One Hundred Years of Solitude Relationship between...

One Hundred Years of Solitude:nbsp;nbsp;The Relationship between Ursual and Jose Arcadio Buendia nbsp;In literature, a central relationship can bond a group, and serve as a measure of the vitality of the society that it bonds. One such monumental relationship is that between Ursual and Jose Arcadio Buendia in Gabriel Garcia Marquezs One Hundred Years of Solitude. In the chosen passage, the author uses imagery, metaphors, and characterization to illustrate their relationship, establishing a preview of their future relationship, harboring its development into the measure of stability of that society. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; As the passage opens, the reader is immediately made aware of Jose†¦show more content†¦Jose Arcadio Buendiss diligence and dedication to the task at hand become very apparent from the beginning of the passage. He is dedicated enough to isolate himself in his laboratory, totally focusing on how he can improve life in Macondo. Jose Arcadio Buendia, while in his isolation, pours his heart unto his plans. He spent months doing nothing but using his intellect, desire, and dedication to build his detailed, ingenious plans. Although he does sense defeat and decides to pack up his laboratory equipment, he never does give up the hope that one day, he will lead Macondos citizens into a glorious life, flourishing because of his strong intellect and natural ability. On the contrary to Buendias emotionally driven personality, Ursulas logic and sensibility provide another instrumental part of this momentous relationship. The interpl ay of the two in this passage, definitely illustrative of their relationship later in the novel, is based upon these traits. Oftentimes, Jose Arcardio Buendia has a wild scheme or a plan to improve their lives, and Ursulas logic is very vital to these dreams. Although she knows that his plans are mostly wild rants, she supports him and encourages him to express himself. She watched him with innocent attention and felt pity for Buendia, because even though

Headache Free Essays

{draw:frame} Severe Headaches Associated With Higher Temperatures, Lower Barometric Pressures Although large numbers of headache sufferers, particularly individuals who struggle with migraines, attribute their pain to the weather, there has been little scientific evidence to back up their assertions. Now, a study of more than 7,000 patients, led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), provides some of the first large-scale data on how environmental conditions — weather, as well as air pollution — influence headache pain. Reported in the March 10 issue of the journal Neurology, the findings demonstrate that higher temperatures, and to a lesser degree, lower barometric pressure, contribute to severe headaches. We will write a custom essay sample on Headache or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Migraine headaches affect a large proportion of the population,† notes Kenneth Mukamal, MD, MPH, the study’s first author and a physician in the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care at BIDMC. â€Å"Approximately 18 percent of women and 6 percent of men in the U. S. report having migraine headaches, particularly young and middle-aged adults. Knowing that migraines can be set off by â€Å"triggers,† including certain foods, alcohol, stress and hormones, Mukamal and his coauthors decided to study whether environmental factors were also acting as headache triggers.. â€Å"Air temperature, humidity and barometric pressure are among the most frequent reasons that people give for their headache pain,† explains Mukamal, who is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. â€Å"But none of these reasons have been consistently verified. We wanted to find out if we could verify this ‘clinical folklore. We also wanted to d etermine whether air pollutants trigger headaches, much as they have been found to trigger strokes. † â€Å"In other words,† says Mukamal, â€Å"our study design was able to directly compare weather and air pollution conditions right before an emergency visit with those same factors measured earlier and later the same month. † â€Å"Certainly our results are consistent with the idea that severe headaches can be triggered by external factors,† says Mukamal. â€Å"These findings help tell us that the environment around us does affect our health and, in terms of headaches, may be impacting many, many people on a daily basis. Mukamal recommends that headache patients sit down with their doctors to identify the triggers that lead to their headache symptoms, adding that even though the weather can’t be altered, doctors might be able to prescribe medication that can be administered prophylactically to help avert the onset of weather-related headaches. Fur thermore, he adds, â€Å"On a population basis, we need to be concerned about incremental temperature rises anyhow, and should advocate for responsible environmental management. The annual cost attributed to migraines is estimated at $17 billion, millions of people are adversely affected and the public health implications may be enormous. † This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Study coauthors include BIDMC investigators Gregory A. Wellenius, ScD, and Murray A. Mittleman, MD, DrPH; and Helen H. Suh, ScD, of the Harvard School of Public Health. How to cite Headache, Essay examples

Consumer Buying Process

