A Guide to In-Line Lists

A Guide to In-Line Lists A Guide to In-Line Lists A Guide to In-Line Lists By Mark Nichol This post describes how to organize in-line lists, those that occur within a sentence, as compared to vertical lists, those organized by setting the items on the list apart from each other, distinguished by numbers, letters, or other symbols, on consecutive lines. (Vertical lists will be described in a separate post.) An in-line list may consist of a set of words, phrases, or clauses, or a combination of the three. The simplest in-line list is one that consists of one-word items: â€Å"The colors of the American flag are red, white, and blue.† (Style guides differ on whether the comma preceding and, called a serial comma- or, sometimes, an Oxford comma- is necessary, but consistent use helps writers avoid creating ambiguously organized sentences.) More complex lists invite errors. For example, in the following sentence, the syntax of the list items is not consistent: â€Å"Children raised in a traditional two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier, less likely to use drugs and alcohol, engage in crime, or become pregnant outside of marriage.† One can analyze the sentence by converting it into an introductory phrase followed by a vertical list. Note how the items are not parallel in structure: Children raised in a traditional two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier less likely to use drugs and alcohol engage in crime become pregnant outside of marriage. A technically correct revision follows: Children raised in a traditional two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier less likely to use drugs and alcohol less likely to engage in crime less likely to become pregnant outside of marriage. However, the repetition of the phrase â€Å"less likely to† is distracting and is redundant to â€Å"tend to be,† and further revision of this vertical list is recommended if it is to be converted back to an in-line list. Because the four elements in this sentence are not consistently supported by verbs or verb phrases, it is best to separate the first item from the rest of the items, resulting in a sentence consisting of two elements that include examples- the first example standing on its own, and the other three retained as a three-item list: â€Å"Children raised in a traditional two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier and are less likely to use drugs and alcohol, engage in crime, or become pregnant outside of marriage.† If one or more elements in an in-line list include a comma, a stronger punctuation mark, the semicolon, must be employed to clarify the organization of the sentence. This is true when at least one element includes a single comma that sets off, for example, the name of a city and the name of a state, as in this example: Unusual names of cities and towns include Cut and Shoot, Texas; Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; and Rough and Ready, California. Semicolons are also called for when one or more items in an in-line list are themselves lists, as shown here: Unusual names of cities and towns include Cut and Shoot, Truth or Consequences, and Rough and Ready; Embarrass, Uncertain, and Waterproof; and Accident, Hazard, and Protection. Note that although some writers use semicolons to separate items in a list when the items are long and complex, doing so is unnecessary. Thus, the intervening punctuation marks in the following example are safely converted to commas: â€Å"Uncertainties include the volatility in oil and gas prices; concerns about the impact of economic sanctions in Russia to U.S. and European markets; questions about slowdowns in China; and the effects on U.S. economic policy resulting from the shift in power in the U.S. Senate in January 2015.† This is especially true if an additional clause follows the last list item, creating the implication that the clause applies only to the final item. Here, it is necessary to convert the semicolons after function and shareholders to commas: â€Å"If the chief executive officer is not willing to pay attention to the warning signs posted by the risk management function; the reward system is not sufficiently balanced with the long-term interests of shareholders; or the board is not asking tough questions about the assumptions and risks underlying the strategy, it is not likely risk management will have an impact at the crucial moment when a contrarian voice is needed.† Otherwise, the phrase beginning â€Å"it is not likely risk management . . .† would have appeared (at least when first read) to pertain only to the phrase beginning â€Å"the board is not asking tough questions . . . .† Also, semicolons are not necessary when separating only two sets of list items, rather than three or more. In the following example, or is sufficient to distinguish the two lists, and the semicolon should be omitted: â€Å"This strategy may span several departments- for example, legal, procurement, and finance; or  marketing, sales, and customer service.† Also, to aid in distinguishing items in a list, the items are sometimes preceded by sequential numbers (or, occasionally, lowercase letters) followed by a close parenthesis rather than a period, as in this example: â€Å"The three forms of rock are 1) igneous, 2) metamorphic, and 3) sedimentary.† This method of organization can be useful for enumerating and setting off complex list items (or, in the case of letters, offering options), but it is usually unnecessary, or a vertical list (without numbers or letters) may be a better option. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Common Mistakes category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You7 Patterns of Sentence StructureEpidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption Essay Example

Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption Essay Example Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption Essay Ventilation and Oxygen Consumption Essay The oxygen concentration in water can be altered by the conditions it is exposed to. For instance, cold water has a higher oxygen concentration than warm water. In our experiment, we were able to observe the change in oxygen concentration of water at two different temperatures (15C and 25C) with a fish in each environment. Our results proved that the starting oxygen concentration of the cold water was higher than that of warm water. It also showed the decrease in oxygen concentration over 60 minutes in 15 minute intervals. Ventilation As shown on the results the fish ventilation rate is also altered by the water temperature. The higher the temperature the more the fish has to ventilate as it attempts to obtain oxygen and the lower the temperature the less it ventilates since so much oxygen its surrounding it. Our results supported this expectation. Oxygen Consumption As demonstrated by the results as time went by the more oxygen the fish consumed. As the oxygen concentration decreased the more oxygen the fish needed, and the more they would try to consume. Q10 As stated in the Laboratory Manual for Foundations of Biology 2, â€Å"The value calculated for 60 minutes (mL of O2 consumed/g/hr) by definition is the Oxygen Quotient (Q02). The mean Q02 at 25C divided by the mean Q02 at 15C will give you the Q10 for oxygen consumption† (Lab. 4, Pg 3, number 4). Our class Q10 was 1. 545454†¦.

Achieving Personal Autonomy through Education Dissertation - 1

Achieving Personal Autonomy through Education - Dissertation Example The concept of personal autonomy traces its roots to the ancient Greek philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. Both men proposed that the rational part of the soul is its most important part and the ideal for humanity is associated with self-sufficiency and being non-dependent on other people (Backus, 2003). Kant later developed the idea of moral autonomy as having authority over one’s actions and soon thereafter, the idea of autonomy in learning has become a part of a wide range of educational philosophies and has been identified recently in educational policy to be crucial to the development of learning (Honderich, 2005). Autonomy simply resided on morals in its early years, but then views about this began to change in the 21st century. For Dworkin ( 1988 ), the concept of autonomy includes one’s overall point of view towards how one lives one’s life. He points out that each individual, whether the most learned or the most carefree, conforms to his or her own personal view of what makes life valuable (Dworkin, 1988). Thus, Dworkin is actually saying that each person reveals how he or she conceives goodness or the good life through his or her behavior. For Raz (1988), the concept of personal autonomy is much more specific as he emphasizes that the individual is responsible for whatever happens to his or her life. As such, an individual with personal autonomy is identified not only by his actual choices in life but by the presence of choices themselves (Raz, 1988). Therefore, an individual can really just be autonomous if these choices are available and if the outcome of his or her life is based on the choices that he or she has made along the way. He adds that if the individual does not have these choices in the first place, then he or she cannot really be labeled as autonomous (Raz, 1988).

Business Media Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Media - Case Study Example If the story leaks out of the newsroom to the public, a conflict is likely to develop between CBC and Canadian Air. The management may decide to lay off the journalist for having disregarded the company’s code of ethics. The case shows a conflict of interest between what the reporter believes and what the company upholds as the morals of its employees. The dilemma of what should be the solution requires that concerned parties consider five approaches. The first should be consideration of what good and harm may come out of the decision. The second is what moral standards and rights the two parties hold. The third is what decision gives everyone concerned equal treatment. The fourth is a consideration of what decision provides the common right, and lastly which action creates morality. This work describes the decision-making process, which is the most suitable for the case of the two institutions. CBC media has a clause in its code of ethics, which addresses conflict of interest (CBC 1). The provision requires that the workers at the company preserve the integrity of the organization. The case presented in this work is an expression of situations when conflict of interest is a reality. The journalist has to consider that Air Canada is one of the most loyal customers to the company. For such a case, there is a need that the media house does not expose the problems of the airline. As much as the case may be a reality, the code of ethics supported by the ethical models of decision-making, demand that the story must not appear in the airwaves. Considerably, there are many models of ethical decision-making each with a different approach, but fashioned to attain a solution. The Utilitarianism model is the center stage as the most appropriate for this case (Lea, Williams, and Donahue 234). Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart advanced the theory, which distinguishes

