Overt or covert observations

Overt or covert observations Question 1 The researcher says that [i]ntense observations in the classroom and playground area were completed [and] detailed observations were conducted in lessons(p.184). What can you infer about the things she observed and the methods she used to record her observations? Qualitative research is an effort to understand situations in their uniqueness as part of a particular context and the interactions there. (Merriam, 2009:14) An ethnographer participates, overtly or covertly, in peoples daily lives for an extended period of time, watching what happens, listening to what is said, asking questions; in fact collecting whatever data are available to throw light on the issues with which he or she is concerned. (Flick 2005:146) The author, Lisa Russell is a young female ethnographer entering the research field for the first time. This paper is a description of The implications of investigating student resistance and the importance of how the researchers; personal dispositions influence the research process are discussed. (Russell, 2005:181) The research was conducted in three culturally diverse schools of Birmingham and Sydney and the information was gathered through observations and interviews. Students in the age bracket of 14-16 years were identified for observation, especially the ones finding the experience difficult either academically or emotionally (Watts, 2001; Russell, 2005:184) According to Esterberg, ethnography is intensively studying a specific social group by observing the group in its natural setting (Esterberg, 2002:8). Sometimes ethnography and participant observation are used interchangeably. But to its contrary, ethnography requires a participation observation style of fieldwork. Participant observation thus can most usefully be seen as a means of producing ethnographies rather than as synonymously with ethnography. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:100) Russell being new to the field entered her research ground with no ideal, logical step-by-step approach (Russell, 2005:182). She used her relative inexperience to her advantage. She started her research by observing students in various classes and free time. She observed them in their favorite and least favorite modules, covering one of the most popular aspects of student resistance. Once the trust between them grew, she advanced to spending time with them in their own comfort zones, which gave her more of an insight to their personal lives. This way she managed to get valuable information concerning their behavior and problems. There were instances when she witnessed highly disruptive behavior of students, like that of a male student kick and bash a school vendor machine during break-time (Russell, 2005:193) but blinded herself to the situation. At the same time, there were occasions when she found herself caught in uncomfortable circumstances like the time she landed up in the deputys office as she was with students who got late for class. Names like the follower and leech suggest that during the initial stages Russell was not accepted by the students as she shadowed them all around. But gradually she managed to gain one of the most vital aspects of the study trust. Ethnographers are viewed differently as a relationship is built up and trust developed. (Cassell Symon 2004:316). I feel her main tool for recording data was a daily logbook, but filling the same in front of her research subjects could make them very suspicious and inquisitive. Although as her relationship with the students strengthened, she allowed the researched the chance to see what was being written about them (Russell, 2005:187).This she did to gain feedback and more importantly trust. To conclude, I feel the main aspect she focused throughout was to develop a trustworthy relationship with the students. This she did over a gradual period as she observed and learned from them. Question 2 The author is a young ethnographer researching teenagers (p.193). What difference does our knowledge of her age and personal details make to the account? Qualitative research is a form of interpretative inquiry in which researchers make an interpretation of what they see, hear and understand. Their interpretation cannot be separated from their own backgrounds, history, contexts, and prior understandings. (Creswell, 2009:176) The author, Lisa Russell is a young, novice, female, white, northern English ethnographer (Russell, 2005:181). Her smallness in height and build influenced how students and teachers interacted with [her]. (Russell, 2005:182) Russell used a very reflexive approach towards her research and took into consideration how different aspects of her personal disposition affected her entire study. Researchers reflections on their actions and observations in the field, their impressions, irritations, feelings and so on, become data in their own right, forming part of the interpretation, (Flick, 2005:6) I feel her age -23-24 at the time of field work (Russell, 2005:182) and youthful nature helped her immensely in developing a trustworthy bond with the students. The students opened up to her about their grievances which they might not have done with someone older and more experienced. The researchers ability to build relationships and develop rapport with subjects is crucial. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:151) Her repetitive emphasis on her age and naivety throughout the paper shows that these facets of her personal disposition helped her to engage in discussions and activities with the teenaged students, which if she was older wouldnt have been able to do. Her closeness to their age made it simpler for both herself and the students to be able to relate to each other. Although, at the same time it was difficult for her to develop a similar bond with the teachers and she felt exceptionally uncomfortable in staffroom discussions. In my opinion, she put in a lot of effort and time into understanding the point of view of the students and didnt do the same with the teachers. But as she graduated to the third school her heightened confidence and greater experience (Russell, 2005:188) made it easier for her to relate to and interact with the teachers. This paper also brings into account the being there quality. Good ethnography is about communicating the impression of having truly been there, of having had close-in contact with far-out lives while at the same time making the reader feel he or she has been there too. (Bate, 1997:1163) In the context of Russells paper the way she elucidates her experience and subsequently her problems, make it very easy for us to believe and understand her observations. I as a student believed that the intense description about her personal characteristics played a significant role in helping me comprehend her entire research. I also inferred that as an amateur, she mentioned her young and novice personality keeping in mind that even if her study was not up to the mark it would have been excusable. I held a degree of emotional attachment towards some students given the significant time I had spent with them and the nature and detail of their lives they had shared with me. (Russell, 2005:196) This confession of hers illustrates that she let herself get emotionally involved with the students. Students also, at times would seek for support and guidance (from her or consider Russell as a shoulder to cry on (Russell, 2005:196). Since this was her first ever ethnography leaving the field and detaching herself from her research subjects, became difficult. Russells reflexive approach and personal disposition especially her age influenced and widened her scope for the study. This nature of the report helped her retain authenticity throughout the paper. Question 3 Russell claims that her ethnographic research investigates the complex and sometimes contradictory culture(s) of student resistance to schooling (Wills, 1977) (p. 181). How is this claim supported in the paper? According to Russell This study examines the significance and relationship between class, gender and ethnicity in the construction of resistance. It aims to understand how the wider societal and cultural environment influences the working of a school and the behaviour of the actors within it. (Russell, 2005:182) Student resistance is often perceived as explicit rejection of formal education. It is a deliberate yet hesitant activity of students arising due to social, cultural, emotional and academic concerns. According John Deweys comment that teaching and learning are much like selling and buying: One might as well say he has sold when no one has bought, as to say that he has taught when no one has learned'(Dewey, 1910,p.29) (Provenzo, ed. 2006) The students selected for the research ranged from truancy issues and students negative attitude towards school and learning to low self-esteem concerns.(Russell, 2005:184). Taking the instance of a student who had an alcoholic mother and [was struggling] to cope with her domestic responsibilities (Russell, 2005:185) shows that how a family related problem can hamper a persons education and make her unenthusiastic about school. In my opinion this supplement is a conflicting account. As mentioned clearly in the paper it aims at providing an insight to student resistance to schooling, where as there is not much mentioned about the same. According to my inference, it explores the experience and problems faced by the researcher, Lisa Russell during the course of her research. She at the same time concentrates on describing the methodologies used for observations and to gather information. On the other hand, she made the study interesting for readers to read by providing examples to support her content. Ethnography is art, science and craft rolled into one. As artists we seek to capture experiences in images and representations which symbolize reality; in this regard, expression is more important than precision. (Bate, 1997:1153) This repository statement, expression is more important than precision holds true in this study. I as a student found the report very engrossing because of the way she articulated her encounters with her research subjects. Some which put her into awkward situations while trying to gain trust from disruptive students made the account appealing. A few others were when she witnessed students truant, thieve, damage school property, take illegal substances and even [asked her] to participate. (Russell, 2005:193) Russell subconsciously seemed to be bias towards the students. Bias may be viewed as unavoidable as researchers often hold sympathy for some groups over the others. (Russell, 2005:190) Since this study was centered around students she preferred to take their side predominantly, intending to gain further insight into student resistance. I personally would have preferred to know more about the teachers since they played an equally important role in the research. She could have discussed the teachers reaction to some of the above instances in detail. In conclusion I believe this paper constitutes more about Russells experiential data and personal disposition than on its primary topic of student resistance. Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences Nicolina Kamenou Question 1 The author appears to have had difficulties recruiting interviewees (see especially p.s102). Why, for example, might an organization withdraw from the study claiming restructuring was in progress? (p.102) Work-life balance means that individuals have successfully segmented or integrated life and work so as to achieve a satisfying quality of life, overall satisfaction and less strain or stress around juggling conflicting role demands. (Blyton et al., 2006:2) The work-life balance equation (Kamenou, 2008:S99) is a vast concept covering a number of aspects ranging from career, ambition, family, pleasure and culture. Suitable prioritising between the same helps to accomplish ones goal in life. This article is centred on ethnic minority womens experiences of managing their work and personal lives. (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The author, Nicolina Kamenou, collected the data via semi structured, in depth interviews primarily with ethnic minority females. The perception of ethnic minority men, white women and white men was also taken for comparison. The broader study aimed to investigate best practice on the equality issues but also to examine whether the reality matched the rhetoric of equality of opportunity within organizations by exploring employees perceptions and experiences. (Kamenou, 2008:S102). The author evidently faced difficulties in recruiting interviewees, since only three out of the twenty organisations approached responded positively to the invitation (Kamenou, 2008:S102). Further to this, one of them withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress. The basic strategy for in depth interviews should be in three stages prepare, contact, and follow up (MacDougall Fudge, 2001). These stages include preparing for the research by describing and constructing a sample, negotiating with the key people or organisations personally, and providing feedback and maintaining relationship with the participants. Initially I feel a loop hole in the recruitment procedure could have led to rejection from many of the organisations contacted. Besides this there could be many reasons for it. This study is mostly based on topics such as ethnicity, culture, religion, racism and sexism which are very sensitive in nature. One of the main reasons for companies to withdraw from the research could have been to avoid any controversy. They would not want to risk their reputation and find themselves involved in any problematic situation as a consequence of the research. The firm which withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress was a financial organisation. This shows that the management could have been worried about the companys inside information since such a research could have revealed confidential data to the market and its competitors and thus affected its integrity. The company possibly had something to hide. On the other hand if a company is confident, a research is a good way of gaining credibility and even one of the cheaper ways of getting feedback from its employees. I also feel, stating the real names of the participating organisations could have been avoided. Kamenou should have used pseudonyms instead as confidentiality is a significant factor of researches. Confidentiality must be assured as the primary safeguard against unwanted exposure. All personal data ought to be secured or concealed and made public only behind a shield of anonymity. (Denzin Lincoln, 2000:139). Kamenou could have most definitely got a better response from the companies initially contacted, had she offered to keep the names anonymous. In my opinion, the sensitive character of the study and the matter of confidentiality, were the main reasons which lead to the difficulties faced by the researcher while recruiting interviewees. I also believe, that a better response could have been achieved had the interviewees been assured about the authenticity of the information being published. Regarding the financial company no conclusion can be drawn as we have no proof against them. Question 2 Would you expect differences between the people in organizations where formal access had been been granted and the independent group identified through personal networking? (p. s102) If so, what might these differences be? In this article, Kamenou focuses on the specificities in the experiences of ethnic minority women, incorporating other groups experiences where necessary, with regard to balancing their work and personal life (Kamenou 2008:S107). For this purpose both males and females from different cultural backgrounds were selected to be interviewed. The researcher recruited these interviewees formally from organizations. An independent group of participants was also identified through personal networking across a range of various public, private and voluntary organizations. All the participants varied in their occupations. The researcher derived information from a number of job profiles, to name a few there were nurses, managers, lawyers and psychologists. The researcher conducted semi structured, in-depth interviews. The main goal of these interviews was to explore a topic more openly and to allow interviewees to express their opinions and ideas in their own words. (Esterberg, 2002:86). The researcher must have certainly got different responses from the formally approached people and the independent group. Since the exact