Campus Museum 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Campus Museum 2 - Essay Example 5. They serve not only render visible the processes that are invisible, but mediate everyday experience. Nevertheless, it is also the art to operate as lo-fi digitally storage media and distinctly tactile. The process of creating the art is through grouping 6 bits into pixel colour RGB values. This makes the images have 64 hues, which are then mapped to a custom woven colour palette. Stearns mixes eight colours of yarn on a satin weave using variations created it. On the back of the piece, the key to the patterns of bidding is given. The decoding of the original sourced binary data is achievable by the way Stearns did direct mappings from binary data to forming an image, and from the image formed to weave pattern (Doherty 1). The process that Stearns used in creating this art is complex since he translated digital data from program that are familiar such as Microsoft word. I think that Stearns is making a visual correlation between digital pixels and machine stitching while rendering impalpable digital data into physical objects. I like the piece of art because of its smooth, tender and multi-coloured

Human Resource Law - Consulting Project Paper Essay

Human Resource Law - Consulting Project Paper - Essay Example Due to these threats, organizations need to invent heavily on its human resource department. More emphasis should be put on employee related issues to protect an organization from law suits, which might even lead to collapse of a business. Dataset technology is a company which has suffered heavily due to legal suits from its employees. Dataset technologies is an organization with its roots in the US and have opened branches in other countries in the world. The company was started in 1997 as a small business unit dealing with information technology equipment. The company started with selling of computers and other computer accessories. It has now grown and, it now develops computer programs for governments and other companies. It also offers consultancy in all information technologies related problems. (Jeffers 2005) Its headquarters are based at Dallas Texas in the US. The company is not so popular in the US perhaps as a result of the fact that most of its businesses are done outside the US and specifically in Africa. The company boasts of more than 1500 employees from different origins and backgrounds. Its workforce is probably one of the most diversified in the corporate world. This has been enabled by the organization’s policy on employment where it boasts as an equal opportunity employer. Problem statement The company has suffered several losses from legal suits by its employees resulting from discrimination issues. This has given the company’s top leadership headaches for several days as the company’s reputation is on the verge of deterioration. The company also risks cancellation of substantial contracts with several governments and companies due to the law suits which could lead to massive financial loss for the company. The increase of terrorism cases in the world has led to discrimination of Arab-Americans, working with companies who have consequently engaged the company in a bruising legal tussle leading to loss of finances. The d iscrimination has also led to the company losing some of its highly qualified staffs who are of Arab- American affiliation, as well as Arab employees. Employees who are of the Muslim faith have as well reported cases of discriminations in the recent past. This has been escalated due to terrorist attacks in the recent past. Reports of harassment, intimidation and violence based on ones faith, national origin and race have also been reported. These discriminations escalated after 9/11 attacks. Employees from the Muslim faith have been demotivated due to this and are living in fear hence cannot produce as expected of them. There have been more than 15 cases reported in Dataset technologies from July last year, which is a worrying case for the company. There are cases where an employee of Muslim faith has been regarded as a terrorist. So what does workplace discrimination and harassment entail? (Jeffers 2005). Workplace discrimination and harassment Unlawful discrimination, according to the federal and state laws, arises when someone is treated less favorably than other employees in the organization due to his/her color, religion, age, nationality, disability, marital status, sex and other attributes as described in the anti-discrimination legislation. Harassment at the workplace happens when an employee is made to feel frightened, hurt or humiliated due to their race, color, religion, nationality, sex, disability,

Relationship Between Museums And The Community Cultural Studies Essay

Relationship Between Museums And The Community Cultural Studies Essay The relationship between museums and the communities they serve is a popular topic of discussion. A quick look-through of most writers pieces reveals that the present day museums have to open up the walls that lock out the surrounding societies. They have to synchronize with the representative communities if the museums have to remain relevant in todays world. The political and cultural set up of different communities across the globe is rapidly changing and if the museums mission is to respond properly to these dynamic forces, then it is their task to open arms and break hierarchical structures within their set ups in order to accommodate accurate representation of the communities. The main purpose of this paper therefore is to examine the relationship between museums and communities and to investigate how the two parties interact. In her book, Elizabeth Crooke sheds light on the intimate relationship between Museums and their publics. She asserts that community engagement is a paramount responsibility of the museum and heritage sector if the museum has to achieve its missions. Further, she says that the museum is the point of interface where the public is encouraged to learn about their histories and to understand that of others (2007). Thomas also voiced that the museum sector and communities hold a dual relationship of interdependence, although its not easy to tell which one needs the other more (2000). The public needs information and they need to be educated about their histories based on the artifacts preserved in the museum display halls. On the other hand, the museum needs the represented communities in order to justify their exhibitions. It is crystal clear. The community has a molding hand on the museum initiatives and is a great determinant of how successful the institution can be. Likewise, the muse um is a means to express the communities identity. Crooke, in her book brings out the thought-provoking aspect worth debating, Who is speaking for the community, and why (Crooke, 2007, p10), what adds even more curiosity is if their demands with regards to heritage are met. The museums intuitive role is to form identity for the communities which are also led by pursuit for heritage. Conversantly, these demands are faced by challenging, social, political and economic influences which shows that the people are getting more aware, thus the museums may need to change their approach towards serving the society by becoming accessible to a wider range of communities. This is meant to satisfy the growing need to research by the publics and is hopefully met by the intergovernmental push on the museums towards this goal. Whats a community? In effect, this is a social group that lives within a particular locality and shares a common culture, historical heritage and a common government (Hoodwink, 2005). Its very important to understand this outline therefore, especially to zoom in the activities of the museum and how they directly relate to the represented communities. However, the government has a massive impact on developments in the museum sector. Governments issue policies and guidelines to museums and heritage sector which stipulate and emphasize the roles of the museum in achievement of social inclusion and community participation. Also, the authorities push for cohesion and restoration of the society, enhanced by museum activities. These nudging policies by the government have fastened the engagement and commitment of the institutions indulgences towards improving the social order. A museum scholar, Alpha Oumar said that it is in the leaders of our village, of our cultural tradition that we work with to find a lasting solution (2002). True as he implied, that the museums can change their perceptions and develop even better models to meet on-coming challenges, and this can only be done by community involvement. In partnering with the community therefore, the museums get a guide on how to tackle issues faced by the communities. Also, just like any other community, a museum community is made up of the people who visit it, the workers and those who live around it, and also the stakeholders and those who donated part of the exhibition collections. The community involvement policy is imperative because the society shares common characteristics and attributes as well. However, the museum being a custodian of community heritage, has a responsibility to give back to the community by putting up enough effort to craft solutions for some of the problems experienced by the civic society. The strength and relevance of a museum is moreover shown in its ability to respond to community needs and how forceful it pushes for solutions beyond its faculty. Very important also as a result of community involvement, is the feedback and response from audience, ideas, views and contributions or recommendations from the people on how to serve the society better. These are invaluable proponents that the museum can only get from a motivated and fulfilled community. Museums should involve the community by conserving their heritage and through custom management, but more involvement can be achieved not only by moving closer to the people, but also by engaging in a partnership with them in the heritage programs. Also this can be more achieved for the benefit of both of them by urging the communities to display their heritage through donation of artifact collections, engaging in community projects, performing art, and exhibitions in the museum halls. The community is the mine from which the museum seeks to get information and supporting evidence and must therefore be soothed with concern and developmental initiatives. You may wonder what advantages there are in community involvement by museums. Well, there is so much to mention but this paper examines just a few. Seeking the communitys participation is an awesome approach because the public feels directly involved in decision making process especially on the use of resources. Secondly is sustainability. It would be very difficult, if not impossible, to sustain museum programs without community involvement. Also harmony and a sense of ownership is a credit to the community. When they are involved, they have a direct feel of possession of whats in custody of the museum which assures them that nothing has been stripped off their hands. It also grants them pride over their cultural heritage. Very important amongst many, is the creation of awareness. The communities involvement brings them to a focal point of appreciation of diverse cultures, some of which may be unheard of. The components contributed by different communities in a society are availed f or viewing and education of other members of the public, therefore creating an understanding amongst divergent traditions. Its explicit today that most museums are trending towards bridging the gap between them and the local communities. The prickly spot though, is how to engage these communities and to maintain the relationship. Most scholars have had their debatable suggestions, Nicholas Macho, adding that museums should positively contribute in community development by eradicating poverty and empowering them economically (2005). With that, most museums have had authority by statute to protect sites and monuments of both national and international heritage which has landed them into conflict with the local communities. Nevertheless, their mission to eradicate poverty has been perceived in activities of community involvement like employments in regional museums, involvement in community projects, and archaeological excavation activities (Abungu, 1998). Additionally, in the past, most museums would invite members of the public to participate in museum activities but its all taken a reverse turn today. Th e museums are visiting the locals and putting up programs that reach out even more to most members of the community. Education programs are also in place to reach out to the public and learning institutions which are meant to develop pride in the diverse historical, cultural and natural heritage and are designed for the suitability of all levels of learning. The cost of running a museum is relatively high in some regions and this has to be recovered through sale of entry tickets. However, today the tickets are highly subsidized by governments to encourage locals to access the facilities and educate themselves on historical and cultural legacy. Low income groups found this to be relatively high still and thought they are locked out by their inability to pay for the charges, but authorities had taken note of that. Most museums now allow locals to access the facilities at very low charges especially if they can identify themselves as groups of members with a research or learning mission. Those out of this category are also given a chance to visit the facilities free of charge on particular dates, given equal chance to learn about the historical and cultural heritage. No one is left out for that matter and the museum and heritage sector are moving on even closer each day towards a more synchronized relationship between the institutions and t he civic society. Communities play an important role in preservation of cultural and natural heritage through practice and observation of traditional practices inspired by indigenous knowledge. Since the indigenous knowledge is developed by the community and it represents and important aspect of their style of living, the museums, though some have taken the step already, should create resources that aid in research for indigenous knowledge. These should aim at collecting and preserving the knowledge of the practices by local communities. The people in the most remote areas of the society must be involved in this in order to get the most accurate documentations to be preserved in the housed of artifact. Most recently, a dispute erupted in Kenya when two communities got into dispute because of a supposedly sacred forest. Its a forest very important to the local people, the Kikuyu clan, but totally had no meaning to the neighbors who threatened to make it bald (Opondo, 2011). Its arguable, but the nation al heritage preservation authorities had clearly not educated the rest of the community about the importance of the forest to the Kikuyu clan. This forest is a place held very sacred by the community and is a site for appeasing the spirits in events of calamity, sacrificing for rain, peacemaking, and conduction certain rituals (Opondo, 2011). In effect, it is therefore important that conservation of the cultural landscapes be upheld and secured by authorities. In collaboration with the communities, most of the landscapes have been protected for their cultural and even biological value but some have still been left out. This is either because they are undiscovered or a greater wall still exists between the community and the heritage preservation institutions. In occasion, much needs to be done to pull them on board. Museums promote both cultural diversity and multiculturalism by merging different ethnic practices to suit a wide variety of members of a society. The institutions reflects an awareness of multiple cultural practices, some which are easily adopted by other societies, therefore it has to do this carefully to avoid malpractice. The art center is a point where communities come together to share ideas within the social, political and cultural context which adds great value to the mode of inter-relation between communities. Indeed, museums improve intercultural understanding and harness the community appreciation and celebration of their differences thus making the institutions a great equipment of social change. Finally, its important to note that the communities and museums have a symbiotic relationship.. Involvement of the community by the museum in its activities demonstrates the institutions invaluable role in cultural preservation and development. Traditionally, the institution would be confined to the walls of its exhibition halls, but today it goes deeper into the society to help solve issue of poverty, conflict resolution, heritage conservation, and more even about tourism. The community and the museum are two parties with equal shares of need for each other. Therefore, the community would be if involved in all the major aspects of their unitary development. First, both parties should be involved in the planning process that requires input from both of them rather than let the community come in as a substitute. This is the best way to create trust amongst them. The museum should also welcome new ideas and contributions from the public and with a sense of vision, should implement as m any of them as is possible. On the other hand, the community would be better off by letting go of the past and availing as much accurate information as possible for education of the general public. Much benefit would also be accrued if cultural artifacts are collected and displayed for viewing and education of other communities to share in the appreciation of socio-cultural and historical heritage. This can only be done if members of the community are willing to give what is required. Indeed all these activities are funneled towards a better and happier society. A community in which all the divergent members understand the lifestyles of each other without undue judgment, yet this is only possible if the people are taught about its importance, and they, together with the museums corporate to achieve a common goal. For a better community therefore, both the museum and the public have to work in cohesion because they both seek a common goal, an informed and peaceful civilization.

