Technology-HSBC Case Study Essay Example for Free

Innovation HSBC Case Study Essay How has the organization decided to improve its information on clients and thusly its dynamic? Examine the administration, association, and innovation measurements of the arrangement. HSBC, similarly as with different banks, exploited numerous poor shoppers hoping to possess their own home. These shoppers had low FICO ratings, are in default or have low pay, which implies there was a higher likelihood of them not taking care of the credit. These banks exploited by not clarifying the whole procedure of how the sum will twofold and the loan cost will get movable following several years. This prompted numerous subprime contract credit holders to not meet installments and in the end lose their home. Due to this HSBC was one of the main banks â€Å"announce a billion dollar discount connected to its presentation to subprime contracts. † (Modell) HSBC improved one route by propelling their innovation. Information is gathered and sent to one group of particular people who ensure that everything is right for endorsement. HSBC additionally executed another procedure utilizing Experian-Scorex choice help programming. This new programming will help HSBC with their dynamic procedure. It â€Å"allows HSBC to distinguish the estimation of every client and make custom fitted item bundles. † (Finextra) George Lennox, a ranking director at HSBC, expressed â€Å"Strategy Management will without a doubt become a vital piece of our business and we expect that it will settle on in excess of 50 billion client choices every year for us as we turn it out over our worldwide business. (Finextra) They have likewise concluded that consumer loyalty and building trust is a higher priority than benefit. Did HSBC pick the best arrangement? Clarify your answer. HSBC picked an extraordinary arrangement. They permitted nearly anybody to get a credit as long as they met a few necessities. By utilizing the new methodology the executives programming they actualized, they will have the option to ensure that every client searching for administrations are qualified and ready to keep the administrations. Investigate HSBC . Does this Web webpage give chances to HSBC to accumulate information about its clients? Depict the client information gathered at the Web website and clarify how that information can be utilized to improve its business execution. OK overhaul the Web website to expand associations with clients? I investigated HSBCPremier, where they gave bunches of data on how I can set aside cash for my family, for instance a school store or putting something aside for my child’s first vehicle. HSBC demands heaps of data for the most part broad, for example, name, date of birth, government disability number and driver’s permit number. Be that as it may, they likewise demand other data, for example, any current credits or contracts, and for moment financing you have to furnish them with your present financial data. By gathering this data, it gives HSBC the correct instruments to have the option to help clients with extraordinary fulfillment. HSBC has necessities connected to every one of their administrations. They need to support clients in the most ideal manner so they utilize the data gathered to give clients the best help. I would not update the whole site. It appears to be quite obvious to me that in addition to the fact that they give a lot of data on every item and administration they give, yet you can contact a delegate who will plainly decipher anything you don’t comprehend. However, one element that I would include is in the â€Å"contact us† area, an alternative to talk with a live administrator. This will permit clients to visit online with an agent about administrations without approaching telephone or go to an area. HSBC had dynamic instruments set up before the subprime emergency. For what reason would you think they missed or disregarded the potential cataclysmic outcomes that became reality? What included worth would the new Experian-Scorex programming give? HSBC was hoping to extend in the U. S. With the ascent of buyers hoping to become property holders, as a business your first sense is to get in the game and increment benefits. I accept that HSBC just needed to develop and support clients, however due to not being clairvoyants and realizing that the market would crash and individuals would lose positions and not have the option to take care of advances, they lost in that game. At the point when you have banks not gathering the correct data on shoppers to help foresee in the event that they can pay the credit or not and not disclosing the advance effectively to customers, it causes clashes. Buyers didn't generally comprehend the credits; they just realized they would become property holders. Subprime credits are the most noticeably awful, to me. Who needs to take care of multiple times what their house is really worth? The new Experian-Scorex programming will give incredible incentive to HSBC’s system the executives. This new framework will gather data and will help HSBC in their credit choices. â€Å"George Lennox, Senior Manager, Group Credit and Risk at HSBC: As one of the universes driving money related associations, us that we utilize driving edge choice help innovation. † (Experian) By actualizing this new innovation, HSBC will better help their new and existing clients.

Nursing Scope Of Practice And Medical Errors Example

Nursing Scope Of Practice And Medical Errors Example Nursing Scope Of Practice And Medical Errors †Article Example Nursing Scope of Practice and Medical Errors Establishing an away from of training for attendants is extremely powerful in maintaining a strategic distance from clinical blunders. With this stated, what are the exercises a certified attendant working may perform today? All things considered, a few states presently permit nurture professionals and guaranteed nurture birthing specialists to keep an eye on patients and recommend prescriptions without a physician’s endorsement (The Future of Nursing: Focus on Scope of Practice - Institute of Medicine, n.d.).However, ebb and flow laws in numerous states approves that attendants give immediate and circuitous patient consideration, for example, safeguarding their wellbeing, comfort, individual cleanliness, insurance of patients, and execution of malady anticipation and remedial measures. To be progressively explicit, among the free obligations of enlisted attendants are to watch manifestations of sicknesses, response to treatment and general conduct which turns into the premise of an inception of crisis or clinical methods. Beside which, a nurse’s subordinate capacities would incorporate the exhibition of skin tests, inoculation, extraction of human blood and organization of medicine. Ultimately, among their related capacity is execute suitable normalized methodology or changes in treatment routine of a patient in the wake of watching signs and indications of sicknesses or a significant response to treatment (Bailey, L., 2011).Indeed, having an away from of training for attendants will diminish clinical blunders particularly in light of the fact that they can concentrate on developing their insight on explicit clinical capacities as opposed to performing dependent on general clinical information. Beside that, it is useful to have clear medication marks, being comfortable with prescription stockpiling, and information in appropriate medication use and observing to maintain a strategic distance from instan ces of clinical negligence and blunders (American Nurse Today, n.d.).Bibliography:The Future of Nursing: Focus on Scope of Practice - Institute of Medicine. (n.d.). The Future of Nursing: Focus on Scope of Practice - Institute of Medicine. Recovered May 20, 2014, from http://iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health/Report-Brief-Scope-of-Practice.aspx?page=2Bailey, L. (2011). An Explanation of the Scope of RN Practice Including Standardized Procedures. California, USA: Department of Consumer Affairs.American Nurse Today. (n.d.). American Nurse Today. Recovered May 20, 2014, from americannursetoday.com/article.aspx?id=6356&fid=6276

Ready. Set. Let Go!

Ready. Set. Let Go! Resolution or no, a new year is upon us. Here are a few ideas to help make your forthcoming year an intentional one: Start a blog. Get out of debt. Simplify your diet. Plan for retirement. Take a writing class. Read one book per month. Say goodbye to fake friends. Join a free local meetup group. Exercise eighteen minutes every day. Play the 30-Day Minimalism Game. Happy New Year, yall. Thank you for allowing us to contribute to your lives these past five years, and for helping us contribute to the world around us: last year, with your help, we built an elementary school in Laos, funded a high school in Uganda for a year, installed clean-water wells in a Malawi village, and constructed a family-style orphanage in Honduras. This year, its time to jettison the trinkets of the past and replace them with something meaningful. Pick one or two items from the list above, and make them a priority. Ready? Set. Let go! Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.

Strength in Numbers Can Lead from Peaceful Protests to...

Strength in numbers is undeniable however, this strength is often misused. This misused strength often transforms even the most peaceful protests and originations into ruthless mobs. These mobs are directed by a leader, who without a strong moral compass, often will lead his own group to self destruction through the destruction of peace. Cooperation between like minded people to fight for what they believe in is nothing new. These groups tend to be peaceful with the exception for groups who wish to promote social change. However, people are creatures of habit who follow the guidelines of society and when a hot bed issue such as the civil rights or a more modern comparison such as gay marriage, people become very reluctant to change what†¦show more content†¦With great power comes great responsibility, something every leader knows. A group’s appearance in essence is what its leader creates. This creation can be good or evil, in most cases it ends poorly. Men such as Hi tler were great leaders, but what he transformed his group into was truly evil. He allowed all of his followers to belief that moral responsibility was of no importance, that ability to completely change others is what turns groups immoral. With no true conscience and without a leader promoting peace, violence and a lack of moral responsibility will always prevail in groups. Martin Luther King Jr. was a powerful man. He was influential in the civil rights movement and truly changed the landscape of the United States forever. However King wrote in, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† that, â€Å"There is a more excellent way, of love and nonviolent protest†¦ if this philosophy had not emerged, I am convinced that by now many streets of the South would be flowing with floods of blood.† This statement proves that groups are immoral. However, it will be argued that individuals such as Hitler are just as immoral as his group. That in fact is not true he himself made hi s immoral ideas but without his group he had no strength. The group is what was truly immoral, because they had a chance to say that what was being done was wrong and they failed to speak out. One immoral soul cannot do much harm, but aShow MoreRelatedEssay about Bloody Sundays Lead to Bloody Years1627 Words   |  7 Pagesgoverning by different countries can lead to times of peace and an opportunity for both sides to benefit. But sadly, more often than not, this exchange of power is not done in an agreeable manner; but rather in a way that includes a malicious and most often unnecessary show of might. This show of strength is usually done with the help of the military under false or misguided judgment generally based on greed, the need for control, and religion. An example of this can be seen in the long and nastyRead MoreEssay on The Glory and The Dream9497 Words   |  38 Pagesï » ¿The Glory and the Dream Questions Prologue 1. What was the Bonus Army? What occurred? Who was involved? a. The Bonus Army were soldiers returned from World War I who wanted a â€Å"bonus† immediately authorized by the Adjusted Compensation Act. The veterans marched up Pennsylvania Avenue to acquire their relief. However, MacArthur and Hoover stopped the veterans at their core in a final â€Å"battle† calling them â€Å"communists and persons with criminal records.† 2. What is Rugged Individualism? a.Read Moreghjfg6018 Words   |  25 Pagesclairvoyant. I see in and through them. I view them from unusual points of vantage. Not as a foreigner do I come, for I am native, not foreign, bone of their thought and flesh of their language. Mine is not the knowledge of the traveler or the colonial composite of dear memories, words and wonder. Nor yet is my knowledge that which servants have of masters, or mass of class, or capitalist of artisan. Rather I see these souls undressed and from the back and side. I see the working of their entrailsRead More65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays 2nd Edition 147256 Words   |  190 PagesAnonymous Cabin Kim 209 212 215 218 220 222 viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The motivation to create the second edition of 65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays came from a recent rise in business school applications. With an abundance of qualified candidates to choose from, admissions officers can be more selective, making admission to top schools even more challenging for applicants. The Harbus, the Harvard Business School weekly student newspaper, recognizes that applicants requireRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages10.5/12 ITC New Baskerville Std Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on the appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrievalRead MoreVampire Diaries61771 Words   |  248 Pagesthose green eyes spoke to some part of her that was buried deep beneath the surface—and that part was screaming danger at her. Some instinct older than civilization was telling her to run, to flee. She didnt move. Dont miss these exciting books from HarperPaperbacks! THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: A TRILOGY L. J. Smith Volume I The Awakening Volume II The Struggle Volume III The Fury HORROR HIGH Nicholas Adams Mr. Popularity Resolved: Youre Dead Heartbreaker New Kid on the Block Hard Rock SuddenRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesThe Power of Management Capitol 1. New Management for Business Growth in a Demanding Economy Text  © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2004 3 the strong business growth of pacesetter companies in the United States and throughout the world? How can companies renew and sustain those factors in the face of the business slowdowns and major fluctuations that challenge the longterm continuation of profitable earnings? As we continue to experience the twenty-first century’s economic, social, and political

