Meditation reflection Essay

In the last 2 months, I was personally struggling to concentrate on my studies due to the emotional turmoil. So, I was trying some ways to calm down my senses and also improve my concentration. Therefore, I was hoping to learn various techniques of controlling mind from the meditation class so that I could develop high level of concentration. One thing crossed my mind before the class is the feeling of insecurity and nervousness, mainly because of the fact that I am unable to open up with people in first meeting. I was also concerned about any negative effects in case I fail to follow all the rules of meditation. So, I attended the meditation class with a definite purpose of learning the process of developing a focused mind and ability to enhance my concentration level. The class i attend is offered on GW campus, and our instructor is Professor Malfitano on Friday from 1:00pm- 2:50 pm. The meditation class was not emotionally or physically challenging for me. In fact, the meditation process that was taught in the class did not involve any rigorous physical activities. Moreover, the techniques that were taught for meditation were easy to understand and enjoyable. I felt relaxed and happy during and post meditation class. All the nervousness and insecurity shaded away as the ambience was quite soothing and fellow classmates were quite friendly and welcoming. At the beginning of the class, I thought of learning only about certain techniques of meditation; however at the end I learned a lot of theoretical knowledge, techniques and specific outcomes related to meditation. I found out that the power of meditation is potentially high and its efficacy is far reaching in long-term perspective. Only with the aid of meditation, one can even change the course of life towards betterment. Therefore, the first session of the meditation turned out to be comprehensive and highly beneficial. All in all, I would say that the meditation class was quite effective in changing my internal thoughts, my apprehensions and belief system. In fact, the course exhibited immense potential of offering physical and emotional benefits in the long run. After attending the class I realized, that if I continue to practice meditation on regular basis, soon I will be able to concentrate on my studies. Since the first class of meditation turned out to be beneficial, I decided to go there on a regular basis. Therefore, my decision to continue with the meditation is defined as I firmly believe practicing techniques  will enable me to enhance power to control my mind. I believe that if I am able to control unwanted stray thought process of my mind I will develop the capability to counter any impediment of life. Thus, positive benefits associated to meditation have made me enthusiastic about it. Besides, one of the major benefits of meditation is that it is an effective stress management tool. Meditation enables any individual to know about controlled breathing techniques and in turn lowers blood pressure and emotional stress. For people of present modern world, leading a very busy and complex lifestyle, meditation indeed turns out to be an effective stress-management intervention.

Liberty in America from 1865 to 1941

Liberty is not just a wonderful thing. It is a rare thing. As much as we would like to wish otherwise there is far more tyranny in the world as opposed to liberty. Throughout history, there have been tyrannical monarchies and totalitarian regimes that impose their will on the populace. Actually, one does not even have to look into the historical past for examples as there are many nations this very day where tyranny rules. Those who live in the United States, however, can at least lay claim to living in one of the freest nations on earth. This is because the United States has built itself upon the concept of liberty, democracy and freedom. While there have been dark patches in American history, many of those dark periods have been overcome. One of the more interesting periods in the nation's history in terms of exploring liberty progression and regression would be during the time period from the end of the Civil War to just prior to American involvement in World War Two. During the Reconstruction Era, a tremendous amount of liberty was provided to African-Americans as freedom from slavery had arrived. Sadly, there was not much in the way of racial equality brought forth during this time period and many point to the apartheid like environment southern blacks had to endure. However, there was also the period of the Great Migration where many African-Americans moved north during World War One to take advantage of ob opportunities and a better living environment. No one impeded the migration as the liberty of being able to seek a better life was afforded. In addition, the liberties of the United States were afforded to people who lived outside the United States. This is evidenced in the significant immigration waves to the USA from Europe. These waves occurred throughout the late 19th century and early 20th century and all those who arrived were provided all the freedoms of the United States as well as being afforded the opportunity to take part in the democratic process. In addition to voting in the United States, many of these immigrants would go one to become major political figures. In fact, within a short number of decades many immigrants and African-Americans would become mayors of major cities. While liberty was not expanded quickly, it did expand and crossed all racial, gender and ethnic lines. Of course, at various times in American history there have been a number of challenges to liberty. Under President Woodrow Wilson, there were a number of famous assaults on the concept of liberty. This was most notable in Wilson's Sedition Act which essentially imposed the totalitarian concept of the â€Å"enemy of the state† on people who opposed Wilson's war policies. However, the way in which these procedures were enacted were so severe there is no way one could argue that these were sane policies. These laws arbitrarily targeted large numbers of the population and were quite random in their enforcement.. Thankfully, with the end of Wilson's tenure such practices would cease to occur with the exception of the Japanese internment during World War Two. The reason this aberration is pointed out is because it is an aberration. Such extreme methods are not the general practice of the United States as it remains a reliable beacon of liberty where such liberties are provided for all. Yes, there are stumbling blocks to liberties now and then but ultimately the United States remains the freest nation of earth and one that cherishes its freedoms.            

Abolition

The slave abolition movement in the United States to counter stronger resistance tried to use various tactics and organization to abolish slavery. Anti-slavery movement mobilized many African Americans and white people trying to end slavery. Black and white abolitionists often work together, but their relationship is complicated. The struggle against black abolitionists is more personal because it ends slavery and desires equal rights to black people. The abolition of slavery was done at different times in different countries. It often happens at several stages, such as abolishing slave trade in a particular country and then abolishing slavery throughout the empire. Each step is usually the result of a separate law or action. On this timeline, the abolished laws and acts are listed in chronological order. It includes abolition of agriculture. Louis X declared slavery abolishment, declared that France means liberty, declared that slaves in French soil should be released. However, some limited cases of slavery continued in several Mediterranean ports in Provence, France until the 17th century, and in some parts of France until the 18th century. From 1315 to 1318, most aspects of agriculture were virtually eliminated. One of the biggest moments of American history is when you abolish slavery, that is, when you abolish slavery. While this is a dramatic and important case, abolition means removing systems, practices and institutions. The sports league wants to cancel drugs that improve performance. Everyone wants to see all cities cancel the mouse. If it is abolished it will be abolished

The Automotive Industry In the United States Essay

The Automotive Industry In the United States - Essay Example Fundamentally, the automotive industry is a textbook example of an industry where economies of scale pay a very important role. While there may be dozens of players around the world who produce, support and work with the industry, there are only a few producers who can claim to have a significant share of the market. Similarly, even though cars are produced in almost every developing and developed nation, only a few countries contribute in a significant manner to the global car production and consumption statistics.Market ConcentrationIn the automotive industry the big three (Ford Motor Company, General Motor Corporation, Chrysler) dominate the market. Ford motor Company (Ford) and General Motor (GM) are the two world’s largest car producers with a joint market share   between 21% and 25% (Guerzoni, 2001). Market concentration of Ford and GM can be measured using a precise concentration measuring tool. The H Index is obtained by squaring the market-share of the players, and then adding up those squares. The H index for Ford and GM is 1066. This figure is a sign of moderate market concentration of the two major producers. Rivalry in the industry is measured by Concentration Ratio. Like H index, this is another measure and is expressed in the terms CRx, which stands for the percentage of the market sector controlled by the biggest x firms. For example, CR2= 46% for Ford and GM. The automotive industry produces a higher level of output in the US than any other single industry, with the rate consistently growing.

Assignment 2 - Differentiating age changes from pathological changes

2 - Differentiating age changes from pathological changes - Assignment Example It also causes profuse sweating, increased breathing and pulse rate (Nadel, 2008). A bluish colour may appear in the lips and nails due to the reduce oxygen in the blood. This causes confused and delirious mental state to the patient. Coughs- this because of reduced output of the respiratory system causing abnormal respiratory responses. This is because chest bones become thinner which causes a shape change of the ribcage. Thus the ribcage expands less during breathing. This can also be attributed to changes in the immune system thus the lungs recover less from exposure to harmful particles (Cook, Zumla, A & Manson, 2009). Chills- metabolism becomes slower as one ages therefore heat generation by the body is low thus muscles have to provide alternative means to generate heat. This reduction in metabolism is due to the thyroid becoming lumpy thus affecting the production of hormones that are responsible for metabolism. Shortness of breath and tiredness- as one grows older; muscles that support the diaphragm are weakened. This causes the airways to lose their ability of keeping the airways open. Causing them to close easily. This can be attributed to loss of shape and bagginess of the alveoli. All these changes in lung tissue causes air to get trapped in the lungs thus not enough oxygen reaches the capillaries. Removal of carbon IV oxide is reduced making breathing hard. Headache – headaches maybe more frequent as one ages because of a number of reasons. One is that due to reduction in blood pressure that can prevent enough blood reaching the brain thus causing dehydration of brain cells causing minor headaches and light headiness. Drop in blood pressure can occur also due to the reduction in aldosterone hormone which in turn can indirectly or directly cause headaches. Fatigue – can be caused by the various factors. One key factor is the reduction of central nervous system functionality. This can also be attributed to reduced metabolism and

Steps for incorporating a business in Toronto Essay

Steps for incorporating a business in Toronto - Essay Example The Toronto market is diverse and with many competitors. The following entails probable steps for successful business incorporation in Toronto. †¢ Selection of business jurisdiction The process involves defining the area of operation that includes the territorial or provincial authorities. Nonetheless, home province of the incorporator determines the choice of either a territorial or federal jurisdiction. †¢ Corporate name selection The regulations require the investors to propose names that comprise descriptive and distinctive features. The elements highlight the activities and the entity respectively. †¢ Business name availability analysis The step entails searching the availability of the proposed name and subsequent submission to the government agency for approval. It helps ensure the distinctiveness of the proposed business. †¢ Filling and Completing the Articles of Incorporation The law stipulates that the investor should sign the articles of incorporation i n duplicate. He or she should not be bankrupt and must have attained 18 years and above.

