Play Projects Compnay Essays

Play Projects Compnay Essays Play Projects Compnay Essay Play Projects Compnay Essay Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction. 2 2.0 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) 2 2.1 Strengths. 2 2.2 Weaknesses. 2 2.3 Opportunities. 3 2.4 Threats. 3 3.0 The Porter’s Five Forces Model 3 3.1 Competition from Potential Companies. 4 3.2 Competition from Established Companies. 4 3.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers. 4 3.4 Bargaining Power of Suppliers. 5 4.0 Competitors. 5 5.0 Social Responsibility. 6 6.0 Key Factors to Success. 6 7.0 Conclusion. 6 List of References: 8 Play Projects Company 1.0 Introduction Play Projects is event management company that manage lifestyle and corporate events, entertainment management and marketing support. Main customers young people with social life. Use social media, as it know that this is one of the most effective ways. It uses both the virtual and the real world to ensure creates events that are important to the market. It knows view of its threats and weaknesses. It know opportunities and strengths that it faces, and it working towards using them to the most to ensure that it gains a competitive advantage in the market. The paper show strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the company faces, since this is the main setting up and strategic tool of the company. It will highlight the competitors that the company faces, the value of social responsibilities, and key factors to the success of the business. 2.0 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)2.1 Strengths SWOT analysis is seeing the business environment to know best alternative for the company’s direction (Ferrell Hartline 2010, pp.128). The strengths of company refer to the resources that a company can use to its advantage. An organization should use of opportunities that are available to make them goals (Stephenson Thurman 2007, pp. 37). One of the main strengths of the company is that it has created many things different places. Event management is only need a person to be able to handle many activities since some of the events are seasonal. The fact that the company take care both business and social affairs means that new opportunities are always arising. This has enabled it to create more networks in the industry. The new opportunities created mean more business for the company. Another strength that the company has is flexibility. The company is flexible enough handle any opportunities that arise. Another major strength that the company has is that management values al l the employees. There is created a feeling of ownership. They feel comfortable handle any roles that may be present. The company’s decision to utilize the social media fully is meaning that it has expanded its connections. Social media such as Facebook is good since they make one to create many connections. 2.2 Weaknesses Weaknesses are limitations is prevent the company from reaching its objectives. Weaknesses reduce the company’s competitiveness in the market (Stephenson Thurman 2007, pp. 37). One of the major weaknesses of company is the lack of full time employees. This has not good productivity and performance. Employees not work good because of the many tasks they perform. They have many work and the results is poor. Another weakness is that the company does not have a fixed working place. Working virtually is person has to have access to the internet. The fact that the company does not have a fixed working place might explain why there are no full time employees. Another weakness is that it does not have main of long-term income. Many of the projects, which the company do are seasonal. This means that once a season ends, the company is left with no source of income if there are no forthcoming opportunities. Some of the people employed in the company might find this risky since they are not guaranteed any income. The company is see ways of earning an income, which does not depend on seasons. It needs to identify investment opportunities, which will guarantee returns at the end. This will make worker to stay in the job for longer since it will guarantee their financial security. 2.3 Opportunities Opportunities is situations, which the company can capitalize and use to their advantage. Opportunities assist the organization make more profit and enhance their performance (Stephenson Thurman 2007, pp. 37). Some of the opportunities, which the company identified, are like increase in number of social media sites. The company use sites like this to ensure that it connects with more people. The company uses the many available social sites to market its products. The more people learn of company, the higher the chances that the company will get more followers. This will in turn give the company the chance to sell its services to more clients. Another opportunity is more in the number of companies, which are wanting their services. This is an opportunity for the business to expand its clientele. More businesses are choosing to hire an events management company rather than relying on individual suppliers who might not meet all their expectations. They wanting hire the companies since they will offer them all the services they need, and they have specialized to undertake most of the tasks. 2.4 Threats Threats is things that could arise to bring trouble to the business (Stephenson Thurman 2007, pp. 37). One of the threats is of the event management industry not being always same. This is mainly caused by the instability in the entertainment industry. The entertainment industry in the country is affected by many factors such as people’s financial situation. When the economy is not good, people will choose to pay for their necessities but not use the money for unnecessary expenses such as entertainment. This will in turn mean that businesses dealing with organizing party and club events will suffer since they will not have a lot of business. The crisis within the Euro zone is also a major threat to the company. The Euro zone crisis will affect the number of businesses opening up in Singapore. Some of the company are already experiencing hard times. If the crisis is go on, it will decrease the number of company’s customers, and this will be detrimental to the survival a nd prosperity of the company. Another thing not good facing the company is the increase in the number of lifestyle/nightspots in Singapore. This is a significant threat to the company, as it is increasing the competition. The company is therefore have to share the number of events available with the other competitors. 