Evaluate Social Identity Theory Essay

Social identity theory is designed by Tajfel and Turner (1979) to explain how it is that people develop a sense of membership and belonging in particular groups, and how the mechanics of intergroup discrimination. Several interconnected mechanisms are at work with social identity theory. The core idea is that people tend to seek out-group membership as an affirmation of self-esteem, but that membership in a group alone is not enough to build self-esteem. To feel more self esteem, people have to believe that they are in the right group, which creates the need for a positive distinction from other groups. There are three cognitive processes that are Social Categorisation, Social Identification and Social Comparison. Tajfel and his colleagues divided some schoolboys in to 2 different groups, they allocated them randomly into the groups but the participants thought that the groups were defined by their preferences to paintings. They had to give out points to the in-group and the out-group but were not allowed to give points to themselves. The participants would favour people in their group rather than the participants of the other group. In many cases the participants would sacrifice points for their group just to increase the difference between the groups. The participants would give 7 points to their own group and give the other group 1, although they could have given 13 to each group. This shows that you can be easily be put in a group for a minor thing and you would stick together and go against the other group and see them as the enemy without having any real reason. Caroline Howarth carried out the second research. The participants all lived in the Brixton area, which was seen as a poor and violent place and also where a lot of black people were thought to have lived there and were thought of being the main cause of violence. Within the first set of focus groups (total of 7), she asked teenagers to talk about Brixton, she asked them to ‘tell me about Brixton – what it is like for you to live here and how people outside Brixton think about Brixton’. Howarth used a topic guideline to ensure that central research questions were always covered (on community, inclusion, exclusion, identity, ethnicity, the media, prejudice, racism, the school). The organisation of focus groups into friendship groups made it possible for participants to discuss these experiences with admirable confidence, maturity and understanding. It can, nonetheless, be difficult for the social researcher to access such sensitive material. When the moderator is an outsider and when research participants assume (often correctly) that the researcher has little experience of the kind of discrimination and challenges to self-esteem that pervade their lives, mistrust and suspicion may harm the research relationship. The girls answered positively and were happy to be from Brixton and did not want to move away and did not see any problems. This would shock people, as they would have thought people would move away if they had the chance. They are creating a social identity, as they are happy to be a part of the Brixton identity. There are some problems with this study as there are some ethical issues, they were deceived as they were lied to in the Tajfel study as they were just randomly picked and had nothing to do with their views on the paintings. Whereas the Howarth study they were not deceived which is a good way to carry out a study but they might have lied with their answers to please the examiner and have changed their behavior to be positive and not how that even the people who live there think the same as everyone else. Both of these studies are valid as the research supports the theory and the results can be applied to everyday life. The Tajfel study shows how people at school in the playground group and pick the group they have the most in common with and communicate with them and if they do not seem to have anything in common they would not stay there. The second study by Howarth can also be applied in everyday life as people create social identity all the time, if a place is thought of negatively by people who do not live their then the people who do can make a social identity and be happy and have positive thoughts about this area and not agree with the others. The theory seems to be a good and plausible theory as the research supports the theory that people automatically divide the social world into the in-group (people like me) and the out-group (people who are not like me). The people see the people in their group as similar to them but 2 different groups seem to be so different from each other when not in all cases they are that different from each other.

Comprehension of Prisoners Without Trial Essay

Roger Daniels’ book Prisoners without Trial is another book that describes the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. This piece discusses about the background that led up to the internment, the internment itself, and what happened afterwards. The internment and relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War II was an injustice prompted by political and racial motivations. The author’s purpose of this volume is to discuss the story in light of the redress and reparation legislation enacted in 1988. Even though Daniels gives first hand accounts of the internment of Japanese Americans in his book, the author is lacking adequate citations and provocative quotations. It’s unfortunate that Daniels does not provide the more substantive treatment he used in the volume he co-edited with Sandra Taylor, Japanese Americans, From Relocation to Redress. The history that led up to the internment was basically an anti-Oriental prejudice that began on the West Coast. When the Chinese immigrants started immigrating to the United States, they posed a social problem. â€Å"As the numbers of Chinese laborers increased, so did the strength of anti-Chinese sentiment among other workers in the American economy. This finally resulted in legislation that aimed to limit future immigration of Chinese workers to the United States, and threatened to sour diplomatic relations between the United States and China.†[1] As a result of this social problem, anti-Chinese prejudice movements began all over the United States and the government fixed this problem by barring the immigration of Chinese immigrants. This prejudice was basically transferred over to the Japanese and this prejudice was felt by many United States citizens, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Daniels notes that, in California, â€Å"in the early 1900’s most of the political parties, the Republicans, the Democrats, and the third party, the Populist, along with the American Federation of Labor, were all against the Japanese immigration† because they believed that Japanese immigration was going to have the same result as the Chinese immigration.[2] The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper began a series of virul ent attacks on the Japanese in America during 1905, matching some of the â€Å"worst tabloid trash-type journalism† that anyone has ever seen. The result was to further inflame public opinion which the politicians were then more than willing to use to further their own purposes. Daniels states that â€Å"politicians from different states were trying to get elected by appealing to the populace and their views. Thus, presidents such as Woodrow Wilson publicly shared his anti-Oriental views. Woodrow Wilson released a strong statement opposing Oriental immigration. What is even less known is that Wilson’s statement was not his own, but was written for him by his chief California backer, James D. Phelan of San Francisco.†[3] According to Daniels, this episode is significant for two reasons: first, it reveals the strong anti-Oriental bias of the leaders of the Wilson Democrats of California; second, it shows the degree to which an unauthentic expression of opinion can delude both the voter and the participants themselves. A very interesting thing is a breakdown of the types of businesses persons of Japanese ancestry who were involved in the city of Seattle and in different cities along the West Coast. As Japanese immigrants came to the United States, they came to the West Coast because of the economic success awaiting there. They ran hotels, grocery stores, dry cleaners, market stands, produce houses, restaurants, barbershops, laundries or gardening services. A lot of them were also involved in farming in rural communities. The Japanese went to America for more opportunities but at that time, there were only two colors that people recognized. Those two colors were white and black. The Japanese really wanted to be a U.S. citizen so they could own land. After they get the land, they could start their own business and make a lot of money. Without their own business, they had to work for whites at low wages. Japanese believed that the way out of low paying jobs was a good education. There was too much discrimination against them so the second generation of Japanese in America had to follow the footsteps of their parents to low paying jobs. The Japanese were still very determined to make it big in America. They wanted to do whatever it took but the Japanese have to overcome a lot of discrimination from the white citizens. The Japanese were very smart but they weren’t able to do what they were capable of in the United States of America. The author talks about the war in Europe and how fast Hitler’s victories were. There was a belief in American government agencies that this happened because there was a vast â€Å"fifth column† of saboteurs and subversives that helped him, which was something that was totally untrue.[4] This same type of thinking, that the military of the â€Å"good† countries could not have lost so easily unless they were betrayed, was carried over into the attack on Pearl Harbor where, for a long while, the belief was that it was not our military’s fault at all for not being ready; it was all due to a massive number of persons of Japanese ancestry living in Hawaii that aided the attacking planes.[5] That, also, was totally rejected later, but was useful to the politicians for inflaming public opinion against the Japanese Americans. There was a proposal to let the Japanese Americans stay on the West Coast and just keep them away from any â€Å"sensitive† areas, but the politicians and hate-mongers were against such a limited program, wanting the â€Å"Jap problem† to be dealt with once and for all. Soon after Pearl Harbor the draft boards began classifying Japanese Americans as 4-C, which is a category reserved for enemy aliens.[6] Daniels also points out that, if it was so necessary for military reasons to remove Japanese Americans from the West Coast then that would have been even truer for the Japanese Americans in Hawaii where they formed almost a third of the population. The persons of Japanese Ancestry in California, though, only formed 2% of the population. Daniels later discusses the internment camp descriptions and places the events into four different phases: (1) Settling in (spring1942 – February 1943), (2) registration/ segregation crisis (February 1943-Janurary 1944), (3) draft crisis (January 1944- November 1945), and (4) leaving camp (summer 1946-March 1946). Overall, the book gives the reader a multi-dimensional view on the Japanese internment, which allows the reader to see the political and racial views behind the Executive Order 9066 and the internment of the Japanese. Citation: Daniel, Roger. Prisoners without Trial: Japanese Americans in World War II. 1st ed. New York: Hill and Wang, 1993. ———————– [1] Roger Daniel, Prisoners without Trial: Japanese Americans in World War II, (New York: Hill and Wang, 1993), 41. [2] Daniel I bid., 67. [3] I bid., 53. [4] Daniel I bid., 109. [5] I bid., 91. [6] Daniel I bid., 32.

