Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Artic Mining Consultant - 1595 Words

2.2 Individual Written Assignment – Case Study Report Assignment Overview The purpose of the case study report is to help you bridge theoretical and practical applications of organisational behaviour topics, while also helping you build important written communication and problem-solving skills. Analysing a case study allows you to simulate some of the complexities and ambiguities that are present in real organisational problems and consider practical and evidence-based solutions. You will analyse the events in a case study (see below) and apply relevant OB principles to analyse the case. You will support your analysis with relevant OB research from at least 5 academic, peer-reviewed journal articles. The assignment is†¦show more content†¦ii) The solution should be integrated with the problem analysis in the rest of the report. For example, if you analyse the problem in terms of a particular motivational theory, your recommendation should be logically related to that motivational theory. †¢ Evaluate the recommendation you provide. Discuss the pros and cons, limitations, practical challenges, etc., that would result if your recommendation were followed in this case. Would your recommendation resolve all of the issues in the major problem, or what gaps would remain? 6) References (note: not included in word count) †¢ Ensure that all references are appropriately cited in the text of your report. †¢ Include the full citation information in the References section. †¢ Follow the style guidelines for the Academy of Management Journal. Formatting your Assignment †¢ Your assignment must be typed, double-spaced, using standard fonts and have standard margins on all sides (i.e., 12-point, Times New Roman, 2.54cm margins). You may use essay or report format for this assignment. †¢ It is essential that your report is written in a neat, professional, and engaging manner. Check your writing for accuracy in spelling, grammar, etc. Convey your ideas in a clear, concise manner, use appropriate transitions between ideas and sections, and use headings when appropriate. La Trobe University and Sup de Co have many resources to help you developShow MoreRelatedThe Necessary Revolution - Peter Senge7154 Words   |  29 Pagesfossil fuel combustion grew dramatically, and so too did levels of water and air pollution. In the late 100s, London’s infamous â€Å"fog,† particulate emissions from burning coal, caused a virtual epidemic of respiratory diseases once confined to coal-mining communities. By 1952, air quality in London was so bad that the â€Å"great smog† (four days of toxic air trapped over the city) killed more than 4,000 people and galvanized the government to create air pollution regulations.1 other side effects went unseen

Monday, December 16, 2019

Contract and United Airlines Free Essays

Cardillo Travel Systems, Inc. ACT 1 Russell Smith knew why he had been summoned to the office of A. Walter Rognlien, the 74-year-old chairman of the board and chief executive officer (CEO) of Smith’s employer, Cardillo Travel Systems, Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Contract and United Airlines or any similar topic only for you Order Now Just two days earlier, Cardillo’s in-house attorney, Raymond Riley, had requested that Smith, the company’s controller, sign an affidavit regarding the nature of a transaction Rognlien had negotiated with the United Airlines. The affidavit stated that the transaction involves $203,000 payment by United Airlines to Cardillo but failed to disclose why the payment was being made or for what specific purpose the funds would be used. The affidavit included a statement indicating that Cardillo’s stockholders’ equity exceeded $3 million, a statement that Smith knew to be incorrect. Smith also knew that Cardillo was involved in a lawsuit and that court injunction issued in the case required the company to maintain stockholders’ equity of at least $3 million. Because of the blatant misrepresentation in the affidavit concerning Cardillo’s stockholders’ equity and a sense of uneasiness regarding United Airlines’ payment to Cardillo, Smith had refused to sign the affidavit. When Smith stepped into Rognlien’s office on that day in May 1985, he found not only Rognlien but also Riley and two other Cardillo executives. One of the other executives was Esther Lawrence, the firm’s energetic 44-year-old persistent and chief operating officer (COO) and Rognlien’s wife and confidante. Lawrence, a long-time employee, had assumed control of Cardillo’s day-to-day operations in 1948. Rognlien’s two sons by a previous marriage had left the company in the early 1980s following a power struggle with Lawrence and their father. As Smith sat waiting for the meeting to begin, his apprehension mounted. Although Cardillo had a long and proud history, in recent years the company had begun experiencing serious financial problems. Founded in 1935 and purchased in 1956 by Rognlien, Cardillo ranked as the fourth-largest company in the travel agency industry and was the first to be listed on a national stock exchange. Cardillo’s annual revenues had steadily increased after Rognlien acquired the company, approaching $100 million by 1984. Unfortunately, the company’s operating expenses had increased more rapidly. Between 1982 and 1984, Cardillo posted collective losses of nearly $1. 5 million. These poor operating results were largely due to an aggressive franchising strategy implemented by Rognlien. In 1984 alone that strategy more than doubled the number of travel agency franchises operated by Cardillo. Shortly after the meeting began, the overbearing and volatile Rognlien demanded that Smith sign the affidavit. When Smith steadfastly refused, Rognlien showed him the first page of an unsigned agreement between United Airlines and Cardillo. Rognlien then explained that the $203,000 payment was intended to cover expenses incurred by Cardillo in changing from American Airlines’ Apollo system. Although the payment was intended to reimburse Cardillo for those expenses and was refundable to United Airlines if not spent, Rognlien wanted Smith to record the payment immediately as revenue. Not surprisingly, Roglien’s suggested treatment of the United Airlines payment would allow Cardillo to meet the $3 million minimum stockholders’ equity threshold established by the court order outstanding against the company. Without hesitation, Smith informed Rognlien that recognizing the United Airlines payment as revenue would be improper. At that point, â€Å"Rognlien told Smith that he was incompetent and unprofessional because he refused to book the united payment as income. Rognlien further told Smith that Cardillo did not need a controller like Smith who would not do what was expected of him†. ACT 2 In November 1985, Helen Shepherd, the audit partner supervising the 1985 audit of Cardillo by Touche Ross, stumbled across information in the client’s files regarding the agreement Rognlien had negotiated with United Airlines earlier that year. When Shepherd asked her subordinates about this agreement, one of them told her of a $ 203,000 adjusting entry Cardillo had recorded in late June. That entry, which follows, had been approved by Lawrence and was apparently linked to the United Airlines-Cardillo transaction: Dr ReceivablesUnited Airlines$203,210 Cr Travel Commissions and Fees203,210 Shepherd’s subordinates had discovered the adjusting entry during their second-quarter review of Cardillo’s form 10-Q statement. When asked, Lawrence explanation without attempting to corroborate it with other audit evidence. After discussing the adjusting entry with her subordinates, Shepherd questioned Lawrence. Lawrence insisted that the adjusting entry had been properly recorded. Shepherd than requested that Lawrence asks United Airlines to provide Touch Ross with a confirmation verifying the key stipulations of the agreement with Cardillo. Shepherd’s concern regarding the adjusting entry stemmed from information she had reviewed in the client’s files that the United Airlines payment to Cardillo was refundable under certain conditions and thus not recognizable immediately as revenue. Shortly after the meeting between Shepherd and Lawrence, Walter Rognlien contacted the audit partner. Like Lawrence, Rognlien maintained that the $203,000 amount had been properly recorded as commission revenue during the second quarter. Rognlien also told Shepherd that the disputed amount, which United Airlines paid to Cardillo during the third quarter of 1985, was not refundable to United Airlines under any circumstances. After some prodding by Shepherd, Rognlien agreed to allow her to request a confirmation from United Airlines concerning certain features of the agreement. Shepherd received the requested confirmation from United Airlines on December 17, 1986. The confirmation stated that the disputed amount was refundable through 1990 if certain stipulations of the contractual agreement between the two parties were not fulfilled. After receiving the confirmation, Shepherd called Rognlien and asked him to explain the obvious difference of opinion between United Airlines and Cardillo regarding the terms of their agreement with the chairman of the board of United Airlines. â€Å"Rognlien claimed that pursuant to this confidential business arrangement, the $203,210 would never have to repaid the United. Shepherd’s conversation with Rognlien refused. In fact, as Rognlien knew, no such agreement existed. † A few days following Shepherd’s conversation with Rognlien, she advised William Kaye, Cardillo’s vice president of finance, that the $203,000 amount could not be recognized as revenue until the contractual agreement with United Airlines expired in 1990. Kaye refused to make the appropriate adjusting entry, explaining that Lawrence had insisted that the payment from United Airlines be credited to a revenue account. On December 30, 1958, Rognlien called Shepherd and told her that he was terminating Cardillo’s relationship with Touche Ross. In early February 1986, Cardillo filled a form 8-K statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) notifying that agency of the company’s change in auditors. SEC regulations required Cardillo to disclose in the 8-K statement any disagreements involving accounting, auditing, or financial reporting issues with its former auditor. The 8-K, signed by Lawrence, indicated that no such disagreements preceded Cardillo’s decision to dismiss Touche Ross. SEC regulations also required Touche Ross to draft a letter commenting on the existence of any disagreements with Cardillo. This letter had to be filed as an exhibit to the 8-K statement. In touche Ross’s exhibit letter, Shepherd discussed that the improper accounting treatment given that transaction resulted in misrepresented financial statements for Cardillo for the six months ended June 30, 1985, and the nine months ended September 30, 1985. In late February 1986, Raymond Riley, Cardillo’s legal counsel, wrote Shepherd and insisted that she had misinterpreted the United Airlines-Cardillo transaction in the Touch Ross exhibit letter filed with the company’s 8-K. Riley also informed Shepherd that Cardillo would not pay the $17,500 invoice that Touche Ross had submitted to his company. This invoice was for professional services Touche Ross had rendered prior to being dismissed by Rognlien. ACT 3 On January 21, 1986, Cardillo retained KMG Main Hurdman (KMG) to replace Touche Ross as its independent audit firm. KMG soon addressed the accounting treatment Cardillo had applied to the United Airlines payment. When KMG personnel discussed the payment with Rognlien, he informed them to the alleged secret arrangement with United Airlines that superseded the written contractual agreement. According to Rognlien, the secret arrangement precluded United Airlines from demanding a refund of the $203,000 payment under any circumstances. KMG refused to accept this explanation. Roger Shlonsky, the KMG audit partner responsible for Cardillo engagement, told Rognlien that the payment would have to be recognized as revenue on a pro rata basis over the five-year period of the written contractual agreement with United Airlines. Cardillo began experiencing severe liquidity problems in early 1986. These problems worsened a few months later when a judge imposed a $685,000 judgment on Cardillo to resolve a civil suit filed against the company. Following the judge? s ruling Raymond Riley alerted Rognlien and Lawrence that the adverse judgment qualified as a â€Å"material event† and thus has to be reported to the SEC in a Form 8-K filling. In the memorandum he sent to his superiors, Riley discussed the serious implications of not disclosing the settlement to the SEC: â€Å"My primary concern by not releasing such report and information is that the officers and directors of Cardillo may be subject to violation of rule 10b-5 of the SEC rules by failing to disclose information that may be material to a potential investor. Within 10 days of receiving Riley’s memorandum, Rognlien sold 100,000 shares of Cardillo stock in the open market. Two weeks later, Lawrence issued a press release disclosing for the first time the adverse legal settlement or that Cardillo remained viable only because Rognlien had invested in the company the proceeds from the sale of the 100,000 shares of stock. Additionally, Lawrence’s press release, Roger Shlonsky met with Rognlien and Lawrence. Shlonsky informed them that the press released grossly understated Cardillo’s estimated loss for fiscal 1985. Shortly after that meeting, KMG resigned as Cardillo’s independent audit firm. EPILOGUE In May 1987, the creditors of Cardillo Travel Systems, Inc. forced the company into involuntary bankruptcy proceedings. Later that same year, the SEC concluded a lengthy investigation of the firm. The SEC found that Rognlien, Lawrence, and Kaye had violated several provisions of the federal securities laws. These violations included making false representations to outside auditors, failing to maintain accurate financial records, and failing to file prompt financial reports with the SEC, In addition, the federal agency charged Rognlien with violating the insider trading provisions of the federal securities laws. As a result of these findings, the SEC imposed permanent injunctions on each of the three individuals that prohibit them from engaging in future violations of federal securities laws. The SEC also attempted to recover from Rognlien the $237,000 he received from selling the 100,000 shares of Cardillo stock in April 1986. In January 1989, the two parties resolved this matter when Rognlien agreed to pay the Sec $60,000 How to cite Contract and United Airlines, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Radish Extract free essay sample

