Consider the theme in Of mice and men Essay

* The book Of Mice and Men was set in the time of the great depression of the 1930’s in California in a place called Soledad. Men travelled around looking for any work they could find, they had to leave families and homes just to make money. Even firms and companies went bankrupt, these were depressing and desperate times, no hope and no future. * During this period of time there was a depression in America. Unemployment was high, so men moved from ranch to ranch looking for work, never staying in one place long enough to firm any real relationships, so this was a very lonely existence. * John Steinbeck’s inspiration from came from him at an earlier age working as a migrant farm worker and so he understood completely about the conditions and life around him so he could really create an atmospheric story. * It is based on two men, George and Lennie, who travelled from ranch to ranch. George is a small and fairly intelligent man while Lennie is a large man of very little intelligence. They had travelled together for a long time. * In my opinion, the most obvious point made throughout the book about the world of migrant workers is that it is lonely. George tells that â€Å"†¦guys like us†¦are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This is also shown when Slim comments that he â€Å"†¦hardly never seen two guys travel together†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Most migrant workers travel on their own and this is why George and Lennie face some fairly intrusive questions from their new boss when they first arrive at the ranch. This boss even finds it so unusual that he asks George, referring to Lennie, â€Å"†¦what stake you got in this guy?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . He also again refers to this being unusual by saying â€Å"†¦I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . * They are many characters in the novel that are also lonely and this is due to sexism, ageism, but mainly racism. One perfect example is Crooks†¦Crooks, the black stable buck is forever being picked on by the other men at the ranch, mostly because of his colour. In the time in which the book was set, black people in America were thought of as lower than white people. At the ranch, Crooks cannot live in the bunk – house with all the other men, but he has to sleep in the harness room, at the back of the barn. Crooks is given no privacy, and gets quite cross because he is not allowed to enter the bunk-house but the other men can just walk into his room. In the book he says to Lennie, â€Å"You’ve no right to come into my room, nobody got any right in here but me.† * Another reason is because of your age. Candy is lonely because he is old, and is different from the other hands. His only comfort is his old dog, which keeps him company and reminds him of days when he was young and whole.He has no relatives, and once his dog is killed is totally alone. He eagerly clutches at the idea of buying a farm with George and Lennie, but of course this all comes to nothing.Candy’s disappointment is expressed in the bitter words he utters to the body of Curley’s wife, whom he blames for spoiling his dream. Paragraph 1 * George is a kind man. He travels with Lennie and helps him to survive although Lennie is more of a burden than a help, and creates many problems for him. He is also friendly, and almost immediately makes friends with Candy, Carlson, Slim, and the other ranch hands.He has matured a lot since the incident he relates to Slim where he made Lennie jump into a river just for fun. He realises that Lennie depends on him, and needs him to survive.George often insults Lennie and ‘gives him hell’, but he doesn’t really mean it. Although he often talks about how well off he could be without Lennie he secretly doesn’t want Lennie to leave, and when Lennie offers to do so in the first chapter, George virtually pleads with him to stay, ‘ Ive got you an you’ve got me’. This is because George also depends on Lennie to a certain extent for his unconditional friendship. George is intelligent, as Slim points out in chapter three, but also modest in denying being smart. He expresses his desire to be different from other ranch hands who merely work for a month and then spend all of their money, but also realistically realises that his dream of owning a house with Lennie (or anyone else) is unlikely to ever come true. Overall, George is an intelligent and kind character. He is thoughtful enough to realise that the best thing for Lennie is to shoot him, for the alternatives are even worse, and compassionate enough to kill Lennie himself. * Lennie is a massive, extremely strong man, who has no living relatives. He travels about the country searching for work with his companion, George. Lennie’s Aunt Clara had asked George to take care of Lennie if she ever died. The most obvious feature of Lennie’s character is that he seems retarded. He is a man who has the mind of a child. Slim is one of the first characters to notice this, remarking that Lennie is ‘Jes’ like a kid’ and Curley’s wife also comments on how he is ‘Jus’ like a big baby’. Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, and this is one of the things which lead to his eventual downfall. He realises that he is, ‘strong as a bull’, but he can’t judge how much force to use for certain actions. That is why he kills his pets, when he only intends to pet them and play with them. It is this inability to judge his strength, combined with his desire to pet things and Curley’s wife’s desire to be petted and admired which leads to Lennie’s inevitable death. The ability to judge one’s own strength is one of the first signs of maturity, and it is important that Lennie doesn’t have this ability. Despite the major flaws in his character he is amiable and ‘friendly ‘, and doesn’t do any of the bad things he does on purpose.He has a poor memory, and has to repeat things to himself many times to remember them. Even then, he still forgets them. He has a blind faith in George, trusting in him to protect and look after his welfare. For example, remember the incident George describes to Slim when he told Lennie to â€Å"jump in the river† and Lennie obeyed, without a thought to his own well being. This illustrates Lennie’s trust in George, and also his immaturity.However, it must be noted that Lennie can still be quite crafty, as when he cunningly persuades George to tell him the story about the rabbits by threatening to leave him. Paragraph 2 * Because of Lennie’s handicap George has established a personality around his companion to make it easier to live around him. George has found a way of coping with Lennie which is to shout at him†¦. † God a’ mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy.† He supports him in the way he needs although when he is angry he does criticize him â€Å"As dum as a horse†. * George thinks of Lennie as a companion as he doesn’t have any family. On the other hand he finds him as a pain. Lennie feel the same way to a certain extent but also fears George as he is in control and orders and protects Lennie. They travel together searching for work on ranches and so never settle, and so don’t establish true friendships with others, but since they have each other they seem secure, but Lennie gets into a lot of trouble and so needs George so really George doesn’t have time for himself, which is why they do almost everything together. * Others see this relationship as different:- Slim comments † Aint many guys travel around toghther†¦.Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other†. George and Lennie are different as Lennie says † I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you† * Dreams are significant when considering how these men as one of the ways in which the characters combat the loneliness and hopelessness of their existence. For example the â€Å"dream farm†, a dream shared at first only by George and Lennie, later spreads to include Candy and Crooks, as they are all desperate to escape their lonely lives Crooks reveals that it is the favourite dream of the itinerant ranch hands: ‘Seems like ever’ guy got land in his head.’ It is a powerful dream, however, and even Crooks falls for this, for a short time.To Lennie, the dream is a cure for â€Å"disappointment and loneliness†, and he often asks George to recite the description of the farm to him. Paragraph 4 * Crooks is an even lonelier character than Candy, because not only is he old and a cripple, like Candy, but he is also black. Most of the men have a lot of prejudice against Crooks, referring to him with derogatory terms such as â€Å"nigger†. (Prejudice around slavery wasn’t rare) * He lives in the shed at the other end of the ranch, isolated from the rest of the workers there. * Crooks is a victim. We are told by Candy that the Boss takes his anger out on Crooks, though Crooks does nothing wrong. * Crooks spends his time alone reading and is a fairly knowledgeable person, as he owns a copy of the California civil code for 1905 He also plays horseshoes until dark. This shows us that Crooks is interested in reading as is most likely one of the smartest of the crowd. This also suggests that he has found reading as an â€Å"escape route† from the ‘terrible world’ around him. * Crooks reveals that it is the favourite dream of the itinerant ranch hands: * As a result of the discrimination against him, Crooks has become bitter and cynical. This is why when Lennie and Candy tell him about their plan to buy a house he reacts with scorn and disbelief. ‘Seems like ever’ guy got land in his head.’ It is a powerful dream, however, and even the cynical Crooks falls under its spell for a short time. Paragraph 5 * Curley’s wife is described as having full rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails painted and her hair hung in little rolled clusters. * Most of the ranch hands except for Slim brand Curley’s wife as ‘tart’. In fact, she is portrayed as such whenever she appears, obviously playing up to and teasing the men. We can definitely say that she is lonely. John Steinbeck illustrates how lonely Curleys wife is when she says † I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely† She says so several times, and that is to be expected since she is stuck on a ranch with men who dislike her and rarely talk to her, as they fear getting into any sort of trouble with her husband Curley, ‘stay away from her’. However, she attempts to overcome her loneliness in the wrong way. George immediately realises that she means trouble when she first turns up in the bunkhouse, and it is hardly surprising that her actions lead her new husband to be fiercely jealous. She is so cruel because of her unhappiness, her isolation and the failure of her dreams. She dreamt of being â€Å"in the movies† or even in a â€Å"show†. She is disappointed and marries Curley to spite her mother only to find out â€Å"he aint a nice fella†. She wishes she could have made something of her life. She walks around the ranch, dressed inappropriately and seductively. and she has only been married a couple of weeks. She admits to Lennie that she doesn’t like her husband and regrets marrying him. She seems to be of limited intelligence, as this shows her how desperate she is to escape. It is partly her desire to be petted and admired which leads her to allow Lennie to stroke her hair, which in turn leads to her death at Lennie’s hands. She is only ever known as ‘Curley’s wife’ which indicates that the author viewed her as a possession of Curley’s rather than a human being. I pity her as she made a mistake into leading herself into these problems with Curley and this is making her bored ill. Paragraph 6 * The next afternoon, Lennie is in the barn. All of the other men are outside playing a game of horseshoes, and Lennie’s only company is his dead puppy. Lennie had accidentally killed it. He fears that George will not let him tend and feed the rabbits if George knows that he killed the puppy. While Lennie wonders what to do, Curley’s wife appears. She tries to get Lennie to talk to her, but Lennie is reluctant, since George had threatened to forbid him from tending his rabbits if Lennie ever did so. When she directs Lennie’s attention to his puppy, though, Lennie forgets about not talking to her. He explains everything to her. Curley’s wife listens sympathetically, and she tells Lennie about her aspirations of being an actress, and how she believes her mother deliberately thwarted her plans. She becomes angered by Lennie’s continual references to rabbits, and asks him what his attraction to them is. Lennie explains that he likes to touch and pet soft things, like rabbit fur. * Curley’s wife allows Lennie to stroke her hair, but panics when he won’t let go. She begins to struggle and scream, and Lennie, also in a state of panic, shakes her to make her stop saying, ‘ I don’t want you to yell. You gonna get me in trouble jus’ like George says you will’, and he covered her rouged lipped mouth with his large palms. She continued to scream and struggle and now the fully nervous Lennie shouted angrily at her, ‘ Don’t you go yellin’ , and shook her; and her body flopped like a fish ‘he shakes her so violently that her neck broke and she died instantly. Lennie knows that he has done another bad thing and remembers that George told him to go and hide in the brush down by the river, so he quickly runs there. Sometime later, Candy enters the barn and discovers the body of Curley’s wife. He runs and fetches George. George realises what has happened, and says that he has to tell the others. Candy protests, rightly pointing out that Curley would deliver no mercy to anyone who had killed his wife. Candy is in favour of letting Lennie escape. He asks George if it is still possible to buy the house, but his dreams are shattered when George says it isn’t. When George tells the labourers the news, they all go into a frenzy, and seem affected by blood lust. Curley is furious and vows to kill Lennie. Carlson rushes off to get his gun, and even Whit wants to join in the hunt. Carlson reports that his gun has been stolen, and everyone thinks that Lennie is responsible. George begs Curley to have mercy on his companion, but Curley says he can’t because Lennie has a gun. All of the men run off except for Candy, who lies down in despair. * The relationship between George, Lennie and Candy was now destroyed. * This relates to the â€Å"theme of dreams† as they couldn’t get their own place and so their dream had crumbled as well. Paragraph 7 * Loneliness affects many of the characters, and Steinbeck seems to show that it is a natural and inevitable result of the kind of life they are forced to lead. The itinerant workers are caught in a trap of loneliness – they never stay in one place long enough to form permanent relationships. Even if such relationships existed, they would probably be destroyed by the demands of the itinerant life. Candy is lonely because he is old, and is different from the other hands. His only comfort is his old dog, which keeps him company and reminds him of days when he was young and whole. He has no relatives, and once his dog is killed is totally alone. He eagerly clutches at the idea of buying a farm with George and Lennie, but of course this all comes to nothing. Candy’s disappointment is expressed in the bitter words he utters to the body of Curley’s wife, whom he blames for spoiling his dream. George is also caught in the trap of loneliness. Just as Candy has his dog for company, George has Lennie (who is often described in animal-like terms). Continuing the parallel, George too is left completely alone when Lennie is killed. The dream farm is his idea, and he says ‘We’d belong there †¦ no more runnin’ around the country†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Another lonely character is Curley’s wife. Newly married and in a strange place, she is forbidden by Curley to talk to anyone but him. To counter this, she constantly approaches the ranch hands on the excuse of looking for Curley. The only result is that the men regard her as a slut, and Curley becomes even more intensely jealous. Finally, her loneliness leads to her death as she makes the ‘ serious error of trying to overcome it by playing the tease with Lennie. Curley himself is lonely. His new wife hates him as do all the ranch hands who despise him for his cowardice. He has married in an attempt to overcome his loneliness, but has blindly chosen a wife totally inappropriate for the kind of life he leads. His feelings are all channelled into aggressive behaviour which further isolates his wife and leads to the incident with Lennie where his hand is crushed. Crooks is another who is isolated because he is different. He copes with it by keeping a distance between himself and the other hands. When he does allow himself to be drawn into the dream of working on George and Lennie’s dream farm, he is immediately shut out by George’s anger. * The conclusion, in my opinion is that people are brought together though loneliness and separated as they grow hostile (Crooks). It is like an endless game which has to be played by someone before someone gets eager and makes it worse by instigating. This is fate†¦what will happen will happen†¦. Just like a game †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. someone always wins†¦..and someone always loses†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..!

