College essay topics: October 2019

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing - Case Study Example Despite the fact that parking in the street is usually a problem, there is a metered parking behind the store although most customers do not seem to be aware of these parking lot. Throughout its existence, the expansion has brought positive gains but the last expansion did not bring additional sales. This paper will carry out a marketing analysis of Don Martin and this will be organized into three sections. The sections include problems and analysis, alternative analysis and a recommendations section. Problems and Analysis Don Martin Limited has always strived to expand thereby increase sales which would eventually translate to high profitability. To achieve this, the company has made several acquisitions given that initially it only had a total area of 45 meters squared (Grasby et al 379). The expansion has always produced an increase in the sales volumes but about three ago, a store that neighbored that of Don Martin Limited was floated for sales and the company bought it. After th e acquisition, Don Martin Limited brought down the wall separating the two companies and ended up with a large store. However, instead of increased sales; the new acquisition eventually led to losses. The expansion has necessitated the need for more staff members who are now currently twenty six and this has increased the expenditure by the company. In addition, the increased workforce makes it hard for the company to monitor the staff and the business in general thereby leading to loss of some goods. The proprietor of asserts that he is afraid that the company staff may be stealing. Things are further complicated for Don Martin given that he has approximately 500 suppliers which means that he has to spend about seventy five percent of his time. The company buys directly from manufacturers in small quantities which mean that the company cannot advantage economies of scale (Grasby et al 380). The customers coming to Don Martin Limited are trying to cut down on expenses given that the y are cash strapped. The services offered to customers no longer lead to higher customer satisfaction and most of them are ready to do without such services in order to save some money. For instance, previously whenever a customer came to the store of a sportÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s equipment; there was a salesperson to help them but currently customer no longer seem to like this service. Despite the low reception of the companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s services by customers, Don Martin believes that such services have always attracted customers to the store. The company is incurring high expenses in maintaining these services where for instance the company has to pay $1,000 for gas not forgetting the pay to truck drivers (Grasby et al 381). Consumer Analysis Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3 Who Customers having low income Customers having cars External customers (Customers not living within the city) What These customers are cutting spending given that they low income. These customers require parking when doing the ir shopping These are customers who are not in close proximity to the business. When The company is losing these customers since the last expansion undertaken three years ago. Following the last expansion three years ago, Don Martin has a parking lot The company has been attracting this kind of customers since inception Where The company is facing competition for these customers from nearby stores. The parking lot for the Don Martin is

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

How Southwest Airlines Soars Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

How Southwest Airlines Soars - Case Study Example The second one is the participative theory, which suggests that leaders should encourage contributions and participation from members and make them feel relevant in the organization. During the Halloween, Kelleher encouraged the employees to get loose by decorating gates, wearing wacky costumes and munching on treat snacks, by this, he encourages the employees to participate on keeping the airline's spirit alive. Kelleher is both a manager and a leader. The view as a manager is portrayed by implementing tactical actions when the airline set off in 1971; he put up measures of cutting cost by avoiding extra expenses. When the fuel prices rose, he initiated cutting cost by asking each employee to find a way of saving $5 per day (Case Study). He is seen as a leader by inspiring, empowering and creating new opportunities. As the airline expands, he creates new job opportunities by personality testing and maintains the culture of the airway by choosing individuals who are able to make decisions, good communicators, optimistic and team-oriented.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Mcdonalds And Its Strategic Management Commerce Essay

