The Enterprise Resource Planning At Reebok Business Essay

The Enterprise Resource Planning At Reebok Business Essay Reebok introduces products into the market on seasonal and annual basis. Their product infusion into market is at least five to seven times in given calendar year. On an average it takes 18 months to produce a new product from scratch, however the exemption being quick to market products which takes more no more than 3 months to be produced. The network and rapport with the suppliers and distributors is immense to facilitate faster times to gain industry feedback, to send out new goods faster to the shelves. Challenges which ERP implementation addressed The common challenges which Reebok had owing to the size of its huge customer base and disbursed manufacturing facilities. Globe sales network and varied preferences. To satisfy this, Reebok wanted a systems solution which can actually lower the product development time, condense stats from all quarters of the world of both B2B and B2C information at a click of a button away. Was ERP really able to help them to address their concern is what is analyzed in the following slides. Past Environment The information that the company had was all scattered and it was as small islands, hence retrieving them was difficult. The transparency of information was there. Obsolete information was getting stacked and technology at factory was outdated and off shore of the administration to monitor. Command over process was lost. All this lead to high stress levels of employees. Image 1 is pictorial representation of the past environment Image 1. Current Environment Huge investments into automation, lead to a change in scenario. Through internet factory activities were monitored. Computerization means single data base with high transparency and latest information at just a click away. There is no manipulation of data. This also has led to relatively lower stress levels. Image 2. Key attributes of current environment Centralized information storage has enabled book keeping of entire full-fledged product information irrespective of the area they are manufactured and underlying technology. This advanced feature of digital environment has helped in command and control of the entire process and create digitally generated images of finished goods would look like. Association and tagging of products with respective categories is made easy, this paves way for future enhancement of product portfolio with much fuss and worrying about data loss or pattern miss-match. Internet, common platform ERP makes 24/7 contact with all divisions (from suppliers to vendors) of the supply chain. Industry triggers are indicated automatically. Results of ERP implementation in product development ERP implementation has helped the company to manage a product line of 15complete seasons seamlessly. 45000 + files are stored electronically in the information storage system. Milestone capping has risen from 2 footwear and 3 apparel to 8 and 9 respectively. E (Electronic) HUB Supplier: Role of ERP The present statistics of logistics: 5,000 + purchase orders per month 40 Main Footwear Factories in 8 Countries 600 Apparel Factories in 29 Countries 450 Raw Material Suppliers 27 Freight Forwarders Transportation modes include Ship, Truck, Rail and Air 34 Custom Brokers This section of the paper discusses the supplier aspect of the supply chain, the role of internet technology in extending the computerization from basic ERP to PLM (Product lifecycle Management) systems. These systems have made life simple, improved operational efficiency by automatically accept purchase orders placed and distribute them to respective departments and production facilities across the globe. It also tracks information of shipping details, track the work in process (WIP) and last but not least publish new labels and images. Old supply chain model Image 3. Image 3 above demonstrates how the previous supply chain system was highly unorganized and cluttered. Such a formation would result in loss, manipulation of information, lead to fuss at every stage of the process and production. The modes of communication too were very primitive, slow, unreliable source such as Fax, Mail, Couriers, site visits, EDI, proprietary file transfers. New Supply Chain Image 4. Image 4 is clear representation of highly organised with a e-hub which acts as single point of contact for all the divisions of supply chain. This agile system ensures instant data transmission without loss or theft in data. Retrieval of information is made a breeze. Communication mode is state of the art Business-to-Business data sharing /Vendor Neutral E-Hub/ Hosted Environment (ASP model), Workflow, message alerts, back office integration with reporting capabilities. Result of revised supply chain Revised supply chain has help achieve increased operational efficiency through electronic transmission of order information directly into the factory systems with added accuracy, lower administration cost. The same system is implemented for newer and upcoming production facilities too. Common platform for process supervision and software as standard across the entire supply chain including small suppliers has benefited in order tracking and back order retrieval prompt. Purchase order mandate is now getting logged automatically which helps finance division of the company to get file year end taxes with little or no fuss. Purchase order can be reprinted at any point in time, while pre- delivered reports can be managed with the tool to over-ride purchase order activity. Recommendations Looking at ERP implementation from the higher level management perspective, obtain the leadership of executives of the organization, get the involved in the process for them understand better the need/ use of this technology in the interest of organizational development. Try and balance the top-down objectives allowing leverage for improving economies of scale and job satisfaction across al verticals of the hierarchy. Implementation process must be gradual and progressive. Sudden rush on improvement in technology and/or drastic development (big-bang implementations) should be avoided in order retain the culture within the organization, to boost employee morale. The ideal development/ implementation phase would be once in every 3 to 6 months. Finance department of the all organizations must take into miscellaneous expenses, include the process down time, employee training costs as part of the budget as this is a substantial quantum over the expected cost of ERP (both software and hardware necessary). Organizations working on seasonal business must ensure that the project lead in and lead out should not fall during the peak of the season as it might result in business getting affected. Adhere in strong project methodology and focus attention on issues and off plan items.If possible, defer most complex technology challenges until team has mastered the technology and gained confidence. Selection of the vendor (service/ support provider of ERP) has to be done after detailed market study. ERP package which allow future expansion must only be selected. Organizations must keep off from software that is not the best fit for the organization.

