Conduct an external environment analysis for a company (sainsburys) of Essay

Conduct an external environment analysis for a company (sainsburys) of your choice assessing the impact of the external environm - Essay Example Sainsbury’s is a leading retail chain in the UK with interests in banking and financial services is the third largest in the country. The family owned business had grown to become the largest grocery retailer in the UK and pioneers in self-service supermarkets. The company listed in the London Stock Exchange has a very large family of shareholders, and it is a constituent of FTSE 100. After a brief downfall, the company has reemerged with greater vigor in the new millennium. BBC news (2001) stated â€Å"The figures represented the third quarter in a row of sales growth "significantly better" than in 2000†¦ Sir Peter, credited with revitalizing the Prudential in the mid-1990s, has been working the same trick at Sainsbury's after replacing Dino Adriano as chief executive early last year†. External environment and HR Policies and Practice There are several tools and concepts for the analysis of the external environment in relation to a company. ... with regard to corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental protection, ethical and demographic factors are increasingly relevant in the macro environmental analysis. Apart from the shareholders, there are number of stakeholders in a company which includes community as well as it provides necessary infrastructure and human capital for an organisation. Moreover, it is important to note that an organisation is also a part of the community. The analysis of Sainsbury’s is made with the theoretical background of PESTLE in this paper. The human resources policies and practice need to take into account the important points with reference to the external environment discussed under PESTLE analysis discussed, for exploiting the opportunities available and to avoid the threats from the external environment. PESTLE Analysis PESTLE analysis covers the macro environmental factors, and an organization's internal environment, strengths or weaknesses are not covered in this analysis. Morris & Jones (1995, p. 73) observed â€Å"To the extent that firms are adjusting their HRM practices to reflect turbulence in the environment, it would seem the HRM function is in fact becoming a more strategic function†. Therefore, the HR policies and practices are not restricted to ‘personnel’, but refer to the strategic role of HRM in the business for its sustainable development. Political   Increase in food prices, partly due to government policy to encourage bio fuels in various countries which has brought down the area under cultivation of food crops, is a cause for concern to the consumers and the industry. The allegation of price fixing is a serious impediment to the growth. Poulter (2008) stated â€Å"Supermarkets and big brands could face fines of more than ?300million after claims

