Anniversairy suprise †Short Story Essay

John and Wendy had always been the perfect couple. They had practically invented â€Å"happily ever after†. After eight years together they were the couple with everything; the perfect relationship, a lifestyle their friends envied and a future others could only dream of.  On their anniversary Wendy always made their evening unforgettable. This would be no exception. She was up early to cook him a delightful breakfast, she gave him a kiss on the lips and straightened his collar before he walked out the door. She began to clean the house from top to bottom and with her shopping list carefully prepared she backed the car out of the garage and set off for the shops. After stocking up at the super market and the butcher, Wendy picked up a special anniversary surprise, before she booked her appointment at the hairdressers. She wanted to look her best for him so he would always appreciate that he was married to the woman of his dreams.  It was a wet and windy day, umbrellas were being blown inside out and people were huddling for shelter. Wendy’s hair was windblown and her face was wet from the rain sweeping across the railway platform. As the doors of the train opened there was a rush of cold, damp and flustered passengers filling the carriage. Seats were full and standing passengers were pressed up against complete strangers. This was how John and Wendy met. John apologised for splashing her and when she turned to reply she knew then that there was a connection. In the months and years that followed their relationship strengthened but their lives took separate paths. Johns law career took off and his reputation and popularity soared. Wendy, however, found herself in his shadow. Her struggle to publish a novel was fraught with disappointment and missed opportunities. There talks were all of his clients, his cases and his victories. Her world was a solitary one, with little to celebrate. The demands of his job increased, his hours at work consumed more of his time and she began to wonder what absorbed so much of his attention. His accounts of lunches with clients, weekend conferences and late night briefings contributed to her insecurity.She needed to find a solution to her dilemma.  It was the evening of their anniversary. She poured him a glass of wine, a shiraz, his favourite year, the year they met. This would be an unforgettable vintage.†Darling lets drink to our future together†. He raised his glass and swirled the claret. â€Å"To us† he exclaimed and emptied his glass. The glass shattered as it hit the wooden floor. John grimaced and swayed – finally, falling to his knees, while clutching his chest. In an instant he was dead. She cleared away the dishes from the table and wiped clean the kitchen top. There was a knock at the door. Stepping carefully over the lifeless body of her now former husband, she walked towards the door. She turned the latch, a cold gust entering the hallway as she opened the door. She switched on the light revealing the silhouette of a man. He whispered † Is everything taken care of? I have the tickets.† She nodded giving away not † Now we can begin our new life together. Get your bags†

How Miller Creates Conflict in the Crucible?

English Controlled Assessment Draft: Conflict in the Crucible The play I am studying for this essay is called â€Å"The Crucible† and I will be focusing on Act 1 of the book. The question I will be answering is what’s the most powerful type of conflict in the opening act of the crucible? The word conflict means a state of disharmony, opposition and or fighting. The conflict portrayed in the Crucible is often described as tools used to describe events in Millers time period.For example, witchcraft doesn’t exist in Salem yet that is the basis of the storyline of the play and many people die as a result of accusations over witchcraft. During the time Miller wrote this book, the cold war was happening and many people in America were accused of communism (including Miller himself), when they were accused they were routinely asked to give names of other communists which is the same as the ‘witches’ in Salem were asked, whether the devil â€Å"come-with an other person† and many of these people turned out to not be communists in the first place same as the accused ‘witches’.So it seems that Miller uses the fact there were not any witches in Salem as a metaphor suggesting there were not any communists in America. Miller conveys Putman as a source of conflict as a result of his rivalry for power with Parris. This is demonstrated when Mr Putman is seen as attempting to stir drama over Parris’s daughters situation â€Å"No witchcraft! Now look you Mr Parris†.As Parris is so plainly defiant in his denial of â€Å"witchcraft† affecting his daughter, this portrays Mr Putman as deliberately trying to annoy Parris to most likely make him look like a loose cannon in the eyes of Salem to steal his job. Which makes sense as Miller tells us that the Putnam’s resent Parris and Mr Putnam wanted his brother in law to have Parris’s position. The directive â€Å"Now look you† magnifies this a s although Parris has more authority than him, he is already seen as trying to order Parris around.This is then amplified when Parris replies stating â€Å"They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house† as Mr Putnam is seen as the main rival to Parris, it seems that Parris implies that Mr Putnam is the one who will â€Å"howl† him out of Salem. In addition, the word â€Å"Howl† at first seems to be a hyperbole as Salem is first thought of as a good religious community, but it then creates contrast towards the end of act one as the town is seen as willing to give the death penalty to children because they think that their witches â€Å"This woman must be hanged! . This creates tension throughout the audience as it makes them realize Salem isn’t as united as it first seemed and there is a massive power struggle between the two families as â€Å"howl† also portrays Mr Putnam as a monster, more specifically a werewolf which is a mytho logical predator and predators like to be at the top of the food chain. However, Parris already has a place on top of the metaphorical food chain which places Putnam and Parris as natural rivals.Also, it creates tension in the audience by showing just how important power is in Salem as Parris and Putman both care more about power and their reputation than their own daughters. Miller’s intentions of this may be to show that people will act in extreme ways to protect themselves including neglecting their daughter, which links back to Millers era as many accused communists were interrogated under torture and many tried to escape leaving behind their families.In the play â€Å"the crucible† Miller portrays a community in conflict when proctor’s commitment to their puritan ideology is doubted. This is demonstrated when Proctor states â€Å"No, No, Abby. That’s done with† when Abigail appears to flirt with him. The connotation of â€Å"That’s don e with† suggests that Proctor once committed the sin of Adultery with her which is a very serious sin to the Puritans. The repetition of â€Å"No, No† shows that proctor knows he’s done a bad thing not just in terms of the Puritan Ideology but also in terms with his own morals.However, the fact Abigail wants to do it again and doesn’t consider it a bad thing shows the conflict and divides between the older and younger generations in Salem as the younger generation’s challenge the Puritans rules without remorse. This creates nervousness within the audience as it demonstrates just how fragile the unity of the community in Salem is. It also links back to Miller’s intentions as he may be trying to suggest that paranoia divided communities as it did in America when many people were being accused of communism over little things.Miller intensifies a sense of conflict towards the end of act 1 through a fast paced scene when multiple accusation of wit chcraft are made. This is started when Abigail exclaims â€Å"I want to open myself! † and from there onwards Betty also takes up the chant and blames people â€Å"I saw Martha Bellows with the devil! † The fact that the curtain descends with â€Å"Devil† as the last word spoken reflects the state of fear on stage and the divides caused by this conflict to Salem as normally the people of Salem talk about God but as a result of this conflict they end by talking about he Devil, an abnormal thing for them. The use of Exclamation marks, snappy sentences and the amount of accusations made infers that it is a fast paced, loud scene and reflective of the hysteria on stage. This creates dramatic irony towards the audience as they know the truth which is that witchcraft doesn’t actually exist, the fact witchcraft is punishable by death shows them that the girls are willing to let someone else die to prove themselves innocent thus creating a sense of conflict.The r epetition of the word â€Å"Devil† towards the end makes the audience feel sympathy towards the people that are getting blamed as they know that none of it is actually true. This can be linked back to Millers intentions as he may be trying to show that when people fear for their life they are willing to lie and blame others to save themselves which also occurred during the cold war (Millers era) when people lied and blamed other people of being communists to avoid themselves going to prison.To conclude, there have been many powerful conflicts throughout act 1, my final judgement is the rivalry of power between Parris and Putnam is the most powerful conflict. This is important as it provides the baseline for the story line. Parris states that there are ‘factions’ after his position in Salem, It is likely that he is meaning the Putnam family as they are seen as a main antagonistic rival in ‘The Crucible’ against Parris. He describes calling for Reveren d Hale as a â€Å"precaution† but denies that â€Å"witchcraft† is the reason for his daughter’s problem.As a result it is likely that he called for Mr Hale just so Mr Putnam doesn’t complain and demand his removal from power, so it is essential that Miller introduced with this conflict as without it the play wouldn’t be as gripping. This conflict effects the audience by making them realize that even before witchcraft entered the picture there was already a fragility in the community relations in Salem and it’s likely that these conflicts would probably at some time be realised and spark irrational action. Witchcraft is seen as just the trigger to this.

