Sunday, January 26, 2020

Economic insight into the baby disposable diaper industry

Economic insight into the baby disposable diaper industry The disposable diaper, an invention that revolutionized the baby care industry exists today as a practical solution to the problem of dirty, smelly, wet baby bottoms throughout the world. The need for diapers has always existed. There are several documents from the past that refer to the use of milkweed leaf wraps, animal skins and other creative natural resources to serve the need, a far cry from todays disposable diapers [citation]. Proctor Gamble commercialized the disposable diaper business by introducing Pampers in the year 1961 [citation]. Since then, the industry has witnessed remarkable magnitude of development and one of the reasons disposable diapers are enjoying overwhelming popularity is due to the rising number of working mothers in the society [citation]. The volume of growth is also closely co-related to the level of birth-rate, and owing to its rising trend there lay great potential in the coming years [citation]. The baby disposable diaper industry is poised to take advantage of this growth and thereby to realise its potential this paper will try to highlight some of the key propositions for a keen investor so as to assist him/her gain a comprehensive overview of the market from the logistics perspective. To provide one with factual insights, the report has sketched a detailed schematic for the city of Dunedin (New Zealand) and tries to serve details of the current market scenario, potential and other practical considerations. However the report holds high level of generalisability and similar settings can later be applied to other regional markets. Please note that the estimations made are based on calculative judgements and are not totally accurate. Target Market The duration for which children may rely on diapers depends on how fast they pass their potty training. There is a high level of diversity across the globe, where Americans take the longest to learn, around 34 months [citation]. Babies in China and Russia probably are the best examples who learn in less than 20 months [citation]. The rest of the world is somewhere in the middle. A good estimate should be around 30 months, i.e. 2.5 years. Therefore, children within the age bracket 0-2.5 form the end consumers. However the purchase decisions are undertaken by the parents who form the target consumers. Market Potential The market potential of the disposable diaper market relies on the estimation of absolute demand. The first step towards this estimation is to calculate number for children lying within the age bracket of 0-2.5 years. The next census figures for New Zealand will be released in 2011, and using statistical data for the year 2006 would prove obsolete. However NZ Stats does provide with real time figures for the entire country. To derive recent figures for the required age group, proportionate increase in total population of New Zealand from the year 2006 to 2010 was calculated, which stood around 8.7% [citation]. This increase was then added to the 2006 census for Dunedin. From the total population of the city, number of children within the age of 2.5 years was 2.5% of the total population [citation]. This gave us a final figure of 3,225. The second step was to calculate the diaper consumption for each life stage and arriving to an average number of diapers used during the entire life o f the child. As per Absormex data index, a new born infant consumers around 6.82 diapers per day, whereas two year olds use 3.74 per day [citation]. Therefore at an average a baby consumes around 5.2 diapers per day. Thus the daily consumption is derived by multiplying the total number of babies with the average daily consumption. As consumption can be equated to the market demand, the absolute maximum demand for the city approximately stands around 16,770 diapers per day. The market potential is the maximum demand for the market, which assumes if all babies use disposable diapers. But this is certainly not the case. Thus one has to consider the market penetration to arrive to the actual demand potential. As per Richer Investment consultants, diaper purchase triggers at around $3,500 USD of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) per year which equates to around $ 4,700 NZD [citation]. In Dunedin, 83% of the population earn an annual income of more than $ 5000 [citation]. Thus this gives us a demand potential of around 14,000 disposable diapers per day. Inventory Planning and Warehousing Owing to a long shelf life and high volume, inventory planning for disposable diapers can turn into a perplexing job. This is because both the characteristics contradict each other to arrive to an optimum stock. Technically, disposable diapers do not have an expiry date [citation]. But they do turn pale after the duration of eighteen months [citation]. Nonetheless, they still possess a comparatively longer shelf life than most of the FMCG products. Thereby the seller can gain an opportunity of lowering the cost by stocking large quantity of goods. However disposable diapers, owing to their fluffiness take up larger shelf space and stocking large inventory could be quite expensive. To answer this dilemma, one has to take into consideration the low value of the product and quicker technological innovations. In the inventory cost, the cost of storage remains flat regardless of the type of the product. In the case of diapers, a pack of forty four in New Zealand costs around $ 28, giving us a per unit price of 60 cents, which is quite high in comparison to the shelf space it takes up. Moreover, observing the technological trend in the diaper industry, a new innovation