Play Production In The Greek & Elizabethan Eras Essay Example for Free

Play Production In The Greek Elizabethan Eras Essay The contemporary Greek play was an amalgamation of several artistic tools like pictures for example the one shown below which conveyed strong message to the audience. There were numerous other scenic elements used in the Greek theater. When a crane was used (called machina in Greek), it gave an impression of an airborne actor. A wheeled wagon was also common in the Greek playhouses and it made it possible for the audience to view dead characters. Openings in the ground, for example trap doors, were vital as they were used to elevate people onto the stage. Pictures like the one above, pinakes, were used to demonstrate a scenes backdrop. Satyr plays were very common in the Greek playhouses just as were the tragedies. Phallic props were used in such plays to symbolize fertility in of the Roman and the Greek god of wine- Dionysus. Elizabethan acting was not any near ‘naturalistic.’ The repertory of the Elizabethan era was extremely divergent from that of the present as was the demands on Elizabethan actors compared to the present day’s actors. Elizabethan theaters in two weeks could frequently present â€Å"eleven shows of ten dissimilar plays†. Playhouses would not show again the same play two days in a row. The Elizabethan Era was moment that reflected the atmosphere and values of the 16th century through the application of fashion. It was a phase where a lot of uniqueness and originality was manifest and was used to produce fresh styles of dress. The style in Elizabethan England at this time replicated the worth and principles of the era. The physical theatre spaces, sets, Costumes, Lights, Who would be in the audience Much may not be available to talk about the performance space for the Greek plays. This because all that is available for consultation is basically the works of literature. However, the Greek performances took place in theaters which could be subdivided into three: Athenian, Graeco-Roman and Hellenistic. In the Elizabethan era the theater consisted of theater not only as a form of art but also as a form of institution as well. There was originality then as evidenced in dressing styles and the costumes. However, the Elizabethan playhouse never made use of prolific or lavish scenery, but as an alternative the stage was left largely exposed with a few key props, the chief visual appeal on stage was in the costumes. Costumes were habitually brilliant in color and visually enchanting. Costumes were expensive, nonetheless, so generally players wore fashionable clothing in spite of the time interlude of the play. Intermittently, a lead character would be dressed in a conventionalized edition of more historically accurate apparel, but secondary characters would nevertheless remain in fashionable attire- (Bracewell, N. 1999). The Greek theaters were filled with Athenians who formed a majority of the judges (audience). There was an extremely large audience who were won by the playwrights through distribution of small gifts and flattery as well. Dealing with rowdy (in the strict sense of being extremely loud) was a challenge the playwrights had learned to deal with through performance of some outrageous and interesting act to draw the attention of the spectators. What might be the topic of a play in theater?   What was not acceptable as a topic for a play? The Greek plays circulated around tragedies, comedies or satyrs. This was also the case with Elizabethan era whose plays got much support fro the queen. In the Greek era women were forbidden from acting thus all the actors then were men. In terms of the experience, in relation to the Elizabethan era, the religiosity of the community or the individual played a major role. However, most of those who went to the theaters enjoyed dancing and playing other games like cards. In the Greek era, it was quite a motivating factor that every day of performance there had to be at least totally different issue or subject matter of performance. It would therefore motivate audience who crowded the Athenian theaters to have their full experience. In this era too, the experience of an individual was wholly or jointly dependent on the social class of the community or individual. The higher caste would have their best when it comedy while the lower class individuals were little more violent- (Ruben F. 2006).

