The Corporate Rundown Tesla Motors

Tests gains competitive advantage over auto industry competitors because of their direct-to- nonuser sales, stores and service centers, innovative consumer financing options, and technological innovations. Tests faces multiple risks in its ongoing operations and strategic plans for future growth. Teasel's 201 2 annual report cites 63 risks related to Teasel's business and industry and an additional 6 risks related to the ownership of their common stock. In an attempt to identify gaps and propose recommendations for future implementation an analysis of the principal forces of supply and demand on the industry / company is required.Tests Motors-?objective and Strategy Chant Nell Tests Motors eschews the traditional auto industry â€Å"dealership† model and bypasses dealers and reaches customers directly through company-owned showrooms and online retail channels Value-added services are included, such as supercharger stations being installed in major markets throughout the US. St rategy Tests aims to become a mass producer of electric vehicles. In 2008, it launched the Tests Roadster model-?a paradigm shift/keystone in the EVE market. Tests has positioned itself as a key competitor in the EVE market.Market Positioning Tests covers key EVE market segments and dominates the EVE segment Of the argue automotive industry. The 201 2 Model S targeted at the middle- and upper-middle-class customer. The 2014 Model X to take advantage of the booming SUB crossover segment. The 201 6 Gene Ill is positioned to compete with mass market Eves. Alliances To facilitate growth, Tests has cultivated X types of partnerships, including supplier alliances, R&D alliances, and MEMO alliances with other automobile manufacturers. Additional revenue is generated from the sale of electric power train components and development services.Tests Motors-?Financial Performance and Future Guidance Tests Motors held its initial public offering (PIP) on January 29th of 2010. According to a break even analysis the firm became cash flow positive for the first time in its history in Q of PAYOFF. Tests has unique business structure. Its competitors in its industry are highly mature as opposed to Teasel's newly developed business model, thus finding comparable companies can be difficult. Given Teasel's uniqueness, two comparable analyses were required. One comparable analysis captures Teasel's industry competitors and one comparable analysis will capture Teasel's high growth rate.For the industry memorable analysis, seven companies are utilized to derive the industry average EVE/Revenue and EVE/Gross Profit levels. Using a weighted EVE/Revenue and EVE/Gross Profit for both set at 50%, the top line and the gross profit of the industry will sustain Teasel's future target levels. When screening for comparable for the growth rates in order to calculate the companies that have relative high revenue growth rate for 201 3 and 2014 a weighted EVE/ Revenue of 70% and EVE/Gross Profit of 30% is the best achievable outcome and is the most important measurement to consider for the high growth company.Existing Tests Market Dynamics- Lifestyle / Supply Chain Management: Tests created its life cycle and supply train strategy with the full understanding it wouldn't be the only producer of all-electric vehicles for long. Teasel's value proposition or â€Å"uniqueness† had to come from a commitment to being â€Å"at least two generations ahead† of its rivals. But how could it achieve that goal, when its battery packs came from a company in Taiwan that had previously manufactured only barbeques?Teasel's own engineers would have to spend months in Asia working out the design and engineering kinks. And the extra costs wound up wiping out the savings from cheap labor. To combat this Tests employed the following policies. It brought the power train manufacturing back in-house. Final assembly was relocated to California from the United Kingdom. Contract manufacturi ng was limited to the non-power elements of the vehicle. Its supplier base, more than 85 percent of which consisted of vendors producing a single part, was slashed.The company is now producing the Model S, a sedan with a base price of $57,000 greatly widening market of potential buyers. Through several iterations of its Roadster; each representing an improvement in quality and a reduction in production costs, as well as the initial production year for the Model S, Tests has pushed forward with its strategy although some issues do present themselves such as the recently announcement on Fox Business that â€Å"Tests provided some disappointing news in its recent third-quarter earnings report.The maker of electric cars lowered expectations for 2014 deliveries and delayed the launch of its Model X, a high-end electric crossover, until next fall. † This could point to some supply and demand issue and warrants further investigation. Controls: Teasel's strategy centers around mainta ining high quality controls as they transition to a higher level of in-house manufacturing process; and that the information technology systems that we are currently expanding and improving upon will be effective to manage a higher volume production.Operations: Tests sells its cars to customers through its stores which it fully owns and operates. Tests stores and galleries â€Å"are highly visible, premium outlets in major metropolitan markets some of which combine retail sales and service†. Teasel's stores change the entire car buying experience and take way the incentive of both the buyer and seller to compete on price. Furthermore, Teasel's stores allow the firm to achieve operating efficiencies as well as capture sales and services revenues that typical automobile manufacturers do not.Technology: Earlier this year Teasel's CEO, Leon Musk, announced to the world to permit competitors to, â€Å"in good faith,† make use of the automaker's patent portfolio for free. Th e goal, he wrote on Teasel's weapon, was to lure automakers into entering the electric vehicle (â€Å"EVE†) market. This patent policy shift was put forth in an effort to quicken the argental growth of Eves in the automotive market currently dominated by internal combustion engine vehicles. Additionally, Tests announced has an agreement with Panasonic to build a new, United States based battery plant.According to Deanne De Freesias of IV News, â€Å"Dubbed the Cofactors, the facility will be able to produce batteries for as many as 500,000 Eves per year by the year 2020. The scale of the production is projected to be so large, in fact, that by 2020 the Cofactors alone would produce as much battery capacity as the entire world produced in 2013. † Freesias goes on the say, â€Å"To be ere, the impact of the Cofactors will positively affect electric auto sales. The Cofactors scale and capacity may be felt across the technology and energy sectors as well. Financial: Tests announced a new financing option for customers that aim to bring down the monthly cost of owning a Model S. The finance option allows customers to enter into a 5. 5 year loan for around $500-$600 per month. Essentially, the customer does not have to put down any money up front because all Tests customers receive a federal tax credit. The federal tax credit is an incentive from the government for consumers to arches electric vehicles. The finance option combines the best features of a lease and a loan and makes the car affordable to more consumers. Lattice: Teasel's direct-to-consumer car sales are a strong strategic position and advantage they hold over typical automobile manufacturers in North America. Most automobile manufacturers are required by state law to sell their vehicles their franchised car dealerships. Tests is able to sell their cars directly to consumers because it has no franchised dealers Automotive Industry Business Cycle According to Douche, â€Å"Many factors af fect the performance of an industry and s each industry makes up a portion of real GAP, they in turn can impact the cycle of the economy.The automotive industry is clearly impacted by macroeconomic policy and auto production and sales rates in relation to interest rates, real GAP, inflation and unemployment make this evident.. † Tests has the deliberate yet novel approach of phasing in their product offerings gradually starting with the very high end / high performance model and then through its entrants in the performance sedan and crossover SUB markets, concluding with an what is typically an auto companies first offering, its mass market vehicle.Tests reversed the roll so they could generate a lot of hype in the media on a very limited production run. The most interesting thing about Tests is the role of marketing in selling electric cars that cost $100,000 or more. Many business leaders have attempted to change the automotive industry over the last couple generations and n one have succeeded. The process Of buying a car is essentially the same as it was generations ago. And the process has remained unpopular for decades.Tests is creatively using marketing to upend the auto industry business model: There are no Tests dealers There are no commissioned sales people Tests cars are marketed and not aggressively sold Tests transactions are conducted online The price is the price: no negotiation There is no inventory: the Tests Model S is built to order You can't test drive a Tests unless you put down a $5,000 deposit In many parts of the country, you can't see or drive the car before you buy even if you place a deposit.You have to wait in line for months or years to get a car And the marketing challenges are incredibly difficult: They are building a new luxury brand from scratch They are evangelize a new type of vehicle: an electric car They are selling a 60,000 – $100,000+ car that can't go on a road trip They must sell an entirely new model of buyi ng and owning a car While Tests is starting with expensive vehicles, they clearly have mainstream ambitions. They are investing to build a big car company. How hard is it to build and sell cars in the USA?Look at it this way: Tests is the second oldest publicly traded auto company in the united States behind Ford. GM went bankrupt and went public four months after Tests. Chrysler remains private following its own reorganization. While Tests has a long way to go to be profitable, producing cars in volume, and vying towards the mainstream, their first home-built product -? the Model S -? is a SUCCeSS. They have 10,000 – 20,000 orders and have swept the auto industry awards, winning the most recent round of Motor Trend, Automobile, and Yahoo Autos awards for car of the year.Tests is the first startup car company, and the Model S is the first electric car, to win these awards. Risk Management Recommendations and Strategies- Based on the research conducted a few of the lessons lea rned would be prudent for Tests to internalize and incorporate going forward. Make sure that supply-chain, corporate and product strategies are tightly aligned. Teasel's us apply-chain managers should work closely with the engineers to jointly evaluate costs, working with only a targeted few trusted suppliers.Complete and in-depth evaluation of the multiple external drivers, including global economic trends, customer preferences, proximity to markets, labor costs, supplier quality, regulatory requirements, environmental sustainability, community responsibility and geopolitical shifts. Don't offshore manufacturing until your product has matured and stabilized. With the opening of the Gaga factory this issue is well on its way to being solved but it bears remembering.While there is no history of or mention of derivatives for Tests in either Its annual report or the media it is considered as a perfect hedge according to Seeking Alpha or Tests can capitalize on this to counter the first three risks related to the ownership Of our common stock identified in the 2012 annual report. 1. Concentration of ownership among our existing executive officers, directors and their affiliates may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions. 2.The trading price of our common stock is likely to continue to be volatile. 3. A majority of our total outstanding shares are held by insiders and may be sold in the near future. The large number of shares eligible for public sale or subject to rights requiring us to register them for public sale could depress the market price of our common stock. Hedging will enable a more diversified ownership, reduce the volatility in stock pricing and if staggered effectively reduce the impact of insiders selling large allotments of shares.Conclusion Tests developed a specific strategy for life cycle and supply train management with the goal of being â€Å"at least two generations ahead† of its rivals. As a intros strat egy to improve on supply and demand management Tests will transition to increased levels of â€Å"in-house† manufacturing processes. In an integrated approach linking operations and political strategies Tests sells its cars to customers through its stores which it fully owns and operates bypassing state regulated dealerships entirely.Its technology strategy is a patent policy shift, put forth in an effort to quicken the percentage growth of electronic vehicles in the automotive market currently dominated by internal combustion engine vehicles. For a financial strategy Tests created a new enhancing option for customers that aim to bring down the monthly cost of owning a Model S. Tests has identified 69 different risks in its 2012 annual report and has formulated risk mitigation strategies for each.

