A Waltz With Death On Crystal Stairs Essay

‘My Papa’s Waltz,’ 1948 In this poem by Theodor Roethke, the speaker is describing his childhood in the arms of his drunken father. He recalls how his father comes home intoxicated with alcohol and drives both him and his mother crazy. Theodor Roethke was a great poet and the moods of his poetry range from acid wit to simple feeling. Some of his other poems are Open House (1941), The Lost Son and Other Poems (1948), The Waking (1953, Pulitzer Prize), Words for the Wind (1957), I Am! Says the Lamb (1961), and The Far Field (1964). ‘Because I could not stop for Death,’ 1863 In this poem by Emily Dickinson, the poet seems to position herself in eternity as she recalls her life. Death is portrayed as a gentleman and Immortality is with them as they ride in a carriage that passes sceneries that depict the three major stages of human life: birth, adolescence and old age. Emily Dickinson is considered one of the most original 19th Century American poets. She is noted for her unconventional broken rhyming meter and use of dashes and random capitalization as well as her creative use of metaphor and overall innovative style. Some of her poems are Fame is a fickle food, I cannot live with you, I felt a Funeral, in my Brain and I’m Nobody! Who are you? ‘Mother to Son,’ 1932 In this poem by Langston Hughes, a mother is advising his son not to give up on life by recalling her own misgivings in the past. The mother decides to compare her life to stairs and describes how hard it was to climb it. Langston Hughes was a prolific writer. In the forty years when he first wrote a book until his death in 1967, he wrote sixteen books of poems, two novels, three collections of short stories, four volumes of â€Å"editorial† and â€Å"documentary† fiction, twenty plays, children’s poetry, musicals and operas, three autobiographies, a dozen radio and television scripts and dozens of magazine articles and edited seven anthologies. Some of his other distinguished poems are The Weary Blues (1926), The Negro Mother and other Dramatic Recitations (1931) and The Dream Keeper (1932). The profound metaphors in Theodor Roethke’s â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz,† Emily Dickinson’s â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop For Death† and Langston Hughes â€Å"Mother to Son† make readers reflect on the lives of their poets and contemplate on their own existence. â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† is a joy to analyze because the metaphor or the â€Å"waltz† has brought about very contrasting reflections on the poem. With lines such as â€Å"But I hung on like death; such waltzing was not easy† (Kennedy and Gioia 674) many critics have come to understand the poem in the light of a father and son playing roughly and enjoying their quality moment. However, many scholars also think that Roethke is actually using the metaphor of a waltz to describe child abuse. The word â€Å"romped† seems to show enjoyment. However, pans sliding from the kitchen shelves and the boy’s ear scraping on his father’s belt buckle with every missed step contradict the poet’s first description of the dance. According to John J. McKenna in his article, Roethke’s Revisions and The Tone Of My Papa’s Waltz, the holograph manuscripts of â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† confirm that Roethke himself tried to balance the negative and positive tones of the poem, resulting in its rich ambiguity. Emily Dickinson is famous for her great use of metaphors. The first line of the poem â€Å"Because i could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me†( Kennedy and Gioia 1019) seems to be about a girl who has contemplated committing suicide in the past. In the end of the poem she seems to be happy that she did not push through with it because she was after all, ready to pursue living. However, the metaphors used to portray death and immortality as persons can be confusing and easily understood in a different light. William Galperin reflects on these metaphors from the point of view of a feminist. In his critique compiled by Donna Campbell of Washington State University, he believes that â€Å"death† embodies society’s perception that a woman has to get married and live a domesticated life while the poem similarly redefined immortality as a woman’s self-possession, or the result of a refusal to allow society the prerogative of selecting her. There are also some scholars who believe that Dickinson is actually hinting on seduction in this poem. It is very easy to get lost in Dickinson’s metaphors and even scholars themselves have different points of reflections on it. However, these metaphors are what make her poem truly distinct and interesting. In the poem, Mother To Son, Langston Hughes seems to be referring to a stereo-typical mother advising his son on how to deal with life. It is easy to think that the poem just wants to convey a more mature person trying to coach someone to move on. â€Å"Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair† (Kennedy and Gioia 1031) clearly uses the metaphor of the stairway to make readers understand that life is not easy. Words like â€Å"splinters† â€Å"boards torn up† and â€Å"bare† can be interpreted as hardships in life. The poet’s use of the â€Å"crystal† stairs also seems to describe an easy and comfortable life or heaven to some. However, in the light of the times when the poem was written, scholars believe that the message is related to racial discrimination. Aidan Wasley, in the book, Poetry for Students, believes that it becomes easy to see Hughes’s mother figure as something like a racial matriarch addressing her scattered children and exhorting them to â€Å"keep on climbing† on their way to freedom. The lives and beliefs of the authors of the three poems are deeply embedded in the metaphors they used. It is their masterful way of weaving these mere words intricately that convey such powerful messages and remarkable stories that one can only appreciate by reflecting on one’s own decisions and principles. These poetic devices are very effective in making one contemplate and were successful and shall keep the poems truly alive long after their poets have gone. Works Cited Keneddy, X. J. , and Dana Gioia. Literature: an introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. New York, New York: Pearson and Longman, 2007. McKenna, John J. â€Å"Roethke’s Revisions And The Tone Of My Papa’s Waltz,† 1998. University of Nebraska at Omaha. 15 April 2007 < http://www. mrbauld. com/exrthkwtz. html>. Wasley, Aidan. â€Å"An Overview of Mother To Son† Poetry For Students. Gale, 1998. Wsu. edu. Campbell, Donna. Washington State University. 15 April 2007 .

