Assessing the past performance of a security or asset Research Paper

Assessing the past performance of a security or asset - Research Paper Example Secondly, asset turnover is an important reflection of the sales against assets relationship which can be used to demonstrate performance. The other ROE tool is the financial leverage function that highlights the measure of assets against shareholders’ equity. ROE is therefore a fair representation of elements of the balance sheet as well as the income statement since the variables uses in these rations are picked from the two performance reports. To obtain ROE, the three ratios are multiplied to demonstrate the summary of the performance. From such an assessment, it is possible for investors to monitor the performance of the investment in which they have an interest on. Alternatively, another important performance indicator usually applied in economics is the return on assets (ROA). Simpler in calculation than ROE, ROA reflects actual performance that every investment unit has over a particular period. One of the two ways to obtain ROA is multiplication of asset turnover with the profit margin which reflects performance with respect to total return element on assets (Higgins 2001, p37). On the other hand, net income against assets gives the same consideration. Apparently, this tool of performance is also a reflection of variables of the balance sheet as well as the income statement which account for performance over a specific period. Further asset turnover analyses through a number of control ratios enables consideration of specific asset types for clearer asset performance. Some of these control ratios include; inventory turnover, fixed asset turnover, collection period, days’ sales in cash and payables period. Liquidity ratios also assist in determination of performance which determines the management’s application of returns in furthering business and investment. In terms of operating capital requires a certain sufficiency level

The Rate of Diffusion Essay Example for Free

The Rate of Diffusion Essay Abstract I found that this experiment gives me an understanding on how osmosis and  diffusion works. In its simplicity, it explains the process that our bodies (mainly cells)  use all the time. It also showed me that even with the temperature changing, it doesnt  drastically change the rate of diffusion. Introduction Diffusion is important in all living systems. Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration (Purchon 1). Diffusion is the movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to low concentration (Biological 21). With this knowledge we tried to recreate diffusion for students to understand the process. The dialysis bags represented our selectively permeable membrane with the fluid inside it, sucrose. How much of the substance moves from the cup to the bag quickly depends on the temperature of the substance. The class used four different temperatures to measure the rate of diffusion. I thought that the rate of diffusion would increase as temperature increased because the more heat put into the process the quicker the molecules will move. The null hypothesis is that no matter what the temperature is the rate of diffusion will stay the same. Materials and Methods The materials used were a dialysis bag, string, pipet, beaker with water, 10% sucrose water, and a balance. The variables that we made standardized were the concentration of the solute, length of the dialysis bags, and time. Each group poured 10 milliliters of 10% sucrose into two 15 cm long dialysis bags and bent the end of the bags and tied them. Then the bags were immersed in water, dried, and measured. Next the bags were put into room temperature (about 20 °C), 60 ° C, 45 °C, or ice water (0 °C). Each group measured the bags three more times at 10 minute intervals drying them off each time. Once they finished, each group subtracted the final measurement from the initial to see how quickly the water diffused into or out of the bag. My partner and I did the experiment twice, once with ice water and the next in room temperature water. We had two dialysis bags for each of the two experiments that we did. The independent variable is ______________. The dependent variable is __________. Results The first two tables are the information that my partner and I got through our two experiments. The data from our experiments show that the rate of diffusion was faster with the room temperature water. The last table shows the classs data. The classs results show that the rate of diffusion occurs the fastest in room temperature water. Both my data and the rest of the classs data show that the rate of diffusion is fastest in room temperature water. The overall total weights of the dialysis bags immersed in room temperature water weighed the most which shows the rate of diffusion being the fastest in those experiments. Table 1 Graph 1: The Change in weight of the 2 diallysis bags of 10 ml of 10% sucrose left in ice water (2 °C). Time in minutes Weight of 1st bag in grams Weight of 2nd bag in grams 0 10.93 10.89 10 11.49 11.28 20 11.76 11.66 30 12.05 11.94 Total weight gained in each bag 1.12 1.05 Table Graph 2: The change in weight in the 2 dialysis bags of 10ml of 10% sucrose left in room temperature water (21 °C). Time in minutes Weight of 1st bag in grams Weight of 2nd bag in grams 0 10.92 10.92 10 11.56 11.45 20 12.08 11.90 30 12.56 12.35 Total weight gained in each bag 1.64 1.43 The change in weight in the 2 dialysis bags of 10ml of 10% sucrose left in room temperature water (21 °C). Table Graph 3: Each groups change in weight of each of the dialysis bags in the different types of water. 21-23 ° C Room Temperature 47-49 ° C 59-60 ° C 2 ° C ice water -1.77 .03 -0.30 .24 .16 .20 -0.38 .61 .34 .28 .06 .76 .35 .40 .16 .77 .42 .68 .56 .88 .76 .73 .75 .93 1.01 .89 .76 .96 1.05 2.06 .83 1.01 1.60 2.21 1.14 1.02 1.12 1.25 1.03 1.12 1.42 1.05 1.33 1.12 1.39 1.19 1.42 1.30 1.43 1.34 1.47 1.45 1.52 1.56 1.61 1.64 1.75 1.78 Total Average weight gain 1.05 overall 0.83 0.57 0.98 Each groups change in weight of each of the dialysis bags in the different types of water. Discussion The data seems to agree with me in the fact that the rate of diffusion was the quickest in the room temperature water. My partners and my experiments average was 1.085 grams with the ice water and 1.53 with the room temperature water. This shows that the rate of diffusion was faster in the room temperature water, but not by much; it only had 0.445 grams more than the bags that were in ice water. In the classs experiments, the bags in room temperature water only weighed 0.07 grams more than the bags in ice water. The bags in the 47-49 ° C range came as third fastest, leaving 59-60 ° C range dead last. They varied by 0.26 grams. Overall the rate of diffusion didnt make a huge jump in any certain temperature change in the water. It changed slightly, but not enough to make quite an impact on the process. This data also shows that there wasnt much change overall between room temperature water, ice water, and the 47-49 ° C water. The problem with this data is the class chart. It seems as though overall people messed up in very common ways. Some of the data were in the negative which probably means they either didnt tie the dialysis bag tight enough or poked a whole in the bag. Also, some people didnt have enough  time to complete the experiment at the correct interval time.

Halfway There :: essays papers

Halfway There People. Droves of them, hustling off to their appointed gates with seventeen suitcases strapped to themselves like pack mules. All scowling, furrowing their brows. Hoping to get to where they want to go, and with all seventeen suitcases they came with. Me? I only had two bags, but one of them was large enough to be a body bag. Beside me was my cousin, a tall 16-year old, the jock type, with broad shoulders and pimple covered cheeks. He, of course, got stuck carrying my oversized bag. As we made our way past the ticket counter the automatic doors whooshed open, nearly sweeping us away in a blast of icy air. It was December in Vermont, which means one thing: cold. The kind of cold that hurt the skin, just breathing made people cough. As we zigged and zagged our way through the seething maze of bodies, we kept looking down at the flight information in my hands. â€Å"Gate B-17, I’m sure of it† I said, none too convincingly apparently, for he kept reading aloud the gates and their destinations. We reached a fairly quiet section of the airport, and all the sounds became subdued. It had the feel of a library to it: old, peaceful, and undisturbed. â€Å"Is that our gate?† I asked. He looked up at the monitor and said, â€Å"Flight 182 to Pittsburgh, I think that’s us.† We stepped up to the woman behind the counter and handed her our tickets. She looked up at us, crows’ feet at the edges of her eyes, soft blond hair, and slightly delicate hands, a very attractive middle-aged woman. She had a soft voice, meek and unassuming. â€Å"Right this way please,† she said. We followed her down the steep incline to the plane. The closer we got the louder the noise became, threatening to deafen us. I could see the pilots huddled over the glowing panels in the cockpit, pressing a button here, turning a knob there, and making me feel secure just by looking busy. We stepped into the cabin and the sound became suddenly muffled, like someone threw a wool blanket over us. As we sidestepped down the aisle, I kept glancing over my shoulder into the cockpit, maybe out of curiosity as to what all the flashing buttons did, or maybe to continually remind myself that the pilots knew what they were doing.

Democracy to Dictatorship in Lord of the Flies Essay -- Lord Flies Ess

Democracy to Dictatorship in Lord of the Flies      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel that represents a microcosm of society in a tale about children stranded on an island. Of the group of young boys there are two who want to lead for the duration of their stay, Jack and Ralph.   Through the opposing characters of Jack and Ralph, Golding reveals the gradual process from democracy to dictatorship from Ralph's democratic election to his lack of law enforcement to Jack's strict rule and his violent law enforcement.      Upon the arrival of the boys to the island Jack immediately found himself in the center of a power struggle. Although the conflict was brief, there was still a very obvious confrontation between Jack and Ralph. Once the boys had assembled themselves there was an election to see who was to be chief. Despite the fact that Ralph was voted leader, the desire to be in command never left Jack. Jack already had some leadership skills, being head choirboy at his old school, and he continuously challenged Ralph.   The greatest source of conflict between Jack and Ralph was the debate over the necessity of maintaining a fire. Ralph felt that it was necessary to keep it burning at all times while Jack believed that hunting pigs and getting meat was much more essential.    Ralph was elected shortly after their arrival to the island, but his time in power came to end quite gradually. He tried to run his group through a democratic type system in which all major decision were first discussed at an assembly before they were put into action. At these assemblies his views were questioned not only by Jack, but by the other boys as well. Even the ideas that the assembly could agree on usually weren't pu... ...rd. Lord of the Flies. By William Golding. New York: Berkley, 1954. Gunton, Sharon R., ed. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale, 1981. 68 vols. Magill, Frank N., ed. Masterplots. Vol. 2. Englewood Cliffs: n.p., 1949. 3 vols.    Comments: 1. Your paper could have been stronger had you used more quotes.   Each time you make a specific point concerning the novel, you should back up your point by using a specific quote from that novel.   That way your readers have proof that your point is valid. 2. Also when quoting you must always place in parentheses the name of the author and the page on which the quote can be found.   This way your readers can look up the quotes for themselves. 3. Quotation marks (") should be uses to surround the whole quote while apostrophes ('') should be used to surround inner speeches of quotes.   