The bulb of the radish is usually eaten raw, although tougher specimens can be steamed. The raw flesh has a crisp texture and a pungent, peppery flavor, caused by  glucosinolates  and the enzyme  myrosinase  which combine when chewed to form  allyl isothiocyanates, also present in  mustard,  horseradish, and  wasabi. Radishes are used in salads, as well as in many European dishes. There is a little food value in the radish. It is use chiefly as a relish or to decorate salads. Radishes are the easiest of all garden vegetables to grow, but they should be given in a good rich soil.The first seed must be sown as soon as the ground is workable and not too cold for the seed to germinate. B. Statement of the Problem This study is to determine the ability of Radish (Raphanus sativus) as a pesticide. Specifically it sought to answer the following questions: 1. Can radish extract be used as a pesticide? 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Radish Extract or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Can this be as effective as the other commercially available products with the same purpose? 3. Can this be harmless to our health? 4. Can this be cheaper compared to other commercially available products with the same purpose?C. Hypotheses 1. Radish extract pesticide cannot be used as a pesticide. 2. Radish extract pesticide is not as effective as the other commercially available products and substances with the same purpose. 3. Radish extract pesticide is harmful to our health. 4. Radish extract pesticide is expensive compared to other commercially available products with the same purpose. D. Objectives General Objective: This Investigatory Project is made to produce pesticide out of radish extract. Specific Objectives: This Investigatory Project aims to: 1.To prepare a pesticide from radish extract. 2. To test the effectiveness of radish extract as a pesticide. 3. To observe the sensory properties of radish extract properties compared to those of commercially available ones. E. Significance of the Study The output of this study will help the farmers and gardeners. Such example is by giving them alternative insecticide. This will totally ensure productive and positive response to the farmers because of the cheapness of the materials used and the efficiency it can give in killing or removing the pests and insects in their crops.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Software Engineering Project Failure Essay Example

Software Engineering Project Failure Paper This report is about software engineering project failures. In this report, I will first examine the importance of a good software engineering manager to a project. Then, I will identify major reasons for software engineering project fails within the software industry. At last, some suggestion about reducing project failure rates according to the knowledge and best practices will be provided. Manager is essential to software engineering project There are nine project management knowledge areas: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, risk, communication, procurement, and human resource management (see A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Project Management Inst. , 2000). Failing to address any of these areas will result in repeatedly diminishing a project’s outcome. This stresses the importance of a good manager to a successful software engineering project. In Mohammad’s individual case, the reasons of the failure of the project were almost caused by the manager’s failing in good performance. (Rob, 2003) Then, what characteristics should a good manager has? First, he should be responsible and have a good leading ability to manage his team to work well together. Second, he should have strong communication ability which will help him to work well with his team as well as his clients. Third, the technique skill is very important with which he will have a broad view. Forth, he should have a critical mind which will make him have a strong problem solving ability. Reasons that cause software engineering project failures As software engineering project failures cannot be totally avoided, examining the reason why it happens help us to reduce failures. We will write a custom essay sample on Software Engineering Project Failure specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Software Engineering Project Failure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Software Engineering Project Failure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Lack of project study Project study is very important to any software engineering project, as it helps team members to have a clear understanding about the project. Without project study, team members may not know what they are doing. This could have bad effect on the project. There are five factors (TELOS) should be included in the project study, which are technical, economic, legal, operational, schedule (Keyes, 2008). And the primary performance objectives for the software deliverable should also be established. Lack of communication The communication both among a project team and between a team and the client is very important. Communication among a team not only makes team members to work better, but also helps senior management to get the information about the work so that senior management could make timely decision. Communication between a team and client help the team to get a better understanding about the client’s requirement, thus their work is improved. Lack of communication will be a disaster of a team. They may not be well organized. Work finished by team members may not be fitted to each others. And the finished work may not fulfill client’s requirement. Thus, software engineering project failure may happen. Using new or unfamiliar contractors: New contractors are not familiar with the project’s personalities and systems design complexities. Changing contractor will cause this problem and is also a waste. So, choosing a good contractor who has an ongoing business relationship with a project group and avoid long-distance and out-of-country subcontracts which will make it difficult to form closer communication is very important. (Rob, 2003) Suggestion on reducing software engineering project failure 1. The manager should conduct a good project study within the team at the beginning of a project. Practitioners should establish the primary performance objectives for the software deliverable, as these will greatly drive the type of development model and mix of practices they should use (Maccormack, Kemerer, Cusumano amp; Crandall, 2003). 2. The manager should conduct enough, efficient and effective communication. Face-to-face meetings, discussions, temporal collocation, and exchange visits should be organized to figure out where they are and check if the work is going as expected (Smite amp; Wholin, 2011). . Avoid changing contractors, as new contractors are not familiar with the project’s personalities and systems design complexities. Choose a contractor who has an ongoing business relationship with a project group and avoid long-distance and out-of-country subcontracts which will make it difficult to form closer communication (Rob, 2003). 4. Reliable infrastructure, including a centralized repository, common configuration management tools, and rich communication media should be invested in, which will help the team to work better (Smite amp; Wholin, 2011). . The manager should choose useful team members. A team member chosen by manager should have a strong ability to work and communicate with other team members. And also, he should be well educated and have good technique skills. 6. To achieve all the point above, a perfect manager is indispensable. So, a perfect is very essential to a software engineering project. Reference: Rob, M. A. ; , Project failures in small companies, Software, IEEE , vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 94- 95, Nov. -Dec. 2003 MacCormack, A. ; Kemerer, C. F. ; Cusumano, M. Crandall, B. ; , Trade-offs between productivity and quality in selecting software development practices, Software, IEEE , vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 78- 85, Sept. Oct. 2003 El Emam, K. ; Koru, A. G. ; , A Replicated Survey of IT Software Project Failures, Software, IEEE , vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 84-90, Sept. -Oct. 2008 Keyes, in  Leading IT Projects: The IT Managers Guide,, CRC Press, Aug. 2008. Smite, D. ; Wohlin, C. ; , A Whisper of Evidence in Global Software Engineering, Software, IEEE , vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 15-18, July-Aug. 2011 Software Engineering Project Failure Essay Example Software Engineering Project Failure Paper This report is about software engineering project failures. In this report, I will first examine the importance of a good software engineering manager to a project. Then, I will identify major reasons for software engineering project fails within the software industry. At last, some suggestion about reducing project failure rates according to the knowledge and best practices will be provided. Manager is essential to software engineering project There are nine project management knowledge areas: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, risk, communication, procurement, and human resource management (see A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Project Management Inst. , 2000). Failing to address any of these areas will result in repeatedly diminishing a project’s outcome. This stresses the importance of a good manager to a successful software engineering project. In Mohammad’s individual case, the reasons of the failure of the project were almost caused by the manager’s failing in good performance. (Rob, 2003) Then, what characteristics should a good manager has? First, he should be responsible and have a good leading ability to manage his team to work well together. Second, he should have strong communication ability which will help him to work well with his team as well as his clients. Third, the technique skill is very important with which he will have a broad view. Forth, he should have a critical mind which will make him have a strong problem solving ability. Reasons that cause software engineering project failures As software engineering project failures cannot be totally avoided, examining the reason why it happens help us to reduce failures. We will write a custom essay sample on Software Engineering Project Failure specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Software Engineering Project Failure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Software Engineering Project Failure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Lack of project study Project study is very important to any software engineering project, as it helps team members to have a clear understanding about the project. Without project study, team members may not know what they are doing. This could have bad effect on the project. There are five factors (TELOS) should be included in the project study, which are technical, economic, legal, operational, schedule (Keyes, 2008). And the primary performance objectives for the software deliverable should also be established. Lack of communication The communication both among a project team and between a team and the client is very important. Communication among a team not only makes team members to work better, but also helps senior management to get the information about the work so that senior management could make timely decision. Communication between a team and client help the team to get a better understanding about the client’s requirement, thus their work is improved. Lack of communication will be a disaster of a team. They may not be well organized. Work finished by team members may not be fitted to each others. And the finished work may not fulfill client’s requirement. Thus, software engineering project failure may happen. Using new or unfamiliar contractors: New contractors are not familiar with the project’s personalities and systems design complexities. Changing contractor will cause this problem and is also a waste. So, choosing a good contractor who has an ongoing business relationship with a project group and avoid long-distance and out-of-country subcontracts which will make it difficult to form closer communication is very important. (Rob, 2003) Suggestion on reducing software engineering project failure 1. The manager should conduct a good project study within the team at the beginning of a project. Practitioners should establish the primary performance objectives for the software deliverable, as these will greatly drive the type of development model and mix of practices they should use (Maccormack, Kemerer, Cusumano amp; Crandall, 2003). 2. The manager should conduct enough, efficient and effective communication. Face-to-face meetings, discussions, temporal collocation, and exchange visits should be organized to figure out where they are and check if the work is going as expected (Smite amp; Wholin, 2011). . Avoid changing contractors, as new contractors are not familiar with the project’s personalities and systems design complexities. Choose a contractor who has an ongoing business relationship with a project group and avoid long-distance and out-of-country subcontracts which will make it difficult to form closer communication (Rob, 2003). 4. Reliable infrastructure, including a centralized repository, common configuration management tools, and rich communication media should be invested in, which will help the team to work better (Smite amp; Wholin, 2011). . The manager should choose useful team members. A team member chosen by manager should have a strong ability to work and communicate with other team members. And also, he should be well educated and have good technique skills. 6. To achieve all the point above, a perfect manager is indispensable. So, a perfect is very essential to a software engineering project. Reference: Rob, M. A. ; , Project failures in small companies, Software, IEEE , vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 94- 95, Nov. -Dec. 2003 MacCormack, A. ; Kemerer, C. F. ; Cusumano, M. Crandall, B. ; , Trade-offs between productivity and quality in selecting software development practices, Software, IEEE , vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 78- 85, Sept. Oct. 2003 El Emam, K. ; Koru, A. G. ; , A Replicated Survey of IT Software Project Failures, Software, IEEE , vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 84-90, Sept. -Oct. 2008 Keyes, in  Leading IT Projects: The IT Managers Guide,, CRC Press, Aug. 2008. Smite, D. ; Wohlin, C. ; , A Whisper of Evidence in Global Software Engineering, Software, IEEE , vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 15-18, July-Aug. 2011

