Self-esteem and gender

The purpose of this finding is to understand the relations between gender and self- esteem using the method of convenience sample survey Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. This survey included 6 male and 21 female college students, total n=27 to predict self-esteem levels of each gender. In this study, the PV= gender, the OD= self- report and demographic, the CV= self-esteem, and another OD= score on survey.Researchers will use data collected to analyze self-esteem levels in both male and female college students. In relation to past studies, the hypothesis for this research s that male college students have higher self-esteem than female college students. However, survey results showed no relations between scores in self-esteem and gender. We cannot predict self-esteem levels based on gender because it is not the main factor. One implication for this study is to have larger representative sample to obtain stronger validity and rule out sampling bias.Keywords: self-esteem, gender role , Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, predictor variable (PV), operational definition (OD), criterion variable (CV) Introduction Past researches have shown that self-esteem plays an important role in etermining the academic achievement and health levels of both genders. Researchers predicted that there is a relation between gender role and self-esteem. Therefore, many studies have been done to predict the possible outcome of the above hypothesis.When we try to find out if gender really does play an important role in one's academic achievement and levels of health, we can try to develop new ways to improve these conditions for both genders. Self-esteem creates huge impacts in each individual living standards and performance, for learning to compare self-esteem level in both genders will help researchers to acquire knowledge about ach gender behavior. Researchers could then apply alternative ways to analyze these behaviors and conduct further psychological studies which will benefit th e learning of people's behaviors in general.In The Relationship between Gender Type of Sport, Body Dissatisfaction Self- esteem and Disordered Eating behaviors in Division I Athletes (Milligan & Pritchard, 2006), it is shown that women with eating disorders behaviors have body dissatisfaction, and low self-esteem where as men with disorders eating behaviors only have body dissatisfaction. This shows gender is a factor that proves women do not have strong coping skills as men.Next, the article Linking self-differentiation and mental health in lower grade college students with different genders: Moderating role ot selt-esteem (Yao & explores the association between the selt- differentiation and mental health in both genders, and the results indicate that male students have higher levels of self-esteem than female students. Female students are at higher risk to not seek help for their mental health problems. However, one source disconfirmed these researchers' earlier hypothesis.From th e Gender differences in domain- specific self-esteem: A meta-analysis (Gentile et, al. 2009) hich examines gender differences in ten specific- domain of self-esteem across one hundred and fifteen studies, there was no relationship in gender differences in academic, social acceptance, family and affect self-esteem. These results rejected our current hypothesis in terms that gender is not a factor in determining individual's self-esteem levels which cause better achievement in academic and in health. To conclude, gender role has no relationship with self-esteem.Discussion Our group research finding hypothesis was not supported because we predicted that there is a relation between gender role and self-esteem. After we calculated our onvenience survey Coppersmith Self-esteem Inventory results taken from twenty seven students, both male and females college students at the age of eighteen to thirty five, here are our results: gender, OD = self-report and demographic, CV= self-esteem, OD = CSEI score on survey. Our r value is . 054, df is 25. The critical value for r at a significance level of . 05 (middle column, two-tailed on page 411) is . 3809.Our r value of . 054 is less than the above r value of . 3809. Our r value is not significant and is very close to zero. This means that there was no relation between our variables, for our results were not significant. Therefore, we found no relation between gender and self-esteem; we cannot predict participants' self-esteem based on their gender roles. The only source that would support our result finding was the last article in Gender differences in domain- specific self-esteem: A meta- analysis (Gentile et, al. 2009), which we thought it would disconfirm with our earlier hypothesis.As a result, our prediction was incorrect, for this article supported our current finding. This article indicates gender is not valid predictor variable that can be used to manipulate/calculate the criterion variable, which in this case is a tudent's self-esteem level. Therefore, gender differences have no impacts on students' academic, social acceptance, family relationship and affect self-esteem. Since we had a small sample of participants, it was hard to generalize our finding because there was not much to analyze and we also thought this factor affected our results.Besides, participants' agreement with the CSEI questionnaires did not guarantee their truthful emotions at the time they were taking the inventory because they had a handful of surveys to complete. The likelihood for participants to have responsive bias in this survey is high. For future studies, we would definitely try to get larger and equal number of participants whom would actually be a representative sample that represent both gender populations. This will help us to obtain stronger validity for the study and rule out sampling bias.In sum, we feel that understanding self-esteem levels in each individual is very important because it will help us to de velop better ways to improve our conditions and adopt new ways to cope with our obstacles. As we learn how self-esteem affects our behaviors, we will have more awareness and perception of our own selves and between both genders. It is significant to note that self-esteem has no relationship with gender because this will help people to eliminate stereotypical views tor botn genders in determining their success in academic, mental health, and physical satisfaction.

Langston Hughes “Theme for English B”

Langston Hughes â€Å"Theme for English B,† was written in part of an assignment given to Hughes from his college instructor. The instructor said, â€Å"Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you-Then, it will be true† (Hughes lines 2-5). Hughes viewed his assignment as expressing how he felted in the moment. He starts his paper by describing his journey from Durham, then to Harlem, where he is the only African American in his college class. At the same time, he outlines his walk from Harlem to his room. Later, Hughes expressed that at age twenty-two, his likes and interest was not much different from other races. Hughes then expresses his feelings toward connection. He says, â€Å"Yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American. Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you† (32-35). This expresses how he views different races in America. He views other races as being a part of one another because of the connection to the American life style. Basically, he is saying that because he and whites is American, they are connected through the way of American living, but at the same time, he expresses how the connection is not wanted or favored. Hughes ends his paper saying, â€Å"I guess you learn from me-although you’re older-and white-and somewhat more free† (37-39). Expressing that, even though the whites have more rights then him, they still influence him and vice versa.

