Divorce & marriage Essay

People from broken families are less likely to have successful marriages. This is because of the psychological implications such families bring into their life. According to available psychological evidence, divorce is a major cause of emotional stress and depression (Clarke-Stewart, & Brentano, 2006). Depression as a psychological impairment has been evidently found to factor much in compromising the social life of the victim. Such individuals are marked with lack of hope for the future, a factor that only serves to negate their chances of engaging in successful marriage. Another commonly cited potential implication of divorce on children is that it can cause negative perception of a particular gender by the child. According to available statistical evidence, it is clear that due to the social and economic hardships experienced by children after the divorce of their parents, most tend to develop hatred against one gender of the community (Clarke-Stewart, & Brentano, 2006). With such a mental setting, an individual finds it a major challenge to accept and appreciate that gender into a binding relationship. This has the direct implication that they are less likely to engage in successful marriages. Still, the sustainable building of character traits in a child is mainly by copying the character traits of the surrounding members of the community (Clarke-Stewart, & Brentano, 2006). This means that their parents are the most influence society members in modeling the character of the child. However, prior to divorce or family breakdown, families are found to have constant conflicts and/or communication failure. Such imply that the character of violence is instilled in the mind of the child. Also, broken families fail to provide the efficient parental love required for modeling reliable social behavior of the child due to the lack of one parent character in the family. All these only negate the children understanding and appreciation of the underlying meaning of marriage. References Clarke-Stewart, A. , & Brentano, C. (2006). Divorce: Causes and Consequences. New Haven: Yale University Press.

IKEA Essay

1. Explain, in detail, the aspects of IKEA strategy that make it a Hybrid strategy. IKEA is clearly a follower of a â€Å"strategy clock† approach, which is characterised by two distinctive features: it is more focused on low prices to customers, not only low costs to organisation, and its strategic decisions are made to create the balance between price/cost leadership and differentiation, creating unique benefits and features that provide competitive advantage. Home furnishings market is highly segmented with mostly local competition of the several kinds: multinational furniture retailers, companies specialising in just a part of furniture product range, non-specialized retailers where furniture as part of their product range and small companies/producers. IKEA strategy is characterised by cost saving, where managers fly economy and share rooms in the hotels, salaries are hardly generous, advertising is done in-house, their offices do not look like typical offices of a multinational companies due to fanatical devotion to cost cutting. With this cost cutting urge, the company is capable of offering prices much lower than the competition. Such pricing strategy makes IKEA deliberately focusing on younger people and middle class buyers, those who do not wish or cannot afford buying expensive furniture. IKEA is well aware of who are their key-customers, which is 25-50 years old people, majorly families with kids. Thus, there is a certain focus on a segment, which is another part of hybrid strategy, although IKEA is claiming they are for everyone. Although IKEA designer will always sacrifice the design to lower cost (if a requested chair came up at a price of 12 pounds instead of 10, it will be re-designed), IKEA’s concept is to offer designed products. They have in-house designers who give a lot of attention to personalisation of interiors, due to traditional importance of home decorations for the Swedish people, who spend most of the time at their homes. Among other unique benefits to customers are the flat pack of the furniture, which can be immediately taken home and self assembly of almost any item. This is a great benefit for people who choose IKEA among others. 2. Why is this strategy difficult for competitors to imitate? IKEA has been in the market since 1950s and has developed from a local shop to a multinational company with presence in 24 countries and accounting to about 2.5 percent of the world sales of home furnishings, which is a lot given the high segmentation of the market. Since one of the competitive advantages of IKEA is low pricing to customers, it will be very difficult for a competitor to offer even lower prices in order to win market share, especially given the fact that low price is not the only characteristic that makes IKEA a shopping destination for consumers over the world. The optimized balance between the price and the design is what makes IKEA unique. Especially in the post-recession environment, when IKEA itself cannot boast high growth, the main benefit for this company comes from its worldwide presence and new shops opening, when the winning combination of low price and fancy design immediately attracts people and wins market share. It is not an easy task to achieve by a competitor. Moreover, recognized international brand, specific layouts of shops, patented flat packs and self assembly are also one the features differentiating IKEA from all other furniture retailers. Their specific HR policies are also unique, when they hire young people and utilize their enthusiasm to the full with not so generous pay offs. If any competitor wished to adopt a similar strategy, it would require large investment and costly reorganization of all the processes. Such reorganization would increase costs and will not make it possible to offer low prices. 3. What are the dangers of a hybrid strategy and how can managers guard against them? The main danger of a hybrid strategy is that a combination of low price and differentiation normally cannot be supported in the long run. It is mostly used to win the market share in a new market or to win market share from the competition. Supporting such strategy for a long time involves a danger for requirement to increase differentiation which involves increased cost and can lead to the â€Å"stuck-in the middle† position, where a company will stop having a clear strategy. The only way managers can guard against this danger is either to clearly stick to the once chosen strategy, or reconsider it when cost is uncontrollably increasing due to the growing differentiation demanded by the customers. In such cases a company can adopt one of the generic strategies to continue being competitive.

Accountability, Uniformity and Time Management

Accountability doesn't just mean showing up on time. It means responsibility. It means that if i fail my small part of the mission (to be on time), i must be held liable for my failure. Accountability also reflects the responsibility the unit has over each and every person in the unit. Everyone is required to report for duty so that the commander can verify that he/she has all the unit personnel accounted for.If i don't show up and nobody notices, the commander reports 100% accountability, but no one notices that i am not physically accounted for, they may find me some time later and be uncertain of what to think because they did not know i was not physically present, which puts the unit and the unit commander at risk for some evasive action. if there are times that i must be late then i should inform someone so that i can be accounted for. Which could also tie in with uniformity.What is the importance of uniformity, dress right dress, and discipline in the army? the importance of un iformity is to make everyone become and look equal. there are no differences between us, no separation because we are all a team. what is the point of uniformity, when a whole platoon is uniformed it shows accountability, responsibility, discipline and being in uniform is one of the things that is part of the foundation of the army. Without uniformity there cannot be discipline, and then it turns into a chain reaction and destroying the foundation of the army. being in uniformity shows soldiers how they can do things together and how working together, we as people can do anything we want to accomplish. it also teaches soldiers that uniformity also shows responsibility that when things are disorganized nothing ever gets done, but when there are no differences holding back from completing the mission anything can be done 110%. Everything needs discipline in order to be successful and uniformity, not only in dress code allows for working in harmony to get things done right and in a timely manner. Speaking of timeliness, personal time management skills are essential for professional success in any workplace. Those able to successfully implement time management strategies are able to control their workload rather than spend each day in a frenzy of activity reacting to crisis after crisis – stress declines and personal productivity soars! These highly effective individuals are able to focus on the tasks with the greatest impact to them and to the organization, which help to make them more successful in the end then those who have poor time management skills. In writing this essay the importance and purpose of these three words have become clearer to me. We need accountability, uniformity and time management in everything we do in order to be successful and efficient in all things we undergo. Read also: Time Management

What led to US military action in the Vietnam Research Paper

What led to US military action in the Vietnam - Research Paper Example China would continue to rule there for the next 1,000 years, until 939 AD when Vietnam would regain some measure of independence (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs). Following this, two families fought for control of the country, and civil war was common until the late 18th century (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs). A peasant revolt in 1802 again unified the country under one governor, but was beaten down by an emperor who ruled as Gia Long (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs). The Vietnamese, by the time of the entry of American troops into their country, were most likely used to seeing foreigners in their country. The Americans, however, were still about 150 years away. First were the French in 1855, which ruled Vietnam as a colony, along with Cambodia and Laos, and called it French Indochina (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs). The emperor of Vietnam remained in the country at Hue and was given very limited authority, but that was all (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs). In 1919, a young man known as Ho Chi Minh joined the French Socialist Party, and became fascinated by the teachings of V.I. Lenin (Lawrence). Lenin, while adamant that full-blown Communist revolution could only occur in countries with high industrialization, encouraged agrarian societies to form small cells of communist supporters (Lawrence). Ho Chi Minh not only believed in this principle, but believed that it formed a road map for him to carry out revolution and free Vietnam from colonial rule forever (Lawrence). The path to the Vietnam War had, in some ways, begun with his thoughts. Vietnam faced further occupation during World War II. The Japanese entered and quickly took over for France, forcing them to concede French Indochina (Lawrence). In the confusion of the final year of the war, Ho Chi Minh took advantage of the opportunity to bring his party to the forefront of politics by relieving a famine and feeding the starving masses of Vietnamese