Question: Discuss about the case study for Consumer Buying Process. Answer: Introduction Value decisions play an important role in the consumer buying process. Additionally, in current business environment, it becomes essential to understand the customer perceived value due to increasing competition in the market (Drummond and Ensor, 2006). Concurrently, as nowadays, customers are more demanding and expect different shopping channels to be provided for the satisfaction of their needs, it also becomes difficult to identify customer-perceived value (Beamish, 2012).The main aim of this report is to identify the perceived value for the customers of Sainsbury with the use of suitable models. It also evaluates the existing value proposition for Sainsbury and also compare and contrast it with the leading competitor in its sector. In addition, it benchmarks the value propositions and also produces a new value proposition in order to match the customers' value criteria. In last, it also develops a plan for implementing the value proposition externally and internally. The company selected for this report is J. Sainsbury Plc. In the year 1869, Sainsbury was established and currently, it operates more than 1,200 supermarkets and convenience stores. It is found that the company employs approx 161,000 co-workers. It is also assessed that the company greatly invests in its stores, distribution channels, and employees to deliver best value and create positive shopping experience (J Sainsbury Plc, 2016). The main focal point of Sainsbury is customers and the company's culture and values play an important role in enhancing the customer satisfaction. Sainsbury's corporate website also reflects that the company owns 16.7% market share in the industry (J Sainsbury Plc, 2016). Identification of the Perceived Customer Value The term perceived value is associated with the product benefits and it shows the importance of understanding how the value is considered by the customers of a particular product or service. There are several models, which are beneficial to understand the customer perceived value for the Sainsbury's customers. One of the models is value hierarchy model of Woodruff (1997). Through this model, the author defined perceived value as desired product attributes or performance of the attributes, desired consequences, and the attainment of goals and purpose of customers (Aulia, Sukati, and Sulaima, 2016). The below figure summarizes this model: Figure 1: Customer value hierarchy model (Source: Aulia, Sukati, and Sulaima, 2016) With the use of this model, it is recognized that Sainsbury's customers perceived value is related to their satisfaction related to product attributes, consequences and goals achievement. For example, customers' perceived benefits for Sainsbury include availability of different clothing and grocery as per their preference, benefits after using the product, and attainment of goals such as fell special after wearing the clothing offered by Sainsbury. Another model is given by Valarie Zeithaml, which defines four diverse classes of customer-perceived value (Buttle and Maklan, 2015). These include low price value, product related value, quality value, and the values expected as a part of customer sacrifices. This model is also supported by the study of Chang and Hsu (2013). In this study, the authors suggested a customer-perceived value model (see the below figure). Figure 2: Model of Customer-perceived Value (Source: Chang and Hsu, 2013) It is clear from the above figure that customers' mainly perceived benefits such as price, quality, and value for their sacrifices including security, privacy of their information, assurance, and satisfaction. With the use of this model, it is identified that customer-perceived value for customers of Sainsbury includes: Price: Customers perceive both financial and non-financial price benefits when purchasing products from Sainsbury stores. For example, customers want big saving offers as a part of price benefit and concurrently, they also desire to get non-price benefits such as loyalty benefits, etc. to enhance their perceived value (Day and Moorman, 2010). Quality: Customers also expect that Sainsbury offers good quality, latest style and design and fresh products to create great customer value. Quality can be valued in different ways including product, service, system and website (Kumar and Steenkamp, 2007). For instance, as Sainsbury allows its customers to online shop, their perceived values include opening of the website with different browsers, availability and clarity of all information, and price information, etc. Sacrifices: Customers also value what they get as a result of their sacrifices. For example, customers want that Sainsbury ensure privacy and security of their personal information, assurance about the product use, and effective service (Chang and Hsu, 2013). In addition, customers perceived values also include fun, entertainment, pleasure, prestige benefits, convenience, etc. when purchasing products from Sainsbury stores. In contrast, from the study by Hassan (2012), it is evaluated that many customers select Sainsbury mainly due to its location, easy access to store and available car parks. Moreover, customers also perceived value from competitive prices, wide range of products and offer and promotions. Existing Value Propositions It is evaluated that Sainsbury gives importance to both price and quality in its current value proposition. In regard to this, it is assessed that the new pricing strategy of the company to continuous lower prices reassures customers that at Sainsbury's stores they can always get a good price (J Sainsbury Plc, 2016). The company invests in getting down the prices of daily products that are demanded by customers through value chain efficiencies (Hassan, 2012). In addition, the company also regularly invests in improving the quality to strengthen its existing value propositions and get success in the increasingly competitive marketplace. It is also evaluated that quality is the main value creating factor that helps in keeping Sainsbury apart from the competition (J Sainsbury Plc, 2016). The company innovated various own-label products, the quality of which strengthen its premier-class goodwill and image. Concurrently, it is also evaluated that the company is able to effectively differentiate itself from other rival grocers due to the main elements of value propositions including quality of the product, improved availability, and wide range of products (Cunningham and Harney, 2012). In addition, Sainsbury also operates different store formats that are effective to