Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Intranet in health and human services organization
List of chapters Secure and successful intranets Legal and Regulatory consistence Privacy and Patient Information Data Storage Business coherence/Disaster recuperation References We perceive that great wellbeing doesn't simply come to fruition. Or maybe, it is a propensity for shrewd decisions and sound clinical consideration. According to foundation, great consideration is crucial and must be conceivable in nearness of legitimate consistence with the human services innovation. A companyââ¬â¢s mechanical arrangement is basic for examination, development and improvement. (Mosenkis, 2005) Intranet ought to guarantee wide based cooperation of the two patients and specialists. In ought to have an incentive to everyone.Advertising We will compose a custom report test on Intranet in wellbeing and human administrations association explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More These require an easy to use interface where route should be predictable with their utilization and the controlled. Any new innovation ought to support and intrigue everybody in the association to utilizing it. It must be one, which workers will utilize, trust, depend on, and return to. This paper tends to the issue of intranet and web in tending to information and data trade in the wellbeing part. The administration of information in any association is of basic significance. Intranet empowers the snappy access to data. Snappy access of determination and patients data in the wellbeing segment has happened to trademark significance. Intranet ought to be exceptionally refreshing on the grounds that it assumes a fundamental job of permitting making of the executives data framework to help operational, arranged and vital dynamic. (HKUST Cyberspace Center, 1997) Secure and successful intranets The security of data is a significant part of ensuring corporate, employeesââ¬â¢, and patientââ¬â¢s secret data, trustworthiness of controls related with HR frameworks and money related reveali ng applications. ââ¬Å"A secure intranet foundation underpins secure availability, Strong secret key, have put together security with respect to all server and customer PCs, job check and validation for specific kinds of access and successful consistence implementation mechanisms.â⬠To file mechanized life cycle the framework need ââ¬Å"user accounts, shrewd cards for solid confirmation and an interior Public Key Infrastructure.â⬠Others necessities incorporate ââ¬Å"automated and manual following, observing and reaction to dynamic dangers to the system and ultimately however modified projects that educate organize customers about security dangers, dangers, arrangements, and best practices is essential.â⬠(Janczewski, 2000) Firewall is only one of a few different ways of shielding the system from other un-confided in organize clients. The real components of achieving information insurance change on a basic level. It is a couple of systems that exists to square traf fic, or to allow traffic.Advertising Looking for report on it? We should check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The capacity or quality of blocking hurtful and dubious messages relies upon the server systemââ¬â¢s firewalls. Some have more prominent force while others place ordinary or less accentuation on blocking messages trade. Access of data among human services offices clients should happen through appropriate shielded or fire walled open system. The controlling machine alluded to as the server guarantees ought to have the ability of screening messages in the two course; messages being conveyed and those being gotten in order to guarantee and keep up security and respectability of patientââ¬â¢s and doctors data.. As indicated by Mosenkis (2005), when some portion of an intranet is available to it becomes has higher odds of firewall assault. Lawful and Regulatory consistence According to the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accoun tability Act of 1996, the security guidelines actualize powers over access to wellbeing data and give review trails to electronic record frameworks to address the issues and capacities of little and rustic medicinal services suppliers. There is acceptable transmission of data, which truly, electronically and officially shielded to guarantee classification. The Legal and administrative consistence activities include Security, Privacy, Data assurance, Accountability, Backup and record maintenance (Anton, n.d). Protection and Patient Information Privacy is the rights and duties of an individual or association regarding the assortment, use, maintenance, and revelation of individual information. The association gathers touchy individual information that is private and approaches should characterize and administer how to deal with and secure data. People should be engaged to control the assortment, use, and conveyance of their own data. Information Storage According to Anton (n.d.), the l east noticeable however most significant resource in any association is working information. Run of the mill Storage and correspondence of data is reachable through creation forms, normalized strategies for giving administrations, corporate rules and techniques for offering arrangement for different approaches overseeing the treatment of archives. The work strong archives incorporate ââ¬Å"instructions, strengthening drawings, flowcharts, structures, and other supporting informationâ⬠. (Anton, n.d.) Important data remains bolted to particular doctors rather than a work setting where it is accessible when others particularly junior doctors need explanation or help. This turns into an issue particularly in their absence.Advertising We will compose a custom report test on Intranet in wellbeing and human administrations association explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More This data can without much of a stretch be lost yet execution of an instrument ought to be acces sible to bind and profit it to clients at whatever point they need it in a protected and solid intranet or through the Wide World Web. (Anton, n.d.) Protection of such data gives access from the regulatory purpose of control to approve get to. Anton, (n.d.) shows that the innovation that utilizes web intently benefits information to userââ¬â¢s primarily the representatives in the wellbeing area. The capacity to access such data at different areas whenever has become a reality today. Benefiting data at whatever time or area is an astounding method of engaging workers.â⬠Data assurance strategies apply to each and every individual who approaches the wellbeing data paying little heed to its area, the structure it takes, the innovation used to deal with it, or the reason it serves. The association should distinguish and arrange significant or basic information. Business coherence/Disaster recuperation For congruity, there needs to exist a reinforcement procedure for line-of-busi ness (LOB) applications just in the event that a debacle may happen. Defining Record Retention program, which composes and oversees records and keeps data put away and accessible for the applicable maintenance periods is fundamental. Security is the way to congruity. Client accounts give access to, and security for, conceding corporate assets empowers access to the system. Computerization of different territories considers additional security, and resourcesââ¬â¢ proprietors need to give consent for clients to get to these zones. Framework accounts will be accounts used to perform administrations, for example, for SQLà Server, data trade, reinforcements, or planned contents along these lines as client accounts. Dissemination and security bunches for either sending letters or for conceding access to assets expands chances for progresses. (Janczewski, 2000) References Anton, K., (n.d.) Effective Intranet: Intranet diary from Comprose Inc Web. Janczewski, L. (2000). Web and Intranet Security Management: Risks and Solutions. Thought Group Inc (IGI). Pp 38Advertising Searching for report on it? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More Mosenkis, R. (2005 December 14). Intranet Implementation. Recovered from: https://ezinearticles.com/?Intranet-Implementation:- The-Advantages-of-a-Web-based-Solutionid=113114 This report on Intranet in wellbeing and human administrations association was composed and put together by client Catherine Riggs to help you with your own investigations. You are allowed to utilize it for exploration and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; be that as it may, you should refer to it as needs be. You can give your paper here.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Kuwaits Foreign Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Kuwaits Foreign Policy - Research Paper Example As per Robert Rothstein, Kuwaitââ¬â¢s local assets can't give vital security to the individuals of Kuwait.3 Kuwait was keen on amplifying their autonomy and freedom.4 For that, it would be inconceivable for Kuwait to make due as a nonpartisan nation. It ought to be noticed that America and its partners spared Kuwait from the attack of Saddam as of late. Kuwaitââ¬â¢s international strategy has been created on alternate points of view. Oil, Islamic Fundamentalism, Arab Nationalism, Protection from its neighbors, for example, Iraq and Iran are a portion of the essential occupants that shape Kuwaitââ¬â¢s international strategy. This paper quickly investigations these four fundamental occupants that shape Kuwaitââ¬â¢s international strategy It is assessed that Kuwait has around 8.6ââ¬9.7% of the worldââ¬â¢s oil saves at present.5 Oil incomes represent over 75% of the administrative pay in Kuwait. Besides, oil establishes practically 90% of Kuwaitââ¬â¢s send out profit. From the above measurements, it is apparent that oil incomes assume a significant job in the improvement of Kuwait. As on account of numerous other Middle Eastern nations, oil can shape the governmental issues in Kuwait. It ought to be noticed that larger part of the outside nations, regardless of created or creating, are confronting extreme vitality emergency at present. Simultaneously, Kuwait has bottomless oil assets. Normally, the eyes of the outsiders would concentrate more on Kuwait despite the fact that Kuwait is just a little nation. The political, social and financial improvements in Kuwait will be observed inquisitively by the outsiders. It would be simple for the western nations to meddle in Kuwaiti legislative issues since Kuwait is co nfronting numerous dangers from its neighboring nations, for example, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Westerners are giving security to Kuwaitis while accepting oil as the charges or installment for that assurance. So,
Friday, August 21, 2020
my semester in a word oof
my semester in a word oof way back when, i wrote about the mistake of a courseload that i took second semester of freshman year. it was a terrible semester and i dont have much to show for it, except notably a fat C in 6.006, MITs intro to algorithms class and possibly the most important class of my major. RIP my GPA! im bracing myself for another terrible semester. i keep telling myself that it probably wont be as bad as freshman spring, but by golly, its gonna be pretty bad. heres what im taking. 6.031 (Software Construction) course 6s most time consuming and soul crushing class which teaches you how to be a *good* software engineer. *good* means that your code follows strict coding standards and is readable and testable and all the adjectives that code in the real world is probably not01 unless that code happens to be written by nasa or healthtech and really cant afford to fail , and especially not in my fields of interest. i feel like its good to know what good code looks like, which is why im not completely bummed out about the class. but i am a bit bummed out anyways. pset 0, which was supposed to be a warmup, very nearly frustrated me to the point of tears. not a good sign!!11!1 6.804 (Computational Cognitive Science) ive been waiting to take this class for a while and im really excited to finally be in it. i was a bit irritated by the first lecture because i arrived a bit late02 still early by MIT time though to the first lecture, and was redirected into the overflow room because the actual lecture hall for the class is too small??03 unclear why they cant just have the lecture in a bigger classroom... #salty and i had to watch a livestream of the lecture that had a LOT of technical difficulties. but im still super excited. the class goes into computational models of thinking and discusses a lot of interesting topics on how AIs use maching learning and neural networks to think, and what thinking really is as a concept. for the final project, we get to play around with (or come up with our own!) computational model and write a paper on it, which im excited for. the professor also told us to our faces that the class is an easy A, so thats nice too. 6.840 (Theory of Computation) im taking this class to avoid taking 6.046, the intermediate algorithms class, because i did terribly in intro to algorithms and this class seems to play to my strengths considerably more. were currently discussing finite automata and regex, topics that are important to computer scientists and also have a lot of cool mathematical concepts behind them. this class is definitely going to wreck me because the problem sets are really tough, but hopefully ill push through. im actually and this is rare for me reading the textbook for the class, and lo and behold, its super helpful. if i get a B ill be stoked. 