Should the U.S. build a National Missile Defense System? Essay

Should the U.S. build a National Missile Defense System? â€Å"What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security didn’t depend upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation to deter an enemy attack?† Ronald Reagan; 1983 In his speech of March 23, 1983, President Reagan presented his vision of a future where a Nation’s security did not rest upon the threat of nuclear retaliation, but on the ability to protect and defend against such attacks. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) research program was designed to tell whether, and how, advanced defense technologies could contribute to the feasibility of this vision. What is a national missile defense (NMD)? A NMD is in theory â€Å"a technological shield that could destroy all incoming missiles† (Cirincione and Von Hippel 1). A NMD would most likely employ ground-based missiles that would intercept and destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). ICBMs are missiles that are capable of hitting targets thousands of miles away from their launch site. The National Missile Defense Act â€Å"calls for developing a missile-defense system that could protect the United States from an attack by a handful of nuclear armed ballistic missiles† (Ballistic Missile Defenses). It is important to realize the proposed NMD would not be designed to protect against an all out nuclear attack featuring hundreds of missiles. Is a NMD a good thing for the United States? I believe the United States should not develop and deploy a NMD system. How does the NMD work? According to the Federation of American Scientists at fas.org, there are five elements involved in the missile defense system. The first rudiment is the Ground Based Interceptors (GBI). These are the weapons of the system. Their job is to intercept ballistic missile warheads and through the force of impact, destroy them. The GBI includes the interceptor, its launch and support equipment, missile silos, and personnel. The missile is make of an EKV and boosters, and the GBI sites would be capable of holding 20 missiles with eventual upgrade to 100. The next part of the system is called the Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2). This is the brains of the system and it controls and operates the missile defense system. It provides decisive support systems, battle management systems and displays, and also situation awareness information. Satellites... ...iew: Desirability and Feasibility of Ballistic Missile Defenses.† The Last Fifteen Minutes: Ballistic Missile Defense in Perspective. Ed. Joseph Cirincione and Frank Von Hippel. N.p.: Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers, 1999. 6-15. Gordon, Michael R. â€Å"Russians Firmly Reject U.S. Plan to Reopen ABM Treaty.† New York Times. 21 Oct. 1999: A3. Hulme, Dr. Derrick. â€Å"Arms Control.† World Problems and Conflict. Alma College, Alma, MI. 17 Nov. 1999. Krepon, Michael. â€Å"Missile Defense: Not Such a Bad Idea.† The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. May-June. 1999: 31-33. Mendelsohn, Jack. â€Å"Missile Defense: And It Still Won’t Work.† The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. May-June. 1999: 29-31. National Academy of Sciences. The Future of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1997. Ray, James Lee. Global Politics. 7th ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. â€Å"Selling Russia on Missile Defense.† New York Times. 21 Oct. 1999: A24. â€Å"What Proponents of Missile Defense Argue and Rebuttals.† Council for a Livable World. n. pag. Online. Internet. 2 Nov. 1999. Available WWW: http://www.clw/org/ef/bmdrebuts.html. Federation of American Scientists – www.fas.org

Dylan Thomas Essay -- essays research papers

Despite Dylan Thomas’ often obscure images, he expresses a clear message of religious devotion in many of his poems. He creates images that reflect God’s connection with the earth and body. In “And death shall have no dominion,'; Thomas portrays the redemption of the soul in death, and the soul’s liberation into harmony with nature and God. Thomas best depicts his beliefs, though abstract and complicated, to the reader with the use of analogies and images of God’s presence in nature. Appreciating the virtue of humility in “Shall gods be said to thump the clouds,'; Thomas associates God with thunder, rainbows, and night only to remind us that He is even more present in a simple stone as He is in other great entities. In “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower,'; Thomas again makes the connection of body and earth, implying that there is only one holy force that has created all motion and life on this planet. This force, becaus e it is so pure and boundless, is present in the shadows and poverty of our world, as depicted in “Light breaks where no sun shines.'; God’s sacred presence in the body and earth is the ultimate theme within these chosen poems. In “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower,'; Dylan Thomas illustrates the connection between the earth, the body, and God. He discusses how both nature and man are propelled by the same holy force and therefore are united. He does not propose the question of how the stem grows to create a flower or how blood circulates within the body, but rather what is the ultimate force behind all motion and life on the earth. “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower / Drives my green age/…The force that drives the water through the rocks / Drives my red blood;'; In these analogies, Thomas humbles the human race and depicts God’s presence in all natural things, including humans. Thomas reveals that we are not a separate entity, but only part of a greater existence. Aside from the holy force that propels the world, Thomas also examines how we alter the way our lives should naturally progress. Death is a stage of life; as a rose is bent or killed by the cold so should we age and eventually die in due time. However, Thomas analyzes human and natural... ...s,'; and “waste allotments.'; This stanza is the most important because it claims that “When logics die, / The secret soil grows through the eye, / And blood jumps in the sun.'; Making the final connection with the holy presence in the earth that grows up through the body and into the brain, Thomas conveys that God will save us and be there when we are empty and he will bless us at times when we need it most. In these poems and many others, Dylan Thomas expresses God’s presence and unconditional love for everyone. He has conventional spiritual views, occasionally alluding to the Bible, but his images are unique. He describes heaven with the stars and the wind, and connects God with thunder, rainbows, and gravel. Using the motion and life on the earth, Dylan Thomas facilitates these concrete ideas to describe his abstract spiritual beliefs. Nature is an ideal way to describe God because He is present everywhere on our earth. Whether it be the soul’s redemption into heaven with God and the earth or God’s great force that creates all motion on the planet, His presence is the theme that Dylan Thomas expresses best of all of his poetry.