meet with the requirements of specific customers as well as create value for them. It is also assessed that labelling is also an effective part of Sainsbury's value proposition and account for about total sale's 60%. It helps the company to transfer the value that customers relate with the retailer of the product (Gbadamosi, Bathgate, and Nwankwo, 2013). At the same time, consideration of ethical value of consumers are also an essential part of its value proposition that significantly contributes in the company's success. It is because some ethical consumers may boycott purchasing of products from retailers, which do not comply with ethical standards (Buttle and Maklan, 2015). In contrary, it is evaluated that Nectar reward scheme that is provided by Sainsbury to its customers is a negative aspect of its value proposition. It is because the company does not invest in this program largely as a result the customers are not very loyal towards this brand. At the same time, it is found that Tesco club card scheme is an important part of value proposition of Tesco. In this, it is found that many customers of Tesco believe that Tesco club card is a main source of value for them that motivate them to keep shopping with that supermarket chain (Hassan, 2012). In addition, it is also assessed that better quality, local store, and availability of wide range of products are some important value elements for Tesco. Thus, it can be stated that there are some similarities in the value propositions that are offered by both Tesco and Sainsbury. For example, both companies focus on improving quality, maintaining price and offering wide product range to create value for custo mers. But, concurrently, it can also be discussed that availability of effective loyalty card scheme makes the value proposition of Tesco more effective in comparison of Sainsbury. For the reason, Tesco runs its own loyalty program, while Nectar is not Sainsbury's own program (West, Ford, and Ibrahim, 2010). Moreover, it is also measured that Tesco also believes that an effective way to add value for customers is through a major cost-cutting program. In this, the company's loyalty program supported greatly as many products' prices cut in half when customers use their points. Thus, it can be concluded that Sainsbury needs to improve its current value proposition to strengthen it as compared to other competitors as well as ensure long-term business survival. Benchmarking the Two Value Propositions In order to benchmark the two value propositions, first, it is essential to understand the main strengths of the competitors' value propositions. Secondly, it is important to know company's own differentiation towards consumers. In relation to the strength of Tesco's value propositions, it is evaluated that Tesco has developed a successful online business in the UK that now is extended to different product categories. Tesco is able to offer a profitable internet shopping experience by leveraging the strength of its traditional mortar and bricks grocery business (Murray, 2013). Tesco's online business caught more than 40% of the total online grocery shopping market. Additionally, its website is the world's most successful online grocery retail business and creates significant value for online customers. Additionally, it is also evaluated that the another strength of Tesco's value propositions is related to its loyalty card scheme, which is valued by customers. The biggest benefit of loyalty cards for Tesco is that these support the retailer to know about what customers prefer to buy (Seth and Randall , 1999). Additionally, on the basis of the customers' previous history, Tesco gives vouchers to customers and also designs offers to deliver the products to customer they receive. In contrary to Tesco analysis, it is assessed from the value proposition analysis of Sainsbury that the continuous focus on products' quality, prices, and supply of safe, fresh, and healthy products supports the company to get ahead from the competition. It is also evaluated that the consideration of ethics in the business as well as commitment towards delivering value to customers positively supported the company to differentiate itself in the eyes' of customers in today's dynamic and competitive business environment (Barnes, Blake, and Pinder, 2009). Moreover, it is also appraised that the focus on five organizational values also ensures the success of the company in current competitive business situation. These values include best food and health, environment respect, integrity, building a good place to work, and contribute a positive difference to the company. It is also evaluated that all these values positively supported the company to deliver value to both customers and employ ees as well as strength its brand image worldwide. In contrast, in relation to the two retailers it is also found that both give importance to socially responsible activities as well as promote environmental safety that also set both Tesco and Sainsbury apart from the competition (Hassan, 2012). It is also evaluated that these elements of value proposition are important for today's organizations, particularly supermarkets to attain competitive advantage. It is because attractive price and advertising are some factors that are adopted by most firms in this sector, but contribution to the community development is not followed by all firms. In this way, it can be one of the most valuable aspects of value proposition. Thus, it is clear that both Tesco and Sainsbury focus on delivering value to customers by offering good quality of various products at fair price to customers. It can also be concluded that Tesco has business strengths such as online retail business and loyalty card schemes that provide its competitive advantage over other retailers in the industry. In contrast, ethics, location, and fresh and good quality of various products are the main aspects of Sainsbury's value proposition that can be benchmarked to ensure its long-term success. It can also be summarized that Tesco