Diet & Hypertension Essay Example for Free

Diet Hypertension Essay Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, as it is commonly called, is a condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is chronically elevated. With each heart beat, heart pumps blood through the arteries to the body. Blood pressure is the pressure or force with which blood is pushed against the walls of the blood vessels. If the pressure is too high, the heart has to pump harder which in turn can damage the body organ and cause illnesses like stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or renal failure. Hypertension in India is emerging as a major health problem, that is more prevalent in urban than in rural India. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80, where 120 represents systolic measure (highest pressure in arteries) and 80 represents diastolic measure (lowest pressure in arteries). A pressure of 140/90 and above is considered hypertension. Hypertension can be due to many factors namely- 1. Sedentary lifestyle 2. Lack of physical activity 3. Obesity or overweight 4. High salt intake 5. High intake of processed food items like- chips, bakery products, cheese etc. 6. Stress 7. Aging 8. Excessive alcohol consumption 9. Genetics and family history of hypertension However, hypertension can be easy to control if diagnosed at an early stage and with lifestyle modifications. Changes in diet and increase in physical activity levels can have a great impact on controlling high blood pressure Reducing salt intake: Salt is known to be an important cause of hypertension. Therefore, a diet low in sodium, viz. recommended sodium intake- 1500mg, which is equivalent to 6gm salt or 1 leveled teaspoon of salt, is suitable for body and heart. DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet that recommends 1500mg sodium intake, along with high intake of fruits and vegetables is known to have beneficial effects in controlling blood pressure. Though the market is flooded with processed foods, they are a complete NO for hypertension or heart patients. Processed foods like- breads, chips, nachos, processed cheese, ready-made soups, cookies, etc. are high in sodium in the form of salt or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Now-a-days many food companies are producing salts with â€Å"low sodium content†. However, they are excessively high in potassium, and excess of any mineral is deleterious for the body. Fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have a positive impact in controlling and maintaining blood pressure within the recommended level. Fruits are primarily a source of minerals and most important amongst them is potassium. Besides minerals, the high fiber content is healthy for the heart. Watching your weight: Diet rich in carbohydrates and fats is calorie dense. Excessive calorie intake and eventual weight gain is harmful to individuals with blood pressure. A diet with more complex carbohydrates, proteins from pulses or lean meat, high fruit and vegetable intake helps not just to maintain weight but is also heart healthy. Products like- chips, processed juices, cookies, instant noodles, cakes, achars, papad, namkeens, nachos are high in salt/sodium and are not suitable for hypertensive individuals. However, food without salt is difficult to sustain for long period of time. But, there are substitute that can be added to your daily meal that will help make the food palatable and interesting. Salt can be substituted with lemon juice, vinegar, mint chutney (with raw mango and less salt), imli chutney to add taste to your meal. Eating in moderation and physical exercise are mantra for healthy life!

The Corporate Communication Strategy

The Corporate Communication Strategy This report aims to critically evaluate and analyse the corporate communication strategy, framework and main issues influencing a corporation. The company that I have chosen to examine and apply the knowledge of corporate communication is Microsoft Corporation. Communication strategy of Microsoft Corporation applies or follows which enabled it to expand and grow its business with such an immense efficiency. How does the organisation incorporates main issues of corporate communication; such as, communicating with external and internal stakeholders, maintaining its identity, image and reputation to reflect its organisational behaviour, the organisations attitude towards cultural influence, the role and impact of technology, and lastly, the role of Human Resource Management in contribution of its effective communication and overall performance in global context. (Cornelissen J, 2004) states that corporate communication is a function of corporate identity, corporate image, corporate brand and corporate reputation for the goodwill of the organization and its ongoing concern which is making profit. Corporate communication is a modern term of Public Relations. The term corporate communication is increasingly being used in practice to describe the management function that is still referred to as public relations in academic literature (Groenewald, 1998). According to surveys, over half of the heads of corporate communication departments administer communication functions. They are as follows; External and internal communications Managing corporate reputation and brand Recruiting and retaining Product launches Developing company strategy Corporate social responsibility Boosting investor or analyst perception Managing crises Corporate communication is simply the process of exchanging information within and outside of any organisation with concern of the above mentioned functions to run it effectively and efficiently. It is taken as an important aspect for any organisation to develop and flourish its capability at its best. However, it is more crucial to organisations that operate globally. Most of the successful organisation has used corporate communication as the means of success because it helps to formulate their distinctiveness, their status and mark their existence in the mind of their customers. Background of the organisation: Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in USA. It is a multinational company with headquarter in Redmond, WA, United States, and its subsidiaries in 110 countries. With 182,884 employees in USA and worldwide and annual revenue of USD 62.48 billion, it can be said that it is one of the worlds largest and dominant software companies. It provides software, services and solutions to people and businesses world-wide. The company focuses on research and developing, manufacturing, licensing, and supporting wide range of software products and services for various types of computing devices. The major software products and services it provides are; operating systems for servers, personal computers, and intelligent devices, different types of personal and business applications, software development tools, online services platform, and games; taking into consideration and benefiting all range of people from business, students, workforce to households. *According to the Microsoft Corporation, The Microsoft mission is to help people and businesses around the world realize their full potential. We work to accomplish this mission through the development of innovative products and services that help people harness the power, opportunities, and benefits of technology. http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/our-commitments/reporting/about-microsoft/ The communication strategy and its framework in the organisation: An effective corporate communication strategy is very important for any organisation to overpower todays highly competitive and information driven business environment. It protects an organisation from negative publicities and limits misleading steps of the corporate. Strategy requires choices deciding what particular kind of value an organisation wants to deliver and to whom (Porter, in Gibson, 1997). Implementation of proper and practical strategies can bring equal opportunity to people; resulting in distribution of innovative information, resolution of conflict and coordination in organisation. X-Border communication strategy issues include; degree of adaptation and standardisation, consistency, internal vs external, corporate identity and reputation, costs, role of technology. As a multinational organisation, Microsoft Corporation adapts almost all of the x-border communication strategy to stay on top of the market. (see Appendix) Steve A. Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corporation, states that they see their citizenship strategies and business strategies as complementary, creating shared value for Microsoft shareholders, employees, stakeholders, and society. http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/our-commitments/reporting/ceo-intro-letter/ Neil Holloway, President of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), focused on the balanced objectives of driving customer satisfaction, improving integration across Microsoft business units, addressing the unique technology needs of diverse markets, and growing the software business in the region. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/neilho/default.mspx The statement of Neil Holloway and Steve A. Ballmer clearly implements the communication model (shown below) in Microsoft. Keeping in mind of their identity and image, they deliver messages to their shareholders, employees, stakeholders, and society by the use of Management communication, Organisational communication, and Marketing communication. (see Appendix 1) Figure 1: Communication model, Strategy of the organisation (M. Welch and P. Jackson, 2007) Communication framework In all organisations, communication flows vertically and horizontally, internally and externally, formally and informally linking employees internally to each other and to various layers of management, and to the many external resource holder of the organisation (Fombrun and Riel, 2006). There are three main types of structures of the company and they are as follows; Functional Matrix Project Microsoft follows the matrix structure to perform communication (see Appendix 3). It has horizontal divisions for international operations and vertical divisions for product groups. Mike Love, senior director of corporate communications at Microsoft EMEA says that Microsofts matrix of management decision-making and the challenge to communicate through this matrix is very complex. He also adds that Internal and External communicators each have geographical, functional and product-area responsibilities as their direct focus (see Figure 2, below). http://www.melcrum.com/articles/clutter_at_microsoft.shtml Figure 2: Areas of responsibility at Microsoft Microsofts governing body is the Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the executive body is the Board of Directors (see Appendix 4). Microsoft