The City of Corinth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The City of Corinth - Essay Example In the 1st century, the public marketplace of Corinth (agora, forum) was bigger than any that was in Rome. By 50 A.D. Corinth was visited by Paul. The city was the most modern, beautiful, and industrious city in Greece.According to Acts 18:4, the city was a Jewish synagogue. Crispus who was the ruler of the synagogue was baptized by Paul himself (1 Cor. 1:14). Apparently Timothy and Silas the remaining converts at Corinth. In the city of Corinth, one could find the cults of the gods of Rome, Egypt, and Rome (Bergant, et al 78). The Temple of Aphrodite, goddess of love, was standing at the top of Acrocorinth; by Paul’s time, it had fallen into ruins. This was a city that was catering for traveling salesmen and sailors who spent their money gladly there. â€Å"Corinth† became a phrase for immorality which was often mentioned by Paul. Corinth eventually became not just a synonym for luxury and wealth, debauchery and wealth, but even for faith. Also famous in Corinth was th e Posedon temple, ruler of the sea (the commercial life of Corinth depended on it) and the earthquakes maker (a common peril in the area).   In the city, as commonly found in different parts of ancient Greece, there existed a shrine devoted to Asklepios, the healing god, and Hygieia his daughter. On the hill that was overlooking the main forum of the Roman city, stood the Apollo’s temple, which was serving as a reminder of the ancient splendor of Corinth.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Marks and Spencer, Method of Operation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marks and Spencer, Method of Operation - Essay Example It is currently an international company with a whopping over 840 stores in more than 30 countries in the world. This joint venture was not without its challenges especially with its growth and expansion to various other countries other than Britain. It has experienced periods of financial crisis owing to poor sales to a point where they had to sell some of their stores off to other parties among other tough decisions they have been made to make to save the company from crumbling. Nevertheless, they have also had periods of high sales which in turn translated into great profitability and expansion. Their have adopted various strategies in an attempt to maintain and expand their customer base as both external and internal forces are threatening the very core of this business with a history of a long time in operation. Part of these strategies includes the adoption of new marketing strategies that are powerful enough to retain their customers and attract more customers to themselves. Notable also is the expansion of the products they sell where in addition to the traditional engagement in the sale of cloth and food, recent additions to the products base include technological products as well as furniture and homewares. Following is a PEST analysis of the company that will undertake to elaborate the current economic standing of this company and the prospects that are available to it. Marks a Political factors Marks and Spencer have adopted an international inclination towards the attracting of customers to the purchasing of their products. This means that the political factors that affecting their businesses depends on the political environment found in the countries where their stores are based for example the stores based in Britain will operate under the political environment found in Britain while those based in china will operate under china's political environment. Considering that the greatest number of the Marks and Spencer stores (600 out of the approximately 840 in the world) are based in Britain, then I will undertake the pest analysis of the Marks and Spencer stores based in Britain. The political environment in Britain is stable in the sense that Britain is relatively peaceful with no major identified or reported cases of violence making the establishment, growth and expansion of business units realistic and favourable. This contributed greatly towards the establishment and the eventual success of the Marks and Spencer stores as they were offered the chance to grow. It should however be noted that the period of the Second World War gave the growth of this business unit enough challenge. The taxing policy in Britain is relatively low thus allowing for a conducive environment for the establishment and maintenance of a business unit since the business units are hardly suppressed by overtaxing. Adoption of friendly taxing policies is a real plus in the development of business enterprises (Bevan 2001 pp 56-58). Britain is a member of a number of trade unions and other organizations with whom they carry out trade. It is a member of the European Union therefore trades under minimal restrictions with all the other members of this union. This is good for the development of international trade for the business units found in the geographical area covered by it (Richardson 2002p42). At the same time, Britain has developed diplomatic relationships with a great number of nations globally- a stint that makes her

Operational Readiness And Airport Transfer Programme

