Reliability Factors Food Truck Logistics - 1664 Words

Reliability Factors: Food Truck Logistics Reliability Factors in a logistics system are key to the overall health and success of the process. Many aspects of Logistics are equally as critical in terms of importance however, when it comes to reliability it is hard to argue this factor consumes much emotion from those working in as well as benefiting from a system. While reliability factors play a role in many aspects of life, when dealing with logistics it is often an unseen issue until it actually surfaces as a problem. Food trucks in recent years spread with mass popularity, convinces being a driving factor. Despite the surface appearance of a simple logistical process, reliability factors play a huge role in the logistics of operating a food truck. Measuring reliability factors in the food truck industry requires first understanding the system of measure when analyzing reliability. To paraphrase Blanchard as he discusses in Logistics Engineering Management, reliability is defined with a common sense approach. The probability a system or product will perform satisfactory for a given time when used under specified operating conditions (Blanchard, p. 48). The measure of logistic within a food truck operation requires careful analysis. Determining what the logistics process is, whether that be the end product of food for the customer or the truck in itself is tricky. Measuring the reliability for a food truck operation is best understood by taking a step back andShow MoreRelatedMarket Audit and Competition in Brazil3036 Words   |  13 PagesMarket Audit and Competitive Market Analysis Market Audit and Competitive Analysis Executive Summary ​The market audit and competitive analysis, gave us a prospective of the baby food industry in Brazil. There will be many challenges ChuChu will face when first entering the market. The biggest problem will be obtaining market share from the two major brands in Brazil Nestle (Gerber) and Danone (Danito). These two companies have had years of experience in the market as well as a well known brandRead MoreHow Does Aldi ‘Kick’ Wal-Mart Out of German Market?972 Words   |  4 Pagesdomestic chain has reached over 3600 grocery stores, around 16 states; there are more than 1000 stores oversea and nearly 600 branches were started in the eastern of United States. By now, ALDI’s annual revenue reaches $34 billion, being the largest food chain enterprise in German. Nowadays, it is extremely competitive for companies survive in the close to full capacity grocery retail industry. Thus, we choose to compare Wal-Mart and ALDI’s operation strategies in order to justify both of theirRead MorePepsi: Supply Chain Management5028 Words   |  21 Pagesmanagement which includes product design, planning and forecasting, sourcing, outsourcing, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, and fulfilment. An example to illustrate this theory on the supply chain management is the PepsiCo, Inc. Pepsi Co History PepsiCo, a Fortune 500, American Multinational Corporation is under the food consumer product industry and is the world leader in convenient foods and beverages. The Pepsi brand and other Pepsi-Cola products account for nearly one-third of the totalRead MoreStrategic Role of Logistics in Kazakhstan21048 Words   |  85 Pages 1.1. Introduction 4 1.2. Definition of Key Terms 5 1.3. Effective Research 10 1.3.1. Logistics and time as a trade barrier 10 1.3.2. The Logistics Performance Index 14 1.4. Summary 21 2. Data Analysis of Logistics industry and Trade in Kazakhstan 24 2.1. Introduction 24 2.2.1 External Trade 24 2.2.2. Assessment of the Transport and Logistics Sectors 29 2.2.2.2 Logistics Sector 41 2.2.3 Constraints in Physical Infrastructure and Transport Facilities 43 2.2.3.1 ConstraintsRead MoreStrategic Role of Logistics in Kazakhstan21063 Words   |  85 Pagesbackground 4 1.1. Introduction 4 1.2. Definition of Key Terms 5 1.3. Effective Research 10 1.3.1. Logistics and time as a trade barrier 10 1.3.2. The Logistics Performance Index 14 1.4. Summary 21 2. Data Analysis of Logistics industry and Trade in Kazakhstan 24 2.1. Introduction 24 2.2.1 External Trade 24 2.2.2. Assessment of the Transport and Logistics Sectors 29 2.2.2.2 Logistics Sector 41 2.2.3 Constraints in Physical Infrastructure and Transport Facilities 43 2.2.3.1 ConstraintsRead MoreDhl Logistic System5607 Words   |  23 PagesReport Cover Page Title Page American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) REPORT ON â€Å"Logistic System of DHL† Submitted to: Dr. Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury Course Instructor Course: Marketing Research Section: A BBA Program Submitted By: â€Å"Foysal Ahmed† â€Å"ID 08-12089-3† â€Å"Marketing† Date of Submission: 26-12,2011 MARKETING RESEARCH REPORT ON â€Å"Logistic System of DHL† Letter of transmittal DecemberRead MoreRead a Plant - Fast7267 Words   |  30 Pagescustomization activities, organize transport to the customers, and ship orders timely, in the way desired by the customer. Warehouse performance therefore, has multiple dimensions. Often, performance is measured in terms of ratios of output and input factors. Output factors include production (shipped orders, lines and units), quality (for example, order completeness, error-free and on-time delivery), flexibility (possibility to cope with changes in customer demand), agility (process adaptation to changed environment)Read MoreWhat Is Logistics23868 Words   |  96 PagesWhat is logistics? Logistics means having the right thing, at the right place, at the right time. [pic] Logistics  - (business definition) Logistics is defined as a business planning framework for the management of material, service, information and capital flows. It includes the increasingly complex information, communication and control systems required in today s business environment. --  (Logistix Partners Oy, Helsinki, FI, 1996) Logistics  - (military definition) The science of planningRead MoreLogistics Management19517 Words   |  79 PagesThus the solution is get your logistics right. Objectives of the study The objectives of this study are ï  ¶ To understand the current context of continuously improved customer service by managing uncertainties and shortening lead times with the help of an efficient logistics management. ï  ¶ To give brief idea on the importance of logistics management in the globally competitive business environment. ï  ¶ To understand the various elements influencing logistics activities. ï  ¶ To give clearRead MoreAnalysis And Evaluation Of The Supply Chain Management2969 Words   |  12 Pageseach simulation the user runs, this data can be exported into a computer for better analysis. The SCM Globe simulation gives the user a comprehensive picture of the supply chain they are working on, which allows them to edit facilities, routes, and trucks. At the same time, they can zoom in and out of the supply chain; keeping control of the overall outcome of the different situations in view. This makes the simulation very user friendly system. After the simulation button is played, users will see

Distinctly Visual Essay Free Essays

Distinctly Essay A distinctively visual text influences our view of the world, and object or a person by the composer presenting us with new ideas and emotions that let us see from another point of view. Henry Lawson is an Australian writer that has the ability to twist his readers into his stories so they understand the true feelings and emotions of the characters. He presents us with the idea the bush is a negative place to live. We will write a custom essay sample on Distinctly Visual Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now But all Australians have a connection with it. Distinctly visual texts affect how we see the world and our relationships with others. Henry Lawson acknowledges the hardships of Australian women whose bravery and perseverance is unfairly over looked. Lawson’s admiration of the wife is evident in the portrayal of a strong and independent female protagonist. While the characters traits of the hattered old dog â€Å"alligator† are amusingly represented, it remains the wife who really fascinates the reader. Her appearance and behaviour can be readily pictured and we easily identify with her hopes and fears. He then reflects the harshness with the characterisation of the â€Å"Gaunt sun brown woman† and her â€Å"four ragged, dried up looking children†, This shapes our understanding of the unique Australian traits of toughness and courage towards a hostile environment like the bush. We never learn her name and this anonymity increases the representative role she plays, making the reader more reflective and empathetic about what is revealed, especially when given access t o her thoughts and feelings. By visualising the bush woman’s surroundings the reader can connect with her frame of mind. One is left with an overwhelming sense of loneliness and hardship. Through the use of flashbacks Lawson presents us with the different situations the women has been confront with and the way she has had to overcome them while her husband has been away â€Å"she fought a bush fire.. She fought a flood.. She also fought a made bullock’ and now a snake. The vivid imagery of the environment creates the feeling of isolation and monotony that the drover’s wife experiences in her day to day life. Lawson positions us to accept his visual interpretation of life in the bush defined by continual hardship instead of focusing primarily on the contents of the bush, Lawson focuses on what is lacking. The Lost Thing is a humorous story about a boy who discovers a bizarre looking creature while out collecting bottle tops at a beach. Having guessed that it is lost, he tries to find out who owns it or where it belongs, but the problem is met with indifference by everyone else, who barely notice is presence. Each is unhelpful in their own way, strangers, friends, parents are all unwilling to entertain this uninvited interruption to their day to day life. In spite of his better judgement the boy feels sorry for this hapless creature, and attempts to find out where it belongs. The story soon develops into a fable about all sorts of social concerns, with a ambiguous ending. For a start ‘the lost pet’ is unlike anything we might normally expect. It is a huge tentacled monster, not quite animal or machine, with no particular function or origin. Whimsical, purposeless and estranged from everything around it, it is out of place in a much deeper sense that just being ‘lost’. The environment described by the illustrations also resists any simple reading. A treeless industrial metropolis full of excessive plumbing, mysterious and dehumanising architecture, green skies and cheerless citizens. Nobody pays attention to this ‘lost pet’ despite its disruptive presence, every citizen is too busy in their daily routine to notice. The text is written as a matter-of-fact anecdote, told by the boy and addressed to the reader, presented as a kind of â€Å"what I did over summer† story (hence the use of hand-written text on strips of note paper). Significantly, the creature in question is never physically described, and there is very little said about the environment in which the story unfolds; this is where the illustrations take over. Read by itself the text would sound as though it is about a lost dog in a quite familiar suburb or city, but the pictures reveal a freakish tentacled animal in a surreal a treeless world of green skies, excessive plumbing, concrete and machinery Another short story written by Henry Lawson that displays this connection with the land is â€Å"the loaded dog†. It tells a story of three men that are working on a gold field and leave a explosive lying around. This explosive is then picked up by their dog, who chases them with it lit in its mouth. Unlike â€Å"the drovers wife† Lawson’s ability to balance the harshness of the wish with the larrikin characters. Allows him to make the story entertaining but also life threatening. The visual image of the men following each other being chases by the dog with an explosive in its mouth is an example of this humour Lawson uses throughout the story to conceal the bush during the tory. Lawson uses the almost dried up creek as an example of the ruthlessness the bush has on it occupants. The men usually use the fish as their main source of food but because it has turned into a â€Å"chain of muddy waterholes.. six to seven feet deep† they are fearing they will starve. So they come up with a plan to catch the fish using an explosive. A dog is also present in â€Å"the loaded dogâ₠¬  but it does not have a protector role like the one in â€Å"the drovers wife† rather Lawson mainly convey â€Å"Tommy.. big, black†¦ retriever dog.. as their four legged mate† this mate ship is the only thing that is positive in the story, although Lawson uses him as the main cause of all the trouble and excitement. Henry Lawson short stories are both visual texts that have contributed to the Australian myth and have become a voice for the individuals of the 1890’s. His stories still have a meaning of heritage and belonging for today’s society. Shaun tans â€Å"the lost thing† provokes questions How to cite Distinctly Visual Essay, Essay examples