3.0 The Porter’s Five Forces Model The Porter’s Five Forces make company to know the power the competition. The five forces include the â€Å"risk of entry by potential competitors, the intensity of rivalry among established companies within an industry, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, and the closeness of substitutes to an industry’s products (Hill and Jones 2009, pp. 42).† The presence of this forces makes it difficult to increase prices of goods and services. Changes in these forces can create either opportunities or threats to a company. Companies can decide the thing of power of some of these forces. For instance, established companies can make it more difficult for a new company to enter into the market, therefore make lower the strength of the competition (Hill and Jones 2009, pp. 43). 3.1 Competition from Potential Companies Plays Projects has a competitive edge over the other companies in that it has already seen the market for a longer period before venturing, and it has incorporated the use of technology. However, the company see many competition from companies that are fighting to enter into the lucrative business. Singapore is more and more the center of choice for many international corporate and entertainment functions, as it attracts both businesses and international tourists. There is a more demand for event management organizations. Their services are like organizing events such as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, performing art events, and leisure and lifestyle events. The requirements of setting up and running such a business is many like before the company becomes fully functional. Companies have to obtain various licenses and get authorization from different departments before they can begin to operate. This does not seem to be not taking the efforts well of potential entr ants into the industry (Guide Me Singapore). They are also expected to pay fees so that they can obtain the licenses. This is not a major hindrance since companies usually make more money from organizing the events, than they do getting licenses. The benefits is more costs, and many people with an interest in organizing and managing events are encouraged because of this. 3.2 Competition from Established Companies There is many of competition among the established companies because there are many companies offering such services. Singapore is not having many of large population, and the events management companies have to share the few clients amongst themselves. However, although there are many event management companies in the country, only few of them deal with organizing club entertainment. This is of good thing for the company since it creates an opportunity for the company. The company has already started doing this by creating special theme nights such as the â€Å"Butter Cookies† which is not of the women and others such as â€Å"Detention†, where customers get the chance to win gifts. It also offers reduced prices for the fans on its Facebook page (Play Projects, 2011). The cost of being of belong in the market depends on the type of event that the company specialized in organizing. Some events require a lot of investment such as example of the equipment used. For instan ce, companies, which deal with organizing occasions such as weddings often, have to invest a lot of equipment. This is not the case with companies, such as Play Projects, which deal with organizing entertainment functions. Although they don’t buy in equipment, they incur relatively low costs when leaving the market compared to other event management companies. 3.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers The company is having of free services for women and it caters for men by offering reduced prices on drinks. The customers seem to have the upper hand since they are like having advantage the most in this. The company seems to be more concerned about establishing a loyal customer base before establishing itself. This is mainly useful in a place where there are many night entertainment spots, and the population is not exceedingly high. Price sensitivity and the number of competitors that are in a market are crucial factors to consider when a company aims at retaining the bargaining power of buyers. By offering free things, it is creating competition within the industry. It will therefore become more power than the competitors will since the customers will look for a place where they can get cheaper services. Such services create difference needed between competitors in order for a company to gain and maintain a competitive advantage. 3.4 Bargaining Power of Suppliers It is clear that the company’s main specialty and strength lies making nightlife events. The company relies on suppliers such as music deejays and artists to keep going. The deejays and celebrities make sure that customers is entertained throughout. Judging by the number of revelers who attend these events, the company seems to know what the customers want, and it supplies the best entertainment in the market. The company is endorsed by popular groups and individual artists such as the â€Å"Butter Factory† and â€Å"Cing Swan†. One of the good things of this type of industry is the flexibility it offers. Companies do not have to rely on one supplier for entertainment. The company has the things of deciding who will make happy the revelers. They therefore choose the most popular artists in the country or region, and this keeps the customers entertained. Play Project is a unique company as it uses Facebook for its own communication and for marketing purposes. 