Operational Readiness And Airport Transfer Programme Different types of operational problems are witnessed when commissioning new facilities, especially during the first day of operations, potentially resulting in poor performance and disruptions reflecting negatively on the organization. Many organizations require carrying out a readiness assessment of the new systems and facilities An operation readiness strategy will allow airport operators to dot right and most important to do it right the first time prior to the commissioning. It is critical that on the opening day of an airport, the airport personnel is fully trained to effectively implement correct airport procedures and for all equipment to be in good working condition. The scope of work includes the safe and effective handling of passengers, efficient transfer of baggage, effective handling of the new facilities and equipment and an effective emergency plan. The New Airport Terminal King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) is one of four international gateways in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also one of the busiest airports during Hajj and Ramadan seasons. Due to the growth in passenger numbers, the development and construction of a new terminal is essential to meet with the daily demands, and this is what GACA (General Authority of Civil Aviation) intends to do. In fact, construction work of the new terminal has already been started. And the number of necessary handovers will require a clear and reliable guidance on what aspects are to be taken into account when dealing with the handover of facilities / buildings and systems. Our project aims to ensure a seamless transfer from construction to operation, avoid any serious difficulties during the end of the construction phase and contribute to the timely completion of the overall project. The development of a clear handover process will contribute to the operational readiness and prepare a more dependable warranty process. Operational Readiness and Transfer Program The complexity of an airport operational readiness project depends predominately on the systems and equipment employed and the time available for preparedness; rather than its physical dimensions. ORAT (Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer) is the key of success to achieve the operational goals. Purpose of ORAT Coordinate and assist stakeholders including external consultants, in the implementation of a defined operational readiness program for new infrastructure or services covering Operations and Maintenance from design phase through to operational implementation within a given timeframe. Conduct design review for new infrastructure to assess its suitability to meet operations and maintenance related objectives as well as international and national standards and regulations, and additionally prior to construction, identify and assist in the resolution of any design issues which may have a negative impact upon Facilities Maintenance processes. Ensure operational readiness planning is conducted in a timely manner through the establishment of O M stakeholder groups to, identify interdependencies and resolve operational issues as well as implement operational readiness time scheduling to facilitate accurate management reporting. Facilitate communication processes between departments and subsidiaries to ensure that the implementation of the requirements, including certification of all Regulatory Authorities and other government agencies is coordinated and well integrated within operational processes. Oversee and/or assist with the development of O M related standard operational procedures as well as operational contingency procedures for new infrastructure and services, ensuring correct operational integration. Oversee the implementation of maintenance training for new infrastructure and services to ensure that all new users can meet the required service levels to ensure the safe, effective, efficient and coordinated operation of the airport by operational due date. Ensure new infrastructure maintenance practices are operationally validated where practical, through testing of all operational interfaces between facilities, systems, procedures and human resources within a given timeframe. Ensure that operational validation testing includes all relevant stakeholders both internal and external. Review and/or assist in the development and implementation of contingency plans to manage any identified operational risk prior to the introduction of new client infrastructure or services. Oversee and/or assist in the development of Transition Planning to ensure a smooth transition is effected of new maintenance related infrastructure or services. Goals of ORAT Program Involvement and commitment of all airport users Resolution of operational interface issues Successful trial operations and relocation Timely inauguration Efficient operation from Day One Higher quality and service level standard Specification and Scope of Project The objectives of ORAT include having a coordinated approach to prepare all airport stakeholders including the airport operators, airlines, ground handlers, cargo agents and various government agencies, such as Customs, Immigration and the Central Industrial Security Force for the shift of operations to the new airport. Besides, it also has to ensure that there is streamlining of procedures, each and every person involved with the airport knowing their roles and responsibilities. The development of a clear written guideline of the overall handover process with all involved parties and their respective tasks is the objective of this project. After knowing the airport system and its flow of work First, all parties working in the airport and their roles should be defined. This