Thursday, October 31, 2019

Botox Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Botox - Case Study Example Botox is derived from the botulin poison and used to paralyze the nerves and thus movement in certain parts of the face, particularly around the eyes, forehead, mouth, and nose, creating an appearance that is free of the age associated wrinkles. This treatment is considered a luxury purchase in Canada and worldwide, though is reasonably priced at around $2000 for a 3-6 month treatment on average. Because of this, the proposed marketing plan will address the ways to increase sales primarily in the luxury market, while also recognizing that Botox may become useful in the treatment of other diseases, such as migraines, chronic pain disorders, or nerve issues. Allergan states that Botox has â€Å"has virtually changed the face of medical aesthetics† and the widest application of this pharmaceutical is in cosmetic related procedures that are non-surgical and relatively quick for the patient to receive. (Allergen, 2011) Nevertheless, there may be competitors or legislative decisions that adversely affect the Botox market, such as taxation in the United States that would target Botox treatments and other types of cosmetic surgery with a type of luxury tax. As this is not expected to pass in Canada in the foreseeable future, the wider issue would be the assumption of medical coverage for Botox treatments popularly. There is increasing use of Botox in Canadian hospitals covered under national healthcare plans that include the use of Botox as a treatment for migraines, but there is little coverage under these plans for cosmetic procedures. Because of this, Allergan should pursue a sales and marketing plan for Botox in Canada that targets the medical uses of the drug to the hospital and private practitioner community while providing additional literature on the cosmetic use of Botox to all practicing cosmetic surgeons in the country. The next section will examine the existing corporate strategy of Allergan to see how it can be supplemented or improved for Canada. A llergan It is clear that Allergan CEO David Pyott’s plan for Botox has been widely successful, and the company is already pursuing a dual marketing plan of providing the background information on the medical uses of Botox to doctors in hospitals and private practice in Canada, while building log term relationships with cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists who specialize in the procedure. The advertising of Botox in the professional class is largely established through word of mouth and the becoming of â€Å"Botox† a publicly recognized term, like â€Å"aspirin†. This success in building the brand identity can be considered the highest accomplishment of Allergan’s existing marketing campaign, and this brand identity will fuel future organic growth in Canada. Strengths The strengths of the Botox product is its cosmetic use, though increasingly the medical significance of Botox in migraine and nerve pain instances points to a large and growing market share. Because there are few existent competitors for this product, and because it gives professionals an advantage in an appearance oriented career such as acting, modeling, publicity, etc., the procedure itself can often be justified as a business related cost or investment. This aspect is also related to the inevitable fact of old age and the need of society to worship the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Introduction to Operation Management Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Operation Management Essay If you would like to choose an organization that is NOT from the above list, please consult your professor. For SLP 1, identify the following by writing a paper (with paragraphs, including an introductory, body, and concluding section): 1) The organizations name and main line of business, 2) A specific type of operations process that takes place there (either service or product), 3) Describe the nature of the operations given your newfound understanding of operations management and productivity. 4) You may identify the strategy or global strategy of that organization. Feel free to consult background readings, browse our library to find more articles, and check the relevant websites to support your argument. Introduction An organization efficiency and effectiveness are necessary to surface in this new era of business where maintaining a competitive edge is the difference between succeeding and faltering. In this paper I will describe and analyze the operation management by describing and analyzing the different operations management perspectives and its productivity. Body The organization I have chosen to study and analyze is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., their line of business is retail. Since Wal-Mart is one of the top supermarket chains in the country exporting to 27 countries and sells a large number of products, the company runs on multiple levels and since some products have different regulations than other obviously the operation management has tuned to the specific needs of the product. Not only has the operation management pertained not only for goods but also for services. Since 2009, The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) and Wal-Mart have worked together to create a system that measure and report the sustainability of products by developing tools to enhance the capacity to comprehend and state the environmental, social, and economic effects of products. This process of researching product sustainability is used to expand knowledge of top grossing products and find out how to improve the quality of the products. By improving the quality they can manufacture better products at a lower cost and sell it the same of higher price increasing profits. On the other hand, by testing product sustainability new eco-friendly products can be produce and lower the environmental impact while still satisfying consumer demand. The second step is researching the consumer, what they think about the product and how the product is used. This enables manufacturing companies to meet the consumer needs. After all the researcher is done, new found data is combined with new tools to produce better product quality and transparency creating a stronger trust between Wal-Mart and its customer. The nature of this operation is based on the idea of lowering costs while maintaining profits. By researching the products they learn the ins and outs of how it is made, the costs of production, and the sustainability of the product. This allows them to look into cheaper methods and materials while still maintain same safety, health and environmental standards. Furthermore when they research the consumer, they find out what the consumer really needs and provide more to fill that need. Whatever profits are saved they can invest into better tools, production equipment, or anything used to further advance the company. The global strategy (as well as general strategy) is to invest in lower prices. By expanding the types of products sold and bringing back assortments the customer base is expanded, since now the convenience of finding everything you need in one place is available. When this convenience is combined with lower prices, it makes Wal-Mart a retail juggernaut that will be nearly impossible to top. Conclusion In conclusion, operations management is a key tool in controlling all aspects of a business. By managing operations you can cut costs, accidents, or even increase profits. An example would be Wal-Mart’s product sustainability management. By investing in this process they have advanced their company in many aspects, giving them an advantage in their business. References Plenert, Gerhard J. (2002). International Operations Management. Retrieved January 17, 2013 at: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/tourou/search.action?p00=International +Operations+ManagementfromSearch=fromSearchsearch=Search Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (2012) 2012 Annual Report. Retrieved on January 17, 2013 at: http://www.walmartstores.com/sites/annual-report/2012/CEOletter.aspx Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (2012) Global Responsibility. Sustainability Index. Retrieved on January 17, 2013 at: http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/environment-sustainability/sustainability-index

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Managing Capability Nandos | Executive Summary