6.911 and 6.912 (GEL) im in the gordon engineering leadership program this year, which basically teaches you how to be an effective teammate and a good leader at least, thats what they say. i do agree with them that leadership is something that can be learned and improved through practice, and i definitely think that i could use some practice being a leader. i dont think i naturally tend towards being a leader, but maybe thats something that can be improved through practice too. GEL also gives you a bunch of chances to network with alums and recruiters, and although networking is definitely not my favorite activity, its definitely become less painful as ive done it more. i credit UPOP04 MITs career accelerator program for sophomores which has a lot of annoying requirements a lot for this, even though at some points during the year, completing the requirements for it was a little bit like pulling teeth. CMS.616 (Games and Culture) i finally made it into t.l. taylors05 t.l. is a very respected scholar in the game studies field and shes written a bunch of books and papers that are super important to the field class by the skin of my teeth! the class is always super oversubscribed and she gives first priority to seniors06 second priority goes to juniors who are CMS majors, which is how i managed to slide in . im starting to gestate ideas for my CMS thesis, and im hoping that the material and discussions in this class will help me come up with a topic that im willing to spend hundreds of hours writing about. joons also in it with me! but thats not all!!11! i do in fact still have extracurriculars to squeeze in somehow! Fencing: its my third year fencing and i think ive gotten a lot better, but still not good enough to confidently07 if you dont have confidence in sabre fencing, you will probably lose right of way, and if you lose right of way, you will not get any points fence the best members of the team. i also really need to fence with contacts, because ive always fenced without any sort of eyewear and i realize that this may be affecting my performance :P. fencing is always a huge time commitment, but i need the exercise and i love the womens sabre squad dearly so im excited for the season to start. UROP: this is my third term UROPing at the Personal Robots lab in the Media Lab, and i really love the work that im doing game design for a game that im indepently developing for a study, and interaction and activity design for an online AI education curriculum. i realized this summer that i want to move more into the design aspects of technology, and the work that i do at the Media Lab fits my interests perfectly. ive also been convinced that i should apply to the Media Lab for grad school. stay tuned on that. East Campus government: im in my second term as a hall chair for first east, and try to show up to every east campus government wide meeting, especially since east campus politics are probably going to be a bit spicy and controversial this year. i like to listen to the drama as well as occasionally provide some input. ABCS at Facebook: this is basically a weekly seminar? sort of thing that i got accepted to at Facebook. it gives you practice with coding challenge questions08 which i am both terrible at and terrified of , which i desperately need for the upcoming recruiting season. last year, i didnt apply to any companies that had coding challenges because they scare me. luckily, i still got the job i wanted the most, but i dont think thats gonna fly this year. classes have only been going a week, but the stress is already starting to pile up. career fair is NEXT WEEK and recruiting events have been going on since basically the first day of school. i cant tell you how many jobs ive applied to already, or how many im going to frantically apply to in the week before career fair. and all of this is on top of many hard classes, many hours of extracurriculars, and a few hours of trying to chill out a week. tl;dr its gonna be *quite* a semester. will i survive without dropping a class? i hope so, because all of these classes satisfy major requirements09 except for GEL i guess, but i really would like a job for the summer and if GEL can help me get one then ill do anything it asks of me and i really dont want to have to retake any of them! wish me luck! hopefully ill come up for air sometime soon. Post Tagged ##i might die ##why am i doing this to myself unless that code happens to be written by nasa or healthtech and really can't afford to fail back to text ? still early by MIT time though back to text ? unclear why they can't just have the lecture in a bigger classroom... #salty back to text ? MIT's career accelerator program for sophomores which has a lot of annoying requirements back to text ? t.l. is a very respected scholar in the game studies field and she's written a bunch of books and papers that are super important to the field back to text ? second priority goes to juniors who are CMS majors, which is how i managed to slide in back to text ? if you don't have confidence in sabre fencing, you will probably lose right of way, and if you lose right of way, you will not get any points back to text ? which i am both terrible at and terrified of back to text ? except for GEL i guess, but i really would like a job for the summer and if GEL can help me get one then i'll do anything it asks of me back to text ?
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Merger between RBS and ABN as the Largest Deal and the Biggest Failure in Financial Services Industry Free Essay Example, 3000 words
Both ABN and RBS were working in the same industry at the time of acquisition and the industry as a whole was faring well. It is also however, important to note that this merger took place just before the financial crisis started to hit the financial services industry and many still consider this acquisition as the biggest strategic mistake made by RBS. These concerns proved correct as RBS along with other financial institutions were bailed out by UK government to keep them solvent. It is also important to note after the merger flurry financial industry, in the past, also attempted to rebrand themselves and banks became universal service providers offering various under one roof. ( Lambkin Muzellec, 2008) Why do companies acquire each other and merge is an important debate in the field of corporate finance. It is also one of the most debated topics in the field because of its unique nature and overall impact on the organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Mergers and acquisitions are often therefore done on the assumption that organizations will be able to achieve their strategic objectives. (Berk DeMarzo, 2007). There are critical differences between a merger and acquisition as in merger two companies merge with each other to form one company however, in acquisition a company acquires another company. We will write a custom essay sample on Merger between RBS and ABN as the Largest Deal and the Biggest Failure in Financial Services Industry or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now It is also however, important to understand that underlying these differences are different factors which depend upon the nature of the deal. The financial, strategic as well as cultural aspects of each deal therefore are relatively different and even vary from firm to firm and deal to deal. ( Vishwanath, 2007). One of the fundamental aspects of mergers and acquisitions lies in the strategic questions of whether a firm will be better off with buy and build decisions. (Brealy, Myers Allen, 2008). Though in services oriented organizations such question may be hard to answer however, where manufacturing organizations the question of whether a firm will be better off buying a new asset or business matters a lot.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
criminology paper - 1699 Words
Strain Theory in Relation to Crime Strain causes people to act against the law, breaking laws to attain their means. Mertonââ¬â¢s theory on strain and anomie provides us with reasons for why the offender committed the crime break and enter. Mertonââ¬â¢s strain theory shows us that the offender understood the norms of society but could not attain the means of it, he needed money go back to his girlfriend who was out west. Mertonââ¬â¢s theory states that an individual who is lacking in social forms is more likely to commit crime due to stress. The offender grew up with many different types of strain, destine for failure in life when he dropped out of high school. Without a high school education he had a hard time finding a job and had a strain onâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬Å"The disparity between what lower class youth are led to want and what is actually available to them is the source of a major problem of adjustment. Adolescents who form delinquent subcultures â⬠¦ have internalized on emphasis up on conventional goals. Faced with limitations on legitimate avenues of access to these goals, and unable to revise their aspirations downward, they experience intense frustrations; the exportation of non conformist alternatives ma be the result.â⬠(Murphy, Robinson) 2) To reduce crime in a society using Mertonââ¬â¢s strain theory there must be equal opportunities for everyone. With equal opportunities there will be no need to commit crimes to gain wealth, as everyone has the same opportunity to gain wealth. As today more and more people are being hired because they have a certain amount of pull with one company are they might know that person who can give a good recommendation. Basically there is a need to remove the work politics. There needs to be more social groups and meetings for people that are struggling to find jobs or those who have lower than normal incomes so crime can be prevented. Without equal opportunity one will be forced to preclude way to get means illegally. The individual had a loss of attachment with the social world, also not having any say or direct control like a boss of a company caused him to commit crime. He committed these crimes because he was in a low social class removed from society. The community did nothing t oShow MoreRelatedThe General Strain Theory Of Social Psychology1647 Words à |à 7 PagesIntroduction The general strain theory has developed into among the greatest crime theories of social psychology with a fairly developed research body. General Strain Theory is thought to be a strong philosophy, and has gathered a lot of experimental confirmation, and has additionally extended its essential degree by offering clarifications of wonders outside of criminal conduct. There are diverse negative relationships with strain or stress that result in negative emotions along with encouragingRead MoreA Critical Comparison Of Marxist Theory And Mertonââ¬â¢S Strain1530 Words à |à 7 Pages A Critical Comparison of Marxist Theory and Mertonââ¬â¢s Strain Theory of Deviance. Introduction: This particular work will consist of a critical theoretical review and a comparative analysis on two criminological theories. For the comparison I have chosen Marxââ¬â¢s theory of crime and Mertonââ¬â¢s strain theory of deviance. My critical comparison analysis will emphasise the central concepts and arguments within both theories and how each theory explains crime. The analysis will then explore modern dayRead MoreGeneral Strain Theory And Its Effect On Human Behavior990 Words à |à 4 Pagesof his theory. Noxious events avoidance impacts the ability to maintain or come up with relationships, resulting in alternative reactions. An adverse environment perception will result in emotions that are strongly negative that motivate a person to engage in crime. Being involved in crime is sporadic according to Agnew, and the criminals would desist were it not for the persistent negative effect and events. General strain theory is mainly concerned with the strain types and not the strain sourcesRead MoreThe Differential Opportunity