Tuesday, November 26, 2019

International Marketing Plan for Tata Nano

International Marketing Plan for Tata Nano The aim of this case study is to develop an international marketing plan for ‘Tata Nano’ the world’s lowest price car with lowest fuel consumption produced by the Tata Motors of India. To carry out the marketing plan, this report will provide historical background and cultural background of host country and give a brief overview of the company and economic analysis of home country India including an export diagnosis of the company.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Marketing Plan for Tata Nano specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Background of the Company TSL (2011) reported that the Tata group stated it journey in 1868 and now operating in eighty countries with ninety different subsidiaries with a market capitalization of US$ 100.39 billion while its 57% of the revenue comes from export. Donlan (2005) mentioned that in 2003, the hundred and forty years old group of companies announced in the Geneva Motor Show that Tata Motors would produce world’s cheapest car ’Tata- Nano’. In 2006, Tata Motors started to establish its Nano plant at Singur of West Bengal in India by accruing 1,000 acres of land, which was disturbed by the political violence of farmers who were not willing to give agricultural land for Nano plant. After trilateral negotiation with the government political parties and entrepreneurs Tata Nano successfully came in the market in March 2009 and the market response were more than expectation due to the world’s cheapest car with highest energy efficiency both in home and abroad. However, this brand is popularly known as a raise- engine, cheap, four- passenger city automobile and it is generally a silver bodied car. Some common features of this product include single windscreen wiper, three pull nets on wheels, single mirror without CD player or radio along with airbags and power steering and 623cc engine, etc. The Nano has three basic models offering distinct patterns of additional values regarding without additional benefits, with air condition and with power windows along with air condition. According to the annual report 2010 of this company, its outer layout has designed by Italian Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering, and its engine configurations involve 2 cylinder petrol, value of Motronic engine, 35 PS power, 48 N.m Torque and the compression ratio of 9:5:1. Regarding suspension, brakes and tires, the car has 180 mm of front and 180 mm of rear brake, 1315 mm of rear and 1325 mm of from track and finally, McPherson strut of front and free coil spring of rear suspension while its wheels are sized as 12 inches. It has the average speed of 60 km/h with the maximum limit of 105 km/h a full efficiency is 23.6 km per liter; however, it is a rear wheel drive car that has 4 speeds manual spreads with automatic rack and pinion steering with 4 meters of revolving radius. Various entities supply i ts multiple parts among them some are Bosch, Caparo, Delphi, Ficosa, GKN, Mahle, TRW, Visteon and AG etc. (Tata Nano, 2011)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More PEST analysis The PEST analysis of Tata Nano for US market is shown below- Political factors: USA is the country that has relatively stable government with specific and advantageous business policies for foreign companies, like- Tata. Also the country’s local government already has several trading relations with various Indian vendors which would leverage the introduction of Nano into that country (USA Forum, 2011). Economic factors: The overall economic condition of USA is very well and for this, it is considered the strongest economy in the world. Thus, Tata needs to consider a number of integral factors, like- interest rates, inflation and unemployment level and GDP etc. because those factors can posit ively or negatively affect the sales and profitability from the product (USA Forum, 2011). Socio- cultural factors: It incorporates prime religion, local attitude towards imported products, projected influence of language, recreation and leisure pattern of people, environmental concern and the practice of green marketing, family pattern and life cycle etc. (USA Forum, 2011). Technological factors: One of the prime characteristics of US consumers is that they are highly technologically advanced than many other consumers of other parts of the world. So, this factor includes customer affordability to enjoy new technology, habituation of using online distribution channel and the potential to use technology more than product differentiation as providing customer service or promotion (USA Forum, 2011). Relevant History Library of Congress (2004) pointed out that India is one of the Asian emerging economies that became independent in 1947 coming out from British colonial rule more than a t wo centuries, the country upholds multi party federal democratic system based on secularism and social justice. In context of population, India is the world’s prevalent democratic country that has successfully evidenced balance of power between the central and state government with rich diversity of nations while the country huge political unrest with a number of isolation movements. Kujur (2008) mentioned that the remarkable political and social unrest of India has aligned with underground political organizations like Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of India, People’s War Group, Maoist Communist Centre and Naxal Movement all these go with arms straggle that seriously hampered the smooth investment environment of country.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Marketing Plan for Tata Nano specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government and law enforcement agencies have to engage special effort for the unification of the country and to protect terrorist trends of communist groups and liberation activists. The major political parties who are in democratic practice are Congress- that carried out independence, BJP and Left Alliances though there are dozens of regional parties in every state with strong institutional infrastructure to protect isolation or so called liberation movement. With far above the ground religion diversity such as Hindu, Muslim, Buddha, and Christen, Indian political system has ensured human right, freedom of speech, liberty of media, and nourishing scholars to face the challenger of globalization though there are enough evidence of emergency and presidential rule in some provinces. In the province West Bengal where the Tata Nano plant situated, has ruled by left alliance under the leadership of communist party for more than four decades, and the Tata Motors has to face serious political disturbance with its Nano project though the government has strong support for Tata. Population IndexMundi (2011) forecasted that the total population of India is approximately 1,189,172,906 in 2011 while it was 1,173,108,018 in 2010. Initially, the population growth rate was high, but not this rate is reducing dramatically, for instance, in 2004 and 2007, it was 2.91 % and 3.15% approximately and now the growth rate is 1.39%. Figure 1: Total population of India from 2003 to 2011 Source: IndexMundi (2011)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Legal System India is a promising market to the present corporate houses and the legal system of India is very flexible to the multinationals and new entrants as the government tries to ensure the highest possible business-friendly environment to the firms, as a result, the policy makers support to increase Foreign Direct Investments. However, it is notable that commercial legislation regarding labor and environmental concerns are theoretically very strong, but practically practice of labor law and ethical codes is not too standard in terms of remuneration, workplace safety and compensation issues. Distribution System For distributing Nano in the USA, the marketer can import the ‘easy- to- assemble’ kits from their home country and then the products should assemble at certain locations. After that, the company should redistribute the finished cars to the various showrooms throughout the country and fifty sales centers can be opened for this purpose (TNN, 2011). Gross Na tional Product (GNP) of India: ICAI (2008) pointed out that Indian GNP[1] calculated by adding net factor incomes from foreign counties with GDP[2] and subtracting the foreigners income from India while it is equated as GNP = GDP + NFIA [3]; NFIA indicates the balance of export earning and import spending. In this process, service rendered for free of cost are not taken into account of GNP, at the same time capital gains and losses are also dropped from this calculation as they are not the consequence of concurrent economic activities of that year. During the 10th five years plan India targeted 8% GNP growth but in practically the country has gained 7.6 % while the country pointed to gain 8.5 %. Zaman et al (2008) added that there is no particular standard to identify the gross national income in India, it has incorporated a number of factors, while the economic growth of the country are benchmarking with GNP growth, per capita income, renovation with multidimensional course of acti on connecting the restructuring and progress of entire economy with social systems. At the same time in Indian, the improvements of incomes and outputs are characteristically engross with fundamental changes in institutional infrastructure, education, social and political alignments, different ethic groups along with administrative structure. The export data of Indian statistically demonstrates noteworthy positive signs and its export are in intensifying with upper trend that point toward potency of the economy while the FDI[4] inflow in the country is a