Family A Tough Bond To Break :: essays research papers fc

Family: A tough Bond to Break Many wise pholosophers say that only 7 stories exist in the world as we know it. The struggle of good versus evil, finding true love, and the rise and fall of important people have been written about since the discovery of pen and paper. One theme that stands out in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, is the desperation to keep a family together. Odysseus, Telemacus, and Penelope all suffer hardships trying to keep the tight bond their family has, as close as possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Odysseus is determined he will return to his wife and newborn son after the war of Troy was won. Many trials and tribulations are presented to Odysseus on his journey home. Polyphemus, the Cyclops, tries to detain the hero from returning to his home of Ithaca. Poseidon’s son failed and ended up being blinded (Milch p. 29). Odysseus was also tempted by Calypso. The nymph-goddess offered to make him immortal if he would just stay with her on the island for ever. Odysseus refused and started his epic journey to Ithaca once again. Odysseus is told to visit Teiresias in Hades to find a way to make it back to Penelope and Telemacus. He must venture to the land of the dead (Rieu p 160). The only important thing in Odysseus’ life is returning to his family in Ithaca.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having the same feelings his father possesses, Telemacus’ only desires are to keep his mother from marrying one of the many suitors and acquiring knowledge of his father. He must do this because he knows that if his father is dead, he must return to Ithica to fight the suitors alone (and eventually be killed). His other choice is to stay away from Ithica all together and lose the respect of his people and do harm to his fathers name. To do this, Telemacus sets out on a journey of his own. He first decides to visit his fathers friend, Nestor, first (Rieu, p. 30-44). Nestor tells of his fathers great deeds. After leaving Nestors palace, Telemacus visits Menelaus. He is visiting these great men to find out about his father. Since Telemacus was only an infant when his father set out to fight at Troy, he really does not remember him. By hearing stories about the great acts his father committed, he feels that he knows him better. This brings new feelings about is father.

Teen Pregnancy: its Prevalence and Alternatives

Zarrilli mentioned that â€Å"Although scholars disagree on a definition, we may define ‘popular’ theatre as stage entertainment that appeals to cross class audiences in complex societies through commercial means. † (Zarrilli et al, Theatre Histories, 2006, pg 311) In this context it could be stated that a theatre is a stage where the actor and actress perform their characters according to the director script is written. But the acting on the stage and especially in front of the audience is more difficult rather than performing on the back stage.There is whole lot of difference between a normal theatre and a popular theatre because rather than the culture mimic and mirror it also shows disagreement for the spectators with not a single question to answer but actually gives a reflection to the audience to find the answer. Popular theatre is nothing like that, what we see on television or theatre, where the actor and actress are performing a masterpiece, but here it is only to perform and realise the situation of the script and play a stage role in a very simple manner so that everyone can understand.However, in this context it would be relevant to mention that melodrama, folk drama, festivals, calendar celebrations such as; Christmas, Easter, the harvest festival and Halloween, carnivals, clowns, reality TV as examples of popular theatre. Discussion While placing a role in front of a viewer popular theatre should tell a story and also bring a concern to the community around the issue. The content should be a potential one and it should be a theatre as a â€Å"rehearsal of life† so that the visitors can overcome the fears of mind and can build a self reliance among them selves.The act should be intense, so that the audience gets encourage and they should have the ideas without any hesitation in mind. Thus from this view point events like melodrama, folk drama, festivals, calendar celebrations such as; Christmas, Easter, the harvest festi val and Halloween, carnivals, clowns, reality TV well blends into the parameter of popular theatre. Now, for the presentation it requires some time and with the chosen form of communication it can be done very quickly and easily.Sometimes the local people carry out the expenses making the production cost low. Another important part of popular theatre is to organize a very few people who have a very good understanding among themselves so that they can make their own decisions and