Messy People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Messy People - Essay Example Interestingly, I usually feel that I can normally do extraordinary things compared to my organized friends. Friends and classmates have always complained to me to slightly minimize my level of messiness but I still believe that I am in the right truck. I feel that messiness makes life very easy because it does not require seriousness in almost every element. Nevertheless, I have also had several praises from my other friends for being unique, hardworking and intelligent. Because I do not normally clear my table before I start working because I treat it as a waste of time, I normally do things and achieve my targets very fast. I do not normally pan for the clothes I wear or even rigidly plan for what to do the next day in the office since anything new or emergency may crop up. I have been criticized by a friend whom I think is extremely organized. Organized people tend to be more efficient and always act and think more logically compared to the messy people. Also, organized people kno w exactly what they are doing and what their next step should be. Organized people usually plan for everything they do and have very minimal chances of making mistakes. This really wastes a lot of time. It may be right that getting organized is a waste of time and therefore an individual who is naturally messy should not waste time in trying to get organized. Organizing especially data or any other important information in a particular place may be a bit risky as it covers an inner chaos and insecurity. Additionally, sorting and organizing things in an orderly way may greatly waste a lot of time. I may be able to do a lot of work by utilizing time that would have been wasted in doing organization. I do not have to take longer time trying to do filling or even finding a piece of information from a file. Nonetheless it should be noted that messiness does not mean being disorganized (Freedman Web). I tend to think that planning and scheduling events as it is done by my extremely organi zed friend is a sign of rigidity in the way he does his work. I think that it is still logical to schedule events by the hour as this creates room for surprises. Blending flexibility in organizing work gives a room to plan around every curve that may appear ahead. However, Messy people may easily make mistake and are increasingly inefficient. I believe that messiness should not be extreme as this may be dangerous in some instances. On the other hand, a very messy individual may not be as productive as moderately messy or organized individuals because they may not take things seriously (Freedman Web I have noted that messiness should have a limit especially when I consider state of another friend of mine. In most cases, the friend has to search for valuable materials from accumulated garbage which also occupies a very large space in his table. Not once has he ever complained about missing possessions which he later realizes that mixed with trash. Moreover, he normally looks out of co ntrol both personally and professionally. He seems lazy and ignorant or rather very forgetful. I suggested to him that he should organize himself and set reminders otherwise his messiness may turn up to be a serious and dangerous mess. Hanging around him especially in his room may be very boring and hazardous. There may be small pins on the floor that constantly injure him or even stepping on some crucial documents or gadgets (Freedman

