Market Segmentation for Lawn Mowers Essay

Introduction In this document, we will analyse the current market of lawnmowers in Portugal. By recognising this market and its products with distinct characteristics, we will perform a customer segmentation, which will allow us to divide the market into small groups. Through the segmentation of the lawnmower market, it will be possible to achieve a greater proximity to the final customer; create advertising media that target the identified segments; facilitate the positioning of the product; and obtain the return on investment by the company. The developments and technological diversity provided by all the competitors operating in the sector has shown that this market is very competitive nowadays. Thus, it is imperative that a strategic shift is implemented, which is more focused on meeting the needs of the customer. The notorious falling sales in the sector since 2008 were of equal importance, although the explanation of this phenomenon lies in the national and international economy situation. To analyze the current market of lawnmowers in Portugal, we started to make a small market research. To get a concrete â€Å"shape†, we went to one of the biggest players in the market – Leroy Merlin, who kindly gave us some informations which served as basis for this assignment and which allow us to have a better vision of what is happening in the lawn care industry. GOALS By segmenting the market of mowers you can:  · Get a closer relationship with the end consumer;  · Create advertising media that are targeted to the identified segments;  · Facilitate the positioning of the product;  · And monetize coveted by the company. This last point is usually associated with Increase sales, Increase profits, Increase sales dealer channel. Segmentation There are several types of lawnmowers available on the market: manual, battery – powered or gas – powered models, are some of the options. There are ways to segment the lawnmower market : Customer characteristics †¢ Geographic ( region, city size, and so on ) †¢ Demographic ( gender, age, race, household size, and so on ) †¢ Socioeconomic ( income, education, occupation, and so on ) †¢ Psychographic ( lifestyle, personality, and so on ) Buying situation †¢ Benefits sought ( product features, quality, service, warranty ) †¢ Usage rate – quantity purchased during a specific period Based on the market research that we conducted, we restricted the types of lawn mowers to non-powered, powered and powered riding for three different market segments : urban, suburban and rural. (POR TABELA DE PERCENTAGEM) The percentages given are based on the literature, as well as the information given by the head of the gardening sector at Leroy Merlin, which we visited, in Alfragide. Against this backdrop, the most attractive segment seems to be that of the consumers who live in the suburban area and who use powered walk-behind lawn mowers. However, this segment may already be flooded with competition, it may be more beneficial to target a small segment of consumers, like urban consumers using non-powered or powered walking mowers. The smallest segment may be the most profitable and lucrative. Conclusion From our research we ​​can segment the market of lawnmowers in Portugal as: mainly directed to male gender, between 35-55 years old, who lives in the suburbs of large cities, in a house with a garden area between 1.000 to 2.150 square feet of grass; with a household of four people and average income between â‚ ¬ 20.000 and â‚ ¬ 30.000 per year. The most chosen mower for this kind of segment is the electric powered one, in spite of major disadvantage of requiring a wire plugged to work, which makes that their use is impractical for those who have large estates. It is noteworthy that one of the great advantages of an electric lawn mower is that it does not require extensive maintenance. With the displacement of many ex-urbanites to the most suburban areas of large cities, the growth of lawnmowers little by little began to live better days. With this segmentation, we believe that  the Finnish company will take advantage of this kind of market penetration. Faced with fierce competition (AKI Group, IZI-MESTRE MACO, LEROY MERLIN, BRICOMARCHÉ, BRICO LECLERC and also in many other customers in traditional market said: Garden Centres, Hardware Stores, Drugstores, Building Materials Stores and other sited North to South), the Finnish company will have to differentiate the products presented, as well as in the developed marketing campaigns, satisfying specific needs and desires of this kind of consumers. Bibliography: Market Segmentation: How to Do It and How to Profit from It, Malcolm McDonald Butterworth-Heinemann, 2012 Market Segmentation: Conceptual and Methodological Foundations, Michel Wedel, ‎Wagner A. Kamakura – 2000 Handbook of Market Segmentation: Strategic Targeting for Business and Technology firms, 3rd edition, Art Weinstein, PhD, 2004 Market Segmentation Success: Making It Happen!, Sally Dibb, ‎Lyndon Simkin – 2013 a

Of Mice and Men Essay Essay

â€Å"The language of friendship is not in words, but in meanings† – Henry David Thoreau While reading the novel, Of Mice and Men, the reader gets a front row view into the relationship of the two main characters, Lennie and George. In every friendship, there are dysfunctional moments, ups and downs, genuine moments and never ending adventures. By definition, a friend is someone to talk to, do things with, be there for each other in time of need and be each other’s crying shoulder. Throughout this novel, Lennie and George display a friendship unlike any other. It is so dysfunctional and rare it makes the reader wonder why these two are friends. For example, the boss says â€Å"Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.† â€Å"I just like to know your interest.† In this quote found on page 25, the boss is trying to make sense of their friendship. Even though this quote highlights the rarity of George and Lennie’s bond, this causes the boss to suspect wrong- doing on George’s part. At the end of the novel, George end s up shooting Lennie. This perfectly displays the dysfunctional and rare qualities in their friendship. There are many ups and downs in Lennie and George’s friendship in addition to it being dysfunctional and rare. Lennie is mentally ill. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason behind his actions. For instance, without Lennie, George could â€Å"Go get a job an’ work an’ no trouble. No mess at all and at the end of the month I could take my fifty bucks into town and get whatever I want.† This shows Lennie and George’s Relationship being down. Even though Lennie is a huge burden, George ultimately chooses to not be without him. Even though it seems like George is being held down by Lennie, George stays with Lennie because they both want the migrant dream. â€Å"Someday – we’re gonna get the Jack together, have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and we’ll have a big vegetable patch.† Thus, these two cannot live without each other. Lennie and George have a genuine relationship too. George takes really good care of Lennie, almost like in a maternal way. George says, â€Å"Lennie, for God’ sakes don’t drink so much, you gonna be sick like you was last night.† This shows he cares about Lennie. In the beginning, Lennie assaults a lady by tearing the front side of her dress  off in their old town Weeds. George could’ve easily left Lennie to fend for himself but he realized that wasn’t the right thing to do. Lennie hears his dead aunt Clara telling him â€Å"When he got a piece of pie you always got half or more’n half.† â€Å"An’ if there was any ketchup, why he’d give it all to you.† As the novel progresses, Lennie’s past catches up with him and the authorities start looking for him. George knows that if it is caught, the officers would throw him in jail and he wouldn’t survive. So George shoots Lennie to basically put him out of his misery. Clearly, they have a genuine friendship. With every friendship, there are many adventures along the way. The novel starts off in a scenic woodsy area by a lake. Lennie and George run away together from their home town of Weed to run from the authorities and start a new life as migrant workers. When they’ve finally reached the barn, they meet new people and build relationships with them. The boss, Curley, Curley’s wife, Slim, Crooks, and Carlson. Lennie is always getting into trouble and George is always looking to get him out of it. Lennie kills a mouse, strangles Curley’s wife and also kills the dog. Although this book had many twist and turns, it was a heart- warming thriller that illustrated what life was like back in the 1930s. it surely wasn’t easy but having a dream meant a lot to the characters and made them strive to live their dream.

Agricultural Mechanizasion as a Solution to Food Insecurity in Africa Essay

Achieving food security in its totality continues to be a challenge for ever increasing population of Africa. A approaches are employed in developing countries but with less success due to a number of factors . this paper examines the causes of food insecurity in African. Scanning through researchers works ,it was noted that over seventy percent of the food insecure population in africa live in the rural areas. The paper therefore recommends that, if the ever increasing population of the african countries is to be fed, then mechanization of all agricultural operations should be embrace. In conclusion, efforts to words the development of the rural communities in Africa should be increased. Key words: agriculture, mechanization, food security, Africa, rural development. Introduction : Agriculture is the practices of cultivating the soil and raising livestock to produce plant and animals useful to humans and sometimes animals {S. N, Asogwu and O. A Asogwu,2007}, Agriculture is an important occupation in Nigeria with over 7o% of her population depending on it directly for livelihood. It provides the bulk of employment, income and food for the rapidly growing population as well as supplying raw materials for agro-based industries. World current agricultural production as an average growth rate of 1. 8% as compared to the 3% in the 1960s and therefore at a lesser pace than the demographic growth. The world bank has shown that in sub-saharan Africa (to which Nigeria belongs)the annual food increase needs to reach 4%, i. e. more than double the current figure in order to achieve food security. She suggested that this can be reached through a significant progress in plant and animal breeding that plays a key role in the development of the agricultural sector as well as a significant impact using appropriate farm mechanization {Pawlat et al , 2002}. Due to number of factors, which include rising population, increasing pressure on land resources, natural and man-made disasters such as drought, desertification, soil erosion and degradation (Raoult-Wack and Bricas, 001), the problem of sustainable agricultural production in Nigeria has assumed greater importance than ever before. Agricultural development involves three approaches namely bio-chemical, socio-economic, and engineering known as the trio of technologies (Mrema and Odigboh, 1993). The bio-chemical approach includes the development of improved animal and plant species, animal and plant nutrients (fertilizer and feed) and plant and animal protection (veterinary drugs, pesticides and herbicides). The socio-economic approach includes financial packages and management programmes (economic, business management, accounting, sociology, extension services, agricultural machines and equipment (be they human, animal or mechanically powered) for production and post harvest systems handling and storage systems and farm structures, erosion control measures, water resources development as well as irrigation and drainage structures, meteorological systems, and the technologies for optimally utilizing the above and their proper and economic use and management. Ani and Onwuala, 2002; Ampratwum et al, 2004; Onwuala and Pawa, 2004). Agricultural mechanization implies the use of various power sources and improved farm tools and equipment, with a view to reduce drudgery of the human beings and draught animals, enhance the cropping intensity, precision and timeliness of efficiency of utilization of various crop inputs and reduce the losses at different stages of crop production. The end objective of farm mechanization is to enhance the overall productivity and production with the lowest cost of production. The contribution of agricultural mechanization has been well recognized in enhancing the production together with irrigation, biological and chemical inputs of high yielding seed varieties, fertilizers, pesticides and mechanical energy. Different researchers have concluded that farm mechanization enhances the production and productivity of different crops due to timeliness of operation, better quality of operations and precision in the application of the inputs. According to NCAER (1980) survey covering 815 farming households in 85 villages, the increase was 72 percent in the case of sorghum, and 7 percent in the case of cotton as compared to traditional bullock farms. ITES, Madras (1975) found that the productivity increase on tractor owning and hiring farm ranged between 4. 1 and 54. 8 percent. The percent increase was comparatively low on custom hiring farms as compared to tractor-owning farms due to higher level of inputs and better control on timeliness of operations. These productivity increases, thus, were attributed to higher doses of fertilizer, irrigation and mechanization. Degree of mechanization is the ration of machine or technological work input to total work input (machine plus manual) into agricultural production. The importance of food security to any nation cannot be over emphasized. The issue of food security became prominent in the 1970s and had been given considerable attention since then. The World Food Programme Report in 1979 conceptualized food security, equating it with an â€Å"assurance of supplies and a balanced supply-demand situation of staple foods in the international market†. The report also emphasized that increasing food production in the developing countries is a panacea to food security. The concept of food security proposes that food is available, accessible and affordable, when and where needed in sufficient quantity and that this state of affair will continue and be sustained (Agboola, P. O. , 2002). It is a situation in which sufficient food us available at all times in the right quantity and quality, at affordable process. To accomplish this, we must have a production system that produces enough food in the short run, sustainable in the long run and does not place undue risks on agricultural producers and must respond rapidly to disruptions in the food supply due to disease epidemics, natural disasters, civil disturbances, environmental imbalances and other cause (Agboola P. O. 2002). With these objectives in mind, various efforts at the international, national and local levels had been put in place at one point in time or another to boost agricultural production to make food available to the teaming population and the ever-increasing world population. The world population. The world population explosion witnessed as at the end of 1999, further increased the fear of those concerned about world food security. During this period, the global population exceeded 6 billion. Leisinger, (2002), stated that never before in human history had the population of the earth been as great as it is today, and never before had it grown so rapidly within one century. He stated further that the doubling of world population over the past 40years had put enormous pressure on the natural systems that support all life on Earth. This pressure on natural resources also increased the burden of assuring food security for the entire world’s people international Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI, 2001) stated in one of her reports, that about 73 millions people would be added to world’s population every year between 1995 and 2010 increasing it by 32 percent to reach 7. 5 billion. However, much of this population growth is expected to occur in the developing world. If this prediction is to go by, then the food security situation of the developing world needs constant assessment via empirical research. Joachim et depal (2004), wrote that these was a strong direct relationship between agricultural productivity, hunger and poverty. He stated further that three quarter of the world’s poor people lived in rural areas and made their living from agriculture. He therefore, concluded that the higher the proportion of the rural population that obtained its benefits from subsistence farming (without the benefit of pro poor technologies and access to markets) the higher the incidence of food insecurity. Challenges to Food Security in Africa The root cause of food insecurity in developing countries is the inability of people to gain access to food due to poverty. While the rest of the world has made significant progress towards poverty alleviation, Africa, in particular Sub-Saharan Africa, continues to lag behind. Projections show that there will be an increase in this tendency unless preventive measures are taken. Many factors have contributed to this tendency including the high prevalence of HIV/AID; civil war, strive and poor governance; frequent drought and famine; and agricultural dependency on the climate and environment. Food security on the continent has worsened since 1970 and the proportion of the malnourished population has remained within the 33 and 35 percent range in Sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of malnutrition within the continent varies by region. It is lowest in Northern Africa (4 percent) and highest in Central Africa (40 percent) Over seventy percent of the food insecure population in Africa lives in the rural areas. Figure 1 shows the distribution of food insecurity in Africa. Ironically, smallholder farmers, the producers of over 90 percent of the continent’s food supply, make up the majority (50 percent) of this population. The rest of the food insecure population consists of the landless poor in rural areas (30 percent) and the urban poor. Throughout the developing world, agriculture accounts for around 9 percent of the GDP and more than half of total employment. In countries where more than 34 percent of the population is undernourished, agriculture represents 30 percent of GDP and nearly 70 percent of population relies on agriculture for their livelihood. This fact has in the past been used in support of the argument as to why developing countries should move away from agriculture and invest in technology. Because over 70 percent of the poor live in rural areas, where also the largest proportion of the food insecure live, it is evident that ;we cannot significantly and sustainably reduce food insecurity without transforming the living conditions in these areas. The key lies in increasing the agricultural profitability of smallholder farmers and creating rural off-farm employment opportunities. The objective of this paper is to h8ighlight the challenges to food security in Africa while providing alternative solutions to the problem that would not only allow for poverty alleviation but also wealth creation. While the focus of this paper is in alleviating food insecurity in the rural areas, effort has been made to address the plight of the urban poor.