Managing Capability Nandos | Executive Summary This report aims to describe and evaluate capabilities it will use the resource based view to examine them in more detail and the importance of them. After this the report will then evaluate Nandos resources and capabilities and will discuss ways in which these may possibly lead to a competitive advantage. Subsequent to this it will go on to divulge using an assortment of analytical frameworks associated with Nandos to investigate in more detail the competitive advantage they have over their competition. After this it will ascertain how the management of Nandos is able to develop and manage these capabilities. Introduction This report will be based around Nandos the restaurant chain. Nandos whose food, along with wacky advertising campaigns has captured the hearts of thousands of beloved customers. The origins of Nandos can be traced back to South Africa where the first restaurant opened in 1987, with Portuguese style food an ingrained idea within the business; basing their menu around chicken has afforded them the chance to gain a substantial stake in their chosen market. It has had rapid expansion overseas seeing triumph in many of the 25 countries they operate, although it has not been successful everywhere they laid their eggs.(REFERENCE IN HERE) In order to comprehend the strategy as well capabilities the companies possess, it is essential to look at all the pieces of the Nandos puzzle, this report will do this by drawing on real life examples of how Nandos have utilised resources and capabilities, in addition will be using analytical frameworks to support findings and present further understandin g. Resource Based View The resource-based view of strategy conjoins both resources and capabilities together; Grant states that it is the principle foundations of strategy along with correct understanding and implementation of these are a firms key basis to profitability. (Grant 2007) Grant deems it important to distinguish between resources and the capabilities of a firm; resources are, The productive assets owned by the firm whereas capabilities are what the firm can do (Grant 2007). One of the foremost sources of profitability is the competitive advantage in their market. Establishing competitive advantage can be achieved through the development and deployment of resources and capabilities, and thus has become the primary goal for strategy.'(Grant Page 124). Furthermore, Grant affirms that if external environment alters drastically, this in turn could have an effect on the markets an organisation operates in; then the need for a secure basis of internal resources and capabilities becomes of utmost importance an formed within the firm (Grant Book). This strong assortment of resources and capabilities can utilised by the firm to exploit different markets in which these capabilities could complement, instead of allowing the market in which they operate along with customers to control how they should go about doing business, further supporting the significance of competitive advantage in a market, as well as the need to possess this. Resources and Capabilities as a source of Competitive Advantage Resources are defined as the productive assets of a business, these consist of; tangible, intangible and human (knowledge) (Grant, 2007). Resources and Capabilities as Sources of Competitive Advantage Resources are the productive assets, both tangible (such as cash and plant), intangible (technology, reputation culture) and human (skills, capacity for communication and collaboration motivation), in control by the organisation (Grant, 2007). Capabilities are defined as the things a firm can do (2007, p. 130-131), these capabilities are formed by a firms capacity to utilize and deploy their resources for a desired end result Helfat Lieberman (2002 p.135 quoted in Grant 2007). The RBV of competitive advantage is born out of having a capability or resource that has the two following conditions; scarcity relevance. This advantage however is only useful and an advantage if it is durable, hard to imitate and replicate by other firms (Grant, 2007). In Appendix 1 the tangible, intangible and human resources of JnJ have been identified, along with their capabilities, I shall now define what a core and dynamic capability is with some brief examples of JnJs taken from the resources in the table. I shall then go on to show linkages further and ultimately if and how they provide JnJ with a competitive advantage, part 3 will go onto use frameworks to evaluate further if these are in fact sustainable. The nature of competitive adavantage is formed through a cpabilitiy or resource which have two conditions; there relevancy and there scarcity The benefits from these resources and capabilities depend not just on their ability to establish a competitive advantage but also on how long that advantage can be sustained (BOOK 2009). Also it is dependent on how resilient the companys capabilities are; as well as if a rival company can replicate specific capabilities. Figure 1 shows Nandos tangible,intangible and human resources identified, as well as their current capabilities, this report will now analyse what a core and dynamic capability is, including certain relevant examples related to Nandos from Figure 1. After this, I will go onto discuss in depth the linkages and how they may be able to present Nandos with effective advantage over their competition, following on from this, I will then utitlise certain frameworks and analyse and determine whether these are sustainable or not. Grant believes that Capabilities can be defined as either core or distinctive, the differences between the two is; core are the main fundamental capabilities a company must possess to compete in the chosen market, whereas distinctive are the capabilities which spate the company from the competition, giving them a competitive advantage.(Grant 2009) I will now look further into Nandos capabilities with reference to their capabilities in forms of core an distinctive. It is capability that is the essence of superior performance In order for Nandos or any company for that matter, to stay in a position that is both profitable and sustainable is a very hard thing to do. The understanding of their capabilities is imperative, as if they dont understand them then they could find themselves out of the market or even worse out of business. Capabilities are split up into to two different sectiosnScarce capabilities are widely available in their chosen market. If this is the case in Nandos chosen market then there is no real chance of gaining a larger segment of the market, they have to give the customer something new and different. Another factor is the relevance of these capabilities to the company and chosen market, as if they are not giving the target market what they want then they cant stay competitive, for example Nandos is established as a company who solely serve chicken, but whats to say people go and eat at KFC as they just serve chicken as well, its the taste and quality of the food which keeps customers coming back, as well as Nandos unique restaurant experience which is relevant to the market they are in. When we apply this to Nandos they have a specific part of the company that they focus everything around and thats chicken, they only serve chicken on their menu, which in some areas could be beneficial as no other large company is dedicated to that type of menu other than KFC but theres is Kentucky fried chicken and they are a fast food restaurant rather than Nandos established as a restaurant/takeaway so they arent in direct completion in their markets. Conclusion Acquisition of GBK over the last few months Tangible Intangible Human Financial (Cash, securtities, borrowing capacity) Physical (plant, equipment, land, mineral reserves) Technology (patents, copyrights,  trade secrets) Reputation (brands, relationships) Culture Skills/Know-how Capacity for communication and collaboration Motivation Organisational Capabilities Strategy Industry key factors success factors Competitive Advantage Nandos SWOT Analysis Strengths Advantages of proposition? Capabilities? Competitive advantages? USPs (unique selling points)? Resources, Assets, People? Experience, knowledge, data? Financial reserves, likely returns? Marketing reach, distribution, awareness? Innovative aspects? Location and geographical? Price, value, quality? Accreditations, qualifications, certifications? Processes, systems, IT, communications? Cultural, attitudinal, behavioural? Management cover, succession? Weaknesses Disadvantages of proposition? Gaps in capabilities? Lack of competitive strength? Reputation, presence and reach? Financials? Own known vulnerabilities? Timescales, deadlines and pressures? Cashflow, start-up cash-drain? Continuity, supply chain robustness? Effects on core activities, distraction? Reliability of data, plan predictability? Morale, commitment, leadership? Accreditations, etc? Processes and systems, etc? Management cover, succession? Opportunities Market developments? Competitors vulnerabilities? Industry or lifestyle trends? Technology development and innovation? Global influences? New markets, vertical, horizontal? Niche target markets? Geographical, export, import? New USPs? Tactics surprise, major contracts, etc? Business and product development? Information and research? Partnerships, agencies, distribution? Volumes, production, economies? Seasonal, weather, fashion influences? Threats Political effects? Legislative effects? Environmental effects? IT developments? Competitor intentions various? Market demand? New technologies, services, ideas? Vital contracts and partners? Sustaining internal capabilities? Obstacles faced? Insurmountable weaknesses? Loss of key staff? Sustainable financial backing? Economy home, abroad? Seasonality, weather effects?   Department Areas  Finance Return On Investment   Cash Flow   Return on Capital Employed   Financial Results (Quarterly/Yearly) Internal Business Processes  Number of activities per function   Duplicate activities across functions   Process alignment (is the right process in the right department?)   Process bottlenecks   Process automationLearning GrowthIs there the correct level of expertise for the job?   Employee turnover   Job satisfaction   Training/Learning opportunitiesCustomerDelivery performance to customer   Quality performance for customer   Customer satisfaction rate   Customer percentage of market   Customer retention rate   http://www.businessballs.com/balanced_scorecard.htm

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Road to Abolishing HUAC Essay -- ACLU American Civil Liberties Uni

The Road to Abolishing HUAC: A Comparison of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee The history of the United States in the twentieth century was significantly influenced by the actions of civil liberties organizations. However, during the reign of the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the 1950s, civil liberties organizations compromised their principles and did not protest HUAC’s repression of civil liberties. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) purged its Communist members and sympathizers, condoned congressional investigating committees, and failed to defend individuals whose civil liberties had been abridged. Although the ACLU sought to censure McCarthy and called for the abolition of HUAC, its policies had shifted to the right and it rarely took direct action against HUAC. As a result, several former members of the ACLU created the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee (ECLC) in 1951 to pick up the initiative dropped by the ACLU. Corliss Lamont, a fervent defender of civil liberties who left the ACLU for the ECLC, cla ims that he â€Å"remained on the Board [of the ALCU] and fought for fundamental civil liberties principles as long as [he] was able to†¦[but] was fighting a losing battle† (Freedom 278). By 1957, the ECLC dedicated its resources to abolishing HUAC but could not engage the ACLU in its campaign. One questions why the ECLC was active in the condemnation of HUAC in the 1950s, but the ACLU was not. Historians have cited anti-Communism within the Union, a desire to preserve its reputation, and the Union’s lack of resources as reasons why it was not involved in an abolition campaign. Research best supports the claim that the ACLU did not joi... ...LU. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1999. Samuel Walker is a Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He earned a Ph.D. in American History and is the author of books on civil liberties, policing, and criminal justice. He is also a member of the ACLU and this book is recommended in Ellen Shrecker’s Age of McCarthyism. He claims the ACLU was inactive during the Cold War because of weak leadership, poor judgement, an effort to keep the ACLU free of communism, and the belief that cooperation with the government was the best way to defend civil liberties. That he is a member of the ACLU lends questions to the objectivity of his analysis; William Donohue notes that the book â€Å"demonstrates as much independence of thought as would a tract written by a senior member of the Pentagon on the history of the Department of Defense†.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Nagel’s Negative Good vs Negative Evil

?Chapter 9 short writing assignmentShannon Prendergast Nagel explains negative good. as the absence of something bad and he describes a negative evil as the absence of something good. He is comparing these as they apply to death in this chapter. Assuming that death without anything is either good or bad to the person who dies. . He describes death as being either a negative evil or negative good. It can be described as a negative good because it can lack something bad. If someone is dying from a painful disease there death will result in the lack of the bad pain they were feeling. It can also be described as a negative evil because they will miss out on the great experiences of life (sun shining, flowers blooming, laughing. ) But for these to be true we must think we don’t exist after death. If we believe otherwise it could be these things don’t change for us. If you were a bad person you may continue to suffer, or maybe the sun and flowers are more beautiful after death if you were a good person. An example of a negative good in my life is the death of my brother-in-law. He suffered from depression (unknown to family) He was in a dark place and felt much turmoil and pain within. He committed suicide and this could be considered a negative good for him because his pain was ended. It can also be considered to be a negative evil because he will never see his children’s smile, hear there laughter or watch them grow. He was young and there was much life to live. I hope that there is existence after death and that people are at peace with there pain after death and can watch over there loved ones. Another example in life of a negative good is I had to leave a job I loved, but it happened to open the door for me to go back and finish my degree. The losing of the job was in turn not a bad thing because it produced something that otherwise would not have happened. There is also a negative evil in this situation and that is that I was unable to sign up for the class I wanted to take. It was not necessarily bad; it just lacked a something good. In wrapping up the difference between negative good and negative evil, I would like to believe that every negative has a positive and when a bad happens to us it is because a good is on its way. As far as death goes I believe we go on to a wonderful, place. whether it be as ourselves or not. After all did we ever not exist, or do we live forever just changing forms. Maybe are cells evolve into different thing and everyone lives forever somehow.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The President National Security essays

The President National Security essays The Presidents role in National Security has been a topic of enduring debate in U.S. politics from the Constitutional Convention to our present day situation in Kosovo. Nearly every American President has had to struggle with this issue and deal with the Constitutions separation of power between Congress and the Executive. The President and Congress share the war-making powers, treaty-making and foreign policy powers, and among many others, the power to place desired officials into certain offices. These powers, though disliked by many, are shared so as to protect the people of this nation with our grass roots system of checks and balances. Most critics of shared powers focus on the areas of war-making and foreign policy. This conflict can be traced all the way back to the struggle between Hamilton and Madison. After what was said to be a series of failed Presidencies (Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter), one group of modern Hamiltonians wanted to increase the power of the President explicitly. They hope to reach their goals legitimately through legislation and constitutional amendments. Another group of Hamiltonians emerged informally after the Presidency of Ronald Reagan and the Irangate controversy. Group members asserted that, The President and the President alone, should exercise exclusive authority in at least four vital areas: the power to go to war; the power to both initiate and carry out foreign policy; the power to appoint officials to the highest posts in the country with only the pro forma advice and consent of the Senate. (#6, p.57) They also wanted the Congress to only be able to make minor modificat ions to the Presidents domestic budget policy. Other advocates of these positions are seeking a more unitary state similar to those of modern parliamentary democracies like Great Britain. Many are envious of the British Prime Ministers abil...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on A Seperate Piece