IT - Helpdesk Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT - Helpdesk Concepts - Essay Example The solution of these problems is usually hierarchical and they are tackled as such (Sanderson, p.34). The main aim of a help desk or a service desk is to help guide the user to solve problems without having to consult a technician. Some help desk services use special software that is used to enter data about the user’s problem. This software assigns the problem a unique tag identification that can be used to track the problem (Beisse, p. 98). Tracking helps the company follow up on the problem and check on the user's progress. This improves customers’ feedback service. The user’s interaction with the systems can determine whether they will continue using the product or service, or they will stop. Therefore it is very vital that the help desk monitor the users and get feedback to help them improve the system. The Call Experience. The helpdesk chosen for this paper was the Verizon helpdesk. Verizon help desk provides mobile telephone solutions and IT solutions to various problems. The reason this was a preference was because it dealt with the two aspects. This would provide a comprehensive view of how a typical interaction would go. After I made the call, the response took about 8 to 10 seconds. This is considered good time because the typical wait period is about 20 seconds. The response however sometimes depends on the amount of user traffic to the systems at the time. After the response the voice prompt welcomed me to their help desk and explained their purpose and the services they provide. I found this information useful because they gave a detailed explanation of the services they provided. They also guaranteed good service and delivery. This information is useful to a new user who is not aware of the exact services the company provides. After the welcome message they offered more information about their product. This provided good insight, though I found that the time they take to talk about their services may be a bit too long and co uld use some reduction. This can be an inconvenience when the caller is in a hurry to get an urgent problem solved. After the messages about their services, the voice prompt gave the option of a preferred language. This is an essential feature in the help desk structure, because not all users are native speakers. They might not be able to cover all the languages but they can have a facility for the main languages used. This will cater for non –English speaking users. The prompt gave the option of using 1 for English and 2 for Spanish. After pressing 1 for English, the prompt asked me to verify my number and password. This is an essential security feature, because someone might be using you phone to make the call. Verification of identity is one of the initial steps taken when contacting a help desk. This helps with identifying you correctly, and opening a ticket for you. The ticket is used as a reference to that session. After number verification, I was asked to specify type of service. The options offered were 1 for wireless phones and 2 for residential phones. These options cater for all the types of users that are catered for by Verizon. After pressing 1 for the wireless option, the prompt asked me to press 1 for prepaid services, 2 for postpaid services and hash to go back to the main menu. This distinction is essential for users. This is due to the difference in problems that might be experienced in the two services. The hash option to go back to the

Does the ever present popularity and cross over of 'ethnic crafts' and Essay

Does the ever present popularity and cross over of 'ethnic crafts' and products signify a new aesthetic interchange or simply another form of cultural appropria - Essay Example stance the African Period of Picasso (between 1907-1909) when he was heavily influenced by African Sculptures that was also engendered by an interest in the present interest in Africa (French colonial exposure of Africa brought forth â€Å"exotic† news of African animals, tribes, cannibalism and overall primitivism) gave his work a historical as well as commercial value. Hence, I shall explore why and how cultural appropriation (if at all we can call it that) is actually a philistine way of assuming that ethnic craft representation to a Western audience shall always be somewhat mysterious, unknown, open to manipulation by Western thoughts and practices and is also somewhat full of â€Å"untouched† variety. These assumptions are almost always taken into account when representing ethnic art and thus represent another idea of the â€Å"white man’s burden† still on the run and notions of â€Å"Orientalism† isn’t over as yet, even in the age of Gl obalization. It is not so much an aesthetic interchange as much a thirst for giving the art a new dimension unknown to most western eye. When the question of appropriation comes into the picture, the questions of artistic intentions too follow. With it comes the speculation of the vanguard of exchange – where and how it happens. Does it follow any trend or does it depend on a single artists quest for something beyond the discipline of Western Aesthetics? Or is it just another form of responding to current socio-historical or political trends? I guess it is all of the above and more! Let us explore why and how. Previously the influence in art forms at least before the beginning and formation of the Imperialistic Discourse, was somewhat beyond the scope of this â€Å"Self† and the â€Å"Other† demarcation. With new discovery during the Renaissance, the Islamic tin-glazed pottery and lusterware became the most dominant form of ceramics in Spain. It continued from a period of 13th Century till the very beginning of 16th century,

The Development of the Italian Opera in the 19th Century Essay

The Development of the Italian Opera in the 19th Century - Essay Example Operas origin is said to have been the celebrations which combined enormous fireworks, beautiful stage decorations, music, singing and dancing.1 These occasions occurring frequently in royal weddings and during festivities started to work themselves around specific themes by the beginning of the 16th century. Jacapo Peri, Monteverde, Francesco Cavalli and many other doyens appeared during this period. Francesco Cavallis works were the first to be termed under the name Opera. Carissimi, Scarlatti, and Handel took Cavallis name forward. By the end of the 18th century symphony and orchestra giving prominent importance to music grew enormously, pushing back the popularity of the Opera. Rossini - the retriever of the Opera sprung to action to bring back this dwindling art from to its previous glory in the 19th century. He was followed by Donizetti, Bellini, Puccini and the ever famous Verdi who is hailed as the major mastermind of the contemporary Opera. Voice was the ruler of any orchestra in the Opera’s during the early 19th century. Polyphonic writings started to lose their grip during this time. Voice clarity and simple language expressing direct views started to matter. Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini were the three stars of the arias. Flawless phrases and singers with highly toned voices capable of singing in very high notes started to emerge. Cabaletta or rapid precision singing started gaining popularity. The operas of the early 18th century had two main sections the Bel Canto and the Cabaletta.2 Highly prerogative stories insisting patriotism or pious lifestyle started to give way to modern day realistic stories and romantic stories. Humor started to gain major attention in the opera stages. The first half of the 19th century saw the peak of the Bel Canto style.

Issue in Contemporary Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Issue in Contemporary Management - Essay Example Trait refers to recurring regularities or trends in a person behavior and the trait theory asserts that people behave in a certain way because of the strengths of their traits. The literature contains tons of information regarding trait approach however we will focus on the common grounds deduced by those researches. The Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality has been endorsed by almost all the researchers who were focused towards trait approach (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2002). The FFM model was first identified by Webb in 1915 but over the period of time many of the researchers using diverse samples have supported these five dimensions of the personality. We will be briefly discussing those five dimensions in the next section. The five dimensions of personality comprise of; Surgency, Agreeableness, Dependability, Adjustment and Openness. Surgency refers to a person’s need for power and his ability to dominate other people. Generally, this factor is evident in those people who are self-confident, competitive and decisive. The second dimension is concerned with Agreeableness which implies that a leader builds a close rapport and creates a sense of harmony with others. Leaders who are high in agreeableness tend to be more empathetic, friendly and optimistic. Dependability is relevant to those behavioral aspects of a leader which are concerned with one’s approach to work. A highly dependable individual would show unwavering commitment towards his work. He will always invest in diligent efforts towards his work and people are highly dependable on him. The dimension of Adjustment is concerned with how people adapt towards different situations and how they react to pressure, failure, and personal c riticism. Leaders who are high in adjustment tend to be more calm and tolerant towards handling stressful situations. Openness refers to how one feels in countering new situation and experiences. Leaders who possess higher openness

Course Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Course Project - Essay Example s until late 1980,s the country embraced open economic policies in 1990s and have steadily gained prominence in the global market place with its large market size as well as production capacities (Hill 2003). Although the Indian society traditionally took a nationalistic stance towards foreign imports and foreign investments, the trends have reversed today. With the Indian economy being widely boosted by its massive software development industry and Business Process Outsourcing operations, the country is becoming a hub for international dealings, and the life styles of the new generation of Indians are affected by global products and global trends (India and The Global Economy 2006). Although the country provides attractive potential in terms of market size, the vast diversity in cultures, religious and over hundred languages and dialects present, it a challenge for international firms to enter and succeed in the Indian market. The legacies of its closed economic policies are also st ill prevalent and bureaucratic red tape still surrounds the import-export regulations, foreign exchange policies as well as customs procedures. This report attempts to provide required background information for planning the export operation of Zingo Instant Noodles to the Indian market being manufactured in UK by NutriSnacks Company Ltd. The company will enter the market through an appointed agent – Partell Group that will act as the importing party of the product. Zingo Instant Noodles is a 80 grams instant noodle pack with seasoning sachet included. The existing product line carries 6 flavours in terms of the seasoning included within including chicken, roast beef, mushroom, tomato, cheese and seafood. The product is currently number two in the UK and a host of other European markets, closely behind the market leader Blue Dragon 3 Minute Noodles. Zingo positioning is based on offering a nutritious snack diet for the young kids who gets hungry easily. The two-minute cooking time