Carnival Major Aspect Of Trinidadian Culture Social Policy Essay

Carnival Major Aspect Of Trinidadian Culture Social Policy Essay What is culture? According to La Belle and Ward (1996), a current definition of culture encompasses the shared attributes which delineate one group as separate from another ( p. 28). A slightly more specific definition for this very broad term comes from Frantz Fanon who says that a â€Å"culture is first and foremost the expression of a nation, its preferences, its taboos, and its models† (2004, p.177). From this standpoint we will examine Trinidadian culture or more specifically the significance of Carnival, an integral part of Trinidadian culture, as an outpouring of expression which originated with the French Roman Catholic aristocracy and later was influenced by slaves and former slaves. We will also examine the role it plays in inspiring national pride and uniting the Trinidadian diaspora. According to Mr. Walcott we have lost much of our historical legacy and it is from this loss and the consequent necessity for something to fill that void that the innovation of our cu lture (i.e. Caribbean culture) materialized (Walcott, 1974, p. 6). I disagree with Mr. Walcott on this point. I believe that a great deal of history was lost yes, whether it is because it was irrelevant as he says or not is in itself immaterial for the purpose of this discussion. It is my opinion that culture was not simply an upwelling of inventiveness due to large gaps in historical memory, but also an amalgamation of what historical heritage was left behind regardless of the fact that it was in tatters. If we take Carnival as an isolated part of culture, this point can be proven as we examine the origins of Carnival and see for ourselves that it began in Trinidad with a French Roman Catholic tradition of the aristocracy (Zavitz & Allahar, 2002) in the pre-emancipation era as a last prelenten celebration, which symbolized the abandonment of propriety. It was transformed with the advent of emancipation from a celebration in the form of masked balls, song, drama and dance which indi rectly, covertly and subversively confronted issues of social restrictions of class and race, since most wore masks, into a fusion in the post-emancipation period of West African religious practices and beliefs and the pre-existing French celebration (Nurse, 1999). The initial celebration of Carnival by the recently freed slaves was in the form of re-enacting a scene that they had become all too familiar with and which they had named ‘Cannes Brulà ©es’ or burning cane (Carnival). This is one instance of creation such as that which Mr. Walcott speaks of, however we can clearly see that the entirety of the Carnival practice, once taken as a whole, contains old and new elements, old from both French and African historical celebrations separately and new from the synthesis of new ideas based on experiences and the mixing of two cultures together, one forcibly oppressed for many years, and the other, living in extravagance comparatively. Let us now take a look at what Carni val is, what it symbolizes presently for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. Carnival as seen by the spectator and masquerader alike is not viewed as anything static. â€Å"It is a dynamic and fluid process† (Green, 2007, p. 206). It is a vibrant, exuberant, triumphant, colourful display on the one hand of freedom from one’s inhibitions as passed down from the originators of this festival, in which fast-paced, up-tempo music urges revelers to jump and gyrate in time with the syncopations of the melodic ‘soca’ music (Green, 2007, pp. 207-208). Feathers, beads, staffs, headbands, bright dramatic make-up, sequins, beads and all manner of shiny things bob and weave with the rhythm of the uninhibited who proudly bare their costumes and newly fit bodies for cameras and tourists alike. Big music trucks patrol the streets with thousands cavorting to the tune reverberating from the massive speakers that take up the entire truck-cab and face in all directions. This maddeningly spectacular display of peacock-like feathers, glitter and lithe bodies strutting to the beat, begins on Carnival Monday morning with ‘J’Ouvert’ which means opening of the day and continues right through into ‘Las’Lap’ on Tuesday night until the stroke of midnight (Scher, 2002, p. 461). This is the part of Carnival that is marketed, packaged and sold to the masses every year. The package includes the enticement of watching steel-bands vie for the title of champion in the Queen’s Park Savannah, during Panorama, the most renowned steelpan competition during the Carnival season. It is not to say that this is all that Carnival consists of, however when considering the diasporic culture of expatriate Trinis, as they are called, and their descendants, these are the images that bring to life that longing for the homeland and have inspired stirrings in the soul to return to Trinidad, just to participate in this festival of colour an d unadulterated elation. The term diasporic mentioned refers to the dispersion of a community away from its homeland to more than one peripheral region, which remembers or has some cultural connection to the homeland and is not fully acknowledged as a member of the current country (Clifford, 1994, p. 304).

HRM strategy and implementation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

HRM strategy and implementation - Essay Example zation to lay more focus on its core activities hence increasing the output and ensuring that the business has a greater competitive advantage (Campbell 606). In some cases, focus is put on the possible impact of future sets of promotional tactics. Marketing oriented models are often used to optimise promotional strategies of an organization with respect to sales revenue or profit margins. Techniques used for this purpose were developed by econometricians and were first applied to consumer goods that were specifically being packaged. A good market model would entail a detailed mathematical representation of the actual interactions among the different market forces. These various participants include economic forces and the different choices that are made at various levels of doing business within an organization. Different market models attempt to explain or predict the behaviour of various aspects of a market. For instance, for security markets, one model would attempt to express how the return on a certain product portfolio can be maximized. A marketing model is a central component of the general marketing discipline. Information technology has indeed ensured a rapid change in the way businesses carry out their marketing (Chesbrough, et al. 2000). More customers can now be reached within a short time by use of reliable technologies that are very cost effective. Human resource refers to people-power within an organization. People within an organization are normally charged with the responsibility of ensuring that machines and other resources are put into good use. Resources such as computer systems only help to facilitate the work done by the human resource (Kelly 2003). People with various skills and academic credentials ensure that various duties are carried out in an organizational setup. The term human resource therefore refers to the way in which people are managed by organizations. Human resource is the most complex and difficult category of resources to

Finance and groowth strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Finance and groowth strategy - Essay Example This phenomenon makes the valuation of any potential investment a cumbersome task for any decision-maker. For this purpose, several valuation models have been developed that have been tested academically and professionally as being effectively helpful in analyzing investment projects, such as the discounted cash flow, present value, Tobin's q, etc. The discounted cash flow is regarded as the most important technique in evaluating long-term investment decisions, in particular. Reilly and Brown (2003) consider the calculation of discounted cash flow to be the most commonly practiced technique for the valuation of assets. The model is specifically utilized in large organizations as an effective means to analyze an investment on the basis of returns expected within a certain number of years. For instance, a company wants to invest a certain sum of money (See Table 1 and 2) to purchase an asset that is likely to benefit the company and provide a flow of income for the period of five years. This company can utilize the DCF method to reach an appropriate decision concerning whether to buy the asset or not. The asset will be purchased if the Net Present Value (NPV) calculated appears to be positive, whereas the company will not go for this investment if the NPV is less than zero or negative. This model evaluates the value of a company's asse... Wolfe and Gold (2004, p191) state that, "with the discounted cash flow theory cash flows are discounted at a risk-adjusted discount rate to arrive at an estimate of value". Thus, this method utilizes a discount rate to evaluate the cash flows expected from the use of the asset. In the following example (See Table 2), the discount rate is taken as 15%, whereas the investment is evaluated for the period of five years. After discounting the cash flows expected to be received in the given years, the present value is obtained. Table 1 Cash Flows *Considering Expected Inflation =3% Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Cash Inflow* $7,519,000 $7,594,190 $7,669,380 7035528 6497543 Less: Operating Costs $1,460,000 $1,503,800 $1,548,914 $1,595,381 $1,643,242 Less: Depreciation $2,266,667 $2,266,667 $2,266,667 $2,266,667 $2,266,667 Operating Income BT $3,792,333 $3,823,723 $3,853,799 $3,173,480 $2,587,634 Tax (10% assumed) $379,233 $382,372 $385,379 $317,348 $258,763 Operating Income AT $3,413,099 $3,441,350 $3,468,419 $2,856,132 $2,328,870 Add: Depreciation $2,266,667 $2,266,667 $2,266,667 $2,266,667 $2,266,667 Cash Flows $5,679,766 $5,708,017 $5,735,086 $5,122,799 $4,595,537 Table 2 Year Cash Flows Discount Rate- 15% Present Value 1 $5,679,766 0.870 4,941,396 2 $5,708,017 0.757 4,320,968 3 $5,735,086 0.658 3,773,686 4 $5,122,799 0.572 2,930,241 5 $4,595,537 0.497 2,283,981 Net Present Value 18,250,272 - Explicating The Investment Risks French and Gabrielli (2005, p80) illuminate that "the DCF method can mirror the all risk yield approach by explicitly applying all the assumptions that have been implicitly allowed for". The preeminence of this method lies in pre-identifying the risks concerning a prospective investment while

Legalization of Marijuana Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Legalization of Marijuana - Term Paper Example Although marijuana is not legal in the Netherlands as is widely believed, it is openly tolerated as evidenced by the fact that it can be both purchased and consumed in one of several Amsterdam ‘coffee houses.’ The city is thus an example of the kind of ‘anarchy’ opponents of legalization measures have warned would occur if the United States took a more lenient approach. What the evidence suggests is that legalizing marijuana can introduce a great benefit to society. This evidence is well-known throughout the scientific, political and public arena including economics and social issues but it has yet to be acted upon. According to a report in The Economist (Case for Legalization, 2001), concerns that a growing drug-using and dependent population would emerge if marijuana was made more available are false. Although the magazine acknowledges that the price of the drug is artificially high, it attributes this to the difficulties involved in circumventing the law. The authors of this report indicate that it is only because of the high cost and the difficulty to obtain it that more individuals have not experimented with it. Instead, they become addicted, either physically or psychologically, to other, often more harmful yet legal substances such as prescription medications or alcohol. To support their argument in favor of legalization even should the numbers of suspected users rise, the Economist article (Case for Legalization, 2001) draws on the theories of John Stuart Mill. Mill’s ideas were founded on the concept that adult citizens should have the right to make their own choices regarding w hether or not to participate in activity as long as it does no harm to others. This is a founding theory that has been mostly ignored in decisions made regarding alcohol and tobacco, both of which have proven to directly cause significant harm to innocent others,

