Impact of Uber on UK Mini Cabs

Impact of Uber on UK Mini Cabs Introduction The intense rivalry among competitors in the market is a critical driving force for each organisation. A healthy competition among competitors builds fuel for organisation long run, and while seeking progress firm practices influences other companies in the industry. The present research enables the researcher to find out such influences produced by Uber through their innovative practices. The research attempt shed lights on Uber Cab Company performance and the impact made by the organisation on other minicabs in the UK taxi industry. The researcher looks to utilise the journals of Wallsten (2015) and Edward, George and Sarkar (2010) for perceiving current issues efficiently. The investigation tries to perceive strategies and practices executed by Uber to advance in the UK taxi industry along with identifying the influence made on minicabs performance. Literature review The rise of Uber and the subsequent disruption in taxi industry has been a key research issue in recent years. For example, the study of Sundararajan (2014) revealed that the success of Uber was mainly due to the convenience offered by the service compared to existing cab services. This view has been upheld by other researchers such as Malhotra and Van Alstyne (2014) and Isaac (2014). All these studies point to the fact that Uber offer higher value to taxi customers in terms of lower charge, higher convenience and better safety offered by Uber. The theory of quality-value-loyalty chain was used by Wallsten (2015) to evaluate the success of Uber in Taxi industry. Figure 1.1: Quality-value-loyalty chain Source: Wallsten (2015) As per Quality-value-loyalty chain, price, product quality and service quality develop the perceived value of a product or service which in turn contributes to customer loyalty towards the product or service. Among these elements, competitors are easily able to imitate product quality and price. But it is very difficult to imitate service quality (Edward, George and Sarkar, 2010). Due to this, service quality has an enhanced role in creating value and loyalty for the product or service. Wallsten (2015) notes that the superior service quality of Uber has helped the company in creating value for customers and in developing loyal customer base in taxi industry. From the review of existing literature available on Ubers success in taxi industry, it can be understood that the ability of the company to offer better value, service quality and convenience was the main reasons for its success. Research purpose The study intends to identify the impacts that created by Uber Cab Company in the UK taxi industry and analyse influence that the company made on minicabs in the country.   Ã‚   The research objectives of the current research are: To evaluate the factors affecting satisfaction of cab customers To assess the factors contributing to the competitive advantage of Uber in UK Taxi industry To analyse the impact of Ubers growth on mini cabs of UK To provide suggestions to mini cabs of UK to remain competitive in UK Taxi industry Rationale Despite being a start-up in the UK taxi industry, Uber cab services had provided growth to the traditional taxi service in the country. The process made the countrys private taxi firm to stand tall where other numerous taxi companies had failed. According to Megaw (2016), 97% of the organisation that tried fit their name in the industry had fallen within the first four months where Uber showed resilience in making an impact which flew beyond the capital. The company had expanded beyond borders leaving a note on taxi industry to look for an urgent lift in which the mini cabs have experienced most of the damage. Uber was able to advance in each market that they have entered which led to protests and strikes in the UK. Uber Cab company flexibility had attracted few drivers who worked in mini cabs in London to join in the company. The low pricing strategy that the company presented has made controversies as competitors had alleged the practice unhealthy and artificial. Uber started its o peration in the UK with four locations and increased the size to eighteen with 30,000 drivers in London (Torrance, 2016). Data analysis interprets that since Uber started its operation, the private hire operations in London has attained a decline of 11% assuming minimum ten private taxi business close in every month. The research seeks to identify major reasons for the customer to choose Uber cab over minicabs by comparing their service using service quality framework and looks to interpret recommendation for minicabs in order to survive the situation. Scope and limitation of research The Uber Cab Company intervention to the UK taxi industry has been questioned severely by the minicab operators as their low payment system and other operations has affected minicabs and provoked few operators to end their operations in London area. The investigation gathers ample evidence for interpreting the features that attracted customers to Uber service so that certain recommendations could be drawn to the minicab operators in the UK for improving their business in the location. Research methodology For constituting the study, the researcher has to acquire efficient information on operations of both Uber Cab and minicab services. For carrying out the research both primary and secondary data collection method is used by the researcher. The literature and journals on the topic are utilised to attain secondary data, and the primary information is collected through executing a survey on taxi customers. The survey is conducted on 55 customers who use taxi services in London in which 30 female and 25 male customers are targeted. The survey method enables researcher to understand consumer perspectives on services provided by Uber Cab and minicab companies improving study strength. The data achieved from books, journals, articles and websites belong to the secondary resources which are used by the researcher to analyse the issue further. The adequate information attained from these practices is used to provide significant interpretations for present research problems from which efficien t recommendations are drawn for the minicab operators. Action plan      Ã‚   Research objective By when Resources to be used (2.1) when do you know this objective is achieved which is after the by when to ensure that you have actually achieve the objective How will you monitor this objective is being achieved? method of monitoring Topic selection 17th December to 22nd December 2017 Books, articles and online journals for study topic selection 21st December 2017 22nd December 2017 Reporting Regularly to supervisor Aim and objective preparation 23rd to 24th December 2017 Adequate journals and books 23rd December 2017 24th December 2017 Reporting Regularly to supervisor Literature review 25th December