Mcdonalds And Its Strategic Management Commerce Essay The vision and mission of the organization defines the expected position and the fundamental purpose of the organization. The purpose of this assignment is to understand the vision and mission of the case company and to identify and understand the strategic aims and objectives of an organization and investigate its progress towards the fulfillment of those aims and objectives. For this different alternative strategies available to the organization are also considered. To fulfill the requirement of this assignment the organization selected for investigation is McDonalds. McDonalds is the leading fast food restaurant chain of the world and is serving more than 58 million customers on daily basis. McDonalds Vision and Mission Statement Every organization must have a vision and a mission. Vision and mission statements are the short phrases which sets the whole direction of the organization. Vision statement provides the whole picture of the organizations desired future position in a single phrase. This statement then sets a whole direction of all the strategic aims and objectives of the organization. Below is the vision statement of the case company i.e. McDonalds: To be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience, being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile Mission statement clarifies the fundamental purpose of the organization. Off course the purpose is to achieve the vision of the organization, but mission statement goes in further detail and answers the question of the existence of the organization. Mission statement of McDonalds is: To be the best employer To deliver operational excellence Achieving durable profits Expanding the brand name and extending the strength of McDonalds system through innovation and technology. Analyzing the vision and mission statement of the case company it is clear that organizations focus is mainly towards the external and internal customers i.e. consumers and employees. Furthermore, the company is committed to innovate and use the latest technology to earn huge profits. McDonalds Strategic Aims and Objectives An aim is a broader statement which tells what an organization wants to become and the objectives are the specific targets or tasks which leads towards the fulfillment of the aim of the organization. It is very important for an organization to set such aims which are practically possible and which can be measured. If this is not the case the organization will put its efforts and resources in that direction which is not possible at all. For effective working and success for an organization the aims and objectives must be realistic and it must also be associated with some time frame as if it is not the case then there will be confusion within the organization regarding the time to complete the tasks and projects (Fred David, 2006). Furthermore, the aims should be measureable, as the progress towards the fulfillment of objectives should be easily measured as if this is not the case then it would be very difficult for an organization to know that whether the desired results are achieved or not. McDonalds key to success all over the world is their priorities, which are also mentioned on their corporate website. The top priority of the leading fast food restaurant chain is the customers. As per the McDonalds corporate values the reason of the existence of the business are their customers and they work only to fulfill the needs and demands of the customers. As per the company it is not the matter of sales rather it is the matter of providing quality products along with the best services to the customers in affordable prices. The second priority is their employees or workforce. The company believes that the employees make the dream of the organization come true. The employees are their valuable assets and it is just because of the skills and competencies of their employees which enables the organization to achieve the set goals and targets. The company also believes the quality of their business model. According to the corporate values of the company the business model is set to meet the dynamic customer behavioral changes. The strategic aims and objectives of McDonalds and mentioned below and these shows that what are the top priorities of the company and it gives a hint why the company is so successful all across the globe: To maintain the leadership in fast food restaurant industry To serve the customer with good food in a friendly and fun environment Providing the quality food and value of money to the customer Providing the shareholder a positive return on their investments To meet the social and ethical responsibility Strategic Plan and its Component parts Strategic plan of any enterprise is a picture of the desired position of the organization. Strategic plan gives a root path that how the organization will achieve the desired place or position in the given industry (Maches, B. 2010). Three major components of strategic plan include formulation, implementation and evaluation of strategy carries that information and plan which provides a direction towards the organizational objectives (Kim Warren, 2008). Strategy Formulation Strategy formulation process starts with the situation analysis of the organization. Situation analysis is an important part of strategic plan as it gives an overview of the existing position of the organization. Situation analysis includes the analysis of internal and external environment of the organization. Different strategic tools can be used to evaluate this situation i.e. SWOT analysis, PEST Analysis etc. This also includes the evaluation of current mission and vision of the organization. Vision statement clarifies that what an organization want to become and on the other hand mission statements shows that what business the organization operates. Mission contains the products and services, its markets and its employee management policy. The assessment of external factors of the organization involves the listing down of finite list of factors which are a potential threat or opportunities for the organization in the external environment. By finite list is meant that not all the factors are focused. The priority is given to those factors which have high level of impact or form which high returns can be gained. The internal audit is also done in the situation analysis where the internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization are listed down (Fred David, 2006). After the clear understanding of the organizations current situation the real work begins where the strategies are formulated. The best practice is to involve the employees in this process as the employees from all levels will share their views and a better strategic decision will be expected. Here the strategies are developed to capitalize the opportunities available which were assessed in the external audit and minimize the threat of the factors. On the other side the strengths of the organizations require such strategies which further enhance them and the weaknesses are tried to be overcome. The next step in the strategy formulation stage is setting the long term objectives. Long term objectives are those which are associated with the sales and market share growth, it can be the growth of assets; it can be attaining any award from the government body etc. This is a very important phase as the long term goals and objectives show a direction to the whole organization. Long term objectives are set after a through consideration of external and internal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the organization. The available resources and the expected resources are listed and based on those resources the long term but achievable, measureable and realistic objectives are set with proper timelines (Fred David, 2006). The final stage of strategy formulation process is the evaluation and selection of appropriate strategies to meet the long term objectives. In this the alternative strategies are also identified an evaluated and a contingency planning is also done. For instance in case of any external change which is beyond the change of organization such as change in legislations or change in market conditions then that contingency plan can be used. The existing strategies of the organization are the initial point for strategy evaluation. Strategy Implementation The next step in a strategic plan includes the strategy implementation. Developing an effective strategy does not ensures that the strategic plan will be successful. It was in the old times when the strategic planning was done only at the level of stagy formulation stage. Experiences of different organizations and further studies revealed that strategy formulation does not ensure the success of strategic plan. Implementation is another important part of the strategic plan. In the implementation phase the process of shifting the responsibilities to the middle and lower level of management is developed. As in the strategy formulation stage it was mentioned that to involve the employees of all the levels is important, so if any organization has done this during the strategy formulation them the strategy implementation process will be lot more easier. This is because the middle and lower level staff will have a clearer view of the strategies developed and they would be in a better positi on to implement those strategies in real practice (Kim Warren, 2008). Strategy Evaluation and Control After the implementation of strategic plan it is important like all other plans and project to evaluate the progress of that plan. Implementation phase end with the start of evaluation process. This is a continuous process until the strategic aims and objectives are not met (Fred David, 2006). There are many organizations such as McDonalds, who have strategic aims and objectives that shows continuity and a continuous process is required for that for instance one of the strategic objectives of the company is to provide the value to the customer. This is an objective which shows continuity as the fast food chain is aimed to provide the customer value to their money so for that strategy evaluation is required. This process ensures that the implemented strategies are progressing towards the achievement of organizational aims and objectives or not. In this process the required results or outcomes are compared with the actual results and if there is any kind of difference then with the cha nge in strategies of taking appropriate steps that difference is tried to be eliminated or at least minimized. Factors affecting McDonalds Strategic Plan Several internal and external factors can affect the strategic plan of McDonalds. These may include factors such as managements vision, financial factors, technological changes, legislative factors or market competition. As mentioned in the strategic plan earlier that the strategies are developed by considering the existing resources of the organization. It also includes the existing technology possessed by the company. If the existing system of McDonalds becomes obsolete with the introduction of newer version of the same system then the organization need to adapt that system to sustain in the market. In this case the strategic plan requires a change (Kim Warren, 2008). Same is the case with the market condition. If at the time of strategic planning the market conditions are evaluated and after implementation the market condition changes and requires a change then the strategic plan will also require a change. That is the reason it is suggested that McDonalds strategic plan should be flexible enough that can meet the changing market conditions. Furthermore the strategic plans are also depend on the vision of the management of the organization. If the management decides to go with a differentiation strategy because of the market need then the existing strategic plan will be changed. Financial aspects cannot be neglected in the strategic planning. Every strategy requires financial resources and if the financial resources are not sufficient enough to meet the new strategy then it will require a change in the strategic plan. However, these constraints can be minimized during the strategy formulation process by intensive research and evaluation of the internal and external factors, but still the dynamic market conditions and growing consumer needs cannot be predicted. McDonalds and Strategic Options If there is some change in the external environment of the company then in response to that the company opts strategic option. Moreover, strategic option is also chosen by an organization to grow and it tells that how the company wants to grow and what are the ways through which the completive advantage is taken by an organization over its competitors. By manipulating and taking advantage of the opportunities available for an organization the company can have a positive outcome. There are two renowned methods or ways which can be chosen by any organization to gain a competitive advantage over the other organization (Fred David, 2006). These two strategic options include the cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy. Under cost leadership strategy the organization cut down its cost of production or cost of goods sold and hence increases their profit margins. As the business word today is highly competitive and inn the fast food restaurant industry the customers have so many options such as KFC, Pizza Hut etc. which are also providing high quality products. So in such scenario it is not possible for McDonalds to increase the prices of their products. So, cutting the cost of production and other operational cost will be the best strategy to increase their profit margins. The internal capabilities of McDonalds will require a focus and needs to be enhanced in order to achieve the goals of this strategic option. Another strategic option available for McDonalds is to offer such products and services which are unique in nature and are not available in the market. In this way the customer will have no other option to get the desired product or service. This will keep the customer intact with McDonalds and hence the profit margins of the organization will keep on growing. A best example of this is the ice cream provided by McDonalds. No other fast food chain provides the best quality ice cream and people are fond of McDonalds Ice Cream and this has been a unique product of the fast food chain which attracts millions of customers. Another unique feature of McDonalds is their quality customer services. In this era the customer service has gained utmost importance and McDonalds customer services is helping them to increase their market share. Even if the restaurant is packed with the customers the customer services quality remains the same which makes the fast food chain number one in the world. Strategic Option a Helping Hand to achieve Strategic Objectives Strategic options help the organization to achieve the organization strategic aims and objectives. However, a combination of the available strategic options is a good option for any enterprise as this can have a dual positive effect in the organizational performance and profit margins can also be increased with a wide margin. Using integrated strategic options allows the firm a more leverage to take decision on marketing mix. McDonalds can use either of the strategic option discussed earlier, but the more appropriate is to use the mix of both the strategic options. This will help to achieve the strategic objectives of the organization which were mentioned earlier in the document. Using a differentiation strategy, McDonalds will be able to charge the premium prices against the product features. However, keeping the legislation under consideration is also important before charging the premium prices from the customers (Kim Warren, 2008). On the other side of the picture the cost leader ship strategy will provide the company a more leverage to reduce their prices of provide discount offers to the customers as the company have more margin due to the increase in profit margin. McDonalds can offer different discount deals on their core products as these are also provided by their major global competitor KFC. So, if the fast food chain is following an integrated strategic option then it can attain competitive advantage on either side of the court. This will fulfill the first and important strategic objective of McDonalds i.e. to maintain the market leader position. As the fast food chain will be able to counter each offer given by its competitor and also can attack the competitor by offering new products and deals and maintain the market dominance. Furthermore, using the differentiation strategy the fast food chain can make their customer services so supreme that no other competitor can copy that. Along with the food quality which is already very unique can be improved further and new products can be launched which are not available in the market and not ever provided by any other organization. By suing this differentiation strategy the company will be able to achieve its another strategic objective i.e. to provide the customer with quality food and service. Cost leadership and differentiation strategies will improve the profit margins and the strategic objective to provide a positive return on investment of the shareholders and investors will be fulfilled. Concluding this discussion it is suggested to the McDonalds management to continue delivering the quality product and services and further reduce their operational cost without compromising the quality of their products and standard of their services. McDonalds Stakeholders Analysis Stakeholders are those bodies or parties which have direct or indirect interaction with the organization. These bodies are affected with the operations of the business positively or negatively. The major stakeholder for McDonalds includes their customers, shareholders and their employees. Customers Customers of McDonalds are the major focus of fast food chain. Mentioned earlier in the document that the companys corporate values indicate that customer is the king. The strategic objectives are also aimed towards the customer satisfaction by delivering value to them. Customer services is the important part of the McDonalds strategic planning as through quality customer services they are able to retain he customers. McDonalds branches and franchises are all over the world and they are huge in number. This is to facilitate the customer to provide the quality food with easy access. Furthermore the free home delivery service of the fast food chain shows that the organization is committed to produce their products and services at the door step of the customers. Shareholders Shareholders are another major stakeholder of the company. Strategic objectives of the company show that the company is committed to deliver return on investments. The company has adapted cost leadership and differentiation strategy which have given them a position of market leader and helped to increase the profit margins which is the major concern of the investors. Employees The employees are the key to success for any organization. At McDonalds it is not a different story. The company considers their employees as an asset like all successful organizations and is committed to facilitate their employees who in actual are the prime resources that leads towards the fulfillment of organizations strategic objectives. Five Competitive Forces Analysis of McDonalds Michael porter provided a frame work which contains the analysis of five different forces effecting the organization (Kim Warren, 2002). Through this analytical tool five different forces affecting McDonalds are evaluated. Figure 1 Porter Five Forces Model Threat of new entrants Fast food industry has gained a tremendous growth in the 21st century. Many fast food chains are operating in different countries. The major are KFC, Pizza Hut and Subway. However there are many local fast food chains that provide the same kind of products which these international fast food chains do. However, the quality and standard is not up to the level of these chains still these chains are able to grasp a handsome amount of market share. The entry in this business is not a difficult task; however, to launch a chain at the level of McDonald is quite difficult. Threat of Substitutes There are several substitutes available against the products of McDonalds, which are also liked by the consumers. So McDonalds also have to consider those substitutes while designing their strategies. Degree of Rivalry The competition in the fast food restaurant industry is intense. Having the major brands like KFC, PIZZA HUT and Subway , McDonalds really have to be up to the mark in terms of products and customer services to maintain the market leader position. Bargaining Power of Buyers Bargaining power of buyers in case of McDonalds is high as the customer has so many options so the fast food chains have to maintain their prices very competitive and keep the level of customer services up to the mark. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Bargaining power of supplier is not high in case of McDonalds. Suppliers try to add their names in the list of the big brand names such as McDonalds because of the frequency of their orders. Pest Analsyis of Mcdonalds Pestle analysis is to analyze the external forces which can affect the organization. Below is the brief analysis of McDonalds Figure 2 PEST Analysis Framework Political Forces Due to the global operations of the company there are several policies in different states which can affect the McDonalds policies and procedures. Economic Factors The global economy can affect the organization in many ways. The change in the fast food industry business can also affect the McDonalds in a positive or negative way. Social Factors Being operating in many countries across the globe, McDonald have to recognize the social and cultural factors. For instance in Muslim countries the fast food chain has to assure the community regarding the use of Halal chicken. Technological Factors The rapid change in technology will force the company to adapt it in order to survive in the competitive market. Furthermore, the introduction of new advertisement Medias gives a more chance to aggressively market the products through different channels. Conclusion McDonalds enormous success all over the globe is the result of their effective vision and mission which is leading the organization in the right direction. The selection of right strategies at the right time allows the organization to achieve the organization set aims and objectives. The progress of the company towards strategic aims and objectives is satisfactory. The selection of integrated strategic options will allow the company to progress more efficiently towards the achievement of strategic aims and objectives.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Little Brother Music :: essays research papers