Describe An Issue of Personal Concern Essay Example For Students

Describe An Issue of Personal Concern Essay I am violently warring for peace. I know this is a paradox, and Im rather proud because it is true. Passivity has been a lifelong threat, laziness a constant lure in my search for identity. This world begs me to succumb to existing in the image of someone else, it asks only that I slip silently and blindly into the niche it provides instead of carving my own. I required a long time to work up courage to fight for the serenity I had glimpsed in hot summer woods and in lovingly handled books read late until the early morning. Doubt had established itself in my mind at some early age, when or why I do not know, and I could trust any person or group more than myself. Doubt begat fear, and fear gave birth to obscuring myself from the eyes of the world while I was a child. Now, I am dedicated to the fight, after over five years of fear and immobility. I rejected the easiest way out of life, and demanded truth. I strengthened my body as I strengthened my mind against the attacks I faced. When I was fifteen I started Tae Kwon Do, the martial arts class that was offered through my school. I learned more about blocking, kicking, and punching in the first two weeks of that class than I had known my entire life. My once powerless body, petite and thin, could knock the wind out of someone with a well placed punch, and I could kick people taller than me in the head. So what I could do, I did, and now my friends instinctively block when they see me grin mischievously in their direction. I am content to know I have taught them something useful. Last spring for the third time in a row, I shakily accepted my teachers hand as he congratulated me on second place in womens division sparring. It was a bittersweet triumph, three times now I have lost to the same girl. She has become an icon for everything I wish to triumph over in this world. She is beautiful, hair like black silk, impeccable taste in clothing,makeup like a Renaissance painting, and average when it comes to everything else. I watch her silently stride into art class on three inch heels, skirt above her knee, no runs in her stockings, and manicured nails smoothing invisible wrinkles from he shirt. I look down at myself, one of my shirt buttons missing, securely replaced with a safety pin, my comfortable green pants provide freedom of movement if little style, and my sturdy black shoes have been with me for three years. I hear my voice laughing almost too loudly, physics notes are sticking out of my sketchbook, and I am well aware of that I am not average. I fight this opponent I have created and what she represents not because she chooses to live her life by the beauty standard, and not because I feel inferior. We are at war because no one outside of Tae Kwon Do class ever sees what she is capable of. They dont know that those perfectly moisturized hands can break through boards or leave your head spinning. No one knows that those feet captured in three inch heeled prisons can leave you hurting for days, bruised where you blocked, bruised and bleeding where you failed to. I fight her because she is a symbol of how I tried to hide myself and my potential. Im tired of being afraid of how the world will respond to me, and I war against the part of myself that would rather just please fashion magazines and popular concepts. Peace comes from accepting my identity, not from hiding it. I will laugh loudly at outside ideas of who I am supposed to be, kick down the opposition to my goals, and I will continue to fight until I have my peace.

Nakamura Lacquer Company Essay Example

Nakamura Lacquer Company Essay EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Our Company has limited growth in Domestic Market as we are already the best seller. We are having no international business. As classified by the Government of Japan, we cannot invest abroad hence should think seriously about export. The National China Company, the largest manufacturer of good quality dinnerware in United States has offered the annual purchase of 400000 sets of our product at 5% extra price for three years. Semmelback, Semmelbach and Whittacker, Chicago, the largest supplier of hotel and restaurant supplies in Unites States and buyers of dinnerware and similar goods for a number of department stores are willing to represent our â€Å"Chrysanthemum† brand for five years at a) standard commission rates and b) first 20% on all the sales Our Company will make during that time to recover the investment they are bearing for the introduction and promotion in United State. SITUATION ANALYSIS Our company is a market leader in domestic market. We are having no international business. For future growth, Company has to target the other segments of domestic market and to start exporting. Classified by the Government of Japan, We cannot invest money abroad. The National China Company has demanded for fixed order and Semmelback, Semmelbach and Whittacker, Chicago is willing to represent the company in United State. Both the offers can’t be accepted together. STATEMENT OF OPTIONS ?Domestic Market ?International Market †¢Export to other countries. †¢Offer from the National China Company. †¢The offer from Semmelback, Semmelbach and Whittacker, Chicago. CRITERIA OF EVALUATION 1. Existing production level 2. Investment 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Nakamura Lacquer Company specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nakamura Lacquer Company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nakamura Lacquer Company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Selling price 4. Profit 5. Brand Value 6. Time period required 7. Risk involved 8. Market segments EVALUATION OF OPTIONS 1. Existing production level: A substantial business, employing several thousand labors and production of 500000 sets of lacquer table ware each year so as to meet the demand from domestic market. Significant changes need to be done in the Company to trade internationally. 2. Growth: Company has a limited growth in Domestic Market as we are already the best seller. We are having a very little or no international business. The first offer enables us 80% more efficient company than the existing one after three years. While the second offer brings more potential in company’s growth in United State. 3. Investment: Optimum utilization of available resources is required if we need to cut down the expenses incurred in meeting the new demand. For domestic market, there will be no major rise in production cost whereas for international business, cost involved is more for changes required in meeting the standards of other countries, labor cost, expansion of production set up and company set up as the demand will be 80% in first offer and for second offer, demand may rise to a couple of million sets. . Market segments: We need to launch the new brand with better quality to tap high-class consumers in Japan. The other market segments like Hotel and Restaurant have to be identified. 5. Selling price: No major increase in price is applicable in domestic market. In case of other market segments, the price is to be comparable with price of existing. In export increase in price is more applicable. First offer has assured 5% increase in price where as in second offer; higher prices can be induced as the customers are like Hotels and restaurants. 6. Profit: The overall profit will be less initially if company introduces brands for segments in domestic market and will grow in the long run but the percent profit will be more or less same. The overall profit and profit percent will be more in the long run if company opts for export. First offer promises fixed rise of 5% in profit percent whereas in second offer overall profit and change in percent profit depends on the response from the customers. 7. Brand Value: Company will achieve more stability in domestic market as we will have brands for different market segments. First offer doesn’t contribute in brand establishment whereas in second offer, after five years brand will be established in United State and company will be globally projected. 8. Time period required: Time period may vary as per the response of the other market segments to our brands. In the first offer, after three years, company will be potentially double than the existing one whereas in the second offer, minimum of five years are required to establish the brand. The time period may be more than five years if the response of the customers not found positive. 9. Risk involved: Expansion of business in domestic market is less risky as our company is well established. First offer brings no risk as the offer is fixed in quantity and price whereas in second offer, the risk involved is very high. If the response turned out to be less promising, the cost incurred in increasing the production level, set up will be hard to recover. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. To invest for other market segments in Japan. 2. The company should accept the first offer. 3. The company should look at the similar opportunities as the second offer for the business in other countries. ACTION PLAN: 1. A market survey of Japan to understand the exact need from the different segments. 2. Evaluation of our company’s current production capacity. Optimization of labor cost. 3. Survey of international market to understand the requirements from different countries and to know the major competitors available and their market share. CONTINGENCY PLAN: ?We need not worry about the possibility of failure while meeting the demand generated by The National china Company. ?Failure to tap the other segments of domestic market will not cost the company much.

Lenin essays

Lenin essays How far was Stalinism the outcome of Leninist political practice? The political system which existed in the Soviet Union under Stalin was a system of terror. The purges of the 1930s sent millions of Russians to their deaths or to the Gulags, the population was scared of the secret police, the NKVD, the forced collectivization of agriculture had wiped out a part of Russian society, the Kulaks. The show trials of the thirties had firmly established Stalin as the leader of the Soviet Union. What requires investigation is how far was this regime of terror a new entity in the Soviet Union or how far it was a continuation the state set up by Lenin after the Russian revolution in 1917. The regime set up by Lenin did have a secret police, the Cheka and it was authoritarian, especially in the the years after the revolution and the civil war. There was forced grain requisitioning during the period of War Communism and political enemies were exiled. That is by no means in question. The difference is that during the Leninist years there was not the wholesale slaughter of millions of Soviet citizens as there was under Stalin in the 1930s. It can be argued therefore, that Stalinism was partly the outcome of Leninist political practice because there were many similarities between the two regimes. However, the Stalinist system was by no means the inevitable outcome of Leninist political practice when one considers the differences between the two regimes and Stalin's personality compared to that of Lenin. One must also remember that Stalin's path to power was not a simple accession to power when Lenin died and there were other candidates for leader. Stalin had to out manoeu vre figures such as Trotsky, Zinoviev and Kamenev to get power. Therefore Stalin was not, by any means, ultimately destined to become the leader of the Soviet Union. This may go some way to explaining why he felt the need to be so repressive to any potential political enemies. ...