Discussion based on Abhijit Banejee and Esther Duflo's readings Assignment

Discussion based on Abhijit Banejee and Esther Duflo's readings - Assignment Example Living under such harsh conditions make it difficult to have access to the basis necessities of live, which puts a question mark on their ability to survive. The available evidence on this is not complete in many ways. However, some new researches have recently added a sufficient amount data on this huge part of the global population, which provide enough information to form an understanding on how the poor people live their lives. The assigned report details of a survey that was conducted in 13 different countries (Banerjee and Duflo). In addition, they have added two surveys, which were conducted in India (Udaipur District), which is one of the poorest districts of India. It is understood that there is a strong association between poverty and malnutrition. The poor has few real choices to make. Their earning is barely enough to fulfill their basic needs and therefore, they are majorly underfed and weak. The authors also highlight that one of the major reasons for the poor to spend the lowest on their food is that they often give more importance to other obligations or activities rather than for acquiring food. The study by authors indicates that the poor spend a lot on alcohol and tobacco in different countries such as Papua, New Guinea, and India. According to the survey, Udaipur tops the list of being on the poorest districts of India, which spends highest on festivals. People feel an obligation to spend a large amount of their budget on occasions like weddings, funerals, and other religious festivals. They choose to spend more on non-food items and festivals than on food. Moreover, the extremely poor rarely spend on entertainment. Another interest ing finding from the study reflects that these people do not seem to be as hungry as one may expect. It is a common understanding that the poor will always search for ways to fulfill their food needs in the least expensive way.

Northrop Grumman U1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Northrop Grumman U1 - Essay Example Therefore, I selected Northrop Grumman for review because it deals with a wide range of businesses related to defense sector. I hope to learn about different types of undersea, outer space, and cyber space products and services that this company offers to its customers. Moreover, I will enhance my knowledge about the threats and opportunities that the business of defense security might have. Northrop Grumman was founded in 1994 when Northrop Aircraft Company merged with the Grumman Aerospace Company. The merger of the companies proved successful for both companies as they turned out to be the fourth major defense services providing company of the world in 2010. The reason behind that success were the wide range of defense related products and services that it started providing to the customers by acquiring key defense technologies and companies, such as, Westinghouse Electronic Systems, Logicon, Teledyne Ryan, Litton Industries, TRW, and Newport News Shipbuilding. The offices of the company are located in 50 states of America, whereas the headquarters of the company are based in Virginia. The company also has its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. The sector headquarters for business sectors of the company are located in California, Virginia, and Maryland. The total number of employees working for the company is 75,000 approximately. Northrop Grumman is a company that addresses key security challenges related to such areas that are of significant value for the defense sector of any nation. Some of those defense areas include C4ISR, unmanned systems, satellites, aircraft careers, logistics, and cyber security. The company offers a wide range of products and services to the governments all over the world. Some of the major products of the company include advanced laser targeted system, AESA radars, marine radars, booster vehicle engines,

Conscious Performance Analysis or CPA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Conscious Performance Analysis or CPA - Essay Example In fact, being a skeptic, I would say that there is plenty of evidence to support the notion that most people do not invest any time into going beyond the Wondering Operation that involves attending to what interests them and ignoring what is of no interest. Critical Operations follow for those who find CPA a useful exercise, but unfortunately, most people find interest only in superficiality of the bag of chips they are devouring while sitting on their couch in front of their big screen watching Dancing with the Stars. The popularity of such superficial and meaningless programming as well as the rising obesity rates proves this assertion, or at least makes a very strong argument in favor of the assertion. The real value in CPA comes from the fact that it can lead people out of that inattentive, lazy place into a more enlightened, more examined life that truly is worth living. Americans especially, but I am sure that it occurs in other countries too, are lazy. The effort required to perform CPA and to do so on a regular basis is much more than most people have in them. So, those who do actively seek meaning, objectivity, knowledge, truth, reality, and value, even if they do not realize that they are performing CPA, are few and far between. To me to assume that most people do want to find greater meaning in their lives seems optimistic. One would have to credit the general population with a lot more gumption than I am willing to credit them with, but only because I see the results of the general ennui of society. Nobody cares for each other and only in a genuine concern for each other can life actually have meaning. People only care about themselves and it is proven day in and day out. Take Black Friday for example. Shoppers stepped around and over a dying man and sprayed each other with pepper spray just to be first to get a cheap video game console so they can go home and resume being lazy in front of the television. These sorts of examples do not bode well fo r the future of humanity These pepper-spraying, bargain hunting people are only one kind of people, of course, and CPA does â€Å"distinguish types of subjects by the kinds of meaning they’re most interested in, the kinds of knowledge they most desire, the domains of reality they inhabit and in which they’re most comfortable, the kinds of values that concern them most† (87). Another kind of subject would be those at the other end of the spectrum, those who genuinely seek meaningful purpose in their lives through self-knowledge and self-possession. These people exhibit a basic commitment toward meaning, objectivity, knowledge, truth, reality, and value by wondering about the way they approach the events of their lives, and by critically analyzing not only the content and sequence of the events, but also their method of experiencing the events. Using CPA allows a person to experience life’s events more fully. After learning about CPA, I thought of some of t he past moments of my life and realized that some of them passed by and now I have few memories of them. For instance, I only vaguely remember my high school graduation. That is a pretty important day, but I just remember being nervous and not really wanting to walk across the stage in my clunky shoes to get my diploma. I thought for sure I was going to trip and fall. I do not remember being proud, just glad that I was finished with that portion of my life and ready to move on with the next. I do not remember any great feeling of achievement either. However, now looking back I see my high school graduation as a sign post in my life. When the principal of my school handed me that

Federalism and Immigration Essay Example for Free

Federalism and Immigration Essay The term immigration describes the movement and settlement of people who are not US citizens into the United States of America. Throughout history, America has been receiving immigrants from distant lands who come to settle in the United States. As early as the nineteenth century, there were many people from other corners of the world who left their homelands to settle in the US. The reasons for early immigration were, among others, famine, flight from persecution in their homelands and search for better economic opportunities. Thus between 1870 and 1900, the United States received approximately 12 million migrants (Library of Congress 2004). This immigration trend into the United States has continued unabated well into the twenty first century and presently the foreign born population constitutes a significant proportion of the total American population. But of particular concern is the case of illegal immigrants who have infiltrated virtually every corner of the United States. In a 2005 population survey, it was estimated that there were more than 11.1 million illegal immigrants living in the United States and the numbers are steadily increasing with each passing year (Passel, 2006). An uncontrolled influx of immigrants into the US can adversely affect the economy and has invited a negative public opinion from U.S residents. For this reason, the federal government has had to come up with several immigration policies and laws with which to control the immigration process and to curb the influx of illegal immigrants. Although immigration policy is conventionally a realm of the federal government, recently, there have been efforts to include both the state and local governments in the process. This development has been met with different reactions as some people support the idea while others openly question its validity as applied to the constitution. Is the involvement of state and local law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of immigration laws a violation of the U.S constitution? Why the state and local law enforcers are being involved in immigration law enforcement The federal government is probably not to blame for not being able to adequately handle the immigration situation. Apparently it operates a limited force of an estimated 2,000 federal agents.   Yet statistics show that there are more than twelve million immigrants living illegally in the United States and every year, there is an influx averaging 800,000. Some of them, around 450,000, are absconders who have already been issued with a deportation order but have not yet left the country. Some of them have even been found guilty of some deportable crimes but are yet to be deported. Cleary, the federal government has not been able to effectively implement the federal immigration laws across the entire country, simply because it lacks enough manpower. The number of illegal aliens in America far outweighs the force that is meant to control them at the ration of approximately 5,000 to 1. It is for this reason that decisions were made to include the state and local law enforcers in the implementation of immigration laws. This move added an additional 700,000 law enforcers to the immigration police force thereby increasing the capability of the federal government to effectively enforce the immigration laws (Booth, 2006). Legislations supporting the involvement of state and local law enforcers in immigration There are several legislations which have been proposed to facilitate the involvement of the state and local law enforcers in the implementation of immigration laws. In the late twentieth century, the federal government started making subtle efforts to involve state and local governments in immigration. The year 1996 marked a turning point in the involvement of state and local governments in enforcement of immigration laws. During this year, Congress introduced the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) which brought significant changes in state handling of aliens (â€Å"The constitutionality of immigration federalism†, 2005). Through this act, Congress gave the states authority to discriminate against immigrants in public benefits programs by deciding who was eligible and who was not. Since the states are not allowed to classify aliens under the equal protection doctrine, the federal government took measures to devolve immigration decision making authority to the states so that their welfare discrimination would not be viewed as a violation of the constitution but rather, as immigration law making (Wishnie, 2002). The immigration laws of 1996 encouraged the state and local governments to take part in the implementation of immigration laws and authorized them to cooperate with the U.S Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Ordinances which had previously prevented the INS and the local agencies from communicating were removed and the states were allowed to deny drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants. This led to an increase in the number of detained illegal immigrant.In 2001, the September 11 attacks further intensified local government involvement in the enforcement of immigration and in 2002, the U.S Department of Justice declared that in its point of view, the state and local governments possessed an â€Å"inherent authority† to enforce immigration laws (Wishnie, 2002). In 2003, H.R 2671, the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act (CLEAR Act) was introduced by the U.S House of representatives. It stated in part that the State and local law enforcers had the authority to enforce immigration laws and declared that any state with no statute to enable the implementation of federal immigration laws within a two year period after the act had been enacted be denied certain federal incarceration assistance. It also proposed compensation of the State or local authority for the apprehension of illegal immigrants within their jurisdictions as well as the provision of personal liability immunity to personnel who enforced the immigration laws; whether they are from a federal, State or local agency. However, this bill never became law (GovTrack.us, 2003). In November 2003, S.1906, the Homeland Security Enhancement Act (HSEA) was introduced into parliament by the U.S senate. Under the HSEA, all violations of immigration laws committed by immigrants would be criminalized. The act also proposed that the states which did not repeal the policies that hindered their police from enforcing the immigration laws be denied funds from Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) so as to induce them to enforce these laws. The SCAAP program reimburses the States any costs that they may have incurred in their incarceration of non US citizens. This Act was met with sharp disagreements with the opponents arguing that it would damage the good relationships that local law enforcers had forged with immigrants in their area even as its proponents felt that its enactment would boost national security (NILC, 2004). In 2005, some legislation pieces similar to the 2003 Clear Act and the 2003 HSEA Act were reintroduced by Congress. Both of these bills asserted that the state and local law enforcement was allowed to aid the federal government in the implementation of immigration laws. It is worth noting that the 2005 CLEAR Act also proposed that the allocation of federal funds to local authorities be made dependent on whether they supported the federal government in the implementation of the immigration laws (Booth, 2006). All these legislations were in an effort to make the state and local governments assume more responsibility in controlling immigration so as to enhance the effectiveness of local law enforcement efforts. Public opinion on immigration and federalism Several studies have revealed that a majority of Americans feel that immigration into the United States is out of hand and would wish for better laws to sustain the influx especially of illegal immigrants. In a recent Rasmussen public opinion poll, it was established that one out of every four U.S citizens was very angry about the current American immigration policy. 28% of those who were interviewed expressed frustration with this policy while 62% expressed the need for a stricter border control. As of August 2008, 74% of Americans felt that the federal government was not doing enough to control the borders (Rasmussen reports, 2008). It is precisely because of these sentiments that Congress introduced the above pieces of legislation. Generally, the devolution of policy making decisions to the state and local governments has received widespread support from the public (Wishnie, 2002). Interestingly however, this particular move has been met with sharp differences in opinion whereby there are those who are in support of the move while others oppose it. Those who are in support of these laws argue that they are essential in order to beef up security especially in the face of recent terrorism attacks among other crimes which are purported to have been committed by aliens. However, those who oppose the move feel that making local law enforcers responsible for the implementation of these laws will overburden them, making them inefficient in other crucial sectors. Others feel that such a move is ill- advised at it will unnecessarily divert the already scarce local resources from the regular law enforcement functions such as the protection of industrial facilities as well as the channels of commerce. There are also sentiments that such a move could erode the relationship that local law enforcers have established with the local immigrant communities, thereby impeding the fight against crime as the aliens, especially the illegal ones, become more apprehensive in coming out with information on various crimes as they are afraid of being deported. But perhaps the most significant argument of all against the devolution of immigrant policy implementation from the federal government to the state and local government is that â€Å"it violates the constitutional principles of federalism by allowing state and local officials to assume distinctly federal roles† (Booth, 2006).

