Zappos HR Practices

Executive Summary This paper examines Zappos.com and how its HR practices impact its ability to be competitive within its current industry. The analysis done in this paper focuses on the company’s business culture and hiring practices as well as makes recommendations regarding what possible practices could be done in order to improve the company’s standing and reduce its problems.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Zappos HR Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To do this, a SWOT analysis was conducted to examine the various practices of Zappos and determine what areas need to be better and where it is most effective in. Introduction Zappos.com is one of the largest online shoe and clothing stores in the word with over $1 billion in annual revenue each year as of 2010. The company’s current strategy in a competitive online market place is to provide the best customer purchasing experi ence possible. This was done through the use of next day delivery, a return policy that allows customers to return shoes if they do not fit as well as uses its company culture that focuses on making its employees happy to create better relationships with its clients through good customer service. All of these factors have helped the company to become better than its rivals making it one of the most recognizable online brands in the world. Strength Convenience of Online Sales Through the analysis of Kuruzovich (2013), it was shown that online sales from 2001 till the present have become a $500 billion a year industry as a direct result of more people buying their needs online. With sales amounting to $1 billion per year, Zappos.com can be considered one of the largest online retailers in world since it controls 0.25 percent of the online market. Kuruzovich (2013) explains that the â€Å"integration of warehouse and delivery centers has resulted in delivery services that can enable p roducts to reach customers within the U.S. through next day delivery services as well as to international customers within 3 days to a week (depending on the type of shipping method utilized)†. As such, the current state of delivery methods used has brought more consumers to online eMarkets since for them it is far simpler to find what they want to buy through the search bar of a website or the ads of online retailers (Kuruzovich, 2013). It should also be noted that Zappos has a price advantage as compared to traditional retailers since it does not require a physical floor space in order to sell its products to consumers.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Expenses related to utilities (electricity, water, etc.), the salaries of sales representatives, security staff and other supporting services are smaller because of such practice which enables the company to sell i ts products at a lower price as compared to traditional retail stores. Focus on Customer Service Another of the company’s strengths is its focus on providing good customer service. Through the use of excellent customer service where the CSRs (customer service representatives) actively attempt to develop a good relationship with the client, this results in a good purchasing experience for the client which can result in better long term customer loyalty of the products of the site. Employee Culture The Pierre Tremblay (2011) study which examined employee churn rates (the number of employees that leave a company) and their impact on company performance showed that job satisfaction is an important factor in keeping employees. The study focused on measures of â€Å"perceived stress, job satisfaction and citizenship behavior (OCB) to examine the likelihood of an employee staying or leaving†. Pierre Tremblay (2011) explains that employees that were satisfied with their jobs were more likely to stay despite being within a stressful work environment. They point out that factors related to: tight managerial controls (i.e. the use of metrics to measure performance) low salaries, lack of sufficient diversity in tasks the scheduling system (i.e. alternating night and day shifts) a lack of appreciation for the work that they do contributed significantly to employee displeasure with their jobs and a greater likelihood of leaving (Pierre Tremblay, 2011). Taking this into consideration, the employee culture at Zappos which promotes employee happiness and skills development helps to ensure that employees are satisfied with their jobs which enables it to keep talented employees within the company. From a human resources perspective, this gives the company a long term competitive edge as compared to its other rivals within the same industry. Weakness Recruitment Practices From a human resources perspective, the practice of the company wherein it offers employee s that have undergone the 4 week orientation program $2,000 to leave (no questions asked) if they felt that they were not the â€Å"right fit† for the company is very wasteful and creates the very real possibility that the company may lose out on some very talented employees. The practice of offering $2,000 to leave is definitely not normal and can contribute in preventing employees that do not have the necessary drive from joining the company, however, given the fact that a majority of the employees of Zappos are CSRs and that call center work is considered to be a high employee churn environment, this can create a situation where the company could be losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just to prevent people who they believe â€Å"would not fit in† from joining the company.