Saturday, August 31, 2019

Spongebob

1. Sloth-Patrick Sloth is the sin of laziness, or unwillingess to act. Obviously this is Patrick. He lays under a rock all the time and doesn't really do anything. In fact in the episode â€Å"Big Pink Loser† he got an award for doing nothing the longest. 2. Wrath-Squidward Wrath involves feelings of hatred and anger. Squidward hates his life, usually hates SpongeBob, and is pretty much angry most of the time. 3. Greed-Mr. Krabs Obviously Mr. Krabs is greedy and desires money. How could Greed not be Krabs? He actually sang about the power of greed in â€Å"Selling Out†. 4. Envy-Plankton Plankton is envious of Mr.Krabs because The Krusty Krab is a success while The Chum Bucket is a failure. His envy drives him to try to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula. 5. Glutony-Gary I actually think this one is pretty funny. Did you ever notice the running gag in Spongebob where they say â€Å"don't forget to feed Gary† or Sponge says â€Å"I gotta go feed Gary†. Ga ry even ran away that time when SpongeBob forgot to feed him. Glutony usually refers to the overindulgence of food so I'm guessing this one fits him pretty well. 6. Pride-Sandy Sandy takes a lot of pride in who she is and where she comes from.She takes pride in the fact that she is from Texas and likes to let everyone know it. She also takes pride in the fact that she is a mammal and a land creature, like in the episode â€Å"Pressure† where she tried to prove land critters were better than sea critters. 7. Lust-SpongeBob Ok, I know what your thinking. It does seem a little weird and curious at first but I have given it a lot of thought. Lust in one definition is â€Å"excessive love of others†. I think this one works best for Spongebob. He shows his love of others with his overeagerness to do good and help people.If anything is true about SpongeBob its that he loves everyone around him, even if they don't exactly love him back. 1. Greed (Mr. Krabs) – this is by far the most obvious comparison that can be made. The avarice of Eugene Krabs is made painfully clear throughout the series. He is constantly thinking of ways to turn a profit, even if it involves taking advantage of his friends or putting them in harmful situations! In one episode, he sings a song called â€Å"If I Could Talk to Money†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and there’s even a wiki page devoted to compiling all of his greedy plans! 2. Envy (Plankton) – another no brainer.With all of Krabs’ wealth and good fortune, there has been an equal amount of hard luck and failure for his archrival, Sheldon Plankton. Plankton owns a struggling restaurant called â€Å"The Chum Bucket† and is consumed with the desire to achieve the success of his adversary. His life’s goal is to steal the Krabby Patty formula from his Krabs and drive his primary competitor out of business. 3. Sloth (Patrick) – the guy lives under a rock for crying out loud! If that isn’t enough to convince you, in the episode â€Å"Big Pink Loser†Patrick is given an award for ‘doing absolutely nothing longer than anyone else’.He then proceeds go back under his rock to protect his title. 4. Pride (Sandy) – the fact that Sandy Cheeks is from Texas alone should almost suffice for this one. She is a squirrel that is very proud of her heritage, so much so that in one episode she nearly moved back home! Sandy also takes a great deal of satisfaction in being the only land critter living down in Bikini Bottom among all the fishy folk. Though generally a good-natured individual, Sandy is quick to spout off about the greatness of the Lone Star state or to show off her athleticism in a karate match or a weightlifting contest. . Wrath (Squidward) – Squidward Tentacles has no qualms about expressing his negative outlook on life, whether it be by describing how much he hates his job at the Krusty Krab or through outward disdain for his two obnoxi ous neighbors. He is portrayed as a general failure who refuses to acknowledge his own personal flaws. This constant self-denial manifests itself in a sarcastic sense of humor and resentment toward the society that doesn’t ‘appreciate’ his creativity and clarinet†¦ erm†¦ †skills†. 6. Gluttony (Gary) – now this one’s a bit trickier.Those who have watched a great deal of the series will have noticed a number of jokes about Spongebob having to remember to feed his pet snail. To be honest, Gary doesn’t do a whole lot besides eating and meowing, and the meowing is often due to the fact that he is hungry. Once when Spongebob hadn’t fed his pet, Gary is shown eating parts of their couch! In another episode, Gary runs away from home because Spongebob forgot to feed him for a while. Another time when Spongebob had amnesia, Gary ate a year’s supply of snail food and became morbidly obese!This proves beyond a doubt th at when left to his own devices, Gary would rather do nothing but eat. 7. Lust (Spongebob) – our final analogy is probably the least apparent because we typically think of ‘lust’ in a sexual sense. However, the alternative definition for lust is simply â€Å"a passionate desire for something†. In this sense of the word, it cannot be denied that our absorbent yellow friend is an extremely lustful creature. Spongebob has a lust for life that is incomparable to most other cartoon characters – he yearns for the affections of both friend and foe alike, is eager to please, and will often stop at nothing to complete a task.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Understanding the Financial Statements