Carrie Chapter Four

(or only hopeful) that she wasn't that weak, not that liable to fall docilely into the complacent expectations of parents, friends, and even herself. But now there was this shower thing, where she had gone along and pitched in with high, savage glee. The word she was avoiding was expressed To Conform, in the infinitive, and it conjured up miserable images of hair in rollers, long afternoons in front of the ironing board in front of the soap operas while hubby was off busting heavies in an anonymous Office; of joining the P.T.A. and then the country club when their income moved into five figures; of pills in circular yellow cases without number to insure against having to move out of the misses' size before it became absolutely necessary and against the intrusion of repulsive little strangers who shat in their pants and screamed for help at two in the morning; of fighting with desperate decorum to keep the niggers out of Kleen Korners, standing shoulder to shoulder with Terri Smith (Miss Potato Blossom of 1975) and Vicki Jones (Vice President of The Women's League), armed with signs and petitions and sweet, slightly desperate smiles. Carrie, it was the goddamned Carrie, this was her fault. Perhaps before today she had heard distant, circling footfalls around their lighted place, but tonight, hearing her own sordid, crummy story, she saw the actual silhouettes of all these things, and yellow eyes that glowed like flashlights in the dark. She had already bought her prom gown. It was blue. It was beautiful. ‘You're right,' he said when she was done. ‘Bad news. Doesn't sound a bit like you.' His face was grave and she felt a cool slice of terror. Then he smiled-he had a very jolly smile-and the darknesss retreated a bit. ‘I kicked a kid in the slats once when he was knocked out. Did I ever tell you about that?' She shook her head. ‘Yeah.' He rubbed his nose reminiscently and his cheek gave a small tic, the way it had when he made his confession about getting the rubber wrong the first time. ‘The kid's name was Danny Patrick. He beat the living shit out of me once when we were in the sixth grade. I hated him, but I was scared, too. I was laying for him. You know how that is?' She didn't, but nodded anyway. ‘Anyway, he finally picked on the wrong kid a year or so later. Pete Taber. He was just a little guy, but he had lots of muscles. Danny got on him about something. I don't know, marbles or something, and finally Peter just rose up righteous and beat the shit out of him. That was on the playground of the old Kennedy Junior High. Danny fell down and hit his head and went out cold. Everybody ran. We thought he might be dead. I ran away too, but first I gave him a good kick in the ribs. Felt really bad about it afterwards. You going to apologize to her?' It caught Sue flat-footed and all she could was clinch weakly: ‘Did you?' ‘Huh? Hell no! I had better things to do than spend my time in traction. But there's a big difference, Susie.' ‘There is?' ‘It's not seventh grade any more. And I had some kind of reason, even if it was a piss-poor reason. What did that sad, silly bitch ever do to you?' She didn't answer because she couldn't. She had never passed more than a hundred words with Carrie in her whole life, and three dozen or so had come today. Phys. Ed. was the only class they'd had in common since they had graduated from Chamberlain Junior High. Carrie was taking the commercial/business course. Sue, of course, was in the college division. She thought herself suddenly loathsome. She found she could not bear that and so she twisted it at him. ‘When did you start making all these big moral decisions? After you started fucking me?' She saw the good humour fade from his face and was sorry. ‘Guess I should have kept quiet,' he said, and pulled up his pants. ‘It's not you, it's me.' She put a hand on his arm. ‘I'm ashamed, see?' ‘I know,' he said. ‘But I shouldn't be giving advice. I'm not very good at it.' ‘Tommy, do you ever hate being so †¦ well, popular?' ‘Me?' The question wrote surprise on his face. ‘Do you mean like football and class president and that stuff?' ‘Yes.' ‘No. Ifs not very important. High school isn't a very important place. When you're going you think it's a big deal, but when it's over nobody really think. it was great unless they're beered up. That's how my brother and his buddies are, anyway.' It did not soothe her; it made her fears worse. Little Susie mix ‘n match from Ewen High School, Head Cupcake of the entire Cupcake Brigade. Prom gown kept forever in the closet, wrapped in protective plastic. The night pressed dark against the slightly steamed car windows. ‘I'll probably end up working at my dad's car lot,' he said. ‘I'll spend my Friday and Saturday nights down at Uncle Billy's or out at The Cavalier drinking beer and talking about the Saturday afternoon I got that fat pitch from Saunders and we upset Dorchester. Get married to some nagging broad and always own last years model, vote Democrat-‘ ‘Don't,' she said, her mouth suddenly full of a dark, sweet horror. She pulled him to her. ‘Love me. My head is so bad tonight. Love me. Love me.' So he loved her and this time it was different, this time there finally seemed to be room and there was no rubbing but a delicious friction that went up and up: Twice he had to stop, panting, and held himself back, and then he went (he was a virgin before me and admitted it I would have believed a lie) and went hard and her breath came in short, digging gasps and then she began to yell and hold at his back, helpless to stop, sweating, the bad taste washed away, every cell seeming to have its own climax, body filled with sunlight, musical notes in her mind, butterflies behind her skull in the cage of her mind. Later, on the way home, he asked her formally if she would go to the Spring Ball with him. She said she would. He asked her if she had decided what to do about Carrie. She said she hadn't. He said that it made no difference. but she thought that it did. It had begun to seem that it meant all the difference. From Telekinesis: Analysis and Aftermath (Science Yearbook 1982), by Dean K. L. McGuffin: There are, of course, still these scientists today – regretfully, the Duke University people are in their forefront – who reject the terrific underlying implications of the Carrie White affair. Like the Flatlands Society, the Rosicrucians, or the Corlies of Arizona, who are positive that the atomic bomb does not work, these unfortunates are flying in the face of logic with their heads in the sand, and beg your pardon for the mixed metaphor. Of course one is able to understand the consternation, the raised voices, the angry letters and arguments at scientific convocations. The idea of telekinesis itself has been a bitter pill for the scientific community to swallow, with its horror-movie trappings of ouija boards and mediums and table rappings and floating coronets; but understanding will still not excuse scientific irresponsibility. The outcome of the White affair raises grave and difficult questions. An earthquake has struck our order notions of the way the natural world is supposed to act and react. Can you blame even such a renowned physicist as Gerald Luponet for claiming the whole thing is a hoax and a fraud, even in the face of such overwhelming evidence as the White Commission presented? For if Carrie White is the truth, then what of Newton? †¦ They sat in the living room, Carrie and Momma, listening to Tennessee Ernie Ford singing ‘Let the Lower Lights Be Burning' on a Webcor phonograph (which Momma called the victrola, or, if in a particularly good mood, the vic). Carrie sat at the sewing machine, pumping with her feet as she sewed the sleeves on a new dress. Momma sat beneath the plaster crucifix, tatting doilies and bumping her feet in time to the song, which was one of her favourites. Mr P. P. Bliss, who had written this hymn and others seemingly without number, was one of Momma's shining examples of God at work upon the face of the earth. He had been a sailor and a sinner (two terms that were synonymous in Momma's lexicon), a great blasphemer, a laugher in the face of the Almighty. Then a great storm had come up at sea, the boat had threatened to capsize, and Mr P. P. Bliss had gotten down on his sinsickly knees with a vision of Hell yawning beneath the ocean floor to receive him, and he had prayed to God. Mr P. P. Bliss promised God that if He saved him, he would dedicate the rest of his life to Him. The