Global Forces Essay Example for Free

Global Forces Essay Introduction This case highlights how the European Brewing Industry is striving to grow and gain competitive advantage worldwide. In line to achieve this there have been a lot of innovation, acqiusitions, mergers and of course rebranding of beer products in the Industry. Companies are further trying to reduce operational costs for improved profit. It is therefore imperative that we analyze the global forces in this industry. 1.A PESTEL ANALYSIS (i)PESTEL FACTOR: Political: Firstly I noted that there have been strong campaigns by Governments to stop drunken driving. This might affect the consumption levels for the beers. More especially when there are functions such as weddings and parties, because during such functions Drivers are tempted to drink as functions unfolds. Also people may start avoiding taking beer from Pubs and restaurants since they are required to drive home from such places. Political effects are further emanating from the Government campaigns against binge drinking or overindulgence on alcoholic beverages, hence discouraging consumers from pubs or any social clubs. This may act as catalyst in the reduction of business opportunities for the brewing companies. I further noted that Governments regulate on how packaging for beer should be done due to environmental issues. For example Denmark the use of Bottles is instead of cans. Politically some this may affect the profitability of some brewing companies in Europe. Economic: The Government’s regulations to restrict alcohol consumption in terms of drunken driving and excessive consumption have really helped in increased sales of beer in supermarkets. As indicated in the case statistics shows that sales increased to 66% in 2005. The shift to Chain Stores has worked to the advantage of the brewing industry as the use cut-price on beer which, attract people to buy the commodity. This scenario or should I simply economically the brewing companies would survive as they are assured of more sales though this is indirect business. However there have been little growth in consumption of alcohol or in a nutshell a shift in demand to the developing economies such as China and Brazil. This requires that the brewing industry in Europe should move its investments to overseas markets. Social Factor: Discouragement of binge-drinking affects some people socially as they are denied happiness that comes with alcohol consumption. Furthermore the highly publicized issues of alcohol effects on Health and fitness cause consumption levels to go down. Due to such awareness people chose to socialize without taking any alcohol in some set ups. Technology: I note from the case the due technological advancement has led to the introduction of new products tailored to peoples tastes such as fruit flavored beers and extra cool lagers. In European brewing industry, it is the technology that makes the products attractive as labeling on packages communicates how good the beers on sales may be and also changes to packaging styles is made easy with technology. It is also clear in the case that there have been economies of scale in brewing and distribution of alcoholic beverages as machineries as readily available due to advancement in technology in Europe. Environment: As stated above the Government’s regulations toward environmental protection affect the brewing industry in the European markets either positively or negatively as they have to change packaging to the preferred bottles than cans. The aim is to sustain the environment hence even consumers are always conscious of such laws as they buy beers. Legal factors: My analysis is that the Brewing Industry in Europe is affected negatively as there are laws to curb binge drinking and drunken driving. I have noted that brewing companies have had low sales a result as people are required to buy their products from chain stores and consume it from homes instead of social clubs or pubs. My conclusion after carrying out the PESTEL analysis is that the Brewing Industry in Europe has potential to grow as there are well established companies that able to merge with other organasations either overseas or locally. Also most brands are well known world over hence able to survive any effects that may impact them negatively due to PESTEL factors. (ii) FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS Threat of New Entrants: The threats of new entrants is low in the European markets due to the following reasons campaigns by governments to curb drunken driving and strong awareness about the effects of alcohol on people’s health makes the business an attractive. It is also a known fact that in areas where there are business leaders who are well established it is difficult for the new entrants to survive as customers switching costs maybe very high. Also the high packaging costs for the product makes it unpredictable as to whether the new entrant will be able to survive. Also the switching cost of customers may be high due to ready established relations and confidence that customers have in some existing brands. Further the upcoming economies such as China or Ukraine makes it very unattractive to establish such a business in Europe as there could less business opportunities. Threats of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes is very high. This is because raw materials are readily available such as barely and other fruits, therefore very is