Crown Cork and Seal

Crown Cork and Seal Competitive Environment Analysis Exercise Corporate Purpose Crown Cork and Seal had three segments Metal Containers (cans), Closures (crowns), and packaging equipment. Metal containers are cans used in things such as soft drinks or aerosol cans. These were made from steel until being switched over to aluminum in the early 80’s. Crowns which are closures for any type item such as a jar. â€Å"Metal containers generated 65% of Crown’s $1. 88 billion 1988 sales, while closures generated 30% and packaging equipment 5%. † The mission of Crown Cork and Seal was to â€Å"be successful. To do this Connelly had to take control of cost. He did this by first trimming the workforce by letting go anyone not needed which reduced payroll by 24%. â€Å"The second step was to institute the concept of accountability. † He did this by instilling pride and a sense of workmanship in the employees. He also gave plant managers â€Å"responsibility for plan t profitability† as well as quality and customer service. Last but not leased he focused on the company’s debt. He paid off the banks through â€Å"inventory reduction and liquidation. †His vision and strategy for the future emphasized â€Å"cost efficiency, quality, and customer service. Connelly did this by focusing on the company’s strengths. He was able to improve on their strengths by focusing on the beverage can and new aerosol market. Simultaneously, he improved manufacturing including adapting to customer needs. Environment Analysis: General Environment: Demographic: 1989 over 120,795,000 metal cans were sold. Socio-Culture: The movement away from metal cans to plastic and glass has been a problem as they gain a bigger market share. Political-Legal:Political will play a big part in recycling and the push for â€Å"going green. This will also take effect for the legal aspects as new laws will be in place for more recycling and cleaners running man ufacturing plants. Technological:Shut down old out dated plants and opened up new plants across the US with new equipment. Economic: As higher gas prices hit lighter products such as plastic will be more economical to ship to customers verses a heavier metal can. Global: Connelly focused on international growth. He specifically targeted developing countries. Soon foreign plants generated 44% of sales and 54% of operating profits. Competitive environment: Buyers The competitive environment for the buyers appears to favor the buyers over Crown Cork and Seal and its competitors for many reasons. Major buyers in this industry include Coca-Cola Company and Incorporated, Anheuser-Busch, and PepsiCo. In other words there are a low number of buyers, all of which are very large and powerful companies. The size distribution is mostly centered on these major buyers; however there are other companies such as Seagram’s, Molson, and Labatt. Because there are so few companies for CCS to sell to, a high percentage of sales are dependent on these buyers. This low number of buyers is due to consolidation within the soft drink segment, from 8,000 bottlers in 1980 to about 800 in 1989. Generally 45% of the total cost to buyers went into purchasing the cans. Due to the total cost of cans, buyers try to maintain many relationships with many can makers to increase bargaining power and reduce costs. As a result of this the buyer is not heavily dependent on one single can company. Switching costs are also lower for buyers for the same reason; they already have many resources to choose from. Buyers also are likely to profit fairly well compared to can manufacturers. Can manufacturers must maintain low prices in order to compete with each other to gain share over these very few yet powerful buyers. Some brewers are avoiding switching costs all together through backward entry into the market. By 1989, due to production of cans by â€Å"captive† plants, 25% of all can output was produced by captive plants. By 1980 brewers had capability to supply 55% of their can needs. As a result threat of backward entry is very likely for brewers. It is easier for brewers to do this because they make high-volume single-label products. While at the same time soft drink industry could not easily do this because they focused on low-volume multiple-label products. The aluminum can has three major substitutes buyers can choose from: Plastic bottles, which constituted for 11% of soft drink sales in 1989 along with a growth rate from 9 to 18% from 1980 to 1989; Glass bottles, which constituted for 14% of sales in the soft drink industry in 1989; and steel cans. The aluminum can however is a unique and valuable product to the industry, which is why they constituted for 75% of total sales in 1989. As stated in the case aluminum has many advantages over its substitutes. Aluminum is lighter than glass and steel, aluminum is easy to handle and fill, aluminum allows for a wider variety of graphics options, and also consumers prefer aluminum. Because this product is so unique and advanced, it absolutely increases the buyer’s product quality. Cans have a longer shelf life than plastics and bottles, they are lighter and easier to handle, and since they are coated with a protected seal inside the can taste is not sacrificed. All of which add value and quality to the finished product given to be consumed. Suppliers There are three large aluminum suppliers: Alcoa, Alcan, and Reynolds Metals. Alcoa is the largest producer of aluminum with sales of $9. 8 billion, Alcan ranked a close second with $8. 5 billion in sales, and Reynolds Metals is ranked second in the united states with sales of $5. 6 billion. The percentage of our supplies that come from large suppliers are 21% aluminum and 23% steel. Crown Cork and Seal represents 61% of sales for large suppliers. The supplied product is unique in that they have injected the aluminum cans gas to help the metal retain its shape. This allows the cans to hold more than just caffeinated beverages. Also, the steel is produced thinner to cut costs and weight and there are even steel/ aluminum mixes. In addition to aluminum and steel, there are glass and plastic suppliers that offer unique products based on function. There are always substitutes for a particular supplied product. With the advancement in technology, a cheaper, lighter product could be developed or a new innovative product could be discovered. For example: Bottling has transitioned over the decades from being primarily glass, then to steel, and now aluminum. The cost for switching a particular supplied product would be $20-$25 million based on the finding of switching from three piece to two piece cans. From reviewing the case, there does not seem to be a supplier that is excessively profitable. Even though Alcoa has the largest share of the market making $9. 8 billion in sales, Alcan is not too far behind with the $8. 5 billion. The other suppliers could always come out with a product which would give them a greater competitive advantage, and give threaten Alcoa’s top ranking position. In addition to profitability, there is a great likely hood to forward entry by a supplier. Reynolds Metals, who is a supplier, sold over 11 billion cans itself. The supplier’s product is very important to our product quality. The difference between the value of resources used and the value of the aluminum can to the brewer makes up the surplus value between what the supplier sells the aluminum for and what Crown Cork and Seal can get for it. Competitors Entrants There are a number of threatening entrants to the can manufacturing business. As the market continues to see more suppliers producing cans, and more brewers skipping the middle man (can manufacturer), the threat becomes more serious. Substitutes The shift towards plastic bottles, and perhaps more innovative materials are the threats to substitutes for cans. Corporate Profitability and Productivity: Please See Appendix A Threats to Competitive Equilibrium A 10X force that may come from the general environment to greatly disturb Crown Cork and Seal’s equilibrium in the market might be a socio-cultural shift to be more health conscious. This may hurt the soft drink industry especially hard since they are so high in sugar and there is an epidemic of diabetes and childhood obesity in America. In 1989, soft drinks accounted for more than 50% of the beverage industry. If the health craze were to gain momentum, it could cut into soft drink sales severely. This would increase the market for water and juices. However, water and juice tend to come in plastic containers for the most part. Crown, Cork & Seal never got into the plastics market and this could be a huge problem for them. If they do not find a new market for their products they might be left out in the cold once a health revolution occurs in society. The impact on sales would be overwhelming. This would bring profits way down and they may even start to have losses if they do not make adjustments fast enough. Their assets may also decrease in value because there would be less demand for can making machines due to an increase in the need for plastics making machines. With this massive shift in end-user sentiment, Crown, Cork, and Seal would have trouble convincing investors and banks to bet on them thus increasing their cost of capital greatly. A 10X force from the competitive environment could come from Crown, Cork, and Seal’s buyers, especially soft drink bottlers. There has been a trend of consolidation among soft drink bottlers and they have used this to gain leverage over their suppliers and get discounts for their bulk orders. If they were to continue with this trend of consolidation, it could create a scenario in which the bottlers could make their cans in-house cheaper than ordering them from companies like Crown, Cork, and Seal. This would be devastating for Crown, Cork, and Seal to say the least. Since soft drink bottlers are Crown, Cork, and Seal’s largest buyer, this would likely put so much stress on the company that it would eventually become obsolete unless the trend changed or the company shifted their focus before it was too late. This 10X force would bring sales way down for Crown, Cork, and Seal. Even if their sales were not hit as hard as possible, their profits would likely suffer anyway because of the pressure their buyers would be able to put on them with the threat of in-house can manufacturing. Their assets would not drop too much in value because there would still be a market for can manufacturing equipment in this scenario. Crown, Cork, and Seal would likely find it more difficult to attract investors to their company and even their cost of debt would increase with a likely decrease in the rating of their bonds. These two setbacks would drive up their cost of capital and make it difficult to raise money to shift their focus if they wait too long to do so.