Journal Articles Essay

Reading the title and the objective of the research study, I was kind of skeptical about the main assertion of the authors, which was that there is a strong connection between the prevalence of mental disorders, and ethnic minority groups that individuals belong to. I have read studies about genetics or heredity and environment as contributing factors to the occurrence of mental disorders, however, I have not heard about the influence of ethnicity on mental health. Therefore, I am in no position to either agree or disagree with the assertions of this particular research, primarily. Reading through the rest of the research, I would have to say that the authors presented a comprehensive amount of data, which supported their claim. Enlightened about the issue, perhaps, I would agree that the most significant contributory factor would be the limited access of the minority groups identified to mental health services. Culture would be less significant in explaining the phenomenon, because if I were to agree with this idea, it is like I am generalizing the prevalence of mental disorders to minority groups. Moreover, it promotes the idea of racism or discrimination. Primarily, reading an article that I am not really aware about contributed to my interest in the topic. This time around, the article is yet again disputing another published research study regarding the matter. Disputes, such as these, are intriguing, it adds more knowledge regarding mental health, and ethnic minority groups because an individual learns about two sides of the issue. Yes, the article revealed a comprehensive take on the issue as its objective was to study all the angles of ethnicity and mental health. Contrasting results to the previous study by the Surgeon General’s Supplement, as well as the agreeable points of the same study, were all explicated. However, there needs to be another study regarding the issue in order to answer the questions left by the study, supplement both research studies, and synthesize all ideas in order to form a unified body of knowledge about the said topic. Marielena, L. , Gamboa, C. , Kahramanian, M. I. , Morales, L. S. , & Hayes-Bautista, H. B. (2005). â€Å"Acculturation and Latino health in the United States: a review of the literature and its sociopolitical context. † Annual Review Public Health, Vol. 26, 367-397. In any aspect of life with regards to multiculturalism, acculturation seems to be one of the determinants of an individual’s way of life. Acculturation does not only influence health, but also other factors such as education, political beliefs, language, choice of food or clothing, and culture in its entirety. It is not surprising to learn that the healths of Latinos, who form a specific multiracial group in the country, are influenced by acculturation. One of the top priorities of the United States is health care, and being able to provide the best services in health care at lower rates to all its citizens. If this is the case, then Latinos who assimilate or adapt the American culture are more conscious of their health as compared to their previous views about the issue. Aside from this view, the adaptation of the English language is also important in affording health care in the country for individuals who are initially non-English speakers. I have read case and research studies about the limitations of health care access to multiracial groups because of communication barriers brought about by differences in language. Acculturation, in terms of language acquisition, greatly affects the access of Latinos to health care services in the country. What I like about the article is that it points out the importance of acculturation to, not just Latinos, but other ethnic minority groups’ access to health care services in the country. Since the issues about age groups and the rate of health awareness and mortality rates are discussed, this article informs all age groups within a particular ethnic minority group to accept change in order to be granted health care services that they deserve, regardless of being a child or an adult. The article is not part of an argument; rather, it is informative and seeks to notify readers about the impact and importance of acculturation to the very significant issue of health care. It was successful in accomplishing this aim, With regards to its coverage of the topics that are needed to complete the study, it was also successful.

Voltaire’s Candide Relevant to Modern Society

Dimattia, Devin English 12 AP Period 2 Gonzalez 10-5-11 Does Voltaire’s Candide connect to Modern Society? The tone and theme of Candide, a classic work of literature, make the novel relevant to today's modern world. These two elements of the story bring the classic to life for new generations to relate to as they read it. The satiric story unites a new generation of modern readers to a historical past as they identify with both the theme and tone of the novel as a whole. The tone of Voltaire's highly satirical work is humorously hopeless, and the tone is humorous because Candide and his fellow characters grasp the idea, set forth by the philosopher Pangloss, that â€Å"everything is for the best† and there is â€Å"the best of both possible worlds. † This blind optimism is negated time after time through the misfortunes that Candide and the rest of the story's characters experience, yet the characters press on with their hopelessly positive attitudes throughout their lives. When confronted with the bleak realities of the horrors of life by a scholar, Candide only replies, â€Å"I've seen worse, but a wise man, who later had the misfortune to be hanged, taught me that such things are exactly as they should be: they're the shadows in a beautiful picture. † This tone is achieved by the horrific events that the characters of Candide endure and their disinclination to accept the idea that, maybe, they really are doomed, and not all is actually for the best. The reader is inclined to give up on hope long before any of the characters do. For example, Candide loses his beloved Pangloss and the kind Anabaptist on his journey to the utopian Eldorado, gets beaten and whipped, kills more than one person, and suffers numerous other misfortunes while still concluding that all is still for the best because he can still find Cunegonde. After Pangloss is hanged, dissected, beaten, and made to row in a galley, he still believes that everything is for the best. Candide asks him, â€Å"Tell me, dear Pangloss †¦ id you still think that everything was for the best in this world? † And Pangloss replies, â€Å"I still hold my original opinions†. He goes on to say that his reasoning is due to the fact that he is a philosopher and it would be wrong to take back what he had said. Also, at the end of the novel, Candide, Cunegonde, Pangloss, and the Old Woman all decide that they are well-off where they are and that they may as well tend the ir garden, disregarding every horrible thing that they have had to experience in their pasts. Pangloss portrayed this best when he said to Candide at the end, â€Å"All events are inter-connected in this best of all possible worlds, for if you hadn't been driven from a beautiful castle with hard kicks in the behind because of your love for Lady Cunegonde, if you hadn't been seized by the Inquisition, if you hadn't wandered over America on foot, if you hadn't thrust your sword through the baron, and if you hadn't lost all your sheep from the land of Eldorado, you wouldn't be here eating candied citrons and pistachio nuts. This final note of proof of their perpetual optimism is consistent with the tone, where Cunegonde is ugly, the Old Woman is disagreeable, and none of the characters are very happy, yet they all continue to busy themselves with something to do and continue being hopeful. â€Å"The whole group entered into this commendable plan, and each began to exercise his own talents. The theme of Candide is that life is utterly unfair and will continue to give everyone a rough time despite a person's attitude of hope or a faith in everything being for the best. This prominent theme is shown over and over again as Candide and his companions suffer innumerable misfortunes and tragedies even through the existence of their collectively strong belief that everything will turn out for the best. Each character is traumatized and miserable most of the time. Some are even thought to be dead several times. By the end of the novel, the reader is almost in awe that Candide and the others have not given up on life entirely. The reader ultimately sees that it is hopeless to think that things will turn out well for the characters. However, it is also impossible to believe that they will not continue to live, learn, and try to be happy nonetheless.

Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Performance Management - Essay Example In this regard, supervisors and managers find it significantly better to apply the six reasons from the movie; reasons why performance management fail initiative. When they apply the guidance offered in the movie, the recital of persons, teams, and institute improve. The movie clearly outlines the reasons why performance management fails. Performance management is the interconnected objectives and activities to consider for the performance of individuals, teams, and organizations. In addition, performance management ensures successful accomplishment of organizational objectives (Durai, 2010). This is a fundamental component of a communal domination framework, allowing working group, ministers, and commission to lead, keep an eye on and act in response to how an association delivers against its goals. Performance management demands a framework that joins organizations by; expounding routine objectives and associating them with the firm plans, offering rewards entailing performance compensate and earnings development ruled by performance among others. Moreover, superiors should come up with the idea of what work. When doing this, they should follow the procedure critical to the accomplishment such as alignment, designing routine administration associating to the considerate of the result required by the government and stakeholders (Durai, 2010). Credibility should be employed to involve and win the hold up of members of staff through intelligibility, justice, straightforwardness, and by narrowing the gap amid rhetoric and reality. Integration is a key factor in determining what works. Incorporation enhances the performance in the commercial management formation of the firm (Solomon & American Society for Training and Development, 2009). The performance, the assessment, and the feedback have an impact on the organizational objectives to be

British Democracy and Iraq War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

British Democracy and Iraq War - Essay Example They also argued that there was need to liberate the Iraq people from the oppressive regime which was not democratic and was abusing the human rights of its citizens (Armstrong, Farrell, & Maiguashca, 2005). Democratic norms are in most cases not perceived to be relevant to the foreign and international policies of a country. However, in the consideration of the democracy framework of various governments a number of critical questions arise. The first one is about respect of the international law by a country, basing on the fact that such a government cannot easily acquire the democratic tribute in regard to the rule of law locally if it is capable of violating the rule of law in a foreign country. The international law is much vaguer compared to the domestic one, but majority of the international lawyers are in agreement that Iraq's invasion by both the United States of America and Britain was a blatant breach on the charter of the United Nations. The charter is very clear and stipulates that armed forces can only be used in a case of self defense or when the United Nations Security Council explicitly authorizes use of such force (Vickers, 2004). Tony Blair in attacking Iraq had complete disregard of the United Nation's charter in fact, his speech in 1999 whi... ve failed to implement them and hence country's like Britain and the United States of America, have to bear some burden like invading Iraq since they have a sense of world responsibility. In this case he was actually implying that his government had the right to invade a sovereign government like that of Iraq and thus participate in enforcing the resolutions of the United Nations. The British government was in this case very biased as it even chose the resolutions to enforce and which ones to leave out, which by any standards cannot be viewed as respecting international rule of law (Allawi, 2007). The British government argued that it was not important to wait the United Nations to pass resolutions that would explicitly authorize the use of force in Iraq as this could mean taking a back seat and watch as a humanitarian crisis takes center stage in Iraq as it happened in Kosovo. By basing their argument on the Kosovo humanitarian catastrophe the British government justified the removal by force of the Iraq's undemocratic regime, arguing that the Iraq government was actually violating human rights of its citizens (Beck, Grande, & Cronin, 2007). The second question evolves around Britain's consistency on its quest to support human rights and democracy in foreign countries. When the human rights and democracy are used as base of justifying morality of a government's policies then consistency is considered to be a vital factor. Such arguments when applied selectively loose meaning and the weight they ought to carry. Although, largely believed that the more powerful and democratic countries can support human rights and democracy on foreign countries, they cannot achieve their objectives by use of force, since that would in fact, mean violation of the same human rights

Conflict in Darfur Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Conflict in Darfur - Research Paper Example The armed forces of the government and the Janjaweed have responded to the growing fight of the rebels with crushing violence. They have killed a large number of people in and around the ethnic tribes who are supporting the rebel groups. Most of the countries around the world, particularly the US, have recognized this killing as genocide and have been forcing the Sudanese government to stop these atrocities. UN Security Council has passed a resolution, deploying UN Peace Keeping Forces to Darfur. This is the situation under which this research is being conducted. The primary question in front of us now is whether the Darfur situation will affect efforts in the global war on terrorism. With the known support for Al-Qaeda by the Sudanese Government and the Janjaweed, it is not a surprise that the Al-Qaeda has an on going interest in the happenings at Darfur. At the same time, the rest of world is also interested because of the large support that Al-Qaeda enjoys and its close link with the world terrorism. To identify the various possibilities of the research question, consequently its impact on the hypothesis, a survey will be conducted with the interested parties. This will comprise of people who are directly involved and people who are knowledgeable on the said issues. Twenty people who are resident or were residents of Darfur will be picked up for the purpose of this survey. In addition to this, similar opinion will be elicited from twenty other people who are interested in the making of a solution for Darfur. Another ten people who are from the general public who are not directly or indirectly involved in Darfur will also be queried to identify the right kind of an impact that they have all had on the topic. The entire process will be completed in a month's time and this would involve traveling to the relevant locations. Since this involves meeting some of the people who are directly involved in the fight at Darfur, there is a mild risk for the interviewer and for the participant too. But the impact is very minor. The survey will make use of a questionnaire that will have a Likert Scale in place. This would make comparison easy. However, there will also be five numbers of open ended questions posed to the participants which will bring out their thoughts on the subject. Participating in this study is not a risk for the participants. However, safety precautions should be taken up. If the subject or the participant has to travel and incur expenses for participating in this survey, then the same is refunded to the person. However, the researcher will be keen to avoid disturbing the life of the subject; instead, he or she will travel down to the location of the subject to interview him / her. Quantitative and Qualitative analysis methods will be adopted to make use of the data

Contracted Dining Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contracted Dining - Research Paper Example They would then be given, in many cases, a usual or average plan (Occidental College). In-house eating offers the best solution for college students to meet there food and meal needs . Discussion Today, there are companies that have become specialized in contracting foodservices to schools and educational institutions. These include Aramark Corporation based in Philadelphia, Sodexo, Inc. based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and U.S. Foodservice, Inc. based in Rosemont, IL. (Chartwells). The one which services my school (Wentworth xxxx), is Chartwells Educational Dining Services, which operates out of Rye Brook, New York (Chartwells). Off campus dining can normally be expensive, but it depends on the location of the school. For example Cornell University speaks of a place called Collegetown that has a lot of restaurants offering all kinds of food from organic to ethnic (Cornell). And then in Ithaca, New York, there are places where one can get fast foods or go to sit-down restaurants. Off campus eating has the advantage of offering more options to students. Usually one may find special discounts and coupons and promotions. Plus there is the ability offered to be able to find out about an area, to mix the residents and to encounter and enjoy other atmospheres. But then there are certain disadvantages to off-campus eating. These disadvantages have to do with not knowing the area well. Becoming victim to sharpies or even just to crime, or course, can be a problem. Then there is the transportation option, the time involved. Certainly, every student should experience off-campus eating. But one should not base their entire meal plan on it. Most schools have meal plans. They vary in price and most schools seem to offer alternative plans. One school has a program which recognizes three plans of which two average in comparison to other plans and one costs more. Plans have to be gauged according to what the student generally spends, the amount of financial aid, and of course, the costs of the meals including service. The plans can cover a full 30 weeks or arranged over two semesters that are 15 weeks each. The plan at MIT has three levels. One costing $3,800/year includes 7 dinners and breakfasts, or 14 meals per week. The $3,400/year includes only 6 dinners and 6 breakfasts per week for a total of 12 meals per week. It is not open to freshmen. Notice that none of these plans include lunch. The MIT report notes that students all spend in variable amounts for food, and some cook for themselves. The figure for median spending over 30 weeks was $2,100. But this median figure differs widely in its breakdown, going from $2,422 to $3,000. Yet the school itself uses median figures representing the 75th percentile of all student spending. This figure averages from $3,000 to $3,600 covering all undergraduates to the level of students who dine in the house. The officials then base their plan on $2,900 to $3,800. (All figures from MIT report covering 2010-2011 per iod). The MIT lists the expenses of over plans. These are mostly from Ivy League schools and include the following figures. Yale University averages $6,000 for a full plan. Boston college's full residential plan is $4,632 and Boston University is $4,632 for its full residential plan. Harvard University charges $4,606 for its full plan. There are other variables. For example, Cal Tech's figure of $4,956 is buttressed by an

Explain and summarise the main reasons why such a large firms fail to Essay

Explain and summarise the main reasons why such a large firms fail to grow - Essay Example The point of concern is that in the today’s world, most of the entrepreneurs do not possess these characteristics and that is the reason why they are not able to grow their businesses successfully. An entrepreneur should be able to understand all business practices and cross-cultural issues in order to make a permanent place in the market. Understanding of the cultural, political, and economic environments of the country is also very important for an entrepreneur to be successful. There exist many reasons, which stop the firms from making a rapid growth. Some of the most significant reasons include poor execution of strategies, improper management structure, unfriendly economic environment, unskilled staff, lack of capital, lack of quality services, improper use of profits, overhead costs, unavailability of the technology, overexpansion, and ineffective marketing planning. These factors make it very difficult for most of the firms to grow rapidly and successfully in the market . Let us discuss all of these factors in some detail in order to get a better understanding of the issue. Improper Management Structure Improper management structure is one of the reasons behind the failure of most of the firms. A firm needs appropriate management structure not only to grow but also to survive in a market. ... Management of a business cannot be done by one or two individuals rather a business requires the efforts of all of the employees working for the firm in order to be successful. A proper management structure is very critical for the growth of a business. A single person cannot control a firm employing a large number of people. The managers of the businesses need to transfer controls to the employees in order to motivate them and also to make them feel valued. In this way, the employees begin to work hard for the firm, which results in increasing the productivity and profitability of the business. A single person does not have all required skills and abilities to run a business. For the proper management of a new business, different areas of a business such as finance, purchasing, selling, production, and hiring and managing employees require the efforts of different people having relevant educational and professional backgrounds. Therefore, the managers should not only empower the emp loyees but also should make them take appropriate decisions for the proper growth and development of the firms. Poor Execution of Strategies One of the main reasons why most of the firms fail to grow in the market is poor execution of business strategies. Most of the managers do not possess the ability to develop and implement appropriate business strategies. A well-developed strategy is a key towards success of a business. A business cannot stand among its competitors without having a well-structured business plan. It is because a business plan includes appropriates set of actions which make a business grow in a market. So without having clear goals and objectives and without looking at different aspects of the business, it becomes very difficult for an entrepreneur to make the