Capitalism and Our Society

Capitalism and Our Society Essay From the very dawn of intelligent human interaction to the present day,the concept of capitalism has dominated the way we trade goods andacquire wealth. Except for the necessity of a simple communist society inpre-modern times, or the noble humanistic notion of a socialist society,the free market has always been the most efficient way to run the economyonce the most basic needs of life have been satisfied. Only during thelast several hundred years has the idea of a modern democracy beendeveloped and applied through the modern state. These two concepts arethought by some to be interrelated, but contemporary critics of theliberal form of democracy seek to separate the two notions of capitalismand democracy. However, when examining the evidence of the relation ofthe two, let us not use the altered conceptions or versions of theseterms, but rather analyse them by their base meanings as we have come tounderstand them. After this analysis of the terms and a resultingstipulation of what the ir base meanings are, critics may say that anyfurther analysis of the relationship between the two terms would betainted by their supposed definitions. The problem with this is thatwithout a common frame of reference between the two, no comparison wouldbe logically possible without considering an infinite range of possiblemeanings. With this technical matter aside, the analysis will continuewith an investigation into arguments both for and against the separationof the two terms, and then an evaluation of the true nature ofcapitalismrsquos relationship with democracy. Specifically the freemarket economy dictating the actions of any democratic regime. After thistask of evaluation is complete, the argument will conclude withillustrating how capitalism will actually lead to a more liberal form ofdemocracy. The first step of this investigation is to make some attempt to achieve acommon frame of reference between the two terms. Literally, democracy isthe rule of the people. Specifically, it is the organization in place toallow people of a specified area, through organized elections, to givetheir uncoerced opinion on who they want to represent them in government,or what they want government to do for them. The underlyingpresupposition is that government will always obey the command of themajority of voters. There are many limitations to democracy, such as thefact that people can only vote YEA or NEA on a specific topic area, thusproducing a dichotomy of choices that may not necessarily offer asolution to a problem. Also, people must leave most decisions to thepeople they elect, since they donrsquot have enough time to continuallyvote. However, the focus of this work is not to delve into this area ofcontroversy, but rather to take this understanding of democracy as thestipulated definition for this work. One critical distinction must bemade regarding Bergerrsquos understanding of the term, and that is thatthe term democracy does not include all the civil and human ri ghtsassociated with liberal democracy. Similarly, by capitalism, this work will not use any other connotation ofthe term other than describing the free market economy, where there isprivate ownership of property, and the economic freedom to buy, sell, ortrade with whomsoever you chose. The critical element of the term is thatthere is limited government in place to enforce contracts and to providea safe trading environment. Another specific meaning given to capitalismis by Friedman, who describes capitalism as economic cooperation, whereboth parties are benefiting from the trade, provided that the trade isvoluntary and informed on both sides. READ: Freedom and Opression in Literature EssayThe next step in the investigation is to analyse some of the argumentsthat capitalism is separate from democracy. Dryzek argued that anindividualrsquos consumer preferences wereproperly expressed in the economy, while the same persons politicalpreferences were expressed in politics3. This perspective indicates thatthe capitalist economy is a separate entity form the democratic politicalsystem, because these are two different institutions into which anindividual can state his or her preferences, depending on whether theyare economically or politically motivated. On the other hand, history hasgiven many examples of how a personrsquos economic preferences have beenstated in the political forum, such as voting for a politician that haspromised to reduce taxes or to establish free trade between two states. That same person could only express those preferences in the politicalforum, because they alone would have no power to change the structure ofthe economy such that it would seem advantageous to lower taxes

Soft Systems Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Soft Systems Methodology - Essay Example This action research-based, interpretive approach is strongly influenced by Vickers' (1968, pp.59,176) description of the importance of appreciative systems in dealing with human complexity. Checkland (1981), and Checkland and Scholes (1990) have attempted to transform these ideas from systems theory into a practical methodology that is called Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). Soft Systems Methodology developed by Professor Peter Checkland is a way of dealing with problem situations in which there is a high social, political and human activity component. (Checkland, 1981) This distinguishes SSM from other methodologies that deal with hard problems which are more technologically oriented. Thus, SSM can be a useful research tool for understanding problematic ELT situations. (Holliday, 1990) Hard problems are problems characterized by the fact that they can be well defined. The assumption is that there is a definite solution and we can define a number of specific goals that must be accomplished. Soft problems, on the other hand, are difficult to define.When we think of soft problems, we don't think of problems but of problem situations. It is the classic situation of it not being a "problem" but an "opportunity". Soft Systems methodology was developed for the express purpose of dealing with problems of this type.His "Soft Systems Methodology" was created through a number of research projects in industry and its application and refinement over a number of years. A leading SSM specialist in Japan, suggests that SSM can be a useful research tool in the educational context, and argues that it can be applied to any messy, problematic human situation that requires decision-making aimed at improvement (Kijima, 1999) The most important feature of this analysis of data, informat ion and knowledge is that the act of creating information is a human act, not one which a machine can accomplish. It is the human being who can attribute meaning to the selected data. (Checkland, Holwell, 1998)SSM is divided into seven distinct stages. These are; 1. Finding out about the problem situation. This is basic research into the problem area. Who are the key players How does the process work now etc. 2. Expressing the problem situation through Rich Pictures. As with any type of diagram, more knowledge can be communicated visually. A picture is worth a 1000 words. 3. Selecting how to view the situation and producing root definitions. From what different perspectives can we look at this problem situation. 4. Building conceptual models of what the system must do for each root definitions. You have basic "Whats" from the root definitions. Now begin to define "Hows". 5. Comparison of the conceptual models with the real world. Compare the results from steps 4 and 2 and see where they differ and are similar. 6. Identify feasible and desirable changes. Are there ways of improving the situation. 7. Recommendations for taking action to improve the problem situation. How would you implement the changes from step 6. Step 1: Problem situation unstructured The initial stage consists simply of managers and/or employees (problem owner) deciding that a review or change of tasks and the way they are performed is required, and an analyst (problem solver) is called in to review and provide recommendations. Step 2: Problem situation expressed Step 1 is basically that people of the organization think there

Writing 102 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing 102 - Essay Example Red even comes to believe in Andy’s innocence. In the initial days of his prison life, Andy has difficulties adjusting. Most of the prisoners think of him as a snob. As a result, he undergoes many tribulations including rape from a prison gang that refers to themselves as the sisters. Red is the prison smuggler from whom you can get anything you need from the outside. After a while in prison, Andy begins to work for the guards, filling their tax returns (King 56). This makes him a hero in the prison community. He also helps to set up a prison library. In the process of working for them, he begins to launder money for them, reducing his chances of getting out of prison. Andy admits to Red that he had friend set up a false identity through which he now has a lot of money. He dreams of an escape from prison and he dreams of Red going with him to Mexico. One day he manages to escape and his escape signifies hope for the other prisoners. Eventually, Red gets out of jail and finds the rock that Andy had described to him, underneath which the keys to the bank’s safety deposit box were to be. He instead find a letter inviting him to join Andy in Mexico and a $100 0 gift. Red feels a sense of renewed hope as he plans to join Andy in Mexico. The movie ‘Shawshank Redemption’ is based on Stephen King’s book. It was adapted screen directed by Frank Darabont. Just like the book, the movie takes one through the journey of despair that inmates can go through, and the importance of having hope and a strong spirit. Unlike the book however, the movies uses film language to bring forth its theme of despair and hope. Film language includes lighting effects, music, and different camera angles (The Shawshank Redemption, Dir Frank Darabont). In the movie, most scenes do not have background music to represent the lack of life that is characteristic of life in prison. There is only one scene that has music when Andy

Term welfare Essay Example for Free

Term welfare Essay Government benefits provided to people with little or no income are referred as welfare benefits. The term welfare can refer to a number of different programs in the United States, but often refer to cash assistance. In some cases, this money may be used however the recipient wishes. In others, the money can only be used for specific uses, such as food stamps that can only be used to buy groceries. The welfare state expands on this concept to include services such as universal healthcare and unemployment insurance. To what extent are welfare measures necessary in democratic countries ? What can be the abuses and how could we solutionate those 1/ the importance of welfare Health Care A primary advantages of welfare benefits is promoting the health of the people receiving the benefits Since there is a general correlation between income and health. People who have no income and no health care will, statistically, live shorter and less healthy lives than people who have enough income to buy proper food and to pay for medical care. Support for Children While many adults are able to make choices about how much income they choose to earn, children cant . Children must generally rely on the money that their parents are able to make. Welfare payments, particularly those that are directed for the care of children, allow children to grow up with better nutrition, medical care and possessions that make for a more comfortable standard of living. Lower Crime The provision of welfare has been shown to lower crime. Although some may argue that welfare constitutes a bribe, providing people with some income takes away an incentive to commit property crimes designed to provide the person with money or property. Welfare alleviates some of an individuals economic need, thereby lowering crime and increasing the general stability of society as a whole. Income Distribution Another advantage of welfare benefits is that it more evenly distributes a societys wealth. Some many consider this a benefit in itself. However, others may consider providing money to people who did not earn it to be unfair. There is, according to Arnold, a demonstrated correlation between income distribution in a society and that societys stability. Societies with greater inequities in wealth generally suffer more social and political turmoil. Social welfare programs today provide assistance to the elderly, the unemployed, the disabled and the destitute. While these may at first glance appear to be noble undertakings, there are some who suggest there are disadvantages of the programs, both to the individual and to society as a whole. Among some of the majors disadvantages suggested is the high cost of these programs. Opponents of social welfare programs often argue that governments simply cannot sustain the cost of providing financial support to so many elements of society. Between 1984 and 2002, social welfare programs, including Social Security and Medicare, accounted for between 49 and 60 percent of federal government spending. Disincentive Pointing to Harvard University Professor of Economics Gregory Manikws 10 Principles of Economics, opponents suggest social welfare programs, particularly for the underemployed or unemployed, create disincentives for people to find gainful employment. Manikw asserts that people respond to incentives. For example, they work because there is an incentive to earn an income and support themselves. Social welfare programs risk removing this incentive by providing income for someone who is not working or who is unwilling to work, meaning they no longer have a need to produce. Sponsored Links Modà ¨les de Lettre Tous modà ¨les de lettres et documents sur lettres.net lettres.net Economic Impact According to Mankiw, a societys standard of living is dependent on its ability to produce goods efficiently. More workers producing more goods increases the economic output of a society, thereby increasing the amount of income. When people lose the incentive to produce, the nations productivity goes down and income decreases. This can in turn increase the burden on governments to support the welfare system and result in ever higher costs. When governments print too much money, the rate of inflation increases, raising the price of goods for everyone. Government Control Many opponents of social welfare programs suggest these programs create circumstances in which governments gain too much control over individual citizens. Citizens who rely on government programs for income and sustenance are in a position to allow government to have more say in their individual choices. Opponents argue that social programs allow governments to impose rules on day-to-day choices of welfare recipients because the government is paying for the services. Proponents further argue that even if government does not currently impose such rules, they may assert their ability to do so in the future.