4.0 Competitors The Play Projects Company is see competitors in the market. The market is not pay, and competitors can enter and leave as they please. Its main competitors are Original Media Pte Ltd, Events Architects Pte Ltd, and the Events Artery Pte Ltd and more other company. In this industry, a company has to make sure they give best service, at a cheaper price or just like with other competitors in the industry. Although they seem to have seemingly created a competitive edge by using the virtual and the real world, this method is last not for long since other companies are also establishing themselves in a similar manner. The competition within the industry is so fierce, that competitors not want do whatever it takes to ensure that they remain the event organization of choice. Different institutions of higher learning are offering event management courses, which are geared towards equipping people with the necessary knowledge to ensure that they are in a better position to organize events. Competitors should be seen as an good thing not like threat to the company. Competitors enable the company to create new and innovative products, and to improve its service delivery. This gives the company a competitive advantage and improves the market development. Having the market has is make the company to differentiate its products. New companies can learn from the established companies, in that they can not have doing the same mistakes (SEO Consult, 2009). Competitors help to legitimize and make use of technology. This is evident in the case of Play Projects. Play Projects is not the first events company to organize events through the social media. The company has however, helped to establish this as one of the major ways of event organizing. By bring together the virtual and the real world, the company has enabled other established and upcoming companies to realize that there is no limit to the channels that have for use in event management (Porter 1998, pp. 210). 5.0 Social Responsibility The main thing of social responsibility is make sure that the internal and external stakeholders have higher standards of living, while at the same time maintaining the profitability of the business (Hopkins 2007, pp. 9). Businesses have do thing in a way that they cater for needs of all the stakeholders involved. This includes the employees, suppliers, customers, the community, and the environment. Some companies use in social responsibility issues as a way of enhancing their reputation. Businesses realize that they cannot remain profitable for long if they continue operating in areas where there is poor development. They therefore involve in development projects, especially in their areas of operation, to ensure that they benefit and remain profitable. The community forms many ideas of companies that engage in social responsibilities. Companies build their credibility, transparency, trust and reliability when they engage in socially responsible activities. They develop a relationship with the community, and this benefits them in the end. Many people want to be known with responsible organizations. Organizations make good employees come when they engage in socially responsible activities. This also helps them to retain their current employees. Although social responsibility in organizations benefits the companies and the communities in different ways, it has often been seen not well as a public relations ploy by the organizations with goal of make more profits (Hopkins 2007, pp. 128) 6.0 Key Factors to Success One of the most big factors to success in any business is communication. When people communicate with each other, they are able to make clear important thing, and this leads to better performance. Effective communication enables people to solve their problems and make not worry, thus enhancing productivity. It also enables people to build relationships with each other, and this enables them to work together more good than before (Rud 2009, pp. 60). Plays Projects have utilized communication effectively, and this has been enabled by the use of social media sites. This has in turn make them have to know what their customers want, and they are able to measure their reaction to past events. Another important factor to success is innovation. Innovation bring more only add value to the customer, but it also ensures that there is a balance between the product quality and cost (Chittithaworn et al., 2011, pp. 184). Plays Projects have use a main approach to their innovativeness. They have included technological ideas to create relevant social initiatives, and have managed to attract many people to their business because of this. Innovation does involve to development of difficult technology only, but it also ensures that the technology that has been developed can be used by people freely. Another key factor is the use of social networks. This has enabled the company make less of costs and risks associated with the business. It has also opened up avenues for the company to source ideas from diverse sources, such as the input offered by the company’s followers on Facebook. Another factor that has make sure that achieve of success in the company is the ability of the c ompany to offer differentiated products that cater for the needs of the clients (Cooper 1999, pp. 5). 7.0 Conclusion Play Projects is a relatively new company that has been able to attract many customers and clients since it began its operations. This is big thing considering that the event management industry in Singapore has many established competitors. The company is aware of the impending competition it faces from new entrants in the market. Although the company has several strengths, it has a clear idea of its weaknesses, and it has a realistic view concerning the threats facing the industry. It is quick to take make sure on its opportunities and this has made it more profitable. By using SWOT and the Porter’s Five Forces Model, the company continues to identify the strengths and the opportunities created by its competitors. The two strategic tools will enable it to survive and thrive in the competitive market.