vital concern of the economy that has presented statistically momentous progress. The Indian GNP from 1990 to 2006 has demonstrated in the following table as follow- Figure 2: Indian GNP Table 1970 – 2006 Source: Zaman et al (2008) WUSTL (2011) pointed out that the Indian economy is the world’s eleventh largest economy with GNP of US$ 2400 billion in context of purchasing power parity while the agriculture sector cont ributes 25.3 %, industrial production donates 26.2 %, manufacturing segment produces 15.1 %, and rest 33.4 % contributed by the service sector. For the country has been progressing in its GNP growth at a targeted growth of 8 % and the driving force laid behind for such achievement are the democratic society with low cost labor, vibrant capital market, and liberalized capital market and open window for foreign direct investment. Principal Industrial Sector of India The raising sectors of India those are aimed to compete in the global market are as biotechnology, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, iron, steel, chemicals, vehicles, entertainment, alternative energy resources, software, and information technology and the country already proved its successful footstep for IT industry while major multinational companies are deeply concerned with the Indian market. WUSTL (2011) also added that the major growth driver of Indian economy and the biggest asset for future growth is its competent pe ople while the population of the country has been growing at 1.8% per year with increasing education rate and the domestic customer market is growing 5 to 10 percent per annum. Principal Exports Johansson (2008) stated that exporting means the promotion and direct sells of locally manufactured products in the foreign market and it is a well-developed and conventional form of strategy to capture international markets. As a result, export is the core basis of revenue for the India’s financial system because it generates huge amount of money from this segment and earning from exports is increasing per year, for instance, India’s net exports earning was approximately $168.2 billion in 2010 whereas economists estimate $201 billion in current year (IndexMundi, 2010). However, the following figure demonstrates the actual figure of exports from 2003 to 2011 Fiscal Year Total Imports ($billion) Rank 2003 44.50 32 2004 57.24 31 2005 69.18 33 2006 76.23 33 2007 112. 00 29 2008 151.30 25 2009 176.40 25 2010 168.20 21 2011 201.00 22 Figure 3: Net Exports Source: IndexMundi (2011) Trade Deficits Library of Congress (2004) India’s negative trade balance has grown gradually from last three decades such as in 2010 exports were $168.20 billion and imports were $253.90 billion, resultant Trade Deficits were of $85.7 billion whereas Indexmundi (2011) estimated that this negative balance of trade would be more than $126 billion. Figure 4: Surplus or Trade Deficits Source: Trading Economics (2011) Cultural Analysis Education and literacy rates: The US government is basically responsible for providing education with three sectors of funds as state, federal and local. More than 77% people have completed their educational life from kindergarten to graduation level. Among the adults, more than 85% have finished their high school level and 27% have completed bachelor’s degree or more. This sophisticated educational background of the c ountry is an optimistic factor for Nano since education assists knowledge and such knowledge would help US customers to understand the technical and general superiority of the car. For example, the white color car purchasers would be highly conscious about the safety issue of a car rather than any other configurations. In this regard, Nano would be able to gain much of their attention because of its careful safety arrangements (USA Forum, 2011). Social classes In USA, social class is a mixture of educational achievement, occupational and income sovereignty that influences its culture highly. In general, there are three layers of social classes as high, medium and low. The upper section involves in luxury consumptions and leisure. The middle class is commonly identified as the educated class having some key values. Although their budget is limited, they often have more opportunity to enjoy more travels and vacation. They want to have such consumptions which can be obtained at lowest price and yield in highest return. They are not at economy level but they are to maintain economy at their living. The working class is the top sufferer of economic vulnerability. This class and many middle class individuals frequently face job downsize. Moreover, the US workforce is highly productive as the average per week working hour is above 40 hours (USA Forum, 2011). In these circumstances, the Nano can be offered for the middle and especially the low class segment of US society. Since the car is positioned as an affordable item for all, this segment can easily find it suitable for both purchase and usage. The middle class would also prefer it by considering the economy along with the competitive advantages offered by the Nano (USA Forum, 2011). Belief system Most of the Americans commonly believe in equal opportunity for all in the society. Here, the concept of individuality and self- expression are highly emphasized. Competition is also a common thought which is practiced b y progressive attitude for improvement. For them, tradition is less valuable as they trust in rationality rather than emotion for taking any decision. This attitude is motivating for Nano as if they find it better than other American cars; they would be interested for buying this car. The integral parts and other value added features of Nano would be able to attract the rational sense of satisfaction of local customers (Virtual USA, 2011). Language Above 97% of Americans speak in English although there are above 300 native languages. Some other commonly used native languages are Spanish, Indo- European, Pacific Islander and Asian languages etc. The American dialect is called American English which has 4 major divisions involving south, north- eastern, mid- western and inland north. Both local and immigrants use English as a common language that acts as the symbol of cultural integration and can also influence the performance of Nano. Language can act as common form of promotional de vice for Nano. For example, one customer can express his/ her positive feeling about the car to another one by using language and thus form viral marketing (USA Forum, 2011). Living conditions and leisure Housing is a prime factor of living conditions. In urban areas of USA, most of the families live in semi- attached houses and apartments. Existence of dwelling houses, business units, shopping malls and educational institutes as a single unit is also common here. Urban dwellers also need to have more travel by mass transportation while children are familiar for walking or driving bicycle than rural areas. Life is comparatively busy and hasty in urban areas rather than rural ones. Thus, the small, city car image of Nano would be highly meaningful for accelerating such pattern of busy life. Since having a personal transport is very essential regarding the American living standard, the evolvement of Nano can satisfy such requirement with its size, engine and speed etc. (Virtual USA, 2 011). The Americans undertake a number of activities during their weekly holidays and vacations. Around the year, outdoor is the most common form of enjoying leisure. Some other forms of holiday activities are hiking, sailing, skiing, camping and mount riding etc. Participation of professional and non- professional sports is equally well- known there. The role of a private car is significant for enjoying that different types of leisure tasks, especially for outdoor. For many small families having the maximum members of 4 and single college or university students who want to spend their weekend at hill top, river side or jungle camp, Tata Nano would be the perfect choice regarding the overall size, passenger capacity and longevity of the car. Its 4 wheel driving condition would also be preferred by those who want to pass their vacation on rough hilly areas (USA Forum, 2011). Music and folklore Among a number of versions, American young generations and teens basically prefer rocking a nd cheerful music. This is particularly true when they go for a long drive alone or accompanied by some friends or simply enjoy a party. Folklore has also various dimensions regarding patriotism or fascination for cultural values which can be a symbol of expressive culture. Since the choice of music and orientation of folklore can significantly affect customer’s preference and attitude towards a product, both those factors would be notable for the US market expression of Nano (Virtual USA, 2011). Others There are some other cultural elements that should be considered for Tata Nano in USA. Such as- Family patterns: Divorce is a common phenomenon of American culture. Almost all the Americans commonly face this incident at least once in their life. For this, the trend of living in a single father or single mother family is increasing. Many also remarry; having kids and then continues a nuclear family. Thus, the specialization and features of Nano are adjustable for meeting the n eed of such families. Moreover, its low price offer would also be attractive towards those families (USA Forum, 2011). Fashion: Americans believe in flexibility and informality as a part of their fashion whether it is for clothing, eating, traveling or driving. This simplicity would be effective for expanding the market of Nano as the car integrates most of the mandatory parts and eliminates several common but less necessary items, like- CD player (Virtual USA, 2011). Culture of automobiles: In USA, the evolvement of sub- urban areas and the need of working