Outsourcing Benefits and Challenges

Introduction Outsourcing is a business practice in which a company enters into a contract with another company to provide certain services essential for the operations of the client organization (Duran Duran, 2009).This practice has increased in the recent past, and the increase can be attributed greatly to the increased use of information technology that has improved communication.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Outsourcing: Benefits and Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most instances, the firms contracting other companies for a given task also have the capacity to carry out the tasks domestically. These firms, ranging from small through medium-sized to large organizations, are driven into outsourcing for a number of reasons. It has emerged that services that did not appear to be tradable are now in high demand and form the basis for outsourcing. All functions needed to run a company can now be o btained off shelf (Engardio, 2006). Firms contract other organizations for services like data management, accounting or editing, data analysis and processing, call center services, or e-mails among many others. The supplying firms are highly specialized in the respective areas and are able to offer the services at cheaper costs as compared to the whole costs that would be incurred by a company performing the tasks in-house. Outsourcing has increased considerably, particular in the developed countries like the US. In the article ‘Fair exchange: Who benefits from outsourcing?’(In‘The Blair Reader: Exploring Issues and Ideas’ by Kisser and Mandell),Barrera (2004) focuses on the benefits of outsourcing and asserts that the practice is beneficial to both the parties involved and their respective countries. However, the author also points out that the practice has some weaknesses that have to be addressed by the policy-makers to ensure its effectiveness. This vie w forms the basis upon which this paper is developed. The paper provides a comparison of Barrera’s views and views provided by other authors in relation to outsourcing. Thesis Statement Outsourcing has been criticized for displacing the local employees and shifting employment opportunities to overseas. However, this practice is beneficial to the two parties involved, both the outsourcing firm and the service suppliers and their respective countries. The challenges of outsourcing Outsourcing happens to have certain challenges to the operations of the outsourcing firm and the economic development in the country of origin of the firm. The practice is blamed for the rising level of unemployment in the United States. Wadhwa (2009) terms it a dirty word that involves relieving full-time employees in an organization of their duties to look for these services elsewhere.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 1 5% OFF Learn More The United States is seen as a destination for outsourced jobs, a move that agonizes most of the jobless citizens. The companies outsource these services since the costs of the services are lower compared to performing the tasks by the employees of the organization. Besides, the rate at which new jobs are created is also not high enough to meet the demands of those rendered jobless due to outsourcing. Barrera (2004) observed that employees in the developed countries lose their jobs due to outsourcing and yet similar well-paying jobs cannot be created at the same rate. There is often a large time interval between the destruction of jobs and creation of other opportunities. The employees may be forced to seek employment in new fields in new geographic locations. This would necessitate additional training to acquire the relevant skills and adaptation to the new work-environment. Outsourcing is also characterized by increased use of high-tech and occupational services that have rendered many employees jobless. Outsourcing also appears to be a threat to the proper management of an organization in some sense. Organizations that outsource services may not be in touch with some of their key stakeholders. The poor relationship may be developed between the suppliers or consumers and the business organization that impedes its smooth operations. Similarly, the company becomes so much dependent on outsourced services that it may fail in case there is a sudden withdrawal from the contract by the supplying firm. In this regard, it has been pointed out that a firm should evaluate the other organization providing outsourcing services before contracting it (Duran and Duran, 2009). Different aspects like cost, time, and quality of the services have to be considered. Benefits of Outsourcing The increasing rate of outsourcing as witnessed in the United States can be supported by several observations. Various developments have been witnessed in the busine ss industry that justifies the use of outsourcing. The current international trade that involves shifting of resources to gain a comparative advantage is the fundamental building block behind outsourcing. Firstly, outsourcing is cost-effective and helps increase the profits of organization. It is aimed at minimizing cost and time for a given task (Duran and Duran, 2009). Outsourcing is not a recently developed idea in the United States. The idea has been in existence whereby the country obtained goods from other countries where they could be produced cheaply. The companies manufactured products from these goods and sold the finished product to other countries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Outsourcing: Benefits and Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Barrera (2004) supports this practice and asserts that it is needless to produce some products using many resources when similar products could be obtaine d elsewhere at cheaper prices. These resources could be channeled to the production of other products that are of high value to the organization. Similar scenario is witnessed in the outsourcing of services. Increased global competition and the economic pressure caused by developing countries calls for replacing full-time employees with contractors (Wadhwa, 2004). The firms that offer outsourcing services do not incur huge operations costs like consumer benefits or other overhead expenses. The firms make use of few employees with highly specialized skills. As such, they are able to provide the services at relatively cheaper costs to the client organizations. Thus, outsourcing allows the developing and the developed countries to develop on the products and services that are of the highest possible benefits to the country (Barrera, 2004). The US companies that outsource services have a lean organizational structure that allows improved operations to gain competitive advantage in the i nternational market. Secondly, the quality of outsourced services is often high. The quality, time, and cost should be the major focus of an outsourcing company (Duran and Duran, 2009). It has been observed that small business organizations need certain technology services and yet they are not equipped to perform the tasks (Wadhwa, 2009). The firms offering these services often streamline their operations towards specialized lines. The companies can employ the modern technology and machinery that may not be available in the client organization. This implies that if the firms withdraw their services for the client organizations then the latter can suffer consequences of poor quality services. Besides, in as much as outsourcing is criticized to cause unemployment in the industrial nations, the practice improves the lives of the poor in the developing countries. There is increased level of employment in these developing nations that contribute significantly towards social and economic development in the countries. This helps alleviate poverty and improve the lives of the citizens of the country thereby contributing towards the desired global development. This is advantageous to the large international organizations that operate across several countries. Outsourcing has the advantage of ‘multi-local benefits administration program, scalable technology, and a consistent employee experience, a single point of contact for managers and members, and cost efficiencies’ (Miller, 2011, p.24). The developing countries provide competitive emerging markets for such huge organizations.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion Outsourcing is growing at considerable rate and its positive impacts on economic development at the local and international scene are evident. It is very necessary for organizations that want to extend their operations across different nations. This is essential owing to the current globalization. It provides a cost-effective way of building strong foundations in one country before settling to operate on the country. After contracting some firm, the management of an organization may focus on other operational strategies as the experts work on the problems at hand. The practice is not without some challenges. However, the challenges can be managed through effective trade policies. References Duran, D., Duran, I. (2009). Process outsourcing benefits. Annals of DAAAM Proceedings, 945-946. Web. Engardio, P. (2006). The Future of Outsourcing: How it is transforming whole industries and changing the way we work. Web. Miller, J. (2011). The Touchstones ofSuccessful Global bene fitsOutsourcing. Benefits Quarterly, 27(2); 24-27. Kisser, G., Mandell, R. (2011). The Blair Reader: Exploring Issues and Ideas. Seventh edition. Boston: Prentice Hall. Wadhwa, V. (2009). Outsourcing Benefits U.S. Workers, Too. BusinessWeek Online, 5. Web. This essay on Outsourcing: Benefits and Challenges was written and submitted by user Maggie Carney to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Identifying and Dating Old Cabinet Card Photographs