Factors in Inventoriable Costs

Factors in Inventoriable Costs 1) Definition of inventoriable costs In accounting, inventoriable costs are those costs incurs when company obtain products or make to the end products before they sell them. So inventoriable costs are also involving to product costs which include costs of direct labour, direct material and manufactural overhead. inventoriable costs are recorded in inventory account as assets in balance sheets before products are sold as costs of goods sold expenses which are recorded as expenses in income statements. (Wilkinson, 2013) 2) Examples of costs are included and not included in inventoriable costs Costs are included in inventoriable cost such as raw material and direct labour. For example, raw materials such as cloth and zipper which are purchased by hang bag factories. Direct labour which are workers use those raw material to make hand bags. All finished hand bags cannot be recorded into expenses until they are sold and will record into costs of goods sold expenses in income statements. Selling expenses and administrative expenses are not included in inventoriable costs .They are period costs which are recorded as expenses directly into income statements. Examples of costs are not included in inventoriable costs such as salaries paid to salesperson, advertisements expenses which are not related to production costs. Activity based cost drives can be identified as volume-based cost driver and non-volume cost based drivers. Volume based cost drives include input and outputs. Volume cost based drivers Outputs are one of cost drivers such as the number of units produces. If a business has only one product, then if use outputs cost drives will be the simplest method. However, if businesses have more than one product, and each product need to allocate difference overhead resources, the outputs will not be cost drivers. A noodle shop in the night market in Auckland can use outputs as cost drives because they only have product of noodle and the ingredient and labour costs in each bowl of noodle is same. However, there are different breads in bakery, so bakery cannot use outputs as cost drivers. Inputs. Direct labour hours or direct labour cost. Many businesses uses direct labour hour or cost as manufacturing overhead cost driver. For example, tax agency they charge their client by their time cost. Machine hour. Some business their equipment is more automatic and they need fewer direct labour cost, so they use machine hour as overhead cost drivers. For example, Fuji Xerox they charge their client by printers meter reading. Direct material quantities or costs. Some businesses require large numbers of material and they use direct materials as cost drivers. (Langfiled-Smith, 2012) Example: Management accountant he use input of volume cost based drivers to decide the price of custom furniture for their clients in ABC furniture design shop. The costs of custom a chair as following: There are $50 direct material, $100 labour cost, $20 machine hour. Management accountant will set that chairs price must be more than $170. Examples: followings are electricity costs for producing cookie in a cookie company. Month Electricity cost for month Numbers of batches produced for month January $7200 1210 February 6950 1050 March 6100 980 April 7300 1350 May 5990 810 June 6530 990 July 5700 790 August 5400 750 September 6800 990 October 7150 1190 November 5800 820 December 7400 1320 Variable cost of Electricity per batch = ($7400-5400)/ (1320-750) =3.51 per batch produced At the lowest activity of 750 batches, total variable cost is $2633 ($3.51750), subtracting lowest cost in lowest activity was $5400, and difference was $2767. Monthly cost of electricity = $2767+ ($3.51 x number of batches produced in a month) Weakness of high low method: this method is not recommended in estimate cost behavior, because this method only use two data (highest and lowest) and ignore the rest data. So we have no assurance about this method to present cost behavior accurately. a. Avoidable and unavoidable costs Avoidable costs are those costs will not happen if some particular decision is made. (Langfiled-Smith, 2012) Example: Bank of New Zealand they decided to close some braches and cutting opening hours because they use digital bank more. BNZ use this method to save the avoidable cost such as wages, rates, and rents in some branches by closing them. (Parker, 2017) Unavoidable costs: are costs still incur even no matter what decisions or actions are made. Example: residential property owner whatever the decision is made to rent or not rent the house, the council rate and insurance costs are not avoidable. Sunk and Opportunity costs Sunk costs are those costs already happened and cannot be changed now and in the future. Those costs are resources already acquired and they will not be affected by different decisions are made. So when make decision can ignore those costs. (Langfiled-Smith, 2012) Example: accountant purchase a printer for $1000. The cost of $1000 is sunk costs. Opportunity costs are potential benefits are arisen when alternative decision is made over another. (Langfiled-Smith, 2012) Example: if accountant did not purchase that printer cost $1000, he/she will save $1000, and $1000 is opportunity cost. Relevant and irrelevant costs Relevant costs: costs are affected by the different managerial decision made. Normally, there are two or more alternative managerial decision, and manager will choose more profitable alternative. Relevant costs will be incur in one managerial decision but avoid in another. Example: those costs in closed BNZ branches are relevant costs, because BNZ will save more expenses and to get more profit if they close those branches. Irrelevant costs: costs are not affected by different decision making. In other words, irrelevant costs are costs will continually happen no matter what decision are made. Example: CEO salary is irrelevant costs whether BNZ decide to close some branches References Langfiled-Smith, K. (2012). Management Accounting: information for creating and managing value. Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia: Rosemary Noble. Parker, T. (2017, March 17). BNZ cuts branches and opening hours. Retrieved from nzherald.co.nz: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personal-finance/news/article.cfm?c_id=12objectid=11820201 Relevant VS Irrelevant costs. (n.d.). Retrieved from accountingexplained: http://accountingexplained.com/managerial/costs/relevant-irrelevant-costs Wilkinson, J. (2013, July 24). The Strategic CFO. Retrieved from Inventoriable costs: https://strategiccfo.com/inventoriable-costs/

Mycobacterium tuberculosis :: Essays Papers

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Introduction Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been present in the human population for thousands of years; fragments of the spinal column from Egyptian mummies from 2400 BCE show definite pathological signs of tubercular decay. Called "consumption," tuberculosis was recognized as the leading cause of mortality by 1650. Using a new staining technique, Robert Koch identified the bacterium responsible for causing consumption in 1882. While scientists finally had a target for fighting the disease, they did not have the means to treat patients; the spread of infection was controlled only by attempting to isolate patients. At the turn of the twentieth century, more than 80% of the population in the United States was infected before age 20, and tuberculosis was still the leading cause of death. The production of antibiotics in the 1940’s allowed physicians to begin effectively treating patients, leading to huge drops in the death rate of the disease. Tuberculosis is still a major cause of mortality in young adults worldwide, but is less of a problem in developed countries. Microbiological characteristics Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a nonmotile, acid-fast, obligate aerobe. The bacilli are 2-4 um in length and have a very slow generation time of between 15 and 20 hours. The cell wall of the mycobacterium is unique in that it is composed mainly of acidic waxes, specifically mycolic acids. M. tuberculosis is unusually resistant to drying and chemicals, contributing to the ease with which it is transmitted. Encounter/Entry Tuberculosis is transmitted by inhalation of aerosols containing the tubercle bacilli. The required inoculum size for infection is usually high, but easily occurs with exposure to a patient who is currently infected. The products of dried aerosols, droplet nuclei, are particularly infectious because they remain in the air for an extended time, and upon inhalation easily move to the alveoli. The severe damage related to infection is caused by the reaction of the host. The tuberculosis infection has two phases, primary and secondary. Primary infection Primary tuberculosis is the initial infection of the host, usually being mild and asymptomatic. A healthy person recently infected with the mycobacterium may exhibit flu-like symptoms and has no reason to suspect tuberculosis. Left untreated, the bacilli infect and multiply within pulmonary alveolar macrophages, migrating to the hilar lymph nodes. An immune response is exhibited by the T-helper cells, and inflammation develops at multiple sites. A person may test positive in the tuberculin skin test at this point, and a chest x-ray may shows opacities in the lungs.