Brave New World: A Society of False Happiness Essay -- Literary Analys

From the moment of birth, to the moment of death, humans are flooded with emotions both good and bad. Individuals are continuously seeking fulfillment, some failing to find it while others succeed. Many seek adoration; love, accomplishment and greatness. In literature, authors take the readers on journeys that allow imagination, granting the possibility for the reader to grasp inner desires and decide what is truly important in life. Literature allows readers to dive into a different world where happiness and fulfillment is plentiful and eternal, also described as a utopia, while other pieces of literature direct the reader into a world of dissatisfaction which is a dystopia. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is in 26th century England. With the help of advanced technology and drugs, happiness fills the lives of the people living at that time period. But, the people are missing out on one of the most important feelings of life. That is sorrow or unhappiness. The society in Brave New World is very different from modern-day society; many aspects of life are removed such as family, monogamy, and religion. The citizens of Brave New World live in false happiness with all the necessities of life provided for them but have the lack of an inferred deeper satisfaction. In Brave New World happiness is the lack of unhappiness because the inhabitants can never truly know what happiness is without experiencing true unhappiness. The lifestyle in Brave New World is built on the notion that happiness is the only thing necessary in one’s life. This novel suggest that the reader should seek things besides happiness because the citizens in the World State live bleak and monotonous lives which show the faults in this so-called ‘perfect’ society. In thi... ...terature or life and does not have a deeply satisfying sense of family and love. Brave New World suggests that the readers should seek freedom, knowledge, and love in their lives by producing humans in test tubes and simultaneously rendering family, marriage and love obsolete , removing religion and all prior knowledge of art and history humans would lose their nature and become like robots; emotionless and without freedom or independent thought. The pursuit of happiness is a long, treacherous road that is superficial and misguided. Individuals should seek meaning in life and happiness may or may not follow. Having meaning in life is much more satisfying and meaning cannot be achieved without the freedom to seek the answers to many controversial questions, without the knowledge of what it means to be human or without another individual to share this experience with.

Development can improve your work Essay

?1.3- explain how learning and development can improve your own work, benefit organisations, and identify career options. Learning and development means that you will be able to broaden your knowledge and skills in that particular aspect of your job role. This will improve your marketability in your job, meaning more people will recognize your company. This also helps you to understand your job role better and to open up possible places for future promotions. When learning new skills, you could realise that you are now able to do a job you used to think was impossible to complete. In completing a job it increases your value to your employer and helps provide that you keep your job and hopefully advance with the company that you are working for, also meaning more career offers, as people around different company’s may recognize you, meaning that they like the way your work and could potentially ask to employee you. It can benefit work as well the employee is better qualified and should have a better understanding of their job role.

How to write a rationale? Essay

In 200-300 words, answer the following questions in paragraph form: †¢How is the context of the task linked to the particular course? †¢How is the task intended to explore particular aspects of the course? Consider the changing historical, cultural and social context in which particular texts are written and revised. Students are asked to understands the context of the production of a given text, and compare that context to the way the text is understood today, or at another time. I believe I fulfilled one/various learning outcomes for part 3: literature in context. For example I considered the changing historical, cultural, and social context in which dahls short stories were written and received by exploring ideas of postmodernism, such as dark humor †¢The nature of the task chosen – what is it about? How is it written? What is the text type? What is about; how did you write it? Style? Formality? Images? †¢ Information about audience, purpose and the social, cultural or historical context in which the task is set. This sample written task is written by Michael Michell, who teaches at the International School of Amsterdam. The task is the product of a greater unit on the portrayal of women and sex in advertising. It takes its inspiration from Jean Kilbourne’s ‘Killing Us Softly’. Students watched this polemic presentation and discussed many of the ads that it features. Students explored the defining characteristics of opinion columns and more specifically the columns of Maureen Dowd. You can see that he imitates her writing style or ‘voice’ very well. After you view Kilbourne’s presentation and read the written task, assess his work according to the assessment criteria. Then compare your marks to the examiner’s marks offered below. How do your marks differ from the examiner’s? Sample Rationale: For Part 2 of my English course we studied how women are portrayed by the media. We began by viewing Jean Kilbourne’s Killing Us Softly 3 and reading Kilbourne’s book The More You Subtract, The More You Add. I refer to statistics and facts from this sources in the written task. The Calvin Klein ad pictured here, the one that I refer to in my written task, is one I also used for an â€Å"ad critique presentation† (IB further oral activity). We spent time in class asking ourselves who was responsible for several problems, including the social construction of gender, beauty and sexuality to the often dangerous behaviors advertisements seem to promote (eating disorders, objectification of women, violence against women, hyper-masculinity, and others). We also discussed ways in which individuals and groups can resist these problems and promote social change. An opinion column seemed to be the ideal