Conversation Analysis In A Real Conversation English Language Essay

Conversation Analysis In A Real Conversation English Language Essay In the previous chapter, discourse analysis has been discussed. In this chapter, we are going to talk about conversation analysis, which is one of the approaches to analyze discourse. 8.1.1 What is Conversation Analysis? People are interested in understanding how social interaction work. Linguists discover the ways in which how social interaction are organized, they tried to describe and analyze those features appeared in conversation; they use scientific methods to examine the phenomena. Conversation Analysis is a systematic study established by the American pioneers, Harvey Sacks, Emanuel A. Schegloff, and Gail Jefferson. According to Hutchby and Wooffitt (2008), how is a normal conversation organized, how do people arrange their conversation in daily social interaction, and what is the role of conversation in between each participants, are the major subject matter of this chapter. 8.1.2 Why do we need Conversation Analysis? Conversation analysis represents a methodological approach to the study of social communication (Psathas, 1995). At the fundamental level, conversation analysis is the study of talk. It studies the natural and authentic conversation in real life situations, especially to determine turn-taking organization, silence and repairing problem, sequence of utterances and transcription. The term interaction could apply to numbers of social encounters. For instance, a teacher chatting with students in a staff room is one kind of interaction; others included a doctor asking patient for the illnesses, a professor attending to a formal academic exchange meeting, or a woman chit-chat with the shop-keeper during she buys vegetables at the supermarket, and there are dozens of examples showing that people are involved in different contexts of conversation. 8.1.3 Maxims of Conversation In the field of linguistics, even more specifically in the area of pragmatics and discourse analysis, scholar introduced an important concept: maxims of conversation. It is the unwritten rules that govern people to make an appropriate conversation. The basic description of Grices cooperative principle govern how people ordinarily react in conversations: Be true, be brief, be relevant and be clear. 8.2.1 Turn-taking Organization in Conversation Turn-taking is one of the most critical and noticeable aspects of conversational structure. Harvey Sacks (1995), who the founder of the conversational analytic system, hold the view that the basic small unit of the conversation is turn. We are going to look at some fundamental features about turns (or floors) in order to discover how turns can be allocated. Furthermore, in a normal, polite, Western-styled conversation, participants do not keep on speaking all the time, as to demonstrates patience, cooperation, social etiquette in a conversation, they will wait for their turn to speak. Liddicoat (2007) indicated that speakers keep changing in a conversation: when A is finished, it is Bs turn to talk. Consequently when B has finished speaking, A take turn again. 8.2.2 How does turn-taking works? Schegloff, Sacks Jefferson (1974) introduced a set of turn-taking rules for people who involved in conversation can manage turn transition and turn allocation easily. The turn-taking rules are set for distinguishing who should take the turn at the next transition relevance place (TRP). A transition-relevance place (TRP) takes place at the completion of an utterance; it is the change-of-turn place (Wang, 2011). The turn-taking rules are ordered as the following: If a speaker is selected by the current speaker, then that speaker must take the turn at the next transition relevance place. Example Venus: Where should we go now, turn left or turn right?Winnie. Winnie: Erà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I dont know, I am sorry. In this situation, A pass the turn to B by asking a question. If, however, no next speaker is selected, then any other participant in the conversation may self-select to take the role and start speaking. Example Venus: Where should we go now, turn left or turn right? Hailey: I know. Venus: Yes? Hailey. Hailey: uhà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I suppose we should turn left. If no other speaker self-selects to take the role, the current speaker may then continue to talk again. Example Venus: Which is the correct direction to go, left or right? Winnie, Joanna, Hailey: (Silence) Venus: No one knows? Venus: uhà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Ok, turn right then. Speakers will indicate their willingness to stop by using signals, such as turning their gaze to someone in the conversation, or using body languages and gestures, in order to stop and let others continue. Also, they may soften their speech, lengthen the last syllable of a sentence or use some discourse markers e.g. you know, as you see or sort of things etc. If certain markers are showed by the current speaker, another participant will then take over the conversation. There are two types of signals or markers. Implicit markers Most of the time, people use body languages, sometimes prosodic features such as falling tone and rising tone can also be used. Example 1 Have you noticedà ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ that? Example 2 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Cant you see the dolphin? Explicit markers These are different kinds of linguistic features to invite people give response. a) Suggestion Turn-taking by making some suggestions. Example Shall we go to Lamma Island on this Tuesday? b) Request Current speaker may make a request the others. Example Could you please tell me about your journey? c) Question Current speaker will asks question in order to draws people attention and encourage others to get involved. Example We go to Barcelona in the coming Easter, what do you think, darling? 8.2.3 Gaps and Overlaps in Turn-taking Jerfferson (1983) have proposed some of the organizational features of gaps and overlapping. As we mentioned before, turn-taking can be visibly signaled by using body languages and gestures, however, it can also be marked by overlapping (Hutchby Wooffitt, 1998; Schegloff, Sacks Jefferson, 1974). If two or more people are speaking at the same time, overlapping will occur when the next speaker start talking when the current speaker has just completed a thought only, but still decide to continue (Schegloff, Sacks Jefferson 1974). Gaps may be treated as signs of trouble, for example, that the upcoming turn such as disagreements and repairs (Levinson, 1983). Gaps in conversation occur very frequently, such as telephone conversation. Example 1 Joanna: Well, will you help me for these. Hailey: I certainly will give you a hand. Example 2 Hailey: Why dont you come and join me tonight at the party. Winnie: Sure, I would like to. When the next speaker self-selects at a transition-relevance place, but a current speaker would like to add additional information into the completed utterance, overlaps will also occur. Example 3 Hailey: That was a romantic weekend, uh..Ven- Venus. Venus: Im glad you enjoyed your time. Example 4 Winnie: The party should be around seven or so Venus: Well, do you have an extra bed at your place? 