Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Macro-Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macro-Economics - Essay Example Aggregate demand is the economy-wide demand for goods and services by all economic agents and aggregate supply is the total goods and services produced. The macroeconomic model of aggregate demand and aggregate supply determines the relationship between aggregate price level and aggregate output in the short run as well as the long run through the interaction of all the markets (Mankiw, 2008). The aggregate demand curve, that is the relationship between AD and aggregate price level, is drawn for a given supply of money. It slopes downward since higher the price level, lower is the real money balances, on account of the Quantity Theory of Money, and so lower is the demand for goods and services. The aggregate supply curve is the relationship between total goods and services produced in the economy and the price level. The long run AS supply curve is vertical while, in the Keynesian macroeconomic model, the short run AS curve is horizontal since prices are assumed to be sticky in the short run. In the long run, changes in aggregate demand affect prices but in the short run, changes in aggregate demand affects output only. Keynes proposed that low aggregate demand is responsible for low income and high unemployment that characterize economic downturns. This is in contrast to the classical view that aggregate supply, depending on the supply of labor capital and technology, determines national income. To reconcile these two views, it is considered that in the long run, prices are flexible so that aggregate supply determines the national income while in the short run, prices are sticky so that aggregate demand determines national income (Mankiw, 2008). The IS-LM model of aggregate demand represents the interaction of the goods and money markets. The IS curve is a downward sloping relationship between rate of interest and output that is derived from the equilibrium in the goods market. Here, planned expenditure, given by the total of consumption, investment and government expenditure in the closed economy and in addition, net exports in the open economy, is equal to the actual expenditure, given by the total output. Consumption depends on the disposable income after paying taxes, investment on interest rates, through the loanable funds market, and exogenously given government expenditure and net exports. In the money market, the LM curve denotes the relationship between rate of interest and output such that real money supply is equal to the real money demand. Even though money supply and prices are exogenous in the short run, real money demand depends positively on output (through the quantity theory of money) and rate of interest (through the theory of liquidity preference). The intersection of the IS and LM curve gives the equilibrium rate of interest and output. Thus, the interaction of the money market, the goods market and the loanable funds market determines equilibrium output and rate of interest. This may or may not be equal to the full employment output which is achieved in the long run when prices are flexible (Mankiw, 2008). Role of Government Policies If the economy is producing less than full employment output at equilibrium, the government can increase output by either fiscal policy or monetary policy. Fiscal policies to

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effect of the Recession on Multinational Enterprises

Effect of the Recession on Multinational Enterprises Economic recession Is general slowdown of economic activity over a period of time that measured by Gross Product Domestic (GDP),recession is highly characterized by falling of investment spending, business decline, slow growth of new business high rate of unemployment.  [i]   Economic recession can be caused by widespread of drop in spending and investments, poor micro-economic policies, such as poor control of financial institutions such as banks, and other lender institutions as well as other economic variables During economic recession, many business profitability declines and other bankrupt due to lack markets for their products and services, many customers have inadequate money to buy these products and services. Economic recession also affect stock markets, where by share of the companies drops sharply and reduce confidence to investors Government revenues decline due to economic recession, hence government fails to provide social services and other future plans. Economic recession in one country can also affect others, in sense that recession has magnitude, many multinational companies operate more than one country, and hence impact in one county can have multiplier effects in other countries, many FDIs also will be affected E.g. economic recession which was hit USA in 2008/2009 which was contributed to united states housing bubble and subprime mortgage crisis, was affected not only in America but almost all over the world, many business affected with this recession, stock markets such as NYSE,LSTE, and other banks were bankrupted such as warner brothers.  [ii]   Impact of Economic Recession High rate of unemployment, recession can contribute to high rate of unemployment in sense that may company reduce number of staff in order to strive; in recession it leads to other problems, such as people who lack jobs may engage in criminals in order to survive. Recession may lead people to lack disposable income; and other fails to repay their loans hence many families are affected. Decline in productivity, where by many business profits falls, other firmà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s bankruptcy, hence and affect the whole financial system. Recession has negative impact due to decline of growth domestic produces (GDP) where by its affect economic as well social life. Many new businesses collapse, and hence fails to repay their loans banks. Recession can led to decline in living standard due to the fact people depend on wage and salaries, this can have negative impact on stability of families and individuals health and well-being Multinational Corporation (MNC) or transnational corporation, is an enterprise that manages production or delivered service in more than one country, multination cooperation has been achieved due to advancement in information technologies as well globalization, British is one of country which have many multination companies such British petroleum Vodafone, Virgin, Rynair as which operate within and outside the country, they are interested to operate in emerging economies such as India, china, Africa and Brazil British companies usually engaged in international business Acquire new markets, British multinational usually going international in order to search new markets for their products and services, many large firms flock to china, India, brazil and Africa due to growing of consumer purchasing power. Increasing sales, firms expand international so as to increase its market share hence being able to compete. Acquiring resources, large firms decided to go globally because to find resources so as to continue producing and ensure production cost can be controlled hence to able to pass benefit to customers. Cheap labor, due to growing of stiff competition in the markets, large firms fight to reduce production cost in order to earn profit, this led companies looking overseas areas where cheap labor is available. Global Strategies, many firms consider engaged in international business as strategies in order to survive in a stiff competition Growing consumer pressure, tastes and preferences of consumer has changed dynamic, income increase; consumer can be able to purchase luxurious products and services, growing income to emerging economies influence many firms to set their operation and respond to these markets The external environment is an essential element for the business to operate international due to the fact business do depend on external environment because and changes can have multiplier effect toward business, if the country policies towards economy are good and there is peace and security business will prosper as well as economy PESLTEL for British Multinational Enterprises are; Political British MNE they are highly interested to operate in where there high democracy and freedom of speech, and where there is a less government intervention towards business unless ità ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s breaking the abiding laws. Multinational Enterprise, interested operates in a country which there is peace and security, and that countries have diplomatic relation with other countries. Tax policy is well structured and can be predicted, this give opportunity for business to incorporate into their business, in a country where taxation policy is highly uncertainty many British MNE are not interested to invest in these countries Multinational enterprises interested to know all regulatory bodies governing trade, local and international business such competition laws, employment laws, Business ownership laws, health and safety laws, foreign and local trade regulatory, fair competition bodies as well as environment protection laws main objectives is to make sure the business running smooth. Economic British Multination enterprises are interested in invest in a country where a GDP is heading toward good direction, this is good conducive environment for growth of business Also British MNE prefer to engage in international business in a countries which their economies are growing and their citizen has disposable income in sense that this will provide market as well as access to raw material. British MNE prefer to invest in countries which have national comparative advantage, such as huge population as well as huge market, good climatically condition availability of natural resources such gas, oil and minerals. British MNE also interested to invest in a country which has efficient money supply low interest rate British MNE are highly consider types of economic system, preferred capitalism where by supply and demand is controlled by markets Multinational Enterprises interested to operate in countries which are not prone to recession and depression, due to the fact these affect companies profitability.. Technological factor Advancement in Information and telecommunication technologies (ICT) and innovation contribute for multination enterprises to participate in international business, technologies such as internet, teleconferencing, where company headquarters can have two ways communication with scattered branches around the world. Transport Innovation, development of maritime technology and existence of many airline companies, contribute MNE to engage in international business Transportation innovation, Development of maritime technology and existence of many airline companies in transportation system lead easier to fly around the world at competitive fares and conduct business. Many international companies inject huge sum of capital in research and development to come up with a newer, better and innovative products due to increase of competition among international companies as well growing of consumer pressure due to increase in of income Social factors Multinational enterprises interested to operate in country which there is large population, hence be a market of the products and services provided by these multinational companies, many multinational companies interested to operate in china, India and most of African countries due to large population. Due to powerful economies of western countries and globalization, social culture and life style affects other societies, such as Africans and Asian societies adopt a western culture, and hence create opportunity for MNE to engage in international business Ansoff Matrix Model Source; tuitor2u.net Ansoff Matrix Model is one strategic tools objectives, and most well-known framework for deciding upon strategies for growth, the firms which attempts to grow depend on wither its market to a new or existing products or in a new or existing markets Market Penetration is when a firm decides to market existing products to its customer, the aim is to maintain or increase market share to the existing products to customers and increase usage of existing customers Strategies such as, competitive pricing strategy, advertising, sales promotion and also personal selling as well as aggressive promotional campaign and led market to be unattractive for competitors. Market Development, Is when firm decide to sell its existing product into new market, firm can implement this strategy by, by moving into new geographical areas such as exporting to a new country, new product dimension or packaging, new distribution channel or different pricing strategies which can attract new customer. Products Development, is the growth strategy where by firm introduce new products into existing markets, strategies such as upgrading which can appeal to existing markets Diversification, is the growth strategy where by firms decide to market new products to a new markets, diversification can relate or unrelated depending with company policies. Strategies to execute in recession period In period of Economic Recession many multinational enterprises should review their growth strategies, due recession which affect the prosperity their business, By using Ansoff Matrix Model as strategic tools for growth, Multinational Enterprise can adopt this in survive. The first strategy should be execute for multinational companies in a recession period is cut operation cost and reaming with core business in order to survive The appropriate strategy, which Multinational Enterprise can execute, is by market development strategy, where by firm can decide to shut down their operations in countries which affected with recession due to the fact recession affect purchasing power, hence people fails to buys products and services, firms can decide to operate in countries which economy is growing. Other Strategies which can be adopted by the Multinational enterprises is diversification strategy where by firms can decide to market new products to a new markets, a Multination company can decide to diversity their business and start new business e.g. electricity firm can decide to enter into hotel business but there is lot of risk to be considered before making decision to diversify Multinational Enterprises can decide to diversify their operation into new emerging market, and which are not affected with recession, countries such as china, India and Brazil. Globalization is the broadening set of interdependent relationships among people from different parts of a worlds thatà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s to be divided into nations, the growth of globalization has accelerated due to advancement in information and telecommunication technologies such as internet, teleconferencing, Enterprise resource planning (ERPs),Knowledge management (KM), Customer relationship Management (CRM). I do agree that the benefit of new technologies will off-set the in investment in RD. in one perspective but in other circumstances new technologies might increase investment in RD, this can argued as follows. New technologies help multinational companies; to reduce cost as well as time which were previously invested in RD due to the fact the time taken to come up with the new product is essential due to competition among multinational companies Development of new application software, such has designing and drawings software, CAD, 3Ds helps companies to design a products which meets customers taste and preferences to customer across the world. Internet technologies help multinational companies to advertise and sell their products and services on line around where it can reach many customers at a low cost. Internet technologies also helps RD departments in multinational companies to get instant review about their products, such as how customer perceive that products, their weaknesses. This feedback helps companies to come with the newer and innovative products in the market. In other circumstances new technologies in RD contribute to increasing competition to multinational companies, due to the fact barriers for entry become low, companies now days can but these technologies on shelves and entering into business. Despite of new technology, in RD, the competition become stiff, due to emerging economies such as china, India have decide to engaged in international business. New technologies helps to reduce investment in RD but also create new challenges due to the fact many small emerging companies used technology as strategy to engage in international business, and create stiff competition.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Character of Prospero in Shakespeares The Tempest :: Tempest essays

