Environmentally Susutanable Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Environmentally Susutanable Business - Essay Example The companies of one country are successfully involved in trade relations with other countries. Also, many of the countries are having their production units in many parts of the world, making them truly multi – national corporations. The one major aspect of the tremendously competitive business world of today has been the flow of information. It is perceived that the right information in the right moment can do the trick. Also, the reach of the end customers have increased by great extent, thanks to the modern methods of communication like that of internet and cellular phones. Analysing the above facts, it can be well accepted that the commercial fraternity across the globe has been experiencing terrific competition like never before. Apart from the core competencies, the companies are always looking for the extra edge that could gain them the advantage. The companies of modern world are no more focusing on increasing only the shareholders’ value. Rather, the concept in contention today is the enhancement of stake holder’s value. Almost all of the major corporate houses are emphasising to create value for all the stake holders namely the customers, the suppliers, the employees, the regulators, the financial institutions and even for the media along with the true owners i.e. the shareholders. The companies are focusing more on sustainable and long term development. It is well accepted today that only those companies that bank upon sustainable development could exist amidst the turbulent times of today. Royal Dutch Shell, popularly known as Shell, has been one of the leading energy and the petro - chemical producing companies of the world. The company aims to meet the energy requirements of the society without compromising the economic, social and environmental factors. The group recognises the fact that resources are scarce and therefore employs every possible measure to use the resources in the best possible

CASE STUDIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE STUDIES - Essay Example gement and the board of directors is 100% male, since Panera is offering a healthier option for food, they could be helped by having female and minority members of the board as well as in the management team to provide a better corporate image. 3. Opening restaurants in other countries with an aggressive growth strategy would require a flood of marketing both in terms of awareness of healthy food (where such awareness is not already present) and establishing their brand identity. 4. The restaurant I went to seemed too dark and gloomy. Even though there were colorful signs at plenty of places, the lack of light made an overall depressing setting. I would suggest that they make use of natural light in the interior and bring the interiors with their unique selling point of healthy food and healthy lifestyles. 1. From the case, it seems obvious that the key competency required would be excellent communications skills which can get the point across the table as well as across the border. Secondly, cultural competency and an ability to work with peoples of different cultures are also important. Finally, since a culture may not be as socially advanced, it could be towards the benefit of the company to use a male representative instead of a female if both of them are equally suited for the job at hand. 2. The only cost of not understanding diversity is profit, which is something no company can afford to lose. If the plant had been developed and run with an understanding of diversity, the communication problems and the cultural clashes could certainly be minimized and the lost production time could have been turned into profitable output. 3. The first problem she faced was stereotyping, just because she was Mexican American; it was assumed that she could work with Mexicans better than anyone else. The second problem was the cultural gap with the Mexicans and communication issues with the Americans. She also faced problems with Mexican men accepting her as the

Political and Economic Factors in International Relations

Political and Economic Factors in International Relations Faculty of Economics and Management Which of the two suppose nowadays a greater danger for justice in IR: political or economic factors Justice in International Relations Introduction This essay raises the question of which factors pose threat to Justice in International Relations at present. It is centered around idea that these factors, which are not only economic and political in nature, but also historical, derive from the domestic practices and ideas of various states. There are three study cases that show from various perspectives how in different ways the internal order spills into international and what set of ideas and methods influence justice in international relations. The complex issue of Justice in International Relations presupposes that we pose and define, at least in this essay the view on the role and the nature of the Justice on the international arena. Whether this notion contradicts or not with the opinion of some major scholars on how just the international order is and can be, it is crucial for us to further follow the logical way of this essay. In my opinion, the international order, interstate relations since the start of the human history had very little space for the just approach: even the civilized nations were generally led by the right of the strongest to do what he wills. Correlated, perhaps, by the power of a free human though and technological advancement, still, the rule of sheer military power was something to be revered. And it has been recorder well in the Greek and Roman history through the famous Melian dialogue. This excerpt of it demonstrates clearly the ways of approaching the international business of the day by perh aps, the most civilized and humane people of the time: Of the gods we believe, and of men we know, that by a necessary law of their nature they rule wherever they can. And it is not as if we were the first to make this law, or to act upon it when made: we found it existing before us, and shall leave it to exist forever after us; all we do is to make use of it, knowing that you and everybody else, having the same power as we have, would do the same as we do (Strassler 1996). We see clearly how little space is given to the notion of justice. Even less was expected when the nations dealt with barbaric people or great empires of the East, despotic in the nature. The same is as well expressed in the Ancient Roman history: when faced with overwhelming forces of the Gauls in 390 BC, the famous vae victis (woe to the conquered ones) was coined. And this lesson of injustice, of what might happen to the ones that fail, was learned well by the Romans and later they would go on to establish the ir own rule on those weaker and less successful. Hardly there was any discussion on the actual righteousness of their actions. Yet, in the cruelty of the civilized ones, there is found a set of ideas that would later contribute so much to a completely differing set of ideas and notions, a whole new historical perspective of people living in completely different, just and fair conditions. These ideas, in my opinion were first the ideas of freedom and domination first coined by the Athenian political leader Pericles, and second Greco-Roman stoicism and cynicism and the concepts coined within this philosophy (like cosmopolitanism). Both set of views, in part with many others, undoubtedly, served later as the cornerstone for the revived Western Civilization, which, at least by name, calls itself humane and adhering to the principles of justice, human rights, democracy and opposing despotism. The description of these ideas, undervalued in modern times, and the way they shaped the Wester n notion, is not a part of this essay, yet, it is important to say that they are the ones that called for a dialogue whenever the West acted oppressively towards the rest of the world, and even more a tool for discussion and social change in the vey western countries themselves. So, we can clearly say that the historical experience of the countries is another important factor influencing their understanding of the domestic justice and hence, justice on the international arena. The more just, democratic, law abiding the society of the country is, the more it correlates with the demands for a fairer world on the international arena. This very important statement will be later developed in the essay. Those countries that did not undergo a certain process of inner development of the ideas on justice and more humane order, have little to contribute to the international system. Moreover, the higher the development of the countrys political and economic system, the deeply economic and pol itical factors influencing the notion of justice both on the domestic and the international level are intertwined. Domestic policies and international order And before looking at the perspective of justice in the international relations, it would be wise to consider several cases of how domestic ideas of justice, as well as practices of it, influence and shape the international approach. The first country to start with, the one that has been dominating international politics ever since the Second World War, is the United States. Being at some point a breakaway from the old and, as seemed obsolete European absolutist ideas, the new state brought the value of republicanism and democracy to the highest level. The very main document of the state was a drastic breakthrough from the Old World and in a way a revolutionized, the dream of many political thinkers of the time. The words of one the main document of the state started with the words: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happ iness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed (Virginia Declaration of Rights). And indeed, from the end of the 19th century up till nowadays for the many oppressed the USA remains the place of freedom, in a way a political ideal to be reached. Not only it is just in itself, but it as well actively engages in establishing freedom and democracy all around the world. Yet, what is important here is to take a closer look at the domestic stance with equality and justice in the USA. Despite the declared equality, economically the population is very diverse. The salary differentiation between the poorest and the richest may vary in 300 times, which is, of course unprecedented. As it was said, the economic fractionalization lead to the fact that different social strata and communities live different lives, with ones striving to have a decent life, while the other many times more than enough then a human being can consume. As the graph suggests, 80% of the American population own only 15.1% of the national wealth. To compare: 50% of the USA population owns 14.5 trillion dollars, the same amount of money could be gathered in 10 years if the tax on the rich would increase by 2%. Such economic inequality undoubtedly spurs political debates in the country. As well, we should take into account that financial diversification goes in hand with ethnic and cultural division of the households. Despite the fact that the just order is guaranteed by the law, existing social institutions, bureaucratic apparatus and the democratic tradition, the income inequality as well as other discrepancies the economic division raises stem into the political sphere and cause debate. And with certain economic groups tied up with the political decision makers, the inequality transforms into a vicious circle: rich and economically affluent influence the politics, thus preserving their positions and becoming more rich, while the ones receiving medium and below medium salary have little say in the decision making and instead are more and more occupied with the process o guaranteeing their financial prospects. Domestic inequality and the practices of economic exploitation clearly is receive continuation on the international arena. Changes in economic inequality over the last 30 years (The Economist) On the international scale we see that in the countries where republican ideas, rule of law, democratic principles, respect to human rights, freedoms are of paramount importance, the economic practices and laws allow for inequality and exploitation in domestic relations, but even more on the international level. MNCs acting in accordance with the law and indeed bringing the change to some third world countries, in fact contribute to the implementation of practices that undermine the attempts to establish international justice through establishment of unfair practices. Thus, the stance of the United States on the international arena is ambiguous on the one hand through establishing relations with the others states and participating in the work of the international organizations, it promotes the political principles established in the country, and are generally favourable for the fairer world, but on the other hand the economic policy through trade and actions of MNCs have a controver sial effect: exploitation of resources and population, cardinally unequal income distribution and often practice of dealing with corrupt politicians and non democratic political regimes. When the primary goal is only to maximize the profit, then the ways of making it in the third world countries have little to do with the notions of promoting justice. Historical factors and views on global order Another study case, this time a country that is not a part of the classical Westetn civilization, is China. Becoming in many ways a modern capitalist economy, its political views on the international arena and its place in it may not fully fall in line with the Western vision of China. Chinese foreign trade is strongly intertwined with the Chinese foreign economy policy. We can define five major principles, characterizing Chinese economy and demanding adherence to them. First, is keeping open world markets for its exports, more than half of which are produced by factories that are wholly or partly owned by foreigners. The second principle is about securing access to international supplies of energy resources and natural resources, which serve a determining factor to the Chinese industrial development. The third principle demands China is to insulate its economy and national wealth from potentially destabilizing international risks. The fourth principle demands that new technologies a re acquired, together with knowhow and skills. The fifth principle presupposes promotion of global expansion of Chinese own industries through foreign investment. It is obvious that in the last decades China is on the rise, both economically and politically, but the question remains how the increase in Chinese domination will affect the global order (de Jonquieres, 2011). Will it be a US competitor? And can it propose a viable alternative to the existing world order? Until the late Qing, concepts of international order and justice were alien to Chinas imperial rulers. Subsequently, however, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, China perceived itself to be the victim in an unjust world of aggressive, powerful, Western states. Contemporary Chinese perceptions of a just international order have been shaped by such past experiences and encompass a strong element of restitution. Its justice claims start with the Chinese state itself rather than with the needs of a broader glo bal community. Its activity on the international arena can be explained by the need to return the prestige and honour that was presumably lost in the early 20-ies. During the Cold war era Chinese foreign policy was heavily built on the dichotomy of rivalry of the two world powers, using one of them to strengthen themselves. First it was the alliance with Moscow from 1972 with the USA. It as well kept a positive image for the developing world. After the demise of the USSR there appeared a debate among the scholars whether a unipolar or multipolar world is appropriate. Globalisation was seen as a process beneficial for the USA, in which China had to find its place. The international relations had to be democratized. Despite the bright declarations often made by the Chinese officials, the current approach is based around a strategy of bandwagoning and transcending. The first means China adapting to the US and serving as a partner, while the second emphasise the peaceful transition to a more democratic world order. Transcending includes democratizing international relations, promotion of state sovereignty, strong support of the UN. Chinese approach is generally compared with US on the international arena.(Foot 2008) The Chinese approach to Justice in IR during the communist era proposed an another vision of how the relations could be altered. The Three World Theory presupposed that non-aligned states, that want to adhere neither to the comunist, nor to the capitalist world, can work together. Yet, these ideas have never gained power and later Chinese leaders felt in line with a more common view on the international arena. The Three World Theory map proposed by Mao Zedong The increasing importance of China in the International Relations make us listen more attentively to what the leadership of the country says on world order. Yet, as it was demonstrated, the Chinese economic policies go in line with the world practices. And the political and ideological solutions center rather around China itself, then the care of a an alternative, more just order. So, it would not be a wrong generalization to say that many non-Western countries do not contribute to fairer practices and go in line with the general pattern. Spread of negative factors on the regional and international level The last study case, however minor it is in comparison with the two previous ones, demonstrates how political factors influence on the economy and how certain processes taking place in one country, affect the whole region, leading to distribution of the unfair practices. The case here is the political and economic situation in Eastern Europe, and specifically the case of how political and economic practices of one country negatively affect the situation in the whole region. The destructive mechanism of Belarusian authoritarianism on other countries has not been well examined. Often dubbed as the last dictatorship in Europe, Lukashenkas system has proven to remain far more stable than expected. Though not showing great economic progress, remaining politically and economically dependent on Russia, the regime was able to deal with Putins administration, withstand political protests after 2006 elections and 2008 economic crisis. Lukashenka himself built in his own way an effective state structure, with him virtually controlling every significant aspect in politics and economy. However undemocratic the regime may be, with all the violations and electoral fraud during the presidential, parliamentary and local elections, it has been able to remain politically relatively stable for 16 years so far. This, undoubtedly set an example for the governing elite of the neighboring countries, like Russia and Ukraine, Belarusian dictatorship political regime also has a significant economic influence on the economy of Lithuania and to a lesser extent, on the economy of Latvia. We can see how Lithuanian leaders, interested in further economic cooperation with Belarus, especially in the case of transit Belarusian potassium salt, stood as advocates of the Belarusian authoritarian regime and in sometimes gave support to the regime (Belarus: Background and U.S. Policy Concerns). Belarusian contagion spreads in both ways, affecting other states because of the profitable economic cooper ation with Belarus and on personal level, tempting certain officials to breach the law, corrupting their own governmental system. Thus, their state system may become less accountant, transparent, responsive, equitable, legal frameworks become flawed. This is a clear example of how on the regional level political factors in one country spill to the other, making the whole region more corrupt. The bigger conclusion here is as follows: if we leave place for economic and political negotiation with countries with authoritarian or tyrannical regime, we must admit that it will influence. regional and international relations in the negative ways, further spreading contagious practices developed in their countries, that contradict the civilized norms, respect for human rights and the rule of law. To conclude the essay, several main statements should be repeated. First, in my opinion historical experience and evolution is not less important when speaking about the contribution to the justice on the international arena. Secondly, the behavior of the state on the international arena is very correlated with its domestic policy. Third, political and economic factors in the complex systems are intertwined, often it is hard to say precisely, which factor stems from the other. Finally. even if the political factors contribute to international justice, economic factors, and the pursuit for profit contribute to inequality and undermine the notion of justice in international relations. Bibliography Robert B. Strassler, The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War, Free Press, 1996, page 352-354 Guy de Jonquieres What power shift to China? ECIPE. Policy briefs. No. 04/2012.ISSN 1653-899. Brussels http://www.ecipe.org/media/publication_pdfs/PB201103.pdf. Viewed on December 17, 2013 Rosemary Foot. Chinese strategies in a US-hegemonic global order: accommodating and hedging. International Affairs 82, 1 http://www.cerium.ca/IMG/pdf/Foot_-_Chinese_Strategies_-_International_Affairs.pdf. Viewed on December 17, 2013 CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html. Viewed on December 17, 2013 The Most Important Chinese Trade Barriers. Derek Scissors. Testimony before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations July 19, 2012 http://www.heritage.org/research/testimony/2012/07/the-most-important-chinese-trade-barriers. Viewed on December 17, 2013 Virginia Declaration of Rights http://www.gunstonhall.org/georgemason/human_rights/vdr_first_draft.html Zia Mian and M.V. Ramana, 2010. Imbricated Regional Rivalries and Global Order: South Asia, China and the United States.‘ Belarus: Background and U.S. Policy Concerns. CRS Report for Congress. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32534.pdf The EUs Limited Response to Belarus Pseudo New Foreign Policy. CEPS Policy Brief No. 151, 8 February 2008. http://aei.pitt.edu/7543/1/151.pdf European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. Country strategy paper 2007-2013. http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/country/enpi_csp_nip_belarus_en.pdf 1

