The Odyssey And The Hitchhikers Guide To The Odyssey

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Odyssey The model of The Hero’s Journey has been used in a multitude of ways through the development of literature. This famous plot line describes the series of epic events that a hero faces throughout the story to ultimately find the solution to a problem. As shown in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, and The Odyssey, by Homer, The Hero’s Journey has guided authors to write their stories in the past and even today. Odysseus and Arthur Dent, described by Homer and Douglas Adams, both possess heroic characteristics and display these as they venture though their worlds. The two characters face similar challenges, and while they handle their quests differently, the tales are similar in the†¦show more content†¦At the beginning of the Odyssey, Odysseus had been gone from home for ten years as a result of the Trojan war. Both heroes begin their journey in their ordinary worlds. Fortunately, stories a re made exciting by having characters venture out of their comfortable and loving homes and into dangerous and unknown territory. A critical part of the hero’s quest is when he or she crosses into the unknown world. Homer demonstrated this step in his epic poem by having Odysseus finally being freed off Calypso’s island. Calypso was a beautiful nymph who trapped Odysseus on her island for seven years. â€Å"Though have been detained long by Calypso, loveliest among goddesses, who held me in her smooth cave, to be her heart’s delight,† (Homer p. 1047). Odysseus is freed by praying to Zeus and Athena who let him start his journey home. In Douglas Adams’s novel, there is a much more futuristic threshold crossing. When the Vogons, an alien species, come to destroy Earth, Ford Prefect, one of Arthur’s mentors, managed to hitch a lift into a Vogon construction fleet ships just as the Earth was being demolished for an intergalactic highway. â€Å" Excuse me?† said Arthur. â€Å"Are you trying to tell me that we just stuck our thumbs out and some green, bug-eyed monster stuck his head out and said, ‘Hi fellas. Hop right in. I can take you as far as the Basingstoke roundabout?’† â€Å"Well,† said Ford. â€Å"The thumb’s an electronic sub-etha signaling device, the roundabout’s atShow MoreRelatedLife before Advanced Portable Technology601 Words   |  2 Pagestouchscreen devices have been many years in the making, In the 1966 television show â€Å"Star Trek Captain Kirk had the PADD (Personal Access Display Device) (Star Trek)† , â€Å"The 1968 movie 2001: Space Odyssey, there was a similar device called the Newspad† (Sande). A device by the same name was described in Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy aired on BBC radio in weekly segments, starting on March 8, 1978, and published in a novel in 1979 (Adams) History of the Tablet before the 2010 Explosion. Scientist started

Portfolios Free Essays

Using Portfolios to Assess Professional Competence and Development in Medical Laboratory Sciences Abstraction Background Portfolios have been recommended for the appraisal of professional development. To excite battle and assess professional development during research lab preparation, portfolio appraisal was proposed for the concluding twelvemonth BMLS and DMLT programmes in Kampala International University. Work Done The pupils undergoing clinical research lab preparation in learning infirmaries, and engaged in everyday research lab services under supervising of qualified Medical Laboratory Scientists, composed a portfolio detailing their day-to-day experiences, work done, and lessons learned. We will write a custom essay sample on Portfolios or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their supervisors and facilitators provided day-to-day feedback and endorsed their entries. The portfolios were examined at the terminal of preparation by module staff and external tester through unwritten presentation and interviews. Rating rubric considered quality of presentation, portfolio content, presentation of progressive development, and ability to do professional judgement. Students ‘ and assessors ‘ credence of this instrument was determined with questionnaire. Consequences 72 % of the pupils and assessors accepted the method. Many pupils reported that it improved committedness to preparation, encouraged contemplation, and allowed for frequent feedback. Many believed that it was a rational appraisal, but it was clip devouring. 