to 10th January 2017 Secondary resources like books and publications both online and offline for literature review preparation 8th January 2017 10th January 2017 Timely informing supervisor work status updates Research methods 12th January to 16th April 2017 Journals and books for perceiving research methods 13th January 2017 15th April 2017 Updating report status to supervisor Data collection 17th January to 16th February 2017 Survey on customers as primary resource and data from books, journals and company reports as secondary resource 15th February 2017 16th February 2017 Communicating status to supervisor Interpretation of data 17th February 1st March 2017 Comparison of primary and secondary information and analysis descriptive methods 25th February 2017 1st March 2017 Updating work status to supervisor Conclusion and recommendation March 2nd 14th March 2017 On the basis of interpreted data and analysis 13th March 2017 14th March 2017 Timely report to supervisor Final submission 15th March 2017 2.2 Undertake the proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification and procedures. Questionnaire design This research was deliberated to mainly evaluate the effect of UBER Cab Company on mini cabs in the UK. For conducting the study, the research has opted UBER Cab Company to carry out the study. The research has mainly opted questionnaire method so as to gather data and information from the customers of UBER Cab Company to know more about taxi and the scope of them. For developing and evolving the questionnaire, the research has adopted Likert scale method, and to the customers of UBER Cab Company, the questionnaire was distributed with the aid of survey method. By opting the customers of UBER Cab Company for conducting the survey, the data gathered by the researcher was accurate and appropriate to the question of the research. Data collection method For the study, the research decided to opt primary data collection using survey method. The research was done with the aid of survey that was carried out on the customers of a minicab in London. The researcher decided to opt about 55 as the sample size for the study where 30 were women, and 25 were men. With the aid of survey method, the researcher could gain more knowledge and understanding about the company and the taxi services. All the research questions were related to the study and the questions prepared was simple and very easy to understand. This helped the researcher to get the opinions of customers. Advantages of survey method: With the aid of primary research, the research could gain relevant, apt and specific answers when compared to any other research methods. With the aid of Likert scales, the researcher could understand more about the topic and do not spend more time on the data collection. Survey method is cost effective and time-consuming. Disadvantages of survey method: The survey that is closed and structured might have less validity and reliability than other methods. There can be favourable answers been marked by the researcher so as to support the subject. The respondents will not be able to give their maximum as they will not be aware of the reason behind the survey. Advantages and disadvantages of ANOVA method The survey method was analysed with the aid of ANOVA method through which qualitative data collection was collected. Over more than two groups the data are examined and reviewed constancy for gaining the result in the case ANOVA method. The t-test is mainly compared to ANOVA methods as instead for ANOVA method t-test is used for the similar use. The advantages of ANOVA are: ANOVA method is mainly opted to relate groups of various samples sizes when compared to the t-test. Without cumulating the probabilities of Type, I error, with the aid of ANOVA more than two grouped can be evaluated. The disadvantages of ANOVA are: Incorrect results can be gained from ANOVA if the samples are gathered from the average population. ANOVA helps to makes sure if the samples are different from each other and also indicates the samples that are different from the similar ones. D3: Justify the choice of data collection methods To get accurate and reliable data and information the researcher adopted primary research for this study conducted on UBER Cab Company. The research has adopted survey method as the research strategy to gather data from the customers of UBER Cab Company London. The responses gathered from different customers were different and had different opinion and suggestions. The questions were closed and structured through Likert scales. Likert scales also aided the researcher in understanding the questionnaire. It was comparatively easy for the researcher to gather quantitative data with the help of survey methodology that made the research to be analysed easily with the aid of ANOVA method. 2.3 Record and collate relevant data where appropriate The researcher has used ANOVA analysis for testing the data collected from taxi customers of London. The researcher collected data from 55 taxi customers (30 female and 25 male customers). The working hypothesis adopted by the researcher is that there is clear difference in taxi service preferences of male and female taxi customers of London. This working hypothesis is tested with the help of ANOVA analysis. SS df MS F P Price 388.9286 1 388.9286 9.24 0.028759 Accessibility 388.9286 1 388.9286 5.08 0.073916 Convenience 388.9286 1 388.9286 3.56 0.117844 Driver behaviour 388.9286 1 388.9286 6.69 0.049044 Quality of car 388.9286 1 388.9286 10.89 0.021476 Safety 388.9286 1 388.9286 14.9 0.011879 2.1 ANOVA analysis of customer needs from taxi service From the above ANOVA analysis it can be understood that the opinions of male and female taxi customers significantly diverge in terms of their needs and expectations from taxi services available in UK. The analysis shows that female customers gave greater importance of safety, quality of car and driver behaviour when compared to male customers. On the other hand, male customers gave higher importance to convenience aspect while choosing taxi services. SS Df MS F P Reliability 388.9286 1 388.9286 6.65 0.049507 Assurance 388.9286 1 388.9286 14.25 0.012957 Tangibility 388.9286 1 388.9286 4.12 0.098139 Empathy 388.9286 1 388.9286 11.68 0.018887 Responsiveness 388.9286 1 388.9286 2.83 0.153344 2.2 ANOVA analysis of customer rating of service quality of Uber From the ANOVA analysis of the customer rating of service quality of Uber it is clear that both male and female customers have diverging opinions regarding the different dimensions of service quality of Uber. For example, it is evident that reliability, empathy and assurance elements of service quality of were given higher rating by female customers while male customers gave higher importance to responsiveness of the service of Uber. SS df MS F P Reliability 388.9286 1 388.9286 8.36 0.034132 Assurance 388.9286 1 388.9286 5.71 0.062422 Tangibility 388.9286 1 388.9286 21.02 0.005922 Empathy 388.9286 1 388.9286 3.28 0.129892 Responsiveness 388.9286 1 388.9286 11.02 0.021017 Methodology I used simple random sample because it is the simplest way to select participants from a population. According to Saunders, et al., using these methods means that each individual in the population has the same chance of being selected for the sample (2012) The survey questionnaire was developed on free online source distributed to employees via email, and social media messaging. Printed sheets of questionnaire were also provided for data collection. The expected sample size is set to 100 participants from the target population and the sampling is undertaken based on simple random sampling method. 