Systems Theory1388 Words à |à 6 PagesThe differential opportunity systems theory mainly emphasizes on the intervening variables accounting for the specific form that deviance and crime can take. Earlier, Cloward demonstrated the way blocked illegitimate access, and opportunities would be a logical Mertonian strain theory extension. An illegitimate opportunity is regarded as being more than the chance to get away with a deviant or criminal act. It entails expressing and learning the beliefs necessary to support subculture. Such beliefsRead MoreTheories on Crime1253 Words à |à 5 PagesTheories on Crime: The field of criminology is basically described as the study of crime through which the causes, prevention, and correction of offenses are examined. While this process can be extremely difficult, especially for students, the analysis of the causes of crime is significant to sociology and criminology. The difficulties associated with the study of crime originate from the numerous challenges in developing theories that explain human behavior. In relation to crime, human behaviorRead MoreTheories of Criminal Behavior Essay examples1239 Words à |à 5 Pagesboth the strain and control theories one must factor into their analysis the sub-categories of each theory and how they contribute to the overall spectrum of crime, punishment, and social control. The following evaluation consists of those evaluations that consist of the varying forms of both the strain and control theories of crime; including the strengths and weaknesses of each standpoint, the empirical validity of each, and the o verall ramifications for crime prevention. Strain Theories FrustrationRead MoreThe Revival of the Strain Theory Essay1272 Words à |à 6 Pagesconstantly looking for explanations for criminal patterns and crime rates among juveniles. They have presented many theories to serve as such explanations with strain theory being one of them; however, like many other theories, strain theory was pushed aside decades ago. It was not until recently that this theory was given new life by criminologist, Robert Agnew. Robert Agnew introduced this new development as the general strain theory. GST was the first supposition that was not tied to social classRead MoreCrime Theories770 Words à |à 4 PagesCrime Theories Jaime Morris Professor Al CIS170-Wk.4Ass.2 11/04/12 Digital crimes are believed to be caused by different types of theories. The Strain theory could be the cause of digital crimes because the strain of everyday life. The Strain theory is a sociological theory. The strain of an individualââ¬â¢s everyday life is causing people to ââ¬Å"give inâ⬠to the pressures in society. Some of these individuals feel that they canââ¬â¢t survive without crime. Strains such as peer pressureRead MoreThe Sociological Framework Of The Social System1064 Words à |à 5 Pagesthat sees crime through a gendered lens as a result of cultural, social structural, and individual and interactive factors. The four theories include strain theory, social control theory, differential association theory and labeling theory. The following information will describe these theories and how they can relate to the framework. Strain theory says that crime is a result of shared cultural desires, but unequal opportunities to achieve those desires. This discusses economic strain in particularRead MoreThe Major Theories Of Criminal Behavior And The Impact Of Crime On Victims And Society1580 Words à |à 7 PagesEvaluating the Major Theories of Cause of Criminal Behaviour and the Impact of Crime on Victims and Society London Foundation campus 1. Introduction Akers Sellers (2013) noted that there are various common theories that are pertinent to the study of crime as the extents of crime explanations range from the genetic/biological through to the economic and social perspective. Howitt (2012) divided these theories into four categories: macro-level or societal theories; locality or community
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
The Twilight Saga 2 New Moon Chapter 13 KILLER Free Essays
IF IT WAS ANYONE BUT JACOB, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, shaking my head as I drove down the forest-lined highway to La Push. I still wasnââ¬â¢t sure if I was domg the right thing, but Iââ¬â¢d made a compromise with myself. I couldnââ¬â¢t condone what Jacob and his friends, his pack, were doing. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 13 KILLER or any similar topic only for you Order Now I understood now what heââ¬â¢d said last nightthat I might not want to see him againand I could have called him as heââ¬â¢d suggested, but that felt cowardly. I owed him a face-to-face conversation, at least. I would tell him to his face that I couldnââ¬â¢t just overlook what was going on. I couldnââ¬â¢t be friends with a killer and say nothing, let the killing continue That would make me a monster, too. But I couldnââ¬â¢t not warn him, either. I had to do what I could to protect him. I pulled up to the Blacksââ¬â¢ house with my lips pressed together into a hard line. It was bad enough that my best friend was a werewolf. Did he have to be a monster, too? The house was dark, no lights in the windows, but I didnââ¬â¢t care if I woke them. My fist thudded against the front door with angry energy; the sound reverberated through the walls. ââ¬Å"Come in,â⬠I heard Billy call after a minute, and a light flicked on. I twisted the knob; it was unlocked. Billy was leaning around an open doorway just off the little kitchen, a bathrobe around his shoulders, not in his chair yet. When he saw who it was, his eyes widened briefly, and then his face turned stoic. ââ¬Å"Well, good morning, Bella. What are you doing up so early?â⬠ââ¬Å"Hey, Billy. I need to talk to Jakewhere is he?â⬠ââ¬Å"Um I donââ¬â¢t really know,â⬠he lied, straight-faced. ââ¬Å"Do you know what Charlie is doing this morning?â⬠I demanded, sick of the stalling. ââ¬Å"Should I?â⬠ââ¬Å"He and half the other men in town are all out in the woods with guns, hunting giant wolves.â⬠Billyââ¬â¢s expression flickered, and then went blank. ââ¬Å"So Iââ¬â¢d like to talk to Jake about that, if you donââ¬â¢t mind,â⬠I continued. Billy pursed his thick lips for a long moment. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢d bet heââ¬â¢s still asleep,â⬠he finally said, nodding toward the tiny hallway off the front room. ââ¬Å"Heââ¬â¢s out late a lot these days. Kid needs his restprobably you shouldnââ¬â¢t wake him.â⬠ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s my turn,â⬠I muttered under my breath as I stalked to the hallway. Billy sighed. Jacobââ¬â¢s tiny closet of a room was the only door in the yard-long hallway. I didnââ¬â¢t bother to knock. I threw the door open; it slammed against the wall with a bang. Jacobstill wearing just the same black cut-off sweats heââ¬â¢d worn last nightwas stretched diagonally across the double bed that took up all of his room but a few inches around the edges. Even on a slant, it wasnââ¬â¢t long enough; his feet hung off the one end and his head off the other. He was fast asleep, snoring lightly with his mouth hanging open. The sound of the door hadnââ¬â¢t even made him twitch. His face was peaceful with (deep sleep, all the angry lines smoothed out. There were circles under his eyes that I hadnââ¬â¢t noticed before. Despite his ridiculous size, he looked very young now, and very weary. Pity shook me. I stepped back out, and shut the door quietly behind me. Billy stared with curious, guarded eyes as I walked slowly back into the front room. ââ¬Å"I think Iââ¬â¢ll let him get some rest.â⬠Billy nodded, and then we gazed at each other for a minute. I was dying to ask him about his part in this. What did he think of what his son had become? But I knew how heââ¬â¢d supported Sam from the very beginning, and so I supposed the murders must not bother him. How he justified that to himself I couldnââ¬â¢t imagine. I could see many questions for me in his dark eyes, but he didnââ¬â¢t voice them either. ââ¬Å"Look,â⬠I said, breaking the loud silence. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ll be down at the beach for a while. When he wakes up, tell him Iââ¬â¢m waiting for him, okay?â⬠ââ¬Å"Sure, sure,â⬠Billy agreed. I wondered if he really would. Well, if he didnââ¬â¢t, Iââ¬â¢d tried, right? I drove down to First Beach and parked in the empty dirt lot. It was still darkthe gloomy predawn of a cloudy dayand when I cut the headlights it was hard to see. I had to let my eyes adjust before I could find the path that led through the tall hedge of weeds. It was colder here, with the wind whipping off the black water, and I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my winter jacket. At least the rain had stopped. I paced down the beach toward the north seawall. I couldnââ¬â¢t see St. James or the other islands, just the vague shape of the waterââ¬â¢s edge. I picked my way carefully across the rocks, watching out for driftwood that might trip me. I found what I was looking for before I realized I was looking for it. It materialized out of the gloom when it was just a few feet away: a long bone-white driftwood tree stranded deep on the rocks. The roots twisted up at the seaward end, like a hundred brittle tentacles. I couldnââ¬â¢t be sure that it was the same tree where Jacob and I had had our first conversationa conversation that had begun so many different, tangled threads of my lifebut it seemed to be in about the same place I sat down where Iââ¬â¢d sat before, and stared out across the invisible sea. Seeing Jacob like thatinnocent and vulnerable in sleephad stolen all my revulsion, dissolved all my anger. I still couldnââ¬â¢t turn a blind sye to what was happening, like Billy seemed to, but I couldnââ¬â¢t condemn Jacob for it either. Love didnââ¬â¢t work that way, I decided. Once you cared about a person, it was impossible to be logical about them anymore. Jacob was my friend whether he killed people or not. And I didnââ¬â¢t know what I was going to do about that. When I pictured him sleeping so peacefully, I felt an overpowering urge to protect him. Completely illogical. Illogical or not, I brooded over the memory his peaceful face, trying to come up with some answer, some way to shelter him, while the sky slowly turned gray. ââ¬Å"Hi,Bella.â⬠Jacobââ¬â¢s voice came from the darkness and made me jump. It was soft, almost shy, but Iââ¬â¢d been expecting some forewarning from the noisy rocks, and so it still startled me. I could see his silhouette against the coming sunriseit looked enormous. ââ¬Å"Jake?â⬠He stood several paces away, shifting his weight from foot to foot anxiously. ââ¬Å"Billy told me you came bydidnââ¬â¢t take you very long, did it? I knew you could figure it out.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, I remember the right story now,â⬠I whispered. It was quiet for a long moment and, though it was still too dark to see well, my skin prickled as if his eyes were searching my face. There must have been enough light for him to read my expression, because when he spoke again, his voice was suddenly acidic. ââ¬Å"You could have just called,â⬠he said harshly. I nodded. ââ¬Å"I know.â⬠Jacob started pacing along the rocks. If I listened very hard, I could just hear the gentle brush of his feet on the rocks behind the sound of the waves. The rocks had clattered like castanets for me. ââ¬Å"Why did you come?â⬠he demanded, not halting his angry stride. ââ¬Å"I thought it would be better face-to-face.â⬠He snorted. ââ¬Å"Oh, much better.â⬠ââ¬Å"Jacob, I have to warn youâ⬠ââ¬Å"About the rangers and the hunters? Donââ¬â¢t worry about it. We already know.â⬠ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t worry about it?â⬠I demanded in disbelief. ââ¬Å"Jake, theyââ¬â¢ve got guns! Theyââ¬â¢re setting traps and offering rewards andâ⬠ââ¬Å"We can take care of ourselves,â⬠he growled, still pacing. ââ¬Å"Theyââ¬â¢re not going to catch anything. Theyââ¬â¢re only making it more difficulttheyââ¬â¢ll start disappearing soon enough, too.â⬠ââ¬Å"Jake!â⬠I hissed. ââ¬Å"What? Itââ¬â¢s just a fact.â⬠My voice was pale with revulsion. ââ¬Å"How can you feel that way? You know these people. Charlieââ¬â¢s out there!â⬠The thought made my stomach twist. He came to an abrupt stop. ââ¬Å"What more can we do?â⬠he retorted. The sun turned the clouds a slivery pink above us. I could see his expression now; it was angry, frustrated, betrayed. ââ¬Å"Could you well, try to not be a werewolf?â⬠I suggested in a whisper. He threw his hands up in the air. ââ¬Å"Like I have a choice about it!â⬠he shouted. ââ¬Å"And how would that help anything, if youââ¬â¢re worried about people disappearing?â⬠ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t understand you.â⬠He glared at me, his eyes narrowing and his mouth twisting into a snarl. ââ¬Å"You know what makes me so mad I could just spit?