adapts a centralized and functional area accompanied by a network of decentralized structure for adapting the function to the special needs of the independent business units. The main issues relating to corporate communication External and Internal communication External communication: External communication refers to communicating with external parties of an organisation which includes customers and business partners, suppliers, media, and competitors. Communication with customers: Customers are the most influential part for any organisation to exist in business environment. Microsoft claims that the success of their company is based on their ability to listen and respond to customer feedback about their products, programs, and services, and to increase customer satisfaction with all of the possible ways. They continually engage with their customers and partners through third-party surveys and feedback mechanisms within their products, and community-based websites (see Appendix). However, Microsoft has not institutionalised engagement of external stakeholders in corporate decision-making. Their customer and partner experience (CPE) strategy is sponsored by their chief operating officer and president of the Microsoft Business Division. Communication with media: Media is one of the most powerful and critical areas of any corporate communication function. According to Argenti (2009), the media are both a constituency and a conduit through which investors, employees, and consumers receive information about and form images of a company. It has the ability to turn a business up or down in a matter of seconds. It is very essential for corporation to understand this matter and have a good relationship with media. Microsoft has good understanding on this matter. Hence, they have included media as one of the areas of responsibilities (see Figure 2). They have a separate section in their company site called Microsoft News Center where it provides latest updates and information on company. For media, it has a section called Press Tools with Press Releases, Analyst Reports and many more. It has also established number of air-traffic control tools to avoid misleading and misinterpreting messages to media (see Appendix). Communication with competitors: The main competitors of Microsoft are Google, Apple, VMware, Oracle, and Open source (Linux and Firefox). However, Google is seen to be the prior competitor of Microsoft. Microsoft keeps up-to-date information about its competitors. Microsoft had some problem with its competitors in past and was accused for its unhealthy competition (see Appendix). This had a negative impact on the reputation and image of Microsoft. Since then, Microsoft has been keeping healthy relationship and healthy competition with its competitors through changes in its products and services, filtering words when having conversation on their competitors. http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/208984.asp Communication with Government: Government is involved in all stages of business development. As Microsoft operates in various regions and areas globally, it makes sure to follow the national, regional, and local bylaws and legislation of the country. Microsoft also sense importance of collaboration among the internationally recognized groups. Its Citizenship and reporting strategies are guided by those laid out in the Global Reporting Initiative, the Global Network Initiative the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and the Carbon Disclosure Project. Communication with shareholders: However, the company does not provide training to staff on stakeholder engagement, nor do they disseminate the principles through more than one medium or translate them into other languages. Microsoft has also not institutionalised external stakeholder engagement in corporate decision-making.**** Internal communication: Strong internal communications- fostering increased workforce loyalty and productivity will thus continue to play a pivotal role in a companys employee relation and overall success (Argenti, 2009). Microsoft fully realise the role of employees and vendors for its overall success. It is also aware that with change in culture and business environment, employees and their attitudes, beliefs are changing and they need to be treated in different ways. To understand the values and attitudes of employees to gain their loyalty and productivity, effective communication among and with employees is very crucial. Communication with employees: One of their most important developments during the past year has been the establishment of an Internal Communicator Community (see Appendix). They have also developed a new approach to the annual planning process by creating a forum for sharing internal and external communication plans across all business disciplines to build a one company approach. They have also established a regular quarterly meeting and monthly Live Meeting1/conference call for all Public Relations leads in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regardless of their areas of responsibility. This has become a clearing house for communication plans and has helped establish the discipline of air-traffic control. Communication with vendors: http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/microsoft-adds-human-element-to-corporate-communications/110453 Identity, Image, and Reputation The concept of corporate identity is traced by organisations marks or logos, name, motto, products, services, and any other possessions of the organisation that is visible and tangible to differentiate themselves from their competitors and print their image in the minds of consumers (Argenti, 2009). Image is shaped by the identity of an organisation, it is the way internal and external constituents perceive the organisations identity get fulfilled. Finally, strong reputation of an organisation is achieved when identity and image align with each other. Microsofts identity is majorly reflected by its name, products and services, market capitalisation, market capture, and Bill Gates, former CEO, Microsoft Corporation (see Appendix). Microsofts image has been problematic since its establishment. It has been accused Microsofts holds a highly valued reputation Read more: Corporate Identity http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Con-Cos/Corporate-Identity.html#ixzz18qO7ytiL Corporate Identity Names, Brands, Symbols, Self-presentation is perceived by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Employee Image Investor Image Community Image Customer Image The sum of their Corporate Reputation perceptions equals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Figure 3: Reputation Framework (Argenti, 2009) Culture and its influence in corporate communication Any organisations culture is reflected by the behaviours, attitudes, beliefs, norms and values of its employee working with each other towards attaining a common goal. It has become a serious issue with prevalence of globalisation (see Appendix). Hofstede (1980, 1982, 1987) has outlined five dimensions of cultural impact in an organisation. They are as follows; Power distance Individualism Vs Collectivism Uncertainty avoidance Masculinity or Feminity Long term or Short term Microsoft believes that the following listed values guide their behaviours and it is reflected in their employees in their interaction with each other and their stakeholders. Integrity and honesty Passion for customers, partners, and technology Open and respectful with others and dedicated to making them better Willingness to take on big challenges and see them through Self-critical, questioning, and committed to personal excellence and self-improvement Accountable for commitments, results, and quality to customers, shareholders, partners, and employees (see Appendix 5) The above statements by Microsoft shows that it follows collectivism idea, there is no power distance as employees believe in open and respectful relation with each other. They believe in one company approach. We should communicate with and not at our internal audiences, engaging in a dialogue not a monologue. Such an approach fits well with Microsofts corporate culture, which strives to be devoid of hierarchy. http://www.melcrum.com/articles/clutter_at_microsoft.shtml The role of technology The role of technology in carrying on communication effectively has been immense. With rapid development of technologies nowadays, it is almost impossible to have a thought of communication without technologies. Microsoft Corporation itself is a leader in developing and distributing innovative technologies world-wide. There are numerous software products and services produced by Microsoft for communication use. However, technologies that they use for internal and external communication are; e-mails, video conferencing, teleconferencing, telephones, webcasts, podcasts, blogs, internal intranet site, air-traffic control tools, and integrated communication planning. The role of Human Resource in corporate communication HRM is a strategic and coherent approach to the managers of the organisation. The most valued assets, the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievements of its objectives. (Armstrong, 2003). According to Ulrich (1997), there are four roles of Human Resource Management in an organisation. They are as follows; Administrative expert Employee champion Change agent Strategic partner http://www.stw.de/typo3temp/pics/c98097d6bc.jpg Figure 4: The HR Business Partner (based on an idea by Dave Ulrich, 1997) Conclusion and recommendation In conclusion, Microsoft practices a very good and practical corporate communication strategy and framework. Microsoft follows the matrix structure with strongly centralized and wholly decentralized framework for communication. They understand the importance of effective communication between their internal and external stakeholders for their success. Microsoft has implemented various communication tools and plans, such as, air-traffic control tools and integrated communication planning specially for effective communication with employees and media. The use of technologies for communication are; e-mails, telephones, video conferencing, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, Annual Report, Press Releases, internal intranet site. Their identity is basically its name, products and services, and Bill Gates, former Chairman of Microsoft who is known as one of the wealthiest people alive. Their image and reputation were frequently in stake and problematic with different kinds of accuses. However, they are doing their best in overcoming and maintaining a superior image. Microsoft practices open and respectful culture with equal opportunities for all employees. They practices This invariably means they work within communication silos roles rather than taking a broader view of the company as a whole.