Kfc and the Global Fast-Food Industry in 2003-2004

KFC and the Global Fast-Food Industry in 2003-2004 Course: MGT 710 [pic] 1. Executive Summary This paper analyzes the market situation of the major U. S. fast-food firms in Latin America in 2004 from the perspective of the KFC Corporation. By analyzing political, economic, cultural, logistical, and competitive forces, a potential strategy for KFC to successfully establish a strong position in Central and South America is proposed. Through a thorough analysis, it was determined that KFC should establish wholly-owned subsidiaries in Mexico and Brazil to manage operations in Central and South America, respectively. After a strong position is established in these countries, KFC should then open franchises in Central America, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, and Chile. 2. Problem 1. Expanding into Latin America From 1993 to 2002, KFC dominated the chicken segment of the U. S. fast-food market. Their market share, however, decreased by 13. 4% over that 10 year period (Exhibit 4, 553). As the fast-food market matured, firms began to focus on globalization to continue growth. By early 2004, 56% of KFC’s restaurants were outside of the U. S. (558). Their initial focus was on Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean, where they established dominance among competitors. Their struggle was in expanding beyond those markets. In their attempt to expand into Central and South America, KFC was met with many challenges. Many Latin American markets had not adopted the fast-food concept and preferred a more leisurely dining experience. The intense competition with major U. S. fast-food chains made it very risky to enter a new market. The geographic distance from the corporate offices made it difficult to control standards and quality. To continue growth, KFC would have to develop a strategy to overcome these obstacles and expand into these markets. 2. Strengthening position in Central America KFC initially expanded into Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean due to geographic proximity and existing political and economic ties to the U. S. They were able to establish dominance in these markets because they had first-mover advantage and the local cultures accepted the fast-food concept. To further expand into Central America, KFC will have to develop a strategy to leverage their strong positions in Mexico and the Caribbean. They will have to consider factors such as the business model, global integration, national responsiveness, and mitigating risk. 3. Breaking into South America KFC had attempted to enter Brazil, with limited success. Political, economic, and cultural challenges had prevented KFC from gaining a foothold, and subsequently forced them to pull out of the market. Other countries in South America had little competitive presence, but had significant barriers to entry. In addition, the farther away the countries are from the corporate offices, the more expensive and logistically difficult the operation becomes. To enter these markets, KFC would have to carefully weigh its options to establish a presence and mitigate risk. 3. Analysis 1. Industry analysis 1. Basic economic characteristics Latin America is home to more than 550 million people. It has an aggregate GDP of more than $4 trillion. Figure 1 shows that Brazil and Mexico have the highest GDP. However, Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica have the highest GDP per capita. [pic] Figure 1 – Latin America GDP (Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Latin_America) 2. Competition In general, Central America and Brazil are the markets most penetrated by the large U. S. fast-food chains. McDonald’s is the dominant competitor in Latin America, with 584 stores in Brazil, 261 stores in Mexico, and 203 stores in Argentina. KFC follows with 274 stores in Mexico and 134 stores in the Caribbean. Burger King operates 163 stores in Puerto Rico and 154 stores in Mexico. Wendy’s only operates 143 stores in all of Latin America (Exhibit 6, 559). To assess the competitive landscape, Porter’s Five Forces model can be used, as shown in Figure 2. For KFC, the highest levels of competitive rivalry are in Central America and Brazil. Most of South America, with the exception of Brazil, has relatively low penetration. The threat of new entrants is high within any market, as all of the major competitors are vying for the same markets. The threat of substitute products is also generally high, since fast-food chains must compete with established local restaurants that already cater to the local tastes and customs. The bargaining power of customers is medium in more developed countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina where customers are less price sensitive. In less developed Latin American countries, however, the bargaining power is high where most customers cannot afford high prices. The bargaining power of suppliers is medium in most countries where there aren’t a large amount of imports, but high in countries like Mexico and Brazil. [pic] Figure 2 – Porter's Five Forces (Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Porter_5_forces_analysis) 3. Factors driving change As Latin American countries become more developed, they begin to adopt more global brands. As the internet penetrates these markets, users become exposed to global brands. Cultures begin to change as the world becomes a global market. While they do maintain local tastes and values, people begin to separate from traditions and become more modern. As economies become more developed, people begin to adopt the on-the-go lifestyle that we are accustomed to in the U. S. As countries like the U. S. drive globalization to foreign markets, trade barriers are often removed and countries begin to adopt foreign firms. 4. Relative strength of firms As previously stated, McDonald’s has the strongest position with 1,605 stores in Latin America. KFC follows with 650 stores, followed by Burger King and Wendy’s. McDonald’s is dominant in South America, while KFC controls Central America. 5. Rivals' next moves The most significant acquisition of note is McDonald’s purchase of Boston Market in 2000. Boston Market caters to the growing trend for healthy fast-food, as well as the casual, sit-down atmosphere that is popular in Latin America. While Boston Market does not have any presence in Latin America, McDonald’s could decide to leverage existing resources to expand there. 6. Critical success factors All franchise corporations are concerned with standards and consistency between units. While certain factors can differ from one region to the next, a general level of consistency is needed with regards to product quality and taste. It is critical that service and cleanliness are upheld to a high level of quality. Particularly in Latin American markets, the menus may need to be diversified and incorporate local flavors. With the great distance between Latin American markets and corporate headquarters, effectively executing logistics, distribution, and operations is critical to success. Effectively managing resources and keeping costs low will also be critical when entering new markets. With the political and economic events that may occur, the firm must be resilient to changes in the economy and trade regulations. Firms should seek to establish relationships with local governments in order to protect their interests abroad. 2. Strategic planning for foreign market entry 1. Identifying company's objective in foreign market entry The first step in developing KFC’s Latin American strategy is to identify the objectives for entering new markets. Some reasons to enter new markets would be to exploit an untapped market, obtain a competitive advantage, secure essential raw materials and distribution channels, and cutting costs by employing inexpensive labor. Currently, KFC has a large presence in Mexico and the Caribbean. This gives them a launching point to enter nearby markets. The nearby Central American countries have a relatively low presence from the large fast-food firms. The Central American region is home to approximately 40 million people. According to Figure 1, the Central American nations have a GDP of approximately $173 billion. This region has a considerably sized market, relatively low penetration, and proximity to KFC’s large presence in Mexico, making it ideal for entry. Brazil is the largest and most coveted market in Latin America. Unfortunately, McDonald’s has a large competitive advantage with 584 stores. KFC has failed in the past to enter this market, but the opportunity is still there. Establishing a position in this market would allow KFC to power investments in other South American markets. While they may not be able to dominate the market, it is a strategic location that would act as the locus for all South American operations. Argentina and Chile have $445B and $161B GDP, respectively, making them large attractive markets. They also have the highest GDP per capita in Latin America. While McDonald’s has a relatively strong position in these countries, there should still be opportunity for KFC to capitalize on. Other South American countries, such as Paraguay, and Uruguay, Have little competitive presence and a relatively low GDP. These countries may not have strategic value to the company. 2. Preliminary country screening After determining the objectives for each country, an analysis of advantages and attractiveness can be performed. To determine national competitive advantages, Porter’s diamond model is used, shown in Figure 3. Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile stand out as the most developed Latin American countries. This indicates that advanced factor endowments such as infrastructure, skilled labor, and technology should be readily available. Demand conditions should also be most favorable in the countries with the highest GDP, as an active economy tends to increase demand for on-the-go meals. The most significant supporting industry is the poultry industry. According to the USDA, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina have the largest poultry industries in the region. [pic] Figure 3 – National Competitive Advantage (Source: http://www. teagasc. ie/research/reports/foodprocessing/4984/eopr-4984. htm) 3. Risks in foreign markets In all Latin American countries, there is a high degree of political risk, due to the propensity of corruption and instability in governments. This is apparent even in the more developed Latin American countries. Many Latin American countries restrict the import of foreign goods, or give preferential treatment to adjacent countries. In addition, the distance from existing production and distribution channels imposes a great risk to the supply of goods to the more southern countries in the region. One of the main company factors is the shortage of skilled labor and high rate of turnover in Latin American markets. For KFC to succeed in any Latin American market, they will need to increase employee retention through training or benefits. 4. Capabilities, resources, and skills needed to succeed in foreign markets The key success factors were described in Section 3. 1. 6. It is important to note that the farther away the country is from existing trade channels, the more difficult it will be for KFC to control quality, standards, distribution, and logistics. Also, the less developed nations will be more susceptible to economic and political events that could devastate KFC’s interest in the market. 5. Fulfilling key success factors KFC’s key strength is their established dominance in Mexico. This position provides many financial and political benefits due to the NAFTA treaty. It also provides them with a strategic position to enter nearby Central American markets. They do not have established trade channels in most of South America, so it will be difficult for them to manage operations without a strong presence in at least one market. This is the main reason why Brazil is a key market to enter. Being that KFC is such a large company within an even larger conglomerate of fast-food chains, the firm should be able to withstand political or economic changes and a loss of revenue during the development stage. Overall, KFC fulfills the key success factors in Central America, but will need to establish a position in at least one major South American market in order to expand there. . Entering the target markets In determining how to enter the target markets, the level of global integration vs. national responsiveness should be assessed. Figure 4 shows the various strategies that can be employed given the appropriate level of integration and responsiveness. The markets in Latin America should be similar enough for KFC to keep menus, processes, and sta ndards consistent across all markets. Pricing and advertising may differ depending on the level of economic development and communications infrastructure in each nation. In addition, KFC would need to implement different business models depending on the proximity, size of the market, and cultural uniqueness. For this reason, KFC should implement a transnational strategy that would keep many aspects consistent, but some aspects unique between various markets. [pic] Figure 4 – Global Integration vs. National Responsiveness 7. Compare and rank targeted countries From the analysis performed, each Latin American market considered was ranked based on the variables discussed. By comparing GDP, geographic proximity, population, and relative penetration of competitors, Table 1 shows the countries scored and ranked. Economy |Competition |Proximity |Market size |Presence |Total | |Mexico |12 |12 |13 |12 |13 |62 | |Brazil |13 |13 |7 |13 |4 |50 | |Caribbean |5 |7 |11 |8 |12 |43 | |Puerto Rico |6 |11 |12 |2 |11 |42 | |Central America |3 |9 |10 |10 |9 |41 | |Colombia |10 |5 |8 |11 |6 |40 | |Argentina |11 |10 |3 |10 |4 |38 | |Venezuela |7 |8 |9 |6 |5 |35 | |C hile |9 |6 |4 |5 |8 |32 | |Peru |8 |3 |5 |7 |7 |30 | |Ecuador |4 |4 |6 |4 |10 |28 | |Paraguay |1 |2 |2 |3 |4 |12 | |Uruguay |2 |2 |1 |1 |4 |10 | |Table 1 – Results of market analysis 4. Recommendations 1. Markets to enter From the results of the analysis performed, KFC should operate company-owned units in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean where it already has a strong position. It should then open franchises in Central American markets to mitigate risk until a strong position can be established, at which point KFC should buy back the successful franchises. KFC should develop a wholly-owned subsidiary in Brazil and aggressively establish a strong foothold. This is not only one of the most attractive markets; it is also a critical strategic location to be the headquarters of South American operations. Once a strong position is established in Brazil, KFC should open franchises or joint-ventures in Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and Chile. Given the relatively low scores, KFC should not consider expanding further into Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, or Uruguay. Although KFC already has operations in Peru and Ecuador, they are not strategically valuable and should be closed or sold if they are not consistently profitable. 2. Strategy for entry 1. Corporate strategy At the corporate level, KFC should focus on developing wholly-owned subsidiaries to act as the regional headquarters in Mexico and Brazil. This would allow KFC to centralize control over standards, quality, process, and distribution within those regions. This tiered structure would lessen the burden on KFC’s U. S. corporate management and provide more specialized attention to those local markets. To offset regional events that may affect all of Latin America, KFC should also consider entering markets in Europe and Asia. If an economic catastrophe were to hit Brazil, for instance, markets in all nearby countries would be severely impacted as well. The Yum! Corporation should also consider strategies to expand its other brands into Latin America as well to leverage KFC’s success. The multibrand strategy that has been so successful in the U. S. may prove successful in Latin America as well. 2. Business strategy At the business level, KFC should develop aggressive marketing strategies in countries where competitors have a strong presence. In Brazil, for instance, KFC will have to fiercely battle McDonald’s to gain market share. In less developed countries, KFC should enter cautiously and focus on mitigating risk. KFC should leverage their strong global brand and target the younger generation. Through internet marketing, KFC should be able to reach the young, modern generation that has a higher acceptance for the fast-food model. KFC should implement a transnational strategy in Latin America. While quality, service, and products should remain consistent throughout Latin America, KFC should develop unique strategies for marketing, pricing, and business models in each region. KFC should launch company-owned stores in high growth markets and enter the rest with franchises or joint-ventures until a strong position is established. In high growth markets, company-owned businesses would allow fixed costs to be spread across multiple restaurants, subsequently allowing for lower prices and increased margins. Franchising would leverage the expertise of local entrepreneurs with understanding of the local customs, language, and marketing strategies. This would help to mitigate the risk of entering unknown markets. 3. Functional strategy Regional franchises should interface with the wholly-owned subsidiaries in Mexico and Brazil. These subsidiaries would control management, distribution, standards, quality assurance, and advertising for their associated franchises. The Central and South American subsidiaries should focus on developing close ties with the governments in their regions. They should lobby to remove trade barriers between nations in order to streamline distribution. They should also focus on developing ties with the local communities in order to gain acceptance from local culture. KFC should develop specialized marketing campaigns for each region, depending on the similarities in culture. They should focus on targeting the young, career-minded demographic through internet marketing. Depending on the lifestyle habits of those individuals, they should also target them through appropriate media advertising. 5. Conclusion KFC is one of the dominant players in the global fast-food industry. They have sufficient resources to launch an aggressive strategy into Latin America. By leveraging their strong position in Mexico, KFC can successfully establish a strong position in Central America. By outsourcing management of Central American firms to a wholly-owned subsidiary in Mexico, KFC will be able to streamline operations and maintain control over franchisees. Although it will be difficult, establishing a foothold in Brazil is KFC’s best strategic option for entering South America. By aggressively marketing the younger demographic, KFC should be able to gain a considerable market share, even though McDonald’s maintains the dominant position. Once they have been successful in Brazil and a wholly-owned subsidiary is established, KFC can then begin to expand further into South America. By implementing this general strategy and addressing the factors and risks discussed in the analysis, KFC should be able to gain substantial market share and continue to grow the firm.