Through the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, one of the main characters named Gene Forester is seemingly always in a conflict. These conflicts both internal and external plague Gene until the very end. It is these conflicts that lead to the creation of an enemy that Gene is at war with throughout A Separate Peace. This enemy is Gene himself. The first time the enemy within Gene gets the best of him, it causes him to hurt his best friend. When Gene and Finny create the â€Å"Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session† they decide to make the initiation jumping out of a tree by the Devon River. It is this event that sparks the outrageous suspicion that maybe Finny is trying to ruin Gene’s academics by keeping him busy with the club. This envy of Finny builds in Gene over time and at each meeting they start by both of them jumping from the tree. Finally at one meeting when they were both on the limb, Gene’s feelings caused him to jounce the limb in a blind impulse resulting in Finny falling and breaking his leg. Although Gene did not think anyone saw what happened, one person did. Leper Lepellier witnessed Gene’s blind rage from the ground and ironically would see it again. Leper was the first of Gene and Finny’s class to enlist. He enlisted in the ski troops after seeing a recruiting video. No one expected to hear from Leper until during the Winter Carnival, Gene received a letter telling him that Leper had escaped and wanted Gene to meet him. Gene, being intrigued by the letter, left to meet Leper at his home in Vermont. When Leper starts describing his hallucinations of the war to Gene, it causes him to respond in anger. Gene reacts by yelling and at one point even kicks the chair out from under Leper. His problem is not as much with Leper as it is a conflict with himself over the war. In anger he leaves Leper and returns back to Devon. The last stand of the enemy within Gene is held when he, Finny, ... Free Essays on A Seperate Piece Free Essays on A Seperate Piece Through the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, one of the main characters named Gene Forester is seemingly always in a conflict. These conflicts both internal and external plague Gene until the very end. It is these conflicts that lead to the creation of an enemy that Gene is at war with throughout A Separate Peace. This enemy is Gene himself. The first time the enemy within Gene gets the best of him, it causes him to hurt his best friend. When Gene and Finny create the â€Å"Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session† they decide to make the initiation jumping out of a tree by the Devon River. It is this event that sparks the outrageous suspicion that maybe Finny is trying to ruin Gene’s academics by keeping him busy with the club. This envy of Finny builds in Gene over time and at each meeting they start by both of them jumping from the tree. Finally at one meeting when they were both on the limb, Gene’s feelings caused him to jounce the limb in a blind impulse resulting in Finny falling and breaking his leg. Although Gene did not think anyone saw what happened, one person did. Leper Lepellier witnessed Gene’s blind rage from the ground and ironically would see it again. Leper was the first of Gene and Finny’s class to enlist. He enlisted in the ski troops after seeing a recruiting video. No one expected to hear from Leper until during the Winter Carnival, Gene received a letter telling him that Leper had escaped and wanted Gene to meet him. Gene, being intrigued by the letter, left to meet Leper at his home in Vermont. When Leper starts describing his hallucinations of the war to Gene, it causes him to respond in anger. Gene reacts by yelling and at one point even kicks the chair out from under Leper. His problem is not as much with Leper as it is a conflict with himself over the war. In anger he leaves Leper and returns back to Devon. The last stand of the enemy within Gene is held when he, Finny, ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Prove Your Family Tree Connections

How to Prove Your Family Tree Connections There is nothing more frustrating to a genealogist than locating details on an ancestor in a published book, Web page, or database, only to later find that the information is full of errors and inconsistencies. Grandparents are often linked as parents, women bear children at the tender age of 6, and often entire branches of a family tree are attached based on nothing more than a hunch or guess. Sometimes you may not even discover the problems until sometime later, leading you to spin your wheels struggling to confirm inaccurate facts, or researching ancestors who arent even yours. What can we as genealogists do to: Make sure that our family histories are as well-researched and accurate as possible.Educate others so that all of these inaccurate family trees dont continue to procreate and multiply? How can we prove our family tree connections and encourage others to do the same? This is where the Genealogical Proof Standard established by the Board for Certification of Genealogists comes in. Genealogical Proof Standard As outlined in Genealogy Standards by the Board for Certification of Genealogists, the Genealogical Proof Standard consists of five elements: A reasonably exhaustive search for all pertinent informationA complete and accurate citation to the source of each item usedAnalysis of the collected informations quality as evidenceResolution of any conflicting or contradictory evidenceArrive at a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion A genealogical conclusion that meets these standards can be considered proved. It may still not be 100% accurate, but it is as close to accurate as we can attain given the information and sources available to us. Sources, Information Evidence When collecting and analyzing the evidence to prove your case, it is important first to understand how genealogists use sources, information, and evidence. Conclusions which meet the five elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard will generally continue to hold as true, even if new evidence is uncovered. The terminology used by genealogists is also a little different than what you may have learned in history class. Instead of using the terms primary source and secondary source, genealogists quantify the difference between sources (original or derivative) and the information that is derived from them (primary or secondary).   Original vs. Derivative SourcesReferring to the provenance of the record, original sources are records that contribute written, oral, or visual information not derived- copied, abstracted, transcribed, or summarized- from another written or oral record. Derivative sources are, by their definition, records which have been derived- copied, abstracted, transcribed, or summarized- from previously existing sources. Original sources usually carry more weight than derivative sources.Primary vs. Secondary InformationReferring to the quality of the information contained within a particular record, primary information comes from records created at or near the time of an event with information contributed by a person who had reasonably close knowledge of the event. Secondary information, by contrast, is information found in records created a significant amount of time after an event occurred or contributed by a person who was not present at the event. Primary information usually carries more we ight than secondary information. Direct vs. Indirect EvidenceEvidence only comes into play when we ask a question and then consider whether the information found in a particular record answers that question. Direct evidence is information that directly answers your question (e.g., When was Danny born?) without a need for other evidence to explain or interpret it. Indirect evidence, on the other hand, is circumstantial information that requires additional evidence or thought to convert it into a reliable conclusion. Direct evidence usually carries more weight than indirect evidence. These classes of sources, information, an original source, and evidence are rarely as clear-cut as they sound since information found in one particular source can be either primary or secondary. For example, a source containing primary information directly relating to the death may also provide secondary information regarding items such as the deceaseds date of birth, parents names, and even childrens names. If the information is secondary, it will have to be further assessed based on who provided that information (if known), whether or not the informant was present at the events in question, and how closely that information correlates with other sources.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Rooms Division Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rooms Division - Assignment Example The functions of the reception office include: There are wide ranges of front office services which include: Reservations, check-in and registration, mail and information, uniformed service and baggage handling, telephone calls and messages, handling guest accounts, and check-out and bill settlement. These operations start from the time a guest calls or sends in a request for reservation/accommodation (www.answers.com). Therefore the staff of the front office starts interacting with guest by taking in guest information and reservation request, leading to confirmation of reservation and finally to the handling of guest on arrival and guest check-in. Front office takes in the guest information for future use and provides the guest with information about the hotel and its various services and thus becomes the connecting link between the guest and the hotel (www.hotelmanagement.com). The pivotal role played by the front office is quite apparent from this very fact that it is the centre of all activities connected with guests in the hotel. Therefore, the decisions regarding the sale of a room to a particular guest, availability and allocation of a room, maintaining guest account by coordinating with the housekeeping and room service are the major front-of-the office activities. It is the first contact a customer has with the hotel. If it is sort from the start, it makes transition much easier when they are in the hotel. The key to the success of a hotel business is service which starts with the first contact between the guest and the hotel personnel of the front office. The way guests are received and treated is very vital because it becomes the basis of their impression and conditions their disposition about what the hotel provides. It is necessary to have a well-defined plan of a Hotel front office area to enhance smooth operations since the front office area is the first place a customer comes into contact on

Friday, October 18, 2019

Rape of women as a weapon of war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rape of women as a weapon of war - Essay Example It has been misinterpreted as a sex act, but for the victim, it is far from being erotic, sensual or pleasurable. It entails more of aggression and fear in the guise of passion. (Rosen para. 8 http://www.counterpunch.org/rosen04042008.html) Rape has been widespread among warring forces throughout Africa, Southern Europe, and parts of Asia. These include conflicts in Darfur, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Peru, Uganda, C d parts of Asiaovina, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, ngo, rnment troops wal troops. During the day, they carry heavy materisyprus, East Timor, Haiti, Liberia, Peru and Uganda. (Rosen para. 7 http://www.counterpunch.org/rosen04042008.html) Why is rape being used as a weapon? A probable and major reason for this perhaps is because the rapists are trying to undermine or obliterate enemy communities through sexual violence. It is also surmised that rape is a form of genocide. In Bosnia, the Serbian camps are attempting to make it a Serbian state by impregnating Muslim mothers with Serb babies. More than 40,000 Muslim women are estimated to have been raped, and those who were impregnated were forced to bear the child. (Clifford and Ntiricya pg. 1 http://allafrica.com/stories/200712230021.html; Robson para. 9 http://www.newint.org/issue244/rape.htm; Rosen, para. 30 http://www.counterpunch.org/rosen04042008.html) Although the issue has only been brought up recently, the raping of women has been around since the ancient times. In the Old Testament, there are accounts of women being raped and kidnapped by conquering tribes, and they are usually forced to marry their captors to survive. Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman pioneered total war in 1846. He believed that conflict should not only involve recognized combatants but the enemy’s entire society as well, from its natural resources to other aspects of their civilian life. (Rosen, para. 4,