88 % of the participants would welcome it as a addendum to the criterion trials. Decisions The portfolio appraisal was good accepted, rational, and provided a valid appraisal of pupil battle and patterned advance during professional preparation. Take Home Message The inclusion of portfolio appraisal in Medical Laboratory Sciences Education provided valid appraisal of pupils ‘ battle in preparation and professional development over clip. Introduction The usage of portfolios in wellness professions instruction has increased dramatically over the old ages. The enthusiastic credence of this rule is in portion born out of the of all time turning involvement in results based instruction in all divisions of wellness science.1 The course of study of most wellness scientific disciplines schools now emphasize reliable experiences, promote self way and contemplation in acquisition, and results based appraisal. Portfolios non merely stimulate professional development and brooding acquisition, they besides provide chance for self way, and avenues for feedback from faculty.2, 3 Portfolios have been recommended for the appraisal of professional development in medical education,4 and several studies document their successful usage in appraisal of competency at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.5,6 To excite battle and to measure professional development during clinical research lab preparation, portfolio development and appraisal was p roposed for the concluding twelvemonth Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences and the Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology pupils of the Kampala International University, Uganda in 2008. This article reports the experience of the usage of portfolios to measure professional development in these programmes. Methods Institutional blessing for the survey was obtained from the IREC. Eighteen concluding twelvemonth pupils who were undergoing clinical research lab preparation in the instruction infirmaries at the Kampala International University Teaching Hospital Ishaka and the Mulago Hospital in Kampala and take parting in everyday day-to-day research lab work were requested to compose and keep a portfolio consisting inside informations of their day-to-day experiences, work done and lessons learnt during their preparation. Their supervisors and programme facilitators provided day-to-day feedback on their work and endorsed all entries. At the terminal of their clinical research lab preparation, the portfolios were examined by the four module staff and an external tester. The pupils were besides required to do a 15 proceedingss presentation based on the portfolio content, and take interview on lessons learned and overall impact of the preparation on their development. A evaluation rubric used for the appraisal considered the quality of pupil ‘s presentation, portfolio content, presentation of pupil ‘s progressive development over clip, and their ability to do professional judgement. Questionnaires were used to find the pupils ‘ and raters ‘ positions on the acceptableness, convenience, and utility of this method of appraisal. The informations were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Table 1: Rubric for the appraisal of the pupils ‘ portfolios Standard met Standard non met 1 Presentation was complete in 15 proceedingss 2 Quality of presentation 3 Student showed progressive development over clip 4 Student reflected on experiences and could do good professional judgement 5 Portfolio content was equal 6 Overall appraisal Base on balls Fail General remarks: Consequences The consequence showed that 70 two per cent ( 72 % ) of the pupils and assessors accepted the method as a valid and effectual agencies of measuring professional competency. Many pupils ( 15 of the 18 ) reported that it improved their committedness to the research lab preparation, and encouraged them to reflect on their day-to-day experiences. Both module and pupils reported that it allowed for frequent feedback and more battle in the programme. Many believed that it was a rational appraisal as it captured development over clip, but it was clip consuming and rather tasking on both pupils and staff. Eighty eight per cent ( 88 % ) were of the position that it should be a addendum and non a replacement for the standard written and practical trials. Discussion The development of portfolio as a tool for the appraisal of professional competency and development offers several advantages over the traditional criterion trials which to a big extent are reductionist and do non capture patterned advance over clip. Application of portfolio appraisal in Medical Laboratory Sciences instruction is non widespread and merely few studies are available in literature.7 This survey demonstrated that portfolio development and appraisal is good accepted by both staff and pupils in the medical research lab scientific disciplines programme of the Kampala International University. An of import facet of medical instruction is the matching of assessment methods with larning manner, as assessment thrusts larning. Portfolio appraisal aligns good with competence based instruction whose dogmas include learner centeredness, formative feedback, developmental procedure, contemplation, and multiple types