The Environmental Case Analysis Of Ryanair Commerce Essay

â€Å" In an administration the most of import characteristic is its scheme, because scheme is the characteristic which gives the agencies to the house to be successful. This is an effectual long-run method to carry on an administration to make its aims and ends to remain set on its competitory border † The range of this essay is to confer with the strategic analysis of environment and the industry together with the company ‘s present strategic picks, and besides it is requested to urge new strategic enterprises and countries for bettering scheme execution for the senior direction squad of Ryanair. This is conducted with the usage of six strategic theoretical accounts ( SWOT, PESTLE, Porter ‘s Five Forces, Strategic groups, Value Chain and VRIO ) that are recommended to be used to analyze the internal and external environment of the company. Each theoretical account will be taken in to deliberation and discussed carefully to foreground what had begin the instance for the negative perceptual experience and the positive perceptual experience of both the clients and the companies towards its growing and sustainability Therefore this instance survey will be analysed to trap point on what should be done for the hereafter strategic direction of the company. â€Å" Out of all the low menu air hoses in the European industry Ryanair takes the lead. This air hose nevertheless is from Ireland and its caput office is situated in Dublin. London Stansted Airport in UK is its chief operational base. Ryanair is named as the largest low cost bearer and the is the 3rd largest air hose in the history of rider Numberss. † To offer- secure, cost competitory and efficient in services in the air power trucking and to retain their employees dedication and devotedness to carry through the aims of the industry, to keep minimal criterion of on clip public presentation rate while following will all application ordinances and to prolong an environments where self-respect and household values are being utilized. Aims To accomplish gross growing yearly To take on holding a bigger market portion To hold a better client service than their rival companies To hold a stronger concern image Reputes with clients than challengers To be recognized as a leader among air hose industries To vie in the planetary market To hold a stable competitory advantage ( Marivic.B 2009 )3.0 Micro environment analysis ( Internal analysis )â€Å" Administrations create worth of client value being measured by a merchandise public presentation characterises and by the credits which clients are willing to pay, by using the capablenesss and resources that are found internally and making the demand of standard planetary competition. These peculiar aggregation of capablenesss and resources which gives the sole advantages to the administration are hence measured as nucleus competences † Carpenter, Bauer, Erdogan ( 2009 )3.1 SWOT analysis ( Strength and Weaknesses )StrengthsThe lowest cost in contrast to all the other LCC in Europe The low cost leading had made it stand out from the sphere of LCC industry in Europe The universe ‘s most profitable air hose Harmonizing to the instance Ryanair was the most profitable air hose in the universe on the footing of its operating and net net income border, on per air hose and rider footing. Brand acknowledgment It is claimed harmonizing to the instance that Ryanair ‘s web site was the largest travel web site in Europe and the fifth most recognized trade name in Google The attitude of No frill Low menu To get the better of the failing of low riders the air hose restyled the system with this attitude Compared to other LCC air hoses Ryanair has the most riders 42 million riders in 2007 Most sum of bases with most sum of aircrafts Harmonizing to the instance survey Ryanair has flown from 16 bases with over 100 new Boeing 737-800 telling farther 138 new air trades duplicating the size Highest control in the EU low cost market 29.9 % from the full Low cost market Bing the youngest fleet of all the major air hoses in the EU Replacing its fleet of old aircrafts with new, more eco friendly aircrafts, minimising the mean age of its fleet to 2.4 old ages.FailingsWheelchair coursers Bad repute and ethical issues reflected when ryanair charged 18 lbs to utilize a wheelchair and in response to the protest it reduced the charge to 50 cents wheelchair toll on every rider ticket Poor service quality The small legroom and unfriendly staff being the worst portion of Ryanair ‘s know-how Excess charge for nutrient and baggage ‘s Carryon baggage ‘s being limited and doing them look into in bags leting the riders to walk in with lower limit of clasp baggage Bad relationship with the pilots Ryanair has bullied pilots to coerce them to hold to new contracts wherer they would hold to pay 15,000 francs for retraining on new aircrafts if they left the air hose. Airports in the suburbs Away from the chief metropolis make the clients inconvenient Negative response by the riders for the extra services Harmonizing to the instance non all accessory services enterprises were successful in 2005, riders were opposition to pay extra sum because they thought it is non a worthwhile investing for a short flight.3.2 The Value concatenationInfrastructure of the houseAround Europe Ryanair has 16 bases holding the chief bases in Stanstead and Dublin. The coursers of Ryanair airdromes are low due to its usage of airdromes that are significantly off from the congested chief airdromes. As version for surcharges are non included for fuel they have to cut costs of on other ways with implementing coursers for the usage of wheelchairs, nutrient and excess baggage ‘s. Ryanair holding one type of aircrafts ( boeing 737 ) they merely have to develop the pilots to wing thos peculiar plane hence can cut down costs as they do non hold to be sent to assorted courses.The hierachial construction of Ryanair is really effectual as the directors have to describe to the Chief executive officer to do determi nation from the information given.Human Resource directionHaving the employees sleep in the bases and non holding them remain in hotels has made Ryanair cut down costs. Ryanair can do future programs since they have a good roll for most of their workers holding 4 yearss on and 3 yearss away.Technological developmentOnline engagement was introduced by Ryanair for the first clip and therefore they became eligible to cut down their costs. Self-check service enabling to the riders was besides introduced excessively therefore Ryanair was able to cut down staff and cost. Having the youngest fleets in the EU made Ryanair reduced in costs for the new aeroplanes.ProcurementRyanair merely supplying a service and holding to outsource the stuff they need. in add-on to that they have to purchase fuel and equipment jointly with renting planes.Inbound logisticsOut sourcing of managing services is really common fir a concern like this I.e. cleansing service, nutrient, medical services and security/safety.OperationssBefore puting off it is a must to look into out all the planes and equipments by the pilots and the airdromes used are non really engorged and merely do point to indicate tripsSelling and gross revenuesHaving the biggest web site in Europe and holding big advertisement boards made them increase in gross revenues and selling. However the effort of presenting the amusement installation onto flights where clients had to pay more was failed as people refused to pay due to short journeysServiceHaving tried to maintain the fleet up-to-date and allowing the staff go on class one time a twelvemonth to better their cognition and doing certain they know all the new ordinances made Ryanair powerful on services every bit good.3.3 VRIO Analysisâ€Å" Resources and capablenesss can be regard as things that an organisation ain. It is indispensable to contract down and clear up the nucleus competences to understand th e significance of the different organisational public presentations. If an organisations resource and capablenesss are valuable, rare, inimitable and organized so it will direct to a sustainable competitory advantage. The internal analysis can therefore be analyzed through this base of VRIO model. † Carpenter. M, Bauer. T, Erdogan.B ( 2009 ) Analysis of the instance Recourses Valuable Rare Inimitability Organized Competitive Deduction ( 1 ) Human Resources No No No No Competitive disadvantage ( 2 ) Finance Resources Yes Yes Yes Yes Sustainable competitory advantage ( 3 ) Tangible assets Yes No No Yes Competitive Parity ( 4 ) Intangible assets Yes Yes Yes Yes Sustainable competitory advantage ( Table 1 ) The human resource of Ryanair is a competitory disadvantage as it highlights on bad relationship with pilots therefore it is non valuable it is non rare it is inimitable and it is non organized as it is non efficaciously arranged and deployed in the market. The Finance resources of Ryanair is valuable, it is rare, it can non be imitated by other air hoses and it is good organised and efficaciously arranged in the market therefore it is a sustainable competitory advantage. The touchable assets of Ryanair i.e. the aeroplane types etc are valuable but they are non rare they can happen them anyplace and the planes are imitable as any other company could hold the same sort of flights. They are really good organized with the youngest planes and eco friendly with better air hoses to come in to the house in the hereafter. Thus it has a competitory para. The intangible assets of Ryanair particularly the trade name acknowledgment are valuable they are rare and they are inimitable and they besides efficaciously assist the administration to be organized. Thus it is a sustainable competitory advantage.4.0 External analysis4.1 SWOT analysis ( Opportunities and Threats )OpportunitiesGross saless additions due to recognition crunch As a consequence of the recent recession the recognition crunch made the gross revenues addition as many clients wanted to cut down their costs. Can fall in the long draw market incursion by the possibility of taking over Aer Lingus As the consequence of losing the command Miceal O'Leary assumed that Aer Lingus can be bought over as it has no long term hereafter. Most paths are being clear as other bearers start retreating As the clang increased with the paths of Ryanair other air hoses such as My Travel Light are avoiding the paths all together.MenacesMenaces due to accidents If an accident happen in a LCC air hose it will Marjory impact the house as there are a really high per centum of important cut down in demand Attacks of terrorists Attacks like 9/11 will cut down the demand for air hoses. Increasing fuel monetary value Ryanair restricting its ability to go through on increased costs to the riders of low menu puting excess menu on the bearers as a policy to happen cost economy in other domains of its operations taking Ryanair for hedge. Possibility of revenue enhancement debut Due to planetary heating there can be a environmental revenue enhancement Increased competition from developing states Easyjet holding and excess skyttax star For website engagement and client support Ryanair scored 1/5 in nine of the 16 