Tickets Please By James Mutters - 1298 Words

â€Å"Tickets please† â€Å"Oh, of course sorry† â€Å"Don t hold up the line† The dodder bouncer leans forward in his chair and an unsteady hand reaches out. James Ryan fumbles in his coat pocket to find the ticket that he had bought two weeks in advance. He found the shaft and eventually the stub that shows the number and purchase. James always had a habit for fiddling and it just so happened that the tables jazz house concerts ticket was as reach. James hands the crumpled mess to the grey suited bouncer. â€Å"Enjoy the show† he grunts as he rolls his eyes, hands him the shaft of the ticket and simultaneously opens the door. â€Å"I liked the old one better† James mutters as the door shuts behind him, and he begins to wander through the shallow, dark corridor†¦show more content†¦I come here whenever they perform, which isn t frequently.† â€Å"Do you now.† â€Å"I m a good friend of Jeremy s, we met in grade school and we haven t lost touch as of right now.† â€Å"Yes, as of right now.† Samantha mutters through pursed lips, as the he curtains began to rise like tides and the lights become even dimmer than they were previously. The stage lights slowly brighten like sunrises and â€Å"I ve got the world on a string† echo throughout the hall. Jeremy Jones is center stage with a microphone on a stand cupped in his hand The spotlight on him. James could make out the foggy figures of the rest of the band behind Jeremy. .James settles into his seat and begins to relax as the harmonious sounds shatter the silence. Then something else shattered as the piercing â€Å"BANG† echoed in his soul. Jeremy Jones falls in a crumpled heap on the floor as the music cuts out, the clouded images become black, the spotlight turns off, and the screaming begins. James himself in shock chokes on his own spit startled and afraid. After he gathers himself he glances around the room and his vision smears like blackboard chalk. He realizes that Samantha isn t in her seat. James bashfully rises from his chair, and sloppily unlatches the clasp holding his ACE firearm. He sprints to and up the stairs that are located on the left side of the rostrum. He bounds off stage toShow MoreRelatedShort Story7933 Words   |  32 Pagesyour next visit?† he asked. Sure, it’s part of my job to assist you, she said in a girlish way. He then stood up and shook her hand and said, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. Karen got up and walked over to the door to let the guard in. Once James had been removed from the room, she leaned back against the door exhaling, behind the cheap thrill she had just encountered. She walked over to the jail phone and called Warden Jones, to request the paper work for Danny’s money/check to be releasedRead MoreAmerican Holidays11778 Words   |  48 Pages |Bill/check | | Come again? |Could you repeat that please? Pardon me, could you say that one more time | | |please? Excuse me, what was that again?(Informal) | | Connected with (a company) |Working with (a company) Read MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesfrom the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Many of the designations by manufacturers and seller to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where

The Kidnapping Of Patricia Hearst - 1640 Words

When actually participating in an event it, you are unable to make a clear unbiased analysis of the situation. However when there is an outsider in the event can be analyzed from several different viewpoints and in psychological terms. One historical event that people still question what really occurred is the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst. Patricia â€Å"Patty† Campbell Hearst, a Berkeley undergraduate student, on February 4, 1974 at nineteen years of age was kidnapped by a group of men and women after leaving her beaten fiancà © behind (Winter, 2005). This group of men and women formed the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), a radical group of domestic terrorists, led by Donald DeFreeze, with the mission to destroy the â€Å"capitalist state† (Hixson, 2005). The group was formed in Berkley, California with their main priorities being to end racism, monogamy, the prison system, and â€Å"all other institutions that have made and sustained capitalism.† (Winter, 20 05). The reason for the kidnapping was for the simple reason that Patricia Hearst was part of a wealthy, powerful family that would ensure the group attention from the press, which is exactly what occurred. Hearst’s kidnapping made headlines across the country. Local police and FBI searched for her, two days after the kidnapping on February 6, 1974 a letter was left at a radio station signed by the SLA. It was a â€Å"warrant for the arrest of Patricia Campbell Hearst† along with her credit card and a warning that anyone who interferesShow MoreRelatedPatricia Hearst and the Symboinese Liberation Army1094 Words   |  5 Pagessocial status is the case of Patricia Hearst and the Symboinese Liberation Army. Patricia Hearst (Patty) is an American socialite and best know to be the granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, who founded the Hearst media empire. While attending the University of Berkeley, in California, she was abducted by a terrorist group called the Symboinese Liberation Army (SLA) on February 24th, 1974. The group first attempted to claim a large sum of ransom from the Hearst family. The Marxist group ofRead MoreThe Patty Hearst Trial Happened1513 Words   |  7 PagesAt the time when the event of the Patty Hearst trial happened, the United States had a period of change in the nation. At 1960s, The war between United Sates and Vietnam was the essential task for the whole country. Moreover, African Americans were protesting and fighting for equal rights, feminists formed feminism groups and dedicated in getting their suffrage. The goal for the society suddenly changed to a totally different direction after the 60s when the Vietnam war was ended and African AmericansRead MorePatty Hearst, By Patricia Campbell Hearst1202 Words   |  5 PagesPatty Hearst also known as (Patricia Campbell Hearst) is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, however she is most known as the person who got kidnapped. This all began when Patty and her fiance were having a casual day, living their lives,but all of a sudden patty and her fiance got a knock on their apartment door. A group called the SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army) pointed guns towards patty and her fiance demanding them to stand still and quiet. Still unsure

A Strategic Corporate Decision Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Corporate Decision. Answer: Introduction: The aim of the paper is to study an article from The Wall Street Journal, which speaks about a business strategy made by a body corporate. The chosen article is the article published about Peloton on October 25, 2017 under the authorship of Alexandra Bruell. The paper initially discuses with the decision of Carolyn Tisch Blodget, the new brand marketing head of Peloton to restructure the brand positioning of the company. The subsequent sections analyse the effectiveness of these decisions and their future implications based on their outcomes. The strategic decisions and moves made by a corporation: Carolyn Tisch Blodget, the brand marketing head of Peloton, the Manhattan headquartered fitness equipment company took the strategic decision of strengthening the marketing and promotion. The aim of the strategy was to strengthen the then market position and revenue generation of Peloton. The corporate decision made by Blodget consisted of four strategic plans. The first strategy was to change the position of Peloton from a premium luxury product targeting the upper class customers to that of fitness equipment that even the middle class customers could afford to have (wsj.com 2017). This strategy allowed the fitness company to gain access to larger group of customers and strengthen its market position. The second strategy was to arrange for finance to purchase its products. This strategy in fact supported the first strategy and allowed the company to sell its fitness products among larger consumer base of both middle and upper class customers. The third strategy was changing the pres entation of its advertisement to attract the upper as well as middle class customers. The initial advertisements showed a rich woman using Peloton bike in her luxurious home. These advertisements attracted the rich people and positioned Peloton stationary bikes a product meant for the rich fitness loving customers (Wheelen and Hunger 2017). The later advertisements showed a large number of customers taking virtual classes in different types of homes, which signified different types of social status and lifestyle. These new advertisements positioned Peloton products, which can be used by a larger base of consumers from varying social and lifestyle patterns. These new advertisements increased the demand of Peloton products among a large number of customers in America, which fuelled the third strategy- entering into tie-ups with hotels, resorts and fitness studios. This strategy allowed Peloton make its fitness bikes available to a larger group of users at these hotels, fitness studios and resorts, which could the products even without acquiring them (Koschate-Fischer, Cramer and Hoyer 2014). This strategy helped Peloton to add value to the health conscious people in these places who could use them even without buying them. The fourth strategy was opening more outlets where customers could buy Peloton products. This allowed the fitness company to increase its physical presence in the competitive fitness market of America and sell its products among a larger group of customers. This strategy enabled Peloton to strengthen its marketing strategies, which earned huge revenue. Level where the decision was made (functional/business/corporate): The decision to position Peloton in the American market in a new way was at the functional by Blodget, the departmental head of the marketing department. Blodget then adapted the strategy as a business strategy and used it to strengthen the position of Peloton in the American fitness market (Ford and Richardson 2013). The reason for the decision: The reason for Blodget to implement the marketing strategy was to reposition Peloton stationary bike as a fitness machine, which could target a larger consumer base. She conducted a market research and found that Peloton bikes were very expensive and the product was only targeted the upper class customers. She further found that the company was not being able to cater to the middle class, which had the potential to become potential consumer if financial support was available. The marketing head analysed that the marketing of the fitness bike showing luxurious homes only attracted the upper class while the middle and the upper middle class customers could not relate to it (Slotegraaf and Atuahene-Gima 2013). These findings made her decide to market Peloton fitness bikes in a way to position it as a product to target a wider consumer base. Assessment of the decision: The assessment of the outcomes of the four strategies shows that the decision of Blodget to market Peloton fitness bike in an innovative was appropriate. The advertisement of Peloton stationary bike showing different classes of customers using it attracted a larger customer base. Peloton arranged for financial assistance to the middle class buyers, which helped it to attract new customers (Knight 2015). Tie-ups with hotels and resorts allowed the visitors in these places use the product, which in one way helped Peloton to promote it. The opening of more outlets strengthened the physical presence in the fitness market which made Peloton more prominent before its competitors like Nike. The combined outcome of these four strategies helped increase in revenue and strengthening of market position of Peleton (Armstrong et al. 2014). Thus, one can assess that the strategy to marketing of Peloton stationary bike by Blodget was successful. Future effectiveness of the decision: The decision of Blodget to reframe the marketing and promotion was effective. One can say this from the future outcomes of her decisions. The company has financially become very strong which proves the future effectiveness of the decision of Blodget. Reason for future effectiveness and its basis: The future effectiveness of the marketing decision of Blodget was proven by the three positive business outcomes. First, the company succeeded in attracting investments from the American media conglomerate NBCUnieversal. Secondly, Peloton was able to raise $450 million as share capital as on October 24, 2017. Thirdly, the revenue the company earned in 2016 was $170 million. These three achievements of Peloton prove the future effectiveness of the decision of Blodget to remarket Peloton fitness products in the American market (Lee et al. 2015). Conclusion: One can conclude that Boldget had taken the right decision by restructuring the market positioning of Peloton. The outcomes of her decisions were positive proven by increased in the revenue and capital base of the company. References: Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P., 2014.Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. Bruell, A. 2017.How Peloton is Marketing a $2,000 Bike Beyond the Rich. [online] WSJ. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/peloton-shifts-gears-with-more-attainable-marketing-plan-1508959554 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2017]. Ford, R.C. and Richardson, W.D., 2013. Ethical decision making: A review of the empirical literature. InCitation classics from the Journal of Business Ethics(pp. 19-44). Springer Netherlands. Knight, J., 2015. Internationalization: A decade of changes and challenges.International Higher Education, (50). Koschate-Fischer, N., Cramer, J. and Hoyer, W.D., 2014, March. Moderating effects of the relationship between private label share and store loyalty. American Marketing Association. Lee, Y.K., Kim, S.H., Seo, M.K. and Hight, S.K., 2015. Market orientation and business performance: Evidence from franchising industry.International Journal of Hospitality Management,44, pp.28-37. Slotegraaf, R.J. and Atuahene-Gima, K., 2013, May. Product development team stability and new product advantage: The role of decision-making processes. American Marketing Association. Wheelen, T.L. and Hunger, J.D., 2017.Strategic management and business policy. pearson.