Prison Rape

Prison Rape is no secret in today’s society. The American media has portrayed prison rape as a joke (Don’t drop the soap) in countless films, television shows, and in music, but have not realized the extent of how dangerous this crime is. Some cops even use this method as a means to get a confession from a suspect. A major obstacle in solving Prison rape is the notorious under-reporting of the crime. Only 16 percent of prison rape victims report their victimization. Reasons for under reporting are fear of consequences, shame, guilt, embarrassment, and refuse to relive painful details. This paper explores prison rape and its psychological and physical harm to not only inmates, but to society as well. It also discusses recent efforts to put a stop to prison rape, such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 and The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC) as well as organizations such as Just Detention International (JDI). Prison Rape is known as sexual intercourse through use of force, intimidation, and threats within prisons. Overcrowding and insufficient staffing are key contributors to prison rape. Most targets of prison sexual assault are young, small, non-violent, first-time offenders. A study of four mid-western states found that 1 in 5 inmates experience some form of pressure or coerced sexual contact while incarcerated. In most cases inmates sexually abuse other inmates. There are also less common cases where correction officers abuse inmates. Americans today tend to believe that this is much more prevalent in female prisons, however there is evidence that women are indeed raped by other female inmates as well and it can cause long term injuries. In a study pertaining to three Mid-western female prisons, 27 percent of the inmate population confessed to being sexually coerced. Although it is no secret male correction officers are sexually abusing female inmates, little to nothing has been done to reduce the male officer rate in female facilities. During Human Rights Watch’s examination of five prisons, the organization discovered that lesbian and transgendered inmates were more likely to be sexually assaulted by correctional officers. Officers target these groups because they want to enforce gender stereotypes. According to Calhoun and Coleman, inmates say about 20 percent of prison guards sexually coerce inmates. Inmates raped by correction officers usually do not report the crime because they are frequently disbelieved which only contributes to the problematic relationship between inmates and officers. According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR): †¢Rates of HIV are 3 times higher inside prisons then outside of one. †¢Female inmates have been impregnated because of staff sexual abuse. Male rape survivors become much more violent upon release which may ever conclude in them raping others. †¢Many survivors blame themselves, †¢Experience psychological consequences. HIV is not the only disease common in prison rape. Rape victims are more susceptible to diseases such as Syphilis and Hepatitis then the outside community. The rate of Hepatitis C among the general population is 1. 8%, while 14% of New York’s prison population is infected with the disease. Even more so, 33% of California’s prison population is infected with the disease. It is obvious that the disease mentioned, are all sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The assault, anger, and violence in these attacks make these diseases so much more susceptible because there is blood and other bodily fluids being exchanged. Even inmates performing consensual sex in prison still have a higher rate of these diseases due to they lack of safe sex procedure such as condoms. This can have a major effect society as a whole because once a victim of prison rape is release, they can carry these diseases without even know and spreading it to the general public. I believe if there were educational programs about STDs and STD testing in prisons, there might be a good chance prison rape can decline. If a rapist is aware that STDs are more common in prisons rather then the public and that his actions can result in him contracting an STD, he might re consider raping another victim. Contrary to popular belief sexually transmitted diseases are not the only physical harm victims of prison rape endure. Many rape victims endure broken bones, broken noses, bruises, cuts, concussions, and the obvious genital injuries. Sexual assaults also increases violent behavior in prisons because inmates who feel like they may be a future target of sexually assault, defend themselves, and lash out in these violent rages and fights to establish themselves with a â€Å"tough guy† reputation to prevent any sexual misconduct from other inmates. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun once said, â€Å"Prison rape not only threatens the lives of those who fall prey to their aggressors, but it is potentially devastating to the human spirit. Shame, depression, and a shattering loss of self-esteem accompany the perpetual terror the victim thereafter must endure. † Victims do not only suffer physical consequence due to these rapes. It is very common for victims to develop psychological illnesses as well. Victims of prison sexual assault frequently suffer from rape trauma syndrome or post traumatic stress disorder. Upon release of prison some victims will turn to substance abuse to cope with the emotion and mental damage while incarceration. In some instances victims have been reported to committing suicide, which only adds to fatality factor of this crime. There are some cases in which the victim became so used to being in a homosexual relationship while incarcerated, resulting in him/her to change their sexual orientation. Although homosexuality is not a negative psychological disease, the complete change in sexual orientation itself, due to this rape is not a healthy way to live. Some studies have shown that victims released from jail become much more sexually violent with the female partners. Incarcerated individuals who were raped and psychologically harmed pose as a threat to society because studies have shown that once they are release they become much more violent and anti-social then before they were incarcerated which ultimately make them more susceptible to creating more crimes. One of the worse social effects prison rape can have on the public is racism. According to G. J. Knowles black offenders and white victims are more common in male prisons while white offenders and black victims are more common in female prisons. Overtime victims begin to feel a hatred for the offender, which can evolve to a hatred for the offender’s race. Many of the stated problems resulting from prison rape have been used to form movements and organizations to stop prison rape. On September 4th, 2003 President George Bush signed the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREC). It is the first United States law passed dealing with prison rape. PREC was supported by numerous diverse organizations. PREA adopted a â€Å"zero-tolerance† policy, aimed to diminish prison rape. PREA also increased the penalties of staff members and officers who are found to be sexually abusing inmates. PREA set standards on how to detect and prevent sexual assault in prisons. Through PREA the Department of Justice was ordered to put the prevention of prison rape as a top priority in prison throughout the United States. The Bureau Of Justice was also order to produce an annual report on prison rape. The DOJ as came up with a review panel that strictly dealt with hearings pertaining to prison rapes. There were also a few bureaus under the Department of Justice such as The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) whose primary role is to award grant funds to state governments for addressing inmate sexual assault, The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) whose role is to research the impact of sexual abuse in prison rape victims, as well as investigating and prosecuting offenders of prison rapes, and The Nation Institute of Corrections (NIC) which trains and educate agencies and correction officers to help reduce sexual abuse in prisons. PREA also fought out to protect the Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment not me inflicted) right of local, state and federal prisons. One of the most important results of the PREA was the birth of the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC). Perk’s mission is to study local, state, and federal government policies and practices on sexual misconduct with in prisons. The commission reports their conclusions and findings to The Congress, The President, and many more important agencies pertaining to this issue. NPREC had 9 commissioners, 3 appointed by the president and 6 appointed by congress. Federal judge Reggie Walton was the commissioner. Other appointed members were John Kaneb, James Aiken, Jamie Felner, Brenda Smith, Gus Puryear, Pat Nolan, and Cindy Struckman-Johnson. Each candidate supplied surveys and in depth analysis of prison rape. Members of the commission research the relationship between prison inmates and the conditions in which they live. There have been other efforts, such as, the House Bill No. 642 try to eliminate prison rapes. Connecticut State Representative Pat Dillon says two types of people are usually targeted in prison, Non-Violent offenders and inmates of small stature. Dillon statesthat simple procedure can be done to prevent a rape attack. She quotes â€Å" You don’t take a 120 pound non-violent offender and put him in a cell with a 200 pound sex offender. † On one hand I agree with Dillon’s idea of matching cellmates according to stature. But on the other hand I insist that this is not a matter that can be easily prevented. Yes separating cellmates due to stature works but it will most certainly no solve the ongoing battle with prison rape. It is a much more complicated situation. One of the main threshold’s to the development of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, was a paper released two years earlier by the Human Rights Watch, titled â€Å"No Escape: Male rape in the US†. Joanne Marnier was the head author of this paper and had advertisements put in prison magazines such as Prison Legal news and Prison Life Magazine. After having these advertisements out, Mariner received letters containing graphic accounts of inmates being sexually assaulted and was very detailed. â€Å"No Escape† surveyed prison systems in 34 states. According to â€Å"No Escape† prisons ran by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice have the worst incidents of prison rapes. Prior to the release of â€Å"No Escape† there were very few studies of prison rape. This paper is noted at the stepping-stone to publicizing how brutal and inhumane these rapes are. In my opinion PREA is a brilliant idea in way to approach this devastating situation, however more need to be done. Because most inmates who were sexually abused will not admit to their abuse, there is a lack in how much help can actually be given. I believe in order to fully solve this prison rape issue, we must first solve the under reported factor of this crime. There have been other organization and movements to stop prison rape. Just Detention International (JDI) is an anti-prison rape organization, created in 1980 by Russell Smith. The original name of the organization was founded as People Organized to Stop the Rape of Imprisoned Persons (POSRIP). Due to its expansion with other countries, such as South Africa, Mexico, Canada, and The Philippines, the organization changed their name. According to the Just Detention website the founder, Russell Smith as well as many of them members of the organization were members of prison rape and are not paid for their work with the organization. JDI was formed during a time when prisoner rape was not so popular and wasn’t an issue to the public. It was one of the only anti-prison rape groups of its time. JDI played a big role with the Prison Rape Elimination Act and worked with Senators and Representatives. JDI played a prominent role in ensuring the PREA follows through with safety from prison rape. JDI has also helped as support systems for individuals who are recently release from jailed and have survived prison rape. Another supportive organization of anti- prison rape is the Human Rights Watch. HRW was actually even responsible for publishing the â€Å"No Escape: Male Rape in the US†. HRW ran several studies on prison rape and concluded that at least 140,000 inmates in United States prisons are most likely to get raped. On the human rights website, many articles are written targeting prison rape as an issue as well. In conclusion, prison rape has been a growing problem that has been kept under wraps for several decades. Prison rape has not only affected inmates but the public as well. Prison rapes have left inmates with deadly diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis, and Syphilis. Victims of prison rape also suffer from psychological disorders and are know to become much more violent and anti social upon release Physical and well as psychological harm to the inmate can spread to the general public upon release. There have been recent efforts to suppress prison rape such as the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, signed by President George Bush. An important factor branching out from the PREA is the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, which consisted of 9 individuals who studied on the matter extensively. The commission sought to decline prison rape by visiting prisons and checking up on procedure and making sure the laws passed in the PREA are being played out in prisons. Other non-government organizations have been formed to take a stand against prison rape. Organizations such as Just Detention International and the Human Rights Watch have been a strong force to decline prison rape. Although there have been many efforts to ban these heinous acts, I believe more has to be done because at the end of the day, prison rape is still very existent in today’s prisons.

Why do consumers purchase fair trade products Discuss Essay

Why do consumers purchase fair trade products Discuss - Essay Example The traditional theories of consumer behaviour were strongly related to the rational aspect of consumers whereas in the present scenario the consumers buy more of justice, intangibility and conscience. The issue of ethical consumerism has gained its importance in the recent times which clearly states that while making purchase decisions the factor of ethics is highly integrated by the consumers. The concept of fair trade can be related to an organized social movement with a goal to help the producers located in developing countries to make the best practices of trading and even to encompass sustainability. The fair trade practices comprise of high environmental and social standards and even advocates a higher price payment to the exporters. It is a kind of trading partnership that is based majorly on transparency, respect and dialogues that secures more of equity in the practice of international trade (Ransom, 2006, pp. 94-95). The major benefit of such fair trade is that it tries to establish the best conditions for trading and even secures rights for those marginalized workers or producers. These fair trade practices usually demands for the support of the consumers in order to raise awareness, campaign for changes, and even support the producers so as to eliminate the loopholes that are in conventional trading. There are certain fair trade organizations such as FLO Intern ational, World Fair Trade organization, Network of European Worldshops, European Fair Trade Association that involves into various forms of ethical marketing programs and aims at selling fair trade products mainly through supermarket channel so as to create a real impact through large volumes of product sales. The fair trade products provide the opportunity to the customers to shop everyday and help to reduce the level of the poverty across the world and develop a bright future (White, Macdonnell and Ellard, 2012, pp. 103-118). The fair trade mark on the

Brazil Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brazil - Research Paper Example An uncontacted person or tribe refers to a person or a group of people who live by choice without having contact with connected civilizations of the world. Given the sheer size of Brazil, it comes as no surprise that it contains a very large and rather extensive ecosystem. A variety of habitats can be found throughout Brazil; indeed, there are many species of plants and animals that have not yet been documented and it is not uncommon for new species to be found on a regular basis. Scientists and researchers have estimated that the exact number of plant and animal species in Brazil could easily approach four million (Scaglia, 2010). Some of the animals that can be found throughout Brazil include, but are not limited to, pumas, the extremely rare bush dogs, slots, New World monkeys, and peccaries. Brazil is also home to the largest tropical forest in the world, the Amazon Rainforest, which covers an approximate 1.7 billion acres. The Amazon represents more than one half of the Earthâ⠂¬â„¢s remaining rainforests and is composed of the largest, most species-rich region of tropical rainforest found in the entire world. ... Uranium, petroleum, diamonds, limestone, platinum, and hydro electricity power make up just a short list of the many resources found in the country. The great amount of resources throughout Brazil has â€Å"helped a lot in the enhancement of financial status of the country (Baer, 2001).† Because of the presence of these many resources, not only has Brazil been able to secure a healthy economy, but they have also found themselves to be less dependent on foreign imports, which is something that many other countries in the world are unable to make a claim to. Similarly, Brazil is a country that prides itself on what it is able to export. Coffee, for example, which is not only the choice beverage of Brazilians and the national drink, but it is also one of the greatest exports of the country. Brazil is the number one supplier of coffee to other countries, sending out approximately 2,249,010 tons of coffee each year (Rohter, 2010). Other major Brazilian exports include ethanol, airc raft, automobiles, steel, iron ore, and electrical equipment. These exports, which are on high demand throughout the world, have also helped increase and keep steady the economy of Brazil. Brazil is a country rich with culture and the Carnival is no exception. The Carnival of Brazil is an event that takes place every year forty-six days before the Easter holiday and is thought to be the most important holiday in Brazil. The purpose of the carnival, which dates back to the pre-Christian pagan era, is to say goodbye to all of the bad things in one’s life as a preparation for Christ’s death and resurrection, which is also symbolized in these carnival celebrations (Guillermoprieto, 1990). The Carnival of Brazil is celebrated differently throughout all of the cities of Brazil,

External Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

External Resource Management - Essay Example These are some of the points that Silver would want to emphasise to Dr. Spiller. However, these could be hardly understood on Dr. Spiller’s part because he is justifying his points as well. The centralisation procedure may be slow to react to local user’s needs and also may be remote from local user or internal customer. Dr. Spiller may have important specifications of an X-ray processor that he found can only be provided by New Age and he can certainly use this as important justification. On the other hand, in a decentralized purchasing activity, Dr. Spiller can actually enjoy the benefits of addressing the local needs of their department and as user of the newly X-ray processor. Their problems may be easily responded at better quality as well. Regarding this issue, it is therefore clear that Rose Silver is only trying to do its part for the good of the company. Dr. Spiller on the other hand is trying to do its part based on what he believes is right for their patient care. They both have essential points to stand on. However, this would matter depending on the generalised process that should be involved in purchasing activity. The first step is basically sourcing. In this stage, the purchasing department receives requisition and asks or solicits quotations. The next step involves authority and ethics. At this point the purchasing department has to negotiate with suppliers and then place its order. Finally, logistics and payment ensures that the supplies are received and payments are made. Based on the above procedure, Dr. Spiller cannot actually justify his concern with Rose Silver. This is due to the fact that Dr. Spiller’s concerns with their patients are not in line with Silver’s main functions. What is only in line with Dr. Spiller’s concerns with Silver’s role in the company is the issue about receiving requisitions and asking for quotations and supplier’s negotiation. 2. What risks or ethical problems cou ld potentially arise from his approach? In the absence of quotations or requisitions, Dr. Spiller could potentially face problems about dishonesty and untrustworthiness. The main point of having quotations and requisitions is to ensure transparency in the actual purchasing process. This is also to ensure that the right prices and quality standards are obtained. Dr. Spiller needs to understand that when there is money involved, the role of Silver is to provide transparent accounting system in order to justify the actual purchasing experience if it is in line with the organisation’s prevailing purchasing standard. In the absence of this, Dr. Spiller is most likely to be confronted with substantial ethical subjects including fraud as aftermath of the main issues like dishonesty and untrustworthiness. If he would push forward to his stand, Dr. Spiller may potentially be showing disrespect to Silver. Silver is a legitimate authority in the purchasing activity. It is not the concer n of Silver to approve Dr. Spiller’s request because there is a process involved. This process requires that everything should undergo specific approval of an authority. On the other hand, Dr. Spiller does not have much authority involved in the actual purchasing process except however for his specifications and technical know-how of the equipment. However, the final authority of the purchasing process

The Influential Factors, Key Current Issues and Future Directions for Essay

The Influential Factors, Key Current Issues and Future Directions for International HRM in China - Essay Example The move from traditional closed door economy to ‘open door’ economy, has attracted foreign direct investments or FDI which have given considerable boost to its image as nation that is ready to embrace new culture of cooperation. The facilitating employment policies, labour law, joining world trade unions and forging alliances with international business community have been few of the major elements of its liberalization. The Government’s recognition of the importance of human resources has been critical to the expanding business opportunities for both within and outside the country. The new labour policies and laws that incorporate the international parameters and conform to the wider international regulations have proved the efficacy of international HRM that Chinese companies and corporate bodies are increasingly adopting within their core business strategies. Scholars assert that new IHRM practices have introduced new formats which are based on investment and stake owner equity (Bell, Khor and Kochhar, 1993). These are important issues as they cater to the wider welfare of the workforce. But according to Child (1994), there is still strong influence of sociologist ideology of the government towards work, performance and rewards in local joint ventures partner in business alliance of MNE in Chinese SOE. The contributory factor could be strong political regulations that favour local people. In the contemporary environment of competitive business, business practices of the domestic market are inadequate in the global market. Expanding business must take cognizance of the changed equation of business practice with reference to the changing socio cultural background of the country, where one needs to establish the business interests. National cultures are critical elements that determine the negotiator’s assumptions and help to form business strategy based on behavioral pattern (Cohen, 2004; Rubin & Sander, 1991). Hofstede, (1984) has also emphasized the importance of culture in business paradigms. China being culturally distinct economy, must be understood for making successful foray into business partnership and alliances. The increasing trend in IHRM to understand cross cultural values therefore become vital part of business in China within and across the business entities that are looking for exploiting business opportunities there. 2. Key current issues in IHRM Dowling et al. (1999) says that complexities of Chinese socio-political and cultural environment have posed serious challenges to the businesses, especially their IHRM practices. The cross cultural understanding and the wide diversity of national cultures and most importantly the tight control of government over international business are issues that need careful considerations. Poole (1999) believes that use of local talent and resources are important part of joint ventures that promote local economy. The socio-cultural value systems are vastly diffe rent and business practices are very sensitive to behavioural pattern and intrinsically linked to their socio-cultural value system. Schuler (2001) says that there is strong bond of national culture that prefers to deal with local people rather than expatriate managers. This is important issue with the MNCs as they often incur huge cost on training

An interview with a manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

An interview with a manager - Essay Example Two different managers tackle the same matter in two different ways, yet both can be right or wrong. Taking this into consideration, it often becomes very difficult to realize how theoretical knowledge and concepts about management can be applied in practical work. In order to resolve such conceptual problems, an interview with a manager can often prove very useful so that the management theories can be compared with the practical trends in place. This can particularly help business management students realize the issues that obstruct the practical realization of ideal management so that they may be equipped with prior knowledge of them and prepare themselves accordingly. Owing to their central role in running an organization, the need of interviewing a manager for various purposes is commonly felt. However, it is not very easy to make a manager commit to the interviewer. It is not unusual for responsible managers to be ignorant of an appointment made with an interviewer. The haphazard and complex nature of work explains the reason. Therefore, the interviewer should have taken necessary measures on his/her own part so that the interview may be conducted with least inconvenience to any of the parties. This paper discusses the factors that need to be considered and taken care of while interviewing a manager. The information will be very useful for researchers, news reporters and representatives of other agencies who have to often seek information from the managers. In the paper, I have also discussed an interview with a manager that I personally conducted so that it may be presented as an example to refer to when required. For the interview, Ross Bannerman was selected who is the General Manager (GM) of the â€Å"Bannerman Seafoods† in Scotland. GM Ross Bannerman’s contact information was retrieved from the Bannerman Seafoods official website. A letter was faxed to him on the fax number mentioned in the website, followed by a

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Critical thinking - Essay Example Similarly, developing critical thinking requires strategies towards an understanding of and integration with environmental factors. I concur with the article’s position on significance of critical thinking in exploiting personal potentials, existence of different stages of critical thinking potential, and strategies to developing critical thinking capacity. Critical thinking is an instrument to exploitation of potential as it offers rationale for understanding personal abilities and identification of the appropriate need for such potentials. Once a potential and its need are matched, there develops motivation for manifesting abilities, including critical thinking. Critical thinking is also a process that requires ability to engage cognitively. Developing such abilities must therefore be gradual to pass through stages, as the article suggests. Similarly, being a process, developing critical thinking ability is aided by strategies such as being conscious of the environment, being flexible in mind, being analytical and connecting with the environment. These strategic factors facilitate awareness towards crit ical thinking for informed decisions (Collison, p.