Classroom Environment and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Classroom Environment and Education - Essay Example Rules and expectations are clear and consistent set policies that govern the day-to-day student's behaviors outlining the expectation and achievement from the learning process. Moreover, these policies issue the students with steps to undertake certain tasks in the class. The optimal class environment requires the teachers and related professional have to formulate rules and procedures that give the student a role towards understanding the policies in a positive way, which eventually help them to understand their expectations accordingly. Furthermore, harsh rules only distract the students’ emotions that read to the negative view of the learning process, which necessitate the need for a proper policy-making process.Schedules are the time-oriented timetable set for the students for the learning of various modules. The schedule should be such that it allows students to have ample time to socialize, which eventually improves their social skills. Consequently, this leads to a clas s environment that offers both intellectual knowledge and facilitates the social skills of the students. Social skills play an influential role in the learning process from the improved curiosity, confidence, communication, and cooperation skills of students.Routines and procedures are the set guidelines for students to follow while in class. The optimal classroom environment is met by ensuring that the teacher formulates clear and explanatory routines and procedures that the students are expected to follow.... urthermore, harsh rules only distract the students’ emotions that read to the negative view to the learning process, which necessitate the need for a proper policy making process including the students concerns aptly. Schedules are the time-oriented timetable set for the students for the learning of various modules. The schedule should be such that it allows students to have ample time to socialize, which eventually improves their social skills. Consequently, this leads to a class environment that offers both intellectual knowledge and facilitate the social skills of the students. Social skills play an influential role in the learning process from the improved curiosity, confidence, communication, and cooperation skills of students. Routines and procedures are the set guidelines for students to follow while in class. The optimal classroom environment is met by ensuring that the teacher formulates clear and explanatory routines and procedures that the students are expected to f ollow. In addition, the procedures should evoke a sense of positive acceptance within the students to enable the student feel that their emotions are emotionally considered. The routines for writing down and submitting the assignments should include clear instructions and the dates for submission, which avoids the discouragement that the student gets when an assignment is rejected because of late submission. Classroom climate refers to the feeling of the students, either physically, emotionally or both, in a classroom. The teacher should not evoke stimuli among the students and should ensure that all the students in a class feel a sense of positive attitude concerning the inclusion in the learning process. A favorable classroom climate ensures that it offers support to the students

MAKING STRATEGY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MAKING STRATEGY - Assignment Example Lastly, the report’s concluding part comprises of integrated statement of strategic intent and process commentary. This part demonstrates strategy as issue management process. Issue map are known as tidied hierarchical map having priorities marked. In addition this section analyses strategy as the prioritisation and management of key issues (Ackermann and Eden 2011). The general point concerning making strategy is about agreeing on which strategic issues to practically concentrate cash, energy, effort and emotion (Raimond and Eden 1990). The strategic issues that need to be resolved in order to assure the long term success of the organization over next 2 to 5 years concern revenue gain for Edinburgh airport (Edwards 2004). The issues are shown in strategy as a management issue map below (Ackermann and Eden 2011). Surfaced issues concerning opportunities Edinburgh airport is facing such as round robin (procedural justice), negative issues and opportunities, cause and effect and action orientation issues (Ackermann and Eden 2011). Linked issues: Strategic issues are not autonomous, they influence one another. The process of linking issues adds significance to the workshop in different ways. The first advantage is that through the linking procedure participants (team members) can start to recognize in more aspects how the surfaced issues connect to each other (Raimond and Eden 1990). Significantly the procedure progress from thematic clusters to action clusters where a number of the connections identified transverse the thematic clusters also within them. This issue map is action-oriented since it captures a means-ends framework where each connecting arrow denotes a ‘means’ statement and an ‘ends’ statement (Ackermann and Eden 2011). The priorities denote essential perspectives of strategy; a bargained agreement concerning where to

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The advantages and disavantages of being a military mother Research Paper

The advantages and disavantages of being a military mother - Research Paper Example Greater effort to gain the respect of her male colleagues D. Tendency not to forget the emotional trauma of war E. Limited freedom V. Conclusion VI. References The Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Military Mother Which is worse – a male soldier urinating or a female soldier breastfeeding her two babies at the same time with her breasts fully exposed to her colleagues? Although everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, there is a good chance that most people would think that the latter scenario is worse. There is definitely nothing wrong with women breastfeeding nor with women becoming soldiers, but it is simply too uncomfortable to see these female soldiers breastfeeding. Military mothers, just like any ordinary soldier, have served their own countries well, with even around 30,000 of them in the U. S. Army sent to Iraq and Afghanistan (Scott, 2010). Nevertheless, despite the honor of fighting for their country, military mothers face a whole lot of disadvantages t hat would have to make them either become more steadfast in their military duties or return to a more peaceful life as a civilian mother. Basically, the advantages of being a military mother are simply the benefits that a soldier receives. Military mothers are not treated differently from male servicemen just because they are female. One of the advantages of being a military mother is that they can avail of the usual benefits conferred to all members of the military. This includes relocation assistance services, money management services, family advocacy services, legal assistance services, deployment services, and child and youth services. Just like any serviceman, a military mother avails of relocation assistance services like briefings on how to adapt to transfers. Money management services consist of programs for the education and counseling of soldiers including military mothers on how to handle their finances, how to eliminate debt and how to spend their money wisely, whether or not on active duty. Family advocacy services refer to parent support groups that hold abuse prevention classes and at the same time provide assistance to families of soldiers and military mothers as well as those families with special needs. Legal assistance services are those that offer walk-in services for soldiers and military mothers as well when they need advice on personal legal matters, filing of income tax, preparation of wills, contracts, correspondence and other legal documents. Deployment services refer to briefings on how to manage new household budgets while military mothers are away from their children, how to maintain communication with the family, and how to prepare wills in case death occurs while the military mother is on active duty. Lastly, child and youth services are all about child care programs for soldiers including military mothers. These programs include sports and fitness programs as well as trainings on leadership, arts and recreation, as well as ment oring and education of young children. School transition support and outreach programs are also provided to the children of all soldiers. Most of these services are available to soldiers and military mothers through the Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation program of the government, where recreation, sports, travel, leisure and entertainment

How religion has an impact on marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

How religion has an impact on marketing - Essay Example Due to the increase in the population of the Islam, their behavior has been noted to influence how things are done as their immense numbers is a reflection of real economic figures. It is impressive to note that marketing in commerce is very important to Muslims as they inhabit most of the richest countries in the world. The practice of business in Muslim religion has to be compliant with the Quran and the Muslim law. For instance, during advertisements, the female image used represents a typical Muslim woman with a head scarf as such trends are more identifiable with the conservative Muslim trends. This paper seeks to provide insights into the impacts of marketing on Islamic culture by illuminating on the intersection of business conduct and Islamic teachings. There are various reasons that has motived the growth of commerce in Islamic religion thereby making it one of the most important global economy. First, the increased Muslim population forming a fifth of the world’s population has an impact on the behaviors an attitudes of Muslim adherents. Moreover, during the 2008-2009 financial crises, most of the world’s economies were shattered. This allowed traders practicing Islamic finance to benefit heavily from the gains at that time thereby boosting their prosperity. Muslim traders were also boosted by the oil boom and the fact that the Muslims were increasingly becoming the most affluent consumers globally thereby promoting Muslim trade. Other reason include the improvement in the level foreign investment, the efforts towards the formation of a Muslim trading bloc, globalization and the efforts put forward in enhancing Islamization of countries with majority of their population being Muslim. Such efforts include defining Mu slim codes to be followed in all conducts of life, this will impact of commerce too (Saeed et al. 2001). Sharia is the Islamic law that is responsible for

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

MAKING STRATEGY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MAKING STRATEGY - Assignment Example Lastly, the report’s concluding part comprises of integrated statement of strategic intent and process commentary. This part demonstrates strategy as issue management process. Issue map are known as tidied hierarchical map having priorities marked. In addition this section analyses strategy as the prioritisation and management of key issues (Ackermann and Eden 2011). The general point concerning making strategy is about agreeing on which strategic issues to practically concentrate cash, energy, effort and emotion (Raimond and Eden 1990). The strategic issues that need to be resolved in order to assure the long term success of the organization over next 2 to 5 years concern revenue gain for Edinburgh airport (Edwards 2004). The issues are shown in strategy as a management issue map below (Ackermann and Eden 2011). Surfaced issues concerning opportunities Edinburgh airport is facing such as round robin (procedural justice), negative issues and opportunities, cause and effect and action orientation issues (Ackermann and Eden 2011). Linked issues: Strategic issues are not autonomous, they influence one another. The process of linking issues adds significance to the workshop in different ways. The first advantage is that through the linking procedure participants (team members) can start to recognize in more aspects how the surfaced issues connect to each other (Raimond and Eden 1990). Significantly the procedure progress from thematic clusters to action clusters where a number of the connections identified transverse the thematic clusters also within them. This issue map is action-oriented since it captures a means-ends framework where each connecting arrow denotes a ‘means’ statement and an ‘ends’ statement (Ackermann and Eden 2011). The priorities denote essential perspectives of strategy; a bargained agreement concerning where to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

How religion has an impact on marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