Little Brother: The Listening Describing this CD in three words would be personal, stylish, and free. Not Ã¢â‚¬Å"freeÃ¢â‚¬ like it comes with your purchase of fifty dollars or more at Best Buy but Ã¢â‚¬Å"freeÃ¢â‚¬ as in no boundaries or limitations. When I first put this album in my CD player and pressed play I was completely entranced by the sounds that followed. That was back in 2003 and still to this day you might catch me blasting songs in the morning or humming their tunes to sleep at night. If I try to put my finger on why this ONE album can last so long with a person as picky with music as me it would come down to how well the two rappers, Phonte and Big Pooh, convey every aspect of their lives into their lyrics. Not only can they describe fully the pressures of having a growing family and a low paying job, but also let loose stories about groupie love, haters getting put in their place, and partying until daybreak; all this with clever wordplay that puts them in a class of their own! I wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t call them underground hip-hop because they donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t make a conscious effort to be different. TheyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re not considered mainstream because their focus isnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t just on making music to be rich. TheyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re just an alternative, and it is refreshing to hear someone strive to be the best at what they do artistically, not by how well they can market themselves. At a business level, we all know the importance the actual beat plays with finicky listeners. Even the songs with sub-par lyrics and rhyme schemes can still become a hit when a famous producer is behind the scenes. Luckily, production is another criteria Little Brother controls so well. Their producer, and third member of the group, is named 9th Wonder for more than just the cool moniker: he represents his own unique sound not yet overused and exploited by the masses. With a pension for taking old school samples and churning out beats unbelievably hypnotic and hard-hitting, 9th lays the backdrop perfectly for each a nd every bit of musical art on Little BrothersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ first major release. Taking a different direction than sampling producers like Kanye West and Just Blaze, he has been steadily gaining fame ever since he produced the song Ã¢â‚¬Å"ThreatsÃ¢â‚¬ on Jay-ZÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s final record, Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Black AlbumÃ¢â‚¬ . Because

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Mass Spectrometer

Research Task On Mass Spectrometer When was the first mass spectrometer made and by who? Find an example of a mass spectrogram for an element and explain how it is used to find the relative atomic mass of that element. A solid disk of unknown mass ad known radius R is used as a pulley in a lab experiment, as shown. A small block of mass m is attached to a a lab experiment, as shown. A small block of mass m is attached to a string, the other end of which is attached to the pulley and wrapped around it several times. The block of mass m is released from rest and takes a time t to fall the distance D to the floor. econds before the plane is directly overhead? 14) Johnny Rockabilly has just finished recording his latest CD. The company can produce the CD with no fixed cost and a variable cost of company can produce the CD with no fixed cost and a variable cost of $5 per CD. A) Find total revenue for quantity equal to 10,000, 20,000, and so on. What is the marginal revenue for each 10,000 increase in the quantity sold? B) What quantity of CDs would maximize profit? What would the price be? What would the profit be? C) If you were JohnnyÃ¢â‚¬ s agent, what recording fee would you advise Johnny to demand from the record company?Why? 15) A pop singer has a monopoly over a scarceÃ¢â‚¬ ¦ if a nation's real GDP increases from 100 billion to 106 billion and its population jumps from 200 million to 212 million, its real GDP per its population jumps from 200 million to 212 million, its real GDP per capita willÃ¢â‚¬ ¦ 2. What were the risks associated with outsourcing to Flextronics? Did Microsoft mitigate these risks? Do you think Microsoft would have Did Microsoft mitigate these risks? Do you think Microsoft would have been better off making the Xbox itself?

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Altria’s Contingent Liabilities

Altria Group is the parent of Philip Morris USA Inc. and John Middleton, Inc. , which produces and sell cigarettes and other tobacco products. Altria also owns Philip Morris Capital Corp, which maintains a portfolio of finance leases. On March 30, 2007, Altria Group distributed all of its remaining interest in Kraft Foods Inc. to its stockholders. It also completed the spin-off of its subsidiary Philip Morris International Inc. As of Dec. 31, Altria declared $57,211,000,000 in total assets, and debts of $38,657,000,000. A mounts owed by Altria's consumer products units total $33,054,000,000, with $17,782,000,000 constituting as current debts. Accordign to its balance sheet, Altria's liabilities include short-term borrowings; accrued liabilities for marketing, taxes, employment costs, and settlement charges; dividends payable, accrued pension and healthcare costs, and long-term debt. It is Altria's obligation to report all liabilities in its balance sheet in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U. S. GAAP). For example, if Philip Morris obtains a EUR1. 5 billion, 364-day term loan, expiring Dec. 2, 2008, from Bank of America, it is expected to list in its balance sheet that it has debts of EUR1. 5 billion on account of the term loan. If Bank of America asserts that an additional EUR500 million is due on the term loan due to Philip Morris' violations of its covenant that Philip Morris should limit allowed debt expenditures, but Phillip Morris disputes the claim, Philip Morris need not include BofA's claim in its balance sheet. BofA's claim will still be subject to arbitration or litigation, and courts may rule in favour of Philip Morris. Hence, Altria does not disclose these types of events in its balance sheet. Altria, however, has fiduciary duties to disclose to shareholders all potential liabilities that may become actual liabilities in the future. These include liabilities that are contingent, disputed or un-liquidated. For Atria's case, some of these liabilities will likely include pending lawsuits filed against the company. Pending lawsuits are subject to trial, may be sent to appeal after a ruling is served, may result to settlement between parties, may end up being dismissed, or may end up with monetary judgment, either substantial sums or de minimis amounts, against the defendant. Because of the varied possible outcomes, Atria maybe unable to provide reasonable estimates on the debts they may incur as a result of these lawsuits. Regardless, shareholders have to be aware of the potential losses they may incur as a result of these contingencies. Investors also have to be aware of potential risks the company is facing. Hence, contingencies and otherÃ‚ potential liabilities are listed as footnotes to financial statements. In its Annual Report, Altria discussed contingencies to its financial statements. It stated that legal proceedings are pending or threatened in various U. S. and foreign jurisdictions against Altria and its subsidiaries on account of tobacco-related issues. However, it admitted that its management is unable to estimate the possible loss that could arise from an unfavorable outcome of any of these cases. Accordingly, Altria has not provided any amounts in its financial statements for unfavourable outcomes of pending litigations. For tobacco-related lawsuits that have been resolved through settlements, Altria included these items in its balance sheet because its liabilities on account of those disputes have already been determined. For example, Altria has stated settlement payments it owes on account of the Master Settlement Agreement reached by PM USA with 46 states and other governments for health care cost recovery and other claims. REFERENCES Ã¢â‚¬Å"2007 Annual Report. Ã¢â‚¬ Altria Group, Inc. http://www. altria. com/download/pdf/investors_AltriaGroupInc_2007_AnnualRpt. pdf

