King Kong free essay sample

In comparison, King Kong in 1933 and King Kong in 2005 both have the same plot. Carl Denham was an independent film director famous for shooting animal pictures in remote and exotic locations. In his newest project, Denham wanted to find an uncharted, mysterious island that he imagined would be full of monstrous creatures unseen by the viewing public. In his movie, the monster would be spotlighted along with a leading â€Å"damsel in distress. † Denham recruited a bunch of macho seamen, but is unable to hire an actress for his newest project. His usual agent did not help find anyone because of the dangerous expedition, so Denham went out on the streets of New York searching for a girl for his leading lady. In his search, he met Ann Darrow, a small-time actress who was desperate for work because of the effects of the Great Depression in 1933. Denham took a chance by going with Ann Darrow and tries to convince her to join him on the adventure of a lifetime, offering her the lead in his project. We will write a custom essay sample on King Kong or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Captain Englehorn had promised to take Denham to Skull Island where he wanted to film his movie. Before the voyage, the Captain begins to have second thoughts about the trip, and during his attempt to turn around, the ship is lost in fog and crashes into rocks on the island. Denham and the crew explore the island and are attacked by the natives. The natives kidnaped Ann to sacrifice her to their god Kong. Kong then takes Ann to his lair in the islands interior. While the crews search the island for Ann, they battle dinosaurs, giant invertebrates, and other deadly creatures. When Ann is threatened by other dangerous creatures, Kong fights the creatures and keeps her safe. Denham wanted to rescue Ann and capture Kong as a way to save his job. Ann was afraid of the ape at first but realizes that he is calm and nice to her. Ann entertains Kong with juggling and dancing from the theater. They watch the sunset together and she attempts to communicate with him using sign language. The crew then interferes with Ann’s befriending of the ape, and the ships crew traps Kong. Ann tries to stop Denhams plan. Kong was drugged with chloroform for the trip to New York, and Denham promises the crew that Kong will make them all rich. Back in New York, Denham imprisons Kong in chains and a cage, and presents him as the Eighth Wonder of the World on Broadway. Ann refuses to participate in the show, which recreates Kongs capture. Kong becomes upset when he sees that the lead actress is not Ann, and he breaks his chains after the cameras start to flash, which upset him even more. Kong destroyed the theater and ruined Times Square before they can take him away. The ape and Ann got together in Central Park that made him calm. Kong climbs the Empire State Building with Ann in his hand. While he was on the top, he started to make a signal which meant beautiful. As they set on the top of the Empire State Building, Ann was not afraid. They were glad and at ease in each other’s company. Much to Ann’s surprise and dismay, Kong was attacked by airplanes. She tried to waive them off but he was hit by many bursts of gunfire. Finally, there were too many bullets for Kong to remain alive. When Kong fell to his death, he looks at Ann. While Ann is crying, hundreds of people run to Kongs body. Peter Jackson, the director of the 2005 version, wanted to create the feeling he had while watching the original for a modern audience. In order to do this, he stuck to the original story as closely as he could and instead of updating the story, he expanded it. Peter Jackson was nine years old when he first saw the movie and was in tears in front of the television when Kong slipped off the Empire State Building. At age twelve he tried to remake the film using his parent’s camera and a model of Kong made of wire and his mother fur coat. His project did not turn out as planned so he gave up on it. King Kong was his inspiration and made him want to become a filmmaker. The irony in both films is very evident. Both films included the one great irony that sets this movie apart from others and leaves the audience feeling sympathy and empathy for Kong. In the beginning of both movies, we are shown a portrait of a man-eating monster, thirsting for the taste of human blood on his lips, but at the end we realize who is really the beast in this film the humans who took him out of his natural environment, only to make a spectacle of him for profit and fame, causing him to die a horrifying death. Ironic also is what the main character supposedly said at the end of the movie. According to Hunter (2005), a man tells Denham that the airplanes killed him, but Denham replies, It wasnt the airplanes. It was Beauty that killed the Beast. Both versions have similarities, but at the same time there are contrasts that show very distinct differences. For instance, the original sets a guideline for the plotline, scenes, and characters, but the remake changed it. Another difference in the versions can be seen in the characters. In the original, the main character seemed to focus more on the production of the movie he is producing. The main character was focused on making a movie that people will remember, rather than making a movie to get him rich. However in the remake, the main character was in the midst of a financial disaster and primarily was making a movie to restore value to the name â€Å"Denham† and to make money for him. Throughout the rest of the movie, there were subtle differences in the moods of the characters. For example, the captain in the original movie was nicer than the captain of the remake. Other differences are noted in the way the movies were made. While both were filmed in New York City and Harbor, the technology available for filmmaking during each production are vastly difference. King Kong in 1933 was made during the great depression. In 1933 the gigantic ape was made out of motorized parts and covered with fur. The movie was filmed in black-and-white and shows how light and sound cause different feelings in the audience. Cooper felt Creelmans final draft was too slow. Writer Ruth Rose was brought in to fix up the script. For example she showed how he was taken from the island and moved him right into the theater. She rewrote the dialogue to give it some spice and created the films entire opening part showing Denham plucking Ann from the streets of New York. In 2005 King Kong was digital and shot behind a green screen, and it helps with the computer animation. The computer-generated King Kong comes to life through two techniques: motion capture and digital animation. Motion capture is recording the movement of objects or people. In motion capture sessions, movements of one or more actors are sampled many times per second, early techniques used images from multiple cameras and calculate 3D positions; motion capture often records only the movements of the