standard ‘s. ( Bitterwallet nd )4.2 The PESTLE analytical technique( Figure 1 ) The Macro Environmental analysis, What makes a good leader?PoliticalOne of the important advantages to Ryanair is its political environment as the bulk of its processs are controlled within Europe. This part maintains political stableness and it was a fact that we all knew. Even when there is authorities instability Ryanair does non see issues as an apprehensiveness sing rider volumes or flight finishsEconomicFor the air hoses industry the increase of fuel monetary value caused a major job they had to cut corners if they did non fudge to roll up cost on other countries. There can be seen a autumn in demand for the flights due to the recent economic crisis. Hence occupation cuts increased and clients have low disposable income barricading them to pass on holidaies. However this could be an advantage for other cheaper air h ose industries as there are people who are still able to afford a holiday as they are looking for lower cost options.SocialThis factor has by and large impacted Ryanairs concern scheme. The anticipation of Buyer behaviour are going bit by bit more complex to calculate as trueness are being shifted by the modern consumers from one trade name to anther due to the distinction of monetary value and deficiency of basic purchaser dependability. In add-on to that the increasing competition among bearers with low cost menu is ensuing in consumers mentally in which bearer to take when going within Europe finishs.TechnologicalThe modern epoch is beforehand in engineering which means that the full industry is under alteration with more eco friendly and efficient. Online engagement is one major betterment Ryanair has technological wise holding the most visited travel web site in Europe together with the fifth most recognized trade name on GoogleLegalThe to a great extent regulated industry with Torahs that are invariably accommodating to new modifiers by non leting liquid in the clients carry on baggage ‘s conveying the legal facet of Ryanair in to action. The new Torahs that implies to air hose industries are the Torahs that are put across the industries to be more environmentally friendly. This will therefore take to companies fight ting to cut down C emanation and do the industry less harmful to the environment to run into the footings of EU ordinances.EnvironmentalThe external environment of Ryanair is slightly stable. However understanding the consumer behaviour is Ryanairs biggest job together with utilizing selling applications to better full purchaser backing and gross revenues public presentation.4.3 Porters Five ForcersThe instance survey will be discussed through the porters five forces analysis. This analysis is a really powerful yet simple technique to happen out where the power stays in a concern. This technique is used to grok the strengths of the pre sent competitory place and the hereafter where Ryanair is willing to travel in. High Medium Low HighMediumDickering power of providersIn the air hose industry there is a little figure of low menu air hoses, therefore it shows a high menace harmonizing to the instance Ryanair is being chosen by many clients for its lowest monetary value. However by any opportunity if there is a monetary value rise clients have a high potency of exchanging to another trade name in brief clients have no trueness towards one trade name. Which gives the consequence as dickering power of the providers is low.Dickering power of purchasersThe potency of exchanging to other air hoses are really common with LCC ‘s since the clients are merely looking for the cheapest. Therefore if Ryanair increase the cost under any circumstance there is a possibility of losing client. In that instance its evident that purchaser bargaining power is high.Competition of rivalsAs a consequence of slow growing in the industry most bearers find it hard to win the opportunity of sequence is limited to a few houses becaus e of the competition for market portion. The high fixed cost and low merchandise distinction leads to high competition menace. This shows with Air Ligus, GlyBe and Easyjet following the similar way of Ryanair.Substitution MenaceThere are many replacements for long trip i.e. Trains Buss, autos, ferries. However one can non compare a plane with all of the above mentioned options and a plane travel faster than any of them. Therefore utility menace is moderate.The menace of new entryAirline industry is non the easiest to come in it has a batch of barriers. Ryanair is the market leader and with the executions of new ordinances and the force per unit area to cut down C emanation makes it a moderate menace of new entry to the market.4.4 Strategic groupsQuality 3 2 1 Cost Harmonizing to the dimensions of quality and cost of the full industry ( Refer appendix 1 ) 1st group falls under the same strategic group as they have same scheme of low cost leading. 2nd group chiefly functioning to the people with a moderate income degrees and moderate cost therefore they have the same scheme of medium cost leading scheme. 3rd group falls under the same strategic group, as they have the same scheme of high cost high quality. Profitableness 3 2 1 Number of riders Harmonizing to the dimension of profitableness and figure of riders of Budget air hose industry ( Refer appendix 1 ) 1st group falls under the same strategic group as they have low net income and lowest figure of riders 2nd group falls under the same strategic group as they have medium profitableness and medium sum of riders going 3rd group falls under the same strategic group as they have high profitableness and the highest figure of rider5.0 Strategic picks and the recommended schemeThe strategic model of alteration directionThis model helps Ryanair to understand the significant alteration over recent old ages and the importance of organizational civilization to organisational analysis. It besides can be used to place the cardinal stairss that could better the direction of alteration. However harmonizing to the Ryanair instance survey direction is up to a good criterion and hence alteration direction is least of importThe strategic model for advertisement rivalsThis model can be implemented to Ryanair as it had an incident with a client where she was mislead by an advertizement, yet this model is besides a less of importThe strategic model for Customer Relationship ManagementThis model is used to broaden the apprehension of CRM. Negative response by the riders for the extra services Bad relationship with the pilots Poor service quality These are some of the failings Ryanair ‘s CRM come across therefore to make full the span of the spread between negative attitude towards Customer relationship and to do it more favorable it is a must for ryanair to concentrate on the CRM. If Ryanair take this strategic frame work in to action they will be able to Become The most favorable air hose in the industry The most profitable budget air hose The positive word of oral cavity The well recognized trade name in the industry Furthermore with Customer relationship direction the internal market will be looked in to with a positive position when the employees are motivated and when there is a beginning for employment acknowledgment therefore employees will be treated good which will take to an overall success of the air hose6.0 DecisionRyanair instance survey was analysed through six analytical techniques ( SWOT, PESTLE, Porter ‘s five Forces, Value concatenation, VRIO and strategic groups ) . Based on the analyzers ‘ the direction can now understand that in order to better the strategic execution they must follow the strategic model of Customer relationship direction It helps to bridge the spread and to run into their aims. Therefore when the recommended model is implemented the vision of Ryanair can be reached easy.7.0 ReferencingBeamish. H.R, 2008 Strategic direction, 3rd edition, Pearson Prentice Hall Bourgeois L.J, Duhaime.I.M, Stimpert J.L, ( 1999 ) Strategic Management: a managerial position, 2nd Edition, Dryden imperativeness, USA Bourgeois L.J, Duhaime.I.M, Stimpert J.L, ( 1999 ) Strategic Management: a managerial position, 2nd Edition, Dryden imperativeness, USA Carpenter. M, Bauer. T, Erdogan.B ( March 2009 ) , Developing scheme through internal analysis Principles of direction, , Retrived on 15th April 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/principles-management/29045 Carpenter. M, Bauer. T, Erdogan.B ( March 2009 ) , Developing scheme through internal analysis, Principles of direction and Organisational Behaviour, , Retrived on 15th April 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/principles-management-and-orga/32825 De Puget.G, 2003, Gallic Accent – Ryanair Slow on Emotion, Brandchannel, Retrieved on 11th April 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.brandchannel.com/brand_speak.asp? bs_id=72 Eerste. P de, ( 2008 ) , Boeing 737-800 RyanAir Textures, Retrieved on 25th April 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //simviation.com/simviation/index.php? type=itemHYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //simviation.com/simviation/index.php? type=item & A ; ID=60 & A ; page=9 † & amp ; HYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //simviation.com/simviation/index.php? type=item & A ; ID=60 & A ; page=9 † ID=60HYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //simviation.com/simviation/index.php? type=item & A ; ID=60 & A ; page=9 † & amp ; HYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //simviation.com/simviation/index.php? type=item & A ; ID=60 & A ; page=9 † page=9 GRUNDY, T. ( 2006 ) Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porter ‘s five forces theoretical account. Strategic Change. Vol 15, No 5, August. pp213-229. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/porter-5-forces.php Haberberg, A. and Rieple, A. ( 2001 ) , The Strategic Management of Organizations, Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Johnson, G. , & A ; Scholes, K. ( 1997 ) . Researching corporate scheme ( 4th ed. ) . London: Prentice Hall Johnson G, Sholes K, Whittington R, ( 2005 ) Researching Corporate Scheme: text and instances † 7th Edition, London: Prentice Hall Marivic.B, 2009, Ryanair fiscal aim, Thinking made easy, Retrieved on 11th April 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/03/ryanairs-financial-objectives.html Mun.J, ( 2008 ) Analysis of Ryanair ‘s Competitive Advantages Business HYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //www.associatedcontent.com/business/ ? cat=3 † & amp ; HYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //www.associatedcontent.com/business/ ? cat=3 † Finance, Retrieved on 17th April 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.associatedcontent.com/article/1159874/analysis_of_ryanairs_competitive_advantages.html Porter ‘s five forces, Mind Tools retrieved on 12th April 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm Ryanair, Airfearsflights nd retrived on 10th April 2010 fromhypertext transfer protocol: //www.airfaresflights.co.uk/airlines/RyanairFigure 1 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.whatmakesagoodleader.com/macro-environment-analysis.html8.0 Appendixs