Brand Extension Marketing Plan Essay

1. Executive Summary The following marketing plan forms the basis for the introduction of an innovative new product by Snyder’s-Lance Inc. This analysis allows me to outline the best strategies to follow for the achievement of the company’s strategic goals. â€Å"Pretzel Abobodas† will be marketed as a unique flavored pretzel that targets the Hispanic consumer, while striving to reinforce the company’s focus on wanting to penetrate the Hispanic market. The marketing strategies will hopefully enable our company to reach a market size of an estimated 2,000,000 Hispanic Consumers (targeted) with forecasted sales growth prospects of 5% over the next 3 years ($450,000 profits), while satisfying the needs if the unserved market of consumers. Success will be reflected by a sizeable capture of market shares within this market, while strategically positioning the company as a market leader in the salty snacks segments of the industry. Company Description Snyder’s-Lance manufactures and markets snack foods throughout the United States and internationally. The Company’s products include pretzels, sandwich crackers, potato chips, cookies, tortilla chips, restaurant style crackers, nuts and other snacks. Snyder’s-Lance has manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Indiana, Georgia, Arizona, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada. Products are sold under the Snyder’s of Hanover, Lance, Krunchers!, Cape Cod, Jays, Grande, Tom’s, EatSmart Naturals, Archway, O-Ke-Doke, Padrinos, and Stella D’oro brand names along with a number of private label and third party brands. Products are distributed widely through grocery and mass merchandisers, convenience stores, club stores, food service outlets and other channels. Pretzel Abobodas will bring an entirely unique salty snack experience to its consumers. It will present itself as a healthier snacking alternative to consumers while providing the great taste of authentic Abobodas, which is a top Hispanic flavor preference. The strategic role of Pretzel Abobodas is centered on three objectives: * To be the market leader in innovative product introductions and successful product launches * To strengthen and satisfy the needs of Hispanic consumers and families * To become the market leader in the functional salty snacks category with increased market shares Situational Analysis The U.S. Hispanic population is the largest minority segment and is growing at a dramatic rate towards ethnic plurality, which has already occurred in the most populous states and is beginning to occur among the U.S. baby population. The future U.S. economy will depend on Hispanics by virtue of demographic change and the social and cultural shifts expected to accompany their continued growth. Hispanics exhibit distinct product consumption patterns and are not buying in ways that are the same as the total market. In forecasts of future consumption growth, the Hispanic share is significantly greater than that of non-Hispanics. The evidence for the distinctiveness and sustainability of Hispanic culture is convincing and implies a future American culture with a strong Hispanic flavor preference. Snyder’s Of Hanover Pretzels provide a healthy snacking option for consumers. There are many varieties and flavors of pretzels across the U.S. market but there have been no flavors produce d for the Hispanic Market. 2.1 Market Summary My target customer group is the Hispanic Market. The Snyder’s of Hanover Brand is a nationally recognized brand among American Households. Snyder’s Pretzels dominate market share and the numbers continue to grow. While the numbers do continue to grow, the Hispanic Market has some great potential because we have not been able to penetrate the market enough to move the needle on share. Our brands have just really started to appear in the Houston Hispanic Market in stores such as Fiesta, and Food Town. Although we do have a little bit of presence in these markets, there is not a single item flavor wise that is targeted for this market. 2.1.1 Market Demographics Geographic The geographic target area that I am choosing is the Houston Hispanic Market Area, San Antonio Area, Corpus Christi, and a few more highly populated Hispanic areas. Demographic The demographic profile of my target market is going to be Hispanic Family Households with children 18 years and under Behavioral Factors * Hispanics constitute one of the fastest-growing racial/ethnic groups in the United States * Family Gathers are traditional for birthday, holidays, weekends, etc. * Hispanics, African Americans and Asians consume more beer than any other race which is a great tie in with pretzels 2.1.2 Market Needs The product will cater to both Physiological needs (nutritional value) and Social needs (perception of a social, healthy snack) and strive to provide the following benefits to Hispanic Consumers: * Healthy Snacking Alternative for Parties and family gatherings. * Price * Top Brand Product * Items that will last stretch in the household * Great tasting product 2.1.3 Market Trends The current trends include a shift away from junk foods, a growing interest in healthier/beneficial products, and the trend for personalization through customization or seeking in a wide introduction of flavors. Trends that will influence how customers will perceive our product include: * The importance to the customer- The phrase â€Å"customer-centric† has never been more important than it is today. With the arrival of the â€Å"information age†, consumers world-wide know what is available, what everyone else is buying and how to find it online at the lowest cost. With this power has come the ability to shape markets, and define the products that they want. Manufacturers no longer have the power to define a market in their own closed space. The phrase â€Å"build it and they will come† no longer applies – you must know what the customer wants in advance if you want any chance of survival. And once you have delivered what the customer wants, your product and your customer support must both be perfect, because in this age, word-of-mouth doesn’t just reach family and friends, it reaches the world. Place the customer first. Listen to them before you build your product and they’ll tell you what to make. Listen to them after they buy your product and they’ll tell you how to keep them as repeat customers (and brand advocates). * The globalization of brands, and the ability of consumer demand to occur on a world-wide scale, is tipping the balance of power * The globalization of the message†¦Today, that world is gone. With the rise of the Internet and a population that increasingly views world travel as just another part of life, messages and brand images no longer stay where you put them. Instead, they go viral. They get picked up on YouTube. They’re seen by travelers. They’re found on the Internet (occasionally in a blog with a title like â€Å"the 10 worst marketing translations†). They are everywhere. Moving forward, the â€Å"message† that a corporation presents must be global in nature, or at the least, local and regional messages must be cultivated in such a way as to work on a global scale. From a business perspective, this isn’t a bad thing at all. In fact, get creative with your international message and perhaps you’ll get lucky and it will go viral. * The Power of the â€Å"Same†-Not only can you buy the same thing anywhere, people have grown to expect the same thing everywhere! While we still pride ourselves in finding that unique place or product, the reality is that the world is becoming one giant franchise. The â€Å"bland effect† (the ability to eat at a McDonald’s or Burger King in just about every country in the world) has moved into most major industries, from automotive to online, and shows no signs of slowing. 2.1.4 Market Growth The U.S. Hispanic population is the largest minority segment and is growing at a dramatic rate towards ethnic plurality, which has already occurred in the most populous states and is beginning to occur among the U.S. baby population. Hispanics already account for an important share of consumer expenditures and given their youth, educational advances, and increasing spending capacity, Hispanics are fast becoming preeminent drivers of growth and likely trend setters in the marketplace. Marketers will need to understand the what, where, how and why of their role in tomorrow’s consumption space. In forecasts of future consumption growth, the Hispanic share is significantly greater than that of non-Hispanics. The evidence for the distinctiveness and sustainability of Hispanic culture is convincing and implies a future American culture with a strong Hispanic flavor. 2.2 SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis summarizes the key strengths and weaknesses that Snyder’s-Lance faces, as well as the opportunities and threats to be considered. 2.2.1 Strengths -Snyder’s Pretzels are nationally recognized and consumed brands -Snyder’s Pretzels hold the largest share in the U.S. in its category -Snyder’s Pretzels are becoming the healthy snacking option among children and adults 2.2.2 Weaknesses -Snyder’s Pretzels are not sought after in the Hispanic Community -Snyder’s Pretzels have not produced any Hispanic or Regional Flavors -The Flavor Preference that I will be producing is not a global product so it will be hard for Hispanics to adopt this product 2.2.3 Opportunities -Product Flavor is not in any market -Test market areas are pretty complex -Niche Market item 2.2.4 Threats -The Bigger Salty Snack Companies will try to introduce the same product at a lower cost, different packaging (Predatory Pricing could take place) -There is no brand equity in this product -Lack of Immediate Competition for comparison 2.3 Competition The competition is few and far in between. There are a lot of salty snack companies that produce Pretzels, but they are not the main brand. Also, the other Pretzel companies are not DSD companies, meaning they send product straight to store ware houses. Frito Lay is the largest Salty Snack Company in the World. Rold Gold is their pretzel brand, but not their main brand. They do not hold the amount of market share that Snyder’s Brand. Their main brands are Lays, Doritos and Tostitos. The other company is UTZ. UTZ is a pretzel company that distributes products via warehouses. They make and sell pretzels, but they do not have a flavored pretzel line. There are many more company that product pretzels but they do not offer the full variety and are not nationally recognized for this product. 2.4 Product Offering When you grab a handful of pretzels, you’re getting a snack that comes with fiber, iron, zinc and folate. And besides these nutrients, pretzels are low in fat. Hold up, though; this snack can come at the price of too much salt, because some brands of pretzels have nearly a day’s supply of sodium in one serving. Like most foods, the pros and cons vary from one product to the next. Low Fat Pretzels are one of best snacks when it comes to fat content. A 100-gram serving of hard pretzels, or about 16 pretzels depending on their size, has just three grams of total fat and no cholesterol. A significant amount of the fat — 88 percent — consists of healthy unsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol. (See Reference 1) The same portion of potato chips has 36 grams and tortilla chips have 23 grams of fat. Fiber Enjoying a snack of hard pretzels adds to your daily fiber intake. A 100-gram serving has three grams of fiber. That may not sound like much, but it’s eight percent of the recommended daily intake for men and 12 percent for women. Potato and tortilla chips have a little more fiber — four to five grams — but if you choose whole wheat pretzels, the amount goes up to eight grams. Calories Pretzels have fewer calories than potato or tortilla chips; but like many snacks, they’re not exactly low in calories. You’ll get 380 calories from a 100-gram serving of hard pretzels. (See Reference 4) The same serving of potato chips has 542 calories. Tortilla chips range from 489 to 514, depending on flavorings. Minerals Hard pretzels have seven to 10 percent of the daily intake of seven minerals, but they’re especially high in iron and zinc. (See Reference 9) In addition to carrying oxygen through the blood, iron provides short-term storage of oxygen in your muscles so that you have enough to meet the demands of increased activity. (See Reference 2) Zinc has many roles, from metabolism to the production of DNA and new cells. You also need zinc to support the immune system’s ability to fight bacteria. (See Reference 3) A 100-gram serving of hard pretzels gives men 62 percent of their daily intake of iron and 13 percent of zinc. Women get 28 percent of their daily iron and 18 percent of zinc. 2.5 Keys to Success There are many keys to the successful launch and implementation of this brand extension. Below are several critical success factors that we must leverage to be successful. * The product must meet a market’s needs better than the competition and customer alternatives (my product strategy has to be right) * The product must be taken to market through high-volume, competitive routes to market (I need a viable, volume go-to-market strategy and ability to execute in a way that drives sales growth fast) * The product must be rock-solid, high-quality and actually deliver the value promised so customers actually get the benefits they’re seeking (and that we’re selling to them). This is critical and must actually be verified with early customer testing and validation (and the product doesn’t ship until it’s actually ready, regardless of the â€Å"schedule†). * The pre-launch market conditioning must create enough awareness and â€Å"buzz† with both prospective customers and sales channels that this new product is coming to enable the product to gain enough early mindshare and traction that leads to both actual â€Å"proof† and â€Å"social proof† that the product is ready for the market. To grow beyond the initial launch, the product must be proven to meet mainstream customer needs (mainstream customers are notoriously risk-averse, so they want to see other companies like them have already taken the risk and proven the product in their environment before using it). * The go-to-market engine must buy into the product early and allocate resources to it (e.g., sales force for directly sold product, resellers/affiliates for indirect sales must choose to invest) †¦ and sales absolutely must have early success at selling the product. If the product isn’t really ready for prime time – it’s dead (the sales force probably won’t touch it again for a long time, if ever, and bad news travels fast). And get this, because it’s super-critical. If the product doesn’t convert better than what the reseller/affiliate is already selling today, it’s also dead (they won’t waste any more of their precious time on your new thingy, and will go right back to selling what already works for them and makes them the most money today). Sales people are â€Å"coin operated† and their behavior and decision-making responds directly to what makes them the most money the quickest. 3.1 Mission The objective is to introduce the Pretzels Abobodas to the Hispanic Community. There has not been a pretzel introduced to this niche market of consumers. It is my hope that this is will be the number #1 household penetrated pretzel in its category. 3.2 Marketing Objectives Ultimately the marketing objective for this initiative is to penetrate Hispanic consumers with a healthy snacking alternative with their flavor of preference in which they can serve during their family gatherings and make it a part of their daily consumption. The objectives of the marketing plan are strategically centered around 3 criteria: to create a strong consumer awareness towards a completely new flavored pretzel product to establish a wide brand recognition through the capture of market shares in the functional salty snack category, and to become the top market leader in that particular segment within the forecasted sales figures * Increase sales by 5% during the next fiscal year of this item being in the market * Improve product awareness for both the core and line extension brands * Brand Management: This new item should be recognized nationally after its successful launch in the Texas Hispanic Markets 3.4 Target Markets My target customer group obviously is the Hispanic Market. The Snyder’s of Hanover Brand is a nationally recognized brand among American Households. Snyder’s Pretzels dominate market share and the numbers continue to grow. While the numbers do continue to grow, the Hispanic Market has some great potential because we have not been able to penetrate the market enough to move the needle on share. Our brands have just really started to appear in the Houston Hispanic Market in stores such as Fiesta, and Food Town. Although we do have a little bit of presence in these markets, there is not a single item flavor wise that is targeted for this market Geographic’s: The geographic target area that I am choosing is the Houston Hispanic Market Area, San Antonio Area, Corpus Christi, and a few more highly populated Hispanic areas. Demographics: The demographic profile of my target market is going to be Hispanic Family Households with children 18 years and under Psychographics: Hispanics are very brand loyal and they use nationally advertised brands Hispanic families are close knit Familia includes parents, children, and extended family†¦the father is the head of the family and the mother is responsible for the home Individuals have a moral responsibility to take care of family members experiencing health issues, financial problem unemployment and other life issues Behavior: Hispanics constitute one of the fastest-growing racial/ethnic groups in the United States Family Gathers are traditional for birthday, holidays, weekends, etc Hispanics, African Americans and Asians consume more beer than any other race with is a great tie in with pretzels 3.5 Positioning Snyders of Hanover Pretzels is the #1 Pretzel in the category. This new flavor extension, the Pretzel Abobodas, provides a Healthy Snacking Alternative for Parties and family gatherings in the Hispanic Community. This product has price leadership in the market, making it very affordable to consumers, and a product that will last/stretch in any household. There are many varieties and flavors of pretzels across the U.S. market but there have been no flavors produced for the Hispanic Market. The most distinguishing feature for this new product is that it will provide Hispanics with one of their #1 flavor preferences on a pretzel which is the Abobodas seasoning. 3.7 Marketing Mix/Program The competition is few and far in between. There are a lot of salty snack companies that produce Pretzels, but they are not the main brand. Also, the other Pretzel companies are not DSD companies, meaning they send product straight to store ware houses. Frito Lay is the largest Salty Snack Company in the World. Rold Gold is their pretzel brand, but not their main brand. They do not hold the amount of market share that Snyder’s Brand. Their main brands are Lays, Doritos and Tostitos. The other company is UTZ. UTZ is a pretzel company that distributes products via warehouses. They make and sell pretzels, but they do not have a flavored pretzel line. There are many more company that product pretzels but they do not offer the full variety and are not nationally recognized for this product. The #1 thing that gives the Pretzel Abobodas more value than the competition is the fact that there are no other companies offering or producing this product or advertising to this niche market of consumers. Price To determine pricing for this niche product, I will follow a very detailed process which is shown below. 1. Review research and development costs, unit costs for manufacturing and shipping, and advertising costs to determine the overall cost to produce and sell the new product. Determine a bottom line sales price needed to break even in the marketplace from this information. 2. Review market analysis and trend reports, target market profiles, customer surveys, and past performance reports on other company products to determine the value of your product in the marketplace. Unique products, products that satisfy consumer needs, or those that make significant changes to work processes or in the lives of consumer are considered the most valuable. 3. Research your competition in target marketplaces to determine if your product meets, exceeds or falls below available products. Visit competitor websites and stores, and read reviews of competitor products to determine how your product measures up and how it may be received by consumers. 4. Create a price range using all the manufacturing, marketing, consumer and competition information available. Include a bottom line sales price and a ceiling price, which is the most you can sell the new product for and realistically generate consistent profits. Create mid-range pricing based on competition and market saturation. 5. Set a price for your new product. Review pricing options, market interest and how much you want to earn from sales to determine a price. To determine what the Pretzel Abododas is worth, I will focus on the following areas below: 1. Cost: Focus on current and future costs (vs. historical ones). 2. Sensitivity to price: Every buyer’s priorities change, based on unlimited factors. I will have to be ready to adjust quickly. 3. Competitors: I will pay attention to competitors’ pricing strategies, but I will not follow too closely. They may be â€Å"winging it,† and I might get burned. 4. Product Lifecycle: The price(s) of myofferings will often change throughout the product/service lifecycle. To set the product apart from the competition, I will do the following: * Reinforce your brand. If the Pretzel Abododas is on the market and there is no reinforcement, it will become stagnant and lose ground. It is important continue to build this brand by communicating with the market regularly.   Consistent communication will ensure that this new brand extension appeals to consumers on an emotional level, and increase their awareness of it. * Position your brand: Positioning is all about putting your brand in the right place, in the market, so that it gains the attraction of the right audience. I will decide the best position after careful analysis of the market and competitors. * Integrate community interest in your brand: This can be a great tool to help spread word about the brand. On one level, the brand must establish a link with the local community. By including their interests, they will be attracted to the brand, and help to tell others about it. * Create an online Brand Community. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, will move the brand into the global sphere. The creation of an online brand community, will raise brand awareness, as people tell the story of the brand and propel visibility to a global audience. Whether they exist on the local or online level, community members are committed to the brand, and can prove instrumental in increasing awareness, and moving the brand forward. * Special Promotions – Attract customers by giving away free items. There is no greater pull for consumers than getting something for nothing. It will improve the status of the brand in their eyes, and with the right promotions, I will be able to gain valuable attention for the brand Place This niche item is all about where it is placed. I plan to distribute this new item via the Snyder’s-Lance Inc Independent Operator Direct Store Delivery System. Since this product is a brand extension, a new line for this item will be carried in all warehouses in this specific market. Snyder’s-Lance will take responsibility for distribution in the areas where we have Independent Operators, such as Houston, San Antonio, and Corpus. In the more rural areas, we will outsource to an outside distributor. References Kahn, B.E. and T.A. Louie, â€Å"Effects of Retraction of Price Promotion on Brand Choice Behavior for Variety Seeking and Last-purchase-loyal Consumers,†Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 27, August, pp. 279-289, 1990. Minor, Micheal, â€Å"Comparing the Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Markets: How Different Are They?† Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 29-32 1992. U.S Census Bureau, Census 2000. Retrieved December 4, 2012. Webster, Cynthia, â€Å"Attitudes towards Marketing Practices: The Effects of Ethnic Identification,† Journal of Applied Business Research, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 107-116, 1991.

