Monday, December 23, 2019

Just Another Move to China - 761 Words

CASE STUDY :Just another move to China Question 1 : Over the years, the MacDoughals have been on numbers of international assignements -Chicago, Philadelphia and now Singapore - . Lachlan, the husband has been offered an international assignement to China, which makes it a little bit difficult for the entire family to move as his wife, Lisa enjoys her current job in Singapore and is finally looking forward to focusing more on her career and their daughters, Emily and Amà ©lia are already attached to their lives in Singapore. In addition, they all have the permanent Singaporean residency. The MacDoughals definitely fit into a rare and valuable category of people multinational firms are looking for. In Fact, they have proven their†¦show more content†¦In Fact, Amà ©lia and Emily have spent most of their youth (and lives) embrassing the Singaporean culture by  « encorporating Singaporean culture into their everyday life and sense of who they were  ». Both attended (for two years) Asia’s most international and adapted school for third culture kids : United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) which unfortunately does not give them the same opportunity in Shanghai since it is the only school of its kind located in the Asian area. The girls have therefore settled in their Singaporean environnement as they enjoy their friends and entourage company and already have some landmarks in their surrounding environnement. Moving to Shanghai will consequently cause a big change in their personalities and characteristics and will eventually make them feel like they don’t belong. As a matter of fact, below are some fundamental bulletpoints on Third culture kids usual characteristics that would potentially apply to Amelia and Emily after moving to Shanghai: - Building relationships all around the world but without any ownership in any - Avoiding the  « where are you from ?  » question - Being uncertain of their cultural identity - Having an identity crisis - Loosing relationships - Feeling different and left out from others Question 4 : Moving all around theShow MoreRelatedTravel Theory : A Process Of Geographical And Cultural Relocation1281 Words   |  6 Pagesact and think despite what their parent’s own culture is. In various locations, there are never identical cultures. They may be similar, but there are slight differences that make the culture unique. No matter what, cultures always have traits that another culture will not agree to. Most second generations struggle with finding connections to their culture which affect their relationships with their parents. In the story â€Å"Who’s Irish†, it described how there is a Chinese grandmother who does not understandRead MoreOutsourcing Of The United States1355 Words   |  6 Pagestheir profits and increase the production of their products (Narayanan, 2015). Products were becoming to expensive to make in the United States and other lesser developed countries were less expensive, and that is why the United States turned to China for production. There are lots of other reasons for outsourcing such as gaining access to new markets, gaining global knowledge, focusing on their core business practices, and being closer to their resources. Gaining access to new markets happens becauseRead MoreAmerica s Territorial Integrity And National Interest1112 Words   |  5 PagesPaper States by nature shall always uplift and protect their own territorial integrity and national interest against interventions through different approaches to survive. Hence, Philippines’ move in securing its territorial integrity through applying such approach as to say filing an arbitration case against China or other approaches if obligatory is necessary and inevitable due to the surrounding circumstances of the case. A week after the release of the ruling of the Permanent Court of ArbitrationRead MoreThe Between China And China Sea1180 Words   |  5 Pagescomes to the relationships in the South China Sea. The point of rebalancing has come up when speaking about the confrontation in the South China Sea. The idea is that the United States wants to restore the original agreement by UNCLOS in order to give its allies a fair piece of the South China Sea and its resources. China views this not as rebalancing, but as suppression. China has stated that the United States just wanted to subdue China in the South China Sea and stop it development so it cannotRead MoreDiscuss the Differences Between Adopting the Conventional Wholesale Retail Approach of Opening Stores Versus the Direct Selling Approach743 Words   |  3 PagesStudent numberï ¼Å¡16869365 Identify the reasons why China outlawed direct selling in 1998. Do you think this action was justified? The Chinese officials issued a ban of direct selling on Amyway Inc. and it was a big threat and a loss of multi-million dollar profits. China issued the ban arguing that there were fears that the company was spreading heretical religion and was ready to start a secret society in China. Another reason for the ban was that China claimed that the organization acted as a baseRead MoreGlobalization Is A Process Of Interaction And Integration Among The People, Economics And Government Of Different Countries1329 Words   |  6 Pagesabroad, they also need people to make those goods, so they need to more people in order to make these products. Another aspect of economic globalization is that now people are able to buy and sell their products to other countries. People are able to buy products from China, which is cheaper and affordable. However, many multinational companies doesn’t want, that people buy products from china, because they also want to sell their products. In order to s ell their product, these multinational companiesRead MoreEssay On Outsourced Manufacturing712 Words   |  3 Pagescompanies. Every company he interviewed was an American company that either purchased a new line of manufacturing or moved one of their plants from another country to America. The Mississippi State University speaker stated that America had a net lost 200,000+ a year and is now up that much or a little more a year. The oldest hat manufacture in the U.S. bought another brand that has been made inChina for years. Their representative said that their price of production is similar to China’s dueto the rise inRead MorePopulation Dynamics Of China A New Global Power1037 Words   |  5 PagesKlaysmat Mark Rouleau Global Issues UN1025 17 Feb 2016 Population Dynamics of China A New Global Power Introduction For the purpose of this essay the two countries that I have chosen to study would be China and the United States. I will be looking at the differences in population growth, migration, urbanization, as well as how globalization caused the population dynamics of these two countries to differ from one another. Population Size According to the population pyramid forRead MoreEssay on Case 1 - in the International Spotlight, Vietnam1676 Words   |  7 PagesVietnam, accounting for 47.8 percent of total newly registered capital. (Vietnam Business News Online) Becoming the 150th member of the World Trade Organization shows the country has the willingness to open its trade doors and a strong political move to prove that the country is willing to abide by outside rules and regulations. This would impress investors and would likely consider doing business with Vietnam. Being a communist nation, the government still closely controls the economy and U.SRead MoreMexico : A Potential Market For J Tec Industries Essay1287 Words   |  6 Pagestolerated. Another potential threat that could ultimately affect J-tec is Mexico’s unstable economy. As inflation continues to rise in Mexico, the Peso continues to devalue. Bloomberg Markets notes the currency exchange rate is currently 20.6192, down by -.05%. (Bloomberg, web, 2016). This can increase economic risk exposure. Translation risk can affect any gains J-tec may have from indirect exporting. Thus, J-tec may lose money when conducting business in Mexico. China China is an economic

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Alzheimers Speech Free Essays

http://www. nia. nih. We will write a custom essay sample on Alzheimers Speech or any similar topic only for you Order Now gov/Alzheimers/Resources/images. htm I just passed out a blank card to everyone I would like you to draw an analog clock that reads the time 4:45, hang on to this piece of paper and I’ll explain it a little bit later. You might be wondering why there is a picture of an elderly woman on the screen. Well, that lovely old woman Is my grandmom and she was formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about 6 years ago, she was my inspiration for this speech . Mayo Clinic defines Alzheimer’s to be a disease that causes brain changes that gradually get worse. Alzheimers is the most common cause of dementia dementia is a group of brain disorders that cause progressive loss of intellectual and social skills, severe enough to interfere with day-to-day life. There are 2 types of Alzheimer’s, the most common is called late onset alzheimers which symptoms of the disease emerge after age 65, the other is called early onset alzheimers, this occurs in a small amount of people who develop the disease in their 30s 40’s and 50s When a person has Alzheimers the brain slowly loses its ability to make and retrieve memories and process information. A friend’s name that was once familiar now eludes them, a recipie that they used to make all the time now is impossible to remember, family members names are and even a spouces face are forgotten. Mood and personality changes can also occur, most of the time you will notice increased anxiety or agression.. although sometimes you will notice that person become more introverted and quiet eventually this DZ makes it impossible for people to exist without the help of others. That help often comes from the family members or an assisted living facility An easy way to explain this dz is to think about an old light bulb in a lamp, in the beginning its on.. then sometimes it flickers until eventually it is off. So what exactly is going on in the brain that causes it to flicker and finally turn off? The brain works by sending signals. Chemical messengers called neurotransmitters allow the brain to communicate with each other. People with Alzheimer’s have a decreased amount of neurotransmitters, they also develop deposits of plaques and the fibers in the brain begin to tangle. This prevents the cells from working properly. Over time the brain begins to shrink and all of these factors put together cause a steady decline in memory and mental function. Earlier I had you draw a clock showing the time 4:45 on it. This is actually one of the many tests that are administered to people who are suspected to have Alzheimer’s. There is no specific test for Alzheimers the only way the dz can be diagnosed with complete accuracy is after the person has died and a microscopic examination of the brain reveals the characteristic plaques and tangles that I talked about earlier With that in mind, Hopefully the clock you drew looks like this (picture of clock on screen). For a person who is believed to be suffering with Alzheimer’s their clock looks something like this. This picture actually shows you the progession of someone with Alzheimers, you can see that the first clock is correct and as time goes on the image becomes more disorted. When my grandmom was diagnosed with alzheimers I didnt think much of it, I thought that she could just take some medicine and she would get better but Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death mong the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed There are just drugs to help cope with the secondary aspects of alzheimers like becoming anxious or nervous. Alzheimer’s disease has no survivors. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully takes away a person’s identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find his or her way home. This DZ is something that is close to my heart and i would just like to thank you all for listening. How to cite Alzheimers Speech, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Applied Economics

