Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Principle of Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Principle of Accounting - Essay Example The responsibility of developing marketing strategies for GM with the objective of increasing the product sales lies with the sales and marketing division of the company. This department of the company has been performing well recently. However it has failed to implement required modern marketing strategies to be able to successfully tap many of the unoccupied markets worldwide. The services related to testing of products of the company are carried on by its quality assurance department. This department has not been successful in developing good relationship with rest of the departments of the company in relation to the reduction of mishaps caused due to inferior vehicle quality. However, it has always been promised to the customer regarding high quality of the products. This problem can be reduced through proper coordination of the quality department with the other departments of GM. The accounts department of the company is held accountable for all the finance related activities carried on by the firm. Recently, few financial problems have crept up in the company which has contributed towards it being bankrupt. The major weakness was the top post of the department being two in number. However this issue has been resolved considerably through reshuffling of those positions in the company (Canis, & Yacobucci, 2010, p.27). Similarly, the company can take the help of other financial consultancy firms so as to boost the accountability of the department. GM was reported to have some issues related to its bankruptcy recently in the year 2009 and it came up in news as well (Economist, 2009). It is mainly attributed towards the alteration of the financial results of the company which paved the way for the department of accounting of GM to represent false picture of its financial position. This misrepresentation of the financial figures in the financial statements of the firm along with other errors in accounting that were present in the company records

Monday, October 28, 2019

Peer Acceptance Essay Example for Free

Peer Acceptance Essay As Sentse, Lindenberg, Omvlee, Ormel Veenstra (2009) stated, the need to belong is one of the most important need of an individual, and during adolescence, the closest group of people that an adolescent could have strong attachments with is his/her family and friends. In a study by Khurshid Rehman (2006), those who have low self-esteem were reported to have higher peer stressors as compared to others having high self-esteem. Their findings suggested that those who have low self-esteem face more problems with their peers; that because they lack in self-confidence, their peers would see them as inferior, considered them as a boring personality and that they always felt uncomfortable in the company of strangers, even among their friends. According to the study conducted by Parker et al. as cited in Kistner, David Repper, 2007), the perception of an individual to be accepted by peers would contribute to his/her adjustment in school or in any other areas of his/her life. Rejected individuals who perceived themselves to be accepted by their peers tend to cope with and initiate social interactions better, than those who were rejected having negative perceptions of themselves being accepted (Rabiner Coie as cited in Kistner, David Repper, 2007). It was stated by Furman Robbins (as cited in Kingery, Erdley Marshall, 2011) that having the companion of peers would provide intimacy, affection and a source of reliance for an individual, thus helping in his/her adjustment and help enhance self-esteem. Behavioral Indicators: Individual feels that she belongs to a certain group; feels that she is not alone in life; accepts criticisms from other people; does not find it difficult to socialize with peers.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Right to Privacy in the Information Age Essay -- Exploratory Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a day in the life of Joe, an ordinary American, he drives to the office, owrks at a computer, browses in a shop at lunch time, then picks up some milk and a video on the way home, where a pile of junk mail and bills await him. At every stop alo ng the way, his doings can be watched, monitored, tabulated, and sold. On this typical day, Joe, our ordinary American, does not realize how technology has changed his private life. Joe's driving route may be tracked by a sophisticated traffic system. At work, his employer can listen in to his business conversations on the telephone, and tap into his computer, e-mail, or voice-mail. At the shopping center, the secret closed-circuit camera may seek him out personally. The shop is allowed to put peepho les in the fitting rooms. Some have hidden microphones, too. If he uses his credit card, not only does the card company keep tabs on when, where, and what he buys, it may sell that data to other marketers. A purchas e of out-door furniture means catalog s selling barbecue grills, mowing machines, or lawn seed are likely to be piled as junk mail in his mail box. Quickly he sits down at his desk and fills out the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes Entry form, hoping that this time Ed McMahon will arrive at his door with the big check, so he eagerly supplies personal information which, unknowingly to him, will be sold to other marketers and distributed to databases throughout the world. Joe is unaware of others who, on this typical day in the electronic age, ha ve peered into his private life.    Technology plays a significant part in today's society. As technology advances, new controversies arise, many involving privacy rights. Medical, workplace, and consumer pri... ...per, Michael. "With Success of Cameras, Concerns over Privacy." New York Times 5 Feb. 1997: B4. Dowd, Ann Reilly. "Protect Your Privacy." Money Aug. 1997: 107-108, 112. Everett-Green, Robert. "Cyberspace." 1996 Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year. 1996. Goode, Stephen. "Are Privacy Rights Still Inalienable?" Insight Magazine on the News 19 Aug. 1996: 18-19. Houlder, Vanessa. "The Blessing and Curse of E-mail." World Press Review June 1997: 33-34. Long, Robert Emmet. Rights to Privacy. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1997. "Medical Privacy is Under Attack." [http://www.ACLU.org] 26 Oct. 1997. "Workplace in America." [http://www.ACLU.org] 26 Oct. 1997. "We Know You're Reading This." Economist 10 Feb. 1996: 28. "William Faulkner: On Privacy." The Annals of America Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1968.   

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Hipaa Case Study

HIPAA Case Study Rasmussen College Author Note This research is being submitted on November 18, 2012 for Lashonda Crockett H340/HSA3422 Section 03 Regulation and Compliance in Health Care. How does HIPAA serve to protect patient rights? Answer in general terms, but then apply the question to the case study. (Who is HIPAA serving here in terms of patient rights? Explain. Should HIPAA be applied here at all? Why or why not? ) HIPAA is in place to protect patients and all their medical information. This was a direct violation.If they would not have mentioned names, ages or other identifying factors except for the issue at hand they would not be in violation. Since they spoke of names and other identifiers in a place where they can be overheard, the people who were referred to her for help can easily be searched and found and then be ridiculed for the issues at hand. What areas of HIPAA compliance impact the employer? This employer that employees these workers can be sued. If anyone had wanted to confront the people they spoke about, it could be a way for these individuals could lose their jobs, housing or worse.They can be charge with slander as well. This is just a horrible situation for the employer since they could have criminal charges they would have to fire these workers. Then those workers would have a hard time find another job. What actions should the ICMHA director take about the alleged HIPAA violation in the case? This would definitely be an issue of considering these employees work history to see if this has happened before. Even though the work load is heavy due to losing an employee, I would have to look into suspending these workers and do a check into their work history.There would be talks with this family and grandmother who overheard them. It would possibly come down to sending them to another place for help and paying for them to get that help. There would also be an audit should be done on the department to see if this is happening with anyon e else as well as have an employee meeting to state how a new internal regulation on this matter has been made and if this does happen by anyone that termination will happen immediately.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Interview questions for capital market & NSE Essay

What is capital Market? Capital market is a market of securities. Where a company and government raise long term funds. it is a market where money invested more them one year. In this we include the stock market and bond market Definition of ‘Debt’ An amount of money borrowed by one party from another. Many corporations/individuals use debt as a method for making large purchases that they could not afford under normal circumstances. A debt arrangement gives the borrowing party permission to borrow money under the condition that it is to be paid back at a later date, usually with interest. Definition of ‘Primary Market’ A market that issues new securities on an exchange. Companies, governments and other groups obtain financing through debt or equity based securities. Primary markets are facilitated by underwriting groups, which consist of investment banks that will set a beginning price range for a given security and then oversee its sale directly to investors Definition of ‘Secondary Market’ A market where investors purchase securities or assets from other investors, rather than from issuing companies themselves. The national exchanges – such as the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ are secondary markets. Secondary markets exist for other securities as well, such as when funds, investment banks, or entities such as Fannie Mae purchase mortgages from issuing lenders. In any secondary market trade, the cash proceeds go to an investor rather than to the underlying company/entity directly. What do you mean by Equity investment? Answer: An equity investment generally refers to the buying and holding of shares of stock on a stock market by individuals and firms in anticipation of income from dividends and capital gains, as the value of the stock rises. It may also refer to the acquisition of equity (ownership) participation in a private (unlisted) company or a startup company What do you mean by stock market or equity market? Answer: A stock market or equity market is a public entity (a loose network of economic transactions, not a physical facility or discrete entity) for the trading of company stock (shares) and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately. What do you mean by money market? Answer: The money market is a component of the financial markets for assets involved in short-term borrowing and lending with original maturities of one year or shorter time frames. What do you mean by stock exchange? Answer: A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and dividends. Securities traded on a stock exchange include shares issued by companies, unit trusts, derivatives, pooled investment products and bonds. What do you mean by Financial regulation? Answer: Financial regulation is a form of regulation or supervision, which subjects financial institutions to certain requirements, restrictions and guidelines, aiming to maintain the integrity of the financial system. This may be handled by either a government or non-government organization What are the Aims of financial regulation? Answer: Aims of regulation The aims of financial regulators are usually: * To enforce applicable laws * To prevent cases of market manipulation, such as insider trading * To ensure competence of providers of financial services * To protect clients, and investigate complaints * To maintain confidence in the financial system * To reduce violations under laws List some financial regulatory authorities * Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) * National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) * Financial Services Authority (FSA), United Kingdom What do you mean by NSE? Answer: The National Stock Exchange was incorporated in 1992 by Industrial Development Bank of India, Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, Industrial Finance Corporation of India, all Insurance Corporations, selected commercial banks and others. Trading at NSE can be classified under two broad categories: (a) Wholesale debt market and (b) Capital market. What are the advantages of NSE? (National Stock Exchange) NSE has several advantages over the traditional trading exchanges. They are as follows: * NSE brings an integrated stock market trading network across the nation. * Investors can trade at the same price from anywhere in the country since inter-market operations are streamlined coupled with the countrywide access to the securities. * Delays in communication, late payments and the malpractice’s prevailing in the traditional trading mechanism can be done away with greater operational efficiency and informational transparency in the stock market operations, with the support of total computerized network. Why India needs economic planning? One of the major objective of planning in India is to increase the rate of economic development, implying that increasing the rate of capital formation by raising the levels of income, saving and investment. However, increasing the rate of capital formation in India is beset with a number of difficulties. People are poverty ridden. Their capacity to save is extremely low due to low levels of income and high propensity to consume. Therefor, the rate of investment is low which leads to capital deficiency and low productivity. Low productivity means low income and the vicious circle continues. Thus, to break this vicious economic circle, planning is inevitable for India. What are general objectives of Indian Planning? The long-term general objectives of Indian Planning are as follows : * Increasing National Income * Reducing inequalities in the distribution of income and wealth * Elimination of poverty * Providing additional employment; and * Alleviating bottlenecks in the areas of : agricultural production, manufacturing capacity for producer’s goods and balance of payments. *

