Monday, September 30, 2019

Starbucks Global Issues

Business Faculty Starbucks Case Study. Written by: Module title: Issues in Global Business & Consultancy Module code: 6IM004 Word count: 2902 Contents Introduction3 Methodology4 Company’s profile5 Globalisation6 Globalisation of markets6 Globalisation of production7 Antiglobalisation protests7 Business ethics8 Employment practices8 Human rights8 Environmental pollution9 Moral obligations9 Conclusion10 References:11 Introduction Globalisation referred by Hill (2009) is the shift towards a more integrated world. It is the process of economies, societies and cultures integrated through a global network.One of those networks is trade network. This means that there is a movement of materials and goods between national boundaries. Globalisation also involves movement of labour and causes a variety of effects: political ethical, cultural, social, etc. More importantly, the effects brought by it can cause issues that require further investigation. The purpose of this report is to cent er around a major organisation – Starbucks Coffee Company and to carry out a depth investigation into its position in global market and issues related to it.The report will firstly present the research methods used to get the information and justify that. Secondly, will discuss globalisation and its position in Starbucks Company including criticism that exists. Later on, the report will discuss ethical issues raised by the globalisation of the company, including employment practices, human rights, environmental pollution and moral obligations. Finally, the conclusion will be drawn. Methodology In order to investigate the company and its operations, the research has to be carried out so that issues could be addressed.As described by University of Oxford, research â€Å"comprise creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applica tions† (2010). The stock of knowledge in this case refers to the information of the company. Research is carried out to define a series of problems or issues. The context of research has to be described in order to specify why it is important to understand and learn about raised questions.Also, particular research methods have to be chosen, described and justification on why they were chosen and what impact it has on the discussion has to be given. To start with, two topics to investigate were chosen for the research. The definition of issues was given to understand what information is needed. Then, the research was carried out. There are different methods the research can be carried out, however for this case study the research was based on the collection of qualitative data that already exists.Brassington & Pettit (2003) describe it as a secondary data that was collected by someone else for one purpose and is later used by someone else for the same or other purposes. It can include newspapers, magazines, books, websites, memos, transcripts of conversations, annual reports, etc. This type of research allows one to understand existing theories and look for examples which then may lead to drawing the conclusions about relevant issues. In this case study, numerous sources of secondary data was used: books, journal articles, web-sites.Also, statistical and numerical data presented by Power Point presentations was acquired I order to justify theories and identify company’s positions. â€Å"Case study† term has to be brought in this context as the research is focusing only one specific objective – Starbucks Coffee Company. Colorado State University (2010) defines case study as a collection and presentation of information of specific agent and drawing a conclusion only about that specific agent. It is a form of qualitative research. Researches investigating a case study do not look for discoveries but focus on exploration and description.A ll in all, the methodology used to conduct a research helped to build a case study centering around Starbucks Coffee Company, which provided a depth-description of it, raised questions and provided justifications. Finally, after emphasizing the importance of issues and the importance caused to the company, the research allowed drawing the conclusions and giving recommendations. Company’s profile Starbucks, first opened in Seattle in 1971 and now operates in over 16,000 locations in 50 countries.The mission of the company is to nurture the human spirit – â€Å"one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time† (Starbucks 2010). The company emphasizes the fact how important it is to Starbucks to deliver the best coffee to its customers. Therefore it aims to serve coffee grown under best conditions, also including ethical and healthy standards. The organisation sees its employees as the heart of the company and treats them with respect and dignity. It even offer s the percentage of the equity to its employees also called â€Å"partners† by the company.The company aims to be known not only for the quality of the coffees it offers but also for being a responsible business. It wants to be respected by customers, partners and suppliers. Therefore Starbucks has established ethical policies to follow: â€Å"we have identified three areas of focus: ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community involvement† (Starbucks 2010). The company is constantly expanding by adapting international strategy – joint ventures or providing licenses to other companies to own and operate Starbucks stores.This is the impact of globalisation which will be discussed further. It is still look for countries to set up in (Jung 2003). Globalisation As mentioned before, globalisation is a shift towards integration of economy, cultures and societies. Hill (2009) identifies two sectors of globalisation: globalisation of markets and globalisati on of production. Globalisation of markets Hill (2009) defines globalisation of markets as the merging of very distinctive from the historical point of view and separate national markets into one global unit.He continues explaining that markets converge as consumers’ tastes and preferences from different countries are becoming more and more alike. Vrontis et al. (2009) confirms that the world is becoming similar in terms of consumers’ needs and environmental factors no matter what geographical locations they are in. Moreover, globalisation also stimulates the movement of people from one country to another which means that it is easier for people to learn about different cultures more easily as well as adapt new lifestyles. As consumers have same demands, similar marketing strategies can be applied worldwide.Starbucks is a facilitator and benefactor of globalisation of markets as it offers the same basic product worldwide. Although there are many proponents of standardi sation used globally, there are also supporters of the view that markets cannot be standardized due to cultural influences upon the consumers. Despite that, firms operating internationally, bring their own assets to other countries – products, operating strategies, marketing strategies and brand names that can be amended later on. For instance, Starbucks operates in a number of countries with different tastes.If we take UK and China, the coffee served is the same, the brand promotion is similar, the logo used is the same as a result of strengthening brand identity and image, while the food served in stores has the flavour of the culture the store is located (Simmons 2005). This brings up the standardisation vs. adaptation phenomenon which occurs in global markets. In this case Starbucks uses both approaches by standardizing products (coffees) and promotion campaigns (same image) and adapting to different cultures (different flavours).Starbucks shows adaptation further by offe ring green tea frappucino’es in Asia and separate men-only and family areas in Middle East. Due to globalisation and expansion, Starbucks has the largest market share in the industry. [pic] Picture1: Starbucks locations worldwide (www. pajamadeen. com 2008). Globalisation of production According to Hill (2009) globalisation of production refers to â€Å"sourcing goods and services from locations around the globe to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production (labour, energy, land, capital)†. Outsourcing allows companies to compete ore effectively and benefit from economies of scale. Starbucks is the facilitator of globalisation of production as highest quality Arabica beans for coffees are produced in coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia (Starbucks 2010). Although it might seem that globalisation of production can implement high costs on the organisation, in reality it doesn’t. Hill (2009) explains that trans portation costs have declined as well as costs of information processing due to technological development. These changes now allow Starbucks to achieve their goal to serve best quality coffees by dispersing production system.In this way, the company also enjoys lower prices of production due to ability of the chosen locations to produce coffee beans better than let’s say United Kingdom. Moreover, the benefits of globalisation of production can be seen not only by Starbucks but also by people living in production countries as new work places are created. Antiglobalisation protests Although business leaders and economists insist that international trade and investment is driving global markets towards a greater prosperity, stimulates economic growth and helps to create jobs, globalisation has its critics.The actions of the critics are called globalisation protests (Hill 2009). Critics protest against issues raised by globalisation including job losses in the industries that are attacked from foreign competitors, unfair wages for unskilled workforce, environmental degradation and cultural imperialism (the use of power to spread the values and habits of foreign country under the costs of native country – The University of Florida Interactive Media Lab 2010). Starbucks is no exception in this case.When it decided to cut 600 stores in the US and 61 in Australia cutting of up to 12,000 jobs in America and 685 in the country, this, as said by British journalist â€Å"earned VIP status at the top table of brands that anti-globalisation activists love to hate (cited in O’Neill 2008). This was criticized as the company betrayed it’s view about employees seeing in the heart of the company by cutting job places during difficult economic times in order to save profits. The jobs were most important to immigrants and students to support themselves.Another criticized factor was that the skills gained in the company by the workforce were hardly tran sferable (O’Neill 2008). Starbucks was perceived negatively in the UK and other European countries as well. These â€Å"American bullies† (Bloomberg 2005) are blamed for devastating local cafes, treating staff badly and putting its suppliers to poverty. However, Starbucks is trying to reduce criticism by showing the awareness of the countries they get products from – Sumatra, Kenya, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, participating and supporting local charities and winning awards.Starbucks leader Howard Schultz explains that the company is trying not to influence other countries and adapting to local cultures by serving the core product adding local tastes. Business ethics The criticism of anti-globalists has increased the number of ethical issues in the company. Hill (2009) defines ethics as â€Å"the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a person, the members of profession, or the actions of an organisation†. Ethical strategy i s the path of actions conducted by businessmen that do not violate the accepted principles.Many ethical issues in international businesses depend on different political systems, laws, development and cultures. What can be acceptable I one country can be highly restricted in another. Starbucks Coffee Company has a number of ethical issues to be discussed. Employment practices The question often faced by international companies is what employment practices should be applied in the countries they operate. Do the same working hours, wages and benefits should be used?Back in 1999 the concern was raised in Kent, United States, about Starbucks employment practices as the complaints included suspension without pay for swearing or supporting unions, safety issues, unstandartised wage system and denied promotions. To overcome that Shultz introduced healthcare benefits that were welcomed with praise for the company. The benefits were also applied for part-time workers that was seen a good impl ementation of business ethics by US president (Organic Consumers Association 2010). Moreover, individual complains were handled and opportunities provided for the promotion.In general Starbucks has been rated at no. 16 on the list of 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2007 (2008) and no. 11 on the list of best companies for women to work too. This leads to the assumption that the company implements good employment strategies. Starbucks offers benefits such as tuition reimbursement, partner benefits, a wellness program. All in all, Starbucks tries to implement a standardized employment strategy in its stores worldwide, providing same benefits to the employees and emphasizing the view of workforce being in the heart of the company. Human rights Basic human rights are still not accepted in certain countries.The companies have to inform their employees about the human law so that practices they conduct would be correct. However, Starbucks has already suffered from misconduct of human rig hts. One of the most obvious examples goes to December 2010 when staff locked up opponents of the regime in Bahrain in a branch in the capital Manama (Spencer 2010). The company had to apologize for the incident. Talking about the human rights within the organization, Starbucks is committed to treat all employees equally with the provision of human rights and eliminating discriminatory practices (Starbucks 2010).The company has Starbucks Global Human Rights Policy which guides employees and â€Å"protects the unique rights of children to pursue basic education as a priority over work, prohibits forced labor, supports the rights of employees to engage in free association, and supports the provision of equal human rights to all persons† (Starbucks 2010). Environmental pollution Ethical issues arise when environmental regulations differ between the home country of the company and other nations the organisation operates (Hill, 2009).Less developed countries are not as strict ther efore pollution there might be bigger. This concern Starbucks as it acquires its products in third world countries. To show its responsibility, Starbucks has created Starbucks Shared Planet Tm, which has 3 commitments: â€Å"sourcing our coffee ethically, acting as good stewards of the environment, and being actively involved in our communities† (Starbucks 2010). The company aims to minimize the negative effect it gives to the earth, tackle climate change and encourage others to follow their footsteps.The company is focused on reducing the environmental effects by using disposable cups, increasing recycling policies and reducing the use of energy. Moral obligations The power of using and moving resources from country to county and controlling it is constrained not only by regulations but also by social responsibility which is the consequences of economic actions (Hill 2009). Theorists insist that for the success the companies get from nations, the organisations should give so mething back to the societies to make equilibrium.Therefore social responsibility refers to the honourable behaviour of the company in the response to the participation of certain agents to their success. Starbucks highly values its suppliers and the communities they are based in. Therefore the company is involved in local charities and campaigns. â€Å"Since 2001, Starbucks has contributed $126 million to communities in cash and in-kind donations and has supported nearly 1. 5 million volunteer hours (Starbucks 2010). † The company wants to make the difference I the communities its plants operate.Starbucks want to provide good environments to their suppliers and employees so that it could be transferred to the customers later on. Conclusion It can be clearly seen that due to converging markets businesses are trying to expand internationally. Starbucks Coffee Company is not an exception. It now has the largest share of the market and continues to grow. However, not all of the countries converge in the same way, which makes some of them still very distant. Therefore Starbucks has to adapt different marketing strategies worldwide.This can be resulted in the criticism by anti-globalisation movement, which raises important questions on business ethics. It can be seen that Starbucks has faced a number of problems considering employment practises and human rights, however it is heading towards strong business ethics concept by trying to adapt similar employment processes offering benefits, having human rights protection protocol, participating in local communities and encouraging the reduction of economical pollution. References: 1. Hill, C. W. L. (2009) International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. th edn. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. 2. Brassington, F. & Pettitt, S. (2003) â€Å"Principles of Marketing†. 4th edn. London: Prentice Hall. 3. Marques, J. F. (2008) Spiritual Performance from the Organisational Perspective: a Starbucks Way, C orporate Governance. 8 (3), pp. 248-257. 4. Vrontis, D. , Thrassou, A. & Lamprianou, I. (2009) International Marketing Adaptation versus Standardisation of Multinational Companies, International Marketing Review. 26 (4/5), pp. 477-500. University of Oxford. (2010) Frascati Definition of Research. [Online]. Available at: http://www. dmin. ox. ac. uk/rso/applying/frascati. shtml (Accessed 3 December 2010). Colorado State University. (2010) Writing @ CSU [Online]. Available at: http://writing. colostate. edu/guides/research/casestudy/pop2a. cfm (Accessed 5 December 2010) Starbucks Coffee. (2010) Starbucks Company Profile. [Online]. Available at: http://www. starbucks. com/assets/company-profile-feb10. pdf (Accessed: 13 December 2010). Global Exchange. (2003) Lattes for all: Starbucks plans global expansion. [Online]. Available at: http://www. globalexchange. org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/662. tml (Accessed: 13 December 2010). Pajamadeen. (2008) Why Starbucks Failed in Australia. [Onli ne]. Available at: http://www. pajamadeen. com/tag/starbucks (Accessed 13 December 2010). University of Florida. (2010) Cultural Imperialism. [Online]. Available at: http://iml. jou. ufl. edu/projects/Spring01/Poux/Cultural%20Imperialism. html (Accessed 15 December 2010). Spiked. (2008) Starbucks and the socialism  of fools. [Online]. Available at: http://www. spiked-online. com/index. php/site/article/5547/ (Accessed 9 December 2010). Business Week. (2005) Starbucks: Selling the American Bean. Online] Available at: http://www. businessweek. com/innovate/content/dec2005/id20051201_506349. htm (Accessed 11 December 2010). Organic Consumers Association. (2010) Starbucks’ Grinding Labor By Doug Nielson. [Online]. Available at: http://www. organicconsumers. org/starbucks/grinding. cfm (Accessed 13 December 2010). The Telegraph. (2010) Bahrain human rights petition Starbucks. [Online]. Available at: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/bahrain/8191731/Bahrain- human-rights-petition-Starbucks. html (Accessed 13 December 2010).