8.3 Repairs As Schegloff (1979) said, Repair is defined as the mechanism by which trouble in speaking, hearing, and understanding is claimed and resolved. 8.3.1 Different kinds of conversation repair Repair can be classified by who initiates repair, such as self or other, and by who solves them, such as self or other (Wikipedia: Conversation Analysis, n. d.). Repair therefore can be divided into four types. They are self-initiated self repair, other-initiated self repair, self-initiated other repair and other-initiated other repair. 8.3.1.1 Self-initiated self repair According to Wang (2011), the speaker initiates the mistake or something unknown in his conversation and he repairs it by himself, which is called self-initiated and self repair. Example Ruby: What have you done at the weekend? LiXun: I go toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦erà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦have gone to see a movie. In the example, LiXun initiates that he uses the wrong tense so he changes go into have gone immediately. 8.3.1.2 Other-initiated self repair Not only the speaker himself can initiate his mistake, but other speakers also can do so. The speaker himself will repair it. This situation is called other-initiated self repair. The same situation as what mentioned above. The situation is changed. Ruby: What have you seen? LiXun: I go to see a movie. Ruby: (surprised) What do you mean? LiXun: I said I have gone to a movie. In this example, LiXun does not initiate that he uses the wrong tense. Ruby however dose. She reminds LiXun to repair. 8.3.1.3 Self-initiated other repair Self-initiated other repair is absolutely opposite to other-initiated self repair. The speaker himself initiates what should be repaired but he fails to repair it. The others help him to repair. Example Ruby is going on talking with LiXun. Ruby: Then what have you seen? LiXun: A movie, er, adapted from a magic fiction, er, so famous. I forget the nameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Its writer is J.K. Rowling. Ruby: Aha. I see. Its Harry Potter. LiXun: Yes, that is! Thanks. In this example, LiXun fails to remember the name of the movie in the conversation. Even though he knows the detail of the movie, he still cannot tell Ruby what he has seen. The detail which he gives however reminds Ruby of the name of the movie. This situation is defined as self-initiated other repair. 8.3.1.4 Other-initiated other repair In other-initiated other repair, the speaker even does not initiate what he has to repair. Others initiate it and repair for the speaker. You can learn from the following example. Example LiXun wants to go on their conversation. LiXun: What about you, Ruby? Ruby: Er, I think we have to go to the lecture room. Otherwise, we will be late for the lecture. LiXun: Lets go to D1-LP-02. Ruby: No, we are going to D1-LP-04. Ruby initiates what LiXun says is wrong in the conversation and repairs what he fails to say. 8.4 Attributable silences Silence plays an important role in our speech. As stated by Jaworski (1993, p.3), The main common link between speech and silence is that the same interpretive processes apply to someones remaining meaningfully silent in discourse as to their speaking. Jaworski (1993) also suggests that silence has positive and negative value in a speech. His words indicated various silences of different situation perform different functions. 8.4.1 Function of silence Jeasen (1973) suggested that there are five function of silence in speech. The functions he points out are the following: a judgmental function, a linkage function, an affecting function, a revelation function and an activating function. All of the five functions are what we are going to focus on. 8.4.1.1 Judgmental silence According to Jeasen (1973), silence may indicate ones attitude towards the topic he is talking about. Silence can tell whether he supports or he objects the idea. Example LiXun is talking a boring topic with Ruby. LiXun: I think chemistry is so amazing! Ruby: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Smiles and says nothing) LiXun: Wow! You see the chemistry formulaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (He goes on talking excitedly.) Ruby: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Still keeps silent) Its apparent that Ruby holds opposite attitude to what LiXun is talking about. So she keeps silent for politeness. 8.4.1.2 Linkage silence Jeasen (1973) stated that silence is able to bring two or more people together or to separate them. It brings further effects on the speakers in the speech. We are familiar with the following situation. Two good friends misunderstood each other. Every time when they see each other they just keep silent. They, sooner or later, will become strangers. Because of silence, they fail to know what the other thinks. As the time goes by, they are separated by silence. This kind of silence separates people. 8.4.1.3 Affective silence Jeansen (1973) holds the opinion that silence can heal or wound someone. It is believed that silence shows your attitude towards the topic of the conversation, as well as your attitude towards the speakers. For example, people always keep silence when they are talking to someone they dislike. The silence usually wound the speakers. 8.4.1.4 Revelatory silence Revelatory silence is an interesting one. Jeasen (1973) said that there may be some information behind the silence. It, meanwhile, may be known to the speakers or the listeners. What the silence actually means depends on the relationship between the speakers. You can see in the following example. If two closed friends, especially girls, are gossiping, they will keep silence when they are met someone who they are talking about. In this example, the silence conveys a warning. 8.4.1.5 Activating silence Jeasen (1973) indicated that this kind of silence may bring some deep thoughtful signal. It also may bring mental inactive signal. While we are talking, our mind keeps on thinking. A silence is able to show the deep mind of the speakers. As you can see, when we are consulting with the professors, they usually lead us to thinking deeply. The professors, therefore, choose to be silence when we are talking our ideas. The silence can be considered as an encouragement, an agreement or an appreciation. 