The Four Ethical Paradigms

The Four Ethical Paradigms In Merchants book she describes four ethical paradigms, these are the process that individuals view the environment from their viewpoints. Egocentric, Homocentric, Ecocentric, and Multicultural and Partnership Ethics are 4 different ways to look at the environment and how to use it. Each person takes their own ethical idea for their life in order to justify and improve their position in life. There are several qualities about each ethical system, and as with any idealology there are good and bad ideas. Understanding each one of these positions more in depth will help us better understand each other, and work towards compromises and a common goal, a better life for everyone. The first paradigm is Egocentric Ethic; this is the thought, or view, that you are focused on yourself. You, the individual, are what matters, and what is good for you will be good for the rest of the group or society. This is not a selfish ideology, it is rather a philosophy that treats individuals separate but equal. This was a very prominent viewpoint in western culture during the 17th century; it was the driving force behind early Americans and their corporations. The main goal was to maximize profit from the development of natural resources. This permits an individual to use any natural resource that they wish; so long that it does not negatively affect their neighbors. An example of this would be a dam. A man cannot dam up a river, because this is limiting the use of the river to other people. However, an entrepreneur could build a dam because, the public whose advantage is always to be regarded, would be deprived of the benefit which always attends competition and rivalry. Thi s ethic is a mirror of the Protestant ethic, that any person is responsible for his salvation through good actions. The second paradigm is Homocentric Ethics. This paradigm is based on the good of society. In the 18th and 19th century, Jeremy Bentham and John Stewart Mill created the concept of Utilitarianism, which is to ensure the greatest good for the greatest number of people. They also believed that social good should be maximized and social evil should be minimized. For this reason the Homocentric ethics was born from Utilitarianism. As with Egocentric ethics, Homocentric ethics has religious beginnings. These were founded in Genesis 1 and 2. That God placed man in the Garden of Eden, not as a master but rather, in a spirit of stewardship. An example of homocentric ethics would be the building of dams for water and hydraulic power for cities and states. One such controversy for this was whether or not they should dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite Park as a source of power for the city of San Francisco. The main problem of both Egocentric and Homocentric Ethics is there failure to deter mine what is the greatest good for people. One other ethical system is Ecocentric Ethics. This is based on the idea that all things matter, inanimate objects and livings things, are all giving a value, whatever that may be. This ethical system is partially drawn from ecology, saying that science can no longer be value free; everything must be taken into account. Ecocentric ethics looks to ecology and their beliefs, to resolve ethical dilemmas. The harmony and unity of an ecosystem are the main ideals of this viewpoint; they want everything to be in perfect accord, whatever the costs. All things, including inanimate objects, have a moral considerability (there is a consequence for destroying any item). Modern Ecocentric ethics were first created in the 30s and 40s by Leopold, he changed the role of man to be a plane member of the community, not a conqueror or destroyer but to respect the earth. The roots of these ethics are mostly in holistic (all things are connected) compared to mechanistic and metaphysical ideals. An exampl e of this idealology being used is to restrict the tearing down of forests in order to build a casino, a casino would be most likely appreciated by members of the community, but that does not take in the value of the trees, plants, animals, and other items that would have to be destroyed in order to create the casino. A major reason this is not accepted is because in Western culture we do not place a value on objects that are non-human, but we place a value on them being resources that we can utilize, for the betterment of our society. Deciding when to destroy a resource and when to save one is a major problem for this ideal is a large disagreement in highly developed countries, such as America, because we care more about us and our society, rather then the earth and its value. The fourth and final ethical system is the combination of Multicultural and Partnership Ethics. Multicultural environmental ethics build on the relationship between biological and cultural diversity, humans are not just a species, we have many sub-species as well. The main idea of multicultural ethics is that we all live in one planet and that we are many and also one. They believe that the greater good includes the interest of all living beings. Multicultural ethics are rooted in partnership, which leads to the second half, Partnership ethics. Partnership ethics is the idea of relation, equity between the human and non-human communities, moral consideration for both human and other species, respect for both cultural diversity and bio diversity, inclusion of women, minorities and non-human nature in the code of ethical accountability, an ecologically sound management that is consistent with the continued health of both the human and non-human communities. This is an ethic in which hu mans fulfill their needs and natures needs based on moral consideration for all things. A partnership ethic is grounded in the concept of relation rather than in the ego society or the cosmos. The BP oil spill of 2010 has been recorded as one of the most catastrophic disasters ever. With over 180 million gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, the stakes were high to get it taken care of immediately. In the case of egocentric ethics, it would seem as though there would be virtually no concern for the animals affected. And although there are hundreds of birds and marine life dying and fighting to survive, people would only be concerned with what was directly affecting them. For example, most homeowners that live near the ocean front of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida, or any place of tourist attraction is going to be greatly affected in profits by this extravagant disaster. But as far as having any concern with the wildlife being affected, they couldnt care less. Homocentric ethics, on the other hand, are concerned with the overall good of the people, rather than the individual. However, there still seems to be little if not any regard for the wildlife and nature that is being affected by the oil spill. A homocentric view would simply look at the amount of jobs ruined, the food and natural resources that were destroyed, peoples way of life as far as where they got that food and how they spent time on the coast for various reasons, and the millions upon millions of dollars that it cost to remove the oil from the Gulf. Ecocentric ethics is a different story altogether. This ethic is concerned with everything on earth, whether it is biotic or abiotic. They would have been devastated at the thought of those thousands of miles of beach and ocean was now toxic with oil. Every rock, blade of grass, animal, and person affected by this tragedy would haunt them. These are the people that would make any effort to rid the gulf of the oil choking our life on earth. They would be concerned with the livelihood of the people who work and live on the gulf. The risen cost of fish and seafood and the availability of the resources needed to those who live there. The last viewpoint is Multicultural and Partnership ethics. They to have this idea that all life matters whether its biotic or abiotic, human or non-human, the only difference is that they believe that we are all different but still one species and should not discriminate against one another just because we are black or white, male or female, human or non-human. Another environmental crisis is happening in China. China currently has the largest population in the world. In the past decade, it has surpassed the United States in the amount of greenhouse gas that is emitted into the air. This problem could continue to get worse as the population grows, more people drive cars than ride bikes, and the Chinese continue to use coal burning power plants. China already has some of the worst air quality and most polluted water systems, this growing greenhouse effect is only worsening they quality of life for China. The egocentric ethic would be much more concerned with this. As far as the health of each individual goes, there is major risk. The individual would try to sustain life any way they could and do what it took to convince others that they are right. The problem would arise, however, that they would not be able to convince enough people to better their life. Homocentric ethics would say that there are major things that need to be done to better the society. Since they are concerned with the population, they would work to make dramatic changes in order to better the health and welfare of the society and themselves. For the ecocentric, they would be greatly concerned, not only for the people, but also for the wildlife and non-living things of the world that could potentially be harmed. The trees and animals that require oxygen are also having to inhale this polluted air, the water that is polluted with garbage, the resources used for the manufacturing of goods, and all other things affected. As for the multicultural and partnership ethics, they again would be equally concerned with all life being affected by the abundance of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. However, I think that they are more concerned with the equality of life, meaning that all humans and non humans, men or woman, black or white should be treated the same. With respect and moral concern. I think each paradigm has an intriguing idea behind reasoning, however I would say that Multicultural and Partnership ethics is the best one of the four. Despite the elaborate viewpoint of the ecocentric ethics that everything must be thought of, and is concerned with all things, I feel that the multicultural sense is much more down to earth per say. Although the multicultural ethic is concerned more with equality, they are still part of this idea that all earth is important and holds meaning in the world. I totally believe in equality and the idea that we are all different and yet of the same species and should therefore respect one another as so without the discrimination of another due to the difference in skin color or gender. Each different paradigm indeed has significance and could hold success to some degree, however, I feel that multicultural and partnership ethic would have the best interest and most effect idea of life and how it should be looked at.