participate to do the work. (Berkowitz, 189) An illustration of a case study would help in this context. Take for example ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’ (Trans: Tale of Throne), Directed by former parliamentarian Amrit Nahata, that originated as a folk drama, was a controversial Indian play.The plot revolved around a corrupt and evil politician, Utpal Dutt, trying to woo personified public, Shabana Azmi. It talked about evil politicians running after the ministerial throne to do anything and everything to get the so called ministry chair and ultimately shows that all politicians are of same character, leaving a question mark on the viewers about the characters of the politicians governing the country. This is what folk drama does. It reveals the public sentiment on different issues. In this case it was political satire.(Dos, 177) Now comes the performance part. It is completely an art, where the artist has to interact with spectators indirectly. Before they come in front of them they need ample practice to perform on stage with exemplary presence of mind. To make it complete, the artist should have appropriate make up, speech, to convey the message with proper skills of non verbal communication. Sometimes the interaction with audience can be direct, it becomes a testing time for the artist’s presence of mind, as different audience can behave indifferently.So folk artists of a folk drama have to work according to it. In a normal theatre the artist perform their role very professio nally because it is their bread and butter for them, so they have to perform quiet confidently so that the next order or roll does not quit away from them. Therefore they have to work very sincerely on that performance act. But in the popular theatre such as folk drama the artist plays a role without any tension on the platform and they do well than the professional people.This only happens because they think that they are working for the society or for the community to grow awareness among the people, so that they do not suffer afterwards in the later part of the life. Here we can see that the normal theatre artist perform their duties for their occupation, whereas the popular theatre artist does their work for the betterment of the society. For example, in India our government has taken an initiative to do away with stigma around AIDS. While launching this type of welfare needs, the government has taken two steps to convey the message to the people of India.One is by providing awa reness to the citizen by the help of television. (Border, 227-228) This type of small advertisement programs are covered by popular artist, so that the admirers of the artist gets more attracted to the message of the advertisement, which had been conveyed to them and they should follow that message from that particular day and also discuss the issue with others. With that particular topic, the government also launches small programs, like street skits, with the local people who stay in the villages and perform the role, where the awareness of the advertisement had not reach.Here popular theatre plays its part. It takes more time and hassle for the performers to do the work, but it will be sure that the message will be reach to each and every family, which is much more effective than the regular theatre. These types of popular theatre are conducted by the artist according to the village tradition, culture and language which can give a more positive effect on the minds of the audience . Artist faces many problems out here. Cost is a main factor, where most of the money comes from the government, where the rest had to be collected from the welfare trustees, who donate for the betterment of the people.For every rehearsal the artists had some expenses for make ups, dress, food, lodging, this small cost looks more visible when the artist is performing for quit along time. As the funds are very limited it also crates a negative impact while performing a role. For that the insiders and the outsiders have to talk freely and openly with the particular problem and with the help of the experiences they have to solve it. Most of the people start with his own experience and later notice or study the experience of other artist. (Deb, 323)The analysis part is done between actors, facilitators, animators and even between the insiders and the outsiders. In this type of analysis the issue information is examined in three contexts, that is economical social or political. This issu e should immediately bring to light and the problem had to solve instantly so that the performance gets better. In a popular theatre, one most important point have to be notice that is to convert the major issues into entertainment and that particular entertainment can be in the form of series of work shops, or a play.This type of particular structured entertainment or activities can be done by asking people