New York: American University, 2014. Print. Mohrenweiser, Jens, and Thomas Zwick. â€Å"Why do firms train apprentices? The net cost puzzle reconsidered.† Labor Economics 16.4 (2009): 631-637. Print. Mohrenweiser, Jens, and Uschi Backes-Gellener. â€Å"Apprenticeship training- what for? Investment in human capital or substitution of cheap labor.† International Journal of Manpower 31.5 (2010) 545-62. Print. Nechvoglod, Lisa, Tom Karmel, and John Saunders. The cost of training  Apprentices, Adelaide, SA: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2009. Print. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: Learning for jobs. Paris: OECD, 2010. Print. Ryan, Paul. Apprenticeship; between theory and practice, school and work, Zurich: University of Zurich, 2011. Print. —. The economics of training: International Encyclopedia of Business  and Management, London: Routledge, 2001. Print. —. â€Å"The institutional requirements of apprenticeship: evidence from smaller EU countries.† International Journal of Training and Development 4.1 (2000): 11-16. Print. Saks, Alan, and Robert Haccoun. Managing performance through training and  Development, Toronto: Nelson Education, 2010. Print. Soskice, David. Reconciling markets and institutions; the German apprenticeship  System, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994. Print. Stevens, Margaret. â€Å"Transferable training and poaching externalities.† Acquiring  Skills: Market Failures, their Symptoms and Policy Responses. Ed. Alison Booth and Dennis Snower. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 19-40. Print. Vemic, Jelena. â€Å"Employee training and development and the learning organization.†Ã‚  Economics and organization 4.2 (2007): 209-216. Print. Wolfgang, Franz, and David Soskice. â€Å"The German apprenticeship system.†Ã‚  ECONSTOR 4.11 (1994): 1-29. Wolter, Stefan, and Paul Ryan. â€Å"Apprenticeship.† Handbook of the Economics of  Education, Volume 3. Ed. Eric Hanushek, Stephen Machin, and Ludger Woessmann. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2011. 521-570. Print. This term paper on Costs and Motives in Apprenticeship Training was written and submitted by user Galilea B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Chapter 9 Meeting Technology Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Chapter 9 Meeting Technology Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Chapter 9 Meeting Technology The introduction to technology can have impacts on the meetings, convention, and expositions industry. In this information age, technology becomes an indispensable part of our lives and it is very valuable and important to the meetings, convention, and expositions industry. Technology such as overhead projectors, telecommunications and computerized meetings can enhance meeting presentations and it can further affect meetings which is in the planning stages as the meeting planners can discover the invaluable capabilities of the technology advances and building relationship with the attendees with the availability of technology. The types of technology available to the meetings, conventions, and expositions industry includes visual presentation and projection media such as overhead and slide projectors and non-projection media and they can enhance the impression and retention if audience can see and hear the information. Technologies would be electronic writing boards, teleconferencing and closed- circuit television. Also, people will use video recordings in the meetings, conventions, and expositions The major disadvantages of technology is the cost, yet using technology in this industry is the key to success. Using independent audiovisual supplier for company to provide services needed for the meetings, conventions, and expositions by themselves is popular nowadays.The use of LCD panel, videoconferencing and three-dimensional imagery is also a popular technology now. Moreover, technology makes the work of meeting planning more easily and convenient and also saves the time for planning. Also, the promotional videotapes, fax machines and E-mail is very useful for successful planning. For how the technology can help the meeting attendee, the business center which is most likely for business travelers, telecommunication technology and computerized check-in and check-out contributed a lot for making meetings more successful.Thus, the introduction of technologies into the meetings, conventions, and expositions industry can enhance and enrich this industry and hence all areas in this industry can be impacted by the technologies used as it can provide outstanding services and further affect the future development of the meetings, conventions, and expositions industry. Chapter 10: changes affecting the meetings and conventions industryThere are three factors that affect the attendees to join a meeting, convention or exposition or not. The first factor is information and understanding about the payback for their time and money Second, is their expectation of how the meeting will enable them to grow personally or to allow them to indulge themselves and spend on quality activities or to allow them to do serious business. The last factor is the consideration of the area of