Ben And Jerrys SWOT Factors

Ben And Jerrys SWOT Factors Ben and Jerrys is the ice cream company which is having the production facility in Vermont and marketing and selling the ice-cream most of the countries in the world. Ben Jerrys started making enquires about the Japanese market to start their operation in the world second largest ice cream market where the annual sales is approximately 4.5 billion USD. Even though the market is big and it is one of the toughest markets among the other. Here the language and the audience both seem unpredictable and understanding them without knowing their language is more difficult. But Haagen-Dazs have already entered into the market before 10 years. Ben and jerrys is the late entrant among those six leading players. It is the market where the consumers where demand high quality products and also with the more number of varieties and styles. Arguably this is the most affluent country in the world. Though Haagen-Dazss financial figures were not published, market intelligence suggested the ice cream maker had Japanese sales of about $300 million. Haagen-Dazs had managed to capture nearly half the super premium market in Japan. On the one hand, Haagen-Dazs would be a formidable competitor that would likely guard its market share. On the other hand, there would be no apparent need for Ben Jerrys to teach the local market about super premium ice cream. The market seemed to welcome the case information presents a situation report of Ben and Jerrys strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats (SWOT) factor report. Strengths Established successfully in the global markets in terms of USA and non USA Ben and Jerrys another part of their synonymous for social responsibility is Caring Capitalism. Ben and jerrys gave 7.5 percent of pre-tax profits to social causes like Healing Our Mother earth, which protected community members from local health risks, and Center for Better Living, which assisted the homeless Ben and Jerrys sell its ice cream with the chunky ingredients and catchy flavour names like Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey Weakness Ben and Jerrys unquestionably held the second largest market share (at 34 percent compared to Haagen-Dazs 44 percent) of the American super premium market, the company had started to lose market share. Hired Perry Odak at the recommendation of one of its member at a base salary of $300,000 with a start date in January 1997 Ben and Jerrys brand had the countrys fifth highest share of the ice cream market in terms of value, it still accounted for only a small 3.6 percent of the market Opportunities Seven- Eleven interested in bringing Ben and Jerry to Japan was that Seven-Elevens combined USA and Japan operation would become so important to Ben and Jerry Haagen-Dazs was being sold for 250 Yen per 120 ml and seven Eleven wanted to position Ben and Jerrys at a slightly lower price point Yamada would expect to add selected flavours of Ben and Jerrys ice cream cups to the Dominos delivery menu In todays health conscious societies the introduction of more fat-free and healthy alternative ice cream and frozen yogurt products Threats Ben and Jerrys was beginning to lose market share in both the total ice cream market and more importantly, the super premium market As the product would be exported from the United States, there would be a risk of negative exchange rate movement that could make exports to Japan no longer feasible Ice cream should be pack in personal cups and not in a 473 ml (one pint) size that Ben and Jerrys currently packed. The main fact is that small cups were the ice cream is seldom consumed as a family desert in Japan, but rather is consumed as a snack item. Customers mostly like to have that as an individual serving. Designing a small cups need the company to install new machines on the existing plants. The expense is more than $2 million for new equipments. Argument on General Terms Ben Jerrys began making inquiries about opportunities in Japan, the second largest ice cream market in the world, with annual sales of approximately $4.5 billion. Although, the market was big, it was also daunting. Japan was known to have a highly complex distribution system, its barriers to foreign products were high and the distance for shipping a frozen product from America was immense. Ben Jerrys would be a late entrant, more than 10 years behind Haagen-Dazs in gaining a foothold in the market. In addition, there were at least six Japanese ice cream manufacturers selling a super premium product. The company currently packing in a 473 ml (one pint) size but the market is for the personal cups. The main fact is the ice is the favourite snacks for the people in Japan. So the personal cups will pull the market towards the brand. Ben and Jerrys have not having the machinery to make the small cups. It would require around $2 million for new equipment and Ben and Jerrys are also ready to install the machineries in the existing plant itself. But in this period of time invest of $2 million for this purpose will affect the deal further. Japanese buyers basically expect the product on the perfect specification which they need. The Japanese customers are having the capacity to demand the company to offer the products on their specification. Merits and Demerits of entry modes: Ben Jerrys management was interested toward an entry into Japan it was not a good business plan. Entering into such a complicated market where the language and the audience everything is different. The entry will happen with the good financial background and the best management. The product is exporting from the Vermont so there is chance could be risk of negative exchange rate. It makes the company to face the unprofitable situation. This is the main risk factor on emerging the business in Japan for the Ben and Jerrys. The positive and negative factors are more in the entry of Japanese market for the company. There are lots of chances to get the distribution inside the country. On that entering with the help of Seven-Eleven is the safest way to the ban and jerrys. It reserves the freezer comaprtment for their product in the 7000 conventional immediately across the country. On the parallel side there is also a chance to lose the popularity among the audience. The Seven-Eleven planned to place the product within the conventional stores. Where the chances are like placing its product among the other existing market leaders. It will reduce the chance to be exploring the market like the Haagen-Dazs have done. Chances to become a store brands is too low. The deal between the Ben and Jerrys and Seven-Eleven will never affect the any existing product in the market. On the whole of business agreement there