Big love: religious or criminal? Essay

Barbara, Nikki, and Margie are three women from three very different backgrounds whom share one very universal dynamic. Barbara, is an extremely devoted mother of three, elementary school teacher, and wife to her husband named Bill. Although very endearing, Barbara is no stranger to pain and struggle. After only a few years of marriage to Bill, Barbara was diagnosed with breast cancer, a terminal disease which she battled for years. Moreover, Barbara overcame her struggle and has now become a better wife and mother. Nikki, a timid young woman, is a mother of two, relentlessly inflicts her harsh religious beliefs onto others as she was raised on the same polygamous compound as her husband named Bill. Margine, a vibrant liberal young woman and mother of 3, is a housewife who has the spirit of a 16 year old girl. Despite her vivid appeal to people, life, and friendships, she constantly struggles with insecurities that prohibit her from being the woman and mother that she aspires to be and coincidentally, her husband is also named Bill. Although these three women are all married to a man named Bill, the common name sake is no coincidence. Margine, Barbara, and Nikki are all married to the same man, Bill Paxton. Bill, owner of a major retailer is a Polygamist who resides outside of Utah after being banished from the polygamist compound where he once grew up. Despite his excommunication from the ranch, Bill continued to implement the same polygamist fundamentals into this own lifestyle. Bill has 3 wives, Barbara, Nikki, and Margine, whom he married consecutively and currently has 8 children between all three wives. Barbara, the first wife is responsible for maintaining the hierarchy between all the wives, while Margine and Nikki maintain their own individual homes. Whist many outsiders of polygamy consider their relationships immoral and illegal, this family attempts to preserve their bond through the religious upbringings that they are accustomed to. This narrative is that of the HBO series, Big Love, which depicts the lifestyle of a polygamist family outside of a compound, whom consequentially attempts to apply religious beliefs and multi-marital subsistence to their family while simultaneously sheltering the world from their illegitimate existence. Despite the HBO’s depiction of polygamy in the United States, the commonality of polygamy is currently being rationalized, causing more individuals in society to evaluate the internal infrastructure of many polygamist cults as more criminal than religious. Overall, polygamy is not a new concept to the modern world. Many indigenous cultures across the globe still practice polygamy including various tribes in Africa and South America, and yet in other areas such as the United States, Europe, and Asia, monogamy is enforced, thus making polygamy illegal in many parts of these designated Areas. Polygamy in the United States can be dated back to 1929 in its association to the Mormon Church, even though the Book of Mormon was created in the late 1800s. Mormonism is quite different from traditional Christianity. Traditional Roman Catholicism has divisional leaders such as priests and or deacons whist Mormon church officials are deemed prophets. Traditional Mormonism is classified under a branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Under Mormonism, The Book of Mormon is a companion of the traditional holy bible and teaches that as God was man, man can become a god as well. Additionally, Mormons also believe that God was not created on earth, but on another planet under his god. Just as humans must adhere to commandments, God also had to conform to a set of conventions in order to please his god. After complying under god’s rule, God came to earth where he married a goddess with whom he produced children. These children, deemed the spiritual offspring whom later developed as humans on earth, are brothers and sisters of Adam and Eve. Modern Mormonism under the sect of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints should not be confused with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) openly practice and support polygamy within secluded compounds or polygamist epicenters where this practice is legal in portions of the United States such as Texas and small areas within Utah. The official leader and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley, has denounced polygamist practices, promising to excommunicate any member whom participates in polygamy activities. Furthermore, Hinckley has stated that there is no such thing as a Mormon Fundamentalist, which refers to the FLDS church, thus regarding the church and its members as complete contradictions (â€Å" ‘Mormon’ Polygamy: Misconceptionsâ€Å"). Nonetheless, Mormon polygamist lifestyles are undergoing unprecedented scrutiny in light of recent media debuts, consequently permanently damaging its already impaired reputation. Although many television portrayals of polygamy such as HBO’s tele-series, Big Love, do not exploit criminal behaviors of neglect and the abuse of children, the current disbursement of hundreds of children from a Mormon based polygamist cult in Texas has begun to provide attentive outlook on illicit violations that have occurred. The situation began in April of this year after police received a frantic 911 call from a girl who claimed that she had been abused, forcefully married, and impregnated by an older man. Investigators, already watchfully suspicious after previous abuse allegations surfaced almost 4 years earlier, had finally acquired enough evidence to disembark upon the compound territory. The call caused a surge of law enforcement and child protective services to recover over 400 children and teenagers from the compound and over 150 adults. Despite America’s unfavorable views towards polygamy, the plural aspect of the polygamist society is not the trigger behind disapproving conjectures, yet the abuse of young women and children remain problematic to accept. Women and children are considered the most feeble members of society, and although polygamists claim that the procreation of children into a whole family as a society is a major basis of their religion, it will always remain a substance of abuse. For instance, in many religions such as Mormonism and the polygamist sect of the Fundamentalist Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), marrying and impregnating girls as young as 12 is permitted regardless of the criminal facets. Andrew Gumble states that â€Å"the police and child protection services knew as soon as the El Dorado ranch was built in 2004 that the fundamentalists were polygamists, with a track record of marrying off girls as young as 14 or 15 to church elders who might be in their 70s or 80s† (6). Under the law, any girl wed under the age of 18 without parental consent to marry is illicit. Marriage is a contract which minors cannot enter without parental consent. Additionally, any adult 18 years or older that engages in a sexual act with anyone under the age of 18 is committing a rape. Ethically speaking, children are vastly inept during developmental stages of adolescence and childhood which inhibits their ability to conduct relationships in respect to marriage and child-rearing. Jodi Grizzle, of the Children’s Service Society of Utah, says most girls that age are already going through the oftentimes rocky and rough years of adolescence. â€Å"Teenagers don’t have the ability to think abstractly. Our brains don’t finish developing until we’re in our 20s. So you have a teenager with a significant life event, and they aren’t necessarily capable of comprehending all of the implications† (â€Å"Over 50 percent). In spite of a common misconception that many young females are willing contestants, hundreds of young girls are not consenting participants. Many of these ostensible leaders of the FLDS often engage in forced marriages and sexual acts with many young women whom are compulsorily admitted into polygamist compounds. In fact, Andrew Gumble also attests that â€Å"their ‘prophet’ and leader Warren Jeffs, now serving prison time for his role in arranging the forced marriage of a teenage girl in Utah, has a reputation as a hardliner and a man who inspired great fear even in his own followers† (6). Warren Jeffs, a former FLDS prophet, is currently awaiting trial for accessory to rape. Warren Jeffs, took over the FLDS empire consisting of over 12,000 members after the death of his father, Rulon Jeffs, in 2002. Warren Jeffs was accused of sexually abusing a nephew for over 10 years in addition to forcefully arranging the polygamous marriage of a 16 year old girl to an older man. Warren Jeffs was on the run for 2 years before he was caught in August of 2006. Not only are young women victims of abuse in these compounds, but children also exert signs of abuse under polygamous governance. Indirect abuse of children has also been corroborated under the recent compound investigations. Many of the children were not properly cared for, as the result of medical examinations confirmed broken bones and lack of vaccinations that are required of school aged children and babies. Although it has not been determined if the children’s broken bones were the result of direct abuse or circuitous negligence, high scrutiny and speculation has already characterized the parents of the children as abusive and incompetent. Despite FDLS religious values, the religious aspect cannot compensate rationale for forced marriages, rapes, and neglect of young women and children unwillingly involved in polygamist existence. Many polygamist agree that the prosecution of their actions are not based upon criminal measures but their religious beliefs. For instance, Rodney Holm, an ex-police officer convicted of bigamy, refutes his conviction on the grounds of violation of the 1st and 14th amendments as the conviction aims to attack those whom are attempting to implement a holy religious based lifestyle (Winslow â€Å"Polygamist appealsâ€Å"). Furthermore, Holm’s lawyer, Rod Parker contests that â€Å"The Utah court’s criminalization of polygamous relationships that do not seek recognition as legal marriages violates the Equal Protection Clause because it discriminates on the basis of religious affiliation† (Winslow â€Å"Polygamist appeals†). However, despite the negative outlook on polygamy for its illegitimacy and immorality to some, the religion is not under question in any way, it is the abuse and violation of laws that coincide with polygamy that is being addressed. Under the law, polygamy is illegal and has been illegal since 1879 which makes bigamy illegal as well. Polygamy is not a religion but a breach of the law. Holm was also charged with committing a sex act with a minor, his 16-year-old wife Ruth Stubbs. Sex with a minor is illegal under the law. Incorporating illegalities into a religion does not make it legal. For instance, if Tom Cruise would like to incorporate snorting cocaine into Scientology, it would still make snorting cocaine illegal because cocaine is illegal in the United States, despite his religious beliefs. Legal issues are being addressed, not religion. Consequentially, sex with minors is illicit and it’s a form of abuse, just as forced marriages and child neglect which are core facets. Although it is difficult to reform individuals from a way of life that is viewed to some as holy and religious, it is better to curb problematic behaviors including domestic violence and child abuse. Domestic violence hubs should be implemented in order to curtail the occurrence of violence within polygamist households. Seminars within polygamist communities should become mandatory. Traditionally, polygamist households could consist of one wife to upward amounts of 30 wives over a man’s lifespan. Each wife could have up to 11 to 15 children during the span of her ability to reproduce. Any mother, young or old, can understand the stress that comes along with raising children. A family of that magnitude could cause any woman to exert nontraditional parenting practices such as yelling or excessive hitting to discipline children. In the eyes of the law, excessive hitting or beating a child is considered child abuse, excluding moderate spankings. This situation was observed in the house of a woman named Heidi Mattingly, a 33-year-old mother of 11 and member of the Kingston Polygamist Clan in Utah. The judge found that Heidi hit her children in the face until they bled, hit babies, and verbally abuses her children, however, the court also founded that Heidi was also abused by her husband and prophet of the clan, John Daniel Kingston and other members of the society as well, which explained why she behaved accordingly towards her children. (Thompson). Heidi was provided with individual and group therapy in order to sustain a healthy disciplinary role for her children. Established organizations that work within polygamous compounds such as The Primer are advocated for domestic violence reforms. Many social workers agree that groups such as The Primer are very helpful because of their insight into polygamist groups. A social worker named Madsen said â€Å"It opened my mind to how many people live the lifestyle,† he said. â€Å"There’s like 50 groups. I had no idea. It told me some of the history that I didn’t know. For example, this group (the Kingstons) doesn’t dress in bonnets and long dresses† (Winslow). Although anti-polygamists discourage The Primer and organizations like it because of its encouragement of polygamy, it has definitely provided a safe haven of resources for victims of abuse. In conclusion, polygamy is not a current phenomena, as many tribes still practice polygamy in portions of Africa and South America. The United States is not a stranger to polygamy as well, as polygamy has existed as far back as 1929, even though the Book of Mormon was created in the late 1800s. Although Mormons believe in one god, they are vastly different than traditional Christians. For example, traditional Roman Catholicism heads each dioceses with a priest, deacon, and or bishop, whist Mormonism believe that prophets should be the head of a sect. A spin-off of traditional Mormonism is the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also called FLDS. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints should not be confused with FLDS because of different views towards polygamy. In fact, the current prophet of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Gordon B Hinckley, vows to excommunicate any individual involved with polygamy. Additionally, Hinckley says that the Mormon Fundamentalists are a complete contradiction to the Mormon church. This severance from the mainstream religions is not the first portion of negative propaganda that polygamist cults have received. In April of 2008, a frantic 911 call from a 16-year-old girl tipped police off to a polygamous compound in Texas, after years of being under observation. During the raid, over 400 children and 150 adults were taken into police and protective custodies. Signs of abuse, towards children and young women were all implicated in forced marriages, rapes, and neglect. Although there are many participants, many of the young women are forced to marry older men, which is illegal. In fact, marriage to a minor without parental consent is illicit in the eyes of the law. Additionally, if an adult engages in a sexual act with a someone under the age of 18, it is also illicit and considered rape. Many young women from polygamous lifestyles can attest to this behavior, just as the young woman who pressed charges against former FLDS leader, Warren Jeffs. Warren Jeffs headed a polygamist empire consisting of about 12,000 members after the death of his father, Rulon Jeffs in 2002. Warren Jeffs was also accused of molesting his nephew for over 10 years. Furthermore, many of the young women are also mothers at young ages of 12, the beginning of adolescence, which is additionally problematic for teens as well. Many mothers at polygamist compounds are additionally under added stress of being a role model to 11 to 15 children that are conceived throughout their lifetimes. Many women such as Heidi Mattingly resorted to nontraditional parenting methods such as over excessive spankings or brutal beatings, and verbal abuse. Heidi Mattingly, mother of 11 children was found guilty of abusing her children by hitting them in the face, hitting babies, and verbally abusing her children. In order to curtain her behavior, individual and group treatments were granted to Heidi to help her maintain a healthy disciplinary figure towards her children in addition to reversing abuse that she sustained under her husband and â€Å"Prophet†, John Daniel Kingston of the Kingston Polygamist Clan. Groups such as The Primer have become a special aid to social workers involved in polygamist groups for their understanding of the infrastructure in each group. Although anti-polygamist activists disagree with The Primer’s actions, deeming their participation as encouraging polygamy, their presence within the polygamist community draws much needed attention towards the realization of abuse within polygamist communities in tandem with providing resources for victims of abuse. BIBLIOGRAPHY Buncombe, Andrew. â€Å"Cult leader accused of making under aged girls marry adults. † The Independent (London) 1 Sept. 2006: Gumble, Andrew. â€Å"The ranch has not yet revealed all its secrets.. .† The Independent on Sunday 13 Apr. 2008: 6. † ‘Mormon’ Polygamy: Misconceptions. † 2007. . â€Å"Over 50 percent of teen girls on FLDS ranch are mothers. † Narr. Lori Prichard& Carole Mikita. KSL Television and Radio. NBC, Salt Lake City. 28 Apr. 2008. Thompson, Linda. Deseret Morning News â€Å"Polygamist mom guilty of child abuse. † Deseret News (Salt Lake City). Jan 13, 2005. FindArticles. com. 08 May. 2008 Winslow, Ben. Deseret Morning News â€Å"Polygamist appeals conviction to top U. S. court. † Deseret News (Salt Lake City). 17 Oct. 2006. Find Articles. com 08 May 2008 Winslow, Ben. Deseret Morning News â€Å"‘Primer’ details intricacies of polygamist life†. Deseret News (Salt Lake City). Jun 11, 2006. FindArticles. com. 08 May. 2008. .