Explain how inflation targeting operates in the UK and Critically Essay

Explain how inflation targeting operates in the UK and Critically evaluate the benefits of inflation targeting - Essay Example Inflation is all about price stability and it has been agreed by the economist that a rate of between (0-3) percent is the good enough rate fro the economy. With stable prices at that rate, consumer confidence is raised hence propelling the economy, if the consumer confidence is lower, then the economy will be stuck (Ben 2003). Inflation can only be made success through central banks making price stability its primary objective through strong institutional commitment to attaining that. United Kingdom was not the first country to introduce the inflation instead there are countries like Canada which did it ahead of them. Many countries over time have followed suit to introduce the inflation targeting within their economies with many others looking for technical assistance to help them introduce it (Richard 2005). Japan is one of the few who have not adopted it yet because of its well developed economy with rather stable inflation rate. UK inflation is therefore currently more stable in comparison with the past performance. UK quit ERM in 1992 due to rising tension between having to follow a tight policy framework in order to maintain existing exchange rate and the other option of having to cut the domestic downfall by taking down interest rates it (Richard 2005). ... With such big concern about inflation and well versed with knowledge of the trade-off between output and the inflation, the policy maker will then fix interest rates through adjustments informed by the knowledge on relative demand to supply and inflation. The central bank then set in the money markets the nominal interest rate and since prices of goods are somehow rigid then there will be movements around the real rate that always stand in absence of such moves by the central bank (Mervyn 2005). Due to these sticky prices, if a crisis hit the economy, it slips inflation away from the target and central bank can not quickly take it back to the track instead it has to take the longer old route by factoring in the monetary policy on what is the most. This older route will include having to factor in the bigger things that include having to go over the expected demands and supply and he pressure it will have on one another, that is to say the productive capacity of the economy and its co st implication as well as whether the economy is still on the track in relative to the expected inflation (Paul 1998). After all that considerations the central bank will then design a way to bring quickly inflation back to target with consideration of the impact it will have on the output. It will then have to decide on whether to aggregate demand should be stimulated or not and whether to be neutral. With all that there are unobservable effects of inflation on unemployment which it raises, the interest rates and growth of the economy through supply. The monetary policy committee (MPC) targets inflation by setting interest rates. When a shock hit the economy the committee action is not felt immediately. The results of adjustments in interest rates could yield tangible results after even

Fundamentals of Strategic Planning in Complex Organizations Essay - 1

Fundamentals of Strategic Planning in Complex Organizations - Essay Example One of the strategic trends observed in the health care environment is the persistent bid to make healthcare services more affordable, and subsequently enhance universal coverage. This trend is consistent with the social, economic, and political goal of improving the social welfare of the disadvantaged population. Another strategic trend relates to increased number of public and private health care operators. The motive is to implement strategic plans that make it possible for health care organizations to take their services closer to the people. Over and above this, regulation of health care organizations, health care financiers, and all other relevant parties involved by the government constitute a critical strategic trend in health care markets (Harrison, 2010). This move is valid in the sense that the end-user or the consumer remains protected from exploitation as the health care environment grows and expands. While health care organizations have been quick to identify emerging opportunities in the health sector, most of them do not utilize their full potential. In other words, operational inefficiency has not been fully accounted for. Health care organizations need to focus on short term and long term strategic plans as they evaluate their performance from time to time. This would help them align their operations in such a way that allows for change, without necessarily increasing operational

First People of Canada Essay Example for Free

First People of Canada Essay The purpose of the writer is to present his analysis of the present condition of the educational system of Canada which he regards as colonial education for the aborigines of Canada. He examined the manner in which the Indigenous education and epistemologies have been ignored and undermined and made recommendations on the revitalization of an education reflective of the needs and sentiments and culture of the Aboriginal Canada. The article is based on facts and not opinion. The information given are well researched and are supported as the writer presented evidences that the present educational system has â€Å"physically, spiritually and mentally destructive and disruptive components of colonial education (p. 3)† The objective of the author is well achieved as his arguments are logical. His choice of language is effective for his intended audience is the general public especially the education sector who needs to do something about the colonial education. The author discussed that the residential schooling and the Eurocentric schooling and the curriculum are not reflective of the culture of the Aborigines and were far different from the traditional education. The education then is colonial and beyond the experiences and the daily life of the Aborigines. It needs to be reformed. The author is successful in letting his audience understand his point because his illustrations why he takes the education of Canada as colonial are very effective.