Retail and auto sales Essay

In terms of the GDP, most of the analysis that goes towards decline is negative, and rise is positive. In some cases, though, a rise is actually negative, such as the fact that a rise in inflation is negative, or a rise in the price of oil is negative, while a rise in the GDP or personal income could be seen as more positive. It is important to understand these basics before an analysis of the indicators can really proceed. If a person does not understand the basics of economic indicators, they are not going to be able to take their knowledge and do anything with it. They will be left with a certificate of knowledge, with no personal knowledge to back it up. The most recent figure of a . 06 GDP represents weakness. Unemployment As the above statistic shows, an overall determination of the status of the current US economy is complicated by issues of declining employment as well, particularly in banking sectors. There are definite signs of a slowdown in some areas, but there are other areas that are more optimistic. Many people see room for optimism within this objectively, while others are more pessimistic or cynical about the future and say that things will have to be worse before they can be better. Actions of the Federal Reserve have helped to shore up some elements of the economy, but underlying problems do remain. As one source notes, â€Å"The Fed has quelled the panic that prevailed in the financial markets until recently. But it still has to nurse an economy weighted down by massive bad debts. That is likely to require a period of easier money†¦ with banks hoarding, consumer confidence in the pits, and housing still in freefall, it may be too early for optimism† (Coy, 2008). Still another source notes that while some elements of the economy may actually benefit from the current situation in terms of job creation, the mass majority of indicators shows a situation in which there are problematic dimensions of unemployment and layoffs such as the ones in the auto industry recently: â€Å"As long as the largest asset on household and bank balance sheets continues to deflate, the credit and consumption hits will keep coming. The worst is not over†¦ commodity prices and gold will go up. The loser? Oh, pretty much the rest of us† (Up, 2008). Of course, this is just one subjective opinion, that seems to be somewhat slanted towards an over-valuation of the housing market’s impact. Retail and auto sales Retail and auto sales have fallen with a fall in consumer confidence, and major US automakers have asked for part of the bailout that is now being sunk into the banking sector. â€Å"Aside from questions about the wisdom of government intervention or putting taxpayer money at risk, bailing out Detroit could put Washington in the position of subsidizing job losses† (Auto, 2008). On the other hand, some argue that a bailout is needed to help this industry. Consumers are spending less on retail than expected, but are still spending. In terms of auto sales, â€Å"The car makers have at least 10 assembly plants more than they need to meet demand, according to Oliver Wyman Consulting. That translates to roughly 30,000 factory jobs plus significant numbers of engineers and other salaried personnel. GM estimates it needs to slash its salaried-employee costs in North America by 30%. † (Auto, 2008). Too many variables can change in the external environment for most prognostications about the future of the US economy to be taken totally literally. What people who do propose to predict the future do, however, is to take the past and present indicators such as those in the auto industry and retail, into account and determine the likelihood of certain scenarios, based on confirmation from past facts and patterns that have held true throughout economic history. In this manner, those who look to the future can say something like, the economy will recover in a certain amount of time, or will fall again, based on many examples of this happening in the past. In the same way, people look to the past of economic improvements and adjustments to see the future economically. Bank and mortgage failures In terms of bank failures, a major factor was the swaps against sub-prime mortgages that pushed the otherwise profitable company to the brink of bankruptcy. As the mortgages ties to the swaps defaulted, companies that have since been bailed out such as giants of the banking industry like Washington Mutual and insurance industry like AIG were forced to raise millions in capital. â€Å"As stockholders got wind of the situation, they sold their shares, making it even more difficult for these companies and banks to cover the swaps. AIG could has more than enough assets to cover the swaps, but couldn’t sell them before the swaps came due† (A profile, 2008). This has led the government to install a bailout in terms of loans to banks and other companies that have put further stress on the global economy. In return, the government often becomes a partial holder or owner of the company, getting such perks as â€Å"veto power over all important decisions, including asset sales and payment of dividends† (A profile, 2008). The original plan to dissolve one company affected by the bailout, AIG, and sell it piecemeal should be revived as soon as the economy will permit. â€Å"The plan was for the Fed to break up AIG and sell off the pieces to repay the loan. However, the stock market plunge in October made that impossible, as potential buyers needed any excess cash for their own balance sheets. Therefore, the Treasury Department will instead purchase $40 billion in preferred shares from its Capital Repurchase Plan† (Profile, 2008). It is the overall conclusion of this report that the economy is currently experiencing a crisis that is, at the current writing, on the very inside edge of a recession, and that since 2007, the government has made efforts to curb the crisis by first raising and then lowering interest rates, and then setting up a semi-nationalized banking system and the so called bailout fund which helped many companies stay alive. Stock market The stock market has always risen and fallen with various demand curves. The demand the consumer had in terms of the demand curve then outdistanced the supply, because of many factors in the external environment. There is also the issue of banks and credit, which affects many consumers directly. â€Å"The Fed’s latest survey of bank loan officers found a further marked tightening of credit, both in terms of charges and more stringent requirements for borrowers. Some 70% of banks had tightened standards for residential mortgages† (Forsyth, 2008). Many banks have also lowered interest garnered in savings and money market accounts. And of course, there is also the issue of Iraq, which is also a political issue. Currently, all of these issues are affecting the stock market. At the present time of writing, the stock market has posted modest gains for the day, after a brief rally and then a fall in the early week. The chart shown below illustrates the state of the stock market at the current writing, and can be interpreted as such in viewing. Consumer confidence Another important theme and issue that affects particularly economic factors in the present is the confidence of the consumer. The future is never set in stone, but present demographic indicators can give commentators some idea of what is going to happen in terms of fiscal policy. GDP refers to Gross Domestic Product, which has slowed down somewhat but is still up in the first quarter. CPI refers to Consumer Price Index, about with the Federal Reserve is involved in terms of predictions about inflation because of interest rates. PPI refers to production price index, and is going up. In terms of how the economy is doing generally regarding some of these indicators, as one source states, â€Å"Consumer spending on goods plunged 2. 6%, but outlays for housing, medical care and other services rose†¦ heading into the second quarter, while overall April payrolls shrunk by 20,000 jobs, services added 90,000†¦ services make up almost 60% of the Gross Domestic Product† (Cooper, 2008). In other words, while some of the indicators are up, others are down, showing a volatile economy in general. REFERENCE Cooper, J (2008). Services: Heavyweight in a hard fight. Businessweek. Coy, P (2008). The Fed may have more cutting to do. Businessweek. Forsyth, R (2008). Corporates boom, tanks tighten. Barron’s. Auto makers force bailout issues (2008). Wall Street Journal. Profile of AIG (2008). http://useconomy. about. com/od/businesses/p/AIG. htm

Full IPAD vehicle intergation (as dispaly for monitoring the speed , Essay

Full IPAD vehicle intergation (as dispaly for monitoring the speed , pertrol consumption , and controlling the AC ..etc) - Essay Example However, I have written the assignment exactly according to your specifications. You are however free to contact me through the message board if you have any concerns about the assignment and I shall respond to you accordingly. Thank you – Isaac. ANSWER According to the Management.About.Com, â€Å"barriers to entry are those things that make it difficult for a new company to compete against companies already established in the field.† This is to say that even though the possibility to enter the market and achieve success even over existing companies is not a fallacy, there are some challenges and hurdles that new companies would have to overcome in order to achieve these successes. The first and most outstanding barrier to entry will be the stiff competition that our company would have to engage in with market pioneers. BMW, an automobile brand giant has already introduced iSO Integration and iPad dock; an iPad vehicle integration system that â€Å"give drivers the cap ability to access text messages, memos, emails from their iOS and Blackberry devices† (Thacker, 2010).