Questions: Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) examine the contribution of all the various components of aggregate expenditure to recent performance in the Australian economy. Given this information, consider where the economy may currently be in the business cycle and present your analysis using aggregate demand and aggregate supply. Briefly consider the policy implications of this position. Assessment tasks: Demonstrate understanding of theory. Ability to utilise data. Examine contributions to GDP growth (NOT simply contributions to GDP). Present findings in terms of macroeconomic equilibrium and consider policy implications of this position. Answers: Introduction In Australia, the Gross Domestic product that is GDP is the overall value of the commodities and services which is produced within Australia in a specified time period. It does not allow for the depreciation of the equipment. This is the reason it is known as the Gross Domestic product (Konchitchki Patatoukas, 2014). The aggregate expenditure is the sum of the expenditure commenced in the financial system by the factors during a precise period. The total amounts of firms as well the domestic policy are determined by the aggregate expenditure. The method is used in calculating the total sum of the financial action. It is the present value of the completed products and services in the financial system. The total aggregate expenditure comprises of consumption, investment, net exports as well as the spending of the government (Barrett et al., 2013). Understanding of the theory The various components of aggregate demand include net exports, consumption, investment, government expenditure. The aggregate expenditure is that method which helps in calculating the overall sum of the financial activities in the economy. As compared to the GDP, it is an important factor as it helps in measuring the development of the financial system (Bierbrauer, 2014). The above graph shows the model of aggregate expenditure. It helps in determining the graph with the help of real GDP, potential GDP as well as the point of equilibrium. The GDP is impacted with the shift in either demand or supply. Over the course of the year 2014-2015, the exports and exporters of Australia have had handled with three most important headwinds. Firstly, there was an additional decline in the growth rate of the economy in the export market of Australia. Secondly, the trade growth of the world has continued to be unsuccessful in order to gain any vital impetus over the past year. Figure 1: The Total export in Australia (Source: www.abs.gov.au, 2016) Figure 1 shows that the decline in the total export share imitated a fall of almost four percent in the cost of total exports of commodities and services in the year 2014-2015. It was down to $318.7 billion as compared to that of $331.2 billion in the year 2013-2014. By the sort of export, that $12.5 billion reduced mainly reflected an even higher fall in the price of exports of minerals and fuels that was only partly counterbalance by enlarge in the cost of exports of services and food as well as produces. In terms of the rate of growth to a certain extent than total values, at the same time as exports of minerals and fuels exports cut down by almost 14 per cent over the preceding year, exports of services and of foodstuff both increased by approximately nine per cent (Moore et al., 2015). Table 1 is constructed to show the export rate in Australia which has been rising over the past few years. Year Export 2006 16000 2008 18000 2010 20000 2012 22000 2014 24000 Table 1: The Export in Australia from the year 2006-2014 The dissimilarity in the performance of both exports of commodities and exports of services was reasonably bleak. However, in the case of the export of goods the story was completely dominated by resources, where a noteworthy rise in the volume of export was not enough to recompense for an even sharper decline in prices (Young et al., 2016). It is from the private investment in Australia that the strongest constructive contribution came from. It contributed almost 0.7 percent in the economy of Australia. This is a main turnaround on the previous three quarters where the payment of private capital configuration has been diminishing. The consequence in the March quarter is in row with the ABS came across investment data. As the fiscal incentive unwinds, public investment is a contractionary force. In Australia, the contribution of investment to the real growth in the year 2015 was negative. However, in the year 2010 it was almost 2 percent (Butlin, 2013). The investment in Australia is published by the ABS. It can be seen from the above diagram that between the year 2010 and the year 2014, there was a noteworthy inflow of Foreign Direct Investment into Australia in mining and excavation and real estate. The foreign investment in Australia is mostly commenced in the form of folder investment (Bath, 2012). The private investment was the strongest contributor to growth in the year 2015. The countries, which witness a high level of investment in the factories, machinery, mines and new plants generally, have a high economic growth. In Australia, the private investment had been partially financed by the inflow of capital from foreign countries as well as from domestic sources. Year Investment 2006 25000 2008 30000 2010 40000 2012 45000 2014 50000 Table 2: The Investment rate in Australia from the year 2006-2014 The government has an exclusive role in reallocating resources in the financial system due to their capability to forcibly obtain resources via taxation and guideline. The government can also spend on existing consumption or spend in future consumption. They can expend in either ways that develop aggregate financial supply or decrease it demand or not. The government absolute consumption expenditure increased by 0.7 percent for the quarter, leaving a yearly expansion at 3.6 percent. Year Government Spending 2006 36 2008 35.5 2010 35 2012 34.5 2014 34 Table 3: The Government Spending in Australia from the year 2006-2014 In Australia, the rate of unemployment has increased considerably over the past few years to a high level. However, the growth over the financial year is likely to remain below trend. There are positive signs of the growth in some parts of the non-mining financial system in Australia. The business cycles are the kind of variation that is found taken together financial activity of the nations that systematize the work mostly in the enterprise of the trade. A cycle comprises of development occurring at the identical time in numerous financial activities followed by comparable common recessions, reduction and revivals, which unite into the development phase of the next cycle. At this point, Australia is in the recovery phase of business cycle. It is characterized by an increase in the confidence of the consumer in the market. At this point of business cycle, the lending rates of the banks are low and the companies are able to afford in order to finance the projects. This in turn leads to an increase in the productivity, which is mainly due to the augmented aggregate demand in the financial system of Australia. The rise in the production allows the industries to start hiring. This in turn leads to an increase in the income of the consumers. The consumers are now able to purchase the capital commodities. At this period, the profit margins of the companies start to increase. As a result, the GDP that is the gross domestic product also rises. The recovery phase of the business cycle is usually characterized by a rebound in financial activity with the growing profits. At this time, the increase in borrowing and spending takes place. The above figure shows that the demand curve shifts from DD to D1D1. This result in the rise in the price, which increases, from P to P1. This deals with the recovery of the recurring recession as well as struggling with the difficulty of structurally regulating the financial system away from a very high dependence on investment led expansion. Contributions to GDP growth As per ABS, the strong result was determined by strength in domestic final consumption expenditure beside the communal gross fixed capital structure. Investors generally worry about the negative GDP growth (McLean, 2013). Figure 2: The GDP growth of Australia (Source: "Australia GDP | 1960-2016 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News", 2016) The figure 2 shows that in the year 2015, the GDP growth rate of Australia had expanded at around 0.6 percent as compared to the previous year which was around 1.1 percent. It has been reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that the net export did not have any contribution to the growth of GDP. However, the final consumption made a positive contribution to the GDP growth. It can be seen from the above diagram that the economy expanded by 3.0 percent. Since the third quarter of 2012, the economy experienced a fastest development (Katz, 2012). The rate of growth and contribution which is presented in the publication for Australia, are derived from OECD estimates of chained volumes. The OECD aggregates at the level of prices as well as purchasing power parity of GDP are planned by sequence of the total of the national prior year prices sequence (Brackfield, 2014). The contribution of a constituent to a quarter-on-quarter GDP expansion had been calculated as the rate of real growth of this constituent weighted by the share of this constituent in the GDP for the present prices. Two effects are reflected by the contribution. It includes the velocity with which a constituent changes and the comparative significance of the constituent in total GDP. One should be conscious about the fact that the previous formula applied in this context is strictly not accurate in the circumstance of chained approximation of volume because of the loss of additively. However, it comprises a practical first estimate, easy to understand and is extensively used as such. Because of rounding, the input of constituents may not sum to the GDP growth (Shahiduzzaman Alam, 2014). The contribution to net exports has been computed as the sum of input of exports and input of imports. Contribution of variation in ranges has been derived as a remaining and comprises a statistical inconsistency (Dyster Meredith, 2012). Macroeconomic Policy Implications The alternative of exchange rate administration is thought to have a vital implication for both the macroeconomic outcomes and policy. As a result, even after 10 years of a floating Australian currency there is very little difference with the outlook that exchange rates should be determined by market. This is partially due to the fact that considerable fluctuations in the costs of commodities operated by Australia are a main source of exterior shocks to the financial system and a rationally generously floating rate is predicted to offer a degree of insulation from overseas price movements, thereby mitigating terms of trade surprise. The facility to operate a self-governing macroeconomic policy is vital. The depreciation in Australia led to the issues related to the macroeconomic policy. This in turn includes suitable connection between policies of wages as well as the reduction of currency. The GDP growth in Australia is central to the macroeconomic policy (Weale et al., 2015). Year GDP 2006 600 2008 800 2010 1000 2012 1200 2014 1400 Table 4: The GDP in Australia from the year 2006-2014 The three key macroeconomic policies that are pertaining to the exchange rate in Australia are as follows: The policy with respect to the considerable depreciation The current account and the rate of exchange The policy of uncontaminated interference in the overseas exchange markets In order to consider these orders in detail, it is important to consider the above mentioned points and also examine the setting of the fiscal and the monetary policy. It has been reported by the IMF that if the macroeconomic policies are sustained then they can raise growth (Fagiolo Roventini, 2012). The macroeconomic policy helps to increase the rate of employment and the rate of poverty. The macroeconomic policies were steered by a policy in order to encourage expansion, employment and reorganization. It was incorporated to achieve the macroeconomic equilibrium in Australia that is to reduce the budget shortage as well as the fall in the rate of inflation (Subedi, 2016). The monetary policy is constricted substantially. By convoying these policies, the wage policy was intended at restraining increase in the real wages. The fiscal development was likely to value the nominal as well the real exchange rate (Aghion Kharroubi, 2013). The fiscal policy is presently severe rather than just mildly limited. The government of Australia is overseeing the quickest process of the fiscal consolidation. In terms of the Reserve bank the monetary policy is mildly limited. Conclusion Contribution of difference in ranges has been derived as a remaining and comprises a statistical inconsistency. The rate of growth and contribution, which is presented in the publication for Australia, are derived from OECD estimates of chained volumes. Enthused by Australian fiscal and financial policy performance during GFC that great financial crisis, this study examines the effects of macroeconomic policy shocks on the labor market dynamics in Australia using a vector auto-regression (VAR) method. The boost in the productivity is mainly due to the augmented aggregate demand in the financial system of Australia. The macroeconomic policy helps to increase the rate of employment and the rate of poverty. The GDP growth in Australia is the innermost to the macroeconomic rule. References 5206.0 - Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product, Dec 2015. (2016). Abs.gov.au. Aghion, P., Kharroubi, E. (2013). Cyclical macroeconomic policy, financial regulation and economic growth. Australia GDP | 1960-2016 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News. (2016). Tradingeconomics.com. Retrieved 31 May 2016, Barrett, G., Levell, P., Milligan, K. (2013).A comparison of micro and macro expenditure measures across countries using differing survey methods(No. w19544). National Bureau of Economic Research. Bath, V. (2012). Foreign investment, the national interest and national security-foreign direct investment in Australia and China.Sydney Law Review,34(1), 5-34. Bierbrauer, F. J. (2014). Optimal tax and expenditure policy with aggregate uncertainty.American Economic Journal: Microeconomics,6(1), 205-257. Brackfield, D. (2014). OECD Main Economic Indicators. InEncyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research(pp. 4468-4471). Springer Netherlands. Butlin, N. G. (2013).Investment in Australian economic development, 1861-1900. Cambridge University Press. Dyster, B., Meredith, D. (2012).Australia in the global economy: continuity and change. Cambridge University Press. Fagiolo, G., Roventini, A. (2012). Macroeconomic policy in dsge and agent-based models.Revue de l'OFCE, (5), 67-116. Katz, R. (2012). The impact of broadband on the economy: Research to date and policy issues.Broadband Series. Konchitchki, Y., Patatoukas, P. N. (2014). Accounting earnings and gross domestic product.Journal of Accounting and Economics,57(1), 76-88. McLean, I. W. (2013).Why Australia prospered: the shifting sources of economic growth. Princeton University Press. Moore, S. J., Madin, B., Norman, G., Perkins, N. R. (2015). Risk factors for mortality in cattle during live export from Australia by sea.Australian veterinary journal,93(10), 339-348. Shahiduzzaman, M., Alam, K. (2014). Information technology and its changing roles to economic growth and productivity in Australia.Telecommunications Policy,38(2), 125-135. Subedi, M. N. (2016, March). Effects of macroeconomic policy shock on the labour market dynamics in Australia. InProceedings of Economics and Finance Conferences(No. 3205612). International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences. Weale, M., Blake, A., Christodoulakis, N., Meade, J. E., Vines, D. (2015).Macroeconomic Policy: inflation, wealth and the exchange rate(Vol. 8). Routledge. Young, R., Cowie, A., McLeod, R. (2016). Soil carbon and inferred net primary production in high and low intensity grazing systems on the New England Tableland, Eastern Australia.Soil Research.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Two Shaft Gas Turbine Lab Report Sample