Historical Insights in Devil in the White City Essays -- Devil in the

Historical Insights in Devil in the White City Write an essay discussing the historical insights presented in Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City, being sure to answer the following questions: In what ways does the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 represent the contrasts and conflicts of the Gilded Age? What is the Fair’s lasting imprint on American society & culture, & what new trends does it signal for the twentieth century?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the Chicago World’s fair of 1893 only lasted 6 months, it had an enormous impact on the city of Chicago, its people, and indeed the entire country. Up until that point in its history, the US had done nothing on the scale of the world’s fair, and was regarded as a country of barbarians and cowboys by much of the world, especially Old Europe. The fair was a perfect way for the US to disprove this. In building the fair, they would be placed in direct competition with France, who had built a magnificent fair only a few years before. If Chicago could at least build a fair on par with the Paris fair, it would prove to the world that the US was a cultural, military and political force to be reckoned with. Because of the fair’s gigantic scale, it became a microcosm of the conflicts and the tenor of the times. In effect, the fair was the turning point between the old Victorian days and the modern era, technologically, culturally, politically, and in the hearts of the people of the US and the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States of the Gilded Age was not the superpower is it today. At best, it was considered a powerful manufacturing and industrial country, but little more. Culturally and politically, it was an upstart to the relatively old and established European powers of the day. At this point in history, much of the American West was still frontier country, relatively undeveloped. The North east, especially New York, was the only part of the US considered by the world to be somewhat civilized and cultured. Even what we think of as east today, most notably Chicago, was thought of as uncivilized. Getting the World’s Fair in Chicago was their chance to prove otherwise. It was also a chance for the whole country to prove its cultural power. With the Fair’s success came new respect from the world, particularly Europe. The US was no longer viewed as much as a second rate power with no culture of its own and no global influence. The fa... ...the people of the US a glimpse of alien cultures that many of them had never heard of, much less seen and learned about. In a way, the fair was a cultural awakening for most of the people of the United States. Suddenly, people from Missouri could tell their friends and families that they had seen Camels, or men from Japan. 27 million people went to see the fair, the vast majority of them Americans. That was a little less than half of the population of the country at this time. That many people seeing cultures and people that many had never heard of would have caused a dramatic effect, transforming the people of this country into a more cultured, worldly people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 was the turning point between old Victorian, provential, and backwater ways in the US, and the modern outlook and culture we enjoy today. It was built on a scale that had never been seen before. It provided technological wonders, new cultures, and a look into a brighter future. It helped to take the US from being a backwater, second rate power to a world super power. It was progressive in the labor and safety movements. In short, it was a major turning point in American history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Stop Welfare Abuse to Build the Work Ethics