to take on the role of a group or community unfamiliar to them and then have the feeling and reflect the experience. Thus it is certain that popular theatre like melodrama, folk drama, festivals, calendar celebrations such as; Christmas, Easter, the harvest festival and Halloween, carnivals, clowns, reality TV work highly in the context of mass entertainment. (Dev, 78-81) Conclusion When the artist take on very unfamiliar roles they are forced to learn and find new feelings and experience followed by creative thoughts.Emotions of new thought can be done by incorporating the idea s into the theme. Here practice takes place and the next important stage â€Å"rehearsal for life†, which also provides an opportunity of a new perception. The contributor or audience are said to analyze or resolution of a problem or leave the stage with a provoking question in the mind of the audience so that they can separately analyse and assess the culture and work according to the political scenario. By resolving this type of contradiction the drama reach a new phase and it turns to a new disagreement and so the process becomes continuous.(Dos, 441-442) Bibliography: Zarrilli, Phillip B. McConachie, Bruce A Williams, Gary Jay and Sorgenfrei, Carol Fisher. Theatre Histories: An Introduction. New York and London: Routledge, 2006 Berkowitz, L; Theatre and Man; New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 2006 Border, S; Act I: Fire of the Mind; Wellington: National Book Trust; 2006 Deb, J; Introduction to Russian Acting: Stage for Mankind; Dunedin: ABP Ltd. 2005 Dell, S; Ev aluation of UK Stage; Dunedin: ABP Ltd. 2006 Dos, M; Future of Thought Process in Theatre History; Christchurch: Alliance Publications; 2005

Birthday Customs and Traditions in Germany

Many people, both young and old, love celebrating their birthday. In Germany, like in most countries around the world, cake, presents, family, and friends bring in the fun for such a special day. In general, birthday customs in Germany are similar to American birthday celebrations, with a few peculiar exceptions sprinkled here and there throughout German-speaking countries. German Birthday Customs and Traditions(Deutsche Geburtstagsbrà ¤uche und Traditionen) Never wish a German a happy birthday before their birthday. It is considered bad luck to do so. There are no well-wishes, cards or presents given before a German’s birthday. Period. On the other hand, if you live in certain parts of Austria, it is customary to celebrate your birthday on the eve of. If somebody in Germany invites you out for their birthday, the tab is on them. And don’t try insisting on paying for yourself — it won’t work. If you live in northern Germany and happen to be single going on thirty, a few chores may be expected from you. If you’re female, your friends will want you to clean a few doorknobs for them with a toothbrush! If you’re male, then you’ll most likely be sweeping the stairs of town hall or some other busy public place.There is a way to be freed from such menial tasks, however — by a kiss from someone of the opposite sex. Of course, if you dont want to be so mean to your friend, there are alternatives. For instance, the doorknob chore is sometimes executed by having the birthday girl clean a series of doorknobs attached to a wooden board instead, right at her party and not in public. But you cant let them off so easy; it is also tradition to comically dress the birthday girl and boy as they perform their tasks. Other birthday customs include: 16th Birthday: This birthday child should run for cover as his or her friends will undoubtedly pour flour on top of his or her head. Common in northern Germany.18th Birthday: Cracking eggs over the head of someone turning 18.25th Birthday: Once again, if you are an unmarried man, the whole town will know! A Sockenkranz, a type of garland of socks is strung outside the home and around the birthday boy’s property leading to his party. As he follows the garland of socks, he’ll down an alcoholic drink every few meters. Why socks? In German, you have the expression alte Socke (an old sock), more of a derogatory way of saying confirmed bachelor.† A similar experience awaits unmarried women turning this age. They follow a garland of cigarette cartons instead (or other similar-sized cartons if they are non-smokers). These single women are nicknamed eine alte Schachtel (an old box), similar in meaning to old maid. Geburtstagskranz These are beautifully decorated wooden rings that usually contain ten to twelve holes, one for each year of life as a child. Some families opt to light candles in such Geburtstagskrà ¤nze instead of on the cake, though blowing out candles on a birthday cake is frequently observed in Germany as well. A bigger Lebenskerze (life candle) is put in the center of these rings. In religious families, these Lebenskerzen are given at the time of the child’s christening.