Government action invariably means a loss of individual liberty Essay

Government action invariably means a loss of individual liberty - Essay Example Before the War on Terror caused by the September 11 attacks, there was the War on Poverty by Lyndon B. Johnson which justified Federal government action. But a minority view is that government action does not invariably lead to a loss of personal liberties as government actions are mostly on matters of national concern such as a faltering economy and the countrys physical security against terrorism. People living in a modern and civilized society do so under the social contract which calls for the setting up of government system to maintain order and security for its citizens. In return for this, all people agree to surrender some of their rights implicitly in which originally free individuals give up some of their natural rights in favor of the social system or a political organization and be bound by the common laws and conventions being adopted. It is the very essence of a democracy in which people allow themselves to be governed to some extent but this does not necessarily equate into a loss of individual liberties. On the contrary, people living in democratic societies enjoy more freedoms than they would otherwise experience in other forms of government. Only people with evil intentions such as terrorists and economic saboteurs have reason to fear government intervention in their lives because that is precisely why government was set up in the first place and its functions include the assurance to citizens of their safety and general economic well being. What most of the critics against increasing Federal government authority cite most often are the threats to personal freedoms in which government intrudes into personal lives. People who abide by the laws impliedly contained in the social contract therefore have nothing to fear. In other words, people can go on with their lives with remarkably little governmental

Paul and Elder Critical Thinking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Paul and Elder Critical Thinking - Assignment Example Intellectual courage is also another very important trait that an intellect should have. This is having a conscious to face and address presented ideas and believes or points of views of other individuals. One should not just take believes and theories from people irrespective of their educational background. All the ideas presented should be subjected to questioning so that facts can be extracted from the claims presented. Critical thinking involves people analyzing thoughts of other people to find out if there is an error of reasoning in the thinking aspects. We should not consider anything said or written to be true because there might be a given form of information distortion and hence it’s our obligation as listeners to determine that particular distortion and correct it through meaningful questioning and giving the possible answers. The third and very important intellectual trait discussed is the intellectual empathy. This is the conscious that is brought out during a thinking and imagination process. Errors in imagination should not be taken lightly. This can be described as a way of putting oneself in the imaginative shoes so that one can exactly understand the feeling and the meaning of a given imagination presented to the public. This trait also reminds one at a given past when the thinking to a given issue that was not all as what was expected. Each person must at one point differ with other individuals especially colleagues in the thinking process. Hence remembering is an important factor presented by this trait. Other traits include intellectual integrity, intellectual perseverance, faith in reasoning and fair-mindedness. All these traits once adopted, an error in reasoning cannot occur. Hence each individual should struggle to think rightly to avoid any form of miscommunication or distortion of the intended message that is to be passed

Human resource planningorganisational culture Essay

Human resource planningorganisational culture - Essay Example In this paper, the researcher undertakes field work on the important elements and aspects of the human resource management unit of Hunts Transport. This research includes an exegesis on the human resource management elements of the company. In doing this, the following objectives are explored: In doing this research, the writer undertook a detailed fieldwork on the important elements and factors of the company. This was done through various methods of taking information on important components of the company through direct enquiry to attain primary data for the paper. The paper also involved a critical analysis of the findings in relation to important facts and figures that relate to human resource management. This is used to interpret the data and provide a detailed analysis of the way things are done in the company. From the analysis, conclusions and inferences are draw. Data is acquired through the collection of information and important elements and aspects that relate to the company. This is done in three parts. The first part involves a structured interview with the HR manager of Hunts Transport. The interview include an acquisition of information relating to important aspects of the company that define the human resource unit of Hunts Transport and its relation to other components of the business like the strategic plan of the company. These findings are subjected to further scrutiny in the second part which involves questionnaires that would be sent to a large percentage of the people in the company. This will be questions that would inquire about important elements and aspects of the application of the HR systems and how they relate to these individual members of the organisation. Finally, the research would involve a focus group interview that would take cross-sectional information about participants chosen from different units of

Ethnics studies 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethnics studies 2 - Essay Example Another police officer (Matt Dillon) perceives that a light-skinned woman but actually from the black race (Thandie Newton) is white. Racial discrimination is also evident when a white producer says that black character "doesnt sound black enough," to the black TV director (Terrence Dashon Howard) it never occurs to him that even the executive doesnt also sound "sound black," either. These characters say precisely what they think about the other race, without the filters of political appropriateness. The district attorneys wife is so terrified by the encounter on the street that she is forced to change the locks, she then has a feeling that the locksmith will get back with his gang to attack the family. The white policeman is not able to access to health concern for his vanishing father, and thus sets to accuse the black woman at his HMO that she is intriguing gain of privileged ethnic treatment. When the Iranian is not able to comprehend what the locksmith is trying to tell him, he becomes insecure, and gets a gun for personal defense. In the recent world, white elites’ fabricated race and racial discrimination to defend their supremacy and that of the white people in general. The whites’ have acknowledged the privileges they get from the structure and helped sustain it. The problem does not arise from the personality prejudices that are present in a variety of ways in all groups but from white race superiority, which is articulated not only by persons but also in universal and institutional behaviors. There is tiny insinuation of such perception in the film, which makes it specifically more hazardous in a white-dominated culture in which white people are enthusiastic to keep away from confronting the dispensation. Crash is white supremacist for the reason that it tries to cover up the certainty of white

Cash flow stream Essay Example for Free

Cash flow stream Essay ?1. What is the present value of the following uneven cash flow stream ?$50, $100, $75, and $50 at the end of Years 0 through 3? The appropriate interest rate is 10%, compounded annually. PV=190.46 (SEE EXCEL FILE ATTACHED) 2. We sometimes need to find out how long it will take a sum of money (or something else, such as earnings, population, or prices) to grow to some specified amount. For example, if a company’s sales are growing at a rate of 20% per year, how long will it take sales to double? It would take about 3. 801784 years before the sales double. (SEE EXCEL FILE ATTACHED) 3. Will the future value be larger or smaller if we compound an initial amount more often than annually— for example, every 6 months, or semiannually—holding the stated interest rate constant? Why? It will be larger because it’s basically like adding on interest on top of interest as the frequency increases. 4. What is the effective annual rate (EAR or EFF %) for a nominal rate of 12%, compounded semiannually? Compounded quarterly? Compounded monthly? Compounded daily? EAR = (1 + Nominal Interest/Number of Period) ^Number of Period -1 SEMI ANNUALLY= (1+.12/2)^2-1=12.36% QUARTERLY= (1+.12/4)^4-1=12.55% MONTHLY= (1+.12/12)^12-1=12.68% DAILY= (1+.12/365)^365-1=12.75% 5. Suppose that on January 1 you deposit $100 in an account that pays a nominal (or quoted) interest rate of 11.33463%, with interest added (compounded) daily. How much will you have in your account on October 1, or 9 months later? OCT 1ST= 100*(1+.1133463/365) ^ (365*.75) = $108.87 6. What would be the value of the bond described above if, just after it had been issued, the expected inflation rate rose by 3 percentage points, causing investors to require a 13% return? Would we now have a discount or a premium bond? PV= $837.21 (SEE EXCEL FILE ATTACHED) It would be considered a discounted bond because the present value is less than its face value. 7. What would happen to the bond’s value if inflation fell and rd declined to 7%? Would we now have a premium or a discount bond? PV= $1210.71 (SEE EXCEL FILE ATTACHED)Â  It would be considered a premium bond because the present value is more than the face value. 8. What is the yield to maturity on a 10-year, 9% annual coupon, $1,000 par value bond that sells for $887.00? That sells for $1,134.20? What does a bond selling at a discount or at a premium tell you about the relationship between rd and the bond’s coupon rate? RATE = 11% for a bond that sells for $887 and the RATE = 7% for a bond selling for $1134.20 9. What are the total return, the current yield, and the capital gains yield for the discount bond in Question #8 at $887.00? At $1,134.20? (Assume the bond is held to maturity and the company does not default on the bond.) The return for the $887 bond is 11% and the yield is 90/887 which equals 10.15%. The capital gain would be 11% 10.15%= .85% The return for the $1134.20 bond is 7% and the yield is 90/1134.20 which equals 7.9%. The capital gain would be 7% 7.9%= -.9%

Campbell & Baileys Boston Office Essay Example for Free

Campbell Baileys Boston Office Essay When Campbell and Bailyn’s Boston Office made the decision to restructure their organization and place a new emphasis on specialization, the business and employees faced multiple challenges during the process. Although communication problems were evidenced in the scenario, I was also concerned with the lack of buy-in by the employees within the organization. According to a recent writing in Bloomberg’s Business Week, employees are an important factor in determining how customers perceive the company’s brand. For this reason, companies should do more to nurture the company’s culture through internal branding efforts. In addition, when employers consider a company’s brand, they think in terms of marketing departments, advertising, and publications. In reality, a brand is made up of every experience that a customer has with an organization. (McKee, 2014). Management consultant Peter Drucker states â€Å"culture eats strategy for dinner† (McKee, 2014). When employees become stressed out at work, it impacts their performance and in turn the company’s productivity. In the Boston office, it was clear that Paul Callahan, the top grossing sales person, was stressed out. In a recent article, it is stated that depression and burnout afflict one-third of employees (Cooper, 2014). These afflictions can also negatively impact employee performance and morale. In the case of the Boston office, it would benefit the organization to speak with the employees and work towards obtaining their buy-in. Once the employees buy into the change, they can then pass that enthusiasm on to their customers to gain their buy-in as well. References Cooper, C. (2014, May 15). Depression and burnout at work afflict one-third of employees. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/depression-and-burnout-at-work-afflict-onethird-of-employees-9294596.html Donnellon, A. Gifford, D. (2008). Campbell and Bailyns Boston Office: Managing The Reorganization. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing. McKee, S. (2014, May 13). Branding begins at home. Bloomberg Business Week. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-13/branding-begins-at-home