Persistent Discrimination by Race and Gender - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1171 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/03/29 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Discrimination Essay Gender Discrimination Essay Did you like this example? Since the Founding of the United States, white men have enjoyed the privileges that come with obtaining a job and the wealth generated from it. After more than two-centuries later, the workforce has grown and changed significantly. White men are no longer the majority group represented in the workforce. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Persistent Discrimination by Race and Gender" essay for you Create order With the addition of women and other racial minority groups, every group is now participating in the workforce. However, not everyone is treated equally despite the implementation of the Civil Rights Act which is supposed to outlaw discrimination in the workplace. Although the workforce is now incredibly diverse, White men still reap most of the rewards, accumulating more wealth than anyone other ethnic group, including women, with the exception of Asian men. So why has discrimination not been eliminated from the workforce? It is in part due to many factors including racial discrimination and stereotypes against minorities in the hiring process, better employment opportunities for whites for higher wage jobs, and the culture of the workplace. The data provided by the U.S. BLS, shows a very distinguishable racial inequality when it comes to the incomes of different races in our country. Non-Hispanic Whites have a much lower unemployment rate compared to Black or Latino Americans, especially when considering white people have half the unemployment rate than that of black people (26). Historically, as weve read in our chapters, wages and unemployment for white Americans have been higher and lower, respectively, when compared to other racial categories with White men having the highest of any group. This is due to many factors including racial discrimination against minorities in the hiring process and better employment opportunities for whites for higher wage jobs. As we read about Julies case in Two Views on Inequality and Discrimination, when she thought about applying for a job, she knew that because of where she lived, in Harlem, that her chances of getting that job were slim because places dont want to hire people from Harlem, a very populated neighborhood in New York where people of color, especially black Americans, reside. The many charts found in Labor Market Inequality by the Numbers, show the differences between the incomes of the different racial groups from a previous year to the most recent year the book has information on. I think what is important to remember is how little the purchasing power wages have increased since the federal minimum age 1st came into effect, peaking in 1968 (13). Since we know from reading the book that the purchasing power of wages now are actually less than back then, the people making the least are hurting the most. Generally, these lower wages stem from service jobs which are held by a lot of people of color whereas more whites have access to higher paying jobs in office and managerial positions (30). This would give at least one example as to how to interpret the data from the BLS, seeing as how white men earn more money than any other group due to the acces s to better employment opportunities than women and people of color. Whites are also more represented in white collar jobs while Blacks and Hispanics are more represented in the low-wage jobs, which are shrinking due to a changing economy and advances in technology, on top of the fact that there are a lot of people already working low-wage jobs (28-29). In many instances, applicants who are not white males have already been prejudged before they get an interview. In one example, the authors explain that institutional interactions, including perception, choice, as well as socialization can help us understand the difficulties of escaping stereotypes and biases (174). This is because we as a society have been and still are very segregated which has affected the housing market where whites moved to the suburbs and job growth followed, leaving many blacks stuck in the inner cities with few opportunities (174). Schools in the inner cities simply could not provide equal educational opportunities so access to college was very much limited. All of this created a cycle that has reinforced stereotypes about blacks. Another example describes job discrimination which reduces the reward from obtaining an education, which then minorities and women may feel less inclined to get educated or may choose a completely different route that doesnt lead to the high paying jobs that white men currently occupy (172). This brings to light the issue that lower incomes of women and minorities, compared to white men, may not actually be because of educational or other choices, but because of job discrimination in and of itself. Because the market allows for it, consumers, businesses, or workers can discriminate based on race, gender, or sexuality where anyone can claim it is based on economic decisions (77). This is because products can be produced that geared towards a specific target market, or demographic. Other reasons why market magic isnt eliminating discrimination have to do with the culture of a company and society. For example, jobs that have traditionally been held by men, such as construction and engineering, still contain an intense stigma that these are manly jobs that women should steer away from (Breaking Down Gender Bias in the Construction Industry GreenBuildingAdvisor, 2017). But the stigma doesnt stem from these jobs, it stems from society which has conditioned men and women to fulfill strict gender roles (Breaking Down Gender Bias in the Construction Industry GreenBuildingAdvisor, 2017). The only reason why markets may not eliminate discrimination in the workplace is by not including a diverse workforce. When a company that hires a significantly higher proportion of a specific gender or race, the company culture lacks a sense of inclusion and instead projects an exclusion to other people and increases stigmas by enforcing stereotypes (Breaking Down Gender Bias in the Construction Industry GreenBuildingAdvisor, 2017). Thats not to say that the company or the workers themselves hold those beliefs because I doubt that is their intention. But to an outsider, it may appear very discouraging. In conclusion, although the United States has taken serious legal action against discrimination in the workforce, the fact of the matter still remains, discrimination still exists because it is allowed to in other forms. Whether it is a mother from Harlem who cant get a job because of the stereotype of her neighborhood, the historical exodus of whites to the suburbs that brought with them jobs and stripping the inner cities of opportunity, businesses targeting specific demographics to sell products while claiming it is purely economics, or the set of strict gender roles that have conditioned workers to look down upon women entering traditionally male dominated jobs as well as men entering traditionally female dominated jobs. It is important to understand, as members of society, that just because discrimination is illegal, does not mean that we have eliminated it from our culture completely. References Albelda, R., Drago, R. (2013). Unlevel playing fields (4th ed., pp. 26, 13, 30, 28, 29, 174, 172, 77). Boston, Mass.: Economic Affairs Bureau. Breaking Down Gender Bias in the Construction Industry Green Building Advisor. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/breaking-down-gender-bias-in-the-construction-industry

Theory of Consumer Behavior Free Essays

Chapter 4 – Theory of Consumer Behavior Economics 11 – UPLB Prepared by T. B. Paris, Jr. We will write a custom essay sample on Theory of Consumer Behavior or any similar topic only for you Order Now December 11, 2007 Theory of Consumer Behavior ? ? ? Useful for understanding the demand side of the market. Utility – amount of satisfaction derived from the consumption of a commodity †¦. measurement units ? utils Utility concepts ? ? cardinal utility – assumes that we can assign values for utility, (Jevons, Walras, and Marshall). E. g. , derive 100 utils from eating a slice of pizza ordinal utility approach – does not assign values, instead works with a ranking of preferences. Pareto, Hicks, Slutsky) Total utility and marginal utility ? ? Total utility (TU) – the overall level of satisfaction derived from consuming a good or service Marginal utility (MU) additional satisfaction that an individual derives from consuming an additional unit of a good or service. ? TU MU = ? Q Total utility and marginal utility Example (Table 4. 1): Q 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TU 0 20 27 32 35 35 34 30 36 MU –20 7 5 3 0 -1 -4 ? ? ? ? TU, in general, increases with Q At so me point, TU can start falling with Q see Q = 6) If TU is increasing, MU 0 From Q = 1 onwards, MU is declining ? principle of diminishing marginal utility ? As more and more of a good are consumed, the process of consumption will (at some point) yield smaller and smaller additions to utility Total Utility Curve TU 35 Total utility(in utils) 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 Quantity 6 Q Figure 4. 1 Marginal Utility Curve MU Marginal utility (in utils) 20 15 10 5 0 -5 Figure 4. 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 Quantity Q Consumer Equilibrium ? ? So far, we have assumed that any amount of goods and services are always available for consumption In reality, consumers face constraints (income and prices): Limited consumers income or budget ? Goods can be obtained at a price ? Some simplifying assumptions ? ? ? ? Consumer’s objective: to maximize his/her utility subject to income constraint 2 goods (X, Y) Prices Px, Py are fixed Consumer’s income (I) is given Consumer Equilibrium ? Marginal utility per peso ? additional utility derived from spending the next peso on the good MU MU per peso = P Consumer Equilibrium ? Optimizing condition: MU X MU Y = PX PY ? If MU X MU Y PX PY ? spend more on good X and less of Y Simple Illustration ? Suppose: X = fishball Y = siomai ? Assume: PX = 2 PY = 10 Numerical Illustration Qx 1 2 3 4 5 6 TUX 30 39 45 50 54 56 MUX 30 9 6 5 4 2 MUx Px 15 4. 5 3 2. 5 2 1 QY 1 2 3 4 5 6 TUY 50 105 148 178 198 213 MUY 50 55 43 30 20 15 MUy Py 5 5. 5 4. 3 3 2 1. 5 ? ? 2 potential optimum positions Combination A: ? X = 3 and Y = 4 ? TU = TUX + TUY = 45 + 178 = 223 ? Combination B: ? ? X = 5 and Y = 5 TU = TUX + TUY = 54 + 198 = 252 ? Presence of 2 potential equilibrium positions suggests that we need to consider income. To do so let us examine how much each consumer spends for each combination. Expenditure per combination ? ? Total expenditure = PX X + PY Y Combination A: 3(2) + 4(10) = 46 ? Combination B: 5(2) + 5(10) = 60 ? Scenarios: If consumer’s income = 46, then the optimum is given by combination A. .†¦Combination B is not affordable ? If the consumer’s income = 60, then the optimum is given by Combination B†¦. Combination A is affordable but it yields a lower level of utility ? end How to cite Theory of Consumer Behavior, Papers

