Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Korean Domestic Violence essays
Korean Domestic Violence essays Korean Domestic Violence A 48-year old Korean woman, mother of two sons, has been living in Los Angeles for seven years now. On the evening of July 15, 1997, her husband comes home late at night from his financially shaky liquor store in East LA. He is tired and frustrated from the deception of an American dream once promised to him eight years ago. A small negative remark by the Korean woman causes the husband to unleash several strikes to her face with his open hand. She sustains several bruises on her face and a bloody nose, yet she says nothing and accepts the punishment as if it were inescapable event. She goes to sleep that night angered at herself for causing the outbreak and despaired with the fact that she will be offered no guarantees of safety for the next day. Spousal abuse has been a consistent problem in American society. A general survey has shown approximately 4 million cases of domestic violence had occurred in America in one year. Among those 4 million, 95% of the cases are reported to be women. (Ho Kim, 1999, pp.5-7) The common emphasis is on America as a whole, but the situations of Korean American women have been seriously overlooked until recent times. Underneath the vague statistical lines, several contributing factors mark a great difference when approaching this problem. The cultural background and pressures of acculturation into the American culture have left Korean women as "legitimate victims" and have also left them with even smaller avenues of escaping abuse.(Agnew, 1998, p.2) The national statistics reveals that domestic violence is one of the leading causes of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44. (Mehrotra,1999, p.16) There has yet to be a distinct number of domestic violence surveys on Asian Americans alone. The few surveys that have been conducted recently show dramatic numbers. In Massachusetts, Asians made up 18% of the victims killed as a result of domestic violence ...
Friday, November 22, 2019
SAT French Subject Test Information
SAT French Subject Test Information Bonjour! Êtes-vous qualifià © pour parler franà §ais? Bilingualism is a trait that may set you apart on your college application if the decision is tight whether or not you make it in. Here, youll find out what this test is all about. Note: The SAT French Subject test is not part of the Redesigned SAT Test, the popular college admissions exam. The SAT French Subject test is one of the many SAT Subject Tests, which are exams designed to showcase your particular talents in all sorts of fields. And if your talents extend into the French realm, then this exam can help you showcase it to your future alma mater. SAT French Subject Tests Basics Before you register for this test, here are the basics about how youll be tested: 60 minutes85 multiple-choice questions200-800 points possible3 different types of French questions: Vocabulary in context, Fill-in-the-blank, and Reading comprehension questions SAT French Subject Test Content Vocabulary in Context: Approximately 25 to 26 questionsWith these questions, youll be tested on vocabulary used in various parts of speech. You will also need to know a few basic French idioms.Structure: Approximately 25 to 34 questionsMany of these fill-in-the-blank questions will ask you to read a slightly longer passage and select the best choices for the blanks. Your knowledge of French sentence structure is tested.Reading Comprehension: Approximately 25 to 34 questionsHere, youll be given a multi-paragraph passage and asked reading comprehension questions about the passage to gauge your true comprehension of the language. The passages can be drawn from fiction, essays, historical works, newspaper and magazine articles, and everyday materials such as advertisements, timetables, forms, and tickets. Why You Should Take the SAT French Subject Test In some cases, you will need to take the test, especially if you are considering choosing French as a major in college. In other cases, its a great idea to take the French Subject Test so you can showcase that highly sought-after skill of bilingualism. It shows the college admissions officers that you have more up your sleeve than your GPA or wonderful SAT or ACT test scores. Taking the test, and scoring high on it, demonstrates qualities of a well-rounded applicant. Plus, it can get you out of those entry-level language courses. How to Prepare for the SAT French Subject Test To ace this thing, youll need at least two years in French during high school, and youll want to take the test as close to the end of or during your most advanced French class you plan to take. Getting your high school French teacher to offer you some supplementary materials is always a good idea, too. Plus, the College Board offers free practice questions for the SAT French Test along with a pdf of the answers, too. Sample SAT French Subject Test Question This question comes from the College Boards free practice questions. The writers have ranked the questions from 1 to 5 where 1 is the least difficult. The question below is ranked as a 3. Si tu faisais du jogging tous les jours, est-ce que tu te -mieux? (A) sentiras(B) sentirais(C) sentais(D) sens Answer: Choice (B) is correct. Sentences introduced by si express hypothetical situations when the verb in the clause introduced by si is in the past tense (imparfait). When this is the case, the verb in the main clause must be in the conditional. Choice (B), sentirais (would feel), is the conditional form and therefore the correct answer. Choice (A), sentiras (will feel), is in the future tense; choice (C), sentais (felt), is in the past tense (imparfait) and choice (D), sense (feel), is in the present tense.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Intergrated Marketing Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Intergrated Marketing Communication - Essay Example In this study, the principles of ELM shall be discussed in line with the management of marketing communications of Jacob’s Creek with respect to its red wine labels. The primary concerned is understanding and appreciating how ELM is significant to the promotional and advertising schemes of the consumer organization identified. It is also the aim of this study to identify improvements to the persuasion strategies based on ELM concepts through the identification and determination of important variables that facilitate a positive response (i.e. purchase and referral). According to Petty and Cacioppo (1986), the developers of the ELM, attitude change can occur via two routes of influence depending on the degree of information processing or elaboration. The first is the ‘central route’ where the process of attitude change involves considerable cognitive effort to scrutinize and evaluate the arguments of the message being communicated (i.e. high elaboration likelihood). This condition usually occurs when people processing the arguments are highly motivated, deeply concerned or highly able to process the subject. The other route, called ‘peripheral route’, is where attitude change occurs with minimal effort to evaluate and understand the merits of the arguments (i.e. low elaboration likelihood). This usually happens when there is minimal motivation for the person to go into details or when there is insufficient reference to draw upon. Many models using the basic principles of ELM have been developed by consumer behaviour researchers. High elaboration likelihood state has been termed as ‘systematic processing’ and the other state being called ‘heuristic processing/use of simplifying decision rules’ (Venkataramani Johar, Maheswaran, & Peracchio, 2006). According to Tam & Ho (2005, para. 18), systematic processing occurs when the person is knowledgeable and capable to assess the quality of the message. Chen & Lee (2008) describes people using