actor, not his or her visual appearance. Digital animation is used for generating animated images used by computer graphics. Modern computer animation usually uses 3D computer graphics although 2D graphics are still used. Jackson decided early on that he did not want Kong to behave like a human, and so he and his team studied hours of gorilla footage. Andy Serkis, who modeled his movement, went to London Zoo to watch the gorillas, but was unsatisfied. He ended up going to Rwanda to observe mountain gorillas in the wild. The resulting Kong is entirely a special effect, who acts and moves very much like a real gorilla. Paul (December 5, 2005). A significant difference exists between the impact King Kong in 1933 had on the leading actress versus the impact the King Kong movie of 2005 had on the leading actress. Almost any â€Å"Baby Boomer† and those born earlier who are still around can tell you the name of the actress who played the dangerous and believable role of the lady who feared for her life then turned protector of the one she feared. When you say â€Å"King Kong,† those mentioned able automatically think â€Å"Fay Wray,† the actress who screamed her way into n unforgettable role, and who blossomed from a helpless, frailty to a heroine for Kong. Fay Wray was a Canadian-born actress who was already a success in Hollywood. She had starred in role with such leading men as William Powell, Gary Cooper and Fredric March. Although she had these credits under her name, it was her screams of terror in King Kong during a time when the nation was in awe about the effects of the Gr eat Depression, for which she is most remembered and admired. In fact, her name became synonymous with King Kong. Conversely, who was the leading actress in the 2005 version of King Kong? The impact of the movie for that actress in association with the film was non-existent. While the 1933 version of King Kong was the number one movie of its time, the 2005 version of King Kong did not rate close to its parent. Works Cited Hunter, Stephen. King Kong: A Beauty of a Beast. Washington Post. The Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2005. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. King Kong (1933). King Kong (1933). N. p. , n. d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.

Motivating employees Essay Example

Motivating employees Essay Example Motivating employees Essay Motivating employees Essay Motivating employees Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Outline Abstract Introduction Discussion Importance of motivation Ways of motivating employees Conclusion Abstract Employees are an important asset of a business. Their input determines the performance of a business. If employees have low input, the business is likely to perform poorly. If the employees give large amounts of output, the business will perform well. The business has a responsibility of motivating employees to maintain high levels of output. The human resource department is supposed to determine the possible ways of motivating employees and implementing them. Motivating employees plays a role in retaining employees in the business (Longenecker, 2010). Motivating employees Introduction Motivating employees depends on the nature of work and the needs of the employees. Studies have proved different employees are motivated differently. It is important for the management to understand how their employees become motivated. For instance, some employees prefer non-material rewards while others prefer monetary motivation. Motivating employees improves their discipline and reduces labor turnover. Motivation gives employees satisfaction and sense of belonging in the work place (Lauby, 2005). Discussion The most important motivation is a comfortable environment for working. Employees should have all the facilities they need to do their work. If they lack a good working environment, they will not utilize their full potential. Some of the employees will feel they are not exploiting their skills fully hence look for another job (Lauby, 2005). Relationship between management and employees must be smooth and professional. This is another important motivator for employees. It is difficult for employees to cope well with insolent and unreasonable managers. Business managers should adopt a leadership approach, which will motivate employees. For instance, they should initiate effective communication with the employees. They should learn their problem in the work place and look for solutions. Address the employees in way suggesting the management and employees are part of each other. There should be a culture of teamwork between the management and the employees. This aspect is significant in achieving success in the business. Employees who are free with their managers can approach them with any issues they have. This comfort motivates the employees in their work (Longenecker, 2010). The most common way of motivating employees is giving them an attractive salary. A large number of employees are attracted by big salaries. In today’s world, career people are advancing their education to get better bargain of salary. Research shows a large percentage of labor turnover since most of these employees are seeking jobs with better salaries. Businesses should offer their employees salaries according to their professional qualification. It will motivate and retain the employees in the business. A business loses a lot due to labor turn over (Silverstein, 2007). Training programs and workshops are suitable motivators. Employees get a chance of learning more and enhancing their skills. Enhancement of skills makes employees to feel competent and motivates them to work harder. It also enables them adjust to the changes in the work place. Guidance and counseling about topics like attitude in the work place, performance and other relevant is necessary. It makes employees understand their work and improve their attitude their attitude towards their work. They also acquire knowledge of different aspects of their duties (Lauby, 2005). Conclusion There are many other methods, which business owners could use to motivate their employees. A business should do everything possible to avoid labor turnover caused by lack of motivation to the employees. The business will lose time and production units for the absent employees. It will also incur expenses of recruiting and hiring other employees. This is why the management should ensure the employees have a good working environment. Motivation is directly proportional to employees output. Motivated employees will always have better output than demotivated employees will (Longenecker, 2010). Reference: Lauby, S. J., American Society for Training and Development. (2005). Motivating employees. Alexandria VA: American Society for Training Development. Longenecker, J. G. (2010). Small business management: Launching growing entrepreneurial ventures. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Silverstein, B. (2007). Motivating employees. London: Collins.