procedure of recruiting the interviewees has not been mentioned, I feel that the participants of the organizations where formal access was granted may not have been given a choice. Thus, they may not have voluntarily agreed and would have been least interested in the research. They would have restrained from giving out information concerning their organization with the fear of it reaching higher authorities and thus loosing their jobs. At the same time their response could have been manipulated by the employers to gain publicity. On the other hand, the independent group were people selected through personal networking and thus their cooperation was completely voluntary. We can refer to it as snowball sampling. This basically means when existing research subjects refer future subjects from among their acquaintances to help widen the information base. Such participants would have been interested and involved in the interview. They would have been more forthcoming with their response. Since these participants were being interviewed without any pressure form an organization, they would have been more willing and open about discussing their personal experiences. The only problem in such sampling is that of bias. The researcher could have recruited these participants according to her own convenience. She might have selected them with the point of view of extracting maximum information. In my opinion, the independent group would have been more fascinating and appropriate to interview since they would have provided with more intense and authentic information than the formal access participants. A key reason for including the independent group was to add richness to the data by looking at minority womens work and career experiences in a variety of sectors and occupations. (Kamenou, 2008:S103) On the whole, the author managed to acquire a wide range of experiences and data from both types of participants. Thus, this gave us a deep understanding of the problems faced by ethnic minority women while balancing work with other responsibilities in life. Question 3 From reading the paper, what do we know about the author? How might the identity of the author have made a difference to the research? This paper is an example of feminist research approach. In such a study the goals are to establish collaborative and nonexploitative relationships, to place the researcher within the study so as to avoid objectification, and to conduct research that is transformative. It is a complex area of inquiry with numerous frameworks (e.g., male oriented, white feminist oriented, able-bodied female oriented) and difficult issues (e.g., the absence and invisibility of women, who can be knowers) (Creswell, 2007:26) Of the various forms of qualitative research, ethnography is the most common one used by females. A researchers personal disposition plays a very significant role in a research, especially when done by a female. Reflexivity also has a big impact on such studies and makes the output of the same extremely relatable. In this paper, Nicolina Kamenou, explores minority womens perceptions of the reciprocal relationship of career demands and other aspects of their lives, such as family and community expectations and responsibilities (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The authors method in this research is not reflexive at all. At no point in the study does she reveal any personal information regarding herself. There is no mention of the influence her personality has on the study nor of the interpretations she derived from the same. In my opinion, if the author had made revelations about her personal details, the research would have been more engaging. Even though this article gives a rich insight into the work life equation, it does not elaborate on the authors experience and relationship with her research subjects. It would have been appealing to know her age and cultural background because these seem to be the two most important factors which could have influenced the research. She has left the readers guessing her identity. If the author was associated with the ethnic minority group, she could have given an account of her experiences and hence added some personal touch to the research. But at the same time, if she had adopted a reflexive approach, she would have left the readers questioning her objectivity towards the research. We as readers would have assumed that she was bias towards her subjects and thus she would need to justify herself to us. In my view, Nicolina Kamenous approach towards her research was very different as compared to Lisa Russells. Russells adopted a very reflexive approach and described in detail the impact her personal disposition had on her subjects, interpretation and conclusion of the research. She does not keep the readers guessing her identity and gives away a considerable amount of personal information which helps us as learners relate to her. On the other hand, Kamenous approach is far from being reflexive in nature. The readers gain no knowledge about her personal characteristics and the impact of the same on her research. In conclusion, Lisa Russells study gave an excellent account of the authors personal impact on the entire research, where as it didnt focus much on the information she derived from it. On the other hand, Nicolina Kamenous research offered a rich insight to her topic of discussion, while it didnt enlighten us with her thoughts towards the study. Overall, the papers gave me a good understanding of two contradicting accounts in the vast field of qualitative