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
The Financial Engineer's Most Versatile Tool Dissertation - 1
The Financial Engineer's Most Versatile Tool - Dissertation Example The EPS graph of the company has been shown for a five year period to highlight the rise in the earnings per share due to a stock repurchase program. The deterioration in the important financial ratios like interest coverage, return etc has also been shown with the help of suitable graphs. An announcement of a share repurchase by a company is valued highly by the market participants interpreting it as a ‘buy signal’ for its stock. So the company has good reasons to buy-back its stocks but sometimes these share buyback programs go awry. Despite the popularity of such programs as evident from the recent buyback deals, there are concerns whether the firm or the shareholders derive any gains from it. One reason favoring the buyback deal is that at any point of time the surplus cash lying with the management can be used for buyback of shares thereby returning the funds to the shareholders. It has been seen that idle cash makes the managers complacent so buying back of shares can be one way of instilling confidence among the investors. From the viewpoint of the company stock buyback results in increased Earnings per share (EPS), share price and increases the value of â€Å"executive stock options†(Ogilvie, 2006, p.51). However, the share buyback strategy can be dangerous if the company finances the buyback of equities using borrowed funds. Financing buyback using loan stock may look tempting in the short term but some years down the line the company has to pay back the loan. In the event of an economic recession, the company will have to struggle with fund shortage. A rise in the share price, the increase in company EPS are all good signs but not at the cost of endangering the position of the company in the future. The board of directors must keep the interests of the shareholders in mind while considering share buyback programs. Significant research has been conducted especially in the area of share repurchases.Â
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Reflective Paper Essay Example for Free
Reflective Paper Essay Introduction            Organization in the business and industrial setting is like a very interesting organism worthy of effort and time for study. The behavior of people and the environments with which they are in constant interaction is a ceaseless source for curiosity and fascinating research. This is so especially during this particular century when technology sparks the many changes that take place. This generation is in the epoch of organizational reform and innovation. The time is marked with rapid changes in the demography of workforce, changing corporate culture, and changing institutions. In the light of the rapid shift in today’s organizations, the skills required of managers, beginners in the profession and even aspiring students in the discipline, rest on the foundation of knowledge on the whole gamut of organizational development. Corporate America is not without its complications. When the company â€Å"succeeds,†there is with it (the success) a corresponding notion of responsibilities and liabilities. Organizations thrive today because of the policies and guidelines they have managed to fixed firmly in their set-up and translated into their day to day affairs. Big businesses have the competitive edge over others – i.e., over small entrepreneurs, because they have arrived at their positions in the market place by securing certain parameters in the many facets that comprise their organizations. This is especially true on government laws and regulations (McKenna, 2000).            It is imperative that organizations in industry and business compete with the changing times. To fail to do so may spell substantial loss in both the financial and human capitals; two major components necessary in an organization. Being competitive in today’s business jargon is not as simple as it sounds; it involves a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the whole gamut of organizational behavior and the complex changes that are dynamic in nature (Mangelsdorff, 2007).            This paper attempts to express in prà ©cis the various facets of the nature of organization with specific intentions to elaborate on the student researcher’s understanding, insights and learnings regarding how quality management and control systems relate with human motivation. It takes into consideration the importance of how all these concepts are of significance in one’s individual relationships as well as their relevance of the person’s (especially the student researcher’s) professional plans and actual work situations.            Organizational change though oftentimes unpredictable and incomprehensible to many, still goes through a cycle; the nature of which makes it possible for concerned people to study with the hopes and intentions of ultimately, implementing revisions or remodeling. These serve to enhance and improve systems and discover excellent procedures of handling things or procedures and people (Mangelsdorff, 2007). Problem Statements            To be specific, the following questions are addressed in this paper: Define what is meant by â€Å"strategic planning.†Distinguish this from long-range planning and other forms of planning. Planning can lead to organizational change. What do the text writers feel are the issues that face the managerwho plans to bring about organizational change? How should a planner go about the process of identifying strengths, weaknesses, and distinctive competencies in an organization? What is the impact of the findings on planning? Discuss the relationship between mission statements, planned change, and unplanned change. Use Discussion Define what is meant by â€Å"strategic planning.†Distinguish this from long-range planning and other forms of planning.            Bruffee, author of Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge (1993), explains the need for a more efficient, economical and equitable management of the people in the industry or organization has never been as pronounced as it is today. This need has never been brought about by factors which inevitably affect not only the established structures and ways of doing things within the personnel area but also by the more meaningful and substantial task of managing the organization’s most important asset – the human capital. Among these factors are: stiffer competition in business; rapid changes in technological, competitive and economic environments; the explosion of technical and managerial knowledge; spiraling wage and benefits cost and so many others. These factors have no doubt been responsible for the emergence of the personnel function as a vital area in the implementation of corporate strategy.            Demick and Miller (1993) places in context first what an organization is like and settles how it can affect behavior in general and when that is established, proceeded to explain leadership and management in this context. In organizational behavior which is basic to the management of human resource, it points to the inquiry and application of learning about how people, individuals, and groups perform, operate, and work in organizations. It accomplishes this by means of adopting a system approach. Explicitly, it infers people-organization affairs in terms of the entire person, group totality, complete organization, and total social structure. Its intention is to put up enhance relations by attaining human goals, organizational purposes, and social goals. In such a milieu, the goals to effect change are influenced by several significant factors which are crucial to the overall results. Hence, there are expected leadership behaviors that maintain momentum during the change process.            