project success success factor and success criteria Essay

AN ESSAY ON PROJECT SUCCESS DEFINED BY SUCCESS FACTORS AND SUCCESS CRITERIA by M. Shaw Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm Winston Churchill INTRODUCTION 1. Since the 1960s there have been an increasing number of Project Management scholars that have expressed concerns regarding the ways to manage the success or failure of a project. Crawford (2000) theorised that there are two major avenues of thought in this area being: how success is judged and the factors that contribute to the success. These two avenues were later crowned ‘success factors’ and ‘success criteria’ respectively of which both will be discussed in depth during this essay to provide an insight for†¦show more content†¦Table 1: The Square Root (Atkinson, 1999) Figure 2: The Square Root (Atkinson, 1999) 5. The Information System. Whilst Atkinson (1999) doesn’t detail the information system success criteria other than what is described in the table it is reasonable to suggest he was concerned with the ‘ilities’ of the project. Essentially Atkinson was considering the maintenance of the project to ensure that it was not only resourced but also governed that the information would support its continued success. 4 6. Organisational Benefits. Success of a project must not only be considered from an individual perspective, rather it must look at how it will also benefit the organisation. Table 1 presents these areas however there are two areas that must be considered individually, namely efficiency and effectiveness. Success of a project is not necessarily guaranteed due to efficiency, reducing the amount of workload due to shortening of processing won’t necessarily help without the consideration of effectiveness. Effectiveness considers whether or not the goals are being achieved thus when placed with efficiency it ensures that the goals are being achieve quickly and in full. 7. Stakeholder Community Benefits. The final area of the Square Root that Atkinson considers is the success criterion that benefits the stakeholder community. These criterion consider the wider benefits of not just the direct outcomes of the projectShow MoreRelatedModel of Critical Success Factors and Success Criteria for Project and Project Management Success in a Developing Country2936 Words   |  12 Pagesexplores the relationship between critical success factors (CSF) and success criteria quantitatively using multiple regressions. To develop the relationship four groups of success criteria (iron triangle, organizational benefits, information system benefits and stakeholder’s benefits) and five groups of CSFs (Factors related to project, leadership/manager, team members, project organization and environment) were used. Results demonstrate that every success criteria has at least one significant relationshipRead MoreInfluencers For Project Success Factors Essay1147 Words   |  5 PagesInfluencers for Project Success - Akshay Suresh Rao RESEARCH ESSAY DISCUSSION PAPER Everyone wants to have a successful outcome for his or her project. The golden question is: What are the Influencers for Project Success? We all know every project is unique in terms of size; it’s uniqueness and complexity. But we more or less follow the same Project management guidelines drafted by the Project Management Body of Knowledge. If the process being followed is same then definitely we should be ableRead MoreProject Management : The Iron Triangle Of Cost, Time, And Quality907 Words   |  4 PagesHistorically, project success has been directly tied to the Iron Triangle of cost, time, and quality. While most of the articles reviewed for this study refer to these standards for success criteria, the overwhelming majority find that they are not enough to fully define what success is. Atkinson (1999) defined two types of errors in project management and places using the Iron Triangle as success criteria into the category of not doing something as well as it could be d one. This comes from anRead MoreWhat Is Project Success From My Perspective?1287 Words   |  6 PagesHow to define project success from my perspective? In recent decades, a set of issues have been triggered by the fact concerning how to define project success. Some claim that the traditional views are still suitable to define project success, such as under budget, within schedule and acceptable quality. These traditional criteria are well-known as â€Å"Golden Triangle† or â€Å"Iron Triangle†, which has been used to assess project success over several decades. However, these criteria have been criticisedRead MoreProject Success : Project Management1505 Words   |  7 Pagesensuring project success by project managers can be very challenging due to different opinions of what constitutes project success. For a project manager to ensure project success is achieved the project manager needs to have clear understandings and the criteria for project success and also able to detect some key critical success factors that is needed for his/her project. This essay however aims to understand how a project manager might help ens ure success is achieved in his or her project. ThisRead MoreIntroduction And Objectives Of The Study. Introduction1149 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction and Objectives of the study INTRODUCTION - A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. Selecting projects is often a difficult task. Usually there are more than one dimension for measuring the impact of each project and especially when there is more than one decision maker. The criteria being considered always vary from one contractor to another. Some may only consider the revenue and value of project, whilst some may focus on its financial of ownerRead MoreSuccess And The Field Of Construction Engineering1042 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is success and how is it achieved in a particular field? The description of success in the field of Construction engineering has been different from the past to Present-days. Because the way of constructing building, roads and dams has been changing all the time. Notably Kerzner, (1998, cited in Khosravi and Afshari, 2011) asserts that meaning of success has changed from the decade to decade. He explains that in 1960s, construction success measured by whether the outcome worked or it did notRead MoreProject Management Techniques For Success And Failure1589 Words   |  7 PagesProject Management Techniques for Success and Failure Individual Assignment BPM501, Semester 1 2016 Table of Contents Executive Summary 1. Introduction 2 2. Project Classification 2 2.1 project success factor 2.2 cause of project failure 2.3 project success factor of IT 2.4 project failure factor of IT 3. Scope of the literature 4 3.1 Key words 3.2 Databases 3.3 Journals 4. Background (Headings and subheadings) 5 5. Discussion 6. Recommendations 7. Conclusion 8. YourRead MoreThe Role Of Different Projects Management Techniques1140 Words   |  5 PagesABSTRACT: The role of different project management techniques Is to implement projects successfully has been widely established in areas such as the planning and control of time, cost and quality. In spite of this the distinction between the project and project management is less than precise. This paper aims to identify the overlap between the definition of the project and project management and to discuss how the confusion between the two may affect their relationship. It identifies the differentRead MoreOrganizational Design Is A Formal Guided Process For Integrating People, Information, And Technology796 Words   |  4 Pagesof looking into technology options, Success factors was purchased by SAP in 2011. In efforts to maintain a consistent message Allstate entered into an agreement to use Success factors and SAP to provide the technology needed to perform day-to-day functions in Human Resources. Allstate began to implement the use of Succesfactors to conduct employee performance review s. Success factors provided the user with easier of sharing data between SAP and Success factors. This relationship seemed ideal considering

News Coverage of September 11th, 2001 Essay - 1649 Words

The attack that occurred on September 11th, 2001 on the World Trade Center in New York City is an event that lingers in the minds of many Americans and other people throughout the world. Most people can recall exactly where they were and whom they were with when they first heard about the airplanes crashing into the towers. It was a day that changed the way people looked at the world and brought to light the realities that even the wealthiest and most military advanced country was not safe from acts of terrorism. The dangers posed by religious extremist were being carried out on national and international news outlets live in front of millions if not billions of people worldwide. The events that occurred on this day changed the way†¦show more content†¦The viewers saw the pictures on the screen at the same time as the anchors did (Morgensen 38).† Garry Tuchman a National Correspondent from CNN states, â€Å" The most important thing is to be accurate†¦be hones t and explain that there’s a lot of commotion and chaos. And while you’re staying clam, explain we’re trying to gather the information the best we can. We are going to give it to you as it comes but if we’re not sure about it, we’ll make it clear to you (Morgensen 38).† Newscasts from NBC, Sky, and BBC World reported the news almost identical and in a way that informed viewers that they too were unsure of the motive if any behind the plane crashes into the twin towers. It was clearly stated by both domestic and foreign news stations that many detail were unclear and they would be made available as they came in. It was not only a story that affected Americans but also people throughout the World. For the first time since Pearl Harbor Americans were being attacked on their own soil. Due to the surprise and scale of the attacks of 9/11 it focused the worlds’ attention to New York City because it showed if this could happen to the mightie st country in the world it could happen to any other nation. It is important to note the way in which the news was broadcasted. A new name would become embedded into the minds of Americans, Osama Bin Laden along with his terror network known as Al Qaeda. As the media in the United States began to find a motivation behind the attacksShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On The United States Security1644 Words   |  7 PagesToni Ann Grasso Professor Sperrazza Sociology 101 Sociology Research Paper November 25, 2014 Security Post September 11, 2001 Post September 11th 2001 people ages 40-60 lost all trust within America. Faith in humanity was lost and now we need faith more then ever, we have lost what we call our security blanket. Every time we open a newspaper or watch the news after a long day of work we have the temptation to despair, filling ourselves with fear more and more each day. Everyone in our eyes is theRead MoreRelationship Between The American And Western Media And Their Audiences971 Words   |  4 PagesDoes the mass media affect people’s ideologies and value, do people tend to be deceived themselves by media and become prisoners in the cave. Is it still possible for people to mediate the effects of the media? On September 11th, 2001, when the World Trade Centre in New York was allegedly attacked by hijackers of Al-Qaeda terrorists, the relationship between the United States of America and the rest of the world changed. This essay focuses on the relationship between the American and Western mediaRead Mor eThe Bombing Of The United States1463 Words   |  6 PagesSeptember 11th, 2001, the United States of America was attacked on its soil when alleged Al-Qaeda members hijacked four passenger planes, Boeing 757s. Two planes flew into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, one plane flew into the Pentagon, and the remaining plane was possibly targeting the White House or the Capitol but was unsuccessful. People all over America felt an utter shock and disbelief after this tragic event as people demanded answers. After the terroristRead MoreTerrorist Attacks On The United States1453 Words   |  6 Pages September 11th, 2001, alleged Al-Qaeda members attacked the United States of America with four passenger planes, Boeing 757s. Two planes flew into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, one plane flew into the Pentagon, and the remaining plane was possibly targeting the White House but was unsuccessful. People all over America felt an utter shock and disbelief after this tragic event as people demanded answers. After the terrorist attacks, a portion of AmericansRead MoreThe War On Terrorism And Terrorism1614 Words   |  7 PagesIts more than 15 years yet America is not, nor is the world the same as prior to September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Suspicions and distrust of â€Å"other†, fear of the unknown, and unease about the role and status of the United States of America permeates the air. Islamophobic attacks increase by 1,700% in 2001. Prior to 9/11, the FBI recorded just 28 hate crimes against Muslims. The following year it increased to 481. For visible Muslims, the threat of violence and abuse is even higher (especiallyRead MoreGeorge W. Bush s President Of Texas1685 Words   |  7 PagesBorn in July 6, 1946, George W. Bush, America’s 43rd president, served in the White House office from 2001 to 2009. Before coming into the White House, he was the oldest son of former 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush, who was also a two-term Republican governor of the state of Texas. George W. Bush was a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business majoring in business administration. George W. Bush worked in the Texas oil industry and he was also an owner of the Texas Rangers baseballRead MoreEssay on Media Coverage2618 Words   |  11 PagesMedia Coverage Before modern mass media was at hand, giant news events could not be made known to the public until long after they occurred. The media has always made disasters and wars the large news stories. These have always been the prime news events for the last few decades. And with the development of television and other technologies the ability to show the public what is going on became easier and easier. Now that mass media was available the public could almost immediately view or readRead MoreThe Influence of Media on Society1266 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernment, and with mistakes made by the government, some would argue that these worries are justified. Zogby International, which is the reliable North American political polling agency used by Reuters, did a poll of 1200 Americans asking about the September 11th attacks. What they found is quite interesting, and indicative of the distrust toward the American government, and the official story given behind the cause and details of the towe r attacks and subsequent collapse. 44% of those polled believedRead MoreWhy Terrorists Attack the U.S. Essay502 Words   |  3 Pagesbe a threat or an actual act of aggression. They create a common surrounding of fear in a selected target of the population. This is done so that they may provoke some kind of political and/or social change. Since the terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001, there has been a lot of controversy on why terrorist attacks are so frequent in the United States. By doing some research I have found that there are several possible answers to this question. This paper will explore the possibilities andRead MoreDelta Airline Case1312 Words   |  6 PagesSummary of Case In the case study changing Dynamics of the U.S. Airline industry were discuss and dealt with. Between 2001 and 2005, Delta Airlines, the third largest U.S. Airline, lost $10 billion. Delta wanted to increase its liquidity so they decided to sell its subsidiary Atlantic Southeast Airlines to Sky West Airline for $425 million in August 2005. Analysts believed that Delta was on the merge of bankruptcy. The Civil Aeronautics Board 9cab) imposed major restriction on marketing entry and