How ICT has helped people with special needs Essay Example for Free

How ICT has helped people with special needs Essay Introduction In this essay I will be analysing how the usage of ICT helps people with special needs. There are 3 types of special needs. What is a physical disability? The term disability, as it is applied to humans, refers to any condition that impedes the completion of daily tasks using traditional methods. National governments and global humanitarian agencies have narrowed this definition for their own purposes, only pledging aid to those with specific disabilities of a certain severity What is a sensory disability? Is when someone is you are Deaf, visually impaired, hearing impaired or have a significant combination of hearing and sight loss. What is a learning difficulty? A disorder in basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or use mathematical calculations. The term includes conditions such as perceptual disability, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. How ICT is used to help those with Learning Difficulties Multimedia software Helps people who find it hard to concentrate. It uses different forms of media, pictures, sound clips and video to keep the user interested. Specialised educational software Theres a huge range of software available to help people struggling with different subjects and useful tips e. g. help with reading and basic maths. Touch screens These are useful for people who finding using a mouse or any other sort of input device difficult. Spell checkers Can help people with dyslexia who finds it difficult to spell; you can set it up so check your words as you type. How ICT is used to help those with visual difficulties. People with hearing difficulties can still use most computer functions normally. One thing you can do though is set up the computer to display visual icons rather than using sound. DVDs are much better than videotapes as you can use the subtitle facilities. Many recent communication technologies like e-mail and texting work really well for people with hearing. Being able to set mobile phones to vibrate or flash is also very useful. Text phones are an older system that replaces a standard telephone with a keyboard and a screen. What you type on both screens- a bit like a chat-room. Both sender and receiver need a text phone machine. If a person has problem seeing or is completely blind they would be categorized as having a Visual disabilities. If a person cannot read small type then there are a lot of magnification devices out on the market, which fit almost anything from phones to monitors. For example a person with low vision would use a keyboard with extra large print. If a person is completely blind then they would use a speech recognition device. Changing the screen settings can help. You can also change the colour scheme, screen resolution and fonts to make it clearer. For the blind, special hardware is available- Braille keyboards make it easy to type, and describe whats on the screen. Screen readers are pieces of software that use speech synthesis technology to read out and describe whats on the screen. Text-To-Speech. A text-to-speech is designed for individuals with reading difficulties. It works by simultaneously highlights and reading aloud of text. There are other devices for people with reading disabilities such as spellcheckers How ICT is used to help those with hearing difficulties. Speech Recognition There are two uses for speech recognition these are Dictation and Computer control. Speech recognition is one of the desired assistive technology systems. People believe speech recognition is a natural and easy method of accessing the computer A dyslexic person who has problems with writing English would use the speech recognition to make sure their English is correct. A person planning to use speech recognition must be aware he is required to go through a training session. This is a one-time reading when the user must read aloud an excerpt of text that is displayed during the training feature of the speech recognition application. Depending upon the speech recognition software, there is several enrolment training excerpts to select from. A person planning to use speech recognition must be aware he is required to go through an enrolment (training) session. This is a one-time reading when the user must read aloud an excerpt of text that is displayed during the training feature of the speech recognition application. (For an example of enrolment text, please see What Is Speech Recognition) Depending upon the speech recognition software, there is several enrolment training excerpts to select from. Personal Communicator tool for Learning and Communicating Sign Language. The Personal Communicator creates a common ground for communicating in Sign Language. Using hypermedia technology, the Personal Communicator is a user-friendly program that brings sign language communication capabilities to the desktop and notebook computer. With more than 2500 digital video signs and 4500 English words. The Personal Communicator can be a useful tool in communication, education, and other environments. If someone is not able to use a mouse because they havent got full control in there hands then there are mouse alternatives to help people with the disabilities. How ICT can help those with Physical Difficulties Many people find mice difficult to use- there are many alternatives such as tracker balls, Joy Sticks and tough pads. People with limited hand movement can get specially designed keyboards to suit there needs. Voice Recognition software can be used by people with little or no hand movement. It lets you speak to the computer to navigate menus and do what you want it to do. If you are severely limited, you can use a computer with switches carefully arranged- Stephen Hawking is a famous example of someone who uses ICT in this way. For people with limited mobility, environmental control systems can be set up to atomically open, close curtains, turn lights on and off, operate heaters and so on. How ICT can help those with Language difficulties Dictionary software can help you to quickly translate individual words. Learning software can help you practise an unfamiliar language with exercises where you can hear phrases spoken. It can also record your voice and play it back to see how well you have done. Most word processing packages can check your spelling in different languages and check that your sentences make sense. In conclusion it is fair to say that people with disabilities might need variations on the standard equipment to use computers, but once they have these mentioned above I am sure it can change the way they live.

