Kinkos free essay sample

Photocopying firms ownership, history, strategies, supporter of environment education, new services markets. BUILDING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AT KINKO?S Kinkos Inc., headquartered in Ventura, California, provides photocopying, color calendar, business card production, and one hour photos on a nationwide basis. Through more than 800 stores, the company generates in excess of $400 million in sales annually (Moukheiber, 1995, p. 42). Since establishing the business with a single store in 1970 close to the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara, Paul Orfalea has built Kinkos into the leader in the photocopying industry through the development of a competitive advantage. Orfalea, a 1971 finance graduate from the University of Southern California with a C average, has not always followed traditional paths the creation of a competitive advantage for Kinkos. Kinkos has evolved into one of the largest chains of document..

Research Paper on Franchising

Research Paper on Franchising Dimensions Influencing Decision Process of Franchising Adoption by Mid-Market Hotels in China Abstract There is a need to explore the dimensions that influence some of the decision-making processes of Chinese mid-market hotels as they get into franchises. It is necessary to conduct a benefit analysis of franchising as a means of participating in hotel operations in the Chinese market. This encompasses all the businesses in the hotel industry that are either making an initial entrance or expanding operations from their present Chinese base. Some of the greatest drawbacks, also doubling up as negative dimensions, include adapting to the preferences and tastes of the market, acquiring reliable business partners, and protection against IPR violations. The other further dimensions include stiff competition, value added services, the legal environment and customer service. Introduction Franchising, despite having enjoyed a relatively obscured existence in the early 90s, has experienced a wildfire success in the recent years. This article shares some of its findings from reliable retrospective studies on franchising in the Chinese mid-market hotel industry. With over 10% of its hotel industry having been taken over by franchised hotel chains, China currently has one of the world’s fastest growing franchise industries in the world. Additionally, the country enjoys playing the world’s largest host of the franchise industry with over 200,000 franchised retail outlets belonging to almost 2600 international brands (Chao, 2008). Led by the historical success of brands such as Lining and Nike sportswear, the Chinese franchising industry has been expanding at an intriguing rate of over 35 percent per annum over the past decade. Hotel industry franchising hit Chinese popularity in the early 00s as businesses in the sector began reaping the benefits of the model. Franchises act as strategic corporate alliances that facilitate an investor’s capability to participate and operate in an established organization with a heavy customer base (Altinay, 2003). A company could also have other desirable characteristics such as successful business plans, efficient distribution systems, and financial commitments. There are a lot of world-renowned hotels such as the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels that utilize the franchise system. Unlike China, the US hotel franchise industry booms at a record high of over 70%. These work as a chain of properties interconnected together through a single brand name with central management (Hoover Ketchen, 2003). A majority of American entrepreneurs who purchase and open hotels realize the many advantages of belonging to a single franchise. They include instant brand recognition for new properties and the credibility of association with renowned entities. Whether in China or the US, investors are faced with the urge of selecting the best franchise from selected list. They consider, among others, issues such as location, the target market, the cost of franchising, general reputation, and the financial standing (Hu Meng, 2004). The following are the dimensions that influence the decision making process of adopting franchises by mid-market hotels in China. Available Background Information on Franchises Choosing a hotel franchise in China requires an adequate amount of background research. This calls for the creation of a foundation that will see the adequate analysis of the property in question. It is, therefore, vital that hoteliers consider additional dimensions such as location and the target market. Therefore, a majority of hotel owners in China would think twice about franchising with brand names notable only to the western world. Similarly, hotels seeking to identify themselves with the middle class usually avoid franchises renowned for the rich and the famous. This is reason enough why mid-market hotels in China avoid brand names such as Serena, Intercontinental, and Hilton Hotels (IHG, 2012). The franchising royalty fees and other expenses, inclusive of the general system reservation, required prior to franchising can prove steep. It is, therefore, worth conducting a background check on all existing chains to ascertain which one offers the best value for franchising. Startup costs in China tend to vary vastly depending on a chosen brand’s value and global reputation. The global hotel industry consists of a number of notable companies that offer services that assist franchisees evaluate their affiliation options (Inma, 2010). When performing their cost-benefit analyses, it is vital to consider the number of new consumers a given affiliation can attract. Background studies can reveal areas that would expose a franchisee to unfavorable regulations hidden in the franchise contract. Different hotel franchises have been noted to poses unique policies identified to affecting the operations of an interested hotel property. A majority of franchises, for instance, usually require a service of standardization that might not rule in the advantage of potential owners (JLJ, 2007). Similarly, most franchises usually poses regulations attached to the prominent placement of the franchise logo in a way that might affect the brand of the given property. Furthermore, prior research would reveal that immature termination of franchise contract usually results in dire penalties. Similarly, legal documents associated with franchising and licensing often shields the affected franchisor from court battles. Therefore, the above dimension should always be considered when selecting a hotel franchise in the Peoples Republic of China (Jackson, 2006). Financial and Economic Health of Potential Franchisors Affiliating with a given hotel franchise has historically proven to be a lifetime investment. The economic health of potential franchisors should be considered prior to entering into affiliation agreements. This dimension is important in a way that it reveals that long-term reliability of the business deal under binding. The future of a franchise, for instance Premier Inns, and its growth potential are vital dimensions when evaluating for a possible affiliation. These work as the centralized benefits that the brand would offer its new hotels (Paswan Kantamneni, 2004). Globally recognized franchised contracts act as long-term deals; usually extending to several years. This implies that the long-term viability of such a franchise contract among, say Premier, Accor and Ibis, is very vital. It has also become helpful that hotels contact potential franchisees and utilize the available online resources when evaluating Chinese hotel franchises. The decision to adopt and affiliate with a given brand would likely pose a huge effect to the future of a hotel property. Therefore, dire consideration of the above dimension and effective due diligence would assist in forging a solid business relationship (Zhang Pine, 2005). Competition The current Chinese economic success has led to the rise of a fast growing middle class with the hankering of vast domestic travel. Cashing in on such tour booms are hotel chains that are rising so fast. Indeed, franchises are coming up and affiliating on daily basis. One such player is Budget hotel franchise: Hantings Inns. This is a chain founded by Chinese business mogul Ji Qi almost a decade ago. Presently, the company enjoys a vastness of over 100o hotel properties all over China distributed across four leading brands (Mak, 2008). The Hantings Inns boss expects his business empire to have become the world’s biggest hotel franchise by the year 2020. As competition would have had it, the franchise takes an adequate amount of inspiration from leading low cost western chains that accommodate business travelers such as Accor, Ibis, and Premier Inns. The competitive nature of the Chinese hotel industry has led to the growth of other low cost hotels. They all aim at keeping everything simple in such a way that clients have a lot to choose from at affordable prices (Tang, 2004). Entrepreneurs, therefore, choose those franchises that notable for investing more in their rooms thus coming up with a competitive strategy that is cost effective. The increased scale and rate of development within China over the past two decades has prompted global investors to watch the market with interest. The number of people travelling in and out of China has increased to over 60 million per year. Therefore, China is currently Asia’s number one source of franchising investors. This implies that international hoteliers are slowly but surely moving into China to tap into the hotel franchising industry (Zhang Ray Pine, 2005). For instance, Accor has tried to acquire a stronghold in the Chinese market with Grand Mercure regionally known as Mei Jue. Similarly, hotel chain Marriott has devised an investment plan that would see its affiliate hotels double over the years. All these franchises are targeting the average Chinese traveler in a bid to win their loyalties. The loyalty that brands struggle to build is translated to the loyalty of Asian travelers around the earth (Li-Tzang SooCheong, 2010). However, foreign investors find it difficult competing with the likes of Hantings for the Chinese mid-market. Domestic hotels would find this an interesting dimension to consider when seeking an entrance into an affiliation with either domestic or international franchises. However, some of the good news would be that with many partners to choose from, the cost of franchising will sure start dipping. This seemingly favors local brands since they are faster, cost effective and knows their Chinese consumers better (Yung, 2007). Value Added Services Individual hoteliers and their customers have their own expectation when picking between hotel brands and products. This is based on relevant historical backgrounds of various trading experiences of parent brands in the past. As a shopper, the independent hotelier seeks the maximum value for his intended affiliations. Therefore, they are not confined to low-level satisfaction but the ultimate joy in the newly acquired deal (Phillips, 2006). Over the years, Hantings and other franchises have set the benchmark for their partners’ services in key Chinese cities. Similarly, the Holiday Inn Hotels developed value added services such as the inclusion of a call center and a Chinese language website for potential partners and customers. Presently, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts boast of being one of the best mid-market hotel brand names in China. The emergence of Chinese Hotel Awards has also influenced the growth and development of franchising in a way that only the best brands are chosen (Moore, Ratneshwar, Moore, 2012). High-end hotels such as the Intercontinental Hotels have also