Identifying and Dating Old Cabinet Card Photographs Cabinet cards, popular in the late 1800s, are easy to recognize because they are mounted on cardstock, often with an imprint of the photographer and location just below the photo. There are similiar card-type photographs, such as the smaller  carte-de-visits  which was introduced in the 1850s, but if your old photo is about 4x6 in size then chances are it is a cabinet card. A style of photograph first  introduced in 1863 by Windsor Bridge in London, the cabinet card is a photographic print mounted on card stock. The Cabinet card got its name from its suitability for display in parlors especially in cabinets and was a popular medium for family portraits. Description:A traditional cabinet card consists of a 4 X 5 1/2 photo mounted on 4 1/4 x 6 1/2 card stock. This allows for an extra 1/2 to 1 of space at the bottom of the cabinet card where the name of the photographer or studio was typcially printed. The cabinet card is similar to the smaller carte-de-visite which was introduced in the 1850s. Time Period: First Appeared: 1863 in London; 1866 in America Peak Popularity: 1870-1895 Last Use: Cabinet cards are rarely found dating after 1906, although cabinet cards continued to be produced into the early 1920s. Dating a Cabinet Card:Details of a cabinet card, from the type of card stock to whether it had right-angled or rounded corners, can often help to determine the date of the photograph to within five years. It is important to note, however, that these dating methods arent always accurate. The photographer may have been using up old card stock, or the cabinet card may have been a re-printed copy made many years after the original photo was taken.   Card Stock 1866-1880 Square, lightweight mount1880-1890 Square, heavy weight card stock1890s Scalloped edges Card Colors 1866-1880 Thin, light weight card stock in white, off white or light cream. White and light colors were used in later years, but generally on heavier card stock.1880-1890 Different colors for face and back of mounts1882-1888 Matte-finish front, with a creamy-yellow, glossy back. Borders 1866-1880 Red or gold rules, single and double lines1884-1885 Wide gold borders1885-1892 Gold beveled edges1889-1896 Rounded corner rule of single line1890s on... Embossed borders and/or lettering Lettering 1866-1879 Photographer name and address often printed small and neatly just below the image, and/or studio name printed small on back.1880s on... Large, ornate text for photographer name and address, especially in cursive style. Studio name often takes up the entire back of the card.Late 1880s-90s Gold text on black card stock1890s on... Embossed studio name or other embossed designs Other Types of Card Mounted Photographs: Cartes-de-visite 2 1/2 X 4 1850s - 1900sBoudoir 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 1880sImperial Mount 7 X 10 1890sCigarette Card 2 3/4 X 2 3/4 1885-95, 1909-17Stereograph 3 1/2 X 7 to 5 X 7

Www.muhammad.net Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Www.muhammad.net - Assignment Example The website integrates Islamic figures, representations and terminologies which are clearly explained, an ideal that indicates adoration of the Islamic culture and the worship of Allah alone. Allah masters and administrates the systems of His creation, all alone, fulfilling their necessities and rescuing them from all sorts of calamities and hardships. Muhammad explains that Allah is perfect in his deeds, is extraordinary and faultless. He is self-sufficient, possessing exclusive attributes that include being immortal, author of all knowledge and wisdom, has no companion and He is highly exalted for His nobility and nature. People hold certain misconceptions and assumptions about God which are mere lies. Talk of God being associated with a race of Gods in the company of angels. People’s understanding that God exists in royalty but aided in administrative roles by angels and an adopted son is argued a lie by Mohammad. God is superior, and perfect in His deeds, thus requires no assistance in His roles. He created the universe and his components with the absolute power to master, administer and sustain them all by His own. Assigning Him the attributes of fatherhood to a son contradicts God’s identity, since Allah has got no partner and is immortal. God could not relate with the so called Angels and bear a son, since He is the initiator of everything and has commanded all to worship Him. God is not identified by race or gender rather than the understanding that He is supreme, deity, perfect, independent, ever-living, and sustainer of all humanity. Mohammad emphasizes these assumptions held by people to be totally false, superstitious and baseless. www.muhammad.net is therefore a website to protect the nature of Allah from superstitions and lies, thus upholding the true nature of God as divine, immortal, perfect, free, immortal and not limited to time, race or gender which could bear Him a son. It places

This is about International Relations Theory look assignment criteria Essay

This is about International Relations Theory look assignment criteria please - Essay Example However, the formerly mentioned one guided the world towards taking strong and precisely designed military action in order to neutralize the powerful state of that time. The debate was famous for happening in the mid of 1930s and 40s (Jackson & Sorensen 2013). The idealist scholars and theorists urged the world to converge and consequently resolve their issues with the help of international institutions and the elementary argument of this school of thought was the needed growth of economic and fiscal interdependencies so that econometric interests of the entire world can be streamlined. The modern world of international business is representing the practical application of historical idealist theory because nationality was believed to be the base of every war and therefore, internationalization of economic world forces the national level management towards collaboration with other countries and as a result, the traditional animosities of nations are known to degrade because greater l evel of globalization is taking place in the global marketplace. The nations are primarily busy in developing national level competitive advantage. The growing economic pressures in the global market are identified as the primary force that is compelling the nations to grow their collaborative efforts with other economies. The challenges of terrorism and global unemployment and recession are few instances of confronts that require global integration of resources’ deployment. Thusly, it can be argued that violent wars cannot be stopped by supporting more violence but they can be controlled via promoting trade and business because these measures have the power required to impress the humanity with fruits and benefits of collaborative existence and finally, the time is not far away when humans will embrace the idea of global citizenship. Q.2 The notion of unipolarity states that one nation or region will accumulate the power and strength to influence the cultural and value-based outlook of the entire world. The bipolarity and multipolarity tend to establish that human civilizations have different culture and societal realities and therefore, their populations’ mindset are notably different from each other. The difference in cultural norms is significantly noted to be present in case of personal and private values (Jackson & Sorensen 2013). But, corporate culture all around the world is exhibiting Americanization and therefore, the law of effort is prevailing in all parts of the world. Still, few regions are trying to keep their cultural outlook and identity intact. The cultural experts are of the view that they will eventually fail as globalization is going to eat away each and every cultural and normative difference across cultures and nations while, leaving the world with a common culture in a few decades. Therefore, according to modern way of thinking, unipolarity will become a norm in the near future and because of this reason, national and regi onal level conflict will further degrade. In this way, humans may learn to live peacefully as cultural differences are believed to be the major causes of conflict in humanity’s history. Q.3 The liberals believe that democratic governments come into power due to public’s voting authority and therefore, they are well aware of the fact that they are needed to go back to the masses in order to get support in the next election. The need to win the subsequent elections causes the

Bahrain History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bahrain History - Essay Example During the country’s expansion period, it first experimented with municipality as a means of keeping up with burgeoning educational, social and economic demands symbolized by the rapid pace the country was expanding. Its implementation helped the country manage these aspects and it is with this introduction that this paper will look at the Bahrain municipal council in relation to its municipality by law, its municipality restoration dates, number of councils, objective of the councils, structure of the council, and the duties of its members. Municipality councils or anything of its kind did not exist in the Bahrain state before 1919. The real reason as to why the municipality was set up by the Bahrain State was mainly to serve and aid its citizens in different sectors of their lives. In addition, it was meant to help them strategize or organize their daily lives, mainly in the year 1337 during the months of Do-Aloqdah. This corresponded with 1919 July when the Bahrain government established the Bahrain municipality that is based in Manama and in the entire Arabian world or Arabian area. It was considered as the first of such establishments and this made it unique. As modernization begun in Bahrain, an order was issued in accordance to this progress on 20/1/1920 and the above-described municipality became the first official department of its kind set up in Manama. Moreover, it was passed into law starting the municipality process in the Bahrain history. In 1339, the municipality council was established corresponding to t hat of 1920 as the first administrative structure in the country. It had a modest budget and the council was established as the first developed administrative body in Bahrain to manage the country’s affairs (Seddon 1). The first dignitary to preside over the Bahrain municipal council was the late Isa Alkhalifa. This is until the end of 1920 when he succeeded his highness. During this period, the municipality council members increased