and beginnings of assessment.3 This survey demonstrated this clearly as it promoted pupil /staff battle in the clinical research lab preparation programme, pupils ‘ ownership of their preparation, and reflective acquisition which are some of the advantages highlighted by similar old studies of the usage of portfolio in other programmes.8, 9 The survey besides showed that many of the survey participants would non welcome this signifier of appraisal as the lone manner of pupil appraisal. Rather it would be a valuable add-on to the traditional methods of appraisal of competency. The restrictions of this survey include the little sample size used for the survey. It is recommended that a larger sample of pupils be included in a more luxuriant survey perchance over a longer study period. To ease the load of appraisal, utilizing structured interview to measure the portfolio as recommended by Burch and Seggie 10 could be helpful. Decision: The usage of portfolios to measure pupils ‘ advancement and professional competency in Medical Laboratory Sciences is a welcome proposition. It should be used to supplement the criterion written and practical trials. Its advantages include stimulation of pupil battle, self way, brooding acquisition, and monitoring of advancement over clip. It is nevertheless seen to be clip devouring for the pupils. Its debut extends the methods of appraisal in Medical Laboratory Sciences. Mentions 1. Davis MHhttp: //informahealthcare.com/entityImage/ ? code=200B A ; zwnj ; , Amin Zhttp: //informahealthcare.com/entityImage/ ? code=200B A ; zwnj ; , Grande JP, O’Neill AEhttp: //informahealthcare.com/entityImage/ ? code=200B, Pawlina Whttp: //informahealthcare.com/entityImage/ ? code=200B A ; zwnj ; , Thomas R. et al.Case surveies in outcome-based instruction. Medical Teacher 2007 ; 29 ( 7 ) :717-722 2. Driessen, E. , Van Tartwijk, J. , Overeem, K. , et Al. Conditionss for successful brooding usage of portfolios in undergraduate medical education.Medical Education 2005 ; 39:1230 -1235 3. Carraccio C. Portfolio Assessment: The Key to Learner Centered-Education. Downloaded from: hypertext transfer protocol: //innovationlabs.com/r3p_public/rtr2/downloads/Portfolios % 20R3P % 20Group % 20Plenary.ppt. Accessed 13/01/2010. 4. Friedman Ban David M, Davis M H, Harden R M, Howie P W, Ker J and Pippard M J. AMEE Medical Education Guide No 24: Portfolios as a method of pupil appraisal. Medical Teacher 2001 ; 23 ( 6 ) :535-551 5. McCready T. Portfolios and the appraisal of competency in nursing: A literature reappraisal. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2007 ; 44 ( 1 ) :143-151 6. Izatt S. Educational positions: Portfolios: The following appraisal tool in medical instruction? NeoReviews 2007 ; 8 ( 10 ) : e405 7. Thom A ; eacute ; G, Hovenberg H, Edgren G. Portfolio as a method for uninterrupted appraisal in an undergraduate wellness instruction programme. Medical Teacher 2006 ; 28 ( 6 ) : e171-e176 8. Lim J L K, Chan N F, Cheong P Y. Experience with portfolio-based acquisition in household medical specialty for maestro of medical specialty grade. Singapore Med J 1998 ; 39 ( 12 ) : 543 – 546 9. Hadfield I, Murdoch G, Smithers J, Vaioleti L, Patterson H. Is a professional portfolio, as a record of continued professional development, the most effectual method to measure a physical therapist ‘s competency? New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 2007, 35 ( 2 ) :72-83. 10. Burch VC, Seggie JL. Use of a structured interview to measure portfolio-based acquisition. Medical Education 2008 ; 42 ( 9 ) : 894-900 How to cite Portfolios, Essay examples

Marketing Strategy and Analysis Global Resource Industry

Question: Discuss about the Report for Marketing Strategy and Analysis of Global Resource Industry. Answer: Introduction This is the case about one of the leading players in global resource industry. In this case we will conduct an external analysis of the firm along with determining the conditions that can help company in leveraging the growth opportunity. The macro environment analysis will also be conducted so that external environment of the company can be analysed deeply. The global resource company is thinking of expanding its operation in different areas, this case will help in identifying potential of the opportunity. This report is divided into few sections, Introduction, Firm Background, General overview, Growth Opportunity, Analysis. The report will discuss about the history of company along with providing the details, a growth analysis will be discussed along with the analysis of the opportunity. In this context the ratios of the company will also be discussed. Firm Background BHP Billiton is one of the leading companies in the global resources sector. BHP is among the leading producers of the world. BHP Billiton is the producer of the major commodities like iron, copper, and uranium ores