Submitted By:Salina Thapa Rana Magar (12077697)Sona Limbu (12078108)FINC20018 Managerial FinanceProfessor: Angelique McInnesCentral Queensland UniversityBrisbane Campus Term 1 201821st April 2018Table of ContentsQuestion No. 1: Understanding the Financial Statements (Chapter 3) Answer:Part 1:Financial Statement shows the total financial functioning of the firm. Any business entities can easily assume the financial status of the company by using the financial statement of the company. At the end of specific period, each business prepares Profit and Loss Account (Income Statement), Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet), Statement of Cash Flows (Cash flow statement) and Statement of Changes in Equity. Cash flow statement is one of the major financial statement which records all the amount that a business is receiving from its business transactions as well as the amount that it disburses. The cash flow statement is prepared to find out how business is generating cash and how effectively they are utilizing their cash resources in productive sector. Cash flow statement if managed properly would help the firm to skip cash crisis in the business. As a result, business can assure the availability of cash to cover the due expenses. Cash flow statement depicts the position of economic status of the companyThe main objective of preparing cash flow is:To find out the sources and areas of cash incoming and cash outgoing respectively.To allocate the situation on which business might be in the position of cash insufficiency or cash surplus.Cash flow statement is prepared to predict future cash inflows or outflows. To deliver information regarding the capability of firm to pay its liabilities or taxes.To evaluate whether the firm is on the right track or not by measuring the overall financial records of the company at specific time.To deliver information for making capital budgeting decisions. To evaluate the overall performance of the firm by making comparison between their actual performance and future predictions of cash flow. Part 2Cash flow statement shows the mobility cash in three different areas of business activities: Operating activitiesFinancing activitiesInvesting activitiesCash flow statement provides the answer to the following questions:What are the primary sources of cash incoming?What are the basic operating activities of a firm to generate cash? How does the firm manage their extra funds if the business faces shortages?What are the main investment areas of business?What is the reason behind increase or decrease in cash flow?Part 3a) Calculation of Quality of Earnings RatioThe quality of earnings ratio for two firms i.e. Woodside Petroleum Ltd and Origin Energy for the latest three years is calculated as follows:Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL.AX)2017 2016 2015Quality of Earning Ratio = Cash flow from operationsNet Profit = 2,400,0001,024,000 = 2.3438 = 2,587,000868,000= 2.9804 = 2,475,00026,000 = 95. 1923Origin Energy (ORG.AX)2017 2016 2015Quality of Earning Ratio = Cash flow from operationsNet Profit = 1,289,000-2,226,000 = – 0.5791 = 1,404,000-628,000= – 2.2357 = 1,833,000-658,000 = -2.7857b)c) Capital Acquisition RatioThe capital acquisition ratio for both firms i.e. Woodside Petroleum Ltd and Origin Energy for the latest three years is calculated in the following tables:Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL.AX)2017 2016 2015 Cash Acquisition Ratio= Cash flow from operationsCash paid forcapital expenditure= 2,400,0001,390,000 = 1.7266 = 2,587,0001,860,000= 1.3909 = 2,475,0001,819,000 = 1.3606Origin Energy (ORG.AX)2017 2016 2015Cash AcquisitionRatio= Cash flow from operationsCash paid forcapital expenditure = 1,289,000-419,000 = – 3.0764 = 1,404,000-572,000= – 2.4545 = 1,833,000-1,484,000 = -1.2352 d)After comparing Woodside Petroleum Ltd and Origin Energy's ability to utilize the operating cash flow to finance their capital expenditure, we came to the conclusion that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Question No. 2: The Income Statement (Chapter 3)Answer: a.CQU Oil LimitedIncome StatementFor the year ended†¦.Sales $ 2,500,000Cost of Goods Sold (700,000)Gross Profit 1,800,000Operating Expenses Cash Operating Expenses 150,000 Depreciation Expenses 150,000 Total Operating Expenses (300,000)Operating Profit 1,500,000Interest Expenses (200,000)Profit Before Tax 1300,000Tax (390,000)Net Profit 910,000b. From the above income statement, we can see that CQU Oil's taxable Income and Tax Payable for the year are $ 1300,000 and $ 390,000 respectively. d.Question No. 3: Financial Analysis (Chapter 4)Calculation of Financial RatiosThe financial ratios for both firms i.e. West farmers Ltd and Woolworths Ltd for the most recent year i.e. 2017 are calculated as follows:West farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)1. Liquidity RatioCurrent Ratio = Current AssetsCurrent Liabilities = 9667 / 10417 = 0.928002303 = 0.9280 times Current Ratio = Current AssetsCurrent Liabilities. = 6994.2 / 15921.6 = 0.43929 = 0.4393 timesQuick Ratio= Current Assets –InventoryCurrent Liabilities = (9667 -6530) / 10417 = 3137 / 10417 = 0.3012 times Quick Ratio= Current Assets –InventoryCurrent Liabilities = (6994.2 – 4080.4) / 15921.6 = 2913.80 / 15921.6 = 0.1830 timesInventory Ratio=Cost of Goods SoldInventoryInventory Ratio=Cost of Goods SoldInventory = 39739.7 / 4080.4 = 9.7392 times2. Capital Structure RatioDebt Ratio = Total LiabilitiesTotal Assets = 16174 / 40115 = 