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Diabetes for Indigenous Australians

A Holistic approach is fundamental in the aspect of Health and Wellness, not just for a sound mind but also for a fit body. As such, the endeavor to a better living is not without it’s faults. Australians struggle everyday to attain that continuum with programs and activities that better enable them to meet their goals, and one of those issues are Diabetes, for which part most are Type 2. It is a potentially preventable disease we’re the core causes of it are usually inadequate physical activity and poor dietary management.Over the years there have been programs that help aid the fight with this illness, and in that time there is still much to learn about it. On how it affects people based on their differences, how the culture may or may not hinder the prospect of growth and development, the well being of Australians, more so the Indigenous Australians as they are more susceptible to encounter this illness in their lifetime. Also further knowledge would enable to facili tate further understanding of the disease and in doing so, would aid in the plight for wellness.According to World Health Organization, Diabetes is a chronic disease, that occurs when a person’s pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produce thus leading to an increase in concentration of glucose in the blood (WHO 2013), There are 2 main types, Type 1 Diabetes, which usually occurs from a younger population-childhood or young adulthood, it’s when the pancreas no longer produces the insulin needed.On the other hand, Type 2 Diabetes, are the ones that stem from older generations, usually adults over the age of 45 though reports have shown it occurring at a younger age, that are usually aggravated by poor dietary management and lack of physical activity, it occurs when the pancreas is not producing adequate insulin and the insulin is not working effectively as it is suppose to. For Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Aus tralians most population suffer from Type II Diabetes, it is one of the leading cause of death and approximately 3. million Australians have been diagnosed with this disease (Australian Diabetes Council 2012), the highest of which are Indigenous Australian which are around 3 times more likely to have it, thus the impact of diabetes in the lives of people often cycle with their living issues, as poverty hinders growth and understanding and likewise their means of coping with the disease are reflected with reports of anxiety, stress or sometimes depression, or sometimes even death.The first case of diabetes recorded among Indigenous people was in Adelaide in 1923; in the past Indigenous people were healthy and did not suffer from this illness. But in the 1960s there was a study found that showed the correlation of attaining diabetes to the development of the â€Å"westernized lifestyle†. Since then Type 2 Diabetes has been accredited as a critical importance in the health dilem mas for the First People across Australia.Following that subsequent studies have found that an ever more input should be placed upon the aspect on how to proceed in terms of, how to deal with the situation at hand and improve the care provided based on that foundation. According to HealthInfonet (2007) the prevalence of this disease are among Indigenous people come from surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the more recent was done on 2004-2005 by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NSTSIHS).In the report it shows that 6% of Indigenous people who participated have Diabetes or shows signs of a high amount of sugar levels, these problems were frequently reported by Indigenous people who inhabit rural areas 9%, than those living in non-remote areas 5%. The least affected group is the young people while as they grow older the numbers of cases increase exponentially. There are several factors that agitate diabetes but for the most p art it is obesity that aggravates it.Primarily type II diabetes is a preventable disease, by just a change of how and what you consume a day and also proper weight management through regular exercise. But what happens is that because of the previous history that transpired between the Indigenous Australians and the Non-Indigenous Australians they have this wall of animosity that had gone through the colonization and has hindered the information to be given and accepted through distrust, racism and other dilapidating factors (Australian Indigenous HealthInfonet 2007).Indigenous people, some that are in a state of poverty, opted for thrifty and cheaper alternative to their diet that was introduced by commercialized industries. This in turn, without knowingly, had a decline in their concept of what the proper nutrients that are needed for physiological equilibrium and has hindered their health dramatically over the years because of instability whether it is financially, socially or eco nomically (Thackrah and Scott 2011), leading to an nmanaged weight and lack of knowledge or understanding that increases rate of mortality that is likewise preventableThe perspective of the Indigenous people livelihood from a socioeconomic aspect, are reflected by low income due to lack of better jobs that is the cause of low leveled education, and in turn a decline of understanding leading to the hesitance to access health service which are sometimes provided. These factors aid in the inability of these people to access of a higher status of health and also their inability to partake in improvement that would be beneficial to them (Willis, Reynolds and Keleher 2012).Within those factors education provides a vital role in the stance with improvement or oneself and others. As an increase in knowledge and understanding, the environmental barriers may be tossed for improvement. Also it goes without saying that the health worker, or individuals that are faced with the prospect of aiding the Indigenous people should have an understanding on the management and treatment of each people to better enable certain programs to facilitate lifestyle improvement.The Diabetes management and care program is a recognized project by the government of Western Australia in Kimberly, it is manage by Indigenous communities and their aim is to arrest the rising incidence of Type II Diabetes by working with the people in developing own health plan that lets them sustain and manage it themselves.They also promote the improvement of health to residents by incorporating the prevention, management, treatment and care for people suffering Diabetes, also they promote lifestyle changes for a healthier community. http://www. who. int/topics/diabetes_mellitus/en/ http://www. healthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/chronic-conditions/diabetes/reviews/our-review http://www. australiandiabetescouncil. com/Home http://www. australiandiabetescouncil. com/About-Diabetes/Diabetes-Facts http://www. ealthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/key-resources/programs-projects? pid=802 http://www. caritas. org. au/learn/countries/australia http://www. kwinana. wa. gov. au/Documents/Publications/Healthy-Lifestyles-Plan. aspx http://www. healthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/key-resources/programs-projects? pid=345 http://eview. anu. edu. au/cross-sections/vol6/pdf/ch05. pdf http://www. diabetesaustralia. com. au/Documents/DA/What's%20New/12. 03. 14%20Diabetes%20management%20booklet%20FINAL. pdf References;