How The Role Of Women Has Changed History Essay

How The Role Of Women Has Changed History Essay The role of women has greatly changed since 1840. One of the most significant changes for women has been with the power to have control over their bodies. In the 1840s women had the idea that they were only housewives and that was their duty. This idea is significantly different from that of the 20th century. The ideology of true womanhood was a widespread idea that women and men were complete opposites with almost no common traits that transcended the differences of gender in 1800s. There were two separate spheres; women were in charge of the private sphere, or the family sphere, while the men controlled the public sphere, which contained all the politics. Women had the responsibility of teaching their young children, especially educating their young sons to be prominent members of society. This mainly was an ideology that was embraced by the middle-class white women. Working class women did not fit into this category. Some women began to work in factories instead of doing domestic housework, such as the mill girls of Lowell. Black slave women were also exempt from this category. Slave women were not allowed to live with their families, be educated, marry, or raise children-all of which are some of the basic needs to fulfill the ideology of true womanhood. Even though the ideology of tru e womanhood was a widespread idea, it does not include all women. 1843 saw the beginning of the westward movement of Americans. The role of women has not changed in recent years. On the trail, women had the responsibilities of childbearing and childrearing. These women lived out of wagons for half a year or longer, where they cooked and cleaned and raised the children as best they could. This decision to uproot and make the journey to the west caused a great deal of domestic tensions. One woman, Keturah Belknap, recorded a fight between a wife and a husband from a near-by wagon, She wants to turn back and he wont, so she says he will go and leave him . . . with that crying baby. She wrote, [I heard a] muffled cry and a heavy thud as if something was thrown against the wagon box. She then heard the woman cry. Oh youve killed it, to which the husband replied, he would give her more of the same. When women had to deviate from their distinct responsibilities, such as keeping house, and help the men with their responsibilities, they were reluctant rathe r than seizing the chance to show that they could do a mans job. Women did not complain that the work was difficult, but more that it was unladylike. White women were not the only women that suffered along these journeys. Mexican women that were living in the south were pushed aside as American women moved their way into their lands. These self-identified respectable white women shunned prostitutes and female adventurers. Indian women were degraded to the status of domestic servants and at the time of the outbreak of the civil war, Mexican women were beginning to be of the same status. Womens sexuality was heavily suppressed during these time periods. The average period between births for whit women specifically in 1850 was twenty-nine months, it is a reasonable assumption that many, possibly most, women were either pregnant, nursing or caring for infants while living on the wagons. However, pregnancy was not discussed publicly even though confinement of the pregnant women was not possible while living on the wagons. Historians can only deduct that a woman was pregnant was through a womans references to getting sick, followed soon afterward by mention of a new child. An example of this comes from the writing of Amelia Stewart Knight in her 1853 trail diary. She wrote, Got my washing and cooking done and started on again . . . (here I was sick all night, caused by my washing and working too hard). Then, within two weeks and her trip almost to an end, she gave birth to her eighth child. The entire time she had been pregnant and had not directly referred to it in her diary. Once the journey was at an end and the white Americans begin their lives in the West, the Native Women and Mexican citizens were not fairing so well. They were pushed aside in the beginning were violently pushed to the side, were now experiencing conquest and displacement. This expansion set women against each other on the basis of race, culture and ethnicity. Hunger and diseases that were brought by the emigrating white Americans were spreading through the Plains Indian tribes. The Indian women were forced to beg for food and money. Many Native women began to hang around US Army forts and trade posts where they had informal sexual and domestic unions with white men. Unfortunately, these relations never worked out. Once the white men found a white woman he wanted to marry, he abandoned the Native woman. In many cases this happened and the womans Native communities would not allow them to return, so they ended up on the edge of white culture, serving as domestic servants to white wome n and prostitutes to white men. As prostitutes, these women were often met with scorn and called a black dirty squaw. The word squaw was originally used as a name for Indian Woman but had come to have a negative implication of sexual degradation and unrelenting, unrewarded, and unskilled female labor. The Antebellum reforms came in 1840 and continued up until the Civil War. These reformers pushed beyond established social and cultural norms in their attempts to improve, even perfect, both the individual and society. Women played a prominent role in these reforms. Their modest efforts on behalf of their communitys welfare were compatible with domesticity and female respectability. Over time their dedication to moral and social causes pushed them beyond their homebound roles and allotted sphere. Some women even made the step into new gender territory. Womens enthusiasm for moral reforms suggests that family and sexual life were important concerns to women antebellum reformers. The nuclear family that was central to the idea of domesticity was also a place of domestic violence, sexual abuse and female disempowerment. Many women antebellum reformers called for more radical changes in womens sexual and reproductive lives. Womens menstrual, reproductive and sexual dissatisfaction made t hem eager advocates and consumers of health reform. These women did not trust the questionable diagnoses of regular physicians so many health activists developed