research methods. References: Bate, S.P. (1997) Whatever happened to organisational anthropology? A review of the field of organisational ethnography and anthropological studies, Human Relations, 50 (9): 1147-1175 Blyton, P., Blundson, B., Reed, K., Dastmalchian, A. (2006) Work-Life Integration: International Perspectives on the Balancing of Multiple Roles, 1st ed. New York: PALGRAVE MACMILLIAN Cassell, C. Symon, G. (2004) Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research, Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W., (2007) Qualitative Inquiry Research Design : Choosing Among Five Approaches,2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches,3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Denzin, N.K. Lincoln, Y.S. (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE MacDougall, C. Fudge, E. (2001) Qualitative Health Research: Planning and Recruiting the Sample for the Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews [Online], 11(117) Available at: [Accessed 16 November 2009] Esterberg, K. G. (2002), Qualitative Methods In Social Research, New York : The McGraw-Hill Companies Flick, U., (2005) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 2nd ed. London : SAGE Kamenou, N. (2008) Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences. British Journal Of Management, Vol. 19 s99-s109 Merriam, S. B., (2009) Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation 2nd ed. San Francisco: Joosey Bass Provenzo Jr, E.F., ed., 2006. Forthcoming in the Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education [online] Available at : http://danbutin.org/Resistance%20-%20Encyclopedia%20entry.pdf [Accessed 18 November 2009] Russell, L. (2005) Its a question of trust: balancing the relationship between students and teachers in ethnographic fieldwork. Qualitative Research Vol. 5 (2) 181-199 Thorpe, R. Holt, R. (2008) The Sage Dictionary of Qualitative Management Research. London: Sage

Total Quality Management - TQM Essay -- SixSigma Essays

I. INTRODUCTION Before you can begin to understand what total quality management is, you must know what quality is. Quality is the ability to satisfy, or even exceed, the needs and expectations of the customers. Total Quality Management is a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. The participation of all members of an organization in improving processes, products, services, and the culture they work in is the basis of TQM. Total Quality Management, often called TQM, is a mind set. It is also a set of well-proven processes for achieving the mind set. The mind set is that everyone in your organization understands what their customers' expectations are and they meet those expectations every time. TQM, which has been available for many years, was originally developed in the United States and the Japanese were the first to visualize its benefits and apply it successfully. This paper will discuss the history of Total Quality Management and also its creator Dr. Wi lliam Edwards Deming. Also included is Dr. Deming's 14 Points of Management, which apply anywhere from small organizations to large organizations including everything from the service industries to the manufacturing industries and everything in between. They apply to a division within a company. The final topic discussed will be how TQM is implemented in the organizations. II. HISTORY Total Quality Management (TQM) is a participative management style that stresses total staff commitment to "customer" satisfaction. TQM is the part of management organized for the use of creating and implementing a continuous improvement process that constantly improves on the organization's effectiveness and also their efficiency. The main responsibility lies on not the workers or employees of a corporation, but rather the management. There are many very effective ways that corporations have implemented these strategies of TQM, but most commonly, it is acquired through data collection, flow charts, and diagrams. The development of Total Quality Management is attributed to Frederick W. Taylor, an engineer and the first management consultant. Statisticians, such as Walter A. Shewhart, Joseph M. Juran, Philip B. Cosby and most importantly Dr. W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993), were responsible for initiating the Total Quality Management process and share a common role ... ...for success. There are three basis implementations of TQM including concept of management, system of management (in which the Q-S.T.E.P. process is used), and traditional management. A company can decide on their implementation plan based on their personal needs. Dr. William Edwards Deming's philosophy of total quality management has proved effective in many organizations, and if companies are willing to embrace all of its ideas and concepts, it can be successful for them. REFERENCES Aguayo, R. (2010). Dr. Deming The American Who Taught the Japanese About Quality. New York: Carol Publishing Group. Gabor, A. (2009). The Man Who Discovered QUALITY. New York: Times Books, a division of Random House Inc. Green, L. TQM FAQ's. [Online]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from: http://www.skyenet.net/~leg/tqmodel/tqmfaq.htm. Green, L. TQM Total Quality Management Diagnostics. [Online]. Retrieved October 16, 2013 from: http://www.skyenet.net/~leg/tqm.htm. Hellriegel, D., Jackson, S., Slocum, J. (2009). Management 10th Edition Ohio: South-Western College Publishing. Author Unknown. [Online]. Retrieved October 8, 2013 from: http://www.eskimo.com/~mighetto/1stqm.htm.