Relative Reactivity of Alkyl Halides

Relative Reactivity of Alkyl Halides Introduction Nucleophilic substitution of alkyl halides can proceed by two different mechanisms – the SN2 and the SN1. The purpose of the experiment was to identify the effects that the alkyl group and the halide-leaving group have on the rates of SN1 reactions, and the effect that the solvent has on the rates of SN1 and SN2 reactions. The SN1 mechanism is a two-step nucleophilic substitution, or unimolecular displacement. In the first step of the mechanism, the carbon-halogen bond breaks and the halide ion leaving group leaves in a slow, rate-determining step to form a carbocation intermediate.The carbocation intermediate is then immediately detained by the weak nucleophile in a fast, second step to give the product. A solution of ethanol with some silver nitrate may be added provided the weak nucleophile – the alcohol. If an SN1 reaction occurs, the alkyl halide will dissociate to form a carbocation, which will then react with the ethanol to form an ether. Since there is not a strong nucleophile present, the cleavage of the carbon-halogen bond is encouraged by the formation and precipitation of silver bromide.The halide ion will combine with a silver ion from the silver nitrate to form a silver halide precipitate, which will advise that a reaction has occurred. + AgBr + NO3- Figure 1: The SN1 mechanism of 2-bromo-2-methylpropane and silver nitrate. The nucleophile would have been ethanol while the silver nitrate would have disassociated to form a silver halide precipitate. The more stable the carbocation, the quicker the reaction. Therefore, SN1 reactions desire tertiary substrates most, followed by secondary, and lastly primary.Because the strength of the nucleophile is unimportant, an ionizing solvent is needed. Water is the best solvent, followed by methanol, ethanol, propanol, and lastly acetone. In experiment two, the tertiary 2-bromo-2-methylpropane was the most favored reactant followed by the secondar y 2-bromobutane, the primary 1-bromobutane, and the primary 1-chlorobutane. This order is determined by whether the molecule is primary, secondary, or tertiary. 2-bromo-2-methlypropane + AgNO3 + (CH3)2CO AgBr + ethyl-t-butylether + isobutylene Figure 2: The SN2 mechanism of 2-bromo-2-methlypropane with AgNO3 in (CH3)2CO.The SN2 reaction mechanism is a one-step, bimolecular displacement in which the bond-breaking and bond-making processes occur simultaneously. The SN2 reaction requires a strong nucleophile. The order of reactivity is the opposite of the SN1 reaction because the nucleophile must attack from the back, and is favored with the least steric hindrance. The halide attached to a primary carbon is easier to attack from the back. In experiment one, the 1-chlorobutane was the most favored reactant followed by the primary 1-bromobutane, the secondary 2-bromobutane, and the tertiary 2-bromo-2-methylpropane.This order is determined by whether the molecule is primary, secondary, or tertiary. â€Å"SN2 reactions are particularly sensitive to steric factors, since they are greatly retarded by steric hindrance (crowding) at the site of reaction. In general, the order of reactivity of alkyl halides in SN2 reactions is: methyl > 1 ° > 2 °. The 3 ° alkyl halides are so crowded that they do not generally react by an SN2 mechanism. †1 1-chlorobutane and NaI-acetone ——> 1-iodobutane + NaCl (precipitate) In general, weaker bases make better leaving groups.SN1 and SN2 reactions show the same trends, but SN1 is more sensitive. The reactants favored in the SN2 mechanism are the opposite of the SN1 reaction. the primary 1-chlorobutane was most favored, followed by the primary 1-bromobutane, the secondary 2-bromobutane, and tertiary 2-bromo-2-methylpropane. Table 1: Table of Reagents with molecular weight, density, melting point, and boiling point. Name| Molecular Weight (g/mol)| Density (M/V)| Melting point ( °C)| Boiling point ( °C)| 2-bromo -2-methylpropane| 137. 02 g/mol| 1. 22 g mL? 1 | -16  Ã‚ °C| 73 °C| 2-bromobutane| 137. 02 g/mol| 1. 55 g mL? 1| -113 °C| 91 °C| 1-bromobutane| 137. 02 g/mol| 1. 2676 g mL? 1| -112  Ã‚ °C| 99-103 °C| 1-chlorobutane| 92. 57 g mol? 1| 0. 89 g/mL | -123. 1  Ã‚ °C| 78 °C| NaI| 149. 89 g/mol| 3. 67 g/cm3| 661  Ã‚ °C| 1304  Ã‚ °C| AgNO3| 169. 87 g mol? 1| 5. 35 g/cm3| 212  Ã‚ °C| 444  Ã‚ °C| Methanol| 32. 04 g mol? 1| 0. 7918 g/cm3| -97. 6  Ã‚ °C| 64. 7  Ã‚ °C| Ethanol| 46. 07 g mol? 1| 0. 789 g/cm3 | ? 114  Ã‚ °C| 78. 37  Ã‚ °C| Propanol| 60. 10 g mol? 1| . 803 g/mL| -126  Ã‚ °C| 97-98  Ã‚ °C| Acetone| 58. 08 g mol? 1| 0. 791 g cm? 3| -93  Ã‚ °C| 56-57  Ã‚ °C,| NaOH| 39. 9971 g mol-1| 2. 13 g/cm3| 318  Ã‚ °C| 1388  Ã‚ °C| Phenolphthalein| 318. 2 g mol? 1| 1. 277 g cm? 3| 260  °C| NA| Experimental For part A, four clean test tubes were acquired and numbered 1-4. Five drops of each of the following reagents were added to the test tubes in numer ical order: 2-bromo-2-methylpropane, 2-bromobutane, 1-bromobutane, 1-chlorobutane. Twenty drops of NaI in acetone were added to each test tube, the time of the first drop was recorded, and the tubes were mixed. The exact time of the first sign of cloudiness in each test tube was noted. The exact time of the first sign of precipitation was noted.If no reaction occurred within five minutes, the test tube was placed in a warm water bath. No color change was observed, only a change in cloudiness of the solutions. For part B, the test tubes were rinsed with ethanol and then the same amount of each alkyl halide was placed into each test tube. Twenty drops of silver nitrate in ethanol was added to each of the four test tubes, and the exact time that the first drop was added to each test tube was noted. The exact time of the first sign of cloudiness in each test tube was noted. The exact time of the first sign of precipitation was noted.If no reaction occurred within five minutes, the test tube was placed in a warm water bath. No color change was observed, only a change in cloudiness of the solutions. For part C, four clean test tubes were acquired and numbered 1-4. 1 mL of 1:1 methanol and water was added to the first test tube; 1mL of 1:1 mixture of ethanol/water was added to the second test tube; 1mL of 1:1 mixture of 1-propanol/water was added the the third test tube; and 1 mL of 1:1 mixture of acetone/water was added to the fourth test tube. Three drops of . 5M NaOH and three drops of 1% phenolphthalein were added to each test tube.Three drops of 2-bromo-2-methylpropane were added to each test tube, and the exact time that the first drop was added to each tube was noted. The tubes were swirled, and the disappearance of the pink color was observed. The final color of each solution was yellow. Results Table 2: Reaction times pertaining to SN2 reactions, SN1 reactions, and the solvent effects on SN1 reactions. Part A (SN2 reaction with NaI)| Time in seconds| 2-bromo -2-methylpropane| 97 seconds| 2-bromobutane| 95 seconds | 1-bromobutane| 71 seconds| 1-chlorobutane| 86. 7 seconds|Part B (SN1 reaction with AgNO3 in ethanol)| Time in seconds| 2-bromo-2-methylpropane| 34. 6 seconds| 2-bromobutane| 49 seconds| 1-bromobutane| 80 seconds| 1-chlorobutane| 905 seconds| Part C (Solvent effects on SN1 reaction with. 5M NaOH and phenolphthalein)| Time in seconds| Methanol/water 1:1| 129 seconds| Ethanol/water 1:1| 97 seconds| Propanol/water 1:1| 93 seconds| Acetone/water 1:1| 90 seconds| Discussion In experiment A, the results followed the trend hypothesized for SN1 reactions in the introduction. The primaries finished first, followed by secondary, and lastly tertiary.The primary 1-bromobutane completed first, followed by the primary 1-chlorobutane. The secondary 2-bromobutane completed third, and the tertiary 2-bromo-2-methylpropane finished last. The 1-bromobutane finished before the 1-chlorobutane because bromine was a better leaving group than chlorine . This is because bromine is bigger and less electronegative than chlorine. Therefore the bromine did not form as tight of bonds with carbon as chlorine, and could more easily leave the group. In experiment B, the results followed the trend hypothesized for SN2 reactions in the introduction.The tertiary finished first, followed by secondary, followed by the primaries. 1-bromo-1-methylpropane finished first because of its tertiary nature. The secondary 2-bromobutane finished second. The primary 1-bromobutane finished third, followed by primary 1-chlorobutane. The rate-limiting formation of the carbocation decided this pattern. The 1-bromobutane finished before the 1-chlorobutane because bromine was a better leaving group than chlorine. In experiment C, the results did not follow the trend hypothesized for the solvent effects on the SN1 reaction.Methanol should have finished first, then ethanol, then propanol, and lastly acetone. The results were the exact opposite; acetone finished f irst, then propanol, then ethanol, and lastly methanol. The boiling points of the solutions were responsible for this result. The bottles containing the solutions must have been left open for a prolonged period of time before use to allow evaporation. The acetone, propanol, and ethanol must have been mainly water, and thus finished earlier than methanol. The first error pertained to experiment C. The results were backwards, and had to have been due to the boiling points of the solutions.The solutions that evaporated the most before the experiment finished quickest because of the ratio of water to the specific solution. The error could have been corrected by remaking the solutions before lab. The second error pertained to experiment B. The experiment was performed twice because the test tubes were not washed with ethanol between uses. The use of water to wash the test tubes sped up the reactions because water was the best solvent for the SN1 reactions. The use of ethanol to wash the test tubes had little effect on the rate of the reactions because it was the third best solvent after water and methanol.Conclusion The purpose of the experiment was to identify the effects that the alkyl group and the halide leaving group had on the rates of SN1 and SN2 reactions, and the effect that the solvent had on the rates of SN1 reaction. The purpose was achieved because the tertiary alkyl group sped up the SN1 reaction most, while the primary alkyl group sped up the SN2 reaction most. The effect of the halide-leaving group was established because bromine was bigger and less electronegative than chlorine, which allowed bromine to leave the group sooner than chlorine due to the less strong bonds of bromine.The solvents’ effect on the rates of the SN1 reaction was due to the encouragement of the cleavage of the carbon-halogen bond, instead of the use of a strong nucleophile. An improvement for the experiment would have been to mix the solvents just before lab to reduce the amount of solvent that boiled off at room temperature. More accurate measurements such as 1 mL measured in the graduated cylinder would have been more precise and consistent than the addition of a specific number of drops. References The SN2 Reaction. University of Texas Educational Website. 11 September 2012. Web. 1 March 2013. http://iverson. cm. utexas. edu/courses/old/310N/spring2008/ReactMoviesFl05%20/SN2text. html Questions 1. What would be the major product if 1-bromo-3-chloropropane was to react with NaI in acetone? Explain. 1-iodo-3-chloropropane would be the major product. This substitution reaction works best for primary alkyl halides. The bromide ion is a better leaving group than chloride ion. 2. In the reaction of 1-chlorobutane with CN-, the reaction rate is increased by the addition of catalytic amount of NaI. Explain the result. The I- ion replaces the Cl to form 1-iodobutane.The iodo group is a better leaving group than the chloro group and hence the reaction g oes faster. 3. What would be the major product if 1,4-dibromo-4-methylpentane was allowed to react with: a. ) One equivalent of NaI in acetone? Iodide is a strong nucleophile but a weak base, so SN2 is the preferred reaction. Only the bromine on C1 is eligible to undergo SN2, so it will be replaced by iodide. b. ) One equivalent of silver nitrate in ethanol? Silver ion tends to receive a halide ion and leave a carbocation, which means E1 and SN1. If there's only one equivalent, then the tertiary bromide on C4 is the one that will go.The resulting carbocation can give: E1 products 5-Br-2-Me-2-pentene (major, trisubstituted) and 5-Br-2-Me-1-pentene (minor, disubstituted). SN1 product 5-bromo-2-ethoxy-2-methylpentane. 4. What causes the color change in part C? The formation of the acid after the addition of the base NaOH and an acid-base indicator may be visibly observed when the reaction has completed. As the reaction proceeds, for every molecule of alcohol produced, there is one mole cule of acid produced as well. This means that as the reaction proceeds the acid begins to neutralize the base, once enough product and