Theories of Group Formation

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Indicators include: Questioning performance, Reviewing/clarify objective, Changing/confirming roles, Opening risky issues, Assertiveness, Listening, Testing new ground, Identifying strengths and weaknesses. Performing: Groups reach a conclusion and implement the conclusion. Indicators include: Creativity, Initiative, Flexibility, and Open relationships. McGrath (1991), stated these roles/processes are needed for group formation: Mode I: Inception and acceptance of a project (goal choice) Mode II: Technical problem solving – solution of technical issues (means choice) Mode III: Conflict resolution – resolution of political issues conflict (policy choice) Mode IV: Execution – the performance requirements of the project (goal attainment) Unfreezing – this phase involves overcoming inertia and dismantling the existing â€Å"mind set†. Defense mechanisms have to be bypassed. Change – typically a period of confusion and transition. One is aware that the old ways are being challenged but does not have a clear picture to replace them yet. Freezing – the new mindset is crystallizing and one’s comfort level is returning to previous levels. Phase 1 – behavioral patterns and assumptions through which a group approaches its project emerges in its first meeting, and the group stays with the framework through the first half of its life. Teams may show little visible progress during this time because members are unable to perceive a use for the information they are generating until they revise the initial framework. Midpoint – at calendar midpoints, groups experience transitions-paradigmatic shifts in their approaches of their work enabling them to capitalize on the gradual learning they have done and make significant advances. This is an opportunity for the group to alter the course of its life midstream. Phase 2 – this is a second period of inertial movement, and takes its direction from plans crystallized during the transition. At completion, when a team makes a final effort to satisfy outside expectations, it experiences the positive and negative consequences of past choices. I see many roles that leaders need to provide in the group development process. A leader needs understanding of critical theories about how people learn, an understanding of patterns of discrimination and inequalities, and the benefits and liabilities associated with individual groups. Along with the ability to articulate his/her own philosophy of education, and use it to empower others’ active participation in their own transformation. According to Katzenbach and Smith (2005), effective working groups need little time to shape their purpose, since the leader usually establishes it. Despite the fact that many leaders refer to group reporting to them as a team, few groups really are. Leaders, however, should make sure the team succeeds in identifying specific purposes and goals. If the leader of a group wants to improve performance overall, he/she needs to find a way of the group taking shared ownership for the results. It is likely that a shift from individual responsibility to shared responsibility can only be achieved if the pay and reward system has a significant element that is dependent on the overall outcome. The knowledge, skills and attitudes of the leader may also need to shift significantly to be effective in this new environment. For example, a leader may need to share all of the individuals' results with the group. The group has the right to know how others are performing if their pay depends on it. This could be a challenging experience for a leader who has avoided the potential emotional stress that can be caused by this level of openness. Kozlowski and Bell (2003), stated that team training and leadership interventions have the potential to enhance team development, it is a process that generally unfolds naturally without intentional intervention. Thus the potential for improving team development and team effectiveness in many organizations is high. â€Å"However, team training and team leadership are key leverage points for enhancing the developmental process by intervening before or as teams are formed (team training) and as they proceed through the developmental rocess in the work setting (team leadership and coaching). † Kozlowski & Bell (2003). The theory that appeals to me the most is Tuckman’s theory of group formation. I believe I feel this way because it is most familiar to me, and have gone through the formal stages of forming, norming, storming, and performing. I was also a participant in a class called â€Å"How best to form your team†. This class went over these ideals that Tuckman me ntions. Refer ences Gersick, Connie J. G. (1988). Time and Transition in Work Teams: Toward a New Model of Group Development. Academy of Management Journal. Vol. 31, No. 1, 9-41. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database Katzenbach, Jon R. & Smith, Douglas K. (2005). The Discipline of Teams. The Harvard Business Review. July-August, 2005. pp. 162-171. Kozlowski, S. (2006). Group development. Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Retrieved from Sage e-References, Walden Library Kozlowski, S. W. J. , & Bell, B. S. (2003). Work groups and teams in organizations. In W. C. Borman, ed. , D. R. Ilgen, ed. , & R. J. Klimoski, ed. (Eds. ), ed. Handbook of psychology: Industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 12, pp. 333-375). London: Wiley. Lewin, K. (1999). Experiments in social space. Reflections, 1(1), 7-13. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database McGrath, J. E. (1991). Time, interaction, and performance (TIP): A theory of groups. Small Group Research, 22(2), 147-174. Retrieved from SAGE Management and Organization Studies Full Text Collection Tuckman, B. (1965). Development al sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-399. Retrieved from PsycARTICLES database

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Currency Trading Restrictions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Currency Trading Restrictions - Assignment Example Trade restrictions are widely known to impact negatively on a country’s import and export activities. The establishment of foreign exchange restrictions is often associated with high forex rates to the extent that goods become extremely expensive to export (Dothan, Ramamurti & Ulman, 1996). This in turn implies that fewer goods can be exported and the country’s domestic residence end up with little foreign currency with which to import goods. In this sense, forex restrictions negatively affect import and export trade in many cases. The move by the National Bank of Belarus to lift the forex restriction will benefit multinationals to a great extent. For one, multinationals will have the confidence to make investments in the country knowing that the forex market of the country is transport (Dothan, Ramamurti & Ulman, 1996). The move will also see multinationals that have already invested in the country produce and sell more to foreign markets and remit their earnings to their mother countries. In essence, the change adopted by NBB will encourage foreign direct investment and will boost their exports. Office for a Democratic Belarus (2011). Exchange Rate Restrictions Lifted in Interbank Market. Retrieved March 14, 2014 from

Marketing management case 2 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing management 2 - Case Study Example Motor starters were installed on or near individual pieces of equipment and usually operated only a single motor. They ranged in price from $50 to several thousand dollars. Motor control centers consisted of dozens or even hundreds of motor starters that were combined in a customized enclosure and were capable of starting motors in various areas of the plant from a centralized location. They ranged in price from less than $50 000 to several hundred thousand dollars. The motor starter made fewer sales than the projections. It however managed to sell 8.5% of the entire industry sales. Repair parts were the most improved products, after realizing sales of 14% of the whole industry sales. The control centre increased in sales by 83.03 5%, the motor starter product fell by 5.76% and the repair parts increased by 25.42%. The total performance for all the products was an increase of 8.952% from 2001 to 2002. 1. Yvonne Belanger, owner of Yvonne’s European Deli, has decided that she wants to add a new item to the current selection of baked goods she sells in her upscale deli. Currently, she sells cookies and brownies for $2 each, and muffins for $3 each. She makes a standard 30% margin on all sales. Yvonne wants to buy homemade apple, cherry, and lemon pies and sell them from a local supplier for $10 each. 3. Fashion Forward operates three retail locations across Canada: in Halifax, Toronto, and Vancouver. It recently purchased a limited-edition collection of 300 designer dresses and sent 100 to each city. The dresses were all suggested to sell for $1200 each; all dresses had a net cost to Fashion Forward of $400. Sales results from the three locations varied: 1. Ontario Steel Manufacturing (OSM) manufactures steel components for other manufacturers. It has the opportunity to make stainless steel taps and faucets for a Canadian hardware company that will then package the products and sell them under