Mass Customization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mass Customization - Essay Example Nonetheless, it is fundamental to consider that the costs do not augment at all. The company is, therefore, able to have an added advantage in the market as well as have the best economic value in the market. A closer analysis of mass customization relates to the fact that the individual needs are actually met but with production in large quantities (Da Silveira, Borenstein & Fogliatto, 2001). This means that the manufacturers can to suspend production of goods for a particular customer and reschedule the same production for a larger supply. Production of large volumes as indicated in the work of Da Silveira, Borenstein & Fogliatto (2001) is a product of mass customization; thus, quality production and delivery. Minimal tradeoffs in costs are also an added advantage (Da Silveira, Borenstein & Fogliatto, 2001). In the business world, mass customization plays a huge role. As seen in the research conducted by Mattila, Huuskonen & Hietikko (2013) mass customization simply refers to the manufacturing guide for manufactures. This relates to the fact that the manufactures will produce goods based on the demands of the clients. As customizers, it is expected that the manufactures embrace a technique that will influence the shape of their final product to the desirability of the customers. Mass customization, therefore, is useful for the mass manufacturing of products with efficiency, production of goods for specific clients, and production of customized goods that are on demands after ordering of goods by clients (Mattila, Huuskonen & Hietikko, 2013). In the work of Mattila, Huuskonen & Hietikko (2013), mass customization is governed by various principles. First, mass customization works on the principle that a product should have independent sections that could be easily assembled into various forms of the product. This means that the manufacturers will incur less cost while producing the products. This is referred to as agile