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Marketing Pepsi in China

Marketing Pepsi in China Free Online Research Papers This report presents a brief introduction and investigation of PepsiCo China’s marketing mix. 1. Introduction PepsiCo is one of the world largest manufacturers of food and soft drinks. Currently, it products are being sold in nearly 200 countries and number of employers has reached 198,000. Its sales volume of 2008 was over 43.3 billion USD. Today, it is universally acknowledged as one of the world’s most successful companies of consumer products. Enormous awards have gone in the worlds. In 2009, Pepsico is ranked 175 in the Fortune’s . 18 brands out of its series boast an annual sales volume of over 1 billion USD, including Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lay’s, Diet Pepsi, Tropicana, Doritos, Lipton Teas, Quaker Cereals, Cheetos, 7-UP, Ruffles, Aquafina, Mirinda, Tostitos, Sierra Mist, Walkers, Fritos. Thus, this report aims to see how it achieves its 4P strategies-Product, Price, Place and Promotion. It is supposed to be a role model for both China’s small and medium enterprises and other potential business personnel who aims to enter this field. 2. The Marketing Mix 2.1 Product PepsiCo’s product portfolio has two main categories: non-alcoholic drinks and instant food. For non-alcoholic drinks, its products are designed for different purposes and tastes. Soda drinks-the most famous of its products, including Pepsi-Cola, Mirinda 7-UP and Mountain Dew.Sport drinks-Gatorade.Fruit juices-Tropicana series, Dole Traditional tea drinks-Lipton TeasHerbal tea-Herbal Life. PepsiCo has utilized various strategies in order to win over customers of different tastes. Its soda drinks entered China market first and have remained to be its flagship products. However, as criticism rose that soda drinks deteriorate consumers’ well-being, it had to take action then. PepsiCo never forgot the strategy of consumer first. Lipton Teas came out as demand for healthy drinks had increased. As told by experience and observation, fruit juices are young women’s favorite, thus the Tropicana series were brought into the market in the summer of 2007, not only to suit co nsumers’ demand, but also to combat with Coca-Cola, its archenemy. Actually, Dole has entered Chinese market for many years but has not performed very well. But this time is different. As fruit juices, this series did creatively combined various fruits together to achieve a unique taste of its every flavor which would not be easily replaced by other products. Although in the first quarter of 2009 its market share stays at roughly 7.2-ranking only fourth in mainland China, after Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid (since 2004) and President and Master Kong, it shows a positive trend. Always keep pace with your rivals is another strategy of PepsiCo, whether you are leading or falling behind. Meanwhile, its sports drink Gatorade has remained the number one giant in the US market. Besides these, an important strategy used by PepsiCo is localization. Originally, it had wanted to merge with Herbal Tea, the Chinese leader in the field of herbal tea. After the failure, PepsiCo decided to design a kind of herbal tea itself. Not long after in April 2009, Herbal Life, the first traditional Chinese drink of this American company came out. Its ingredients include lotus leaves and chrysanthemum leaves, etc., which are unprecedented throughout the company’s history. However, this not inspiring. becuse, Coca-Cola had brought up similar products before and ended up almost in failure. Actually, Chinese consumers are not likely to stash Herbal Tea aside and embrace Herbal Life, since above all, it doesn’t sound professional. 2.2 Price As the newcomer compared with Coca-Cola, PepsiCo has always been in the â€Å"challenger† role. In 1929’s Great Depression, Pepsi-Cola had declared price war on Coca-Cola by reducing its price by 50%. Price war had been the major method of competition through PepsiCo’s early decades. However, it did not reach the expected outcome and price war had gradually declined as a competition strategy. Statistics indicate that the cost of Pepsi-Cola’s concentration liquid is 6,400 RMB per unit (2002). Ultimately, it can produce a sales volume of approximately 36,700. Therefore, almost one third of its cost lies in concentration liquid. Currently, PET bottle of Pepsi-Cola with the volume of 600 ml’s retail prices ranges between 2.5 to 3 RMB. Meanwhile, its cost price stays at approximately 1 RMB. Therefore, its profit margin is very remarkable, at 150%200%. With such profit margin, the various bottling plants can take freedom in having sales promotions. Pepsi-Cola has gone neck-and-neck with its major rival Coca-Cola in terms of retail price for many years. After the failure of early price wars, PepsiCo clearly do not want to start up wrong again. In terms of pricing strategy, coherence is important. The current retail prices for PepsiCo products have remained stable for many years; therefore neither increase nor reduction is necessary. 2.3 Place The operation of PepsiCo China can be summed up as the â€Å"1+X† system (1 refers to the only concentrated liquid plant in Guangzhou and X refers to multiple bottling plants in all over China). Its sales channels can be divided into direct selling and wholesale cooperation, including traditional and non-traditional locales. Its traditional channel is through stores of different scales, ranging from roadside grocery stores to chain stores to hypermarkets like Carrefour and Wal-Mart; other channels include restaurants of various styles, net cafà ©s, wholesale markets, canteens stores in and around campuses, bus, train and gas stations etc. Among all these, department stores continue to play a leading role in its sales. However, ,while it is most convenient for the distribution in metropolitans where transportation is fast and safe, it is almost impossible for China’s vast rural areas where there are scanty of them. It is right in the rural China where Coca-Cola has long penetrated into its market. Moreover, the competition in rural China can be even fiercer than in urban areas, because it is the market that welcomes local cola more than anywhere else. The cost for Pepsi-Cola to enter rural market is rendered very high. Although PepsiCo knows well the advantages of a multi-channel market, its bottleneck of rural market vacuum has become a major hindrance. Another factor hindering PepsiCo’s further development lies right in the 1+X system. Since there is only one concentration liquid plant in Guangzhou, the southernmost city of mainland China, transportation of concentration liquids to multiple bottling plants have to be very efficient. If PepsiCo can have more concentration liquid plants in appointed areas that can cooperate and coordinate well, then the cost of transportation can be reduced remarkably, thus further improving the competence of its products. Thus PepsiCo China has utilized the 1+X operation system. Its two major channels’ development is not balanced: the department stores channel far outplay the other channel and methods. It is the main reason for Pepsi-Cola’s success in urban and metropolitans and comparative incompetence in rural China. 2.4 Promotion From the beginning, PepsiCo had been the inglorious copycat of Coca Cola. Throughout decades, Pepsi Cola was not that â€Å"trendy† as Coca Cola. This situation had lasted until mid 1980s. However, things started to change since 1994 when PepsiCo decided to bring celebrity effect into full play and use all star shockwave that belongs to the whole IMC strategy. It was in this year that superstar Michael Jackson became its spokesman. A new era began. A Galaxy Fleet was built. In 1985, Leslie Cheung became its first Asian spokesman. When China was crazy about soccer, Pepsi Cola had David Beckham, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Raul Gonzalez all wore bluethe Pepsi color. The power of music transcends all boundaries; therefore top singers were recruited to sing out â€Å"Ask for More†-its new corporate spirit adopted in 1998. Its choice of spokesmen is based on its corporate spirit. In the years that followed, Hong Kong singers including Faye Wong-symbol of â€Å"cool†, Aaron Kwok-symbol of â€Å"dynamic† and Kelly Chan were the spokesmen for Pepsi Cola. Even Edison Chan’s show biz debutant was a Pepsi commercial. Pepsi had made full use of its spokesmen: all their value had not been wasted. . â€Å"All Star† has become PepsiCo’s prime strategy for promotion. Up to now, the net of Pepsi has spread much broader. Besides the newly added Hong Kong actor Louis Koo, Taiwan singers F4.Jay Chou, Jolin Tsai, Alan Luo all became its icons. In 2007, actor Huang Xiao Ming became the first mainland star to speak for Pepsi Cola. It even cooperated with the Madame Tussauds’ Shanghai to demonstrate its irresistible charm. PepsiCo has different stars for different Asian market. It is noteworthy that PepsiCo do not just pay staggering bills to any successful stars. The styles of these stars are in close resemblance of Pepsi Cola’s global image, even they are local. Another efficient promotional strategy utilized by PepsiCo is alliance between giants. Although KFC had been split up from PepsiCo in October 1997, the two giants still have close cooperation. PepsiCo offers all soda drinks in KFC. As KFC adopted its localization strategy -new fast food for China- and actively changed its operation methods to suit Chinese market, it has long surpassed its archenemy McDonald’s to become the most favorite foreign fast food chains . As its partner, PepsiCo also enjoys huge profits. Also, its sports drink Gatorade strategic partnership with NBA proves to be a most successful one. In today’s China, basketball has replaced soccer to be the most popular sports, especially for teenage boys. The fact that every NBA superstar, including the Greatest-of-all-times Michael Jordan drinks Gatorade leaves such a strong impression on audience that it is considered to be much more stylish to drink Gatorade than other Chinese sports drinks. Thus to sum up, besides common discount strategy, PepsiCo China majorly utilizes two other promotional strategies-all star and alliance between giants, which are simple but super efficient. 3. Conclusion PepsiCo China’s core marketing strategy is localization and focusing on young consumers. Centered upon these, strategies involving product, price, place and promotion are designed to perform smoothly and coordinate with others. Its products are basically American, but have taken a first step in the development of Herbal Life; its prices strategies have gone through the stage of price war and remained rather stable in recent years when Chinese consumer’s purchase power has increased; its placing strategies are direct selling and wholesale, with department stores playing the leading role that results in the success of urban markets and incompetence in rural markets; finally, in accordance with its core market in urban area, all star strategy is utilized to build up its product image of the choice of young people. Reference http://finance.sina.com.cn/leadership/mqdgl/20070922/19414005092.shtml wabei.com/news/200903/182310.html http://business.sohu.com/54/36/article204133654.shtml Research Papers on Marketing Pepsi in ChinaDefinition of Export QuotasMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTwilight of the UAWOpen Architechture a white paperThe Fifth HorsemanBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfGenetic EngineeringThe Hockey Game