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Management Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management Leadership - Case Study Example 2. The presence of Emaar in the United States having acquired John Laing’s homes in California is an indication of the strength of their brand. It means that since the company has such a huge investment in the biggest economy in the world, then it exhibits an international influence in the industry. Investors will ultimately have higher confidence in the company. In addition, it helps them establish a market niche, which is not only based in the United States but all across the world. When the United States develops policies to protect its businesses within the country and those based abroad, Emaar is included. Thereby the company gets much power and influence as a result of the association with US. 3. Using his power and influence and the contacts created, Alabbar can steer Emaar to greatness. First, he can consider getting into partnership with some of the biggest brands in the market in order to enhance his company’s penetration. Secondly, he can consider diversification to other lucrative sectors such as the energy sector. Thirdly, Alababar can establish collaborations with governments. Finally, he can develop sustainability programs such as the corporate social responsibility policy that helps the community relate with the organization. Implicit leadership theory- this theory helps analyze personal attributes of a leader, which may help understand d why they make the decisions that they make. In addition, the leader’s vision, behavior, skills, and deeds are analyzed. It is apparent that such personal attributes of Ed contribute to the performance in the organization. Leader-member exchange theory- this theory is geared towards analyzing a situation where there are subdivisions within a team. The group members get to separate into different groups just like is the case at Cromwell Electronics. In addition, Ed who is the leader seems to have a special focus on the team that has been in the

Friday, September 27, 2019

Answer the five following questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer the five following questions - Assignment Example In the same way, a sense of likability arises as one is forced to view the advert till it ends. The advert therefore scores very well in terms of the best qualities of conventional adverts. 2) The company using alternative advertising is the clothing giant Barbour which is using quality as a way of advertising its products. The organization has realized that quality products will always sell and has therefore reduced the conventional forms of advertising. The focus in this regard is to ensure that each product is uniquely made and scores very high from the consumers. In essence, this strategy has over the years worked effectively for the organization and has enabled it to lead its industry. 3) One ethical dilemma in marketing was realized by Toyota in its decision to recall some of its brand that had defective components. Indeed, this was a hard choice to make for the organization but it had to be done. It was indeed a great ethical dilemma for the management due to the great costs that were involved and the need to uphold quality which has always guided the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

GOING GLOBAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

GOING GLOBAL - Essay Example We critically analyse their strategy and see how they are coping in the international arena. The paper ends with a discussion on two strategies: standardisation and adaptation. When companies decide to enter new markets they have to decide which one they will follow and once they have decided this, they develop a plan. All further decisions are based on this strategy. We have discussed many things concerning the bank, their strategy, their history and what are they looking for when they decide to locate in a new country. The details of costs have also been discussed in detail. Also, the strategy the bank follows whether it wants to standardise its products around the world or customise them according to the country. We also looked at the adaptation techniques that the bank uses when they enter a new market. Also we analyse what has worked for the bank; to standardise their product or to adapt it to countries requirements. Today the whole world is one big market. There are no boundaries and businesses can operate all around the world without having offices in any of the places. Most of this has been possible because of the internet, communication has become easier and faster. Each and every company uses a different strategy to expand into the global market. The onset of going global is gradual. One of the main reasons why companies have decided to expand into markets around the world is because they want to gain a competitive

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Proposal - Essay Example However, due to the high stress level in the hospital environment where pain and agony abound from the patients, workers are usually left with no choice but to concentrate on their own discipline in providing therapy, care or help for their patients. Add to that, the obligatory meetings set up by management to ensure that things are flowing smoothly, create resistance among the staff, as they are anxious to be questioned about their cases in detail. Such a scenario prevents effective communication to flow within the workers, staff and management of the hospital. This is a cause for concern, as the situation may bring about more problems that can affect the quality of treatment afforded to the patients that has gained recognition for Pinewood Hospital. The clinical director, Dr. Baxter has hired an internal consultant to help improve communication within the hospital. The following are proposed steps the consultant may make to gain a better understanding of the problem and to find appropriate solutions for it. The consultant needs to be immersed in the hospital to get a better perspective of the culture of the organization and the flow of movement and communication. He needs to attend all meetings himself to keep track of the agenda and see if there is overlapping information and investigate how these may be minimized to save time and effort. As a consultant, he is available to anyone who would be in need of his advice regarding concerns about communication, be they rank and file or in the administrative staff. Being so, he would have access to information that may able to help the organization. Another way to gather information is to conduct a survey on communication among all the hospital workers from the management to the professionals to the staff. â€Å"Staff surveys that provide a thorough understanding of staff attitudes and perceptions

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

U.S propaganda and the Nazi Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

U.S propaganda and the Nazi Germany - Essay Example U.S propaganda and the Nazi Germany Propaganda and war is aimed at influencing people’s attitudes and perception towards the war rather than being involved in open dialogue (Randal, 2002). American propaganda during world war was used to increase American commitment and support for the war. American propagandists used various media to foment animosity and hatred against American enemies especially the Nazi Germans, Authoritarian Italy and Aggressive Japan. For instance, American propagandists persuaded American people to fully participate in the war by urging them to do what they can by providing war materials such as victory gardens and to extent that they sold war bonds. Americans perceived propaganda as a tool of totalitarian dictatorship. In addition, they recalled with fear and anger the fervor of the First World War propaganda efforts, which was recognized as violation of human rights as well as dissemination of wrong information. The United States was reluctant to participate in propaganda campaigns but it succumbed to pressure from business sector, media and advertisers who wanted the government to take active role in propaganda campaigns. In 1944, policy makers in the U.S began convincing Americans to accept the harsh peace for the German citizens since it was thought that the German people and the Nazi party were different entities. Hitler was often depicted in scenarios ridiculing and embarrassing him, and that cartoons always portrayed him in caricature. Hitler’s rule was often satirized. In order to raise war morale and motivation, American cartoonists often released cartoons showing Hitler as doomed. He and Nazi-Germans were depicted as fools to an extent that a German father was scolded saying that Germans did not eat food instead they ate countries. Among authoritarian regimes of the time such as Japan and Italy, Nazi-German was seen as the deadliest threat to the Americans. American propaganda often stereotyped Germans as evil and bad people in posters and films, despite the fact that many crimes or atrocities were ascribed by Hitler and Nazis. Similarly, American propaganda did not leave out other authoritarian regimes such as Italy and Japan in that they always portrayed as evil and bad. For instance, Mussolini appeared in an editorial Cartoon which presented him as a two-bit dictator. In Japan, propaganda depicted Japanese as uncivilized and foreign enemy of the United States of America just like Italy and Nazi-Germany. Basing on samurai traditions, American propagandists depicted Japanese as blindly ruthless and fanatic with a history of looking and desiring for an overseas conquest. More so, they argued that Japanese people were one mindless and unified mass that had no vision. The U.S applied propaganda to influence and manipulate its citizens. In addition, propaganda in war is used in deceiving your friends with lying to the enemies. On the other hand, between States, it involves lying about potential acquisition and development of new and powerful weapons, which can be used to convince other nations that something which is feasible, is in fact not in order to pour disinforming party a head start in looking for the technology/weapons (Andrew, 2011). The use of propaganda in war is applicable with the compliance of mass media and popular culture that allows it to procla im a new mobilization of society and military against an imagined or real enemy without altering the status quo