0.4032 = 40.32% Debt Ratio = Total LiabilitiesTotal Assets= 13039.7 / 22915.8 = 0.5690= 56.90%Interest Coverage Ratio =EBITInterest Expense = 4402 / 213 = 20.6667 Interest Coverage Ratio =EBITInterest Expense3. Asset Management Efficiency RatioTotal Asset Turnover =SalesTotal Assets = 68444 / 40115 = 1.7062 times Total Asset Turnover =SalesTotal Assets= 55475 / 22915.8 = 2.4208 timesFixed AssetTurnover=SalesNet Property, plan & Equipment = 68444 / 9440 = 7.2504 times Fixed AssetTurnover=SalesNet Property, plan & Equipment = 55475 / 8437.5 = 6.5748 times4. Probability RatioGross Profit Margin= Gross ProfitSales= Gross Profit Margin= Gross ProfitSales = 15928.9 / 55475 = 0.2871 = 28.71%Operating Profit Margin =EBITSales = 4402 / 68444 = 0.0643 = 6.4315% Operating Profit Margin =EBITSales = 2326 / 55475 = 0.0419 = 4.19 %Net Profit Margin=Net ProfitSales = 2873 / 68444 = 0.04197 = 4.1976% Net Profit Margin=Net ProfitSales = 1482 / 55475 = 0.0267 = 2.67%Return on Assets=Operating Profit or EBITTotal Assets = 4402 / 40115 = 0.1097 = 10.97% Return on Assets=Operating Profit or EBITTotal Assets = 2326 / 22915. 8 = 0.1015 = 10.15%Evaluation of Relative Performance of Two Firms in terms of:Liquidity West farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Current Ratio 0.9280 times 0.4393 timesQuick Ratio 0.3012 times 0.1830 timesInventory Ratio 9.7392 timesLiquidity Ratio shows the financial status of the company. From the above calculation, we can interpret that West Farmers Limited is more liquid than Woolworths based on its Current Ratio and Quick Ratio. West Farmers had $0.9280 current assets and $0.3012 cash and accounts receivable for every $1 of current liabilities. Whereas Woolworths had $0.1830 current assets and $0.1830 cash and account receivable to pay $1 current liabilities.ii) Asset Management EfficiencyWest farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Total Asset Turnover 1.7062 times 2.4208 timesFixed Asset Turnover 7.2504 times 6.5748 timesiii) Financing Practices (Capital Structure)West farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Debt Ratio 40.32% 56.90%Interest Coverage Ratio 20.6667 iv) ProfitabilityWest farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Gross Profit Margin 28.71%Operating Profit Margin 6.4315% 4.19%Net Profit Margin 4.1976% 2.67%Return on Assets 10.97% 10.15%†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Calculation of Current Price-Earnings Ratio and Market-to-book Ratio:West farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Market Value RatiosPrice Earnings Ratio = Market Price Per ShareEarnings Per SharePrice Earnings Ratio = Market Price Per ShareEarnings Per ShareMarket to Book Ratio =Market Price Per ShareBook Value Per ShareMarket to Book Ratio =Market Price Per ShareBook Value Per ShareQuestion no. 4: Time Value of Money (Chapter 5)Solution:Present Value (PV) =$20,000 Time (n) = 40 yearsInterest Rate (i) = 10 % per annum = 0.10 Future Value (FV)=?Timeline i=10% p.a FV=? 0 1 2 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ n= 40 years PV=$20,000FV= PV (1+i)n = 20,000(1+0.10)40 = 20,000Ãâ€"45.25925557 = $ 905,185.1114From the above calculation, Emily's investment from her retirement plan will grow to $905,185.1114 after 40 years at 12% annual interest. b)Timeline i=6% p.a FV=$14,000 0 1 2 n= 3 years PMT=?Deposit on Car (PV)= $14,000No of years (n) = 3 years Annual Interest (i)= 6% =0.06Annuity Payment (PMT)=?We have,FV = PMT (1+i)n-1i14000 = PMT 1+0.06)3-10.06 PMT = 140003.1836PMT = $ 4397.5374To cover the cost of deposit on a new car, Emily needs to keep aside $4397.5374 from her bonus this year. Now, If Annual Interest on Saving (i)=10%=0.10PMT=?FVn = PMT (1+i)n-1i14000 = PMT1+0.10)3-10.10PMT = 140003.31PMT = $4229.6073If the annual rate of interest grows to 10%, then the amount of payment will decrease to $4229.6073.c)At the age 60 years, value of Trust Fund (FV)=?Time (n) = 60-30=30 yearsInterest rate =7%= 0.07Timeline i=7% p.a FV=? 0 1 2 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ n= 30 years PV=$50,000 FV = PV ((1+i)n = 50,000 (1+0.07)30 = 50,000 Ãâ€"7.612255043 = $ 380,612.7521When Emily turn 60 years, the value of her trust fund will grow to $380,612.7521 at the rateOf 7% government bond. d)Compounding and discounting have inverse relationship. Compounding method is the way of calculating the future value of money with the given current value of investment at certain compound rate. Whereas Discounting method is used to find out the Present Value of future cash flow using discounting rate. Mathematically,In Compounding Method,Future valuein year nFVn= Present Value(PV) Ãâ€"1+ Annual interest rate (i)number of years nIn Discounting Method,Present ValuePV = Future Value in year nFVn 11+ Annual Interest Rate (i)Number of years (n)e)Question no 5: Risk and Return (Chapter 7)a.Given:Share A Share BProbability Return Probability Return0.3 11% 0.2 -5%0.4 15% 0.3 6%0.3 19% 0.3 14%0.2 22% For Share AExpected rateof returnE(r)=rate of return 1 r1Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1)+rate of return 2 r2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 2Pr(r2) +rate of return 3r3Ãâ€"probabilityof return 3Prr3)= 0.3 Ãâ€" 0.11 + 0.4 Ãâ€" 0.15 + 0.3 Ãâ€"0.19= 0.033 + 0.06 + 0.057= 0.15= 15%Variance in rate of return?2 = rate of return 1 r1-expected rate of returnEr2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1) + rate of return 1 r1-expected rate of returnEr2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1) + rate