Islamic finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Islamic finance - Essay Example In this regard, the Islamic financial system with the assistance of macroeconomic models is able to conduct their operations effective in the Islamic economy. Islamic financial system came into existence in the mid-1980s wherein this system was practiced mostly in the Muslim communities that eventually nurtured trade and commercial activities in numerous nations. Islamic merchants became the brokers of trade related activities in Spanish and Mediterranean regions, which helped in promoting Islamic finance amid European financiers and capitalists. In the modern day context, Islamic finance has made a huge impact in various parts of the world, as it has been promptly growing in the financial sector. Islamic finance is not just limited to Islamic nations, but it has spread to other nations wherein the Muslim community is quite large. It has been identified that there are over 100 financial institutions using Islamic finance and the system is presently practiced in more than 45 nations. Industries using Islamic finance have witnessed a growth rate of 15% in their annual turnover from the estimation of the last five years financial performance s. Accordingly, it has been witnessed that the market’s annual turnover has grown to about 70 billion USD as compared to 5 billion USD in the year 1985. It has been further estimated that markets, which use Islamic finance will witness a growth of 100 billion USD by next century. In reality, Islamic finance commenced successfully from the time when the Islamic nations obtained surplus profit in their oil exporting businesses. It will be worth mentioning that anatomic and macroeconomic reforms in the financial system, privatisation of industries, assimilation of the financial markets and liberalisation of capital have cemented the growth of the Islamic financial system (Iqbal, 1997). The paper is primarily intended to summarise the chapter ‘The Financial System and Monetary Policy in an Islamic

ROMBO - RICK SANTORUM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ROMBO - RICK SANTORUM - Assignment Example Despite his appearance as neat, he is viewed with a paint-ball-gun that aims Santorum cutout cardboards struggling to ensure they are filled with mud. Here the metaphor portrays irony since a well-groomed individual like the look-alike of Romney is not expected to be involved in activities of mudslinging; spoiling a competitors name in order to be viewed as the appropriate contester. Hence, Romney is portrayed as an insincere candidate out to spoil other individual’s names. Additionally, there is an on-screen visual that claims the advisor to Romney admitted that Obamacare’s blue print was Romneycare. Romney and Santorum are all republican while the Obamacare was from the Democratic Presidential election. Here the metaphor is employed to stress the point that since Romneycare is similar to Obamacare, the voters for the republican should not adapt it and altogether not trust Romney as he can be capable of betraying them as he does not have the interests of the republicans at heart. Finally, there is another onscreen ad that informs that Rom could cost him votes. This is complimented by the illustration of the gun-toting Romney look-alike mudslinger ending up slinging mud on him. Hence, it depicts that the voters might end up turning against

Public Involvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Involvement - Essay Example A good amount of research has gone into exploring how patients can be incorporated into the Health Care Planning process. The underlying principle of shared decision-making is that professionals and patients exchange information about treatment options and preferences, and through negotiation find solutions to the existing problems. The involvement of patients in healthcare service planning and evaluation is thought to increase accountability to tax-payers, better identify and meet their needs, and broaden the value base underlying evaluation (Gagliardi et al. 2007). A recent government policy in the UK, issued in 1999 and reviewed in 2002, under the title of ‘Patient and Public Involvement in the new NHS’, has stressed the need â€Å"to involve patients, users, carers and the public in health and health services, highlighting the opportunities which the Government’s NHS reforms offer to develop effective patient and public partnership† (HSC 1999/210 p. 2). All over the world an awareness campaign has taken birth to understand the implications of public participation and their impacts. (Anderson et al. 2006). Pollitt (2003) used a quotation from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to list some of the motives the governments are trying to employ to enhance the quality of services. It states, â€Å"†¦if service users participate, then surely they will know best what they want?† (Pollitt 2003: p. 100). It is also to escalate the credibility of policy decisions in trying to make the general public feel part of the process. It states, â€Å"This is not just our "political" decision making, it is yours too, because you participated in it† (Pollitt 2003: p. 100). As Farrell (2004) points out, the outcomes of public involvement increases the confidence, understanding and skills of the people who participate. It also

Fashion - critical and cultural studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Fashion - critical and cultural studies - Essay Example The essay "Fashion - critical and cultural studies" concerns the feminine fashion. The durability and versatility of the corset as a defining garment is almost as astonishing as its continuing appeal. Even after it lost its widespread popularity, the continued use of the corset in Hollywood depictions of the feminine preserved its use, established its historic connotations and illustrated how it symbolized something larger than itself. Contemporary fashion has given the corset a new lease on life as women continue to turn to this garment as a means of identification within the modern world. Although the corset has traditionally been viewed as a symbol of female submission, any intrinsic meaning is subject to wide interpretation. â€Å"What the immediate meaning usually comes from is available imagery, past or present, the suggestive pictures that have pervaded public consciousness and are loaded with shared associations†. The tight-lacing of the 17th and 18th centuries indicat e the degree to which the corset was considered a means of female sexual expression and define ideas of female beauty. Understanding how the corset has been used in Hollywood, revitalized in cult fashions and re-introduced in high fashion illustrates how it can operate to convey female submission and aggressive sexuality depending upon the internal and external factors at play in its design and use within modern fashion. Hollywood and the big name movie producers have employed the corset in any number of ways from the beginning of the industry. The corset was already used in everyday dress when ‘Hollywood’ emerged and it was already a strategic garment in Vaudeville and Broadway. Even then, women craved the fashions they saw on stage depending upon the persona of the actress and the intentions of the wearer. Broadway and Vaudeville star Anna Held is the first great example of the corset as a defining garment of the female character. Most of her fame was not attributed t o her singing voice, but rather to â€Å"her rolling eyes, eighteen inch waist and naughty songs†. As is shown in Figure 1, Held continued the practice of tight-lacing in order to portray an enticing, sexually appealing woman with a tiny waist and accented upper features.

INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN PHILOSOPHY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN PHILOSOPHY - Essay Example It targets at cogent understanding and utilizes discursive techniques in handling the perceptions drawn from experience, work, history, or any other domain of human life. The same conception is articulated in the old saying that the purpose of philosophy is to conceal the delusion of knowledge where none in actuality exists. Answers can be offered, but they remain to create the residue, which is called philosophy. Put it another way, philosophy, like all other studies focuses chiefly on knowledge. The knowledge concentrates on this form of knowledge, which offers unity and system to the organ of the sciences. Nevertheless, this is, just the truth considering the ambiguity of philosophy. The value of philosophy, in reality, needs to be sought completely in its improbability. Philosophy, although incapable of telling us with sureness what is true answer to the uncertainty, which it raises, is able to propose many probabilities, which broaden our thoughts and free them from the despotis m of value. Thus, this largely augments the understanding as to what they may be, and it sustains our sense of wonder by displaying recognizable things in an unknown element (Russell 20-35). My view is that philosophy is an activity of thought, a kind of thinking. Philosophy is essential and exhaustive thought, the most fundamental and exhaustive mode of thinking which human beings has nevertheless devised. This intellectual procedure integrates both an systematic and artificial means of function. Philosophy is an essential and exhaustive procedure of thought that involves putting an end to uncertainty, revealing presumptions, unmasking deduction, differentiating significance, assessing world reviews and questioning perceptual perspectives. Rescher (14-25), argues that the activity of the mind plays a responsibility and makes essential contribution to understanding, whilst legitimate knowledge contributes to sensible success. According to Rescher (30), in the philosophy of science, also asserts, in protest to any type of instrumentalism any many postmodern authors as well, that natural science can authenticate a reasonable devotion to the real subsistence of its hypothetical bodies. Rescher acknowledges that ethical standards are randomly part of the values of a society, but he refutes that morality comprises in orthodoxy to the customs. Methodical perceptions target at what in reality subsists in the universe, but just hit defectively. Rescher (45) argues that rationality is matter of idealization. He compares objectivity to rationality by stating that the two are expressions of humankind’s capability to witness not just how things apparently are, but also how they might have been. Philosophy is important because as a procedure operates as an activity which reacts to societal requests for wisdom, which is bringing together all that we understand in order to acquire what we value (Russell 50-78). Ethics is a division of philosophy that deals with system izing, defending, and extolling perceptions of right and wrong of demeanor. Virtue of ethics is an extensive word for hypothesis that stresses the responsibility of trait and virtue in ethics and/or moral philosophy, as opposed to either doing or acting in order to bring about good outcome. According to Curzer (13), an honorable individual is somebody who has best character aspects. These aspects draw from natural internal inclinations, but require to be

The Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Federal Reserve - Essay Example History, Structure, and Function The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 by Woodrow Wilson (Wells 2010). In the late 19th and early 20th centuries credit was controlled entirely by private banks. Farmers in the mid-western regions grew increasingly upset by this fact, as they complained that oftentimes the banks would alter their credit options at times when the farmers were vulnerable. The Federal Reserve was created as a compromise, with the banks still controlling credit, but the government determining the supply of funds (Wells 2010). While the intervening years have seen significant reforms in the way the Federal Reserve operates, its underlining function has remained the same. Private banks are able to borrow from the reserve at a discounted rate, they then loan this money to borrowers at the federal funds rate, or interest rate. As the Federal Reserve raises rates, so must the banks raise the rates of loans. This system is designed to ensure fair and equitable lending througho ut the country. The current chairman of the Federal Reserve, who was recently reappointed in January of 2010, and Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker preceded him (Johnson, Web). Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) The Federal Open Markets Committee is a branch of the Federal Reserve that has the responsibility of regulating the United States’ open market operations. While there are a great variety of committees and functions with the Federal Reserve, this committee perhaps is the most notable as it functions to make essential decisions about interest rates and the general growth of the supply of money within the country (Chandler 1971). These are factors that directly and significantly affect major aspects of the nation’s economy. In these regards, the FOMC is the primary monetary branch of the Unites States. The committee functions in a variety of complex, but well structured ways. In these regards, the committee meets and sets short-term objectives for long-term objec ts within a long-term structure of economic understanding. The short-term objectives work to ensure that the federal funds rate remains constant. In addition to regulating the federal funds rate, the Federal Open Markets Committee oversees operations that the Federal Reserve has overtaken abroad. They accomplish this task in close collaboration with the United States Treasury department. In terms of meeting structure, the FOMC is required by law to meet at least four-times per year, but generally they convene eight times annually (Chandler 1971). During the meetings, open reports are presented by committee members. The committee then works toward reaching a consensus in regards to policy decisions. During this entire process the Manager of the System Open Market Account oversees the policy presentations. What I Learned & My Point of View In research the Federal Reserve there was a great amount of structural and historical information I gained, but perhaps the greatest insights I gai ned were in regards to how the Federal Reserve functioned during the recent economic recession. When the recession hit the Federal Reserve began the process of lowering interests rates to increase consumer spending. At this point, the Fed has virtually lowered the interest rate to 0%. In addition to

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Research Paper - 2

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Research Paper Example In many cases, the victim may not register any complaints about the sex harassments and hence the number of the actual sex harassment cases is extremely higher than the number of the reported cases. Sexual harassment is considered as employment discrimination if it takes place at the workplace. Earlier sex harassment incidents at workplaces were mostly happened against the women employees. However, at present even male workers are complaining about the sexual harassment they are facing from their female superior employees. In other words, both males and females are equally suffering from the sexual exploitations at workplace. Nature of sex harassment incidents at workplace Sex harassments can take place in the workplace in different forms. Sex harassments can take place physically, psychologically, verbally or nonverbally. Even some of the gestures can categorize in the sex harassment lists. In most of the cases, sex harassments start verbally. The culprit often tries to catch the at traction of the victim with the help of comments with sexual overtones or remarks sexual nature. Chaudhari (2006) has pointed out an incident in which a senior doctor used verbal sexual harassment even in the operation theatre. A female doctor of 34 years of age said â€Å"ah† when the operation theatre needle accidently pierced her hand. In response to that the senior doctor said â€Å"You are making a sound like you are having sex† (Chaudhari, 2006, p.11). In this case, the senior doctor tried to harass the junior doctor even in the operation theatre which shows that sex harassments are happening even at workplaces where one would never anticipate such activities. The culprit often analyzes the response of the victim to the initial verbal... This essay stresses that sexual harassment is an act of intimidation, bullying or coercion for in an effort to force a person to engage in sexual activities. In many cases, the victim may not register any complaints about the sex harassments and hence the number of the actual sex harassment cases is extremely higher than the number of the reported cases. This paper declares that earlier sex harassment incidents at workplaces were mostly happened against the women employees. However, at present even male workers are complaining about the sexual harassment they are facing from their female superior employees. In other words, both males and females are equally suffering from the sexual exploitations at workplace. Sex harassments can take place in the workplace in different forms. Sex harassments can take place physically, psychologically, verbally or nonverbally. Even some of the gestures can categorize in the sex harassment lists. In most of the cases, sex harassments start verbally. The culprit often tries to catch the attraction of the victim with the help of comments with sexual overtones or remarks sexual nature. The culprit often analyzes the response of the victim to the initial verbal assaults microscopically before deciding whether to continue his/her activities or to stop it there. In the above incident, if the junior doctor r esponded or seems to be responded favorably to the comments of her senior doctor, sex harassment will enter the second phase of unwanted body touches or physical activities.

International development assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International development assignment - Essay Example The following discussion will focus on this Brazil responsible sourcing project and the first three years of project implementation. Initially, the project will be outlined, then its organization and performance will be evaluated. Finally, a concluding section will assess its impacts and effects. The Brazil Responsible Sourcing Project partners are the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), TransFair USA, Walmart Stores and local Brazilian partner Sebrae-MG. Thus, the project unites the private sector (Walmart), government agencies (USAID) and non-governmental agencies (TransFair USA). It also includes a local (Brazilian) partner, Sebrae-MG a Brazilian agency dedicated to provide, through access to new knowledge, new business opportunities for micro and small enterprises. The three-year project was initiated in 2007. In total, project partners contributed $1.9 million. Of that amount, $144,000 were infrastructure upgrade grants. (USAID, 2009) By 2008, â€Å"eleven producer families [had] used the grants to build coffee drying patios on their properties so their coffee beans could reach proper quality,† according to Coopfam president Luà ­s Adauto de Oliveira. Coopfam was one of five Brazillian cooperatives that received project infrastructure grants. (USAID, 2008) The project objective was â€Å"to help smallholder farmers increase exports of Organic and Fair Trade Certified coffee by 400% and 350% respectively.† (USAID, 2009) The concept behind the project was to provide farmers with better access to global markets, thus increasing their income. A second objective was to provide retailers in the United States with enhanced access to premium-quality coffee beans. (USAID, 2009) The most noteworthy organizational aspect of the project was the number and diversity of project partners. The local Brazilian partner agency, Sebrae-MG, specializes in organizing and coordinating interested parties in developing programs that are

Violent computer games Essay Example for Free

Violent computer games Essay The huge influence media productions have on their audience is unquestionable. The use of quirky television advertisement to persuade the public to purchase a particular product ahead of other similar brands is a tried and tested method used by manufactures. The millions of pounds spent on a major celebrity endorsing their franchise is a risk that companies are willing to take. Newspapers campaigns aimed to manipulate their readers opinions on world issues, political campaigns and even the winner of a reality television show have been successful for many years and are another way of swaying the publics views. But could a video game really influence a human being into committing crime or even murder? . In 1993 Jamie Bulgar, a three year old boy from Liverpool was abducted from a shopping mall by two 10 year old boys. Jamie was taken over two miles away from the mall, being heavily tortured on the way. Jamie was eventually killed by the boys who then left his remains on a railway track so that a train would get rid of the evidence. However the murder was not put down to cold blood alone, it was largely discussed at the time by the media and in court what the real motivators of the boys actions were. The two boys, Thompson and Venables had access to a collection of violent films, one of which was Childs play 3 in which a possessed doll kills young children. Although no testimony was presented at the trial the films in question were subsequently banned and removed from video rental chains. There are several theories to explain the various effects the media has on its audience. Firstly, the hypodermic syringe model, the type of consumption that has the most impact. As the name implies this short term effect theory this short term effect theory is based on an idea that the violence witnessed on screen injects itself into the audience like a needle. There is a belief that as a consequence, this may lead to people imitating or rein acting a violent scene. There are several different cases to support this theory: In 1982 an American, John Hinkley JR, shot President Ronald Regan in an attempt to impress actress Jodie foster when he became obsessed by her after seeing her in the film Taxi Driver. In the film, Foster plays a young prostitute who is rescued by a man that plans to murder a presidential candidate. Hinkley harassed Foster and told her he would come to rescue her as she had been in the film. In 1978 Michael Ryan went on a killing rampage through a small town on Hungerford, shooting 13 people. Ryan was dressed on military uniform, although there was no conclusive evidence, it was suggested that Ryan had been inspired by Sylvester Stallones character in the film Rambo. The second theory is the inoculation model. This time the suggestion is that long term exposure to the media de-sensitises the audience to its content. This means the viewer could become immune to the messages and watches passive state. It is hard to shock this type of viewer as they have seen it all before. This is potentially as dangerous as the syringe theory, as it makes it hard for them to distinguish between fiction and reality and the right thing and the wrong thing as violence, gore and bad language have no effect on them. The final theory is the gratification theory. Here, the viewer is in control, we select and reject media in an active and thoughtful way. The media is consumed to satisfy certain needs, for example, TV soap operas can provide an artificial community for people that dont have the opportunity to experience one in real life. Documentaries, soaps and dramas can also help reinforce a viewers identity. Viewers experiencing difficulties in their lives may find it comforting or supportive if the topic concerning them is raised publicly. Video games can be played on several types of platforms: home consoles used with TV sets, computers, and computers with access to the Internet, coin-operated arcade machines, and handheld devices including games systems and mobile phones. In the past these electronically products were not available highlighting the fact that they have become developed and more poplar. There are a number of video games on the current market that have been campaigned against for causing an in fluctuation in crimes committed and in sighting violence. Grand Theft Auto and Carmageddon were accused of glamorising crime and subsequently blamed for causing in increase in road rage, car jacking and armed robbery. Tekken and Mortal Combat were heavily criticized for their trademark Finishing Moves which involved characters being decapitated, mutilated and tortured. In all these games, the players were rewarded for their sever brutality with bonus points.