has more than one factor in its value proposition that support it to maintain its leading position in the industry. These factors include effective access to stores, online shopping, loyalty cards, wide product ranges, and quality. Additionally, it can also be stated that Tesco's loyalty card scheme can be used as a benchmark in this industry to deliver continuous value to customers. For the reason, nowadays due to increased competition, it becomes essential to make customers loyal towards a particular brand so that their retention rate can be enhanced. Moreover, it can also be stated that as Sainsbury has lack of loyal customers, so it should also focus on making its own loyalty scheme to get long-term business success and growth. New Value Propositions for Sainsbury With the analysis of Sainsbury's value proposal, I have come to know that building and delivering of value to customers as per their expectations is not an easy task for marketing planners. There is need to develop understanding about this concept as well as to know what customers expect from a particular organization in terms of delivering value to them. Additionally, from the Tesco's value proposition analysis, I have also learned that building of loyal customers can be an important success factor for today's business organizations (Hassan, 2012). It is because such customers expend their money, make repeat purchase, and also recommend to others the same company as long as it delivers logical and uniform values to them. It is also important to communicate the value propositions to customers adequately and manage any change in it as per the change taken place in the market. As currently, Sainsbury does not focus on making customers loyal, a new value proposition will be proposed in order to match the customers' value criteria. For the reason, nowadays customers perceive value in terms of taking loyalty benefits offered by the company. In order to develop a new value proposition for Sainsbury, value life cycle will be used. Through the use of this cycle, value elements will be developed at the life cycle's different stages. The below section summarizes the new value propositions for Sainsbury: Introduction of Value: At the stage, with the use of historic data and observations of customers needs and expectations as well as current value proposition, the research and development department along with the marketing section will work to add value (Hassan, 2012). Additionally, customers will also be involved in this step to make the value proposition effective. For example, Sainsbury will develop a loyalty scheme and will also focus on maintaining price and quality to meet with the value standards of customers. Value Appropriation: At this stage, Sainsbury will create value by improving purchase experience of customers. For example, by improving the online presence and providing all information required to make a purchase decision, the value will be created for the customers (Hassan, 2012). Value Use: Customers feel and see the value at this phase through the products or the services actual use (Hassan, 2012). Therefore, at this level, Sainsbury will create value by linking different benefits to the product/service. Renewal of the Value: At this phase, the value is created when value finishes due to expiry of products at a supermarket like Sainsbury (Hassan, 2012). Therefore, in the renewal process, Sainsbury can create value by adding more features and benefits to different product and services. Transfer of Value: In the value life cycle's final stage, the customers can no more get value. Yet, by transferring value from obtained benefits, value can be created (Hassan, 2012). For example, Sainsbury can offer exchange of some used goods at significant discounts. In addition, some value dimensions such as innovators, price ministers, and socializers will also be used to make the value proposition effective that meets with the value criteria of different customers (Hassan, 2012). For example, Sainsbury will continuously invest in developing and improving the technology and the value proposition is related that customers are advanced in technology. Similarly, by considering the price minimizing dimension, Sainsbury will emphasize on selling products not more than competitors' prices (Hassan, 2012). As a result, value for money is the value proposition for customers. Moreover, by making effective loyalty schemes, Sainsbury will develop an interpersonal relationship with main customers. The value proposition here includes believe, trust, closeness, and social relationships. Additionally, it can also be discussed that as the new value proposition supports Sainsbury to develop close relationship with customers, it would be helpful for the company t o attain long-term business growth, success, and survival. Plan to Carry Out the Value Proposition Externally and Internally Both the internal and external environments of the organization are linked with the value proposition. In this, the value proposition internally, defines the firm's operations, as it is interpreted into value creation actions and processes (Saren, 2013). In contrary, externally, it represents the firm in the customers' eyes. It is the reason that to get long-term business success, it is necessary that the value proposition implemented both internally and externally. Therefore, a plan will be developed to enforce the proposed value proposal in both internal and external business environment. Firstly, marketing strategies and tactics will be developed and aligned with other organizational strategies so that best value can be delivered to customers. In addition, to implement the value proposition internally, a new strategic framework will be developed in order to deliver value to end-consumers (Hassan, 2012). This framework will be beneficial to make clear the value proposition that the company should deliver as well as the alignment of products, organizational resources and processes to deliver the value in a profitable manner. At the same time, to implement