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Zappos HR Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This also creates probl ems in terms of the company being able to fill the necessary positions of customer service representatives that leave the company. Taking these factors into consideration, while the company may focus on an internal culture of creating long lasting relationships with its customers, the fact remains that with a lack of sufficient personnel it may not be able to do this in the long term. Opportunities Work from home One of the current trends in human resources that focuses on customer service relations has been to create work from home opportunities for employees. Basically, the process works by having employees use their personal home computers and headsets to do their customer service operations from home. Such methods have been utilized by other companies such as Convergys (which is one the largest customer care companies in the world). Work from home opportunities helps the company to lower the costs with facilities maintenance and allows its employees to be even happier since it r educes costs associated with travel and having to eat out. Threats The primary threat that Zappos could possible encounter comes in the form of other retailers in the online shoe/apparel industry. It is likely that they could copy the same focus that Zappos has towards its employees and customers resulting in lower sales for the company due to increased online competition. Conclusion Based on what has been presented in this paper so far, it can be seen that the main problem with Zappos lies in its hiring practices where it creates far too much potential for the removal of good employees as well as creates the potential for other employee candidates to simply excuse themselves from the hiring practice with $2,000 in cash provided by the company. Such actions have the very real potential to create problems for the company in filling in the necessary gaps in its employment structure as a direct result of the natural churn rates that occur within a company. Not only that, taking into co nsideration the high churn rates that are seen in many call centers, the company’s unusual hiring practices can definitely result in a limited pool of employee candidates for positions within the company. Recommendation It is the recommendation of this paper that the company improve its current hiring practices to more properly reflect the needs of its call center division. While it may be true that the company prides itself on having a business culture that makes employees happy and thus the company’s customers happy, the fact remains that it does not need to limit its hiring practices in order to achieve such goals.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This can be achieved by letting the company culture transform the employee rather than hiring specific employees which the company believes would be the best fit within the company’s business culture. Another recommendation would be for the company to take into consideration a shift towards work from home operations which would not only enable it to save in terms of expenses but would help to make the employees happier in the long term since they can work from the comfort of their homes. Reference List Kuruzovich, J. (2013). Sales Technologies, Sales Force Management, and Online Infomediaries. Journal Of Personal Selling Sales Management, 33(2), 211-224. Pierre, X., Tremblay, D. (2011). Levels of Involvement and Retention of Agents in Call Centres: Improving Well-Being of Employees for Better Socioeconomic Performance. Journal Of Management Policy Practice, 12(5), 53-71. This case study on Zappos HR Practices was written and submitted by user LivingMummy to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

In what ways did the British government attempt to hide the effects of the Blitz from the people of Britain Essays

In what ways did the British government attempt to hide the effects of the Blitz from the people of Britain Essays In what ways did the British government attempt to hide the effects of the Blitz from the people of Britain Essay In what ways did the British government attempt to hide the effects of the Blitz from the people of Britain Essay When war broke out in 1939, there was an air of reluctance among the British people. The horror of the First World War was fresh in peoples minds and many did not want to experience that again. The government recognised the need to keep up morale, because if it were destroyed then the war would be lost, and designated a department, the Ministry of Information, for the production of propaganda and the organisation of censorship. When the Blitz started in 1940, the government thought it especially important to safeguard the public spirit due to the damaging effects of civilian bombings, both physical and psychological. They used a variety of tools to accomplish this, such as radio broadcasts, newsreels, and poster campaigns. However, it was not a simple matter of hiding information from the public. Some things were censored, but it was more about presenting a carefully crafted image to people and using scenes of destruction to convey positive, morale-boosting messages. One of the ways in which the British government attempted to control public opinion was through the use of propaganda. Multiple poster campaigns were commissioned and Ministry of Information newsreels were watched by thousands every week. Radio broadcasts, listened to by a large proportion of the country, were also heavily influenced by the government. The only radio station available was owned by the BBC, which was in constant communication with the Ministry of Information about how events should be reported. Even light entertainment on the radio often contained an underlying message. Censorship was also carried out. Journalists had to submit articles for checking and some newspapers which breached these regulations were officially banned. Several pictures and clips of film footage deemed not suitable for public viewing, such as a film of a mass burial following raids on Coventry, were concealed and not unearthed until after the war. The government felt a need to censor images which were particularly distressing or which showed the country not coping well with disaster. A photograph of the bombed playground of Catford Girls School is an example of an image that was not shown to the public. Dead bodies in bags are seen strewn all over the ground. Photographs of this nature were unlikely to have been approved for