assisted in providing benchmarks for value added services in the mid-market hotels. Presently, mid-market franchises have been revealing their best in ensuring that their brand promises are delivered to their customers and potential affiliations. Having researched on the nature of relationships and investment in the Chinese people, potential partners show a strong affinity in further selecting only those brands that touch and deliver on demand (JLJ, 2007). Managing and franchising of hotels in China proved much simpler before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games since there were a few choices. However, hotel demand increased with an increase in room inventory and disposable incomes. Overtime, new hotel chains came up leading to the present of incredible franchises. The most visible factor has been in operation costs, especially regarding labor and energy (Tuunanen, 2011). As these two aspects rose significantly, they posed a great effect on the nature of the hotel industry. The major challenges in China remain keeping teams adequately motivated and using the hotel’s value added services to fill it. It is challenging individual hoteliers to forge excellent relationships with franchise that insist on the quality of service and overall hygiene. It seems encouraging enough that individual hoteliers look for helpful franchises with excellent work ethics (Su, 2006). A lot of research and training needs to be conducted to ascertain each franchise’ commitment to success. Beijing, China’s second largest city has seen the rise of new hotels and developments on beaches and luxury areas. The challenging factors remains, however, the competitive environment that has seen many hotels crop up. This has led to cut throat competition in value added services such as extra advertisement and room service (Xiao Wang, 2009). Additionally, such competition provides an opportunity for franchises to rethink their competitive bargains in new and innovative products. These come as challenges of managing and affiliating hotels in China. However, if they can get the desirable partners, the hoteliers would be able to provide excellent value added services that retain customers (Miles, 2006). Customer Needs The Chinese hotel industry comprises of many faces. To the workers it is a source of employment. To the owners, hotels exist as an entire empire that has to keep moving forward. To customers it comprises of everything from their beds during travel to a part of their temporary homes during vacations. While catering for the needs of the public could be difficult, doing so in the hotel industry has with it a number of challenges (Noone Mattila, 2009). Besides learning the likelihood of delivering exceptional customer services, franchisors also look for partners that preach on the skills that deal with the needs of every customer. Beyond the dà ©cor and hotel amenities that contribute to the satisfaction of customers’ needs, nothing should be able to ruin the experiences of franchisors than poor customer service from the franchises trying to host them. In such strategic times, mid-market hoteliers usually discuss the key characteristics of effective customer service and activities that exceed their customers’ expectations (Okoroafo, Koh, Liu, 2010). They also concern themselves with discovering the level to which their decisions to franchise can affect their businesses and personal lives. All affiliated parties know that some of the best ways of offering excellent customer service is through effective communication with domestic clientele. As logic would have it, this dimension exposes the franchises’ need to work out an informative consumer need diagnostic technique (Qui, 2004). Using this as a guide to selecting potential partners, hotel franchises then try their best in identifying their individual communication techniques and those of their customers to attain the best possible outcome for satisfaction. Based on the form of franchise in question, supporters of such alliances argue of the probability that customers remain allied to brands they feel comfortable with. Taking, therefore, a franchising approach equips individual hotels with the best work force that adjusts to various changes in customer tastes and preferences. Franchising also provides for hotel franchises to adapt more effectively to changing customer regulatory requirements (Moore, Ratneshwar, Moore, 2012). Presence of IPR Violations It is the greatest challenges Chinese business environment currently face. The widespread of IPR violations has slowed the process of making decisions on hotel franchising. While clear regulations on Intellectual Property Rights have been put in place, their enforcement continues to grow weaker by the day. The responsibility to explore and track various kinds of brand violations falls squarely on property owners (WTTC, 2006). Many Chinese hotels have fallen prey to franchising copycats that utilize logos to attract customers. They find it important to assess the genuine details of franchises before entering into an affiliation. Most of the large chain brands also encounter many imitators racking in billions of under their brand names. Some of these copycats and fraudsters are usually ex-franchisees whose contracts are terminated for falling short of meeting laid standards (Saunders Riordan, 2009). Although registering brands would not guarantee most franchisors the recourse coming from IPR violations, failure to adhere to this would lead to dire outcomes. China is notable for granting logos and trademarks on a first-come-first-serve basis. This has sparkled the existence of scenarios where individuals register other organizations’ trademarks and go ahead to demand due fees for their use (Pine, 2003). Individual hotels would want to equip themselves with the knowledge of the existence of such fake franchising deals to reach out for the best affiliations. It would prove a matter of importance for individual hotels to register their trademarks, brand and domain names before entering into a franchising deal. They should also do the same, including the registration of patent rights, before going into the Chinese hotel industry (Zhu, 2008). Legal Environment The government’s initial attempts to develop legal guidelines for franchising in China were the 1997 Franchise Rules. These were issued in 1997 through the Ministry of Commerce then known as the Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Ministry. As hotel businesses seeking to get into franchises would note, the rules appeared to be the initial steps in offering guidance for such business models in new China. Unfortunately, these initial regulations only favored the domestic franchises (Li-Tzang SooCheong, 2010). This, thereby, locked out any foreign franchisor willing to invest and operate in China. This shows the governments protection of domestic franchisors at the expense of their foreign counterparts. A further move towards this ensures that foreign entrepreneurs look for equally effective local brands when getting into the Chinese Mid-market hotel industry (Liu Qiu, 2005). Major international hotel franchisors have began to enter the Chinese market and proceeded to develop and acquire scores of hotel units throughout the economy. It was not until the mid 00s that China came up with a legal implementation, which ensured that foreign companies established legal entities in China. This commercial legalization of foreign investment encourages foreign hotels with western ideologies to spread across the country through franchising (Chen Liu, 2003). The 2004 Commercial Measures, however, were general in nature and favored domestic franchisors at the expense of their domestic counterparts. They only had themselves in structuring ways in which they could develop and implement their systems in accordance to Chinese law. The following are some of the vital elements of the current Chinese franchise regulations that firm follow when choosing to affiliate (Dant Kaufmann, 2003). First, the scope of the Chinese franchise regulations has become drafted in such a way that it applies to all affiliation activities taking place within Chinese territory. This provision covers all domestic and foreign franchisors/franchisees intending to do business in China. This does not imply that the Chinese legal system is strict when dealing with foreign investors (Terry, 2007). However, it has been very common for new laws to be implemented without amending the existing regulations dealing with the similar areas. Such a situation should cause utter confusion within the hotel business community or other entities affected by the same laws. Mid-market hotel owners should always consult with the relevant legal authorities before entering into affiliations (Altinay Okumus, 2010). Secondly, the regulations ascertain that no unit other than registered enterprises should get into the franchising business as franchisors. This implies that franchisees could comprise of natural individuals. However, potential franchisees would view this regulation as one in need of further clarification on the nature of business enterprises (Altinay Brookes, 2012). Lastly, the law obliges all franchisors to offer franchisees with all possible operational information. These would comprise of long-term guidance, support, training and other value added services prior to deal signing. However, potential franchisees should note that the law does not clearly state what is mandatory in such material. Therefore, they are always on the lookout for franchisors that include all the information franchisees need to know when starting a franchise chain of hotels in China (Guo, 2006). Availability of Reliable Partners Mainland China swarms with entrepreneurs that are more than willing to invest in franchised hotels. However, almost a handful of them have proven competent enough to manage them. This means that most domestic franchisees and potential franchisees lack adequate understanding of the franchising ideology. This follows the lack of modern and informative management experiences. For instance, popular Chinese franchises now face the risk of closing up businesses for failure to meet various quality and management standards (Altinay, 2006). Most brands, despite having painstakingly been developed over the past decade, have become damaged by their poor product quality, inferior infrastructure, and subpar quality of service. The provision of long-term guarantee on business guidance and training has rose into becoming a critical area of concentration for most hotel franchisors. Hantings Inns, which is currently one of China’s fastest developing mid market hotels, requires all of its franchises to undertake various seminars and trainings. These essential training courses bring managers of potential franchisees up to the company’s regulation (Doherty, 2007). Conclusion Franchising came as an opportunity for smaller hotels to gain considerable amounts of financing. This assisted them to expand faster through the employment of a highly charged workforce. These individuals then enhanced the running of business operations from specified locations ensuring that the parent received royalties from all returns. The benefits of hotel franchising reflected the overall objective of franchising; to dominate global markets through acquiring and maintaining as large a customer base as possible (Alon, 2012). For individual hotel property owners, franchising requires low financial risk compared to opening and running independent businesses. A franchise usually poses small startup expenses for entrepreneurs as well as absorbing much of the risks and uncertainties associated with starting a hotel business. Franchisees, therefore, pay for an entrepreneurs’ hard work in creating a renowned business model.