Two Shaft Gas Turbine Lab Report Paper It has isentropic processes occur that upon investigation describes the Carrot cycle. It can be shown that it is the most efficient cycle for converting a given amount of Herman energy into work, or conversely, creating a temperature difference by doing a given amount of work. Calculations were done for the air compressor, combustion chamber and turbines. Power, isentropic efficiency, mechanical efficiency and pressure loss were all deduced with error factors in mind. In the combustion chamber, the overall pressure loss and the turbine entry temperature were calculated excluding the theoretical temperature rise in the thermal efficiency calculation. In turbine 1, pressure ratio and thermal efficiency was calculated, However frictional reheating occurs allowing the calculation or thermal efficiency to be tweaked a little. In the gas generator power, isentropic and mechanical efficiency were calculated with both the turbine and the compressor considered. Similarly the gas turbine calculations were done taking into consideration that the fifth temperature had to be theoretically derived, allowing for some margin of error. Finally the overall power efficiency of the two-shaft turbine Vass calculated with the adjusted thermal efficiency from the chamber. We will write a custom essay sample on Two Shaft Gas Turbine Lab Report specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Two Shaft Gas Turbine Lab Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Two Shaft Gas Turbine Lab Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Monday, November 25, 2019

Macbeth and Lord of the Flies Comparison Essay Essays

Macbeth and Lord of the Flies Comparison Essay Essays Macbeth and Lord of the Flies Comparison Essay Essay Macbeth and Lord of the Flies Comparison Essay Essay Macbeth by Shakespeare and Lord of the Fliess by William Golding have much to state about man’s iniquitous nature. Both of these plants contain scenes in which chief characters die ; their deceases come about because of their iniquitous nature or the iniquitous nature of others around them. Man’s iniquitous nature is revealed through the ideas and actions of the characters of these plants. The writers show through their plants their belief that if everybody revealed their true natures. the universe would rupture itself apart. In both plants. immorality is revealed by the revealing actions of the characters. In Lord of the Flies. the boys’ society starts to fall apart as Jack becomes less and less civilised and the other male childs bit by bit follow his illustration. Merely Simon is the genuinely guiltless one ; even Ralph and Piggy expose their evil nature when they help the other male childs kill Simon. Besides the slayings of Simon and Piggy. immorality is besides demonstrated through the scenes when the hog is killed. Piggy’s spectacless are stolen. and the conch shell is smashed. In Macbeth. man’s iniquitous nature is seen rather early in the narrative when Lady Macbeth urges her hubby to kill the male monarch after he is told a prognostication that he will go male monarch. Though Macbeth is loath at foremost. so horrified at the slaying he has committed. his pride and greed get the better of him. He starts killing more people. including adult females and kids. and even efforts t o kill his good friend Banquo. Though Macbeth started out good. his evil nature conquered in the terminal. Though they both demonstrate man’s iniquitous nature. the books end in really different ways. In Macbeth. Macbeth dies by the manus of his enemy. and his married woman dies by her ain manus. In Lord of the Flies. the male childs are rescued merely as Ralph is about to be killed. However. in both books the wickedness job is neer controlled. Shakespeare neer suggests in his work that Malcolm will go corrupt or that person else will prehend the throne. However. it is in the nature of adult male to be corrupt. and finally something like Macbeth’s trespass of the throne would go on once more. On the other manus. Golding lays heavy accent on the suggestion that all work forces are iniquitous. non merely male childs marooned on an island. He shows this by adding the naval officer and his ship into the narrative. The Bible has much to state about man’s iniquitous nature. In Romans 3:23. it states: â€Å"For all have sinned and fall short of the glorification of God. † Luke 18:13 says this: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢God. have mercy on me. a evildoer. † Everybody has a iniquitous nature ; our Black Marias are corrupted and full of greed. Macbeth and Lord of the Flies show how improbably far off our wickednesss can take us from God’s love and grace. As the Luke transition proves. nevertheless. God will ever hold clemency on us. no affair how far we have strayed from him. Macbeth. unluckily. neer changed- he stayed wicked until the terminal. On the other manus. Ralph and the other boys most likely did alter their evil ways when they went back to civilisation. If we neer return to God and garbage to hold anything to make with him. like Macbeth. he will hold no pick but to penalize us. However. if we turn from our iniquitous ways like Ralph. God will welcome us back with unfa stened weaponries. Both Macbeth and Lord of the Flies speak volumes about the job of man’s iniquitous nature. Though they seem like guiltless narratives at first. the reader bit by bit realizes that the writers are. in fact. talking about the full human population. Both writers are doing a individual point: All worlds have a iniquitous nature. and if it were given free rein. world would destruct itself.

Friday, November 22, 2019

African Americans in Pop Culture Essay Example for Free

African Americans in Pop Culture Essay African American (597) , African (466) , Pop Culture (18) , Funk (4) Haven't found the essay you want? Get your custom sample essay for only $13.90/page ? African Americans have had an incredible lasting impression on popular culture. African American singers, artists, entrepreneurs, athletes and actors have all had their say and have really stood out within the past few years. They’ve also grown and not grown in different ways all around from music, to television, to movies. African American stereotypes still exist in all aspects of pop culture, while many are trying to get away from what audiences assume is the typical black person. African Americans have been fighting for and against their own stereotypes when they started breaking out into music, then branching out into television, and making it big in the film industry. They’ve gone from being the dumb, uneducated, and underprivileged minority of America, and have started to make themselves more known as gang bangers and thugs, which are often seen as heroes in popular culture. African Americans haven’t only made a name for themselves or left a footprint in only their culture, but in American culture all around. African Americans have been making their mark in music all throughout history. Many started with the jazz and bebop rebellion during the 1940s and ’50s in Detroit. They made their point by trying to be different. They didn’t want to follow the typical white, swing music criteria, and that’s exactly what happened. Bebop wasn’t so mainstream, and that’s what made it their own. They preferred small, unique combos to play instead of big named stars in the music industry. Detroit was shedding light on the working class people of the town and wanted to really make a sound for them. â€Å"The 1940s created an â€Å"afro-modernism,† a response to the urbanization, industrialization, and modernization of African American Culture. † Because of their movement ahead in music, they also made their movement in business. And so emerged an incredibly successful, black capitalist enterprise, Motown Records, founded by Barry Gordy. Along with the movement in Detroit, the Harlem Renaissance had happened even before all the rage for jazz and bebop, which raised awareness to the visual arts, which led to even more developments in music. And even earlier at the beginning of the 20th century, blacks were starting to be accepted into acclaimed schools to study music and they were allowed to join the base of white people in symphony orchestras. During the ’50s, doo-wop and soul music became popular. That’s when legends like Ray Charles emerged and paved the way for others. Soul music remained popular among blacks for long after the pop sounds started to wave through. By the end of the decade and moving into the ’70s, blacks were starting to crossover into the typical white music trends. Psychadelic music had become popular. Jimi Hendrix, along his wah-wah pedal innovation, became one of the most popular guitarists during the era. Right after that, soul had become the popular music in the black community and was starting to revolutionize African-American music. Soul had continued success in popularity during the ’70s, but the ’70s also brought along a rise in black bands. White people were listening to country, disco, and all sorts of rock music, while the African-Americans had their funk, pop, soul, and jazz music that was on a totally different spectrum from their white counterparts. The ’70s was also when Djs started mixing their own beats and playing their funk records the way they wanted to so they could get their audience to dance. And with the beats produced by Djs along with the poets who would read their poems to those beats, came the emergence of hip hop music. The era of hip hop music was a new revolution in African American popular culture. African Americans in Pop Culture. (2016, Dec 17).