Sexism Amongst Females And Males - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 978 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Sexism Essay Did you like this example? People, quite often, assume that there is no other side to the story. That only women are attacked by sexism. But, actually, men are just as affected by it. In fact, 9% of rape victims are men. No, that is not that high, but it is still way too much. Men are included in sexism and rape/sexual harassment as well. In the workplace, in a home, in sports, or even at a schooling environment. There are two seperate words for the hatred of men and women. Misandry and Misogyny. Most people are only aware of the term ?misogyny. Some examples, that can be noticed in public, are.. Be a man, Men cant hear the word no, and A man wouldnt understand. And.. She asked for it, Get back in the kitchen, and Im impressed she could do that. These two terms need to be noticed more often everywhere. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Sexism Amongst Females And Males" essay for you Create order In this world, nowadays, its all about women. Women this and women that. However, this is good thing compared to how we were treated back then, nobody acknowledges that men go through the same stuff. Most of the time, women are the ones who poke the bear, as one might say. On certain websites, you can search about male sexism. In fact, there is actually a website called All Men are Trash. There are some counterpoints in this website from different men. The level of cruelty it requires for a person to express that kinda hatred isnt a built-in part of the male experience. In court, for child custody, the mom always gets full custody, unless proven a unfit mother. So In all actuality, women do try to make every situation about themselves. Now for a little switch, an author named David Benatar, wrote a book called The Second Sexism, which actually explains and tells all the readers the wrongful discrimination against men. It explains that there is always a man that is being sexual harassed or being bashed on by someone but is always behind the shadow of all the women going through the same thing. But when men do speak up usually they are seen as more legitimate and credible because it doesnt happen too often. Now, to a more serious topic, sexism in a workplace. Often, you dont see too much of it if you are not focusing. But, unfortunately, people get sexual harassed or are victims of sexism all the time. And yes, this goes for both genders. Females, mostly, will just be ignored and not get challenging assignments working with men. But men, if they experience any sexual issues, they are just expected to relocate themselves. Also expected to, work longer hours and to keep a smaller cuts. In the website, PychologyToday, they point out a hard fact on sexual harassment in a working place. About ?†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å" of a all working men reported at least one form of sexual harassment in the previous year. In a workplace, men are probably less likely to label something as sexist especially if its subtle or superficially benevolent. I think that this could all be worked out by keep men and women working together. Which creates less prejudicial thinking and discrimination. Also, we should ignore people s words. Like Vice Presidents, Mike Pence, Gender segregation in a workplace. To add to this, there are many subtle ingrained stereotypes. Just saying so much as men are more aggressive and assertive and women have tendencies of being more passive and communal. Little things could be said and it could be harmful not even thinking about it. In little kids, its usually not seen to often. Sexism anyways, sexual harassment is more likely to happen when you are young, vulnerable, and naive. Easy to manipulate. The saying ?boys will be boys is pretty much giving them an excuse to act the way they do. Expecting the daughters to have more self-control and politeness that the sons. At a younger age, boys will commonly be shown less compassion that girls. So they will be taught that as a boy it isnt okay to cry, or you cant do a sport like that because its for girls. That is never okay to fill a childs head with those thoughts, because what they are told growing up, is what theyll think as an adult. In schooling environments, sexism and sexual harassment is everywhere. Especially throughout high school and college. 20-25% of women and 15% of men are victims of forced sex during college. Sometimes, even male-on-male violence is considered a ?sport. So if guys are being rough with each other, pushing one another around. Its funny. Even if its not. The #MeToo movement, yeah its good and all. But it also, kind of isnt. It tells in the intro paragraph to the website that ALL lives involved in sexual harassment and rape should be noticed and spoke upon but then only shows and tells the females that have been caught up in either one of those crimes. Rape, sexual harassment, domestic violence. All things you can spend time in jail or even prison for. Both male AND female have seen one of these subjects before personally. One in five women and one in seventy-one men will be raped at some point, (NSVRC). This shows that yes, more women than men are raped throughout a lifetime. But no, that doesnt make it less important. 91% of victims are women which leaves 9% to men. These numbers for the men would probably increase to a higher percentage, but most likely if there is a man who is raped, he will not speak up like a woman would. There was 809 sexual harassment charges in the year of 2011. Of that, 273 were filed by men, 16.1%. This moved up to 17.6% by the year of 2013. This just shows that eventually some point a man will step up and say something. There is always another side.