class for communicating with cities are accelerating the need of having a private car. In almost all the states of USA, people have their own automobiles whether the brand or price would be. So, in this situation, the Nano poses a wide market potential since the car can be offered for a larger group of people for whom it is one of their primary needs (USA Forum, 2011). Evaluation of the Possible Success of Product The growth rate of the world economy declined from 5.2% in 2007 to 3.2% in 2008 because of global financial downturn and this crisis has started from the US market. The impact of this economic downturn was severe in this market as many companies has collapsed or insolvent due to liquidity crisis of Banks, corporate frauds or other financial management problems. On the other hand, Banks had not interested to provide car loan because of increasing number of unemployment rate and unstable market condition, which increased the risk of failure to pay back. As a result, it was difficult for the middle class people to purchase large and luxuries cars within their budget and this force creates the opportunity for the small car manufactures to enter the developed countries with their low cost products. However, Ruddick (2009) in The Telegraph reported that the largest automobile market has fallen dramatically due to recessionary pressure regarding unstable oil prices and lower employment ratio. In addition , market leader General Motors has also experienced unfortunate loss as in 2009, GM’s sales have been lowered by 30% than 2008 and this company had fired international white- collar payroll from 73000 to 63000 with downsizing of 3400 US employees (General Motors, 2010). However, the market position of GM has declined with the overall market demand after 2008, but it is important to mention that Toyota and other companies have already stared to manufacture small cars in order to create market demand for small sized products and the customers have showed positive response. On the other hand, IFC (2011) reported that the government of US is not interested to establish foreign companies by FDI, but this crisis must influence the government to reduce tax for foreign companies and flexible entry requirements. As a result, it can assume that the market would be profitable for Tata Nano as the market share of these Japanese companies is increasing in this market. Characteristics of t he Possible Market The new entrants enjoy huge facilities and greater flexibility in this market because it is the greatest and most technologically dominant economy in the globe. According to the report of IFC (2011) and Indexmundi (2011), this is the right place for developing products or expanding existing business though newcomers have to face high competition with other entry barriers, but the per capita GDP US$47,400 would minimize these risks. Indexmundi (2011) estimated that more that 12% people of US below poverty line and more than 4.43% Asian migrants who have straggle to sustain in this country. They also need transportation facilities, but they have not enough money to fulfill their demand, so, they can purchase Tata Nano as it is a comfortable, safe, well-weathered, low emission, and high fuel efficient model. On the other hand, Indexmundi (2011) reported that the unemployment rate is increasing day-by-day, for instance, present unemployment rate of the US is 9.3%, whi ch was 5.8% in 2003. However, increase rate of unemployment influences the current market position and purchasing power of customers in many ways, such as, bank would not ensure large fund for car. At the same time, middle class and higher class people would like to purchase luxury cars, but there are many small families and single person who also buy small car for their regular uses or reduce fuel costs. However, there are many companies (like McDonalds, KFC, Fedex, and so on) those offer home delivery services and these companies require transportation system, therefore, local multinational companies can be potential target market of Tata Nano. Description and Characteristics of Competition Tata Motors has to compete with numerous direct and indirect auto manufacturers though it is one of the most prominent and the largest markets in the world. However, this company may face hard competition from some other alternative transportation besides large and small, for instance, a signif icant part of the community use public transportation like bus, railways, trams and so on. According to the annual report 2010 of Tata, international business of the company had adversely affected by the financial crisis in the main markets, but its’ integrate market share of small vehicle sector has increased by 13.3% and developed brand image in global market. However, this brand has to face instance competition in local market as many companies like Maruti Suzuki Ltd and Bajaj Auto produce small cars, but Tata Nano has to compete with other multinational like General Motors, Hyundai, and Toyota, which are now manufacturing small cars to compete with Nano to attract middle class customers (Tata Nano, 2011). Tata Nano’s Distribution in the US Market Noronha (2005) pointed out that Tata Group has long integration with US market from early 1900s with a huge segment of product and services while the company has enlisted in the New York Stock Exchange with eighty offices all over the USA with ten thousand employments, thus Tata Motors would get some competitive advantage to establish distribution channel for Tata Nano. Tata Nano being the world’s lowest price car, has a great market demand in rural and urban low-income level people under the current recessionary economy, thus it would be suitable for the company to adopt free distribution channel rather than engaging territorial distributor. The company would first establish at least five sales and service centre covering the US market and all car distributors of US market arte entitled to collect Tata Nano from these points for their customers. Every distributor would facilitate with handsome commission package depending on their sales volume. The Economic Times (2011) reported that the Tata Motors has already gained a good customer base by purchasing British Auto Company for its Jaguar Land Rover that has an existing market in the US territory. To distributing Tata Nano, the company has the opportunity to involve the distribution channel of Jaguar Land Rover that would provide a strong distribution with less effort. It has predicted from the car dealer study that such a low price car with low fuels consumption – 54 miles for each gallon of gas would be preferable for the US market even if the price stands at US$ 10,000 and a large number of dealers are interested to act as Tata Nano’s distributor. Advertising, Promotion and Media used to communicate Product Tata Motors Ltd is going to undertake several strategic methods in order to boost its sales-configuration in existing market as well as to aware people of prospective market about the features of the products. However, its advertising strategies are now focusing on gratifying and impressing the people who put across abhorrence over Tata’ cars, but the advertising policy for the US market should different from existing market to create market demand with strong market position. Therefore, the ma rketer of Tata Nano Brand should consider effective media and promotional strategies to communicate with the customers to develop loyal customer base in the US small car market. However, the marketer will arrange integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaign to aware people about the advantage of this brand to save the environment from air pollution and to get economic benefit in this recessionary period. As the promotional strategy of the Tata Motors varies in accordance with changing consumer attitudes, demands, and other external factors, the marketer should mainly consider the environmental, socio-cultural and economical factors of the US market in order to arrange IMC campaign and other promotional activities. Media Plan Key Features Web site Initially, the marketers of Tata Nano will require to find out the web designers or programmers to design an excellent Website with integration of latest software because the US customer mostly collect information from the web co ntent and they also ask feedback by using the company’s website. As a result, they will highlight the main features of the model, key advantage to purchase this car, environmental concern, materials, safety measures and so on; You Tube Nowadays, TV. YouTube was launched in the year of 2005 as a video sharing website which allows users to download, upload, and view as well as share videos, but it is now the most popular and successful website of video sharing service in the cyber world. In addition, YouTube was providing over two billion videos per day, which is almost twice as many as the prime-time audience of all three main US television networks together; therefore, it could replace the traditional television and become the new television Social Networking Site As social networking sites contributed significantly over Tata’s marketing activities, it will use social networking sites like Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and Linkedin in order to attract more customers i n the US zone; Billboard and Hoardings these can be every powerful media if the company can utilize this media by conducting proper market research Television Advertising is a type of communication that continuously imposes into people’s daily lives though people do not pay much attention to it, its form of persuasion, and of the extent how it manipulates the culture. At the same time, the Therefore, the marketer will use this media as one of the most effective sources to create customer attention; Radio The cost of advertisement in radio