Impact of Science Fiction on Historical and Modern Literature Essay

Impact of Science Fiction on Historical and Modern Literature - Essay Example Both genres continue to be popular at the start of the twenty first century, although mainstream and traditional literature is regarded by some as more worthwhile, simply because of its longer and more respected tradition. This paper analyses the impact of Science Fiction on historical and Modern Literature by looking at five writers in the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre. Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) is one of the first and best known writers of science fiction. He was an accomplished writer of novels and stories, notably having invented the character of Tarzan and producing a series of works on this subject. His stories about Mars and Venus opened the eyes of the public to a whole new dimension of story telling, in which brave heroes like the character John Carter venture out into the far reaches of space to meet whatever they find there with curiosity and courage. Some critics see this line of storytelling as a reflection of the early history of America, in which white settlers sought out the distant frontiers and killed the Indians whom they met on the way.1 This may well be true, but it also true that the fictional exploration of space gave Rice Burroughs some insights into the mentality of the frontiersman and he wrote a number of Western themed novels later in life including Apache Devil in 1933 and The Deputy Sherriff of Commanche Country in 1940. In this case it seems, science fiction helped him to imagine historical situations and write engaging stories about confronting the unknown. Lord Dunsany (1878-1957), also known as Edward Plunkett, was a contemporary of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and was born in Ireland. The mythology of Irish fairies and ancient gods and heroes undoubtedly influenced his well-received work The Gods of Pegana (1905). The most striking contribution of Lord Dunsany is his ability to create a whole world of alternative divine beings, describing their history, their function and their fantastic origins in a parallel universe. It is w ritten in a quasi-religious format, like an ancient holy text, and although it is clearly not intended to be followed as a religion, it sparked off a tradition in science fiction for the construction of alternative cosmologies. This freed up later writers to consider the dimension of belief in their work, and allowed many to construct moral codes that are different from the standard Judaeo –Christian models that prevail in Western Society. This work also may have influenced writers such as Tolkein and C.S. Lewis, who combined religious elements with their fantasy worlds, albeit within the Christian tradition. The writer Stephen King (B. 1947) is one of the most prolific and widely read modern authors of fiction. He grew up without his father, who left the family very early, and wrote many novels which have become classics in the horror and science fiction genre including Salem’s Lot (1975), The Shining (1977) Pet Sematary (1983). His fascination with horror means that he is often compared with Gothic horror writers like Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker. His works lend themselves well to film adaptation and through this he has won an even wider audience. One of his main contributions to literary studies is his fearless exploration of the human

Advancements in Medical Technology Essay Example for Free

Advancements in Medical Technology Essay Introductions: Have you or have you had someone, that was near and dear to your family and hearts, pass away and think to yourself â€Å"If medical technology was just a little more advance, they might have been able to still be here with me today? † Or was their life, cut from your life to soon, because of the need for more advancements in the medical pharmaceutical side of things such as medications and treatments. Maybe, even be able to give them the therapeutic device that would have been able to give them a longer life expectancy? One thing to think about is that over the past thirty years advancements in the Biological, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic device fields of Medical Technology has greatly improved the life quality and expectancy of many human beings. (What kind of introduction did you write for your expository essay? Asked a question What other types of introductions might be appropriate for this kind of essay? Providing a startling statistic. Include interesting facts about the subject. What makes your introduction type more effective than another introduction type for your particular essay? By asking a question to the reader, the way that I have asked a question makes it personal to the reader and makes them think and want to read more about what I have written. ) Conclusions: My husband and I believe that if Stem Cell research was around years ago when he was first diagnosed by Type I Diabetes, that he would not have to worry so much about his blood sugars going high or low all the time. Now with the advancements in therapeutic devices, we are able to go to a specialized diabetic doctor (known as a Endocrinologist) and be able to help him get on a Medtronic Insulin Pump, that will help him with getting his sugars stable and give him the right amount of insulin that his body needs to function properly like you and I do. On the bright side due to the fact that there are advancements in medical technology with the therapeutic side of things, there is a small variety of insulin pumps on the market today that he is able to choose from that will fit to his personal needs and wants. With medical personnel continuing to improve upon advancements in the Biological, Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic device fields of Medical Technology, there will be more people out there, such as I that will not have to lose their loved ones before their time. (What kind of conclusion did you write for your expository essay? I think that by finishing up with another question it will hopefully convince the reader that everything I have provided will have them agreeing with my essay. Also something that would be more effective would be to provide an ironic twist, a surprising observation. What other types of conclusions might be appropriate for this kind of essay? Restating the thesis or summarizing the main points of my essay What makes your conclusion type more effective than another conclusion type for your particular essay? By providing an ironic twist, with a surprising observation from my own personal life might help the reader understand more of why I was so passionate about writing about those things in my essay. )

Criticisms And Arguments Against Transformational Leadership Management Essay

Criticisms And Arguments Against Transformational Leadership Management Essay A person can have many distinctive qualities, leadership is among those qualities, not everyone possess such quality, which made this quality special and extraordinary. In the field of business, a decision often comes down to success and failure, leadership is one of the most important quality for a managerial person to have. As Thomas J. Watson, Jr. had put it: I believe the real difference between success and failure in a corporation can be very often traced to the question of how well the organization brings out the great energies and talents of its people. Leaders that can bring positive or beneficial effect to a group or enterprise are consider as a transformational leader, they are energetic, passionate, not only they focus on the systems and the structure of a business, they also focus on the individual employee to do well and to be successful as well. According to Cox (2001), leadership is divided into two categories: transactional leadership and transformational leadership. The distinction between the two, according to James McGregor Burns work on political leader (1978), are those ones who uses the policy of rewards to motive and earn his/her employees efficiency and loyalty, is called transactional leader; and those ones who gets involve with his/her employee, also possess determination and committed towards success as well as motivates its employees in exchange for their high performance, also their loyalty. However, in this ever changing world, business leaders needs improve his/her skill and ability in order to coordinate wit h the change. In this particular essay, the main focus will be on the transformational leadership and some of the arguments and criticisms against it, as well as some counter arguments in favor of the transformational leadership; along with supporting explanations, facts and various examples. Arguments against Transformational Leadership Theory: Study results shows that Transformational Leadership have its positive effect on organizations, improve its work productivity, performance and as well as the creativities, according to Bass and Avolio (1994), it can be found in every aspect of an enterprise, because sometimes transformational leaders are the type of leaders needed for an company to survive, according to Burn (1978): recognizes and exploits an existing need or demand of a potential followerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ looks for potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower. A transformational leader in an organization often break through its frame of organization culture and thrive, which made transformational leadership one of the most renewed and popular leadership theory in modern days, nevertheless, its resplendency is not without oppugns. There are many criticisms against the theory of transformational leadership, one of the criticism is transformational theory is very difficult to be trained or taught, because its components are too comprehensive; on the other hands, one of the argument against transformational leadership is that supporters might be handled by leaders. Among them all, one of the important key criticisms against transformational theory is accusing it to be only for the selected individuals, which may lead to abusing of power. As Colonel Mark .A Homig (2001) have stated that: Transformational leadership is a double edged sword. Which means that, when a transformational leader over done his part in terms of leadership, his/her innate defect in personality or even later life experience can turn him/her into another type transformational leadership, the one on the opposite side-Pseudo transformation leadership. According to Mark. A. Homig: has a potential immoral and unethical dimension that could be exp loited by an unscrupulous leader inflicted on naive and unsuspecting followers. For example, Adolf Hitler was elected as the leader of Germany, he came into power during Germanys economic inflation and depression in 1920s, he did pull Germany out of its economic depression, however, after first couple of years honeymoon between him and the country, his follower later become so obsessed with him and followed him blindly into his conquest for his so called Lebensraum for Germany, which brought one of the worst disaster to Europe. Other example is Shoko Asahara, founder and leader of Aum Shinrikyo, also known as Aleph, a Japanese cult that is responsible for the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995. The second key argument against transformational leadership is the un-clarity of its definition and components, since the definitions of the four components (Inspirational, Intellectual, Idealized, and Individualized) associated with transformational leadership are overlapping each other. According to Brayman (1992), the transformational leadership looks more suited to be a set of personality characteristics rather than special requirements. There are other various arguments against transformational leadership as well, like the ones associated with ethics, according to Avolio and Howell (1992), qualities that makes a great leader can lead to unethical act, as the first key point in this section stated, such leader can make his/her follower to make unethical decisions and even commit crimes as well, according to Yukl.G. (1998). One example for this case is Hitler. Within this essay, the focus will be on the above arguments, in the following section, and in-depth analysis will be done. Supports for the Transformational Leadership theory: Two of the key arguments against transformational leadership theory primarily focus on the un-clarity of its concepts, and accusing it to be misleading. However, if we take a closer look at the details and examine the core components of the transformational leadership theory, one can easily notices the arguments against transformational leadership is losing its roots. Based on Benard. M, Bass (2006)s book on Transformational leadership, the qualification of transformational leaders are those who has great personality qualities and the ability to influence others in exchange for their loyalty, it focuses on the processes between the leader and followers. Therefore, those who uses negative examples of transformational leadership such as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini to fault the transformational leadership theorys core concept is false, because idea or the overall construction of the theory of the transformational leadership is solid, and does not varies when people interpolate it dif ferently. Arguments such as the requirements for transformational leadership are sets of personality traits, and it cannot be taught or learn, Oscar Arias (cited in blog: leadership, 2010) have stated: More than knowledge, leaders need character. Values and ethics are vitally important. The basics of leadership can be taught. What is desperately needed is more responsible leadership a new ethic to confront the challenges of our day. Based on an interview and commentary essay done by Jonathan P. Doh (, many educators believes that transformational leadership can be taught, in fact all types of leadership can be taught and learned. Here are some of the quoted interviews from that report: Jay Conger (Professor of Organizational Behavior at the London Business School and Senior Research Scientist, Center for Organizations at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles) have :Yes, most definitely. Here work experiences, bosses, special projects, and role models, education all play a role in leadership development. Using an analogy with sports, not everyone can become an outstanding player despite coaching, yet most will benefit and improve their game. A few will go on to become stars or outstanding leaders given coaching, extensive experiences, and personal drive. Also from Kim S. Cameron (Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at the University of Michigan Business School.) said that: Some people have an inclination to learn some competencies faster or better than others, of course, and some people reflect more charismatic or likable characteristics than others. But many great leaders are not those that appear on the covers of Time and Fortune. They have learned to achieve spectacular results in their own circumstances. Think of parents. Can people learn to become better parents, or are we just born either competent or not? Everyone would agree that effective parenting can be learned and improved. So can effective leadership. Leadership can also be taught, according to Jay Conger, Kim Cameron, and Steve Stumpf (cited in Jonathan P. Dohs interview essay), have all agreed that leadership can be taught, but only to a certain extent. The reason behind this is the three dimensions of leadership: skills, perspectives and dispositions. Just like in school, everything can be taught to students, but there are always some students do better than others, in terms of adapting knowledge, and the ability of applying the knowledge that they have learned. Skills can be taught, and perspectives can be trained, however, dispositions such as ambitions, mental capacity, etc.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.is difficult to teach. Bottom line is, leadership can be taught and learned through education and training. There are a lot of examples of leaders that proved valuable to a company, just to name of few in this essay. Steve Jobs is one of the perfect example, he was fired from apple and later came back, and turned Apple into one of the most profitable technology company in the world. Another example is Gordon Bethune, CEO of Continental Airlines (merged with United in 2010), and he joined Continental Airlines during its bankruptcy, during that time, company was losing $55 million dollars per month, he, however, not only eliminated the debt they had at that not, but also increased Continental Airlines stock price from $2 a share to $50 a share. Conclusion: In conclusion, Transformational leadership theory have proved its value throughout the modern days, even if there are some criticisms, it still not enough to effect the core concept of transformational leadership theory. Counter arguments in support for the transformational leadership theory, have proved its aptitude in work performance, quality and earn their loyalty. Key arguments have been vindicated in this essay, even though, motive of a leader sometimes is questionable, but this does not change the core construction of the theory; transformational leadership theory or any leadership theory can be learned or taught, only difference is how well one can adapt and apply the knowledge of leadership. Transformational leadership is surely one of the most popular theory, and most likely will become the resolution for todays organization, as todays enterprises facing many tough challenges such as creativity, sustainability, and uniqueness.