alternative therapeutic methods to increase body vitality using only natural and non-evasive approaches. They also urged women to take cold water baths and wear loose-fitting clothing which would offer comfort to those women who were worn out from too many and too frequent pregnancies. Mary Gove Nichols was an outspoken critic of the sexual abuses hidden with in marital life. She gave speeches about womens sexuality, their frustrations and sufferings in marriage. Few nineteenth century women ever encountered such direct speech about female sexuality. Womens rights were talking a big stride during this time period and women were being more outspoken about their bodies and their sexual well-being. There was a great reconstruction period from 1865 until the 1900. During this time there came a great change in womens lives. In the North, women were challenging the government and looking for equal rights for women. Black women in the South were confronting the challenges and dangers of their newfound freedom. After the defeat of the Confederacy in the Civil War, slaves were beginning to become educated and have families of their own. However, there were many racial conflicts in the aftermath of slavery. Whites charged that black men were sexual predators seeking access to white women. The irony to these accusations was that under slavery, it was the white man who took advantage of their slaves and had unrestricted access to black women. Middle class and upper class women created today what is called the Womens Era as they pursued new opportunities in education, civic organization and public authority. As the industrial society grew, more women wage earners entered the system and brought with them their determination to join in the efforts to bring democracy to American class relations. Immigration was a big change that came in the nineteenth century as well. Immigrant mothers stayed at home while teenage daughters became their familys secondary wage earners. Young daughters tried to move toward modern society while their mothers tried to keep them in the Old-World traditions. These women also often became domestic servants for white women and they had no choice but to do this degrading work because of poverty. In 1914, there was a great surfacing of feminism. As the votes-for-women campaign gained momentum, the idea of modernizing womanhood and feminism began to grow. The agenda of these feminists, who were suffragists-but not all suffragists, were feminists- was to embrace female individuality, sexual freedom and birth control. This feminism was more of a cultural development rather than a movement. Rheta Childe Dorr wrote, Feminism was something with dynamite in it. It is the state of mind of women who realize that their whole position in the social order is antiquated . . . made of old materials, worn out laws, customs, conventions, fetishes, traditions and taboos. This feminism brought along with it the birth control movement. Earlier womens rights campaigns had urged women to undertake pregnancy only voluntarily. Harriot Stanton Blach said in her speech in 1891 that, Motherhood is sacred-that is, voluntary motherhood; but the woman who bears unwelcome children is outraging every duty she owes the race . . . [Women] should refuse to prostitute their creative powers, and so jeopardize the progress of the human race. (pg.349). Margaret Sanger, a daughter of Irish immigrants, opened the first American birth control clinic. Days after it opened she was arrested for promoting birth control. When she was released, she continued to dedicate herself to the cause. Contraception became more acceptable and more widely advertised in the 1920s. But in the prewar years, birth control was a radical idea that challenged traditional ideas of womens sexuality and reproduction. During the Cold War years, another great emphasis was put on domesticity and family life because of the red scare, or the scare of communists. During this time the idea of feminine mystique was brought about. One woman, Betty Friedan, captured this idea. She attacked mass media for encouraging women to gain a sense of personal creativity through the use of cake mixes and floor waxes. She criticized popular magazines for psychologists for prescribing tranquilizers for neurotic women instead of examining the social bases of their unhappiness. In her book, The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan wrote, . . .the problem that has no name stirring in the minds of so many American women today is not a matter of loss of femininity or too much education, or the demands of domesticity. . . It was in these women that I first began to notice the tell-tale signs of the problem that has no name; their voices were full and flat, or nervous and jittery; they were listless and bored, or frantically busy around the house or community. They talked about fulfillment in the wife-and-mother terms of the mystique, but they were desperately eager to talk about this other problem with which they seemed to be familiar with. The ideology of feminine mystique is best understood as a prescription for female behavior indicted by those Americans eager to reinforce strict gender roles, and therefore find a means of social order. The feminist movement also encouraged women to exercise control over their bodies. Women liberation groups particularly addressed womens health and reproduction along with the issues of abuse and violence. A major concern was rape and other sorts of violence towards women and to bring it to the attention of the public. Before womens liberation groups, rape victims were accused of dressing provocatively and asking for it. As they women brought this problem forward, it came clear how many sexual assaults went unreported. This campaign by women liberators gave women more control over their bodies and focalized also on womens quest for sexual self-determination and its relationship to abortion. As you can see, the idea of control over a womans body and its reproductive rights has greatly changed over since the 1840s. Women used to believe that their only responsibility was childbearing, childrearing and keeping house. Also, that they were subject to their husbands and had no voice. Reforms that began at the beginning of the century allowed women to have a voice and gain the control they rightly deserved over their own bodies. If these women were not brave enough to make the steps toward individualism, we would not be where we women are today.