Transparency in public procurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Transparency in public procurement - Essay Example It is because of these lack of transparency in public procurement that corruption has acquired its definition in that it is defined as the use of public office for public gain, where this lack of transparency does not only contribute to the definition as there have been corruption cases in the private sector, as well. As such, the definition of corruption in public procurement has been perceived and surveyed by different agencies to look into the impacts. Transparency International states that bribery is the most common form of corruption emanating from multinational companies that then provide bribe money from the world’s richest nations in an attempt to clinch contracts meant for public procurement. ... This way, Tabish says that the bribe money that rich corporations pay to receive contracts are usually then factored in the total cost of the contract, which she perceives to mean that the contract or the entire project will cost more than the earlier mentioned price of service and product procurement. She continues to state that the consequence of the lack of transparency is usually more than the bribe received by corrupt individuals seeking to benefit themselves as it all trickles down to the same person that received the bribe. This way, Tabish continues to highlight the price of lack of transparency and how it comes into being discarded by mentioning that cultural norms, ethics and accountability contribute greatly towards transparency or lack of it public procurement.3 As such, it is said that corruption or beach of transparency can be achieved or carried out at any stage in a procurement process meaning that there is not a single phase or project that is safe from corruption. S tudies further indicate that lack of transparency was directly related to systems of functions that involve corruption and the ability to look into projects that have both quality and quantity at high levels.4 This was because, transparency to Tabish, is a clear and concise means to achieve a project free of irregularities at all phases, and even exempt it from manifestation. A special report on E-governance portrays a number of practices, as being the best in ensuring transparency in procurement, where turning all systems to digital and internet based is the way to go. The report quotes Korea as an example of promoting transparency in procurement, where certain conditions must be met prior to a contract award to a company in all of its qualifications or lack of them

Citation Paper Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Citation Paper - Annotated Bibliography Example Author Amy Dean’s journal article ‘Occupy Wall Street: A Protest against a Broken Economic Compact’  (first published in Harvard International Review, 2012) offers insight and rationale behind his great mass movement. The OWS, which started as an innocuous gathering in Zuccotti Park in New York City, rapidly caught the public imagination, as it spread across the country swiftly and effectively. Amy Dean’s article is a valuable source for the research essay, for it deals with the crux of the problem, namely that of the ‘broken economic compact’. She notes how â€Å"the Occupy movement is a protest against a broken economic compact that reaches into the very middle of America and that is resonating in other parts of the world as well†. (Dean 12) Rather than being an arm-chair investigation of the landmark event, the author gives first-hand accounts of the unfolding movement from its epi-centre in New York City. As she observes during the introduction to the article, â€Å"During the early months when Occupy Wall Street maintained tent cities in lower Manhattan and other metropolitan areas around the country, the occupations attracted an array of young counter-culturalists and itinerant radicals. To many people seeing the images of the encampments on the news, it looked like a motley assembly, not something out of the American mainstream.† (Dean 12) As Amy Dean suggests in the article, Occupy Wall Street is a crucial reality check for a nation that is on the brink of economic and social disintegration. The movement showed up a mirror to the nation’s leaders and reminded them of their misplaced priorities and unethical behavior. The OWS movement is the most recent in that noble tradition of civil disobedience and collective public action that the country is so proud of. But Dean warns readers to not get carried away. How history will judge and rate the effectiveness of OWS will depend on how well public grievances are translated into

Interest Groups and Government Policies Essay Example for Free

Interest Groups and Government Policies Essay Interest groups help communicate and legitimize government policies in several ways. As instability is sure to attract political activity[1], it also attracts interest groups to meddle in such political activity. When certain government policies conflict with the specific interests of these groups, they can call the attention of the government through public demonstrations or protests. They can also use mass media to inform the general public about their views on certain government policies, thereby communicating not only their position on the issues involved but also the government policies being addressed. On the other hand, when certain government policies support the interests of these groups, they can further enhance the legitimacy of such policies by conducting a public forum designed to increase the public’s awareness on such policies, thereby gathering more public support. Even without interest groups, communicating and legitimating government policies can still be achieved. For the most part, people can still organize themselves without holding a collective interest other than the inclination to either support or protest an existing government policy. Since a more developed country is most likely populated by more interest groups[2], governments faced with the task of issuing specific policies in order to foster economic growth are most likely to face opposition from certain interest groups who oppose such policies. One example is when a government decides to issue a policy of free trade in response to the need of increasing the country’s trading activities so as to stimulate the economy. Interest groups opposing the government policy of free trade can stage demonstrations in public locations. Doing