8.5 Sequence of Conversation 8.5.1 Adjacency Pairs Adjacency pair is the sequence of conversation. It includes two parts which are produced near another (Hutchby Wooffitt, 1998) and is the smallest unit of conversational exchange. Basic form of adjacency pair (Schegloff, 2007): First, adjacency pair involves two utterances. Once the first utterance is spoken, the second is required. Second, each utterance is produced by two different speakers. Third, pairs are adjacently placed. Fourth, pairs of utterances are ordered. They are separated into two parts. They are the first pair parts (FPPs) and the second pair parts (SFFs). For instance, given a question is followed by an answer, then the question is the FPPs and the answer is the SPPs. Lastly, they are pair-type related. Here are some example of some types of adjacency pairs (Wang, 2011): Question à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ answer [At the supermarket] Hailey: Can I get some help over here? I cant get that tin of sardines. Shop-keeper: Ill be right here to help you. Invitation / request à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ acceptance / declination [In Winnies birthday] Joanna: Would you like to dance with me, please? Winnie: Yes. Greeting à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ return greeting Hailey: Good morning. Joanna: Morning. Offer à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ acceptance / rejection [In the library] Liberian: May I help you find something? Venus: No thanks, I can find it by myself. Compliment à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ acceptance Venus: Your dress looks very lovely. Winnie: Thank you. I just brought it from HM. 8.5.1.2 Transition of sequence There are different types of transition of sequence. 8.5.1.2.1 Adjacency/ Nextness To verbalize a turn-constructional unit, every word ought to be placed one by one (Schegloff, 2007). (8.5.1.2.1.a) Ben : Good morning. Bob : Good morning. In the above conversation, Ben greets Bob and then Bob returns the greeting to Ben immediately. (8.5.1.2.1.b) Ben :Would you like to have a lunch? Bob : No, thanks. Ben : How about a drink? The above conversation is called exchange as it includes three utterances. The IRF pattern are initiation, response and follow-up (Wang, 2011). 8.5.1.2.2 Counters Counter means one does not answer SPP directly after one asks a FPP, instead he/she direct the FPP back to the asker (Schegloff, 2007). In this case, SSP given is being delayed. (8.5.1.2.2.a) (Tarpee, 1991:1) 1 Kate : F Æ’Â   What is it? 2 Emily : F Æ’Â   You guess what it is first. 3 (0.2) 4 Kate : S Æ’Â   Pumpkin. 5 Emily : Yes, it is. In the conversation, Kate asks a question (FFP) in line 1, however, Emily does not answer it in return, and instead she redirects the question back to Kate (the asker) to answer. (line2) (8.5.1.2.2.b) (Scheflen, 1961:114, as adapted in Peyrot, 1994:17) 1 Seth : F Æ’Â   Do you love me? 2 Candy : F Æ’Â   Do you think so? 3 Seth : Sure. 4 Candy : But I dont. In the conversation, Candy does not answer Seths question directly. Instead, she answers the question with an insertion of a question-answer exchange. 8.5.2 Pre-expansion Pre-expansion means adding a part before an exchange (FPs and SPs). According to Schegloffs, pre-expansion is expanding the conversation by adding preliminary question in front of the FFP (Schegloffs, 2007). 8.5.2.1 Pre-invitation Before giving an invitation, you need to be sure that he or she is available or not. So, you need to ask some preliminary questions. For example, by asking What are you doing?, if you want one to accept your invitation, you expect the answer to be no; vice versa. (8.5.2.1) (Jefferson G.3:1) (Arthur is the caller; Sylvia is answering to the phone) 1 Sylvia : Hello. 2 Arthur : Hello, how are you? 3 Sylvia : Fine, thanks. 4 Arthur : F(pre)Æ’Â   What are you doing? 5 Sylvia : S(pre)Æ’Â   Nothing. 6 Arthur : F(b) Æ’Â   Do you want a drink? 7 Sylvia : S(b) Æ’Â   Yes, why not? Arthur asks what Sylvia is doing to see if she is free or not. With the go-ahead response of Sylvia (line 5) indicating she is free, Arthur continues to invite her as he knows she is free with the pre-sequence asked at line 4. Finally, Sylvia accepts his invitation. 8.5.2.1 Pre-offer Pre-offer is similar to pre-invitation. It aims to provide the need to someone beforehand. (8.5.2.2.a) 1 Sylvia : Oh, I tear the sheet mistakenly. 2 Arthur : 3 Sylvia : I think I need to buy a tape. 4 Arthur : I have one. 5 Sylvia : Really? 6 Arthur : Do you want it? 7 Sylvia : Sure. From the example, Arthur gives the pre-offer (line 4) to Sylvia after knowing she needs a tape. At line5, when she says Really?, it is a go-ahead response to pre-sequence. Lastly, when Arthur makes the offer, she accepts. 8.5.3 Preference There are different types of responses during exchanges. For instance, when greeting, one says hello to you and you are supposed to reply with a greeting too. Nevertheless, when one asks you a question, you may have different answers which can be preferred or dispreferred by the asker. Like an invitation, the reply can be positive or negative. Nonetheless, an answer with yes does not mean it is a prefered response. According to Schegloff, If the question is built to prefer yes, then no is a dispreferred response, even if delivered without delay and in turn-initial position, vise versa (Schegloff, 1988 c:453). 8.5.3.1 Types of responses There are two types of responses. The first one is preferred responses, which means answers are given positively. Another is dispreferred responses, which means answers are given negatively. In fact, there are some hints indicating the preferred status of a turn. When answering directly and without any delay: Example: Janice : Do you want to go swimming Jill : Yes, I do. Moreover, there are some other hints indicating the dispreferred status of a turn. a) When answering indirectly: Example: Janice : Are you free on Monday? Jill : Well, I need to do my homework, and b) When answering with delay: Example: Hesitation such as Well, Um, Erà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 8.6 Conversation Transcription Transcription of conversation is very essential for analyzing conversation .It should be produced preceding conversation analysis, because it is used as a referential tool for the analysis of conversation (Psathas, 1995). 8.6.1 Tools used for recording A naturally occurring conversation is usually recorded by video recorders these days. Hence, apart from recording the conversation, body languages, gestures as well as facial expressions can also be recorded. These features are very crucial as they allow the relationship between speech and body movement to be observed (Psathas, 1995). 8.6.2 Procedures involved in transcription In fact, the recordings mentioned in 8.6.1 are done by analysts themselves. After producing the recordings, analysts listen to the recordings repeatedly by themselves. Once analysts repeatedly listen to the tape, they can focus on the phenomena that are very crucial for conversation analysis (Hutchby, Wooffitt, 2008). 8.6.3 Characteristics of conversation transcription Conversation transcription is not simply a piece of writing with words and sentences exchanged by the speakers. However, it includes many other different features as well. The information listed below should be included in a transcript (Wang, 2011). Information about the participants Words spoken Sound uttered Inaudible sound Overlapping speech Stretch, stresses, volume Different transcription symbols will be introduced as follows: 1. Latching When latching occurs in a conversation between two people, two = will be placed in the transcript when the second speaker speaks just after the first speaker speaks. The first = will be placed right behind the transcription of the first speaker, while the second one is placed in front of the transcript of the second speaker (Psathas, 1995). Example Mary: Im hungry= Peter: =You never feel full Latching by more than one speaker is represented similarly to latching by two speakers. A = is put after the transcription of the first speaker, but a =[[ is placed in front of the transcription of two speakers instead of = (Psathas, 1995). Example Hailey: Im hungry= Joanna: =[[You never feel full Venus: =[[So do I Latching by more than one speaker can also occur in a way that two speakers end their conversation at the same time and immediately the third speaker speaks. (Psathas, 1995) Example Venus: Im very very [hungry]= Hailey: [hungry] Joanna: =So do I. In this case, the Mary and Peter end their conversation at the same time and then Paul immediately speaks. 