storm, of course, had cleared immediately. Brightly beams our Father's mercy From his lighthouse evermore, But to us he gives the keeping Of the lights along the shore †¦ All of Mr P. P. Bliss's hymns had a seagoing flavour to them. The dress she was sewing was actually quite pretty, a dark wine colour-the closest Momma would allow her to red-and the sleeves were puffed. She tried to keep her mind strictly on her sewing, but of course it wandered. The overhead fight was strong and harsh and yellow, the small dusty plush sofa was of course deserted (Carrie had never had a boy in To Sit), and on the far wall was a twin shadow: the crucified Jesus, and beneath Him, Momma. The school had called Momma at the laundry and she had come home at noon. Carrie had watched her come up the walk, and her belly trembled. Momma was a very big woman, and she always wore a hat. Lately her legs had begun to swell, and her feet always seemed on the point of overflowing her shoes. She wore a black cloth coat with a black fur collar. Her eyes were blue and magnified behind rimless bifocals. She always carried a large black satchel purse and in it was her change purse, her billfold (both black), a large King James Bible (also black) with her name stamped on the front in gold, and a stack of tracts secured with a rubber band. The Tracts were usually orange, and smearily printed. Carrie knew vaguely that Momma and Daddy Ralph had been Baptists once but had left the church when they became convinced that the Baptists were doing the work of the Antichrist. Since that time, all worship had taken place at home. Momma held worship on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. These were called Holy Days. Momma was the minister, Carrie the congregation. Services lasted from two to three hours. Momma had opened the door and walked stolidly in. She and Carrie had stared at each other down the short length of the front hall for a moment, like gunfighters before a shootout. It was one of those brief moments that seem (fear could it really have been fear in momma's eyes) much longer in retrospect. Momma closed the door behind her. ‘You're a woman,' she said softly. Carrie felt her face twisting and crumpling and could not help it. ‘Why didn't you tell me?' she cried. ‘Oh Momma, I was so scared! And the girls all made fun and threw things and-‘ Momma had been walking towards her, a now her hand flashed with sudden limber speed, a hard hand, laundry-calloused and muscled. It struck her backhand across the jaw and Carrie fell down in the doorway between the hall and the living room, weeping loudly. ‘And God made Eve from the rib Of Adam,' Momma said. Her eyes were very large in the rimless glasses; they looked like poached eggs. She thumped Carrie with the side of her foot and Carrie screamed. ‘Get up, woman. Let's get in and pray. Let's pray to Jesus for our womanweak, wicked, sinning souls.' ‘Momma' The sobs were too strong to allow more. The latent hysterics had come out grinning and gibbering. She could not stand up. She could only crawl into the living room with her hair hanging in her face, braying huge hoarse sobs. Every now and again Momma would swing her foot. So they progressed across the living room toward the place of the altar, which had once been a small bedroom. ‘And Eve was weak and – say it, woman. Say it-‘ ‘No, Momma, please help me-‘ The foot swung. Carrie screamed. ‘And Eve was weak and loosed the raven on the world,' Momma continued, ‘and the raven was called Sin, and the first Sin was Intercourse. And the Lord visited Eve with a Curse, and the Curse was the Curse of Blood. And Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden and into the World and Eve found that her belly had grown big with child.' The foot swung and connected with Carrie's rump. Her nose scraped the wood floor. They were entering the place of the altar. There was a cross on a table covered with an embroidered silk cloth. On either side of the cross there were white candles. Behind this were several paint-by-the-numbers of Jesus and His apostles. And to the right was the worst place of all, the home of terror, the cave where all hope, all resistance to God's will – and Momma's – was extinguished. The closet door leered open. Inside, below a hideous blue bulb that was always lit, was Derrault's conception of Jonathan Edwards' famous sermon. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. ‘And there was a second Curse, and this was the Curse of Childbearing, and Eve brought forth Cain in sweat and blood.' Now Momma dragged her, half-standing and half-crawling, down to the altar, where they both fell on their knees. Momma gripped Carrie's wrist tightly. ‘And following Cain, Eve gave birth to Abel, having not yet repented of the Sin of Intercourse. And so the Lord visited Eve with a third Curse, and this was the Curse of Murder. Cain rose up and slew Abel with a rock. And still Eve did not repent, nor all the daughters of Eve, and upon Eve did the Crafty Serpent found a kingdom of whoredom and pestilences.' ‘Momma!' she shrieked. ‘Momma, please listen! It wasn't my fault!' ‘Bow your head,' Momma said. ‘Let's us pray.' ‘You should have told me!' Momma brought her hand down on the back of Carrie's neck, and behind it was all the heavy muscle developed by eleven years of slinging heavy laundry bags and trucking piles of wet sheets. Carrie's eye-bulging face jerked forward and her forehead smacked the altar, leaving a mark and making the candles tremble. ‘Let's us pray,' Momma said softly, implacably. Weeping and snuffling, Carrie bowed her head. A runner of snot hung pendulously from her nose and she wiped it away. (if i had a nickel for every time she made me cry here) with the back of her hand. Lord,' Momma declaimed hugely, her head thrown back, ‘help this sinning woman beside me here see the sin of her days and ways. Show her that if she had remained sinless the Curse of Blood never would have come on her. She may have committed the Sin of Lustful Thoughts. She may have been listening to rock ‘n roll music on the radio. She may have been tempted by the Antichrist. Show her that this is Your kind, vengeful hand at work and-‘ ‘No! Let me go!' She tried to struggle to her feet and Momma's hand, as strong and pitiless as an iron manacle, forced her back to her knees. ‘-and Your sign that she must walk the straight and narrow from here on out if she is to avoid the flaming agonies of the Eternal Pit. Amen.' She turned her glittering, magnified eyes upon her daughter. ‘Go to your closet now.' ‘No!' She felt her breath go thick with terror. ‘Go to your closet. Pray in secret. Ask forgiveness for your sins.' ‘I didn't sin, Momma. You sinned. You didn't tell me and they laughed.' Again she seemed to see a flash of fear in Momma's eyes, gone as quickly and soundlessly as summer lightning. Momma began to force Carrie toward the blue glare of the closet. ‘Pray to God and your sins may be washed away.' ‘Momma, you let me go.' ‘Pray, woman.' ‘I'll make the stones come again, Momma.' Momma halted. Even her breath seemed to stop in her throat for a moment. And then the hand tightened on her neck, tightened, until Carrie saw red, lurid dots in front of her eyes and felt her brain go fuzzy and far-off. Momma's magnified eyes swam in front of her. ‘You spawn of the devil,' she whispered. ‘Why was I so cursed?' Carrie's whirling mind strove to find something huge enough to express her agony, shame, terror, hate, fear. It seemed her whole life had narrowed to this miserable, beaten point of rebellion. Her eyes bulged crazily, her mouth, filled with spit, opened wide. ‘YOU SUCK!' she screamed. Momma hissed like a burned cat. ‘Sin!' she cried. ‘O, Sin! She began to beat Carrie's back, her neck, her head. Carrie was driven, reeling, into the close blue glare of the closet. ‘YOU FUCK!' Carrie screamed. (there there o there it's out how else do you think she got you o god o good) She was whirled into the closet headfirst and she struck the far wall and fell on the floor in a semidaze. The door slammed and the key turned. She was alone with Momma's angry God. The blue light glared on a picture, of a huge and bearded Yahweh who was casting screaming multitudes of humans down through cloudy depths into an abyss of fire. Below them, black horrid figures struggled through the flames of perdition while The Black Man sat on a huge flame-coloured throne with a trident in one hand. His body was that of a man, but he had a spiked tail and the head of a jackal.