Contribution of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Essay

Introduction The production of goods and services in the most efficient manner has continue to be the only viable and alternative for development of small scale enterprises in Nigeria and for the development, growth and survival of any economy. The development of small scale enterprises not only contributes significantly to imposed standard, they also bring substantial local capital formation and achieve high level of productivity. Small and medium scales are crucial to the development of all economies of the world. They are the modern day’s incubators of job opportunities, they provide the way for developing local technologies, raw materials and serve as the foundation of self-reliance to many countries of the world. Small and medium enterprises predominate all over the world with labor intensive method of production. The operation of small and medium enterprises not only requires less capital per worker, but also per unit labor added. Hence, cost industrialization and industrial job are not high SME’s offer the most efficient form of business. The definition of small and medium enterprises tends to differ among countries. Thus there is no universally accepted definition. This arises from difference in industrial organization of the countries at different level of economic development in part of the same country. It is also important to recognize that the definition change over time. For the purpose of this research however, small and medium scale enterprises is defined as a term used broadly to cover industries consisting of small firms ranging from household and cottage establishment to medium sized industries that are not large enough to be classified as large. In other words, small and medium enterprises are classified as enterprises embracing factories, farming and non-farming organization ranging from household to cottage enterprises. Small and medium scale enterprises are a dynamic, growing, profitable and innovative sector. It is in recognition of this that the government over the years initiated various programmes to address this crucial issue. If the strategies used where appropriate and relevant, entrepreneurship and SMEs would have striven in Nigeria thereby, contributing optimally to individual wellbeing and the economy in general. Suffice it to say that the strategy of industrialization with focus on large scale business has proved inadequate and of serious socioeconomic and environmental consequences. This therefore calls for redefinition of strategies to correct the imbalances in economic development policies. STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM Despite the abundant human and material resources, Nigeria has failed to develop into economic to be reckoned with from within and outside world, partnership sprits in Nigeria is at its infancy, partners in many small scale enterprises pursue individualistic goals at the expense of the overall interest of the SMEs, consequently mortality rate among SMEs is high as a result of mistrust that often develops among the owners. Beside poor partner spirit, regulatory environment, policy instability and reversals, inadequate infrastructure etc. and the misused of resources have led to the country losing it position of a promising developing nation to that of underdeveloped status. Small scale enterprises was made possible to assist and encourage Nigerians toward setting up small scale industries for the realization of self-reliance and rapid growth of the Nigeria economy PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This research attempt to analyze the role of small and medium scale enterprises in achieving economic growth and development through generating employment for youth in the country. Nigeria is endowed with the population reside both in rural and urban areas with no employment and low income. Genuine encouragement of the populace to use their own initiative to set up Small and medium enterprises, using the local raw materials and technology will have a positive impact on the socioeconomic of Nigeria and thus help in alleviating the problems of unemployment. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The role of small scale enterprises in the overall economic development is well recognized in every economy. This is because of the role the sector can play as a source of gainful employment. More than ever before, the country needs to fine tune its industrial policy to align it with development strategies so that small scale enterprises could compete favorably with the product of emerging economies. The significance of this study therefore lies on the importance the government of Nigeria attached to development of small scale industries and the study will be useful to policy makers in taking decisions which affect small and medium enterprises. This study will also serve as a blue print for the government, entrepreneurs and students alike in understanding the economics of small and medium scale enterprises. In the past various policies and measures were taken by successive governments in an attempt to foster development via small scale establishments, but most of them failed. This is because there is lack of clear understanding of the actual problems that hinder or retard the development and growth of small scale industries. Therefore, this study with the definite explanation and precision about problems will help government to make necessary adjustment in making policies or taking certain measures to improve small scale industries in the country. It is therefore intended that the findings and recommendations of this study will enable the owners of small scale enterprises, future potential enterprises as well as the both similar bodies to assess the importance of small scale enterprises toward economic development, how to establish, manage as well as fund and identify areas of their survival thereby achieving the objectives of establishing them. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The main aim of this study is to examine the broad spectrum covered by the small and medium scale enterprises, their survival in relation to youth and employment generation The broader specific objectives are as follows: 1.To analyze the contribution and impact of small scale industries to Nigerian economy 2.To examine the problems which hinder the impact 3.To assess the role of developmental policy program of small scale enterprises undertaken in Nigeria. In a nutshell, this research study is to assess the performance of policies on small scale enterprises and its impact on youth and employment generation. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study is an assessment of the role of small and medium scale enterprises in general and its contribution to youth and employment generation in Nigeria. Writing a research of this nature cannot be done without some limitations; Data has to be collected from a reasonable number of respondents. However, some information may be missing, looking at the numerous numbers of small and medium enterprises. Bearing in mind that, the business world in the developing countries is rigid in revealing certain information which they regard as secret. The research shall be limited to areas where entrepreneurs are willing to give necessary information needed. In addition to this problem, there are also problems of limited official statistics on the number of small and medium scale enterprises, their size, and range and how they operate. As a student, time, financial constraint, lack of cooperation on the part of entrepreneurs, hastily response to questions which may reflect adequate information couple with the respondents lack of understanding and appreciation of the research topic may affect the effort to the validity of this research work.