the proposed values, they will be defined sharply, clearly understood and will be communicated to different stakeholders including customers, shareholders, employees, etc. appropriately (Hassan, 2012). It would be beneficial to ensure the proper application of the value proposition at all leve ls in the organization. Moreover, internally, the firm will focus on attaining the operational excellence so that optimum value can be delivered to customers (Clark and Baker, 2007).Additionally, Sainsbury will identify the operational processes and activities to translate the value proposition and delivering values to customers. For example, market research department will focus on identifying customers' expectations so that benefits can be designed accordingly to create value. In contrast, to externally implement the value proposal, Sainsbury will focus on positioning itself in the eyes of customers (Viscusi, Batini, and Mecella, 2010). For this, effective marketing strategies and plan will be developed by the company. For example, a new marketing mix will be proposed by the company that will consider the new value proposition. The marketing mix is as follow: Product: Wide range of products will be offered with the use of advanced technology, current fashion and as per customers expectations. It would be helpful to meet with the customers' value needs in terms of advance technology and availability of wide product range (Beamish, 2012). Price: Competitive price will be offered to attract and retain customers in grocery retail markets. Concurrently, Sainsbury will also make differentiation on prices and offers in comparison of competitors to positioned itself among customers (Hassan, 2012). Place: It is evaluated that store location is the biggest delivered value along with the store distance and availability of other distribution channels such as parking facilities and online purchasing and delivering (Hassan, 2012).Therefore, to strengthen the current brand image, Sainsbury will improve its current store location as well as online presence. Promotion: Promotion is another element that adds value to customers in terms of discount offers, and other schemes (Drummond and Ensor, 2006). Moreover, loyalty cards are also viewed as the main source of value to customers. Therefore, Sainsbury will promote its loyalty card schemes to customers to strengthen its current image and differentiate itself in the market. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that customers of Sainsbury mainly perceived values as locations, availability of range of products, fresh food, and maintaining quality at lower prices that encourage them to visit this supermarket as compared to others. It can also be stated that Sainsbury needs to improve its current value proposition as compared to other competitors. For the reason, nowadays, customers acquire more value from the company that offers them loyalty benefits along with maintaining product prices and quality. The new value proposition for Sainsbury will focus on delivering value by offering different loyalty benefits along with asserting product range, price, and quality. In last, it can also be summarized that the implementation of value propositions both internally and externally would be helpful to ensure the company's long-term success. References Aulia, S. A., Sukati, I. and Sulaima, Z. (2016) A Review: Customer Perceived Value and its Dimension. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies, 3(2), pp. 150-162. Barnes, C., Blake, H., and Pinder, D. (2009) Creating and Delivering Your Value Proposition: Managing Customer Experience for Profit. UK: Kogan Page Publishers. Beamish, K. (2012) CIM Coursebook 03/04 Marketing Planning. UK: Routledge. Buttle, F., and Maklan, S. (2015) Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Technologies. UK: Routledge. Chang, C. and Hsu, Y. H. S. (2013) A Customer-Perceived Value Model for e-Service Context. Proceedings of 7th Global Business and Social Science Research Conference, pp. 1-15. Clark, M. and Baker, S. (2007) Business Success Through Service Excellence. UK: Routledge. Cunningham, J. and Harney, B. (2012) Strategy and Strategists. UK: OUP Oxford. Day, G. and Moorman, C. (2010) Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value. USA: McGraw Hill Professional. Drummond, G. and Ensor, J. (2006) Introduction to Marketing Concepts. UK: Routledge. Gbadamosi, A., Bathgate, I., and Nwankwo, S. (2013) Principles of Marketing: A Value-Based Approach. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Hassan (2012) The Value Proposition Concept in Marketing: How Customers Perceive the Value Delivered by Firms A Study of Customer Perspectives on Supermarkets in Southampton in the United Kingdom. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 4(3), pp 68-87. J Sainsbury Plc. (2016) Business structure. Available at: https://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/business-structure/ [ Accessed: 7th July, 2016]. J Sainsbury Plc. (2016) Great products and services at fair prices. Available at: https://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/business-strategy-and-objectives/great-products/ [Accessed: 7th July, 2016]. J Sainsbury Plc. (2016) About Us. Available at: https://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/ [Accessed: 7th July, 2016]. Kumar, N. and Steenkamp, JB. E. M. (2007) Private Label Strategy: How to Meet the Store Brand Challenge. USA: Harvard Business Press. Murray, K. (2013) The Retail Value Proposition: Crafting Unique Experiences at Compelling Prices. UK: University of Toronto Press. Saren, M. (2013) Marketing Graffiti. UK: Routledge. Seth, A. and Randall, G. (1999) The Grocers: The Rise and Rise of the Supermarket Chains. UK: Kogan Page Publishers. Viscusi, G., Batini, C. and Mecella, M. (2010) Information Systems for eGovernment: A Quality-of-Service Perspective. Germany: Springer Science Business Media. West, D., Ford, j. and Ibrahim, E. (2010) Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive Advantage. UK: OUP Oxford.