Agriculture and Forestry Machinery Industry in Canada

Agriculture and Forestry Machinery Industry in Canada General remarks: The sources should be added The way we do it is like this[1] Also, since there are now sources, I cannot check how valid are your points It is always better to talk about the movement rather than static: E.g. the point with loans. Less loans, more loans than in 2012 (2011, 2012)? What is the trend, and this trend is the result of what? (not just 2013) With agricultural land. Increasing? Decreasing? The trend. Hard to understand the main story (and I think it is more related to the loans, and cutting of subsidies than with rich harvest) I am also adding the competitive landscape from last year, so you can finish the company you didn’t know. Headlines Market for agricultural and forestry machinery grows 15% in 2013 due to increasing capacities of domestic and main import/export partner USA farms and consequently high farm incomes that encourage farmers to invest in agriculture machinery.[G1] Industry increasingly concentrated, with top 5 companies: Buhler Industries Inc., John Deere Ltd., CNH Canada Ltd., Bourgault Industries Ltd., La Coop Purdel increasing their revenue Government gives loans and insurance incentivise farmers to buy new equipment or update old machines[GL2] Domestic market grows slightly more than sales over 2013, mainly due to cost savings arising from adoption of innovative technologies[GL3] Maybe a point about cutting government subsidies Loans Something from production, like innovation trend or demand abroad for Canadien machinery ( I still didn’t get why exactly is the Canadian machinery demanded) Industry set to see 3% turnover growth in 2014 due to accelerating mechanisation and adoption of precision farming in agriculture, coupled with strong USA demand for Canadian-made machinery Market Trends The Canadas market for agricultural and forestry machinery was valued C$5.4 billion in 2013, up by astounding 15% from 2012. Year-on-year [G4]market growth was mainly attributed to the agriculture industry and its growing automation, while increasing application of innovative products such as precision farming equipment also had a positive impact. Farms sought to increase production capacity and capture the benefits of high revenue coming from high crop prices. [G5]Furthermore, major what? trends in Canada and other high-income countries included a reduction in the number but growth in the size of farms[G6], which fuelled demand for sophisticated agricultural equipment. Farm size in Canada is growing similar to other high 0 income countries, which fuels demand for sophisticated agricultural machinery. The agriculture industry was main buyer of agricultural and forestry machinery in 2013, including both purchases for investment and business purposes. There were around 200 000 farms operating in Canada in 2013, with more than 51 million hectares of agricultural land classified as dependable agricultural land [GL7]. An excellent 2013 key grains such as and oilseeds harvest in Canada was a main contributor for strong which sector performance. Consequently, net farm incomes in 2013 were as high as in 2012 , fuelling investment in capacity expansion, which led to 12% growth of agriculture sector spending for investment and business purposes. High agriculture revenue and consequent spending on agricultural and forestry machinery was a result of several key factors. Primarily, favourable weather conditions , translated in record 2013 crop production and allowed farmers to capitalise on higher crop prices, which remained high till the end of the year. In addition to that, although the number of farms in Canada is steadily falling since 2006 (taking in to perspective from 2006 to 2011 it fell 10.3% or by 24 thousand farms), they are getting bigger, which resulted in economies of scale and capital concentration. This naturally allowed greater spending on state-of-the-art agricultural equipment, adoption of precision farming, the use of new technologies to optimize agricultural yields and reduce costs. Precision farming employs innovations such as global positioning systems for vehicle and row tracking that allow farmers to use previous yield information and soil resistivity data to minimise planting overlaps.[G8] Farm credit approved 47 046 new loans in 2012-13, with average size of loan approved rising to C$162.406, giving farmers incentive to acquire new equipment. [GL9] However federal program payments, which include primarily payments made directly to agricultural sector? producers, were set to decrease from C$1.3 billion in 2012, to C$1.2 billion in 2013 and during the same 2 year period, provincial program payments were also set to decrease from C$ 1.6 to C$1.5 billion[G10]. In 2013 majority over 59% of domestic market demand was accounted for by foreign producers. Primarily from USA , which claimed 70% of all domestic market demand. [G11]Innovative technological advancements related to precision farming equipment, new advanced agriculture tractors and soil preparation machinery, backed by geographic proximity and NAFTA membership, allowed USA to remain Canadas most import partner in agricultural machinery. Meanwhile, second Canadas foreign supplier Germany, managed to increase its market share from 8% in 2012 to 9% in 2013. This can be attributed to record high farm incomes in Canada and farmers, who valued Germanys reputation as a producer of high-end agricultural machinery. This fostered demand for made-in-Germany machinery. [G12] Agricultural tractors were most demanded machinery in the market, accounting for 34% of the demand in 2013, increasing from C$1.6 billion in 2012 to C$1.8 billion by 10%, while harvesting and threshing machinery increased by 13% from C$1.3 to C$1.4 billion, which respectively accounted 26% of the demand in 2013. This increase of demand for the machinery can be explained by excellent 2012 year for farmers, who were able accumulate profit and bright expectations, that in 2013 grain production increase to 97 million tonnes, compared to 77 million tonnes, encourage farmers to plan ahead and to invest in new agricultural tractors, harvesting and threshing machinery. [G13] Production Trends In 2013 production of agriculture and forestry machinery in the Canada was C$ 4.7 billion, up 14% from previous year. Turnover of local producers was driven by reboots demand from domestic market as well as 7% growth in exports. As the result of increased agriculture volume, high net farming income and high demand for Canadian machinery in biggest export partner USA, local manufacturers ran at full capacity throughout 2013. Tight competition in the agriculture industry, led farmers[GL14] to seek cost minimisation, which could only have been most efficiently achieved using sophisticated machinery Canadian agricultural machinery industry had to offer. [GL15] Even though exports [GL16]percentage of production output fell from 53% in 2012 to 51%in 2013, exports grew by 7% from C$2.2 to C$2.4 billion. It was due to the fact that domestic demand grew faster than exports. Canadas export partners were mostly industrialised market economies where agricultural activity is capital-intensive and reliant on advanced technology. The biggest trade recipients remained USA claiming 79% of Canadas exports, due to geographic proximity and NAFTA membership, allowed Canada to remain the USAs primary import partner in agricultural equipment. As for 2013, Canadian soil preparation machinery and harvesting and threshing machinery each accounted for a third of agricultural and forestry machinery imports to the US. 2013 was a year of innovations in agricultural and forestry machinery industry[GL17] with breakthrough in precision farming. New ways at improving tillage by introducing tools capable of variable-rate tillage, vertical tillage and improved residue management, was leading innovation. Other significant areas of innovation were: equipment of smaller magnitude, directed at easier way to transport and to let tractors and planters achieve higher speed[GL18]. Decreasing number of farms, but ever expanding in size has been long lasting trend in Canada, bigger farms are capable of buying more expensive and sophisticated machinery. In addition to that, StatsCan also found a shift away from livestock-based farms to crop-based operations, such farms require more machinery to be ran efficiently than livestock-based. Naturally large corporations in machinery industry were more successful in satisfying demand for such equipment, due to high capital requirements, massive fixed costs and the importance of economies of scale. Smaller firms were able to compete in agricultural and forestry machinery industry by capitalizing their sales by offering specialised equipment such as tractor attachments to smaller farmers, who were trying to compete with bigger farmers as well. [G19] Production volume expanded by 14%, leading to stunning increase in profit by 20% over 2013, was among the largest among developed countries. Comparing to a profit margin of USA, which increased by moderate 4% but remained high, outperforming such countries as Italy, France, Germany and the UK. [GL20] Due to the rising popularity of precision-farming technologies, which started in 2011, top agriculture machinery manufacturers started to employ more professionals to create and develop more state-of-art [GL21]data hosting technologies, cloud-based applications, and other modern solutions. This translated into boost in wages, to attract best qualified personnel through 2012 and 2013. These strategies as well as 7% increase in number of employees, led to 6% increase of turnover per employee. [GL22] Competitive Landscape They all manufacture agricultural machinery? But how are they different? What kind of machinery? The industry of agricultural and forestry machinery was becoming more concentrated in production terms with five leading entities Buhler Industries Inc., John Deere Ltd., CNH Canada Ltd., Bourgault Industries Ltd., and La Coup Purdel in 2013. Majority of enterprises operated in the industry were micro-sized and small, mainly producing specialised equipment such as tractor attachments. Due to high capital requirements, massive fixed costs and the importance of economies of scale, the bigger share of turnover was captured by the largest producers. Buhler Industries Inc is headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment. Factories in Morden and Winnipeg, MB, Salem, SD, Willmar, MN and Fargo, ND, build tractors, front-end loaders, augers, compact implements and more. Buhler Industries maintains several well-stocked parts warehouses. 