The Formation of Capitalism in European History Essay example -- Europ

The Formation of Capitalism in European History "Pure capitalism is characterized by private ownership of resources and by reliance on markets, in which buyers and sellers come together and determine what quantities of goods and resources are sold and at what price. Here no central authority oversees production and consumption. Rather, economic decisions are coordinated by the actions of large numbers of consumers and producers, each operating in his or her own self-interest. Because property is privately owned, it can be used in whatever manner its owner chooses (Ragan and Thomas, p. 46)." Europe had its capitalistic beginnings in the mid-seventeenth century. However, medieval Europe is characterized by the antithesis of this kind of economy. Who caused the pendulum to swing? Historians, with their tendency to generalize, often lose in the aggregate, or barely touch upon the root reformers of this era. The Northern Italians laid the foundations for the dissolution of the feudal order and the transformation of Europe into a capitalist region. Life in medieval Europe can be characterized by sameness. That is, relative to the life expectancy of a human being, little changed from year to year. Granted, there were periods of war and civil unrest, but the society as a whole remained unchanged. If a person was born into a poor family, then he or she would remain poor with virtually no exceptions. Society was regimented from top to bottom with predetermined social status, and no room for the ambitious. Even an individual's social contacts were largely limited to their local area. The vast majority of medieval society was engaged in agricultural endeavors. These endeavors were carried out on communal farms owned by a nobl... ...he Northern Italian commercial influence took hold, the old order was destined to fail. Considering the plight of the serfs, it is of no wonder why mercantilism grew in appeal. The capitalistic enterprise offered never encounter opportunities for the ambitious. This gave rise to growing, innovative and prosperous Europe. Cited Works Birdzell, L. E., Jr. & Rosenberg, Nathan. How the West Grew Rich: The Economic Transformation of the Industrial World. Basic Books. New York: 1986. Crow, John A. Italy: A Journey Through Time. Harper & Row. New York: 1965, Hilton, Rodney. The Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism. Humanities Press. London: 1976. Pirenne, Henri. A History of Europe. University Books. New Hyde Park, New York: 1955. Ragan, James F., Jr. & Thomas, Lloyd B., Jr. Principles of Macroeconomics. The Dryden Press. Fort Worth, TX: 1992.

Death and the Regeneration of Life :: essays research papers

Death and the Regeneration of Life Death and the Regeneration of Life written by Maurice Bloch and Jonathan Parry focuses on the significance of symbols of fertility and rebirth in funeral rituals. Their book includes many theories that anthropologist have studied with the idea of life and death. The idea of death and the regeneration of life changes with each culture and tradition. Everyone has his or her own opinion of how it shall work. With the help of many contributors to the book, one is able to read the different types of ways some cultures value their own rituals. The notions of fertility and sexuality often have a considerable prominence in funeral practices. These practices have excited the attention of anthropologists for almost one hundred years. It all began with Swiss anthropologist Bachofen in 1859. Bachofen was one of the first anthropologists to focus any attention on mortuary symbolism. In 1859, he published his first book Versuch uber Grabsymbolik der Alten, meaning "An essay on ancient mortuary symbolism" (1). He focused most of his study with the Greek and Roman symbolism, particularly as manifested in the Dionysian and Orphic mystery cults. He started by studying the significance of eggs as symbols of fertility and femininity in Roman tombs and in funerary games. Each of the eggs was painted half-black and half-white, representing the passage of night and day and the re-birth of life after death (1). After Bachofen's study he believed that, "The funeral rite glorifies nature as a whole, with its twofold life and de ath giving principle†¦That is why the symbols of life are so frequent in the tomb." (1). After Bachofen's studies, many other writers and anthropologists began to study his themes and other themes related to the topic. For example, J. Frazer took Bachofen's ideas and looked more at the materials of ancient mystery cults. His question was, "How could killing be a rite of fertility and renewal, and in particular how does the killing of a divine king help regenerate the fertility of the community?" With questions similar to Frazer's, other anthropologists have questioned themselves all the time. Many could not understand the theme of life and death. For many years, anthropologists would take works from others and try to combine them to make them more understandable. With all the different essays written throughout of the years, one is now able to compare the differences between death related practices in different societies.

Getting the Most Out of Advertisement and Promotion

1. What is the case study about, and is it a good idea to test market? The case study â€Å"Getting the Most out of Advertising and Promotion†, is about testing the outcome of an advertisement and promotion. Before advertisements and promotions were not something one would be able collect statistics on television promotions or the effect of advertisement, all was only a matter of faith. Marketing departments might have collected voluminous statistics on television show and coupon redemption, and once they collected that information, they measure everything to compare the costs of marketing with total sales.This procedure did not take care of the most important measurement. What a business owner wants to know, what is most important to them is the incremental sales of the product over and above those that would have happened without the advertisement and promotion. This case study is about the new kind of marketing data. It is data correlated information on actual consumer purc hases. This information is, â€Å"available from universal product code scanners used in supermarkets and drugstores†. (Magid, M. Abraham & Leonard M. Lodish , 1990 p. 2) This information is linked to the information on the kind of television advertising those consumers receive or the frequency and type of promotion events they see. With this source of data, managers began to notice the potential it has to create great opportunities for new marketing productivity. In order for the managers to take advantage of this, they needed to develop new strategic marketing plans. Before all of this was available to marketers, there was no true measurement for advertisement and promotion. Without having a true measurement, â€Å"marketing managers had to rely on many false assumptions†. (Magid, M.Abraham & Leonard M. Lodish, 1990 p. 13) they were assumptions that were unexamined, for example, â€Å"those who believed advertising works also tend to assume that in all cases, more o f it is better than less. † (p. 13) Another assumption was that advertising takes a long time, many months or, sometimes, even years to increase sales. â€Å"A popular rule of thumb is that if increased advertising spending does not generate enough sales to pay for the incremental expense within a year, then a company shouldn’t implement the advertisement†. (p. 13) Advertising is not about just boosting sales, but it serves an important function. . If I were to construct a test market today, how would I go about doing so? Test market is not only a tool to measure the effectiveness in advertisement and promotions but it can also avoid costly mistakes to a marketing manager. Companies are spending thousands if not millions of dollars each year to advertise online, but that is not to say that it is being spent wisely ensure that this money is not being wasted on ineffective advertising programs is to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen programs and to ensure that these programs are achieving their intended purpose.Evaluating the effectiveness of the chosen programs is not all about money; it also gives market managers the opportunity to analyze the non-tangible effects of the chosen program. For example, if a company chooses to go with a pop-up advertising program, they can evaluate its return on investment by comparing its click-through to the amount of money invested in building it. Related article: Advertisement on Promoting Tourism in IndiaHowever that is not the extend of it; a good evaluation program will be able to analyze the consumer’s reaction to that program, its effects on the company’s image or its effectiveness in comparison to a banner ad program. On a Pamorama online article, it is stated that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube are the best strategic marketing practices. It is said that they are the Big 3 of social media and they are important avenues for building brand engagement and influence. They grow brand awareness, foster brand advocacy, and generate leads and sales.This is also another way to measure effectiveness References Dyer, Pam. (2012, August 5). Facebook, Twitter, YouTube: Strategic Marketing Best Practices. Retrieved October 23, 2012 from, http://bx. businessweek. com/measuring-advertising-effectiveness/view? url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. pamorama. net%2F2012%2F08%2F05%2Ffacebook-twitter-youtube-strategic-marketing-best-practices%2F Magid, M. Abraham & Leonard M. Lodish. (1990 May-June). Getting the Most Out of Advertising and Promotion. Harvad College, p. 12-18.

Correctional System and the Rehabilitating Offenders

The correctional system has a way of punishing offenders in this country unlike in different countries where you might get a harsher punishment for a crime that might seem more, petty and a lesser punishment for a crime that one would consider more of a harsher crime. In our system however not only are you innocent until proven guilty but you are also allowed to have a trial that can prove otherwise. The system might not always work out how we want it to, or expect it to but it is definitely a fair way of going about it. Offenders in this country get punished on the basis of how horrible the prosecutors think that your crime was and they are the ones that for the most part dictate the form of punishment you will receive. Now in this process the family may also have a say that is considered in all of this, then a jury listens to a trial and decide for themselves the extremity of the crime and what the punishment should be. There are also different levels of correctional facilities that you can wind up in you have the local, state, federal levels. The local level is for more of your petty crimes such as DUI, shop lifting, etc. The state level is for felony level offenders and the federal level is for big time and repeat offenders for crimes like bank robbery and arson. In some cases I personally think that some of the punishments could be a little harsher, it seems like a lot of these offenders get off a little easier than they should. There are definitely times though where someone does get screwed and they get a harsh punishment for something that should’ve been a case of self defense or some other form of defense. For the most part I think that if you believe in our system that it actually really can work to your benefit. If you are in the right than the majority of the time it will prove that. If you are in the wrong than it will eventually prove that as well. Our corrections system tries to rehabilitate offenders by several different means you have imprisonment which most of the serious crimes or repeat offenders get this. The length of imprisonment is decided by a judge and the length of the sentence is decided by the nature of the crime. There is also supervised probation. Which only about twenty-five percent of offenders are sentenced to some form of probation. This punishment means that you are under specific rules by a judge to be under direct supervision while maintain a somewhat normal lifestyle. The offender is also assigned to a probation officer where they required to meet with, to make sure that they are maintaining the standards set forth by the judge. Any violation of the rules and guidelines may send the offender back to jail without a second chance of probation. The next form of rehabilitation is house arrest, which allows you to live in your own house without going to prison but it enables the police to ensure that you are in your house because they administer an electronic bracelet that you must wear around your ankle until the completion of you r sentence. With the electronic bracelet you are only able to go a certain distance away from the box that they put inside your house which links to the police system. Parole, which is the smallest of the rehabilitation system and is very similar to probation where if you don’t follow the exact guidelines set forth by the judge and the court system then you are going to end up back in jail. One of the best ways that we can help offenders rehabilitate is by severe counseling. If we can send these offenders through extreme physciatric counseling and get them to let someone know why they are the way they are I think that could make a huge difference. Another way of helping offenders to rehabilitate is by letting them further their education, a lot of these offenders probably don’t have a great education at all and if we let them continue with higher learning then maybe it well give them a better sense of belonging to society or a sense of right and wrong. From there they might be able to help in programs that talk to other people such as youth or other offenders and help them to straighten their lives out. Although both punishment and rehabilitation can be effective in reducing crime, I think that punishment is the more effective route in reducing crime, and the reason I say this is because rehabilitating isn’t always going to work with certain offenders and then you have just wasted even more money by not only housing them but also treating them. I am a firm believer that if we had harsher punishments for things in this country than we would have less offenders. If we started handing out the death penalty a little more, and when we did if we didn’t let offenders sit in a cell for ten years before they got executed then I think more people would see that we were making an example out of these offenders and they would be more likely to do it. I also think that if we brought back some of the punishments they used in the older days, that they say are cruel and unusual that we wouldn’t have as big of a problem. I think that if we stoned people, or cut off a limb when they commit a crime of greater statute than some of these people would wake up and see that this is not a form of punishment that they would like. If we keep giving offenders three meals a day and we keep giving them a place to sleep they are not going to care and they are not going to stop committing crimes. If we go back to the days of the chain gang and put offenders on the side of the road to clean up trash. What I have been saying all along is that we need to send them through a certain training course and then send them overseas to fight for our country. Obviously what they want is to fight and hurt people so let them do it where it needs to be done and that is on the battlefield. If we did that I think that there is a lot of these hardened criminals that would curl up in the fetal position and cry for their moms.