Theory of Consumer Behavior Free Essays

Chapter 4 – Theory of Consumer Behavior Economics 11 – UPLB Prepared by T. B. Paris, Jr. We will write a custom essay sample on Theory of Consumer Behavior or any similar topic only for you Order Now December 11, 2007 Theory of Consumer Behavior ? ? ? Useful for understanding the demand side of the market. Utility – amount of satisfaction derived from the consumption of a commodity †¦. measurement units ? utils Utility concepts ? ? cardinal utility – assumes that we can assign values for utility, (Jevons, Walras, and Marshall). E. g. , derive 100 utils from eating a slice of pizza ordinal utility approach – does not assign values, instead works with a ranking of preferences. Pareto, Hicks, Slutsky) Total utility and marginal utility ? ? Total utility (TU) – the overall level of satisfaction derived from consuming a good or service Marginal utility (MU) additional satisfaction that an individual derives from consuming an additional unit of a good or service. ? TU MU = ? Q Total utility and marginal utility Example (Table 4. 1): Q 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TU 0 20 27 32 35 35 34 30 36 MU –20 7 5 3 0 -1 -4 ? ? ? ? TU, in general, increases with Q At so me point, TU can start falling with Q see Q = 6) If TU is increasing, MU 0 From Q = 1 onwards, MU is declining ? principle of diminishing marginal utility ? As more and more of a good are consumed, the process of consumption will (at some point) yield smaller and smaller additions to utility Total Utility Curve TU 35 Total utility(in utils) 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 Quantity 6 Q Figure 4. 1 Marginal Utility Curve MU Marginal utility (in utils) 20 15 10 5 0 -5 Figure 4. 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 Quantity Q Consumer Equilibrium ? ? So far, we have assumed that any amount of goods and services are always available for consumption In reality, consumers face constraints (income and prices): Limited consumers income or budget ? Goods can be obtained at a price ? Some simplifying assumptions ? ? ? ? Consumer’s objective: to maximize his/her utility subject to income constraint 2 goods (X, Y) Prices Px, Py are fixed Consumer’s income (I) is given Consumer Equilibrium ? Marginal utility per peso ? additional utility derived from spending the next peso on the good MU MU per peso = P Consumer Equilibrium ? Optimizing condition: MU X MU Y = PX PY ? If MU X MU Y PX PY ? spend more on good X and less of Y Simple Illustration ? Suppose: X = fishball Y = siomai ? Assume: PX = 2 PY = 10 Numerical Illustration Qx 1 2 3 4 5 6 TUX 30 39 45 50 54 56 MUX 30 9 6 5 4 2 MUx Px 15 4. 5 3 2. 5 2 1 QY 1 2 3 4 5 6 TUY 50 105 148 178 198 213 MUY 50 55 43 30 20 15 MUy Py 5 5. 5 4. 3 3 2 1. 5 ? ? 2 potential optimum positions Combination A: ? X = 3 and Y = 4 ? TU = TUX + TUY = 45 + 178 = 223 ? Combination B: ? ? X = 5 and Y = 5 TU = TUX + TUY = 54 + 198 = 252 ? Presence of 2 potential equilibrium positions suggests that we need to consider income. To do so let us examine how much each consumer spends for each combination. Expenditure per combination ? ? Total expenditure = PX X + PY Y Combination A: 3(2) + 4(10) = 46 ? Combination B: 5(2) + 5(10) = 60 ? Scenarios: If consumer’s income = 46, then the optimum is given by combination A. .†¦Combination B is not affordable ? If the consumer’s income = 60, then the optimum is given by Combination B†¦. Combination A is affordable but it yields a lower level of utility ? end How to cite Theory of Consumer Behavior, Papers

Cezanne and Pollock Essay Example For Students

Cezanne and Pollock Essay Describing their new techniques/materials practice Innovation in concepts, theories and intentions Explore the significance of their work and the influence they had on other artists support with critical and historical quotes/comments. I want to make of Impressionism something soled and durable, like the art of the museums Paul CÃÆ'Â ©zanne The source of my painting is the unconscious Jackson Pollock Modernism is the revolutionary ideas and styles in art, architecture, and literature that developed in the early 20th century as a reaction to traditional forms. Both CÃÆ'Â ©zanne and Pollock understood that although their art was turning away from traditional forms, art is continuity. Never disregarding the Old Master, CÃÆ'Â ©zanne is said to be the father of modernism and Pollock the man who brought art from Paris to America. These two men, both known as avant-garde artists, one whos aim in life was to paint fruit and avoid people, the other who spent most of his time drunk, two great artists who revolutionised the art world with their use of new material and techniques and with their ideas and theories. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne began as an Impressionist but soon became frustrated, as Impressionist did not generate paintings that were compositionally strong, and so the creator of Modernism set out on a journey to empower objects with three-dimensional solidity. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne wanted to establish an equilibrium between the vivacious colour and solid form of three-dimensional objects and the two-dimensional surface of the picture plane. Post-Impressionism: Cezanne, Nineteenth Century Art, pg 478. Similarly, Pollock was a modernist whose works were most prominent between 1948 and 1952. Pollock set out to explain as well as he could an emotional response to the day-to-day problems that are thrown in out face. Lee Siegal believes Pollock painted as if living and painting were identical. Critical Eye, Lee Siegal, pg 3. Picasso, and the traditional Indian and Mexican ways of working inspired Pollock. Working mainly on the floor, Pollock would drip paint on the un-stretched canvas, sometimes hanging it on the wall to change the direction of the paint. Pollock was an artist who believed in art for arts sake. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne on the other hand was still a realist, while Pollock worked with surrealism and abstract art. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne was a realist he painted what he saw, but did not imitate it. By using many different techniques CÃÆ'Â ©zanne was able to create something so simple that had been seen before but not in the same light as CÃÆ'Â ©zanne painted them. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne used many new techniques and materials to create his works; not only on the canvas but also in the setting he painted. He liked to mix plaster in the cloths he used these in his works so that they could be easily moulded, whichever way he liked. Although Cezanne never disregarded the Old Masters he did defy some old rules of the art tradition that had come about during Renaissance time. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne liked to also sculpt his fruit with pure colours preferring not mix the colours, and then juxtaposing the unmixed colours. As well as this CÃÆ'Â ©zanne is famous for his rebelliousness in regards to the idea of one vantage point. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne did not agree with this he aimed to get as much into the picture as he could. It was this point that was CÃÆ'Â ©zannes most drastic step towards modernism, the collapsing of space. He moved around his subject, painting not only the objects but also the relationship between them. Pollock also moved around his works stating On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more a part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from all four sides and literally be in the painting. Pollock unlike CÃÆ'Â ©zanne did not prepare a subject to paint but rather began and watched in an almost trance as his masterpiece developed. His paintings are suggestive of the two sides of his personality, wildness and a personality; he extended the function of art to include self- expression and the search for an understanding of self. .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 , .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .postImageUrl , .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 , .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36:hover , .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36:visited , .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36:active { border:0!important; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36:active , .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36 .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u51d5582e5349d29f05e4f55a0cff2d36:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Art History Midterm study guide EssayCÃÆ'Â ©zannes painting technique is also innovative; the lusciously round fruits are constructed of small patches of pigment crowded within dark outlines. Making the fruit look like it could roll of the table. Other innovations include his structural use of colour and brushstroke. Pollock believed in the importance of the brushstroke and quality of the paint rather than the idea of imitating reality. As well as steering away from reality Pollock preferred to steer away from conventional artists tools and work with sticks, trowels, knives, and dripping fluid paint. Pollock did not invent the drip, but the way he used the drip caused his style to become known as action painting. Holding the brush or stick away from the canvas Pollock threw lines in the air, in direction. This grew from his control of gesture. Pollock is also well known for his unconventional paints, using car paint, duco and ordinary house paints. With his innovation techniques and material Pollock was an important force in bringing American art out of its cultural isolation and into a position of world leadership. Pollocks art reflects modern day obsession, he developed the idea of painting as a pure psychological event, eliminating the gap between the subjective world of the artists thinking and feeling and the objective world of paint and canvas. Pollocks theory developed from the Jungian philosophy, which asserts that certain myths and beliefs are repeated in different societies at various times. Jung believed in that psychological fact that the artist had at all times been the instruments and spokesperson of the spirit of the artists age. European and American Artists: Jackson Pollock. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne articulated in art what he was not capable to do in words, on paper or to people. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne wished to create nature with colour, and that the colour allowed to audience to discover, in turn the entire scene. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne inspired many young and new upcoming artists, as did Pollock. Although both believed in not imitating some of their admirers did just that and tried to replicate what was already there. It was here that the followers began to understand the artists. By replicating a picture or style it lost heart, soul and emotion if it had nothing of your own. The reason for CÃÆ'Â ©zanne and Pollock being so popular was just that, their painting had heart, soul and emotion. Because that is where it came from, their works where not just paintings but lives. For CÃÆ'Â ©zanne this was a separate life, a separate reality to the one he was in. CÃÆ'Â ©zanne sought reality in his own paintings while Pollock thought that his reality was his painting. His blood, sweat and life went into his works. And the reality was that this was his life and he thoroughly believed that painting was his life. In conclusion, Paul CÃÆ'Â ©zanne and Jackson Pollock revolutionised the art world of its time and for that we are grateful. It is in thanks of men like this that art is able to move forward and not stay at a standstill. Although both were not social butterflies their works depict what they were not capable of doing or saying in any other way except paint. While Pollock is and was only famous for four years of his work, it is CÃÆ'Â ©zannes still lifes that stand out most for us, he could put so much emotion and feeling into a couple of oranges, a pear, and three apples next to a jug than an actually person.