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Why Do We Cry

According to the WebsterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Dictionary, Ã¢â‚¬Å"cryÃ¢â‚¬ means Ã¢â‚¬Å"to sob or shed tears because of grief, sorrow, pain, or extreme excitement.Ã¢â‚¬ Crying starts at childbirth. Although babies don't shed tears when they cry until about two months of age, the first thing a newborn does when it receives its first breathe of air is cry. Crying is a result of emotion. Crying is the human raceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s number one form of communication. With crying, everyone from babies to adults can communicate sadness, anger, fear, and even happiness. Why do we cry? This is a question that is difficult to answer in context, but rather simple to explain. Emotions are experienced everyday for a variety of reasons. If a person is happy, then usually they will smile. If a person is sad, they will appear gloomy. People express their emotions to allow the people around them to know how they feel, but only if they want to. For example if something bad happens to you or someone close to you dies for example it is very hard to hide the sadness that you feel, and the normal thing to do is cry. I know some tough people try to hide these emotions, but it is sometimes impossible to do, it is almost like the bodiesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ way of dealing with a certain problem, or the bodiesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ way of coping with certain situations. According to USA Today, Ã¢â‚¬Å"We make three kinds of tears: Basal tears for simple eyeball lubrication, reflex tears to wash away irritants (onion fumes, debris specks, or hits to the eye), and emotional tears. Weeping tears contain various hormones that the other tears don't and 20 to 25 percent more protein. We don't know why emotional tears differ but it's interesting that they do. These tears may wash the body clean of wastes.Ã¢â‚¬ "...crying is a distress signal," says James Gross, psychology professor at Stanford University. Seeing someone cry often triggers crying. We don't like to cry; it makes us feel bad. Thus, my tears motivate you to stop me from crying so you ... Free Essays on Why Do We Cry Free Essays on Why Do We Cry According to the WebsterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Dictionary, Ã¢â‚¬Å"cryÃ¢â‚¬ means Ã¢â‚¬Å"to sob or shed tears because of grief, sorrow, pain, or extreme excitement.Ã¢â‚¬ Crying starts at childbirth. Although babies don't shed tears when they cry until about two months of age, the first thing a newborn does when it receives its first breathe of air is cry. Crying is a result of emotion. Crying is the human raceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s number one form of communication. With crying, everyone from babies to adults can communicate sadness, anger, fear, and even happiness. Why do we cry? This is a question that is difficult to answer in context, but rather simple to explain. Emotions are experienced everyday for a variety of reasons. If a person is happy, then usually they will smile. If a person is sad, they will appear gloomy. People express their emotions to allow the people around them to know how they feel, but only if they want to. For example if something bad happens to you or someone close to you dies for example it is very hard to hide the sadness that you feel, and the normal thing to do is cry. I know some tough people try to hide these emotions, but it is sometimes impossible to do, it is almost like the bodiesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ way of dealing with a certain problem, or the bodiesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ way of coping with certain situations. According to USA Today, Ã¢â‚¬Å"We make three kinds of tears: Basal tears for simple eyeball lubrication, reflex tears to wash away irritants (onion fumes, debris specks, or hits to the eye), and emotional tears. Weeping tears contain various hormones that the other tears don't and 20 to 25 percent more protein. We don't know why emotional tears differ but it's interesting that they do. These tears may wash the body clean of wastes.Ã¢â‚¬ "...crying is a distress signal," says James Gross, psychology professor at Stanford University. Seeing someone cry often triggers crying. We don't like to cry; it makes us feel bad. Thus, my tears motivate you to stop me from crying so you ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Frankenstein Essays (342 words) - Frankenstein, Free Essays

Frankenstein Essays (342 words) - Frankenstein, Free Essays Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein was very interested in natural philosophy and chemistry and basically tried to play G-d by creating life. When he found the secret of activating dead flesh, he created a superhuman being composed of rotted corpses. What he did was considered unthinkable, and he was haunted by his own creation. When the monster escaped, Frankenstein knew that he had to deal with the consequences of what the monster might do. Frankenstein received a letter one day which informed him of his younger brother William's murder, and immediately suspected that he was responsible, for he was the creator of the hideous monster. A friend of the family named Justine Moritz was the presumed murderer, and Frankenstein was determined to prove her innocent. Circumstantial evidence, however, led the courts to believe Justine guilty, because found in her pocket was a photograph which had belonged to William. Justine had been put to death, and Frankenstein had yet to find his creation. Finally, upon their meeting, the monster confessed to his creator of what he had been through, how he was rejected by society, and finally, how he had come to kill William. When William had revealed his name to the monster, the monster immediately figured that by killing the young boy, he would have revenge on Frankenstein for giving him life. The monster did not understand the concept of right and wrong and he especially didn't mean to kill anybody. His expression of anger ended up being violent, even fatal to the victim, and it just worked out that he killed people. As the monster's story continued, he demanded of Frankenstein a female mate who he can be with until his end, and promised to live away from society. Frankenstein, meanwhile, tried to restore the monster's demented mind so he could live a normal life. Although at first Frankenstein agreed to create a friend for the monster, he changed his mind for fear that between the two of them, his life, as well as many others, would be in danger. The creature wanted revenge, and so everything important in Frankenstein's life ended up being destroyed, including his wife and best friend.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Boston Consulting Group on Strategy Conformity