School Systems :: essays research papers

The Ontario school system dedicates a great deal of the high school curriculum towards preparing students for University. Ontario high schools provide students with many courses that will help prepare the students that decide to go on to post secondary education. However, the Ontario School System lacks in preparing them for the most prominent aspect of University, stress. The Ontario school system does not prepare students for any of the on coming stresses which will be the number one factor in a students success or failure at University. The Ontario school system does not prepares students for the stress of living away from home. At the high school level, whenever a student is having a problem, the school calls the parents to fix the problem. High schools also have parent-teacher interviews where the parents and teachers discuss problems of the students without them present. Parents are alerted as soon as their son or daughter is having any sort of problem. Having the parents involved all the time results in the students to not be able to solve their own problems. Because of the Ontario school system’s protocol of having parents involved at all times students are not prepared for the stress of having to deal with their own problems at University. Students are not prepared for the stress coming from the University workload when they leave high school. In high school students are assigned a major project, then it is weeks before they are assigned another. Teachers give students weeks, if not months to prepare for a major assignment. High school teachers also accommodate for tests or projects in other classes. When students get to University, they are assigned many major assignments at the same time in different courses and have very little time to complete them. Because of the Ontario School System, students are not prepared for the stresses of a University workload. The Ontario school system does not prepare students for the stress of not having a teachers support at all times. In high school there is always a teacher present to help any student at any time. Whenever a student has any sort of problem they have the knowledge that the student can request the aid of their teacher. At the University level, the classes can have more than two hundred students as opposed to the 30 students in high school classes. Professors do not have enough time to address the problems of each of their students.

The American Culture Essay example -- republicans, kennedy, clinton

Have you ever noticed the different policies and influences that have affected you and the generations before you? The American culture and influences have changed greatly over time. I believe that the policies and influences of American culture have changed since John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton John F. Kennedy or as many people called him â€Å"Jack† was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts in a large and wealthy family with 9 other brothers and sisters. Growing up John was very sick and was in the the hospital for a long period of time. According to Kaplan, Howard S â€Å"600 kids in the Boston area were suffering from scarlet fever†. (1) Many kids were suffering from scarlet fever along with John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy was also suffering from a few other diseases including a stomach disorder and Addison’s disease. Despite having all of these illnesses it did not stop him from playing the one true thing he loved, sports. John and all of his other brothers were all very competitive when it came to sports. According to ED. Kelle S, John was very good at sports but unfortunately he â€Å"hurt his back playing football at harvard†.(6) John eventually joined the Navy during WW2, while on a mission a Japanese Destroyer shot at the cruise boat he was on. while his boat was sinking he saved one of his other soldiers and had to swim with him 2 miles to a near by island. Unfortunately his time in the service hurt his back even more and when he returned home he had to have back surgery. William Jefferson Blythe 3 was born August 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas. Bills father died 3 months before he was born in a car accident. Bills’ mother left him with his grandparents because she left to go to college to become a nurse. Bills’ g... ...Raffaelle. Detroit: Gale Group, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 13 Feb. 2014 7. O'Brien, Steven G. "Bill Clinton." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. 8. "John F. Kennedy." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2014 9. William Jefferson Clinton (1946 - )." N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. 10. "The John F. Kennedy Administration." Presidential Administration Profiles for Students. Ed. Kelle S. Sisung and Gerda-Ann Raffaelle. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. Student Resources in Context. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. 11. "John F. Kennedy." Image. John F. Kennedy Library. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. 12. Greenberg, David. "Impeachment Trial of Bill Clinton." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 238-241. Student Resources in Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

Antigone †Strong and Powerful or Spoiled and Stubborn? Essay -- Antig

Antigone – Strong and Powerful or Spoiled and Stubborn? Of the tragic figures in Antigone, Creon is the most obviously evil because his motives are self-serving and his fate the worst. As the play begins, we learn that Antigone has defied Creon's royal decree by performing sacred burial rites for her exiled brother, Polyneices. Polyneices has been declared an enemy of the state by Creon. The sentence for anyone attempting to bury him is death by stoning. Creon has become King of Thebes by default, as a result of Oedipus' fate as previously predicted by the Oracle at Delphi: Oedipus murders his father and unknowingly marries his mother. Jocaste, his mother and wife and Creon's sister, commits suicide upon learning the truth. Between Oedipus' two sons, Creon sides with Etocles in his claim for Oedipus' throne and exiles Polyneices. Polyneices, in exile, raises an army against Thebes, attempting to seize the throne for himself. The two brothers fight and slay one another. Etocles is awarded an honorable burial by Creon for bravely defending the city, but Polyneices is denied any burial because of his act of treason. Denial of a ritual burial was damming and nearly sacrilegious to the ancient Greeks. Creon is enraged to discover his decree has been disobeyed. When he learns it is Antigone, his niece, he asks her if she has heard the decree. She says yes, that the decree was declared publicly and openly -- she answers that she understands the consequences. Creon further asks Antigone if she is blatantly defying him. She replies that she is answering and obeying a higher law. Creon condemns her, and in doing so violates the unspoken law of loyalty to the family. Creon's will be done! Creon: Do you want me to show m... ...th her death. Chorus: You has passed beyond human daring and come at last Into a place of stone where justice sits. I cannot tell What shape your father's guilt appears in this. Antigone: You have touched it at last: the bridal bed Unspeakable, horror of son and mother mingling: Their crime, infection of all our family! Your marriage strikes from the grace to murder mine. I have been a stranger here in my own land: All my life The blasphemy of my birth has followed me. (Sophocles 4,33-44). Perhaps this self-sentencing is her noble moral cause, or the very extreme of evil indulgence in self-pity and stupidity; self absorption at the eminent loss of human life, including her own. Maybe she's just spoiled and stubborn. Works Cited Sophocles. Antigone Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics, 1984.