2. Audible breathing Exhalations are represented by an h or more than one h while inhalations are represented by .h or more than one .h (Psathas, 1995). Usually, exhalation expresses tiredness or sadness. Example Joanna: I havent finished my Wiki-book project yet hhhh! As for inhalation, it usually indicates surprise or nervousness. Example Venus: .hhh Im going to have my linguistics exam tomorrow. Sound stretch Sound stretch means lengthening the sound. When speakers would like to strengthen their tone, sound stretch occurs. One colon denotes that the precedent sound is lengthened, while more than 1 colon means a more lengthened sound (Psathas, 1995). Example Hailey: I am so:::: hungry Venus: I know (.) I can hear that some sounds coming out from your stomach. Intonation Throughout a conversation, there must be rises and falls in the intonation of speakers (Psathas, 1995). A rise in intonation An arrow pointing upwards is put just prior to the rise in intonation (Psathas, 1995). Example Joanna: Would you like to have dinner with me? Venus: à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬ËœYes, sure. A fall in intonation An arrow pointing downwards is put just behind the fall in intonation (Psathas, 1995). Example Hailey: Would you like to have dinner with me? ((gap)) Venus:à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yes(0.9)if Im free tonight. Stress When speakers want to emphasize something, they will speak the words more loudly and lengthen the words. The emphasized word is underlined (Psathas, 1995). Example Hailey: I almost got full marks for my linguistics exam, will I be awarded something, Mum? Venus: Sure (0.9) Ill buy a reference book for you to study so that you can get full marks next time. Pitch A Fall in pitch To show a fall in pitch, the vowel of the word should be underlined, and a colon is added just behind the underlined vowel (Psathas, 1995). Example Hailey: I was awarded a reference boo:k(0.8) for having good results in the exam.. Joanna: If you were awarded the newly released photo album of Rain, you would have been much happier. A rise in pitch To show a rise in pitch, the stress is marked on the prolongation (Psathas, 1995). Example Joanna: My mother gave me a big surprise:::! Hailey: Buying you the photo album of Rain? Joanna: Yes:: Volume Increased Volume is indicated by capital letters (Wang, 2011). Example When Joanna is talking to Hailey, suddenly a dog appears. Joanna: Have you finished the wiki-book project? (.) A DOGS RUNNING TOWARDS US! Hailey: Calm down, Joanna. Decreased volume is indicated by degree marks (Wang, 2011). Example When Venus is telling Hailey something bad about Paul, suddenly Paul approaches. Venus: Paul never hands in his homework on time. Hailey: ËÅ ¡Pauls approachingËÅ ¡ 8. Sound uttered There are not only words within a conversation. Sometimes, when the speakers produce some sounds, they are also recorded. Example Hailey: Oh! Ive dropped my mobile phone into the toilet! Venus:(laugh) Why are you so careless? 8.7 Conclusion Conversation is an exchange of information between people in real-life situations. The aim of conversation analysis is to give an analytic description of the organization of interaction. We can understand how people carry out conversation in the society. In addition, we know more about the secrets behind the conversation, such as silence and preference.

Business Report Al Ain Dairy Farm Marketing Essay

Business Report Al Ain Dairy Farm Marketing Essay Al Ain Dairy, first established dairy farm in United Arab Emirates is a leading producer of dairy products. Al Ain Dairy began its business in 1981 and with time it now has three cattle farms with more than 3,000 head of milking steers and one camel farm with more than 200 dairy animals. With significant investment in dairy production technology, packaging machines and testing equipments, Al Ain Dairy farms were able to achieve hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) certification in 2009 (an ISO 22000:2005 certificate) which means they can supply products to the UAE and export the same for the international market. Al Ain Dairy aim is to be the preferred choice of dairy and poultry products of households in UAE. Dairy have range of beverages and dairy products such as fruit yoghurts, Benecol yoghurts, coffee drinks, drinking yoghurt, potted cheese, crà ¨me caramel, custards, fruit desserts and cream for his customers. The dairy also provides variety in milk from normal to flavors like strawberry, banana and chocolate. The company also supplies fresh fruit juice in six flavors produced from fresh juice concentrate. With the increased demand of camel dairy products since early 2008, company has also involved himself in production and supply of camel milk and camel milk ice cream. Retail Presence of Al Ain Diary Products According to a recent study by the Department of Economic Development (DED) UHT juices and UHT milk as products that have great potential for export. In line with this, Al Ain Dairy, the first established dairy farm in the UAE and a leading producer of dairy products, has become one of the few dairy farms in the region to fully depend on its own herds of cows after it has launched a project, among its many activities, to minimize importing and boost local cow breeding with aims to increase milk production and further strengthen its leading position in the highly competitive market. Al Ain has more than 3000 milk producing cows and 2500 young stocks that are supplying the raw milk products to various outlets in country. According to one of the press report in UAE, in Q1 of 2009, the company saw an 18% increase in sales campared to the same period in 2008. In January 2010, the company have increased its total output by 23% compared to the same period in 2009. Al Ain Diary has its own retail chain of stores named Farm Fresh. Best of Al Ain Dairy and Al Ain Poultry products which have be known to be of high quality, healthy and fresh and specially their nutritious products such as Camel Milk, Max Calcium, Benecol, Optimil, Slim are available in all farm fresh outlets. Eng. Abdullah Al Darmaki, CEO, Al Ain Dairy, said: Our aim is to promote our Retail Concept and Exclusivity by introducing Convenience Shopping for our customers. According to one of the press realease in UAE, The dairy and fruit juices industry is expanding at a rate of 10% annually and currently meets 56% of the demand in the UAE, Despite of the current 26 operating cattle farms in the country which contain 15,000 cows producing 167,000 tonnes of fresh milk annually, the local markets needs are still being covered by imported products. Highlighting the huge demand for dairy products in the UAE, the local market faces an essential need to expand according to recent studies which have further recommended that dairy industry should research and develop new and differentiated products designed to meet specific needs and tastes of the local consumers as imports do not completely satisfy the demand. Commenting on this subject, Eng. Abdullah Al Darmaki, CEO, Al Ain Dairy, said: The decision to grow our own cattle has been derived from Al Ain Dairys vision to be recognized as the preferred choice of dairy products for all customers and to become a self-sufficient plant that provides a 100% locally manufactured products Current level of maturity of the companys supply chain of its beverage products The objective of every supply chain should be to maximize the overall value generated. The value of as supply chain generates is the difference between what the final product is worth to the customer and the costs the supply chain incures in filling the customers request.