Descriptive Essay A Closer Look at Descriptive Essay Writing

Descriptive Essay A Closer Look at Descriptive Essay Writing A descriptive essay is one of the major types of essays, requiring the student to provide a description of an object, person, place, device, or just about any other type of thing that can be described verbally. How to Write a Descriptive Essay This article is an overview of descriptive writing that may be a  useful guide for college students in writing their descriptive essays. First, lets focus on what a descriptive writing is. What Is a Descriptive Essay? A descriptive essay is one of the major types of essays, requiring the student to provide a description of an object, person, place, device, or just about any other type of thing that can be described verbally. Very often writers of descriptive essays are likened to artists who need to paint their pictures using only words – and thats exactly what is happening in descriptive writing. If you feel unsure about how to write your descriptive essay, you can always  ask for professional assistance  from our essay writers. Feel free to contact us and we will come up with a top-notch product that exceeds your expectations. Once you are ready, feel free to request assistance via chat, phone or email. Descriptive Writing:  What Is Special about the Descriptive Essay? The two essay methods of narrative and descriptive writing take very different approaches. A narrative essay deals with facts, situations, and events, and aims to educate and inform using direct, clear language.By contrast, a description essay uses more sensory means. The writer describes the topic in terms of detailed descriptions and impressions, using simile and metaphor to strong effect. A descriptive essay works on a deeper emotional level, and if successful it describes objects and situations in such a way that the reader feels they almost have a shared experience of the essays topic. Its an often-used but nonetheless true phrase that description essay writing relies on showing and not telling. Rather than simply relating a fact, a writer should show the reader how the topic is experienced, by using sensory details that draw the reader in  and using their sense of empathy to construct powerful images that they can relate directly to. When you need to choose the descriptive essay topics, you may need an information on how to pick proper essay topics: How to Pick Proper Essay Topics Purpose of Descriptive Writing The purpose of descriptive writing is to involve the reader in a deeper way than the drier style of narrative writing. By painting more vivid pictures that appeal to all of the five senses it offers a more affecting view, communicated in a stronger way. Its a powerful technique that requires some forethought to produce effective results. The precise approach you take, and the choice of similes and other figurative devices, will depend on what youre trying to convey. For example, you could simply describe a man as being old, but a more descriptive approach is to use words such as careworn, wise, dignified, and so on to put across a more nuanced impression than the bare facts that a narrative description would provide. If you are looking for the descriptive essay examples, you may read one good example of a description essay written by our essay writer: Descriptive Essay Example about Pandas Descriptive Essay Outline and Structure Although descriptive techniques can be used to improve the quality of almost any piece of writing, there is also a recognized structure to be followed when writing academic examples of descriptive essays. This consists of three major parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The Introduction How to start a descriptive essay? The introductory paragraph of a descriptive essay should include a strong opening element to catch the readers attention, possibly using a quote or a particularly powerful image. It then goes on to outline the object, event, or situation that will be described  and the reason that the specific subject of the essay has been selected as the topic. The Body The body of the descriptive essay usually consists of three paragraphs. In the first, the object of the essay itself is described in detail, using as many points as necessary to paint a rich portrait. In the second paragraph, the context for the object is provided by describing the surroundings or background. Both these paragraphs should use strong imagery and imaginative comparisons throughout. The third paragraph appeals more directly to the readers senses and emotions, using the writers skill to describe the subject in ways that bring it to life and make the reader feel an empathetic connection. The Conclusion This is in many ways a repetition and reinforcement of the introduction and body sections, outlining again why the object or situation was chosen for the essay, and how the attributes described in the body paragraphs came to mean to the author in relation to the overall idea being expressed. Connective Words and Phrases in Descriptive Essay Writing An essay consisting of repetitions of the same sentence structures quickly becomes monotonous and difficult to read, lessening the gut-level descriptive effect. Connecting words and phrases help with this problem, providing natural ways to link the parts of the essay, and giving it greater flow and power. The possibilities for using connective words are almost unlimited, but a few examples of common linking situations and potential words to use in them include: Introducing another viewpoint, statement, or concept furthermore, whats more, additionally Showing the similarity between two points likewise, similarly, equally Showing contrasts however, nevertheless, on the other hand Proving or reinforcing a point evidently, therefore, particularly While the value of connective words and phrases is clear, sentences also lose the readers attention when they are too long. Even in descriptive essays brevity is a virtue. Connective words shouldnt be used excessively when succinct wording, shorter sentences, and a clearer separation of ideas could be more effective. A final point to bear in mind is that the first draft of a descriptive essay is rarely the most successful attempt. This is even truer than in other types of writing. Because of this, revision is an essential part of the process. Reviewing the essay with a fresh mind will help to reveal the true clarity or otherwise of the similes, metaphors, and other devices that have been used, and possible improvements will often make themselves surprisingly clear during the revision process. Descriptive Essay Writing Tips 1. Appeal to the readers imagination and senses. Describe how the thing looked, smelled, felt, sounded or even tasted, or even thought or imagined. Example:  We imagined they weren’t just mere dogs, but gigantic, slobbering wolves. 