What Makes Grammar a Timeless Subject to Study and Teach

Grammar has long been a subject of study—as a companion to  rhetoric  in ancient Greece and Rome and as one of the seven  liberal arts  in medieval education. Although the  methods  of studying grammar have changed dramatically in recent times, the  reasons  for studying grammar have remained essentially the same.   One of the most sensible answers to the question of why grammar matters appears in a position statement on the teaching of grammar in American schools. Published by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the report is refreshingly free of educational cant. Heres how it begins: Grammar is important because it is the language that makes it possible for us to talk about language. Grammar names the types of words and word groups that make up sentences not only in English but in any language. As human beings, we can put sentences together even as children—we can all do grammar. But to be able to talk about how sentences are built, about the types of words and word groups that make up sentences—that is knowing about grammar. And knowing about grammar offers a window into the human mind and into our amazingly complex mental capacity. People associate grammar with errors and correctness. But knowing about grammar also helps us understand what makes sentences and paragraphs clear and interesting and precise. Grammar can be part of literature discussions when we and our students closely read the sentences in poetry and stories. And knowing about grammar means finding out that all languages and all dialects follow grammatical patterns. (Haussamen, Brock, et al. Some Questions and Answers About Grammar, 2002.) Note: The full report, Some Questions and Answers About Grammar, can be found on the website for the National Council of Teachers of English. Its well worth the read for anyone interested in English grammar. Additional Perspectives on Grammar Consider these explanations from other experts in English and education on why grammar matters: On  the utility and importance of  the study of Grammar,  and the principles of composition, much might be advanced, for the encouragement of persons in early life to apply themselves to this branch of learning... It may indeed be justly asserted, that many of the differences in opinion amongst men, with the disputes, contentions, and alienations of heart, which have too often proceeded from such differences, have been occasioned by a want of proper skill in the connexion and meaning of words, and by a tenacious misapplication of language. (Murray,  Lindley. English Grammar: Adapted to the Different Classes of Learners, Collins and Perkins, 1818.) We study grammar because a knowledge of sentence structure is an aid in the interpretation of literature; because continual dealing with sentences influences the student to form better sentences in his own composition; and because grammar is the best subject in our course of study for the development of reasoning power. (Webster,  William Frank. The Teaching of English Grammar, Houghton, 1905.) The study of language is a part of general knowledge. We study the complex working of the human body to understand ourselves; the same reason should attract us to studying the marvelous complexity of human language... If you understand the nature of language, you will realize the ground for your linguistic prejudices and perhaps moderate them; you will also more clearly assess linguistic issues of public concern, such as worries about the state of the language or what to do about the teaching of immigrants. Studying the English language has a more obvious practical application: It can help you to use the language more effectively. (Greenbaum, Sidney, and Gerald Nelson. An Introduction to English Grammar, 2nd ed., Longman, 2002.) Grammar is the study of how sentences mean. And that is why it helps. If we want to understand the meaning conveyed by sentences, and to develop our ability to express and respond to this meaning, then the more we know about grammar, the better we will be able to carry out these tasks... Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language. It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available in English. And it can help everyone — not only teachers of English but teachers of anything, for all teaching is ultimately a matter of getting to grips with meaning. (Crystal, David. Making Sense of Grammar, Longman, 2004.) [T]he study of your own grammatical system can be quite revealing and useful, and provides you with insights into how language, your own and others, whether spoken or signed, actually works... With an understanding of how language actually works, and a concise vocabulary to talk about it, you will be equipped to make more informed decisions and choices about grammar and usage, and to tease out linguistic fact from linguistic fiction. (Lobeck, Anne and Kristin Denham,  Navigating English Grammar: A Guide to Analyzing Real Language,  Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.)

Wall-E versus Feed Essay - 1212 Words

â€Å"Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards† (â€Å"Brainy Quotes† 1). While this epitomizes modern time, it also represents M.T. Anderson’s Feed and Pixar’s Wall-E. Feed is a book about a dystopian society influenced by a device, called â€Å"feed†, implanted in the brains of the citizens. The author describes a group of regular teenagers that venture to the moon for a spring break vacation of partying and going â€Å"in mal†. The main character, Titus, falls for a girl named Violet who is not like the other stereotypical teens in this book. Violet received the feed when she was much older and she is homeschooled so her brain is more developed. Together, they go on outrageous adventures until a hacker at†¦show more content†¦He writes of an extreme point where the world needs air factories to live. While Violet is talking to her father she realizes, â€Å"‘the forestâ€⠄¢s gone. Yeah. Jefferson Park? ‘Yeah. That was knocked down to make an air factory (Anderson 125). The environment in Feed can’t even produce air anymore so the air is machine-made and fake. Similarly, the environment in Wall-E is also polluted; however, the problem is more severe. The earth has been completely abandoned for 700 years and the improvement of earth has been given into the hands of a garbage-collecting robot, Wall-E. All of humanity moved to outer space to live in a ship controlled by robots and centered on technology. The ads on the ship broadcast the advances of space stating that if there was â€Å"too much garbage in your face† on earth, than there is â€Å"plenty of space out in space!† (Wall-E). In the futuristic book, Feed, children are implanted with a â€Å"feed† that displays advertisements and controls all thoughts, emotions, and memories. M.T. Anderson writes using satire of consumerism and deteriorates the complexity in t he main character, Titus’s, language. Additionally, the characters are influenced by the ads they see, â€Å"When we got off the ship, our feeds were going fugue with all the banners† (Anderson 8). Not only is consumerism an aspect in Feed, but it is also found in Wall-E. When all humans move to outer space, they adapt an easy lifestyle that includesShow MoreRelatedA Interview On The Interview2335 Words   |  10 Pagespart in this aging and systems interview. The interview was conducted in J.M.’s studio room of his home where his life’s work hangs on the walls and books, articles, awards, and family pictures surround him. This studio is also where J.M. spends a lot of time researching different topics of interest on the internet, working on art at his table and sending funny e-mails to his family. He lives in a cozy, eco-friendly, single story home with his companion, my grandmother, and their two rescue dogs. Read MoreA Interview On The Interview2332 W ords   |  10 Pagesthis aging and systems interview. The interview was conducted in J.M.’s studio room of his home where his life’s work hangs on the walls and books, articles, awards, and family pictures surround him. This studio is also where J.M. spends a substantial amount of time researching different topics of interest on the internet, working on art at his table and sending comical e-mails to his family. He lives in a cozy, eco-friendly, single story home with his companion, my grandmother, and their two rescueRead MorePhilippine Independent film as a Medium for Political and Social issues5632 Words   |  23 Pagesfilms that either feeds intellectual hunger or satisfies escapist entertainment lies a very curious and questioning fascination of how Filipinos and the human beings in general relate to each other and to the world. 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Dexit †A Marketing Opportunity Free Essays