Friday, November 22, 2019

Best Essays Night. Famous Authors Will Share Their Writing Secrets

Best Essays Night. Famous Authors Will Share Their Writing Secrets Best Essays Night. Famous Authors Will Share Their Writing Secrets As a generation of the 21st century we do not always appreciate the power of a written word or the impact it had during the last century. Under certain circumstances like world wars, frequent riots, establishment of patriotic devotion, etc, which couldn`t go by unnoticed, or better to say unwritten by the hand of a master, new based-on-true-stories essays were created: James Baldwin with his stunning work "Notes of a Native Son", Norman Mailer with his philosophical essay "The White Negro", Meghan Daum with "Variations on Grief", John McPhee and his detective essay "The Search for Marvin Gardens", Joan Didion on life in California after 1960s in her essay "The White Album". Yet, was there only a historical impact on their works or was it something deeply personal that made them best in their sphere? together with its greatest and most experienced writer Lauren Gartner invite you to join them on 25 and 28 of April 2017 for the Best Essay Night! Not only finest essays will be read there, but a unique chance to discover your writing abilities will be given as well! And nevertheless Jo Ann Beard and Meghan Daum presence is still awaited to be confirmed, the evening will be filled with famous authors and their life stories of becoming successful writers of nowadays. We're going to declare favorite essays that were written by the best writers   We're going to analyze what makes them gone viral, techniques, secrets We’ll be reading and discussing papers of little-known authors    You will be able to learn what is important and what is not, what special techniques artists use when they write their essays, and what â€Å"musts† one should always keep in mind. This event is going to be fantastic and vital for people who are passionate about writing. This and much more will be revealed during our Best Essay Night. Don`t miss your chance to become one of the best! As a pleasant addition  we will provide our guests with a food court and drinks during the whole evening. The events will be held in New York City, NY and Atlanta, GA. We invite all comers to join us in New York at the Andaz Wall Street Hotel, April 25 at 7 pm and in Atlanta at the Emory Conference Center Hotel, April 28 at 7pm. There is no charge for the workshop, but you need to be registered. You can sign up for our amazing event by e-mail @gmail.com. Administrators will review all the sign ups, and you should receive a response to your e-mail with a ticket and QR code for entrance. Make sure you like our Facebook page and follow on Twitter. Can't wait to meet you!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Examination and evaluation of supplier partnerships and strategic Essay

Examination and evaluation of supplier partnerships and strategic alliances in the development and management of the supply chain - Essay Example It is also essential that barriers are removed. The factors again vary across industries. There are gaps in the literature and hence it is proposed to undertake a study to determine the variables and form a well planned supply chain to suit individual needs. In order to conduct this research, it is proposed to use the qualitative method of research employing the focus group interviews followed by a detailed case study. The participants would be selected based on their involvement in the supply chain formation process. Focus groups interviews would be better than individual interviews as it is usually a team of members that are responsible for such decisions. Besides, in a group, the members are more expressive than in individual interviews. This data would then help to study it through the case study approach which is essential to have a deeper insight. The ethical issues would be taken into account and it is expected that this research would benefit the future managers responsible i n the forming strategic alliances and partnerships in the supply chain process. Supply chain represents the sequence of process involved in the complete manufacturing and distribution cycle of any product. Globalization, increased price war, changes in technology and the ever increasing-demands of the customer has made the manufacturing companies conscious of these constant changes taking place. To survive in this competitive market strategic alliances and partnerships become inevitable. It became necessary to manage all aspects of the supply chain; they need to cut costs without compromising on quality of product or service. The objective of this paper is to explore and evaluate that strategic alliances and partnerships in the supply chain management have to be well planned to suit individual needs. While a lot of literature is available on how firms have benefited from supply chain management, knowledge is

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Devil in the White City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Devil in the White City - Essay Example Larson tries to combine the story of the 1893 Columbia exposition with a tale of an urban serial killer; he contrasts the white city which was painted white all over with the Holmes world's fair hotel which was dark which portrays good and bad. The gilded age refers to the period between1865-1901; this is the post civil war period and was characterized by economic, industrial and population expansion. This were the early days of industrial revolution where there was an expansion of infrastructure especially railway transport system. In 1890's America was undergoing a shift from an agricultural to an industrial society, the fair was one of this progress. The construction of the 14 great buildings of the fair was a sign of unity and pride. The fair has attracted many visitors all over America and the world and it has an impact on culture and entertainment. At this time Chicago become populated by people from neighboring towns, in 1890 to 1900 the population in America increased from 62 million to 76 million people, young women migrated into the city and were employed as typewriters, weaver and also as stenographers. Many people in Chicago would die by being hit by trains and cars and there were many homicides, crime increased and the police were without manpower to manage it. Fires also would take lives in Chicago and also other diseases like cholera, diphtheria and influenza. In the first six months of 1892 Chicago experienced nearly eight hundred homicides. Urban dwellers were faced with significant changes such as corruption in local governments, filthy streets and poor sanitation even in wealthiest sections of the town The fair: The fair was a cultural centre in that it also included music performed by many marching bands. The fair also changed peoples reaction to technology, visitors realized that technology was not a force to be feared and this saw America on the path forward to modernity. This story is based on the development of Chicago as an industrialized town where people migrated from other towns by train to the city to find jobs, this caused increased population in this town and also reveals the causes of deaths to people who came to the city and disappeared. Burnham was determined to make America's fair bigger than the one in France. Larson Erik attempts to describe the American history in this novel, Holmes in his book resemble Herman Mudget who was a serial killer in Chicago. Mudget came to Chicago and worked for a pharmacist widow, when she died he took over the business and through his charming character he was able to convince young ladies and his consumers and was able to erect his own building which had secret path ways that he used to torture and kill his victims. He built a world's fair hotel which was a horrific castle with dead ending hall ways, air tight rooms, giant kilns and acid vats; through his charming and uncanny ability he would tricked policemen and his creditors, Holmes convinced mothers to leave their children under his care, creditors to give him more time and friends to allow him take life insurance policies for them. Holmes was never detected until the close of the fair; he was executed in 1896 in Pennsylvania for killing his henchman and confessed killing 27 people. The Columbia day holiday is a