Greece and Rome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Greece and Rome - Essay Example Contribution made by early Romans were huge in number including technology, religion, art, empire architecture, language, government, law, literature and war as well. The history of Roman Empire is still a source of inspiration in many parts of world (Cunningham and Reich, 2005). Greek civilization originates from Greek history. It survived from 8th to 6th Century, after that from 146BC to the mastery period of Rome. This civilization had the mastery of ruling on states. The classic stage of Greek culture leaves a significant influence on Roman Empire in many aspects. Greek civilization holds a vision which interpreted to numerous parts of Mediterranean Region and Europe as well. The basis of western civilization is the major reason of rich culture in Classical Grecian people. The development of Classic Greek civilization was observed between 4th and 5th century (Cunningham and Reich, 2005). Roman and Greek civilizations belong to Mediterranean Region but still differ in social aspec ts. Civilizations hold different mythology and live their life in different manner. The outstanding difference is related to progress. Romans failed to make remarkable progress in their era. Greece had begun their development in 5th century BC. On many instances, it is supposed that many of the items utilized by Romans were previously a part of Greek Civilization and Greek invented those items (Freeman, 2004). Civilization believed to divide people in groups. The division of Greek society is categorized in five groups. These groups’ are women, slaves, medics, free men and in the end citizens. The position of women in Greeks civilization was even below that of a slave. In Romans the status of women is higher as compared to Greeks and give them equal rights of citizens, but still didn’t give them an opportunity to vote or work in offices belonging to political sector. The groups which were found in Roman society were Plebeians, Patricians, Free Men and Slaves (Moore, 200 6). Both civilizations were inspired by architectural techniques. Their building was the sample piece of innovative architecture. In Greek civilization, the style of architecture divides into three major groups. These groups were Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Romans were motivated as well as inspired by the architecture of Greek building. Romans adopted the architectural style of Greeks; they gave a style of Greek architecture to their building structures. Romans added aqueducts and arches in Greek designs and gave them a new look (Moore, 2006). The common occupation of Greek was considered as agriculture, this occupation employed almost three quarter of people. Greek cape was rocky and mountainous area, giving tough time to famers. They failed to produce enough wheat. Grapes and olives were found in abundant quantity. Roman farmers produced what they needed like furniture, tools and clothing. After some time they started producing more than their requirement and began exporting (Fre eman, 2004). The major gods and goddesses of Greek were Poseidon , Aphrodite, Hera, Hades, Hestia, Apollo, Demeter, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Dionysus and Ares. Mostly, different regions worshipped the same gods or goddess. The practice of Greek religion was expanding outside Greece as well to Asia Minor to Magna Graecia. ApolloIn Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided

Irish Folk Costume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Irish Folk Costume - Essay Example The revival of Irish dancing caused viewing of the Irish national dress as a colorful and flashy. However in ancient Ireland people traditionally wore leine (Irish for shirt), trews (Irish for trousers) and long brats (Irish for cloaks) fastened with a brooch. These pieces of clothes (leine and brat) were the basic elements of ancient Irish dress for people in the upper classes. These lasted from the earliest recorded times down to the 16th century. Irish national dresses worn by people back in the eighth century have had great influence on the dresses that Irish dancers wear today. If anyone wants to get an idea of how Irish peasants looked like in the eighth century, one should just have a look at the dresses worn today by Irish dances. The dresses used in their shows are updated replicas of traditional dresses decorated with elaborate Celtic designs from the Book of Kells and emphasized with a Tara Brooch which is pinned to the shawl. The traditional colorful costume of Irish peasants stayed actual up to the beginning of the 20 th century. The Gaelic League was created in 1893. The aim of this organization was to promote Irish nationalism. To reach this aim the League organized Irish dance classes and competitions called Feisanna, which is â€Å"Festival† in Irish. The purpose of these classes and competitions was to make sure that people were dancing the national dance. The organizers believed that if people danced national Irish dances they would not go in for any other dances that weren’t Irish, English dances specifically.

Protien Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Protien - Essay Example Due to presence of a high degree of palindromic sequences changes were made in the 3rd codons for R and A, and the 1st codon for L based on the second priority codon preference. The changes reduced the chances of self-annealing and formation of secondary structures. The new gene sequence was thus: The next step was to choose the restriction enzymes for cutting out the complete gene after it has been cloned to the TOPO vector. NdeI, which cleaves the sequence CA/TATG was chosen for the 5’ end while BPu1102 which cuts GC/TGAGC was selected for the 3’ end. Both restriction enzymes do not have restriction sites in the chosen vector (but are present in the expression vector which will be used for protein expression later). GCGC nucleotides are added before and after the NdeI and BPu1102 sites respectively to act as primer initiation sites for PCR of the final gene sequence which is the following: 2. The PCR-based methods for gene synthesis normally require a DNA template, which is not available for designed peptides, for error-free amplification. To reduce error, nucleotide stretches of the optimized gene sequences are synthesized and ligated to complementary sequences followed by PCR amplification (Tsuchiya, Morioka, Shirai, Yoshida, & Inumaru, 2006) (Young & Dong, 2004). These procedures result in different gene fragments that have errors in the sequences. Further cloning, purification and sequencing for the desired gene sequence is expensive and time-consuming. In this study, the gene will be synthesized using circular assembly amplification, a new technique in gene synthesis that removes error sequences and increases the probability of getting accurate sequences (Bang & Church, 2008). Here, a mixture of short complementary oligonucleotides (~ 50bp), that are designed with overlaps to allow complementary coupling or annealing, generates circular DNA. This is followed by exonuclease treatment to remove