Burnt by the Sun :: Nikita Mikhalkov Burnt by the Sun Movies Essays

Burnt by the Sun Nikita Mikhalkov's Burnt by the Sun was released in 1994, a year in which over seven decades of communism were undoubtedly still a vivid memory in the eyes of the Russian people. The transition from dictatorship to democracy left them with no choice but to try and disregard their past in order to better accept the many changes that the future would bring. In Burnt by the Sun, however, the director focuses on the characters' human emotions rather than condemn their ideology or their motivations. He thus brings us close to these individuals who are clutching the remnants of the ideals they originally fought for, and who, with the return of an old friend, are suddenly forced to simultaneously confront their future and search through their past. Throughout the whole movie this is the main theme the viewer is given to reflect on: the clash between the sweet, safe, nostalgic past and the forthcoming of a bitter, dangerous, uncertain future. This theme is particularly alive in the sequence 'Arrival of Summer Santa'. By analyzing the opening segment of this sequence, we realize that it is the editing which renders the conflict so palpable. From one cut to the next, we learn Nadia and Mitia's implicit memories and desires; during their conversation, the cutting alone makes us realize what will happen; near the end of the sequence, one simple cut says more than a minute-long scene ever could have done. Thanks to the editing, we become involved with the characters, and grow fully aware of the symbolic opposition between Nadia and Mitia, between past and future. The sequence opens with various shots of the Red Army pioneers marching along the road. We gradually move to the back of the parade until we see Mitia, in disguise, marching with them. However, the camera only stays with him for a brief instant. It tilts down to reveal a young boy who is probably the same age as Nadia, and right after that we cut to a shot of her, at the gate, saluting the pioneers. That single cut reveals the entire essence of Nadia's character. She has one desire: to be a pioneer. She has been raised in a family that cultivates the memory of an idealistic communist regime, in which unity and devotion prevail. Nadia embodies the memories and desires of her people: memories of a past utopia, and desires to keep that utopia alive. Burnt by the Sun :: Nikita Mikhalkov Burnt by the Sun Movies Essays Burnt by the Sun Nikita Mikhalkov's Burnt by the Sun was released in 1994, a year in which over seven decades of communism were undoubtedly still a vivid memory in the eyes of the Russian people. The transition from dictatorship to democracy left them with no choice but to try and disregard their past in order to better accept the many changes that the future would bring. In Burnt by the Sun, however, the director focuses on the characters' human emotions rather than condemn their ideology or their motivations. He thus brings us close to these individuals who are clutching the remnants of the ideals they originally fought for, and who, with the return of an old friend, are suddenly forced to simultaneously confront their future and search through their past. Throughout the whole movie this is the main theme the viewer is given to reflect on: the clash between the sweet, safe, nostalgic past and the forthcoming of a bitter, dangerous, uncertain future. This theme is particularly alive in the sequence 'Arrival of Summer Santa'. By analyzing the opening segment of this sequence, we realize that it is the editing which renders the conflict so palpable. From one cut to the next, we learn Nadia and Mitia's implicit memories and desires; during their conversation, the cutting alone makes us realize what will happen; near the end of the sequence, one simple cut says more than a minute-long scene ever could have done. Thanks to the editing, we become involved with the characters, and grow fully aware of the symbolic opposition between Nadia and Mitia, between past and future. The sequence opens with various shots of the Red Army pioneers marching along the road. We gradually move to the back of the parade until we see Mitia, in disguise, marching with them. However, the camera only stays with him for a brief instant. It tilts down to reveal a young boy who is probably the same age as Nadia, and right after that we cut to a shot of her, at the gate, saluting the pioneers. That single cut reveals the entire essence of Nadia's character. She has one desire: to be a pioneer. She has been raised in a family that cultivates the memory of an idealistic communist regime, in which unity and devotion prevail. Nadia embodies the memories and desires of her people: memories of a past utopia, and desires to keep that utopia alive.

Men in the play Essay

â€Å"Cleopatra is always at a significant disadvantage as a woman in a male-dominated world.† What in your opinion are the strengths and weaknesses that the Queen shows as she deals with the men in the play?  Unanimously renowned as the â€Å"harlot queen† [Stanley, 2001] and as a â€Å"lascivious courtesan† [Stanley, 2001], the mercurial Egyptian Queen is anachronistically portrayed by Shakespeare in a more sympathetic attitude than his contemporaries who had diluted her character into an object of carnality. Ostentatiously dissimilar from the female visions of constancy and chastity presented by Octavia and Fulvia, the â€Å"mature and sexual woman† is celebrated for her compassionate love which offers â€Å"the most profound vision of human constancy† [French, 1982] in the patriarchal power struggle between the three Roman triumvirs. Cleopatra, renowned for her physical beauty is shown to have an alluring effect on the men that surround her, often exploiting her appearance to ensnare powerful men to do her bidding. Te extent to her aesthetic manipulation is revealed in the lavish descriptions of her when she first met Antony, who instantaneously seemed to have fallen victim to her charms. The first encounter of the matriarch and her lover, as narrated by Enobarbus, displays the pomp and extravagance of the Queen, the grandeur of which seems to captivate the narrator himself and his Roman colleagues. The â€Å"burnish’d throne† on which she sailed displayed her regality, combining visions of â€Å"gold† and â€Å"purple† when juxtaposed with her beauty which even â€Å"age cannot wither† seemed to present her in a god-like manner that rivals the beauty of Venus. Such hyperbolic descriptions seems to justify the immediate infatuation of Antony and the extent to her physical manipulation, intended or otherwise is seen when the triumvir who is presented in the likeness of Mars and whose power was like â€Å"rattling thunder† is inevitably turned into that of a â€Å"doating mallard†. It is the fall of the General from a position of infinite power to that of a helpless boy that is repeatedly mourned in the play by Romans but also reveals the seductive prowess of Cleopatra whose presence is deemed to be â€Å"the triumph of the voluptuous† [Hazlitt, 1817]. The transformation into a â€Å"strumpet’s fool† is clearly visible in the case of Antony who willingly abandons his duties in Rome, the underlying essence of his role and power. The audience is made visible of Antony’s ensnarement into the â€Å"Egyptian fetters† which he realises he must break if he wants to ever return with honour into the presence of the other triumvirs. It is not only her ability to form unbreakable shackles around her victims but also the consequent emasculation of Antony and her former lover – Julius Caesar as revealed when she gets them to â€Å"lay [their sword] to bed† – the sword being the dominant weapon of choice and phallic symbol of the powerful men’s manliness. Simultaneously assuming the role of a metaphorical embodiment of Venus, dressed in â€Å"cloth-of-gold† but also the personification of her beloved Egypt, she is shown to be an inherently sexual character, unmatched in regality and lustre. Shadowed in political knowledge and militaristic power by the â€Å"triple pillar[s]† of Rome, Cleopatra employs her seductive beauty, enhanced by her ability to wield emotional power to ensure her continued survival. It is often suspected that despite her â€Å"infinite variety† and oscillating moods, her actions always contain a â€Å"deliberate logic† [Danby, 1952]. Her uncanny strength in mentally manipulating Antony is clearly visible in the opening scenes of the play, at the arrival of the messengers at which she suggests that Antony hear them, despite his rejection of them.