forum for me to write. I wanted to move from the specific problems I saw in this ad and speak to the larger issues it points to. I read many writers of Op-Eds and decided to model mine after New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd because her voice combines comic elements with biting commentary. Her columns, like many other Op-Ed writers, are grounded in the writer’s personal life. It contains not only her opinion, but many newsworthy statistics and a call to action. I believe that have met several of the learning outcomes for Part 2. I have examined different forms of communication within the media, by looking at a range of texts, from ads and opinion columns to documentaries and counter ads. I have also shown an awareness of the potential for ideological influence of the media, by looking at both sexist ads and counter-propaganda, such as Kilbourne’s speech. Written Task 1: My child walked into the study last night while I was hammering away on a column about W.’s inability to use the English language in a speech he delivered to the National Education Association conference this past weekend. â€Å"Mommy, look at me. I’m beautiful.† I turned around, reading glasses perched on the end of my nose, peering over the top to see my eight-year-old posing, nearly naked, hips jutting provocatively forward and gently sucking a thumb, in one of her father’s dress shirts from the laundry basket and CK written in my red lipstick on the pocket, only one lower button closing the shirt so my baby’s privates were just covered like the proverbial fig leaf. I was horrified. Horrified at what she was communicating – already – without awareness. I shook my head, dismayed, â€Å"Daniela, let’s get you into your jammies and off to bed.† As I walked into her room, I told her how I feel about the advertisement she was mimicking. I told her about women’s strength and real â€Å"girl power.† And then I helped her change, and read her several pages of Stargirl until she drifted off to sleep. It is no surprise that Daniela and so many others, especially children and young people, are influenced by the images they see – everywhere and all the time – telling the same stories of beauty: expose yourself, be thin, be childlike and vulnerable, be sexually available, be like the image you see. As Daniela gets older she will be socialized to know that girls and women are to be available, to be sexy, to be vulnerable and that boys and men are different: they are to be hard, powerful, in control, and forceful. If we believe the statistics, and I do, the consequences for the health, happiness, and welfare for our society are dire: the average American sees 3,000 advertisements a day, computer retouching of images is so pervasive that no images of human models escape â€Å"reworking,† only 5% of American women have body types seen in most advertising, 4 of 5 American women are dissatisfied with their bodies, 5-10 million women struggle with a serious eating disorder, and on and on and on. The list of consequences is legion. Who is responsible? The ad agencies? They own a share, but we are all responsible. We buy the magazines. We watch the television. We purchase the products. But we have choices. We don’t have to buy products that exploit and manipulate. More importantly, we can and should communicate to companies directly about what we think and feel in response to their advertisements, and how they will affect our choices as consumers. For many readers this may seem daunting. It does take commitment and effort, but there are resources that can help. For guidance on writing such letters, as well as a rich body of information about media issues, visit the Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting website (http://www.fair.org). For a superb archive of actual letters praising and condemning specific advertisements and ad campaigns, visit the About-Face website (http://www.about-face.org). In many cases, response letters are included, and in a few of these we see how the consumer has affected change. In his 1950 Nobel acceptance speech, American writer William Faulkner said, â€Å"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty, and truth, and compassion against injustice, and lying, and greed. If people all over the world†¦would do this it would change the Earth.† Faulkner’s right. We can change the world. But we must â€Å"Be the change we seek in the world,† as Gandhi said. We must act. We must educate ourselves and each other. We must educate our children about the images they see. We must never let a teachable moment pass. We must never let those images rule our children and us. We must act – with our voices, with our wallets, with our pens and computers. Criteria| Possible| Awarded| Comments| A: Rationale| 2| | | B: Task and Content| 8| | | C: Organization | 5| | | D: Language and Style| 5| | | Feedback: Criterion A – Rationale – 2 marks * 1 out of 2 – The rationale explains how the task is connected to the coursework. However, Criterion B – Task and content – 8 marks The content of a task should lend itself well to the type of text that one chooses. The task should demonstrate an understanding of the course work and topics studied. Finally, there should be evidence that the student has understood the conventions of writing a particular text type. * 7 out of 8 – This task is very appropriate for the content. The voice of Maureen Dowd has been carefully studied and replicated. You can see the student demonstrating his understanding of the coursework and Jean Killbourne’s film. Having said this, the Calvin Klein text is only analyzed in passing. This could have received a little more attention. Criterion C – Organization – 5 marks The task is organized effectively and appropriately with a regard for the text type. There must be a sense of coherence. * 4 out of 5 – The task moves nicely from an anecdote to a social commentary. It is illustrated effectively with statistics and interesting quotes. It has the structural conventions of an opinion column. Unfortunately, the task falls short of the minimum word count requirement of 800. Criterion D – Language – 5 marks The language of the task must be appropriate to the nature of the task. This means that students use an appropriate and effective register and style. Whatever the nature of the task, ideas must be communicated effectively. * 5 out of 5 – The choice of vocabulary and the use of syntax are superb! The narrative voice is characteristic of Maureen Dowd. Here is a draft of a Written Task 1 that a student wrote. It has multiple problems and requires help. Answer the following questions before reading the feedback. 