Valbona Bajrami Stop welfare abuse to build the work ethics America the promised land, America with 37 million poor citizens living under welfare recipients! But, are all these people really poor? Are all these people in real need to live in the shoulders of American taxpayer, or are they â€Å"spineless creatures† who abuse state benefits? These questions deserve to be answers for all taxpayers who not only sweat by working, but they must also pay for all those that are nothing more than parasites.Our government is all about training these people to live in poverty and in return they have children who grow up to believe that the government should pay their way. According to the Census report, 11. 3 percent to 15. 1 percent of the population was living in poverty over the past 20 years. Around 45 percent of them own their own homes, have car, cable, and satellite TV. Overall, when Obama became president, he decided to equip with mobile phones all those who receive welfare.The average poor American has more living space than the average individual not classified as poor living throughout Europe. The number of teen pregnancy increases day by day, and unfortunately the most of them were raised in circle of poverty and dependent on the benefits of welfare. What is poverty indeed? The word â€Å"poverty† suggests destitution: an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter, so the above mentioned facts do not show any degree of poverty.It seems that collecting welfare has become a way of life for some, which caused laziness, increased the number of drug users, increase of family violence because they don’t have nothing else to do except to attract and seek benefits from state. They prefer to be let go from work so that they can get paid to sit on their behind. Now the government plans to let the food stamp card to be used in fast food chains and buy junk food instead of cooking? This has to stop! Some tax payers can't afford to eat out, now these irresponsible people want us to pay for their fast food?Wake up law maker, we are tired of this. Drug test them and let the people vote whether they want to be so generous with their tax dollars or not. Give them 3 months to get back on their feet, and then shut them off because they apparently are not aware that they are damaging their children by learning them to live in cycle of welfare. Reported cases of child abuse and neglect among poor children is almost 7 times as great as the incidence among non-poor children .These people complain about their living budget, always in search of humanitarian organizations and often complain that the state is not fulfilling their needs. Because of their behavior the famous quote of Douglas Coupland comes to my mind â€Å"Blame is just a lazy person's way of making sense of chaos. † I see people my age who receive unemployment checks, food stamps; you name it, and they are doing absolutely nothi ng to change it, even turning down advancements at their jobs so they can continue to receive the same amount of aide.It is important to recognize that job opportunities do exist for individuals willing to accept them. The government should end welfare because there are more people that abuse it then need it. People on welfare do not respect the value and hard work of US taxpayers. It is really upsetting that they don’t do anything to better themselves. If we stop the welfare, poor people would be more likely to go to work, starting to climb the ladder that will lead out of poverty and teach their kids the value of education and work ethic.

Costs and Benefits Analysis of 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Essay

The Sydney Olympic Games held in 2000 was perhaps one of Australia’s major investments. The event involved Private, Social and External costs and benefits. The NSW government experienced the Private costs. Financially, the government spent around $1.7 billion dollars on the event, which included the sporting facilities, advancing the city’s streets, transport organisation and the village. The takings received for the event, however, was around $6 million. The profits are still being made today, as now Sydney is in possession of world-class amenities capable of holding other major sporting events. The government saved on the payment of employees, as most were volunteers. The economy benefited from the spending of tourists attending the Games. The External costs were the rapid growth of homelessness as the housing market saw prices climb astronomically from all the publicity of the Games. The Games may have created a national debt, which subsequently the taxpayers would have had to subsidise. Due to the government having to concentrate their budget on the Games, less money was put into hospitals and schools, which invited much criticism from the public. The benefits included the availability of jobs. There was estimated to be about 150,000 full-time and part-time jobs created. The well-being of the environment contributed to the social costs. Toxic waste was being deposited in the adjacent areas, including the bushland and other natural resources were being spoiled. The social benefits far outweighed the costs. The major issue confronting the Olympic Games was concerning the relations between European Australians and Aboriginal Australians. Tension was especially mounted during the Opening Ceremony when the Aboriginal culture was demonstrated in their acts. This was dispelled, however, when Cathy Freeman completed the last leg of the Torch relay and lit the stadium torch. This helped to relieve the hostility between Aborigines and European Australians. Another benefit is the availability of the facilities. The most popular is the International Aquatic Centre that is widely used by the suburban Sydney people and is also admired and used by tourists from all around the world. Overall, the Sydney Olympic Games was a success and we are still reaping the benefits economically. Thanks to the Games, Sydney is now a desirable and popular holiday destination.

Abrams Company Essay Essay Example

Abrams Company Essay Essay Example Abrams Company Essay Paper Abrams Company Essay Paper MANAGEMENT CONTROL SYSTEMS Lecturer : Supriyadi, Ph. D. Nama : Handy nugroho - No: 1157021 Case : Abrams Company Abrams’Company manufactured a wide variety of parts for use in automobiles, trucks, buses, and farm equipment. Abrams sold their product both to the OEMs and the wholesalers. top management is satisfied with their management systems and performance measurement scheme but they are three areas of concern that need to be discussed. * First, the transfer prices disagreements of parts sold by the product divisions to the AM division. Second, is in the product divisions too often tended to treat the AM division as a captive customer and in the performance measurement system. * Third, the excessive yearly inventory carried by both the AM division and the three product divisions. Strength The company has a clear management structure. The company has employed a bonus plan for employees. The AM Marketing division will input products form the other three divisions, and sell it to domestic and foreign market, it helps the company save cost when it input internal. Weaknesses Abrams’ business model weakness is that its divisions operate as independent companies. Furthermore, all of these profit centers, participate in an incentive compensation plan that the higher the participant is in the organizational hierarchy, the more â€Å"incentive points† he or she will receive based on division profit variance. The Abrams Company has three totally independent divisions, and the three divisions are lack of connection. The transactions between the three divisions dispute the transfer pricing. Case Analysis and Recommendation The Abrams case is about using profitability measures to evaluate profit centers. In EU companies it is more common to evaluate PCs with Income measures like RI and EVA. It is very difficult to find a relevant and fair capital base for the ROI measure. Abrams use book value for fixed assets which inflate the ROI measure as the assets age. The age and mix of assets also differs among divisions which give unfair measures. It is also easy for the divisions to manipulate the capital base at the end of the year. ROI based bonus may rob the future, who want to invest in assets if that reduce the bonus. Recommendation to this company was to use RI or EVA instead of ROI and to control the investments separately using NPV and capital turnover measures. The bonus should be based on the budgeted income level, the RI target. The current transfer price system seems to work well with few disputes. Market prices are more used as a top-level for the TP. An advantage with cost base TP is that it will give all internal partners full information about the cost structure and you will avoid â€Å"upstream fixed costs† The problem with the inventory level cannot be controlled with ROI management. If the company change to RI/EVA it will be possible to to negotiate relevant inventory levels in the budget process. High inventory levels can also be managed with differentiated capital charges that will create high interest costs. The best way to control operational tasks is to use nonfinancial measures such as inventory turnover. Use nonfinancial measures to control the inventory levels. If it is an strategic issue you can connect this measure to the bonus system. In general, Abrams Company adopts the lowest cost, differentiation, market focus and ROI strategies to accomplish the organization’s goal. Furthermore, In order to implement the strategies the firm establishes its own management control systems. Suggestions  to  performance measurement  system: 1) ROI can be used combination with other performance measures to avoid the limitations of ROI. The company can establish a non-financial performance measurement system such as the balanced scorecard . With a good performance measurement system, the incentive compensation plan will be improved. 2) EVA ( Economic value added) can be used instead of ROI Suggestions to transfer pricing : a transfer price fixed by the top management in compliance with the AM division and the other divisions involved which could be revised when it is out of date. This fixed price could be adjusted due to inflation. There should be an internal policy on it. Therefore, top management should implement a c ost-based transfer prices because when competitive prices are not available, transfer prices may be set on the basis of cost plus a profit markup.

The Feathered Dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era

The Feathered Dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era Part of the reason so many ordinary people doubt the evolutionary link between feathered dinosaurs and birds is because when they think of the word dinosaur, they picture enormous beasts like Brachiosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex, and when they think of the word bird, they picture harmless, rodent-sized pigeons and hummingbirds, or perhaps the occasional eagle or penguin. (See a gallery of feathered dinosaur pictures and profiles and an article explaining why birds arent dinosaur-sized.) Closer to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, though, the visual referents are a lot different. For decades, paleontologists have been digging up small, birdlike theropods (the same family of two-legged, meat-eating dinosaurs that includes tyrannosaurs and raptors) bearing unmistakable evidence of feathers, wishbones, and other bits of avian anatomy. Unlike larger dinosaurs, these smaller theropods tend to be unusually well-preserved, and many such fossils have been discovered completely intact (which is more than can be said for the average sauropod). Types of Feathered Dinosaurs So many dinosaurs of the later Mesozoic Era sported feathers that its virtually impossible to pin down the exact definition of a true dino-bird. These include: Raptors. Despite what you saw in Jurassic Park, Velociraptor was almost certainly covered with feathers, as was the dinosaur it was modeled on, Deinonychus. At this point, the discovery of a provably non-feathered raptor would be major news! Ornithomimids. Bird mimic dinosaurs like Ornithomimus and Struthiomimus probably looked like giant ostriches, complete with feathersif not all over their bodies, at least on certain regions. Therizinosaurs. All of the dozen or so genera of this small family of bizarre, long-clawed, plant-eating theropods likely had feathers, though this has yet to be conclusively proven. Troodonts and oviraptorosaurs. Typified by, you guessed it, the North American Troodon and the central Asian Oviraptor, virtually all of the members of this theropod family seem to have been covered with feathers. Tyrannosaurs. Believe it or not, we have conclusive evidence that least some tyrannosaurs (like the recently discovered Yutyrannus) were featheredand the same may hold for the juveniles of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Avialan dinosaurs. Heres where paleontologists classify the feathered dinosaurs that dont fit in the above categories; the most famous avialan is Archaeopteryx. Further complicating matters, we now have evidence that at least some genera of ornithopods, plant-eating dinosaurs unrelated to modern birds, had primitive feathers as well! (For more on this subject, see Why Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers?) Which Feathered Dinosaurs Evolved Into Birds? What do all of these genera tell us about the evolution of prehistoric birds from dinosaurs? Well, for starters, its impossible to pin down a single missing link between these two types of animals. For a while, scientists believed the 150-million-year-old Archaeopteryx was the indisputable transitional form, but its still not clear if this was a true bird (as some experts claim) or a very small, and not very aerodynamic, theropod dinosaur. (In fact, a new study claims that the feathers of Archaeopteryx werent strong enough to sustain extended bursts of flight.) For more, see Was Archaeopteryx a Bird or a Dinosaur? The problem is, the subsequent discovery of other small, feathered dinosaurs that lived around the same time as Archaeopteryxsuch as Epidendrosaurus, Pedopenna and Xiaotingiahas muddied the picture considerably, and theres no ruling out the possibility that future paleontologists will unearth dino-birds dating to as far back as the Triassic period. In addition, its far from clear that all of these feathered theropods were closely related: evolution has a way of repeating its jokes, and feathers (and wishbones) may well have evolved multiple times. (For more on this subject, see How Did Feathered Dinosaurs Learn to Fly?) The Feathered Dinosaurs of Liaoning Every now and then, a treasure trove of fossils forever changes the publics perception of dinosaurs. Such was the case in the early 1990s, when researchers uncovered the rich deposits in Liaoning, a northeastern province of China. All of the fossils discovered hereincluding exceptionally well-preserved feathered theropods, accounting for over a dozen separate generadate from about 130 million years ago, making Liaoning a spectacular window into the early Cretaceous period. (You can recognize a Liaoning dino-bird from its name; witness the sino, meaning Chinese, in Sinornithosaurus, Sinosauropteryx and Sinovenator.) Since Liaonings fossil deposits represent a mere snapshot in the 165-million-year-old rule of the dinosaurs, their discovery raises the possibility that more dinosaurs were feathered than scientists have ever dreamedand that the evolution of dinosaurs into birds was not a one-time, non-repeatable, linear process. In fact, its very possible that dinosaurs evolved into what we would recognize as birds numerous times over the course of the Mesozoic Erawith only one branch surviving into the modern age and producing those pigeons, sparrows, penguins and eagles we all know and love.