is a major drawback in signing the agreement and it is the ice cream package size. Ben and jerrys package size is 473 ml but the Seven-Eleven insisted Ben and Jerry are to be packaged only in 120 ml personal cups. The main factor is that Japanese market is mainly for the personal cups. They often consume ice cream in one of their snack instead of family desert. Yamada the company proposed to Ben and Jerrys to have the full control on the sales and marketing in Japan. By giving the full sales and marketing control to Yamada will helps the Ban and Jerrys in the positive way. Because dealing in an unfamiliar market like Japan will sure difficult for the company to operate. It also cares for the company to get the instant expertise in the unfamiliar market. Yamada is already known to the market in the frozen foods and building a chain for Dominos in Japanese market. By signing a legal agreement will make the Yamada to start the marketing process. It makes the Ben and Jerrys to be the leading brand in the market. And Yamada have already expected to add the different flavours to Ben and Jerrys ice creams and also planned to add some of its flavour to the dominos delivery menu. But so far no agreement has signed which makes there is no any specific plan. Seven Eleven can make the company to start the instant operation in Japan. But apart from that it cant make any more development in the branding. Because as Seven-Eleven committed it will sells six cups per day will never generate more popularity and revenue to the company. Ben Jerrys was the new product to the Japanese market and it is not having an enough budget to run a marketing campaign in the Japanese market. Seven-Eleven is the only hope for the company to handle the promotional efforts. But it never committed any specific plan with the company. Logistics Ben Jerrys had long been shipping ice cream to the West Coast and to Europe in freezer containers. Shipments to Japan were feasible in delivery reliability especially key, and, of course, costs would have to be minimised. Logistics research indicated it would likely take at least three weeks shipping time from the plant in Vermont to the warehouse in Japan. The product could not be shifted to another customer nor could another customers product be shifted to Japan.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

Macbeth: Blood Macbeth: Blood I am going to prove that in the play Macbeth, a symbol of blood is portrayed often(and with different meanings), and that it is a symbol that is develope 2. Lady Macbeth: A Wife In Support Of Her Husband Lady Macbeth: A Wife in Support of Her Husband One of the main characters in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, has been an object of intense criticism. Although sometimes regarded 3. Macbeth: Macbeth's Decent Into Hell Macbeth: Macbeth's Decent Into Hell Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare. Macbeth is a man who commits a series of crimes because of persuation from his wife that will 4. Macbeth: A Mature Man Of Established Character Macbeth: A Mature Man of Established Character Macbeth is presented as a mature man of definitely established character, successful in certain fields of activity and en 5. Macbeth: Aristotelian Tragedy Macbeth: Aristotelian Tragedy Kim Blair Per.5 Interpretive Test The definition of tragedy in an excerpt from Aristotle's "Poetics" is the re-creation, complete withi 6. Macbeth: Ambition Is Root Of All Evil Macbeth: Ambition is Root of All Evil It is said that ambition is the key to success. In the case of Shakespeare's Macbeth, it is the key to his downfall. He is presented w 7. Macbeth: Appearance Vs Reality Macbeth: Appearance vs Reality Brooke Soper The way people act on the outside and who they really are on the inside may be two totally different things. Some may change 8. Macbeth: A Tale Of Two Theories Macbeth: A Tale of Two Theories Macbeth(c.1607), written by William Shakespeare, is the tragic tale of Macbeth, a virtuous man, corrupted by power and greed. This tragedy co 9. Macbeth: Banquo's Soliloquy Macbeth: Banquo's Soliloquy John Spitzer In Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare, Banquo's soliloquy at the beginning of the third act explains some of his present feelin 10. Captain's Letter Regarding Macbeth Captain's Letter Regarding Macbeth Dear Family: I beg forgiveness for the prolonged period of silence previous to this letter.

Egypt: The Gift Of The Nile :: essays research papers

The Nile, is the longest river in the world, and is located in northeastern Africa. Its principal source is Lake Victoria, in east central Africa. The Nile flows north through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea, with a total distance of 5584 km. From its remotest headstream in Burundi, the river is 6671 km long. The river basin covers an area of more than 3,349,000 sq km. Not only is the Nile considered a wonder by Herodotus, but by people all over the world, due to its impotance to the growth of a civilization.The first great African civilization developed in the northern Nile Valley in about 5000 BC. Dependent on agriculture, this state, called Egypt, relied on the flooding of the Nile for irrigation and new soils. It dominated vast areas of northeastern Africa for millennia. Ruled by Egypt for about 1800 years, the Kush region of northern Sudan subjugated Egypt in the 8th century BC. Pyramids, temples, and other monuments of these civilizations blanket the river valley in Egypt and northern Sudan.To Egypt, the Nile is seen as the fountain of life. Every year, between the months of June and October, the great rivers of the Nile rush north, and flood the highlands of Etiopia. The flooding surges of the land, and leaves behind water for the people, and fertile land, which can be used for agriculture. The impact the Nile has on Egypt during the ancient times and present are consierably apparent. The influence the Nile has is so extensive, that even the speech is transposed. For example, "To go north" in the Egyption language is the same as, "to go down stream"; "to go south" the same as "to go upstream." Also, the term for a "foreign country" in Egypt would be used as "highland" or "desert", because the only mountains or deserts would be far away, and foreign to them. The Nile certainly had an exceptional influence on Egypts, both lifestyle and thinking.The Nile also forced a change on the political system and ruling in Egypt. Because of the vast floods every year, the country needed a ruler that was capable of enforcing of the farmings and methods used. Such as the hoarding of the water and the stocking of the food harvested. Second, only a stongly cetralized administration could manafe the economy properly.