Brazil’s Bioethanol Initiative Essay -- Essays Papers

Brazil’s Bioethanol Initiative The OPEC oil embargo caused many ripple effects throughout the world, but few places set in motion a response as dramatic as the county of Brazil. Brazil, a sprawling oil-poor country in South America was hit especially hard by the drop in ready world oil supplies. The county was gearing up for the transition from an agricultural and subsistence economy, to an industrialized one in the early seventies. This was accompanied by an increase in oil imports to the nation from overseas. Early in this effort, the balance of trade was relatively good despite the oil imports due to a strong sugar market. This led to a relative abundance of foreign or â€Å"hard† capital for the Brazilian government to use to implement widespread changes to the county’s infrastructure. With the advent of the oil embargo, that changed the economic picture. The blow was worsened by sugar prices plummeting on the commodities market during the same period, giving the Brazilian economy a reeling combination. The Government reacted by instituting a relatively daring national policy, designed to deliver a two -pronged benefit to the county. The plan was to use the national excess sugar production to make ethanol for vehicle use. This program began in 1975 and was to use traditional fermentation to make fuel. Fermentation is the best known process by which various microbes break down sugars to make ethanol. While there a wide range of yeasts and bacteria that can make alcohol, the base substrate remains essentially the same. It requires either glucose or sucrose for the biologic pathways to function. This is arguably the earliest biotechnological process in the world and has been used for fuel, consumption and feedstocks for cent... ...ion of cellulose can be utilized to make substrate for fermentation, a technology that Brazil has invested in recently to make better use of its fibrous wastes from cane and other crops. Brazil has taken bold steps to self-sufficiency in the last three decades and has been a model often pointed to by the alternative energy community. I believe that they have plotted a courageous course and will be in the position to gain the fruits of their labors soon. Perhaps they can lead the rest of us by example. References: Assessing the Impact of the Green Revolution, 1960-2000 Evenson, R.A. and Gollin D. ; May 2003, Science, vol.3 Brazilian Biomass Processing Meetings (1998/99) www.ieabioenergy.com/library/66_ieanews2.html IEA Task 26: Biotechnology for the Conversion of Lignocellulosics to Ethanol, No 2 May 1998 www.ieabioenergy.com/library/66_ieanews2.html