publication because actual, rather than implied, death is clearly shown. This might have disturbed people, especially those who had not had a personal experience of sufferings of this magnitude. Actually to see a picture of the dead bodies of children just casually lying around is far more depressing than an impersonal, relatively meaningless list of casualty figures. Also, the viewing of images showing despair or intense grief was restricted. The government wanted to put across the message that Britain was coping well and pulling together; being psychologically unaffected. Film clips such as one of a bereaved woman overcome with grief after a funeral would not corroborate this and so were banned. However, many scenes of physical destruction were not censored, but used as pieces of propaganda. This was so that the people of Britain could be shown rising above the devastation around them and emerging as a united, confident, glorious nation. The film Neighbours Under Fire shows many newly-made homeless people who are singing, laughing and apparently pulling together as a community. This courage is made more startling by the repeated shots of the completely wrecked buildings around them. Their homes and belongings may have been destroyed, as we are constantly reminded, but their spirit has not. This use of propaganda was not directly hiding the effects of the Blitz but rather slightly misrepresenting the psychological and social ramifications. We see a country whose spirit is completely unaffected by the hardship; which is becoming a stronger nation because of it. There is no mention of the terrified residents of Coventry trekking out every night and sleeping in the fields or the vast, fearful crowds gathering to force the government to open the Tube stations as shelters. Also, if the message of the propaganda had been that Britain was barely affected at all then the anger of the people who knew otherwise would have been aroused and little notice would have been taken of the material. The films were made more plausible by the showing of some measure of destruction and this actually helped to disguise the real situation because people would have seen little reason to question the image of unity and perseverance conveyed. The British government tried to hide the effects of the Blitz by these means to preserve the morale of the people. They knew that a nation without patriotic resilience could not sustain the multi-faceted war effort at home and so through radio broadcasts, newsreels and poster campaigns sought to manage the public perception of and reaction to the Blitz.

The Science Behind Glow-in-the-Dark Products

The Science Behind Glow-in-the-Dark Products Glow-in-the-dark powders, glow sticks, ropes, etc., are all fun examples of products using luminescence, but do you know the science behind how it works? The Science Behind Glow-in-the-Dark Glow-in-the-dark falls under several different sciences including: Photoluminescence by definition is the emission of light from a molecule or atom that has absorbed electromagnetic energy. Examples include fluorescence and phosphorescence materials. The glow-in-the-dark plastic constellation kits that you stick on your wall or ceiling are an example of a photoluminescence-based product.Bioluminescence is the light emitted by living organisms using an internal chemical reaction (think deep sea creatures).Chemiluminescence is the emission of light without the emission of heat as the result of a chemical reaction (e.g., glowsticks),Radioluminescence is created by the bombardment of ionizing radiation. Chemiluminescence and photoluminescence are behind the majority of glow-in-the-dark products. According to Alfred University professors, the distinct difference between chemical luminescence and photoluminescence is that for light to work via chemical luminescence, a chemical reaction has to occur. However, during photoluminescence, light is released without a chemical reaction. The History of Glow-in-the-Dark Phosphorus and its various compounds are phosphorescents or materials that glow-in-the-dark. Before knowing about phosphorus, its glowing properties were reported in ancient writings. The oldest known written observations were made in China, dating back to 1000 BCE regarding fireflies and glow-worms. In 1602, Vincenzo Casciarolo discovered the phosphorus-glowing Bolognian Stones just outside of Bologna, Italy. This discovery started the first scientific study of photoluminescence. Phosphorus was first isolated in 1669 by German physician Hennig Brand. He was an alchemist who was attempting to change metals into gold when he isolated phosphorus. All photoluminescence glow-in-the-dark products contain phosphor. To make a glow-in-the-dark toy, toymakers use a phosphor that is energized by normal light and that has a very long persistence (the length of time it glows). Zinc Sulfide and Strontium Aluminate are the two most commonly used phosphors. Glowsticks Several patents were issued for Chemiluminescent Signal Devices during the early seventies that were used for naval signaling. Inventors Clarence Gilliam and Thomas Hall patented the first Chemical Lighting Device in October 1973 (Patent 3,764,796). However, it is not clear who patented the very first glowstick designed for play. In December 1977, a patent was issued for a Chemical Light Device to inventor Richard Taylor Van Zandt (U.S. Patent 4,064,428). Zandts design was the first to add a steel ball inside the plastic tube that when shook would break the glass ampoule and start the chemical reaction. Many toy glowsticks were built based on this design. Modern Glow-in-the-Dark Science Photoluminescence spectroscopy is a contactless, nondestructive method of probing the electronic structure of materials. This is from a patent-pending technology developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that uses small organic molecule materials to create organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) and other electronics. Scientists in Taiwan say they have bred three pigs that glow-in-the-dark.