is lower than television, therefore, Tata Motors can also use this media to advertise its Tata Nano Brand Search Engine link in Google, yahoo, MSN and other sites are useful promotional tools for Tata Motors; Newspaper Advertisement in the newspaper is also effective tools Table 1: Media Plan for Tata Nano in the US market Source: Self generated Price Range for Competing Products Conklin (2005) reported that the entry of Japanes e auto makers like Toyota, Honda and Nisan have already reduced the market share of the General Motors, and Volkswagen by creating strong customer base in the US car market by using low cost strategies. At the same time, Tata Nano is the cheapest car brand in the world, which has long experience to enter new market and capture large share within short period using different strategies beside pricing strategy. However, different company setup the price range considering different factors such as market competition, production costs, direct margin, purchasing power of the customers and many other factors. As Tata Nano is marketed with lowest price structure, it can assume that it will ask cheapest price in the US market though the price would be comparatively higher than the price of other Asian countries. However, the rationale behind this pricing strategy would be included the extra costs to incorporate new features to decrease CO2 emissions and increase the safety measure in the mo del of Tata Nano. According to the annual report 2010 of Tata Motors, the price of this brand is only $2500 for international market, but this price changes considering the specific requirements of the markets and external environment, such as, the price of Tata Nano is higher in EU zone. However, Ramesh (2009) reported in The Guardian that the company would develop the European Nano to fulfill the requirements of the USA market in terms of higher safety standards includes airbags and antilock brakes. As a result, Tata Nano will set up the price of this brand considering EU market where the additional features make this brand more expensive. However, the company can ask $6,000 to $6500 to introduce this brand in the US market because Ramesh (2009) reported it has already asked more than â‚ ¤4000 in the EU market. Market Size and Sales Estimates According to the data of the World Street Journal, the US market is really potential to the small and Eco friendly car makers. However, W SJ (2011) reported that about 546,687 cars were sold in the US market in May 2011, among these cars 196,498 were small sized. However, it is important to note that the prospect of small cars is better than luxury cars or large cars in this market because the auto makers aggregate sale volume was only 73,566 luxury cars and 5,962 large cars in May 2011 (WSJ, 2011). Considering this fact, it can be estimated that the annual sale of small cars would be approximately 2357616 units. However, total car market size is also depend on the On the other hand, the customer behavior of the US market has changed due to the global financial crisis and development of the consciousness about the difficulties of large cars. The recessionary impacts derived the customers to purchase cars at low price and this force influenced small car producers to enter this market. Therefore, it would be easy to Tata Motors to capture large market share of the US car markets with their Tata Nano product. As this com pany needs to invest large amount of fund to enter this market, it is important to estimate approximate sales volume in order to avoid market risks. However, this report suggests that Tata Motors should enter the US market with small sales target at the initial stage, for instance, it sales target should 10000 units per month or 120000 units per year. The actual car sales of first year will direct the company to take further step to increase sales volume in this market. Recommendations From the above discussion, Tata Motors should enter the US market with Tata Nano brand as it has designed and manufactured in such way which assures the low budget customers to purchase a better quality, small size and fashionable car. On the other hand, the biggest competitive advantage of Nano is its cost cutting features would help the company to create market in the post-recessionary period. Since the company is thinking to renovate the electric version of the car, it is also possible that such el ectric version would become the least expensive electric automobile with a range of 130 km and lithium- ion batteries. In addition, the marketers of Tata think that the Nano is safe as the car incorporates some especial features, such as, side arm mirror for passenger, no airbags and wrinkle zone. As the US people highly concern on safety issue, all of these criteria help to have a safe driving at Nano than any other forms of two- wheel cars. Reference List Conklin, D. C. (2005) General Motors: Acting Strategically. Ortario: Richard Ivey School of Business. Donlan, T. (2005). Recent History of Tata Motors (TTM). Retrieved from http://seekingalpha.com/article/2486-recent-history-of-tata-motors-ttm General Motors (2010) Annual Report 2010 of General Motors Company. Retrieved from http://investor.gm.com/pdfs/10-K.pdf ICAI (2008) National Income India: Concept and Measurement. Retrieved from icai.org/resource_file/16788National_Income_india.pdf IFC (2011) United States: Doing Business 2 011 Making a Difference for Entrepreneurs. Retrieved from doingbusiness.org/~/media/fpdkm/doing%20business/documents/profiles/country/db11/usa.pdf Indexmundi (2011) Country profile of India. Retrieved from indexmundi.com/india/ Indexmundi (2011) United States Population below poverty line. Retrieved from indexmundi.com/united_states/population_below_poverty_line.html Kujur, R. (2008). Naxal Movement in India: A Profile. Retrieved from http://kms1.isn.ethz.ch/serviceengine/Files/ISN/92603/ipublicationdocument_singledocument/ec30cde7-82ac-42a3-82ac-55ddfe7144fe/en/RP15-Kujur-Naxal.pdf Library of Congress (2004) Country profile India. Retrieved from http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/India.pdf Noronha, C. (2005) Good tidings. Retrieved from tata.com/company/Articles/inside.aspx?artid=e0L3MDPhEIQ= Ramesh, R. (2009) Tata Nano: Worlds cheapest car is Indias answer for cash-strapped drivers. The Guardian. Retrieved from guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/24/tata-nano-worlds-cheapest-car Tata Nano (2011). Annual Report 2010 of Tata Nano. Retrieved from tatamotors.com/investors/annualreports-pdf/Annual-Report-2009.pdf The Economic Times (2011) Tata Motors puts Jaguar, Land Rover back on track. Retrieved from http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-06-01/news/29608472_1_jlr-unit-tata-motors-british-luxury-marques-jaguar Trading Economics (2011) India Balance of Trade. Retrieved from tradingeconomics.com/india/balance-of-trade TSL (2011) Leadership with trust. Retrieved from tata.com/aboutus/sub_index.aspx?sectid=8hOk5Qq3EfQ= USA Forum. (2011). United States of America. Retrieved from everyculture.com/To-Z/United-States-of-America.html Virtual USA. (2011). USA Culture. Retrieved from virtualamericas.net/usa/culture/ WSJ. (2011) Sales and Share of Total Market by Manufacturer. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html WUSTL. (2011). Doing Business in India the Indian way. Retrieved from http://apps.olin.wustl.edu/orgs/ClubDown loads/India.ppt Zaman, K. Aman, Q. Farid, G. (2008). Key Indicators of Economic Development in Pakistan and India: A Comparative Study. Retrieved from eurojournals.com/ejefas_25_06.pdf Footnotes Gross National Product Gross Domestic Product Net Factor Income from Abroad Foreign Direct Investment

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Take Advantage of Opportunities and Get Hired

How to Take Advantage of Opportunities and Get Hired Perhaps, you are one of the millions that is currently looking for new job opportunities. The average job hunter is completely unaware of the best way to take advantage of opportunities that are currently available to them. The fact is that most successful job seekers learn to identify those opportunities, once they are presented to them. Here is more on how to take advantage of those job opportunities that pop up. PreparationOne key to job hunting success is to make sure that you are prepared for the opportunity. Take for instance a warehouse worker who has been unemployed for several months. Potential employers would probably like to view a fully updated resume. Take advantage of job opportunities with a prepared resume that identifies your key skills and experience. You can take a look at a  sample resume of warehouse worker. Observe several resumes and notice the construction. Design your resume to attract more job opportunities, using samples as a guideline. The next time that a job opportunity is presented, be prepared with an up to date resume.Job CounsellingTake advantage of sources in your community that provide job counselling to the unemployed. The good news is that many of the job counselling services are free. Seek out services at local community colleges, universities, unemployment offices, and community centers. You can also search online for job counselling sources. The job counselling services provide people with expert career advice and help them network with companies looking for new employees.Finding Jobs OnlineIt’s probably no news to you that millions of people search online for new jobs. It’s a good idea to add this to your job search toolbox. Take advantage of opportunities online. It wasn’t too long ago that only those working for government agencies or large corporations could take advantage of Internet job searches. Now, the average person is able to use  job search engines  or visit  job posting sites   online, to find new job opportunities.NetworkingHere is a question that every job seeker should ask themselves. Have I communicated to all the people I know in my network that I am looking for employment? If the answer is no, it’s time to get to work. The fact is that there are a multitude of jobs available that are not advertised. Employers find new staff through networking with others in the industry. Make sure that everyone in your network is fully aware that you are seeking new employment. Take advantage of opportunities to network on a daily basis.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