Critical Analysis Of The Strategic Issues Faced Starbucks Marketing Essay

Critical Analysis Of The Strategic Issues Faced Starbucks Marketing Essay The aim of this project report is to critically analyse the strategic issues being faced by an organization. The organization chosen for this task is the company Starbucks, which will be analysed using relevant concepts reviewed in the module using appropriate theory and models. The analysis will include assessment of the external and internal factors and also the competitive forces influencing the company Starbucks. This will be accomplished by the application of PESTEL analysis and the PORTER 5 FORCES model. A combined analysis would be carried out by undertaking a SWOT analysis for the organization. The project report would also include analysis of the Starbucks Corp using the ANSOFF Matrix and the BCG Matrix to suggest the strategic choices the company needs to make to counter the strategic issues outlined by this report. The report structure would start with a brief introduction to the company Starbucks followed by the strategic issues faced by the firm. The issues are outlined before in the report based on the analysis which has been carried out using the above models. After discussing the current and recent issues facing Starbucks the company analysis would follow which would be supported with relevant theory and application of suitable models. After completing the industry analysis conclusion and recommendations would be provided for Starbucks to counter the strategic problems. STARBUCKS AN INTRODUCTION The Starbucks Company was founded in Seattle in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Seigel with a vision to educate American consumers about the fine coffee drinking experience. In 1987 Howard Schultz took over the Starbucks Group, he wanted to create the Italian espresso bar experience in America by creating a personal relationship between the customers and their coffee. Just within a couple of years they grew from a small coffee business house to a multi-million dollar player in the industry by buying only the best coffee available and providing the people with an unmatched store experience. As standing, Starbucks is number one in the speciality coffee industry, with more than 12,000 shops in more than 35 countries. The Starbucks mission statement is To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time. Freshly brewed coffee is the main product offered by Starbucks along with other drinks which include cold and hot teas, cakes and pastries. The Starbucks coffee comes in a many varieties each possessing a different taste, aroma and flavour. In addition to its extensive product offerings, Starbucks has many brands including; Starbucks Hear Music, Tazo Tea, Starbucks Entertainment, , Ethos Water, Torrefazione Italia coffee and Seattles Best Coffee. The successful management of all of these brands pulled together constitutes the Starbucks portfolio. Starbucks is also one of the most globally conscious corporations in the world.  Ã‚  In 2006 Starbucks donated $36.1 million in cash and products, volunteered 383,000 hours in local communities, required growers to use strict environmental guidelines, used 20% renewable energy in stores, and actively recycled in almost 80% of stores in US and Canada. Starbucks has established itself as the coffee leader in the world and has done so on a socially and environmentally conscious platform.   STRATEGIC ISSUES FACING STARBUCKS The major challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is the current financial crisis in the world economy forcing them to call closures of many stores around the world. Another challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is competitors. There are numerous coffee shops all over the world and being able to stand out to generate customers is important. Their main competitors are Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, and Nestle in the US and brands like Costa Coffee and Caffà ¨ Nero in the UK, the two major markets for Starbucks. It is important that for Starbucks to know their competitors and what they are currently doing. Also Starbuck coffees are priced higher than other market competitors because of Starbucks only purchasing the highest quality coffee beans for their product, thus increasing the price of the drink giving the competitors a cost advantage over Starbucks. Also Starbucks inadequate marketing strategy on advertising is a hindrance in the business growth opportunities. They prefer to build the brand by promoting the drinks cup-by-cup with customers. The advertisement ends until they drink the coffee, reducing the chances to attract valuable customers. Starbucks also does not emphasize on distributing their products to supermarket because of being concerned with the quality of the coffee; if the coffees were packaged into plastic bags. Also the rigorous expansion strategy followed by Starbucks can take a toll on the firms brand image. As corporations grow there can be a tendency to focus too heavily on increasing output and locations, and less focus on quality and brand image. Starbucks needs to stay with its values and ideals that have made it successful. Also Starbucks policy of not franchising can be a cause of concern for the firm. Franchising would allow the company to open many new stores with less risk, and make considerable profits in doing so. Because of this the firms research and development costs would fall making use of the franchisee knowledge of the local market in terms of geographic, , psychographics, demographics, and the local country regulations. STARBUCKS ANALYSIS This part of the report would analyse the working of the business by application of PESTEL analysis, Porter 5 forces, the BCG Matrix, SWOT analysis and the Ansoff Matrix. PESTEL ANALYSIS POLITICAL Taxation policy High taxes levied on farmers in the bean producing countries, would consequently increase the rate at which Starbuck would buy the coffee beans and any such fluctuations in the taxation policy would certainly be passed on to the consumer, who now would have to purchase the end item at a higher price. International trade regulations and tariffs Trade issues would affect Starbucks directly when exporting and importing goods. When the government of the trading country imposes a tariff it would not only resulting in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but such large income transfers can also become inconsistent with equity. This extra charge would have to be borne by the consumers. Government stability A change in government policies has a direct impact on the taxation and legislation framework. Also the countries in political turmoil or civil war should be considered with great caution when considering probable market ventures. Employment law Reduction in the licensing and permit costs in coffee bean producing countries would consequently lower production costs for the farmers and any such saving would subsequently pass on to Starbucks when purchasing the raw materials and finally to the customers. ECONOMIC Interest rates High interest rates would mean putting off the investment and expansion plans of Starbucks, which would result in fewer earnings for the firm. Low interest rates should have the opposite effect. Economic Growth In periods of negative growth, the consumer incomes would fall leaving less disposable income thus impacting sales for Starbucks. Inflation rates Business costs will rise in times of inflation which would ultimately have to be borne by the consumer. Competitors pricing Competitive pricing from competitors would impact Starbucks pricing that would drive down the profit margin as they try to maintain their market share. Exchange rates If the currency value falls in a bean supplying country, Starbucks would get more for the same price, when importing the goods. This saving would be passed to the end consumer. SOCIAL Population demographics Identification of the target population at which Starbuck needs to aim their products is a significant factor in the business operations. The marketing campaign undertaken would focus accordingly. Coffee is a luxury product in some ways, so the people with the most amount of disposable income should be targeted. Working Population A large number of workers in big cities now go out for lunch and meals. Starbucks can cash this to their advantage and promote the shop as a place where people can meet and eat, boosting the sales. Location A good location which is easily accessible is vital to ensure that the customers visit the shop. TECHNOLOGICAL IT development Starbucks launched its first-generation e-commerce website in 1998. As a result, scalability and performance have improved, and the company now has the tools it needs to profile and target customers, analyse site data, and deliver new features to the market in the shortest time possible. New materials and processes Technology developments in coffee making machines and the computer systems that Starbucks use to operate their cash registers would enable the staff to work swiftly and efficiently. This results in customers being served quickly thus creating potential for serving more people in the day. Rate of technological change Technology is advancing at an astounding rate. Starbucks will need to invest majorly just to stand their ground in the always expanding and developing market, and also to try to stay ahead of competitors. ENVIRONMENTAL Pollution problems Starbucks customers create a lot of waste by disposing off the cup and the contents incorrectly. The material for the cup should be carefully selected to make it as biologically degradable as possible. Planning permissions Planning permission may not be granted to Starbucks if the construction would harm the environment. The land may be protected. Work disposal There are strict laws in most countries pertaining to waste disposal and non-adherence to these could lead to Starbucks being sanctioned, which would affects them financially and also tarnish the reputation of the brand name. Environmental pressure groups Starbucks should be aware of the influential and physical power of groups such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. Any violation of animal or environmental rights by a company is usually followed by a swift and attention-drawing protest from one of the groups. Brand image and customer bases are often irreconcilably tarnished due to the actions of these groups. LEGAL Trade and product restrictions Starbucks need to follow the trade laws of the countries where they have established businesses. They must ensure that they are not in violation of any local laws. Certain countries impose a tariff that has to be paid accordingly when importing or exporting goods and this must be taken into account as well. Employment laws Each country has different employment laws, like limiting the number of hours a person can work per week, varying levels of minimum wage etc. Starbucks should be aware of such factors when considering business expansion. Health and Safety regulations By not maintaining high standards they would be liable for damages if found in violation as it is a legal requirement for them to enable that their staff and customers are safe when they are in their stores. Land use Starbucks have to abide by the laws of the building authorities when constructing shops or altering purchased sites and if found in violation of land rules, it can be panalised by the local authorities. PORTER 5 FORCES ANALYSIS 1. COMPETITIVE RIVALRY Starbucks is the leader in retailing and roasting of specialty coffee in the world. Major competitors include Costa coffee, Caffà © Nero, Seattles Best Coffee and secondary coffee providers such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. The competition is nowhere near to Starbucks volume of operations and sales. Consumption of coffee is not dependent on the price of the product but also on the differentiation between each product and several value adding variables such as the quality of customer services, brand, brand recognition and image of the company. Hence, Starbucks is not majorly sensitive to movements of other firms in this segment. 2. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS Starbuck is the world leader in its industry and has controlled access to distribution channels. Starbucks have extreme control over such distribution channels because of setting strict guidelines for the suppliers to follow. Starbucks is also constantly innovating and showing strong product differentiation to hamper the possibility of new entrants. However, the entry barrier for the industry is relatively low and any big firm where capital is not a problem could be a potential entrant. Some of the more current and on-going threats of new entrants include fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts which can become a major problem in the near future. 3. BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS A big threat to Starbucks is the absence of switching costs in the speciality coffee industry, customers face no switching costs in switching from Starbucks to Costa Coffee or Caffà © Nero for a cup of coffee. Also a threat to Starbucks is the ability of customers to brew their own coffee. Starbucks tries to counter this threat by offering the Preferred Office Coffee Providers and also provides directions for making the perfect cup of Starbucks coffee at home, the perfect cup of course includes all ingredients which have to be purchased from Starbucks. Also with new entrants and competitors such as McDonalds who claim to offer premium roast coffee of reasonable quality for lower price, thus giving the customers some bargaining power. 4. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world. Central and South America produce majority of coffee traded. Starbucks depends upon both outside brokers and a mutually direct contact with exporters for supply of premium coffee beans. The quality of coffee beans sought by Starbucks is very high, proving to be a potential threat to the company. Only suppliers which meet Starbucks coffee standards are able to supply to the giant company. The supplying industry only has few firms which can deliver the quality giving them considerable bargaining powers. However, Starbucks counters this due to its massive size and being the primary buyer and also because of the importance of Starbucks business to any individual supplier as it would account for a large percentage of the total suppliers sales, thus reducing the bargaining power of suppliers. THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTION Substitute products are the products that can pose as a trade-off for the product being offered by a company. In the specialty coffee industry, substitute products can be soft drinks, tea, energy drinks, fruit juices and other caffeinated drinks. Here innovation would play a huge role. To counter this Starbucks have given their menus a complete revamp and have differentiated so many of their products which are now part of the main product line. The menu includes various teas, hot and cold coffee, baked goods and various confectionary items. The only true direct substitute for specialty coffee would be the basic coffee, which is of lower quality than specialty and as such does not present any threat. BCG MATRIX RELATIVE MARKET SHARE HIGH INDUSTRY SALES GROWTH RATE HIGH STARS ( Growth Strategy ) Global stores Market Penetration and Development Backward, Forward or Horizontal Integration LOW CASH COWS ( Stability Strategy ) Product Development and Differentiation Diversification U.S Stores ANSOFF MATRIX Present Product New Product Present Market Market Penetration: Hotels, Grocery Stores, Businesses, Schools, Airlines and Industries Cafeteria Product Development: New Bold Fresh Lunch Programmes and Salads e.g. fiesta chicken salad, fruit and cheese platter New Market Market Development: Opening of stores all over the world. Expansion strategies into Brazil, Russia, Romania and India. Diversification: Music CDs, Clothing, Coffee Mugs and other accessories. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGHTS Strong brand name Large retail distribution system Quality product Extensive product list Good supplier relationships Massive capital funding Valued and motivated employees WEAKNESSES Dependence on single source of business/income Prices relatively higher than competitors Strong dependence on suppliers Merchandise sales in stores Over reliance on home market Aggressive expansion leading to failure OPPORTUNITIES Overseas business expansion Business expansion into untapped U.S. markets Extension of brand name to new products and business lines Product range diversification to more food items THREATS Strong competitors with massive capital funding capabilities like McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts Economic conditions may make consumers unwilling to pay higher prices Political conditions overseas may limit business expansion U.S. speciality coffee industry approaching saturation RECCOMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION Starbucks has to effectively pursue a Focus-Based Strategy in conjunction with differentiation and a cost leadership based strategy. Being a lower cost store will increase the difference between Starbucks and provide it with a competitive edge. At present, Starbucks competitors are attempting to specialize in the coffee business, therefore Starbucks must pursue focus strategy to increase its strength. Starbucks must reduce their product price by producing a new product of coffee using cheaper beans or can come out with special discounts and promotions to reduce cost, thus increasing sales enabling Starbucks to enter new low cost markets and increase profitability. Also needs to focus on building alliances in new markets/countries to reduce management focus and benefit from the local and experience curves. Should focus on advertising the brand through internet services for users to access, do road shows, hand out brochures etc. so that consumers become more aware of the brands strong international presence and brand name. Market penetration and market development will help increase the sales. Access unexplored distribution channels like making available packaged Starbucks coffee for consumers by displaying it nationwide in various convenience and shopping stores and not only Starbucks stores. Starbucks must adopt twin policies of Product Development and Product-Market Diversification to counter the stiff competition in international markets. It is important to understand this in the product development phase as they would need to focus solely on making their existing products better. The company can demonstrate product and market diversification through research and development coupled with creativity and innovation. Product differentiation has proven an excellent defence against threats such as bargaining power of buyers. Developing new products will offset such potential risks. A strategy should be formulated to tackle the competition by entering into agreements, long-term contracts, with the food service companies that they are competing against. This way their coffee would be sold at these outlets and they would gain access to new markets and increase sales while decreasing competition. Starbucks should continue to be a first mover into markets with new products and ideas. Being a first mover of new products into new international markets will be an excellent way for Starbucks to build customer loyalty and uphold its image as an innovative company. Starbucks should continue to locate their operations in high traffic areas, high visibility areas. The company should continue to take excellent care in picking locations. It is extremely important that Starbucks international stores reflect uniqueness in their location and layout. Having locations in a variety of locations will ensure large market exposure.