Nursing Midwifery And Babies Pregnancies †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Nursing Midwifery And Babies Pregnancies? Answer: Introducaton: Karen has Gravida 2 and Para 1. Gravida 2 means that she had 2 pregnancies regardless of whether they were interrupted or relented to a live birth, Para one means she has ever had one pregnancy which reached viability i.e. above 20 weeks gestation. Prenatal glucose tolerance tests helps to diagnose gestational diabetes in order to provide early treatment and prenatal care of gestational diabetic mothers (Sosa, Kennell, Klaus, Robertson Urrutia, 2008). This is done to ensure normal baby and good maternal health after the pregnancy. Normal rages are 7.8mmol/l or less but not excess after drinking the glucose solution. Glucose test after fasting should be 5.3mmol/l one hour after taking sugar solution less than 10.0mmol/l ,2 hours after glucose solution less than 8.6mmol/l and 3hours after glucose solution less than 7.8mmol/l. Fundal height during pregnancy is used to measure the size of the uterus. This is done to be able to asses fetal growth sand and development during pregnancy (Barclay et al., 2009). This measurement should correspond to gestational age in weeks between 16 and 36 weeks for a vertex fetus. Fundal height is also used in determining descend of the fetus especially from 36 weeks. Spontaneous labour is the labour that begins and progresses without pharmacological, mechanical or operative interventions, leading to delivery of a normal baby without complications to the mother. The first stage of labour is usually the longest (Salariya, 2010). It could even last for more than 20 hours. to some women who are prim gravida but short hours to some women, cervix starts to soften and open up or dilate with regular rhythmic contractions, preparing to push the baby via the birth canal Accounting. The meconium stained liqar can lead to infant respiratory distress and syndrome (Renfrew et al., 2014). This is a respiratory distress which occurs within 4 hours of birth. It becomes worse in 48 to 72 hours. If not fat, it resolves within 72hours. Meconium stained liqar also leads to persistence pulmonary hypertension of the new born. This occurs where the fetal circulation resists, with blood being shunted away from the lungs through the foramen ovale and the patent ductus arteriosus. Meconium stained liqar also leads to chronic lung disease. This is as a result of intense pulmonary intervention. These infants with meconium aspiration have a slightly increased incidence of infection in the first year of life. This is because lungs are still in recovery. Shoulder dystocia is a case of obstructed labour which occurs after delivery of the head. the anterior shoulder of the infant cannot pass below, hence requiring significant manipulation to pass (McCormick, 2014). The pubis symphysis, diagnosed when shoulders delays to deliver after the fetal head is delivered, is grouped in obstetric emergency case and death of the fetus can occur if not delivered and compresses on umbilical cord. Apgar score is a standardized way of evaluation, assessing and recording the condition of a new born baby. It is done within one to five minutes after birth. Apgar score is done by a multiple of doctors or midwife. The vital signs assessed includes; skin colour which should be pink or according to the tribe. If the colour is blue the baby scores zero. If the skin is pink and extremities are blue, the baby scores one. Pulse / heartbeat is evaluated using a stethoscope. if there is no heart pulse or heartbeat, the baby scores are zero. If the heart rate is less than a hundred beats per minute the baby score one (Salariya et al., 2011). If heart rate is greater than a hundred, the baby scores two. If there is grimacing the score is one, and if there is grimacing and cough, sneeze or vigorous cry, the score is two for reflex irritability. Activity or muscle tone activity are loose and flappy, the baby scores zero. If there is muscle tone the score is one. If there is active motion the infant scores two. Respiratory effort. If the baby is not breathing he or she scores zero. Respiratory rate slow or irregular the baby scores one (Leahy?Warren et al., 2012). If he or she cries well, the score is two. Classification according to total scores, if Apgar is between 7-10, the baby is said to be normal. If Apgar is 4-6, the baby is moderate asphyxia and Apgar 0-3 is severe asphyxia and it requires resuscitation. Antenatal care aims at monitoring the health of both mother and baby (Leahy Warren, 2010). This is achieved through monitoring blood glucose level, which is done by advising the mother to test through fasting, premeal, post meal and also bedtime levels of glucose. This is done daily during pregnancy in order to develop a baseline on how to control the sugars. If the mother is on multiple daily injection regimen to test the glucose level through developing targets for self-monitoring. This also helps in taking risks of hypoglycemia. Antenatal care is also achieved through monitoring HbA1c which is hemoglobin A1c (Kirkham, 2010). it is used to test the amount of glucose in blood over a period of one month to pregnant mothers. It determines the level of risk of the pregnancy. It is mostly considered during second and third trimester of pregnancy. prevents insulin treatment risks to hypoglycemia by using short acting analogous, which have advantage over soluble human insulin. Mothers are also advised to keep fast acting form of glucose like juices. They are also taught on signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia for early interventions. Antenatal care also involves monitoring of well-being of the fetus before 38 weeks. It is also done especially when there is risk of fetal growth restrictions. Postnatal care included blood glucose level control, medicines and breastfeeding. insulin should be reduced immediately after birth and monitor glucose levels accurately to adjust the dose. The mother should be informed that she is at a risk of hypoglycemia (McInnes Chambers, 2008). The should therefore take meals or snacks with every breastfeeding. She is also advised to discontinue blood glucose lowering therapy after birth. Mothers should also avoid any medicine for treatment of diabetes complications which were discontinued for safety reasons in the preconception period. Giving psychological care concerning diabetes, which may resolve after delivery. Some medications should also be stopped immediately after birth. Mother is also informed that she is at risk of developing gestational diabetes with other pregnancies. References Barclay, L., Everitt, L., Rogan, F., Schmied, V., Wyllie, A. (2009). Becoming a motheran analysis of women's experience of early motherhood.Journal of advanced nursing,25(4), 719-728. Kirkham, M. (Ed.). (2010).The midwife-mother relationship. Palgrave management. Leahy Warren, P. (2010). First?time mothers: Social support and confidence in infant care.Journal of advanced nursing,50(5), 479-488. Leahy?Warren, P., McCarthy, G., Corcoran, P. (2012). First?time mothers: social support, maternal parental self?efficacy and postnatal depression.Journal of clinical nursing,21(3?4), 388-397. McInnes, R. J., Chambers, J. A. (2008). Supporting breastfeeding mothers: qualitative synthesis.Journal of advanced nursing,62(4), 407-427. Renfrew, M. J., McFadden, A., Bastos, M. H., Campbell, J., Channon, A. A., Cheung, N. F., ... McCormick, F. (2014). Midwifery and quality care: findings from a new evidence-informed framework for maternal and newborn care.The Lancet,384(9948), 1129-1145. Salariya, E. M., Easton, P. M., Cater, J. I. (2011). Duration of breast-feeding after early initiation and frequent feeding.The Lancet,312(8100), 1141-1143. Sosa, R., Kennell, J., Klaus, M., Robertson, S., Urrutia, J. (2008). The effect of a supportive companion on perinatal problems, length of labor, and mother-infant interaction.New England Journal of Medicine,303(11), 597-600.