Surface engineering technology used in industry for surface Essay

Surface engineering technology used in industry for surface modification( i.e surface treatment-surface thermo-chemical tratment - Essay Example This has been made feasible because steel is strong, flexible, and durable, thus, making it a suitable material for construction. However, there are instances where some modifications have to be made to the metal to make it suitable for some types of construction. The resolve to have steel that is strong, tough, wear, and shock resistant leads engineers to manipulate the surface of the metal, leaving its inner core intact (Davis, 2003). This process is called surface hardening of steel, and it can be done in many ways. Surface hardening techniques can be grouped into two main categories; local thermal treatment and thermochemical processes. The choice of treatment to be used depends on engineering requirement s as well as commercial competition. In this section, this article presents an overview of the procedures used to harden the surface of steel. Each describes the procedures involved in the two categories. 1.1 Thermo-Chemical Processes Engineers modify the local chemical composit ion of steel at the surfaces by induction of nitrogen, carbon or both. Sometimes they may also use boron. The techniques used in this category depend on the method of heat treatment applied and can further be broken down into four subcategories: i. Pack processes such as metalizing and pack carburizing ii. Salt-bath processes such as carbonitriding (cyanide hardening) iii. Gaseous processes such as gas nitriding and gas carburizing iv. Vacuum based processes including ion nitriding, carburizing, and plasma nitriding The most salient features of these processes are the processing temperature, mechanical properties and depth of the case, as well as the service behavior of the case’s core composite. Temperature is particularly significant because it affects the level of distortion directly. 1.1.1 Nitriding This can only be done on materials that have already been hardened and tempered. It produces better results when used with a range of alloys of steel that form stable nitrides such as vanadium, aluminium, tungsten, chromium, and molybdenum. The resultant nitrides are dispersed evenly throughout the surface of steel. Figure 1: Schematic diagram of a nitriding process. The process occurs at around 540 degrees Celsius where distortion does not take place. The nitride layer on the surface of the metal makes it expand, thus creating large, compressive stresses that in turn increase surface hardness and improve fatigue strength. In addition, the process also results in steel that has a reduced friction coefficient. Nitriding is, therefore, the best method to use when developing surfaces that are intended to minimize friction such as crank shafts and ball bearings. Advantages of Nitriding 1. It is easy to control the nitrogen

My First Car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My First Car - Essay Example It came to the point where I became very exhausted having to ask someone to take me to all the places that I want to go. Luckily, I have a great friend that does not mind doing anything for me. He once told me, â€Å"Emmanuel, just let me know if you need me to do anything for you.† One day, I decided to take my friend up on his offer. I called him at 5:30 pm on a Monday. I said, â€Å"Can I speak to James?† The person on the other line said to me, â€Å"This is James, who is this?† â€Å"This is Emmanuel,† I said. â€Å"Ok, Emmanuel, what can I do for you? I hope it’s not going out because I have to go to work.† I then replied, â€Å"Well, since you’re about to go to work, what time are you going to be available?† He told me that it depended on what I wanted to do. â€Å"I just want to drive around, James.† He said, â€Å"Well, I really don’t have the time to do that right now as I am busy.† I told him this was fine and that perhaps we could make plans for another time to which he agreed. On Tuesday, I was thinking very deeply about what I was going to do about James and the fact that he did not have the time to drive around with me. It was a difficult situation, to say the least. The next morning I called James to ask him for a favor. He sounded wary at first as he asked me what the favor was. I then told him that I wanted to learn how to drive. He sounded surprised by my request since I had previously told him that I was scared to learn. I swallowed the fear in my throat and said, â€Å"If I want to go places, I need to learn how to drive myself. It’s too hard having to ask someone for help all the time.† He paused for a long moment before agreeing to help; however, he did have one stipulation: I had to buy my own car first. Purchasing a new car was an interesting experience for me. I had absolutely no idea how to go about it. I knew that I would need James’ hel p. The next thing I know, I called him and said: â€Å"James, I have something for you.† He asked, â€Å"What is it that you have for me?† I replied, â€Å"I have some gas money for you if you will take me to buy my first car.