Alum Lab Conclusion Essay

The purpose of this laboratory was to use two different techniques to attempt to identify the melting point and the mole ratio of hydrated water to anhydrous aluminum, potassium, and sulfate of AlKSO4. The hypotheses were: if the alum was put in a capillary tube the melting point of alum will be able to be determined; and the water of hydration in alum crystals will be possible to determine if the alum is heated with a Bunsen burner. Results: Every compound has its own unique sets of chemical properties. Alum crystals are of great purity and are easily prepared. Because of their purity, they are often used in dyeing cloth, where the alum acts as a source of Al+3 ions which are not contaminated. These properties can be determined experimentally and in this experiment as mentioned above, a few properties of alum were being determined. The first test was to identify the melting point of the alum and compare it to the published value that already exists. The melting point of a substance is a property that indicates at what temperature it goes through a state change of solid to liquid. In order to do this, the alum was placed in a water bath and heated. In the second part of the experiment, the alum was analyzed for water of hydration. When an ionic compound is prepared in aqueous solution and isolated by crystallization, water molecules are incorporated into the compound in fixed proportions. The amount of water incorporated is referred to as the water of hydration. This amount cannot be predicted, so it must be determined experimentally. In order to do this, the alum was heated until all the water was driven off. After the completion of the experiment, it was discovered that the results extracted were very close to the expected results. As seen in the data table, the literature melting point and the one obtained in the experiment were only a little more than .5 away from each other which means pretty accurate results were taken away from this experiment. In regards to the second part of the experiment, a way to see precision in the results would have been to do a second heating of the alum in the crucible. Time, however, did not allow for this so if the experiment was to be done again, better results may be obtained by another trial of that part. This experiment overall was a very good example of how certain properties of substances can only be obtained through experiment. It also showed new techniques of determining properties like melting point and water of hydration that could be used in future experiments.

Hippie Culture Essay

Few social movements marked the twentieth century in the United States as the protest movement of the 1960s. However, despite the scope and scale of such a wide movement that encapsulated so many different peoples and causes, including voting rights, women’s rights, civil rights, and ending the war in Vietnam, the movement is better known by a stereotype of the type of people that seemed so instrumental in perpetuating the movement: hippies. Though the great majority of those in the protest movement were not hippies, the movies, music, and cultural events that marked the times were dominated by hippie culture, and few events represented this fact as the stereotype-reinforcing Woodstock Music Festival. By the time Woodstock happened in 1969, the hippie movement was already something that had been growing the entire decade and most people who were not hippies had a good idea what a hippie was. If one would have to describe a hippie then, it could be said to be a young man or woman that was dirty, hairy, unemployed, and on drugs. While these are only a few attributes ascribed to a few hippies, the stereotypes became so strong that they were hard to remove from the other significant contributions they made, including in music, art, culture, and social awareness. So, while hippies were far more complex than most people chose to see them, they were pigeonholed to the stereotype of spoiled middle-class kids with too much time and freedom, and who refused to do their patriotic duties as their mothers and fathers had done before them, most specifically by starting families and fighting in the country’s wars. However, the decade leading up to Woodstock only helped reinforce many of these stereotypes. Hippie culture could have been said to begin the words and ideas of the Beat writers such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and others. These writers laid the foundation for the rebellious, anti-establishment ideals that would come to be so strongly embraced by the hippie culture during the 1960s. However, it would be Bob Dylan, who was strongly influenced by the Beats, who would use their ideas in his folk music. Dylan’s popularity not only made folk music popular, but his songwriting also tackled many of the issues of the time, including war, civil rights, and the basic questions of whether America was heading in the right direction, and if not, why. Dylan’s music influenced the songwriting of almost every major recording artist that came after him, or at least any that achieved any amount of success. Through Dylan and those he influenced, music became the first defining characteristic of hippie culture, showing a long history of music defining cultural movements and times through its almost religious effect on those that listen to it. Religious forces, like art, music, and everything that inspires classification as sacred, Emile Durkheim (1965) writes: â€Å"do not translate the manner in which physical things affect our senses, but the way in which the collective consciousness acts upon individual consciousnesses† (1965, p. 254). Music has the ability to act as a symbol of this collective consciousness, bringing the masses together to celebrate a shared philosophy or perspective. While many contend that art and music is nothing more than an escape from the everyday anxieties that life offers up, it is far more than that. Similar to the sacred in religion, which Durkheim asserts is not rooted in fear as humanist and existentialist theorists claim, but in the idealism of the collective mentality, music becomes sacred when presented in a way that appeals to the individual and the collective. Music and those who perform it act in ways similar to religious totems, representing the ideals of the collective and how they inhabit the individual, and take their roots in exhalation and celebration. According to Durkheim, â€Å"In fine, the sentiments at the root of totemism are those of happy confidence rather than terror and compression† (1965, p. 56). Music became the inspiration for hippie culture and gave them the confidence to fight back against ideals they saw as wrong, including the Vietnam War. There was no better representation of this than Woodstock. The Woodstock Music & Art Festival that took place on a farm near Woodstock, New York, August 15 through August 18, 1969 not only assembled some of the greatest rock, pop, and folk musicians of the day, but also had a half million enthusiastic young and old fans celebrating life and music in a concert that changed the way the younger generation was viewed. After Woodstock, the burgeoning counter culture exploded into the mainstream, as the entire United States realized that the hippie culture was a force that could not be ignored, and its icons such as The Who, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and Jimi Hendrix reinforced many of the stereotypes of long hair, reckless behavior, and sexuality. Woodstock would become a legendary orgy of drug use, sexual intercourse, nudity, and mud, but also of peace, love, and a general togetherness that also characterized hippie culture. Another popular stereotype was the hippie general disregard for all authority, and Woodstock was no different. Over one-hundred thousand tickets had been sold to the event, but soon fans were crashing over fences and simply began streaming in to see the show (Woodstock. com, 2009). However, there were very few incidents of violence and the festival went on to become one of the iconic points in the culture of the 1960s. It also marked the beginning of the end of hippie culture. Woodstock was the last hurrah for a generation of young men and women that did their best to rebel against the previous generations and create their own persona. Unfortunately, stereotypes were rich and long concerning hippie culture, and Woodstock did well to encourage both the good and bad stereotypes. They displayed their amazing music and free-loving culture, but also their drug abuse and contentment with filth. By the time the 1970s began, hippie culture was all but dead, even though many of the hippies continued to live on. Today, hippies are seen as largely a joke and very superficial, which may speak of their ultimate failure to live up to their own ideals. The country is still largely conservative in many regards, still refuses many of the ideals of peace and love that the hippies inspired, and is still at war with foreign countries. Hippies are now seen in modern form as environmentalists, annoying activists for un-American or unethical causes, potheads or vegetarians. Hippies are no longer seen as a viable threat to the conservative ideals of the United States, and have in essence become all style and no substance. While stereotypes helped perpetuate the romantic notion of the idealistic hippie, they just as equally helped destroy a notion that never really existed in the first place.

Solving Mathematical Problems Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Solving Mathematical Problems - Math Problem Example At the top of my diagram I had colored five colored dots represent each person in the room. The first person was the red dot. The first person can't shake hands with himself but can shake hands with everyone else. So under the red dot I put a blue dot, a green dot, a yellow dot, and a purple dot. The second person can't shake hands with themselves and already shook hands with the first person. Under the blue dot I put a green dot, a yellow dot, and a purple dot. The third person can't shake hands with themselves and they already shook hands with the first two people. I put a yellow dot and a purple dot under the green dot. The fourth person can't shake hands with themselves and they already shook hands with the first three people, so I only put a purple dot under the yellow dot. Now the fifth person shook hands with everyone, so I didn't put any dots under the purple dot. I counted the dots in each column under the 5 dots on top and added them together to get a total of 10 handshakes . This is what my diagram looked like. After I made this diagram I noticed a pattern. When there were five people in the room I added up all the numbers under 5, so it was 4+3+2+1. When there were six people in the room I added up all the numbers less than 6, so it was 5+4+3+2+1. ... I used this rule to see how many handshakes there would be with even more people. By looking at all these numbers I noticed a shortcut. Every time you go to find the number of handshakes for one more person in a room, you just add one less than the total number of people to the previous total number of handshakes. Using this rule to find the number of handshakes for 14 people you can add 13 to 78, which is 91. That's a lot easier than adding 13+12+11+10+9 and so on all over again. Another pattern I noticed is that the number of handshakes for 5 people was 5 times 2, the number of handshakes for 6 people was 6 times 2.5, the number of handshakes for 7 people was 7 times 3, and the number to be multiplied kept increasing by half. To find out how many handshakes would happen in a room with 100 people, maybe I could use this rule to see what number I should multiply 100 by, instead of adding 100+99+98+97 and so on all the way down to 1. I started another table to see what number I needed to multiply 100 by. Once I got to 21 I saw from the numbers in the table that you can get the number to multiply by subtracting one from the number of people then dividing by two. For 100 people in the room, then, you can subtract 1, which is 99, then divide by 2, which is 49.5. This means that to see how many handshakes would happen in a room of 100 people you just have to multiply 100 times 49.5. The total number of handshakes is 4950. Even though patterns make things a lot easier, they aren't good if they aren't accurate. To make sure my rule was right I used a calculator to add 99+98+97+96 and so on all the way down to 1. Sure enough, it added up to 4950.