so can increase their chances of being heard by the government and, in consequence, compelling the government to adjust its policies accordingly. At the same time, these interest groups will openly communicate to the public the reasons why they oppose the policy without forcing them to join their cause. At the least, public demonstrations serve the purpose of informing the public and the government that a sector of the society opposes certain government policies. Mass media plays a key role in communicating the views of interest groups towards government policies. Since individuals interact with issues emphasized in media coverage[3], there is reason to believe that interest groups can reach and influence public perception through mass media in general. Interest groups can publish their articles through paid newspaper column space on a specific date of issue that they feel will have a lasting and strong impression on readers. Interest groups opposing specific provisions in government policies on healthcare, for instance, can pay for a space in a major newspaper where they can state their reasons for opposing the provisions and the alternatives that can be done. The method will most likely reach a large part of the population due to the large circulation of a major newspaper, thereby informing a broad segment of the public. Television and radio shows also provide avenues for interest groups to communicate to the public their position on government policies. For example, an interest group opposing the existing government policy on carbon emissions can either make a request to television networks to provide them with a show where they can air their views or accept invitations for discussions or interviews on television. Whether or not these interest groups are able to convince the viewing public, it is likely that they are still able to communicate a portion of the substance of the government policy on carbon emissions. On the other hand, interest groups can also legitimize government policies, especially those that are aligned with their concerns. One way of achieving it is to conduct a public forum where people can participate or simply listen to discussions about the policies. For instance, interest groups can hold a public forum in the town hall and discuss immediate concerns regarding the current government policy on immigration. With the immigration policy favoring their side, these interest groups can disseminate the information about the benefits of the policy which can eventually translate to more public support. Since the key principle is that the people is the source of the government’s power, public discussions conducted by interest groups which are able to gather public support for government policies further legitimize such policies. The pressure of interest groups to their Congressional Representatives can also legitimize government policies. Letters to Congressional Representatives coming from interest groups can help inform these representatives that a portion of their constituents are in support of a government policy that the representative may or may not actually favor. Through such letters, interest groups can put a pressure on their dissenting representatives to favor the government policy regardless of political affiliations. Signature campaigns when taken together with letters to Congressional Representatives can add more weight to the support given to government policies, giving these representatives more reason to align their positions with the public perception. Nevertheless, government policies can be communicated or legitimized to a certain degree despite the absence of interest groups. Other ways to achieve the goal of communicating and legitimizing government policies include signature campaigns, public dialogue with government officials and infomercials sponsored by the government. Through the initiative of a few individuals, signature campaigns can be launched in support of or opposition to certain government policies. Signature campaigns of this nature do not necessarily require the leadership of interest groups since private individuals can also gather public signatures even without an affiliation to any specific interest group. The purpose is to simply gather signatures as many as possible without attempting to form a formal group out of the total number of participants. Public dialogue with government officials can also be a way to inform the public about government policies. The dialogue can be sponsored by the office of the concerned government official or the local members of the community. Through dialogue, government officials are able to discuss in detail the purpose and nature of certain government policies. People are also given the chance to ask relevant questions to the government official whose response can further inform the public. Airing infomercials over the television or radio is also a way for the government to communicate its policies to the public and to further show the legitimacy of such policies. Since an infomercial is basically a â€Å"one-way† type of communication, it can simply inform the public about government policies at best. Government policies communicated to the public through radio or television infomercials are already assumed to be legitimate; the government is presumed to disseminate information about government policies that are lawful and approved by the concerned government agency. Despite the possibility of communicating and legitimating government policies in the absence of interest groups, it is better if interest groups are still able to challenge or reaffirm government policies especially when taken in the context of a democratic society. The presence of interest groups can indicate the health of the political activity in any country. In their absence, the legislature and the government in general may possibly overlook vital social and political concerns or abuse their power to create and enforce policies. Bibliography Bischoff, Ivo. â€Å"Determinants of the Increase in the Number of Interest Groups in Western Democracies: Theoretical Considerations and Evidence from 21 OECD Countries.† Public Choice 114, no. 1/2 (2003): 197-218. Domke, David, Dhavan V. Shah, and Daniel B. Wackman. â€Å"Rights and Morals, Issues, and Candidate Integrity: Insights into the Role of the News Media.† Political Psychology 21, no. 4 (2000): 641-65. Levmore, Saul. â€Å"Voting Paradoxes and Interest Groups.† The Journal of Legal Studies 28, no. 2 (1999): 259-81.