Tips and Tricks on How to Focus on Homework

Being tired and annoyed after a long day in school or college is absolutely normal. In such a mood, its hard to motivate and force yourself to start working on your assignments for the next day. Many students cant cope with procrastination looking for the answer to the question â€Å"How to focus better?† and end up using study drugs which is not recommended. Fortunately, we have a few tips that will help you to stop procrastinating, increase your productivity and get to work. Keep reading our article to know more. Find a Comfortable Place Its easy to feel distracted and unfocused when your setting doesnt match the task that you have to complete. Thats why setting the right atmosphere is the first thing you should do when starting working on your assignments. Here are a few things that you need to take care of before you actually start doing your homework: Your working place has to be a desk (or a table) with a comfortable chair. Now, many of you would say â€Å"Whats wrong with doing your homework while lying in bed?† Actually, everything. When you sit or lay on the couch or bed, it relaxes you too much and makes you sleepy. A comfortable table and a chair will be the best option for sitting straight and keeping yourself toned. Open your window to get fresh air. When your brain lacks oxygen, it cant work correctly, so it makes you a slower thinker. Fresh air and deep breathing will help you to keep your mind sharp and avoid headaches. Bring some snacks to your working place. You will probably want to have a snack during this study session, so grab them beforehand. Otherwise, you will have to walk outside the room to grab something to eat, and it will negatively impact your concentration. Staying in the room where you are studying is the best tip on how to concentrate on study continuously for long hours. Find a place where the rest of your family or your mates wont bother you to study. The best option would be a separate room with a door closed. If you have someone at home, ask for privacy and silence. Try to avoid doing your homework in the living room, because it will be much harder to focus with a talk show on TV or chatting family members in the background. The atmosphere and the place you are studying at are very important for setting up the right mood for a cram session and keeping yourself focused. Eliminate Distractions This is the most important and the hardest step. When you need to focus on your assignments – which can be quite boring, lets face it – its hard to keep away from the temptation of using your phone, checking social media and watching TV shows. But you can do that, you just need to follow easy steps: Block your phone or give it to someone while you are learning. It is a simple rule for anyone who wants to succeed in studying – not using your cell phone. To make it easier for you, you can log out of your social media accounts, to turn off the Wi-Fi on your phone or to switch to the airplane mode. This way you wont receive messages, calls or annoying notifications and will be able to stay focused. If you know that you wont be able to keep yourself away from your phone, give it to a parent, a friend or use an app that blocks your screen for a preset time – Flipd, Offtime, etc. Avoid listening to music with lyrics. When you are trying to understand information that you are reading or to formulate a thought that you need to write down, the side noises can hinder. Especially when someone is talking or singing. It happens because your brain is trying to process the information it receives by hearing. If you need some background music, choose some tracks without lyrics. Classical music will do the best. Dont watch TV. It distracts you just like music. Avoid watching it; otherwise, your productivity will severely decrease. All of these tips are great for school and college students who get distracted easily. The less you interrupt your studying process, the more focused you will be while completing homework. Organize Your Time Time management is one of the most essential college skills. If you can productively organize the time you spend on doing your homework, you can change your studying routine and spend less time every day working on another assignment. What does it mean? Time management in studying means that you need to create an action plan first and then follow it without messing the time limits you established. For example, your plan for the evening might be: 3.00  PM – 4.00 PM Math assignment 4.00  PM – 4.30 PM Rest 4.30 PM – 5.30 PM Science assignment 5.30  PM – 6.00 PM Rest 6.00 PM – 7.00 PM Literature assignment 7.00  PM – 8.00 PM Dinner 8.00  PM – 9.00 PM Art assignment As you can see this plan implies an alteration of studying and small 30 minutes breaks to help your brain rest and get ready for the next assignment. You can have snacks, use your phone, listen to music or do some exercises during these breaks. Just give yourself some reward for the amount of work that you completed. You would also be surprised how easily you can manage your time in college. If you set up the schedule for studying at home, it will be easier for you to get to work faster. The mind gets used to certain actions that repeat from day to day. So, just like you are used to going to school in the morning, you will be used to getting to work when the homework time comes. Not everyone can establish such a schedule. But you surely ought to try it. Start with the most time-consuming and challenging assignments. As soon as you get to work, your concentration is much stronger than at the end of studying session. Dedicate the time when you are focused the most to the assignments that require more time and effort. Establish the priority of each assignment that you have to complete. Give the main priority to the assignments that are urgent or value more and start with these tasks. If all of your tasks are important and you don’t have enough time to finish all of them, consider turning to a professional service for help. Cross out finished assignments from the plan – you will see your progress and feel more satisfied with your productivity. Moreover, such a tactic helps boost your motivation to do homework. Dont try to be multitasking. When you try to complete a few assignments at the same time, your concentration gets worse due to the variety of information that your brain needs to process. Focus on one assignment at a time. After finishing it, you can have a break and then start a new assignment. As you can see, the time that you spend on your assignments is as important as the time you give yourself to relax between your study sessions. Such breaks not only help your brain to keep concentration for a long time but also provide you with an opportunity to avoid the temptation as you know that after completing another assignment you can enjoy the things you like – music, social networks, etc. We hope that you found our pieces of advice useful and will feel more focused the next time you have to start your homework assignment.

Bioethanol, a Potential Fuel Revolution

Bioethanol, a Potential Fuel Revolution Simply put, bioethanol is ethanol (alcohol) that is derived exclusively from the fermentation of plant starches. Though ethanol can be extracted as a byproduct from a chemical reaction with ethylene and other petroleum products, these sources are not considered renewable and therefore disqualify most ethanol from being considered bioethanol. Chemically, bioethanol is identical to ethanol and can be represented by either the formula C2H6O or C2H5OH. Really, bioethanol is a marketing term for the products that do not have immediate harm to the environment through burning and use of natural gas. It can be fermented from sugar cane, switchgrass, grains, and agricultural waste.   Environmental Benefits All fuel combustion- regardless of how eco-friendly it is- generates dangerous emissions that harm the earths atmosphere. However, the burning of ethanol, especially bioethanol, has far fewer emissions than gasoline or coal. For that reason, the burning of bioethanol, especially in vehicles that can use fuels derived from them, is much better for the environment than some other alternative fuel sources.   Ethanol, in general, reduces greenhouse emissions by up to 46% compared to gasoline, and the added bonus of bioethanol not relying on harmful chemical processing means it further minimizes the harmful effects of gasoline use. According to the United States Energy Information Administration,  unlike gasoline, pure ethanol is non-toxic and biodegradable, and it quickly breaks down into harmless substances if spilled. Still, no fuel combustion is good for the environment, but if you must drive a car for work or pleasure, perhaps consider switching to a flex-fuel vehicle capable of processing ethanol-gasoline blends. Other Types of Biofuel Biofuels can be broken down into five types: bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, biobutanol, and biohydrogen. Like bioethanol, biodiesel is derived from plant matter. Specifically, the fatty acids in vegetable oils are used to create a powerful substitute through a process known as transesterification. In fact, McDonalds now converts much of its vegetable oil to biodiesel to reduce their companys large carbon footprint. Cows actually produce methane in such large amounts in their burps that theyre one of the largest contributors to emissions in the natural world- impacted significantly by commercial farming. Methane is a type of biogas which is produced during digestion of biomass or the burning of wood (pyrolysis). Sewage and manure can also be used to create biogas! Biobutanol and biohydrogen  are both yielded through biological means of further breaking down butanol and hydrogen from the same materials as bioethanol and biogas. These fuels are common replacements for their synthetic or chemically engineered, more harmful counterparts.

Diversity in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diversity in the Workplace - Essay Example The main personal tools are self-awareness, metacommunication and flexibility. Metacommunication is one of the most valuable skills that a manager can possess is the ability to communicate effectively with others (Sonnenschein 95). Metacommunication reflects and folds back upon itself bringing more information to each conversant. Metacommunication is an active process that is particularly useful in understanding persons who come from different cultural contexts. Among individuals in an increasingly diverse society, there may be more than one understanding, more than one meaning of a single reality. Individuals who come from different cultural paradigms or different hierarchical positions may perceive the same situation differently and draw different meanings from it. The role and importance of metacommunication is to eliminate cultural and language differences. Self-awareness is another tool which helps managers to deal with diverse employees and lead them. It means: "be aware of those things in your personal background that might help you do or see, or prevent you from doing or seeing thing, important your organization" (Sonnenschein 30). In this case, managers should realize the influence of culture on behavior. Like time or distance, culture is one of those concepts we all know but find difficult to put into words. Self-awareness helps managers to respond effectively to behavior and actions of other employees, understand their motives and desires (Sonnenschein 32). Flexibility can be seen as a tool which helps leaders to manage diverse workforce and sustain positive organizational culture. 'Flexibility' can be seen as an ability to find the best solution in any situation in spite of personal interests or beliefs. For instance, today men's and women's roles have become more diffuse. The division of labor is less rigid and not necessarily gender-linked. The task of the manager is to perceive these changes and apply them into workforce (Sonnenschein 94-95). The organizational techniques are conflict management, socialization and training workshops. Conflict management is an effective technique which helps managers to avoid dissatisfaction and misunderstanding between employees. Clearly, if the parties can agree on mutual objectives then the problem is far easier to resolve than if they have conflicting objectless and personal agendas. The tools used to solve the conflict can be communication and listening, respect to position of others and account of cultural differences. These strategies help a manager to separate the people from the problem; focus on interests and not positions; search for solutions which can accommodate both interests; agree objective criteria. Developing a solution is more critical and complex than ever before. Managers should use benefits of conflicts to create positive culture and climate. Socialization involves understanding of such processes as family influence, personal experience, educational experiences, peer influences, media influences and critical incidents (Sonnenschein 31). For instance, the attributes that once were operative have become less significant in a more democratic and diverse society. Redefining fit no longer means using the broad attributes seeking a deeper sense of knowing and understanding one another. That is, the more we get to know who we all are as

Annotated Bibliography-Terence Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Annotated Bibliography-Terence - Coursework Example It is important on how the use of technology can restore the elderly memory. Rajarshi C., Claire V., H., & Raghav R. (2013). Privacy preserving actions of older adults in social media: Exploring the behavior of opting out of information sharing, Decision Support Systems, ISSN 0167-9236, 10.1016/j.dss.2013.01.004. The Elsevier science publishers publish the information. It provides that there is an increase in the use of the social media by the elderly individuals. These persons, however, do find themselves sharing their private information unknowingly that should be avoided. It does provide for other studies as to how the young generation and the old differ in sharing information. The literature review is extensive and provide explanations for the use of other studies that enables understanding of the research easier. The methods of analysis were limited to observations as to how the elderly shared information that was common to other studies explained by the review. Though, it is unfortunate that elderly persons have to share private issues accidentally. Regec, M. (2011). Opening information technology to the senior population. Retrieved from http://www.lillonline.net/online/documents/publications/elill_publ/bratislava_opening_information_technology_to_senior_population.pdf This is an article published from the Pew research center. It observes that senior members have slow integration of technology compared to younger generation. Hence, the senior members who interact with the young embraces technology with ease. It offers further studies onto how the government can assist the older generation to benefit from the technology such socialization in the society. The literature review analyzed different age groups of the senior members to give an extensive view on how they operate the technology. As a result, it provided in-depth analysis of the study. The method of research was by