How do practitioners in a child care centre encourage babies and young Research Paper

How do practitioners in a child care centre encourage babies and young children to learn to talk - Research Paper Example It is not very common to have a relative look over their children. This is when the role of child care centers comes into the spotlight. Over the time, women have come to realize the importance of child care centers in helping them look over their children while they are away; at the same time, working mothers are relieved of the tension of having their children unattended. There has been a surge in the demand for qualified and experienced people who can take responsibility and care for young children. Moreover, the demand for child care workers is also high because of the high turnover rate of the job; this is because the wages given to child care workers are low, making the turnover rate as much as 31 percent (Eberts & Gisler, 1999). It has become more of a rule, rather than a something arising out of necessity, for women to work outside their homes. There has been a shift from the parenting approach to child care to a market approach to child care (Lamanna & Riedmann, 2008). Therefore, a number of alternatives have surfaced over the years to facilitate working mothers while they are away. In America, the three main types of child care options that are preferred are in-home care, family child care and child care centers. Child care centers are also known as day care centers. Where in-home child care includes hiring a nanny or au-pairs, family child care is concerned with the caring of a child from the personal residence of the care giver. Both have advantages and disadvantages of their own. In-home care provides the child care in his or her own, and is very personalized for the child. However, the little exposure the child gets of the outside world, along with the lack of authentic proof of the character of the care giver, makes the in-home care option less preferable. On the other hand, family care centers are generally preferred for their small child to care giver ratio as well as the dependency on the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Developing the Professional Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Developing the Professional - Assignment Example Dear Sir/Madam I am a postgraduate student pursuing my Master's degree in International Business from Lincoln University United Kingdom. I would like to be considered for the post of an HR PMO Officer in the organization. I am very interested in working in this field and would like to take this opportunity to put my ideas and skills into practice in order to develop myself along with the organization. I would like to make the best use of this opportunity and that is why I am applying to Vodafone for the post of an HR PMO Officer as I believe that, this platform will give me an exposure to a professional working environment whereby I will be able to learn and grow along with the organization. This job will be a perfect platform for me to put into practice my communications skills that I have developed over the due course of my life, thereby enabling me to interact with many people all over the world and to learn and know more about them thus enhancing my communication skills. While working with Ras Girtas Power Company and Doha Bank, I learned to provide assistance to my superiors and I had to work under strict deadlines. I had to schedule my tasks and report the status of every single assignment on a timely basis to my superiors. This is where I believe I can be of great assistance to the PMO lead where my major responsibility will be to support the PMO lead and other project and program management officers to deliver their projects within time, cost and quality.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Critique of Artificial Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Critique of Artificial Intelligence Essay Journalist John Markoff wrote the article â€Å"Computer Wins On ‘Jeopardy!’: Trivial, It’s Not†. He discusses how the super computer â€Å"Watson† defeated the all time champion of â€Å"Jeopardy!† Ken Jennings. The author, throughout the article, agrees that the supercomputer â€Å"Watson† was a fair match against Ken Jennings. I disagree with Markoff for multiple reasons. This was in no way a fair match because the computer had a remarkable ability to answer questions at super speeds. Also, the computer has access to all available questions and the ability to answer them. This was in no way a fair battle between the computer and Ken Jennings. The author’s main idea of this article is mainly to say how the supercomputer was a fair match between the two. The computer has ways to answer questions that humans have no way of doing. The computer can answer questions within seconds and even milliseconds when the question is asked. It has a super speed ability to answer these questions, which gives no time for the competitor to even have a chance to answer the questions given. So, when the competitor has no time to even have an attempt to answer the question, there is no way to win. â€Å"Watson† is so smart that almost every question that is asked, he answers correctly. Since I don’t agree with Markoff’s statement about â€Å"Watson†, I don’t think his argument is valid. The reason I don’t believe his argument and points are valid is that a computer that has remarkable and inhuman-like abilities is obviously going to win in a competition of speed and knowledge. Ken Jennings had no chance against this computer. So, if a human has no chance against a machine, how can anyone call this a fair fight? Now, Markoff did define his terms clearly and specifically describe his reasons for why he thinks what he thinks, so I do give him credit for that. Still, I disagree with his argument. I disagree with most of Markoff’s view about the competition between the computer and Jennings. His main point of the fair competition is totally undebatable. â€Å"Watson, on the other hand, does not anticipate the light, but has a weighted scheme that allows it, when it is highly confident, to hit  the buzzer in as little as 10 milliseconds, making it hard for humans to beat† (Markoff 212). This statement made by Markoff proves that this was in no way possible for Jennings to beat the super computer. The computer can buzz in at amazing speeds as little as 10 milliseconds, which is way faster than any other human could possibly buzz in. Plus, the computer is programmed with so much information, that it would most likely be able to defeat Jennings, just because of the intelligence of this machine that the creators programmed into it. Overall, I do not believe that this piece published by John Markoff is in anyway valid. Markoff does however succeed in persuading people his ideas and describing his ideas and arguments very specifically. He does a good job with his argument and stating what he thinks. I do not agree with his argument though. My reaction to this piece is actually astonished because I am not sure how anyone could think that a computer competing against a very intelligent human was fair at all. The weakness of this passage is probably how it can be hard for someone to understand how a computer can manage to accomplish all this, but the strengths are good description and expression of the passage. Although he argues very well of his points, I in no way agree with his argument that the battle between â€Å"Watson† and Ken Jennings was fair.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Why I liked the Movie In And Out :: essays papers

Why I liked the Movie "In And Out" The idea of a man coming to terms with his sexuality is always one that is relevant in our American culture. Its sad to know that in this day in age of advanced technology on society will always be hung up of the life style and preference of other individuals. "In And Out" as a movie did a good job at addressing this issue and making it light hearted enough for people to see, and possibly under stand. I’m sure that we all known some one in some way that we’ve thought to be homosexual: or at least we’ve considered them to be "Feminine" for a guy or to "Masculine" for a girl. With this we have our "doubts." With this movie taking place in a "Typical" suburban city it gives every one a chance to relate with the characters, from the high schools students all the way to the elderly grand parents. This allows the main character to touch the lives of every one. It also shows a little of why he cannot admit to himself his sexuality. He lives his entire life trying to live up to expectations of his community. However he doses know that within his true self needs to escape and some time dose, with his fascination for Barbara Strisand and other typical homosexual interest. However he miserably fails the "man" requirements but dose make the scene very funny. Howard, the movies main character is engaged to a beautiful woman, who becomes confused about her fiancà ©e when the first accusation of Howard’s homosexuality comes out. Howard is a school teacher but when the roomer starts his students don’t know how to react, they don’t know if its "True" or not However a few of them are mature enough to still accept and appreciate the help he has given them through the years. From helping them with schoolwork to helping them get to college, his good natured heart never lets them down. Howard’s mother is typical of most mothers in the way she’s so adamant about, how she wants to see a big wedding before she dies. This is also another reason Howard attempts to oppress his sexuality. He feels that he must give his parents what they want. This is some thing that I am sure most of us can all relate too.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Drink Raw Milk