Project 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project 3 - Essay Example (Module 3, p 2). As stated in Module 3, a competency is â€Å"a collection of related knowledge, abilities, skills and/or attitudes (KASAs) that collectively produce a desired level of performance in a given area of responsibility† (p. 5-6). The paper will discuss competency and metrics for the six different roles mentioned above in relation to the organization I work for. It will explain the nature of the role and focus on the performance deliverables and areas of improvement, which in turn enables in reaching the organization’s goals. HR Competency model. Employee retention, satisfaction and growth have always received high priority in my organization primarily because of the huge manpower required to sustain business. The work force is divided in terms of the service provided for various clients and each division reports to a line manager. The functions of a HR employee are extremely challenging and offer enormous scope for growth and innovation, commanding expertise and discipline in every action. The six roles mentioned above are discussed with competencies, challenges and deliverables below. Employee Advocate: The Dell services division of the organization has 600 employees under its wing, provides online, and voice support to Dell’s customers. My role as an employee advocate in this program expects me to know the interests of the employees and communicate the same to the management. My role here is to provide a clear alignment between the employee and the organizations goals and objectives. Assist employees wherever necessary to help maintain their value to the program and effectively communicate changes in the organization brought about for the best interest of the employee and organization. The communication of the change in shifts and the new incentive calculator for the employees has been my recent challenge. I have effectively managed to even out the differences by an opinion poll, which gave the

McDonalds as the leading global foodservice retailer Case Study

McDonalds as the leading global foodservice retailer - Case Study Example The following are their targets: Constant currency results exclude the effects of foreign currency exchange and are calculated by translating current year results using the previous year average exchange rates. System wide sales include sales at all restaurants both from company operated stores and franchisees. Return on incremental invested capital is a measure used to evaluate the overall profitability of all business units, the effectiveness of capital deployed and the future allocation of capital. The company's business strategy is tagged by management as the "Plan to Win". The plan is focused on customers and alignment of the company, its franchisees as well as its suppliers. The business model employed by the company enables them to consistently deliver locally-relevant restaurant experiences to customers and become an integral part of the company they served. The "Plan to Win" strategy is centered on being better, not just bigger - which has become the company's system wide mantra for six years now. It provides not just a common framework for the global business corporation but also allows for local adaptation. It is the corporate headquarters philosophy to think globally but to act locally. The company executes multiple initiatives in order to pull off their grand strategy. Every program focuses on the five key drivers of exceptional customer experience. The key drivers are people, product, place, price and promotion. The company aims at enhancing the restaurant for customers worldwide in order to grow sales and customer visits. The company's success factors include brand affordability, menu variety and beverage choice, convenience expansion, ongoing restaurant reinvestment and operations excellence. McDonald's Short Term Objectives McDonald's will continue to drive success and profitable growth in the years to come. They will further differentiate the brand, increase customer visits and grow market share by pursuing their short term objectives in three key areas. The areas include service enhancement, restaurant reimaging, and menu innovation. The company will leverage technology in order to make it easier for restaurant staff to quickly and accurately serve customer. They will also speed up the interior and exterior reimaging efforts as well as innovate at every level of their menu in order to deliver great taste and value to customers. (McDonald's Corporation, 2010) McDonald's Functional Tactics In the US, the company's functional tactics include strengthening the restaurant's core menu and value offerings such as the Big Mac, pursuing new growth opportunities in chicken, breakfast, beverages and snack options, and elevating the brand experience. New product offerings include Mac Snack Wrap, frappes and smoothies. They will be updating their technology with a new point of sale system; optimizing drive-thru service; enhancing restaurant manager and crew retention and productivity; and completing interior and exterior reimaging in about 500 restaurants. (McDonald's Corporation, 2010) In Europe, the company focuses on building market share by updating restaurant's ambiance through reimaging approximately 1,000 restaurants. They will be leveraging technologies such as

The Image of the Rural Pride as it Relates to the American Identity Essay

The Image of the Rural Pride as it Relates to the American Identity - Essay Example Land ownership shifted from the elite who held the yokes of servants in the feudal system to that of the common man who either staked his claim or was given land on which his pride and his sweat coaxed out a living. In using the imagery of farms and rural life to express idealism, artists have made a commentary on what it means to work the land and the identity that this image creates in relation to that of American life. As a consequence, those same images have been used to relate the disappointments and changing ideals that have grown. The concept of the rural landscape or representation is not always defined by the image of a happy or successful representation of American rural life. In Grant Wood’s work American Gothic, one interpretation is to see a savagery in the faces of the farmer and his wife, their lives so cruel and harsh that they live with that impressed upon their faces. Charles Demuth resented his surroundings so much that his artwork was representative of that same hard lined concept which produced the idea that rural life was unacceptably harsh. The Rural Aesthetic One of the most iconic pieces of art in the American portfolio is that of American Gothic by Grant Wood. The image of the harsh and sober farmer, his wife looking at him with the barest disdain combined with a hint of respect, suggests both a satirical look at rural life, contrasted with a respect for the stoic and harsh nature of such a life. Corn (1998) argues that the work is not based on satire, but on the way in which Wood was raised, his background informing the aesthetic that he has adopted. As well, Wood, according to Corn (1998), had an aesthetic that was reflected in hard lines. Through the examination of the Midwestern lifestyle, he associated the difficulty of rural work to that of the hard line. Corn (1998) quotes Garland who defines the concept of the Midwest through the representation provided through hard lined works, which gave them the aspects of being †Å"rural, raw and tough – as hard ‘edged’ (p. 397). The work, American Gothic, is one of the most recognizable paintings done in the 20th century. It is often referred to as the â€Å"American Mona Lisa† because of its wide use in pop culture iconic works of advertising and social referencing, and because it is associated with American Art in a very central and meaningful way. Critics of the work often assign it to being either regional or satire, both which the artist believes diminishes his intentions with the work. Wood resented the idea that the painting represented specifically Iowa, the work having a more universal representation of the American farmer and not representative of Iowa. The criticism of satire also did not seem to fit the painting. According to Seery (2002), â€Å"the farther the critic lived from the Midwest, the more predisposed he or she was to read the painting as satire or social criticism† (p. 121). In fact, the painting was depicted as vicious by art historian Mathew Baigell who framed his interpretation as â€Å"a ‘vicious satire’ that depicts the couple as savage, exuding ‘a generalized, barely repressed animosity that borders on venom†

Self Fulfilling and Self Sealing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self Fulfilling and Self Sealing Theory - Essay Example The essay "Self Fulfilling and Self Sealing Theory" discusses the self-fulfilling and self-sealing theory, the concepts of â€Å"Power Visible† and â€Å"Power Invisible†, the spray diagram of virtual classroom support system, the system and subsystem diversion in the banking system and system thinking in the light of self-sealing doctrine.Many a time, what we think or vouch, by coincidence, appears to be true. It is called as ‘Self Fulfilling’ which was coroneted as ‘Prophesy’ in the  earlier era. The myths of yesteryears, defying the geographical boundary, had stood for this theory. The mythology of different civilization bears the testimonies of the self-fulfilling prophecy. In fact, our own action many a time makes this theory come true. For example, an average student, discouraged from every corner, ends up with a firm belief that he can never do well in the examination. Eventually, his grade slides and he keeps on losing faith, resultin g much more decay in his career.On the other hand, â€Å"Self Sealing† as a theory leads to the cherished mental set that clings to a particular belief or taboo. Prevailing in the orthodox religious group or in different cults this theory prevents the believer to act normally as he gets paranoid in respect to the outside world order. The hideous crime done by some Jihad groups in terms of culpable loss of human life and resources shows us how a person under the grip of severe self-sealing doctrine can mow down innocent lives.