2. Use adjectives to describe things. They are probably the most important words that create a picture in your readers mind. Use a synonyms thesaurus if you feel youre running short of descriptors. Example:  The warm summer sun and the clear blue summer sky are such a marvelous experience. 3. Use literary devices. Things like simile and metaphor are the most basic ones. They will definitely add weight to your essay. Example:  His rough fingers that felt softer than silk when they brushed her skin (simile).  Aunt Kathies long fingers were thin gnarled branches (metaphor). 4. Use inversion (or inverse word order) for emphasis. Example:  These were the neighborhood people. These are the basic tips and techniques for writing a descriptive essay. Tools and literary devices should suffice for any of the college level writing. Remember to edit and proofread your essay once you are done with the draft of your paper. This will help to eliminate silly mistakes and is likely to prevent you from losing points.

Sustainability Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainability - Research Paper Example The implication of this is that everything on earth depends on the natural environment in order for them to survive either through direct or indirect means. Therefore, sustainability helps in maintaining the conditions that will ensure that humans and nature continue to coexist in productive harmony that will be essential in fulfilling the needful requirements for the present and the future generations. One of the key environmental issues that have continued to attract the sustainability concern is water as many view this as a precious resource. Ideally, water is crucial in the operations of an environment and for supporting the life of a community. Many of the water sustainability efforts rely on the policies that regulate the use of water, and the protection of the water resources. With this, this essay will delve into water sustainability as a relevant issue within the physical environment through a detailed research of the same. Water access as an environmental issue Over the rec ent years, the climatic changes have not been favorable on water resources, hence influencing the rapid implementation of policies that would preserve water for this generation and the next. Water as a natural resource has been the center of conflict among several communities while those that have access to this commodity may not have clean and consumable water. In urban areas, the population levels have increased in recent times hence creating water access challenges as many of these centers lack proper planning. The over exploitation of natural resources has also spread to water towers hence minimizing the areas that provide water to many of the global populations. In many researches, respondents have intimated that access to fresh water and maintaining a constant supply of the same top the list of issues that are affecting most of the global population. In most of the economically challenged nations, the access to clean water has forever been low because of the privatization of t he water resources. The implication of this is that the price of this precious commodity has increased in these areas meaning that a resident in a slum in Manila may be paying high amounts for water access as compared to an individual living in London. According to statistics, at least 1.1 billion of those living in developing nations do not have adequate access to clean water, which has created a direct relationship between poverty and access to water (Shah, 2006). Mostly, the population that lacks access to clean water live in high poverty levels meaning that they have other costs to meet such as those associated with health care spending and labor diversions. On the contrary, water covers at least 70% of the earth’s surface but the supply and access to the same is not as adequate as required by the needs of the population. Moreover, water problems are unique and specific to every region, meaning that the water problems of a farmer in Australia may not be the same as those of villager in Pakistan. The decreasing access to water for consumption draws relevance from the fact that the demand for this commodity is increasing while the supply of the same continues to decrease as the years progress. In the end, there would not be any significant or sustainable development if there were no

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quantitative and Qualitative - Research Paper Example The articles contained in the chapter by Mertler & Charles (2011) major on identifying substance abuse issues in high schools. The author of the article does not take account of the purpose of the research; rather the author goes ahead and writes on what the survey depicts. The purpose of a research is vital since it acts as an eye opener to the readers on what the survey research focuses on, and thus the reader can follow through easily. Organization In the article on maternity deaths, the organization of ideas is clear; the author gives the heading, clearly outlines the purpose of the study and then writes an abstract followed by the body which gets segmented into various subtopics. The body has the various methods of data collection, the results and analysis of the results. Mertler & Charles (2011) then stipulates the problems experienced during the research study and gives a brief conclusion. The author in the provided article on drug use by high school organizes the research wor k systematically. Though the researcher does not give the purpose, there is a clear introductory statement. Organization of any survey research is vital since it helps readers to capture every detail included in the reading. Data collection and analysis Considering research