Zappos Case free essay sample

Discussion Questions: 1. What is the business of Zappos and what are its critical success factors (CSF’s)? [lists] Business: The business of Zappos is to sell shoes online, and provide relative customer service. Critical Success Factors: -The spirit of adventure -Best customer service -Use of Information and Technology -Unique way to keep the workers -The spread of the business culture 2. Please complete the following table. Identify the key information systems and the related IT infrastructure investments that enable Zappos’ core business processes: Core Business Process Information Systems IT Infrastructure supplier management [an example response is attached; feel free to add to, modify or delete this example and create your own response] customer orders processing system customer returns processing system procurement system online, eCommerce Platform online, eCommerce Platform supplier extranet sales/order processing Customer orders processing system Online, eCommerce Platform order fulfillment and distribution Procurement system Customer orders Processing system Tracking system Procurement system Online, eCommerce Platform Online supply chain management logistics and warehousing Procurement system Supplier extranet customer servicing Customer orders processing system Customer returns processing system Online, eCommerce platform Online, eCommerce platform human resources management Management system Online financial management Accounting and Financing system Online 3. In what ways does the design of Zappos’ Web site and related services support its business objectives? [list] Zappos embraced Twitter as a valuable tool for building company culture. Meanwhile, Twitter is used to create a more interactive customer community. Zappos also used blogs to interact with customers. Those websites are divided by several parts for visiting the websites in a very easy way. 4. Why did it make sense for Amazon to acquire Zappos? What expertise in terms of information management and the use of IT did Amazon bring to the game that might improve Zappos’ eCommerce competitiveness? [lists] Zappos has earned more revenue year by year, which means it has a lot of growth potential. Zappos built a very positive business culture, which is really successful for its business. Zappos is owning a very strong working team Amazon has a mature management information system, which could help Zappos to contribute the whole business Amazon has a strong contribution on investing the warehouse or the storage, which could give Zappos a more competitive ability in the market.

Hail Macbeth Essay

Hail Macbeth Essay Hail Macbeth Essay Macbeth The character of Macbeth is one of the most prominent and notorious personalities ever featured in any one of Shakespeare’s plays. Commonly labelled as a ‘tragic hero’, which is often made reference to in the play â€Å"For Brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name†, Macbeth is the perfect example of a man who is neither totally good nor totally evil and who finds himself caught up in a serious situation as a result of both psychological weakness and error in judgement. His gradual mental decline and ill-fated journey from well regarded, loyal soldier to corrupt, power hungry mad man makes him a character difficult to sympathize with. Yet audiences to this day find themselves fascinated with the inner workings of his chaotic mind, his initial reluctance to act on his powerful desire to become king and the way in which he is so severely pressured by Lady Macbeth into committing a deed which will ultimately lead to his untimely demise. The influence of the supernatural can be seen as the ‘beginning of the end’ for Macbeth. â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king thereafter† are three infamous lines spoken by the three witches which cause Macbeth to become trusting in fate and allow his yearning to become king overpower the reality of the situation. Being quite an ambitious man, Macbeth does not initially think to question the witch’s theories or the reasons behind why they are revealing this information to him. This selfish, unchecked ambition to rule is what triggers the evil intent in Macbeth and therefore his downfall. Macbeth’s unorthodox relationship with his wife, Lady Macbeth, is a major point of interest throughout the play. To friends, Macbeth is perceived as a great leader and dedicated soldier who would give up his life to protect his country, but when in the company of his wife, her power and influence over him is immense. Lady Macbeth’s desperation to become Queen of Scotland and her over-confidence about their plan causes Macbeth to commit to it without thinking of the severe consequences attached. In Lady Macbeth’s somewhat dramatic soliloquy in Act 1, Scene VII, she cruelly taunts Macbeth by questioning his manhood and will power, â€Å"which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem†. This is the final straw for Macbeth and from thereafter he becomes a man blinded by foolish ambition, a tyrant who will stop at nothing until he reaches his goal. Macbeth’s strong aspiration to become King of Scotland yet his unwillingness to fulfil the witches’ prophecies is the cause for the fierce internal conflict which occurs within him throughout the play. After receiving the witches prophecies, he is left unsure of what path to take and is caught between what he knows is morally right and the opportunity to have all of his wishes come true. Shakespeare uses these predictions to showcase Macbeth’s mental struggle between chance and fate and once the

Desert Precipitation, Plant, and Animal Life

Desert Precipitation, Plant, and Animal Life Deserts, also known as arid lands, are regions that receive less than 10 inches of precipitation a year and have little vegetation. Deserts occupy about one-fifth of the land on Earth and appear on every continent. Little Precipitation The little precipitation and rain that falls in deserts is usually erratic and varies from year to year. While a desert might have an annual average of five inches of precipitation, that precipitation may come in the form of three inches one year, none the next, 15 inches the third, and two inches the fourth. Thus, in arid environments, the annual average tells little about actual rainfall. What does matter is that deserts receive less precipitation than their potential evapotranspiration (evaporation from the soil and plants plus transpiration from plants equals evapotranspiration, abbreviated as ET). This means that deserts do not receive enough precipitation to overcome the amount evaporated, so no pools of water can form. benedek / Getty Images Plant and Animal Life With little rainfall, few plants grow in desert locations. When plants do grow, they are usually spaced far apart and are quite sparse. Without vegetation, deserts are highly prone to erosion since there are no plants to hold down the soil. Despite the lack of water, a number of animals call deserts home. These animals have adapted to not only survive, but to flourish, in harsh desert environments. Lizards, tortoises, rattlesnakes, roadrunners, vultures, and, of course, camels all live in deserts. Flooding in a Desert It doesnt rain often in a desert, but when it does, the rain is often intense. Since the ground is often impermeable (meaning that water isnt absorbed into the ground easily), the water runs quickly right into streams that only exist during rainfalls. The swift water of these ephemeral streams are responsible for most of the erosion that takes place in the desert. Desert rain often never makes it to the ocean, the streams usually end in lakes that dry up or the streams themselves just dry up. For instance, almost all of the rain that falls in Nevada never makes it to a perennial river or to the ocean. Permanent streams in the desert are usually the result of exotic water, meaning that the water in the streams comes from outside of the desert. For example, the Nile River flows through a desert but the rivers source in high in the mountains of Central Africa. Where Is the Worlds Largest Desert? The worlds largest desert is actually the very cold continent of Antarctica. It is the worlds driest place, receiving less than two inches of precipitation annually. Antarctica is 5.5 million square miles (14,245,000 square kilometers) in area. Outside of polar regions, Northern Africas Sahara Desert is the worlds largest desert at more than 3.5 million square miles (nine million square kilometers), which is slightly smaller than the size of the United States, the worlds fourth largest country. The Sahara stretches from Mauritania to Egypt and Sudan. What Is the Worlds Hottest Temperature? The worlds highest temperature was recorded in the Sahara Desert (136 degrees F or 58 degrees C at Azizia, Libya on September 13, 1922). Why Is a Desert so Cold at Night? The very dry air of the desert holds little moisture and thus holds little heat; thus, as soon as the sun sets, the desert cools considerably. Clear, cloudless skies also help to quickly release heat at night. Most deserts have very low temperatures at night. Desertification In the 1970s, the Sahel strip that stretches along the southern fringe of the Sahara Desert in Africa experienced a devastating drought, causing land that was formerly used for grazing to turn to desert in a process known as desertification. Approximately one-quarter of the land on Earth is threatened by desertification. The United Nations held a conference to begin discussing desertification in 1977. These discussions eventually resulted in the establishment of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, an international treaty established in 1996 to combat desertification.

Building of Pyramids of Giza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

Building of Pyramids of Giza - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that modified external ramp theory explains that the Pyramid was created with the use of an external ramp. This ramp was believed to be raised during construction. It is believed that the ramp is corkscrewed or spiraled to the top of the Pyramid. That was the only way to explain how an external ramp was used since there was no way a single long ramp was built in the area.  Another theory, a more recent theory, was presented by Jeanne-Pierre Houdin (Brier, 2007; George, 2008). He was a French architect who believed that the Pyramid was built using an internal ramp. He explained that the bottom of the Pyramids was built using an external ramp and the higher parts were built using an internal ramp. He proposed this theory after seeing the spiral-like structure within the Pyramid. I believe that the more recent theory of the internal ramp can answer how the Pyramids were built. Although it is possible that humans can haul the heavy stones on to p of each other to build the pyramid, I find it hard to believe that it is only done outside of the Pyramid. There is evidence showing there is a structure within the Pyramid. And there are holes at turning points to help the worker haul the heavy stones up. I find Houdin’s theory more realistic because of the many pieces of evidence that point towards its possibility.

Were any gains won by women in the First World War both limited and Essay

Were any gains won by women in the First World War both limited and temporary - Essay Example Women knew many things like being a baker and running dairies, they were also blacksmiths, silversmiths, tailors, painters, and can perform other jobs done by men. Even though they worked side by side with their husbands, they were not paid for their work. Things were the same elsewhere, as in UK. As related in the Hub pages, before the outbreak of World War I, the role of women was similar. Their roles consisted mainly of domestic jobs, nursing, teaching, and farming. Although a few of them worked in factories, they were paid less than men. Thus, we will see here that women were not treated favorably by society and it was an accepted standard at that time. The impact of the war on women’s lives When World War I broke out, things slowly changed for women. During World War I, war industries caused the heavy employment of women. (Bryant Joyce, March 2, 2009) Three million women workers and more got employed in food, textile and war industries. Women’s role changed rapidly because of the war. In UK, many women enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Corps. Women were employed in communication lines, cooking, catering, and clerical jobs. They also became truck drivers and ambulance drivers because men were engaged in battles (Hub pages). Their most important contribution, Bryant Joyce, mentioned is the takeover of the farms and growing of much needed food. In Britain, 113,000 women joined the Women’s Land Army which was set up in 1917, to provide a workforce to run the farms (Hub pages). Women were at work everywhere. They learned almost all the kinds of jobs that were previously held by men. The war provided the opportunity for women to grow and learn the job skills they were not allowed to do before. In Russia, women joined the Legion of Death. These women pledged to take their own lives rather than become German war prisoners. They agreed that death was better than to remain captives. Working as nurses, hundreds of women risked their lives to help in the treatment of wounded soldiers ( hubpages). The spirit of volunteerism was very much felt during the times of war. At the beginning of the war, the government gave very little recognition to the efforts of these women. Undaunted, these women utilized their skills such as running charities, cooking, knitting, gardening and sewing. At great length, their contributions became essential, so the government began to direct and legalized their hard works (Vries, Jacqueline). During the war, the focus of attention of different women’s organizations was volunteering their services to the country rather than entrants to wage work. Historians, however, debates that their work was simply an extension of their traditional housework, while, others say that the leadership and ingenuity of women had contributed to the newly recognized status at the end of the war. Vries believed that leaders of women’s organization took these as a chance to connect their war services to women’s emancipation. At the outbreak of war, Milicent Garrett Fawcett, President of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, urged suffragists to find positions of service in order to prove themselves â€Å"worthy of citizenship† (Vries,Jacqueline). It is therefore unsettled whether volunteerism or philanthropic works transformed the lives of these women after the