Davis v. The Board of County Commissioners of Doa Ana County Essay

Davis v. The Board of County Commissioners of Doa Ana County - Essay Example This made Herrera resign from his work in order to evade the disciplinary action. After a few days, the supervisor wrote a letter on behalf of Herrera to the MVH revealing that Herrera was an excellent worker arguing that he was confident that other prospective employees will notice (Walsh (2010, p. 148). Another supervisor of the Detention Centre made some verbal references that praised Herrera as a good worker who will contribute to effective organization performance. This made the plaintiff, the third party in this case to sue the Detention County for negligent misinterpretations of providing misleading information. This misinformation was provided by Mochen and Steele, employees at the Detention Center, which enabled Herrera to be employed again at the MVH. This legal issue was seen as a threat to employee; thus the plaintiff to be assaulted; hence sorted to accuse the board of county commissioners of Dona Ana County. The court concludes that Dona Ana Country deserves to be accountable for negligent referral (misinterpretation) due to positive references. When Herrera got a position as mental health technician, he was allegedly accused of sex assault by the plaintiff and physically abused female patients. In case an organization provides misleading references that can contribute to harm of employees in the new job, the jurisdictions have the right to sue that organization for negligent referral. According to Kohn, Kohn and Colapinto (2004), the court of appeal has the right to judge Steele and Mochen for not taking into considerations the harm caused to the third party and the risk that may be encountered in the end. The government has laws that protect all employees and the third parties in an organization from any harm imposed upon them. The US departments of Labor and its divisions have varied laws, which can shield third parties or employees in the workplace. Cases of negligent or a misinterp retation of any information provided

Volkswagen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Volkswagen - Essay Example Furthermore, Porter’s Five Forces analysis and SWOT analysis is also conducted with regards to the internal environment of the company. In conclusion, the report proposes two specific recommendations to the Board of Directors after critically and comprehensively analyzing the strategic position of the business. It is suggested that Volkswagen take immediate measures to further enhance its position in the US which has delivered optimistic performance so far but indicates that further efforts are needed. It is also recommended that Volkswagen continue to explore emerging markets across the globe such as India while maintaining its position in China and Brazil. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 1.Introduction 3 2.Analysis of Strategic Position 4 2.1Internal Audit 4 2.1.1Strategic Capabilities 5 2.1.2VRIN ANALYSIS 6 2.1.3Value Chain 8 2.2External Audit 9 2.2.1PESTEL Analysis 10 2.2.2The Five Forces Analysis 12 2.3SWOT Analysis 15 2.3.1TOWS Matrix 16 3.Conclusion and Recommenda tion 17 1. Introduction Volkswagen is a manufacturer of automobiles originating from Germany; its global presence as an automaker extends to various parts of the world henceforth, contributing towards its ranking as the 14th largest company in the world (Forbes 2013). Volkswagen Group’s mission is to act as a responsible business and maximize the benefits that it wishes to offer to its customers. By promoting the concepts of sustainability and social responsibility the company aims to be the leader in the automotive industry by the year 2018. In order to achieve its objective the company has designed a group strategy to enhance its positioning within the market. This strategy extends to all realms of Volkswagen Group’s operations, such as sales and human resources. The company aims to augment its sales per unit to an impressive 10 million automobiles per annum and also boost its pre-tax profit margin to 8% (Volkswagen 2011). An analysis of the company’s external and internal environment and factors is imperative to assisting goal achievement. Therefore, for the purposes of this report these factors are discussed at length in the context of Volkswagen Group. 2. Analysis of Strategic Position 2.1 Internal Audit Volkswagen believes in implementing a responsible and accountable risk management framework, in order to ensure that its future activities and business operations are not adversely impacted by unforeseeable changes in the company’s external environment (Volkswagen 2007). For the purposes of tackling with the unpredictable situation of the industry, the Group Internal Audit holds the responsibility of reviewing and evaluating the risk management measures of the organization. This process of revision is governed by auditors who conduct comprehensive interviews with the management to assess the satisfactoriness of the conclusions with regards to risk management (Volkswagen 2007). The overall internal audit of the company conforms to the KonTraG, while, specific audits are conducted by German financial regulatory agency, BaFin to evaluate the financial department of Volkswagen (Volkswagen 2007). According to the Volkswagen Annual Report (2007), with regards to the governance of procedures related to the controlling function of management all rules, regulations and procedures presiding over the activities within the company are updated online; the Group Interna

Ottoman history Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ottoman history - Research Paper Example Occupying this important chokepoint, the Ottomans were able to derive a great deal of riches based upon control and management of the trade that forever flowed between East and West. Much like the Byzantines before them, the Ottoman Empire served as a link between Europe and Asia in greatly benefited from the profits of the exchange that was perennially flowing over these geographic boundaries. Although there can be many identifications and definitions for the means by which the Ottoman Empire was able to exert such powerful degree of influence, military might, and cultural dynamism, it will be the purpose of this analysis to discuss and analyze the means by which a pervasive in nearly continual process of centralisation can ultimately be understood as the most powerful dynamic that allowed the Ottoman Empire to survive and thrive for such a very long period of time. As such the following analysis will trace this trend through three different secondary sources: The Great Ottoman-Turk ish Civilization, The Ottoman Empire, and The Ottoman Empire and the World around It. Whereas other, lesser powers, have grown powerful, wealthy, and then almost mysteriously vanished into the annals of history, the Ottoman Empire, through this process of centralisation, was able to oversee and ensure that the continued strength and wealth that such a process had previously been able to integrate was furthered into the future. This process was referenced specifically by the book The Great Ottoman Turkish Civilization.... Rather, the only one dimensional aspect of centralisation refers to the level to which a central figure in power structure oversaw, directed, analyzed, and guided nearly every decision that was made within the state/Empire. Accordingly, the multidimensional aspects of what centralisation necessarily implies will be discussed and analyzed as a means of integrating the reader with an understanding of how centralisation was ultimately affected within the Ottoman Empire (Cicek 47). Moreover, by identifying the level and extent to which centralisation played with regards to ensuring that the Ottoman Empire remained resilient and strong, the author will further be able to detail particular practices and unique approaches that the Ottoman Empire utilized with regards to dealing with its large, multi-religious, and multiethnic population. The second text under consideration within this analysis, The Ottoman Empire, argues that centralization played an important role within the administration and direction of any empire; so much so that it helped to define and constrain the way in which the entire process of imperial power was directed. By the very nature of Empire, it is a system in which territories and peoples that are otherwise not necessarily similar to the conquering power are incorporated into the governing structure (Kia 82). As a function of this incorporation, the Empire is usually made relatively wealthier, more populous, and more secure due to the fact that it has been able to extend its boundaries beyond the regions to which it previously laid claim to. Yet, the fundamental drawback that has been seen by a host of imperial powers within the past is the fact that the