Comparing The Devil And Miss Prym And The Hobbit Essay

A Comparison of Two Novels Within The Devil and Miss Prym and The Hobbit, there are two stories that tell of a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. In The Devil and Miss Prym, the conflict lies within the main character, Chantal, as she battles with temptation and her own evil desires. The Hobbit tells of a tale about a hobbit from the Shire who sets out on a journey with a group of dwarves to help them recover their stolen treasure from a dragon by the name of Smaug. Each character must come to terms with an internal conflict, that is, dealing with their inner self or their true self. They tell of a transformation and self-discovery as they transition from who they are currently to who they’re meant to be all along. Throughout their adventures, vulnerability and innocence are set aside as they face the struggle of doing what’s right. There are evident commonalities in terms of conflict within these novels. They both display the struggle of person v ersus self. Bilbo Baggins struggles with his own insecurities throughout The Hobbit. He constantly fights the urge to stay true to his roots and remain a little, peaceful hobbit or to step up during this adventure and see what he’s made of. This is a novel about self-discovery. In Chapter one, Gandalf (Bilbo’s friend/mentor), calls the group of dwarves for a meeting that is held at Bilbo’s residence. He anoints Bilbo as their burglar who’ll assist them in reclaiming their treasure. Gandalf explains, â€Å"Lets

Managed Care SLP Free Essays

As the second assignment towards completing the Session Long Project, please answer the following in your own words: 1. What is accreditation? 2. Why is it important? 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Managed Care SLP or any similar topic only for you Order Now What organizations accredit managed care organizations in the U.S.? 4. What is involved in the accreditation process? (In other words, what do they look at? Do they make site visits? 5. What is the accreditation status of your health care provider organization (hospital, clinic, treatment facility, etc†¦)? If you are not covered under a managed care plan, identify any managed care plan and explain its accreditation status. Limit your responses to 1-2 pages. Be sure to properly cite all references. The following Web sites will help you complete this assignment: Glossary of managed care terms What is accreditation? National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) What is NCQA Why is accreditation important? Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (managed care accreditation information). http://www.jointcommission.org/AboutUs/joint_commission_facts.htm http://www.jointcommission.org/HTBAC/benefits_accreditation.htm JCAHO Quality Check to look up accreditation status of facilities www.qualitycheck.org/consumer/searchQCR.aspx URAC http://www.urac.org/consumer_how.asp Frequently Asked Questions about Accreditation http://web.ncqa.org/tabid/65/Default.aspx http://www.jointcommission.org/AccreditationPrograms/Networks/mco_facts.htm http://www.urac.org/healthcare/accreditation/ Other resources to help with the assignment: http://www.ncqa.org/communications/news/clas.htm What is accreditation? Accreditation is a procedure in which a neutral organization reviews the standards of care provided by the company.   This process would make sure that the business performed by the company is done as per the standards laid down. Why is it important? The public is ensured that the standards of quality is maintained whilst providing medical care There is some amount of healthy competition in the market There is a reductions in risks Patient safety levels are improved Negligence is reduced Good practices are encouraged The process of reviewing the operational activities of the company is performed Staff recruitment and development may be encouraged The company may be brought into Medicare certification without undergoing a different review process Insurers and third parties would automatically recognize the company is accreditation is present Some states require that a company achieve accreditation so that it could meet the regulatory body’s requirements Structure and functions in the organization is maintained What organizations accredit managed care organizations in the U.S.? Accreditation of managed care organizations in the US is brought about by certain accreditation organizations such as the URAC, Joint Commission and the NCQA.   However, an accreditation organization would be accrediting different types of healthcare organizations.   The organization may be accrediting all the services of the company or a particular service.   Once the company meets certain standards imposed by the accreditations organization, it would receive certification. What is involved in the accreditation process? (In other words, what do they look at? Do they make site visits? Before an organization applies for accreditation, it would have to conduct a thorough self-check by ensuring it meets with the standards provided by the accreditation organization. At least some changes would be required.   The entire process of accreditation should be taking about 4 to 6 months.   An application for accreditation is submitted by the healthcare organization.   