Creating a Computer Program in the C Language about Super Smash Brothers Melee :: Biophysics Programming Gamecube

Super Smash Bros. Melee At first I had absolutely NO idea what to do for my biophysics final project. I wanted to make my program at least slightly interesting and this summer program is practically full of gamers. I decided to benefit my peers and myself by making my final project a program revolving around the Nintendo Gamecube game, Super Smash Bros. Melee. Before I wrote my program I needed the statistics of the win percentages of computers when they play a specific character. Both computer players have one life and both of them are at level 9 difficulty, the highest level difficulty in the game. I chose the map called â€Å"Final Destination† because random maps, although they create less bias, made the battle between two characters most of the time 50/50. I had the two computers fight for about twenty or thirty games to get statistically significant evidence for the win percentages of a computer character versus another. My program calculates the number of games needed to play to collect enough coins to collect a certain goal of trophies. Super Smash Bros. Melee uses a slot machine system for players to put coins in to have a chance to receive a new or old trophy. My program, however, can not actually be utilized to calculate anything in the game, for I had to add some tweaks to my program to make it more interesting for the viewers. The tweak I added was whenever the computer you were â€Å"betting on† won, you would win 5 coins, and whenever the computer lost, you would win 0 coins. That is not true in the real game, because two level 9 computers facing off would only get 1/10th of a coin each game. Each character in Super Smash Bros. Melee is numbered off in alphabetical order so I could input the win percentages between two computers. There are 25 playable characters in the game, but with the allotted time given, I had no time to test over 300 different combinations of characters (25x25 matrix) in one weekend. Instead of testing all twenty five characters, I tested five of them(which is still a lot of testing!). My program inputs are: 1) Character # whom you are betting on 2) Character # whom your character is battling 3) Starting Number of Trophies 4) Desired Number of Trophies(max 242)

Community Service Organization in Florida Essay

The aspect of community service plays an important role in the contemporary community as this serve the most critical and significant needs of the public through actual interaction and organization dedication. Community service organizations are mainly established to provide effective and efficient public works for the benefits of the society on a non-profit agenda. These organizations are motivated by their selfless intentions to address the critical needs of the public, which they find to be overlooked by the general social system. As founded by individuals who are motivated to cater to the needs of the common people, community service organization becomes the tool sufficing for the intricate needs of certain individuals in different aspects. In the state of South Florida, the Jewish Community Services manifests to be an important community organization addressing senior adult needs in their locality. The JCS organization has many service pursuits ranging from healthcare, employments assistance, rehabilitation, food services and others, which are all viewed to be among the important social service needs in the Florida state. As this state tends to rapidly progress, their general social system tends to overlook certain social needs, which are still important in the humanitarian aspect. Because of this, organizations such as the Jewish Community Services are founded to attend to their certain community services for selfless idealism. Indeed, this organization is making an important contribution for the betterment of their society establishing them as an important cogwheel in the Florida’s humanitarian aspect. Organizations such as the JCS give off important social services without expecting financial commensuration from their target patients as part of their idealism for selfless contribution. As such, it is only appropriate to give due support to the cause of these organizations namely the JCS. Putting in contributions and manpower involvement to their cause will further enhance their effectiveness and efficiency towards addressing their purpose in the Florida’s social community. Indeed, through participating or contributing to the activities and programs of the JCS social service organization, every individual can realize a humanitarian purpose of selflessly addressing the critical needs of others for the betterment of their life as human beings. Bibliography Jewish Community Services of South Florida. October 23, 2007. http://www. jcsfl. org/.

Motivation and Prentice Hall

Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 10/e Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge Chapter 5 Motivation Concepts Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-1 After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe the three key elements of motivation. 2. Identify four early theories of motivation and evaluate their applicability today. 3. Compare and contrast goal-setting theory and selfefficacy theory. 4. Demonstrate how organizational justice is a refinement of equity theory. 5. Apply the key tenets of expectancy theory to motivating employees. . Explain to what degree motivation theories are culture bound. Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-2 What Is Motivation? The processes that accounts for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a organizational goal ? Intensity – the amount of effort put forth to meet the goal ? Direction – efforts are chann eled toward organizational goals ? Persistence – how long the effort is maintained Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-3 Early Theories of Motivation Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory †¢ McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y †¢ Herzberg’s Two-Factor (Motivation-Hygiene) Theory †¢ McClellan’s Theory of Needs (Three Needs Theory) Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-4 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory Self-Actualization Upper Esteem Social Safety Psychological 5-5 Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Lower Douglas McGregor’s X & Y Theory X Theory Y †¢ Inherent dislike for work and will attempt to avoid it †¢ Must be coerced, controlled or threatened with punishment View work as being as natural as rest or play †¢ Will exercise self-direction and self-control if committed to objectives 5-6 Copyright  ©20 10 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory Not Dissatisfied Satisfied Motivation Factors †¢ Quality of supervision †¢ Pay †¢ Company policies †¢ Physical working conditions †¢ Relationships †¢ Job security Hygiene Factors †¢ Promotional opportunities †¢ Opportunities for personal growth †¢ Recognition †¢ Responsibility †¢ Achievement Dissatisfied Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Not Satisfied 5-7 McClelland's Theory of Needs †¢ Need for Achievement (nAch) The drive to excel †¢ Need for Power (nPow) The need to make others behave in a way they would not have behaved otherwise †¢ Need for Affiliation (nAff) The desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-8 McClelland's High Achievers †¢ High achievers prefer jobs with: ? Personal responsibility ? Feedback ? Intermediate degree of risk (50/50) †¢ High achievers are not necessarily good managers High nPow and low nAff is related to managerial success Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-9 Contemporary Theories of Motivation †¢ Cognitive Evaluation Theory †¢ Goal-Setting Theory ? Management by Objectives †¢ Self-Efficacy Theory †¢ Equity Theory †¢ Expectancy Theory Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishi ng as Prentice Hall 5-10 Cognitive Evaluation Theory †¢ Proposes that the introduction of extrinsic rewards for work (pay) that was previously intrinsically rewarding tends to decrease overall motivation Verbal rewards increase intrinsic motivation, while tangible rewards undermine it Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-11 Goal-Setting Theory †¢ Goals increase performance when the goals are: ? Specific ? Difficult, but accepted by employees ? Accompanied by feedback (especially selfgenerated feedback) †¢ Contingencies in goal-setting theory: ? Goal Commitment – public goals better! ? Task Characteristics – simple & familiar better! ? National Culture – Western culture suits best! Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-12 Management by Objectives (MBO) †¢ Converts overall organizational objectives into specific objectives for work units and individuals †¢ Common ingredients: ? ? ? ? Goal specificity Explicit time period Performance feedback Participation in decision making 5-13 Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Self-Efficacy or Social Learning Theory Individual’s belief that he or she is capable of performing a task Self-efficacy increased by: ? Enactive mastery – gain experience ? Vicarious modeling – see someone else do the task ? Verbal persuasion – someone convinces you that you have the skills ? Arousal – get energized Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-14 Equity Theory †¢ Employees weigh what they put into a job situation (input) against what they get from it (outcome). †¢ They compare their input-outcome ratio with the input-outcome ratio of relevant others. My Output My Input Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Your Output Your Input 5-15 Equity Theory and Reactions to Inequitable Pay Employee reactions in comparison to equitably-paid employees Employees are: Paid by: Piece Time Will produce more Produce less output or output of poorer quality 5-16 Will produce Over-Rewarded fewer, but higherquality units Produce large Undernumber of low Rewarded quality units Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Equity Theory: Forms of Justice Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-17 Expectancy Theory Three key relationships: 1. Effort-Performance: perceived probability that exerting effort leads to successful performance 2. Performance-Reward: the belief that successful performance leads to desired outcome 3. Rewards-Personal Goals: the attractiveness of organizational outcome (reward) to the individual Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-18 Global Implications Are motivation theories culture-bound? ? ? ? ? Most were developed for and by the United States Goal-setting and expectancy theories emphasize goal accomplishment and rational individual thought Maslow’s Hierarchy may change order McClelland's nAch presupposes acceptance of a moderate degree of risk concern for performance Equity theory closely tied to American pay practices Hertzberg’s two-factor theory does seem to work across cultures 5-19 ? Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Implications for Managers †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Look beyond need theories Goal setting leads to higher productivity Organizational justice has support Expectancy theory is a powerful tool, but may not very realistic in some cases †¢ Goal-setting, organizati onal justice, and expectancy theories all provide practical suggestions for motivation Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-20 Keep in Mind†¦ †¢ Make goals specific and difficult †¢ Motivation can be increased by raising mployee confidence in their own abilities (self-efficacy) decisions, especially when the outcome is likely to be viewed negatively 5-21 †¢ Openly share information on allocation Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Summary 1. Described the three key elements of motivation. 2. Identified four early theories of motivation and evaluated their applicability today. 3. Compared and contrasted goal-setting theory and self-efficacy theory. 4. Demonstrated how organizational justice is a refinement of equity theory. 5. Applied the key tenets of expectancy theory to motivating employees. 6. Explained to what degree motivation theories are culture bound. Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-22 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Copyright  ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5-23