Effective strategic planning is a process of analyzing an organization’s assets and its needs under changing conditions and developing the activities necessary to satisfy these needs. It is essentially a two-step process. The emphasis is on techniques or systems to be applied. The forecasting of needs allows determining of priorities and allocating of resources to where they can do the most good. Analysis of needs leads to program planning. The planning approach defines human resource needs in relation to the organization’s overall needs and defines a strategy to satisfy them. In this way, individual development, training programs, recruitment, compensation and other activities become integral part of a dynamic process. There are different types of planning aside from strategic type of plan. These include the alignment type, the goal-based type, the self-organizing type, and the scenario-based type (McNamara, 2006). The goal-based type of planning is involved with tailoring the process of improving and enhancing the system of operation of an organization with the focus on the organizations’ goals which may be further specialized according to each of that organization’s departments. The alignment type bases its planning strictly on the organization’s mission and tailors all activities according to that specific aspect of organizational flow. In particular, the scenario type of planning, however, makes use of the critical areas of the organization’s set-up which nay be experiencing problems and issues that may emanate from the external environment such as changing laws and problems outside the firm or establishment which may affect the life, continuity and effective productivity of the organization.  Lastly, self-organizing type of planning is centered on the organization’s core of values and that any or all of the various problems or issues encountered have to be evaluated according to the values of great importance to the members of the organization (McNamara, 2006). -Planning can lead to organizational change. What do the text writers feel are the issues that face the manager who plans to bring about organizational change?            Organizational behavior is actually a complex and dynamic mechanism. It includes the application and integration of theoretical perspectives from the social and behavioral sciences to shed light on how and why individuals behave in a variety of ways in organizations. Included in the study are the ways the individuals carry out their tasks, the structure, design and operation of human persons in simple and complex organizational set-ups (Mangelsdorff, 2007).            This is accomplished utilizing the systems approach or systems model. The latter is meant as interpreting people and organizational relationships in reference to the whole individual, â€Å"whole group, whole organization, and whole social system†(Knoster et al., 2000). The objective is developing improved and enhanced relationships by attaining individual aims, organizational goals and social aspirations (Mangelsdorff, 2007).            Specifically, any student who pursues the study of the concepts involved in the matter will examine how individuals work in groups; acquire insights into human strengths and interpersonal relationships. Intertwined in the study is to delve into theories or principles of motivation of personnel, effective leadership with the goal of formulating a sound thinking and values of management and leadership. Moreover, organizational behavior investigates scientific data and utilizes a variety of research traditions to further understand how individuals work and function efficiently in diverse forms of structures (Shortell et al., 2000)            The concepts that are pursued in organizational behavior include the following: the evolution and organizational and management theories; the rich historical background of management, organizational theories and the development of management thought, are adequately covered in this particular aspect (Robbins,1997).            Organizational behavior, when scrutinized closely, thus far covers a lot of topics. It embraces the understanding of structure, design of the organization itself. It also includes the study of the work design, policies and practices of the human resource, job design, and decision making as an organization. Furthermore, it also examines the organizational culture, its dynamics where change is aimed to be implemented (Revans, 1982) How should a planner go about the process of identifying strengths, weaknesses, and distinctive competencies in an organization? What is the impact of the findings on planning?            Working relationships are a central portion of a person’s life. Motivation and dedication to any endeavor (e.g. work) and the pleasure from it are collective concerns of the organization and the individual. There are definite factors that generate satisfaction, the so-called â€Å"motivator†factors according to Herzberg. These factors push the worker to the highest levels of accomplishment possible. They are an inherent part of the work itself and consist of the nature of the work, the person’s sense of achievement, level of responsibility, and individual development and improvement. These motivator needs can only be rewarded by stimulating, challenging, and absorbing work. Consequently, the goal of motivation should be to enhance individual growth and advancement, develop sense of accomplishment and liability, and provide recognition (Franken, 1994).            Psychology recognizes different perspectives of motivation. One of these viewpoints pertains to the idea of â€Å"motivational inducements,†otherwise known as incentives. Incentives are referenced from either the vantage point of internal, or that of external motivation. An inducement coming from within the individual is called intrinsic or internal motivation. It is, according to Morris and Maisto, about the â€Å". . . desire to perform a behavior that originates within the individual.†An inducement coming from outside the individual is called external or extrinsic motivation. It is the aspiration to do or achieve a goal in order to acquire a type of incentives or escape or steer clear of punishment (Morris and Maisto, 1999, p.316). People are often induced by the presence of external incentives to perform expected tasks or avoid incurring punishment. For motivation experts, however, a person developing the internal type of motivation will reap more lasting and beneficial effects compared with external motivation (Morris and Maisto, 1999).            For instance, in taking care of a medical surgical unit and handling newly hired nurses with a few years of experience only, myriads of problems are not remote possibilities. From issues of tardiness during call of duty, in irresponsibility in dispensing of medicines and relational clashes, to grave misconduct within the workplace such as sexual harassment between employees, these are all stark realities that are potential complex problems. Initiating the Herzberg idea can probably be useful. I will groom first the few expert nurses and those who will be directly supervising others that they practice and execute specific agenda for increasing motivation, one of which is Management by Objectives (MBO). It entails having faith in involving the employees in goal-setting and in decision-making. MBO works by integrating goal-setting into individual participation in decision-making in order to establish individual work goals to which the employee feels reasonably committed. At the motivational level, it is theorized that resistance to change is decreased if individuals participate in decisions regarding change and that individuals accept and are more committed to decisions in which they have participated in making. To further encourage and increase involvement, the hospital provides suggestion boxes and hold monthly contests where they give monetary rewards for the best three suggestions. These give the employee a sense of achievement and responsibility for its success. For this workplace in particular, the employees receive incentives in the form of Ladder promotion, general salary increase annually plus performance rating salary increases, CBA – employees can expect a minimum of 15% increase in salary annually within three years; and welfare benefits which include group insurances, medical insurance, accident benefits among others (Baron, 1983). A set-up like this goes to such great lengths at least to assure that it does something for sustaining employees’ morale and motivation. -Discuss the relationship between mission statements, planned change, and unplanned change. Use illustrations.            