2007, Combine Factory Rostselmash Ltd, a major combine manufacturer located in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, acquired 80% of the common shares of Buhler Industries. With additional investment in engineering, research and development and production, the company is moving forward. The dealer / distribution network in North America remains unchanged, but the Rostselmash network of more than 200 dealers in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan now has access to the products built by Buhler Industries. 2013 marked the launch of a highly anticipated product known as the Versatile DeltaTrack. The new Versatile 260, 290 and 310, a front-wheel assist fixed frame tractor, entered production. This interim Tier 4 compliant tractor features a Cummins QSL 9.0 mated to a 16-speed powershift transmission. This new row crop tractor uses the Versatile HQ cab, the biggest cab in the agriculture industry, featuring new ergonomic controls and unmatched visibility and comfort. News? CHN Canada Ltd. is a company based in Saskatoon, Canada, which produces industrial and commercial machinery products, including farm machinery and equipment. CNH has earned a reputation for product quality and superior design in seeding, tillage and chemical application equipment. In particular, air seeding systems stand alone in terms of innovation, efficiency and effectiveness[GL23]. News? John Deere Ltd. is a company based in the Canada, which design, manufacture and distribute agricultural and construction equipment, turf and forestry equipment and additional supporting businesses Financial Services, Power Systems, Parts Services, and the Intelligent Solutions group. John Deere Ltd., future plans are to expand globally with a focus on six key areas the United States and Canada, Europe, Brazil, Russia, India, and China. News? Bourgault Industries Ltd. is a company based in the St. Brieux, Saskatchewan, Canada, which design, manufacture and distribute farm equipment. Bourgault Industries Ltd. is the world leader in air seeder technology. In 2011 company introduced Model 7950 air seeder, with four main tanks totalling 34 000 litres and full inter-tank flexibility that Bourgault air seeders are renowned for. News? Prospects The industry for agriculture and forest machinery is expected to enjoy a moderate 3% growth of turnover in 2014. The 2015 Canadian Agricultural Outlook projects that net income for Canadian farmer will continue to grow in 2014. In addition to that sizable gains realised during 2012 and 2013, and modest global demand for agriculture equipment, are anticipated to sustain demand for agricultural and forestry machinery in 2014. Talk about continuous decrease in subsidies Talk about how usa agricultural sector is projected to expand and have positive growth on exports Talk about sift towards grain farming rather than live stock, this type of farming should be requiring more machinery to process land ( my guess) can we confirm? In the medium and long term prospects for Canadas agriculture and forestry machinery producers are positive, particularly in terms of foreign opportunities. Growing demand for food and rising crop prices are set to fuel farm income worldwide and spur robust demand for advanced agricultural equipment. The necessity for cutting-edge machinery will be particularly high in regions characterised by rapid urbanisation and declining crop-land areas, as well as emerging markets in Eastern Europe and Africa, where consolidation will make capital investments more attractive and attainable. Application of new technologically-innovative farming practices, such as precision farming, is expected to fuel demand for agricultural equipment over the forecast period. which will as well drive the turnover of the industry under review. Demand for precision farming equipment is predicted to grow over the forecast period as young and open to what tech has to offer farmers continue to enter the national agriculture industry.[GL24] Competitive Landscape (2012) CNH Canada Ltd is a Canada-based subsidiary of CNH Global NV, which is majority owned by Fiat SpA. CNH manufactures and markets agricultural and construction equipment with 37 manufacturing facilities located throughout Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. In Canada the company operates a manufacturing centre in Saskatoon, SK, where it employs around 700 full-time workers. CNH Global NV operates through 11,300 dealers in approximately 170 countries and employs around 28,800 workers globally, with 9,900 in North America. Buhler Industries Inc is a Canadian company owned by Novoye Sodruzhestvo Industrial Group, which manufactures and sells agricultural equipment. Among the company’s products are tractors, self-propelled and pull-type sprayers, front-end loaders, grain augers, snow blowers, tillers, finishing mowers, feed processing equipment, seeding and tillage equipment, hay and forage equipment, among others. Buhler Industries Inc has several manufacturing plants in Morden and Winnipeg (Manitoba), Vegreville (Alberta), as well as sites in the US in Fargo (North Dakota), Salem (South Dakota) and Willmar (Minnesota). The company employs more than 1,000 workers in North America. John Deere Ltd is a Canadian subsidiary of Deere Co, which is an American company specialised in the manufacture of construction equipment, farm and turf equipment and forestry equipment. The company offers such products as loaders, combines, corn pickers, cotton and sugarcane harvesters, tillage, seeding and application equipment. It owns 19 plants in the US and Canada and plants in Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Mexico, and other countries around the world. MacDon Industries Ltd is a Canada-based company which designs, manufactures and sells harvesting equipment. Among the company’s products are self-propelled windrowers and headers, pull-types for hay, draper headers for combines and pick-up headers. MacDon Industries Ltd operates a manufacturing facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which occupies over 600,000 square feet of building space. Bourgault Industries Ltd is a company based in Canada, which designs, manufactures and sells agricultural equipment. Among the company’s products are air seeders, air drills, tillage units, harrows, packers, fertiliser application systems, and others. [1] A Source [G1]Per ilga antraste [GL2]No companies. Unless its an important merge or news which is important to overall industry. In this case only one company news would come to head line. Not a summary list. [GL3]If its meant to be market grew more than production? I think that reasons are confusing. I can not see the numbers but it seems like a. market is driven by local demand b. production by exports and market? If yes , I agree the statement is lacks strength in logic [G4]What year? I would suggest explaining what is the difference. [G5]When? [G6]Is a new trend, still applicable to 2013? I would expect to read about it later in the txt, where a comparison is done of average farm size e.g. in year x versus 2013. [GL7]to try to give an evaluation – is what does this number represent. E.g. is it more than e.g. usa or some other big nation. In general.. [G8]Repetitive, combine withe the 2nd point Maybe clean up some facts but leave the size info. [GL9]I guess I want to see movement but simple fact of how different it is from 2012 more less would be enough. [G10]Very important point. More important than harvest, or land are. à ¯Ã‚ Ã…   SO first, cutting subidies, decond, agricultural loans. The interesting things is how come with subsidies down investment grew that much? But I guess it’s a controversy which is difficult to answer. One would expect a jump in loans,. Even then, subsidies declined 2 bil, while there is 100 000 of loans, not even close to compensate. [G11]Imports? [G12]Not sure, quite weak argument, I agree, its enough in terms of us. Unless he would be listing the companies and brands and new real products introduced. I would love toread about precision faring. Which company is has offered such farming machinery in 2013 , it would be a good illustraiont [G13]Gaun, repetitive. If you want to say it, add it above/ . I guess agree . I would say add that his buyers analises is strong enough, no need to empty talk on sectors. [GL14]Who’s [GL15]Sounds like an advertising slogan. I doubt that Canadian machinery is that special, and if it is, you have to tell what specific machinery or something is that important/demanded. [GL16]Since market is already analysed, in this case export is second most important factor to be analysed and presented in the production sector. I would doubt the analytical need to analyse export share change. Its enough to say its curtail, and it grew a little less by (something, not