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Learning Theories and Learning Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Learning Theories and Learning Styles - Essay Example Learning theories and learning styles Learning theories are described as frameworks that explain modes and ways in which information is processed, absorbed and retained when tutoring or receiving information. Before generating a learning theory, Brown & Ryoo (2008) argue that environmental cognitive and emotional influences should be effectively considered. The authors also point out that past experiences in a learner’s life should also be considered. All these factors are impactful when understanding the way in which views and understanding are changed or acquired as well enabling one to know the ways in which knowledge can be retained (Radin, 2009). When developing learning theories, De Jong (2010) argues that it is more advantageous to study the fluctuating factors in the learner than studying the environment. Additionally, the author sensitizes on the need to study the complexities in the human memory to generate effective and appropriate learning theories. Compare different learning styles Development of lear ning styles is based on the ability and preferences of different individuals. According to Keefe & Jenkins (2008) development of learning styles became a need since different learners displayed different forms in the way they understood and retained information. The authors further argue that the mode and way of teaching cannot be generalized to fit the preferences of all students. For this reason, educators and educational institutions have come up with learning curriculums that incorporate different learning styles. ... This enables learners to have a range of preferences from which they can choose what makes their educational experiences interesting and fruitful. There are 7 learning styles. They comprise of: Visual This particular learning style incorporates tangible tools in its learning systems. Learners preferring this style understand information when using pictures, images and spatial information. For instance, when teaching on the formation of landscapes, a tutor is advised to use images to explain the phenomenon. Jackson (2008) also gives an example on the application of the learning style by arguing that calculating the size of shapes and objects a tutor must use images and objects for a learner to effectively relate to the information. Aural This learning style incorporates the use of music and sound as learning tools. Aural learning styles are mostly used in educational institutions for the visually challenged (Radin, 2009). The tutor in this case makes a recording of a particular subjec ts or information. In some cases the tutor may use music to pass pieces of information to the learners. Verbal This style is also known as linguistics. In this case, the learner prefers the use of words either written or in speech. This is the most commonly used learning styles as many learners prefer the style due to its efficiency in understanding and record keeping abilities. Physical It is also known as kinesthetic. This particular learning system uses the sense of touch and the body to pass information. The style is most a preference to students who are visually and verbally impaired. Radin (2009) points out that the learning system mostly incorporates the use of hands. Logical (Mathematical) The learning system is

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Family law Reform of Divorce Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Family law Reform of Divorce Law - Essay Example However, it is felt that it is considered to premeditate on the Act even though its situation is still indecisive, as it has a lot of powers and decency in the perpetuation of the establishment of a family. 2Under the enactment, intercession is presented since it has numerous recompenses such as it works out disputes harmoniously, and it can trim down the build-up of indictments in the court. There has existed anticipation that the debate underscores the decency of the separation reform that transpired in England. Possibly, we may gain knowledge of England in presenting a novel section of Family Law Act to the non-Muslims and to establish arbitration as a substitute approach in the resolution of a family difference of opinion. Overview of the Present Law on Divorce The divorce law that came in with the family law came as, reinforcement to the previous divorce law that had presented earlier, in the divorce reform that occurs in 1969. The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1973 has also been up dated further making the divorce law easier and diverse for persons in need of divorce. The above act barred the intention of presenting procedural no-fault divorce through the utilization of irrevocable breakdown basis, although, it fabricated matter through the retention of a slip up as proof of the presented collapse. The substitute consensual and non-consensual divorces that had been presented in early years approximately twenty years have gotten a replacement from the new laws that have become instituted, in the in the novel act.3The early reform provisions in the old constitution have gotten a replacement together, with the rest of the matrimonial faults that appeared, in terms of infidelity, manners and abandonment by the independent announcement of the matrimonial failures or collapses. The modification retained the existing auxiliary assistance system that has records or has been for all this time been in effect as from 1973 that had been uncovered to 1984 amendment.4 In ac cordance to the novel act, from the enactment, the absolute bar gets retained concerning the initiation of any divorce proceedings within the first year of a couple’s marriage as the issue got settled in the 1973 provisions on a matrimonial act that got endorsed in 19845. This insinuates that the matter discourages impetuous suits. In the act, some of the undeniable transformations are the new act concerning auxiliary relief. In this section, the exceptional trials have to be settled prior to granting of any divorce directive.6 In accordance with the act of 1857, the effigy generated a fresh divorce court that bared authority in marriage trails that formerly enjoyed the ecclesiastical courts. During this epoch, the foundation for the creation of a divorce trial steadily broadened with the commendations of the royal authorities up to 1937, when the current divorce law was acknowledged for the succession of the previous or former act on the same.7 Around this epoch in the accou nt of England, sexes, males and females had similar access to the matrimonial liberties unlike in the past where men got firsthand chances to offer divorces to their spouses. The idea of divorce became clearer on women’s side as they bared an access to bring their petitions. The matter came in as a compliment although, for most conserves of traditional practices, it came as a big surprise. The issue raised many outcries from the male dominion even though it was for the good of the ensuring democracy within all populace with  no regards to any prejudice.  

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Safeguarding the Welfare or Children and Young People Essay Example for Free

Safeguarding the Welfare or Children and Young People Essay Understanding current legislation, policies and procedures is essential to ensure that safe guarding is carried out effectively. Knowing the risks ad possible consequences that children and young people can be affected by is important within a supporting role. It is also important to fully understand the responsibilities and when to take action. Legislations, guidelines and policies are put into place to help protect the welfare and safeguarding of children and young people. Usually parents and carers have the primary responsibility for safeguarding their children but in certain circumstances agencies, families or friends have the responsibility to safeguard their protection. The following is an outline of current legislations, guidelines, policies and procedures within the UK. The United Nations convention on the rights of a child 1989 was approved by the United Kingdom in 1991. â€Å"Article 19 states children’s rights to be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse† (Burnham L 2008 P16) Children Act 2004 This act includes two important sections which focus specifically on children protection. Burnham (2008) says that section 47 states that the local authority has a duty to investigate when ‘they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in their area is suffering, or likely to suffer significant harm. Section 17 states that services must be put into place by local authority to ‘safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need’. The Children Act 2004 provides legal framework for ‘every child matters’. Burnham states the act includes the requirements for: Services to work more closely to form a integrated service A common assessment framework to help early identification of need Shared database of information which is relevant to the safety and welfare of children Earlier support for parents who are experiencing problems. Another legislation that is in place is the Education Act 2002. This legislation  sets the responsibility of all people that work in schools to ensure that children are safe and free from harm. These include governing bodies, head teachers, teachers and supporting staff. These legislations are in place to help ensure all children’s safety and wellbeing is monitored. Schools develop policies to ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of their pupils. All staff are given different responsibilities that they must follow. Procedures are also put into place so staff no the correct way to report or support pupils that are in need or in significant harm. â€Å"Policies may be separate or incorporated into one health and safety policy but all must include sections which cover issues of; Safeguarding and protecting, and procedures for reporting E- Safety Bullying, including cyber bullying†. (Burnham L 2008 P17) â€Å"The department for education provides guidance for local authorities including schools. Schools use these guidelines to develop their own policies and procedures† (Burnham L 2008 P17). The department for education guidance are as follows; * Working together to safeguard children (2010) * What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (2006) This guidance is given to help those working with children. It looks at the actions they should take if they are concerned for a child. This will include who to inform. Agencies such as the children’s social care will be contacted to help with support and caring for the child. The children’s social care, have the key role to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need. Working together to safeguard children (2010) sets out duties of organisations and how they must work together. LSCB has particular roles and responsibilities to oversee the work of other agencies. If agencies work in partnership, more support and care can be given to children in need. The more professional help the children or young people receive, the less chance of them being affected later on in childhood or adulthood. UCCIS launched in 2008 after being concerned about the safety of the children and young people using the i nternet. There are now codes of practice in schools which will prevent pupils from entering unsafe sites. However their protection at home is their parent’s responsibility. Schools  will try their hardest to support parents by promoting awareness to pupils about normal and not normal activities on the internet. All schools must have a E-safety code of practice and have software in place to prevent pupils from seeing unreasonable software. Schools have a key role in protecting and recognising children that are in need because they spend more time with the pupils than any other agencies or authorities. However it is only their role to protect and support the pupils and inform agencies. The agencies, normally children’s social care are the first contacted after a concern has been raised about a child or young person. Schools will help to show awareness to their pupils to show what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviour, this including awareness of e-safety. When children are using the internet schools have the responsibility to monitor what the pupils are looking at and making sure software is in place to safeguard the children. Schools will have the responsibility to provide additional support to protect pupils on the at risk register. They will have to give the opportunity to all members of staff about additional training in safeguarding pupils. All adults that work with children will have to observe for signs of abuse, monitor and record any concern. All concerns must be referred to, each school having different procedures in place on how to deal with a concern over a pupil. Another agency that works in partnership are the police. They have the responsibility to gather evidence on whether a crime has been committed and produce evidence to agencies or the court if necessary. They have the responsibility to take immediate action if they feel a child is in immediate danger. Health professionals have a major responsibility in the welfare of safeguarding children. They have direct contact within their establishments. Many doctors and emergency services tend to injuries in children and their role is to examine the child or young person and identify if there is a cause of concern that the injury was not sustained accidentally. They have the duty to report to child services if they feel a child has been harmed or may be in need of help and support. The NSPCC is a charitable organisation that works to protect children from harm. They have the power to take immediate action of they feel a child is at risk or being abused or being abused. The police and children’s social care have these powers alongside the NSPCC. NSPCC also support families and children. They promote awareness about abuse through  advertising and training programmes. They offer an emergency helpline for children in distress or harm and provides a helpline to the public. They share their expertise with other professionals, For example they may go into schools to help promote awareness of abuse and show support. Finally children’s social care have the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in need. They work in partnership with other agencies and parents, giving support when needed. If the children’s social care feel a child is at risk they will follow procedures that are in place. These are as follows as Burnham (2008) states. * Carry out an initial assessment, to find out about the child’s needs, the ability of the parents to meet the child’s needs, family and environment factors. * Meet and conduct interviews with the child or family members * Gather information from other agencies about the child’s circumstances. * Take the lead during a child’s protection conference. * Take action when a child is in immediate danger. In conclusion all agencies work in partnership to safeguard the welfare of children and young people. Guidelines, procedures, policies and legislations are put in place to help people that work with children. They are put in place to prevent a wrong decision being made and to make sure the child’s safety is their priority. All adults that work with children must know all the current procedures so the child can receive the best support that is needed.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Free College Admissions Essays: Slacking :: College Admissions Essays

College Admissions: Slacking It's unbelievable how each year, since the beginning of high school, my perfectly laid plans for myself have unavoidably deteriorated. When I entered my freshman year, I had aspirations of being a doctor (something I had wanted to be since I was a child). Now, here I am entering my senior year in high school without any idea of what I want to do. Now seems to be the time to start taking life seriously and making responsible, educated choices. Looking back on it now, I realize that I cannot become the doctor I wanted to be. I have come to realize that, that dream was not only my own, but a dream of my family. My parents often talked of me becoming a doctor and although their enthusiasm continued throughout my childhood and early adolescence, mine slowly diminished; until finally I realized I did not want to become a doctor. I remember how hard it seemed to tell my parents of my decision, I felt as if I was letting them down, but I eventually came to realize that they wanted me to do what made me happy. I am not definite why I changed my mind in regard to being a doctor, I had the grades, the drive, and the willingness to make certain sacrifices, but somewhere I was missing something and I felt that I would not be satisfied in a medical career. So I started thinking about what I wanted to do; I went from teaching to law enforcement, computer programming to astronautics and numerous other professions. Now I come to a crossroad in my life where I must choose what to do with my future, choose what will make me happy. I have always wanted the typical 'American Dream' to have a husband I am in love with, a stable job, loving children, and a house in the suburbs. But now I realize that there are so many other steps I need to take in order to achieve these so-called goals. This includes graduating from high school and college, finding that special someone, and finding that perfect job. I have begun to realize that I have yet to begin my life; everything up until now has been practice, as if I have been in a cage and it is only now that I am beginning to break free and do things for myself.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Medical expenses †deductibility in personal income taxation