Tempest Character Analysis  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare's last play The Tempest is a story about Prospero (the rightful duke of Milan). He is betrayed by his brother Antonio and left on a ship with his daughter Miranda to die. Only things are not going according to plan and Prospero and Miranda arrive on an island. Prospero is seeking his revenge. Coming back from a wedding in Africa a ship containing Prosperos enemies is attacked by the tempest and scatters its passengers about the island. Prospero exhibits three major character traits: forcefulness, protectiveness and forgiveness. Prospero is a very powerful person and using his spell books he is able to conjure up some mighty magic. Possibly the most powerful thing he controls is Ariel (a spirit). An example of this is when Prospero says "Hast thou, spirit, Preformed to point, the tempest I bade thee".(718) Ariel had the power to create a great sea storm and Prospero had the power to control Ariel which gave him great power. Another reason why Prospero is powerful is because of his knowledge of Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculos plot to kill the king. So when Prospero reclaims his place in Milan again he'll have some mighty blackmail just incase he needs any favors or they try any thing stupid. This way they'll think twice before going against Prospero. Especially considering that Miranda will become queen. These are the reasons why Prospero is powerful. Prospero is protective of those who are close to him especially Miranda. Throughout The Tempest Prospero slowly makes sure Ferdinands and Mirandas love wont faid quickly. Prospero even called Ferdinand a traitor just to make Miranda seem harder to get. This way the couple wouldn't become a lost cause. When Prospero says "They are both in either's powers. But this swift business I must uneasy make lest too light winning make the prize light" (726) he is revealing his true plan to Ariel that he wants to make Miranda harder to get. This is because Prospero feels their love will be stronger if it is harder to obtain. Prospero is also protective when he says "the strongest oaths are straw to th' fire I' th' blood"(764) this was said to Ferdinand after Prospero makes him promise not to have sex with Miranda before they are married. He is stunned to see that after his promise Ferdinand is playing around with Miranda.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

American Culture and Women

The fact that American culture positively recognizes single motherhood and not single fatherhood is wrong and in my opinion untrue. Single mothers do not in any circumstance have an advantage over single fathers. Especially in today’s society, when there are a lot of stay-at-home fathers, due to the economic recession, and the divorce rate being higher than ever this gives fathers an equal opportunity to be the primary caregiver in the child’s upbringing.Most Americans positively recognize single motherhood and not single fatherhood. The question I would ask those people is, â€Å"Have you been raised by a single father? † Most likely the answer will be no. Those individuals probably were raised in a dual parent environment and don’t even know what it’s like to be raised by a single parent. I would then proceed to tell them that single fathers have the same ability as mothers to raise quality sons or daughters. There truly is no so called â€Å"adv antage† when it comes to parenting.There is a wide range of skills required in raising a child, from codling them as small infants to disciplining them as adolescents. Either parent, mother or father, can posses those skills, who’s to say a mother is better at coddling and a father is better at disciplining. Single parents, whether a mother or a father can have the qualities needed to raise a confident, well-mannered, and respectful child. Neither one has an advantage over the other, they are both equal. If either one is willing to put the effort into being a parent then they should be successful.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Public accountability Essay