Marketing Channels on Tesco Thailand

Managing Distribution and Marketing Channel: TESCO Lotus This essay is to written in to express my opinion on group 4 presentation on Tesco Lotus marketing channel and further analyze the marketing channels in more details. Tesco Lotus has undoubtedly changed the way people in Thailand goes to supermarket since it entered Thailand in 1998 and now has over 380 Stores as part of a joint venture with CP Group. Consumer Marketing Channels Tesco Lotus in Thailand uses 1 level of consumer marketing channels as they themselves act as retailer.The suppliers would have to re? ll their inventory at Tesco Lotus Distribution centers which is placed across the country and Tesco will distribute the goods to each branch themselves. In order to serve the customers better by minimizing out of stock time and more Tesco Branches ef? cient and cost effective, Tesco Lotus divides the goods into 3 (Act as retailers) categories: Fast moving goods, Average moving goods, Slow moving goods.They categorize the ir products by dividing each of them into one of these categories and therefore, fast moving goods such as grocery, can be delivered fresh and never run out Consumers of stock everyday, whereas slow moving goods, such as furniture only needs to be re-stock every week, rather than everyday. Tesco Lotus distribution system is managed by themselves and therefore it is also their advantage over their rival, Big C, who uses DHL as their distributor. Tesco Lotus can control their own distribution system and the distribution cost.The example is presented during the presentation which is using Bio-diesel for all Tesco Lotus distribution trucks which can save a lot of transportation cost. Types of Store Tesco Lotus operates in various types and sizes of store. There? re 6 types of store sizes. 1. Hypermarket, 2. Tesco Lotus Valued, 3. Talard Lotus, 4. Tesco Lotus Express, 5. Plus shopping mall, 6. Community Mall. The hypermarket is the full size store with the most assortments and products, Tesco Lotus will place this store type mainly in the outskirt of the city to serve the people in the city.The Tesco Valued store is smaller than the hypermarket type and has less assortments and products, Tesco Lotus will mainly select the faster moving goods and leave out more expensive assortments or products as this type of store will be places mainly in more rural area. Talard Lotus shares a similar concept to the Tesco Valued but mostly focuses on fresh grocery. This concept came from the local market in Thailand. Tesco Lotus wants to create more local experience for the local in upcountry.Tesco Lotus Express, this is the smallest store size and it is more like a convenience store than a super market. This type of store was created to compete with 7eleven who is the market leader in this store size with the most branches throughout Thailand. This type of store is usually placed within a community area and mostly carry foods and drinks. Plus shopping malls is also a full sized h ypermarket but Tesco Lotus Wissut Prutisart, ID: 5249252 Tesco Distribution Center (Act as Tesco Mfg) ocuses more on the rental space within their mall. They want to create a shopping mall atmosphere with clothes shops, restaurants, cafe etc with a full sized supermarket. The last type of the store is the community mall, the concept is similar to villa market but the stores are placed closely to community household. The objectives for Tesco Lotus for having many types of store are to serve the right products at the right price and place for consumers in those demographic areas that the stores are in. This is more bene? ial to both customers and to Tesco Lotus, as Tesco Lotus only carry what their customers in those areas need from their stores and nothing else more than that. It is more ef? cient, less investment cost, lower operation cost for Tesco Lotus too and also providing the maximum coverage of their customers as much as possible. Customers also gain a lot of bene? ts from th is also as the stores nearest to their home would have the majority of their daily needs. Marketing Channels Tesco Lotus utilizes both below and above the line advertising.For below the line advertising, they have monthly promotion brochure which are distributed at every stores and also sending them to members? houses, Thairath newspaper ad to highlight their main promotion, their own website to show more information and download lea? et or brochure and lastly their Tesco Lotus Club Card to collect customers data and for doing promotion. For above the line, they advertise on the main TV channels focusing on lower price and the highlight promotion. With this strategy, Tesco Lotus has almost the whole coverage of their target customers already.Private Brand: Tesco Value Tesco Lotus themselves act as a distributor and retailer but they also use backward integration and became a producer to produce their own brand of products called ? Tesco Value?. The Tesco Value brand? s objective is to produce most daily needed products for customers with lower cost than other brands are offering but offer similar level of quality. Tesco will place their own product next to other popular brand products with a very similar packaging. The reason why they do this is so customers will think and compare the cost and bene? of the product they are about to buy, usually if it? s a products that customers use regularly but they do not concern with the brand or have a need for more premium product, customers will tend to buy Tesco value brand products instead. The reason why they produce their own brand is because they have buying power and the economy of sale to produce products at lower price point without having to do marketing campaign to promote their products, therefore even their price is lower than most brands, they still make pro? t from selling their own products.Recommendation My recommendation for Tesco Lotus is add one more distribution channel, that is the ? online channel? . Tesco already has successfully implemented this system in the UK already. The idea is to fully utilize their website to the maximum potential and provide more convenience for their customers. Customers should be able to look at all the products available from Tesco website and be able to order then Tesco Lotus can