Of Mice And Men - Symbolism :: essays research papers

The central element of this novella is its symbolism. This novella has plenty of symbolical forms, such as people, creed, and some of the animals. Candy has several terms of symbolism, for example his disability is a symbol of the migrant workers who are just literally forgotten about, they are forgotten when they are no use to the owners. Candy’s dog is a symbol of a life only for advantage to others Lennie also for shadows this, he is belittled of his mind but enormously commented for his strength. Also he is compelled to lie about the fight he had with Curley, this is a symbol of typical male society in the, â€Å"Depression era†. Crook has many symbolical items, his disability is a symbol of his loneliness. He constantly rubs his back with medicine to inoculate to himself, this is a symbol of the pain he intakes. He is extremely lonely. His book of California rights is a symbol of power and knowledge of his rights of freedom. The neatness of his stable is a symbol that he is trying to show that he has got the same things as white people. The farm is a very important symbol in the novella it is important because it is repeated throughout the novella it is reminding the reader of the comforting dream that Lennie and George have created. It is a symbol of brotherly love. The dream in some ways is like the whole â€Å"Depression era† it reminds the reader of freedom and homely pleasure. Curley and Curley’s wife both represent evil both oppress and abuse the migrant workers. Curley especially harasses Lennie because of Lennie’s strength and how enormous he is. This is a symbol of cat and mouse. The horses rattling chains are a symbol of the slavery and lack of freedom. This symbol occurs quite often. The mouse in the novella is soft, small, this is a symbol of innocence. This for shadows Lennie he is venerable. Lennie is a symbol himself in his action towards beguiling soft things. Like when he stroked that ladies dress and she cried out rape it was a symbol of the power a white woman had then. Another example of this is when crooks said to Curley’s wife to go or he would call the boss to Curley’s wife but all she did was black mailed him by saying, â€Å"Listen, Nigger, you know what I can do if you open your trap, I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t funny.