Theatre Funding in America Essay Example for Free

Theatre Funding in America Essay The theatres for the performing arts in the United States of America greatly vary in terms of age composition and specialties on theatric performances. As a result, the theatres found across America derive their funding from different sources, ranging from private individuals who share the same passion to companies and other organizations that seek to establish beneficiaries from their financial capabilities to support groups for the arts. It is not surprising, therefore, that theatre groups for children may have funding sources quite differently from theatre groups composed of more mature, if not adult, members. In general, the patrons for the theatre arts include but are not limited to local and national politicians, non-government organizations that primarily promote the preservation and the wider appreciation of theatre arts, and private entities and corporations. Basically, it is a widely held fact that membership in theatre groups do not essentially come for free although there are exceptions to this. Setting aside these exceptions, the initial source of funding for theatre groups to ‘operate’ are the membership fees paid for by the members of the theatre groups themselves. There are also many other fees that may be collected from the members of theatre groups depending on their discretion, and some of these fees may include monthly contributions and other miscellaneous fees. However, it can be said that the funds derived from the contributions of the members will hardly sustain the more resource-demanding activities of the theatre groups. For instance, a major performance in an auditorium with a large seating capacity and with complete amenities will require more than the members’ contributions accumulated during a certain period. In a case like this, it is often the prerequisite of theatre groups to seek major sponsors. External sponsorships play a significant role in funding the major activities of theatres inasmuch as they play an equally important role in securing the preparations for the event such as booking an auditorium a few weeks or months before the actual event, and selling tickets, if applicable, with the aid of creating a team that will handle such role. These two things, at the least, require funding, the source of which can practically come from the financial aid provided by private and public entities willing to stand as sponsors. For the most part, the government also contributes to the funding of theatres, one of which is through the creation of several agencies that promote the culture and the arts as a whole. Perhaps the primary arm of the government in sustaining the assistance to the art projects from various groups in America is the National Endowment for the Arts or NEA. Since the public agency was established by Congress in 1965, it has continued to provide grants to deserving applicants to this day. In 2007 alone, the agency has provided approximately $144 million to its beneficiaries from the different states of the country, both rural and urban (â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Appropriation History†). NEA provides a fragment of its general funding appropriations to theatre companies of different genres, sizes and membership composition. A potential organization applying for NEA funding can request for up to $150,000 to a minimum of $5,000 depending on the needs of the theatre organization. Moreover, NEA also provides financing assistance to underserved populations, allotting them a grant for up to $10,000 as part of the agency’s mission of reaching every community in America with the artistic inclinations for the theatre arts. NEA also encourages the participation of children in the theatre arts through its provision of financial grants reaching up to $150,000 to deserving theatre organizations composed primarily of young students (â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Grants†). One important aspect with regard to the collaborative efforts of private corporations to sponsor several activities of theatre organizations in the United States is the fact that the government provides â€Å"indirect subsidies† to corporations doing so through â€Å"tax expenditures that allow both individuals and corporations to make tax deductible donations to cultural organizations (Mulcahy and Wyszomirski, p. 121)†. It is not surprising, therefore, that private enterprises engage in sponsorships for the activities of theatre groups precisely because it’s a win-win solution for both the sponsoring corporation and the receiving theatre organization: the theatre group receives the financial support it needs in order to materialize their stage performances and the sponsoring corporation gets tax deductions, which means more profit for the latter. Suffice it to say that there are several examples which can be cited that supports this observation. For example, Paper Mill Playhouse, a musical theatre group established during the 18th century in America, has conducted several theatre performances in the past which were sponsored by American Airlines, one of the leading companies in the American airline industry (â€Å"Paper Mill Playhouse: Shows on Our Stage†). Another example is that of Orpheum Theatre located in Memphis, Tennessee where at least a series of nine Broadway plays were sponsored in part by Harrah’s Tunica Hotel and Casinos which is a private corporation (â€Å"Orpheum Theatre Broadway Series†). There are still countless other theatre organizations that have been receiving funding from private corporations through sponsorships either in part or in full, which brings us to the differences in sponsorship packages. Funding from private corporations usually comes through sponsorship packages, depending on the internal arrangements made between the theatre organization and the private corporation. For example, the sponsoring corporation may prefer to finance the overall theatre performance of the organization, including the expenses for the stage set-up and the payment for the location where the theatre performance will be held. The ‘package deal’ may also be limited to an inclusion of the company’s name in the billing or in the tickets as an advertisement bargain. The important thing to note is that corporate sponsorships of any theatre group’s activities greatly vary depending on the agreement made between the performing theatre group and the corporation itself. These variations, in turn, affect the funding which will be received by the theatre organization. The bigger the share of the sponsoring corporation in the payment of expenses for, say, a specific stage play, the lesser the finances the theatre organization will handle at the end of the day. The bigger the share of the sponsoring corporation could also mean the bigger tax deductions from the tax payments for the corporation. There is also another way for theatre groups to receive funding from private corporations, which is to solicit directly from these corporations a certain amount. A theatre organization can, for instance, make solicitation letters and personally deliver them to the corporation that they seem fit to sponsor their stage play. In return, the organization can provide advertisement deals with the corporation before and until the day of the stage performance. The primary difference between soliciting from the previous funding example provided is that the former necessitates the organization to directly engage prospective sponsors through the organization’s initiatives. On the other hand, private corporations who are attracted to sponsor a certain theatre activity are usually the ones who make the first step in contacting the theatre organization and in laying down their sponsorship deals. Another source of funding for theatre organizations is personal donation from private individuals who do not represent either the government or any private corporation. Philanthropists, among others, provide a big push for theatre organizations in pursuing their activities especially when philanthropists donate a huge sum of money without expecting anything in return such as exposure in the form of advertisements from posters to tickets. Although the instances when such persons give financial donations to theatre groups are not always present or are not the usual order of things, it can hardly be denied that personal donations from such people can stand at par with, if not more than, the financial backing provided by private corporations and government agencies such as the NEA. There are also private individuals who, although their contributions through monetary donations may not equal those from the corporations and the NEA, can provide additional funding. Establishing theatre organizations and, more importantly, sustaining activities for such groups are hefty tasks which involve funding in many ways. Although funding is a challenging task for theatre groups to handle especially for those who are new in theatre arts, there are several private corporations and individuals as well government agencies who can provide help in financial terms. Works Cited Mulcahy, Kevin V. , and Margaret Jane Wyszomirski. â€Å"The Organization of Public Support for the Arts. † America’s Commitment to Culture: Government and the Arts. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995. 121. â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Appropriations History†. 2008. National Endowment for the Arts. August 7, 2008. http://www. nea. gov/about/Budget/AppropriationsHistory. html. â€Å"National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Grants†. 2008. National Endowment for the Arts. August 7, 2008. http://www. nea. gov/grants/apply/Theater. html. â€Å"Orpheum Theatre Broadway Series†. Memphis, TN. Orpheum Theatre. August 7, 2008. http://www. orpheum-memphis. com/index. cfm? section=comattracpage=broadwayma. â€Å"Paper Mill Playhouse: Shows on Our Stage†. Millburn, NJ, 2006. Paper Mill Playhouse. August 7, 2008. http://www. papermill. org/stage/shows. php? ID=45.