Monday, September 23, 2019

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - Essay Example Balram is a boy with little education and the urge to break away from the life of poverty and misery into which he is born. As Balram Halwai is thrust into the glittering life of the rich in India’s capital, the difference between those in his station in life and that of his employers is sharply brought into focus. This is the turning point, and it is the humiliations and injustices that he faces that finally push him into using any means to escape into a better life. As he explains "In the old days there were one thousand castes...in India. These days, there are just two castes: Men with Big Bellies, and Men with Small Bellies."(pg 64) Balram is determined to do whatever it takes to become a big-bellied man, and to this end, he resorts to bribing the police, bending the rules or even worse. After all he has learnt these lessons from his rich masters themselves! I think the protagonist of Aravind Adiga’s novel is an entrepreneur. He has most of the qualities that are re quired for entrepreneurship. Balram himself lists these when he says â€Å"The Indian entrepreneur has to be straight and crooked, mocking and believing, sly and sincere at the same time.†(pg 9) Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." (Albert Einstein Quotes) and Balram Halwai echoes this when he swears by his favourite poet Iqbal’s words â€Å"They remain slaves because they cannot see what is beautiful.† (pg 40)... His ability to think on his feet is sharply brought into focus when he alone is able to answer the inspector’s questions. His ability to recall things he has seen, read and overheard and his intuition about the way they fit into the scheme of things is what is appreciated by the inspector who sees a bright future for the village lad. Balram calls himself a â€Å"half baked fellow’’ because he has only a few years of schooling, and further adds that â€Å"entrepreneurs are made from half baked clay.† (pg 11) Balram Halwai’s ability to take life as it comes and seize opportunity whenever it arises is amply displayed as he eavesdrops on conversations at the teashops where he is forced to work, and uses the scraps of knowledge thus gained to educate himself on the goings on in the world around him. He puts it very succinctly when he says â€Å"I am a man of action and change†. Overhearing that drivers were paid well and they were required in lar ge numbers in the coal mining town of Dhanbad where he works in a teashop, the boy cajoled his granny into giving him the money he needed to learn how to drive a car. Although he knew that the driver who taught him was taking advantage of him and making him spend a lot of his time doing free repair jobs on taxis; he stuck to his resolve to learn driving and mastered it. Having mastered driving skills was only a beginning, he had to get a driver’s job in an environment where merit was no criterion. Caught up as he is, in the morass of corruption, inequality and poverty, he bides his time and waits for the right opening to press home the advantage. Knowing the right people and greasing the right palms was how one got a job, and the poor lad was a nobody and had no help in that department. His intuition and ability

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Mumbai Slums Essay Example for Free

Mumbai Slums Essay An earthquake occurs when there is a sudden release of energy in the Earths crust that causes seismic waves. Earthquakes are typically caused by opening of geological faults. They are however also caused by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments. The effects of earthquakes are many and far reaching. Earthquakes cause shaking and ground ruptures which result in less or sometimes more severe damage to buildings or other rigid structures. Earthquakes also results in landslides and avalanches, which sometimes causes damage in hilly and mountain areas. After an earthquake, the place can catch fire by breaking of the electrical power or gas lines. Because of the shaking, sometimes the soil liquefies, the loose saturated cohesion less soil loses its strength and temporarily transforms from a solid to a liquid state. Soil liquefaction causes firm structures like buildings and bridges to slant or sink into a liquefied state. Earthquakes result in loss of life, damage to property, fatal diseases, lack of basic necessities and it affects the financial and economical structure of the country. Some safety measures are used so that the government, individual and businesses can prepare themselves against this calamity. To reduce the damage, retrofitting techniques and modern earthquake resistant designs of new buildings and lifeline structures like bridges, hospitals and power plants are used in earthquake prone areas. The emergency services under the local and state government ensure that the public is safe by dealing with the crisis. Individuals and businesses are encouraged by governments to have an earthquake kit and supplies for three days at hand. As a result of an increase of the number of seismic stations today, the earthquakes are reported more than in the past, which help in the preparation process. Slums in Mumbai Slums always existed in Mumbai. In 19th century, slums grew around mills and other places of employment. Now they grow where ever there is empty space. Slum dwellers today cover 60% of Mumbai’s population. The government tried to rectify the problem in 1985 by passing the Slum Upgradation Project. Regrettable the project targeted only 10-12% of the slum population, those who were able to of upgrade their homes. It ignored inhabitants in slums, those who did not have homes at all. In spite of all the attempts to cure the problem of slums in Mumbai, slums are still growing. The growth rate of slums is actually greater than the growth rate of general urban. It is estimated that everyday 100 to 300 new families come to Mumbai. Most of them end up in a slum colony or just put up a shanty on the on the footpath. Due to migration, the city’s population is increasing and with it the slums. These facts show that migration has to stop to cure the problem of slums. According to Professor RN Sharma, (the head of the Urban Studies Unit in Tata Institute of Social Sciences), Mumbai, the city is unquestionably disintegrating into slums. A Jockin of SPARC, (the NGO that works for slums) said that the rehabilitation process is the only solution to the problem of slums in Mumbai. He said: â€Å"This talk about Mumbai having predominantly slums is rubbish. Already 67 per cent of slums on railway land have been re-settled. The airport project and the rehabilitation near Mithi River is also happening at a good pace. These figures of slum population rising is not true†. Former housing minister Nawab Mallik also agreed that rehabilitation is a best way to get rid of slums. References: Earthquake. (2007, November 4). Retrieved November 5, 2007 from World Wide Web: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Earthquake Juneja, Saakshi. (2006, January 9). Mumbai Slums. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://mumbai. metblogs. com/archives/2006/01/mumbai_slums. phtml Slums. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www. macalester. edu/courses/GEOG61/espencer/slums. html Slums: The Magnitude of the Problem. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from World Wide Web: http://theory. tifr. res. in/bombay/amenities/housing/slum-stats. html

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Ethnicity and language Essay Example for Free

Ethnicity and language Essay 1. Ethnicity Ethnicity is not a clear-cut term. It usually describes someone’s racial or cultural background but has a whole host of other connotations connected with appearance, dress, food, lifestyle etc. The ethnic majority in a particular place are, not necessarily those with the largest numbers, but those with social and political power. It is also the case that often terms describing race are fairly meaningless. People from the ‘British race’ for example originate from many other cultures and countries, depending on how far back you trace their family trees. 2. Prejudiced language Language can be used to make certain ethnic groups appear to be outsiders, or different from the ethnic majority. Markedness It is often assumed that immigrants, and people from ethnic minorities, must fit in with the ways and traditions of the ethnic majority. When this happens, the ethnic identity of the majority begins to appear normal and invisible, whilst that of the minority appears, strange, worthy of mention and marked. We often find in the media that people’ ethnicity is only mentioned when they are not white. So, we hear things like â€Å"the murdered black teenager Steven Lawrence† even in instances where the description of ethnicity is irrelevant. Negative labelling People are often labelled according to their colour, race or ethnicity. The problem with such labels is firstly that they may stop us seeing other aspects of the person as we are focussed on the attribute that the label describes. The second problem is that very often these labels are associated with negative stereotypes. We often find that the most marginalized groups in our society have the largest numbers of offensive terms to describe them. In addition, the media runs relatively few stories about those from ethnic minorities, and those that are included tend to reinforce the negative stereotypes by being about crime or disorder. 3. Marking Ethnic Identity Language can also be used as a powerful marker of ethnic identity. The language that we speak, and how we speak it, shows the ethnic group to which we believe we belong and claim solidarity with. British Black English People of West Indian and African Caribbean origin in England use many different varieties depending on where about they live and how long their families have been in Britain. Those born in Britain usually speak a variety of English and also a variety of Jamaican Creole, known as Patois. Linguistic features of Patois ?Lexical items (lick (hit), kenge (weak), bex (angry) ?Use of [? ] and [? ] in place of [? ] and [? ] e. g. [t? n] for [ n] ?Plural forms without /s/ suffix (e. g. many cow) ?Verbs not marked for tense (walk in place of walked) ?Simplified pronouns ([mi] for I, me, my and [dem] for they, them and their) ?Use of ‘fi’ in place of ‘to’ before infinitives. African American Vernacular English In the USA, the distinct languages of people of African American origin disappeared centuries ago. Nevertheless, a distinct variety of English, called African American Vernacular English (AAVE), has developed which acts as a symbol of ethnicity. AAVE is most often heard in cities in the North of the states. Linguistic features of AAVE ?Absence of standard copula be (e. g. ‘she very nice’, ‘that my book’) ?Use of copula be to signal recurring actions (‘she be at school on weekdays’) ?Multiple negation (‘I don’t want none’)? Consonant cluster simplification (‘aks in place of asks’) ?Existential it (where standard English has ‘there’, ‘it’s a boy’ for ‘there’s a boy’) Maori English In New Zealand, it is not clear if a Maori dialect of English actually exists. What is certain is that the features listed below occur more often in the speech of Maoris than Pakeha (non-Polynesian New Zealanders, usually of European origin) Linguistic features of Maori English ?Use of [? ] and [? ] in place of [? ] and [? ] e. g. [t? n] for [ n] ?Use of vocabulary items such as kia ora (greeting) and kuia (old woman)? Vernacular verb forms (walk for walked) ?Present tense forms with /s/ ‘I sees you’, ‘we gets home’) 4. Social Networks Social networks can help us understand speech patterns as the language and variety we use is influenced by the people we spend time with. You can draw a simple social network by considering the four or five people you speak to most often and drawing lines from their names to yours on a map. If any of those people know each other independently of you, connect them with lines (preferably of a different colour) too. Then add their two or three best friends, and so on.e. g. Tom Richard Bob Barbara Sandy Dave Features of social networks Density Density refers to whether members of a person’s network are in touch with each other separately. In the example above, only Richard and Bob know each other independently of Tom so his network is not a dense one. Plexity Plexity refers to the type of transactions that we are involved in with other people. If, for example, Tom only ever plays squash with Barbara, the relationship would be considered a uniplex one. If however, Tom and Barbara lived, worked and socialised together it would be a multiplex one. Language and Networks The language or variety we use is influenced by the people we talk to and what we talk to them about. We may change the language or variety we are using depending on which part of our network we are currently interacting with. For example, we may be more formal at work than at home. This type of language/variety shift is probably more likely if our social network is not very dense and our relations tend to be uniplex. If our networks are dense and multiplex, the whole network is more likely to use the use the same language or variety.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Internal Auditing Information Technology Case Study