A Definition of Cinematic Design

An open frame is generally employed in films, while a closed frame is generally employed in films. Realistic; materialistic Which of the following statements about miss-en-SCen is NOT true? Miss;en-SCen has two visual components: lighting and movement. Composition is part of the process of planning the design of a movie. When visualizing and planning shots, filmmakers must make decisions about two elements f composition: what we see on screen and what moves on screen.What are these two elements commonly called? Framing and kinesics Which of the following statements about the production designer is NOT true? The production designer is hired relatively late in the production process. An Important movement In art direction that sought to articulate human feeling and emotion through design elements such as structure, color, and texture with grossly exaggerated film sets is known as expressionism. Which of the following stills represents expressionism: The Cabinet of Dry. Calamari Some of the departments the production designer supervises include carpentry, properties, and transportation. True What Is figure movement? The movement of something concrete wealth the frame Consider carefully the details of the miss-en-SCen in the following clips. Based on the miss-en-SCen, which do you think belongs to a dissipation futuristic narrative inhabited by mostly one-dimensional characters? Bartholomew Song unlike a static painting or picture. Motion picture move and thus shift Its point of view. Point of view is implied by the framing of a shot. What are three elements that describe unrealism? Nonprofessional actors; location sets; handheld camera The planning of the positions and movements of the actors and camera Is called blocking. The two fundamental styles of design established in early motion pictures are the associated with the Lumpier brothers and the Georges Mals. Elastic; fantastic associated with then suddenly a puff of smoke enters the left side of the frame. This is an example of filmmakers using both on-screen and officered space. Which of the following clips also uses on-screen and officered space? Giggled What are the major elements of cinematic design? Setting; decor; properties; lighting; costume; makeup; hairstyle The organization, distribution, balance, movement, and general relationship of actors and objects within the space of a shot is called composition.

Place Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Place - Research Paper Example In the book, Tropic of Chaos, the author, Christian Parenti talks about the core issues and critical problems associated with the harsh environment of East Africa, ‎US borders and mountain region located in Afghanistan, as well as the political turmoil with reference to Rio De Janeiro slums. The book presents quite a compelling description of the bloody war and political turmoil faced by the regions under discussion. This historical analytical account provides insight on episodes of terror and transformation through ‎fact-based knowledge in support of the new worlds where there could be melting glaciers meet beautiful rivers and ‎abundance of refreshing green grass. The author portrays a realistic for the readers that are ‎basically outside of the privileged US class. Parenti’s hardnosed journalism describes the issues ‎related to climate change from a personal perspective and divulges the discussion of the issues that were not explored so deeply by any other writer in such a detailed and analytical manner (Parenti 154). Globalization has impacted both positively and negatively on society and corporations, in which the negative impacts have hindered realization of human dignity and moral values (Nwaogaidu 9). A person’s confirmation of human dignity is influenced by the realization of moral development and its negative causes, and this is what drives an individual to seek achievement a world where an individual’s dignity is entirely valued. The poor in Nigeria thought that because of belonging to a certain ethnic group, a particular neighborhood, or a particular background of education, they were weak to stand up against their poverty. Subsequently, it was a question of whether the poverty was due to overpopulation or vice versa, or individuals became poor because of bearing too many children, or they had created large numbers of responsibilities on their own that they could not

How Will You Measure Your Life Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How Will You Measure Your Life - Case Study Example The unsurpassed tactic is balances linking comprising a purposeful, emergent or flexible strategy. Despite the fact that people will always possess deliberate strategies, possessing resources and ability to change the tactics is crucial. If the ideas used are about to be overtaken in the market, a person can always change to fit in the competitive environment. Best business entails giving to the customers what they need. In the case of allocating what is not needed by the customers leads to loss. This happens because the customers will not purchase what they do not require. Resources must be allocated where they are in demand. Smaller, feebler, but more pioneering competitors begin markets and finally dislocate and fully go beyond their entrants. In life, we cannot stay to obtain all the information before undertaking a decision. People can replicate their lives off by meditating on the causes and consequences. A number of organizations value short term over long term payouts. Â  Giving more value to the things which have immediate rewards compared to those whose fruits will be achieved later can be extremely damaging. How people utilize energy, time, talent and wealth will be determined by the decision made on how to put the resources into action. Abandoning personal correlations in the events may result into irreversible, detrimental effects. Good capital is devoting in stuffs most probable to proffer an optimistic return, or as a minimum let a person to have residual assets in order to revolve. In life situation, getting fixated on short term income is very easy. Failure to invest in crucial things such as family and friendship early enough, realizing their importance can take time. In industry, corporations can make colossal errors by impeding taking action against a troublesome competitor, or scaling up. Despite the fact that

Hamlet- Hamlets madness Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hamlet- Hamlets madness - Research Paper Example Thesis statement: Through feigning madness to cover up for his actions, the protagonist of the play (hamlet) had really become mad in the end. First of all, Hamlet was not mad, but unexpected events in his life forced him to pretend as mad. But this pretension influenced his mind and resulted in his madness in the end. One can see that pretension, with or without reason, can influence an individual’s emotional equilibrium. Hamlet pretends to be mad because he wished to hide his deeds like communication with the ghost, revenge, motive, guilty consciousness, Oedipus complex, and to confuse his enemies. To cover up his communication: In the play, prince Hamlet is portrayed as an individual who is trying to cover up his communication with supernatural elements (say, his father’s spirit). He knows that other people will not believe him because it is difficult to prove that the ghost used to visit him. But the ghost reveals that his uncle is the mastermind behind his fatherâ €™s death. In William Shakespeare’s work, the ghost states that, â€Å"Avenge his foul and most unnatural murder† (21). From a different angle of view, one can see that he was aware of the fact that he must cover up his communication with the ghost. To be specific, the ghost is the link between the prince and his father. If the ghost did not appear, he will not know the conspiracy behind his father’s untimely death. So, Hamlet decides to cover up his communication with the ghost and pretends that he did not know the mastermind behind the conspiracy. Besides, he pretended as mad because he was aware of the fact that others will not suspect him. To cover up revenge: Prince Hamlet knew that he cannot trust anybody because he was totally confused due to the problems within his private circle. He cannot trust his mother because she co-operated with his uncle to assassinate his father. The protagonist cannot trust his uncle because he murdered his father. But he k new that his uncle is watching him because he is the one and only person who can take revenge of the king’s murder. Still, Hamlet did not give up his aim because he must take revenge of the murder. If he tries to conduct an investigation on the murder, his uncle will try to hinder him. So, Hamlet pretends that he was not aware of his uncle’s role in the conspiracy. The best possible way to prove inactive is to pretend as an insane individual. On the other side, Hamlet’s uncle did not suspect him because he considers Hamlet as an insane individual. So, one can see that pretension helped Hamlet to keep himself away from trouble and to find out the truth in the end. To cover up motive: In the play, the playwright inculcates anti-heroic elements on the protagonist (say, Hamlet) to cover up his real motive. One can see that the protagonist is different from traditional protagonists with heroic qualities. For instance, the protagonist does not try to attack his father ’s murderer. Instead, the protagonist tries to collect evidence against the murderer and traps him. This innovative method or the protagonist’s pursuit to kill the murderer is helpful for the viewer/reader to have deeper understanding of the protagonist’s motive. Marvin Rosenberg states that, â€Å"Giving such signals of pretended madness, Hamlet can still be so anguished that he is in fact on the edge of unreason, but his consciousness is