Book Review: Little Girl Lost Essays -- essays research papers

PART A Little Girl Lost is an autobiography of Drew Barrymore co-written with PEOPLE magazine's Todd Gold. Drew Barrymore, a twenty-five year old actress (ET, Never Been Kissed, to-be-released Charlie's Angels) has overcome an addiction, proven herself to be a competent, intelligent woman, and is a major influential role model among today's teenage girls. Her biography begins with her first blockbuster, ET, and her experiences while filming and during post-production, as well as the relationships that were made and have served as basis of support throughout her whole life (Steven Spielberg as her Godfather). From there Drew travels backwards, providing a brief background of her parents, of her role in continuing the Barrymore family legacy within film industry, and then of the Barrymore's tendency to indulge in drugs and alcohol. Drew confronts the tabloids and gossip columns regarding the attention she received at such a young age, acknowledging the belief by many that she was a victim of 'celebrity glamour and fame'. Drew argues that her addiction to mind-altering substances stemmed not from the high profile lifestyle, but from her insecurities as a young girl conquering adolescence. When she was not filming, Drew attempted a normal life by attending a public school, where she was isolated because of her erratic schedules and enormous amounts of public speculation. Unfortunately, Drew longed for a regular life with real friends and a family similar to those of her clas...

Problems in American Education

The American system of education has often been criticized in many circles. By objective measures, such as standardized test scores, the United States lags behind other industrialized nations in scores on subjects such as math and science. The most recent comparisons have the United States ranked sixteenth in a field of the thirty wealthiest nations in science. (Glod, A07) They ranked twenty-third in the same field with respect to math scores. (Glod, A07) The regions with which these students were compared were, for the most part in Western Europe and East Asia.(Glod, A07) The popular American culture makes light of how uneducated the general population is. Shows like the Late Show with Jay Leno take to the streets and ask people relatively simple questions, which they cannot answer. Game shows such as â€Å"Are you Smarter than A Fifth Grader† make light of adult ignorance, and news organizations emphasize the problems in America’s schools. A close examination of the m otives, methods and goals of public education in the United States along with a review of public attitudes toward learning shed light upon some of the reasons for the substandard reputation of America’s schools.It can be argued that in terms of economic benefits, our schools are adequately successful, but in terms of a social and cultural tool, American schools fall well short of their foreign counterparts, as well as their own stated goals. (Rebell, 37)The reasons for this are lack of proper funding, the treatment of teachers, and the localized control of schools attempting to achieve unrealistic Federal mandates. Schools in America across the board are under-funded. Many studies have demonstrated that the quality of education is greatly enhanced by low teacher-to-student ratios.The National Education Agency recommends a ratio of no more than 15 students per teacher in Elementary schools. (Roza, Miller & Hill) Across the nation, the average class size for elementary school i s 22-25 students per teacher. (Roza, Miller & Hill) Given numerous studies that prove that the smaller ratio yields real, tangible improvements in math and science scores, it is clear that more qualified teachers and more facilities wherein they might teach are needed. (Roza, Miller & Hill) These assets, however, cost money.(Roza, Miller & Hill) The states and localities are expected to find money for schools, and the method of choice for funding schools has been the property tax. (Roza, Miller & Hill) Coupled with the fact that schools generally serve the neighborhoods in which they are located, and the endemic problem becomes clear: Schools from poorer neighborhoods will have less money because property values are lower. (Roza, Miller & Hill) Both the States and the Federal government have attempted, with limited success to solve these inadequacies.(Roza, Miller & Hill) The federal government, through the Title I program, has allocated $18 billion to â€Å"fill the economic holes † in funding for impoverished districts, but these programs have failed, as the money is often either diverted, or never moved owing to loopholes in the existing laws. (Roza, Miller & Hill) Federal studies have shown that school districts generally favor financially those schools who have the fewest challenges, and that Title I money is frequently funneled to schools with little or no financial need.(Roza, Miller & Hill) Teacher pay is another area in which the lack of funds has hurt educational outcomes in America. Thirty-six states have a funding gap, with a nationwide dispar ¬ity between high-poverty and low-poverty districts of $1,348 per student. Funding gaps and the lack of progress in eliminating them continue to contribute to the overall lack of relative success in America’s public Schools. (Carey, K. ) In twenty-five of a forty-nine state study, the highest-poverty school districts get fewer re ¬sources than the lowest-poverty districts. (Carey, K. ) Even m ore states have a gap for high-minority districts, thirty-one in all.Those thirty-one states educate six out of every ten poor and minority children in America. The shortfalls, some exceeding $1,000 or even $2,000 per student, are greatly at odds with national goals for closing the achieve ¬ment gap. (Carey, K. ) They fly in the face of any reasonable, rational notion of how to support our public schools. (Carey, K. ) Until state policymakers get serious about fixing these problems, they can ¬not in good conscience pretend to have fulfilled their basic obligations to those students who are most in need of a high-quality public education. (Carey, K.) Moreover, these numbers ac ¬tually understate the true extent of the problem because they don’t reflect the added cost of educating children in poverty. (Carey, K. ) School funding experts gener ¬ally agree that high-poverty schools need more resources to meet the same standards. (Carey, K. ) School funding comparisons tha t reflect this fact have been a mainstay of academic research and various technical analyses of school finance for a number of years. (Carey, K. ) Recent examples of such analyses include publi ¬cations from both the U. S. Department of Education and the U. S. Government Ac ¬countability Office.