The case study discusses the marketing opportunity of Toronto-based Dexit Inc. for the new electronic payment system for retail transactions. The CEO of the company, Renah Persofsky, faced two traditional questions of marketing strategy: the preferable target group and the choice of optimal strategy, â€Å"push† or â€Å"pull†. We will write a custom essay sample on Dexit — A Marketing Opportunity or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marketing opportunity The advantages of for the new electronic payment system for retail transactions were obvious. First, its implementation could make the transactions faster and safer for the end user. Second, the using of similar payment systems gained the wide popularity. Third, the popularity of digital payments without dealing with the cashiers is growing nowadays, and this trend existed in 2002 when Dexit made a decision to launch its new payment system. At least, the competition on this sector was rather low. Thus, the implementation of new payment system was reasonable solution. However, even in this favorable market opportunity the company faced two dilemmas. First was the choice between consumers (the users of the Dexit tag) and merchants (the users of the Dexit POS terminals). It was necessary to define which segment would be most profitable to serve. Besides, the issue of different customers approach was topical. The new payment system could gain fast popularity among that group of the customers, which was known as â€Å"early gainers†, but as usual this group couldn’t transform to the group of the most â€Å"heavy customers†. At last, the implementation of new system demanded the new wave of marketing, and it was needed to make a solution about the preferable marketing strategy. â€Å"push† or â€Å"pull†. The choice also depended from the target customer group. Conclusion It can hardly be decided what marketing strategy could be optimal for Dexit; however, the study of the latest trends allowed recommendation to aim the strategy on the â€Å"heavy customers† and make the system merchant-oriented. References DEXIT — A MARKETING OPPORTUNITY. 905A02. Copyright  © 2005, Ivey Management Services How to cite Dexit — A Marketing Opportunity, Essays

Focus Questions free essay sample

â€Å"Why was the French empire ultimately so much less successful than either the Spanish or the British empires? † France was a late player in the settling game of the New World. During the 1500s it was ravaged by wars and internal conflict, most of these were caused from the Roman Catholics at odds with the Protestant Huguenots. Also, once the colonies were created settlers did not stay, many either came home or never trekked out into the wild. There were very few reasons to travel to the colonies for the French. This is because the colonial government was under direct rule of the crown. The one gain that could be obtained by immigrating to the colonies was religious freedom. However, France would not allow the passage of the prosecuted Huguenots. The main trade was Canada’s fur; not the most profitable. Although fur was very popular in America, and had great potential to succeed. The lack of settlers and the large land area controlled by the French could not be efficiently occupied or fortified. France was suffering from many struggles back in Europe yet the insufficient number of settlers prohibited the French from maintaining their land through the wars (the French and Indian war) and conflicts. 2. â€Å"If France instead of Britain had won the duel for North America, would the 13 colonies ever have become independent of Britain, or would they have been forced to stay within the empire for protection against France? Would Detroit, St. Louis, and New Orleans now be cities in Canada rather than in the United States? † If France had won North America, then I still believe that the United States would become independent. The French and Indian war would have affected the greatly. They would have still been hurt economically from the French and Indian war, and by losing, they could have been damaged in many more ways. Britain would force even more taxes upon the colonies because a defeat would likely cost more. However, if France would have attacked the colonies, the colonists would be preoccupied with defending themselves. Afterwards, although, I believe that the colonies would rebel eventually, because Britain would mistreat them more. Historically, France was the weakest of the world powers. Some islands and Quebec speak French. While over 20 speak Spanish and more than that speak English. If France had won North America from the British, they wouldn’t keep it for long because another â€Å"bully† nation, like Spain, or Germany could have risen up and taken it like candy from the French. 3. â€Å"From Britain’s perspective, were stationing soldiers in the New World permanently and issuing the Proclamation of 1763 good colonial policies? What problems were these policies trying to address? How else might have Britain solved those problems while limiting colonial contempt? † Yes, Britain’s concern of Indian uprising outweighed the expansion of the colonies. Pontiacs Uprising, which began in May of 1763, took the lives of hundreds of colonists and British soldiers as Ottawa leader Pontiac and various other tribes attempted to drive the English out of the Great Lake Region. Finally, the English subdued the Indian uprising by distributing blankets infected with smallpox. A cheap tactic if you would ask me. The Proclamation of 1763 and the posting of soldiers were placed into effect to keep the colonists and the Indians separate. Likely, the act was put in place to protect the colonists, and not to confine them. The main purpose of the Proclamation Line was to delay colonial expansion into the West while Britain stabilized relations with Natives through monetary compensation and the return of land. The other choice was allowing the colonists to have what they want and get massacred as they moved west. Britain could have done a better job with keeping the colonist happy. One flaw was that the colonists that were already west lost their land and money along with it. If I were Britain, I would have insured the colonists with the same proportion of land in a different region or compensated them with monetary supplements. . â€Å"Should the French and Indian War be considered one of the major causes of the American Revolution? Why or why not? † Yes, because it made the Americans want freedom. The colonists felt edged in beside the Eastern coast. France was the major anxiety of the colonists. The historical conflict with France, the Catholicism of France, and the absolute rule of the French monarchy caused Americans to dislike the French. By the mid-17th century, the colonists had begun to move west across the Appalachians into Kentucky. Here the English came in conflict with the French moving down to the south from French Canada into the fertile Ohio Valley. French and British hostilities in the Seven Years War began in North America. Even George Washington was involved in the first engagement. The American share of the Seven Years War (1756-63) is known as the French and Indian War. The War had a main influence on proceedings leading to the Revolution. One might conclude that the British role in removing the French and Native American threat to the Colonies would have permanently sealed ties amongst Britain and the grateful colonies. This did not prove to be