Blue Moon Essay Research Paper Picture a

Blue Moon Essay, Research Paper Picture a cool summer dark cruising with your friends, the air current floging off your butt cheeks as you speed past multiple autos. Daydreaming person may look like a simple undertaking, but it is an art signifier that takes great accomplishment and pattern. Why, who, and where are three of the inquiries that must be answered in order to accomplish the ideal atmosphere needed to decently daydream person. The first measure to get the hanging this art is to make up ones mind why you want to daydream person. Many people choose to daydream others out of pure enjoyment. The boom laughter and mirth of exposing your hindquarters to an unsuspicious victim is a great beginning of amusement. Some people moon others to merely to make them off, but this by and large merely happens to grouchy older people who hate stupid childs, and to covetous fellows. I frequently moon people after being tailgated to exasperate them and acquire retaliation for them tailgating me. However, everyone has his or her ain ground to daydream person you have to happen your ain motive to do it work for you. After you have decided why, you must choose whom you are traveling to daydream. For me, this includes people I dislike. Just the expression of entire fury as an enemy undercover agents those two large jambons hawks winging past them in an inspiring sight to see. Then there are those who moon their household and friends ; this choice may be an easy mark but it is non as effectual. This is due to the fact that your household and friends are normally anticipating you to daydream them, therefore it loses its daze value. In my sentiment, the best people to Moons are entire aliens. Strangers have the greatest looks on their faces after person they do non cognize has merely mooned them. They either laugh and cheer, or they follow you on a high-velocity pursuit to catch you and crush you mindless. I have experienced both types of aliens and both are really entertaining, non to advert it angers them at the same clip. The last nonsubjective on your ocean trip to command is the location. In this determination, your options are illimitable. My personal favourite is the auto. You can daydream so many different people when in an car, everyone from old people to church coachs. A cat named Karl performed the best illustration of this type of daydreaming that I have of all time seen. One twenty-four hours while he was driving down the route, he managed to lodge his full butt out the driver side window to daydream a coach of older church members in Pensacola as they drove by him. Another friend of mine by the name of Justin enjoys daydreaming people from inside his house as they walk up to the door. Then there are those who, in a bibulous daze, Moon people at parties. They may believe they are cool when they do this, but these types are nil more than bibulous amateurs. Yet with the proper counsel and pattern these mean mooners can go as versatile in their mooning techniques, like myself. Many see daydreaming to be juvenile and a waste of clip. For me, daydreaming person is neither juvenile nor a waste of clip but an art signifier that few genuinely understand yet 1000000s exploit. Thus, I say, Knowledge is power. All you have to make is inquire and you shall have the replies to proper and effectual mooning. Therefore, now you have the tools to go a professional all you need now is the endowment.

Supply Chain Operations Management Assignment Essay

Supply Chain Operations Management Assignment - Essay Example Ownership upstream towards suppliers and subsidiaries of inputs to production is known as backward vertical integration, while ownership downstream towards buyers and distribution centres is known as forward vertical integration. Figure 1: Vertical Integration (Source: PPT) The disadvantages associated with vertical integration in achieving economies of scale can be highlighted as: 1. The costs incurred in forward and backward vertical integration are huge and can be used to expand production activities which would contribute more towards profits than that contributed through integration. 2. The core management time gets more involved in managing diverse structure of the organization as a result of integration. Such time could otherwise be devoted to core activities of management and contribute to organizational profits. 3. It is argued that production capacities, as a result of vertical integration, may become so large that customer demand might fall short and hence, economies of sc ale might not be fully utilised. Also, a lot of production time might get wasted in meeting a definite customer demand, thereby reducing scope for optimum utilisation as well. This becomes a major disadvantage because as a result of vertical integration, fixed costs sharply become so high that in times of slumps in demand, a fall in production might lead to a greater rise in per unit fixed costs rather than variable costs. Such a scenario makes realisation of breakeven point near difficult. Question 1b It is suggested that vertical integration decreases costs, but when it is viewed from the organizational point of view, vertical integration leads to higher cost in terms of managing different new organizational departments and also, backwards integration tends to reduce efficiencies of suppliers by eliminating competition, thereby increasing costs. When a firm decides over vertical integration, it invests significantly in terms of investments in the organizational process. These inve stments arise out of forward and backward integration and are done on acquiring firms. Such costs are capital expenses. Huge expenses made during integration reduce a firm’s capability to stretch production capacity at least for some period of time. In an unpredictable market environment, such inflexibility can be quite serious and might lead to loss of market share altogether. During the process of integration, a firm invests in high cost machines which are necessary to carry out production activities of the acquired firm. In the slump demand scenario, the machine might not be utilised to the fullest or utilised at all. However, the acquiring firm has made expenses for the machine and the costs of which shall get added to per unit produce. Variable costs, on the other hand, are incurred per unit of good produced and can be reduced during slack in demand. Additionally, such costs cannot be shared with the consumer owing to competition. Hence, we see how vertical integration c ontributes to higher fixed costs and lower variable costs. In such a scenario, a firm can explore alternatives to vertical integration for eliminating the disadvantages associated with the integration process. Only after due consideration of the competitive environment, efficient scale of production of the prospective firm to be acquired and its alignment with the company’

Entrepreneurship and Venture Creation B Assignment

Entrepreneurship and Venture Creation B - Assignment Example He should be able to take calculative risk in order to derive huge profit at a low stake of loss from his business decision. In fact, the level of determination should be very high so that he would be able to consume and sustain during the events of business losses and occurrences of business turmoil. Planning and networking should be very strong and he should be able to reformulate the strategies according to dynamics of market (Burns, 2014). In fact, establishment of business requires extensive market research for identifying the resource requirements and analyse degree of competition prevailing in the industry (Barrow, Barrow and Brown, 2015). Apart from identifying the physical and financial resources as well as prevalence of business opportunity in the market segment, a detailed business plan must be prepared well in advance taking into consideration the nature and scope of business, establishment cost, source of supply, pricing and promotional strategies, technological involvem ents, supply chain and many more critical aspects. In this paper, a venture of Men’s Salon and Spa will be created and accordingly supporting business plan will be presented in a way that will lead the entrepreneurship initiative to witness a grand success (Carr and Newell, 2014). Entrepreneurship and commencement of a new business involves huge market research and strategy formulation, keeping in mind the strategies adopted by the competitors. In the next segment, the paper will explore detailed business plan and industry analysis for the Men’s Salon and Spa. The entrepreneur is planning to establish a Men’s Salon and Spa with an aim to provide world class experience through creation of a stimulating and relaxing atmosphere as well as installation of high quality products and machineries (Blackwell, 2011). Before driving a business, it is of utmost importance to recognize the need for the product and service among the consumers and identify

Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Assignment - Essay Example It often comes with some challenges. This paper explores the benefits of working for an international firm as well as the disadvantages. First, working for an international company like BMW gives a person the chance of experiencing a new country with different culture. There is a possibility of an employee being posted to a foreign country, which is impossible with local companies. Working in a new country gives an employee the opportunity to explore places he or she may not have travelled to and experience new cultural practices across the world while getting paid. As such, working for an international firm is an adventure worth exploring. Second, working with foreign people at BMW enables one to get new business perspectives. Working in an international firm gives one an opportunity to develop a global view on business operations. Different countries have different approaches to doing business. As such, a person who works for an international firm is better placed to learn more about international business compared with someone who works for a local firm. Third, international firms like BMW usually offer their employees more competitive salaries compared to domestic firms. By accepting foreign appointment, one is likely to receive a potential increase in his or her income. This makes working for an international organization more of a fun and rewarding more than working for domestic firms. Fourth, BMW has a diverse workforce, which gives one the chance to experience the benefits of diversity in the workplace. The company is likely to give one a crucial opportunity of working with individuals of diverse backgrounds. One is in a position to learn different ways of solving a particular problem because different communities have different problem-solving approaches. While working for international companies such as BMW seems lucrative, there are some challenges for individuals who work for these organizations. First, cultural