â⬠I flinched away from his hostile expression. He seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I shook my head. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re such a hypocrite, Bellathere you sit, terrified of me! How is that fair?â⬠His hands shook with anger. ââ¬Å"Hypocrite? How does being afraid of a monster make me a hypocrite?â⬠ââ¬Å"Ugh!â⬠he groaned, pressing his trembling fists to his temples and squeezing his eyes shut. ââ¬Å"Would you listen to yourself?â⬠ââ¬Å"What?â⬠He took two steps toward me, leaning over me and glaring with fury. ââ¬Å"Well, Iââ¬â¢m so sorry that I canââ¬â¢t be the right kind of monster for you, Bella. I guess Iââ¬â¢m just not as great as a bloodsucker, am I?â⬠I jumped to my feet and glared back. ââ¬Å"No, youââ¬â¢re not!â⬠I shouted. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s not what you are, stupid, itââ¬â¢s what you do!â⬠ââ¬Å"Whatââ¬â¢s that supposed to mean?â⬠He roared, his entire frame quivering with rage. I was taken entirely by surprise when Edwardââ¬â¢s voice cautioned me. ââ¬Å"Be very careful, Bella,â⬠his velvet voice warned. ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t push him too far. You need to calm him down.â⬠Even the voice in my head was making no sense today. I listened to him, though. I would do anything for that voice. ââ¬Å"Jacob,â⬠I pleaded, making my tone soft and even. ââ¬Å"Is it really necessary to kill people, Jacob? Isnââ¬â¢t there some other way? I mean, if vampires can find a way to survive without murdering people, couldnââ¬â¢t you give it a try, too?â⬠He straightened up with a jerk, like my words had sent an electric shock through him. His eyebrows shot up and his eyes stared wide. ââ¬Å"Killing people?â⬠he demanded. ââ¬Å"What did you think we were talking about?â⬠He wasnââ¬â¢t trembling anymore. He looked at me with half-hopeful disbelief. ââ¬Å"I thought we were talking about your disgust for werewolves.â⬠ââ¬Å"No, Jake, no. Itââ¬â¢s not that youââ¬â¢re a wolf. Thatââ¬â¢s fine,â⬠I promised him, and I knew as I said the words that I meant them. I really didnââ¬â¢t care if he turned into a big wolfhe was still Jacob. ââ¬Å"If you could just find a way not to hurt people thatââ¬â¢s all that upsets me. These ate innocent people, Jake, people like Charlie, and I canââ¬â¢t just look the other way while youâ⬠ââ¬Å"Is that all? Really?â⬠he interrupted me, a smile breaking across his face. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re just scared because Iââ¬â¢m a murderer? Thatââ¬â¢s the only reason?â⬠ââ¬Å"Isnââ¬â¢t that reason enough?â⬠He started to laugh. ââ¬Å"Jacob Black, this is so notfunny!â⬠ââ¬Å"Sure, sure,â⬠he agreed, still chortling. He took one long stride and caught me in another vice-tight bear hug. ââ¬Å"You really, honestly donââ¬â¢t mind that I morph into a giant dog?â⬠he asked, his voice joyful in my ear. ââ¬Å"No,â⬠I gasped. ââ¬Å"Canââ¬â¢tbreatheJake!â⬠He let me go, but took both my hands. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m not a killer, Bella.â⬠I studied his face, and it was clear that this was the truth. Relief pulsed through me. ââ¬Å"Really?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Really,â⬠he promised solemnly. I threw my arms around him. It reminded me of that first day with the motorcycleshe was bigger, though, and I felt even more like a child now. Like that other time, he stroked my hair. ââ¬Å"Sorry I called you a hypocrite,â⬠he apologized. ââ¬Å"Sorry I called you a murderer.â⬠He laughed. I thought of something then, and pulled away from him so that I could see his face. My eyebrows furrowed in anxiety. ââ¬Å"What about Sam? And the others?â⬠He shook his head, smiling like a huge burden had been removed from his shoulders. ââ¬Å"Of course not. Donââ¬â¢t you remember what we call ourselves?â⬠The memory was clearIââ¬â¢d just been thinking of that very day. ââ¬Å"Protectors?â⬠ââ¬Å"Exactly.â⬠ââ¬Å"But I donââ¬â¢t understand. Whatââ¬â¢s happening in the woods? The missing hikers, the blood?â⬠His face was serious, worried at once. ââ¬Å"Weââ¬â¢re trying to do our job, Bella. Weââ¬â¢re trying to protect them, but weââ¬â¢re always just a little too late.â⬠ââ¬Å"Protect them from what? Is there really a bear out there, too?â⬠ââ¬Å"Bella, honey, we only protect people from one thingour one enemy. Itââ¬â¢s the reason we existbecause they do.â⬠I stared at him blankly for one second before I understood. Then the blood drained from my face and a thin, wordless cry of horror broke through my lips. He nodded. ââ¬Å"I thought you, of all people, would reali2e what was really going on.â⬠ââ¬Å"Laurent,â⬠I whispered. ââ¬Å"Heââ¬â¢s still here.â⬠Jacob blinked twice, and cocked his head to one side. ââ¬Å"Whoââ¬â¢s Laurent?â⬠I tried to sort out the chaos in my head so that I could answer. ââ¬Å"You knowyou saw him in the meadow. You were thereâ⬠The words came out in a wondering tone as it all sunk in. ââ¬Å"You were there, and you kept him from killing meâ⬠ââ¬Å"Oh, the black-haired leech?â⬠He grinned, a tight, fierce grin. ââ¬Å"Was that his name?â⬠I shuddered. ââ¬Å"What were you thinking?â⬠I whispered. ââ¬Å"He could have killed you! Jake, you donââ¬â¢t realize how dangerousâ⬠Another laugh interrupted me ââ¬Å"Bella, one lone vampire isnââ¬â¢t much of a problem for a pack as big as ours. It was so easy, it was hardly even fun!â⬠ââ¬Å"What was so easy?â⬠ââ¬Å"Killing the bloodsucker who was going to kill you. Now, I donââ¬â¢t count that towards the whole murder thing,â⬠he added quickly. ââ¬Å"Vampires donââ¬â¢t count as people.â⬠I could only mouth the words. ââ¬Å"You killed Laurent?â⬠He nodded. ââ¬Å"Well, it was a group effort,â⬠he qualified. ââ¬Å"Laurent is dead?â⬠I whispered. His expression changed. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re not upset about that, are you? He was going to kill youhe was going for the kill, Bella, we were sure of that before we attacked. You know that, right?â⬠ââ¬Å"I know that. No, Iââ¬â¢m not upsetIââ¬â¢mâ⬠I had to sit down. I stumbled back a step until I felt the driftwood against my calves, and then sank down onto it. ââ¬Å"Laurent is dead. Heââ¬â¢s not coming back for me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re not mad? He wasnââ¬â¢t one of your friends or anything, was he?â⬠ââ¬Å"My friend?â⬠I stared up at him, confused and dizzy with relief. I started babbling, my eyes getting moist. ââ¬Å"No, Jake. Iââ¬â¢m so so relieved. I thought he was going to find meIââ¬â¢ve been waiting for him every night, just hoping that heââ¬â¢d stop with me and leave Charlie alone. Iââ¬â¢ve been so frightened, Jacob But how? He was a vampire! How did you kill him? He was so strong, so hard, like marbleâ⬠He sat down next to me and put one big arm around me comfortingly. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s what weââ¬â¢re made for, Bells. Weââ¬â¢re strong, too. I wish you would have told me that you were so afraid. You didnââ¬â¢t need to be.â⬠ââ¬Å"You werenââ¬â¢t around,â⬠I mumbled, lost in thought. ââ¬Å"Oh, right.â⬠ââ¬Å"Wait, JakeI thought you knew, though. Last night, you said it wasnââ¬â¢t safe for you to be in my room. I thought you knew that a vampire might be coming. Isnââ¬â¢t that what you were talking about?â⬠He looked confused for a minute, and then he ducked his head. ââ¬Å"No, thatââ¬â¢s not what I meant.â⬠ââ¬Å"Then why didnââ¬â¢t you think it was safe for you there?â⬠He looked at me with guilt-ridden eyes. ââ¬Å"I didnââ¬â¢t say it wasnââ¬â¢t safe for me. I was thinking of you.â⬠ââ¬Å"What do you mean?â⬠He looked down and kicked a rock. ââ¬Å"Thereââ¬â¢s more than one reason Iââ¬â¢m not supposed to be around you, Bella. I wasnââ¬â¢t supposed to tell you our secret, for one thing, but the other part is that itââ¬â¢s not safe for you. If I get too mad too upset you might get hurt.â⬠I thought about that carefully. ââ¬Å"When you were mad before when I was yelling at you and you were shaking ?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah.â⬠His face dropped even lower. ââ¬Å"That was pretty stupid of me. I have to keep a better hold on myself. I swore I wasnââ¬â¢t going to get mad, no matter what you said to me. But I just got so upser that I was going to lose you that you couldnââ¬â¢t deal with what I amâ⬠ââ¬Å"What would happen if you got too mad?â⬠I whispered. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢d turn into a wolf,â⬠he whispered back. ââ¬Å"You donââ¬â¢t need a full moon.â⬠He rolled his eyes. ââ¬Å"Hollywoodââ¬â¢s version doesnââ¬â¢t get much right.â⬠Then he sighed, and was serious again. ââ¬Å"You donââ¬â¢t need to be so stressed out, Bells. Weââ¬â¢re going to take care of this. And weââ¬â¢re keeping a special eye on Charlie and the otherswe wonââ¬â¢t let anything happen to him. Trust me on that.â⬠Something very, very obvious, something I should have grasped at oncebut Iââ¬â¢d been so distracted by the idea of Jacob and his friends fighting with Laurent, that Iââ¬â¢d completely missed it at the timeoccurred to me only then, when Jacob used the present tense again. Weââ¬â¢re going to take care of this. It wasnââ¬â¢t over. ââ¬Å"Laurent is dead,â⬠I gasped, and my entire body went ice cold. ââ¬Å"Bella?â⬠Jacob asked anxiously, touching my ashen cheek. ââ¬Å"If Laurent died a week ago then someone else is killing people now.â⬠Jacob nodded; his teeth clenched together, and he spoke through them. ââ¬Å"There were two of them. We thought his mate would want to fight usin our stories, they usually get pretty pissed off if you kill their matebut she just keeps running away, and then coming back again. If we could figure out what she was after, it would be easier to take her down. But she makes no sense. She keeps dancing around the edges, like sheââ¬â¢s testing our defenses, looking for a way inbut in where? Where does she want to go? Sam thinks sheââ¬â¢s trying to separate us, so sheââ¬â¢ll have a better chanceâ⬠His voice faded until it sounded like it was coming through a long tunnel; I couldnââ¬â¢t make out the individual words anymore. My forehead dewed with sweat and my stomach rolled like I had the stomach flu again. Exactly like I had the flu. I turned away from him quickly, and leaned over the tree trunk. My body convulsed with useless heaves, my empty stomach contracting with horrified nausea, though there was nothing in it to expel. Victoria was here. Looking for me. Killing strangers in the woods. The woods where Charlie was searching My head spun sickeningly. Jacobââ¬â¢s hands caught my shoulderskept me from sliding forward onto the rocks. I could feel his hot breath on my cheek. ââ¬Å"Bella! Whatââ¬â¢s wrong?â⬠ââ¬Å"Victoria,â⬠I gasped as soon as I could catch my breath around the nauseous spasms. In my head, Edward snarled in fury at the name. I felt Jacob pull me up from my slump. He draped me awkwardly across his lap, laying my limp head against his shoulder. He struggled to balance me, to keep me from sagging over, one way or the other He brushed the sweaty hair back from my face. ââ¬Å"Who?â⬠Jacob asked. ââ¬Å"Can you hear me, Bella? Bella?â⬠ââ¬Å"She wasnââ¬â¢t Laurentââ¬â¢s mate,â⬠I moaned into his shoulder. ââ¬Å"They were just old friendsâ⬠ââ¬Å"Do you need some water? A doctor? Tell me what to do,â⬠he demanded, frantic. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m not sickIââ¬â¢m scared,â⬠I explained in a whisper. The word scared didnââ¬â¢t really seem to cover it. Jacob patted my back. ââ¬Å"Scaled of this Victoria?â⬠I nodded, shuddering. ââ¬Å"Victoria is the red-haired female?â⬠I trembled again, and whimpered, ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠ââ¬Å"How do you know she wasnââ¬â¢t his mate?â⬠ââ¬Å"Laurent told me James was her mate,â⬠I explained, automatically flexing the hand with the scar. He pulled my face around, holding it steady in his big hand. He stared intently into my eyes. ââ¬Å"Did he tell you anything else, Bella? This is important. Do you know what she wants?â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course,â⬠I whispered. ââ¬Å"She wants me.â⬠His eyes flipped wide, then narrowed into slits. ââ¬Å"Why?â⬠he demanded. ââ¬Å"Edward killed James,â⬠I whispered. Jacob held me so tightly that there was no need for me to clutch at the holehe kept me in one piece. ââ¬Å"She did get pissed off. But Laurent said she thought it was fairer to kill me than Edward. Mate for mate. She didnââ¬â¢t knowstill doesnââ¬â¢t know, I guessthat thatâ⬠I swallowed hard. ââ¬Å"That things arenââ¬â¢t like that with us anymore. Not for Edward, anyway.â⬠Jacob was distracted by that, his face torn between several different expressions. ââ¬Å"Is that what happened? Why the Cullens left?â⬠ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m nothing but a human, after all. Nothing special,â⬠I explained, shrugging weakly. Something like a growlnot a real growl, just a human approximationrumbled in Jacobââ¬â¢s chest under my ear. ââ¬Å"If that idiot bloodsucker is honestly stupid enoughâ⬠ââ¬Å"Please,â⬠I moaned. ââ¬Å"Please. Donââ¬â¢t.