The Golden Gate Bridge Essay -- Construction Bridges Engineering Essay

The Golden Gate Bridge Since the dawn of time, man has had an inherent need to get to the other side. Rivers, canyons, and impassable trails have always hindered the migration of man, leaving him the choice to continue no further, or to â€Å"build a bridge and get over it.† The earliest bridges were made of simple materials such as stone, or even a fallen log. Regardless of the material, natural bridges allowed man to explore the â€Å"other side.† However, man has never been satisfied with what nature gives him. Over time, man developed the ability to construct his own bridges in order to create a shortcut across an otherwise impassable obstacle. The first man-made bridges consisted of wooden beams or stone arches. With each bridge, he added improvements such as cables for stability or larger abutments to support a larger load. Eventually, man entered the age of steel. Steel truss beams coupled with steel cables increased bridge spans considerably and allowed for a larger weight ca pacity. Now man was crossing distances only boats had taken people before. Various bridge styles also developed. Suspension, cable-stayed, steel arch, steel truss, and reinforced concrete arch bridges are all modern types of bridges, each with its own usefulness and design. The longest and most recognizable bridge type is the suspension bridge. These structures can span distances from 2000 to 7000 feet. As its name dictates, a suspension bridge suspends the roadway from heavy steel cables that run from one length of the bridge to the other. The cables are then fastened at large concrete anchorages at each end. Arguably the most well known suspension bridge is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. While actual constructi... ...pring96/lui.html (November 9, 2004). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] http://www.americahurrah.com/SanFrancisco/GoldenGateBridge/4-SanFranciscoTower.htm [2] http://www.americahurrah.com/SanFrancisco/GoldenGateBridge/6-CableSpinning.htm [3] http://www.americahurrah.com/SanFrancisco/GoldenGateBridge/7-Roadway.htm [4] http://www.goldengatebridge.org/research/factsGGBDesign.html#ConcreteQuantities [5] http://www.sightseeingworld.com/SanFrancisco/goldengatebridge.htm [6] http://www.goldengatebridge.org/research/factsGGBLighting.html [7] http://www.sdsc.edu/GatherScatter/GSspring96/lui.html#list [8] http://www.goldengatebridge.org/research/factsGGBIntOrngPaint.html [9] http://www.goldengatebridge.org/research/majggbimprove.html [10] http://www.goldengatebridge.org/research/GGBTraffToll.html

Reducing Logistic Costs for Ladner Building Products Essay -- Business

Reducing Logistic Costs for Ladner Building Products Introduction: Ladner is a National building materials distributor with 15-distribution centres nation wide. Recently, the company had been experiencing a loss due to high costs. This issue has become a dangerous problem at Ladner, and top management is now looking to understand the causes of this problem. Recommendations: Ladner can take one or a combination of the following options to improve its situation: - Reducing transportation costs by re-organizing the deliveries and encouraging pick-ups. - Changing staff evaluation methods so that they are aware of costs involved in Ladner's processes. - Changing and re-organizing the customer and product base. Analysis of transportation process: It is easy to see from a first look at exhibit 3 and exhibit 4 (that are provided in the readings) that the delivery process always produces losses. The total cost is always more than what the customer is charged. This is mainly due to customer rebates on delivery charges. Which means this loss in the delivery process is eating up from the profit margins of the company. Ladner has a few options here. They can cancel all delivery rebates for all future deliveries (or reduce them), they can increase the charge on deliveries, and/or they can organize their deliveries better to reduce costs. The latter option is more favourable and is discussed in the following three paragraphs. Taking the Ontario region as an example that represents all regions, one can analyze the two transportation costs: when transporting to a local customer, and when transporting to a customer in a rural region. (See exhibit D) For local runs, the carriers were paid a high hourly salary ($34), and a relatively low per kilometre rate ($0.37). As a result, for Ladner to reduce its transportation costs for local runs, it should minimize the travelling time. In other words, each time the courier should make one trip to serve all customers who are located in the same area and make as many drops as possible. Moreover, it would be useful