Managing Across Organizational & Cultural Boundaries Essay - 1

Managing Across Organizational & Cultural Boundaries - Essay Example inancially starved due to the fact that they offer services to the general public at subsidized rates which at times will not be able to foot the maintenance cost of the facilities, thus they are forced to either request for grants or financial aid from government agencies to enable them rum their daily services undisturbed (Di Dimenico, 2011). Thus, private entities will be invited to collaborate with the public health facilities to ensure there are sufficient funds for running the facilities and catering for all the inherent expenses to ensure continuity of service delivery. Most public health facilities will be prone to offering substandard health services as a result of poor management and also lack of funds to initiate efficiency in service delivery. Thus, public-private partnership will ensure a considerable improvement in efficiency at the facilities in terms of service provision and also better management. Finally, the basis of collaborative advantage is enhanced service quality to the clients. The experience that clients of the facility are going to enjoy after the collaboration will incredibly improve as increased staff expertise will be injected into the institution as well as better and advanced technology will be employed to give the clients a satisfying experience (Lane, 2009). The main basis for public-private partnership and collaboration can be mainly categorized into three as explained below. Contracting out is the first category under the public private partnership. Contracting comes in a number of ways including; service, management, construction, maintenance, and equipment contracts. The main idea behind contracting out is outsourcing public functions to the private sector to enhance quality and service delivery thus leveraging a comparative advantage from the private sector (Di Dimenico., 2011). The private sector is all time believed to be a better performer in both management and service delivery as opposed to the public where

Managing Communication in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Communication in Business - Essay Example This scenario strengthens the need for effective cross-cultural communication, which would bring synergy among the workers towards the achievement of common goals (Montana & Charnoy 2008). This paper attempts to understand the process of communication as affected by cultural differences, and how the barriers of communication can be tackled in order for the organizational goals to be achieved as planned. The concept of cross-cultural communication is actually nothing new, as stated by LeBaron (2003) in a study, where it is concluded that communication process is basically cultural, considering the ways that each person has learned to speak and to give nonverbal messages, each carrying the essential factors of context, individual personality, and mood that interacts with a variety of internalized cultural influences affecting the various choices in life. This concept is summarized by Edward T. Hall, a known expert of cross-cultural communication, in this statement: â€Å"Culture is communication and communication is culture† (Hall, 1959, p. 186). In an environment of multicultural diversity, it is quite a challenge to ensure proper understanding and smooth communication processes between and among the people who have to work together towards the achievement of common goals. LeBaron (2003) further explains that despite all the good intentions of communicators, miscommunication is always likely to happen, especially at instances where there are significant cultural differences between the communicators. According to Rogers, Hart and Mike (2002), cross-cultural or intercultural communication is an intricate web of several factors affecting each other, but mainly based on cultural differences or idiosyncrasies, thus the eventual serious study of it by communication experts in the late 1960s. Significant aspect of this field of study is the examination of

Communist Revolution and Confucianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Communist Revolution and Confucianism - Essay Example In fact, culture is so compact in China that instead of considering China as a political State, a lot of reviewers regards China as a cultural State. In this regard, two major cultural eras (political regimes) can be identified with China. There could be more than two eras but for the sake of this essay, the Confucian and Communist eras are discussed. In the Confucian era, China was to possess the dynastic system, which was overturned in 1911 to make way for the second era, which was the communist era after a supposedly a weak republican form of government existed until 1949 and through the civil war. The communist era continues to exist in China it started. The coming of the communist government was actually informed by a number of factors against the Confucian era. However though, it is evident in present day communist rule in China that traces of fundamental Confucian ideas exist. This essay seeks to explore why the communist revolution originally sought to quell Confucianism and why it has recently changed its tack and encouraged the renewal of Confucian ideas. Why the Communist Revolution originally sought to quell Confucianism One kingdom overthrows the other with a mentality to the citizenry that the latter has better options in terms of political rule. In contemporary world, overthrow of governments come commonly with democratic elections. In the case of the communist rule in China however, it all started with a revolution. Political revolution is said to be â€Å"a complete overthrow of the established government of a country or state by those who were previously subject to it; a forcible substitution of a new ruler or form of government† (Calvert in, 1970 in Pleuger, 2009). Because political revolutions are accompanied with forcible substitutions, it has always been expected that the overthrowing government has convincing reasons as to why it is the best and most pressing option. With the communist revolution, two major reasons why it wanted to originally quell Confucianism can be discussed. Debate over classification and identity In the first place, there was a great debate and outcry over the classification, identity or otherwise, mandate of Confucianism. Right from the onset, Confucianism was thought by many as not having a clear-cut and straight forward mission of existence. Even in some circles, it was said that Confucianism was thought to be of a heavenly mandate instead of a political one (Hays, 2008). This is to say that Confucianism was not well placed either as a religion, political party or a social club. Because of this, communists argued that Confucian rule had no political authorization to rule China. Because of the seemingly unclear mandate of Confucianism, it was argued that they were not able to rule with clearly defined political system, program and agenda. The communist revolution therefore criticized several fundamental political ideas of the Confucianism including the following documented by Hays (200 8). "Govern for the benefit of the people, reduce taxes, and recruit 'superior men' of any origin† â€Å"Promote the straight and throw out the twisted and people will keep order.† â€Å"The powerful must be benevolent in treating the weak: the weak must be wise in dealing with the powerful† (Hays, 2008). The communist therefore had a general perception that Confucianism

Competitive Strategies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Competitive Strategies - Case Study Example Strategy can moderate the link between competitive environment and the decision to adopt TC. So, the choice if to adopt TC often depends on firm's strategy. "The competitive strategy (1) a corporation chooses to pursue identifies the manner with which management intends to compete successfully in its product markets and provide superior value to customers" (Susman 1992, p. 114). The firm's competitive environment affects its capacity to implement a defiinite strategy productively. "For example, a low-cost provider strategy works best when price competition among rival firms is especially intense and when the industry's product is standardized. Alternative competitive forces allow a product differentiation strategy to be effective. Examples include diverse needs or uses for the item or service, or relatively few competitors pursuing a similar differentiation approach" (Wolburg 2003, p. 340). The firm's planned vision is put into action by means of different tools, methods, and corporate policies. One such tool that is being adopted by firms all opver the world is the cost management system of TC. As Trebilcock et al. (1990) explain, the link between a firm's competitive strategy and use of TC exists primarily because TC provides the means for achieving the firm's goals of satisfying market demands at an acceptable level of profitability. A TC system provides a means for managing a company's future profits by integrating strategic variables to simultaneously plan how to satisfy customers, capture market share, generate profits, and plan and control costs (Kean, 1998, p. 47). Several large international corporations have been identified as TC adopters, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola; however, U.S. companies have been slower to adopt the technique. Reasons for this include TC being "not well known in Corporate America" and the existence of both cultural and organizational barriers to developing a broad team-oriented strategy TC requires (Hope & Maeleng, 1998, p. 130). The concept of TC ("Genkakikaku" in Japanese) originated in Japan at Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1960s. Since that time it has become recognized as a dynamic, comprehensive system for cost reduction and strategic profit planning. TC is not a costing system such as activity-based costing (ABC) or absorption costing. Rather, it is a program aimed at reducing the life-cycle costs of new products, while ensuring customer requirements of quality and reliability are met. "For controlling costs of new products, TC takes place at the design stage of new product development and considers all ideas for cost reduction during the product planning and research and development process" (Eckhouse 1999, p. 218). Several researchers (e.g., Covin & Morgan, 1999, p. 47) have noted changes in current economic and competitive conditions that create a need for a market-oriented cost management system. External powerful factors that have led to this need involve a growing number of competitors, high standards of competitors, globalization in the present economic situation, aggressive price competition, and shorter product life cycles. Coupled with a high rate of technology diffusion and innovation, these factors indicate the market must accept new products at a price that will generate an acceptable rate of return to the company. Thus, processes must be efficient, effective, and optimized to produce the

Role of Political Parties in India Essay Example for Free

Role of Political Parties in India Essay As with any other democracy, political parties represent different sections among the Indian society and regions, and their core values play a major role in the politics of India. Both the executive branch and the legislative branch of the government are run by the representatives of the political parties who have been elected through the elections. Through the electoral process, the people of India choose which representative and which political party should run the government. Through the elections any party may gain simple majority in the lower house. Coalitions are formed by the political parties, in case no single party gains a simple majority in the lower house. Unless a party or a coalition have a majority in the lower house, a government cannot be formed by that party or the coalition. Indian state governments led by various political parties as of March 2009. India has a multi-party system, where there are a number of national as well as regional parties. A regional party may gain a majority and rule a particular state. If a party is represented in more than 4 states, it would be labelled a national party. Out of the 64 years of Indias independence, India has been ruled by the Indian National Congress (INC) for 51 of those years. The party enjoyed a parliamentary majority save for two brief periods during the 1970s and late 1980s. This rule was interrupted between 1977 to 1980, when the Janata Party coalition won the election owing to public discontent with the controversial state of emergencydeclared by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Janata Dal won elections in 1989, but its government managed to hold on to power for only two years. Between 1996 and 1998, there was a period of political flux with the government being formed first by the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) followed by a left-leaning United Front coalition. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance with smaller regional parties, and became the first non-INC and coalition government to complete a full five-year term. The 2004 Indian elections saw the INC winning the largest number of seats to form a government leading the United Progressive Alliance, and supported by left-parties and those opposed to the BJP. On 22 May 2004, Manmohan Singh was appointed the Prime Minister of India following the victory of the INC the left front in the 2004 Lok Sabha election. The UPA now rules India without the support of the left front. Previously, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had taken office in October 1999 after a general election in which a BJP-led coalition of 13 parties called the National Democratic Alliance emerged with a majority. Formation of coalition governments reflects the transition in Indian politics away from the national parties toward smaller, more narrowly based regional parties. Some regional parties, especially in South India, are deeply aligned to the ideologies of the region unlike the national parties and thus the relationship between the central government and the state government in various states has not always been free of rancor. Disparity between the ideologies of the political parties ruling the centre and the state leads to severely skewed allocation of resources between the states. Function of Opposition Party: The Opposition’s main role is to question the government of the day and hold them accountable to the public. The Opposition is equally responsible in upholding the best interests of the people of the country. They have to ensure that the Government does not take any steps , which might have negative implications on the people of the country. the role of the opposition in parliament is basically to check the excesses of the ruling or dominant party, and not to be totally antagonistic. There are actions of the ruling party which may be beneficial to the masses and oppositions are expected to support such things. In Parliament, Opposition Party should act firmly on behalf of common mass fighting for their common interest and grievances. They should raise immediate protest before a Bill passed, which is against the interest of common-men. Opposition legislators should always bear in mind that they are the representatives from each and every countryman fighting for justified demands and defending all unlawful and unfair practice.