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Closer Look to Malaysia Tourism Essay Example

Closer Look to Malaysia Tourism Essay Example Closer Look to Malaysia Tourism Essay Closer Look to Malaysia Tourism Essay Essay Topic: Our Countrys Good Today, tourism becomes more and more important sector in the world’s economy. Travel affects every continent, country and the city by the influx or outflow of tourists. Furthermore, it is subject to social, economic changes and competition. The world becomes a global village because of tourists and business tailoring directly relating jobs to tourism as well as support industries increasing export of local product. In the Southeast Asia region, Malaysia is a model how to take the best from tourism by making it better and better. In this writing, Malaysia and its people is closely seen. As for tourism, we will look into history of Malaysia’s tourism development together with how Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board manages it. Its marketing strategies are also analyzed in the current trends of the world’s tourism. Finally, we will come to arousing thinking tourism in Malaysia and Vietnam in comparison and experience learning. MALAYSIA – COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE Situated just north of the equator, covering an area of 330,400 square kilometers, Malaysia is actually made of two land masses: West Malaysia or Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia including Sabahand and Sarawak. Malaysia comprises 13 states, having Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia as neighbors. The various of states offer an incomparable and exiting variety of tropical jungles, warm climate, beautiful beaches, hill resorts. Malaysia experiences diversity in races and in culture. The people of Malaysia include the majority of Malays, Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups. Each racial group retains and nature’s their individual traditions, customs and lifestyle. Malaysian always boasts a friendly smile and the most often heard phrase is â€Å"Selanat Datang† simply meaning welcome. MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD (MTPD) The establishment of the Tourism Development Corporation Malaysia in 1972 was considered the first step of Malaysia’s tourism. After the remarkable efforts in developing and promoting tourism, the Ministry of Arts Culture and Tourism (MOCAT) was incepted in 1992, is an agency under the MOCAT which officially governs tourism industry. In April 2004, MOCAT was split to separate the ministry responsible solely for matters to relate to tourism. Meanwhile, the MTPB is responsible for the marketing and promotional aspects of tourism. It works in collaboration with local tourist offices and operates many oversea offices. It is said that they are vary effective in obtaining reservation for Malaysia. MTPB vows its mission statement: marketing Malaysia as the destination of excellence and making the tourism industry a major contributor to the socio-economic development of the nation. MTPB has objectives concerning marketing Malaysia as an outstanding tourist attraction, attracting world’ attention to Malaysia’s images that uniquely splendor and beauty of the country, increasing number of tourist arrivals. RECENT ACHIEVEMENT Tourism is currently the second highest contributor to Malaysia’ Gross Domestic Product after manufacturing. Malaysia caught up with Singapore and Thailand in term of tourist arrivals and tourism receipts, making it a destination in it own right. Recent, Malaysia tourism experienced mostly increase in number of foreign visitor. From January to September 2004, the number of foreign visitors to Malaysia reaches 11,711,440 increased by 64. 5% against the same period last year. Tourist arrivals to Malaysia are increasing rapidly according to Immigration Department. Tourism receipt is total around US$ 2. 5billions on average each year. Domestic visitor has also been considerably growing. The tourism industry now is the country’s third largest foreign exchange earner. The MTPB has received a prestigious World Travel Mart Silver Award for its remarkable contribution to regional travel and tourism industry. MARKETING STRATEGIES Tourism is very sensitive sector. The strategies of tourism development need to match with the strengths and the weakness of a country. Malaysia has taken full its advantages and opportunities of developing tourism as well as overcoming its difficulties to have its right decisions. It can be seen that the advantages of Malaysia tourism are the outstanding natural beauty, the cultural diversity, good accessibility, good tourism facilities, safety and English widely spoken. Its opportunities for multi-destination or cross border tourism have been vastly improved. Young travel, World Heritage Site branding and better access through budget carriers and potential can be transformed into economic benefit. The success of tourism depends on its marketing strategies. Marketing strategies process comprises identifying target market, estimating tourist arrivals, and describing strategy to meet goals and objects. â€Å"The tourism industry has changed And Malaysia tourism players have also changed their strategies and marketing plans to fit in with the challenging time’’ Minister of MOCAT, Dr Ng Yen Yen said. Here comes the tactics to attract tourist to Malaysia. POSITIONING TARGET MARKET Market shifting is necessary in tourism, especially when the world is threatened by terrorism and epidemic. Under any circumstance Malaysia has its marketing strategies to concentrate on selecting market besides domestic market. Domestic market is concentrated to avoid losing a large number of visitors for other countries. Now Malaysian has become more aware of local and regional places and realize. There are attractive destinations in their own country to explore. Besides traditional market namely Singapore, Thailand and West Asia, China, India and some Europeans are considered positioning target market to increase tourists to Malaysia. We must build up our regional and local destination. We must not forget a huge market like China which also hold vast opportunities’’, Dr Ng Yen added. In an effort restore its tourism figures, Malaysia Tourism has launched a number of promotions to tap the potential India market. Malaysia wants to create a niche market for leisure tourism and pursue a new area, in expending their potential. The World Travel Mart on 12 Nov 2004 has enabled Ma laysia to gauge the climate of global tourism to be in a better and competitive position. Based on an average of 12 million tourists a year, the target of 15 million tourist arrivals this year can be achieved in the strategies of positioning target market. ATTRACTION SLOGAN An attractive slogan, referring to no second better and more suitable is very important in tourism. A successful slogan should be an attention getter, raise the country’s image and lure visitors to the country. How you feel about the slogan â€Å" Fascinating Malaysia ’’. At the time of the year 1998, it was considered a successful slogan. It aroused interest about Malaysia as a orth – discovering world. It promised the exiting trip to Malaysia. Over the years, Malaysia‘s image has been changed from â€Å"Beautiful Malaysia ’’ to â€Å" Only Malaysia ’’, followed by â€Å" Fascinating Malaysia ’’ and currently â€Å" Malaysia – Truly Asia ’’. As a multi-racial and multi-cultural country, Malaysia shows a colorful custom and religion. The multiple facets of the country are what make Malaysia so fascinating and colorful to tourists. Hence, the country is marketed under the â€Å" Malaysia – Truly Asia† branding to the world. Ideally, Malaysia’s slogan posses AIDA – A means getting attention, I – holding interest, D – arousing desire and A – obtaining action. Come to Malaysia, you will have the experience of entire Asia only a smile away. Remind us of Malaysia automatically ring the slogan â€Å" Malaysia – Truly Asia†. TOURISM PROMOTION In order to popularize the image of Malaysia and its tourism product, the MTPB takes parts in or operates many activities and events: Trade and Tourism Fair, Consumers Fairs, Seminar/ Workshop Malaysians are experts in exploring its natural resources and its advantages. Every year, Malaysia’ s Tourism holds many international and national events to draw foreign visitors to Malaysia. Response from tourism players for the upcoming 15th MATTA International Travel Fair is encouraging, without 200 exhibitors taking up about 95% the booths for yearly events. â€Å"With more people taking part in the fair, people more recognizing Malaysia’s potential as a top tourist spot with beautiful attractions†. World Amateur Inter – Team Golf Championship and World Grand Prix were organized with the objective of promoting holiday’s destinations that offer golfing facilities to both the international and local markets. Today, Malaysia is increasingly viewed as a prime exhibition and convention venue, which offers professional expertise backed by support service and attractive tourists places. Malaysia becomes one of the tops 21 MICE locations worldwide and the MICE markets in South East Asia. Color of Malaysia is a sere of activities concerning cultural festivals, sumptuous cuisine and resplendent costumes. â€Å" Come to Malaysia to experience Asia†. This is how cultural diversity and religious help to promote tourism. Malaysia is known as a beautiful land and a shopping paradise. â€Å" Go holiday. It is all here in Malaysia†. Malaysia Megarable is a big deal for all visitors. The local and international emporiums, designer boutiques and stores all cross Malaysia participate in the creation of fantastic. Besides, the Eighth Malaysia Plan’s strategy (2001 – 2005) reflects the expending of international access in new strategic tourist market as well as promoting Kuala Lumpur Beyond the city. In addition, the Rural Tourism Master Plan was built on the two main strengths of Malaysia namely its beautiful countryside and friendly people to create a new brand of tourist experience for visitors, particular long stay visitors. It is being aggressive promoted by Terengganu State government for island tourism. The main approach to transform rural tourism in Malaysia is â€Å" Starting Small to Grow Big† to create new destinations as a part of the tourism marketing strategy as existing destinations could be improved. Malaysians are improving the perception and the image of Malaysia as a liberal Muslim country with a harmonious and multi-religion nation. Part of this includes proving international publicity of hosted events and international participants that Malaysia is a safe and friendly destination. CO-OPERATION Tourism is an element interdependently among the other sectors. Therefore, Co-operation is vital. The MTPB ha recognized and co-operation with the international and national airline for directs flight to tourist destinations to draw visitors. Tourism Malaysia and Airline Malaysia offered the â€Å" Showcase Malaysia Mega Deals† that entitles a free day for four days and three nights in Malaysia for two on purchase of air tickets in Malaysia Airlines. Tourism Malaysia and Singapore have also joined hands for the first time to offer the special package on a twin sharing basis where a traveller would get to spend three nights in Langkawi – the natural paradise of Malaysia and one night in Singapore. In view of improving cross – industry and cross – national Co-operation, the different market scenario, Sabah Tourism together with the State and Federal governments, Tourism Malaysia, the Airlines, hotels and tour operators must work closely with all their resources to have more effective promotions of regional tourism. WHY WE CHOOSE MALAYSIA? As you know, Malaysia’s Tourism is much more developed and more attractive than Vietnam although we also have potentials and advantages as Malaysia. Malaysia and Vietnam share some similarities in natural attractions. Malaysia has been successful in creating and raising their image of its tourism as well as luring tourists to there. Meanwhile, Vietnam has not taken full its advantages and founding its own right strategies. However, from the marginal similarities, Vietnam’s Tourism could take advantage of Malaysia’s experience. The situation of Vietnam is not satisfactory as it could be. Vietnam is seen as the land of tourism potential. The matter is how to explore the resources. A closer look on Tourism Malaysia can help Vietnam National Tourism Administration can have more experience while they form their marketing strategies and how to explore Vietnam’s potentials. We hope to see the bright future of Tourism Vietnam as ‘’ a destination for new millennium. † With the aim of transforming the Malaysia’s â€Å" low yield tourism † to that of â€Å" high yield †, Malaysia is carrying out gradually and making it true. Despite its late entrant in the racing of tourism industry, Tourism Malaysia has grown rapidly and affirmed its position in the world’s tourism after the serious efforts in developing and promoting tourism. Malaysia ‘s Tourism foresees a brilliant future.