Estuary English As A Growing Phenomenon English Language Essay

Estuary English As A Growing Phenomenon English Language Essay Introduction Estuary English is a term invented by the British phonetician David Rosewarne in 1984 to describe a variety of English spoken by the banks of the Thames and its estuary. Rosewarne describes Estuary English as a variety that includes the features of Standard English phonology, Received Pronunciation, as well as South-Eastern Britains, mainly the Cockney accents, speech patterns (Estuary English: Tomorrows RP?). Since 1984, the usage of Estuary English has grown profoundly. Geographically, it is said to be heard all over the South-East of England and also penetrating into the west. Much regional variation is being lost as a large number of Traditional Dialects covering small geographical areas are gradually disappearing, making way for the Modern Dialect, which covers much larger scales of land. Socially, it has allegedly penetrated into the upper-class. The growing number of its speakers is astounding. Nowadays many famous people, including people of the media, teachers and politicians, use this variety of English, even though it was thought to be a language of the lower middle-class. A number of scholars and phoneticians are assuming and predicting an even wider use eventually leading up to Estuary English replacing Received Pronunciation. This research paper focuses on the phenomenon of Estuary English information about the origin and nature of the variety, the characteristic features, and future predictions as well as how others perceive the issue. It will also include a research of the speeches of Tony Blair, The Queen and Gordon Brown on the basis of whether Estuary English is slowly vaporising the phonological boundaries of the social classes or not. I chose this topic to have an insight to the future events that might take place. As regional dialects are slowly vanishing and the usage of Estuary English is growing, the opportunity of monitoring the new wave of English as it emerges can be fascinating. Overview The term introduced by Rosewarne has developed a lot of excitement on many levels some phoneticians argue against it, others fight for it. Nevertheless, the use of the variety has been sighted growing as it is a middle-ground for the upper and the lower-class. Rosewarne introduced Estuary English as A variety of modified regional speech. It is a mixture of non-regional and local south-eastern English pronunciation and intonation. If one imagines a continuum with Received Pronunciation and London speech at either end, Estuary English speakers are to be found grouped in the middle ground.(Estuary English: Tomorrows RP?) The term Estuary English was coined by British linguist David Rosewarne in a ground-breaking article published in The Times Educational Supplement in October 1984 (Estuary English: Tomorrows RP?). Rosewarne published another article in 1994 -Estuary English: tomorrows RP?, in which he added new facts to his previous work. In his 1994 publication he explained why he introduced the new term (or the new variety):While doing post-graduate studies in Applied Linguistics in London in 1983, I felt that existing descriptions of pronunciation varieties made no real mention of accents intermediate between R.P. and localisable British forms. (Estuary English: Tomorrows RP?) Rosewarnes publications and Paul Coggles publication of the book Do you speak Estuary? in 1993 lead the way for a number of articles examining the nature, structure, and other characteristics of the variety. When the phenomenon was popularized in the 1990s, other linguists began to take the possibility of this new variety more seriously. The phonetician Parsons even called it the new RP in 1998 (From RP to Estuary English), when at the other end many journalists and politicians remain dubious towards the term even and call it a haphazard version of the Cockney accent (Maidment: Estuary English: Hybrid or Hype? 1994), even when numerous surveys have been carried out and it has been examined with scrutiny many times. Rosewarne chose the name estuary after the region from which the new variety of English was thought to have spread the banks of the river Thames and its estuary (Estuary English, 1984). The term, however, has excited resentment among many linguists many saying it is controversial because it is not only spoken on or near the Thames estuary, but in places further from there and that there is no clear evidence that it emerged from the Thames estuary (Maidment: Estuary Engslish: Hybrid or Hype? 1994). Controversy also remains over the matter whether it is a regiolect, a dialect, an accent or a style. Other terms for the name were suggested, such as General London and London English, (Wells, John.What is Estuary English?1997.) because the Cockney accent originates from London, but also the term Post-Modern English, referring to the recent development of the variety (Maidment: Estuary English: Hybrid of Hype? 1994). But as the term has already widely spread, it would be unwise to change the name now. Thus the contention over the topic is quite meaningless. Estuary English is most commonly associated with the young, many saying that even the upper-class young tend to use it now as a ways to be more like the middle and lower class. Young people, who are not so well off, often adapt to it because it sounds more sophisticated, making Estuary English a middle-way for both the well-off and the poorer people. As mentioned in the introduction, the variety is attractive to many celebrities and businessmen as well as Members of Parliament and members of the royal family are spotted using it (Wells, John.What is Estuary English?1997). Estuary English has brought up a lot of excitement. Even though many scholars remain dubious to the existence of such a new variety, the people talk otherwise quite literally. Features of Estuary English The features of Estuary English are the results of the confluence of Standard English Pronunciation (RP) and the Cockney accent. Rosewarne described it: If one imagines a continuum with Received Pronunciation and London speech at either end, EE speakers are to be found grouped in the middle ground. (Estuary English: Tomorrows RP? 1994) Some characteristics, which differentiate from both RP and Cockney and are presumed to be typical to Estuary English, are brought out in the next paragraphs. They appear at a lexical, phonological and grammatical level. L-vocalization the use of [o], [ÊÅ  ], or [É ¯] where RP uses [É «] in the final positions or in a final consonant cluster. As in the word milk pronounced as miok ( Joanna Ryfa, Estuary English: A controversial issue?) ( http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Estuary_English) Glottaling or using a glottal stop (ʆ) instead of t or d. Mostly used at the end of a word or before another consonant sound. E.g. the word but pronounced /bʌʆ/ (Joanna Ryfa, Estuary English: A controversial issue?) Yod-coalescence (in stressed syllables). The use of the affricates /Ê ¤/ and /Ê/ instead of the clusters /dj/ and /tj/ such as tune and /tʃu:n/, also in words like Tuesday and attitude. (http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Estuary_English) A broad A (É‘Ë ) in words such as bath, grass, laugh, etc. (http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Estuary_English) Non-rhoticity Rhotic speakers pronounce written /r/ in all positions, while non-rhotic speakers pronounce /r/ only if it is followed by a vowel sound and not always even then. (http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Estuary_English) Use of intrusive R. An epenthetic [É ¹] is added after a word that ends in a non-high vowel or glide if the next word begins with a vowel, regardless of whether the first word historically ended with /É ¹/ or not. For example, intrusive R would appear in Asia[É ¹] and Africa or the idea[É ¹] of it: Asia and idea did not historically end in /É ¹/, but the [É ¹] is inserted epenthetically to prevent a hiatus. Intrusive R also occurs within words before certain suffixes, such as draw[É ¹]ing or withdraw[É ¹]al. (http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Linking_and_intrusive_R) Y-tensing, using a sound more similar to the /i:/ of beat than to the /i/ of bit, at the end of words like happy, coffee, valley. (Joanna Ryfa, Estuary English: A controversial issue?) Use of confrontational question tags. For example, Were going later, arent we?, I said that, didnt I? (http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Estuary_English) The omission of the -ly adverbial ending, as in Youre turning it too slow, They talked very quiet for a while, (David Crystal, Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language,1995) Certain prepositional uses, such as l got off of the bench, I looked out the window. (David Crystal, Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language.1995) Generalization of the third person singular form (I gets out of the car), especially in narrative style; also the generalized past tense use of was, as in We was walking down the road. (David Crystal, Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language,1995) Frequent