Market Equilibration Process Essay

The economy affects all areas of one’s life and understanding the laws of supply and demand allow one to understand when the market is in a state of equilibrium. This paper discusses market equilibrium associated with the supply and demand of sugar cane in Brazil. The author will discuss the law of supply and demand with the detriments of demand and supply, describe efficient markets theory, and explain surplus and shortage. Brazil Brazil is one of the world’s largest suppliers of sugar, but inclement weather has decreased sugar supply. Brazil delivers more than 50% of the world’s sugar, and the 2011 decline is the first since 2006 (Roseman, 2011). With the decreased sugar crop, the price of sugar is increasing, thus all products using sugar will increase in price as a result of the shortage. The rise in the cost against the supply and demand of sugar takes the sugar market out of equilibrium. Market equilibrium can only be established when quantity demanded meets the quantity supplied (McConnell, Brue, & Flynn, 2009). See the graph showing the market for sugar in a state of equilibrium, and the market as supplies dwindle and prices rise. For the sugar to reach market equilibrium again the supply of sugar must be raised or the demand for sugar must decrease. By raising the price of sugar, the market demand will decrease, thus causing the market to reach a state of equilibrium again. The Law of Supply and Demand For one to understand market equilibrium, one must have a valid understanding of the law of supply and demand. Generally speaking, the law of supply and demand is defined as the producers supplying the goods that people are  searching for or want (What is Economics?, n.d.). A higher demand of product causes manufacturers to increase price, but increased price means consumers are less likely to purchase, thus causing a shift in the supply and demand of the product. Likewise, if a product is in short supply, the demand increases causing producers to increase price, thus decreasing demand (McConnell et al., 2009). Efficient Market Theory â€Å"A competitive market not only rations goods to consumers, but allocates society’s resources efficiently to the particular product† (McConnell et al., 2009, p. 56). This happens because competitors will use the latest technology and resources to ensure production costs remain low, thus allowing competitors to compete for the best price in the market. This results in productive efficiency or producing products in the least expensive way (McConnell et al., 2009). In addition to productive efficiency, competitive markets also have one other attribute. Competitive markets produce allocative efficiency, or the producers’ ability to provide the â€Å"best mix of products and services that consumers’ value† (McConnell et al., 2009, p. 56). The efficient market theory suggests that producers of goods and services control the market by identifying the most competitive pricing. Surplus and Shortage Everyone has a definition of surplus and shortage, but in economics these two bring special situations into the economy. Surplus and shortage cause fluctuations of price from the level of market equilibrium. A surplus of goods in any area causes consumer prices to drop, thus hurting the competitive market (McConnell et al., 2009). Consumers buy the surplus, but organizations sell at a loss. Just as surplus of goods hurts the competitive market, so does a shortage. A shortage is created when the price of a good drops below the equilibrium level, thus raising consumer demand. The demand for the product is higher than the quantity supplied (McConnell et al., 2009). This will drive consumer prices higher, thus causing more and more consumers to stop buying the product. Although one might see a higher price to consumers as a benefit to the suppliers, in the end it results in lost profit as a result of lost sales. Conclusion To effectively manage, own, or market products one must have valid understanding of the market equilibration process. This process is essential to understanding what governs supplier production, consumer costs, and organizational profit. To remain in the competitive market, the organization must strive to remain at the cusp of an equilibrium market. References Colander, D. C., Sephton, P., & Richter, C. (2003). Chapter 5: Using supply and demand. In Macroeconomics (2nd Canadian ed., pp. 104-131). Retrieved from http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0070901104/information_center_view0/sample_chapter.html McConnell, C. R., Brue, S. L., & Flynn, S. M. (2009). Economics: Principles, problems, & policies (18th ed.). Retrieved from https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/OSIRIS:47397274/context/co/view/home Roseman, E. (2011, July 7). Poor Brazilian crop threatens sugar supplies. The Sovereign Investor Daily. Retrieved from http://thesovereigninvestor.com/commodities/sugar-supplies-threatened-by-poor-brazilian-crop/ What is Economics? (n.d.). http://www.whatiseconomics.org/the-law-of-supply-and-demand

Rate of Radioactive Decay Worked Example Problem

Rate of Radioactive Decay Worked Example Problem You can use the equation of the rate of radioactive decay to find how much of an isotope is left after a specified length of time. Here is an example of how to set up and work the problem. Problem 22688Ra, a common isotope of radium, has a half-life of 1620 years. Knowing this, calculate the first order rate constant for the decay of radium-226 and the fraction of a sample of this isotope remaining after 100 years. Solution The rate of radioactive decay is expressed by the relationship: k 0.693/t1/2 where k is the rate and t1/2 is the half-life. Plugging in the half-life given in the problem: k 0.693/1620 years 4.28 x 10-4/year Radioactive decay is a first order rate reaction, so the expression for the rate is: log10 X0/X kt/2.30 where X0 is the quantity of radioactive substance at zero time (when the counting process starts) and X is the quantity remaining after time t. k is the first order rate constant, a characteristic of the isotope that is decaying. Plugging in the values: log10 X0/X (4.28 x 10-4/year)/2.30 x 100 years 0.0186 Taking antilogs: X0/X 1/1.044 0.958 95.8% of the isotope remains

Qu preguntan en la entrevista de visa de novios (K-1)

Qu preguntan en la entrevista de visa de novios (K-1) La entrevista para la visa de novios K-1 es un paso fundamental que en buena parte determina su aprobacià ³n negacià ³n de este tipo de visa. La entrevista tiene lugar en una embajada o consulado de los Estados Unidos y es un requisito obligatorio para el novio o la prometida de un ciudadano estadounidense para el que se pide la visa K-1. Solo despuà ©s podr ver estampado su pasaporte con la visa que le autoriza a ingresar a los Estados Unidos. Una vez en el paà ­s deber casarse con el ciudadano que le patrocinà ³ en el plazo mximo de 90 dà ­as e iniciar un proceso de ajuste de estatus, para asà ­ completar la tramitacià ³n de la tarjeta de residencia, tambià ©n conocida como green card. Este artà ­culo contiene informacià ³n sobre preguntas que generalmente los oficiales consulares realizan a los prometidos de ciudadanos. No tienen por quà © ser iguales, pero son de ese tipo y buscan lo mismo: asegurarse de que la relacià ³n entre los novios es verdadera y no se trata de un fraude para ingresar asà ­ a los Estados Unidos y obtener los papeles.   Asimismo, se aclaran los requisitos de entrevista para los nià ±os para los que se solicita una visa K-2. Ejemplos de preguntas para la visa de novios K-1 Los dos novios tiene que presentarse, el dà ­a y a la hora que se les cite, en el consulado al que corresponda tramitar este tipo de documentos en el lugar en el que vive el prometido o prometida extranjero. Entre las preguntas que puede es comà ºn que se realicen destacan: Preguntas sobre la relacià ³n Cà ³mo se conocieron, cundo y dà ³nde.Por quà © desean contraer matrimonio y que el novio/a extranjero/a se mude a Estados Unidos y cules son los planes una vez se encuentre allà ­.Si quieren tener hijos.Quà © aficiones, hobbies, tienen en comà ºn y que disfrutan de hacer conjuntamente.Cà ³mo solucionan las peleas de novios.Quà © es lo que ms gusta del novio/a ¿Cà ³mo fue la proposicià ³n de matrimonio? ¿Hubo fiesta de compromiso o pedida formal de mano?Preguntas sobre el novio/a americano del tipo de cundo es su cumpleaà ±os, dà ³nde ha vivido, dà ³nde nacià ³, en quà © consiste su trabajo, etc. ¿Se ha estado previamente en Estados Unidos? Si la respuesta es afirmativa, se puede preguntar por cunto tiempo y con quà © tipo de visa.Si los prometidos no comparten la misma religià ³n, es posible que se pregunte sobre cà ³mo se resolverà ­an las diferencias ocasionadas por las diferentes creencias.Preguntas sobre la familia del novio/a americano del tipo:  ¿cun tos hermanos tiene?  ¿Dà ³nde viven sus padres?Si no se comunican fluidamente en el mismo idioma, esto tambià ©n ser probablemente objeto de preguntas. Cundo fue la à ºltima vez que se vieron los novios en persona. Preguntas sobre los planes de boda  ¿Se ha reservado ya el lugar del banquete? ¿Cundo se va a celebrar? ¿Quià ©nes son los invitados? ¿Puedo ver alguna tarjeta de invitacià ³n a la boda o alguna prueba de los planes que se estn haciendo para la celebracià ³n del matrimonio? Y es que es muy importante insistir en que la boda tiene que celebrarse antes de que transcurran 90 dà ­as a contar desde el momento de ingreso a Estados Unidos con una visa K-1. Si no hay matrimonio con la persona que patrocinà ³ la visa, la persona extranjera tiene que salir de los Estados Unidos. Ninguna pregunta es particularmente extraà ±a. Siempre y cuando se trate de dos novios de verdad generalmente no hay mayores problemas para responder a las preguntas del oficial consular que conduce la entrevista. Reglas para la entrevista para los solicitantes de una visa K-2 Los K-2 son los hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os de una persona para la que se pide la K-1 de prometido.   No hay reglas fijas que regulen la entrevista. Y asà ­, depende de las normas internas de cada consulado decidir si se entrevista a los nià ±os o no. Por regla general puede decirse que los mayores son entrevistados y los ms pequeà ±os no. Si hay entrevista las preguntas ms comunes tratan de averiguar si el nià ±o conoce al ciudadano americano que se va a convertir en su madrastra o padrastro y cules fueron las circunstancias y preguntas semejantes. La visa K-2 se pide para hijos biolà ³gicos, adoptivos o hijastros de personas para las que se solicita la visa K-1. Pero es imprescindible que la persona que es la K-1 tenga custodia legal de esos nià ±os y, si la comparte, tenga el permiso del otro progenitor para sacar los nià ±os del paà ­s de su paà ­s de residencia y llevrselos a vivir a los Estados Unidos.   Quià ©n toma la decisià ³n de conceder o rechazar la visa K-1 y K-2 El oficial del consulado que tramita la visa tiene la palabra final sobre la aprobacià ³n del mismo. Puede negarla por mà ºltiples razones. Por ejemplo, si cree que la relacià ³n es fraudulenta y su à ºnico fin es obtener los papeles. Otra causa es que el ciudadano patrocinador no tiene ingresos suficientes para mantener a su novio. Y otra razà ³n puede ser que la persona para la que se piden los papeles sea inadmisible. Es decir, que no pueda obtener la tarjeta de residencia. Quià ©n puede solicitar la visa de novios Recordar que esta visa, tambià ©n conocida como de prometido, sà ³lo la pueden solicitar los ciudadanos americanos para sus parejas para que à ©stas puedan viajar a Estados Unidos con la finalidad de contraer matrimonio en los 90 dà ­as siguientes a su ingreso al paà ­s.   Es decir, los residentes permanentes legales no pueden pedir a sus novios, ya que las categorà ­as de personas para las que pueden pedir los papeles es mucho ms limitada que la que existe para los ciudadanos. Recordar que dentro del tà ©rmino ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos est incluida la categorà ­a de puertorriqueà ±os. Adems, resaltar que esta visa la pueden solicitar los estadounidenses para sus parejas de otro sexo, es decir, las heterosexuales, pero que tambià ©n pueden pedirlas gays, lesbianas, bisexuales y transexuales para contraer matrimonio con una persona de su mismo sexo. Consejo y alternativas a la visa K-1 No hay porquà © estar nervioso ante la entrevista. Si la relacià ³n es verdadera lo ms probable es que los novios sepan quà © contestar a cada una de las preguntas. En todo caso, puede ser aconsejable repasar conjuntamente las respuestas a las preguntas ms comunes. En cuanto a las alternativas a la K-1 la que se le ocurre a mayor nà ºmero de personas es la de ingresar a Estados Unidos con visa de turista y despuà ©s casarse. Esto no est prohibido pero puede dar lugar a muchos problemas migratorios si la intencià ³n es quedarse en el paà ­s y arreglar los papeles. Por otro lado, si la pareja est ya casada legalmente, aunque el matrimonio se hubiera celebrado fuera de Estados Unidos, los ciudadanos siempre pueden realizar una peticià ³n de residencia por matrimonio o, en casos ms excepcionales, solicitar una visa K-3 para su cà ³nyuge. Finalmente, tener en cuenta los problemas que pueden surgir si el ciudadano que quiere una green card su pareja no ha residido recientemente en los Estados Unidos.