South Beauty Group Case Analysis free essay sample

Strategic competitiveness is achieved when a firm successfully formulates and implements a value-creating strategy (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 4). RCC model Resources Tangible Resources |Observations | |Financial Resources |South Beauty Group’s estimated revenue in 2007 was RMB 384 million. | |Organization Resources |South Beauty Group’s structure has 2 divisions: head office functions and restaurant operations. | | |The head office manages the finances, HR, RD marketing, quality control of food supply and strategy of | | |the company. | |Individual restaurants manage its own operation, and a department specialise in managing and setting up | | |franchises. | |Physical Resources |As at 2007, South Beauty Group owns a total of 20 restaurants, 13 in Beijing, and 6 in Shanghai and 1 in| | |Chengdu. | | |Locations of restaurants are placed at office building in major cities in order to attract its target | | |customers. | |Has a central kitchen to prepare uncooke d raw material and main dish packets, and send to its various | | |restaurants for cooking. | |Technological |Establish its own CRM system to record customer information. We will write a custom essay sample on South Beauty Group Case Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page | | |Built an ERP system for purchasing process and to control key financial variables. | | |Uses remote conference system to enhance internal communication between all its restaurants. |Intangible Resources |Observations | |Human Resources |Waiters are trained at the company’s training center for a duration of 3 months. Restaurant managers are| | |to undertake a two years on-the-job training program. | | |Recruited Chinese executives from Coca-Cola and MacDonald’s. | | |Engage consulting firm to create new people management system to motivate workers. |Innovation Resources |Has an independent RD team to create new dishes. | | |Combines Chinese and Western cuisine and creates original new flavors. | | |Developing healthy and stylish cuisine. | |Reputational Resources |2007’s top 100 restaurants companies in China, ranked 72. | Capabilities |Functional Area |Capabilities | Distribution |Uses computer software to calculate the amount of raw materials used, the number of dishes sold and | | |check the stocks of materials. | |Human Resource |Employs managers from Coca-Cola and Macdonald’s | | |Engage consulting firm to create new people management system to motivate workers. | |Management Information System |Establish its own CRM system to record customer information. | |Built an ERP system for purchasing process and to control key financial variables. | | |Uses remote conference system to enhance internal communication between all its restaurants. | | Competitor analysis focuses on each company which a company directly competes. South Beauty Group positions itself as a high-end Chinese dinner segment, thus it does not compete directly with ordinary restaurants, fast food chain restaurants and hot pot restaurants. South Beauty Group focus on Sichuan cuisine, therefore it does not compete with other high-end restaurants in term of cuisine. Nonetheless, they are considered competitors. The main competitor is identified; it is the local fast food chain, Kungfu. Currently it has 200 restaurants, and it plans to open 2,000 restaurants by 2012, and establishing three logistics centers in China for raw material procurement, delivery and food processing. In this analysis, we look at the future objectives, current strategy, assumptions and capabilities of South Beauty, and the response of competitors. Future Objectives South Beauty Group seeks to expand its restaurant business domestically and internationally. Emphasis should be placed in its domestic market, which is to expand and create awareness locally, before expanding to the international market. There are risks involved, as expansion requires financing. Currently, South Beauty Group uses its earned profit to reinvest. They are seeking IPO to finance its future expansion. Current Strategy South Beauty Group positions itself as a high-end Chinese dinner segment. The current strategy is to continue creating new and innovative dishes to have competitive advantage over its competitors. They seek to venture to new businesses such as airline catering and to sell semi-cooked frozen food in retail outlets. These are ways to diversify its business. Assumptions South Beauty does not operate under a status quo; they seek to expand locally and to the international markets. Competitors will seek to improve and expand as well. South Beauty must be a market leader to venture into new markets and different businesses to outsmart competitors. Capabilities The strengths of South Beauty are having trained staff and its ability to come out with new and stylish dishes. The weakness is the lack of marketing in creating awareness among consumers. South Beauty Group must continue to build on its strengths, and improve its weakness by having more aggressive marketing strategy. South Beauty is ranked 72 among the Chinese catering industry. It is not a bad result, but there are rooms for improvement. Yum! Brands is ranked 1st in China’s catering industry, with annual revenues of more than RMB 11 billion (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 159). South Beauty has a big gap in term of the profit earned. Response Competitors will seek to expand and explore into other businesses. South Beauty should quicken its pace on its new businesses in airline catering and sell semi-cooked frozen food in retail outlets. The objective is to be ahead of its competitors. Question 3 Strengths Making use of technology to enhance the process is a wise choice and is necessary to provide an edge over competitors in many different areas, such as to track sales, procurements and store customers details will prove useful in the long run. South Beauty Group positions itself as a high-end Chinese dinner segment, thus it does not compete directly with ordinary restaurants, fast food chain restaurants and hot pot restaurants. South Beauty Group focus on Sichuan cuisine, therefore it does not compete with other high-end restaurants in term of cuisine. Trainings are procided for staff. Waiters are trained at the company’s training center for duration of 3 months. Restaurant managers are to undertake a two years on-the-job training program. South Beauty Group is able to recruit Chinese executives from Coca-Cola and MacDonald’s, proves that it has positions itself well to attract talents and managers. South Beauty Group has an independent RD team to create new dishes. Under tight assessment, only 2 percent of all new dishes are launched (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 156). Its cuisine combines Chinese and Western cuisine and creates original new flavors. It also develops healthy and stylish cuisine. Weaknesses The weakness lies in its marketing. South Beauty Group needs a more aggressive and consistent advertising campaigns. South Beauty Group is part of 2008 Beijing Olympics food catering provider. In doing so, it creates more customers’ awareness of South Beauty Group’s restaurants. As the Olympics caters to 13 million athletes, media reporters, support personal and other guests for a duration of 3 months, in which 30 percent is Chinese cuisine (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 163). This is a very good marketing aspect if they are able to provide good food and service. Not to mention that it will generate additional revenue, this will impact greatly on South Beauty Group balance sheet. Opportunities An opportunity is a condition in the general environment that if exploited effectively, helps a company achieve strategic competitiveness (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 35). China has the biggest population in the world, and it is a fast developing nation. Judging by the demographics and economics of China, and food being a necessity, it appears to be a good business venture. Annual expenditure per capita on restaurant meals increased from an estimate of USD65 in 2004 to USD105 in 2007. The figures in more advanced cities such as Shanghai and Beijing are higher up to five times national average. And South Beauty Group operates mainly in these two cities. South lay a part in 2008 Beijing Olympics as a Chinese cuisine provider. As a food supplier to Olympics Games, South Beauty Group will undergo a critical technical transition in terms of the food and process standardization and logistics capacity. South Beauty Group needs to upgrade their operations in order to cater to the large scale requirements of the Olympics Games. Through this transition, if successful, it will fare well for South Beauty Group’s position in China’s catering industry in the future (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 163,164). Threats A threat is a condition in the general environment that may hinder a company’s efforts to achieve strategic competitiveness (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 35). The threat lies in the legal aspect, whereby copiers enjoy local protection in cities which South Beauty Group has not entered. This is a serious issue, as branding is very important for any company, especially in the food catering industry. Innocent consumers are tricked into going these fake restaurants which may provide poor service, which in turn affects the reputation of South Beauty Group. Using porter 5 forces, we determine that the food catering industry has a very low barrier of entry. Competitor can come in any time with a low budget. The bargaining power of customers is high, as they have many choices even in terms of high-end dinner restaurants. Sichuan cuisine is South Beauty Group’s main focus, although not many high-end restaurants engage in using the similar cuisine, customers have choices of other cuisines such as Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisines. Conclusion In conclusion, knowing the SWOT, South Beauty Group must continue to build on its strengths of using technology and have trained staff and experienced managers. Staff retention and attract more talents into the company is very important. South Beauty Group must exploit the different opportunities given, in order to gain competitive advantages over its competitors. The threat is a pressing issue, in term of the legal aspect in China. The company must continue to explore ways to protect its branding, such as entering into different markets in other cities, to get hold of its branding rights. The weakness lies in the marketing aspect, which South Beauty Group must be more aggressive in promoting its restaurants. It has to come out with a good marketing plan to build on its branding as high-end restaurants. Question 4 A business level strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions the firm uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific product market (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 90). There are five business level strategies, and from my analysis, South Beauty Group uses the differentiation strategy. This strategy has a board target in competitive scope, and focus on uniqueness in competitive advantage. The differentiation strategy is defined as an integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or services at an acceptable cost that customers perceive as being different in ways that are important to them (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 102). Taken from the case study Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt 2011, Luo Yun explained that: We focused on brand differentiation to cater to a wide range of customers. Thus, South Beauty Group target business people aged 30-45 years. LAN Club targets successful businesspeople aged over 45 years. SUBU targets younger and more fashionable office workers (p. 56). The value chain is used to determine if a firm is able to link the activities required to create value by using the differentiation strategy (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 103). Below are the value-creating activities associated with differentiation strategy: |Primary Activities |Value Created |Analysis | |Inbound Logistics |Yes |Have 2 central kitchens (Beijing and Shanghai) to prepare uncooked raw material and main dish packets. | |Operations |Yes | Individual restaurants manage its own operation. |Outbound Logistics |Yes |Food menu are standardized mainly due to central kitchens. | |Marketing and Sales |No |In need of more aggressive and consistent advertising campaigns. | |Service |Yes |Trained Staff. | |Secondary Activities |Value Created |Analysis | |Procurement |Yes |System to track sales and procurements of raw materials | |Technological |Yes |Establish its own CRM system to record customer information. |Development | |Built an ERP system for purchasing process and to control key financial variables. | | | |Uses remote conference system to enhance internal communication between all its restaurants. | |Human Resources |Yes |Waiters are trained at the company’s training center for duration of 3 months. Restaurant managers are| |Management | |t o undertake a two years on-the-job training program. | | | |Recruited Chinese executives from Coca-Cola and MacDonald’s. | |Firm Infrastructure |Yes |South Beauty Group’s structure has 2 divisions: head office functions and restaurant operations. | | |The head office manages the finances, HR, RD marketing, quality control of food supply and strategy | | | |of the company. | | | |Each restaurant manages its own operation, and a department specialise in managing and setting up | | | |franchises. | The five forces of competition is used to explained how South Beauty Group uses differentiation strategy to position itself to earn above-average returns. |Function of Five Forces |Threat |Case Analysis | |Threat of New Entrants |High |Low barrier of entries, competitors are able to join the industry easily. |Bargaining Power of |Low |There are many suppliers, thus South Beauty Group is able to negotiate for better prices due to | |Suppliers | |its large orders | |Bargaining Po wer of Buyers |High |There are many restaurants, and customers have choices. | |(Customers) | | | |Product Substitutes |High |There are others Chinese cuisines not served in South Beauty Group’s chain of restaurants. Serves| | | |mainly Sichuan cuisines. | |Rivalry among Competing |High |There are many high-end Chinese restaurants. | |Firms | | | Using differentiation strategy, there is a risk that customers may decide that the price differential between the differentiator’s product and cost leader’s product is too large (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 105). In view of this, South Beauty Group may be offering differentiated features that exceed target customers’ need. South Beauty Group will be vulnerable to competitors if the competitors are able to offer a combination of features and prices that are in line with customers’ need (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 105). There is risk that the differentiated product becomes less valuable if imitation by competitors causes customers to perceive that they offer the same service and goods, but at a lower price (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 106). The customers’ experience may narrow their perceptions of the value of the differentiated features (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 106). Counterfeiting is another risk. Counterfeits may bear trademark that is identical to South Beauty Group. South Beauty Group spent highly on the restaurants interior design. They acknowledged that customers come to their restaurants not just for the food, but the ambience as well. They employ well-known interior designers to create different decoration for each restaurant, spending of an average USD 1 million for each restaurant. The luxury LAN club which targets high-end customers has a total investment of USD 13 million on the restaurant (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 156). Meal prices are more expensively priced to cover cost, and restaurants are placed in high-end office buildings. This combination develops the upper middle-class brand image (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 156). South Beauty Group has an independent RD team to create new dishes. Under tight assessment, only 2 percent of all new dishes are launched (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 156). Its cuisine combines Chinese and Western cuisine and creates original new flavors. It also develops healthy and stylish cuisine. South Beauty Group uses technology to further differentiate itself. They established its own CRM system to record customer information. They built an ERP system for purchasing process and to control key financial variables. They use remote conference system to enhance internal communication between all its restaurants. They use system to track sales and procurements of raw materials for better control of cost of raw materials. South Beauty Group must continue to differentiate herself and providing services and food products that create value for customers, in order to retain and attract more customers. Question 5 South Beauty Group has ventured into different segment to test the markets, which is the correct approach. Firstly, they cooperate with Air France and KLM Royal Dutch airlines to provide business travelers with South Beauty-branded Chinese dishes (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 156). Secondly, they planned to open 2 restaurants in Hong Kong and test the market in United Arab Emirates (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 165). They planned to have 30 restaurants in short term and 100 restaurants within three years. 35 restaurants will be located in china, and 65 in international market, in cooperation with partners in New York, Tokyo and other major cities (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 165). Thirdly, they plan to supply semi-processed food to retail outlets in the domestic market (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 165). This is a way to diversify its business of partially cooked frozen foods such as dumplings. Different flavors should be offered. To do this, South Beauty needs to expand its RD. Chengdu is the birthplace of Sichuan food, and it is perceived the Sichuan food offered is not as spicy as the original cuisine, thus not a genuine Sichuan food restaurant. But customers are pleased of South beauty’s wide range of innovative dishes (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 163). South Beauty needs to continue to improve their food and process standardization and central logistics capability. The 2008 Beijing Olympics will be a good test for South Beauty Group, testing the standardization and logistic capability. South Beauty must build on the experience in order to achieve quality logistics and standardization of products for future development. South Beauty must continue to engage itself in such international events. As international events such as the Olympics has a wide range of customer base in almost all countries. South Beauty can use the events as a stepping stone to create more awareness. South Beauty Group is able to achieve annual growth of 55%, and claim a niche market share of more than 7% (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 154). Thus it is able to fund its own growth plans by reinvesting its profits (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 166). This attracts the attention of private venture capitalists and investment banks such as Credit Suisse and Citibank, expressing interest in financing with South Beauty (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 166). There is plan to develop a franchising system to expand on its restaurant chain in China (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 165), South Beauty has an existing department specializing in franchising, and should build on it. One of South Beauty key strength lie in the RD department, which design new dishes. Under tight assessment, only 2 percent of all new dishes are launched (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2011, p. 156). Its cuisine combines Chinese and Western cuisine and creates original new flavors. It also develops healthy and stylish cuisine. To order to have a competitive advantage, South Beauty must continue to create new and creative dishes. There is planning to go IPO. This is a big step in raising funds to finance all its operations and penetrating to new markets. From the analysis, the key weakness is in its marketing strategy. South Beauty Group needs a more aggressive and consistent advertising campaigns. As it expands and goes into other markets in different part of the cities or countries, creating awareness of its branding is equally important. In conclusion, to provide good and quality food is an advertisement by itself and the restaurants’ ambience will be a value added points to enhance customers’ experience.