here to find out what?s the longest segment in the process of delivering to customers? Is it the trip to a certain area, or the drop-off time? If it was the drop-off time, then maybe the deliveries should be organized to minimize drop-offs. Maybe Ladner should... ...afely assume that it can increase its market share in any product if enough effort and promotion is put into it). It will be useful here to find out what are the actual numbers for this trade off? Then Ladner can form a strategy to increase overall profit margins by changing the customer base. For example, if the costs of storage and handling are relatively higher, then Ladner could try to increase sales of industrial products, which have a relatively high profit margin and medium SKU space requirements. On the other hand, it could reduce sales of allied products, which have high SKU space requirements. This product base management can be done in an indirect way as well. It is mentioned in the case that Ladner?s sales staff are evaluated on the basis of product gross margins. This ignores the costs of handling, storage and transportation. Ladner?s management can introduce a new evaluation method that would include these costs. The end result would be that sales representatives would try to sell the most profitable product to the most profitable customer after taking into consideration all the costs. In other words, better customer and product base selection.

Mang Inasal: Humble Stories and Where They Are Today Essay

The epitome of success could never be achieved if one did not set a foot at the bottom of the staircase. Did you know that Mang Inasal, one of the most preferred dining places of the Filipinos today, can prove this? Where Did Mang Inasal start? Establishing its first branch in a 3-year-old unoccupied space in Robinsons Mall Carpark, Iloilo on December 12, 2003, Mang Inasal quickly became a hit for the Ilonggos. Of course, it would not be done without the efforts of its owner, Mr. Edgar Sia II. After conducting a research on what could be the common â€Å"taste† of the 16 regions in the Philippines, Sia figured out that â€Å"barbecue† (or simply, Inasal in Ilonggo) is the mass appeal—a feat that has been capturing the hearts and empty stomachs of the Filipino people. Before enterprising his business to Luzon, specifically in Manila, Mang Inasal opened its second outlet in Roxas City, Sia’s hometown. With this, his business bloomed in the provinces to 26 branches; a proof that his Inasal has really caught the Filipino tastebuds. In 2006, he finally opened his outlet in Manila, a venture that he referred to as the â€Å"make-or-break† city. It was during this year when the city was in the middle of rice shortage (and as we all know, rice is a primary food for the Filipinos). This was where he opened the â€Å"Unli Rice† promo, which was only supposed to run for two months. Seeing that it has attracted more customers, the promo became permanent and is now being simulated by other fast food chains. Where is Mang Inasal today? Right now, Mang Inasal runs in 433 outlets across the country, and is now the second largest fast food chain next to Jollibee and ahead of McDonalds, with Manila having above 100 Mang Inasal branches. As of the moment, Mang Inasal is present in an estimate of 70 cities, and is continuously being expanded. Mang Inasal’s accounts of success stories are not limited to the expansion of its stores, but it can also be remarked with how it can help in alleviating the unemployment rate in the country. Due to its â€Å"grilled chicken† nature, Mang Inasal’s natural way of cooking chicken also depends  on the suppliers of kalamansi, charcoal, banana leaves, vegetables, bamboo sticks, and any other ingredients. Although Mang Inasal has already been sold to the giant company, Jollibee Food Corp., it continues to brandish its own uniqueness and ubiquity, bringing the favorite Filipino dish to all Pinoys across the country, the inasal chicken way. Trivia: 1. Did you know that Mang Inasal means â€Å"Mr. Barbecue?† 2. Mang Inasal is not only known for its delicious food, but with its affordable, permanent, rice-all-you-can promo, equipped with quick service. 3. Edgar Sia II is actually an architecture drop-out, but he was still able to establish a successful fast-food chain! How cool is that? 4. Also, Edgar Sia II gained 3Billion after selling Mang Inasal to Jollibee, a feat that proves how much of a successful businessman he is, and how high he has propelled Mang Inasal to success. 5. Mang Inasal’s success follows this formula: good business concept + quality of food + exceptional marketing strategy + affordable pricing and even expansion + the X Factor (blessing of God), which should be dealt with the right asal (behavior).