for any orgsanisation to come up a product that my act as substitute. Further Water Industry is taking its shape such that they are now supplying bottled water. This acts as substitute to quench someone’s thirsty, considering that there campaigns for health living and people are now avoiding alcohol to keep fit. Also Laws that govern drunken driving compel customers more especially motorists to take water as a substitute instead of Beers. Moreover due to technological advancement it is very easy to produce substitute products such as Juices that may be appealing to consumers and such is obtaining in the European Markets as these can be consumed in clubs and Pubs. Lastly the move to high consumption of wines in the United Kingdom than usual beers makes it very clear that the threats of substitutes are high. Supplier’s Bargaining Power: It is clear that the suppliers bargaining power is high. For example it noted that the Packaging industry is highly concentrated in Europe and is dominated by international organizations, as such there are no substitutes to packaging hence suppliers of such materials are on the advantageous side. In addition suppliers are on good side in Europe due to the fact that production costs in the Brewing Industry are there is need treat the supplier’s well in order to operate effectively and efficiently. This gives supplier high bargaining power. Buyer’s Bargaining Power: I can simply say buyers are consumers of the products under discussion. In this context their bargaining power is very. This is because they have a wide choice of such products, this means they able to choose which brand or change at any time. Since there are a lot of substitutes available the switching costs are low hence no impact on them. Further customers would survive whether they consume the product or not. They choose when to buy and when not to, this mean that there is no concentration of buyers. Hence their bargaining power is low. Competitive Rivalry: The competition in this industry in the European Market is high. This is due to the fact that consumption levels have been reducing hence all producers have to sell their products to a reduced number of customers. Furthermore there are a lot of new brands arising from emerging markets such as fruit flavored and other exotic beers from international markets. What make competition much high are the distribution channels. The beers are distributed through supermarkets and it’s up to the brewing companies to do a lot of advertising in order to catch the consumer’s eye while shopping in supermarkets. In my conclusion I have noticed the Brewing Business in Europe is very ugly for the new entrants. It is therefore incumbent upon the existing companies to take up survival strategies such merging with others or acquisitioning of shares in the emerging markets such as Russia, China and Baltic Countries. They should also endeavor to re-brand themselves and try to enter other international markets such as Africa where customers are easily attracted to beers from overseas and there are less entry barriers. 2.Impact of trends on the four companies (a)Heineken in Netherlands: This company is named the biggest in European Beer Industry. However in order to survive the flooded market its target is to go in to international markets and use the local companies that they may acquire to introduce their beer. Transferring of Knowledge and technology is another way it aims to strengthen its new markets. The impact is that this company would grow they take up survival measures in the manner outlined above. (b)It’s strength : It holds five percent of sales in Asia-Pacific and 17% in Americas this puts in a good position when it comes to business share in a market where there is high competition. Heineken is better placed in terms of strength has it is the producer of worldly known brands such Heineken and Amstel. Due to family controlled aspect it becomes stable and independent in terms of business growth even in international markets. Economies of scale gives makes it strong considering that brewing is costly in Europe and in a nutshell it is secondary to non in brewing industry in Europe hence claims its strength in these area. Form the case I have deduced that the other strength is that they have a vision or simply where they want to be regardless of the competition industry where they operate from. I also noticed that another strength that Heineken has, is financial capacity to implement new projects as fast as possible as funding is always available for such. Heineken’s Weaknesses: Firstly weakness that, I have picked that they are unable to be innovative due family controlled. This means they may lack new ideas as the family may always influence decision making to suit their investments thus may be compelled to do things in the same manner hence lagging behind. This may result in non existence of new product development in the organization. A high price of Packaging Materials is another weakness at Heineken. They have no control or other sources for such materials this more reason why they complained of 11% price escalation. (ii)Grolsch (The Netherlands) (a)The impact if these existing business trends will cause Grolsh to push for mergers with other international organizations as it commands other brands such as US Miller and flavored beers such as grapefruit. It is also clear that it may require channeling much of resources to branding and innovation since