(Carey, K. ) The average teacher salary in the United States is between $39 and $43 thousand dollars a year, depending on location. (Average Salaries)It typically takes a four-year degree and additional study of content to qualify to be a teacher. (Porter, C) In contrast, other professionals with four-year degrees earn over twice that amount, particularly if their area of study is math or science –related. (Cowan, K. ) It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that qualified math and science teachers are in high demand. The money necessary to lure these types of people into education simply does not exist in the current budgets.Critics of this analysis argue that substantial raises in teacher pay would be â€Å"throwing money† at the problem, and over-compensating a population of underperforming teachers. (Porter, C) This argument is precious. The current population of teachers do not represent the best available, largely because of low salary; as better quality educators become available, the job market will become competitive, and with a very short time, the overall quality of those teachers would rise to the level appropriate to the pay. Related to the low salaries of the teachers are the cultural attitudes that America has toward schools, teachers and education.It is these attitudes that contribute to the problems that Educators in this country face when trying to compete with other nations. (Porter, C) Americans have long been used to the notion that a â€Å"free and appropriate† education for their children was a fundamental right. (Porter, C) As a result, many schools have devolved into nothing more than quasi-educational daycares for all American children. (Porter, C) The fact that American parents express more satisfaction with the schools than do their European and Asian counterparts illustrates the US cultural complacency with respect to education.(Porter, C) Students in these foreign schools work harder for a number of reasons. First, they are under more parental scrutiny, second, their cultures do not denigrate learning and academic achievement, and third, admission to favorable careers and higher education is based on close assessment of learning achievement in high school. (Bishop, J. ) In contrast, students in US schools do not recognize the benefits of education for a number of reasons. (Bishop, J. ) First, the U. S. labor market does not reward high school achievement. (Bishop, J.) Statistics indicate that for the first eight years after high school, achievement does not correlate to increase in wages for the high school educated. (Bishop, J. ) Most employers do not look deeply at grades of high school gra duates, and many schools do not send transcripts to prospective employers, even when requested to do so. (Bishop, J. ) Another key contributing factor to the lower expectations of benefit for American students in high school is the fact that college admissions are not based on high school performance as much as on aptitude tests. (Bishop, J.) The result is that neither students nor parents are motivated to push for higher academic standards, since they would jeopardize GPA, SAT scores and class rank, the three key statistics examined for university admission (Bishop, J. ). The fact that parents and students to not regard the field of education as important in its own right is caused by several factors. The first is the sense of entitlement that parents have about education. (Bishop, J. ) They feel that students have a â€Å"right† not to learn, but to get a Diploma, go to college, and achieve the financial success associated with college education.(Porter, C. ) Parents and st udents across the board assume that this is an entitlement, rather than something to be earned through effort and ability. (Porter, C. ) The basic notion is that education is something â€Å"done to† a child, rather than something the child â€Å"does†. (Porter, C. ) This attitude, shared by parents, students and even some administrators dovetails into the lack of respect for educators that is reflected by poor pay. In no other profession, are professionals questioned, criticized and scrutinized by their clients than in education. (Porter, C.) Despite teachers having obtained a four-year degree, additional training for teaching, and how ever many years of experience they might have, their clients (parents) are still convinced that they know more than the professionals as to how their student might learn. (Porter, C. ) The notion that â€Å"those who can’t do, teach† and the underlying notion that teachers have that job because they cannot do anything else contributes to this lack of professional respect. (Porter, C. ) Low salary validates this viewpoint. The underlying assumption is that if a teacher were competent, they would be doing something else that yields better pay.Often, this attitude is displayed by school administrators, who often treat teachers as fungible units of work, with little or no consideration for their abilities, expertise, experience or suggestions. (Porter, C. ) The fact that administrators are often acting according to governmental or budgetary guidelines does not detract from the perception created by their conduct. (Porter, C. ) In European cultures, as well as many Asian ones, the opposite assumption is held. Parents expect very high output from not only teachers, but students as well. (Bishop, J.) The question is not â€Å"can you teach my child,† but rather, â€Å"can my child learn from you what he or she needs†. (Bishop, J. ) While salaries for European or Asian teachers may not be as hi gh comparatively, the level of respect afforded to the profession is much higher. (Bishop, J. ) This begins with students believing and understanding that education is their responsibility, not that of their teachers. (Bishop, J. ) This causes the students to put in maximum effort to learn, which in turn solves a vast majority of the problems experienced in the American system. (Bishop, J.) A teacher who is unable to perform in an environment of students who are highly motivated to learn is not competent, and would need to be retrained or replaced. (Bishop, J. ) The recognition of the real value of education by the public makes the raising of funds to pay for quality teachers and facilities much easier as well. Since all of the community and the government recognize the economic need for quality education, it is given budgetary priority. (Bishop, J. ) Despite these deficiencies, the political will to spend the money needed to improve schools is not present.When a study is done which ranks US education as below international standards, there is often an outcry, and much talk about improvement, but very little actually happens. The Federal government has issued edicts such as â€Å"No Child Left Behind† which articulates goals without a roadmap or funding to achieve them. (Neill, M. ) This mandate has contributed significantly to the inability of schools to meet their educational goals. It is taken as a given, even by proponents of the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† program that it is under funded, but that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of this issue.