Conservative dominance in the years 1951 to 1964 Essay Example for Free

Conservative dominance in the years 1951 to 1964 Essay The main reason for conservative dominance in the years 1951 to 1964 was labour disunity?† Access the validity of this view I agree with this statement as the labour party leaders were ageing. The labour leaders were from the pre-war era therefore it meant that they were not in touch with the population. This led to labour disunity throughout the years as it caused Attlee to retire, he found that he couldn’t understand what the young wanted. For the public they left their trust with the labour party and put it in the conservatives as they felt that labour had failed to create the consumer revolution that everyone had hoped for. By 1951 the public were also fed up with the rationing that they still had to endure even though the war had ended 6 years ago therefore this helped the conservative dominance in those years. Another reason as to why labour disunity was to blame for labour dominance was the growing split in the party caused by the Bevanites and Gaitskillites. The split in the party was due to Gaitskell introducing prescription and dentistry charges. Bevan supported the left wing of the party whereas Gaitskell supported the right wing of the party and followed Attlee in becoming the next leader of labour government. The split led to disunity as Gaitskell didn’t have the full support of the party; his ideas were always going to be argued against. Another reason why the split caused disunity in the labour party was to do with the trade unions. The trade unions were supporting the left wing of the party; this was a problem particularly during the Scarborough conference in 1960. Frank Cousins was the leader of the one of the most powerful unions, TGWU (transport and general workers) and was an extreme left wing. He led fierce opposition to Gaitskell over Britain’s nuclear weapons. Gaitskell wanted Britain to have nuclear weapons because of the looming threat of Russia, during the cold war; they could wipe out countries at any time. At the party conference in Scarborough Frank Cousins opposed Gaitskell’s leadership over the labour party and in particular nuclear weapons. He challenged Gaitskell over his decision not to refect unilateral disarmament. This caused disunity in the party because it showed to the public how weak the labour party was if a trade union leader, who had no power within the party was able to dictate what they did. It showed to them that someone who was a small minority was able to gather a lot of power. It was humiliation for Gaitskell because it showed he wasn’t able to control what was happening to the party. Alsoà ‚  disunity in the party was due to the fact that the left wing of the party was closely associated with CND (campaign for nuclear disarmament). The left wing side of the labour party were in favour of nuclear disarmament and being connected with nuclear disarmament scared many labour supporters. Many people were not in favour of nuclear disarmament as it was at the height of the cold war and they were scared of a nuclear war happening; this link between the CND and the labour party could have led to many voters turning away from the labour party in the 1959 election. Another reason which could have turned people away from voting for the labour party in the 1959 election was the association of CND being anti-government. Their ‘unilateralism’ became a powerful magnet for anti-government protest in some ways it almost was seen as a substitute for opposition in government. With many labour left-wingers associated with one of the most powerful pressure groups in Britain it made people question the ideas that the labour government had and their ability to run the country. The final reason for a split in labour disunity was clause four. Clause four was the commitment to nationalisation of everything which was a step towards socialism and communism. Gaitskell put forward the idea to abolish this clause and labours commitment to nationalisation to nationalisation. He was impressed with the way Germany had dumped their commitments to Marxist ideas in their party conference in 1959. Many people including the left wing of labour opposed this ide a and Gaitskell had to back down from his idea. With events happening in the world connected with socialism and communism, the abolishment of clause four was linked to the ideas of radical socialism which scared people as it was too close to communism for their liking. However it wasn’t just the labour disunity that caused the conservative party to remain dominant. The conservatives had strengths of their own that they used to the best of their ability. When conservatives came into power in 1951 it marked the end of the austerity era and the start of the post war boom. From 1952 most economic indicators pointed upwards with the boom in car ownership, home ownership increased, helped by the easy access to cheap mortgages and food rationing ended completely in 1954. Harold Macmillan who was then the housing minister fulfilled the election pledge of getting new homes constructed above 300,000 per year. The age of affluence helped keep the conservatives dominant in politics as it meant the public saw that party  as the ones who could make a change. Also the conservatives keeping their promises meant the public would respect them. In the run up to the 1955 election Butler was able to boost conservative election prospects with a ‘give-away’ budget. This meant for people in the middle classes would be provided with  £134 million in tax cuts. For these middle classes it meant an overwhelming support in favour of the conservatives because of the classes that might not have been able to afford the consumer goods were given a chance to. For the conservatives in the 1955 general election the public mood was what was described as a ‘feel good’ factor. They wanted the continuation of the consumer goods and therefore they would continue to vote for the conservatives as they saw them as the party who would be able to offer them it. Another reason for conservative dominance was that the national press was overwhelmingly in favour with the conservatives. During the 1955 election this helped win support and it also helped during Macmillan’s time as prime minister. Macmillan seemed to have the media in the palm of his hand using the new political opportunities that were provided by the television. With the conservative party gaining wide spread coverage throughout the country and labour not, it meant people knew more about the conservative party. With the national press focusing on the conservatives it gave them enough attention to win the elections crushing labour in every defeat. An important reason for the conservative dominance was the personalities that led the party. Winston Churchill gained his reputation for leading Britain to victory during the war. However during his post war leadership he was very much absent and Anthony Eden the acting prime minister led the conservatives. Eden was the first prime minister that the public felt they could understand what they wanted. Anthony Eden was said to have ‘represented contemporary manhood.’ This led the public to believe that for the first time after the war they would receive the benefits that they wanted. Eden has also many progressive ideas in domestic affairs however in the end this was his downfall. The Suez crisis split the conservative party and for the first time it looked like they would be weakened and labour would take power however it didn’t. Eden was resigned in 1957 and Harold Macmillan who led the campaign to abort the Suez crisis emerged as prime minister. He restored the party unity and in the 1959 led the conservatives to another win in the election. Macmillan from 1957 showed  his aura of confidence and political mastery. This showed to the public that the politicians and leaders in the party were strong willed and would do anything in their power to protect their country. This gave the conservatives the respect that they needed to go on and win the elections. Overall I think that although the labour party were weak, and this weakness led to the conservatives dominating politics and government; conservative dominance was due to the power that the leaders had. The people saw that this party was able to give them everything they wanted with the age of affluence. Also conservatives made sure that labour supporters would change sides as they gave respect to the labour’s post war consensus. With keeping with the post war consensus it showed to the people they were leaders who knew what they party wanted and not the ageing leader s in the labour party.

Essay --

The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial subjects in American politics. The US went to the war under the guise of the domino effect, as they believed that if Vietnam fell, the surrounding countries would fall as well. President Johnson said â€Å"If you let a bully come into your garden, the next day he’ll be on your porch, and the day after that he’ll rape your wife† One thing that is not controversial is that we lost the war. Lots of different factors contributed to the United States unsuccessful trip to Vietnam. Among many reasons, one of the two biggest factors in the lose of the war was America’s foreign policy how and how bad the US underestimated how important freedom and independence was to the people of Vietnam. On top of that the US used the wrong military strategy, instead of focusing on limiting collateral damage the US used heavy artillery that killed citizens and alienated would be supporters. There was political corruptness in So uth Vietnam governments, which meant that they could not build an alternative to the NLF. At home, the public opinion of the war was decreasing at a constant rate and demonstrations were at an all time high. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and these problems all contributed to a Vietnam tour that went horribly wrong and an attitude among the American people that was growing ever doubt full of their government. There is lots of belief that the reason the United States lost the war is because of their foreign policy. America’s mission was not to get rid of Communism all together but rather to just stop the spread of Communism. The US had many past opportunities to destroy Communism; the Korean War would be a prime example. However out of fear that we would sound like ... ...y changed America, its politics, and foreign policy forever. Not only is this war the longest war in American history, its also the war that will leave the deepest scar. This war changed the way Americans viewed themselves and it tarnished their self-image. The Vietnam war was the first time in history of the United States that failed to accomplish its stated war aims, to preserve a separate, independent, noncommunist government. Not only did it affect our views on foreign policy, it affected the people of America too. The war was broadcasted on the television, the first time that had ever happened, and it allows the public to get a first hand account of what was happening on the battlefield. This war divided the American people, it was one of the most polarizing times in our history. This war will be in the forefront of Americans mind for many generations to come

Plaza the logistics of Zaragoza Essay

The uncertainty in demand is reflected in the reorder point and safety stock. The more the variability in demand the higher will be the reorder point and the safety stock. A higher deviation in demand would directly affect the safety stock levels required at the warehouses and hence increase the inventory carrying costs. This increase would then affect the overall costs. Using our excel model, If we increase the standard deviation of annual demand from 10,000 to 32,000, the overall costs for Rotterdam become higher than those of Zaragoza. Similarly, varying the service life has an impact on the total cost as it controls the safety stock which in turn controls the inventory holding cost. Hence, as the service life increases to a higher value the cost of option 2 (Zaragoza) will be lesser than option 1. Cost of the product As the cost of the product increases the inventory holding cost increases increasing the total cost. So Zaragoza as has a better cost advantage over Rotterdam option. In our excel model, plugging a product cost of 295 Euros (E 47 and F 47 cells), keeping all other parameters unchanged makes Zaragoza a better cost option. So it is a factor to be considered. Recommendations Based on our above analysis, we recommend the following to the CEO of Zaragoza Logistics Park (Who should they try to sell their idea/option) Zaragoza should target customers with high number of units/TEU They should target customers with high product costs They should target customers whose demand uncertainty is high They should target customers with high annual demand rates They should target customers who have preference for high service rates Plaza is also an educational center for logistics while Rotterdam is a just a logistics park. Zaragoza should try to educate the customer about the supply chain benefits of associating with a world class logistics research center Plaza is a government backed firm – they should use this factor to instill more confidence in the customer over a private firm like Rotterdam option

Why was the Thirty Years War fought?