Steven Spielberg Biography Essays - English-language Films, Jaws

Steven Spielberg Biography Rob Martinelle American Literature C Block Research Paper: Final Draft 18 May, 1999 Steven Spielberg: Revolutionary and Visionary Who would have thought that a brilliant career in filmmaking could have originated with a modest jar of Skippy Peanut Butter smeared on a neighbor's window in a tiny Cincinnati suburb? One might not think that such an average boyhood prank could evolve a boy into a man who would become the most financially successful film director in history. Well, that is exactly where Leah Spielberg, Steven Spielberg's mother, would trace her son's initial entry into becoming one of our nation's most creative storytellers. ?His badness was so original,? she recalls (Stein 3). Steven Spielberg, the only child of Leah and Arnold Spielberg, was born on December 18, 1946 at the beginning of the Baby Boom years in Cincinnati, Ohio. It does not take a great stretch of the imagination to see that Steven's film influences were derived from his father's experience as a World War II veteran and computer technician and his mother's past profession as a concert pianist. The love and amount of technology, history, and music within Steven's films can all be traced back to his early life with his family. While many men returning from war never want to reiterate their experiences, Steven's father seemed to be an exception. Steven said of his father, ? he intoxicated me with bedtime stories about the war. His stories were like the war movies I was watching on television, all worthy of cameo appearances by John Wayne? (Stein 1). It is no wonder that at the age of twelve Steven's first film, Fighter Squad, was filmed on a WWII fighter plane (Corliss 79). However, when Steven was unable to find certain props or realistic backdrops, he simulated dogfights and plane crashes by editing in footage from a WWII documentary. Only a year later, in 1960, he featured the war family Jeep in his second film, Escape to Nowhere, which was an action picture in which GIs invaded a Nazi hideout in the Libyan Desert. Since his family had moved to Arizona in 1960, the Arizona desert near his house would easily replicate the simulation of the Libyan Desert. It is clear that Steven's love and knowledge of vis ual effects began many years before his creation of a mechanical great white shark in 1975. There have been many incidents throughout Steven's childhood that have made it into his films. At the age of six, Steven's father awoke him to witness a meteor shower in the middle of the night (Stein 2). In time this event would also find its way into his 1977 film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The grin of a clown, a deadly tree outside a window, and being afraid at night, all out of 1982's Poltergeist, were all born out of Steven's real childhood phobias (5). Influence for films such as 1993's Academy Award winning drama/documentary Schindler's List could be attributed Steven growing up in a Jewish family. Steven has recalled that during his days in school he felt discriminated from others for being apart of the only Jewish family within the whole community (Graham 530). During the Christmas season, he would be embarrassed that his family's house would be the only one without lights or decorations. When his father offered to place a menorah in the window, Steven responded, ?No!?People will think we're Jewish? (Graham 528). Steven has claimed to have learned his numbers as a toddler with the help of a concentration camp survivor who pointed out the numerals tattooed on his arm. However, it was at high school, where he was first exposed to anti-Semitic behavior. He would suffer verbal and sometimes physical abuse from other students. Making movies was definitely an escape for Steven who told the New York Post, ?I enjoy the sense of being transported and no longer thinking anyone is in the audience? (529). ?Nearly three years after finishing Escape to Nowhere, he made his first feature-length film Firelight. It was a two-and-a-half-hour science fiction epic about an investigation of mysterious lights in the sky. However, it was also a look at a rocky marriage. Could the couple within the film have been Arnold and Leah who

Equilibrium Constant and Reaction Quotient Example

Equilibrium Constant and Reaction Quotient Example In chemistry, the reaction quotient Q relates the amounts of products and reactants in a chemical reaction at a given point in time. If the reaction quotient is compared with the equilibrium constant, the direction of the reaction may be known. This example problem demonstrates how to use the reaction quotient to predict the direction of a chemical reaction towards equilibrium.Problem:Hydrogen and Iodine gas react together to form hydrogen iodide gas. The equation for this reaction isH2(g) I2(g) ↔ 2HI(g)The equilibrium constant for this reaction is 7.1 x 102 at 25 Â °C. If the current concentration of gases are[H2]0 0.81 M[I2]0 0.44 M[HI]0 0.58 Mwhat direction will the reaction shift to reach equilibrium?SolutionTo predict the direction of equilibrium of a reaction, the reaction quotient is used. The reaction quotient, Q, is calculated in the same way as the equilibrium constant, K. Q uses the current or initial concentrations instead of the equilibrium concentrations use d to calculate K. Once found, the reaction quotient is compared to the equilibrium constant. If Q K, there there are more reactants present that at equilibrium and reaction will shift to the right.If Q K, then there are more products present than equilibrium and the reaction will need to produce more reactants shifting the reaction to the left.If Q K, then the reaction is already at equilibrium and there will be no shift. Step 1 - Find QQ [HI]02/[H2]0Â ·[I2]0Q (0.58 M)2/(0.81 M)(0.44 M)Q 0.34/.35Q 0.94Step 2 - Compare Q to KK 7.1 x 102 or 710 Q 0.94 Q is less than K Answer:The reaction will shift to the right to produce more hydrogen iodide gas to reach equilibrium.

Marcus Mosiah Garveys Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marcus Mosiah Garveys Movement - Essay Example According to the report findings Garvey visited Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama, where he worked as an editor for some radical newspapers, during the early moments of service. Garvey’s keen interest in Africa and that of its history came about after his visit to England, where he mingled with several African nationalists. In a number of the countries that Garvey visited, he acknowledged that the black man was on inferior levels, subject to the continuous changing ideals of stronger races. The writings of Booker T. Washington on â€Å"Up from slavery† also contributed greatly to the interventions that Garvey sought to bring. His endeavors got a boost after meeting a Sudanese-Egyptian supporter of Africa self-rule, Duse Mohammed Ali, who employed him, thus ensuring his interaction with other black activists. As the the essay stresses the organization appealed to the black community to return to Africa for the development of a great nation. He knew that until this was attainable, Africans had to make themselves economically stable and independent in their respective areas of residence. He further encouraged black communities to start their own business in the various ghettos that they dominated. In accordance to his basic principle and the belief that each race had to see God through its own racial eyes, Garvey together with Archbishop George McGuire started the African Orthodox Church. Official announcement of the Black Madonna and the Black Christ then took place in the UNIA convention of 1924.