that’s its strategy in line to survive. They believe that better looking product will attract a lot of business such green bottles and swing tops. (b) It’s Strength and Weakness One of its strength is long existence. It is on record that it was established in 1615 hence experienced hence may attract customer royalty as issues of closure may not easily arise. It has further embarked on centralization hence increase in terms of production volume which results in reduced cost. Grolsch also supplies variety of products this is strength as it gives it competitive advantage in the market in which it operates. Furthermore the other strength is its innovation in order to achieve its strategy. It’s Weakness Though its brewery is centralized it is single, thus pose a high risk in that in case of any challenges there can be no production at all. It also lacks financial muscle for example in 2005 when their colleagues Heineken made amassed 11.8 billion British Pounds Grolsch’s income from sales was only 313 Million Pounds hence very easy to fold. (iii)InBEv (Belgium/Brazil) (a)Impact of these trends: Even though InBev is the largest brewer in the world with a huge financial power it cannot survive with the existing trends in European markets. How can it survive? For it to stay alive it should strive to acquire other well established companies in the world. Since the world is more global now its strategy should be to built more global brands and increase it efficiency via purchasing and technology. The trends have impacted positively on InBev has it now sets its direction to growth through the above. (b) InBev’s Strengths The first strength is that it is the largest in the world; it is ranked either number one or two in about twenty lands. It has a sound financial position hence able to establish businesses anywhere in the world. In addition InBev is already established in emerging markets such as Chine and Brazil though acquisitions. It has well known brands such Beck’s and Stella Artois InBev’s Weaknesses Lack of analysis before acquiring other companies, for example it acquired a certain company whose brands were declining in terms sales, such acquisitions may turn out to be loses. (iv)Scottish and Newcastle (UK) (a)Impact of trends on the organization: Due to the business trends Scottish and Newcastle should be able to a lot of acquisitions in the UK being the market in which it operates; this would act as a point of growth. In line to gain competitive advantage the changing trends has pushed this company to invest in the fast growing markets such as Baltic Beverages where it has put fifty percent and China in CBC twenty Percent. (b) Scottish and Newcastle’s Strengths: It gains its strength by possessing strong brands such as John Smith, Baltika and Fosters. The strength are also drawn from its investments in fast growing economies such as China and Baltic nations, this may result in profitability regardless on competition in Europe. They are also market leaders in France, the United Kingdom and Russia as observed this is a very good strength for Scottish and New castle as competitive advantage is not easily achievable in these areas. It’s Weaknesses: Scottish and Newcastle’s financial position is not adequate for the high completion it is exposed to in this industry. My conclusion in to this assignment is that the Brewing Industry in the European Markets is highly competitive hence the need for companies to be innovative them to survive. There is also need for bigger companies to adopt strategies of acquisitioning of small ones so that they may expand their brands. Companies in this industry also need to spread their web to other countries if they are to gain competitive advantage. Bibliography HUNGER DJ/WHEELER TL (5th ed) (1992) Essentials of Strategic Management Global Forces. Online available from: www.opp.com. [Accessed 13 September 2012] 3H Strategy and international business. Online available from: www.dur.ac.uk. [Accessed 13 September 2012]

Things Fall Apart Essay Example for Free

Things Fall Apart Essay Chinua Achebe’s novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† tells the story of Okonkwo, an ambitious man from the Igbo village of Umuofia, in modern day Nigeria at the onset of the Colonial era. Okonkwo is a rising member of the society until he inadvertently kills a kinsman and must flee for seven years to his mother’s clan so as not to offend the earth goddess of the village. During this time, British Colonialism reaches the Igbo people and quickly alters their traditional way of life. Through this tale of the Igbo Achebe seeks to illustrate the complexities of African societies and how deeply these African societies were affected by Colonialism. Many Europeans entering Africa during the colonial period viewed African society as â€Å"primitive† and lacking the depth of western society. Achebe’s novel seeks to illustrate that far from being unstructured and chaotic, African society was very complex. Umuofian society was not parceled into different spheres of practice but instead maintained a delicate balance in which all aspects of society, from religion to gender roles, are intertwined in order to keep the society running smoothly. The village was lead by elders or men â€Å"of title† who earned their status mostly through personal achievements rather than inheritance (Achebe, 7). Achievements, wisdom, and age all merited respect. Essentially, this respect was a