(Chopra, Meindl 2006) The diary currently have 26 operating cattle farms in the country which contain 15,000 cows producing 167,000 tones of milk annually. It is important that fresh and safe milk should be reach to consumer. For this Al Ain Diary farms have eight step critical procedure name cold chain to supply of milk from cow to consumer The cold chain procedure ensures the supply of fresh and safe milk to consumer. Firstly the cows are milked under hygienic conditions, then the raw milk output is examined by technicians at the processing plant to ensures that the milk is of the required quality and standards. The milk is then stored in silos at a constant temperature of +4 °C before starting pasteurisation. The milk is then goes under pasteurisation and homogenisation. Before storing milk from diary to sales depots it is packaged or formulated into other dairy products Al Ain Dairy has its own fleet of vechicles which is fitted with cooling units to ensure that milk should be reach to reatilers at required temperature. Al Ain Dairy salesmen coordinate with retailers regulary to monitor the temperature of cold storage units used to display products. The cold chain process ultimately gives assurance to consumer that they are purchasing the freshest milk that has been produced, stored and distributed under the most hygienic and controlled conditions possible, said Al Darmaki. Objectives Zero stock-outs Stock out is when business run out of stock; and zero stock out is when this condition never occurs. But it does not mean that business to hold too much buffer stock. It is to ensure that a business has exactly the correct amount of stock at any one time. On-time delivery of orders On time delivery is to measure the efficiency of supply chain which in turn measures the amount of finished product or service delivered to customer on time and in required quantity. It helps determine how efficiently we are meeting our customers or agreed deadlines Operational Decision And Analysis Company takes decision on the basis of individual customer needs. The aim of supply chain operations is to fulfill customers needs in the best possible way. There are six key elements to a supply chain: Production Supply Inventory Location Transportation, and Information Company needs to take decision at all these levels to achieve the objectives of zero stock out and on time delivery. Production Our aim is to meet customer demand and satisfaction for this company need to work on capacity, quality and volume of products. We need to focus on what are customers requirements and the market demands to take strategic decisions for production. On the other hand, operational decisions will focus on scheduling workloads, maintenance of equipment and meeting immediate market demands. Supply While keeping the quality high company needs to determine what facilities they are able to produce. Company can also go for outsourcing if required, but company should be careful to select the same. Inventory It is a critical issue in effective supply chain management. Operational inventory decisions should ensure the optimal levels of stock at each location. Company need to focus on how much product should be in storage and need to balance the same to meet market demands as market demands fluctuate. Location Decision regarding location should consider that facilities should be located near to consumer. Production plant should be close to raw material; and distribution and stocking facilities should be placed to prime location to the dedicated market Transportation Transportation encompassed 30% of the cost of product, so using correct transport mode is critical decision. Here company has its own fleet of vehicles to ensure smooth delivery of products under hygienic and controlled conditions. Information In todays competitive world astounding paper work and discordant computer system are unacceptable. Decision should be taken to obtain information from the point of end use. Need to have good coordination throughout the whole supply chain. For this network of computer and internet should be used to streamline the flow of information. Some software can also be used over LAN for account management and communication. Al Ain Dairy Farms provide technical expertise, team facilitation, leadership, and direction in deciding how you will meet the challenge. According to one the press realease in UAE, Al Ain Dairy has expanded its quality control system at local farms and processing plant through the establishment of two new technologies; a Food Lab System and Somatic Cell Counter. The voluntary testing equipment, which is adopted to ensure that all the companys dairy products meet international quality standards in accordance with the companys recent ISO certification. According to Mr. Abdullah Saif Al Darmaki, CEO of Al Ain Dairy, the continued growth of the UAE dairy industry will depend on the ability of large-scale producers to maintain international health standards as operations become more complex and geographically fragmented. The farms supplied raw milk must also go through additional screening procedures at the laboratory, using a Swedish-made Somatic Cell Counter. Somatic cells are white blood cells secreted by the cow and are one of the key indicators of whether raw milk is suitable for refinement. While this screening is a common test at dairy farms, few companies also implement the practice at their processing facilities. Recently Al Ain Dairy, has increased its juices product line by introducing two new juice flavours, guava and pineapple, to complement its existing range of six fruit juice products. Commenting on the introduction of the new flavours, Abdullah Saif Saeed Al Darmaki, CEO of Al Ain Dairy said: Growing our consumer base has been an important goal for us. With increasing demand in the market, we wanted to reinvest a significant portion of our profits in expanding our product lines and raising our production capacity. So far we are happy with the results. The company have also installed a High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) to filter the facilitys air and ensure a sterile working environment. According to one company report, better efficiencies and cost saving plans during a year also encouraged the growth of gross operating profits by almost 23%.