Monday, October 21, 2019

The History of Facebook and How It Was Invented

The History of Facebook and How It Was Invented Mark Zuckerberg  was a  Harvard computer science student  when he, along with classmates Eduardo Saverin,  Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes  invented Facebook.  Amazingly, the idea for the website, now the worlds most popular social networking page, was inspired by a botched  effort to get internet users to rate each others photos.   Hot or Not?: The Origin of Facebook In 2003,  Zuckerberg, a second-year student at Harvard at the time,  wrote the software for a website called  Facemash. He put his computer science skills to questionable use by hacking into Harvards security network, where he copied the student ID images used by the dormitories and used them to populate his new website. Website visitors could use the site to compare two student photos side-by-side and decide who was hot and who was not.   Facemash opened on October 28, 2003, and closed a few days later, after it was shut down by Harvard execs. In the aftermath, Zuckerberg faced serious charges of breach of security, violating copyrights and violating individual privacy. Though he faced expulsion from Harvard University for his actions, all charges were eventually dropped. TheFacebook: An App for Harvard Students On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched a new website called TheFacebook. He  named the site after  the directories that were handed out to university students to aid them in getting to know one another better. Six days later, he again got into trouble when Harvard seniors Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra accused him of stealing their ideas for an intended social network website called HarvardConnection. The claimants later filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg, but the matter was eventually settled out of court. Membership to the website was at first restricted to Harvard  students. Over time, Zuckerberg enlisted a few of his fellow students to help grow the website. Eduardo Saverin, for example, worked on the business end while Dustin Moskovitz was brought on as a programmer. Andrew McCollum served as the sites graphic artist and Chris Hughes became the de facto spokesperson. Together the team expanded the site to additional universities and colleges. Facebook: The World's Most Popular Social Network In 2004, Napster founder and  angel investor  Sean Parker became the companys president. The company changed the sites name from TheFacebook to just Facebook after purchasing the domain name facebook.com in 2005 for $200,000. The following year, venture capital firm Accel Partners  invested $12.7 million in the company, which enabled the creation of a version of the network for high school students. Facebook would later expand to other networks such as employees of companies. In  September of  2006, Facebook announced that anyone who was at  least 13 years old and had a valid email address could join.  By 2009, it had become the worlds  most used social networking service, according to a report by the analytics site Compete.com. While Zuckerbergs antics and the sites profits eventually led to him becoming  the worlds youngest multi-billionaire, hes done his part to spread the wealth around. Hes donated $100 million dollars to the Newark, New Jersey public school system, which has long been underfunded. In 2010, he signed a pledge, along with other wealthy businessmen, to donate at least half of his wealth to charity.  Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have  donated $25 million toward fighting the Ebola virus and announced that they would  contribute 99% of their Facebook shares to the  Chan Zuckerberg Initiative  to improve lives through education, health, scientific research, and energy.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to become a kindergarten teacher

How to become a kindergarten teacher As far as teaching careers go, the idea of being a kindergarten teacher seems very appealing. The students are young, not yet subject to the social pressures of middle and high school, and eager to learn about the world. Maybe you see yourself singing songs and helping kids take those tentative first steps on their educational road. But while the job does include those things, the idealized vision of singing about ABCs isn’t the whole picture. Kindergarten teachers are educators first and foremost, and have the daunting task of making sure that many students’ first formal classroom helps set them up for a good education later on. What does a kindergarten teacher do?Because of the basic nature of what early elementary school educators teach, there can be misconceptions about how â€Å"easy† it is to be a kindergarten teacher. Sure, they typically don’t teach advanced calculus, but they do need to be able to teach in a variety of subject areas, while balanci ng young students’ complex needs for social and interpersonal development. A kindergarten teacher’s duties may include:Teaching lessons and basic academic skills across different disciplines (reading, writing, math, science, etc.)Managing classroom behaviorPlanning lessons and curriculumDeveloping educational play activitiesKindergarten teachers can be found in any elementary-level school, including public schools, private schools, or magnet schools. The school week is typically a straightforward number of daytime hours, but the job may also require additional time spent in the mornings, evenings, and off-hours to prepare for school, participate in professional development, or oversee extracurricular activities/school programs. Depending on how the school is structured, kindergarten teachers may have one main class per year, or two (morning and afternoon sessions).What skills do kindergarten teachers need?First and foremost, kindergarten teachers need to have a balance between educational skills and people skills, given that their students may have yet to master a number of life skills and may have a broad variety of needs and skill levels. Here are some of the core skills you’ll need as a kindergarten teacher:Teaching Skills:  For many students, the kindergarten classroom may be the first place they’ll encounter formal lessons on reading, writing, etc. A kindergarten teacher needs to be able to teach the basic building blocks for students with different skills and abilities.Kid-Friendliness:  If you don’t like kids, then spending all day, every day handling the needs of 5–7 year olds just may not be the right teaching career for you. The job definitely requires a good measure of patience and enthusiasm for working with young kids- and all their quirks.Creativity:  Kindergarten is special because it mixes in play and hands-on activities before students start to move on to more formal classes in later grades. A ki ndergarten teacher should have a flair for coming up with fun, creative ways to use educational concepts in the classroom.Organizational Skills:  Kids can bring chaos, especially in large groups. The adult in the room should not also bring chaos. Organizational skills are a cornerstone of any teaching profession, and being able to organize and efficiently manage a classroom full of little kids is an immensely useful skill unto itself.What do you need to become a kindergarten teacher?Unlike preschool teachers, who may not need a four-year degree, becoming a kindergarten teacher typically requires a four-year degree in early childhood education. Many teachers also go on to receive a master’s degree as well. Public school kindergarten teachers are required to be licensed, but this step is not necessarily required for private school teachers. You should consult with your state’s licensing policies, as well as those of your target school/district to see what the specific requirements are.How much do kindergarten teachers get paid?According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for kindergarten teachers is $55,490. This can vary depending on the teacher’s experience and the type of school.What’s the outlook for kindergarten teachers?This is a field that will continue to grow (or at least maintain) given that kids are a continually replenishing natural resource and will always need quality teachers to guide them through those early educational steps. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the demand for kindergarten teachers will grow by about 6% through 2024.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Informed consent. The possible dangers of too much information Research Paper

Informed consent. The possible dangers of too much information conveyed - Research Paper Example rug. Moreover, there is an issue with how much comprehension a participant may have of the risks that are dictated in the informed consent protocol. Not surprisingly, the forms must be readable in order for a patient to truly have considered himself â€Å"informed,† and the most important part of readability is to put the risks into layman’s terms. Studies have suggested that esoteric forms which are more difficult to read than complicated texts results in considerably less informed consent than forms which are not so. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the level of language used in the consent forms and keep the audience in mind. If the person drafting these forms keeps in mind this golden rule, then other studies suggest that informed consent is extremely effective. The possible dangers of too much information conveyed Loftus & Fries (2008) theorize that informed consent may do more harm than good, at least when the risks that are presented to the patient consist of all potential risks that might occur, no matter how remote. They argue that the patient might imagine that he or she is experiencing the symptom because of the power of the mind, in that the mind can play tricks on people, and, if the patient knows that a certain risk is possible, then the patient may conjure this risk even though it is only remotely possible that the patient is actually experiencing the symptom. As proof of this, they point to the power of the placebo (Loftus & Fries, 2008, p. 217). To them, a patient is better off just knowing the general level of risk, ie, the symptoms that are likely to occur, and only provide patients the remote risks if the patient specifically asks for it. Therefore, the informed consent carries risks itself, and they â€Å"only ask that those whose task it is to formulate informed consent rituals pay some attention to the harm that may be caused by the ritual itself† (Loftus & Fries, 2008, p. 217). Loftus & Fries then cited a study that they performed that was unpublished. It involved patients at the Stanford University Medical School who were diagnosed with scleroderma and were treated with a drug cocktail consisting of propranolol and alpha-methyldopa. The patients were informed about the side effects of the drug cocktail, which included dizziness, headaches, upset stomach and tearfulness. Some patients received a standard informed consent form and some received a standard informed consent form plus a special message which explained the placebo effect, in that the patients who received the special message were informed of the phenomenon of experiencing symptoms simply because the symptoms were mentioned. Loftus & Fries found that all patients experienced â€Å"side effects,† even if the patient was given a placebo. They also found that those patients who received the special message experienced fewer side effects than those who did not (Loftus & Fries, 2008, p. 218). Therefore, their point ab out a patient knowing â€Å"too much† was validated. While Loftus & Fries concentrated on the placebo effect as a drawback for informed consent, at least informed consent that lists every possible side-effect, no matter how remote, Audrey et al. (2008) concentrated on the effect informed consent had on patients who want to undergo palliative chemotherapy. The issue that Audrey et al. focuses upon is

Disaster planning utilizing informatics Assignment

Disaster planning utilizing informatics - Assignment Example Most often the poorest are greatly affected by the disaster. This is the case many nations. But the developments in the field of information technology make things different. We can expect any kinds of disasters any where in the world at anytime in any forms. So there is no matter of doubt about the disaster, natural or man made. We should prepare for to manage the disaster. We have enough facilities to manage and save the life. The communication system of today is efficient, powerful and fast. We can use the communication systems telephone, radio, video, fax, television and other technological devices to communicate to the people who are in the area of disaster in advance. (http://practicalaction.org/disaster-reduction?utm_source=S000&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=C10105&gclid=CIng24eEvKUCFYIa6wodwisfYw) By passing information about disaster in advance, the people in the area of disaster can saved. Do not think that we can understand all about disaster in advance. The facility of science and technology of today will help us to understand the disaster in advance in some extent. So people can move safe area. The role of informatics is very valuable and in pre-disaster time and post disaster time. As we know that the natural disasters very terrible and frightening. We have no control over them. So the role of informatics and modern information technology is very weak and not at all efficient. ( Craig H. Llewellyn) Science and information technology will become silent when these kinds of crucial and terrible natural disasters arrive. Informatics can perform its valuable role in health care and medical field in somewhat great extent. But its role in disaster planning has many limitations. Even though it has limitations, it is unavoidable in disaster planning. It overcomes its all limitations by certain advantages. We must hope more developments in informatics in the field of disaster