Do you support that Public accountability an erosion under the current mode of governance and market-oriented reforms? Why or why not? Elaborate your answer with examples on operationalization of public accountability in the current context. There are various moral problems that have faced civil servants in their daily work such as the difficulty of having to meet the requirements of the Government and citizens at the same time; distinguish between discretionary and arbitrary; the temptation of using the position as a function of their own benefits; the asymmetry between the administration and the citizens; the excessive bureaucracy and the lack of transparency, among others. Hence the need to create a environment where it be present more transparency paying continuous attention to building a righteous human behaviour because public accountability is a continuous activity, not an ideal state to be achieved. Consequently, accountability is vital because it’s central theme the i dea of ​​service and therefore is a key factor to improve the quality of public administration through the honest, efficient, objective and upright conduct of officials in management of public affairs. The transparency carries with it elements that citizens share, regardless of their religious beliefs, their family relationships, their profession, their  craft; common elements which help society to live in harmony according to principles of justice, freedom, equality and solidarity in order to make human relations more satisfying. When the transparency is applied and implemented in the public service is called Public Liability, also called accountability. The idea that accountability is linked to run the society as an active part of the state in which the information is flowing both upwards and downwards and thus be able make real use of social control. It is clear that, transparency and accountability become characteristic and distinctive governance aspects by themselves in public administration, however they also become markers of socially responsible behaviour with other aspects, this is why it is important not to considered transparency and accountability synonyms as social responsibility, since the previous ones are an expression of a specific aspect of the management process and decision-making of an organization (the evaluation and control for example), whereas the social responsibility should embrace and transcend all phases and activities of the management of an organization. In the present times, there is an increasing conviction that accountability is an important activity for organizations to develop confidence and legitimacy with other social actors, which relates within their own field. This belief has several origin some of them are conceptual, because accountability is part of a framework of values ​​th at play on the notion of democracy. Accountability is also associated with the necessary transparency in which public services must perform towards the citizens, particularly to the access of information, but it also to the results achieved by public institutions in the fulfilment of their mission, consequently, the creation of institutional mechanisms to control and social supervision as an institutionalized practice related to the democratic accountability of public management implies the existence of political and administrative systems with a high degree of political legitimacy and administrative efficiency. However, the action of accountability is not effective by itself. If there is no an active and vigilant civil society to be vigilant and report anything incorrect behaviour, which is why the public services should promote engagement and citizen control reducing the costs of such activity by strengthening citizen participation in the procedures for the development of dispositions of general character, expanding the participation of representatives from civil society on management boards of  organizations and public agencies, to effectively ensure accessing to the records and public archives by concerned citizens, open to the public meetings for public decision making, boost customer surveys of public services, developing systems such as random selection of citizens to participate in discussions on specific procedures. Accountability does not only relate to control, to motivate and to convince, but is a concept related to better management and guidance for organizations. Accountabili ty can be used for to manage, to guide and control more effectively the institution. The incorporation of the accountability model where the government â€Å"receives† a command to perform a range of tasks by the society, and therefore the Government becomes â€Å"accountable† to the society for this task, the government held to account to society for the task that was entrusted. This accountability model includes two directions that are accountable for: horizontal and vertical. The horizontal axis is related to a system in which the power is divided and balanced with a set of checks and balances, in which the law and a variety of public Institutions are included. Meanwhile, the vertical axis is related to the public opinion and election mechanisms, through which the citizens can approve or disapprove an officer through the ballot. In order to achieve a state that is capable of responding to the challenges and requirements from civil society, it is necessary besides th e modernization of public administration, the redesign of the state to enable it to respond with the levels of relevance, quality and effectiveness expected from the civil society through public policy. This is why it is necessary further democratic reforms of the State which allows citizens to participate actively in the public administration and in the selection, formulation and implementation of the public policies. However probably one of the most important and challenging obstacles to be overcome in public management in Latin America, to respond efficiently and timely basis to the current and future requirements from civil society and the private sector, is related to the resistance to change that many public services have to modernizing processes and big changes sometimes affect the processes of governance, especially in regards to the public participation in the actions of the State from both, public services and in its policies and programs. Accountability in this region is almost inexistent. On the one hand, there is no favourable framework conditions, laws, government  regulations and culture they are not prone to this practice, moreover, in organizational terms, dimensions such as size, seniority and / or centralization, are critical to define the scope of possible actions. The concept of accountability systems has proven to be very plastic. It could be understood as a range of ideas r anging from the mere access to information, the effective responsibility in the performance of a task, in terms of effectiveness and values; it can also include the time of coercitivity or obligation both legally and morally, and they may empower different public to access information, to be capable to exercise assessments or to apply sanctions. If accountability is taken merely as a monitoring mechanism it could help to avoid misbehaviour, but its greatest potential can be accomplished when it is viewed as a tool to improve the skills of public institutions and moral resources to make the good. The strategic time of accountability implies that the organization is aware that it needs the trust of their audiences, legitimacy from other entities and most of all the loyalty of its employees. Since the year 2000, in Latin America have been expressing a need for modernization and rationalization of the governments, developing in particular the New Public Management approach, which consists of replacing the bureaucracy with a flexible, efficient management, goal-oriented and concerned about the results and where all of those management techniques that allow to define objectives, determining responsibilities, control costs, and establishing indicators are important to measure outcomes, such the implementation and use of more suitable methodologies for accountability. This has shaped ​​the called Public Administration Accountability to taxpayers, which is founded on the â€Å"Value for Money† which relies on three concepts: Economy, Effectiveness and Efficiency, which must be considered holistically and not on an individual basis, where economy is referred to the relationship between the market and the inputs or supplies through the prices of these, where efficiency is the ratio between the product obtained and the desired objectives, including the criteria for the Quality and Service Access are included, efficacy may include Excellence and Equity as well, and finally Efficiency is the relationship between inputs and outputs that is the cost per unit of service. There is an school of thought, the Guideline to the Public Service, which considers not only the important issue of the effectiveness of the  Government, but it also maintains that the fundamental challenge is to address the democratic deficit of the current bureaucracies, which focuses strictly in Governance. There isn’t a shortage of ideas and concrete proposals to improve transparency, accountability and political responsibility, and thereby to achieve authentic accountable governments. The majority of these proposals agree on the essential: governmental activities should be made more open for the citizens and they should audit them more diligently, demanding spe cific liabilities to government officials, whether this are elected, appointed, or career officers. It is may be necessary go even further and restore the essence of the same political institutions, so that the transparency and accountability should become effective at all levels and areas of public administration in the region. Therefore, is desirable and also necessary to strengthen the accountability of elected officers with respect to their constituencies as well as to give more effective participation of citizens in decision-making. That is to say, to ensure that the government-at all levels and areas-are truly accountable to the citizens. This requires progress towards a participatory democracy that complements the existing representative democracy, as noted at times it becomes merely delegative. It is possible that the examples of reforms that are proposed below may contribute not only to strengthening the culture of transparency and accountability, but also the quality and on the same the performance of Latin American democracies; for the latter, it is also possible that this type of reform to raise public trust in the democratic institutions. It is possible that in the example of reforms such as the one which is proposed below contribute not only to strengthening the culture of transparency and accountability, but also the quality and on the same the performance of Latin American democracies; for the latter, it is also possible that this type of reform to raise public trust in the democratic institutions. Semi-direct democracy: The mechanisms are counted in a prominent place, the revocation of mandate, the referendum or plebiscite and popular initiative. The adoption of mechanisms of semi-direct democracy is a way to strengthen vertical accountability in other words to the citizens from all the elected public servants. The popular revoking the mandates may constitute an  important element in favour of responsible government. For example, if an elected municipal officer or a legislator is not carrying out in an appropriate manner the a task for which he was elected, that is, if it does not render satisfactory accounts to their constituents, a group of these could be organized to demand the convening of a consultation in the corresponding voters decide whether the official or legislator continues in office or not. If the semi-direct democracy is implemented, the more power is granted to sub-national governments and citizen participation spaces significantly are extended it might make more accountable governments and bring government closer and the civil service to the sovereign, the people. It is true that the semi-direct democracy mechanisms can be defeated, be emptied of contents and becoming plebiscitarian forms of government. However, in a democratic and participative vein, it seems preferable that the citizens can revoke mandates and propose, approve or deny major initiatives, rather than leaving all this in the exclusive hands of the lawmakers or the executive. In conclusion, what is proposed in the entire mode of governance in favour of accountability is that citizens become more active, direct and effective in the monitoring and the conduction of public affairs part. Since the world of politics is not angelical. It is an illusion to think that there will be accountable and effective, c lean and open government, if citizens do not demand it. There will be no participatory democracy if we do not participate. 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Tuesday, October 22, 2019

A Man for All Seasons Summary and Characters

A Man for All Seasons Summary and Characters A Man for All Seasons, a play written by Robert Bolt, retells the historic events surrounding Sir Thomas More, the Chancellor of England who remained silent regarding Henry VIIIs divorce. Because More would not take an oath which essentially endorsed the kings separation from the church in Rome, the Chancellor was imprisoned, tried, and eventually executed. Throughout the drama, More is forthright, witty, contemplative, and honest. Some might argue that he is too honest. He follows his conscience all the way to the chopping block. A Man for All Seasons asks us, How far would we go to remain honest? In the case of Sir Thomas More, we behold a man who speaks with utmost sincerity, a virtue that will cost him his life. The Basic Plot Shortly after the death of Cardinal Wolsey, Sir Thomas Moore, a wealthy lawyer and loyal subject of King Henry VIII, accepts the title of Chancellor of England. With that honor comes an expectation. The King expects More to sanction the divorce and his subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn. More is caught between his obligations to the crown, his family, and the tenants of the church. Open disapproval would be an act of treason. Public approval would defy his religious beliefs. Therefore, More chooses silence, hoping that by staying quiet he can maintain his honesty and avoid the executioner as well. Unfortunately, ambitious men such as Thomas Cromwell are more than happy to see More crumble. By treacherous and dishonest means, Cromwell manipulates the court system, stripping More of his title, wealth, and freedom. The Character of Sir Thomas More When writing an essay about a literary work, students would be wise to analyze the character arc of the protagonist. Most main characters undergo a transformation. However, one could argue that Thomas Moore, the man who remains consistent throughout the seasons (in good times and bad), does not change. If you are looking for an essay topic in response to A Man for All Seasons, consider this question: Is Sir Thomas More a static character or a dynamic character? Many aspects of Mores nature hold steadfast. He demonstrates devotion to his family, friends, and servants. Although he adores his daughter, he does not give in to her desire to marry until her fiancà © repents his so-called heresy. He exhibits no temptation when offered bribes and contemplates no underhanded schemes when faced with political enemies. From beginning to end, he is forthright and honest. Even when locked away in the Tower of London, he politely interacts with his jailers and interrogators. Despite these almost angelic characteristics, More explains to his daughter that he is no martyr, meaning that he does not wish to die for a cause. Rather, he fervently maintains his silence in hopes that the law will protect him. During his trial, he explains that the law mandates that silence must be legally perceived as consent; therefore, More argues, he has not officially disapproved of King Henry. Yet, his opinion is not quieted forever. After losing the trial and receiving a death sentence, More decides to explicitly reveal his religious objections to the Kings divorce and second marriage. Here, students may find evidence of a character arc. Why does Sir Thomas More voice his position now? Does he hope to persuade others? Is he lashing out in anger or hatred, emotions he has kept in check until now? Or does he simply feel as though he has nothing more to lose? Whether Mores character is perceived as static or dynamic, A Man For All Seasons generates thought-provoking ideas about honesty, morality, law, and society. The Supporting Characters The Common Man is a recurring figure throughout the play. He appears as a boatman, a servant, a juror, and many other everyday subjects of the kingdom. In each scenario, the common mans philosophies contrast with Mores in that they focus on day-to-day practicalities. When More can no longer pay his servants a living wage, the Common Man must find work elsewhere. He is not interested in facing extreme hardship for the sake of a good deed or a clear conscience. The devious Thomas Cromwell exhibits so much power-hungry maliciousness that audiences will want to boo him off the stage. However, we learn in the epilogue that he receives his comeuppance; Cromwell is charged with treason and executed, just like his rival Sir Thomas More. Unlike the plays blatant villain Cromwell, the character Richard Rich serves as a more complex antagonist. Like other characters in the play, Rich wants power. However, unlike the members of the court, he doesnt have any wealth or status at the beginning of the play. He waits for an audience with More, eager to obtain a position in court. Although very friendly with him, More does not trust Rich and therefore does not offer the young man a place in court. Instead, he urges Rich to become a teacher. However, Rich wants to attain political greatness. Cromwell offers Rich the chance to join his side, but before Rich accepts the shady position, he desperately pleads to work for More. We can tell that Rich genuinely admires More, yet he cannot resist the lure of power and wealth which Cromwell dangles in front of the young man. Because More senses Rich is untrustworthy, he turns him away. Rich eventually embraces his role as a scoundrel. During the final courtroom scene, he provides false testimony, dooming the man he once revered.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Supply Chain Strategy of Seven Eleven Japan Essays