International Problems in the Uk Essay Example for Free

International Problems in the Uk Essay This study aimed at investigating the academic writing problems of the Arab postgraduate students of the College of Business at Universiti Utara Malaysia and to provide solutions to these problems. For this purpose, four research questions were posed and the answers to these questions were provided and discussed. The data for the study were collected via (face-to-face) interviews. The informants of this study were postgraduate students from the College of Business at Universiti Utara Malaysia for the academic year 2008-2009. The findings of the study revealed that the students faced problems in relation to vocabulary register, organization of ideas, grammar, spelling, and referencing. Introduction Nowadays, English plays an important role in education and students are expected to communicate effectively in institutions where English is the medium of instruction. Learners face the task of mastering content area in subjects such as mathematics, social studies, science, and business which are taught in the target language (English). In such cases, teaching and learning of English can help the students to deal successfully with their academic demands and to perform successfully in their disciplines and professional contexts (Adams Keene, 2000). WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 1 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info In the academic context, Dudley-Evans St. John (1998) point out that the students are required to produce specific writing genres such as essay, summary, critical review, and research paper. However, focus on the distinguishing regularities of structure of different text types can help learners build a repertoire of the organization and the relevant language forms of different genres. It can also make learners aware of the socio-linguistic role that texts play in particular discourse communities. In postgraduate studies in Malaysia, as pointed out by Baskaran (1983), English plays a vital role in helping to initiate students into the academic community in acquiring not only the language proficiency necessary but the specific genres pertaining to these communities. Like any second language learners, Arab learners face many problems in acquiring English. Many studies (Abbad, 1988; Hisham, 2008; Rabab`ah, 2003; Zughoul and Taminian, 1984) have been conducted in the Arab world to investigate the problems of acquiring English among Arab learners. Zughoul and Taminian (1984: 4) found that â€Å"Jordanian EFL students commit serious lexical errors while communicating in English. † Rabab`ah (2003) emphasized that there were problems of acquiring English among Arab learners because of formal instruction by language teachers who are native speakers of Arabic. Another reason given by Rabab`ah (2003) was the limited opportunities Arab learners have to learn English through natural interaction in English since they only encounter native speakers of English who come to the Arab world as tourists. Hisham (2008) investigated the problems that Arab students of business might have at University WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 2 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Utara Malaysia. He found that those students face problems in vocabulary register, grammar, and referencing. Abbad (1988: 15) admits the weakness of Yemeni learners of English, and he states that â€Å"in spite of the low proficiency level in English of most applicants (Yemeni learners), they are accepted into the English department. † In most of the Arab universities, high school graduates are still accepted to pursue a program, such as English Studies, in spite of their weaknesses in that language. Arab learners find it difficult to communicate freely in English. Abbad (1988) mentions that their problems are due to the inappropriate methods of language teaching and the learning environment which some judge are unsuitable for learning a foreign language. The students appeared to have many problems when writing in English, like not knowing how to organize their ideas, because it is a new experience for them. For students to succeed in a foreign language generally, and writing skills specifically, they need to surround themselves in a language learning environment. In the case of the Arab world, Arab learners have little opportunities to use the foreign language in their society. As a result, many problems occur when they study at a university where the medium of instruction is a foreign language like English. Literature Review English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is divided into English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP). It aims to prepare students, in a relatively short period of time, to communicate, read, and write better so they can work WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 3 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info appropriately and successfully in certain activities. In order to achieve this goal, ESP activities have to be presented in context because context is the central idea of ESP. The other point that has to be taken into consideration in teaching ESP is to use authentic materials; this will lead the students to acquire what they need to develop for their jobs (Hutchinson Waters 1987). According to Dudley-Evans (2001), the absolute characteristics of ESP are: †¢ †¢ ESP is designed to meet the specific needs of the learners. ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the specialization it serves. †¢ It is centered not only on the language (grammar, lexis, register), but also on the skills, discourses and genres appropriate to those activities. English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) EOP can be grouped into business English, professional English (e. g. English for doctors, lawyers) and vocational English (e. g. English for tourism, aviation, and nursing). Several studies (Flanegin and Rudd, 2000; Goffman, 1979; Pakir, 1999, Puvenesvary, 2003) have been conducted on the importance of English in the occupational fields. Flanegin and Rudd (2000) discuss the need and importance of English skills in all professions. In addition, they emphasize on the importance of communication skills in the business and management fields by suggesting some solutions to enable students to be good communicators in business majors. Goffman (1979) indicates that business negotiations are carried out and letters are usually written in English. This sometimes discomforts those whose first language is not English. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 4 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info The use of English is even more widespread because of the business-environment revolution. In fact, Pakir (1999) points out that the spread of English is most likely to continue because of the rapid spread of telecommunication, mass communication, business, and internet links. Thousands of international non-native to non-native communication and deals are undertaken daily in a huge number of settings: trade, diplomacy, tourism, journalism, science and technology, politics etc. As a result, there is a need to ensure there are competent writers and speakers of English. Puvenesvary (2003) reveals the importance of being a competent writer of English in the banking sector in Malaysia and the consequences of poorly-written business letters to clients. Methodologies for Teaching Writing for Academic Purposes Prior to discussing the theories related to writing for academic purposes, a few studies will be highlighted in relation to writing problems (Arndt, 1987; Badger and White, 2000; Davies, 1988; Hyland, 2003; Jordan, 1997; Kambal, 1980; Myles, 2002; Paltridge, 2001; Silva, 1990; Smith, 1982; Swale, 1990; Tribble, 1996; Vygotsky, 1978; and Zughoul and Husain, 1985). Kambal (1980) analyzed errors in three types of free composition written by first year Sudanese university students. The study took into consideration the major syntactic errors made by these students in the verb phrase and the noun phrase. Also, Kambal (1980) reported that the three main types of errors made in the verb phrase are verb formation, tense, and subject-verb agreement. He discussed errors in tense within five categories: tense sequence, tense substitution, tense marker, deletion, and confusion of perfect tenses. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 5 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info The findings of this study reveal that the third-person singular marker was used redundantly, and they also revealed the use of the incorrect form of verb to be. Zughoul and Husain (1985) point out that the lack of lexical variety, subordination, and their heavy reliance on redundancy that does not add any new information to the text are the main problems learners have in writing skills. As a result, L2 practitioners are still in search of a coherent, comprehensive theory of the teaching of writing. The major writing theories proposed in the literature are product, process, and genre. Product Approach According to Silva (1990), the product theory of writing highlights form and syntax and it emphasizes rhetorical drills. The product theory focuses on the written product rather than on how the learner should approach the process of writing. In this theory, writing concerns the knowledge about the structure of language, and writing development is the result of the imitation of input (Badger and White, 2000). In addition, Arndt (1987) argues that the importance of imitation and a model in this theory are not only for imitation but also for exploration of analysis. Similarly Myles (2002) confirms that if the students are not exposed to written model texts, their errors in writing are more likely to subsist. In fact, Jordan (1997) indicates that the students are required to focus on a model, form, and duplication. In other words, the students study model texts and attempt various exercises that enable them to draw attention to relevant features of a text, and then replicate them in their own writing. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 6 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Process Approach Another theory which was proposed in order to teach writing is the process theory. Hyland (2003) indicates that the process theory focuses on how a text is written instead of the final outcome. He adds, the process theory has a major influence on understanding the nature of writing and the way writing is taught. Therefore, the process theory emphasizes on the importance of certain procedures such as pre-writing, drafting, evaluating, and revising. He pointed out that the process theory would involve introducing techniques that help the students identify and engage a topic; students are required to show multiple drafts of a work. After discussion and feedback from evaluators, the students would revise the drafts. Rewriting, revision, and editing are essential parts to writing in this theory. In a similar vein, Jordan (1997) states that process writing enables the students to make clearer decisions about the direction of their writing by certain procedures such as discussion, tasks, drafting, feedback, and informed choices. The advantage in adopting the process theory is in updating the importance of the cyclical and recursive nature of writing that is employed by native writers where ‘ordinarily pre-writing, writing, and rewriting frequently seem to be going on simultaneously’ (Smith, 1982: 104). Tribble (1996) explains the process-based approach in teaching academic writing. He says that the students first brainstorm in small groups the topic to be discussed in writing; this helps them to generate ideas before starting to write. This is followed by gathering an outline of the essay and individually writing its first draft. Students revise their first drafts WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 7 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010. http://www. esp-world.info and give them to other students for peer-reviewing and commenting on. The final stage is editing the essay by the writer himself/herself to eliminate all language errors. Thus, this approach focuses on process rather than product. Genre Approach The genre theory in writing emphasizes on the social context in which writing is produced (Badger and White, 2000). Swales (1990) explains that the genre theory is a class of communicative events and that the members of the communicative events share some set of communicative purposes which are identified by the expert members. In the academic context, the experts will be the lecturers who are teaching the various subjects. As claimed by Davies (1988), students, teachers, and subject tutors are all involved in the written language for a selected field of study and the forms of expression permitted within the field. Davies (1988: 131) suggests that the students, in aiming to attain academic success ‘somehow discover the criteria by which the different genres they produce are assessed. ’ He seems to suggest that the criteria are not made explicit to students. Swales (1990) emphasizes the genre-based approach in teaching academic writing. He focuses on analyzing communicative purposes of the text read by learners and the means used by the writers of these texts to reach such purposes. In this approach, the students learn to write their own texts trying to achieve similar communicative purposes by way of choosing the most suitable and expressive language means for that. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh. 8 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Flowerdew (2002) views the genre approach as a dynamic approach which varies across time, across disciplines, and across instructors in the disciplines. Thus, the aim of the genre approach in writing is to help students master the conventions of a particular form of genre that is relevant to their specific situation. This approach requires collaboration with instructors from the disciplines, which may not always be possible (Flowerdew, 2002). It is important for the teachers to have cooperation with the students, with the teacher taking an authoritative role to support learners as they move towards their potential level of performance. Similarly, Paltridge (2001) proposes a framework that involves exploring the texts and contexts of students-target situation, enabling reflection on writing practices, exploiting texts from various types of genre and creating mixed genre portfolios. The Objectives of the Study The main objectives of the current study are: To investigate the types of writing carried out by Arab postgraduate students in the business programs at the College of Business at UUM. To investigate the writing problems that Arab postgraduate students face in their business programs at UUM. To find out the causes of the writing problems among Arab postgraduate students of business programs at UUM. To suggest some solutions to solve the writing problems among Arab postgraduate students in the business programs at UUM WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 9. ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Research Questions This study aims to answer the following questions: 1. What are the types of writing carried out by Arab postgraduate students in the business programs at UUM? 2. What are the problems faced by the Arab postgraduate students of the business programs at UUM in relation to writing skills? 3. What are the causes of the writing problems among the Arab postgraduate students of the business programs at UUM? 4. How to overcome the writing problems faced by Arab postgraduate students of the business programs at UUM? Subjects The informants for this study were 10 Arab postgraduate students in the business programs of COB who are doing their master’s degree by coursework at Universiti Utara Malaysia. The informants have sat for the UUM English Language Placement Test and only three have passed this test. The informants are 5 Jordanians, 2 Iraqis, 2 Libyans, and 1 Yemeni. The age of the informants range from 25 to 40 (see table 3. 1). The original names of the students have been replaced with fictitious names in line with research ethics in keeping the identity of the informants confidential. Research Instrument This is a qualitative study and the researcher used semi-structured interviews to collect data. Gray (2004) indicates that the reasons for choosing qualitative methods for collecting data are: the need to attain highly personalized data, there are opportunities for WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 10 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info probing, a good return rate, and helps the respondents if they have difficulties with written language. Research Design This study is a qualitative study and it utilized semi-structured interviews in a face-toface interaction to explore the students’ beliefs and thoughts about certain topics, this is in line with Lynch’s (1996) view that, the use of semi-structured interviews enhances the understanding of the data and makes the data collection more systematic as compared to the informal conversational approach. Findings and Discussion The findings reported in the next section are based on the four questions posed in the students’ interviews. Writing Types in the Business Programs. It was found that the business students interviewed were required to write several types of academic texts: project papers, article reviews, summaries, reports, article critiques, proposals, comparative analyses, book reviews, essays, and case studies (see table 1). Table 1: Writing tasks in the business programs Interview Q1: what type of writing do S1 you carry out in your program? Projects 1 Total S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 (n=10) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 11. ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Article Reviews Summaries 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 3 Reports 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 Article critiques 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 Proposals 1 1 Comparative Analysis Book Reviews Essays Exams for 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 Case Studies 1 1 1 1 4 S=student As revealed by the study, students of the business programs are required to produce various genres of academic writing such as projects, article reviews, summaries, reports, article critiques, proposals, comparative analyses, book reviews, essays, and case studies. This is because these’ tasks require students to employ their critical thinking skills, read widely, and apply what they have learnt in their courses. This list of tasks provided partially concurs with the findings of Barbara et al. (1996) who pointed out that reports, WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 12 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info proposals, and projects are the most frequently written business tasks performed by business students. The identified tasks can provide English language instructors insights into selecting and implementing tasks for the English for Business courses. Teachers and curriculum developers can create business English courses based on the results of the needs analysis carried out in the study. Thus, teachers and curriculum developers can give special attention to tasks like projects and reports in the language courses, so that students can be well versed in these tasks. This is in line with the view of St. John (1996) and Chew (2005) who claimed that frequent target tasks can offer a tentative foundation for choosing and implementing tasks for the targeted Business English Communication course. Problems with the Writing Tasks It was found that while carrying out their writing tasks, the business students face problems in vocabulary, grammar, organization of ideas, spelling, and referencing (see table 2). Table 2: Problems with writing tasks in the business programs Interview Q. 2: What are the problems you face in carrying out the writing Total tasks? S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 (n=10) Vocabulary Problems (VP) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10. Register (VR) General (VG) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10 7 13 WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Capacity (VC) Paraphrasing (P) Expressing Ideas (EI) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 8 Grammatical Problems (GP) Prepositions (GPP) Articles (GPA) Tenses (GPT) Word order Organization of ideas 1 1 1 3 Spelling Referencing APA Style (RS) Ignorant (RI) 1 1 1 1. As shown in this study, the postgraduate students of the COB programs at UUM have problems in English academic writing. The major problem that the students mentioned is vocabulary. This is because a reasonable vocabulary size is needed for students to function effectively in their programs. This concurs with Coxhead Nation (2001) who stated that approximately 2,000 words are seen in most uses of the English language. The standard list of these words is the General Service List (GSL) of English Words. The GSL is divided into two parts, the first one is GS1 which contains 1,000 words and the second part is GS2 which also contains 1,000 words. GS1 covers about 77% of academic texts and GS2 25%. The first category contains words that frequently appear in academic texts regardless of subject areas, but they are not common in non-academic materials. As WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 14 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info a result, learners have to learn the words in the GS2 so that they would have less difficulty in pursuing their postgraduate studies. In addition, Rabab`ah (2003) pointed out that the students often lack the necessary vocabulary when they are engaged in authentic communicative situations such as writing and speaking. As a result, the students will be unable to express their ideas freely and accurately because of their limited vocabulary. These difficulties can be solved by offering more discipline-specific reading courses in order to improve the students’ vocabulary size and depth to help them in their academic writing. Also, the students become aware of what to expect in their academic disciplines. This is in line with Kasper’s (2000) view that by providing materials that concentrate on content, the students can be aware of the concepts, audience, and the purpose of their academic disciplines. Moreover, the findings of the current study revealed that the students face difficulties in grammar. Grammar is extremely important in conveying accurate messages. Key grammatical forms include tenses, voices, modals, articles, nominalization, and logical connectors (Dudley-Evans St. John, 1998). Therefore, it is advisable to restrict these forms and create materials which enable the students to progress in their academic writing. This coincides with Hutchinson Waters (1987), who emphasized on identifying the grammatical forms and produced materials that took these forms as their syllabus. Allen Widdowson (1974) stated that the students’ needs could be only met by WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 15 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info a course that develops the knowledge of how sentences are combined together to make meanings. Another problem, which has been mentioned, was the problem of referencing. Writing references according to certain conventions (APA, IEEE, etc) helps the students to be scholarly writers and trains them in academic integrity. Using certain computer programs such as the End-Note program could help the students to achieve that purpose. As such, COB should conduct training sessions for students to use that kind of program which is available in the UUM library. Causes of Writing Problems It was found that the students attributed their problems in English to their weak foundation, environment, and methods of teaching English in their countries. Weak foundation is related to the status of English, the students’ motivation to learn English, and the teachers’ lack of interest. Environmental reasons include the use of the mother tongue, few opportunities to practice English, and isolated culture. On the other hand, methods of teaching English included the medium of instruction, using Arabic in English classes, writing done in Arabic, teachers’ low proficiency in English, and lack of writing practice in educational institutions (see Table 3). WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh. 16 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Table 3: Causes of problems in writing tasks in the business programs Interview Q3: Why do you think you have S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 Total these problems in writing? (n=10) 1 1 1 1 Weak Foundation (WF) 1 1 1 1 8 Status of English Motivation Teachers’ Lack of interest Environment 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 8 Mother tongue Few opportunities to practice English Isolated culture Methods of teaching English 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 2 1 7 Medium of instruction Writing done in Arabic Teachers’ low proficiency 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 4 1 1 Using Arabic in English classes Lack of practice writing in educational institutions 1 1 1 1 17 4 WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info Suggestions to overcome Academic Writing Problems Some suggestions were provided by the informants to improve their writing skills. Most of them emphasized the role of COB, others emphasized the learners’ roles, and some concentrated on the teachers’ roles, and the writing development process (see table 4. 4). Table 4. 4: Suggestions from the informants to overcome academic writing problems Interview Q4: How do you think you can improve your Academic Writing skills? Learner Autonomy (LA) S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 Total (n=10) 5 1 1 1 1 1 Reading Extensively Extra Classes Teachers’ Role (TR) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 5 Speak simple English Use multiple techniques Correct students’ errors Increase the number of writing tasks College Role (CR). 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 Discipline specific materials Discipline specific English test 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh 18 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info The students pointed out that teachers play an important role in improving their academic writing skills. They suggested that teachers ought to correct the students’ grammatical errors. This coincides with Gocsik (1997) who argued that dealing with the students’ grammatical errors, as they arise in students’ writing is helpful. By doing so, it helps to build students’ awareness of the different types of grammatical errors they are making and encourage them to check their errors by using grammar handbooks. Moreover, the students proposed that teachers should employ multiple teaching techniques in order to improve students’ academic writing. Using some fun activities like games and scrambled sentences would motivate the students’ in learning English. This concurs with Ober (1992) who emphasized on including micro-writing activities that focus on the students’ problems in writing and using activities that are simple and related to the students’ academic disciplines. The students also proposed that lecturers should increase the number of writing tasks. They believe that by doing so, they would strengthen their abilities in academic writing. In this way the students will be required to write some of the academic writing tasks, if these tasks were attached with the lectures’ feedback. The students will be aware of their errors and will try to improve their academic writing after knowing their weak points. This is in line with Russell (1991) who suggested including more writing in disciplinespecific courses because each discipline has its own terminologies of language use and style that can best be taught to students in the specific contexts of courses in the disciplines. WRITING FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: PROBLEMS FACED BY ARAB POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, UUM Fadi Maher Saleh Al-Khasawneh. 19 ESP World, Issue 2 (28), Volume 9, 2010, http://www. esp-world. info The students were aware that by providing discipline- specific English materials, they can develop their writing abilities. So, it is advisable for the college to initiate disciplinespecific English classes where materials contain discipline specific register. It is recommended that the students take intensive English courses which are related to their academic disciplines. This is to help familiarize students with the writing demands of their disciplines. This is in line with Jordan (1997) who indicated that the students are required to focus on their academic genres and duplication. In other words, the students study genre texts and attempt various exercises that enable them to draw attention to relevant features of a text, and then replicate them in their own writing. Conclusion For the purpose of exploring the problems that Arab postgraduate students at COB might face, an investigation was carried out on the writing tasks that are carried out and the causes of these problems, and suggestions to overcome these problems were provided. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The findings of the current study may help the curriculum developers to improve the current curriculum of COB and design Business English courses that could meet learners’ needs and wants. This coincides with Dudley-Evans (2001) who views ESP as a means to meet the specific needs of the learners. The ESP practitioners can utilize the findings of the study to design ESP courses which deals with the academic writing process.