Post Office Managment System Essay

Speedy and efficient information processing is crucial to our socially and highly developed technology. Computer can help the intolerable burden of handling the ever increasing amount or information with government department, public services and business concerns expected to contain because of their ability to analyze information as well as to retain, update and reproduce it because of their versatility to present it in a variety of forms. This may also to some extent lead to problems occurring due to information explosion. Post office works in every walk of our life. Through the automation of this system one can easily generate the information about the customer available and also about the old records. Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post. Post offices offer mail-related services such as acceptance of mail and sale of postage stamps, post office boxes, and sale of packaging and stationery. In addition, some post offices offer non-postal services such as passport applications and other government forms, car tax purchase, money orders, and banking services. In a â€Å"sorting office† or â€Å"delivery office†, mail is sorted or processed for delivery. Large open spaces for sorting mail are also sometimes known as a sorting hall or postal hall. Over time, sophisticated mail sorting and delivery equipment has been developed, including Mail Rail The Roman Empire built the most advanced postal delivery system known until that time except for the service in China. Its area was the whole Mediterranean world. Reliable communication from Rome to governors and military officials in faraway provinces was a necessity. Rome met the need by developing the cursus publicus literally, â€Å"public course† a state-sp onsored series of post roads with relay stations at intervals. The speed with which government dispatches and other mail could be carried about the empire was not equaled again in Europe until the 19th century. Using the relay stations, riders could cover about 170 miles (270 kilometers) in a 24-hour period. The collapse of the empire in the West did not immediately destroy the postal system. Vestiges of it endured until at least the 9th century before it became fragmented and fell into disuse. In the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire the system lasted longer because it was eventually absorbed into the Islamic kingdom based in Baghdad. Between 1775 and 1815 Britain was at war almost constantly, either with the United States or with France. To help finance the wars postage rates were increased, and the higher rates remained in force for 25 years after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. Spurred by popular discontent over postal rates, the English educator and tax reformer Rowland Hill formulated proposals on reforming the postal system between 1835 and 1837. His pamphlet, â€Å"Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability,† is now regarded as a milestone in the development of the modern postal system. Hill proved that carrying charges were an insignificant factor in the total cost of handling mail. He further proved that the complex series of rates based on distance were needless. Most of the total cost came from administrative expenses. He also noted that the collection of payment for mail on delivery could be avoided. His solution to postal problems was simple a uniform rate of postage regardless of distance and prepayment of postage through the use of adhesive stamps sold by the post office. He proposed that payments be based on weight and suggested a penny for each half-ounce. 1.2STATEMENT OF PROBLEM In Nigeria today; the competition for efficient and better services is high. It is especially high for postal services agencies where private postal service company are forcing out the government owned postal services, common errors found in the manual system that makes it nearly impossible for them to meet up to the challenges are: * Lack of Immediate Retrieval of Information – In manual system, lot of time is wasted in retrieving information. Much searching is required before required is found. This wastes a lot of time of the user as well as the person. * Lack of immediate information storage – In manual system, it is difficult to store information at proper place at that very moment. This is because the person is unable to quickly locate the place where the information is to be stored. * Prompts Updating not Possible – Changes are quite natural in all walks of life. Information and stored data also changes from time to time. These changes should be incorporated in the working also to keep the information up to date. However, bringing about changes through the manual system is a slow and tedious process because of which inaccurate information storage occurs. * Unplanned Working – The manual system lacks the element of planned working. Records are not properly maintained. This creates a lot of problems at times like during information retrieval and storage * Insignificant Generation of Managerial and Strategic Reports – In manual system, reports for management are difficult to be generated and strategic reports are impossible. This is because for these reports proper storage of information, its retrieval and its filtering are very important and very tough in manual system. * Accuracy – The manual system lacks accuracy in working and a number of operations may be performed incorrectly, the computations that are done in the organization may be incorrect and whatever are generated in the system may be inaccurate. 1.3AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT The proposed project work aims to improve on the manual system by making it more efficient and accurate while delivering better services to the customers. It aims to: * Provide immediate retrieval of information – This is to provide quick and efficient retrieval of information, any type of information would be available to the user whenever he requires. Facility would be provided for online query to cut down on the response time greatly. * Immediate storage of information – In the proposed system, it will be easy to store information at any given time at the correct places. The location of storage would be easily available and user will face no difficulty. * Prompt updating of information – In the proposed system, the information will always remain up to date as the updating will be prompt and without any efforts. This factor will be of great importance in the proposed system as it determines the integrity of the information stored. * Fast computation of informat ion – The computation of information will be quite fast in the proposed system. Not only mathematical calculations, but also logical comparisons will be quick in the new system. * Planned approach toward working – The working is the service center information system will be well planned and organized. The data will be stored properly in the data store which will help in retrieval of information as well as in its storage. * Generation of managerial and strategic reports – The new system would provide for regular generation of reports which would help the management in decisions making work and in controlling the over-all working of the organization. The generation of these reports would be possible only if the system is organized such that retrieval of information can be made on conditions. * Accuracy – The level of accuracy in the new proposed system would be higher. All operations and computations would be done correctly and this will ensure that whatever information is coming from the center, it is accurate. * Reliability – The reliability of the proposed system would be high due to the above stated reasons. The reason for the increased reliability of the system is that now there would be proper storage of information, its maintenance would be well managed and retrieval would be possible in the desired manner. * Non Redundant Information – In the new system, utmost care be taken that no information is repeated, any usage of storage or otherwise. This would assure economic usage of storage or space and consistency in the data stored. This will also help make those changes easily as the change would have to be made only at that very place and nowhere else. 1.4SCOPE OF THE PROJECT The project report work covers package posting of customers to their destination, store customers information as well as update as new transaction are carried out as well as displaying details for information a customer may require; it will be accessible to three categories of users which are the public, customers and administrators. 1.5LIMITATION OF THE PROJECT This project work (software application) will be a website application that will provide security with the use of login-id and password, so that any unauthorized users cannot use unauthorized account. Only authorized users have proper access to the application (users, public and administrator), whereby users and public can view, search and users can post their package, the administrator will have full access to the application. The application will cover the state, and not the whole country or international posting. 1.6DEFINITION OF TERMS AUTOMATE-The act of making or converting from manual based to automate state where a system function independently. DISPATCH-The act of sending something from one end to the other. MAIL-Packages that are handled and distributed in a postal system. POST -Letters or parcels that have been sent or are to be send through the postal system. POSTAGE -The price paid for package delivery. SORTING-The process of arranging something orderly. VERSATILITY-Something that is meant to be used in many ways. TAX-The money levied on citizen by government for the operation and smooth running of the state, country or a province. CHAPTER TWO 2.0LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter reviews the existing posting system, mail delivery system, courier services, e-servicing and internet as well as their history. In order to grasp the full scope of the project it explains the posting system as a whole. 2.1HISTORY OF POSTAL SERVICES Mail, consisting mostly of government dispatches, was carried from place to place by horse or horse-drawn wagon in ancient Egypt and Persia. Most mail was still being transported the same way in the middle of the 19th century, when stagecoaches carried letters and packages to the West coast. Historical references to postal systems in Egypt date from about 2000 BC. The Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great (6th century BC) used a system of mounted relay messengers. The riders would stop at regularly placed posthouses to get a fresh horse or to pass on their packets of dispatches to another messenger for the remainder of the distance. On the other side of the world, in China, a posthouse service had been started early in the Chou Dynasty (ruled 1122-221 BC). It was used mostly to convey official documents. The far-reaching system consisted of relays of couriers who changed horses at relay posts 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) apart. The system was enlarged under the Han Empire (202 BC-AD 220), when the Chinese came in contact with the Romans and their postal system. The Roman Empire built the most advanced postal delivery system known until that time except for the service in China. Its area was the whole Mediterranean world. Reliable communication from Rome to governors and military officials in faraway provinces was a necessity. Rome met the need by developing the cursus publicus literally, â€Å"public course† a state-sponsored series of post roads with relay stations at intervals. The speed with which government dispatches and other mail could be carried about the empire was not equaled again in Europe until the 19th century. Using the relay stations, riders could cover about 170 miles (270 kilometers) in a 24-hour period. The collapse of the empire in the West did not immediately destroy the postal system. Vestiges of it endured until at least the 9th century before it became fragmented and fell into disuse. In the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire the system lasted longer because it was eventually absorbed into the Islamic kingdom based in Baghdad. With the growth of international commerce during the Renaissance, there was a need for business correspondence. Corporations and guilds set up their own messenger services. The great merchant and banking houses of the Italian city-states provided the most extensive and dependable postal service of the time. By the 13th century links were maintained between the commercial centers of Florence, Genoa, and Siena and several communities in northern France that held annual fairs. These fairs attracted merchants from all parts of Europe. The postal service to France thus provided a major international link for commerce and news. There was also a postal link between V enice and Constantinople, the Muslim capital. Russia too shared in the postal communications of the day. The private postal systems created during the later Middle Ages carried personal mail as well as commercial correspondence. The invention of the printing press late in the 15th century increased the amount of mail and made letter carrying a profitable enterprise. Private postal services emerged to carry mail to all parts of Europe. Private carriers did not give up, however. Some of them found a way to stay in business by introducing a new public service the collection and delivery of mail within cities. William Dockwra opened a Penny Post in London in 1680. The novelty of his operation lay in prepayment for sending letters and in stamping them to show when and where they were sent for delivery. Dockwra was so successful that he was prosecuted for infringing on the state monopoly. His enterprise was shut down in 1682 and quickly reopened as a government agency. It was nearly 100 years before a similar city service was started in Paris, and it too was rapidly taken over by the governme nt. The economic growth in Britain during the 18th century spurred a demand for better mail services. New post roads were built, beginning about 1765. Stagecoaches began carrying mail between cities and towns in 1784. The first route was between London and Bath. Mounted postboys also rode on the main routes. Next-day mail delivery became possible in towns throughout a good part of England by the 1830s. (Mazumdar 1990) Between 1775 and 1815 Britain was at war almost constantly, either with the United States or with France. To help finance the wars postage rates were increased, and the higher rates remained in force for 25 years after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. Spurred by popular discontent over postal rates, the English educator and tax reformer Rowland Hill formulated proposals on reforming the postal system between 1835 and 1837. His pamphlet, â€Å"Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability,† is now regarded as a milestone in the development of the modern postal system. Hill proved that carrying charges were an insignificant factor in the total cost of handling mail. He further proved that the complex series of rates based on distance were needless. Most of the total cost came from administrative expenses. He also noted that the collection of payment for mail on delivery could be avoided. His solution to postal problems was simple a uniform rate of postage regardless of distance and prepayment of postage through the use of adhesive stamps sold by the post office. He proposed that payments be based on weight and suggested a penny for each half-ounce. (Lowe 1951) 2.2MAIL DELIVERY SYSTEM Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century national postal systems have generally been established as government monopolies with a fee on the article prepaid. Proof of payment is often in the form of adhesive postage stamps, but postage meters are also used for bulk mailing. Postal authorities often have functions other than transporting letters. In some countries, a Postal Telegraph and Telephone (PTT) service oversees the postal system as well as having authority over telephone and telegraph systems. Some countries’ postal systems allow for savings accounts and handle applications for passports. (Baldwin, N.C. 1960) 2.2.1Modern transportation and technology The postal system was important in the development of modern transportation. Railroads carried railway post offices. During the 20th century, air mail became the transport of choice for inter-continental mail. Postmen started to utilize mail trucks. The handling of mail became increasingly automated. The Internet came to change the conditions for physical mail. E-mail (and in recent years social networking sites) became a fierce competitor, but online auctions and Internet shopping opened new business opportunities as people often get items bought online through the mail. 2.2.2Modern mail Modern mail is organized by national and privatized services, which are reciprocally interconnected by international regulations, organizations and international agreements. Paper letters and parcels can be sent to almost any country in the world relatively easily and cheaply. The Internet has made the process of sending letter-like messages nearly instantaneous, and in many cases and situations correspondents use electronic mail where previously they would have used letters. Though the volume of paper mail continues to increase, the number of first class mail pieces sent in the United States peaked in 2001.