Supply Chain Strategy of Seven Eleven Japan Essays Supply Chain Strategy of Seven Eleven Japan Essay Supply Chain Strategy of Seven Eleven Japan Essay The case study reports about the Supply Chain Strategy of Seven Eleven Japan (SEED the largest convenient store operator and franchiser In Japan. Seven Eleven Japan provides several helpful understanding about cleaving supply chain strategic fit In the convenient store industry. In this industry, responsiveness of the supply chain is the most important factor. Firstly, SEE has a set of facilities that are strategically responsive. Its facilities are decentralized in terms of both location and capacity. The report also discusses about the benefits and risks involved. Secondly, Sees transportation system is not only relatively efficient but also responsive and capable of rapid-replenishment. The system is a cross-docking transportation model with goods flow through distribution centers. Advantages as well disadvantages of the model are discussed. Thirdly, SEE invested in a powerful Information system that allows rapid and efficient communication. Point of sales data are utilized to bring about a competitive advantage and a smooth cooperation of with suppliers. Features, benefits and risks associated with the system have also been discussed. Fourthly, SEE practices an Inventory management strategy that place great Importance on freshness and choose to reduce flow time instead of holding more inventory to be responsive. Heretofore, ten report Alehouses tout ten recent moves AT s duplicate the supply chain structure in the United States. CASE BACKGROUND 1. 1 Seven Eleven Japan (SEE) SEE is the largest operator and franchiser of convenient stores in Japan. Since its establishment in November 1973, SEE has been growing quickly. By July 2007, SEE has 11,704 stores in Japan. In July 2007, 7-Eleven also became worlds largest retail chain store with more than 32,000 stores all over the world . 1. 2 Purpose This case study, by examine the supply chain strategies of SEE, aims to offer understandings about supply chain strategies in the convenient store industry. With those understandings, several insights about how to achieve strategic fit in this industry can be gained. 1. 3 Strategic Fit in the convenient store industry To achieve strategic fit in this industry, firms must understand the customer needs, demand uncertainty and supply chain capabilities. After that, firms must develop and erect their strategy to fit with the requirements from customer and the supply chain. Below are some characteristics in customer needs and supply chain requirements in this industry. Batch size: Usually small to medium Response time that customer can tolerate: Medium to short. Customers usually expect to conveniently get the item they want in short time Variety: Moderately important Service Level: Medium to high Price: Higher than large supermarkets and wholesale malls Product innovation: moderately important 2. FACILITIES Apparently, in the convenient store industry, responsiveness is a key factor of the supply chain. Moreover, SEE places much more emphasis on the freshness of the produce it sells. Therefore, SEE facilities were designed to support a high level of responsiveness. 2. 1 Location In terms of location, it is easy to notice that SEE locates its stores extremely close to the customers to be responsive. For example, 48% of Sees customers live within 500 meters from the stores, and 63% within 1000 meters. 53% of customers come by less than five minutes of walk or drive . In order to achieve that short distance from its customers, SEE had to develop a dense distribution network. Stores are managed through a system of clusters. There are around 50 to 60 stores in a cluster. Stores in a cluster are concentrated closely to each other in specific areas in a market dominance strategy. A typical Sees Store serves an area within 500 meters radius of it. As stated in its 1994 annual report, the market dominance strategy offers several benefits such as higher efficiency of the system, brand awareness or competitive strength. I Nat Is ten reason winy although Is ten strongest convenient store in Japan, it has covered only 70% of Japan prefectures. 2. Capacity Although the number of SKU that SEE keep is not high, its facilities are highly Dragon palpable. Sees stores are small facilities (average area of 1200 square feet) capable of stocking only around 3,000 stock keeping units (SKIS) while large supermarkets can store more than 100,000 Skis. However, as said above, Sees stores form a dense network of 50 to 60 stores per area. That helps boost the capacity of SEE stores many times. In other words, the small scale of one SEE store is to serve a very small area (500 meters radius), which is not more than the capacity of the store. More importantly, a massive collection of such small stores in a specific area has created a huge capacity for the network. Furthermore, the variety of product this system can process is also extended when SEE places great emphasis on freshness and continuously change its product mix. SEE replaces about half of its 3,000 SKU each year. Goods are retired as soon as sales decline. With such high capacity clusters, it can be concluded that the degree of utilization is not maximized. Low degree of utilization reduces lead-time and minimizes disruption delay. Obviously, cost of the goods is higher with low utilization, however the benefits of the market dominance strategy seems to be able to offset the cost incurred. Therefore, it can be said that SEE has implemented decentralization not only in its location and distribution but also in its capacity. The high responsiveness of SEE is also reflected through a relatively small order size from the stores and high level of customer service. The small batch size is due to the limited space available in an SEE Store. That is also a reason for the introduction of the Sods. Everyday small orders from the stores are transmitted, consolidated and delivered in full truckloads from the CDC to every store. Deliveries are made many times a day, keeping the items rest and sufficient thus offering great service level. 2. 3 CONCLUSION Sees facilities are truly responsiveness driven. What SEE is doing with its facilities configuration are match with the strategic direction that a convenient store supply chain should take. SEE facilities have been decentralized in terms of both location and capacity to be closer to the customer and offers higher responsiveness. Small batch size and continuously changing product mixed integrated in the facilities are other factors that improve responsiveness. Sees facilities have been doing a great Job to be expensive and be next to customers wherever they need it. However, it is important to notice some risks associate with those practices. For example, the strategy of decentralization and market dominance may not be efficient. Especially when the market is not so populated like it is in Japanese cities. Moreover, locating the stores too close to each other may caused certain amount of centralization. Besides, customers in this case may not buy from one store consistently but change from store to store over time. That may contribute to the inaccuracy of demand forecasting of stores. Sees transportation has been successful. It has achieved a high level of responsiveness yet an acceptable level of efficiency. 3. 1 Design of transportation network Unlike a conventional Japanese Distribution system, SEE does not allow direct store delivery in Japan but executes a Joint Delivery Program in which its products must flow through the Distribution Centers (DC). As can be seen from Figure 1 (Appendix 1), after receiving orders from the store managers and starting production to fulfill the orders, the suppliers begin to deliver the products to the designated Dos. Manufacturers and wholesalers are assigned certain areas to deliver the products. After the items have reached Dos, they will be sorted out by stores and delivered in a full truck to the stores. Another important factor that helps reduce the lead-time and number of deliveries further is the temperature-based Joint delivery system. In this system, Sees products are grouped into 4 groups of different temperature. Products that are in the same temperature group will then be handled and distributed in the same truck. The above transportation process is usually managed by third party delivery companies. SEE keeps close communication with the delivery company. Distribution schedules are also planned carefully. The number of deliveries made in a day depends on the freshness requirement of the items. For example, rice balls are delivered 3 times a day. The timing of the deliveries are communicated with the logistic party and must be followed (with 10 minutes error). The Joint delivery program has brought to SEE many benefits. Firstly, with the density of the SEE stores, direct delivery may result in inefficiency. It requires many trucks going through many routes and different trucks from different suppliers have to arrive at the stores many times. By designating a destination to consolidate the incoming items, SEE can reduce he number of deliveries per day. Moreover, with the introduction of the temperature-based system, deliveries per day are further cut down to 11 per day. Before the implementation the 2 methods of operation, the average number of deliveries to each store was 70 per day. The number of trips decreases means transportation cost and communication cost are cut down; and the system is more efficient. Secondly, the limited space of the Sees stores requires deliveries in smaller batch size. Therefore, if SEE use direct store deliveries, the cost for transporting many small batches may increase sharply yet may not be reliable. Consolidating the orders for each store solves this problem effectively. SEE can have a reliable delivery schedule with minimal number of trips. Moreover, delivering in full truckloads also improves the efficiency of the system. Besides, ordering lead-time is also reduced by a great amount. For direct store delivery, since different trucks of different suppliers for different types of items have to arrive one by one at the same store, more time is spent on Just loading, unloading, checking and communicating between them and the stores. The risk for traffic delay will also be minimized if the number of trips to tortes decreases. An important feature of the Joint delivery program is that the Dos do not hold inventory. Dos in this case are Just designated points of pick and pack to consolidate the orders of Sees Stores. Therefore, the system helps SEE reduce cost of holding inventory significantly. 3. 2 Choice of transportation mode Apart Trot ten eagles AT transportation network, Tells can also conclave responsiveness in the choice of transportation mode. Using faster and usually more expensive modes of transport is a way to improve responsiveness. Another way to be more responsive is to diversify the modes of transportation. For example, SEE has included motorcycles, ships and helicopters to diversify its transportation portfolio. Diversification helps reduce the risk of breakdowns caused by disruption in certain mode of travel. The drawback is that extra cost may incur to maintain and operate the portfolio. 3. 3 Conclusion The implementation of Dos system has streamlined the transportation of SEE sharply. It has provided cost savings through elimination of inventory holding cost. Besides, and more importantly, it makes the distribution system of SEE more responsive and flexible by utilizing faster and cheaper routing and accelerated product flow. Generally, there are still risks associated with the strategy of micro-matching supply and demand using rapid replenishment like what SEE is doing. Firstly, rapid replenishment may be expensive, thus it can hurt firms profit margin. Secondly, risks can come from the uncertainty of the traffic condition. More importantly, for rapid replenishment and delivery on demand, one disruption event can even affect the whole area. Thirdly, the threat may as well come from competition. For example, if a store is located next to a large supermarket that is efficiency driven and can offer cheaper price, then the SEE stores may lose sales. Similarly, if SEE choose to sell products of which demand is too elastic, SEE may not be able to compete. Lastly, micro-matching demand and supply can be efficient and lean, but demand can sometimes fluctuate largely and SEE may fail to predict such changes. For examples, during festivals, social events, or natural disasters SEE may not be able to react quickly because of the fluctuations in demand and the limited stock kept in the stores. As for direct store delivery (ADDS), it can still hold true in some situations. For example, ADDS can be used in the areas that do not have many stores concentrated. Moreover, for items that are bulky, heavy or expensive, ADDS might be a good choice because extra handling activities (loading, unloading, security, quality assurance ) are costly. 4. INFORMATION Information is one the most effective tools of SEE to improve its responsiveness. It connects effectively the stages of the SEE supply chain and provides valuable insights on demand and strategic operations. 4. 1 Information System An illustration of Sees information system is shown in the Appendix 2. As can be seen from the Appendix 2, the hardware configuration of SEE includes several main components. Store Computer (SC) SC is the center of the store Information System (IS). It connects to the KIDS, Electric Order System, Graphic Order Terminal and Scanner Terminal. It can track store inventory, sales, orders and analyze POS data. Integrated Services Digital Network (KIDS) KIDS is an information network that links several thousand stores. KIDS provides a 2- way and high-speed channel of communication, which has significant impacts on the process of collection and analysis of POS data as well as feedback gathering. Scanner learn CSS streamline the process of inventory management by helping store managers check orders. Graphic Order Terminal (GOT) GOT is a tool to place orders and maintain access to a detailed analysis of POS data at the same time for ordering insights. 4. 2 Information Collection The above hardware setting has to collect all the POS data. Moreover, the staffs also collect gender and estimated age of the customers. After collected, POS data are analyzed to find out useful information such as hourly sales trend for individual items, scrap trend analysis, stockpot ranking, sales trends for new product and hourly sales trend by customer profile. Such complete information system helps create much more responsiveness for the stores. For example, the analysis of hourly sales trend by items and by customer profile can help a store manager determine which type of customer buy what at what time. With the information in mind, the store manager can order differently throughout the day, or can rearrange the products on the shelves many times a day. Moreover, the ordering process is also streamlined significantly. After collected, the POS data are analyzed by the store computer and ordering insights are offered. The orders are transmitted to the suppliers within 3 hours. . 3 Push versus Pull Clearly, Sees supply chain is more like a pull system. And Sees information system purports the pull strategy effectively. For example, ordering process is streamlined so that an order, after being analyzed from the POS data, can reach the suppliers in 3 hours on average. Information travels both upward and downward quickly enough for the pull strategy. 4. 4 Coordination and information sharing Information sharing is also an important strategy that SEE relies on to be more responsive. Data about life of products or hourly sales of the new products are used to determine the product mix of a store. SEE also actively shares information with the suppliers to suggest them on product development strategies. Many of Sees manufacturers now rely on the information shared and tend to work with SEE before the launch of a new product. Suggestions about the changing taste of the customers are sometimes crucial to new product development to anticipate the changing demand. 4. 5 Forecasting Because of the huge amount of data collected and the short ordering lead-time, Sees stores forecast frequently but over very short period. Therefore, the accuracy of the forecast is improved. 4. Enabling Technologies SEE invested heavily in its IS, the goal is to streamline the operations and obtain valuable insights to be more responsive. For example, with the use of Scanner Terminals, delivery time is now sharply shortened because delivery trucks do not have to wait for store managers to check the goods. 4. 7 Conclusion SEE is a good example of firm taking advantage of modern technology to streamline their processes and become more responsive. A pull strategy is most likely responsive; however, it must be supported with information technology so that the orders can be processed in a very short period. Frequently collected and analyzed information also allows a closer forecast horizon and thus more accurate. Firms can also De more responsive Dye snarling International Walt suppliers to anticipate Ana attics customer demand more effectively. However, there are risks involved in this strategy. Firstly, a pull system might not be able to deal with great fluctuation in demand for example, during social events, festivals or natural disaster. Secondly, usually the investment in IS is not low and without strong capital position and profitable prospect, firms may not benefits enough from this investment.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The History of the Supercontinent Pangea