The Thirty Years War is a series of wars fought between 1618 to1648 for reasons that range from religious to territorial. It devastated most of Europe especially Germany and ended with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. It began with the resistance of Protestant nobles in Bohemia against the Hapsburgs, the family which headed the Holy Roman Empire. Since its beginning, political affiliations among states played a role in the causes and the outcomes of the series of wars. When the war started, the German Protestants allied with Austria. They were defeated by another alliance, that of Brussel and Spain, which was sent by King Ferdinand II. In 1625, Denmark renewed the war but was defeated by General Wallenstein's army, also sent by Ferdinand. Wallenstein was a Bohemian, but who sided with the Roman Empire in return for the spoils of war. The final phases of the war were initiated by Denmark, Sweden and France, all of whom were led to the fray in concern with the increasing Hapsburg power in their territories. The Peace of Westphalia, two treaties which ended the war, returned the German states which were seized by the Holy Roman Empire in the duration of the war to their former rulers. It also allowed them to practice and choose their religions. Countries like Switzerland and Netherland were granted independence. The treaty introduced religious tolerance and ended religious warfare. Matters could have been resolved earlier during the conflict, avoiding the death and destruction that it inflicted upon the affected countries has the Holy Roman Empire been not driven by ambition and greed for more land. The reason why states waged the wars against the empire was their fear of the increasing power of the Hapsburg over Europe threatening their very borders. King Ferdinand could have also appeased the Protestants within Germany; that he would leave them alone, way before the war expanded outside Germany. Reference The Columbia Encyclopia, (2001) Sixth Edition, 2001-2007. Columbia University Press. Retrieved on May 21, 2008. http://www. bartleby. com/65/th/ThirtyYe. html.

Signifying Definition and Examples in English

Signifying Definition and Examples in English Signifying is a combination of rhetorical strategies employed in African American speech communitiesin particular, the use of irony and indirection to express ideas and opinions. In The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism  (Oxford University Press, 1988), Henry Louis Gates describes signifyin(g) as a trope in which are subsumed several other rhetorical tropes, including metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony (the master tropes), and also hyperbole, litotes, and metalepsis ([Harold] Blooms supplement to [Kenneth] Burke). To this list, we could easily add aporia, chiasmus, and catachresis, all of which are used in the ritual of signifyin(g). Examples and Observations Above all, signifying is a ritualistic practice that serves various functions in different African American discursive and communal spaces. Some scholars define signifying as primarily a male-dominated activity (the female version is called specifying). African American men in this verbal art form focus their anger, aggression, and frustration into a relatively harmless exchange of wordplay where they can establish their masculinity in verbal battles with their peers. This form of signifying lends itself to validating a pecking order style of dominance based on the result of the verbal exchange. . . .Signifying can affirm, critique, or build community through the involvement of its participants. (Carole Boyce Davies, Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture. ABC-CLIO, 2008)Women, and to certain extent children, commonly use more indirect methods of signifying. These range from the most obvious kinds of indirection, like using an unexpected pronoun in di scourse (Didnt we come to shine today or Who thinks his drawers dont stink?), to the more subtle technique, of louding or loud-talking in a different sense from the one above. A person is loud-talking when he says something of someone just loud enough for that person to hear, but indirectly, so he cannot properly respond (Mitchell-Kernan). Another technique of signifying through indirection is making reference to a person or group not present, in order to start trouble between someone present and the ones who are not. An example of this technique is the famous toast, The Signifying Monkey. (Roger D. Abrahams, Talking Black. Newbury House, 1976) Rhetorically, for the African American community, the strategy behind indirection suggests that direct confrontation in everyday discourse is to be avoided when possible. . . . Normally, indirection has been treated as a function of the speech acts and not as a rhetorical strategy in oral discourse. Boasting, bragging, loud talking, rapping, signifying, and, to a degree, playing the dozens have elements of indirection. . . .While signifying is a way of encoding a message, ones shared cultural knowledge is the basis on which any reinterpretation of the message is made. Theoretically, signifying (Black) as a concept can be used to give meaning to rhetorical acts of African Americans and indicate a Black presence. Rhetorically, one can also explore texts for the manner in which the themes or worldviews of other texts are repeated and revised with a signal difference, but based on shared knowledge. (Thurmon Garner and Carolyn Calloway-Thomas, African American Orality. Understanding Afric an American Rhetoric: Classical Origins to Contemporary Innovations, ed. by Ronald L. Jackson II and Elaine B. Richardson. Routledge, 2003) Also known as: signifyin(g), signifyin

The Value of Female Friendships

The Value of Female Friendships I met my girlfriend Dana in college, and in the years since then our friendship has grown exponentially. Nine years ago, Dana told me that she had breast cancer. Shes a survivor. In that timeframe, my marathon walking buddy Allison found out she had appendicidal cancer. She too is a survivor. With two very close girlfriends in the same situation- one that was certainly new to all of us- I found myself asking: How as a girlfriend do I handle this? What do I do to support them? Where do I look for answers? This is not an article about cancer. It is an article about the incredible life-force underlining the word girlfriend. Girlfriend Support I remember the moment I heard about Allisons cancer. I didnt want to talk with my husband, even though he is a great man and a caring friend of Allisons as well. I wanted to talk with my female friends. I wanted their advice, their hugs, their sincere listening while I asked ‘why? Seeking advice, sharing concern, providing support and love, I wanted to be around the women who understood how I felt and who, I hoped, would help me be a better friend to my friends going through one of lifes scariest situations. So, why are girlfriends so important? I dug in and studied my own need for female community and what pulled me toward my friendships as a primary support system in a time a great stress. I was especially curious to find out why couldnt I fill this need with my husband or through the wisdom of books, advisors or other communities? Was it just me? Turns out it wasnt. Relationship Research A little research led me to a captivating book that spelled out the answers to me. The Tending Instinct, by Shelley E. Taylor, unlocks some of the mysteries of women, men, and the biology of our relationships. The big ah-ha! I discovered in its pages is that this need for community with other women is biological; it is part of our DNA. Taylors book consolidated a variety of studies covering cultural factors, decades of research, anecdotal references- even the biological ties to the girlfriend concept in the animal kingdom. An unending stream of fascinating facts helped define why we as women are more social, more community focused, collaborative, less competitive and, above all, why we need our girlfriends. Consider these findings: Longevity - Married men live longer than single men, yet women who marry have the same life expectancy as those who dont. However, women with strong female social ties (girlfriends) live longer than those without them.Stress - For decades, stress tests focused solely on male participants, believing that all humans would respond in the same manner. When these same stress tests were finally conducted on females it was discovered that women dont have the same, classic fight or flight response to stress that men do. According to the research presented in The Tending Instinct, women under stress have the need to tend and befriend. We want to tend to our young and be with our friends. Time with our friends actually reduces our stress levels.More Stress - A study conducted by the UCLA School of Medicine found that when were with our girlfriends, our bodies emit the feel good hormone oxytocin, helping us reduce everyday stress. By prioritizing our female friendships and spending time with th ese friends, we take advantage of a very simple, natural way to reduce our stress. Even More Stress - Prairie voles, a monogamous rodent, have a similar response to stress. When a male vole is put in a stressful situation, he runs to his female partner. Female voles, when stressed, immediately run to the females they were raised with.Self-Esteem - A recent study by Dove indicated that 70% of women feel prettier because of their relationships with female friends. Its no surprise that our self-esteem is highly influenced by our girlfriends; this is important to understand for girls as well as women.The Health Factor - Women without strong social ties risk health issues equivalent to being overweight or a smoker- its that serious. Friendships Waning With all Ive discovered that is good about female friendships, I was disappointed to come across a national survey from 2006 that found a sharp decline in friendships. Research co-author Lynn Smith-Lovin, a sociologist at Duke University said, From a social point of view, it means youve got more people isolated. When were isolated, we dont have each other to help us through tough situations like hurricanes or fires, financial struggles or relationship changes, sadness or cancer. Without communities of women, we often miss opportunities to be involved in our cities, to learn from each other, to empathize with other women and to share the benefits of laughter and a heart-felt hug. As women, we sometimes need to be reminded what being a girlfriend means. Too often it takes an illness or loss to hit us with reality, realization, and appreciation of friendship. That reminder can also be as simple as a caring card, a hug or an e-mailed photo. Once in a while we simply need to take the time to think about our friends, stop and live in the moment, and if at all possible, celebrate that moment. Hear some bad news? Call a girlfriend. Have something great to celebrate? Share that celebration with a friend. Want to feel prettier, be less stressed, be healthier and happier? Spend some time with your BFFs. Like the scary, life-changing diagnoses of my dear girlfriends, recognize your own need for friendships and fill that need with time and memories together. Life is better together- with your girlfriends. NOTE: Research for this article primarily attributed to The Tending Instinct by Shelley E. Taylor. Additional information was received form Kappa Delta, NWFD facts, and the Dove Beauty study.

How Inappropriate General Wage Levels and Wage Inflation Can Cause In Assignment

How Inappropriate General Wage Levels and Wage Inflation Can Cause Increased Unemployment - Assignment Example Unemployment is often considered as a disease in the society; its major impact is the fact that the productivity that can be obtained by employing the unemployed resources is foregone. Additionally, it adds poverty to the society, frustration to the individuals, and more often than not, the symptoms of unemployment can be observed by tracking crime rate as it often creeps up. There are several reasons for unemployment, however, in the current economic situation; recession can be identified as the ‘hottest’ reason. Recession not just leads to unemployment in the short run but has long-term negativity associated to the same, by the due fact that individuals lose their interest in gaining relevant skills for a job, and subsequently, when recovery takes place and demand of the labor moves up, but lack of appropriately required skill set makes it difficult for employment levels to move up, and thus, recovery becomes very slow (Blanchard, 2008). Inflation, as simply defined as an increase in general price levels, is also a critical aspect of the economy, and is an important economic indicator. Despite the fact that inflation illustrates the growth of an economy, at the same time, this variable needs to be retained within certain limits because exceeding a certain value would imply excessive increasing prices, putting pressure on consumer pockets, and not allowing them to retain their standard of living, let alone increasing them. Inflation is influenced by various economic elements such as various input costs, depreciating the local currency, etc, while it also affects other economic elements at the same time (Nellis, 2006). Consider a scenario in which average wage is on the greater side, then as per the above equation, the unit labour cost would be on the higher side as well. Following this scenario, it can be assumed that the producer would have to increase the price of the output to ensure profit margins remaining at the past numbers, if not moving ahead that is.  