Agriculture co-operative societies

Agriculture co-operative societies Agriculture co-operative societies An agricultural cooperative, also known as a farmers co-op, is a cooperative where farmers pool their resources in certain areas of activity. A broad typology of agricultural cooperatives distinguishes between agricultural service cooperatives, which provide various services to their individually farming members, and agricultural production cooperatives, where production resources (land, machinery) are pooled and members farm jointly. Agricultural production cooperatives are relatively rare in the world, and known examples are limited to collective farms in former socialist countries and the kibbutzim in Israel. Worker cooperatives provide an example of production cooperatives outside agriculture. The default meaning of agricultural cooperative in English is usually an agricultural service cooperative, which is the numerically dominant form in the world. There are two primary types of agricultural service cooperatives, supply cooperative and marketing cooperative. Supply cooperatives supply their members with inputs for agricultural production, including seeds, fertilizers, fuel, and machinery services. Marketing cooperatives are established by farmers to undertake transformation, packaging, distribution, and marketing of farm products (both crop and livestock). Farmers also widely rely on credit cooperatives as a source of financing for both working capital and investments. Why farmers form cooperatives Cooperatives as a form of business organization are distinct from the more common investor-owned firms (IOFs). Both are organized as corporations, but IOFs pursue profit maximization objectives, whereas cooperatives strive to maximize the benefits they generate for their members (which usually involves zero-profit operation). Agricultural cooperatives are therefore created in situations where farmers cannot obtain essential services from IOFs (because the provision of these services is judged to be unprofitable by the IOFs), or when IOFs provide the services at disadvantageous terms to the farmers (i.e., the services are available, but the profit-motivated prices are too high for the farmers). The former situations are characterized in economic theory as market failure or missing services motive. The latter drive the creation of cooperatives as a competitive yardstick or as a means of allowing farmers to build countervailing market power to oppose the IOFs. The concept of competitive yardstick implies that farmers, faced with unsatisfactory performance by IOFs, may form a cooperative firm whose purpose is to force the IOFs, through competition, to improve their service to farmers. A practical motivation for the creation of agricultural cooperatives is sometimes described as overcoming the curse of smallness. A cooperative, being an association of a large number of small farmers, acts as a large business entity in the market, reaping the significant advantages of economies of scale that are not available to its members individually. Three typical examples are a machinery pool, a marketing cooperative, and a credit union. A family farm may be too small to justify the purchase of a tractor or another piece of farm machinery for its own use; a machinery pool is a cooperative that purchases the necessary equipment for the joint use of all its members as needed. A small farm does not always have the means of transportation necessary for delivering its produce to the market, or else the small volume of its production may put it in an unfavorable negotiating position with respect to intermediaries and wholesalers; a cooperative will act as an integrator, collecting t he output of its small members and delivering it in large aggregated quantities downstream through the marketing channels. A small farmer may be charged relatively high interest rates by commercial banks, which are mindful of high transaction costs on small loans, or may be refused credit altogether due to lack of collateral; a farmers credit union will be able to raise loan funds at advantageous rates from commercial banks because of its large associative size and will then distribute loans to its members on the strength of mutual or peer-pressure guarantees for repayment. An Integrated Automation Solution for Primary Agricultural Co-operative Societies (PACS) One of the major concerns in any developing economy is the efficacy of the rural financing systems that advances credit to its large population of rural poor. Such operations are plagued by small size of the loans, inadequate risk profiling of loanee, large volume of transactions, non-standardized operations, and difficulty in monitoring credit disbursal and collection. Nelitos MFin brings the benefit of computerization into the field of micro-finance that helps to achieve the following: Reduction in operational cost Standardization of operation Production of reports for statutory monitoring and transparent operations Reduce the risk of lending Transacting in cash and kind Prudent saving habits Easiness of installation Minimal training Mfin (Micro Finance) launched during 1996 has been accepted as both private and public sector banks are aggressively planning to tap the rural potentiality. Major Functional Modules Savings Bank Current Accounts Cash Credit Accounts Daily Deposit Accounts Term Deposits Recurring Deposits Term Loans Trading Membership Accounting Key features Graphical User Interface Modular Approach Parameterized set up Online Help GL Maintenance Investment Register Gold Loans (Agriculture General) Kisan Credit Card Loans in kinds and Repayment in kinds Loans Against Deposit TL for Agriculture Allied Activity Standing Orders and Lien Noting NPA Marking and Reports Reconciliation Membership Accounting Investment Register Reconciliation Inventory Control Purchase Register Sundry Creditors Dividend Calculation Register Stock Statement Trial Balance Trading Account Trial Balance Profit Loss Accounts General Ledger Balance Sheet Statement of Account Statutory Reporting Agriculture cooperatives Various development activities in agriculture, small industry marketing and processing, distribution and supplies are now carried on through co-operatives. the co-operatives in the State have made an all-round progress and their role in, and contribution to agricultural progress has particularly been significant. The schemes regarding the construction of godowns and the conversion of villages into model villages. The Co-operative Movement was introduced into India by the Government as the only method by which the farmers could overcome their burden of debt and keep them away from the clutches of the money-lenders. The Co-operative Credit Societies Act, 1904 was passed by the Government of India and rural credit societies were formed . Through the appointment of registrars and through vigorous propaganda, the Government attempted to popularize the Movement in the rural areas. Within a short period, the Government realized some of the shortcomings of the 1904 Act and, therefore, passed a more comprehensive Act, known as the Co-operative Societies Act of 1912. The primary agriculture credit societies The agricultural co-operative credit structure in the Punjab State is broadly divided into two sectors, one dealing with the short-terms and medium-terms finance and the other with the long-term credit. In the State, the short-term and medium-term credit structure is based on a three-tier system, i.e., the Apex Co-operative Bank at the State level, the Central Co-Coperative Bank at the district/tehsil level and the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies at the village level. The major objectives of the primary agricultural credit service societies are to supply agricultural credit to meet the requirements of funds for agricultural production, the distribution of essential consumer commodities, the provision of storage and marketing facilities. Owing to an increasing emphasis on the development of land and agriculture, long-term co-operative credit has assumed great importance. There is the Punjab State Land Mortgage Bank at the Apex and the Punjab Mortgage Bank at the district/tehsil level. At the operational level, there exists a primary co-operative to extend credit to the farmer. This unit epitomizes the vitality and service potential of the Co-operative Movement in India. The organization of these societies dates back to 1904, when the first Co-operative Societies Act was passed. These societies were started with the object of providing cheap credit to the agriculturists in order to free them from the clutches of the rapacious money-lenders. the agricultural primary credit society is the foundation-stone on which the whole co-operative edifice is built. The first Agricultural Credit Society in the Firozpur District was registered on 4 October 1911, at the Village of Khalchi Kadim in the Firozpur Tehsil. Originally, the movement was confined to the credit societies only and, thus, credit dominated till the partition (1947). After the partition, the Co-operative Movement began to spread to other field, viz labour, construction and farming. Agriculture non-credit societies While credit is and must remain for some time the chief concern of the Co-operative Movement relatively slow, since 1912, when the non-credit societies were brought officially under the aegis of the Movement. the World War II (1939-45) came as a God send boon with respect to the development of the Co-operative Movement. Prices of agricultural goods began to rise and touched new peaks. The repayment of loans was accelerated and deposits began to pour in. The number of societies also rose. Another interesting development in co-operative during the War wast the extension of the Movement to non-credit activities, viz. Agriculture co-operative marketing societies Marketing has occupied a far smaller place in the co-operative picture in India than in many countries, notably Denmark and the USA, but not other non-credit line of co-operation, with the possible exception of the consolidation of land holdings and joint farming enterprises, seems to hold greater possibilities of help to the agricultural population of India. The development of co-operative marketing in India is closely bound up with the problem of credit-the claims of the money-lenders commonly inhibiting the cultivators freedom of action in disposing of his crop. The full utilization of loans advanced depends upon the arrangements for the marketing of surplus produce. For this purpose, there the Punjab State Marketing Federation at the State Level, wholesale societies at the district level and marketing societies at the market level. These societies also provide other agricultural facilities and make arrangements for the supply of domestic items in the rural areas. At the State level, the Punjab State co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation (MARKFED) is playing an important role in building up an integrated structure for remunerative marketing and storing of agricultural produce. it has played an important role in hastening the Green Revolution in the State by arranging ready supplies of essential farm inputs needed by the cultivators. Co-operative farming societies The Royal Commission on Agriculture in 1928 observed that it co-operation failed, there would fail the hope of the Indian agriculturist. Co-operative farming is a compromise between collective farming and the peasant proprietorship and gives all merits of large-scale farming without abolishing private property. It implies an organization of the farmers on the basis of common efforts for common interests. Under this system, all landowners in a village form a co-operativesociety for tilling the land. The land is pooled, but each farmer retains the right of property. The produce is distributed by each. They are allowed to withdraw fromthe co-operative farm whenever they de3sire. In India, the exceedingly small size of holdings is perhaps the most serious defect in our agriculture. If agriculture has to be improved, the size of the holdings must be enlarged. Type of societies Co-operative Weavers society Co-operative Consumers Societies Co-operative Housing Societies Co-operative Womens Societies Co-operative Milk-Societies Challenges before co-operatives The IndianCo-operative Movement has earned distinction of being the largest in the world.This is true in terms of membership and