Human Capital development Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Human Capital development - Coursework Example nerating new sources of wealth in technology including knowledge-intensive sectors, increasing job creation, giving a lead role to the private sector in the economic development process, inculcating a high performance organisational and societal culture with excellence and expanding the regional and global market for the Malaysian services and products. Thrust two is to enhance the capacity from innovation and knowledge and to nurture first class mentality. The second thrust is comprised of improving the access to and quality of the education system at all levels by making national schools the school of choice, by providing tertiary institutions of international standing, by nurturing top quality research and development and innovation and scientific capability, by empowering youth and women, and by fostering a society with strong social and economic values. Thrust three is to address persistent socio-economic inequalities productively and constructively by eradicating poverty, dimin ishing regional disparity, reducing income disparity, reducing employment disparity, reducing wealth and asset disparity, upgrading competitive Bu miputera entrepreneurs, bridging the digital divide and reviewing the performance of past programmes for effectiveness. The fourth thrust is to enhance the standard and sustainability of quality of life by fulfilling housing needs along with improving urban services, enhancing health care services, upgrading the transportation system, introducing sustainability and sufficiency of energy supply, developing the water delivery system, promoting environmental preservation and protection and sustainable resource management, upgrading the role of arts, culture and heritage in society and developing sporting excellence along with a healthier lifestyle. Thrust five is to strengthen the institutional capacity by promoting good governance, promoting development through international cooperation and upgrading the public service delivery system. The

Consequences of Globalization of Labour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consequences of Globalization of Labour - Essay Example This is characterized with independency and interdependency in the entire world to facilitate efficient transfer of goods, services, capital, and labour across the national frontiers. In this regard, this paper looks at the consequences of globalization in this case and discusses some of the positives and negatives that come with such moves. Within the globalization of labour, we understand there is movement from developing to develop and vice versa, it is thus interesting to note the effect this will bring to the economic facets. Consequences of Globalization As indicated in the introductory part, there are several consequences that come with the globalization of labour both positive and negatives. a) Positive Consequences I. Reduction of unemployment It is possible to find some countries with higher degrees of unemployment, without free movement of labour as enshrined in the globalization of labour, this group of people might remain unemployed, and this affects the economy of a cou ntry. This phenomenon has been vividly observed in the EU countries where there has been a huge migration workers from east to the West of Europe. Consequently, this move has also enabled those countries without sufficient workers to acquire labour with ease. An example in this case is in the UK where there was acute shortages of nurse and had to source for nurses in the Far East to fill the shortages (Bary 2010, p.76); therefore, globalization of labour has been beneficial both to the country exporting and to the one importing labour. II. Rationalization of Wages Due to the globalization of labour, there is rationalization of wages for the employees so that there can be a universal standard in which remuneration can be looked into. For instance, without globalization of labour considered appropriately, there will be difference on how a nurse is paid in the developing countries and how the same nurse will be paid in the developed countries. Essentially, there will be a greater dispa rity level in terms of remuneration. This disparity level is only checked under globalization of labour. With the globalization in place, there is likely to be a standard gauge for the workers internationally because there will be comparison of wages across the nation for the sole reason of coming into standardized pay (Berberoglu 2002, p.88). III. Technological Movement and Advancement Different parts of the world are endowed with different technologies; these technologies can be regarded as static if they cannot be transferred to other parts of the world. With the movement of the human labour, it is also possible that the technology from the different parts of the world can also be transferred from one place the other. Considering a person from developing countries in Africa who has crossed to worked in one of the countries in the East as an engineer, he will acquire useful skills for the period that he/ she will be working there that can be transferred to his home country or to a ny other country they might opt to work into. In this sense, it is in order to perceive movement of labour across the international boundaries as a way of bringing innovation through blending of technology from different parts of the world (Dadush and Shaw, 2012). It is through the interaction of different technological advancement has been realized in the history of innovation, courtesy of free labour movement in the name of globalization. IV. Working Conditions, Safety, and Health Issues Just like in the local trade union

Obamas First Inagural Address and Mitt Romneys Speech at Tampa Florida Essay

Obamas First Inagural Address and Mitt Romneys Speech at Tampa Florida on August 30, 2012 - Essay Example For Mitt Romney, the speech that will be used is his speech last August 30, 2012 in Tampa Florida where he cited that Obama has failed his promises. The newspaper article that critiqued Obama’s previous Inauguaral Address will also be analyze about its rhetorics. The speeches of Obama and Romney were enthralling considering that it was delivered by Presidential candidates. Personally, I was impressed by both speeches because they were towering and very insightful. Both speeches remind us of our struggle and our best qualities, on how we were able to surmount them through hardwork and perseverance. In Obama’s speech, I particularly like the line that goes â€Å"time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. This is the journey we continue today†. This is very appropriate considering that America was under a crisis and still is struggling to overcome it. Obama also spoke of national unity, â€Å"to end petty grievances and false promises† recognizing that America is shaped by â€Å"every language and cultu re, drawn from every planet of this earth†. Finally, Obama relate that he is one of the â€Å"People (who) have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers†. ... He added â€Å"But what could you do? Except work harder, do with less, try to stay optimistic. Hug your kids a little longer; maybe spend a little more time praying that tomorrow would be a better day† it was indeed a dark moment that Mitt Romney painted emblematic of the American’s struggle today. There was also an article by Shear where Romney critiqued Obama’s leadership as a disappointment over the last four years† (Shear). But despite of the length of his attribution towards Obama’s leadership, he failed to convince voters as the poll would show that Romney remains â€Å"Less well liked among voters than  Mr. Obama† (Shear). The article only cited one instance of Obama’s political snipe at Romney’s character which â€Å"portrayed him as a wealthy, out-of-touch business executive who cares more for profit than people† (Shear) and it eroded all the character build up or ethos of Romney. The tirade was craftily compos ed, despite lacking in logos because it turned Romney’s asset of being a successful entrepreneur who could get things done into a liability. The statement packaged Romney as somebody who is spoiled brat and out of touch that Americans voters cannot relate. The statement was based more on pathos or an appeal to emotion by painting Romney as an elitist brat in the imagination of American voters. This political branding of course is untrue and lacked basis or lacking in logos because Romney will not be successful as he is now if he is a spoiled brat who lacks a grasp on reality. But the tirade stuck in the voters’ consciousness and hurt Romney’s image as a leader and alienated him from the consciousness of many Americans that made him lose the election. The speeches that