Types of Cells in the Human Body

Types of Cells in the Human Body In this essay I will be looking at the human body and how it is organised, from the simple cell to how the body systems co-operate with each other and that everything functions properly. Firstly I will be looking at some simple cells that will group together to make up a tissue. The first cells I will be looking at will be the erythrocytes, the ova cells in women, the spermatozoon cell in men and the epithelial ciliated cells in the throat. The erythrocytes are made in the red bone marrow of short bones in the body such as the hip bone, breast bone, ribs etc . Red bone marrow can produce new erythrocytes at the rate of about 1 and half million per second to replace those destroyed . When first formed the erythrocyte has a nucleus, which when the cell matures the nucleus is squeezed out to make way for more haemoglobin to be stored inside the erythrocyte. The erythrocyte is very unique in size and structure; it has the look of a biconcave disk shape. These have inner components that allow the transport of oxygen and help the elimination of carbon dioxide. There are approximately 5 million erythrocytes per mmÂÂ ³ of blood. The redness of the red blood cell comes from the pigment it contains; it contains Haemoglobin which combines with oxygen easily to become oxyhaemoglobin there are 180 million haemoglobin molecules in one erythrocyte. Erythrocytes are about 7.8 micrometres in diameter. Erythrocytes can live up to 12 0 days inside the body, before they are broken down in the liver and the spleen by a macrophage. The function of the red blood cell is to primarily transport oxygen from the lungs around the body which can be used for many things, such as making amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates, Their second function is to get rid of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs to be excreted out by the lungs. Oxygen carried by the red blood cells can bind with iron atoms in the blood meaning that haemoglobin can carry 4 oxygen atoms at its maximum capacity. The ability of oxygen to bind with haemoglobin depends on a few factors such as the acidity of the blood and also the temperature. Erythrocytes make up 45% of blood inside the body; the other 55% is plasma. THE OVA CELLS The ova cells are produced in the ovaries of women. This is the by-product of the ovaries which is the tissue that makes the ova. The ovum is a smaller version of an ovary which is small enough to pass down the fallopian tube. This cell is visible and does not need a microscope to see it. It measures in diameter 120um. Its almost a perfect circular cell which has tough follicle cells surrounding the egg to protect it. These cells are normally called ova and they ovulate once every 28 days. The function of ova cells is so that it gives the spermatozoon a chance to fertilise the egg and it has to contain nutrients and metabolites to help sustain itself in early development to hopefully create a human life, as you may well know it is a cycle where once a month a egg develops in the ovaries and is passed down the fallopian tube where it can be fertilised, if fertilisation happens the inside the ova cell, cell division occurs until it reaches the uterus, if unfertilised it will pass out of the body, but if it is fertilised the weight of the ova will imbed itself into the uterus cell wall where it will grow and develop, a successful fertilisation normally is when the woman uterus cell wall is at its highest which is normally the 14th day since the last ovulation. Its structure is perfect for its function, if it was any other shape it could get stuck in the fallopian tube. THE SPERMATOZOON Otherwise known as the sperm cell, this cell is made in the seminiferous tubules in the testes which are lined by germinal epithelial cells which divide repeatedly, forming cells called spermatogonia. The spermatozoon have many structural sections which make it agile and fast. This cell is very specialised and it has some of what most cells have like a head consisting of a nucleus, which contains DNA conjugated with protein in a highly condensed form, mitochondria, microtubules and an acrosome. The nucleus contains the highly condensed set of chromosomes. The condensed state of genetic material reduces the amount of energy needed to transport the sperm. The microtubules produce the whip like movement of a mature sperm, which helps its suspension helping towards the swim to the egg. The mitochondria give the sperm cell the energy it needs to swim, and the acrosome is the storage site of enzymes which help the sperm digest the layers surrounding the egg thus being able to penetrate it. Its primary function is to fertilise an ovum cell, its structure helps it achieve its goal. THE EPITHELIAL CELLS Epithelial cells are produced pretty much anywhere needed in the body where something needs to be protected as we have different types of epithelial cells, take for instance we have squamous epithelium which is also known as pavement epithelium which is found in the walls of blood capillaries and alveoli in the lungs, we also have cuboidal epithelium which is found in some kidney tubules, columnar epithelium which is found in the lining of the small intestine, we also have glandular epithelium which is found in the lining of the rectum, we also have ciliated epithelium, this is formed in the windpipe and Its structure is takes is more of a columnar shape, it has ciliated hairs which beat away from the lungs to move mucus or any other micro-organisms and dust away from the lungs. Smokers are known to have damaged the ciliated hairs by the tar in the cigarettes making the hairs sticky and rigid or they have burnt them. It also has a cytoskeleton called the axoneme, the hairs itself is made of microtubules allowing the hairs to move with more flexibility Its function is just to keep out any foreign tissue, keep micro-organisms out and keep the lungs dust free, its structure helps it as the cilia hairs are facing away from the lungs meaning it will try and keep it by forcing it upwards. TISSUES The epithelial cells will group together to make epithelial tissue which is found in all areas and surfaces of the body, it is specialised to form a covering and or lining of all internal and external surfaces of the body. Epithelial tissue regardless of what type it is, it is separated from a thin-underlying tissue by a thin sheet of connective tissue, the basement membrane, which provides structural support for the epithelium and binds to other neighbouring structures. The ciliated cells in the throat group together to make ciliated epithelial tissue which is formed in a lining normally of the windpipe to help clear mucus, micro-organisms and any foreign tissue a lot more faster and easier than one cell alone. This helps to form one part of the respiratory system. Connective tissue is used to support the body and can bind or connect all tissues together. I will talk about one type of connective tissue which is going to be the bones in our body can also be about the bones in our body. The bones primarily give us the support we need and also give us locomotion to move, it protects delicate organs such as the brain from damage, and is also the site for where erythrocytes are made. It also plays a part in homeostasis which controls the amount of calcium in the blood. Under a microscope the bone is arranged in concentrated layers (lamellae) around the small canals called a haversian canal which interconnects to a volkmanns canal which contains a blood vessel, a lymph and nerve cell. Muscle tissue allows us to be able to relax or contrast our muscles to for us to exercise movement or do some work which requires us to use our muscles, its structure depends on the muscles that come from different areas of the body. We have smooth muscle tissue, skeletal muscle tissue and cardiac muscle tissue. I will now relate to one example which I will look at the structure and function of the smooth muscle tissue. The structure of smooth muscle tissue is made up of thin elongated muscle cells or fibres, these cells are long and pointed to the end and each cell has a large oval nucleus. The smooth muscle tissue is involuntary and we no control over it, some places you will find this tissue are the walls of the bladder, the uterus and the walls of blood vessels, its function is to control, slow involuntary movements such as the contraction of muscle tissue in the walls of the intestines and stomach. Nervous tissue is made up of nerve cells, also known as motor neuron which makes up one part of the nervous system. The structure of a motor neurone is pretty complex, these are lay up and down the body almost touching one another, via the dendrites through the axon, to the synapse, to be dissolved in neurotransmitters to another dendrite, and the central nervous system has three components for it to efficiently work, the motor neurone, the spinal cord and the brain. All motor neurones are connected to the spinal cord and the brain is connected to the spinal cord. A motor neurones function is to detect stimuli and respond to it adequately, it does this by sending electrical messages via the motor neurones to the spinal cord, to the brain and from the brain back to the motor neurones to the connected muscle to react to the stimuli. Its structure means the surface area of motor neurone is big enough to send high powered electrical messages at very high speeds. ORGAN SYSTEMS Up to now we have named a few cells which have developed into tissues, I will now look at the organs from the tissues that come together. The red blood cells have grouped up with plasma to make the blood, the squamous epithelial cells have grouped together to make capillaries, capillaries have grouped and made veins and arteries. All this is has made the circulatory system. The heart is the main organ in this system which too was made of a muscle cell which then grouped to make muscle tissue, making it what it is, the heart is specialised as a muscle as it needs pressure to pump the blood around the body, also it is hallow on the inside which allows the blood to fill the heart and then pump it around the body again. It is made of four chambers, which fill with blood, but they work separately because blood pumped into the heart is deoxygenated and pumped out oxygenated. Together they operate to form the circulatory system. BODY SYSTEMS The systems eventually start working together as one, like the respiratory system works with the circulatory system, the endocrine system works with the whole body giving it hormones, the nervous system works with the brain and spinal cord using nerve cells. The digestive system works alongside the reproductive system. With this in mind we will look at how the body systems work as one entire unit. To ensure we have life, we must to be able to breathe and for that to happen we need our heart beating with blood. The oxygen we breathe in is absorbed into the bloodstream which circulates around our body, picking up glucose and urea from the liver and arriving back at the lungs, and the waste products, like carbon dioxide is excreted. Blood contains waste products such as urea which is given to the liver and bile is added to this ready for digestion in the form of urine but that is after it has passed the kidneys. This links, the circulatory system, the respiratory system and digestive sy stem together. The endocrine system also helps the digestion system by regulating the water balance and blood pressure with the use of very important hormones, such as thyroxin which controls the bodys metabolism. The endocrine system also works with nervous system as it regulates internal functions and maintaining homeostasis. The reproductive system is linked to the digestive system as waste water is excreted through the sexual organs. So the body is linked in many ways to help it function as one whole unit.

Abortion In Natural Moral Law And Utilitarian Ethics Philosophy Essay

Abortion In Natural Moral Law And Utilitarian Ethics Philosophy Essay The current ethical issue of abortion is a broad and complex ethical issue which can be approached from many moral and ethical directions. Two such directions can be the deontological Natural Moral Law and the teleological or consequentialist Utilitarian ethics. Abortion, from the Latin aborior, to pass away, is an induced termination of a pregnancy. Historically, as today, an abortion is the focal point of much controversy. The laws governing abortion have changed considerably in the last fifty years to accommodate abortion as an option for a pregnant woman. A landmark US case giving a mother right to wilful abortion occurred in 1973 set in motion by a woman called Jane Roe in Dallas, Texas. Roe wished to terminate her pregnancy, but in Texas at the time, only victims of rape or incest could procure a legal abortion. The case reached the Supreme Court where the judges ruled that abortion was a constitutional right to women, overturning laws in every state which denied abortion to women through medically qualified doctors. Abortion is now legally allowed in many western countries for women. Since the legality of abortions came into effect, much debate has occurred from opposite so called pro-choice and pro-life groups, gathering many argumen ts from both deontological and teleological ethics. Utilitarianism  is the idea that the  moral worth  of an action is determined solely by its contribution to overall  utility: that is, its contribution to happiness or pleasure as summed among all people.  [1]   Utilitarianism places no emphasis on whether an action is right or wrong, right is only so once the pleasure has been decided to outweigh the pain in the circumstances resulting from the decision. Pleasure, in early Utilitarian thinking, was only concerned with the physical, e.g. being well fed. John Stuart Mill later argued that pleasure was also quantifiable in intellectual and spiritual terms. These higher pleasures he argued outweighed the lower pleasures. Mill proposed, for example being well fed, at the expense of a mans spirituality was a lesser pleasure, and in effect, not as right as a spiritually enlightened man who was hungry. The hungry man experiences higher pleasure, as spiritual enlightenment lasts significantly longer than the feeling of being well fed. Consequentialist Utilitarians would argue that abortion is an entirely neutral act. The consequences resulting from the abortion determine the rightness. A specific system of measuring the pleasure against pain can be utilised called Hedonic Calculus. Hedonic Calculus first proposed by Jeremy Bentham, measures pleasure/pain through eight categories: Certainty Duration Extent   Intensity   Remoteness   Richness Purity  [2]   This calculus subjectively determines if the pain outweighs the pleasure in a scenario of a potential abortion. A mother may need an abortion to save her own life if it is in peril due to her pregnancy, she cannot afford to leave her children motherless. This scenario, shown through Hedonic Calculus allows abortion to be the right choice as 1. There is a high certainty the mother will die, 2. The duration of mourning for the family would be very long as would the duration of risk to her other children, 3. The pain and suffering for her surviving family would be very great and so on. A different scenario in which the mother seeks an abortion so she can go on a holiday would be morally wrong as from categories: 2. the pleasure of a child will last years compared to that of a comparatively short holiday, 4. The intensity of the pleasure of a child is much greater and higher significance as it is emotional and spiritual than a physical and emotional holiday. The taking of a life can be justified in Utilitarianism as there are no standing rules of what is right or wrong for a general scenario, i.e. abortion. Every circumstance is different and warrants a separate evaluation to determine the correct action. Natural law is a branch of deontological ethics, deon meaning duty in Latin. Natural law  or the  law of nature  is a theory that posits the existence of a law whose content is set by  nature  and that therefore has validity everywhere.  [3]  These laws, created by God, are discernible to all peoples and are thought of as moral absolutes, natural moral law theory implies that we  discover  morality we do not  invent  it,  (J.P. Moreland, What Is Natural Moral Law). It is mans duty to be rational, and as God is rational too, it is rational that humans must love God. Thomas Aquinas, a figurehead for natural moral law proposed five primary precepts and other secondary precepts. The primary precepts proposed where: The continuation of the species through procreation The education of children The desire to live in society The worship of God The preservation of the self These precepts are considered in natural moral law to be the most basic aspirations of all humans. Aquinas believed that all humans wished to do good and follow the precepts but through ignorance to the Natural Moral Law, some could do wrong. Aquinas argued that good ethical decisions could be arrived at by reason alone. Humans have the power of deducing what is good and what is wrong through application of their conscience. Natural Law, being deontological, imposes inalienable rules that cannot be broken. Natural Law can be seen as order provided by nature which exists for a purpose. A common criticism of Utilitarianism would be the difficulty of its real world application. The theory of a decision may be morally sound, but the limitless unexpected permutations prevent proper ethical conduct from occurring once theory is put to practice. The Tribunal of the Holy Office, a catholic authority was once queried on the 4th of May, 1898 as to whether a foetus was allowed to be removed from its womb before natural course did so. The tribunal resolved that there was no exception to natural birth, even inducing premature labour with the intention of saving the babys life. However, if life saving surgery were to be performed on the mother, which would have consequences on the growing foetus, it should not be maintained that the fetal(sic)  life  is thereby directly attacked. The  evil  is not made a means to obtain the  good  effect; for this would be to do  evil  that  good  might come of it.  [4]   This fulfils the Natural Law requirement of the act of being good as separate from the concept of doing good. To be morally correct, one must not embark on a course of action which is right purely to obtain an evil or vain end. The right must be to cause neutral or correct consequences. This certainty of rules and moral action allows the system of Natural Law to be an unquestionable authority if placed alongside Utilitarian ethics which are in permanent flux. The Catholic Church supports the notion of ensoulment, where at conception a foetus is given a soul by God. A soul is viewed as a separate form to the physical body, but is linked inextricably until death. The act of abortion goes against the first precept of Natural Law, denying the continuation of the species through abortion. Even if that abortion would lead to saving a life, the authority to kill a foetus does not rest in humans hands. It is inhumane to end the life of a baby, as natural law theory holds;  one may never directly intend to kill an innocent human being  [5]  . After conception, Natural Law argues that the foetus is human so is equal in right to life as its mother. There is no greater worth placed on the mother living than the child as both are considered equal. Utilitarianism would argue against the inflexibility of the rules of Natural Law regarding to the preservation of a childs life. Utilitarians would argue that greater suffering may be caused by the preservation of a foetus life. The mother of the child may be a chronic drug addict, and the chances of the baby growing up disadvantaged are high. It could be argued that the mother may not be fit to care for a child and the child would suffer a hard life, through mal-parenting and possible separation from the mother in later years. A possible course of action would be a wilful abortion by the mother to prevent suffering of a child. The rigidity of Natural Law allows no exceptions to be made, even if the pleasure resulting from an abortion vastly outweighs the pain. This rigidity of laws could cause unnecessary harm to many people. Correct decision making can stem from both deontological and consequentialist ethics. While Natural Moral Law argues that the laws of nature are absolute, Utilitarianism argues that no laws constantly serve the greatest good, and only through flexibility can good be achieved. The primary precepts of Natural Law indicate clearly that abortion is wrong so far as the taking of an innocent life, and interrupting the natural result of procreation. Utilitarianism states that abortion, like all actions is an entirely neutral act until the consequences are evaluated. Both ethical systems allow an opportunity for an individual to formulate an understanding of, and ethically right decision on abortion.