Characteristics of Franchising Systems

Characteristics of Franchising Systems DEFINITION OF FRANCHISING Franchising is a viable method of distributing goods and services which can have a positive influence on economic development by its contribution to the establishment of new businesses and job creation. (By Martin Mendelsohn,2004, p.1,The Guide to Franchising). The distribution networks can be expanded without having to borrow funds or raise additional equity finance. Some capital will be required to prepare for franchising but in general the franchisees will supply the capital as they will fund their own outlets. (By Gideon Nieman, 1998,p.8,) One can start in business with the use of comprehensive business package consisting of an established trade name and corporate image, a proven product or service, and the benefit of the goodwill that has been built up up by the franchisor. (By Gideon Nieman,1998, p.9,the franchise option-how to franchise your business). Disadvantages for franchisees Loss of independence: one of the most serious disadvantages of becoming a franchisee is loss of independence. If you want to make all your own decisions, franchising may be the wrong choice. Franchise systems are structured in such a way that the franchisor sets many of the rules; the franchisee is required to operate the business according to the franchisors manuals and procedures. Over-dependence on the system: loss of independence , if taken to extremes, leads to a further disadvantage: over dependence on the franchise system. When franchisees rely totally on the system for their success, their over-dependence can cause problems. Franchisees have to balance system restrictions with their personal ability to manage their own businesses. For example, when a franchisee depends on national advertising exclusively and does not invest in local marketing , she is short changing her business by relying too greatly on what the franchisor is bringing to the party. (By Michael Seid, Dave Thomas, 2007,p.42, Franchising for dummies Common characteristics of franchise systems that reflect different types of exploration and exploitation The positioning of the system in the market The degree of hardness of the system The systems entrepreneurial orientation The room for strategic participation of franchisees in the system The systems growth objectives ( by Josef Windsperger, Gà ©rard Cliquet, George Hendrikse, Mika Tuunanen, 2012, P.194, economic and management of franchising networks). Several limitations of franchise relationships as a specific form of alliance in which both franchisor and franchisee are intelligent partners that interact and adjust to each other through time. The franchise relationship is often seen as a static, top down relationship in which the focus is on efficiency-aspects, such as monitoring and control of franchisees. However, it is argued here franchise systems and the relationships within them have to deal with paradox of exploitation and exploration in organisational adaptation.   Exploitation includes aspects such as refinement, choice, production, efficiency, selection, implementation and execution. Exploration includes issues such as search, variation, risk-taking,experimentation, play,flexibility, discovery and innovation. Arguably, firms must try to find an appropriate balance betyween exploitation and exploration in order to survive and prosper in their environment.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   ( by Josef Windsperger, Gà ©rard Cliquet , George Hendrikse, Mika Tuunanen, 2012, P.194). Resource acquisition theory http://www.whichfranchise.com/resources.cfm https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9bXdna3dpEkCpg=PA61lpg=PA61dq=Brand+the+franchise+benefits+from+operating+under+the+name+and+reputation+brand+(image)+of+the+franchisor,+which+is+already+well+established+in+the+mind+eye+of+the+public.source=blots=8S9g1KfYUFsig=i6g2copZdN7dITp0uFMxSdx1MRQhl=ensa=Xved=0ahUKEwjMnvPap9TJAhUGVRQKHXq2BbwQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepageq=Brand%20the%20franchise%20benefits%20from%20operating%20under%20the%20name%20and%20reputation%20brand%20(image)%20of%20the%20franchisor%2C%20which%20is%20already%20well%20established%20in%20the%20mind%20eye%20of%20the%20public.f=false http://search.proquest.com/abiglobal/docview/220131590/63A3C6E4CB69411CPQ/1?accountid=10472 http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Eq-Inc/Franchising.html http://emarket.franchise.org/FRCSupportHandbook.pdf http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/08876040710818895 http://www.entrepreneur.com/answer/227691 http://www.franchising.com/guides/what_is_franchising_the_basics.html http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/08876040710818895 http://www.whichfranchise.com/resources.cfm http://www.theukfranchisedirectory.net/page/history-of-franchising.php http://www.franchising.com/articles/what_is_franchising.html

Abortion :: essays research papers

Good morning/afternoon ladies and gentleman. Today I am here to convince you without a doubt that abortion should be brought to an end. Points that I will be covering are the medical risks involved, economic support for the child, couples that do not have a chance to have a child and ¡K. The scientific definition of abortion is the termination of pregnancy of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival. There are over 131,000 abortions in Australia every year. Firstly: medical risks involved. Some short term or physical side effects such as: „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infection „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bleeding „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perforation of the uterus „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anaesthetic complications „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Deaths And as for that there are also long term side effects such as: „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cervical incompetence, in which the neck of the womb loses its capacity to hold the developing foetus in place, and he or she falls out of the uterus because of their weight and the force of gravity „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is thus associated with higher rates of miscarriage in subsequent pregnancies, usually in the second twelve weeks „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infection acquired at the time of the operation can cause pelvic infection, decreased patency of the fallopian tubes and sterility. „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adhesion can cause recurring abdominal pain and sterility. „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is now known that women having abortions and considerably more likely to suffer from breast cancer later in their life. My second point is the economic support for the child: Why do people that don ¡Ã‚ ¦t want kids have to have an abortion? There are always other factors that you can come to such as adoption. In third world countries, the people have a right to have children but do they have the opportunity? If they did have a child, how would they support it through the poverty? They don ¡Ã‚ ¦t even have enough food and water to support themselves at the moment. This clearly indicates to support the child you must be economically healthy. In a country like our own, we have all the resources at our fingertips, and why do people still question and rely on abortion? If people had a child or two, or maybe even more, we will still have enough resources to support us and our child healthy and we have resources that the third-world countries don ¡Ã‚ ¦t have. My third point is how many couples do not have the chance to have a child: Many childless couples on the other hand face long waiting lists in the hope they can adopt. Some 50,000 Australian couples a year apply to adopt children.

Women Buying Cars Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Women Buying Cars      Ã‚  Ã‚   Last spring while trying to buy my first car, I experienced frustration in gaining acknowledgment from salesmen as well as their respect at several different dealerships.   I discovered it was my attitude and approach to the salesmen that would make the difference in the treatment I received from the them in buying a car myself.   I discovered, by informing the salesman from the beginning that I was serious and financially capable of buying a car, I was able to get a salesman to take time in helping me, a high school female, make a car purchase.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through my experience, I discovered women are at fault for the treatment received from car salesmen while making an effort to buy a car.   The idea that women are insufficient when it comes to buying cars results from the timid approach women take when doing so.   There is no difference in the capabilities women and men have in buying cars.   The difference lies in the approach women take when deciding to purchase a vehicle of their choice.   How can women be treated as equals to the male population when it comes to buying cars?   It all lays in the attitude women take towards the car salesmen.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The stories seem to always be the same when a woman walks onto the parking lot of a car dealership looking for a car.   She walks around the car lot and is approached by a salesman within five minutes.   He asks how she's doing and says, "Well, let me know if there's anything I can help you with." He then hands her a business card and walks away.   If a woman takes a casual approach to walking around the lot viewing the different models, and is too afraid of showing interest in purchasing, of course a salesm... ...a successful purchase.    Works Cited Ayres, Ian and Peter Siegelman. "Race and Gender Discrimination in Bargaining for a New Car." American Economic Review 85.3 (June 1995): 304-22. Howard, Margo. "Don't Get Taken for a Ride." New Choices: Living Even Better After 50 36.3   (April 1996): 58-61. Moyes, Jojo. "Car sexism drives me crazy." World Press Review 43.6 (June 1996): 48-49. Myers, Gerry. "Reaching the Women's Market." Working Woman 22.9 (Sept. 1997): 33-36. Sherman-Chatzky, Jean. "Protest With Your Feet." Money 28.2 (Feb. 1999): 190-91. Tillson, Tamsen. "A women scorned." Canadian Business 69.2 (Feb. 1996): 97-98. Whittelsey, Frances Cerra. "How women can stop paying more than men for the same things."   Money 25.6 (June 1996): 47- 46.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Keeping Close to Home by bell hooks Essay