Personal statement for PhD admission Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For PhD admission - Personal Statement Example The program itself is predicated on a heavy research background; something that I am partially familiar with and interested in understanding and engaging to a more profound degree. Essentially, my current research background has been limited to a 2012 publication in the Academic Journal of Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications. However, I also engaged in a great deal of research with respect to my Master’s degree while studying at the University of New Haven. Moreover, my internship at China Taiping Insurance Company helped me to realize that very few current issues that are represented throughout the world can be addressed without performing adequate research and understanding the unique variables that tie in to each and every situation. Quantitative and qualitative research in terms of crime prevention and sociological understanding are of primal interest to me as well. Although I only had a few opportunities to leverage these interests in undergraduate school, I fully intend on focusing on both of these methodological approaches within a graduate program. Likewise, focusing on crime theory and sociological ramifications of crime is a predominant interest that I have with regard to the field. Similarly, as with any other field of study, understanding dynamics of crime and crime prevention ultimately reduces to an understanding of finance; something that further intrigues me. Essentially, these are two differentiated research interests and ones that I believe can lead to further relevant understanding of the field of criminal justice. The first relates to the way in which crime can be better understood and potentially prevented, whereas the second is mainly contingent upon the resources that individual departments a llocate to crime scene investigation and how this correlates with their overall rates of successfully solved crimes. Obviously, these two research interests

Evaluate Chinas policies towards self-determination Essay

Evaluate Chinas policies towards self-determination - Essay Example Sometimes it is also treated as a particular collective right, distinct from individual rights. It is a disputed principle in ethics, with some arguing that no such entitlement exists, other than perhaps the right to resist or secede from tyranny. United Nations has stated clearly in its â€Å"International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights† that all peoples have the right of self-determination. All people, by virtue of this right, may freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development; all peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic cooperation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law; in no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence. The States Parties to the present Covenant, including those having responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, therefore, shall endorse the recognition of the right of self determination, and shall pay reverence to that right, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. Before going into further details about the right to self determination and China’s policy towards it, it would be better to have some ideas about the political system and the political thoughts of China. It would provide a better understanding regarding China’s stand on the issue of self-determination. The Chinese political institution considers China as a single centralized state embracing all persons of Sinic culture, who are united under a common social order and a common political dispensation, with no exceptions. This Chinese polity is the oldest continuous one, which has survived since ancient times. A significant aspect of China is its long national history. In China, the imperial dynastic system prevailed for a long period. In

Economics regarding Oligoploy markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Economics regarding Oligoploy markets - Essay Example Perfect competition has always been considered to be best for the consumer and is favoured by nations. It is the ideal situation where all similar or identical products are available simultaneously to all buyers. This would make it impossible for both buyers and seller to influence prices. Demand and Supply will determine price at any point in time. In the real world however there is little evidence of such conditions. In the continuum between monopoly and perfect competition Oligopoly has raised its dreadful form to the detriment of the consumer. This is the situation where a few sellers, usually three or four, control the supply side and influence the customer to accept their product or service along with the price they dictate. What is not so obvious is that they also force their supply chain to accept this dictatorial attitude to get the best prices and terms. The beauty of this entire operation is that both consumers as well as the supply chain consider the oligopoly as their benefactor and willingly subscribe to their ideology. Even the state is fooled by them into the false thinking that they contribute positively to the economy by providing huge job opportunity and creating excellent platforms for increasing efficiency and quality. But the fact is that an oligopoly is exploitative although it appears to be benign; and when it hurts it is often too late to help the stakeholders. An Oligopoly is a cluster of companies that deal with similar products or services and offer them within a very narrow band of prices to the consumers. It makes a great show of perfect competition as prices and products are similar and the intensity of rivalry is perceived through their aggressive and persuasive promotional tactics. On the surface, externally, there is great fanfare of competition and competitive advantage but in reality there is great conformity amongst them. An

Nursing Research Paper PICO formated question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing PICO formated question - Research Paper Example A terminal prognosis is generally not disclosed in Asian countries where passivity and acquiescence to authority are important traditions. Conversely, the same prognosis would usually be approached openly in the US and the UK and many European countries where autonomy and free will are widely valued. This paper aims to explore, analyze and find a way to better communicate terminal diagnosis and related prognosis to affected patients and their families. Attitudes related to disclosure of terminal prognoses have shifted dramatically in the Western healthcare tradition, including the UK, over the past four decades (Chochinov et al, 2000). Research conducted in the 1950s and early 1960s revealed that only 10%-31% of physicians routinely disclosed a diagnosis of cancer to their patients (Fitch, 1994; Thomasma, 1994). This practice was due in large part to the widespread belief that such a diagnosis would create severe emotional disturbances that could potentially lead to suicidal acts (Thomasma, 1994). However by the late 1970s, nondisclosure practices had reversed (Fitch, 1994; Thomasma, 1994). This is evidenced by the 1979 survey results of Novack et al. which indicated that 98% of physician respondents disclosed the presence of terminal illness to their patients (qtd in Field and Copp, 1999). Comprehensive aspects of end of life medical care have been brought to public attention through the development of both health psychology and behavioral medicine. Each field has made a unique contribution to the understanding that physical health is impacted by numerous biological, psychological, and sociological elements. The upsurge of interest in these biopsychosocial interactions led to an increase of studies in many areas, including that of coping with, and adjusting to, life-threatening illness (Fitch, 1994). Findings generally indicate that given appropriate psychological and social support, disclosure of terminal prognoses does not lead to permanent loss of hope or untimely medical decline (Fitch, 1994), the reasons most often cited for the maintenance of nondisclosure practices. Moreover, attitudes toward truth-telling in terminal illness have also been significantly affected by the biopsychosocial approach to end of life care found in hospice organizations. The hospice move ment arose out of a need for palliative care for those whose needs were unmet by a medical system whose primary focus was prolonging life at all costs (Chiu et al, 2000). Hospice care has been a welcome alternative to traditional end-of-life practices (Chiu et al, 2000). In their analysis of shift from diagnosis non-disclosure to disclosure, Fields and Copp (1990) indicate the following reasons: (1) improvements in therapeutic success; (2) changing societal attitudes; and (3) in the USA, legislation enforcing the patient's right to "informed consent" (p.461). From the critical perspective, no one wants to be the bearer of bad news and there is a great deal of tension surrounding the complex issues of whom to tell, what to tell, when to tell, and how to tell about the existence of a terminal prognosis (Fitch, 1994). Physicians frequently believe that it is their duty to have ready answers for every possible question,