CVS Caremark Company`s Finantial results Research Paper

CVS Caremark Company`s Finantial results - Research Paper Example Similar increases and trends were seen in the net income of the company where a decrees was seen in year 2010 as compared to year 2009 followed by an increase in year 2011 where the reported net income was $3,461 million. The company’s debt to equity ratio in 2011 can be calculated as 24% which is reasonable when compared to industry average of 25% which means company have balanced structure of finance and is doing well. The current ratio of the company for year 2011 is 1.5 as compared to industry ratio of 1.6. The company is doing well when it comes to its liquidity position and seems to have enough cash resources cash dividends were also increased from 35 cents/share in 2010 to 50 cents/share in 2011. Further all the positivity in the financial results were reflected in an increase in the stock price of the company too which increased from $34.77 to $40.78 in year 2011 with an increase of 17.3%. The EPS of the company has also improved from $ 2.49 in 2010 to $ 2.59 in 2011 w ith an increase of 4%. Overall the company has a strong financial position with growth and stability in the company. (CVS Caremark. Annual Report 2011) Coinstar Inc. Financial Results: Coinstar Inc. ... ’s recorded revenue in year 2009 was $1,032 million, in year 2010 it increased to $1,436 million where an increase of 39% was seen and in year 2011 these results were increased to $1,845 million, with an increase of 28%. Similar increases and trends were seen in the net income of the company where an increase was seen in year 2010 as compared to year 2009 followed by an increase in year 2011 where the reported net income was $103 million. The company’s debt to equity ratio in 2011 can be calculated as 68% which is almost double when compared to industry average of 38% which means company relies too much on debt as a source of finance and doesn’t have a balanced structure of finance. The current ratio of the company for year 2011 is 1 as compared to industry ratio of 2. The company seems to have major cash flow issues which are evident from the non-payment of dividends and the increased debt to equity ratio which means the company is paying heavy finance costs. Ov erall the company is profitable but seems to have some concerning areas like cash flow issues due to using debt as source finance. (Coinstar Inc. Annual Report 2011) The CVS Company is a huge company as compared to Coinstar. The CVS has a strong financial status with billions of dollars of sales and large scale of operation while the Coinstar though has a lot of presence in many countries is also a profitable business. The revenues and reporting profits of both the companies are growing and it is always a wise idea to acquire a company with increasing revenues as is seen in Coinstar. The revenues of Coinstar are in much higher increasing trends as compared to CVS Company which shows the company has a lot of potential to grow sales. (Coinstar Inc. Annual Report 2011) Both the companies CVS and Coinstar are

Plan I For Paradise Essay Example for Free

Plan I For Paradise Essay As we expand our business in Kava, we have to bear in mind that the major obstacle to business in this piece of paradise in the South Pacific is the number of disasters that take place on it. We may lose our business one fine day to a tsunami if nothing else. All the same, our new plan to expand our business in Kava is necessary, seeing that we could be of tremendous assistance to the government of Kava apart from the significant number of people who reside here – all of whom are expecting perfection in this tiny patch of paradise, which is the reason why they do not leave it for good despite the threats faced by Kava. Although there are various models provided by textbooks to understand and measure organizational effectiveness, the basic meaning of organizational effectiveness remains unchanged: It is for the organization to be doing everything that it knows how to do, and to be doing it well. The organization knows how to manage its employees, and to manufacture the products or provide the services that it originally set out to manufacture or provide. However, in order to be effective in its operations, the organization should be managing its employees well, and manufacturing good quality products or providing high quality services to its customers. What is more, in the organizational environment of today, the organization that is effective in its operations must be effectively using information technology. This is, in fact, one of the requirements of organizational effectiveness in our time (Helms). Besides, this is an essential element of clearing the mess for an ‘organization’ to come into existence. With the above definition of organizational effectiveness in view, we shall make the most technologically advanced shopping mall in the center of Kava. Given that our business culture could serve as a model for the rest of the businesses on this land, our organizational culture, which will be the personality of our company, would not only accommodate the latest advances in technology in all respects, but also an emphasis on ethics (McNamara, 1997). We will be supporting the economy of Kava by hiring a great number of people to work on our premises. In our organizational culture, we will value diversity, seeing that it is a highly effective strategy (Whitfield and Landeros, 2006). Diversity in the workplace is expected to facilitate the exchange of new ideas, making the organization more creative in its thinking; improve the problem solving ability of the organization through the invitation of diverse ideas; and establish a respectful as well as tolerant and accepting work environment (Reichenberg, 2001). The workplace that values diversity among its employees would have an organizational culture that stakeholders around the world would admire and respect. An organization that does not value diversity in the workplace, however, will reflect the negative attitude and discrimination toward diverse groups also in its organizational culture. More importantly, the workplace that reflects prejudice and discrimination in its organizational culture would not be able to convince its stakeholders of allowing it to remain in the marketplace, seeing as it is impossible to satisfy the needs of those that the organization despises. Organizational health programs, too, are essential for the survival of companies. Undoubtedly, a healthy workforce would work wonders for any business by reducing absenteeism and turnover, and increasing employee motivation, productivity and revenues. Lowe (2004) writes that hundreds of studies have already documented the direct as well as indirect advantages of â€Å"healthy work environments† to employees in addition to their organizations (p. 7). Indeed, healthy workplaces as well as jobs contribute to the well-being of employees. These benefits may be realized by the whole organization through lower absenteeism, lower turnover, higher job satisfaction, improved performance on the job, lower rates of accident, in addition to â€Å"reduced health benefit and worker compensation costs (Lowe, p. 7). † Moreover, research has revealed that the largest gains in productivity may be realized by the organization that changes the entire work environment to make it healthier for all employees (Lowe). Hence, we will treat the residents of Kava that work with us with utmost respect by not only offering them good salaries, but also by focusing on their health and safety on our premises. Research has revealed that the United States has occupational injury and illness rates that rival those of AIDS, Alzheimer’s Disease, and various kinds of cancers (â€Å"Dying for the Job,† 2002). We will undo the wrongs of the organizational processes in our homeland by making our business environment as safe and healthy as possible. The impact of this aspect of our organizational culture is expected to be great. As a matter of fact, the impact will be experienced even in the United States where businesses might cite our own organization as an example in health and safety management. Because of threats of terrorism, we will employ the most technologically advanced security system in our new shopping mall in the center of paradise. In addition, the environment that we create would reveal itself to be so healthy and safe that all consumers and employees would be able to virtually forget about the disasters in Kava while they remain on our premises. It is necessary to provide such a safe haven for the people of paradise. In point of fact, creating such an environment would yield long term benefits for our company. What is more, by interacting with our customers with their best interests in our view, our company would additionally be able to strengthen its relationships within the community. Finally, it must be clarified that all of our business transactions related to the new business venture would be fair and square. There shall be no dishonesty in any aspect of our business, and all instances of fraud as well as business misunderstandings will be treated with a sense of urgency and justice. By developing a strong and effective organizational culture that incorporates the values outlined above, we would not only be able to nurture our human resources in order to effectively utilize them, but we would also be serving as an exemplar for the rest of the businesses in the community. With good business practices, our company is definitely expected to function in the community for a long time. In order not to lose our focus on ‘best practices,’ as the business community nowadays refers to good business practices, we shall make the following definition of total quality management a part of our mission statement: â€Å"[E]verything in our company has to be done the best that is humanly possible. Theres no room for `good enough (Nelton, 1993). ’ Even in the event of a major disaster, the example we set shall remain as a model for others to follow for a long time to come.