â⬠Jacob hesitated, then nodded once. ââ¬Å"This is important,â⬠he said again, his face all business now. ââ¬Å"This is exactly what we needed to know. Weââ¬â¢ve got to tell the others right away.â⬠He stood, pulling me to my feet. He kept two hands on my waist until he was sure I wasnââ¬â¢t going to fall. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m okay,â⬠I lied. He traded his hold on my waist for one of my hands. ââ¬Å"Letââ¬â¢s go.â⬠He pulled me back toward the truck. ââ¬Å"Where are we going?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m not sure yet,â⬠he admitted. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ll call a meeting. Hey, wait here for just a minute, okay?â⬠He leaned me against the side of the truck and released my hand. ââ¬Å"Where are you going?â⬠ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ll be right back,â⬠he promised. Then he turned and sprinted through the parking lot, across the road, and into the bordering forest. He flitted into the trees, swift and sleek as a deer. ââ¬Å"Jacob!â⬠I yelled after him hoarsely, but he was already gone. It was not a good time to be left alone. Seconds after Jacob was out of sight, I was hyperventilating. I dragged myself into the cab of the truck, and mashed the locks down at once. It didnââ¬â¢t make me feel any better. Victoria was already hunting me. It was just luck that she hadnââ¬â¢t found me yetjust luck and five teenage werewolves. I exhaled sharply. No matter what Jacob said, the thought of him coming anywhere close to Victoria was horrifying. I didnââ¬â¢t care what he could turn into when he got mad. I could see her in my head, her face wild, her hair like flames, deadly, indestructible But, according to Jacob, Laurent was gone. Was that really possible? EdwardI clutched automatically at my chesthad told me how difficult it was to kill a vampire. Only another vampire could do the job. Yet Jake said this was what werewolves were made for He said they were keeping a special eye on Charliethat I should trust the werewolves to keep my father safe. How could I trust that? None of us were safe! Jacob the very least of all, if he was trying to put himself between Victoria and Charlie between Victoria and me. I felt like I might be about to throw up again. A sharp rap on the truckââ¬â¢s window made me yelp in terrorbut it was just Jacob, back already. I unlocked the door with trembling, grateful fingers. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re really scared, arenââ¬â¢t you?â⬠he asked as he climbed in. I nodded. ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t be. Weââ¬â¢ll take care of youand Charlie, too. I promise.â⬠ââ¬Å"The idea of you finding Victoria is scarier than the idea of her finding me,â⬠I whispered. He laughed. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢ve got to have a little more confidence in us than that. Itââ¬â¢s insulting.â⬠I just shook my head. Iââ¬â¢d seen too many vampires in action. ââ¬Å"Where did you go just now?â⬠I asked. He pursed his lips, and said nothing. ââ¬Å"What? Is it a secret?â⬠He frowned. ââ¬Å"Not really. Itââ¬â¢s kind of weird, though. I donââ¬â¢t want to freak you out.â⬠ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m sort of used to weird by this point, you know.â⬠I tried to smile without much success. Jacob grinned back easily. ââ¬Å"Guess youââ¬â¢d have to be. Okay. See, when weââ¬â¢re wolves, we can hear each other.â⬠My eyebrows pulled down in confusion. ââ¬Å"Not hear sounds,â⬠he went on, ââ¬Å"but we can hear thoughtseach otherââ¬â¢s anywayno matter how far away from each other we are. It really helps when we hunt, but itââ¬â¢s a big pain otherwise. Itââ¬â¢s embarrassinghaving no secrets like that. Freaky, eh?â⬠ââ¬Å"Is that what you meant last night, when you said you would tell them youââ¬â¢d seen me, even though you didnââ¬â¢t want to?â⬠ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re quick.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thanks.â⬠ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re also very good with weird. I thought that would bother you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s not well, youââ¬â¢re not the first person Iââ¬â¢ve known who could do that. So it doesnââ¬â¢t seem so weird to me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Really Waitare you talking about your bloodsuckers?â⬠ââ¬Å"I wish you wouldnââ¬â¢t call them that.â⬠He laughed. ââ¬Å"Whatever. The Cullens, then?â⬠ââ¬Å"Just just Edward.â⬠I pulled one arm surreptitiously around my torso. Jacob looked surprisedunpleasantly so. ââ¬Å"I thought those were just stories. Iââ¬â¢ve heard legends about vampires who could do extra stuff, but I thought that was just a myth.â⬠ââ¬Å"Is anything just a myth anymore?â⬠I asked him wryly. He scowled. ââ¬Å"Guess not. Okay, weââ¬â¢re going to meet Sam and the others at the place we go to ride our bikes.â⬠I started the truck and headed back up the road. ââ¬Å"So did you just turn into a wolf now, to talk to Sam?â⬠I asked, curious. Jacob nodded, seeming embarrassed. ââ¬Å"I kept it real shortI tried not to think about you so they wouldnââ¬â¢t know what was going on. I was afraid Sam would tell me I couldnââ¬â¢t bring you.â⬠ââ¬Å"That wouldnââ¬â¢t have stopped me.â⬠I couldnââ¬â¢t get rid of my perception of Sam as the bad guy. My teeth clenched together whenever I heard his name. ââ¬Å"Well, it would have stopped me,â⬠Jacob said, morose now. ââ¬Å"Remember how I couldnââ¬â¢t finish my sentences last night? How I couldnââ¬â¢t just tell you the whole story?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah. You looked like you were choking on something.â⬠He chuckled darkly. ââ¬Å"Close enough. Sam told me I couldnââ¬â¢t tell you. Heââ¬â¢s the head of the pack, you know. Heââ¬â¢s the Alpha. When he tells us to do something, or not to do somethingwhen he really means it, well, we canââ¬â¢t just ignore him.â⬠ââ¬Å"Weird,â⬠I muttered. ââ¬Å"Very,â⬠he agreed. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s kind of a wolf thing.â⬠ââ¬Å"Huhâ⬠was the best response I could think of. ââ¬Å"Yeah, thereââ¬â¢s a load of stuff like thatwolf things. Iââ¬â¢m still learning. I canââ¬â¢t imagine what it was like for Sam, trying to deal with this alone. It sucks bad enough to go through it with a whole pack for support.â⬠ââ¬Å"Sam was alone?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah.â⬠Jacobââ¬â¢s voice lowered. ââ¬Å"When I changed, it was the most horrible, the most terrifying thing Iââ¬â¢ve ever been throughworse than anything I could have imagined. But I wasnââ¬â¢t alonethere were the voices there, in my head, telling me what had happened and what I had to do. That kept me from losing my mind, I think. But Samâ⬠He shook his head. ââ¬Å"Sam had no help.â⬠This was going to take some adjusting. When Jacob explained it like that, it was hard not to feel compassion for Sam. I had to keep reminding myself that there was no reason to hate him anymore. ââ¬Å"Will they be angry that Iââ¬â¢m with you?â⬠I asked. He made a face. ââ¬Å"Probably.â⬠ââ¬Å"Maybe I shouldnââ¬â¢tâ⬠ââ¬Å"No, itââ¬â¢s okay,â⬠he assured me. ââ¬Å"You know a ton of things that can help us. Itââ¬â¢s not like youââ¬â¢re just some ignorant human. Youââ¬â¢re like a I donââ¬â¢t know, spy or something. Youââ¬â¢ve been behind enemy lines.â⬠I frowned to myself. Was that what Jacob would want from me? Insider information to help them destroy their enemies? I wasnââ¬â¢t a spy, though. I hadnââ¬â¢t been collecting that kind of information. Already, his words made me feel like a traitor. But I wanted him to stop Victoria, didnââ¬â¢t I? No. I did want Victoria to be stopped, preferably before she tortured me to death or ran into Charlie or killed another stranger. I just didnââ¬â¢t want Jacob to be the one to stop her, or rather to try. I didnââ¬â¢t want Jacob within a hundred miles of her. ââ¬Å"Like the stuff about the mind-reading bloodsucker,â⬠he continued, oblivious to my reverie. ââ¬Å"Thatââ¬â¢s the kind of thing we need to know about. That really sucks that those stories are true. It makes everything more complicated. Hey, do you think this Victoria can do anything special?â⬠ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t think so,â⬠I hesitated, and then sighed. ââ¬Å"He would have mentioned it.â⬠ââ¬Å"He? Oh, you mean Edwardoops, sorry. I forgot. You donââ¬â¢t like to say his name. Or hear it.â⬠I squeezed my midsection, trying to ignore the throbbing around the edges of my chest. ââ¬Å"Not really, no.â⬠ââ¬Å"Sorry.â⬠ââ¬Å"How do you know me so well, Jacob? Sometimes itââ¬â¢s like you can read my mind.â⬠ââ¬Å"Naw. I just pay attention.â⬠We were on the little dirt road where Jacob had first taught me to ride the motorcycle. ââ¬Å"This good?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Sure, sure.â⬠I pulled over and cut the engine. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re still pretty unhappy, arenââ¬â¢t you?â⬠he murmured. I nodded, staring unseeingly into the gloomy forest. ââ¬Å"Did you ever think that maybe youââ¬â¢re better off?â⬠I inhaled slowly, and then let my breath out. ââ¬Å"No.â⬠ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËCause he wasnââ¬â¢t the bestâ⬠ââ¬Å"Please, Jacob,â⬠I interrupted, begging in a whisper. ââ¬Å"Could we please not talk about this? I canââ¬â¢t stand it.â⬠ââ¬Å"Okay.â⬠He took a deep breath. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m sorry I said anything.â⬠ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t feel bad. If things were different, it would be nice to finally be able to talk to someone about it.â⬠He nodded. ââ¬Å"Yeah, I had a hard time keeping a secret from you for two weeks. It must be hell to not be able to talk to anyone.â⬠ââ¬Å"Hell,â⬠I agreed. Jacob sucked in a sharp breath. ââ¬Å"Theyââ¬â¢re here. Letââ¬â¢s go.â⬠ââ¬Å"Are you sure?â⬠I asked while he popped his door open. ââ¬Å"Maybe I shouldnââ¬â¢t be here.â⬠ââ¬Å"Theyââ¬â¢ll deal with it,â⬠he said, and then he grinned. ââ¬Å"Whoââ¬â¢s afraid of the big, bad wolf?â⬠ââ¬Å"Ha ha,â⬠I said. But I got out of the truck, hurrying around the front end to stand close beside Jacob. I remembered only too clearly the giant monsters in the meadow. My hands were trembling like Jacobââ¬â¢s had been before, but with fear rather than rage. Jake took my hand and squeezed it. ââ¬Å"Here we go.â⬠How to cite The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 13 KILLER, Essay examples
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Defining Project Management Methodology â⬠MyAssignmenthelp.com
Question: Discuss about the Defining Project Management Methodology. Answer: Defining Project Management Methodology Project Management Methodology (PMM) is referred to as a tool that provides support and guidelines to the project managers to execute project successfully. It can be said that, project complexities and size both can be managed accordingly withproject management methodology. According to Machado, Pinheiro and Tamanini (2015), project methodology ensures the success of project and also estimates the budget, time and schedule. Two different components such as complexity and change are currently increasing frequently in the business organizations which are needed to be managed properly. In order to survive in the evolving workplace, any project is required to be competitive, productive, consumers eccentric and cost effective as well. Gold and Vassell (2015) stated that,project management helps to obtain success and consistency throughout the project life cycle. PMM provides an overall roadmap that must be followed by the project developers during the development of any project (Hornstein , 2015). This framework acts as a tool that leads to execute a project considering its strategic vision, mission, goal and objectives. Role of project management methodology for managing projects For managing any project, PMM plays important roles and the benefits generate from it are as follows: Better efficiency for delivering service: With the help of PMM, the project developer will be able to obtain project roadmaps that have to be followed for successfully executing any project (Chofreh et al., 2015). The work efficiency will automatically increase after the project manager will get to know about the obstacles properly. Challenges can be resolved: The project level challenges can be resolved easily as limits the project within limited and useful resources only. It helps to generate project risk register to identify the probable issues. Reduced risks: PMM reduces the rate of risks and tends a project towards massive success (Spundak, 2014). It also helps to take effective decision making for the successful completion of the project. Increase team support: It increases the support level of the project team and builds strong relationship between the