since many years.It holds interest bothin the conventional andnon-conventional form of oil and gas as well as energy coal.BHP Billiton operates on a general strategy of owning and operating long life, large, expandable, and low cost and upstreamassets. The company diversifies by geography, market and commodity BHP Billiton has a portfolio of some of the best high-quality growth opportunities that continue to position BHP Billiton as a company that can fulfil the dynamic needs of the customers. The demand of the resources is increasing with the number of days and the company is effectively fulfilling the demand. BHP Billiton was started in the year 1851 and since then, BHP Billiton is providing help to the communities, industries and economies across the world. The company was formed after the merger of BHP and Billiton. BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary) was involved in the silver, lead and zinc mines of Broken Hill, Australia. Billitons roots can be traced back to 1851, it was a tin mine on the island in Indonesia.Billiton also became the global leader in the mining and metal sector(BHP Billiton, 2016) The BHP Billiton is operating in one of the biggest industries with Price volatility, geopolitical turmoil and rising costs. The industry environment is highly challenging but BHP Billiton is operating successfully with some of the best strategies and a business model. The major divisions in which the company operates are as follows: Minerals Australia Minerals Australia, a business division of BHP Billiton includes the operations in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales and South Australia. The focus is on the copper, coal, nickel and iron ore. Minerals Americas The headquarters of Minerals Americas is in Santiago, Chile. It is the biggest producer of metals such as copper concentrate, thermal coal zinc concentrate and iron ore. Petroleum The petroleum business includes the exploration, development, production as well as marketing activities. Marketing - The marketing division is responsible for all the market. Its function includes selling the products and purchasing the raw material(BHP Billiton, 2016). Global Locations Source: (BHP Billiton, 2016). BHP Billiton also contributes actively in the serving the community in which it works. It believes in contributing to the communities, nation and the regions by strengthening the society. BHP Billiton engages and advocates the important issues by supporting the targeted development of different areas in which they operate(BHP Billiton , 2016). Growth Opportunity The SMART goal of BHP Billiton is to expand its diamond exploration project in six months. The global resource sector has made significant contributions in the growth and development of the economies. There are number of growth opportunities that can be leveraged by the BHP Billiton. The opportunities however can be leveraged in the best possible manner if all the potential resources are integrated effectively such as finance and human capital(BHP Billiton , 2016) BHP Billiton has a pipeline of projects which are on their feasibility phase. There are total 29 projects with over an investment of $17.5B(BHP Billiton, 2015).These projects include the diamond exploration projects which are potential enough to provide higher revenues. The company can execute its marketing activities in the most innovative way by increasing the use of social media tools. BHP Billiton can outreach the customers with the help of promotional strategies that are used by the company for promoting its natural resources and commodities. The airborne survey tool of the company has also identified the opportunities in the diamond exploration sector. The technology group of the organization can coordinate in context of developing the revolutionary technology that can reduce the cost structure of exploring diamonds. The major technologies on which the team can work on for leveraging the opportunities associated with diamond exploration are an advanced form of bio leaching(BHP Billiton, 2015), Analysis In order to compliment the understanding of the overall general macro environment for BHP Billiton a PEST analysis is conducted below: Political factors BHP Billiton is one of the global resource companies that are susceptible to number of political risks factors prevailing in the global resource market(BHP Billiton , 2016) The political factors such as license to operate can potentially affect the ability of the company to execute its pipeline projects along with the diamond exploration projects(Reddy, 2001).Other political risks associated with companys diamond exploration are civil unrest, terrorism, changes in government policy etc. Moreover theMineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002 has made several changes in the structure of mining and explorations. In future, the government has the