How religion has an impact on marketing - Essay Example Due to the increase in the population of the Islam, their behavior has been noted to influence how things are done as their immense numbers is a reflection of real economic figures. It is impressive to note that marketing in commerce is very important to Muslims as they inhabit most of the richest countries in the world. The practice of business in Muslim religion has to be compliant with the Quran and the Muslim law. For instance, during advertisements, the female image used represents a typical Muslim woman with a head scarf as such trends are more identifiable with the conservative Muslim trends. This paper seeks to provide insights into the impacts of marketing on Islamic culture by illuminating on the intersection of business conduct and Islamic teachings. There are various reasons that has motived the growth of commerce in Islamic religion thereby making it one of the most important global economy. First, the increased Muslim population forming a fifth of the world’s population has an impact on the behaviors an attitudes of Muslim adherents. Moreover, during the 2008-2009 financial crises, most of the world’s economies were shattered. This allowed traders practicing Islamic finance to benefit heavily from the gains at that time thereby boosting their prosperity. Muslim traders were also boosted by the oil boom and the fact that the Muslims were increasingly becoming the most affluent consumers globally thereby promoting Muslim trade. Other reason include the improvement in the level foreign investment, the efforts towards the formation of a Muslim trading bloc, globalization and the efforts put forward in enhancing Islamization of countries with majority of their population being Muslim. Such efforts include defining Mu slim codes to be followed in all conducts of life, this will impact of commerce too (Saeed et al. 2001). Sharia is the Islamic law that is responsible for

To find how the rate of reaction Essay Example for Free

To find how the rate of reaction Essay Results analysis This set of results appear, on the whole, to support my hypothesis. There is a general trend where the higher the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide, the faster more oxygen gas is produced. More oxygen gas would be expected to have been produced with the higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide because as the concentrations go up, the more oxygen is produced and this is how the strength of the hydrogen peroxide is measured. For example, 1cmiof 1V hydrogen peroxide will produce 1cmi. So, if we take the 10cmi 2. 5V hydrogen peroxide used in my investigation, if it had been left to fully decompose, 25 cmi oxygen gas would have been made. Therefore the 2. 5V hydrogen peroxide used in my experiment had fully decomposed, and no more oxygen gas could have been produced, which explains why the amount of gas produced levelled off at the end of the 5 minutes in which it was being tested. The hydrogen peroxide of higher concentrations continued producing gas after the 5 minutes in which I was timing the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide was up. I could not measure past 100cmi of oxygen gas, as my gas syringe was not large enough. My hypothesis was that where there is a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide, the rate of reaction is faster. We can see from my table and graphs that on the whole my results support this hypothesis. Saying this, there are still anomalous results. Having checked my 12. 5V hydrogen peroxide result twice, it was still a little slower rate of reaction than that of the 10V hydrogen peroxide (which I also checked twice). My results appeared to improve once I had checked them, although the results which I have plotted on my graph are averages of the two sets of results for each concentration of hydrogen peroxide. If there is an anomalous result, it will change the overall value of the averaged result, which can affect how accurately the results are shown. Other factors that can affect the results are: -That the experiment will not be timed accurately and that readings are taken at the wrong time, which gives an inaccurate result for that time. -The gas syringe did not work properly, for example if the gas syringe was broken or if it stuck, an accurate reading would not be possible as the pressure would build up inside the gas syringe until it moved. This wouldnt give an accurate result as the gas syringe would not show a different value every ten seconds. -The surface area of the liver used could also affect how well the experiment worked because if there were a greater surface area, there would be more area for the catalase to be in contact with the hydrogen peroxide, therefore more hydrogen peroxide would be exposed to the catalase in the liver. I would expect this to make the rate of reaction faster as there would be more catalyst readily available to speed up the reaction. -The size of liver used will affect the results, for example, if the size of one piece of liver was larger than another piece of liver used with the same strength and amount of hydrogen peroxide, the hydrogen peroxide containing the larger piece of liver will have a faster rate of reaction as it will contain more catalase. -Any error in measurement throughout the experiments in my investigation will affect the results in this investigation, for instance if the hydrogen peroxide was measured incorrectly, different results will be found which could possibly be anomalous. Most of these factors affecting my results are out of my control, such as whether the gas syringe is broken or the size and surface area of the liver (because it is almost impossible to weigh such a small piece of liver). The pieces of liver I used were only approximately the size of a grain of rice, although some were inevitable larger or smaller. Errors in my measurement, however, can be controlled and so I was very careful whilst measuring everything out and timing my experiments. Rebecca Allot 11Y Page 1 03/05/2007 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Financial Analysis of the Coca Cola company