use of the word cheers for Thank you and Goodbye Use of the word mate instead of friend, which is RP. Extension of the actual meaning of the word basically to use it as a gap filler. (Rosewarne, Estuary English: Tomorrows RP?) (David Crystal, Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language,1995) Still, both Coggle and Rosewarne, although mentioning these characteristics in their featured articles, claim that features such as usage of the word cheers is also growingly common among young people, and is a not marker of Estuary English. Thus it is difficult to differentiate between the rising use of Estuary English, and the rising use of colloquial English. Estuary English speakers are very open to influence from American English, thus the usage of Americanisms is common. Some Americanisms adopted by Estuary English speakers with their British equivalents: British (B) Here you are; Americanism (A) There you go B- Sorry; A Excuse me B- By no means; A No way B I hope that; A- Hopefully B Hello; A Hi B- Correct; A- Right B- Certainly; A- Sure Some characteristics that are typically Cockney but misleadingly considered as Estuary English are: Th-fronting, i.e., replacement of [ÃŽÂ ¸, ÃÆ' °] with [f, v] (e.g. [fÉ ªÃƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¹k] for think) H-dropping, i.e., Dropping [h] in stressed words (e.g. [à ¦ÃƒÅ Ã¢â‚¬ ] for hat) Double negation. However, Estuary English may use never in case where not would be standard. For example, he did not [in reference to a single occasion] might become he never did. (http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Estuary_English) Estuary English as a variety of English comes on many different levels. Even though it is a new variety, the characteristics are already quite clear. An analysis of Tony Blairs, The Queens and Gordon Browns speeches the use of Estuary English over time. It is said that estuary English has climbed up the social ladder and its features can be heard in the Parliament. I analysed the speeches of Tony Blair, The Queen and Gordon Brown, comparing their speeches from twenty years ago with the ones they carry out now. Tony Blairs speeches Tony Blair was born in Scotland and also educated there. As any other Member of Parliament he speaks English with Received Pronunciation, but some articles suggest that his use of Estuary English has grown over the last decades. The earliest Tony Blairs speech I found in audio was carried out in 1997 his Victory Speech for becoming the prime minister. I compared the language of it with speeches from 2006, 2007 and 2010. The differences concerning the use of Estuary English were: L-vocalization. This was the most prominent of Estuary characteristics. Words in which he used it were killed, built (Reuters Media Control speech 2007), deal, will(General Election Victory speech 1997), well(Farewell speech 2006) Glottalisation. Words in which he used it were better (General Election Victory speech 1997; Farewell speech 2006), little bit, but, not (Farewell speech 2006). Non-rhoticity. In the words target,fair (Cardinals lecture 2008) The use of Estuary English has definitely grown, though it cannot be said that the usage of it is enormous. Most apparent differences can be seen in the use of glottalisation in the 2010 example he used it the most. Though some say that Tony Blair changes his accent when speaking to differentaudiences (Arthur, Charles. Language: Estuary English engulfs a nation 1998) in the parliament he uses RP and on television giving interviews he uses Estuary English to win the middle-class over, the speeches I analysed had the same characteristics in most of them, contradicting with what the media said about his usage of Estuary English depending on the audience. The Queens speeches The Queen should be the prime example of perfect Received Pronunciation. In 2006 Neil Tweedie wrote about the queens changing language, including that Her Majesty may not be quite ready to engage in fully-fledged Bermondsey banter with Jade Goody, but her speech has nevertheless followed the general trend from cut-glass URP (Upper Rec-eived Pronunciation) towards the more democratic Standard Received Pronunciation and its close relative, Standard Southern British English. (How Queens English has grown more like ours). I analysed her speeches with no real expectation to find anything. For the earliest speech I took The Queens Christmas Message from 1992 and the last ones are from 2008, 2009, 2010. There were not many examples to be found, but the ones I discovered were: Glottalisation. Words like forgotten, but(Christmas speech 2008;Christmas speech 2009) Non-rhoticity in there(Christmas speech 2008), simpler(Christmas speech 1992) The usage of Estuary English in the Queens speeches is minimal. Gordon Browns speeches I chose Gordon Brown for my third study because he should be somewhere in the middle of Tony Blair and The Queen, concerning the usage of Estuary English. Gordon Brown was born in Scotland and also educated there, thus his pronunciation was a bit Scottish. His use of English has not been talked about in the media. I analysed his speeches from 1985 and 1992 to 2009, 2010. What I found out was: Glottalisation in the word Britain (Speech for Citizens UK 2010), let(Resignation speech 2010) L-volcalisation in words brilliant(Speech for Citizens UK 2010;Resignation speech 2010), million(Speech for Citizens UK 2010), will(2009 Labour Conference speech), well (Resignation speech 2010) Gordon Browns usage of Estuary English is minor. Though there are some examples of it, he cannot be called an example of Estuary English, but the usage of it has definitely grown. Conclusion of the research My research shows that there are not any lexical examples of Estuary English in these three cases, but some pronunciational differences do appear in the speeches of Tony Blair, The Queen and Gordon Brown. The characteristics of Estuary English that appeared are mostly the same glottalisation and l-vocalisation being the most prominent. Although the usage of Estuary English is minimal, it still has grown. It can be explained in two ways either Estuary English is filtering into the speech of parliamentarians and the Queen, or Estuary English is used for identifying with the middle-class. Future predictions for Estuary English Through time, Estuary English has influenced RP, and it will continue to do so. In the 1980s, when Rosewarne first published his essay, it received little attention. When he republished the essay in a slightly longer version in 1994, it received the acknowledgement it deserved. After that the term and its possibility of taking over RP has been all over the media. Rosewarne in 1984 speculated that in the long run it may influence the speech of all but the linguistically most isolated, among the highest and lowest socio-economic groups who may then become linguistically conservative minorities. He even suggested Estuary English to take over the Standard English pronunciation. (Estuary English: Tomorrows RP?) At first Rosewarne was almost alone with his theory, but since them the acknowledgement has grown. Although many linguistics still contravene with the subject, the most prominent linguistics, such as Coggle, have fortified the term with additional research on the matter. As young people are highly affected by the media, it carries the most influential part in the development of the speech of young people. That is why teenagers idols like David Beckham and Lily Allen, who speak immaculate Estuary English, have a huge affect on teenagers speech. In addition to these teen-idols, there are many television shows such as Eastenders which carry out clear cut Estuary English. And since most of the teenagers are affected, in some generations the pronunciational differences between the social classes may vanish. In my opinion, Estuary English is definitely on the rise and spreading rapidly. Though the effects of Estuary English have not occurred in Scotland, Wales or Ireland, in some time, it may be possible too. Estuary English is an increasing variety which is penetrating through the boundaries of social classes and the media. Conclusion Estuary English is a variety of English that is growing rapidly. It is a mixture of Cockney English and Received Pronunciation. Estuary English is acceptable to both the upper-class and the lower-classes, benefiting them both. It influences both the regional varieties and the diminishing class-distinctive speech. Estuary English can be heard everywhere from the street to the Parliament building. As research shows, the usage of Estuary English in Tony Blairs, The Queens and Gordon Browns speeches has also grown, even though the size of the futility varies greatly. From these three Tony Blair was the keenest Estuary English speaker, leaving Gordon Brown second, and The Queen the last. Their usage of Estuary English limits to the pronunciational level, leaving aside the lexical and grammatical side. The future of Estuary English promises an even wider use from the lower class to the upper class, from the east coast to the west coast. Estuary English may be the next Received Pronunciation.