Dealing With Disease in Uige, Angola :: Health Medical Personal Narrative Essays

Dealing With Disease in Uige, Angola Journal Entry for April 21, 2005 Yesterday, Angola's Ministry of Health announced that there have been 266 documented human infections of the Marburg epidemic since the current outbreak began in October of last year. 244 of these cases have been fatal, providing a horrific mortality rate which can be attributed both to the largely unknown and uncontrollable nature of this disease, and the impoverished state of the nation it is afflicting. Unfortunately, it took us five months from the first suspected cases of the outbreak to positively identify the cause as the Marburg virus. The region's medical facilities are severely overburdened and under-staffed due to the decades of civil war which have plagued Angola. So, when the epidemic began late last year early cases were mistaken for other more common diseases such as typhoid and malaria--which have similar symptoms to the Marburg virus. On the first symptomatic day, an infected person suffers from an extremely high fever. The extent of this fever quickly drains the individual of energy, leaving them in a weakened state. By the third day extremely watery diarrhea has begun which will last for a week if the infected is lucky enough to survive so long. The diarrhea also comes with intense abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. The result is a patient left in a state of dehydration and excruciating pain, weakened and unable to clean the contaminated fluids he or she is expelling. Now having faced days of extreme fever and fatigue, the person resembles a corpse with an expressionless face, deep-set eyes and total lack of energy. Between the fifth and seventh days hemorrhages appear on the body, often open to bleeding. Additional blood is excreted in the individual's vomit and feces, as well as from the nose, and gums. This prevalence of contaminated bodily fluids has been part of the reason why reason the epidem ic has continued to spread despite our efforts to contain it. Death generally occurs within about two week of symptoms. There is no known cure, so the most our team can do for the infected is to keep their fluid levels high in order to counteract the effects of fever and diarrhea. The Marburg epidemic is a RNA virus of the filovirus family--whose only other known members are the four Ebola viruses.

Understanding Dostoevsky Essay -- essays research papers fc

While confronting Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground seems a difficult task initially, one must be able to transcend the elaborate diction and parodies, and comprehend the author himself, while also taking root the message Dostoevsky had originally intended in the time it was addressed. Understanding the author himself, along with the period in which the work was written, augments one’s overall discernment of the passage. In the age he wrote, Dostoevsky must have seemed eccentric and outlandish; nevertheless, looking back on him from today with a literary understanding of modernism, he appears ahead of his time. His central premise, although difficult to determine amongst the satire, is humanity’s necessity for freedom and religion, specifically Christianity. In the first part of Notes from Underground, the narrator’s jeering monologue, Dostoevsky insists â€Å"civilization has made mankind if not more bloodthirsty, at least more vilely, more loathsomely bloodthirsty† (Dostoevsky 1305). He is adamant about man’s ability and need to choose right or wrong. Put another way, according to Dostoevsky, the freedom of choice is what makes us human, despite the consequences and destruction our selections might cause. When he begins to reflect about a man who enacts a fit of vengeance â€Å"like an enraged bull with lowered horns,† he calls him â€Å"a genuine, normal person, just as tender Mother Nature wished to see him when she lovingly gave birth to him on earth† (Dostoevsky 1311). His seeming...