of return 3r3-expected rate of returnE(r)2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 3Pr(r3) = [(0.11 – 0.15)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] + [(0.15 – 0.15)2 Ãâ€" 0.4] + [(0.19 – 0.15)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] = 0.00048 + 0 + 0.00048 = 0.00096 Standard Deviation = Variance =0.00096 = 0.030983867 = 3.0984%For Share BExpected rateof returnE(r)=rate of return 1 r1Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1)+rate of return 2 r2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 2Pr(r2) +rate of return 3r3Ãâ€"probabilityof return 3Prr3)+rate of return 4r4Ãâ€"probabilityof return 4Pr(r4)= 0.2 Ãâ€" (-0.05) + 0.3 Ãâ€" 0.06 + 0.3 Ãâ€"0.14 + 0.2 Ãâ€" 0.22= (-0.01) + 0.018 + 0.042 + 0.044= 0.094= 9.4% Now, Variance in rate of return?2 = rate of return 1 r1-expected rate of returnEr2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1) + rate of return 1 r1-expected rate of returnEr2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1) + rate of return 3r3-expected rate of returnE(r)2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 3Pr(r3) + rate of return 4r4-expected rate of returnE(r)2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 4Prr4) = [(-0.05 – 0.094)2 Ãâ€" 0.2] + [(0.06 – 0.094)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] + [(0.14 – 0.094)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] + [(0.22 – 0.094)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] = 0.0041472 + 0.0003468 + 0.0006348 + 0.0031752 = 0.008304Standard Deviation = Variance = 0.008304 = 0.091126286 = 9.1126% b)Shareholders or investors of the company always assume to gain certain profit from the investment they made on their business. Such expectation is referred to as Expected Rate of Return. Whereas Realized Rate of Return is the actual amount of profit or loss that that face from their investment in certain duration of time. c) d. Question No 6: Risk and Return (Chapter 8)Answer:Part 1Systematic Risk and Unsystematic RiskSystematic risk refers to those risks that are associated with the overall market or industry (Vasigh, Fleming ; Mackay, 2010) and cannot be diversified away while unsystematic risk refers to those risk that are associated with the single investment or small class of investment and can be diversified away (Swedroe ; Hempen, 2007). Investment beta is the measure of change in investments' return to the change in return of the market portfolio. Johnson (2014) also stated that investment's beta measures the volatility of share relative to volatility of market. Thus, investment's beta helps to measure the systematic risk of an investment. Therefore, it is very useful in the investment decision. For example: if we want to know the systematic risk of particular investments, we can calculate beta and know the volatility and go for that investments with low volatility. In terms of unsystematic risk, it is calculated by deducting the beta scaled by the market volatility from the volatility of the single stock. Part 2Beta of a Portfolio and Betas of the Individual Investments in the PortfolioPart 3Security Market LineSecurity market line is the graphical representation of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) i.e. the straight line relationship between expected return and betas that also explains the market price of risk in capital market (Khan, 2004). Return (%)Security Market Liners =rf+rm-rf?rfRisk Beta (?)Figure. Security Market Line. Adapted from â€Å"Investments: An Introduction† by H. B. Mayo, 2013, Boston: Cengage Learning. From the above graph, we can see that risk beta is at the x-axis and expected return on the y-axis. The slope of the security market line is represented by market risk premium which is the difference between expected rate of return on the market portfolio and the risk free rate (i.e.Erm-rf) while the y-intercept of this line represents the risk free interest rate i.e. rf . Part 4Capital Asset Pricing ModelCapital asset pricing model (CAPM) refers to the model that explains the relationship with expected return and the systematic risk of an investment. In a simple word, CAPM is that model which estimates the expected return for any risky assets. According to Mellen (2018), this model helps the business analyst and investor evaluate a suitable rate of return for an investment by giving the general economic, industry and firm's conditions. CAPM helps to inform the investment decision by first of all measuring the fairest price for an investment on the basis of risk, potential return and other factors and then comparing this fair price with the market price.Therefore, this is how the CAPM can be used to inform the investment decision. ReferenceJohnson, R. S. (2014). Equity Markets and Portfolio Analysis. New York: John Wiley ; Sons, Inc.Khan, M. Y., ;Jain, P. K. (2004). Financial Management: Text, Problems and Cases. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Limited.Mayo, H. B. (2013). Investments: An Introduction. Boston: Cengage Learning.Mellen, C. M. (2018). Valuation for M ; A: Building and Measuring Private Company Value. New York: John Wiley ; Sons, Inc.Swedroe, L. E., ;Hempen, J. H. (2007). The only guide to a winning bond strategy you'll ever need: The way smart money preserves wealth today. New York: St. Martin's PressVasigh, B., Fleming, K., ;Mackay, L. (2010). Foundation of Airline Finance: Methodology and Practice. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Reference