1. Which pitfalls has the student fallen into? 2. How could the ‘three right ingredients’ be used to steer this student in the right direction? 3. Look at the page on opinion columns in the reference section of this Subject Site. According to this definition, there are six defining characteristics of opinion columns: voice, newsworthiness, call to action, humor, hard facts and logos. Where do you see evidence of these in the column below? How could these characteristics be added to the task to make it more successful? Column on the advantages of being fat ‘Don’t you want to lose weight some day’? Is the question I was asked about weekly. And then I replied with my happiest voice; No! The they gave me this kind of look like, okay, you must be crazy. And yes I am. There are so many advantages of being fat. Lets start by shopping. Sale. The thing I like best, and so handy when you’re fat, because almost 70% of all the woman are skinny, at least skinny to fit in the most common sizes. So all the big sizes are left over. How nice. So there I was, standing at the H&M, at the sale-corner. Nothing but big sizes. So as a child in a toy shop I started grabbing the things I liked and made my way to the fitting room. It was rather crowdie over there so I accepted the fact that I had to wait for some minutes. I heard the sound of an opening door and saw a skinny girl coming outside, at a glance she saw me and then continued looking in the mirror. Her friend, waiting for her, said she looked pretty and the girl asked her friend ‘don’t I look fat in this dress?’ No it’s lovely’ she replied. I laughed. I never had those kind of problems. For I already accepted the fact that I was fat, and it would never disappoint me when shopping. When the girls left I went in to the fitting room and started to change. This dress was lovely, I took another look in the mirror, turned around and smiled. Shopping is great, after like half an hour I was ready, with about 9 dresses hanging over my arm I made my way to the pay desk. Only50 pounds for 9 dresses. Good job, I thought. As happy as I was I walked to the bus stop I realized I was just in time because the bus was about to leave. I hastened myself to get inside the bus, and lucky as I was, there was one seat left over, a seat for 2, just for me. The whole trip no one came to sit next to me, for they probably thought they wouldn’t have enough space, sitting next to 1.5 person. Life is great, and so you see, being fat is too! (: Criteria| Possible| Awarded| Comments| A: Rationale| 2| | | B: Task and Content| 8| | | C: Organization | 5| | | D: Language and Style| 5| | | ————————————————- Feedback First of all, this written task falls into is the pitfall of not reflecting course content. It is not clear what was studied in class from this piece. If the student studied obesity, its causes and effects, then this needs to be made clear. Where does the statistic on the percentage of skinny women (70%) come from? Are overweight people really happy for the reasons suggested in this column? If so, explain where this is supported. Secondly, this opinion column sounds very informal, using words such as ‘like’ and the emoticon ‘(:’. Columns often contain something that is newsworthy and relevant to the target audience. The context of this text is not self evident. ————————————————- Finally, this text must refer to another text or texts. If the student read an article about obesity, then she could explain its significance. It is suggested that this student start all over again with a completely new idea and set of texts. She may want to see the lesson on anorexia and the sample written task on the portrayal of women in the media. Sample Rationale: My diary entry, written in Ekwefi’s point of view, contains 2 different entries that intend to show her thoughts and emotions regarding her romantic life. Set it Nigeria in the late 1880s, she compares the days in which she fell in love with Okonkwo and ran away from her husband to the present situation she finds herself in. Being a diary, the audience is the writer herself, and for each entry I used a different tone: lightheartedness can be seen in the sentence â€Å"Okonkwo and I should elope, as he is the man I have always longed for† while melancholy is present in the following one: â€Å"And it all seems so different from back then.† The language I employed is intended to be similar to the one on â€Å"Things Fall Apart† and the Ibo language, including the months â€Å"Onwa Agwu† meaning June and â€Å"Onwa Okike† meaning November, as well how they popularly use the word â€Å"shall.† I wrote this this because I wish we had seen m ore of the personal sides of the characters in the novel, especially of a woman, since they allow us to connect to them and feel with them more deeply. The nature of the chosen task comes from the fact that the concept of love is a very delicate, complex, and even clichà © idea, yet it is the one common factor that has been present in th world despite the different cultures that exist. Therefore its purpose is to prove that even in a novel of postcolonial origin and focus, the role romance pays in a character’s life is a subject that can be regarded. 1. What’s good about this rationale? 2. What’s missing? 3. What could be done better? ————————————————- Sample Written Task 1 ‘Language issues’ A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND CEO ZOULIKHA VAN KLAVEREN The discussion about Ebonics or African American English (AAE) has recently started again, due to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking Ebonics translators. The commotion around our language is about the DEA putting Ebonics on their list of languages they translate, among official languages like Spanish or Vietnamese. Many white Americans have put a somewhat radical opinion out there; in general they think that Ebonics should not be seen as a distinct language and thus should not be on a list among official and distinct languages. Personally I was shocked to see so many aggressive comments towards the language we speak in our daily lives – and expressing yourself so hostile against Ebonics is not the right thing to do in my opinion. The characterizations of Ebonics as ‘slang’, ‘lazy’ or ‘broken English’ are incorrect, demeaning and could offend a great amount of people. Ebonics is a form of communication that deserves recognition and study. In this months’ special edition we are taking a closer look at the events that