Distribution channel management

Distribution channel management CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter will introduce the topic, specify the key aim and objectives of the dissertation, discuss the research approach and state the dissertation outline. The key aim of this chapter is to establish the foundation for the research topic by giving out basic information. Introduction The research is about study of distribution channel management at Dell Computers, UK. The dissertation is more practical in nature, studying the Distribution Channels of Dell, both at a strategic and an operational level. I would be analysing the business function on its efficiency and effectiveness, comparing with the other industry performers. I would mostly be comparing the function against Sony Electronics, the most respected name in multi-channel distribution network; Acer, pioneer of value computing products and proprietary brands like Advent. Dell Inc. is a multibillion dollar, multinational technology firm that manufactures, develops, sells and supports personal computing and computer related products. Dell has seen a rapid growth to become one of the top three vendors in the PC manufacturing industry, and has seen a substantial increase in share price and market value. While many other companies were unable to handle the demands of the competition, Dell has proved successful in such an environment. The main key to success to Dell has been its two innovative practices that is direct sales and build-to-order business model. This model is simple as a concept but highly complex to execute, especially in the present conditions of rapid growth and change. Dell has continually renewed and extended its business model while striking a balance between control and edibility. Dell made changes in its design, manufacturing, procurement, and logistics processes to reduce the costs, and to speed up the entire distribution system. It has expanded into International markets and it started making notebook and server product lines which has led to extraordinary profits for dell, and has given a great market value for the company. Dell has reached sales of $18.2 billion by the year 1998, with a profit of $1.46 billion, and Dells market share in the PC market grew from 3% in 1995 to 9.2% in the year 1999 with stock price increasing by 40 times. Dells market capitalization has reached $100 billion. Research aim and Questions The primary purpose of my research work is to analyse the role distribution channels play in the functioning of a business, both in the long run and in the short run. My study is to present a detailed description of the unique distribution channel adopted by Dell Inc., analyse its efficiency and effectiveness, identify possible loopholes and put forth recommendations for development. My study is being undertaken with an aim to answer the following research questions: How are the various distribution channels organised within Dell Inc.? How does it compare with its competitors? How effective and efficient is this channel management at Dell? What can be done to make it better? The four research questions are the guiding blocks of my entire research and all of the work would be keeping them in view. Distribution Channels within Dell: I would be looking at Dells innovative distribution channel management which has literally revolutionised the importance of Direct Marketing in the consumer electronics space. Direct marketing is still the primary distribution mechanism within Dell. I would be documenting the evolution of this concept within Dell right from its customized sales regime during PCs Limited to the complex and sophisticated systems that it employs currently. I would be presenting a visual of the entire distribution network that it stands at today. Comparison with its competitors: I would be comparing the dynamic distribution systems of its arch rivals. Sony, Acer, Advent and HP Compaq are the brands that I would be concentrating upon. I would be looking at the strategies adopted in different economies, though my primary concentration would be on the English markets. Efficiency and Effectiveness: I would be conducting an efficiency and effectiveness test of Dells powerful distribution network against its competitors. This would be an empirical study. I would be concentrating on the parameters of Customer Satisfaction and Vendor relationship management. Recommendations: Finally, I would be putting forth recommendations for future developments along with the cost benefit analysis of such implementations. Research approach The study is conducted by collecting secondary data and primary data. Secondary data is collected from books, journals, government websites, company documents whereas primary data is collected by means of survey questionnaire distributed among channel partners and the end customers. Participants of research would be intermediaries in the distribution network and the end customer. In order to select the participants the study has made use of stratified random sampling method in order to make sure that major demographic segments are represented while selecting the samples (Rao Skinner, 1996). Questionnaire design consists of two parts. The first part contained the demographic information while the second part dwelled on each of the subjects perception on each variable using five point likert scales from 1 (Strongly Agree) to 5(Strongly Disagree). The study did not require any assistance from a third party or any other institution. In order to collect data the study made use of web portal survey to distribute survey and get responses. The system was designed in such a way that the respondent have to submit all the answers. Out of 60 questionnaires, responses for 50 surveys were obtained. The duration for the survey was kept as two weeks, a reminder mail was being sent to the respondents at the end of week one to remind them. Importance of the study Organizations have been undergoing strategic changes over the past decade. More so in the past couple of years. The current recession has proved that risk management and strategic planning are most vital for an organizations long lasting and self-sustaining performance. My work will strive to highlight one such areas of strategic thinking and inform the senior management about the benefits involved. Research Scope My work would primarily be concentrated on the UK market. Though Dell is a global corporation with intermediaries present across the globe, all working towards forming an effective value chain to maximize business potential and ensure efficiency in operations; UK being the second biggest market after the US will be a general approximation of the entire organizational behaviour. Furthermore, the cosmopolitan nature of London and demographic diversity ensures that it would be a close estimate of the general population. Limitation of Research I intend to undertake my research as comprehensively as possible. As in any research work, inherent are some unavoidable drawbacks in my study. Few of them are: Financial and Time Constraints: As outlined before, the scope of my work is limited to the English market. Financial and time constraints of my semester mean that Im not able to conduct a global research that would be more apt in this case. Personal bias. Most of my work is conducted through a personal observation method; as such it is prone to my personal bias. However as the person who is to do the entire research right from formulation of research questions to recommending solutions, I would be most qualified to comment on the topic. Information Constraints. Distribution channel model is a sensitive piece of company information. Though I have secured access to Dell, wherein I could do all the data mining myself, the extent of information that I would be able to muster about the rivals model is still to be seen. Dissertation outline The structure of the dissertation is as follows Chapter 1: Chapter 1 encompass introduction to the topic, followed by brief background into the research topic. This beginning chapter also lays bare aims and objectives of the research followed by structure of the thesis. Apart from that this chapter also gives information on the research approach adopted and the limitations of the research. Chapter 2: The literature review section of the dissertation explores the definition of distribution, channel, and distribution channel and distribution channel management. Apart from that the section also examines the activities and the levels of distribution channel. The latter half of the section focuses on the distribution strategy adopted by Dell, Sony and Acer. The final section compares the distribution strategy by all the three players. Chapter 3: The thesis then moves on to methodology section wherein the research model, research framework and data collection methodology is discussed. Questionnaire method is used to collect the necessary data from the consumer. Chapter 4: This chapter explores data findings Chapter 5: This chapter presents the conclusion. Chapter 6: This includes references using Harvard referencing style Chapter 7: This includes the Appendix Summary The chapter introduced the topic of the dissertation, specified the key aims and objectives of the research. Discussed the research approach in form of secondary and primary data collection through the means of questionnaire and clearly stated the limitations of the research in brief. The chapter also outlines the research structure specifying the contents of each chapter. Chapter 2: Literature Review During my research, I would primarily be looking towards the concepts of Distribution Channel and its management. I would be guided by the various contributions in the field, though my work would primarily be influenced by the theories and suggestions of Philip Kotler in the area. A Professor of Business Studies at the Kelloggs Business School, Kotler is often regarded as the Father of Modern Marketing. My work also coincides with various other management thinking like Consumer Behaviour, Relationship Management, Marketing Mix and Optimization, among others. Definition Distribution Kotler (1996) states that distribution is a key element in the marketing mix (place amongst the 4Ps). It is the systems and practices in use which make a product or service available to the consumer of such a product or service. Channel Channel is defined as a set of interdependent organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for consumption or use (Gorchels, West, Marien, 2004). It can also encompass physical movement, warehousing, ownership of the product, presale transaction, post-sale activities; order processing, credit and collections; and other different types of support activities (Gorchels, West, Marien, 2004). Distribution Channel The Distribution Channel is the chain of intermediaries, each of them passing on the product or service to another intermediary until it reaches the consumer. The business dictionary defines it as The route by which a product or service is moved from a producer or supplier to customers. A distribution channel usually consists of a chain of intermediaries, including wholesalers, retailers, and distributors, that is designed to transport goods from the point of production to the point of consumption in the most efficient way (Dictionary, 2010) Another definition of Distribution channel states A group of independent and interdependent organizations involved in the sale and movement of goods and services to the end users may be called a distribution channel or network (Gorchels, West, Marien, 2004). More specifically, a distribution channel is: The transfer of goods from manufacturer to the end user. Route of a company for distributing the goods. The process of moving goods from the manufacturer to the consumer. A supply chain consisting of all parties in between production to the end user. Types of channel members The activities in the distribution channel can be carried out by the marketer himself or it can be carried out by specialist organizations. The specialist organizations and the channel members can be categorized into two types. Resellers Specialty Service Firms. Resellers are the companies which usually buy and take the ownership of the products from the manufacturer with the intention of selling to end consumers. An organization can have one or more than one reseller in the chain. The network or chain of resellers is known as reseller network. The resellers can be further classified into: Retailers: A retailer sells the product directly to the end customer. Wholesalers: Wholesalers buy the products from manufacturer or other wholesalers and then they sell the products to the retailers. Industrial Distributors: They are the ones who sell products from one business to other, they are suppliers who buy the goods and sell it to another firm. Specialty service firms are organizations that do not take the ownership of the products. They also provide additional services along with the products. Specialty firms can be: Agents and brokers: They are the firms which bring together the suppliers and buyers and mediate the sale and they charge a fee for this kind of service. Distribution service firms: They provide services which help with the movement of goods in the distribution channels like transportation, processing and storage of goods and products. Others: They are the firms which provide other services to the channels in distribution like insurance, routing assistance etc. The distribution channels consist of many parties among which each of them is trying to meet their objectives. Relationships between channel members should be strong with each others especially on which they are depending for the further distribution of product. Levels The arrangement of the distribution channels can be classified into two types: Independent channel arrangements. Dependent channel arrangements. Independent channel arrangements: In this type of arrangement the channel members negotiate deals with others which do not result in the binding of the relationships. Channel members are free to make arrangements which they feel is in their own and best interest. An individual member decides what is best for them and not the entire channel. This is also called conventional distribution arrangement and often significant conflict as each member decides what is best for him and not in concern with the entire channel There are four levels of distribution channels. Channel 1 is called the direct marketing channel which is the distribution of products or services from the manufacturer to the customer. The best example for this channel is Dell which does not makes use of any intermediaries to distribute its products to end customers; there are no retailers, agents or wholesalers. The channel does not have any intermediaries. This type of channel helps to eradicate the excess cost and also helps to have good control over the quality and marketing. The other three channels fall in the category of indirect marketing channels. The second channel has one intermediary, if the