Emily Murphy: Canadian Womens Rights Activist Essay -- Biography Biog

Emily Murphy: Canadian Women's Rights Activist It was only in this century that women in Canada had equal rights as men. But this would never happen if women themselves would not start fighting for their rights. One of these women was Emily Murphy and her greatest achievement, Emily proved that women are `persons' and therefore they have the right to work in any political office. Her life and political career lead her to this achievement. Emily Gowan Ferguson was born on March 14, 1868 in a village of Cookstown. It was Uncle Thomas who was a politician and who influenced Emily's interest in politics. At fifteen Emily moved to Toronto and attended the Bishop Strachan School for Girls. Emily married Reverend Arthur Murphy in 1887 in Anglican church of St. John's in Cookstown and in 1904 she and her husband moved to Winnipeg. Mrs. Murphy "conducted the literary section of the Winnipeg Tribune for a few years before moving to Alberta in 1907." In her new home Emily became very active in civic affairs especially in law that would improve the rights of women and children. In 1900's in Alberta any man who, for example, had a farm and was married could sell that farm and leave his wife and children walking away with the money. Mrs. Murphy was angry that Alberta would allow such disgrace. In 1910 Emily was still fighting for the Dower Act "which would recognize a married woman's entitlement to a share of the common property in a marriage". For the first time the act was turned down, Emily not giving up tried very hard until 1911 when Dower Act was passed. "It provided that a wife must get a third of her husband's estate, even when he did not leave a will." It was a major victory fo... ... died of diabetes... Emily died of diabetes but she was still part of many people who helped her achieving what she did. Some of these people were women like Mrs. Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henriette Muir Edwards and Irene Parlby. Thanks to Judge Murphy Canada was the eighth country which gave women equal rights. Emily's accomplishments prove that she was a very hard working women with great courage but the most important thing she did not give up on anything that is why Mrs. Murphy achieved what she intended to achieve, women's freedom in Canada. Bibliography Cleverdon L. Catherine. The Women Suffrage Movement In Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto and Buffalo, 1975. Mander Christine. Emily Murphy: Rebel. Simon & Pierre, Toronto, 1985. "Women suffrage movement". Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia. Funk & Wagnalls Inc., 1986

Acre Woods Retirement Community

Acre wood retirement community case study Kimberly Woods HSM/230 Axia College at the University of Phoenix Acre wood retirement community case study he resident physical therapist Sara Armstrong manages the retirement communities activity programs, recently a pool was added to its rehabilitation center by they were some original design requests that were not met it has been brought to Sarah’s attention that the safety tread marks on the stairs and the improved wheelchair access to the pool area which were allotted for in planning cost have not been added, when she immediately brings it to the director of the acre woods Mark Adams he basically dismisses it by stating that the residents should simply be happy to have the pool, as well as bringing it to her attention that she has been hired to provide physical therapy only and not to worry about the budget. Question one: what are some of the potential legal and ethical issue’s present in this case study?Answer; Mark Adams should be held responsible for the negligence which has caused minor accidents to some of the residents he should also listen to and acknowledge the need to regulate the safety of equipment installed within acre woods, Sarah has a right to be concerned as part of her job is therapy for the patient’s physical well-being. The legal issues here could present multiple cases of unethical behavior by Mr. Adams part; the ethical issues would be his lack of concern of the well-being of the residents of acre woods which in turn could create multiple lawsuits. Question two: how would you characterize the director’s behavior? Answer to: by the way the paper reads Mark Adams attitude and behavior are unethical and uncalled for as he is the administrator for the facility he should maintain an attitude suitable to that station, his behavior is unjust and critical towards Ms. Armstrong and seemingly uncaring where the residents of the facility are concerned.Question three: Is the dir ector and ethical role model? Why or why not? Answer three: Mark Adams does not show