To His Coy Mistress - by Andrew Marvel Essay -- English Literature:

To his coy mistress by Andrew Marvel - review. 'To his coy mistress' was written by Andrew Marvel, his exceeding love for his lover, but with closer analysis it is more intimate and is more persuasive. The poem is persuading his mistress to have sex with him, and have children however; it sounds more like he wants the pleasure, not the children. It was written in the 1600s. The poem can be split into 3 stanzas; the first stanza is romantic and flattering, but also persuasive. The implication of the first stanza she is playing hard to get or shy, and the shyness wouldn't matter if they had more time. He is saying he would love her forever and is trying to be romantic, but persuasive. He mentions 'my vegetable love should grow' which could have many implications, because it could refer to a sexual undertone, his love for her is natural or there is slow growing, so the metaphor is quite effective. In some stanzas of the poem he exaggerates because for example, a person would not just sit and admire another person for 'an hundred years' yet the poem says 'an hundre...

Renault Nissan Partnership

The most important problem facing the Renault Nissan Partnership, Inc. is that both sides—Renault and Nissan—may soon face their own blend of internal problems. These problems, when taken from both parties and when merged or when analyzed from the overall perspective of the partnership, will most likely result to misinterpretations and, consequently, misunderstandings thereby undermining the whole purpose of the partnership. This eventually affects the general performance of the partnership as it divides and sets apart the two companies. The most probable set of recommendations that can be given to the Renault Nissan Partnership is for both sides to essentially take into account all the possible angles that will explain the problems that beset the other party. That is, an understanding and awareness of the other side’s problems should be given proper importance because both companies are involved in a partnership and that the welfare of one significantly contributes to the welfare of the whole. This should be the first consideration that the Renault Nissan Partnership should give full attention essentially because the very essence of the partnership would be undermined. Once this happens, the performance of the partnership will be affected as well which manifests at least in terms of the productivity rate and overall image of the partnership. Another is that the good relations of the involved parties in the partnership will also be affected. It leads to the possibility of a split-up where either one or both of the parties may disengage from the partnership. Another recommendation is that the Renault Nissan Partnership should anticipate possible discrepancies in terms of production so as to preempt the occurrence of one or, at the least, allot enough time for the partnership to address or to be able to resolve the impending crisis as soon as possible. Internal problems can be resolved through the early exposition of predicted problems thereby creating enough time between the occurrence of the predicted problem and the current timeframe. This expanse of time should be used in order to formulate sets of solutions as early as time permits. Last but not the least, when the partnership is faced with drawbacks from either sides, it should be the case that both should not leave-out the other party and, instead, provide substantial assistance in order to uplift the business relationship and lessen the impact of the problem to both Renault and Nissan. This assistance can take many forms depending upon what the existing situation necessitates or on what the nature of the problem is. In essence, the business partnership should all the more be strengthened during times of financial or internal difficulties and that the real test of the Renault Nissan Partnership rests on these unwanted instances. One can balance commitments to shareholders and commitments to the community by setting certain priorities depending on the context of the existing situation. That is, if the situation necessitates that the commitment towards the shareholders outweighs the commitment towards the community, it should be the case that one should choose the shareholders. On the other hand, the opposite case should be maintained thus suggesting the very idea of setting priorities according to the degree of importance as necessitated by the situation. On another note, when one is faced with the commitment towards the community or to the shareholders, it must be the case that one ought to give full attention to the needs of the concerned party in order to equalize everything when the time that the other side or party is also the one that should be committed with. In essence, setting priorities plays a key role in maintaining the balance between the levels of commitment towards the community and the shareholders. References Culpan, R. (2002). Global Alliances in the Automobile Manufacturing Industry. In Global Business Alliances: Theory and Practice (pp. 126-136). Westport, Conn: Praeger. Hoed, R. v. d., & Vergragt, P. J. (2005). Technology changes and industrial responses: changes in fuel options for the fuel cell automobile in the automobile industry. In K. Green, M. Miozzo & P. Dewick (Eds.), Technology, Knowledge and the Firm: Implications for Strategy and Industrial Change (pp. 149). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. Â  