The elements of organizational behavior lean upon management’s plan and philosophy, vision and objectives. Basing on this foundation springs the organizational culture where the formal and informal types of organization and the social environment are best understood (Knoster et al., 2000).            Every person in direct supervision of employees or workers knows the intricacies of leadership and management of people under his/her care. Whenever possible, it is to the best interest of the organization and employer in general that the workers perform their respective jobs efficiently and on a continuous or consistent manner. This is the aspiration of every owner of a company or those delegated to deliver their/his/her goals. However, this will only work so long as the individuals in their various places or positions know and understand what they want and where they want to go in the context of the overall goals of their organization. Intertwined in this idea is the fact that individuals are motivated to work not only for them but that the vision and mission, goals of the corporate world where they belong must be their own also. Ownership as a motivational factor is critical for the survival and sustainability of both the individual worker and the organization as a whole. Studies reveal that how an organization runs depends upon every human person within the workplace functioning as he/she should be in order that productivity is achieved. This is actually a cyclical picture; both the organization or employer level and the rank and file levels must understand the team and group dynamics that must work to achieve their own objectives. However this seemed to be easy to understand, the applications of which are complex involving multiple disciplines (Mangelsdorff, 2007). Conclusion            The problem of employee motivation is critical in all kinds of organizations today and is responsible for the shoddy products we buy and the careless service we receive. It was thought that all that was necessary to produce high motivation in workers was to pay them more; this idea may no longer be valid for a large portion of the work force (Adams, 1965). Modern workers demand jobs that satisfy their inner needs for fulfillment, expression, and self-actualization. Traditional values involved loyalty to the company and a strong drive for money, status, promotion and security. The new breed of workers focuses on self-fulfillment and self-actualization and demands jobs that are challenging and that allow participation in decision-making (McClelland, 1976). They have little loyalty to the organization and less concern with money, status and security.            Psychologists have proposed several theories of motivation. The need for achievement by McClelland posits the existence to be the best in whatever they undertake. Studies show that good executives are higher in Ach than poor ones. High in ability and take calculated risks and set moderate achievement goals. These individuals constantly need feedback on their progress (Halonen Santrock, 1996).            These theories deal with content of motivation, with internal needs that arouse and guide behavior. Process theories of motivation focus on the psychological processes involved in making decisions and choices about work. This is illustrated in the goal-setting theory, which argues that employee motivation is defined by our intention to achieve a particular goal; and equity theory, which deals with our perceived ratio or outcome to input and how equitably that ratio compares with those co-workers (Halonen Santrock, 1996).            The workplace today considers any of the perspectives mentioned in this paper. However, what are more reflective at many organizations are their strategies in enhancing the life of the average worker. The understanding of the needs or drives that motivate people is therefore critical in the choice of what â€Å"motivator variables†that the management may employ to encourage their people to do or sustain an excellent job or an efficient performance.            Mentoring and its application is very much the vogue today in corporate America. It is a strategy employed by companies or institutions to enhance professionalism and the increased transfer of learning and building of skills from the more adept and/or experienced to the junior or neophyte employee. It is also a way of improved retention rate within a company. Reference: Baron, R. 1983. Behavior in Organizations: Understanding and Managing the Human Side of Work, Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Bruffee, Kenneth A. Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1993. Demick, J. and Miller, P., Development in the Workplace, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, New Jersey, 1993. Druckman, Daniel, Jerome E. Singer, and Harold Van Cott (Editors) (1997). Enhancing Organizational Performance. National Academy Press: Washington, D.C. (optional) Franken, R.E. 1994, Human Motivation (Belmont, CA, Wadsworth). Halonen, JS and JW Santrock, 1996. Psychology: Contexts of Behavior, Dubuque, IA: Brown  and Benchmark, p.810. Knoster, T., Villa, R., Thousand, J. (2000). A framework for thinking about systems change. In R. Villa J. Thousand (Eds.), Restructuring for caring and effective education: Piecing the puzzle together (pp. 93-128). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Landy, F.J. 1985. Psychology of Work behavior. 3rd Ed. Dorsey Press. Mangelsdorff, David A.2001. â€Å"Organizational Behavior and Theory. Accessed August 19, 2008 http://users.idworld.net/dmangels/orgbeh.htm McClelland, D. C., Burnham, D. H. 1976. Power is the great motivator. Harvard Business Review, 54(2), 100-110. McKenna, Eugene, 2000. Business Psychology and Organizational Behavior: A Student’s Handbook. 3rd Ed. Psychology press: Taylor and Francis Group. McNamara, Carter. 2006. â€Å"Basic Overview of Various Strategic planning models.†Retrieved August 19, 2008. http://www.managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/models.htm Morris, Charles G., Maisto, Albert A., 1999. Understanding Psychology.4th ed., Prentice Hall: New Jersey, pp.315-316. Revans, R. W. 1982. The Origin and Growth of Action Learning. Hunt, England: Chatwell-Bratt, Bickley Robbins, Stephen P. 1997. Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, Applications, Eighth Edition, Prentice Hall. Shortell, Stephen M. and Arnold D. Kaluzny. 2000. Health Care Management: Organization Design and Behavior, Fourth Edition, Delmar Publishers Inc. Revans, R. W. 1982. The Origin and Growth of Action Learning. Hunt, England: Chatwell-Bratt, Bickley Robbins, Stephen P. 1997. Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, Applications, Eighth Edition, Prentice Hall.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
U.S. Budget :: essays research papers