2.3 ANOVA analysis of customer rating of service quality of UK minicab The above analysis of customer rating of service quality of UK minicabs reveal that female customers hold very different view regarding the service of minicabs when compared to female customers. It is evident from the analysis that female customers opinion regarding the reliability, assurance, tangibility and responsiveness of minicabs diverge from that of their male counterparts. SS Df MS F P Uber 388.9286 1 388.9286 2.43 0.179774 Minicab 388.9286 1 388.9286 14.25 0.012957 2.4 ANOVA analysis of customer likelihood of using of Uber and Minicab The above ANOVA analysis shows that female customers are much more likely to not use minicabs than male customers. On the other both male and female customers are equally likely to use Uber as taxi service in London. 3.1 Use appropriate research evaluation techniques Effectiveness of Project planning was developed by the researcher for implementing the current research project. The plan entailed the main steps of the project alongside milestones, objectives, review dates and resource allocation. This research plan was highly efficient in enabling the implementation of the research within the allocated time frame. One area where the research faced difficulty was in using ANOVA analysis method in data collation stage. The lack of knowledge and experience of the researcher in using ANOVA analysis method was a key obstacle in the smooth implementation of the research. Achievement of research objectives: Objective 1: To evaluate the factors affecting satisfaction of cab customers The primary objective of the current research was to evaluate the factors affecting satisfaction of cab customers. From the survey of taxi customers in London, the researcher was able to understand that convenience and accessibility were the most important factors that customers considered while selecting taxi service. From this it was inferred that convenience and accessibility of the cab service were the most important factors affecting satisfaction of UK cab customers. Objective 2: To assess the factors contributing to the competitive advantage of Uber in UK Taxi industry One of the other objectives of the research project was to assess the factors contributing to the competitive advantage of Uber in UK Taxi industry. With the help of the customer survey, the researcher evaluated the service quality dimensions of Uber. From this analysis it was understood that reliability, responsiveness and tangibility of service of Uber was rated highly by customers. From this it can be understood that Uber gains competitive advantage in UK taxi sector by offering reliable, responsive and tangible service. Objective 3: To analyse the impact of Ubers growth on mini cabs of UK The other objective of the research to analyse the impact of Ubers growth on mini cabs of UK. This was achieved by comparing the service quality of minicabs with that of Uber. From this comparison it was revealed that that reliability, responsiveness and tangibility of service of minicabs were inferior to that of Uber. This gap in service quality dimensions can be adjudged as the reason for the success of Uber in UK taxi market at the expense of minicabs. Objective 4: To provide suggestions to mini cabs of UK to remain competitive in UK Taxi industry The last objective of the research project was to provide suggestions to mini cabs of UK to remain competitive in UK Taxi industry. Form the research project it was understood that reliability, responsiveness and tangibility of service of minicabs were inferior to that of Uber. Hence it is recommended that minicabs seek improvement in reliability, responsiveness and tangibility elements of their service. Effectiveness of research methods: In the current research, survey method was used for collecting data from taxi customers in London. This data collection method was highly effective as it helped the researcher in collecting data from large number of customers with relative ease. As the data was collected from London this improves the validity of the research findings as London has a very diverse population. However, the research findings cannot be extrapolated across UK as the scope of the study was limited to London city. The research study is using both primary and secondary data. Primary data is obtained from the online survey and appropriate case study examples to interpret the results and Analysis. Secondary data has been used in Literature review .This section starts off by introducing you to four commonly used qualitative data collection methods. These collection methods and many others are also described and explained how to use them in evaluation. It then explains how you may go about involving participants: This is also known as sampling. The section ends with a discussion of a couple of approaches to qualitative data analysis. I will have to use some of these methods as part of your routine project monitoring activities, in a needs assessment or baseline or as part of an evaluation exercise. Quantitative and Qualitative data collection methods There are two ways of analysing qualitative data. One approach is to examine your findings with a pre-defined framework, which reflects your aims, objectives and interests. This approach is relatively easy and is closely aligned with policy and programmatic research which has pre-determined interests. This approach allows you to focus on particular answers and abandon the rest. I refer to this approach as framework analysis (Pope et al, 2000). The second approach takes a more exploratory perspective, encouraging me to consider and code all your data, allowing for new impressions to shape my interpretation in different and unexpected directions. I refer to this approach as thematic network analysis (Attride, 2001). Benefits of research results: The main benefit of the research results is that they outline the scope of competition between Uber and minicabs in UK taxi sector. This would help minicab service providers in understanding the areas where there is scope for improvement in their service. Difficulties faced in the research: One of the main difficulties faced in the current research was related to collecting data from taxi customers in London. The researcher faced difficulty in collecting data as the researcher lacked previous experience in collecting primary data through survey. 