APA guidelines Essay Example for Free

APA guidelines Essay Term Definition Resource you used Time value of money Money has a Time Value. This basic idea a dollar received today, other things being the same, is worth more than a dollar received a year from now underlies many financial decisions faced in Business (TItman, Keown, Martin, 2014, P. 172). TItman, S., Keown, A., Martin, J. (2014). Financial Management: Principles and Applications (12th ed.). : Prentice Hall Efficient market A market in which prices quickly respond to the announcement of new information. Efficient markets describes the extent to which information is incorporated into security prices. In an efficient market, security prices reflect all available information at all times; and, because of this, it is impossible for an investor to consistently earn high rates of return without taking substantial risk (TItman, Keown, Martin, 2014, P.210). TItman, S., Keown, A., Martin, J. (2014). Financial Management: Principles and Applications (12th ed.). : Prentice Hall Primary versus secondary market A primary market is a market in  which new, as opposed to previously issued, securities are bought and sold for the first time. In this market, firms issue new securities to raise money that they can then use to help finance their businesses. The key feature of the primary market is that the firms selling securities actually receive the money raised. The secondary market is where all subsequent trading of previously issued securities takes place. In this market the issuing firm does not receive any new financing, as the securities it has  sold are simply being transferred from one investor to another. The principal benefit of the secondary market for the shareholders of firms that sell their securities to the public is liquidity(TItman, Keown, Martin, 2014, P.25). TItman, S., Keown, A., Martin, J. (2014). Financial Management: Principles and Applications (12th ed.). : Prentice Hall Risk-return tradeoff  tells us that we will expect to receive higher returns for assuming more risk (even though there is no guarantee we will get what we expect). However, the risk–return tradeoff that investors face is not based on realized rates of return; it is instead based on what the investor expects to earn on an investment in the future (TItman, Keown, Martin, 2014, P.193). TItman, S., Keown, A., Martin, J. (2014). Financial Management: Principles and Applications (12th ed.). : Prentice Hall Agency (principal and agent problems) The conflict of interest between the firm’s managers and its stockholders is called a principal-agent problem, or agency problem, in which the firm’s common stockholders, the owners of the firm, are the principals in the relationship, and the managers act as â€Å"agents† to these owners (TItman, Keown, Martin, 2014, P. 13) TItman, S., Keown, A., Martin, J. (2014). Financial Management: Principles and Applications (12th ed.). : Prentice Hall Market information and security prices and information asymmetry A situation in which one party in a transaction has more or superior information compared to another. This often happens in transactions where the seller knows more than the buyer, although the reverse can happen as well. Potentially, this could be a harmful situation because one party can take advantage of the other partys lack of knowledge (Investopedia, 2015). Investopedia. (2015). Asymmetric Information. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/asymmetricinformation.asp Agile and lean principles Agile refers to an adaptive, incremental approach to solutions development,  with strong emphasis on delivering value. In contrast, Lean respresents a widely adopted approach to continuous improvement, designed to improve performance by removing barriers which disrupt workflow in existing systems. Both Agile and Lean are particularly attractive and suited to finance sector enviroments where business requirements change frequently and recation time is critical (Agile And Lean In Finance, 2011) Agile and Lean in Finance. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.dbconsulting.co.uk/agile-and-lean-in-finance-22-september/ Return on investment Return on investment, or ROI, is the most common profitability ratio. There are several ways to determine ROI, but the most frequently used method is to divide net profit by total assets. So if your net profit is $100,000 and your total assets are $300,000, your ROI would be .33 or 33 percent. Return on investment isnt necessarily the same as profit. ROI deals with the money you invest in the company and the return you realize on that money based on the net profit of the business (Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 2014). Entrepreneur Media, Inc.. (2014). Return on Investment ROI. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/return-on-investment-roi Cash flow and a source of value In investments, cash flow represents earnings before depreciation, amortization, and non-cash charges. Sometimes called cash earnings. The maount of net cash generated by an investment or a business durning a specific period. Once measure of cash flow is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (The Free Dictionary, 2015). The Free Dictionary. (2015). Cash flow. Retrieved from http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/cash+flow Project management The planning and organization of an organizations resources in order to move a specific task, event or duty toward completion. Project management typically involves a one-time project rather than an ongoing activity, and resources managed include both human and financial capital. A project manager will help define the goals and objectives of the project, determine when the various project components are to be completed (Project Management, 2015). Project Management. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/project-management.asp Outsourcing and offshoring Outsourcing refers to an organization contracting work out to a 3rd party, while offshoring refers to getting work done in a different country, usually to leverage cost advantages. Its possible to outsource work but not offshore it; for example, hiring an outside law firm to review contracts instead of maintaining an in-house staff of lawyers. It is also possible to offshore work but not outsource it; for example, a Dell customer service center in India to serve American clients. Offshore outsourcing is the practice of hiring a vendor to do the work offshore, usually to lower costs and take advantage of the vendors expertise, economies of scale, and large and scalable labor pool (Offshoring Vs. Outsourcing, 2014). Offshoring vs. Outsourcing. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.diffen.com/difference/Offshoring_vs_Outsourcing Inventory turnover A measure of how often the company sells and replaces its inventory. It is the ratio of annual cost of sales to the latest inventory. One can also interpret the ratio as the time to which inventory is held. For example a ratio of 26 implies that inventory is held, on average, for two weeks (365 days in a year divided by inventory turnover ratio of 26 equals 14 days pr 2 weeks average inventory holding period). It is best to use this ratio to compare companies within an industry (high turnover is a good sign) because there are huge differences in this ratio across industries (The Free Dictionary, 2013-2015). The Free Dictionary. (2013-2015). Inventory turnover. Retrieved from http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Inventory+Turnover Just-in-time inventory (JIT) A supply chain management system designed to reduce carrying costs to a minimum. A firm only orders what it expects for its immediate needs; therefore, it keeps a lowinventory. For example, if a retailer believes it  will sell 1,000 widgets in a week, it orders precisely 1,000 widgets from its manufacturer. JIT systems require that the retailer at the end of the supply chain can accurately predict demand for its products. They also require that each stage of the supply chain knows exactly how much time it takes to fill an order when it is made. The automotive industry and budget retailers commonly use JIT systems (The Free Dictionary, 2012-2015). The Free Dictionary. (2012-2015). Just In Time. Retrieved from http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Just-in-Time+Inventory+System Vender managed inventory (VMI) A means of optimizing Supply Chain performance in which the manufacturer is responsible for maintaining the distributor’s inventory levels. The manufacturer has access to the distributor’s inventory data and is responsible for generating purchase orders. To further define it, let’s look at 2 business models (Vendor Managed Inventory, 2015). Vendor Managed Inventory. (2015). Definition of Vendor Managed Inventory. Retrieved from http://www.vendormanagedinventory.com/definition.php Forecasting and demand management The use of historic data to determine the direction of future trends. Forecasting is used by companies to determine how to allocate their budgets for an upcoming period of time (Investopedia, 2015). Demand Management: Macroeconomics: Use of monetary and fiscal policies to influence the aggregate demand for goods or services in an economy. During periods of high unemployment, governments attempts to stimulate damand, and hence, production and employment and during periords of high inflation or balance fo payment problems to curb it ( Business Dictionary, 2015). Investopedia. (2015). Forecasting . Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/forecasting.asp Business Dictionary. (2015). Demand Management. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/demand-management.html