Financial Analysis of the Coca Cola company The Coca-Cola Company (founded in 1919 Georgia, USA) today is the largest global manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. Its strategy is to become more competitive by using its vast assets-brands, financial strength, unrivalled distribution system and the strong commitment by management and employees worldwide. This report analyses Coca Colas financial performance during the period from 2005 to 2009 through the following steps: 1. Industry analysis 2. Firm Analysis 3. Financial Analysis in comparison with PepsiCo and the industry. 4. Evaluation and Conclusion The entire industry is under pressure because of currency fluctuations and high fuel prices. It cannot be concluded, however, that the beverage industry is being threatened more than other industries. The main threat is increasing consumer and regulatory awareness on health and nutrition considerations. There are 3 big players in the beverage industry. Buyers power and rivalry is quite significant throughout the industry. Coca Colas strengths are based on its global resources such as brand value, marketing innovation, strong capital base and distribution channels. Coca-Cola has achieved impressive profits records and ROCE exceeding by far the industry norms and PepsiCo. Although Coca Cola maintains low liquidity ratios, its ability to turnover the stock within a short period of 39 days and enjoy longer credit period with its suppliers, give sufficient comfort to meet its financial obligations. This implies that Coca-Cola has strong bargaining power. Historically, Coca-Colas dividend payouts have been over 50% of the net income of any given period. It is observed that Coca-Colas debt-financing strategy justifies the reasons for maintaining high debt-to-assets and debt-to equity ratios. Coca-Cola has the largest market share in the beverage industry and has a market capitalization of US$102bn which is far above an industry average of US$75bn. Coca Colas profits have steadily grown above industry norms and operational efficiency is quite impressive as indicated by revenue/employee which are twice as high as its main competitor and the industry. However, ROA declined year-by-year from 2005 thru 2009 couple with a decline in the share price. Nonetheless, the new leadership and management team has managed to improve the performance as evidenced by the excellent Q-3 2009 financial results and the resultant increase in EPS. Coca Cola has sound risk management policies that have enabled it to remain stable given the high foreign currency fluctuation, interest rate risks and political instability associated with the wide operation in over 200 countries. In particular, introduction, revision and implementation of effective marketing strategies, quick-decision-making, effective asset utilization, overall asset management policies and the dividend payout policies need immediate management attention, in view of the competitive nature of the beverage industry. Otherwise Coca-Cola may lose more grounds to its competitors. Table of Contents 1 Introduction.5 2 Macro Industry Analysis .6 3 Micro Industry Analysis ..7 4 Financial Analysis9 4.1 Profitability.9 4.2 Liquidity and Funds Management.10 4.3 Asset Management12 5 Evaluation.13 6 Conclusion14 7 References..15 8 Appendices 8.1 Appendix I Definitions of ratios used in the financial analysis.16 8.2 Appendix II Coca Colas Financial Ratios..20 8.3 Appendix III PepsiCo Financial Ratios22 8.4 Appendix VI Financial Statements 8.4.1 Coca Cola Financial Statements 8.4.2 PepsiCo Financial Statements 1 Introduction Coca-Cola (the beverage) was invented in May, 1886, in Atlanta, Georgia and the first drink was sold at a soda fountain in Jacobs Pharmacy in Atlanta by Willis Venable. The idea was if he could just get people to try Coca-Cola they Would buy it. History proved him right. In the beginning sales of Coca-Cola accumulated 50 US$ for the first year. Today the Coca-Cola Company is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. The company provides a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages, including carbonated soft drinks, juices and juice drinks, sports drinks, water products, teas, coffees and other beverages. Along with Coca Cola, this is recognized as the Worlds most valuable brand, the company markets four of the worlds top five Soft-drink brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. The companys main rival is the PepsiCo, although Coca Cola considers Tap water a long-term-indirect competitor. (Newstarget.com) Coca Colas global operating structure includes the following operating segments: North America, Africa, Asia, Europe Eurasia and Middle East, Latin America and Corporate. This report analyses Coca Colas financial performance. The structure of the report is as follows: à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬ ° The first part of the report includes a Macro and Micro industry analysis in which the beverage industry is analyzed The second part is the Firm Analysis, which highlights Coca Colas Capabilities, Competences and Recourses The core of the report is the Financial Analysis, in which Coca Colas financial ratios are compared with its main competitor (PepsiCo) and with (the non-alcoholic beverage) industrys standards where possible Finally the report ends up with an evaluation and a conclusion 2 Macro Industry Analysis As a global company operating within the soft-drink industry, Coca Cola has to content with the traditional Macro Environmental factors. The applicable laws within the United States and in many countries around the world impose restrictions for Coca Cola and the beverage industry. New deposit laws in the United States and in Europe require beverage bottlers and distributors charge a refundable deposit on beverage containers. Implementing this system requires significant capital investment to develop the capability to handle and process empty beverage containers. (Reuters). Many continue to associate health risks with consuming carbonized drinks. A recent study in the United States links the consumption of soft drinks with Type 2 diabetes and weight gain. This idea is supported somewhat by the medical community with statements such as: Anyone who cares about his/her health or the health of their family would not consume these beverages. Although this study was localized within the United States, from a Political and Legal perspective it has potential global implications throughout the industry. Beverage industry is affected, by a number of Economical factors that range from the cost to manufacture and distribute products, to foreign currency exchange fluctuations, fuel prices and weather patterns. Coca Cola has a global manufacturing network and it is also affected by these and other economical factors. For example Nestles (50% owned by Coca-Cola) sales increased with 12.6% in 2005 but due to the impact of foreign exchange rate the sales decreased by 6.3%. (www.dailyreporter.com) Danones profits margins have also been significantly affected by the increase in oil costs and hence, decided to increase their prices by up-to 12%. However it cannot be concluded that the beverage industry is more vulnerable than other industries. The beverage industry also faces environmental challenges. In India, for instance, where there is a serious shortage of water supply, the industry giants were strongly criticized on their use of water that constitutes 90% of the raw materials. This could invite governments to introduce new legislations that may have global implications on the global industry. Additionally, the company experienced culturally imposed operating restrictions when marketing its product in some countries, due to risks related to the socio-cultural factors such as obesity, that have potential adverse effects on the beverage industry. (NewsTarget.com) 3 Micro Industry Analysis The non-alcoholic sector is dominated by three major players, which together control 90% of the global market. However, the rivalry is fierce among the competitors: Nestle, Cadbury Sweppes PLC, Groupe Danone and Kraft Foods, with PepsiCo being the number one Rival for Coke. Coca Cola focuses primarily on carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices, while all of it competitors supply the market with other food products in addition to soft drinks. Coca Cola is continuing its diversification efforts, however and now owns 50% of Nestle, which currently dominates bottled water sales in some regions. Nonetheless, as a result of its past focus of relying primarily on the soft drink market, Coca Cola more vulnerable to fluctuating market conditions than its competitors. The non-alcoholic beverages market remains somewhat vulnerable to the threat of substitutes. The market has become saturated with the introduction of an array of soft drinks, sports drinks and bottled waters. By its own admission , Coca Cola considers tap water one of the main Substitute Products, and possibly a long-term indirect threat. Although many consider the consumption of soft drinks such as Coke (and Pepsi) a social event, the need to quench thrust remains a primary factor. Coca cola views the ready availability of tap water as a long-term threat, especially considering the decreasing reputation of carbonized soft drinks. One of the most significant threats to the beverage industry and Coca Cola is that of buyers power. Consumers can change their decision to buy at once. In 1985 for example, Coca-Cola decided to change the taste of its Cola. The consumers stopped buying Coca Cola even though taste tests demonstrated an improvement. (Hoovers) Coca Cola has long enjoyed limited vulnerability to Suppliers Power. Coca Cola maintains a solid position. Several resources providing global access to the main ingredients, such as Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners and Fruit Juice. However, this can change somewhat because Coca Cola recently experienced some limitation with the availability of raw materials due to increased activity in India. (Reuters) The key to success for all beverage companies is differentiation. The right product along with an effective marketing and branding campaign could create a formula for success. However, when it comes to New Entrants, it is unlikely that new entrants are going to form any creditable threat. Competition from PepsiCo remains the main threat for Coca-Cola. 5 Financial Analysis The financial analysis is based on the consolidated audited accounts of Coca-Cola Company and Subsidiaries made-out by Ernst Young for the past 4 years from 2005 to 2009 and comparisons are made against one of its main rivals PepsiCo. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with USA generally accepted accounting principles and standards of Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The audited accounts / reports bear an unqualified auditors opinion. 5.1 Profitability Coca- Cola has been able to maintain impressive gross profit margins (GPMs) during 2005 to 2009 ranged between 66% and 63% which is better than its main competitor PepsiCo, whose GPMs from2005 thru 2009 stood consistently at 54% and industry standard of 42.28% (http://yahoo.finance.com). NET REVENUE Apparently, the cost structure of Coca-Cola and its overall cost-position is relatively better than PepsiCo although PepsiCo was able to achieve higher revenues than Coca-Cola by up-to 33%. This is further evidenced by the cost-to revenue ratio which was in the range of 75% and 69% for Coca-Cola and 82% and 83% for PepsiCo. NET INCOME Further, better overall cost-position by over 50%, and prudent cost-control enabled Coca-Cola to comparatively achieve better net incomes than PepsiCo as indicated by Net-Profit-Margin (NPM). On an average basis (from 2005 thru 2009) Coca-Cocas NPM stands at 29.815% higher than PepsiCos 18.765% by 59%. 5.2 Liquidity and Funds Management While current ratios for both companies are maintained at a reasonable standard of above 1:1 and are constant over the four years, quick ratios are also maintained at almost 1:1 and hence found to be relatively reasonable in meeting the short-term financial obligations. The cash ratio stands at 0.62:1 (slightly higher than PepsiCos 0.51:1) in 2009 which has improved, compared to 0.44:1, 0.32:1 and 0.23:1 in 2008, 2007 and 2006 respectively, mainly due to the increase in cash and cash equivalents balances to US$6.71bn in 2009 from US$3.36bn in 2008, US$2.13bn in 2007 and US$1.88bn in 2006. Generally, Coca-Cola has been maintaining better cash ratios than PepsiCo. CASH GENERATED FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES TO MATURING OBLIGATIONS Furthermore, although cash provided by operating activities have been steadily increasing at an overall growth rate of over 10%, Coca-Colas Cash-Generated-from-Operations-to-Maturing-Obligation (CGOMO) ratio declined to 0.59:1 in 2009 from 0.58 and 0.54 in 2008 and 2007 respectively due to the increase in current liabilities by over 39%. The key components to the overall increase in current liabilities are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increase of maturities of the long-term debt to US$1.5bn in 2009 from US$0.3bn, US$.18bn, US$0.1.6bn and US$1.4 in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005 respectively. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increase of loans and notes payable to US$4.5bn in 2009 from US$2.6bn in 2008, US$2.5bn in 2007, US$3.7bn in 2006 and US$3.0 in 2005. Nonetheless, there shouldnt be major concerns as Coca-Colas ability to collect its debts within 35 39 days and pay its creditors in almost 200 days while turning over its stock in 63 days, giving sufficient comfort to meet its financial obligations. Coca Cola has strategized in 2005 that by 2009 it intends to generate cash from its operating activities to the extent of 39 billion us$ 5.3 Asset Management Comparatively, Coca-Colas average stock holding period of 64 days is higher than PepsiCos 40 days, as indicated (STR in 2009). The trend shows that both companies have been consistently maintaining their STRs at almost the same levels. The better PepsiCos ratio could be attributed to the diversified nature of its product lines to include foods as compared to Coca Cola which is purely in drinks. Therere negligible differences in the debt collection periods where the number of days range between 35 and 39 for both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which is considered reasonable in an industry which is highly competitive and where the norm is 60 days. This implies that both companies have the competitive edge that may enable them to avoid tiding-up the capital in the receivables and generate sufficient cash to meet their short term financial obligations. Credit payment period shows Coca-Cola enjoys a longer credit period of almost 200 days than PepsiCos 147 days. This implies that Coca-Cola has st ronger bargaining-power than PepsiCo, thus basically gives Coca-Cola a free interest loan. Notably, the fundamental difference in asset management policies between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo is Equity-method-investments by Coca-Cola which historically is among the key components of its asset-base. Coca Cola key Asset Components in 2009 6 Evaluation The global beverage industry is highly regulated and instabilities, changes and uncertainties in worlds political and economic environments pose risks and challenges to the beverage companies, especially those which operate in a global fashion. The sluggish global economy, budget deficits of major economic powers, steep rise in oil prices and sharp currency fluctuations are matters of concern in general that may potentially have adverse implications and put the profit margins under pressure for many companies. This is due to the increase in energy cost needed to run the plants and transport the products to the marketplace. Competition in the beverage industry is fierce; companies that are not widely diversified remain more vulnerable to threats such as, rivalry, buyers and suppliers powers. Product substitution and new entrants form a minor threat in the beverage industry. Coca-Cola, the largest global company with the largest market share in the beverage industry, has a market capitalization of US$102bn which is far above an industry average of US$75bn and slightly higher than PepsiCos US$98bn. Its global presence, wide and reliable distribution channels, strong capital and asset base and global brand recognition provide it with a competitive edge over its rivals and in achieving better economies of scale. However, ROA declined year-by-year from 2009 thru 2005 couple with a decline in the share price. Nonetheless, the new leadership and management team has managed to improve the performance as evidenced by the excellent Q-3 2009 financial results and the resultant increase in EPS. 7 Conclusion Coca Colas leadership and management structure and the overall organizational culture have recently been initiated by hiring the new CEO (E Neville), who now focuses on revamping the organizational structure and the strategies. His primary objectives are to promote Coca Colas historical strengths such as innovation, motivation, training and development, knowledge management and blow-up the bureaucracy that has long been existing in the company in order to achieve sustainable growth and competitiveness. Coca Cola has got sound risk management policies that have enabled it to remain stable given the high foreign currency fluctuation, interest rate risks and political instability in view of the wide operation in over 200 countries. In particular, introduction, revision and implementation of effective marketing strategies, quick-decision-making, effective asset utilization, overall asset management policies and the dividend payout policies need immediate management action in view of the competitive nature of the beverage industry, Otherwise Coca-Cola may lose more grounds to its competitors. The overall financial position of Coca Cola is fantastically sound. The notable decline in ROA is not a matter of great concern particularly when the companys leadership and management team has got a breath of fresh air whose effectiveness is evidenced following the announcement of impressive Q3 2005 financial performance. The new CEO (E Neville) may have set a new course for the worlds number 1 soft drink giant.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Romeo and Juliet: Fate or Free Will? Essay -- Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet: Fate or Free Will? The play Romeo and Juliet was one of the most famous love tragedies ever written. This love story unfortunately had a fatal ending. Many people argue over why the lovers had died, was it over Free Will or Fate? The death of Romeo and Juliet was partially because of free will. The fact that Romeo and Juliet got married knowing that there was a bitter feud between their families, the Montague and Capulet’s. This feud brought on many problems, such as the murder of Tybalt by Romeo. Juliet knew that this might be a problem for Her and Romeo. Juliet had said: â€Å"What’s in a name†? Which explains her ill fate of being a Capulet and Romeo being a Montague. When Romeo tells his servant â€Å" Ay, mine own fortune in my misery†. This illustrates that he does not...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Chine and Taiwan Crisis :: essays research papers

