Hudson Bay Company

The Bay – You are the Buyer†¦ Assignment Erica Hobb Sarah Walkington As a Buyer for the Bay, I would ensure that these new brands that I was bringing in to my department would be productive by researching every brand and making sure there on the same trend line that we are trying to follow. Knowing your target market is also a key element when introducing new brands.The selection factors that I would look at when choosing what brands to bring into my store would be dependent on the season, fit, colour or pattern, durability of garment or product, price, versatility/multi-use, designer label/prestige factor and quality of construction. When deciding what brands to get rid of and which ones to keep, this would be solved by knowing which products are successful and which ones are not. Also which brands are going to match the new reconstruction of our company the Bay and which brands fits in with the new theme and which ones are outdated.In my opinion, the different factors o f the two retailers are: The Bay is very Canadian based, not just because it started in Canada but because even their window displays are reflective to a Canadian theme, where as Holt Renfrew is known for being a high end retailer selling brands and products that are available and sold in other retail stores. The Bay has added over 250 new brands and 90% of which are exclusive to the Bay in Canada. Another factor that is different between the two retailers is their pricing.Holt Renfrew is designed for people with lavish lifestyles and an eye for expensive designer clothing where as The Bay ranges from all price points. The Bay has style and affordable merchandise. Also the customer service you find at both retailers are very different. When going into Holt Renfrew, your getting the whole shopping experience. Employees almost tend to smother you making sure everything you need is at there service where the Bay is more low key.