Communication in Early Childhood Essay Example for Free

Communication in Early Childhood Essay Communication is the most important factor for young children’s learning and social development. Humans have the unique skills of language and speech to enable the sharing of information, knowledge and feelings with others. Early childhood educators have an important job to nurture and support the development of communication in children. Communication skills are required in order to deliver the right message and convey it properly to the child. These involve body languages and facial expression. Without this, an educator loses the connection with a young child since one appears to be cold. As an example, when one smiles while delivering the message, the child will be more interested with what you have to offer in contrast to a stern look. Listening skills are those that are used in obtaining information and messages from others. It is imperative that you have the ability to receive feedback from the child so that you may know their needs. It helps to understand what a person thinks and feels and hence to understand the child closely. Skills for managing the process of communication will help the educator in recognising information required and developing a strong hold on the rules of interaction and communication (MacCallion, 1988). Communication has been described as the process where information is transmitted from one person to another. This includes the use of both verbal and non-verbal means to convey a message. Non-verbal communication includes facial expression as well as body language. Good communication skills involve listening, reading, writing and speaking. An early childhood educator deals with children between the ages of birth and 8years. It is at this age when the child learns to relate with others as well as society. Good communication skills are therefore essential for early childhood educators as they may influence the relationship between the teacher and children (Hubley, 1993). Teaching involves sending and receiving information from the students. Good communications skills will encourage the students to participate in the teaching process. This helps portray school as a place where the students can share ideas as well as relate with society. At this early age, most of the children perceive school as a place that separates them from their family. It is likely that most of the children at this age will prefer to stay at home rather than attend school. Good communication skills will help encourage students to appreciate school as a place of learning as well as a place they can express their own ideas (Joram, 1998). Good communication skills are essential in early childhood education. This is because at this age the child is learning how to express themselves both verbally and non-verbally. Children develop communication skills by exploring, sharing and interacting with adults through their own environment. According to recent studies, children at this age learn by observing how their parents and caretakers behave. It is therefore essential that the educator has good communication skills as this will affect how the children express themselves and learn in the future (knott, 1979). The main aim of early childhood education is to encourage academic, emotional and physical growth. However at this age the learning abilities of a child are not fully developed. In a recent study the concentration span of an adult is below 15 minutes while that of a child is less than 5 minutes. This means that the educator has to find ways to engage the child to maintain a longer concentration span. This involves the use of illustrations as well as demonstration that help capture the interest of the child. Good communication skills are essential in aiding the educators’ ability to maintain the child’s concentration span (Joram, 1998). Early childhood education involves the use of play as the mode of education. This is important in nurturing the child’s development as well as learning. Good communication skills are essential in providing an environment where the children feel free to play with each other as well as participate in the class activities. Play involves participation by the children as well the educator. It is essential for the early childhood educator to be able to create a nurturing environment where the child is confident to interact with others and express themselves. The role of the educator does not solely lie in teaching but also protecting  the child in the absence of their parents. The educator should promote the child’s wellbeing both at school and home. As an example an early childhood educator may notice that children are not interested in the book corner yet all the children enjoy story time and also enjoy looking through the books afterwards, however they will not look at the books in the designated area. With further observation and interaction with the children, it is discovered the children have a fear of the photo of a clown that is hanging above the book corner. Good communication skills cannot be ignored in providing an environment where the child feels able to express their fears openly. Listening, observing and interacting are a key role in enhancing good communication skills (Robinson, 2007). It is essential that the educator observes the children playing before participating in the play themselves. This helps the teacher understand the strengths and weaknesses of the children. It also helps the teacher avoid imposing adult ideas in the children’s play. Observation is a key aspect in developing good communication skills. It is through observation that the educator is able to take an initiative role. This means coming up with new ideas or processes that are based on the children’s ideas (McCarthy, 1996). Good communication skills can enable a teacher to organise parent teacher conferences which provide the opportunity for teacher and parents to discuss developmental skills, children’s work and to plan for future learning experiences. The educator can also engage the young child in cooperative learning where children complete a project or task. Pairs work best in kindergartens. The tasks are in such a way that success of the performance is based on the pair rather than the individual. A good educator should therefore be able to ensure that communication is established in such learning experiences (Wubbels, 1992). Use of illustrations has been shown to build the imagination of a child immensely. Good communications skills emphasis on the power of expressing yourself not only by facial and gestures but also employing other teaching materials such as illustrations. By illustrating sections of a story or particular events, children can improve their interpretation and  comprehension. Children employ responses and personal understanding when they see story characters visually. This develops a child’s imagination and the ability to visualise and interpret printed and spoken information (Hubley, 1993). The importance of communication cannot be stressed further when it comes to early childhood education. Communication skills are core of almost all activities that are practiced at this early age which dictates the type of person that one will grow to. Neither can the importance of communication skills be neglected or ignored. Effective communication promotes the interest and needs of the young child. The child will show interest only if the teacher is loaded with gestures, confidence and softness. Improving of the communication skills have been shown to bring about a tight bond between the childhood educator and the child. The most important aspects of life are greatly influenced by good communication skills. This leads to respectful and meaningful relationships between the educator and child. In order to feel and have the bliss of healthy emotions at home, there is a need to develop communication skills when it comes to children. Some educators are not worried when it comes to communication and therefore emotional attachments are rare. Emotions connect human beings in a complex fashion. It is therefore paramount that early childhood educators acquire good skills of communication to ensure that the young brain is able to gather as much as possible and express as much. In doing so, the young child would be able to learn more and the literacy and learning capability levels of the general population could reach unimaginable levels. Reference List MacCallion, M. (1998). The Voice Book. London, UK: Faber Faber. Hubley, J. (1993) . Communication Health. London, UK: Macmillan. Joram, E. (1998). Transforming obstacles into opportunity. Teaching and teacher education, 14 (2), 175-191. doi:10. 1016/S0742-051X(97)00035-8 Knott, P. (1979). Nonverbal Communication during Early Childhood. Communicating with Young Children 18 (4) 226-233 http://www. jstor. org/stable/1476648 Robinson, M. (2007). Child Development and Behaviour 0-8: A Journey through the Early Years. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. McCarthy, P (1996). Speaking Persuasively. Sydney: Allen Unwin.

Method of data analysis Essay Example for Free

Method of data analysis Essay Thematic analysis was used to make meaningful deductions from the documented raw data. In thematic analysis, a concept is chosen for examination, and the analysis involves noting the frequency of its presence in the whole interview, and finding interrelations among the themes identified. The focus is at the occurrence of selected terms within a text or texts, although the terms may be implicit as well as explicit. While explicit terms obviously are easy to identify, coding for implicit terms and deciding their level of implication is complicated by the need to base judgments on a somewhat subjective system (Patton 2002). Simply put, the researcher read the documented surveys, and analyzed the inter-linkages of these responses. When responses are not explicit, inter-judge validation was used, with another researcher agreeing on the category under which the response may be grouped. The meaning and interpretation of each response was noted, and related to the organization’s overall profile. In this sense and taken as a holistic approach, the data from the chosen institution may be considered as a case study. Methodological Limitations The study also has methodological limitations. First, it did not make use of any other quantitative measure to study the phenomenon apart from qualitative procedure of thematic analysis (Patton 2002). Second, there was only one participant institution, Elfed and its responses may not be reflective of the population it represents (Zikmund 1997). It may be worth noting that the goal of the study is to generalize about the phenomenon across schools; thus, the use of participants from a cross-section of different learning institutions. Third, there were some time constraints on the part of both interviewer and interviewees, which may be a factor in the length of their responses or the duration of the interview. Had there been more time, more probing questions and more data may have been gathered. Moreover, since the study has been limited to an UK-based school, its conclusions may not be able to create a comprehensive generalization to other countries or regions. This is especially true when cultural and economic factors are taken into consideration. Biases in the responses may have occurred since the only source of primary data is the knowledge and perception of the interviewee. The respondent may not be so honest with their answers and express only what is socially desirable, especially because they were ‘carrying’ the name of their school. Logically, they would not want to put the school in a bad light. In addition, since the interviews were conducted at the place of work, the respondents may not be at ease in answering the questions. In effect, their responses may not be as candid or as honest (Denzin Lincoln 2000). Results and Discussion For this part of the study, the results gathered from both the interview and the focus group discussions will be presented in this part of the study. In addition to this, the results will be evaluated and examined with the literature presented in the review of related literature to gather any existing relationships or occurrences within the data gathered. For the first part of this section, the results of the focus group discussion will be presented and will be discussed.