Business Culture in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Culture in China - Essay Example Economic Environment Economic environment refers to all economic factors such as economic structures, economic philosophy of a country, economic policies, planning, controls and regulations which affect the functioning of a business organization in a country. In China, the government has absolute control over all markets and owns all resources. The buying power of the people of China is high and continues to rise constantly and with this rise, tremendous business opportunities are created. The high population of China also provides a good market for products as local consumers eagerly purchase western goods. In addition, the high population also provides ready and sufficient labor to the business firms or organizations (Yong, 2005). The stock market is also an economic indicator of how the Chinese economy is performing. Investors can get information on the performance of any sector of business that they wish to invest in through the stock market. From a market perspective, the pressu re to innovate has not existed in China because the demand for goods has never outweighed supply. The Chinese innovation has also been affected by the economic impact of the low labor costs and the foreign direct investment policy. China’s has a good infrastructure that promotes business operations. It has good communication systems, transportation systems, energy facilities and internet and technology (Yong, 2005). Legal Issues The legal environment incorporates a number of legal regulations of doing business in a given country. The regulations ensure that the interests of businesses organizations do not go against the national interests. The regulations can either be government legislations or... This essay gives an insight into the business culture of Chinese people. For example, showing impatience or humility in a business deal implies mischief and one can change the power balance in one’s favor. Guanxi (which means relationship) is also a very vital characteristic of the business culture of China. Good business relationship reduces frustrations, disappointments and risks in business. The Chinese culture is very different from the western culture in that whereas the western countries make deals with any person, Chinese people will only make business deals with those whom they think are trustworthy. Therefore, for the western countries to do business with them, they have to prove that they are trustworthy. Economic environment refers to all economic factors such as economic structures, economic philosophy of a country, economic policies, planning, controls and regulations which affect the functioning of a business organization in a country. In China, the government has absolute control over all markets and owns all resources. The buying power of the people of China is high and continues to rise constantly and with this rise, tremendous business opportunities are created. The high population of China also provides a good market for products as local consumers eagerly purchase western goods. In addition, the high population also provides ready and sufficient labor to the business firms or organizations. China has for many years been politically stable and this has promoted foreign investment.

Minimum Wage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Minimum Wage - Essay Example Critics are of the view that minimum wage forces employers to appoint only skilled workers and therefore employees with lesser skills may struggle to get employment. This paper argues in favour of minimum wage after analysing both the sides of the issue. â€Å"The vast majority of economists believe the minimum wage law costs the economy thousands of jobs†(Messerli). In their opinion, enforcement of minimum wage will decrease the demand for workers. They explain their argument based on the supply and demand theory of economics. When salary goes up, supply of workers will also goes up and thereby the demand for the workers will geos down. In other words, when supply increases, demand decreases. The above theory might be true in theoretical terms, but in practical terms, it may not be so. It should be noted that majorities of the western countries are outsourcing their jobs to India like Asian countries at present because of the labour shortage. It should be noted that in countr ies like America and Britain, an ordinary worker is getting salaries, three to four times more than that an Indian worker is getting in his country. In other words, even though the wages are high, supply of labour force is not increasing in countries like America and Britain. On the other hand, in India like countries even though the wages are low, excess of supply of labour is in place. ... Part-time work and full time work should be separated from each other. Minimum wage for part time work need not be the same as that of the full time. Authorities can prescribe separate norms of minimum wage with respect to part time and full time work. Moreover, separate minimum wage norms can be enforced with respect to the qualification and experience of the employees. â€Å"Abolishing the minimum wage will allow businesses to achieve greater efficiency and lower prices. Anytime you give businesses more flexibility, you will increase efficiency and lower prices† (Messerli). It is an accepted fact that only a satisfied worker will try to deliver more than 100% of his efficiency. In other words, workers who struggle to get a decent salary may not be fully committed to the organization. It is better for an organization to have more committed workers to increase its efficiency and productivity rather than having a huge workforce of unskilled or cheaper labours. Salary is the maj or motivating factor for the employees and therefore minimum wage will definitely motivate the workers more and thereby the organization will be benefitted. â€Å"Adults who currently work for minimum wage are likely to lose jobs to teenagers who will work for much less. Many adults trying to make a living are forced to work minimum wage jobs† (Messerli). Employers may exploit the workers in the absence of a minimum wage law. They will try to terminate experienced workers even without any reasons, for appointing fresh workers in order to reduce their employee wage expenditure. Thus, even experienced employees will be forced to work under tremendous pressure if minimum wage law is not implemented. In the absence of minimum law, business will take undue advantages in the form of

Assigment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assigment 3 - Essay Example I was unsure why I was doing the same but during the course of the day; I started to realize so many negativities that were in his personality. I had never envisioned Rick to be that bad but that day made me think of very negative things about him. I saw that he was not only mean but also very authoritative in his actions and undertakings, and that he would things as feels like. I was against such a personality in my mind but I never realized until that day that he was a bad person to be friends with. In short, I had come across so much about him in my mind that day that I could not even gather the same in the years passed by. It was an eye-opener for me. In the evening, we two met at the basketball court but did not talk to each other. Our combined friends were astonished as to what exactly was going on between the two of us. This was a very unusual experience for me since I could not have envisioned something that would keep me at a distance from Rick for one entire day. It was a heartbreaking thing yet I was more than happy to be away from him. We had not talked to each other the whole day and my animosity for him was growing with each passing minute. I was literally cursing him for the bad things that existed within his personality. At about 10 o’ clock in the night, I bumped into Rick at the store. He was getting his usual dose of cola drinks and I was there to get some medicines for my family. We still did not talk to each other, let alone did not even bother to have a second gaze. Suddenly the salesman asked me to wait for Rick to stop shopping so that we could pay together. I was amazed and so was Rick that nearly everyone around us knew so much about our friendship that they took us as ‘one’ and not two separate individuals. Suddenly something happened and it made me go and hu g him instantly. It was one of those feelings that one has very little control about.

United Kingdom Reforms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

United Kingdom Reforms - Essay Example The act assists buyers to obtain legal redress when they encounter problems with their purchases. The act requires that the supplier should sell goods that fit their description, serve their intended purpose and are of satisfactory quality. The act benefits suppliers, who comply, as they can use their conformity to their advantage, as they use it to boost their consumer relationships. The act essentially aims to protect individual customers from defected or unsafe goods. The Act covers traded contracts made on or after 1 January 1894. Prior before the passing of the 1995 Act, the sale of goods act 1979, (c 54) was applied. This Act of Parliament regulated English contract law as well as the UK commercial law regarding goods traded. The m1979 act merged the original act of 1893 as well as subsequent legislation that consecutively codified and joined the law. Before the 1995 Act, section 16 barred transferring of ownership in goods to the buyer from the seller until the goods were established. Under s.20A of the 1979 Act, as buyer becomes the owner in common bulk2 of property, in an undivided share, in the bulk transferred to him. S.16 of the 1979 act provides that where there is a contract for selling unascertained goods, the property cannot be passed to the buyer unless or until the goods are identified. The buyer acquires no aptness interest in the goods he paid for since he was regarded as an unsecured creditor for the return in price in the occurrence of insolvency. This rendered for the sellers creditors benefitting with an undeserved windfall 3 as they will claim both goods and money paid for them. When all the requirements have been met, the property ownership of the undivided share is given to the purchaser unless both parties agree. The purchased share is a fraction of the bulk goods as an equal owner. Section 61 (1) of the 1979 Act describes the bulk as a collection of goods of the same type contained in the same area or space and is such that goods in the mass are interchangeable with other goods of the same quantity or number. The goods can be ascertained by separation from the bulk through either exhaustion3 or consolidation4. This act was biased to extents that, even if the seller sold all his goods to different clients, thereby divesting himself all interest in the bulk, no property will be passed to the clients until the quant ities have been ascertained. The same applied if the seller became insolvent while the goods were still in bulk or the seller’s creditor arrested the bulk. This entails that the buyers or buyer will have no claim even if they had paid for the goods fully or partly. The buyer will only claim for damages, breach of contract or return of price only as an unsecured creditor 5but will have no equitable interest in the goods. Furthermore, traders who purchased goods either on land or in the course of the sea were concerned of this problem. In addition, suing carriers of goods by sea was covered on agreement  in a bill of lading6 was under the Bills of lading Act1855, covering the transfer of property in the goods by the bill. Therefore, the buyer of part of the bulk had no right of suing the transporter in contract if the goods in transit were missing or damaged. In addition, Section 16 stressed the Lading Bills did not convey the intended meaning by the parties as outlined by th e known Law commission. The parties’

Visual arts and film studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visual arts and film studies - Essay Example On the board, was also an artist from Navajo nation. His name was Nataani which means son of Ogla Lakota. He is an activist and he tells stories depicting the everyday hardships of 21st Centuary.Though,he is inspiring his performance art in songs is political oriented. His songs play politics because it attacks the current leadership on how they have managed. It has highlighted some various social injustices such inequality, corruption and unfair representation. He has also involved fiction and exaggeration in narration in the music. This is to emphasize the magnitude of how people have been forgotten in America. There was also background from the real world and also imaginary which had unknown and alien logic of different temporal and special conditions to emphasize his political theme. The paintings reveal power of image, words, history and symbols to pass information. The images were used as communication tools in the native American history.There was also a common visual artist a nd rapper Witko who uses his music to shade some light on the common issues that affect his people. His artwork is politicized. He uses fine and performance art in his effort to pass the information. He insists on good virtue in his music and respect for one another in the society. Witko has a tattoo to represent fine art, a symbol which communicates louder even than the song for the people to have peace. This is to suggest an index of cultural memory such that various cultures and destinies and mission of the regions are represented by the symbol.