suppliers and the consumers. It helps to deliver the project within estimated time regardless of the location of the consumer. Ensure continuous improvement: PMM make sure that the project is maintaining all the components for continuous development and success. Compare and contrast between Agile scrum and Project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) According to Kerzner and Kerzner (2017), agile PMM is much effective and beneficial to implement than theProject management body of knowledge (PMBOK). PMBOK is rigid in nature and thus it is very less flexible. Thus, for todays business environment PMBOK is not at all beneficial and suitable. The quality and speed of a project are dependent upon performance of the project team members, their direct interaction with the managers. In current business organizations most of the projects are developed using the agile scrum PMM. Agile SCRUM is referred to as a framework within which developers can easily address each complex adaptive issue while the productivity and creativity delivers products of highest values. SCRUM is an iterative as well as incremental development model. In this PMM the implementation are done by following short and repetitive cycles. Each outcome generated in the iteration of the project is build upon the results and experiences obtained from the previous phase (Joslin Muller, 2015). Each iteration generates both functional and incremental outcomes and also provides added values and over the previous life cycle. On the other hand, PMBOK is a framework or a set of different practices rather guidelines those are applied for individual project management tools and techniques. Based on the project requirements and goals, the most suitable methodology is needed to be selected by the project managers. PMBOK provides global as well as general view of different aspects of project management. Again, regardless of any environment, PMBOK acts as useful reference. SCRUM specific methodology covers the details of the products development and does not include the processes of key management in terms of acquisition, portfolio and program relationship, human resources etc (Chofreh et al., 2015). Among two of these project management methodologies, which one is effective cannot be identified only after analyzing the project requirements the suitable PMM can be identified for a particular project. Agile scrum relates to project Life cycle In order to maintain and implement a project professionally based on the project requirement SCRUM agile methodology can be adopted. SCRUM framework acts as a tool for the development of agile software products. Even for software project maintenance this PMM can be applied (Hornstein, 2015). The aim of SCRUM is to segment a project into numerous milestones. It helps to deliver the requirements incrementally for easy demonstration of the feedbacks and issues. The below diagram shows the phases of SCRUM lifecycle these are to be followed for successful execution of a project. The phases of SCRUM agile project life cycle include scope, product backlog, design and finally implementation. It is necessary for the project manager is needed to maintain all theses phases for successful implementation of a software products (Gold Vassell, 2015). In each phase, iterative changes can be implemented and it is not necessary that one phase cannot be started before the completion of the previous phase. Even after sequential analysis modification can be done in the project development phases. Initially, all the high level requirements are needed to be finalized considering the opinion and end users perspectives. The stories of the users are then divided into small segments. These segments are placed in a document known as product backlog developed by product owners associated to the consumers. Based upon the importance the segments are prioritized (Kerzner Kerzner, 2017). This document is called as the sprint backlog. After successful sprint cycle the software are implemented successfully and based upon further requirements further changes can also be made. Nowadays most of the businesses follow this life cycle for developing their products. References Chofreh, A. G., Goni, F., Shaharoun, A. M., Ismail, S. (2015). A review on sustainability transformation roadmaps using project management methodology.Advanced Science Letters,21(2), 133-136. Gold, B., Vassell, C. (2015, November). Using risk management to balance agile methods: A study of the Scrum process. InKnowledge-Based Engineering and Innovation (KBEI), 2015 2nd International Conference on(pp. 49-54). IEEE. Hornstein, H. A. (2015). The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity.International Journal of Project Management,33(2), 291-298. Joslin, R., Mller, R. (2015). Relationships between a project management methodology and project success in different project governance contexts.International Journal of Project Management,33(6), 1377-1392. Kerzner, H., Kerzner, H. R. (2017).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Machado, T. C. S., Pinheiro, P. R., Tamanini, I. (2015). Project management aided by verbal decision analysis approaches: a case study for the selection of the best SCRUM practices.International Transactions in Operational Research,22(2), 287-312. Permana, P. A. G. (2015). Scrum method implementation in a software development project management.International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications,6(9), 198-204. pundak, M. (2014). Mixed agile/traditional project management methodologyreality or illusion?.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,119, 939-948. Tomanek, M., Juricek, J. (2015). Project risk management model based on PRINCE2 and SCRUM frameworks.arXiv preprint arXiv:1502.03595.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Lee Iacocca Essays - Transport, Automotive Industry,
Lee Iacocca Nate Spohn 11/1/00 Book Report Iacocca an Autobiography Lee Iacocca grew up in Allentown Pennsylvania, very close to my hometown of Boyertown Pa. My geographic connection with Iacocca is one of the reasons I chose to read his autobiography. We are both very interested in automobiles and automotive history, which connected me even further with Iacocca . Iacocca believes that you can become and achieve anything in life as long as you have strong determination and motivation. I too share this belief. Lee Iacocca did not focus his life on goals that others set for him; he followed his heart and his dreams, which someday is something I hope to be able to say about myself. Iacocca, the son of Italian immigrants grew up in an upper middle class family. His father started out with nothing and over many years, he managed to build a successful chain of hotdog restaurants in Pennsylvania. Because of his father's success and strong beliefs in the value of education, Iacocca grew up attending private schools and eventually found his way into Lehigh University. While attending, Lehigh Iacocca earned a degree in Mechanical engineering. Upon his graduation, he landed a very prestigious job with Ford Motor Company. In August 1946, Iacocca began his work in the engineering department of Ford. After a year of engineering Iacocca discovered that it was not what he wanted to do with his life, he wanted to be in sales. Ford agreed, which was the start of a very successful venture for Iacocca and the Ford Motor Company. Through many years of hard work, Iacocca was promoted to top management. This is where he found himself living his dream. He never wanted to leave work at the end of the day and could not wait to go back the next morning. Although Iacocca was doing very well and could not be happier, the Ford Motor Company was going through hard times. General Motors was really hurting Ford in sales and in innovations. In the late 50's and early 60's Ford produced cars that were just not selling and were real failures in the industry. Iacacco knew something had to be done, and he convinced president and CEO Henry Ford Jr. that he was the man to do it. Through many months of close arduous work with Ford's design team, Iaccoca came up with the Idea of the Mustang. Ford Jr. was no t at all excited about the idea, but at this point he figured he had nothing to lose. He decided to give Iacocca's Mustang a shot. This shot in the dark not only turned out to be the Ford Motor Companies' biggest success, but also the biggest automotive success in the world. In the first quarter of 1964, Mustang sales marked the highest level of automotive sales in history. In one year 418,812 Stangs were sold to American car buyers. No matter what anyone said, Iacocca was convinced that his Mustang would be a success. Actually, it ended up single handedly saving the Ford Motor Company from bankruptcy. At this point, Iacocca was known as a powerful and knowledgeable force in the automotive industry. However, this success and power came at a price. Henry Ford Jr. saw the success and praise Iacocca was receiving. He became scared that Iacocca was working toward eventually taking over Henry Ford's position as president and CEO of Ford Motor Company. The only solution Henry Ford saw to this problem was to fire Iacocca before he had the chance to take over his position at the top. Being fired after over 30 years of successful work at Ford left Iacocca scared and bitter towards Ford forever. At the age of fifty-four Iacocca felt too young to retire but too old to start working in a new kind of business. It turned out that he would not even have time to think about that dilemma. Chrysler was a failing company who needed the expertise and knowledge of Iacocca. Meetings between Iacocca and Chrysler were kept secret as to not involve the media. Iacocca wanted to be his own man; he was tired of working under someone else. He would not take a job with Chrysler unless he could be CEO and president.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Definition of Luddites
Definition of Luddites The Luddites were weavers in England in the early 19th century who were being put out of work by the introduction of machinery. They responded in dramatic fashion by organizing to attack and smash the new machines. The term Luddite is generally used today to describe someone who does not like, or does not comprehend, new technology, especially computers. But the actual Luddites, while they did attack machines, were not mindlessly opposed to any and all progress. The Luddites were actually rebelling against a profound change in their way of life and their economic circumstances. One could argue that the Luddites have gotten a bad rap. They were not stupidly attacking the future. And even when they did physically attack machinery, they showed a skill for effective organization.Ã And their crusade against the introduction of machinery was based on a reverence for traditional work. That may seem quaint, but the reality is that early machines used the textile industries produced work that was inferior to the traditional hand-crafted fabrics and garments. So some Luddite objections were based on a concern for quality workmanship. The outbreaks of Luddite violence in England began in late 1811 and escalated throughout the following months. By the spring of 1812, in some regions of England, attacks on machinery were occurring nearly every night. Parliament reacted by making destruction of machinery a capital crime and by the end of 1812 a number of Luddites had been arrested and executed. The Name Luddite Has Mysterious Roots The most common explanation of the name Luddite is that it is based on a boy named Ned Ludd who broke a machine, either on purpose or through clumsiness, in the 1790s. The story of Ned Ludd was told so often that to break a machine became known, in some English villages, to behave like Ned Ludd, or to do like Ludd. When the weavers who were being put out of work began to strike back by smashing machines, they said they were following the orders of General Ludd. As the movement spread they became known as Luddites. At times the Luddites sent letters or posted proclamations signed by the mythical leader General Ludd. The Introduction of Machines Outraged the Luddites Skilled workers, living and working in their own cottages, had been producing woolen cloth for generations. And the introduction of shearing frames in the 1790s began to industrialize the work. The frames were essentially several pairs of hand shears placed onto a machine which was operated by one man turning a crank. A single man at a shearing frame could do the work that had previously been done by a number of men cutting fabric with hand shears. Other devices to process wool came into use in the first decade of the 19th century. And by 1811 many textile workers realized that their very way of life was being threatened by the machines which could do the work