The History of the Supercontinent Pangea Pangea, also spelled Pangaea, was a supercontinent that existed on the Earth millions of years ago and covered about one-third of its surface. A supercontinent is a very large landmass that is made up of more than one continent. In the case of Pangea, nearly all of the Earths continents were connected into one large landmass. It is believed that Pangea began forming about 300 million years ago, was fully together by 270 million years ago and began to separate around 200 million years ago. The name Pangea is ancient Greek and means all lands. The term began being used in the early 20th century after Alfred Wegener noticed that the Earths continents looked like they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. He later developed his theory of continental drift to explain why the continents looked the way they did and first used the term Pangea at a symposium in 1927 focused on that topic. Formation of Pangea Due to mantle convection within the Earths surface, new material constantly comes up between the Earths tectonic plates at rift zones, causing them to move away from the rift and toward one another at the ends. In the case of Pangea, the Earths continents were eventually moved so much over millions of years that they combined into one large supercontinent. Around 300 million years ago the northwestern part of the ancient continent of Gondwana (near the South Pole), collided with the southern part of the Euramerican continent to form one very large continent. Eventually, the Angaran continent, located near the North Pole, began to move south and it collided with the northern part of the Euramerican continent to form the large supercontinent, Pangea, by about 270 million years ago. It should be noted however that there was another separate landmass, Cathaysia, which was made up of north and south China that was not a part of the larger Pangea landmass. Once it was completely formed, Pangea covered around one-third of the Earths surface and it was surrounded by an ocean that covered the rest of the globe. This ocean was called Panthalassa. Break-Up of Pangea Pangea began to break up about 200 million years ago as a result of the movement of the Earths tectonic plates and mantle convection. Just as Pangea was formed by being pushed together due to the movement of the Earths plates away at rift zones, a rift of new material caused it to separate. Scientists believe that the new rift began due to a weakness in the Earths crust. At that weak area, magma began to push through and create a volcanic rift zone. Eventually, the rift zone grew so large that it formed a basin and Pangea began to separate. In the areas where Pangea began to separate, new oceans formed as Panthalassa rushed into the newly opened areas. The first new oceans to form were the central and southern Atlantic. About 180 million years ago the central Atlantic Ocean opened up between North America and northwestern Africa. Around 140 million years ago the South Atlantic Ocean formed when what is today South America separated from the west coast of southern Africa. The Indian Ocean was the next to form when India separated from Antarctica and Australia and about 80 million years ago North America and Europe separated, Australia and Antarctica separated and India and Madagascar separated. Over millions more years, the continents gradually moved to their current positions. Evidence for Pangea As Alfred Wegener noticed in the early 20th century, the Earths continents seem to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle in many areas around the globe. This is the significant evidence for the existence of Pangea millions of years ago. The most prominent place where this is visible is the northwestern coast of Africa and the eastern coast of South America. In that location, the two continents look like they were once connected, which they, in fact, were during Pangea. Other evidence for Pangea includes fossil distribution, distinctive patterns in rock strata in now unconnected parts of the world and the distribution of the worlds coal. In terms of fossil distribution, archaeologists have found matching fossil remains if ancient species in continents are separated by thousands of miles of ocean today. For example, matching reptile fossils have been found in Africa and South America indicating that these species at one time lived very close to each other as it is not possible to them to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Patterns in rock strata are another indicator of the existence of Pangea. Geologists have discovered distinctive patterns in rocks in continents that are now thousands of miles apart. By having matching patterns it indicates that the two continents and their rocks were at one time one continent. Finally, the worlds coal distribution is evidence for Pangea. Coal normally forms in warm, wet climates. However, geologists have found coal under Antarcticas very cold and dry ice caps. If Antarctica were a part of Pangea it is likely that it would have been in another location on the Earth and the climate when the coal formed would have been very different than it is today. Many Ancient Supercontinents Based on the evidence scientists have found in plate tectonics, it is likely that Pangea was not the only supercontinent to exist on the Earth. In fact, archaeological data found in matching rock types and searching for fossils shows that the formation and break-up of supercontinents like Pangea are a cycle throughout the Earths history (Lovett, 2008). Gondwana and Rodinia are two supercontinents that scientists have discovered that existed prior to Pangea. Scientists also predict that the cycle of supercontinents will continue. Currently, the worlds continents are moving away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge toward the middle of the Pacific Ocean where they will eventually collide with one another in about 80 million years (Lovett, 2008). To see a diagram of Pangea and how it separated, visit the United States Geological Surveys Historical Perspective page within This Dynamic Earth.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The future challenges faced by tourism developers in China Essay