step involves airport, contractors and government staff to ensure and specify the job description with no overlapped responsibilities. Second, these responsibilities are written in a clear guideline. Here, the guideline can be modified many times to reach the optimum goal of the work process. Changes are due to many reasons such as, enhancing the performance, changes in laws, modifications in some areas. Finally, application of the guidelines to ensure everybody is playing his role and getting feed backs for enhancement As building maintenance engineer, building maintenance is the concern of this project to set an example and expanded later to other divisions. Fraport in Brief METHODOLOGY 2.1 CONCEPTS An operation readiness strategy will allow airport operators to dot right and most important to do it right the first time prior to the commissioning. It is critical that on the opening day of an airport, the airport personnel are fully trained to effectively implement, correct airport procedures and for all equipment to be in good working condition. The scope of work includes effective handling of the new facilities and equipment and an effective emergency plan. To achieve ORAT goals, there are prerequisites to implement it which are: Facility: Hardware such as construction, equip. Information: procedures manuals Systems: AIMS, BHS, FIDS, NAVAID Security System Human resource: organization, qualified persons. Figure : Operational Readiness prerequisites Which is sometimes referred to as FISH, and a function checking components can be listed for each prerequisite as: FACILITIES Follow up of provision of facilities in respect of time, quality and quantity. State necessary operational conditions for rooms/equipment Alignment of requirement with available facilities Develop space requirements Approval of space requirements Develop equipment requirements Approval of equipment requirements Commissioning of the Operational availability of facilities INFORMATION State who has to provide which information in whatever form. Develop a processing procedure for these informations State necessary operational conditions for exchange treatment processing and transfer of information State intra-departmental responsibilities Approval of informational treatment and responsibilities. State what will be reported to whom, in what ever form SYSTEMS Creation of a dedicated IT-application for processing data. Assessment of necessary systems. Approval of these systems requirement. Procurement and/or adaptation system if not provided or not capable Implementation of system and application. Testing of connectivity of system and application. Commissioning of system and application. HUMAN RESOURCES Assessment of manpower requirements (qualification / quantity) Approval of manpower requirement by delegate Initializing of recruitment procedure by HR-department Selection of applicable personnel Hiring of selected personnel Training of hired personnel. An airports function can be divided into the Core Processes listed below, which are necessary for the operation of a major international airport. Development of Procedure As mentioned before, the project will concentrate on the maintenance and engineering department, point of view, to give a clear job description for all employees and their respective tasks. Fraport team had already cut a long path in this procedure. Learning the techniques and ways of how Fraport develops such a system is the purpose of The Young Professional Program. Procedures are till know being changed in Fraport, and are updated due to the daily requirements. Our goal is to catch-up with changes, discover the solutions with Fraport and implement them in KAIA. Fraport ´s organization differs than KAIA, in this case, it is our responsibility to search and soothe the project to be implemented in KAIA. Working with Fraport team for three months is a great opportunity. Even though the time was short, but the knowledge was intensive. Procedure Manuals Manuals have been collected with the coordination of Fraport operation team. Here I would like to notice that the Terminal team is responsible of the operation of the terminal as well as the maintenance of the terminal. Work tasks for every employee can be found here in the manuals. Looking at the manuals, and knowing how the work should be done, a system workflow can be developed. Then, a written form of these work tasks and responsibilities can be shown for every employee. The written form also describes what and how to do to accomplish the job. Results are stored in special system and which then connected to PCs to show progress and improvements if necessary. Identifying Stakeholders Achieving and maintaining the operational readiness stage of airports depends on the readiness of the entire airport community. The objectives of ORAT include having a coordinated approach to prepare all airport stakeholders including the airport operators, airlines, ground handlers, cargo agents and various government agencies, such as Customs, Immigration and the Central Industrial Security Force for the shift of operations to the new airport. Besides, it also has to ensure that there is streamlining of procedures, each and every person involved with the airport knowing their roles and responsibilities. Operation Maintenance Role The operation and maintenance role falls in to the service of their customers. Terminals operation and maintenance team, specially, are unique because they face and deal with the main costumer of the airport.