the ethical behavior that would be expected of a role model in the position of director of any facility he seems to be uncaring as well as unconcerned about the well-being of the residents or the concerns of Sara Armstrong. Question four: Were the director’s messages congruent with the organization’s stated mission? Explain your answer. Answer four: No Mark Adams is not being congruent with the stated mission of the organization he does not show concern for the organization nor for its ideals however instead he shows arrogance instead of compassion.Question five: what impact did the director’s actions and attitudes have on the acre woods culture: the director’s actions did not show concerns or the culture of the facility but more towards self-preservation when Sara Armstrong product visitation that if you patients had concerns and were showing fear pertaining to the issue s of the pool wife Mr. Adam should’ve done was to investigate the concerns of the residents as well as ask why the safety equipment was not installed, instead his decision to take the word of Gene Levy who was also a physical therapist at acre woods over that of Sara Armstrong did give Sara cause to bring it into the forefront because of her suspicions of the missing funds where the from the pool project she did the right thing by relating the scandal or her is her opinion of it.

The Unsavory History of Nutmeg Spice

Today, we sprinkle ground nutmeg on our espresso drinks, add it to eggnog, or mix it into pumpkin pie filling. Most people probably dont particularly wonder about its origins, no doubt - it comes from the spice aisle in the supermarket, right? And fewer still stop to consider the tragic and bloody history behind this spice. Over the centuries, however, tens of thousands of people have died in the pursuit of nutmeg. What Is Nutmeg? Nutmeg comes from the seed of the Myristica frangans tree, a tall evergreen species native to the Banda Islands, which are part of Indonesias Moluccas or Spice Islands. The inner kernel of the nutmeg seed can be ground into nutmeg, while the aril (the outer lacy covering) yields another spice, mace. Nutmeg has long been valued not only as a flavoring for food  but also for its medicinal properties. In fact, when taken in large enough doses nutmeg is a hallucinogen, thanks to a psychoactive chemical called myristicin, which is related to mescaline and amphetamine. People have known about the interesting effects of nutmeg for centuries; the 12th-century abbess Hildegard of Bingen wrote about it, for one. Nutmeg on the Indian Ocean Trade Nutmeg was well-known in the countries bordering the Indian Ocean, where it featured in Indian cooking and traditional Asian medicines. Like other spices, nutmeg had the advantage of being light-weight compared with pottery, jewels, or even silk cloth, so trading ships and camel caravans could easily carry a fortune in nutmeg. For the inhabitants of the Banda Islands, where the nutmeg trees grew, the Indian Ocean trade routes ensured a steady business and allowed them a comfortable living. It was the Arab and Indian traders, however, who got very wealthy from selling the spice all around the rim of the Indian Ocean. Nutmeg in Europe's Middle Ages As mentioned above, by the Middle Ages, wealthy people in Europe knew about nutmeg  and coveted it for its medicinal properties. Nutmeg was considered a hot food according to the theory of humors, taken from ancient Greek medicine, which still guided European physicians at the time. It could balance cold foods like fish and vegetables. Europeans believed that nutmeg had the power to ward off viruses like the common cold; they even thought that it could prevent the bubonic plague. As a result, the spice was worth more than its weight in gold. As much as they treasured nutmeg, however, people in Europe had no clear idea of where it came from. It entered Europe through the port of Venice, carried there by Arab traders who portaged it from the Indian Ocean across the Arabian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean world... but the ultimate source remained a mystery. Portugal Seizes the Spice Islands In 1511, a Portuguese force under Afonso de Albuquerque seized the Molucca Islands. By early the next year, the Portuguese had extracted the knowledge from the locals that the Banda Islands were the source of nutmeg and mace, and three Portuguese ships sought out these fabled Spice Islands. The Portuguese did not have the manpower to physically control the islands, but they were able to break the Arab monopoly on the spice trade. The Portuguese ships filled their holds with nutmeg, mace, and cloves, all purchased for a reasonable price from the local growers. Over the next century, Portugal