Social Media Advertising Becoming Central To Marketing Media Essay

Social Media Advertising Becoming Central To Marketing Media Essay Social media today is simply online media that facilitates social interaction. There are numerous websites, channels and resources that allow advertisements to be distributed reaching millions of people worldwide. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube and Bebo all contain users that have identities or profiles that display demographic and social information about themselves. These users can create connections with one another by following one another or by becoming friends. This social media interaction and communication with one another has provided advertisers with a new opportunity to infiltrate and display their messages to a vast online audience. For example, Facebook has over 400 million members (Facebook 2010) and 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day. It also boasts over 80 million unique users each month and people spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook. The reality is that social media delivers the Holy Grail for advertisers on th e Internet: a mass-concentrated audience reaches similar levels to television.  However, successful advertising to this environment is not necessarily straight forward and without problems. There are several concerns regarding some advertisements that invade privacy and publish users identities making the adverts intrusive on peoples online social lives. Furthermore there are cultural concerns related to social media advertising and these will be explored in greater detail later in this essay. Nevertheless, social media advertising is considered to be central to marketing, as the Internet has become a powerful platform for advertisers to reach mass audiences. Social media has become an integral part of modern society. Astonishingly, there are some social network sites with user bases larger than the populations of most world countries. It was therefore only a matter of time before advertisers began to permeate the online social media environment. These adverts could be based specifically on user demographics and interests and this focused selling point appealed to many advertisers. Social networking sites have developed over the past decade and are frequently changing to accommodate new advertising campaigns. However this social medium is still a relatively new environment for advertisers. Dating sites are often considered to be the first social networks, as they seemed to appear around the same time people first started going online. These sites allowed users to create profiles and to contact other users, often sharing photographs. Social media has come a long way since those days and social media advertising has developed into a platfor m that is becoming central to modern marketing campaigns. Nowadays there are social and user-generated sites for numerous different activities and purposes. Social shopping sites, social financial planning sites, sites for people to share their goals and ambitions aswell as sites to meet like minded people. Over the past decade, social media has developed and become an enormous influence on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Whether people need something as simple as a film review or seek answers to personal problems or major life decision, there are social sites out there to provide people with the information they require. Accompanying these sites, in dedicated web space (often within a page), advertisers have ideal opportunities to target new products based on specific user searches or necessities. Social media advertisements continue to evolve on a daily basis. With advertising on major social networks and social media sites making changes and improvements on an almost d aily basis, its sure to keep evolving over the coming years. Advertising is concerned to urge consumers to buy the commodities (or services) that will satisfy existing wants more adequately or that will satisfy new ones (Harris, Seldon 1962) As advertisers seek to promote their products based on popular culture and emotive desires, social media sites provide a perfect vehicle to access a wider range of consumer. Social media advertising is becoming more important to marketing campaigns as the levels of people reached online can often surpass peak television advertising viewership figures (Ord 2008). One way to advertise products on social media sites is to create dedicated pages or profiles where customers and potential customers can become friends or fans of the actual business or brand. These profile pages are like miniature Web pages within social medial sites and can include information about businesses such as locations, official websites, lists of services and how to contact the business directly. Furthermore businesses often include dynamic content, for instance, comments left by customers or fans, an RSS feed, an up-to-date blog and even special offers or sale details. Other adverts include Pay-per-click (PPC) ad s where advertisers pay their host only when their ad is clicked. However advertising on social media is not only about clicks or click rate, its about reaching a huge worldwide audience. Social media advertising is becoming so central to advertisers nowadays as this is a great way to reach mass audiences and in terms of audience size, there are several Super Bowls every day on Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. Click rates offer an indication to page views and social media sites have a large overlapping audience that hang around them all day, every day. Television would have a low click rate too if an ad campaign were measured over the course of a months worth of programs on the same network, assuming you could click the screen(Ord 2008). People also flick between social media adverts much like tuning in and out of TV adverts. Twitter grew more than 1500% in mid-2009 and Facebook has almost caught up with Google in web traffic (Sav 2010). In April 2010, the company Nielsen (audience measurement firm that tracks TV, internet, and radio usage worldwide) published results of a 6-month research campaign into usage patterns of users on Facebook. Nielsen found that Engagement ads (see figure 1.1) on average generated a 10% increase in ad recall, a 4% increase in brand awareness and a 2% increase in purchase intent among users who saw them compared with a control group with similar demographics or characteristics who didnt (Wauters 2010). Figure 1.1 Different Facebook adverts with varying levels of success (c/o Nielsen) According to Nielsen, the increase in recall rose to 16% when adverts displayed friends who were fans (Adverts with social context figure 1.1), and this jumped to 30% when these ads appeared in other friends newsfeeds (Organic advert impression figure 1.1). This is an example of how advertisements are being modified and adapted to generate maximum interest from the target audience. In spite of this, there also remains the belief that users will subconsciously continue to ignore attempts to intrude into private social media environments. Many critics maintain that advertising exists primarily to create demand among consumers. People have certain types of wants and needs, and they are perfectly capable of discovering for themselves what they are (Leiss, Botterill, Jhally, Kline, 2005) The consumer now appears to have the power of communication and the traditional business to consumer marketing model is replaced with consumer-to-consumer conversations over social media sites. The problem for advertisers nowadays is how to insert their own brands into those conversations. The Internet has become a powerful platform for advertisers to reach mass audiences via user-generated video too. According to data collected by comScore, online video views from U.K. users grew 37% in 12 months. The measurement firm estimates users streamed a total of 5.5 billion videos in February 2010, up from an estimated 4 billion in February 2009. This is another reason why social media advertisement is considered so important in modern marketing. Advertisers envisage short commercials with each video streamed, thus creating a platform for the Internet to compete with broadcast TV in delivering commercial views. Additionally on the advertising sub-page for YouTube, companies are provided useful tips and pointers to create a successful advertising campaign on the massive ad-sharing network. According to a Google spokesperson, there is tremendous scope for capturing the attention of an audience that surpasses Americas Super Bowl, the most watched TV event in that country each yea r. As Google owns YouTube it can feature in-video advertisements that appear at the bottom of certain videos (often popular videos with over 5000 hits). These adverts are not only content-specific but also location-specific aswell. This has great financial ramifications as online video advertising has risen 9% to $7.9 billion over a 12-month period (Skepys 2010). Furthermore search-based advertising through Google reached $11.4 billion, an annual rise of just under 6%. With well over 13 billion YouTube views in March 2010 alone (Skepys 2010), advertisers could well be reaping the rewards of these in-video promotions as a result of augmented online video views. This is another example of how social media advertising has become so important to marketing schemes today as the potential financial rewards are substantial. However the future success of social media advertisements is threatened by potential social and cultural problems that need to be properly addressed. A general concern with advertising on social networking sites is that people that use these sites are only interested in interaction with the people who they care about and their attention lies in communication with friends and family. People rarely pay attention to advertisements, as they are not relevant to what people are doing at that specific time. This is where Google ad-words are most successful, as people searching for products are inundated with places to buy that product as a result of optimised advertisement placement on Google. In contrast Facebooks average click through rate on their social advertisements is just 0.08% (Agishtein 2010), this means that for every 10,000 times an advert is shown, it will only be clicked 8 times. It can be assumed that social network users are ignoring these advertisements on mass. These social advertisements are publicised by demographics and target the specific user based on interests and information provided in their own profile. Despite this focused advertising, the products or services promoted are ultimately not related to the social activities people participate in during online social-networking sessions. Other social advertisements create additional ad messages based on purchases or interests that are viewable to the public and friends (see Organic ad impressions figure 1.1). However many people are uncomfortable with this as it violates users privacy and control which is critical for social network users to feel safe online. Consequently, advertising must be injected into online conversations. For advertisements to be successful, the users ideally should want to talk about and share advertising messages with their social network friends. If advertisers hijack those conversations by not respecting the users desire for privacy and control, the adverts will backfire. This is ultimately bad for the advertiser, the social network and the user. The question remains, how do advertisers insert their messages into the conversation between friends on social network sites and social environments? According to Seth Goldstein, co-founder and CEO of Social Media Networks (an ad consultancy firm focused on monetizing the social web), Social media is killing Internet advertisingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the problem is, a few years ago, people started to become more interested in each other and less interested in the ads. This view is supported by the relatively low click through rates on social networking sites like Facebook and e xplains usage patterns whereby users visit social network sites to primarily interact with friends and rarely pay attention to advertisements. There is a danger that social advertisements will follow similar patterns to Internet banner ads that show an even lower click through rate on social media sites of 0.04%(Corbin 2008). Banner ads fail because social network users are accustomed to seeing them, and ignoring them has become a reflex. Advertisers have therefore aimed to try new innovations and marketing schemes to try and generate greater interest in this enormous window for consumers. One such scheme is the integration of advertising within social network applications. Applications are becoming central to the social networking experience. The success of these can be measured directly in the number of downloads and monitored by how they are shared between friends and family. A recent example of advertisement integrated into an application was the BMW application intended for Facebook. The intention of this application was to promote BMWs new line the 1 Series and provide the user with an interactive, virtual joyride to various worldwide destinations. Furthermore, users could personalise their cars by changing colours and adding modifications. BMW aimed to create an online community with this application, centralised around the brand. This allowed Facebook members to interact with the product on an entirely opt-in basis (Corbin 2008). However, this opt-in element has become increasingly critical and has led to cultural problems relating to social media advertising. On November 6th 2009, Facebook launched a service called Beacon. This was an advertisement system that sent data from external websites to Facebook, and permitted targeted advertisements with greater accuracy whilst allowing users to share activities with friends and publish these activities on other friends newsfeeds. However, this system provoked major uproar when users started complaining that Beacon was violating their privacy. Since that incident, the ethical and cultural concerns have been heightened with concerns over profile-based ad targeting. CEO of Social Media Networks, Seth Goldstein states Beacon was a setback, not just for Facebook, but for the whole industry. Engagement with modern social advertising remains difficult to measure but the downloadable application installations are easily tallied up and also whether it has been passed along to friends or not. Additionally these profile-based adverts frequently portray media stereotypes. These stereotypes can be problemat ic and instigate cultural tensions. Often they reduce a wide range of differences in people to simplistic categorizations and transform assumptions about particular groups of people into realities. Ultimately this could perpetuate social prejudice and inequality. More often than not, the groups being stereotyped have little to say about how they are represented. Furthermore many people would deny that they are being influenced by advertisements and regard them at worst as lies, at best idiot triviality. People are considered to be sceptical of advertising however, they might find it more difficult to resist the more general social image or message presented with advertising campaigns located in social media channels. (Dyer 1982) Specific media stereotypes provide problems for advertisers using social media environments, however it is not just stereotypes where potential issues lie with advertising through this medium. There is a raised level of concern for parents as marketers look to interact with children through the aforementioned social networking sites, online-video sites and gaming sites. Advertising on Television is meticulously regulated with advertising standards, yet the Internet is so far avoiding such regulations making it easier to target children with brand positioning adverts (Finklehorn 2009). Furthermore there are anxieties that children and under-age audiences are engaging with advertising on social networks for alcohol brands. It is evident that new guidelines and regulations are required to protect children aswell as the publics privacy. New guidelines for advertising on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are being proposed in the UK. Under these new proposals the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) would control digital marketing to ensure that it is responsible, legal, honest and truthful (Bryant 2010). These new regulations are scheduled for implementation later in 2010 and a clear mandate of these new guidelines state that first and foremost consumers and children will be protected. Location will also become more important to social media and the future of social media advertising. According to Debra Willamson, eMarketer senior analyst, brand monitoring will increase sophistication so that companies can begin to understand the why of consumer chatter aswell as the who, what and when. It can also be expected that companies will strive to provide additional services in social channels that essentially aim to gather greater understanding of the market and grab the attention of mass media audiences. Social media interaction and communication with one another has provided advertisers with a new opportunity to infiltrate and display their messages to a vast online audience. There is some evidence to suggest that advertising plays a part in defining reality in a general or anthropological sense. It projects the goals and values that are consistent with and conductive to the consumer economy and socialises us into thinking that we can buy a way of life as well as goods. (Dyer 1982) The goals and desires that Dyer refers to here are achievable by purchasing the intended products and services advertised to users of social media sites. However some adverts use media stereotyping to target users and the relatively low click through rate of adverts on social networking sites suggests that these types of intrusive adverts are largely being ignored. This coupled with other privacy issues could potentially leave social media advertisements following in the same fateful path as Internet banner ads. However the enormous scope for mass audiences that could result in substantial financial reward is too great for advertisers to ignore. They consider social media advertising central to marketing as nowadays this is a great way to reach mass audiences and in terms of audience size as there are several Super Bowls every day on Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. With online-video streaming up 37% in the last year and an estimated 5 billion videos being streamed per month, there are multiple opportunities for products to be advertised based on video content and even location. With advertising regulations due to be published later this year, greater control can be seized over online social media advertisements. These guidelines will prevent children viewing inappropriate material and also protect peoples privacy being exploited by intrusive web systems monitoring page history and detailed consumer interests. There are still tremendous opportunities for social media advertising in the future, so long as advertisers adhere to these new guidelines and continue to persevere with new marketing schemes. The development of new initiatives, such as advertising in applications on social network sites in addition to the continued pursuit of subtle advertisements in consumer-to-consumer conversations, will see products reach a wider range of consumer and consequently result in substantial financial profits for advertisers on social media sites.