is introduced every three months. Therefore, storing goods more than three months would lead to stock obsolesce. Therefore one needs to carefully plan out the inventory considering all the above mentioned factors. Diapers are available in different sizes, and one has to also consider the proportions of different sizes to be held in the right quantity. Disposable diapers are available in 6 sizes, from 1 to 6. Small infant consumer size 1-2 and two year olds use size 5-6. The level of consumption for different sizes is indirectly correlated to the age of the children, i.e. small infants consume higher quantity of smaller sized diapers as compared to the bigger sized diapers consumed by two year olds. To estimate the proportion of different sizes to be stocked, we can make use of the Absormex consumption figures aforementioned. For medium sized diapers (size 3-4), we would assume that its consumption is equal to the average of the small and large sizes, i.e. 5.20 per day. Thus, the total inventory would be composed of 43%, 33% and 24% of sizes 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 respectively. Distribution Channels Supermarkets and pharmacy shops are the two primary retail distribution channels for disposable diaper. Hospitals with maternity wards do serve as a secondary channel for catering the diaper needs for new born infants. Supermarkets Chains: Supermarkets are the most generic channel to reach the customers. As per Timmons survey, almost 41% of the total stock flows through supermarkets [citation]. In Dunedin there are 18 major supermarkets [citation]. Major concentration of these stores is observed around Dunedin Central and mainly across Roslyn, Saint Clair, Caversham, Port Chalmers and Mornington. Pharmacy Shops: Pharmaceutical outlets also serve as a channel for retail distribution, though not as important as supermarkets, owing to the lower frequency of customer visits and lower foot traffic. As per Timmons survey they contribute around 18% of the total sales [citation]. However, the clustering of pharmacy shops is identical to that observed for supermarkets aswell. Hospitals: Hospitals act as a tertiary distribution channel which caters the needs of the new born infants after their immediate birth. In Dunedin, there are 16 main hospitals, out of which 11 have maternity wards [citation]. However as they only cater the needs of infants hence would only require small sizes of 1-2. To estimate the number of diapers required by the hospitals, one has all the required figures. As per breathingearth.net, a baby is born every 8.9 minutes in New Zealand, which gives us a national figure of 162 births per day. The proportional birth rate for Dunedin comes to around 5 babies per day. These babies are held in the hospital for two days where they required 6.82 diaper changes per day. Thus a baby needs a diaper change every every 3.5 hours. Thus gives us a total consumption for hospital of around 35 diapers per day. Therefore the requirement is marginal as compared to the aforementioned distribution channels. Alternative Channels of Distribution A distribution channel can be feasible if is able to suffice the benefits with its costs. In the case of disposable diapers, the product holds absolute sense if one proposes to avail it via online channels. On the first place, the popularity of diapers is purely driven by the level of convenience it avails to the working parents for whom time is of essential value. Therefore, home delivery would enhance its level of convenience. Moreover, it is a functional product which does not require personal inspection before every purchase. However the channel would only be justified it is able to provide the product at least in par with retail prices or lower. These could be justified by the savings created after cut shorting the profits of the retailer along with other related costs for availing the product on retail shelves. Thus higher savings would enable feasibility of the channel from sellers perspective as well. Procurement and Distribution Globally centralised manufacturing centres serve benefits of reduction in costs through economies of scale, given that the high logistics and transportation costs are sufficed with the profit margins of the goods. In the case of disposable diapers, it is highly unlikely to support the structure for a centralised manufacturing plant owing to the low value and high volume of the product. Therefore diaper manufacturers maintain regional manufacturing units. For the region of Oceania, prominent enterprises such as Kimberley Clark and Proctor Gamble have their diaper manufacturing facilities primarily located in Australia, whereby the national distribution centres for New Zealand are situated in Auckland and Christchurch. Procurement from Christchurch via railway would prove feasible cost wise, unless if the national distributors agree to cover the road transportation costs, which is less likely. Proximity would lead to shorter transit duration, which in this case would be approximately 11 hours, eventually lowering the lead time. The losses related to out of stock situation for diaper brands are is reasonably high. It is highly likely that the consumer would pick up the competitors product due to the product high level of substitution. Moreover, the functionality of the product remains flat across different brands. Therefore in the case of several out of stock situation; the customer might eventually switch brands. The ultimate solution to this problem is to reduce the lead time by holding stock as close as possible to the retail channels. This would require holding distribution centres at district level. In Dunedin, majority of the retail outlets including hospitals are clustered