Proposed Lyrics for the Spanish National Anthem

Proposed Lyrics for the Spanish National Anthem Spain has long been one of the few countries with no lyrics for its national anthem, known as La marcha real (The Royal March). But the Spanish national anthem does have unofficial lyrics, which have been written not only in Spanish, but also in Basque, Catalan, and Galician. Source of Proposed Anthem Lyrics Spains national Olympics committee held a contest in 2007 to come up with suitable lyrics, and the words below are those penned by the winner, a 52-year-old unemployed resident of Madrid, Paulino Cubero. Unfortunately for the Olympics committee, the lyrics immediately became the subject or criticism and even ridicule by political and cultural leaders. Within a few days of the lyrics becoming known it became clear that they would never be endorsed by the Spanish parliament, so the Olympics panel said it would withdraw the winning words. They were criticized, among other things, for being banal and too reminiscent of the Franco regime. Lyrics to La Marcha Real  ¡Viva Espaà ±a!Cantemos todos juntoscon distinta vozy un solo corazà ³n. ¡Viva Espaà ±a!Desde los verdes vallesal inmenso mar,un himno de hermandad.Ama a la Patriapues sabe abrazar,bajo su cielo azul,pueblos en libertad.Gloria a los hijosque a la Historia danjusticia y grandezademocracia y paz. La Marcha Real in English Long live Spain!Let us all sing togetherwith a distinctive voiceand one heart.Long live Spain!From the green valleysto the immense seaa hymn of brotherhood.Love the Fatherlandfor it knows to embrace,under its blue sky,peoples in freedom.Glory to the sons and daughterswho give to Historyjustice and greatness,democracy and peace. Translation Notes Note that the title of the Spanish national anthem, La marcha real, is written with only the first word capitalized. In Spanish, as in many other languages such as French, it is customary to capitalize only the first word of composition titles unless one of the other words is a proper noun. Viva, often translated as long live, comes from the verb vivir, meaning to live. Vivir is often used as a pattern for conjugating regular -ir verbs. Cantemos, translated here as let us sing, is an example of the imperative mood in the first-person plural. The verb endings of -emos for -ar verbs and -amos for -er and -ir verbs are  used as the equivalent of the English let us verb. Corazà ³n is the word for the heart. Like the English word, corazà ³n can be used figuratively to refer to the seat of emotions. Corazà ³n comes from the same Latin source as English words such as coronary and crown. Patria and Historia are capitalized in this hymn because they are personified, treated as figurative persons. This also explains why the personal a is used with both words. Note how the adjectives come before the nouns in the phrases verdes valles (green valleys) and inmenso mar (deep sea). This word order provides an emotional or poetical component to the adjectives in a way that isnt readily translatable to English. You might think of verdant rather than green, for example, and fathomless rather than deep. Pueblo is a collective noun used in much the same way as its English cognate, people. In the singular form, it refers to multiple persons. But when it becomes plural, it refers to groups of people. Hijo is the word for son, and hija is the word for daughter. However, the masculine plural form, hijos, is used when referring to sons and daughters together.

The relationship between the foreign direct investment and the growth Dissertation

The relationship between the foreign direct investment and the growth and development of the underdeveloped and developing countries - Dissertation Example According to the study the economy of China has been showing continuous growth and development in previous few years. The economists and analysts acknowledge the dramatic improve in the economy of China with the passage of time as the country has evolved from underdeveloped country to an emerging and developed world economy. Most of the countries and analysts have been looking towards China in order to provide financial support to different underdeveloped and developing countries. In this regard huge emphasis is on the Chinese investment in the African countries. Foreign direct investment has an important role to play in improving the economic condition of the country. Particularly if the country is developing then it could assist in improving and igniting investment in the country and therefore creating more employment and more opportunities for people to earn. In addition to this, foreign direct investment could help in growing the economy and improving the productivity of labour. However there are some disadvantages as well. African countries have been one of the most profitable and lucrative and this is the reason why several countries like United States, European Countries, Japan, China and several others have been making investment in African countries. Therefore this indicates that there are several opportunities in this part of the world. The foreign direct investment inflows of several African countries have been improving and the situation looks positive for this part of the world. With more investment, African developing countries would be able to improve their economies. ... 1.2. Background of the Research Study: China has been making investment in different parts of the world including African countries. Ethiopia and Nigeria are also among the two countries that China has eyed already for investment purpose. In both these countries, China has invested in different projects and some of the projects are regarding the infrastructure of the country and therefore China has already completed and has under process different projects with Nigeria and Ethiopia. In Nigeria, China has invested in different sectors including mining, banking sector, service industries, financial sector, manufacturing sector, real estate sector and several others. In addition to this, with Nigeria Chinese firms have formed joint ventures and together they are identifying, analysing and capitalising on the opportunities in the market. Some of the major projects that China has undergone with Nigerian firms are related to oil and gas exploration, service industry, financial services etc (Oyeranti, Babatunde, and Ogunkola, 2011). In comparison to this, in Ethiopia the Chinese government has helped the African nation in several ways as it has invested and helped them in improving the infrastructure of the country. China has already helped by giving financial support in the form of interest free loan to Ethiopia so that the government is able to develop the infrastructure and provide facilities to the people in the country. Also Chinese firms that have started their venture in Ethiopia have also helped the locals to improve their skills and competencies. China also has invested in different projects related to the infrastructure of Ethiopia in order to improve the situation of the

Poverty and Social Inequality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poverty and Social Inequality - Essay Example This essay seeks to examine the social problem of poverty and social inequality in terms of its current situation, how it affects people, the attitudes of people towards poverty. This study will delve in the main topic of poverty and social inequality under three main topics namely, the current poverty situation in America, The impact and influence of poverty on Americans and finally the attitudes towards poverty in America. The current poverty situation in America According to Locke (2012), the current social inequalities in America are manifested in the three main social classes namely the rich, the middle class and the poor citizens. The rich people have access to most of the country’s resources while the poor and the middle class have limited access to resources. There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor in the American society. The current economic situation is characterized with unemployment and high costs of living especially for the middle and lower classes (Lo cke, 2012). Huge increases in taxes for the middle and poor class citizens have only contributed to the unequal state of affairs. Locke (2012) claims that the current economic situation maintains social classes in the society by locking the poor people in the country from accessing quality education and decent jobs thus maintaining a vicious circle of poverty for most poor and middle class individuals. Yglesias (2012) on the other hand argues that the current poverty situation in the US emerged as a result of historical unequal distribution of resources and accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few individuals. The disparities in the social classes and the height of social inequalities became very clear during the economic recession (Yglesias, 2012). Despite these challenges, both the rich and the poor continue to work hard to reach their American dream which is to become all they ever wanted to be (Yglesias, 2012). One’s social class or poverty does not restrict them from working hard to achieve their dreams. Success in the American society is considered to be in terms of material possessions. According to Yglesias (2012), the current social class inequalities and poverty in the US are not stumbling blocks for most people, since they always find their own other ways of overcoming their class differences in order to achieve their desired goals. Anonymous. (2012) seems to agree with the opinion that Social class differences in the current economic situation in the US does not affect the mentality of the majority of the people in reaching their potential despite their class. It is the hard work that people put in whatever they do that makes the difference and not one’s current social class or poverty situation. The impact and influence of poverty on Americans Yglesias (2012), points out that poverty has had a huge impact on most citizens in the middle and poor class families. With the huge tax burden on the little income earned by the poor, they cannot access the best resources such as education, and health. Most of the poor citizens drop out of school at an early age (Yglesias, 2012). Poor American women get married earlier and bear children at a much younger age as