3.2 Interpretation and analysis of data 1. Gender Pie chart 1: Gender of the survey respondents Source: Created by the author Gender of the survey respondents is represented by the above pie diagram. From the above diagram, it is observed that relatively increased number of females (54.55%) constituted the participants of this survey program. 2. Rate the following factor in terms of their significance in your selecting a particular taxi serve (Scale of 1-5 where 1= Very high and 5= Very low) Bar chart 1: Ranking of factors that customers considers in selecting a taxi serve Source: Created by the author Analysing the significance of the various factors that a customer considers while adopting a taxi service, it is observed that convenience and accessibility were the mostly rated elements. The importance of safety element and pricing strategy were also identified from the customer responses. Thus it could be interpreted from this survey result that service efficiency, product attribute and pricing constitutes the main elements that influence the decision-making the process of the customers. This is in line with the literature study of Wallsten (2015) that explains the concept of Quality-value-loyalty chain. 3. Rate the following elements of service quality of Uber on a scale of 1-5 where 1 = Very good and 5= Very bad? Bar chart 2: Customer rating for the service attributes of Uber Source: Created by the author Responsiveness, tangibility and reliability were the highly rated characteristic features of Uber services. This is in line with the findings of Sundararajan (2014) and Isaac (2014) who identified that service excellence was the key element that provided an improved competitive advantage for Uber. However, it is also observed from the above pie diagram that Uber has received a negative customer response regarding its assurance. 4. Rate the following elements of service quality of minicabs of UK on a scale of 1-5 where 1 = Very good and 5= Very bad? Bar chart 3: Rating for the service quality of minicabs of UK Source: Created by the author A multitude of opinions was gathered from the customers regarding their rating for the service quality of minicabs. However analysing the above bar diagram it is apparent that majority of the customers has given comparatively a higher rating for the empathy element in the service quality of UK minicabs. 5. Rate the likelihood of you using the following services when you use taxi service next time on a scale of 1-5 (1= Very high and 5=Very low) Bar chart 4: Probability of selecting Uber and minicab services Source: Created by the author Analysing the probability of customers in selecting a taxi service, it is observed that majority of the participants opined that they prefer to opt Uber services. This signifies that Uber has achieved an improved recognition and competitive advantage compared to other minicab services of UK, which is in line with the reports of Isaac (2014) and Wallsten

The Fascinating Town of San Rafael Essay -- Descriptive Essay About A

The Fascinating Town of San Rafael As a young child, I would visit my grandparents in Marin County often. My parents would pack my sister and me up in the car, and we would head north from San Francisco to the small town of Novato. The road to Novato took us through San Rafael, where I would always marvel at the one mile stretch of shopping mall that Highway 101 traversed. However, once we were into the hills of wine country and the shopping mall was a distant memory, so too became San Rafael. It wasn’t until I met Paul, my partner, that I learned the full story behind this fascinating town. San Rafael is located on the wedge of land that divides the San Francisco Bay and the mighty Pacific Ocean. Lying just 10 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Rafael serves as a major shopping destination and is the gateway to Wine Country. Despite its apparent peacefulness, closer examination reveals some interesting contrasts in this suburb of San Francisco, both in the surrounding environment and in the actual inhabitants themselves. Hills dominate much of San Rafael’s geographical profile. Partially located on a large rock quarry, San Rafael’s jagged edges provide stark contrast with its smooth, rolling hills and the nearby China Camp State Park, an almost unknown escape filled with lush greenery and forests. 10 years ago, both the state park and the surrounding hills were covered with oak trees. Recently however, the disease Sudden Oak Death has posed a serious threat to every oak tree in the area. Forestry officials have been forced to burn out any trees that have been infected with the disease, leaving the skeletons of these once mighty trees to dot the landscape. These reminders of nature’s tr... ..., many use drugs as an escape from the expectations of their parents and the intense atmosphere at San Rafael’s several private college preparatory high schools. These schools have a long expectation of both academic and sporting excellence, and those unable to cope with these expectations sometimes see drugs as their only way out. As illustrated here, San Rafael can be seen as a study in contrasts, within its environment, the political beliefs of its citizens, and in the racial and economic breakdown of these citizens. I learned from Paul that San Rafael was much more than I had originally thought. I quickly discovered that it was not, in fact, the pretty little town that existed solely to feed the two large malls it contained, but in fact has its own charms and dirty little secrets. Just like every town across America, it is not exactly what it seems. The Fascinating Town of San Rafael Essay -- Descriptive Essay About A The Fascinating Town of San Rafael As a young child, I would visit my grandparents in Marin County often. My parents would pack my sister and me up in the car, and we would head north from San Francisco to the small town of Novato. The road to Novato took us through San Rafael, where I would always marvel at the one mile stretch of shopping mall that Highway 101 traversed. However, once we were into the hills of wine country and the shopping mall was a distant memory, so too became San Rafael. It wasn’t until I met Paul, my partner, that I learned the full story behind this fascinating town. San Rafael is located on the wedge of land that divides the San Francisco Bay and the mighty Pacific Ocean. Lying just 10 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Rafael serves as a major shopping destination and is the gateway to Wine Country. Despite its apparent peacefulness, closer examination reveals some interesting contrasts in this suburb of San Francisco, both in the surrounding environment and in the actual inhabitants themselves. Hills dominate much of San Rafael’s geographical profile. Partially located on a large rock quarry, San Rafael’s jagged edges provide stark contrast with its smooth, rolling hills and the nearby China Camp State Park, an almost unknown escape filled with lush greenery and forests. 