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Reflection paper - Essay Example For instance, both parents collaboratively decided on the school where we are to be enrolled and the means to support us. The goal was for us to finish our studies and to provide the direction to eventually become self-sustaining and self-reliant. As a leader, he also assumed the roles of a coach, a mentor, a guidance counselor and a disciplinarian. He was both an authoritarian leader and at the same time, a democratic leader where he encouraged us to voice out our opinions and to participate in decision-making processes that would be beneficial for the whole family. When I started school, my teachers became my leaders in the academic setting. Again, teachers from various grade levels have identified course objectives and designed various instructional approaches with the use of instructional materials that would assist in achieving the define goals. As leaders, my teachers became my mentors, coach, guidance counselors in terms of academic performance, and provider of knowledge, and a developer of skills. Especially in higher education, as I pursued the Police Leadership Program, my professors in the course provided opportunities for learning advanced modules in areas where I need to focus on. As leaders, my professors provided the direction and guidance through course modules, lessons, concrete examples, and by giving home works and scenarios that would develop my cognitive and analytical skills, as well as the leadership skills needed for law enforcement officers. My professors have prepared personal and professional development programs that would enable us to become future leaders. Finally, in the work setting, as a police officer in Saudi Arabia, I was able to get a first-hand experience of leadership from my supervisors. They are the true leaders in a law enforcement agency where functions expected from leaders were observed. These functions included planning, organizing, directing,

Be aware of motorcycle riders Speech or Presentation

Be aware of motorcycle riders - Speech or Presentation Example According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a person is 37 times more likely to die in a motorcycle accident than a car accident and nine times more likely to become injured while riding a motorcycle than while driving a car (Keller & Keller, par.6). These data are quite alarming and disturbing. I think that it should be the concern of every American, motorcycle rider or not, to be more cognizant of motorcycles on the road. Motorists should be reminded that motorcycles are a legal and legitimate form of transportation and that motorcyclists have as much of a right to be on the road as other motor vehicles. Motorcyclists are more vulnerable to injury in case of a crash. This is one reason why motorists must be especially aware of the dangers that motorcyclists face on the road. Motorists must always be reminded that they must "share the road" with motorcycles and that they should be aware of the presence of motorc ycles at all times, since they might be more difficult to see than other cars. Over two-thirds of car-motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers, not by motorcyclists (Saveabiker.com, par.1).

The Influence of Organized Crime Research Paper

The Influence of Organized Crime - Research Paper Example organized crime groups seek to develop social control in particular communities and exert influence through corruption and violence in order to attain status and political power. Siegel (2012) points out that transnational organized crime is a significant threat to economic growth and political stability in the US since the criminal networks infiltrate the financial and security sectors of the economy through corruption and coercion. The criminal activities such as money laundering and racketeering undermine the free markets while corrupt deals challenge the rule of law, judicial systems and transparency (Mallory, 2011). The international drug trafficking organizations that operate within the US promote kidnappings for ransom and extortion activities in other countries and finance terrorism-linked organizations. Organized crime influence American politics and economy through corruption, gambling, racketeering, narcotics trafficking, cybercrime and political intimidation. The organized crime networks have facilitated illegal human smuggling in to United States since these groups smuggle terrorists, fugitives and criminals in order to expand their criminal activities. The smuggling of persons from South American countries to the US generates about $ 6.7 billion of illicit proceeds annually (Siegel, 2012). These groups are also responsible of weapon trafficking from the US to other instable countries such as Somalia, China and Mexico. The organized criminal groups have entered in to intellectual property theft that has seen imitations of the high-end devices and manufacturing processes intellectual property theft causes business losses and threatens US competitiveness in international trade (Albanese, 2014). The criminal networks pose a serious threat to the US financial and trust systems since cybercrime networks have led to billions of losses in the financial infrastructure. Cybercrime has eroded the citizens’ faith in the digital systems and electronic payment

Sponsoring Arsenal Football Club Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sponsoring Arsenal Football Club - Essay Example The season for the premier league starts from the month of august till may. It is one of the most lucrative leagues as it is attracting all the top players all over the world to its teams. In the year 1992, the premiere league was sponsored by Carlings. This was followed by the sponsorship of the premiere league by the Barclays card. "A history of the premier league". In the year 2001, the Barclays started complete sponsorship to the premiere league and from there on it came to be known as Barclays Premiere League. Today, people recognise the English premiere league by the name of Barclays. The sponsorship to the league started in the year 1992, it was first sponsored by Carlings and later on by Barclaycard from 2001-2004, Barclays 2004-2007, Barclays premier league finally 2007-2010. The total number of teams competing in the Barclay's premier league is 40 clubs. Out of the 40, 4 have already won the title of Manchester united, Blackburn rovers, arsenal, Chelsea. I have also discuss ed the competition format for the 20 clubs in the premiere league. About Barclay Bank, the bank has its headquarters in London alongwith Barclays Group Chairman is Marcus Aguis, and the Group Chief Executive is John Varley. They also function in all over the world, offering their customers with the suitable products and services. The company is listed on the London stock exchange. The bank also complies with the UK combined code on corporate governance. Barclays bank has a history of 300 years old. In all these years the bank has grown to offer its customers the required and the right product and the serices, suiting their requirement. The bank has its services in the field of financial services; they are also into retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management services al over the globe. The bank has its extensive international presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. The Barclays bank operates in more than 50 countries and has its tota l employees of approximately 155,000 people. Now, the question arises as why did Barclays bank tie up with the premiere league The premier league laid down the following objectives and they were the ones that compelled Barclays to sponsor the premiere league. They were to be regarded world's best football league off and on the field, to promote the accessibilty to live games and enough media exposure and generate traffic to the media channel where the league is forecasted. To generate sufficient revenue so as to strengthen the future events of the premier league and its clubs as also been the main aim of the premier league. Football is the main domestic sport of the people there. They thought that this is the best way to advertise and promote their products and services. As the traffic is already generated by the fans, so they thought of doing innovative marketing and promotion of their products and services. They contributed to the premier league right from the year 2001 till 2010. Obviously, if Barclays is sponsoring such a big event then it would definitely change the preception of the people regarding Barclays banking. They are

Paper on business proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Paper on business proposal - Essay Example Most of the organizations utilize financial, informational, material and human resource to run their business. In most of the cases it has been seen that were there is disorientation and mismanagement of human resource, problem occurs and other resources are also not properly utilized. In this study the focus would be on the difficult problems that business organizations encounter on daily basis. It has been noticed that these problems are usually those whose solutions are not so easily identifiable or they involve some form of controversy. Keeping in mind such issues, the study would begin with the discussion of the organization and its various day to day functions, the resources required for such functions, and the role of human resource in such situations. In order to describe the organization problems and discuss other significant aspects related to the functions and operations, a very famous Chinese home appliance company, Haier has been chosen. Though Haier has a stable positio n in the market and it is a very well-known brand, yet big organizations are bound to face difficult situations every day, which we are going to focus in this study (Haier lnc, 2012). Business Organizational Problems Companies and organizations around the world are continuously striving to examine and improve their ways of conducting business, so as to introduce multi-business model that would derive a good profit in the long run. The strategy implementation process is still the same in most of the organizations. It includes methods related to the implementation of organizational design, combining the organizational structure, control and strengthening the culture of the organization for smooth functioning of the multibusiness model concept in the organization for increasing the profitability. In order to assess the problem areas, it is very important to understand the organizational structure and the components that comprised of the framework of the organization, the shape of the o rganization, such as tall or short. This helps a lot in determining the problem areas in organization. Next we come to integration of different approaches, different structures, business or regulations within the organization. This is also important because it assists in determining when did the problem occur or might occur in near future. Then in case of re-engineering the organizational structure of functions we can notice that unidentified issues come up which even the management could not handle in the right manner (Ziegenfuss, 2001, p. 7-8). It has been noticed that organizational structure or financial issues are not always the root cause of the problems in the organization. Organizational culture is very important and it has been observed that every organization has its own unique set of culture, which differs from the other. Now based on the discussed reasons behind the organizational problems, we are going to understand the organizational problems of Haier, a famous Chinese home appliance. The first problem in Haier is regarding managing the human capital of the organization. In Haier even the exceptionally skilled employees are not rewarded adequately or motivated for his or her good work. Though the management considers it to be a part of their company policy, but it is proving itself as a bad employer among the human resource. Moreover, the approach of the company is to focus on individual efforts and performance, so there is no