The future challenges faced by tourism developers in China - Essay Example (Butler, 2006 Butler, R. 2006, 11-45) Currently, world tourism does not take pleasure in rapid development given that the effect of economic calamity in the west stated has not still entirely gone, nor has that of the monetary disaster in the East and South East Asian states. But China has a far unlike story to let know as its market prospective are very fine. (Butler, 2006 Butler, R. 2006, 11-45) China in fact stands among the world's top ten most visited countries; but however, the size of its worldwide tourism, in stipulations of both arrival and reception, is much minor as compare to other tourism states which are quite developed. (Cai, 2005) Close the predictable and very massive market of this business, the markets of industry, meetings and chats, examination and holiday tourism leave much room for extra encroachment and in truth, the return of Hong Kong and combination the World Trade association may generate new markets for China's all-inclusive tourism, and offer new chances for added development. (Butler, 2006 Butler, R. 2006, 11-45) The improvement has endorsed China's economic advance, and changed the way of thoughts of the Chinese citizens. There may possibly be a host of knotty trouble to deal with in the long course of improvement; however sufficient supply and low price rises may extra stabilize the country's biased and monetary condition plus political and fiscal stabilization may not only offer good conditions for tourism expansion, but also generate a latest attractiveness for foreigners. (Butler, 2006 Butler, R. 2006, 11-45) Also a sort of balance might add back economic amalgamation and exchanges of a variety of different terms between China and the other parts of the world and again this may activate the expand of all-purpose tourist activities as well as an array of sort of typical interest tours such as trade and dialogue travel. (Fan, 2005, 77-79) The growth of Chinese outbound tour and expansion of objective may also endorse collaboration in the field of worldwide tourism. (Mitchell et al., 2001 C. Mitchell, G. Atkinson and A. Clark, 268-84) According to some very dynamic analysis of a modern survey group it was evaluated that the Chinese industry for tourism is reaching towards its destiny and last nineteen twenty years are concluded as the golden age in this regard and the main stream of public and private sector has shown its capabilities and temperament for running its trade. (Butler, 2006 Butler, R. 2006, 11-45). But here one thing should be in mind that the issue of housing is yet to be resolved by the ministry of tourism to avoid any further panic in the industry. (Mitchell and Coghill, 2000 C.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Man of stone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Man of stone - Essay Example When he takes his strolling across the poor district, his trait comes out clearly as he is able to notice how the level of poverty has heated the province. The way he describe the women, children and men brings out the real state that is on the ground. Although through his observation he is unable to impact the society, he uses other means like pen and paper to express the status of the society. He says, ‘I have managed to lose valuable time. Pull my long abandoned paper out of drawer. And since then the world has not blown away ((Sonzogni & Marco, 180). This is evidently that the author is talking about the war of against poverty. He compares the two gentlemen; the smothered man in officer’s boots symbolizes poor hygiene that can make someone to suffocate and the owner of prosperous bar who used to call his, ’Brother ,brother’ .Probably the owner of prosperous bar was once a beggar who wanted to comfort himself with the author because they had common background of poverty Through the analysis of the story, the main theme of poverty is being focused by the author. He takes his long afternoon visiting the poorest of his city during his summer time. During his visit, the author reveal how depth the poverty has engulf his district and how the women and children lives have been diver stated by poverty. â€Å"I watch the peasant woman squatting near their wares against the wall of bombed out houses, the dirty children running between the puddles chasing rag ball and the dust covered sweaty work men who work from dawn till dusk hummer at trolley bus rail along deserted street† Describe the clothes of the peasant trader women as smelly. This shows how this society is struggling to make their life to become better (Sonzogni & Marco, 179). Immorality is another theme that the author is trying to bring out in this society. Most of the women are trying

An Election of Monumental Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An Election of Monumental Change - Essay Example A "hot button" issue for many in the United States is the ongoing Us-led conflict in Iraq which has been going on since March 2003. This is one of the areas which Senator Obama has wished to distinguish himself from his other Senators in that unlike Senator's Clinton and McCain, Obama has not given as much leeway in the form of senatorial votes in favor of President Bush's defense budget, while on the other hand both Senator Clinton, as well as Senator McCain, have voted in both sides of the issue. In an era where the American people are looking for hope and this year looking to elect a new President, the two candidates to observe are Senator Barak Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the US has taken it upon itself to adopt a pre-emptive measure as it comes to defending itself, as well as defending its role in international relations with the rest of the world. ... from the start, he says there is "no military solution" to the situation in Iraq," Adding that, "In January 2007, Obama proposed the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, which would reverse the troop surge and redeploy U.S. troops to Afghanistan and other locations in phases. He favors more funds for U.S. military equipment like night-vision goggles and reinforced Humvees, though his recent refusal to sign a war funding bill came under criticism from presidential aspirant John McCain (R-AZ), who, among other things, accused the senator of misspelling "flak jacket." Under Obama's plan, there may be a residual troop presence (NYT) in Iraq for security and training purposes. His bill has not yet been voted on," (CFR 3/18/2008). In regards to Senator Clinton, her candidacy comes with the inevitable comparison, as well as what some would call "baggage", from the 8 years in office which her husband spent. "Sen. Clinton (D-NY) supported the invasion of Iraq at its advent, but now opposes it and claims that as president, she would end the war. Clinton opposed the 2007 escalation of the war. In early 2007, Clinton proposed the Iraq Troop Protection and Reduction Act. That bill, which would have prevented an increase in troops in Iraq above the level of January 1, 2007, had no cosponsors and never reached a vote," Elaborating further that, "Clinton also opposes the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq, although she, like Biden, does expect there to be a need for a "reduced residual force," perhaps stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan, even after troop redeployment. Clinton cosponsored Sen. Joe Biden's Iraq War Policy resolution in January 2007. In 2002, Clinton voted in favor of the invasion of Iraq, and has been widely criticized for her refusal to apologize for that

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 39

Art - Essay Example Lithographic images, unlike etching processes, may utilize stone plates in addition to those made of metal as long as the surface is initially smooth. These characteristics are due to the process adding to the base material, rather than removing it as occurs in etchings. Lithographic presses work by evenly pressing ink against a roughened base surface on which an image has been crafted using polymers. The desire to unite these tools has fueled research in a range of fields, including physics (Adalsteinsson & Sethian, 1997). Monotyping and monoprinting are very similar processes, as both are defined by the creation of a sole image source that can only be used to print a limited number of unique images. The main difference between the techniques is that monoprints can be reused, while images on monotyping source materials are impermanent and deteriorate after a couple of uses at most. Monoprinting can be used to produce many images, but the guide is altered with every pressing, guaranteeing the inability to massively duplicate an identical image from a single monoprint plate. The concepts of scale and proportion are easily confused because they both relate to size (Mag Uidher, 2012), but the differences are clear enough to warrant more attention than they have typically been afforded. Scale describes the size of an object as it compares to a separate item of reference. The human body is a common frame of reference for size, but the possibilities for comparison are virtually endless. In contrast, proportion is the relative size of the parts of an image as they compare to the whole. For example, the size of an eye can appear different based on the size of the entire face. This form of referencing is different than scale judgements because it does not depend on the use of an independent image. In visual art, representation refers to the role of direct symbolic

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Policy Memo to an elected state or federal offical Assignment

Policy Memo to an elected state or federal offical - Assignment Example Nurses form the largest group or component of the health care work force and are the front-liners and first responders in most medical cases. As such, they are often in the best position to advise on how to further improve the delivery of health care services and enhance patient safety. All of these desired changes can be achieved if an appropriate law is passed allowing nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training, similar to the way physicians services today are covered under Medicare. This was one of the four recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its 2011 report that is entitled â€Å"The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health† and in particular that of Recommendation No. 2 (Expand opportunities for nurses to lead and diffuse collaborative improvement efforts) requires legislative support to amend certain state laws and provisions in this regard. Reforms in the health care system under Obamacare likewise mandate thi s change. Background – the recent passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare in 2010 was to initiate comprehensive reforms in the American health care system to provide safer, higher-quality, more affordable, and easier accessibility health care services to increasing diverse populations of America with its changing demographics towards more elderly citizens. Intention of these reforms is to provide wellness and disease prevention programs that will enhance overall health outcomes and at the same time provide for compassionate health care across the entire life span of an individual patient by improving the quality of life (Institute of Medicine, 2011). The ACA is expected to bring into the formal health care system an additional 32 million Americans (ibid.) which will further put pressure on the resources of the present health care system to