are going on right now. There will be different views on this issue; the topics that are named here are all coming back and will be assessed throughout an in-depth article written by Aleecia Dewiz, Marcus Reganus, Tanya Leeso and Sean Comsin. The last debate about the Ebonics language was almost fourteen years ago. On December 18th, 1996, the Oakland, California, Unified School District proposed using Ebonics for teaching English. This caused a national discussion and drew an awful lot of media attention. Due to this unwanted attention, the school board to alter their plans and teach it as a second language. My dear friend Jesse Jackson expressed his opinion on this matter saying that it was unacceptable for it may damage the children’s Standard English skills. Later he reversed his position towards the case by saying that he misunderstood the schools’ wish to teach Ebonics as a standard language – which was eventually not the case. Although I personally deeply care for the Ebonics language, English is a global lingua franca, so it is obvious that Standard English is the most important language that has to be spoken and taught in school. It has an instrumental motivation, while Ebonics is somehow rega rded as more of a language that people use or learn with a intergrative motivation. However, there are so many other versions of English spoken over the world: almost each country that has English as their official or second official language, speaks a slightly different dialect. Just to name a few: Hong Kong English, Singapore English, Cameroon English, New Zealand English and Jamaican English. These are languages that can be learned because of the integrative and instrumental motivation. Ebonics could be one of these languages and this will be discussed in the article â€Å"Ebonics: language or idiolect?† The question that came up to me was why there is such a fuss about this specific variety of English. In the Anglophone world – which is an immense part of the world we live in – there are many different varieties of English. The one that is quite comparable to Ebonics is Chicano English, since it is also a cultural variety of English in the United States. There is less (media) commotion about this language, though. Is this because it is not considered a distinct language, as it is not on the DEA list or has not been tried to teach in schools? Or does it have something to do with people being intimidated by the Black American society? The thing that worries me is that this renewed issue might trigger polarization between the radical-thinking white Americans and us Black Americans. There is a large group of Black Americans that speaks Ebonics and is not against it being a distinct or even an official language, while the large group of non-African Americans thinks the othe r way around. If this is going to be a national debate again, a divide of ethnic groups might occur. Like mentioned above, in this issue there will be different views on this topic, including the negative point of view, explained by both a Black American and white American. This is why I am kindly stressing to stand up for the Ebonics language, but to not forget about Standard English. I have written a feature on this as well, together with great help provided by Stephanie Reed and Tyrese Lutchin. Some might not like our language because they don’t understand it – hence the searching for translators, which definitely points out that not everyone can simply understand us. So speak the Ebonics language with pride, but think about the people around you and about your best interests – because Standard English is the most important language to know and to master. At least, for now. Criteria| Possible| Awarded| Comments| A: Rationale| 2| | | B: Task and Content| 8| | | C: Organization | 5| | | D: Language and Style| 5| | | Examiner’s Feedback: The written task is a missed opportunity. The student has an excellent topic with no examples of language in use. The task reminds us that, besides exploring various attitudes towards varieties of English language, we must look at concrete examples of English in use. Criteria| Possible| Awarded| Comments| A: Rationale| 2| 0| The student fails to include a rationale.| B: Task and Content| 8| 4| The task is generally appropriate, though it lacks examples. It shows some understanding of letters from the editor, as a type of text, though it slips into essay form sometimes.| C: Organization | 5| 4| The task is well organized and generally well structured.| D: Language and Style| 5| 4| The student’s use of English is inaccurate and inappropriate.| Sample Written Task 1 Rationale: In class we explored several texts by African Americans, analyzing their use of English as an expression of a social identity. In particular we look looked at several song lyrics by rappers. I was intrigued by 2Pac Shakur’s lyrics. I wanted to create a context in which I could explore the effects of his lyrics on the African American community. Therefore, I decided to invent a column in Rolling Stone magazine called ‘Lyrics Up Close’, in which I interview several young African Americans on their response to 2Pac’s lyrics. The year is 1998 and 2Pac is still climbing the pop charts even though he has been killed in a shooting. I ask how 2Pac has earned respect among his target audience, and how they identify with him. I give several reasons, including his personal history and his use of English to account for his success. What’s more I define the main message of the song as one that encourages troubled youth to get off the streets, stop selling drugs and cease violent activity. I look at this within the context of 2Pac’s own violent life, which exposes his hypocrisy. All in all, the task made me think critically about language and culture. Task: A ‘Brotha’ Who Understands ‘Brotha’s’ From ‘Lyrics Up Close’ a column in Rolling Stone magazine 2Pac Shakur landed in the top ten again this week with ‘Changes’, and so it appears that he is enjoying more success posthumously than when he lived. Has his iconic status increased because of his death, or could it be that this song has struck a chord with African-Americans across the nation. Rolling Stone hit the streets of 2Pac’s old neighborhood in Marin City, asking young African-Americans how the lyrics of ‘Changes’ made them feel. â€Å"Here’s a brotha’ who understands brotha’s,† answered one high school student, who seemed to capture the sentiments of many in the area. Where, though, in the lyrics do young African Americans identify with 2Pac’s message? At first glance, ‘Changes’ sounds quite pessimistic. It opens with the lines, â€Å"I’m tired of bein’ poor & even worse I’m black.