Friday, October 18, 2019

Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Development - Essay Example In 2002, the World Health Organization encouraged the international communities to conduct studies on disasters and their impact on the genders, male and female. A pattern about the vulnerability was observed but needed evidence, further studies, and analysis in terms of â€Å"exposure to risk, risk perception, preparedness, response, physical impact, psychological impact, recovery and reconstruction†(WHO [a] 2002, p.1). As early as that time, WHO had reported that 2 billion people had been affected by a combination of natural and man-made calamities from 1990 to 1999,wherein nearly 30% died. And there seemed to be a trend of increasing disasters. . [Source: Zakour, M.J. and Gillespie,D.F. (2013). Community Disaster Vulnerability. p.12 ] II.Random Sample of Disasters Worldwide This research compiled a random set of disasters arranged in chronological order to verify such a report of increasing trend reported by the World Health Organization. ... Catalina Floods & Mudslides 128 1/2/2010 Haiti Earthquate 316,000 died. 2010 Russia Heat Wave 56,000 2010 Japan Heat Wave 1,718 2011 Brazil Rio de Janeiro Floods & Mudslides 1,000 It should be noted that according to the World Health Organization statistics for 2010 (Kaiser, H. 2012, p.1), the vulnerable sector of society affected by malaria epidemic is the pregnant women and children. Of the 216,000,000 cases in 2010 alone, 665,000 died of which most were children. Because the children were attended to by the female gender, they too were very vulnerable to the epidemic. As a result of such findings, one of the policies of WHO effective 2012 is the â€Å"intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy. . .† (WHO [b] 2012, p.2). Hurricanes and storms worldwide also killed thousands from 1990 to 2011. In just this classification of a natural disaster, it can be seen how the female gender would actually be at a disadvantage by virtue of the fact that she is a weaker sex . Their trauma is aggravated by their being emotional to people and things they value and have lost. It would be but natural for women to feel the great damage when their homes are blown away or destroyed by the powerful twisters which could have carried every person who does not hide. Statistics are shown as follows: [Source: Weather Underground Inc. Hurricane Archive. Viewed February 16, 2013 @ http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/hurrarchive.asp] It was discovered that natural disasters had lowered the life expectancy among women more than it does to men. In terms of total impact on the total population, women are more damaged in terms of living shorter lives compared to men whenever a disaster takes place.

Overcoming the Modern - Kawabata's 'Yukiguni' Essay

Overcoming the Modern - Kawabata's 'Yukiguni' - Essay Example 246). A love affair between rich Tokyo dilettante, Shimamura, and a young geisha, Komako, is the main story of the novel. However, cultural symbolism interwoven in the plot of the story makes it look like a Japanese puzzle. It is both interesting to read and complex to understand all the meanings of writer’s cultural riddles. One has to be well aware of Japanese cultural nuances to accept Kawabata’s book as easy reading of a love story. Romantic relationship is not the main idea the writer wants to express. There are much more issues of cultural identity which are raised in this literary work. To understand and appreciate Kawabata’s â€Å"Yukiguni† a reader has to be competent in Japanese culture and literature enough. Also difference in mentality and perceptions of Japanese and Western culture might influence on understanding Kawabata’s work. There is no wonder in different interpretations of the main messages’ meaning, because Kawabata’ â€Å"characters are determined by forces so completely beyond their control that these characters typically appear to the Western reader almost pathologically passive and irresolute† (Pollack, 102). At the same time, however, life and human relationships in different cultures are much alike. There is no wonder that a non-Japanese reader will associate himself/herself with Shimamura or Komato. Furthermore, most of Kawabata’s works are claimed to be plotless. Reading â€Å"Snow Country† requires some meditation and contemplation. Otherwise, the reader might lose not only interest, but complete understanding of the essence of this book. Having enough knowledge about Japan and its culture, one has to be able to read between the lines to understand Japaneseness of Kawabata’s novel. According to Pollack, Japanese writer’s work is based on Tanabata legend (misfortunate astral lover who are

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Do my assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Do my assignment - Essay Example rage American are their security and country’s economics that directly affects the amount and quality of food on their table, their shopping habits, their selection (most of the times it is the availability/affordability) of college/university, savings/investment and health. Obama might not have been the best when it comes to taking care of all these matters but he sure is a person that keeps things under budget. In my observation and from what I have learnt from my American friends, (I’m a student from the Middle East) the majority considers Romney a Neocon. He would probably waste precious resources of the US citizens in engaging unnecessary battles and wars. Americans don’t want their money to be spent on military ventures, painfully, outside the US soil. The Americans have their own battles to fight on their own soil. Being a military superpower doesn’t mean that each of its citizens is fed properly and sleeps in a warm

Interior Design Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interior Design Program - Essay Example That is what people want; to adjust with environment. Adjustment takes place in two basic steps: one is judgment where one tries to inspect the level of satisfaction by comparison and another is selection which comes into mind if first one directs to do so. Fashionable clothes, jewelries, rich food etc are common example of this. But what about shelter All these luxurious wants go to slum if you don't have place to take deep breath. After daily hard work when we return home, we look for peace, relaxation and happiness. It's a place which refreshes our mind and gives us energy to face daily problems. So home also needs designing and proper arrangements with all facilities within that in order to bring ease and comfort in our life. This work can be beautifully done with help of interior designer. Nowadays Interior designer has more responsibilities, as everybody has different needs and level of satisfaction; and he needs to satisfy customers' thinking after maintaining his own constrai nts (budget, profit, house area etc...). Design is a term related to creativity. Interior design is a process to improve human interaction with the living environment. An interior designer is a qualified person who works on interior spaces to improve its quality and with a vision to enhance the lifestyle of human being, making it healthier and safer (Znoy, Jason A, 2004). It's not about profession and revenues; but the art reflects to his personal life too as society is not a group of families rather individuals! One dominating factor comes and that is financial effort. One designer will do the work for mankind but a large class of people is not in a position to adopt it. Here comes the challenge. What's that contribution where all are not getting the chance to feel pleasure So, design must be flexible and easily acceptable. Nowadays People misunderstand with the meaning of renovation. Many historical structures are being demolished and replaced by modern efficient high-rise buildings. Renovation is part of designing, but doesn't mean removing ancient things. Destruction is not the ultimate way to resolve problem. A doctor never hurts patient but fights against his diseases. Removing these structures, means rubbing out all the histories associated with them. So solution to this conflict between new needs and old culture is restoring and recycling, which bring to sustainability. Renovation needs new resources to replace old ones, but available resource cannot meet wants. In order to get a green country we have to give our hands together forgetting about me but not us. We should remember that child is a father of man. Future is unpredictable, but not impossible to visualize. Doing is believing and we have to believe in what we are doing. As Designing combines all different perspectives to bring out an innovation, teaching interior design and spreading knowledge is very important. Today's challenges are inspiration for designer to come up with solutions that can help the world. Conclusion It's the time now to think higher and dream bigger. We are those drops of rain which can flood the whole world. Interior design gives us the awareness of what is happening in the real life. The only thing that is

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Do my assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Do my assignment - Essay Example rage American are their security and country’s economics that directly affects the amount and quality of food on their table, their shopping habits, their selection (most of the times it is the availability/affordability) of college/university, savings/investment and health. Obama might not have been the best when it comes to taking care of all these matters but he sure is a person that keeps things under budget. In my observation and from what I have learnt from my American friends, (I’m a student from the Middle East) the majority considers Romney a Neocon. He would probably waste precious resources of the US citizens in engaging unnecessary battles and wars. Americans don’t want their money to be spent on military ventures, painfully, outside the US soil. The Americans have their own battles to fight on their own soil. Being a military superpower doesn’t mean that each of its citizens is fed properly and sleeps in a warm

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Answering one of the following questions Research Paper

Answering one of the following questions - Research Paper Example However, citizenship to any state comes with duties and responsibilities and USA is not an exception. Becoming US citizen occurs through two significant processes including being born in USA when the parents are American citizens. Another way for foreigners is by naturalization. This involves an application to become US citizen after staying in USA for some time. The great depression affected US policies through the implementation of then president Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his New Deal1. Before the great depression on October 29, 1929, when stock market crashed, American citizens had adopted a new lifestyle of spending more on consumable goods. At the same time between 1922 and 1928, many Americans estimated at 1.5 million had bought stocks while seeing it as an easy way to make ‘fast’ money2. American women had no rights of choosing lifestyle such as smoking. In 1904, one woman was arrested for smoking in public in New York City3. In the period before the depression, American women and their children’s citizenship depended on their race and marriage. Under the naturalization act of 1907, any American born woman would lose her nationality citizenship if they were married to noncitizens. In addition, during the period between 1855 and 1930s, children born overseas to women born in United States did not automatically become US citizens but they would only if their fathers were Americans4. The constitution mediated the nationality of women through races and marriages. In the early 1930s, women through use of women’s group pressured for removal of the barriers to independent nationality. In early in 1700s, aliens obtained US citizenship by living in the country for a minimum of 5 years. This allowed African-Americans taken as slaves to obtain American citizenship. The process involved two sections of 3 years staying in US then applying to become citizens. Two additional years were required to petition application in court. Between 1900 and

Monday, October 14, 2019

Modern Architecture Essay Example for Free

Modern Architecture Essay It is undeniable that Gothic Architecture has a great influence on modern Architecture. One has only to look at Antoni Gaudi’s design of La Sagrada Familia in Spain or the intricate tracery of Culvert Bridge in Central Park by Calvert Vaux to appreciate the modern interpretation of Gothic Architecture. When on hears of Gothic one immediately conjures images of intricate dark designs, tall lean spires, vaulted ceilings, flamboyant arches and iconic ornamentations. Usually Gothic is attributed to somber, grave and shadowy lighting. Thus it is a bit surprising that it was Gothic architecture that gave birth to the undeniably the most colorful element of dark cathedrals, the rose window – a circular window separated into stone segments and intricate tracery. This is a trademark of all Gothic cathedrals. Traditional Gothic Rose Windows are either intricate traceried circular windows with spokes radiating from a central rondel more colorful stained glass with elaborate pictures with holy depictions. The medium of the windows has changed in the modern adaptations. Some modern rose windows are now are now made of plexiglass or other aggregate instead of pure glass to lessen the cost of production and also to strengthen the material. Painted canvasses are also used to recreate rose windows. In the olden times the beautiful glass colors are achieved by integrating the colors while the glass is being blown. In the modern version, translucent acrylics or other artificial methods are used to accomplish an effect similar to real rose window. However, the rose window has evolved beyond windows itself. Different colored tiles and marbles are now used to imitate rose windows. And these are not used for windows primarily, but for decorating wall paneling and flooring. Not only did the medium change but the subject also changed. Originally, rose windows are used in cathedrals and depict scenes from the Bible. Nowadays, the subjects lean more on abstraction and eclectic symbolism. Whatever changes in the interpretation might have been, it is indisputable that the windows have thoroughly made their mark in Architecture. Reference Frankl, Paul. (1962). Gothic Architecture. US: Yale University Press.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Halfords business analysis | Free essay | Management essays