Today, management of various organizations are obligated to ensure success is achieved despite the plexity and dynamism of the current business environment. It thus largely depends on the organization structure as well as the appropriateness of the strategies formulated by the management. Apparently, the business strategies need planning gurus who can align business projections with short term and long term objectives. Besides, group influence plays a critical role in oneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s ability to formulate decisions. In most cases, an individual may decide to take a particular decision just to conform to group norms. This discussion, therefore, has addressed Yves Morieux contributions on organization strategy and Asch conformity experiment to examine individual conformity to group thinking. Yves Monrieux assertion concerning structure and strategy conforms to the current management imperatives (Yves & Peter, 2014). Today, the success of business greatly relies on the ability of the management to establish effective operational and strategic aims. These goals are supposed to be timely instituted, and affirmative action is taken to ensure they have implemented accordingly. The success needs an administration structure that is flexible and making new decisions based on the situation. There should be smooth coordination and understanding within the departments to enhance a mon focus on the organizational objectives. Thus, it is notable that the blog presents the following ideas: Soundness of the management to the success of the business. The importance of the enactment of effective goals. The relevance of flexibility in the administrative structure. The management levels matter most in determining the responsible authorities in handling various issues. A good administration structure should be the one that roles are clearly assigned and everyone better knows the power to report to (Carl and Michael, 2006, p. 162-190). The ever-changing business environment requires sound business strategies to maintain a petitive edge.Ã‚ With the consumers varying needs, measures need to be established to ensure the pany is fully satisfying their needs. To remain petitive, businesses are investing in technology, and further encouraging creativity and innovation among staffs to ensure profit is maximized. Notably, a good organization structure enacts operational strategies based on the research and findings. The support of such initiatives is only experienced in an organization where individuals work as a team towards a mon purpose (Lim, et al. 2010).Ã‚ People hold positions based on the qualifications and capability. And it significantly helps the management understands plans that are relevant to the business, set aside appropriate financial resources and further monitor and evaluate the plans accordingly. Good administrative structures empower employees through training programs, coaching and more to make them relevant to organization needs. Good strategies borrow from the management tools such as SWOT and PESTLE. A thorough understanding both internal and external business environment aids in the formulation of the right business plan (Butler, 2000, p. 39-43). Therefore, it is imperative for the current managers to ensure that the administration structure put in place facilitates the achievement of the business goals and objectives. The structure should facilitate faster decision making, support productive activities intended to propel the organization towards prosperity and that gives the pany petitive edge (Haslam, et al. 2011, p. 23-67). Usually, human beings have various characters and behave differently based on the situation. Getting a plete understanding of an individual regarding how he/she will respond to different scenarios is quite difficult (Griggs, 2015, p. 137). Based on the blog, the following ideas can be extracted: People are influenced by circumstances in making decisions. Personal decisions can also be influenced by individuals around us. One should remain objective in formulating decisions while holding management positions. Group conformity is real and can be avoided if one is required to disclose a solution via writing and further if the matter is a subject of personal accountability. People are however, influenced by various factors in making a personal decision. For example, the student can respond to a perceptual question posed by the instructor, based on the other bright student suggestion even if he know the answer is wrong (Aronson, et al. 2010, p. 99-120). Therefore, personal decision making depends on the circumstances facing the individuals and the people around. Before I discovered my capabilities, I used to make decisions based on views from my friends and individuals around. Even if I knew they were wrong, I just planned according to their suggestions to conform and fit the group. This group conformity justifies Asch Conformity Experiment regarding the power of the group. In most cases, the primary forces that determined my decision making when I was in a group were normative and informational factors (Eysenck, 2004, p. 345-370). The primary reason why I conformed to group norms was to avert punishments, rejection and further gain from social rewards associated with the members. Also, lack of information due to unfocused minds in class used to affect my conscience in answering perceptual questions. Thus, I could just stick on what a group memberÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s opinion. Currently, I make a decision based on the objective. The knowledge I have gained in the university is significant to allow me stand alone but stick to the truth. The present organization's requirements need leaders who understand themselves and have abilities to align the business goals with strategic plans. Therefore, buying groupsÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ suggestions just to be accepted at the expense of the firm can lead to business failure (Breckler, et al. 2006, p. 126). Usually, some people who lack leadership qualities and cannot stand alone from a group are susceptible to conformity to group norms. This conformity should not be the case. If we realize the relevance of staying objective to every matter in the organization set up, elements like creativity and innovation will be natured.Ã‚ As a result, individuals can grow and always feel free to contribute to the organizational management. However, a group can force an individual to conform to its norms because of the following factors: Difficulty of the task, ambiguous situation, lack of information and identification purposes. First, when a group discovers that the job is tough, it can force a knowledgeable member to take the groupsÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ stand so that they cannot be judged as failures (Turner, 2005, p. 1-22). Secondly, an ambiguous situation may make a group to require its members to behave in the same way. Further, when a group lacks adequate information about a subject, it may force members to adopt one stand. Finally, a group can force a member to conform to the norms for identification purposes. Appearing different may portray a wrong image of the group. To sum up, organization strategy is a roadmap that guides the management about the organization priorities. The establishment of the right strategies and strict implementation increases the chances of business success. However, the effectiveness of the strategies depends on the administration structure and the support it has regarding the organization objectives. Besides, group conformity is real, and members conform because of various reason. Managers should thus, always focus on organization needs than following workers thought just to be accepted. Aronson, T. D.,Wilson, R. M., Akert, E. (2010). Social Psychology (7 ed.). Pearson.p. 99-120 Butler Jr., J.K. (2000). A global view of informal organization: Academy of Management Journal, 51, 3, 39-43. Breckler, S. J., Olson, J. M., & Wiggins, E. C. (2006). Social Psychology Alive. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, p.126 Carl W. Stern and Michael S. Deimler. (2006). The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: A collection of articles on strategy and management, p. 162-190 Eysenck, M. W. (2004). Psychology: An International Perspective. New York: Psychology Press, LTD, p.345-370 Griggs, R. A. (2015). "The Disappearance of Independence in Textbook Coverage of Asch's Social Pressure Experiments":Ã‚ Teaching of Psychology, 42 (2): 137. Haslam, S., Reicher, S.D., Platow, M. J. (2011). The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence and power. New York, NY: Psychology Press, 23-67 Lim, M., G. Griffiths, and S. Sambrook. (2010). Organizational structure for the twenty-first century: Presented the annual meeting of The Institute for Operations Research and The Management Sciences, Austin. Turner, J. C. (2005). "Explaining the nature of power: A three-process theory": European Journal of Social Psychology. 35: 1Ã¢â‚¬â€œ22. Yves Morieux & Peter T. (2014). Six Simple Rules: How to Manage plexity without Getting plicated, 87-100.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Indonesia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Indonesia - Research Paper Example Indonesia carves its identity as a nation through hundreds of years first as a strategic trade point for Indian and Arab traders, then as a land annexed in conquest with European colonization. Social issues divide the population at many points, for example, the place of women in the labor market, feminized labor, women's rights and prostitution, suffrage, dress, religious observance andÃ‚ politics. Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ The demographics of Indonesia inform on the population's race, religion, languages, and ages. Indonesia is a country of diverse ethnicities. Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese and Minangkabau represent some examples of these races. Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism are some recognized religions in Indonesia. The official languages of Indonesia are Bahasa IndonesiaÃ‚ and Javanese. From the national census in 2009, Indonesia reported a population totaling 240.3 million. The life expectancy for men is 67 years and the life expectancy for women is 72 years (U.S. Departm ent of State). Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Although not an Islamic state, more than 85 percent of Indonesia profess the Muslim faith. Islam has established deep roots in Indonesia since the 5th century in which Indian traders transferred their beliefs to the Indonesian Natives. The mixture of traditional religion with Islam produced a syncretistic version of Islam such that Indonesian Muslims retain certain doctrines of animism. Although there were a few attempts to implement shariah law within the national constitution of Indonesia, Indonesia remains a democratic, liberal and secular state where adherents of different religions can freely practice religion according to their consciences. However, a few guerrilla extremist Islamic groups exist in Indonesia that continue to fight for a stricter Islamist state, so that constitutional laws would be subject to shariah law. Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ The political history of Indonesia is wide and rife with conflict, conquest and colonialism. Be tween the 7th and 14th century A.D., the Indonesian island of Sumatra enjoyed the flourishing of a Buddhist-centered empire called Srivijaya. This kingdom spread far and wide to encompass a vast region including West Java and the Malay Peninsula. In the thirteenth century, the Mataram dynasty began as a small kingdom in central Java. The chronicles of Mataram indicate it was a pro-Islamic state which encouraged preservation of traditional animism.Ã‚ The fourteenth century marked the introduction of another Hindu-based empire named Majapahit. Majapahit lasted about two centuries until the 1600s when the Dutch began a campaign of colonization. The broken kingdom and divided islands facilitated conquest. Soekarno/Sukarno ne Kusno Sosrodihardjo is the mastermind behind Pancasila. He emerged as Indonesia's first president after the declaration of independence and reigned as President until 1967. The end of WWII marked the end of colonialism for Indonesia since Japan occupied and gained control of government for three years between 1942-1945. After Sukarno renounced power, one of Sukarno's military generals, Suharto, rose to command presidential authority. Suharto is noted to have played a great role in the extensive bloodshed of 150,000-500,000 alleged communists in 1966. Contrary to his predecessor, Suharto's tenure ushered in a "New Order." He put in place new policies to further develop the infrastructure of Indonesia.Ã‚ After successive re-election terms, President Suharto

Future of Print media and impact of online journalism in the UK Dissertation

Future of Print media and impact of online journalism in the UK - Dissertation Example This essay discusses that in the modern world online sources of media and entertainment has been highly significant in respect to development of the process of spreading news and information across countries. Although popularity of hard copies of newspapers are still at very high level, large section of people in the world are investing significant time of their daily routine in reading newspapers online. In the United Kingdom, large number of people is shifting their choice towards reading online newspapers. The habit of reading online newspapers is also helping professionals and students to increase their knowledge about what is happening at present all over the world. Improvements in technology are also encouraging people to use online sources of media and news in comparison with hard copies of newspapers. Hence, newspaper companies are also shifting their production structure away from hard copies of newspapers. This shift in the production process is increasing the profit earnin g ability of business organisations and is also reducing the time required by newspaper readers in respect to spending time in other works. Also the increased share of the total market consisting of newspaper readers is also getting reduced in the UK at slow speed. Online journalism is considered as one of the most important concepts in modern system of spreading knowledge and information and updating news across the globe. In modern system of journalism, online journalism is the most crucial concept essentially popularised for speed and efficiency. In businesses where

What lead Orestes Brownson to coin the term Manifest Destiny Research Paper

What lead Orestes Brownson to coin the term Manifest Destiny - Research Paper Example Orestes Brownson, is considered to be a founding father of one Ã¢â‚¬Å"school of thoughtÃ¢â‚¬ , as he declared out of all of the states of the Western Hemisphere, the America only had a Ã¢â‚¬Å"destiny.Ã¢â‚¬ This meant that America as he saw it had been chosen to do marvellous things in the history of humanity. Thus, the Manifest Destiny concept is based on the idea that America had a divine providence. However, there were concerns that were cropping up, which seemed to challenge this notion and slavery was the main issue. It raised issues on whether they should be allowed into the territories and the impact it could have on America being the divine destiny. Various aspects such as that of George Bancroft, of The American Republic stipulates that the state originates in man's social nature and derives its rights, not from consent or agreement of individuals, or the surrender of the rights of individuals, but, under God, from society itself, and therefore has for its mission to prote ct and defend the rights on one hand of society, and an individual. There is no society without individuals, but there are no individuals without society George Bancroft (1866). George (1866), continues to state that Orestes, though believing in theme of society, he had difficulty with this concept of the "people" as it was not always clear who the people" were, or who were to be recognized as their legitimate or illegitimate spokesmen. George (1866) continues to state that, there was unease of an apotheosis of a people that was together, which was the origin of "socialism." George states that as, Ã¢â‚¬Å"...for if the society, were great or supreme in the best sense, the final court of questions, assertion of individual liberty in the face of the democratic nation would not exist.Ã¢â‚¬ On America as a Nation, Orestes Brownson believed that Countries can be viewed as individuals from a big picture or scale, have life, sense of individuality, reason, a mind of their own and same law that govern development and growth or even decay as a person. Moreover, a nation had to know itself, understand why it exists, power that it has faculties, rights and destiny. This meant that a nation provided sub-categories, that made it whole. The Mission of the nation, according to Orestes, meant that: Ã¢â‚¬Å"Every living nation has an idea given it by Providence to realize, and whose realization is its special work, mission, or destiny. Every nation is, is some sense, a chosen people of God. It mean that the Jews were considered to be the the chosen people of God, from whom the tradition were to remain until the messiah came back. History did not save its mission, and as far as they are known, they have contributed to the development or issues such as corruption of religion and civilization. Despotism is barbaric and abnormal.Ã¢â‚¬ Orestesbrownson online (2009). Another issue that Orestes found necessary for the nation to be a manifest destiny was the need to understand the c onstitution. This was because the constitution of America being defective. He argued that if the states that had slaves was as a simple agreement, then they would never prosper. However, the issue was How to assert union, without there being consolidation and state rights without disintegration. Moreover, the nation had to have a nature for it to be a government. He believed that; The nature or essence of government is to govern. A government that does not govern is simply no government at all. If it has not the ability to govern and governs not it may be an agency, an instrument in the hands of individuals for advancing their private interests, but it is not government. To be government it must govern both individuals and the community. If it is a