Discussion Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Discussion Questions - Assignment Example It is also applicable to companies that have bulky and variable production consignment, inability to meet changing demand patterns and possess excessive inventories due to the need for outsized safety stocks. The strategy has many advantages in the advertising sector especially in reducing expenditure. Conversely, a pull promotional approach creates awareness for a specific service or product, which is fashioned with an objective audience in mind (Schultz, 2002). This audience then demands the merchandise from channel partners. In this system, the consumer requests for the product and pulls it through the release channel. The strategy is based on consumed or actual demand unlike the push tactic that is based on forecast demand. The pull tactic can be applied in a situation where production and distribution are demand driven. A company may also apply it to that bit of the supply chain where order uncertainty is high. Elsewhere, it is applied in instances where a company is experiencing a decrease in lead-time, has no inventory, or is responding to specific demands. It greatly influences sales promotions and discounts, word of mouth appointments, mass media promotion and advertising. Pull promotional strategy is what our company utilizes mostly as we advertise, build on customer relationship management, and carry out sales promotions and offer discounts (Schultz, 2002). Just one strategy has proven not to give much of good returns in the businesses, which are in line with my career. In the course of work, I have had to balance both push and pull strategies. The result has been a powerful marketing mix that strongly entices customers to buy the wares I have had to sell for the company. From observation and experience in customer interactions throughout my career, it has come out that consumers react differently to marketing strategies used on the same product. This has necessitated the

Last day at school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Last day at school - Essay Example I gained many friends in these years and they really changed my world. Even the teachers of the school were different in their own way. Somewhere friendly but others grave and did not talk freely with us. It is sometimes hard to imagine that these lovely years of learning has at last come to an end. It is impossible to believe that I need to leave the high school where I met so many wonderful people and friends. I know I have become close with my fellow students and this bond is not easy to forget. It is really difficult to assume what life would have been without these happy high school years. These days I was sometimes joyful and sometimes nervous and also there were days of sorrow. All these emotions took a ride through my years in high school. And the day when I had to bid good bye to my friends, tears rolled out of my eyes. I never realized that I love my school so much .It has given me valuable experience and knowledge and number of friends that I can never forget. It was a mem orable days, when I was busy compiling my graduation book with my friends and fellow students. All of us with a mixed feeling of sorrow and anxiety in our mind spend the last days of school in unity. I remember the times when I was busy with compiling the graduation book, the one with all the memories, fun photos and writing jotted down in it. The graduation book is a treasure for me, when I look in to the book I find my friends face glaring at me which give me utter happiness. The day when I was compiling it, I requested my best friend to put his picture on the front page and he sticked a photo in which both of us were holding hands in a sportive manner. He wrote words which displayed his feeling and love for me. I could not look in to his eyes as I could see the tears ready to fall out of his eyes. I did not know to cry or smile and was in a big confusion as to how to express my feelings for my friend at this delicate moment. The second page of the book I dedicated to the sporting days that me and my friend have spend together .The picture of me and him in soccer shorts and dribbling the ball through the foot ball ground and how messy we looked. Those beautiful days are hard to be captured in the space of a book. In that joyous moment I hugged my friend as he meant a lot to me. The main reason for this is that he was with me through all the good and bad times of high school days. He drew a picture of my smiling face with the pen on this page and I knew he always wanted me to laugh and be happy. The other moment was to confront my only friend who was a girl and she was such a lovely person, less could be told about her. She was the one who gave me confidence and hope in times of despair and depression. When I moved to this school, I was all gloomy and disturbed but she came to me as a hope. She consoled me and introduced me to other students proudly and made me converse with my class mates. On this day I expressed to her what she has meant to me. I hugged her and express my gratitude and respect as she was unlike other girls in the class. It was surprising when she wrote that sweet poem in my book which related to friendship and love. There were words from heart and is heart touching every time I read it. The picture taken with me and her on the birthday was the best picture in my graduation book. Her smile was radiant and always gave me positive vibes. I remember the day, when I approached her at home and requested for a picture for my book. And she came with a wrapper of chocolate that I have given her during my school days. She still had it, and she stuck that to my book and I could not ask for more. The wrapper still smelled of chocolate, it had the aroma of friendship and warm feeling she had for me. I could n

How globalization affect small businesses Essay

How globalization affect small businesses - Essay Example This paper examines how globalization affects small businesses. Background of Globalization Globalization can be defined as a process of moving goods, people and ideas due to the increased trading and economic activities which is greatly affected by economic integration of different countries. Globalization is a tool that is used by many countries to control economic power. It was used to influence policies, expand trade and gain economic advantage over other countries and organizations. Globalization is traced back to the First World War where super countries applied it to harness their communication and have access link to transport to different parts of the world with an economic motive. The first instance of globalization was directed by the super power to have access over India. Trade was a major link that the super power countries could access their political and economical goals; therefore they used various theories which later resulted to globalization. Countries considering themselves as superpowers were very much engrossed during the world war, but they introduced various policies within their boundaries to protect their interest while they pursue other interest which did not directly affect their country. An example is that some countries sanctioned the importation of manufactured products. This encouraged the Great Britain to expand its market by taking advantage of the situation where countries sanctioned the importation of their manufactured products by liberalizing its trade to increase its economic production while the war was being fought. After the war, many countries introduced trade tariffs which were aimed at restoring domestic industries and economic production and this highly affected other parts of the world resulting to the process of globalization (Shuman 150). Globalization In the Past and Today Globalization in the pasts was known as the anti-globalism period because of the wars which were surrounding its era. The first face is trace d during the Napoleonic wars to the First World War. It was characterized by international trade, financial flow and migrations of different races to areas where they considered havens. The trade during this era was high compared to the output that was being produced in the world by different countries. Global integration was promoted during this era because of the lowering of trade tariffs and transport cost. Transport cost was significantly reduced because of the railroad and roads being constructed on different parts of the continent. In the past, globalization was also characterized by different policies like the sanctioning of Corn Laws in Britain. Countries put in place a trade liberalization trend which was highly geared towards improving economic activities in the region. The current globalization is characterized by policies from developed and developing economies which support the process of globalization itself. The industrial sector has greatly improved because of the pr esence of skilled labor obtained from educated workforce. New technologies have also promoted globalization in the current eras they linked transport and communication as individuals living in this century are able to access vital information and communication. ICT trends within the continent have promoted and made globalization easier as it has led to the cost of accessing information and communication globally. Moreover, globalization during this contemporary society prides itself

Corporate Governance & Social Responsibility Essay

Corporate Governance & Social Responsibility - Essay Example Business organizations should not be interested only on the shareholders (tutor2u, 2011, para.4). The employees as well as the users of these products need to be considered in the development of the operational strategies of the organization. The concern addressed here should reflect on the type and quality of product offered to the consumers. While some products have no adverse effect on the social life of the users, others like alcohol drinks and bhang are often associated with serious social issues. Excessive drinking and drug abuse contribute significantly to other social issues like domestic violence, sexual abuse, or even manslaughter. Product advertisement After developing a product, a business company would always want to let its product be known in the market. This is achieved through extensive promotion and advertisement of the product. The advertisements often appeal to the consumers on the benefits of the product. The contents of the advert will influence its effectivenes s (Gunter, Oates, & Blades, 2005, p.123). The adverts explain why the product ranks well above the other products in the market and provide a direction on how to use the product (eHow, 2011, para.1). Largely, the advertisements have significant impacts on the usage of the products. Researches have shown that exposure to some advert increases the consumption of the advertised product (Gunter, Oates, & Blades, 2005, p.123). Ideally, this objective of advertisement (appealing to the public to buy the product) should apply to those products not associated with social problems. However, for products that influence the society, especially the underage, the advertisements only need to be informative. The adverts should indicate prices of the product as well as where they could be obtained. For the alcoholic drinks in particular, the advertisements should stress on the targeted age group and emphasis that they should not be sold to underage. The associated health problems also need to be in dicated in the adverts and containers of the products. Spykes and the company’ decision to stop its sales It is not appropriate to rule out that Spykes was a bad product. The company studied the market trend that had been recorded in the past. Its development acme about after the company had observed that taste was moving from their traditional domestic brands like Budweiser (Case study, p.497). The product was not developed to attract underage drinkers as per the criticisms. Instead, it was targeting the drinkers in the age bracket of 21-30 (Case study, p.497). Besides, the product had caffeine additive to improve on its energy content. It also had lower alcohol content than the wine; it had 12% alcohol content. The only mistake that the company did was that they did not emphasize on the age bracket that was targeted by the product. Even though the product was developed to attract the young adults, its sweetest taste was criticized to attract the teenagers. It is assumed tha t alcoholic drinks with high-energy content are popular among the teenagers (Case study, p.498). The decorations at the website were also seen as appealing more to the teenagers than adults. After all the criticism that was launched on the product and its advertisement, the company did the right thing to withdraw the product. The so-called â€Å"self-appointed† civil activists are very significant influential in the market as

ECONOMICS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ECONOMICS - Assignment Example The country’s urban population is also increasing (World Bank 20). Ethiopia covers an area of about 1,000,000 km2. Using the 2010 national population figures, we get a national population density of 85 people/km2. The level of economic development in Ethiopia is still low indicated by the 2010 Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.328% and low GDP of US$28,526.50 billion in 2009. The general standards of living are also low with 38.70% of the people living below a dollar. There is a high dependency ratio as is common among developing countries for example 86.5% in 2010. In 2008, 85.1% of the population lived without electricity. In 2010, its life expectancy was 56.1%, a figure that was common among other developing countries (World Bank 16). Difference between Ethiopia and other developing countries Unlike most developing countries, Ethiopia has a very large surface coverage. It emerges the second largest in Africa. According to (World Bank 20), the percentage of urban population in Ethiopia is below 20% unlike other developing countries. In 2010, these figures were 16.7% compared 35.4% and 38.4% in Guinea and Sierra Leone respectively in during the same year.