Congress And The Presidency Essay -- Political Science

The president is the foreign policy leader for the United States with an important political, military and economic role in the international arena. If there is collision between the president and congress, can congress restrain the president in foreign policy making? The era of globalization has witnessed the growing influence of a number of unconventional international actors, from non-governmental organizations, to multi-national corporations, to global political movements. Traditional, state-centric definitions of foreign policy as "the policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with other sovereign states is no longer sufficient. Several alternative definitions are more helpful at highlighting aspects of foreign policy traditionally neglected. The first views foreign policy as "those external goals for which the nation is prepared to commit its resources". By focusing on what a country does rather than what it says, this pragmatic definition usefully separates a country's rhetoric from its true intent and its material capabilities. However, lack of action can also constitute a policy-the policy of an isolationist state is defined by its very unwillingness to commit resources. A second conceptualization of foreign policy is as "the range o f actions taken by varying sections of the government of a state in its relations with other bodies similarly acting on the international stage...in order to advance the national interest". Notable here is the recognition that governments do not act as monolithic, static entities, and that non-state actors may at times be as influential as states. However, the assumption that governments always know what is in the "national interest" and always rationally work towards its realiza... ... President's interests. The number of Vice Presidents who have later become President suggests that this concern may not be entirely incomprehensible. The enormous amount of infighting and politics between (and within) departments should not be underestimated. Factions are formed, rumors spread, information leaked, and consensuses forged. When making decisions, each department "will tend to concentrate on acquiring information that protects and advances its own interests or its view of the national interest". This inevitably leads to oversimplification and a favoring of men and women of action rather than deep, strategic thinkers, whose voices tend to get lost in the fray. One of the attributes of a good President is the ability to recognize and rectify imbalances in his administration. Failure to do so can lead to an unrepresentative and irresponsible foreign policy.

A Critical Look at Histories of Hutchinson and the Antinomians Essay

A Critical Look at Histories of Hutchinson and the Antinomians In the seventeenth century, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded as a haven for Puritans, who sought religious freedom and harmony. In order to achieve this haven, the settlers in Massachusetts Bay devised a system of government that would serve as both a political and moral authority. Between 1636 and 1638 the relative harmony of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was shaken by an uprising that has become known as the Antinomian Controversy. At the center of this controversy was Anne Hutchinson, a Boston woman bold enough to challenge the teachings of local ministers and to criticize New England churches. Hutchinson was extraordinary for a variety of reasons. Her theology of â€Å"free grace† and her claim to have received immediate revelations from God were considered a dangerous deviation from Puritan theology. She was also a woman challenging the established male hierarchy of Puritan society. In addition, her theological ideas had important implications fo r political theory and attracted many followers in seventeenth-century New England. However, despite all that is known about Hutchinson’s life and the details of the Antinomian Controversy, there are no written records of her beliefs. Instead, contemporary historians, political scientists and feminists must interpret her actions, trial records and the accounts of her contemporaries to determine why she chose to challenge Puritan society in the way that she did. Because little is known about why Anne Hutchinson acted as she did, she has become a veritable chalice into which historians, political scientists and feminists can pour their own ideas. As a result, interpretations of Ann... ...6. Hall, David D. The Antinomian Controversy 1636-1638: A Documentary History. Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 1968. Koehler, Lyle. â€Å"The Case of the American Jezebels: Anne Hutchinson and Female Agitation during the Years of Antinomian Turmoil, 1636-1640.† The William and Mary Quarterly 31, pp. 55-78. Lang, Amy Schrager. Prophetic Woman: Anne Hutchinson and the Problem of Dissent in the Literature of New England. California: University of California Press, 1987. Wertenbaker, Thomas Jefferson. The Puritan Oligarchy: The Founding of American Civilization. New York: Scribner’s Press, 1947. Westerkamp, Marilyn J. Women and Religion in Early America, 1600-1850: The Puritan and Evangelical Traditions. London: Routledge, 1999. Williams, Selma. Divine Rebel: The Life of Anne Marbury Hutchinson. New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1981.

Biometrics :: Science Technology Essays

Biometrics For most people when first hearing the word biometrics, they have an instant reaction to tune out. Just because the term sounds complicated and somewhat boring does not mean that the information behind the term is incredibly interesting and fun! When first discussing the term with others, I too thought it would be a typical boring computer topic. It was not until I began to research the topic, that I saw computers to be intriguing. One of my favorite aspects of the topic is what it initially reminds me of. I could not help but think of spy and other technical movies that show biometrics being used. The term biometrics, refers to the automated methods of categorizing a person, based on their behavioral, and physiological characteristics. What people may not know about biometric systems, is that the basis alone is from natures oldest way of identification. By determining these characteristics in an authentication inquiry, this information can then be saved in reference, for identification to determine if the user can be granted access to any private or secured location. This particular method of recognition is preferred to those such as, passwords, or pin numbers. Although these methods are still commonly used, with biometrics we are able to make sure the person being identified is physically present, and elements the hassle of remembering several passwords. These physiological techniques could include fingerprints, retinal scanning, voice patterning, facial recognitions, DNA analysis along with hand and finger geometry. Biometrics is such a rapidly improving technology, that has been previously used for years in forensics, such as identification, and prison security. While the behavioral techniques include handwriting and voice recognition, gait, and keystroke dynamics. By having these special techniques replacing pins, we are able to feel secure about unauthorized used of ATM’s cellular phones, desktop PC’s, and other personal securities. In addition to these currently password protected areas, biometrics can also replaces keys for automobiles, such as key-less entry. Trust in these areas of secured access, is essential to a happy and healthy environment. Even though there are several ways of detecting identity, the most popular has been the facial recognition and fingerprint matching. These techniques are expected to be added in aid for homeland security identification, at places such as airports, along with helping in reliable travel documents, and preventing ID theft. Along with th e important need for reliable homeland security, biometrics are important in areas such as financial transactions, retail sales, investing, electronic banking, law enforcement, and health and social services.