Caffeine      A lot of people often wonder what caffeine is. When isolated in pure form, caffeine is a white crystalline powder that tastes very bitter. The chief source of pure caffeine is the process of decaffeinating coffee or tea. Caffeine is used to provideâ€Å"boost energy†or a feeling of heightened alertness. It is often used to stay awake longer and late into the night. Many people feel as though they â€Å"cannot function†in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the boost it gives them. Caffeine is an addictive drug. It operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to stimulate the brain. Caffeine effects are more mild than amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels, and that is one of the things that gives caffeine its addictive qualities. If you feel like you have to have caffeine everyday and cannot live without it, then you are considered addicted to caffeine.      Caffeine also increases dopamine levels in the same way that amphetamines do (heroine, and cocaine also manipulate dopamine levels by slowing down the rate of dopamine reuptake). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that, in certain parts of the brain, activates the pleasure center. Caffeine’s effects are obviously much lower than heroin’s, but it is the same mechanism. The long term problem with caffeine is the effect it has on sleep. The half life of caffeine in your body is about 6 hours. That means that if you have a big cup of coffee with 200 mg of caffeine in it at 3:00pm, by 9:00pm about 100 mg of that caffeine is still in your system. You will still be able to fall asleep but your body is going to miss out on the benefits of deep sleep. The next day you are probably going to feel worse, so to make yourself feel better, you will need caffeine as soon as you get up and out of bed. This cycle can start to continue day after day. This is why 90% of Ame ricans consume caffeine everyday. Once you get in the cycle, you have to keep taking the drug (home.howstuffworks.com). Caffeine raises adrenaline levels and heavy coffee consumption can lead to a state of adrenal gland exhaustion where the adrenal glands are no longer able to adequately respond to stress by releasing enough adrenaline. Adrenal insufficiency can then lead to a host of other problems, including a weakened immune system response, anxiety and panic attacks.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Disabled, Wilfred Owen
The dictionary meaning of disabled is having a physical or mental condition that limits movement, senses or activity. In Wilfred Owen’s poem Disabled through imagery, irony, tone, similes and contrasting the life of a soldier before and after war, Owen shows what it is like to be disabled by war. Owen uses imagery to help the reader picture the soldiers life post World War I. â€Å"legless sewn short at elbow†and â€Å"his back will never brace†help to demonstrate a clear understanding of how the soldier would look; sitting in a wheel-chair, unable to do simple everyday tasks without assistance.Owen uses imagery referring to blood throughout the poem â€Å"leap of purple leaped from his thigh†which helps picture the brutality of war and what the soldier went through to end up disabled. The girls in the poem also help to demonstrate the difference in the soldier’s life pre and post war. Using imagery Owen shows the differing reactions of the girls . â€Å"to please his Meg†and â€Å"to please the giddy jilts†show that the reason for enlisting was to satisfy the girls. â€Å"The women’s eyes pass from him†show that post war he is no longer desirable and girls no longer look at him they way they did.The use of irony in Disabled is used to portray the message that the propaganda and celebrations of war are all false. As stated before, he joined the army to please his girlfriend Meg, as in those days soldiers were attractive to women. However it is ironic that it is because of war that ‘he will never again feel how slim girls waists are’. The soldier was a football player before he enlisted and â€Å"one time he liked a blood-smear down his leg†. This is ironic because before the war the soldier was proud to be injured. However, he was wounded at war and feels not proud, but shame. Some cheered him home but not as crowds cheer goal†demonstrates that the glory he felt from soccer is nothing like the shame he gets from being a disabled war veteran. He was cheered off to war, however returning home just a torso wasn’t appealing to the people he knew and they celebrated a goal in soccer more than his return from war. Owen uses various tones throughout the poem to show the many different aspects involved with war. In the first stanza, the tone is negative, sad and depressed. Giving the reader a clear idea of how the soldier feels post ar and what he looks like.In the middle stanzas (1-5) the soldier is reflecting on his former life and contrasting to what it is like now. The tone is envious of his old life as well as resentful of his mistakes. He is also bitter toward the enlisting officers who â€Å"smiling wrote his lie, aged nineteen†aiming blame toward them for not preventing him from being sent to the front. The middle stanza’s portray a tone of loss and deprivation. The sixth stanza is the soldier criticizing the war through th e use of rhetorical questions â€Å"why don’t they come? The soldier is no longer able to put himself to bed and nobody is there to help him. Symbolling that the war has left this soldier all on his own, no football team, no Meg, no anybody. The most evident aspect of the poem is the contrast between the soldiers life pre and post war. Before the war he was young, fit and popular. He had Meg, his football team and was un-reliant on others for everyday tasks. He is now an old, physically disabled and mentally depressed man, who is unable to put himself to bed.Owen uses similies to help support the contrast â€Å"all of them touch him like some queer disease†this helps show his present life and is contrasting o the previous lines where he talks of his old life when ‘town used to swing so gay’. In the poem Disabled Wilfred Owen successfully uses contrast, irony, tones and imagery to portray the idea that war is not all glory, and for millions of men it was the end of their life. Through his own war experience Owen was able to demonstrate what it was like for a World War I soldier to be disabled by war.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Black&Decker Corporation Essay
Black & Decker was incorporated in 1910. Begun by Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker, Black & Decker’s first power tool was an electric drill in 1916. They went on to develop and offer the first portable screwdriver, electric hammer, as well as finishing sanders and jigsaws all the way up to the hugely successful dust buster in 1978. Over the next 70 years, the company established itself as dominant name in power tool and accessories, first in the United States and then accros a broad global front but particularly in europe. Growth was achieved by adding to its lineup of power tools and accessories and by increasing its penetration of more and more foreign markets Symptons, Issues and Problems Issues in this case is diversification strategy runned by Black & Decker corporation. As a diversified global manufacturer and marketer of household, commercial, and industrial product, Black & Decker need to develop and choose the right strategy for diversification. This case particularly discuss diversification of Black & Decker corporation during late 1980’s to early 1990’s, where Black & Decker which is established as dominant name in power tools and accessories, began to pursue diversification. It is because the continuing maturity of its core power tools business. During the 1980’s Black and Decker had established themselves as a leader in the power tool industry. However, they were feels that the market for such tools was maturing to the point where expansion within the industry would provide little or no additional revenues so they decided to diversify. Black and Decker began their expansion operation by acquiring General Electric’s housewares business, the leader in the industry, for $300 million in 1984. The success of the GE deal, and the reorganization efforts of their new CEO Nolan