market is a consumer market the one intermediary is basically a retailer. Electronic consumer goods market of UK is an example of second type of channel arrangement. In this type of distribution arrangement the companies sell good to large retail chains, example would be Sony, Canon, and HP selling their electronic goods to large retail chains such as Dixons. These retailers in return sell the goods to the end customer. The role of the wholesale in this channel is to buy the products at bulk from the manufacturer and then sell the same to retailer in smaller quantities. This model works best for retailers on small scale and not for big chains such as Dixons. This type of distribution channel is best when there are large number of small retailers and not big companies. Example in this case would be the medical drugs distribution market in the UK. The fourth channel has added level to it in the form of agents who work as intermediary between manufacturer and wholesaler. The agent acts as representative for both the sides. This works in textile market. A direct distribution channel is where a company sells their products direct to consumers. While direct channels were not popular many years ago, the Internet has greatly increased the use of direct channels. Additionally, companies needing to cut costs may use direct channels to avoid middlemen mark-ups on their products. Distributors, wholesalers and retailers are the primary indirect channels a company may use when selling their products in the marketplace. Companies choose the indirect channel best suited for their product to obtain the best market share; it also allows them to focus on producing their goods. Though, in practicality, a number of other players exist, they can be generalised to the above. The specific channel of distribution adopted by a company depends, to a major extent, on its business model, the industry type and the scale of its operations. As an Instance, Sony has its own set of company operated exclusive showrooms. The strong brand equity of Sony, the scale of its business and clearly identifiable product differentiations that it enjoys with the consumers, allow it to leverage on its economies of scale and scope by operating its own outlets. Directly, this result in better margins for the company and indirectly it helps building on its already demanding brand leadership. Dell, on the other hand, relies more on online sales. This is because of the organization of its service delivery utility. Dells business model is based upon its centralised manufacturing facilities, rather than the nuclear organization at Sony. Online sales suits such a strategy by negating the high costs of transportation and inventory planning issues involved. A manufacturer selling a physical product might require three channels: Sales Channel, Delivery Channel, and Service Channel. In Our case, Dell uses telephone and internet as sales channels, express mail services as the delivery channel and local repair people as its service channel. Distribution Channel Activities Distribution includes different range of activities (Richard Gay, 2007) Linking many suppliers to provide wide range of consumer choice Assist the exchange process identify the needs of the buyer in the context of product categories, quantities, range etc. and devise manufacturing, inventory and packaging schedules to fit. Marketing information: This encompass collection, distribution and analysing marketing research information such as the past sales data about the players within the organizations marketing environment. Promotional activities- This involves setting of promotional objectives and activating the various elements of the marketing communications mix and measuring their effectiveness, this will encompass identify and communicate with prospects. Pricing: Deciding on the sales terms and conditions at each stage of the value chain Risk management This includes analysis and resource sourcing required for involvement in the channel , the degree of control and influence and the potential benefits such as revenue and profit generation. Physical Distribution Management It includes the transportation all aspects of warehousing management and information flows. Other Activities that may be part of the distribution channels are as follows: Order Generation. Handling of Goods. Shipping of Goods. Storage of Goods. Display of Goods. Promotion of Goods. Sale. Feedback. Distribution Channel Management Distribution Channel Management is all about getting the product or service to the right people at the right time under the constraints of profits, efficiency and effectiveness. Successful marketing does not end when a business has developed a product or service and has found its appropriate target audience with a view to selling it at the right price. The next issue that needs to be faced is how they are going to distribute and sell this product/service to these people- the consumers. When a product/service is purchased by a consumer, it may have been bought directly from the business, or it may have been through a number of intermediaries (wholesaler, retailer, etc.): these are known as distribution channels. Small businesses need to acknowledge the different types of distribution channels to utilize sales potential. Distribution channel management involves a lot of channel decisions, strategic alternatives and numerous linking concepts, all of which would be explored in my research paper. Distribution channel management involves a lot of channel decisions, strategic alternatives and numerous linking concepts. The PC industry is driven by rapid technological improvements in components, particularly microprocessors, other semiconductors, and storage devices. The improved performance of hardware has been matched historically by increased complexity of software, creating demand for the latest hardware. This means that time is a critical competitive factor in the industry in two ways: Firstly, excess inventory loses value (at an estimated 10% per month 😉 and costs money; Secondly, products incorporating the most advanced technologies are in high demand and carry a price premium. As a result, companies that minimize inventory and bring new products to market faster can reduce costs, increase market share, and maintain higher margins. Two factors come into play in determining the ability of PC companies to manage inventory and introduce new products. First is the standardized, modular nature of the PC. PCs are built from standard components, using common architectural interfaces determined largely by Intel, Microsoft, and, earlier, IBM. PC makers also can outsource much of their production and purchase components from a well-established production network of contract manufacturers and components suppliers. This makes it quite easy for PC companies to introduce new PCs with the most advanced technologies. By the 1990s, PC makers could no longer gain much of an edge by virtue of design and manufacturing, as everyone had access to the same technical information and supply base. The difference among PC companies was determined increasingly by the second factor-the structure of distribution. The traditional distribution system of the PC industry is an indirect model often referred to as the channel. The PC maker sells its products to distributors, who buy products from many manufacturers and then sell them to a variety of retailers, resellers, system integrators, and others, who sell products and services to the final customer. This distribution system was an effective means for distributing high volumes of PCs with a variety of configurations to reach a broad customer base. However, it had inherent weaknesses that left it vulnerable in a time-based competitive environment. First was its reliance on market forecasting to drive production. Even the most successful PC makers, such as IBM, Apple, and Compaq, were chronically bedevilled by their inability to accurately forecast demand in a market driven by ever shorter product cycles. They were either caught with short supplies of hot products, causing them to lose sales to competitors, or stuck with excess inventories of slow sellers, which clogged the distribution channels and often had to be sold at a loss to move them out. Even with the best forecasting, the indirect model was plagued by the need to hold inventory at each step. In the early 1990s, it was common for PC makers to have up to 90 days of inventory on hand and in the channel. The high inventory costs and lack of responsiveness of the indirect channel meant that there was an opportunity for someone who could a way to circumvent the channel. The company that seized this opportunity was Dell, which pioneered a new business model based on selling PCs directly to the final customer, and building the PC only when an order was received Selling directly removes two links in the supply chain where inventory could build up and also enables Dell to know its final customers, provide better service to them, and promote repeat or expanded sales to them. Build-to-order production allows Dell to introduce new technologies as soon as customers want them and makes it possible to adjust production to demand very quickly. It also means that Dell does not purchase components and assemble PCs until it has received payment from the customer, giving the company a negative cash conversion cycle in which it receives payment from customers before it must pay suppliers. The current environment for the computer hardware industry is shaped by several macro forces. Primarily, Dell and its competitors are influenced by economic, demographic, technological and national forces. Government, social, physical and national forces peripherally affect the computer hardware industry to varying degrees. The commoditization of the personal computer-a vital tool for business and consumer. Customers- are a key driver for the economics of this industry. Corporate spending accounts for 80% of all technology spending, and economic conditions decreasing business capital expenditures has a negative and direct impact on the computer hardware industry. While this industry is mature in the U.S., leading to decreased growth expectations, computer spending by other countries around the world will likely fill this void. Pricing in the computer manufacturing industry is extremely competitive. IT reflects the rapid pace of technological change and decreasing PC costs. Since 2000, the prices of chips and disk drives declined and the standardization of primary components of PCs led to a decline in PC prices. Direct sellers, including Dell, have traditionally been able to under-price indirect sellers in the industry including Compaq and HP. However, most PC vendors now offer a desktop model for less than $500 and a laptop for $700. Key success factors for companies in this industry continue to evolve as the industry matures. Specifically, they include: Competitive prices Superior relationships with suppliers Product customization for business and consumer customers Quality customer service Excellent cost structure Channel Issues Some of the channels issues that the companies face are as follows Product related issues Promotions related issue Pricing related issues Target market related issue Product related issues: The nature and type of the product decides the distribution option that should be chosen for the product. A few products require special handling. Ex. Flowers, Fragile goods etc. Promotion related issues: The type of promotions that are required to sell the products to the customers also decides the distribution options; there are products which require an extensive contact of the sales person with the customer like automobiles etc. and there are products which require no sales assistance from the sales person like milk etc. Pricing issues: The price at which the marketer desires to sell their product also decides the distribution option for the channel if a product is prices really less it cannot have many members in the distribution channel as each one of them looks at making their own profit in the channel. Target market issues: The distribution channel is successful only if the product can reach the right customer. Choosing a distribution channel is the path to reach the target customer. A key decision in setting of a channel arrangement is for the marketer to choose the approach to reach his target customer in the best possible manner. Dell Company Background Dell Inc. is a multibillion dollar, multinational technology firm that manufactures, develops, sells and supports personal computing and computer related products. Based out of Texas, it employs over 75,000 people globally and is amongst the biggest players in the personal computing space. With revenues crossing 60 billion dollars in 2009, it is a Fortune 500 listing. Dell is a brainchild of Michael Dell, when he was a student at the University of Texas. PCs limited was started by him with a meagre capital of $1,000. The company produced its first computer in 1985, the Turbo PC sold for $1,000. Powered by an Intel 8088 compatible processor running at 8 MHz, it was the start of the most successful story in the modern computing space. Pcs Limited offered these machines in a variety of specifications, customised to each order amongst a pre-defined choice sets. Though not the first company to use this model, it was the pioneer to succeed using it. In its first year of trading, the compan y grossed over $ 70 million. In 1988, the company was renamed as Dell Computer Corporation. In 1987, the company expand overseas with a fully functional service and assembly centre in Ireland. Within the next few months, the count reached eleven. In June 1998, Dell became public with a 50 million dollar Initial Public Offering, one of the biggest in its times. In 1990, Dell test marketed a multi-channel retail distribution strategy with little success and was forced to return back to its direct marketing channel. In 1992, Dell featured in the Fortune 500 list for the first time. In 1992, it started on line sales, by offering its products, initially through its own website and later on through various partners and compare websites. In 2002, Dell expanded its product line by foraying into the consumer electronics segment. It also started manufacturing computer accessories with the launch of the dell branded home and office printers. In 2003, the company was named Dell Inc. so as to parallel its brand name with the variety of product offerings that it started. In 2005, Dell saw its international sales exceeding its domestic ones for the first name. The company was now a truly global performer, featuring in the top 5 power brands, both in the emerging markets as well as the developed economies (Dell Inc., 2006). Organizational Structure Dell Corporations organizational structure is a functional, decentralized structure. The company encourages different departments and functional components to contribute ideas to enhance the strength of the organization. The hierarchical structure provides defines the various functions provided by D