Definition of Pogrom

Definition of Pogrom A pogrom is an organized attack upon a population, characterized by looting, destruction of property, rape, and murder. The word is derived from a Russian word meaning to commit mayhem, and it came into the English language to refer specifically to attacks perpetrated by Christians upon Jewish population centers in Russia. The first pogroms occurred in Ukraine in 1881, following the assassination of Czar Alexander II by a revolutionary group, Narodnaya Volya, on March 13, 1881. Rumors circulated that the murder of the Czar had been planned and executed by Jews. At the end of April, 1881, the initial outbreak of violence occurred in the Ukrainian town of Kirovograd (which was then known as Yelizavetgrad). The pogroms quickly spread to about 30 other towns and villages. There were more attacks during that summer, and then the violence subsided. The following winter, pogroms began anew in other areas of Russia, and murders of entire Jewish families were not uncommon. The attackers at times were very organized, even arriving by train to unleash violence. And the local authorities tended to stand aside and let acts of arson, murder, and rape occur without punishment. By the summer of 1882 the Russian government tried to crack down on local governors to stop the violence, and again the pogroms stopped for a time. However, they began again, and in 1883 and 1884 new pogroms occurred. The authorities finally prosecuted a number of rioters and sentenced them to prison, and the first wave of pogroms came to an end. The pogroms of the 1880s had a profound effect, as it encouraged many Russian Jews to leave the country and seek a life in the New World. Immigration to the United States by Russian Jews accelerated, which had an effect on American society, and particularly New York City, which received most of the new immigrants. The poet Emma Lazarus, who had been born in New York City, volunteered to help the Russian Jews fleeing the pogroms in Russia. The experience of Emma Lazarus with the refugees from the pogroms housed at Ward’s Island, the immigration station in New York City, helped inspire her famous poem â€Å"The New Colossus,† which was written in honor of the Statue of Liberty. The poem made the Statue of Liberty a symbol of immigration. Later Pogroms A second wave of pogroms occurred from 1903 to 1906, and a third wave from 1917 to 1921. The pogroms in the early years of the 20th century are generally linked to political unrest in the Russian empire. As a way to suppressing revolutionary sentiment, the government sought to blame Jews for unrest and incite violence against their communities.  Mobs, fomented by a group known as Black Hundreds, attacked Jewish villages, burning houses and causing widespread death and destruction. As part of the campaign to spread chaos and terror, propaganda was published and spread widely. A major component of the disinformation campaign, a notorious text titled  Protocols of the Elders of Zion  was published. The book was a fabricated document which purported to be a legitimate discovered text advancing a plan for Jews to achieve total domination of the world by means of deception. The use of an elaborate forgery to inflame hatred against Jews marked a dangerous new turning point in the use of propaganda. The text helped to create an atmosphere of violence in which thousands died or fled the country. And the use of the fabricated text did not end with the pogroms of 1903-1906. Later anti-Semites, including the American industrialist Henry Ford, spread the book and used it to fuel their own discriminatory practices. The Nazis, of course, made extensive use of propaganda designed to turn the European public against the Jews. Another wave of Russian pogroms took place roughly concurrent with World War I, from 1917 to 1921. The pogroms began as attacks on Jewish villages by deserters from the Russian army, but with the Bolshevik Revolution came new attacks on Jewish population centers. It was estimated that 60,000 Jews may have perished before the violence subsided. The occurrence of pogroms helped propel the concept of Zionism. Young Jews in Europe argued that assimilation into European society was constantly at risk, and the Jews in Europe should begin advocating for a homeland.

Determination of traces of heavy metal using anodic stripping voltammetry The WritePass Journal