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Mixed Economic System Essay

A mixed economy is an economic system in which both the private sector and state direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Most mixed economies can be described as market economies with strong regulatory oversight and governmental provision of public goods. Some mixed economies also feature a variety of state-run enterprises. A mixed economic system (also known as a Dual Economy) is just like it sounds (a combination of economic systems), but it primarily refers to a mixture of a market and command economy (for obvious reasons, a traditional economy does not typically mix well). As you can imagine, many variations exist, with some mixed economies being primarily free markets and others being strongly controlled by the government. In general the mixed economy is characterized by the private ownership of the means of production, the dominance of markets for economic coordination, with profit-seeking enterprise and the accumulation of capital remaining the fundamental driving force behind economic activity. But unlike a free-market economy, the government would wield indirect macroeconomic influence over the economy through fiscal and monetary policies designed to counteract economic downturns and capitalism’s tendency toward financial crises and unemployment, along with playing a role in interventions that promote social welfare. Subsequently, some mixed economies have expanded in scope to include a role for indicative economic planning and/or large public enterprise sectors. Advantages of A Mixed Economy In the most common types of mixed economies, the market is more or less free of government ownership except for a few key areas. These areas are usually not the resources that a command economy controls. Instead, as in America, they are the government programs such as education, transportation, USPS, etc. While all of these industries also exist in the private sector in America, this is not always the case for a mixed economy. Disadvantages of A Mixed Economy While a mixed economy can lead to incredible results (America being the obvious example), it can also suffer from similar downfalls found in other  economies. For example, the last hundred years in America has seen a rise in government power. Not just in imposing laws and regulations, but in actually gaining control, becoming more difficult to access while simultaneously becoming less flexible. This is a common tendency of mixed economies. Introduction to Economic Systems There are four primary types of economic systems in the world: traditional, command, market and mixed. Each economy has its strengths and weaknesses, its sub-economies and tendencies, and, of course, a troubled history. In this project examine each system in turn and give ample attention to the attributes listed above. It’s important to understand how different parts of the world function economically, as the economy is one of the strongest forces when it comes to balancing political power, instigating war and delivering a high (or low) quality of life to the people it serves. An economic system is a system of production and exchange of goods and services as well as allocation of resources in a society. It includes the combination of the various institutions, agencies, entities (or even sectors as described by some authors) and consumers that comprise the economic structure of a given community. A related concept is the mode of production. The study of economic systems includes how these various agencies and institutions are linked to one another, how information flows between them, and the social relations within the system. Among existing economic systems, distinctive methods of analysis have developed, such as socialist economics and Islamic economic jurisprudence. Today the dominant form of economic organization at the global level is based on market-oriented mixed economies.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Research Paper Example Given the frequency of this disorder, it is one that all medical professionals should be familiar with. What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome—the number one preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disorders in the United States—was first given its name in 1973 (Warren, Hewitt, & Thomas, 2011). Though there had been many instances of women drinking during pregnancy, the symptoms caused in the fetus and child hadn’t been a focus of study. It occurs in .5 to 7.0 cases per 1,000 births in this country (Warren et al., 2011). Subcategories of the syndrome have also been identified to describe disorders of lesser severity. These include partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Effects, alcohol-related birth defects, alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (Warren et al., 2011). â€Å"Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome† describes some of the same features as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome but does no t require all of the same diagnostic criteria to be met (Warren et al., 2011). The term â€Å"Fetal Alcohol Effects† is used when symptoms of maternal exposure are present but not severe enough to meet criteria for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Warren et al., 2011). ... Clearly, alcohol has the capacity to impact the fetus on many levels and with a multitude of possible manifestations. Although Fetal Alcohol Syndrome falls within the range of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, the term encompasses many other varieties of the disorder. When taking the entire range of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders into account, these disorders are estimated to occur in 1 percent and possibly many more births (Warren et al., 2011). Though there is a spectrum of severity amongst fetal alcohol disorders, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the most profound (Warren et al., 2011). Obviously, all of these disorders have a profound impact on the sufferer, no matter what diagnostic label is chosen. It goes without saying that the pregnant woman’s use of alcohol will harm the fetus to some degree. There are a variety of factors contributing to the degree of damage maternal alcohol use exerts on the fetus (Davis, Desrocher, & Moore, 2011). First, the quantity of alcohol consume d by the mother will determine the level of alcohol in the blood stream of the fetus, and the regularity or pattern of maternal consumption also plays a role (Davis et al., 2011). If a mother consumes alcohol during the first trimester of pregnancy, the development of brain cells is disturbed, while third trimester exposure damages areas of the brain structure (Davis et al., 2011). Indeed, the amount, timing, and duration of alcohol use determines the severity of the disease (Larkby & Day, 1997). Another factor that affects the severity of damage done to the fetus relates to the mother’s genetics, which determine in part the body’s rate of metabolizing alcohol as well as sensitivity to it (Davis et al., 2011). The fetus that inherits sensitivity to alcohol based on

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Leadership Methods and Skills Research Proposal

Leadership Methods and Skills - Research Proposal Example The appropriate leadership style applied to a specific situation and issue may help in understanding the participative decision-making and the motivations that induce such participation. Functional participation (Yukl, 1981)2 is present; when a leader has the authority to make a decision, the decision is made without stringent time limitation, subordinates have the relevant knowledge to discuss and implement the decision, subordinates' characteristics (values, attitudes, needs) are congruent with the decision to participate, and the leader is skilled in the use of participative techniques. Vroom & Yetton (1973) developed a normative model of leadership decision-making based on Maier's (1963) classification3. The Vroom-Yetton model is one of a number of contingency models designed to provide guidance for managers concerning when and how much subordinate participation should be used. The model focuses attention on the nature of decisions and attempts to designate conditions under which participation will be most successful. The Vroom-Yetton model might appropriately be classified as hierarchical control models that derive their principal assumption from the rational design view of organizations.

Monday, August 26, 2019

This is NOT a paper- it is answering 5 questions-ea 1 pg Essay

This is NOT a paper- it is answering 5 questions-ea 1 pg - Essay Example She was also concentrating on the costumes of the dance and dancers. The Times Magazine has named her as â€Å"Dancer of the Country†. She contributed 70 years of her life for the Dance company. Her one more experimentation was dancing and revealing Human movements. Where as Rainer went one step further by becoming a filmmaker. He too looks similar with that of Martha Graham in revealing social events but differed from her from his revelation of the political side of the society also. His work is associated with skepticism. He tried out finding the difference between irony and cynicism which is also a missing concept in the works of Martha Graham. Though both of them had the similar option of revealing what place art has found in the daily activities of the society? But Rainer seems to have gone a little more by finding how he could reveal the concept of changes that take place in a society, where as Graham restricted her works only with human movements. While analyzing the services rendered by both to the world of choreography, Graham seems to have crossed the perfect contributor. Pina Bausch is a choreographer of modern dance. She pioneered the Tanztheatre style of Dance , a leading and influential dance works which came out from the German Expressionist Dance . She was sent to ballet dance in her childhood. Her dance performances includes a lot of German style of dancing and ballet with the concept of male and female interaction . This theme is found in almost all her works. She has given way for a neo-expressionist style, dramatic and surrealist settings in her work of dance. This could be seen in her work Carnations[1983]. She has choreographed on stages with dirt or carnations of water covered over it . Men and women are found flirting tenderly then moving and flying each other violently towards inside. These are the qualities found in her works. Lin-Huai-Min, is the founder of a well known and famous Chinese Modern Dance Group called