(Neill, M. ) The federal government has, in this law, issued what is known as an â€Å"unfunded mandate† by insisting the States meet certain standards without providing the means to do so(Neill, M. ). This is merely one of numerous problems with the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† concept. (Neill, M. ) Modeling the concept after an initiative in Houston, the â€Å"No Child Left Behin d† program has been unable to reproduce that success in other places. (Neill, M. ) Studies of the Houston plan show that the success illustrated there was never really present to begin with (Neill, M. ).Results were manipulated by excluding non-performing students from counts, and even with that provision, the race-gap was not addressed in Houston. (Neill, M. ) By dividing student groups up by race and other demographics, studies have also shown that the more diverse the culture of a school district, the less likely they are to meet the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† standards of achievement. (Neill, M. ) In fact, some studies have shown that given current demographic shifts, virtually all schools will eventually fall short of the improvement standards set by the initiative. (Neill, M.) Since the sole measure in the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† initiative is standardized tests, the entire focus of education has become test preparation. (Neill, M. ) This narrows curri culum, and puts undue pressure on students, teachers and administrators. (Neill, M. ) It also forces curriculum away from higher level thinking skills which are far more useful assets for future academic, financial and social success. (Neill, M. ) â€Å"No Child Left Behind† demands that English-language-impaired and special-needs students meet proficiency standards without any means of making this happen.(Neill, M. ) The theory is that the mere institution of the requirement, coupled with the threat of punishment for failure, will force the schools to improve in this area. (Neill, M. ) By privatizing tutoring and support funding, â€Å"No Child Left Behind† not only takes money away from public schools, but also promotes the perception that failures of student performance are based on incompetent or lazy teaching, rather than anything associated with student efforts, or any other factor. (Neill, M.) â€Å"No Child Left Behind† labels certain schools as failures , which causes the quality teachers within such schools to transfer out, and creates a difficult climate for the schools to recruit quality teachers. (Neill, M. ) The initiative in no way addresses socio-economic causes of academic struggles, making no effort to feed, clothe or house underachieving students in order to make them able to focus on academics. (Neill, M. ) Finally, the remedies offered by â€Å"No Child Left Behind† have failed to â€Å"fix† schools which prove to be â€Å"in need of improvement† according to their own standards.(Neill, M. ) In fact, the initiative actively prevents measures which have proven to offer improvement for schools with poor performance records. (Neill, M. ) Portfolio assessment, teacher training, proactive parent involvement, and other proven methods of improvement are shoved aside in favor of artificial standards based on tests that fail to address the actual goals of education, and whose contents are ridiculously unrepr esentative of competent content. (Neill, M. )Lack of proper funding, the treatment of teachers, and the localized control of schools attempting to achieve unrealistic Federal mandates have caused United States Schools to under perform in comparison to their European and Asian counterparts. The culture of contempt for education professionals and disengaged parents have created a system which is deeply flawed. Resolution of these problems would involve wholesale restructuring, massive rebuilding and huge amounts of money.Given the continued economic strength of the United States despite perennial failures in education, it is likely that the government will allow the â€Å"top ten percent† to gain benefits from public education, while everyone else, including parents, teachers, administrators and most students are left mired in a tangle of misguided regulation, spurious funding, unrealistic expectations and public contempt for their efforts. Bibliography â€Å"Average Salaries of Public School Teachers† The National Education Agency Website 2004-5 The National Education Agency 2002. http://www. nea. org/edstats/RankFull06b.htm Bishop, J. â€Å"Incentives for Learning: Why American High School Students Compare so Poorly to Their Counterparts Overseas† Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS) CAHRS Working Paper Series 1989. Accessed November 14, 2008. http://digitalcommons. ilr. cornell. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1399&context=cahrswp Carey, C. â€Å"The Funding Gap 2004: Many States Still Shortchange Low-Income and Minority Students† The Education Trust Website 2004. The Education Trust. 2007. http://www2. edtrust. org/NR/rdonlyres/30B3C1B3-3DA6-4809-AFB9-2DAACF11CF88/0/funding2004. pdf Cowan, K.â€Å"List of Best Degrees by Salary† PayScale Website 2008 PayScale, Inc. 2000. http://blogs. payscale. com/salary_report_kris_cowan/2008/07/list-of-best-co. html Glod, M. â€Å"U. S. Teens Trail Peers Around World on Math-Science Test† The Washington Post Wednesday, December 5, 2007; Page A07 http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR2007120400730. html Neill, M. â€Å"No Child Left Behind†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ After Two Years: A Track Record Of Failure† Time Out from Testing Website. 2008 Performance Assessment 2001 http://www. timeoutfromtesting. org/pr/PR_Neil_NoChildLeftBehind.pdf Porter, C. Interview (personal) 12 November, 2008. Rebell, M. â€Å"Professional Rigor, Public Engagement and Judicial Review: A Proposal for Enhancing the Validity of Education Adequacy Studies. † Teacher College Record Volume 109, Number 6, 2007 Pg. 1-73. http://www. schoolfunding. info/resource_center/research/professional_rigor. pdf Roza, M, Miller L. & Hill, P. â€Å"Strengthening Title 1 to Help High-Poverty Schools† The University of Washington website 2005 The university of Washington,2008 http://uwnews. org/relatedcontent/2005/August/rc_parentID11695_thisID11712 . pdf

Trading Route Implications of Widening Panama Canal

ABSRACT The Panama Canal Authority is responding to the necessity to accommodate larger ships through the canal; a 5. 2 billion dollars investment to deepening and widening the canal is in place and expected to conclude on August 2014. The new infrastructure will affect today shipping dynamics and only a few ports on the East Coast of the United States will be ready to receive the post-Panamax vessels; in this document we will discuss what the Miami (FL), Jacksonville (FL) and Freeport TX) are doing to get ready. Trade Route Implications of Widening the Panama CanalThe Panama Canal is about to celebrate its 100 years operations with a 5. 2 billion expansion that will allow a more efficient transit from the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean; the expansion includes deepening and widening the entrances & navigation channels to allow 12,000 TEUs ships to pass; plus and an additional set of locks. Global changes are expected including higher volume of goods from Asia to US and Canada; new market s opportunity for raw materials sourcing; cost-effective routes options and shorter times to mention some of them. Accenture, 2011,page 3 & 4). The US East Coast will be definitely impacted; different ports are already working on its expansions but we cannot tell by certain how, where and what type of impact will land for sure; the fact that larger ships will pass through the canal does not mean that they will stop on all ports or that the trade volume will increase and maintain. During a Seminar organized by the U. S.Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration; Rodolfo Sabonge, Vice President of Market Research and Analysis of the Panama Canal Authority explained that the principle east coast ports to be call for this larger ships are New York, New Jersey, or Norfolk. New York, New Jersey but they would have to work on the bridges issues; in the southeast ports of Charleston, Savannah and Houston where distribution centers are located; the West Coast of Flo rida is expected to be touch too to serve South Florida.All this port will face general challenges such as distributions center; connectivity infrastructure to concentrate, load and move the cargo inland; logistics where truck companies will be highly involved, equipment; railroads, inspection and security processes (Sabonge, October, 2009) In the same conference, Richard Wainio, Port director and CEO of the Tampa Port Authority mentioned that Florida, have 14 ports; four of them share the states’ trade: Tampa, Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville.The port of Tampa manages nearly 40% of the trade by tonnage in Florida and serves local markets; the Port is already planning to build and integrated a logistic center. Everglades & Miami are the largest container ports; while Jacksonville is a key and major player for the Canal Expansion. (Winio, October, 2009) The Port of Miami is already in process of expansion; and the following information is published in their website: â€Å"G overnor Rick Scott asked the Department of Transportation to allocate $77 million to the Port of Miami to deepen the channel to minus 50 feet so larger ships can gain access to the port.The Port’s Deep Dredge project is timed to coincide with the opening of an expanded Panama Canal in 2014, which will allow a new generation of larger cargo vessels to pass through the Canal† The dredge in the Port of Miami is expected to generate 30,000 new jobs and become the first port of call for post-Panamax vessels. â€Å"The deep dredge is critical to our future growth,† Port of Miami Director Bill Johnson said. â€Å"Port of Miami will be one of only three U. S. Atlantic ports to be at [minus] 50 feet when the expanded Panama Canal opens. (Dredging Today, 2012). Additionally, the construction of a tunnel to connect the Port and the I-395 is already in place to support trucks direct access and double port capacity. The US Department of Transportation granted 22. 7M to resto re and put in function the Coast Rail Yard in Hialeah which will provide direct access to the national rail system. â€Å"This is the type of infrastructure project that will pay permanent, long-term dividends, and provide a solid return on investment for Florida’s taxpayers,† said Mayor Alvarez. (Miami Port, 2012).On the other hand Freeport, Texas that has served the Gulf Coast for 100 years and its tanked 16th in the U. S for foreign tonnage; as describe in their website a well-built infrastructure for transportation via highway, railroad and intercostal will support the transit for post-Panamax vessels. (Port Freeport, 2012). The Marine Link online magazine published on September 13, 2011 that â€Å"the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and Port Freeport in Texas established a strategic alliance today with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)† that will promote and increase the trade between Asia and Gulf of Mexico of the U.S. ; the MOU has been sign ed for one year but renewable upon request. The MOU will play a key piece by allowing both parties to share information to promote market research, modernization and technological improvements in general. â€Å"This partnership was perfect for each of us because we are both interested in investing in infrastructure and growth. We each are building new facilities at a time when others are standing on the sidelines so it is only natural that we assist each other in the promotion of international trade in this hemisphere. This partnership is a win, win, for each of us. † said Pete Reixach CEO of Port Freeport† (para. 4). The Port of Jacksonville employs 23,000 people and impacts an additional 43,000 employees related to the port’s activity. The cargo activity generates 19 billion USD and as mentioned in their website its physical facilities include docks â€Å"docks and wharfs, cranes, a passenger cruise terminal, warehouses, paved open storage areas and road conne ctions to the public highway system† (Jacksonville Port Authority, 2012).On September 27, 2011 Paul Anderson, Jacksonville Port Authority CEO addressed his concerns in a communication â€Å"I have no doubt that US East Coast ports will soon be called upon to handle increased volumes but I harbor great doubt as to whether we — any of us — will be ready† (para. 2). Anderson mentions that Congress must act fast and focus on critical investment, prioritization and infrastructure for ports to continue its contribution. The TraPac Container Terminal has been affected in doubling its capacity due to the nations slow down; authorizations and processes.Also, Korean shipping company Hanjin has put in hold 200 million investments until they understand what the Government is planning to do and invest to be prepared for the post-Panamax ships. As Anderson said â€Å"these are our choices: get ready or lose† (para 10). Several considerations must be raised to und erstand the impact that the Panama Canal expansion will produce, how many deep water ports will be needed to serve post-Panamax ships? Which of those ports will be touched by the ships? How the trade patterns will change?How much are the investments require to serve the post-Panamax ships and what is the specific infrastructure require at each port and in land? How much is the Government willing to invest in infrastructure? Yes, we should accommodate to globalization; the cost and outcome are unknown yet. On the other hand; infrastructure such ports capacity, extra labor to improve productivity, facilities, equipment; technology and a good connectivity network for in land transportation and railroad are key to the success of these investments.To conclude, it looks that competition among the Florida coast ports will be hard; Tampa and Miami are getting ready and making its expansion; Jacksonville understand the needs of expansion but is raising very fair questions not only on the pro jects but to the Government capacity to respond and maintain infrastructure. Are taxpayer’s dollars’ worth the effort? I believe yes if we take quick action to the new requirements and get a clear understanding that we can afford the expansions. I believe the main question is; which port(s) in South Florida will have the final benefits? It will be interesting to find out in some years.References Accenture. (2011). A global operation game changer. The 2014 expansion of the Panama Canal. Retrieved from http://www. accenture. com/us-en/Pages/insight-2014-expansion-panama-canal. aspx Dredging Today (2012). USA: Miami Port dredging plan gets final environmental ok. Retrieved from http://www. dredgingtoday. com/2012/05/25/usa-miami-port-dredging-plan-gets-final-environmental-ok/ Jacksonville Port Authority. (2011). Anderson addresses Panama Canal expansion concerns. http://www. jaxport. com/about-jaxport/newsroom/news/anderson-addresses-panama-canal-expansion-concerns Marine Link. 2011). Panama Canal and Port Freeport (TX) sign MOU. Retrieved from http://www. marinelink. com/news/freeport-panama-canal340393. aspx Port Freeport (2012) Retrieved from http://www. portfreeport. com/about. htm Port of Miami. (2012). Deep Dredge Project. Retrieved from http://www. miamidade. gov/portofmiami/deep_dredge. asp Sabonge, R. , Wainio, R. , (2009) Proceedings from Talking Freight Seminar Series: The Panama Canal widening and implications for Gulf and Atlantic Coast ports. Retrieved from http://www. fhwa. dot. gov/planning/freight_planning/talking_freight/oct2109transcript. cfm