Personal statement for master in business administration

For master in business administration - Personal Statement Example For me giving back to the community is very important, thus I was highly involved in volunteer work. Some of the places in which I volunteered include the House of Care of the Elderly, Handicapped and Orphans, Al hajj services, Al-Mataf company, and KAU Research Endowment Fund. I learned from my volunteering experiences the value of collaboration and teamwork. During my college years I also dedicated a portion of my time towards working. I worked as a summer trainee in Saudi Aramco for two months in the supplier performance unit. Another work experience that I had the opportunity to complete was working as a call center reservation agent in Makkah Clock Royal Tower. These two work experiences taught me the importance of being disciplined. They also help me improve my written and verbal communication skills. As a student I also knew that it was important to learn English. I completed level 112 in the intensive English program from ELS. All these experiences have prepared me to become a graduate student in business. I want to pursue an MBA because I realized that in todays competitive job marketplace a bachelors degree is not sufficient move up the corporate ladder. One of my long term goals is to reach the managerial level. To be a good manager a person needs to have a solid educational background. Enrolling in a business graduate program will open the doors of opportunity for

Vancomycin and Preventing Infections Dissertation

Vancomycin and Preventing Infections - Dissertation Example Fig. 1: Tricyclic glycopeptide structure of vancomycin (Ouelette & Joyce, 2010, p. 207) The three-dimensional structure of vancomycin forms a cleft that allows it to bind to late stage PG intermediates that have a D-alanyl-D-alanine terminus (Corey et al., 2012). Vancomycin is selectively toxic since the sequences L-aa-D-aa-D-aa of the peptide PG intermediates are only found in the cell walls of bacteria. Fig. 2: Figure showing the PG intermediates and vancomycin with its cleft where it binds to the D-Ala-D-Ala terminus (Corey et al., 2012, p. 138) Hydrogen bonding between the vancomycin glycopeptide molecule and the peptides of PG intermediates results in the formation of stable complexes (Reynolds, 1989). This in turn leads to the inhibition of transglycosylation and transpeptidation reactions by two important enzymes as they fail to bind to the terminus due to steric hindrance. Because of this, the elongation of the glycan chain is inhibited. The mechanism of action of vancomycin thus involves the binding of a â€Å"bulky inhibitor† (vancomycin) to the substrate (D-alanyl-D-alanine terminus) outside the cell membrane because of which the active site of two bacterial enzymes (transglycosylase and transpeptidase) cannot align and bind to the substrate. This unique mechanism of action of vancomycin renders drug resistance by most bacteria difficult, unlike most other antibiotics (Reynolds, 1989). Vancomycin Usage Vancomycin is used to treat severe infections such as pneumonia, endocarditis, abscesses, and empyema caused by MRSA, and also for the treatment of patients allergic to cephalosporins and penicillins (Ouelette &... Significant information exists for vancomycin use in the hospital setting, but not so much for outpatient and use in the community setting. Challenges to proper usage of vancomycin may be caused due to lack of patient education, minimal studies in relation to patient education and improper compliance with best practice guidelines. Healthcare workers can sometimes lack proper understanding on correct dosage for patients. After extensive literature review, it is clear that improper preventive application or incorrect utilization of vancomycin may lead to the increased incidence of vancomycin resistant bacteria. It is thus imperative for healthcare institutions, healthcare workers and patients to comply with best practices regarding treatment with vancomycin as it is one of the few remaining antibiotics that can be used for the treatment of infections with multiple drug resistant bacteria or in patients with allergies to other common antibacterial agents.

Surrogacy Legalisation in Australia Essay Example for Free

Surrogacy Legalisation in Australia Essay Women usually become a surrogate mother because they receive compensation in one form or another from doing it; others do it because a family member cannot produce a baby of their own. Homosexual couples tend to use surrogacy as an option to have a child of their own, as compared to adopting a child. Due to commercial surrogacy being illegal in Australia, it has driven homosexual couples to other countries such as India where the surrogate mothers are not as healthy as the ones in Australia. Commercial surrogacy should be legalised in Australia so people of all sexualities do not revert to other countries where poor women are exploited and help protect the legal status of children there. (Esther Han, December 9, 2012, Sydney Morning Herald) Through surrogacy, couples of either heterosexuals or homosexuals are able to have a family of their own if they cannot produce one for themselves. There are two types of surrogacy; traditional and gestational. A traditional surrogate is a woman who donates her own egg and then carries out the pregnancy. Their egg is donated from their own body with the sperm of the father or the sperm from a donor. A gestational surrogacy is when the surrogate isnt biologically or genetically related to the child that she is carrying. Through the process of in vitro fertilization, the carrier becomes pregnant. This fertilization is where an embryo or several embryos are created from the eggs and sperm of the intended parents are implanted in the uterus for the gestational period of 40 weeks. As in the grounds of nature it takes a man’s sperm and a womans egg to create a baby, it makes it impossible for homosexual people or couples to conceive a baby of their own and therefore surrogacy is an option for them. In gestational surrogacy, there is no direct genetic impact on the baby from the surrogate mother and there is no DNA from the surrogate mother to the baby. This is because the embryotic sack that the baby is in has already got the DNA from its’ mother and father through the in vitro fertilization procedure. However, if the surrogate mother is not getting enough nutrients in her diet or if she were to drink or take drugs, this would affect the health and development of the baby as if it would a traditional surrogacy. Homosexual couples tend to go for surrogacy as opposed to adoption due to the fact that many homosexual couples want a baby that is created from their own DNA (because they cannot create their own with a woman) and not bring up someone else’s child through adoption. Not only because of these reasons do they tend to go for surrogacy, but also because adoption for homosexuals either in a relationship or not and single people has now become prohibited in almost every country in the world. There are a few concerns that do influence the decision on whether a homosexual couple adopt (if they were able to in that particular country) or apply for a gestational surrogate. Some of the concerns that they have with adoption is that some mothers decide to change their minds at the last minute and keep their baby instead of giving it to the adoptive parents. The costs that are involved with adoption and surrogacy are around the same amount of money to pursue; so many homosexual and heterosexual couples tend to go for surrogacy because even with the slight price increase of surrogacy, the couple would have a baby that is created from their own DNA. For the homosexual couple however, the DNA would come from one of the parents (Janna Herron, Bank Rate, 2013). In Australia, the current laws have stated that commercial surrogacy is illegal. However, there is no current law that states in Australia that non-commercial surrogacy also known as altruistic surrogacy is illegal. According to the Surrogacy Act of 2010, any parties can enter into a non-commercial/altruistic surrogacy agreement regardless of their sex and relationship status. The surrogate mother of the intending parents is not allowed to receive money or any compensation from the intending parents, but are allowed to have any medical expenses that are related to the baby be compensated for by the intending parents. For a homosexual couple, finding a willing surrogate mother in Australia who doesn’t want to be compensated more than what the law states is almost impossible to find, and this therefore leads homosexual couples to apply for surrogacy in other countries such as India. Each year, India produces hundreds of babies through commercial gestational surrogacy to intending parents all around the world. A vast amount of these babies from India go to intending homosexual couples of Australia. Just before Christmas last year, India changed their law for surrogacy to now exclude homosexuals, singles and people of all genders that are in a de facto relationship. This new law has been put into place because there are people who access surrogacy, rather than assisting the surrogates and the way in which surrogacy is done (Janna Herron, Bank Rate, 2013). This new law in India has affected homosexual couples especially because they can no longer apply for commercial surrogacy because they no longer fit in with the new criteria. These laws have been passed because of the controversial issues that may occur and the psychological issues that child may receive from having two parents of the same sex raise them. There are many controversial issues with being in a same sex relationship, including that of same sex rights and children. Children are an important aspect of many people’s lives. One of the issues that have arisen is whether a child who is raised from same sex parents will suffer from psychological abnormalities or development issues. Studies have shown from The American Psychiatric Association that there are no development issues or differences between children who have been raised by either homosexual or heterosexual parents. The child’s intelligence, psychological adjustment, popularity with friends, development of social sex role identity or development of sexual orientation has not been negatively affected or influenced due to their parents’ sexual origin as many stereotypes may point out. Another controversial issue that same sex couples face is the nature vs. nurture theory. Some people believe that if a man and a woman cannot produce a baby of their own, then they should therefore not be having children. This same theory applies to homosexual couples. In the eyes of society, if a homosexual couples cannot produce a baby naturally, than they should not be allowed to participate in the surrogacy scheme. This shouldn’t be the case for anyone, homosexual or not (Surrogacy Controversy, 2009) Controversial issues aside, should the legalisation of commercial surrogacy for heterosexuals and homosexuals in Australia occur? The answer is yes. Homosexuals should be allowed to access commercial surrogacy in Australia because we know the environment the women are living in is much more sanitised and cleaner as opposed to the third world countries such as India where intending same sex parents have had to resort to in order to have a baby. The surrogate mothers of Australia should be allowed to be compensated for the physical hardships and mental discomforts that she may endure. Studies have shown that no mental development issues have occurred from children who have same sex parents and there are no negative effects on the children. Everyone has the right to have a child and by legalising commercial surrogacy in Australia, more people will be able to have the families they’ve always wanted instead of having to meet the new criteria of the Indian laws. And sure, two daddies cannot give a child a mothers’ love but they can definitely give them double daddy love and in the end all that matters to a child is that they are loved by their parents; even if that happens to be two mums or two dads (Rosemary Odgers and Margaret Wenham, Courier Mail, February 10,2010). Reference List; †¢ Esther Han, December 9, 2012, Sydney Morning Herald, accessed Thursday 22nd May, 2013) lt; http://www. smh. com. au/national/call-to-reform-surrogacy-laws-20121208-2b264. htmlgt; †¢ Farlex Inc. 013, The Free Dictionary, accessed Friday 10th May, 2013 †¢ Kerry Brewster, 2013, ABC News, accessed Friday 10th May, 2013 †¢ Professor Jenni Millbank, 2013, ABC News, accessed Friday 10th May, 2013 †¢ Janna Herron, Bank Rate, 2013, accessed Friday 17th May, 2013 †¢ Surrogacy Act of Australia, 2010, accessed on Friday 24th May, 2013 †¢ Surrogacy Controversy, April 2009, accessed Sunday 26th May, 2013 †¢ Rosemary Odgers an d Margaret Wenham, Courier Mail, February 10, 2010, accessed Sunday 26th May, 2013