Quantum mechanics of atoms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Quantum mechanics of atoms - Essay Example This paper hence sets basis on the comprehensive and extensive discussion of the concepts behind this entire topic. It tries to bring out the general understanding as well as the practical application of this ultimate topic. Quantum mechanics of Atoms refers to the scientific study of smaller segments of scientific principles ascertaining on the behavioral properties of matter and their ultimate relations with energy based on the atomic scale as well as the subatomic particles [2]. The Classical physics describes energy and matter on a given scale that is recognizable to the human experiences such as the behavior regarding the astronomical bodies. It is the key element towards measurement for the greater part of the technology and modern science. However, scientists have since discovered the phenomena in both macro and micro worlds that cannot either be explained by classical physics. The Scientific Revolutions structure that often comes to terms with such limitations has led to major revolutions within the physics concept thereby creating a shift regarding the original paradigm involving the relativity theory and the quantum mechanics development [6]. This paper hence describes the way various physicists revealed various limitations of the classical physics as well as the development of the primary concepts regarding quantum concept that restored it in early 20th century decades. Quantum generally refers to the minimum quantity regarding any form of physical entity that is involved in a process of interaction. Light often behaves like particles at times and like waves in other respect. Matter thus refers to the particles including the atoms and electrons, and also tends to exhibit a wavelike behavior on the other hand. Some of the light sources that include the neon lights usually emit certain discrete light frequencies. The Quantum mechanics indicates that light as well as

Report Summary Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Report Summary - Term Paper Example The review is based on this particular article and a few other related literature that are relevant to the arguments presented in the article. This report concludes that sustainable development can only be achieved through low- carbon economy. Such an economy is critical in sustaining the present and future generation without subjecting them to serious environmental, social, and economic risks that often characterizes high- carbon economy. Introduction The article â€Å"World Investment Report 2010- Investing in a Low- Carbon Economy† was prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2010. The report has focused on various aspects of investment across the world such as Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), investment policy trends, and how specific sectors play a role in FDI share among other aspects. Particularly, the report has discussed investing in a low- carbon economy. Its focus on low- carbon economy is informed by the need to have sus tainable economic development. This article was developed in the context of emerging impacts of climate change that are deemed to be adverse and detrimental to human survival in the long- run. As such, there is need for solutions in order to counter the implications of climate change impacts and provide sustainable environment for the present and future generations. UNCTAD is a UN’s agency and therefore the credibility of this article is unquestionable. The subject of low- carbon economy is very important and worth writing because as a society we cannot ignore the impacts of climate change which are so real. The society should be alive to the realities of climate change which threatens the very existence of humans (Sawin and Moomaw 23). That is why writing on measures that are and should be taken to counter one of the greatest challenges currently facing humans is such a noble engagement. This purpose of this report is to focus on the issues discussed in the article, which is investing in the low- carbon economy. The article is comprehensive and covers critical aspects that focus on investing in low- carbon economy. Analytical Summary of Main Arguments The article begins by arguing that Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are part of the problem and solution to the investment in a low- carbon economy due to the proposition that they can provide low- carbon technology and investment. Indeed, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on low carbon is already huge and its potential is immense. However, â€Å"carbon leakage† is a major concern to this investment; UNCTADA notes in its report that this concern can be addressed at source rather than at the border through ways such as engaging corporate governance mechanisms (UNCTAD 20). Moreover, investments in low- carbon economy should not occur in haphazard as this may result to high costs and reduced benefits. Therefore, there is need for policy to be put in place so as to minimize costs and maximize benefits t hat are linked to attracting low- carbon FDI (Constable 95). Towards this end, UNCTAD makes proposals in the report in regard to global partnership. The proposal is made up of five major components: securing contribution of IIAs to mitigation of climate change; establishment of strategies that are geared towards promoting clean investment; developing an international

Business strategy IKEA group Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business strategy IKEA group - Case Study Example Using secondary research this report will present the emergent and direct strategies of this company and will also explain the reasons for IKEA to follow them. The report will then explain the importance of written strategic plan and cite the approach companies must take to deal with emergent events. This report also presents the future strategies for IKEA by using Ansoff's matrix. The history of IKEA in the Appendices section shows its steady growth over the years. This report now gives examples of emergent strategies and direct strategies of IKEA and the reasons for following them. (i) The company generally works through a network of worldwide suppliers and doesn't manufacture its own products. But, the company has few factories that set benchmarks for their suppliers on production economy, and quality (Nattrass and Altomare, 1999). The company focuses on achieving efficiency at low cost without compromising on the quality (Rosenhauer, 2008). By setting an example in front of the suppliers, the company can get better products from them and deliver more customer satisfaction. (ii) IKEA is also the joint owner or financer in a number of countries to secure supplies and help suppliers develop (Nattrass and Altomare, 1999). This may increase IKEA's competitiveness as companies can increase their competitive positioning by undertaking key activities in the value chain. The company also makes efforts to form close relationship with the suppliers and helps them develop, and innovate through training programs (Rosenhauer, 2008). This ensures better cooperation with the suppliers who strive to give quality products at a very low price. Relevant and timely training can provide the valuable guidance that can help suppliers produce the right product for the customers. (iii) The global furniture giant is characterized by lesser hierarchical structure and absence of bureaucracy. This helps the company to have centralized control over key functional activities. The Chairman of the company believes that strategic decisions of an organization should be reached in a simple manner (Rosenhauer, 2008). IKEA also delegates important strategy decisions to their store managers (Nesbitt, 2004). Apparently, this freedom to take decisions will make the managers feel more responsible towards their jobs and they will become more loyal to the organization. Emerging Strategies (i) The company has begun to focus on inviting the customers to be involved in the design and production of the products. IKEA is focussed on redefining roles of their stakeholders in the furniture business so that it can effectively beat the competition (Rosenhauer, 2008). The company has also begun to target young people who have a liking for stylish designs available at affordable price (Winfield et al, 2004). By involving the stakeholders in the design the company can provide customers with products that they really want and this will give them a competitive edge. The company will no longer waste its energies in unproductive work and focus on making only those designs that click. (ii) IKEA was driven to change its strategy and pay more attention to taking care of the environment. The company was criticized for the huge packaging waste, using excess of PVC plastic and cutting trees to make its catalogues. This global home furnishings

Report Summary Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Report Summary - Term Paper Example The review is based on this particular article and a few other related literature that are relevant to the arguments presented in the article. This report concludes that sustainable development can only be achieved through low- carbon economy. Such an economy is critical in sustaining the present and future generation without subjecting them to serious environmental, social, and economic risks that often characterizes high- carbon economy. Introduction The article â€Å"World Investment Report 2010- Investing in a Low- Carbon Economy† was prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2010. The report has focused on various aspects of investment across the world such as Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), investment policy trends, and how specific sectors play a role in FDI share among other aspects. Particularly, the report has discussed investing in a low- carbon economy. Its focus on low- carbon economy is informed by the need to have sus tainable economic development. This article was developed in the context of emerging impacts of climate change that are deemed to be adverse and detrimental to human survival in the long- run. As such, there is need for solutions in order to counter the implications of climate change impacts and provide sustainable environment for the present and future generations. UNCTAD is a UN’s agency and therefore the credibility of this article is unquestionable. The subject of low- carbon economy is very important and worth writing because as a society we cannot ignore the impacts of climate change which are so real. The society should be alive to the realities of climate change which threatens the very existence of humans (Sawin and Moomaw 23). That is why writing on measures that are and should be taken to counter one of the greatest challenges currently facing humans is such a noble engagement. This purpose of this report is to focus on the issues discussed in the article, which is investing in the low- carbon economy. The article is comprehensive and covers critical aspects that focus on investing in low- carbon economy. Analytical Summary of Main Arguments The article begins by arguing that Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are part of the problem and solution to the investment in a low- carbon economy due to the proposition that they can provide low- carbon technology and investment. Indeed, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on low carbon is already huge and its potential is immense. However, â€Å"carbon leakage† is a major concern to this investment; UNCTADA notes in its report that this concern can be addressed at source rather than at the border through ways such as engaging corporate governance mechanisms (UNCTAD 20). Moreover, investments in low- carbon economy should not occur in haphazard as this may result to high costs and reduced benefits. Therefore, there is need for policy to be put in place so as to minimize costs and maximize benefits t hat are linked to attracting low- carbon FDI (Constable 95). Towards this end, UNCTAD makes proposals in the report in regard to global partnership. The proposal is made up of five major components: securing contribution of IIAs to mitigation of climate change; establishment of strategies that are geared towards promoting clean investment; developing an international