Business plan for a fruit processing company

Business plan for a fruit processing company Our Business Plan will be about fruit processing. This will reduce fruits post harvesting loss through processing fruits in syrups and concentrates. This will help middle and low income eaners as we find there is high need of fresh fruits juice as many of fresh fruits juice are imported and sold in high price which normal Tanzania citizen cant afford. Our company will be situated in Korogwe Tanga where there are many firms. Company has three partners, Mildred, Sophia and Saja. ABRIVIATION ASDP Agricultural Sector Development Programme ASDS Agricultural Sector Development Strategy BIT Board of Internal Trade DACHE Dar Es Salaam College of Home Economics Ltd GDP Gross Domestic Product HKMU Hubert Kairuki Memorial University MAFC Ministry of agriculture Food Security and Cooperatives MITM Ministry of Industries Trade and Marketing NARS National Agricultural Research Institute PASS Private Agricultural Sector Support SIDO Small Scale Industries Development Organization SIDP Sustainable Industry Development Programme SUA Sokoine University of Tanzania TDV Tanzania Development Vision TFDA Tanzania Food Drugs and Cosmetics Agency UDSM University of Dar es Salaam BUSINESS PLAN 1.0 Executive summary The current agriculture potentiality contributes about 26.5% of GDP and it provides employment about 70% of total labour force. Tanzania grows a range of fruit including topical and temperate. The annual production of fruits is 678,515MT (this is 5% of potential area exploited) [tanserve n.d] Agro processing in the industrial sector is indeed one of the underdeveloped sub sectors and according to a report by Commonwealth Secretariat (1997) it was seen to consume about 1% of the horticultural raw materials produced in Tanzania as compared to 80% in Malaysia which also is in the category of developing country [practicalaction n.d] Agro processing and especially small -scale processing is becoming very important in the country as means to reduce crop losses and value addition at production and collection sites and a way of income generating activity.[practicalaction n.d] However, the sector experience losses during and after harvest. Post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables are estimated at 50 to 80%. These losses are more meaningful economically compared to the cost of compensating for losses through increased crop production. Losses are caused by among another factors, mechanical, physical and biochemical aspects. SOMIL intends with this financial and economical projection the idea will bring new concept in a market and good strategies which will enable the company to acquire a good market position initially the company may have up and downs of new start but with the partner potentiality gradual the sales may increase once SOMIL gets good eyes to watch over it operations. A daily production of between 2000 and 3000 kilograms of fruit product is estimated to be obtained from an input of between 2000 and 3000 kilograms of fruit pulp/product is estimated to be obtained from an input of 5000 kilograms. Production time per annum is estimated to be 240 days. And the project intends to employ 22 people and it is an investment of Tshs. 300,000,000.00 which will realize Tshs 144,000,000.00 in year five times. Total production costs are estimated at Tshs. 290,000,000.00 in year one gradually rising in years two and three then falls in year five onwards. Project cash flow is favourable, it will start making profits from the first year of the project and all loans be repaid by third year of operation. This will be showing clearly in financial. 2.0 THE BUSINESS 2.1 The opportunity According to government record and statistics show the annual production of fruits to be 678,515MT, but this is only 5% of the potential area exploited and this can be caused by lack of where to send the increased production. 2.2 Need to be filled This project so as to say will focuses on increasing fruits usability which experience enormous looses especially during the season and create new opportunities for industrial development in rural areas through processing of fruits for fresh juice. More so, the initiator of this idea is a professional expert in the field of post harvest processing, having a long term experience in offering knowledge to small scale food processors and food enterprises and managed to make them grow to a medium scale capacity. 2.2.1 How the proposed business will fills the need With the capacity of operation which business plan to operate in, the company will process fruits for juice which will be consumed by low and medium income earners who are not able to buy exported fresh fruit juice. 3.0 Company and Company history Initially idea was brought by one of the partner who is professional in a filed and she has long term experience in food processing later on the idea was joined by two other partners who contribute in capital invested. 3.1 Company mission statement To provide 100% satisfaction by offering fruit in syrup and fruit concentrates of the highest quality, impeccable services, guaranteeing accurate supply, fast delivery and developing strong relationships with farmers and medium to small scale fruits processing business and entrepreneurs. 3.2 Our vision SOMIL forecast to be competitive in service while taking on prior responsibilities that are pertinent to our clients needs through producing strict quality and safe products, for health and economical satisfaction. 3.3 Company objective The products to be made include quality and safe fruits of the season concentrates and fruits in syrup. Neutrality will govern the products made since raw materials will basically comprise of fresh, mature fruits of the season without non-fruit fortification. SOMIL products are intermediate since they form raw material to juice making, wine making and fruit salads to other small to medium scale industries. Availability regardless seasonality forms another niche value to SOMIL products. The main objective is to ensure sustainable economic, food and nutrition security by seasonal reduction of fruits post harvest loses by 10% through processing. 3.4 Specific objectives To ensure the establishment of fruit concentrate and fruits in syrup industry is in place by end of year one of the project inception To establish appropriate links with stakeholders who will daily deliver to the industry quality seasonal fruits for processing To continuously encourage and support value addition to seasonal fruits so that the farmers are economically empowered Together with farmers and other stakeholders of the project area, to reduce the post harvest losses by 50% through fruits processing by year 2013 To continuously support technology developments in the post-harvest system according to zonal conditions, climatically, and socio-culturally and according to the needs of the clients for effective and sustainable availability of the industrys raw material. 4.0 COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Fruit concentrates and fruits in syrup are made from fresh fruits of the highest quality, maturity, and health from both temperate and tropical zones. The fruits have to be selected and graded through a rigorous quality control system so that all of our products have the best flavors and nutrient content that meet the national and international quality and safety parameters and standards. The products made by SOMIL will be raw material to other secondary fruit products that include among others; juices, wines, fruit salads and fruit based products. Bulk packaging will govern the products and minimum carriage weight will be 20 kilogram and maximum 200 kilogram drums. Literature review and a study visit to few industries in Dar es salaam indicates about 16medium scale and 300 small scale prospective competitors, however, paste, fruit concentrates and fruits in syrup are not their core activities to any of these companies. They specialize in finished products of this semi finished products. Similarly, the demand for SOMIL products especially during off seasons in which consumers shift to imported pastes and fruit concentrates is prospectively high. Furthermore, customers of secondary products (finished products) have become health conscious, which add to the unique selling point of the company products. The company is reputed of having competent employees both professionally and aggressiveness to deliver as per vision of the company. 4.1 Description of the business model The company will deliver its products in the first come first served basis. Since nature of business entail quality and safe semi finished products than enterprises of finished products will certainly find them highly convenient both as a time saver as well as all-seasons products. Despite the presence of few competitors the demand is rarely met, also they utilize mostly the imported concentrates that are generally fortified with non fruit material thus reducing the products nature and quality. Consumers of the finished products have become health conscious which adds to the unique selling point of SOMIL products as they are naturally made from whole fruits and vegetables with nothing added hence making the product whole, fresh and nutritional. The company is reputed of having competent employees both professionally and aggressiveness to deliver as per vision of the company. 4.2 How the business will create a sustainable competitive advantage Production cost govern to a large extent pricing strategy but also comparisons have to be made with competitors prices so a not to be very different for a product of similar or near similar. Other quality parameters such as health impact, intellectual property etc will also be considered in the setting. According to studies on food habits conducted by use of a case study of Dar es Salaam, consumers reported to be willing to pay a little more for a healthy product especially when they are ensured of its quality and safety (Mjawa, 2003) For this reason, if a small price difference is set (ceteris peribus), it will make the business sell few volumes of quality products yet with profits till it gains market reputation. 5.0 CURRENT STATUS AND REQUIREMENTS The location of the production area will be Korogwe town and marketing office will be Korogwe District Tanga region. The choice of a production location is strategically due to the place being the major centre of fruits growing with a horticultural hinterland. Besides Korogwe being centrally located it allows easy transportation of inputs and raw materials to the industry as well as products to the selling centre and consumers due to its proximity to most areas. The location will also tap the availability of labor that has been left redundant by many crop estates and industries that were closed and some are now affected by the world economic recession. Ample availability of steady services like ICT, electricity, and water are taken into consideration when selecting the location. Taking into consideration that this is a start up project, the following will form a production and operation processes. Table 2: Production process Step Process Description 1 Site acquisition, registration of business and other start up logistics Site us owned by one of the partner which will be transfer in the business under the law and legal contract. 2 Purchase of equipment Machineries equipment with the capacity of producing 500-800 kilograms per hour will be procured. Office equipment, a vehicle and furniture will also be procured. 3 Employees recruitment Director production and technical, manager administration and finance, manager production and technical will be the first people to be employee operators staff and hiring the security. 4 Purchases of production materials Identification of locations, suppliers of raw materials and other inputs; training on the quality to supply and later purchases to be done 5 Production process Receiving, grading, washing, desizing/pulping, packing packaging and storing 6 Marketing Market research, Transportation, advertisement, selling. 5.1 Description of where the business stands today SOMIL has 120 millions which contributed by three partners in equal shares also the company has plot in Korogwe which has own by one of the partners and transfer to a business through legal entities. 5.2 Description of what the business needs to move forward In order the company to operate successfully the business needs 300 millions. Where by 120millions has already contributed by three partners and remained 180 millions the company look for a loan which will be paid within five years. 6.0 MANAGEMENT The business is directed by three directors, who are partner and shareholder of the business. First partner is MILDRED MLAKI, who has two degree, one from Cape Town University of food and nutrition and the other is for commerce from university of Dar es salaam, Mildred will be overall in-charge of all processing operations. Second partner, SOPHIA MUSSA holder masters in human resource from makerere university of Kampala Uganda, she is working with reputable company in the country and she will be overall in-charge with human resource and public relation of the company. Third partner, SAJA JOHN is a holder of masters in strategies business from Greenwich University; she will be overall in-charge of market operation of the company. The company will employ other work 2 in finance and procurement 2 foreman, and production and technical will be hired and security on term for six month period to help initial stage of layout, installation and commissioning of the machines and equipment. 6.1 ORGANISATION STRUCTURE 6.2 Ownership The business is currently owner by 3 directors as mentioned above and the will contribute 60% of the initial investment and the rest may be sold to any interested investors or development partner. 6.3 Board of Directors/Board of Advisor A Board of Advisor will be selected to advice on matters regarding smooth running of the business based on qualification specific to the organization functions. Advisors will strictly come from research institutes like UDSM Process Engineering Department, SUA, NARS, and TBS etc since the business needs technical expertise and solutions from them for the benefit of making it outstanding in terms of quality and up to date with technological features. A political figure will be included for the health of the business; the main proposal is the Member of Parliament for Korogwe Constituency. 6.4 Key Professional Service Providers The services of a change agent like SIDO experts are vital for advising on entrepreneurship skills including business management and capital acquisition. The service of reputed audit personnel for legal advisor is required by the business, but company will higher advocate professional whenever needed. 