The People's Republic of China has recently passed an anti-secession law aimed at the Republic of China whom they still claim is a rogue province still under the law and subject to rule by Beijing. Taiwan for years has walked a very fine line between fully breaking from China which it began after the Communist revolution shortly after World War II, and full independence which it has so sought for more than a generation. With the possibility of Taiwan seceding from China increasing the Chinese have been slowly backed into a very unfavorable position which could erupt into a regional conflict and perhaps even another World War. The Chinese have publicly stated that if the government of Taiwan tries to pass a declaration of independence from the mainland, the Chinese government would be forced into a position where they would have to "rein in" the rogue province through military force. This has set the stage for a possible conflict which could intensify at a moments notice. Washington DC has stated that if any attacks are made by the PRC on the ROC then the United States of America will assist in the defense of the Republic of China. I think this situation will stop at only words and not lead to an all-out attack by the PRC on the ROC. When the idea of a war between China and Taiwan is discussed it is inevitable that someone will quickly point out the fact that the PRC has the world’s largest standing army. This fact is not in dispute however what is in dispute is the PRC's ability to effectively hit Taiwan with a military strike. Most of the PLA troops are infantry with armored divisions being the next largest part of the PLA. This in and of itself presents a problem for the PRC when fighting the ROC, that problem: How to get the troops from the PRC to the ROC through the Strait of Taiwan. The PLA's first and quickest option is an airborne assault dropping large amounts of paratroopers on Taiwan to secure key installations and airports so heavier transports with the armored divisions and land and supply the mass of the troops required for a full scale invasion. The problem with this plan is two-fold. First of all the People's Liberation Army Air Force has just two Airborne Corps and roughly five-hundred transport aircraft which is not big enough to land enough troops on the ground to effectively seize every installation needed for a decisive victory immediately. Chine and Taiwan Crisis :: essays research papers The People's Republic of China has recently passed an anti-secession law aimed at the Republic of China whom they still claim is a rogue province still under the law and subject to rule by Beijing. Taiwan for years has walked a very fine line between fully breaking from China which it began after the Communist revolution shortly after World War II, and full independence which it has so sought for more than a generation. With the possibility of Taiwan seceding from China increasing the Chinese have been slowly backed into a very unfavorable position which could erupt into a regional conflict and perhaps even another World War. The Chinese have publicly stated that if the government of Taiwan tries to pass a declaration of independence from the mainland, the Chinese government would be forced into a position where they would have to "rein in" the rogue province through military force. This has set the stage for a possible conflict which could intensify at a moments notice. Washington DC has stated that if any attacks are made by the PRC on the ROC then the United States of America will assist in the defense of the Republic of China. I think this situation will stop at only words and not lead to an all-out attack by the PRC on the ROC. When the idea of a war between China and Taiwan is discussed it is inevitable that someone will quickly point out the fact that the PRC has the world’s largest standing army. This fact is not in dispute however what is in dispute is the PRC's ability to effectively hit Taiwan with a military strike. Most of the PLA troops are infantry with armored divisions being the next largest part of the PLA. This in and of itself presents a problem for the PRC when fighting the ROC, that problem: How to get the troops from the PRC to the ROC through the Strait of Taiwan. The PLA's first and quickest option is an airborne assault dropping large amounts of paratroopers on Taiwan to secure key installations and airports so heavier transports with the armored divisions and land and supply the mass of the troops required for a full scale invasion. The problem with this plan is two-fold. First of all the People's Liberation Army Air Force has just two Airborne Corps and roughly five-hundred transport aircraft which is not big enough to land enough troops on the ground to effectively seize every installation needed for a decisive victory immediately.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Meaning of Life and Thanksgiving Essay

As the first pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock and had a feast with the Indians, they shared a moment of thanks together. They gave thanks for all their blessings, thus, creating our lovely day of Thanksgiving. When Thanksgiving is thought of, the first thing that comes to mind is turkey and a plentiful amount of food. Thanksgiving to me, is the time to be together with the ones you care about. Coming together for a day to just be with each other and to catch up is what Thanksgiving means to me. Family should be with each other to share memories and to realize the plentiful amount of blessings they have been given. Thanksgiving is not only a day for gorging on food or falling into a food coma, but talking with each other and just being glad to be with one another. Having family during Thanksgiving is a crucial part in my life. Having all of my relatives in one place for one day to talk and have fun with them makes Thanksgiving extra special for me. It is one of the few days of the year that I get to see everybody. The turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes is just the icing on the cake. Everybody in my family loves the food. We eat and eat until we can’t eat anymore. My family has a tradition of playing soccer afterwards but that goes only so far due to our full stomachs. My cousins and I play a friendly game of poker, afterwards our failed attempts for soccer, for first dibs on dessert. After a good game of poker, my cousins and I look for ways to entertain ourselves meanwhile the adults talk about their lives and brag about their kids. Society today makes Thanksgiving look like a day just to eat. As society advances the meaning of Thanksgiving deteriorates into a secular holiday. The meaning of Thanksgiving seems obsolete. I truly believe that Thanksgiving should be refreshed in its meaning and should be celebrated with family and love. As people come together to share a special day in our history, this should be a day which people will not take for granted.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Haugen Julia versus Winston Contrast Essay Essay

In 1984, by George Orwell, the two main characters, Julia and Winston, provide a telling thrill to the readers through their passion for each other and for rebellion. Through further character analysis, one can see that Julia and Winston share similar characteristics, like rebelling against the party. But in many more ways are they very different. The brown-haired Julia, with voluptuous curves puts up a front that she is a part of the Junior Anti-Sex league and is as orthodox about the Parties values and one can get. Upon further reading the book, Julia develops into a promiscuous, rebellious girl but does not seem to care about upsetting the government, but only wanting to have the ability to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. She explains to Winston about how she just wants to be able to do what she desires, like eating a piece of chocolate or marrying somebody she loves, whenever she wants. Examples of Julia’s concern for herself are evident when Winston is reading to Julia, Goldstein’s book, and she falls asleep. This shows that she doesn’t share the same fascination as Winston so obviously does. Even so the only rebellious branch about Julia is that she is â€Å"only a rebel from the waist down† (page 179, chapter 5) meaning to say that the only reason she’s considered naughty in the eyes of the Thought Police and Party is because she likes to have casual sex. Winston, on the other hand, is rebellious and careful mentally. He is different from Julia in that he does want to upset the order of the government and he does want to have sex, but to him it means more than just an embrace of passion, it means showing the Party that they are doing something that is considered illegal in the eyes of the Thought Police and that they are able to get away with it. He demonstrates this ability to get away with things by reading Goldstein’s book, buying the paperweight, having sex with Julia, which further proves his yearning to overthrow the Party and Big Brotherhood. As Winston reads the book, he is fascinated with what Goldstein has to say and how Ingsoc came to be in the first place, by the modification of Goldstein’s ideas. As the two main characters of this book, it does seem fitting to have two  characters that are willing to do imaginable things that might get them vaporized by the Thought Police to be together and share some of the same values. Even though Julia and Winston share the same ideas in some ways, upon further character analysis, there are some startling differences between those two.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

U.S. History Civil War-Present Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

U.S. History Civil War-Present - Assignment Example Most of the pool culture items are those that people acquire through the different means like for instance buying and enjoy then by using them during their free time. Items of the pop culture entail the activities and products that are designed to suit or rather appeal at attracting the interests of most of the people. Hence therefore the products and activities of pop culture reflect the interests and desire that most people associate or would prefer to associate with (Arnold, 1993). Some of the example of the pop culture includes the clothes. Toys, games, TV shows, actors, singers and movies. From the examples it is evident that this culture does not only deal with the products and activities which are physical and tangible but also deals the intangible part like ideas, images, attitudes, perspectives and issues that are not necessarily physical but lead to cultural followings through beliefs. Inevitably the term pop culture has been used interchangeably with popular culture perhaps due to the masses involved in the constitution of the pop culture (Harrison, 2005). Due to the popularity associated with the pop culture, it relies so heavily on the media which serves to attract the masses to associate with the culture. Media therefore has a very big role to play in the pop culture in terms of influencing the people’s beliefs and perception about the products, activities and beliefs. Media creates a certain influence on the people by the way they present the elements that they advertise or channels to the people and t is how they present this that will make people adopt the attitudes and ideas about the elements which subsequently helps them decide the trend in terms of culture that they will adopt (McChesney, 2004). This is a group of people with a culture that is either distinctly open or hidden and makes them stand out from a larger group which they identify

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Journal of Korean Melodrama A Moment to Remember(2004) Movie Review