An analysis of Danish culture and tradition

An analysis of Danish culture and tradition My great, great grandfather, Paul Christian Lautrup, a single, caucasian man of 35, migrated from Denmark to the United States. He came from a wealthy family originating in the Danish culture and was educated to become an architect. He was expected to continue in the occupation that his nuclear family had persuaded him to train for in order to be kept in the family will. If he were to move away and not pursue the career that had been expected of him, he would be removed from the family will and lose all his inheritance. Against his familys wishes, he chose to leave Denmark to escape their career demands and to pursue his own interest. He moved to the United States in 1880 to follow his dream of becoming an actor. He made Washington DC his home, where he met his wife Delia whom he had 6 sons with. Unfortunately, he did not succeed in becoming an actor and settled for becoming an architect in the US. This is rather ironic, because he ended up moving away from Denmark and losing all his inheritance only to become an architect in another land. (Lautrup, Paul). Denmark is a small nation nestled within the Scandinavian countries located on the European continent. Denmark, also known as the Kingdom of Denmark, has a tiny population of roughly 5.3 million citizens with only a 69km land border that is shared with Germany; this is the only land connection that Denmark has with Europe through its only peninsula and largest region, called Jutland. Also, Denmarks main realm has 5 major islands, which support most of Denmarks population, accompanied by 406 minor islands. Only around 90 of the 406 minor islands of Denmark are known to be inhabited. Also, Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) They are both located in the Atlantic Ocean and considered to be autonomous regions within the Kingdom of Denmark; both have very small populations under 100,000 citizens. Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and is the nations largest city. Copenhagen is also the biggest and most modern city in all of Scandinavia. Scandinavia includes the countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Over 70% of Denmarks population lives in an urban environment, while most of the population consists of people of Danish ethnicity, although there are a growing number of immigrants from Asian and African nations. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) The North Sea is to the west of Denmark and the Baltic Sea is to its east. Denmark is separated by its northern, neighboring, Scandinavian nations of Norway and Sweden by the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits. Sweden, the second closest neighbor to the Danes is cut off from Denmark by only 5km of water named the Oresund strait. Denmarks climate is humid and chilly during the winter, with an average temperature of 34 degrees F and during the drier, summer months, the temperature averages 72 degrees F. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Denmark has gently rolling hills with fertile soil that are at a close range to sea level with no true mountains throughout the nation. There are many lakes, rivers, streams and moors, which create an ideal environment for agricultural prospects. There are no extreme changes in climate due to the Gulf Stream that flows up from the south over Denmarks western borders. Since the land is accessible to the sea, it is a prominent supplier to the ship industry is Northern Europe. Denmark has no point on its land that is more than an hours drive from the sea. There are numerous bays and inlets, which creates gainful opportunity for their prosperous shipping industries. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Some especially important Danish landmarks include: The Tivoli Park, the most popular amusement park in Denmark, Fredericksborg Castle, and The Royal Theater. Hans Christian Andersen, known for his fairytales with relatable moral teachings and Karen Blixen, known for short tales and life memoir are among many famous writers of Danish literature. Soccer is Denmarks national sport, but sailing, cycling and rowing are also Danish favorites. The national language is Danish, although, many Danes can speak English and/or German at least on elementary levels. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) The Krone is the source of Denmarks monetary exchange and the Euro has not yet been accepted, due to the nations suspicions that switching over to the Euro will have a detrimental effect on their beloved social welfare system, which the citizens of Denmark take great comfort in. Denmark maintains the oldest continual monarchy in Europe and the second oldest in the world. Queen Margrethe II is the current Queen and head of the constitutional monarchy in Denmark. She is only the second queen to rule the monarchy throughout the entire history of Denmark. The Danish community is very proud of their form of government, their royal family and their Dannebrog, which is their national flag. Danes are not a people who are easily insulted, but one way to offend them would be to criticize anything concerning their Dannebrog, royal family or form of government. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) The subsistence strategy relied upon most in Denmark today is information. Higher education, the promotion of environmentally green solutions, literature and the fine arts are all very important to the Danish people. (Bendure, Glena, and Ned Friary) Over 77.3% of the jobs held by Danes are part of the information subsistence strategy through service-related jobs. (CIA The World Factbook) Since education is paid for by the heavy taxes the Danish people submit to, it is financially obtainable for anyone with high enough scores to continue their education into any of Denmarks universities. There are 5 universities for the citizens to choose from which include: Copenhagen, Roskilde, Odense, Aaloborg and Arhus Universities. Queene Margrethe II and her son, Crowned Prince Frederik are graduates of the elite Arhus University. Danes also have the option of continuing their education by attending community colleges or vocational technical schools. Some of the occupations that Danes are going to school for include: maritime studies, nursing, physicists, architects, social services, literature, history, religion, photography, teaching or various other information service occupations. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) These jobs all rely on technology and tools such as computers, cameras, high-tech printers, internet connections, satellites, sterilized medical equipment, body-image scanners, reference texts, cell phones, writing utensils, specialized uniforms and printers are just a few examples of the many advanced tools that are necessary for these various fields of information subsistence strategies. For example, a teacher would use tools such as a blackboard, a computer projector, chalk, erasers, videos, books and printers in order to relay information to teach her class a particular subject. Of course, these types of tools and technology are used all over the nation in rural and urban areas, but perhaps slightly more in the densely populated regions. Division of labor can be divided up in a number of ways in regards to the information subsistence strategy. For example, a dean of a college may oversee that the college professors are following the guidelines for teaching classes from the code of ethics in their employee handbooks. The professors oversee the progress of skills and information learned by his/her students. The students attempt to maintain good grades in their class by completing all their schoolwork to the best of their ability. Division of labor usually depends on the socioeconomic status and education acquired. However, in Danish society, social caste or social status does not create an obstacle in regards to whom can do what type of career. The citizens have a silent understanding amongst one another that every individual within the nation is important and should not be treated differently whether the citizen is a doctor or a trash man. The opportunity to pursue an information career is equally welcome to men and women; gender does not hinder occupational roles in Danish society. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) The second most important subsistence strategy amongst Danish society is industrialism in which some 20.2% of the population is employed. (CIA The World Factbook) Some examples of the products manufactured are ships, boats, ceramics, silverware, furniture, chemicals, paper, fish products, dairy products, canned ham, electronics, textiles, concrete, marine engines, radio and communication equipment, toys, glass, pharmaceuticals, agriculture/forestry machinery, electrical products and diesel engines. Most of the industrial facilities that produce these Danish goods are located in more urbanized areas throughout the country. Many of these products require special skills used by laborers that have been trained at either a vocational school or through a type of apprenticeship training program paid for by the Danish government. Particular tools and equipment are necessary for creating these products that can include: pulleys, compressors, mixers, castes, hammers, nails, scissors, ovens, k ilns, saws, test tubes, Bunsen burners, beakers, glue, electrical wiring, assembling machines, counting machines, computers, charts, slicing equipment, turbines, converters, nets, sails, anchors, food processors, milking machines and generators. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) For instance, if a plant is producing paper products, large, metal rollers, would need to be used in order to press the paper into the desired thickness. Also, mixers would be used to stir and prepare the paper pulp in order to pour it into the appropriate screening containers. A specialized machine would be necessary to wrap the finished paper product for distribution and sale. Distribution of labor depends on experience, skill level and seniority of the workers involved in the particular industry. Owners of factories and heads of departments oversee the quality and efficiency of production, which is reported from the supervisors. Supervisors organize, direct and monitor manual labor workers in their duties. Manual labor workers attempt to create products at a company-desired rate and quality, while not bearing the responsibility of their overseeing their co-workers. The third of the most important subsistence strategies used in Denmark consists of agriculture. The main products grown in The Kingdom of Denmark include: sugar beets, barely and wheat, grains, rapeseed, fruits, vegetables and flowers. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Agriculture is most commonly practiced by only 2.5% of the population and is normally achieved in rural areas of the country. (CIA The World Factbook) Training apprenticeship programs and information passed down through family generations are used to teach agricultural methods. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Some technologies used for agriculture include items such as combines, separating machinery, generators, irrigation systems, planting machinery, tractors, plows, fertilizing distributors, storage units and computers for analyzing crop quantity and quality. Irrigation systems are used to water the large expanse of crops, plows are used to till the land for preparation of planting seeds and computers are used to keep record of seasonal harvest yields and perhaps even profit margins. There are over 60,000 family-owned farms in Denmark (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) and the division of labor is shared by the family and or corporation that own the farms along with the hired employees who are used for cleaning and fixing equipment, sorting crops, running machinery, irrigation and maintaining the health of the crops. The family or corporation of the agricultural operation oversees the employees or hires a supervisor(s) to ensure that the agricultural laborers are working efficiently. The supervisors or owners of a farm may calculate the quantity of crop and the value it yields per season. The agricultural land owners or supervisors also may keep track of the laborers improvement or lack of effort on the job. The farm laborers will tend to any manual labor that the agricultural operation needs completed while only having to be responsible for their individual production. The division of labor in agriculture is based mostly on skill, seniority and ownership. The fourth most important subsistence strategy in Denmark is pastoralism of which is included in the 2.5% of the nations population that maintains a career in agriculture. (CIA The World Factbook) The animal goods raised and produced in the Kingdom of Denmark include: canned ham, butter, cheese, fish oil, fish meal and milk through the use of fish hatcheries and typically family-owned farms. As in the agricultural subsistence strategy, pastoralism is either passed down through families or learned through an apprenticeship training program. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Some tools used for pastoralism include: fences, watering/feeding troughs, barns, herding rods, milking machines, slaughtering equipment, medical tools, labels, hoof clippers, lead ropes, halters, hoses, generators, heaters and computers. Fences are used to keep the livestock confined to a desired location, animals are put in barns to protect them from predators and the occasional harsh outdoor elements and heaters may be used in the barns to keep a sustained temperature that is more suitable for the livestocks health. As in the agricultural subsistence strategy in Denmark, the division of labor amongst workers in pastoralism is based on skill level, seniority and ownership. For example, the owner of a herd of swine may hire a supervisor or herd manager in order to keep track of the manual laborers and also the efficiency of herd quality, health and maintenance. The owner of the swine operation may calculate yearly profits, upkeep costs and decide what to pay employees based on their skill levels. The employees without management skills, the hired hands or basic herd tenders will be responsible only for the safety, feeding and order of their set group of livestock that they are to have authority over. Denmark has a centralized political organization and maintains a constitutional monarchy as a political model. A constitutional monarchy can only be led by offspring of the current king or queen after he or she is deceased. It is a requirement for the king or queen of Denmark to be a member of the national church. A single-chamber parliamentary runs hand-in-hand with the constitutional monarchy. The prime minister, currently known as Lars Lokke Rasmussen, leads Denmarks political organization with the indirect support of all 179 parliament members and direct assistance from the cabinet ministers who lead numerous political departments throughout the nation. Voting age in Denmark is 18 and all parliament members are elected for a term of 4 years, unless state minister forces a new election before the 4 years is completed. It is the duty of the members of parliament to come to consensus on decisions to enact or not enact new legislation and the duty of the prime minister to carry the d ecision to action, however new legislation cannot be enacted fully until Queen Margrethe II writes her finalizing signature on it. There are typically around 12 political parties that make up the single-chamber parliamentary system of the Danes. The top 2 of these major political parties consist of Social Democrats and Liberals-a right-of-centre part. Social Democrats seem to be the most popular considering the fact that they are tied heavily to the belief that all Danish citizens should be granted security by maintaining the comforts of social-welfare programs, but of course, these are safety features only made possible by very high taxes to the Danish people. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) The royal constitutional monarchy headed by Queen Margrethe II has control of the executive powers, while legislative powers are for the most part, granted to the parliament and judicial powers are carried out by the courts of Denmark. Denmarks military branches include: a home guard, an air force, a navy and a national rescue corps. Military members are usually enlisted for 4 months to a year of service. During war times, the Danish military acquires 58,000 members, but during peace times, there are roughly fifteen thousand participating members. The Danish military ranks are usually based on mandatory enrollment in order to be ready when an emergency arises. Denmarks police force has about 10,000 law enforcement officers who are known for their more civilized, calmer approaches to domestic disputes by using advanced communication skills and maintaining close, positive relationships with the overall communities they work in. (HOG, ERLING, and HELLE JOHANNESSEN) One form of internal political control in Denmark is the enforcement of laws through the judiciary court systems. Although, crime in Denmark is very low and it is not normal for a Dane to even consider breaking the basic laws of the land. An example of externalized political control would be the decision of the Danish Parliament to not accept the Euro as Denmarks new currency, even though Denmark is a member of the European Union. Internalized political responsibilities of Denmarks parliament involve the maintenance of social welfare programs that protect all Danish citizens regardless of socioeconomic status. The externalized responsibility of the parliament consists of maintaining peaceful political connections with the European Union and other nations in regards to preserving a secure way of life for its citizens and also keeping a cohesive relationship with national allies for added protection. After all, Denmark is a very small nation and it would be beneficial to preserve as mu ch peace with as many nations as possible. (Bendure, Glena, and Ned Friary) The economic system of Denmark is based on negative reciprocity due to the use of capitalism throughout the nation. Capitalism is used by the Danes to generate profit through sales of products from private businesses and corporations to customers. Redistribution is also used throughout the Danish culture in the form of health care and educational needs. Danish pay high taxes that allow them to enjoy the freedoms of free health care and education of any type. This allows the Danish citizens to give and take as they need, for example, all citizens are taxed regardless of how much income they generate, but it is possible that not all of them will use the free education opportunities or the free health care services during their lifetimes. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Market exchange is also used through capitalism in Denmark in regards to having the freedom to set up a private business and gain profit from it without limit, which is a prime example of capitalistic market exchange. Denmark uses both socialism and capitalism, but the predominant economic system would have to be capitalism. This is true, because Danes are free to pursue their own interests through careers that will allow them to generate profit without limit to the individual. Although, socialism is prevalent in the way Denmark controls and maintains social welfare for the citizens in order to provide free and easily accessible, equal-quality health care and education to all Danish citizens regardless of social or economic status, gender, religion or ethnicity. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) The primary economic sector, which involves extraction of resources form the land, also known as mainly agriculture in Denmark, makes up 2.5% Danish employment. (CIA The World Factbook) A few of Denmarks exports consist of canned ham, butter, cheeses, beer and processed fish products of which are brought forth through agriculture, pastoralism and industry. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) The nations secondary economic sector, which involves processing of goods, also known as industry makes up 20.2% of the Danish workforce. (CIA The World Factbook) Denmark manufactures machinery, chemicals, furniture, electronics of which are exported all over the world. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) The tertiary economic sector, which involves services, makes up 77.3% of the working Danish population. (CIA The World Factbook) A few of Denmarks popular service industry jobs are found in the fields of architecture, nursing, teaching, physics, environmental science, literature and social sciences. Denmark enjoys the highest Gross Domestic Product in Europe and maintains one of the highest standards of living for its citizens compared to all nations in the world. Unemployment is very low and over half the country is employed with the reassurance that health care and education will not be a challenge to pay for. Denmark relies heavily on the income from its exports and puts a great deal of value on maintaining its social welfare programs. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Denmarks most common religious organization is Evangelical Lutheran, of which over 90% of Danish citizens belong to. Evangelical Lutheran is a denomination that is part of a national church, supported by the state called the Danish Peoples Church. Only about 5% of Danish people actually attend church weekly; most Danes only participate in church services during important religious holidays such as Christmas or Easter. Evangelical Lutheranism is a monotheistic religion, which means that they worship only one god. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Other religious organizations that exist in Denmark consist of Catholicism, Judaism and Islam, which also practice monotheism. Also, a small percentage practice forms of religious organizations such as Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism, which promote polytheism, the worship of many gods. It is ironic that the overall Danish society does not have a strong faith in the god or gods of their religious choice, yet at birth most of the country is automatically enrolled as a member of the national church, also known as the Danish Peoples Church. Their enrollment is expected unless they belong to a religion other than Evangelical Lutheran. It is a requirement that the current king or queen of Denmark be a member of the Evangelical Lutheran religious organization. (HOG, ERLING, and HELLE JOHANNESSEN) Danish churches are typically located in close proximity to all Danish towns and are encompassed by graveyards. Evangelical Lutheran religious organizations have sermons and worship in churches on Sundays. Their ceremonies include a minister, a servant, an organist and a cantor. Evangelical Lutheran important ritualistic ceremonies include: weddings, confirmations, funerals and baptisms. It is expected that most Danish churches have fairly low attendance rates during Sunday services. (HOG, ERLING, and HELLE JOHANNESSEN) Throughout the Danish social organization, monogamy, the practice of marriage to single spouse, is the most accepted and nationally predominant form of union. Marriage is important in regards to the most common form of religion in Denmark, Evangelical Lutheranism, yet because Danes are not known for being highly involved in the practices of their religious organizations, there is a loose view on marriage and when it should be chosen, if at all. It is common for a Dane to cohabitate for years, have offspring and not be married until many years after. Therefore, it is not uncommon for Danish households to have illegitimate children born outside of wedlock. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) If Danes do decide to marry, it is usually not until they are in their very late twenties or early thirties. Danes do not participate in arranged marriages, an event where parents choose a marriage partner for offspring, instead, single Danes choose their own marriage partners through the anthropological term love match. Endogamy, marriage created within ones own organized cultural group, is practiced in Denmark as well as exogamy, marriage outside ones own organized cultural group. Most often, Danes marry other Danes of their own ethnicity, yet those who choose to marry outside of Denmark or ones ethnicity is not condemned within the Danish societal organization. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Post-marital residence, pertaining to where a bride and groom reside after their marriage ceremony, only pertains to the Danish societal organization in the sense that marriage partners typically practice neolocal forms. A neolocal form of post-marital residence can be defined as the event of taking residence in a home that is set apart from the married couples families. Other forms of post-marital residence, such as patrilocal, the act of a married couple living close to or with the married males family of his father, or matrilocal, the practice of both marriage partners residing with or in close proximity to the married females family of her mother, are not commonly practiced. Marriage in modern Denmark societal organization, is not required, nor is it a high priority. (HOG, ERLING, and HELLE JOHANNESSEN) Therefore, post-marital residence is not of great importance, It is only on a neolocal sense, considering that Danes learn to be very independent at a very early age, while maintaining a close-knit family on an emotional level. The most important family type for Danes is the nuclear families containing dependent children, a wife and a husband. Even though the idea of marriage in the Danish societal organization is very loose and laid-back, out of all couples living together in Denmark, most of them are in fact married. Extended family, consisting of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and other individuals with marriage or blood relating them, are also important, but not as high a priority as the nuclear family. Most Danish nuclear families are small, having two or less dependant offspring. Privacy is valued greatly by Danes, especially when it comes to the nuclear familys home. It is rare for a Danish family to invite a guest to their home whom they have not known for a great while . (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) Each of the nuclear family members generally has their own private room in the home along with the rooms for meeting, such as the kitchen and larger family rooms. In Denmarks societal organization, descent is traced by using a lineage, which is used by connecting all ancestors back to a single, original ancestor. Descent in Denmark is traced in this way, because last names are important links to ancestry. Although last names are taken from the male within a married couple, patrilineal descent, tracing only by acknowledging male individuals as ancestors, is not used, because all genders are included when tracing Danish ancestry. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) When referring to kin, relatives connected by marriage or blood, Danish citizens value ties with both the mothers and the fathers side of the family, which is called bilateral kinship. Bilateral kinship is important for Danes, because both nuclear and extended family, regardless of mother or fathers side, builds a cohesive unit of strength emotionally, sometimes financially and offers support that is not commonly expected outside of family ties. National polls and summaries do not generally include information in regards to socio-economic classes, instead Denmarks citizens are divided up into 5 social layers. These social layers consist of subcategories within each layer. (HOG, ERLING, and HELLE JOHANNESSEN) The first social layer consists of corporate owners, employees of the educational system and anyone that has over 50 workers. The second social layer involves academically professional owners of businesses, agricultural owners with at least 4 employees and corporate owners that have over 6 workers. The third social layer includes small business owners, individuals with employment that calls for special skills and agricultural owners with a limit of 3 workers. The fourth social layer is made up of employees containing academic training, owners of small plots of land and experienced employees. The fifth social layer consists of employees with no special skills or experience. (HOG, ERLING, and HELLE JOHANNESSEN) Denmark, as a social organization, is very tolerant of other peoples ways of perceiving life and is considered to be outgoing and well-educated. Danes are very accepting of homosexual marriage and equality of the sexes. Denmark was the first European nation to allow for legal gay marriages within its borders offering homosexuals the majority of rights granted to straight married couples. Danes are very conscientious when it comes to preserving a clean, toxic-free environment. (Bendure, Glenda, and Ned Friary) A recent news article summarizes a protest put on by Greenpeace activists at the Environment Ministry in Denmark. This article was used for this research paper, because Danes are very involved in environmental policies in regards to keeping the planet as clean and sustainable as possible. The article was personally interesting, because Denmark is one of the most environmentally conscious nations on the planet and I was curious to see how they react to the disposing of harmful waste products. The Greenpeace activists were protesting the transport of a poisonous pollutant called HCB from an Australian company named Orica. The Kommunekemi in Nyborg, Denmark is one of a small number of companies in the world that is able to incinerate the hazardous carcinogen, HCB. The Greenpeace activists argued that hazardous waste materials should be incinerated closer to the point to which they are processed. This is just one of many examples of the Danish cultures desire for a cleaner and greener pl anet. (Greenpeace Goes Aloft to Protest Transport from Down Under) Danes are also known to love their most famous amusement park, Tivoli. This amusement park is located in Copenhagen and is the most popular attraction in Denmark. The park was built in 1914 and maintains a dà ©cor and cuisine that is based on the historical, traditional Danish culture of the time the park first opened. Some Danes pay the parks entry cost just to eat at a few of the thirty-seven restaurants within the park. The park has roller coasters, games, gardens and various amusements and entertainment. (Copenhagen, Denmark) Danish people are in love with the concept of social gatherings combined with eating and the two almost always go hand-in-hand. It is customary for a Danish household to always have tea, chocolates, pastries and cheese just in case guests arrive unexpectedly. Their meals often consist of three or more courses and it is considered a crime to oneself to not savor and take time to enjoy ones meal. Danes love rich, whole foods of which often include broiled or marinated fish, thick and creamy cheeses, hearty breads, substantial gravies and delectable deserts. Hot tea is often served with milk and honey and it is customary to leave the last bit of food in a main communal dish when eating. This is a symbolic action of politeness to show that nobody is selfish or rushed during the meal. The Danish culture is known for being one of the happiest cultures on earth. They are generally friendly, warm and open to communication with strangers. Recently, Denmark has incorporated many American concepts, products, stores and fast-food conveniences into their societal organization. Unfortunately, they are also gaining a few of the health problems that are associated with the introduction of American culture into their nation. However, despite the Danes cultural borrowing, they still have a strong sense of uniqueness through a proud society that shows compassion for its citizens and welcomes visitors. (Waldron, Julie)