Nissan Report Essay

Company Overview Established in Yokohama, Kanagawa in 1933, Nissan Motors Co. Ltd currently manufactures vehicles in 20 countries and areas around the world, including Japan. Global unit sales in fiscal 2009 totalled 3.515 million vehicles. In addition to vehicles, Nissan also develops, manufactures and markets marine equipment. Nissan has a portfolio of two brands, NISSAN and INFINITI, worldwide. NISSAN vehicles are marketed in all major market worldwide. INFINITI was launched as a luxury car brand in North America in 1989. The INFINITI brand has since expanded to Middle East, Korea and Europe, and will continue to enter into new markets globally. Nissan builds high-quality cars that are safe and have the bold design and innovative technology to satisfy our customers’ needs. Vision Nissan: Enriching People’s Lives Mission statement Nissan provides unique and innovative automotive products and services that deliver superior measurable values to all stakeholders* in alliance with Renault. Long term goal Nissan wants to continue its quest to optimize product development and deliver highly innovative technology. Today, in various countries and regions around the world, they enjoy a stellar reputation for creating truly innovative vehicles and service programs. Short term goal The world is changing, and Nissan is adapting with it. Their short term goals are to harness the power that’s inside Nissan to prepare solutions that their customers will want and value, now and in the years to come. Solutions such as: electric and fuel cell vehicles that are attractive, fun-to-drive cars with the appealing benefit of zero emissions; global entry cars that make mobility more accessible and affordable for all; and Innovative technological advances that are good for the environment, enhance safety, improve dynamic performance or provide greater life-on-board satisfaction. Organisational structure Nissan places high value on transparency, both internally and externally, in its corporate management. They focus consistently on the implementation of efficient management for the purpose of achieving clear and quantifiable commitments. In line with this principle, and in accordance with Japan’s Company Law and its related regulations, the Board of Directors has decided on the Internal Control Systems to pursue these goals and on its own basic policy. The board continually monitors the implementation status of these systems and the policy, making adjustments and improvements as necessary. One board member has also been assigned to oversee the Internal Control Systems as a whole. Nissan has adopted a system under which the Board of Statutory Auditors oversees the Board of Directors. The Statutory Auditors attend board and other key meetings, and also carry out interviews with board members to audit their activities. The Statutory Auditors regularly receive reports on the results of inspections and plans for future audits from independent accounting auditors, as well as exchange information to confirm these reports. The Statutory Auditors also receive regular reports from the Japan Internal Audit Office, making use of this information for their own audits. The organisational structure could also be explained with the help of the following diagram Here the Board of Directors overlooks the working of the CEO and President who is Carlos Ghosn. The CEO overlooks the working of the branch managers in various locations. Each branch manager handles a groups o VP marketing, VP production, VP finance, VP Public Relations, and VP Human Resource. Organisational Behaviour Nissan is deploying various activities under the banner of Blue Citizenship, which encapsulates their desire to preserve the blue Earth and to be a corporate citizen in harmonious coexistence with people and society. Those activities range from such global issues as the environment to contributing to communities, promoting diversity and making personal mobility available to as many people as possible. SUSTAINABILITY Nissan Green Program The history of Nissan taking environmental measures goes as far back as 1947. Since 1992, abiding to our environmental philosophy â€Å"Symbiosis of People, Vehicle, and Nature†, we have as an enterprise, been accelerating the activities pertaining to the said philosophy. At present we are promoting our mid-term environmental plan â€Å"Nissan Green Program 2010†, identifying the 3 crucial issues, and setting the ultimate goals of â€Å"reducing CO2 emissions†, â€Å"cleaner (conservation of the atmosphere/water/earth) emissions†, and â€Å"resource circulation (the promoting of the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle)†. We are furthering our measures to achieve these goals. The 4 optimums, Nissan’s Powertrain Road Map In order to steadily reduce CO2 emissions, Nissan sees the total contribution of providing truthfully effective technology at an affordable price to its clients, while at the same time swiftly propagating these technologies, as crucial. That said, we believe the â€Å"4 optimums† – â€Å"Investment in the optimum technology that fits the market needs, at the opportune moment, at the best value for the clients†, as the basis of technology investment. Based on these 4 optimums, we will not only ultimately heighten the engine efficiency of petrol motor vehicles, but also proceed with the development and  investment of electrical vehicles which are zero-emission vehicles. Measures for a zero-emission vehicle For vehicle manufacturers, the best long-term policy that both creates demand and protects the environment, is to created a zero-emission vehicle that has no negative effects toward the environment. The Renault-Nissan Alliance sees the propagation and investment in electrical vehicles, which are zero-emission vehicles, as central to the corporate strategy, and committed to become a â€Å"leader through electrical vehicles†. The electrical vehicles that are being developed in Nissan will be introduced in the United States, Europe as well as in Japan in FY2010. By FY2012, there are plans to globally merchandise them. Lithium-ion Batteries Nissan had, at an early stage, taken interest in the development of motors, batteries, and inverters which are key technologies for electrical vehicles. Aiming to achieve the goals set forth in the â€Å"Nissan Green Program 2010†, we are striving to strengthen the developmental measures we have been taking up to this point. Additionally, we are working to develop technology for further practicability, and taking efforts in reducing their costs. In 2007, we established the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) that deals with the production and sales of â€Å"compact lithium-ion batteries†. The batteries that are to be developed will be used within electrical vehicles, as well as hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Quality At Nissan, we believe that the quality of our products allows us to build a relationship of mutual trust with our customers and is the foundation for continual growth. Product quality is far more than just the performance of Nissan vehicles. It means everything related to our car that brings satisfaction to our customers, from the moment of seeing and touching a Nissan car in the showroom to the support given by the sales staff and the post-purchase driving experience. Nissan quality also extends to after-sales inspections and repairs. We will continue to evaluate and improve all areas of our operations in order to provide the products and services that will constantly give satisfaction to our customers. Safety Shield Nissan aims to halve the number of fatal and serious injuries from accidents involving Nissan vehicles in Japan by 2015 compared with 1995. Based on analysis of real-world accidents, Nissan has been working progressively to design and engineer safer vehicles. Safety shield is an approach to provide continuous support against dangerous situations, by activating various barriers according to the circumstances, from normal driving to post-accident. We are advancing development based on even more sophisticated and proactive safety policy. PARTNERSHIP Yokohama mobility â€Å"Project ZERO† In March 2009, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Yokohama City saw an agreement over the 5-year -plan, the `Yokohama Mobility â€Å"Project Zero†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ, which aims to realize the â€Å"environment model city† that is promoted by Yokohama City. In order to reduce CO2 emissions, this partnership will see cooperation in disseminating eco-drive, in addition to testing guidance routes that will contribute to reducing traffic, as well as propagating electrical cars. Additionally, Nissan is in works with Tokyo University in developing a joint industry-university research concerning vehicle transport that aims for the symbiosis of urban space and nature. In terms of the evaluation and the release of information concerning this time’s planned items, we are, in cooperation with Tokyo University, also furthering them. Yokohama City is planned to be one of the first markets where Nissan’s electrical vehicles will be supplied, similarly to the various regions throughout the world that have similar partnership agreements with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Partnership regarding zero-emission mobility From January 2008, aiming for the realistic propagation of electrical vehicles, the Renault-Nissan Alliance concluded on the 40 cases (as of December 2009) of â€Å"Partnership regarding zero-emission mobility† along with governmental sectors, municipal sectors and other sectors. With this, we are working to prepare the social infrastructure such as by installing chargers, as well as taking into consideration benefit measures in times of purchasing the zero-emission vehicles. Through the cooperation with our partners throughout the world, we are contributing to a vehicle society that is both  people-friendly and considerate of the environment. Sky Project In Sky Project, which has been implemented since October 2006 in partnership with non-automobile industries and in cooperation with government agencies, Nissan, with the participation of customers, has been working to reduce the number of traffic accidents and alleviate traffic congestion by using intelligent transportation system (ITS). While providing information to cut the number of encounter head accidents and reduce driving speed in school zones and other areas, we investigate the potentiality for the alleviation of traffic congestion, realized through daily use of ITS, to improve effectiveness of energy use and reduce CO2 emissions. In Beijing, China, we have been implementing Star Wings, a project to develop new transportation information system, in cooperation with Beijing Traffic Information Center (BTIC), in order to alleviate traffic congestion and improve traffic conditions in Beijing and China. Wind power Beginning in 2007, Nissan became an active â€Å"Y-green partner† when it harnessed wind-power for use in its facilities in Japan. The company, through its Yokohma plant facility and the new Global Headquarters, seeks to utilize â€Å"green energy in its facilities and implement local green energy for local consumption. Since November 2005, Nissan Motor Manufacturing Ltd. (UK) has been using a wind-power facility at its Sunderland plant. Addressing the key issues of Nissan Green Program 2010, the company is reducing C02 emissions by utilizing wind derived power in its facilities worldwide. ACCESSIBILITY BUI-2 (Best usability interior-2) BUI-2 (Best Usability Interior-2) is a concept car, whose interior has been created with a focus to â€Å"design the way people feel† so that all the elements can smoothly appeal to people as they engage in cars. For Nissan, three types of design – interface design, colour and material design, and sensitivity quality design – are broadly defined as interaction design. Through various research activities, we are making efforts to realize even more convenient and attractive interior designs. Lifecare vehicles (LVs) Nissan lifecare vehicles (LVs) help bring mobility to the elderly or those with physical disabilities. We regard LVs as an essential part of our line-up of cars rather than specialty vehicles, and we are enhancing the products and services available to them. As of the end of January 2009, in Japan there were 401 certified dealerships with LVs on display and advisory staff with expert knowledge of the vehicles, and a total of 5,520 LV advisors. There are dealerships in every prefecture of the country meeting the needs of customers and offering the chance to test-drive these vehicles. Since 2003, we have also been carrying out an annual campaign of LV trial rides for people who have only limited opportunities to get out and about, so that they too can experience the joy of mobility. COMMUNITY Corporate citizenship activities distinctive of Nissan Nissan endeavours to fulfil its role as a corporate citizen toward the realization of a sustainable society, while providing attractive products and services globally, under the vision of â€Å"enriching people’s lives.† We are thus advancing corporate citizenship activities in fields centered on three priority areas – support for education, environmentally friendliness, and humanitarian assistance – in order to contribute to the sustainability of society. We share our vision globally with Nissan employees around the world and strive to strengthen our relations with local communities by conducting activities responsive to the circumstances and needs of each country and region. Corporate citizenship in education field (Japan) Nissan’s corporate citizenship initiatives have been always focusing on â€Å"Cultivating Future Generation†. In education field, we have many programs such as â€Å"Nissan Children’s Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix† with its long history, and â€Å"Nissan Joyful Picture Book and Storybook Exhibition†, and in addition, we started the new programs such as â€Å"Nissan Monozukuri Caravan† and â€Å"Nissan Design Waku-Waku Studio†, which utilize Nissan’s strength for those original programs. Organisational culture The diversity of Nissan’s employees is the driving force enabling them to meet the varied needs of their customers and to maintain sustainable growth. The employees create greater value by sharing their knowledge, based on their individual experiences and different ways of thinking, in response to the various challenges they all face. For these reasons, Nissan have made diversity a corporate strategy and strive to create an environment where all their employees—who numbered 169,298 at Nissan and its affiliates as of March 2010—can extend their individual talents to the fullest. SUPPORTING CAREER DESIGN Continually Improving Human-Resource Systems A company’s employees are its most important resource. So that both Nissan and its employees can reach their full potential, they constantly work to improve our human-resource systems. The evaluation-based remuneration system used to accurately gauge employee contributions is structured in a way that motivates them to set and achieve high goals. An employee’s salary is determined through a combination of performance evaluations, which measure how well the employee achieved certain goals (commitments), and competency evaluations, which measure such intangible variables as technical skill, knowledge and attitude. Support for Self-Designed Careers Nissan believes that employees should â€Å"design their own careers† and actively assists their efforts to do so. Employees in Japan meet with their supervisors twice a year to discuss their performance and competency evaluations, as well as to express their ideas on how to proceed in their career path. Employees in Japan also have the chance to take on the challenge of a new position through the Shift Career System (SCS) and the Open Entry System (OES). The SCS enables employees to apply for positions in other departments and work areas that interest them regardless of whether there is a position immediately available. The OES allows them to apply for all openly advertised positions. Around 250 employees applied for approximately 100 open posts during fiscal 2009, and roughly 80 of them were successful in getting