on the drug use by high school students, the data is outlined in terms of the percentage levels. The author, for example, states that 35.4 percent of students in 10th grade used drugs while the students who used drugs in 12th grade constitute of 48.6 of the student population. This is seen in the research on maternity deaths, and it helps when coming up with the discussion to act as evidence that the information is authentic (Mertler & Charles, 2011). Conclusions The authors have different ways of concluding their research. The author in the American Journal gives a brief discussion of the research and declares the research relevant while the author in the chapter reading concludes by giving future guidelines on alienating the vice. Both conclusions are vital to ensure that all information is included and renders the research relevant. According to Mertler & Charles (2011), correlational research involves observations by a researcher regarding to a previous situation and in this research there is no intervention from the researcher. In other types of research, researchers manipulate the current situation and check the results of the preliminary manipulations. When dealing with intended results, correlation research identifies the association between two factors or more than two factors while other types of research concentrate on the learning of how changes in a factor affect another factor. Other types of research focus on exclusive types such as experiments for experimental research while Correlational research deals with case studies, survey research, naturalistic observations and archival research. In experimental research, as well as quasi-experimental research, the researchers need to perform actual experiments so as to get exact results regarding the experiment. This implies that the experiment conducted especially in research laboratories forms the basis for the data sources. Though data from previous research may be useful, many researchers who want accurate and authentic results prefer to carry out their own experiments but also use the previous results as reference points for their experiments. Actual

Language Learning Autobiography

Language Learning Autobiography I came from Johor, Malaysia. I was Chinese and my native language was Mandarin. I took a long time to learn English and from hating it to loving it. Learning English is not an easy task and I encountered some difficulties during my learning experience of English. Although I study at Kirkby International College for teacher training course now, there is still need an improvement for my English as I will become English primary teacher in the future which I will teach proper use of English to the students. I started to learn English since I was six years old. My parents sent me to a kindergarten where I learnt English and Mandarin there. The teacher taught us about the four basic skills of learning English, namely reading, writing, speaking and listening. For example, I learnt how to pronounce the 26 letters (A, B, C, Dà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), how to read and how to write it correctly. At first, I did not interest in learning English during English lesson in class. However, the high patience and hardworking teacher used interesting ways of teaching to let me paying more attention to their lesson, do not feel boring and understand the lesson easily. For example, the teacher organized a mini game about pronunciation of 26 letters and the students were rewarded if pronounced the letters correctly. Due to the excellent hard work by the teacher, I passed my English Test with flying colours for all the three semesters. I continued my studying in primary Chinese school. My primary school opened a special English class for all students from standard one to standard six in order to improve and increase Englishs standard of the students. At the beginning, the teacher taught a few of repeated simple words and sentences such as, Can you lend me your pencil? or May I help you? The teacher was very nice and always praised us and encouraged us to pay more effort in studying English. I began to think that I was a genius at that time as I was easily mastering the language. However, when I became standard six students, I became very playful and not interested in studies including attending for English class. I always ran directly towards my room and started playing computer games such as Left 4 dead 2, and Pro Evolution Soccer after I came back from school. I became addicted to the games. Because of English class was started every afternoon which took away my time for playing computer games, I decided to stop going for English class. Thinking back, I made a wrong decision for giving up this class. If I had continued, maybe I did not need to put more effort in studying English today. My remarkable moment for learning English began when I studied Form Four in secondary school. At that time, my English teacher Mrs. Hwang was very strict. She wanted us to read English storybook every week and wrote the summary of the story and the moral values from the story. Moreover, she also made us to read all the articles in the textbook and made a presentation about it. During the presentation, she would correct our pronunciation. It was losing face if being corrected in front of other students. To avoid this, I practiced my pronunciation again and again at home and even referred to my English teacher if anything about the pronunciation or grammar I did not know. Furthermore, Mrs. Hwang also made us to read a newspaper like The Star or New Straits Times every day and asked us to jolt down the difficult words into the notebook and made five sentences about it. After that, she asked us to memorize the difficult words which would be stated in English Monthly Test. As a result of all these hard works, I achieved an excellent result for my English subject in my school examination and even As in my Malaysia Education Certificate (SPM) examination. After finishing my secondary education, I furthered my study by taking Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) course which will become primary English teacher in the future. There were several reasons that I wanted to become English teacher. If I became English teacher, I could improve my English further during the five