Internal Auditing Information Technology Case Study Yue Sun (Leah) Activity 1. Key entity-level controls COSO Component Entity-level Controls Control Environment Organization wide integrity code of conduct Raising awareness and application of the code Granting restricted accesses to managers based on their department and responsibility scope Risk Assessment Organization wide risk assessment Risk appetites designed by department managers Having senior managements or control groups review and approve risk appetite Control Activities Organization wide policy protocol Independent internal audit committee oversight Information technology general control Information Communication Utilizing secured and monitored communication system for employees Monitoring Activities Performance management system Regularly perform internal auditing processes Activity 2. Audit procedure for information technology general control Determining whether the managements hold a positive attitude and approach toward integrity and ethics. Determining whether policies exists to define acceptable IT practices, conflict of interest, and or other expected standards of ethical behavior within the organization. Determining whether management take proper precaution and disciplinary action in circumstances where dishonor the policies. Determining whether practitioners and management receive complete necessary training to efficiently perform their duties. Determining whether the integrity code of conduct is being applied throughout daily operations. Determining whether the role of each employee is well defined, documented, and understood by all parties in the organization. Determining whether all procedures are properly documented by designated employee and the documentation is securely managed with restricted access. Determining whether there are processes in place to monitor the integrity and the ethical value within the department. Audit procedures and evidence that indicate operating effectiveness Audit procedures to determine operational efficiency Determining whether the tasks and goals are performed and achieved. It implies that the controls are operating efficiently when management and employees meet the expectations associated with their responsibilities. Evaluating the commitment of the management and employees when executing the internal controls set as higher level commitments from management and employees lead to higher level operating efficiency. Determining whether management is promoting and trying to enforce the internal controls in the organization. Observing the efficiency and effectiveness of communication between management and employees. It indicates that the controls are operating efficiently when management and employees keep an open and transparent communication channel. Observing the attitude of both management and employees towards integrity and ethics in the internal controls. Evidence that indicate operating effectiveness The operation should be considered effective when management holds a positive tone throughout the organization and the communication between management and employees is effective and transparent. Having an ethics and integrity program that is honored by both management and employees is another indicator for effective operation. Activity 4. SHR Corporations entity-level controls are mostly soft in nature and therefore, can impact the corporations employees in terms of how they approach issues. Such entity-level controls do operate across the organization to mitigate risks that threaten the company while provide assurance that the objectives of the organization would be achieved. In addition, the entity-level controls have both internal and external effect. For instance, such control would impact on the effectiveness at transaction and processing level which could minimize the risks that would prevent the company from achieving its objectives. Weakness in SHR Corporations entity-level controls include incidents where management is not dedicated to train and mentor employees. Lacking communication between management and employees could impact the operating effectiveness greatly. Another weakness would be when less reliance is placed on control activities that are performed by employees who require highly judgmental or complex tasks. In order to amend the listed weaknesses, management should be assessing the quality of the internal control performance across the organization. Monitoring activities are necessary and SHR should also acquire independent evaluation by internal auditors to minimize risks. Management and employees behavior could be affected by the entity-level controls that are carried out across the entire organization. Based on the risks that the organization is currently facing, the entity-level controls would require managements to assess and report on the effectiveness of the internal control of the organization. The independent internal auditors should confirm and evaluate such reports concerning the effectiveness of the corporations internal control. Management and employees behavior at business processing level could be positively impacted since entity-level controls could improve their accountability. Having an effective entity-level controls would help both management and employees comply with organizations policies and code of conducts. Because entity-level controls provide assurance to the board and management that the established procedures and policies are performed throughout the organizations operation. When auditing controls over the companys purchases and accounts payable, SHRs entity-level controls could affect professional skepticism since effective controls could minimize potential risks and misappropriation. Meanwhile, the entity-level controls would facilitate the assessment of process-level risks that could affect the operation of the organization. In addition, process-level controls could assist when conducting direct testes of transactions in order to ensure the financial statements are accurately presented.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Larry Flynt: Confronting Sex and Politics in America Essay -- Essays

Larry Flynt: Confronting Sex and Politics in America What has changed in the media and political culture? Why is exploitation of sex and politics on front burner of the American agenda? The private matters of the President were once just that — private matters. Now they are published and are accessible to the American public by way of the Starr Report (http://CNN.com/starr.report/)and the mainstream media. The impeachment of the President symbolizes the pinnacle of the integration of sex and politics by the media. Flynt’s cravings for power and his obsession with sex have inspired his actions. The impeachment trials created an atmosphere in which a porn king, Larry Flynt, was able to capture the attention of the American public. This sex obsessed publisher of the notorious Hustler magazine created quite a stir by exposing the hypocritical actions of Clinton's republican opponents during the impeachment trial. His dramatic antics and vulgar tactics enabled him to gain notoriety with the American Public. Flynt turned the tables in American politics. The Republicans no longer had the offensive advantage, since Flynt allegations force them had to take a defensive status. Larry Flynt embodies important attitudes of the current status of sex and politics in American society. Flynt's Objective and Antics But how does this pornographer end up "setting the agenda" (Kurtz, 19 December 1998) in American politics? Flynt has been peppered in the main stream media for an extended time now. From his shocking behavior in the court systems to his announcement of the hypocrisy of Congress, he has infiltrated the televisions and newspapers of the American public. Flynt objective with this behavior is to get into media and uproot the ... .... 1996. Flynt, Larry (Ed.). The Flynt Report. Online. 10 November 1999. <http://members.flyntdigital.com/doc/flyntreport/>. Forman, M.(Director). The People vs. Larry Flynt. Film, 1996. Columbia Pictures. Grover, Ronald. "Larry Flynt’s Latest Hustle." Business Week. 18 January, 1999, 3612. Pg. 2. Lehrer, Eli. "Larry Flynt’s Porn-Again War." Insight on the News. 8 February 1999. Pg. 12. Munro, Neil. "Larry Flynt’s Relentless Campaign." The National Journal. 9 January 1999. Vol. 31, No. 1-2. Pg. 44. Phillips, Andrew. "Sultan of Sleaze." Maclean’s. 25 January 1999, World. Pg. 38. Walsh, Bill. "Digging Up Dirt Hardly Novel in U.S. Politics; Flynt Latest Practitioner in Long Time." The Times-Picayune. 31 January 1999. Pg. A1. Weinraub, Bernard. "Hustler Behind the Story" New York Times, late ed., 19 December 1998, Section B, Pg. 3.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Scarlet Letter Townspeople :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, contains many profound characters. The townspeople intrigue the reader because they gradually evolve throughout the book, as would any solitary character. In the beginning of the novel, they are generally rigid and judgmental towards Hester, because she has committed adultery. Throughout the novel, they slowly allow Hester and her daughter into their community, but still look at them with suspicion and doubt. Finally, in the end of The Scarlet Letter, the town forgives her of her sin, and she cautiously finds her place in society. Hawthorne uses the strict Puritan townspeople as a criterion by which all societies can be measured. The townspeople, as with any individual character, possess a certain depth that develops with knowledge. Readers generally characterize the Puritan Townspeople in The Scarlet Letter by their attitudes in the beginning of the novel. When Hester first walks into the scene, most of the townspeople are very harsh and strict in their religions. They believe that adultery is one of the worst sins possible. One unyielding woman says, “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly, there is, both in the Scripture and in the statutebook. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray.'; Although a young woman and a righteous man try to intervene with the angry old women, their voices are never heard. Also, Hawthorne associates ugliness with wickedness; therefore, all of the stingy women are described as being very ugly. They regard her not as a fellow sinner but as a woman so evil that she must be ostracized from her “perfect'; community. They view the scarlet letter tha t she wears upon her breast as a symbol of her atrocious crime of adultery and nothing more. The women in the beginning of the novel are so quick to pass judgment on others, yet they fail to recognize the sin in themselves. Once they realize this obstacle, the townspeople will become more understanding of Hester’s situation. Throughout the novel, the harsh Puritan townspeople begin to realize the abilities of Hester despite her past. Hester works selflessly and devotes herself to the wellbeing of others. “Hester sought not to acquire anything beyond a subsistence of the plainest and most ascetic description, for herself, and a simple abundance for her child.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Simplicity and change as a child