true. The disappearance of the French into America meant that the British and Colonists no longer had a mutual enemy. The War was also very expensive. The Colonists had made a major direct monetary contribution to the war effort. The War was very expensive to the British who had begun to rely on the colonists to pay a larger share of the expensive empire, especially the costs of maintaining a strong military. Chapter 7: The Road to Revolution 1. â€Å"Evaluate the system of mercantilism. What were the benefits for Britain and for the colonies? What were the costs to Britain and to the colonies? Is the system of mercantilism sustainable or will colonies inevitably revolt? † Mercantilists believe that economic strength is founded in a balance of trade; meaning exporting more than you import. The mercantilists felt the colonies were most valuable for economic purposes only. This mindset added to why the British felt their West Indies colonies that produced sugar were most important to them. Briefly, British mercantilists viewed the American colonies as mainly an economic and monetary source, a source of money and trade to make money for the motherland. The colonies relied on England for oods and military supremacy, so both were gaining in one way or another. In a mercantilism system, the supporting country, England in this case, ultimately earns much more than the serving country, in this case the American colonies. As a result, rebellion and revolt was sure to occur because the Americans felt like they were being used and could form a better nation than Britain could ever dream of becoming. And they succeeded. Eventually the colonists grew angry because Britain received the majority of the profits and the benefits, and therefore, revolutionized against Britain. In addition, many acts and numerous laws, such as The Navigation Acts or the Stamp Act were enacted to lift up English power and control even more and colonists felt their basic rights were being taken away from them even more so. The end result was revolution. 2. â€Å"Was the American Revolution inevitable? Could America have gradually and peacefully developed independence within the British Commonwealth, as Canada later did, rather than engaging in a violent revolt? At what point in time, if any, was a violent revolt inevitable? What could the British have done to stop the Revolution? The American Revolution was not inevitable; however, it was very probable for a majority of the time Britain had abused the future nation. Tensions were high between Britain and the colonies ninety percent of the time. Conflict was imminent, but a full out revolution could have been avoided. However, it was for the best that America become independent. It put Britain in their place and decimated their ego down to France’s level. A slow peaceful agreement could have been reached, but it would be no guarantee to relieve tension between the two in the future. It may have been for the best that two split. The revolution â€Å"meter† if you will, was at its â€Å"point of inevitability† at the Boston tea party. It was the turning point on the History of the colony and the birth of a new nation. All that the British would have needed to do was to treat the colonies more fairly. They did not ask for the French and Indian war. The combination of each of these factors is what lead the colonies to revolution. â€Å"Were all the American grievances really justified, or were the British actually being more reasonable than most Americans have traditionally believed? After the Boston Tea Party, the colonists already had a disobedient attitude and no matter what England did, the colonists would have rebelled against it. As John Adams had said, â€Å"The American Revolution was in the minds of the colonists long before the fact†. One example of the colonists over-dramatizing was to the Boston Tea Act of 1773. Although this act helped the â€Å"East India Company† since they had an excess of tea, and was mainly to ensure the English economy a foot hold, and even in an indirect tax situation, the Americans rebelled against it all the same. At this point, revolution was inevitable. The colonists paid far fewer in tax on tea than England had, the Americans were looking for a fight at this point. Since the colonists were trying to protest the Boston Tea Act, they dropped â€Å"342 crates of tea into the Boston Port. The Boston Port Act was signed to get the money back that was wasted, so the port was shut down until it was paid. England wasnt being as unreasonable as many people tend to believe, however, it was too late for Britain to reconcile. 4. â€Å"What was the Revolutionary movement at its core really all about? The amount of taxation? The right of Parliament to tax? The political corruption of Britain and the virtue of America? The right of a king to govern America? The colonies’ growing sense of national identity apart from Britain? Was the Revolution truly a radical overturning of government and society—the usual definition of a revolution—or something far more limited or even â€Å"conservative† in its defense of traditional rights? † The revolutionary movement was about more than just taxation. It was about freedom. The colonists were being mistreated so they decided to do something about it and set a precedent for the rest of the world. The taxation just fueled the fire. Parliament was a major cause. The lack of representation was a great motivator. Britain wasn’t politically corrupt in their own eyes, but taxation without representation was a horrendous injustice in the eyes of Americans. They believed that the king was to blame, so then the colonies proposed a government of self-rule. Unlike anything else in the world at that time, it was a shock to Britain. This radical reaction from America was the shot heard around the world. It changed the usual definition of revolution forever. Chapter 8: America Secedes from the Empire 1. â€Å"What was radical and new in the Declaration of Independence, and what was old and traditional? What did statements like all men are created equal mean in their historical context, and what did they come to mean later? † The declaration of Independence was wildly radical for Americans and for the entire world at its conception. It proposed a self-governed nation and elected rulers. So shocking in fact, that England did not take it seriously. Self-government was radical at the time because no one had tried it before. With a little luck, America would take the high road above all other nation with their democracy. Some traditional statements in the declaration included no suffrage for women and no laws against slavery. For these to change, two wars would take place. One literal war had to be fought, and one political. If the drafters of the declaration were feeling more ambitious, then they would have included these in the declaration in the first place. However, no one knows how the nation-to-be would have reacted. In a historical context, all men are created equal reffered only to white men, it wouldn’t be for another one hundred years until this would apply to all people in the United States, and few million American lives thrown into the mix. 2. â€Å"Was military strategy or politics the key to American victory in the war? How did the two coincide? † Military strategy was a key to the American victory in the revolution. Although, the single most influential factor was motivation for the Americans. In a sense, the Americans had nothing to lose as a nation. Britain was already taxing them and punishing them ridiculously. The American logic was to just take a stab at it. If they lost, they would go back into the same routine. Paying for their misdemeanors. They were fighting for freedom, while the British were fighting out of desperation. The sheer numbers of hard fighting, hard headed Americans were no match for even the skilled British. Great Military strategy was a huge moral boost for the soldiers on the battlefield. That gave them confidence, something the British began to lose toward the end of the war. The two went hand in hand because you can’t have strategy wit hout politics. Politics is what made the decisions in the end. What went on around the round table caused everything that happened on the battlefield. 