Internet of things and sun spot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Internet of things and sun spot - Essay Example From this research it is clear that there are two main functions of the internet of things. The first is to incorporate sensors into a wide range of items, creating an interconnected network that will ultimately span all types of different things. For example, in the future, this could involve every item, whether it is a piece of electronic equipment or an article of clothing, having an electronic tag. Additionally, there would be sensors for a wide range of environmental variables, such as those on weather balloons that record the way in that factors such as temperature and wind change. The second objective can only be achieved after the first has been successful to some degree. This is the development of intelligent systems based on these inputs. Thus, the more sensors and identifiers there are, the more information is available, and the more efficient the system is. Within a structure, whether it is a house or a business there are a large number of different systems that could pot entially interact with each other, but do not. For example, most buildings have a lighting system, a heating system and internal devices such as microwaves, televisions and computers. Linking some of these systems to each other would have many benefits including the increase of energy efficiency. There are many different examples of the ways in which systems could interact with one another in order to provide a more energy efficient environment. One example of this would be linking the heating system to internal and external environmental sensors so that the base heating level of the structure is able to be adjusted according to the temperature outside. This would mean that the house would be cooled on hot days, and warmed on cooler days. The result of this would be that the structure would be kept at a relatively constant temperature regardless of other factors. The concept of an intelligent home is one of the end products of such a system. Currently, the level of technology would this a very expensive proceeding, but nevertheless this has been demonstrated on a small scale. An intelligent home is one where the owner can control all activities from a single point, such as turning on or off lights using a remote control, or adjusting the house wide temperature. However, the most important factor of a intelligent home is that it can make use of the knowledge that it receives from a wide range of sources to do many mundane activities that are part of general housekeeping. For example, this could include turning lights off when no-one is in the room, adjusting ambient temperature to the occupants preference, having coffee ready for when the person wakes up, and setting the alarm clock based on their

Management & organisation behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management & organisation behaviour - Essay Example This book reassures that, success is within the reach of any resolute individual, who is willing to make certain minor behavioral modifications. Primarily targeted at ambitious young adults with self - suspecting tendencies, this book provides ample clarity to all career - seekers on how to do well in their lives. Jack Welch, the author of the book "Straight from the Gut" was the Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001. He used to be called as Neutron Jack and he was also referred as the world's toughest boss. And then Fortune called him "The Manager of the Century." In his twenty year career at the helm of General Electric, Jack Welch defied conventional wisdom and turned an aging behemoth of corporate innovatin. In his remarkable autobiography - the author taes us on the rough-and-tumble ride that has been his remarkable life. Jack Welch's memoir, JACK: Straight from the Gut, is part autobiography and part business theory text. Welch covers his fast trip from General Electric employee to General Electric CEO, his years in the top job (including an in-depth look at the philosophical positions he brought to and developed while holding that position) and the recent search for his replacement - a search that culminated with his retirement in 2001. In the end, however, JACK is less the story of its author and his theories than it is a love letter to the men and women who helped Jack Welch recreate General Electric over the past two decades. "Straight from the Gut" is an energizing book that tells an American dream story of an unconventional businessman who climbed to the top of one of the world's biggest companies and made it even bigger. Along the way, the reader meets a Jack Welch whose clear enthusiasm and affection for those with whom he worked stands in sharp contrast to his "Neutron Jack" reputation. 3. Charan, Larry Bossidy & Ram. Execution. London: Random House Business Books, 2002. Larry Bossidy is one of the world's most acclaimed CEOs, with a track record for delivering results that has few peers. Ram Charan is a legendary advisor to senior executives and boards of directors with unparalleled insight into why some companies are successful and others are not. The result is the book "Execution" people in business need today. One with a high practical framework for closing the gap between results promsed and results delivered. After a long, stellar career with GE, Larry Bossidy became CEO of Allied Signal and trasnformed it into one of the world's most admired companies. Accomplishments like 31 consecutive quarters of earnings-per-share growth of 13% or more don't just happen. They result from consistent practice of the discipline of execution: understanding how to link the three core processes of any business together: people, strategy and operations. The leader's most important job - selecting and appraising people - is one that should never be delegated. As a CEO Larry personally makes the

Hamlet- Hamlets madness Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hamlet- Hamlets madness - Research Paper Example Thesis statement: Through feigning madness to cover up for his actions, the protagonist of the play (hamlet) had really become mad in the end. First of all, Hamlet was not mad, but unexpected events in his life forced him to pretend as mad. But this pretension influenced his mind and resulted in his madness in the end. One can see that pretension, with or without reason, can influence an individual’s emotional equilibrium. Hamlet pretends to be mad because he wished to hide his deeds like communication with the ghost, revenge, motive, guilty consciousness, Oedipus complex, and to confuse his enemies. To cover up his communication: In the play, prince Hamlet is portrayed as an individual who is trying to cover up his communication with supernatural elements (say, his father’s spirit). He knows that other people will not believe him because it is difficult to prove that the ghost used to visit him. But the ghost reveals that his uncle is the mastermind behind his fatherâ €™s death. In William Shakespeare’s work, the ghost states that, â€Å"Avenge his foul and most unnatural murder† (21). From a different angle of view, one can see that he was aware of the fact that he must cover up his communication with the ghost. To be specific, the ghost is the link between the prince and his father. If the ghost did not appear, he will not know the conspiracy behind his father’s untimely death. So, Hamlet decides to cover up his communication with the ghost and pretends that he did not know the mastermind behind the conspiracy. Besides, he pretended as mad because he was aware of the fact that others will not suspect him. To cover up revenge: Prince Hamlet knew that he cannot trust anybody because he was totally confused due to the problems within his private circle. He cannot trust his mother because she co-operated with his uncle to assassinate his father. The protagonist cannot trust his uncle because he murdered his father. But he k new that his uncle is watching him because he is the one and only person who can take revenge of the king’s murder. Still, Hamlet did not give up his aim because he must take revenge of the murder. If he tries to conduct an investigation on the murder, his uncle will try to hinder him. So, Hamlet pretends that he was not aware of his uncle’s role in the conspiracy. The best possible way to prove inactive is to pretend as an insane individual. On the other side, Hamlet’s uncle did not suspect him because he considers Hamlet as an insane individual. So, one can see that pretension helped Hamlet to keep himself away from trouble and to find out the truth in the end. To cover up motive: In the play, the playwright inculcates anti-heroic elements on the protagonist (say, Hamlet) to cover up his real motive. One can see that the protagonist is different from traditional protagonists with heroic qualities. For instance, the protagonist does not try to attack his father ’s murderer. Instead, the protagonist tries to collect evidence against the murderer and traps him. This innovative method or the protagonist’s pursuit to kill the murderer is helpful for the viewer/reader to have deeper understanding of the protagonist’s motive. Marvin Rosenberg states that, â€Å"Giving such signals of pretended madness, Hamlet can still be so anguished that he is in fact on the edge of unreason, but his consciousness is

Management & organisation behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management & organisation behaviour - Essay Example This book reassures that, success is within the reach of any resolute individual, who is willing to make certain minor behavioral modifications. Primarily targeted at ambitious young adults with self - suspecting tendencies, this book provides ample clarity to all career - seekers on how to do well in their lives. Jack Welch, the author of the book "Straight from the Gut" was the Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001. He used to be called as Neutron Jack and he was also referred as the world's toughest boss. And then Fortune called him "The Manager of the Century." In his twenty year career at the helm of General Electric, Jack Welch defied conventional wisdom and turned an aging behemoth of corporate innovatin. In his remarkable autobiography - the author taes us on the rough-and-tumble ride that has been his remarkable life. Jack Welch's memoir, JACK: Straight from the Gut, is part autobiography and part business theory text. Welch covers his fast trip from General Electric employee to General Electric CEO, his years in the top job (including an in-depth look at the philosophical positions he brought to and developed while holding that position) and the recent search for his replacement - a search that culminated with his retirement in 2001. In the end, however, JACK is less the story of its author and his theories than it is a love letter to the men and women who helped Jack Welch recreate General Electric over the past two decades. "Straight from the Gut" is an energizing book that tells an American dream story of an unconventional businessman who climbed to the top of one of the world's biggest companies and made it even bigger. Along the way, the reader meets a Jack Welch whose clear enthusiasm and affection for those with whom he worked stands in sharp contrast to his "Neutron Jack" reputation. 3. Charan, Larry Bossidy & Ram. Execution. London: Random House Business Books, 2002. Larry Bossidy is one of the world's most acclaimed CEOs, with a track record for delivering results that has few peers. Ram Charan is a legendary advisor to senior executives and boards of directors with unparalleled insight into why some companies are successful and others are not. The result is the book "Execution" people in business need today. One with a high practical framework for closing the gap between results promsed and results delivered. After a long, stellar career with GE, Larry Bossidy became CEO of Allied Signal and trasnformed it into one of the world's most admired companies. Accomplishments like 31 consecutive quarters of earnings-per-share growth of 13% or more don't just happen. They result from consistent practice of the discipline of execution: understanding how to link the three core processes of any business together: people, strategy and operations. The leader's most important job - selecting and appraising people - is one that should never be delegated. As a CEO Larry personally makes the