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Globalizations affect the labour of North America Essay

Globalizations affect the labour of North America - Essay Example Manzella says "offshoring created 90,000 new IT jobs in the United States. in 2003". American companies have become more profitable and globally competitive because of low cost labor from overseas. Two-thirds of the economic benefits, such as monetary savings generated from hiring employees overseas are reinvested. It is not all about cheap labor. While low skilled jobs are often sent overseas, professionals will be in great demand over the next decade. There will be a need for architects, accountants, commercial/industrial designers and paralegals by as much as 29%. Even low end jobs such as customer service representatives will increase by 24% by 2012. As North American companies pursue the global market in an effort to make a profit, they have to focus on product design, branding strategies, productivity and respond to customers' needs. (Francis-Smith, 2005). Globalization represents a commitment and desire to create a better future. It conveys optimism, and offers endless possibilities for growth, renewal, and revitalization for every all involved. It brings a sense of connectivity, interdependence, and integration in the global community. Extending benefits and responsibilities on a global scale, it provides commonalities without overlooking differences. Globalization gives a company the ability to conduct business across borders in an open market, maximizing organizational benefits without causing social damage by violating the human rights of other cultures (Ali, 2001). The United Parcel Service (UPS) has seen global profits. The company has taken advantage of globalization with its purchase of the British carrier Lynx Express for $96.5 million and has established domestic services in China. As a result, last year UPS's net profit of $986 million has shown strength in all phases of the company's expanding empire. It is not only UPS but numerous American companies are able to reap huge profits due to the enormous cost savings. Companies can save by reducing their capital investment requirements, lowering the cost of parts and components, thereby achieving unprecedented economies of scales, and benefit from government incentives (Stalk, 2004). Providing the most saving, labor costs, contributes to about 60% of the total cost advantage. For example, a worker in the United States normally cost $15 to $30 per hour while a worker in China earns less than a $1 per hour. What a savings! An English speaking Indian employee typically costs 50%-60% less than the United States employee. An accountant in the United States might cost a business $26 to $30 per hour while a qualified accountant would only cost $10-$12 per hour in India. Low capital investment cost account for a 25% cost advantage. Though not much, every cent saved increases a company's profits. For instance, the costs to build and provide equipment for a factory in China would be much less than in the U.S. Reported savings are as much as 60%-70% because to build a factory in the United States would cost $50 million while in a low cost country it would only cost $15-$20 million. Such savings gives a company the ability to recover its investment quicker, and increase its capability for growth. Product design is another source

I'll attach it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I'll attach it - Essay Example instances that for these parties will come to a form of settlement; third parties are needed to ensure that there would be a mutual agreement on the standing issues that resulted into the war. The Middle East has been the region seemed to be plagued by wars and conflicts from the latter part of the 20th century up to the time this paper is being written. Other countries, like the United States of America had tried to their utmost capability to aid in situations that seemed to be pointless and either parties or countries involved in the war are fighting a losing cause. This is not the first and only conflict that the USA tried to give a helping hand. Also, the USA also had their hands dirty against other countries that might be using excessive power against the other. USA seemed to be acting like the big brothers of smaller countries especially those who belong to the third world. As constant as change, the countries involved in wars also changes side. Those countries that might be allies for a certain point in time would be the ones involved in another in a not so distant future. An example would be USA and the faction that was led by Osama Bin Laden. Who would have thought that these two parties would end up killing each otherÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s member? America once fought with Bin Laden against the Soviet Union in the past century. As change took its course, America once again had its hands dirty against the Bin Laden-led organization. Hundreds were killed from both parties, even Bin Laden himself. As Ronald Reagan put it into words, the people including the group of Bin Laden are the brothers of American people. This instance is not the first in the stories heard by many that brothers killed their own brother. The usual reason why a person can commit such crime is envy. There are countless reasons why conflicts and war would start. An example is the Middle East. This region is dominated by Arab countries with the exception of a few, few being one or two countries that are

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

What lead Orestes Brownson to coin the term Manifest Destiny Research Paper

I'll attach it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Psychology Research Essay Example for Free

Psychology Research Essay What are the main points of both articles? Anxiety Disorder: Panic Attacks. It can happen anytime, anywhere. Unexpectedly, out of the blue, your heart starts to speed up, your face goes red and you go through shortness of breath. One feels dizzy, nauseated and out of control. A number of people even think like theyre dying. Such may be a person experiencing a panic attack Ã¢â‚¬â€ a sudden occurrence of powerful fear that induces grave physical reactions in the body (Campbell, 2002). Several people, believing theyre having a heart attack, go to the emergency room. Others try to disregard the signs and symptoms, not comprehending that theyre experiencing a panic attack. A lot of women than men are disturbed by panic attacks. One-month prevalence estimates for women are 0.7% versus 0.3% for men (i.e., women are more likely to be affected than men by a 2- to 3-fold factor) (Daniels et al, 2006). And some people are experiencing frequent panic attacks, a condition known as panic disorder. Panic Anxiety Disorder starts most often when people are 20-30 years old. It activates less often in teenagers or persons in their forties. It is unusual for the disorder to emerge in the elderly for the initial time. Though panic attacks were once set aside as nerves or stress, theyre now documented as a potentially immobilizing, but treatable health condition. An assortment of approaches, together with medications, therapy and relaxation methods, can help one manage or prevent panic attacks (Wilson, 2005). Article #2: Children with Anxiety Disorder. Life is not easy for children these days. The fact that many adults suffer from mental illness of different kinds is enough to make people realize that children are even more susceptible to the same disease. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s only good that a lot of breakthroughs are made especially in the area and study of mental illness. This study is even more significant in the light of the film Ordinary People, which has captured audiences worldwide decades ago. Precisely because the characters depict the Ã¢â‚¬Å"ordinarinessÃ¢â‚¬ of each person and how representative they are to the masses, made this film a hit during its time. Ordinary People presents how malfunctioning individuals are as they go through each of their lives with the burden of mental illness. The role of the mother in the film shows someone who has personality disorder, specifically dissociative disorder, while the spouse and father as having generalized anxiety disorder; and their son Conrad, as suffering with PTSD or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Mental health experts describe the illness through its signs and symptoms. It is typified by children experiencing severe fear Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a powerful worry or the uneasiness that run or last for periods of time ((http://www.nimh.nih.gov). When children sufferers are not treated, symptoms like these will present themselves through poor performance in academics, inability to relate with other children, low self-esteem, the use and abuse of illegal drugs including alcohol, and even anxiety disorder in adulthood (http://www.nimh.nih.gov). Ã‚ Mental health experts describe the illness through its signs and symptoms. It is typified by children experiencing severe fear Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a powerful worry or the uneasiness that run or last for periods of time ((http://www.nimh.nih.gov). When children sufferers are not treated, symptoms like these will present themselves through poor performance in academics, inability to relate with other children, low self-esteem, the use and abuse of illegal drugs including alcohol, and even anxiety disorder in adulthood (http://www.nimh.nih.gov). This mental health problem usually runs in families. Oftentimes, the disorder appears alongside other physical and mental health problems; substance abuse, like alcohol, usually comes along (http://www.nimh.nih.gov) with it. Anxiety disorder manifests in different forms: 1.) Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, 2.) Phobias, 3.) Separation Anxiety Disorder, 4.) Panic Disorder, 5.)OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and 6.) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Source: US Dept of Health, 1999 in http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/). 2. What are the similarities and/or differences? Similarities come in the form of the disordersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ signs and symptoms which include physical distress with Rapid heart rate , sweating, trembling , shortness of breath and hyperventilation, chills, hot flashes, nausea, abdominal cramping, chest pain, headache, dizziness, faintness, tightness in your throat, trouble swallowing, a sense of impending death . Other health problems Ã¢â‚¬â€ such as an impending heart attack, an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or drug withdrawal Ã¢â‚¬â€ can cause similar signs and symptoms. Individuals who experience panic attacks often are affected by other mental health conditions, including depression, fear of public places (agoraphobia) and social phobia (http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1725.htm). What experiences have you had that relate to the topic or what have you learned in prior courses? Researchers are not certain what bring about panic attacks. Heredity, stress and certain biochemical factors may play a part. A personÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s chance of having panic attacks increases if she/he has a close family member who has had them. Numerous researchers think the bodys natural fight-or-flight reaction to danger is involved. For instance, if a snarling dog came after a child, his/her body would react automatically. The heart rate and breathing would race as the body readies itself for a life-threatening situation. A lot of the same responses take place in a panic attack. No noticeable stressor is nearby, but something trips the bodys alarm system. Persons having Panic attacks are no more likely than the average American to have suffered from emotional problems at the time the disorder begins (Wilson, 2005). How does your view point relate to the topics?) Definitely, I agree from personal observation that these panic attacks and /or anxiety disorder though present only in the mind, Ã¢â‚¬Å"effectivelyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ renders a person Ã¢â‚¬Å"paralyzedÃ¢â‚¬ no matter his intelligence, status and persuasion in life. Imagine this picture: after months or years of incessant panic attacks and the constrained lifestyle produced by the distinctive avoidance behavior, the sufferer may develop into a demoralized and psychologically or physically depressed person. In addition, some sufferers resort to alcohol in an effort to self medicate or to reduce the sign and symptoms of the disorder. This significantly causes difficulties to the individuals life and ability to seek suitable treatment. Unfortunately, one out of every five untreated sufferers attempts to end his or her life, not at all comprehending that there was chance for changes and treatment (Wilson, 2005). As in the film as mentioned, it is interesting to note that despite such a troubled family, Conrad emerged to be someone who has conquered the odds in his life. The loss of a brother and its effects on him, being around with parents who exhibit a variety of symptoms that they themselves are also suffering, these things could have been too much for him or for anybody for that matter. PTSD and other anxiety disorder sub-categories are very interesting types of mental health problems because of their prevalence Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and in spite of that, still, many people most of the times, ignore the fact that they might be sufferers. Just as in the case of Conrad, ordinary people Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the most common among the populace Ã¢â‚¬â€œ are actually beset with extremely upsetting events and are left to themselves to cope as each day comes. Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ To end, this study from researchers Craske et al shows the hope for sufferers: Ã¢â‚¬Å"With practice and encouragement or persuasion from the therapist the patient learns to reinterpret internal sensations from signals of loss of control and panic to cues that are intrinsically harmless and can be controlled with certain skills. The intentional creation of these signs by the client, coupled with success in coping with them, reduces their unpredictability and changes their meaning for the clientÃ¢â‚¬ (Craske, Maidenbberg, Bystritsky, 1995). Reference: For Children with Anxiety Disorder: Campbell, Nancy M. Panic disorder. Mankato, MN: LifeMatters, [2002].Ã‚ 616.85 DYI VT Craske, MG; MAidenberg, E Bystritsky A (1995). Brief Cogntive-behavioral versus nondirective therapy for panic disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy Experimental Psychiatry ; 26, 113-120. Giacobello, John. Everything you need to know about anxiety and panic attacks. New York: Rosen, [2000]. Daniels C., Yerkes S., Bureau of Naval Personnel emedicine.2006. Wilson, Reid D., DonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t Panic: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks The Revised Edition Of: Harper Perennial ISBN# 0-06-095160-5. For panic Attacks Article: Davison, Gerald C., Neale, John 2001, Abnormal Psychology, Eighth Ed., John Wiley Sons, Inc. New York. National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) accessed in the Internet February 20, 2007 http://www.nimh.nih.gov. Surgeon general accessed in the internet February 20, 2007 http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec6.html.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Independent Electoral Commission in South Africa