Types of Market Research to Undertake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Types of Market Research to Undertake - Essay Example The macro-environment involves interactions with technological, socio-cultural, political and economic factors that emanate from without the company’s setting. For instance, since the market for ice ball moulds faces competition from other companies, the following types of research are suggested to be carried out (Loudon et al, 2006, p8). Research will be carried out to determine the level of market penetration by the company and the likelihood of reaching the most remote prospective customer. By facilitating research for market penetration by the company and its competitors, the company will be ensuring that the current market share is maintained and stretched if possible. Research recommendations would give such policies as competitive pricing as well as an aggressive sales promotion for the Soccer Ball Football Ice Mold. The company will ensure that the market dominance is secured by meeting customers’ demand and preferences. Increase in customer orders will be targe ted for research to come with solutions some of which could include loyalty scheme introduction. The existing logistics and distribution networks can be assessed to provide alternative distribution techniques to enhance market development. Product development will be analyzed to determine if the name Soccer Ball Football Ice Mold is enough competitive as a brand name. Market diversification is also another channel to unravel market potential strategies. Research recommendations would give such policies as competitive pricing.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Individual Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Individual Reflective Report - Essay Example They came to this conclusion after one of the group members stated how the government imposes heavy excise duty on imported products. Members discussed conclusively and found out that the cost manufacturing these top cards is low due to availability of raw materials. Some of the members had the idea that, it was cheaper to import the top up cards but majority of the members rejected this idea arguing that it was time consuming. Recent statistics shows that the number of Chinese playing these online games has increased drastically. Chinese online games have improved the economy due to taxes imposed on such games. This company decided to sell these cards at a reasonable price to the Chinese players simply because internet-banking services in china are expensive (Jensen, 2012 p.12-37). The group also drafted the strategies on how to raise capital in order to venture in this business. Some argued that the business plan would help in getting loans either from the government or from non-go vernmental organizations. Although many ideas came up, no body discussed the negative impacts of this company to the society. This company will influence the local residents to play this games. This might bring negative impact to the local residents who do not have an idea on how to play these games. Process of Idea Initiation The teamwork in the business plan researched on several mechanisms that need review and thorough understanding of their behaviors. A group of the members took the responsibility of attending various seminars in the corporate world. Others decided to start reading journals and other relevant materials on how to make this company market its cards without problems. After thorough market research, the team realized that some of the ideas gathered are invalid and have no place in the corporate world of business. A section of the group lead by a renowned researcher deduced that internet and personal interviews gave immediate and timely response. Another collection o f experts gave their recommendations that customers should get informed information so that they can make informed choices. Generally, the whole idea rose at large and further steps taken to ensure that the best ideas take the day. Chinese internet games are becoming part of lifestyle in many parts of the country. This group business plan came up with financial estimates on how to make this happen. It is important to note that the team saw it important to present this in terms of a business plan so that sense in the whole idea can reveal itself. This balance sheet gives the real estimates on the utilization of resources. . All this ideas appears in a well compiled in book, which has a table of contents giving direction on how to go about it. This book has references, which are up to date depending on the research (Green, 2010, p.110-126). It has also given guidelines on how several ideas will come into effect with time and the impact it will have in the entire market. A business pla n that has some references act as a tool to monitor the activities and progress of the business. In my own understanding, a business plan can help this company to raise funds for its expansion hence serving many customers. This business plan will also help the company make future decisions comparing what is happening at the present. The business plan can act as a future reference to review the positive

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Globalization - Essay Example The opponents of globalisation until now have achieved greater success in garnering support from the public, owing to their ability for framing arguments in their favour, focussing on issues like use of child labour by MNCs in developing economies, and indifference of the developed nations towards serious health issues like AIDS seen rampantly spreading in the developing nations. The proponents of globalisation on the other hand present statistical data in their favour that though scien...tifically sound evidences are often difficult to comprehend from the viewpoint of a layman (ibid). Despite the contentions over globalisation and its effects, in the past three decades, observations reveal that large-scale globalisation and worldwide interconnectedness have gained increased popularity in all spheres of life, ranging from economic to technology to cultural. Globalisation of world economy has occurred due to rapid expansion of trade, financial activities, production of goods, which li nks economic growth and development of all nations across the world within the main trading zones (developed nations) and beyond (emerging economies of developing nations). As was evident during the global economic crunch of 2007-2008, currently globalisation has taken place to such extent that no national economy can safeguard itself from the ‘contagion effect’ of the disturbances within global financial markets (Baylis, Smith and Owens, 2011). The term globalisation can be interpreted in various ways. According to the most popular interpretation, the term means creation of a uniform platform at global basis, where there is synchronisation of technology, economy and culture, to create a standardised world. This perspective primarily translates into referring globalisation as westernisation of the oriental world. According to another perspective, globalisation is a form of hybridisation that creates a melange of various cultures and socioeconomic structures worldwide. H owever, from a study of the various perspectives it is not easy to derive a particular ‘correct’ interpretation, as the meaning of the term can vary based on the context on which it is used. As for example, economics globalisation, which takes place through the integration of national economies with the global economy via foreign direct investments or FDIs, capital flows, immigration and spread of technological knowledge in all fields, refers to liberalisation of trade markets and spread of capitalist market values (Bhagwati, 2004). In the arena of international relations, it refers to the development of global power play with more focus on interstate relations. Globalisation within sociology relates to changes within the present society its effects and the development of the so-called ‘global society,’ while in cultural context globalisation pertains to the study of effects of global interconnectedness on the culture and identity of various communities wor ldwide. Therefore, it is quite clear that globalisation has many facets and is hence difficult to delineate and ascertain whether it is a panacea (as per the neo-liberals who are strong proponents of globalisation) or a plague (as per the leftists or the anti-neoliberal group forum that are against