Madness in the Tales of Poe and Hawthorne Essay Example for Free

Madness in the Tales of Poe and Hawthorne Essay With madness and confusion dominating short stories such as some of the tales written by Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, the psychological states of their main characters are of the utmost importance. The meanings of the stories depend on whether the characters are truly insane, suffering from a physical ailment or merely intensely angry and hungry for revenge. Poe’s tales â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† both explore themes of madness and premature burials. However, while Roderick Usher seems to be suffering not only from a physical illness but also from insanity which may have stem from a â€Å"history of mental disorder† (Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher), Montresor seems to have been under the grip of intense hatred that have been caused by his victim’s previous insult on his person. It may be argued that Montresor is demented like Usher, but his well-planned crime contradicts the supposition of an unhinged mind. Meanwhile, the psychological troubles of Hawthorne’s characters in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† are apparently milder, but not subtler. People may regard Goodman Brown as a recluse and a snob and Minister Hooper as someone mourning over his or other people’s sins. Hawthorne explores isolation in both stories, highlighting the possible self-destruction that may result from intensely reclusive lives. Though the stories may vary and the level of mental disorder may differ, both Poe and Hawthorne present people with emotions that are overly sensitive and with mental faculties that are more distraught than most. Poe is fascinated by madness. His stories are sometimes even narrated by persons whose mental and emotional facilities are questionable. This results to a more interesting reading of each of the stories. The reader is left to wonder if he or she is able to extract the accurate account of the story or a deranged version of it. In â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† the narrator observes what goes on in his host, Roderick’s house. He â€Å"rejects evidence of the supernatural†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ He is predisposed to regard Roderick as mad and therefore to reject any explanation Roderick suggests† (Bailey 446). The narrator of the story depends on the accounts of his host, Roderick but he does not trust his friend’s sanity. This creates a tension that is experienced by both the narrator and the reader; this tension is the uncertainty of what is unfolding because it is through the guidance of such an unreliable source like an apparently mad Roderick. Montresor of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† may not have the gaunt and unhealthy look of Roderick Usher but what he has done to his enemy, Fortunato, is exceedingly cruel. The deed may have seemed perfectly planned and efficient but someone who can avenge an insult received by murder must be somehow unhinged. The criminal’s mind is exaggerated as is evident in his narration: â€Å"THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge† (Poe, The Cask of Amontillado). My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so. I hastened to make an end of my labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of bones. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat. (Poe, The Cask of Amontillado) Though Montresor displays some strong emotion over what he has done to Fortunato, he continues with the crime methodically. Moreover, this contradiction, along with uttering â€Å"Rest in Peace† to his victim seems to suggest that Montresor is indeed insane. In the two short stories, Poe illustrates insanity that has been passed through generations and then insanity that has been triggered simply by an insult. Nathaniel Hawthorne shows some concern about the fate of souls in his two stories â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. While Poe illustrates madness that has resulted from being either inherently insane or predisposed to mental illness, Hawthorne explores zealous religiosity that can result to madness. Minister Hooper’s strong sense of religiousness has driven him to an extreme means of discerning the pious from the hypocrite. â€Å"Why do you tremble at me alone? Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil? † (Hawthorne, The Ministers Black Veil) The man has decided to put a black veil on his face. Not even his fiancee has been able to persuade him to take off the veil which in turn has given him a continuously mourning persona. Though he is mentally capable to continue his duties as minister, he does them with a somber aura which the veil produces for him. The insistence on constantly wearing the black veil displays obsessive behavior related to his faith despite the fact that he has not actually stated what his real reason for wearing the veil is. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, Hawthorne again tackles the effects of the perception of sin. Here, the main character is oppressed by what he thinks is the real knowledge of other people’s sins. What he is not aware of is that the Devil, which he has consorted with in the woods, has made him believe that every single person in his community is involved in atrocious deeds. â€Å"†¦elders of the church have whispered wanton words to the young maids of their households; how many a woman, eager for widows weeds, has given her husband a drink at bedtime and let him sleep his last sleep in her bosom; how beardless youths have made haste to inherit their fathers wealth; and how fair damsels†¦ have dug little graves in the garden, and bidden me, the sole guest to an infants funeral† (Hawthorne). Having believed the Devil’s lies, Goodman Brown is continually suspicious of his neighbors’ intentions. He even believes their good deeds to be merely pretentious displays of piety. Because of this behavior, Goodman Brown isolates himself from the rest of the community and dies a lonely death. Hawthorne explores the themes of isolation and zealous religiousness in his two short stories, expressing the dangers of the two themes. Both Poe and Hawthorne have effectively expressed the psychological terrain that their main characters are in. Through using a narrator that is either the character with the questionable mental state or one that distrusts that character, the stories become more mysterious and subject to individual interpretation while the intensity of emotions coming from the main characters are able to shine through. The two authors explore mental instability in different forms; Poe’s stories are about inherent, maybe even genetic tendencies to lose one’s mind while Hawthorne’s two tales are about isolation that has resulted from obsessive spirituality.