3. â€Å"Did the Loyalists deserve to be persecuted and driven out of the country? What difference does it make to understand the Revolution as a civil war between Americans as well as a war against the British? † Loyalists were persecuted during and after the revolution because they were considered traitors to the cause. It was right to persecute them because they went against what the new nation stood for. They were not killed, like in other nations’ revolutions, but simply deported. The loyalist did not wish to live in the nation either way, so leaving was not a harsh punishment in anyone’s eyes. On the other hand, however, they were still Americans; they just wanted to continue to be ruled by Britain. This is why it is important to view the war as a civil war and a war against Britain. Not all Americans wanted to live in the new country, and under the new nation’s rules had the right to say so. In one sense the war was both an internal struggle and an external one. 4. â€Å"How important were the diplomatic relations between European nations in determining the success of the American Revolution? How significant a role did the French play in securing American independence? How significant a role did the rest of Europe play? How did the American Revolution change diplomatic relations in Europe? † Without diplomatic allies, America would still be under British control. The alliance with France over whelmed the British and drove the Americans to victory. The French, still sore from the war of Austrian succession, were looking for a fight with Britain. The French influence was crucial and cannot be stressed too much. Even Spain played a role in the revolution through their geographic actions. The rest of Europe kept Britain busy fighting wars and making enemies as the Americans were fighting for their independence. After America became independent, Europe was their best friend, if you will. The strong ties with European nations would prove invaluable in the future. However, the rest of Europe did not love America as much as they disliked Britain.

Christian Ethics Essays (1829 words) - Bible, Old Testament

Christian Ethics Exam 2:Lecture 1 When he went to Israel there is a building dedicated to the book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah talks about universal justice, not just for the bad guys but for the good ones too. Chapter 44 verse 6 to 20 There are multiple authors to the book of Isaiah. 8th century author are the primary author for the first 39 chapters. The primary issue in the 6th century was a serious invasion in the northern part of Israel and the southern tribe of Judas. Isaiah is talking to Jerusalem bout what is going on in Israel. After the death of Solomon, Israel divided into the northern part and southern part of Judas and they hated one another. All of this has to do with how incredibly bad Solomon was as a king. He might have been a wish man but he taxed a lot, he expanded the borders way beyond what Israel could handle and he had a hard time with is libido. Assyrian, which is known as modern day Iraq, the king, had all the power. The last 6 chapters were written by what they called the 3nd Isaiah. The very first sermon that Jesus preaches is from Isaiah chapter 61 found in luck chapter 4. Some people actually believe that this is proof that the 8th century prophet wrote what we believe to be written in the 6th century because at the end of the sermon he said today this scripture has been fulfilled to your hearing. What the author of Isaiah said in chapter 61 is a continuation of what the first Isaiah said, telling me that the book of Isaiah is a living tradition because it is the same theological message because it continues throughout the century. The 6th century prophet wrote 40 to 66th chapter. If this was true, why did the 40 to 66 chapters also called Isaiah? We are going to see similar things from the first and second Isaiah. We are going to see issues in which the first Isaiah would go back to the second Isaiah to explain issues that were in the 6th century. What we see is what scholar called an Isaiahic tradition. Whoever write the last 26th chapters identified with the great blessing, messages and teaching and truth of the 8th century prophet Isaiah. So the message of the 8th century is continued into the 6th century, even though it is a different time, the author is preaching the same message. Isaiah chapter 36 What happened at this time is that the king of Assyrian was invading everything in Israel. The king of Israel wanted to make a peace trinity between with the Assyrian and Isaiah comes to him and tells not to do. He listened to him and those not make the trinity. While the Assyrian army camps outside, the spirit of the lord comes and kill all their army, because he waited on the lord, the lord help him by killing the Assyrian army. Verse 32: God used Isaiah to say don't I would take care of this. As the king of Assyrian was worshiping in his temple, his son's kill him because they believed it was shameful that they lost the battle. Tell us that we must truth the lord because he would bring us justice. The two great leaving or exoduses in biblical history are: Abraham when God tells him to leave Mesopotamia Abraham and his family are told to leave Mesopotamia. Abraham was a righteous and wealth man and with no reason, a voice speaks to him and gives a promise. That promise was he would be might and have great decedents and Abraham would be the blessing of the world and the father of all nations. Not will he only start a race of people but someone within that race would be the blessing of the world. In Mesopotamia or Assyrian the dominant Gods were Ishtar/Baal. Ishtar was female god of fertility. But in Mesopotamia, it was mainly for the king. Ishtar/Baal blessed the king to be fertile, to have a son to continue to the (kingship) empire and his rule. The god Ishtar was a war god and the god sanctioned war. Here

buy custom BUPA Healthcare essay

buy custom BUPA Healthcare essay PART I 1.0. Executive summary Bupa refers to the British United Provident Association and it is a big British Healthcare organization which was established in 1947 by seventeen provident associations who integrated to provide healthcare services for the general public. Bupa is a leading provider of healthcare insurance and health care services in the UK. The company has operations in three continents and boasts of more than ten million clients in more than 200 countries. Being a privately owned company, Bupa works in direct contrast to the National Health services. The NHS is funded by tax-payers money and they do not require private insurance in order to gain access to them. Bupa has its own hospitals that can be accessed by people living in the UK and who have private health insurance policies or those who can meet their costs. Initially, the company provided private medical insurance but eventually expanded to provide privately run hospitals. 2.0. Marketing and Corporate Objectives Bupas aim is to meet provide individuals as well as companies across the globe with a health service that is second to none. This corporate objective defines forms the basis of developing the marketing objectives that will help the company realize this goal.Many organizations and institutions aims at achieving the objective of profit maximization, Bupa Health Insurance are no exception. In order to achieve this objective, the institution has set out the marketing objectives for its insurance services. The organization aims at gaining preference for its services in the UK market and they have developed advertising and marketing programs in an attempt to acquire wide customer base (Cooper, 2000). In addition it has aimed at retaining the customers through provision of coupon on their insurance services to those who are loyal to the organization. In the case of health facilitation, it has ensured that drug-thru prescription is given to the customers, and patients are attended to without delay. Bupa marketing objective also focuses on Patient education on their health. Currently, the competitive nature of the health sector has probed many health organizations to devise ways in which they can attract more customers; health education is one of them. In order to meet this objective, the organizations have recruiting physicians who are able to handle the diverse medical conditions of the patients. It is clear that the marketing objectives undertaken by Bupa aims at realizing its corporate objective in the long run. 3.0. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis refers to the strengths, Weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a firm and it is a tool which is used for auditing an organization together with its environment. The SWOT analysis helps a company to focus on key issues which are then fed into the marketing objectives. Bupa is an international healthcare group that is privately held and it provides health insurance and care services to the public. The company operates and manages health care homes, clinics and hospitals and its operations are based in more than 200 nations which among them include Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Australia, Spain, Thailand and Malta. The company has its headquarters based in London, UK and as at 31st of December 2009, it had employed a total of 41, 898 people. During the financial year that ended in December 2009, the company recorded an increase of seventeen point two percent (17.2%) as compared to the financial year that ended in the year 2008. This significant increase in Bupas revenues was attributed towards a strong performance of EMEALA and the Asia Pacific segments. SWOT Analysis for Bupa Healthcare STRENGHTS Special expertise Geographical advantage Innovative service Cultural connectivity Motivation of staff WEAKNESSES Lack of precise marketing plan Service lines not differentiated OPPORTUNITIES New technology in the market No dominant competition New market segments offering improved profit Niche markets THREATS Economic shifts Increased competition Loss of competent staff Seasonality Changes in the insurance plans The strength and weaknesses of Bupa is considered to be the internal factors while the opportunities and threats are the external factors. In regard to the organizations strengths Bupa healthcare, being the leading health insurance organization in the UK, has qualified staff and expertise. This has enhanced their competitive advantage over other health insurance and health care organizations. In addition, UK being a developed economy necessitates for geographical advantage due to high population and immense innovative services. As a leading healthcare, physicians and staff are well remunerated therefore they are able to perform their duties effectively with minimal supervision (Lowson. 2002). In regard to the healthcare weaknesses, the organization has not fostered for clear marketing plan of its services and this has mitigated its chances of achieving its long run objectives in the short run. Service lines are not adequately differentiated so as the staff and the medical practitioners can easily render their services to the consumers. The external factors that affect Bupas performances are the Opportunities and the Threats. The Opportunities for the organization are the new technology imminent in the UKs economy, and there is no dominant competitor as the PPP and Legal and General and Norwich Union keeps on changing their marketing strategy thus affecting their competitiveness in the economy. In addition, Bupa has come up with new market segments for its products which aim at increasing the revenue outlay for the organization. The threats facing the organization are diverse. They include economic shifts characterized by inflation, increased competition, loss of competent staff and the changes experienced in the insurance plans. Before embarking on any marketing process it is crucial for Bupa and any other company to consider its environment and the environmental analysis should be a process which feeds all the aspects of Bupas planning and it should also be continuous. Bupas marketing environment is comprised up of the internal environment, the microenvironment and the macro environment. The internal environment for Bupa will include their staffs which are also referred to as the internal customers, wages, finances and office technology. The staff working for Bupa Healthcare is well trained and therefore capable of offering there services to their clients in the best way possible and this therefore ensures customer satisfaction (Kotler Gary, 2000). The health company also makes use of the highest automated office technology in its operations and therefore ensuring that good quality is achieved in the delivery of its services. Further more, the company pays its workers wages which are in line with the curre nt rates and therefore ensuring that they are well motivated. Bupas microenvironment includes its agents, external customers, suppliers, competitors and distributors who play a crucial role in ensuring that the company meets its objectives. Bupas external customers are located in over 200 nations located all over the world and these are people who seek the services of the company especially regarding health services. The companys agents and distributors includes the people who supply the company with various medical supplies, machines and services which are vital for the companys survival. The companys major competitors include PPP and Legal and General and Norwich Union which have also cut a niche in the health market (Nagle Holden, 2004). The Political, Economic, socio-cultural and Technological (PEST) factors are some of the macro-environment issues that affect it. The company is sometimes politically affected especially when it wants to set new companies in other countries because the internal companies in the countries will often feel threatened by the entry of a new competitor in their home market and therefore this greatly affects their performance in some countries. The hard economic times and recession have also had an impact on the operations of company. This is because the high cost of living has made some of the products and services of the company to be too costly to the extend that some people are unable to seek the health services of the company as they initial did. A decline in the number of people seeking the services of the health company and therefore this may eventually affect the profit turnover for the company (Lowson. 2002). The company is further faced with the challenges of operating in various countries with diverse socio-cultural backgrounds and therefore it always takes a longer period of time before a strong business base is established in such a market. These socio-cultural forces therefore greatly affect the performance of Bupa healthcare in the provision of its services to the general public. The rise of new technological forces has also made it a mandatory for Bupa to change its marketing and corporate policies so as to keep in line with the new information technology trends. These PEST factors when integrated with the micro-environmental or external factors can be classified to be Opportunities and Threats when performing a SWOT analysis for Bupa. 4.0 Target Markets Accordingly Bupa Healthcare is focused on the home health care services, hospitals services, hospice agencies, and area agencies in order to ultimately achieve its strategic objective. In addition, the target is also on the adult care in the UK, group homes and the Nursing homes as its major target markets. As healthcare fosters for improved global health service in the economy, the organization has strategized on these target markets in terms of advertisement of the new services and promotional activities. Achieving the corporate goal of profit maximization needs to be effective in designing and selecting the target market for the service; this is what Bupa Healthcare is undertaking (Lowson. 