† Fortunately, James was very happy to do this. We drove to numerous car lots that day, but we could not find a car that was good enough for me to crash and just when we were about to give up, we saw a nice little Honda Accord, 1987, driving by with a â€Å"for sale† tag on it. Instantly, I said to James, â€Å"Look! There’s a car for sale! We need to go after it.† We hurried and made a u-turn. We finally caught up with the Honda Accord and asked the driver to stop. When he stopped, we told him that we were interested in purchasing his car. The name of the owner of the Honda Accord was Broke and we asked him how much he was selling the car for. He said he was selling it for $850.00. I said, â€Å"How about $500.00?â₠¬  He agreed to my price offer. I asked Broke, â€Å"Does this vehicle come with any warranty at all?† Broke looked at me and said, â€Å"No, you buy it as it is.† I replied, â€Å"Well since I am buying it as it is, I need to make you a lower offer.† Broke then asked me how much. I offered $375.00 and Broke said, â€Å"That’s the too low man, you need to go a little higher.† I said okay and offered about $400.00 and Broke again said no, that the price I offered was still too low. So James and I turned around and pretended we were about to leave.  Ã‚  

History of Iron Smelting Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa

History of Iron Smelting Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa Introduction: The arrival of iron smelting technology in sub-Saharan Africa played a significant role in shaping the historical record of the area by bringing profound changes to the lives and societies of its inhabitants (Haaland Shinnie 7). In the parts of Africa south of the Sahara and south of the Ethiopian highlands, there has been no archaeological evidence supporting a Bronze Age (Van Der Merwe 463; Alpern ; Holl 6) and the evidence archaeologists do have point to iron being the first metal used to replace stone tools (Fagan 1). One area of intense debate regarding the African Iron Age is the process in which the technology of iron smelting arrived in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past half-century, the interpretations and reconstructions of the origins of iron smelting in sub-Saharan Africa have changed considerably. The initial theory was based on an unquestioned belief of the superiority of Ancient Egypt over sub-Saharan Africa (Kense 12). Based on this framework, the site of Meroe was pr oposed by Arkell as an important link and the general belief was that the collapse of the Kingdom of Kush precipitated the spread of technology and Meroitic culture into the southwest (Kense 13). However excavations conducted in the 1960s determined that the iron smelting furnaces found at Meroe mostly dated to the first few centuries B.C.E (Shinnie 30) and its pivotal role in the spread of iron smelting technology was shown to be increasingly hard to defend (Kense 13). Three theories regarding the origins of iron smelting in sub-Saharan Africa have emerged and are currently disputed amongst scholars (Holl 7). Two of the theories are diffusionist meaning these theories claim the technology originated elsewhere and was transported into the region. These theories are based on the premise that iron smelting originated somewhere in Anatolia and from there the technology was adopted by other populations and spread throughout the Mediterranean and into Africa. The main diffusionist theory was first proposed by Raymond Muany in 1952. He argues that since the Phoenicians had iron by about 1100 B.C. and that they started colonizing Northern Africa at around the same time; it was possible that the knowledge of iron smelting was transmitted into sub-Saharan Africa with the Berber tribes living in the Saharan Desert as a medium (Alpern 46). The other diffusionist hypothesis arose as a counter to early iron smelting furnaces found west of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. This hypothesis proposes that the technology came from Arabia via the Horn of Africa (Alpern 80). The theory that has gained the most acceptance recently is the one arguing for the independent invention of iron smelting in sub-Saharan Africa (Alpern 41). A slew of archaeological discoveries in the past twenty years have strengthened the case for independent invention. Some people have even gone as far as arguing that, based on controversial discoveries made in 2008, inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa were the first to smelt iron, preceding Anatolia by about 700 years (Pringle ). The strongest case against independent invention is the complexity of iron smelting. Iron requires specialized knowledge in order to transform iron ore into usable iron (Kense 19) and it has long been held that people without prior knowledge of smelting techniques would not be able to smelt iron successfully (Sassoon 5). Two areas of sub-Saharan Africa have emerged as candidates for areas where iron smelting could have developed, the Western Africa region around the Niger-Nigeria border or north-western Ta nzania. This essay will argue for the independent discovery of iron smelting technology