Skills to Become an Architect

Skills to Become an Architect   Garrett Leman It takes a lot of work to be accomplished in any field of work. If you want to be an architect you need to graduate high school and get a bachelors degree. A Bachelor of Architecture usually takes about 5 years to get. You need to pass all your classes and do your best work. If you get a pre-professional bachelors degree in architecture studies that usually takes about 4 years. Design classes would be good to take, or building classes. If you were trying to train to become an architect some on-the-job experience from another architect would be very helpful. In all you need Bachelors Degree (5 years) and 3 years of internship, accumulating 8 years of education and training. An architect needs to be creative, analytical, good at communicating, have good visualization skills, and be organized. You would need to be aware of common building/construction knowledge, and know what best works. Architects work in the designing aspect of construction, and may also be involved in every step of the process even construction. You need to know how to make a structure appealing to the eye and also be safe and functional. Each day you might be looking for new projects to do. In addition to designing buildings you would also help to restore old buildings. Once you get a project you work on designing and mapping out blue-prints with the exact specifications needed. Architects may work hand-in-hand with the customer, or may just be given guidelines and work from there. Throughout the building process, the architects job is checking prints against construction and managing time.They need to make sure the construction crew isnt making any mistakes. When creating the prints needed an architect needs to be able to make logical drawings that can easily be measured and converted. They need to go over all the specifications and be very precise. Being knowledgeable of real world buildings and how to make a building safe and functional is a very big part of your work. Qualities attributed to an architect are: an eye for details, drawing skills and be able to work with 3D art, inventive and imaginative, be passionate about buildings and the environment, and care about the people you are designing for. A certificate that is not necessarily required but is a sign that you have met the highest standards is the NCARB certificate. If you are becoming an architect you must register for and get a license to even call yourself an architect. You need to be certified in safety and the license is required if you want to legally design a structure for someone or something. You must have 3 years of experience before seeking licensing. You can serve as an intern for a more senior architect for more experience. All architects must past the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) to become certified. There is a projected 14.76% increase in architecture. This is statewide, while nationwide there is only a 6.9% increase. The average wages of an indiana architect is around $64,970. They can make up to about $114,000 dollars. That is a good paying job. I am interested in this job because I think it sounds intriguing, and also matches my skill set. The fact that it interests me while giving me good money is a huge bonus. Not many people get both, or are not able to. Since my job is engaging to me, I would do my best work, and be able to excel farther. Benefits of this occupation are numerous. The people I would work with would show the same kind of passion that i do, and also have the same interests. Architecture is a fast-paced career. It can be very fascinating, and is beautiful work. The work that you do is shown off to the world, and everyone gets to see it. One personal benefit is the fact that you would get to travel. I love traveling. The best architects need to know their envi ronment and the styles they are working with. Most architects travel to see the other cultures and types of architecture. They need to see how other buildings and countries work and flow and how all their things are structured different than ours. After working in architecture for a while you will learn new aspects of design. You pick up new skills and ways of going about. You will appreciate other buildings and structures more than you previously did. As I said before, a thing you could achieve after being an architect would be to earn your NCARB certificate. This shows that you really know what you are doing and have been doing that for a while. Some negative things associated with being an architect is that you have to spend a long time getting an education. It can take 8 years! Another downfall of being an architect is the pay and hours. The pay isnt awful, but comparing all the education you have to get the median pay of an architect is not that good. Also, as deadlines surface you may be working long hours trying to finish a project, or seal a deal. One major downfall is that architecture is based on how the economy is running. If everything is going good, the economy is running smoothly, people have lots of money buildings will be put up and money will be made. This is a good time to be an architect. On the other hand, if the market is running low, and people dont have as much money, no more buildings will be built. This is bad for architects and funds will be cut, and people will be laid off. This career may affect my home life in many ways. On regular day, when work is running smoothly it would be good. The money would be good for the family. When work is bad, this would negatively affect my familys morale. Nobody would be happy. My pay would affect how and where I lived. I would try to live in an urban city or some place where the work would be active. I would try to be considerate with the house and car due to the fluctuations of money that may occur. Being able to afford nice things would be a luxury once in awhile. Being an architect may affect my friends by determining the time Im able to spend with them. Architecture takes time and long hours. I may not be able to go out with them all the times they wanted. My family would be the same way. Trying to spend as much time as I could with them would be a big priority. The affect on my social life may be huge. I would get to meet many new people through work. An architect travels a lot in order to see new cultures, new buildings, and clients. Sometimes I may be able to bring the family along on my trips. Traveling the world would be a huge bonus of this occupation. I would be able to interact with many new people and see many new places, though that time would be cut short because they are business trips. If I choose to pursue this career from this day forward, in about 10 years I would be attending college getting my education to become an architect. I would spend a lot of time in college and getting degrees for architecture. It takes a lot of time and experience to become an architect. After college I would work as an intern for an architect. Hopefully in 20 years I would be working for a big architecture company or have my own. That would be a big goal for this. Being an architect isnt for everyone, but I think this may be a job to pursue.

Discuss the themes addressed in Over the Wall and the devices used :: English Literature

Discuss the themes addressed in Over the Wall and the devices used to express and examine these themes The play ‘Over the Wall’ is very interesting and unique, in that instead of having names for each part, the parts are numbered from 1-9. This removes all pre-conceptions you may have had of the characters. The characters keep changing to different numbers throughout the play; this is to highlight the different types of people in society. Any number can play and the narration may be shared out. The play tells the story of an island community living on an island with a wall running straight down the middle of it. These people like to keep themselves to themselves and continue with life the way it always has been led. They have totally no interest in the wall and all of the questions that go with it. Except for the one! He is the one asking all of the questions and searching for the answers. This quest is not shared at all within the island community and everyone chooses to ignore this ‘nut’. They are all happy to carry on with their daily routines in their pointless lives and see him as an outsider. At the beginning of the play it sounds almost like a fairy tale, â€Å"there was once an island†. It then twists this idea by saying, ‘if you believe it’. However it quickly shows us the real point and meaning of the play. The narrator comments on many different social members in this play and in the first narrator speech he makes a disparaging remark towards the unemployed, â€Å"everyone had a day’s work (which in those times was considered a blessing)†. He also comments on people’s attitudes in general towards the young and the elderly, â€Å"the old were looked after, as long as they didn’t outstay their welcome.† The young also were â€Å"respected as individuals – within reason.† This is so true in modern day societies. The young are not respected because they are seen as immature and the elderly because they are boring and frustratingly slow. The narrator’s first speech ends with â€Å"for, while they were not exactly happy they were not exactly unhappy either.† I think this highlights the fact that people in society are happy with their daily life being very mediocre. We put up with this because we are afraid of change. We sit on the same seat on the bus every day; we have the same routine when we get back from work. There are so many examples of these day to day rituals because we are unimaginative. The characters in the play are stereotyped defined by their language. Discuss the themes addressed in Over the Wall and the devices used :: English Literature Discuss the themes addressed in Over the Wall and the devices used to express and examine these themes The play ‘Over the Wall’ is very interesting and unique, in that instead of having names for each part, the parts are numbered from 1-9. This removes all pre-conceptions you may have had of the characters. The characters keep changing to different numbers throughout the play; this is to highlight the different types of people in society. Any number can play and the narration may be shared out. The play tells the story of an island community living on an island with a wall running straight down the middle of it. These people like to keep themselves to themselves and continue with life the way it always has been led. They have totally no interest in the wall and all of the questions that go with it. Except for the one! He is the one asking all of the questions and searching for the answers. This quest is not shared at all within the island community and everyone chooses to ignore this ‘nut’. They are all happy to carry on with their daily routines in their pointless lives and see him as an outsider. At the beginning of the play it sounds almost like a fairy tale, â€Å"there was once an island†. It then twists this idea by saying, ‘if you believe it’. However it quickly shows us the real point and meaning of the play. The narrator comments on many different social members in this play and in the first narrator speech he makes a disparaging remark towards the unemployed, â€Å"everyone had a day’s work (which in those times was considered a blessing)†. He also comments on people’s attitudes in general towards the young and the elderly, â€Å"the old were looked after, as long as they didn’t outstay their welcome.† The young also were â€Å"respected as individuals – within reason.† This is so true in modern day societies. The young are not respected because they are seen as immature and the elderly because they are boring and frustratingly slow. The narrator’s first speech ends with â€Å"for, while they were not exactly happy they were not exactly unhappy either.† I think this highlights the fact that people in society are happy with their daily life being very mediocre. We put up with this because we are afraid of change. We sit on the same seat on the bus every day; we have the same routine when we get back from work. There are so many examples of these day to day rituals because we are unimaginative. The characters in the play are stereotyped defined by their language.