Factors Determining Self-Categorization Essay Example for Free

Factors Determining Self-Categorization Essay This current outline is well organized and to the point, however, it may be so to the point, as to leave the research questions only partially answered. An introduction of the questions that are to be answered, along with information that can be gleaned from the readings may be helpful. Adding a literature review section or, at the very least, a bibliography would help to show an audience where the information was gathered and show more credibility. The five categories already in place in the outline, (definition, factors determining self categorization, creation of discrimination and intergroup conflicts, case study, and measures to reduce discrimination) are perfectly ordered to flow in a presentation and need no changes, except minor grammatical alterations. â€Å"Definition† should be changed to â€Å"Definitions† and â€Å"Case Study† should be changed to â€Å"Case Studies†, since there are several in each of the two categories. There are other minor changes that need to be made, as well, to be grammatically correct throughout. In addition, â€Å"Definitions† and â€Å"Case Studies† both need expansion in their sub-categories, as the case studies only give an idea of the group being studied but no further information. In the â€Å"Factors determining self-categorization† category, the three factors are very vague and need more concrete information and/or examples. Since the presentation requires an in-depth analysis of self-categorization factors, this section should be more comprehensive. It would be helpful to look at a textbook chapter and see how each chapter is summarized for study, the outline should be this inclusive and be easily understood by an audience member that may have no knowledge of the subject matter. The second most important area of this presentation is whether an identity leads to discriminatory behavior and intergroup conflicts. Looking at both the individual level and the social level is a wise idea and helps to educate the audience that this is a socio-psychological issue. However, an introduction that states that these processes of identity and conflict are both psychological and sociological would help this section flow more easily and confusion over complex theories could be avoided. Also, in both the â€Å"Creation of discrimination and intergroup conflicts† and â€Å"Measures to reduce discrimination† categories, new terms and theories are introduced. These terms should all either be better explained, added as part of the definitions section, or put into the introduction that is absent from this outline. The introduction could simply give a statement of purpose, showing the audience that the two major questions will be answered (those being what factors determine self-categorization and whether an identity leads to discriminatory behavior and intergroup conflicts). The theories and terms that will be used to answer the questions should be stated initially to avoid the abrupt and incomplete definitions that exist. It is also good to look at these questions as research questions with secondary data analysis used to come to conclusions. This is why a literature review or bibliography (with citations throughout the outline) would be very beneficial. The articles below in this reference section are wonderful to use and direct citations from their analyses would help to show that the research questions can and have been answered in different ways. The presentation requires an in depth analysis and correct staging of the compiled information. The outline, therefore, not only helps the audience understand the presentation’s purpose, but also helps the presenters to easily and readily disseminate all their hard work and information. References Brown, Rupert. â€Å"Intergroup Relations† Reynolds, K. J. Turner, J. C. (2001). â€Å"Prejudice as a Group Process: The Role of Social Identity† in M. Augustinos K. J. Reynolds (eds). Understanding Prejudice, Racism, and Social Conflict. London: Sage. pp 159-178.

What is price discrimination and its effect on economies

What is price discrimination and its effect on economies Introduction Price discrimination is the practice of one retailer, wholesaler or manufacturer charging different prices for the same items to different customers. This is a widespread practice that does not necessarily imply negative discrimination. In an economic term, price discrimination is the ratio of price to marginal cost that differs for similar products. The practice of price discrimination is not an isolated event. It occurs in many familiar situations but this practice is often highly controversial in terms of its impact on both consumers and rivals. Price discrimination is mainly for markets that are monopolistic or oligopolistic. In these kinds of markets the firm has to decrease price in order to sell more of the good because they are the only supplier. Because of this marginal revenue is derived from the demand but the profit maximization condition is still marginal cost equals marginal benefits but marginal benefits does not equal the demand curve. Role and Prevalence Whenever we travel, because we are interested in economics we are probably conscious that we are being charged a different price for our journey than some other persons travelling with us. A rail journey is cheaper in the middle of the day than it is in rush hour. However, even at the same time of day a range of prices is being charged. For example, some have rail cards entitling them to discounts; others do not. Children often travel at half price. It is cheaper for people who book in advance. If we travel by air the price of the ticket probably varies hugely between types of traveler. These variations occur not just for different airlines and different flight times but people travelling on the same aircraft have bought tickets for very different prices. Some will have paid no money at all if they have collected enough `air miles. These price differences are not confined to the transport industry. The rates charged at hotels vary between customers even for the same quality of room o n the same night. Doctors in the private sector charge different amounts to different patients for the treatment of the same condition Role and Prevalence Price discrimination is one of the basic concepts in microeconomics. Price discrimination plays a major role in the privacy which is much debated and one of the many privacy puzzles is that even though the public shows intense concerns about loss of privacy, they are not doing much to protect themselves. Privacy-protecting technologies have not fared well in the marketplace, and very minor rewards are enough to persuade people to sign up for grocery store loyalty programs. Another puzzle is that so many commercial organizations are actively working to erode privacy. Governments often decrease privacy in attempting to combat terrorism, or tax evasion, or to increase their political control. Criminals invade privacy to make money by using other peoples credit cards. Employers monitor their employees to increase productivity. And ordinary citizens, armed with an array of increasingly powerful and versatile tools, such as cameras in cell phones, are beginning to collect massive amounts o f information that, if combined and analyzed, could lead to dramatic decreases in privacy. However, most of the data collection efforts so far have come from private enterprises, and are the ones that attract most of the concern and publicity. These efforts are often extremely intrusive, and are extremely widespread. Moreover, they persist in spite of intense public opposition, even though there have not been too many commercially successful exploitations of the information that is gathered. Most of the privacy issues discussed above are related to price discrimination in one or other way. But it is not always true that price discrimination is bad for public even though the privacy is compromised. We are able to see best products and services for the price we pay today. It would not have been possible if the commercial organizations or the sellers have not continually researched to make their products and services to make it more customized to their customers by analyzing their behavior in different ways. Price discrimination plays very important role for both the survival of the commercial business and to the public to get the best out of the price they pay. Price Discrimination Does Not Explain  Everything Price discrimination by word meaning looks like it is like unfair pricing to customers. But when are discuss from the viewpoint of seller or the manufacturers it is totally different and sounds very reasonable. Stores must sell their goods at prices that cover the wholesale cost of the individual goods as well as the overhead costs of the store, like labor and the building lease. The amount of additional price that must be charged for each good to cover overhead costs is a function of the average turnover of the goods sold. The faster a store can sell its goods, the lower the average overhead costs of each good, and thus the less that must charge to cover the stores average total costs. If a store sells three times as much on Black Friday than they normally do, then the overhead costs are three times as small. Types of price discrimination First degree price discrimination First degree price discrimination is more theoretical as it requires the seller to have knowledge of absolute maximum price for the goods and services that the buyers are willing to pay. As the seller has the knowledge of maximum price that the buyers are willing, they are able to earn the maximum profit from the transaction. This assumes that the consumer passively reacts to the price set by the seller, and that the seller knows the demand curve of the customer. In practice however there is a bargaining situation, which is more complex: the customer may try to influence the price, such as by pretending to like the product less than he or she really does or by threatening not to buy it. Second degree price discrimination In second degree price discrimination price varies according to quantity sold. So when large number of quantity is sold then the unit price of the product is low and if less number of quantities is sold then unit price is higher for the same quality of the products and services. Second degree price discrimination is more practical in nature and is widely used in the general market, mostly in industrial sector. Buyers who are buying in bulk enjoy the discounts than the one who buys individual items. In reality, different pricing may apply to differences in product quality as well as quantity. For example, airlines often offer multiple classes of seats on flights, such as first class and economy class. This is a way to differentiate consumers based on preference, and therefore allows the airline to capture more consumers surplus. Third degree price discrimination In third degree price discrimination customers are segregated into different markets and charged different prices in each of them. Segmentation can be based on any characteristic such as age, geographic location, gender, income and many others according to the nature of the products and services. Necessary Conditions for Price Discrimination The firm must operate in imperfect competition; it must be a price maker with a downwardly sloping demand curve. For example, airlines routinely engage in price discrimination by charging high prices for customers with relatively inelastic demand such as business travelers and discount prices for tourist who have relatively elastic demand. The airlines enforce the scheme by making the tickets non-transferable thus preventing a tourist from buying a ticket at a discounted price and selling it to a business traveler. The firm must be able to separate markets and prevent resale. Example of stopping an adult using a child ticket. The firm must be able to prevent market seepage or consumer switching which is the process whereby consumers who have purchased a good or service at a lower price are able to re-sell it to those consumers who would have normally paid the expensive price. This can be done in a number of ways, and is probably easier to achieve with the provision of a unique service such as a haircut rather than with the exchange of tangible goods. Seepage might be prevented by selling a product to consumers at unique and different points in time for example with the use of time specific airline tickets that cannot be resold under any circumstances. Different consumer groups must have elasticity of demand. E.g. students with low income will be more price elastic. There must be a different price elasticity of demand from each group of consumers. The firm is then able to charge a higher price to the group with a more price inelastic demand and a relatively lower price to the group with a more elastic demand. By adopting such a strategy, the firm can increase its total revenue and profits (i.e. achieve a higher level of producer surplus). To profit maximize, the firm will seek to set marginal revenue = to marginal cost in each separate (segmented) market. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages Firms will be able to increase revenue. This will enable some firms to stay in business who otherwise would have made a loss. For example price discrimination is important for train companies who offer different prices for peak and off peak. Geographic price discrimination is used when a firm wishes to sell a product at different prices in different member states. Typically, this requires some measures in order to prevent trade between the member states from eliminating the price differentials. By getting more money out of people who are willing and able to pay more than what would be the market equilibrium price you can provide your service to people who arent able to pay the market price. Increased revenues can be used for research and development which benefit consumers Some consumers will benefit from lower fares. E.G. old people benefit from lower train companies; old people are more likely to be poor. Disadvantages: Some consumers will end up paying higher prices. These higher prices are likely to be allocatively inefficient because P>MC. Businesses dont know what people are really willing and able to pay for your service so you might lose out on some money if you underestimate what someone is willing to pay or overestimate what someone is able to pay. Decline in consumer surplus. Those who pay higher prices may not be the poorest. E.g. adults could be unemployed, OAPs well off. There may be administration costs in separating the markets. Profits from price discrimination could be used to finance predatory pricing. Conclusion: Price discrimination is one of the major issues around the world and it will remain for coming years as well. The incentives towards price discrimination and the ability to price discriminate will be growing in the coming years as sellers will be increasingly tempted to engage in differential pricing. Internet have played a crucial role in helping general public to get best out of the price discrimination due to information of products and services easily available in the Web and ease of buying from any supplier. Therefore the stress is likely to be on different ways to hide price discrimination. Sellers are always tracking every moment of their customers to best fit their needs or to attract them to their products in the form of loyalty card, security camera, coupons, store credit card and many other forms of incentives. However, privacy concerns have always hit back to the sellers as it is very important topic going on in this Information Technology world. Since intimate knowledge of consumer preferences and willingness to pay will be of advantage in creating customized packages for the targeted group of people, and will often provide crucial competitive advantage to sellers governments are likely to play an increasing role in pricing. Governments and others non-profit organizations are also likely to continue playing an important role, in order to protect the welfare of the general public without hurting the businesses. We as a general public should also be self conscious about the price discrimination and should accept if reasonable or look for best option if available and protect our privacy to the extent which is within our control. Role and Prevalence http://www.dtc.umn.edu/~odlyzko/doc/privacy.economics.pdf http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3889/is_200210/ai_n9137062/ Forms of price discrimination http://else.econ.ucl.ac.uk/papers/uploaded/222.pdf Price Discrimination Does Not Explain  Everything http://modeledbehavior.com/2009/11/24/price-discrimination-does-not-explain-everything/ Different Types of Price Discrimination http://www.economicshelp.org/microessays/pd/price-discrimination.html NecessaryConditions for Price Discrimination http://www.economicshelp.org/microessays/pd/price-discrimination.html Advantages and Disadvantages http://www.economicshelp.org/microessays/pd/price-discrimination.html http://www.kkv.se/upload/filer/trycksaker/rapporter/proscons/rap_pros_and_cons_pricediscrimination.pdf