Concepts of Operations Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Concepts of Operations Project - Essay Example B Concepts believes that these types of incident should be avoided before it can effect the organization. It is better to prevent than cure, B Concepts CIRT follows this policy to handle any incidents. Before moving forward lets look up some definition of CIRT so that in can be easily understand. â€Å"CIRT is a carefully selected and well-trained group of people whose purpose is to promptly and correctly handle an incident so that it can be quickly contained, investigated, and recovered from. It is usually comprised of members from within the company. They must be people that can drop what they’re doing (or re-delegate their duties) and have the authority to make decisions and take actions.†i Support Members: This group of members consists of from various department of the organization .They are Firewall administrator, LAN administrator, Help Desk, Database administrator and Network operation centre . Roles and responsibilities: B Concepts Core Group members have main responsibility for maintain the entire system of the organization from computer security incidents. They work in synchronous with support group so that the goal and objectives of the CIRT can be fulfilled. Below is the roles and responsibility of the various groups, member listed. Core Members: This is the main group of the CIRT which is responsible for handling any types of computer security incidents (events) that may occur in the organization. Each member has some fix role and responsibility that are. CIRT Co-ordinator- Co-ordinator of the CIRT is responsible for all the incidents that can effects the organization. Co-ordinator looks after the things such as policy, standard, another are followed properly or not in the organization. CIRT Co-ordinator works in synchronous with Core members and Support members and led the team. Senior Level Computer Analyst-This group of members are

Differences between Human Resource Management and Personnel Management Essay

Differences between Human Resource Management and Personnel Management - Essay Example Over the years, there has been unending debates and continuous conversations between human resource authors on whether there are actual difference between HRM and personnel management. A host of these authors have argued that the most obvious change has been the â€Å"re-labeling process† (Koster, 2007.p.4). Koster argues that the relabeling would not have necessarily represented any change but was important in that it helped rid personnel management from its unlikeable welfare image. The overall effect was that it helped safeguard personnel management from marginalization. All the same, this study surmises that the development of HRM was not entirely a â€Å"re-labeling† campaign but there must have been a change of concept or approach (Koster, 2007.p.6). It is this change that defines the difference between personnel management and HRM. In this study, we trace these differences in light of various models as well as examine their application using two functional areas, recruitment and selection and training and development. Personnel Management and HRM Over the past 50 years, the term personnel management has been employed to refer to the function of management that deals with the recruitment, employment, training, redeployment, safety and departure of employees (Cole, 2004.p.4). Simply, personnel management was a function within the organization concerned with managing people, the main goal being achieving efficiency and justice for all those within an enterprise. Key in this definition were the reference to justice and efficiency, this represented a cordial approach to employee affairs within an organization. Up to the 1990s, personnel management was holistically involved in handling collective relationships with employees and their representatives and mediating individual employment relationships (Cole, 2004.p.5). In regard to stakeholder roles and relationships, the personnel manager was largely under pressure from the managing director, trad e union representatives, and line management colleagues. Around the personnel managers there would be the board of directors at the top whereas at the same level or just below them there would be: the senior line managers, junior colleagues, union representatives, statutory bodies and individuals employees. The board, and especially the managing director, would be dependent on the personnel manager to guarantee that workers relationships were both calm and predictable (Storey, 1999.p.26). Senior line managers were keen to guarantee that there would be no interruptions to their production programs. The conditions therefore in which personnel management was conducted at the time could conveniently be explained as highly synchronized, subject to considerations of relative power among the board and worker’s representatives, and rigid in regard to labor mobility (Cole, 2004.p.6). In this context, personnel managers were treated like the highly-respected company advocates charged w ith advising the senior management on how best to avoid, or curtail conflict. It is because of this In the contemporary situation, the prime role of personnel/HR practitioners is that of developing the organization’s staff resources so as to enable people to make a flexible, multi-skilled input to the general

Dancers, Costumes and Movement Content Essay Example for Free

Dancers, Costumes and Movement Content Essay Costume: The costume throughout Flesh and Blood is a very important attribute to the piece. All seven of the female dancers wear the same costume in each of the five sections therefore this shows that the costume that Lea Anderson chose was relevant to the themes within the piece all the way through. The costumes are of a medieval style, we know this from the design of the dress as they have square necks and tight fitting wrist length sleeves much like the dresses that were worn in that time period. The dresses reach ankle length on each of the dances and have a fitted torso with a dropped v-waist which then falls into a slightly gathered, loose material lower half which flows down from the waist to the ankle. In this piece I believe it is important for the dresses to be fitted on the arms and torso area as these are the main areas of which are used in the contact work such as lifts- and it then makes it easier to perform these moves as dancers can get a better grip on each other. There are also many intricate arm and hand movements where dancers have to intertwine with each other- therefore the tight fitting arms ensure that the moves can be performed with clarity and precision. The material of the dresses is particularly specific to the underlying storyline of Joan of Arc, as it is a metallic and shiny stretchy silver fabric. This infers the idea of the dresses symbolising armour, which is relevant to the battles that Joan of Arc had to fight. The masculine armour like fabric then contrasts against the feminine style of dress, again backing up the important theme of Joan of Arc throughout the piece. The shiny material also shimmers in the light and emphasises movements and enhances angles that the dancers perform, whether they are big or small moves which then makes developing motifs clearer to see. The dancers have bare feet in each section of the dance, I believe this adds a sense of vulnerability to the hard faced characters and shows that no matter how determined Joan of Arc was she, and also the characters within this dance all have a weak spot. The dresses that the dancers wear also have calf length, fitted grey leggings underneath which we see in section two- and also work to highlight and emphasize movement. I also believe it was important for the dancers to wear leggings as section two has a lot of floor  work involved so it is practical to have these underneath the dresses. Make-up and hair are also important aspects of the costume within this piece and they highlight areas of intricate movement. This is shown in the Cathedral in section 2 of the dance where small eye movements upwards, then to the left are used. This move is simple but is an important reoccurring motif which could symbolise looking up to god- and therefore needs to stand out, which is done through the use of dark eye makeup that contrasts against the dancers pale faces. The red lipstick worn throughout shows the dancers are still feminine even though they have to wear a masculine army colour, and have a short style of hair which is what Joan of Arc had to do in order to disguise herself. The red lipstick symbolises danger and passion and also shows that even though they are pretending to be males- they are still strong female characters for sticking up for what they believe in. Dancers: All of the dancers look on average between the ages of 25 to 35 and are all female. I believe this shows a strong sense of unity within the piece to symbolise the fact that they are part of an army and also makes them all equal to each other. This is important as it shows that the piece is thematic- rather than narrative with main characters. Due to the style of the dance, I believe the dancers will of had to have had training in ballet and contemporary and be able to perform in confined spaces such as the black box theatre setting which is used and be adaptable for the site specific places that they had to perform. Another key aspect of the performance is that the dancers are very precise in the unison sections. This is effective as it heightens smaller movements such as the tapping of the feet in the cathedral setting in section 2. A way that the dancers could have done this is through using specific counts in the music and keeping to a rhythm. Due to their being a lot of minimal eye movement in unison within the routine- also shown in the black box studio in section 5 when the dancers look up as if to heaven, it is important that the dancers were aware of their focus points so that their movements were precise and equal to each other, which is something that is important throughout this piece. Movements: Section 1: The movement in section one is very contained and small. It is a duet between two of the dancers and involves using a lot or inticate armwork where they have to weavein and out of each other. This could symbolise that the battle Joan of Arc had to face was a constant struggle. This concept is also shown and the first female dancer in this section looks as though she is being dominated and controlled by the second femal character who is stood behind her throughout- almost overlooking all of her actions and having imput into what she does. This is shown as a movement when dancer two pushes dancer one down to the floor to continue her movements on a lower level. This makes dancer two look more superior and therefore gives off the impression she is symbolic of the males telling Joan of Arc she wasn’t allowed to fight. Section 2: Section two involves all 7 of the female dancers and is set in a black box studio. The floor work in this section such as the repeat motif which is shown also in section five where the dancers lay on their back with their feet flat to the floor and their knees bent on and angle with their arms by their side as they push their legs straight out to move backwards gives off an impression that they are symbolising beetles and other insects. Thesharp and angled movements give off imagery as if they are symbolising being bugs- which links to the heaven and hell paintings by the artist Bosch. Because much of this section is on the floor it is symbolic of Hell being present- and is where most people believed Joan of Arc went after her burning at the stake. The calf length leggings and bare feet that the dancers are wearing can also be seen in this scuttling back movement and highlight the angles of the legs- as is also done with the tight fitting sleeves on the arms. Section 3: This section is set inside of a Cathedral and shows 3 of the dancer standing in the alter and the other 4 laid in the knave. This symbolises the communication that Joan of Arc is said to have had with God who told her to  battle with the men, this is shown through intricate eye movement from the dancers standing in the alter as the first thing they do it look upward to heaven, to the left as if to purgatory and then downwards as if to hell. Use of a head tilt to the right when looking to the left is also used which could symbolise shock in hearing or seeing something. The dancers laid on the floor are symbolic of the dreams that Joan of Arc is said to of had and repeat motifs such as the rolling of the fingers that tap onto the floor suggest that her nightmares and dreams were reoccurring and made her react immediately- even before she woke up and decided that she wanted to go into battle. The dynamics in this section are a lot slower then any other andthe dancers are all individuals which suggests that when Joan of Arc visited the church she was distanced from everyone else and felt more alone and vulnerable. Section 4: Section 4 is set outside of the cathedral and is an adapted version of section 1, as it has 2 unison duets- one further forward than the other. This section is also very contact based and manipulative which gives an indication of the relationship that the dancers have with each other. The ‘crusifix’ arm movement is a repeat motif throughout and is shown is section 2 when the dancers sit up from the floor, as if god is helping them progress and become better people. It is also shown in section 4 when the dancers are lifted by the dominating dancers, and their feet are left loosely flailing beneath them while their arms lower so their palms are flat facing downwards. This motif could symbolise that god is now taking Joan of Arcs soul to Heaven as she is burnt at the stake. The shaking of the feet indicates that many people believed she would go to Hell- which is why the arms are lowered from the crucifix movement as this is less holy and God wouldn’t have wanted tha t for the female who stood up for herself.