Research Methods Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research Methods Exercise - Assignment Example ter a lecture where some teachers purposefully used phrases like â€Å"this concept is difficult† and other teachers taught the lecture without this phrase, students completed a survey indicating their perceived level of difficulty of the content. Directions: Read the scenarios below and identify the following about each research study. One to two words or phrases are fine for answers. This exercise will prepare us for what is to come next week when we evaluate research studies! 1. Researchers wish to examine the behaviors of college students at local bars. They hire young graduate students and train them to go to local college bars every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday night for one month and record their observations of students. To be accurate, the graduate research assistants engage in conversations with the patrons and ask if they are college students. If so, they observe & record the number of drinks consumed and flirtatious behavior over the course of the night. At the end of the month, the graduate students turn in their observations which are synthesized into a descriptive summary of college student behavior at local bars. 2. Research out of the University of Washington examines what happens when students expect to be given alcohol but are actually given a placebo drink (non-alcoholic beverage that looks and tastes like alcohol but has no alcohol in it!). Students are invited to participate in the research study. Researchers then randomly assign students to one of four conditions: 1. expect alcohol/given alcohol; 2. expect alcohol/not given alcohol; 3. not expect alcohol/given alcohol; 4. not expect alcohol/not given alcohol (see the image below for clarification). Students are then instructed to come to the â€Å"Bar Lab† (a laboratory on campus designed to look like a bar; see image below) on their assigned day. Students in the expectation conditions are told that they will be given alcohol that day and then are either given the alcohol in group 1 or given

Zero Hour Contracts in the Hospitality Industry Essay

Zero Hour Contracts in the Hospitality Industry - Essay Example Observably, this sort of contract is argued to possess both negatives and positives influencing the commitment levels of both the employer and the employee and hence, affecting organisational efficiency at large. However, such contract accompanies with aspects including lack of job and financial security for the employees and lack of availability of skilled and loyal staff for the company. With due considerations to all these aspects, certain recommendations have been made to Hyatt Regency London when applying the policy of zero-hour contract. The Policy Background The policy depicted in this briefing is based on the concept of ‘Zero-Hour’ Contracts. As the name itself suggests, ‘Zero-Hour’ Contracts is a type of employment contract that is usually used in the UK in compliance with the Employment Rights Act of 1996 of the country. Basically, this contract is drawn in a written format, where it contains a statement regarding the terms and conditions of employ ment built amid an employer and an employee. Under such contracts, an employer does not guarantee an employee to provide work and pays for the work that is actually being done. In precise, the contract provides right to the employers that enables them to take a call on staffs when they are not needed and does not pay them for that duration, which further makes the entire process a time-efficient one. It has recently been one of the major issues and a component of extensive debate worldwide. It can be considered as a rising issue in various sectors of business including the hospitality industry owing to the fact that it regarded as an approach, which employers find attractive as it is quite a cost saving measure. In the hospitality sector, companies are therefore observed to be recruiting staff members on the basis of ‘Zero-Hour’ Contracts. However, it is deemed that the aspect of ‘Zero-Hour ’ Contracts is not quite a profitable prospect for the employees as it is for the employers in the UK hotel industry, as they are only entitled for salary nominal payment for the period they actually worked for the business with no financial security. Moreover, the concept of ‘Zero-Hour ’ Contracts is also seem to be violating some of the key employment rights that further make it a serious issue altogether (Grice, 2013; ACAS, 2012). Since, the concept has certain major advantages and loopholes at the same time; its extensive implementation has become quite uncertain and a major point of discussion, which further presents it as a major issue in the modern day context. As addressed above, the policy of ‘Zero-Hour’ Contracts has major impacts on both the employer and the employees as the major stakeholders of the policy issue. Owing to this contract, employers are entitled to be benefited with greater flexibility to meet the demands of the customers. It also reduces cost of the company as very little has to be spent on emplo yee recruitment and training. Furthermore, as per the contract, employees will be able to get flexible hours to maintain a better work-life balance. These aspects encourage many to support the concept. While the opposers to the policy issue argue upon certain facts including violations of employment rights and salary payment approach under such contracts (Grice, 2013; ACAS, 2012; Barnett & Scrope, 2008). Assessment of the Debate to Date The concept of Zero-Hour ’ Contracts has become an importance topic of debate all over the world, especially in the hospitality

Internet Citizenship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet Citizenship - Essay Example And it is a decisive factor in any political or governmental action now. Even otherwise, because of air travel becoming cheaper, movement of people of one country to another has become easier. Internet has made people more aware of the similarities in culture of other countries and their own. So the influence of the better governed countries has led people in to demanding more of the same from their own governments. Critical to the success of any society is the access of its ruling class to accurate information. Without a valid understanding of what is happening in the world, at home and abroad, it is impossible to make good decisions. In a democracy, the ruling class is - at least by definition - "We the People," and therefore the citizens of a democracy must have open access to information to make their decisions about their governors and the direction of their destiny. (Kohanski, 2008). The internet has made people better citizens of their own countries also. However, the biggest impact of internet has been the sense of belonging that it has given to its users. People now feel more in tune with their own feelings for their own country. Suppose some person is staying in the U. S. A. he is a citizen of Israel and before his coming to the states, he was a very active citizen of Lebanon. After his going to live in the States, he feels a strong feeling that he does not belong to the states i.e. he is an outsider there. Then he goes on the internet, and accidentally finds some other people from Lebanon who are staying in the states. He shares his feelings with them. But after meeting with them for a few times, he discovers that he has some feelings with which they do not agree. He is also interested in rock music. So he searches online for bars owned by persons, and meets a few who have become citizens of the states. He becomes better aware of the fact that he is not alo ne in the states and that even though the people who have become citizens of the

The Last Mountain Movie (Mountain top removal) Essay

The Last Mountain Movie (Mountain top removal) - Essay Example The process results in both air and water pollution, which is not just local but also has the potential to spread across states. Huge amounts of coal sludge is generated, which when spilled, pollute local rivers. Local wells and springs are contaminated with heavy metals. Moreover, freshwater fish from water bodies around such locations are unsafe for consumption due to the risk of mercury poising. The process also damages the homes of local residents by causing floods as the natural drains such as waterways and streams have been buried in the process. The process also results in the depletion of forest cover, which would have otherwise existed on the mountains. The use of explosives for blasting the mountain tops leaves behind vast amounts of toxic wastes, and the resultant rubble along with silica dust or fly ash often finds its way into people’s homes as the wastes are dumped down the valley. Thus, the ecological balance and safety of the local environment is affected in a very adverse way. The local people have been affected in terms of both health and economy. The pollution caused during the process of mountain top removal and coal mining results in innumerable adverse effects on human health. Common health complications include brain damage, breathing disorders and cancers. As pointed out in Bill Haney’s The Last Mountain, every year in the US, emissions from the coal plants result in more than 10 million cases of asthma, 600,000 cases of brain damage in newborn children, apart from 43,000 premature deaths. Brain tumors and autism are common in such localities. The homes of the local residents undergo destruction because of flooding and rubble dumped into the valley. A large number of people lose their jobs due to increasing mechanization of coal mining. As big coal companies have replaced manual labor and jobs with machines, the number of local jobs has been brought down significantly.

Innovation Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Innovation - Literature review Example This paper is a literature review of innovation as an important driver of firm profitability and performance, and as a vital source of competitive advantage in any industry. The ability of a business to arrive at creative and insightful designs and methods by which it may meet consumer demands and expectations has always been an attribute that culls consumer loyalty to its products and services. The same is true with the construction industry, where different construction firms are held to public scrutiny by such standards as cost, speed and quality of project execution, but also increasingly by its track record for safety and environment sustainability, its consistency with contemporary concepts of fair and ethical leadership, and the aesthetics and beauty of its design and craftsmanship. In comparative studies among various commercial undertakings, the construction industry noticeably lags behind in terms of innovation, research and development. Industry participants cite the overr iding emphasis on cost minimization in an era of constantly rising materials prices, skilled manpower costs, and administrative expenses. Recent institutional initiatives have been taken to promote innovation in construction, such as the formation of integrated teams and innovative leadership, the most efficient use of information transfer and knowledge management, radical breakthroughs in materials research and construction methods and techniques, and the education of the public to develop a culture more receptive to innovation. The enhancement of an innovative culture in construction requires a broad-based and concerted collaboration among industry firms, associations, regulatory agencies, and other entities in the value chain. Key words: construction, innovation, branded innovation, agile innovation, transformational leadership, information and communication technology, integrated teams Introduction The concept of innovation is often associated with the manufacturing, technology, and retail industries because of the necessity of keeping up with the tastes and preferences of a fickle consumer market. Construction is seldom associate with such dynamic changes, however, because the considerable investment and long-term duration of its products are seen to be better served by strict compliance with building codes, safety standards, and conventional practices to allow much leeway for experimentation and creative revision (Patterson, 2011, p. 18). Innovation in the construction business is a relatively novel concept that has developed in the recent few decades, the scope and scale of which still remains largely undefined as may be observed from the academic studies which have dealt on it. The following survey of related literature will seek to shed light on the generally accepted meaning of innovation in construction, the new paradigms and models emerging from a rethinking of this concept, and the importance of innovation to the construction business. Innovation: definition and effects According to Lundvall (1992, p. 8) innovation is described as potentially new processes, products or strategies that â€Å"result in radical breaks with the past, making a substantial part of accumulated knowledge obsolete.† It has also been defined as consisting of â€Å"the generation of a new idea and its implementation into a new product, process, or service, leading to the dynamic growth of the national economy and the increase of employment, as well as to a creation of pure profit for the innovative business enterprise† (Urabe, Child & Kagono, 1988, p. 3) The classic view espoused by Milton Friedman places priority on the profits realized by a business. In return for financial gains, business contributes much to the improvement of society. According to Ahlstrom (2010), the reverse is actually true – the principal goal of business is the development of innovative goods and services, which in turn generate economic growth and employme nt. Innovation thus improves peoples’