Federal Income tax code specifies the generally deductible expenses in the personal taxation of an individual which include medical expenses, certain taxes, mortgage interest, investment interest and charitable contributions. These deductions mentioned in the chapter are known as itemized deductions. It has to be noted that any expenditures not specifically allowed as itemized deductions are not allowable against the personal income subject to tax. Medical expenses paid out by the taxable individual on himself, spouse and dependents are allowed as an itemized deduction. The additional points to be noted are that the deduction is allowed only to the extent to which the medical expenses are not reimbursed and the deduction is limited to 7.5% of the taxpayers Adjusted Gross Income. 1.0   DEFINITION OF MEDICAL EXPENSES The definition of medical expenses is very broad to cover not only the expenses incurred for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of the disease but also covers expenses incurred for preventive health cover and costs of periodic physical and dental examinations of the taxpayer. The important point here is that such deductions are allowed even when the taxpayer is in good health. Hence, such medical expenses incurred for the treatment of diseases affecting any structure or function of the body are termed as medical expenses for the purpose of assessing the income for tax purposes. 2.0   COSMETIC SURGERY-DEDUCTIBILITY Expenses incurred for Cosmetic Surgery are deductible when the surgery is necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from a congenial abnormality or a personal injury or A disfiguring disease. Any medical expenses incurred on cosmetic surgery for purposes other than those which are unnecessary are not deductible. For example, fees paid to a cosmetic surgeon for a face lift of a person of 75 years age to improve his appearance is unnecessary and hence not deductible. But the cost of restoring the face by cosmetic surgery, which is disfigured in an accident, is deductible. 3.0   DEDUCTIBILITY OF CERTAIN OTHER EXPENSES 4.1 COSTS INCURRED IN A NURSING HOME/HOME FOR AGED When a person is admitted in a nursing home or home for the aged primarily to get medical care, then the expenses incurred for the nursing home expenses including meals and lodging are allowable as a deduction. However if the primary concern for being admitted to the nursing home or the home for aged is personal, only the expenses paid for medical or cursing is deductible, whereas, costs of lodging and meals are not deductible. 4.2 TUITION EXPENSES When a dependent is sent to a school having special resources for alleviating the infirmities caused by mental or physical disability, the tuition expenses paid to the school is an allowable deduction. In such cases, the cost of meals and lodging in addition to the tuition fees is allowable. 4.3 MEDICAL EXPENSES INCURRED FOR SPOUSE AND DEPENDENTS A taxpayer is entitled to claim the deduction in his adjusted gross income of the medical expenses incurred by him on his/her spouse and for a person who is dependent on him/her at the time such expenses were incurred. Again the dependency is to be determined on the basis of certain criteria as spelt out in the Act and the schedules. 4.4 EXPENSES INCURRED ON TRANSPORTATION, MEALS AND LODGING FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT Transportation costs like bus, taxi, train or plane fare, charges for ambulance services and out of pocket expenses for the use of an automobile for commuting to and from a point of treatment for medical care are deductible. The taxpayer is entitled to choose either a mileage allowance or actual out-of-pocket automobile expenses. Deduction is allowed for the related parking fees and toll charges, whereas the cost of meals, en route are not allowed as a deduction. Similarly the cost of transportation of a parent accompanying a sick child or a nurse or other attendant accompanying a person who is traveling to get medical care is allowable, provided it is so that the patient can not travel alone and needs an aid to accompany during the journey. The Lodging expenses which are incurred essentially for medical care, when the medical care is provided by a doctor in a licensed hospital or clinic are allowed as deduction. No lavish or extravagant lodging expenses involving significant element of personal pleasure recreation or vacation in the travel away from home is allowed as deduction. The limit for such lodging expenses eligible for deduction is $50 per night for the patient as well as the person who must accompany the patient. 4.5 ALLOWABILITY MEDICAL INSURANCE PREMIUMS AS DEDUCTION The maximum limit of 7.5 % of the adjusted gross income of the taxpayer allowable as deduction include the medical insurance premiums, irrespective of the fact that such premiums are paid under a group or individual plan. When the medical insurance premium is paid by the employer such premium is not included in the income of the taxpayer and it cannot be included in the employee’s medical expense either. Insurance premiums paid by a self employed person are allowed as a business income. The premium paid for the spouse and dependents also qualify for deduction. Premiums paid by companies on their employees health care is allowed as business expenditure for the companies concerned. 4.0   DEDCUTION OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES INCURRED FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES When swimming is a part of a medical treatment and there is no availability of a neighborhood pool then the capital expenses incurred on constructing such pool will become eligible for deduction. Similarly a Window Air-conditioner which is not permanent in nature, dust elimination system, elevators and a room built to house an iron lung are some of the examples of allowable capital expenditure. The basic criteria in determining the allowability of such expenditure is that they are required as medical necessity upon the advice of a doctor or physician, the facility is used primarily by the patient alone and the expenditure is reasonable. Similarly expenditure like constructing entrance and exit ramps to the residence widening hallways and doorways to accommodate wheelchair, installing support bars and railings in bathrooms and other living rooms and adjusting any electrical outlets or fixtures offer themselves eligible for deduction provided that the expenditure is incurred to enable a physically handicapped individual live independently and productively. If a capital expenditure is allowed as a medical expense, then the allowable cost is deductible in the year incurred. All these expenses are allowed subject to the overall ceiling of 7.5% of the adjusted gross income. 5.0   DEDUCTION ARE ALLOWED ON A CASH BASIS Whatever be the method of accounting adopted by the individual, the medical expenses are deductible on a cash basis. This means that the are deductible only in the year in which they are paid with an exception in the case of deceased person, when the expenses are paid within a year of death then the expenses would be deemed to have paid at the time when they are incurred. Deduction is not allowed currently for any medical expenses that is going to be incurred in the future, subject of course to the exception that the taxpayer has an obligation to pay the fees in advance under the policy of the physician or the institution furnishing the medical care.                                                          Works Cited          â€Å"Hoffman, Smith, Wills – Individual income taxes 2007 Chapter 10 pp 10-2 to 10-8 West Federal Taxation (Thomson)         

Saturday, November 9, 2019

In his poetry Hardy shows more sympathy for the natural world than he does for people Essay

In his poetry Hardy shows more sympathy for the natural world than he does for people. How far do you agree with this view? You may wish to use ‘The Blinded Bird’ as a starting point for your answers. In your answer you should either refer to 2 or 3 poems or range more widely though the selection. Throughout Hardy’s poetry it is clear that he tends to show a lot more sympathy for the natural world than he does for people shown through key poems such as ‘The Blinded Bird’ , ‘The Darkling Thrush’ and ‘The Puzzled Game-Birds’. These three poems all use nature and animals to explore feelings and Hardy tends to be more sympathetic towards the natural surroundings, in these poems he specifically references birds. He also shows his sympathy for the natural world by showing the animals in a more positive light than he does people; as shown through the poem ‘The Puzzled Game-Birds’. When looking at Hardy’s poem ‘The Puzzled Game-Birds’ I can make the judgement that I do agree fully with the view that Hardy does show more sympathy through his poems, especially this one, for the natural world than he does for people. Through this poem Hardy uses nature to portray his thoughts on cruelty since he shows how the birds are puzzled and confused ‘They are not those who used to feed us’ and the repetition of this line shows the birds denial of not wanting to believe that the people could perform such evil actions. The line ‘If hearts can house such treachery’ is an example of human betrayal from the bird’s perspective because the humans were benevolent, they provided and cared for the birds, then they contradicted themselves and betrayed the birds trust by depriving them. Hardy dehumanises the people through the line ‘They are not those who used to feed us’ because he takes away the individuality of the person by grouping all humans together. By taking away the individuality of the human, Hardy forces us to sympathise with the birds since the poem focuses more on the hardships and cruelty that they are suffering. The poem ‘The Blinded Bird’ again supports a view that I agree with that Hardy expresses more sympathy for the natural world than he does for people. He does this throughout this poem by conveying the opinion of how humanity is evil and a cruel, the rhetorical questions and strong caesura placement at the end of the poem ‘Who is divine? This bird. ’ affirms this. Hardy shows sympathy with the bird in this poem by showing the birds passion through the repetition of the line ‘So zestfully canst thou sing? ’ and his own confusion of how the bird can be so happy when the bird is blind through the line ‘I stand and wonder how’. The poem references God in the second stanza by the repetition of the line ‘Resenting not such wrong, thy grievous pain forgot’ which insinuates that the bird is not resentful towards God for the fact that he is blind; he just loves his life and carries on with it as normal, ignoring the fact that he is blind. This poem clearly shows a lot of sympathy since it demonstrates how a bird that has one of its main senses taken away from him can still lead a happy life and sing so passionately ‘Who suffereth long and is kind†¦who thinketh no evil, but sings?†¦ This bird. ’ Very similar to ‘The Blinded Bird’ the poem the ‘The Darkling Thrush’ again shows Hardy’s more sympathetic approach to the natural world than his approach to humans. The first stanza opens with a description of the dreary, bleak winter landscape, but the downhearted tone is transformed by the bright, optimistic singing, ‘full-hearted evensong’, of an ‘aged thrush’ who was ‘frail, gaunt, and small’. In the first stanza the phrase ‘broken lyres’ is used, which could be seen as a simile which expresses broken faith showing a negative outlook on the century. In the last stanza Hardy includes a description of a ‘caroling’ bird which Hardy could have used to suggest hope and the continuity of life. The speaker concludes in the last stanza that the small bird possesses ‘some blessed Hope, whereof he knew and I was unaware’. I believe Hardy to use this bird to portray the view that nature holds a secret and the potential for happiness that man cannot always intellectually grasp, but perhaps can emotionally appreciate. The rhyme scheme is broken when the thrush enters singing melodically in the penultimate stanza. However, the scheme seems to return in the final stanza which illustrates Hardy’s pessimistic nature returning. For example he refers to hope as ‘blessed’ which shows he does value it, but simply cannot channel it like the thrush is able to. Alliteration is used in the lines ‘Century’s corpse’ and ‘growing gloom’ to demonstrate the inescapability of time and these phrases demonstrate Hardy’s pessimistic thoughts and mind-set. ‘The Darkling Thrush’ portrays a parallel between Hardy’s feelings and emotions with nature by how the thrush emits ‘joy illimited’ which is a profound contrast to Hardy’s pessimism. From the poem we can draw the conclusion that as shown in stanza 3, Hardy’s tone seems in awe of the thrush and is impressed by the bird’s unexpected happiness. This can be linked to ‘The Blinded Bird’, where again in the poem the bird possesses an unexplainable happiness and was not discouraged in the slightest to live life to the max even though it had lost its sight. In all I entirely agree with the view that Hardy does tend to sympathise more with the natural world than he does with humans. I agree with the view due to the fact that the poems that I have looked at all seem to favour nature and portray the animals as being overlooked and disregarded by the humans who were portrayed as immoral and inferior and in the case of ‘The Puzzled Game-Birds’ malicious and violent. I also think he is inclined to sympathise with the natural world more because he views his surroundings as a natural beauty that is not noticed and appreciated enough by the human race.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Steps for Writing a Short Story (Fiction)