General Pattons Leadership and Communication Style Analysis Essays

General Pattons Leadership and Communication Style Analysis Essays General Pattons Leadership and Communication Style Analysis Paper General Pattons Leadership and Communication Style Analysis Paper HIS authoritarian father role modeled a successful totalitarian approach which would eave overshadowed any attempt at a democratic leadership style (General Patton, n. D. ). A leaders selection of a particular behavioral style depends In part on the schemata that he has stored in long-term memory (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 62). General Patton was a formidable and strategic leader. Patton is now considered one of the greatest military figures in history (General Patton, n. D. ). Unfortunately, his blunt and intolerant personality and his authoritarian leadership style, at one point, was the primary force In his fall from grace. Even though Patton enlisted excellent military technicians, such as General Omar Bradley, his authoritative approach stifled their suggestions and constructive criticisms; ultimately leading to not only their dissatisfaction and throughout the ranks (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 45). Albeit these military technicians were highly trained, if General Patton had utilized a democratic style of leadership the decision- making process might have stalled to the point of becoming ineffectual, war and the military often demand immediate and decisive actions (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 43 46). General Patton maintained strict control over his subordinates and demanded 110% effort from everyone. His expectations were over-inflated, rigid, callous, and unyielding. Once his mind was made up no other possibilities would be considered. Once Patton ordered General Trust to either perform the Impossible or be replaced (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 51). A democratic leader would have discussed, evaluated, and proposed a collaborated solution to the predicament. He was also Intolerant of shortcomings In others, especially cowardice. : A good leader has the wherewithal to determine the appropriate leadership style for each situation (Hickman , 2009, p 56). General Omar Bradley was considered the Gigs General due to his more democratic leadership style and understanding of his mens OFF needs. He stated, IT a witling napes to tense men I 0 Like to De tenure Walt Patton created and maintained a distance between him and his followers; believing that a fear of him would make them try harder (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 42). Leaders should be ethical and serve the common good (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 16). General Patton generally ignored the ideas, feelings, and rank of others, even superiors (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 51). In utilizing his typical downward and linear communication style, his retort to a Junior officer reading General Alexander command for Patton to stop his advance to the west Thats what you think it said. I think it was garbled in transmission (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 8). Communication styles General Patton did not employ the more effective transactional model of communication. His model was more in line with the action model of unilateral or linear messaging (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 8-9). If he would have developed a more interactive model with feedback from each receiver, employing a more participative involvement with his staff, his followers might have been more receptive to his decisions and changes (Libber McConnell, 2008, p 424). He demonstrated an uncanny ability to motivate his troops. Impression management is the key to successful military leadership Creating the impression that they are trustworthy, effective, morally worthy, innovative, and skilled (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 30 31). Impression management can increase cooperation, but his sometimes detrimental impression management undermined relationships (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 33). His statement The soldier is the army. No army is better than its soldiers exemplifies respect towards his men and communicates how vital they are to the success of the operations. But in reality, in almost every operation, he demonstrated more concern for the successful completion of his assignment than for the soldiers welfare. He personally directed the completion of most tasks; textbook authority compliance behavior (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 55). Patton tended to dominate communications with Leadership is about who you are [and] what you do, instead of Leadership is about how you act [and] how you work with others. Influence instead of force and collaboration instead of demands is a more effective style of leadership (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 10-11). Patton was a devotee of history, especially the classical age, and related many satirical lessons through its retelling. If the German officers would have accepted the Junior officers prediction that Patton would strike in Sicily, reenacting the Greek and Romans examples, the war might have had a different outcome. Storytelling is a technique for relating events, inspiring actions and values, as well as building strong relationships and a sense of affiliation (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 23). Patton was ordered by his superiors to repair the damage to his public image, resulting from his disrespecting an enlisted man with a slap, through a public apology. His charismatic style of communication facilitated him in account[inning] for his missteps in ways that reduce their negative impact (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p Follows communication Leaders play an intricate role in enabling their followers to perform successfully through acknowledging and respecting their needs (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 59). Needs are central to task motivation; whether the needs are basic (food, water and shelter) or Mascots Pyramid Self-Actualization (Bellman Deal, 2008, p 124). We can achieve our goal only if we fulfill the needs of our own people (Bellman Deal, 2008, p 123). Patton preferred the Theory X management approach, believing that subordinates exhibit a dislike and a lack of motivation for work, requiring active management, direction, and motivation by a superior (Bellman Deal, 2008, p 126; Libber McConnell, 2008, p 351 529). The leader who thinks of followers as generally incompetent Is much more likely to engage in authoritarian leadership that calls for strict supervision and direction (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 62). In contrast, studies generally demonstrate that followers perform best when they are allowed autonomy and active participation (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 56). Through his overindulged ego fog he does not understand how others perceived him, that there are 50,000 men on this island whod like to shoot [Patton], or that The men do not share Patrons sense of glory, because they are stuck there living each day with death tugging at their elbow. He expected his men to show discipline and extraordinary character and only then did he respond with respect. Patton epitomized the inconsiderate leader through his lack of self-control, superseded ego, criticizing of soldiers in front of others, making threats, and refusing to accept lowers suggestions or explanations (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 53). His decisions were sometimes corrupt, insular, and self serving. He demonstrated blatant arrogance; not acknowledging his own mistakes but instead blaming others. His insatiable arrogance was demonstrated in his arriving first in Messing, Sicily and in Bastions, France in spite of the cost of so many mens lives. He did not know how to match his mood appropriately to some situation; sometimes his irritation and annoyance led to anger and rage (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 29). His demonstrations of callousness to his men was the origin of his nickname Old Blood ND Guts; our blood, his guts. A leader must value the feelings of his followers in order to bond with them and illicit their best performance (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 28). Patton made a critical dysfunctional leadership error when he slapped an enlisted man for showing cowardice; violating the soldiers human rights (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 17). He believed his fall from grace was a direct result of the slapping as he states All glory is fleeting. He cant believe that something so trivial could keep him from fulfilling his destiny. He deifies himself when he states God will not allow it. Patrons personal assistant, Let. Colonel Cadmic is an exemplary follower, knowing what they want to achieve in life and commit[ting] themselves to achieving [it] They understand what tasks are most important to achieving the organizations vision (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 59). Let. Colonel Cadmic was also conciliatory; effective in appeasing General Patrons ego and needs. He assisted in Patrons Illusions AT great power: even tong Held Marshall Roomer was not present at ten campaign, he was still the originator of the battle plan and therefore, Patton did beat Roomer. Task vs.. Interpersonal Orientation As a leader, he excelled within the task orientated model, performing brilliantly with the technical military stratagems, but failed with interpersonal relationships, exhibiting poor people skills. An effective leader is able to maintain these two leadership characteristics in balance (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 51). In the functional arena he was admired for his successes; never allowing for retreat but instead demanding offensive tactics. Winning was exceptionally important to Patton and this autocratic leadership ideal was evident in his statements: Wars are not won by defensive tactics. You keep moving and the enemy cannot hit you. When you dig a foxhole, you dig your grave. He excelled in his knowledge; of the enemy commander, having read Field Marshall Roomers warfare tactics book, and the performance limits of his men and equipment, having supreme knowledge of the tanks. Also effective, was his detailed preparation of the physical environment and action plans; applying historical strategies from the ancient Roman and Greek times. His poor people skills not only created considerable tension between him and other commanders, as evidenced with the deliberate race for control of Sicily with General Montgomery, but also between himself and his men, as exemplified with the incident of the slapping of the soldier. He was told by his superiors amour worst enemy is your big mouth. Leaders must demonstrate valued personality traits such as integrity, sincerity, and stability in order to earn and keep the respect and loyalty of their followers (Hickman Johnson, 2009, p 28 32). Conclusion General Patton employed both positive and negative leadership behaviors. The contradiction of his leadership is an example of what a leader can be and what they should not be.