Local, National, Private and Global Brand Differences

Local, National, Private and Global Brand Differences Brand has becomes a familiar things toward the consumer, having a brands also help consumers in many ways and anything that was unbranded will going hardly in the market. The brands also could create value on the product. For example, Nike product that a product that could create value among the consumer. Besides that brand also assist the product into numerous ways and also as a legal protection. The product that has a brand will difficult to the other product to copy the product. In addition, brand also could makes sense to understand that branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem. The brand can be variety types. Each of its will have their own style of branding and using their own strategy. The local brand, private brand, national brand, and global brand were the main brand that the manufacturers in all over the world use it. So, it better for the manufacturer to know each of this kind of brand that been use nowadays. Besides that, the strategies that being used of these four brands also will be different. Brand strategy is aimed on influencing people perception about the brand such as they were persuaded to act in a certain manner, for example buying and using the products and services offered by the brand and purchase at a higher price. In addition, most brand strategies aim to persuade people to buy and use by offering them some form of experience. Branding is typically an activity that was undertaken in a competitive environment that aims to persuade people for the brand. Firstly is the national brand. This kind of brand is a brand that circulated throughout the country. The product is only being nationally distributed and marketed. Moreover the national brands are owned and advertised by a manufacturer. National brand also can differ from the local brand or regional brand. In marketing side, this type of brand is more difficult than the local brand. In order to market their product they have to know their consumer very well but it may took a long period of time. The cost also was big. This is because in order to market the national brand they have to know their customer widely. Moreover, this kind of brand will use to market their brand is other country by radio, print and television advertising. The advertisement also can be customized for local and national brands so that the public could get familiar with the brands. Companies which sell national brands count on the reputation of their brands to get the market share. The national brands may appeal the consumer by their brands name. Consumer often looks the brands which are familiar and easy to identify. National brands may play on distrust of regional or private label brands to get consumer to buy them. Its also have to encourage people to ask question, for example the quality of generic or store branded products. Most national brands started with small regional brands then will slowly grew over time. New companies products are constantly being established and some of the company will go on to capture of the market and expand it to a wider area and lastly will become national brands. The example of the product in Malaysia which is from the regional brand and eventually become a national brand is Padini brands This type of brands has to create their own brands strategy in order to make their products being achieved in the market. This national brand has to focus on the brand equity strategy. They have to create a loyal customer and the customer who aware about their brand. Some of the retailer will use the packaging strategy. They will design the unique packaging so that consumer will remembered the brand directly. For example, an Avon product is gaining preferred shelf positions by partnering with retailers and using packaging and displays as part of a marketing. In the new scenario, the national brands equity is often used to endorse a store brand. That could raise the stature of the company brand. Secondly, the local brand. This type of brand is a brand that sold their product or marketed their brands product in a small or restricted geographical area. This type of brand only can found in the one country or region. It may also be a brand that is developed for a specific national market, however the amazing things is the local brand is more often being done by the consumers than by the producers. The local brand is very easily in marketing their products. It was not hard to know their customer because of the area that they have to study about their customer is not wide. The local brand may used many strategy in order to makes their brand is being aware by the consumer. The local brands were a brand that easy to develop. For example of the brand that only famous in the Philippines could survive in the Philippines market. They have used brand strategy by knowing their customer need and want and the relevant brand name according to their culture. The local brand has to create a modified branding if the product that they sell were similar with the other products. The uniqueness of the brand name or sign may attract the consumer attention. The other type of brand product is the private brand. This is the brand where the retailer or the member buys from a manufacturer in bulk and puts its own name on the product. This mare give more advantages on the retailer, such as will give more freedom and flexibility in pricing. Other than that is more control over product attributes and quality, lower selling price and eliminates much of the manufacturers promotional costs. The private brand also gives a benefit to the manufacturer. The private brands provide another outlet for distributing their products or services. By producing the same goods as for their national brand distribution and labelling them with private brands for varies clients, the volume of production is often higher than it would be otherwise. For example of the private brand was Macys. It was recognized as a retail industry leader in developing private brand merchandise that differentiates the assortments in their stores and delivers exceptional value to the customer. Merchandise for each private brand available only at Macys, is developed to appeal to a certain customer lifestyle. The marketing programs also have been supported by creating a precisely defined image. Macys also develops private label goods to meet specific customer needs and fill gaps in the assortment. The strategy that this private brand should use is, firstly the unit of package. This is the strategy that could be developing on this brand. Nowadays it difficult to assign a private label character even though the product have enhance the customer loyalty because of any reason. This kind of product will not qualify as the private brand label. In addition, using the relabeling strategy also can be used. The unit of pack must bear only the brand name of the particular store or any other party the store may choose for its private label programme. Private labels will enhance the profitability by increasing the negotiation power of the retailer and better value that been creates may get the customer loyalty. Global brand can be defined as a brand which perceived to reflect the same set of values around the world. The global brands were more focusing on enduring relationship with consumers across countries and cultures. Nowadays there were many of the global brands was sold in international markets. For example of the global brand are Facebook, Apple, Coca cola, McDonalds and Sony. These brands are selling the similar product in the multiple markets and it also can be considered as successful global brands. These kind of brand also can be easily recognize by the cross cultural of consumer. In addition, there were many advantage of the global brand. Firstly the marketing costs will be lower and then the brand imagery was consistency and being maintained. Furthermore the global brand also have to be variable, it may be differ from country to country. The elements that have to be differ from one place to other place are the corporate slogan, product and services, products names, product feat ures, positioning of the products and the marketing mix also have to be change. The change will may depend on the differences of the language, style of communication, cultural differences, brand development, and consumption patterns. The global brand can use many strategies, for example the broad strategy areas that can be used are the brand domain. These brand domains are experts in one or more of the aspects. In order to used this kind of strategy the person must have an intimate knowledge, not only about the technologies shaping but also the pertinent consumer behaviour and needs. Brand recognition also one of the branding strategies. This kind of strategy was specialists distinguish themselves from competition by raising their profiles among the consumers. It can be use as to convince consumer to showed their brands is different than the other competitor. However brand strategy is not a given and needs to be constantly be reassessed. The brand managers must decide what the best course of action for their brands is in particular markets, based on an analysis of the relevant internal and external influences on the brands. In conclusion there were many differences among the local, private, national and global brand. The people who use any one of the brands have to understand clearly about the brands, so that they can implement many kinds of strategy. Understanding this four types of brand will make the person can decide which one he or she want to used. Any types of brand that being choose must have their own advantages and disadvantages, it depends on the individual to used it and manage the disadvantage that they may face.

The Outsiders :: essays research papers

The Outsiders Book Review The Outsiders was written by Susan Eloise Hinton. It is one of her most popular books about foolish gang rivalry existing between the Socs, the rich kids from the west side of town, and the Greasers, the poor kids from the east side. Ponyboy Curtis struggles growing up as a poor youth with his two brothers. One night while he is out with Johnny, Ponyboy is attacked by the Socs. Johnny ends up killing one of the Socs. They both flee from the scene before the news gets out. They are caught in a fire and Johnny and Ponyboy become heroes for saving some children. The story has a tragic end for Johnny but Ponyboy realises that he is fortunate, having family and friends that love him The main character in this book is a 14 year old boy named Ponyboy. He lives with his two older brothers, Darry and Sodapop, ever since his parents passed away. He and his brothers belong to a gang called the Greasers, who are from the wrong side of the railroad tracks. They all have long and "tuff" hair; their trademark is the amounts of oil that they put in their hair. They hate the Socs. The Socs have everything, they have great girls, great cars and they think they are superior so they always pick on the Greasers. The most interesting event was when Johnny and Ponyboy were trying to save the little children from the fire. There was a lot of action and showed the courage in the boys. This event marks what a true hero Johnny and Ponyboy are. The main themes are that you shouldn’t judge people by their appearances. Just because you are rich and belong to a tough gang does not mean you are cruel like the other gang members. You shouldn’t carry any harmful weapons and should not escape from the police.

Essay --

Seeing a family member taking medication can be very frightening for an eleven year old child, for me however, it was fascinating to see how a single pill can affect the human body. Ever since, I’ve been intrigued by how something so small could have such an impact on one’s quality of life. Over the past years I developed an interest in the science involved in drug discovery, mechanisms and the effect of drugs on body metabolism. Pursuing a career as a pharmacologist; I feel compelled to contribute to the exciting and ever changing field of pharmacological science that has the power to save someone’s life. Studying chemistry and biology at A-level; I have come to appreciate their value within the context of health. In biology, I am fascinated with how the nervous system behaves in the presence of certain chemical compounds found in existing drugs. An area of study during my A2 chemistry course is ‘what’s in medicine?’ I found this topic thought-provoking as it helped me develop my knowledge of how medicinal drugs are synthesized. Furthermore it aided me to comprehend the effect of ... Essay -- Seeing a family member taking medication can be very frightening for an eleven year old child, for me however, it was fascinating to see how a single pill can affect the human body. Ever since, I’ve been intrigued by how something so small could have such an impact on one’s quality of life. Over the past years I developed an interest in the science involved in drug discovery, mechanisms and the effect of drugs on body metabolism. Pursuing a career as a pharmacologist; I feel compelled to contribute to the exciting and ever changing field of pharmacological science that has the power to save someone’s life. Studying chemistry and biology at A-level; I have come to appreciate their value within the context of health. In biology, I am fascinated with how the nervous system behaves in the presence of certain chemical compounds found in existing drugs. An area of study during my A2 chemistry course is ‘what’s in medicine?’ I found this topic thought-provoking as it helped me develop my knowledge of how medicinal drugs are synthesized. Furthermore it aided me to comprehend the effect of ...

American Imperialism Essay -- essays research papers

Since its inception, America as a nation has developed and progressed according to trends of change that collectively define an era. Like all other eras, the time period of 1875-1925 experienced growth, changes, movements, and new ideals. It is the way that these changes came about that defines this era. Americans started to push for changes in many arenas of life that were previously unchallenged. New experiences and opportunities were also presented to America that caused tributaries in the former American ideal. These pressures for change could not be ignored and thus America continued its maturity in a new and unique manner. The changes in the American sphere of life and the development of greater organization, the largest underlying theme of the time period, facilitated the surgence of new foreign and military policies, urban reform policies, economic reform policies, neo-federalism especially in dealing with business, social reform policies, and the quality of life. The period from 1875-1900 was considered the "Gilded Age". On come the no-name presidents. There is a reason though, why these presidents were no-name presidents. It is because all the power that the presidency gained from Lincoln, was lost during reconstruction. Most things in American life were considered to be things that the government, especially the president, should not touch. The laissez-faire philosophy was in full force. The lack of interference allowed the giants like John D. Rockefellar, Andrew Carnegie, and J. Pierpont Morgan to rise to almost divine status. This is where organization comes to play. Business began to realize that by organizing their power and joining together in bonds such as cartels, later pools, and finally trusts, that they could maximize the exploitation of the growing American population. With this fusion of power and the creation of megacorporations, abuses in the course of industrialization concerning labor and the environment devel oped. This reaction to the weak central government led to the opposition of these abuses. It is a natural pattern that opposition would occur, but the fact that organized opposition began to grow is what separates these resistences from the oppositions of the past. Immigration reaches its peak during the gilded age and shifts from the "old immigratio... ...an frontier for the first time in history, no longer existed. The frontier symbolized the freedom of a place to go when things got boring. The frontier was a safety valve for people to go settle new territories, and to find raw materials. Now with the frontier gone, the idea of taking foreign territories looked like the best way to replace that frontier. Increasingly, the Americans had started to flex their muscle in the affairs around the world. Finally, it became clear that an imperialistic stance for America would be necessary in order to keep up with all the other western powers. In conclusion, many changes in American life especially industrialization forced America to react to the new situations being presented to it. The people developed opinions on certain issues and actively pursued change. This forced America to experience things that it never had in the past. It marked the rise of America as a substantial world power, the removal from isolationism, and the changing of the quality of life. The organized responses of the era, are its stamp on American history, and are responsible for all the changes of the era.