Drink Raw Milk Having spent the majority of my life on a dairy farm, I have had the privilege of enjoying fresh, clean, delicious raw milk. There is nothing like it! I would be willing to wager that very few have ever experienced the enjoyment of sipping a tall, ice-cold, creamy â€Å"straight from the farm† glass of milk. There is nothing in the world that compares with the overall taste, the nutritional content, and the health benefits found in raw milk. Raw milk should be an option for everyone to consume. There are warnings and new research advising consumers to avoid raw milk and raw milk products. Indeed, I was surprised to read Nelson (2010) that, â€Å"Raw milk stands alone as the only food that has ever been outlawed, and its advocates point out that it took a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol,† (p. 3). Nonetheless, the movement seems to be gaining in popularity. The Oake Knoll Ayrshire farm in Foxborough, Massachusetts owned by the Lawton family is a perfect example of the momentum that the raw milk movement has gained. â€Å"Lawton figures that she has 200 weekly customers, versus just a handful two years ago,† (Gumpert, 2008). With the â€Å"organic† fresh products movement and the increased accessibility to farmer’s markets, consumers have become more aware of these alternatives. According to the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a foundation that stands strongly behind the raw milk movement, an estimated half a million Americans or more are consuming raw milk. There are many issues surrounding the raw milk versus pasteurized milk debate, but at this time I want to focus on the issue of choice. The taste of raw milk is the first thing I think of every time I drink pasteurized milk. There are drastic differences in taste, sweetness, and texture. Raw milk is mild, creamy, and even sweeter than pasteurized milk. â€Å"Fresh milk has a delicate flavour contributed by compounds of low molecular weight in trace amounts. Heat treatment affects the flavour of milk and produces detectable off-flavours,† (Aboshama, 1977). Many raw milk consumers testify that one of the main reasons they drink raw milk is for the flavor and creamy texture. In a New York Times article, several raw milk drinkers’ sentiments are voiced about the taste of raw milk: â€Å"richness and density,† â€Å"complexity of flavor,† and â€Å"we trust the traditional food chain [flavor] more,† (Drape, 2007). The best tasting milk is going to come from cows that are pasture-fed. There is a direct relationship between what the animal eats and the taste and nutritional value of the milk. â€Å"Products from pasture-raised animals are healthier [tastier] for you to eat than those from grain-fed animals for many reasons. Animals get more readily available nutrients from fresh pasture plants than from grains, so their products contain more vitamin E, beta carotene, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids,† (Schivera, 2003). This pasture-fed cow’s milk is the high quality raw milk that so many people are seeking out and defending. This high standard of milk resembles that of which most Americans once lived on, when either everyone owned a cow or knew someone who did. Research done by Levieux (1980) explains that two types of protein exist in milk; they are casein and whey. Unlike casein, whey protein is deconstructed during pasteurization (p. 93). These proteins play an important role in the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Colman, Hettiararchychy, and Herbert (1981) reported that many vitamins and minerals are attracted to these proteins and potentially bind to them. This bond can facilitate their absorption by the digestive system. Pasteurization destroys the ability of certain proteins in milk to bind the important vitamin folate and hence help its absorption (p. 1426). The components of raw milk that are thought to be most affected by the pasteurization process are the water soluble vitamins and the proteins. According to research completed by Rolls (1973), there is approximately a 10% loss of vitamins BI, B6, B12 and folate and a 25% loss of vitamin C (p. 10). Ultimately, raw milk provides the consumer with more available vitamins and minerals than pasteurized milk. The following chart compares the nutritional values of raw milk and pasteurized milk and clearly shows raw milk offers far more benefits than pasteurized milk. NUTRITIVE VALUE OF RAW MILK Vs. PASTEURIZED MILK (Chart) Category ComparedRaw MilkPasteurized Milk 1) Enzymes:All available. Less than 10% remaining. 2) Protein:100% available, all 22 amino acids, including 8 that are essential. Protein-lysine and tyrosine are altered by heat with serious loss of metabolic availability. This results in making the whole protein complex less available for tissue repair and rebuilding. ) Fats: (research studies indicate that fats are necessary to metabolize protein and calcium. All natural protein-bearing foods contain fats. )All 18 fatty acids metabolically available, both saturated and unsaturated fats. Altered by heat, especially the 10 essential unsaturated fats. 4) Vitamins:All 100% available. Among the fat-soluble vitamins, some are classed as unstable and therefore a loss is caused by heat ing above blood temperature. This loss of Vitamin A, D, E and F can run as high as 66%. Vitamin C loss usually exceeds 50%. Losses on water-soluble vitamins are affected by heat and can run from 38% to 80%. ) Carbohydrates:Easily utilized in metabolism. Still associated naturally with elements. Tests indicate that heat has made some changes making elements less available metabolically. 6) Minerals:All 100% metabolically available. Major mineral components are calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur. Vital trace minerals, all 24 or more, 100% available. Calcium is altered by heat and loss in metabolism may run 50% or more, depending on pasteurization temperature. Losses in other essential minerals, because one mineral usually acts synergistically with another element. There is a loss of enzymes that serve as leaders in assimilation minerals. NOTE:Bacterial growth in Raw Milk increases very slowly, because of the friendly acid-forming bacteria (nature's antiseptic) retards the growth of invading organisms (bacteria). Usually keeps for several weeks when under refrigeration and will sour instead of rot. Pasteurization refers to the process of heating every particle of milk to at least 145 F. and holding at such temperature for at least 15 seconds. Pasteurizing does not remove dirt, or bacterially-produced toxins from milk. Bacterial growth will be geometrically rapid after pasteurization and homogenization. Gradually turns rancid in a few days, and then decomposes. Note. The above chart on nutritive values was cited from â€Å"Report In Favor Of Raw Milk: Expert Report and Recommendations,† by A. Vonderplanitz and W. C. Douglass, 2001, Retrieved from http://docs. google. com Raw milk offers many health benefits which include physical, digestive, and even cognitive health. Perkin (2007) reference cites one of his earlier studies Perkin (2006) that, â€Å"Found protective effects of unpasteurized consumption on current eczema and seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms,† (p. 627). This research has been supported by others such as Waser (2007) who questioned why most farming children seem not to suffer from these ailments. There are many examples of research that show raw milk’s health advantages. Nelson (2010) identifies published studies that find evidence for the following health benefits: Childhood consumption of raw milk resulted in significant reductions in the development of asthma, eczema, and hay fever (in Nelson 2010, p. 6). Consumption of â€Å"farm milk† showed a significant inverse relationship to asthma and allergies in a study of nearly 15,000 European children (in Nelson 2010, p. ). Although the follow studies are dated and have been continually dismissed by popular science, this research shows a correlation between early childhood consumption of raw milk and the absence of certain childhood ailments. Children who drank raw milk were less likely to develop cavities and higher resistance to tuberculosis (in Nelson 2010, p. 6). Raw milk prevented scurvy and protected against flu, diphtheria and pneumonia (in Nelson 2010, p. 6). I find it ironic that we currently immunize children (and some adults) for several of the above diseases. It makes me wonder whether the consumption of raw milk (or the lack of) has played a significant role in the necessity for these immunizations. Milk in it’s cleanest, rawest form offers the most health benefits to the consumer. The controversy surrounding the legality of raw milk continues to rage on, although the focus should be to eliminate the production of â€Å"dirty† milk. I recall from my time on my parents’ dairy farm that as long as the bacteria count remains below 100,000 per ml, organisms if present, cannot represent significant health hazard. Nelson (2010) confirms that not only does state regulators require a bacterial count of 100,000 per ml for milk slated to be pasteurized, they require the bacteria count of Grade A Raw milk to remain under 30,000 per ml (p. 5). The solution to the raw milk debate is in the creation of a universal standard for all milk, not in the banning of unpasteurized milk. The pasteurization process continues to be of great value for mass produced milk, where animals are kept in confined spaces and reated with antibiotics and hormones, but there is no reason to deny the consumer the enjoyment of high quality unpasteurized milk. The purpose of this essay is to provide you, the reader, an explanation of the benefits of raw milk. Even though these benefits exist, many people have never tried raw milk because it continues to be illegal in many states. Drape (2007) reports that while human consumption of raw milk is illegal in fifteen states, there are 26 states that raw milk can be bought in with cer tain restrictions. In my opinion, this is possibly information that many of you have been denied because many health officials (pressured by politics and large corporations) fear that unpasteurized milk is unsafe. The evidence I have presented, illustrates that untreated milk tastes better, has a higher nutritional value, and offers health benefits above and beyond pasteurized milk. At the very least it has a better flavor, with none of the damage caused by the pasteurization process. I challenge everyone to find a local dairy farmer who produces clean, raw milk and enjoy a glass.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Ode to Autumn