The Economics of Natural Resource Availability Essay

The Economics of Natural Resource Availability - Essay Example Every market strategy should cover the price and output strategy, the reaction of price and output strategy of other competitors in the market. There are large numbers of applications of business in this technological and advanced scenario. There are web and net facilities to all one should have an access to the internet facilities for business helps in advertising the introduction of the products and new designs The computer programming one of the most important things to consider the work based on software’s introducing different software. Small industries at small scales mean the garment factory leather and so on, small educational institutions such as small schools, investments in the small business of departmental stores, whole sellers and retailers. Keynes describes the study of unemployment with the business cycle he gives the study of aggregate demand. In Keynes view, using applying the fiscal policy can reduce the fluctuations in business cycle and monetary policy fiscal policy is the government policy and monetary policy concerned with the policy by a central bank and the government departments too. The Keynesian economics is based on the 20th-century ideas. In the Keynesian view, there are many macroeconomic variables, which have an impact on the individual’s microeconomics functions. In Keynesian economics, the discussion of aggregate demand with the individuals demands the goods. In his view there are many changes bring by the government by implementing the fiscal and monetary policy to take control over the economy and prevent it from downfall. The supply side economics is concerned with the implementation of monetary and fiscal policy it focuses on the monetary policy the study of money demand and its supply monetary policy is only concerned with the changes in the money supply not with the interest rate, the changes in interest rates are managed by the fiscal policy.  Ã‚  

W 4 A&S answer Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W 4 A&S answer Marketing - Essay Example The Affordable Health care Act was passed by congress and then signed in to law in 2010 on 23rd of March by President Obama (Garvin, 2013). There were various impacts that become notable and some of them are discussed under. The Act led to a significant reduction in the premium costs that would have otherwise been incurred by business owners at low level, families and individuals. This was made possible through the provision of tax relief which was as much as up to hundreds of dollars. According to the Act, there is commitment by the government to the America’s seniors through ensuring protection and preservation of medicare. The Act also ensures promotion of the prevention, wellness of the public health. National prevention together with health promotion strategy is created as a result of the directions given by this Act (Gagliardi, 2006). In so doing, the instances of preventable illnesses and disability are reduced

DNA Structure: DNA Replication RNA Synthesis Protein

DNA Structure: DNA Replication RNA Synthesis Protein DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the genetic material of a cell. It contains information about an organisms cell structure, function, development and reproduction. DNA must be able to replicate quickly and correctly so that the daughter cells have the same genetic information as the parental cell. DNA must also be capable of change. This provides variation among different generations and was the key factor for evolution to occur. DNA is a polymer (made up of many units) of nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains a five-carbon sugar (there is an extra hydroxyl group in the sugar for RNA), a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group. There are two classes of nitrogenous bases, purines and pyrimidines. Each purine pairs up with one pyrimidine. Adenine and guanine are purines (double ring structures), while cytosine, thymine (DNA), and uracil (RNA) are pyrimidines (single ring structures). Nucleotides are linked together by a covalent bond between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and t he 3carbon of the sugar of another nucleotide. These 5-3 linkages are called phosphodiester bonds. These bonds are very strong and provide a good backbone for the structure of DNA. Experiments were done by Watson and Crick, and Franklin and Wilkins provided a three-dimensional model of DNA- the double helix. It is composed of 2 chains that are anti-parallel to one another (rope ladder that is twisted). Each step of the ladder is composed of one purine, ad one pyrimidine (adenineÆ’Â  thymine, guanineÆ’Â  cytosine). The central dogma of biology is DNAÆ’Â  RNAÆ’Â  protein. DNA, which contains the genes that are expressed, has to be transcribed and translated first. DNA is transcribed into mRNA, which codes for a specific protein and is assembled through ribosomes. Proteins are synthesised by amino acids. The order of nucleotides in DNA determines the amino acids used in synthesising a protein. Three nucleotides (codon) code for one amino acid; there are 64 different pos sibilities of codons. There is a total of 20 amino acids, which means that more than one codon codes for the same amino acid. There are also start codons to begin protein synthesis and stop codons to terminate protein synthesis (Russell, 9-19). Hypothesis: I predict that we will be able to understand the structure of DNA and RNA after this experiment. I predict that I will achieve a better understanding of protein synthesis after this experiment. Methods: We obtained 60 white beads (deoxyribose sugar), 60 red beads (phosphate group), 15 orange beads (adenine), 15 green beads (guanine), 15 blue beads (cytosine), 15 yellow beads (thymine), and 30 clear connectors (hydrogen bonds). We assembled 60 nucleotides by attaching a red bead (phosphate group) to the white bead (deoxyribose sugar) in a 5 position. We attached a nitrogenous base bead (orange/green/blue/yellow) to the 1 position of the deoxyribose sugar (white bead) We constructed a single-stranded polynucleotide chain by attaching the phosphate group of one nucleotide to the 3 end of another deoxyribose sugar (this strand contained 30 nucleotides- remember to add the nitrogenous bases in a random order). To form the typical double stranded DNA molecule, an antiparallel single strand must now be constructed to bond with the initial strand. The remaining 30 nucleotides were attached in the same manner as mentioned above. They were placed antiparallel to the other strand, but we made sure that the nitrogenous bases across each strand were complementary (A bonded with T, and G bonded with C). Connectors were placed between the bases to represent hydrogen bonds. We then simulated DNA replication by first forming an origin of replication. Beads were obtained and attached in a 5Æ’Â  3 direction. 2 DNAs were synthesised (each with one parental strand and one new complementary strand), which showed the semiconservative model. We then simulated RNA synthesis (transcription). We obtained 24 pink beads (ribose sugar), 24 red beads (phosphate group), 6 orange beads (adenine), 6 green beads (guanine), 6 blue beads (cytosine), and 6 purple beads (uracil). We also obtained a template DNA strand. We constructed the RNA nucleotides in a similar fashion that we made the DNA nucleotides. We followed the DNA strand and attached the RNA nucleotides accordingly (complementary to the template strand of the DNA). We then simulated protein synthesis by encoding the mRNA (translation). We positioned the RNA horizontally in a 5Æ’Â  3 fashion and uncoded the RNA. 3 nitrogenous bases make up one codon. We wrote down the different codons and using a table, figured out the amino acids required to make the protein. Lastly, we constructed the polypeptide by connecting the different amino acids. The chain kept building as the chain moved from the A site to the P site to the E site. Results: DNA Strand- 5-ATGGCTAGTATAGGTTGCCATCGATGGCAG-3 3-TACCGATCATATCCAACGGTAGCTACCGTC-5 RNA Strand- 5- AUG-GUC-UAC-CUA-ACG-CCG-GAU-UAG-3 Coding for- f-Met-Val-Tyr- Leu-Thr-Pro-Asp-termination Conclusion: DNA is very important for life. It can replicate well, which means that the next generation will retain the characteristics of the parents. It is capable of change, which means that it provides for variation and was crucial for evolution to occur. It also codes for proteins that help express genes and traits of the organism. In this lab, we simulated DNA structure, replication, RNA synthesis and protein synthesis. Each one of these processes is essential to human life and a mutation in any one of the processes could lead to death. In DNA, adenine bonds to thymine via two hydrogen bonds, while guanine bonds to cytosine via three hydrogen bonds. In all DNA, the amount of adenine should equal the amount of thymine, and the amount of guanine should equal the amount of cytosine (1:1 ratio of A:T and G:C). However, the differentiation in the ratio of the adenine/thymine pair to guanine/cytosine pair varies greatly among organisms. DNA replicates semi-conservatively. This means that during replication, the strands separate, replication occurs and when the two daughter DNAs are formed, each one contains one parental strand and one new strand. Lastly, in this simulation, we did not have post-transcriptional editing where introns are excised. Each gene codes for a polypeptide which could have various function depending on the amino acids that synthesised it. This experiment was very helpful in the sense that it helped us realise how complex the processes of replication, transcription and translation are.

Eulogy for Father :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Father This is the last of three formal memorials for my father. The first was in the surroundings of his last years, at his country church in Virginia, among his family and neighbors. The second was in the surroundings of his first years, among the boxwoods in Murfreesboro, in the presence of a large number of his buried ancestors and a smaller number of his living descendants. Today we gather to remember the middle years of his life, the years at Harvard which he considered his greatest, and which many now consider Harvard's greatest. You, his students and friends from those years, know he was a man of many talents. He was a scholar; a statesman who could see things clearly to which others were blind; a man of deep religious sensitivity; a man of the soil. He was a fighter, a boxer in his college days, a battery commander in World War I, a man who fought and bred gamecocks all his life, and, above all, a man in the thick of controversy at home and war abroad for more than fifty years of public life. Yet he was also a man who cherished honorable peace and loved to commend to his students the stern but pacific words of Lincoln's Second Inaugural: â€Å"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on...to achieve a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.† He was a devoted family man, not just for us, his blood family, but also for the larger family of his students, co-workers, and friends. He expected great things of us, as we did of him. He was a genius with words, a writer, a poet, a powerful orator, a master storyteller, a man who in a single encounter could move people to their foundations. This moving power was deeper than words. He retained it to the end, after he had lost his command of words, and the vivid recollections of a long-ago speech or conversation so common among those who have met him are more apt to be of his power and presence than of the words he used. My own most recurrent memory of him is completely nonverbal. It is the look in his eyes years ago in Virginia when he had put me on a bus to the city.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-three