I remember finding that first rock. We were digging in the woods behind my house. The entire neighborhood: Alec, Julien, Westley, Blake, Nathaniel, and I. It was a giant pink quartz, the size of a grapefruit. The creases were packed with dirt. Chipping away at the frostbitten ground in November, we began finding more and more rocks: a small white crystal, a green gem, a slab of mica, coral, and fossils. We now had a fairly large pile of artifacts in the shoebox under my bed. I would go and look through them, thinking I had found the biggest treasure in the world. I remember Nathaniel saying how we’d all be millionaires and the two brothers fighting over what we’d spend in on. Did we want a pool for the neighborhood? A new PlayStation? The possibilities were endless, but we’d be famous anyway, the kids that discovered it all! When we had excavated the last of the rocks, we looked them over to clean out the dirt that had plastered itself into all the cracks and holes. We decided to keep it a secret, a dusty cardboard box hidden under all the other old school work under my mattress. I remember sawing back and forth against the plywood. Our swing was going to be amazing. My arm was sore and salty sweat speckled my lip. Summer sun is the most unforgiving heat, dry and merciless. I remember the metallic jingling in our pockets of the coins we had scrounged from the junk drawer. We bought some red paint and metal hooks from the hardware store downtown. I remember the kind chuckle the cashier gave us, a bunch of kids counting out all our quarters and dimes. I remember the countless tries it took to throw the ropes over the outstretched arm of that pine tree. I remember the refreshing rush of air, and not feeling solid ground on my calloused and dirty bare feet. I remember years later, seeing the swing lifeless and dangling, a paint chipping, rope rotting, rust infected memory. I remember the numbness, watery eyes, and stuffy nose. I remember the way snowflakes looked through the orange light of the street lamp. Let the battle begin. We rushed behind the wall of our castle. Westley, Nathaniel, and I, verse all. Packing the snow together with wet mittens I took an iceball to the lip. I remember the strength it took not to cry. The war began to die down; I remember leaning back and falling into the forgiving snow and watching my breaths turn into soft clouds against the piercing black sky. I remember snowflakes on my eyelashes; we were all going to be friends forever. I remember the day Julien moved away. I remember the day Westely started middle school. I remember the day Alec didn’t want to come play football. I remember the day Nathaniel had too much homework to go outside. I remember the day I realized the unforgiving nature of time, the inevitability of change, and the pricelessness of simplicity. Everyone gets the, â€Å"have fun now, ‘cause it won’t last forever kid!† from a sassy grandparent who you don’t want to believe. Sure, nothing can last forever, but I’ve got plenty of time to be a kid. The memories of simplicity that I hold onto so closely are the things that I appreciate most. They are what construct the skeleton that the layers and complications of my life cling to. Every day I feel how precious it is to have modesty, clarity, and sincerity. I remember simplicity.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Analyzing Poetry Essay

Ezra Pound’s poetry is striking in its break from the blank verse which occupied the page during the transcendental period. Taking points from Whitman’s free verse style, Pound gives the reader a subjective look at poetry. The poem A Virginal gives the reader both phantoms and tangible feelings of which the narrator is powerless to control (much as the war made countrymen feel a powerlessness in the death of their comrades). This is supported with lines such as â€Å"And left me cloaked as with a gauze of aether† (Pound line 5). It is this symbolic castration that war represents which plays a significant role in Pound’s poem. Pound’s poem War Verse Pound gives a rather ambivalent opinion of World War I. The point of the poem is that he wants poets to give soldiers their time; he was speaking about poets winning awards for their poems about the war, of which they had seen no action. The beginning lines of War Verse are, â€Å"O two-penny poets, be still! – For you have nine years out of every ten To go gunning for glory – with pop guns; Be still, give the soldiers their turns† (Pound lines 1-2). In either poem this idea of not being able to do anything about the war and the deaths that were the outcome of that war, are the impetus to Pound’s feelings. The form of either poem are similar, and the subject matter of course is strikingly the same. In T. S. Eliot’s view of the past as expounded upon in his essay Tradition and the Individual Talent have to do with following tradition. Eliot criticizes poets and critics for only following a tradition that is merely one generation removed from the present and says that we ought to follow the maturity of the poet, not the expanse of his work, not the work done with less vigor as we are apt to do. In his essay Eliot says we must understand what it is when we speak of tradition; which means that we cannot ignore any of the work, that a poet must strive uphold tradition in knowing the full expanse of literature (not just the previous generation’s triumphs) as Eliot states, the historical sense compels a man to write not merely with his own generation in his bones, but with a feeling that the whole of the literature of Europe from Homer and within it the whole of the literature of his own country has a simultaneous existence and composes a simultaneous order. (Eliot paragraph 3) For T. S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock can be said to be the addressing of age, life, and one’s personal fight with the passing of days. The many allusions throughout the poem may be attributed to various issues concerning one’s growing old. In line two, for example, Eliot makes the comparison of the evening to an unconscious patient on an operating table. The consequence of this comparison is that the reader begins to see the evening as not the end of a day, but rather the end of someone’s life – old age. With this allusion used in Eliot’s poem the reader is allowed to explore their own understanding of how their life has been in comparison to the illustrations used by Eliot. Thus, the reader becomes a part of the poem; an active listener in the story/poem told by Eliot. The personification of the time of day at the beginning of the poem, then leads the reader to view the rest of the poem in a manner conducive to that comparison – with all of the metaphors dealing with life. This comparison is further pressed in line 23, with â€Å"And indeed there will be time†. This solidifies the metaphor of time, and a person’s dealings with it. Eliot seemed to enjoy writing in the metaphysical aspects and indeed this is strongly reflected in Prufrock, while Eliot balances this writing with concrete imagery. Though Eliot insists â€Å"there will be time†, he follows this line with a list of many things that one does throughout his or her life. This expansive list would fill a lifetime, and therefore refute the idea of endless time that line 23 infers. Eliot liked to write in contradictions since humanity was full of contention points and paradoxes. The hesitations and frivolous actions of life listed in this poem are not an affirmation of the ability to achieve these goals, or waste this time, but instead it is a warning that time passes, without respect to the desire or intent of a person. Eliot makes mention of this by indicating that his hair is thinning, something that he does not desire to occur, yet does – outside his control. This again is the metaphysical aspect of Eliot’s writing which could perhaps have been inspired by Donne’s work, yet Eliot’s writing style seems to be more realistic than Donne’s and Eliot writes with a sort of paying attention to the fringes of humanity and exploring darker concepts of the human mind; such as death and time in this poem. Works Cited The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Vol. II, ed. Lauter, et al (Vols. C, D, a

Sunday, September 15, 2019

I’m proud to be Scottish

Why am I proud to be Scottish? There are many different things that make me proud to be Scottish like the pride of watching the National Football Team perform at Hampden, singing the national anthem, being proud of Glasgow being chosen to host the Commonwealth Games. All of these types of things and many more contribute, not just to me but to millions over Scotland, to people being proud of their Scottish heritage and nationality. I feel very patriotic now but when I was younger I never thought I’d ever feel so passionate and ready to speak out and defend my country as I do today. When people ask where I come from, I do not hesitate in telling them that I’m from Scotland as I never get embarrassed at all when confronted with those types of questions. This is the type of person I like to be and this is very evident. Why do I feel like this? Why do I all of a sudden feel proud of my nation? It all started one day my friend and I went to a Scotland v Czech Republic game in 2011 at Hampden for the first time. Before the game I never knew a thing about this â€Å"national pride† that everyone was so fond of. But approaching Hampden and seeing all of these thousands and thousands of fellow Scotland fans swarming around the stadium was what flipped the activation switch; from that moment on I was hooked. It made me feel part of something, like to be involved in something as big as this. Once in the stadium and the teams emerged the feeling of â€Å"I am Scottish† kept growing inside of me. The smell of ‘Hampden pies’, which I was later informed by a beer bellied old man to be a very deer scotch pie, that typical encounter is the sort of thing you would get only in our Scotland. The key overwhelming factor which locked in my first thoughts was when the national anthem rang out around the ground; it gave me goose bumps as I stood in unison with 52 thousand other proud Scots. The game finished 2-2 with a complete joke of a last minute goal by the opposition which virtually ended our hopes of qualification. I knew that I was changing into this type of passionate individual I could just tell it as every bad decision from that ‘referee’, or clown as we like to call him, actually was called everyone including me and my friend roared at the pitch to make sure that the ref knew that he was wrong. Now do not think that I am a football casual or a little thug who shouts abuse at people because I‘m angry because I definitely am not, what I just said may give that impression but that is just an example of what being passionate about your country can do to you. The final whistle went and even though fans booed, and people said things you couldn’t imagine about the manager and the referee, I still felt proud and that I had accomplished something of unlocking a deadlocked passion inside of me. This was one big occasion of why I started to become proud of being Scottish. Now there is a lot to be proud of about being from Scotland. Not just the things that go on or the beautiful scenery, but also the people. A lot of famous figureheads of the World are actually Scottish: Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Andy Murray the tennis player, Kenny Dalglish, Sir Alex Ferguson, Paul Di Resta, Sir Jackie Stewart and finally the greatest British Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, and much more. This proves that it is not unheard of to be proud of being Scottish. As with these legends and idols being representatives, if you will, of how good Scotland can be. Recently The Scot Andy Murray and World Number 3 won his first ever Grand Slam trophy, which would make anyone including myself proud to be Scottish and to be able to say you come from the same country as the US Open Champion or Sir Alex Ferguson is just a great feeling. Therefore this also contributes to me personally being very proud of my nation. Now one of the reasons that I did not think about until recently is the political side of Scotland, of how we are sort of separate from the UK government in some parts with devolved powers when up here we have the SNP Government etc. With Scotland having a separate government, it gives us sort of an edge of England as we get lots of things they don’t which is actually pretty good because us Scots always love to get one up on them! We get free prescriptions whereas in England they have to pay to receive the exact same stuff we get for free, Scots get University tuition for free but again in England they do not they have to pay thousands and thousands of pounds for their extended education, which from my point of view is fantastic as I plan to go to University when I leave school so I can get it for free. Finally the elderly get free healthcare in our great nation and once again down there they have to pay massive sums of money for it. This is a very positive aspect of being Scottish and makes you very proud over the rest of the UK to have all those facilities at your disposal whenever you may need them. Also with an upcoming referendum on whether Scotland should be independent from the rest of the UK, it gives you a sense of pride to know that you’ll have the chance to vote on your country’s future and take part in such a big event and possibly have the final say in Scotland’s history with which way you vote. However, being Scottish does have its downfalls believe me. Starting with the football element of NEVER having a lucky chance unfortunately and just not having the ability to make that last step towards a major tournament which does fill you with embarrassment at times. Another downfall is the weather; I can guarantee that I speak for near enough everyone in Scotland when I say, the weather is completely dreadful. We all hate Scottish weather when all we get is rain; wind and just depressing weather 363 days of the year and those occasional two days of either snow or cold son. This therefore is a big factor of Scottish people not being proud of this country with the dyer weather. Finally the stereotypes. I bet you were all waiting for me to bring this up, Scots are constantly stereotyped to be ginger haired, irn-bru addicted, kilt wearing people when that is completely out of context and so far from the actual truth. These are some of the reasons as to why some people are not proud to be Scottish but there are many more proud moments than there is moments of non-proudness for us Scots. In reflection, I am very proud to be Scottish and have no reason whatsoever not to be proud. With many people on my side I think it is fair to say that most people love Scotland even with its downfalls but that’s just what makes Scotland what it is and we would not change it for the world, well maybe the weather. I feel more patriotic about my country even more now than before. Meaning probably more people have this view aswell.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Existentialism is a Humanism Essay