faster. The Origins of the Luddite Movement The beginning of organized Luddite activity is often traced to an event in November 1811, when a group of weavers armed themselves with improvised weapons. Using hammers and axes, the men broke into a workshop in the village of Bulwell determined to smash frames, the machines used to shear wool. The incident turned violent when men guarding the workshop fired at the attackers, and the Luddites fired back. One of the Luddites was killed. Machines used in the emerging wool industry had been smashed before, but the incident at Bulwell raised the stakes considerably. And actions against machines began to accelerate. In December 1811, and into the early months of 1812, late-night attacks on machines continued in parts of the English countryside. Parliaments Reaction to the Luddites In January 1812 the British government sent 3,000 troops into the English Midlands in an effort to suppress Luddite attacks on machinery. The Luddites were being taken very seriously. In February 1812 the British Parliament took up the issue and began debating whether to make machine breaking an offense punishable by capital punishment. During the Parliamentary debates, one member of the House of Lords, Lord Byron, the young poet, spoke out against making frame breaking a capital crime. Lord Byron was sympathetic to the poverty which faced unemployed weavers, but his arguments did not change many minds. In early March 1812 frame breaking was made a capital offense. In other words, the destruction of machinery, specifically the machines that turned wool into cloth, was declared a crime on the same level as murder and could be punished by hanging. The British Militarys Response to the Luddites An improvised army of about 300 Luddites attacked a mill in the village of Dumb Steeple, England, in early April 1811. The mill had been fortified, and two Luddites were shot dead in a short battle in which the barricaded doors of the mill could not be forced open. The size of the attacking force led to rumors about a widespread uprising. By some reports there were guns and other weapons being smuggled in from Ireland, and there was a genuine fear that the entire countryside would rise up in rebellion against the government. Against that backdrop, a large military force commanded by General Thomas Maitland, who had previously put down rebellions in British colonies in India and the West Indies, was directed to end the Luddite violence. Informers and spies led to arrests of a number of Luddites throughout the summer of 1812. Trials were held at York in late 1812, and 14 Luddites were publicly hanged. Luddites convicted of lesser offenses were sentenced to punishment by transportation, and were sent to British penal colonies in Tasmania. The widespread Luddite violence came to an end by 1813, though there would be other outbreaks of machine breaking. And for several years public unrest, including riots, were linked to the Luddite cause. And, of course, the Luddites were not able to stop the influx of machinery. By the 1820s mechanization had essentially taken over the woolen trade, and later in the 1800s manufacture of cotton cloth, using very complex machinery, would be a major British industry. Indeed, by the 1850s machines were lauded. At the Great Exhibition of 1851 millions of excited spectators came to the Crystal Palace to watch new machines turn raw cotton into finished fabric.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
'As large firms embrace the benefits of traditional marketing, they Essay
'As large firms embrace the benefits of traditional marketing, they must also embrace the rigours of Web analytics to measure - Essay Example With big companies spending huge amounts of resources to market their products, it is essential that they make good decisions on how to invest on their marketing endeavors and to measure the returns on these investments. One of the tools used to provide metrics relating to online marketing is web analytics. This paper will discuss the importance of web analytics in measuring organizationsââ¬â¢ return on marketing investment. Web Analytics and Its Importance The web has grown to become a very powerful vehicle for communicating and marketing as noted by Burby and Atchison (2007, p1). It makes it easy for businesses to communicate fast and easily with millions of customers spread across the globe in real time. As a result, it has changed the speed at which businesses and their brands can be established and grow. The web has also shortened the distance between the marketer and the customer both physically and emotionally to the period of a click of the mouse Burby and Atchison (2007, p1). With many large organizations appreciating the value of having a web presence, they are prepared to invest if only there is bound to be good returns on their investment (Clifton 2012, p. 1). Organizations have therefore to decide how much to invest in their online marketing endeavours and establish the most cost effective way to market the site and have valuable leads that translate into sales. A few years ago, many organizations with a web presence could not tell who and how many visitors landed on their websites. This is no longer the case today. Many large organizations today have the capability of knowing a lot about the visitors to their websites and the activities that the visitors perform on these sites, thanks to web analytics Burby and Atchison (2007, p. 14). Web analytics involves collecting, measuring, analyzing and reporting data retrieved from the Internet with the aim of understanding and optimizing usage of the web as noted by Peterson (2004, p. 5). Some of the v ariables measured on-site include drivers and conversions. In other words, web analytics is mainly dedicated to generating more leads to an e-business, enhancing brand awareness, and learning more about customers and the business (Loveday & Niehaus 2007, p. 34). The information that the organization in this respect includes how the customers find an organizationââ¬â¢s website, how much they spend on each webpage and what they do when they land on the site. An organization, for example, can get to know which of the landing pages on a website lead more customers to purchase its goods or services online. Using this information, the organization can further optimize its web pages or make changes to some of its pages to attract more conversions (Napier 2006, 225). In addition to these, the organization may rely on web analytics to find a clue as to why visitors leave their website or a particular web page (Plaza 2009, p. 478). With this information, an organization can attract more vi sitors to their website and convert them into paying customers. Web analytics can be done on-site and off-site. Off-site web analytics involves the measurement of a websites visibility, potential audience, and buzz on the entire Internet (Farris, Bendle, Pfeifer & Reibstein, 2009, p. 54). On the other hand, on-site analytics involves
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Business Start Up Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Business Start Up - Assignment Example The person can also choose when to work and not to work when he is not highly motivated. This will give the person t produce high quality output. Working alone and being self-employed means being in control of all the decisions that has to make. The person gets to decide on his own business plan, his own quality assurance activities, pricing and marketing methods. At the sae time, there is a 100% job security; the person will never get fired. People usually do what they want to do unless they are otherwise motivated. They must be motivated by themselves or by an external stimulus. Motivation is, in effect, inducing others in a specific way towards goals specifically stated by the motivator. In an organization these goals, as the motivation system, must conform to the corporate policy of the organization. The motivational system must be tailored to fit the needs of the organization. Joining the world of the self-employed is very risky. Considering the freedom to choose how much time and when to work, who to work with, low operating cost, no hassle in beating the office hours, if everything goes well, earning more money is very possible without working for someone else, it is worth the risk. 2. Skills Required Entrepreneurship is a term in business that is always mistaken as something synonymous with small business. Basically, a businessman cannot be considered as an entrepreneur just by initiating the business, but rather by having a behaviour pattern that concentrates on opportunity rather than resources (Drucker, 2002). This behaviour can be applied in either small or corporate businesses, by any manager or leader. It can be said that referring entrepreneur as an individual who creates a business literally is incomplete, as the term also signifies most importantly a pattern of behaviour and attitude, and not just the tangible sole proprietor of the organization or the business. Churchill (1992) defined it "as the process of uncovering and developing opportunity to create value through innovation and seizing the opportunity without regard to either resources (human or capital) or the location of the entrepreneur - in a new or existing company" (p.586). Hofstede (1997) stated the definition of entrepreneurship in other terms, referring it as "a process that takes place in different environments and settings which causes changes in the economic system through innovations brought about by individuals who generate or respond to economic opportunities that create value for both those individuals and society" (p.352). In other words, it is considered as individual or organizational level phenomena, or the experience of continuously searching for growth through improvement and innovation. The entrepreneur must possess typical characteristics such as: the ability to take risks; innovativeness; knowledge on how the market functions; manufacturing know-how; marketing skills; business management skills; interpersonal skills, organizational skills (that I already have ) and the ability to cooperate (Buheiry, 1989). Possessed with such characteristics, entrepreneurs have shaped literally the economic condition of the world as we see it. They are the ones who are
Monday, January 27, 2020
Puma Ag Rudolf Dassler Sport Marketing Essay
Puma Ag Rudolf Dassler Sport Marketing Essay Introduction The Report presents a comprehensive analysis of NIKE INC. NIKE was founded in January 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight and incorporated in 1968 under the laws of the state of Oregon. Its worlds leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Product/Service Nike produces a wide range of Footwear, Apparel and Sports Equipments. Nikes Wholly-owned subsidiaries include Cole Haan, Converse Inc, Hurley International LLC and Umbro Ltd Target Market Nikes target market for their shoes, clothes and other accessories are males and females between 18 and 35 years old. It also targets active and sporty people as it provides products for all kinds of sports. Goals and Objectives Nikes goal is toà carry on his legacy of innovative thinking, whetherà to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential, or to create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders. Management Philip H. Knight, Chairman of the Board of Directors Mark Parker, President Chief Executive Officer, NIKE, Inc. Charlie Denson, President, NIKE Brand INTRODUCTION NIKE was founded in January 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight and incorporated in 1968 under the laws of the state of Oregon. Its worlds leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Nike became globally recognized for its swoosh logo and its trademark slogan Just do it. Nikes Wholly-owned subsidiaries include: Cole Haan which designs markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats. Converse Inc which designs markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. Hurley International LLC which designs markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. Umbro Ltd is leading United Kingdom based global football (soccer) brand. http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/nke/description http://invest.nike.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=100529p=irol-newsArticleID=1380811highlight= http://www.ehow.com/about_6465548_nike-uses-endorsements-sponsorships.