Existentialism :: essays research papers

Existentialism In our individual routines, each and every one of us strive to be the best that we are capable of being. How peculiar this is; we aim for similar goals, yet the methods we enact are unique. Just as no two people have the same fingerprint, no two have identical theories on how to live life. While some follow religious outlines to aspire to a level of moral excellence, others pursue different approaches. Toward the end of the Nineteenth-Century and on through the mid-Twentieth, a movement followed "existentialism," a philosophical theory of life, in order to achieve such a level. Even though the idea of existentialism is complex, certain themes are common amongst philosophers and authors: moral individualism, freedom of choice, responsibility, alienation. Fundamental to understanding existentialism is the conception of moral individualism. Existentialism rejects traditional ethical endeavors. Philosophers since the time of Aristotle, circa Third-Century B.C.E. (before the common era), have held that everyone should aim for a common peak of ethical achievement. Aristotle argued for the existence of a divine being, described as the "Prime Mover," who is responsible for the unity and purposefulness of nature. In order for humanity to attain such a climax, everyone must imitate The Almighty's perfect profile. Aristotle's basic philosophy deduces that humanity strives for an identical peak of moral excellence, as judged by a higher being (Aristotle). Existentialism declares that the individual must choose his way; there is no predetermination. Since the universe is meaningless and absurd, people must set their own ethical standards. The universe does not predetermine moral rules. Each person strives toward a unique moral perfection. The Nineteenth- Century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, who was the first writer to call himself e)existential, reacted against tradition by insisting that the highest good for the individual is to find his uniqueness. His journal reads, 'I must find a truth that is true for me ... the idea for which I can live or die" (Existentialism). Existentialists believe that morality depends on the individual, rather than a supreme being. Next to moral individualism, the inevitability of choice is the most prominent existentialist theory. Existentialism assert that people do not have a fixed nature, as other animals and plants do. Our choices determine who we are. The Twentieth-Century French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre proclaimed that the most Important choice is the choice of ourselves. Each character makes choices that create his nature. Existence suggests freedom where mankind is open to a future that is determined by choice and action. Choice is inescapable and central to human existence; the refusal to choose is a choice. Even when a

Animal Farm by George Orwell Essay

Animal Farm by George Orwell was trying to show the dislike of communism. Because the old form of government end up being quiet similar to the new form. Orwell shows this by getting rid of Mr. Jones for mistreating the animals, and overtime Napoleon a pig comes to power, the same thing happened but with a different look. George Santayana wrote, â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. † This quote is similar to Orwell’s dislikes and the way he shows it in the book. Both the people and the animals forget the past and end up as before. The people are just thinking of getting freedom and the animals not being slaves but get the opposite. The animals like in page 73, which states, â€Å"All that year the animals worked like slaves. † This all adds to the tone of rebellious by the animals fighting in three battles to maintain their so called freedom, just like the people in WW2. In page 76 it states, â€Å"†¦had not these been among the earliest resolutions†¦. † â€Å"†¦. t least they thought that they remembered it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This quote show that the animals tried to remember about the seven commandments but they couldn’t, so they had to forget any kind of idea and move on. This adds more similes that make Santayana quote true. George Santayana quote helps the reader understand why the pigs take advantage of the other animals. Since they saw that the other animals were not as smart as them. With Orwell tone o f informative using actions and characters to represent a bigger picture in the world of political and to also express his theme adds a greater understanding to the story.

La Cosa Nostra essays

La Cosa Nostra essays Perhaps one of the most poignant moments in American cinema is the closing scene in the film The Godfather when Don Vito Corleones son Michael takes over his fathers position... and one of the most unforgettable moments, a severed horsess head lies bloody in a mans bed. It is this tradition and brutality that characterizes the Mafia, a secret Sicilian society that lives and functions just as much today on American soil as it did and does still in Italy. To understand this organized crime, one must begin to understand how it came to be organized in the first place. During the medieval times in Sicily, Arabs invaded the land and native Sicilians fled and took refuge in the hills. Some of these refugees formed a secret society that gave protection to the people in exchange for money. This group took their name, Mafia based on the Arabic word for refuge. In America today, one can hear it also be called La Cosa Nostra, or This Thing of Ours. In the 1700s,Wealthy people would receive a card with a black hand drawn on and if they did not pay the money, they could expect murder, theft, and violence. During the time Mussolini was ruling Italy, this secret society was under heavy persecution and many fled to the United States. Don (term for the boss or head of a Mafia family) Vito Cascio Ferro fled to the United States in 1901 to escape arrest. He is known as the Father of American Mafia. (La Cosa Nostra) Many Italian immigrants came to the United States through Ellis Island in New York, which is today the most important center of organized Mafia crime in the United States. The new American Mafia came to power during the Prohibition by organizing the sale of outlawed alcohol, but after Prohibition was revoked, the Mafia needed a new racket. During the war, the Mafia got government issued ration sta...