Workplace Observation :: essays research papers

In all the different places I have worked there has always been a dress policy. In the Army we wore BDU’S and I always had to have my hair up. When I started working as a CNA again I had to ware a uniform â€Å"Scrubs† and there again they liked are hair to be up. I think in every job setting there should be a dress code for one it will distinguish you from everyone else and it lets the employees respect their job. Language had never been a real big problem to have to censor in the jobs that I have had. I think as an adult working in a professional setting you know what to say when you can say and where you can say it. Casual dress, a workplace perk acceptable throughout corporate America, is not altogether as common in other parts of the world. . (Tatiana D. Helenius) Sloppiness in dress not only makes a bad impression, but it may cause others to question business credentials or reliability. . (Tatiana D. Helenius) "In the international arena," said DelVecchio, "the words 'conservative, traditional, and formal' still very much apply. If you are not sure, err on the side of formality. Whether in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, or South America, informality and a careless attitude will scuttle even the most talented executive.† (Tatiana D. Helenius) If it's determined among your group that negotiations will be conducted in English, be considerate by avoiding slang terms such as "in the loop," "push the envelope" and "should I CC you on that?" This advice applies to written communications such as faxes, as well. (Tatiana D. Helenius) In political terms, "conflict" refers to an ongoing state of hostility between two groups of people. (Wikipedia: Verbatim copying.) Conflict as taught for graduate and professional work in conflict resolution commonly has the definition: "when two or more parties, with perceived incompatible goals, seek to undermine each other's goal-seeking capability". One should not confuse the distinction between the presence and absence of conflict with the difference between competition and co-operation. In competitive situations, the two or more parties each have mutually inconsistent goals, so that when either party tries to reach their goal it will undermine the attempts of the other to reach theirs. Therefore, competitive situations will by their nature cause conflict. However, conflict can also occur in cooperative situations, in which two or more parties have consistent goals, because the manner in which one party tries to reach their goal can still undermine the other's attempt.

strategy :: essays research papers

The Net Comments In The Light Of The Course Concepts Angela Bennett like all of us, lives in the age of information. Every trace of her existence is computerized. Everything about her is encoded somewhere on a complex network of information. It's something Angela never thought about... until the day she was deleted. With the explosion of technological advances in the last few years, "The Net" is a story from today's headlines. It takes place in a world in which anything, from ordering a pizza to retrieving records from half-way across the planet, can be accomplished through the vast and complicated map of phone lines and computers known as the Internet; a world in which, with the right knowledge and the right program, a good cracker can log into remote computers and alter any information they choose: flight plans, medical and criminal records, top secret government information, even someone's identity. Angela Bennett, is an introverted top system analyst at Cathedral Systems. She sits at her keyboard, doing all her work by phone and modem. When she needs to eat, she uses the Internet to order a pizza. As a well-paid freelancer, she spends her days working out of her home finding flaws in and debugging new programs sent to her on disc by her employer, or tracking down viruses hacked into unsuspecting systems. At nights she is "chatting" with other friends from the cyberspace on the 'Net'. She's quite happy with her somewhat lonely routine, until the very life she's made for herself, her whole life, in fact is snatched away from her with the stroke of a single key. This pushes her headlong into the middle of a murderous web of corruption and conspiracy. The only time Angela gets out of the house is when she goes on a vacation to Mexico, and even then, she has her laptop with her. However, right before heading south of the border, Angela comes into possession of a disk containing information vital to the successful criminal activity of a group of cyber-bad guys, the Praetorians. They know she has it, and will stop at nothing to get it back. Angela discovers secret information on the disk she has received only hours before she leaves for vacation. While relaxing on a Mexican beach, Angela meets a dashing fellow hacker with the style and charisma of James Bond. Unfortunately for Angela, he also has a gun, which he plans to use on her.