share) this time than local market. In the intro though always clearly state if local production is driven by export growth or local market , in this case its local market. Yet exports remain curtail as its half of revenues. [GL17]This argument needs support and examples. E.g. this this company, designed,/introduced and etc. Please expand this point. [GL18] [G19]Labiau prie market tinka I would delete it, the only interesting thing here that I found interesting is livestock-based farms to crop-based operations, this is important and should be mentioned in bueyrs. ( or agricultural analyses of the market) However, I do not see that text after that translates into explanation what it meant for producers.I would say its just a good fact to add to the positive facts of increasing size of farms, and good crop prices. [GL20]Descriptive. [GL21]ADVERTISING [GL22]GUESSING [GL23]Not a commercial. â€Å"earned a reputation for product† doesn’t fir [GL24]Not clear what and why? General remarks: The sources should be added The way we do it is like this[1] Also, since there are now sources, I cannot check how valid are your points It is always better to talk about the movement rather than static: E.g. the point with loans. Less loans, more loans than in 2012 (2011, 2012)? What is the trend, and this trend is the result of what? (not just 2013) With agricultural land. Increasing? Decreasing? The trend. Hard to understand the main story (and I think it is more related to the loans, and cutting of subsidies than with rich harvest) I am also adding the competitive landscape from last year, so you can finish the company you didn’t know. Headlines Market for agricultural and forestry machinery grows 15% in 2013 due to increasing capacities of domestic and main import/export partner USA farms and consequently high farm incomes that encourage farmers to invest in agriculture machinery.[G1] Industry increasingly concentrated, with top 5 companies: Buhler Industries Inc., John Deere Ltd., CNH Canada Ltd., Bourgault Industries Ltd., La Coop Purdel increasing their revenue Government gives loans and insurance incentivise farmers to buy new equipment or update old machines[GL2] Domestic market grows slightly more than sales over 2013, mainly due to cost savings arising from adoption of innovative technologies[GL3] Maybe a point about cutting government subsidies Loans Something from production, like innovation trend or demand abroad for Canadien machinery ( I still didn’t get why exactly is the Canadian machinery demanded) Industry set to see 3% turnover growth in 2014 due to accelerating mechanisation and adoption of precision farming in agriculture, coupled with strong USA demand for Canadian-made machinery Market Trends The Canadas market for agricultural and forestry machinery was valued C$5.4 billion in 2013, up by astounding 15% from 2012. Year-on-year [G4]market growth was mainly attributed to the agriculture industry and its growing automation, while increasing application of innovative products such as precision farming equipment also had a positive impact. Farms sought to increase production capacity and capture the benefits of high revenue coming from high crop prices. [G5]Furthermore, major what? trends in Canada and other high-income countries included a reduction in the number but growth in the size of farms[G6], which fuelled demand for sophisticated agricultural equipment. Farm size in Canada is growing similar to other high 0 income countries, which fuels demand for sophisticated agricultural machinery. The agriculture industry was main buyer of agricultural and forestry machinery in 2013, including both purchases for investment and business purposes. There were around 200 000 farms operating in Canada in 2013, with more than 51 million hectares of agricultural land classified as dependable agricultural land [GL7]. An excellent 2013 key grains such as and oilseeds harvest in Canada was a main contributor for strong which sector performance. Consequently, net farm incomes in 2013 were as high as in 2012 , fuelling investment in capacity expansion, which led to 12% growth of agriculture sector spending for investment and business purposes. High agriculture revenue and consequent spending on agricultural and forestry machinery was a result of several key factors. Primarily, favourable weather conditions , translated in record 2013 crop production and allowed farmers to capitalise on higher crop prices, which remained high till the end of the year. In addition to that, although the number of farms in Canada is steadily falling since 2006 (taking in to perspective from 2006 to 2011 it fell 10.3% or by 24 thousand farms), they are getting bigger, which resulted in economies of scale and capital concentration. This naturally allowed greater spending on state-of-the-art agricultural equipment, adoption of precision farming, the use of new technologies to optimize agricultural yields and reduce costs. Precision farming employs innovations such as global positioning systems for vehicle and row tracking that allow farmers to use previous yield information and soil resistivity data to minimise planting overlaps.[G8] Farm credit approved 47 046 new loans in 2012-13, with average size of loan approved rising to C$162.406, giving farmers incentive to acquire new equipment. [GL9] However federal program payments, which include primarily payments made directly to agricultural sector? producers, were set to decrease from C$1.3 billion in 2012, to C$1.2 billion in 2013 and during the same 2 year period, provincial program payments were also set to decrease from C$ 1.6 to C$1.5 billion[G10]. In 2013 majority over 59% of domestic market demand was accounted for by foreign producers. Primarily from USA , which claimed 70% of all domestic market demand. [G11]Innovative technological advancements related to precision farming equipment, new advanced agriculture tractors and soil preparation machinery, backed by geographic proximity and NAFTA membership, allowed USA to remain Canadas most import partner in agricultural machinery. Meanwhile, second Canadas foreign supplier Germany, managed to increase its market share from 8% in 2012 to 9% in 2013. This can be attributed to record high farm incomes in Canada and farmers, who valued Germanys reputation as a producer of high-end agricultural machinery. This fostered demand for made-in-Germany machinery. [G12] Agricultural tractors were most demanded machinery in the market, accounting for 34% of the demand in 2013, increasing from C$1.6 billion in 2012 to C$1.8 billion by 10%, while harvesting and threshing machinery increased by 13% from C$1.3 to C$1.4 billion, which respectively accounted 26% of the demand in 2013. This increase of demand for the machinery can be explained by excellent 2012 year for farmers, who were able accumulate profit and bright expectations, that in 2013 grain production increase to 97 million tonnes, compared to 77 million tonnes, encourage farmers to plan ahead and to invest in new agricultural tractors, harvesting and threshing machine

Facts of Cloning Essay -- essays research papers

The possibility of stem cell research exploded with momentum when a certain sheep named Dolly was born. The reason why this was such a breakthrough is because Dolly was the first mammal ever cloned. Although this all began in 1996, the study into stem cell research has been documented since the 1960’s, where Joseph Altman and Gopal Das brought forward new evidence of adult neurogenesis ( the ongoing stem cell activity in the brain). The birth of Dolly brought many breakthroughs for the scientific community but it also created an avalanche of concern because of the ethical implications. With all of the reporting on Dolly, the news media only spoke of one type of cloning and that is reproductive cloning. This may be the most popular type of cloning known in society, but there are two others used in the scientific community. The two types are, recombinant DNA cloning (DNA cloning), and therapeutic cloning. The type of cloning used for Dolly was reproductive cloning, which is, a technology used to generate an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as another animal that is currently in existence or once was. More specifically there is a process known as SCNT (somatic cell nuclear transfer). In SCNT, the genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell it transferred into a cell where the nucleus has been removed. Once this has taken place the cell that has been reconstructed must then be stimulated with either chemicals or an electric current. This must be done to initiate, or stimulate cell division. Once when cell division is at a suitable stage, the cell is then transferred into the uterus of a female host, where it will continue to develop until birth. The animals that are created with reproductive cloning are no... ... previously, ACT was only able to have one enucleated egg out of eight replicate six times before stopping. Furthermore, when Dolly was created, she was the only success out of 276 attempts. Also is the fact that more than 90% of cloning attempts fail. It would be an obvious statement to say that cloning at this stage is extremely inefficient and still in the works. In my own personal view I am pro for all cloning at this point in time. I say â€Å"at this point in time†, because I do not know where I will stand when the complete cloning of a humans will be possible. For now though, I believe that the research into diseases, and nerve damage should be fully explored. It is said that the American dream is to live in the land of the free. Is it possible that within the next fifty years the American dream could be to live for fifty years past the average life span?