the positions they applied for. Fostering Specialized Skills Helping employees develop specialized skills over the medium to long term is vital for a company to achieve sustainable growth. They introduced the Nissan Expert Leader System as a means of strengthening and fostering further development of specialized skills in a wide range of technical and nontechnical areas like purchasing and accounting. In fiscal 2009, the system’s fourth year, they focused on 91 fields of specialization, designating 42 employees as Expert Leaders and 2 management-level employees as Nissan Fellows. The Expert Leaders and Fellows make use of their specialized knowledge to contribute to Nissan’s business endeavours overall. In addition to sharing their knowledge with others via our corporate intranet and other communication tools, they contribute to the fostering of the next generation of experts by passing on their specialized skills in seminars and training courses. CREATING A CULTURE FOR LEARNING A Variety of Learning Opportunities As an organization that continues to grow through constant learning, Nissan supports employees’ personal growth with a proactive, systematic approach to human-resource development. The act of learning is one in which people stretch themselves to develop skills that create value. They believe that a corporate culture of learning cannot exist without the motivation to take part in this value creation. The Learning Navigation system on their intranet is one means of providing employees with opportunities for learning. This system lets employees search for information whenever they wish to develop specialized skills, receive training in management techniques, participate in e-learning programs or take distance-learning courses. The site is updated regularly to provide information our employees need to increase their skills and build their careers, meeting their growing thirst for knowledge. Management Institute The Nissan Learning Center Management Institute in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, was established with the aim of cultivating human resources with  the specialized skills and leadership qualities needed for future development. The institute contributes to the ongoing creation of Nissan value through a number of programs, including human-resource development seminars, which provide leadership training to pass on the company’s accumulated experience and knowledge to the next generation; cultural diversity workshops; and our Consortium Program, in which they invite other global companies to take part in cross-industry exchange. Moreover, the leaders of our business activities around the world who have taken part in such programs as our Nissan Way Workshops are now active in educating fellow employees in the Nissan Way—the crystallization of experience and knowledge gained through our company’s revival—demonstrating our commitment to promoting a corporate cult ure of learning. Global Training Centers With the globalization of production systems, manufacturers must ensure that all of their manufacturing sites maintain consistent standards of quality. Nissan established Global Training Centers (GTCs) at its Oppama and Yokohama Plants in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and at its Sunderland Plant in the United Kingdom to educate trainers who share their knowledge at Nissan plants around the world. Trainees selected from among all employees at Nissan’s production facilities worldwide are brought to the GTCs to take part in the company’s Master Trainer Program. Upon finishing the program they are certified as Master Trainers and charged with instructing other employees at Regional Training Centers using a globally standardized curriculum and materials. As of the end of March 2010, 466 Master Trainers were hard at work passing on their technical skills to local employees at Nissan plants worldwide. Nissan’s accumulated know-how has been put into audio-visual form as an educational tool, available in five different languages, for global-standards training at GTCs. They also conduct â€Å"Nissan DNA† training seminars for all management-level employees at our production sites, working to strengthen skills that contribute to improved quality and lower costs and to foster the human resources that can carry out more efficient management of production operations. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Employee Surveys Nissan carries out surveys to get employee input and suggestions for improvements, using the results to help improve the company’s management quality and employee motivation. From the results of these surveys, they identify the strengths of the company as a whole and those of individual divisions, as well as areas for improvement. They then work to make improvements that will lead to the creation of a better work environment for our employees and to continued growth for the company. The results of these efforts are analyzed for the company as a whole and for each region and department. Based on these analyses, each level of management formulates and carries out action plans tailored to specific needs. Enhancing Communication Tools Nissan introduced a corporate intranet system called WIN (Workforce Integration @ Nissan) in 2005 as a tool to promote communication and information sharing. Since then they have continued to update the system with new technologies while encouraging employees to make active use of this tool for internal communication and collaborative activities. They have expanded the WIN network beyond Japan, North America and Europe to include other markets and our major business partners. They also use internal newsletters and in-house video broadcasts to provide a variety of information to be shared by all employees at Nissan production sites around the world with no difference in time. Employee-Executive Exchange Nissan holds opinion-exchange meetings involving executives and employees as a means of building trust through clear communication between these two groups, as well as among employees themselves. These meetings, held at Nissan’s corporate headquarters in Japan as well as the company’s business offices in China, North America and other parts of the world, give executives a venue for informing employees of the current situation of the company and delivering management messages. They also provide employees with opportunities to ask questions and voice their concerns in a direct and open manner. They plan to continue these meetings as an important channel for active communication. Ethical Issues Global Educational Activities to Promote Compliance As a means of fostering compliance awareness throughout the company, Nissan has established groups and placed officers in charge of promoting compliance policy in each region where it operates. We place special emphasis on education to ensure that all employees have a correct understanding of the Code of Conduct and, as a result, make fair, transparent judgments in the course of their duties. To ensure full understanding of the code in Japan, all employees, including executives, take an elearning or video training course based on the Japanese version of the Nissan Code of Conduct—â€Å"Our Promises,† instituted in April 2004—after which they sign an agreement to abide by it. The revised parts of the code in fiscal 2010 were in response to legal amendments and retained all employees since fiscal 2010 to further strengthen the spirit of compliance within the company. Education programs to promote compliance are held regularly for all employees in North America, and a set of universal guidelines has been drawn up for each country in Europe. Compliance-related training is also being carried out in the General Overseas Markets based on guidelines that take into account conditions in each of those countries. Moreover, all group-affiliated companies have introduced their own codes based on the Nissan Code of Conduct. Additionally, they have created sets of internal regulations covering the global prevention of insider trading and the management of personal information. Nissan seeks to heighten awareness of compliance companywide through such measures as well as various education and training programs. Our Stance against Discrimination and Harassment Item 6 of Nissan’s Global Code of Conduct, â€Å"Value Diversity and Provide Equal Opportunity,† is our requirement to accept value and respect the diversity  to be found among our employees, business partners, customers and communities where we do business, and to reject discrimination and harassment in all their forms, no matter how minor they may be. Nissan executives and employees must respect the human rights of others, and may not discriminate against nor harass others based on race, nationality, gender, religion, physical capability, age, and place of origin or other reason; nor may they allow such a situation to go unchecked if discovered. We also work to ensure that all employees, both male and female, can work in an environment free from sexual and other forms of harassment. PEST analysis PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The use of PEST analysis can be seen effective for business and strategic planning, marketing planning, business and product development and research reports. PEST also ensures that company’s performance is aligned positively with the powerful forces of change that are affecting business environment. PEST is useful when a company decides to enter its business operation into new markets and new countries. The use of PEST, in this case helps to break free of unconscious assumptions, and help to effectively adapt to the realities of the new environment. Looking at the current condition of Japan, it is difficult to mention anything about its political, economical, technological or sociocultural since there is no stability in the country at the moment, due to the natural disaster crises they are facing. SWOT Analysis Strength: 1) Global Brand: According to business Week Global Brand Scorecard Nissan is the fastest growing automotive brand. Nissan’s brand equity was valued at $3,108 million in 2006. Some of the company’s passenger car models include Maxima, Sentra, Altima, Versa, Z Roadstar and Z Coupe. Some of its truck models are Quest, Armada, Pathfinder, Murand and Xterra. Brand strength provides competitive advantage that can offset the increasing competition. Over the last five years company has establish the global brand by focusing on the brand pyramid and dynamics that caters the silky design, the vibrant experience, the interplay between serenity and driving pleasure has reached a high level of alignment and consistency. That makes it easier to communicate about the brand and specific features of its model. 2) Renault-Nissan Alliance: The alliance has provided advantages to both companies. They can move into new markets faster and with lower costs because they don’t have to build new plants. (Renault builds cars in Nissan’s Mexico plants and Nissan uses Renault’s Brazil plant and distribution networks) The companies are collaborating on building common platforms, components and engines, and each company leads engine design in their area of expertise–Renault in diesel and Nissan in gasoline. And they have increased purchasing power because they buy components for six million cars not three as will be in the case of Nissan alone. The alliance has so far boosted the profitability, market capitalization and sales in 192 countries for both partners. CEO and president of Renault to his titles in 2005, says he’ll rely on the strengths of two distinct work forces: French innovation in concept stages and Japanese dedication to process in manufacturing. 3) Most fuel efficient car: Nissan is known to make the most fuel efficient cars over the years and this has become one of its major strengths in the competitive market. Due to its fuel efficient car, the demand for them has also increased over the past few years. Weakness: 1) Product Innovation time lag: Nissan launched two new or redesigned vehicles, in comparison to 14 in the three previous years. Nissan has misjudged its model strategy in the United States over the past few years. Like the other Japanese automakers, the company was a relative late-comer to the country’s high-profit margin and high-volume pick-up markets. Nissan’s late entry meant that it has suffered from the decline in the sector as a result of rising fuel prices in Japan, While Toyota and Nissan have been well placed to benefit from a shift in emphasis in Japan market towards compact sales as a result of the Scion and Civic models respectively, Nissan at the moment has no competitive offering in this segment. However, there  are a number of new models that should reinvigorate the company’s fortunes in the United States, including the Sentra and Altima mid-size sedans, as well as its luxury-brand Infiniti G35 sedan. The company also desperately needs new offe ring in key segments in the European market. The Almera C-segment hatchback and Primera D-segment sedan are hopelessly outmoded and largely ignored by European buyers, although the new Note small multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) should provide Nissan with a sales success in Europe. 2) Lack of Diesel Technology: In the Japanese market, diesel accounts for only 0.4% of vehicles sold (Rowley, 2006). In contrast, diesel is very popular and its share in overall sales has been increasing. In the year ending 1st January 2006 the number of diesel cars sold increased by 7.5%. Some analysts believe that the diesel market will account for more than 80% of total vehicle sales in Europe by the end of 2008. Diesel technology has been improving significantly over the past decade reducing emissions, fuel consumption and cost. As Nissan’s home country has a low demand for diesel engines, Nissan lacks the technology and experience to produce diesel engines of comparative quality. Opportunity: 1) Asia market: Lower penetration coupled with strong rise in income levels, led to continuous jumps in car sales in markets like china and India. In fact china, followed by India is estimated to be major growth driver in the next decade. Hence it is necessary for global player to be present in these countries. Therefore all global players either have products for these markets or planning to develop products to enter into these markets. In India in year 2004-05 domestic sales of car and utility vehicles has crossed the 1 million mark. 2) Relocate its manufacturing unit to reduce cost: The Japanese car maker has stepped up their policy of producing where demand exists. Car making is an industry situated at a forefront of globalization and major player is accelerating their cross border activities. Manufacturing units in America and Europe have huge capacities in line with their vast domestic automobile  output. While this offered them the benefits of scale, the continuous sluggish growth in their local market and their inflationary increase in production cost, especially wage cost. Adoption of cost reduction measure became imperative for players to survive. China, India and Thailand have been regarded as the Low Cost Production bases with their unique offering to the outsourcers. Low cost country will provide them the global clientele and technology and also have synergetic operation. Area of opportunity for India lies in the products which have high level of design and engineering requirements, low level of auto mation and significant assembly requirement. 3) Renault-Nissan Purchasing Organization (RNPO): The RNPO, which was established in 2001 in the early stages of the alliance, was one of the key ways in which Renault-Nissan would combine their resources to create a more efficient organization. Currently Nissan and Renault share 60% of the same part and raw material suppliers. This has led Nissan to achieve greater purchasing power and has served to reduce costs and reduce the bargaining power of suppliers. There still remains significant opportunity through the RNPO to decrease costs and provide increased competitive advantage. Threats: 1) Cross-Cultural Disharmony: As Nissan and Renault become further integrated with one another, the risk of cross-cultural disharmony increases. If disharmony occurs then, as occurred at DaimlerChrysler, overall company performance may be reduced and the current strengths that the Alliance provides may become instabilities. Nissan is currently working to reduce the likelihood through its ‘Business Way’ program but corporate and national culture takes a long time to change. 