Independent Electoral Commission in South Africa Introduction The Independent Electoral Commission is a permanent body established by the countryÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s constitution to promote and organize a well democracy election in a Country. This particular essay will be based on South Africa Independent Electoral Commission and how the management of the organization will perform, Will focus on the challenges that the management of Independent Electoral commission might come across to manage during this forthcoming election. The Independent Electoral Commission was temporary established in 1993 and has five administrators appointed by the president. The president is brief to deliver a free and fair election at all the spheres of government both provincial and local. In 17 of October 1996 the permanent Electoral Commission was established with objectives to maintain and compile the votersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ roll. The Independent Electoral Commission is responsible for counting the vote, verifying, and declaring the results of an election. Functions of the Independent Electoral Commission: Maintaining and compiling a register of parties Promote conditions for free and fair elections. undertaking and promoting research into electoral matters The Independent Electoral Commission ensure that elections run smoothly To manage elections at all spheres of government The Independent Electoral Commission ensure elections are free and fair To promote voter education To maintain quality database of the electorate To be a reputable effective organization Now let take a look at some values that Independent Electoral Commission has. Some VALUES that the IEC possess: Accountability: The Independent Electoral Commission is responsible for the efficient use of resources, production of true election related documents like voterÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s rolls and reports. Publish accurate election results. Now in terms of productivity, The Independent Electoral Commission must all provide quality services Productivity: Timeously Satisfactorily Cost effectively Independence: The Independent Electoral Commission takes decisions without fear and liking of a particular party. Impartiality: The Independent Electoral Commission must always be neutral when serving the country during election. Professionalism: The Independent Electoral Commission organizes its business within the confines of the legal. Commitment: The Independent Electoral Commission is committed to fulfill the needs of the election to the best of its abilities. Transparency: The Independent Electoral Commission believes that the must be a free and fair competition between political parties and transparent electoral processes. The Independent Electoral Commission only gets active after every 5 years of the election cycle whereby the have to start organizing and prepare for another election year. The forthcoming election will be held in 7 of May 2014 and the question to ask will be if the Independent Electoral Commission management is ready to run the election smoothly and ready to face all the challenges that come along. All organizations need time to plan and manage the event and the election is one of the biggest events and it draws the attention of many. Management will face many challenges that the organization will come across, therefore the Independent Electoral Commission must be ready beforehand. The following are some of the management sectors of the Independent Electoral Commission and some challenges this sectors might come across to during election period. The financial function The Human Resource function The Information Technology function Financial Function The Independent Electoral Commission receives financial support from parliamentary appropriations according to the Electoral Act 51. The Independent Electoral Commission Chief is the accounting officer and is responsible for keeping all the accounting and financial record. The Independent Electoral Commission Chief makes sure that both accounting and financial records are audited by the Auditor General. The Independent Electoral Commission finance department is one of the biggest, but one of most challenging departments to manage during this period and with the country being financially challenged this makes it even more daunting task. With Independent Electoral Commission only getting active during election time, that might affect the finance department not being more prepared due to lack of well preparation time, not everything will run smoothly financially but with good planning the Independent Electoral Commission can face these issues. Let have look on some financial points: Financial Planning The Independent Electoral Commission management needs to ensure that enough funding is available at the right time to meet the entire requirement needed during the election time. The funding may be needed to invest in equipment that will be needed during election, pay employees, but with the Independent Electoral Commission being significantly active only during the election time this will lead to some issues on how to plan financially without considering how much will be needed to spend on all the assets. On the financial planning side the Independent Electoral Commission will face some issues like on registration of new voters which cannot be planned by focusing on the previous election. New voters have to get registered so that the Independent Electoral Commission can financially plan well in advance about the number of voting stations and where they should be situated. Financial Control The Financial Control for the Independent Electoral Commission as an organization is very important to help the organization to ensure that the Election preparation meet its objectives. Financial Decision-making The Independent Electoral Commission can plan to a certain extent on how much funds the organization would need for the forthcoming election, the amount of fund needed cannot be well decided as there are always financing alternatives that can be consider as we approach the election day. Human Resource functions The Human resource management in the Independent Electoral Commission organization is primarily concerned with the way people are managed within the organization policies system. The Human resources are responsible for some activities in the organization, activities such as recruitment, training and development etcÃ¢â‚¬ ¦ The functions that Independent Electoral Commission human resources carries: Manpower Planning This particular point include the future planning and finding out the numbers of employees will be needed during the Election Day and what types of skills should the employee have. The Independent Electoral Commission Human resources management having to start getting active only during the election period this will have some challenges by recruiting the correct staff prior to the Election Day. Recruitment The Independent Electoral Commission Human resources must make sure to recruit the best people for the organization during the election. This will be of great significance as the success of the organization will be based on the quality of employees recruited. The Independent Electoral Commission human resources still busy recruiting employee two weeks before the Election Day. This will prove how the recruitment and selection in this department, they will definitely face some few challenges to manage the employees and to do a well prepared selection of candidates needed to assist the voters on the election day. Training The Independent Electoral Commission Human resource department must provide the required training to the employees of the organization, in order to improve on the materials being used during the election days and to be well prepared to assist voters regards to any queries that comes along on the day. The Independent Electoral Commission Human resource has less time to recruit the well skilled employees. This will have influences on the Election Day when it comes to assisting the voters with any queries. Employees that are being placed two days or a week before the election without being well trained, this can cause some problems on that day of the election. Implementing policies in The Organization The Independent Electoral Commission Human resource department must make sure that the organization policies are being implemented in a good manner. The Independent Electoral Commission having to recruit some of the employees at the latest stage of the Election period, and these employees will have some difficulties on how to implement the organizations policies and some of the rules thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s needed during the election. The Information Technology function The IEC Information technology department has the responsibility of dealing with all the issues regarding the technological side during the election. The objective of Information Technology department in the Independent Electoral Commission is to provide all the technical support to the whole organization. The department is responsible for all the materials running on the election that includes the setting up of voting stations in all the areas needed, installing telecommunication facilities and setting up all the hardware needed to link each and every voting station. The Independent Electoral Commission however will face some issues during the Election Day due to lack of preparation on the Information Technology department, having to install and do all the setup needed on that day. Some function of the Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management during the election and some issue that the organization might face due to lack of time. Helpdesk The helpdesk side of the organization will be responsible to respond to request for technical assistance in person, and via the phone or remotely. Employees have to be computer literate with the devices they are going to use, but with the recruitment still in progress few days before election, employees might struggle with some programs that Independent Electoral Commission uses because of lack of well training time on the materials. Desktop and LAN To perform analysis, diagnosis, and resolution of desktop and LAN problems for end users. The Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management will collaborate with network and systems administrator to ensure efficient operation of desktop computing environment during the election. The Independent Electoral Commission only getting active during the election, the organization will face some issues on how the department will install, configure, test, maintain, and monitor workstations, LAN assets, related hardware and software in order to deliver required services on the Election Day. Information Technology Site Management The Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management is responsible for providing support to ensure that voters are all satisfy on the Election Day. The department is also responsible for all desktop support and maintenance related to local area hardware and LAN software. Within fewer weeks to go to the Election Day, the Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management will have to work under pressure to make sure that all the materials run and work smoothly. The Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management will face some challenges on how to handle more than 100 voting station plus the employee that will need some training on the materials being used so that everything can run smoothly regards to the Technical materials, hardware and software side thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s needed before the election day. Systems Security Administration The Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management are responsible for the processes during election by providing appropriate access to and ensuring the availability, confidentiality and integrity of the organization. The Information Technology management is responsible for managing and supervising the execution and use of security measures to protect the Information Technology resources and data during the Election Day. The Independent Electoral Commission recruitment for employees still on the process within few weeks to go to the Election Day and this can have some issues on the security side of the organization. Employing staff two days or week before the Election Day without being well trained on how to respect the integrity of the organization as well as the election itself. Conclusion Over the past 20 years the Independent Electoral Commission has had various challenges to deal with from taking South Africa into a democracy and now in to its bright future. In the past the Independent Electoral Commission dealt with many violent incidences during election times, now we are moving towards out 5th Election and judging from the past it seems like South African citizenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s or voters are not fighting but rather working at making South Africa a better place. Many people are becoming more and more proactive at their in respective political parties. The Independent Electoral Commission can be thanked for this, as it is today there are so many political parties running in the election. This is very interesting to see how the country develops and how the Independent Electoral Commission deals with a new kind of challenge by dealing with all the new parties and the more people interested in voting. In conclusion, to produce a successful Election it demand more preparation based on the various department in the Independent Electoral Commission organization. The Independent Electoral Commission in order to produce a well organize Election, they will need to be more prepare in all departments in advanced, so that they can face less issues as we closer to the Election Day, on the Election Day and during the counting of the votes.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Scepticism Inc :: essays research papers