type of social capital that the man could exchange for political capital in a informal power structure. At times this leadership structure was stronger than others. Sometimes the elders of the village were distinguished in their position of authority, such as the times they perform religious tasks for the community. However, even when the role of the village leaders if defined they feel a responsibility to the community, as the only members of the society qualified to fill such prescribed roles. These social responsibilities did not officially come with their titles. Umuofia seemed to function on a consent basis, meaning that each person had to choose to keep society running smoothly. It was not uncommon for all the men to be called together to make a collective decision. For example, all the men of Umuofia were called to one large corporate meeting to decide a course of action when a neighboring village murdered a woman from their village. At this meeting, the elders of the community had no official political distinction, however, the respect accorded them by their social position helped their voices to be heard. Consent and collectivity were major facets of the Umuofian society that allowed for informal leadership. For example it is said that the â€Å"the village [collectively] imposes† a fine on anyone who lets his cow loose (Achebe, 68). The reason that Igbo society could function with such informal structure was the importance and knowledge of traditions. These traditions were taught to the children and young adults so that they would be able to participate in the script of village life. It is almost as if these formal traditions allowed for the informal leadership structure by tacking the role as the backbone of society. Nearly all aspects of life in the village were run by such formal traditions. For example, upon receiving a visitor, the owner of the house always presented a Kola nut, which they ate together as a sign of hospitality. The meeting of all the men is an additional example of this tradition because it was organized by a system of drums and â€Å"callers† under the expectation that the people would be able to interpret the call (Achebe, 8). There is social power in knowledge of these traditions. Kinship was an additional level of social control in the village of Umuofia and had two social consequences. Kinship was traced through patrilineage, with great respect given to the eldest male members of the family. This familial hierarchy reproduced the traditions that dictated social interactions by instilling these customs in the younger generations. The second consequence was the ties of kinship that connected the nine Igbo villages. While descent and clanship was traced through the father’s line, intermarriage among the villages created ties to the mother’s village and connected multiple clans. In this way, the Igbo society maintained nine autonomous, though interlinked, villages without a direct formal hierarchy of social or political power such, as a head chief or king between them. The greatest of all elders were the ancient ancestors and founders of Umuofia. These ancestors essentially filled the highest political roles in the village. They resided as judges over disputes and gave advice in troubled times. In this way it was not necessary, and would in fact have been an insult to the ancestors, for a man to fill the highest political role in the village because the ancestors had the final power anyway (Achebe, 55-57). It was said that â€Å"the land of the living was not far removed from the domain of the ancestor† and that â€Å"a man’s life from birth to death†¦brought him nearer and nearer to the ancestors† (Achebe, 73). The deep complexity of Umuofian society meant that colonialism’s effects were devastating to the village’s way of life. The British administration which colonized the area did not understand the Umuofian traditions and instead decided to treat them like children who needed to be taught the proper ways of society (Achebe, 109). The beliefs and practices of the Christian missionaries were especially in contradiction to the traditions and beliefs that structured Umuofian society because the missionaries considered the ancestors to be false gods. They preached against them and effectively left the society without leaders. The colonial administration always saw situations from their perspective. As Achebe says â€Å"they had built a court where the district commissioner judged cases in ignorance† (99). For example, the British punished the elders of the clan for destroying the missionaries’ church because they thought they had the responsibility to keep order in the colony, while the clan leaders had thought they too were keeping order in the community by avenging the death of an ancestor and had the right to do so because it was their community. To compare the political structures of these two cultural groups, in Britain one person had ultimate political power, and society enforced this power, while Umuofian society required cooperation of all members and thus, I believe, showed a greater level of social integration than Britain, which relied heavily on its chain of command in order to function. Because of the intricacies of Umuofian society Britain was able to destabilize the whole of Umuofian society simply by affecting certain aspects of the society. Inversely the Umuofians would have had to dispose of the Queen of England to bring down the colonialists.