The Hummer Campaign: An Overview

OVERVIEW When General Motors Corporation (GM) acquired the commercial marketing rights to the Hummer truck, the civilian version of the U. S. Army’s Humvee, it faced the challenge of promoting a vehicle that was never intended to be sold in high numbers. Part of the solution was to design smaller, less-expensive versions, the H2 and H3, but much of the success would have to depend on the marketing. Rather than turning to a roster of ad agencies it usually worked with, GM hired a young Boston creative boutique, Modernista! , in 2000. The initial goal of the $35 million campaign, begun in August 2001, was to establish Hummer as a luxury brand. Thus, images ofmud-splatteredHummers that played up the vehicle’s off-road capabilities were scrapped in favor of shots that made it seem jewel-like. Once the brand was repositioned, the marketers’ goal was to pitch the lower-priced H2 and H3 to a wider market, hopefully to more women. Factors such as rising gas prices and the perception that the Hummer was oversized for most consumers proved to be major hurdles for the marketers. However, by the end of 2003 the campaign had succeeded in redefining the Hummer brand, and with the introduction of the H3 in 2005, the marketers took on a new challenge: selling the Hummer to a mass market. HISTORICAL CONTEXT The Humvee was designed for the U. S. Army in 1979 by AM General Corp. , based in South Bend, Indiana. The 3. 5-ton vehicle became a star of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, spurring consumer demand for a civilian version, which was introduced in 1992 as the Hummer. It catered to an exclusive market, as demonstrated by the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the first buyers. The vehicle never received much advertising support; AM General spent less than $1 million on marketing the Hummer in 1999, when it sold about 700 of the trucks. Nevertheless, AM General did enough business to attract the attention of General Motors, and in the end bought the Hummer brand in late 1999. GM signed a seven-year contract with AM General to produce the next generation, GM-designed version, the Hummer H2 sport-utility vehicle (SUV). The agency Modernista! was hired to promote the brand. Prior marketing efforts had played up the military connection and the Hummer’s off-road capabilities, billing the vehicle as ‘‘the world’s most serious 4Ãâ€"4. ’’ Modernista! won the account because it was the only agency that attempted to fashion a wider appeal by going beyond the tough-guy, army-truck image. The principals involved in the campaign did not lack experience in selling cars. Modernista! ’s cofounder, Lance Jensen, had worked with Hummer’s advertising director, Liz Vanzura, when she was at Volkswagen of America and he was with the Boston-based ad agency Arnold Communications. Both played key roles in developing Volkswagen’s award-winning ‘‘Drivers Wanted’’ campaign. Vanzura commented that, while the Volkswagen ads were aimed at ‘‘cool, young people,’’ her new mission was to sell Hummers to ‘‘cool, rich people. ’’ TARGET MARKET Even before hiring Modernista! , GM had done a great deal of market research. According to Ted Evanoff, writing for the Indianapolis Star, ‘‘In 1999 researchers stumbled across the notion that an unlikely cross-section of America—surgeons, dot-com millionaires, rock stars, high school students, corporate execs—prized their individuality. And they regarded the rugged Hummer as a symbol of individuality, especially compared with the typical sport-utility common in suburbia. ’’ Modernista! was given 2,200 pages of market data to distill into an advertising message. The agency was also handed a brand that skewed very much toward males, averaging 50 years in age and with an annual household income of more than $200,000. The target buyer for the less-expensive H2, while still male, was 42 years old on average and had a household income above $125,000. Vanzura told Chris Reidy of the Boston Globe that the coveted audience included ‘‘rugged individualists, adventurous entrepreneurs, and adrenaline junkies. ’’ In other interviews she described the target market as ‘‘successful achievers’’ and ‘‘style leaders. ’’ She also told Evanoff that Hummer had to vie with other purchases the well-to-do might consider, such as yachts or vacation houses, stating, ‘‘We’re really not competing in an automotive category. ’ COMPETITION The yacht, vacation house, and other status symbols notwithstanding, Hummer competed in the luxury-SUV category against other SUVs, including the Lincoln Navigator, Land Rover’s Range Rover, and the Lexus LX 470. But Hummer’s chief opponent was DaimlerChrysler’s Jee p Wrangler. Boasting similar military roots but extending back to World War II, Jeep had defined the SUV category and at its height in 1993 controlled nearly 30 percent of the traditional SUV market. Over the following several years, however, the brand failed had to introduce new models, and its lessexpensive ones faced increasingly stiff competition, resulting in a severe erosion of sales. As long as Hummer was not a direct competitor, DaimlerChrysler took little notice of it, but as soon as GM acquired the right to mass-market the Hummer, DaimlerChrysler recognized the threat at the high end of the SUV category and became determined to hold on to Jeep’s reputation as the premier heavy-duty, off-road brand. The two vehicles had slightly different target markets, however. Jeep appealed to consumers who loved the outdoors and might attend one of the dozens of Jeep Jamboree off-road events held throughout the year. Typical Hummer customers, on the other hand, wanted the off-road capabilities the vehicle had to offer but were more interested in the image it created. They were as likely to drive their Hummers to an upscale mall as up a mountain. MARKETING STRATEGY In preparation for marketing the lower-priced H2, Modernista! instituted a bridge campaign, paid for by AM General, to sell the H1 while repositioning the brand. As Will Uronis, an associate creative director at Modernista! , explained to the Boston Herald ’s Greg Gatlin, ‘‘Hollywood had defined what Hummers stood for—war, explosions and arrogance . . . We just took a look at another facet of the truck. ’’ Jensen added, ‘‘We went out and talked to guys that drove them . . . they don’t all hunt and kill things. ’’ Nevertheless, Hollywood movies had done a good job of making consumers aware of the Hummer. Market research conducted in 1999 indicated that as many as one in five buyers of full-size SUVs considered purchasing the Hummer. The bridge campaign was intended to play to the ‘‘rugged individualists’’ who, research revealed, were attracted to the Hummer and to set the stage for the launch of theH2 by creating an emotional attachment to the brand that transcended the hard-edged image fostered by Hollywood. According to Evanoff, writing in the Indianapolis Star, the promotion of the H1 was intended to create a ‘‘halo’’ over the brand, providing ‘‘the foundation for a brand image that will carry the smaller H2. ’’ The first national ads for the GM-owned Hummer began appearing on August 13, 2001. It was an all-print campaign that featured photographs of the vehicle in lush locales in Chile. Not only did the pictures suggest where the H1, with its off-road prowess, could take the viewer, but they also made the big truck look small. It was the first time Hummer was not portrayed covered in mud or linked to the military. Reinforcing the visual message of the ad was the text, which included the headline ‘‘How did my soul get way out here? ’’ and the concluding text ‘‘Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere. And sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself. The legendary H1. ’’ Hummer’s longtime tagline, ‘‘World’s most serious 4Ãâ€"4,’’ was replaced by ‘‘Like nothing else. ’’ The four ads ran through the rest of 2001, appearing in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Esquire, Spin, Wired, and Red Herring. Hummer’s 50 dealers were also encouraged to use the ads created by Modernista! to bring continuity to the brand’s makeover, with some of their media costs being reimbursed by a cooperative advertising program. The H2, based on GM’s Chevrolet Tahoe full-size SUV, was introduced in July 2002. A second model featuring a small pickup bed and a cargo door was supposed to be offered at the same time, but the launch was pushed back, partly because the vehicle needed more work but also as a way to extend the marketing buzz the brand was creating. The new H2, with a base price of $48,000, was about half the price of the H1 and, despite being called the ‘‘baby Hummer,’’ essentially the same size. But it featured a smaller, less noisy gas engine rather than a cumbersome diesel one, and it had comforts and customizable options the H1 lacked but that were expected in a luxury SUV. The introduction of the H2 was supported by another print campaign developed by Modernista! While the ‘‘Like nothing else’’ tagline of the previous ads was retained, the look of the new ads was markedly different, relying on dramatic close-ups set against bold, sky-blue backgrounds. Like the first ads, the new ones ran in a wide range of magazines, with the text tailored to the publication. For example, in the Robb Report, which covered all things luxurious, the text read, ‘‘Excessive. In a Rome at the height of its power sort of way. ’’ The Vanity Fair text read, ‘‘Threaten the men in your office in a whole new way,’’ part of an effort to increase the number of women buying the vehicles. Another ad proclaimed, ‘‘Perfect for rugby moms. ’’ About 10 percent of H1 owners were women, and one goal of the H2 campaign was to increase that number to 25 percent. Outdoor ads were also produced, running in 14 major markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit. Print and outdoor ads were made available for the use of dealers. The first Hummer television ads aired in mid-August 2002. The initial three 30-second spots, intended to romanticize the truck, were shot in Iceland and in Vancouver, British Columbia, and featured both natural and urban locations. They showed friends in a Hummer speeding over the tundra of Iceland or a professional woman weaving through traffic in a city. Set to rock music, the only words in the spots were text statements such as ‘‘Maybe if you can, you will. ’ A second phase of the television campaign played on people’s perception of the Hummer as a gas-guzzling road hog. In one spot a young boy constructed a small wooden version of the Hummer to enter in a soapbox derby, while The Who’s ‘‘Happy Jack’’ played in the background and the little girl next door looked on. At the start of the big race the other boys scoffed at little Jack and his less-than-streamli ned racer, but he prevailed by abandoning the asphalt course, breaking the rules to go cross-country and win the race and the girl. Through the humor of the spot Jack was portrayed not as a blatant cheater but as a heroic iconoclast, offering subliminal reassurance to potential Hummer customers who might feel guilty about buying a vehicle that got about 13 miles to a gallon of gas on the highway. A second Hummer spot, also displaying a tough side, hearkened back to the Asteroids video game of the 1980s, with a spaceship blasting boulders only to confront an indestructible Hummer, which chased the ship off the screen. OUTCOME GM and Modernista! ucceeded in introducing Hummer to a wider market, but after a strong showing in 2003, sales began to tail off, partly because of high gas prices. To regain lost ground, in 2004 GM introduced the H2 SUT (sport-utility truck). This was followed by the unveiling in 2005 of the H3, a midsize Hummer priced from $29,500 to $32,000. Almost 17 inches shorter, 1,700 pounds lighter, and more fuel-efficient at 20 miles per gallon, it was a vehicle GM hoped women and younger drivers wo uld find more appealing. In pitching the vehicle to a mass market, Hummer and Modernista! aced a new task. Putting a positive spin on the challenge, Jensen told Jeremy W. Peters of the New York Times, ‘‘The brand has a lot of different personality levels . . . You can do the serious capability stuff, the real rough-and-tumble rock climbing stuff, the peaceful back-to-nature stuff. ’’ Industry analyst Mary Ann Keller disagreed, telling the New York Times that it was impossible to sell Hummer to the masses: ‘‘How in the world can you possibly fathom that something that looks like a military vehicle is practical for the average driver? ’’

Cracker Jack Case Analysis

The primary reason for the Borden Foods to divert itself from snacks is to emphasis its efforts and resources in the growth of their whole-wheat meal segments. Because of this valuation they had and a growth plan they had they decided to announce sale of Cracker Jack in 1997. The management team of Broaden also recognized that with the increase in competition they have not been able to successfully grow the sales figure in past five years. Also because the Cracker Jack brand has various packaging options and has been maintaining a huge product line of 32 Stock-Keeping Units (SKUs). However, currently Broaden production facility had only 32 percent of space allocated to Cracker Jack Products and has been operating at 32% of its full capacity.Cracker Jack Management believed that the broadened distribution was the most important element of their new strategy. They believed that Broaden sales force and broker/distributor network currently in use should be replaced by a direct-store-deli very sales force. It was believed that a DSD sales force would provide product placement in the grocery DSD snack aisles, which is the highest velocity snack aisles in supermarkets. However, a DSD sales force is more resource intensive than Borden’s present sales and distribution network. Borden Foods management was neither prepared to make the investment required nor equipped to handle a DSD sales force for Cracker Jack given the resource demands of other business opportunities.Problem identification and root causeFrito-Lay is the market leader in the salty snack food production having something different in their products will get a competitive advantage. Cracker Jack as a brand has a 97% awareness with people from the ages of 15 to 60 and a 95% awareness amongst the caramel popcorn users. This was a very well known brand even with a very few advertisements. There are other several reasons which is explained below why Frito-Lay decided to acquire the Cracker Jack. Frito-Lay sales and distribution team were starting to do the research as soon as the Cracker Jack acquisition opportunity became public. It was a great opportunity to fit in Cracker Jack in the existing Frito-Lay sales and distribution infrastructure. The Cracker Jack name registers virtually universal awareness and Cracker Jack has respectable brand equity due largely to its heritage and generally favorable image  foundation.It is a recognized brand with a positive reputation that has lost its momentum in recent years but still has that chance of growing to the peaks. According to the results of Simulated Test Market , almost 50% of the consumers are not buying this product because of no advertisements, non-availability in the area and product quality or value. Here is the best opportunity to improve and re gain that 50 % market share by winning over these customers. This might be one of the major reasons why Frito-Lay decided to acquire the Cracker Jack. Additionally the new division of the sweet snacks can create opportunities for the Frito-Lay by using appropriate existing distribution networks and marketing channels for the new add on product. Addition of Cracker Jack is one of the example of marketing enhancement which will create the additional retail selling points, giving Frito-Lay distribution opportunity in both salty and confectionery.SWOT Analysis Strengths Strong and Reputed Brand Name More Numbers of likes compared to dislikes of the products Brand awareness of 97% amongst the 15-60 years old A 100 years history of existence Huge room for expansion or addition of new products as has 50 manufacturing and processing plants Have tools and infrastructure to work closely with 480,000 retail trade locations weekly. Opportunities Stimulated test market Brand Extension Flavor extension Sales through different channels like small and large scale business. Weakness CJ has too many products SKU numbersThe weak financial position of Cracker Jack which incurred lo sses in 1995 and 1996 CJ increased the price of the product to maintain their net income resulting the Frito-Lay to decrease to remain competitive.Threats Competition Lack of adaptability Internal Developmental costs High price than other.Evaluation of AlternativeCracker Jacks sales will represent a tiny part of the Frito-Lay’s business currently, however the chances are high to get the numbers high from this division if proper decisions are made. Frito-Lay is the leader in the US market concerning market share and sales volume. So they can use their advertising and marketing experience to uplift CJ. CJ should be marketed as a stackable treat which is healthy as of natural ingredients like popcorn. Marketing researchers should focus on the small children as the target market as well. By launching the different sizes and convenient packages to the customers so that they can grab it and go rather than having a box. The CJ should be made available to as many stores as possible b y utilizing the same direct store delivery channels. A careful analysis has to be done to change any features like gifts in each bag and the flavor of the CJ, because that is the major point of CJ and most of the customers are attracted because of that particular features.RecommendationIn my opinion the Borden Foods will sell the company for above 30 million dollars based on the assets it has and the goodwill for the year ending 1996. However the Frito-Lay should only pay around 25 million dollars for acquisitions of the company. Because of the Cracker Jack current market shares and the popularity there is much more work needed to be done so that the product can gain the similar amount of sales figures as other general Frito-Lay products does. Also the price of the product has to be lowered to remain competitive which is another factor for Frito-Lay.