Essay --

The curiosity of what our destiny will be and what our future holds has crossed our minds once or twice. Destiny is the conclusion to many life situations we are faced with in our everyday lives, but no one could figure out what their destiny is until the time is right. Antonio from the novel Bless Me, Ultima written by Rudolfo Anaya and Paikea from Whale Riders run through many conflicts trying to seek their destinies. Antonio, must choose to follow her mother’s footsteps of tending the land or become free and wild like his father and older brothers as well as deciding whether or not to follow and walk alongside Ultima, even if she may be evil. Unlike Antonio, Paikea must prove to herself and her grandfather that she is able to lead her tribe out of depression and laziness, even if she may not physically hold the components of becoming a leader. Both Antonio and Paikea are able to find their destinies, but they each have unique and individual experiences of family pressure, spiritual leaders and becoming a leader. While trying to seek their destinies, both Antonio and Paikea have conflicts with a family member who tries to decide their futures for them. Throughout the novel Bless Me, Ultima, Antonio’s parents, Gabriel and Maria Marez, constantly fight to predict what his future holds. Tony struggles between becoming tied to the land and becoming a priest like his mother wishes or becoming free like the Marez blood that runs in his body. Ultima teaches Tony that his destiny will spontaneously appear by itself without the help of his parents when she states, â€Å"A man’s destiny must unfold itself like a flower with only the sun and earth and water making it blossom, and no one else meddling in† (BMU 223). Compared to Antonio having... ...ip skills. Both Pai and Tony mature into wonderful leaders and role models at a very young age. When all the whales are trapped and dying on the side of the beach, Paikea uses it to her advantage and proves to everyone that she is the new leader. Just like her ancestor who founded her tribe, Pai climbs on top of the largest whale and rides off into the ocean. By using good judgement and making smart choice, she was no longer afraid to make the greatest sacrafice for her tribe: â€Å"I wasn’t scared to die† (WR) As Antonio grows in age and maturity, he becomes the gang’s role model, even though he is the youngest of all of them. When practicing how to confess their sins, Antonio’s group of friends decide to pick him because he knew more about religion and life than anyone else. The group confessed their deepest secrets to him as they chant, â€Å"Hail to our Priest!† (BMU 209).

Analysis of Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Essay -- Kubla Khan

Analysis of Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge 'Kubla Khan' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge reveals the power of the imaginative poetry. This poetry has the ability to create kingdoms and paradise. In this poem Coleridge is expressing heaven and hell through his own eyes just as the aplostles did in the ?Bible? and Milton did in 'Paradise Lost'. The poem begins with a mythical tone, ?In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/ A stately pleasure dome decree.? The poem does not give specifics to the construction of the palace. It just states that Khan decreed the palace be built and then begins describing the palace. The poem?s method of creating a vision of the ?pleasure dome? is similar to the biblical tale of the creation of the Garden of Eden. As Eden was created by God, the ?pl...

Inclusion of Children with Disabilities Essay -- Education School Spec

Inclusion of Children with Disabilities Along with many other topics of special education, the topic of inclusion has been surrounded by uncertainty and controversy for as long as the concept has been around. This controversy may stem from the fact that inclusion is expensive and experts disagree about how much time disabled students should spend in regular classrooms (Cambanis, 2001). Although this topic is controversial, it cannot be ignored. Inclusion will, at some point, affect 1% of all children born each year, who will have disabilities and the families and educators they will come in contact with (Stainback, 1985). There are two major federal laws that deal with the education of children with special needs. One of these laws is, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as IDEA (W.E.A.C, 2001). This law passed in 1975, was the first act to guarantee all students with disabilities a public education (Kluth, Villa & Thousand, 2001). This law requires that the school district supply an IEP, individualized education program (Merritt, 2001), for every child with disabilities. This law also requires that the IEP team consider placing each child in the least restrictive environment possible (W.E.A.C, 2001). The least restrictive environment possible refers to the environment that would benefit the handicapped student the most, both academically and socially. The IEP team usually considers three possibilities for the student. One possibility is that of a self-contained classroom, where the student would be in a class with all disabled students and be taught by special education teachers. A second possibility is that the student be placed in a general education classroom for half of the... .... Learning Disability Quarterly, 24(4), pp.265-74. Retrieved March 11, 2002 from WilsonSelect Database. Palmer, David S., Fuller, Kathy., Arora, Tina. (2001). Taking Sides: Parent View on Inclusion for Their Children with Severe Disabilities. Exceptional Children, 67(4), pp.467-484. Retrieved March, 11, 2002 from WilsonSelect Database. Choate, Joyce S. (1997). Successful Inclusive Teaching- Proven Ways to Detect and Correct Special Needs. Massachusetts: Allyn& Bacon. Stainback, Susan & William. (1985). Integration of Students with Severe Handicaps into Regular Schools. Virginia: The Council for Exceptional Children. Special Education Inclusion. (2001). Retrieved February 25, 2002 from http://www.weac.org.htm Active Inclusion-Facilitating Active Inclusion in Secondary Education. (2000). Retrieved February 25, 2002 from http://www.faise.com

Critically Analyse How Your Contribution to Your Ipe Team Impacted on the Functioning and Ultimate Output of This Team