The reviewers at the accreditation organization conduct a thorough review of the details in the application. This may be an examination of the certificates or an onsite review.   Changes may be required to meet the standards.   Depending on the ability of the company to meet these standards, accreditation is provided. What is the accreditation status of your health care provider organization (hospital, clinic, treatment facility, etc.)? If you are not covered under a managed care plan, identify any managed care plan and explain its accreditation status. The company that I work in is accredited by some of the top accreditation organizations in the US.   I do subscribe to a managed care plan, which has been accredited by the Joint Commission.   The Joint Commission looks into several standards provided by the HMO including performance, health promotion, disease prevention, utilization, management of information, education process, HR management, etc.   The Joint Commission interviews the administrative procedures concerned with the plan and the various HR.   The documents are constantly reviewed and the ability to meet with the standards is determined. References: NCQA. â€Å"About NCQA.† 2007. NCQA. 21 Jul. 2007 http://web.ncqa.org/tabid/65/Default.aspx The Joint Commission. â€Å"Benefits of Joint Commission Accreditation.† 2007. Joint Commission. 21 Jul. 2007 http://www.jointcommission.org/HTBAC/benefits_accreditation.htm The Joint Commission. â€Å"Facts about The Joint Commission.† 2007. Joint Commission. 21 Jul. 2007 http://www.jointcommission.org/AboutUs/joint_commission_facts.htm The Joint Commission. â€Å"Facts about Managed Care Organization Accreditation.† 2007. Joint Commission. 21 Jul. 2007 URAC. â€Å"General Questions About URAC Accreditation.† 2007. URAC. 21 Jul. 2007 http://www.urac.org/healthcare/accreditation/ How to cite Managed Care SLP, Essay examples

Purchases Report Western Digital Company

Question: Discuss about thePurchases Reportfor Western Digital Company. Answer: Introduction The report shows how the company plans its product supply chain and what quality factors are responsible for the selection of the suppliers. Western Digital Company is an American company established in the year 1970 with the objective of manufacturing the storage devices for recording digital information. Initially the company was named as General Digital when the major product was semiconductor chips for the calculator market. Soon it became one of the largest manufacturers of hard disk drives in the world after which the name was changed as Western Digital Company. Today the major brand products include the name of WD and HGST. The product lines vary from mobile digital technology, stand alone personal computers, the internal and external storage devices, and the video recording techniques. Its Chief Executive Officer, Stephen D. Milligan, announced that the company has advanced after the merger with HGST as the portfolio range and the geographic range has expanded.(Milligan, n.d.) The major products of Western Digital Company today include Head-Disc-Assembly and a Printed Circuit Board Assembly. The company has its own designing and manufacturing wing which is substantially involved in producing the magnetic heads and media for the products. Thus, the company is self- reliant to some extent and does not prefer the benefits of technology advancements by other manufacturers. (Corporation, 1991) The company employs over 3000 people for the designing and manufacturing work and has a worldwide retail chain mechanism covering U.S., Canada, Europe, Israel, Japan and Australia. Currently the wide range of products includes over 150 products having their reach in more than 30 countries. It majorly serves the requirements of some of the large clients like ATT, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Xerox, DEC and Motorola.(Corporation, 1991) The report wishes to cover the basic outline of product chain management and the supply chain management and to describe the efficiency level at which the company is working. Supplier Selection Criteria and Issues One of the major products of the company is Head Disk Assembly. The Head Disk Assembly is made up of four parts i.e. the heads, magnetic media, actuator which is used for head positioning and the spindle motor. The Disk is made with layers of magnetic materials. It has a smooth surface on which the layers are positioned. A spindly hub rotates the disk which is surrounded by one or more disks to package the disk-pack assembly. Each disk has an elevated surface which makes it able to acknowledge the data. The data is available at the spinning disk from where the elevated surfaced read and write it. Pre-amps and voice coil magnets are also used for the product. The other major product is Printed Circuit Board Assembly. It consists of three parts i.e. the integrated circuits, a power connector and an interface connector. Both standard and custom integrated circuits are used. The interface connector is used to connect to the host computer and received the instructions. A controller is used to direct the data and provide direction to the data flow and control the heads. The controller is used to read and write data received from the host computer on the basis of logical track and sector locations. (Corp, n.d.) While