2002). The competitiveness in the economy has seen many organizations in this sector articulate to broad target market. As evident from the diversified nature of Bupa healthcare target market, it is clear that competition has enhanced expansion of activities and operations. The organization has advertently used market differentiation for it to effectively reach the desired target markets in the economy (Nagle Holden, 2004). For instance, in the case of home care health services, the organization ensures that the consumers are able to acquire the healtcare services from the specialists in their homes across the various ranges of therapies. They include the discharge planning and the patient referral, aseptic and pharmacy manufacturing, delivery of confidential services and nursing services to the esteemed consumers. Consequently corporate branding positioning for Bupa healthcare focuses on the investment and shareholders community, employees of the company, and the advisors and investors for the organization. Achieving the strategic goal needs the Bupa healthcare to foster ion its corporate reputation by ensuring that the organization is creating and understanding the enduring Bupas reputation. The corporate team provides services, insights and tools that will enhance the organization to build measure and manage its reputation in each of the target market (Weinstein, 2004). 5.0. Marketing Mix Strategy, The main aspects of the recommendation of the marketing mix strategy for Bupa include coming up with a strategy that will enable the organization increase effectiveness in both products and service delivery (Kotler Gary, 2000). This strategy will also help in integration of marketing as well as enabling methods of communication to be more effective in the process of marketing. The strategy of marketing mix is likely to bring positive outcome as it will facilitate the attainment of the set objectives for the organization. Moreover, other strategies that must be incorporated as recommendations for the success of Bupa in marketing its products include: proper strategy to determine the products and services to be offered, their price, having an integrated marketing communication as well as having a correct channel for distribution of the products and services (Blythe, 2006). Product and services strategy involves coming up with proper strategies concerning the products and services that are to be offered (Kotler Gary, 2000). This include product attributes that concern eths products, branding the products, methods that is to be used in the packaging of the products, types of the labels to be used in the products as well as offering the related after sales services among other product services (Nagle Holden, 2004). Moreover, the organization must be able to offer the right products as well as services that satisfy the customers as well lead to increased profitability. This is the major role of the top management is it is involved in making major decisions affecting the performance and service delivery (Chrvala, 2001). Product strategy must be communicated effectively. This is because, it has a major influence to all the parties involved who include the customers and suppliers. Moreover, the products must comply with the changing in technology in order t o compete effectively in the market and gain the market share (Nagle Holden, 2004). Integrated marketing communication is one of the major recommendations that the organization should use in order to get a positive marketing strategy (Kotler Gary, 2000). In this case, IMC involves coordinating and integrating the tools, avenues, the functions available as well as resources that are available for communication. This helps to increase the impact of consumers and ensure that the cost of services and goods are available at low cost. In this case, customer relationship is well managed though the brand value through the use of communication (Nagle Holden, 2004). Therefore, profitable relationship on both the side of customers and the organization is hence achieved. Various channels are used in communication that includes the business to business, internal communication, marketing the services and products available as well as ensuing that customers are able to get a focused channel through either direct or indirect communication. Marketing mix involves promotion of good s and services in the market. Due to advancement in technology, methods of products promotion, segmentation of customers are hence addressed though the use of several means (Croft, 2001). In this case, several forms of media are used in Channel management involves employing a process where the organization uses marketing as an activity through involvement of the all the parties as well as motivating them. The parties are also involved in the distribution channel to the products. In this instance, the organization is able to come up with a strategy that helps the organization to come up with a coherent form of framework that helps to integrate marketing and efforts that are geared towards selling and promotion of the products (Nagle Holden, 2004). Channel structure is important in marketing and hence it must be preserved to enable continued connection between the customers and the members of the organization. This is achieved though the improvement of the competitive market place and ensuring that marketing strategies targets to serve the uses as well as manage their efforts (Cooper, 2000). Pricing is another strategy that Bupa must adopt in its marketing efforts. Pricing strategy involves the following; setting a fair price that is similar to that set by the other parties in the market offering the same goods and services. The services and goods must be distinctive from those of competitors. This is by setting a competitive price (Baack, 2007). Moreover, products and services should be in a position to assume the following, the elasticity of price whether low or high, cross elasticity as well as the possibility of demand to fall or rise. In this case, it is important for any given organization to use the proper strategy while deciding the price to provide in the market. This will enable the company to have some form of stability in the market concerning the price as a strategy. Methods of pricing must also be incorporated. For example cost plus is one of major method that is used in determining the price of any given commodity (Weinstein, 2004). The organization is able to calculate the cost that is involved in the production of the products that are then added to the percentage profit (Kent, 2003). Thus the firm is able to determine the best price that the products are to be sold in the market. However, through this method, the firm may not be able to determine potential customers thus unable to increase their pool of consumers and hence it is hard to expand the market. Another pricing strategy is that of creaming (Nagle Holden, 2004). This involves selling given product at a very high price in order to gain profit. In our case, creaming is not appropriate as customers are likely to run into other competition firms offering medical services and hence Bupa will loose the market share (Kent, 2003). Other major methods that can be employed as pricing strategy include penetration pricing that involves lowering the price of products and services in order to increase pool of customers, discrimination of process where same produc t is sold using different prices in diverse market segments. Premium pricing is another pricing strategy that is crucial in maintaining market share. In order to execute this strategy Bupa would need to maintain the prices of its products high in order to encourage users to have a positive perception about the product (Stokes, 2008). Bupa cannot perform effectively without adhering to the strategies that aims at planning its market (Kent, 2003). This will include evaluation of the organizations strengths, possible weakness, and the opportunities available in the future as well the possibility of the organization incurring some of threats in future. When these factors are evaluated, it is possible for a company to come up with a marketing strategy that will help it to perform well in future and hence make long term plans (Kent, 2003). It is recommended that