Dream Job And Personal Quality English Language Essay

Dream Job And Personal Quality English Language Essay 1. a) What are the personal qualities that you should have to help you obtain the job of your dreams? To do that, identify the people around you who can help you acquire the information that you are seeking to gain a complete perspective. b) Prepare a list of question (minimum 8) that you would ask these people 2. Recall a conflict that you have been involved in recently a. Identify the primary source of the conflict described b. Do you think the other party would agree about the primary source of the conflict? Why or why not? c. Identify any secondary sources of the conflict d. How did each dimension affect the way the participant approached the conflict? 2.0 Intro to business communication Business communication is a process that a sender and receiver exchange information through a medium which will result a shared feedback. In the process of communicating, at first the sender has an idea need to inform another person. Secondly, the sender encodes the idea into a message so that the message can travels over channel which the channel is the medium; the message is travel by speaking up by the senders mouth. Then the receiver decodes the message by hearing the message by using the ears. After that, there will be a feedback travels back to the sender to decode, if the sender got any possible additional feedback, then it will transfer back to the receiver. The most common way that they communicate is by speaking, visual images, body language and writing. And the main goals of communicate is to change behavior, to get action, to get and give information, to ensure understanding and to persuade. In communication also have two types of communication which is internal and external communication, and inside the internal and external also got formal channels and informal channels. Each communication which also have their own network to communicate, there are four network to communicate. Chain network, circle network, star network and wheel network is the network of their information exchange. 3.0 Intro to dream job and personal quality In this world there are many jobs to choose to be, and each job has its own special and its personality. Also each job also needs its own personal quality to achieve the jobs personality. My dream job is to be a pilot; the major part of personal quality of my dream job is passionate and effective communication. It is because that personal quality will straightly affect the work performance, when working there is many personal qualities are needed. Personal qualities are similar to the skills while in the working place, it shows that how you do to enhance your working performance. While personal qualities are similar to skill set of working performance, it is also shows that your own personal characteristics individually. It is also an aspect of your character. 4.0 Personal qualities Personal qualities are the personality and attitude to meet against all of your work and life. There are also many types of personal qualities, the main thing to control the personal quality that is personality, like attitude, passionate and other. Different personality will also lead to a different type of personal quality changes. 4.0.1 Passionate Effective Communication The job of my dreams is to be a pilot. To be a pilot, I should also have the personal qualities to obtain the job qualification. So, what is the personal qualities should I have? To be a pilot, the first personal qualities I should have is the passionate, if I work this job, I must have to be passionate about the job, when I work cannot be so cool and not to communicate with other colleague. 4.0.2 Computer Literacy Technology Literacy Nowadays in 21st century, one of the personal qualities that most employers wanted is that, a person will have a computer and technical literacy. It is because nowadays almost all jobs now require an understanding, ranging from basic to advance of computer software, spreadsheets, e-mail, and internet navigation. Without the knowledge of computer literacy, then they will more on manpower to work. So as my dream job is to be a pilot, if I dont have the computer literacy, then the device and system in the plane will cannot be used. When the system of the plane may goes wrong, we also can solve it quickly. Speaking of which, problem-solving also another personal qualities a pilot should have. When a pilot in the air has met some problem, he must solve it quick and have a critical thinking to control the chaos and conquer the challenges. 4.0.3 Attitude Interpersonal Abilities As a pilot, attitude also is an important thing on personal qualities, without the attitude, they will think that youre bad. So when serving them, the attitude must be polite and low voice. Good attitude will evade conflict. Interpersonal abilities are also a personal quality by building relationship or management of the relationship to everyone, as a pilot interpersonal ability is cannot be less. When meet a moody customer, we also need to have a good attitude to them making a good relationship by having interpersonal ability to communicate with him. 4.0.4 Leadership Teamwork Teamwork is to cooperate with your colleague when is in flight, it is also consider to leadership when the flight got any problem, as a leader of the flight it must be control the crowd on the plane, so must have leadership that offer the stewardess to control the crowd to calm down. Everyone in the plane must be calm down, as a leader cannot be panic, so leader must keep steady and stay cool when any problems come. 4.0.5 Positive thinking Confidence Every job also needs these kinds of personal qualities, without it then your work cannot proceed. But as a pilot, these personal qualities cannot be less, if a pilot is having negative thought and lack of confidence, then his decision will be a failure to be done. It is because on a flight, there is many humans life in your hand. One failure will lead to a tragedy. To be positive thinking then will have the critical thinking as always, when danger comes. Nothing can block your way when in positive thinking. 4.0.6 Management Responsibility As a pilot, before flight departure must be well planned the course to flight in the air, without the management of the flight then the time to reach the place will cannot be accurate. If management is bad, the responsibility also will be very bad. As a pilot, must be responsible to the time management and everything. When things go wrong on the flight, the pilot will be responsible to everything. 4.1 Person who can give me information and complete perspective The people who can help me acquire this personal quality information are the friends or family that is experience in working as a pilot or stewardess. We also can ask the pilot or stewardess about the personal quality and their mentality when their work. By asking them how they maintain the personal quality and how to enhance. All that information is getting from my friends and pilot are only can do as a reference. The information that I get from my survey, it is also based on their experience to answer my question, their answer only support my question to achieve my complete perspective. 4.2 Questions would ask people for information 1. What personal quality should be acquired? _____________________________________________________________________ 2. How do you use the opportunities to help you achieve your dream job? _____________________________________________________________________ 3. When there are obstacles, how you solve it? _____________________________________________________________________ 4. How to improve the personal quality? _____________________________________________________________________ 5. Which personal quality is needed the most? _____________________________________________________________________ 6. When your dream job is needed more time, you will forfeit or continue? Why? _____________________________________________________________________ 7. When is your starting to brace up to chase your dream job? _____________________________________________________________________ 8. Which personal quality makes you doesnt give up? _____________________________________________________________________ 5.0 Conclusion Recommendation As my conclusion, no matter which job to be taken, all personal qualities are also needed to be used. So it is conclude that, all works are also need all of the personal qualities. Without those personal qualities, the work performance and working situation will also bad and will not be a successful person. Not every person in every situation also can do their job with their own personal quality, but they still can improve their personal quality. By improve their personal quality; they first can control their temper to improve their personal quality. It is because that, most of them cannot withstand their temper so that they will do something madness so that when their work, the personal quality of them will not be so perfect anymore. So when working, personal quality and skill set must be use, to improve on the working performance. While your work performance are good, so that when have a communication with colleague who are work with you will be very good. Also changing information will be very good for improve the result. 6.0 Intro of conflict that have been involved recently Conflict is an argument and disagreement which two or more parties are involving the threat of their needs, concerns or interests. Conflict will always appear especially at working place, it is because there are sure will be many arguments or disagreements. Conflict also have a few categories which is the topic or subject at hand, it is also the common conflict. It is means by when in the workplace, the scheduling or the budgeting problem. Secondly, is the process, when working no matter is in a group or solo, it will also shows that two or more parties will show their best to do, but only that are some problem on one of them maybe weak, and another will have stronger, so that conflict happens. Relational issues and ego are also one of the conflicts. There are many causes of conflict, misunderstanding, personality clashes, and competition for resources, authority issues, and lack of cooperation, difference over methods, low performance and the value or goal difference. These causes are making conflict in everywhere, no matter in what place, there are many conflict especially in working place. I have a conflict recently which is while I was in a club, I was an activity planner, which I was with four members inside them include me. I was having an idea, another one of us also having an idea, but our both opinion was different. And the president is buying my idea, not buying another partners idea. So that he doesnt cooperate with us and this is the conflict that we have it. 7.0 Findings Primary source is a topic which is under investigation with direct evidence. The detail of all conflict, information is getting right through interview. In my conflict, the primary source is that we are having different opinion. After that, my colleague will not cooperate with us, so that it will lead our mission will may not be accomplish. In the club, we have four activity planner, although all also have own idea. But all these years, we all also support on one idea, but this time another partner in the club dont cooperate just because of the president not buying his idea, so he doesnt want to be cooperative. Secondary source is a topic which is under investigation with the evidence is getting through another person. The detail and information are may not be true and not correctly, the content of the information may be wrong. In my conflict, the secondary source is that although my colleagues idea, the president doesnt buy it, then he will wanted to demolish my idea and plan. In the club, he is already not cooperating with us, but still there are rumors that he wants to demolish my idea and planning. While this is a secondary source, the news is getting from another person, so it may be true or false. As in the primary source, another party also agrees the primary source of the conflict; he is not cooperate and because of the president not buying his idea. And there are secondary source which is heard by another person, and the news is that he want to demolish my idea and destroy my plan. So he is agreeing that the primary source, it is because he is sure to not cooperate with my planning. 8.0 Approached to conflict While facing the conflict, there are several ways to react and each of the approach will have many different results. There are many ways to facing the conflict; Avoiding, accommodation, competition, collaboration and compromise is the way to facing the conflict. While these are the ways to solve the conflict, this is the negotiating method to solve the conflict. Except for this, there is more solution to solve the conflict; negotiating strategies are also one of the ways to solve the conflict. In negotiating strategies is using win-win strategies, win-lose strategies, lose-win strategies, lose-lose strategies. There are many ways to solve the conflict. There are method strategies, negotiating styles and negotiating method. And in my conflict, negotiating methods are good to solve the conflict. So that the method I choose to solve the conflict is negotiating method. 8.1 Negotiating Method Compromise By using the compromise method, each of the party need to sacrifices something that he or she is seeking to gain on agreement. After compromise, both parties are also willing to cooperate with each other, so that it will lead to a win-win solution. Collaboration By using the collaboration method, both of the parties are needed to commit to work together to resolve the conflicts between them. After resolve the problems, then making their own benefits or profits, it will lead to a win-win solution. Competition By using competition method, both parties will fight for each other for their own good. This method is fast and decisive action to resolve the conflict. But in the end, it will lead to a win-lose solution which the initial person who makes conflict will get the benefits. Accommodating By using accommodating method, it is giving a space between them, and maintains a harmony way to resolve the conflict. So the initial person who makes conflict will sacrifice own principle and making harmony. It will lead to lose-win solution. Withdrawal and Avoidance By using withdrawal and avoidance method, both parties also choose to let go the conflict, and by using this method, it will lead to lose-lose solution. While using withdrawal and avoidance method, most of the result if will need other person to investigate. 9.0 Conclusion of conflict management As my conclusion, this conflict can be solving by using many method, strategies and many more. For solving every conflict, the best solution to solve the conflict while using negotiating method is compromise or collaboration. It is because that these two methods will lead to win-win solution. Compromise is that both parties willing to sacrifices one of their aim, so that can cooperate to work together to obtain a good outcome and result. While compromise is both parties sacrifices something, collaboration is both of the parties work together but the gaining of the benefits is belong on their choice, after the cooperation, then will lead to win-win solution which both also get their benefits. 10.0 Conclusion Recommendation As for conclusion in business communication, it is normally use to communicate with people in all around the world. Communication is very important to everyone else, it is because that, communicate is everyones way to exchange their information and their thought. Communication are not only got speaking to communicate. Visual images, body language and writing are also the common way to communicate with people. And each of the communication methods also have different ideas and result of what detail and information you heard, you see or you get. It is depends on the people that how he or she absorb and get to know the information and detail about something. While both parties communicating, there are many common communications error sure will occur. For example, multitasking while listening from another, while someone is asking something, then ask one by one should be alright with the communication, but if ask something which the other parties doesnt have the chance to answer that question, then it will become a communication failure. Finishing other sentences, preparing our response before someone has completed speaking, filtering content or meaning based on the speaker, speaking for other. This is all the communications common error that will always occur. For recommendation, communicate slowly and with the voice of interesting waves, it is because no one likes to hear a voice which is the voice is high pitch or low pitch sound.