PGs Core Competencies

PGs Core Competencies A business must possess some competitive competencies for success in the field of the business world. I would like to give a brief account of Procter and Gamble (PG) in order to elaborate its core competencies which have resulted in the successful running of the business of the PG. CHALLENGING YET OBTAINABLE OBJECTIVES PG sets objectives that are challenging but yet attainable for its short term as well as long term plans. For example, PG has shown enormous gain in the productivity of human resources because of the HR policies of the company. It hires competitive people, takes measures for training and development, and grooming of the HR. THE STRATEGY PG has proven its self as unmatched and exceptionally well as an organization in formulation, implementation, and controlling of strategies. Both short term and long term strategies are devised, implemented, and controlled through the HR. THE LEADER IN INNOVATION The PG has been a leader in innovation and creation of new product lines. Most of its products have been as a consequence of its innovative strategies. PG invest more than twice invested by its competition in the field of innovation. PG has been a bran-building leader. The companys billion-dollar brands have been successful to keep sustained the growth of sales at 11% rate per year for the decade. THE GROWTH STRATEGY Many strategies have been adopted by PG but this decade the strategies in terms of growth include: tope line, bottom line, and shareholder growth. PG has demonstrated a considerable growth in personal care, baby care, and beauty products. PG takes serious account of its finances for the growth of the business. The following table summarizes the growth result for PG from the year 2001 to 2009. Average Annual Goals 2009 2001-2009 Organic sales growth 4-6% 2% 5% Earning per share 10% 8% 12% Free cash flow productivity 90% 102% 112% LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES PG behaves just like a leader in the business world. So is the case with the management of the company as well. PG has been lucky to find its top management laden with leadership qualities. Its leadership has taken serious steps now and then for the success of the organization. For example, in year 2000, the PGs president took necessary and challenging measures to put the organization back on track. The actions that were taken resulted in sustainable growth of the organization as well as recovery of the lost business activity. THE CONSUMER AND MARKET RESEARCH PG has been a leader in market research investment. The company interacts with more than five million consumers each year in 60 countries around the world. PG invest 350 million dollars and more in consumer understanding. Hence the organization takes necessary measures for finding the tastes, needs, and wants of the consumers and customers. The investment in the field of research on consumers pays back much in terms of high sales and satisfied customers. RIGOROUS COST AND CASH DESCIPLINE PG has increased its cash productivity to the extent that it has reached 100% for the decade. It has resulted in high earning per share, high credit rating of the company, and allured the potential investors to invest in the businesses of PG. The company has maintained a strong cash management vis-Ã  -vis working-capital management. Sales per employee have grown from $363,000 to $585,000 while profit per employee has increased from 32,000 dollars to 84,000 dollars from the year 2000 to 2009. Similarly the productivity of RD Organization have doubled from the year 2000 to the year 2009. THE ON TIME ACTION PG takes decision as and when needed. This has been the core competency of the company among its core competencies that the company enjoys as a competitive advantage of the PG. A right decision in the wrong time will prove useless. Therefore, it is very important to take preventive as well as corrective measures in order to cope with the potential problems well before the time of incidence. PG has been much active to take preventive and corrective steps to address problems and devise solutions to the problems. THE HR, A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE PG makes plans for careers. The company tries to hire the best Human resources. It works on business and functional leaders activity on how to recruit, teach, and coach. THE MARKETING STRATEGY Apart from working on the present consumers and customers, PG keenly strives on improving its competencies in the field of under-served and un-served consumers. PG invests twice that of its competitors in marketing. For example, when one of its competitors was market testing its liquid soap, PG launched the Tide in Europe market to win over the market from its competition. In a nut shell, the history has show that PG has proved its self a leader in marketing strategy formulation, implementation, and control. Therefore, PG has beaten its competition by virtue of competitive marketing strategies. PG has been successful in putting forth marketing strategies that ensure how to win! THE MARKET LEADER PGs well known, trusted brands touch the lives of consumers in more than 180 countries. Some of its brands have crossed the billion dollars target. PG has been successful in launching innovative products with a competitive edge over its competitors. PG top 43 brands are responsible for 90% profit and 85% sales. Therefore, PG has proven its self as leader in brands. For example, PGs market leader products