Professional development Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Professional development - Coursework Example They are a benchmark for the evaluation of nursing negligence. Professional nursing standards offer a methodology of assuring clients that the services they receive are quality (Kagan, 2010, 74). The standards facilitate accountability of nurses in their career. By virtue of standards, the society holds licensed nurses and those under them accountable for their actions. The practice of nursing necessitates specialized knowledge, skills, and autonomy in decision-making. Nursing care takes typically divergent paths. In essence, practice of nursing is dependent on the environment, the patient, the disease suffered, and the level of rehabilitation. Furthermore, nurses work in a dynamic society that is a potential source of career hazards for the nurses (Kagan, 2010, 77). They, therefore, are imposed to be acclimatized with the proximate dynamics of the society that contribute to proper healthcare provision. It is the moral obligation of any state to provide its citizens with adequate health care, which forms part of professional nursing. Standards and laws set by health agencies are often in response to the government obligation to citizens on matters of healthcare (Kagan, 2010, 78). In conclusion, practicing nurses are ethically and legally obliged to be aware of the nursing standards to minimize threats to their

Fine Art - Social Class as Seen Through Art from the Renaissance and Research Paper

Fine Art - Social Class as Seen Through Art from the Renaissance and the Great Depression - Research Paper Example But as both these periods introduced sea changes in the existing social patterns, the works of art of both these peiods were also a balancing act between hope and despair. Morover, they were a balancing act between the tastes of the dominant and the oppressed classes- more so the art of the great depression era. This is evident when the works of art of thes periods, as against the socio-economic backgrounds, are examined. During the renaissance art period, a fuedal social system was just about to transform into a capitalist society. But during the great depression, capitalism was already the norm though people were realizing for the first time in history, that all the hopes ensued by capitalism were after all not that real. The audience-Renaissance Art It has been observed that, â€Å"the art public of the Renaissance consists of the urban middle class and the court society of the residences† (Hauser, 6). This was because these groups in the society were the ones who had a say in matters of power. The working class consisted mainly of agricultural laborers and craftsmen who had no role in the political processes of the society. Art was unaffordable luxury for them. And the consequence of this situation has been that the renaissance art mostly catered to the elite and urban middle class tastes. ... evolving into middle class representations, the art of this period also developed itself into a preamble to capitalist views on life and creative expression. Renaissance art mainly decorated the mansions of kings and elites and also the wealthy churches (Woods, Richardson and Lymberopoulou). For example, Jean Hey was entrusted with the task of decorating the Bourbon Court of France (Woods, Richardson and Lymberopoulou, 14). The other side of this social phenomenon was that there was always a â€Å"level of material wealth that might afford one work of art but not another† (Woods, Richardson and Lymberopoulou, 14). And what naturally followed was that artists were prompted to create an elite class art under the aegis of their patrons. The audience-Great Depression Art When it comes to the art of the great depression period, the situation was totally opposite to what has been said above. It can be seen that â€Å"many artists became disillusioned with capitalism- the U.S. econo mic system- and turned to left-wing politics† (Damon, 14). And above all, many artists even used their art to support the proletariat class (Damon, 14). For example, Guglielmi, who was a renowned painter, was very much vocal in his support of the working class and his painting, ‘The Relief Blues’, showed a an urban family signing up to get relief funds from the government (Guglielmi). By following the path of realism, art could thus win a big audience including the working class and art became more appealing to the masses in this period. Murals, photographs and posters became popular and they created an interface between art and craftsmanship (Doss). The Artist- Renaissance Period In renaissance art, artists showed a tendency to revive the feudal values through rejuvenating classical art from

Organizing and Paying for American Education Essay

Organizing and Paying for American Education - Essay Example Private institutions are run by non-governmental organizations and often churches. Public education is one of the main expenditures of the state whose funding comes from local taxes. The American educational structure is as follows: First there is pre-higher education that consists of pre-primary classes involving kindergarten, nurseries, preschool programs, and child/day care centers. Then, there is primary education which is the elementary school from grades 1 to 7. After that the middle education comes which offers education from grades 4-6, or 5-7, or 6-8. Then, there are high schools providing education from grades 7 or 8 to 12. After this, higher education starts which is also referred to as postsecondary education, offered in universities. Organization An American school has a principal who is in charge of the school; an assistant principal who shares duties of the principal; curriculum coordinators; department heads, teachers as team leaders; student teachers; probationary te achers; tenured teachers; and support staff consisting of classified employees such as librarians, custodians and secretaries. As far as organization of school districts is concerned, there is a local board of education which is granted legal authority to run schools and is elected for a term of four years.

Relationship between French and Industrial Revolutions Essay

Relationship between French and Industrial Revolutions - Essay Example Another characteristic f the revolution is the population growth that it sparked. Following the revolution, the western population increased six times within two decades (Stanley, 24). This revolution saw the creation of factories, the rise of the working class, modernization and the rise of unions and organizations that effectively fought for the rights of the workers. However, the revolution also came with negative impacts on the society. Child labor and deaths, as well as an upsurge of diseases such as cancer are some of the negative impacts. French revolution on the other hand was a period of radical social and political transformations, which had a great impact in France as a country and the whole of the Europe community (Stanley, 20). The monarchial system was eliminated and a new political system was established. With the revolution, the aristocratic and religious privileges that were enjoyed by the ruling class ended, and a system that encompassed the creation of equality of all people was established in its place. The principles of enlightenment and of individual rights were effectively established, eliminating the traditional hierarchy system (Stanley, 48). Hunger and poverty, which was widely spread amongst the population, was a major cause for the unrests that eventually saw the revolution take place. The relationship between the French and the industrial revolution is most notable in the effects both created. It is through both that the reality of modernity in the western world was realized. The common characteristic of these revolutions is that they created new structures in the society, which paved way for modernization and equality (Stanley, 39). The French revolution transformed the country from the aristocratic monarchial leadership to a people led system of government. This way, it created a channel through which the common man could be heard, and through which their needs could be identified. A characteristic relationship between the two rev olutions is that they affected every individuals in the countries they took place. The two revolutions also affected all the aspects of the society, transforming the whole traditional society into modernity. The industrial and the French revolution are credited with sparking modernity in the whole of Europe and America (Stanley, 60). The European middle class was made by the two revolutions, in that the industrial revolution created jobs for the people, which granted them income and wealth. The French revolution on the other hand brought many changes in the political and governance system that opened up opportunities for the people in agriculture as well as in industries that eventually developed. This way, the revolutions served to establish the working class and improve the lifestyle of the people. The two revolutions marked a beginning of a different lifestyle for the people (). Both revolutions are related in the sense that they had a great impact in determining the future of th eir countries and the future generations (Stanley, 55). The present political, social, and economic systems in Europe can be traced back to the French and the industrial revolutions. The current workers and labor organizations, as well as many organizations that fight for human rights in the modern world can effectively trace their roots to the two revolutions. A major relationship between the two revolutions is the economic concepts that the two revolutio