the above components are manufactured by the companys own designing and manufacturing department, the company can be called self reliant on this basis. However, there are a wide range of other products as well which require the networks from leading suppliers in the market to serve the purpose. The important such components include the parts required for manufacture of SSDs which are NAND semiconductor and SoC. These parts are purchased from the external suppliers. The NAND manufacturers are the companys supply partners for these components. The deep relationships with the supplier made it possible for the company to continuously serve the SSD market with its quality products. Further, the controller which is an important component for the major products is also acquired from the third party. The company aspires to widen its relationships with other suppliers to make a mark in the field of media market with it continuous supply of quality products. (Corp, n.d.) The selection criteria of the company includes adherence to the goals of the company according to the EICC code of conduct. The company has a supply chain management mechanism which provides training and guidance to the suppliers so that they can comply with the code of conduct rules. The other parameters of a trained supply mechanism include supplier site audits, business review and process training to first-tier suppliers. The company has a policy for conflict free minerals which means that the company outlooks the area of sustainable business goals ensuring the proper and efficient usage of conflict minerals. Further, the company is covered within the ambit of California Transparency in Supply Chains Act which requires it to fully disclose the companys workings so that the direct supply chains are not misused. The company fully adheres to the SB657 requirement of the act and fulfills the criteria for auditing, various certifications, verification and training.(WDC, n.d.) ICT for Purchasing Operations The information and Communications technology is an important tool for rapid development. Many developing countries like India, Philippines etc. are spreading their hands to welcome the advancements of communications technology to nail a name in the success books of world. The uses are of ICT are ever expanding. The major uses can be the increased access to the markets, cost reductions, efficient work, and high competitiveness, increased used to advanced technology to enter global markets, increased training of personnel for highly skilled performance etc. ICT is not about the use of computers and internet only. The World Summit on Information Society calls for division of ICT into two broad categories. First are the traditional communication devices which form the core of every business today. The internet is the biggest component of this area. Internet makes on-demand communications possible and tailor made customer services which enhances the customer satisfaction and service provision criteria. However, it still needs human intervention to a big extent. The processing of data, it usage and customization is totally dependent on human work. Second are the ICT applications which are human independent resources. The sensor based networks used for climate control in buildings or sensor networks used for detection of malarial virus detection are the good examples. These applications work on the basis of some preset formulas and guidelines which does not require further human intervention. Thus, ICT and its uses are expanding majorly toda y by providing a number of services like e-commerce, e-governance etc. The major challenge now is to integrate both the phases so that more packaged and controlled systems can be generated. (Shamos, n.d.) The Western Digital Company has taken the computer technology to another level. The company is the inventor for computer microprocessor. The company started its business by producing semi conductors in California when it was supported by a number of investors. The quality experience of the company in semiconductor manufacturing has multiplied its technology absorptions. The experienced personnel of the company produced wire-wrapped prototype of hard drive controller within two weeks. It further developed the skills for the PC market products. The company was the first one to involve the leading companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard etc. to use controllers for PC manufacturing. The company also developed an artificial intelligence computer called Nu-machine which was sold to Texas Instruments. The advent of Macintosh buses was also the result of the concert with MIT. Years after its success, the company also donated hands in manufacture of smaller peripherals like Adaptive Date Systems, Paradise etc. The company further shifted from PC storage to integrated disk drive storage. It also succeeded in producing 1-gigabyte enhanced IDE drive from 240-megabyte drive. The company marked a name in the technology business and has always reported advancement in the market. The invention of many advanced technology products which enable big business hubs to produce and develop well is the contribution of companies like Western Digital Company. Its partnerships with big established and emerging businesses like Macintosh and IBM increased its areal density as well as financial foothold. The major concern now is to have competitive edge in the market and to raise the market share more with introduction of hi-tech machines and devices.