ODE TO AUTUMN John Keats This poem, an ode, is the last of Keats’ odes. In it, the poet exhibits a rich mood of serenity by describing autumn as a season of mellow fruitfulness – a season of ripeness and fulfillment. This ode is known for its remarkable sensuous beauty that is crafted by employment of several visual, tactile and auditory imageries together with the personification of autumn as a woman engaged in various autumnal activities. In the first stanza, the poet has described the bounty of autumn. It is the season of mists and the ripening of fruit. Autumn and the sun work together for the ripening of all kinds of fruits.The vines running round the edges of the thatch and apple trees growing in the cottage garden are weighed down with fruits. Their fruits are ripening during autumn. Besides the gourds are becoming larger and the hazel nuts are being filled with sweet kernels. For the bees, it appears as if there is no end to their happy days – summer â₠¬â€œ as there are some later flowers still blooming in autumn, providing honey to them, even if their sticky combs are over-brimmed. The beautiful word pictures and various visual and tactile imageries make the stanza a well-crafted one.In the second stanza, the poet moves from the country cottage to the outside field and describes various activities associated with autumn. He does it by employing personification that one almost visualizes these activities. It is the season of harvest and since most of the harvest works are performed by women, autumn is described as a woman. First, it is seen as a woman doing the work of winnowing. Secondly, one may see it as a reaper, asleep in the half-finished furrow of crops. Thirdly, it may be seen as a gleaner, keeping her corn-burdened head steady as she crosses a brook.Finally, autumn may be seen as a woman standing patiently beside a cider-press for the last drops of apple juice. Unlike the first stanza where autumn was bustling with activi ties, Autumn is found static in suspended activity or arrested motion in the second stanza and the readers are invited to move from one scene to another in search of Autumn. In the final stanza, the poet appears to be overwhelmed by a pessimistic idea and asks about the sweet music of spring which is absent in autumn. However, he immediately rectifies himself and says there is nothing to worry about the songs of spring as autumn too has its own music.He then lists the various sounds of autumn which are generally heard in the evening time. The mourning of the gnats, the loud bleating of the full-grown lambs, the singing of the hedge-crickets, the whistling of the red-breast and the twittering of the swallows are the prominent sounds that the poem deals with. Thus, the third stanza is about the music of autumn and the imagery is auditory. If in the first stanza, the positive side of autumn as the handmaid of summer is stressed, here the season is hailed as the prelude to winter.The th eme of the poem is a delighted, sensuous enjoyment of the rich and mature beauty of autumn season. The poet’s imaginative response to the beauty of autumn appears in a series of pictorial personifications of the season. The course of autumn traced in the poem is not restricted to autumn. The movement of the poem from fruition to harvest, from satisfaction to ending epitomizes the very process of life. Even sadness is seen in its true perspective as inseparable from and part and parcel of the complete process. The poem is an acceptance of the beauty and the pain in life, and an affirmation of its dignity. Thou hast thy music too’, is a relevant reminder that each one has his own talent and should attain contentment in life. Extracts: a) Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun Conspiring with him how to load and bless. i) Why does the poet address ‘autumn’ as the ‘season of mists and mellow fruit-fullness? Ans. T he poet addresses ‘autumn’ as the season of mists as during this season, we can see mists on the open fields and on the other wet places in the mornings and evenings. He calls it a season of mellow fruitfulness because it’s during autumn that the fruits are in the process of ripening. i) How is ‘autumn’ a close bosom-friend of the maturing sun? Ans. Autumn is a close friend of the maturing sun as both of them together help the fruits to ripen to the core. iii) What do the close friends conspire? Ans. The two close friends, autumn and the sun conspire to load and bless the vines and apple trees with fruits, to swell the gourds, to plump the hazel shells with sweet kernels and to help bloom some more flowers. b) And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease. i) What does the poet mean by the ‘later flowers’? Ans.By the ‘later flowers’, the poet means to convey that flowering does not s top immediately after summer; in fact it continues though the number gets reduced. These are known as later flowers. ii) What makes the bees feel that warm days will never cease? Ans. The presence of later flowers and availability of honey for the bees makes them feel that the warm days shall never cease. iii) Describe the bee hives. Ans. The bees have collected a lot of honey during summer, yet the presence of the later flowers makes them collect more and add it to their collection which is now over-filled in their sticky cells. ) Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; i) Who or what is being talked of here? Ans. ‘Autumn’ is being talked of here. ii) What is the poetic device employed here and what is its effect? Ans. The poetic device employed here is personification as ‘autumn’ is being described as a woman engaged in various harvest related activities. iii) Why is she seen sitting carelessly on the granary floor? What activity was she involved in? Ans. She can be seen sitting carelessly on the granary floor as she was engaged in winnowing work, i. e. eparating the chaff from the corn and she is sitting carelessly because she is not worried as the harvest has been very good. It is picture of fulfillment or contentment. iv) Mention at least two more places she can be seen. Also mention in what condition she can be seen at these places. Ans. She can be seen in a sleeping posture, as she had been induced to sleep by the intoxicating smell of the poppies growing in the field along with the corn, in a half-reaped furrow while her sickle spares the next swath. She can also be seen as a gleaner, crossing a brook and keeping her head steady.She can be seen sitting patiently at a cider-press and watching for the last drops of apple juice trickling down from the press. d) Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, — i) Who is being addressed here? Ans. Autumn is being addressed here. ii) This line is the answer to a question asked by the poet. What is the question? Ans. The question is: ‘Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they? iii) What is being referred to as ‘them’ here and why should the addressee not think of them? Ans. ‘The songs of spring’ is being referred to as ‘them’ here and the addressee, i. . autumn should not think of them as it is useless to think of the past. It’s rather wise to live in the present. Besides, autumn has its own music too. iv) Name a few sources of music associated with the addressee. Ans. The mourning of the gnats, the loud bleats of the full-grown lambs, the songs of the hedge-crickets, the whistles of the red-breast and the twittering of the swallows are the prominent sounds associated with the addressee, autumn. e) ‘Where are the songs of the Spring! Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue†¦ ’ i) Name the poet and the poem. Ans. The poet is ‘John Keats’ and the poem is ‘Ode to Autumn’. ii) Who is being referred to as ‘thou’? Ans. Autumn is being referred to as ‘thou’. iii) What does the poet mean when he says ‘songs of spring’? Ans. By the songs of spring the poet refers to the joy and exuberance of spring season. iv) What image is conjured up with ‘stubble plains’? Ans. The grain has been harvested and only the short, dry stalks remain like the stubble of hair on the face.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

To Kill a Mockinbird essays