What Was Bps Strategy Prior To The Accident Business Essay

What Was Bps Strategy Prior To The Accident Business Essay Deepwater Horizon was an offshore oil-rig located in the Gulf-of- Mexico, owned by Transocean, leased by BP and deployed by Hyundai. 20th April 2010, during the drilling, a tear in the riser-pipe caused an uncontrollable leakage of petroleum, claiming 11 lives, injuring 17 others. The fire fed by the oilfield continued for next 36 hours causing the rig sunk ultimately. Disagreement between different stakeholders caused a delay in taking measures to restrict the oil-leakage. This leakage from the oil-field could only be stopped after 87 days, resulting approx 60,000 barrels/day of oil-leakage into the gulf-of-Mexico causing irreparable damage to marine and coastal ecosystem. Beaches remain closed, tourism and related business suffered, seafood was contaminated and oil killed marine-life across the US-coast. BP on Nov-12 agreed to plead guilty to 14 criminal acts related to this event and to pay $4.5 billion. The potential fine for the spill under the act is $1,100 to $4,300 a barrel s pilled, (NY Times, 2013). This incident also triggered government, MNCs and environmental agencies to agree upon and device stringent measures on improving the safety of offshore oil-rigs, safeguarding the environment, enhancing the post-disaster measures (OCS report, 2011).this incident damaged the strong portfolio value of BP apart from causing it immense financial loss. Preparedness is of utmost important, a process should be devised and actively in-place to tackle such disasters, in such an environment, strategies originate in formal plans (Mintzberg and Waters, 1995) : precise intentions exist [both government and MNCs] , formulated and articulated by central leadership [government], backed up by formal controls to ensure complete adherence [by MNCs], to increase preparedness for disasters in an controllable or predictable manner- mostly this approach converges towards planned-approach. Despite of BPs commitment towards maintaining readiness to respond on larger-scale, to minim ize damaging-effect and facilitate mitigation activities- the magnitude of the deepwater incident was enormous in magnitude and unprecedented which caught BP in its mitigating strategy-formulation. Environmental and social impact assessment is an inherent part of BP strategy (BP, 2013) which analyses the potential risk to environment and on human in the neighborhood of such establishments, though the state-of-art technologies BP failed to assess the risk of this oil-rig. BP lacked in the collaboration with all stakeholders in addressing this disaster. The traditional-way of aerial and satellite imagery in estimating the actual deep-underwater situation failed (Jernelo ¨v, 2010). Another failure of BP was to manage the media in restricting the exaggerated and conflicting facts spread across worldwide thus damaging BPs strong portfolio-value. Strategy Literature Review We can relate the concept of strategic space (Fiegenbaum Thomas, 1990) with the Deepwater-horizon disaster; we would map as the first-step the characteristics of the business environment, termed as strategic space. Three dimensions, a) the levels of organizational strategy (e.g. US government and BP-corporate), b) the strategic decisions making process (e.g. scope, resource deployment), and c) the time period which defines the broad characteristics of the strategic space. First firms need to invest on a well-designed, technically-sound, and precise research, placed within a comprehensive framework covering initially the stable aspects of group behavior, then moves progressively to theory development and testing of dynamic behavior (Fiegenbaum Thomas, 1990). MNCs and government need to join hand to invest on the study of this incident to identify the root-cause of this failure and then agree to devise enhanced preventive measures for such future incidents. It is clear that traditional countermeasures failed, which necessitates for a new approach of risk-management. In the aftermath of this, US govt is taking significant measures to improve regulatory oversight on offshore drilling (OCS report, 2011). We can see competition as a dynamic process in which firms continually take actions to outperform each other (Rindova et al, 2010), once one competitor faces such disaster the other firm eagerly willing to take the advantage of the situation by airing neg ative campaign and aggressive advertisement [e.g. as Shell did]. During such disasters we can argue that a firms decisions as a series of competitive actions provides audience with necessary cues in framing impression about it, as well as comparing it to other players in the same market. Firms competitive actions thus act as a dynamic mechanism for firm specific reduction of ambiguity. Emergence period [of such disaster] on which we focus is relatively short and creates a dynamic environment in which firms [BP] need to make rapid changes in their strategies responding to the changing need of the ground-situation, Rindova et al (ibid). Deepwater-horizon or such incidents are huge in magnitude and poses significant capability to cause damage we need to introduce -out-of-the-box thinking and improvisation/innovation to devise strategies to fight with such situation the dynamic nature of such incidents requires prompt action taking capability [in the terms of financial, technologica l resource]. Insurance [and reinsurance] firms also come under scope during such incidents their risk evaluation process need to be enhanced and routine check-up should be stringent. Product diversification and size dimensions are two such aspects that needs close inspection while determining the value of such huge installations Fiegenbaum Thomas (ibid). Having a good strategy and right execution of the same is essential for a good-management (Thompson et al, 2012) all stakeholders need to have a well-defined strategy in-place to manage such disasters and absolute adherence is needed when calamities occur. The strategy need to be flexible enough to adept itself responding to the actual ground-situation [feedback loop]. A deliberately emergent approach might be useful Mintzberg Waters (ibid). MNCs need to be made responsible to adjust themselves during the unexpectedly tough business-environment by undertaking strategic defense and approaches that enables them to overcome the adversity Thompso n et al, (ibid). But at the same time government also cant escape its responsibilities. Off course a good strategy is essential to obtain and sustain market-position strong enough so that the firm is capable to yield profitable financial performance despite unforeseen events/external factors [e.g. disaster, natural calamity or potential competition]. A review on BP Strategy What was BPs strategy prior to the accident? BP being a trusted company adheres to a higher set of standards in everyday work (BP, 2011). Business doesnt occur in vacuum, the place and time is important (Parry et al, 2007)- stakeholder theory (Donaldson and Preston, 1995) emphasizes on considering all stakeholders [in the environment in which firm operates not only the shareholders interest] strategy-making. Several stakeholders and their competitive interest are associated with such huge installations. BP needs to respect this and maintain balance among all such groups while making their strategy. BP seemed to follow a deliberate approach until this event. BP states its objective as create value for shareholders (BP, 2011) it being a global MNC needs to be responsible towards environment and people in the region it operates. Safety remained top-priority for BP, when disaster happens BP needs to be flexible enough to response to the situation and devise measures to control the aftermath- we observed that they spent three days in discussing the approach. Constructive dialogue with all stakeholders and prompt action in such cases is needed. Government authorities, local-people, environmental-organizations, employee and shareholders, opinions from all should be considered during formulating the strategy which lacked in the case. This incident also shows that neither government nor BP was prepared to sustain such disaster this shows an obvious lack from BPs part in conducting appropriate risk assessment (OCS report, 2011). Experts conclude that this disaster could have been avoided, preparedness and prompt-action is pivotal in managing s uch disaster. Analysis of BP actions in light of the strategic frameworks Resource based view VRIO resources for BP is its strong portfolio value [inimitable and rare], its technical expertise [valuable and rare], financial and organisational strength [valuable]. BP has lost two of its VRIO resources, resulting from this incident; its brand-value and financial-strength [to pay the huge fine]. BP lacked the technical-expertise to avoid the incident and then failed to restrict the leakage it lost its valuable and rare resources [infrastructure, human life]. The myth of inimitable technical expertise of BP and its strong portfolio value were shattered by the incident. It is a huge loss for a firm. Approach based view BP followed a planned approach in addressing this unprecedented disaster and their lack of being flexible and adapting/enhancing strategy to mitigate this series of events caused the continuous oil-leakage for 87 days. They also lack the coordination with different stakeholders and discussions on approach prevented them three days to take measure. Consensus approach would have been key Mintzberg Waters (ibid) as they need to take input from US government agencies, environmentalists and other lease-partners to devise the most appropriate damage control mechanism. Flexibility and transparent communication would have been key in estimating the damage and make containment plains where BP failed in establishing consensus and maintain transparency about the actual size of the disaster. A combination of emergent [taking input from all stakeholders] and Umbrella approach would have been reduce the damage. Ideological approach, Mintzberg Waters (ibid) where collective vision of all stakehol ders are respected might have been useful. Five-Force analysis BP has strong supplier groups [US government, Transocean, Hyundai] they are few and supply highly differentiated products so they pose significant threat to the industry (Porter, 2008/1979). BP suffered here as in future these suppliers would either expel BP [US govt already did a ban on future explorations by BP in US] or impose stringent conditions. BP loses its production capability directly affecting its market-share, posing a moderate threat to BP from strong buyer perspective. Substitutes and new-entrants are of minor threat but rivalry is of major impact. Shell initiated aggressive campaign against BP after this incident, causing more damage to BP brand-value. Conclusions/Recommendations In our time protection of the environment is a priority and such environmental disasters have a huge impact created and multifold by media and environment agencies to damage the portfolio value of the Oil-MNC. Firms needed to justify their actions to all stakeholders including the valuable shareholders. Firms need to balance between profitability and responsibility (Breeze, 2012) and demonstrate their adherence in a sustainable corporate social responsibility. Not only in their vision statement but also everyday acts. Assurance of human safety and environmental protection is pivotal for any industry; such things remain sometimes neglected in leased oil-rigs, reforms is necessary; both at the government layer imposing regulatory steps on quality-control and the firms internal decision-making process to ensure their political autonomy, technical expertise, and their full consideration of environmental protection (OCS report, 2011). Instead of one-sided blaming MNCs for this disaster w e need to equip ourselves from preventing such incidents to occur, suggestions Strengthen the collaboration between government-agencies and MNCs, Firms need to invest on RD to improve spill-response. Analyze the traditional measures to contain the spill and introduce upgrades both Firms and Govt. responsible BP to invest to enhance its spill preparedness and control mechanisms Invest on robust design, leakage measurement and containment Government and BP need to ensure fair, transparent damage control and estimating mechanism. Restore the coastal wild life and marine food-chain, trust building measures need to taken by government to assure the seafood consumers. Firms and government need to establish stringent measures to safeguard the human-life on the rig and the rescue-staff. Long term restoration [of the marine life] plan is needed from Government funded by BP to mitigate the irreparable loss of the coastal-life. Government should impose laws on the financial responsibility of the firms operating in the area during such disaster Such confidence-building measures would slowly but steadily improve the environmental situation of Mexican-Gulf and lessons learnt from this disaster would help firms to enhance their disaster preparedness. Disasters caused by blow-outs might occur in future too and investment needed to prevent such situation [failsafe mechanism], if that fails capping of blow-out need to be done swiftly and relief-walls might be suitable to restrict the leakage, Jernelo ¨v (ibid). Consensus and umbrella approach, Mintzberg and Waters (ibid) where strategies originate/revolve around consensus- in such a multiparty environment reaching consensus is of utmost important, no stakeholder can devise/deploy strategy in single handed. Government needs to develop the boundaries of tolerance and impose safety-mechanisms, within which firms need to operate and periodic checking mechanism should be in place to ensure firms operate within their limits set by government. Corporate Social Responsibility determine s the expected behavior of a firm towards its commitment to society and responsibility of conducts for environment BP needs to demonstrate this in their future plants.

Cancer :: essays research papers fc

Cancer INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the American society, cancer is the disease most feared by the majority of people within the U.S. Cancer has been known and described throughout history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the early 1990s nearly 6 million cancer cases and more than 4 million deaths have been reported worldwide, every year. The most fatal cancer in the world is lung cancer, which has grown drastically since the spread of cigarette smoking in growing countries. Stomach cancer is the second leading form of cancer in men, after lung cancer. Another on the increase, for women, is breast cancer, particularly in China and Japan. The fourth on the list is colon and rectum cancer, which occurs mostly in older people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the United States more than one-fifth of the deaths in the early '90s was caused by cancer, only the cardiovascular diseases accounted at a higher percentage. In 1993 the American Cancer Society predicted that about 33% of Americans will eventually get cancer. In the United States skin cancer is the most dominating in both men and women, followed by prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Yet lung cancer causes the most deaths in men and women. Leukemia, or cancer of the blood, is the most common type in children. An increasing incidence has been clearly observable over the past few decades, due in part to improved cancer screening programs, and also to the increasing number of older persons in the population, and also to the large number of tabacco smokers--particularly in women. Some researchers have estimated that if Americans stopped smoking, lung cancer deaths could virtually be eliminated within 20 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S. government and private organizations spent about $1.2 billion annual for cancer research. With the development of new drugs and treatments, the number of deaths among cancer patients under 30 years of age is decreasing, even though the number of deaths from cancer is growing overall. TYPES OF CANCER   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.Cancer is the common term used to designate the mosst aggressive and usually fatal forms of a larger class of the diseases known as neoplasms. A neoplasm is described as being relatively autonomous because it does not fully obey the biological mechanisms that govern the growth and the metabolism of individual cells and the overall cell interactions of the living organism. Some neoplasms grow more rapidly than the tissues from which they arise, others grow at a normal pace but because of the other factors eventually become recognizable as an abnormal growth and not normal tissue. The changes seen in neoplasm are heritable in that these characteristics are passed on from each cell to ots