Correctional Sex Offender Programs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Correctional Sex Offender Programs - Assignment Example Although the Washington Department of Correction’s program is not the first of its kind, it is the first of its kind that has exhibited such a high level of success and has carefully laid out the methods by which such successful results have been obtained. As such, it will be the purpose of this brief analysis to analyze the Washington Department of Correction’s unique program in order to draw inference on the many ways in which offenders are conditioned and taught to release the negative risk factors that initially encouraged them to commit crime it the first place. Additionally, inference will be drawn based on whether or not the program should be implemented in other prison communities around the United States (McAlinden, 2007). It is interesting to note that the Washington Department of Correction’s program (also known as the Monroe Program) emphasizes a system of acknowledgement and action that is not dissimilar from that of patently successful programs such as AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and others (Leon, 2011). As a function of this, the first steps that are taken revolve around impressing upon the participating individual that they are responsible for their actions (Ward, 2003). Consequently, the program focuses on teaching the offenders to understand and target those patterns that initially spurred them to criminal behavior. Once this information has been learned and accepted (again acceptance of responsibility and a commitment to work to learn attitudes, thinking skills, behaviors that can assist this practice is a fundamental concept of this re-orientation) the program then moves on to the familiar ground that many rehabilitation programs cover; that of teaching new trades/crafts/or skills to the inmate (Osborn, 2007). Furthermore, the Monroe Program additionally offers group therapy sessions that are concentric around the topics of responsibility, patterns that work to regulate the behavior, relapse prevention, community re-integr ation approaches, as well as skills and workforce training (Briggs, 2006). Likewise, with many offender rehabilitation programs, the Monroe Program does not offer its treatments wholesale to sex offenders (Marshall, 2006). There are a list of criterion that must be met prior to the course being offered. These include: the offender must have been convicted of a sex offense for his/her current or previous term of incarceration, the offender must agree to monitor themselves and their environment to detect changes indicating that their risk to reoffend is increasing, the offender must agree to work to develop the skills necessary to intervene, manager, and reduce risky behavior, and the offender must volunteer of their own free will under the belief that the program can work to ameliorate their risk as it relates to committing crimes of a sexual nature (MacKenzie, 2006). However, the results of the program speak for themselves. Whereas many prison rehabilitation programs have low re-off ense rates, currently and past literature on the issue has often indicated that sexual offenders are somehow beyond reclamation (Noles, 2008). This is however not what the results of Washington Department of Corrections Monroe Program exhibits. According to the Washington Depart

The Comparison of Transition from Dictatorship to Democracy in Brazil Essay

The Comparison of Transition from Dictatorship to Democracy in Brazil (1964) and Argentina (1976) - Essay Example The transition to democracy in Brazil was viewed as a form of liberalization as it was preoccupied with the process of legitimacy. The process of democracy was able to achieve various goals within the civil society. These achievements were later referred to as Brazilian miracle with the attainment of sustained economic growth and development (Stepan, 36) Unlike the Brazilian military era, the Argentine military era did not last for a long period as it collapsed as a result of various forms of divisions and incompetence. In this case the promise of liberation by the military regime failed to take off or deliver any tangible results. Major divisions were experienced in its ranks due to a weak power confidence leading to its down fall. The unity of the military was also in question and therefore was considered as a contributing factor to this failure in terms of transition from dictatorship to democratic type of governance (Pion-Berlin,

Individual Learner Difference In Second Language Acquisition Education Essay

Individual Learner Difference In Second Language Acquisition Education Essay SLA (Second language acquisition) is a process through which an individual learns a second language as an additional language after having learned a native language already. SLA involves broad research and is considered a branch of applied linguistics. The concept is also related to education, neuroscience sociolinguistics, and psychology. Learning a second language is not an easy task, this is a practice that involves commitment, study, dedication, patient as well as time in order to develop. People who learn a second language do not do it because is just a compulsory subject at school, but because they feel encouraged to learn it , considering factors such us, communication with foreigners, academic studies and better opportunities to find a good job. Research has shown that there are differences among second language learners that significantly affect language learning success. As a result, the study of individual differences (IDs) especially in language learning motivation and language aptitude has been attributed to researches on L2 studies dating back to the 1960s. Motivation is what guides people to accomplish and be successful in all areas of life. Regarding the classroom environment, this term is the basis of how enthusiastic or unwilling students are to learn and the guidance force to maintain the extensive and sometimes tiresome learning process. Both the degree of motivation and educational success frequently seem to go hand in hand, which can be clearly observed throughout the teaching practice. This essay seeks to explore and discuss in detail one individual learner difference in second language acquisition, which is motivation. Apart from defining the term, regarding different authors, the essay will also include the analysis of the various types of motivation, as well as, the role motivation plays in second language classrooms. And finally, ways of fostering motivation will be proposed. The term Motivation in SLA One of the individual learner differences in SLA is motivation, which is a term difficult to define, since its meaning could depend on the individuals and their cultures. DÃ ¶rnyei (2002: 1) says that motivation is best seen as a broad umbrella term that covers a variety of meanings, but simultaneously this author also describes motivation as the factor in charge of determining why individuals decide to carry out an action, the amount of effort people invest in the tasks as well as the rate of perseverance people put when completing various activities. Alike DÃ ¶rnyei, Passer and Smith (2004: 327) perceive motivation as a process that influences the direction, persistence and vigour of goal-directed behaviour. According to Gardner (1985), motivation is what makes people to act towards a given situation. Taking into consideration all these definitions which state what the term of motivation is, it can be deduced that the concept refer to some type of energy that guides individuals t o undertake a task in their lives. The motivated language learner Lightbown and Spada (2002) point out that motivation is a factor that plays an important role in language learning success. In the context of language learning is what pushes a pupil to gain knowledge of the English language. The importance of motivation in relation to achieving the goals of learning English as a Second Language according to Naiman et al, (1978) is that it gives the learner the ability to tolerate ambiguity; a need for achievement; a positive orientation towards the task; high aspirations; ego involvement; perseverance and goal orientation. Therefore, a motivated language student is a person who has positive attitudes towards the target language. These attitudes are shown when the second language learner makes efforts to acquire the language and has a consistent desire of studying and discovering new and additional material. Moreover, looking for opportunities and ways where he or she will be able to put in practice the target language. An additional way of defining a motivated learner is when learning the second language is a comfortable situation for the apprentice, taking pleasure in the tasks involved. Furthermore, a pupil that experience a high level of motivation will doubtless feel pleased about learning the language. Researchers have arisen several explanations of what encourages learners to study a foreign language; they have found that motivational factors are fundamental at the time of speaking about second language success. Types of motivation As it was mentioned before, there are diverse meanings for motivation in SLA, regardless of the words they basically refer to the same notion. Also, there are different factors which somewhat vary depending on the authors points of view. I will refer in this essay to the different types of motivation, taking into consideration different authors. Extrinsic and Intrinsic motivation: The words extrinsic and intrinsic are to some extent complicated, given that both terms do not seem to have a clear definition in the field of second language acquisition. Passer and Smith (2004) cite extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, even though Noels (2002) uses the terms extrinsic and intrinsic orientations. For these authors, Passer and Smith and Noel, extrinsic signifies that people carry out an action to accomplish an external goal or evade punishment, while by intrinsic motivation the authors altogether mean that students do activities, due to the satisfaction they get from the tasks themselves. Activities that motivate students intrinsically are likened to enjoyable activities, fun, or things that students do out of their own choice. Some of the conducted studies assert that intrinsically motivating activities lead to improved learning by the students. The difference between Passer Smith (2004) and Noels (2002) is just the notion motivation and orientations, in view of the fact that both terms involved different approaches of motivation. The initial term proposes that the motivation itself comes from outside or within; while the term orientation suggests that it is rather the different triggers of motivation that comes from outside or within. Although, Glasser (1996) does not use the terms intrinsic and extrinsic, he provides a third route to see where motivation comes from. He states that motivation is produced trying to satisfied the essential desires which all human beings own. For instance, the need of entertainment. He points out that even if a person is influenced by the environment, all motivation still comes from inside the individual, because it is he or she who really choose whether or not and how to carry out an activity. Though I concur with Glasser that just the individuals are the ones who make their own decisions, I think that what motivates people, are factors which can be both external and internal. Alternatively, Garden and Lambet (1972) coined the following terms to classify motivation. Integrative Motivation Garden and Lambet (1972) describe this term as the desire that the learners have to familiarize themselves with the culture of the ethnic group that speaks the language they intend to learn. Gardner (2002) himself perceives Integrativeness as one of the factors that conduct to motivation for second language learning, and by this he suggests that whether learners have the hope to come nearer the L2 community they will have real desire in learning and studying the second language. Besides, the term also refers to the degree at which the learner desires to understand the target community. Essentially, integrative motivation refers to a learners desire to expand their association with the community that they are targeting. Saville Troike, (2005) affirm that the main triggers of this type of motivation are emotions or affective factors. For instance, a Chilean boy who come to live in London for a time, meet an English girl and fall in love with her. He will have the desire and motivation to learn English in order to communicate with his girlfriend and integrate into the new culture and become part of the community. As Chile is mainly a monocultural society, chances to utilize the second language in daily conversations are fairly limited. Therefore, learners do not feel motivated to learn the second language to become part of the community, since they just need their first language to interact. It can be discussed that integrative motivation is an intrinsic factor, because it implies that learning a second language is more a final aim itself rather than a mean to accomplish a final goal, due to the authentic desire on the learning tasks (Noels (2002). Instrumental Motivation: One more term that Gardner and Lambert made up is instrumental motivation which Lightbown Spada (2002: 56) introduce as language learning for more immediate or practical goals. Very similar to integrative motivation, instrumental motivation also sees language learning as an instrument to accomplish a goal rather than the satisfaction in the action itself. However, what distinguishes both terms is the final aim, which in integrative motivation is the interaction in the L2 community while in instrumental motivation the ultimate goal is more practical, for instance, obtaining a better job, career developmental or passing exams. For most Chilean learners of English instrumental motivation is the key element at the time to learn English as a second language. For Lightbown Spada (2002) both types of motivation are important , they say that whether the students feel the necessity to interact in the second language in various social situations or to accomplish academic and professional aspirations, the communicative value of the foreign language will be perceived and therefore, they will feel encouraged to get proficiency in the language. I agree with the authors that both types of motivation are important to acquire a second language, However for Chilean people integrative motivation is far to be seen as a reason to study the second language due to the fact that Chile , as I mentioned earlier, is a monocultural and monolingual society. Classroom Learning Motivation vs. Language Learning Motivation When considering second language acquisition and motivation, it is important to put two motivational constructs into consideration. Research has shown that there are two categories of motivation that should be put into account when discussing SLA. This mainly deals with the difference that exists between classroom learning motivation and language learning motivation. Language learning motivation refers to the desire to learn a second language. Language learning motivation includes evaluated second language acquisition, socio-educational representation (Gardner, 1985), the preparedness to converse model (Clement, Dornyei, MacIntyre Noels, 1998) among others. It is the universal type of motivation that applies to any context of learning a language. The universal attributes of the learner relate to the need to learn the language. Clements (1980) social context model, Gardners (1985) SLA social-education model among others, agree that the motivation or desire to learn a second language is a characteristic that has considerable effects on the individual although they are different when it comes to assessment, correlates and antecedents. The other type of motivation is the learning motivation in a classroom. According to Heckhausen and Kuhl (1985), classroom-learning motivation is the general educational psychology as described by Dornyeis model of post-actional, actional, and pre-actional motivation model. Although it is seen to be an important part to motivation as a whole, the SLA socio-educational model by Gardner, (1985), characterizes it. The main focus is the persons view on the mission to be achieved and to a large extent, it is state oriented. This means that a number of issues that are related to the language class will affect the individuals perception. As a result, the atmosphere in the class, the teacher, the contents of the course, facilities and materials combined with the students personal attributes will affect the persons motivation when it comes to classroom learning. It is hard to differentiate between the two categories of motivation because they control the individual at any particular time. Therefore, it is important to consider both classes of motivation operative. Just as hard as it is to define motivation, it is equally difficult to give an explanation to the meaning of learning a second language. According to Gardner, the motivational strength can only be estimated from questionnaires based on an individuals attitude and is considered to be a hidden psychometric characteristic. Other educational practices have applied the use of indicators that have been observed from individuals behavior in response to a given task. This depends on the persons selection of tasks, which is determined by the level of difficulty, the persistency of the learner to tackle the problem at hand, the extent at which an individual participates in a group or class activities, the span of attention and focus, or the qualitative information available on spoken reports of self-regulation and self-monitoring. The new research program by Crookes and Schmidt (1991) includes the advancements made in the universal educational, which has narrowed to the field of language learning motivation. This directs its focus on individuals, the approaches that the learner might implement in the learning process, the learning contexts, and the observable conduct of class members. Following the inception of the new outline, the areas of interest have shifted to the learner as an individual. In Covingtons self-worthy theory (1998), the importance of the learners ideas were emphasized, their own beliefs, the strategy they use, and the level of their desire to deal with the task at hand. The self- efficacy concept by Bandura (1997) is a very important related characteristic which assesses the level at which learners gauge their potential and their own management. Individuals who have this ability come up with an efficient motivational thinking strategy and are able to reduce the risk of failure and increase t heir chances of success while depending less on outside obligatory measures and strategies. Motivation: Individual Learner Difference in Chilean Culture Clement and Noels (1996) indicate that the cultural settings present different language learning and individual learner differences. In the Chilean cultural setting, the motivation to learn the English language offer some challenges to the learners due to most of the students who attend Chilean public schools are in social risk. In addition, many of the learners may be discouraged to put personal effort in learning the language because of the fact that they may not find the language useful outside the educational setting. Others may be of the opinion that their chances of travelling to a country where English is spoken as a native language are rather minimal. Furthermore, challenges that come with teaching a class that has many students may affect the effectiveness of the teachers and the quality of the lesson. This together with the little interest towards learning the English language may influence negatively the motivation to teach as well as the motivation to learn. Fostering Motivation The best ways to foster motivation is to create a good environment, which is beneficial for second language learning. This can be done by reducing the number of students per class to ensure that the instruction given by the English teachers is of good quality. The teachers should also come up with plans that apply to both slow learners and fast learners so as to ensure that those who do not grasp quickly are not left far behind because this may demotivate them to continue learning. The schools may consider initiating exchange programs with schools where English is the native language. This would give students the feeling that studying English is not an effort in vain but a step in the right direction since it would help them in securing jobs and touring other parts of the world. Moreover, teachers should come up with a timetable that gives us enough time to prepare for our classes by getting the necessary materials as well as reflecting on the success of the program. This would help us in coming up with a better plan to teach hence improving our teaching methodology. It would also help teachers find ways of motivating their own students. With the relevant authorities ensuring that, schools are well equipped to teach English as a second language, students will be motivated to learn and teachers will be motivated to teach. Conclusion The above discussion has provided an analysis of motivation as an individual learner difference. There have been numerous research studies exploring individual learner differences, which have indicated that the main reason why many L2 students fail while others succeed effortlessly is the presence of different student characteristics such as language aptitude, motivation, or personality traits. The motivation of the student is very important in the learning process and is regarded as the key factor that contributes to the success of SLA. Research has revealed that intrinsic motivation is more successful than external or extrinsic motivation over the long term. Some students learning rate is higher as compared to others. Some learners are able to grasp quickly and they go on to the level of reaching near-native competence while slow learners experience difficulties in the early stages of the learning process. Recently conducted research has shown that this disparity is caused by the p articular strategy adopted by the learner, motivation, anxiety, personality, as well as societal and social influences. Research has clearly shown that the intensity of the students motivation to its highest level, including the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components are the most important aspects towards success in SLA. Since the integrative motive incorporates the aspect of being open to cultural identification as part of the process, it tries to imply that integration may be more connected to achieving highest level of achievement as compared to other types of motivation that do not have this component. Classroom learning motivation seems to be a system that encourages individuals to acquire specific language elements but for the students to be masters of the language, more is needed. In my opinion, the integrative motivation provides the students with a better platform for SLA. A teachers role in the process of learning a second language is rather complicated but very important. It surpasses the provision of reward since the whole experience is dependent on the self-efficacy of the student. The teachers role entails providing challenging yet supportive environment to allow the students to learn and explore their potential. The teachers are also supposed to help their students to develop their own motivational thinking by discovering their original orientation. The most challenging aspect in all of this is trying to avoid anything that may de-motivate the students. Although it is very much possible to imagine other forms of motivation, the type of motivation does not matter very much. The difference that emerges between instrumental and integrative motivation, or between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation does very little in helping us to understand the role that motivation plays in second language acquisition.