Business Proposal Persuasive Memo Essays

Business Proposal Persuasive Memo Essays Business Proposal Persuasive Memo Paper Business Proposal Persuasive Memo Paper Essay Topic: Persuasive Katricia Williams March 15 2009 Persuasive Memo Rewrite Memo To: Donee Williams From: Katricia Williams Date: March 15 2009 Re: Persuasive Memo So you are about to graduate from High school and are beginning to look for a school that is right for you. Well ask yourself this question â€Å"What about Morgan State University? † This a school that prides itself in being one of the most prestige schools in the state of Maryland. MSU is located in Baltimore city on the border of Towson. And for those students that want the full campus experience, Morgan has 4 dorms, housing apartments for athletes, and an apartment complex called Morgan View that allows students to get the off campus experience but also only be walking distance from school. Morgan has a variety of majors to choose from as well as minors. We have a wonderful Financial Aid department that is willing to work with you to make sure that you get the most out of your education without cost having to be your greatest obstacle. But not only is Morgan an academic environment, but the students no how to play as well. You can always count n the students and even faculty sponsoring or participating in some events, for example Morgan Day. This day was created as a celebration for students and faculty to flaunt they’re Orange, white and Blue, and be proud to be a Morgan Bear. So go ahead and check out or website at www. morgan. edu, there u can look up your major, and any other questions will be answered. Good Luck and hopes to see you soon. Katricia Williams Accounting Undergraduate

Country risk strategic planning Essay Example

Country risk strategic planning Essay Example Country risk strategic planning Paper Country risk strategic planning Paper Nominated for Oscar film ‘Charlie and the chocolate factory’ (2005) directed by Tim Burton, Charlie as a small kid with big mind endeavors to find golden ticket to visit chocolate factory wherein varieties of chocolates viz. , lollipop, candies, chocolate bars and chewing gum are some of favorite snack of children although lollipops are another name for ‘cavities on a stick’. In the end, Charlie owns the biggest factory of chocolates in the world. The moral that is drawn out of this film, ‘nothing is impossible’ in business in order to become rich and famous, provided with right attitude, aptitude and a bit of fortune or luck. Also in this competitive world of global business, finding an area of opportunities is also an art to establish business with perfect business plans and supporting systems. France wines are one of the oldest and most revered by Popes and Princes whether it is red wine or black wine. Further according to researchers, a good wine extends health benefits such as in reducing cardiovascular diseases and ischemic stroke. Weather and climate conditions of various countries also necessitate consumption of wine which is why wine has been the most favorite beverage of French. Mode of entry France is Europe’s biggest diversified country having 60 million population and in producing industrialized economy with a GDP of $1. 4 trillion. France has always been center for international trade and commerce frontiered by Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium. Wine Business Monthly report 2005 states that most of the successful global wineries are in U. S although France has market for domestic brands, over the years, consumers began to use wines which are imported into France and with the changing times, new flavors of wines are being introduced into the country. Strategy In France every business must be registered with the Chamber of Commerce with a qualified accountant and also get an understanding whether business is being launched as a micro business which must show a turnover of 27,000 euros per annum and it will determine tax structure. Formalities of documents and payment of cheques in euros has to be made. Further strategy to launch product in the market must be through consumer forum and surveys periodically to know the feedback from the consumers about newly introduced wines. Control and evaluation Periodical research, feedback, evaluation of performance in wine market and find local suppliers in the market who can demonstrate product with efficient strategies of marketing. Further plans must be made to make improvements in the product offering better taste and flavor as wine market in France is saturated and consumers will always on the look out for new flavors as a matter of necessity. Contingency plan Launching of new brands of wine always face a threat of rejection or failure in the market in winning the taste of consumer. R. H. Philips winery had launched four new brands whereas each brand has it own variety, purpose, unique in packing with an appropriate reason. Conclusion Scope of wine business in France is large whereas keeping French speaking staff and a professional accountant are a must to be successful in wine business in France. References Charlie and the chocolate factory (2005) Accessed on 16 March 2007 imdb. com/title/tt0367594/ Gide Loyrette Nouel, Guide to doing business in France Accessed on 16 March, 2007 lexmundi. com/images/lexmundi/PDF/guide-france. PDF A step-by-step guide to setting-up business in France Accessed on 16 March, 2007 frenchentree. com/france-employment-work-jobs/DisplayArticle. asp? ID=20546 Sales Marketing Accessed on 16 March, 2007 winebusiness. com/SalesMarketing/webarticle. cfm? dataId=44324