This essay will demonstrate to the reader how my personal contribution to the inter professional education (IPE) team impacted towards the purpose and output of team working throughout this module. The essay will aim to draw upon several theories in order to support the research gathered on different ways of effective team working methods. In addition to this, team working roles will be discussed and will include the contribution I made as an individual. Furthermore, the essay will draw upon how this experience will affect how the student approach’s team working within the healthcare setting. The IPE team consisted of five individuals, all from different professional disciplines: two radiographers, a paramedic, a physiotherapist and myself a paediatric nurse. A productive team is essential for the success of any task and for this to take place the team needs to develop over several stages prior to the productive stage (Wong, 2007). The model constructed by Tuckman and Jenson (1977) involves four stages; forming, storming, norming and performing. Looking at the four stages, not all teams go through all the above stages and not all teams go through the stages in the same way. However, a successful team is one who can adapt through the different stages as and when required (Borrill, 2002). Our team fluctuated many times through these different stages, however, this can be seen as a characteristic of a successful team (Avery, 2004). Looking at the theoretical behaviours of the team throughout the different stages, the team had reached the performing stage, meaning the team were producing outstanding results. This involved the members of the team working together to undertake the task at hand. During week two of the module, the team met and each team member introduced themselves. Moreover, the group took time to inform each other about their roles within their different healthcare professions. At this stage, all members of the group were rather quiet and from the onset there was no leader that I could identify. This was because we were in the ‘forming’ stage of group development (Tuckman & Jenson, 1977). As the team had never met prior to this stage, the forming stage was possibly the most important. Our first task to be carried out as a team was to create and present a presentation on the topic of new ways of working. As a team we identified our own individual strengths and weaknesses and also took this time to get to know one another better. We discussed the role of appointing a team leader, however at this stage no one wanted to take up this responsibility. By not assigning a leader at this point, can be seen as a disadvantage as this meant there was no specific person delegating the work between the members of the team (Fisher, 2000). Therefore, we agreed to work together and decided to distribute the work evenly between us. By doing this, it can be said that we were a consolidating team as each of us knew what work had to be done for the following meeting (Woodcock, 1979). Each member kept to their designated tasks and completed it well however exact roles within the group were not noticeable. As time was a huge factor, I felt the team pulled together very well, producing and delivering a successful presentation. Having delivered the formative presentation, at the end of week two, each team was given the remit for the summative presentation. As a group we came to the decision that we would meet before members went out to practice placements. In the first meeting where the summative presentation was discussed, as a group we decided the initial research for the topic should be split equally between us. As we recovered an excellent result whilst doing the formative presentation, we felt this method worked for us. We then agreed that the next meeting should consist of sharing the different information each group member had obtained. This would then enable us to decide what our presentation would be based on and hence what information should be provided in the presentation to acknowledge the audience about our service. The ‘storming’ and ‘norming’ stages of Tuckman and Jenson’s (1977) model took place in the following meetings. At this point I felt there were more evident roles within the team although it was clear each team member had their own individual strengths. According to Belbin’s (2001) team roles, I felt within the team we had a co-ordinator, implementer, plant, team worker and a specialist. As a team we were able to share ideas and work together to help each other out. The roles within the team changed overtime nd it could be seen some members of the group undertook more than one role. The group shared their ideas with each other in order to come up with a reasonable service to provide for the public. However, the team faced obstacles as the initial service did not meet the aims and objectives set out. To overcome this, we conversed as a team and did not let this fall back put our spirits down. Thinking of a service to involve all of our different professional disciplines was hard for the team as it had to focus upon paediatrics, as my course is directed at paediatric nursing. Some members of the team found it hard to grasp the concept of the service being aimed at paediatrics only, as their individual professions include treating adults as well as children. At this stage I found myself taking on a slight leadership role as my profession involves taking care of children and ensuring their needs are met. According to Belbin’s (2001) team roles, I felt my role in the team was a co-ordinator as well as a plant. At the end of meetings I found myself delegating small tasks to each individual so that research gathered could then be brought together in order to begin to build a foundation for our presentation. Another member of the group also took this role and we found working together produced efficient and faster results. As time progressed, members of the team began to notice a couple of the group members were struggling with research and were not pulling their weight as much as the rest of the team. During our meetings, it could be seen that these members of the group, took on a specialist role within the group (Belbin, 2001). Even though they provided some knowledge and skills to the group, this was seen to be on a rare basis and contribution to the task was minimal (Belbin, 2001). Personally I was disappointed as time was a factor and certain areas of research were not being carried out. A team leader can be defined as one who can persuade people to agree with their way of working through a non coercive manner (Marquis & Huston, 2009). On the other hand, any one can be a leader, and each can have their own different behavioural style (Cartwright, 1951). Looking at this, any of the team members could have spoken to the remaining group members regarding their lack of input towards the presentation. Analysing the situation, shows that I took more of a Laissez-faire type of leadership style as I never confronted the group members who did not contribute as much as others (Cartwright, 1951). As the deadline approached, the team members carried out the remainder of the research in order to finalise the presentation. My role had now become a completer/ finisher as well as still aiming to co-ordinate the team and be a team worker. This meant along with helping others, I also had the task of ensuring all the work was completed to a high standard. With the help from other team members, I was able to ensure all outcomes had been achieved, ready to deliver the final presentation. Fortunately we moved into the performing stage fairly quickly which aided making up for time lost during the extended storming phase. The team worked very well together and rarely needed my input as a co-ordinator. Members were working harmoniously in order to complete the task and therefore, my main role at this stage was to facilitate the process and complete my aspect of the task. As stated above, taking the role as completer, I made sure everything was done to the best of the team’s ability. Mini deadlines were set to keep the team working at a comfortable pace, ensuring all team members could discuss their progress with one another. The other two members of the team as well as my self, who shared the role as co-ordinators, set a deadline before the presentation was to be delivered in order to give us enough time to correct any problems. This gave the group enough time to rehearse the presentation and ensure that the work produced was to the best of our ability. The latest vision for the improvement of healthcare states a greater level of communication between healthcare professionals is vital (UK Department of Health, 2008). Going through the process of working with other healthcare professionals was a simulation of what working inter-professionally in the real world would be like. The conflicts that were come across, especially those that arose from members having different healthcare backgrounds and therefore making time an issue, gave a true picture of how difficult this new vision will be to achieve. However, it also taught us how these problems can be overcome and how having an understanding and appreciation of other healthcare professional’s responsibilities is crucial for integrated patient care. Simple things, for example, re-iterating common goals made the team’s performance more focussed. On the whole, the process and concept of inter-professional learning to achieve a successful outcome was a very valuable task in preparing us to work as a team in the healthcare environment and is now crucial to achieve the best possible patient care available.

Metapath Case Report Essay

1. PURPOSE The purpose of this briefing note is to provide recommendations for Metapath Software Corp. (â€Å"Metapath†) on its financing offers received in September 1997. These two offers came from 1) a fund consortium led by Robertson Stephens Omega Fund (â€Å"RSC†) and Technology Crossover Ventures (â€Å"TCV†) and 2) CellTech Communications (â€Å"CellTech†), a vendor of wireless technology which had recently gone IPO. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Metapath has made good progress in developing its business since its inception – generating $6.4m revenue in the September quarter of 1997 with representation of three large customers. However, with the ambition to win a good chance of IPO within the next two years, more capital needed to be raised to gain traction in customer acquisition and smooth out current quarter-to-quarter revenues. Metapath has received two offers as at September 1997 and they are discussed as follows: RSC and TCV consortium offered to buy $11.75 million of stock at a $76 million pre-money valuation (â€Å"Series E Preferred†). The proposed stock instrument was a participating convertible stock (â€Å"PCPT†). This instrument functions the same as the convertible preferred stock in the event of a qualified public offering whereas in the event of a sale, RSC and TCV consortium not only receives the face value of the consideration, but also gets the equity participation. CellTech offered Met apath’s shareholders to receive common stock at closing in CellTech at $115 million. 3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS The problems associated with the offers from RSC and TCV consortium are listed as follows: Proposed stock instrument is extremely dilutive to the founders in the event of a sale where the liquidity preference will reduce  the amount of funds available to the other four tranches from previous investments. If the Metapath goes public, the percentage of ownership for C & D tranches will be further diluted, after RSC and TCV consortium exercises its liquidity preference. The problems associated with the offers from CellTech are listed as follows: CellTech’s liquidity and financing issues. Strategic/Business fit between CellTech and Metapath. 4. ANALYSIS Comparing the term sheet of the offer from RSC and TCV consortium to that of CellTech, RSC and TCV’s PCPT had a much more dilutive impact to Metapath upon exit. Under liquidation, the term sheet stipulates that the Series E investors is entitled to claim its initial investment of $10.75 million plus any accrued but unpaid dividend. Any proceeds after this claim will then be distributed to all common and Series E Preferred shareholders on an as-converted pro-rata basis. This double dipping means that RSC will not only recover its initial investment of $5 millions, but also enjoys the convertible benefits. As a result, if the sale occurs before 2000, the profitability for A-D tranches will be negatively impacted by the ‘preferred’ characteristic in the Series E. However if the sale occurs after 2000, A and B tranches will be gradually redeemed on an annual basis, which will leave C and D tranches to be mostly impacted adversely by the preferred characteristic in the Series E stock. Under the circumstance of an IPO, tranches C, D and E will convert to common at their negotiated prices while A & B will be redeemed. However, on the flip side, the price offered by RSC and TCV consortium was $6, which was significantly higher than the first three rounds of financing (tranches A,B and C) at $1.05 and final round (tranche D) at $1.62. PCPT instrument was created to enable the consortium to mitigate the risks in the event of a sale/liquidation that would be of the founders’ interests and  value destroying. CellTech’s valuation of $115 million was certainly attractive for a company like Metapath with a revenue run rate of $25.6 million. However, this represents approximately 30% of the totally capitalisation. The willingness from CellTech to sacrifice such a large amount of capital indicates that either CellTech genuinely believed that Metapath would contribute significantly to the synergies to the NewCo or there could be asymmetric information hidden from the management. It signalled CellTech’s underlying business might have limited upside. This issue needs to be further investigated if offer is accepted from CellTech. In addition, CellTech’s balance sheet indicated ongoing liquidity and financing risks. As we can see from the table below, the company continued to face liquidity pressure where its cash ratio and quick ratio deteriorated over the course from 1995 to 1997. CellTech had six consecutive quarters operating loss, which indicated that its unhealthy operating cash flow ratio. Doubts were raised whether CellTech was a good strategic fit to Metapath’s business model. This is due to the fact that CellTech’s products were mostly hardware-based and installed in the field with cellular base stations, whereas Metapath’s products largely consisted of software running on standard server platforms in the wireless switching office. The only benefit gauged regarding this point was that some of CellTech’s engineers could potentially be useful to Metapath’s development group. 5. CONCLUSIONS The recommendation for Metapath is to take the offer from RSC and TCV consortium. Even though CellTech has performed well since the IPO and bullish views from the stock analysts, its potential information asymmetry issues and liquidity risk could harm the value of Metapath post acquisition. The limited strategic fit is also of our concern, which might constrain Metapath’s growth potential. With our ambition to lead Metapath to IPO, we see RSC and TCV consortium as a better fit in this case. Tranches A and B’s  interests will be protected through their initial capital structures. Tranches C and D’s interests will be diluted; however it enables Metapath to continue its growth momentum with limited downside.