10 years ago, both the state park and the surrounding hills were covered with oak trees. Recently however, the disease Sudden Oak Death has posed a serious threat to every oak tree in the area. Forestry officials have been forced to burn out any trees that have been infected with the disease, leaving the skeletons of these once mighty trees to dot the landscape. These reminders of nature’s tr... ..., many use drugs as an escape from the expectations of their parents and the intense atmosphere at San Rafael’s several private college preparatory high schools. These schools have a long expectation of both academic and sporting excellence, and those unable to cope with these expectations sometimes see drugs as their only way out. As illustrated here, San Rafael can be seen as a study in contrasts, within its environment, the political beliefs of its citizens, and in the racial and economic breakdown of these citizens. I learned from Paul that San Rafael was much more than I had originally thought. I quickly discovered that it was not, in fact, the pretty little town that existed solely to feed the two large malls it contained, but in fact has its own charms and dirty little secrets. Just like every town across America, it is not exactly what it seems.

Defining Historiography Essay

Historians do not always agree about how to interpret the events and people that they study; this leads to multiple explanations, which at times, are diametrically opposed to each other. As students progress into upper-level courses in the Department of History, they must move from the mastery of facts and analysis of primary sources encouraged by lower-level courses to a richer and deeper understanding of how history is written and the fact that events and ideas are open to interpretation. Within History 420 (Readings in History), students then move into another level of explanation, where they read intensively on a topic and provide their own historiographical explanations for a series of events/ideas. Therefore, historiography can be described as â€Å"the history of history.† What this means in practice is an exploration of a specific topic, and how historians have explained events or people over time, i.e. how their explanations have changed due to their own worldview and/or ideological bent, due to re-interpretation of previously-viewed sources, due to the availability of new sources, previously unexplored, and/or due to the application of different questions and/or methodologies to sources. Revision of prior interpretations of the past is an implicit and important element of historiography. It requires students to not only be able to explain the different schools of thought or interpretations but also potentially to develop their own explanations, based on their assigned readings. The focus of a historiographical essay is not on the event or person itself; rather, it is on the interpretations of the event or person. Process: 1. Read and analyze multiple works independently on the same topic (assigned on weekly or bi-weekly basis), including an exploration of the sources that the authors utilize or do not utilize in shaping their arguments. a. Make sure that you are not merely summarizing the author’s ideas; rather, you are providing analysis of the work’s argument, sources, and conclusions and of the author’s own interpretation of said topic. b. In addition, each author is likely to provide an explanation of the fit of his/her work within the larger historiographical context; take careful note of this as well, particularly when he/she references other assigned works. c. Another element of this process is to have a firm understanding of who the author is; be certain to conduct research into previous publications, ideological background and/or current research interests. Are there any parts of his/her background that are directly related to the subject matter and if so, what are the pr os and cons of this? 2. Questions to consider as you write your historiographical essay: Individual Works †¢ What is the â€Å"main point† or argument made by each work regarding your specific topic? Think particularly about whether or not the author is trying to reinforce an earlier perception of history or argue for a re-interpretation of the past. †¢ What kinds of sources are used, how and why? How does the author deal with counter-evidence, i.e. information that seems to weaken or contradict the thesis? †¢ What are the strengths and weaknesses in terms of argument, analysis and conclusions of the work? †¢ How does this work relate to earlier readings, i.e. do they present similar or dissimilar ideas and how/why? †¢ How do these authors or works, as a group, contribute our understanding of this series of historical events and their outcome? 3. Bring these works together in an integrated analysis that incorporates and explains the different arguments, conclusions and evidence of various authors in order to build your own explanation of a central theme. An integrated analysis is one that not only draws on different books/articles but also explains how the works agree and disagree with each other. A particularly strong historiographical essay will do this by considering multiple points of view within discussion of a sub-topic, all in one well-crafted paragraph or series of paragraphs, which is then connected back to the overall argument. Then you would move on to the next connected sub-topic, again linking back to the overall argument. You want to avoid the temptation to simply discuss one work, then the next, and then another, with little explanation or analysis of how they fit together. 4. Questions to consider as you write your historiographical essay: The Big Picture †¢ How has the historiography of your topic evolved over time? What has changed in terms of interpretation of events and ideas? What was the initial interpretation of this event, idea or person? How has it changed and why? †¢ How have ideological shifts had an impact on your topic? Are the authors under study wedded to a particular â€Å"historical school† i.e. Marxist, Feminist, Neo-Conservative, Liberal, and/or how does the author’s main lens of analysis (cultural, political, military, social, etc.) have an impact on his/her interpretations? †¢ Have the â€Å"discovery† or re-interpretation of sources caused historians to ask new questions or take their research in new directions? †¢ Have historians used different methodological approaches (e.g. quantitative, linguistic) in their work and how was this had an impact on conclusions?