Catelyn The woods were full of whispers. Moonlight winked on the tumbling waters of the stream below as it wound its rocky way along the floor of the valley. Beneath the trees, warhorses whickered softly and pawed at the moist, leafy ground, while men made nervous jests in hushed voices. Now and again, she heard the chink of spears, the faint metallic slither of chain mail, but even those sounds were muffled. â€Å"It should not be long now, my lady,† Hallis Mollen said. He had asked for the honor of protecting her in the battle to come; it was his right, as Winterfell's captain of guards, and Robb had not refused it to him. She had thirty men around her, charged to keep her unharmed and see her safely home to Winterfell if the fighting went against them. Robb had wanted fifty; Catelyn had insisted that ten would be enough, that he would need every sword for the fight. They made their peace at thirty, neither happy with it. â€Å"It will come when it comes,† Catelyn told him. When it came, she knew it would mean death. Hal's death perhaps . . . or hers, or Robb's. No one was safe. No life was certain. Catelyn was content to wait, to listen to the whispers in the woods and the faint music of the brook, to feel the warm wind in her hair. She was no stranger to waiting, after all. Her men had always made her wait. â€Å"Watch for me, little cat,† her father would always tell her, when he rode off to court or fair or battle. And she would, standing patiently on the battlements of Riverrun as the waters of the Red Fork and the Tumblestone flowed by. He did not always come when he said he would, and days would ofttimes pass as Catelyn stood her vigil, peering out between crenels and through arrow loops until she caught a glimpse of Lord Hoster on his old brown gelding, trotting along the rivershore toward the landing. â€Å"Did you watch for me?† he'd ask when he bent to bug her. â€Å"Did you, little cat?† Brandon Stark had bid her wait as well. â€Å"I shall not be long, my lady,† he had vowed. â€Å"We will be wed on my return.† Yet when the day came at last, it was his brother Eddard who stood beside her in the sept. Ned had lingered scarcely a fortnight with his new bride before he too had ridden off to war with promises on his lips. At least he had left her with more than words; he had given her a son. Nine moons had waxed and waned, and Robb had been born in Riverrun while his father still warred in the south. She had brought him forth in blood and pain, not knowing whether Ned would ever see him. Her son. He had been so small . . . And now it was for Robb that she waited . . . for Robb, and for Jaime Lannister, the gilded knight who men said had never learned to wait at all. â€Å"The Kingslayer is restless, and quick to anger,† her uncle Brynden had told Robb. And he had wagered their lives and their best hope of victory on the truth of what he said. If Robb was frightened, he gave no sign of it. Catelyn watched her son as he moved among the men, touching one on the shoulder, sharing a jest with another, helping a third to gentle an anxious horse. His armor clinked softly when he moved. Only his head was bare. Catelyn watched a breeze stir his auburn hair, so like her own, and wondered when her son had grown so big. Fifteen, and near as tall as she was. Let him grow taller, she asked the gods. Let him know sixteen, and twenty, and fifty. Let him grow as tall as his father, and hold his own son in his arms. Please, please, please. As she watched him, this tall young man with the new beard and the direwolf prowling at his heels, all she could see was the babe they had laid at her breast at Riverrun, so long ago. The night was warm, but the thought of Riverrun was enough to make her shiver. Where are they? she wondered. Could her uncle have been wrong? So much rested on the truth of what he had told them. Robb had given the Blackfish three hundred picked men, and sent them ahead to screen his march. â€Å"Jaime does not know,† Ser Brynden said when he rode back. â€Å"I'll stake my life on that. No bird has reached him, my archers have seen to that. We've seen a few of his outriders, but those that saw us did not live to tell of it. He ought to have sent out more. He does not know.† â€Å"How large is his host?† her son asked. â€Å"Twelve thousand foot, scattered around the castle in three separate camps, with the rivers between,† her uncle said, with the craggy smile she remembered so well. â€Å"There is no other way to besiege Riverrun, yet still, that will be their undoing. Two or three thousand horse.† â€Å"The Kingslayer has us three to one,† said Galbart Glover. ‘True enough,† Ser Brynden said, â€Å"yet there is one thing Ser Jaime lacks.† â€Å"Yes?† Robb asked. â€Å"Patience.† Their host was greater than it had been when they left the Twins. Lord Jason Mallister had brought his power out from Seagard to join them as they swept around the headwaters of the Blue Fork and galloped south, and others had crept forth as well, hedge knights and small lords and masterless men-at-arms who had fled north when her brother Edmure's army was shattered beneath the walls of Riverrun. They had driven their horses as hard as they dared to reach this place before Jaime Lannister had word of their coming, and now the hour was at hand. Catelyn watched her son mount up. Olyvar Frey held his horse for him, Lord Walder's son, two years older than Robb, and ten years younger and more anxious. He strapped Robb's shield in place and handed up his helm. When he lowered it over the face she loved so well, a tall young knight sat on his grey stallion where her son had been. It was dark among the trees, where the moon did not reach. When Robb turned his head to look at her, she could see only black inside his visor. â€Å"I must ride down the line, Mother,† he told her. â€Å"Father says you should let the men see you before a battle.† ‘Go, then,† she said. â€Å"Let them see you.† ‘It will give them courage,† Robb said. And who will give me courage? she wondered, yet she kept her silence and made herself smile for him. Robb turned the big grey stallion and walked him slowly away from her, Grey Wind shadowing his steps. Behind him his battle guard formed up. When he'd forced Catelyn to accept her protectors, she had insisted that he be guarded as well, and the lords bannermen had agreed. Many of their sons had clamored for the honor of riding with the Young Wolf, as they had taken to calling him. Torrhen Karstark and his brother Eddard were among his thirty, and Patrek Mallister, Smalljon Umber, Daryn Hornwood, Theon Greyjoy, no less than five of Walder Frey's vast brood, along with older men like Ser Wendel Manderly and Robin Flint. One of his companions was even a woman: Dacey Mormont, Lady Maege's eldest daughter and heir to Bear Island, a lanky six-footer who had been given a morningstar at an age when most girls were given dolls. Some of the other lords muttered about that, but Catelyn would not listen to their complaints. â€Å"This is not about the honor of your houses,† she told them. â€Å"This is about keeping my son alive and whole.† And if it comes to that, she wondered, will thirty be enough? Will six thousand be enough? A bird called faintly in the distance, a high sharp trill that felt like an icy hand on Catelyn's neck. Another bird answered; a third, a fourth. She knew their call well enough, from her years at Winterfell. Snow shrikes. Sometimes you saw them in the deep of winter, when the godswood was white and still. They were northern birds. They are coming, Catelyn thought. â€Å"They're coming, my lady,† Hal Mollen whispered. He was always a man for stating the obvious. â€Å"Gods be with us.† She nodded as the woods grew still around them. In the quiet she could hear them, far off yet moving closer; the tread of many horses, the rattle of swords and spears and armor, the murmur of human voices, with here a laugh, and there a curse. Eons seemed to come and go. The sounds grew louder. She heard more laughter, a shouted command, splashing as they crossed and recrossed the little stream. A horse snorted. A man swore. And then at last she saw him . . . only for an instant, framed between the branches of the trees as she looked down at the valley floor, yet she knew it was him. Even at a distance, Ser Jaime Lannister was unmistakable. The moonlight had silvered his armor and the gold of his hair, and turned his crimson cloak to black. He was not wearing a helm. He was there and he was gone again, his silvery armor obscured by the trees once more. Others came behind him, long columns of them, knights and sworn swords and freeriders, three quarters of the Lannister horse. â€Å"He is no man for sitting in a tent while his carpenters build siege towers,† Ser Brynden had promised. â€Å"He has ridden out with his knights thrice already, to chase down raiders or storm a stubborn holdfast.† Nodding, Robb had studied the map her uncle had drawn him. Ned had taught him to read maps. â€Å"Raid him here,† he said, pointing. â€Å"A few hundred men, no more. Tully banners. When he comes after you, we will be waiting†Ã¢â‚¬â€his finger moved an inch to the left—†here.† Here was a hush in the night, moonlight and shadows, a thick carpet of dead leaves underfoot, densely wooded ridges sloping gently down to the streambed, the underbrush thinning as the ground fell away. Here was her son on his stallion, glancing back at her one last time and lifting his sword in salute. Here was the call of Maege Mormont's warhorn, a long low blast that rolled down the valley from the east, to tell them that the last of Jaime's riders had entered the trap. And Grey Wind threw back his head and howled. The sound seemed to go right through Catelyn Stark, and she found herself shivering. It was a terrible sound, a frightening sound, yet there was music in it too. For a second she felt something like pity for the Lannisters below. So this is what death sounds like, she thought. HAAroooooooooooooooooooooooo came the answer from the far ridge as the Greatjon winded his own horn. To east and west, the trumpets of the Mallisters and Freys blew vengeance. North, where the valley narrowed and bent like a cocked elbow, Lord Karstark's warhorns added their own deep, mournful voices to the dark chorus. Men were shouting and horses rearing in the stream below. The whispering wood let out its breath all at once, as the bowmen Robb had hidden in the branches of the trees let fly their arrows and the night erupted with the screams of men and horses. All around her, the riders raised their lances, and the dirt and leaves that had buried the cruel bright points fell away to reveal the gleam of sharpened steel. â€Å"Winterfell!† she heard Robb shout as the arrows sighed again. He moved away from her at a trot, leading his men downhill. Catelyn sat on her horse, unmoving, with Hal Mollen and her guard around her, and she waited as she had waited before, for Brandon and Ned and her father. She was high on the ridge, and the trees hid most of what was going on beneath her. A heartbeat, two, four, and suddenly it was as if she and her protectors were alone in the wood. The rest were melted away into the green. Yet when she looked across the valley to the far ridge, she saw the Greatjon's riders emerge from the darkness beneath the trees. They were in a long line, an endless line, and as they burst from the wood there was an instant, the smallest part of a heartbeat, when all Catelyn saw was the moonlight on the points of their lances, as if a thousand willowisps were coming down the ridge, wreathed in silver flame. Then she blinked, and they were only men, rushing down to kill or die. Afterward, she could not claim she had seen the battle. Yet she could hear, and the valley rang with echoes. The crack of a broken lance, the clash of swords, the cries of â€Å"Lannister† and â€Å"Winterfell† and â€Å"Tully! Riverrun and Tully!† When she realized there was no more to see, she closed her eyes and listened. The battle came alive around her. She heard hoofbeats, iron boots splashing in shallow water, the woody sound of swords on oaken shields and the scrape of steel against steel, the hiss of arrows, the thunder of drums, the terrified screaming of a thousand horses. Men shouted curses and begged for mercy, and got it (or not), and lived (or died). The ridges seemed to play queer tricks with sound. Once she heard Robb's voice, as clear as if he'd been standing at her side, calling, â€Å"To me! To me!† And she heard his direwolf, snarling and growling, heard the snap of those long teeth, the tearing of flesh, shrieks of fear and pain from man and horse alike. Was there only one wolf? It was hard to be certain. Little by little, the sounds dwindled and died, until at last there was only the wolf. As a red dawn broke in the east, Grey Wind began to howl again. Robb came back to her on a different horse, riding a piebald gelding in the place of the grey stallion he had taken down into the valley. The wolf's head on his shield was slashed half to pieces, raw wood showing where deep gouges had been hacked in the oak, but Robb himself seemed unhurt. Yet when he came closer, Catelyn saw that his mailed glove and the sleeve of his surcoat were black with blood. â€Å"You're hurt,† she said. Robb lifted his hand, opened and closed his fingers. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"This is . . . Torrhen's blood, perhaps, or . . . † He shook his head. â€Å"I do not know.† A mob of men followed him up the slope, dirty and dented and grinning, with Theon and the Greatjon at their head. Between them they dragged Ser Jaime Lannister. They threw him down in front of her horse. â€Å"The Kingslayer,† Hal announced, unnecessarily. Lannister raised his head. â€Å"Lady Stark,† he said from his knees. Blood ran down one cheek from a gash across his scalp, but the pale light of dawn had put the glint of gold back in his hair. â€Å"I would offer you my sword, but I seem to have mislaid it.† â€Å"It is not your sword I want, ser,† she told him. â€Å"Give me my father and my brother Edmure. Give me my daughters. Give me my lord husband.† â€Å"I have mislaid them as well, I fear.† â€Å"A pity,† Catelyn said coldly. â€Å"Kill him, Robb,† Theon Greyjoy urged. â€Å"Take his head off.† â€Å"No,† her son answered, peeling off his bloody glove. â€Å"He's more use alive than dead. And my lord father never condoned the murder of prisoners after a battle.† â€Å"A wise man,† Jaime Lannister said, â€Å"and honorable.† â€Å"Take him away and put him in irons,† Catelyn said. â€Å"Do as my lady mother says,† Robb commanded, â€Å"and make certain there's a strong guard around him. Lord Karstark will want his head on a pike.† â€Å"That he will,† the Greatjon agreed, gesturing. Lannister was led away to be bandaged and chained. â€Å"Why should Lord Karstark want him dead?† Catelyn asked. Robb looked away into the woods, with the same brooding look that Ned often got. â€Å"He . . . he killed them . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Karstark's sons,† Galbart Glover explained. â€Å"Both of them,† said Robb. â€Å"Torrhen and Eddard. And Daryn Hornwood as well.† â€Å"No one can fault Lannister on his courage,† Glover said. â€Å"When he saw that he was lost, he rallied his retainers and fought his way up the valley, hoping to reach Lord Robb and cut him down. And almost did.† â€Å"He mislaid his sword in Eddard Karstark's neck, after he took Torrhen's hand off and split Daryn Hornwood's skull open,† Robb said. â€Å"All the time he was shouting for me. If they hadn't tried to stop him—† â€Å"—I should then be mourning in place of Lord Karstark,† Catelyn said. â€Å"Your men did what they were sworn to do, Robb. They died protecting their liege lord. Grieve for them. Honor them for their valor. But not now. You have no time for grief. You may have lopped the head off the snake, but three quarters of the body is still coiled around my father's castle. We have won a battle, not a war.† â€Å"But such a battle!† said Theon Greyjoy eagerly. â€Å"My lady, the realm has not seen such a victory since the Field of Fire. I vow, the Lannisters lost ten men for every one of ours that fell. We've taken close to a hundred knights captive, and a dozen lords bannermen. Lord Westerling, Lord Banefort, Ser Garth Greenfield, Lord Estren, Ser Tytos Brax, Mallor the Dornishman . . . and three Lannisters besides Jaime, Lord Tywin's own nephews, two of his sister's sons and one of his dead brother's . . . â€Å" â€Å"And Lord Tywin?† Catelyn interrupted. â€Å"Have you perchance taken Lord Tywin, Theon?† â€Å"No,† Greyjoy answered, brought up short. â€Å"Until you do, this war is far from done.† Robb raised his head and pushed his hair back out of his eyes. â€Å"My mother is right. We still have Riverrun.†