Halfords business analysis | Free essay | Management essays Introduction Halfords is the UKs leading retailer, on the basis of turnover, in each of the key product markets in which it operates, being, car maintenance, car enhancement and leisure (including cycles and cycle accessories and roof boxes etc. Founded as a local hardware store in Birmingham in1892by F W Rushbrooke, Halfords has since grown to establish its position as the leading retailer of car parts, car enhancement, cycles and travel solutions in the UK. In this report the value of the company is evaluated on the basis of its current statutory accounts. In this report the alternative sources of finance available for the company are also discussed. The areas of corporate risk when raising finance, paying particular attention to funds available to the company are also discussed. Business valuation: A formal assessment of the value of a business using pre-determined and generally agreed upon formulas. Theres a range of ways to value a business. Valuations based on multiples of future earnings and the capitalisations of future cashflows are the most common. There are a number of common valuation methods: Asset based business valuation methods total up all the investments in the business. Asset-based business valuations can be done on a going concern or on a liquidation basis. Agoing concern asset-based approachdetermines the business net balance sheet value of its assets and subtracts the value of its liabilities. Aliquidation asset-based approachrepresents the net cash that would be received if all assets were sold and liabilities paid off. Earning value approaches Earning value business valuation methods are predicated on the idea that a businesss true value lies in its ability to produce wealth in the future. The most common earning value approach is about Capitalizing Past Earning. With this approach, a valuator determines an expected level of cash flow for the company using a companys record of past earnings, normalizes them for unusual revenue or expenses, and multiplies the expected normalized cash flows by a capitalization factor. The capitalization factor is a reflection of what rate of return a reasonable purchaser would expect on the investment, as well as a measure of the risk that the expected earnings will not be achieved. Discounted Future Earningsis another earning value approach to business valuation where instead of an average of past earnings, an average of the trend of predicted future earnings is used and divided by the capitalization factor. Market value approaches Market value approaches to business valuation attempt to establish the value of the business by comparing the business to similar businesses that have recently sold. Obviously, this method is only going to work well if there are a sufficient number of similar businesses to compare. Valuation of Halfords Using the Market Value approach: In the report the Halfords Company is going to be evaluated using the market value approach. Valuation Multiple A value, typically expressed as a factor, used to multiply a business economic benefit to arrive at the business value. Market-derived business valuation multiples Valuation multiplesderived from similar business sales are often used to estimate the likely selling price of a business. These multiples are calculated as ratios which relate some measure of business financial performance to its potential selling price. The most popularmultiplesare: Currant finance structure: Treasury policy The Groups Treasury Policy is structured to ensure that adequate financial resources are available for the development of its business whilst managing its currency, interest rate and counterparty credit risks. The Groups treasury strategy, policy and controls are approved by the Board. The main elements of treasury activity and associated risk are outlined below: Funding The treasury function arranges sufficient secure financial resources to enable the Group to meet its medium-term business objectives, whilst arranging facility maturities appropriate to its projected needs. The Group has a syndicated five-year term facility, maturing with a bullet repayment in July 2011, totalling  £300m of committed bank facilities, comprising a non-amortising term loan of  £180m and a revolving credit facility of  £120m, which, together with cash surpluses, provide adequate funding for the Groups operations. Counterparty credit risk The Group actively manages its relationships with a panel of high quality financial institutions. Credit risk is controlled by the treasury function setting counterparty credit limits by reference to published rating agency credit ratings and the Corporate Default Swap market. All such counterparties, which constitute the syndicated bank group, held at least an A credit rating at the time of the facility agreement. The Treasury Policy recognises that an exposure to a counterparty arises in relation to investments, derivatives and financial instruments. The Groups treasury departments main responsibilities are to: Ensure adequate funding and liquidity for the Group; Manage the interest risk of the Groups debt; Invest surplus cash; Manage the clearing bank operations of the Group; and Manage the foreign exchange risk on its non-sterling cash flows. The Groups debt management policy is to provide an appropriate level of funding to finance the Business Plan over the medium term at a competitive cost and ensure flexibility to meet the changing needs of the Group. The Group has a syndicated five-year term facility totalling  £300m that provides the Group with committed bank facilities until July 2011. The key risks that the Group faces from a treasury perspective are as follows: Financial risk The Business Plan and cash flow forecasts are subject to key assumptions such as interest rates and the significance of these risks is dependent upon the level of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation and the strength of the balance sheet. Interest rate risk The Groups policy aims to manage the interest cost of the Group within the constraints of the Business Plan and its financial covenants. The Groups borrowings are currently subject to floating rate and the Group will continue to monitor movements in the swap market. Foreign currency risk The Group has a significant transaction exposure with increasing, direct source purchases of its supplies from the Far East, with most of the trade being in US dollars. The Groups policy is to manage the foreign exchange transaction exposures of the business to ensure the actual costs do not exceed the budget costs by 10% (excluding increases in the base cost of the product). The Group does not hedge either economic exposure or the translation exposure arising from the profits, assets and liabilities of non-sterling businesses whilst they remain immaterial. During the 53 weeks to 3 April 2009, the foreign exchange management policy was to hedge between 75% and 80% of the material foreign exchange transaction exposures on a rolling 15-18 month basis. Hedging is performed through the use of foreign currency bank accounts, spot rates and forward foreign exchange contracts. Credit risk The Groups policy is to minimise the risk that foreign exchange and interest rate derivative counterparties, the holders of surplus cash and the providers of debt will be unable to fulfil their obligations and also, in the case of lenders, unwilling to extend the loan facilities when they expire. The Group ensured that such counterparties used for credit transactions held at least an A credit rating at the time of syndication (July 2006). Ancillary business, in the main, is directed to the eight banks within the syndicated group. The Treasurer is responsible for determining creditworthiness of each counterparty, based on the overall financial strength of the counterparty. The counterparty credit risk is reviewed in the Treasury report, which is forwarded to the Treasury Committee and the Treasurer reviews credit exposure on a daily basis. Conclusion: Depending on the financial data provided by the Halfords Company the current financial stability of the company is successfully analyzed. References Annual report: Halfords PLC http://www.halfordscompany.com/hal/ir/fininfo/reports/ http://www.valuadder.com/glossary/valuation-multiplier.html http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/costofcapital.asp http://www.lse.co.uk/shareprice.asp?shareprice=THTshare=thorntons_plc_ord_10p

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Switzerland Report 2005 Essay -- essays research papers fc

SWITZERLAND Switzerland is an independent country that has been able to maintain its neutrality, making them honored by the major European powers. An interesting historical fact is that Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars. Switzerland’s active role in many UN and international organizations has been a positive strategy strengthening ties with its neighbors, but also letting them retain a strong commitment to neutrality. However, Switzerland did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland is located in Central Europe, east of France and North of Italy. Bordering countries are Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein and Germany. Bern is the capital city with Zurich being the largest city. It is mostly mountains and rolling hills with large lakes in the valleys. Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries that I have had the opportunity to visit. The population taken in July of 2004 was 7,450,867. Their population growth rate is .54%. The total life expectancy is 80 years. The country’s nationality is Swiss. The ethnic groups that make up Switzerland are: Germans at 65%, French at 18%, Italians at 10%, Romansch at 1%, and all others at 6%. With the diverse ethnic groups the primary languages follow suit with German speaking at 64%, French speaking at 19%, Italian at 8%, Romansch at .6% and other at 9%. The primary religions are Roman Catholic at 46%, Protestant at 40%, other religions equaling 5%, and an estimated 8.9% are non-religious. Switzerland is known as the Swiss Confederation, with a Federal Republic type of government. The federal state is made up of 26 cantons. Of which 20 are â€Å"full† cantons and six â€Å"half† cantons for the purpose of representation in the Federal legislature. Switzerland’s government is somewhat similar to that of the United States, in that they have a constitution that provides for separation of the three branches of government. Switzerland’s Federal institutions are: The Federal Assembly – a bicameral legislature (The Legislative Branch). The Federal Assembly is the primary seat of power. It has two houses the Council of State and the National Council. These two houses have equal power in all respects, including the right to introduce legislation. The Federal Council – a collegial executive of seven members (The Executive Branch). The Federal Assembly individually elects the seven Fe... ...y at 32.3%, France at 10.8%, Italy at 10.7%, US at 5.5%, Netherlands at 5%, Austria at 4.2% and U.K. at 4.1%. The main industry is services accounting for 69.1%, then industry at 26.3%, and agriculture at 4.6%. Switzerland’s energy or electricity production is 68.68 billion kilowatts, 110/220V and 50H. Switzerland is a member of the UN, The World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as a neutral intermediary and host to major international treaty conferences. Switzerland’s ability to maintain good relationships with so many countries and its power to stay neutral, along with its economy being so advanced and prosperous makes it a prime market for global marketing. It would be a safe market for a business to invest their time and energy in creating a marketing strategy to begin importing and exporting with Switzerland. Works Cited â€Å"The World Factbook: Feb. 10, 2005.† Switzerland. 2005 . â€Å"Michigan State University: 2001-2004.† globalEDGE/country insights. 13 February 2005 .