Supply chain management of Nestle

Supply chain management of Nestle Supply chain management has gaining its importance in serving business operations and being part of strategic management of the business. Its role has been shifted from being a support department to being the core department of business with strategic importance and role to play in overall operations of the business. In modern business world no organization can sustain without having a well established, effective and efficient supply chain management. The role of vendors along with vendor management with the introduction of information technology is important consideration for organizations. Now with increase of strategic importance of supply chain management the service provider is now becoming a partner to the organization, rather being just the vendor. The factor influencing competitive advantage of the organization is now having the better vendor management and vendor relations in the list. Therefore in coming years the importance of supply chain management is expected to increase with the increase in competition and globalization. To understand the strategic supply chain management, key concepts and use of information technology to maintain the vendor relationships, this report in presented on one of the leading FMCG company Nestle. Their products range is wide and the concentration of this report is on organizations Pakistan operations. Since Pakistan is the part of their global supply chain operations but for their milk products they have to rely on the local milk suppliers who are not very much educated and well equipped. Therefore managing them is a challenge for the organization and same challenge and its handling is under study in this report. There are some recommendations also given at the end so that improvements can be made in local supply chain. Assignment 2a 2ai) Current Supply Chain Strategies in Nestle In these lines I shall be looking at the supply chain management of Nestle Pakistans operation and would not be discussing the global supply chain management of the organization. The organization has remarkable production facilities in the country and they have also enjoyed the healthy market share for last few decades. One of the reasons of the success of the organization is their vendor management and the intelligent distribution system. The market in Pakistan is mostly dependent upon the distribution network and same has been managed by the organization in recent years by having excellent relationship with their channel members and logistics. Their distribution network makes sure that every product is distributed in the required areas at the required time and the demand and supply does not have any gap. Their distribution setup is synced with their production system therefore they do not have to manage the inventory of the product for the longer period of time. This strategy has saved the organization on financial side moreover they have been able to provide the product to the market at demand (Hugos, 2006). The second side of their supply chain management is their vendor management, they have applied the just in time management concept in their raw material procurement and vendors are very well synced with the procurement and procurement is synced with the production and other support departments. This just in time management has also saved the organization the inventory management cost of the raw material and they are able to maintain a very low level of the inventory. Their vendor are also required to make sure that their raw material reaches to the organization on time (Hugos, 2006). 2aii) Use of IT to Maintain Vendor Relationships The information technology is serving organization to manage their business operations in different ways; the same concept can also be applied to manage vendor relationships with Nestle Pakistans operations. The organization can design a procurement network that is integrated with the various departments of the organization. And the procurement department can have information technology based application that are also integrated with the systems of the vendors and are automated. By using this system organization have the concept of just in time management applied in full spirit and the vendors will also be aware of the production schedules of the organization and they will be able to plan their delivery and their own production planning according (Hugos, 2006). The above mentioned scenario will make it easy and convenient for the vendors to do business with the organization and they will have better relationships with the organization and will continue to do business with them. With having these relationships with the organization they will be able to be partners of the company. Assignment 2b 2bi) Assistance of IT in Supply Chain The use of information technology can assist a great deal in the management of supply chain in case of Nestle Pakistan operations. In the global supply chain nestle is making use of supply chain management tools that are support by latest technology available. These tools are able to integrate different parts of the supply chain that includes the just in time management of raw materials, automation of order generation to vendors and the logistics of raw material from vendor to warehouse and the distribution of the finished goods to the different channels (Chopra and Meindl, 2009). Previously all the above mentioned parts of the supply chain were disintegrated or in some organization these parts were partially integrated. Now information technology has made is possible and easy to manage all these parts of the supply chain from one terminal and more over these parts and integrated with more automation. Example of this integration is simple, once the inventory level reaches to the pre defined minimum for the raw material at the production facility, then the order management system which is connected to the inventory management system, automatically generated order to the pre defined vendors. The order receiving systems of vendors are connected with the procurement systems of the organization (Chopra and Meindl, 2009). After the vendor is intimated, they manage to supply the required stuff and required quantity to organizations warehouse which is already intimated for the order delivery. All this process is done via an integrated system which is called ERP. The application of these information technology tools make the organization able to save their time and management resources and make the vendor the partners of the organization above all this usage of IT bring automation in the processes which is the requirement of production oriented organizations (Chopra and Meindl, 2009). 2bii) Effectiveness of IT in Management of Supply Chain in Nestle When we talk about the effectively using the information technology in the Pakistan market with local vendors that we see that our case company has been able to improve a lot in recent years. Since the market of Pakistan is still in developing phase and the modern management and information technology practices are yet to be adapted in this market. Since Nestle for their business require a team of vendors that are able to provide the timely supplies therefore they had to work hard to induct the modern practices in their supply chain in relation the market conditions (Cohen and Roussel, 2004). Apart from the current IT tools to help the organization gain the best out of their supply chain management, there is a function in which information technology and its use can play an important part in the management of business, and which is still to be explored. This area is related to the supply chain management of their milk products. For their milk brand which is called MILK PAK they need to collect he milk from far and village areas of the market as the milk production is mostly done in the rural areas of Pakistan. Their milk collection process is done on daily basis and it is still on manual basis. There can be use of information technology by using this they can maintain the data base of their milk vendors which are small, geographically distributed and dispersed in locations. Moreover they can also use information technology to locate their collection van using global positioning systems and install trekkers in them so that they can make sure the safety of the milk and the vans . Assignment 2c 2ci) Role of Logistics in Supply Chain Logistics has an important role to play in the overall supply chain management of any organization. Logistics are the activities that are designed to keep the good or services moving from one destination to the other destination. This movement of goods or services can be related to the raw material need for production setup, and its movement would be from vendor premises to the organizational premises and this movement can also be related to movement of finished good from organizational production facility to the channel member facility. In overall management of supply chain the logistics part has its own importance. Since the production oriented business is all about timing. If the raw material is not available to the production facility then the whole production cycle will get disturbed and similarly if the finished good are not reached to the channel members then they will not be able to distribute it on time and the result will be the complete failure of the business plan (Cohen and Roussel, 2004). Consideration for any organization would be to have the logistics setup planned and implemented that is consuming less cost of operations more over which is integrated with the supply and demand channels of the organization. Ability to design such logistics setup helps the organization to achieve their supply chain objectives with putting minimum cost to it. The success of any supply chain management is dependent upon the design of logistics, the smarter the design which is able to serve maximum in minimum cost the better the performance of supply chain roles will be. Focus of our case organization is to design the global logistics channel that is able to satisfy the global business needs in minimum costs. And they have been able to handle this challenge smartly (Cohen and Roussel, 2004). 2cii) Evaluation of Procurement Practices in Nestle Procurement practices in Nestle global as well as Nestle Pakistan are streamlined and working on the smarter management concepts. It would not be wrong to say that one of the success factors for their profitability in the Pakistan is their vendor relations and smart procurement. Nestle Pakistan has to procure different good and services from different kinds of vendor for their operations; these good ranges from the raw material for their finished good as well as the supplies for the support departments like marketing. The overall philosophy of Nestle Pakistan procurement is to focus on quality as well as business efficiency (Hugos, 2006). When we talk about the milk product of the case company then we see that the procurement of the milk from different villagers that are spread across Pakistan is a challenge and the organization has been able to cater to this challenge very well. The important factor in the procurement of the raw milk is to make sure that milk is pure, hygienic and fresh. These things are made sure by designing a well established vendor network that is responsible for the procurement of fresh milk upon the above mentioned properties (Hugos, 2006). Their procurement department has select the reliable and quality vendors that includes small to medium sized diaries that provides the quality milk to the company. Their procurement department also makes sure that the milk is fresh, hygienic and above the standards defined by the organization. Their logistics have made sure that the fresh milk reaches to the production facility on daily basis. The same care and quality consciousness have been practiced in other procurement tasks, and in short we can say that procurement processes at the organization are of high standards (Hugos, 2006). 2ciii) Factors for Improvement in Logistics Procurement There are several factors that are to be considered when organizations go for reviewing and improving their logistics and procurement. The first factor that is to be taken care of is the bargaining power of the suppliers. The higher the bargaining power of supplier the higher will be the requirement for the organization to maintain and build good relationships with their suppliers. In industries where such power is with suppliers organizations have to design their procurement process which is supplier friendly and encourages the organizations to have good friendly relationships with their vendor, focusing on making them their partners in business and getting the competitive edge out of it (Chopra and Meindl, 2009). The second factor which is to be taken into consideration is the cost factor, the procurement and logistics can be costly to the organization if not designed creatively. The logistic are costly when their inbound and outbound management is not done the way to maximize the productivity. Therefore when organization design the procurement and logistics process they should keep in mind the cost of procuring the goods and service along with the distribution cost of the good should be minimum. These costs include the time and resources costs as well. Another important consideration is related to the integration of procurement and logistics with rest of the business operation. Organization when improving these processes should also make it sure that the maximum integration is possible with other departments like production. They should be working on the automation of the processes that should be managed by single hub. This way the costs of operations will be minimum and automation and integration of all the operations will save time and increase efficiency in the business processes. They should also make sure that integration also include the vendors (Chopra and Meindl, 2009). Assignment 2d 2di) Strategy for the Improvement of Supply Chain Presented below is the brief overview about the strategy that can be used to improve the supply chain management of the organization. The focus of the strategy to improve the supply chain management of Nestle Pakistans operations. While reviewing this strategy it should be kept in mind that Pakistan is developing country and their vendor management and logistics operations are being run on old school management. The mentioned below point are focusing on vendor management and to increase the use of information technology to bring overall improvement (Chopra and Meindl, 2009). First of all the organization should work on the vendor relationship management, up till now the balance of power was with the organizations in Pakistani market, but with the introduction of global economy and open market more players are entering into Pakistan and now the importance of vendors is increasing. Keeping this view in mind the Nestle should be working on increasing the organization and vendor integration and they should be made partners in business. This can be done via having automation and integration with vendor systems and simply keeping them motivated to be partners with the organization (Chopra and Meindl, 2009). The second improvement which is required is to start the use of information technology in their supply chain management processed. Up till now the organization is using the information technology internally but they have to move out and make their vendor also use this tool. One can argue that currently vendors are not that advance in using technologies but I would say that organization would have to educate their vendors and make them part of their organizational process, this way they will be able to achieve the true partnership with their suppliers and the operations of supply chain will improve a great deal (Chopra and Meindl, 2009). 2dii) Benefits of Improvement to Business Operations The improvements suggested above have different benefits to the organizational business operations, these benefits ranges from operation to strategic benefits. The first benefit that organization will have is that they will have a strategic competitive advantage by partnering with the suppliers of the raw material of their products. The business era is changing the market and now other players are also entering into the same market, now the competitive advantage will be with the organizations which have strategic partnership with their suppliers as well. The increases in competition have also made the suppliers aware of their important role and they are also feeling the shifting balance of power. So it will be advisable to make the partnership before others do (Hugos, 2006). The second improvement is related to the use of information technology in supply chain management and it has many benefits for the organization. First of all the organization will be able to achieve the integration between different departments playing their part in value chain. Once this is done it will save time and financial resources to the organization as the processes will be streamlined and efficiency will increase. The second benefit of the IT usage will be that vendors and suppliers can also be made part of the organizational processes and with that supply chain overall and procurement processes in specific will be improved. This will again help the organization to get business efficiency (Hugos, 2006). The third benefit is related to distribution part of supply chain, organization will, with the usage of information technology, have the most streamlined distribution network when they have partnered with their channel members, and this will also help in the improvement of business. 2diii) Overcoming the Barriers to Change in Improvement Strategy Whenever there is a strategic change barriers are always there. These barriers are to be removed with the creation of understanding and delegation. The first process is to make the management understand that what are the benefits of the new strategy advised for the strategic change in supply change management. More over the management will also be informed about the challenges it has to face if they do not adapt the required changes in the market. The top management in the first phase will be made part of the process and strategic importance of the change will be introduced to them. In the second phase where the top management will already be convinced about the required change, the middle management will be taken into confidence, at this stage the vendors will also be made part of the process so that they are aware of their role in the organization. This stage will also be comprising the rough drafts of the change. In this process all the vendors and relevant departs will be encouraged to give their feedback about the suggested changes moreover their suggestion will also be noted for any improvement. All this discussion and delegation will create the sense of ownership in management and their feedback will make them realize that this is something for their own benefit and they will start owing it. Once the ownership is there, the barriers to change will start reducing it and fear of unknown will be removed. With this process the implementation of the strategic change will be made successful and finally the concerned departments will also be provided with the required training. Conclusion In this report I have discusses various kinds of supply chain strategies and use of information technology to improve the supply chain. The organization selected for the analysis was Nestle Pakistan, and their supply chain strategies were discussed briefly. The organization is having impressive supply chain management however they need to concentrate on two dimensions. One solution being the concentration on making the vendors partners of the organization. Second solution being increasing the use of information technology tools to manage their vendor relationships.