2) Rising Commodity Prices: Due to the economic expansion of China, changes in commodity prices could affect the costs incurred by Nissan. Over the past 12 months, the price of steel used in car production has risen by nearly 30% (London Metal Exchange, 2006). Nissan has taken steps to reduce the effect of rising steel prices; in 2000, Nissan began using hot dip zinc coated steel and converted to less expensive steel in 2002, which saved about $16 million per year (Nissan Motor Co., 2004). This however, has done little to  reduce the upward pressure on vehicle costs and prices. As this increase in cost has been passed on to the consumer, demand for new vehicles has reduced. This threatens Nissan’s viability in the region. 3) Market saturation: With overall industry sales number stagnant, if not declining in key economies term, the overall automobile industry has been significantly impacted. Due to overall market saturation, the individual company new product development strategy towards market expansion is changing from iterative year on year model changes to drastic innovation. The emergence of SUV market few years back is an evidence of how product and market innovation has changed the very composition of US auto market. Marketing Strategies TARGET MARKET Nissan’s target market will be the low-level income group and middle class. Whereas Infiniti’s target market is people looking for luxury, great driving experience with unparallel appeal. With constant awareness and education about Nissan affordability and safety features, different type of group could be acquired resulting in increase of brand loyal consumers. People are more aware and therefore, they are constantly more particular when deciding which car to purchase. With strategic advertisement, consumers can be attracted with its latest features and a new image Nissan will provide to owners. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: GEOGRAPHIC SEGMENT The major concern of Nissan is to capture all the district headquarters of the country resulting in its coverage of almost all over the country. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: PSYCHOGRAPHICS With new image Nissan will provide to its buyers, owners will feel more confident and proud considering that Nissan is an international organization with strong background resulting driving Nissan a status symbol. Also safety and comfort are big factors of considerations in a consumers mind so Nissan by focusing on these factors will attract safety and comfort conscious people. Seeing its potential, consumers will most likely shift to Nissan. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: DEMOGRAPHICS Primary Target market belongs to middle class, upper middle class and low earning income people in society, falling in income bracket of below $ 2500. Also the target will be people from 25 – 60year old who are major automobile buyers. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES Basically there are two types of distribution channels available: Direct distribution and In-direct distribution PROMOTION STRATEGIES Promotion is one of the most important factors of marketing; it is done to affect the consumer behaviour in order to achieve sales and increase product image. In promotion the major task is to make consumers aware of the product and to attract consumer towards the product by highlighting the advantages of the product. Also it keeps consumers aware and well informed about product’s features and improvements. ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH An extensive market research will be conducted to have better idea about consumers’ perception about Nissan and its competitors. For this purpose Nissan will acquire services of marketing and research agencies to better analyze market environment. This will enable Nissan to learn about the consumers’ behaviour, how they perceive us and compare with the competitor. The media of the advertising a product is always chosen after the market environment research to get knowledge that if the target audience is interested in that mode of advertisement or not. ADVERTISING To advertise the product better and create awareness about product; Nissan will use different advertisement methods to approach the consumers. The diversity of advertisement channels will help in reaching the masses of different mindsets. Following Advertisement methods will be used: †¢ Nisan will use print and electronic media to introduce the product to consumers. †¢ Special events will be sponsored by Nissan. †¢ Use of Billboards, flex signs etc for massive introduction of car’s launch. †¢ Special road shows and displays will be set at dealers outlets. †¢ Prize contest will be conducted to attract people towards the car. Financial Review Net sales For fiscal year 2009, consolidated net revenues decreased 10.9%, to  ¥7.517 trillion, which reflected the strong yen offsetting the increase in sales volume. Operating profit Consolidated operating profit totalled  ¥311.6 billion, compared to a negative  ¥137.9 billion in fiscal year 2008. Net income Net non-operating expenses increased  ¥69.1 billion to  ¥103.9 billion from  ¥34.8 billion in fiscal 2008. Net income reached  ¥42.4 billion, an increase of  ¥276.1 billion from fiscal year 2008. Major competitors In Asia the 3 big of the automobile industry is Nissan, Toyota and Honda. But Nissan Motors major competitor is Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota, much larger than Nissan and possessing deeper financial pockets, was better positioned to sustain the losses incurred from the global economic downturn. Consequently, Nissan entered its ninth decade of operation facing formidable obstacles. The first financial decline came in 1991, when the company’s consolidated operating profit plummeted 64.3 percent to  ¥125 billion (US$886 million). Six months later, Nissan registered its first pretax loss since becoming a publicly traded company in 1951– ¥14.2 billion during the first half of 1992. The losses mounted in the next two years, growing to  ¥108.1 billion in 1993 and  ¥202.4 billion by 1994, or nearly US$2 billion. To arrest the precipitous drop in company profits, Nissan’s management introduced various cost-cutting measures–such as reducing its materials and manufacturing costs–which saved the company roughly US$1.5 billion in 1993, with an additional US$1.2 billion savings realized in 1994. Nissan also became the first Japanese company to close a plant in Japan since World War II and cut nearly 12,000 workers in Japan, Spain, and the United States from its payroll. Nissan also was staggering under a debt load that reached as high as US$32 billion and threatened to bankrupt the company. Only intervention from Nissan’s lead lender, Industrial Bank of Japan, kept the company afloat. There were some positive signs in the early 1990s to inspire hope for the future. Nissan’s 1993 sales increased nearly 20 percent, vaulting the car maker past Honda Motor Co., Ltd. to reclaim the number two ranking in import sales to the all-important U.S. market. Much of this gain was attributable to robust sales of the Nissan Altima, a replacement for its Stanza model, which was introduced in 1992 and marketed in the United States as a small luxury sedan priced under $13,000. To the joy of Nissan’s management, however, the Altima typically was purchased with various options added on, giving the company an additional $2,000 to $3,000  per car. Nissan also was encouraged by strong sales of its Quest minivan, which was introduced in the United States in 1992 and had been developed jointly with Ford Motor, which marketed its own version, the Ford Windstar. Nissan’s losses continued through the fiscal year ending in March 1996, cumulating to US$3.2 billion over a four-year span. The company’s return to profitability in fiscal 1997 came about in part because of the cost-cutting program and in part from the yen’s dramatic depreciation against the dollar. Despite the return to the black, Nissan remained a troubled company. From its 1972 peak of 34 percent, the company’s share of the Japanese auto market had fallen to 20 percent by early 1997. Competition from the more financially stable Toyota and Honda played a factor in this decline, but Nissan also hurt itself by failing to keep pace with changing consumer tastes both in Japan and in overseas markets. For example, Nissan was behind its rivals in adding minivans and sport utility vehicles to its product line-up, having for years dismissed these sectors as passing fads. Meanwhile, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and station wagons accounted for half of all passenger car sales in Japan by early 1997, up from just more than ten percent in 1990. In the U.S. market, the Altima lost ground to two midsized rivals, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, because Nissan’s model was smaller and thus less desirable. In the luxury car sector, Toyota’s Lexus line became the hot brand in the United States, triumphing over the Infiniti. Because of these and other factors, Nissan returned to the red for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. Although the losses were not as large as earlier in the decade, the company’s continued sky-high debt load–which stood at US$19.7 billion in late 1998–did not bode well for Nissan’s future. Business Strategies, Keeping Competitive Edge 1) Product Strategy To secure our profitability and sustainable growth based on our future product line up plan, in our product strategy developing process, we are monitoring the impacts of some different types of risk scenarios such as global market changes and demand deteriorations to our future profitability (COP) based on our plan. 1. Drastic decline of total global demand, past examples as reference case. 2. A demand shift between vehicle segments drastically faster than our assumptions in our mid-term planning. 3. A demand shift from the matured markets to the emerging markets drastically faster than our assumptions in our mid-term planning. We periodically monitor the impact of these scenarios to secure our future profitability and sustainable growth, and also update our future line-up plans periodically based on the results. To improve the robustness of our product line up against these risks, we take following countermeasures as our main direction when planning our product strategy. Expand availability of individual products across markets to mitigate the risk of single market demand fluctuations. Increase volume and efficiency per product through a consolidation and rationalization of the portfolio to lower the breakeven point and thereby reduce the profit risk of global Total Industry Volume declines. Prepare a more balanced product portfolio meeting needs in a broader range of markets and segments reducing reliance on specific large markets. 2) Quality of Products & Services Nissan is working on the corporate task named â€Å"Quality Leadership† which aims for achieving top level quality by FY2012. In this project, actions are carried out with numerical targets for following 4 areas. 1. Perceived quality & attractiveness: Customers’ impression on vehicle’s quality when customer looks it at a dealer’s show room 2. Product quality: Quality of product itself based on the experiences as an owner of the vehicle 3. Sales & service quality: Quality related to behaviour or attitude of sales staff or quality of service when inspection and maintenance 4. Quality of management: internal management quality to improve employees’ motivation which supports above 3 qualities For example, target of â€Å"Product quality† is to become top level at Most Influential Indicator (MII) of each region. In order to achieve the target, it is broken down to internal indicators by model which correlate with MII. Progress of all quality improvement activities are monitored with those  internal indicators. All the actions are taken based on rotating PDCA cycle, such as, the progress of activities are monthly reviewed by â€Å"Quality Committee† chaired by EVP and necessary actions are decided. Total picture of â€Å"Quality Leadership† on global base is monitored and discussed at the Global Quality Meeting chaired by COO annually. 2 years passed since this project started and it is going well. We are confident that we can achieve the target by FY2012. With respect to new model project, in order to achieve the quality target of each project, milestone meetings set at each key process of design, preparation for production and production, confirm key check points, such as achievement of quality targets, adoption of measures to prevent recurrence of past problem, adoption of measures for potential risks related to new technology / new mechanism / design change. Commercial production can be started after confirmation at â€Å"SOP (Start of Production) Judgment Meeting†, which confirms all issues are solved and quality target can be achieved. Final decision that the model can be sold is made at â€Å"Delivery Judgment Meeting†, after confirmation of quality of commercial production and preparedness for service / maintenance. As described above, Nissan is implementing thorough quality check before new model launch. Nissan is progressing quality improvement activities also after launch by gathering quality information from markets and prompt deployment of countermeasures. In case of occurrence of safety or compliance issues, necessary actions such as recall are implemented with close cooperation with market side team based on the decision by independent process from management. Occurred incidents are deeply investigated, analyzed and feed backed to models on the way of production or development for prevention of recurrence In addition to above described activities, such as quality assurance at new model project and quality improvement activities on daily basis, the â€Å"Quality Risk Management† framework has been newly developed from FY2009.  This is the high level system to ensure successful quality management for on-going and future projects. This includes assessment of quality related risks, evaluation of risk level, assignment of responsible person based on the level and to clarify organization for follow up. These processes are implemented at â€Å"Quality Risk Management Committee† chaired by EVP twice a year. 3) Compliance and Reputation As described above, Nissan produced the Nissan Global Code of Conduct for all employees of the Nissan group worldwide. To ensure thorough understanding of the code, training and education program such as e-learning is improved and compliant situation is monitored by Global Compliance Committee. Nissan has also adopted the internal whistle blowing system (Easy Voice System). This allows any employees to submit opinions, questions, requests or suspected compliance issue directly to Nissan’s management. Additionally, Nissan created sets of internal regulations covering the Global Prevention of Insider Trading and the management of personal information. Nissan keeps effort to prevent reputation risk to the company by continuous implementation of such measures as various education and training programs. Conclusion As the automobile industry is booming, It is necessary to keep up with the competition. The only way to compete with the competitors is to come out with innovative technology, fuel efficient cars, and luxury looking yet affordable cars. Nissan has not only concentrated on making cars but also provided their support to various stakeholders. Its working has benefited the environment by taking many environmental initiatives such as starting the Nissan Green Program 2010. The company also has worked towards effectively and efficiently developing their employees in terms of specialisation, or giving them a work-life balance. In line with its vision of Enriching People’s Lives, Nissan’s desire is to provide attractive products and services to customers worldwide while at the same time fulfilling its responsibility as a corporate citizen to help realize a sustainable society.