in sub-Saharan Africa based on discoveries made in Western Africa. Background: To understand why there has been such a strong opposition to the idea of sub-Saharan Africa independently inventing iron smelting technology, it is necessary to consider the difficulty and skill required to smelt iron. It is hypothesized that iron was first used as a flux, a substance that is smelted together with the desired ore in order to make the slag, or waste rock, more liquid, in the smelting of copper (Wheeler Madden 114). The iron mixed with slag would have been spongy at the temperatures inside a copper smelting furnace. It could only then be shaped into something usable through repeated hammering and heating (Wheeler Madden 114). The difficulty in creating iron objects is testament in the value iron objects had during the early and mid Bronze Age. In Egypt, for example, Tutankhamen was wrapped in with a golden dagger and a matching iron dagger with a gold hilt (van der Merwe 466). So although ancient smiths, masters of smelting bronze and copper, knew about iron, the diffi culties in smelting the metal took a long time to overcome. The smelting of iron occurs when iron ore is heated together with a charcoal fuel. This causes the iron in the ore to fuse chemically with the carbon from the charcoal. The more carbon dissolved in the iron, the lower its melting point. The amount of ore to fuel, and the supply of combustion air determine whether cast iron, steel, wrought iron, or a useless lump of metal will form (Alpern 82). Copper on the other hand melts readily at 1084ÂÂ °, temperatures that can be reached in a charcoal fire or during ceramic firing (Holl 6). In sum, the reduction of iron ore requires much more sophisticated expertise than does the smelting of other metal ores. Without pre-existing furnace technology, the likelihood of stumbling upon the process required is slim (Sassoon 5). Due to these foundations and a lack of archaeological evidence supporting very early iron smelting in sub-Saharan Africa at the time, Mauny proposed the most plausible scenario for the diffusion of iron metallurgy (Alpern 45). He speculated that when the Phoenicians settled in North Africa, the Berbers living in the region, being from a nomadic warrior culture, would have been keen to acquire improved weapons made from iron metal. These Berbers living near the coast would then pass on this technology to their fellow Berbers living in the Sahara (Kense 24). He then suggested that the technology could have been taken south into the sub-Saharan savannah by fleeing slaves, or deliberately transmitted to the lands of black farmers where both iron ore and the wood to fuel smelting furnaces were relatively abundant. The farmers would in turn supply the Berbers with raw metal for ironworking in exchange (Alpern 46). Mauny offered some linguistic evidence for his model. Derivatives of the Phoenician word for iron, barzel, are found in Berber vocabularies throughout the Sahara and also in the Teda (Tubu) language of Tibesti and the Fezzan.20 Mauny also saw affiliations with the terms for iron among several savanna-dwelling black peoples, including the Bariba, Jukun, and Kanuri.21 He might have added that Carthaginian influence on the Berbers may be attested to this day by the Tifinagh alphabet of the Tuareg, which is thought by some scholars to derive ultimately from a Punic script. There is a strong case that Africa independently invented ceramics, however there does seem to be evidence for Berber transfer of metallurgy across the Sahara, but it comes not from Niger but from Mauritania in the far west. Ancient copper artifacts began to be noticed in that region in the early twentieth century. By 1951 enough had been found for Mauny to wonder, in print, whether Mauritania had experienced a Copper Age.70 An answer came in 1968, when French archeologist Nicole Lambert began excavating what was known as the Grotte aux Chauves-souris (Bat Cave) on a hill called the Guelb Moghrein near Akjoujt in western Mauritania. It was not a cave at all, but an ancient mining gallery dug by humans following a rich vein of malachite ore. The ore was not only extracted, but locally smelted, as furnace remains and slag attest. Four other ancient exploitation sites were found later on the Guelb Moghrein. Ra-diocarbon datings, eventually calibrated, are nearly all in the range 800 to 200 cal BCE. Subsequently at least three other metallurgical centers from the same period were discovered in the Akjoujt region. The number of ancient copper objects found in the western Sahara and attributed to the Akjoujt industry exceeded 160 at last count. The great majority are weapons: arrowheads, lance points, and daggers. Tools include hatchets, pins, awls, burins, and hooks. There are the inevitable personal ornaments-rings, earrings, pendants-and some ingots. All the items are very small and very light; when the number reached about 140, the total weight barely topped two kilograms. They were produced in a Neolithic context in which stone tools vastly outnumbered the metal ones, so one can hardly speak of a Copper Age on the basis of present