Friday, October 11, 2019

Social Exclusion and Disability

The convention to give right to disable ppl should be supported with capacity building on different levels in the government as well as the private sector. it is estimated that a large number of women in Pakistan are having various forms of disability. â€Å"In our society women are already considered weak and disability adds to their woes,women having disability in our country is considered as â€Å"double disability†. steps il be taken for anti discrimination of disabled ppl.. n swat A large group of disabled persons staged a protest in Mingora on Thursday over government’s alleged indifference towards ensuring their rights. govt promised to give faculties like job opportunity to disability card holder issued by the National Database and Registration Authority. However 2 years have passed but nothing was done. these disable ppl wanted to stand on thr own feet and earn there living but they werent provided wid job opportunites or equal right to receive education. ocat ional centres were demanded where they can learn some practical skills. they said that there are not being but askng govt of pakistan to strt a realistic programme,which enables us to learn,work and earn. Some people from the government agree that government is not successful in providing the disable people with their rights. They agree that people have equal right as they are also part of the society,they agree that disable people are not considered prefect for the society ,if given chance they will prove capable to be fit in society.Special Persons Development Association president Mr Daudzai said his organisation would continue fighting for the rights of the disabled persons. He said physically challenged persons were contributing their due share to national development and progress by serving in many private and public sector institutions. also stated that, disable are not given facilities as given by other countries. UN adopted â€Å"Convention on the Rights of Persons with Di sabilities 2006† to make legal framework for providing PWDs equal opportunities in every sphere of life.Pakistan being signatory to this convention had taken a number of steps to facilitate such persons. â€Å"Disabled Persons' (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance fixed the responsibility of the State toward the prevention of disabilities; protection of of persons with disabilities; and provision of medical care, education, training, employment, and rehabilitation to the persons with disabilities. rights

Thursday, October 10, 2019

‘An Inspector Calls’ – Coursework Creatvie Writing

Dear Mr Priestley, I have chosen to stage your play, ‘An Inspector Calls' as I found it very appealing. The setting of the play was really attractive as it was written at the end of the Second World War. People wanted to entertain themselves after so much tension and stress during the War. So a play based on life 30 years ago was perfect. However, this play did more than just entertain. It is a thought-provoking play which encourages people to think about society and responsibility. The audience in 1945 would have just experienced a terrible Second World War, with great loss and destruction. They would also be aware of the First World War which was an earlier catastrophe. The fact that the play was set in 1912 before the First World War, means that the audience have additional knowledge of the world, unlike the Birlings. As you have used the theme of responsibility, it reminded me that we all have responsibilities in our lives. There are still people who are going to war without realising the consequences and the effects on lives of innocent people. There are still people in the world today who are starving while people who are extremely rich and getting richer by the minute take no note of the poor. There are people around us who are peddling drugs without thinking of its effect on countless children and members of the society. Throughout the play, the words ‘responsible' and ‘responsibility' are used by almost all the characters in the play at some point or the other. Each member of the family has a different attitude towards responsibility. There is a contrastive pair when Mr Birling's responsibility towards Eva is uncaring, brutal and miserly while his son, Eric's responsibility towards Eva is caring but naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and selfish in a way. There is a similarity between Mrs Birling and Shelia. Mrs Birling and Sheila's responsibility to Eva is somewhat similar as they both share and accept their guilt on Eva's death. In real life, we all have different attitudes to responsibility for our parents, family, friends, work and school. In your play, you as the playwright, encourage people to seize the opportunity at the end of the war and give them a chance to build a better, more caring society. For example, just before the Inspector walks in to the Birling household unexpectedly, he creates a dramatic effect by his statement and the use of dramatic irony shocks the audience. The dramatic irony is Mr Birling who states that the Titanic will not sink (which actually famously sunk on its maiden voyage) and there will never be a World War as he states but actually the audience of 1945 had been through two World Wars â€Å"the world's developing so fast that it'll make war impossible if we do not adopt your message of responsibility to each other†. I loved the ending of the play. The ending leaves the audience on a cliff-hanger. Just when the family had started to feel that there had been no inspector coming to speak to them about a suicide, the final telephone call is heard and announces that a real inspector is on his way to ask questions about a young girl's suicide. The tension comes back flooding in. It is a surprising final twist. I was inspired to produce my own version of the play after having seen the National Theatre Production of ‘An Inspector Calls'. I particularly liked the use of music because it created an effective atmosphere. I also liked the use of lighting because it is very attractive; the lighting involves the audience into the play. There are two dramatic devices used in this version: One is the setting; the setting is a dramatic device as you have described the key setting such as Mr Birling's house in detail. The house opens up like a doll's house, we can hear the voices of the actors inside which creates an eeriness. The Inspector is in the street outside speaking, with children walking around as though they were homeless. The Inspector was dressed up in dark suit with an overcoat. Lighting also makes an effect as it reflects the mood of the play. In my production of ‘An Inspector Calls', some of the ideas I will be using are as follows: a proscenium stage (I developed this idea from the very first act of the play where the stage directions mentioned the rising of curtains.); I will also use different background music for entrances of key characters, such as the Inspector who may be accompanied by sombre and heavy sounds of the organ and Mrs Birling's entry may be with a light piano with a chirping sound. My use of music will reinforce the message of the play by drawing attention when responsibility or society is being discussed. Spotlights will only be used in underlining the significance of the entrances of key characters. I have realised that the Inspector's final speech in the play is one of the most important moments in the play because this speech contains a wide range of rhetorical techniques which include: the use of contrastive pairs; the rhythm of language for example, the length of sentences, the effects of pauses. These techniques forces the characters in the play as well as the audience who are watching the play to rethink their understanding of major issues like responsibility, truth and inclusiveness of all members of the society. As we are not alone in society, we have to think of the other members of the society with sympathy and compassion. He reminds everyone about the importance of responsibility and society. To direct the Inspector's final speech, I will start off with the argument between Mr. Birling, his wife and Eric about who is really responsible for Eva Smith's death. Tension will rise by the effect of dramatic background music. Next, halfway through the argument, the Inspector says â€Å"STOP!† really loudly as if he is commanding everyone present like a director and the background music will stop. Then, slowly, he will start his final speech. When the Inspector says â€Å"One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions†, he will use one finger to enhance the uniqueness of Eva and to include everyone he will open up his arms when he says â€Å"millions†. When he says â€Å"but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us†, he should open and merge his arms in a gesture to include everyone in the audience. By using repetition, he is showing the vast amount of people that will need help at some point in their lives. When he says, â€Å"their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness†, we hear â€Å"their† as a repetitive word. â€Å"†¦with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness†, makes up a rhythm of the sentence by using â€Å"their†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This rhythm is effective because â€Å"their† is being repetitive. The phrase is an oxymoron because there are words that seem to be the opposite of each other and is also a contrastive pair as we see â€Å"hopes and fears† connect with â€Å"suffering and chance of happiness†. The phrases are powerful and memorable because they help involve the audience by using â€Å"hopes and fears† and â€Å"suffering and chance of happiness†. Next, when he says â€Å"We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other†, he would give a dismissal look at the Birlings when he says â€Å"We don't live alone† and he point his finger at the family to say that â€Å"We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other†. The word â€Å"We† indicates that the Inspector is talking positively about society, responsibility and caring for others. Here we have an important listing of three things emphasising how nobody should be alone but be together, caring and being cared for. â€Å"We† and â€Å"Millions† being repeated here and are two of the key words in this speech. The Inspector wants to show us that we have to responsible for each other and care for others in society. The use of â€Å"I† in the sentence, â€Å"And I tell you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  makes the audience feel the Inspector is sincere. There are negative moments in the speech as well: â€Å"then they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish.† indicates that the Inspector is talking negatively about the Birlings' as they only care about themselves and not for others around them, which makes the Birlings' selfish and rude. â€Å"Fire and blood and anguish† also makes a list of three things, a rhetorical technique which makes the speech both appealing and memorable. I would like to invite you to see my production. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. Yours sincerely, Your name

Advantages of Computer Essay

Agriculture is a vital sector of Pakistan’s economy and accounted for almost 30 percent of GDP annually, according to government estimates. The sector directly supports three-quarters of the country’s population, employs half the labor force, and contributes a large share of foreign exchange earnings. The main agricultural products are cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables, in addition to milk, beef, mutton, and eggs. Pakistan depends on one of the world’s largest irrigation systems to support production. The following are the main crops cultivated in Pakistan: Wheat: Wheat is a staple food used in manufacture of baked products. It is grown on Barani lands. Wheat is grown in Punjab, Sindh and some parts of K.P.K for cultivation of wheat. The temperature is favorable from October to May for the production of wheat. It does not need a lot of water. Pakistan is not self sufficient in wheat production and has to import wheat from foreign countries. It accounts for over 70% of gross cereals and over 36% of the country’s acreage is devoted to wheat cultivation. Rice: Rice is a Kharif crop and needs a great deal of water and heat. It is known as â€Å"crop of water†. It is grown in Punjab and Sindh. North-eastern Punjab and Larkana district are main rice growing regions. The Irri, Basmati and desi varieties are grown in Pakistan. Basmati is the most famous variety of rice grown in Pakistan. Its highest acreage is in the north eastern part of Pakistan. Pakistan is the world’s fourteenth largest producer of rice. Pakistan produces about 6 million tons of rice a year. Sugar Cane Sugarcane is included in both Rabi and Kharif Crops. It is an important cash crop of Pakistan. It is a type of long grass â€Å"perennial† in nature. It is the most important and cheapest source of refined sugar. Gur,Alcohol and Desi Shakkar are also prepared from Sugar cane.The left out stalk fibers (bagasse) are used in the paper industries. It is cultivated in the spring season and harvested in November-December. It is mostly cultivated in canal irrigated areas of Punjab, KPK and Sindh provinces. Cotton Cotton also known as the â€Å"Silver Fiber† is the most important cash crop of Pakistan. It is known to have been produced in the Indus plain since 3000 BC. Pakistan, ranks fifth in world cotton production and earns a large amount of foreign exchange from its export. It accounts for approximately one half of the all materials that are made into cloth and provides employment to 2/3rd of industrial labour force Cotton is a Kharif crop and is grown in canal irrigated areas of Punjab and Sindh and also in some parts of Baluchistan and KPK.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

BUSINESS FOUNDATION-ORGANISATION AND THE ENVIROMENT Essay

BUSINESS FOUNDATION-ORGANISATION AND THE ENVIROMENT - Essay Example At present the company is operating in Manchester but the company is eyeing for being competitive in the world that is why they are having this LONGPEST analysis. The company can attract more customers thru its features and services. SMOSH Ltd. should be focusing in the global strategy to penetrate the market globally. Tax policy - As a limited liability partnership the company should register with HM Revenue and Custom as self-employed. The company must complete a partnership self assessment tax return every year. Each partner has to complete a self assessment tax return every year. Pay their own Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Employment Laws – It is a policy if the staff or employee will be handling children it is a requirement that the employer should conduct a criminal investigation. It was stated in the company profile that the employee undergoes criminal investigation. The employee should be very well compensated depending on the days and time of their work. Workers should be at the right age and must be given at least one day break. The employees of SMOSH Ltd. Has play work qualification of experience, and first aid training. Environmental regulations –. SMOSH is environmentally aware, using sustainable resources where possible, providing healthy, organic, fair trade refreshment as much as is practicable and minimising paperwork by the use of e-mails and the website wherever they are able to do so. Economic factors - SMOSH Ltd. has several payment skills to increase the number of students participating in the after school and before school activities. However any late payment will be subjected to an additional percentage in the total amount paid. The SMOSH has an affordable services for both the after school and the before school activities. SMOSH Ltd. caters to children aged 3-11 providing child care (play schemes) before and after school. Since the