What are the effects of temperature on electricity demand in Essay

What are the effects of temperature on electricity demand in Sacramento, California in July and August 2008 in the daytime - Essay Example Moreover, positive linear relationships have appeared between the electric consumption and the selected variables of weather conditions. For proper planning of future investments in energy generation sector, policy makers require forecasts of electricity demand. The demand of electricity consumption in California has more than quadrupled since 1960. There are various factors, which are contributing to the increased energy consumption in California such as uncertain regulatory environment, swift population growth and economic growth. Apart from that, climatic change is another factor, which can also influence the electric consumption thereby, affecting the long term planning of electricity supply. Since climatic changes such as lower heating demand and higher cooling demand can directly influence the energy consumption in any economy therefore, this research study will evaluate its effects on energy consumption in Sacramento, California. This research will also assist the policy makers to analyze the extent to which the weather conditions can affect the energy consumption in Sacramento. Therefore, it will be very usef ul to meet the challenge of energy consumption demands in Sacramento. After conducting this research study, the answers to various questions will be achieved such as, what is the impact of weather conditions on electricity consumption? What are the affects of global warming on electricity consumption? The forecasts of electricity demand in an economy are made in consideration to the factors such as technological changes, income of consumers, population growth and prices. However, researchers have found that weather conditions variables should be also used to forecast electricity demand. A huge literature work has been done to study this relationship. In California, the population growth in the hotter interior regions of the state is causing growth in cooling demand, which

The Teachings of Confucius and Dao Essay Example for Free

The Teachings of Confucius and Dao Essay Confucius stressed that a harmonious society can be created through the practice of Li. Discuss how this is possible by using the Five Relationships concepts. What is the Five Relationships? * In Confucianism, it’s between superior and inferior person. They are ruler – subject, husband – wife, father – son, older brother – younger brother, and elder friend – younger friend. * Each has a formal responsibility to carry out toward the other. The husband has responsibility for li toward his wife as she has an obligation for li toward him. The family is formally structured among males. * Friendships outside the family are ritually governed. * Relationship between ruler and subject entail obligations on each side. * Younger people learn from their elders and the elders learn from observing the junzi. In summary, there are five distinctive qualities or virtues in the junzi. (1) Humans exert their uprightness regardless of outward circumstances. (2) Humans are magnanimous, expressing forgiveness toward others. Humans are not to be ruled by laws but follow an internal principle. (3) Humans are sincere in speech and action and are not a mouthpiece for hire. Their world is their bond. (4) Humans are earnest. They want to be rather than seem to be. Genuine good work replaces the mere appearance of it (5) Humans are benevolent, always generous in their relationship with people. Why Confucius think education is important? * Li present as the principle of harmony that should rule the home, the society and the empire. Li has to do with ritual, the correct formal way to behave in religious rites or in court ceremonies. * Li applied to the naturally good human being yield yi, which is the personalization of Li. * Yi is internalized Li. When humans internalize the rites, selfishness is overcome and benevolence takes its place. They act on what is appropriate to themselves and to their position in society. They attain the mean that gives harmony. * Confucius taught that Li is learned in studying rites and music, which included poetry. Music is required study, as its performance accompanied all ceremonies, whether religious sacrifice, court assembly or family entertainment. Harmony in music reflects harmony in society and the universe. * Ren (jen) is humaneness, the quality of being a genuine human being to other human beings. This quality of human kindness is in balance with Li and Yi – to keep formalism from destroying the highest and best possibilities of human personalities. Ren seeks the good of others as well as the self. * In Confucianism, Shu is reciprocity which means individuals treating others as they would like to be treated. They do not do to others what they would not want done to themselves. Taoism Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) * A later Daoist and he wrote Dao De Jing to distinguish Daoism from Confucianism. * Also known for the philosophical questions he raises regarding the experience of dreaming. Beneath the apparently simple questions lie some profound questions about what is real and how to know what is real. * For example, Chuang Chou (Chuang Tzu) dreamed that he was a butterfly, a butterfly fluttering about, enjoying itself. It did not know that is Chuang Chou. But suddenly, he awake and he did not know whether he was Chuang Chou who had dreamed that he was a butterfly or whether he was a butterfly dreaming that he was Chuang Chou. Between Chuang Chou and the butterfly, there must be some distinction. That is what is called the transformation of things. According to Daoism, societies suffer when they disregard the Dao. Interpret the statement with you own opinion. In my own opinion, yes, societies suffer when they disregard the Dao. Societies suffers because of disharmony with the nature and universe. * Suffering comes from trying to conquer nature, altering the way of the universe and establishing artificial human organizations. * Artificial needs to develop and value foreign to natural order to entice humans away from the source of their peace and harmony. * Civilization is an enemy of the contented human. Humans| * The best human is natural human. * Humans are essentially good and can enjoy a good life in the world. * They should seek to live as long as long as possible, old age is a sign of wisdom in fulfilling the proper human role. * People should not be forced into educations, rituals, social organization and etiquette. * Humans are best when they were born weak and simple. | Problem| * Their disharmony with the universe. * Suffering comes from trying to conquer nature, altering the way of the universe and establishing artificial human organizations. * Artificial needs to develop and value foreign to natural order to entice humans away from the source of their peace and harmony. * Civilization is an enemy of the contented human. | Solution| * Human solve their problem by returning to a simple life. * Living in harmony with the nature, either in a forest or in a small village, is the best way for a person to resolve tensions and experience peace of body and soul. * A good, long life is the reward of those who learn to go with the flow of the Dao. |