Analysis on Climate Change and the Deterioration of the Environment

Analysis on Climate Change and the Deterioration of the Environment In the years spanning the twentieth through twenty-first centuries, global climate change and environmental degradation have steadily worsened due to human activity. Fracking, emissions, industries, modern agriculture, and poorly managed waste are just some of the many devastating ways that the human community has contributed to Earth’s environmental decline. Evidence of climate change cited by NASA include the following: the rise of sea levels, the rise of global temperature, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, declining arctic sea ice, glacial retreat, extreme weather events, ocean acidification, and decreased snow cover (Climate Change Evidence†). These multitudes of scientific evidence support the phenomenon of global warming, making it an unequivocal occurrence that severely impacts the health of the Earth and, in turn, the well being of the global human community in its survival on planet Earth. Despite the mass amounts of evidence for climate change and environm ental degradation, there still exist populations that deny the validity of global warming on the basis of personal or religious belief. Whatever the reason for disbelief may be, the issue of global climate and environmental change does not fundamentally involve belief, but rather is a matter of scientific fact. The drastic change in the Earth’s environment is a phenomenon without borders and has induced worldwide concern. Unless more awareness is raised and greater environmental action is taken, the Earth’s environmental condition will only continue to worsen. Thus, global climate change and environmental pollution are part of an ongoing, grave, and pressing issue that demands the collective action of the international community, regardless of differing religious or ethical outlooks. That is not to say that religion cannot have a role in motivating people in taking environmental action because some religious teachings certainly do emphasize the importance of environmen tal ethics. Western religions teach that humans are to reflect the same care that the Creator has for them. For instance, the biblical teaching of mutual care for people, â€Å"love your neighbor as yourself,† and the idea of sacraments, or Christian expressions of divine love, can be geared towards care for the environment. Although religious thoughts and beliefs can influence environmental ethics, its fundamental guide must be scientific. In other words, even though religion can posit reasons for environmental action, science provides the more correct reasons and therefore, should act as the key motivator. Unlike religion, science provides universally undeniable evidence for the fragile reality of the Earth and this evidence should be the true elicitor for morally correct action in the environmental movement, demanding participation from the global community as a whole, regardless of individual moral or religious principles. Therefore, the need for environmental ethics and action owes more to the fact that it is essential for human survival than to a matter of choice or moral obligation guided by religious thought. One of the major opponents to enacting widespread and effective environmental action is social disposition, politics and legislation. Because religion is regarded with bias and controversy in the mainstream media, and thus society, it would not be substantial or appropriate as the main proponent for environmental ethics. Debate over what is right or wrong and what one religion teaches better than another would inhibit proper environmental progress. One scientific writing that did cause major social change through raising public awareness and, in turn, political action is the book, Silent spring, by Rachel Carson. In her book, Carson discusses the deadly effects of the pesticide, DDT, on the environment. She meticulously and scientifically described the process of DDT entering the food chain and building up in the fatty tissues of animals, humans included, and causing cancer and genetic damage. Expecting major reactions from chemical companies producing DDT, Carson collected a mass am ount of evidence supporting her writing that led to government investigation and ultimately the ban of DDT. One of the major legacies of Carson and Silent Spring is a new level of public awareness regarding environmentalism. With knowledge and this new awareness, everyone now had the potential to enact major social change. In chapter 17 of Carson’s book, she states the following: â€Å"We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frosts familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road — the one less traveled by — offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth† (Carson 114). Here Carson argues that, with the knowledge and awareness to act, society now needs to decide to take the appropriate action. Having the right to know, the knowledge that is needed to act, and the full ability to act are the parts of a successful formula for enacting mass environmental change. By writing Silent Spring, Carson provides the middle part of the formula, thereby changing the course of environmental activism for the better. The current environmental situation is similar to the DDT situation in that society has all the evidence it needs to act and, indeed, has made great strides in mediating the global climate change crisis. Therefore, following Rachel Carson’s model of using science to increase public awareness, modern environmental ethics has no necessity for religious guidance since morality—right or wrong—does not depend on religion, and science can provide the middle part of the discussed formula to enact social change. That is not to say that environmental ethics cannot be at least partially influenced by religious teachings, as this would not interfere with environmental action on a grand scale. Although religion should not provide the basis for environmental ethics, it certainly does have its merits in that it can motivate individuals enact positive environmental change under the moral guidance of their religions. In a lecture on religious environmental ethics by Keith Douglass Warner and David DeCosse at Santa Clara University, Warner and DeCosse discuss the environmental morals that are inherent in religious teachings. They argue that due to modernization of societies, the traditional religious attitudes toward nature have mostly disappeared. The lecture presented various writings on the issue of religious environmentalism and ultimately draws the conclusion that environmental action is an essential part of religion. Warner and DeCosse posit that western religious institutions had failed to lay out a â€Å"religious rationale for environmental protection,† but have since posited that the ecological crisis is a moral obligations for all human beings. They also put f orth the claim that environmental action is a sacrament, or â€Å"expression of divine love† since the creation of the whole world has religious significance for the religious community (Warner DeCosse). The position that is mainly argued is that the environmental ethics part of religion is something that is ancient and lost, but needs a revival to solve environmental issues in our modern world. Warner and DeCosse argue that the incorporation of environmental activism into religious teaching is a phenomenon occurring in almost every religion, but drawing general conclusions is difficult to do. This is due to the variety of religions on the planet and the fact that many religious environmental teachings and ethical practice are of a local scale while climate change is a matter of a global scale (Warner DeCosse). Thus, as this Santa Clara lecture explains, environmental ethics is an aspect of religion that has significant history. However, due to the diversity and locality of these teachings, it is difficult to draw a generalized and unified approach to solving environmental issues using religion alone. This idea of having a multitude of religious ideas within the broad spectrum of environmental ethics is explored in the article written by Jane Freimiller in the journal Capitalism, Nature, Socialism about the book Earth’s Insights: A Multicultural Survey of Ecological Ethics from the Mediterranean Basin to the Australian Outback by J. Baird Callicott. This article discusses the main points of the book: the cataloging of religious systems of thought, the provision of theoretical justification for doing so, and the report on the environmental movements that had religious backings. The article characterizes the book as a survey of world beliefs from the perspective of environmental ethics. In the discussion of the various perspectives on environmental ethics, the idea of the â€Å"shopping mall† dilemma arises, where one belief system out of the many varied beliefs in the world is picked over another in the grand goal of religious environmentalism. The solution proposed b y the book is to integrate all elements of the world’s religions and harmonize it with modern science (Callicott 152). The author of the article argues that a multicultural survey of environmental ethics, one that accounts for the differing views of several cultures regarding environmentalism, is a step in the right direction instead of formulating a new, integrated environmental ethic, as the book suggests (Freimiller). Therefore, Freimiller’s argument is convincing, as religion is so multifaceted that it is hard to unify the environmental movement under religion. Instead, a survey of world beliefs regarding environmental ethics seems like an appropriate part of the environmental solution that can incorporate religious thought, but is fundamentally scientific, as science is straightforward and universal. As demonstrated from the discussion of the two sources above, although religion can positively influence environmental ethics, it is too varied across the globe to form a consensus on environmental ethics. Thus, science would form the better basis for environmentalism as it is uniform and its proof is undeniable. The relationship between science and religion in the sphere of environmental ethics is one that carries great significance in the environmental movement. In Rebith of the Sacred: Science, Religion, and the New Environmental Ethos by Robert L. Nadeau, the author argues that to resolve the environmental crisis, it is essential that society changes its political and economic institutions as well as adapt to new standards for moral and ethical behavior. Nadeau proposes that the solution can be found if sufficient numbers of environmentally concerned people participate in the dialogue between the truths of science and religion. The truth of science, according to Nadeau is that it provides a link between the spirituality of religion and the human mind. That is, science can account for evolutionarily produced cognitive faculties that gives humans â€Å"the capacity to engage in spontaneous moral behavior and to experience the other as oneself† (Nadeau 143). Thus, Nadeau argues that m oral behavior is inherently derived from nature not nurture. In regards to the truth of religion, the author states that despite â€Å"differences in the narratives of the major religious traditions of the world, the most profound religious and moral truths are virtually identically† (Nadeau 145). Thus, Nadeau believes that all of the world’s diverse religions are interconnected and unified by the same thread of spiritual awareness. The author cited scientific research to align with this idea of common spiritual awareness when he stated the following: â€Å"Since the brain scans of the Buddhist monks and Catholic nuns were virtually identical, this strongly suggests that they were in very similar states of profound spiritual awareness.† Together, the truth of science and the truth of religion can be incorporated in Nadeau’s â€Å"New Environmental Ethos,† which is the combination of a â€Å"spiritual and physical reality†. Those who embrace this ethos, according to Nadeau, will view human pollution as immoral and see that neuroscience can explain emotional and unconscious processes that influence human behavior (Nadeau 146). Thus, Nadeau argues, science is in accordance with religious or spiritual morality as science provides the biological explanation for the neurology from which moral thoughts stem. In other words, the fundamental scientific truths are fully compatible with spiritual truths, as defined by Nadeau. However, having a common spiritual awareness across different religions may not translate to taking environmental action in the same fashion. Thus, discord can arise from differences in approaches to environmental action. This is supported by the fact that the Buddhists in the study mentioned by Nadeau sees a different spiritual being than the nuns. This may mean that the ways they worship and what they worship may differ and thus, the approach they take in environmentalism may differ. For instance, one may take direct action while the other takes on advocacy. What is essential for the health of the environment and the human population is not differing routes of environmental activism that may result in inefficiency but rather a unified, well-backed, and efficient approach that can lead to a common solution. Although Nadeau’s â€Å"New Environmental Ethos† does not necessarily conflict with the discord in differing religious views that lead to different environmental ac tion, his thesis treats science and religion as equally important components in environmental ethics, which they are not, and is not completely holistic. In his book, Nadeau states that moral reasoning is not the same as proactive moral behavior (Nadeau 147). In this sense, if science is assumed to be the basis for moral behavior, then the basis for environmental action can be mostly scientific. Then, the spiritual aspect of the â€Å"New Environmental Ethos† is simply an extraneous factor that can act as a motivator for environmental action. Nadeau’s religious environmentalism argument, which is heavy on spirituality, can also encounter a potential conflict with the atheist community. Since environmental change is a global issue, then a global solution encompassing all people must be devised. Nadeau’s â€Å"new environmental ethos† disregards atheists, which equates to disregarding the atheist community. This community makes up 11% of citizens that participated in the 2015 Gallup pole regarding religion (Losing our religion?†). Therefore, the â€Å"New Environmental Ethos† proposed by Nadeau i s not a holistic solution in that a necessitated global environmentalist approach needs to include all people, not just those who are religious or spiritual. While science is undeniably the basis of environmentalism, some may argue that religion can have a role of equal or greater importance in guiding environmental ethics. As mentioned before, various religions across the globe have long stressed environmental action and taking care of nature through religious teachings, texts, and the previously mentioned idea of â€Å"sacraments.† In Warner and DeCosse’s lecture, they also discuss a global, trans-religious phenomenon called â€Å"the Greening of Religion† in which many of the world’s religions are stressing environmental action as a moral obligation (Warner DeCosse). This similarity of environmental teaching among religions support the argument that religion does indeed have a role that is as or more important as science in guiding environmental ethics. In regards to the scientific side of the objection argument, some may say that science cannot account for morals and thus cannot account for environmental e thics. The same people may also posit that the purpose of religion is to impart moral values and thus influence environmental ethics in that fashion. That is, religious teachings influence moral values and what is right or wrong when it comes to environmentalism. In response to this argument, it is important to note that global warming is a scientific process. Without scientific evidence, there would be not enough awareness of global warming in the first place for the religious institution to call for environmental action. Though, with this scientific knowledge, religion is not necessarily essential to enact social change, as demonstrated by the impacts of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Science therefore can account for ethics and religion is not the only proponent of morality in regards to environmentalism. Thus, science is the only necessitated part of environmental ethics while religion can act as a possible secondary motivator in enacting environmental action. Through the holistic analysis of religion, the relationship between science and religion as they relate to environmental ethics, and the unified, mass social change that science alone is capable of initiating, as proven by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, it can be concluded that the fundamental guide to environmental ethics is science. Without the multiplicity of differing views and approaches that exists within religion, science can provide a clear and unified basis for environmental action for global community as a whole, regardless of individual moral or religious principles.

Week One Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week One Discussion Questions - Essay Example Without these estimates, it would be impossible for the company to make the changes necessary today to keep the companys finances on solid ground tomorrow. By the time the hard data was in, it might be too late. Many stakeholders, internal and external, rely on a companys accounting estimates as a basis for the decisions that impact their business activity. Shareholders may make a decision to buy or sell. Vendors may increase or decrease the production of raw materials. Plans for expansion may be made based on revenue estimates. For these reasons, it is imperative that the accountant provides an accurate, and ethical, estimate based on the information available. There may be a temptation to exaggerate, overlook, or manufacture the data in an effort to unfairly benefit a specific stakeholder, such as the case at Enron and its unethical practices. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed in response to Enrons unethical and deceptive estimates, now requires all publicly held companies to have a "financial expert serving on its audit committee" and have a set of "written standards reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing" (Green, 2005, p.239). 2.) Internal controls are a set of processes and procedures that a company has in place to protect and insure solid management practices, and reduce the potential for unethical activity. Internal controls help prevent a careless, intentional, or malicious act from impacting the company in a negative fashion. For example, requiring that two different people sign all checks can help prevent the unauthorized use of a specific bank account. In addition, multiple experts, that can all agree and form a consensus as to their probablility of being accurate, should review all estimates. Internal controls are generally placed at points of transactions where money and goods are most at risk. The accounts payable account could be at risk if a malicious employee manufactured false invoices to be paid to their personal account. An internal

VA Team members Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

VA Team members - Assignment Example The customers will most likely continue to do business with the company. 2.) To validate any experimental strategy so that given the time and resources it yields and an analytical result that is understandable, accurate, and defensible is important to SME analysts because if this is not done properly those in the companies who work in another department will lack understanding of what the new strategy is going to be, in testing out the experimental strategy that SME analyst is attempting to implement new strategies throughout the company, and whenever a company is experimenting with new strategies. It is best to test them out before implementing them. 3.) Constructing the site is important to an SME analyst because if the site is poorly constructed customers will not be able to use the site properly. Not only will customers be unable to use the site properly, but other members of the VA team will not be able to use it properly. If the site is used on properly, it is ineffective, and inadequate. 4.) Conducting an analysis of the information given by the VA team is important to an SME analyst the cause conducting an analysis of the information helps to implement new strategies, and the effectiveness of the strategies being experimenting throughout the company.