service. Yet, the main reason for people to meet is to educate themselves and for building network. Since being a city for holding meeting, convention or exposition can generate huge amount of revenue, so big cities as well as the small cities want people to hold meeting in their cities. Also, they will invest in services and products to enhance their images. Spending money to have investment on expanding the current facilities, public transportation and airport access or develop the new one to equip themselves better and make travelers move conveniently. Also, promoting local tourist attractions can make the city more attractive for group business. On the other hand, the advantage of small cities is that they are cheaper than the big city to hold meetings and to do business in. Moreover, education is an indispensable part of the meeting, convention or exposition industry and the role of education continues to become a dominator in this industry into the next millennium. And educating the people to have professional mindsets and professionalism behavior is important to attend success in this industry as well as developing future leaders. The enhancement of technology, training and other skills needed to be a major strategy for the professional and trade association in the future. In order to enhance the competitiveness of the organization, it is important to have an international visions and missions in this globalized industry. Finally, we need to discuss about the logistic of planning an international meeting. We need to have a local host or host organization for handling the details of the event with a good communication and contact the tourism board about it. Also the registration of the event is needed and we should think of the security issues to enable

Diagnosis in Mental Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Diagnosis in Mental Health - Essay Example Thus resulting in the person becoming convinced this way also. Does this 'diagnostic label' reflect a truth about what psychiatric diagnosis actually is Example: An interim medical professional was training. The medical professional sat in a ward within approximate distance from the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist was interviewing a woman who was very depressed, her husband was with her. The husband made a comment such as, "We just want to know what is making her depressed, doctor." The psychiatrist dismissed this, said that they had to understand that she had a "depressive illness", that this was "an illness like any other kind of illness", and that they would be treating this (the 'treatment' consisted of antidepressants .) So that's it! What's causing this depression Is Depression causing this depression (or substitute 'schizophrenia', 'bipolar', etc). The doctor -usually a medical doctor, sometimes a clinical psychologist, is usually expected to judge whether the collection of feelings, experiences and behaviors you described and observed, fit into one of the categories in the psychiatric diagnostic manuals that the pr... bserves about the behaviour, and can elicit from the patient their feelings, experiences and behaviour - which usually happens within a short interview. There are alternatives to diagnostic classification in mental health. Reports suggest mental health professionals will start avoiding diagnosis and concentrating instead on what problems the person was experiencing, needed to deal with, and on the context in which these problems had arisen. There is a debate happening about the usefulness of diagnosis, particularly in clinical psychology, that rather than try to fit people into distinct diagnostic categories, given our states of psychological distress and disturbance as existing on a continuum, on a spectrum, using an approach called 'formulation'. This approach is used by some professionals, which, concentrates on the difficulties the person is experiencing and their particular circumstances and looks to help with these. This report will address diagnosis in mental health, advantages and disadvantages of diagnosis in mental health, self-fulfilling prophesy, problems with diagnosis and the social impact mental illness has on society. Definition The word diagnosis comes directly from the Greek, but with different meaning. To the Greeks a diagnosis is interpreted to mean a "discrimination, a distinguishing, or a discerning between two possibilities." History The history of medical diagnosis began in days of Imhotep in ancient Egypt and Hippocrates in ancient Greece. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are four diagnostic methods: inspection, auscultation-olfaction, interrogation, and palpation.[9] A Babylonian medical textbook, the Diagnostic Handbook written by Esagil-kin-apli (fl. 1069-1046 BC), introduced the use of empiricism, logic and

Brand Evaluation of Starbucks Coffee Assignment