Are Concerns over Immigration to Do with Culture of Economic Reasons Essay

Almost all economists are in agreement that immigration has positive economic effects. Indeed in the United States it â€Å"provides natives with a net benefit of at least $80,000 per immigrant, or as much as $10 billion annually† (Bolin, 2006). However despite this there are huge numbers of advocacy groups pushing the pros and cons immigration to the populations of the host countries, with natives having negative views towards immigration (McLaren & Johnson, 2007). Through the course of this essay I will examine whether the root cause of these often xenophobic views towards immigration have root causes in economic reasons (immigrants taking jobs from natives, and leading to lower wages) or symbolic reasons, where the natives are fearful that the immigrants will bring their culture to the host country and cause change. Enoch Powell, the Conservative British politician, gave a warning that immigrants were causing such strife that â€Å"like the Roman, I seem to see the River Tiber foaming with much blood† (Powell, 1969). This turned out to be nonsense, and his advice that immigrants should be encouraged to leave, would have left Britain, and many other countries that rely on cheap foreign labour in a horrific state of affairs. Immigrants are now taking far longer to integrate into their host country and this is upsetting many natives. â€Å"In the past a third-generation migrant, for example in America, would have been expected to have shed much of his grandparents’ identity† (The Economist, 2008), not speaking his mother tongue and having little loyalty to the country his family originated from. This is changing â€Å"as migrants feel loyalty to more than one country† (The Economist, 2008). For example, Moroccans in Europe, even fourth generation, are encouraged by the Government to identify with the African country, and are granted Moroccan citizenship under the constitution. As many source countries such as India and China grow intent on gaining remittances from their emigres, â€Å"migrants even several generations on may come under great pressure to retain some of their old identity† (The Economist, 2008). This can all lead to immigrants never becoming fully integrated into the host country, causing social problems such as immigrants bunching together in the same place. Due to globalisation and time-space compression, it has become far easier for migrants to emigrate further away from their own country, this causes problems as they subsequently have little in common with their host country and find it harder to integrate into the community. Traveling long distances to emigrate is no longer a problem and in the future there will be the problem of â€Å"people moving greater distances and settling among different ethnic, religious and cultural groups† (The Economist, 2008), meaning they will have problems integrating. â€Å"Danes in Sweden or Albanians in Greece have little trouble integrating into the relatively familiar societies next door. Even Poles in Ireland prosper, perhaps thanks to the incomers’ good standard of education and skill and the shared Catholic faith. But Iraqis in Sweden, Somalis in Canada or Pakistanis in Norway typically find integration harder† (The Economist, 2008). Samuel Huntington blames this on the â€Å"great divisions among humankind† (Huntington, 1993) that are the differences between civilisations. He believes that immigration will ‘intensify civilization consciousness and awareness of differences between civilizations and commonalities within civilizations’ (Huntington, 1993). This leads to a ‘them versus us’ attitude, with the natives having the xenophobic view that the immigrants are qualitatively different from themselves. As the natives of the host country would have spent time constructing â€Å"discursive practices that attempt to fix meanings which enable the differentiation between the inside and the outside to be made† (Doty, 1996), they will resent immigrants not properly integrating themselves into the community. Research on social identity appears to conclude that identity is highly important to individuals, with individuals protecting these identities even if they have no realistic meaning (Monroe, et al. , 2000). People use these identities to provide a sense of self (Sniderman, et al. 2004), partly in order that they may distinguish between those similar to themselves and those different. The ‘identities tend to have their basis in perceptions of differences’ (McLaren & Johnson, 2007)with those viewed as outsiders thought to have radically different values and approaches to life. â€Å"The threat posed by minorities and immigrants may be symbolic in nature and may stem from concerns about the loss of certain values or ways of life† (McLaren & Johnson, 2007), due to immigrants having a significant presence in the host country. Immigrants also often congregate in areas of the host country, London for example has a huge immigrant and minority presence with only 44. 9% classing themselves as ‘White British’ (Gye, 2012), in the 2011 census. This all means that natives are fearful that immigrants will cause them to adapt or change their ways of life. Migrants who preserve â€Å"a strong religious sense that cuts across any national loyalty may be the hardest of all to assimilate into broadly secular Western societies†. In the post-9/11 world Muslims are often seen as being the greatest cultural threat to Western societies. In a recent survey McLaren and Johnson measured anti-Muslim feeling in the United Kingdom. They found that 62% of people agreed with the statement that British Muslims are more loyal to Muslims around the world, than to other Britons, only 12% disagreed. Only 30% of Britons felt that Muslims living in Britain were committed to Britain, with 47% feeling that they could never be committed to Britain. 52% of people thought that Britain would begin to lose its identity if more Muslims came to live there. Clearly there is considerable anti-Muslim feeling in Britain and concern that British-Muslims pose a threat to the identity and culture of Britain (McLaren & Johnson, 2007). Most economists are in agreement that immigration has very little effect on native’s wages; this should mean that natives won’t oppose immigration based on the misbelief that immigrants lower wages. Although conventional economic wisdom states that an increase in supply of labour will lead to a decrease in price, this doesn’t happen. Friedberg and Hunt conclude that a 10% increase in immigrant levels in the population, decreases wages by 1% (Friedberg & Hunt, 1995). Economist Francisco Revera-Batiz came to the same conclusion, noting that although immigration has increased the supply of low skilled workers into the United States, there has been very little impact on the wages of high school dropouts, the lowest skilled people in America (Rivera-Batiz, 1998). One of the most influential studies is Card’s 1990 study on the Miami Labour market after the sudden influx of 125,000 Cuban immigrants in 1980 due to a sharp downturn in the Cuban economy. Surprisingly the arrival of so many immigrants didn’t affect native wages, although it did lower the overall wage level in Miami; due to the immigrants being employed in low-wage jobs (Card, 1990). This tallies with the outcomes of other natural experiments in recent history such as the homecoming of 600,000 Portuguese after the collapse of their empire in Africa in 1974-76, the return of 900,000 Frenchmen from Algeria in 1962 (The Economist, 2008) or the influx of 610,000 Russian Jews into Israel 1990-94, increasing the labour force by 12%; all had negligible effects on native wages. Immigrants don’t decrease wages because as well as increasing the supply of labour, they become a domestic consumer for goods as well as services, they â€Å"create jobs as consumers and fill jobs as producers† (Bolin, 2006). A higher total population, ceteris parabus, will lead to the production of more goods and services, boosting the host countries gross domestic product (GDP). In some rare cases immigrants can even boost native’s wages. Illegal Mexican immigrants, who are â€Å"predominantly low skilled† (Bolin, 2006), have a positive effect on other workers’ wages (Bean, et al. 1998). This is due to immigration increasing the productivity of native workers by â€Å"taking low-skilled jobs, freeing higher-skilled workers to work in higher-skilled employment where they can be more productive† (Bolin, 2006). Based on the results of a range of economists, using results based on a â€Å"range of methodologies† (Bolin, 2006), it can be seen that immigrants have a small negative impact on native wages, although mainly low-skilled workers. Based on this, natives shouldn’t be concerned over immigration levels based on their own wages falling. The popular theory that immigrants ‘come over here and take our jobs’, has been shown to hold very little truth, as most studies â€Å"find no or negligible effect[s]† (Bolin, 2006) on employment rates. The ‘lump of labour fallacy’ is the mistaken idea that there are a set number of jobs in the economy, and when an immigrant takes one of those jobs, it is a job lost for a native. This is incorrect for three reasons. Firstly, by coming to a country â€Å"immigrants increase the supply of labour and hence reduce wages. In turn, cheaper labour increases the potential return to employers to build new factories or expand their operations. In so doing, they create extra demand for workers† (Grinda, 2006), and more jobs are created. Secondly, immigrants are consumers as well as producers. When there is a large influx of immigrants such as the 610,000 Russian-Jews into Israel in the early 1990’s, they are in need of goods and services. People are employed to provide these goods and services, meaning more jobs added to the economy, and immigrants simply enlarge the economy. Thirdly, immigrants are 10 to 20 percent more likely to become entrepreneurs and start their own business than natives (Briggs & Moore, 1994). In 1999, The Wall Street Journal reported that â€Å"Chinese and Indian immigrants run nearly 25% of the high-companies started in [Silicon] Valley since 1980†¦The 2,775 immigrant-run companies had total sales of $16. 8 billion and more than 58,000 employees† (Thurm, 1999). â€Å"Immigrants not only take jobs, they make jobs. They open new businesses that employ natives as well as other immigrants and themselves. And they do so in important numbers† (Simon, 1999). Similarly, the findings by Friedberg and Hunt discovers â€Å"no evidence of economically significant reductions in native employment†. Card, as well as examining the impact of the Muriel boatlift on wages also examined the impact of it on employment. Even though Miami’s workforce was increased by 7%, virtually overnight, with an influx of relatively unskilled Cuban workers he finds â€Å"no evidence of an increase in unemployment among less skilled blacks or other non-Cuban workers. Rather the data analysis suggests a remarkably rapid absorption of the Muriel immigrants into the Miami labour force† (Card, 1990). Again with immigrant’s impact on wages, the evidence seems to suggest that a lack of evidence that immigration causes native unemployment. This should mean that concerns over immigration should not be linked to worries over employment. Due to immigrants being â€Å"disproportionately low-skill[ed]† (Bolin, 2006) they tend to have lower wages than natives. It is often assumed therefore that they depend more upon the welfare system than natives. The level of benefits are often higher in the host country than the source country, and it is often suggested that it is this difference that brings in migrants. Borjas coined the term â€Å"welfare magnet effect† (Borjas, 1999), making the point that immigrants are drawn to the country with the highest benefits. This however has all been shown to be completely false, and many economists believe that over the long term immigrants more than pay for the public services they use (Simon, 1999). In the United States â€Å"most immigrants, including Mexicans, are usually less likely than comparable natives to receive welfare†, with the per capita cost of social welfare for immigrants being 8% less than the per capita cost for natives (Bean, et al. 1998). It is plain to see that objections to immigration come from those who are worried about the identity and culture of their nation being eroded, rather than for economic reasons. Immigrants are solving many problems for the host countries, such as the problems of aging populations and those participating in the workforce being increasing choosy about the jobs they do. Immigrants have few economic disadvantages, although high immigration may bring about a small decrease in jobs for the natives, the tax revenue that they bring in more than displaces this negative effect. As the immigrants have little impact on jobs, and simply create more jobs in the economy, disproving the lump of labour fallacy, they don’t have a negative impact on wages which is a positive for the economy as a whole. The argument that immigrants have a negative impact on the identity and culture of a nation holds some truth. Due to the fact that a nation’s identity is made up of what its inhabitants believe it to be, immigrants having different views, can water this identity down.