a proper planning will ensure that the company is able come, up with strategies to ensure that the working environment is favourable. The analysis of the objectives helps the company to come up with the desired methods which will help to offer the best medical services as it is in a position to define its services. Thus strategy planning cannot be avoided. For example, there are external elements that are available within the environment that may be a major thr eat to the performance of the organization. It is recommended that the company must be able to attain the competitive advantage in order to survive and perform well in the market (Baack, 2007). The weakness of a company must be converted into strengths and opportunities well exploited. PART II 1.0. The Strategic and Long-Term Benefits to BUPA in Undertaking Demand Forecasting Activities Demand forecasting activities play a vital role in the process of decision making for both the suppliers and buyers of any given product. In the case of the British United Provident Association (BUPA), a lack of effective demand forecasting would have a serious impact on the entire supply chain because it would become difficult if not impossible to efficiently mobilize the rest of the supply chain to deliver health care insurance and treatment services (Lowson, 2002). Lives are at a great risk of being lost if there is no accurate and credible information regarding demand for essential health products. At the same time, when there exists a mismatch between supply and demand due to lack of sufficient demand forecasting, there is possibility that there will emerge unnecessary high prices coupled with supply shortages (Bradley, 2000). Forecasting and planning strategies significantly affect operational excellence, customer satisfaction, service costs, workforce utilization and inventory performance of an organization (Lowson, 2002). By undertaking demand forecasting activities in order to plan for the effective and efficient use of available capacity and resources, BUPA is bound to benefit through matching service supply to the growing market demand. This is achieved through acquiring relevant information regarding new market potential which allows for efficient resource allocation to develop, produce and commercialize new products. Demand forecasting is essential to enable health systems in developing nations to develop capacity for delivering necessary standard product scales and product mix (Seifert, 2003). Since BUPA is a service organization, it operates in environment surrounded with great uncertainty especially due to fact that many service needs are determined and driven by external events including; new product developments, customer complaints, change in geographic and political landscapes, and environmental disasters such as tsunamis among other uncertainties. Therefore, demand forecasting activities by BUPA will help reduce the effects of uncertainty through controlling labour related runaway costs for instance, as well as aligning future service demand to inventory availability (Wedel, 2000). 2.0. BUPAs supply chain Supply chains can be defined as a system of suppliers, retailers, manufacturers, and customers where materials normally flow down stream from suppliers to customers. Management of the supply chain involves managing a series of activities that are concerned with planning, coordinating the mmovement of materials from the suppliers to the consumers. For this to be achieved, material, financial, and information flows are managed as decisions are made at strategic, tactical, and operational levels across the supply chain (Simchi-Levi et al., 2003). Supply chains are important in maintaining the provision of much needed goods and services to those that require them at any given time Dittman (2011). It is common knowledge that there are numerous risks that are associated with the movement of goods from one place to another, and therefore, the need to manage those risks in order to ensure the smooth movement of those good and services. Management of risks, therefore, ensures that customers or clients are protected while maintaining the reputation of the supplier. Indeed, reputational risk cannot be outsourced. According to Dittman (2011), supply chains are exposed to numerous risks and one of the biggest impediments to sustaining an effective supply chain is the lack of a proper process that identifies, manages and mitigates those risks. One of the major concerns in the managing supply chain is the lack of information to guide managers in making decisions thought the supply chain. In addition, lack of effective demand forecasting is likely to have a serious impact on the entire supply chain because it would become difficult if not impossible to efficiently mobilize the rest of the supply chain to deliver health care insurance and treatment services. BUPA needs to ensure an effective combination of her organizational capabilities, enabling technologies and strategic actions so as to attain efficient operations that make good use of demand forecasting and planning tools in its effort to align future service demand with available resource and inventory capacity. This is because forecasting provides avenue to handle both the certain and uncertain situations hence enhances risk management and facilitates attainment of corporate objectives (McAvoy, 2008). Demand forecasting being a vital component in the supply chain, can be applied in the balanced scorecard concept of performance management to demonstrate its impact to the wider day-to-day performance picture of the organization. This concept was developed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton to establish a framework for interpreting and translating an organizations vision into specific deliverables. The primary aim of performance management is to align the activities of the organization to the corporate goals and the broader objectives. BUPA can thus enhance its operations and decision accuracy by integrating its demand forecast initiatives to make information available on demand. Success is achieved through collaboration and cohesive working among and between the various units and departments. The activities of the supply chain of BUPA influence each other while interacting with each other to generate a comprehensive, holistic, closedloop that is essential for the organizations success and sustainability (McAvoy, 2008). These functions which include demand forecasting, capacity planning and service execution enables BUPA to perform reliably by facilitating a harmonious flow of activity among the otherwise discrete functions in the supply chain. At BUPAs organizational level, executive sponsorship lays the necessary foundation upon which a strategic focus towards adoption of forecasting and planning technology is spearheaded by the top level management of the organization which is important in promoting transparency and accountability across the entire organization. This in turn promotes the right organizational culture and behaviour and goes a long way in fostering credibility in the organization (Vermond, 2006). For a service oriented organization like BUPA, timely and reliable information is indispensable in planning for the organizations growth and future success (Seung-Hee, 2007). Emergency operations which are a characteristic feature of BUPAs daily operations can not be effectively handled without timely and reliable statistics. Generally, in order to attain service excellence, BUPA will require highly suitable practice processes, enabling technologies as well as sustainable executive stewardship working together in harmony. In other words, efficient knowledge management is vital in the supply chain as it enables informed forecasting and planning which is based on previous history, present day patterns and real time occurrences including process feedback and time used hence provide for continuity (Hughes, et al., 2006). Technology is a key component in the supply chain. A service organization like BUPA must thus endeavour to use more advanced tools and forecasting and planning technology that will allow for quick and better access to important information without struggling going through unnecessary details to retrieve the required information. This is important to save time and enhance customer satisfaction through efficient service delivery hence create a competitive advantage (Hughes, et al., 2006). In conclusion, it must be emphasized that because of the complex and dynamic nature of todays global economy, service organizations face growing challenges regarding the softening economy, need for frequent and continuous reporting and assessment of service trends as well as performance evaluations. This means that information is a significant component in the supply chain management of corporate health. Executives must have accurate information in order to facilitate evaluation of daily costs for them to ensure a sustainable alignment between service and corporate goals. 