around the Octagon, Great King St. North, St. Clair, and Mornington, which are situated in the Central, North, South and East portion of the city respectively. West portion of the city is scarcely populated, hence not taken into consideration. Taking into account the rent for holding a centralised distribution facility near the railway station, which falls into Dunedin CBD, it would be rather cheaper to hold three smaller centres across the north, south and east portions of the city. Northern and Central portions of the city hold approximately 40% of the total population [citation], whereas the rest of the population is more or less distributed equally around the Southern and Western portions of the city [citation]. As consumption is directly related to the volume of population, a comparatively larger the distribution centre can be held in North Dunedin (Great King St. North). As this centre would be closest to the Central portions of the city, it would suffice the needs for this portion as well. The other two centres can be held in Western and Southern zones of the district. Therefore proximity to remote distribution centres from the retail locations would serve cheaper transportation costs, shorter delivery and lead time. Stock Allocation and Replenishment Two aspects are to be considered for stock allocation, one is distributing to different channels and the second is geographical allocation. Both the aspects are dependent on the frequency of purchase. This again directly co-relates to the level of population. Considering the population of Dunedin, around 40% are concentrated in the Central and Northern portions of the city where as the rest is equally concentrated in the Western and Southern portions of the city. The Eastern portion of the city is not considered due to habitat scarcity. Therefore the stock would be allocated keeping into consideration the same proportion of the population residing at the different parts of the city. It is observed that parents of smaller infants are less price sensitive as compared to those of grown up babies [citation]. Therefore marking smaller size diapers at a slightly higher price wont bring would only affect the demand in a comparatively smaller correlation. Moreover a higher demand of the smaller size as compared to the larger one can further benefit the suppliers to buy in bulk and sell to the retailers. Therefore would serve cost benefits from purchase as well as sale. [Replenishment] Overcoming Demand Fluctuation The supply chain for disposable diapers can be a victim of the bullwhip effect, which can be caused by minimal information sharing between the channel members where irregular purchase patterns exist. Considering the actual market scenario; parents who buy disposable diapers already anticipate that their baby would require diapers in the coming weeks. Therefore they do not buy in single packs, but in multiples to save on large quantities. However, this can lead to apparent delay in subsequent purchase occasions. This is because they do not possess accurate consumption estimates and can lead to fluctuations in purchase patterns, eventually leading to increase in demand volatility. The supermarkets stores at which they buy these products order by the pallet size or even truck load, and again at varying frequencies. Moreover the wholesalers will also be ordering according to their own re-order level policies. The combined effect of all this could create volatile picture of demand by the time this distorted picture is received at the diaper factory. To overcome these inefficiencies the one has to make sure to ensure transparency between the retail channels and can strongly count on efficient consumer response. Instead of having to anticipate requirements on the basis of personal forecasts, it should be demand driven. For which the supplier has to rely on retailers sales figures rather than his own personal forecasts to place orders to the national suppliers. It can be made sure that one own figures also get passed on to the channel members closer to the manufacturers. This is to give out a clear demand picture to the manufacturer who can further utilize this for making efficient use of resources. Manufacturers efficiency highly impacts the profit margins, sales figures, and above all the very existence of channel members. Thus with the achievement of better use of production and transportation capacity, all the members in the supply chain can respond efficiently to demand fluctuations along with saving on working capital. Technological Considerations RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) has been a technological breakthrough in the field of logistics. It serves the seller with an array of information which him gain deep insights, far beyond the conventional bar code technology. The question is whether the diaper industry can make use of this technology to reap greater benefits. Considering the costs, a single tag costs around 10-15 cents (USD), which converts to around 20 cents in New Zealand Currency [citation]. Incorporating the technology does not support the cost and profit structure in case of disposable diapers. Moreover the cost of the tag is just around 65% of the total cost, whereas the rest is comprised of infrastructure to support the technology in the supply chain. Therefore would add up to a total cost of approximately 30 cents per unit which remains constant across all the packing sizes. Operating in thin profits, 30 cents would not support the profit margins nor would serve the benefits in the scarcely populated co untry of New Zealand. Conclusion Diapers were introduced in the 1960, since then they have undergone tremendous number of innovations. It might look simple, but its an