Barriers to Effective Communication

Effective communication is essential to the accomplishment of any organization or company. The easy procedure for attaining the capability to interact properly between one host and another host can result in the real difference of life or death. There are lots of hurdles within communication in case an individual isn't properly trained to abide by certain principles. This document will review a lot of examples of effective communication as well as the hurdles a person may face when trying to properly transmit information to another person. The word communication is depending on a type of a systematic procedure which involves the exchange of information between one person to another or between parties. There are normally a number of arrays between systems of symbols which is intertwined with discipline to produce a particular type of communications. Various parts of communications consist of situation, channel, interference, atmosphere, comments, source, message, and receiver. Communication is exactly what allows people to share particular experiences or knowledge between themselves. Personal communication is noticeable by many types including talking, writing, broadcasting, sign language, as well as gestures. Broken down even more, various types of communication also can be accidental, deliberate, transactive, interactive, inter or intrapersonal and also verbal and nonverbal. The differences between hearing and listening are quite distinct. When an individual is hearing, one simply feels a sound. However, in case an individual is listening, they are simply being mindful or conscious with a wish to hear or reply to others while making sure an understanding of the type of communication. One should be certain that one has a dedication to listening as well as have an open mind to think about ones point of view. Keep up with the capability to listen to what an individual is stating irrespective of whether one agrees or disagrees with the other. Avoid the impulse to spring to results and recognize body gestures. Don't end a talk suddenly, rather be very sensitive, sympathetic, as well as understanding (Sykes, 2005). Sometimes, an individual’s notion of listening can be to jump in the middle of the talk and attempt to give undesirable advice. But, the ord listening doesn't involve an invitation when a problem should be fixed. At times the speaker is just looking for an ear which would listen sympathetically. The capability to efficiently listen can make a difference in the achievement of a relationship or a job. Just listening can sometimes, help in accomplishing degrees of success required in order to go ahead. Formal communications is a much more managed or orga nized method in which pertinent information is shared between persons in an attempt to achieve a secure, synchronized action in the company. The idea behind formal communication bases an individual’s part in a company and distributes their communication in an organized way which goes as per the established chain of command. In a criminal justice organization, formal communication normally moves in a downward manner generally starting at the police commissioner stage and working its way down toward the stage of police officer. Formal communication also works the other way round by having reports or facts from the police officer stage passed on as high as the police commissioner stage, based on its significance. When talking about informal communications in a criminal justice company, we will know that it meets a variety of requirements, more specifically, emotional as well as social requirements. Informal communication isn't really depending on the position that an individual takes up in the company. Informal communication isn't a planned, a managed type of communication, however, it's a lot more like a casual, relaxed type of communication in which word of mouth swiftly passes through a company since there is restriction on the secrecy of the information. Grapevine will be the word most frequently used for informal communication in a criminal justice company. As per Wilhelm, â€Å"Grapevine communication can spread information quickly and can easily cross establish organizational boundaries, the information it carries can be changed through the deletion or exaggeration of crucial details thus causing the information to be inaccurate – even if it’s based on the truth† (2010). A known hurdle to efficient communication is inhibition. Different personalities, family characteristics, or dependencies may influence communication. One more known hurdle to efficient communication is referred to as denial. Believe it or not, denial is kind of a human expression in which we refuse circumstances in which we don't feel any comfort in showing or being sincere about. Alternatives have been known to turn into hurdles in a number of ways toward efficient communication. Incongruence’s happens when a spoken message isn't congruent or equivalent to the language of the body nor the pitch, volume, as well as power of facial expressions. To assess an individual’s efficiency of how to communicate with other people, one should have the capability to exchange ideas with other people, fix problems, as well as know another’s point of view. The simple act of communication isn't easy; one should be capable to communicate verbally, nonverbally, as well as know preverbal components. While referring to the subject matter of a message for example the arrangement or selection of our phrases, we are interacting verbally. Transmitting messages through body gestures is a type of nonverbal communication. While talking about how we say what we say for example the pacing or volume of our sounds, we are communicating in a preverbal context. All three parts should be used successfully so as to accomplish efficient communication. We should be capable to send brief, clear messages and also hear and understand the message another is attempting to convey. So far as communication is concerned, we wish to attempt to send nonverbal, preverbal, as well as verbal messages. The listener can become baffled with our message in case we are irregular. It might also form a lack of confidence in which it might undermine the opportunity to develop a good connection with another. However, when individuals listen efficiently, they may be capable to recognize particular phrases or actions which may lead that individual to knowing the scenario as the other person is attempting to express it. In case a person gives a message which includes contradictory information, the nonverbal information is what the other person might think as believable. We successfully have covered much of the various hurdles of communications and also developed strategies as well as solutions to assist us overcome a variety of different hurdles to efficient communication. Even though the reality may