Comparing between the working class and the middle class

In this section I will be comparing between the working class and the middle class. I will also be looking into the comparisons within the classes. Finally I will be showing evidence that the gap is closing between the classes. The following will also explain the vast differences between the home of Mr Jones the dentist, which is top of the middle class, and the Widow, which is the bottom of the working class. Mr Jones lives in 4 Ravensworth Terrace and the Widow lives in 4 Francis Street Mr Jones's house was situated opposite to the park and near to the town. This was useful for work, because he owned 2 houses. One of them was his living house and the other was his dentistry house. On the other side of the museum there was the colliery village. There was a row of pit cottages here. In number 4 lived the Widow with her 2 children. The house was near the pit; this meant that the air was dusty, smoky and murky. This was also a noisy place to live, all because of one thing, the pit. The pit owned the pit cottages; these were for the families of the pit workers. They were also given free coal for working in the mine. This is a big difference to Mr Jones. He owned both of his houses. This shows that Mr Jones had a beautiful surrounding to his house and that the widow was worse off. Mr Jones lived in a house with a ground floor, first floor and an attic. On the ground floor is where Mr Jones's kitchen, living room and utility room were. On the first floor there was a master bedroom, the bathroom and a nursery. In the attic lived the maid. This is because the Jones's were more important. Outside they had a privy that only the maid used and a coal shed. This is compared to the widow's bungalow, which had a kitchen, living room/bedroom and an attic. In the widow's house there were several uses for the rooms. The front room was used for sleeping and entertaining visitors. This would only be used on special occasions like Christmas or weddings. The kitchen was used for cooking, cleaning, sleeping, bathing and drying clothes. The loft was one room, which was where the children slept. Mr Jones's house is totally different. His kitchen was used purely for cooking and cleaning, the bathroom for sanitation etc. So where as the widow's house was compact Mr Jones's house was spacious. The gardens for Francis Street were large. This is because they needed to grow fruit and vegetables, because they could not afford to buy fresh produce. On the other hand Mr Jones had a small garden because he could afford to buy fresh fruit and vegetables each day. In his garden he was able to grow flowers and shrubs. The sanitation of the houses was different. The widow's toilet was an ash pit privy outside. For toilet paper they used newspaper cut into squares. Mr Jones's was very different. He had a plumbed in bathroom with shower, bath, sink and flushing toilet. They also had an outside privy, which was purely used by the maid. The plumbed in bathroom was for family only. This is compared to the widow who had a tin bath hanging on the wall outside and had a cold-water tap in the utility room. Mr Jones was totally different because he had hot and cold taps inside and a plumbed in bath too. In the widow's house there was only candle light, she also had a fire lit 24 hours a day, six days a week, 365 days a year. The reason for the fire not being on for 7 days a week was so that the family could clean it. This provided heat to cook on and boiled water. It also lights up the kitchen and also heats the house up. Mr Jones on the other hand had electric lighting in every room with electric heaters. He only had one need for an open fire because he needed it for appearances and heating. He also had a cooker fire, which was used for cooking. This shows the vast differences between the top of the middle class and the bottom of the working class. I am comparing 2 and 4 Francis Street. In number 2 lived The Methodist family, and in number 4 lived the Widow. I will explore the main differences between each. The families were both working class and lived in pit cottages. There were a lot of differences between them. Firstly I will be explaining the bedding, which each family had. In both houses they had 3 beds. One in the front room, one in the attic and one in the kitchen. In the widows house 1 child would sleep in the kitchen, the other child would sleep in the loft and the widow would sleep in the double bed in the front room. This was the same for the Methodist Family, except that the Mum and Dad would have slept in the front room. In the widows house she had thin sheets in the kitchen, because of the heat from the fire. The bed in the loft would have thin sheets too; this is because they had an open chimney. The bed in the front room would have a homemade quilt and she had hooky mats for extra warmth. This is compared to the Methodist's, their beds in the kitchen and loft would be the same, but the bed in the front room would have a thick white duvet. This showed wealth, because after the miners came home from work they would be covered in coal dust, so their covers will get dirty more often. Now I will extract the differences between the furniture of each house. The widow had a brass double bed; this was the cheapest at the time, a sofa, and a table; with floor mats as a tablecloth. This shows that the widow didn't have enough money to buy new objects. This is compared to the Methodist's. I will start with their half-tester bed; this was a bed, which had 2 posts with cloth draped over the top. They had a chest with a showcase with pottery and books on show, also a couple of tables with tablecloths, a rocking chair and a fireplace. This shows that they have more money to spend on luxuries. There is a huge difference in the furniture. Now I will look into the different floors in each house. In the widow's house she had stone floors with a lot of hooky mats. These were all different because the family did not have enough money to afford carpets. Now I will look at the Methodist family. They had fitted carpets and carpets up the stairs. This shows the family is well off because they could afford the carpets to be fitted. Now I will evaluate the differences in lighting in each house. The widow has oil lamps; the only problem was that she could not afford to use them. Instead they had to use candles. They could not afford oil because they barely had enough money to get by. This is compared with the Methodist family. They too had oil lamps; they used their oil lamps regularly. This shows they had money to spend. Looking at the income of each household, the widow had to work for extra income just to get by together with the low income from her two mining sons. She made her extra income by making and selling hooky and proggy mats, organising a quilting club in her home where other working class women sat around the fire and made quilts for a small charge. She also took in washing from other people, which added to her income. This compared to the Methodist family who had adequate money from the husband and children who worked down the pit. They needed no extra income to add to their wages. All the information above shows that even though the Methodist family and the widow are in the same social class their lives are totally different. In the next section I will be explaining how different Mr Jones's houses were to Miss Smith's house. Even though they are both in the same class their homes were very different. Mr Jones lives at 4 Ravensworth Terrace and a couple of doors down lived Miss Smith at No 2. First I will be explaining where each houses money came from. Miss Smith's money came from her music teaching. She charged 6d per half hour. This is 2 1/2 pence in today's currency. Whereas the dentist, Mr Jones, charged 15 shillings for a filling; à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 7s 6d for a false tooth; and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10 10s (10 guinea) for a full set of false teeth. This shows the huge difference in one days work. The difference between both heating and cooking in each household are that in Mr Jones's house he had a gas cooker and a fire range. For heating he had electric heaters around the home. This is being compared to Miss Smith's home where she had an open fire in the front room and her bedroom. This would only be lit if she were ill in bed. Her maid cooked on a coal fire range in the kitchen. The lighting in each house varied because Mr Jones had electric lighting in each room throughout each of his houses. This shows that he was wealthy because he could afford to have this installed. This is compared to Miss Smith who only used oil lamps through her house. The sanitation which each house had was different because Mr Jones had a fully plumbed in bath, flushing toilet and shower in the bathroom as well hot and cold water taps. He also had an outside toilet, which only the maid used. This is a vast difference to Miss Smith. She had an outside toilet and a tin bath hanging from the outside wall. They brought this in front of the fire range. For the morning wash the maid would fetch a hot bowel of water to each bedroom. Mr Jones had several stained glass windows, a gramophone and a nursery for the children. This is compared with Miss Smith's luxuries, which were 7-1/2 octaves piano, carpets fitted up the stairs, biblical plaque readings and a stained glass window. The next comparison area is the servants in each house. Miss Smith had a level maid. This means that the maid lived on the same floor was her. Miss Smith's maid used the same washing and sanitation as herself. This is compared to the maid of Mr Jones. He had a maid, which slept in the attic and could not wash or use his plumbed in bathroom. She had to use a tin bath and the outside toilet. Even though they were in the same social category there were a lot of differences between them. I have explained earlier the vast differences between the top of the middle class (Mr Jones) and the bottom of the working class (the widow). Also I have explained the differences between the two working class houses and the homes of the two middle class houses. I will be looking in more depth between the middle class home of Miss Smith and the working class home of the Methodist family and finding similarities. For example both houses were of Victorian dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cor. This was dark colours, dark fabrics for curtains and drapes and bold wallpaper. This was unusual because in 1913 the most common dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cor was Georgian. In each of the houses there was a coal fire, this was the heat source for both. This was also used as the method of cooking. They both had fitted carpets up the stairs and around the house. Their ornaments and pictures were also very similar. Each house had two matching china dogs and several portraits of the Royal Family of the time. The lighting for each house was oil lamps. Unlike the widow both families could afford to use it, but they could not afford electricity. The similarities of sanitation were that each house would have a tin bath, cold tap and an outside toilet. From the information I have gathered and presented I have found a hierarchy of families. They are: * Mr Jones the dentist * Miss Smith the music teacher * Methodist family * The Widow Miss Smith could not live like Mr Jones because she had something called â€Å"old money†. This is money, which she inherited when her parents passed away, whilst Mr Jones had â€Å"new money†. This is money, which he had earned. Mr Jones had a constant supply of money from work whereas Miss Smith's money would eventually decrease. The widow could not afford to live in the same condition as the Methodist family because she only had her sons bringing in wages from the pit. If her husband were still alive she would be able to live more like the Methodist family. So, I think that the gaps between the classes were closing at this period of time. This is because their houses were very similar. Their style of decoration, heat, light etc was of the same standards.