Determination of traces of heavy metal using anodic stripping voltammetry INTRODUCTION Determination of traces of heavy metal using anodic stripping voltammetry INTRODUCTION1. Trace metal analysis techniques1.1 Back ground and history of mercury  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.2.1 Types of mercury electrodes2. Experimental determination of trace metals in the Samples2.1. Apparatus2.2. Reagents2.3. Electrode preparation2.3.1 Cleaning and Setting up the GCE2.4. ProcedureConclusionReferenceRelated INTRODUCTION Recent studies have shown a rise in the level of heavy metal in the human body and the everyday environment. These finding have increased the importance of heavy metal analysis which have become a major task in areas such as toxicological, epidemiological and environmental research. Trace metal analysis has a wide range of applications these include medical diagnostics, medical device implantation, and pharmaceutical and food analysis etc. In terms of environmental research, pollutants or just the general level of trace heavy metal may be quantified. In a society in which the effects climate change becomes more apparent it is important to be able to monitor and thereby control environmental pollution so as to find way to improve it as well as maintain of ecological balance. There are many well-established analytical methods that are available for detecting, measuring, and monitoring heavy metals. Many of the analytical methods are used for detection in environmental samples .Detection in environmental samples is different to that of laboratory samples in that concentration of element in environmental sample may fluctuate with certain samples having very lower concentrations. Subsequently the need for improvement of analysis technique that are able to detect at lower detection limits is continually sort after so as to obtain more precise results. 1. Trace metal analysis techniques Types of detection method Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS): This method of analysis determines the elemental composition of a sample via the absorption of light to measure the concentration of gas-phase atoms. It uses lamps whose core is made of the element. The light source is a lamp with a core made of the analyte of interest, this gives off light that is associated with the element and the sample absorbs this light. The analyte atoms in the sample are vaporized in a furnace and transition to higher electronic energy levels when light is absorbed. The concentration of the specific analyte is dependent on the amount of light absorption. Concentration measurements are determined by a working curve after calibrating the instrument with standards of known concentration. AAS is highly specific therefore each element has to be tested separately, this can be a disadvantage when trying to analyse a mixture, as different lamps must be used when measuring different elements. Another disadvantage to this technique is that the samples must be in solution, or at least volatile in order to be measured. There are a large number of factors that may interfere with measurement these include formation of non-volatile compounds and smoke formation which will absorb light, giving this method a relatively low level precision in comparison to other methods. Voltammetry: This studies the behaviour of analytes via the measurement of the potential and current of a sample or cell containing the analyte. There are different categories of voltammetry these include Polarography voltammetry – This process uses DME to produce reproducible effective electrode as a function of time. Linear sweep voltammetry- This process enables pre and post electron transfer reactions to be observed. The potential is linearly increased and the potential range is scanned between   the initial potential and final potential Cyclic voltammetry- This is an extension of the linear sweep analysis where by the voltage scan is reversed once maximum current is reach as the as reduction   of the analyte would   have completed. Anodic stripping voltammetry- determines the specific ionic species by deposition of the analyte and stripping resulting in a redox reaction. The oxidised species registers as a peak Differential pulse voltammetry- Potentiometry: based on measurement of potential of an electrode system consisting of two electrodes, potentiometer and sample containing analyte of interest. This method is advantageous as it can detect ions in presence of whole host of other Substances. The desire for more accurate result had major challenges as developers had to development new analytical methods and improvement of existing methods. In particular, the introduction of powerful modes of atomic absorption spectrometry such as the graphite furnace other newly established analysis techniques include neutron activation Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS): Atoms absorb light at particular frequencies depending on the characteristic of the element. The amount of light absorbed may be linearly correlated to the concentration of the analyte and can thereby be quantified. Samples are deposited into small graphite tube which is subsequently heated to vaporize and atomize the analyte. Neutron Activation: A sample is subjected to a neutron flux and radioactive nuclides are produced. As these radioactive nuclides decay, they emit gamma rays whose energies are characteristic for each nuclide. Comparison of the intensity of these gamma rays with those emitted by a standard permit a quantitative measure of the concentrations of the various nuclides. 1.1 Back ground and history of mercury  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dropping mercury electrode was invented in 1922 by Jaroslav Heyrovsky and was the foundation of electroanalytical voltammetry techniques via the development of the first linear sweep voltammetry method of polarography. In the year following between 1947 and 1959 voltammetry at stationary were developed. Electrolysis is the process by which ionic substances are decomposed (broken down) into simpler substances when an electric current is passed through them. In order for electrolysis to occur mass transfer is required between the electrode .Michael Faradays Second Law of Electrolysis was established in 1934 and states that â€Å"If the same quantity of electricity (electric charge) is passed through different electrolytes, the mass of a substance librated or deposited altered at an electrode is directly proportional to their chemical equivalents†. This law recognized the quantitative relationship  Ã‚   between current and equivalents of elements. The ficks law of diffusion formulae verified this quantitative relationship which enabled In recent years, mercury electrodes were still widely used in the detection of heavy metals by anodic stripping analysis due to its unique features. Heavy metal ions are reversibly reduced to form amalgams with the thin film of mercury on the electrode surface.   The mercury film electrode is formed by electrodeposition onto an electrode which is subsequent stripping of these metals allows the quantification of these metal ions. Mercury is an important electrode in terms of cathodic process study. Due to its low boiling point mercury as an electrode can be used in many forms these include dropping, streaming and pool configuration. 1.2.1 Types of mercury electrodes There are different types of mercury electrode these are as follows Dropping mercury electrode:   This working electrode is usually associated with the voltammetric technique polarography used for environmental analysis, especially for marine study.DME is made from 10-20 cm of glassy capillary tubes with internal diameter of 0.05mm. These dimensions and specification is chose to increase efficiency of the electrode. For example the length of the capillary tubes provides enough static head space to provide a drop time of 3-10 s. There are a number of variations of DME. The vertical orifice capillary has a capillary bent at 90 degrees and removes effect of maxim and depletion where as the Teflon DME is made specifically for   use in solution.   The reproducibility and vast knowledge about literature make this one of the best electrode for use in electrochemical analysis. Mercury film electrode: a mercury film is formed on an electrode substrate for example glassy carbon, carbon paste and pencil-lead etc.   During voltammetric analysis mercury film forms an amalgam with the analyte of interest, which upon oxidation results in a sharp peak, improving resolution between analytes. Hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE): this is very similar to the DME however HDME produces partial mercury drop of controlled geometry and surface area at the end of a capillary where as DME steadily releases drops of mercury during an experiments. HDME is used for voltammetric techniques requiring stationary electrodes. Mercury-plated electrodes: mercury is electroplated onto a solid electrode. Mercury forms a film or an assembly of micro droplets depending on the substrate on which it is plated. Electrode substrates Types of electrode substrate Glassy carbon electrodes: Produced by placing a thick sheet of glassy carbon into a glassy tube with epoxy cement. The surface of the electrode is then polished until it becomes smooth. Carbon paste electrodes: made by the mixture of graphite and nujol until it develops the consistency of a paste. Carbon cloth electrode: carbon cloth have voltage ranges similar to that of carbon electrode The process of formation is by heating woven hydrocarbon polymer fabric to high temperatures. Platinum electrodes: This involves the use of a fine powder known as platinum black placed on solid platinum. Gold electrode: With the ability to be made into different forms i.e. rods, disc etc it is one of the most commonly used electrodes. Indium tin oxide electrode: transparent electrode generally used for Spectra electrochemical measurement In this case glassy carbon will be used as our electrode substrate, this is because of the many advantage glassy carbon has as an electrode substrate. Glassy carbon has good conductivity, low electrical resistance, thermal expansion coefficient is small, hard texture, good gas tightness, a wide scope of application of electric potential (from about -1 ~ 1V), chemical stability, can be made of cylindrical, disc, etc. These properties make it ideal for use in voltammetric analysis as it allow the flow of current in a controlled way and facilitate the transfer of charge to and from the analyte   electrode shape, use it as a matrix can also be made of mercury film glassy carbon electrode and chemically modified electrodes. In the electrochemical experiments or electroanalytical chemistry has been increasing wide range of applications. Advantages and disadvantages of mercury electrodes The mercury film forms Mercury as an electrode is advantageous for many reasons these include its ability to release the contaminated drop and grow a clean drop between each experiment unlike solid electrodes which are required to cleaned and undergo a polishing step in order to prevent contamination of the electrode. This also means the electrode is independent of its past history. Metal ions can be deposited from acidic solutions thought thermodynamic state this is impossible without the formation of hydrogen which causes overvoltage which is associated with the reduction of hydrogen ions. Mercury however has a few limitations, one of which is its ease in oxidation, this causes a limitation in the range of anodic potentials used.   When dealing with potential greater than + 0.4 V mercury (I) is formed causing a wave that masks the curve of other oxidized species. This occurs at lower potentials in the presence of precipitating ion or mercury (I) complexes.   However the single greatest danger mercury poses as an electrode is its high level of toxicity. Mercury as a compound must be handled carefully, since its toxicity has very serious implications for the health and the environment. Mercury has a major impact on the environment due to its ability to progressively build up in successive trophic levels as well as along the food chain by a process of biomagnification. Over time this build up migrate across both biotic (other organisms) and abiotic (soil, air, and water) sources. At the top levels of the aquatic food web are fish-eating species, such as humans, seabirds, seals etc .In a study performed by the environmental protection agency US of fur-bearing animals in Wisconsin, the species with the highest tissue levels of mercury were otter and mink, which are top mammalian predators in the aquatic food chain. Top avian predators of aquatic food chains include osprey and bald eagle. Thus, mercury is shown transferred and accumulated through several food web levels. Aquatic food webs tend to have more levels than terrestrial webs, where wildlife predators rarely feed on each other, and therefore the aquatic biomagnification typically reaches higher values .In terms of health hazard mercury exposure may result in severe neurological effects, symptoms include convulsions, fits, and highly erratic movements. This was seen in Minamata, Japan, from about 1950-1952 where birds experienced severe difficulties in flying as well as domestic animals, especially cats whose diets were high in seafood exhibiting abnormal behaviour. This exposure was caused by the release of methyl mercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporations chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968. Chemically modified electrodes The ability of an electrode can be increased by means of chemical modification through the addition of atoms, molecules or nano particles to the surface of the bare electrode increasing its functionality over a wide range. Due to the many disadvantages mercury poses as an electrode, potential replacements for mercury are continually sought. The introduction of bismuth as an alternative has many significant advantages. It has been demonstrated that Bi is a good alternative since it is less toxic and easy to handle. The abilities of bismuth as an electrode are comparable to that of mercury and are attributed Thin Bi film is thus a good substitute candidate for the detection of heavy metals. Bi will be deposited onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using electrodeposition thereby causing heavy metal ions to form an amalgam with Bi.   ASV will be used to determine the concentration of heavy metals. The method by which bismuth is coated on to a electrode plays a huge part in its potential as an electrode. There three main methods by which bismuth may be coated onto an electrode. Ex-situ plating: This process involves the bismuth ions in a solution being moved toward the working electrode which in this case is glassy carbon, by an electric field form by passing a current through the electrode there by forming a bismuth film on the electrode. The coated electrode can then be transferred into a sample containing the analyte to be quantified. For the best formation of the film bismuth must be pre-plated in a low ph condition this is because bismuth has a tendency to hydrolyse when in alkaline conditions dues to the presence of water molecule splitting. Acidic conditions catalyse this polymer degradation. Figure The molecular structure of bismuth nitrate pent hydrate In-situ plating: In this process the bismuth film is coats the electrode while the analysis process take s place. It should be noted however in order to do this the concentration of bismuth must exceed that of the analyte of interest. This is because of the possibility of interference due to saturation effects. The method of coating the electrode is superior in that it reduces experimental time as coating and analysis is done simultaneously however this method can only be performed by anodic stripping as it requires a preconcentration step.   