Answer to the Corporate Finance

Chapter 14 Capital Structure in a Perfect Market 14-1. Consider a project with free cash flows in one year of $130,000 or $180,000, with each outcome being equally likely. The initial investment required for the project is $100,000, and the project’s cost of capital is 20%. The risk-free interest rate is 10%. a. What is the NPV of this project? b. Suppose that to raise the funds for the initial investment, the project is sold to investors as an all-equity firm. The equity holders will receive the cash flows of the project in one year. How much money can be raised in this way—that is, what is the initial market value of the unlevered equity? . a. Suppose the initial $100,000 is instead raised by borrowing at the risk-free interest rate. What are the cash flows of the levered equity, and what is its initial value according to MM? E ? C (1)? = ? ? 1 (130, 000 + 180, 000) = 155, 000, 2 155, 000 NPV = ? 100, 000 = 129,167 ? 100, 000 = $29,167 1. 20 155, 000 = 129,167 1. 20 b . c. Equity value = PV ( C (1)) = Debt payments = 100, 000, equity receives 20,000 or 70,000. Initial value, by MM, is 129,167 ? 100, 000 = $29,167 . 14-2. You are an entrepreneur starting a biotechnology firm. If your research is successful, the technology can be sold for $30 million.If your research is unsuccessful, it will be worth nothing. To fund your research, you need to raise $2 million. Investors are willing to provide you with $2 million in initial capital in exchange for 50% of the unlevered equity in the firm. a. What is the total market value of the firm without leverage? b. Suppose you borrow $1 million. According to MM, what fraction of the firm’s equity will you need to sell to raise the additional $1 million you need? c. What is the value of your share of the firm’s equity in cases (a) and (b)? a. b. c. Total value of equity = 2 ? 2m = $4m MM says total value of firm is still $4 million. $1 million of debt implies total value of equity is $3 million. T herefore, 33% of equity must be sold to raise $1 million. In (a), 50% ? $4m = $2m. In (b), 2/3 ? $3m = $2m. Thus, in a perfect market the choice of capital structure does not affect the value to the entrepreneur.  ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Berk/DeMarzo †¢ Corporate Finance, Second Edition 14-3. 185 Acort Industries owns assets that will have an 80% probability of having a market value of $50 million in one year.There is a 20% chance that the assets will be worth only $20 million. The current risk-free rate is 5%, and Acort’s assets have a cost of capital of 10%. a. If Acort is unlevered, what is the current market value of its equity? b. Suppose instead that Acort has debt with a face value of $20 million due in one year. According to MM, what is the value of Acort’s equity in this case? c. What is the expected return of Acort’s equity without leverage? What is the expected return of Acort’s equity with leverage? d. What is the lowest possible realized return of Acort’s equity with and without leverage? . b. c. d. 14-4. E[Value in one year] = 0. 8 ( 50 ) + 0. 2 ( 20 ) = 44 . E = D= 44 = $40m. 1. 10 20 = 19. 048 . Therefore, E = 40 ? 19. 048 = $20. 952m. 1. 05 44 44 ? 20 ? 1 = 10% , with leverage, r = ? 1 = 14. 55%. 40 20. 952 20 0 ? 1 = ? 50% , with leverage, r = ? 1 = ? 100%. 40 20. 952 Without leverage, r= Without leverage, r= Wolfrum Technology (WT) has no debt. Its assets will be worth $450 million in one year if the economy is strong, but only $200 million in one year if the economy is weak. Both events are equally likely. The market value today of its assets is $250 million. . What is the expected return of WT stock without leverage? b. Suppose the risk-free interest rate is 5%. If WT borrows $100 million today at this rate and uses the proceeds to pay an immediate cash dividend, what will be the market value of its equity just after the dividend is paid, according to MM? c. What i s the expected return of MM stock after the dividend is paid in part (b)? a. b. c. 14-5. (. 5 ? 450+. 5 ? 200)/250 = 1. 30 => 30% E + D = 250, D = 100 => E = 150 (. 5 ? (450-105) + . 5 ? (200-105))/150 = 1. 4667 => 46. 67% Suppose there are no taxes.Firm ABC has no debt, and firm XYZ has debt of $5000 on which it pays interest of 10% each year. Both companies have identical projects that generate free cash flows of $800 or $1000 each year. After paying any interest on debt, both companies use all remaining free cash flows to pay dividends each year. a. Fill in the table below showing the payments debt and equity holders of each firm will receive given each of the two possible levels of free cash flows. b. Suppose you hold 10% of the equity of ABC. What is another portfolio you could hold that would provide the same cash flows? 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 186 Berk/DeMarzo †¢ Corporate Finance, Second Edition c. Suppose you hold 10% of the equity of X YZ. If you can borrow at 10%, what is an alternative strategy that would provide the same cash flows? ABC Debt Payments Equity Dividends 0 800 0 1000 XYZ Debt Payments Equity Dividends 500 300 500 500 a. FCF $800 $1,000 b. c. 14-6. Unlevered Equity = Debt + Levered Equity. Buy 10% of XYZ debt and 10% of XYZ Equity, get 50 + (30,50) = (80,100) Levered Equity = Unlevered Equity + Borrowing. Borrow $500, buy 10% of ABC, receive (80,100) – 50 = (30, 50)Suppose Alpha Industries and Omega Technology have identical assets that generate identical cash flows. Alpha Industries is an all-equity firm, with 10 million shares outstanding that trade for a price of $22 per share. Omega Technology has 20 million shares outstanding as well as debt of $60 million. a. According to MM Proposition I, what is the stock price for Omega Technology? b. Suppose Omega Technology stock currently trades for $11 per share. What arbitrage opportunity is available? What assumptions are necessary to exploit t his opportunity? a. b. V(alpha) = 10 ? 22 = 220m = V(omega) = D + E ?E = 220 – 60 = 160m ? p = $8 per share. Omega is overpriced. Sell 20 Omega, buy 10 alpha, and borrow 60. Initial = 220 – 220 + 60 = 60. Assumes we can trade shares at current prices and that we can borrow at the same terms as Omega (or own Omega debt and can sell at same price). 14-7. Cisoft is a highly profitable technology firm that currently has $5 billion in cash. The firm has decided to use this cash to repurchase shares from investors, and it has already announced these plans to investors. Currently, Cisoft is an all-equity firm with 5 billion shares outstanding. These shares currently trade for $12 per share.Cisoft has issued no other securities except for stock options given to its employees. The current market value of these options is $8 billion. a. What is the market value of Cisoft’s non-cash assets? b. With perfect capital markets, what is the market value of Cisoft’s equity after the share repurchase? What is the value per share? a. Assets = cash + non-cash, Liabilities = equity + options, Non-cash assets = equity + options – cash = 12 ? 5 + 8 – 5 = 63 billion. Equity = 60 – 5 =55. Repurchase Per share value = 55 = $12 . 4. 583 5b = 0. 417b shares ? 4. 583 b shares remain. 12 b. 14-8.Schwartz Industry is an industrial company with 100 million shares outstanding and a market capitalization (equity value) of $4 billion. It has $2 billion of debt outstanding. Management have decided to delever the firm by issuing new equity to repay all outstanding debt. a. How many new shares must the firm issue? b. Suppose you are a shareholder holding 100 shares, and you disagree with this decision. Assuming a perfect capital market, describe what you can do to undo the effect of this decision. a. Share price = 4b/100m = $40, Issue 2b/40 = 50 million shares  ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice HallBerk/DeMarzo †¢ Corporate Finance, Second Edition 187 b. You can undo the effect of the decision by borrowing to buy additional shares, in the same proportion as the firm’s actions, thus relevering your own portfolio. In this case you should buy 50 new shares and borrow $2000. 14-9. Zetatron is an all-equity firm with 100 million shares outstanding, which are currently trading for $7. 50 per share. A month ago, Zetatron announced it will change its capital structure by borrowing $100 million in short-term debt, borrowing $100 million in long-term debt, and issuing $100 million of preferred stock.The $300 million raised by these issues, plus another $50 million in cash that Zetatron already has, will be used to repurchase existing shares of stock. The transaction is scheduled to occur today. Assume perfect capital markets. a. What is the market value balance sheet for Zetatron i. Before this transaction? ii. After the new securities are issued but before the share repurchase? iii. After the share repur chase? b. At the conclusion of this transaction, how many shares outstanding will Zetatron have, and what will the value of those shares be? . i. ii. A = 50 cash + 700 non-cash L = 750 equity A = 350 cash + 700 non-cash L = 750 equity + 100 short-term debt + 100 long-term debt + 100 preferred stock iii. A = 700 non-cash L = 400 equity + 100 short-term debt + 100 long-term debt + 100 preferred stock b. 14-10. Repurchase 350 400 = 46. 67 shares ? 53. 33 remain. Value is = 7. 50. 7. 50 53. 33 Explain what is wrong with the following argument: â€Å"If a firm issues debt that is risk free, because there is no possibility of default, the risk of the firm’s equity does not change.Therefore, risk-free debt allows the firm to get the benefit of a low cost of capital of debt without raising its cost of capital of equity. † Any leverage raises the equity cost of capital. In fact, risk-free leverage raises it the most (because it does not share any of the risk). 14-11. Consider t he entrepreneur described in Section 14. 1 (and referenced in Tables 14. 1–14. 3). Suppose she funds the project by borrowing $750 rather than $500. a. According to MM Proposition I, what is the value of the equity? What are its cash flows if the economy is strong? What are its cash flows if the economy is weak?What is the risk premium of equity in each case? What is the sensitivity of the levered equity return to systematic risk? How does its sensitivity compare to that of unlevered equity? How does its risk premium compare to that of unlevered equity? What is the firm’s WACC in this case? b. What is the return of the equity in each case? What is its expected return? c. d. What is the debt-equity ratio of the firm in this case? e. a. b. E = 1000 – 750 = 250. CF = (1400,900) – 500 (1. 05) = (612. 5,112. 5) Re = (145%, – 55%), E[Re] = 45%, Risk premium = 45% – 5% = 40%  ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 88 Berk/DeMar zo †¢ Corporate Finance, Second Edition c. d. e. 14-12. Return sensitivity = 145% – (-55%) = 200%. This sensitivity is 4x the sensitivity of unlevered equity (50%). Its risk premium is also 4x that of unlevered equity (40% vs. 10%). 750 = 3x 250 25%(45%)+75%(5%) = 15% Hardmon Enterprises is currently an all-equity firm with an expected return of 12%. It is considering a leveraged recapitalization in which it would borrow and repurchase existing shares. a. Suppose Hardmon borrows to the point that its debt-equity ratio is 0. 50. With this amount of debt, the debt cost of capital is 6%.What will the expected return of equity be after this transaction? b. Suppose instead Hardmon borrows to the point that its debt-equity ratio is 1. 50. With this amount of debt, Hardmon’s debt will be much riskier. As a result, the debt cost of capital will be 8%. What will the expected return of equity be in this case? c. A senior manager argues that it is in the best interest of the shareholders to choose the capital structure that leads to the highest expected return for the stock. How would you respond to this argument? a. b. c. 14-13. re = ru + d/e(ru – rd) = 12% + 0. 50(12% – 6%) = 15% re = 12% + 1. 0(12% – 8%) = 18% Returns are higher because risk is higher—the return fairly compensates for the risk. There is no free lunch. Suppose Microsoft has no debt and an equity cost of capital of 9. 2%. The average debt-to-value ratio for the software industry is 13%. What would its cost of equity be if it took on the average amount of debt for its industry at a cost of debt of 6%? At a cost of debt of 6%: D (rU ? rD ) E 0. 13 rE = 0. 092 + (0. 092 ? 0. 06) 0. 87 = 0. 0968 rE = rU + = 9. 68%. 14-14. Global Pistons (GP) has common stock with a market value of $200 million and debt with a value of $100 million.Investors expect a 15% return on the stock and a 6% return on the debt. Assume perfect capital markets. a. Suppose GP issues $100 mi llion of new stock to buy back the debt. What is the expected return of the stock after this transaction? i. If the risk of the debt does not change, what is the expected return of the stock after this transaction? b. Suppose instead GP issues $50 million of new debt to repurchase stock. ii. If the risk of the debt increases, would the expected return of the stock be higher or lower than in part (i)?  ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice HallBerk/DeMarzo †¢ Corporate Finance, Second Edition 2 (15% ) 6% + = 12% = ru . 3 3 189 a. b. wacc = i. re = ru + d / e ( ru ? rd ) = 12 + 150 (12 ? 6) = 18% 150 ii. if rd is higher, re is lower. The debt will share some of the risk. 14-15. Hubbard Industries is an all-equity firm whose shares have an expected return of 10%. Hubbard does a leveraged recapitalization, issuing debt and repurchasing stock, until its debt-equity ratio is 0. 60. Due to the increased risk, shareholders now expect a return of 13%. Assuming there are no taxes and Hubbard’s debt is risk free, what is the interest rate on the debt? acc = ru = 10% = 1 0. 6 x ? 1. 6 (10) ? 13 = 3 = 0. 6 x ? x = 5% 13% + 1. 6 1. 6 14-16. Hartford Mining has 50 million shares that are currently trading for $4 per share and $200 million worth of debt. The debt is risk free and has an interest rate of 5%, and the expected return of Hartford stock is 11%. Suppose a mining strike causes the price of Hartford stock to fall 25% to $3 per share. The value of the risk-free debt is unchanged. Assuming there are no taxes and the risk (unlevered beta) of Hartford’s assets is unchanged, what happens to Hartford’s equity cost of capital? u = wacc = 1 1 200 (11) + (5) = 8% . re = 8% + (8% ? 5%) = 12% 2 2 150 14-17. Mercer Corp. is an all equity firm with 10 million shares outstanding and $100 million worth of debt outstanding. Its current share price is $75. Mercer’s equity cost of capital is 8. 5%. Mercer has just announced that it wil l issue $350 million worth of debt. It will use the proceeds from this debt to pay off its existing debt, and use the remaining $250 million to pay an immediate dividend. Assume perfect capital markets. a. Estimate Mercer’s share price just after the recapitalization is announced, but before the transaction occurs. . Estimate Mercer’s share price at the conclusion of the transaction. (Hint: use the market value balance sheet. ) c. Suppose Mercer’s existing debt was risk-free with a 4. 25% expected return, and its new debt is risky with a 5% expected return. Estimate Mercer’s equity cost of capital after the transaction. a. b. MM => no change, $75 Initial enterprise value = 75 ? 10 + 100 = 850 million New debt = 350 million E = 850 – 350 = 500 Share price = 500/10 = $50 c. Ru = (750/850) ? 8. 5% + (100/850) ? 4. 25% = 8% Re = 8% + 350/500(8% – 5%) = 10. 1%  ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc.Publishing as Prentice Hall 190 14-18. Berk/DeMarzo â⠂¬ ¢ Corporate Finance, Second Edition In June 2009, Apple Computer had no debt, total equity capitalization of $128 billion, and a (equity) beta of 1. 7 (as reported on Google Finance). Included in Apple’s assets was $25 billion in cash and risk-free securities. Assume that the risk-free rate of interest is 5% and the market risk premium is 4%. a. c. What is Apple’s enterprise value? What is Apple’s WACC? b. What is the beta of Apple’s business assets? a. b. 128-25=103 million Because the debt is risk free, ?U = E ? E E+D 128 = (1. 7) 103 = 2. 11 c. rWACC = rf + ? ( E[ RMkt ] ? rf ) = 5 + 2. 11? 4 = 13. 4% alternatively rE = rf + ? E ( E[ RMkt ] ? rf ) = 5 + 1. 7 ? 4 = 11. 8% E D $128 $25 rE + rD = (11. 8%) ? (5%) = 13. 4% E+D E+D $103 $103 rwacc = 14-19. Indell stock has a current market value of $120 million and a beta of 1. 50. Indell currently has risk-free debt as well. The firm decides to change its capital structure by issuing $30 million in addit ional risk-free debt, and then using this $30 million plus another $10 million in cash to repurchase stock.With perfect capital markets, what will be the beta of Indell stock after this transaction? Indell increases its net debt by $40 million ($30 million in new debt + $10 million in cash paid out). Therefore, the value of its equity decreases to 120 – 40 = $80 million. If the debt is risk-free: D ? ?u ( E + D ) EV = ? u ? , ? = E? E E ? e = ? u ? 1 + ? ? where D is net debt, and EV is enterprise value . The only change in the equation is the value of equity. Therefore ? ‘ = ? e e E 120 = 1. 50 = 2. 25. E' 80 14-20. Yerba Industries is an all-equity firm whose stock has a beta of 1. and an expected return of 12. 5%. Suppose it issues new risk-free debt with a 5% yield and repurchases 40% of its stock. Assume perfect capital markets. a. What is the beta of Yerba stock after this transaction? b. What is the expected return of Yerba stock after this transaction? Suppose t hat prior to this transaction, Yerba expected earnings per share this coming year of $1. 50, with a forward P/E ratio (that is, the share price divided by the expected earnings for the coming year) of 14.  ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Berk/DeMarzo †¢ Corporate Finance, Second Edition . 191 What is Yerba’s expected earnings per share after this transaction? Does this change benefit shareholders? Explain. d. What is Yerba’s forward P/E ratio after this transaction? Is this change in the P/E ratio reasonable? Explain. a. b. ?e = ? u (1 + d / e ) = 1. 2 ? 1 + ? ? 40 ? ?=2 60 ? 12. 5 ? 5 = 6. 25 ? re = 5 + 2 ( 6. 25) = 17. 5% from the CAPM, or 1. 2 re = r f + b rm ? r f ? rm ? r f = ( ) re = ru + d / e ( ru ? rd ) = 12. 5 + c. 40 (12. 5 ? 5) = 17. 5 60 p = 14 (1. 50 ) = $21 . Borrow 40%(21) = 8. 4, interest = 5%(8. 4) = 0. 42. Earnings = 1. 50 – 0. 42 = 1. 08, per share = . 08 = 1. 80. 0. 60 No benefit; risk is higher. The stock pr ice does not change. d. 14-21. PE = 21 = 11. 67 . It falls due to higher risk. 1. 80 You are CEO of a high-growth technology firm. You plan to raise $180 million to fund an expansion by issuing either new shares or new debt. With the expansion, you expect earnings next year of $24 million. The firm currently has 10 million shares outstanding, with a price of $90 per share. Assume perfect capital markets. a. If you raise the $180 million by selling new shares, what will the forecast for next year’s earnings per share be? b.If you raise the $180 million by issuing new debt with an interest rate of 5%, what will the forecast for next year’s earnings per share be? c. What is the firm’s forward P/E ratio (that is, the share price divided by the expected earnings for the coming year) if it issues equity? What is the firm’s forward P/E ratio if it issues debt? How can you explain the difference? a. Issue 180 = 2 million new shares ? 12 million shares outstanding . 90 24 = $2. 00 per share. 12 New EPS = b. Interest on new debt = 180 ? 5% = $9 million. The interest expense will reduce earnings to 24 – 9 15 = $1. 50 per share. $15 million. With 10 million shares outstanding, EPS = 10 By MM, share price is $90 in either case. PE ratio with equity issue is PE ratio with debt is $90 = 60 . 1. 50 90 = 45 . 2 c. The higher PE ratio is justified because with leverage, EPS will grow at a faster rate.  ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 192 14-22. Berk/DeMarzo †¢ Corporate Finance, Second Edition Zelnor, Inc. , is an all-equity firm with 100 million shares outstanding currently trading for $8. 50 per share. Suppose Zelnor decides to grant a total of 10 million new shares to employees as part of a new compensation plan.The firm argues that this new compensation plan will motivate employees and is a better strategy than giving salary bonuses because it will not cost the firm anything. a. If the new compensation plan has no effect on the value of Zelnor’s assets, what will be the share price of the stock once this plan is implemented? b. What is the cost of this plan for Zelnor’s investors? Why is issuing equity costly in this case? a. b. Assets = 850m. New shares = 110. ? price = 850 = $7. 73 110 Cost = 100(8. 50 – 7. 73) = 77 m = 10(7. 73). Issuing equity at below market price is costly.  ©2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Gang Violence in America Essay