Strategic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Strategic Analysis - Essay Example Being in 62 countries, the company has employed over one hundred and eighty-two thousand people. They offer their services in their coffee shops, homes and even in offices. The flexibility has made them acquire the loyalty of many customers. They operate in the stock market and have the majority of the market shares (The New York Times, 2014, retrieved fromhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/starbucks_corporation/index.html ). They have a variety of brands that help meet the varying demands of customers. Starbucks operates in a highly competitive environment with many and strong competitors. The coffee business has no entry limitations and therefore competition grows each day. Despite the situation, Starbucks has managed to remain competitive and providing its customers with high-quality products. Starbucks operates well-maintained stores in terms of health and comfort (Michelli, 2007, p. 22). Their neatness maintains their customers and attracts new customers too. The management in each of the stores is strategic. They have ensured that all the services offered are premium. The managers have ensured that their customers feel that the products are adapted and personalized. The comfort in the coffee shops has made them become social places and hence, attracting many customers. The many people meeting in the Starbucks coffee shops have been their largest strong point in terms of expanding and increasing their economies of scale. The organization is very selective when hiring their staff. Well-trained employees who have a sense of customer service run the corporation. They train their employees on a yearly basis, hence growing to the world’s leading coffee shop in terms of restaurant service. Starbucks trains their employees not only to make coffee but also on service value of the corporation. This has improved their employees’ productivity and innovation capacity. They motivate their employees through provision of medical covers and

Dictionary Translates Ancient Egypt Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dictionary Translates Ancient Egypt Life - Essay Example This dictionary is said to be 2000 page, and already published online with upcoming printed copies for educational and research purposes. As revealed by scholars, this dictionary can serve as a bridge to connect the past and present Egyptian history that coursed throughout time. This translation of symbols makes history become clearer in understanding their ancient lives in terms of religion, racial, commercial, cultural, social, and political aspects. Further developments in understanding ancient scrolls in papyrus and other historical artifacts are projected to be hastened as more updates and newer editions are expected to come up with the help of this dictionary. Historical Example 1: Egypt is an interesting topic when it comes to its history. Early civilizations started in Egypt where various contributions from foreigners colored their timeline influencing them in various aspects such as political, social, religious, and cultural facets. Egyptologists around the world such as Janet Johnson reveals this part of Egyptian history where various invaders conquered Egypt, such as the Persians, Greeks, and the Romans. Further, she concluded that the dictionary serves as an important tool in revealing easily the many fascinating eras in the history of Egypt Historical Example 2: Demotic language is an abandoned language. This is a fact that needs to be accepted in the modern world. However, no matter how deeply they are buried with time, about 1,500 year ago, still, their relevance in the present time of Egypt can not be erased. They are as part of history as the present civilizations. Although these hieroglyphs seem to be meaningless today, but their deeper meanings are yet uncovered revealing such a healthy and rich bearing to the present day Egypt. This dictionary can revive the ones long dead language to trace the origin of words such as â€Å"adobe† from â€Å"tby† and many more The translation of long forgotten words and symbols can give significance to

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 32

English - Essay Example Jeter started his career when he was only 20 years old in 1995 and has spent his entire career with the Yankees. He was quick in the journey of success and accomplished great popularity and numerous triumphs in very short span of time. Let me mention some major, if not all, awards here. He was four time NY Yankees player of the year, 9-time AL All-Star (1998-2002, 2004, 2006-2008), won 3 Gold Glove awards and awarded World Series Most Valuable Player in 2000. We can say that Jeter started his carrier long ago when he was a student in Kalamazoo Central High School. From there onward, he started to gain achievements and also received a baseball scholarship to attend the  University of Michigan from where he was introduced to New York Yankees. His father is a drug counselor and his mother, an Accountant. Jeter was named after Derek Sanderson, his father’s favorite hockey player. An interesting fact about Jeter is that he has the same birthday as Abner Doubleday who invented Baseball (funtrivia.com). Jeter’s popularity can be known by the fact that a wax figure of him is situated in the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. As per the record of 2006, Derek is the 2nd highest paid endorser in baseball earning $7 million in endorsements (forbes). He has appeared in ad campaign for Skippy,  Ford, VISA, Nike and others. Derek is often called a â€Å"ladies man†. It is said that he has dated many beautiful ladies including Miss Universe Lara Datta, Scarlett Johansson, Gabrielle Union, Jessica Alba, Tyra Banks and the list goes on (ESPN). He is still living a single life. One of the main reasons why I admire him most is his caring nature for humanity. He established a charity organization â€Å"Turn 2 Foundation† in 1996 which supports programs and activities that motivates young people to avoid usage of drugs and alcohol. This organization is running numerous

Sex, Nudity, Violence in Modern Era Music Essay

Sex, Nudity, Violence in Modern Era Music - Essay Example The musicians seethe with anger, remember they're frustrating lives before they had a breakthrough and so on. Despite their frustrating pasts which manifest themselves in their lyrics most of these bands have lived a commercial success through their bands and have entered the well-known world of fame and fortune. At the same time, the money and publicity brought with them sex scandals, drug addiction, and public disorder. Few postmodern bands have been prudent with their fame and fortune but the music world is full of sad tragedies like Kurt Cobain’s unfortunate suicide. In this vein, my research will explore to what extent are Rap and Grunge bands a victim of drug effects themselves other than the alleged promotion of a culture of sex nudity violence and culture.The methodology of my work pertains to a few anonymous interviews with representatives of two local bands which play successfully at a nearby club. Their phenomenal success and popularity inspired me to explore their perspectives on the postmodern era. The aim of this literature review is to discuss the issues and bands which will be discussed in the interviews in advance. The literature review was prepared after to interviews to become an aid to the understanding of the musician's concerns and perspectives. Post-modernism has cut off the present from all futures. The daily media add to this by cutting off the past. Which means that critical opinion is often orphaned in the present?† John Berger (English Painter, b.1926) This section addresses the definitional and historical premises behind postmodernism and its influence on modern music media. Visionaries like C. Wright Mills (1959) were looking ahead when they described the post-modern period as one where there would be a growth of the tertiary sector and the services industry would boom in the era of multinationals and a rise in capitalism.  

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 32

English - Essay Example Jeter started his career when he was only 20 years old in 1995 and has spent his entire career with the Yankees. He was quick in the journey of success and accomplished great popularity and numerous triumphs in very short span of time. Let me mention some major, if not all, awards here. He was four time NY Yankees player of the year, 9-time AL All-Star (1998-2002, 2004, 2006-2008), won 3 Gold Glove awards and awarded World Series Most Valuable Player in 2000. We can say that Jeter started his carrier long ago when he was a student in Kalamazoo Central High School. From there onward, he started to gain achievements and also received a baseball scholarship to attend the  University of Michigan from where he was introduced to New York Yankees. His father is a drug counselor and his mother, an Accountant. Jeter was named after Derek Sanderson, his father’s favorite hockey player. An interesting fact about Jeter is that he has the same birthday as Abner Doubleday who invented Baseball (funtrivia.com). Jeter’s popularity can be known by the fact that a wax figure of him is situated in the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. As per the record of 2006, Derek is the 2nd highest paid endorser in baseball earning $7 million in endorsements (forbes). He has appeared in ad campaign for Skippy,  Ford, VISA, Nike and others. Derek is often called a â€Å"ladies man†. It is said that he has dated many beautiful ladies including Miss Universe Lara Datta, Scarlett Johansson, Gabrielle Union, Jessica Alba, Tyra Banks and the list goes on (ESPN). He is still living a single life. One of the main reasons why I admire him most is his caring nature for humanity. He established a charity organization â€Å"Turn 2 Foundation† in 1996 which supports programs and activities that motivates young people to avoid usage of drugs and alcohol. This organization is running numerous

Orangic Milk or Regular Milk Essay Example for Free

Orangic Milk or Regular Milk Essay Is organic milk really that better for you? That was what I was thinking when we were discussing that in health class. Coach Deyo gave good ideas, but I still had my doubts. Because people have been drinking regular milk a long time and no one has died from it or didn’t get enough nutrients from it. So, why do people say organic milk is better for you. I was looking at a website called Men’s Health. It gives a few ideas about organic milk and regular milk. One thing said on the website made me think, why waste the money on organic milk if it doesn’t give you the effects you desire. â€Å"There are differences between organic and conventional milk production, but they may not have the effects consumers expect, says Thomas Overton, Ph. D. , associate professor of animal science at Cornell University. † After I read this I was thinking maybe it’s all in the consumers mind that organic is better for them. Maybe that’s what the organic milk farms want them to think. The website also states that you get the same stuff from organic milk in regular milk. â€Å"For one thing, it’s not any healthier. â€Å"An eight-ounce serving of regular milk offers the same nine essential nutrients—including calcium, vitamin D, and potassium—as a glass of organic milk,† Mangieri says. † So, people that say they drink organic milk because it’s healthier for you are not correct, it’s basically the same type of milk just the cows are feed differently. This is what I read that gave me that idea that the organic dairy cows are just fed differently than the regular milk cows. â€Å"Are fed only organic grains, free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides; get at least 30 percent of their feed from pasture; aren’t treated with antibiotics, or with bovine growth hormone to increase milk production. † The website was talking about how organic dairy farms feed and treat their cows. In my opinion, that’s a good thing that they are being fed organic grains and not treated with growth hormones. But, why does it matter if it’s going to be the same kind of nutrients. Also I read in the website that both types of dairy farms have to go through a test for antibiotic residue. â€Å"There’s also no distinction in terms of unwanted ingredients. All organic and conventional milk is tested for antibiotic residue, and any milk that contains it is removed from the food supply. † In conclusion I think it’s all up to the consumer. If the consumer wants healthier milk for him or her, you could decide between both milks. If the consumer wants milk from a cow that’s fed and treated right then they should decide to get organic milk. But for me if I drank milk, I would decide to pick the one that gives you the nutrients you need and not break my wallet.