deliver their orders to their home. Even though this idea is already implemented in UK but no supermarket in Thailand has successfully executed this idea yet.With a strong coverage in term of branches around the country and strong distribution system, Tesco Lotus should be able to successfully implement this system in Thailand. Wissut Prutisart, ID: 5249252 (Example of the online ordering page from Tesco UK website) To conclude this essay, I believe that Tesco Lotus in Thailand is already doing well in term of distribution and marketing channels, it is up to them to control their cost and therefore this always keep them alert about their cost.Tesco Lotus also needs to do more CRM and Social responsibility to their local customers as they are expanding quickly into every cities in Thailand and therefore there will always be a concerned for a local supermarket and convenience stores business. There was some protest going on in some cities when Tesco was about to expand into, Tesco may need to focus more locally as to what they can give back more to the local society apart from selling OTOP roducts from those cities in Tesco and provide jobs for the local. Second, I believe that by implementing the online order and delivery service, this will create a totally new channel of distribution. Tesco may need to do some initial investment such as buying more Pick up trucks, re-design the website and set up the system but with the expertise Tesco has from the UK, they should be able to implement this idea in Thailand. Wissut Prutisart, ID: 5249252

Yellow Earth Essays

Yellow Earth Essays Yellow Earth Paper Yellow Earth Paper According to the New York State Writers Institute Yellow Earth has swiped away viewers of almost every nationality. The burst of Yellow Earth in the Chinese culture surpassed any film before made by any Japanese arena. It meant future hope for cinematographers like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige which have enthralled cinemagoers with works like Red Sorghum and Farewell, My Concubine. As with other trailblazers, the Fifth Generation needed a breakthrough movie to bring them to the attention of viewers at home and abroad. This new era of filming color and graphics for the viewers back in 1984 was a smashing hit for the Chinese community. It brought a new way of thinking for many up to now film makers which back in those days visualization in films was not an option. As of 1984 and after the making of Yellow Earth there was great propaganda for Chinese films, specifically filmed and produced by Zhang and Chen who established themselves at the forefront of world cinema surpassing Japanese films because of their unique way and avenues to new ways of making film. This has made Chinese cinema since 1949 the state propaganda machine. Yellow Earth, which is set in 1939, centers on the relationship between Gu Qing, a member of the Eighth Route Army, and a peasant family. Gu comes to the village to compile a collection of folk songs; he meets the young Cuiqiao and her family. She is due to enter into an arranged marriage, which terrifies her. She is inspired by Gus stories of girls fighting in the army; she asks him whether she can follow him back to Yanan. While she awaits his return, she is forced to marry her appointed groom. She decides to try to join an army unit that is camping on the other side of the Yellow River. The relationship between the people who live and love this land, the party of soldiers and the land; giving the film its title of Yellow Earth. This is a Maoist revolutionary thought. The people from china struggle against the hardships of the land as they have done throughout history. Yellow Earth’s message is not openly showing and pointing out the major problems which China has come across in the past and still does against the vast masses and it’s situations but it discusses and brings reality to the viewers concerning communism and it’s purpose for the people. â€Å"Here to save the people† as Cuiqao says placing her faith and her passion with the soldiers who believe in the same cause and contributes to her inspiration of making her land a better place to live. This is the first film to emerge from China and one of the most thrilling debut features of the 80s; catching the attention of the viewers, nationally and internationally. A Communist soldier visits a backward village in 1939, and is billeted with a taciturn widower and his teenage daughter and son. The soldiers mission is to collect folk songs, and its through the exchange of songs that he gradually wins the trust and affection of his hosts. The widower’s young daughter is to be sold into marriage with a much older man. The soldiers conversations of breaking up with feudal tradition fills her with unrealistic hopes of escaping her fate as she insistently thinks of a way of leaving her fate to her own battle. The soldier returns to his base, leaving her to take her future in her own hands. There are political undercurrents here that got the film into trouble in China: the encounter between the CP and Chinas peasants is shown not as an instant meeting of minds, but as the uneasy, frustrating, and ultimately unresolved process that it actually was. What really stirred things up in old Beijing was the films insistence on going its own way. Chen Kaige and his cinematographer Zhang Yimou have invented a new language of colors, shadows, glances, spaces, and unspoken thoughts and implications; and theyve made their own language be spoken to anyone involved in the making of this movie as well as viewers from all over the world. Consistent with Chinese art, Zhang Yimous cinematography works with a limited range of colors, natural lighting, and a non-perspective use of filmic space that aspires to a Taoist thought :Silent is the roaring Sound, Formless is the Image Grand. The use of silence as a component of Third Cinema is much like the empty space of Chinese art or cinema. The long shots of the natural environment possess a respect that is accompanied by silence. By drawing upon characteristics of Chinese art, the fifth generation of Chinas film-makers create a new vocabulary, a new filmic language with which to work. By challenging Western aesthetic practice, films such as Yellow Earth can be placed within the realm of a Third Cinema.