(Company, n.d.) Purchasing Cost Analysis The storage segment of Western Digital Company is the fastest growing segment ever. The number of hard disk drives has increased over the 2011-2013 period. In the year 2013, the company recorded production of 30 million hard disk drives. However, the growth did not witness a rise after that. Other products of the company included SSD and Flash based storage which also gained important over the time. The introduction of flash based chips also increased the good rumors about the company. The other advantages were NAND based storage and solid state devices. They were known for their high reading and writing speeds, low date latency, less consumption of power and increasing durability of devices. However, the consumption of SSD was confined to enterprise customers only. (Team, 2015) The manufacturing need a number of supplies like Equipments, services etc. The major parts are the magnetic media, magnetic heads, HGAs, spindle motors, controllers and other standard electronic items. The substantial parts of the magnetic heads and media are manufactures by the company itself. However, other components are purchased from the third party vendors. The solid state devices like the semiconductor media and system chips and controllers are also purchased from external suppliers. The company believes in producing high quality products with low manufacturing and designing costs. The company follows multiple supplier chain maintenance system for the major line of parts but for some parts there are single suppliers over a long period of time. Presently, the company is getting all the supplies readily available at the acceptable costs. The company generally follows a fixed shipment regime with 30days to 60days log. The order cancellation systems are also easily available with short notice systems. Company follows JIT approach for ordering the supplies therefore not much investment is blocked for maintaining the inventory.(Commission, 2012) The recent news of the purchasing costs of the company is the acquisition of SanDisk. The deal cost about $19 billion to the company. This shows that the Information Technology industry is moving rapidly with high advancements in internet and cloud technologies. The acquisition of SanDisk by the company is one the biggest acquisitions ever. Earlier, Dell was recorded in acquiring EMC worth $67 billion. Western Digital Company has mostly been engaged in producing storage devices especially the Hard Disk Technology but now its facing the wide evolution phase with the advent of new technology efficient enterprises. The company is not confined to tape drives used for back up storage or hard drives used for primary storage in computers but the high speed application requirements are also served by the company for accessing online transactions and analysis of bulk data. Today, multi-tiered storage devices critically need the solid-state devices. SanDisk was known for its manufacturing of SSDs typically made for laptops and desktops. However, the company has also developed pocket size external devices as well. With the acquisition of SanDisk the company will get a good hold of the global SSD market. Additionally, the NAND industry is also getting infected with the emergence of 3D technology and Western Digital Company needed access to that frame also. Now the company could be said as well positioned in the computer storage industry. (Mearian, 2015) Conclusion Western Digital Company has shown its mark in the storage business. It has showed that the company has the required personnel and experience to conquer the market and produce quality products and services. The company is running at the 2nd position in Hard disk drive market and it Return on Equity is very high compared to other similar companies. The companys worldwide networking made it possible to have access to a wide range of available suppliers for the product parts and make its recognition in 17 countries. The product range varies from Personal computer storage devices to Cloud computing devices which make the company a widely acceptable and professionally qualified enterprise. The customers relationship maintained by the company shows that the clients have trust on the company abilities. However, the increasing inventory levels thereby increasing costs are making it problematic for the company to grow in the industry. The Research and Development costs are also increasing lead ing to low profitability ratios. The ever increasing competition in the global market like the EMC Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Seagate etc. pose a great threat to the future existence of the company. However, with the increasing demand of PCs, gaming software, computer electronics and legislative requirements for storage of information opens the gate of wide opportunities to the company. With its innovative techniques and good experience the company will be able to maintain in global recognition and goodwill in the market.(mbaskool, n.d.) Works Cited Commission, U. S. S. a. E., 2012. Western Digital Corporation. 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