Friday, August 23, 2019

The Use of E-Commerce and E-Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Use of E-Commerce and E-Business - Essay Example In the report, it is evident that different industries are improving all the processes at the organization level. In a different industry, in the past, the management was focusing on increasing production and generating revenues due to these two factors they were able to attract their franchisees that they have to show interest in their brands. But now they can reduce the total costs and can enhance their brands with the adoption of innovative technologies. The integration of marketing and procurement operations with e-commerce showed that the persons who are involved in supply chains assure that the integration of innovative technologies is warmly welcome. For electronic business, there is need of training of the staff persons and the notable thing is that they must have to observe the importance of the benefits of electronic systems. The electronic business is a continuously changing area and the electronic systems are very flexible and can be modified and upgraded according to the needs of the organization. The electronic business technologies are serving as an important management tool for increasing the overall performance of the supply chains.The e-procurement in different industries is in an infancy state and a rapid increase is expected in the functionality of e-commerce that would assist in making strong relationships with suppliers and buyers using electronic environment. From the benefits of e-commerce, it is obvious that it would increase the rate of adoption of innovative technologies, if the doubts related to e-commerce, are reduced to a level of utmost satisfaction of industry experts. The said research would help the industry experts in all the areas of different departments to better plan for the future adoption of IT/IS or e-commerce technologies. When the firms have to switch from traditional approaches to innovative online solutions then it would help the firm in significant savings, improvement in the production and increase in the operatio nal efficiencies. Using electronic systems e.g. e-procurement there would be better communication between business partners.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Life of Maya Angelou Essay Example for Free