Steps for Writing a Short Story (Fiction) Steps for Writing a Short Story (Fiction) Writing a short story is a great way to practice writing skills. Because a short story limits your word count, you have to determine which details are important and delete the others. This can be a challenge for writers who have so many ideas they want to convey. If you have been tasked with writing a short story but are stuck, here’s some information to help: What is a Short Story? Short stories are fictional works. There are three kinds of short stories: Micro fiction can be as short as five to less than 100 words Flash fiction length ranges from 101 to 1,000 words Traditional can be as long as 5,000 words per story Elements of a Short Story Writers who excel at writing short stories are able to master combining five elements that must be present. These are: Characters these are people, animals, objects, or creatures that think and talk Setting the location where the story takes place Plot the series of events that lead to the climax Theme a general â€Å"truth† about life Point of View the vantage point the author uses to tell a story Steps to Writing a Short Story A short story is an artform that takes practice and dedication. Here is a five-step plan to help you improve your short story writing: Determine what message you’re trying to convey Choosing a theme for the story makes it easier to formulate a story. When you know which lessons the characters should learn or teach the readers, it helps inspire writing. Write a plot that coincides with the message Once you’ve figured your message, create a storyline that coincides with that theme. The first step is what message you want to tell. This second step is how you deliver that message. Create your character Memorable fiction characters are detailed. Give each a distinct personality and allow them to develop. Character development is one of the biggest challenges for short story writers. You only have a handful of pages to transform certain characters. Write an attention-grabbing first paragraph The first paragraph of your story captures the attention of an audience. Make that paragraph interesting by making a bold statement, relate to the audience, appeal to the senses, or add a little mystery. Build to the climax and end with a satisfying resolution Short stories begin closer to the climax than a regular novel would. Keep your build to the climax interesting and fast, and take care not to rush it. Here’s how to build a gripping end to the story: Write a clear-cut ending that explains exactly what happens Provide an open ending that lets the readers decide for themselves how the story ends Offer a monologue from one of the characters, tying it all together Create symbolic ending with meaning beyond the literal one One of the best ways to improve your creative writing skills is to keep reading. Observe the writing techniques of authors you enjoy, and try to develop your own creative writing style. If you need help with writing, editing, proofreading, or finishing a writing assignment, is at your service.

Monday, November 4, 2019

PH Titration Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PH Titration - Lab Report Example The paper describes the experiment. During titration, it is essential to figure out the ‘equivalence point’ where moles of acid and moles of base added become equivalent. To aid an experimenter in this situation, a halochromic organic compound known as ‘indicator’ (s.a. phenolphthalein, methyl red, methyl orange, and bromothymol blue) is incorporated where appearance of color change from clear solution signifies the ‘end point’ or the point assumed to be nearest the point of equivalence. At this stage, the volume of reading from the burette is noted down the instant the indicator changes color. With experimental outcomes comprising known molar concentrations and volumes of acid and base used, pH is calculated. In place of an indicator, glass electrode is utilized so that multiple pHs may be read and graphed from which to determine the pH at the equivalence point. For the neutralization reaction occurring between HCl (aq) and NaOH (aq): For the n eutralization reaction occurring between CH3COOH (aq) and NaOH (aq): Hypothesis: The equivalence point is achieved once the titration has gone to the extent when the acid (analyte) and the base (titrant) are in equimolar amounts which takes place on yielding a neutral pH along a steep region in the titration curve Aim: To locate the ‘equivalence point’ through the measure of pH based on the titrant volume vs. pH-titration curve obtained in the experiment and identify the remaining species (in excess) as well as find the pH of the resulting solution after each titration attempt Method: The burette was filled with 1.0 NaOH to the zero mark. A 250- conical flask was rinsed with distilled water, emptying the flask and refilling it with about 50 of deionised water, after which, a 25 of 0.1 HCl was poured into the flask via pipette and the flask was placed on the magnetic stirrer. With the stirrer bar dropped in the flask, the glass electrode was immersed in the flask then th e burette was positioned over the flask’s mouth such that the NaOH would be added into it without obstruction from the glass electrode. The magnetic stirrer was turned on and the flask was adjusted in the manner that would enable the stirrer bar to move freely, having no obstructive contact with the glass electrode throughout the titration process. Measuring of the pH prior to titration was initiated then successive additions of the base titrant were carried out starting with 1 until the equivalent point was arrived at, followed by 0.2-additions that sum up to approximately 8 of NaOH. Final addition of two consecutive 1- titrant amounts was made, taking into account the pH reading for each addition from the onset of titration to this point. Another trial (using the same analyte -- HCl) was performed, then titration was repeated, this time using a different analyte (0.1 CH3COOH) and applying the same quantity (50 ) of deionised water and of 1.0 NaOH. As conducted for HCl, pHs of neutralization reaction between HOAc (analyte) and the titrant (NaOH) were correspondingly read after each base addition. Results and calculations: Note: ( 1 cm3 ? 1 mL ; 1 mol / dm3 ? 1 M ) pH @ equivalence point is about 6.8 based on the graph. This corresponds to NaOH volume of about 5.5 mL. mmoles NaOH = (1.0 M) (9.00 mL) = 9.0 mmoles NaOH mmoles HCl = (0.1 M) (25.00 mL) = 2.5 mmoles HCl Upon neutralization, 9.00 mmoles - 2.5 mmoles = 6.5 mmoles NaOH left total volume = 50 + 25 + 9 = 84 mL [OH-] = = 0.07738 M ---? pOH = -log (0.07738) pOH = 1.11 so that pH = 14 - 1.11 ---? pH = 12.89 Since NaOH and HCl are strong base and strong acid, respectively, pH

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Macroeconomic Aspect of Thomas Gregory Toles Cartoon Article

Macroeconomic Aspect of Thomas Gregory Toles Cartoon - Article Example The usage High Finance is an obvious reference to the subprime lending which involved high risk and a higher amount of interest. The balloon is portrayed to be flying in an ample height with reference to the clouds, which is an indication of the magnitude of the risk involved in the derivative finance market . It also symbolizes the uncontrolled number of handovers of the loan from the actual source which was the characteristic sign of liberalized derivative market. The balloon is shown in an over-inflated state and the basket has a label on it saying ‘Actual Economy’. This very well criticizes the trial of the government for some years to have a fake magnification of the economy. This should be read together with the fact that, though the economic indicators of employment, industrial production, real sales and real income as defined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) had reflected a clear sign of recession since January 2008, the Government was highlighting the mere 0.6 percent increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in order to hide the actual state of recession and to represent a promising economy. The artist also would have intended to represent inflation through the inflated state of the balloon. Thomas Gregory Toles leaves a hint towards the indifference of the Bush administration on the state of economic crisis as he has caricatured a character of authority, still sitting in a relaxed mode within a blasted balloon. The character’s statement that they would see what would be the impact of the blast on the actual economy also adds to the hint of apathy.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

History - Museum Objects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History - Museum Objects - Essay Example al languages have essentially three component parts, one of which is the direct use of signs and symbols in the form of objects and space while the other two, non-verbal communication such as gestures and body language and verbal communication such as speech and writing, can also be preserved somewhat in the objects that are left behind and can help in determining the culture from which the object originated. Because objects share a role in the interrelated social communication modes of a particular society, the interpretation of these objects may differ from one society to the next or even one time period to the next. The way in which it is interpreted can not only provide significant contextual clues to the society from which it was produced, but can also reflect the understanding of the society attempting to place the object within its correct contextual space. In addition, that exact same object, for example a specific vase, may take on different contextual meanings as it passes through time, originally used as a container for liquid, later taking on the ashes of a dearly departed relative and finally symbolizing perhaps a golden age in the progression of a nation. â€Å"[An object] can never convey one single message, uncorrected, unambiguous and unqualified. Different social perceptions, needs and changing attitudes will see to that.†2 In order to better understand how different objects can reveal different stories, this paper will take a look at three specific objects – a decanter made by William Burges and a MacIntosh chair both on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Grande Ludovisi Sarcophagus in the National Museum of Rome – examining the provenance, contexts and different stories or ‘readings’ offered of each. In terms of its socio-historical context, this decanter captures the opulence and elaborate detail of the later Victorian period in which a great deal of the artwork designed represented a return to some of the more

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Motivation of nursing staff in a private care home Essay

Motivation of nursing staff in a private care home - Essay Example There are nursing homes with special care units for people with disorders such as Alzheimers. Nursing homes can be used by anyone who needs a constant care and special nursing needs. The needs for skilled nurses are on the rise and the availability is fairly scarce. Therefore it is necessary to understand the factors affecting the nurse’s motivation and their performance to retain them in service. Administrators of Nursing Homes/Hospitals need to know the critical significance of motivation for the performance of health workers and skilled nurses in the context of this scarce resource. Motivation at work is extensively supposed to be a key issue in the performance of individuals and organisations and is also an important predictor of intention to give up the workplace (Hasselhorn, et al. 2004). The challenge for the policy-makers and health care executives is to be able to motivate people to join an organization, stay there and carry out their work to a certain standard. It is well-known that worker performance is the outcome of three factors (Bennett and Franco, 1999), which are the as following: Incentive is one way of motivating people to perform. Linking incentives and performance is important. Incentive may be explained as an unambiguous financial or non-financial reward for performing certain act. The World Health Report defines incentives as all the rewards and punishments that providers face as a result of the organizations in which they work and the exact intervention they give. Those can be constructive or harmful, financial or non-financial, tangible or intangible. Normally incentives comprise pay, bonuses, allowances, vacation, work independence, transportation and flexible working hours. Incentives are used as a means to favour certain behaviours in order to reached defined goals such as improving performance (Hicks and Adams, 2003). Incentives are important for the reason that they can power the key