Co-operative network which spread over almost all the villages in the country and the number of Co-operative Societies. In our country, there are about 5.5 lakhs of cooperative Societies with membership of more than 22crores. It covers a wide range of commercial activities and nearly 50% of them are engaged in agriculture and agriculture related matters. Nearly 70% of the Indian population beingdependant on agriculture, is thus, connected with agricultural Co-operatives. Co-operatives have covered 100% of villages and 67% of rural households. Co-operative sectorcontributes 50% of total agricultural credit and distributes 35% of total fertilizer consumption in the Country. They are procuring 60% of total sugar-cane. They are also playing crucial role in the agro-processing sector i.e. processing of sugar-cane, milk, cotton and oil seeds etc.Dairy Co-operativ es have excelled in their area of operation and have enabled India to attain top position in milk production in the world. Edible oil marketed through Co-operative channel is estimated at 50% and handloom Co-operatives account for 55% of the total out-put. But in spite of being largest movement in the world and strongest link, it faces number of challenges like lack of internal resources and poor mobilization of external resources, inadequate infrastructure, competitive tier structure, apathy of members towards management, lack of accountability increasing sickness, dormancy, low level professionalism, excessive government control, political interference, dominance of vested interest over the management, lack of human resources development, education and training.Despite all challenges, Co-operatives have to be sustainable over a period of time for which professionalism is a must. Co-operatives have been looking for Governmental help. But they have been paying of it like official domination and interference in their day-to-day working etc. Dr. Kuriyan, an eminent co-operator in the country said recently that the Co-operatives have undergone a crisis of identity being neither government nor private. He further said that Co-operatives n eed to be more efficient and competitive, but at the same time they cannot sacrifice the basictenets of co-operation. Inefficient Co-operatives will have to either pull up their socks or down their shutters. Co-operatives have many advantages in tackling problem poverty alleviation, employment generation and food security. They also have the potential to deliver goods and services in areas where both the State and Private sectors have failed. Over the past few years, steps like the enactment of mutually aided Co-operative Societies Act by some States and the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act have been taken to give the Co-operative sector a boost. But I am aware that the Co-operatives registered under the Mutual Aided Act have certain constraints and deficiencies, which may be Lack of supervision and inspection by Registrar of Co-operative Societies resulting into financial misuse and disproportion institutional development. Government is hesitating to entrust any important government work since it does not have any participation. These Co-operatives are away from the mainstream. The Co-operative Banks and other important institutions are not prepared to admit them as members. NABARD and RBI are not agreeing for conversion of Central and Urban Co-operative Banks. R.B.I. has also objection about the use of word Co-operative since Banking Regulation Act uses the word Co-operative Society. Perhaps we are not prepared or educated or sensitized enough to work without control and supervision. Mischievous persons may take advantage of the situation to cheat the general public. When the Government are exploring the possibility of regulating the Non-governmental organizations having vast experience, it is doubtful as to whether the mutually aided Co-operatives in various field can give desired result. The circumstances and the situation give rise to the Co-operative Movement in the Country are still prevalent. The market is still not accessible to small and marginal farmers. Supply of agricultural credit is not adequate. About 50% of our rural and tribal household still have no facility for institutional credit. The Co-operatives are today at the cross road at their existence, particularly in view of the fast emerging economic liberalization and globalization. The Co-operatives still continued to function in a traditional way with poor governance and management, poor resource mobilization, outside interference, dependence on Government and lack of professionalization. The Co-operatives are neither member-driven nor functioned professionally in a transparent manner with accountability to members. In spite of all these, no doubt, the Co-operatives have contributed a lot to the agriculture development of the Country. We cannot afford to see that these institutions wither away. It nee ds reform. It is not-worthy to say that in the National Common Minimum Programme of present UPA Government it has been mentioned to bring constitutional amendment to ensure the democratic autonomous and professional functioning of Co-operatives. The constitutional amendment may limit itself with timely conduct of elections timely conduct of audit, uniform tenure of managing committee conduct of general body meetings right of a member for access to informations and the accountability of the management. In this context our strategies may be as follows. Co-operatives need be member-driven; stakeholders should have a command over its affairs and activities. There is need for more transparency, more of interaction and confidence -building measures. Aggressive marketing strategy be adopted for sensitizing members and general public about the service and quality rendered by the Co-operatives. Commitment to best service and pursuit for excellence should be the hallmark of Co-operative. Every society should adopt their customers or members charter and should meticulously adhere to this charter. Co-operative should compete with other players in prevailing market forces without any protectionist or discriminator approach. In respect of short-term, medium-term, long-term sector and Urban Bank sectors, restrictions have been stipulated by Reserve Bank of India, NABARD in respect of finance. These restrictions need be liberalized which would help Co-operative to optimize its lendable resources and provide finance to members. Strengthening information and database of Co-operatives if of utmost importance. MIS need be adopted by the process of computerization and inter-connectivity to provide best services to members and customers with anytime and anywhere service. Professionalization of management is one of the basic prerequisites of Co-operatives. Both the personnel as well as directors of committee of management should be exposed to regular training, interaction and orientation. Adoption of scientific planning for deployment of human resources on the principle of right man for the right post at right time would help Co-operatives to accelerate the pace of reforms. Human resources need be proactive. Motivation, recognition for good work and leadership be inculcated for augmenting productivity. Basic tenets corporate governance be adopted like fair play, transparency and accountability. The PACS, as the foundation of the Co-operative system are meeting the development needs of the farmers by providing credit, inputs and storage and processing and marketing facilities. The Co-operative federated at the district and State level constitutes the Co-operative system. But it is found that the Apex institutions have grown stronger whereas the primaries and in some cases, Central Co-operatives have gone weaker. The situation has to be changed and the primaries have to grow stronger. The business of the Primary Societies have to be diversified. Cooperative Credit in Agriculture Development (Role of agriculture co-operative societies in agriculture) Now-a-days credit serves as an elevator. It has been recognized as the life blood of all economic activities. Like all other producers,agriculturists also need credit. According to an old proverb, credit supports the farmers as the hangmans rope supports the hanged. This Statement is fully true in the context of Indian farmers. Thus, for stimulating the tempo of agricultural production, an adequate and timely credit is most essential. The Co-operative Societies Act, 1904 gave concretized shape for establishing primary co-operative societies to meet both the short and medium-term loan needs of farmers. The provision of these loans did not make any improvement and did not have any impact on the farmmers socio-economic status and consequently, they were head and ears indebt. In order to solve this problem and make the farmers free from the cruel clutches of money lenders, the idea of co-operative long-term credit institutions called Co-operative Agricultural and Rural Development Banks /Co-operative Gram Vikas Banks (earlier called Cooperative Land Development/Mortgage Banks) was mooted. Role of agriculture co-operative societies: An agricultural co-operative society which is authorised by its rules to borrow money may at any time, subject to the provisions of this section and with such consent of the Minister as is mentioned in this Act and whether the issue of debentures is or is not authorised, or is or is not forbidden by the rules of such society, issue debentures to any authorised lender for the purpose of securing to such lender the repayment, with or without interest, of any capital sum of money lent by such lender to such society before the issue of such debentures (whether before or after the passing of this Act) or intended to be so lent at or after such issue, or partly so lent and partly so intended to be lent. An issue of debentures shall not be made by an agricultural co-operative society under this section unless either the committee of such society has power under the rules of such society to borrow money and the amount to be borrowed on the security of such debentures is within such borrowing power or a resolution approving of the making of such issue has been passed by a special meeting of the shareholders of such society convened expressly for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, passing such resolution. The following provisions shall apply to debentures issued by an agricultural co-operative society under this section, that is to say:— such debentures may be expressed to charge the money secured thereby in either or both of the following ways, that is to say, by way of fixed charge on any specified property (including uncalled capital) of such society or by way of floating charge on the assets, property, and undertaking (either with or without specified exceptions) for the time being and from time to time belonging to such society; such debentures may contain all or any such provisions for enforcing or making effective the security thereby afforded as are usually contained in debentures issued by a limited company; such debentures shall operate and have effect in accordance with the terms thereof so far as such terms are authorised by this Act. An issue of debentures made by an agricultural co-operative society under this section may consist either of a single debenture to secure the whole amount of the sum of money for the securing of which such issue is made or of a series of debentures for separate sums ranking pari passu and amounting in the aggregate to the full amount of the said sum of money, and in any event shall rank in priority to any issue of debentures subsequently made by such society under this section. An issue of debentures made by an agricultural co-operative society under this section may be accompanied and collaterally secured by a trust deed of the general character usual in respect of trust deeds entered into for similar purposes in relation to an issue of debentures or debenture stock by a limited company. Whenever an issue of debentures is made under this section by an agricultural co-operative society, the authorised lender to whom such debentures are issued shall, within twenty one days after the issue thereof, apply in the prescribed form and manner to the Minister for the registration of such issue in the register, and if such authorised lender fails so to apply for such registration every debenture comprised in such issue shall, upon the expiration of the s