The Strengths and Weakness of the Airborne Express

In a highly competitive industry the structure of a firm is very important to its success. Today firms are moving away from the centralized structure of the past, and adopting a more decentralized structure (Management Challenges in the 21st Century p 315). The air express industry is no exception. FedEx, the leader in the air express industry since the late eighties, is also leading U.P.S. in the race to become decentralized. Airborne Express is not even in the race. In order to compete in today†s changing environment, Airborne Express needs to move away from its old fashioned centralized structure and form a more decentralized structure. The old fashioned structure is not the only variable that makes Airborne the follower in the air express industry. The Internet and information systems are transforming the air express market into an electronic commerce market, and Airborne needs to transform it†s operations to meet this growing market. This report describes the strengths and weakness of the organizational structure of Airborne Express. Furthermore, it also gives recommendations for future changes in Airborne Express. The first section of this report addresses how the organization of the firm evolved, and what changes are taking place structurally in its industry. The second section discusses labor issues in the air express industry and how they affect Airborne Express. The third section addresses the growing electronic commerce market and how it†s affecting the industry and Airborne Express. During the eighties many air express companies were formed and many were destroyed. However, three companies came out of this highly competitive period on top. They were FedEx, U.P.S. and Airborne Express. Airborne survived this highly competitive period by adapting to the external forces affecting the industry. One of the external forces affecting Airborne was the size of the competition. U.P.S. and FedEx were just swallowing up competitors. So Airborne decided the best way to compete was to be the low-cost provider of air express service. Robert Cline, CEO of Airborne explains their strategy â€Å"When you are up against UPS and Federal Express, those guys are so big and so well capitalized that you have to have a tool to fight with them. It wasn†t going to be size; it wasn†t going to be how well-known we were. So, we decided to be the low-cost operator.†(Washington CEO P 33). However, to become the low cost operator Airborne had to make many structural changes. One of those structural changes was that Airborne centralized its organization as much as possible. After all, why pay middle management high salaries when upper management can make all the decisions. Furthermore, what CEO would trust middle management to make decisions during the unstable period of the company†s history? Another major change Airborne underwent in the eighties, was to differentiate its service. Unlike its two major competitors, FedEx and UPS, Airborne changed its strategy to concentrate on providing services for large corporations (Airborne Express†s 10-K form p5). This strategic change not only gave Airborne product differentiation and market specialization, but also benefited by taking away the need for advertising. Therefore, it could save the $35 to $40 million it was spending a year on advertising, and use it to help become the low-cost operator (Washington CEO p 36). Airborne made important structural and strategic changes in the eighties, which contributed to its success. However, in the nineties, Airborne is reluctant to change with the environment. As mentioned earlier, many firms are moving towards a more decentralized structure. Airborne seems to be using the same structure that got it through the eighties. Consequently, its decision making is still coming from top management, and no responsibility is being delegated to lower management. FedEx however, has experienced growing success by using a decentralized structure. â€Å"Delegation, as demonstrated by FedEx, can lead to a more empowered work force and resulting heightened productivity and quality, reduced costs, more innovation, improved customer service, and greater commitment from employees† (Management Challenges in the 21st Century p 285). Airborne†s centralized structure is also one the reasons its been experiencing labor problems. The last few years have plagued the air express industry with labor problems that have kept CEO†s of major companies like UPS, FedEx, and Airborne Express on their toes (The New York Times Nov 1998). Since the UPS strike of 1997, air express companies are fighting to keep good relations with their workers. The Teamsters† strike with UPS over part-time and full-time help taught small business not to rely on one express company. UPS is not the only company having labor problems. With the use of lengthy negotiations and hefty salary promises FedEx