technological achievement, where a single diaper of today has over 200 patents. On top of this, it keeps getting modified with superficial upgradations such as fasteners, size of the pads, colour patterns, and even liner material. But the core appeal of diapers is still its convenience. This is of utmost importance to todays working mothers. Made from non-degradable plastic, disposable diapers reduce the task of washing cloth diapers. Plastic is by far the most expensive component of disposable diapers. The higher shelf life is highly responsible for the durability of this plastic used in diapers, which is resistant to heat, weather and other environmental concerns. This is where the problem lies, they cannot be broken down by sunlight nor natural deterioration works for them, eventually turning it into a non-degradable waste. In todays highly environmental sensitive society, the unfriendliness of diapers towards the environment is creating a big issue towards its preference and sale. The whole structure might fall apart if this issue is taken seriously. However, major efforts have been undertaken to introduce molecular structures in the plastic paper used in diapers to cause it to disintegrate upon extended environmental elements. This development highly potent in changing the perception towards disposable diapers and how it is viewed by the consumers.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Business Organizations

Community Counseling Service Need for non-competition clause in contract – but must be careful not to violate public ppolicy What is the duty of a party to the firm when he is planning to leave but hasn’t yet left? You cannot seek out firm’s clients while you are still working there Hamburger Did not solicit clients’ business while he was still their employ Anderson Rule: categorical – fiduciary duty obliges the fiduciary to act in the best interests of his client or beneficiary and to refrain from self-interested behavior not specifically allowed by the employment contract.Easterbrook and Fischel Rule: difficult to apply in practice – socially optimal fiduciary rules approximate the bargain that iinvestors and agent would strike if they were able to dicker at no cost. (not a great rule because there are always transaction costs) Limitations on the right to discharge Foley Must decide what the relationship between the parties is: independent contractor, employee, etc? Cannot be fired for irrational reasons or for certain protected reasons (if employee) Employees invest and rely, therefore they need protectionAlleged public ppolicy: employees doing the right thing for their employer Court says there is no public interest in helping a private employer Employer’s interest ? public interest Employer handbook can be used as evidence to prove it is not at-will employment Tortious breach of good faith and fair dealing – Court says no, there would be no duty to mitigate for contract breaches, therefore it’s not a good idea Duty to Creditors (39-49) Blackburn P reasonably believed A was acting with the authority of P, P did nothing to discourage her belief Sennot All partners are agents for the principal, by default PARTNERSHIP Partnerships and other Non-Corporate Forms GPs An association of two or more people to carry on, as co-owiners of a business for profit A lot of litigation is decided on whether or no t the parties were co-owiners Intent that counts is not the creation of a partnership, but the intent to carry on a business for profit as co-owner Evidence of whether or not there is a partnership:Control Sharing of profits and losses JVs Partnership for a limited time and limited purpose LPs Limited partners are very much like stockholders – they are just investing their money, they don’t have management rights/ powers and are not liable for partnership debts Generally, only one general partner and multiple limited partners/ passive iinvestors Cannot accidentally fall into a limited partnership because LPs must be registered with the government (gen. state) LLCsForm of a business organization for a small number of people with a relatively close relationship but who don’t want to be personally liable for business expenses As ssimilar as possible to a corporation without being taxed like a corporation Interests are not freely transferrable like in a corporation LLPs Same as general partnership except creditors cannot go after partners personal wealth for partnership debt LLLPs The general partner is no longer liable for partnership debts Same can be achieve if the GP is a company (or some other non-human) Characterizing the RelationshipByker v. Mannes The definitive way to ensure your relationship is not characterized as a general partnership is to become a different type of business organization You can always leave a partnership, at any time You can fall into GPship Hynansky v. Vietri H never filed a partnership tax return and treated the losses as his own Pretty iron-clad rule: you have a to have a right to profits to be considered a partner Sharing Profits and losses Kovacik v. Reed Didn’t talk about who was going to share losses One gave money, the other gave only labor Default rule is that losses follow profitsLost oopportunity costs for both parties Fiduciary Duty (75-87) Duty of Loyalty Meinhard v. Salmon Question of fiducia ry duty Meinhard claims Salmon should have told him about the new deal Salmon got the oopportunity through being a partner, therefore he owes Meinhard, at least, the duty to disclose Salmon has a duty to Meinhard in their common business – what is their common business? Revised Partnership Act  §403: Duty of care  §404: Duty of loyalty  §103(b): Set of default rules, subject to limitations – (3) duty of loyalty cannot be taken