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

The Viewpoint assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Viewpoint assignment - Essay Example The relationship between the United States and Japan had been a complicated mix of completion, cooperation, and conflict. This began in 1853, immediately Commodore Mathew Perry came to Edo Bay and insisted on a termination to over a couple of years of Japanese isolation. Only ten years prior to this, Britain had imposed Nanjing unequal treaty on China following the First Opium War (Doyle & Xiaoming 78). The disposal of Perry’s naval power convinced leaders in Japan to sign the Kanagawa treaty of 1854 that provided for the opening of two ports to ships from the U.S. The first U.S minister to China, Townsend Harris, negotiated extra agreements to extent the rights of the United States to Japan. Thus, the U.S had showed to Japan how economic weak points had left it helpless. The Chinese were further disgraced by having to surrender legal authorities over the foreigners that resided in their nation and the port cities. The Chinese citizens were even forced by the treaties to give way to Christian missionaries from the West to proselytize in the interior parts of China. Hostility to such foreign dictations forced a rebellion that re-established the Meiji emperor and commenced rapid industrialization and modernization in which leaders in Japan borrowed and learned from foreign countries, especially the U.S. The ability of the Westerners to inflict their economic demands on China forcibly was too harsh to the Chinese perception of themselves as an extremely developed civilization. In addition, the Western concept of a structure of international relations carried out among supreme nation-states challenged the identity of the Chinese as universalistic, advanced civilization. It was also hard for the courts in China to adapt to a system that had developed in the West by the 1800 where supreme nation-states interrelated as equals (Doyle & Xiaoming 90) The intellectual history of the Qing dynasty in the late 18th century shows how

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Intro to Mngt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to Mngt - Essay Example Management is a generic term which can be applied to anything undertaken. It could be management of any kind of task. While business pertains to larger entity and usually involves more resources consumption, more manpower utilization and ultimately broader scope. Management usually requires more clerical and on the paper activity while business may be conducted in aloofness from the on the paper procedures and documentation. Business can be that of commercial level and outdoor activities. Management at the same can be applied to businesses while the term is non exclusive one towards management. In other words, each has their own domain yet management being implementable to business, while the latter may not be implementable to the former. Classical Approach of Management came to fore at a time when the industrial development rose up and the need was felt for making use of the industrial environment in a better way. As a result different modes of classical approach were introduced which are vis a vis: Each has given flexible options in their own way and have improved the manner in which businesses were being conducted in past. The proponent of this theory was F.W. Taylor (Raju & Parthasarathy 2004). While scientific management approach is reliant on the technical knowledge and based on that knowledge the execution according to the desired manner. In a collective way, these three models have paved way for the current state of managerial development and the fruit being extracted from it in form of high productivity and satisfaction of all the stakeholders. Bureaucratic management model was more focused on public administration and the working and governance of the controlling lines such as political and line management. its traces can be stretched back to 18th century and the pioneer behind this idea was Max Weber. Out of these three, administrative management provides more options, for the mere reason that it takes

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Economic Development of Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economic Development of Greece - Essay Example Economic development attempts to find the reasons behind the labour differences between countries or it may analyse why certain countries have higher levels of foreign investments compare to others. (Gills, 1996) Government policies normally involve efforts made by the government of the day to improve overall economic indicators. Governments can do this with the aim of reducing high unemployment rates, increasing their tax rates, instituting stable prices within the economy or expanding the tax rates. Governments can achieve this through tax policy adjustments, regulating their financial institutions and changing their fiscal policies for the better. Infrastructural policies on the other hand normally involve the use of programs aimed at making public services and infrastructure better. This is done through building affordable houses, introducing better educational facilities, reducing crime rates, building roads and many others measures./ Lastly, economic development can also be achieved through employment creation. Governments normally need to direct their efforts towards specific industries in any of the following areas; marketing, business expansion, business retention, real estate development, finance, technology transferred among other things. (Todaro, 1997) During the decade 70s, The Greek government em... They started with the introduction of uranium exploitation efforts in the northern part of their country. Their mission was to develop this sector so that they could reduce their inflation rates. Additionally, the Greek government wanted to improve their financial status through this project. By developing their natural resources, the country would curb the need to import some of these minerals and they would also get an outlet for generating more revenue. Greece was endowed with a number of resources. First of all, the country had oil reserves; secondly, it was rich in lignite. But before the seventies, Greece was not taking full advantages of these two mineral resources. The government passed laws that would facilitate greater exploitation of those minerals. These aggressive measures caused decreased balance of payments and inflation rates. This is because the country minimised its dependence on imports and substitute these with its own products. In relation to this, Greece decided that their currency would not be measured against the United States dollar. Proponents of this change claimed that they were trying to make their local currency stronger. On top of this, it was also supposed to include other development partners in the Greek currency. The decision to de-link the US dollar from their currency was made in the year 1975. (Embassy of the United States, 2007) In the next decades (1980s and 90s), the Greek government decided to move towards privatisation. In the early nineties, these efforts paid off, the country recorded a Gross Domestic Product of thirteen and fifteen percent. That period of time saw the transformation of twenty eight companies from public to private institutions. At that time, the government tried to

Friday, October 4, 2019

Professional and Personal Growth-Reflective Report Assignment

Professional and Personal Growth-Reflective Report - Assignment Example However, managing people is a very challenging undertaking to most managers today. This is particularly so managers who lacks effective leadership skills. Effective management of people also requires fostering collaboration within the organization. Collaboration within the organization is important since it helps in building effective teams. However, I knew very little regarding the importance of effective management of people and fostering collaboration until I learned about leadership content of the course. When learning about leadership in an organization, I came to realize that an effective leader is one who knows how to manage his people. Salacuse (2006) attributed this to the fact that employees are one of the most important assets of an organization. As such, an effective leader must adopt an effective leadership style that inspires his followers towards the attainment of the organizational goals. The content of leadership also brought me to the aspect of collaborative leaders hip style that leaders might adopt as way of fostering teamwork in an organization. In this regard, the content demonstrated the importance of collaboration between managers and employees in an organization. Managers can build effective teams by adopting a collaborative leadership approach. My improved understanding of managing people and fostering collaboration through leadership has had a positive impact on the value that I will bring to my role within an organization. ... This follows my improved understanding that collaborative leadership motivates employees to work hard towards the attainment of organizational goals. 2. Week 3 Sentence Global warming is one of the major environmental problems facing the world today. Pollutants from companies have been cited as one of the major causes of environmental degradation in the world today. As such, I inspire to make the world better by minimizing the level of emissions and promoting responsible disposal of waste products in the organization where I work. Minimizing the level of emission will help mitigate the global warming problem that continues to impact negatively on the world. At the same time, promoting responsible disposal of waste products will help create a society that is not only clean, but also healthy to people. To become a manager who ensures that the organization I work for protects the environment through responsible disposal of waste product and minimization of pollution, I intend to sensiti ze the employees and colleagues in the organization on the need to protect the environment from pollution. Doing so will make other managers in the organization, as well as employees understand why protecting the environment is important to the community around and the world at large. To ensure that my relationship with my spouse and family become an enduring source of happiness, I intend to respect family values. This begins by showing love and respect to my spouse and family. At the same time, I will ensure that there is effective communication between them and myself. Maintaining effective communication will help solve grievances that may threaten the relationship and happiness. Maintaining faithfulness with my spouse will also be important for building trust, which

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Example for Free

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Imagine staying away from everybody, isolating yourself form someone you love, a family member or colleague because they seem to be sick. Imagine not being able to shake hand, kiss, or hug anybody because you are concerned that you might get some bacteria form them. Imagine not being able to open a door or pressing a button in the elevator with your hand because so many people have touched it before you. Imagine if you repeatedly check if the door of your apartment is locked even though you know for sure that you have locked it and you have checked several times. These are some symptoms of an anxiety disorder known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts and repetitive, ritualized behaviors you feel compelled to perform. I have read about this disorder a long time ago because I noticed it with the Canadian comedian Howie Mandel. I noticed that Howie has mysophobia, so he does not shake hands with anybody. But I didn’t think about it as a mental illness, I thought it was just a fear that developed in his mind because of an incident that happened to him and I thought it would go away easily by facing that fear. But after watching the movie Back Form Madness, I realized that it is more complicated than what I thought it was. Glen, the photographer, was the person who got most of my attention, mainly because I am a photographer and I have done wedding photography for a while. So I know how hard it is for a photographer to take a perfect picture and the different aspects that should be focused on while taking a picture. Having OCD would defiantly make it much harder because you will be checking so many things in the camera and will take a long time to take a picture which will cause you anxiety because the customers will be mad. In this case, I will stop shooting and I will do the cingulotomy surgery even though, as Glen said, it is very dangerous and very painful. After the surgery, Glen was hopeless because he thought that he would die without getting cured. I cannot really talk about how I would feel because I believe that we cannot feel the whole pain of others unless we are in their shoe. But all I can say is, hope is in the horizon as the sun keeps rising every day with new opportunities to everybody.