has settled a labor dispute with its pilots, and are entering the year 2000 without labor problems (Institute for Technology and Enterprise P 12). Airborne Express, however, is experiencing major labor disputes with its pilots. Although under contract, Airborne pilots are not happy with management. A representative for Airborne claims â€Å"Airborne management has failed to implement key provisions in the contract†. This failure plus the firing of an Airborne pilot has the pilots angry (Traffic World P 1). Since the pilots are under contract, they can not strike, but they can stop flying volunteer overtime, which makes up 15 percent of Airborne†s flights. In November of 1998 the pilots voted to stop flying overtime (Traffic World P 3). Airborne needs to smooth over relations with its pilots soon, because the contract expires May of 2001. Therefore, unless Airborne settles this dispute, it will be facing an imminent strike. Another labor issue affecting Airborne is the Teamsters Union. Airborne signed a five-year contract with the Teamsters Union in 1998. There are three major provisions in this contract (Associated Press online p 2). 1. Provides improved working conditions for Airborne employees. 2. A Bonus for employees the first year, followed by a yearly wage increase for the last four years of the contract. 3. At least 50 percent of the current part-time work force will be changed to full-time by 1999, with the remaining 50 percent offered full-time positions by 2000. The last provision is could have consequences for Airborne Express. Using part-time help is a way for express companies to cut expenses by not having to pay full-time benefits. How will Airborne be able to keep up its strategy of being the low-cost operator if they lose the efficiency of a part-time workforce? Airborne Express needs to operate as efficiently as possible if they want to have the capital to compete in the growing electronic commerce market. Today the air express industry is faced with a technology that will force express companies to change organizational structure and basic operations. This technology is electronic commerce, or better known as the Internet. Presently, Internet sales make up 15 percent of the retail market, and are expected to make up 55 percent of the market by 2005 (Institute for Technology and Enterprise p 1). In order to compete in this growing market, many retail companies are changing their operations and selling products over the Internet. Because of this, there is a need for air express companies that can cater to the needs of online retailers. Express companies need to supply services such as just-in-time inventory or virtual inventory. In order to best describe the importance of this new market to Airborne Express†s future, I†m going to address the way FedEx is changing their structure to compete in this new market. One way FedEx is dealing with this new market is by providing just-in-time inventory services for companies. FedEx provides this service by connecting to an online retailer†s web site, and when a sale is achieved over the Internet, the order is placed directly with FedEx. Once FedEx receives the order, it picks up the product from the supplier and delivers it to the customer. This all takes place without the online retailer touching the product (Institute for Technology and Enterprise p 4). FedEx supplies this service for a percentage of the online retailer†s sales. There are three air express companies competing for control of this electronic market and Airborne is not one of them. The three companies are FedEx, UPS, and DHL. If the express industry is affected as much as predicted, Airborne could lose its ranking as third in the express industry to DHL. Airborne Express might be gambling on the hope that there will be companies who will fight this move to electronic commerce, and will give Airborne enough old fashioned express business for them to succeed. This is a major gamble. â€Å"Concepts like just-in-time manufacturing and mass customization were no longer just theory; a number of firms had carved out distinct niches in the market place by focusing on developing these capabilities in manufacturing and production. Tight supply chain integration was no longer perceived as a competitive advantage. It was being seen as a competitive imperative† (The Economic Benefits of Air Transport, 1997 p 23). Airborne needs to connect to the electronic commerce market before it loses the opportunity. In conclusion, Airborne made some wise changes to its structure in the eighties. These changes differentiated Airborne from its competitors, and allowed it to be the low-cost operator. However, in the last few years with Airborne†s failure to change with the environment and with labor disputes in its near future, the future for Airborne Express looks bleak. Unless Airborne wants to go back to transporting flowers it needs to rethink its strategy.