tried to build a fort on the main Bandanaira Island  but was driven off by the Bandanese. Finally, the Portuguese simply bought their spices from middlemen in Malacca. Dutch Control of Nutmeg Trade The Dutch soon followed the Portuguese to Indonesia, but they proved unwilling to simply join the queue of spice shippers. Traders from the Netherlands provoked the Bandanese by demanding spices in return for useless and unwanted goods, like thick woolen clothing and damask cloth, which was completely unsuitable for tropical climes. Traditionally, Arab, Indian, and Portuguese traders had offered much more practical items: silver, medicines, Chinese porcelain, copper, and steel. Relations between the Dutch and Bandanese started out sour  and quickly went down-hill. In 1609, the Dutch coerced some Bandanese rulers into signing the Eternal Treaty, granting the Dutch East Indies Company a monopoly on spice trade in the Bandas. The Dutch then strengthened their Bandanaira fortress, Fort Nassau. This was the last straw for the Bandanese, who ambushed and killed the Dutch admiral for the East Indies and about forty of his officers. The Dutch also faced a threat from another European power - the British. In 1615, the Dutch invaded Englands only foothold in the Spice Islands, the tiny, nutmeg-producing islands of Run and Ai, about 10 kilometers from the Bandas. The British forces had to retreat from Ai to the even smaller island of Run. Britain counter-attacked the same day, though, killing 200 Dutch soldiers. A year later, the Dutch attacked again  and besieged the British on Ai. When the British defenders ran out of ammunition, the Dutch overran their position and slaughtered them all. The Bandas Massacre In 1621, the Dutch East India Company decided to solidify its hold on the Banda Islands proper. A Dutch force of unknown size landed on Bandaneira, fanned out, and reported numerous violations of the coercive Eternal Treaty signed in 1609. Using these alleged violations as a pretext, the Dutch had forty of the local leaders beheaded. They then went on to perpetrate genocide against the Bandanese. Most historians believe that the population of the Bandas was around 15,000 before 1621. The Dutch brutally massacred all but about 1,000 of them; the survivors were forced to work as slaves in the nutmeg groves. Dutch plantation-owners took control of the spice orchards  and grew wealthy selling their products in Europe at 300 times the production cost. Needing more labor, the Dutch also enslaved and brought in people from Java and other Indonesian islands. Britain and Manhattan At the time of the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-67), however, the Dutch monopoly on nutmeg production was not quite complete. The British still had control of little Run Island, on the fringe of the Bandas. In 1667, the Dutch and British came to an agreement, called the Treaty of Breda. Under its terms, the Netherlands relinquished the far-off and generally useless island of Manhattan, also known as New Amsterdam, in return for the British handing over Run. Nutmeg, Nutmeg Everywhere The Dutch settled down to enjoying their nutmeg monopoly for about a century and a half. However, during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-15), Holland became a part of Napoleons empire  and was thus an enemy of England. This gave the British an excellent excuse to invade the Dutch East Indies once again  and try to pry open the Dutch stranglehold on the spice trade. On August 9, 1810, a British armada attacked the Dutch fort on Bandaneira. After just a few hours of fierce fighting, the Dutch surrendered Fort Nassau, and then the rest of the Bandas. The First Treaty of Paris, which ended this phase of the Napoleonic Wars, restored the Spice Islands to Dutch control in 1814. It could not restore the nutmeg monopoly, however - that particular cat was out of the bag. During their occupation of the East Indies, the British took nutmeg seedlings from the Bandas and planted them in various other tropical places under British colonial control. Nutmeg plantations sprang up in Singapore, Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka), Bencoolen (southwest Sumatra), and Penang (now in Malaysia). From there, they spread to Zanzibar, East Africa and the Caribbean islands of Grenada. With the nutmeg monopoly broken, the price of this once-precious commodity began to plummet. Soon middle-class Asians and Europeans could afford to sprinkle the spice on their holiday baked goods and add it to their curries. The bloody era of the Spice Wars came to an end, and nutmeg took its place as an ordinary occupant of the spice-rack in typical homes... an occupant, though, with an unusually dark and bloody history.