The Secret Garden a Book Review free essay sample

Two unwanted children†¦share a vitalizing secret†¦ The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett Puffin ClassicsRs. 180 Nine-year old Mary Lennox is a disagreeable orphan, who is sent to her uncle’s desolate mansion in England. Misselthwaite Manor, however, conceals plenty of secrets†¦which seem to be waiting to be discovered†¦ On realising that she has nothing better to do, Mary spends all her time in the vast gardens surrounding her uncle’s mansion. It is not until the day when a friendly and curious robin leads her to the golden doors of a mysterious garden, that a spark is lit in her dull life. She is acquainted with Dickon, who, according to Mary, is ‘not like anyone else in the world’, and has a special charm for animals. Then, one night, Mary hears ‘†¦a curious sound†¦ as if a child were crying somewhere. ’ Following the source of the sound, she is led to the room of her lonely and bedridden cousin, Colin. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Garden: a Book Review or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She had not known of him previously, as Colin detested being stared at by strangers, believing that he will develop a hunchback like his father. Between Mary, Colin and Dickon, the nearly-dead secret garden flourishes. As the garden prospers with life, Colin ventures to try a scientific experiment, with faith in his all-powerful Magic, which, he believes, is the source of all creation. One senses this Magic in oneself as he reads the book, and feels himself believing in miracles. The reader is taught the philosophy of life, which inspires everyone to be forever optimistic. A beautiful acquaintance with nature’s gifts is portrayed in this story, and a reader comes to appreciate these gifts, as well as life and beauty. However, the use of the Yorkshire dialect may be confusing, yet intriguing for the critic, at the commencement of the story. Nevertheless, this heartwarming tale will appeal to and be enjoyed by readers of all ages. What is the outcome of this Scientific Experiment? How does it change the lives of all concerned, forever? The answers to these questions lurk within the leaves of this wonderful book, waiting, patiently, to be read.

Biography of Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino President

Biography of Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino President Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (March 22, 1869–February 6, 1964) was a Filipino politician and military leader who played an important role in the Philippine Revolution. After the revolution, he served as the new countrys first president. Aguinaldo later commanded forces during the Philippine-American War. Fast Facts: Emilio Aguinaldo Known For: Aguinaldo served as the first president of the independent Philippines.Also Known As: Emilio Aguinaldo y FamyBorn: March 22, 1869 in Cavite, PhilippinesParents: Carlos Jamir Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy-AguinaldoDied: February 6, 1964 in Quezon City, PhilippinesSpouse(s): Hilaria del Rosario (m. 1896–1921), Marà ­a Agoncillo (m. 1930–1963)Children: Five Early Life Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was the seventh of eight children born to a wealthy mestizo family in Cavite on March 22, 1869. His father Carlos Aguinaldo y Jamir was the town mayor, or gobernadorcillo, of Old Cavite. Emilios mother was Trinidad Famy y Valero. As a boy, he went to elementary school and attended secondary school at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, but had to drop out before earning his high school diploma when his father passed away in 1883. Emilio stayed home to assist his mother with the familys agricultural holdings. On January 1, 1895, Aguinaldo made his first foray into politics with an appointment as Cavites capitan municipal. Like fellow anti-colonial leader Andres Bonifacio, he also joined the Masons. Philippine Revolution In 1894, Andres Bonifacio himself inducted Aguinaldo into the Katipunan, a secret anti-colonial organization. The Katipunan called for the removal of Spain from the Philippines by armed force if necessary. In 1896 after the Spanish executed Jose Rizal, the voice of Filipino independence, the Katipunan started their revolution. Meanwhile, Aguinaldo married his first wife, Hilaria del Rosario, who would tend to wounded soldiers through her Hijas de la Revolucion (Daughters of the Revolution) organization. While many of the Katipunan rebel bands were ill-trained and had to retreat in the face of Spanish forces, Aguinaldos troops were able to out-fight the colonial troops even in a pitched battle. Aguinaldos men drove the Spanish from Cavite. However, they came into conflict with Bonifacio, who had declared himself president of the Philippine Republic, and his supporters. In March 1897, the two Katipunan factions met in Tejeros for an election. The assembly elected Aguinaldo president in a possibly fraudulent poll, much to the irritation of Bonifacio. He refused to recognize Aguinaldos government; in response, Aguinaldo had him arrested two months later. Bonifacio and his younger brother were charged with sedition and treason  and were executed on May 10, 1897, on Aguinaldos orders. Internal dissent seems to have weakened the Cavite Katipunan movement. In June 1897, Spanish troops defeated Aguinaldos forces and retook Cavite. The rebel government regrouped in Biyak na Bato, a mountain town in Bulacan Province, northeast of Manila. Aguinaldo and his rebels came under intense pressure from the Spanish  and had to negotiate a surrender later that same year. In mid-December 1897, Aguinaldo and his government ministers agreed to dissolve the rebel government and go into exile in Hong Kong. In return, they received legal amnesty and an indemnity of 800,000 Mexican dollars (the standard currency of the Spanish Empire). An additional 900,000 Mexican dollars would indemnify the revolutionaries who stayed in the Philippines; in return for surrendering their weapons, they were granted amnesty and the Spanish government promised reforms. On December 23, Aguinaldo and other rebel officials arrived in British Hong Kong, where the first indemnity payment of 400,000 Mexican dollars was waiting for them. Despite the amnesty agreement, the Spanish authorities began to arrest real or suspected Katipunan supporters in the Philippines, prompting a renewal of rebel activity. Spanish-American War In the spring of 1898, events half a world away overtook Aguinaldo and the Filipino rebels. The United States naval vessel USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba, in February. Public outrage at Spains supposed role in the incident, fanned by sensationalist journalism, provided the United States with a pretext