Impact of Strategic Planning Processes

Impact of Strategic Planning Processes 1. Briefly explain strategic management in your own words. Strategic management is the process of describe the organizations mission, vision and objectives, developing policies and plans, projects and programs in order to achieve the objectives of the firm, and then distribute resources to conduct the policies and plans, projects and programs. In other words, strategic management is the ways of drafting, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its long-term objectives. (David, 1989). Strategic management involves adapting the organization to its business environment. Strategic management is a level of managerial activity under setting goals and over Tactics. Strategic management provides overall direction to the enterprise. The features of the strategic managements are as following: Strategic management is non-repetitive so each conditions is unique and requires to be assessed in its own circumstances. Strategic management provides direction to entire organization. Strategic management requires strategy formation and implementation. Strategic management is partially planned and partially unplanned. Strategic management is done at several levels: overall corporate strategy, and individual business strategies. Strategic management involves both conceptual and analytical thought processes. In conclusion, strategic management is an ongoing process that evaluates and controls the business and the industries in which the company is involved; assesses its competitors and sets goals and strategies to meet all existing and potential competitors; and then reassesses each strategy annually or quarterly to determine how it has been implemented and whether it has succeeded or needs replacement by a new strategy to meet changed circumstances, new technology, new competitors, a new economic environment., or a new social, financial, or political environment (Lamb, 1984). 2. How do you explain the success of firms that do not use a formal strategic planning process? Success in todays business environment requires that a companys leaders have the ability to create a vision of the organizations future direction as well as the course it needs to get there. Strategic management is concerned with the future success of the business and may entail major changes in the benefits to be offered customers, in organizational capacity, and in competitive posture. When we look at the internal and external factors in the business we are doing, we see that the factors such as market segments, competition, economy, regulations, etc. are changing regularly. Without challenging all of those working assumptions, particularly market segments, competition, opportunities, threats, industry scenario and winners profile, the company cannot craft their revised course and direction, goals, objectives and action plans. So, strategic planning helps organization set a much clearer direction for the future. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. By acting on this, strategic management actually gives the organization direction, a sense of identity and unity towards what the business goal. Strategic management has an importance of towards business success. In conclusion, strategic management takes into consideration the companys vision and mission. Strategic management helps in achieving the organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner and monitoring the implementation of strategy using a system interlinked with the long term vision of the corporations. Improved strategic management processes may also facilitate the development of the more complex management structural that are needed as firms grow. 3. Few people reach the top-management level. Why, then, is it important for all business majors to study the field of strategic management? Management is known as the highest level of business planning. Strategic Managements focus is to build a strong business foundation which will subsequently reflect on collaborated efforts involving each and every single individual of an organization so strategic management process is the concern of every single person in the organization because of this issue, it is important for all business majors to study the field of strategic management. In more detailed terms, strategic management determines what the objectives of a business are. How to develop the ways of achieving the determined objectives and what are the resources needed in order to achieve the objectives. It also covers the core objectives of an organization; it involves developing a mission statement wherein it covers the landscape assessment of the organization, such as how the operations would run and who will be the people assigned to play the key roles within the organizations landscape. Another area is the vision statement, wherein through Strategic Management, the organization will establish key objectives to respond to the gray areas and unmet needs of their business, deciding for which will entail consideration of both short-term and long-term offerings of the organization. Every person included major should study the strategic management in order to know and implement their responsibilities towards the companys missions. The next step of strategic management is to develop a strategic plan which will efficiently and effectively run in order to meet their goals and objectives. In formulating a strategic plan, Strategic Management comes in to delegate individuals who are equipped with the adequate knowledge, experience and skills with the needs and objectives of the business. After delegation, distribution of responsibilities for tasks and processes will follow which calls for the combined efforts of all employees, in this phase they would need to effectively communicate their responsibilities and determine their deliverables. As a final point, strategic management calls for the allocation of the precise quantity of resources to the diverse aspects of the business in order for those assigned to the specific goals will be able to attain their objectives. This varies from providing the employees with the exact resources to ratifying systems wherein employees will receive the essential and needed training, all processes of work are tested, and at the same time all generated data and information is well documented. In order to effectively and strategically manage the business, every facet of the organization should meet their needs so that in the long run, all aspects of the work involved will run seamlessly and will function as an integrated whole. 4. In what ways do you believe the strategic planning approach of not-for-profit organizations would differ from that of profit-oriented organizations? Simply put, strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more, how its going to get there and how itll know if it got there or not. The focus of a strategic plan is usually on the entire organization. The focus of the planning activities is often different between for-profits and nonprofits. The typical profit seeking firm relies almost solely on the sale of its good and services to the public for its sales and revenue. For-profits tend to focus more on activities to maximize profit. On the other hand, nonprofits tend to focus more on matters of board development, fundraising and volunteer management. Not-for-profit organizations also serve the public as profit seeking companies but those firms mostly depend on membership fees, endowments, donations, contributions in addition to revenue. Their priority is not maximizing their profit because they have other incomes. So the target usage of strategic planning is different for profit seeking and not for profit organizations. However, not for profit organizations may use strategic planning for their fund raising operations. A strategic plan doesnt guarantee theyll reach or exceed their fund-raising goals. But at the very least, it provides them with a clear, well-lighted path to reach them. Fund raising in the absence of a good strategic plan is like going on a hike in the middle of the night without a flashlight or map. In conclusion, because of the structure and target difference between profit seeking and not for profit organizations, their priorities about revenue are different. So they use strategic planning for different purposes. Case Study Exercises: 1. What do Michael Moores documentary, wealthy Saudi investors such as the bin Laden family, George H.W. Bush, and former Prime Minister John Major have to do with the transformation of the Carlyl Group? When the founders of the company close to the retirement age, they decided to refashion their firm radically. They want their firm more ambitious, more diverse and more lasting. Before the decision, some of the wealthy Saudi investors had some money into the company. After 9/11, those Saudi investors might create a bad image on to public eye because none of the US citizen, want any of the company, person or country that support the terrorism. So, giving back of the Saudi investors money would be a big strike for the company. For instance, The Saudi Arabian relatives of Osama bin Laden were also investors in Carlyle until October 2001 when the family sold its $2.02 million investment back to the firm in light of the public controversy surrounding bin Ladens family after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. The bin Laden family has publicly disowned the al-Qaeda leader. Osama bin Laden has not publicly known or acknowledged economic interest in Saudi Binladin Group (SBG), whose investments were in part managed by the Carlyle Group until the arrangement was terminated by mutual consent (bibliotecapleyades.net). The other point is George H. W. Bush and John Mayor were their senior advisers. According to new radical change of Carlyle, it was told that those two were no longer a member of the Carlyle Family because they hurt the companys image. 2. Discuss two of the red flags that accompany Carlyls radical makeover. One of the red flag is regulations. U.S department of justice sent a letter to Carlyle asking information on club deals because the company was making good deals and their earnings are so big. Also the other issue is their huge portfolio caught the interest of the Federal Trade Commission. They made some constraints about their buyouts. The other red flag is easy access to capitals because easy access to capital now can set up big trouble for later on. If interest rates rise, opportunities to refinance dept will disappear, cash flows will shrivel and bankruptcies will occur. So, Carlyle made faster its buyouts and selling issues. For example, they bought the Hertz for $15 billion, just after 6 months, they earned $1billion dividend. Then they promptly took it to public again. 3. What steps has Carlyl taken to implement a participative approach to strategic decision making? After they decided to make radical change in company, they first started to change their image on public eye. They asked binladen family to take back their money. Also they wanted George H. W Bush and J. Mayer to leave the company. They hired new and publicly regarded people to underscore Carlyles commitment to portfolio diversification and upright corporate citizenship. Carlyle also pared back its defense holdings. In next stage they redefine the very nature of private equity. Carlyle has spread its money among no fewer than 48 funds around the world and launched a mind boggling 11 in 2005 and 11 in 2006. Also they diversed their expertise about buyouts and deals in a broad swath of alternative assets such as venture capital, real estate, collateralized debt organizations. Also they expect to increase the percentage of those other alternative assets. The other thing is, they avoid risks. According to them the more diverse the assets mean the better risk-adjusted returns. Strategic Management Plan 1 Describe your chosen business for this project in a one-page summary. I want to mention about Tesco PLC. Tesco PLC is a United Kingdom-based international supermarket chain. It is the largest British retailer, both by global sales and by domestic market share, and the fourth largest retailer in the world behind Wal-Mart of the United States, Carrefour of France, and The Home Depot of the United States. Tesco has a market value of about  £29.090 billion. Tesco has become quite a successful hypermarket today; expanding to countries like Hungary, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, South Korea and Malaysia and many more other countries. Its success is shown not only in its physical expansion, but in its internal control as well. Tesco is one of largest food retailers in the world, operating around 2,318 stores and employing over 326,000 people (tescoplc.com) Originally specializing in food, it has diversified into areas such as clothes, consumer electronics, consumer financial services, selling and renting DVDs, compact discs and music downloads, internet service consumer telecoms and most recently budget software. Also in recent years they expanded their product range to organic foods, healthy living/light choices, world foods, wholefoods, bakeryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ etc. Tesco practices the systematic delegation of the power within the organization; there are different roles and responsibilities assign among the executive committee, nomination committee, remuneration committee and audit committee to run the business efficiently and in an orderly manner. Their mission statement is creating value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. I can willingly say that this mission statement definitely shows Tescos approach to their customer. As I worked at one of Tescos branch for 6 months as the supplier to Tesco, they choose all the products for the stores meticulously. Their aim is to bring healthy, safe but cheap products into the stores. So their customers know that in spite of their cheap prices, their products are safe and healthy and they can buy and use them without hesitating. They create such an atmosphere and this pursuit carries them among top retail stores. 2 What form of communication about the strategic management process would be helpful to the employees in your organization prior to beginning the process? In my opinion, the determination of mission statements, and acceptance and implementation of them would be helpful to the employees in my organization at the beginning of the strategic management process because the mission statement defines the purpose of a company or organization. In clear terms it is guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a sense of direction, and guide decision-making. Mission statements contains of the purpose and aim of the organization, the organizations primary stakeholders: clients, stockholders, congregation, etc., responsibilities of the organization toward these stakeholders, and products and services offered. Mission of the company communicates the firm ´s core ideology and visionary goals. It should contain the company ´s core values, core purpose and visionary goals. While the visionary goals are selected the core values and purpose of the firms should be discovered. Values and purpose are in the company already, the mission just describes them. So, every strategic management process starts with the understanding of the actions and goals by the employees. Actually, the mission statement does not only deal with employees. Every single person in the organization should know the missi on of the organization and behave accordingly. In my organization the mission statement of Tesco is Creating value for customers, to earn their lifetime loyalty. In spite of their cheap retail price pursuit, they never give up from the design quality and safety of the products. When the Tesco buyers trying to put trendy styles to the stores, they also seek the safe and healthy products for costumers. So it means that the customer can buy the high quality and trendy products by paying very little money. This policy overlaps with the mission statement. The customers are happy with their purchase, they would come again and thus Tesco would earn their lifetime loyalty. So, that mission statement creates a force on employees that they should create such products to earn their lifetime loyalty. Every person in the organization pursue towards that goal. Whatever their duty is in the organization, their goal is the same so they are locked to achieve it.