Organizational Behavior and Management Essay

In viewing the Manager’s Hot Seat: Working in Teams: Cross-Functional, I was able to distinguish the difference between the words team and teamwork. Team refers to a small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for performance results ( Schermerhorm,2011). In this video, yes there was team that consisted of Rosa Denson, Cheng Jing, Simon Mahoney and Joe Tanney who plays the role of team leader for an assigned high priority project. Working in teams is essential in this age of rapidly changing technology, market-driven decision making, customer sophistication, and employee restlessness, as leaders and managers are faced with new challenges . Organizations must build new structures and master new skills in order to compete and survive. And in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness, a group effort is required as it reads in the article MindTools. In the video, the members work in the same organization but at different departmental levels with different knowledge and skills. How these people interact and relate to one another is a key factor in determining how successful the team will be at achieving its mission The group is made up of cross functional team members where there is input from people with a mixture of gender, race, age and ethnicity. It can be difficult managing a group like this because there are individual differences amongst each member. People vary among the layers of diversity: 1) personality, which is unique to every individual, 2) internal dimensions which is race and age, 3) external dimensions which includes religion and marital status and 4) organizational dimensions such as job title(McGraw Hill, 2007) These factors are likely to influence interpersonal relationships and the ability to work with others. Working together is part of many organizations that believe that by practicing teamwork skills can help produce better products and provide better services, faster and at a lower cost. However, there was no evidence of teamwork in this video. There was no defined process of people working together to accomplish a common goal, which is the definition of teamwork. Instead there was a group of knowledgeable people, who did not want responsibility and had no initiative for such project. In fact, Tuckman’s group development model should have been added to the agenda as a refresher course for all members. Schermerhorn defines Tuckman’s development model in stages. Stage 1 of the model is forming, and this was evident in the beginning of the meeting with the initial formation of the group discussing where tasks are understood by members and resources and information that delegated by the leader, in this case Joe. But it wasn’t long into the meeting where storming was evident. Individuals began to question and challenge the given task. Members disagree on the goal of the team and resist the given task. At this point personal to emotional excuses began to surface. I do not think I witnessed the rest of the stages, except the adjourning part. There was no norming stage where the team moves toward harmonious working practices where there is agreement. In fact, Joe the acting leader had to assign different tasks according to his perception of each one. And there was no performing stage displaying functional, interdependent roles that were focused on the performance of the group tasks among the members. In fact, group cohesiveness was not evident, with everyone having an agenda of their own, the interaction and motivation between them was very low. The cohesiveness that should have bonded the small group together and come up with solutions for the problem was not evident. The book states that in order for effective teams to thrive these factors need to be established and be in place: achieve and maintain high levels of task performance achieve and maintain high levels of member satisfaction and retain viability for the future (Schermerhorn, 2011) . With this said, the benefits of effective work teams within an organization are very considerable, and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication on the part of management and team members to develop, implement and maintain effective work teams. I believe that the team in the video is not team, but rather a group of people discussing an organizations’ project based on the fact that there was no commitment to the task at hand. Every member in an organization has a task to do. These roles are the expected behaviors for a given position in an organization. Sometimes roles can disrupt group progress and weaken its cohesion. For example, Rosa demonstrated role conflict when she involved her personal life with her job. She was a self-confessor, disclosing personal feelings and issues. Simon was the opinion giver, expressing his own personal opinions as to why such project has not worked before without offering solutions. Simon can also be labeled a blocker. Joe was the initiator or contributor to the team. He would propose new ideas of getting the project completed by finding solutions to the problems the rest of the team members would come up with. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change.

Great Gatsby, Detailed Analysis, Passage Chapter 1 (p.13-15) Essay

In this passage Nick Carraway is visiting his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan, a former member of Nick’s social club at Yale University, on East Egg. Inside, Daisy lounges on a couch with her friend, Jordan Baker, a competitive golfer who yawns as though bored by her surroundings. As Nick enters he describes his two female companions in extreme detail. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses imagery on many occasions to aid the reader to picture the setting. He describes the women’s dresses fluttering in the wind as though they had â€Å"just been blown back in after a short flight around the house† (p.13). Fitzgerald also illustrates the women seeming to be â€Å"buoyed up..upon an anchored balloon† (p.13). He repeats the metaphor of balloons as he recounts that they seem to be â€Å"ballooning† to the ground as the wind calms. Nick, the narrator, goes on to describe his company. He does so in extreme detail. The author does this as to help us visualize Nick’s situation. The theme of white is inaugurated in this passage (â€Å"They were both in white†, p.13) emphasizing the innocence and pureness of Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. Fitzgerald makes the visualization of the visitation very simple for his readers by using vivid examples (â€Å"her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something on her chin†, p.14). He makes her appear almost statuesque. Jordan is portrayed as having a bored and apathetic attitude about everything, which is all part of her â€Å"I am too good for you† appearance. Jordan Baker seems to be ignoring Nick upon his entry (â€Å"If she saw me†¦she gave no hint of it-â€Å", p.14). This looks as though Jordan is playing hard to get. The mind games could be seen to be conveying that she is attracted to Nick. The narration stops and we hear Daisy’s voice for the first time (â€Å"I’m p-paralyzed with happiness†, p.14). Nick mentions her lightheartedness Daisy Buchanan’s illustration is very descriptive. She seems to have taken a greater deal of interest in Nick although there does appear to be a hint of awkwardness in the room, possibly due to the fact that the two have not seen each other in a lengthy period of time. She is not labeled beautiful, the reader does however get an inkling that she is, as there seems to be a sort of aura surrounding her (â€Å"That was a way she had.† p.14). The narrator tells the reader a little bit about himself and how he is not used to the posh lifestyle of the people of East Egg (â€Å"..any exhibition of complete self-sufficiency draws a stunned tribute from me†, p.14). This could mean that Nick is used to a more family orientated lifestyle were friends and family supported and trusted one another more. As the conversation between Daisy and Nick continues, Scott Fitzgerald decides to go into even more detail about Daisy. He catalogs her speech in extreme detail (â€Å"..in her low thrilling voice†¦the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down†¦as if each speech is an arrangement of notes.†, p.14). Nick does not only comment on Daisy’s voice but also her general appearance, her face, her eyes and even her mouth. The narrator’s portrayal of Daisy leads the reader to believe that she is a person of great beauty. A lady with whom one could easily fall in love with. Nick is almost obsessional about his cousin, Nick not being the only one in the course of the book. F. Scott Fitzgerald really triumphs in his use of language. His language is full of concrete verbal images which are incredibly appealing to the senses. Furthermore his descriptions of setting, characters and symbolism are in such sheer detail, it is impossible for the reader not to begin imagining what it, she, he or they must have looked or even sounded like. This passage introduces us to two of the novel’s major characters, Daisy and Jordan. It it also the first time we get a real taster of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s descriptive abilities.

The List of All US Colleges with a Public Relations Major

Are you someone who can’t help but tell all your friends about your new favorite things? Maybe it’s a book you just read or a TV show you just finished, but as soon as you can, you’re looking for ways to tell more people so they can enjoy them too. Or maybe you love strategy and developing your campaign to run for student council was the highlight of your high school experience. Or maybe when something goes wrong at the nth hour, you’re the one everyone turns to for a solution—and you thrive on that adrenaline. If you can see yourself in any of those scenarios, Public Relations might be the major for you. Public Relations is a unique major that’s closely related to marketing, though they are different. In this major, you will develop strong writing and communication skills, learn data analysis, and set yourself up for success in a variety of fields. The most straightforward career path after studying Public Relations is, of course, to work in PR, either at a firm working on a variety of campaigns for different types of brands and products, or in-house for a specific brand working on all their products. Other careers that this major would prepare you well for include publicity, crisis management, and social media specialist, though strong writing and communication skills are highly sought after in many fields. It should come as no surprise that academic performance like your grades and test scores are important when applying as a Public Relations major. You will want an impressive GPA as well as a rigorous course load showing that you are taking advantage of your school’s available honors and AP classes, especially in classes that require strong writing skills like English and history courses. Because Public Relations is a more specialized major, one way to stand out is to curate your extracurriculars to demonstrate your interest early on. Look for school-level activities that relate to the skills you want to develop further with a Public Relations degree, like the newspaper, debate team, student council, and event planning committees. You can also look into interning with or shadowing a PR professional in your area. There’s a lot to consider when thinking of developing your college profile, which is why the Early Advising Program can help you decide on a strategy for your Public Relations application as early as 9 th or 10 th grade. You’ll be paired with a specialist who will help you decide on courses, pursue extracurriculars, and answer your early-stage college application questions. Because Public Relations is a more specialized major, fewer schools offer degree programs. This might be the biggest way you narrow down your school list, but even when looking just at schools with Public Relations majors, there is still a variety of other factors to consider, like size, location, or the feel of the campus. That’s why one of the best ways you can improve your chances of being accepted as a Public Relations major is creating a list of schools that are a good fit for you academically and personally. With the College Strategy Program , can help you build a strong school list as early as 11 th grade. You’ll work one on one with a specialist to tailor your school list based on your preferences and, with our exclusive chancing engine, understand how your profile compares to similar applicants. Because Public Relations is a field that requires strong communications skills, you will want to take extra care while writing your college application essays. Choose topics true to who you are and allow your voice to shine through while remaining within the prompt. This is your last opportunity to demonstrate your passion and predisposition for Public Relations, so your writing samples are especially important. With the Applications Program , you’ll be paired with an admissions specialist who will help you develop an essay strategy for applying to your top schools. They will provide one-on-one guidance throughout the admissions process and help you submit your best applications. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. 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