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, bell hooks Style bell hooks ties in the three elements of argument, ethos, pathos, and logos in her essay, "Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education," by telling us about the many events of her life. hooks establishes credibility, or ethos, unintentionally, through descriptions of her achievements and character. hooks appeals to the readers logic, or logos, by giving real world examples from her personal experiences. She also appeals to the readers emotions, or pathos. Pathos is the aspect of argument she uses most heavily. hooks does this by talking about family, peers, feelings, and change. hooks shows us ,in her essay, credibility, logic, and emotion using the stories of her life. bell hooks is a woman who does not concern herself with establishing credibility among her audience or critics. What is important to hooks is that she reaches the people who most need to hear what she has to say. As hooks tells us, "It is important that we know who we are speaking to, who we most long to move, motivate, and touch with our words" (90). hooks has, however, established credibility through her many achievements, such as, attending school at Stanford University, teaching at Yale, writing the book Ain't I a Woman: black women and feminism, and by starting a black women's support group. Although these are great accomplishments, no matter what your race or sex, I feel she best establishes her credibility through her character. hooks tells us that while she often may have needed money, she never had the need for new beliefs or values. She shows great strength in her ability to combine her past life with her new "privileged" life. As hooks says, "It was my responsibilit y to formulate a way of being ... ...anion] wanted to know whether or not I knew them" (91). bell hooks did not personally know these people , but they represent her family and her past. hook finds it unsettling that in her experiences, she has found no black bonds among professors and students. She feels this lack of bonds prevents many brilliant black students from thriving. hooks is disturbed by the lack of positive ties to ethnicity. I feel bell hooks has done an excellent job of showing the elements of ethos, logos, and pathos through her life experiences. She makes very strong points. hooks shows the credibility, logic, and emotion that are needed to get her points across. She relies most heavily and effectively on emotion. In, "Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education", hooks clearly agues ethos, logos, and pathos with a passion to reach people that have never been reached before. Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Keeping Close to Home by bell hooks Essay Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, bell hooks Style bell hooks ties in the three elements of argument, ethos, pathos, and logos in her essay, "Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education," by telling us about the many events of her life. hooks establishes credibility, or ethos, unintentionally, through descriptions of her achievements and character. hooks appeals to the readers logic, or logos, by giving real world examples from her personal experiences. She also appeals to the readers emotions, or pathos. Pathos is the aspect of argument she uses most heavily. hooks does this by talking about family, peers, feelings, and change. hooks shows us ,in her essay, credibility, logic, and emotion using the stories of her life. bell hooks is a woman who does not concern herself with establishing credibility among her audience or critics. What is important to hooks is that she reaches the people who most need to hear what she has to say. As hooks tells us, "It is important that we know who we are speaking to, who we most long to move, motivate, and touch with our words" (90). hooks has, however, established credibility through her many achievements, such as, attending school at Stanford University, teaching at Yale, writing the book Ain't I a Woman: black women and feminism, and by starting a black women's support group. Although these are great accomplishments, no matter what your race or sex, I feel she best establishes her credibility through her character. hooks tells us that while she often may have needed money, she never had the need for new beliefs or values. She shows great strength in her ability to combine her past life with her new "privileged" life. As hooks says, "It was my responsibilit y to formulate a way of being ... ...anion] wanted to know whether or not I knew them" (91). bell hooks did not personally know these people , but they represent her family and her past. hook finds it unsettling that in her experiences, she has found no black bonds among professors and students. She feels this lack of bonds prevents many brilliant black students from thriving. hooks is disturbed by the lack of positive ties to ethnicity. I feel bell hooks has done an excellent job of showing the elements of ethos, logos, and pathos through her life experiences. She makes very strong points. hooks shows the credibility, logic, and emotion that are needed to get her points across. She relies most heavily and effectively on emotion. In, "Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education", hooks clearly agues ethos, logos, and pathos with a passion to reach people that have never been reached before.

Middle Ages vs Renaissance Art Periods Essay

When seeking two art periods to compare and contrast, fewer artistic examples provide a starker depiction of radically changing ideas and mentality than the art of the Middle Ages against that of art from the Renaissance. First, art originating from the Middle Age will be thoroughly analyzed for context. Afterward, art from the Renaissance period art will be analyzed next to it for its departures on from Middle Age techniques and thinking, before the two are finally systematically compared and contrasted. First, art from the Middle Ages, also called art from the Medieval period, characterized a European period of little social change, general poverty, and few scientific advances. The Catholic Church remained an imposing force upon Midieval society, and dominated much of daily life. Art clearly served the role of worship above all else, and the Catholic Church actually commissioned much of the artwork of the period. Much of this art filled churches and monasteries, and took the form of sculptures, paintings and drawings, stained-glass windows, metalwork and mosaics, among other forms. The iconographical nature of the art is substantial, as it above all served the purpose of perpetuating the Catholicism of the early church. It was largely confined to Europe and areas that the Byzantine and Roman empires had once occupied, such as parts of northern Africa. It lasted almost a thousand years, from approximately around 500 C.E. to perhaps as late as 1400 C.E. The depictions within the art reflected its purpose – worship. Religious icons such as saints, the Virgin Mary, Jesus and his disciples, and other depictions provided clarity and images for believers. The images portrayed onto the media arguably reflect the times, lacking in brightness, movement, or attitude. The characters shown rarely appear upbeat. An excellent example that validates some of these generalities is Pietro Cavallini’s The Last Judgment. This painting in the Santa Cecilia in Rome uses drab colours to show what appears to be an angry Jesus overlooked by six angels, three on each side. While a beautiful work of art no doubt, the painting has little passion or movement and does not inspire anything more than fear from a fiery God. This Medieval Art from the Middle Ages contrasts sharply with the Renaissance-era works in many key ways. First, Renaissance Art, while not entirely secular to be sure, had certain overtones of the humanism sweeping Europe. Next, its style exuberates brightness, passion, and an appetite for life that cannot be found easily in Middle Age art. Renaissance Art effectively superseded and ended art period progressing during the Middle Ages, and this mirrored social trends of increasing wealth and prosperity, upward mobility, and technological advances of the time. While no doubt heavily influenced by the preceding art of the Middle Ages and often building off of some of its topic such as Christianity, Renaissance Art has a strong hint of humanism which afflicted its artists. This philosophy sought to change the nature of man’s relationship with God to exist outside the church’s realm, and the â€Å"Renaissance men† often meaning that these artists were not only artists but commonly philosophers and scientists as well. Michelangelo, who was a painter, architect, poet, engineer, and sculptor, exemplified these characteristics. His masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment, provides us a great comparison to Cavallini’s work on the same topic and contrasts the vastly different techniques and focuses of the two art periods. While Cavallini’s work lacks a variety of colours and could be described even as plain, Michelangelo’s work gives a clear view into his mind’s eye, filled with numerous angels and men moving through the heavens. While Jesus is still at the top and the Madonna next to him seems to cower in fear at his wrath, many nonetheless are lifted upward. The bright colours, quick movements, and in fact original nakedness of the characters (later covered up, at the church’s request) reflect the technique and thought process of Renaissance-era art. So taking the topic of the Last Judgment, the second coming of Christ as a comparison subject matter for extrapolation between Medieval and Renaissance art periods, the Renaissance’s brightness, liveliness and energy shine clearly. First, we saw that Middle Age art was dreary, using drab colours and little dynamism that reflected the harsh realities of life in Europe at the time. Second, Renaissance Art ended this period with the new opportunities and advances made during the Renaissance, reflected in art from the period. Multitalented Renaissance men of the period such as Michelangelo contributed simultaneously to multiple artistic fields at once. Their art reflected the optimism of the times, the great advances being made philosophically and technologically, and their work captured their excitement for mankind’s newfound humanist relationship with God. What was once seen as an angry God hell-bent on punishment was now an opportunity for a chance into the heavens, and often Renaissance Art was even entirely secular, such as masterpieces like the Mona Lisa. Therefore, the Renaissance period of art departed from the Middle Ages period of Medieval Art not simply in technique or media, but also in subject matter, philosophy, and use. The art periods correspondingly reflected their equivalent time frame as either bleak and dowdy or upbeat and energetic. References Finnan, V. (2013). The last judgement. Retrieved from http://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Last-Judgement.html Gortais, B. (2003). Abstraction and art. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences , 358(14-135), 1241-1249 . Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3558216 The last judgement. (2001). Retrieved from http://www.lib-art.com/artgallery/8284-the-last-judgement-pietro-cavallini.html

Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resource Practitione Essay

The CIPD developed a map depicting the HR profession that signifies the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed by those in HR and Learning and Development professionals. The two inner core professional areas in the HRPM, Strategy Insights and Solutions and Leading HR, requires a deep understanding of the business activities, strategies and plans to drive business performance through the delivery of human resource strategy and solutions. Leading HR in particular focuses on the organisation requirements and that human resources employees are fully engaged, working collaboratively and all understand the drivers that create value within the organisation. Both of these core areas are to be reflected within all HR roles at any stage of a successful HR career regardless of location or working within an organisation or alongside one. The other 8 professional areas identify the knowledge and skills required within each band level to provide specialist HR assistance. There are 4 band levels, each band level signifies professional competence and is linked to the professional areas within said band level at every stage of the professionals HR career. To progress from one band to another there are three transitional pathways that identify what the professional must follow in order to progress. There are 8 behavioural areas clustered into 3 groups that identify how professionals at the relevant band level in their career need to carry out their duties and make a contribution to their organisations success. They include; Band One; Personally Credible; Builds a reliable reputation using experience and expertise and does so with integrity and in an objective manner. Collaborative; Works effectively with colleagues, customers, and individuals both within and outside of the organisation. Driven to deliver; Demonstrates a strong work ethic, consistent in their duties and take accountability for delivery of results. Plans, prioritises, monitors performance and holds others accountable for delivery. Band Two; Advises on and manager HR related issues and has a clear understanding of the evaluation process. Whilst at band two, the professional will demonstrates the Personally Credible and Driven to Deliver Behaviour Areas seen in Band One while also demonstrating other Behaviour Areas; Courage to Challenge and Skilled Influencer. Courage to Challenge; Shows confidence and courage to speak and challenges others when confronted with unfamiliar circumstances. Skilled Influencer; Demonstrates the ability to influence and to gain commitment and support form a wide range of diverse stakeholders for the organisation benefit. Band Three; Requires the professional to show a high understanding of the Behaviour Areas Courage to Challenge and Skilled Influencer. These are to be demonstrated at an expert level before progressing to the band level 4. The professional has the skills to lead in a Behavioural area and addresses key HR challenges at an organisational level. Band Four; Professionals are required to be an expert in their field, lead and manage the professional area or the organisational responsible for developing and delivering organisational and HR strategy. The professional is required to cover 3 Behavioural areas; Role Model, Curious and Decisive Thinker. Role Model; leading by example and implying sound personal judgement in all interactions. Curious; Demonstrates an active interest in the internal and external environment, shows a willingness to learn and active in the development of self and others and organisation levels and individual. Decisive Thinker; Demonstrates the ability to analyse information quickly and constructively to make defendable decisions using knowledge, experience and personal judgement. As a learner just starting out my HR career my experience and knowledge is limited and I believe to sit at Band One on the HRPM. Band One supports colleagues with administration duties and effectively manages data and is customer driven. The Professional Areas suited for Band One insure that all people within the organisation possess and develop the skills and knowledge to progress not only within the organisation, but their career by becoming motivated to learn, grow and perform. High performance within the organisation is promoted by rewards that are equitable and cost effective, given when rewarding skills, capabilities, performance and experience. While Band One focuses primarily on Performance and Reward and Learning and Talent Development as professional areas, the HRPM also depicts that the behaviours at Band One level are to be achieved. These include; Personally Credible, Collaborative and Driven to Deliver. The two core Professional Areas (Strategy Insights and Solutions and Learning and Talent Development) are at the very heart of any HR professional and should be the core values of any professional undertaking a HR career or an expert in their field.