Ethical Dilema Essay

In this paper, I will discuss the ethical dilemma faced by a nurse who is caring for an eight month old patient, who reports with his mother to the emergency room with a suspicious fracture. The mother provides a plausible story, and the physician knows the family and does not suspect abuse. I will discuss the action I would take in order to provide the appropriate care for this patient. As a registered professional nurse, I feel the only approach to the case is to report the injury to Department of Family and Child’s Services (DFACS) for their investigation. When a report is made, DFACS will complete an investigation and make the ultimate decision if abuse or neglect was the cause of the injury. Each nurse has a duty to report all suspicious injuries to DFACS, regardless of her feelings on abuse or neglect. This is true even when the physician knows the family or does not suspect abuse. The nurse is responsible for her own actions. In order to provide the best quality of care for this patient, I would take the statement from the parent about how the patient was injured, and then talk to the physician to gather the physical finding, which may include x-ray reports after this information is gathered, I would report the case to the local DFACS. Anytime there is a suspicious injury regardless of the plausibility of the story, or if the physician knows the patient and does not suspect the parent, the DFACS case must be reported. The nurse in this situation has a duty to report this injury and let child services decide if the patient is in danger. I would perform a complete examination of the patient and communicate with the physician, in addition to noting any other signs of abuse, along with paying close attention for indicators of abuse. Indicators of abuse can warn healthcare providers to pay closer attention to situations that may indicate abuse or neglect and someti mes there are not indicators even though the child may be abused (Henderson, 2013). Three indicators of abuse or maltreatment include physical, child behavioral and parent behavioral indicators (Henderson, 2013). These indicators should not be considered in isolation but should be considered along with the child’s condition in the context with overall physical appearance and behavior; however, it is conceivable that a single indicator may be consistent with abuse or neglect (Henderson, 2013). Considerations of abuse are raised by injuries to both sides of the body and/or to soft tissues, injuries with a specific pattern or injuries that do not fit the explanation, delays in  presentation for care, and/or untreated injuries in multiple stages of healing (Henderson, 2013). It would be helpful to check the patient’s record for previous unexplained injuries or history of frequent visits to the emergency room or physician’s office. Any burns or patterns of bruising during the examination would warrant further investigation. Other signs of physical abuse I would monitor for include signs of pain where there is not visible injury and lack of reaction to pain. I would also note any emotional signs of physical abuse, which include passive, withdrawn or emotionless behavior, and fear when seeing parents. Any symptoms noted on exam should include this in the report to DFACS. Since the physical signs of abuse are often visible, most cases of abuse are recognized by a healthcare provider (Padera, 2009). These signs may be noted at routine appointments or while providing acute care. The ethical principle of non-maleficence and beneficence are addressed with this case. The ethical principle of non-maleficence helps to ensure that healthcare providers do not harm to their patients. If I did not report this case to DFACS for investigation and the abuse continued causing any harm to the patient, this would be an ethical violation of non-maleficence on the part of the nurse. The ethical principle of beneficence ensures that health care provider’s actions benefit the patient. By choosing to report this case to DFACS, my actions would benefit the patient and help ensure that the patient was no longer being abused. As a nurse, if I did not report this to DFACS for investigation, I would be in violation of the nurse practice act, and I could be held liable if the patient suffer more injuries or death at the hand of an abuser. My report of child abuse or neglect is confidential and immune from civil or criminal liability as long as the report is made in â€Å"good faith† and â€Å"without malice† (https://www.oag.state.tx.us/victims/childabuse.shtml). Provided these two conditions are met, as a nurse, I am immune from liability if they are asked to participate in any judicial proceedings resulting from the report (https://www.oag.state.tx.us/victims/childabuse.shtml). In conclusion, mandatory reporting can produce unanticipated and unwanted consequences (Buppert & Klein, 2008). Nurses may be concerned about reporting suspected abuse especially, when the investigation is completed, no abuse or risk to the patient is found (Buppert & Klein, 2008). Boards of Nursing rarely  discipline nurses for failure to report and nurses are covered with their nurse practice act when they make reports in â€Å"good† faith (Buppert & Klein, 2008). Given this information there is no reason not to report this mother to DFACS for investigation. References: Buppert, C. & Klein, T. (2008). Dilemmas in Mandatory Reporting for Nurses. Medscape. P. 4- 16. Henderson, K. L. (2013). Mandated reporting of child abuse: Considerations and guidelines for mental health counselors. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 35(4), 296-309. Padera, Connie. (2009). Nursing, Child Abuse, and the Law. 7(37). P. 122-126. When you suspect child abuse or neglect: A general guide. Retrieved from https://www.oag. state.tx.us/victims/childabuse.shtml