Comparison of Specific Heat Capacity of Different Metals

Comparison of Specific Heat Capacity of Different Metals Samerah Mansha Aim The aim of this investigation was to measure the specific heat capacity (SHC) of various different metals such as aluminum, iron and brass of different volumes to find out if they all have the same SHC or different. Additionally, insulation was used to measure how efficient insulation was against heat loss. Hypothesis Previous research in background information states that there should be a difference between the SHC of aluminum, brass and iron. Null Hypothesis There will be no difference between the SHC of aluminum, iron and brass. Prediction The SHC of aluminum will be higher than iron and copper, this is because the volume the less dense the meta lis, thus the higher the SHC because the metals contains big atoms which slowly heat up thus more energy is needed to make the molecules get hot and move around. Insulation will also make a difference by conserving the heat energy, which will give more accurate results as more heat will most likely be conserved and not lost. Background information: Thermal energy is the amount of energy of a substance or system which is associated to its temperature. Heatandtemperatureare both related with thermal energy but differ. Heat is the transmission of thermal energy from one object to another due to temperature differences between them.Heat is the total energy of all the molecule motion within the object and is measure in joules. Whereas temperature is a measure of degree of hotness of an object, i.e.how hot or cold,therefore it’s a measure of average thermal energy of molecules within substance and measured in degrees Celsius. Temperature can be measured via the Celsius and Kelvin scales. The Celsius scale is built upon two fixed points, the freezing mark at 0 °C and boiling point at 100 °C, whereas Kelvin scale is based on absolute zero at -273 where particles have minimum energy. The Celsius scale has degrees the same size as Kelvin,but Kelvin scale starts 273 lower than Celsius absolute zero scale, for example 0  °C is 273 degrees. When heat energy is transferred to an object, its temperature increase is dependent upon, the mass of object, the material the object is made from and lastly the amount of energy transferred to object. The more heat energy transferred to object results in a more temperature increase. The SHC of a substance is known as the amount of energy needed to change the temperature of 1kg of substance by 1 °C. Different substances have different SHC e.g. water, oxygen and metals. Water has a high SHC of 4200 j/kg °C, School Physics, 2013. This therefore makes water suitable for storing heat energy which is efficiently useful for transporting it around home via heating pipes. Metals are good conductors of heat, yet non-metals are usually poor conductors of heat which are called insulators. Heat energy is simply conducted from hot end of object towards the cold end and the electrons within metal leave their atoms therefore move around within the metal as free electrons. The metal atoms which are left behind are known as charged metal ions.These ions are placed carefully together whilst vibrating constantly.The hotter the metal becomes, it results in the the vibrations gaining more kinetic energy. As a result, this kinetic energy gets transferred from hot parts of metal towards cooler parts via free electrons.These free electrons then move throughout the metal, each colliding with many ions transferring heat energy as they go along. Metals with a high SHC take a lot of heat energy and take a long time to heat up and cool down. Heat can be transferred via conduction, convection and radiation.Conduction is thermal energy transfer which occurs in solids that are in contact with each other, causing particles to gain energy and vibrate, passing on heat energy to nearby particles, resulting in rise of temperature at other side. Convection is another type of thermal energy transfer which occurs in liquids and gases where particles freely move. Particles with kinetic energy move from hotter regions to cooler regions, transferring thermal energy. Radiation is known as heat transfer that doesn’t need contact between heat source and heated object,due to heat having the potential to be transmitted via empty space by thermal radiation. Heat can also be stored in the form of insulation. Insulation prevents or reduces heat from escaping an object by providing a barrier between areas that are significantly different in temperature. Materials 12v immersion heater of 50w power Block of aluminum, iron and brass with a hole in the middle Wires 6V power Supply Ammeter Stop Clock Top Pan Balance Thermometers Insulation Stop watch Ruler Insulating material Method: Firstly all the metal blocks were weighed via a top pan balance The metal blocks were then measured via a ruler for their length and diameter. The thermometer was put into each of small whole in the metal blocks so that the initial temperature could be measured. Figures1: Measuring the initial temperature of the metal blocks. The immersion heater was connected up to a 6V voltmeter and ammeter via wires. The 6v power supply and was switched on until the immersion heater was warm. The immersion heater was put into the large hole in the metal blocks and the stop clock was started. After 10 minute the power supply was switched off and the temperature of the block was measured and recorded. This method and chosen measurements were chosen as previous research using a similar method gained successful results via this method; therefore to improve reliability a similar method was used. As heat was lost during the practical, a modification was made order to prevent heat loss, which involved the same experiment to be repeated in the same way but this time the metals were surrounded with insulation material to reduce the amount of heat loss and would result in more reliable results. Figures: Aluminum, brass and iron wrapped up in insulating material. Safety The immersion heaters were checked before use; any that were faulty were rejected and replaced. Heat resistant gloves were worn when handling the immersion heater and the heated up metals to preventing any burns. The wires were also checked thoroughly to see any defaults. Additionally, the power supply was made sure it was turned off when not in use to prevent any electrocution. Results Table: 1 Measurements of the metals Table: 2 Results of the non-insulated metals. Due to heat being lost to the environment, an insulating material was wrapped around the blocks Table: 3 Results of the insulated metals. Analysis Equation for SHC = E = m Ãâ€" c Ãâ€" ÃŽ ¸ Heat energy (E) = Mass kg (m) x SHC J/g °C (C) x Temperature change °C (ÃŽ ¸) Table:4 SHC calculations of the non-insulating metals Table:4 SHC calculations of SHC of insulating metals showing more accurate results which will be used throughout the discussion and conclusion. Graph:1 Graph showing the comparison of SHC results of metals with and without insulation. Observations The results of the insulated aluminum showed the highest SHC, as aluminum takes 0.121J of heat to raise 1 gram by 1 °C.With the least SHC being the insulated iron needed 0.055J of heat to raise 1 gram of the given metal by1 °C. The results showed that insulated metals showed an overall increase of SHC of the metals, thus more accurate as more heat is conserved and is not much heat would be lost to the environment. The metals without the insulation showed a lower SHC due to heat being lost to the environment, thus are less accurate. Discussion Research states that the accepted value for SHC of aluminum is 0.903J/g °C,therefore it would seem that my result of 0.121J/g °C is not accurate, when errors are taken into account. The accepted value for SHC of brass is 0.380/g °C and the result achieved within the experiment was 0.055/g °C which was again quiet far off. The accepted value for the SHC of iron is 0.44/g °C and the result achieved from the experiment was 0.051/g °C. Graph:3 Comparison of results of SHC from this experiment and actual published SHC. The published values of SHC show that iron has a higher SHC than brass, but within my experiment brass has a slightly higher SHC value than iron. Overall the results achieved from this experiment are quiet significantly lower than the actual SHC values for the given metals. This therefore shows that even with insulation a lot of heat was still lost from the metals. Conclusion Regardless of the SHC results not being as accurate as the published results, the hypotheses and prediction was proven correct and were fully supported by the evidence of the results achieved within this experiment, as each metal had a different SHC value thus showing variation. This is due to the metals having different volumes. It was also predicted that aluminum would have a higher SHC than iron and brass, which was proven correct as aluminum had a larger volume thus less dense so it would need an higher SHC because more energy is needed to heat up SHC is therefore affected by the volume of a metal, as the atoms and molecules found within the metal are packed differently thus heat up at different rates, Evaluation As the SHC results achieved were not as accurate to the published SHC values, this may due to limitations which may have been present within the experiment such as the first being the accuracy of the measuring thermometers which only allowed one to measure in whole degrees and has an a error of 0.05 °C. To overcome this limitation a digital thermometer which is more exact could have been used to achieve more accurate readings. It was also quiet difficult to keep the current constant which would have affected the SHC as different flow of current allows a different flow of electrons to transfer to flow of heat energy, thus a resistor could have been used to control it. Another limitation could have been because it was difficult to get all the results at the same time, i.e. the temperature and current at correct time, using a scientific computer to measure the variables would remove any human errors with reaction times when measuring time and this would achieve temperate reading within few milliseconds. The results showed that even no insulation on metals heat was still lost thus couldn’t achieve an accurate SHC values. Regardless of having insulation heat was still lost which could have been the reason for the inaccuracy. Additionally another limitation could have been that the insulating material used was all different for each metal, thus showing that different. This effects the results as different insulation materials have different properties, thus reducing reliability as not all materials could have been useful in conserving heat energy. On the other hand, the use of electrical balance to measure the masses of the metals within experiment avoided any uncertainties and errors related to the mass value, thus increasing reliability of data to some extent. Overall to improve reliability the experiment could have been repeated four times to obtain average SHC results leading to more accurate results, thus helping to reduce random errors. References Appendix 1

Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Essay -- things fall apart, chinua

Post colonialism deals with cultural identity in colonized societies and the ways in which writers articulate that identity. Things Fall Apart is a good novel that serves as a reminder of what Nigeria once was. It shows how a society can deal with change, how change affects the individuals of that society, and how delicate a change can be; so much so that the people themselves are surprised at the change. Things Fall Apart is an English novel by the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe which was published in 1957. Throughout the book the role of customs and traditions is very important and decides the fate of men, women, and children. Some of the customs practiced in this culture would certainly be frowned upon in the West yet are perfectly acceptable. It talks of the Ibo society. The protagonist of the novel is Okonkwo. He is a respected and influential leader within the Igbo community of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria. He first earns personal fame and distinction, and brings honor to his village, when he defeats Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest. The first part of the book deals with the proof of tribal life in Africa and the rise in power and authority of Okonkwo. The author highlights his strengths as well as his obsession with success. Okonkwo does not show any love in dealing with his three wives and children. This part reveals that Okonkwo actions are often irrational and imprudent, which will be the cause of his eventual fall. We learn about the traditions, superstitions and religious faiths of the villagers. The second part begins with Okonkwo exile to his mother’s land for seven years. This part also marks the entry of the white man into the lives of the African people. Though inwardly disappointed, Okonkwo begins a ne... ...Apart. London: Heinemann Press, 1958. The Women's Review of Books. 18 (July 2001): p30. From Literature Resource Center "When Things Fall Apart" StudyMode.com. 05 2002. 2002. 05 2002 Chua, John, and Suzanne Pavlos. Cliffs Notes on Things Fall Apart. 18 Jan 2014 Benjamin, Walter. â€Å"Critique of Violence.† Reflections: Essays, Aphorisms, Autobiographical Writings. Trans. Edmund Jephcott. Ed. Peter Demetz. New York: Schocken, 1978. 277–300. Print. George, Olakunle. Relocating Agency: modernity and African letters. Albany: SU of New York p, 2003. Print. Mbembe, Achille. On the Post colony. Berkeley: U of California P, 2001. Print. Ogede, Ode. Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: A reader’s Guide. New York: Continuum, 2007. Print. Chinua Achebe - Chinua Achebe - Things Fall Apart: A Novel - New York - Broadway Books - 1994

The Media: Creating Controversy to Make a Quick Buck :: Race and the Media Essays

It seems that the world likes controversy because it is everywhere; on television, online, and in the newspaper. In this technology era, we can’t to get away from controversy, due to easy access on our smartphones, tablets, and lab tops. Controversy can be found in many situations in our lives and found in many subjects in the media, for example sex, religion, politics and a lot of time when it comes to race. The first topic discussed will be what is controversy? Next, is controversy need in the media? Then, why is controversy used in the media and is it necessary? As well as should controversial content be removed from the media and would removing controversy content make a difference in any way to the audience. This essay will also discuss how media presents different sides of the issue and how the media affects public opinion on the Travon Martin murder in Florida. Discussing these topics will also help us understand how to decipher controversy, in the way of does contr oversy help resolve or exacerbate controversial situations in the media. Controversy is a lengthy public disagreement or debate over many conflicting opinions. In the media there is no shortage of controversy. It seems that all controversy are over the following topics, politics, religion, sex, economics, finances, culture and race (P. Ferreira, 2013). I would not say controversy is needed in American or even the world. However America and even the entire world were built on controversy (Davenport, 2012). Since we all do not share the same opinions in every aspect or major topics in the world, because of this controversy is created sometimes voluntary and involuntary. What the media does is bring all opinions from within America and around the world to a large group of people, which in turns creates controversy out in the open to the public. Controversy is need in the world, because without it we would not know or learn all other aspects to a specific topic. For example, the crime in America is higher than other countries in the world. Some people would say that it is due to the exorbitant gun-ownership in America (Davenport, 2012). However other people’s opinions say it is not guns that kill people it is people that kill people, and other say it is the people that locate guns illegally that commit most of the killing in America.