† This defeatist attitude seems strange when compared to 2Pac’s tough image, an image that many young gang members have imitated. One young man we spoke to, who wore a gangster-style bandana, explained that the opening lines are not so much pessimistic as realistic. The lyrics explain why young African Americans deal drugs and commit crime: â€Å"First ship ’em dope & let ’em deal the brothers / give ’em guns step back watch ’em kill each other.† While this may sound like the tone of a victim, 2Pac is not encouraging young African Americans to give up or lose hope. It is important that we keep the target audience of the song in mind. It does not intend to create sympathy among white Americans for poor African Americans. Rather, the song targets African Americans. In fact many young black men of Marin City feel spoken to by 2Pac’s song. He seems to call on them to change: â€Å"But now I’m back with the facts givin’ it back to you Don’t let ’em jack you up, back you up, crack you up and pimp smack you up You gotta learn to hold ya own.† In these lines, â€Å"you† is directed to troubled black youth. When asked what â€Å"hold ya own† means, many young African Americans explained: they must refuse to become victims of the hardships that 2Pac so poignantly describes in his lyrics. This call to social responsibility might just be the main theme of the song, which he suggest in the lines, â€Å"I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere unless we share with each other.† He calls on African Americans to stop dealing drugs to each other and stealing from each other. How, though, does 2Pac deliver this message without sounding patronizing? First of all, as the saying goes, ‘it takes one to know one.’ 2Pac’s criminal past and time in prison have earned him respect among troubled, black youth. But what’s more, he speaks to them in their language, a lyrical, almost sophisticated form of Ebonics or African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The rhythm and rhyme of the lyrics is engaging and compelling, which we see in the afore mentioned lines, â€Å"jack you up, back you up / crack you up and pimp smack you up.† The verb, ‘to pimp smack one up’ exemplifies the poetic style of street speech. Finally he addresses his audience as his â€Å"brothers†, he uses the word â€Å"nigga† in a permissible context and alludes casually to â€Å"Huey†, a.k.a. Huey P. Lewis, co-founder ofthe Black Panthers. These are all ‘in-group’ markers, which help establish his credit and rapport among African Americans in general and black gangsters specifically. It is for these reasons that he has earned the right to speak to them about these complex issues. In the midst of the many depressing scenarios that 2Pac sketches from children dying of drug abuse to the constant fear of being killed by an old enemy (â€Å"I never get to lay back / ‘Cause I always got to worry ’bout the pay backs†), his spoken words cast a ray of light and call for reasoning. â€Å"We gotta make a change†¦ It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes. Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live and let’s change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do what we gotta do, to survive.† The final question that remains is: ‘How are troubled, young African Americans supposed to change the way they live?’ Unfortunately 2Pac left us with few answers and, even worse, a poor example. He lived his life like the lyrics of ‘Changes’: a series of violent, depressing acts interspersed with a few moments of clarity. At least his song helps create understanding the complex issues that poor, young African Americans face every day. From this kind of understanding and the realization that ‘it’s on us to do what we gotta do’, change can arise. Criteria| Possible| Awarded| Comments| A: Rationale| 2| | | B: Task and Content| 8| | | C: Organization | 5| | | D: Language and Style| 5| | |

Black Canyon Coffee Essay

Company Background Black Canyon Coffee (BCC) is a Thailand based coffee shop which has grown to become the largest coffee shop chain in Thailand. BCC opened their first store in 1993 in Bangkok and since then company has experienced 15 to 20 per cent annual growth with very little debt. Though Thailand is a low coffee consuming country but with the help of strategic marketing BCC has been able to penetrate the market. Presently BCC had 78 locations in 2002, and nearly 100 locations in 2003. BCC was founded by Pravit C. Pong who also is the managing director of the firm. Currently BCC has about 1000 staff members, 500 of which are direct employees and rest being joint venture partners and franchisees. BCC considers Starbucks, Coffee World, Au Bon Pain as their competitors and believe that by focusing on their core competency BCC can outperform their competitors. Problem Analysis As the articles states, BCC founders had no prior experience in restaurant business and were not even coffee drinkers. Coming from an IT background, founders of BCC wanted to start a business of their own. BCC follows an industrial organization (I/O) model because the company was formed by strategically analyzing external environment and factors. Realizing that food is one of the basic necessity of human being, Pravit along with his colleagues without any prior experience in the food sector saw that coffee was soon becoming a popular drink in Thailand. Because founders were new and naà ¯ve in the business, financial institutions were not ready to invest in the business and so mostly they had to work around with what they had out of their own pocket. BCC came out with a vision of being the best coffee house and international cuisine restaurant in Thailand by focusing on customer relationships and the quality of food that is being served to them. Their mission is to satisfy BCCâ€℠¢s consumers with both the products, services, and  personnel of Black Canyon. BCC operated three different types of outlets namely kiosks, mini-restaurants and full restaurants. All these outlets differ from each other in the services they offer and the revenue they generate. Company is expecting a growing emphasis on kiosks in location such as gas stations and other grocery stores. Though kiosks only sell coffee, beverages and snacks while restaurant serves coffee, beverages, snacks fast food and other continental food dishes. Hence, one of the issue in hand with Black Canyon Coffee is which franchise they should focus on in its