Brand Evaluation of Starbucks Coffee - Assignment Example The major parts of coffee conceived a barricade to application, constraining get access to circulation passages for the use of exclusive agreements with food shop shops, but it was not so in the commerce specialty coffee, where the circulation was made mainly in retail shops belongs to by manufacturers of specialty coffee. These application obstacles more clear offer high or reduced obstacles to application into the specialty coffee commerce and force us to analyze the obstacles to application less transparent. Many cost benefits can be unaligned of scale and can be got by conceiving a place in the commerce at the beginning. They can be passed as first mover advantage. Some of these advantages arrive with a patented, so straightforward get access to raw components, favourable positions and the bend of teaching or experience. Introduction Today we are seeing a new era of coffee, one of Caffe Latte, macchiatos espresso, cappuccino and Frappuccinos. Specialty Coffee is here to stay, and no longer desire to notify you that what Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, the market and conceive a brand synonymous with commitment, honesty and longevity. Main body Starbucks Brand Value The aim of Starbucks' should be established as the most identified and highly regarded in the world. To accomplish this aim, first Starbucks will extend to augment, grow, and grab market opportunities. The major assets of the business are, of course, espresso coffee, which encompasses beverages, tea, nourishment and beverages. Their goods are coffee does not aim on traditional-style coffee, but mostly freezing blended, baked coffee beans, coffee and liqueurs. They furthermore offer a kind of coffee combines in a kind of flavour and style. In supplement, beverages, Starbucks boasts a kind of nourishment for example sandwiches, salads, pastries and ice creams (Venkatraman Nelson 2008). Other choices offer Starbucks the farther use of earnings are accessories and gear for coffee lovers. Novelty pie ces for example cups, crystal, cyclic and vacation goods to supply buyers with Starbucks "a sense of brand loyalty. For those who desire to make the Starbucks know-how at dwelling, there are coffee appliances and grinders for sale. Part of the Starbucks know-how is befitting to depict and resting air with music. This melody is furthermore accessible for sale in its stores. Detail that they took such a gigantic capacity of procedures emphasizes this issue farther with the likelihood to purchase little enterprises and augment their enterprises at negligible cost. The biggest of their undertakings augment more leverage they have with the trading of their goods and services. Starbucks employees are employed to smaller incomes and share earnings for the barista as comparable to the industry. While Starbucks as its competitors on earnings and earnings, they did not capitalize on their workers, premier to inefficiency (Adamy 2008). These outcomes inefficiencies decreased clientele service and approval that Starbucks prides itself. Dissatisfied clients will finally halt buying Starbucks goods next the decrease of the company. When Starbucks started, personalized service is a priority. The reason was to buy a coffee an exclusive experience. However, in latest years with the fast expansion of outlets in latest years this concept has been lost.  

Decline in 4th and 5th Century Art and Literature

Decline in 4th and 5th Century Art and Literature Does the notion of ‘decline’ have any relevance for our understanding of the art and literature of the fourth and fifth centuries? Since the Renaissance it has been common for critics to judge the fourth and fifth centuries as a period of cultural and artistic decline. It has been argued that the Late Roman Empire produced an era of â€Å"artistic and cultural stagnation†[1] and it is crucial to explore whether this notion of ‘decline’ is really relevant in terms of creating a balanced understanding of fourth and fifth century art and literature. Furthermore, it is necessary to address the difficulties produced by dealing with the nature of change within a traditional society[2]; particularly, the judgement of whether that change is for the better or worse, and the impact of modern prejudices on our appreciation of Late Antique art and literature. The notion of ‘decline’ can be interpreted as significant to our understanding of art in this period; especially in terms of the major changes in style which were characteristic of the fourth and fifth centuries. The most fundamental of these changes was the general movement away from the ‘naturalistic’ conventions of classical art[3] towards a more abstract and symbolic style. It is this movement, or decline, away from the esteemed classical apex which has been marked as a negative development[4]. Decline is also apparently seen through the deterioration in the overall quality of Late Antique art. Not only has the workmanship of the period been described by critics as ‘cruder’[5], but the originality of pieces has also been questioned. One such example is the Adlocutio relief on the Arch of Constantine; the juxtaposition of opposing art styles, ‘naturalistic’ and ‘abstract’, has not only been described as of less high quality than earlier art, but it has also formed the basis of the Renaissance critics’ perception of ‘artistic decline’[6]. The quantity of large scale sculpture, an intrinsic part of public display for Emperors and the Roman elite, decreased during the fourth and fifth centuries[7]. This