Pronouncing the Difficult Consonants of Spanish

Pronouncing the Difficult Consonants of Spanish While many of the Spanish consonants have sounds that are similar to those in English, many are distinctly different and have become the bane of many a Spanish student. Persons learning Spanish who see a familiar letter are tempted to give it the pronunciation they already know- but more often than not that wont get it exactly right. Even though Spanish is highly phonetic, some letters have more than one pronunciation, and still others are simply different than what might be expected. Consonants With More Than One Sound C, at least in most of Latin America, is pronounced like the c in cereal when it comes before an e or an i, and like the c in car when it is other positions. Examples: complacer, hacer, cido, carro, acabar, crimen. Note: Although you will be understood if you use the Latin American pronunciation, in parts of Spain the c sounds like the th in thin when it comes before an e or i. Learn more details in the lesson on pronouncing the C. D generally is pronounced somewhat like the d in diet, although often the tongue touches the bottom of the teeth instead of the top. But when d comes between vowels, it has a much softer sound, kind of like the th in that. Examples: derecho, helado, diablo. See our lesson on pronouncing the  D for more details. G is pronounced much like the English g in go, although softer, except when it precedes an i or e. In those cases, it is pronounced like the Spanish j. Examples: gordo, gritar, gigante, mgico. See the lesson on pronouncing the  G. N usually has the sound of the n in nice. If it is followed by a b, v, f or p, it has the sound of m in empathy. Examples: no, en, en vez de, andar. Learn more in our lesson on the  N. X varies in sound, depending on the origin of the word. It is often pronounced like the x in example or exit, but it also may be pronounced like the s or the Spanish j. In words of Mayan origin it can even have the English sh sound. Examples: à ©xito, experiencia, Mà ©xico, Xela. See also our explanation of the Spanish  X. Consonants That Markedly Differ from English B and V are pronounced exactly the same. In fact, one of the few spelling problems that many Spanish speakers have is with these two letters, because they dont distinguish them at all from their sound. Generally, the b and v are pronounced like the b in beach. When either of the letters is between two vowels, the sound is formed kind of like the English v, except that the sound is made by touching the lips together instead of the upper teeth and lower lip. See our lesson on pronouncing the B and V for more details and a brief audio lesson. H is always silent. Examples: hermano, hacer, deshacer. See also the lesson on the silent H. J (and the g when before an e or i) can be difficult, as its sound, that of the German ch, is absent in English except for a few foreign words where it is sometimes retained, as in the final sound of loch or the initial sound of Channukah. The sound is sometimes described as a heavily aspirated h, made by expelling air between the back of the tongue and the soft palate. If you cant pronounce it well, youll be understood by using the h sound of house, but its worthwhile to work on the correct pronunciation. Examples: garaje, juego, jardà ­n. See the lesson on pronouncing the J. L is always pronounced like the first l in little, never like the second one. Examples: los, helado, pastel. See the lesson on pronouncing the L. LL (once considered a separate letter) is usually pronounced like the y in yellow. There are some regional variations, however. In parts of Spain it has the sound of the ll in million, and in parts of Argentina it has the zh sound of azure. Examples: llama, calle, Hermosillo. See the lesson on pronouncing the LL. Ñ is pronounced like the ny in canyon. Examples: à ±oà ±o, caà ±Ãƒ ³n, campaà ±a. See the lesson on pronouncing the Ñ. R and RR are formed by a flap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, or a trill. See the R and RR how to guides for these letters. Z generally sounds like the s in simple. In Spain it is often pronounced like the th in thin. Examples: zeta, zorro, vez. See our lesson on pronouncing the C and Z.