and a half years of training in Kirkby International College. As a result, I was able to communicate with the foreign people in English when I travelled to foreign countries in the future. Besides that, I also wanted to help the students that living in rural areas to increase their Englishs standard as they were poor and unable to access to multiple resources such as reference book to improve their English. Before I was chosen to study at this college, I needed to go through the interview. In order to pass the interview, I needed to have higher proficiency in English. Although I had achieved excellent result for English subject in SPM examination, I needed to in tensify my practice on English to get ready for the interview. Apart from reading the storybook every week, I also watched English channels such as movies, dramas and documentaries. For movies, I liked to watch action and scientific movies such as Predator and Fast and Furious while for dramas, I like to watch CSI Miami and Oh my English. Drama Oh my English is the educational channel suitable for the students to improve their English. In this drama, students could learn the correct way of speaking English, grammar and vocabulary. For documentary channels, I liked to watch Discovery as this channel not only improve my English, and also provided scientific knowledge. Besides that, I also updated myself by reading the current news online. Hence, I was able to know what had happened in my country and other country and I would check the dictionary for the words that I did not understand. As a result, this improved my reading skill and learnt new words. According to my personal experience, I think there is no short cut to studying English. We need to go through all the hardships before we get sweet return. We need to practice more, learn more, read more, listen more and speak more in order to increase the proficiency of our English. These are only the ways to master English. (1050 words)

Lascelles Chin …. the Journey of a Jamaican Entrepreneur

Lascelles Chin is founder, chairman and Chief executive officer of the Lasco Group of Companies in Jamaica. The Lasco group is made up of Lasco Distributors, Lasco Foods Successors Ltd, Lasco Foods Ltd, Lasco Barbados Ltd, Lasco Financial Services Limited and Lasco Remittance Services. The range of products and services delivered by the companies is diverse. Lasco Foods Successors Ltd is responsible for the manufacturing and exporting of soy based products while Lasco Foods Ltd is responsible for the packaging of milk powders. Lasco Distributors Ltd is responsible for the local distribution of the ever expanding range of consumer and pharmaceutical products that has made Lasco a household name in Jamaica. These companies currently run by Lascelles Chin marks the present milestone on an entrepreneurial journey by Lascelles Chin that has stretched for more than forty years, Mr. Chin intends to continue this quest for another forty years and beyond. His entrepreneurial journey started in 1961. According to Mr. Chin, he started business with ?175 and was at a great disadvantage as many prominent families were dominating the commercial landscape in Jamaica at the time. He persevered, did his research and learnt as much as he could about manufacturing and distribution practices, importation and various related fields. His policy was to deal honestly with his customers, work very hard and most importantly, avoid spending more than he earned, (Observer 2009). Accordingly this helped him to achieve success. He also realized quite early in life that the only way to maintain success as a business entrepreneur was by honing his skills, hard work, determination, perseverance, clarity of vision and the ability to see obstacles as challenges, (Observer 2009). After graduating from high school in the 1950s Lascelles Chin worked as a lab technician for a short period before taking up a job as a salesman. He did well, and focused on saving portions of his earnings which he later used to start National Trading Company. This principle of not spending more than you earn or saving as much as you can from your earnings would set the stage for his development as an entrepreneur. With this business he sold peas and powdered pepper on a commission basis. He later became a distributor of Henkel products upon recommendation from a visiting representative. The business did well by targeting furniture manufacturers with the Pattex brand of adhesive. Later, during the 1970s, when people were leaving Jamaica in droves, Mr. Chin decided to stay and expand his warehouse and factory. Here Mr. Chin demonstrates the strength and resolution to move against the tide and lay foundations for the future when others were packing up and calling it quits. With time the business moved from Orange Street, downtown Kingston to East Street and then to its current location on Red Hills Road, (Gleaner 2006). He later went on operate other lines of business, Kingston Heirlooms, manufacturing and exporting furniture, Datrex Limited, computer supplies and parts, Triple A Car Rental, Zenith Insurance Brokers, Soft Sheen and Exotic Farms Limited to name a few, (Gleaner 2006). It was however the LASCO branded businesses LASCO Foods Limited and LASCO Distributors Limited operated by Mr. Chin from the 1980’s which made him and his businesses household names within Jamaica. The motivation behind his businesses†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. the unfulfilled needs identified A journey which started with a man selling peas and powered seasoning on a commission basis had now developed into a number of businesses driven by the same man fuelled with a passion to deliver the best value for money to its customers. According to the company’s website, Lascelles Chin founded LASCO in 1988; its initial operation included the importation of bulk skimmed milk powder and repackaging of sachets for distribution within the Jamaican market. Chin’s intention was to provide a source of milk protein which was affordable for all. Since then Lascelles Chin business has grown from packaging and distributing skim milk to the corporate entity it is today providing a wide range of pharmaceutical, food, household and personal care products to Jamaica the Caribbean, Latin America, North America and England, (LASCO