Robert Mondavi Corporation Essay -- Business Marketing, Case Study, so

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 2. BACKGROUND OF THE CASE STUDY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 3. ANALYSIS & IMPLICATIONS OF PORTER’S FIVE COMPETITIVE PRESSURES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7-17 3.1. The Potential Entry of New Competitors 3.2. Competitive Pressures from Substitutes Products 3.3. Bargaining Power of Buyers 3.4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 3.5. The Rivalry among Competing Sellers 4. ANALYSIS OF THE STRATEGIC GROUP MAPPING†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.18-20 5. KEY SUCCESS FACTORS OF THE WINE INDUSTRY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦21-23 5.1. World famous growing areas 5.2. Larger growing market for premium wines 5.3. Favorable demographic and macro trends 5.4. Quality and affordable prices 5.5. Product differentiation 5.6. Different wine segments 5.7. â€Å"Open markets† 6. RECOMMENDATIONS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.24-27 6.1. Positive cash flows 6.2. Backward integration 6.3. Expanding to new geographic areas 6.4. Exploring new channels 6.5. Openings to extend quality and image to niche market 6.6. Further mix channels of export strategies 6.7. Clever advertising 7. CONCLUSION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...28 8. LIST OF REFERENCES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦28 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides thorough analysis of the Robert Mondavi Corporation (RMC) in order to give a best solution to Michael Mondavi, the CEO of the company in terms of the problem face by the company. It begins by examining the internal and external forces that greatly affect RMC by applying Porter’s five forces of competitive pressures to investigate the status of competition of wine industry in U.S. as well as their implications. Analysis of the strategic group mapping is important in order to give a clear position of RMC’s competitor in the market follows by each company’s characteristic. Next, it is essential to analyze the key success factors of U.S. wine industry that contribute RMC in considering its future competitive strategies and changes that should be taken by the company accordingly Finally, recommendations are provided for RMC for its future expansion’s strategies. 2. BACKGROUND TO THE CASE STUDY RMC is a leading producer and marketer of table wines, located in Oakville, California. RMC markets wines worldwide un... ... 8. LIST OF REFERENCE Allick, C. and Blankfort, T. 2002, ‘The Robert Mondavi Corporation’, Instream Partners LLC, viewed on 30th Nov 04, . Burns, M., Crescenzi, D., Ghaleb, T., Gichuru, I., and Parija, B. 2001, ‘Beringer’, viewed on 10th Dec 2004, . Eyler, R.C. 1999, ‘The International Competitiveness of the California Wine Industry’, North Bay Regional Collection, viewed on 30th Nov 04, . Franson, p. 2002, ‘Wine industry drinks from bitter cup at industry conference’, Napa News Dot.Com, viewed on 1st Dec 04, < http://www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=549CD609-5516-4E4C-A11C-1941F07D7944>. Silverman, M. and Castaldi, R. 1999, ‘Competition in the Global Wine Industry: A U.S. Perspective, viewed on 29th Nov 04, . Silverman, M., Gilinsky, Jr., A., Guy, M. and Baack, S. 2001, ‘Robert Mondavi Corporation’, viewed on 10th Dec 2004, . Spritzer, A.A. 2002, ‘The Wine Pact: ‘New World’ Wine Change the Industry’, viewed on 1st Dec 04, < http://www.american.edu/TED/wine-pact.htm>. Thompson Jr, A.A. and Strickland III, A.J. 2003, Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases, 13th edn., McGraw-Hill Higher Education, NY.

Creativity in Literacy Practices

Creativity in Literacy Practices: A TEXTUAL AND CONTEXTUAL APPROACH by Agatha Xaris Villa INTRODUCTION AT PRESENT, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF LINGUISTIC CREATIVITY. THEY DIFFER IN THE WAY THE WAY THAT THEY CONCEPTUALIZE WHAT COUNTS AS CREATIVENESS OR ‘LITERARINESS’ IN LANGUAGE AS WELL AS IN THE METHODS THEY USE TO IDENTIFY AND ANALYZE CREATIVITY IN EVERYDAY LANGUAGE.This essay begins by discussing and exploring the premises of an analysis of creativity at text level following a textual approach to literacy and creativity; assessing the extent to which it is effective in identify creativity in literacy practices such as diaries, letters and graffiti.However, I would like to continue by presenting the argument that while literacy practices do offer opportunities for creativity at text level, the study and identification of creativity in literacy practices may be more productive when studied with a broader perspective – one that goes beyond the limits of the text and considers the influence of context in the production, reception and processing of texts, literary practices and creativity. Creativity in literacy practices at text level LITERACY IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND IS A PART OF EVEN OUR MOST MUNDANE SOCIAL PRACTICES.WHILE THE ROLE WHICH LITERACY PLAYS IN SITUATIONS MAY VARY IN IMPORTANCE, IN THE CONTEXT OF LITERACY EVENTS WHERE LITERACY PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE, INDIVIDUALS DEVELOP CHARACTERISTIC AND PATTERNED WAYS OF USING AND INTERACTING WITH TEXTS. THESE HABITUAL PATTERNS HOLD DIFFERENT MEANING AND VALUES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND ARE WHAT WE REFER TO AS LITERACY PRACTICES. Creativity in literacy practices at the level of the text may be identified by focusing on special linguistic forms that stand out in texts. This pproach is modeled after what Carter (1999) called an inherency perspective which perceives creativity as being ‘inherent’ in the creative uses of language intrinsic in text. Th e focus is on the writer’s skill in the manipulation of linguistic forms that constitute text on the phonological, grammatical and semantic level. Roman Jakobson (1960), one of the well-known advocates of this approach, was concerned with the ‘poetic function of language’ which was believed to be in close relation to literariness in text.He argued that the poetic function of language involves the ‘foregrounding’ of language forms which have the ability to draw attention to themselves – making a noticeable impact on the reader. Foregrounding results from stylistic choices which may come as (1) deviations from the norms of everyday language (e. g. the use of different writing systems, lexis and ‘figurative language’ such as metaphor and simile or (2) prominent patterns of parallelisms in phonology, grammar and semantics (e. g. meter, rhyme, etc. (Maybin and Pearce, 2006, p. 6 – 9). By highlighting the ‘poetic usages of language’, we can identify creativity in diaries at the text level. The metaphoric descriptions and dramatic portrayal of entities and events in diaries are ways in which individuals attempt to explore their feelings regarding their experience of the ‘real world’ that are often difficult to describe. In addition, repeated structures and rhythms are commonly used in diaries as a form of emphasizing points in the writer’s diary entry.Such examples of ‘poetic language’ may also be identified in letters. In Margaretta Jolly’s (1997) study of war letters, she states that letters are probably ‘the most common form of creative writing. ’ Her examples point out the creative way in which letter-writers are able to use language forms such as imagery, metaphoric and rhetorical devices as well as parallelism (more commonly related to literature) for the purpose increasing the text’s emotional and persuasive impact and highlighti ng contrast and subtleties of meaning (Maybin, 2006, p. 72). The â€Å"art of graffiti† is a long-standing tradition with the ability to exhibit creativity at text level both in its traditional and embellished form. Creativity is seen in the use of rhythmic repetition, puns and contradictory voices (as in parody and irony), the use of non-standard spelling and punctuation (usually in line with a particular artistic style) and the use of text and decoration for aesthetic and communicative purposes.While it is possible to be able to identify creativity in literacy practices at text level, this approach is somewhat limited because it fails to take into account: (1) the interactive features and functions of literacy practice, (2) the influence of its socio-cultural and historical context and more importantly (3) the creativity in language practices that is inherent and emergent from social practices in particular contexts.Therefore, I suggest that a better and more efficient way to identify and evaluate creativity in literacy practices, is one that approaches literacy from a more contextual approach, more specifically from an ethnographic perspective. Creativity and literacy practices from an ethnographic approach According to the ethnographic approach defined by Papen and Tusting (2006, p. 312-359), creativity refers the production of something ‘new’ and ‘original’. In written language, creativeness should not be perceived as a decontextualised, individual activity or as being entirely shaped by context.It should be seen as being dependent on and emergent from the creative literacy practices through which texts are constructed because they are shaped by people, who in pursuit of their own goals and purposes, actively draw on the interactional, contextual and socio-cultural possibilities available in the particular social situation they are embedded. Literacy practices are inherently creative in and of themselves. The ethnographic perspective takes into account the broader social-political context within which creativity is located and through their