Is There One Best Way to Structure an Organization? Essay

Organization is always an efficient way to achieve the goals since ancient time, high productivity with lowest input which is an important characteristic of it. Well-organized is a common ambition for every administrator. Therefore it is a primary task for managers to find out a most suitable structure for the company which can maximize the organization performance. Currently, many researchers are seeking for the relationships between an organizational structure and performance in order to adopt a best structure. However, base on contingency theory, a large number of researches proves that the optimal organizational structure depends on the strategy and among other factors (Pertusa-Ortega et al, 2010). The purpose of this essay is to explain that organizational structures are variable, which can be influenced by the scale, strategy and the operation technology of the business. Firstly, the size of a business is an important factor which could determine how an organization is structured; there are many different ways to manage a company according to the disparate capacity, number of personnel, and output of the business. Base on the studies from the Aston and National, both of them support this argument by finding there is a strong relationship between the size of the company and its structure variables (Cited in John Child, 1973). Thus, different structures are needed to administrate companies with different size. According to John Child (1973), specialization, documentation, standardized behavior, hierarchy, and a decentralization of decision making, are the core characteristics of the large companies, which could support the companies to make a decision accurately and efficiently as the power of decision-making are dispersive, the employers in big companies such as Telstra, Woolworth, could not supervise every employees simultaneously and could not make every decision for the company either. Therefore, tall structure is accepted widely in large businesses as everyone could be supervised. However, small business like local cafeteria and franchisee of McDonald, are more likely to use a flat structure to achieve well-organized, the employers could make every decision for the business as the centralization of making decisions and could supervise every workers as well due to a small number of employees. However, the correlation between two companies with disparate size are not linear, when the business has grown and achieved a certain size, the influence from size to structure is gradually reduced as large businesses are already mechanistic enough. Thus, size has a noticeable influence on the organizational structure; managers should determine an optimal framework which most fit the company to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the outcomes. Furthermore, strategy of the company is an essential factor for choosing an appropriate way to structure an organization. Strategic management which relates the future performance of a company, mangers should imply an appropriate strategy to gain the competitive advantages, to help themselves to compete against other competitors and to increase their market share. Different companies need different strategies to survive themselves to be profitable businesses. Chandler and other researchers state that the alteration of a strategy will leads to a change in organizational structure so that the development of strategy could be sufficient and a better profitability reached (Cited in Pertusa-Ortega et al, 2010). For example, for a manufacture, its strategy is to improve productivity with lower resource, therefore the structure of mechanistic is most suitable, which is high specialization, low cost and more efficiency, products can be produced with minimum time when this structure is implie. In contract, Pertusa-Ortega and other researchers claim that an organic structure is an optimal choice for firms which facing the dynamic context, thus, it needs to constantly change the productions and this flexible structure could make it easier to improve the products (2010), such as Google. The Cubic Contingency Model which consists of three strategies: local responsiveness, global integration and foreign product diversification and across other nine structures, 27 strategy-structure fits are turned out. This model is a comprehensive tool to provide useful information to managers to imply the best fitting structure base on their strategic choice (Qiu & Donaldson, 2010). Approximately 85% of these strategy-structure fits are supported by a German Multinational Corporations study, which could prove that strategy is an element to push structure to change to improve the performance. Additionally, economic environment has a strong relationship to the variables of organizational structure. The research to measure the relation between the perceived environmental uncertainty and the various organizational structures by Gordon and Narayanan (1984), they claims that the fluctuation of the economic environment has a dramatically correlation between how an organization be structured. When there is a high uncertain of environment, managers should imply a structure which could minimize the threatens of the uncertainty, and also should be flexible and adoptive enough to allow the products to change as required by the market, organic structure which is a most fitting framework for business to face the unstable environment as it could rapidly respond to the market uncertainty, it could reduce or increase the quantity of the products in a short time. On the other hand, when facing a lower environment uncertainty, mechanistic form is more tend to be effective and efficient, because the requirements of changing the products are less, this structure could help to improve the productivity. Stinchcombe suggests that environmental conditions are not only determine the particular goods or service that company should produced, moreover, it also determine the features of organization should be created to follow the market requirements (cited in Miles et al, 1974). Organizational structure should change in accordance with the various environments, so that the companies can produce the quantity and quality of the goods or services that the market required. In conclusion, this essay explains that organizational structure is contingent and it is very sensitive that could be affected by size, environment, and strategy. Forms of organization should be altered to improve performance and meet the requirements of external. Managers should choose an appreciate way to administrate the company by considering these elements. However, it is a challenge for decision makers to design an organization; managers should make sure that the new structure is sustainable and the employees are well-connected with each other. Child, J. (1973). Administrative Science Quarterly. Predicting and understanding of organization structure. Vol.18(2): 168-185. Pertusa-Ortega, E.M., Molian-Azorin, J.F,;Claver-Cortes,E.(2010). Competitive strategy, structure and firm performance. A comparison of the resource –based view and the contingency approach. Management Decision. Vol.48(7-8):1282-1303. Qiu,J. & Donaldson, L. (2010). â€Å"The Cubic Contingency Model: Towards a more comprehensive international strategy-structure model.† Journal of General Management, 36(1): 81-100. Miles, R.E., Sown, C.C. and Pfeffer, F. (1974), Organizational –Environment: Concepts and issues. Industrial relations, Vol.13(3):244-264. Gordon, L.A. and Narayanan, V.K. (1984), management accounting systems, perceived environmental uncertainty and organizational structure: an empirical investigation, Accounting, Organizational and Society. Vol.9, No.1, pp33-47.