Outsourcing in Intercollegiate Athletics Essay -- Sports, Athletes, FB

Division I intercollegiate athletic departments, especially those that are home to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams, increasingly resemble front offices of professional sport organizations in regard to their mission and business operations. With huge operating budgets, state-of-the-art facilities, world-class athletes, and multinational corporate sponsors, these sport businesses strive to produce winning teams and profitable events every season. The outsourcing of marketing operations and rights is common practice in American college athletics today. According to Li and Burden (2002), more than one half of all NCAA Division I-A athletic programs have outsourced some or all of their marketing operations and rights to a growing number of nationally prominent outsourcing agencies. Among the operations commonly outsourced are the production of radio game broadcasts, production of radio call-in shows, coaches' television shows, sales of media and venue advertising, sales of "official sponsorship" rights to corporations, and production and management of Internet websites, etc. (Li & Burden, 2002). Outsourcing simply means acquiring services from an external organization instead of using internal resources (Butler, 2000). By using outsourced resources, organizations can gain a competitive advantage by utilizing contingent staff to accomplish strategic goals without incurring the fixed overhead. By focusing on the leading edge and highly specialized skill sets, outsourcing providers can often offer higher quality services, or at a lower price than the client organization. Typical reasons for outsourcing go beyond simple contingent staffing. Outsourcing providers are able to maintain economies of scale with regard to specialization (... ... bring the anticipated benefits, and in some instances can be a risky proposition (Chin, 2003). Villcocks and Lacity (1998) stated that among the possible disadvantages are the potential loss of control over critical functions such as timeliness and quality of service, difficulty in monitoring vendor performance, difficulty in explaining the business needs to vendors, the potential for loss of company secrets as well as intellectual property, and the high cost of outsourcing contracts. Schools also risk developing a dependency on outside agencies, lowering employee morale, loss of development skills for employees, and having to face the prospect of managing relationships that go wrong (Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2000; Hayes, 2001). By outsourcing, not only do schools lose some of the personal touch in servicing their employees but their clients as well (Rombel, 2002).