Themes in The Death of the Hired Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Themes in The Death of the Hired Man - Essay Example The poem is very descriptive as it focuses on the man’s life as known by the ones hiring. The two talking to each other in the poem give the reader an overview of their perception of the hired man. Robert Frost uses descriptive elements to show the class and type of those described in the poem. The text written in the poem is very descriptive as it allows the reader to create their own description and image regarding the focus of the poem. The reader can create a personal image of the individuals talking in the poem and the description of the man. By the use of grammar and word placement, it is likely that those discussing the hired man were southern. They speak of the man as if he was somewhat mysterious. Throughout the poem it is referenced that those discussing the man question his life. They discuss where he comes from, his family, and his travels. â€Å"His Brother’s Rich, a somebody-director in the bank† (Line 133, Frost Robert, Death of the Hired Man). The two are talking about the man as if they are reviewing the life of someone who has died. Although it is not revealed exactly until the end of the poem, it is hinted the man is dead. The title of the poem gives the reader a focus of whom those in the poem are discussing. Since the reader is aware that the man is hired this helps to understand who they are describing. The man was likely a good worker but came and went often.

Biotechnology techniques Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biotechnology techniques - Assignment Example Is this statement TRUE or FALSE, explain? (5 points) Electroporation is used to introduce DNA in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. This is the general method of introducing the foreign DNA into the desired cells. This method uses the electrical pulses to create a pore in the cell membrane and through these pores the foreign DNA molecule is inserted. 3. What are the 3 main sources of Stem Cells? (10 points) The 3 main sources of stem cells included Bone marrow, Bloodstream or peripheral blood and finally umbilical cord blood from the newborns. Bone marrow particularly those in the pelvis’ bones have rice supply. Blood normally has few stem cells, and when hormone like substances called growth factors are given to individuals, stems cells grow faster and move from the marrow to the blood. Blood left in the placenta and the umbilical cord of the newborns can be retrieved, store and utilized for future.   4. What is meant by humanization of mouse antibodies and what is the need for "humanization"?  (10 points) While using therapeutic antibodies or murine antibodies isolated from mice in humans, immunogencity problem arose due to the differing protein sequence. To alleviate this issue, specific regions within a mouse antibody called complementarity determining regions (CDR) are identified and transferred into human variable regions and this process is called humanization. When this is done, it will confer binding and so the resultant humanized antibodies can function without major immunogencity problem.   5. Which technology cannot be used to determine the function of a gene? Explain. (5 points) Stem cell technology cannot be used to study the gene function because, it is a method to produce the entire cell and study the organs and it is not the direct method of analysis of gene function.    6. cDNA microarray technology specifically evaluates the gene expression levels of ONLY microRNA in cells and tissues. Is this statement TRUE or FALSE? Explain? ( 5 points) No cDNA microarray technology is used for the analysis of all the genes and its function. cDNA technology is used to analyse the functions of known and unknown gene.    7. Which of the following gene expression strategies increase the number of different proteins available to the cell without increasing the total number of genes encoded by the genome?(5 points) Translation is used to increase the number of different proteins in the cell without increasing the total number of genes in the genome. By varying the mRNA translation, the protein synthesis is modified.    8. In the sequence given below, how many EcoRI recognition sites are present? Please circle them. (10 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5’-ATGGAATTCCCAATTGAATTCCGGCTGAATTCAAA-3’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3’-TACCTTAAGGGTTAACTTAAGGCCGACTTAAGTTT-5’ There are three EcoRI recognition sites in the given sequences. They are   5’-ATGGAATTCCCAATTGAATTCCGGCTGAATTCAAA-3’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3â⠂¬â„¢-TACCTTAAGGGTTAACTTAAGGCCGACTTAAGTTT-5’ 9. What is meant by the statement, "Complementation screening of genomic eukaryotic clones will not work in E.coli because of absence of splicing machinery?" (10 points) E.coli is a prokaryote. The bacterial systems cannot remove the introns from the mRNA sequences. Complementation screening is the technique used to identify the mutations in the gene of interest. In this method, the selection is based on the capacity of the gene to get back the phenotype. The splicing mechanism is not present in the

Paul Cezanne,post impressiont artist.His bibliography and works Essay

Paul Cezanne,post impressiont artist.His bibliography and works - Essay Example This paper discusses in depth about the bibliography of Paul Cezanne and his works in the field of art. Paul Cezanne was born in 1839 by a single mother who later got married to his father when Paul was at five years of age. This separation of his parents at his tender age branded him with stigma of illegitimacy causing him discomfort. At the age of 13, Paul attended Bourbon College where he met Emile Zola. His opportunity to go to school was the beginning point of his long life dream and success. He always attended drawing classes at a nearby academy when he came from school. This made him yearn for more drawing skills and gave him the desire to become a well-known artist2. His old time pal, Emile Zola, still encouraged him while he was at Paris. He kept motivating him through letters to move to Paris and further his skill in painting. His father who was a successful businessperson never approved of his son’s desire to become an artist. He advocated Paul to purse law, which he did and performed extremely marvelous in his first examinations. Cezanne’s uncomfortable relationship with his father made him unable to approach him regarding his dream and passion of art. However, his desire to move to Paris overwhelmed is fear upon his father and he went ahead to tell him about his plans3. To his disappointment, his intention to leave for Paris and further his art was met with disdain. He dropped out of school and his father lost hope in persuading him to continue with his law classes. He then offered him some money to cater for his expenses at Paris. Life at Paris was not at all smooth for Paul Cezanne. He failed in his entrance exams and the most hurting point was the rejection of his paintings. He completely lost hope in his dream as an artist and went back home regretting why he had tarnished his father’s dream of wanting him to study law. However, to be successful, an individual has to struggle and persist despite the

What is a good design,Is Inclusivity and universality good design Case Study

What is a good design,Is Inclusivity and universality good design - Case Study Example Therefore, such diversity in design use inherently affects its inclusivity and universality during design decision as well as whether it will be relevant to a particular target use. Inclusivity has moved from the periphery of design thinking to the middle-of-the-road where its embrace by major companies has been on the rise to give practical guidance for business leaders, design teams and design managers (Reed & Monk, 2006, p. 59). Inclusive design ensures that products, services and environments are easier to use for those individuals with special needs or any kind of limitation. Inclusivity always has its influence from social trends and pressure for the design of a particular human diversity that exist among people (Coleman, Clarkson, Dong & Cassim, n.d, p. 2). Therefore, inclusive design thinks globally and at the same time, it recognises and celebrates human diversity. Such global and human diversity sensitivity is imperative in attainment of intended use. Inclusivity of design acknowledges and embraces the difference that people have that can be physical, cultural, intellectual and aspirational or lifestyle. According to designer mangers, understanding and catering for the human differences is crucial to business success. In the UK, the rights of those with disability have extended the access of services including the design technology, which must take care of all human diversity and differences (Coleman, Clarkson, Dong & Cassim, n.d, p. 5). Such human rights and laws have gained vantage in design and technology industry with consequent effects in inclusive designs. Consequently, designers must embrace such human laws and produce inclusive designs even for the disabled. In as a much as every design has the potential to include or exclude customers, the concept of inclusive design include access to information and related services through the internet and telecommunication media (ICT). Inclusivity therefore should deal with practicali ties of a product

Article Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Article Review - Essay Example 366). That is, operational or primary teams comprise permanent workers with diversified skills organized to produce a product. Secondly, service teams are likely to be based on the need to service a particular or group of client(s) to provide particular service to a wide range of customers. Finally, cross – functional teams consist of representatives from various functions and disciplines. These tend to be set up for a particular purpose. They could be part-time or full-time for a fixed period of time. It is important to note that the organization on a whole should be committed to team work or else all efforts will prove futile. This concept of teamwork if carried out appropriately and effectively will be transferred into relationships with customers and suppliers which have been proven to be mutually beneficial. The quality of team members will make the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful team. Hence, time and effort must be placed into the selection process. The findings of Dr Meredith Belbin, though theoretical, suggests that â€Å"imperfect people can make perfect teams† (p. 367) and â€Å" the roles, skills and contributions of individual members of a team are complementary† (p. 367).