Boots-PLC Financial Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Boots-PLC Financial Report - Case Study Example 53). The net profit was 501.7 m in 2005 and 550.1 m in 2004 (Boots Group PLC Annual Report 2005, p. 46). The net profit margin has changed from 0.103 (2004) to 0.092 (2005). The following graph supports the information on the changes of group turnover, net profit, and net profit margin throughout the last 5 years. It is important to notice that while the group turnover is increasing (more goods are sold), the net profit are decreasing (non-operating costs are rising), and the profitability of the company is falling. Nevertheless it is high enough in compare with the main competitors: Alliance UniChem had the same net profit margin of 0.022 over two years (Alliance UniChem Key Financial Data, 2005); and J Sainsbury has decreased its net profit margin from 0.031 in 2004 to 0.020 in 2005 (J Sainsbury Financials, 2005). More detailed comparison is available in Appendix 1. Current assets of Boots PLC in 2005 were 1575.8 m, while the current liabilities were 1074.1 m (Boots Group PLC Annual Report 2005, p. 47). Therefore current liquidity ratio for 2005 is 1.47, which means that a company can meet its short-term obligations without serious troubles. The current liquidity ratio for the year 2004 was 1.52, which means the ratio of current assets to current liabilities has decreased - definitely, not a good sign for the company. Looking at the cash flow statement of the Boots PLC one can see that cash inflow from operating activities has significantly decreased from 637.8 m in 2004 to 514.7 m in 2005 (Boots Group PLC Annual Report 2005, p. 48) due to lower operating profit and larger increase in working capital. Still the main cash inflow comes from operating, which is a sign of financial health of a company. Also the company has increased its debt significantly by 668 m (Boots Group PLC Annual Report 2005, p. 64) returning funds to shareholders to make the balance sheet more efficient. Therefore overall closing net debt in 2005 was 594.1 m comparatively to 148.5 m in 2004 (Boots Group PLC Annual Report 2005, p. 48). Long-term debt/equity ratio=long-term debt/shareholders' equity Long-term liabilities of Boots PLC are 588.7 m (Boots Group PLC Annual Report 2005, p. 47). Equity shareholder's funds are equal to 1,609.4 m (Boots Group PLC Annual Report 2005, p. 47). Therefore debt-to-equity ratio is 0.37, which is a low number indicating that a capital structure of a company can be shifted more towards using debt. The high liquidity ratio shows that it is possible to use debt furthermore. 1b. Currently the company's use of retained earnings for financing its operations is low in compare to its use of debt. Nevertheless, high liquidity allows further use debt for financing. The capital structure of Boots PLC is not optimal; the company should take the opportunity of increasing its debt for financing. The other ways of financing operations of Boots PLC can be achieved through the use common or premium stock. 2a. I. 'Dividends

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Policy Memo to an elected state or federal offical Assignment

Policy Memo to an elected state or federal offical - Assignment Example Nurses form the largest group or component of the health care work force and are the front-liners and first responders in most medical cases. As such, they are often in the best position to advise on how to further improve the delivery of health care services and enhance patient safety. All of these desired changes can be achieved if an appropriate law is passed allowing nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training, similar to the way physicians services today are covered under Medicare. This was one of the four recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its 2011 report that is entitled â€Å"The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health† and in particular that of Recommendation No. 2 (Expand opportunities for nurses to lead and diffuse collaborative improvement efforts) requires legislative support to amend certain state laws and provisions in this regard. Reforms in the health care system under Obamacare likewise mandate thi s change. Background – the recent passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare in 2010 was to initiate comprehensive reforms in the American health care system to provide safer, higher-quality, more affordable, and easier accessibility health care services to increasing diverse populations of America with its changing demographics towards more elderly citizens. Intention of these reforms is to provide wellness and disease prevention programs that will enhance overall health outcomes and at the same time provide for compassionate health care across the entire life span of an individual patient by improving the quality of life (Institute of Medicine, 2011). The ACA is expected to bring into the formal health care system an additional 32 million Americans (ibid.) which will further put pressure on the resources of the present health care system to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Native American mascot controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Native American mascot controversy - Essay Example A Mascot is an object, animal or person that represents an organization; for example; the Fuwa of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the Otto of Syracuse University. It is a symbol of the organization and is emblematic  of the organization’s good wishes. At the commencement of the twentieth century; universities and professional teams began to use images and words from the Native Americans as their mascot to represent their organizations. However, in the 1940s, the National Congress of American Indians launched a campaign aimed at eliminating the stereotypes towards Native Americans in the media especially in sports (Hylton, 2010). According to Goddard, the word ‘Redskin’ was used as an identifier by the respective communities in the early history. That is how the Native Americans differentiated the two racess. The word ‘redskin’ was first used in 1769 while Piankashawsand and Col. John Wilkins were negotiating. Native Americans often used the word in the 1800s whenever they negotiated with the French and later the Americans (Goddard, 2005). Washington’s DC Redskins were initially known as the Boston Braves in 1932 when the team was formed. It was the norm at this time to possess the same name for the teams whenever the football and the baseball shared the same stadium. The name was changed when they moved to Boston Red Sox home. The name was changed to Boston Redskins prior to moving back to Washington in 1933. Native American’s names and imagery used by this team started before 1933. In 1937, the team officially changed their name to the Washington Redskin when they moved to Washington, Dc (Nauright & Parrish, 2012). Since the Native America mascot is disrespectful and insulting to Native Americans, some schools and teams changed their mascots or names. Stanford University changed from â€Å"The Stanford Indian† to Stanford Cardinal. Syracuse University