could be interpreted as a change in taste and a new focus on different media for public display, or it could provide further evidence for the ‘decline’ of art. The literature of the fourth and fifth centuries has faced similar criticisms, which also mainly focuses on its movement away from classical conventions. One view is that â€Å"the literature of the period is mostly, as literature, second-rate and unoriginal†[8]. The concept of ‘unoriginality’ is significant to texts from Late Antiquity as many writers had a much greater engagement with earlier literature than their predecessors[9], this could be interpreted as imitation and even more importantly as a decline in creativity or originality. Perhaps more significant however, is the momentous change in style away from that of the classical period. This deviation from the classical ideal has been seen as a debasement and a devolution[10], which may have provided a foundation for the notion of ‘decline’ during the fourth and fifth centuries. The highlighted issues have been based on the lack of eloquence, rhetorical skills or poetic poise in comparison to writers such as Cicero, Ovid and Virgil. Contemporaries such as Jerome and Augustine comment on the changes in style in their works. Jerome describes the style of the religious works as â€Å"rude and repellent†[11] and Augustine declares that such works are â€Å"unworthy to be compared to the stateliness of Ciceronian eloquence†[12]. The influence of Christianity on writers of this period could provide an explanation for the apparent decline in quality of literature. An example where this has affected literature is the subsidiary role of poetry within a society which is completely dominated by the Church and its religious texts[13]. There is a much greater focus on less creative works such as theological literature, which consisted of a high proportion of commentaries on the scriptures[14]. Furthermore, the focus of cultural authority had shifted away from expressive and non-religious literature, and so such works lost their ability to be either intellectually or culturally relevant to contemporary readers[15]. It may be possible to suggest that the notion of decline does have relevance for our understanding of art and literature of the fourth centuries, and perhaps any decline or deterioration is caused by the influences of the strong religious inclinations of this period[16]. However, on the other hand, it is important to recognise that the judgement of decline in relation to this period may have been affected by modern prejudices and the perceived criteria of what constitutes good art and literature. In terms of the artistic ‘decline’, perhaps it would be more beneficial to view this period more neutrally and to recognise that it represents a different concept of art and its stylist mannerisms[17]. More relevant than the notion of decline has to be the notion of change, especially considering that the fourth and fifth century art movement marks the first time since the fifth century BC, that the naturalistic classical conventions shifted towards the abstract[18] and towards the new age of symbolic Middle Age portrayals. A significant area of change and development is the use of churches as an art form[19]. Although public buildings had been a common form of artistic experimentation throughout the history of the Romans, the fourth century brings a new dimension with the influence of Christianity. An example of this is the Church of Magia Sophia in Constantinople, whose architecture demonstrates the artist skill and creativity of the period. The church is described in great detail by Procopius of Caesarea who compares the experiences of viewing it with coming â€Å"upon a meadow with its flowers in full bloom†[20]. The exploration of domes, vaults and space is clearly just as prominent as it was before Late Antiquity[21]; it is just done through the building of Christian churches rather than traditional construction programmes. The Late Antique period features an increase in art works of silver and ivory[22] and also includes the use of elaborate carving techniques in Christian Sarcophagi. Some examples include one from the Mausoleum of Helena, which shows battle scenes between Romans and barbarians, and one from the Mausoleum of Constantina, which is decorated with acanthus scrollwork and cherubs[23]. The increase of the use of high quality carving is a clear demonstration of why the notion of decline should not be applied to the art of the fourth and fifth centuries. Furthermore, the art of this period is not only believed to be of high quality but it also shows a considerable amount of innovation. This included the expanded use of opus sectile panels of inlaid coloured marbles, for example the panels used in the secular Basilica of Junius Bassus from the Esquiline in Rome[24]. Figurative mosaics were also used in more innovative ways, and were introduced into the walls and vaults of buildings rather than just into floors, for example at the Mausoleum of S. Contanza in Rome[25]. An element of continuation can also be seen throughout fourth and fifth century art and shows the merging of new Christian iconography with traditional motifs and styles. Mosaics, for