Analysis Of The Activity Of Louis Vuitton Company Essay - 4

Analysis Of The Activity Of Louis Vuitton Company - Essay Example PESTEL stands for factors which may affect the operations of the business such as political, economic, social, technological, environmental as well as legal factors (Lancaster & Reynolds 1999). These are explained in detail below and Appendix 1 shows a summary of the major points noted. This is a very useful tool for analyzing the environment in which an organization operates. It can be noted that there are various factors that affect the operations of any given organization and these have to be taken into consideration by an organization that is serious about its viability so as to achieve competitive advantage (Kottler 1999). Any given organization is guided by certain factors that so as to ensure that it does not violate the needs and interests of the consumers as well as the other stakeholders. Political In the UK, there are policies that govern the operations of all organizations that are involved in the manufacturing of different products so as to meet the expected standards. Consumer law in the UK is effective and under the EU law, every big organization like Louis Vuitton is expected to protect the needs and interests of the customers. It can be noted that the current political environment prevailing in the EU is not exploitative which is seen as the reason why exclusive manufactures like Louis Vuitton continue enjoying growth and expansion since inception to the present day. Economic factors The organization has not been spared by the impacts of the recent global economic recession though it managed to bounce back in the first half of 2010. By virtue of specializing in producing only exclusive products with premium prices, the operations of the organization are likely to be affected during turbulent times given that premium prices charged are specifically meant for a few people who can shift their buying behavior which negatively impacts on the operations of the organization as a whole. However, LVMH- Louis Vuitton harnesses on its resilience and responsiveness even during the most difficult trying times.

The Importance of Accounting Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Accounting Essay Accounting is an important means for an enterprise to implement efficient management, and the main basis to draft policies and plans. With the development of economy and the improvement of modern corporate system, the significance of accounting is becoming more and more obvious. This essay will discuss the main functions of accounting in business contest, thus prove that accounting is really essential and indispensable for an enterprise. Following this, it will explain why it is important for non-accounting professional and non-accounting students to have at least basic knowledge and understanding of accounting. The main functions of accounting in business contest There are many functions of accounting. The importance of accounting in business contest can be stated as follows: Firstly, accounting is an essential part of the whole enterprise management. There are many different departments in a company. The efficiency of the company’s management is not depended on the executives only, but the co-effect of all departments. Accounting is extensively, directly and continuously related to all departments and all business affairs in an enterprise. Therefore, accounting department is in the core position of the operation system. Only by making accounting one part of management, shall we improve the economic efficiency and expend our strength. Secondly, the information of accounting is the basis for decision making. The work of accounting is based on all kinds of information, such as National Economy and social development, and the result of their work should reflect the information. Generally speaking, the accuracy of the executives’ decision depends much on the accuracy of accounting information. The decision makers need accurate accounting information and overall analysis to ensure compatibility between production and sale, exploitation of the market, pricing, and investment of fund. Thirdly, accounting forecast is the foundation of business decision. When making business decisions, comprehending and foreseeing the change of the market is significant as well as mastering the present demand. The executives of an enterprise will foresee the potential demand and development of the market by making accounting analysis. On the other hand, they will analyze the past and present production and sale, and calculate the targeting ones of the future. By doing so, the decision made by the enterprise will be reliable and dependable. Fourthly, accounting analysis is an important guarantee for the business decision. Accounting analysis is not only the premise of planning, but also an important means to evaluate whether the plan is implemented appropriately and see some suggestions for improvement. Through the accounting analysis of the operation achievement, we can explore the potential approach of improving economic benefit and discover the weak segment of the management. Last but not least, the results of accounting are criteria to fix the accuracy of the business decision. Accounting results are quantitative display of the business results. They can reflect the state of business operating accurately. The necessity for non-accountings to have basic knowledge of accounting Accounting is closely connected with all business affairs in an enterprise. It is essential and indispensable for the executives to make all kinds of decision. Consequently, it is really very necessary for non-accounting professional especially the executives to have at least basic knowledge and understanding of accounting. As the leader of the company, they should realize the important function of accounting, strengthen the position of accounting and support the work of accounting mentally, materially and financially. In addition, basic knowledge and understanding of accounting is also very important for non-accounting students who want to be successful in business field in the future. As some of the experts said, accounting is the basic language of business (Yoshiaki, 1990). Therefore, understanding the basic language is the basic element for success. Conclusion Conclusively, accounting is important in a business context and it is important for non-accounting students and professional to have at least basic knowledge and understanding of accounting.

George Blacks The Trout Pool Paradox Essay Example for Free

George Blacks The Trout Pool Paradox Essay It’s hard to imagine that three rivers, running so purely for so many years could contribute to a damaged environment.   The rivers were created by nature and there was nothing harmful about them.   They only added beauty to their surroundings and who would have ever thought that such beautiful rivers could lend aid to the destruction of the environment? Several people of an older age were asked about the rives effectiveness, now, versus what they used to be and it would quite clear that industry has put a huge damage on our society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Less than two hours from New York, the two Connecticut rivers run in parallel valleys only a few miles apart and they have charted the course of American, environmental, industrial, and our social history and they do have very different results as George Black explains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Housatonic, The Naugatuck and the Shepaug flow parallel to one another and they are a short distance apart; only a few mile separates the rivers.   There are so many similarities connects these rivers.   Very fast waters and rock filled, these rivers are surrounded by farmland that is extremely prone to flooding.   The town was a great place to start a mill, which could easily turn a small, quiet town into a new revolutionized, booming factory town.   Because, one river only was used, the Naugatuck, it became the  brass and rubber   world capital for the industry.   The Shepaug, ended up being a rural idyll.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main town of Waterbury, one of the towns and it was even named in (Money Magazine as the most unlivable city in America.) Reference Money Magazine, where the two valleys became polar opposites.   The main town on the Shepaug is Washington, and it has become a terribly expensive get away for people on weekends for a vast amount of the higher classed people of New York.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   George Black made a great attempt to study and explain the â€Å"trout pool paradox† and how these rivers became the focus of an environmentally harmful industry.   George Black looks into the history of these three rivers and talks about the effect that the factories, from the Industrial Revolution affected the people who live near these rivers, and the population who fish, live and spend so much of their time fighting and working to protect the Housatonic and its tributaries, recently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A hundred years ago the idea of the environment being in jeopardy was never even fathomed.   It was assumed by the people of Connecticut that their way of life would continue, without interruption.   They never imagined that the huge factories that were fed by a waterway could have such a great impact on society.   If they could have foreseen the future, I’m sure something would have been done to discourage the development of the water powered mills that would operate the factories that contributed to the deterioration of the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Man directly had a bad impact on the environment by building the factories and destroying the pureness of the rivers that were written about by George Black.   He could  see that society was directly impacted upon by the dangerous smoke and chemical hazards that were so worried about by him.   He was attempting to study and in by writing about the three rivers in â€Å"The Trout Pool Paradox,† to unveil the dangerous hazards that were brought on my society’s incredible desire to make more money and revolutionize the town in Connecticut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   George Black says that it is important that we realize that we have come so far in realizing how everyone needs to be aware of steps we each must take to secure that are environment is being tended to and that we are aware of the hazards that the Industrial Revolution have brought upon our land and waters.   He seems generally sincere in the aspect that he cares about our ecosystem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the last thirty or more years, great attempts have been displayed with concerned people who fight for the ecosystem and spend much of their time being sure that the hazardous pollutants are being directly made known to the public and George Black is one of these concerned individuals who spent time to give his thoughts on the crumbling of the ecosystem by writing â€Å"The Trout Pool Paradox.†Ã‚   He made us look at these rivers and the town in Connecticut and how they remained untouched since the beginning of their existence, and I think it hurt him to see the direct harm that was cast upon these.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The people of America must come together as a team, each agreeing that it takes an entire society of people working together and expressing their concerns about our stream, rivers and towns.   We do have the power as a whole to speak about the dangers that are being forced upon our environment.   If we work together and have meetings and television and radio time to discuss the environment and bring so much more awareness to the idea of protecting our ecosystem.   If we really believe that we have the power to turn things around, I do believe that we can.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It only takes a few people to get things started.   We can each do our part by speaking up and voicing our opinions.   We can demand that hazardous factories be shut down and replaced by more economically friendly ran factories.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   George Black delved into the thoughts of the public of the two communities that were two competing political cultures, and who were generally having a battle with each other over the meaning of running water.   George Black found that each community, each with their own ideas about the way things should be.   He searched into the question of what was the motives and how deep did their feeling run, concerning their environment. He realized how differently the two cultures had expressed their perception of what was going on around them.   He realized that each had different views, and thought it to be incredible that their views could be so different.   He felt after speaking to the people of the areas, that their stories needed to be told and felt that it was important to share his discoveries of the variance in opinions with the public.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I realize after gathering information that it was important for George Black to fish in the Shepaug watershed which is the main ideal of the trout stream.   It is terrible that only miles away, the Naugatuck is nothing more than a â€Å"chemical sewer† and it even catches on fire, sometimes and it must have been terribly devastating for the community who had once know the river and loved the river for it’s clean flowing water and it’s popularity for fishing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I don’t think any amount of money in the world is worth wasting a perfectly good river.   There could and should have been a better idea than just destroying our environments and communities because of greed.   The people who built and ran the factories in Connecticut should have take more time and should have performed in-depth studies before they so carelessly and directly aided in the destruction of our environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It isn’t too late to try to save our ecosystem.   Even though so much harm has already been done to our rivers, we can still set forth actions by showing our concern for our environment.   We can write to our Congress people.   We can voice our opinion, just as George Black did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When you view the Shepaug and the Naugatuck, you can’t really just see, with your eyes, their radically different evolution. The main important idea is to understand and to try to talk about how the currents of our natural history and our social history are connected.   We must look at how each of these waterways and ask ourselves, â€Å"How are they intertwined and how do they influence each other in various ways. A great Revolutionary Revolution, or reindustrialization, does not run uniformly through an area in a community just like New England, one river valley and then the next.   There are so many social issues   and changes brought on by the rivers but it is evident that the social issues are the ones that are most important. Events in history have altered life, as we know it, and have made huge impacts on the way we look at these two intertwined rivers. Sometimes our natural history can be changed by a single natural disaster but the idea that one river can be untouched and the other so close to it can completely be destroyed is unthinkable!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Housatonic Valley, it is evident that the course of history has been altered to  a great degree. The leaders of the Waterbury brass industry were able to devastate the Naugatuck Valley due to the fact that there was no effective checks on their power.   This neglect has had an impact, as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shephaug continues to flow seemingly untouched, offering some of the best fishing in the country (Houghton Mifflin, April),â€Å"The Trout Pool Paradox† can be used as a way of exploring four hundred years of our history in America.   You could point out different communities in America who have directly been affected by pollutants, and if they were written about and pointed out by other writers, as well as George Black, America could be a safer place to live in and their streams and rivers could be saved. Who knows how many rivers may be under great threat right now, and how one person could write a story such as â€Å"The Trout Pool Paradox† and bring immediate attention to the hazard that a beautiful river or stream might be threatened by.   Just by George Black’s thoughts on the destruction of our environment gives me great appreciation for his concern about our natural surroundings and it gives me a sense of responsibility to my community and to all of American rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. Reference; George Black, The Trout Pool Paradox