Archibald, led Black and Decker to continue on this path of acquisitions and diversification in other areas. Then, various acquisitions and acquisition attemp made by Black & Decker in their strategy to diversified. But the biggest and most noticed was the acquisition of Emrat Corporation, a diversified manufacturer of industrial product, for a $2.8 billion in March 1988. This steps is considered to be very bad decisions made by Black & Decker. Analysis Change in strategy In the mid 1980s, Black & Decker feels that the power tool market had matured to the point where there is no much room for further growth. Black & Decker then decided to change their corporate strategy from single business firm into diversified company. In 1984 they began to diversify. First they tried to get into the small household appliance market. Rather than create their own line, Black & Decker decided to acquire General Electric’s unit of household appliances for $300 million. Although it was a small part of GE’s company, it held more market share than other houseware distributors (25 percent of the market and the leadership position). That acquisition gives an additional $500 million a year in revenue for Black & Decker because it was able to offer products like irons, coffee makers and toasterswhich. This began a trend of acquisitions by Black and Decker expanding into various related and unrelated markets with varying levels of success. This various acquisitions allowed Black & Decker to offer even more new products such as portable woodworking tools and stronger drill bits. After all the new changes, Black & Decker Manufacturing Company also changed its name to Black & Decker Corporation to help market those changes The successful story of GE’s household appliance division acquisition in 1988, has triggered Black & Decker to tried again. Only this time the company of interest was American Standard Inc. American Standard had an impressive $127 million profit in 1987, which towered above the mere $70 million for Black & Decker. But then, the acquisition was unsuccessful. The Emhart acquisitions The failed attempts by Black & Decker in 1988 did not stop Black & Decker moves to acquiring other company. In 1989, Black & Decker acquiring Emhart for the price of $2.8 billion, a price that 33% premium over Emhart’s preannouncement value. This acquisition may not have been the best move for Black & Decker because its stock price dropped 15 points after the announcement of the acquisition. After difficult negotiation of exactly how the acquisition would occur, Black & Decker decided to pay for Emhart for the next 48 years. The deal put over $2 billion in goodwill on Black & Decker’s books and increased debt to over $4 billion just before the credit markets were about to contract severely. With the exception of a few businesses like Price Pfister faucets and Kwikset locks, which represented just $600 million in sales, Emhart made no sense for Black & Decker. Several of its subsidiaries were quickly placed on the block. But then suddenly the economy became sluggish and the market slowed down, Black & Decker stock slumped from a pre-acquisition $25 to $8 per share. Archibald (Black & Decker’s CEO at that time) had to scramble to keep the company solvent. Archibald’s plan was to sell off about $1.8 billion of Emhart assets to pay down debt while merging the company’s line of Kwikset locks and Price Pfister Inc. plumbing fixtures with Black & Decker’s offerings. According to Archibald, the plan would have been successful enough under normal economic conditions. However, he failed to sell the Emhart businesses for the set prices leaving a long term debt of a hefty $3 billon and annual interest payments of more than $300 million. Black & Decker initially sold $1 billion in Emhart assets to reduce the interest costs. It met this demand by selling whole divisions of Emhart and also by selling equipment and other assets. By 1991, Black & Decker reduced the debt acquired by more than 25%. From 1993 to 1996, Black & Decker sold off three segments of Emhart that did not prove to be strategic parts of the acquisition. By 1997, Black & Decker was able to meet its liquidity requirements and management chose to amortize the costs on a straight-line basis for the next 40 years. This shows that the acquisition of Emhart Corporation is a Black & Decker’s bad move. Black & Decker’s decision to acquire a company that was larger than $2.3 billion (revenues) Black & Decker itself, (the Emhart Corporation were $2.7 billion in revenues), was too risky and apparently Archibald didn’t too aware about it. The purchase and acquisition of Emhart had proven a lack in the synergy required to make such purchases profitable. Also the company had not been able to reduce its amount of debt (primarily from the purchase of Emhart) over the subsequent 10 years. Archibald made poor decisions in the Emhart acquisition, which impacted its profit margin, lowered its competitive advantage, and killed any chance of creating above-average returns. There are things that has to be done in order to ascertain whether the acquisition may create value for the shareholders, which is the CEO’s primary responsibility. Effort should have concentrated on three essential tests:  · The attractiveness test. The industries chosen for diversification must be structurally attractive or capable of being made attractive.  · The cost-of-entry test. The cost of entry must not capitalize all the future profits.  · The better-off test. Either the new unit must gain competitive advantage from its link with the corporation or vice-versa. Conceding the point that the purchase provided some benefits, such as increased market share and well-known consumer brands, the cost-ofentry and better-off tests provide evidence that the Emhart purchase was very risky. Black & Decker SWOT Analysis Strengths  · Brand recognition is a strong attribute for Black and Decker. Black and Decker has a reputation for producing electrical engines, power tools and appliances.  · Black and Decker produce a variety of products in its respected industry, and it is involved in constant research and development (e.g., developing cordless appliances and tools, rechargeable batteries that are compatible with both tools and small appliances).  · Black and Decker have penetrated the market causing it to dominate market share in the industry. Weaknesses  · Black and Decker’s reputation for quality tools and appliances has been decreasing. This was likely due to the fact that Black and Decker was busy dealing with its non-strategic businesses. Opportunities  · Opportunities to gain more market share by sponsoring home improvement shows.  · Gain more market share with industrial market, by offering quantity-based deals and advertising the quality of its products. Threats  · Sears is the strongest competitor in the power tools division with 13.4 percent of the US market share.  · Black and Decker needs to be aware of new items that the consumer can use and develop them before their competitors. Conclusion and Recommendation When an industry became mature and not offered enough room for further growth, it is important for a company to change their strategy to keep growing continuously. This is what Black & Decker did, although being a dominant player in power tools and accessories for many years, Black & Decker realized the industry is being mature, so they decided to change their strategy into a diversified company. To be successful, a diversified company should have a portfolio of product with different growth rates and different market shares. The portfolio composition is a function of the balance between cash flows. High-growth product, that important for company to keep growth in the future, need lot of cash inputs. Low-growth product, product that already in maturity growth, should generate cash. How to balance between this two is the most important things in managing multi-business (diversified) company. The Emhart acquisitions is an example of bad acquisitions from Black & Decker in their strategy to diversified. There can be many reasons that an acquisition strategy fails to earn its cost of capital. An acquirer may have no real strategy to begin with and thus pay an unjustified acquisition premium right from the beginning. Or there may be a complete failure in executing a fundamentally sound strategy. One major risk in acquisitions is the failure to close the gap that may exist between the strategic objectives and organizational design of the new organization and those of the old. Issues such as new information systems and channels, management succession, new decision rights, and incentive systems must be planned carefully in light of where competitive performance gains are expected to result. This case is also an example of the problems where mismanaged growth can bring diversification away from core businesses and core competencies rarely creates value for the shareholders. High leveraged acquisitions put the firm at higher financial risks, particularly when the firm’s products depend on business cycles. Shocks to the economy may result in insolvency and possible bankruptcy. The company may have to sell assets at low prices to meet debt obligations. As financial markets become more and more sophisticated, investors may diversify more easily, thereby making corporate diversification less attractive. Firms must continue to strengthen their core competencies and sustain their competitive advantages. In conclusion, the fundamental reason for the failed acquisition is due to lack of long term planning, forecasting and predicting of the return on investment relative to cost. The highly leveraged acquisition of Emhart placed Black & Decker at higher financial risks, primarily when the firm’s products depended on business cycles. As result of the inherited debt and the unanticipated market fluctuations and weak economy may result in collapse or possible bankruptcy of the corporation. Black & Decker Executives’ lack of strategic direction and poor application of funds may lead the corporation to sell of assets at low prices or lay off employee to meet debt obligations. Our recommendation for this case is, Black & Decker should stick with its original vision that includes the consolidation of their portfolio. The company should continue in investing in, and strengthening, its core products within its existing portfolio, so that these products will generate cash flow that will enable the company to embark upon expansion opportunities. In the future, Black & Decker should consider international companies with strong recognition in the countries that they plan on expanding into, considering either acquisition, merger, or creating a joint venture. The affiliation between Black & Decker and these companies must create synergy in order to justify such deliberate moves and expansions. These planned executive decisions and actions will help Black & Decker to obtain competitive advantages which will result in aboveaverage returns, leading to greater investor wealth and value to its employees.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Strategies in the economic meltdown
Strategies in the economic meltdown Free Online Research Papers The breeziest word of the modern days happens to be â€Å"Economic Meltdown†. This has caused unwanted panic and has resulted in the downward trend of the economic scenario and negative outlook in the minds of every common man in every nook and corner of the world. So let us know the real fact about this economic meltdown and its impact in India. Finally we would look through some practical and proven strategies which would help the economy to revive and gain economic stability. Economic Meltdown: Economic meltdown is a situation which is characterized by economic blocks. Economic systems adopt different levels of fluidity depending upon the level of controls and free market enterprise systems contributing to the overall size of the economy. This situation is not permanent. It changes at a period of time when the economy regains its stability. Situations leading to the Economic Meltdown: The following situations are likely to take place before the economic meltdown: Capital appreciation based on perceived rather than real value based on purchasing power at a specific time led to overheating of capital blocks. Look at capital markup in the stock exchange. When returns on capital increase disproportionately from its purchasing power and usable value, the economy follows the paths of casino. Investment into Fluid capital started getting precedence over the creation of physical assets. Directions of money flows from capital assets to fluid assets become overheated. Causes for the Economic Meltdown: Our global society has avoided breakdown for a very long time. Because of this delay, five serious stresses have been building up, stresses that are interacting dynamically at every level of our civilization. They include rising economic stress caused by growing inequality, with its accompanying threat of social chaos and extremism; demographic stress resulting from much higher birthrates in impoverished countries than in affluent nations, as well as from the growth of unstable mega-cities; environmental stress caused by deteriorating natural resources, particularly in countries that can’t defend themselves from corporate predation; climate stress brought about by global warming; and energy stress from the imbalance between our rising energy demands and our plateauing energy supplies. These stresses are aggravated by the growing access that small groups of people have to weapons of mass destruction, and by the increasing interconnectedness of all parts of the global system. G lobalization has created a situation where economic problems in one country, like the sub-prime fiasco in the United States, can quickly infect every other economy in the world. Energy stress is another important factor that contributes towards the economic meltdown. Effects of the Economic Meltdown: Indian Job market is witnessing a slump as the jobs that were available in huge numbers are not available at all. Even though, job seekers are leaving no stone unturned for acquiring a job, yet they are not able to secure a job for themselves. This trend is going to continue in the days to come as the situation is showing no signs of recovery leading to the escalation of problems for the job seekers. The Global Economic Meltdown that has hit India is equated to the Great Depression that happened in United States of America. The job market is badly hit, great players like Satyam, Microsoft and Converges downsized their strength to fight this crisis situation. Here is the table depicting the effects of the economic meltdown: Starts and Closures in India 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 New Firms 584,892 594,369 574,300 545,000 550,100 Firm Closures 531,400 497,246 542,831 568,300 584,500 Bankruptcies 63,912 50,516 35,472 39,719 38,155 Though the bankruptcies have reduced in these years, the firm closures have only been increasing due to the recession and depression in India. Owing to this situation, establishment of new firms have not been as increasing as expected. Only a marginal amount of increase is seen in the economy. This economic meltdown also leads to the following kinds of unemployment: ? Cyclical Unemployment ? Frictional Unemployment ? Structural Unemployment Example of the effects of the Meltdown in Tamil Nadu: CHENNAI: The impact of global economic meltdown coupled with the problems related to competition has begun to reflect on the sale of packaged drinking water in the city. Nearly 30 units that were functioning in the suburbs have closed down in the past one year as they were unable to withstand the price war and competition. With the industry feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, the