The Pursuit of Happiness - Four Revolutionary Words, by Andrew Sullivan

"It's a small phrase when you think about it: "the pursuit of happiness." It's somewhat over-shadowed in the Declaration of Independence by the weightier notions of "life" and "liberty." In today's mass culture, it even comes close to being banal. Who, after all, doesn't want to pursue happiness? But in its own day, the statement was perhaps the most radical political statement ever delivered. And when we try and fathom why it is that the United States still elicits such extreme hatred in some parts of the world, this phrase is as good a place to start as any." "What power four little words still have. And what carnage they must still endure to survive. " Andrew Sullivan's article, "The Pursuit of Happiness - Four Revolutionary Words", may have been the best or most intriguing story we have read thus far. But you didn't ask us to summarize it, besides how could we do that in only two pages. Instead you asked us to historicize this powerful piece, which yet is still a hard task to complete. In the opening line the Declaration of independence and its meaning of life and Liberty are mentioned. The Declaration came about on July 4, 1776, which recorded the proclamation of the 2nd American Continental Congress asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain (Webster's Dictionary). Sullivan immediately follows into references of the chaotic conditions of the 18th century. One example is that there were rumors and belief of witches; inurn innocent people were being burned at the stake, (where were their "certain unalienable Rights" then). As Sullivan states countries were being torn apart because of imperfection (I thought tha t "That all men are created equal, and, that they are endowed by their Creator )(God). Add... ... are watching the freedom that they feel we have as expressed though American television and businesses. A fear of total anarchy has arisen in the hearts of their leaders, and many are holding on for dear life to their old customs and beliefs of control, while others such as China and Russia are hesitantly going with the flow. Sullivan is unsure of the effect this Pursuit of Happiness will have on the future; can any of us predict, we only know the past and the present. "As I write I have no idea as to the conclusion of this new drama in world history except that it will have ramifications as large and as lasting as the Cold War." Works Cited ANDREW SULLIVAN. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS - Four Revolutionary Words. Forbes ASAP, "The Big Issue," November 2001. Web. 29 June 2015. http://homepage.eircom.net/~odyssey/Politics/Sullivan/Pursuit%20of%20Happiness.html The Pursuit of Happiness - Four Revolutionary Words, by Andrew Sullivan "It's a small phrase when you think about it: "the pursuit of happiness." It's somewhat over-shadowed in the Declaration of Independence by the weightier notions of "life" and "liberty." In today's mass culture, it even comes close to being banal. Who, after all, doesn't want to pursue happiness? But in its own day, the statement was perhaps the most radical political statement ever delivered. And when we try and fathom why it is that the United States still elicits such extreme hatred in some parts of the world, this phrase is as good a place to start as any." "What power four little words still have. And what carnage they must still endure to survive. " Andrew Sullivan's article, "The Pursuit of Happiness - Four Revolutionary Words", may have been the best or most intriguing story we have read thus far. But you didn't ask us to summarize it, besides how could we do that in only two pages. Instead you asked us to historicize this powerful piece, which yet is still a hard task to complete. In the opening line the Declaration of independence and its meaning of life and Liberty are mentioned. The Declaration came about on July 4, 1776, which recorded the proclamation of the 2nd American Continental Congress asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain (Webster's Dictionary). Sullivan immediately follows into references of the chaotic conditions of the 18th century. One example is that there were rumors and belief of witches; inurn innocent people were being burned at the stake, (where were their "certain unalienable Rights" then). As Sullivan states countries were being torn apart because of imperfection (I thought tha t "That all men are created equal, and, that they are endowed by their Creator )(God). Add... ... are watching the freedom that they feel we have as expressed though American television and businesses. A fear of total anarchy has arisen in the hearts of their leaders, and many are holding on for dear life to their old customs and beliefs of control, while others such as China and Russia are hesitantly going with the flow. Sullivan is unsure of the effect this Pursuit of Happiness will have on the future; can any of us predict, we only know the past and the present. "As I write I have no idea as to the conclusion of this new drama in world history except that it will have ramifications as large and as lasting as the Cold War." Works Cited ANDREW SULLIVAN. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS - Four Revolutionary Words. Forbes ASAP, "The Big Issue," November 2001. Web. 29 June 2015. http://homepage.eircom.net/~odyssey/Politics/Sullivan/Pursuit%20of%20Happiness.html

Personal Privacy and Companies Essay -- Essays Papers

Personal Privacy and Companies It is certainly a different world nowadays. You can no longer go on the internet and surf without the potential threat of your privacy being compromised and invaded. When the internet first became big you didn’t hear a lot about the issue of privacy and computers. Maybe it was because the public was naà ¯ve, but that is not the case anymore. This issue is fast becoming the heart of heated debates about how to save your privacy. Privacy is a term that is dfifficult to define, it’s different to everyone with about a zillion interpretations of the words exact meaning. So let’s take the time and gain a better understanding of it’s meaning. According to the Webster’s dictionary, privacy is seclusion or isolation from others – secrecy. On the surface this doesn’t seem like it would pertain to information systems, but think again. Everything we do on the Internet has the risk of being watched or observed. It may be from other c ompanies or scary enough the government. This issue is fast becoming the number one concern from users of the web. How can these people keep tabs on me? Technology has been a definite blessing, it’s also has the potential to be dangerous. A good example exists right here on campus. We use our social security numbers for virtually everything, from registration to purchasing books at the bookstore. If this number fell into the wrong hands it could prove disastrous to the person of that number. They would then have full access to any and all information they chose to use. They could access your banking files, your credit report and credit card numbers. They could ruin your lives in a short period of time. So in this respect privacy means a lot more than just i... ... other from access the customer’s information without consent. They will be able to choose the level of privacy they wish to have. While some analysts feel that they don’t see a trend toward software geared the consumer for at home protection, there is a definite surge toward the protection of clientele information. While most companies make a profit off of their customer information databases by selling them to third party companies, some companies like Earthlink have developed a competitive priority not to sell the information. They feel that the information they have on their customer is a privilege to possess and that the customer trust us by giving Earthlink their loyal business and we do not want to violate that. As technology grows so grows the need for companies to listen to their customers and implement a solid privacy policy that the people can trust.