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Analysis of StratSim

Analysis of StratSim The StratSim is a growing and a wider spread industry around the global among the automobile sellers. Notwithstanding the economic and energy instabilities, that led to decreased vehicle demand, sales revenues strongly increased as Gross Domestic Products (GDP) increase from period 1- 4, and remains constant in period 5, and inflation rate decreased from 2.5% period 1 to 1.0% in period 3. However, in some circumstances, sales were increased and/or decreased since firms started making decisions. These 7 competitors were; firm A, firm B, firm C, firm D, firm E, firm F and firm G. In StratSim, there are 7 vehicle classes; Minivan (M), Family (F), Sports (S), Luxury (L), Utility (U) Economy (E), and Truck (T). Vehicle attributes being; performance, styling, quality, interior and safety. Furthermore, advertisement plays a significant role especially when firms striving to create brand image, awareness as well as interests to target customers. Dealerships contributed in generating revenues through sales of ranges of vehicles which in turn enabled the firm to increase its market share while maximising shareholders wealth. Firm B has had 3 vehicle classes; Boss -Truck Boffo Family and Buzzy Economy. 2.0 Strategic Analysis According to (Johnson et al, 2006, p 9), strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through the use of resources and competence with the aim of fulfilling shareholder expectations. Figure 1. Processes by which strategy is described and executed. Source:http://www.12manage.com/description-deliberate-strategy.html. In a competitive business environment such as StratSim, analysing firms strategies is vital in order to enhance performance and customer satisfaction. 2.1 Firm Bs Strategic Intent Firm Bs mission was to become the leader in automobile industry worldwide by offering highly innovative vehicles to diverse customer segments that will consistently satisfy their dynamic needs. 2.2 Objectives 2.3 Basic Strategy Our strategy was to provide good quality vehicles at premium price trying to differentiate our vehicles from incumbents while avoiding price war from our competitors. By doing so, we became the leader twice in economy (Buzzy) car, period 2 and 5. To meet diverse customer taste and preferences, we made minor upgrades to our vehicles during decision periods, e.g. technology, promotion, advertising, etc. 2.4 External Analysis Scanning the macro-environment is vital since there are several factors that hinder firms performance and growth. In order for managers to come up with effective and suitable strategies that will enable the firm exploit overt and hidden opportunities while overcoming threats, those factors need to be thoroughly tackled before decisions are made. The external analysis comprises; The Michael Porters five forces. PESTEL analysis. Opportunities and Threats (OT) from SWOT analysis, And Critical Success Factors (CSF). 2.4.1 PESTEL framework PESTEL framework is a useful tool that is used by organisations to analyse the complexity of macro-environment variables. It also provides a picture on how these key factors may influence firms success or failure of its particular strategies in future, so that managers can find ways of overcoming. PESTEL refers to; political, economic, social, technology, environment and legal. Figure 2 the PESTEL Framework Source: (Johnson et al, 2006. p 68) The Organisation Political Taxation policy Government stability Social welfare policies Foreign trade regulations Legal Health and safety Competition law Product safety Employment law Economic factors Business cycle Inflation Interest rates Unemployment GNP trends Money supply Disposable income Environmental Environmental protection laws Waste disposal Energy consumption Sociocultural factors Population Demographic Socio mobility Consumerism Income Distribution Lifestyle changes Level of Education Attitudes to work and leisure Technological Government spending on research Speed of technology transfer New discoveries/developments Government and industry focus on technological effort Rates of obsolescence Political/Legal Since 1960, laws and government regulations have affected the automotive industry (Highfill et al, November, 2004). Political changes may favour or hinder the firms production since anti-pollution laws and taxes may be imposed, so, firm B should continuously pay special attention to any rules, codes and regulations regarding carbon-dioxide emissions. Economic During simulation, firm B had experienced unstable economic growth. Its variables like inflation, interest rates, gas prices, and material costs were fluctuated, these have affected firm profitability. Social Due to increased health awareness, people tend to change their lifestyles, while turning to low-emission vehicles, also income distribution and demographic population both affect vehicle production either positively or negatively. Technology Rapid change in technology has provided both opportunities and threats to the automotive industry. Those who employ it effectively, it facilitates them in enhancing firms efficiency by producing vehicles that appeal to customers whilst lowers costs. So far, internet and firm websites as part of technology have been used by many buyers as a reference tool before making purchases decisions. 2.4.2 Critical Success Factors (CSF) Johnson et al (2009) defined CSF as those product features that are particularly valued by a group of customers and, therefore, where the organisation must excels to outperform competition. CSF comprises; threshold features and differentiators. Source: Johnson et al (2009) CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS (CSF) THRESHOLD FEATURES DIFFERENTIATORS Threshold features These are features that customer values mostly, and they are likely not to buy a product or service that lack one among them. In StratSim industry, threshold features are; quality, performance, safety and size. Differentiators These are customised or added qualities some customers may/may not consider before purchasing a service or products. During our simulation, price, styling and interior were regarded as differentiators. In reality, differentiators have had given a difficult moment to distinguish what they prefer most, since many vehicles were similar among competitors after modifications being made during decisions. Lastly, firms should take it seriously, creative and keep innovating in these CSF in order to outwit its competitors through customer satisfaction. 2.4.3 Porters Five Forces model The 5 competitive forces model was developed by Michael Porter in 1980 (Johnson et al, 2006). Since then, the model is used by firms as a tool to analyse the attractiveness (profit potential) while determining the intensity of competition (threats) of an industry, and finally come up with the right strategies that will support in exploiting opportunities, neutralise threats and hence grow. Figure 3 Porters Five Competitive Forces model SUPPLIER POWER Switching costs of firms in the industry Presence of substitute inputs Threat of forward integration Supplier concentration Importance of volume to supplier Impact of inputs on cost or differentiation Differentiation of inputs Cost relative to total purchase in industry BARRIERS TO ENTRY Government Policy Capital requirements Access to distribution Economies of scale Switching costs Proprietary learning curve Access to inputs Expected retaliation Brand identity Absolute cost advantages Proprietary products BUYER POWER Price sensitivity Threat of backward integration Substitutes available Bargaining leverage Buyer concentration vs industry Buyer information Buyer volume Buyers incentives Brand identity Product differentiation www.scribd.com DEGREE OF RIVALRY Brand identity Exit barriers Switching costs Product differences Industry growth Fixed cost/ value added Diversity of rivals Industry concentration Corporate stakes Intermittent overcapacity RIVALRY THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES Buyer inclination to substitute Switching costs Price-performance trade-off of substitutes Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants in automobile industry is low, since barriers to enter are very high, such as high amount of start-up capital required. Moreover, incumbents have; adequate experience curve, distribution access, economies of scale, strong research and development (RD) and even brand and customer loyalty. These become difficult for new entrants to manage as Incumbents can produce at mass to cover potential and existing customer needs. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers power in automobile industry is low, since producing a car/vehicle requires a range of inputs (parts) from diverse suppliers. If some inputs not found in one supplier, it is easy to switch from one supplier to another finding a substitute for the required input due to low switching costs. Threat of Substitutes Substitute threats in this industry is likely to be moderate and depends much on customer geographic location, other customers like walking, taking train or riding bike. But in Dar es Salaam city for example, people prefer public transport, motorcycles (BAJAJ known as rickshaw in India) as alternative means to automobile due to increased congestion. Bargaining Power of Buyers In this industry, buyers power is a bit high. Low switching costs from one firm to another seeking for substitutes since most of the customers are price sensitive. For the case of the simulation game we played, most of the products were undifferentiated, so that, buyers can easily shifts to an alternative producer as well as products. Competitive Rivalry The intensity of competition in automobile industry is high due to lack of differentiation strategy and innovation among incumbents especially to the three vehicle classes, i.e. family, economy and truck because most of the firm use similar strategies like price, this reduces market growth as well as profitability. 2.4.4 Opportunities and Threats Opportunities: Advanced technology Firms can use it more efficiently in enhancing product features that can appeal to the eyes of customers. Also use e-commerce to advertise and sell globally. Bargaining power of suppliers. Low supplier power is an advantages to an automobile firms since they can set input prices, and hence be able to enjoy cost advantages while offer good quality products that will satisfy customers. European Union (EU) Automobile manufacturers can use the EU to sell their products. Diversification Diversification can be done to widen the market to other untapped segments like high income earners or internationally and also locate the firms near raw materials where they can enjoy location economies. Differentiation strategy In order to sustain customers, after satisfaction is being met, differentiation strategy can be used as a weapon in delivering a range of added values that surpass those of competitors, since most of the firms use similar strategies. Threats: Bargaining power of buyers Strong bargaining power buyers associated with low switching costs to alternative products, force suppliers to an increased competition in order to provide the best that will satisfy their customers. Increased gas prices Gas being one of the operating energy, increased price will also affect firms production as well as profitability e.g. in simulation that we played, period 1 $/gal was 3.15 rise to 3.50 in period 5. New laws New rules and regulations on carbon-dioxide emissions in environmental protection hinder production of cars that use petrol engines. World economic recession Recession discourages consumption of luxury goods, and streamlines production while people turn to public transports. High competition Initially, all firms in the StratSim industry were in similar position e.g. financially and other resources; these prove difficult in making decisions on how to create demand in order to enhance market shares as well as profits. Each firm was competing. Inflation Inflation has started to increase in period 4 from 2.0% to 2.5%, this will affect consumer prices. Fuel price instability. Rapid change in technology This threatens vehicle production since other substitutes to vehicles may be produced. 