packaged drinking water manufacturers raised doubts on whether consumption patterns of their products in the last few years would be maintained this season. The sale of packaged water, including pet bottles, bubble-top cans and water sachets, peaks normally between April and June. Last year, the total consumption rose up to 40 lakh litres of water a day but this year the total consumption has reduced to 30 lakh litres of water a day due to its price. Many unit owners said though the production cost was on the rise, they were unable to increase the cost. Despite this situation, the total consumption reduced on a whole. Exceptional Area Unaffected by the Economic Meltdown: KOLKATA: The global economic meltdown has taken toll on India’s diamond exports.Hit by a contraction in demand for diamond in the US and European markets, export of cut and polished diamonds from India are believed to have dropped 8.24% to $13 billion in 2008-09 from $14.2 billion in the previous year, according to provisional estimates. However, driven by a 36.2% growth in rough diamonds exports at $772 million, total exports of gems and jewellery from the country touched $21.18 billion in 2008-09, slightly above the previous year’s figure of $20.81 billion. Opportunities to the Regulated Economies during the Economic Meltdown: ? Investor systems receive public funds associated with safety. ? Capital flows remain more regulated and structured. ? Market demands are less affected in capital regulated economies. ? Opportunities for the market regulated economies to tap the market of the heated economies increase if the creation of the value of raw material through technology and labour remain competitive. Practical Steps to revive the economy: The following are the practical steps we need to take to get wealth: 1. Review the strength and weaknesses of the economy 2. Self employment to be increased 3. Apt economic planning 4. Procrastination to be avoided 5. Be focused and remain focused 6. Tax holidays can be announced 7. Total savings to be boosted up. The monetary policy of India should also be revised enough to meet the turbulent times during meltdown of the economy. RBI’s intervention is recommended for the benefit of the economy. Producers can become more alarmed and snatch the scenario to ruffle up the profits of their competitors. Because the epitome â€Å"Consumer is the King†has changed to â€Å"Producer is the King†due to the economic meltdown. The developing countries had been left with the burden of the crisis, aside from the fact that they had not participated constructively in the discussions to find remedies. Rich industrialized nations had, as an immediate response to the crisis, created economic stimulus packages meant to provide immediate and short terms remedies. Funding to ailing industries and companies to stay afloat in a bid to stem the economic crisis is also encouraged. Others are purchase of bank toxic assets in order to sustain the ability of the banks to still offer credits and or to recapitalize. Conclusion: Developing economies must see the crisis as an opportunity for global economic renewal, with the creation of a new global financial and economic order as the focus. Let us hope that another Keynes would rock the world with his successful theory to revive the global economy. Research Papers on Strategies in the economic meltdownPETSTEL analysis of IndiaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Influences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationCapital PunishmentDefinition of Export QuotasBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Canada Drops NETFILE Access Code Requirement
Canada Drops NETFILE Access Code Requirement Before 2013, a four-digit personal NETFILE access code was required in order to use NETFILE to file a Canadian personal income tax return online. The NETFILE access code is no longer required. The only personal identification needed is a social insurance number and date of birth. About NETFILE NETFILE is an electronic tax-filing service that allows a Canadian taxpayer to send an individual income tax and benefit return directly to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) using the internet and a NETFILE-certified software program. It streamlines the tax filing process. NETFILE is considered secure, confidential, faster and more accurate than submitting a paper form in the mail. NETFILE Access Code In the past, a Canadian taxpayer would need an access code sent in the mail in order to file tax returns using NETFILE. By getting rid of the access code requirement, the CRA suggests NETFILE is easier to use and encourages taxpayers to use NETFILE. To get started, a taxpayer should visit the CRA website, enter personal identifying information and receive access. Safety Measures The Canada Revenue Agency says that dropping the access code requirement does not lower their security standards in any way. The CRA explains how it now protects the security of taxpayer personal information when Canadian income taxes are filed online. According to the CRA, the agency uses the most secure forms of data encryption available today, the same levels of data encryption that financial institutions use to protect banking information. NETFILE is a one-way, one-time transaction of information. There is no way to change any of the information or go back and view it after it has been transmitted. In fact, if an individual needs to change any personal information on the income tax return, it would need to be updated with the CRA before using NETFILE, as there is no way to change personal information in NETFILE while in the program. There is no danger of an individual being able to access another persons tax return and claim the refund. Nor is there the possibility of an individual being able to NETFILE a second T1 tax return under another persons name.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Training Plan of HIPPA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Training Plan of HIPPA - Assignment Example After this, the manager who forwards it to the responsible authorities runs all information (Miller 4). Risk analysis involves the small medical office having the ability to review the ability of the operating system for the organization in a bid to understand the risk factors that the running of the Information Technology systems faces in a bid to avoid all types. After this, the implementation Plan comes in as the next step that involves cooperation with an outsourced HIPAA organization for assistance in the creation of an implementation plan that covers all Information Technology using departments in the small medical office for improved tips on how to increase the security of the systems (Miller 5). After the implementation plan, the following step is the visiting of the office by a professional HIPAA I.T consultant to assist in carrying out the implementation plan physically by installing all required up to date I.T systems that are free of corruption and hacking accessibility. The final stage is the monitoring of regulatory changes that will involve the observation of the running process of the Information Technology systems after the implementation of the various changes in the medical office to ensure that they are in proper working conditions. After the implementation plan, the following step is the visiting of the office by a professional HIPAA I.T consultant to assist in carrying out the implementation plan physically by installing all required up to date I.T systems that are free of corruption and hacking accessibility. The final stage is the monitoring of regulatory changes that will involve the observation of the running process of the Information Technology systems a fter the implementation of the various changes in the medical office to ensure that they are in proper working conditions (Miller 6).
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