examination of iteracy practices and texts, advocates of the ethnographic approach found three major characteristics of creativity in writing. To begin, by focusing on people’s literacy practices rather than just texts, they noted that creative texts are produced as a result of interactive collaboration. Diaries, although written by a single person, emerge from an individual’s account and reflection of events and various conversations and interactions with people.Diaries and journals are dialogic practices wherein the writer addresses and responds to a ‘reader’ and have the potential to be re-contextualized in different publications to address a wider readership (Maybin, 2006, p. 269) This dialogical aspect is more evident in web blogs or online journals in which people often (1) write in response to the entries of others, (2) write entr ies addressed to others and (3) write with the expectation and even the goal to get as much response from others. Maybin (2006, p. 73) tells us that letters are even more intensely dialogic in nature. I believe that letters are best viewed as mediums of ‘correspondence’ wherein we present written versions of our personal experience, relationships and identities in relation to an assumed reader who then responds by confirming or questioning. Letters are shaped by and inspire collaborative practices An interesting characteristic of graffiti that I believe exemplifies the collaborative nature of creativity is the way that graffiti attracts graffiti (Macdonald, 2006).A graffiti-covered wall may look like vandalism to law-enforcers or a rather threatening cacophony of ‘names’ to the common passerby but it constitutes a symbolic exchange between members of a sub-group. In the world of graffiti, tags located on the same space are often interpreted in relation to t heir positioning and proximity to each other. They may be viewed as a sign of respect, acknowledgement or outright disregard – a reflection of the intensely competitive nature of this practice.In addition to the collaborative nature of creative literary practices, the ethnographic approach pays careful attention to the influence of the context of reading and writing in the development of creative practices (Papen and Tusting, 2006, p. 320). They argued that in any given opportunity, there is particular set of possibilities and constraints that provides the opportunity for creativity. This involves affordances (i. e. properties of the environment, arising from its material characteristics which may be positive or negative depending on the individual) from new forms of technology, discourse conventions as well as inter-textual and material resources available to producers of text. An important thing to note is while possibilities may determine what is possible in any given cont ext, the possibilities associated with a setting do not determine what is created.For example, while people may be able to describe events, sights and even people through the practice of diaries and letters, there are abstractions such as feelings and intensely traumatic situations (such as in war) that are far more difficult to describe and articulate. In order to overcome this type of ‘constraint’ on expression, writers make use of metaphoric language and parallelisms, enabling them to represent their feelings and experiences in ‘words’ that their readers may be able to relate to. Creativity may also emerge from socially-constrained situations.Graffiti emerged from the same socially and economically impoverished areas in America where gangs are notoriously prominent. Because graffiti is an act of illegitimacy and opposition, graffiti artists face the constant risk of being caught by the police or by rival gangs each time they make a ‘tag’ or do a ‘piece’. But this high-risk and intensely competitive literacy practice is a stage on which young men may choose an identity of their own making, present it in the style of their choice and regain control of their own ‘fate’ – free from the constraints of their socio-economic backgrounds (Mcdonald, 2006).Social, economic or technological changes may result in the introduction of new affordance and constraints to any given context (Papen and Tusting, 2006, p. 325). For example, the popularization of the internet brought about the development of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), resulting in the creation of new literary genres and changes in literacy practices. According to Kress (2003), creativity may be perceived as inherent in CMC using the two concepts of ‘transformation’ and ‘transduction’.Transformation is the way that the text producers manipulate the forms of signs within a mode to suit their needs and intere sts. Transduction, on the other hand, refers to the movement of ‘semiotic material’ between modes where meaning configured in one mode is moved to another. Online diaries, known as online ‘blogs, perform the same function as traditional diaries and even employ the same linguistic forms. However, bloggers now have access to a greater degree of interactive, inter-textual and multi-modal resources.Whereas in the past, writers creatively used language to express their thoughts and feelings through metaphors and similes, bloggers can now make use of pictures, videos, music, emoticons, avatars and (through hyper-linking) other texts to represent themselves and their lives online. Similarly, the literacy practice of letter-writing is far from extinct in today’s modern ear but has taken up a new form – that is, electronic mail (e-mail). As a medium of communication, email has enabled cross-cultural communication and the creation of online relationships and à ¢â‚¬Ëœnetworking’ communities.Finally, the ethnographic perspective sees creative literacy practices in everyday life as being embedded in socio-cultural practices situated in institutional, political and economic structures. These structures are in a constant state of movement and change therefore taking on a historical perspective towards literacy practices is a necessity. Based on observation and study, changes in socio-economic conditions are often accompanied by changes in the linguistic and semiotic means available to a community as in the case of the following account of changes to a Nepali rural community Papen and Tusting, 2006, p. 328). The 1980s was a time of great social and economic change in Junigau, Nepal. In 1983, the village set up its first high school, providing greater access to education for men and women – resulting in great changes to the literacy practices used by the young. A new form of ‘prolonged courtship’ (i. e. , love-letter w riting) had become increasingly popular among the youth, improving gender relations and changing marriage practices (as the young were becoming more resistant towards arranged marriages).The way in which these love-letters encapsulated new ideas on personal identity and individual agency which held no cultural precedent in their village is an example of how social and cultural change is closely related to the creation of new literacy practices (Papen and Tusting, 2006, p. 328) Conclusion ANALYZING CREATIVITY AT TEXT LEVEL, ALLOWED US TO IDENTIFY CREATIVENESS IN TEXTS AS IS REVEALED BY THE USE OF POETIC LANGUAGE OR LINGUISTIC FORMS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH LITERATURE.THIS APPROACH HOWEVER WAS VERY MUCH LIMITED DUE MAINLY BY THE NARROWNESS OF THE INHERENCY MODEL’S DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES AS CREATIVITY AS WELL AS TO ITS LACK OF CONSIDERATION OF CONTEXTUAL FACTORS AND THE INHERENCY OF CREATIVITY IN LITERACY PRACTICES. In taking an ethnographic/historical perspective, chara cteristics of creativity that are inherent in literacy practices become more salient. Through our understanding of the three characteristics of creativity in literacy practices, we’ve identified creativity beyond the level of the text.This contextual approach showed us how creativity is exhibited in literacy practices in the way that (1) texts are read and used, how the writer interacts with other individuals;(2) how people are able to creatively use language in relation to the possibilities and constraints available in particular contexts and finally, (3) individuals are able to adapt and respond to changes in discourse practices and socio-cultural conditions. References CARTER, R. (1999). ‘COMMON LANGUAGE: CORPUS, CREATIVITY AND COGNITION’, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE, 8(3), P. 196-216 Jakobson, J. (1960). Closing statement: linguistics and poetics’, in T. A. Sebeok (ed. ) Style in Language, MIT Press. Jolly, M. (1997). ‘Everyday Letters and Literary F orm: Coresspondence from the Second World War’, unpublished MPhil, University of Sussex. Kress, G. (2003). Literacy in the new Media Age. London and New York, Routledge. Macdonald, N. (2006). Chapter 6. Reading B: ‘The spray-can is mighteier than the sword: graffiti writing and the construction of masculine identity’ in Maybin, J. and Swann, J. (eds) The art of English: everyday creativity. Palgrave Macmillan/The Open University, p. 293 – 302. Maybin, J. 2006)(Ed. ) Chapter 6 ‘Writing the self’, in Maybin, J. and Swann, J. (eds) The art of English: everyday creativity. Palgrave Macmillan/The Open University, p. 261 – 279. Maybin, J. and Pearce, M. (2006). Chapter 1 ‘Literature and creativity in English’ in Goodman, S. and O’Halloran, K. (eds) The art of English: literary creativity. Palgrave Macmillan/The Open University, p. 6-9. Papen, U. and Tusting, K. (2006). Chapter 7 ‘Literacies, collaboration and context ’ in Maybin, J. and Swann, J. (eds) The art of English: everyday creativity. Palgrave Macmillan/The Open University, p. 312 – 331.