Saturday, November 16, 2019

A Description of Cultural Patterns Essay Example for Free

A Description of Cultural Patterns Essay Cultural patterns are described as the preferred set of responses to different life situations. According to Kluckhohn and Strodbeck’s description of cultural patterns there are 5 dimensions or elements that address the manner in which a culture orients itself to activities, social relations, the self, the world and the passage of time. In the following reflection I will identify each one of these dimensions with the cultural patterns shown in my country. Starting with the activity orientation, which defines how the people of a culture view human actions and the expression of self through activities, we can identify the Puerto Rican culture as a â€Å"becoming† one. A â€Å"becoming† orientation refers to people who are predisposed to think of ways to change themselves as a means of changing the world. Although I do not fully agree on this identifying the Puerto Rican culture, I do agree on other views that the â€Å"becoming† cultures have toward work and play. For example Puerto Ricans do not have a â€Å"clear-cut† separation between work and their social lives. Often you can go into an office and find employees chatting with each other, talking with relatives over the phone or talking about their private lives in a business meeting. The Puerto Rican culture is more relaxed in terms of work compared to the Mexican, Colombian or European American culture, we specifically work for a means to an end and appreciate every second of our leisure time. The social relations dimension describes how the people in a culture organize themselves and refer to one another. In Puerto Rico the degree of importance we place on formality has changed through the years as different generations modify the way we address people. For example teenagers often refer to their elders as â€Å"you† instead of â€Å"sir† or they will say to someone who is serving them â€Å"give me† instead of â€Å"may I have†. The Puerto Rican culture generally does not give much importance to tittles, as they believe that relationships best develop when those involved can address informally to one another. Another thing that cultural patterns prescribe are the social interactions people have between them. In the Puerto Rican culture we have African heritage so it’s no surprise when both our cultures prefer indirectness in conversations with other people of our country but do not require an intermediary to do so. Generally, people in Puerto Rico will â€Å"sugar coat† demands or favors in conversations as a way to ask for something but in a indirect approach so the person won’t perceive us as rude or ill mannered. The self-orientation of cultural patterns describes how people’s identities are formed, whether the culture views the self as changeable, what motivates individual actions, and the kinds people who are valued and respected. Puerto Ricans can easily associate with each other, as our individual self-definition is very similar. On the contrary of the European American culture, Puerto Ricans make decisions for their children based on traditions, values and what they believe to be best for them. Although individuals make their own decisions as they mature and grow up when we evaluate from a group perspective it can be said that there is a heightened sense of interdependence and what happens to the group happens to the person. An example of this can be shown in cultural linguistic tendencies, as individuals modify their usual language others do so as well; also the fact that when national catastrophes occur everyone feels identified with the loss or the pain of the others. Because Puerto Rico is such a small island it is almost predictable that individuals can associate their identity with others from the same country even if there is a social status, age, town etc. aspect that differs between them. One of the most interesting dimensions is the world orientation, which tells people how to allocate themselves in relation to the spiritual world, nature and other living things. As we know Puerto Rico has different heritages because of the cultures that have influenced us trough the colonizing process, so it is not strange that our spirituality relates mostly to the European American beliefs. The general belief in our culture is that human beings can prevent, postpone or overcome natural events such as earthquakes by making buildings stronger, finding cures for illnesses and prolonging the time of death of a sick person. As technology constantly â€Å"improves† individuals believe they have the power to control nature instead of nature controlling them. Despite the fact that we are most influenced by this belief we still have the Latino influence which leads us to believe that we will be measured by our actions in the spiritual world where our souls will rest. The final approach of these cultural patterns is the time orientation, which can be defined as the way individuals conceptualize time. The cultural frame to which the Puerto Ricans relate is the Latino; even though we do not think time is endless we don’t take time as seriously. That is the reason why people are constantly late for everything, from a birthday party to work and even to Sunday mass. Time is mostly seen as ongoing and useful to maintain order, but not of the utmost importance. Analyzing these cultural patterns one can have a more accurate sense of how culture determines the identity of a country and how things like the importance of work and social time can influence so deeply the way a whole culture behaves. Also it gives you the opportunity to compare and contrast with other countries and learn how other people can have a completely different share of values and see life in such a contrasting way. Most importantly I believe that by studying these cultural patterns one can be more sensible to other people’s needs and have more respect for their culture instead of wanting to impose ours.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Trade World :: essays research papers

"Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts,""Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror." These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat,""But they have failed. Our country is strong. President Bush said in his first prime-time address in what suddenly seemed a scared new world. But the heart of New York City was devastated after terrorists crashed two planes into the World Trade Center. The twin towers, were a prominent symbol of American financial might, were the first buildings to collapse. But now there is a big conservercy about what to do with the site. I believe that They should not re-build on the world Trade Center Sight. : We'll never forget as we've never forgotten the help that american people provided to us years ago to recover freedom May the memory of those departed,and the resolve of those left behind,forge a new committment to hope, peace, and justice that may uphold the dignity of general humanity. Ever since September 11 I have become interested in articles, magazines, ect. that has something to do with sept 11. That was the day america stood still, and it changed america, it joined us, made us stronger : I will never forget Sept 11 2001. The visions of the Twin Towers collapsing will haunt me forever. The definition of diversity is differences. The classroom from what teachers see is very Diverse in itself. The way you can allow people to see you as a person that is open to diversity is with symbols of different cultures and languages. Like hanging posters showing how another country looks or even making culture apart of your curriculum. You know how you have the alphabet hanging up in your classroom, you could put up Chinese and Spanish alphabet. Also, you could have a day to teach about another culture. You could show tapes on how they live and

Monday, November 11, 2019

How Do You Actually Learn to Love Yourself Essay

5 ways to learn to love yourself more 1-Do something kind: There are lots of different ways to do something kind, but one of the best, long-term ways you can do something for someone else is by volunteering. For example, you could help out at a local swimming club, befriend an elderly person or use your marketing experience to promote a local charity. 2-Become your hero for the day: If you want to try this out for yourself choose someone that you can identify with, but who is also well known for his or her confidence. Then begin to act like them. Although you don’t have to speak in their accent, envisioning your hero can have a surprisingly positive impact upon your own body language and tone of voice. 3-Retrain your thoughts: How many times in a day do you think negatively about yourself? Now ask yourself how many times you compliment yourself during the day.A great way to alter your behaviour and learn to love yourself is to retrain the way you think. You can do this by following up every negative thought you have about yourself with a positive. For example, if you tell yourself that you are ugly, old or overweight, follow this bad thought up with something positive, like: ‘I have great skin, hair and a good smile’. Increasing the number of positive thoughts you have about yourself during the day will hopefully help you to enjoy being you and will help to boost your self-esteem. 4-Admit your flaws and take action: We all have flaws and that’s fine. It is just something that we have to accept. Yet some people’s flaws can interfere with their life and become an obstacle that stands between them and their happiness. If you have a flaw that is becoming a problem it is time to admit that you need to change. 5-Relationship analysis: There are some people in this life that are just no good for us. If you have friends, boyfriends, girlfriends or colleagues who undermine you, belittle you or are just plain mean, you need to have a thinking about confronting them about their behaviour. This can be extremely daunting, especially if they bully you. Remember though that no one has the right to put you down and the only way people will stop acting in this way is if they know you won’t accept it. Be brave, plan what you are going to say so that you can communicate clearly and then sit down and talk through your issue face to face. If the problem continues it might be time to consider cutting them out of your life altogether. Life is too short to waste on people that don’t make you feel good and hanging around with negative people will make it hard for you to love yourself.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