The Turbidity Test for Pasteurized Milk

The Turbidity Test for Pasteurized Milk Milk and dairy products, such as cream and yoghurt, are an important food group in the food pyramid. This food group provides us with calcium, which is not only crucial in strengthening our bones, but also important in many biological processes, such as facilitating the release of neurotransmitters that transmit nerve impulses across a synapse. Since dairy products serve such importance in our diet, dairy products manufacturing industry takes extra precaution in ensuring that these products meet the guidelines set by statutory bodies, one of which is that the maximum lactic acid content allowed in milk is 0.15% w/w. Hence, the industry will employ various methods to determine the quality of milk. As such, in order to better understand these industrial methods, 2 groups of experiments relating to titratable acidity (TA) of selected foods and turbidity test for pasteurized, UHT and sterilized milk were carried out. The titratable acidity test allows us to determine the titratable acidi ty of a sample as lactic acid (for dairy products) or citric acid (for lemon curd) equivalent. Basically, TA, as an acid equivalent, of a food product measures the total amount of that particular reference acid in the selected food. This reference acid is the major acid component, amongst all types of acid present in the food, which we want to quantify. TA is different from pH as pH only measures the [H+] dissociated from the acid molecules. Hence, TA is a more accurate measure of the degree of spoilage of dairy products than pH. The turbidity test however, serves a different function in terms of quality control. It is usually used by the industry to test if sterilized milk products have been sufficiently sterilized. Titratable Acidity of Selected Foods Materials Phenolphthalein as indicator 50.00ml burette 10.0ml graduated pipette White porcelain basin Magnetic stirrer Experiment 1: Titratable Acidity of Milk Pasteurized milk (Farmhouse Fresh Milk), expires on 20/9/12 UHT milk (Marigold UHT Full Cream), expires on 15/6/13 0.01M sodium hydroxide (actual concentration is 0.0107M) Experiment 2: Titratable Acidity of Cream Sour cream (Bulla Sour Cream), expires on 14/9/12 Yoghurt (FN Alive Yoghurt), expires on 11/9/12 0.1M sodium hydroxide (actual concentration is 0.105M) pH meter Experiment 3: Titratable Acidity of Lemon Curd Lemon curd (Waitrose lemon curd), expired on Feb 12 0.1M sodium hydroxide (actual concentration is 0.105M) Methods Titration of selected food products against NaOH of known concentrations were carried out in order to determine the titratable acidity of these food products. The titratable acidity in lactic acid or citric acid equivalent was then determined by via stoichiometric ratio of the acid to the amount of NaOH, as seen in the stoichiometric calculations below. 3 sets of titrations for 3 different groups of food products, mainly pasteurized milk and UHT milk, sour cream and yoghurt, and lemon curd, were carried. Experiment 1: Titratable Acidity of Milk 10.0 ml of pasteurized milk was transferred to a white porcelain basin. 1.0 ml of phenolphthalein indicator was then added to this sample. The burette was filled up with 0.01M NaOH and then titrated against the pasteurized milk sample. End-point of titration was identified when a pale pink colouration persisted for at least 10 s. Initial and final burette readings were recorded in Table 1 below. The procedure was repeated thrice for both pasteurized and UHT milk. Experiment 2: Titratable Acidity of Cream 10.00 g of sour cream was transferred to a white porcelain basin. 10.0 ml of water was added to the sample and mixed and pH was then measured. 1.0 ml of phenolphthalein indicator was added to the diluted sample. The burette was filled up with 0.1M NaOH and then titrated against the sour cream sample. End-point of titration was identified when a pale pink colouration persisted for at least 10 s. Initial and final burette readings were recorded in Table 2 below. The procedure was repeated thrice for both sour cream and yoghurt. Experiment 3: Titratable Acidity of Lemon Curd 10.00 g of lemon curd was transferred to a white porcelain basin. 10.0 ml of water was added to the sample and mixed. 1.0 ml of phenolphthalein indicator was added to the diluted sample. The burette was filled up with 0.1M NaOH and then titrated against the lemon curd sample. End-point of titration was identified when a pale pink colouration persisted for at least 10 s. Initial and final burette readings were recorded in Table 3 below. The procedure was repeated two more times. Results Experiment 1: Titratable Acidity of Milk Table 1: Titration of pasteurized and UHT milk against 0.01M NaOH Milk sample vol. of milk measured (ml) average vol. of milk (ml) initial burette reading (ml) final burette reading (ml) vol. of NaOH used (ml) average vol. of NaOH used* (ml) ÂÂ  Pasteurized Milk 10.0 10.0 50.00 37.65 12.35 12.35 10.0 37.65 25.15 12.50 10.0 25.15 12.80 12.35 ÂÂ  UHT Milk 10.0 10.0 50.00 37.70 12.30 12.30 10.0 37.70 25.30 12.40 10.0 25.30 13.00 12.30 Pasteurized Milk CH 3 CH OH C O- Na+ O CH 3 CH OH C OH O + NaOH Ã   + H2O (1) Amount of NaOH used = (Average vol. of NaOH used) x [NaOH] = (12.35/1000)(0.0107) = 1.32 x 10-4 mol From (1), lactic acid : NaOH is 1:1 amount of lactic acid in 10.0ml of pasteurized milk = 1.32 x 10-4 mol Concentration of lactic acid (in mol/100mL) equivalent in pasteurized milk = (1.32 x 10-4) / (10/100) = 1.32 x 10-3 mol/100mL Concentration of lactic acid equivalent in g/100mL in pasteurized milk = (molar concentration (in mol/100mL) of lactic acid equivalent) x (molar mass of lactic acid) = (1.32 x 10-3)(90.08) = 0.119 g/100mL UHT Milk Amount of NaOH used = (Average vol. of NaOH used) x [NaOH] = (12.30/1000)(0.0107) = 1.31 x 10-4 mol From (1), lactic acid : NaOH is 1:1 amount of lactic acid in 10.0ml of UHT milk = 1.31 x 10-4 mol Concentration of lactic acid (in mol/100mL) equivalent in UHT milk = (1.31 x 10-4) / (10/100) = 1.31 x 10-3 mol/100mL Concentration of lactic acid equivalent in g/100mL in UHT milk = (molar concentration (in mol/100mL) of lactic acid equivalent) x (molar mass of lactic acid) = (1.31 x 10-3)(90.08) = 0.118 g/100mL From the calculations, it can be seen that both the titratable acidities of pasteurized milk and UHT milk in lactic acid equivalent are below 0.15%, the maximum allowed titratable acidity of milk in lactic acid equivalent. As such, both samples are deemed safe for consumption. The titratable acidity of pasteurized milk is also observed to be slightly above that of UHT milk by a very minute concentration of 0.001 g/100mL. This suggests that pasteurized milk contains slightly more microbes than UHT milk, which goes in tandem with the properties of pasteurized milk. This is because pasteurized milk is heated to about 65oC for at least 30 minutes in order to preserve the flavor of milk, while UHT milk is heated at 135oC for about 2 seconds6. Hence, fewer microbes are killed in pasteurized milk than UHT milk. As such, pasteurized milk will have slightly higher lactic acid concentration which is produced from the fermentation of lactose by microbes. However, the magnitude of difference of 0.001 g/100mL obtained from the titration results is too small to make the above conclusive deduction. The average vol. of NaOH used is almost identical for both milk samples as there is only a difference of 0.05 ml, making the titration results somewhat anomalous. The main reason for this anomaly is the subjectivity of the end-point of titration. The colour change of phenolphthalein from colourless to pale pink is very difficult to ascertain by naked eye for the inexperienced, unlike workers in this industry who carry out large volumes of titrations every day. As such, the faint pink that I observed in pasteurized milk is most probably not the true end-point of titration or it could be that the faint pink I observed in UHT milk is over the end-point of titration for UHT milk. Experiment 2: Titratable Acidity of Cream Table 2: Titration of sour cream and yoghurt against 0.1M NaOH Cream sample pH of sample average pH mass of sample (g) average mass of sample (g) initial burette reading (ml) final burette reading (ml) vol. of NaOH used (ml) average vol. of NaOH used* (ml) ÂÂ  Sour Cream 4.48 4.49 10.00 10.00 50.00 44.60 5.40 5.40 4.50 10.01 44.60 39.20 5.40 4.50 9.99 39.20 33.80 5.40 ÂÂ  Yoghurt 4.43 4.38 10.01 9.99 50.00 37.90 12.10 12.30 4.34 10.00 37.90 25.60 12.30 4.38 9.98 25.60 13.30 12.30 Sour Cream Amount of NaOH used = (Average vol. of NaOH used) x [NaOH] = (5.40/1000)(0.105) = 5.67 x 10-4 mol From (1), lactic acid : NaOH is 1:1 amount of lactic acid in 10.00g of sour cream = 5.67 x 10-4 mol Mass of lactic acid in 10.00g of sour cream = (amount of lactic acid) x (molar mass of lactic acid) = (5.67 x 10-4)(90.08) = 0.0511g Concentration of lactic acid equivalent (in %w/w) in sour cream = (mass of lactic acid in 10.00g of sour cream) / (average mass of sour cream) x 100% = (0.0511) / (10.00) x 100% = 0.511% (w/w) Yoghurt Amount of NaOH used = (Average vol. of NaOH used) x [NaOH] = (12.30/1000)(0.105) = 1.29 x 10-3 mol From (1), lactic acid : NaOH is 1:1 amount of lactic acid in 9.99g of yoghurt = 1.29 x 10-3 mol Mass of lactic acid in 9.99g of yoghurt = (amount of lactic acid) x (molar mass of lactic acid) = (1.29 x 10-3)(90.08) = 0.116 g Concentration of lactic acid equivalent (in %w/w) in yoghurt = (mass of lactic acid in 9.99g of yoghurt) / (average mass of yoghurt) x 100% = (0.116) / (9.99) x 100% = 1.16% (w/w) From the results of this experiment in Table 2, we can see