How to become luckier

How to become luckier Have you ever wondered what it takes to be lucky? Sometimes it seems like certain people are just born to be lucky, and good things just happen to them, while others struggle to find good fortune and avoid bad luck from hanging over them like a rain cloud. But there are ways you can bring good fortune closer to you. If you’d like to become a little luckier in life, then keep reading.Don’t doubt the power of positivity.There’s a certain truth in the notion that positivity attracts more positivity in life, which can help position us for good fortune and luck. Keeping an optimistic outlook attracts positive people to us and makes others want to help us be more happy and successful.Have you ever tried smiling, even if there’s nothing in particular to smile about? According to a Psychology Today article, the physical act of smiling can create a slew of positive physiological changes in us, affect how we react to the world and how others respond to us, and can e ven lengthen our life spans! The same is true of maintaining positivity through our daily activities- at first it may seem like an effort, but once your positive outlook is met with a warm reception by the world, that positivity may just be a natural reaction to the good luck that’s finally found you.Put yourself in new situations.The best way to escape a rain cloud is to move from where you’re standing. If you want to change your luck, try changing your situation- inviting new activities, new social endeavors, and new people in our lives can open doors to a wide array of new opportunities, along with the potential for good fortune.If this sounds daunting, start small- try walking a different path than you usually do, making a deal with yourself to do one new activity this week, or initiating contact with one new person you encounter during your day. Before long, these new situations might just bloom into new chances for the clouds of good fortune to find you.  Learn from luck- good and bad.Trial and error can be a powerful learning tool, and life is full of lessons that we would all be well served to pay attention to. When good things happen to us and to others around us, we should take some time to reflect on each situation- was this truly random good luck or was there some conscious effort involved that made things turn out the way they did? Do the same thing for when bad luck seems to rear its ugly head- was it truly unavoidable or could we have done things to prevent it from happening? Take what you learn and use it to help guide you moving forward- hopefully, this increases your chances of encountering more good luck than bad in life.Most of us experience a wide range of events in life- some of which we’d classify as good luck and some of which we’d chalk up to bad luck. Use the strategies and advice outlined here to become a little luckier in your life.

Homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Homework - Essay Example The western wing on the other hand contains the stairwell and smoke tower. The base of the building has intertwined truss system that helps in enhancing the stability of the entire structure in case of any earthquake. The building also has an X-bracing on the top, which assists in resisting torsion movement about the vertical axis of the building (Irvine). The construction process of the Transamerica Pyramid involved the use of various materials deemed as of great quality. Before lying of the first material, the point where the building stands was excavated to a depth of 52 feet. The bottom of the building has complicated system of steel rod reinforcements exceeding 300 miles thickness. About 16000 cubic yards of solid concrete covers the system of the reinforced steel rods. The entire base concrete of the Transamerica Pyramid is in such a way that the entire building moves in case of earthquake. The movement helps in distributing the shockwaves thus reducing damages (EMPROIS). The external parts of the Transamerica Pyramid are fixed with aggregates of quartz that form panels. There are also some rods designed to reinforce the panels at four points on every floor. There is also systematic spacing of the panels that helps in ensuring lateral movement of the building in case of earthquake or tremor. The panels comprises of aluminum louvered structures. The louvered aluminum panels projects to the top to form a 64 meters high spire (EMPROIS). The 48th floor of the building has conference room that provides 360-degree aerial view of the city. The entire external part of the building is white in color. I am always attracted to Transamerica Pyramid because of numerous features the building exhibits. First, I have found it fantastic to explore how the fifth floor of the building happen to be the largest floor and not the first or the second. Logically thinking and considering the shape of the building, the largest floor ought to

Feedback from Instructor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Feedback from Instructor - Essay Example In terms of the revenue earned it is the largest software producer in the world. The products of the company are widely used in every part of the world. Company History Microsoft is one of the leading US based multinational computer technology corporations. The organization develops, produces, supports and licenses vast range of differentiated products and services related to the computer technology. The organization is considered as the largest software developing organization in terms of revenue. The organization established in the year 1975. Microsoft was founded by Paul Allen and Bill Gates. The organization was established in order to develop process and sell the Basic Interpreters. This Basic Interpreter is required for the operation of Altair 8800. The Altair 8000 was developed in the year 1980 to control the market of personal computer OS with the help of MS-DOS. In addition to this, this Altair 8800 considered as the useful element of Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Corporation ’s succeeding rise in share price and initial public offering in the year 1986 helped the organization to become one of the largest and successful software developing organization. Since 1990 Microsoft Corporation diversified its business practices. Slowly and gradually the organization started corporate acquisition to enhance significant market share growth. The organization acquired Skype Technologies in the year 2011 for 8.5 billion US dollar. This acquisition is considered as the largest acquisition of Microsoft Corporation till date. Vision and Mission Statement This part of report will determine the Mission and Vision statement of Microsoft. Mission Statement Microsoft Corporation’s value and mission is to help the businesses and people across the globe by realizing and understanding their full potential (Microsoft, 2013a). Vision Statement The vision of Microsoft Corporation is to develop innovative technology which is accessible to everybody. The developed tech nology will meet the need of the customers. Accessible technology eradicates the barriers with disability (Microsoft, 2013b). The software and innovative creation of Microsoft Corporation will enable people to take significant advantages of the capabilities. Strategic Elements of the History Bill Gates and Paul Allen are childhood friends. Both these individuals had the passion and interest in computer programming. The tried to develop a new business based on their skills in the year 1972. Bill Gates and Paul Allen established their first organization named Traf-O-Data. After effective hard work they succeeded to establish Microsoft in 1975. The organization entered in the operating system business in the year 1980. MS-DOS was developed by the organization in 1980 that solidified the dominance of Microsoft in the global technology industry. In 1984, the organization jointly developed new operating system collaborating with IBM (Ward, 2002). After this, the organization introduced Mi crosoft Windows. It is the graphical extension of MS-Dos. After successful business practices, the organization introduced Microsoft Office. This suite includes several key applications, such as MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Excel etc. both Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows dominated their representative operating years for a longer period of time. The organization expanded its product and service line into World Wide Web and Computer Networking in 1995. Successful business