Should the Government Regulate Our Health

Should The Government Regulate Our Health? Posted: 01/29/10 10:58 AM ET Get Healthy Living Alerts Sign Up Submit this story I was in my late 20's when I walked into a dialysis clinic for the first time. The interior of the waiting area was worn, with beige paint peeling off of the walls. As I waited awkwardly to find out where my patient was my attention was drawn to a sign that read, â€Å"Did you know that [a popular fast food sandwich] contains 1020 milligrams of sodium? † Salt can be bad. But it sure tastes good.Ask the millions of Americans who consume large amounts of salt in their diet, much of it from processed foods. Sodium consumption in excess is linked with a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, kidney disease and various forms of heart disease. New Yorkers have recently learned about the detriments of salt. Mayor Bloomberg has launched an initiative to reduce the amount of sodium that people get from restaurant chains and food producers by ask ing them to voluntarily cut the amount of this now ill-thought of mineral.When in New York City a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I could tell that restaurateurs are listening to Bloomberg. When eating out, we noticed that our food was, well, less tasty. But maybe it is worth it. A recent New York Times article, which summarized findings from The New England Journal of Medicine, suggested that if Americans reduced salt intake by a half a teaspoon a day the nation would save 24 billion in health care costs. In the current political climate, many of us are acutely aware of issues related to the rising costs of health care.But is government intervention the best way to proceed? Although a government middleman might be a good option, I wonder why we aren't putting more pressure on physicians to counsel their patients on dietary strategies to reduce sodium intake. Research suggests that American physicians are less likely than their European counterparts to discuss behavioral interve ntions with patients and are more likely to rely on the prescribing of medications. Regarding diet and hypertension, a recent study suggests that physicians offer little counseling on how to lower blood pressure numbers through lifestyle changes.Not only do discussions regarding health behaviors result in patient satisfaction, such discussions comprise the inherent values of doctor-patient relationships. We seek medical care not only for lab results and prescription refills; we look to our doctors for advice and support. However, in a day and age in which technology and insurance mandates are interlopers in the patient-physician dyad, we have lost the personal connections and source of wisdom that people often crave.In fact, the relationship between many of us and our physicians is dysfunctional. Doctors are overwhelmed and receive less respect than ever before in the history of modern medicine. As patients, we have submitted ourselves to the less personal nature of medical encounte rs. Maybe if we demand additional support from physicians (and advocate for additional backing of our doctors regarding the freedom to make medical decisions and limiting intrusion by managed care companies) we can get what we need in order to change our behaviors.Of course, we are all ultimately responsible in how we choose to care for our bodies. But maybe if we can learn to trust our physicians again (and they work to earn that trust), we don't have to reduce healthcare issues and healthcare costs in this country to something like eating salt. Greenburg, T. (2010, Jan 29). www. huffingtonpost. com. Retrieved from http:// www. huffingtonpost. com/tamara-mcclintock-greenberg/should-the-government-reg_b_441493. html (Greenburg, 2010)

Value Chain of the United Postal Services (UPS)