away Self-dealing Business Organizations Founder's syndrome: When founders try to hang on to control to the detriment of the organization is widely identified as an issue for non-profit and for-profit organizations. Recently, it's emerged as a concern in the world of tech start-ups, where founder identification with the business or product is often as passionate and personal as that of social entrepreneurs (Linnell, 2004; Rowat, 2007). The common thread in founder's syndrome across sectors is the type of person who establishes a non-profit, tech firm, or social entrepreneurship. In all instances, these individuals tend to be passion-driven people with a sense of personal mission that translates to their organization. They are, understandably, highly identified with the organizations they create, and this individual sense of commitment is often critical to bringing the organization through its early growth stages.There is no doubt the founder is central in the early days of social entrepreneurship. Later, during the growth stage, the founder may retain leadership importance to a significant degree and, according to Johnson (2014), there is evidence that founders, with their charisma and persuasive ability, are vital to attracting investor capital during the scaling stage (Johnson, 2014). At the critical growth stage, it is necessary for businesses to replace individual leadership with corporate leadership, establishing the governance systems and processes required by larger, more complex, and necessarily more accountable, organizations. Founders who cannot or will not let go of personal influence when this moment arrives inadvertently endanger the future of their organization and its mission with their determination to stay in control. None of this may ultimately be the founder's fault. In fact, rather than being seen as a failure on the part of the founder, founder's syndrome is seen as a failure of a more extensive organizational leadership that allows a focus on the founder to distract from a focus on business strategy and mission (Schmidt, 2013). Businesses that neglect to create governance systems create a climate where founder's syndrome (among other issues) can adversely affect the company. Good governance practice provides a way for organizations to make a smooth transition from founder-led to governing board-led organization. Establishing a strong, unified, independent board with robust accountability and decision-making systems makes companies capable of avoiding some of the worst negative impacts of founder's syndrome without destroying the positive benefit the founder brings to the organization or sacrificing the connection between mission and business established by the founder. Business organizations Business organizations today operate in an environment that is characterized by intense global competition.A sound strategic management perspective is imperative for any enterprise to achieve sustainable strategic competitiveness and earn above average returns. Business leaders need to adopt a new mind-set that values flexibility, speed, innovation, integration and the challenges that evolve from constantly changing conditions (Hitt & Duane 2006: 2-10).Intel Corporation of the US is the world’s largest semiconductor company. Paul Otellini is its Chief Executive Officer and Craig Barrett is the Chairman, Board of Directors.Intel combines advanced chip design capability with a leading-edge manufacturing capability. It unveiled its new branding and marketing strategy in the year 2006. It included a new logo and tagline â€Å"Intel leap ahead† in accordance with the changing times (Edwards 2006: 43-53).Today Intel is the leading manufacturer of high quality processors, chip sets, motherboards, adapters, Ethernet controllers, micro controllers, PCI bridges, storage systems etc. for a wide range of applications like desktop, laptop, servers and workstations, networking communications, consumer electronics, health care sector and entertainment industry.A vision is a road map showing the route a company intends to take in developing and strengthening its business. Well-conceived vision statements are distinctive and specific to a given organization. (Thomson, et. Al., 2006, pp. 15-20).The vision of Intel Corporation is â€Å"At Intel, we constantly push the boundaries of innovation in order to make people’s lives more exiting, more fulfilling, and easier to manage. Our unwavering commitment to moving technology forward has transformed the world by leaps and bounds.We are a company that’s always in motion, fuelling an industry that never rests. We inspire our partners to develop innovative products and services, rally the industry to support new products, and drive industry standards. We do this so that we can collectively deliver better solutions with greater benefits more quickly†.Through its vision statement Intel Corporation has set a very clear and convincing road map for its sustained growth and success.An organization’s mission is the very purpose or the reason for the existence of the organization. The mission statement of Intel is very well conceived and defines the fundamental reason or unique purpose of its existence.It sets the company apart from other firms of its type in the semiconductor industry. It also promotes a sense of shared expectations in its employees and it also communicates a positive image about itself to important stakeholders of the company like its shareholders. Objectives are the end results of all the planned activities of a given company.The objectives of Intel Corporation are to extend leadership in silicon and platform manufacturing, deliver architectural innovation for m arket-driven platforms and drive worldwide growth. The achievement