Edgar Malroy would be considered a hero to readers of Scepticism Inc. Edgar literally took money from the rich churches and gave to the poor. This Robin Hood image brings Edgar to the spotlight as a champion of sorts and the reader ends up rooting for him throughout the story. The means by which Edgar took the money was, on the surface, legitimate. However, the bet could never be won and the emotions of the betters influenced their decision-making abilities. Can a person taking a wager, in good conscience, accept this bet when no definitive outcome can be reached? Is it allowable for Edgar to take this money, knowing that it could never be won back, and then use it for good purposes? The churches that are placing the bets appear to be the foolish victims. The reader does not necessarily feel sorry for them though. Through our own experiences, the churches take tithing from its congregation supposedly to support the routine maintenance of the building, pay the salaries of the office staff, and support the meager lifestyle of the priest, reverend, father or head-guy-in-charge. Most Congregationalist do not ask where the excess goes, they do not have to ask, announcements are made weekly about the churchÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s good deeds and how they were able to feed and clothe the needy. Yet, these religious bodies are some of the wealthiest institutions in the world. Third world countries are thought to have the highest percentages of believers, and in the story they are. These people are also among the worldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s poorest and uneducated. These masses of struggling people weekly buy the lotto ticket that the church is selling. This lotto, salvation and heaven, can not ever be won, nor can the jackpot be proven to exist. Nor can the church prove that they are authorized lotto ticket distributors. They rely on the emotions and acceptance of their followers, and routinely ask them to give money to support their cause. They are taxing the poor and becoming more wealthy and powerful because of it. They even ask their Congregationalists to give them more money in order to place higher bets. Both Edgar and the religions of the world would fall under the same criticism from Clifford. Although the churches are giving their money to Edgar in proof of their unverifiable beliefs, and the churches sell redemption to their parishioners by convincing them that it is advantageous to give their money to the church.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Proteins Essay example -- science

Proteins Proteins are the macromolecules of life. Discovered in 1838, proteins are recognized as a large number of superior organic compounds that make up living organisms and are essential to their functioning. The term protein comes from the Greek word Ã¢â‚¬Å"proteiesÃ¢â‚¬ or Ã¢â‚¬Å"primaryÃ¢â‚¬ . Proteins have many different properties and function in a variety of ways. They can function as a building material, in teeth, bones and muscles, and they can serve as enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Its functions are the most diverse of any family. Whether found in humans, animals, plants or in single-celled bacteria, proteins are made of units of 20 different amino acids. Proteins consist of macromolecules called polypeptides, made from monomers called amino acids. Proteins have hundreds, thousands, or sometimes even millions of these amino acids. These amino acids are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur. Some proteins consist of only single polypeptides. In most cases it involves two or more combined polypeptides, sometimes with other small organic molecules or metal ions. The most basic level of protein structure, called the primary structure, is the linear sequence of amino acids. Different sequences of the acids along a chain, however, affect the structure of a protein molecule in different ways. ProteinÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s secondary structure often contains long stretched out chains of amino acids called strands that line up together to make sheets. These are called beta strands and the sheets are called beta-pleated sheets. A protein may contain either or both alpha helices and beta pleated sheets. Alpha helices and beta pleated sheets are joined by less clear structures often grouped together under the name of coil. Some small proteins may be made of coil. Shape is also important. Proteins are coiled and twisted, giving it a unique shape. The shape depends on the sequence of the amino acids, which can be hydrophilic or hydrophobic. Those that are hydrophilic want contact with water and will be twisted to maximize contact. Those that are hydrophobic are twisted in such a way to minimize contact. Changing one amino acid in the polypeptide sequence can destroy this shape and make the protein function improperly if not at all. A very important function that proteins can serve are to act as catalysts. Enzymes are organic catalysts ma... ... cells their shape and as well as parts of the linkages that stick cells together into tissues and organs. So, the sequence of amino acids in all proteins is genetically determined by the sequence of nucleotides in cellular DNA. So basically Proteins are basic constituents in all living organisms. They are complex molecules composed of amino acid and necessary for the chemical processes that occur in living organisms. Proteins are sometimes referred to as macromolecular polypeptides because they are very large molecules and because the amino acids of which they are composed are joined by peptide bonds. The vast majority of the proteins found in living organisms are composed of only 20 different kinds of amino acids, repeated many times and strung together in a particular order. Each type of protein has its own unique sequence of amino acids. Also each protein makes every living organism different. Bibliography: 1. Proteins, Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia, 1989 Volume 15, pg.576. 2. www.biotech.imcb.edu.com 3. http://www.faseb.org/protein.html 4. Ã¢â‚¬Å"ProteinsÃ¢â‚¬ . SceinceDaily.Ãƒ ¾2000 Ãƒ ¾www.sceincedaily.com 5. Ã¢â‚¬Å"ProteinsÃ¢â‚¬ . Britannica Online 2000 Ãƒ ¾www.britanncia.com

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