Value Chain of the United Postal Services (UPS) Introduction Today, the business environment is characterized by intensifying market entrants, rapid business environment dynamics, and technological innovations. This situation has continued to render the orthodox business models obsolete.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Value Chain of the United Postal Services (UPS) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organizations that offer mailing and tracking services have experienced numerous challenges as they are a required to change their strategies periodically to align them with new technological means. Establishing a robust value chain guides the organization in integrating its primary and support activities to enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention. To achieve this strategic goal, organizations have embraced the use of integrated systems for both core and support activities. This paper presents the value chain analysis of the United States Postal Services b y providing an in-depth analysis of its information systems used in the realization of its strategy. Value Chain Analysis Value chain analysis entails evaluating the contribution of each business activity that underpins the creation of product and service value in the organization (Laudon Laudon, 2010). According to Porter, there is a distinction between the primary and support activities of the organization. The primary activities encompass inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing, and sales. On the other hand, the support services facilitate the improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the primary services. They entail procurement, technology, human resource management, and infrastructure development (Laudon Laudon, 2010). In a bid to execute the primary and support activities seamlessly, there is a need to employ integrated information systems that link the different activities together with a view of promoting the creation of value for products an d services. Primary Activities for UPS and Systems used The primary activities of the UPS comprise the core involvement in transforming the raw materials into the desired finished products and services. Inbound logistics entails material handling and warehousing. Operations include the manufacturing processes that entail turning inputs into outputs (Rapp Subramanian, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Outbound logistics is concerned with the processing of customer orders and distribution of the ordered finished products to the customers. Marketing and sales activities encompass the dissemination of information to the customers. Such information concerns the product and service promotions, pricing, and channel management. Services include various installations, repairs, and accessories. The UPS’s inbound and outbound logistics include the packaging of th e customers’ mails, dropping, and delivery (Rapp Subramanian, 2010). The primary operation of the UPS entails planning various schedules including routes, courier requirements, time, and safe delivery of the mails to the customers. The marketing function of the UPS involves frequent customer deals and aggressive branding. The company prints logos on their trucking vehicles and uniforms for the mail delivery staff as a part of the marketing campaign. Additionally, it undertakes both electronic and outdoor advertising. Additional customer services include online interactions to take care of complaints, follow-ups, repairs, and suggestions (Rapp Subramanian, 2010). Support Activities for the UPS According to Rapp and Subramanian (2010), the support activities offered by the UPS include firm infrastructure, human resource management, technology development, and procurement. Porter posits that the support activities are meant for complementing the core activities of the organiza tion. The infrastructure activities handle matters relating to finance, accounts preparation, and social affairs. The human resource (HR) for the UPS entails training, recruitment, and performance appraisal to promote a positive corporate culture of value creation and dedication. The UPS uses information technology (IT) to offer different delivery choices for the customers as a part of its prime competencies for developing a competitive edge against its rivals such as FedEx and the US Postal Services. The company’s information technology is integrated into its various segments including air, water, and land delivery services to provide reliable and timely distribution of packages.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Value Chain of the United Postal Services (UPS) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Information Systems for Primary and Support Activities The chief operations of the UPS include package delivery. To ens ure an improved delivery of products and services, the company utilizes an end-to-end tracking system that involves more than ten scan events on shipments from pickup to delivery. In addition, the company has proactive information systems that provide customers with real-time status of their deliveries (Rapp Subramanian, 2010). Customers also get text alerts concerning the routes, shipment status, and timeline of the progress of their packages. They can select the type of alerts that provide enough information about the status of their deliveries. Moreover, the United Postal Service provides various information systems to improve its value chain including the Delivery Sequence File (CDS), Electronic Verification System (eVS), Carrier Route Information System File, Bar-coding and Address Standardization (BAS), Delivery Point Validation (DVP), and Enhanced Line of Travel (eLOT) among others (Rapp Subramanian, 2010). For the support activities, the UPS has embraced a robust education system to provide training for its workforce whose tasks entail mail handling, packaging, and distribution. The educational system seeks to instill skills to improve customer delivery services and provide optimum management training for effective practice (Laudon Laudon, 2010). Alignment of the Information Systems with the UPS Strategy The mission and vision statements guide the strategic goals and objectives of the United Postal Services. They outline the company’s goals of developing core competencies with a view of building competitive approaches to catapult the organization to success and customer value creation. The integrated systems embraced by the UPS align with its strategic objectives. The tracking information system seeks to attain particular goals including customer communication concerning the delivery status of their packages, mode of payment, and shipment schedules among others. The educational system provides relevant training for the UPS personnel in a bid to map the way towards establishing core competencies in product and service delivery. Training provides the employees with knowledge that upgrades their skills to remain abreast with the ever-changing industrial landscape due to shifts in technology and customer behavior (Laudon Laudon, 2010) Conclusion The essay has discussed the core and secondary activities that constitute the business of the United Postal Services. The nature of the business has posed a major challenge to the company owing to the ever-advancing, proactive, and innovative culture.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, the advancement of the Internet has rendered most postal services obsolete. In light of e-transformation, the United States Postal Services has embraced technology to diversify and enhance its operations in a bid to meet new customer needs. To execute its package handling and delivery services among other services efficiently, the UPS has adopted a tech-savvy information system that conveys real-time information to its customers. This situation enables the customers gain access to the delivery status information about their shipments packages, schedules, and routes. The UPS also has an educational system that offers relevant training to upgrade its staff’s skills. The practice promotes relevance and competence among its workforce. These systems correspond to the company’s strategic objectives. Reference List Laudon, K., Laudon, J. (2010). Information Systems, Organizations, and Strategy. Web. Rapp, W., Subramanian, H. (2010). Leveraging IT as a core com petency to enter new businesses: The UPS case. New Jersey, NJ: New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Saving Private Ryan Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays

Saving Private Ryan Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays Saving Private Ryan This movie is about World War 2. It starts out on D-Day where their storming the beach. When they open up the doors to their boats most are killed and if you jumped into the water you sank because your packs were to heavy. We won the beach, and when we were walking up the beach they found a house were the enemy was and they opened the door and shot a flame thrower into it and on the other side were all of our men and they jumped out through this crack in the top of the building and were on fire, and one of our generals said "Don't fire, let them burn." Then later on the army had been putting brothers on the same platoons and when the platoon died the parents would get a notice that all of their sons had died on the same day, so they started trying not to let brothers on the same platoon. Well some family named Ryan had had 3 of their sons killed already so the army said that they would get the last brother out. So they got Tom Hanks to round up a group and their mission was to save p rivate Ryan.So they went off and they were walking through this city and this guy was telling them to take his child so she wouldn't die. One of them wanted to but the leader said no. Then a sniper started shooting at them, and when they found the sniper our sniper shot at him and it went through his scope and into his eye. Then they find a general and they ask if he has a private Ryan. He says he does so he goes and gets him. Tom Hanks trys to tell him why he's coming to get him, because his brothers all died. The guy starts crying and he asks how they died. He told him he died in enemy fire. He starts crying again and says they were only in like 3rd grade. So it was the wrong guy. So they keep going and they get to a pasture and they see a big machine gun and they decide to take it out so the next platoon doesn't die because of it. While trying to do this their doctor gets hit and dies. One of the Germans is still alive so they make him dig a grave for the doctor. After he's done they were going to kill him but the translator said its not right he's a prisoner of war they should let him go find the next group and turn him self in so they do. Then they find private Ryan and tell him and he doesn't want to go home. He wants to fight with his men. So they say well kill these tanks that are coming up but then we have to go. So he agrees and when all the Germans get there they have the bridge wired to explode and all these tar bombs its a bunch of C-4 in your sock with tar on the our side and you stick it to stuff and light the fuse. The translator is a coward and one of his guys is getting attacked by a knife buy one of the enemy's he just cries on the stares while the guy kills his friend and he had a gun and every thing so he was just being a baby. Later on the translator is laying on some rocks and the Germans are on the other side of the pile of rocks and he has a gun still bu t he doesn't pop up and kill them again he acts like a baby. The General of the guys who kills Tom Hanks ,the guys on the other side of the rocks is the prisoner he made them let go, so that guy is responsible for 2 of his own men deaths, all because he is a freakin baby. They end up winning the battle and private Ryan gets to go home. All this was Private Ryan remembering this on veterans day at Tom Hanks grave.

Price Setting as the Art of War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Price Setting as the Art of War - Essay Example Past historical data can provide insight into the willingness of people to pay more for an item. Take for example food items such as vegetables. The prices of vegetables fluctuate a lot due to supply and demand factors. If in the past customer was willing to pay $3 for a lettuce, then the company knows that it can increase its price to that threshold in the future. Past data has to be analyzed to determine how much volume of sales was generated at higher price points. Â  It is always a smart strategy to gain insight directly from the customers. The use of surveys can help a company determine if customers are willing to pay more for a good or service. The survey has to be well designed to include questions associated with the subject. For example, you can ask a customer if he is willing to pay more if the item the company sells increases in quality. Historical sales data can also be useful because they establish purchasing patterns. Â  The prices of sporting events in different spots vary depending on the team. For example, the New York Yankees can charge higher entrance prices than the Florida Marlins due to the fact that New York is a bigger marketplace. The record of the team also influences in the pricing for sporting events. Teams with winning records can charge more than the team with losing records. I consider pricing to be the art of diplomacy. Prices are set based on set variables such as quality, value, and marketplace. Items sold in flea markets are going to be cheaper than items sold at the mall. Â  

Research, identify and discuss technologys influence on society, as Essay

Research, identify and discuss technologys influence on society, as well as at least three ways it has changed the way companies do business - Essay Example Satellite technology has become so advanced that these systems give companies such as Southwest and American Airlines the ability to understand specific cloud formations and make course adjustments in an instant. This improves efficiency and puts much less dependency on physical air traffic control agents. Satellite technology improvements also satisfy budget restrictions, thereby allowing all consumers to have the pleasure of receiving lower cost fares. Technology also influences society in the form of high energy physics. This type of physical science technology has improved medicine by accelerating efficiency of x-rays and photons to better track disease and cancer (HEP, 2010). High energy physics have also changed power transmission with utility companies, thereby giving consumers more reliable energy sources with much less loss of power. This technology has changed how utility companies do business by giving them long-term sustainable options for electricity transfer by burying cables and thus freeing the environment for more infrastructure and housing. Finally, technology has changed business and society in terms of physical medicine to improve patients and shorten reliance on physical hospital workers. For example, technological improvements now allow diabetes patients to monitor their own glucose levels and make informed decisions as to whether to inject or deny practical treatment. Self-monitoring devices are relatively new that no longer require painful regular injections and extensive blood extraction, thereby improving the quality of life for diabetes patients. This also frees up the labor pool for hospitals and independent clinics whereby doctors and nurses no longer have to staff as many individuals or can free up their activities for more important patient issues. These hospitals and clinics, thanks to technology, can provide support