be subjective or a matter of belief when it involves efficient communication, we should see a much deeper knowledge of the issue and assess any potential route in which a contract might be reached.Reference 1. Sykes, J. F. (2005). Communication Skills. The Sykes Group. Retrieved from http://www.thesykesgrp.com/BiteYourLipListenArt01.htm2. Wilhelm, L. (2010). Formal/Informal Communication. Express Yourself to Success. Retrieved from http://www.expressyourselftosuccess.com/formal-informal-communication-channels/ Barriers to Effective Communication This paper will discuss the process of communication and its components. The differences between listening and hearing within communication will be reviewed. Formal and informal channels of communication will be described and the different barriers between effective communications will be assessed. Lastly, strategies that may be implemented to overcome communication barriers will be examined. The process of communication can be described within five steps. The five steps of the communication process include: transmitting an idea, sending the idea, receiving the message, understanding the message and providing feedback to the sender (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). Transmitting an idea involves the development of a thought or thoughts and then a need to divulge the information to another person is conceived. Sending the idea is the way in which the thought is transmitted from one person to the next. This could be done verbally, in writing or by portraying an action to someone else. The intended party must then confirm receipt of the message. If this does not occur then the transmittal of the message could be unsuccessful. Receipt of the message also falls on the responsibility of the sender. The sender should ensure proper transmittal of the message to the intended recipient. Comprehension of the message is the sender’s ability to send a clear and concise message to the receiver. The message needs to be understood by the receiver in order for there to be a proper flow of communication. Feedback can occur in written form or verbally from the receiver. The receiver of the message will provide the sender with an acknowledgement that the intended message was understood or needs further clarification. The process of communication is two-fold and requires responses from both a sender and a receiver in order for it to work properly. Listening and hearing are two different matters when it comes to communication. Hearing is something that happens naturally and we hear things all day. There is no concentration or thought process involved to hear something. Listening requires a thought and concentration. To listen to something is to actually process in our brain what is being heard or read. Listening requires one to hear, but hearing does not require you to listen (Dunn, 2004). Intended communications can be misconstrued when the intended receiver only hears the message instead of listening to the message. Within the criminal justice organization there are formal and informal channels of communication. Formal channels of communication consist of a clear and concise method to ensure messages are transmitted from one person to the next. This type of communication channel typically funnels from the top down, meaning from the boss to the employees. Formal communication in criminal justice includes memorandums, reports, orders and/or regulations. This helps to keep a set standard, organization within a unit and uniformity. There are also disadvantages to a formal channel of communication. The disadvantages consist of this process being time consuming and tedious. Because of the long process, a formal communication process cannot always keep up with things that change often. A formal process can also hinder ideas and thoughts from being transmitted because some people lack the skill or the drive to follow through with such a formal and long process. The informal channel of communication is â€Å"office gossip† or idle office chatter. This allows for information to travel from the employees to the boss in a funnel up theory. This will also allow for employees to discuss information amongst themselves without being in a formal setting or doing formal reports. Informal lines of communication significantly decreases the time it takes to receive an answer rather than doing up a formal report, sending it for signature and waiting for a response back. Questions and answers can be achieved within a matter of minutes via informal channels of communication. Barriers within the communication process exist when one person is concerned with personal or professional status (Wallace & Roberson, 2009). There are four different types of barriers that exist within this process and they are: emotional, physical, semantic and ineffective listening barriers. Emotional barriers are when people use their past or present experiences to form a message or decode a message. Self-esteem is at the root of emotional barriers; those with low self-esteem will not transmit many messages for ear of rejection and those with high self-esteem may try to impress their own ideas onto others. Physical barriers are any physical interruptions when trying to transmit a message. This could be equipment malfunctions, distance, or strict rules and regulations requiring certain steps be followed before transmitting any information. Semantic barriers are those words or phrases that can be interpreted differently depending on the person receiving the message. A phrase can be said to mean one thing and three different people could interpret it to mean three different things. Ineffective listening is the fourth barrier that could exist in the criminal justice system. Ineffective listening is the inability to clearly listen to a message and interpret what was being said or read. This could be due to distraction, boredom, fatigue, stress or a failure to connect with the speaker. Barriers to communication hinder the process because it stops the flow of communication from one person to the next. There are ways to overcome communication barriers within the criminal justice system. One way to overcome the barriers is to provide feedback. Feedback keeps the listener involved and lets the speaker know you are paying attention and that you understand what is being said. One can overcome emotional barriers by trying to distress before coming onto the job. Leaving emotional baggage out of the office and trying to stay focused on work at work can help to overcome the emotional barrier. Using certain tones to convey messages can defeat a semantic barrier. Tones in one’s voice can help to portray different messages in different ways. Facial and nonverbal expressions can also help to overcome semantic barriers in communication. In order to improve listening skills requires practice. In order to effectively listen to a message there has to be a need to know. Listening skills are something that everyone can always improve on and this only comes from practice. Effective communication within the criminal justice system is imperative to everyone involved. By learning the barriers and strategies to reduce the barriers we can improve on both transmitting and receiving messages. Communication is key in every facet of life and the criminal justice system depends on it.