Kant and Socrates

Morality is generally defined as the rightness or wrongness of an action or conduct based on an agreed standard or measure of ethical norms. This argues a society where there is no dissenting voice, which in reality is not true. Cultural subjectivism promotes tolerance, but not for all, as fundamentalist thought excludes any deviation from their prescribed moral values (Jowett, 2000). Society, on the other hand, is a group of individuals that share a common system of beliefs, intent and thought. Moral standards are required so that a stable society may exist; however, the dilemma in ethics theory is how the morality within a society is formed (Vlastos, 1991). Morality and society, apparently, is in a state of flux while ethics theorists attempt to come up with an adequate ethical formula to qualify what is right and wrong based on all cultural, social, political and religious realities.The notion of morality is often taken from a cultural context yet this presumes that societies are likewise always right in their judgments, so to disagree with society is morally wrong (Nikolaos, 2005). Among the most noted for their philosophical studies regarding morality and ethics are Socrates and Immanuel Kant. Both point out that the definition of what is evil depends on culture and experience and motivations of the individual and society. Their definition of morality discusses not only the concept itself but also its implications to man’s existence (â€Å"Kant's Moral Philosophy†, 2007). Thus, understanding what is moral is not to be considered as an intellectual discourse alone but is an endeavor to understand better the world.SocratesSocrates has provided great food of thought in his studies for what he knew but more importantly because of his treatise and understanding of what he does not know. Socrates did not believe in the need to explain his actions or thoughts and instead questioned others’ exhaustively. Socrates’ regard for Sparta, his association with the Thirty Tyrants and his own personal philosophical stance was used by his enemies for the accusation of treason against the state (Vlastos, 1991). At the time of the trial, which led to his subsequent death by hemlock, there was not any element in Greek society that would represent modern day district attorney offices.At the same time jury selection also did not have the criteria that is implemented today and often represents the political dominants of the time. Civil cases were brought to trial by private individuals who often also acted as the prosecution. Thus, there was no way to determine whether there was probable cause as to accusations. There is also a presumption of guilt rather than that of innocence. In Plato’s recollections of the trial, he points out that the prosecution, the restored democrats, deliberately made assumptions contextually of Socrates’ teachings and philosophies (Jowett, 2000).Plato also recognizes that Socrates defense was one that seemed to have ultimately given the jury the behest to find him guilty. His defense did not actually defend his actions but rather questioned the institution by which he was being tried in. Though in hindsight it is obvious that he held Athens in high regard, his philosophical speeches during his lifetime were sufficiently vague that his detractors easily could manipulate to appear the opposite (Nikolaos, 2005).Socrates on MoralityUnlike traditional Sophistic views on the purpose of life which focused on public life or works, Socrates viewed the moral excellence of the soul or virtue as paramount. He considered morality as not just limited to internal aspects or characteristics of an individual but extended its definition into the public life of the individual. One of the key virtues according to Socrates is knowledge. Socrates proposed that rhetorical studies should consider morality practically rather than for the purpose of public service alone.According to Socrates, the lack of knowledge leads to the absence of virtue. Following this viewpoint, understanding what is moral is critical in understanding virtue which in turn is important to be able to lead a moral life. Socrates describes these efforts at gaingin knowledge and thus leaving morally as the means to create value out of life: â€Å"a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong – acting the part of a good man or of a bad† (Jowett, 2000, para. 55)The first step for this process is to understand what virtue is and what it is not. What is not moral is considered as evil: an act of evil can then be done by actions against another property causing him loss, against the person by physical harm or by treating him unjustly such as the denial of rights or freedoms.   In Plato’s Gorgias, Socrates states that â€Å"good and evil are not simultaneous, and do not cease simultaneously†, implying that though good and bad contradict each other, they can not exist without the other (Jowett, 1999, lines 361-362).Many of Socrates’ actions may be interpreted as satire on the Athenian society and even his statements during his trial can not be considered as defense was rather a philosophical treatise. When Socrates was asked why he did choose to flee before the trial or after it when his friends tried to liberate him from prison despite what they believed was a mockery of a trial, Socrates replied that since he chose to live in Athens, he must bow to its laws regardless of the trial (Nikolaos, 2005). However, if one already considers the ethical or moral components into the equation, it is then that the question of justice becomes more difficult to evaluate. Thus, Socrates may in fact be making a statement as to the justice of the trial if not to its legality. Considering the components of prosecution, defense, jury and judge alone , one can consider that the trial prescribe to all requirements for the delivery of justice.Kant on SocratesKant’s Moral philosophy is one of the main alternatives to utilitarianism which marginalizes moral humanistic virtues. Kant’s view on morality is essentially deontological which implies a focus on the action to be done regardless of the consequences (â€Å"Kant: The Moral†, 2001). This implies that if a person is doing something that is right, then even if the results of his actions create a negative outcome, then he still did the right thing. There is also a prescriptive quality to Kant’s view: the assumption is that everyone should do what is right and that it should be universally right (Wood, 2004).Thus, for an action to be considered moral, it should be within the capacity of everyone and viewed as a correct action universally (â€Å"Kant's Moral Philosophy†, 2007). Viewing Socrates’ action through Kant’s Moral Philosophy, there are arguments both to support the morality of Socrates actions. The challenge is in deciphering Socrates’ intentions and purpose which can sometime prove difficult since it is basic in and Socratic Method to question something.From Kant’s definition of morals in terms of the action rather than the outcome, Socrates can be considered as moral since his purpose for questioning the state and its leaders is to emphasize the need for the knowledge virtue (â€Å"Kant: The Moral†, 2001). According to Plato, Socrates did not question the institutions of the states but rather the ignorance behind it. Thus, Kant will consider Socrates moral because he in facts teaches other virtue by his philosophical studies. As stated by Socrates in Apology, â€Å"I can give you as proofs of this, not words only, but deeds, which you value more than words,† (Jowett, 2000, para. 59)Another example is Socrates’ lack of defense for himself during his trial. According to Plato’s Apology, the accusations against Socrates were an intimidation scheme gone badly. Rather than acceding to his detractors, Socrates chose not to give up his stands as a testament to his view of the mockery of justice that has become of the Athenian society. Supporting the Kant’s view of universality in the form of the law implemented in Athens,Socrates believed that he should be executed because of the fact that he has been found guilty according to Athenian law as attested by Socrates himself in his statement that to live in Athens, one must bow to its laws regardless. Even his efforts at defensce according to him are not for his sake but rather for the sake of the citizenry: â€Å"I am not going to argue for my own sake, as you may think, but for yours, that you may not sin against the God, or lightly reject his boon by condemning me† (para. 57)Just the same time, it can be argued that Socrates’ actions are immoral based on Kant’s views ( â€Å"Kant: The Moral†, 2001). Socrates questioning the state is indeed against the Athenian law and therefore regardless his intentions for enlightenment, it is considered as sedition. The absolute nature of Kantian moral philosophies leaves no exceptions: commands are imperatives without categories. Though Socrates argued that virtuous characteristics represent absence of virtue is evil, he also stated that â€Å"good and evil are not simultaneous, and do not cease simultaneously† (Jowett, 1999, lines 342-344).Socrates, Kant and MoralityThe main source of conflict between the two philosophies on morality is that Kant’s definition is so absolute and leaves very little space more the resolution of moral dilemmas which in contrast was the focus of Socrates work if not his own life (Wood, 2004). Consider Socrates’ closing statement during his trial:â€Å"For if I tell you that this would be a disobedience to a divine command, and therefore that I cannot ho ld my tongue, you will not believe that I am serious; and if I say again that the greatest good of man is daily to converse about virtue, and all that concerning which you hear me examining myself and others, and that the life which is unexamined is not worth living – that you are still less likely to believe† (Jowett, 2000, para. 63).The strict requirements for rationality then precludes morality for those who are fully rational such as those who are mentally incapacitated or limited because of retardation or any other psychological condition (â€Å"Kant's Moral Philosophy†, 2007). Though moral autonomy does exist in both perspectives, Kant’s moral philosophy leaves less flexibility towards its definition because of its requirement of universality.It should be kept in mind that the setting of the two works is distinctly different. In the case of Socrates, the motivation and the consequences are given as much importance as the act itself. When he was accus ed that he did spoke falsely of the gods, he used as evidence his belief in the spiritual, such as the existence of the soul, and divinities by stating that, â€Å"Can a man believe in spiritual and divine agencies, and not in spirits or demigods?† (Jowett, 2000, para. 49). In the case of Kant, this will not be a valid argument sinceIn Socrates’ discourse, punishment of the act contravenes evil and while in Kant, contravention is from the doing what is right alone. In both instances, what is not moral is considered a reality on man’s life and both definitions require affirmative action against what is not moral. To be able to do so, one’s character and virtue must juxtapose what is considered what is not moral. Therefore restoration of evil done is equated with the punishment that one receives for the act.The fundamental difference in the definition between the two is that Kant’s moral failure is an independent act to a moral right by virtue of the lack of impact of consequences while Socrates’ main model of immorality is based on injustice resulting form the action. Thus the dilemma of immorality in the former is an ethical one and immorality in the latter is presented as a social dilemma. Reflecting on both works, there is a realization that definitions of what is not moral may differ in many ways but all studies that focus on it have a common purpose. In understanding the nature and manner of what is not moral, a person is able to better not according it to it.ReferencesJowett, Benjamin (1999).Gorgias by Plato. Project Guttenberg. Retrieved on April 2, 2007 http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1672?msg=welcome_strangerJowett, Benjamin (2000). Plato’s Apology. Retrieved on April 2, 2007 http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html=