Banyan Tree Essay

Minimal advertising, still high level of brand awareness through company’s public relations and global marketing programs. Faced the challenge of translating and maintaining the success of a niche Asian hospitality brand into various market segments on a global scale ‘Innovative niche product that could also bridge the price gap in this market’ Building a resort comprising individual villas with locally inspired architectural design and positioned as a romantic and intimate escapade for guests; ‘Sanctuary for the senses’. Banyan Tree Gallery: ‘local culture and heritage and promoting cottage Crafts, retail outlet showcasing indigenous crafts, works closely with village cooperatives and not-for-profit craft marketing agents.  Marketing: high-end travel magazines in key markets – public relations – global marketing programs (increase editorial coverage) – few key wholesalers in each targeted market – agents specializing in exlusive luxury holidays targeted at wealthy customers – membership in the Small Luxury Hotels and Leading Hotels of the World – GDS cose ‘BY’ (own global distribution system used by travel providers to process airline, hotel, car rental and other distribution partners around the world. Actively caring for the natural and human environment, revitalizing local communities, worked actively to preserve, protect, and promote the natural and human environments in which BYT resorts where located. Minimizing the impact on the environment Green Communities = planted trees, engage local communities, associates, guests to share the causes of climate change and actions that can reduce our collected carbon footprint. Green Imperative Fund to further support community-based and environmental initiatives in the regions where it has a presence. The company believed in building profitable resorts that would benefit the surrounding environment and contribute to local economies through the creation of employment and community development projects. Businesses with local farmers and traders by making it a point to purchase fresh produce from them. Community Relations Department was set up to develop and manage community outreach programs. Seedling: BTHR’s formalized program which aimed to help oung adults from local communities and motivate them and provide the means for completing their education to successfully enter the labor force as adults. Future: openening city hotels and angsana hotels in Dubai and London (angsana brand in response to the demand for hotel operators in Asia that were keen to introduce spa services in their hotel, it is more contemporary and affordable brand. Musem Shop by banyan tree: joint partnetship with Singapor’s national heritage board to showcase Asi’a rich and diverse cultural heritage through unique museum-inspired merchandise. Banyan Tree Holdings (Banyan Tree) is an investment holding company involved in managing and developing premium resorts, hotels and spas in the Asia Pacific. To date, the Banyan Tree Group manages and/or has ownership interests in close to 36 hotels and resorts, around 73 spas, 91 galleries  and 3 golf courses in 28 countries The company operates in Asia, Mexico and Morocco, New Zealand, Africa, Dubai, and the UK. Banyan Tree operates through three business segments: hotel investment, property sales, and fee-based. The hotel investments segment relates to hotel and restaurant operations. : The property sales segment comprises hotel residences, Laguna property sales and development project/site sales. Hotel residences business relates to the sale of hotel villas or suites which are part of hotel operations, to investors under a compulsory leaseback scheme. Laguna property sales business relates to the development and sale of properties which are standalone vacation homes in Laguna Phuket. Development project/site sales relates to pure development land sales or development land sales which are fully or partially developed with infrastructure. The fee-based segment comprises the management of hotels and resorts, the management of an asset-backed destination club, the management of private-equity funds, the management and operation of spas, the sales of merchandise, the provision of architectural and design services, the management and ownership of golf courses, and rental of retail outlets and offices. The company’s subsidiaries (dochterbedrijf) include Banyan Tree Spa Bangkok, Banyan Tree Spa Bintan, Banyan Tree Spa Ringha, Banyan Tree Spa Phuket, Banyan Tree Sanya, and Banyan Tree Macau, among others. Banyan Tree Holdings (Banyan Tree) is engaged in the management and development of premium resorts, hotels and spas. The company’s key services include the following. Hotel and restaurant operations Sale of hotel villas or suites – Development and sale of properties – Pure development land sales – Management of hotels and resorts – Management of an asset-backed destination club – Management of private-equity funds -Management and operation of spas – Architectural and design services – Management and ownership of golf courses – Rental of retail outlets and offices. The following companies are the major competitors of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited: Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited – Four Seasons Hotels Inc – Associated International Hotels Ltd In the past few years, such events risks as the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, bird flu, floods and riots in Thailand have been hard on our industry, causing tourism as a whole to dry up in their wake. By comparison, economic recessions are part and parcel of the business cycle, which we are able to take in our stride and counter with a variety of measures. During the year, the world remained mired in the European sovereign debt crisis and American economic weakness. Although these conditions affected our arrivals primarily from Europe, we were able to capitalise on the flourishing Chinese market. At our four resorts in the Maldives, for example, the number of Chinese guests surpassed those from Europe. In our continuing efforts to rebalance the Group’s assets, we made the bargain purchase of Banyan Tree Seychelles which gave rise to a net gain. We also sold and leased back Angsana Velavaru in January 2013. The hybrid structure of this deal is a first for Banyan Tree, and we are pleased with how it allows us to rebalance our portfolio while still participating in the profits from the operations of Angsana Velavaru. 2012: with overall revenue growing 3% to S$338. 4 million. Due to improved results from our hotel investments and fee-based businesses, as well as a higher contribution from completed sales of property units. Group EBITDA was S$74. 5 million, up 51% on the back of higher revenue and a gain on the bargain purchase of Banyan Tree Seychelles. This in turn resulted in PATMI increasing by 856% (S$14. million), tempered by higher finance costs and income tax expenses. HOTEL INVESTMENTS Our hotel investments delivered a stronger performance in 2012, with Group-owned hotels posting total revenue of S$187. 7 million, up 15% from the previous year. This was due to the higher contribution from our Thai properties and the consolidation of revenue from Banyan Tree Seychelles from 2Q12 onwards. These gains were partially offset by lower revenue from our Maldives properties as Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru were temporarily closed for refurbishment. As a result of the increase in revenue, EBITDA for this segment grew by a healthy 69% to S$36. 6 million. PROPERTY SALES Revenue from property sales was S$42. 7 million. The 36% decrease was due to the sale of development sites in Lijiang, Yangshuo and Huangshan to our China Fund in 2011. Excluding those transactions, revenue and EBITDA from property sales saw growth of 43% and 74% respectively, thanks to a higher contribution from completed sales of property units. FEE-BASED Total revenue from our fee-based businesses registered growth of 9% to reach S$108. million. This was attributable to an increase in fees from hotel management and architectural and interior design and other services. Accordingly, EBITDA for our fee-based businesses grew by 23%. 2013 appears to be another challenging year for the global economy. We anticipate continued weakness in our European target markets. In Asia, which has been the world’s economic engine these past four years, growth is likely to moderate. Despite the cooling of China’s economy, the tourism market both inbound and outbound is expected to continue to grow. The Chinese government is aggressively promoting domestic tourism as part of its strategy to increase domestic consumption, thereby cushioning the slowdown in export manufacturing. Banyan Tree’s strong branding and rapidly expanding footprint in China will position us to take advantage of this trend. Our seven regional marketing offices in China will be invaluable in enabling us to tap the vast potential of this market and to enhance awareness of our hotels with key accounts in China. Our strategy going forward will include continuing with our asset rebalancing to unlock value and deploy capital to more promising markets. At the same time, we are exploring the possibility of extending the successful Fund model into other areas. In terms of growing particular segments, we will be focusing on increasing income from our fee-based and property sales businesses. We have built the fee-based segment to a point where it now has an impetus of its own. On the property sales front, we plan to move into selling more primary and serviced residences. Primary residences under the Banyan Tree brand, â€Å"We will also be going forward with the establishment of a third brand of residences to be wholly sold and managed by us. † Rather than compete with local property developers, we will leverage our branding and design skills to market to a niche audience in China. We will also be going forward with the establishment of a third brand of residences to be wholly sold and managed by us. Catering to an entirely new market of price-conscious buyers, these properties will be smaller in size yet deliver the quality and innovation that are hallmarks of Banyan Tree. Strongly associated with our brand is the concept of a triple bottom line. In our pursuit of economic, social and environmental success, we made major investments in resource conservation, training and benchmarking, greening and community efforts in 2012. Under the EarthCheck system of sustainability certification, we also planted in six-year a total to over 220,000 trees. Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts offer an intimate retreat experience featuring its signature blend of romance, rejuvenation and exotic sensuality. Our philosophy is based on providing a place for rejuvenation of the body, mind and soul – a Sanctuary for the Senses. Placing special emphasis on providing guests with a sense of place, each Banyan Tree property is designed to fit into its natural surroundings, using indigenous materials as far as possible and reflecting the landscape and architecture of the destination. Pioneering he tropical garden spa concept with Asian health and beauty remedies passed down from generations, Banyan Tree Spa was created as the signature experience in all Banyan Tree resorts, to complement the â€Å"Sanctuary for the Senses† wellness concept. With the emphasis on high service standards and consistency, therapists are professionally trained at Banyan Tree Spa Academies in Phuket, Thailand, and Lijiang, China. The Banyan Tree Gallery supports local communities by exhibiting and retailing indigenous handicrafts, which are also found in the resorts. A quintessential highlight of the Banyan Tree experience, Banyan Tree Gallery aspires to recreate the unique Banyan Tree experience with  its extensive selection of  Asian-style furnishings, Banyan Tree Spa collection, eco-friendly products, indigenous village handicrafts, ethnic apparel and accessories, and objects d’art. Banyan Tree Holdings Limited is a leading, international hospitality brand that manages and develops premium resorts, hotels and spas. Its innovative business model is based on seven business segments generating multiple income streams that is unique in itself within the hospitality industry. This formula of developing and managing complementary product offerings with in-house talent makes it difficult for competitors to duplicate with the same level of success. Banyan Tree’s vertically integrated business model comprises: Hotel investment– Banyan Tree owns and manages luxury hotels under its brands, as well as hotels that are managed by other world-class operators. Hotel management– Banyan Tree additionally manages properties under the Banyan Tree and Angsana brands for other owners. Canopy Marketing Group Pte Ltd – A company wholly owned by Banyan Tree Services, Canopy Marketing Group Pte Ltd provides high-level strategic insights on various global niche markets to drive top line performance of our diverse range of lifestyle products including hotels, resorts, spas, gallery, destination club and residential ownership. It has a full-suite of marketing capabilities specializing in the branding, marketing and promotion. Spa operations– Banyan Tree Spa pioneered the tropical garden spa concept, and has since grown to over 60 outlets worldwide. Gallery operations– The retail arm is consolidated under Banyan Tree Gallery, which comprises five brand segments located in over 70 stores worldwide. Hotel residences – Hotel inventory are primarily sold under the brand name Banyan Tree Residences. Property sales – Properties that are not part of hotel operations are sold by our subsidiary company, Laguna Resorts and Hotels, and its subsidiaries, in Laguna Phuket. Design and other services – Revenue from design services is earned by Architrave, Banyan Tree’s in-house architectural arm. Other service fees include income from operating golf clubs. Real Estate Hospitality Funds – Banyan Tree Capital was set upto tap private equity and other sources of investments in order to provide a cost efficient structure to fund the Group’s future developments. With about 8,000 associates of over 50 nationalities, the diversity of its workforce is a key feature of the Group and helps to inspire its international outlook. To address its talent development needs, Banyan Tree launched Banyan Tree Management Academy (BTMA) in 2008. This centralised training facility located in Phuket, Thailand will train future Banyan Tree leaders needed to sustain organisational effectiveness and to meet the demands of its rapid global growth. Part of Banyan Tree’s vision has always been to grow into a global business, with a portfolio of properties strategically placed around the world. The Group’s mission is inextricably intertwined with its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainable growth, as it continues to expand globally. The launch of Banyan Tree Residences, which allows investors to buy their own signature villa, townhouse or apartment in Banyan Tree resorts. Banyan Tree Private Collection was launched to cater to the growing niche for destination club membership 2005: Marking the group’s long awaited foray into China is Banyan Tree Ringha, in Yunnan. 2001: Banyan Tree established the Green Imperative Fund to formalise its corporate social responsibility efforts. The Banyan Tree Spa Academy was set up to provide training for new therapists as well as research new treatment recipes and techniques. Banyan Tree Capital is a real estate fund management company established by the Banyan Tree group, a renowned luxury hospitality company listed in Singapore, to focus on hospitality-based real estate investment. Banyan Tree Capital raises, develops and manages branded hospitality funds in key development markets of the Banyan Tree group. With a combination of fund management and asset development capabilities, Banyan Tree Capital leverages on the group’s expertise in premium hospitality real estate development and anagement to generate attractive investment returns for its investors. Banyan Tree Capital is headquartered in Singapore with offices in China and Vietnam. We have successfully achieved higher room rates than the existing market in locations such as Lijiang, the Maldives and Seychelles. We have also found that our iconic brands also help raise the value of the surrounding land. Our innovative city products combine all the iconic elements of our brand and differentiat e developers within established, high cost city markets. We have the flexibility and capabilities to adapt our model to various locations so as to maximize returns for the developer As part of our strategy of enlarging our footprint in China, we will also be launching two more hotels in Shanghai and one in Tianjin, adding to our ever growing presence in various gateway cities. We are also employing our capabilities all across China, where large tracts of land are being developed into gated residences and luxury hotels offered to the Chinese elite. One of Banyan Tree’s prime concerns is its associates. We pride ourselves in providing high levels of service excellence and providing tailor made training and career development programmes for our employees. No stone is left unturned in regards to training and proper introduction before a Banyan Tree is put into operation. Trained to the basic standards of 5 star hotels. Employees were empowered to exercise creativity and sensitivity although the strict administrative rules of the management. Employees were taken to and from work in air-conditioned buses, access to various amenities (good-quality canteens, medical services, childcare facilities). Banyan Tree is one of the world’s biggest and well known spa operators. Our levels of quality and service are unparalleled and uncompromised. We are the only vertically integrated hospitality company with strong capabilities to tackle and anticipate the challenges of master planning and developing an integrated resort. We are able to take a property from inception to delivery with efficiencies that is entirely brand specific. Our n-house design team, Architrave, and project services team are extremely involved in all phases of the development – master planning, designing, developing and coordinating, to ensure developers a timely delivery of their asset. Being experienced developers, we are able to ensure that efficiencies and economies of scale are maximized along with guest experiences. Bintan, the Maldives and Phuket where the Angsana resort is positioned next to a Banyan Tree resort with shared back of house facilities. This model has allowed us to lower costs without cannibalizing rates, thereby boosting returns for our developers.