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike,_Inc. THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT Geographical Market Nikes world headquarters is located near Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland.Today Nike operates in more than 160 countries around the globe like U.S, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Americas. http://www.nikebiz.com/?sitesrc=emealp Business Nike specializes in Footwear, apparels and equipments. In addition to its namesake Nike brand, the company also develops and markets footwear and apparel products under the Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley International, and Umbro Inc which are nikes owned subsidiaries. http://www.nikebiz.com/?sitesrc=emealp Pest-G Analysis Nike is an international organization and needs to focus on macro environmental factors. Macro environmental factors comprise Political, Economics, Society, and Technology. http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-business-essays/nike-business-essay/ BCG Matrix Nike is established within its markets from economies of scale. Hence places them in the Cash Cows category on the BCG Matrix. Cash cows market growth has slowed and hence the products hold a fairly stable market share. http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-business-essays/nike-business-essay/ THE COMPETITION Main Competitors The main competitors of Nike are:- Adidas AG New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/42/42602.html Sales and Profit trends Adidas AG During the first half of the year 2010, Adidas sales are à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬ 5590 millions and profit is à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬ 2727 millions. There is an increase of 11% of sales and an increase of 20.2% of profit in 2010. http://www.adidas-group.com/en/investorrelations/financial_data/income_statement/default.aspx New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc At the end of the year 2008, the total revenue was 1640.00 M. http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/42/42602.html PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport At the end of year 2009, the total revenue was 3526.70 M. http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/91/91292.html Market share Adidas AG Adidas acquires 6% of the global athletic apparel market and 16% of the global athletic footwear market. New balance Athletic Shoes Inc New Balance Athletic Shoes acquires 6% of the global athletic footwear market. PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport Puma acquires 2% of the global athletic apparel market and 7% of the global athletic footwear market. http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Nike_(NKE)#Market_Share Target markets Adidas Adidass target market is mainly the urban youth with the brand position and the potential target market is the principal consumption centers like the metros. http://www.scribd.com/doc/8760709/Adidas New Balance Athletic Shoes Inc New Balance target young consumers with the same zeal of its rivals http://www.answers.com/topic/new-balance-athletic-shoe-inc Puma AG By shifting their brand proposition Puma broadened their target market from solely sport to lifestyle and even fashion. http://www.nundroo.com/archives/000008.html THE COMPANY Sales and profit trends During the year 2009, Nikes sales were $2,583 million whereas in 2010 it is $2741 million. The profits earned during the year 2009 were $2216 million whereas in 2010 it is $2434 million. There is an increase of 6% in profits and 10% in sales in the year 2010. http://invest.nike.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=100529p=irol-finReporting Market share Nike is the clear market leader with 31% of the global athletic footwear market and 7% of the global athletic apparel market. http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Nike_(NKE)#Market_Share Business sectors Footwear Nike specializes in athletic footwear particularly in running, cross-training, basketball, and soccer. It also sells sport-inspired casual footwear like its Air Force Ones footwear line. Nikes Footwear sales increased by 14% in 2009 reaching about $10.3 billion. Hence 54% of revenue comes from the footwear sector. Apparel Nike also sells sports apparel such as running shorts, t-shirts, and licensed apparel (with logos of college and professional sports teams). Apparel sales totaled $5.24 billion in 2009, a 0.2% increase from a year earlier. Equipments Nike also sells sports equipment such as balls, protective equipment, and golf clubs. Sales of Nike branded equipment has reached $1.11 billion in 2009 which resulted in 9.5% increase from 2008. Others Nike also sells apparel and footwear under the Nike Golf, Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley International, and Umbro brand names. http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Nike_(NKE)#Market_Sharen Project focus Since Nike is specialized and famous in athletic footwear, I have selected footwear sector as my project focus. SWOT analysis http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/swot-analysis-nike.html THE COMPANYS MARKETING STRATEGY Segmentation According to Philip Kotler Market Segmentation is the subdividing of market into homogeneous sub-set of customers, where any subset may conceivably be selected as market target to be reached with distinct Marketing Mix. (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() Nike segments the international markets by geographic location; the United States, the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Targeting A target market or target audience is a group of customers that the business has decided to aim its marketing efforts and ultimately its merchandise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_market Nikes target market for their shoes, clothes and other accessories are males and females between 18 and 35 years old. It also targets active and sporty people as it provides products for all kinds of sports. (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() Positioning The process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positioning_(marketing) Nike products are easily available in different retail and outlet stores all over the world such as Sun and Sand Sports. Nike products are also available at their own Nike store online and Nike town. Differentiation/Low Cost Leadership/Focus Low price compare to its high quality products. Edge cutting products. E.g. Nike + iPod Cushioning technologies in its shoes. Patents all its new technologies Growth Strategy To create innovative products, amazing brand experiences, and premium retail destinations wherever consumers connect with NIKE. -Mark Parker, President and CEO, NIKE, Inc http://www.nikebiz.com/media/pr/2010/09/23_FY11Q1Earnings.html Generic strategy Nike uses network structure Nike implemented Differentiation Strategies THE MARKETING MIX Product Nike is trying to meet the consumer needs. Nike realizes that the clients could be participating in more than one sporting event and they need a huge range of products to meet all their sporting needs. The Companys innovation has added great value to its products. For example, there are some Nike shoes that have been installed with radio devices to measure runners pace. Nikes quality products, loyal customer base and its great marketing techniques all contribute to make the shoe empire a huge success. Some of the Nike shoes are Nike Jordon, Nike air force classic, Nike air max, Nike Shox etc. http://www.pickyourshoes.com/size/nike_air_forces.htm http://www.upublish.info/Article/Marketing-Mix-for-Nike/314859 http://shopping.aol.com/articles/2008/05/12/nike-shoes/ Price Nike has designed to be competitive to other fashion shoe retailers. Nike targets the consumers who accept product intimacy and thus care less about the product. This enables Nike to set pretty higher prices than its competitors. This strategy helps to push product perceived product value. Once the consumers develop product intimacy, they come to associate their person with the product and will pay whatever price quoted on the product with Nike logo on it. Nike uses the vertical integration pricing strategy in which the steps involved in the production and/or distribution of a product or service are controlled by NIKE, in order to increase that companys or entitys power in the marketplace. http://www.upublish.info/Article/Marketing-Mix-for-Nike/314859 http://www.suite101.com/content/audit-on-nikes-marketing-strategies-a94404 Place Nike shoes are sold in multi-brand stores and the exclusive Nike stores across the globe. Nike sells its product to about 20,000 retail accounts in the U.S. and in almost 200 countries around the world (http://www.suite101.com/content/audit-on-nikes-marketing-strategies-a94404) . The Company sells its products directly or it uses subsidiaries and distributors. It also sells its products through internet as it has its own online Nike store and Nike town. Because the company is located all over the world and it also uses licensed distributors because it is rather difficult to reach all those parts of the globe. http://www.upublish.info/Article/Marketing-Mix-for-Nike/314859 Promotion Nike has a number of famous athletes that serve as brand ambassadors such as the Brazilian Soccer Team (especially Ronaldino, Renaldo, and Roberto Carlos), Lebron James and Jermane ONeal for basketball, Lance Armstrong for cycling, and Tiger Woods for Golf. Sponsoring of events is another great promotional technique for Nike. Web sites are a great promotional tool as they cover these events. Events like Hoop It Up and The Golden West Invitational. Nike make the websites exclusively for a sport such as nikebasketball.com, nikefootball.com, and nikegolf.com http://www.upublish.info/Article/Marketing-Mix-for-Nike/314859 EVALUATION OF COMPANYS STRATEGIES AND TACTICS Evaluation of companys current position Strong brand recognition. Top endorser. Global leader in athletic shoe market. The swoosh is nationally recognized by 97 percent of the American population. Nike is leading the U.S. marketplace in athletic footwear. Through aggressive advertising, endorsements by the leading professional athletes in nearly every major sport, and a high-quality product, Nike has been able to sustain a competitive advantage. They continue to show growth in the athletic footwear industry. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/17947394/With-adidas-and-Reebok-Combined_-Will-Nike-Still-Crush-the Evidence of companys success (refer to the graphs in appendix) The total revenue during 2010 was $19014 million, a little less than the previous year. EPS performance of Nike has increased from $3.03 in 2009 to $3.86 in 2010. Return on invested capital has also increased from 17.8% in 2009 to 20.7% in 2010. The gross profit has increased from $8,604,400 in 2009 to $8,800,400 in 2010. The net income has increased from $1,486,700à in 2009 to $1,906,700 in 2010. Revenue distributions of Nike in international markets have increased from 49% in 2009 to 53% in 2010. Increased stock performance by 90% in comparison of SP 500. Nike has always remained on the preference list of athletes and athletic footwear was indeed the first category of products launched by the company more than 30 years ago. Today, you can see the craze for its products, not only among athletes, but also among golfers and other sportspeople. http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/10/100529/nike-ar-20100804/index.html#select_financials Prospects for future growth/success. Offer economical price to variable consumers around the world. Open up more stores and franchise to reach maximum buyers. Have more communication with their customers and receive feedback from them to help create imagine that Nike care for its customers. Come up with more new ideas of designing the shoes. CONCLUSION Nike, Inc. is a company rooted in competition. From equipping athletes with the finest sports equipment in the world to continuously improving their financial performance, Nike dominates its competitors. Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman probably could not have imagined in 1962 to what degree their $500 investments would yield in 2010. They did know that product quality and innovation would help athletes to achieve greater goals. It is one that has helped athletes and stakeholders alike to realize athletic and financial greatness. Despite a changing marketplace for athletic footwear, Nike wants to expand their product lines and marketing reach to become a more powerful global brand. Nike has existed for more than 35 years and is still willing to travel a long distance of popularity. APPENDICES 400px-Footwear_market_shares.png400px-Apparel_market_shares.pnghttp://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Nike_(NKE)#Market_Share chart-revenue.gif chart-eps.gifchart-roi.gif chart-stock.gif chart-distrib.gif http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/10/100529/nike-ar-20100804/index.html#select_financials
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