Long Span Roof Construction

Long Span Roof Construction 1.0 INTRODUCTION A roof, which is the one of the most essential parts of a building, is the covering on the uppermost part of the building that protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather i.e. rainfall, heat, sunlight, cold and wind depending on the nature and intended design of the building (Wiki n.d; Foster and Greeno 2007). The span of a roof is a major consideration amongst other factors including functional requirements and considerations of speed and economy of erection. This can be classified in relative terms as short (up to 7.5m), medium (7.5 m 25m) and long-span (over 25m) according to (Foster and Greeno 2007). The focus of this report will be on long-span roof structures. The idea of utilizing long-span roofing systems in structures was probably developed based on a need to satisfy aesthetical as well as functional requirements of particular buildings such that a balance is reached. Buttressed by Indianetzone Constructions (n.d) opinion, a span is considered to be long-span when as a consequence of its size; technical considerations are placed so high on the list of architectural priorities such that they significantly affect the aesthetic treatment of the building. Long-span buildings create unobstructed, column-free spaces greater than 30 metres (100 feet) for a variety of functions. These include activities where visibility is important for large audiences (auditoriums and stadia), where flexibility is important (exhibition halls and certain types of manufacturing facility) and places where movable objects are housed (Indianetzone Construction n.d). Pushing the boundaries of long span structures has always been a field of interest to the public as well as to professional engineers. Of course lightweight and long-span are relative terms and greatly influenced by the materials used and the technology of the times. Westminster Hall was a huge feat of engineering in the 14th century and in the 19th century; St Pancras station roof was the largest span in the UK for many years. These spans seem very modest now with roofs spanning 200 or 300 m and bridges reaching several kilometers!'(Liddell 2007). An example of a novel long-span roof designed by the architect Edward Durell Stone in the 1950s based on the steel cables used in suspension bridges was the U.S. Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels Worlds Fair (Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica 2010). 2.0 FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF ROOFING SYSTEMS It is known that a roof primarily provides a covering over an enclosure, protecting it from the external environmental influence and action by wind, sunlight, snow, temperature, rainfall and other harsh climatic effects. In order to adequately support the actions of these natural disturbances imposed on it by the prevailing environmental conditions including the likely futuristic effect of climate change, the roof has to be efficiently designed to satisfy certain functional requirements as outlined in the work by (Foster and Greeno 2007; Harrison et al. 2009). These include the following: Strength and stability, which is vital to the performance of the structure as a whole. Weather resistance including prevention and discharge of rain, snow and condensation. Thermal resistance involving regulating internal environments by solar heat loss balance, air temperatures, energy conservation and ventilation. Fire resistance including fire safety measures and/or precautions to keep distribution of fire from source at a minimum and provision of adequate lighting. Sound insulation involving maintaining adequate noise levels. 2.1 Strength and stability The roof system functions to provide a great deal of structural rigidity and stiffness in buildings and other areas where they may be applied. A simple case is the tying effect the roof gives to simple buildings with short clear spans where the roof tends to hold the load-bearing walls together such that they do not tear apart. The situation is seemingly different and more difficult to handle when the area of space to be covered by the roof increases in dimensions. According to (Foster and Greeno 2007), the main factor affecting the selection of materials employed in the design of a particular roof system chosen from a wide range of roof types is the span. Principles of modern building (1961) as cited in Harrison et al. (2009) states that there are three basic structural systems that can be used over an opening: the chain, the arch and the beam, of which the chain is the best form for supporting loads over long spans. According to them, roofs can be made out of secondary systems derived by a careful mix of these three basic systems. However, every roof needs to be sufficiently strong to carry the self-weight of the structure together with the intermittent loads for example those due to environmental effect (e.g snow or wind) or maintenance and it must do this without undue distortion or damage to the building, whether perceptible or imperceptible to its occupants. (Harrison et al. 2009). These expectations are codified in provisions contained in various national building regulations including the Building Regulations 2000 as cited in the work by (Harrison et al. 2009), which is specifically for application in England and Wales. A cursory look at the history of roof performance in existing buildings (Harrison et al. 2009) dating back to the eighteenth century, considering the effect of loading reveals that prehistoric dwellings recorded a relatively low performance with respect to the overall loading compared to more recent roof systems (Table 1). This is probably due to advancement in research and technology in this area. Data from a national house condition survey conducted in England as cited by (Harrison et al. 2009) in Tables 2 and 3 respectively shows details of structural problems recorded in dwellings more than a decade before 2006 and within the year 2006. All over the world, engineers and builders are constantly faced with the challenge of establishing cost-effective, adaptable solutions in the design of roof systems to support the loads that come on them. The aim is to seek and find the optimum, economically-feasible method of transferring loads on the roofs to the supporting super-structure beneath over spans of variable magnitudes (Foster and Greeno 2007). They further argue that, in order to make huge cost savings in materials utilized in the design and construction of the roof, a balance has to be reached such that there is an overall reduction in the total dead load to be carried by the roof, which will result in a situation where light weight materials carry majorly imposed loads over great spans. With the reduction in the total load to be carried by the roof, materials are saved and smaller, lighter sections can be used to support loads over long spans. This however, will have significant implications on the serviceability req uirements of deflection, which must be checked during design of the roof structure. As a corollary to this weight effect, (Foster and Greeno 2007) pointed out that one of the inherent structural difficulties in the design of long-span roof structures is reducing the dead/live load ratio, expressed as load per square metre of area covered by the roof, to a safe level thereby improving the efficiency of maximum load carried. Following their argument, increase in spans of roof systems generally result in significant increase in the dead weight of the roof which will lead to a corresponding increase in the ratio and an overall decrease in the efficiency loads carried by the structure. However, these problems can be solved by keeping two key factors as discussed by (Foster and Greeno 2007) in mind when making choice of materials to be employed in the design: the characteristics of the material to be used including the strength, stiffness and weight and the form or shape of the roof. They argued that if the strength is high, smaller volume of material is required to carry loads; also if the stiffness is high the depth of section required will be small as the material will deform under small impact loads; finally, a lightweight material will result in an overall reduction in the weight of the structure. These factors, if carefully considered in the selection of materials will help to develop the most efficient load carrying system where the dead/live load ratio is reduced to a minimum. Another important action apart from effects of weight which is critical in the design of roof structures is wind effect. Gales, extremely strong winds, pose adverse effects on buildings especially roofs in the UK (Harrison et al. 2009). Records by them show that since the wake of the early 90s up till now, about 1.1million houses have affected adversely by gales. This resulted in marked modifications in the codes of practice to give a more robust code BS 6399 Part 2 as cited in (Harrison et al. 2009) for wind load calculations on roof, which takes into consideration various building parameters necessary for a good design unlike the previous publications. The application of the code in the design of roof ensure that certain factors like velocity of wind, height of building ground level, locality of the building, altitude, gust, wind direction and seasonal factors (Foster and Greeno 2007; Harrison et al. 2009). There is some evidence (Foster and Greeno 2007) that wind pressure and suc tion has a harmful effect on roofs supported by buildings especially on the windward end where its effect is greatly felt. As such, for lightweight roofs particularly ones with distinct overhangs, the uplift is extremely undesirable and should be designed with careful consideration given to the joints and connections to the ties, walls and columns as the case may be to prevent the roof from being thrown off (Foster and Greeno 2007). 2.2 Weather resistance As may be given in the provisions of the Building Regulations (2000) document H3 for England and Wales as cited in Harrison et al. (2009), a roof should be adequately designed to perform such that there is zero-tolerance on seepage of rainfall, snow and/or any form of moisture into buildings. In order to achieve this, Harrison et al. (2009) suggests that drainage systems (gutters) with adequate drain capacities be installed in line with the provisions of the building regulations above by considering factors such as: the rainfall intensities (litres/sec/m2), the orientation of the roof and the effective drained surface area. Furthermore, they stressed that the orientation of the gutters should be such that it slopes to the closest drain outlet to prevent excessive loading of the structure in the event of an overspill. They recommend that in cases where overspills are expected, adequate provisions should be made for the design of the drain in accordance with the performance requirement s as stated in BS EN12056-3 and design guidance including testing, maintenance and commissioning in BS 8490 both cited in (Harrison et al. 2009). 2.3 Thermal resistance Thermal resistance of a roof, which could also be expressed as thermal insulation is a key consideration made in the design of roof so as to strike a perfect balance between prevention of heat loss and removal of excessive undesirable heat from dwellings when necessary. Thermal performance of any roof is an important requirement for the design of roof against thermal effects (Harrison et al. 2009). These requirements as encapsulated in the new Approved Document (AD) L as cited in (Harrison et al. 2009) are to be adopted in a more flexible way in a bid to conserving energy, promoting more energy-efficient buildings and roofs as well as reaching carbon emission targets as stipulated in the relevant standards. This, as stipulated by (Harrison et al. 2009) can be maintained by installation of roof lights and roof windows. For the case of solar radiation on roofs (Harrison et al. 2009) has suggested that the roof materials should be ones with reflective surfaces such that in periods of su mmer where the intensity of the sun radiation on the earth is greater consequent upon the effect of global warming, there is an overall reduction in heat absorption transmitted to the interior parts of the building. 2.4 Fire resistance The major safety requirement for roofs is to reach an optimum performance that fire attack will not immediately bring down the roof and will not affect all other parts as in a domino effect (Harrison et al. 2009). The requirement for dealing with roof fires as cited by (Harrison et al. 2009) is covered by test methods in BS 476-3. This test procedure determines the fire performance in roofs by effects of penetration and spread of flame which is denoted by two letters. In order to prevent fire, (Harrison et al. 2009) have stipulated quick guidance for fire protection including cavity barriers, smoke detectors, sprinklers and smoke extraction systems, which help to maintain an acceptable level of fire safety. 2.5 Sound insulation Unwanted sound, which could be termed as noise can be undesirable to dwellers especially when it emanates from an external source. Sound level which is described on a logarithmic scale in decibels (dB) vary in loudness, frequency and time (Harrison et al. 2009). They opined that noise could arise from various weather generated sources like rain, snow, sun, wind or hail. However, they pointed out that these effects can be controlled by applying some general noise reduction principles like coating the underside of the roof with a thicker layer of a weaker material, damping and introduction of PTFE washers between joints. 