Gender Issues in the Workplace

Gender Issues in the Workplace Introduction This paper seeks to define what is meant by gender issues in the workplace in relation to underlying tensions, indirect prejudice and unfair practices which often are perceived but continue without full recognition or sufficient direct management of the problem. It proposes to question pre conceived notions of success based on qualities such as ability and skill and rather seeks to uncover the more tacit business environment; known but never fully appreciated in relation to career advancement and company progression. A number of conflicting theories proposed by both feminist scholars and male business analysts exist on this subject which makes it both a complicated and contentious discussion. It is also one that can justify the way in which workplace failings and successes can be interpreted from a number of angles where gender bias is concerned; politically, psychologically, socially and academically. Typically gender inequality is a much deeper perception involving social hierarchys and preconceived notions of what men and women are capable of in terms of leadership and management. It is important to distinguish what is traditionally meant by advantage and disadvantage in an organizational setting and in the context of gender. Some examples might include; an employer may not hire, promote or wrongfully terminate an employee based on his or her gender, or that an employers pay is unequally based on gender, some employers show discrimination towards pregnant female workers, female employees are passed over for promotion in favour of more junior, less-qualified male co-workers. (Sahu, 2009) However looking at discrimination in its broader sense there is a widely held argument that as white and male it is easy to become invisible in society; to go unacknowledged and unrecognized, but once visible as a consequence of being labeled as say black, homosexual, a woman†¦individuals ca n adopt a greater empowerment just by being different (Robinson, 2000, Phelan, 2008, Haraway, 1999) In 1994 a popular American journal, Business Week published an article which stipulated; White, male and worried: White men still dominate corporate America. But in companies with aggressive diversity programs they are beginning to feel angry and resentful. What should companies do? (Burke and Black, 1997: 933-942) From such theorizing it is possible to engage with the notion that perhaps by being ‘invisible this can perpetuate both political and social exclusion. World Modern History since the 1960s has witnessed the rise of Civil Rights, womens liberation, gay liberation and a more growing acceptance of diversity has resulted in the decentralization of the white male (Robinson,2000 :2) and a culmination of all these things could be attributed to a crisis in masculinity of sorts. In contrast Virginia Schein et al propose that men and women do not lead or manage any differently in the work environment, but that they are perceived in different ways and that effectiveness as a male in a leadership role is something which is automatically attributed to them. Whereas women who exhibit the same behaviours as men are not judged as being as authoritative or having the same skills, because this is what we traditionally perceive inherently about men and women. (Sinclair, 2005:25) And just as peopl e can make themselves invisible in the work environment, so too can they make themselves visible. Being ‘visible represents a tangible ‘surface state, one in which someone can be seen to be visibly being excluded or different. At a deeper more conceptual level then there is a power to become ‘invisible, often as a consequence of trying to attain the male norm. (Simpson and Lewis, 2005:1253-1275) Caution however must be exacted when considering these theories which could also be used as a means to essentially make excuses for racist or prejudice practices in the workplace. (Pierce, 2003:53-70) Other theorists of invisibility consider this to be a covert way of preventing either women or black co-workers to progress. That the ‘backlash felt by white male men is actually a means to subjugate ‘minorities in the work place even further. Scholars such as Nicholson conform to theories such as the Patriarchal culture which is instilled in men and women through a process of socialization from a very early age. For example that men are better than women in sport, or that men make better surgeons etc. (Nicolson, 1996:108) There is a definite counter-argument where some previous traditional theories of invisibility have evolved. For example some research determines that men have become to think of themselves as being without gender, largely because they are oblivious to, or choose to ignore that invisibility generates inequality. Thus the invisibility of gender experienced by men generates the inequalities that are constrained by gender. That essentially many men are in possession; for whatever reason, of a number of structural privileges and power within the organizations that they work in and that by confronting their participation in maintaining inequality between themselves and women, that they should take responsibility for liberating themselves rather than blaming their problems on women. (McKay, 1997:11) Many men continue to disregard the notion of male privilege creating an invisibility of the problem itself. The more this invisibility is encouraged the more gender problems will continue to esc alate. (Johnson, 2005:157) Basically there is a strong argument to suggest the very fact that men in the workplace are perpetuating patriarchy and gender inequality, is because they are in denial of it and therefore the problem itself becomes invisible. Issues remain across all ‘minority workplace discriminations. Barriers continue to exist despite western laws on equal opportunities and fair working practices. Essentially there should be no barriers to succeeding. And yet for black, disabled, gay, women or other traditionally marginalized workers there continues to be a significant problem where acquiring progressive job positions exists, indicating that there are a number of unseen issues and opinions being made below the surface and continue to remain invisible. (Hesse-Biber and Carter, 2005:75-78) A recent research study of female engineers in the work environment was conducted in an attempt to illuminate this complex ‘in/visibility paradox. The women engineers could be seen to be at once both ‘visible as women but ‘invisible as engineers. This contradiction then adds yet another element to the discussion, but also helps to explain why it is difficult to retain women in engineering roles. Their ‘invisibility as engineers can be attributed to the fact that they require considerable effort to be taken seriously in this particular job, thus undermining their overall confidence. As ‘visible women they face enormous contradictory pressures to ‘become one of the lads, whilst maintaining their femininity and these in/visibility dynamics get taken for granted at the same time as building a cumulative and problematic outcome, not least because they are subtle and taken for granted. (Faulkner, 2009:169-189) Similarly another recent relevant journal article relays the findings of a small-scale project which involved a study of men who moved over into what has traditionally been considered ‘womens work. One immediate outcome apparent in all ten men was experiencing the challenges of feeling emasculated and having their masculinity queried in a number of ways and in a variety of situations. The way in which the men managed these challenges is particularly interesting as they all attempted to maintain their masculinity and their traditional persona associated with masculinity by distancing themselves from their female co-workers. (Cross and Bagilhole, 2002:204-226) Thus potentially making themselves ‘invisible to the situation. This provides some further interesting light on the notion of visibility and invisibility in organizational structures. That men resolutely continue to re-enforce their gender and identity regardless of whether it is challenged or not, but in such a way that they make themselves invisible in the process. Might this then suggest that men will go to any lengths to maintain their dominant gender, even when they are performing those roles traditionally considered ‘womens work? Whilst it may also represent juxtaposition for the behaviour of women, often criticized in the work place for their defensiveness or ruthless behaviour. Perhaps women in turn are masking their femininity in a bid to be taken seriously or remain ‘invisible as they feel threatened by the challenges men pose. Conclusion What can be concluded from this complicated analysis is that it still remains difficult to determine whether invisibility exists, or whether it is a means of simply not seeing or acknowledging gender differentiation. Are male workers unaware of the fact that they are inherently patriarchal, or is it women who continue to see them in this way as they traditionally remain challenged and psychologically subjugated by their male co-workers? This might then suggest that there is no real suppression of gender taking place in organizations, but rather most women and men are defensive about their jobs and careers. This is a highly problematic area that continues to demand further research and a ‘rethinking of gender stereotypes for both management and workers generally. (Mavin et al, 2004:293-303) What is apparent from this study is the degree with which both men and women ‘play out their insecurities whilst both hiding and exposing elements of visibility and invisibility depending on the circumstances. Invisibility, as has also been outlined in this document poses a much wider conceptual problem. The problem of barriers that exist not just with individuals but with whole organizations, those that choose to promote the types of people they consider suitable to the organization itself and therefore creating their own invisible discriminatory practices. A complex system of psychological interactions can impact on the way in which people generally make themselves visible or invisible within an organization. There are many contributing factors, some of which have been explored throughout this document and many of which require considerable future research. It is clear that gender based priviledge exists. This is a reality in terms of the statistics which reflect the number of men in positions of power in contrast with the often lower salaried lesser roles adopted by women. But as to whether who is putting who at a disadvantage may be dependent on a whole series of contributory factors such as the culture and size of the organization itself, the way in which the individuals working in that organisation have been socialized and what values and expectations they have been encouraged to appreciate from birth. Bibliography Burke, R, J, Black, S (1997) Save the Males: Backlash in Organisations, Journal of Business Ethics, Volume 16 Cross, S. and Bagilhole, B. (2002) Girls Jobs for the Boys? Men, Masculinity and Non-Traditional Occupations, Gender Work and Organization, Volume 9, Issue 2 Faulkner (2009) Doing gender in engineering workplace cultures. II. Gender in/authority and the in/visibility paradox, Engineering Studies, Volume 1, Issue 3 Haraway, D (1999) Gender, Race and nature in the World of Modern science: Routledge and Kegan Paul Hesse-Biber, S, N, Carter, G, L (2005) Working Women in America: Oxford University Press. Johnson, A, G (2005) The Gender Knot: unraveling our patriarchal legacy: Temple University Press Lewis and Simpson, (2010) Revealing and Concealing Gender: Visibility in Gender and Organization Research: Palgrave Macmillan Mavin, S, Bryans, P, Waring, T (2004) Gender on the agenda 2: unlearning gender blindness in management education, Women in management Review, Volume 19, Issue 6 McKay (1997) Managing gender: affirmative action and organizational power in Australian, Canadian and New Zealand Sport: SUNY Press Nicolson, (1996) Gender, power and organization: a psychological perspective: Routledge Phelan, P (1993) Unmarked: The Politics of Performance: Routledge Pierce, J.L. (2003) Racing for Innocence: Whiteness, Corporate Culture and the Backlash Against Affirmative Action, Qualitative Sociology, Volume 26, Issue 1 Robinson, S. (2000) Introduction: Visibility, Crisis and the Wounded White Male Body in Marked Men: White Masculinity in Crisis: Columbia University Press Sahu, R, K (2009) Gender Discrimination in the Work Place, Internet article available from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22571816/Gender-Discrimination-in-Work-Place, date accessed, 13/01/10 Simpson, R. and Lewis, P. (2005) An investigation of silence and a scrutiny of transparency: Re-examining gender in organization literature through the Concepts of Voice and Visibility, Human Relations, Volume 58, Issue 10 Sinclair, A (2005) Doing leadership differently; gender, power and sexuality in a changing business culture: Melbourne University Press

Ethics Essay -- Papers Morals Behavior Essays Papers

Ethics Ethics can be defined broadly as a set of moral principles or values. Each of us has such a set of values, although we may or may not have clearly expressed them. It is common for people to differ in their moral principles and values and the relative importance they attach to them. These differences reflect life experiences, successes and failures, as well as the influences of parents, teachers, and friends. Ethical behavior is necessary for a society to function in an orderly manner. It can be argued that ethics is the glue that holds a society together. Philosophers, religious organizations, and other groups have defined in various ways ideal sets of moral principles and values. The following are different approaches, from ancient and modern traditions and philosophers, depicting their meaning and understanding of ethics and how it can be applied in ethical decision-making. Utilitarianism was founded by the British philosopher Jeremy Bentham toward the end of the 18th century. He believed that all human actions are motivated by a desire to obtain pleasure and avoid pain. The principle of utility expresses that actions were right if they tended to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. When faced with a moral dilemma, utilitarianism identifies right and wrong and also considers the consequences that may result. This can be regarded as an appropriate action, but offers no realistic way to gather necessary information to make the required decision. Confronting certain situations in life, there is no time to weigh all possible outcomes and decide the one that provides the greatest benefit to all; majority of predicaments allow just enough time for a person to act on impu... ...when it comes to rape or incest, I don't feel a woman should have to go through the pregnancy in this specific situation. So this approach, having to rely on principles all the time and follow them accordingly to every situation does not agree with me. It is helpful to read about these different theories but I do not think it is necessary in decision-making. Reading about these approaches does make you think about how you as person handles certain situations and whether you can improve your process. However, this only happens when you are required to read and study about these theories. If I never took this class, I would never have known the difference between utilitarianism and moral law and which one applies to me and my decision making process. Therefore, it is not required to read and learn about different approaches in order to handle situations.

Diet Pills Essay -- Diet Health Weight Loss Drugs Essays Papers

Every day people are becoming more and more concerned with their health and their appearance. Thanks to scientific research there are many remedies to improve the human body. As far as weight loss there is exercise, diets, pills, and different surgical procedures. Diet pills have become a very popular supplement to assist in weight loss, but with diet pills come many questions; are they safe, do they really work, and mainly if they are a good product or not. In order to know whether or not something a quality product, is to know how it works. The ingredients are very important and unfortunately not every diet pill has the same ingredients. There are multiple types of pills, with different effects, and conditions. There are three popular types of pills. There are appetite suppressors, metabolism regulators, and fat absorbing pills. Combining these effects into one pill with the correct usage creates positive results. The appetite suppressors help reduce over eating and help people make healthier choices of what to eat. Normally when someone is really hungry they do not care what they eat as long as it is a lot. By controlling a person’s hunger, diet pills effect a person’s eating habits. So they help people make better choices on what to eat and how much. The way that diet pills help control hunger is by fooling the brain into thinking it is full. The brain needs a lot of energy to function and the brain gets that energy from sugar. When the blood sugar level is too low the body reacts by sending a signal to raise the blood sugar level by creating hunger. Some diet pills use a combination of amino acids and polysaccharides to supply the brain with unique intermediate metabolites, which are chemical compounds t... ...e to a gain of tolerance in the pills. I have just begun using diet pills myself a couple weeks ago. The supplement that I chose is an appetite suppressant as well as a metabolism booster. It has been my experience so far that the appetite suppressant is very effective. I am hardly hungry and find myself reminding myself to eat or just eating out of habit. Which is really surprising because usually I can’t get enough of food. I have also been exercising about three to four times a week and eating healthier. I have noticed that I have already begun to lose a little bit of weight. The only side effect that has come to my attention is that shortly after taking the pills I find myself burping a little. I not quite sure what causes that effect. So if used properly, diet pills is a good product to get results. Just make sure the effects are well known and safe.