7.0 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The current agriculture contributes about 26.5% of GDP and it provides employment to about 70% of total labour force out of which 56% of them are women. (Human Development Index 2007). This is because of its subsistence nature of Tanzania Agriculture but its potentiality for agriculture growth is immerse taking into the focus of the government strategies. TDV (Tanzania development vision) and ASDS that envisage to transform the existing subsistence-dominated agriculture progressively into commercially profitable and viable production systems so as to make it modernized, commercial, highly productive and profitable by utilizing new technologies and available technologies and manpower in an overall sustainable manner. (www.tanzania.go.tz) Agro processing in the industrial sector is indeed one of the underdeveloped sub sectors and according to a report by Commonwealth Secretariat (1997) it was seen to consume about 1% of the horticultural raw materials produced in Tanzania as compare to (80%) in Malaysia which also is in the category of developing country. Also according to PASS (2002), 65% of the processed products are consumed within the country. This indicates the availability of investment opportunities in the fruits and vegetable processing (www.tanzania.go.tz) Most of the processing plants operate under capacity due to old technology used, irregular supply of raw materials and low technical skills. However, there is some investment in processing industry taking place and efforts are being made to promote more investment in this area. Small-scale processing in becoming very important in the country as means to reduce crop losses and value addition at production and collection sites, and a way of income generating activity. To date over 5,700 processors have been trained and at least 3000 jobs created (SIDO, 2007). The future discourse for industrial development in Tanzania is elaborated in the Sustainable Industrial Development Policy SIDP. The main purpose of SIDP (Sustainable Industry Development Programme) is to set out a path for industrializing Tanzania so that by the turn of the first quarter of the 21st Century is becomes a semi industrialized country. Recently, individuals and or groups of women entrepreneurs and youth have engaged themselves into processing of fruits and vegetables for niche markets. These groups have received basic training in food processing technology through research institutions such as TIRDO (Tanzania Industrial Research Development Organization, TFNC (Tanzania Food Nutrition Centre) SUA (Sokoine University of Agriculture), Agriculture Research Institute Uyole, Mbeya Horticulture Research Training Institute Tengeru, Small scale Industry Development Organization (SIDO) and non-government organizations supporting community, nutrition and health improvement programmes. Such groups are mainly engaged in drying of fruits like ripe bananas, pineapples and mangoes and traditional vegetables such as amaranths, cassava leaves, okra and cowpea leaves. Others are engaged in making products like juices, jams, marmalades, pickles, tomato sauce and wines. (www.tanzania.go.tz) SWOT ANALYSIS TO OUR STARTUP BUSINESS STREGHTHS Highly experienced technologically Willingness to deliver as per vision Strong team of management WEAKNESSES Limited capital to invest in large scale venture A less reputed venture not yet gained a name OPPORTUNITIES Niche markets that take advantage of seasonal shortages Consciousness of fresh and nutritional healthy products by consumers Availability of ample and variety of fruits in most time of the year Location is along the fruits and vegetable growing zone Location centrally located, feasible transport wise to both farmers and consumers Availability of many funding arrangements like loans and grants for investors and entrepreneurs. Recent economic recession will reduce competing imports to a large extent THREATS Importation of less quality but cheap concentrates Emerging large scale investors with similar project Weather calamities such as drought that may hamper production Inconsistent supply of raw materials due to seasonality Substitutes such as Soda and Mineral water especial Uhai, Kilimanjaro, Dasani, masafi and so on 7.1 Competitive position within target market 7.2 Competitors analysis Few medium to large scale industrial processing plants in Tanzania that are currently operational, are located in strategic areas of high production and/or consumption like Bakhresa Food products, Noble Foods beverages Ltd, A-One products and Bottlers Ltd and Redgold in Dar es Salaam region, Darsh Industries Ltd in Arusha region, Dabaga Fruit and Vegetable Caning Factory in Iringa region. These factories produce a range of products that include fruit juices of various kinds, tomato sauces, pickles, wine, ketchup, etc. Other factories are emerging in other potential areas like in Morogoro as more investors venture into this sub-sector. (www.tanzania.go.tz) Table 1. The following table indicates few of the prospective competitors. Name of competitors Product made Strengths Weaknesses Remarks that makes SMS to capture a market share Noble foods-fruits juices Mango juice Fresh mangoes during the season. Have good packages No production during off season, manufactures only one product -mango juice Potential customer during off season may purchase other fruit pulps for SMS Bakhresa Food Industries -|Azam fruits juices Juices: mango, guava, apple, pineapple oranges May not lack raw material due to utilizing imported concentrates, few fresh fruits. Utilizes all the raw material in his own industry Although a big competitor but not threatening because he cannot sell to others hence consumers of SMS are maintained Red Gold Tomato products Sauces and Chill Uses fresh tomatoes during the season, import during off season Do not stock enough for off season production Potential competitor and customer Small scale wineries, juice processors Tomato products, wines, juices and fruit blend recipes Uses fresh fruits of the season Normally do not stock enough for the year. Have little funds and small premises for keeping large amounts of raw materials May be competitors during the season but big customers during off season Other medium and small scale industries Tomato products, wines, juices and fruit blend recipes Uses fresh fruits and vegetables as raw materials to their secondary products Cannot stock due to capital, convenience, expertise and space Potential customer Talking about competitors also there is a threat of substitute such and Soda and mineral water. 7.3 Market size and Trends According to the Confederation of Tanzania Industries directory (2007), the total market is about 316 consumers for these products. The business estimates to capture 10% in the first year 20% in the second year and growing to 30% in year five onwards. This will be due to gaining faith regarding quality as compared to imported products. The business administration will take care of customer training building regarding confidence building. Regarding a study by Tanzania Food Drugs and cosmetic Agency (TFDA) on Inventory of Food industries (2006), medium and small scale industries that will utilize SOMIL products are concentrated in Arusha, Moshi, Dar es Salaam, and Tanga regions and most of these utilize the product as raw material for making secondary products such as sauces, wines and juices. Government efforts to strengthen the increased production of non traditional crops such as fruits and vegetables because they are of high value to both farmers and the country impact positively to the availability of raw materials for SMS products and hence ensure readily availability of raw material for SMS products and hence ensure readily availability of products to clients. The world economic trends may have a positive impact on customers products due to reduction of imported concentrates. 8.0 MARKETING PLAN 8.1 Market Summary SOMIL fruits product will possesses good information about the market and known a great deal about the common attributes of the most prized customer. This information will be leveraged to better understand who is served, what their specific needs are and how SOMIL can better communicate with them. [Kotler P Keller KL1956, P.61-67] 8.2 Marketing strategy The initial focus will be locally where small scale and medium fruits processing industries are located. Due to capacity of the industry at the moment, there are no plans to go beyond Tanzania and Zanzibar. The strategy will initially be identification using data from Board of Internal Trade (BIT), the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare-TFDA and Ministry of Industries Trade and Marketing (MITM) as well as Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and other trade newsletters. The selected few will be visited for introduction and sample sending. Then a business may further advertise in public media newspapers, radio leaflets distributed to road users for know. In future we will advertise at Televisions also. 8.3 Concept testing Concept test system can improve the company chances of success in developing and introducing new products. Our organization will go door to door for the concept test in order to get the view of the public concerning with our types of product; this will be done in public area like schools, Hospital and churches. Design employs sequential public study in which up to 50 groups of 10 to 20 participants each test one product. These studies typically consist of three surveys of up to 30 questions each. The surveys are conducted among members of our Members. 8.4 Usability testing Usability testing is a technique used to evaluate a product by testing it on users. This can be seen as an irreplaceable usability practice, since it gives direct input on how real users use the system. This is in contrast with usability inspection methods where experts use different methods to evaluate a user interface without involving users. Usability testing focuses on measuring a human-made products capacity to meet its intended purpose. Examples of products that commonly benefit from usability testing are foods, consumer products, How ever in organization will used this test to improve our product in this areas efficiency, accuracy, recall, and emotional response. The results of the first test can be treated as a baseline or control measurement; all subsequent tests can then be compared to the baseline to indicate improvement. This test will assist the industries to know where we are going and what people says about our products, This test will be assist us to maintain our product and make it durable in all time for production, our organization will insure this test done before the product enter in the market. 8.5 Channel of distribution 8.5.1 Selecting a channel of distribution SOMIL when selecting a channel of distribution as Fruit product Industry will consider the follow: The consumer characteristics need and segment The company goals, resources expertise and experience The product value, complexity, perish ability and bulk The competition characteristics and tactics Distribution channels alternatives, characteristics and availability Legalities current law and pending laws. [Kotler PKeller KL1956, P.36-72] 8.5.2 Distribution standard SOMIL will have clear and measurable goals regarding service levels in physical distribution. In so doing there must be a clear distribution strategy for products to reach the target consumers, in this respect the clear distribution channel must be in place. 8.5.3 Customer Services SOMIL will understand the decisions involve delivery frequency, speed and consistency transportation and shipping to policies, whether to accept small customer orders; warehousing coordinating assortments; and so on. Poor performance in these areas may result in lost customers. [Kotler PKeller KL1956, P.36-72] 8.6 Production 8.6.1 Social responsibility. SOMIL we will consider the impact of companys action and operating in a way that balances short term profit needs with societies long-term need this ensuring the company survival in a health environment. 8.6.2 Natural resources SOMIL will make sure that the depletion of natural resources can be reduced if the consumption of scarce material is lessened and more efficient alternatives are chosen. 8.6.3 Environmental Pollution SOMIL will make sure that dangerous pollutants need to be eliminated from the environment and safe substitutes found. The environment protection is the major federal organization involved. [Ethical Partnership nd] 8.6.4 Child labour SOMIL we will make sure there is no possibility of child labour. Sometimes supervisors use this opportunity to pay this child less while they benefit against them. We will obey the law and perform as per given instructions. 8.6.5 Marketing SOMIL as a company which deal with products fall under the umbrella of the Marketing Mix (product, price, place and promotion) which describes the strategic position of a product in the market place. An enterprise involved in producing fruits products must have clear strategies of producing those products. Also the firm dealing with fruits production should have clear pricing strategies, promotion strategies and placing or distribution strategies. An enterprise we must be able to market what we produce and produce what we can market. Consumerism SOMIL fruits product manufacturer we agree that customer has right to be informed and protected against fraudulent, deceitful, and misleading statements, advertisement, labels Consumer safety SOMIL fruits product manufacturer we will make sure that, consumer are protected against dangerous and unsafe product. Consumer information and education SOMIL fruits product manufacturer we are aware that, consumer have right to be informed includes protection against fraudulent deceitful, or grossly misleading information advertising, labeling, pricing, packaging or other practices. Consumers choice SOMIL fruits product manufacturer we know that consumer has a right to choose means that consumers have available several products and brands for which select. Consumers right to be heard SOMIL fruits product industry, consumers has right to be heard means that consumers should be able to voice their opinions to business, government and other parties. This gives consumers input into the decisions that affect them. Advertisement/Promotion Promotion and advertisement our product should be an almost unconscious part of our everyday sales plan. We dont have to look far for an opportunity to market and merchandise juice. A great way to stand out from the competition is to produce our own juice, thereby offering customer juice beverages that cant be found elsewhere. SOMIL we have to understand our competitors, what they doing and we will take action against these competitors, especially as an entire generation or retail buyers is at stake. To reach the public, advertising is a necessity. We believe that advertising may reach non-juice drinkers and thus bring in additional customer to our business. Advertising deserves greater consideration as a part of the solution to certain