website, 2010). Lascelles Chin apparently influenced by his daily and close interaction with the grass root people on the streets of Kingston during his earlier days as a Salesman, having seen their need for an improved nutritional intake sought to source and deliver products at prices which could be afforded by all. By doing so he has made valuable contribution to the development of the Jamaican society and its labour force with his delivery of nutrition or nutritious products within the reach of the poor and needy. His drive in this area has lead to the pioneering of a number of soy based protein products again with an emphasis on nutritious value and affordability. Procurement of resources Lascelles Chin was able to start his first business, National Trading Company with a few pounds, an accumulation of his savings from his job as a lab technician and sales person. Along the way his business grew due to his timely and astute business decisions which included ventures some of which were risky at the time. Some of those businesses have failed due to changes in the Jamaican landscape, for instance Kingston Heirlooms, his furniture business which was a good earner of valuable foreign exchange at the time suffered from changes in government policies which made conditions difficult for manufacturers. In order to deliver affordable products LASCO has gone to great lengths to source raw materials, consumer and pharmaceutical goods from cost effective sources. LASCO has formed allegiance with major international manufacturers. One of those searches led LASCO to Solae Incorporated, a subsidy of the DuPont Group. With their help LASCO was able to pioneer its current and growing range of soy protein isolate products, facilitating the delivery of highly tasty, nutritious products at an incredible low price to consumers across the Caribbean, (LASCO website, 2010). According to LASCO’s website, â€Å"the popularity of their soy based product has made LASCO the Number One customer in the world for soy protein isolate from Solae Incorporated. Additionally, the American Soybean Association has hailed the LASCO Food Drink line as the tastiest soy product in the world†. Bolstered by this success, LASCO continues its global search for the most affordable, best quality products and have branded corned beef from Argentina, mackerel from Chile, ketchup from the Eastern Caribbean, and vitamins from an outstanding US supplier, whole milk from Ireland, and Corn Flakes from Germany† (LASCO website, 2010). LASCO Distributors has also formed an important strategic alliance with Johnson & Johnson (Jamaica) Limited on April 2, 2001. As a result of that arrangement, LASCO Distributors handles the distribution of all Johnson & Johnson products while LASCO Pharmaceutical Division is esponsible for Lifescan, Contact Lens, and Pharmacy sales. (LASCO website, 2010) According to an interview conducted by Gleaner Lifestyle Editor, Barbara Ellington with Lascelles Chin in 2006 and published in May 2006, a lot of effort is placed in sourcing by the LASCO group. Approximately 50% is purchased locally, 15% within the CARICOM countries and the rest from international firms. According to Mr. Chin in that interview, part of his strategy lies in the fact that he sources well and is not greedy for huge profit margins, this strategy facilitates giving the customers value for money, considering the poorest in the society at all times. He effectively reaps the benefits of the eventual sales volume by keeping his prices one tenth, one fifth or even half of others, (Gleaner, 2006). Lascelles Chin takes pride in the LASCO team who support and execute the corporate strategy on a daily basis in their respective roles. According to the Gleaner Article, May 2006, he indicated that his team is a hard working and dedicated one which operates like a family; they are treated well and are willing to go beyond the call of duty. He believes he has some of the best workers in Jamaica. Challenges faced and overcome The challenges faced by Lascelles Chin during his entrepreneurial journey have been as varied as each of the over forty years since he started National Trading Company. He has faced numerous challenges with financing, security cost, government regulations, changing technology, and the ever changing Jamaican economic landscape to name a few. According to Mr. Chin in his interview with Barbara Ellington, â€Å"In the early days, he wanted a line of credit of ?1,000, and the banks would not give it to him. They thought he was crazy, he eventually got it from Scotia bank†. His problems with pilferage downtown forced a movement of his earlier operations from East Street to Red Hills Road. Today his operations on Red Hills Road and those at his expansive distribution plant at White Marl Central Village, due to their location in two troubled communities have created high security cost. The LASCO team in a bid to mitigate this cost at these locations takes steps to â€Å"work with the communities, establish good relationships and avoid going home late†. Faced with the high manufacturing cost of the 1990s Lascelles.Chin was forced to shut down and bear the losses associated with his furniture and data processing companies. Mr. Chin has however graciously accepted the philosophy that â€Å"failure in a business is an opportunity to learn†. In his bid to He has fought and loss battles with the government pertaining to government regulations geared towards protecting the local milk industry by its imposition of tax levies on powdered milk. LASCO imports a lot of its raw materials and finished products, this creates a demand for foreign currency to service those foreign accounts. In a bid to lessen this strenuous demand compounded by the ever depreciating Jamaican dollar LASCO has leverage its business with the inclusion of LASCO Financial services, a licensed cambio and LASCO Remittance Services a Money Gram representative in Jamaica. These two businesses along with LASCO Successors, which manufactures and exports soy-based, products helps to generate the foreign exchange needed by the LASCO Group. Financial Performance and Customer’s Perception of the business To date LASCO has been doing well. Lead by its founder’s philosophy of giving back from the profits made, the corporation has made numerous and continuous