Football satire Essay

It is that time of year again; the NFL is kicking off another season. Millions of men are ready to get settled in their favorite chair and spend each Sunday afternoon in their underpants, watching hours upon hours of NFL games and highlights. It is also time for wives and girlfriends to meticulously plan and carry out sexual affairs, mostly with foreign men who have little or no interest in American football. Sally lives in downtown Pittsburgh and her husband is a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. â€Å"He watches every game, every highlight, and every report. He doesn’t miss anything, and that gives me time to have an affair with Simon, my British lover†, she told reporters. Like Sally, a growing number of American women now look forward to the NFL season, instead of dreading it as they have in the past. â€Å"I used to get so angry during football season†, said Sally, â€Å"but now, it’s a great time for both of us. He gets to watch all of the games, and I get to have an affair†. Last year, Sally suggested to several of her girlfriends that they too, have an affair during the NFL season. From this, a new subculture was born. â€Å"At first, I wasn’t sure if I should†, said Sally’s friend, Allison. A few weeks later, just after the pre-season, Allison found herself on a date with Simon’s friend, Ron. Days later, an affair began between the two. â€Å"It’s nice† says Allison, â€Å"Ron doesn’t care about football, I have my affair, then season is over and I can get back to my relationship with my husband. Everybody wins this way†. Marriage experts frown on what is being called â€Å"gridiron affairs†, but acknowledge that in some cases, it can keep a relationship or a marriage together. â€Å"Some men really do care way too much about the NFL†, says relationship specialist Dr. Parker. â€Å"Having the affairs may keep wives and girlfriends from getting angry and resentful, and therefore keep an otherwise healthy relationship together.† Parker stresses that there are better ways to deal with the NFL season, such as planning a night together each week when football is not televised. Sally and Allison, however, plan to continue their â€Å"football flings† as long as their husbands insist on watching hours of football each week. â€Å"No way am I giving up Simon†, says Sally. â€Å"Not until my husband stops loving football, which isn’t likely to happen anytime soon â€Å".