From Chicago to Rio, from Jamaica to Nigeria, annulus emphasis is leaving an indelible lay on communities across the globe, leaving administration at a loss for what to do about the epidemic of integritylessness among newfangled men who see little take to in their futures. Certainly the global economic crisis has much to do with the rise in con provideeracy vehemence and influence, as spring chicken men of color in approximately of the affected countries see few options for paid employment.Indeed, rabble force-out is a ontogeny epidemic across the States and harmonize to the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment, crime syndicates be expanding, evolving, and posing an increasing threat to communities. In fact, a disturbing trend is for nipperren as young as 8-years-old to be complicated in gang activity. Gang frenzy is an enormous and big problem in every major city, there ar multi-generational gangs, with kids growing up in gang families, although out the US. Th eres overly gang divisions recruiting kids who argon around 8-years-old. Its only when they are adolescentagers that we really fit to see the violence. There are more reasons why a pre-teens and young slew decide to join a gang. At the top of the come is a pauperisation for power and recognition, especially for youngsters who witness a sense of hopelessness be catch of racism, poverty or a lack of support. Who is trying to carriage the issue of urban decay and kids quick in war zone? in front the age of eighteen, the average Ameri posterior teen depart shit witnessed eighteen gibibyte simulated murders on TV. While keel in number, more disturbing is the pith this steady diet of imaginary violence may have on Americas jejuneness.Over the past 40 years, more than three thousand studies have investigated the connection between idiot box violence and real violence . Though none conclude a direct cause and effect relationship, it becomes clear that watching video rec ording is one of a number of all important(p) factors affecting aggressive behavior. Another matter is lot of people waitress at what they are running to but we look at what they are running from. Is it a lack of something, or could they be be running from a dysfunctional kin? Most often they feel set-apart and cut off and the gangs offer them love, family and testimonial .There are several clues that parents can spot to indicate that a baby bird is involved in gang activity. some(prenominal) of the early signs that kids have joined gangs are signs or symbols parents havent seen before, changes in behavior at home or in school, becoming more tight and starting to wear specific colors. Parents deficiency to be active in their childrens life and not give them the accident to create alternative role models. They compulsion to be bilingual to understand the run-in of their children and what their child is passing play through.Parents can entertain their children by being involved in their activities and making sure they have arrogant role models to keep them out of gangs. Parents get to realize that an idol mind is the devils territory, digest your children with after school programs which soaks up the downtime that a lot these kids have. The resolve to this on going out of control issue is to utilize a house-to-house strategy that includes prevention, intervention, re-entry and law enforcement. There are many indicators whether the child is likely to join a gang, much(prenominal) as 1. hether he or she is pull to the code of the street, 2. a lack of load to school 3. substance abuse. The issue of callowness gang violence and firearms is defined cold more by what is not known, than what is known. dis unioning of the approach taken, it is clear that there is a desire, and a need, for more accurate and comprehensive data on youth gang violence and firearms in the US. When I claim about the relationship between violence in the media and vio lence among our youth I extrapolate the findings and turn over of them in regard to gangs.When it comes to the portrayal of gangs and gang members, the mass media sometimes go into great detail. They portray the language, dress, carcass movements, and look of a gang member male and female. They show, in explicit detail, the crimes gang members commit how drugs are sold, how to shoot up (inject drugs intravenously), how to free base, how to rape someone, how to stab or shoot someone, how to settle disputes using violence. The inclining is very long. The problem is that it is the wrong list in terms of socializing our youth into acceptable, legal behaviors.I also weigh there are unsupervised children who, fed a constant diet of television and rap music violence, begin to imitate it, particularly if there are others who are doing the same thing. Every child wants to be accepted. If I am rejected by the good kids, perhaps the bad kids will want me if I act and think like they do . And there are those who feel frustration and anger who, after a media portrayal of violence, feel purged of such feelings. The shock of media portrayals of gangs and the activities of their members help us understand why gangs form, but sometimes gangs form by following in the footsteps of others.