Aztec and Mayan Difference

Aztec and Mayan differences One difference between the Aztec and the Mayan is the location, and time period they were in. The Aztec and Mayan lived in the same time period but the Mayan had actually been around longer than the Aztecs. The start of the Mayan empire began before the Aztec as well but, once the Aztec empire began they were the dominant empire in Mesoamerica. Location the Aztec were located in central Mexico were Mexico City now lies and the Mayan were located in the Yucatan Peninsula. Another difference between the Aztec and the Mayan is they spoke different languages. The Aztecs spoke nahuatl and the Mayan spoke Maya.One of the differences is that the Aztec language was poorly understood and less popular than the Mayan language. The Mayan language however is considered one of the most striking visually writhing systems in the world. The Aztec and Mayan had a different way of ruling their empires. The Aztec were ruled by a supreme ruler. The Mayan had city states each r uled by a sovereign ruler. Because the Aztec were a big group while the Mayan were many groups in one. The Aztec and Mayan had different names for their deities. They both had a feathered serpent god for the Aztec the god was called Quetzalcoatl and for the Mayan it was Kukulcan.Not only that they also had different gods that had different roles. They also had different views of these gods the Aztec believed they needed to sacrifice a lot of people to please them while the Mayan not so much. Last of all The Aztec were warlike and the Mayan were scientific. The Aztec waged war against other tribes forcing them to pay tribute. The Aztec were proud of their war tradition which in one can be concluded why they died out they lived by the sword and died by the sword. The Mayan studied stars were they came up with a very scientific calendar, and were obsessed with astronomy. Therefore the Mayan were true to life.

M1A3 - Leadership and ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

M1A3 - Leadership and ethics - Essay Example It has a customer base that runs into millions per week and expeditiously boasts of workforce of over 500,000 employees (Wrigley, 1988). Jack Cohen founded the company in 1919. The name Tesco appeared first in 1924, but it was not until 1929 when the first store started its operations. The store was originally a UK grocery retailer, but it has diversified increasingly geographically and into other areas including electronics, petrol, clothing, furniture, books retail, financial services, software, internet services, and music downloads, DVD rental and telecoms. Tesco repositioned itself in the 1990s to Tesco Finest ranges (Tesco). This inevitably led to successful chain growth of the store from five hundred stores in the nineties to two thousand five hundred stores in 2005. Tesco’s Values sits at the heart of its business and helps the store to deliver its core purpose, which is to generate value for its treasured customers in order to earn their lifetime loyalty. The store af firms that it tries to its level best for its customers, treat people, as they would love to be treated in order to, fully enjoy their work (Bell & Reavis, 2003). The year 1997 was the year that these values were developed. Various touch ups have been done to perfect the values to align them to today’s business current trends. ... These stores stock all range of Tesco’s products although some of the stores are in middle of inner-city locations and town centers. Tesco Superstores are large standard supermarkets, which stock groceries and a smaller range of non-food products in comparison with Extra stores. Tesco Metro stores are mainly located in the inner city, in city centers and on high streets of towns. They are in between Tesco Express stores and Tesco Superstores in terms of size. Tesco Express sores are notably the neighborhood convenience stores that are found in residential areas, in the city centre districts, small villages and towns and in various Esso petrol stations (Tesco). According to Bell & Reavis (2003), One Stop stores do not have the Tesco brand name. The stores are to be found in smaller residential areas. There prices also differ from other Tesco stores. Tesco Homeplus are non-food only ventures, and there are 13 stores nationwide. The stores offer all of the Tesco’s items bu t with an exception of food. The stores have a style that is similar to a warehouse unit and are found in retail parks. Dobbies Garden Centers are 28 garden centers in total. This number is equally divided between the stores in England and Scotland. Tesco bought 65% shares of the Dobbies Garden Centers PLC in 2008. According to Woods (2012), other business activities that Tesco undertakes include Internet retailing, financial services, petrol stations, telecoms, photo shops, Tesco Tech Support, Technika, filmmaking, record label, video-on-demand, gold exchange, Tesco Tyres and beauty salon. The store made record profits of ?3.4 billion in the year 2010 despite the economy suffering the effects of recession. Tesco is