In this sense this method is not as versatile as ex-situ plating which can use any analysis method to analyse sample. Bismuth pre-cursor: A bismuth precursor can be used to modify an electrode if potential of about -0.1 V is applied onto an electrode resulting in the formation of metallic bismuth. Bi2O3(s) +3H2O+6e  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2Bi(s) + 6OH Fig The reduction reaction that takes place at the electrode between the electrode and bismuth precursor This method is usually prolific with carbon paste electrodes as it eliminates the need to use anodic stripping to form the film as well as a preplating step before for analysis of sample can take place. Bismuth modified electrode are physically and chemically stable therefore it retains its useful properties in the presence of air, moisture or heat, and under the expected conditions of application.Thus facilitate numerous measurement in different solutions without destroying the film once the electrode is coated with bismuth. This stability can be achieved by the addition of bromide ions (via sodium bromide) to the bismuth solution during the preplating stage of modification. The functionalization of conducting substrates is widely used in electroanalysis in order to confer both selectivity and sensitivity. Ion-exchange membranes are interesting materials for this purpose. Nafion will be drop casted on GCE and then positively charged ions will be incorporated within the negatively charged Nafion film. The application of suitable reduction potential allows the ions to be reduced to their metallic states. ASV will then be employed for the stripping and quantification of these ions. Cu, Zn, and Pb will be the heavy metals ions that will be examined.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   chemically modified electrodes (plenty of paper in literature), then Nafion (its uses, applications and so on) Electrochemistry HERE YOU CAM IMPROVE. PLEASE DESCRIBE CYCLIC VOLTAMMETRY AND WHY WE USED differential pulse voltammetry for the quantification of heavy metals Electrochemistry is associated with the analysis of chemical reactions in a solution at the boundary of an electron conductor and ionic conductors where transfer of electrons between the electrode and electrolyte take place. This electron transfer is a mechanistic description of the thermodynamic concept of redox, in which the oxidation states of both reaction partners. In general, electrochemistry deals with situations where cations transfer across from a solution –electrode interface via reaction with electrons within the interface. Anions are also transformed within this interface to produce electron, this is all through a series of oxidation and reduction reactions resulting in electrons moving from the anode connected by an external electric circuit to the cathode as a current which is carried by the ions of the supporting electrolyte. The solubility and stability of sample determines which solvent system should be used. Once this is determined compatible supporting electrolyte can be used without causing interference with the oxidation-reduction reaction. Cyclic voltammetry It enables the electrode potential to be rapidly scanned in search of redox couples. Once located, a couple can then be characterized from the potentials of peaks on the cyclic voltammogram and from changes caused by variation of the scan rate. Differential pulse voltammetry Electrochemistry has found extensive applications for the study of chemical reactions. Anodic stripping voltammetry This method of analysis which quantitatively determines the specific ionic species; the analyte of interest is electroplated on the working electrode through a deposition step. During a stripping stage the analyte is oxidised and the current is measured. The oxidation of elemental species is registered as peaks in the current signal at the potential at which the species is being oxidised. The stripping may either be linear, square, wave etc in the case of this experiment it is pulse and cyclic. Four steps of anodic stripping Cleaning: the potential is held at a oxidize state greater than that of the analyte for a period of time to remove it from the electrode. Potential held at a lower potential: The potential of the system is held sufficiently low enough to reduce the analyte and deposit it on the electrode. Deposited material spread evenly on electrode: If solid inert electrode is used this step is not needed. Working electrode is raised to a higher potential and stripping (oxidization) of the analyte as analyte is oxidised it emits electrons which are measured as current. Reference electrode is an electrode with potential which is a) independentof analyte (or other) ions in solution; b)Independent of temperature.In case of figure 2, the electrode sensitive to hydrogen ions is an indicator electrode. Potentialof an indicator electrode depends mainly on the concentration of the analyte ions (in this case hydrogen ions). 2. Experimental determination of trace metals in the Samples 2.1. Apparatus In these experiments, a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) of 3-mm diameter was used as the working electrode with an Ag/AgCl reference electrode and a platinum counter electrode. The glassy carbon electrode was polished with alumina powder (0.3 and 05 alpha) and polishing pad.   These three electrodes are used in conjunction with an ivium biopotentiostat which was interfaced with a personal computer. A conventional three-electrode cell arrangement was used for voltammetric measurements. Differential Pulse Stripping Voltammetry was performed anodically to detect trace metals. Experiment was performed at room temperature (22ÌŠ C ±1) 2.2. Reagents All chemicals used in this study were of analytical reagent grade and used without further purification. Bismuth (II) nitrate pentahydry, sodium bromide, potassium hexcyanoferrate(II), copper(II)nitrate hydrate, lead(II)nitrate, hexaammineruthenium(III)chloride, iron(II)nitrate Methanol and zinc nitrate hexahydrate standard stock solutions (1000  mg/L, atomic absorption standard solution) were obtained from sigma-Aldrich. Potassium hexcyanoferrate (II) and hexaammineruthenium (III) chloride are redox mediators.0.1  M acetate buffer (pH 4.65) also obtained from sigma-Aldrich was used as supporting electrolyte. Glassy carbon was supplied by sigma-Aldrich and deionised water (18  MÃŽ ©Ã‚  cm) was used throughout. Nafion ®117 polymer from sigma-Aldrich and Bismuth (II) nitrate pentahydry was used to produce electrode films. All chemicals used in the experiment are for research and development purposes. 2.3. Electrode preparation 2.3.1 Cleaning and Setting up the GCE This involves the glassy carbon surface being polished with micro-sized abrasives in order to expose a new surface. A plastic Petri dish is prepared and a polishing pad placed into the dish. A few grams of 0.3 alpha alumina powder was placed onto the polishing pad and a solution was made by the addition of deionised water. The GCE was held at right angle to the pad, and polished in a circular motion until the GCE looked like a mirror surface.   The electrode was rinsed with distilled water and air dried. Ex-situ preparation of bismuth film electrode The ex-situ bismuth film electrode was prepared by deposition of metallic bismuth onto a glassy carbon substrate electrode from 0.1M acetate buffer solution (ph 4.65) containing 100mg/L bismuth (II) nitrate pentahydry by applying a potential of -1.0V for 5mins with the biopotentiostat while the solution was stirred. Bismuth film electrode in the presence of bromide ions (sodium bromide) was prepared similarly from 0.1 M acetate buffer solution (ph 4.5) containing 50mg/L bismuth (II) and 50mg/L sodium bromide by applying a potential of 0.3V for 60s. This electrode was then transfer into a sample to analyse the analyte of interest. 2.4. Procedure Setting up the ivium biopotentiostat The ivium biopotentiostat, the computer CPU and the computer monitor are turn on at the mains. The computer is manually turned by pressing the on button on the CPU, after which the monitor will display a login screen. Once logged in the ivium soft icon on the desktop was double clicked to open the program. The parameters for the ivium biopotentiostat must be set. These settings change dependent on which method is being used. For example Differential pulse stripping voltammetry was used to quantify amount of copper in a 1 mM solution of potassium nitrate in deionised water by the following method. Click on Method and under the list of electroanalysis select Differential Pulse Stripping Voltammetry. In the Parameter Box, set the E start (V) = -0.35 and the E end (V) = 0.6 (the potential range within which the analyte is determined), Current Range =100mA, Pulse time (ms) =10, Pulse amplitude (mV) =10, E step (mV) =25, Scan rate (V/s) =0.05 and the pre-treatment Time (sec) = 300. Cyclic voltammetry   was used to analyse the affect of scan rate by increasing the scan rate on Nafion modified GCE in a1mM solution of potassium nitrate in 0.1 M acetate buffer at ph 4.65 at different scan -rates : Click on Method and under the list of cyclic voltammetry select standard. In the Parameter Box, set the E start (V) = -0.4, Vertex 1(V) =0.7, Vertex 2(V) =-0.4, Current Range =1mA, E step (mV) =10 and Scan rate (V/s) =0.1. Once the settings were selected and the electrodes were connected the system was run by selecting start.   The run is completed when the graph appears on the screen and the computer makes a beeping sound. The graph of results was then analysed. Preparation of a 1.0 mM Potassium chloride solution To prepare a solution of 1.0 mM potassium nitrate approximately 0.0046 g of potassium nitrate was weigh out in a clean dry weighing boat using a balance and placed into a 50 ml beaker.   Solution is made up by dilution to a volume of 15ml with deionised water and mix well until the potassium chloride dissolves. Preparation of a 1.0 mM Potassium chloride and hexaamineruthenine solution To prepare a solution of 1.0 mM potassium nitrate and hexaamineruthenine approximately 0.0046 g of potassium nitrate and 0.111g of hexaamineruthenine was weigh out in a clean dry weighing boat using a balance and placed into a 50 ml beaker.   Solution is made up by dilution to a volume of 15ml with deionised water and mix well until the potassium Cyclic voltammetry calculations for the effect of scan rate The cyclic voltammogram is characterized by the peak potential Ep, at which the current reaches a maximum value and by the value of the current ip. When the reduction process is reversible, the peak current is again given by the relation – Ip = 0.4463 nFA (Da) 1/2Cb – (1) With a=   =  at 25ÌŠC – (2) This relation results from the set of differential equations for fick’s law of diffusion. In term of adjustable parameters the peak current is given by the Randle-Sevcik equation. This equation describes the effect of scan rate on the peak current ip. The equation is given by- Ip= 2.69 Ãâ€"105n3/2AD1/2Cbv1/2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   at 25ÌŠC– (3) Figure Cyclic voltammogram where ipc and ipa show the peak cathodic and anodic current respectively for a reversible reaction. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Effects of scan rate The effects of Scan rate was examined by increasing the scan rate from 50mV/s to 1000mV/s for a 1 mM solution of potassium chloride + hexaamineruthenine in deionised water. As the scan rate increased the current increased The 2,4-DNPHMCPE showed increase in the peak current with increase in scan rate Figure Cyclic voltammetry of   GCE in 1 mM solution of   potassium chloride + hexaamineruthenine in deionised water at different scan -rates   a) 1000 mV/s   b) 750mV/s   c)400 mV/s d)100mv/s e)50mV/s Figure Cyclic voltammetry of   Nafion modified GCE in a 1 mM solution of   potassium chloride + hexaamineruthenine in deionised water at different scan -rates   a) 1000 mV/s   b) 750mV/s   c)400 mV/s d)100mv/s e)50mV/s Nafion after(04/02/2011) Figure Cyclic voltammetry of   Nafion modified GCE in a 1 mM solution of   potassium chloride + hexaamineruthenine in deionised water at different scan -rates   a) 750 mV/s   b) 400mV/s   c)200 mV/s d)100mv/s e)50mV/s f)20mV/s Bismuth in acetate baseline Figure Differential pulse voltammetry of bismuth modified GCE in a 0.1 M solution of acetate buffer at ph 4.65 with different concentrations of lead. a) 120 µL b) 100 µL c) 80 µLd) 40 µL Figure Differential pulse voltammetry of bismuth modified GCE in a 0.1 M solution of acetate buffer at ph 4.65 with different concentrations of zinc. a) 400 µL b) 300 µL c) 200 µLd) 150 µL e) 100 µL Figure Differential pulse voltammetry of bismuth modified GCE in a 0.1 M solution of acetate buffer at ph 4.65 with different concentrations of zinc. a) 600 µL b) 500 µL Figure Differential pulse voltammetry of bismuth modified GCE in a 0.1 M solution of acetate buffer at ph 4.65 with different concentrations of lead. a) 120 µL b) 100 µL c) 80 µL  Ã‚   d) 40 µL Figure Differential pulse voltammetry of GCE in a 1mM solution of potassium nitrate and deionised water different concentrations of copper (II) nitrate added. a) 750 µL b) 450 µL c) 150 µL Figure Differential pulse voltammetry Nafion modified of GCE in a 1mM solution of potassium nitrate and deionised water with different concentrations of copper (II) nitrate additions. a) 650 µL b) 450 µL c) 150 µL Figure Differential pulse voltammetry of bismuth modified GCE in a 0.1 M solution of acetate buffer at ph 4.65 with different concentrations of lead. a) 120 µL b) 100 µL c) 80 µL  Ã‚   d) 40 µL Figure Differential pulse voltammetry of bismuth modified GCE in a 0.1 M solution of acetate buffer at ph 4.65 with different concentrations of lead. a) 120 µL b) 100 µL c) 80 µL  Ã‚   d) 40 µL Figure cyclic voltammetry of Nafion modified GCE in a1mM solution of iron (II) in 0.1 acetate buffer at ph 4.65 at different scan -rates. a) 100mV/s b) 50mV/s c) 20mV/s Figure cyclic voltammetry of Nafion modified GCE in a1mM solution of potassium nitrate in 0.1 M acetate buffer at ph 4.65 at different scan -rates. a) 100mV/s b) 50mV/s c) 20mV/s Conclusion ASA = Anodic stripping voltammetry AAS = Atomic absorption spectrometry Bi = Bismuth DME = Drop mercury electrode Reference Electrode kinetics: principles and methodology  By C. H. Bamford, R. G. Compton Fundamentals of analytical chemistry, eighth edition Electrochemistry for chemists http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_mercury_drop_electrode chem.unep.ch/mercury/report/Chapter5.htm epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3/reports/volume6.pdf http://electrochem.cwru.edu/encycl/art-p01-plants.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_field http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molar_concentration