Equal Rights in South Africa Essay

Mission Equal Education is a movement of learners, parents, teachers and community members working for quality and equality in South African education, through analysis and activism. Background 20 years after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison the education received by young people in South Africa remains vastly unequal. Despite attempts to overhaul the system, class and race-linked inequalities remain entrenched. Education was the foundation upon which inequality was fashioned during the years of apartheid, but unequal educational opportunities still remain amongst the greatest obstacles to equality, dignity and freedom in today’s South Africa. What is Equal Education? EE is a community and membership-based organisation. It advocates for quality and equality in the South African education system and engages in evidence-based activism for improving the nation’s schools. It is a leader in youth leadership development. EE’s campaigns, based on detailed research and policy analysis, are aimed at achieving quality education for all. We promote the rights to equality and education, with the firm belief that these will enable the poor and working classes to an equal opportunity in life. Education is an end in itself. Also,education helps one to understand and demand the full realisation of the rights enshrined in the Constitution. Led by young activists, EE seeks to improve the poor quality of education in South Africa by working together with communities, schools, teachers, principals, learners, parents, academics, researchers and the government. We build an understanding of the educational system, whilst drawing attention to problems faced by schools and their communities. Equipped with this knowledge, EE offers a new way for people to participate in the democratic system and bring change to education and society. History of Equal Education The organisation began in February 2008 by conducting research in schools in Khayelitsha (a working-class community in Cape Town, with a population of approximately 700,000 people, and 54 schools). Schools in Khayelitsha, like those in other poor communities, are under-resourced, under-staffed and overcrowded – factors which have a significantly negative impact on academic performance. EE began with the aim of supporting the many hardworking teachers and determined learners within the community who are battling in difficult conditions. Today EE is known nationally, and has members active in most provinces. The Head Office remains in Khayelitsha, where it intends to stay. EE has active branches in Bonteheuwel, Khayelitsha and Kraaifontein. There is also regular campaigning taking place in Grahamstown, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom, Polokwane and Pretoria-Tshwane. Equal Education’s most active members are called ‘Equalisers’. They are high school students in grades 8 to 12. Equalisers have a leading role in the activities of the organisation. They, along with parents, teachers, activists and community members, work with EE to improve schools in their communities, and they set an example to their peers through their dedication to their own education. Major Campaigns to Date †¢ EE successfully campaigned for the Western Cape Education Department [WCED] to fix 500 broken windows at Luhlaza High School in Khayelitsha. †¢ EE has been assisting Harry Gwala High School in Khayelitha to have its leaking roof fixed. †¢ EE ran a ground-breaking campaign against late-coming in 8 Khayelitsha High Schools. In some schools (Esangweni, for example) daily late-coming was reduced from over 100 learners per day to zero. This campaign also spread into other parts of Cape Town and the Eastern Cape. †¢ EE is presently running a major campaign for a National Policy on School Libraries, and a campaign for Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure.

Position of the Music Industry Prior to Introduction of Internet Essay

In the music industry prior to the introduction of internet marketing there were different roles being played by different actors of the market. The usual way a product is prepared for market is to contract the artists. The artists who were the content providers record materials which are either their own or provided to them by other writers. This is clearly depicted in the figure below. Traditional Value Chain in the Music Industry Source: John B. Meisel and Timothy S. Sullivan The recordings will be done on the basis of the contracts entered into with the recording companies. Hence the power and control over the supply of the product remained with the record company. The recording company thus would be regarded as the holder of the major item of value in the supply chain being the exclusive rights over the recorded artists’ content. (Hardaker and Graham, 2001) Most of the part of the distribution is in the hands of the record companies and they also retain the rights to select the suppliers. The distribution and supplier selection is based on the record companies’ perception about the quality of the recording and the music, past reputation of the suppliers and the contract price for the recording. In return for the content in the form of recording, the artist is compensated by the provision of promotions for the recording and its merchandising in connection with the sales there of and the distribution of the content as a saleable commodity – CD for example. It was usual in the traditional music industry that the major record companies have their own distribution channels and businesses. Hence it would become necessary for a retailer to source his music products from different sources. Sometimes the retailer may have to place orders with major record companies and up to 20 other firms from the independent sector. The new releases of music albums or other sales of the record companies are usually handled by the wholesalers. If the retailer would like to follow the wholesaler route then he might have to order through only one wholesaler. The main wholesalers also offer another service called ‘rack jobbing’ which is a different method of supply being adopted by them. The function of a rack jobber includes the supply of complete package that contains records and other promotional and display materials. It is also the duty of the wholesaler to keep a regular stock usually on a sale or exchange basis. Just as the advancement in the telecommunication had its effect on all the other sectors from airline reservations to banking and related financial services the music recording industry has also been severely impacted both positively and negatively observes Eric de Fontenay. In fact the impact of internet on the music industry is much more profound than on any other industries. Despite the fact that the entertainment related products and services have taken their own time to develop and take advantage of the improvements in digital technology over the decades, during the intervening period the overall structure of the industry has remained dormant. The reasons for the industry to remain without major changes can be traced to the following reasons: 1. The cost of creation of content has always remained higher and this prohibited any new entrants in to the industry. 2. The structure of content ownership and rights of licensing system remained unaltered thereby keeping the structure of the industry in tact. 3. There has been a continuous necessity for the presence of a distribution network almost everywhere in the world irrespective of the geographical barriers. This has restricted the existing firms to make any changes in the structure. There was no possibility of new firms entering the market in view of the high capital intensive nature. 4. Similarly there had always been a constant scarcity for the distribution networks which also prevented any new forms of distribution or change in the structure of the distribution networks. (Eric de Fontenay) The internet has affected the music industry in so many ways. It has made the industry incur additional costs in completely restructuring itself. Further the internet has reduced the entry barriers. This was possible by a considerable increase in the number of downstream outlets having varied nature. At the same time the internet has provided the actors in the upstream end to enjoy greater control over the aspects of content ownership, production and distribution. This has created a distinct fear in the record labels that they cannot eliminate the possibility of getting bypassed by both the markets in the downstream and upstream. This impact has created the following reaction on the part of the traditional industry actors. They tried to impose the existing rules and procedures to the new medium so that they could exercise the same leverage and control over the market. The process by which they attempted to do it involves a twin aspects strategic approach. At one end they used legal channels to restrict the availability and use of the new technology in the Industry. On the other end they adopted new technologies to tackle the potential legal threats that would affect the control derived by them from the traditional systems. This strategy backfired and left them high and dry in the market while new information technology players like AOL, Microsoft, E Music and MP3 took advantage of the stalemate. They reacted aggressively by building their infrastructure and systems for the online marketing and distribution of music. They also involved themselves in the retailing of music over internet. The distribution of revenues in the music industry involves the portion of the performer. As per the contract terms the performer is to be paid a portion of the revenue each time there is a sale of the record. Before the money is paid to the performer the revenue is to be apportioned towards the expenses incurred by the company for marketing and distribution. This gives an opportunity for the artists to earn considerable amounts from the sale of products. For gaining maximum revenue the artists should control the publishing rights to their songs or they have the capacity to negotiate contracts with terms that are favourable to the artists. In the case of revenue distribution Internet has its impact on the industry in the following respects.

Marketing Objectives Essay

1. Explain why it is important for a business to have clear marketing objectives? It is important that a business has clear marketing objectives because it gives them a target to work towards. In 2010 Asda set its objective to overtake Tesco as Britain’s largest retailer of non-food items. It is important that its clear because objectives should be made using the acronym SMART goals, the objective set by Asda fits in with this really well apart from it does not state a time period. 2. What do businesses mean by the term ‘ vision’? A vision is a company’s projection of what they want to achieve in the future. It should be ambitious, relevant , easy to communicate and capable of motivating staff or maybe even inspire them. 3. Why is it Important that marketing objectives should be rooted in through market research? 4. state the four main types of marketing objectives? * Increasing product differentiation * Growth * Continuity * Innovation b. decide which one is most likely to be important for * Coca-Cola – continuity * Yorkie bar – growth/ continuity * Dyson appliances- innovation 5. why might a firm seek to increase the product differentiation of one of its brands? A firm may want to increase its product differentiation because when your make your product different from the competitors it allows you to increase your profit margins per sale because. This is because customers see your product in a different light due to the usp you have marketing strategies. 6. What problems might a firm face if it focuses solely upon short term objectives? 7. Is it essential that marketing objectives should be written down in detail? It is not completely essential to write down your marketing objectives however writing them down allows you to work with people from outside the business. These are people like potential investors , by writing down your objectives they can see how successful you currently are and If your meeting the objective they can also make their own opinions on weather or not they think you will be successful in the future there for deciding weather or not they will invest in your business. 8. What is meant by internal constraints ? Internal constraints are factors that may occur that restrict the chances of the objectives seceding, internal constraints are theses that happen within a firm. These are things such as finance, personnel constraints and market standings. 9. outline two external constraints that might affect car sales over the coming months? The economy because we currently are sitting in a recession therefore people are not as willing to spend money on luxury products such as a new car. One other point is competition, the car market it a extremely competitive Market with some very well established brands, such as Honda , Landover and Nissan the list is endless.A Car business sales may be effected because their sales that they may have had has gone to the other car sales company’s in the market. 10. Identify and explain two problems a firm might face face if it makes marketing decisions without using a decision framework such as the marketing model?