expansion (kiosks, mini-restaurants, full-sized restaurant). Different franchise options have different benefits and drawbacks associated with them and having an Industrial organization model in place they have to make strategic decisions based on external environment. Another issue that BCC is facing is that of expanding globally or change their business model. Since, BCC has captured the Thai market they are looking for newer ways to gain market share. BCC has considered two opportunities for change in business model. First option was to sell branded Black Canyon Coffee beans in supermarket and other retail outlets. Second option is to get expertise in food service and develop a separate restaurant concept. BCC is not sure about which option should they work in to because they don’t have efficient managerial skills to work on it. BCC has also planned to go global and expand in different countries. They have opened few stores in other countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and they are planning to open shops in Australia and North America. Though BCC has started expanding globally but the shops are all joint venture operations with other foreign outlets because BCC does not have enough capital to fund investments in multiple countries. Another reason of why BCC is interested going through franchise route is because BCC wants a local partner who understands culture and tradition of the county and its people. Local business partners carries more understanding and knowledge of the culture and traditions people follow as they are one among them. Another issue with opening shops in foreign locations is that of lack of efficient human resource. Experiences staff who speaks English in BCC are very few and hence if they are one place planning the start-up they cannot function someplace else and so the expansion rate slows down. Another challenge with the expansion is that of increased complexity of supply chain. Having foreign outlets scattered across the  world, BCC needs to fight with stale inventory or stock shortages. With these challenges and restraints in place BCC has to take corresponding steps to expand globally. Solutions Analysis Coffee consumption is increasing not only in Thailand but also in other Asian countries which provides BCC a great business opportunity to expand. According to me BCC should plan on expanding throughout Asia initially through kiosks. They should also go ahead with selling branded Black Canyon Coffee beans in supermarket and other retail outlet. For expansion in America and Europe they should focus into the niche of high-end restaurant business. Cost of goods sold at kiosks is twice that of a restaurant and so is the productivity. Though range of services available at kiosks are little less compares to a restaurant but the setup expenses, franchise fee and other expenses are lesser compared to the restaurant. Kiosks provide the highest profit margin to the company and hence will help BCC to generate revenue. Opening multiple kiosks not only in Thailand but throughout Asia will help company to expand and increase company’s potential growth and since kiosks are much easier than a restaurant to open it would be more feasible for BCC staff to work on it. Though rent of a kiosk is more than that of a restaurant in Thailand but different countries have different cost associated with it and so kiosks is the most efficient way to expand in Asia. Selling branded coffee across the globe would allow BCC to enter into new market and make an impression on coffee consumers. This move will provide a product for customers to consume in the comfort of their homes. This would also act as a response of how consumers find the product and whether or not BCC should invest more in the country. This would also increase the revenue for the company while avoiding high costs associated with operating a kiosk or restaurant. Once the above expansion plans work successfully BCC needs to expand its marketing efforts and let people know that they offer both western items and other Asian specialties. Black Canyon Coffee will benefit the most if its strategic implementation consists of franchising opportunities coupled with selling braded BCC beans in supermarket s and other retail outlets. BCC headquarters should take control of the location of new franchises and provide adequate training for new franchise owners so that vision and mission of BCC should be reflected  throughout the organization. Creating locally owned and managed franchises allows each location to add specific menu items that are appropriate for each region they are serving. BCC should continue its reliance on its Bangkok headquarters as a distribution warehouse which provides quality control of all the offered products. Centralization helps in better management of the organization. Since, BCC is incapable of self-packaging on a large scale level, it needs to ally with a packaging company in Bangkok for near future production. The low cost associated with instant coffee production and BCC’s high brand recognition and perceived quality will make for a smooth and highly profitable expansion with lowest risk. For first two years, BCC should focus on selling beans in Thailand and other countries of Asia. Once this generates capital BCC needs to manage three year expansion plan of kiosks in Thailand and other Asian countries by partnering with local entities so that necessary changes could be catered. Once the initial expansion plan is met company should be able to generate market value and show its existence in the Asian market. This should attract various other investors who are ready to invest in further expansion of the company. By this stage BCC should have gained much needed experience and exposure to enter American and European market. Conclusion BCC is an industrial organization before expanding into other countries they need to transform their skills from external environment to internal environment. Training employees is one of the most vital key of BCC’s success. They need to polish their work force so that implementation phase can be worked in smoothly and efficiently. To summarize BCC should first focus on selling the branded beans across Thailand and other Asian countries as this would help generate capital. Next step would be to expand in other Asian countries through opening kiosks which would be the safest bet to start with as it requires less setup expenses and less time for the setup. Success with this step would help in further expansion in American and European markets.