Health and safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health and safety - Essay Example We specialize in manufacturing and supplying all kinds of chemicals for retail and mass consumption, and have been doing so for the last 60 years. Our biggest clients are industries which use most of our products, but retail consumption also forms a significant component of our corporate strategy. We produce organic and industrial chemicals, ceramic products, petrochemicals, agrochemicals, polymers, elastomers, explosives (including ammonium nitrate and nitroglycerin), oleochemicals, fragrances, and flavors. We have a presence in 16 countries, with our biggest markets being the United States and Canada, although Latin America also contributes greatly to our overall growth and success. Because of our sheer size, we employ over 20,000 workers in the 16 countries in which we have a presence. These workers perform a wide range of duties ranging from casual labor to administrative work. Others are also employed in the supply and distribution segment, playing a crucial role in taking our p roducts to our customers. Over the last two years we have embarked on an ambitious expansion program that has helped us to not only grow existing markets but also push into new markets and frontiers. The program has been a huge success considering that only the first phase has been implemented. We intend to roll out the second and final phase in the next month and finish its implementation in two years. Statement of Intent First, I already mentioned that our company manufactures chemicals for industrial and retail consumption. It is well known that chemicals, especially industrial chemicals, are not only very volatile and dangerous, but also highly sensitive. They can cause great damage if mishandled in any way or stored in a manner that makes them more hazardous than they already are. Workers are also predisposed to the dangers of these chemicals since they are the ones charged with handling them during manufacturing, packaging, storage, and distribution. Those workers who do not c ome into contact with these chemicals are also vulnerable indirectly because they spend some time around them. I must say that since we are primarily a manufacturing company, the working conditions of our employees are critical to the success of our business. More importantly, the health and safety conditions of our employees form the backbone of current and future success of the company. We have put in place measures that comply with the requirements of various government agencies like OSHA (occupational safety and health administration), NISH (national institute for occupational safety and health), and the chemical safety board. In addition to this, we regularly cooperate with the aforementioned agencies in order to ensure that we are constantly in compliance with the necessary regulations. This has enabled the company to consistently score highly in industry ratings that are published every year, and used to classify those companies that have best complied with health and safety requirements and made their plants and workplaces safe for all their employees. From a health and safety perspective, the company considers the following things important: a) Safe Working Conditions Our employees are our most valued assets, and therefore we know it would be foolish to let them work in poor and unsafe conditions. We are focused on making our employees feel as comfortable as possible (despite the potential dangers in their

Effects of Caffeine Essay Example for Free

Effects of Caffeine Essay Because of its transparency we can observe the effects of substances on its body without surgical procedures. We can observe the heart rate of daphnia magna to be dorsal to the backbone just behind the head. (Helms 1998) the average daphnia magna has a heart rate of 180 beats per minute under normal conditions. We will observe the effects of water, alcohol and caffeine on the ectothermic animal. Alcohol is a depressant; this means the body systems will slow down when alcohol is introduced. The heart rate will get consistently lower if too much alcohol is added. Caffeine is a stimulant; this means that it will cause the nervous system to work faster, also it will cause the blood vessels to constrict. (LaFave 2003) These effects will work together to increase an animal’s heart rate under normal circumstances the heart rate will increase as more caffeine is added. Questions Does changing the daphnia magma’s environment change its heart rate? How will alcohol affect daphnia’s heart rate? How will caffeine affect daphnia’s heart rate? Hypothesis Daphnia magna are sensitive creatures and therefore they will respond to slight changes in their environment. Since alcohol is a depressant and can lower human heart rate it should also lower daphnia’s heart rate. Since caffeine is a stimulant it can cause the nervous system in humans to work faster it should also raise the heart rate of daphnia. Predictions If the environment affects daphnia heart rate as it does in humans the exposing it to different environment’s should affect its heart rate. If daphnia is exposed to alcohol at varying concentrations, then daphnia heart rate should fall. If daphnia is exposed to caffeine at varying concentrations then daphnia heart rate should rise. Materials and methods For monitoring the effect of environmental, medium on the heart rate of daphnia magna the specimen was placed on a clean deep well slide with a small drop of water and placed under a microscope. The heart rate observed after 15 seconds and recorded. A corner of a Kim wipe was used to wipe off excess water and repeat the experiment. The daphnia is then placed in a beaker labeled recovery. Use a second daphnia to repeat the experiment. With a third daphnia place it on a deep clean well slide, add small drop of water (0% alcohol) and view the daphnia under a microscope and then record the heart beats within 15 seconds on the table. Remove the drop of water around the daphnia using a Kim wipe and add 1 equal drop of 1% alcohol, let daphnia sit in alcohol for 60 seconds. Record the heart beat within 15 seconds. Repeat the step with increasing concentration of 2%-5% alcohol observe the heart beats of the daphnia at each concentration and record. Place this daphnia in a beaker labeled recovery and use a second daphnia to repeat step 7-10. Obtain a fresh daphnia and remove the water around the daphnia using the corner of a Kim wipe, add an equal drop of 0% caffeine. Record the number of heart beats within 15 seconds on a table. Add an equal drop of 1% caffeine let sit in caffeine for 60 seconds. Record the heart beat within 15 seconds. Repeat the step with increasing concentration of 2%-5% caffeine observe the heart beats of the daphnia at each concentration and record. Place this daphnia in a beaker labeled recovery and use a second daphnia to repeat step 7-10.

Aim and objectives of different type of businesses Essay Example for Free

Aim and objectives of different type of businesses Essay When a business first starts trading it has few loyal customers and no reputation. The most likely objective for a start up business is simply survival. As the business grows and begins to win market share, the aim may shift towards expansion and increasing profits. Without aims and objectives there is no meaning to the business. The objective of both things to make business work even better than what it would normally do. An aim Where the business wants to go in the future and its goals. It is a statement purpose. Like want to grow the business in to Europe Objectives- give the business a clearly defined target. Plans can then be made to achieve these targets. This can motivate the employees. Its also enable the business to measure the progress towards its started aims The most effective business objectives meet the following criteria: Specific -clear and easy to understand. Measurable i.e. able to be quantified. Achievable possible to be reached. Realistic not pie in the sky. Time bound associated with a specific time period. An example of a SMART objective is to increase profits 10% within the next 12 months. SMART objectives allow the performance of business to be identified. Purpose- the purpose of having aim and objectives is to plan a way forward which will help them to establish the future state of works in other word, how their business will be in a few years time part of this handle is planning. So they have an uncertain concept that how they will achieve that certain goal and status in the business in few years time Another purpose of setting aims and objectives is to measure the performance, for example, how much profit they have made in the last year, so they know that they are doing better or worse than last year. They will provide information to those who are interested, which will lead to encourage them to do better. Break even- is the point at which cost or expenses and revenue are equal. For example, if a business sells fewer than 200 tables each month, it will make a loss, if it sells more, it will be a profit. With this information, the business managers will then need to see if they expect to be able to make and sell 200 tables per month. Survival- Diversifying- diversify your business by natural progression. For instance, if you sell men’s shirts, adding ties and cufflinks to the range are an obvious next step. More radically, you extend the brand by offering a much wider range of products that will nonetheless appeal to the same customers. Alternatively, you can use the strength of brand to move into new markets. Cost cutting- here is significant ways to save money without compromise: Don’t waste time- As a small business owner, you put in a lot of hours, but time is still a limited resource. Wasting time can cut into your sales and hurt your bottom line. As a general rule, anything that you can implement to save time will also save you money in the long run. Cut Out Paper- According to research by Xerox, about 40% of office paper is discarded within 24 hours of anyone printing on it. If you add up how much you spend on printing supplies, paper, and labor, you’ll quickly see that using electronic file storage can save you loads of money. Shop Around for Insurance There are a lot of great ways to lower your insurance costs, but the most important step is to find and compare insurance policies. You should always be looking for the best rates out there, especially at renewal time. http://www.slideshare.net/tariqmehsud/nikes-presentation http://education.cambridge.org/media/576464/business_and_management_for_the_ib_diploma___ca\mbridge_education___cambridge_university_press_samples.pdf