2.5 Internal Analysis 2.5.1 Resources and Capabilities These are those which will create a strategic fit in order for the firm to survive and prosper even in a competitive business environment. Lucino Noto, (2007, p 125) Analyzing resources and capabilities: The interface between strategy and the firm THE FIRM Resources and Capabilities Goals and Values Structure and System STRATEGY THE INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT Customers Competitors suppliers The firm-Strategy Interface The Environment-Strategy Interface Organisation resources are divided into two categories (Johnson et al (2009); Tangible Resources These are firms physical assets. Firm B physical assets were; Three vehicle classes, each of these represents a unique configuration while targeting different customer segments like value seekers, families, singles, high income and enterprisers (the StratSim case, 2010). Financial resources, at period 0, each firm were given sales amounted to $ 15.5 billions (the StratSim case, 2010), which enabled firm B to diversify into different segments. Manpower, firm B had 4 competent human resources who made diverse valuable decisions and hence became twice the leader of economy car (Buzzy). Intangible Resources These are non-physical resources such as; information, reputation and knowledge i.e. intellectual capital. (Johnson et al, 2008). Firm B holds a number of unique competences over its rivals. Firm B capabilities were; Quality. Safety. Performance. Style. Interior. 2.5.2 V.R.I.O Are criteria that are used to assess the sustainability of an organisation resources and capability that will enable the firm achieve durable competitive advantages. V.R.I.O stands for Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Organisation. (Johnson et al, 2008). Value As the game started, firm B had enough resources and capabilities i.e. unique brand name that facilitated it in formulating and implementing different strategies to meet customer needs. But due to increased market demand, demand exceeded production in the periods around since the firm lacked efficiency. Rareness At the beginning, all firms had similar starting point which led them to have a low degree of rarity. This positioning by StratSim made firm B to create more appealing strategies like vehicle enhancements and improvements in terms of its attributes which allowed it to come with things which turned out to be less common among the firms. Inimitability During simulation game, product imitation was very high since previous results and almost all modifications and other statistics were openly published for other firms to see. This means that competitors can possibly copy other firms techniques. Organisation In StratSim industry, there were 7 firms producing identical vehicles, because they used similar strategies, lacking differentiation. Due to these, it became easily for customers to switch from one firm to another if satisfactions have not met. 2.5.3 SWOT- SW SW is a tool that is used in identifying or analysing firms internal strengths and weaknesses and enables it to use the available strengths to minimise or turned those weaknesses to strengths. SW means Strengths and weaknesses. Strengths: Unique brand name Best Motor Works. Unique product names like Buzzy, Boffo, and Boss. Twice leader of Buzzy-Economy car, period 2 and 5. Reliable dealerships. Innovation, almost every decision period, firm B upgraded its vehicle attributes to meet emerging customer needs. Weaknesses: Weak financial position. Unstable growth of market shares. Limited product lines, this means that firm B did not exploit the available opportunities of unsatisfied and potential new customers to launch any new vehicle that will satisfy their needs. 3.0 Decisions 3.1 Technology Firm B upgraded its technology capabilities during decision periods considering dynamic business environment and customer tastes and preferences, while special attention given to economy (Buzzy) and family (Boffo) cars. Investment in technology facilitated firm B in enhancing its production capacity as well as vehicle attributes that appealed to target customers and hence satisfy their emerging needs. 3.2 Marketing Firm Bs marketing mix was to create leverage with customers and build strong brand loyalty which will enable customers purchase our products even in intense competition as in StratSim industry. Firm B unique selling price USP was quality. Quality being the key in our products while charging premium price enable Buzzy (economy) car to become the leader in period 2 and 5. Despite this success, it was hard for firm B survive in just a success of one car and become the market leader. Though the marketing mix was thoroughly applied by adding or reducing the number of dealers in each area, increasing dealer discounts and product promotions attracting customers, firm B marketing share was increased and decreased during decisions due to overspending. (For more marketing and distribution details for period 5, see appendix 1 2) 3.3 Finance During simulation, firm B financial performance was somehow poor despite a slightly increase in sales ($), net income was negative during period 2 and 5 results. We discovered that one of the problems could possibly be overspending, however, (Firm B performance summary period 5, see appendix 3). 3.4 Production In the year around, production was increased as well as vehicle attributes to meet customer demand. Though Boss (truck) and Buzzy (economy) vehicles were upgraded in period 4, there were some shortages on Boss; this means that if we were given a chance to continue making decisions, we could probably increase production to meet the demand (see appendix 4). 4.0 Conclusion Firm Bs mission was to become the leader in automotive industry offering highly innovative vehicles to different customer segments that will satisfy their emerging needs. Unfortunately, firm B did not meet its expectations. Though it became the leader twice in Buzzy (economy) car, this means that its strategies fits in economy market, having success in one vehicle does not guarantee survival, thus why firm B income and market share fluctuated. We were not pretty sure of what contributed in unstable financial performance, though we speculated that overspending was one of the problems. 4.1 What I Have Learned I learned that, in the business, taking risks is the way of success. In StratSim industry, almost each period, market research has identified some potential new customers whose needs were not yet satisfied by current vehicle (the StratSim case, 2010). But firm B overlooked to take advantage of launching new vehicle in order to exploit these opportunities and hence increase our turnover and margins due to being risk averse. 5. Reference and Bibliography: Johnson G, Scholes K, and Whittington R, (2006), Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th Edition, Prentice Hall. Johnson G, Scholes K, and Whittington R, (2009), Exploring Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall. Highfill D, Baki M, Copus S, Green M, Smith J and Whineland M, (November, 2004). Automotive Industry Analysis-GM, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Ford, Honda, overview of industry analysis, available at http://www.academicmind.com/unpublishedpapers/business/management/2004-11-000aaa-automotive-industry-analysis.html. Accessed on 19/11/1010. The StratSim Case (2010), Automobile industry. Lucino Noto, (2007), Analysing resources and capabilities: the interface between strategy and the firm, available at. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/grant/files/CSAC05.pdf . Figure , Porters Five Forces Available at www.scribd.com/doc/16998313/Diagram-of-Porters. Accessed on 20/11/2010. 6. APPENDIXES 1. Technology Capabilities Period 5 Firm Ratings (1=low capability) Dev. Centers Interior Styling Safety Quality Max. Feasible 5 11 12 11 12 Firm A 3 4 6 4 7 Firm B 3 4 6 5 7 Firm C 2 4 7 6 6 Firm D 2 4 6 5 6 Firm E 2 6 8 6 8 Firm F 2 4 6 4 6 Firm G 3 5 8 7 9 Tech Dim Considerations Interior flexibility of cargo space Styling general curb appeal, styling, handling, finish Safety structural design, braking system, safety features Quality overall reliability, durability, consistency of products StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 2. Marketing Detail Period 5 Firm B Consumer Budget (mill.) Company Owned /Fleet Budget (mill.) Regional Corp. Adv. $48 Direct Sales Force $0 Direct Mail $6 Direct Mail $0 Public Relations $12 Total $66 Total $0 Vehicle Val Mkt Share MSRP Dealer Disc. Avg Sell Price Adv. (mill.) Adv. Theme Promo. (mill.) Days Inv. Buzzy 2.4% $11,550 12.0% $10,572 $33 Quality $20 18 Boffo 9.4% $20,400 15.0% $18,749 $34 Safety $29 0 Boss 3.2% $20,499 13.0% $19,859 $28 Perform $15 0 Total $95 $64 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 2.1 Product marketing period 4 Vehicle Platform MSRP Dealer Disc. Adv. (mill.) Adv. Theme Promo. (mill.) Boffo No Change $20,400 15.0% $34 Safety $29 Boss Upgraded $20,499 13.0% $28 Perform $15 Buzzy Upgraded $11,550 12.0% $33 Quality $20 Total $95 $64 2.3 Distribution Detail Period 5 Firm B North South East West Total Full Coverage 200 250 150 200 800 Established Dealers 137 137 133 133 540 Coverage 69% 55% 89% 67% 68% Planned Openings 10 9 11 12 42 Support/Dealer (000s) $150.6 $150.6 $153.2 $153.2 $151.9 Units/Dealer 2,187 2,284 2,389 2,756 2,401 Sales/Dealer (mill.) $36.9 $38.9 $40.2 $46.3 $40.5 Service/Dealer (mill.) $1.4 $1.5 $1.6 $1.7 $1.5 Gross/Dealer (mill.) $3.3 $3.6 $3.6 $4.1 $3.7 Dealer Rating 59 60 60 61 60 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 2.4 Product Contribution Period 5 Firm B Product Contribution Vehicle Units (000s) Dealer Sales (mill.) Direct Sales (mill.) COGS (mill.) Gross Margin (mill.) Adv Promo (mills.) After Mkting (mill.) Boffo 734 $12721 $0 $9797 $2924 $63 $2861 Boss 234 $4179 $0 $3262 $916 $43 $873 Buzzy 329 $3342 $0 $3319 $24 $53 $-29 Total 1,297 $20242 $0 $16378 $3864 $159 $3705 Note: Dollar amounts are in millions. StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 2.5 Vehicle Classes Period 5 Class Mfr Sales Retail Sales Unit Sales %Chg (units) Num. Veh. Leader Economy $17,296 $17,904 1,726 +5% 7 Buzzy Family $84,734 $91,128 4,816 +4% 7 Efizz Luxury $0 $0 0 NA 0 Sports $0 $0 0 NA 0 AEV $0 $0 0 NA 0 Minivan $4,950 $5,421 220 NA 1 Goofy Utility $0 $0 0 NA 0 Truck $29,506 $32,278 1,669 -1% 7 Ace Total $136,486 $146,732 8,431 +6% 22 Efizz Note: Dollar amounts are in millions, units in thousands. StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:b Period 5 3. Performance Summary Period2- 5 Firm B Per. 2 Per. 3 Per. 4 Per. 5 Sales ($) $14,800.9 $17,418.6 $18,244.8 $20,242.1 Sales (000s units) 912 1,088 1,144 1,297 Market Share ($) 13.5% 14.9% 14.2% 14.8% Market Share (units) 13.6% 15.0% 14.4% 15.4% Net Income $-897.1 $249.1 $494.4 $-239.3 Cum. Net Income $-373.6 $-124.5 $369.9 $130.6 Stock Price $18.95 $22.74 $26.42 $26.46 Market Value $9,472.5 $11,370.3 $13,208.4 $13,232.1 Return on Sales -6.1% 1.4% 2.7% -1.2% Return on Assets -10.0% 2.6% 5.1% -3.3% Firm Preference 15.2% 14.9% 13.5% 15.0% Dealer Rating 57 58 60 60 COGS 74.4% 76.2% 77.7%