International Biss

Arrow and the costume industry to a lower placestand fountain Study Arrow and the app bel industry Q1. Why did Arvind Mills film sphericization as the study departure vogue to achieve growth when the domestic foodstuff was huge? Ans. The reasons of choosing spheric marketplace by Arvind Mills atomic number 18 1. Market want motives, such(prenominal) as exclusiveness of harvest-feast and service with superior incr reposeivity, stringent in-line slipperiness control and an encouraging manufacturing atmosphere. 2. scotch motives, such as pay making by implementing slip of paper touch technologies to achieve economies of scale and cattle farm RD costs. etc. 3. strategic motives, such as buying-up of sick units, departing planetary and scoreing German and US fire dishonor names. Q2. How does lifting of Country-wise quota g everyplacenance garter Arvind Mills? Ans. The lifting of Country-wise quota regime surged a demand for high flavour garments from India magic spell Arvind nonices crossed over Rs. 60 crore in the year 2002 and planned to setup ii more high tech export-oriented figureies in India.And now, Arvind has the wallopingst profit of 64 proscribedlets with 30 retail chains and 200 multi-brand outlets wholly over India. The actual turnover of Arvind Brand is active Rs. 85 crore, which aimed to devil Rs. 100 crore with 1200-3000 outlets across 480-800 t commits. Q3. What little(prenominal)ons prat separatewise Indian bloodes keep an eye on from the sustain of Arvind Mills? Ans. Arvind Mills is integrity of the trademarks of Indian market, which executed diverse patterns of trade. Arvind brand extended the transnational brands in low-t wizd-toned towns of India.Of course, many otherwisewise(a) seam brands in India now follows Arvind brand. The other Indian businesses should check shoot a lot from Arvind Mills international outset of market Multi-regional integ proportionalityn set out union and attainment, strategic completelyiances, international delegates, spheric net start formation changes in privileged organization, etc. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS vitrine 1-BPO BANE OR bounty? Which of the theories of international trade advise help Indian effort providersgain competitive edge over their competitors?The theory of free markets tush help indian operate providers gain competitive edgeover their compititors because India has got an edge over other countries at this pointof time yet other nations may try to make their products facet cheaper bymanipulating their currencies or by imposing detainrictions on imported serviceespecially from india We need to do something go for this do something better than your competitors (either make a better product, market it better, service it better, bell it cheaper, whatever). Pick up some Indian run providers.With the help of Michael Portersdiamond, probe their strengths and weaknesses as active players in BPO. WNS, whi ch was set up in 1996 and transformed from a confined provider to athird-party provider in 2002, pro statute titleed in December 2004 a sore organizational mental synthesis foc apply on its straight business units. The change to the vertical focus wasmade to designate the caller-outs domain expertness develop parvenu-made serve andtechnologies create superior move paths for talented managers continue toemphasize entrepreneurship and empowerment, and win and with exact business bydelivering exceptional value to its clients.The come withs business units be organized into the following vertical sectors travelservices insurance services financial services enterprise services (including financialand accounting services, humane resource accounting and health guard extremitying),and knowledge services (including primary and utility(prenominal) look for, and analytics). Each unit is managed by a chief executive officer and has its own operating and salesteams, and run aways upon support and enabling services across the attach to. We take a crap seen numerous conspicuous benefits to our decision in 2004 to more sharp focus our vertical structure, stated Neeraj Bhargava, meeting CEO. Specifically, we pitch streng soed our leadership role in the BPO industry continued to distinguishWNS from our competitors with our tell apart outline maintained our recordof creating value for our pick out constituencies, especially customers and employees, and broadened our world-wide perspective, thus enhancing our superpower to help companies meettheir business argufys. These developments reflect positively both on the soundness of our decision, as swellas the breadth and depth of WNS management team, which is uniquely qualified tolead this company. Mr. Bhargava added hat WNS travel unit continues to be the offshore industry leaderin this division with a dominant market share, tho that WNS formalization of ourvertical structure clearly allowed us to devote special resources to our non-travel trading operations especially financial services, which accommodate mortgage and insurance. As aresult, we have strengthened our expertise and operations in each of our offerings, aswell as across the company as a whole. Compare this grapheme with the case given at the branch of this chapter. Whatsimilarities and dissimilarities do you nonice?Your analysis should be based onthe theories explained. Evalueserve Based in Gurgaon, it has 650 concourse assiduous in market look into andbusiness intelligence. Nearly 45% of the companys revenues come from math relatedprojects. Evalueserve has a search firm called Global Sourcing Now, whichspecialises in high- tone of voice search reports. WNS A Mumbai-based BPO, WNS has just started its KPO division for market researchwith 300 heap. It operates in the knowledge services business segment and offershigh-end services such as market, investment and business research.Wipro BPO In 2002, Wi pro took a quantum jump in the BPO services by acquiring thethen Spectramind. Wipro Limited (Wipro) is engaged in the areas of information technology (IT), services,IT products and consumer tutorship and lighting products. The caller-up is organized infour segments IT services, IT products, consumer attending and lighting, and others. During the fiscal year ended expose 31, 2009 (fiscal 2009), 94% of Wipros operatingincome was generated from its IT serve. In financial 2009, IT products represented3% of its operating income, and consumer cautiousness and lighting, and others represented3% of operating income.The Companys IT services segment provides a range of ITand IT-enabled services. In January 2009, Wipro Technologies acquired Citi Technology Services Ltd. (India), the India-based captive provider of technologyinfrastructure services (TIS), application development and maintenance services forcards, jacket markets and corporate deponeing. Similarities 1. Require knowle dge reassign of the organizations business puzzle outes2. Involve migration of jobs (along with some people too) to some other farming3. Necessitated by business compulsions such as cost reduction or curtlyage of resources4.Technology intensive exercise/process needing a global delivery model5. Requires structured migration process to minimize the probability of failure6. ITO and BPO Partners are both affected severely by attrition in the workforceDifferences1. Skills required in the people are different IT requires stiff technology focuswhile BPO requires strong process ground focus2. Replacement of resources (on account of attrition) is easier and cheaper in BPOsthan ITOs3. ITO staffing scheme is to hire trained people whereas BPO staffing strategy aimsto hire the crowd and train them4.ITO results in loss of jobs to knowledge workers but they dont care since theycan get plenty of jobs elsewhere BPO results in loss of jobs to lower skilled processworkers oft they do n on have anywhere else to go ITO Information Technology OutsourcingBPO origin Process Outsourcing These are two heads, ITO is stage set towards technology i. e. software outsourcing,whereas BPO is inclined towards process outsourcing. When we say process that could be operative (admin, HR, accounts) shared by all theindustries or technical depending upon each industry and skills required.Moreover, the KPORPOMPOPPOEPO and all the newbies are parcel of nicheindustries vis-a-vis skills required. instanceface 2 PERU What are some current snubs facing Peru? What is the climate for doing businessin Peru today? During the 1970s, the Peruvian presidency nationalized a number of industries andfactories and began hurry them for the profit of the state in to the highest degree cases, these state run jeopardys became disasters. Peruvian politics are facing line with wishing of advance and latest equipmentfor both office as well as sleuthing and then loading and unloading the fis h.Peruvian government efficacy step in during the succeeding(a) couple of years and again put inover the business. If this were to happen, it king plight an additional cristal for theloan to be repaid. If the government were to allow the lapse owner to operate thefleet the way he has over the last decade, the fleet the way he has over the lastdecade, the loan could be repaid within seven years. Peru is located on the west coast of South the States What type of political risks does this fishing company need to evaluate? Identifyand describe them. policy-making Risk can be divided into several types of threats. Interference with operations confiscation (they take a piece of equipment) Expropriation (they take the whole company) Nationalization (they take all the companies in a business sector) Economic instability, which effects deed Currency Repatriation, not universe able to get your capital out Currency Inconvertibility, not being able to exchange your money for another currency of international value (yen, dollars, pounds) start out Repudiation Persistent and deliberate refusal to award obligations as set forth in a Contract What types of integrative and preventative and defensive techniques can the wedgeuse? Some barroom techniques apply to individual banks, independently of the rest of the economy. * A bank can take deposits from depositors who do not observe commoninformation that might spark a run. For example, in the years originally depositinsurance, it made sense for a bank to have a large lobby and fast service, to preventa line of depositors from extending out into the street, ca utilise passers-by to inferthat a bank run is occurring. 1* imprecates can go on customers to make terminal figure deposits that cannot be withdrawnon demand.If term deposits form a high enough percentage of a banks liabilities its photograph to bank runs will be minify considerably. The drawback is that bankshave to pay a higher liaison rat e on term deposits. * A bank can temporarily avoid withdrawals to stop a run this is calledsuspension of convertibility. In many cases the threat of suspension prevents the run,which promoter the threat need not be carried out. 1* Bank regulation or other constraints can impose a backup man ratio requirement,which limits the proportion of deposits which a bank can lend ut, making it less likelyfor a bank run to start, as more reserves will be avairesearch laboratoryle to satisfy the demands of depositors. 5 This practice sets a limit on the fraction in fractional-reserve banking. * Full-reserve banking is the hypothetical case where the reserve ratio is set to100%. Under this approach, the risk of bank runs would be eliminated,11 and bankswould match maturities of deposits and loans to avoid vulnerability to runs. Would the bank be better off negotiating the loan in New York or in Lima? Why?We can call in like that New York Bank is in better position to do negotiation with Limai n their own damage and condition. The spaciousgest problem is that the ships are getting oldand they needs an influx of capital of make repairs and add new technology. As theyexplained it to the new York banker. Fishing is no longer just an art. There is a greatdeal of technology involved. And to keep costs low and be competitive on the worldmarket, you have to have the latest equipment for both mending as well as catchingand then loading and unloading the fish Case 3RED BECOMING THICKERWhy that snowfall is has not been able to make profit in its Indian operations? Coca-Colas operations in India have come under intense scrutiny as manycommunities are experiencing severe pissing shortages as well as contaminatedgroundwater and soil that some asseverate 18 are a result of Coca-Colas bottlingoperations. A massive movement has emerged across India to hold the Coca-ColaCompany accountable for its actions. The state of Kerala imposed a ban of boobs fromthe state only to be quashed by Coca Cola the division is pending in the supremecourt. citation needed The Plachimada represent in Kerala state, one of Coca-Colaslargest bottling facilities in India, has remained omit for 17 months now because thevillage council has refused to renew its license, blaming the company for causingwater shortages and pollution. In the sign period of tantrum the business in India, the COKE was not able tomake profit fromthe Indian operation. This is repayable to a number of factors. The local tribe is not accustomed to drinking cola drinks. The market needs to be developed. The initial bottleneck was the lack of adequate network of distributors. Product diffusion was weak. The poor distribution created negative impaction the market growth. plenty was low. Overheads were growing. The operation profit was negligible. Do you think that gust should continue to stay in India? If yes, why? I would like to describe some points if in order Coke wants to continue its operation inIndia. The allegations in other ways helped Coca-Cola Company, India to show theircorporate social certificate of indebtedness and to maintain good product quality standards. Theinitiatives all over India helped them reach villages for a good cause and overlyin groomly marketed their products with establishing a effrontery among the public.After allthese allegations, the CSE is still not convinced of the quality of the product. Therefore, Coca-Cola must prove that they have upgraded their lab with sophisticatedinstrument which is capable of measuring pesticide residue in soft drinks. As per therecent reports by CSE, they claim that the pesticide residue has gone up 27 timeshigher than expected level by the breast of Indian Standards (BIS)Coke is facing different type of problem in which some are mention below Critical Issues/Problems consentient waste and water issue The communities approximative the bottling plant in Indiacomplained about the passage of sludge as fertilizer , causing health andenvironmental damage. The near important issue concerning these communities isthe depletion of water levels caused by the Coca-Cola bottling operations which havedrastically reduced submitiness of water for irrigation purposes. Pesticides in soft drinks The other issue concerning human health caused by Coca-Cola is that their bottled water and soft drinks contain pesticides which were testedby the reputed NGO, CSE.Dual product standards Coca-Cola is accused of having dual standards in terms of their products and safety measures concerning human health with venerate to USA,Europe and India. Community issue These allegations affected Coca-Cola largely with its sales and alsocaused the closure of one of their bottling plants in Kerala, India. Additionally, Coca-Colas products are banned in the state of Kerala, India. What ethnic adaptations would you suggest to the US expatriate managersregarding their management style?A key reason for the return of expatriat es in the lead the official end of their foreignassignment is the uncertainty and frustration resulting from poor cross-culturaladaptation. The literature provides this general, normative trance without much to sayabout the interpersonal struggle expatriates experience in the employment abroadcaused by cultural differences. Our exploratory study finds that conflicts with co-workers in forces countries occur frequently causing high stress and discomfort, andprovides three specific sources of conflict as recounted by sample managers.Theimplications of our findings include selecting expatriate managers with highemotional intelligence, providing extensive pre-departure cultural fosterage thatconsists not only of cultural facts but also interpersonal skills such as active listening,conflict management, and respectable reasoning, utilizing sensitivity provision techniquesto better prepare managers for new situations, and send the expatriate on one ortwo pre-sojourn visits to infor m themselves with the host culture and workplacenorms even before the actual expatriate assignment begins.An additional implicationis training the host-country workers, particularly those who will work most closely withthe expatriate manager, on home country cultural beliefs and workplace norms. Weaim to stimulate managerial thinking and but research on the workplace conflictsthat challenge expatriates managers. Using the Hofstede and the value orientations cultural models, how can youexplain some of the cultural differences noted in this case? When business consultants and professionals in the field of operations of workplace learning and developmentdiscovered Hofstedes dimensions, applications began to emerge in many areas.The following aremerely a some examples of how the field has translated the abstract theory into a series of concreteapproaches. In expanding their market to the global level with clear and consistent global brand construes acrossnations, marketers are ever confronting the issue of how to deal with different cultural values. ethnic value is identified as an prestigious factor on brand image and is widely accepted as one of the crucial concepts in recogniseing consumer using up value, which determines choices of consuming everyday products and services.Most firms endeavoring to establish and maintainconsistent global brand images, however, adopt a order brand image strategy that usuallydoes not consider individual target markets characteristics, including the concepts of cultural valueand consumption value. This study developed a conceptual framework which incorporated culturalvalue not only as a direct antecedent of brand image, but also as an indirect antecedent of brandimage with consumption value, and empirically tested it using the category of apparel.Following this framework, this study hypothesized the differences in brand image, cultural value,and consumption value between the U. S. and South Korea. Data were gathered thro ugh surveying university students residing in the San Francisco and Seoul metropolitan areas using a conveniencesampling method. A ingrained of 329 completed questionnaires were used in factor analysis,discriminant analysis, and structural equation modeling. The results provide insights intostandardized brand image strategies and suggest some implementable tools that might proveeffective in both countries.Case 4THE ABB PBS reciprocal VENTURE IN OPERATIONWhere does the joint venture meet the needs of both the partners? Where does itfall short? One of the most common instances that encourage learning and sharing is culturaldifferences. In the case study involving the ABB PBS Joint imagine the two companiesfound it rather herculean to understand certain cultural differences. These differencesexisted because the managers and employees of the venture were from the post-communist country of the Czech Republic and were new to the structure of a freemarket economy.The venture had a diff icult time interacting and understanding theculture of the European nations that they were conducting business with. To facilitatelearning and knowledge the managers of the venture had to change the encephalon of employees and develop ways to motivate them to reach the goals of the company. (The ABB PBS Joint Venture in Operation) What lessons one can draw from this incident for better management of technology slays? Technology transfer is the process of exploitation practical applications for scientificresearch.It is a term used to describe a formal transfer of rights to use andcommercialize new discoveries and innovations resulting from scientific research toanother party. It is, regrettably, not uncommon to find big companies and major industrial concernsin the developed countries play a blind eye to the ethical questions when it comesto technology transfer. The need to show profits, the desire to please shareholdersand the compulsion to transfer technology to the South, what ever the outcome, haveblurred the vision and concept of postulate and wrong. Mahatma Gandhi said the solution in India is not mass production, but production bythe masses.Mass production by organized industry has brought in sophisticatedtechnology and militant trade unions, and has been one of the major factors formigration from the rural to the urban areas. The establishment of low-toned scaleindustries, and better facilities for the rural workers, will ease the tension in the citiesand reduce migratory pressures but it will mean less profits. This ill-conceived approach has almost sunk indigenous institutions. Thetechnology input from the developed countries should have strengthened,supplemented and supported the existing, proven structures instead of replacingthem.It has change magnitude dependency on the outside, for spare parts, for expertise and forconsultation, thus controlling and co-opting rather than decentralizing anddisseminating. People forget that what is best a nd most sophisticated could easily bea ball commission on bullock cart wheels, or a simple set of hand tools for villageblacksmiths. - Top of Form Search empennage of Form Search History search Result 00 of 00 00 results for result for ? p.