constitutionalism essays

constitutionalism essays The seventeenth century, which witnessed the development of absolute monarchy, also saw the appearance of the constitutional state. While France solved the question of sovereignty with the absolutist state, England evolved toward the constitutional state. If we could assign a very simple definition of the term of the term constitutionalism, it would be the limitation of government by law. Constitutionalism implies a very delicate balance between the authority and power of government, on the one hand, and the rights and liberties of the subjects, on the other. In essence, the law is embodied by a set of precepts and principles a constitution. A nations constitution may be written or unwritten. It may be embodied in one basic document, occasionally revised by amendment or judicial decision, like the Constitution of the United States. It also may be partly written and partly unwritten and include parliamentary statutes, judicial decisions, and a body of traditional procedures and practices (like the English constitution). Regardless of whether it is written or unwritten, a constitution gets its binding force from the governments acknowledgment that it must respect that constitution that is, that the state must govern according to the laws. Likewise, in this state, the people look on the laws and the constitution as the protector of their rights, liberty, and property. Modern constitutional governments may take either a republican or a monarchical form. In a constitutional republic, the sovereign power resides in the electorate and is exercised by the electorates representatives. In a constitutional monarchy, a king or queen serves as the head of state and possesses some residual political authority, but again the ultimate, or sovereign, power rests in the electorate. The constitutional government at this time period has sometimes been perceived to be the same as the democratic form. However, su...

Study of government backed initiatives to promote female participation in Physics and Mathematics The WritePass Journal