To Kill a Mockinbird essays One of the major masterpieces of American literature, To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee originally as a love story, was published in 1960 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1961. It also won an Academy Award when it was later made into a film starring Gregory Peck. The story is set in imaginary Maycomb County in southern Alabama. The time frame for the story is the early 1930's during the great depression. Poverty was common and times were extremely tough. This book is loaded with interesting characters. Here is an outline and description of some of the most important characters. The story revolves around the Finch family, led by Atticus Finch, a lawyer. Atticus has two children: Jem, short for Jeremy, his eldest son and Scout, nickname for Jean Louise, his younger and only daughter. Scout is a bit of a tomboy and enjoys hanging out with her brother and their friend Dill. Dill is a young boy who comes to stay in Maycomb every summer with his aunt, Miss Rachel. Aunt Alexandra is Atticus' sister and the family has a maid named Calpurnia. The children spend a great deal of time at the house of Arthur "Boo" Radley. Bob Ewell who lives with his daughter Mayella Ewell is the man who accuses Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping Mayella. Law enforcement in Maycomb consists of Heck Tate, county law official and Judge Taylor. The story begins when Jem and Scout meet a new friend, Dill, who has come to spend yet another summer with his aunt, Miss Rachel. The town is full of gossip about Boo Radley, which fascinates the three friends. Dill, Jem and Scout try to think up creative ways to lure Boo out of his house with no success. The next summer Dill returns and is even more curious and becomes more daring in his attempt to see Boo. On the last evening of Dill's stay in Maycomb the children decide to sneak up on Boo's porch to see what they can see. Just as Jem reaches the window, Nath ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Federal Government Small Business Set Aside Programs

Federal Government Small Business Set Aside Programs Every federal government purchase anticipated to be valued from $2500 to $100,000 is automatically set-aside for small businesses as long as there are at least 2 companies that can provide the product/service. Contracts over $100,000 can be set aside if enough small businesses are able to do the work. Contracts over $500,000 have to include a small business subcontracting plan so that small businesses can get work under these large contracts. Small Business Contracts less than $100,000 or those where 2 or more small businesses can fulfill the contract can be set aside for small businesses. This is typically a contracting officer decision after they perform market research. Contracts can be fully set aside or partially set aside (large company and small company). The SBA’s definition of a small business varies based on industry but typically is less than 500 employees or less than $5,000,000 in revenue. The government has an overall goal of 23% of prime contracts flowing to small businesses and in 2006 the actual was 23.09%. HUB Zone The HUBZone program is to encourage small businesses located in designated high unemployment, low-income areas through set aside contracts. HUBZone stands for â€Å"Historically Underutilized Business Zone†. To qualify a company must be a small business, owned and controlled 51% by US citizens, have a  main office in a HUBZone and have at least 35% of employees living in a HUBZone. The governments contracting goal is 3% of all prime contract dollars being awarded to HUBZone businesses. There are also sole source contracts possible and 10% price preference (HUBZone company prices can be 10% higher and still be considered competitive). To become HUBZone qualified the company must submit an application and supporting documentation to the SBA. In 2007 $1.764 billion was spent on HUBZone contracts. SBIR/STTR The SBIR/STTR program was established to provide small companies with funding to develop products which have government and commercial potential. SBIRs are research grants to fund research and development efforts. In 2005 federal agencies spent $1.85 billion on SBIR awards. STTR is similar to SBIR except the company must partner with a university under an STTR. Federal agencies with RD expenditures over $100 million per year set aside 2.5% of the RD funds for the SBIR program. Twenty percent of the SBIR award companies were founded entirely or partly based on SBIR contracts (â€Å"An Assessment of the SBIR Program†). SBIR is a three-phase program. Phase I is worth up to $100,000 and is to explore whether the proposed solution will work. Phase II can have a budget of up to $750,000 and is to develop a proof of concept. Phase III is to commercialize the solution and has a mix of government and private funding. 8(a) Small disadvantaged businesses may apply to the SBA 8(a) program. To qualify a business must be owned by socially or economically disadvantaged people, in business for at least 2 years and owners must have a net worth under $250,000. Once certified by the SBA 8(a) companies have set aside contracts available. Women-Owned There is no formal certification for women-owned small businesses – it is self-certified. The government contracting goal is 5% to women-owned businesses but there are no specific set aside programs. In 2006 the government awarded 3.4% of contract dollars to women-owned businesses. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVO) Veterans who are certified as service-disabled and own a company can be qualified as a service disabled veteran owned company. There is no formal certification process (self-certified) other than the Veteran’s Administration qualifying them as service disabled. The government-wide contracting goal is 3% to SDVO. Just 0.12% of total prime contract dollars were to service disabled veteran-owned businesses. Veteran-Owned Veteran-owned companies is a self-certifying designation when at least 51% of the company is owned by veterans. There are no specific set aside programs for veteran-owned. Just 0.6% of total prime contract dollars were to veteran-owned businesses. Small Disadvantaged Business Small disadvantaged businesses are 51% owned and controlled by African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian Americans, and Native Americans. This designation is self-certifying. Native American Native American (including Alaskan and Hawaiian) can have contracts set aside and sole-sourced to them.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Fight or Flight Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fight or Flight Response - Assignment Example Within a split second he moved back and almost stumbled by the lack of balance. He started to gasp as if he was choked and breathing rate elevated. He ran in an unknown but opposite direction of that source of fear. In no time he was perspiring like a waterfall. But after few minutes of disorganization he returned to his normal state. This is a classical scenario of flight and fight response. Walter B. Cannon was a physiologist who first outlined fight and flight as a chain reaction of biological changes that prepares the body for combat in response to a dangerous stimulus (Davis et al 2000). Our various body functions are controlled by biochemical mechanisms that regulate our biological system. The physiology of the response exhibited by Mr. Paul in the above scenario can be explained by changes that are bought up by our sympathetic system. Functionally, our nervous system can be divided into somatic and autonomic nervous system, not to confuse with central and peripheral nervous sy stem that is a division based on anatomic location. Autonomic nervous system can further be classified into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is mostly involved in the process of reserving the body's energies. Whereas, sympathetic nervous system regulate biochemical processes that utilize body resources to quickly provide with the energy and changes required to combat an external dangerous stimuli. It’s important to take an in depth analysis of what are these changed how these changes are achieved by this system. The basic physiology: The sensory nervous system provides the cerebral cortex with the stimuli that is classified as dangerous. This designation of any stimuli as harmful is based on previous experiences or presumptions made by brain based on the processed information throughout life (Hellriegel et al 1979). Not only the sensory stimuli but psychological stimuli can also trigger a fight and flight response. For example giving a speech in front of a vast audience may be able to be a psychological stimuli leading to stage fear (Plotnick et al 2002). Once cerebral cortex perceives any stimuli, sensory or psychological, to be dangerous or capable of inducing flight or fight response a signal is sent to the hypothalamus to activate the sympathetic system. Sympathetic Response: On arrival of the signal, hypothalamus responds by two main mechanisms. Most of the biochemical changes are produced by these mechanisms. First it stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete a hormone called Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH). This hormone stimulates the release of corticoids that promote availability of glucose for metabolism throughout the body. Secondly, hypothalamus activates the sympathetic system. Sympathetic nervous system innervates most of the visceral organs of the body. Alpha and beta receptors on most of the vital organs are stimulated by this system causing increase in the heart rate and respiratory e fforts while reducing the gut motility. Therefore, during or after this response victim may experience gastric discomfort and constipation. Sympathetic nervous system also innervates the blood vessels. Therefore, vasoconstriction is an important change brought about by the sympathetic nervous system. It elevates blood pressure by increasing the total peripheral resistance of the body. Sympathetic activation of nervous system also triggers an important organ, the adrenal glands. These glands are responsible for the secretion of epinephrine and