Character analysis Essay

Priestley describes him in the opening stage directions as a ‘rather portentous man’, full of his own self-importance. In the play, he is certainly very concerned with his social position – he twice mentions that he was Lord Mayor as a way of impressing Gerald (pp.8, 11), and mentions the knighthood to him, even though it is far from definite. He is solely worried about how his family’s reputation will suffer at the inquest when he hears of Mrs Birling’s part in the girl’s death (p.45), and he is more concerned about how to ‘cover†¦up’ Eric’s thefts (p.54) than about how to put them right. He tries to use first Gerald’s family name (p.13) and then his friendship with the Chief Constable (p.16) as ways of bullying the Inspector; he obviously believes that others are as easily impressed by social connections as he is. (We know he is easily impressed because of his evident pride at Gerald’s family background ; he obviously believes he has made a good match for Sheila.) His key characteristic is his complacency. He is well-off (as the opening stage directions suggest), and he believes he always will be: that ‘we’re in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity’ (p.6). This success, however, has been at the expense of others – he threw the girl out of her job for asking for a modest rise, and intends in the future to work with Crofts Limited ‘for lower costs and higher prices’ (p.4), exploiting his power as a capitalist to profit at the expense of others. Birling does not believe he has a responsibility to society, only to his family: ‘a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own’ (p.10). He is not upset, unlike Eric, at hearing the details of the girl’s death (p.12), which shows him to be a little heartless. He is suspiciously defensive when he thinks the Inspector is accusing him of causing it, and – like Mrs Birling – is relieved when he thinks the finger is no longer pointing at him. This is hypocritical because, as the Inspector says, ‘the girl’s [still] dead, though’ (p.18). He also has double standards: for he sees nothing strange in wanting to protect Sheila from the unpleasantness of the girl’s life and death, yet feels no guilt at not having protected the girl herself. Crucially, Priestley undermines this self-important, complacent man, who believes his only responsibility is to his family, right at the start of the play. He is shown as short-sighted and wrong:  Prediction  Reality  Ã¢â‚¬ËœWe’re in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity’  The Wall Street Crash (1929) and the Great Depression within a generation  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThere isn’t a chance of war’  World war within two years, with a second to follow within the same lifetime  Ã¢â‚¬ËœIn 1940†¦you’ll be living in a world that’ll have forgotten all these Capital versus Labour agitations’  The General Strike (1926) and the continued rise of the Trade Union Movement. The Titanic: ‘unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’  SS Titanic sinks on her maiden voyage  This dramatic irony at his expense encourages us to question how many of his other beliefs are correct; Priestley, as a socialist, is not sympathetic to what this capitalist believes.  He also undermines Birling’s relationship with his family, the only institution that Birling believes matters. In Act Two, both his children – who learn from the Inspector in a way Birling never does – behave badly in front of him (pp.32-33), and his heir Eric is later revealed as both an alcoholic and a thief. After the Inspector has gone, Birling simply wants things to return to the way they were. He cannot understand Sheila’s and Eric’s insistence that there is something to be learnt, and he is relieved and triumphant when he feels that scandal has been avoided and everything is all right. Right up until the end, he claims that ‘there’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did – it turned out unfortunately, that’s all’ (p.57). Birling is not the cold and narrow-minded person that his wife is; he simply believes in what he says. He is a limited man, who is shown to be wrong about many things in the play; it is the Birlings of the world whom Priestley feared – in 1945 – would not be willing or able to learn the lessons of the past, and so it is to the younger generation that Priestley hopefully looked instead†¦Ã‚  Mrs Birling  Priestley describes her in the opening stage directions as ‘a rather cold woman’ (p.1).  She expects Sheila to make the same sacrifices in marriage that she had to (p.3); she has a clear sense of her duty within the family.

Tram Accident and Driver Vision Enhancement

As a university student, you will need to continue your education by reading informative texts often and carefully. To practice this skill your homework assignment is to choose an article from a reputable source and read it. Your research reports should be completed on topics or themes related to your research topic somehow. You will need to print or make a copy of your article and attach it to this report.After reading an article of your choice from either: Newsweek Magazine, Time Magazine, Reader's Digest, or National Geographic Magazine answer the questions low. Do not write the title as an answer to any of the questions below other than number 1. Do not copy from the article. All answers should be in your own words. Proofread your writing for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. 1. Title: a printed copy also): 2. Author: 3. Source (Include 4. Date Published: 5. Why did the author write this article? Use a complete sentence. Points) Brian Dads wrote this article to explain the new technologies that help to reduce car crashes. Also, he represents the number of death, injured or disabled around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1. Million people worldwide die every year as a result of car crashes. This figure represents an average of 3242 people dying every day around the world. In addition to these deaths, between 20 million and 50 million people globally are estimated to be injured or disabled every year.Use correct punctuation (Points). Explain in two or three sentences what it meant to you and why you like/dislike this quote (Points). Use the space provided. The article titled † New Technologies to Reduce Road Accidents † reported that technology will significantly reduce the number of people killed in car accidents, currently more than 1. 2 million people per year worldwide.. The author wrote, † If drivers won't act to reduce road deaths, maybe technology will do the Job â€Å"(Dads 2010 ). T his quote is useful because it has shown that 150 points possible

Consumer Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consumer Culture - Essay Example This is seen through the way they dress, their behavior, voice, hairstyle, or body characteristics (Edwards & Alexander, 2008). An individual’s identity should not be considered from ones behavior but from the way, others react towards you and the ability to keep on going narrative. This essay will focus on how self-identity has contributed to identity construction in the modern consumer society, and how gender identity is constructed, negotiated and presented within a market place. There will be a discussion on issues of masculinity and how they have contributed to gender identity. The existence of a body as a conduit for intentionality and the role of body image body image self-identity. Body The modern consumer society, which is marked with high reflectivity, is conscious of the heightened need for the construction of individual identity. In the modern consumer, society individuals have learnt how to construct, negotiate and represent their gender identity in a market place (Edwards & Alexander, 2008). The centrality in the reflexivity within the modern consumer society has resulted to individuals’ ability to confront and conceptualize their identities. In their quest for self-identity, they always want to know how they should act, what they should be, and what they need to do regarding their gender roles. These questions about what an individual should do and how to behave are always answered from the day-to-day social interaction. Self-identity is not made up of set characteristics but understanding of self-identity is through reflexivity, which creates an understanding of a person’s biography hence representing him as a social actor who has a consistent sense within self (Edwards & Alexander, 2008). This is evident from the way a person interacts with people and the way in which he represents himself in a social setting for example in a market place. Existence of a body as conduit of intentionality The behavioral theorists have publis hed a lot of work that theorizes the relationship between self and the body. Together with other phenomenologist’s course satire and Merleau Ponty recognizes that, a person’s presence in the world means that there is existence of a body, which is a material thing. For the body to exist the process should be dynamic. Existence means that you should always be in action. A person attains correctness and the fullness of existence if he is always active (Edwards & Alexander, 2008). To exist means to perform, Heidegger and Merleau in their ideas about the body as a conduit for intentionality have reversed Descartes’ claims that the certainty of existence is through relocating the locus from† I think† to â€Å"I can†. Death therefore is a transformation from† I can â€Å"to â€Å"I can no longer do†. This issue of death therefore says that there is no activity because there is no life. The account of bodily existence that was highly art iculated in the theories of feminism meant that although there was that essence of the body, the point of view lived in a different manner for both men and women. There was an assertion that there is lack of significance in the biological facts that bring the difference between men and women (Edwards & Alexander, 2008). The image of the body The image of the body is understood with others depending on the image that they create about a person and this plays a great role in the modern consumer society. Several definitions define the body image. It is

A response paper, make the topic creative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A response paper, make the topic creative - Essay Example Her challenge, however, is to do so without seeming to minimize the horror of what happened at Tuskegee. One of the most important aspects of her research is the focus on actually interviewing and interacting, to the degree possible, with people involved with the experiments. She does this to reduce the melodrama involved with the reporting and understanding of these events. In a lecture at Loyola University, she powerfully explains the why this is important. Melodrama, she says, is a story in which the characters â€Å"aren’t important† – they are an afterthought used to â€Å"fill in the gaps,† while in a drama, the characters are central (Reverby Lecture 2012). Historians, she says, should write drama. The problem with melodrama is that it reduces everyone involved to set pieces. In a historical context, this obstructs retellings of the true history, but possibly more importantly, it makes the melodramatic experience seem exceptional, and obfuscates its connection to societal constructs of oppression. She rejects the idea that melodrama is all that could be had of an experience such as this. She powerfully states her aim in the opening of her work, Examining Tuskegee, where she asserts that â€Å"there are truths here [in Tuskegee] – facts that fit the evidence better than do others† (Reverby 9). One such fact, for instance, patients eventually did get treatments – just not enough of them. It turned from a story of non-treatment to â€Å"under treatment† (Reverby 117). Why is this important? Under-treatment of othered people, she argues, is incredibly normative. It happens all the time. Thus, by treating the Tuskegee experiments as some sort of horrific monstrosity, the commonality of aspects of what happened there are lost, so the focus is on the exceptional horrific problem than the very common, barely less horrific one. Furthermore,

Freedom of Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Freedom of Religion - Essay Example The research paper investigates the stand of the judicial system of the US and the federal government in the interpretation of the free exercise clause when confronted with different aspects of the freedom of religion as enshrined in the US Constitution. The Free exercise clause explicitly prohibits the US government from interfering with the religious choice of each individual. The Clause also bars the US government from invading various religious practices that do not pose security threats to the country. The free exercise clause forbids the US government from forceful recruitment of citizens into particular fields believed to contradict individuals’ religious standing. The clause further allows individuals to make their own decisions and choices regarding the type of religions in which they desire to belong. The Supreme Court of the US applied the principles of the free exercise clause to grant the Amish community the request of terminating the education of their children a t the eighth grade of education. The Amish in their status felt satisfied and tended to derecognize the needs for furthering the education of their children. In this case, the Amish community was granted request on the basis of their religion, which deemed it unfair for states to sponsor their children’s education while they were economically stable. The Free Exercise Clause also accredits parents the right to choose and decide on the appropriate schools that comply with their individual religious beliefs.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Analysis Term Paper