Acknowledging Female Stereotypes in Much Ado About Nothing Essay

Women in the Elizabethan age were extremely repressed and discriminated against. Most would not have gone to school or received any type of formal education. They were not allowed to vote, own property, or freely voice their opinions. They were seen as the property of a man, subject to his wants, needs, and not allowed to have their own; men held extremely stereotypical views of their female counterparts that helped them justify the way they treated them. Shakespeare exposes many of these injustices and biases in his stage plays, which are still commonly read and performed today. In Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio moves from seeing women (specifically Hero) as goddesses and wives to adulterers, and then back again to his original views. Claudio initially views Hero according to the established stereotypes, in Act 1, Scene 1 as property. When first speaking of Hero, he refers to her as the â€Å"daughter of Signor Leonato;† while this appears to be simply for identification purposes, he actually relinquishes the power of her name to her guardian (1. 1. 119). Instead of calling her by her given name, Hero, Claudio names her in relation to her more powerful male owner. He goes on to ask Benedick if she is a â€Å"modest young lady,† not wondering only if she is sweet, but if she is literally a virgin (1. 1. 121). A woman’s virginity was extremely valuable in Elizabethan England, and determined her worth as a potential wife. This outright inquiry into her purity foreshadows the later scandal surrounding it. Benedick asks Claudio if he would buy her, and Claudio responds with a seemingly noble hypothetical question: â€Å"Can the world buy such a jewel?† (1 1 134). While his question seems to imply that she is so valuable that the entire world’s money could not purchase her, it still perpetuates the stereotype that women are pieces of property, albeit very beautiful and expensive ones. Later in the same scene, Claudio demonstrates Elizabethan men’s views of women through Shakespeare’s thematic messages. He remarks that â€Å"in mine eye, [Hero] is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on† (1 1 139). This introduces a reoccurring theme of Much Ado About Nothing of seeing and perception. Here, and later on in the play, Claudio bases his opinions of Hero on her outward beauty and appearance of piety. In addition, the words â€Å"mine† and â€Å"I† stress the importance of Claudio himself, the important, powerful male in the situation. One notes Shakespeare’s wordplay in the pun implied when â€Å"eye† and â€Å"I† sound interchangeable when spoken aloud. Another theme surfaces in the use of the word â€Å"sworn† in line 144 of Act 1, Scene 1, whereby Claudio makes evident that his honor depends on people’s perception of him and, by proxy, his future wife, Hero. Also notable is the hope he expresses that Hero would â€Å"be [his] wife†, in that he uses language again pertaining to himself; where he could have wished that Hero would â€Å"marry him† or something similar, he instead wishes her to become his property. Claudio reveals that he has had an interest in Hero for a while before their present conversation about her. He admired her before he went away to war, but more pressing, important, masculine issues took his mind off her. This implies that matters of the heart were less valued by men than duty and honor, and that his current infatuation with Hero is sort of an afterthought, something to pursue as he is now bored. This distant, material admiration for Hero quickly turns to contempt when he thinks that Don Pedro has taken her for himself in Act 2, Scene 1. When Don John and Borachio tell him about his friend’s betrayal, Claudio seems to be angrier with Hero than with the man who stole his prospective bride. He claims â€Å"beauty is a witch, against whose charms faith meltheth into blood† (2 1 135-6). This demonstrates the stereotype that Elizabethan men held of women being easily turned to adulterers – it seems to be her evil beauty that lured Don Pedro into supposedly winning her over for his own. This is again an insult to Claudio’s pride; Don John and Borachio use forms of the word â€Å"swear† when recounting Don Pedro’s supposed conquest of Hero, calling to mind how Claudio swore to marry her in the first act. Claudio denounces Hero, and wishes Don Pedro â€Å"joy of her,† once again suggesting women to be objects of personal property, solely existing to fulfill the desires of man. When it is confirmed that Don Pedro was indeed just performing his friendly duties, Claudio instantly reverts to his view of Hero as a perfect, virginal, almost goddess-like potential wife. He says to Hero: â€Å"Lady, as you are mine, I am yours: I give away myself for you, and dote upon the exchange† (2 1 233-4). Claudio acknowledges that Hero is now his property, and as that is an accepted custom in Elizabethan England, it is therefore deemed heroic that he gives himself to her, as well. Using the word â€Å"exchange† suggests a formal transaction of property, which is what is really transpiring between Claudio and Leonato. Claudio expresses his anticipation for the wedding, as time moves slowly â€Å"till love have all his rites† (2 1 269-70); the two meanings of rites as the actual ceremony and rights as a husband provide insight into this. He feels a necessity for their union to be official, as legally marrying Hero will give him legal ownership of her, and her property. Though he claims to love her, his affection could ultimately be seen as a want of her dowry. Claudio shows his opinions of women in his comical description of Beatrice’s love for Benedick in Act 2, Scene 3. He describes her grief over her unrequited love in a ridiculous way, saying that she threw a savage fit. This implies Beatrice, and by extension all women, to be controlled and weakened by their emotions. Claudio says that Hero had told him that Beatrice would surely die if her situation with Benedick progresses in any direction, again poking fun at women’s irrationality. He suggests she wear herself out by talking to someone about her love, as though she were a small child throwing a temper tantrum. Like most men of his time, Claudio appears to believe that women’s perceived lack of control of their emotions made them less worthy of esteem. His view of women again turns cynical again when he receives news in Act 3, Scene 2 that leads him to believe that Hero has had an affair with another man. Don John uses the word â€Å"disloyal† to describe her actions, and Claudio repeats that word in outrage and confusion about this blow to his honor (3 2 76). Being â€Å"disloyal† seems worse than most other things, in that it has wounded Claudio’s pride and reputation. The prefix â€Å"dis† is extremely negative and poignant. He emphasizes that if he sees anything with his own eyes, he will believe these accusations. He describes the issue as â€Å"mischief strangely thwarting,† and extends that description to all women in general; here he shows that he has moved from seeing women as wives and goddesses to adulterers and shrews. At their wedding ceremony in Act 4, Scene 1, Claudio spitefully and ironically addresses Hero with all sorts of virginal, innocent, pure language like â€Å"maid† (4 1 19). He again describes her as property in calling her a â€Å"rich and precious gift,† yet this time it is with an air of contempt and scorn (4 1 23). Continuing the theme of perception and sight, he calls Hero â€Å"but the sign and semblance of her honor,† implying that she merely put on a facade of virginity and purity (4 1 28). He asks the attendees of the wedding and, by extension, the audience, to acknowledge that her innocence is merely a show. Claudio accuses her girlish blush to be truly that of guilt and shame. Where previously he has referred to Hero as a maid, here he calls her only â€Å"like† a maid; this literal comparison emphasizes his change of feeling toward her and her sex. He facetiously describes her as the goddess of chastity and the moon, Diana, and of an unopened flower bud – virgin in appearance only. Then he compares her to Venus, goddess of sexuality, and even to mindless beasts that act only on impulse and instinct. In the line â€Å"Marry that Hero, Hero itself can blot out Hero’s virtue,† he proclaims that women are the source of their own downfall (4 1 75). Where her outward appearance was that of a virtuous young lady, her perceived actions lead Claudio to believe her to be a whore. Although one could argue that Claudio’s view of women was that of all Elizabethan men, including Shakespeare himself, the development of Benedick’s opinions show that this is not true. He begins the play disliking the idea of marriage and especially marriage to Beatrice, yet, through the dramatic action, he learns to love and appreciate her for her previously detested intelligence and wit. Benedick learns to value women for the humans they are, and yet Claudio still sees them as property at the end of the play. This suggests that Shakespeare realizes that, although he can bring attention to the issue of gender equality in his works, he cannot expect the audience to fully accept his ideas. Claudio constantly moves between stereotypes in his views of women in this play: he alternatively sees Hero as wife, goddess, adulterer, and everything in between. Shakespeare’s specific word choice and themes revealed in Much Ado About Nothing provide insight into how women were actually thought of and treated in Elizabethan England, and how the author himself believed they should be. Today, the centuries-old fight for gender equality is far from over. But, like Shakespeare, we can hope that all women will eventually be respected as equals, like Beatrice. Works Cited McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare. Boston: Bedford, 2010. Shakespeare, William. Much Ado about Nothing. Ed. Mary Berry and Michael Clamp. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.