Journal of Korean Melodrama A Moment to Remember(2004) - Movie Review Example A Moment to Remember (2004) is a typical Korean melodrama which is a beautiful romantic story with a heartbreaking view of love. Many may believe that A Moment to Remember is one of those typical love stories where the couple falls in love and eventually one of them gets terminally ill. This film was, however, one of those but the difference was that the girl was struck by Alzheimer’s disease. The film shows the series of forgetfulness suffered by the girl and how it leads to frustration and pain for the boy. The male lead is played by Chul Soo and the female lead is played by Su-Jin. This film gives thought to the views about the most important part of life. Some believe wealth and power are the most important while others say love and friendship. This movie rather portrays a simple view that our experiences are the most important part of us as they make us who we are. The movie teaches an important lesson about the significance of treasuring memories as they are the only thing we actually own. There are many other touching moments in the movie. One of them is the act and importance of forgiveness shown when Chul Soo is trying to forgive his mother for abandoning him when he was a child. Even though the movie is about the couple, it gives certain important messages such as being able to forgive is a gift. The movie then shows some really sweet and cute moments between the couple as they are torn apart by life. The story turns out to be painful and tragic as Su-Jin loses her memory. Death is common in melodramatic movies but this movie has pain and tragedy that is portrayed and acted very well. Thus, this movie clearly consists of all the elements that make it a good melodramatic movie. Melodramatic movies may commonly have five characteristics that are observed in this movie as well. The first is that it begins and ends with innocence. Secondly, the movie recognizes the virtue of the heroes and focuses on the victim. Thirdly,

Monday, October 7, 2019

Allstate Insurance Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Allstate Insurance Company - Essay Example At the time, the initial public offering of Allstate was the largest in U.S. history. On June 30, 1995, it became a totally independent company after Sears divested its remaining shares to Sears stockholders. For more than 75 years, Allstate leaders, employees and agency owners have been passionate about leading positive change in this country. Serving as a consumer advocate - and an advocate for the American economy - is an integral part of Allstate's heritage. In the 1930s, Allstate was one of the first companies to create a sophisticated rate classification system, giving better rates to safe drivers; in the 1950s Allstate opened its first drive-in claim office, revolutionizing the way automobile claims are handled; in the 1960s the company helped convince the government to make seat belt use mandatory; in the 1970s and 1980s Allstate played an instrumental role in advocating the safety benefits of air bags; and in the 1990s and 2000s Allstate has continued to take a public stand on issues that are important to consumers. In 2007, Allstate reported $17.7 billion in total property-liability insurance claims and claims expense. The Allstate Foundation donated nearly $20.1 million to nonprofit organizations including $400,000 in scholarships. The Allstate Corporation, its employees and agents donated nearly $6.1 million through the Giving Campaign to nonprofit organizations.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Book Review - Essay Example Huff then explicates how the reader can see through the smoke and to get to what really lies behind the mirror. "There is terror in numbers," writes Darrell Huff. His book aims to decipher the terror that lies beneath the world of averages, trends, graphs, and correlations. Huff sought to break through "the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind.† The book remains relevant as an awakening for people unacquainted to delve deeper into the nonstop flow of numbers pouring from Madison Avenue, Wall Street, and everywhere else; where someone has a point to prove, a product to sell or an axe to grind. Darrell Huff investigates the breadth of every popularly used type of statistic, explores such things as the tabulation method, the interview technique, the sample study, or the way the outcomes are derived from the figures, and points up the infinite number of dodges which are used to deceive rather than inform. "The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify," warns Huff. On t he other hand, he said that we should not be terrorized by numbers. "The fact is that, despite its mathematical base, statistics is as much an art as it is a science." Synonymous to a lecturing father, he expects you to learn and ponder on something valuable from the book, and start applying it every day. Never be a sucker again, he cries! Seeing graphs illustrating numbers if properly done are very helpful in interpreting and analyzing data. And yet, truly deceiving if completed in a fishy fashion If you want to show statistical data, clearly and quickly. Draw a picture of it. When a graph is constructed with a y-axis that is numbered from 1 to 100 without skipping a unit, Huff explained, "Your ten percent looks like ten percent—an upward trend that is substantial but perhaps not overwhelming. That is very

Saturday, October 5, 2019

An analysis of the main character Lt. Henry in A Farewell to Arms Essay

An analysis of the main character Lt. Henry in A Farewell to Arms - Essay Example Lieutenant Frederic Henry is a young American who feels a strong obligation to serving the Italian army, but seldom finds himself without enjoyment. He interprets himself as a man of duty. The experience on the battlefront does not modify his self belief or feeing of honor; nor does he expect any praise for his services as a soldier. During duties in the war, Henry is seriously wounded on the battlefield and sent to the hospital in Milan for knee operation. His friend Rinaldi criticizes him for his injury and the medals of distinction that Henry may receive. Rinaldi stated, â€Å"You will be decorated. They want to get you the medaglia d’argento but perhaps they can get only the bronze.† Henry said, â€Å"What for?† Rinaldi replied, â€Å"Because you are gravely wounded†¦. Did you do any heroic act?† Henry’s frustration with his friend insisting on lobbying for a medal goes without notice, â€Å"No†¦ I was blown up while we were eating ch eese† (63). This clearly shows how Henry distances himself from nonfigurative thinking as faith, honor, and patriotism and also displays the spirit of his personality. During his recovery in the hospital, he feels very fortunate that Miss Barkley is transferred to Milan, and allowed to be by his side. During this time of healing, Henry and Catherine’s love blossoms causing him to stay with her and not return to battle. Catherine’s feelings are so strong for Henry that she considers their relationship to be a feeling above all belief, â€Å"You see, darling, it would mean everything to me if I had any religion. But I haven’t any religion†¦ You’re my religion; you’re all I’ve got† (116). This relationship is seemed to be surprising for the fact he barely knew her and much like his friend, Rinaldi, who forever longed for a night’s simple pleasures. Unaccustomed to such feeling of love and desire, Henry realizes that this new feeling is

Friday, October 4, 2019

Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Policy - Assignment Example The consideration was mainly for the couple that needed child and the child’s welfare was never the main issue. This has since changed and today and therefore during an adoption process the main issue that must be addressed is the welfare of the child. Despite there being corruption here and there that may hinder the due process of adoption to unwind, the environment of today tries to make adoption to be able to focus on how comfortable the child is going be during after he has been placed in the hands of adoptive parents (VanderMolen, 2005).. In this regard, unlike in the early years when the adoption of a child was almost like accounting the child to the highest bidder, what matters today is that the family or individual willing to adopt a child has to show that they will be able to provide the child with a viable environment in which to grow. They must show that they are not only financially capable to provide for the child but that they are also emotionally stable to give the child the emotional needs he or she requires in order to develop well from childhood to adulthood. This has also meant that the process of adoption is a long one and it is not a one day process. Anyone willing to adopt a child today must be willing to take a lengthy process that will finally determine if they are qualified. I also learn that adoption has also changed in other ways. For instance, during the inception of adoption, adoption was mainly for couples who did not have the biological ability to have their own children. Today, even a single individual can adopt a child and so they do not have to be a married couple. Even untraditional couples such as in gay marriages can adopt a child, but that depends on the state from which they come because some states do not allow gay marriages and so this would be a precedence to determine if the state will allow them to adopt a

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Interview with a human resource manager Essay Example for Free

Interview with a human resource manager Essay Many organizations build human resource management section separately so that an expert service is provided to the people and the human resource function performed efficiently. These organizations consider people as their most priceless assets and so they need managers in this section who are efficient, responsible and devoted to the rules and regulations of the respective organization. For this they need a capable person who can cover up the responsibilities excellently and help in further development of the organization. Different organizations have varied expectations from the candidate and the ecruitment is done according to the requirements of the company. It depends upon the size of the company, the physical nature of the products, the size of the staff members, its functions, aims and complexities that decide what exactly is expected from a human resource department. A human resource manager has to keep a balance between the employer and the employees. He has to act as an advocate for both, the organization and the people who work for it. Only one or two decades ago the human resource manager was associated with personnel and administrative division of the company and mostly confined to some aper work. They had to deal with hiring of the employees for different sections of the company, paying them and dealing mostly with their benefits. But today most of the organizations are customer centered and are becoming more adaptable to changes needed for successful marketing strategy. So the responsibilities of today’s human resource manager is to take care of customer satisfaction and make specific changes considering success in marketing along with taking care of the benefits of the employees, payroll and do some paper work as well. The HR manager has to be very attentive and cautious with ny and every change that is taking place in the marketing policy. With the globalization of small and big businesses, it seems that the development of an organization depends quite a lot on the human resource manager and so he is answerable to almost every aspect of marketing and customer satisfaction section. This includes a lot of work pressure, which burdens the professionals a lot. Almost every human resource manager is suffering form this problem and feels the pressure from various directions. They have to discuss the matters and the targets need to be achieved in imited time and above all be updated with the latest in marketing strategy. Those who are interested in regular competition and want to progress fast can try and make human resource manager a career but I feel that with so much of work pressure a man will have to sacrifice a lot in life just to satisfy his ego and earn success and new heights in monetary section. With flexible working hours the manager has to sacrifice various aspects of recreation and relaxation with family and friends. With stress and conflicts in the organization, the human resource manager needs to take care of it before it does any harm to the organization. He needs to be like a team leader and convince the employees with the views of the management and vice versa. Open communication and discussion helps a lot and the manager balances if there is any aggressive attitude in the employees. The only thing that I work out from the interview with a human resource manager is that the job satisfies people who are very ambitious and enthusiastic. It is not that the job or its responsibilities are not reachable. Some managers find it very challenging and like to work in a competitive environment so that the charm of life and work remains there for them.