example, continue to be as intricate and stylized in villas[26] and are of the same high quality in public buildings. Some of the more elaborate mosaics seen from this period include the mosaics of St Lawrence at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia[27] in Ravenna, and the mosaics of saints at the Hagios Georgios in Salonika[28]. Imperial art also continues to be prominent well into the fifth century, including bronze and marble statues, reliefs and dedications, and columns and triumphal arches[29]. Some examples of this are the bronze of Constantius II and the marble Theodosain portraits[30]. Many of the traditional motifs survive until after the fifth century[31] and demonstrate that a complete decline cannot have been possible as artists were still able to continue creating works as they had done before. An example of the persistence of classical iconography can be clearly seen in the calendar of the year 354[32]. The notion of decline does not necessarily take into consideration the stages necessary in any stylistic progression and that the â€Å"continuous dialogue† between classical and abstract methods of representation in art[33], is something to be celebrated as development rather than criticised as decline. The relevance of decline in literature is perhaps similarly misjudged and the literature of the fourth and fifth centuries may be under-rated by critics because of the overall conception of a cultural deterioration[34]. The scholars, who suggest that this is a period of â€Å"cultural stagnation†, may have dismissed much of the rich material which was developed alongside the rise of Christianity.[35] The literature of this period needs to be assessed on its own terms and its own context[36], rather than under the constraints of modern fashions and preferences. Rather than being in decline, this period is arguably the ‘Golden Age’ of Christian literature[37] and its sheer volume of surviving works means that it is one of the richest periods for literature in antiquity. Important literary figures, who have all made huge contributions to the Christian literature of the age, include Athanasius, Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine. Augustine has been described as a â€Å"marvellous genius† and his work the â€Å"City of God† has been described as one of the first great philosophies of history. [38] Similarly popular Jerome, who was responsible for the translation of the bible, managed to raise â€Å"scriptural studies to a level not surpassed for many centuries†[39]. Aside from just religious texts, the literary sources for Late Antiquity include panegyrics, legal codices, biographies, histories and geographies[40]. The influence of Christianity led to an increase in popularity of biography, as it supported the role of the individual[41]. One of the best examples is Athanasius’ ‘The Life of Antony’, which helped to spread the concept of monasticism. The increase in biographies of entire communities rather than just an individual are also seen, mainly monastically based, for instance Palladius’ Historia Lausiaca.[42] Historical works were common throughout the period and demonstrated a continuation in traditional literary form; however, they took on a much stronger religious focus, and many took polemical positions either defending or condemning Christianity[43]. Arguably one of the most important of the historical works was the History of Rome by Ammianus Marcellinus. He not only wrote in a style reminiscent of early historians[44], such as Livy or Tacitus, but he also showed a remarkable lack of bias which is often evidenced in the writings of contemporaries[45]. There are also enough surviving letters to make the fourth and fifth centuries one of the major periods for ancient epistolography. Just one example are the letters from Q. Aurelius Symmachus of which we have nine hundred surviving letters, covering the entire period from the 360’s to AD 402[46]. A particularly highly criticised area of literature, in terms of decline, is poetry as many critics thought that they were few writers of that age who could actually rank as true poets in terms of style.[47] However, there is a scholarly split in this matter as many see the fourth century as the time when poetry re-emerged in both popularity and strength[48]. Poets like Porfyrius Optatianus had a huge impact through their poetic achievements and the poetry of the age had a distinctive character that set it apart from its predecessors[49]. Innovation in poetry can be seen through the development of multiple pattern poems, which pushed the boundaries of conventional poetry. One of the key figures in the movement is Porfyrius who had a â€Å"singular ability to manipulate verbal surfaces in varied ways†[50]. The criticism that late antique poetry suffers from an increasing level of imitation and unoriginality should be readdressed as authors may have taken up traditional forms bu t they endowed them with new and exciting qualities[51], which thus created a unique and original work. What appears to be actually prominent in fourth and fifth century poetry is diversity[52] rather than decline. Further literary diversity is brought to the fourth and fifth centuries by the