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Analysis - Term Paper Example This explains her divided personality (Spark 6). Miss Brodie had a group of 10 year old girls who she considered her group. They would learn things that were not necessarily in the curriculum but were worthy knowing. She chose her group members on the ground that she could put her trust in them, those whose parents could not raise complaints on what their daughters were being taught which was more irrelevant or those whose parents constituted the elite group who had too much knowledge and exposure to complain about Miss Brodie’s teaching methods and policies (Alberto and Ann 6).she also chose girls whose parents were unenlightened to be able to question her teaching policies and who believed in the high rated reputation of this school. Miss Brodie’s untrustworthiness comes out here when she gains trust from the parents and the students and later exposes them to her a lot of details of her intimate life. Miss Brodie is also negligent in that she goes out of her way to teach something like the interior decoration of the author of Winnie The Pooh, skin cleansing substances or about the love life of Charlotte Bronte which is out of the out of the curriculum she was entrusted with. Miss Brodie in one of her grammar lesson decides to tell her students about the accident of her lover. She narrates the story critically and the emotional ten year olds break into tears. When the headmistress Miss Mackay, pays the class n impromptu visit Miss Brodie manages to selfishly lure the students to say that they are crying about a moving history story from the WW1.This was a selfish lie (Spark 8). Miss Jean Brodie was narcissistic and that barred her form genuinely caring about her students and that explains her behavioral contradictory. She burns with a desire to be admired and adored by everyone; more so by the Brodie set (Spark 11) she fails in caring about her students in a healthy way but instead

Luekemia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Luekemia - Essay Example Acute leukemia refers to the rapid multiplication of immature blood cells hampering the bone marrows to function efficiently. On the other hand chronic leukemia is characterized by the excessive production of mature yet abnormal blood cells which results in the presence of many white cells in the blood. Acute leukemia is also relatively slower to progress than chronic leukemia and may not present any symptom (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 3-4). Up to date, there is still little knowledge about the exact causes of leukemia. Physicians however, explain that a person's environment has a lot to do with his/her chances of having this disease. Based on studies people who are exposed to high levels of radiation are in a greater risk of contracting this disease. Natural or ionizing radiation caused by atomic bomb explosion, nuclear power plant accidents, and other medical treatments increases the risk of leukemia (Medicine Net.com 3). Exposure to certain chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde has also been linked to this type of cancer. Some forms of leukemia are caused by viruses like the chronic lymphocytic leukemia which is caused by the human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (Medicine Net.com 3). Four techniques are commonly used to treat leukemia. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment where a drug or combinations of drugs are used to kill leukemia cells.

Theories Of Perception Essay Example for Free

Theories Of Perception Essay How the mind works during perception have been one of the mysteries of the mind. Cognitive psychology is involved in the investigation and the understanding of behaviors that is caused by cognitive functioning. If developmental psychology had to deal with the nature-nurture debate, the theories of perception are generally conceived either as a bottom-up approach or the top-down approach. The bottom-up approach says that perception visual stimuli is dependent on the characteristics of the stimuli, if the stimuli has the right color, shape, intensity and background, then the mind would readily perceive the stimuli (Noà «, 2004). On the other hand, the top-down approach says that perception is influenced by previous experience and learning, wherein perception is dependent on what the mind have previously known and conceived about the stimuli (Noà «, 2004). Thus, the mind has a sort of schema that guides the mind in identifying the stimuli presented to him/her. It is also interesting to note that perception as with everything else is shaped by the social and cultural context in which it occurs. In a conservative culture, same sex marriages may be perceived as immoral and abnormal, but to cultures who have endorsed homosexuality do not perceive it as such. In another example, a Catholic whenever he sees a cross or a church would surely make the sign on the cross while a Protestant or a Baptist would not. In order to illustrate the difference between the two approaches to perception the following examples are provided. Bottom-up The ability to appreciate an abstract painting is an example of the bottom-up approach. The individual viewing the painting do not have any idea what the painting is and what it depicts. The mind then processes the painting in terms of the different color gradients, shapes, spatial characteristics and then tries to present a coherent whole that the mind can understand (Marr, 1982). Thus, an abstract painting can be interpreted in different ways since the viewer may manipulate the different strokes, colors and lines to form an object or a figure that is pleasing to the eye. However, our perception of what the abstract painting represents can be affected by the cultural orientation of the perceiver. A person coming from a very structured environment may find the abstract painting worthless as he cannot understand it for it lacked structure, while a person who is very open-minded may find the painting a challenge since it makes him think. Top-down The famous expression â€Å"looking for a needle in a haystack† is an example of the top-down approach. The expression is meant to convey difficulty in finding a specific object or person, but when we look at it cognitively, it is not that difficult. The person who must find the needle already have a concept of what the needle looks like, it is thin, shiny and has a sharp edge (Gregory, 1990). This information could have been formed during previous encounters with a needle, thus the task becomes easier because the person has to focus only on one thing, and that is the needle. He/she may eliminate the hay straws since they do not look like a needle. However, it would have been a different scenario if the person tasked with finding the needle has not had any experience with a needle, an example is Sleeping Beauty. Due to the banishment of the spindle in her kingdom, she did not know what it looked like and hence she got pricked by one and was placed on a spell. Similarly, culture shock may also be caused by the lack of prior experience or knowledge of what the new culture will be like, hence the individual is overwhelmed with the new stimulus. Bottom-up and Top-down The perceptual process involved in the perception of an object embedded in the background includes the bottom-up and top-down approach. The person directed to find   the objects hidden in the picture will first look at the picture and then analyze its characteristics and what it represents then he/she will look for the shapes, lines or a shift in color or depth (bottom-up) to determine where the hidden objects might be found. When the person has found the hidden object and identifies what it is, he/she then proceeds to look for the other objects guided by the knowledge of what the object would be (top-down). If the hidden object is as universal as a face, then identifying it would not be difficult, but if it were an obscure figure like a zodiac sign, then only those who have had prior knowledge of zodiacs would be able to find the hidden object. References    Gregory, R. L. (1990). How do we interpret images? In H. Barlow C. Blakemore M. Weston-Smith (Eds.), Images and Understanding, Thoughts About Images, Ideas About Understanding (pp. 310-330). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Marr, D. (1982).  Ã‚  Vision.  Ã‚   New York:  W. H. Freeman and Sons. Noà «, A. (2004).   Action in Perception, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

HP computer systems organization

HP computer systems organization 1. Is this the time for HP-CSO to institute more changes? Based on the customer and sales audit it was identified that considerable opportunities existed in the area of Repurchase, replacement and expansion projects as well as the Innovation projects. But, there exist many challenges Customers were moving towards consolidating their supplier base increasing pricing pressure on HP 80% of the customer sales were initiated by the customer themselves Although HP was a preferred vendor, customers doubted its ability to deliver incase of Innovation projects With increasing demands on price and delivery terms, HP would find it difficult to meet customer needs due to the small sales force Sales force was spending significant amount of time doing things other than sales Sales force was having difficulty in converting sales opportunities in replacement and expansion projects Sales team was spending less time in the early stages of the sales cycle for Innovation projects Sales team lacked prioritization of opportunities Hence, it is critical for HP-CSO to make the right changes in the sales organization to capture opportunities in the high potential segments. How are selling instruments (HP traditional business) different from selling computer systems? Selling instruments can be viewed more like selling commodities. Selling instruments was engineering driven and marketing the product was on the basis of technological features. Selling computer systems involved marketing the product as solutions that could be highly customized to the customers needs to solve their issues. Why does HP treat its sales force as a cost center? What are the implications of such a structure? HP was grouped into three main divisions and each had its own sales force and others support departments and divisional business units. Divisional business units were measured as profit centers. HP allocated field personnel and capital expenditures among the divisions under the promise of additional profits. This type of mechanism ensured that sales force was kept as a cost center, responsible for revenues, field marketing and customer service. Such a structure resulted in two distinct cultures co-existing in HP. One centered in the product divisions focused on long-term profit objectives and the other in the field, on meeting short-term sales quotas. Sales force concentrated on achieving sales target without worrying about making profits and spending time in non-core activities. 3. Critically evaluate HP-CSOs approach to building relations with its Enterprise Customers HP reorganized its sales approach by providing greater autonomy to its divisions. CSO could draw on HPs resources while operating in a more entrepreneurial fashion. Freed from the constraint of a drawn-out approval process, CSO began to race to the market with new computers. By 1994, HPs business was growing at 40% annually against an industry growth of 5%. To capitalize on the new market position, sales force was re-organized and other dramatic changes were instituted in the manner in which CSO sold to customers. HP wanted to transform its salespeople from order takers into consultants. Advantages Sales reps were relieved of the unproductive tasks Centralized configuration support specialists enabled increase in the sales reps direct customer contact by 30-50% The domain specific approach enabled HP to focus and service large customers more effectively. Generate more sales through the specialized and competent sales force. Sales force was able to nurture the relationships developed over time with the enterprise customers. . Disadvantages Sales force was averse to change and didnt wanted to lose power over their regional fiefdoms Smaller customers resented being relegated to the channel partners or telephone reps. To transform salesperson from order takers to consultants required specifically designed training programs to de-emphasize on traditional focus on HP product capabilities and specification in favor of teaching salespeople how to evaluate customers circumstances and suggest ways that HP might improve them. Do you agree with the findings of two audits? Findings of the first audit are agreeable. However, the methodology adopted for the second audit is not convincing. The customer that was selected for the audit was the largest with whom HP had good relationship, HP was strong in the industry selected and the study chose only one region that HP was good in. This leads to an audit that encompasses a perfect customer, industry and region. The finding might not apply across all customers, industry and regions giving an obscure audit. What about the consultants recommendations? The recommendations provide deep insights into the strong and weak links in the sales strategy of HP-CSO The recommendations of the consultant seem very broad based and not properly structured The consultant hasnt provided an action roadmap based on his recommendations. How is this approach different from the current approach to managing enterprise customers? The approach of entering downstream and slowly making inroads upstream will face a lot barriers put up by competitors. The new approach would require re-training the sales force considerably. The effort and time involved in beating competition might be considerable. There is a high risk of failure and would require considerable time to bring in the change Comments on conclusions of audit The first audit conclusion is convincing, but the second audit conclusion is not detailed and devoid of an action plan. Recommendations Increase conversion rate in downstream and midstream segment Develop competence in midstream and upstream segment of the market to capture the high potential market share, instead of building the way through downstream Create a value proposition for the upstream market Eliminate the non productive tasks of sales reps and train them effectively