Advantages Of Aluminium As A Shipbuilding Material Engineering Essay

Advantages Of Aluminium As A Shipbuilding Material Engineering Essay The use of aluminium in any vessel involves a radical set of production methods compared to traditional shipbuilding processes. Hence, the methods used for the construction of aluminium vessels are an important factor in the feasibility study. The welding of aluminium is susceptible to hot cracking and can only be done using certain processes. It is important to employ the correct welding methods to serve different purposes. As aluminium technology matures over the years, new production methods such as aluminium extrusions were introduced in a bid to save time and which has also proven to be economical. The use of aluminium in naval shipbuilding exists in two forms; first there is the aluminium-steel ship, where in the case, the superstructure is made from aluminium intended for topside weight saving, and the hull made from steel. Then there is the all-aluminium ship, with the purpose of achieving a considerable overall reduction in weight. It is important to understand that though both forms have their advantages, there are design issues that must be addressed related to the use of aluminium in naval vessel. Background 1.2.1 Advantages of aluminium as a shipbuilding material Aluminiums most important characteristic is its light weight. When coupled with a reasonable tensile strength, it has grown to become the choice of material for many naval ships in the world. In a research by Wade (1996), when it comes to naval shipbuilding, mission capability is the most heavily evaluated criteria of the program. Speed is an increasingly important parameter under mission capability due to the shift in the maritime strategy of the worlds navies from blue-water operations that include traditional Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Air Warfare and Surface Action to littoral operations focusing on surveillance, mine-clearing, counter-terrorism and support for landing operations. Ship Structure Committee (2012) suggests that there are many design parameters that can be optimized for a better performance, where structural weight is one such parameter that gives the most out of cost efficiency. According to Lamb and Beavers (2010), a decrease in weight relates directly to the reduction in material costs and operating costs throughout the service life while reduction in the power demand gives a higher fuel efficiency, higher speed, longer range and additional tonnage capacity. Also, aluminium gives additional benefits in the form of maintenance cost savings, where less painting is required. Brown (1999) mentioned that corrosion protection offered by aluminium is around 100 times slower than structural steel. The excellent corrosion-resistance of aluminium owes its trait to the thin layer of aluminium oxide that forms immediately when the metal is exposed to air, protecting it from external elements. The use of lightweight material like aluminium can also lead to stealth improvement (International Ship Structure Committee, 2012). In a timespan of just over a decade, aluminium high speed vessels have evolved from 30m long vessels that carried passengers and operated in littoral waters, to 120m long vessels that could carry both passengers and vehicles which operated in the open waters. Ship Structure Committee (2012) gave an overview of the prospect of aluminium in naval shipbuilding. Aluminium is a growingly popular metal in the marine industry, typically the naval shipbuilding industry because of the wide range of physical and mechanical properties that can be created through the alloying process. Aluminium can be alloyed with chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, scandium, silicon, silver, tin, titanium, zinc and zirconium. This wide range of alloying produces different grades of metal each with different properties. Promising properties includes reduction in stress corrosion susceptibility, improving of toughness, strength and hardness, improving of strength without a decrease in ductility, good weldability, increase in tensile strength, elimination of hot cracking in welds, decrease in electrical conductivity and reduction in quench-sensitivity. However, the discrepancy of the material property and behaviour of aluminium was found to vary with different sources (Sielski, 2007). The differences come as a result of different standards used for determining yield strength. Some tests were done using a 50-mm gage length that measures only weld metal and heat-affected zone, and other tests use a 250-mm gage length sample that includes the base metal. Shown in the following is one such example of aluminiums yield strength discrepancy. Table (1), extracted from (Sielski, 2007). 1.2.2 Disadvantages of aluminium as a shipbuilding material Like any other material, aluminium also has its drawbacks. The two most important properties of a material are perhaps its yield strength and modulus of elasticity, a structure will be designed with considerations around the two properties to ensure that it is able to withstand a given load without exceeding certain permissible deflections and stress level, where the stress level is equal to the yield stress divided by a factor of safety. Albeit aluminium alloy has a high strength-to-weight ratio, it is to be noted that for every strong aluminium alloy in terms of yield strength, there is a stronger structural steel available. In terms of Modulus of Elasticity, which is the measure of stiffness of a material, aluminium and steel measures at 69 GPa and 200 GPa respectively. Since aluminiums stiffness is only a third of steel, it will likely be deformed three times more easily than steel if put under high strain. Therefore the use of aluminium alloy is generally only limited to vessels of up to 130 meters in length (Ship Structure Committee, 2008); the longer the vessel the more stiffening is required, until a point of impracticability. The figure below illustrates the undefined yield strength of an aluminium alloy as compared to mild steel. It is important to note that for aluminium, normally 0.2% strain limit or proof stress is used for design purposes. Yield Strength of Steel and Aluminium Figure (1), graph taken from (http://aluminium.matter.org.uk/content/html/eng/default.asp?catid=217pageid=2144417131) Another consideration is the low melting point of aluminium. As a naval vessel will likely be subjected to on-board fire if it comes under attack, the loss of mechanical properties of aluminium when temperature exceeds 200ËÅ ¡C (Ferraris, 2005) is unfavourable. Some classification societies and navies do not permit the use of aluminium for structural applications. While DnV, ABS and RINA permit the use of light alloy and AA5xxx series, Lloyds register does not. Brown (1999) noted that the cost of aluminium is roughly five times the cost of steel. Though it may be feasible to replace structural steel with aluminium alloy in view of the latters weight-saving and corrosion resistance properties, but it might not necessarily be economical. Table (2) Current Methods To determine the applicability of aluminium in naval vessels, it is important to look at the current aluminium technology available. The manufacturing and production process for aluminium is relatively new. Aluminium welding like the FSW process was invented just two decades ago at the Welding Institute in the UK. For aluminium usages to be feasible for large scale production of naval vessels, then the overall productivity must be improved. Such can be achieved through the application of aluminium extrusion and FSW as these methods offer significant cost savings (Collette et al., 2008). The existing studies on the reliability of aluminium stiffened panels can also give a clear idea of some of the impacts of aluminium usage. 1.3.1 Aluminium extrusions Adding to the advantages of using aluminium is its ability to be extruded. Extrusion can allow complex design of stiffeners to be produced which can, if used appropriately; reduce the effect of stresses experienced in the mid-ship region due to hull girder bending. Collette et al. (2008) researched on the ultimate strength and optimization of aluminium extrusions. Extrusion allows a designer to replace conventional welded plates or stiffeners with extruded profiles of varying thicknesses and it can be used on decks and side shells, places with large amount of area for an increase in weight savings. This method effectively reduces the number of welds to be performed and also reduces the complexity of the overall design of the structure. The study examined three different types of extruded stiffeners, the conventional T type, the sandwich type and the hat type for use on board a high-speed vessel. The performance of all three types was found to be similar, and the study concluded that the panel should be selected based on considerations rather than which has the best strength to weight ratio. Such considerations may include cost, ease of construction and material fatigue. In the figure below, the joining of conventional plate to the stiffener requires welding while for the extruded panel, both the plate and stiffener is extruded as a single unit. Sectional view of Aluminium Extrusion panels Figure (2) 1.3.2 MIG and FSW welding To consider the feasibility of using aluminium in shipbuilding, it is important to look at aluminiums weldability. Metal-Inert-Gas (MIG) welding, a subtype of Gas-Metal-Arc-Welding (GMAW) is the earliest form of welding for aluminium plates. In the 1950-60s, further developments gave more versatility which resulted in a highly used industrial process nowadays. Until recently, a new and better method of aluminium welding is invented, namely the Friction-Stir-Welding (FSW). FSW is a new concept of welding where the metal is not melted for the joining process so that the mechanical properties remain unaltered as much as possible. The join between the two plates is then softened for the metal to fuse using mechanical pressure. Kulekci (2010) notes that the FSW increases tensile, impact, and fatigue strength of the welded joint as compared to MIG process. Less hardness change and a narrower heat-affected zone can be expected in the welded material as less heat is produced from the FSW process. Higher heat intensity from the MIG process can damage the mechanical properties of aluminium. By using FSW, production rate and quality will increase and production costs will decrease. Friction-Stir Welding Process Figure (3), pictures from (http://www.fpe.co.uk/processes/friction-stir-welding) 1.3.3 Heat-Affected Zone Mahoney et al. (1998) researched on the FSW process induced Heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the 7075 T-651 aluminium alloy. A series of tensile tests both longitudinal and transverse to the weld produced results that showed the weakest region is at the lower temperature location within 7 to 8mm from the edge of the weld area. While the average weldable aluminium alloy displays a 30 to 60% reduction in yield and ultimate strength, the loss in ultimate strength of FSW aluminium alloy is only around 25% and the yield strength at the HAZ is about 45% less than the base metal. 1.3.4 Strength and reliability in aluminium stiffened panels Benson, Downes and Dow (2009) note that as aluminium alloy is an established structural material in the shipbuilding industry for high speed crafts and naval vessels, the analysis for large high speed craft operating in ocean environments have since developed rigorous methodologies for the evaluation of ultimate strength in the hull girder. The fast increase in capacity and size of aluminium vessels has led to the demand in new engineering tools and solutions to effectively analyse the structural performance of these vessels. One of it could be the analysis on the ultimate and fatigue strength of aluminium stiffened panels. The ultimate and fatigue strength of the panels can be predicted by using the Reliability method, which consists of firstly using limit state equations to determine when the structural member has failed. Secondly, to determine the average value and the collection of random variables distribution in the limit state equation. Then the final step is to estimate the probability of a failure. Collette (2005) researched that in the Stress-life or S-N fatigue approach, the fatigue life of a material is determined by applying continuously a varying load of constant amplitude until a crack is observed. However the main drawback is that it is not able to give feedback on the seriousness or the size of the crack. That is where the Initial-propagation of I-P method proved to be more useful. The main difference between both is that when the crack starts to form in the material, I-P method can estimate the growth using a fracture mechanics model. 1.3.5 All-aluminium naval ship With all the existing technologies and methods available for aluminium shipbuilding, aluminium has the potential to replace steel in the future as the main ship construction material. Lamb and Beavers (2010) studied on the significance of an all-aluminium naval ship. It proposes two types of aluminium frigate, one with a reduced draft, the other an aluminium equivalent of a steel frigate, with identical draft and similar in weight. Aluminium ship with a reduced draft can allow for a reduction of block coefficient, thereby reducing resistance and increasing speed. With a finer hull, less power is required for propulsion, in turn cutting costs during operation. The authors went on to conduct an analysis of steel and aluminium equivalent naval vessel design focusing on the acquisition and ownership costs. The findings showed that an aluminium ship can be constructed with just 7.5% of the cost of an equivalent steel ship even though 50% more labour hours are required for construction of the aluminium ship. The authors highlighted that this is possible due to the overwhelming benefits of aluminiums significantly lighter weight. Aluminium ship was also found to have operational and ownership cost advantages. Furthermore, advancement of aluminium technology in manufacturing process and design methods has closed the gap between steel and aluminium acquisition costs which in some cases, shipyards are producing aluminium structures more cost effectively than equivalent steel structures. 1.3.6 Hull-superstructure interaction One of the important factors to consider when designing a naval vessel is its hull-superstructure interaction. With the aid of structural analysis software MAESTRO, Hughes and Jeom (2010) determined that Hull-Superstructure Interaction is a very complex study that can only be visualised effectively through 3D finite element model, rather than an inadequate beam theory. The vertical center of gravity for any naval vessel is critical, therefore it is important to keep the center of gravity as low as possible, either by reducing the size or using a lighter material in the superstructure. Another important thing to note of Hull-Superstructure Interaction is the superstructure continuity with the ship side. A superstructure will participate substantially in hull girder bending in vertical continuation with the ship sides if the superstructure is long and continuous. It will undergo the same bending radius as the hull. If the superstructure rises from the same plane as that of the ship sides, then the bending will be maximal. To exclude the superstructure from any hull girder bending, it is possible to do so through offsetting it from the side sides. If superstructure is not in line with the ship sides, due to the flexibility of the deck beams, the sides of the superstructure can be subjected to a much larger radius of curvature. In the case of such design, then an intermediate transverse bulkhead must be included in amid-ship for the purpose of terminating excessive cyclic deflections and stresses in the deck structure. The above are especially critical as a design consideration with regards to naval vessels. To further complicate matters; in a naval vessel, the amid-ship portion is used for RAS operation, or Replenishment At Sea. RAS operations are very difficult manoeuvres to execute; and it has to take place in amid-ship due to the heavier pitching motions of the vessel at both ends. In addition to that, RAS operations also require a large open deck area on both sides of the vessel. This means a reduction in the size, or width of the superstructure in amid-ship, precisely the area which experiences the largest hull girder bending. 1.3.7 Fatigue-induced cracking In the case of an aluminium superstructure, the fatigue experienced will be even greater than for an equivalent steel superstructure (Grabovac et al., 1999). The cases of similar Royal Australian Navy FFG-7 class frigates which experienced fatigue-induced cracking in the aluminium superstructure were caused by a combination of applied cyclic stresses and stress concentration interacting with a region of material weakness. This problem of fatigue-induced cracking has surfaced in almost all ships of this class. The vessel has a continuous aluminium superstructure welded atop a steel hull, which is prone to a substantial amount of hull-girder bending (Hughes and Jeom, 2010). This further reflects on how the Hull-Superstructure Interaction can affect a vessel. In the case of their study, composite material is then chosen for repairing of the cracked region by adhesive bonding, which proved to be working later on with subsequent series of assessments. Methodology Lamb and Beavers (2010) introduced three types of ship for their study, the baseline steel, the aluminium reduced draft and the aluminium reduced block coefficient ship for comparison. The aluminium reduced block coefficient has the same draft as the baseline steel ship but its block coefficient is much lower than the other aluminium ship. The authors designed a 10m long mid-ship section of a naval vessel and then derived the scantlings using the ABS High Speed Naval Craft Rules. The scantlings include steel, aluminium and aluminium extrusion. Subsequently, bending moment and stress calculations were performed and the results shown were much less than the design stress of 23.5 t/cm ² for steel and 12.4 t/cm ² for aluminium. Reasons for the huge differences were given that most of the plating is based on allowable minimum thickness rather than that derived from the formulas. 1.4.1 Linear Stress Analysis The structural study in the present paper will adopt the Linear Stress Analysis method. Similar to the work of Lamb and Beavers (2010), the material behaviour in this study will only be looked at in the elastic range. In the Linear Stress Analysis, the stress is assumed to be directly proportional to the strain and the structural deformations are proportional to the load. Shown below is the stress-strain graph of a material, where the limit of proportionality is the limit of the Linear Stress Analysis. Considerations will not be made for the behaviour after the limit of proportionality. Where (C) is the proof stress of the material. Stress-strain graph Figure (4), graph taken from (http://www.sr.bham.ac.uk/xmm/structures3.html) In the case of Non-linear Stress Analysis, problems are solved by applying the load slowly, and then take account of the deflection with each increment. Stresses will be updated with each increment until the full load is applied. A more complex Non-linear FEA requires iterations for equilibrium with each increment; hence it is a computationally expensive approach. 1.5 Discussion Aluminium usage in naval shipbuilding has been increasing steadily over the years as shown in the literature above. Commercial and merchant aluminium vessels were built with different purposes and intentions in mind, some built for an increase in speed, some for more capacity and some simply for costs saving. In the case of naval ships however, they share more similarities. Common objectives would be an increase in speed and payload, if not for a reduction in draft. It is therefore important to understand what different aluminium alloys can offer for different specific function of the ship. Aluminium alloy as mentioned earlier was found to have some discrepancies among various authorities; this might be due to the poor definition of aluminiums yield strength due to the nature of its properties. Nonetheless, aluminiums yield strength will be taken as 0.2% of its strain limit. Designing an all-aluminium vessel of a 130m in length is an inherently complex task, and the strongest design, most up-to-date methods of production and manufacturing must be adopted to reduce the risk of a structural failure. Due to the nature of the method employed in this paper, where a standard steel hull will be replaced by an aluminium equivalent, it is important to consider the application of aluminium extrusion as a more effective way to increase the stiffness of the hull to ensure no deformation takes place prematurely. As fatigue-induced stresses was found on almost all of the FFG-7 class frigates, there is a need to study the hull-superstructure interaction of the vessel and understand the effects if applied on an all-aluminium vessel. Among the past studies, few have made comparison between a steel ship and an aluminium ship. One notable work is from Lamb and Beavers (2010), which based their calculations on a hypothesised frigate. This present paper differentiates from that in a way that it looks at the differences between the two materials if used on an existing vessel. For a ship that already has an optimum hull form, and re-designing it would be irrelevant due to specific mission capabilities, it will be useful to adopt this approach. Another way to look at it is that certain navies might prefer to build an aluminium equivalent of a steel Off-the-Shelf (OTS) ship like the FFG-7 which has proven to be a cheap and seaworthy ship, than to completely redesign an entire vessel. The design process of a new naval vessel can take up to several years. Apart from that, the past research of the all-aluminium ship with its cost and feasibility study was found to be outdated and non-applicable to the present year. The present research will provide an up to date costs comparison between steel and aluminium, inclusive of costs incurred in the welding process, and with the additional consideration for aluminium extrusions. Also critical will be the consideration of the various methods of welding. It is important to note that there are limitations within this feasibility study. The Linear Stress Analysis method adopted is only accurate to a certain extent and Non-linear Stress Analysis method should be adopted for any future work in this topic. Also, there are considerations which will not be covered in this feasibility study. Factors such as the lack of infrastructure for aluminium naval shipbuilding in terms of aluminium workshops and supply of aluminium panels will not be considered. Limitations may also include the lack of skilled workers and expertise in aluminium manufacturing and ship production. 1.6 Aims and Objectives In short, the purpose of this paper is to study the feasibility of using aluminium as a naval shipbuilding material. To achieve that, it is necessary to include the common shipbuilding material, steel, for comparison. This paper aims to give a clearer comparison, in terms of designs, methods used, costs incurred and production time of the two ships. The US Navy FFG-7 class frigate will be used as a base ship. Designed in the mid-1970s by Bath Iron Works and partner Gibbs Cox, FFG-7 frigate is intended to serve as an inexpensive escort ship. Its area of operations includes protecting merchant convoys, replenish groups, landing forces, submarines and carrier battle groups; also performing anti-submarine warfare or surface action. The frigate has a steel hull with an aluminium superstructure intended for weight saving. The overall bending stress characteristics in the mid-ship section of the frigate will be presented through load, buoyancy, shear force and bending moment calculations; one with steel hull and the other, a hypothesised aluminium hull of the same dimensions. Essentially, constraining the dimensions of the hull for an aluminium equivalent will result in an increase in plate thickness due to the reduction in the section moduli of aluminium. An alternative could be the increase in the number of stiffeners to be used and ultimately, the final design of the aluminium equivalent mid-ship section should include both methods for a section modulus increment. The results produced should show that an aluminium hull would still be sufficient in terms of section modulus to keep the maximum bending stress values under the design stress of the frigate, at 131.75 N/mm ² (Ship Structure Committee, 2002). All calculations in the present structural analysis will be based upon the linear elastic region of the materials only. Through the study on a mid-ship section, it can provide an idea of the stress characteristics of the entire vessel as the maximum bending moment will usually takes place in that region. Finite Element Analysis software MAESTRO will be used to model a mid-ship section of the naval vessel and give a better understanding of the structural stresses acting on the aluminium hull. The paper will go on further to present the costs relating to the two ships, in terms of acquisition, productivity and ownership of the vessels with respect to the current steel and aluminium prices. The results from the study will be analysed and discussed, after that the conclusion will be drawn accordingly.