In Existentialism is a Humanism, Sartre explains that in human beings, â€Å"existence precedes essence. † Meaning, humans are created without any purpose, but with growth and maturing they find their purpose. J. P. Sartre gives the example of the paper clip, noting that this inanimate object was created with the intent of a purpose. Therefore, that idea lead to it’s creation. He uses this example to demonstrate â€Å" essence precedes existence. † He states, â€Å" man is nothing else, but what he makes of himself. † Simply put, us as humans are first born than we create our own paths in our lives and who we shall be in life. This explains that through our actions and decisions we make in our lives, molds us into the beings we become. Further mentioning that we are the choices we make, are we responsible for who are as individuals because of that. Sartre goes on to say there are two kinds of existentialists. One of them being Christians, Catholics, or people who believe in God. As well as atheistic existentialists who do not believe in God such as himself. However, one thing they share is both groups believe in the idea of â€Å" existence precedes essence. † But, those who believe in God believes God was a superior power who created people with a purpose, which ties into the idea of the paper clip. With that being said, though men has diverse traits and characteristics, they share the same basic qualities because if human nature. On the other hand, the atheistic view believes God is nonexistent and a man starts as nothing and later defines himself. Therefore, Sartre states, â€Å"There is no determinism, man is free, man is freedom†¦. We have no values or commands to turn to which legitimize our conduct. † In other words, we have no excuses, and we are entirely responsible for our decisions. Therefore, there is no God to provide guidance on the proper way to live and we must find that out through our choices. He goes on the idea of subjectivism, saying that one man’s acts creates the image of every man as a whole. Which, develops the idea of what men ought to be as individuals. Sartre also replies that, â€Å"it is impossible for man to transcend human subjectivity. † He isn’t saying â€Å"I prefer subjectivity over objectivity,† he’s asking, â€Å"how can we possibly not be subjective? † Even the religious individual who believes that morality is absolute and comes from God must, at some point, choose to believe that this is the case. Our responsibility is a blessing and a curse. It leads us to feel things like anguish and despair. We experience anguish in the face of our subjectivity, because by choosing what we are to do, we â€Å"choose for everyone†. When you make a decision you are saying â€Å"this is how anyone ought to behave given these circumstances. † Many people don’t feel anguish, but this is because they are â€Å"fleeing from it. † If you don’t feel a sense of anxiety when you make decisions, it’s because you are forgetting about your â€Å"total and deep responsibility† toward yourself and all of humanity. Despair arises because we only have power to change things that are within our power to change, and there is a lot we cannot change. With that being said, reality is unbiased and out of our control, except for small aspects of it here and there. We despair because we can never have full control of the future. However, we are the rulers of our lives, we take the responsibility of our actions and ourselves in general. Regardless of what you believe, this cannot be any other way.

Friday, September 13, 2019

America and Vietnam Essay Example for Free

America and Vietnam Essay Olsen and Roberts are both history professors who are fascinated with the ways by which the American government made the situation of the war with Vietnam a fearful yet victorious even for the reputation of the said country. The authors were then able to contribute their thoughts about the situation thus seeing the situation of the past wars a manifestation of the reputation of the American society in the world account of recognized countries of war and reconciliation. Their book â€Å"Where the Domino Fell† actually pictures the actual situations that happened during the American-Vietnamese war during the 1960’s and how the said history particularly affects the relationship of the two countries involved. About the Book [Content and Summary] The overall content of the book is highly recommended for reading and teaching as it gives a clear yet critical approach in assessing the US policy that controlled the Vietnam society from then until the present. Undeniably, the book of Olsen and Roberts is an awakening material that helps the human mind realize the importance of being diplomatic and lawful even when in the middle of distress. Surprisingly, the American society was able to steel a fine reputation out from all the oppression that they have already implicated upon the Vietnamese society during the war years. Through the critical assessment of the situation, the authors intended to give the readers a fine picture not only of what is or what has been obvious but also a glimpse of the truth behind the scenes of historical accounts written in books today. Implications of the Reading As it has been noted earlier, the reading gave a clear depiction of what has happened and why the said events happened during the American-Vietnamese war in the 1960’s. With the insightful informations that the authors posted through their book, they were able to help readers realize what the facts are and how they particularly affect the present relationship that exists between the said countries. Critique of the Writing Approach As for the writing approach of the authors, it is undeniable that the informations that they posted through the reading were carefully assessed thus giving out validated facts that support their explanations of the said historical event. The clarity of the implications of the reading has been strengthened by the documentations that the authors used to show the authenticity of the reading. The utilization of other researches that supported their claims and opinions made the book a must read not only for professors and students, but also for those individuals who endeavor reading books under the typical yet critical approach of understanding history and American politics. Within the context of the book lies a less-traveled path among the historians of the present times. Olsen and Roberts certainly made it clear that history is a human account needed to be understood and learned from through critical observation of the past. Reference: James S. Olson and Randy Roberts. (2006). Where the Domino Fell: America and Vietnam 1945-2006 [ILLUSTRATED]. Blackwell Publishing Limited; 5 edition. America and Vietnam. (2017, May 10).

Analysis of Saudi Mutual Funds Regression Results Speech or Presentation

Analysis of Saudi Mutual Funds Regression Results - Speech or Presentation Example The significant predictors are MSCI Asia Equity Index, b = 0.1971, p It is also worth mentioning that the other four benchmarks namely, MSCI North America Equity Index, MSCI Europe Equity Index, Saudi Large-cap Growth Equity Portfolio Returns, Citigroup/Salomon Brothers World Money Market (one-month) Index, are not statistically significant predictors of total weekly returns. It can be interpreted to mean that whatever effect these benchmarks seemed to have on total weekly returns are not supported by any statistical evidence. Rather, these effects may simply be due to chance. In addition, the constant coefficient is also not significant. Upon closer inspection of the values of the coefficients of the twelve benchmarks, it can be observed that there are six positive predictors and two negative predictors of total weekly returns. The positive predictors are MSCI Asia Equity Index, MSCI GCC ex-Saudi Arabia Equity Index, Barclays Capital / Lehman Brothers Global Corporate Bond Index, Saudi Large-cap Value Equity Portfolio Returns, Saudi Small-cap Equity Portfolio Returns, and S & P / Goldman Sachs Commodity Index. This means that as these benchmarks become higher, total weekly returns generated by Saudi mutual funds also becomes higher. Furthermore, among these positive predictors, it can be seen that Barclays Capital / Lehman Brothers Global Corporate Bond Index has the highest effect of all, contributing

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Literary Analysis of Imagery in The Scarlet Ibis Essay

Literary Analysis of Imagery in The Scarlet Ibis - Essay Example The first scene contains a number of imagery, which readers can easily interpret through sensory experience. The visual symbolism in the bleeding tree, the silvery powder and the purple phlox are examples of imagery, which connote the fate facing different characters throughout the story. In addition, Hurst (1) uses olfactory imagery in his presentation of the flowers blooming at the graveyard, which he says produce smell that extends to the length of the cotton plantation. The author’s assertion that the plants rot brown magnolia flowers is rife with imagery of the attractiveness of the graveyard, and the existence of some temporal life. Moreover, the growths of ironweeds which compete with the attractive flowers symbolize the feeling of abandon of the dead. Apart from the existence of the plant imagery, there is auditory imagery in oriole’s beautiful melodies in the elm (Hurst 1). This symbolizes a sense of life and excitement in the story. In addition, the green-draped parlor is rich with visual imagery of attractive vegetation, fair weather, and rich soils, supporting the plants’ and animals’ lives. Doodle in itself is a name that brings out the visual imagery of the small doodle-bug that naturally walks backwards. This implies the character is one who would never tire of going the opposite direction on social issues affecting him and the immediate environment where he stays (Hurst 2). Further, Hurst’s use of a deafening thunder and mournful sound symbolizes the existence of powers, which are beyond the existence of animals and plants. The latter auditory imagery symbolizes mortal nature of living things on earth, even when they are seen as blossoming and death is seemingly not in sight. The two forms of imagery are complimented by the visual imagery in the green-draped parlor, which is by its description