The Major Profitability Ratios

The major profitability ratios are: 1. 1. 1. 1RETURN ON CAPITAL: Describes the earning capacity of the enterprise and it is measured by the following ratio: Profit before interest and taxation Average operating Assets The Return On Capital ratio measures how well the average operating assets (assets such as debtors, cash, fixed assets, stock) are generating the company s income, and is indicative of the management techniques applied by the company to utilise its assets. A poor income rate of return could indicate that valuable assets are under utilised.As a result of this problem, an enterprise, which shows a negative Return on capital could be under the influence of poor management. The earning capacity of XYZ Limited for 1998 and 1999 |Ratio|2000|1999|1998|Comments| |||||| Return on|||||| Capital|NPBT|100|88|70|| |Av. OA|(286 + 230) 2|(230 + 162) 2|(162 + 144)|Industry ave| ||100 x 100|88 x 100| 2|| ||258|196|70 x 100|| ||38, 76%|44, 9%|153|| ||||45. 7%|| |||||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited s return on capital declined from 45. 7% in 1998 to 44. 9% in 1999.This decrease is mainly due to the increase in assets, but further investigation is required to analyse the extent of this decrease. The decrease continued further from 44. 9% in 1999 to 38. 76% in 2000. Again this decrease is due to an increase in assets. The question that arises therefor is: â€Å"Is this phenomena as a result of mismanagement of assets, or just because XYZ Limited is starting up and still growing? † Additional investigation would be required to analyse the extent of the decrease. 1. 1. 1. 2NET PROFIT RATIO: The primary objective of an enterprise is to make a profit.Profit is earned from sales and serves as an important measure of return of capital. The Net Profit percentage can be measured by the following ratio: Net Profit Sales This Net Profit Ratio measures the overall effectiveness of the enterprise s operations, before interest, tax and other non-â€Å"operati ng† items. The shortfall of this ratio in terms of its effectiveness is perhaps the fact that its usefulness is limited to comparisons with other companies. In addition, there is no guideline as to what the ideal absolute value should be. Changes to the Net Profit % can be influenced by one of two components, viz. – Gross Profit Percentage Operating Expenditure In addition, the percentage of sales consumed by operating expenses (i. e. Gross Profit % – Net Profit %) is often indicative of management efficiency in controlling operating costs. Disciplined management techniques, for example, by cutting costs can lead to two consequences, viz. : – A more profitable enterprise An efficiently operating enterprise The Net Profit % of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Net Profit % Margin|2000|1999|1998| Net Operating Income|100|88|70| Net Sales|900|800|700| |11. 11%|11. 00%|10. 00%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N :The Net Profit Percentage Margin increased steadily in proportion to the Gross Profit percentage during the horizon of 1998 to 1999 (10% to 11%). This improvement in the enterprise s return on capital indicates that a proportionately greater profit was earned from sales in 1999 that in 1998. The crux of the matter, however, is not yet known whether this improvement is as a result of larger Gross Profit or lower expenses. Further analysis would be required. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the Net Profit Percentage Margin increased by a further 0. 11% (11% in 1999 to 11,11% in 2000).Again this improvement can be ascribe to an improvement in the enterprise s return on capital. And as noted in the previous horizon, it cannot be determined whether this improvement is as a result of larger Gross Profit or lower expenses. Further analysis would be required. 1. 1. 1. 3Gross Profit % Margin Gross Profit % is an indication of the return of the enterprise s core business. The Gross Profit percentage can be measured by the following r atio: Gross Profit Sales The Gross Profit percentage ratio may be difficult to calculate, as many companies do not disclose their Gross Profit figures.This ratio measures the overall profit margin the enterprise is making on the goods it sells. Perhaps a weakness of this ratio is that by disclosing this type of information a company could potentially expose itself to its competitors. Changes in the Gross Profit % can be influenced by the following factors: Change in markup – changes in the selling prices of goods, or possibly trade discounts will have a direct impact on the GP margin. Sales Mix – an enterprise may deal with numerous different products, which have different mark-ups, and as a result, the sales mix will have an influence on Gross Profit % margin.A changing sales mix should be ascertainable from the segment report (if prepared) by the enterprise. Inventory theft – the theft of inventories would cause unequal quantities of inventories to be reflec ted as sales and cost of sales, and will definitely have a negative impact of the GP margin. The Gross Profit % of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Gross Profit Margin|2000|1999|1998| Gross Profit X 100%|300|256|210| Sales|900|800|700| |33. 33%|32. 00%|30. 00%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : During the period 1998 to 1999, XYZ Limited s Gross Profit percentage margin increased from 30. 3% in 1998 to 32. 9% in 1999.Changes in Gross Profit from one period to the next may be influenced by an increase in sales volume, but further analysis would be required. During the period 1999 to 2000, XYZ Limited s Gross Profit percentage margin increased by 1,1% (from 32. 0% in 1999 to 33. 3% in 1999). A closer look into the enterprise would be required to analyse the following factors: – Higher selling prices Lower purchasing prices Incorrect inventory counts Stricter prevention or loss control policies For obvious reasons, this type of analysis is only possible if the unit selli ng price and the costs are known. 1. 1. 1. Return on Equity (ROE) Return on Equity is measured by the following ratio: Net Profit After Tax Total Equity Return On Equity (ROE) is an indication of good or bad the shareholders prospered during the year. The objective of any enterprise must be to yield sufficient returns in line with the risks taken on by the owner. In addition, the Return on Equity ratio also gives the investor an idea of the sort of return of investment he/she is achieving. This can be compared with returns on alternative investment opportunities such as savings accounts, gilts, and fixed properties. The ROE of XYZ Limited is as follows: –Return on Equity200019991998 Net Profit After Tax|56|48|33| Total equity|186|154|102| |30. 11%|31. 17%|32. 35%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : During 1998 the Return on Equity ratio, as calculated above, indicated that for every rand in equity XYZ Limited generated 32. 35 cents in profit. Also noticeable is that during 19 99 and 2000 this profit was measured as 31,17 and 30. 11 respectively. Apart from the fact that there was a mediocre decline in percentage over the three-year period, nothing signifies that the company is undergoing stress in terms of the ROE figures. Thus no further analysis would be required. . 1. 1. 5Earnings Per Share Describes the earning per share of the entity and it is measured by the following ratio: Earnings Per Share Total Equity Earnings Per Share indicates the value of the company s share as perceived by the market. The higher increase in value, the higher the favourable perception of the enterprise. The EPS of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Earnings Per Share|2000|1999|1998| Net Profit After Tax|56|48|33| Number of Shares Issued|10|10|8| |R5. 60|R4. 80|R4. 13| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited s earnings per share favourably increased over the three horizons from R4. 3 (1998), to R4. 80 (1999), to R5. 60 (2000). This steady increase in share value ove r the three-year period is indicative of the higher favourable perception of XYZ Limited s 1. 1. 1. 6P/E Ratio Describes Price/Earnings per share capacity of the entity and it is measured by the following ratio: Price Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Per Share indicates the internal growth of an enterprise. The P/E ratio also signifies how much investors are willing to pay per rand of current earnings. Furthermore, an increase in P/E usually indicates that an enterprise shows potential for future growth.The P/E Ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – P/E ratio|2000|1999|1998| Price per Share|28|20|16| Earnings Per Share|6|5|4| |5. 00|4. 17|3. 90| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Price/Earnings per share for XYZ Limited steadily increased over the horizons of 1998 (3. 90) to 1999 (4. 17); an increase of 0. 27. This increase is healthy for the company as it reflects it as a growing capability. However, since XYZ Limited is in its start-up phase this increase is understandable. The Price/Earnings per share for XYZ Limited, again, steadily increased over the horizons of 1999 (4. 17) to 2000 (5. 00); an increase of 0. 3. What is interesting to note is that this internal growth suggests that perhaps it is one of the contributory factors, which influenced the negative trend in the return of capital and since the company is relative new, growth is inevitable. 1. 1. 2 Liquidity Ratios Liquidity ratios, in essence, measure the ability of the enterprise to pay its bills on time. In other words, the more liquid an enterprise possesses, the more able it would be in terms of paying its bills. In addition, Liquidity ratios also measure the management of a firm s ability to employ working capital. The major liquidity ratios are: Current Ratio Acid-test Ratio Stock Turnover days Creditors payment ratio 1. 1. 2. 1Current Ratio The Current ratio measures the amount of times the company s assets cover its liabilities. Current liabilities consist of creditors who must be paid in cash in the short term. Current assets mainly consist of stock, debtors, and cash. The calculation of the current ratio is as follows: Current Assets Current Liabilities There is no generic rule of thumb about what the figure should be, but generally speaking, an acceptable ratio usually computes between 1 and 2, even though this may vary from industry to industry.The significant thing about the current ratio is that it is used to make comparisons, rather than an absolute measure of liquidity. As a short-term ratio, it makes sense, due to the fact the company s liquidity in the short term depends upon whether it has enough current assets to pay its current liabilities. Another important aspect of the Current Ratio is that it is an important tool for creditors and bank managers (in the case of overdrafts) as signifies that the company can make the commitment to its lenders. The current ratio could also be used in terms of risk management in the event of a negative trend in t his ratio.For example, if the rate at which the company s assets are converted into cash is slower than that of the repayment of the company s creditors, there would be liquidity problems in that enterprise. The Current ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Current Ratio|2000|1999|1998| Current Assets|186|110|22| Current Liabilities|70|36|20| |2. 66 : 1. 0|3. 06:1. 0|1. 10:1. 0| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Current ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 increased considerably from 1. 10:1. 0 to 3. 06:1. 0. The poor acid-test ratio in 1998 indicated that the company had experienced problems.This is obviously not the case due to the fact that the enterprise was just starting up. Another observation of this particular horizon is that it signifies that in 1999 the company expanded (grew) substantially since its inception – which contributed to the enormity of the gap. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the current ratio of XYZ Limited expectedly â₠¬Å"levelled-out† from (3. 06: 1. 0) to (2. 66:1. 0); and even though it is still above the industry norm (2:1). Even though this horizon indicates that XYZ Limited has the capabilities of servicing long-term debt and current liabilities, it must still be viewed with caution. 1. 1. 2. Acid Test Ratio The Acid-Test ratio (or sometimes referred to as the Quick ratio) is a more severe form of the current ratio where current assets are readily converted to cash are calculated as a proportion of the current liabilities. The calculation of the Acid-test ratio is as follows: Current Assets – Stock Current Liabilities The Acid-test ratio also compares current assets to current liabilities, but removes stock from the assets, since stock is usually the least liquid of all the assets and the most difficult to convert into cash. This ratio, in fact, gives us a more accurate assessment of the liquidity of the enterprise.A quick ratio of 1:1 would be considered as the norm , but may v ary from industry to industry. The Quick ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Acid Test Ratio|2000|1999|1998| Current assets – Stock|120|70|7| Current Liabilities|70|36|20| |1. 71:1. 0|1. 94:1. 0|0. 35:1. 0| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Current ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 increased considerably from 0. 35:1. 0 to 1. 94:1. 0 respectively. The poor acid-test ratio in 1998 is indicative of the fact that the company was in its infancy stage and was probably committed to its lenders.XYZ Limited then somewhat leap-frogged in 1999 to a more favourable position due its debtors recovery. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the quick ratio of XYZ Limited declined marginally from (3. 06: 1. 0) to (2. 66:1. 0) respectively; and even though it is still above the industry norm (1:1). The decrease in XYZ Limited s quick ratio could be ascribed to expansion in operations and growth and even though was still able to meet its short-term commitments. 1. 1. 2. 3Stock turnover days The calculation of the stock turnover days is as follows: Average inventory X 365 Cost of salesThe inventory stock days calculates the sales an enterprise contains in its year-end inventory. The most efficient scenario would be to have no inventory holding, but is impractical, as it would make an enterprise inoperable. It would therefor be considered as a management inventory control policy. The Stock turnover days ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Stock Inventory Turnover Days|2000|1999|1998| Ave inventory X 365|66|40|15| Cost of sales|600|544|490| |40. 15|26. 84|11. 17| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : It is interesting to note that during the period 1998 and 1999 this figure for the stock turnover days seemingly increased by 25. 7 days (from 11. 17 days in 1998 to 26. 84 days in 1999). This increase in the number of days could be as a result of growth or due to stock holding. XYZ Limited showed an increase in the number of days for the horizon 1 999 (26 days) and 2000 (40 days). This negative trend over this period and the previous horizon could be misleading and potentially indicates that stock piling occurs. It is difficult to assess this condition as the company could be in the process of delivering a huge order or has over stocked in anticipation of sales projection. 1. 1. 2. 4Creditors PaymentsThe calculation of the creditors payments is as follows: Average Creditors X 365 Cost of sales The creditors payments days indicates the period an enterprise uses to pay it s trade collectors. This can potentially give rise to cash discounts by suppliers. The Creditors Payments ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Stock Inventory Turnover Days|2000|1999|1998| Ave Creditor X 365|40|26|20| Cost of sales|600|544|490| |24 days|17days|14days| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited showed an increase in the number of days for the horizon 1998 (14 days) and 1999 (17 days). And again during 2000 (24 days).This, however, does n ot signify anything as the company is still able to pay its suppliers in less that 30 days, which suggests an efficient payment process. 1. 1. 3 Leverage Ratios Leverage (Gearing) ratios, in essence, gives the analyst an indication of the sort of debt an enterprise has and how the operations is financed. All leverage ratios will contain long-term debts and short-term debts. This is usually compared with the total assets of the company. Financial institutions and banks are usually keen to know the company s leverage as they are keen to find out how much an enterprise has borrowed and what it can afford to borrow.The major leverage ratios are: 1. 1. 3. 1Debt Ratio The debt ratio is an indicator of all the debt that the company has , to its total assets. The calculation of the debt ratio is as follows: Total liabilities Total assets Due to the accounting equation, it can be generally assumed that the company has financed its assets by the above proportion of â€Å"non-owner† fun ds. â€Å"Owner funds† refers to share capital and retained earnings. Lenders generally stipulate that this ratio should not exceed a certain percentage because it is usually more risky to lend to a company who lacks owners funds (i. . share capital + retained earnings) as apposed to its â€Å"non-owners† funds. Again, the desirable value of this ratio is difficult to evaluate and its usefulness lies in how it compares to the same ratio in other similar companies. The debt ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Debt ratio|2000|1999|1998| Total liabilities|100|76|60| Total assets|286|230|162| |34. 97%|33. 04%|37. 04%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The debt ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 decreased marginally from 37. 04% to 33. 04%. this was mainly due to an increase in assets.Due to this effect on leverage, the debt equity ratio caused the return on shareholder s equity to remain fairly constant even though an increase in return on capit al was encountered. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the debt ratio of XYZ Limited increased marginally, suggesting that the company did not have the same profitability as the previous horizon. 1. 1. 3. 2Long-term Debt Ratio The long-term debt ratio is an indicator of only the long-term debt that the company has, to its total assets. The calculation of the long-term debt ratio is as follows: Long-term Debt Total assetsLong term debt is fairly static. Generally lenders do not like to give long-term loans to finance short-term (current assets). They prefer to lend on a long-term basis for items such as fixed assets. The ratio therefor indicates what proportion of the assets has been financed by long-term debt. The debt ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Long-term debt ratio|2000|1999|1998| Long-term debt|30|40|40| Total assets|286|230|162| |10. 49%|17. 39%|24. 69%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The debt ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 decreased mar ginally from 24. 9% to 17. 39%. This was mainly due to an increase in total assets. Due to this effect on leverage, the debt equity ratio caused the return on shareholder s equity to remain fairly constant even though an increase in return on capital was encountered. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the debt ratio of XYZ Limited increased significantly mainly due to an increase in total assets and a decrease in long-term debt. What is noticeable in this ratio is that XYZ Limited is not particularly bad for the company. In fact, the company is seemingly doing very well.