Quiénes pueden brindar asesoría migratoria en USA

Quià ©nes pueden brindar asesorà ­a migratoria en USA Para todos los migrantes en Estados Unidos hay una necesidad evidente de contar con buena  asesorà ­a migratoria. Pero una cosa es informacià ³n en general, como la que se brinda en esta pgina y otra muy distinta asesorà ­a para el caso concreto de cada uno.  ¿Quià ©n puede brindarla? Y es que hay que tener claro que un mal consejo legal puede ocasionar muchos problemas  de cabeza. Incluso algunos que luego no se pueden solucionar. Es por esta razà ³n que es muy conveniente contar con la asesorà ­a de una persona honesta, trabajadora y que sepa de quà © habla. Es fundamental entender la diferencia entre quià ©nes son los abogados, los representantes acreditados, los consultores y los notarios y saber quà © puede legalmente hacer cada uno de ellos en asuntos migratorios. Abogados migratorios para asesorar en asuntos migratorios Los abogados obviamente pueden dar consejo legal y tambià ©n representar los inmigrantes en las Cortes de Inmigracià ³n.   El paso natural cuando se necesita consejo legal es contratar a un letrado. Para  elegir abogado  es fundamental contar con referencias positivas de clientes actuales o antiguos. Sin embargo, son relativamente frecuentes los casos de malaprctica y negligencia. Adems, hay que tener en cuenta que los servicios de los  abogados en Estados Unidos puede resultar  muy caros. No siendo raro que cobren hasta $400 por hora y que carguen a mayores por servicios como fotocopias o llamadas telefà ³nicas, con lo que la factura final puede ser considerable. Muchas veces se puede ahorrar hablando previamente con el abogado y presentando todos los documentos ordenados y traducidos. Asà ­ se evitarn gastos en los que puede incurrir el despacho de abogados por tener que buscar ellos mismos documentos o de traducirlos al inglà ©s. Por à ºltimo, en el caso de encontrarse con un abogado cuya actuacià ³n ha podido no ser profesional se puede presentar una queja ante la  American Immigration Lawyers Association. En el caso de estar fuera de los Estados Unidos, es importante buscar abogados que de verdad entiendan las leyes migratorias de ese paà ­s y desconfiar de aquellos que aseguran conocer a alguien en el consulado que arregla papeles a cambio de dinero. Eso no es asà ­. En los Estados Unidos, tambià ©n es posible buscar opciones ms asequibles de asistencia legal como es el caso de los representantes acreditados, conocidos en inglà ©s como  accredited representatives. Quines son los representantes acreditados para asuntos migratorios Son las personas que estn autorizadas para actuar en nombre del inmigrante ante del Departamento de Seguridad Interna (DHS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y sus diversas instituciones, como el  USCIS o la CBP. Esto es lo que se conoce como representacià ³n parcial. Pero adems, pueden estar autorizadas para representar a su cliente ante las cortes de inmigracià ³n. El Board of Immigration Appeals es el à ºnico organismo autorizado a conceder estas  acreditaciones  y lo hace a personas que: Sean postuladas para tal posicià ³n por una organizacià ³n reconocida.Posean buen carcter moral.Y tengan conocimientos y experiencia sobre las leyes y los procedimientos migratorios y de naturalizacià ³n para la adquisicià ³n de la ciudadanà ­a americana. El Board concede la acreditacià ³n por un periodo de  tres aà ±os renovables. Por lo que para confirmar que todo est bien con la persona que se desea elegir para que actà ºe como representante se puede checar su estatus con el Programa de Reconocimiento de Acreditaciones llamando al (703) 305 9029. Otras personas autorizadas para asesorar legalmente Adems, estn autorizados para esas labores las organizaciones reconocidas como tales y los proveedores de asistencia legal gratuita. Asimismo, pueden representar a los inmigrantes otros representantes cualificados como estudiantes o licenciados en Derecho que todavà ­a no han aprobado el examen de ingreso al Bar pero que trabajan bajo la supervisià ³n de un abogado. Tambià ©n pueden hacerlo los oficiales del gobierno, como por ejemplo los agentes consulares y las personas como sacerdotes, vecinos, familiares del inmigrante y que sean de buen carcter moral y que no cobren ni directa ni indirectamente por estos servicios. Sin embargo, los que no estn autorizados a ejercer esa representacià ³n son los notarios o los consultores de inmigracià ³n. Que NO pueden hacer los consultores de inmigracin y los notarios Ni los consultores ni los notarios pueden, entre otras cosas: Representar a los inmigrantes ante el USCIS o ante una corte federal de inmigracià ³n.Brindar asistencia legal sobre a quà © beneficios migratorios se puede aplicar.Aconsejar sobre quà © decir en una entrevista con las autoridades migratorias.Ni tampoco pueden cobrar cantidades altas por sus servicios. Por lo tanto, si crees que has sido và ­ctima de un fraude migratorio, asà ­ se reporta. Qu servicios pueden prestar los consultores y los notarios Dependiendo de sus conocimientos, los consultores pueden ayudar a los inmigrantes rellenar los formularios del USCIS como por ejemplo los de peticià ³n de un familiar, permiso de trabajo, etc. Tambià ©n pueden  traducir los documentos que deben presentarse junto con las formas. Fraude y representacin por s mismo Es importante evitar fraudes y, si se es và ­ctima de uno, consultar cà ³mo es posible denunciar el caso.   Por à ºltimo, saber que en los casos ante corte migratoria el gobierno no est obligado a proporcionar abogado en los casos en los que el migrante no puede pagarla. Es posible la auto representacià ³n, pero las estadà ­sticas demuestran que los casos con ms à ©xito cuentan con la presencia de un abogado. De inters: informacin para legalizacin El fin de muchos migrantes es obtener papeles. Para ello es importante conocer cules  son  7 situaciones migratorias que se puede tener en Estados Unidos  y tambià ©n cules son en la actualidad los caminos limitados que los indocumentados tienen para regularizar su situacià ³n. Si se cree que se puede tener una opcià ³n, asesorarse con un abogado o un representante acreditado. Este artà ­culo no es consejo legal para ningà ºn caso particular. Tiene carcter meramente informativo.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 130