A study on Key Leadership Qualities of a Project Manager

Origin of the Report This report idea was initiated by the honorable course instructor of ‘Project Management' as a part of course completion of MBA program at the Institute of Business Administration, Gangrening University. Specific guidelines were provided by the instructor to conduct the study for academic purpose. 1. Objectives of the Report The primary objective of the study was to fulfill the requirement of the course module as per the guideline by the instructor that leads to attaining the following specific objectives. Identify and evaluate the project performance in terms of time, cost and performance. Identify different key aspects of the project manager's characteristics that influence the project success. 1. 3 Methodology This report has been developed in context of exploratory research.To prepare this report, both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used. Personal interview with the project manager with the help of a semi structured questionnaire was key instrument. Therefore the sample size was comprised of one single individual, the project manager. Personal observation has been one of the key methods that applied o analyze the data accumulated. 1. 4 Source of Data Both primary and secondary data have been used for analysis in this report. The data sources are described as follows. 1. 4. Primary Data Semi structured questionnaire interview with the project manager was conducted where different aspects of the project were mentioned and asked about to evaluate the specific aspects of project accomplishment in terms of meeting the quality standards required. Moreover a structured questionnaires based on five point scale was used to evaluate the project manager's leadership role in accomplishing the project successfully. 1. . 2 Secondary Data The secondary data was collected from the website of related entities.Some previous publications and Journals in the related field have been used as a guideline to develop the context. 1. 5 Scop e of the Report This report was an outcome of extensive group work that will provide guidelines for future related works. As the work was unique in nature and the aspect is specific, it is expected to provide a guideline for the evaluation of performance of a project and the project manager in future. 1. 6 Limitations Different limitations were tackled during the report preparation and the collection of ATA.Some of them include, Limited time to prepare the whole report Facing difficulties to manage the appointment with the project manager As the project was accomplished earlier team members were spitted and not available together Getting the financial was another challenge as per the restrictions by the policy of the parent organization Chapter 2: The Project Details 2. 1 The Project Detail 2. 1. 1 Construction of the MACH Building Dacha Shania Mission as part of the total project took the initiative in 2001 to open a Cancer detection & Treatment Center at Murmur, Dacha.In course of its progress it is owe a 42 bed Cancer Hospital with required operation facilities, Chemotherapy, X-Ray and Imaging facilities. A team of experienced and dedicated cancer specialists and general physicians are working there to provide health service at a reasonably low cost. Here free services are offered to poor and ultra – poor patients. In the year 2008 the hospital continues to provide health care services, specially to cancer patients, with some additional facilities. Ultimately the dream materialized into reality and a plan was made to construct a 500 bed Cancer Hospital at a staggering cost of 2. 56 billion take (SIS$ 36. 7 million). The thirteen story hospital designed by a US based architectural firm â€Å"Design Alliance f Baltimore†, got started its construction with foundation laid by the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum Chalked Aziza, on 10th July 2004 on a 3 acre land at the bank of the river Tutor in Attar Model Town in the Capital. The location is about 5 Km from Aziza International Airport and the construction in full gear started on 16th July 2005. This 450,000 square feet 13 storied hospital is expected to open in late 2009 with about 200 inpatient beds, Outpatient department with about 40 Examination/consultation Rooms, Medical Imaging,Pathology, Surgical Suite, Radiotherapy Department, non-international Cardiac and Neuron Diagnostics, Day Care and the requisite support services. By 2010 all 500 beds are expected to be operational. At that time, based on beneficial utilization, Shania Mission Cancer & General Hospital is projected to provide over 160,000 days of inpatients care and cater to over 180,000 outpatients annually saving approximately SIS$ 13 million annually. 30% services of the hospital will be available free for the poor patients. DAM is raising funds from general public as well as from the corporate sector.There are special provisions for potential donors to sponsor sundry components of the hospital. One can donate to have in his/her own name or dear one's name to name a bed/beds, a ward/wards, a cabin/cabins, operation theatres. There are specified rates for each type of dedicated areas of inscription which will be inscribed distinctly as per wish of the donor. Keeping in line with Dacha Shania Mission's dedication to Divine and Humanitarian services Shania Mission Cancer and General Hospital will be a big leap forward to provide service to humanity by redressing the suffering of the ailing patients, especially cancer patients.International Hospital Group (GIG), a I-J based consulting firm with vast experience in medical equipment consultancy has been entrusted with the Job to furnish the equipment schedule IEEE equipments and furniture plan floor and room wise of AMIGA to cater to the need and suitability of the patients and users. Considering the huge cost of modern quality treatment for cancer and our commitment to provide with poor and needy patients 30% treatment facilities f ree of cost, deep thought has been given to make Shania Mission Cancer and General Hospital a viable and cost- effective project with the motto of ‘No-profit-No-Loss'.Due consideration has also been given to the point that some cancer patients will come with other diseases which will need to be treated at the same hospital for practical reason. Also considering the reality to keep specialist doctors including ambitious and career conscious young doctors there is possibly no other alternative other than opting for building a Medical College in future. In consideration of this vital factors, provision for general treatment facilities have been kept at AMIGA. Moreover, there is a plan to establish a Nursing Institute in future. Building on the ideas of the founder SuffixSaint Hazard Khan Buddha Channels (Ramshackle Awhile), Dacha Shania Mission embarked on establishing a modern cancer hospital where world-class treatment will be available. Shania Mission Cancer and General Hospit al is one of major projects to fight cancer in Bangladesh. So far, super-structures of thirteen storey plus two basements of this fifteen-storey hospital building have been completed. The construction of Radiotherapy Vault and other essential works are now going on for inaugurating the first phase of the hospital with 160 beds by the end of 2013.However, the POD, Radiation Therapy Unit, Day Care Centre and Diagnostic Facilities have been scheduled to start functioning at the end of 2012. Location Plot#3, Sector # 10, Embankment Driveway Attar Model Town, Dacha-1230, Bangladesh. Land Area 3 Acres Project Cost US$. 47. 29. O Gob. Approval Obtained Architect Design Alliance, 1921 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21093 USA Email:[email  protected] Com Cons. Period 2005- 201 5 Started July, 2005 Expected Completion Phase I with 175 beds by end 2013 and complete with 500 beds in 2015.The POD, Radiation Therapy Unit, Day Care Centre and Diagnostic Facilities have been scheduled to start function ing at the end of 2012. A modern cancer care hospital building is under construction at present. The building has been designed by Architect Mr. Tare Lam, a professional hospital architect registered in the USA . 2. 2 Overview of the Construction Company The project was accomplished by Associated Builders Corporation (BBC) Limited, a private limited company established in 1972, which designs and constructs industrial projects, bridges, Jetties, harbor, roads and buildings of all types.The company has gained considerable reputation in tackling Civil Engineering Projects which require peccadillo experience and up-to-date technical knowledge in the respective field since its incorporation. 2. 2 The Project Budget and Actual Cost Chapter 3: Evaluation of the Overall Project Performance 3. 1 Analysis of Background and Scheduling Ultimately the dream materialized into reality and a plan was made to construct a 500 bed Cancer Hospital at a staggering cost of 2. 56 billion take (SIS$ 36. 97 million). The thirteen story hospital designed by a US based architectural firm â€Å"Design Alliance f Baltimore†.The location is about 5 Km from Aziza International Airport and he construction in full gear started on 16th July 2005. This 450,000 square feet 13 storied hospital To construct such a large project Shania Mission needed an expert constructor who has experience in such large public project. In 2009 Shania Mission asked for open tender for the project where most of the country's largest Civil Constructors Joined. By evaluating the proposal the project goes to Associated Builders Corporation Ltd (BBC) for the Civil Contract. The Contract was awarded in two phase. First, one was the construction of basement and first 4 stories.And the est. of the 13 stories of the building were constructed in the second phase. The electrical and wiring was also included in the project. 3. 2 Evaluation the Project in terms of Cost This section should provide a comparison of the actu al costs of the external consultancy with the agreed contract value. Where there is a variation (upwards or downwards) between agreed contract value and actual costs DIP must be informed. In cases where the actual cost exceeds the cost approved by DIP an explanation must also be provided. Initial Approval Cost BIT. 650000000 Contract Award Cost BIT. 800000000 Actual Cost BIT. 00000000 Percentage Variation between Contract Award Cost & Actual Cost 38% Explanation of variation in costs The reason behind the over running the initial planned cost was due to change of the price of material most notably Steel, Rod, Cement and other raw material for the construction project. The reason behind increased steel price was due to global over demand of steel because of Beijing Olympic. The cost over running created a hamper in project progress. The cost proposal had to be overwritten and renegotiated. This also created budget deficit for Shania Mission as well profit minimization of BBCCorporati on Limited. 3. 3 Evaluation the Project in terms of Performance 3. 3. 1 Assessment of Deliverables This section should provide detail on what was delivered by the consultants. The extent to which projected deliverables, as outlined in the Terms of Reference, were met by the consultants, and the quality should be assessed. On behalf of Shania Mission a project in-charge was appointed whose Job was to monitor and supervise the construction project as a overall basis. His Job actually was limited to Consultancy and supervision On behalf of BBC a project Engineer is appointed.He has the executive duties of overall project. Apart from technical aspects, he had to oversee costing human resource management inside the project. The assessment of project used to take place week wise. Upon the approval of Shania Mission engineer Bill is paid monthly basis. 3. 3. 2 Assessment of Benefits The original date of completing the project was revised several times mainly because of the funding issues o n behalf of Shania Mission. Reasons of delays usually occurred due to payment issues. Apart from that some tactical delays at engineering works were not uncommon.Both cases the responsible party has to adjust the agitation The purpose originally intended the consultancy assignment were to do the Job efficiently and effectively. Because of the BBC Construction Limiter's effective role the contract was extended for second phase. Chapter 4: Analysis of the Project Manager's Leadership Role 4. 1 The Role of Project Manager in Contemporary Organizations In brief we need to understood project monitoring role of the PM. Actually, the role & responsibilities of a Project Manager is little complex and needs to be explained elaborately in clear terms for each project.Let us list down few important roles & responsibilities of a Project Manager. * The Project Manager is the person responsible for managing the project. *The Project Manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the project objectives within the constraints of the project. He is responsible for the outcome (success or failure) of the project. *The Project Manager is involved with the planning, controlling and monitoring, and also managing and directing the assigned project resources to best meet project objectives. The Project Manager controls and monitors â€Å"triple scope, time and cost(quality also)-?in managing competing project requirements. The Project Manager examines the organizational culture and determines whether project management is recognized as a valid role with accountability and authority for managing the project. *The Project Manager collects metrics data(such as baseline, actual values for costs, schedule, work in progress, and work completed) & reports on project progress and other project specific information to stakeholders. *The Project Manager is responsible for identifying, monitoring, and responding to risk. The Project Manager is responsible to the project stakeholders for delivering a project's objectives within scope, schedule, cost, and quality. *The reporting structure of a Project Manager depends on organizational structure. He may reports to a Functional Manager or to a Program Manager. In a bit exaggerating terms, Project Manager is the ‘God' of his project and he is the one who decides the success of the project. 4. 2 Criteria of a Successful Project Manager 4. 2. 