to start the Spanish-American War on April 25, 1898. Aguinaldo sailed back to Manila with the U.S. Asian Squadron, which defeated the Spanish Pacific Squadron in the Battle of Manila Bay. By May 19, 1898, Aguinaldo was back on his home soil. On June 12, 1898, the revolutionary leader declared the Philippines independent, with himself as the unelected president. He commanded Filipino troops in the battle against the Spanish. Meanwhile, close to 11,000 American troops cleared Manila and other Spanish bases of colonial troops and officers. On December 10, Spain surrendered its remaining colonial possessions (including the Philippines) to the United States in the Treaty of Paris. Presidency Aguinaldo was officially inaugurated as the first president and dictator of the Philippine Republic in January 1899. Prime Minister Apolinario Mabini headed the new cabinet. However, the United States refused to recognize the new independent government. President William McKinley claimed that doing so would be at odds with the American goal of Christianizing the (largely Roman Catholic) people of the Philippines. Indeed, although Aguinaldo and other Filipino leaders were unaware of it initially, Spain had handed over direct control of the Philippines to the United States in return for $20 million, as agreed to in the Treaty of Paris. Despite rumored promises of independence made by U.S. military officers eager for Filipino help in the war, the Philippine Republic was not to be a free state. It had simply acquired a new colonial master. Resistance to American Occupation Aguinaldo and the victorious Filipino revolutionaries did not see themselves as the Americans did, as half-devil or half-child. Once they realized they had been tricked and were indeed new-caught, the people of the Philippines reacted with outrage. On January 1, 1899, Aguinaldo responded to the American Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation by publishing his own counter-proclamation: My nation cannot remain indifferent in view of such violent and aggressive seizure of a portion of its territory by a nation which has arrogated to itself the title Champion of Oppressed Nations. Thus it is that my government is disposed to open hostilities if the American troops attempt to take forcible possession. I denounce these acts before the world in order that the conscience of mankind may pronounce its infallible verdict as to who are the oppressors of nations and the oppressors of mankind. Upon their heads be all the blood which may be shed! In February 1899, the first Philippines Commission from the United States arrived in Manila to find 15,000 American troops holding the city, facing off from trenches against 13,000 of Aguinaldos men, who were arrayed all around Manila. By November, Aguinaldo was once again running for the mountains, his troops in disarray. However, the Filipinos continued to resist this new imperial power, turning to guerrilla war after conventional fighting failed them. For two years, Aguinaldo and a shrinking band of followers evaded concerted American efforts to locate and capture the rebel leadership. On March 23, 1901, however, American special forces disguised as prisoners of war infiltrated Aguinaldos camp at Palanan on the northeast coast of Luzon. Local scouts dressed in Philippine Army uniforms led General Frederick Funston and other Americans into Aguinaldos headquarters, where they quickly overwhelmed the guards and seized the president. On April 1, 1901, Aguinaldo formally surrendered and swore allegiance to the United States. He then retired to his family farm in Cavite. His defeat marked the end of the First Philippine Republic, but not the end of the guerrilla resistance. World War II Aguinaldo continued to be an outspoken advocate of independence for the Philippines. His organization, the Asociacion de los Veteranos de la Revolucion (Association of Revolutionary Veterans), worked to ensure that former rebel fighters had access to land and pensions. His first wife Hilaria died in 1921. Aguinaldo married for a second time in 1930 at the age of 61. His new bride was 49-year-old Marà ­a Agoncillo, the niece of a prominent diplomat. In 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth held its first elections after decades of American rule. Then 66, Aguinaldo ran for president  but was soundly defeated by Manuel Quezon. When Japan seized the Philippines during World War II, Aguinaldo cooperated with the occupation. He joined the Japanese-sponsored Council of State  and made speeches urging an end to Filipino and American opposition to the Japanese. After the United States recaptured the Philippines in 1945, the septuagenarian Aguinaldo was arrested and imprisoned as a collaborator. However, he was quickly pardoned and released, and his reputation was not too severely tarnished. Post-War Era Aguinaldo was appointed to the Council of State again in 1950, this time by President Elpidio Quirino. He served one term before returning to his work on behalf of veterans. In 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal asserted pride in Philippine independence from the United States by making a highly symbolic gesture; he moved the celebration of Independence Day from July 4 to June 12, the date of Aguinaldos declaration of the First Philippine Republic. Aguinaldo himself joined in the festivities, although he was 92 years old and rather frail. The following year, before his final hospitalization, he donated his home to the government as a museum. Death On February 6, 1964, the 94-year-old first president of the Philippines passed away from coronary thrombosis. He left behind a complicated legacy. Aguinaldo fought long and hard for independence for the Philippines and worked tirelessly to secure veterans rights. At the same time, he ordered the execution of his rivals- including Andres Bonifacio- and collaborated with the brutal Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Legacy Although Aguinaldo is today often heralded as a symbol of the democratic and independent spirit of the Philippines, he was a self-proclaimed dictator during his short period of rule. Other members of the Chinese/Tagalog elite, such as Ferdinand Marcos, would later wield that power more successfully. Sources â€Å"Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy.†Ã‚  Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy - The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War (Hispanic Division, Library of Congress).Kinzer, Stephen. The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire. St. Martins Griffin, 2018.ï » ¿Ooi, Keat Gin.  Southeast Asia a Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. ABC-CLIO, 2007.Silbey, David.  A War of Frontier and Empire: the Philippine-American War, 1899-1902. Hill and Wang, 2007.