Simulation Module for Patients with Hypoglycemia

Simulation Module for Patients with Hypoglycemia Development and Evaluation of Simulation Module for Patients with Hypoglycemia INTRODUCTION Background Human patient simulator (HPS) has been used in medical education (Alinier, Hunt, Gordon, Harwood, 2006) for almost four decades. Since simulation using high-fidelity has begun by applying crisis intervention training on nurse anesthetist   (Fletcher, 1995), over the past 10 years, simulation has been rapidly expanded in nursing education (Dunn, 2004). Simulation education is not just about obtaining simple knowledge and techniques but rather have been considered as a kind of new education method that can train nursing care ability by reproducing real-like clinical situation in a safe environment (Hodge, Martin, Tavernier, Perea-Ryan, Alcala-Van Houten, 2008; Steadman et al, 2006). Moreover, simulation education have been accelerated by shortening of the patient’s admission period and limited chances of nursing student’s participation due to elevated expectations on the medical staff by the patients. Through simulation education, student carry out physical examination directly on simulator and immediately identify physiological changes on the monitor. After implementing the proper intervention, they can get feedbacks from results (Bremner,Aduddell,Bennett, VanGeest, 2006). Therefore education using simulation is becoming the most important subject in current nursing education as a method that can improve problem solving ability and critical thinking of students in clinical situation (Corbridge, McLaughlin, Tiffen, Wade, Templin, Corbridge, 2008; Feingold, Calaluce, Kallen, 2004). Since a simulation practice method has been introduced to the nursing practice educating in South Korea ten years ago, many study results on the effect of simulation education have been reported in the area of pediatric nursing (Yoo, 2013; Shin, Shim, Lee, 2013), maternity nursing practicum (Kim, Ko, Lee, 2012; Kim, Lee, Chae, 2012; Lee Kim, 2011), psychiatric nursing (Choi, 2012), and critical and emergency care unit (Kim, Choi, Kang, 2011; Kim Jang, 2011). Current scenario that can be used in simulation education is not still developed variously in sub-major nursing areas in Korea. Therefore case is not appropriate to situation so there is a difficulty of having simulation practice. Especially, diabetes mellitus is prevalent disease in middle ages. However, it can be controlled by both concrete assessment for differentiation and anticipatory management. And because patients with diabetes mellitus should always manage blood glucose in their life, nursing education to prevent h ypoglycemia is essential education contents. In nursing student education, simulation practice for critical thinking training to identify symptoms and plan nursing care as priority due to hypoglycemia is effective and important nursing problem. In this study, we tried to test the applicability of the simulation by developing simulating education scenario based on the case of hypoglycemia and evaluating student’s performance after using it. The study was done to improve nursing students’ critical thinking on nursing problems and clinical decision-making ability by developing scenario with high-fidelity SimMan simulator based on clinical real situation. The purpose of this study is to develop a scenario and evaluate students’ performance and satisfaction in simulation learning of care for patients with hypoglycemia. METHOD Design This study used a mixed method design which captured both quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate degree of performance and satisfaction as development and applying simulation module with hypoglycemia. In disciplines such as nursing, the phenomena studied are often complex and mixed-method approaches can expand the impact and enhance the flexibility of research designs (Sandelowski, 2000) Participants A convenience sample of 55 nursing students participated from a university located in Seoul, South Korea. We have decided that third year nursing students who have enough basic knowledge on pathophysiology will not have difficulty in applying simulation education on patient with hypoglycemia and developed simulation scenario targeting them. The inclusion criteria to attain hypoglycemia included (a) junior nursing students, (b) completion of fundamental and endocrine system nursing course with the same credits and textbook, and (c) no prior participation in a simulation class focused on diabetes mellitus. The participants ‘ ages ranged from 21 to 25 years. The majority of students 89% were women. Ethical considerations’ Approval to conduct this study was obtained from the Sahmyook university institutional review board (SYUIRB-2013-074). Written informed consent consist of issues of voluntary participation, anonymity, and confidentiality. It explained the purpose of study, the researchers’ credentials, and information regarding confidentiality. Collected data will be managed in the researcher’ office and will be shredded after coding. The IRB proved that there were no factors to this study that would deprive human ethical right, and that all contents and processes confirm to proper research ethics. Process of module development Scenario development Contents of scenario were developed based on real patient’s situation which admitted to emergency unit with shock symptom due to hypoglycemia. In addition, we searched more information on nursing care for hypoglycemia from nursing textbook and protocol. Scenario was focused on developing of student’s ability about assessment and problem identification by critical thinking. For this, the purpose of scenario formulation was to differentiate the origin of shock symptom between hypoglycemia and increasing of intracranial pressure. For testing of validity, five experts consisted of three nursing professors, two nurses who have worked in emergency unit over 10 years reviewed contents of scenario. The scenario was pilot tested using five students (not included in the present study) to determine feasibility and clarity of instructions. No problems were identified. Development of evaluation checklist The evaluation checklist focused on the attainment of critical thinking ability rather than implementation skill and was divided into three categories: assessment, problem identification, and interventions. Finally, 4 items were deleted and 16 items reached by consensus (Table 1). The items were selected, reviewed, and analyzed by a seven expert panel including two nursing professors, five advanced practice nurses. Process of debriefing Debriefing questions were also developed focused on critical thinking as three phase process. Description phase : ‘What decision did you make when patient complains dyspnea? Why did you do?’; Analysis phase : ‘Did you have an enough understanding about nursing care for patient with hypoglycemia after this simulation practice?’; and Application phase: ‘How can you cope real nursing situation in future through what you learned?. These three phases for debriefing are based on clinical judgment model by Tanner (2006). After taking simulation practice, students had debriefing time for about 20~30 minutes per group of four students. The nursing students were encouraged to reflect on their critical thinking. Data collection procedure Data were collected from May6, 2013 to June 28, 2013. The study’s purpose and its procedures were explained to the participants prior to obtaining informed consent. All participants enrolled in this study voluntarily and anonymously, were made aware that there was no disadvantage to nonparticipation as well as information regarding confidentiality. In addition, the data would be reported as a whole and not individually. The ratio of participation was 98%. Before the simulation, students received an orientation that included how to operate the simulator, simulation learning objective, the scenario information, and patient’s health status. Four nursing students have teamed up to have a discussion of the simulation scenario. Students were asked to wear uniforms and to treat these as actual professional situations. The simulations were scheduled in simulation rooms in which the high-fidelity patient simulators were used. One operator and one instructor observed the simulations from the control room. Each simulation lasted 20 minutes, with the simulation module including debriefing taking about two hours per group. The evaluation checklist was evaluated as a group and was handed to two instructors in a sealed envelope. After simulation module, student satisfaction was measured using the Satisfaction of Simulations Experience (SSE). Instruments The evaluation checklist tool using 3-point Likert scale (1: not fulfill, 2: partially fulfill, 3: fulfill) was a researcher-developed tool designed to assess simulation-based performance. The higher the evaluation checklist score, the better the performance. Content validity was conducted from nurse educators, simulation experts, and clinicians (n=10). The results of the content validity index were above 80% (Waltz and Bausell, 1981). Inter-rater reliability between two independent raters was established using Cohen’s kappa. Satisfaction which students felt about simulation practice was measured just after finishing the debriefing session using the Satisfaction of Simulations Experience (SSE) scale developed by Levett-Jones and colleagues (2011). This scale consists of 18 items in the area of debrief and reflection (9 items), clinical reasoning (5 items), and clinical learning (4 items). Each item was scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicated higher satisfaction. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in this study was .94. Data analysis The evaluation checklist and the SSE were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 for Windows to calculate descriptive statistics including means and standard deviations. Debriefing data were analyzed using the Matrix Method (Garrad, 2007). Four researchers was analyzed all papers related to debriefing. It were photocopied and organized as a review matrix that, once labeled appropriately, would serve as a structured abstract of all of the documents. The 3C’s (i.e., codes, categories, and concepts) of analysis was used to capture key characteristics of interest, thereby summarizing a large amount of textual information into meaningful themes (Lichtman, 2006). RESULT Scenario of simulation-based hypoglycemia The patient’s case was developed based on scenario objectives and performance measures. The simulated patient was a 55-year-old man admitted via the emergency unit complaining of dizziness and sweating. The algorithm proceeded as follows: assessment, problem identification, intervention (Fig. 1). Evaluation Checklist The evaluation checklist consisted of three categories and 16 items. To identify a statistical measure of inter-rater agreement for items, Cohen’s kappa was measured. Cohen’s kappa for the evaluation checklist was 0.61, good strength of agreement, and each category ranged from 0.33 to 0.97. The mean score of each category and item is shown in Table 1. The mean score is average of numbers of two measurers. The total mean score was 2.68 ( ±.129). The mean score of assessment was 2.56 ( ±.199), problem identification was 2.91 ( ±.193), and intervention was 2.71 ( ±.192). Debriefing Student comments about the simulation experience were grouped 2 categories, 9 subcategories, and 303 significant statements using content analysis (Table 2). The categories were as followed: Self-reflection and Improvement of competency. The most frequent subcategories, in order, were nursing intervention, coping ability deficiency, perception of real situation, clinical thinking deficiency, knowledge deficiency and communication. Satisfaction with simulation experience The SSE scale was used to assess participation in the simulation experience. The total mean score of SSE was 4.15 ( ±.68). The mean score for debrief and reflection was 4.21 ( ±.58), clinical reasoning was 4.09 ( ±.50), and clinical learning was 4.08 ( ±.46). The highest score item in SSE was â€Å"I received feedback during the debriefing that helped me to learn†, and the lowest was â€Å"The facilitator made me feel comfortable and at ease during the debriefing† (Table 3).