1 Leadership Leadership is identified separately from management, as leadership is more of a personality trait whereas management is a learned skill.I recognize this is not a common view as many people and companies espouse courses in teaching adhering. Here, I am identifying people who can motivate others as projects are long endeavors, which invariably have points where the success of the project falls to the project manager who can keep the team motivated and get them past the sticky problems observed on nearly every project. MS also have to instill confidence in both their teams and the manager(s) to whom they report. As stated before, projects are long and difficult endeavors, which have plenty of challenges.When these challenges arise, MS who are able to maintain the confidence of all interested parties have more success. When the confidence in the PM is shaken, executives tend to provide additional assistance to the teams that is a sure sign of lost confidence and adds additional effort to the project. The group of engineers will operate independently producing a fragmented solution. People in general bring a set of implicit assumptions. These assumptions are not typically in the forefront of their minds but exist due to their life experiences both personally and professionally.These assumptions then drive the set of solutions they are able to envision. When a PM is able to identify these implicit assumptions, validate their relevancy to the unique project, then challenge them if need be, better solutions to problems are identified. These better so lutions may be quicker and less risky to implement, require fewer resources or less highly skilled resources, or have a better impact on the business. Leading refers to carrying out the project plan in order to achieve the project objectives. Leading the project is one of the more challenging aspects for new project managers because it involves a lot of â€Å"soft skills. Skills such as communicating clearly, team motivation, and conflict resolution. Some key duties for eating projects include, Setting team direction Coordinating activities across different organizational functions Motivating team members Assigning work personality trait whereas management is a learned skill. I recognize this is not a the business. 4. 2. 2 Management Skills On all projects, there is a finite amount of administration that occurs and this to me is the management of the project. The management component of project or program management requires multiple skills as well as traits.The traits include the ability to organize. Projects inherently have lots of moving parts from end users and pompons with thoughts, to technicians who have commercial applications to configure or code to write, to test teams and configuration managers who have plans and backbend support systems to bring on line. All of these disparate groups must be brought together and coordinated so the project can move forward and eventually complete. The ability to organize the multiple teams is a personality trait inherent is successful program and project managers.We also have to organize at a deeper level when dealing with the technology. The task of building a Work Breakdown Structure WEBS) is a feat in organization when done well. Not only do business and technical executives have to understand both the strategy and tasking but also the technicians who will perform the work. Laying out a structure that is understood by both disparate sets of people is difficult at best. Now include the capability to track progres s in a meaningful way for both groups and the need for deep organizing trait is paramount.Closely related is the ability to plan, to foresee how a project will come together. Planning also includes what deliverables are needed, how and when to evolve test plans, how many test plans are needed, what metrics are needed, and which resources execute which tasks in conjunction with each other. All of these are unique to each situation as the Statement of Work (SOW) or Project Charter is unique as well as the scope undertaken and the resources assigned to the project. The ability to manage both your own time and the time of those working for you is critical.Projects have so many distractions making it very easy to head down a rabbit hole that derails the project. These typically happen during the development phases but can also occur at any phase. Contrary to popular belief, the highest risk time off project is the beginning and not the end. Many times I use an analogy of catching a wave for a surfer. This is analogous to setting the scope and planning phases off project. Once you catch the wave, the time to the beach is out of your hands as the wave is going at its own speed.You can make some moves that will have some impact on the timing but the base timing is already defined. Successful project managers take their time in planning and resist the temptation to get starting developing because time is short. Each project has numerous options on how to approach the work. It is this approach which is analogous to catching the right wave, that has the most dramatic impact on project timing and success. Setting the priorities for individuals and managing to those priorities becomes a main activity during the majority of the project. This requires the PM to handle multiple tasks at the same time.The moment the first task is delegated, the PM is multi-tasking. If an individual tries to handle all tasks themselves, a project of any size is at risk. On a typical commercial software implementation, I will have the following threads open: ) software configuration, 2) interface development, 3) conversion or data migration development, 4) custom software development, 5) communication with sponsors, 6) communications with consulting company management and sales, 7) project tracking and monitoring, and 8) potentially open core product issues or enhancement.The ability to manage your time, multi-task, and manage the team's time is a critical skill. All projects include the use of teams. These teams include resources for which the PM has direct responsibility and other resources for which the PM does not have responsibility. All of these teams must come together and work toward the common goal of completing the project. The team will consist of not only these individuals but also the managers of the matrixes resources as they potentially have competing goals. The ability to create and motivate teams becomes a determining factor in the success of Ms. . 2. 3 Co mmunication Skills The ability to communicate in both written and verbal form both up and down the management chain is a widely known required skill. In the previous paragraphs and going forward the implication of communication skills Jumps off the page. Let me delve into a couple of areas that are not as widely held. The first is with whom MS communicate. I have mentioned the need to discuss topics with business and technical leaders as well as the technicians but what is also needed is the ability to define or clarify technical or business problems to the opposite group.Many times on a project I will come across a particularly difficult technical issue that either impacts the dates or is a risk to those dates. Naturally, both the technical and business leaders want to understand the problem. Given it is a technical issue in his case, discussing technical issues with technical people is easier than helping a business leader understand why the web application crashes because of Java Virtual Machine OVUM) Heap is exhausted and why this is a problem given the SCOFF Just spend dollars increasing the memory on the application server.These are important topics for them to understand as well as the opposite. Helping the technicians understand why a good technical solution has dire consequences for the business side of the house. MS are also knowledge conduits. They should ensure that information from one team gets to all the other teams that need it. As project schedules get tight and the tension begins to increase, many people naturally focus on their tasks at hand to become more efficient and get their work done. A great thing for that individual task but what happens when the other teams need information from this one group and cannot get it.The other tasks naturally fall behind so the project falls behind. The PM that stays in touch with what all groups are going and moves the information between groups can more effectively keep all tasks moving and avoids disco nnects when the â€Å"right† hand is not talking to the â€Å"left† hand. 4. 2. Foresight and Vision Some people have the innate ability to see the future. I am not talking about crystal balls or palm readers but a sense for the direction the project is headed and the ability to see risks and envision how all the elements of a project will come together in the end.I alluded to this concept in the planning section and it applies here as well. In conjunction with planning is the skill of defining goals for individuals that are in sync with the plan. In my post, â€Å"Staying on Schedule†, I spoke about intermediate milestones and mint-crisis as a mechanism for maintaining a schedule. The ability to foresee, define, and articulate these goals goes a long way toward staying on schedule and being successful. Risk management is a key aspect of successful projects and is in many instances not well received as an integral part off project.In many organizations and as an attempt to manage time, organizations only deal with issues and not risks. Many times, I have highlighted risks to be told we will deal with it when it becomes a problem. The personality trait to envision a risk and the capability to address the risk are key elements to success. 4. 2. 5 Pragmatic As MS we are constantly in the situation of making choices. Usually all day is spent making trade off choices between competing forces. There are times when we have to make a choice a deliverable is good enough, not perfect but good enough as it meets the business objectives.The prime example comes when dealing with the speed at which application pages are rendered. I routinely hear from end users and sponsors that I want the page to be as fast as possible. From a conceptual standpoint, this makes sense as speed of page rendering translates into efficiency of workers and eventually money. Fast as possible does not mean get 6 Cray super computers for my solution or that I want sub second re sponse time on a page that is making two web service calls and returning a three table Join query.Clearly, neither is going to happen. What was meant was to increase the speed until it reaches a good balance between cost, time and speed. This is not a straightforward decision. The technician would ask for the performance requirements so they know the solution to build; the businessperson wants a reasonable cost so the PM is in the position to determine what is good enough. The balance point falls to the PM and ragtime is key. Conflict is also a common occurrence on projects.It can be between two technicians, the test team, developers, the business people, etc. The ability to work through issues and even decide on what issues to engage is something critical to success. People can be passionate about what they believe in so getting past these points of contention whether it be negotiating a resolution, facilitating the discussion or deciding which battles to fight becomes important to success. 4. 2. 6 Can do attitude In our world, there are people whose glass is half full and those whose glass is half empty.The perspective on adversity, challenges, and dealing with people GAO long way toward success in a work environment that typically includes strict deadlines, changing requirements, heavy budget pressure and big business impacts when the project does not go well. A can do and positive attitude is a personality trait that serves MS well dealing with adversity, the high-pressure situations, team building, and leadership. Finding this personality trait in a person serves them well in the profession of Program and Project Management.In addition to the above list of skills ND traits, I would add a personality trait of cool and thoughtful under pressure. Projects are intense, long, and difficult activities that have periods of time when the PM is under significant pressure due to impending deadlines, difficult issues, etc. People are also very passionate and so the PM is typically under a lot of pressure and must be able to think on their feet and remain thoughtful during the intense times. It is these times when PM can easily lose the confidence of management or their teams, lose control of scope, or any number of other occurrences that negatively impact the project. . 2. 7 Disqualifications There are three inputs above that would not agree with: 1. Being completely obsessed with the Client. Client focus to a degree is a very good thing. In situations where the project manager is also managing a team and a contract then a proper balance between these many times competing agendas enables the project manager to not only meet the client goals but also individual and company goals. In these situations, the project manager has multiple people and organizations to which they report and must meet he goals of each individual and organization simultaneously to be successful. . Being an extrovert Due to the need for extensive interaction with people, e xtroverts typically have these skills inherently. Individuals who straddle the introvert/extrovert category can also be successful as they can communicate and operate in the people centric situations. Strict introverts who prefer to work alone and on individual tasks will struggle in the PM role. 3. Displaying personal courage (lead from the front) In my previous post, we discuss the relative timing of leading from the front and jack.Different situations dictate assuming each style so both are needed and not just leading from the front. The personality traits and skills needed for project managers to be successful are varied. When interviewing PM candidates and identifying internal candidates for a PM role, these people centric traits and skills seems far more influential factors in the success of PM. What may be interesting to many people is the lack of technical expertise as a main contributor to success. Certainly, technical and business expertise is needed for a project to be su ccessful