Biased Elections in the House of Representatives :: Politics Political Essays

Biased Elections in the House of Representatives Elections for the United States Congress have become increasingly biased in favor of the incumbents. The problem is especially prevalent in the House of Representatives, which is designed to be the legislature closest to the people, and therefore most reflective of the people’s views. However, unlike elections for governors or presidents, the congressional races are generally not competitive races. While an incumbent president does have some advantages over a challenger, they are not guaranteed the win. In fact, two of the last four presidents lost their bid for re-election, Jimmy Carter in 1980 and George Bush in 1992. However, in the last four House elections, on average, 92.7% of the incumbents seeking re-election won (Vital Statistics on Congress). There are many reasons for this trend in the House, and just as many possible solutions, but most are likely to fail. However, if the House is to remain truly representative of the people and of the changing times, clearl y something must be done. It is at first surprising that incumbents don’t always win in the Senate also. But this is not the case. The incumbent success rate since World War II is only 75% in the Senate, a much more reasonable number. Because the Senate carries more prestige than the House, it is not surprising that Senate races would be more hotly contested. Most people who run for the Senate already hold a public office of some kind, or for some other reason have good name recognition. These two things explain the competition in the Senate, both candidates are generally competent representatives, and people are already familiar with them. However, most candidates running for a House seat do not have a prestigious political background. Because of this, a candidate must either have some other form of name recognition or have a lot of money to get it. Unfortunately, most people don’t have either of these, and this is why the House incumbents win 93% of the time. One possible solution to this problem, the one Americans are currently enacting, is to do nothing. While the incumbent success rate for re-election is extraordinarily high, there is still turnover in the House due to retirement for various reasons and losses in campaigns. For example, in the 1994 elections, 48 people retired and 38 incumbents were defeated in the election.

Building Effective Teams & Evaluation

Performance evaluation is needed in order to determine the effectiveness of the employee or the team member. Evaluations can also provide the management and shareholders the value of the employee and the amount and quality of contributions s/he gives to the team and the company. One of the traditional ways of measuring performance of an employee is through the personal assessment and observation of the employee’s immediate supervisor. Though this may be one good way of knowing how the employee is performing, it is not the most effective method.This measurement tool is only based from one viewpoint – the immediate superior’s. Though the supervisor may be known to be as objective as s/he can be, there is still no assurance that there is no touch of bias in evaluations of some employees or team members. A much better way in evaluating an employee’s performance at work is through the so-called 360 degree feedback. As defined in the article â€Å"360 degree fe edback [Performance Appraisal† (n. d. ), â€Å"[it] incorporates multiple perspectives by using feedback from a variety of sources. These sources include peers, subordinates, customers, self, and supervisor.† Feedback is essential in understanding how an individual performs his jobs. A constructive feedback is an effective tool to help an individual be aware of his/her strengths and areas for improvement. This can help the person enhance those skills where s/he is good at and improve or modify his ways to lessen the areas for improvement. A constructive feedback can help build a better individual and employee at the same time. If different feedbacks come from different sources as mentioned above, there will be a much better understanding of an individual’s performance in all aspects.This eliminates the possibility of missing out things that are not being observed by the supervisor if s/he is the only one providing feedback. It is common to everyone, no matter wha t nationality s/he belongs to, to be not so open and perform differently when the boss is around than when the boss is not present. Most people would show extra effort when they know that they are being observed by their superiors. However, they may act differently when they are not being observed by any manager. A 360 degree feedback can effectively show the real performance and ability of an individual.It also shows how the person is working with other people in the team which is something that a supervisor’s observation may not notice. All the positive and negative things in all aspect of the employee’s work performance can be identified, which makes this type of feedback more effective than the traditional one. In a global-based team, a 360 degree feedback is definitely helpful as the different qualities and skill sets can be effectively assessed by the manager. The employee’s tolerance to diversity, for example, can better be evaluated by his/her peers from other cultural background.The views and comments of other team members to an individual is important in this kind of team setup, especially when they are not located in a single geographical location and no physical observation can be done. In essence, a 360 degree feedback is indeed recommended to be used as a performance measurement tool for the team members, as well as for the managers. It is one of the most, if not the most, effective method in evaluating the overall performance of an employee or team member. Reference 360 degree feedback [Performance Appraisal]. (n. d. ). Retrieved August 1, 2006 from http://www. citehr. com/360-degree-feedback. php

My Papa

Reflective Essay by Liam Shortall Visiting Papa It was March 2011, and my Dad and I had just been to pick up my brand new trombone from the Rath factory in Huddersfield and were heading towards Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital to visit my grandfather. He had just had been through quadruple bypass heart surgery at the tender age of 79. My grandfather, or Papa, had been suffering from acute pain in the heart, and severe exhaustion :the daily stroll to the shop had now become an impossible task. After being examined by his local GP on a regular basis for a few months, he was admitted to Liverpool for this major operation.My grandfather was immensely apprehensive and at one point almost refused treatment. One week into his stay, my Dad went with my Uncle Richard to visit him. He was extremely confused; he didn't know his location and how long he had been there. My Nana had kept my Dad and Uncle informed in regard to his condition but in visiting him they soon realised that she had not revealed the full extent of his ill health. After this particular visit my Dad didn't really seem himself, he seemed anxious and constantly on edge, a complete opposite to his usual joking self. My papa must have been in a dreadful state.Previous to my visit to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH) we had been to pick up my new trombone, I was ecstatic. Finally I was getting the instrument that I had being dreaming of for, what felt like forever. And after so many sleepless nights too, the day was finally here! But my happiness was short-lived, I wasn't to know of the severity of Papa's condition and my heart soon sank when we entered the hospital. As soon as I walked though the hospital doors, I seemed to feel even colder than I did outside on this winter day: it was so clinical and unwelcoming.Suddenly I felt very uncomfortable in this new environment; never have I felt so selfish and guilty. After hiking through this never-ending maze of wards, through the different sounds an d noises coming from various wards, we entered the room my Papa was ‘recovering' in. I briefly looked around, noticing my Nana standing in the corner of the room with an exhausted and worried expression on her face, trying to force a smile. We walked over to the bed in which my Papa lay looking still and weak with his eyes closed. He ad all sorts of pipes and tubes entering his frail body, and a never ending metronome of multiple beeping sounds came from various machines that had been plumbed into him. This bruising sight still stays with me today. Gently laying her hand on his arm and shaking him softly, my Nana attempted to wake Papa up. He opened his eyes until they were open just enough to glance over at us. He then muttered something that I couldn’t understand. He seemed to vaguely recognise who his son was, but when he looked me it was as though he hadn't seen my before in his life, as though I was merely a stranger at his bedside.Nana explained to us that as a re sult of his surgery and strong medication he was becoming exceedingly confused and exhausted. My increasingly distressed Nana seemed at an all time low and she had lost all hope for Papa. My Dad had managed to have a half conversation with his Papa, he told me. He said that Papa would say a few words and then stop for breath. Nana then gingerly pulled back the bed sheets that lay on top of him and revealed his chest. There was a large, very noticeable scar surrounded by a sea of black bruises which covered his chest. I stared at my Papa for a while.The Papa I knew so well was so warm hearted, lively and full of humour, so different to the man lying in the bed in front of me . A lump had developed in my throat and my vision became blurry. I blinked and could feel the sting of a single tear run down my cheek. The feeling of not being recognised by someone you know so well and have so many fond memories with, was unfathomable. Knowing there was nothing I could do to help someone that w e loved and cared about so much made us all feel so incredibly helpless. As visiting hours came to a close we said our goodbyes to Papa, hoping for the best for his health, but dreading the worst.He of course was too delusional to reply, which felt so demoralising as he always would make a fuss of us leaving after a visit. Nana then walked us back to the car park. She, understandably wanted to get back to my Papa's bedside. So we awkwardly said goodbye to her and wished her and Papa the very best. Visiting my Papa in hospital affected me in more ways than I ever imagined it would have. Looking back on this experience I realise how important it was and how much of a turning point it was in my life. It made me realise how much we take our loved ones for granted, and how harsh the reality of life actually is, and how precious it is also.I realised how much of an influence my Papa had had on my upbringing. Many of the features of my personality are related to my Papa and his character, which made the worry of something sinister happening so much more awful. It also made me realise the ignorant and selfish attitude I had before this emotional day. And to think how lucky I, and the majority of us actually are. I believe most of us take our good health for granted. And we don't realise how good we have it compared to others who are in dreadful states, when their personalities are often unrecognisable.