Monday, October 14, 2019

Corporate Restructuring Strategies Business Essay

Corporate Restructuring Strategies Business Essay Corporate restructuring is the process of redesigning one or more aspects of a company. The process of reorganizing a company may be implemented due to a number of different factors, such as positioning the company to be more competitive, survive a currently adverse economic climate, or poise the corporation to move in an entirely new direction. Here are some examples of why corporate restructuring may take place and what it can mean for the company. In general, the idea of corporate restructuring is to allow the company to continue functioning in some manner. Even when corporate raiders break up the company and leave behind a shell of the original structure, there is still usually a hope, what remains can function well enough for a new buyer to purchase the diminished corporation and return it to profitability. Purpose of Corporate Restructuring To enhance the share holder value, The company should continuously evaluate its: Portfolio of businesses, Capital mix, Ownership Asset arrangements to find opportunities to increase the share holders value. To focus on asset utilization and profitable investment opportunities. To reorganize or divest less profitable or loss making businesses/products. The company can also enhance value through capital Restructuring, it can innovate securities that help to reduce cost of capital. Corporate Restructuring entails a range of activities including financial restructuring and organization restructuring. 1. Financial Restructuring Financial restructuring is the reorganization of the financial assets and liabilities of a corporation in order to create the most beneficial financial environment for the company. The process of financial restructuring is often associated with corporate restructuring, in that restructuring the general function and composition of the company is likely to impact the financial health of the corporation. When completed, this reordering of corporate assets and liabilities can help the company to remain competitive, even in a depressed economy. Just about every business goes through a phase of financial restructuring at one time or another. In some cases, the process of restructuring takes place as a means of allocating resources for a new marketing campaign or the launch of a new product line. When this happens, the restructure is often viewed as a sign that the company is financially stable and has set goals for future growth and expansion. Need For Financial Restructuring The process of financial restructuring may be undertaken as a means of eliminating waste from the operations of the company. For example, the restructuring effort may find that two divisions or departments of the company perform related functions and in some cases duplicate efforts. Rather than continue to use financial resources to fund the operation of both departments, their efforts are combined. This helps to reduce costs without impairing the ability of the company to still achieve the same ends in a timely manner In some cases, financial restructuring is a strategy that must take place in order for the company to continue operations. This is especially true when sales decline and the corporation no longer generates a consistent net profit. A financial restructuring may include a review of the costs associated with each sector of the business and identify ways to cut costs and increase the net profit. The restructuring may also call for the reduction or suspension of production facilities that are obsolete or currently produce goods that are not selling well and are scheduled to be phased out. Financial restructuring also take place in response to a drop in sales, due to a sluggish economy or temporary concerns about the economy in general. When this happens, the corporation may need to reorder finances as a means of keeping the company operational through this rough time. Costs may be cut by combining divisions or departments, reassigning responsibilities and eliminating personnel, or scaling back production at various facilities owned by the company. With this type of corporate restructuring, the focus is on survival in a difficult market rather than on expanding the company to meet growing consumer demand. All businesses must pay attention to matters of finance in order to remain operational and to also hopefully grow over time. From this perspective, financial restructuring can be seen as a tool that can ensure the corporation is making the most efficient use of available resources and thus generating the highest amount of net profit possible within the current set economic environment. 2. Organizational Restructuring In organizational restructuring, the focus is on management and internal corporate governance structures. Organizational restructuring has become a very common practice amongst the firms in order to match the growing competition of the market. This makes the firms to change the organizational structure of the company for the betterment of the business. Need For Organization Restructuring New skills and capabilities are needed to meet current or expected operational requirements. Accountability for results are not clearly communicated and measurable resulting in subjective and biased performance appraisals. Parts of the organization are significantly over or under staffed. Organizational communications are inconsistent, fragmented, and inefficient. Technology and/or innovation are creating changes in workflow and production processes. Significant staffing increases or decreases are contemplated. Personnel retention and turnover is a significant problem. Workforce productivity is stagnant or deteriorating. Morale is deteriorating. Some of the most common features of organizational restructures are: Regrouping of business: This involves the firms regrouping their existing business into fewer business units. The management then handles theses lesser number of compact and strategic business units in an easier and better way that ensures the business to earn profit. Downsizing: Often companies may need to retrench the surplus manpower of the business. For that purpose offering voluntary retirement schemes (VRS) is the most useful tool taken by the firms for downsizing the businesss workforce. Decentralization: In order to enhance the organizational response to the developments in dynamic environment, the firms go for decentralization. This involves reducing the layers of management in the business so that the people at lower hierarchy are benefited. Outsourcing: Outsourcing is another measure of organizational restructuring that reduces the manpower and transfers the fixed costs of the company to variable costs. Enterprise Resource Planning: Enterprise resource planning is an integrated management information system that is enterprise-wide and computer-base. This management system enables the business management to understand any situation in faster and better way. The advancement of the information technology enhances the planning of a business. Business Process Engineering: It involves redesigning the business process so that the business maximizes the operation and value added content of the business while minimizing everything else. Total Quality Management: The businesses now have started to realize that an outside certification for the quality of the product helps to get a good will in the market. Quality improvement is also necessary to improve the customer service and reduce the cost of the business. VARIOUS STRATEGIES FOR BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING Smart sizing: It is the process of reducing the size of a company by laying off employees on the basis of incompetence and inefficiency. Some Examples Acquisitions: HLL took over TOMCO. Diversification: Videocon group is diversified into power projects, oil exploration and basic telecom services. Merger: Asea and Brown Boveri came together to form ABB. Strategic alliances: Siemens India has got a Strategic alliance with Bharati Telecom for marketing of its EPABX. Expansion: Siemens is expanding its medical electronics division- a new factory for medical electronics is already come up in Goa. Networking: It refers to the process of breaking companies into smaller independant business units for significant improvement in productivity and flexibility. The phenomenon is predominant in South Korea, where big companies like Samsung, Hyundai and Daewoo are breaking themselves up into smaller units. These firms convert their managers into entrepreneurs. Virtual Corporation: It is a company that has taken steps to turn itself inside out. Rather than having managers and staff sitting INSIDE in their offices moving papers from in basket to out basket, a virtual corporation kicks the employees outside, sending them to work in customers offices and plants, determining what the customer needs and wants, then reshaping the corporate products and services to the customers exact needs. This is a futuristic concept wherein companies will be edgeless, adaptable and perpetually changing. The centrepiece of the business revolution is a new kind of product called a Virtual Product Some of the these products already exist, camcorders create instant movies, personal computers and laser printers have made instant desktop publishing a reality. And for all these we can obtain cash instantly at ATMs. Verticalization: It refers to regrouping of management functions for particular functions for a particular product range to achieve higher accountability and transparency. Siemens in 1990 moved from a function-oriented structure to a vertical entrepreneur-oriented structure embracing size business and three support divisions. Delayering- Flat organization: In the post world war period the demand for goods was ever increasing. Main objective of the corporations was production and capacity build up to meet the demand. The classical, pyramidal structure was well suited to this high growth environment. This structure was scalable and the corporations could immediately translate their growth plans into action by adding workers at the bottom layer and filling in the management layers. But the price paid in the whole process was much higher. The overall process became complicated; number of middle managers and functional managers grew making the coordination of various functions complex. Senior/top management was alienated from the front-line people as well as the end users of the product or sen/ice. Decision-making became slower. Hence, a need is felt to attack the unproductive, bulky and sluggish network of white-collar staff. A powerful strategy would be to remove the layers of senior and middle management i. e. making the organization structure flat. The perspective of organizational restructuring may be different for the employees. When a company goes for the organizational restructuring, it often leads to reducing the manpower and hence meaning that people are losing their jobs. This may decrease the morale of employee in a large manner. Hence many firms provide strategies on career transitioning and outplacement support to their existing employees for an easy transition to their next job. The important methods of Corporate Restructuring are: Joint ventures Sell off and spin off Divestitures Equity carve out Leveraged buy outs (LBO) Management buy outs 1. Joint Ventures Joint ventures are new enterprises owned by two or more participants. They are typically formed for special purposes for a limited duration. It is a combination of subsets of assets contributed by two (or more) business entities for a specific business purpose and a limited duration. Each of the venture partners continues to exist as a separate firm, and the joint venture represents a new business enterprise. It is a contract to work together for a period of time each participant expects to gain from the activity but also must make a contribution. For Example: GM-Toyota JV: GM hoped to gain new experience in the management techniques of the Japanese in building high-quality, low-cost compact subcompact cars. Whereas, Toyota was seeking to learn from the management traditions that had made GE the no. 1 auto producer in the world and In addition to learn how to operate an auto company in the environment under the conditions in the US, dealing with contractors, suppliers, and workers. DCM group and Daewoo motors entered in to JV to form DCM DAEWOO Ltd. to manufacture automobiles in India. 2. Spin-off Spinoffs are a way to get rid of underperforming or non-core business divisions that can drag down profits. Process of spin-off The company decides to spin off a business division. The parent company files the necessary paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The spinoff becomes a company of its own and must also file paperwork with the SEBI. Shares in the new company are distributed to parent company shareholders. The spinoff company goes public. Notice that the spinoff shares are distributed to the parent company shareholders. There are two reasons why this creates value: Parent company shareholders rarely want anything to do with the new spinoff. After all, its an underperforming division that was cut off to improve the bottom line. As a result, many new shareholders sell immediately after the new company goes public. Large institutions are often forbidden to hold shares in spinoffs due to the smaller market capitalization, increased risk, or poor financials of the new company. Therefore, many large institutions automatically sell their shares immediately after the new company goes public. There is no money transaction in spin-off. The transaction is treated as stock dividend tax free exchange. Split-off: Is a transaction in which some, but not all, parent company shareholders receive shares in a subsidiary, in return for relinquishing their parent companys share. In other words some parent company shareholders receive the subsidiarys shares in return for which they must give up their parent company shares Feature of split-offs is that a portion of existing shareholders receives stock in a subsidiary in exchange for parent company stock. Split-up: Is a transaction in which a company spins off all of its subsidiaries to its shareholders ceases to exist. The entire firm is broken up in a series of spin-offs. The parent no longer exists and Only the new offspring survive. In a split-up, a company is split up into two or more independent companies. As a sequel, the parent company disappears as a corporate entity and in its place two or more separate companies emerge. 3. Divestures Divesture is a transaction through which a firm sells a portion of its assets or a division to another company. It involves selling some of the assets or division for cash or securities to a third party which is an outsider. Divestiture is a form of contraction for the selling company. means of expansion for the purchasing company. It represents the sale of a segment of a company (assets, a product line, a subsidiary) to a third party for cash and or securities. Mergers, assets purchase and takeovers lead to expansion in some way or the other. They are based on the principle of synergy which says 2 + 2 = 5! , divestiture on the other hand is based on the principle of anergy which says 5 3 = 3!. Among the various methods of divestiture, the most important ones are partial sell-off, demerger (spin-off split off) and equity carve out. Some scholars define divestiture rather narrowly as partial sell off and some scholars define divestiture more broadly to include partial sell offs, demergers and so on. Motives: Change of focus or corporate strategy Unit unprofitable can mistake Sale to pay off leveraged finance Antitrust Need cash Defend against takeover Good price. 4. Equity Carve-Out A transaction in which a parent firm offers some of a subsidiaries common stock to the general public, to bring in a cash infusion to the parent without loss of control. In other words equity carve outs are those in which some of a subsidiaries shares are offered for a sale to the general public, bringing an infusion of cash to the parent firm without loss of control. Equity carve out is also a means of reducing their exposure to a riskier line of business and to boost shareholders value. 5. Leveraged Buyout A buyout is a transaction in which a person, group of people, or organization buys a company or a controlling share in the stock of a company. Buyouts great and small occur all over the world on a daily basis. Buyouts can also be negotiated with people or companies on the outside. For example, a large candy company might buy out smaller candy companies with the goal of cornering the market more effectively and purchasing new brands which it can use to increase its customer base. Likewise, a company which makes widgets might decide to buy a company which makes thingamabobs in order to expand its operations, using an establishing company as a base rather than trying to start from scratch. 6. Management buyout In this case, management of the company buys the company, and they may be joined by employees in the venture. This practice is sometimes questioned because management can have unfair advantages in negotiations, and could potentially manipulate the value of the company in order to bring down the purchase price for themselves. On the other hand, for employees and management, the possibility of being able to buy out their employers in the future may serve as an incentive to make the company strong. It occurs when a companys managers buy or acquire a large part of the company. The goal of an MBO may be to strengthen the managers interest in the success of the company. Purpose of Management buyouts From management point of view may be: To save their jobs, either if the business has been scheduled for closure or if an outside purchaser would bring in its own management team. To maximize the financial benefits they receive from the success they bring to the company by taking the profits for themselves. To ward off aggressive buyers. The goal of an MBO may be to strengthen the managers interest in the success of the company. Key considerations in MBO are fairness to shareholders price, the future business plan, and legal and tax issues. Benefits of Management buyouts It provides an excellent opportunity for management of undervalued cos to realize the intrinsic value of the company. Lower agency cost: cost associated with conflict of interest between owners and managers. Source of tax savings: since interest payments are tax deductible, pushing up gearing rations to fund a management buyout can provide large tax covers. Conclusion: Restructuring strategies encompasses enhancing economy and improving efficiency. When a company wants to grow or survive in a competitive environment, it needs to restructure itself and focus on its competitive advantage. Thus, the merger and acquisition strategies have been conceived to improve general economic well-being of all those who are, directly or indirectly, connected with the corporate sector. The intension of buy back is visualized as to support share value during periods of temporary weakness, survival and to prevent takeover bids.