Accountancy and Finance, Designing a Balanced Scorecard Essay

Accountancy and Finance, Designing a Balanced Scorecard - Essay Example ns are not for profit making, it is important that appropriate good practices of financial management are maintained so as to ensure that there are adequate resources aimed at meeting the objectives of the organization and ensuring that they remain solvent while at the same time continuing to support the community. A scorecard is a combination of the four common measures (quadrants) that are directly associated with a company’s objective strategies (Pearson & Robinson, 2009). The Otago Museum in New Zealand was founded on the 15th day of September 1968, initially being located in the post office building in Denedin’s Exchange, a building which also accommodates the University of Otago. The 1877 saw the responsibility for managing the museum become vested with the University of Otago, an arrangement that lasted nearly 80 years and letter the transfer of the ownership to a trust board which was authorized to attract funding from various local authorities in the Otago region. Among the principle funders continue to be Dunedin City Council, Clutha District, Central Otago Districy Council and Waitaki District Council. This report will be designing a comprehensive balance scorecard (BSC) for the museum indicating clearly the strategic objectives of the museum, the strategic business themes supporting the objectives and the cause and effect relationship linking Balanced Scorecard (BSC)dimensions with strategic themes and the objectives. More often than not, an organization’s mission statement guides on how an organization needs to maintain a balance of the needs and the various expectations as appertains to the various stakeholders (Harel, & Boaz, 2008). However, most non-profit organizations like Otago museum do not operate in extreme circumstances hence can do for both the donors and their employees/volunteers despite the fact of the existence another restricting factor which can be done for the different groups, that one which falls generally within the purview

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Research Paper

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) - Research Paper Example This paper explores BPD’s Pathophysiology, epidemiology, causes, signs and symptoms, and its prevention among others. According to D’Angio and Maniscalco (2004), the Pathophysiology of Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is much complex and is yet to be fully understood. The following are some of the factors connected with BPD: Inflammation: The infiltration of granulocyte into the lungs of newborns developing BPD is well documented (D’Angio & Maniscalco, 2004). Animal samples of infant lung injury provide evidence for the role played by granulocyte in BPD’s pathogenesis. There is fast development of Neutrophil in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of newborns with RDS (D’Angio & Maniscalco, 2004). In infants who are later diagnosed with BPD, the decline in Neutrophil counts is delayed. Proinflammatory mediators like cytokines, which attract inflammatory cells into the lungs have been connected with the development of BPD in infants (Mighten, 2012, p. 135; D’Angio & Maniscalco, 2004). Architectural Disruption: Cellular injury as well as the destruction caused when inflammatory cells discharge reactive oxygen and proteases result from granulocytes infiltration into the lung. â€Å"The lung protease/antiprotease balance appears to be tilted toward proteolysis in infants who develop BPD† (D’Angio & Maniscalco, 2004, p.309). Infants with high probability of developing BPD show higher elastase levels. Fibroproliferation: Transforming growth factor (TGF) - ÃŽ ² has been shown by most studies to have serious inhibitory impact on lung development besides other fibrogenic effects (D’Angio & Maniscalco, 2004). Higher levels of TGFÃŽ ² have been identified in infants who are later diagnosed with BPD (D’Angio & Maniscalco, 2004). Delayed development of the lung has also been connected with ‘new’ BPD. The vulnerability to BPD increases with declining

An Organizations Performance and Macro-environmental Factors Essay

An Organizations Performance and Macro-environmental Factors - Essay Example The macro-environment of a business is understood through assessing the four factors, a process regarded as the PEST (Political, Economical, Social, and Technological) analysis (Thompson, 2002). This paper is a critique of Abercrombie and Fitch, which is a retail organization dealing with textile products such as men and women wear. It presents a PEST analysis as well as a competitive audit of the organization, with GAP Inc. Tommy Hilfiger Corporation and Urban Outfitters as the main competitors. The paper also presents an analysis of the threat of new entrants, the power of buyers, substitute products, bargaining power of suppliers and competitive rivalry, as well as an internal analysis of the organization. It highlights primary support services, as well as a SWOT analysis the firm. The organization has been faced with political influences although they have not affected its productivity. It operates under the UK employment laws that protect the rights of all people who have attained the age of employment. The organization has been faced with various cases involving individuals who feel that they have been marginalized in employment opportunities. Discrimination of potential employees can have negative impacts on the organization. Moreover, there are laws that protect consumers from unscrupulous businessmen, which are meant to prevent low-quality products from entering the UK market. However, the organization is not affected by government influence since its products are of high quality and it also adheres to the required quality. Employees are hired according to merit and therefore there are no cases. The organization has not fallen victim of terrorist activities or military  invasion since the UK is a politically stable nation (James, 1998). The organization operates under the protection of the WTO and it has experienced a steady growth.

Innovative Process Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Innovative Process - Case Study Example The company mostly followed the criteria of a "technology push" for its innovative process where the emphasis was mostly given to R&D without so much input from a user perspective of market perspective. However, as it is shown in the present study, the company was able to do admirably well in the various sectors it went after primarily due to the unusual yet productive and creative environment it provided for its workers. The presented analysis is centered around several axioms of the innovative process that kept in vigor within the Toledo Glass company during and after Mr. Johann Gerhart's time. More specifically, the paper discusses of the organizational culture in the company, of the innovative strategy it followed to achieve its notable success, and of the simplistic corporate structure it used to direct and develop the company throughout the years. Being an inventor himself, Mr. Gerhart was particularly fond of Thomas Edison of the General Electric company, and in several ways applied the Edisonian method of innovation in his Toledo Glass company. ... In his own saying about his assiduity toward the inventive process, Edison claimed "Results' Why man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt is often a step forward." His empirical approach to invention combined to an amazingly radiant drive got him the sympathy of several notable inventors of his time. Among those who admired him, Mr. Gerhart went a step further to emulate the Edisonian empirical method for coming up with commercially viable inventions. The Toledo company culture would remain deeply marked by the distinctive Edisonian method for arriving at novelties regardless of the field. In the early twentieth century, a select number of companies had the innovation strategy that Mr. Gerhart decided to implement in its company. In fact, the first laboratory of the Toledo company was established to model the Edison's Menlo Park facility in New Jersey. The facility was stocked w ith various equipment and tools to facilitate the innovative process of its workers through experimentation and trial and error. In the early facility, Mr. Gerhart set the stage for a company culture to be build around a liberal attitude toward innovation and invention. That particularity would eventually become the cornerstone of the Toledo Glass company. As pinpointed in the case study, Johann Gerhart began working with a small team of five inventors who were free to utilize the tools at hand to come up with new products having commercial viability in the glass industry. Each member of the team had "carte blanche" to specialize on the use of a given tool or equipment to derive newer and better processes for producing glass products. Agreeably the method is quite

Characteristics of a small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Characteristics of a small business - Essay Example The first thing that is necessary for a small business is with respect to its ownership. A small business should be a sole proprietorship rather than a subsidiary or a branch. Within USA, the number of employees within a small business should range 500 to 1500 within a manufacturing firm; contrastingly within Europe, this range is limited to 50 employees to consider a business as small. Considering the revenue characteristic, the amount of revenue being generated annually should range from $5 million to $21 million (considering the business is within US and persists to retailing). If the nature of the business relates to a service industry, the annual receipts should range between $2.5 million to $21.5 million. General and Heavy construction businesses should generate annual revenue between $13.5 million to $17 million in order to be attributed as a small business. With respect to the industry and the businesses’ dominance, a business should not be operating within such an ind ustry where it is the only buyer or the lone seller. This would lead to the business being classified as a monopoly and hence the business may not be considered as a small business. Besides that, the legal environment within a country usually restrains a company from operating as a monopoly. This is a certain legal restriction imposed by the government of a country to serve the greater good of the public in order to ensure that businesses do not charge a high price. There is a strong belief within the US that small businesses help in generating the highest level of jobs. As small businesses are usually sole-proprietorship, its work life balance helps in reducing racial differences and it also helps in empowering the women of the country via increased self-employment. Small businesses help in stimulating the country economy. This stimulation is made possible by the creation of employment, hence eradicating

Discussion Forum Post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Forum Post - Essay Example People of West civilization don’t depend on Church and as Tomas Jefferson wrote Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, this is how it should be (Jefferson, T). But I think these three will be unhappy to find out that developing reason we began to depend on our weaknesses, our bends instead. Voltaire, who was skeptic about idea all people should be equal could say, â€Å"Told you!† meaning for example, industry of art now depends on low educated mass needs. We spend fewer resources on science and medicine than on entertainment and wars. Indeed, both World Wars can be examples how scientific-technical progress can help to cause a great damage. Human nature appears to be more complicated mechanism than â€Å"tabula rasa† – pure blackboard with learned ideas written on it, as John Locke thought. Enlightenment is about spreading knowledge, so I think three of them will be fascinated about Internet where anyone can find information in Encyclopedias which enlighteners firstly invented. And that West civilization has a highest percent of educated population, so almost everyone can write and read, and all humans (never mind their physical differences) have the same rights and West civilization is really the one who stands for individualism. But still, to my mind, enlighteners will be disappointed that we’re missing a goal: Enlightenment is about becoming more ideal person using reason, not about using reason to stay as you