Study of government backed initiatives to promote female participation in Physics and Mathematics Introduction Study of government backed initiatives to promote female participation in Physics and Mathematics IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction This essay aims to explore the UK based initiatives designed to promote female participation within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) disciplines focusing predominately on Physics. The essay will consider the different teaching techniques and styles that have been researched and implemented in order to appeal specifically to a female audience and their relative success in terms of encouraging females to pursue both higher education in STEM based disciplines and careers. It is noticeable within numerous records and statistics that women in STEM based subjects are under-represented which has lead to an absence of females actively employed within STEM careers.   In 2008, women made up only 12.3 per cent of the STEM workforce. This is, however, an increase of 2.0 percentage points since 2003 (Kirkup, et al., 2010. Women and men in science, engineering and technology: the UK statistics guide 2010. Bradford: the UKRC) showing that there has been some successful work towards encouraging females towards STEM careers. This under-representation is no more apparent than within the science discipline of Physics, which displays the persistent problem of a lack of girls continuing to study physics beyond the age of 16 (physics is a compulsory part of the GCSE curriculum). It has been recognised that a significant number of girls actually out perform boys at Key Stage 4 within science, but this is not transferred into the desire to study physics into Key Stage 5 (post-16). In 2005, only 14% of girls who were awarded an A* or A for GCSE Double Award Science or physics progressed to A level physics (Hollins et al., 2006). The Institute of Physics have released figures indicating an incremental yearly increase in the number of A level physics candidates between 2006 and 2008 but there has been little change in the proportion of girls that have taken the subject post-16. In 2008, only 22% of the entries for A-level Physics were female (Institute of Physics, 2008). These statistics can be seen clearly in the appendix where the number of female entries in 2008 actually illustrates a decrease in female uptake in comparison to 2007 of -0.3%.   In addition, recruitment to biology has remained relatively stable with more females than males being entered for A-level examinations. Chemistry entries for both male and females are relatively equal and mathematics still sees a top-heavy male count, although less dramatically than physics. There has been an extensive amount of research into the potential reasons behind the consistently low numbers of females within Physics.   The development of institutionalised education in England was based on principles of class and gender differentiation (Purvis, 1981) and many scholars attribute existing gender culture today to their historical roots where it was the norm for middle class girls to undertake roles as wives and mothers of society’s privileged gentlemen. Consequently, physics, with its high mathematical content and often abstract ideas, was a subject thought suitable only to males with girls focusing on the more subjective areas of science such as the moral aspects including religion and how science can be used to improve domestic life. Many still believe connotations of this attitude exist today and while it is important to recognise that although ‘educational policy may change, what students, their parents and their teachers have come to understand a s appropriate ways for girls and boys to be, to know and to behave, will continue to reflect the historical roots of the culture’ (Murphy,P.,Whitelegg,E .,2006).   In addition, research by Alison Kelly (1987) identifies three factors that appear to account for a lack of interest by women in science, namely women see it as likely to be difficult, masculine, and impersonal. A number of modern day initiatives and specific teaching techniques have been coined to address these misconceptions and will be explored, with their relative success critiqued, in the remaining body of the essay. Many initiatives to encourage female participation in science try to address the causes of the phenomena known in academia as the ‘leaky pipeline’. The phrase has been devised to illustrate what statistics clearly show, much like a leaky pipeline, women steadily drop out of the science educational system, which carries students in secondary education through to higher education and then onto a job in STEM. Figure 1 illustrates the risks that may be experienced by women already in the science pipeline upon commencement of a STEM based career. Figure 1: An example of The Leaky Pipeline Source: International federation of university women [image online] Available at:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ifuw.org/imgs/blog/blog_leaky_pipeline.jpg [Accessed 16 April 2011]. Pell (1996) acknowledges that much of the selection between men and women has taken place even before academia is entered arguing that critical phases in the selection towards an academic career include early childhood, adolescence, school years and the job entry period. Pell gives development of self-esteem in early life-course, student-teacher interaction in classrooms leading to lower aspirations amongst girls, fewer female role models, and conflicts with family responsibilities, as some of the reasons for the ‘leak’ in the pipeline.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blickenstaff. J (2005) argues alternatively that ‘no one in a position of power along the pipeline has consciously decided to filter women out of the STEM stream, but the cumulative effect of many separate but related factors results in the sex imbalance in STEM that is observed today’. Many believe the ‘leakage’ from the pipeline requires a multi-faceted solution, and time is needed to allow modernis ations in teaching and learning to take effect, only then will this be evident within the statistics often used to prove such initiatives have failed. It can be questioned whether the merit of such initiatives can so quickly be analysed and concluded as failures if they have not had sufficient time to evolve. For example, the increase of girls choosing to study physics may only see an increase in numbers once teaching practices, academic relevance of the syllabus and functional support networks are truly aligned together and are sustainable. This issue has been further addressed by Cronin and Roger (1999) who debate the focus of various initiatives aiming to bring women and science together. They conclude that many of these initiatives are flawed as they tend to focus on one of three areas: attracting women to science, supporting women already in science, or changing science to be more inclusive of women and hence the other(s) areas are ignored. A.Phipps (2008) reasons that the â₠¬Ëœimportant initiatives designed to address the problem are under-researched allowing little opportunity for educational practitioners, activists, policy-makers and scholars to analyse and learn from the practices and policies that were developed over the past decade’. Outside of the classroom, many initiatives and organizations have been set up to encourage, support and engage women within STEM careers. One of the most well-known and long running initiatives, Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) was founded in 1984. The aim of WISE, as it is more commonly known, is to encourage the understanding of science among young girls and women and achieve an overall impact capable of promoting STEM based careers as both attainable and stimulating for women. WISE deliver a range of different options and initiatives in order to achieve their inherent strategy and openly work with other organisations, where appropriate, in a bid to accomplish this. They provide many resources for girls, teachers and parents.   These various resources and much more can be found on their website wisecampaign.org.uk/. It has been noted that there is inadequate work appraising the impact of WISE policies since the organization began. Phipps (2008) suggests that ‘althoug h school visits by WISE did have a positive effect on girls opinions of science this was not translated into long term change in their career ambitions’. Alternatively, WISE claim that an increase in female engineering graduates, from 7% in 1984 to 15% today, can be attributed to the success of the campaign believing that the WISE programmes inherent accomplishments can only be measured using the proportions of engineering students and engineers who are female (WISE, 2010). To date, however, there has been no onward tracking of participants from the WISE outlook programme. This leads others to be more critical with Henwood (1996) claiming WISE have ‘inadvertently limited the ways in which girls and women could discuss the challenges they faced’ and with no detailed research evaluating whether various actions and policies by WISE have produced the impact, it can be hard to attribute the growth to WISE without questioning whether these were a result of other elemen ts present at the time. Phipps (2008) echoes this uncertainty stating ‘it is difficult to definitely conclude that WISE policies have been the decisive or contributory factor in encouraging female participation in scientific careers’. The UK government is committed to remedying the current situation assisting with the launch, in 2004, of the UK Resource Centre (UKRC) for Women in SET (science, engineering and technology). This organisation aims to provide practical support and help in order to encourage more women to take up a career in STEM (UKRC, 2007; Wynarczyk, 2006, 2007a). It must be noted that the UKRC is principally concentrated on the participation of women in STEM careers and its responsibility does not include education. The UKRC is prominent in collecting evaluative data to allow the programmes attainments to be monitored, this includes recording the numbers of women with whom it has engaged in its work, in addition to statistics on the outcomes for returners in its programmes (UKRC, 2010). Many have criticized the large number of non-governmental organisations and initiatives involved in the STEM sector stating that the process is disjointed and ungainly with the consequence that some policies and initiatives may be unable to reach their full potential. The STEM Cross-Cutting Programme also concluded that ‘at the current time there are far too many schemes, each of which has its own overheads’.(DfES, 2006a: p.3).   Despite this, the Government has markedly increased its STEM education budget and the activities in which it supports, in an attempt to reverse the current STEM trends. This includes cash initiatives to encourage more physics trained teachers, (Jha,A,. Guardian online 2005 ‘New incentives for maths and physics teachers’ [Available online] guardian.co.uk/education/2007/oct/05/schools.uk2). Within the current UK educational system, educators have been promoting programmes like Girls Into Science and Technology (GIST) and Computer Clubs for Girls (CC4G) for many years in an attempt to get more girls into science. The later is and organisation led by employers and it is not run for profit. The government issues its licenses with the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) currently funding it. Furthermore, the UK Government is providing support for schools to encourage more girls to study physics and to help them to become more confident and assertive in the subject. Methodologies for teaching physics with an emphasis on physics as a ‘socially relevant and applied subject has led to higher attainment for both males and females’ conclude Murphy and Whitelegg (2006). Previous research has also indicated that girls are motivated to study physics when they can see it as part of a ‘pathway to desirable careers’ (Murphy and Whitelegg, 2006) . Successful approaches to making physics more relevant to girls included, as presented in the government commissioned ‘Girls into physics-Action research’: Source: Daly.A   et al 2009, Girls into physics- Action Research, Research brief. Page 2. [Available online] education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RB103.pdf However, several challenges are related to these approaches. Some students, especially those of a younger age group, struggle to articulate their careers aspirations and there may also be a knowledge deficiency on behalf of the teachers about possible career options suitable for students that partake in physics courses. This could add pressure onto the teacher as they feel the need to research and bring these elements into their lesson planning and schemes of work (SoW). It is already well documented about the time constraints many teachers experience with regards to sufficient planning and marking time. It could be suggested that with the low number of trained physics teachers available within the educational system at this time and their high demand (Institue of Physics, Physics and: teacher numbers, 2010), that additional content beyond that of the curriculum could put viable trainees off this career and potentially push them into other subject areas where there is less additional material to deal with. Availability of school resources could also be a problem. The ‘Girls into physics action research’ commissioned by the Institue of physics and undertaken by Daly.A., et al (2009) aims to address five key assumptions that girls have about physics identfied in prior research by Murphy,P and Whitelegg,E (2006). This essential practice (figure 2) is deemed to support female participation within physics and it is hoped that it will be adopted as part of the classroom management. Figure 2: Essential practice that supports girls participation in physics Source: Daly.A.,   et al 2009, GIRLS INTO PHYSICS – ACTION RESEARCH, Figure 2, page 6. [Available online] education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR103.pdf The research, also carried out on behalf of the Department for Education (DfES), recommends   numerous ‘top tips’ for successful teaching and learning with these suggestions available to view in the appendix. These tips have been identified by teachers who have shown some success in enagaing female students. Alternatively, B. Ponchaud (2008) conducted a review within schools where the female uptake of physcis was already particularly high. Ponchaud identified several top tips for teachers to use to engage female students. Figure 2: Essential practice that supports girls participation in physics Source: Daly.A.,   et al 2009, GIRLS INTO PHYSICS – ACTION RESEARCH, Figure 2, page 6. [Available online] education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR103.pdf The research, also carried out on behalf of the Department for Education (DfES), recommends   numerous ‘top tips’ for successful teaching and learning with these suggestions available to view in the appendix. These tips have been identified by teachers who have shown some success in enagaing female students. Alternatively, B. Ponchaud (2008) conducted a review within schools where the female uptake of physcis was already particularly high. Ponchaud identified several top tips for teachers to use to engage female students. Table 2: B.Ponchard’s top tips to engage female students in physics Source: Ponchaud, B, The Girls into Physics project. School Science Review, March 2008, 89(328) Antonia Rowlinson from St Anthony’s RC girls’ school implemented the ‘top tips’ without the need to alter the curriculum. Physics was contextualised or illustrated in the areas of interest revealed by Ponchaud’s investigation. For example, within the forces module, questions on friction were set in the context of the then current Strictly Come Dancing television programme. The follow-up survey showed that ‘whilst this new teaching technique had not substantially shifted the students’ perceptions about physics there were improvements. More girls saw physics as relevant to their career aspirations’ (Ponchaud 2008). In conclusion, evidence clearly shows that an under-representation of females is a cause for concern. Girls perceive themselves to be less capable and less interested, than boys, in science and these attitudes can be attributed to historical views of women that are proving hard to dismiss. Many believe that science educationalists have an obligation to alter those factors under their control. One would hope that within time, individual actions by teachers will help girls to break down the challenges experienced within the STEM pipeline and result in equal participation, benefiting society.   Teachers should pay attention to the way they address and present physics, watching out for language and terminology, which has a vast psychological effect for females who may suffer from stereotype threat, where females believe they are not as capable as there male counterparts. I have also explored the idea that girls respond to physics when it is taught in an accessible and socially relevant way but countered this with the argument of teaching time constraints and available school resources. Research that examines the overall successful impact of initiatives and policies aimed at promoting the cause of women in science has provided a mixture of opinions and outcomes that can be open to critique. It seems apparent that although these initiatives specifically target the thoroughly researched reasons why females may disengage from physics and science as whole, they cannot systematically prove that the apparent incremental growth in participation figures are down to the programmes and measures they have put in place. Only recently, has initiatives such as UKRC began to collect evaluative data on the amount of women that have been effected by their work. Some copies have presumed a positive impact for various policies, stating an increase in the proportions of women choosing certain courses as confirmation for different policies success (e.g. WISE, 2010). I have explored such critique on this view including Phipps (2008) who recognises ‘the limited successes and impact of initiatives in general, but tempers this with statements acknowledging the wide range of challenges facing these initiatives’. I believe that when more organisations begin to record and monitor engagement rates as a direct result of exposure to a particular initiative, successful programmes will become more apparent. However, I also realize that many of these organisations have limited funding and capabilities disabling them from doing this as they focus budgets on areas addressing there inherit strategy. Until this is addressed with additional funding, I fear the exact effects of many of these initiatives will never be known and it will remain a subject for academic discussion. References Blickenstaff, J C (2005). Women and science careers: leaky pipeline or gender filter? Gender and Education Vol. 17, No. 4, October 2005, pp. 369–386 Cronin, C. Roger, A. (1999) Theorizing progress: women in science, engineering, and technology in higher education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(6), 639–661. Computer Club for Girls. Accessed on 16/04/2011 cc4g.net/ Daly.A ,Laura Grant.L2 and Karen Bultitude. K, GIRLS INTO PHYSICS – ACTION RESEARCH, Research brief. [Available online] http://education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RB103.pdf Daly.A ,Laura Grant.L2 and Karen Bultitude. K, GIRLS INTO PHYSICS – ACTION RESEARCH,[Available online] education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR103.pdf DfES, (2006a), ‘The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Programme Report’, HMSO, ISBN: 978-184478-827-9 Henwood, F. (1996), WISE Choices? Understanding occupational decision-making in a climate of equal opportunities for women in science and technology, Genderand Education, 8 (2), 119-214. Hollins, M., Murphy, P., Ponchaud, B. and Whitelegg, E. (2006) Girls in the Physics Classroom: A Teachers’ Guide for Action. London, Institute of Physics Institute of Physics (2010) Physics and: teacher numbers, An Institute of Physics briefing note: iop.org/news/10/sep10/file_44832.pdf Institute of Physics (2008) Year on year increase of physics A-level entrants. Available from: iop.org/policy/statistics/education/file_43198.doc Kelly, A. 1987,Science for girls? Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press Kirkup, G., Zalevski, A., Maruyama, T. and Batool, I. (2010). Women and men in science, engineering and technology: the UK statistics guide 2010. Bradford: the UKRC. Murphy, P. and Whitelegg, E. (2006) Girls in the Physics Classroom: A Review of the Research on the Participation of Girls in Physics. London, Institute of Physics Murphy., P and Whitelegg., E (2006) Girls and physics: continuing barriers to belonging, Curriculum Journal, 17: 3, 281 - 305 Pell AN (1996). Fixing the leaky pipeline: women scientists in academia. Journal of animal science, 74 (11), Phipps, A. (2008). Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology: three decades of UK initiatives. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books Ponchaud, B, The Girls into Physics project. School Science Review, March 2008, 89(328) Purvis, J. (1981) The double burden of class and gender in the schooling of working-class girls in nineteenth-century England 1800–1870, in: L. Barton S. Walker (Eds) Schools, teachers and teaching (Barcombe, Falmer Press). Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). 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