evidence. How did copper mining and working get started at Akjoujt? It is possible the industry was indigenous, but no one yet seems to have made a real case for that. Lambert saw a resemblance between the Akjoujt products and those of the El Argar culture in southeastern Spain, where copper was being manufactured by at least 1700 BCE and bronze some 200 years later. She thought the few ancient brass and bronze artifacts also found in Mauritania might have been imported from the western Maghreb. She noted that chariot engravings had been found on rocks in three places near Akjoujt and thought they might be road signs indicating an early traffic between Morocco and Mauritania.71 Mauny discerned Phoenician or Carthaginian initiatives behind the Akjoujt industry, with Berbers actually importing the technology, but Lamberts idea of an Iberian connection might have some merit.72 In the late 1960s and early 1970s, British archeologist Colin Renfrew, in a sweeping challenge to the then-reigning diffusionist orthodoxy, suggested that copper metallurgy was independently invented on the Iberian Peninsula long before Phoenicians or Greeks reached the western Mediterranean. 73 Since then much evidence has accumulated that he was right, and that Iberian copper metallurgy dates back at least to 3000 BCE.74 It also seems that the technology crossed from Spain to Morocco before the Phoenicians set foot on the Moroccan coast. Until the mid-twentieth century, it was thought the western Maghreb had not experienced a Copper or Bronze Age. Finds of metal objects, ancient mines, and, especially, rock engravings have undercut that notion: copper in Morocco may date all the way back to the third millennium BCE, according to some leading researchers.75 Rock art in the High Atlas shows weapons typical of the El Argar culture, especially daggers, halberds, and axes.76 Conceivably, cuprous objects reached Morocco in exchange for two North African products, ivory and ostrich eggshells, that have been found in third- and second- millennium-BCE graves in southeast Spain.77 But no certain proof of early copper smelting has yet turned up in the Maghreb. Did the Akjoujt copper industry, whatever its origins, lead to an independent invention of iron metallurgy? The malachite of Bat Cave occurred in a matrix of hematite and magnetite that was discarded in the smelting process. There is no evidence that the coppersmiths ever produced iron, although the raw material was at hand. However, proof of ironworking from the same period has recently been found some 250 miles south of Akjoujt in the middle Senegal river valley. At a site called Walalde, iron artifacts dating to somewhere between 800 and 550 cal BCE have been found, and in a second phase of occupation, from ca. 550 to 200 cal BCE, clear evidence of iron smelting has been excavated. The latter phase also yielded three copper artifacts with a telltale chemical signature of the Akjoujt ores-more than 1% of arsenic and a smaller amount of nickel. Further excavation and study are required to evaluate the find, but it is clearly an important contribution to the history of metallurgy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Local and National Provision for Netball Essay

Introduction The aim of this essay is to find out what provisions there are for netball in my local and the national areas, and whether or not there are any funding and coaching schemes for any level of netball from grassroots to elite level. Grassroots level Netball is available for all children to play at primary school level through to GCSE, girls and boys included. There are two main small-sided games aimed primarily at 7-11 year olds, for use in schools, clubs and holiday play schemes to provide fun, fitness and challenge for players of all abilities. First step Netball has been designed mainly for children aged 7-9 year olds (Years 3 & 4). It is a version of 4-a-side netball that was launched in 1993, it has been adapted to suit the younger player giving them more freedom on the court and more time (5 seconds) to make a decision before throwing the ball but in a third of the court. A size 4 netball is used and an 8ft post. High five netball is the next stage for children aged 9-11 (years 5 & 6). This is a modified game that provides the best foundation for young people to develop the physical, social and tactical skills; it also develops the knowledge and understanding of the game. There are 5 players on a full sized netball court, the others team members that are not on the court take up roles of timekeeper, score, umpire, and centre pass marker. A size 4 netball is used and they have 4 seconds to pass the ball and a 9ft netball post is used. This is the only game where England Netball provides resources and support for boys and girls playing in primary schools. A High fives Netball tournament will feature in this year’s Partnership Youth Games for boys and girls in school years 5&6. Provision for elite performers For talented players there is a pathway to play for the national team but it takes a long time to get there. There are county squads from U14’s to the open