of the objectives so stated by Intel Corporation will definitely result in the fulfillment of its mission statement.Scanning of the external environment helps the companies to understand and analyze external strategic issues and factors to identify the opportunities and threats facing it.The factors having the greatest impact on the company’s strategy-shaping mainly pertain to the company’s immediate Industry and the environment in which it operates. Intel Corporation is a leading player in the semiconductor industry which comprises of all organizations that are engaged in the design and manufacture of semiconductor devices.Currently in the semiconductor industry the threat of new entrants is low as the entry barriers are high. The industry is characterized by rapid technological advances, continuous product innovations, economies of scale in manufacturing of the products and strong learning/experience curve effects driving down costs continuously.The inter firm rivalry is high and there is intense competition between the major players in this industry like Intel, Samsung, Texas Instruments, ST Microelectronics, NXP, Freescale, Infineon etc. The threat of substitutes and the bargaining power of the suppliers in the semiconductor industry is low.As the industry sells to a small number of very large customers who buy in very large quantities the bargaining power of the customers is very high. The relative power of the other stake holder that is the government is high as the U.S. government regulates exports and certain uses of some types of semiconductors due to their potential use in military applications.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Book Report: Doing English

WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE Class: VHVH 01 – Group: 4 Name: Le Kim Ha Anh Student ID: 0957010009 Writing Book Reports: DOING ENGLISH – A GUIDE FOR LITERATURE STUDENTS (Robert Eaglestone) Ranked in the list of more than 700 thousands of the world's best-selling books, Doing English is really a good choice that needed for the study of English college students.The author of the book – Robert Eaglestone, a lecturer in English at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Series Editor of Routledge Critical Thinkers – explain why they are studied this book’s aims: â€Å"to orient you, by explaining what you are doing when you are doing English; to equip you, by explaining basic key ideas; to encourage you to bridge the gap between English before and English in higher education† (page 3). Robert clearly defines that reading audience is college students. As a university lecturer, the author directs the reader to study English in attitude towards new lit erary approaches.It is also considered as Robert’s lecture and the whole experience after many years of studying and teaching in English. Readers can find a clear organization in the table content with four parts which are named shortly and forcefully. At the beginning of each part there is always a brief with questions. Questions can also be found at the beginning of many chapters and texts with key words italicized. This helps readers stimulate their thoughts which guide the direction of the text with a central focus by devising a thesis.Readers are asked about the subject that the author’s thesis should answer then. The more the author keeps giving questions and key words even in the introduction, the more he keeps readers’ attention from beginning to end. Moreover, Robert utilizes a reasonable writing style with unbiased and succinct language. Layout of a text includes brief questions, brief introduction, content and summary. Readers will find their expectat ions satisfied in the content that he uses multilevel lists in more detail order: chapters, headings, subheadings and bullets.English is a subject in most education systems of the countries in the world, as well as a science requires meticulous research. Doing English defines the development of English as a subject since the nineteenth century and draws the changes in thinking about English in a neat approach. It is a new free terminology, vocabulary polyphonic and complex syntax that characterize many works of literary theory. It explains abstract ideas in the remaining conditions as well as literary approach really makes confusions.Concepts or definitions given by the author are not merely explained, but they are placed in specific circumstances. For example, when referring to achievements of Leavises (page 15), Robert do not codify the idea, which he summarizes them in list format, and confirms that is the â€Å"traditional method†. Then in the next chapter – Doing English today, the author introduces the concepts of â€Å"traditional Leavis method† and the way they approach in literature (page 21). Robert always has objective perspective on the study of English.He does not equate everything, instead that, he uses his vivid visual to point out the influence of different cultures which also affect each person's ability to interpret. â€Å"Just as you can’t jump higher than your shadow, you can’t escape your location in the world†, said Robert (page 21). This can be approved that he evaluates the â€Å"traditional method† rather than deny it. He reviews ‘literature method’ higher than ‘traditional method’. Critical method is the right way to literature approaches that he offers different methods and specific examples (page 25). The power of words is enormous.Robert has just the right attitude to use English by explaining how he used words in this book: reading and Interpreting. â€Å" This means that ‘reading’ and ‘interpreting’ mean almost the same, and you’ll see I use the words almost as synonyms in this book† (page 20). Also, this might be considered the