Breast Cancer Essay -- essays research papers

In the United States in 1999 alone, an estimated 43,700 people will die from breast cancer. It is the number two cancer killer among females ages 15 to 54. On average if a woman gets this disease, their life expectancy drops drastically. This cancer is within the top three cancers of all women above the age of 15, and comprises a great amount of all health care costs in the U.S. totaling an astounding 37 billion dollars a year in direct medical costs. An average woman is said to have a one in nine chance of getting the cancer, but if that person had family history of the disease, his or her chances have been measured up to a one in six chance. Sixty-nine percent of African-American women survive from it, and there are predicted to be nearly two million new cases reported this year in the U.S. (Breast Cancer Key Statistics). Breast cancer is a group of rapidly reproducing, undifferentiated cells in the area of the breast in men and women. The earliest changes occur in the epithelial cells of the terminal end buds (TEB) of the breast milk ductal system. While the progressive steps of breast cancer are unknown, the cells in the breast trigger a reaction of cell reproduction. These new cancer cells form tumors. If cancer cells are active or are considered malign, the tumor grows at tremendous speeds, and may end up in metastasis. Metastasis is a complex process in which cells break away from their primary tumors, and via the blood supply or through the lymph system relocate into other organs, thus spreading cancer throughout the body. Generally, if a lump is smaller than one centimeter, it is considered benign, although every woman should consult her doctor about any unusual bumps or feeling in the chest. One sign of breast cancer results from ductal cancer in the breast. A once hollow open tube could be completely clogged up with cancerous cells leaving an awkward feeling in the chest area. Other complications that result from this cancer and others are the clogg ing and cramming of the system (American Cancer Society, 1999: 10). Recently genes have been named as a great cause of cancer. It now is thought in the medical community that while there are definite environmental contributors to cancer, even those people who are exposed to few carcinogens may suffer from disease that runs in their families. Among the genes that are being heavily researched is the gene... ...99. "Case Studies." http://www.cancergenetics.org/bc.htm. April 12, 1999. "Detection." http://www3.cancer.org/cancerinfo/main_cont.asp?st=ds&ct=5#early. September 20, 1999. "Exercise Reduces Breast Cancer." http://www.oncolink.com/cancer_news/1994/exercise_bc.html. August 26, 1999. Fitzgerald et al. The New England Journal of Medicine. Vol. 334, No. 3. January 18, 1996. "Guidelines for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer." The American Breast Cancer Guide (1999): 6. "Newly Synthesized Compound Can Inhibit Development of Precancerous Cells." http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~ffh/vitamind.htm. "Perceptions of Breast Cancer Risk and Screening Effectiveness in Women Younger Than 50 Years of Age." http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/jnci/issue10/87-720.html. "Risk Factors for Breast Cancer." http://www3.cancer.org/cancerinfo/main_cont.asp?st=pr&ct=5#risk. September 20, 1999. "Tamoxifen." http://www.infomed.org/100drugs/tamofram.html. 1996. "Treatment. http://www3.cancer.org/cancerinfo/main_cont.asp?st=tr&ct=5. September 20, 1999. "Types of Breast Cancer", " Breast Cancer Stages." Breast Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients, Version II (June 1999): 7, 10.

The Fall of the Mayan Civilization

The Fall of the Mayan Civilization Elizabeth Putman Professor Jennifer Adrienne Humanities 111 January 26, 2012 Mashkan-shapir was a typical Mesopotamian city, located about 20 miles from the Tigris River, and connected to the river by a network of canals. Despite a flourishing civilization, Mashkan-shapir was abandoned within only 20 years of its settlement. What could have caused this rapid demise? For decades, archaeologists have been searching for an explanation of the Maya collapse. Many theories have been put forward, ranging from conflict and invasion to migration, disease and over-farming. According to a study published in an issue of Science (March, 2003), a long period of dry climate, punctuated by three severe droughts, led to the end of the Maya society. Along with factors such as war and changes in the environment, irrigation techniques played an important role in Mashkan-shapir's collapse. Yes, the same process that allowed farming in this region eventually made it impossible to farm leading to their devastation by starvation. Prolonged droughts also contributed to the lack of food and drinking water. The Mayan’s used irrigation for their crop production. Unfortunately, the rivers were higher than the surrounding plain, so water for irrigation flowed into the field by gravity. The fields were lower than the rivers, subsequently; the water sat in the field and was allowed to evaporate naturally. This led to erosion and the buildup of mineral salts. When mineral salts concentrate in the upper levels of the soil, it becomes toxic for plants. By 2300 B. C. , agricultural production in Mesopotamia was impossible. Many fields were abandoned as essentially useless. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets tell of crop damage due to salts. Cecil, Jessica (2011) Decline of the Maya. http. www. history. com/topic/maya The majority of Mayan’s either migrated due to lack of food and water, or stayed and perished by dehydration and starvation. Only a fraction of the Maya people survived to resist the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. Yes, conflict was significant, as was disease, but I adamantly believe that the core problems was a prolonged drought along with inadequate irrigation techniques. Whatever the cause, the Maya did not die out entirely. Some two million are alive today, principally in the northern part of Yucatan and in Guatemala. References Thompson, J. , ; Eric, S. , Rise and fall of maya civilization. University of Oklahoma. Press, 1954. Norman, Ok. Unknown (2000). The Ancient Mayan Civilization. http://mayanarchaeology. tripod. com/id2. html Cecil, Jessica (2011). Decline of the maya. Retrieved January 24, 2012 from http:// www. history. com/topic/maya. Stuart, G. , ; Stuart, G. (1977). The Mysterious Maya. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC. Retrieved January 24, 2012 from http://www. nationalgeographic. com/inca/machu_picchu. html

External and Internal Factors

Management is a universal concept because its principles and techniques are used all over the world, irrespective of their level of development. The basic objective of the management is the progress of people and not the direction of things. The conservative explanation of management is obtaining work done through its people, but the factual management refers to the development of people through work. The management should make the difficulties interesting and their solutions productive for the team members so that everyone can deal with these situations. Management has to provide effective leadership, promote team spirit, set in motion bilateral and multi-lateral channels of communication and enroll the participation of its people, commitment and contribution through an appropriate system of financial and non-financial incentives. Functions of Management The four basic functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. The internal or external factors of an organization influence the ongoing process of an organization. They create an impact on the above-mentioned functions of the management. An impact of these internal and external factors will help in modifying the organization culture. Planning refers to designing policies and procedures to build up production or service capabilities, or to diversify its business and extend its existing capacities. Organizing refers to as the management of resources – material and immaterial. Once a plan is made, it comes to the implementation phase. Further it moves toward the leading phase. To have a desired result, creative strategy is appropriately monitored and evaluated. Globalization The combination of national economies into an international economy through various deals between the different countries along with the foreign direct investment all refers to globalization. Proper planning and organizing have to be done while planning for globalization. It involves various material and immaterial resources to be used in exchange of the interrelated processes between the borders. To understand the impact of internal and external factors, the example of AT&T is taken. American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) is the largest fixed telephone company in the United States. The American Bell Telephone Company established AT&T in 1885. According to AT&T (2007), â€Å"Today’s companies are realizing that growth abroad must be supported by corresponding IT investments† (Convergence as a global competitive driver, Para. 13). When globalization is in play, AT&T uses platforms as a planning key because organizations are seeking to maximize their voice and investments; trying to reduce their communication costs. AT&T will stay organized by integrating multiple communication channels and increasing the richness of communications to the people who need it. Integrating the companies, which are working with AT&T, will be able to arrive at decisions in shorter time and enhance their workflow. In leading in globalization, AT&T has experts who have in-depth consultancy and experience to relate technology to business quickly; this leading will keep AT&T in control by forming tighter lines with their customers, partners, and vendors. AT&T can delegate globalization responsibilities by using services they provide and distribute it through there strategists, engineers, and specialists who can help achieve their goals in globalization. Technology One of the most revolutionary technological advances of the time is the Internet. Our corporate and personal culture quickly became dependent on this technology and has influenced every other aspect of lives, but eve n more so for AT&T. Cell phone companies are racing to keep up with the growing demand from business and individual customers who want, and need, to be connected continuously. When a new technology or an up-graded version is adopted in an organization, it affects the existing planning. The new modifications have to be done so that the new technology adopted fits in and is aligned with the organization. To carry out for each of the norms of the company and to be periodically evaluated needs to be done properly. AT&T has remained on the border of technology, because of its inception in 1877 as The Bell Telephone Company, the predecessor of AT&T (AT&T, 2010). Today, these new technologies vary from IP network management to automatic speech recognition and next- generation