Conflict and Tradition in Things Fall Apart Essay -- Things Fall Apart

Conflict and Tradition in Things Fall Apart The book Things Fall Apart successfully expressed how Chinua Achebe had succeeded in writing a different story. It pointed out the conflict of oneself, the traditional beliefs, and the religious matters of the Africans. Throughout the novel, Chinua Achebe used simple but dignified words and unlike other books, he also included some flashbacks and folktales to make the novel more interesting and comprehensible. Things Fall Apart was about a man named Okonkwo, who was always struggling with his inner fear although he was known for being a strong, powerful, and fearless warior. He feared of weakness, and failure more than the fear of losing and dying and that forshadowing the consequenses he got at the end. Through this man that Chinua Achebe represented the deep and rich human characteristics and the beliefs of one religion to another. The agriculture of the Igbo society was different than other societies of today. Yams were the main nourishment through every meal and they called these yams "the king of crops." Furthermore, people used the yams for every traditional celebration and used kola nuts to offer their "chi" or personal god. These food, as Chinua Achebe had described, sometimes related to or involved with the religion or ancestrial spirits. Sometimes there were certain celebrations for each specific kind of food such as the New Yam Festival. Chinua Achebe used agriculture to express certain characteristics of each festival and celebration of the Igbo society. There was not o... ...hrough this book that Chinua Achebe cleverly described the complexity of each religion and how it affected the African community at that period of time. The death of Okonkwo at the end was unpredictable to the readers because throughout the novel, Chinua Achebe described him as a strong warrior who feared of nothing besides failure and weakness. When Okonkwo committed suicide, he also committed the only thing he feared, and that was weakness. Things Fall Apart was the book about power, strength, sentiment, religion and love; it also contained several dramatic ironies. Although Achebe had written many books and novels, Things Fall Apart was one of his finest work that got listed as the Classic Bestseller. His delicately African style furnished the uniqueness as well as the prominence to the book.