Business Performance Indicator Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Performance Indicator Systems - Essay Example As the discussion stresses  a common business performance indicator system helps businesses to set target periodically and provide feedback to managers on progress towards those goals. The business performance Indicators are developed for all levels in an organization because they monitor progress with respect to all the activities, inputs, outputs, goals, targets and outcomes.This essay discusses that developing the indicators to monitor the outcomes allow managers to assess the degree at which the intended outcomes are achieved. Therefore business performance indicator development is a core activity and requires data collection, analysis and reporting in order to create effective indicators. Business performance indicator systems consist of different types of indicators that are used for measuring different areas. For instance, the financial indicators are used to measure the financial performance of the company. These include premium growth, claim’s ratio and profit.  I n order to improve the performance of the company, the senior management always set certain performance indicators that help in measuring and improving the performance. As mentioned above these indicators that are set to measure the activities, inputs, outputs, outcomes and goals of the company, provide very important feedback to the management system.  They help managers in identifying those parts of the company that may not be achieving its results as planned.

The Concept of Risk in Different Project Management Approaches Essay

The Concept of Risk in Different Project Management Approaches - Essay Example This is because they are uncertain and may depend on external factors beyond the scope of the project. Being aware of the risks involved in a project enables the manager to plan, minimize, avoid, cope or adjust with the possible risks. Risks are capable of hindering the projects objectives from being realized. Risk management is important and there are different methodologies which are applied in project management to minimize the negative outcomes (Hubbard2009, p. 35). Some of the methodologies include Prince 2 and SCRUM. Prince 2 is a highly controlled project which ensures that certain standards are followed to achieve specified standards or quality. SCRUM is an agile methodology which develops software. It is applied to development of new products with defined roles and methods. Comparing Prince 2 and SCRUM will help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional approached to the use of software in risk management. 2. The Concept of Risk Management Crouhy   et al (20 00) mention that project management is viewed as the exercise conducted before and during the project management which identifies the uncertainties and constrains. The identification enables project managers to remove constrains and purge out uncertainties. Getting rid of uncertainties and constrain completely is challenging. The mangers can reduce constrains and uncertainties and manage the remaining level of risk. Risk management is process that involves analyzing and recognizing uncertain possibility (positive and negative), utilizing available resources to minimize, control and assess the effects of uncertain occurrences. Risks management is also considered as a means of maximizing on the opportunities. Risks in project management emanate from natural cause or tragedy, legal liabilities, credit management, changes in financial market, inappropriate project design, lack of developments, lack of sustainability and attacks from adversaries. Various institutions have been establishe d to set standards that assist in risk management. They include the ISO standards and the Project Management Institute. The institutions vary depending on the industries they can be applied. The approach, conceptualization and motives are depended on the specific industry a project falls (Hopkin 2012) According to Mulcahy (2010) risks management is also considered a part of project management that spots risks, implement procedures and develop contingency plans. Risk management is considered as a tool that eliminates, minimizes or transforms risks to allow the realization of goals and objectives of the project. Common risks include: lack of understanding of the project, assumptions in the project, reliance on practices articulated by other teams, lack of training for employee and poor decision making (Crouhy  et al 2001). Different project management handles risks by transferring the risk, minimizing the occurrence of the risk, minimizing the impacts, evading the risk and accepting the consequences in some instances. This paper will adopt risk management as means of reducing and coping with risks during a project. 3. The concept of Risk in Prince 2 Prince 2 denotes Projects in Controlled Environment 2. Prince is widely used in the United Kingdom for public and private projects. It is highly structured and standardized to meet management needs, enforce control and provide organization. Prince 2 entails training for managers and provides certification. Prince 2 methodologies relies on: justification of the business, clarity of functions,