Essay Example Intelligence is form of capital that has been emphasized in the story. There is also the human capital that is used to aid in the production process. To Henry, Portia was also a form of capital as she helped him carry out his deals successfully. Therefore, capital in this context is anything that helps a person earn money or make wealth. 4. Portia and Henry in their conversations talk about salary and love. According to them, there is a positive relationship between romance and business. In their relationship, they used their romance to do business. Accompanying each other to different business occasions, planning together on their next move and acting as each other’s aide in business meetings complimented their relationship. 5. According to Thorstein Veblen, â€Å"pecuniary emulation† means the behavior in which people try to emulate other people who are socially well off. He observes that as people increasingly acquire wealth, their social class and lifestyles changes. As these aspects of their lives change, they are seen by others to live decently and comfortably. They act as role models as those who envy them try to emulate their behavior and lifestyles. As a result, they try to improve on their earnings and acquire things that closely resemble those of the high people in the society. 6. From Benjamin’s story â€Å"The Way to Wealth,† the â€Å"plain clean old Man, with white Locks† cites the idea, supposedly from Poor Richard that we should â€Å"oversee our own Affairs with our own Eyes, and not trust too much to others† and that we should act independently and avoid debt, yet Richard himself is gratified that others cite his sayings and buy his almanacs, which makes his arguments and ideas be in opposition with the reality. Purchase of his almanacs and other authors citing him are in contradiction to his own reasoning. Benjamin advocates for independency in people’s reasoning and way of doing things, which is however not true

The Lottery Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Lottery - Research Paper Example That is the main reason why the lottery happens every year although not everyone truly looks forward to it. This research paper takes a critical look at this story to establish how the writer uses imagery and other devices to communicate the central theme of the danger of blindly following customs. These exposes underlying backwardness and hypocrisy with which the administrative authority run its affairs (Hattenhauer, p.171). It goes further to draw comparisons and contrasts between Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† and Jane Glaspell’s â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers† focusing on the main characters that are both females living in a male dominated and conservative societies. They symbolize change as they are the ones out to change how things happen by their actions and words. â€Å"The Lottery† The friendly tone that Jackson uses to write the story and the way that she describes the days’ events leading up to the lottery draw actually manages to initially hide the darkness that is actually represented by the lottery (Smith, p.170). No doubt that not a single person in the town ever looked forward to the lottery draws every year because nobody wants to end up being pelted to death with stones just because your name was drawn out of a box. Before we establish the kind of lottery to be done, the preliminary preparations does not depict any kind of violence to give the image of a typically organized society. The man in charge of the process is very shabby and carries a black box that has been used for a very long time without being replaced; this depicts this tradition as an old custom that has no place in the modern society. According to Smith (p.117), the lottery as a practice feeds the blood lust of the villagers and the hypocrisy of the practice. In fact, it could also represent a study of the human psyche that shows how nobody truly knows his neighbor and how mundane activities could actually hold an evil intention behind it. The event is organized in a very shambolic manner with pieces of paper used to write the residents’ name for selection purposes. These events were organized in order to connect with the gods and ancestors for favour of blessings and abundant harvests. The writer however punches holes in the exercise even saying that these people did not even have an idea why they were taking part. They preserve this archaic tradition because it was passed down generations but no factual explanation of when and how it was started. According to Showalter (p.411), the lottery practice in the town itself presents society’s weakness and their ties traditions that they continue to practice even though everyone has already forgotten why the tradition started in the first place. Never mind the fact that they continue to practice legalized murder just because the society is afraid of what might happen if they actually stop the practice of murdering a person from the town every year as an o ffering for an excellent harvest. I find it hard to believe that nobody in the town questioned the reason for the lottery and its outcome. Even harder to fathom is why the townspeople pretend to be excited by the lottery when it is not something that normal thinking people would look forward for annual participation (Duffield, p.62). It can't just truly be all about not wanting to ruffle any feathers when it came to townspeople participation in the event. Why would somebody be afraid of being rejected by their neighbors for not wanting to participate in a bloodbath year after year? No. This was a town that rejected change and the disruption of traditions for some reason. The lottery ends in murder committed annually in a very inhuman way; the