The Devine Michelangelo and Rapheal A Mortal God videos criticism Essay

The Devine Michelangelo and Rapheal A Mortal God videos criticism - Essay Example In an effort to recreate and retell the stories of these two classical artists, BBC, in association with acclaimed directors like Bernard Hill and Sydney Kean, produced informative documentary films. These films are; Raphael – A Mortal God and The Devine Michelangelo. In 2004, BBC created a drama-documentary on the life and works of Raphael. Raphael – A Mortal God was directed by John Holdsworth. The film, which runs for 60 minutes, was released in January 2004. In the film, Bernard Hill takes the role of a background narrator. Among the key cast members include McKenna, acting as Pope Julius 2 and Joe McFadden acting as Raphael. The documentary is educational in nature (Weyant). It covers on the life and heydays of Raphael as one of the most colorful artists of Renaissance Italy. In order to enhance understanding, the documentary shows graphical representations of Raphael’s work. In addition, motion pictures depicting characters and scenes synonymous to those of Renaissance Rome are used. Personally, I think the documentary on Raphael – A Mortal God is successfully inspired. As an educational documentary, Raphael – A Mortal God captures a viewer’s attention through a recognizable conflict between the characters and the environmental context of the story. As a means of developing the dramatic curve of Raphael’s story, Bernard Hill takes a reserved stage and narrates events in a contrasting manner. For example, Raphael succeeded as an artist because he employed experimental techniques instead of adhering to conventional artistic techniques of renaissance art. In depicting Raphael’s conflict with conventional techniques of renaissance art, the film uses audio and visual medium in alienating the artist in respect to the background context (Weyant). Despite the documentary’s success in certain aspects, there is an apparent inadequacy in the use of motion pictures. In addition, the

China's Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

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