Illegal Immigration in Morocco and Libya Research Paper

Illegal Immigration in Morocco and Libya - Research Paper Example ng the stakeholders involved, effects on human rights, effects the nations of Europe and their overall economic development, and what steps can be taken to rectify these problems. Through such an examination, it is the hope of this author that the reader can come to a more informed understanding of the unique determinants of illegal immigration from North Africa and the means through which Europe can seek to counter this destabilizing influence upon its future development. It does not take a great deal of careful consideration to realize the fact that countless tens of thousands of individuals each and every year risk their lives in whatever material possessions they might have in a desperate bid to enter southern Europe by. Whereas there are many different routes through which this might be accomplished, two of the most common and utilized routes for entering Europe illegally from Africa are via the coast of Morocco and the Libyan port city of Benghazi. Furthermore, although it might be convenient to understand all forms of African immigration into Europe in terms of a generic or similar pattern, the fact of the matter is that the differential between these two ports of entry not be more stark. As a function of seeking to analyze differential to a more full and complete degree, the following analysis will engage the reader with the unique dynamics that separate these two illegal immigration terminals. Before delving headlong into an analysis between these two potential ports of illegal entry into the European Union, it is first necessary to reference the different stakeholders involved. Firstly, and most obviously, the immigrants and it would be themselves are those who were at the most risk within the situation at hand. Secondly, another of culpable stakeholders involved those individuals, games, crime syndicates, and not portions of governance within the nations in question that actively promote and encourage this traffic as a means of enriching themselves.

Financial services for corporate clients ( Financial analysis + Speech or Presentation

Financial services for corporate clients ( Financial analysis + financial calculations) - Speech or Presentation Example It may be because the inventory turnover was lower and it increased the cost of sales therefore they should focus on their supply chain management. All the businesses need to finance their operations in order to make it a going concern otherwise it will be liquidated or bankrupt. Short- term financing refers to financing the day to day operations or expenses such as purchase of raw materials, paying administrative and rental expenses or paying electricity bills. Since as it can be seen from the net cash flow from operating activities table, that the firm has a positive net cash flow from operating activities therefore it can meet those operating needs easily thus short term financing needs could be easily met by the business if it generates sufficient sales in the future. The company can utilize trade credits by using discounts since they already have positive cash flows and can save a great deal of amount. Medium term financing requirements generally expand from a period exceeding one year but have a time horizon of lesser than five years. These types of financing are used to modernize the machineries or equipment or used to improve the facilities. The company needs to incur medium term costs but it is self sufficient and it can finance its medium term needs from its positive cash flows. Long term financing is used to finance fixed assets or used for capital budgeting purpose. To expand its operations, Gulf trading needs long term financing and it can use the various options available to it. Since it has a positive profitability with an average debt-equity ratio, it would be a feasible option to finance through bonds. It can raise debt since it has a very higher time to interest ratio than the industry implying that it can redeem its dues in a timely manner. However, it should be understand that the debt to equity ratio should not exceed the

Case study for surgical technologist student Essay

Case study for surgical technologist student - Essay Example A recommended test will be either a CT scan or an MRI of the brain preferably together with an echocardiogram. The possible diagnosis is a transient ischemic attack or TIA due to smoking. If there is blockage, then a balloon angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery is needed. Diabetes causes hyperglycemia which is elevated blood sugar in which an excessive amount of glucose circulates in the blood plasma. Hyperglycemia can cause neuropathy which also includes collateral damage from microvascular injuries as well as macrovascular injuries due to repeated trauma or insults (either vascular or biochemical in nature) and an increased capillary hydrostatic pressure (Joslin & Khan, 2005, p. 1135). Hugos prognosis is five years without claudication when his own vein is used but the fem-pop bypass will remain open in about 50% of the cases five years after surgery if an artificial graft is used. Considering Hugo is now 65 years old, possible complications include leg swelling, bleeding and heart attack or stroke as he is a high-risk case. The risk of death is estimated at 1% to 3% of all surgery cases. 1. Collateral flow – refers to the alternative blood supply flow to the myocardium that has been jeopardized by ischemia (sometimes spelled as ischaemia). This is the process in which small and normally closed blood vessels (arteries) open up to serve as alternate routes if there is coronary heart disease, myocardial ischemia or a stroke (www.americanheart.org). 2. The difference – an ischemia is just a temporary stoppage in the supply of the needed oxygen to the heart for a very brief period of time while an infarction occurs when the heart muscles are deprived of the oxygen for too long that the muscles eventually die. There are other cases of ischemia and infarction occurring other than the heart such as what happens in the intestines due to a hernia, adhesions, arterial

The Role of ICT to Support Development of Literacy Essay - 1

The Role of ICT to Support Development of Literacy - Essay Example Aims of research on ICT/Digital film use in schools This critical review sets out the key messages from the literature, which focuses on:- a) The infrastructure to support the use of ICT in schools, b) The impact of this on learning and literacy levels c) The extent to which its adoption has supported communication in schools and the community at large The report analysis will further present an opportunity for further exploration and research. Research indicates that there is an increase in the use of computers and other new technologies in homes through the same suit is not followed at the schools where the authorities are so strict on print and print-based texts. The embracing of technology is viewed as a lot of a waste of times, which should not be the case as children and school going individuals are already expressing enormous interest to learn through the adoption of the new technologies like the digital film techniques (BESA 2006). Setting the context: ICT/Digital film techno logy provision and access In the recent years there have been numerous surveys formulated to provide information on the extent to which schools are developing the capacity to integrate digital technology in learning and teaching to improve the level of literacy in the UK. The evidence gathered shows an increase in the number of computers and other technologies like digital technology over time with most schools achieving the baseline for the computer-to-pupil/student ratio (BESA 2006). The evidence on the impact on learning and teaching indicates that the use of digital film technology is effective and efficient in enhancing the students learning experience and therefore teachers are motivated to integrate a number of technologies like the laptops to produce an interactive environment with whiteboards and the internet. Through the emergence of the digital technology, teachers have been in a position of integrating a combination of hardware; software and connectivity to allow them to have an innovative approach towards learning and teaching hence a bust in the level of literacy (Watts 2007). A critical factor in the effective use of digital technology is the fact that there exists a school level e-strategy; this gives room for the future development and maintenance of the ICT systems. Research has it that school going aged children are embracing the use of new technology through the engagement of a wide variety of Digital practices. These range from the use of CDs, playing computer games, play stations, internet mobiles, and mobile phones. It worth noting that computer games so far is the most popular components engaged in by children as they are able to access the internet at a very tender age (BESA 2005). From research, therefore, it is evident that children have been engaged in multimodal literacy’s in a manner that the print media is being faced out. Because digital texts are fast facing out print media most so in the young populations perspective, s chools through the authorities need to adopt such systems as they will in the first place engage the youth keeping them away from accessing intolerable material online. Research on the use of digital film technology in the UK shows that, through the new technological advancement, teachers are able to develop creativity within potentially limited confines, and pressures of curriculum guidelines.

Sould the Soviet Union Be Regarded As a Socialist, Communist or Essay

Sould the Soviet Union Be Regarded As a Socialist, Communist or Totalitarian State - Essay Example This paper will discuss whether the Soviet Union should be regarded as a socialist, communist or a totalitarian state. Socialist State A socialist state is a state that practices economics under which productive properties such as corporations are wholly owned by the state. It is the state that determines everything that takes place in these companies. In this regard, in a socialist state, the economic systems consist of well organized production which directly satisfies the economic requirements and needs of the people so that the products and services would then be produced for consumption instead of for individual profit. In a socialist state, the political system is composed of many arrays of political philosophies. These include revolutionary socialism and reformism (Gonner 2010). Communist state A communist state is one in which the government is in charge of the overall economy of the state. Under this system of government, a single party dominates the political system. It dif fers from the socialist state in that with the communist state, people in common have control over property. The communist state is based on a system that everybody irrespective of place, class or country has the power to own factories, tools and farms used in the production of goods and services. Therefore, there is no private ownership of property in the communist state. ... This is evident in counties like France, Italy and India (Pipes 1997). Totalitarian State A totalitarian state is that system of government under which the government recognizes no limit to its jurisdictions, and tends to dictate every aspect of private and public life. Totalitarian states maintain political control through propaganda campaigns which in most cases spread through the state controlled media (Adler and Pouwels 2011 p.576). It is a single party rule marked by control over the economy, political repression and personality cultism. This system of government restricts freedom of expression, practices mass surveillance, and usually unleashes terror to intimidate those who are opposed to the powers that be. This system has been seen in Italy, and Nazi German. Adler and Pouwels (2011 p.575) note that the ideology in totalitarian states is distinctive, mobilizing, and monolithic in nature. Another feature prominent in this kind of system is state control of the overall economy done through preponderance of government ownership of the means of production. The Form of Government in the Soviet Union Harding, Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom, and the Communist Politics Group (1984 p.63) note that in the Soviet Union, institutional rivalry was prevalent. In this case, state institutions and some political parties had common interests which, sometimes, differing from those of other parties and state institutions. Localism and departmentalism existed within the governance structure (Harding, Political studies association of the United Kingdom and the Communist Politics Group 1984 p.63). Convert competition for political office done on the basis of cabinet politics was also prominent in the system. Harding, Political Studies Association of