potential to affect the operations of the company(BHP Billiton, 2016) Economic Factors BHP Billiton is also highlyinfluenced by the economic factorsespecially related to inflation in the energy costs, the costs of exploration, operation costs, labour costs and the material costs(BHP Billiton , 2016). The economic factors have the potential to adversely impact the expansion plans of the company. Moreover, the company presently is operating in an industry that is highly dependent on the recent strength of global commodities prices that are related with the health of the economy(Sadler, 2003). Moreover, as the operations of the firm are global and hence, it is also exposed to the risk of fluctuating currency valuations along with the general economic risks prevailing in the world. Any sort of weaknesses in the economies across the globe can cause a fall in the demand of diamond; this will eventually lead to an increased supply along with reduced prices which can further affect the companys profitability. For example, the company is heavily dependent on the economy of Chin afor over 16.8% of the company revenue which is $6.6b(BHP Billiton , 2016) Socio-Cultural Factors BHP Billiton is alsoinfluenced by some of the socio-cultural factors in context of starting the new operations such as diamond exploration(BHP Billiton , 2016).The socio cultural factors require that the company financially supports the local communities along with providing the resources such as roads, schools and housing. The new diamond exploration projects will also require the social approvals in addition to government approval(Hill Jones, 2008). Such approvals will also affect the profitability andthe new mining and exploration projects will require the approvals in the form of social approvals, which can further increase the development costs. Currently, the company has taken several steps that can improve the conditions of the workers along with improving the quality of life(BHP Billiton , 2016) Technology Factors BHPBilliton is also affected by the technological factors as new exploration and mining activities are evolving with the number of days. The company has to adopt some of the best ways of exploration and mining so that the exploration costs can be reduced. The investments in the technological sector are vital for the company. The technological investments will affect the key strategic drivers such as the exploration projects of the company and the world class assets(BHP Billiton , 2016) Financial (ratios) Profitability ratios Source:(BHP Billiton, 2015). By looking at the Return on Equity (ROE), it can be inferred that the money of the stockholders is being effectively used or reinvested for generating the income. The ROE of the BHP Billiton has shownvariation since last 5 years. ROE in year 2014 was 18.47% which is good sign. Net profit margin of the organization rose from 16.49% in 2013 to 20.58% in 2014. This rise in net profit margin can be because of tax rate cut. Operating income ratios Source:(BHP Billiton , 2016). This ratio helps the investors to make best decisions so as to analyse the effectiveness of the investments in the asset. There is the fluctuation in the total assets and fixed assets turnover. However, the performance of operating turnover ratios is good. Liquidity Ratio This ratio shows ability of firm to fulfill its short term liabilities. It can be seen that current ration of company in 2014 was 1.23. This is quite lower in comparison to industry average. The quick ratio of the company has also increased over the period of time showing rise in level of inventory. Solvency Ratio Source:(BHP Billiton, 2016). The interest coverage ratio of the firm hasrisen 38 times. This indicates that cost of capital has increased. Thus, there is need for company to look for sources of funds that are low cost. Competitors The global resource industry has number of competitors who can affect the operations of the company. The competitive rivalry among the competitors is high; this is because the companies involved in mining and exploring oil are competing intensely for having an access to the natural resources like diamond across several Continents. The industry life cycle includes the four stages introduction, growth, maturity and decline. The company is in its maturity phase, it will continue to be in this stage till it uses the best practise and strategies. Source:(BHP Billition, 2011). Some of the current competitors of BHP Billiton are as follows: Rio Tinto Rio Tinto is a leading company for global mining and metals. The focus of the company is on finding the sources along with mining and processing the minerals of the earth(Rrio Tinto, 2016).The company has the resources, capabilities and the people that can help in supplying the minerals and the metals. Some of the major industries are heavily dependents on the companies such as Rio