Factors That Impact on and Influence the Organisation

The business environment is often an uncertain one, where managers are faced with many factors that impact on and influence the organisation. The micro-environment includes suppliers, customers and stakeholders, all of which influence the organisation directly. The macro-environment, however, includes factors that influence the organisation but are out of its direct control. The micro-environment is often determined by the industry the organisation operates within. Competition becomes a critical influencing factor. Johnson et al (2002) states that managers should understand the competitive forces that exist between organisations in the same industry because this will determine its attractiveness. De Swaan Arons, et al (1999) refer to Porter’s Five Forces framework as a tool to assess profit potential within an organisation. These forces include; supplier and buyer power; threat of substitutes; and barriers to entry. At the centre of the five forces is competitive rivalry between organisations in the same industry/sector. The level of competitive aggressiveness will be determined by factors such as the number of competitors, industry growth, high fixed costs, and amount of differentiation (De Swaan Arons, et al, 1999, pp 3). According to Harrison (2003), success in the hotel industry is often provided by being located near existing hotel properties. This may be as a result of a tested market-place and assurance that if hotels can profit in that area, then it becomes an attractive market to enter. Supplier and buyer power are closely linked due to the resulting relationship they have in influencing the organisation. Porter’s Five Forces Framework states that supplier power is high when there is a concentration of suppliers within the same industry. However; following the comments of Harrison (2003), several hotel properties within the same geographic area will be competing for customers, often basing their strategy on price; hence the customer has the power to influence the supplier, otherwise known as buyer power. A high concentration of suppliers in one geographic area often results in a saturated market. The Life-Cycle Model highlights the importance between growth and maturity stages. Johnson et al (2002) illustrate that in market growth situations, an organisation is likely to achieve growth through the resulting growth of the marketplace. However, when markets are mature, organisational growth can only be achieved by taking market share from competitors. Research conducted within the Swiss Hotel Industry, (Sund, 2004), showed that it had been experiencing a period of stagnation and even decline. Sund (2004) suggests this is due to the concentration of hotel properties in the area as a result of increased international travel post-World War II and the increase in hotel chains and franchises. In research carried out by Audretsch et al (1996), where the innovative activity takes place is a key contributor to the phase of the industry life cycle. Substitution reduces demand for a particular type of product or service. For example, the presence of all-inclusive hotel resorts is a threat to small independent Bed & Bedfast establishments. Barriers to entry consist of a number of factors, for example; economies of scale, capital requirement, access to distribution channels, experience expected, retaliation, legislation/government action, and differentiation (Johnson et al, 2002, pp 115). For the hotel industry, the threat of entry is likely to be high in places where there is a high concentration of hotel accommodation. However; some may argue that high concentration may be a reason not to enter the market because competition is fierce. According to Harrison (2003), Porter’s Five Forces model has limitations in terms of its practical application. Although the five forces aims to provide organisations with a definition of competitive factors, it does not include an evaluation of other stakeholders equally as important. This may include unions, financial institutions, the media and local communities. Harrison (2003) also identifies the importance of political factors. Where micro analysis of the organisation consists of direct factors such as customers, stakeholders and competition, the macro environment considers elements of the environment on a wider scale. The PESTEL model is a useful tool for use in strategic decision making. It consists of political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal issues affecting drivers of change within an organisation. Political factors refer to governments, society or regulators that can take action to influence an organisation’s performance. Political decisions can also affect a company’s success and future planning as shown in many war zone scenarios. A country’s decision to go to war curbs travel and thus, hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions suffer. Harrison (2003) quotes the example of the 1991 war in the Persian Gulf. Hotels were left empty until the war ended and travellers felt confident to venture into that geographic region again. Economic factors include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. These factors can be critical to the success of companies operating within the hospitality industry. A hotel company may have to review its pricing strategy dependant on consumer demand. This relates to Porter’s forces where buyer and supplier power are linked as a result of where most of the concentration is. Social factors relate to social trends such as the demand for a company's products and services. Awareness of societal factors is also important in reputation management where a company aims to promote itself as interested in the values of its customers. Marriott Hotels (cited in Harrison, 2003), considered societal trends in its development of housing for people who may require a form of assisted living. This development was due to Marriott’s recognition of the ageing baby-boom era. Technological factors are important to consider when new markets are being established. New technologies create new products and new processes. Technological developments can benefit consumers as well as the organisations providing the products. In the hotel industry, technology advancement should be centred on customer service and the experience one should expect. According to Connolly et al (2000), the hospitality industry should be preparing for the future by readying itself for technological advancements. This way, hotel companies will be well positioned to meet the needs of their customers. One of the most popular advances in technology for the hotel industry would be computer advances and the wide use of Internet. Hotels are now expected to have online booking facilities, which are easy to use, install confidence and assurances for the online customer that their booking has been received and processed accordingly. Websites are commonly an organisation’s first point of contact with potential customers. Therefore, branding and corporate image is important. Customer relationship management is possible with the advancement of computer technology. Marketing strategies centre around the potential to follow-up on previous customer’s hotel stays by offering return offers and discounts for loyalty. The Ritz-Carlton, for example, uses their contact database to maintain customer profiles that details individual tastes and preferences (Harrison, 2003). They also use this technology to speed up check-in procedures for regular guests. Differentiation within the hotel industry is also possible through the use of technology. Harrison (2003) uses the example of Wingate Inns who attracted business customers by offering free to use, high-speed Internet in every room. Environmental factors such as climate change have the potential to impact on every industry and should be considered as a driver for change. Becoming ‘greener’ has been a significant change in the running of many hotel chains throughout the world. Advertising the use of environmentally friendly products and processes is affecting customer demand. This produces more business opportunities and creates greater supplier power. Legal factors are related to the legal environment in which companies operate. Health and Safety legislation is a major driver of change in all industries, especially service-based industries such as hospitality. Not only does this affect the company’s workforce, it also affects the customer and his/her experience. Hotel owners are duty holders in providing a safe environment for their employees and customers. In the event of an accident or a breach of legislation, a hotel company can incur substantial penalties, which will ultimately affect future profits and corporate reputation. Analysis of the external environment, using tools such as PESTEL, allows organisations to make important decisions and strategic changes to create competitive advantage. In evaluating growth strategies, an analysis involving suitability, acceptability and feasibility is vital. Although these models of analysis help organisations to understand the factors that may impact and influence their business strategies, it is also important to understand in more detail what will result in success and failure. One of the many approaches is to perform a SWOT analysis. Another is to identify opportunities and threats via strategic gaps. Johnson et al (2002) refer to this as identifying ‘new market space’. Strategic gaps are found by looking across the industry for potential substitutes, new product/service offerings and new market segments. According to Pryce (2001), many hotel operators are lagging behind other industries with regards to corporate sustainability. Research has suggested that there is a significant gap between attitudes and action (Pryce, 2001), which provides hotel owners with promotional opportunities and drivers for change to capitalise on environmental management.