Lord of the Flies- the Proof of Savagery

The Proof of Savagery When we first open our eyes to this vast world, we are simultaneously introduced to a civilized society. We are taught in school to do the right things and avoid wrong behavior: respect and consideration is crucial, harassment and bullying is unacceptable. But, what if we are placed on a deserted island, where there are no pre-established rules or norms for us to follow and stick to? Does our human nature reveal itself then?Do we start to believe in survival of the fittest, thus lose all sense of reason and pity? Do we forget all the rules of society civilization? In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of boys are forced to learn to live harmoniously after a plane crash, which lands them in a foreign island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. In the process, some manage to remain rational and in control, as their leader Ralph, whereas others gradually transform into savages and intimidators, as the aggressive hunter, Jack.Golding introduces the stark c ontrast between civilization and savagery and how human nature is exposed at critical moments through many symbols that echoes throughout the book. The interactions between the older and younger boys, the ‘beastie’ and death are three of the many symbolisms that show the different actions and thoughts of people placed in a difficult, or even impossible situation. The saying â€Å"Survival for the fittest† is often seen in the wild, where stronger animals hunt down the weaker ones.A civilized society educates people not to scornfully despise or put down others. The group of boys on the island consists of both older and younger kids. The interactions between them show how human nature can retain its purity and goodness, as well as reveal its selfish and merciless side, exemplifying the conflict between civilization and savagery. Jack, Ralph and Piggy were three of the older boys. Jack, compelling and authoritative, often ignores the littluns and doesn’t real ly care about their safety and needs.When the older boys are out hunting for the beast, Ralph is concerned about who would take care of the little ones. Jack cries ‘Sucks to the littluns! ’ (101), though he knew that there are possible dangers on the island, as previously a littlun with the paint on his face had vanished after mentioning about a ferocious snake. Piggy, despite his older age than the littluns, is laughed at and made fun of by everyone, including the tinier kids. Jack demonstrates the uncaring, self-centered aspect of human nature, which leads him to radually savagery; while Ralph and Piggy both show the considerate and amiable nature of us. However, Piggy also reveals that being overly unopinionated and softhearted can result in being bullied and manipulated. As the plot progresses, we observe how Jack becomes increasingly uncompassionate and callous, neglect the littluns or merely use them to exhibit his power and authority. When he separated from Ralph ’s group and lead the ignorant littluns to their own site, he abused Wilfred to show off his capability. ‘He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up. (159) Roger recalled. After the commotion and showdown, ‘The newly beaten and untied Wilfred was snif? ng noisily in the background,’ (160) haven’t been punished and harmed by no specific reason. Ralph is extremely nice and accepting to the littluns from start to finish, but at the end of the novel, the littluns influenced by Jack’s desire for blood and murder, are driven to hunt Ralph down as if he was an animal. Ralph’s interaction with the little kids so the civilized side of human nature, with cannot sustain very long with the simultaneous presence of savagery.Piggy, unfortunately, met his end because of the Jack and his affected and corrupted ‘minion’ littluns. The interactions between the older and younger boys prove that human nature become crystal clear in a desperate sit uation, but evil and savagery usually unfortunately takes over and attacks the civilized. Fear is a small and inevitable part inside each animal being. On the island, the boys worry and ponder over the ‘beastie’, making guesses about what it is, what it looks, what it wants etc.The beastie in the novel, does not exist at all, its existence only mistaken by the boys having seen the dead pilot crashing down; in fact, it symbolizes the fear within boys, and how their anxiety, doubt and panic are strengthened over time and reflect their transforming personalities. In the beginning, the boys really lead a carefree life on the island. In their innocent perpectives, the island was a paradise without the supervision of strict adults. However, as Jack and certain boys started to develop an obsession in hunting, their behavior brings the ‘beast’ into existence.This figment of their imagination stands for the primal animal instinct of savagery. As the boys become incr easingly savage, their belief beast grows stronger and more persuasive. Jack stated â€Å"When you’re hunting, when you’re on your own, you catch yourself feeling as if you’re not hunting, but—being hunted, as if something’s behind you all the time in the jungle. † (53) Their assumption in the existence of the beast represent the breakdown of the civilized society and development of savagery.Towards the end of the novel, not only did the boys offer sacrifices to the beast so it wouldn’t bother them, they even brutally killed Simon having mistook him for the vicious creature they had been forever dreading. Savagery had blinded them completely, hindering their ability to tell whether the beast was real. Death may seem like one of life natural processes, that everyone will experience death. However, in throughout this novel, the seemingly simple and uncomplicated word death symbolizes the uncontrollable urge and yearning to but through f lesh and spill blood.Death is important in the book because the ends of different characters truly uncover how savage and insane the boys had become. In the beginning, when Ralph, Jack and Roger first encountered a piglet, Jack pulled out his knife in preparation to kill it. But he couldn’t perform the deed, and all three â€Å"knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living ? esh; because of the unbearable blood. † (31) At that point of time still, blood seems to be such a taboo subject that is unendurable and disgusting.However, at least for Jack, the perception of this red fluid, and even death, totally changed after his first successful kill. From then on, Jack and the other boys have lost their sanity, from killing animals to their own kind, boys they had lived with for the past weeks. First, there was the unintentional death of Simon; then, the deliberate murder of Piggy, and finally, the hunt for Ralph , before which the boys consciously prepared for; Roger even â€Å"sharpened a stick at both ends. † (190) Death is no longer a scary or distant thing for these ferocious boys.In contrast and in fact, since they had been savagely corrupted, they embraced the blood and flesh that came along with death. This symbol shows how uncivilized most of the boys had become over the course of their stay on the island. In conclusion, the conditions of the environment on the island in Lord of the Flies expose the true human natures of different characters in the novel. Some are naturally unforgiving and menacing, while others are rational and pleasant, even under harsh or unimaginable situations.The interactions between the older and younger boys, the â€Å"beastie† and death are three symbols that showed the naked distinction between civilization and savagery. Regrettably, when people are not restrained or limited by already created rules, they tend to turn to cruelty, savagery, an d barbarism. These vices spread more easily than do the virtues of remaining civilized, and this is why society crumbles and collapses without respected and obeyed laws which everyone is willing to live by in harmony and accord.

English Essay

Stepping into Mrs. Kinney’s room was like walking into through the perfume section at Walmart. The smell of plenty of different fragrances was enough to make a persons nose burn. It was the first day of classes, and it being only the second period of the day, which meant that peoples scents were still going strong. The room was bright, though the fluorescent bulbs lined up perfectly along the ceiling had a major part in that, the sun was shinning through the windows on the left side of the room. The chalk boards located at the front of the classroom were as clean as could be and almost looked brand new, if it were not for the scratches. The right and back walls were filled with posters and pictures of previous graduates. The shelves around the room stacked with everything an English room would need from dictionaries and thesauruses to loose-leaf and pencils. The room seemed to have a particular place for everything, right down to the 6 rows of desks that were place in straight lines facing the front of the room. As I was worried about being late, I rushed myself to class forgetting we had an eight minute break. So of course I was one of the first ones in the room. One of the first things I noticed when I came into that room was that there was no seating plan or assigned seats. Now I am the type of person who does not really care where I sit or where anyone else sits for that matter. However, I love seating plans, it gives you a chance to interact with people that you probably never would otherwise talk to. Plus it keeps the talking in the room to a minimum. Which really comes in handy when we are doing individual class work. So I guess this is my way of asking for a seating plan. Also I would like to state that asking a peer a question about an assignment might be helpful but it is a distraction. Now I wasn’t sure if Mrs. Kinney was a â€Å"spitter† like Mr. McIsaac, or a big â€Å"yeller† like some of the other teachers, so I settled into a seat in the third row from the front. The minutes that followed until the bell seemed to drag, but very quickly showed me who my classmates were. When the bell rang to finally begin class, I was ready and pretty excited because I knew almost everyone in the class. From previous encounters with Mrs. Kinney, I knew that we would be able to get along and that she actually knew what she was teaching. Now I had an expectation set that this year was not going to be a sit back and listen to the teacher read year, and that I would have to try hard if I wanted to pass. With marks, they are usually pretty steady and consistent. I try my best to keep the, above 80, kind of sports and kind of my mother being obsessive about them. As far as group work goes, I always say a few is good but anymore than five or six to group can become a problem. I say this because I have come to realize that when the groups are small, the work load can be divided easily. Now in larger groups, I find that people tend to slack off and push all the work onto one person and then split the mark. I do not like this because I am usually the one stuck doing the work. Now I am positive everyone has their own opinions when it comes to homework. Personally though, I do not mind it. To be completely honest, I enjoy doing homework. To me it is kind of a way of double checking or showing myself that I know what I am doing. So please feel free to assign any amount of homework at any time. When it comes to learning, i know that it is hard for you to teach everyone in the way they want to be taught. I also know that you can not please everyone, but you try to switch it up and do different styles of teaching too. My favourite teach style would have to be Mr. McIsaac’s. By that i mean how easy it is to follow and understand because he relates it all to everyday situations and everyday things. With English however, it is different. I find hearing something that is being taught along with taking notes and discussing examples is the best way for me to learn. I do my best work when lots of notice is given on an assignment. Otherwise, i feel rushed and then it is very poorly written. The best thing that a teacher could do for me to learn would have to bed when they give and assignment or task, to explain it thoroughly. I say this because I would much rather lose a few points than to raise my hand and ask a question. I am very shy when it comes to speaking in front of people. I freeze up, my face goes red and i start to stutter and fumble my words. My thoughts on English 112 thus far, are that I probably will not make it out alive. I would legit be surprised if I passed this essay. I say this all because i was terrified when I got our first graded assignment back. The reason I think I did so poorly on that was because you were not able to be there and when I would ask the substitute a question, she just seemed to be answering it with another question, and it confused me greatly. So I suppose one could say I was very close to switching to 113 English. Except after some time to think, I thought it through, and I remembered that i need this course to go on and have a secondary education. This all made me realize that i need to, so to say, â€Å"pull up my socks†, and stop being a procrastinator. I now see that slacking off, going just for a passing mark and just making a sixty wont cut it anymore. What I do now, will determine my life out for me. I feel like if I do not try my hardest now, that I will regret it in the long haul. By saying that I mean, if I keep slacking off, and waiting until the last minute to do everything that later in life, I will be the same way. Only problem in slacking off with a job is, you probably wont have that job much longer. I think that 112 English is a big step for me. I mean that figuratively, because I am not literally taking a step in 112, but I am figuratively taking a step in life. I consider it to be a big step because it is pushing me ahead in life and i feel as if I was not to take it then I really would not have much of a future at all. Unless i wanted to work at McDonald’s or McCain’s for the rest of my life. So for now, I think I would like to try my luck in English 112, at the end of the hall, with Mes. Kinney.