include: Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Cest, head and shoulders, etc. DIVERSIFICATION PG has attained high level of diversification in its lines of products. Some important ones have been shown below in terns of its sales, segment of products, and the category of products. CBU Segment Key Products Billion-Dollars Brands Net Sales (in Billion Dollars) Beauty Beauty Cosmetics, Deodorants, hair care, cleansing, Fragrances, skin care HS, Olay, Pantene, Wella $26.3 Grooming Blades and Razors, Hair Removal devices,Shave products, Home appliances Braun, Always, Gillette, Mach3 Health and Well-being Health-care Feminine care, oral care, dish care, fabric care, surface care Lams, Pringles $16.7 Snacks and Pet care Pet food, Snacks Ariel, Dawn, Downy, Duracell, Gain, Tide Household care Fabric, home Baby Wipes, Bath tissue, Diapers, Facial Tissue, Paper Towel Bounty, Charmin, Pampers $37.3 OFFERING BRAND FOR THE BRANDED PEOPLE An overview of product line has been given in terms of % net sales and % net earning of PG. GBU Segment % of net sales % of net earning Key Products Billion-Dollars Brands Beauty Beauty 23% 22% Cosmetics, Deodorants, hair care, cleansing, Fragrances, skin care HS, Olay, Pantene, Wella Grooming 9 13 Blades and Razors, Hair Removal devices,Shave products, Home appliances Braun, Always, Gillette, Mach3 Health and Well-being Health-care 17 21 Feminine care, oral care, dish care, fabric care, surface care Lams, Pringles Snacks and Pet care 4 2 Pet food, Snacks Ariel, Dawn, Downy, Duracell, Gain, Tide Household care Fabric, home 29 26 Baby Wipes, Bath tissue, Diapers, Facial Tissue, Paper Towel Bounty, Charmin, Pampers TARGET MARKETING PG uses target marketing. To put in other words, PG innovatively launches products for specific segment of the society. Therefore, it offers a wide range of products in its product line on demographic basis. For example, the shampoo range covers many brands that target different people of the society. Head and shoulders shampoo for dandruff while Pantene for shiny and soft hair as the company claims. The segmentation is made on the basis of demography, psychographic, and geography. PROMOTIONS PG has established its position as a leader in promotion campaigns. The company utilizes and invests a considerable amount annually for promotion of its brands. Advertising costs include advertisement on TV, Dish, Cable, Net, Radio, Magazine, and other media. PG utilizes the local media as well to advertise its brands on the local Television, Radio, and other print media. STRIVING AGAINST THE STRIDES PG has had bad times during the course of its history. However, it has fought against the tides successfully by virtue of un-defatiguable efforts, effective plans, post mortem analyses, and taking necessary corrective steps to over come the shortcomings, and putting the company back on the business tract ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw Essay -- Pygmalion George Bernard Sha

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw's father, George Carr Shaw, was an alcoholic which meant not much money was spent on Shaw's education, therefore he was mainly self-taught, since he was self-taught he never had ideas forced upon him, this caused him to turn into a strong minded individual who expressed his opinions. He was a socialist and a critic who believed strongly in equality. Shaw wrote many plays, which expressed his opinions, one of the most famous being Pygmalion. Shaw uses Pygmalion to show the superficial basis of the class system. Pygmalion is set in London, in the early 1900's when the distinction between classes was more defined. I believe Shaw choose to set the play in London because it has the widest range of classes and would make it easier for him to show how false the class system really is. There is the queen who is considered to be of the highest class and people living on the streets who are considered to be of the lowest class. Shaw uses Pygmalion to show how false the class system is and how it is based on superficial ideas. Shaw shows that people can't be put into categorise when he makes the characters exceed the boundaries of the groups they have placed in. One of the characters to do this is Eliza, who exceeds the boundaries of lower class. " I'm a good girl I am." She shows that she is well mannered, and has more morals than Higgins. She also shows herself to have a lot of pride and self-respect. Through Higgins and Pickering's perceptions of Eliza, we are shown that the class system is all in the mind of the beholder and how it is perceived differently in each person. Higgins sees Eliza as lower class; "I treat a duchess as if she were a flowe... ...Shaw shows how people are judged when we first meet Doolittle. "He'll make bad use of it I'm afraid!" because of his poverty-stricken appearance, Pickering assumes that Doolittle will waste the money. Shaw also uses Doolittle to show that happiness can't be bought with money, when we first meet Doolittle he is happy but when he comes into money he doesn't like his new lifestyle and isn't happy with his new found finances. Shaw successfully criticises the British class system through Pygmalion. He shows how people can't be fitted into categorise as he makes many of the characters exceed the boundaries that they have been confined within. Through Pygmalion he picks up on the class system's many flaws and how easily it can be proved wrong. Pygmalion is successful in getting the message across about the class system and how it is based on superficial ideas.