maximum that the author used his own words to explain the terms that he uses throughout the book, such as taken for granted, text, presupposition, etc. This is also a good way for students to easily take notes and keep abreast of knowledge in the content based on key words.The author also uses illustrations and clear diagrams to help readers easily visualize (page 22, 24). Students who are studying this book will clearly see the relationship between the content and the reader that Robert Eaglestone wants to achieve. The theories given seem to be academic but they are interpreted by the author’s teaching experience. In this book there are many proper names who are Ph. D. , professor from prestigious universities. Robert mentions them with their study of language, e specially in English. Robert had read a lot, studied and made comments, critics on their methods.This proves that he is knowledgeable and highly qualified, and carefully studied English as well. This is a book for students of literature. It intends to provoke them to reconsider the role of literature in their life by the way they read the story and the way in which they are shaped. Chapter 4 in Part 1 – Critical attitude (page 39 – 46) is a good chapter for the literature approaches of students in critical thinking. From the example of enjoying a picture, Robert points out the contrast occurs in thinking about literature.A flat looking at, or needed to have depth depends on how we choose the direction of thinking to literary issues. Robert in turn introduces two concepts of ‘critical attitudes’ which are all sticking to the content of the text. Each attitude is specifically analyzed in terms of concepts and examples. Robert also explains why there are two such patterns. In addition, Robert also clarifies the issue by comparing table to help students easily compare and draw ‘critical attitudes’ for themselves. If you know why you are studying something, the subject becomes easier to understand†, Robert says (page 2). â€Å"Parents have to get all their kids to nursery schools that have no car parking space. So what do people do? They break the rules! Language is the same. It has rules – but it breaks them whenever it needs to†, a comment from an audience about Doing English (on amazon. com). Literature is no exception as it comes from the language. The value of literary art depends on each person's aesthetic level.As for Robert, â€Å"No definitions of ‘literature’ seem to be adequate: literature overflows or escapes from any attempt to categorize it† (page 59). Therefore, getting access to the literature should not be something so rigid that it is confined to the framework whether it has certain rules. In the third part with chapter 6 – Doing Shakespeare, authors use some drafts interweaving the text. This helps Robert insert additional information. This is the knowledge of Shakespeare which helps people understand more about the great British playwright, who has employed English views on his timeless masterpieces. Excellent Doing English: a though-provoking and accessible argument exploring the changing character of English Literature as it has developed outside the school curriculum over the last century† said The English and Media Magazine. In terms of science, book critics appreciate that this book is considered as a scientific research of Robert. To the end of the book’s content, the name of the last part is left with suspension points – English studies †¦ Is it an open-ended part? The author seems to be modest for the next generation to fill in the gap and to add more in this research.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

What Is Wind Fetch and How Does it Impact Waves

Fetch is a measurement of distance that indicates how far the wind has traveled over open water. The distance wind travels over water before meeting an obstacle, like a shoreline or reef, is the fetch of the wind. For example,  if a wind is blowing from east to west across a body of water and there are no obstacles, the fetch of the wind is equal to the  east-west  distance of the body of water. Why Is Wind Fetch Important? Wind fetch is important to understand in a maritime environment because of the effect wind has on the formation of waves. Wind and waves are closely related. When the wind blows over water friction pulls the surface water along in the same direction. The water gains energy from the wind and waves form because the water is being compressed by the wind. Once a wave accumulates enough energy and grows to a certain size it will bump into the wave in front of it which will cause it to gain height. By gaining height a wave exposes its surface to the wind and gains more energy. This cycle continues to produce larger waves as long as the wind blows in the same direction and there are no obstacles to stop the waves. A long fetch of the wind will produce larger waves and meteorologists are able to predict wave action using wind forecasts. Tides and currents can also add or subtract energy from waves but the wind is the driving force behind waves. Wind Fetch for Mariners When navigating or piloting a mariner needs to be aware of immediate conditions and of the potential conditions that could develop into a dangerous situation. A close eye should be kept on wind direction and areas that have a long potential fetch of the wind. In these areas, a wind shift which causes the fetch to lengthen will very likely cause wave height and frequency to increase. A long wind fetch combined with a long duration wind event can cause wind and wave challenges for mariners including rogue waves, difficult maneuvering, and shifting sandbars. Day to day decisions involving wind fetch include navigation, and setting scope while anchoring.