3.0 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS/GUIDE ROOF ONSTRUCTION/ERECTION (Griffis 2004) highlights some of the factors which should be taken into account in the design and construction of long-span roofs. He equally outlined strategies, knowledge of which in addition to a pretty good understanding of the structural behaviour of long span structures and careful implementation, will reduce the incidence of collapse of long span structures as well as eliminate some of the concomitant problems of erection of long span structures. These strategies are presented below: Major project personnel and their roles and responsibilities should be identified at the start of the project in order to determine the correct chain of command and reporting hierarchy This will ensure that proper project management procedures are applied to prevent friction amongst parties concerned, eliminate budget overruns and ensure that project delivery timelines are met. It is advisable to involve the fabricator/erector team at the start of the project This will not only be beneficial to the project cost and time schedules but also enable the team adequately familiarize themselves with certain construction requirements, specifications and details which have been prepared in line with the codes of practice at design stage. These include, but are not limited to agreement on the grade of steel, connection type, bolt size and grade, welding procedures and processes, erection sequence and method, paint type and construction deviation allowances. Huge overall cost savings can be made on the structure from materials used in the construction e.g steel by employing high strength steel of the best quality such that light weight materials are used. Adequate environmental studies should be conducted and results of these should be employed in the estimation of the wind and snow load on the structure. Accuracy of load estimation has a long-term saving effect in cost of the structure. Whether using reinforced concrete or purely steel work, struts and truss chord of the roof structure should be framed in order to produce light weight structures. It is never advisable to use movement joints in roof structure because of the inherent difficulties it brings along. Allowance should always be made in the initial design of the roof system to take into cognizance additional dead loads which may arise from replacement of roof cladding and other materials in the future. Careful thought should be given to factors such as material shrinkage, support settlements and temperature effect including erection processes when making initial designs and construction planning procedures. So long as the architectural shape and line of vision of the roof structure is not impaired, much attention should not be paid to deflections and camber effects of long span roofs. Careful treatment should be given to diaphragm stresses, choice of diaphragm bracing of structural members and diaphragm attachment, which are important for resisting lateral effects of wind and seismic loads by reaching a decision on the system to use based on considerations of economy and risk. Bolted field connections on shop-welded/built steel members are always the best and should be employed in the construction of long span roof systems. This is good practice which can reduce delays and downtime in construction leading to timely completion of project. In as much as the designer needs to start communicating with the fabricator early enough to incorporate shop practices to support design calculations, he should never allow the fabricator to take on his primary responsibility of designing the roof system. This may result in conflicts on site. For simplicity of design/details and avoidance of confusion on site, steel sections should be selected such that one size fits all! This will reduce overall cost of materials and facilitate fabrication. Where possible a detailed documented erection method should be outlined to ensure clarity to all parties concerned and uniformity of installation procedure. The structural engineer should bear in mind that any structure designed should be analyzed and that built should be designed. Also he must ensure that careful supervision of the erection process on site is carried out properly to confirm that results of the design are reflected on site. 4.0 PROBLEMS WITH LONG SPAN ERECTION/CONSTRUCTION. The design of long span structures for erection with constructability in mind often poses challenges on the designers which are related to both technological and aesthetical aspects (Kawaguchi 1991). Some of the key questions a designer should find answers to in order to overcome these challenges as outlined by Ruby (2007) are: What is the loading trajectory for the structural system to be developed? How can the productive use of the structural members in terms of span, size, quantity of shop pieces and constructability be optimized? How can the bracing system determined from a structural perspective be efficiently incorporated into the initial architectural layout? How can shop fabrication be efficiently utilized to reduce haulage cost, if it will be shipped and not field-built? What will be most effective construction flow order? At what strategic locations would ephemeral bracings be placed while construction and erection is still in progress? How will the determined construction flow order be applied to minimize the use of temporary props for truss during erection? All these questions, carefully evaluated will guide the designer in preparing functional designs which can easily be integrated in the construction and erection process to achieve the best results at reduced overall costs with prompt project delivery. A look at the typical problems associated with long span roof construction will be presented below using a case study of a large single storey building with long span roof as presented by Khup (2009). 4.1 Description of the entire structure This case study illustrates the construction of a large single-storey, long-span industrial building with external dimensions 200m x 60m. The 10.8m high roof which is sustained by rc beams and columns is a 59m span structure with 29 individual steel components at 10.8m maximum height. Main members were double angle steel sections connected back to back. 4.2 Erection of the truss The truss as shown in Figure 4 below was erected by lifting truss units, 3 at a time, to the required height starting from the centre of the building and effectively supporting adjacent truss units against each other while providing temporary shoring towers for props at the bottom chords of the truss assembly. 4.3 Analysis of the failure Shortly after the first two trusses were erected, they failed and all came down Figure 5 shows the details. The immediate cause of the catastrophic collapse of the slender truss was the removal of the temporary shoring towers soon after installation of the truss in position. Some of the remote causes include: commencing installation at the centre of the building rather than at the firm gable end wall, omission of a number of tie beams and purlins close to the shoring towers in order to create allowance for the great lift, non-utilization of temporary diagonal bracings to provide sufficient lateral support and torsional rigidity considering the slender nature of the truss, no continuity in the web angle cleats at the knee-joint support due to obstruction from the holding-down bolts at that point which made the support behave as a pin-joint, eccentric loading and non-uniform distribution of stresses and forces at the joints due to the irregular order of construction, angle cleats which connects the purlins to the truss as well as all key truss members were not provided as a continuous strip along the its length to hold the double angles in position and omission of a diagonal strut which made the truss collapse/fail in flexure. 4.3 Lessons learned Khup (2009) has drawn out learning points for further action which could be noted for correction and application in future jobs. These are: The effect of overall dimensions and section properties of the truss must be considered when dealing with trusses to avoid issues linked with torsion and lateral Adequate site monitoring and effective supervision should be the ultimate responsibility of the engineer as has been highlighted as one of the design considerations given earlier in this report by (Griffis 2004) to ensure erection is done to design specification. Members with slender forms e.g. purlins with angle sections should be properly battened along its entire length to provide sufficient stiffness and braced for lateral stability. Temporary props, if used for erection of the truss should be supported on relatively rigid members like concrete cores within the building frame. All shoring towers should be designed against accidental lateral or gravity loads that may occur during erection of the truss. Details of connections at joints should be clearly provided such that there are no eccentric moments arising from induced forces as result of misinterpretation of details by the fabricators. 5.0 DESIGN GUIDANCE FOR LONG-SPAN ROOF SYSTEMS 5.1 Structural design rules For the design of roof systems, The Corus (2010) has recommended BS 5950-6 (1995) for full design rules and test procedures used by various manufacturers of roof systems, the basis on which the respective load/span tables are generated. The design rules for metal roof cladding systems have not yet been included in the Eurocode 3 published earlier in the year, April, 2010. As a guide for assisting engineers and practitioners especially in the UK to make quick, approximate designs for their roof systems, reference can be made to BS5950-6 (1995) as cited in (Corus 2010). 5.2 Loading limits Designs will be done normally based on the flexural strength at ultimate limit states and deflection will be checked to ensure that it is satisfactory at serviceability states by applying the appropriate serviceability loads such that the roof system performs satisfactorily and fulfils its intended purpose without collapse during its entire design life (Corus 2010) 5.3 Serviceability and deflection limits (Corus 2010) advices that significant distortions or deflections in the structure is absolutely undesirable and must be checked at design stage in order to prevent complications such as: Poor drainage systems and ponding in specific locations Damage to sealants at overlap sections of the roof system Excessive strains at regions of overlaps or other interconnected parts such as interior coverings General external deformations or distortion in the regular shape or profile of the roof systems. Corus (2010) has specified, according to the code BS 5950 Part6 (1995), the permissible values of deflection for satisfying the serviceability limits as shown in the Table 4 below. A limiting value of L/200 is however recommended for use where L is the span which is a function of the span of the structure as will be obtained from the load/span tables used by the respective manufacturer of the particular roof system employed in construction. 5.4 Ultimate limit states At ultimate limit states, the critical load or the worst load case is used to determine the design value of load at failure where the material yield or the structure collapses. Corus (2010) has specified two likely modes of failure: tensile fracture and compressive buckling, concluding that the probability of the former occurring is close to zero while the latter is prevalent in web-strengthened flanges subjected to high compressive stress levels leading to buckling at yield. This must be taken into account when carrying out design calculations. For shear, Corus (2010) documented that shear failure is improbable for small sections of long span members but could be present in deeper sections especially when used over short spans. This can be controlled by use of web stiffeners. 5.5 Roof load calculations 5.5.1 Concentrated imposed load Though relevant software packages are now available for calculation of these loads, Corus (2010) has specified quick guidance for calculating loads from human activities in line with provisions of BS 6399-3 as cited in (Corus 2010): Roof with access (for maintenance purposes only) greater of 0.9kN or effective snow load Roof load for all purpose access greater of 1.8kN or the effective snow load. 5.5.2 Dead load Load due to the self weight of the entire roof system which acts downwards like a gravity load. 5.5.3 Uniform imposed load This relates to snow loading which is extremely difficult to calculate due to the variability of meteorological data. Corus (2010) suggests that extra concern should be given to estimation of this load especially for application at altitudes greater than 500m. As cited in (Corus 2010), BS 6399-3 (1988) is the recommended code for calculating uniform imposed loading on roof systems. 5.5.4 Wind load Wind force has two momentous effects: the positive lateral imposed wind pressure acting on the walls and the negative vertical suction pressure acting majorly on the roof (Foster and Greeno 2007). Roof system as such must be designed against these effects. BS 6399-2(1997 or 2002 latest version) as cited in (Corus 2010) is the recommended code for calculating these loads. 5.6 Design loads Corus (2010) has summarized a quick reference in Table 5 for determining design loads to be applied to buildings by confirming the relevant load case and calculating the design load using the worst loading situation: Loading combination/situation Load case Wind load (imposed or suction) Snow load (uniformly distributed or redistributed) Uniformly distributed load (kN/m2) Concentrated load (kN) Roof with access Determined from BS 6399 Part 2 Determined from BS 6399 Part3 1.5 1.8 Roof without access Determined from BS 6399 Part 2 Determined from BS 6399 Part3 0.6 0.9 Walls Determined from BS 6399 Part 2