Multiprocessing Essay -- essays research papers

Multiprocessing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Multiprocessing refers to a computer system’s ability to support more than one process or program at the same time. Multiprocessing operating systems enable several programs to run concurrently. UNIX is one of the most widely used multiprocessing systems, but there are many others, including OS/2 for high-end personal computers and Windows NT for work groups. Multiprocessing systems are much more complicated than single-process systems because the operating system must allocate resources to competing processes in the most efficient manner. (IBM Dictionary of Computing, Tenth Edition, McGraw-Hill, (1994)). Types of Multiprocessing Symmetric multiprocessing refers to the processing of programs by multiple processors that share a common operating system, memory and data path. A single copy of the operating system controls all processors. Symmetric multiprocessing units of this type are also referred to as â€Å"shared everything† systems. These systems usually do not exceed 16 processors. (Image courtesy of Sequent Manufacturing) The most common uses of these types of systems are commercial servers of web applications such used in on line commerce. The advantages of this particular configuration are that they can be easily upgraded by the addition of more processors. These processors are available to execute any of the given processes as soon as the operating system recognizes and configures the new hardware. However, the limitations of such a configuration are that with shared memory, there is a strong emphasis on data manipulation. As each processor competes for a limited amount of shared memory, this limits the speed and up-gradability of such a system. Manufacturers must rely on the development of faster, higher capacity memory to overcome this disadvantage. Currently symmetric multiprocessing computers can address up to 14 gigabytes of physical memory and approximately 2 terabytes of storage. (Sequent Manufacturing Inc., white papers 1998) Parallel Processing Parallel processing is a form of information processing that emphasizes the concurrent manipulation of data elements belonging to one or more process solving a single problem. It is also referred to as a â€Å"shared nothing† system. These systems are composed of many loosely connected nodes or P/M ... ...to produce a result from a device. C.The number of results a device produces over a unit of time. D.The time it takes a device to retrieve the next instruction. E.None of the above 6.Which of the following operating systems does not support multiprocessing? A.Microsoft Windows NT B.UNIX C.OS/2 D.LINUX E.All of the above support multiprocessing. 7.Which of the following applications would benefit most by multiprocessing? A.A large Word document. B.A large Excel spreadsheet. C.A video game D.A large Multi-user Database. E.None of the above. 8.LINUX is an off shoot of which multiprocessing operating system? A.UNIX B.Windows 98 C.OS/2 D.Windows NT E.MS DOS 9.Which Pittsburgh University is currently developing new multiprocessing operating systems? A.University of Pittsburgh. B.Carnegie-Mellon University C.Robert Morris College D.Point Park College E.None of the above 10.Linus Torvalds is: A.The inventor of UNIX operating system B.The chairman of the board of Microsoft Corp. C.The inventor of LINUX operating system D.The guy that cuts Packy’s grass. 1. (C) 2. (A) 3.(A) 4.(A) 5.(C) 6.(E) 7.(D) 8.(A) 9.(B) 10.(C)

Cultural and Technical Metaphors Essay -- Language Linguistics

Cultural and Technical Metaphors Intro Everyday conversation is riddled with metaphoric analogies. Most often, they go unrealized by the speaker as well as the listener. Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines a metaphor as â€Å"a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money)† (Metaphor 1). Metaphors are a quick and simple way of relating a message without divulging unnecessary details that would otherwise cloud the ultimate point. This is especially useful in technically related fields and subjects such as Information System Management (IS). IS is responsible for the management of computers, networking, and data that supports different levels of decisions at different levels of the organizational hierarchy (What is IS? 1). Even as the technical functions of computer systems develop new and detailed complexities, everyday users, not familiar with the ins and ou ts of their particular system, are able to effectively communicate problems or concerns to trained professionals. Similarly, experts in the Information Technology (IT) field are able to explain to users how to manage their systems using heuristically tested metaphors such as â€Å"desktop† and â€Å"recycle bin† which have become standard jargon/usage. Just as different fields of study adopt their own list of commonly accepted metaphors, the use of metaphors crosses lines of culture and ethnicity as well. Body Common Metaphors Sitting about 400 miles south of the US mainland is the tiny island of Jamaica. Known for its beautiful beaches and clear waters, Jamaica has become a great vacationing spot. It is also the birthplace... ... â€Å"Metaphor†. Merriam- Webster's Online Dictionary. 2006-2007. Merriam-Webster.com. 4 June 2007. â€Å"Rasta/Patios Jamaican Phrases and Proverbs†. 15 June 1997. Croal Islands Associates. 4 June 2007. â€Å"Renà © Descartes†. Wekepedia.com. 4 June 2007. Wekemedia Foundation Inc. 5 June 2007. â€Å"Songs of Freedom: The Music of Bob Marley as Transformative Education†. 2005. ReligiousEducation.net. 4 June 2007. â€Å"What is IS?†. Webopedia.com. 24 April 2007. Internet.com. 9 June 2007.