Finance Midterm

FINA300 Fall 2011 Benedictine University 100 points Name: ___________________________________________________ 1) Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. The New York Stock Exchange is an auction market, and it has a physical location. b. Home mortgage loans are traded in the money market. c. If an investor sells shares of stock through a broker, then it would be a primary market transaction. d. Capital markets deal only with common stocks and other equity securities. e. While the distinctions are blurring, investment banks generally specialize in lending money, whereas commercial banks generally help companies raise capital from other parties. (2) Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. A hostile takeover is the main method of transferring ownership interest in a corporation. b. A corporation is a legal entity created by a state, and it has a life and existence that is separate from the lives and existence of its owners and managers. c. Unlimited liability and limited life are two key advantages of the corporate form over other forms of business organization. . Limited liability is an advantage of the corporate form of organization to its owners (stockholders), but corporations have more trouble raising money in financial markets because of the complexity of this form of organization. e. Although the stockholders of the corporation are insulated by limited legal liability, the legal status of the corporation does not protect the firmâ€℠¢s managers in the same way, i. e. , bondholders can sue its managers if the firm defaults on its debt. 3) The retained earnings account on the balance sheet does not represent cash. Rather, it represents part of the stockholders' claim against the firm's existing assets. Put another way retained earnings are stockholders' reinvested earnings. a. True b. False (4) In finance, we are generally more interested in cash flows than in accounting profits. Free cash flow (FCF) is calculated as after-tax operating income plus depreciation less the sum of capital expenditures and changes in net working capital. a. True b. False 5) Other things held constant, which of the following actions would increase the amount of cash on a company’s balance sheet? a. The company repurchases common stock. b. The company pays a dividend. c. The company issues new common stock. d. The company gives customers more time to pay their bills. e. The company purchases a new piece of equipment 6) Ryngard Corp's sales last year were $38,000, and its total assets were $16,000. What was its total assets turnover ratio (TATO)? a. 2. 04 b. 2. 14 c. 2. 26 d. 2. 38 e. 2. 49 7) A new firm is developing its business plan. It will require $615,000 of assets, and it projects $450,000 of sales and $355,000 of operating costs for the first year. Management is reasonably sure of these numbers because of contracts with its customers and suppliers. It can borrow at a rate of 7. 5%, but the bank requires it to have a TIE of at least 4. 0, and if the TIE falls below this level the bank will call in the loan and the firm will go bankrupt. What is the maximum debt ratio the firm can use? (Hint: Find the maximum dollars of interest, then the debt that produces that interest, and then the related debt ratio. ) a. 41. 94% b. 44. 15% c. 46. 47% d. 48. 92% e. 51. 49% 8) Which of the following could explain why a business might choose to operate as a corporation rather than as a sole proprietorship or a partnership? a. Corporations generally face fewer regulations. b. Less of a corporation’s income is generally subject to federal taxes. c. Corporate shareholders are exposed to unlimited liability, but this factor is offset by the tax advantages of incorporation. d. Corporate investors are exposed to unlimited liability. e. Corporations generally find it easier to raise large amounts of capital. (9) You recently sold 200 shares of Disney stock, and the transfer was made through a broker. This is an example of: a. A money market transaction. b. A primary market transaction. c. A secondary market transaction. d. A futures market transaction. e. An over-the-counter market transaction 10) Below are the 2007 and 2008 year-end balance sheets for Tran Enterprises: Assets:20082007 Cash$ 200,000$ 170,000 Accounts receivable864,000700,000 Inventories 2,000,000 1,400,000 Total current assets$3,064,000$2,270,000 Net fixed assets 6,000,000 5,600,000 Total assets$9,064,000$7,870,000 Liabilities and equity: Accounts payable$1,400,000$1,090,000 Notes payable 1,600,000 1,800,000 Total current liabilities$3,000,000$2,890,000 Long-term debt 2,400,000 2,400,000 Common stock 3,000,000 2,000,000 Retained earnings 664,000 580,000 Total common equity$3,664,000$2,580,000 Total liabilities and equity$9,064,000$7,870,000 The firm has never paid a dividend on its common stock, and it issued $2,400,000 of 10-year, non-callable, long-term debt in 2007. As of the end of 2008, none of the principal on this debt had been repaid. Assume that the company’s sales in 2007 and 2008 were the same. Which of the following statements must be CORRECT? a. The firm increased its short-term bank debt in 2008. b. The firm issued long-term debt in 2008. . The firm issued new common stock in 2008. d. The firm repurchased some common stock in 2008. e. The firm had negative net income in 2008. (11) Chang Corp. has $375,000 of assets, and it uses only common equity capital (zero debt). Its sales for the last year were $595,000, and its net income was $25,000. Stockholders recently voted in a new management team that has promised to lower costs and get the return on equity up to 15. 0%. What profit margin would the firm need in order to achieve the 15% ROE, holding everything else constant? a. 9. 45% b. . 93% c. 10. 42% d. 10. 94% e. 11. 49% 11) Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. Most rapidly growing companies have positive free cash flows because cash flows from existing operations generally exceed fixed asset purchases and changes to net working capital. b. Changes in working capital have no effect on free cash flow. c. Free cash flow (FCF) is defined as follows: FCF =EBIT(1 – T) + Depreciation – Capital expenditures required to sustain operations – Required changes in net working capital. d. Free cash flow (FCF) is defined as follows: FCF = EBIT(1 – T) + Capital expenditures. e. Managers should be less concerned with free cash flow than with accounting net income. Accounting net income is the â€Å"bottom line† and represents how much the firm can distribute to all its investors- both creditors and stockholders. (12) Last year Harrington Inc. had sales of $325,000 and a net income of $19,000, and its year-end assets were $250,000. The firm's total-debt-to-total-assets ratio was 45. 0%. Based on the DuPont equation, what was the ROE? a. 13. 82% b. 14. 51% c. 15. 23% d. 16. 00% e. 16. 80%

Applying Theories to Children’s Literature Essay

The Little Red Hen Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who lived on a farm. She was friends with a lazy dog, a sleepy cat, and a noisy yellow duck. One day the little red hen found some seeds on the ground. The little red hen had an idea. She would plant the seeds. The little red hen asked her friends, â€Å"Who will help me plant the seeds?† â€Å"Not I,† barked the lazy dog. â€Å"Not I,† purred the sleepy cat. â€Å"Not I,† quacked the noisy yellow duck. â€Å"Then I will,† said the little red hen. So the little red hen planted the seeds all by herself. When the seeds had grown, the little red hen asked her friends, â€Å"Who will help me cut the wheat?† â€Å"Not I,† barked the lazy dog. â€Å"Not I,† purred the sleepy cat. â€Å"Not I,† quacked the noisy yellow duck. â€Å"Then I will,† said the little red hen. So the little red hen cut the wheat all by herself. When all the wheat was cut, the little red hen asked her friends, â€Å"Who will help me take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour?† â€Å"Not I,† barked the lazy dog . â€Å"Not I,† purred the sleepy cat. â€Å"Not I,† quacked the noisy yellow duck. â€Å"Then I will,† said the little red hen. So the little red hen brought the wheat to the mill all by herself, ground the wheat into flour, and carried the heavy sack of flour back to the farm. The tired little red hen asked her friends, â€Å"Who will help me bake the bread?† â€Å"Not I,† barked the lazy dog. â€Å"Not I,† purred the sleepy cat. â€Å"Not I,† quacked the noisy yellow duck. â€Å"Then I will,† said the little red hen. So the little red hen baked the bread all by herself. When the bread was finished, the tired little red hen asked her friends, â€Å"Who will help me eat the bread?† â€Å"I will,† barked the lazy dog. â€Å"I will,† purred the sleepy cat. â€Å"I will,† quacked the noisy yellow duck. â€Å"No!† said the little red hen. â€Å"I will.† And the little red hen ate the bread all by herself. Theoretical Model Application Theoretical models of childhood may be applied to children’s literature in finding the appropriate reading material for the age of the child and in order to bring growth, learning, and more understanding as the child’s mind develops and progresses. If I read the story above to a three year old child, they would like the story. If I explained the moral of the story to the child in the child’s own terms, they would enjoy and understand the meaning as well as the story. Theory of Social Development According to Russell, D. L. (2009), Lev Vygotsky believed that human development was a continuing and never-ending process and that we have no developmental â€Å"goals† to reach, only a series of lifelong metamorphoses largely brought about by our interactions with others. In fact, Vygotsky believed that human beings are essentially social creatures and that it is through our social interaction that we learn about ourselves and the world. Indeed, individuals, he believed, can accomplish tasks through social interaction (guidance from someone more experienced or peer collaboration) that they could never achieve on their own. Vygotsky argues that language is, in fact, a way of thinking about something—that our ability to formulate words, to put things into words, actually helps us to think and to understand. (Anyone who has talked through personal problems with a friend or therapist or used a diary or journal to help sort out personal conflicts will understand Vygotskyâ €™s point.) Chap. 2 Relation the Vygotsky’s Theory In the story of The Little Red Hen I relate it to Vygotsky’s theory in several ways. First, this story is capable of teaching the lesson that with hard work and determination there is always a payoff in the end. This lesson gives us the value of hard work and never giving up, having faith, and never letting others detract us from our goals. The story also gives us the lesson that the dog, cat, and duck were her (The Little Red Hen) friends and she never gave up or quit asking them for help, even up to the end of the story. She always gave them a choice at each level and she never got angry with their choices not to help, this shows the social interaction method of Vygotsky’s theory. The hen had a vision of what could be if she planted the seeds, she set her goal, and she reaped the benefits as well as followed through with her plan. The dog, cat, and the duck made their own choices in not helping, so they also got what they planned for which was nothing. Critical Approach to the Story Literary Criticism is a discussion of ideas about the story, any story. In the story of The Little Red Hen we have a believable and memorable character (the hen) in which we focus on. She is the protagonist and the other three characters are the antagonists. There are elements such is character motivation, a plot or series of events, and definitely conflict in this story. The character motivation is that the hen is responsible for her own acts as she works hard throughout the story and the dog, cat, and duck are made to be responsible for their own acts by receiving no bread. In what the hen does, completing each step of the process, her actions are the key to this story. The setting in this story is the farm and the lesson is that hard work pays off, while laziness does not. The narrator of this story, in my opinion, is the limited narrator because it is not a character in the story. The episodic plot shows not only a series of events but also how they are interconnected to each other. Reference: Russell, D. L. (2009). Literature for children: A short introduction (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.