General Trends of English Politics Before The Viking Invasions Essay

Do you detect any general trend or trends in the pattern of English politics before the Viking invasions? Although there were sporadic Viking attacks on the coasts of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms from 793 onwards, the Viking invasions, when large forces started to appear for sustained campaigns, should probably be seen as beginning in 865, when a â€Å"heathen army† encamped on Thanet.1 Before this time, we see a trend in English politics of increasingly extensive overlordship of some kings over others. There is debate about the extent of these overlordships, but it seems reasonable to suggest that certain kings at certain times were able to dominate other kingdoms, and also that there was some increase in the area a king might aspire to control. However, there is more argument about what this trend might mean, and particularly whether it can be seen as part of an inexorable progression towards the unification of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the ninth and tenth centuries. I shall argue that the pattern tended to a limit, and that there is no reason to see unification as its inevitable result, for three main reasons. Firstly, we see another trend that, as kingdoms grew both in size and strength, it became harder to convert overlordship into amalgamation, although this is seen in some cases. Secondly, I shall contend that the overlordship seen was based upon opportunism, with little or no institutional continuity between different overlords. Thirdly, the nature of Anglo-Saxon politics was such that no kingdom before the Viking invasions could sustain its ascendancy sufficiently for the trends to represent long-term moves towards unification. The best way to explain the eventual unification is not as a result of long-term trends, but as West Saxon opportunism at a time when the other kingdoms were weak, buttressed by a latent sense of united ecclesiastical identity, which the Viking threat brought to the surface. The main trend that we see in the pre-Viking Anglo-Saxon kingdoms is the growth of overlordship, whereby one political unit, while retaining a degree of separate identity, and quite possibly its own ruler, was dominated by another. Bede uses a variety of terms to refer to different rulers, including rex, princeps and subregulus. The impression that one gets from this is a complex patchwork of kings, with some subordinate to others: Dumville and Campbell both justifiably point out that the terminological variety suggests that there was no universal pattern, but a web of dependent relationships; this is similar to the situation in Ireland at the same time. It is likely that such relationships go back to the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon period; Kirby points out that this would hardly be surprising, since Tacitus describes similar hierarchies in Germany. However, we do see overlordship being exercised over increasingly large areas: the traditional starting point here is Bede’s lis t of seven kings who ruled â€Å"over all the southern kingdoms†. 2 The evidence does generally support the view that these kings exercised considerable power over large parts of England. Keynes asserts that it is inconceivable that Aelle of Sussex and Ceawlin of Wessex, the first two rulers, could have wide ranging power. We know little about them, but the Chronicle entries do suggest that they were significant and had successes, particularly against the Britons.3 Furthermore, Myres’ studies of the distribution of pottery fragments suggest that both rulers exercised some authority in the Midlands and East Anglia, since pottery finds match those in their native kingdoms. The evidence is not sufficient to suggest that they had control as far north as the Humber, but we would be unwise to dismiss the idea that these kings had some form of overlordship over much of southern England. Furthermore, Keynes is sceptical about Aethelbert of Kent’s power, suggesting that Bede’s reiteration of the claim that he was king of all the land south of the Humber4 shows that this was dubious, requiring repetition to convince readers. However, the papal appeal that Aethelbert should spread the Word to his subjects suggests that he had considerable power, as Higham argues, even if he was not literally â€Å"king of the English†, the style accorded to him by the appeal.5 It is less easy to rebut Keynes’ diminution of Raedwald of East Anglia, since we know very little about him. If we could be more certain that the person buried at Sutton Hoo is indeed Raedwald (as many historians posit), we could assume that he was a very rich and powerful king; however, Keynes does not give us any positive reason to doubt Bede’s claim regarding Raedwald’s wide overlordship. Although Keynes asserts that Bede makes inflated claims about the scope of the influence of Edwin, Oswald and Oswiu of Northumbria, there is no strong evidence to support this: Bede’s account is internally consistent, giving examples of these kings intervening in the Mevanian Islands (Angelsey and Man),6 Wessex,7 East Anglia,8 and Mercia9 at various times. These interventions could be entirely military (as is implied for the islands) or could involve peaceful shows of power, such as Oswald’s participation in the baptism of Cynigils of Wessex. It seems reasonable to conclude that these kings did exert influence across large parts of Southumbria and it appears that the areas they could control increased; Keynes’ attempt to deny extensive overlordship in this period to strengthen his (already strong) case against a formal Bretwaldic institution is not particularly convincing. Furthermore, overlordship did not end with Oswiu: indeed, the later Mercian kings were possibly even more successful in securing practical overlordship across much of Southumbria. Bede acknowledges that the southern kingdoms were subject to Aethelbald at the time he was writing,10 supporting Dumville’s conclusion that the omission of the Mercian kings from the earlier list was prompted by concern to curtail the digression from Aethelbert’s death, rather than Northumbrian bias. There is evidence of Mercian hegemony in the south before Aethelbald: Bede explicitly states that the South Saxons were subject to Wulfhere11 and Eddius refers to Wulfhere’s ability to draw forces from all the southern kingdoms.12 Furthermore, charters give us evidence that Mercian kings were overlords in Southumbria: in the Ismere Diploma, Aethelbald is styled â€Å"king not only of the Mercians but also of all provinces which are called by the general name ‘South English'†;13 Offa could confirm a land grant by an ealdorman of the South Saxons;14 Offa was apparently the â€Å"most beloved lord† of the Hwicce;15 Offa was in a position to revoke a grant of land by the King Egbert of Kent;16 Wiglaf could grant land in Worcestershire;17 and Brihtwulf could do the same in Berkshire.18 This charter evidence is very important: it demonstrates that the kings of Mercia in this period claimed authority over other southern kingdoms and also implies that this authorit y could have practical manifestations, such as the right to grant land or at least to confirm grants made by their underkings. The extent of their authority seems to decline after Offa, but the principle of overlordship, in a more limited sense, continued. One of the most debated possible indicators of widespread Mercian overlordship is the document known as the Tribal Hidage. The difficulties and ambiguities of this text are such that the charter evidence cited is a far stronger sign of extensive Mercian overlordship, but there is a significant possibility that the Tribal Hidage is a Mercian tribute list, estimating the tribute that the Mercian kings hoped to collect from southern kingdoms. Higham’s bold self-confidence in dismissing a Mercian origin is unwise, in that such levels of certainty are wholly inappropriate in this context: all we can do is suggest hypotheses, while accepting that other hypotheses may be valid. As Featherstone and Sawyer point out, the methodical arrangement, with the kingdoms being arranged in an approximately clockwise order around Mercia, hints at a Mercian origin. The inclusion of a figure for Mercia, which Higham sees as evidence that the document is a Northumbrian tribute list, might be an assessment of internal food renders, Featherstone suggests. The preservation and copying of the Tribal Hidage imply that there was some practical purpose in estimating the hidation of Southumbria: it is still possible to accept tentatively the claims of Davies and Vierck that the Tribal Hidage is an indicator of widespread Mercian overlordship. There is some agreement that Egbert of Wessex, whom the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle appends to Bede’s list of overlords and styles Bretwalda (Manuscript A – ‘ruler of Britain’) or Brytenwalda (other Manuscripts – ‘wide ruler’), was overlord of extensive territories. Keynes accepts the Chronicle’s claim that Egbert â€Å"conquered the kingdom of the Mercians, and everything south of the Humber†;19 this statement must cast doubt upon Stenton’s assertion that the extent of Egbert’s overlordship was not comparable to Offa’s. Nevertheless, Keynes’ claim that Egbert was the first, not the eighth, wide ruler is dubious: the evidence very strongly suggests that overlordship had been an aspect of Anglo-Saxon politics for centuries. However, the territories being brought under a single overlord were tending to increase in scale: the archaeological record suggests that the early great kings, like Aelle and Ceawlin, could aspire to rule much of the land south of the Humber, but nothing like as much as the later Mercians and Egbert. This trend was not relentless: in the period between Offa and Egbert, there is little evidence of comprehensive overlordship on the scale of either of these rulers. Although we observe this trend towards the formation of more extensive overlordships, we should not conclude, as Stenton and John do, that this trend could be extrapolated to encompass the unification of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In the first place, it seems to have been increasingly difficult to convert overlordship into the actual amalgamation of kingdoms. Initially, with small kingdoms, it may not have been unduly difficult to effect such assimilation: Yorke points out that East Kent seems to have consumed West Kent sometime during the sixth century. Indeed, much amalgamation probably occurred in the sixth century, before the various kingdoms that we see emerged. Furthermore, it was often possible for a larger kingdom to digest a smaller one: this is seen in the cases of Deira (eventually subsumed into Bernicia after 651) and the Hwicce (gradually divested of independence by Mercia in the eighth century). However, integration was not always smooth: despite being united under Aethelfrith and Edwin, Deira was ruled separately under Oswine from 642 until 651. In the latter part of the pre-Viking period, it would have been very difficult for one of the greater kingdoms to consume another permanently: this is suggested by the fact that, despite their struggles and periods of subjection to one another, Northumbria, East Anglia, Mercia and Wessex all survived until the Viking onslaught. An illustration of this difficulty is the case of Mercia: Oswiu of Northumbria was only able to rule Mercia directly for three years after his victory in 655; he was driven out by the Mercian ealdormen in 658. Similarly, Egbert’s domination of Mercia was not secure: he was recognised as king by the Mercians in 829 but Wiglaf was restored in 830. Indeed, it would seem that political union was most successful when it was pursued gently: unlike Offa’s aggressive attempts to dominate Kent from 764 until 785, Wessex’s absorption of Kent and Sussex was done with sensitivity to the local nobles; this did, however, mean that the sense of union was perhaps not cemented, as is suggested by Aethelwulf’s proposed division of Greater Wessex, with Aethelbert succeeding in the East and his other sons taking Wessex itself in turn. However, unification in the ninth and tenth centuries can be explained in that the situation after the coming of the Vikings was different, since Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria were seriously weakened by the attacks, aiding Wessex’s expansion. Moreover, the overlordship that we see was probably highly opportunistic, without institutional underpinnings. Yorke is probably right that the principal motivation for overlordship was the collection of tribute: Bede mentions tribute in connection with overlordship20 and Eddius says that Wulfhere’s purpose in attacking Northumbria was to gain tribute.21 Furthermore, the Mercians could presumably have conquered a tribe like the Hicca (assessed at a mere 300 hides in the Tribal Hidage), had they wished to do so; that such tribes existed as notionally independent entities suggests that, if the Tribal Hidage is a Mercian tribute list, the Mercians were content with tribute rather than political union. However, John argues that there was some kind of institutional framework and that overlordship was being gradually translated into unification. Key to this argument is the adoption of formal titles by kings: John contends that the ideal of a united Britain was a real one in kings’ minds, citing the use of various titles. The most famous of these is Bretwalda or, as John prefers, Brytenwalda, which appear in different versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle;22 I shall not become drawn into an argument about which style is the original, because the ambiguity and confusion is sufficient of itself, as Wormald argues, to cast doubt upon the existence of such an institution in reality. Clearly, whoever was copying the manuscripts was not familiar with the term, which suggests that it was a literary construct devised retrospectively to describe Egbert; its frequent application to kings like Aelle and Raedwald is therefore probably anachronistic and Kirby’s vision of kings â€Å"striving to become Bretwalda†23 is most likely to be fanciful. John also argues that other titles imply the existence of some kind of abstract concept of overlordship separate from the individual kings who happened to be overlords. For example, he highlights that Adomnan says that Oswald was â€Å"ordained by God as emperor of all of Britain†24 and that Boniface refers to Aethelbald â€Å"wielding the glorious sceptre of imperial rule over the English†.25 This evidence, combined with the point about Bretwaldas, is a rather thin basis for a case: it is quite possible that the titles were simply being used for flattery; the fact that Boniface calls Aethelbald â€Å"king of the Mercians† in his letter asking Herefrith to deliver the previous communication suggests that the imperial title used in the letter to Aethelbald was unofficial.26 Moreover, Offa is also generally styled â€Å"king of the Mercians†,27 as is Cenwulf.28 In their charters, they tend to claim to be kings of various kingdoms, rather than stressing title s of institutional overlordship. If there was no institution of overlordship, each de facto overlordship would have to start afresh in trying to create cohesion: the trend of increasingly extensive overlordship was not therefore destined to result in the formation of England, since there was often little continuity between the different overlords. The sense of common identity that began to emerge by the later ninth century (Alfred could speak of Angelkynn and Englisc) probably had far more to do with religious unity in the face of the pagan Viking threat. As Wormald argues, the Church, rather than the so-called Bretwaldas, was the institution that provided a common reference point for the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, by stressing that the Gens Anglorum was a chosen people, selected to receive the Word. Given that there were most probably no institutions to produce continuity in overlordship, momentum towards unification could only be maintained as long as a particular kingdom was in the ascendant; however, the nature of Anglo-Saxon politics in this period was such that success tended to be transient. We see this is Northumbria, whose hegemony collapsed very quickly after defeats at the Battle of the Trent (679) and Nechtansmere (685). Likewise, Mercian hegemony seems to have declined gradually after Offa. There was, to a significant extent, a natural instability in the pattern of politics: kings required land to grant to warriors (to secure their support), which required the conquest of land, which required more warriors; this pattern was clearly unsustainable in the longer term. The importance of giving gifts to warriors is seen in â€Å"Beowulf†, where Hrothgar says that he will â€Å"dispense / his God-given goods to young and old†;29 Bede shows that such gifts were necessary in the real world, expressing concern that excessive endowment of secularised monasteries had left Northumbria with insufficient land to grant to warriors. 30 There is evidence to suggest that warriors would desert their lord, if he ceased to provide them with treasure and land: Aldhelm expresses disapproval of those who do this in his letter to the clergy of Bishop Wilfrid.31 Probably, the importance of conquering new lands explains why the initiative shifted away from the south-east to Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex: these kingdoms could, at least for a while, conquer land from Britons, in a way that kingdoms like Kent could not. A notable feature of both â€Å"Beowulf† and Anglo-Saxon politics is that kingdoms tended to come to grief sooner or later; success was rarely lasting. Another source of instability was internal dynastic politics: there seem to have been frequent civil wars. This is hardly surprising given that, according to Dumville, any aetheling could claim the throne through descent in the male line from the founder of the kingdom: the â€Å"multiplicity of aethelings†32 would not infrequently compete for the kingship. The Historia Regum attributed to Simeon of Durham demonstrates that four different dynasties competed for the Northumbrian throne between 759 and 796, with murders, exiles and (probably forced) tonsures being common.33 Similarly, there is evidence of the threat of dynastic instability in Mercia, in that Offa decided to eliminate his son Cenwulf’s potential competitors; Alcuin attributes conflict in Cenwulf’s reign to this policy and says that â€Å"this was not the strengthening of his kingdom, but its ruin†. 34 Given that there were such internal problems, it is hardly surprising that kingdoms could lose overlordship quickly, as dynastic politics came to predominate. The importance of dynastic stability is seen in the eventual rise of Wessex: Egbert’s successes against Mercia came when the latter was probably engaged in dynastic wrangles; Campbell suspects that neither Ludeca (825-7) nor Wiglaf (827-40) were related to their predecessors. On the other hand, the West Saxon succession was more stable, as Dumville points out: this is seen in the succession in turn of Aethelwulf’s sons, even if it did not conform entirely to Aethelwulf’s intentions. However, dynastic tension was generally a feature of the pre-Viking period: this contributed to the rapid rise and fall of kingdoms, meaning that overlordship could not consolidate into unification. We do therefore see a trend towards greater overlordships in this period, though it must be noted that this trend was gradual and not entirely linear. Nevertheless, it is clear that certain kings were able to exert influence over far larger areas just before the Viking invasions than others could at the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon period. However, it would be unwise to extrapolate this trend and interpret it as some kind of progression towards the eventual unification of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms under the West Saxons. It became harder to translate overlordship into political amalgamation as kingdoms grew, and overlordship was not itself stable, given the internal vicissitudes of kingdoms. We see that, before the later ninth and tenth centuries, no kingdom could sustain overlordship for long and, in the absence of recognised institutions of overlordship, this meant that whatever progress might conceivably have been made towards unification under one overlord was lost when his kingdom’s power waned. The rise of Wessex was predicated upon factors that mostly could not have been foreseen: it was able to take advantage of the weakness of the other English kingdoms in the wake of the Viking attacks and could exploit the latent sense of religious unity, which was probably made stronger by the common, external, pagan threat. Bassett’s extended metaphor of a knockout football competition, which inevitably produces a single winner, is not particularly apposite; while we might nowadays modify Kemble’s nineteenth century allusions (he described overlordship as â€Å"a mere fluctuating superiority such as we may find in Hawaii, Tahiti or New Zealand, due to success in war and lost in turn by defeat†35), his basic conclusion, that the overlordships that we see in the pre-Viking Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were not leading inexorably towards unification, still seems entirely reasonable. Bibliography Sources: Adomnan, Life of Columba, ed. and trans. R. Sharpe (1995) Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in ‘English Historical Documents’, i, 1, ed. and trans. D. Whitelock (1955) Beowulf, trans. S. Heaney (1999) Bede, Ecclesiastical History, ed. and trans. B. Colgrave and R.A.B. Mynors (1969) Bede, Letter to Egbert, in ‘English Historical Documents’, i, 170, ed. and trans. D. 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