Linkage Of Art History And Information Technology Essay

Art History at first glance has nothing in connection to Information Technology and so Information Technology has no link in the discipline of history art. I, myself, had not thought that these two entirely different academic discipline have something in common to share even they are quite different from each other. I will begin this paper by giving definitions of these two fields of study. Art history refers to the academic discipline covering the study of history, visual arts, which is study the development of painting, and sculpture arts, humanistic discipline, humanities and liberal arts which are studies to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills. Categorizing changes in art through time and better understand how art shapes is what art history endeavors. In addition, art history also covers the outlooks and creative impulses of the artists. It covers all kind of arts that is extending from the megaliths of Western Europe that the best example of which is the Stonehenge in Britain to the paintings of the Tang dynasty in China. On the other hand, although information technology is hard to define because it is a wide based term and encompasses many areas and I have read many definitions of it, I chose the Information Technology Association of America’s or ITAA’s definition in which they defined information technology as the study, design, development, implementation support and management of any computer based information systems. Visual arts, as I mentioned in the definition of art history above, is covered by the discipline of art history. In connection, visual arts, which language is visual, helps develop the skills and knowledge of people to interpret visual arts using visual languages. The importance of said skill and knowledge that are developed by taking the academic discipline of art history is that you have the ability to dig out meaning from visual environment thus in return coincides with the skill you have learned in information technology. This may sounds illogical but if you think deeper, you will say it is indeed reasonable to claim that there is a linkage between art history and information technology. Just for example are works of architects, film editors, and insurance assessors. In everyday of their lives, they are using their knowledge and skills in information technology and therefore, the skills in extracting meaning from visual environment will surely come to the rescue to help them to be successful on what they are doing. Thus, I reiterate once again that art history has a connection to information technology because both   mentioned skills above, which are skill in using computer database and skill in extracting meaning from visual environment, are both needed in the realm of those jobs. These kinds of job require skill in the scrutiny of visual data, and to build connections and depict incongruent elements together to make a coherent whole. Because art history is actually about engaging people’s imagination, communicating ideas and bringing out emotions and feelings by means of carefully arranged visual cues, it aids information technology in some sense like what I have mentioned above about the aid art history gives in the realm of works of the architects and many others. Other good examples of this are the people who work in advertising agencies, theater, fashion and all other areas of design. These people are in need to fully comprehend and appreciate the manipulation of visual information. Thus, given those examples, studying art history indeed helps broaden and developed a person’s natural ability to create and communicate meaning from almost any visual environment.   Tackling on the other aspects, because art history studies the so-called ‘work of art’ and its other aspects, it is important to note that these works of arts can contain many themes or any themes which can be about many thing or any thing under the sun, and technology is not an exemption for that. There are many people, nowadays, that choose jobs in which they can be called programmers, systems analysts, network service providers, webmasters, information industry moguls and directors of academic computing because this age demands us so. It is true to consider that information and computer literacy, are priceless technical skills but it is also important to bear in our minds that information literacy is a new liberal art. The coverage of knowing how to use the computers and access information to critical reflection of nature of information itself and, its technical infrastructure is also covered by the information literacy and technology. Social, philosophical and even cultural context to the mental framework of educated information-age citizen as the trivium of basic liberal arts, such as grammar, logic and rhetoric, are also essential and are parts of information literacy and technology. Also, it was hoped, because of the facts that not all information can be found in internet, one should know something about its major cultural landmarks. It is also important to consider that one should know the literary monuments of secular, humanistic culture from Shakespeare through his modern novel. All in all, history arts and information technology though they are two different fields of study have a good linkage in one another to further help building the triumph of mankind in acquiring knowledge and skills. References Definition of Information Technology. Ezine Articles. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://ezinearticles.com/?Definition-of-Information-Technology&id=1109986 Department of Art History, Sweet Briar College.1998 February 8.What is Art†¦?†¦What is An Artist?. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/artartists/artartists.html De Sousa, Mike. The Column. The Purpose of Art. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.ablestable.com/resources/library/thecolumn/2005/027.htm Graduate Careers. Art History.Retrieved July 23, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/content/view/full/183 Malibu Arts Journal. Art: An Elusive Term. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.malibuartsjournal.com/art/art.html Shapiro, Jeremy J. and Hughes,Shelley K. Hughes (1996). Information Literacy as a Liberal Art. Educom Review Volume 31, Number 2. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from http://net.educause.edu/apps/er/review/reviewArticles/31231.html