Health Education Tool Development Essay

Modify or create a health education tool that is appropriate for your participating family. Ensure that your tool achieves the following:  · Identifies the family’s health and educational needs  · Establishes educational goals and objectives  · Uses appropriate educational methods  · Uses the appropriate language and literacy level  · Is sensitive to the family’s cultural or religious background  · Makes use of the types of technology resources available to the family  · Include all supporting materials (handouts, Internet resources, demonstrations, or sample materials) Explain how you will deliver your health education tool to the participating family. Address the following:  · How the tool was selected, modified, or created  · Why the tool is appropriate for the family  · How the tool addresses the family’s health needs  · How the tool relates to the Healthy People 2020 Health Indicators  · How the tool coordinates with, complements, or replaces community health services  · If you modified an existing health education tool in any way, provide a reference to the original material. Prepare a 10-minute presentation of your health education tool. You many use one of the following formats:  · In class oral presentation  · Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® including speaker’s notes  · Video of yourself presenting the information uploaded to a video sharing website such as Youtube.com (Submit a link to your facilitator)  · Another format approved by your facilitator Note. You will not a†¦ Find needed answers here – https://bitly.com/12BuYnS Speak with your professors daily to build strong relationships. Professors are the ultimate resource and can do a lot to help you along the way. Be sure to help if the opportunity presents itself and ask a lot of questions. Maintaining these good relationships can be advantageous while you are going to college. General Questions – General General Questions Resources: Windshield Survey; Community Assessment; Family Assessment; and Assignment Grading Criteria: Health Education Tool Development and Presentation Modify or create a health education tool that is appropriate for your participating family. Ensure that your tool achieves the following:  · Identifies the family’s health and educational needs  · Establishes educational goals and objectives  · Uses appropriate educational methods  · Uses the appropriate language and literacy level  · Is sensitive to the family’s cultural or religious background  · Makes use of the types of technology resources available to the family  · Include all supporting materials (handouts, Internet resources, demonstrations, or sample materials) Explain how you will deliver your health education tool to the participating family. Address the following:  · How the tool was selected, modified, or created  · Why the tool is appropriate for the family  · How the tool addresses the family’s health needs  · How the tool relates to the Healthy People 2020 Health Indicators  · How the tool coordinates with, complements, or replaces community health services  · If you modified an existing health education tool in any way, provide a reference to the original material. Prepare a 10-minute presentation of your health education tool. You many use one of the following formats:  · In class oral presentation  · Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® including speaker’s notes  · Video of yourself presenting the information uploaded to a video sharing website such as Youtube.com (Submit a link to your facilitator)  · Another format approved by your facilitator Note. You will not actually deliver this health education tool to the participating family. The tool is developed and presented only to your classmates and facilitator. Submit the following with your assignm†¦