3.0. Bupas and the Lean Philosophy Innovation is a very important process for the success of an organization. While pursuing innovation, companies face strategic choices on where to concentrate the available resources. This process is greatly associated with change and as a result posed a challenge to any management. Sarkar (2007) explain the difference between routine change and more radical change that is not programmed. According to Evangelistica (2000), circumstances that are within the normal scope of existing management practices are considered as normal change Innovation and continuous improvement require a commitment to a process of continuous learning, so as to come up with new practices in an organization. The generation of these ideas is a critical part of the process of innovation and creativity is the process that helps the generation of these ideas. The gains obtained from this process of innovation activities at BUPA have been remarkable (Miles, 2004). These online delivery services can be accessed by l ogging into the companys official website. These services enable the company to submit new scheme members by batch, online tracking of claims, and online printing of membership certificates. These services allow customers to closely follow all programs of their health care scheme when there is a need. According to Evangelistica (2000), the personnel officer of Zahid Tractor said that, Improvements of online services and new services at BUPA Saudia have had a positive effect on the pace on registration of personnel data. Online transactions currently take a very short time. The personnel officer added that it was worth mentioning that the new service had made it possible for the staff at BUPA to print membership certificate on their own. This would enable submission to the authorities in-charge in the event that one looses his or her card, or as an evidence to be submitted to a consulate to obtain a visa. All corporate clients at BUPA are trained on how to access services of the company online. To facilitate easy reference, the company developed a user manual for its customers. This provision of online services to the customers has fastened and improved the efficiency of transacting at BUPA. Also, networking of hospitals and clinics in various countries has been made possible through the development of the online services by BUPA. This has enabled the company to offer new and better benefits. There has been expansion of online pre-authorization links in order to cover most clinics and hospitals under BUPA network of medical providers. This process has enabled faster and instant approval of pre-authorization, thus reducing waiting time for the members. Today, 90% of all online pre-authorization handed in at BUPA agencies are processed within a quarter an hour. Dental and Optical services requests are often approved instantly. According to Evangelistica (2000), Insurance Office Manager of Dr. Bakhsh Hospital in Jeddah, Dr. Khalib, said that the new online services had made processing of pre-authorization at BUPA in Asia to be fast and efficient. He added that the access they provide to check on benefits of members from their own system really helps to deliver services fast to their patients who are members at BUPA Asia. Additional online services for network providers include electronic submission of invoices for medical claims, and electronic link up with BUPA agencies database to access the table of benefits to members and limits of coverage. The new improved online services promote efficiency and show how the company can better the business process in an environment of business to business. Innovation is one of the reasons why BUPA is the leader of the health insurance industry. This innovation has enabled the company to be proud to be the first to employ online technology to offer its clients a modern way of faster service delivery. If the new insurance regulations are fully implemented, the market for BUPA will continue to grow (Van de ven et al., 2000). This online service is part of the companys general strategy of maintaining their place as a premium service provider. In order to achieve the above benefits through online service delivery, the company employed the Lean philosophy by hiring consultants. These consultants observed the operation of the company and advised it where they needed to cut down inventory and how they were to re-organize the company to realize superb flow of services. The consultants also trained the companys human resource on different Lean tools such as 5S. Through this, the workers were able to practice collective imagination. The application of Lean philosophy started by involving all the parties that were concerned and the result is that it has enabled the company to cut down time wastage through fast and efficient delivery of services, and unnecessary movements by clients in pursuit of information and documents at certain periods of times. In conclusion, the Lean philosophy is essential for efficient performance of a company. This efficiency was measured by the amount of time that was allocated for preparation, procurement of material and information, modifications and adjustments, and correction of mistakes. The client and the clients satisfaction was central I the lean philosophy for this company. It was essential for BUPA to continuous involve the clients in the process of implementation of the new services in order to assure that the project fulfilled the needs of the clients and ensure that time and other resources were not wasted on unnecessary activities. Buy custom BUPA Healthcare essay

Advantages and disadvantages of Owning a Gun Essay - 6

Advantages and disadvantages of Owning a Gun - Essay Example Hence, this paper will answer the question â€Å"should gun control laws be made stricter in order to reduce ownership?† This will be done by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of having a large number of gun owners in the community with the aim of showing the number of gun owners should not increase. The key benefit of owning a gun is security and mainly self protection against violence (Peters 2013, p. 1). This could mean that when a potential attacker becomes aware that a potential victim has a gun, they might be deterred from committing the intended crime. Therefore, owning a gun contributes towards thwarting crime as they protect people against armed attackers. It may be argued that high gun prevalence contributes to decreasing burglaries and makes individuals more independent rather than depending on the support of the government. When homes do not own guns, it implies that an increased population will be powerless against criminal activities directed towards the m and strictly rely on federal, state or local authorities. When a population is disarmed, there is increased responsibility placed on the authorities to ensure the people are free from oppression. On the other hand, common knowledge shows that when more guns are given to law-abiding citizens who are trained in safe use and storage, the community would be less vulnerable to violent crime. Basically, the use or misuse of guns will be determined by the personal responsibility and individual choice of those who own guns (Collier 2013, p. 83).