influences from the East and their developments in literary languages. Syriac was already developed as literary language before the fourth century, but it was during this later period that its influence began to be truly felt. The most important surviving works are from Aphrahat and Ephrem and both their texts demonstrate the sophistication of the Syriac culture[53].The importance of Syriac literature can be seen in the fact that Jerome, writing in 392, had already read in Greek translation a work by Ephrem on the Holy Spirit[54]. Their works showed an awareness of Greek rhetorical models[55] and further suggest that this was a period of development and not decline. Less extensive, although still important, is the emergence of the Coptic literature of the Egyptians. Coptic literature was mainly functional and used in a religious context but it did include a translation of the bible. In conclusion, it is possible to understand the reasoning behind the judgement of fourth and fifth century art and literature as part of an overall notion of decline, but much of this is based on modern values and not those of the contemporaries to such art forms. In terms of understanding the literature and art of the period in a non biased and non prejudiced way, it would appear far more beneficial to dismiss the notion of ‘decline’ and adopt a more neutral notion of ‘development’ or ‘change’. A fundamental part of understanding this art and literature is the appreciating of some of its unique features, it particular the conflict and compromise[56] between several religious philosophies and two opposing art styles. Whether viewed in a negative or positive light, it seems wrong to dismiss the art and literature of the period under the demise of decline, when it is in fact diverse, vigorous, and of a high quality. Furthermore, I conclude that th e notion of decline should not have any relevance on our understanding of the art and literature of the fourth and fifth centuries. (Word Count- 2,443) Bibliography Primary Sources Augustine, Confessions, trans. A.C. Outler [Library of Christian Classics], 7 (Philadelphia, 1955) Jerome, Ciceronian or Christian?, in J.Stevenson. 1973. Creeds, Councils and Controversies. London Procopius, Buildings, trans H.B. Dewing [Leob Classical Library], 7 (Harvard, 1940) Secondary Sources Brock, S. 1997. Syriac Culture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 708- 719. Brown, P. L. 1980. Art and Society in Late Antiquity, in K. Weitzmann (ed.), Age of Spirituality: A Symposium. New York. 17-28. Cameron, A. 1993. The Later Roman Empire: AD 284-430. London. Cameron, A. 1997. Education and Literary Culture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 665-707. Dihle, A. 1994. Greek and Latin Literature of the Roman Empire: From Augustus to Justinian. London. Elsner, J. 1997. Art and Architecture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 736-761. Elsner, J. 1998. Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph: The Art of the Roman Empire, AD 100-450. Oxford. Ermatinger, J. W. 2004. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Connecticut. Gibbon, E. (ed.) Bury, J.B. 1966. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roma Empire: Volume 3. London. Grant, M. 1998. From Rome to Byzantium: The Fifth Century AD. London. Jones, A. H. M. 1964. The Later Roman Empire 284-602: A Social, Economic and Administrative Survey Volume II. Oxford. Mastrangelo, M. 2009. International Journal of the Classical Tradition. The Decline of Poetry in the Fourth Century West. Vol 16. 311-329. Mcgill, S. 2012. Latin Poetry, in S. F. Johnson (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity. Oxford. 335-360. Roberts, M. 1989. The Jewelled Sky: Poetry and Poetics in Late Antiquity. New York. Salzman, M. R. 1990. On Roman Time: The Codex-Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity. Berkeley. Smith, M. 1997. Coptic Literature, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 720-735. Strong, D. E. 1976. Roman Art. London. 1 [1] Ermatinger 2004:2 [2] Brown 1980:17 [3] Ermatinger 2004:9 [4] Elsner 1997:739 [5] Elsner 1997:737 [6] Elsner 1998:18 [7] Elsner 1997:737 [8] Grant 1998:77 [9] Mcgill 2012:337 [10]Mcgill 2012:335 [11] Jerome Ep. 22.30 [12] Augustine Confessions 3.6-5.9 [13] Mastrangelo 2009:311 [14] Jones 1964:1011 [15] Mastrangelo 2009:312 [16] Grant 1998:80 [17] Ermatinger 2004:9 [18] Elsner 1997:736 [19] Grant 1998:82 [20] Procopius Buildings 1.1.59 [21] Elsner 1998:11 [22] Cameron 1993:159 [23] Strong 1976:315 [24] Elsner 1997:737-8 [25] Elsner 1997:738 [26] Ermatinger 2004:9 [27] Grant 1998:84 [28] Strong 1976:324 [29] Elsner 1998:11 [30] Elsner 1997:736 [31] Elsner 1998:249 [32] Salzman 1990:70 [33] Roberts 1989:68 [34] Cameron 1997:707 [35] Ermatinger 2004:2 [36] Mcgill 2012:335 [37] Cameron 1997:666 [38] Grant 1998:78 [39] Jones 1964:1011 [40] Ermatinger 2004:2 [41] Cameron 1997:699 [42] Dihle 1994:416 [43] Ermatinger 2004:4 [44] Ermatinger 2004:5 [45] Gibbon 1966:122 [46] Cameron 1997:696 [47] Jones 1964:45 [48] Dihle 1994:400 [49] Mcgill 2012:335 [50] Mcgill 2012:336 [51] Mcgill 2012:337 [52] Mastrangelo 2009:313 [53] Brock 1997:709-10 [54] Brock 1997:717 [55] Brock 1997:714 [56] Ermatinger 2004:2