Data Structures Example

Data Structures Example Data Structures – Coursework Example Data Structures Data Structures A Queue A Queue refers to a list of tasks waiting to be processed. When a task is sent to a queue, it implies that it has been added to the list of tasks waiting to be processed. It is worth denoting that computer programs frequently function with queues as a manner of ordering tasks. For example, when a computer is through with one computation, it goes ahead to process the next task on the queue. Furthermore, another example is the printer queue that refers to a list of files waiting for printing. An Array On matters of data storage, an array refers to a mechanism for storing data on several devices. It is worth mentioning that arrays are oldest and most imperative data structures used by nearly every program. Additionally, another major use of arrays is in the implementation of other numerous data structures such as lists because they play a key role in exploiting computers; logic (Humphris, 2014). The main use of data arrays is in the implementation of both mathematical vectors and matrices. They also play an imperative role in implementing several data structures such as stacks and queues. Array allows one to store a series of correlated variables of the same kind and often referred to as a list. New int[10] is an example that best illustrates the use of arrays in computer technology. In Random access memory, an array refers to the organization of memory cells (Humphris, 2014).A Stack A stack refers to a kind of data structure used to store data in a computer. Apparently, when a fresh object enters into a stack, it remains on top of other previously entered objects. This essentially implies that when one decides to remove a certain object from a stack, the one that is at the top leaves first leaving the previously entered objects.Comparison between an Array, stack and queue The stack and queue are closely related data structures. The definition of each lies on two main operations that is enter a new object and eject an objec t. Apparently, the rule mainly used in the queue data structure is to ensure that one removes the item that has stayed for a long time thereby leaving the new items. The stack rule ensures that one removes the item that has spent minimal time in the collection. In an array, an individual can access the elements at any time but a stack does not allow for random access.ReferencesHumphris, C. (2014). Computing and Information technology. New York, NY: Eptsoft

Pure Substance Definition and Examples

Pure Substance Definition and Examples In chemistry, a pure substance is a sample of matter with both definite and constant composition and distinct chemical properties. To avoid confusion, a pure substance is often referred to as a chemical substance. Examples of Pure Substances Examples of pure substances include chemical elements and compounds. Alloys and other solutions may also be considered pure if they have a constant composition. WaterDiamondGoldTable salt (sodium chloride)EthanolBrassBronzeSaline solution Examples of Substances That Are Not Pure In general, any heterogeneous mixture is not a pure substance. If you can see differences in the composition of a material, its impure, at least as far as chemistry is concerned. RocksOrangesWheatLight bulbsShoesSandwiches Common Definition of a Pure Substance To a non-chemist, a pure substance is anything composed of a single type of material. In other words, it is free of contaminants. So, in addition to elements, compounds, and alloys, a pure substance might include honey, even though it consists of many different types of molecules.  If you add corn syrup to the honey, you no longer have pure honey. Pure alcohol could be ethanol, methanol, or a mixture of different alcohols, but as soon as you add water (which is not an alcohol), you no longer have a pure substance. Which Definition to Use For the most part, it does not matter which definition you use, but if you are asked to give examples of pure substances as part of a homework assignment, go with examples that meet the narrow chemical definition: gold, silver, water, salt, etc.

Charter and private schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Charter and private schools - Essay Example On the other hand private schools are schools that do not lie under the jurisdiction of the local as well as the state government and are basically run on the funding based on the fees collected from the students (Haertal 1987). The charter and private schools have different methods of running their administration and have comparable differences in their working and student selection. Charter schools are basically schools that are run from the public funds and they may be started by parents or other groups in community. They have their own teaching standards and they are not liable to strict regulations of the state that imply for other public schools. These implications include the production of specific results during a particular time period. But another important feature of these schools is that if they fail to provide for certain set standards by the state, they may be closed. Charter schools are free and do not charge fees from the students. This has called for their importance amongst the poor groups and communities who would otherwise not be able to send their children to schools. Also the charter schools may be started in old buildings and they do not follow the structural norms of public schools. It is believed that the basic goal of these schools is to provide for education of those people who may otherwise not be able to attend public schools.