One Day Ill Meet Someone :: Personal Narrative Writing

All right. I'm bitter. I seem to always be in this state lately, but never more so than after the weekend I've just had. I spent about half a year thinking that I was in love with one of my closest friends, and in the space of about ten minutes he completely obliterated any respect I had for him, while destroying my own self-image in the process. So I've been friends with this guy for about four years now, and we've been pretty decent friends for most of that time. But in the past year or so, we have gotten much closer. About six months ago, I suddenly had the revelation that I was in love with him. And it was perfect, I thought, because we were so close, and I respected him so much, and we got along so well together, blah blah blah. It didn't matter that he is kinda fat, or not very good looking, or that he has no sense of humor, or that most of my friends don't like him. All that mattered was I knew that deep down he is a good person with a good heart, not to mention smart, honest, and responsible, all qualities I admire in a man. Not to mention the fact that I totally believe that friendships make a good foundation for a relationship, and that my ex-boyfriend was and is still one of my closest friends. So my feelings for this guy grew stronger while getting to know him better over the past year. Although none of my friends thought he was good enough for me (even the ones who are also friends with him), I would defend him, even when he was rude or acted like a jerk, because I knew he really was a good person at heart. Finally, after many months of not getting any response from him and wondering if I should tell him how I felt, I decided it was time to get over him. I was sick of waiting for him to wake up and see me, and I was too scared to say anything about how I felt. I went out with another guy, but it didn't work out and then I realized that I was never going to let go of him until I had some sort of closure, however lame that sounds. Late one night after a disastrous date, I saw him online and IM'ed him.

Poetic Techniques in John Donnes The Dream Essay -- essays research p

The Dream, by John Donne, is a poem that is filled with passionate diction, syntax, and figurative language along with a tender tone meant to convey the almost celestial feelings Donne has for his lover. The first stanza shows a wide range of fantastical language with the intention of drawing the reader slowly and steadily into the hazy, dreamlike setting. Along with the words like ?fantasy?, ?fables? and ?dreams? come affectionate phrases that effectively show us that the poem is meant to be addressed to a lover, ?Dear love? being the most obvious example. Later on in the poem, the language shifts from drowsy and steady to more intense and complicated, yet less passionate and more doubtful. Donne?s choice in the last stanza to utilize fiery words like ?torches? and phrases ?light and put out? and ?thou cam?st to kindle? depict a sense of overwhelming passion, as uncontrollable as fire. Donne doubts that he can control his lover to continue loving him as fervently as in his dream, which is why his dream lover is ?an angel? while his lover in reality is compared to fire. Don...

Minor Characters With Major Influence Essay

Addie Bundren was a strong but mysterious woman. She had many children that loved her dearly that would do bizarre things for her. She was a minor character in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying but she played a major role in that she affected the actions of the characters of the Bundren family. Jewel is Addie’s third child but not Anse’s child. Jewel is the product of an affair that Addie had with Whitfield, the town minister. Addie spoiled Jewel because he was a symbol of her happiness with Whitfield. Jewel constantly pushes his luck with Addie, getting into all the trouble he can possibly think of, but he loves his mother. Jewel just wants Addie to be able to die in peace and quiet without Cash sawing away at her coffin where she can see and Dewey constantly fanning the air away from Addie’s face (Faulkner 15). Jewel’s love for his mother is more openly expressed when he runs into the barn to save her coffin from the burning barn (Faulkner 222). Anse is so determined to carry out Addie’s final wish and bury her with her relatives in Jefferson. It takes the Bundren family nine days to deliver Addie’s dead body to her final resting place. During the journey Darl tries to destroy the coffin in a barn fire (Faulkner 219). Darl loves Addie just like Jewel and can not bear to see her memory desecrated by this long journey so he tries to burn the body. By this time Darl seems to have started to go insane. Really Darl is the only sane person on that whole trip. He tried to get rid of the putrid corpse and let his mother be remembered with her name still intact. Cash labors day and night over his mother’s coffin, cutting each board carefully and showing them to Addie basically saying ‘Look at the wonderful job I’m doing for you’. Cash even continues on the journey after he broke his leg while saving Addie’s coffin. Even after his leg begins to fester and swell, he never complains about it paining him. Cash’s selflessness is unwavering as he makes this journey for Addie and his family to lay Addie to rest. Cash even refused medical attention until there journey was complete because of his devotion to Addie and her wishes. All in all Addie Bundren is a very important in William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying even though she is rarely heard throughout the novel. She is a major influence on her family. She had the most influence on Darl, Jewel, and Cash, her older sons. Her influence causes her family to do bizarre and dangerous things for her to honor her memory. Works Cited Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Random House Inc., 1990. Print.

Character Sketch Example: Mirror Image

The story â€Å"Mirror Image† by Lena Coakley is about the character Alice trying to find her true self in the midst of an identity crisis. The character’s struggle was caused when she and her dad had an accident where she made it but her dad didn’t. But the thing is, her body didn’t quite make it too. So they had to do a brain transplant. Now Alice is considered as a new person by her sister but she is in denial with it. Her twin sister Jenny is also quite upset and feels she is but a stranger to their home. Having a new body, she described her appearance in the story. On her new body, she seems to be slim and more mature than her old body. It is proved when she said there were no cellulites on her thighs which are fats found in thighs and buttocks. Also, she said her body weighed much more than her old body meaning her new body is more mature . Another trait indicated in the story was she had clean and pretty face. On the story, Alice said that no one told her that she was ugly and her face never had zits on it. Lastly she had big brown eyes. In the hospital when she’s in bed and got her body, when she looked into the mirror, she saw an unfamiliar face, her face with big brown eyes. Alice can be described as an adaptive person. She learned to adapt to her new body and to her new friends, new environment. Alice is also a proud person. She keeps boasting about her new features compared to old body. Alice is also confident. Since she got her body replaced she decided to join cheerleading. And she had the confidence that Alice and her family will get through this struggle of hers. In the story, the character focused on finding herself. Her motivation was to prove what’s inside that body of hers is the same Alice they know and used to be with. Evidence is that her sister won’t let her read her diary for a reason that Jenny is no longer comfortable being with her and looks at her as a stranger to their house. Also, it is on the part where she tasted the cake and her taste buds didn’t like it. She wants to prove that the chocolate with mocha cream cake that her mother made for her was still her favourite cake even after the body change. Lastly, Alice wants to show that what Mr. Jarred saw and talked to was not her daughter Gail, but a different person, her accent, the way she walks and even when he looked into her eyes. If brain transplant were ever possible, anyone may be in a position like Alice where she had to go find her true self lost in the midst of an identity crisis. It may be hard but the character was able to adapt to her new body, following the consequences that her sister sees her as a stranger and unsure about her having a new body.