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Presentation reaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Presentation reaction - Essay Example In the minds of this reviewer, perhaps the greatest strength that the presentation provided was the fact that it was able to integrate with the listener the understanding of how technology has positively affected the ability of the individual to communicate remotely such that they were unable to do in previous years. Undoubtedly, this has caused a large increase in the efficiency and availability of key decision makers regardless of where they might be at any particular point in time. By allowing these shareholders to take their work with them even when they are on the road, it is possible for them to assume a higher degree of responsibility. An additional benefit that the discussion presents is the fact that dependence upon cell phones and other related equipment does not hurt productivity due to the fact that the reachability plus dual and multifunctional nature that these devices represent allow individuals to utilize them during meetings and other such situations to both take notes and engage with other forms of work. However, the greatest weakness that the presentation did not specifically discuss was the fact that an over dependence upon technology and its application to affect communication via alternative means rather than direct or face to face has meant that a certain amount of efficiency and relationship building potential is lost. It is difficult to quantify this as a determinate measurement; however, it is reasonable to assume that as more and more people become increasingly dependent and bound to these means of expression, the ability and level to which they are able to intimate these ideas in a traditional means will necessarily become weakened; if for no other reason than due to the lack of practice of traditional means of communication that they will practice. The presentation itself was effective in integrating the basic

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Discuss the statement In the future, hierarchical management Essay

Discuss the statement In the future, hierarchical management structures will be less evident. The management of intellectual - Essay Example 23). Hierarchical management structure is an organisational structure in which each and every entity of an organisation follows a top down hierarchical level. It is true that the trend of hierarchical organisational management structure is shifting towards the flatter organisational management structure to enhance organisational communication process between several departments of the organisation (Boxall and Purcell, 2007, p. 98). There are several advantages and significance of flatter organisational structure. It enhances decision making process, operation cost control and better communication between the employees of different departments in an organisation. The essay will discuss on the statement that â€Å"In the future, hierarchical management structures will be less evident†. ... These economic issues and fluctuating global economic environment will motivate the leaders or the management of the organisation to adopt flatter organisational management hierarchy (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010, p. 31). Each and every organisation is trying to focus on the business operation cost reduction. It is highly important for the organisations to control the operation cost in order to ensure high profit maximisation (Buelens, Sinding, Waldstrom, Krietner and Kinicki, 2011, p. 69). Several leading organisations are adopting flatter organisational structure in order to reduce business operation cost. A flat organisational structure can be defined as an organisation structure with limited or no management level between the staff and management level employees. Flat organisation structure deals with low employee supervision (Burke, 2012, p. 36). The leaders in a flat organisation use to promote the employees and involve them in the decision making process. Organisation can gain huge benefit through flat organisational structure in this economic distress period. The major objective of flat organisation structure is to eliminate the level and salaries of middle management. This reduction in management level and salaries help the organisation to reduce overall business operation cost and budget of an organisation (Dawson, 2003, p. 84). In addition to this, flatter organisational structure elevates the level of responsibility of the employees in an organisation as this organisational structure brings more efficiency in the organisational communication process (Maylor and Blackmon, 2005, p. 89). As this organisational structure removes the excess layers of a management structure, the speed of coordination and communication

Monday, September 9, 2019

Legislative Polices for Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Legislative Polices for Healthcare - Essay Example Leiyu Shi and Douglas A. Singh states that healthcare policies in America is shaped by accepting ideas from a number of agencies, campaigns, cabinet members and advisers in healthcare scenario (Leiyu and Douglas 544). The ‘Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act’ (2010), aims to adopt reformatory measures in healthcare sector. This Act is divided into two, the first part deals with healthcare and the second part deals with the student loan system. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or PPACA, (2010), is similar to the first Act/ Law and aims to reform the healthcare sector. These Acts/Laws helps one to realize the importance of reformatory measures adopted by current legislative polices for healthcare in USA. At the same time, the current legislative polices for healthcare provides immense importance to insurance coverage to the needy, especially young adults and uninsured individuals. For instance, the current legislative policies aim to reform the health insurance scenario by reforming insurance practices and available insurance coverage. Besides, the current legislative polices aim to reform the current health plan administration by improving appeals process and non-discriminatory measures or rules for insurance plans. The current health plans impose additional costs on healthcare sector. At the same time, there exists provision in the form of subsidies and tax credits to lessen the burden of taxation. Summing, the current legislative polices for healthcare in USA aims to reform the healthcare sector. Besides, the current legislative sector is ever ready to inculcate innovation to the healthcare sector through effective and timely

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Heidegger and das Gestell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Heidegger and das Gestell - Essay Example In his writing, he states that the world which is dominated by technology will also result in the forgetfulness and unawareness and he also asks the participants to contemplate and think deeply about the question of technology, its importance and also the possible effects on the human life. The technological change was certainly very significant and transformational shift in a short period of time and Heidegger attempted to capture the most significant aspect of the change by means of a concept called Gestell, which is normally translated as â€Å"Enframing† lexically meaning â€Å"frame† or â€Å"rack† in German, but philosophically it is a newly invented word which acquires its meaning from some of the other related concepts built around the root-verb of stellen (meaning to place); just as in herstellen (to make), & vorstellen (to represent), and also the word Gestalt (meaning pattern) (Ruin, 2010). One of the most famous & talked about essays from Heidegger’s earlier period was â€Å"The question concerning technology†, which he delivered in 1953 as a lecture. He writes there, â€Å"We now name the challenging claim that gathers man with a view to ordering the self-revealing as standing-reserve: Ge-stell [enframing]† (El-Bizri, 2000: 86). The statement mention is surely puzzling and hard to understand. So in order to comprehend the correct meaning of the statement and the importance of the idea of Gestell as Heidegger believed, the statement needs to be considered in a very specific context based not only on his thoughts and ideas about technology but also his understanding of the meaning of being and history beyond those terms. Gestell is a German word and it was used by the philosopher Martin Heidegger when he was describing the elements behind or beneath modern technology. Das Gestell means enframing and Heidegger used this word for defining our current constellation of intelligibility. When some term is translated from one language to another there are, more often than not, changes in the true meaning of the word and at times such changes lead to major problems concerned with larger concepts of technology and then comes up the idea of â€Å"enframing† (Gestell). â€Å"In the idea of Gestell lies the idea of information† (Heidegger, 1982). The reason behind Heidegger using this word for defining the notion is that it completely and fully defines the idea. â€Å"By etymologically connoting a gathering together (‘Ge-’) of the myriad forms of stellen (’to set, stand, regulate, secure, ready, establish’, and so on), it succinctly conveys his understanding of the way in which our present ‘mode of revealing’ – a ‘setting-upon that challenges forth’ – forces the ‘presencing’ (anwesen) of entities into its metaphysical ‘stamp or moldâ€℠¢ (Pragung) (Thomson, 2001: 248-249). Das Gestell is a metaphysical paradigm and like the other such paradigms, it is also for determining what the world that we know of means and signifies. From the perspective of das Gestell the world is simply a place from where one can get resources. According to Heidegger, das Gestell is â€Å"nothing technological, nothing on the order of a machine. It is the way in which the real reveals itself as standing reserve† (Ralkowski, 2009: 159). â€Å"We now name that challenging claim which gathers man thither to order the self-revealing as standing-reserve: "ge-stell" (enframing). We dare to use this

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Financial analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial analysis - Case Study Example However, the fall in sales is attributed to operation expenses such as administration, general and sales expenditures. The scale of operations needed to execute the services and product manufacturing of the new venture is larger than when the company had not acquired Exterran Holdings (Haunschild, 570). The Gross Profit in 2013 was $963,006. However, the forecasts in 2014 indicate that there is a fall in gross profit. Despite the fact that this value is lower than 2013 reports, the figure gradually increases in 2015 and 2016 financial years. By 2016, the gross profit, after the acquisition of the new business, will be $195,865; a reflection of 19.6% increase from 2014. Forecasts in the growth of gross profit in 2015 record an increase by 9.4% from the values reported in 2014. From the percentage growth in gross profits, it is evident that in every financial year, the business’s gross profits, after acquiring Exterran Holdings Inc., doubles. Total operating expenses before the company acquired the new business decreased from 2010 ($888,015), 2012 ($864,909), and 2013($714,315). The decrease in the values of total operating expenses means that the company had acclimatized to the business conditions after establishing its niche in the new market. Consequently, the significant rise in operating expenses from the forecasts in 2014 ($121,434), through 2015 ($132,825) to 2016 ($145,284) indicate the business has not adapted to the new market conditions and challenges because of its wide operational needs. Acquiring the new business will also realize a significant growth in earnings before taxes and interests. The year 2011 and 2011 reported losses of $193,818 and $80,133 respectively. Because the business had just began, the challenges in the market and operating environments contributed to the loses in earnings. The forecasts in 2014 financial year records a fall in earnings before taxes and