selection. A player is only fully recognised when they are selected to represent the County at under 16 levels. There are talent camps for athletes who show potential but these are normally for athletes under the age of 16, to become a talent camp athlete, you need are nominated by your County coaches. Athletes who successfully demonstrate all of the basic physical, technical, tactical and mental skills required for peak performance, and who can apply these in a competitive situation, are considered candidates to progress into the national talent squads, they tend to stay here for 2-4 years and only 50% of those move to the development squad. After spending another 2-4 years in the development squad and only some of the athletes demonstrating a very high degree of personal responsibility for individual and team results manage to make it into the national squad where they can spend up to 10 years depending on their quality of play. Figure 1 (below) shows that rather than an age related development framework, the All England Netball Association operates a national squad structure, which you work up depending on the quality of your play. There are a large number of leagues to play in around the country; for those who don’t make County teams there are the Millennium youth games. This is part of Sport England’s initiative to promote active sport. Regional tournaments are held every year. In Stafford there are two netball leagues: the Friday night league and the Stafford and district YLC netball league that takes part on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Friday night league is a casual league where you register your team and then play, you don’t wear uniforms and anybody can play including lads so long as the other team is ok with lads, also the umpires don’t have to have any qualifications to umpire. However, the YLC netball league is official with only qualified umpires and uniforms must be worn, only those registered as team players can compete. Provision for male competitors The England netball and IFNA have stated that only single sex competitions are permitted, however England Netball stated that any netball activities up to GCSE level (aged 16) must allow girls and boys to participate together. It is unacceptable to exclude either boys or girls under12 from any competitive or non-competitive netball activity. There are now some netball leagues that are either specifically for men or those which are for mixed teams. It is known that men’s netball teams play regularly in the West Indies, Canada, New Zealand, England and Australia. Flava is committed to the development of men’s netball and encourages boys to play netball as well as being represented in mixed netball competitions. Integral is another club that aims to provide an opportunity for men to play netball either as part of a mixed team or a men’s team, the club took part in several mixed tournaments in the summer of 2002 with some success. They are based in Macclesfield in the North West of England but players come from all over the UK to be part of the club. It was decided, by the Council, that a Men’s World Netball Championship should be held under the direction of IFNA, within the next five years at a time and place to be decided by Members Council. Provision for disabled competitors England Netball is committed to providing and promoting equal opportunities in Netball and its first fully co-ordinated National Disability Development Plan was launched in 1996. The plan now looks at the issues of accessibility for disabled people, to the Netball court, and also opportunities and courses for coaches, umpires, other officials and administrators. It focuses on awareness training for coaches, umpires and volunteers, to ensure that people with disabilities may enjoy the highest quality experiences through the game of Netball. A version of 7-a-side netball has been formed for those in wheelchairs (but with adaptations to 4 and 5-a-side), although obviously the rules have been modified covering travelling and playing the ball. This summer the National Netball Championships for People with Learning disabilities are holding a tournament run by England netball and the English Sports Association. There will be two age categories for those U17 and those over, the aim of this event is to encourage more people to play who struggle from disabilities. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any local provisions for disabled netball they all seem to be on a national scheme. Conclusion I think that on a national level there are provisions being made for everyone to participate in netball, however, there is till not that much for the males or disabled participants. In the more local area there are leagues for females but this is still leaving out the disabled and the male netball players. The way that netball is at the moment means that the way to the top is only for talented female teenagers who can progress through the county level to talent squads and up to the top. Bibliography www.netball.org www.england-netball.co.uk www.isport.com.au www.flavanetball.co.uk www.sasactivesports.co.uk www.bwsf.org.uk