that titratable acidity is not equal to pH, and it shares an inverse relationship with pH, where pH = -lg[H+]. This is because lactic acid is an organic acid and hence it is a weak acid. As such, lactic acid only partially dissociates, giving a [H+] that is lower than the total lactic acid concentration. This is due to the low acid dissociation constant, Ka, of lactic acid. However, by proportionality, it is observed that higher concentrations of lactic acid molecules will give a higher deprotonated [H+]. This is observed in Table 2 where the lower pH of yoghurt corresponds to a higher average volume of NaOH required to neutralize the lactic acid present. In addition, another observation is that yoghurt requires more than twice the volume of 0.1M NaOH to neutralize the lactic acid present as compared to sour cream even though yoghurt is lower in pH by 0.11. This is mainly attributed to the presence of probiotics added into yoghurt. As such, this means that more lactose in yoghurt is converted into lactic acid, resulting in the marked difference in average vol. of NaOH required for neutralization. This second observation also proves that pH is not a true measure of total lactic acid content in dairy products as this small difference in pH is accompanied by a larger than proportionate difference in volume of NaOH required for neutralization. Experiment 3: Titratable Acidity of Lemon Curd Table 3: Titration of lemon curd against 0.105M NaOH Sample mass of sample (g) average mass of sample (g) initial burette reading (ml) final burette reading (ml) vol. of NaOH used (ml) average vol. of NaOH used* (ml) Lemon Curd 10.00 10.00 50.00 29.20 20.80 20.35 10.00 29.20 8.90 20.30 10.00 50.00 29.60 20.40 *As 3 sets of titration were conducted for each sample in order to improve the precision and reproducibility of the titration results, the average volume of NaOH was taken as the average of the 2 closest values of vol. of NaOH used in titration so as to be more precise. C Na+O- O CH 2 C OH C O- Na+ O CH 2 C O- Na+ O C HO O CH 2 C OH C OH O CH 2 C OH O + 3NaOH Ã   + 3H2O (2) Amount of NaOH used = (Average vol. of NaOH used) x [NaOH] = (20.35/1000)(0.105) = 2.14 x 10-3 mol From (2), citric acid : NaOH is 1:3 amount of citric acid in 10.00g of lemon curd = (amount of NaOH used) / 3 = 7.13 x 10-4 mol Molar mass of citric acid = 6(12) + 8(1) + 7(16) = 192 g mol-1 mass of citric acid in 10.00g of lemon curd = (amount of citric acid) x (molar mass of citric acid) = (7.13 x 10-4)(192) = 0.137 g Concentration of citric acid equivalent (in % w/w) in lemon curd = (mass of citric acid in 10.00g of lemon curd) / (average mass of lemon curd) x 100% = (0.137) / (10.00) x 100% = 1.37% (w/w) As calculated above, the concentration of citric acid equivalent in lemon curd is 1.37% (w/w), which is well above the minimum standard of 0.33% (w/w) set by legislation in some parts of the world. Hence, it can be deduced that this sample of lemon curd has passed the quality control measure. Citric acid is used as the reference for quality control of lemon curd mainly because citric acid is present in the largest quantity in lemons. Hence, measuring citric acid concentration present will be a good measure of the quality of the lemon curd. As such, this is a quality lemon curd sample. Even though this lemon curd product expired on February 2012, the citric acid content should not be significantly affected by microbial decomposition mainly because the acidic environment due to citric acid is not suitable for most bacteria to thrive. Discussion There are a few experimental procedures which can be improved on. Firstly, as mentioned in the results of experiment 1, the faint pink observed to mark the end-point of titration is subject to a large margin of human error. As such, a better method to solve the issue of colour subjectivity is to use a colorimeter to determine an intensity of pink as the end-point of titration, thus eliminating any inaccuracies that result from human error. Secondly, it was observed that the dilution of products of a more viscous consistency, such as sour cream and lemon curd, did not yield a homogenous consistency as compared with the milk samples and yoghurt. As such, the titrated NaOH may not have actually reacted with all the acid molecules as some acid molecules may be trapped inside the granular particles. This can be overcome by vortexing the cream and water mixture in a sealed round-bottom conical flask to ensure a homogenous solution is obtained, allowing us to obtain more accurate titration results. Thirdly, for runny liquid samples such as milk, there is a risk of spillage due to splashing when the magnetic stirrer operates probably due to the large exposed opening of the porcelain basin. Splashing can be overcome by using a conical flask to contain the samples and place a white tile under the conical flask so that the change in colour of milk can be made more obvious. This is because a conical flask has a much narrower neck and therefore a significantly narrower opening, thus minimizing spillage from splashing. In this way, more accurate titration results can be obtained. For lemon curd, simply measuring the citric acid concentration is insufficient to conclude a quality product. This is mainly due to the possibility of adulteration of lemon curd by adding more citric acid chemical, just like how milk was adulterated by the adding melamine. As such, additional qualitative methods can be employed, such as measuring the concentration of certain chemical substances more unique to lemon, such as limonene. Turbidity test for pasteurized, UHT and sterilized milk Materials Ammonium sulphate powder Pasteurized milk UHT milk Sterilized milk Method 4.0g of ammonium sulphate, (NH4)2SO4, was dissolved in 20.0 ml of pasteurized milk. The mixture was allowed to stand for at least 5 min and subsequently filtered. 5 ml of the filtrate was collected in a test-tube and then placed in boiling water bath for at least 5 min. The test-tube containing filtrate was then cooled in cold water and the contents were examined for presence of turbidity. Results Discussion Table 4: Turbidity test results Sample Observation Pasteurized milk A cloudy pale yellow solution with precipitation was observed. UHT milk A cloudy pale yellow solution was observed. Sterilized milk A clear pale yellow solution was observed. The turbidity test is useful in telling us if a sample of milk is sufficiently sterilized, whereby a clear solution will be observed. The turbidity test is first carried out by adding a denaturing agent, usually ammonium sulphate, (NH4)2SO4, to the milk sample. As NH4+ exhibits acidic properties, as shown in the following equation, NH4+ + H2O Ã   NH3 + H3O+ this addition of ammonium ions will bring about an increase in [H+], resulting in the disruption of casein micelle structure. This causes casein proteins to precipitate and coagulate as they interact with the ammonium and sulphate ions. For those casein and whey proteins that are already denatured by heat treatment during processing, ammonium and sulphate ions will form interactions with the charged R-groups of the acidic and basic amino acid residues, causing them to precipitate out of the solution. These precipitate are obtained as the residue from filtration. The filtrate obtained contains mostly undenatured whey proteins and probably some unprecipitated protein molecules encapsulated in the casein micelle structure amidst a solution of ammonium sulphate and other soluble milk products such as lactose. Upon heat treatment in a 100oC water bath, the milk proteins denature and are thus exposed to ammonium sulphate. They undergo the same mode of action with ammonium sulphate as described above, resulting in the observed precipitation. Referring to AVA regulations, pasteurised milk is defined to be milk that has been subjected to a single heat-treatment of 62.8 65.6oC for at least 30 min or 72 73.5oC for at least 15 s; UHT milk is defined as milk that has been heated at a temperature of at least 135oC for at least 2 s; sterilized milk is milk heated to 100oC long enough to sufficiently kill all microbes. As such, sterilized milk will have all the casein and whey proteins fully denatured and free in the milk due to prolonged heating. Whereas UHT milk will have a slight concentration of undenatured proteins present due to a short high heat treatment. For pasteurized milk however, it will contain the highest concentration of undenatured proteins due to lowest heat treatment temperature. Hence, the experimental observation in Table 4 clearly fits the hypothesis. On a side note, the yellow pale solution observed is most likely due to the Maillard reaction between lactose in and amino compounds in milk. Conclusion Titratable acidity and the turbidity test for milk is but only 2 out of the many methods that the milk processing industry employs to ensure that the heat treatments have produced milk that are safe for human consumption. The main disadvantage that lies with milk treated with higher heat processes is the loss of flavour. The nutrients that are lost during heat are usually replaced (e.g. enriched milk) and hence this is less of a concern for milk. As such, it is the companys decision on whether to process milk with an emphasis on taste or shelf-life. Nevertheless, it is of utmost importance that the milk products remain well within the margin of safety as stated by regulations. At the same time, regulatory bodies need to stay alert and play a part in ensuring that companies follow the safety guidelines, less an incident like the adulteration of dairy products through melamine addition may occur again.