sponsorships and contributions to various areas of nation building, The National Policeman, Nurse, Teacher and Principal and Pharmacist of the Year Awards, are just a few of the many such programmes that LASCO has been associated with over the years. It contributes to various school feeding programmes, school related competitions, it makes donations to various government programmes, mothers and various charities. In return LASCO has gain customer loyalty which keeps the wheels of their business turning. The LASCO brand is currently a household name, synonymous with the provision of healthy nutritious and affordable products and services. According to its website, â€Å"LASCO is renowned for its quality beverages, cereals, canned meats and sauces, personal care items, household products and pharmaceuticals. The company has pioneered a range of products, which utilizes soy protein and delivers to the consumer a highly nutritious product at an incredible low price†. Future Outlook In the earlier operations of his business, Lascelles Chin was supported by is then wife Audrey Chin and other family members at different points along the journey. Today, his eldest daughter holds a senior position in one of the divisions. The LASCO business is a going concern and will remain that way whilst it continues to offer and deliver the kind of products and services that has led to its significant growth over the last two decades. The core business has grown from offering three products to ove r an hundred items. Its consumer and pharmaceutical lines continues to grow with the addition of a range of products each year. The LASCO brand now includes the LASURE, LASCARE and LASMED range of products. Its focus is still on the provision of â€Å"best quality for the consumer’s money†. Steps have been taken to expand their warehouse and distribution plant in White Marl. They have also invested heavily in a new information technology system. Their distribution network continues to spread across the Caribbean, Latin and Central America, The UK and Canada. Though it is dogged by constant competition from major players in the respective markets, LASCO continues to carve out a niche for itself by being the low cost, and value for money supplier of consumer and pharmaceutical products within Jamaica. Conclusion and Opinion of the entrepreneur’s journey Lascelles Chin journey has been one that strongly demonstrates the power of determination mixed with consistent effort in spite of adverse circumstances. Though he has won numerous awards and worn various civic hats including, The Order of Jamaica, The 2001 Business Leader of the Year, The 1997 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Jamaica Institute of Management, The President of the Jamaica Exporters Association and is considered to be one of Jamaica’s leading philanthropists, he remains humble in his quest to make â€Å"Living Affordable â€Å"for the Jamaican people. He is an inspiration to all; he has in no uncertain way demonstrated that much can be gained, even with a small start. His entrepreneurial prowess were not garnered in academia, but were nurtured nonetheless by a quest to understand the business landscape and environment ensuring that he understood clearly what he was shaping and the factors that would ensure a successful execution of those ventures. He was unsuccessful in some of his ventures but was not deter from his quest to make a valiant contribution to the development of Jamaica. If I were to have taken the journey taken by Lascelles Chin, before I understood his process and his strategy for success, I probably would have stopped from the 1970’s and become a part of the massive tide of migrants leaving the island for a better opportunity elsewhere. I believe I have a bit of persistence and perseverance but probably would have been deterred from pursuing ventures geared towards improving the quality of life of the Jamaican society by the negative elements within the same society who would have pilfered by business place. The challenges presented by the lack of effort from the different governments to preserve manufacturing or keep the exchange rate stable or exercise the measures needed to curb crime and criminality would have probably led to my â€Å"locking shop† and leaving Jamaica. However, based on the lessons learnt from the journey of Lascelles Chin who started out with his savings, made prudent decisions, braved the economic times and conditions, focused on his goal of improving the quality of life of the poor and needy, through various economic, governmental and technological and social changes, I would take up the mantle of entrepreneurship, having the understanding that success can be achieved, through perseverance, determination, clarity of vision, whilst taking one step at a time, spending less than I earn and treating each failure challenge or obstacle as an opportunity to advance. References Ellington Barbara May 22, 2006, The Monday Interview: Lascelles Chin – Brand Domination at its Best. Retrieved on June 17, 2010 from http://www. jamaica- gleaner. com/gleaner/20060522/business/business1. html Ellington Barbara May 22, 2006, The Monday Interview: Lascelles Chin – Brand Domination at its Best. Retrieved on June 17, 2010 from http://www. jamaica- gleaner. com/gleaner/20060522/business/business1. html Ellington Barbara May 22, 2006, The Monday Interview: Lascelles Chin – Brand Domination at its Best. Retrieved on June 17, 2010 from http://www. jamaica- gleaner. com/gleaner/20060522/business/business1. html Ellington Barbara May 22, 2006, The Monday Interview: Lascelles Chin – Brand Domination at its Best. Retrieved on June 17, 2010 from http://www. jamaica- gleaner. com/gleaner/20060522/business/business1. html Kumar, S (June 2003), Transformation: A Journey. Retrieved on April 26, 2010 from http://www. caibinc. org/files_custom/3176_2350. df National Commercial Bank Annual Report 2009, Retrieved on May 04, 2010 from http://www. jncb. com/docs/NCB_Annual_Report_2009. pdf http://zenithbrokers. com/about_us. html https://www. jamaicaobserver. com/news/161017_Question-Time Ellington Barbara, The Monday Interview: Lascelles Chin – Brand domination at its best http://www. jamaica-gleaner. com/gleaner/20060522/business/business1. html http://www. lascojamaica. com/site/company-profile. htm