text-to-speech products. To maintain this impressive record of innovation, takes thorough planning, and vision. AT&T is equally committed to the bond they the share with one another and their customers; their focus on technology leadership and innovation; and a culture of commitment (AT&T, 2010). These high-tech gadgets have made it possible for professionals to stay connected to work anytime, anywhere via cell phone, personal digital assistants, smart phones, and laptops. However, â€Å"using technology effectively is more than a matter of learning new skills; it also involves making judgments about when and where to apply the technology for maximum benefit† (Bateman & Snell, 2009, Para. One p. 9) Innovation  Innovative systems and processes need proper planning and organizing. The requirements of the innovative system should be properly managed and taken into consideration. Also new creative ideas should be developed in the organization and properly monitored so as to create liveliness in the organization and avoid monotony in the system. The four factors of management extensively come in to play when concerning innovation. When AT&T has a new product is being advertised there are many procedures that need to be done. First, planning on how they are going to advertise the new product can truly make or break the sales of the device. When planning a big sale, the company needs to organize how they will handle all the extra people coming in. They may need to have more people on staff and organize how they will all the extra products until they have sold them. They also need to know how to keep all the plans for the sale organized to make sure everything is done for the sale. Innovation is not new for AT&; new products and new service plans seem to come out all the time. A good manager needs to lead and control the situation and store when the business has large sales of new items. A good way that they can do this is to delegate some of the work to other employees. If the managers have the employees do tasks that they can handle it will make everything run more smoothly. Making sure that everything is ready for the sale of a new product is the manager’s job and by delegating work to others helps in making sure that everything needs to be finished in a timely manner. This is when leadership and control come in handy. Managers need to have positive leadership with their employees and control to make sure everything is done correctly. Diversity  One of the primary internal factors from the four functions of management at AT&T is the diverse demographics of its workforce. Demographics are defined as â€Å"measures of various characteristics of people who make up groups or other social units† (Bateman & Snell, 2009, Para. Three p. 56). Demographic classification categories include characteristics such as age, race, religion, gender, family size, national origin, sexual preference, income, education, and geographic location. AT&T executive acknowledge that the diversity of its workforce better enables them to meet the demands of its diverse customer base. In support of this philosophy AT&T has planned for workforce inclusion, community involvement, multicultural marketing, and supplier diversity (AT&T, 2010). To build a dynamic organization, AT&T invested 244 million in training programs and 1. 2 million in health care and retirement benefits. AT&T also supports workers union affiliations, providing avenues for workers to negotiate fair wages and benefits and actively participate collectively in negotiations (AT&T, 2010). Management is proud to lead a diverse workforce, of whom 41% is female and 38% is of ethnic origin. Reward systems are performance-based and employees are provided with opportunities to develop their professional careers through initiatives such as Talent Development Program and Accelerated Development Program. AT&T management recognizes that talented and dedicated employees can be inspired to achieve team and organizational goals (AT&T, 2010). Control of the management functions are exercised by carefully monitoring performance and implementing changes when necessary. For example, AT&T requires, and assists diverse suppliers to include global strategies, such as supporting minority, women, and disabled veterans business enterprises. Ethics Ethical dilemmas are very common these days. The management needs to take proper tools to plan and control it. The manager should possess the delegation skills that mean that he should be acquainted with the ability to get the work done by using the skills, abilities, and time of the other people. It has been quoted that â€Å"effective delegation is a vital survival skill for supervisors and managers† (Effective Delegation Skill, 2002). Managers can use delegation skills for enhancing productivity, imparting training, reducing workloads, etc. The impact of globalization requires the approval of the top management. At this level, there is a huge possibility of taking a firm decision. The guidance of state or local federal agencies is also required. When organizing, the basic tasks of the managers are to manage the planning and the monitoring phase in a way to obtain the set goals. Managers in the innovation phase can take decisions related with the new up-gradations and technologies to be used. The managers at the top level should keep a proper check on each level of the management. Every phase should be properly managed and an effective decision has to be taken at each level. References http://www.time-management-guide.com/delegation-skill.html