Thursday, November 7, 2019

ludhiana essays

ludhiana essays Ludhiana is an Industrial Town of India. Ludhiana Business Community has proved its Industrial Strength not only on the Indian Map but also on the World Map. Ludhiana is famous for Bicycle Ludhiana is commonly known as the Manchester of India and also as Industrial Capital of Small Scale Industry in the country. The origin of the town can be traced to the year 1481 A.D. when the Lodhies established fort here. There was hardly any industry worth name in the year 1947 in Ludhiana. The Muslims which constituted the major working force in the industry migrated to West Pakistan leaving a great gap to be filled up. The refugees who came from west Pakistan after partition and settled at Ludhiana, were very enterprising and hard working people. They immediately took up the industry ventures for their lively hood and this was the start of industrial development of the city. Ludhiana has seen enormous industrial growth during the last 4/5 years due to significant improvement in the law and order situation. A conductive atmosphere for the growth of industry is apparently visible. Lot of investment is coming up in industrial ventures may be from Punjab or from outside Punjab. A large number of units have come up both in small scale as well as in large A variety of items such as cycle and cycle part ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

FINDING TIME WITH TOO MUCH TO DO

FINDING TIME WITH TOO MUCH TO DO I find it amazing that the more I have on my plate, the more productive I become. People ask how I accomplish what I do, and I never have a good answer. This week, however, I seemed to have caught up to myself. No signings or conferences for the entire month of July. No immediate deadlines since the manuscript for book two of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series is in the hands of the publisher. And I caught myself piddling more than ever. Some psychologist types might say it was my schedule catching up to me, that I needed the down time to go into idle-mode for a spell. Maybe. The problem is, idle to me means getting outside to garden, weed, or create some new wing on a chicken coop, and its too friggin hot to do all that. So Im seated at my computer, finally, with time to breathe, and I slow down. Back in my day-job years (geez that sounds old), I ran wide-out with kids, writing, jogging, and serving as administrative director for a small federal agency, answering to a politician. I fell into bed and rose tired, but once I had my coffee, I counted the juggling balls and prioritized which ones to handle first. I firmly believe we perform relative to the degree in which we are challenged. And the first people to argue this are those who are seeking reasons for not being productive. Go ahead. Throw tomatoes. But just think about it before you do. Athletes who perform the same routine, without challenging their limits, do not excel. Intellects who quit challenging the status-quo, do not find break-throughs. Doctors who treat the norm instead of seeking answers to anomalies, turn their backs on patients. Its the challenged who make a difference. And when we stop to ponder that, we can reply in one of two ways: 1. We can complain about our limitations, or 2. We can keep fighting to make a difference. Really, it IS that simple.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Global Geopolitics of the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Global Geopolitics of the Middle East - Essay Example However, for investments to flourish continually there has to be stability, which has become threatened by the brutal regimes in existence. An economist at the International Energy Association states that an investment worth over $19 trillion in gas and oil is required from now until 2035. This is where the significance of the Middle East arises from as growth in petroleum supply is expected to come from there and North Africa. This is in spite of the fact that oil has been discovered in other countries, for example, Brazil. Therefore, for this investment to be achieved funds have to be availed and stability in the region needs to be maintained. An example of this is Iraq which is a primary oil producer in the region but has continuously suffered due to instability and targeting of its oil facilities. Another example is Syria, which even though is a small producer, has brought a standstill to foreign investments in the oil sector because of barbaric policies enacted by the government. Historically, the Middle East has been known as the cradle of civilization resulting from discoveries in science and religion and widespread trade activities. In addition, the region is highly acclimatized for its scholarly efforts though the environment has not been conducive for this to be more far-reaching. Consequently, a majority of citizens from various states within the region go to study abroad. Israel, being a democracy and the only Jewish state, has attracted reinforcement of its territories from the U.S. This is because, since the period of the Cold War, U.S has endeavored to ensure continuity of flow of oil and at an affordable price, but initially, this was possible as oil was replacing coal as a source of energy. The Middle East is accountable for an approximate of 40% of oil exports in the world this is because, globally, economic growth and progress has been greatly reliant on carbon-based forms of energy particularly crude oil. More so, there are

Thursday, October 31, 2019

J curve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

J curve - Essay Example When the short duration is considered, the J-curve theory comes into play (Schaefer, 1995). In the short-term, the export and import demand becomes rigid. Thus, the current account worsens before it improves. Nevertheless, after some time, the demand becomes less and less rigid. Hence, the price can be manipulated. The effect of this is an enhancement in the current account The current account is the variation in the net foreign position of a country. The current account can also be termed as the summation of the returns of all foreign financial assets of a country and trade balance (Pitchford, 2002). A country’s foreign assets comprises of the capital gains, the interest payments, and the dividends. By using its money, a country is able to buy from foreign countries whenever it deems appropriate. Addition of the liabilities and the foreign assets defines the financial position of a country. Is it in debt or is it in surplus. A current account keeps record of receipts received from and the payments that have been made to the foreign countries it buys from (Pitchford, 2002). A capital account is a major constituent of the balance of payments of a country. It avails the net capital income and expenditure of a country. The capital account records the financial transactions of a country by way of titles to assets. It lists the foreign transactions to those of the market (Pitchford, 2002). A capital account is made up of purchase and disposal of non-produced, assets that are non-financial, and capital transfers (OECD, 2001). The financial account is the ultimate account in the full order of accounts that lists the financial transactions between the units of the institutions within a country (IMF, 1996). The financial account list is composed of the transactions that include liabilities and financial assets occurring between foreigners and the country’s institutional units. Its primary constituents include

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Liberal Party's Split of 1886 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Liberal Party's Split of 1886 - Essay Example The 'classes', by which he meant 'the dukes ... the squires ... the Established clergy ... the officers of the army, or ... a number of other bodies of very respectable people', were against the 'masses', the remainder of the population. His point was that in all matters: where the leading and determining consideration that ought to lead to a conclusion are truth, justice, and humanity, there, gentlemen, all the world over, I will back the masses against the classes. (Matthew 1999, 348-9) But Gladstone faced an uphill task for all kinds of reasons were causing many of the previously Liberal voters to abstain or even to turn out and vote against them. Memories of Gordon and anti-Catholic prejudice erupted throughout the country, while his fiery rhetoric, as in Liverpool, might have scared off as many electors as it encouraged. The main problem for Gladstone and his friends was that there were two Liberal parties to vote for in 1886. The MPs who had opposed Gladstone in the Commons made no secret of their opposition to him in public, and these 'Liberal Unionists' actually formed an electoral pact with the Conservatives; by the time the elections were over there were seventy-eight of them in the House of Commons. The Conservative Party itself did very well, securing 314 seats, while the Gladstonian Liberals trailed well behind them, being reduced to just 181 MPs. Not even Parnell's Irish Nationalists, with eighty-five seats, could make a difference to the overall balance of power in this Parliament. 'The defeat', Gladstone ruefully recorded in his diary 'is a smash'. (Matthew 1990, 585) On 30 July he tendered his resignation to the Queen. The underlying cause of this disastrous split in the Liberal Party has been long debated. (Searle 1992, 1-5) Gladstone himself believed, and historians have long maintained, that it represented a ' revolt of the Whigs'. (Magnus 1954, 245) In general terms it is fair to say that most of the aristocratic 'Whig' elements in the party deserted Gladstone at this point over the Irish question, while the majority of the middle-class Radicals stayed loyal to him in spite of it. But it has more recently been stressed that many better-off 'Whig' members of the Liberal Party had been showing signs of disillusionment with it since the time of Gladstone's first ministry. It is also true that some 'moderate' Liberals, including some of those who might be considered 'better off', remained loyal to Gladstone even at this time, while, on the other hand, one of the leaders of the revolt was Joseph Chamberlain, the personification of middle-class radicalism. In any case, it does not seem to matter very much: enough voters had deserted Gladstone to give the Conservatives an overall majority in the Commons and put Lord Salisbury back into office, even without the Liberal Unionists' support. It was the Conservatives who were to dominate British politics until the twentieth century. (Pugh 2002, 7-8) When Gladstone resigned as prime minister in 1886 he had no intention of