Morgan Motor Company Case Study

Morgan Motor Company Case Study Automobile industry has a long history, since 19th century it has been continuously developed. The auto industry is often thought of as one of the most global of all industries. Its products have spread around the world, and it is dominated by a small number of companies with worldwide recognition. In this assignment I am going to discuss Morgan Motor companys strategic position which includes: marketing position, culture of the company, competitiveness and the future development. Profile of the Company The Morgan Motor Company is unique in building cars in England since 1909 and still being privately owned by the Morgan family. Indeed in its 100-year existence only three Morgans have headed the company. Since the first four-wheeled car in 1936 the factory has only built sports cars. The traditional Morgan is still being built using the separate steel chassis, with an ash body frame panelled in aluminium, but using excellent modern drive trains from Ford. This combines the pleasure of driving a real classic with a modern day performance and new car reliability. The launch of the all new Morgan Aero 8 in 2001 was the first all new Model since 1936. It was also an all aluminium super car incorporating the very best of British race car chassis technology in a stunning road car. Powered by a BMW 4.4 V8 the Aeros bonded aluminium chassis followed the Morgan tradition of great strength yet lightweight. Built alongside the traditional cars, the Aero 8 is proving its outstanding competence to a new breed of Morgan owners. The product market mission Morgan is unique in a car industry. They consistently keep making the hand- made and ash-framed cars. They dont have as much customers as other car companies and its niche market is relatively small than others. Their output is also small in comparison with other car brands. Morgan is not trying to change its cars to more modern cars and to increase its production number, this is what gives Morgan its uniqueness. If they start producing more modern cars and increase its output they may loos its uniqueness. This does not mean that Morgan is consistently using the same technology of producing cars as they used to, they are continually improving the quality. Morgan is a niche operator and it does not compete with others. If they moderate their production with increasing the output and produce more modern cars they will face the competition with other car manufacturers. They are always staying at the position they are now and keeping the same strategy, if they keep doing this they will n ot have many competitors in the market. There are number of approaches to understand the product market mission in deep. I will discuss some of them below. Porters Generic Strategy Porter (1980, 1985) suggested that some of the most basic choices faced by companies are essentially the scope of the markets that the company would serve and how the company would compete in the selected markets. Competitive strategies focus on ways in which a company can achieve the most advantageous position that it possibly can in its industry (Pearson, 1999). According to Porter, there are three generic strategies that a company can undertake to attain competitive advantage: cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Focus Companies that use Focus strategies concentrate on particular niche markets and, by understanding the dynamics of that market and the unique needs of customers within it, develop uniquely low cost or well-specified products for the market. In Porters Generic Strategy model Morgan Motors can be placed in differentiation focus, because Morgan cars price is quite high so it can not follow the cost leadership strategy, they are not selling their product in a standard market price. Morgan do deliver high quality product and service, their cars are unique in car industry market, as already mentioned above, Morgan is the oldest hand-made car manufacturer. The company concentrates on a particular niche market and is different from other mass production car manufacturers. Parnells Idea Parnell suggested that valuable resource is more important for the company than cost leadership and differentiation. He believed that valuable resources could help the company to achieve more success. He said that if company can have inimitable, rare and valuable resources it could help the company to gain the competitive advantage. Organizations possessing rare, valuable and inimitable resources possess a greater capability to perform a strong value proposition than those without such resources (Parnell, 2006) In case of Morgan the idea of Parnell can be aplicable because Morgan uses valuable resources and they are inimitable. What are their valuable resources and what makes them to be inimitable will be discused after. Strategy Clock The strategy clock is another appropriate way to analyze a companys competitive position to cost or differentiation advantages (Bowman Faulkner, 1996). The strategy clock uses differentiation and focused differentiation in a similar manner to that of the generic strategy model. As it is already explained above in Porters Generic Strategy Morgan Motors in Strategy Clock takes the same place which is the focused differentiation. Morgan Motors product price is high and the market niche is relatively small it concentrates on particular niche market. Customers perceived value is also high. Strategy Cube A model that allows the discussion of competitive strategy from both market and resource perspectives has been described by Jenkins (2004). A framework is proposed in which products/services are described by three variables: Relative level of consumer perceived product benefits Relative product price to the customer Relative product cost to the producer If we compare the cube with porters generic strategy and strategy clock point A in the cube is similar to Differentiation Focus in above mentioned models, which means that the companies which are placed in this point has got high price, high benefits, particular market niche. The point E is similar to Cost Focus in Porters generic strategy and it is similar to 1 and 2 positions in strategic clock. In the case of Morgan Motors Company in this model it is positioned in a point A because of its high cost, high perceived benefits, low market niche and high price. The Cultural Web, which I will discuss below will help us to understand the Companys culture. The Cultural Web identifies six interrelated elements that help to make up what Johnson and Scholes call the paradigm the pattern or model of the work environment. By analyzing the factors in each, the companies can begin to see the bigger picture of their culture: what is working, what isnt working, and what needs to be changed. The six elements are: Stories Rituals and Routines Symbols Organizational Structure Control Systems Power Structures Company has been owned by Morgan family since it has been established. Company has about 150 employees. The managers seat together with the employees on a traditional tea break and talk with them, this is the way to know better all employees and share their thoughts. For the Company it is very important to have high skilled staff. Company is situated at the same place as it was since it has been established, most of the employees have worked for the Company for more than ten years, mainly the employees are from the same area and moreover they are from the same family. All the employees have a very close relationship with each other. All this makes the Company to have a different culture from other manufacturers. The activities and the resources of the Company Value chain analyses The value chain framework of Porter (1990) is an interdependent system or network of activities, connected by linkages. When the system is managed carefully, the linkages can be a vital source of competitive advantage (Pathania-Jain, 2001). In order to conduct the value chain analysis, the company is split into primary and support activities. The primary and secondary activities of the firm are discussed in detail below. Primary activities The primary activities (Porter, 1985) of the company include the following: Inbound logistics These are the activities concerned with receiving the materials from suppliers, storing these externally sourced materials, and handling them within the firm. Morgan is using high standard and high quality materials. Morgan always keep improving their quality and they are continuing using the aluminium and recently they bought the BMWs engine to make their cars better and faster. Operations These are the activities related to the production of products and services. Morgan cars since the Company has established are made by hand with ash-frame. This is what makes Morgan cars so special and valuable. All Morgan cars are different from each other, they are made according the taste of the customer. Comparing to other car manufacturers, to produce Morgan cars takes much longer time, but this doesnt make to shorten their customer waiting list and people are still keen to get Morgan car which can be made according to their taste. Outbound logistics These are all the activities concerned with distributing the final product and/or service to the customers. As it is already described above, because of Morgan car is made by hand, it takes much longer time than other car manufacturers. The waiting time till Morgan car is finished is between one and two years, but sometimes it takes much longer to collect the car to its final face. Morgan has only one plant, but it has dealers all over the world what makes much easier for the customers to get their car more conveniently. Marketing and sales This functional area essentially analyses the needs and wants of customers and is responsible for creating awareness among the target audience of the company about the firms products and services. Morgan Company doesnt do many marketing activities. For many people the brand still can be unknown. It is because of its low productivity, but their uniqueness and brand still brings them enough customers. It is obvious from their waiting list. Demand is much higher than supply. Service There is often a need to provide services like pre-installation or after-sales service before or after the sale of the product or service. Support activities The support activities of a company include the following: Procurement This function is responsible for purchasing the materials that are necessary for the companys operations. Human Resource Management This is a function concerned with recruiting, training, motivating and rewarding the workforce of the company. For Morgan well trained and high skilled employees are very important as it is for many Companies. As in many Companies Morgan also has the training programs to develop their employee skills. As above mentioned there are around 150 employees in Morgan Company and all of them are in a good relationship with each other. The heads of the Company is also trying to have a good relationship with each of their staff member and to share their thoughts with each other. Technology Development This is an area that is concerned with technological innovation, training and knowledge that is crucial for most companies today in order to survive. Morgan consistently is improving their product and technologies. For example: launching the Aero 8 model, and purchasing the BMWs engine to make their cars much comfortable and faster. Firm Infrastructure This includes planning and control systems, such as finance, accounting, and corporate strategy etc. (Lynch, 2003). The value chain should be analysed with the core competence of the company at its very heart (Macmillan et al, 2003). Resource Based View The resource-based view theory is based on the assumption that a competitive advantage is the result of optimal resource allocation and combination in imperfect markets. Resources are assets, skills, and capabilities. The resources leading to competitive advantages have to be scarce, valuable, non substitutable and it has to be hard to imitate them (Barney, 1991). In case of Morgan, the resources they are using are very special, high quality and valuable. They pay very big attention of the quality they are producing, using high quality materials to produce cars. The Morgan car has always been built around an ash-frame, and a steel chassis. The new Aero 8 also has an ash frame. This gives unique strength, flexibility and surprisingly, research showed that the frame made the car safer on impact tests. There are approx 50,000 colours to choose from. There are many things that makes Morgan cars so special. Its uniqueness in a world of look-alike cars. Its handmade quality the use of wood in many areas of construction long standingÂÂ   hands-on craftsmanship displayed in the bodywork and interior by the highly skilled workforce. Ability to tailor a model to the customers exact requirements. Most of the components of Morgan cars are made in-house. All this gives to Morgan to be inimitable. VRIO Analyses Given that almost anything a firm possesses can be considered a resource or capability how should you attempt to narrow down the ones that explain why firm performance differs? In order to lead to a sustainable competitive advantage a resource or capability should be Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and Organized. Value: Rarity: Materials (Ash tree) 1. Limited edition Reputation 2. Rare materials Craft skill 3. Design High experienced workers 4. Unique cars 5. Choice of colour Inimitable: Organization: Skilled workers 1. Strategy Design 2. Tea break Materials 3. Friendly atmosphere Brand name The competitive context of the Company Five Forces The ideas and models which emerged during the period from 1979 to the mid-1980s (Porter, 1998) were based on the idea that competitive advantage came from the ability to earn a return on investment that was better than the average for the industry sector (Thurlby, 1998). The original competitive forces model, as proposed by Porter (1998), identified five forces which would impact on an organizations behaviour in a competitive market. These include the following: The rivalry between existing sellers in the market. The power exerted by the customers in the market. The impact of the suppliers on the sellers. The potential threat of new sellers entering the market. The threat of substitute products becoming available in the market. Understanding the nature of each of these forces gives organizations the necessary insights to enable them to formulate the appropriate strategies to be successful in their market (Thurlby, 1998). Force 1: The Degree of Rivalry. Force 2: The Threat of Entry. Force 3: The Threat of Substitutes. Force 4: Buyer Power. Force 5: Supplier Power. The rivalry in global automotive industry is very intense. However in the case of Morgan Motors, the Company is very unique and only the one in automotive industry with its old fashioned hand made cars. Morgan doesnt have competitors and there is no rivalry between Morgan Motors and other car manufacturers. There is no substitute of Morgan cars. The threat of substitutes to the automotive industry is quite mild, numerous of other car manufacturers are competing with each other in the global car industry, but none of them offer the same kind of cars as Morgan does. None of them can offer to customers the hand- made, with an ash body frame panelled in aluminium, the classic old fashioned and herewith modern car, which can be made with the taste of customer. Entry barriers exist whenever it is difficult or not economically feasible for an outsider to replicate the incumbents position (Porter, 1980b; Sanderson, 1998). In the case of Morgan as I have already mentioned before it has a long history with its unique production, the Company has already obtained a solid position on the market and from my point of view it will be hard and not feasible for new entrants to replicate them. PESTEL Analyses PESTEL Analyses help organizations to analyse factors such as tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes. PESTEL stands for: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal. PESTEL analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations (Kotler, 1998). PESTEL analyses also ensures that companys performance is aligned positively with the powerful forces of change that are affecting business environment (Porter, 1985). Typical PESTEL factors to consider include: (P)olitical e.g. international trade, taxation policy (E)conomic e.g. interest rates, exchange rates, national income, inflation, unemployment (S)ocial e.g. ageing population, attitudes to work, income distribution (T)echnological e.g. innovation, new product development, rate of technological obsolescence (E)nvironmental e.g. global warming, environmental issues (L)egal e.g. competition law, health and safety, employment law Applying PESTEL to Morgan Motors Political: Political decisions can impact on many vital areas for business, but in case of Morgan the political factor does not impact on the companys environment. Question 2 Product Life Cycle The typical Product Life Cycle consists of five main aspects. Product development Introduction Growth Maturity Decline The Product Life Cycle begins with product development, during which time the firm devises and creates a new product (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). The introduction of a new product onto the market is typically characterised by very slow sales, which may grow only very slightly over a long period of time. (Porter, 1980; 1985; Kotler et al., 1996; Blackwell et al., 2001; Grant, 2002; Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). The growth stage in the PLC typically involves a rapid growth in sales as early adopters replace pioneers as the main consumer group.ÂÂ   The maturity stage in the PLC is a key point for a firm because it marks the turning point in the products success.ÂÂ  Morgan Motor Company in Product Life Cycle takes Maturity stage.