Newell Company Corporate Strategy Essay

1. In assessing Newell orders embodied- take aim dodging and whether the comp any adds nourish to the businesses inside its portfolio, it is necessary to identify its oerarching scheme and so explain it with context to how it affects the unhomogeneous businesses in spite of appearance the larger bodily body. Newell federations main integrated-level strategy as defined by Dan Fergurson was build on what we do best. The caller-out rivet on offset through strategical encyclopaedisms of cockeyeds that inter transplant low cost and elevateder(prenominal) volume reapings to large retailers, but that were underperforming receivable to high operating cost. After an acquisition, Newell would then change the lively available systems of the firm to align it with its unified structure. The aim was to add operational power and profitability and to think it on a key get throughing. In 1990, Newell as well as recognize the importance of native harvest and included it in its incarnate-level strategy.Newells corporate-level strategy had a high level of positive impact beca intention it was inbredly consistent. The corporate office maintained control everyplace legal, administrative and monetary functions while allowing single(a) air divisions to control marketing, manu accompanimenturing and sales. It also retained exacting control over each divisions incr placidity lines as it disallowed any deviation from the key return coun change defined by Newell. This ensured that the decisions made by various divisions remained in line with the Newell corporate office strategies. Overarching company goals were also align with its business strategies and acquisitions, and this was respectable for the various companies it acquired over prison term. ane of Newells corporate strategies was selling point of intersections across variant monetary pry points. This remained in accordance with its goal of being a provider of low cost and high volu me goods to large retailers and serve uped to keep the company competitive against refreshed entrants to the different price categories.This was advantageous to businesses under Newell as its various(prenominal) crop lines were able to retain eventful shelf space, ensuring better sales of products. pore growth via streamlining strategic acquisitions was enabled by Newells appropriate use of available resources. One of Newells core competencies was its operational force and its system of bringing acquired companies to its high standards of efficiency and profitability. Its success in the streamlining process fecal matter be seen from the rapidity with which changes were made and the results of the process. As stated in the case study,Newellization typically took little than 6 months to implement. After getting Anchor Hocking, the management from Newell achieved cost savings by letting go of redundant resources within the company much(prenominal) as its glass factory and i ts retail stores and introduced sweet systems which helped to bring about improved efficiency such as reducing its node lead order period from 18 to 7 days. While the businesses within Newell may nominate encountered issues due to the re setions on innovative growth, they ultimately benefited from the strain on operational efficiency and cost savings resulting in higher(prenominal) operating margins.Newells corporate-level strategy was reasonably propellent recounting to the environment. While it maintained a harsh focus on certain goals, the corporate strategy was also modified to include new ideas that would ensure sustainable growth. This provoke be seen from the case where Newells growth strategy was expanded to include the internationalistic market, widening their acquisition target national to include companies based overseas. This was due to the fact that Newells target market, retailers like Walmart, was expanding into unusual markets. In 1989, corporate managemen t recognized the importance of internal growth within the respective divisions instead of simply think on each division generating higher levels of profit, and the growth of the company being determined by acquisitions. They reflected this change in perspective by changing the corporate fillip structure to encourage executives to pursue internal growth in addition to its existing goals.Newells corporate-level strategy was effective for numerous another(prenominal) years as open fire be seen from the fact that it had higher returns to investors compared to the S&P 500. This was due to a number of factors such as maintaining internal consistency, efficient use of resources and keeping corporate strategy dynamic relative to the changing environment. Businesses acquired were in synergism and this was beneficial to individual businesses in ensuring less wastage and improved levels of service and efficacy. In addition, businesses were also able to take advantage of Newells econom ies of scale and economies of scope. However, despite its positive financial returns, as financial returns are indicatory of past policies being effective, it would not be symptomatic of future success. Newells strict enforcement of focus on key product lines without allowing for more innovative expansion of those product lines could lead to much slower levels of growth after initial operational synergies were realized.This would in turn be detrimental in maintaining its competitive advantage in the prospicient remain.4. While the acquisition of Calphalon could pose approximately problems in the integrating process, it was aligned to Newells overall corporate strategy and would be beneficial to Newell in the spacious run if Calphalon was incorporated without eroding its support product offering. Calphalons acquisition was beneficial to Newell in two ways. It allowed Newell to branch out into new markets that had not reached saturation without cannibalizing its existing product lines. While Newell pore on view market retailers such as Walmart and spot Depot, Calphalons products were sold to high determination retailers such as Williams Sonoma and Macys. Calphalons product offering and pissed daub light would enable Newell to reach out to the insurance premium market and diversify its product portfolio further. At the same time, Newells strong focus on customer relationships and Calphalons bearing of building partnerships with its retailers are similar and would ease its assimilation into the firm.Calphalons pull strategies could also be leveraged by Newell to differentiate its product portfolio from other low cost competitors, enable it to maintain its existing market share. Newells core competencies would be useful in reducing Calphalons rising cost while concentrating on its strength as a premium product. As can be seen from the financial statements, cost of goods sold increased significantly from 1996 to 1997 without a correspondingly large in crease in revenue. The problems go about by Calphalon in terms of trading operations would be easily manageable for Newell assumption its strong background in operational efficiency and its experience with assimilating acquisitions to its corporate system. However, as Newells product offerings were principally utilitarian while Calphalons products focused on an emotional connection among the product and the premium end user, Calphalons integration into Newell would be more finespun than other acquisitions.As the Newellization process typically removes the acquired companys systems to replace it with Newells system, its stringency could erode Calphalons brand equity as a premium cookware producer. While this would be difficult, it would heretofore make sense in the long run given the potential benefits to Newell and the relatively low amount of risk redeem in the acquisition.The acquisition of Rubbermaid would seem beneficial given the numerous advantages that Newell would g ain, but the numerous complications associated with the process as well as the fundamental differences between Newell and Rubbermaid make the acquisition too risky to undertake, and thus strategically unsound. The advantages associated with the Rubbermaid acquisition are obvious. Rubbermaid fit into Newells criteria for acquisition. It sold targeted product lines to mass retailers, and had strong brand equity. It also suffered from troubled operations, which Newellization would help to address. In addition, the purchase of Rubbermaid would enable Newell to cross the $10 billion threshold that would in turn lead to an increase in market power against retailers like Walmart who enforced harsh policies which were nonnegotiable.However, these advantages are offset by a number of issues. Newell and Rubbermaid, while move the same product offerings, had fundamentally different bases for competitive advantages. While Newell focused on operational efficiency, Rubbermaid was known for its product innovation. This would besotted that the processes that helped to streamline Newell-led companies would probably lead to the eating away Rubbermaids core competencies. At the time of the acquisition, Rubbermaid was only slightly smaller than Newell. The integration process would be more tangled and difficult due to the fact that Rubbermaid had many different product lines, all of which would have to changed to fit Newells corporate system.At the same time, Rubbermaids large size of it would mean that it would be more repugn for Newell to change corporate strategy without alienate the existing workforce. Both of the factors above unite would mean that in order to pursue the acquisition and realize all the benefits associated with it, it would be necessary for Newell to change its corporate strategy to address the differences between Newell and Rubbermaid. However, this was not mentioned in the case study. Thus, without implementing a large-scale change in Newell, it wou ld be difficult to aggregate both companies to create synergy and value for the overall firm. The difficulties in integration, the high risks associated with the integration, and the neediness of change in Newells corporate strategies translate to an illogical acquisition by Newell.