Tintolike the construction, communication, transport and healthcareindustries(Rrio Tinto, 2016). Anglo American Anglo American is anotherglobally diversified mining business company. The company includes the world class mining operations. The company uses the latest technology to explore and process the minerals. The company operates in several products such as diamonds to platinum. It also includes the metals such as metals and copper(Anglo American, 2016). Potential competitors There can be two major potential competitors of BHP Billiton. The potential competitors have been given below: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) It is one of the leading producers of the important metals such asiron pellets, iron ore and other minerals. It is primarily owned by the Brazilian government. This company has played an important role in developing the resources especially in the region. The success of the company is based on the ability as well as the foreign expertise that can help in retaining the control(Republic of Mining, 2011) Alcoa Inc Alcoa Inc. is a leading American public company that is widely known for the manufacturing oflight-weight metals along with using some of the best advanced manufacturing techniques. It is the third largest producer in the world and is headquartered in New York City. The operational base of the company is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It has operations in over 30 countries. It is specialised in the light weight metals(Alcoa, 2016). Source:(BHP Billition, 2011) Industry Porter Five Forces Analysis Bargaining Power of Buyers The force of bargaining power of buyers isin the range of moderate to low in the case of BHP Billiton. The prices of the metals and minerals are determined by the industry trends. Bargaining Power of Suppliers - BHP Billiton is highly affected by a high degree of bargaining power of suppliers. The overall costs of the suppliers are increased(Republic of Mining, 2011) Threat of New Entrants- The threat of new entrantsin the global resource industry is in the range of moderate to low. There is a lack of capacity related to natural resources and oil. Entering in the global resource industry high capital is required.(BHP Billiton , 2016) Threat of Substitutes-The threat of substitutes is also low. This is because less number of substitutes for raw materials products available.(BHP Billiton, 2016) Rivalry among Competing Sellers- The rivalry among the competing sellers in the market is strong because all the mining and oil companies are competing strongly,to gain anaccess tothe important natural resources across the globe(BHP Billiton, 2015) Key Success Factors There are key success factors that are helping the BHP Billiton to attain success in the highly completive global resources industry. These success factors are discussed below: Innovation The Companybelieves in innovation, the major functions and practices that help the company in gaining a competitive advantage are innovated. (BHP Billiton, 2016) Business practise The company has adopted the best practices related to human resource management, finance, exploration and mining(BHP Billiton, 2016) Corporate social responsibility The corporate social responsibility arm of the company is also one of the strong pillars of success for the company(BHP Billiton, 2016) References Alcoa. (2016). Produts and services. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from https://www.alcoa.com/india/en/home.asp Anglo American. (2016). We Create Value that Lasts. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from https://www.angloamerican.com/about-us/at-a-glance BHP Billition. (2011). Sustaianbility report. BHP Billition. BHP Billiton . (2016). Resourceing the future. BHP Billiton . BHP Billiton. (2015). Resourcing global growth. BHP Billiton. BHP Billiton. (2016). About us. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from https://www.bhpbilliton.com/aboutus/ourcompany/ourhistory BHP Billiton. (2016). Businesses. Retrieved sept 17, 2016, from https://www.bhpbilliton.com/businesses BHP Billiton. (2016). Global Locations. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from https://www.bhpbilliton.com/businesses/globaloperationsmap Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R. (2008). Essentials of Strategic Management. Cengage Learning. Reddy. (2001). Basic Structure Analysis. Tata McGraw-Hill Education,. Republic of Mining. (2011, June 17). Republic of mining. Retrieved sept 17, 2016, from https://www.republicofmining.com/2011/06/17/companhia-vale-do-rio-doce-cvrdvale-history-1942-1989-by-international-directory-of-company-histories/?doing_wp_cron=1474117304.2827050685882568359375 Rrio Tinto. (2016). About us. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from https://www.riotinto.com/about-us-108.aspx Sadler, P. (2003). Strategic Management. Kogan Page Publishers.