Life of Maya Angelou Essay Maya Angelou was born an African American. One would feel the agony she went through to be born as such and in America. Her grandmother was raped and bore a child; this child later came to be her mother. Similar to the ferocity her grandmother experienced, she was raped as a child by her mother’s boyfriend who was later on killed by her uncles. Because of this, she didn’t speak for almost six years afraid that her words had killed the man. This must be the dawn of her path to being a writer, realizing that words are powerful. If it could kill then it could give life as well. When her parents divorced, her grandmother took good care of her and her brother Bailey, Jr. and it was him who called her Maya. She became many things: a dancer, a cable car operator, a singer, a waitress, and where she flourished, a writer. The turn of her career came when she went to Egypt and Ghana. She went back to America to support Malcolm X’s Organization of African American Unity but he was assassinated. The struggle of the race continued as she supported Martin Luther King, Jr. who was also assassinated defending the African American cause, this made Maya Angelou devastated. She never stopped working for the emancipation of the African Americans and continued writing for equal rights and liberty. And so, in 1993, she read On the Pulse of Morning,’ at President William Jefferson Clintons inauguration at the White House. Her words are valuable to the nation. Her words influence men of power. Her life is interesting which produced works that are priceless to the American people most especially to the African Americans of whom she dedicated her efforts to for their emancipation. Angelou’s style of writing categorized her works in the genre of autobiographical fiction because of her writing styles in dialogues, characterization, development of theme, setting, plot and language. But for her, these are simply autobiographies. She speaks through her writing what she has learned or learning out of life. In her interview with Mike Schneider in Bloomberg TV, she talked to all women as her daughters for her book, â€Å"Letter to My Daughter†. She speaks to them how a woman surpasses an incident in life as she would, given a similar situation. She writes to all the women as her daughters, sharing with them her story like she was one with them. In the poem, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing†, one would feel between the lines how an African American feels in the land called America. The words are simple and yet powerful in the sense that it deeply triggers emotions from the reader. These are deep sentiments of an enslaved race, wanting to be free but â€Å"the bird’s wings are clipped†. Feelings of being held while the other birds are free: is something that she has undergone while the whites enjoy the liberty of being part of their race. A critic named Lupton, considered Angelou’s writings as autobiographies for they contain the elements of such: written by a single author, chronological, and they contain character, technique and them. Although, there are parts that are fictional, the elements necessary for an autobiography are present. Angelou has the tendency to go to the direction against the convention of what an autobiography is. She used the first person singular, â€Å"I† in talking about â€Å"we†. She is placed among the African American autobiographists but other writers insist that she has created a different kind of interpretation of the autobiographical form. The book, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings†, became an acclaim containing the sentiments of the black people. She wrote it out of a challenge by Robert Loomis, her editor, for her to write â€Å"high art†. African American literature is more challenged in such that the authors have to agree about the status of their writings on whether it’s â€Å"high art†. O’Neale considers Angelou’s poetry a â€Å"more expected ghetto expressiveness† and she also avoids a monolithic Black language. The bird was used as metaphor that is struggling to set itself free from its cage. The cage that incarcerates the creature represents â€Å"oppression† of the African American people. It must be emphasized as well that Angelou doesn’t intend to isolate the white people. She wanted to promote the relevance of diligence so as to change the concept of laziness among African Americans. At the latter part of the 1960s, one of her goals was to create a book that satisfied the criteria, â€Å"organic unity†. According to English literature scholar Valerie Sayers, her poetry and prose are similar because of the episodes which are done like a series of short stories, but they do not follow a chronology of events. Her prose and poems are both in â€Å"direct voice†, which are characterized by steady rhythms with lyrical patterns that use figures of speech (similes and metaphors). Hagen has mentioned that Angelou’s works were influenced by the African American community’s literary and oral tradition. She uses the â€Å"blues† music and literary characters in testifying about her life and hardships, with the use of metaphors, rhythms, and intonations. Angelou’s one of the most important themes are â€Å"kinship†, this has something to do with her parents abandonment of her and her brother, her relationship with her son, husbands and lovers all throughout her books. She discusses the value of family relationships of how it can affect development of a person. She spoke of her paternal grandmother who prophesied of her being a teacher when she intentionally went mute. Telling her that she would be a teacher someday but how could that happen if she does not speak. In most of her books, â€Å"motherhood† is predominantly manifested based on her experiences as a single mother, a daughter, and a granddaughter. Like in the book, â€Å"Letter to My Daughter†, she dedicated this book to all women pondering on their life experiences. She delivered words of wisdom to soothe and give directions to their souls. When asked if she would say the same things to her son or sons, she said it would be different. She would never know how it is to be a man. If she would write something for her son/sons, it would be through the perspective of a woman. Her plot often surrounds in this motif – mother child. â€Å"The woman who survives intact and happy must be at once tender and tough. † Maya Angelou, Wouldnt Take Nothing For My Journey Now (1994) She is an embodiment of strength and wisdom. This is where she gets her tenets from the experiences she has gained from childhood up to the present which molded her to become a woman whom people listen to. For Scholar Mary Burgher, African American women autobiographers have rejected the stereotyping of roles as â€Å"breeder and matriarch† of their kind and they are being presented as â€Å"creative and personally fulfilling†. Maya Angelou also wanted to deliver the message that women are more than the purpose of bringing forth children. Women are valuable beings in society as much as men are. In her books, women are winners and are brilliant who have overcome hindrances of racial discrimination. She has been influenced greatly by her relationship with her grandmother who died early in her third autobiography, â€Å"Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas†. Momma (Angelou’s grandmother), is quoted in the whole book. I write because I am a Black woman, listening attentively to her people. Maya Angelou, 1984[87] She has greatly contributed to the emancipation of the black people in America working alongside with Malcom X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Went through devastation because of their deaths but continued on the struggle of her people. She continued to express the pains she goes through as a black woman through her music and poems. Using her gift in expressing through words her thoughts and struggles, unified the very same sentiments of all the black people in America. Her experiences especially from childhood gave her the foundation she needed to become who she is now. Everything that transpired in her life was a message she depicted in all her books. She resisted racial biases and protested outright to effect change in American society. She mentioned in her interviews when asked if she was angry, she said, â€Å"I am angry but I am not bitter†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , reiterating that anger was necessary to express indignation to the unjust treatment towards the black people. She emphasized, however, that she is not bitter. There is a difference between those two. She used anger to advance the cause of African Americans but made sure there is no bitterness in her heart. Works Cited Hagen, L. (1997). Heart of a Woman, Mind of a Writer, and Soul of a Poet: A Critical Analysis of the Writings of Maya Angelou. Lanham, Maryland: University Press. Lauret, M. (1994). Liberating Literature: Feminist fiction in America. New York: Routledge. ONeale, S. (1984). Reconstruction of the Composite Self: New Images of Black Women in Maya Angelous Continuing Autobiography. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Support the Provision of Environment and How My Work Environment Is Organised to Promote the Development of Children Essay Example for Free

Support the Provision of Environment and How My Work Environment Is Organised to Promote the Development of Children Essay Support the provision of environment and how my work environment is organised to promote the development of children The physical and emotional environment we create for children at Wattville primary school has a huge impact on their development. The environment is stimulating and attractive as children learn though their senses they need the environment to be interesting and visually attractive. There are also different types of activities and play opportunities; the layout of the classroom is well planned and organised and there is a variety of equipment which meets individual needs. Outside the classroom, along the corridor there are pegs for the children to hang up their coats, hats and scarves, these are personalised with each child’s name helping to promote children’s intellectual development as they learn to recognise their name and location of their peg. Inside the classroom, near the door there is a table with trays on it for children to put their water bottles in, this allows children to gain easy access to a source of drinking water throughout the day as they need to stay hydrated in order to concentrate and take part in activities. The book corner is situated on the left hand side as soon as you enter the classroom, away from other activities to minimise disruption to children who want to use the area. There is a desk and chairs for children who wish to sit and read there and this area is also used for one to one reading sessions. There is also a soft seating area with pillows and cuddly toys so that children can relax while enjoying their book. There are a variety of books for the children of all abilities and cultures to enjoy. The book corner helps to promote children’s language development and fine motor skills development. It also supports their social and emotional development as they sit with friends sharing stories and at times playing ‘being the teacher’ where they pretend to be the teacher reading the story to the children using facial expressions and changing the tone of their voice. At the maths area there are bright, colourful equipment set out including shape sorters and abacuses. This area supports children’s mathematical development as well as their language and fine motor skill development. The computer area consists of one computer and a printer, this develops children’s fine motor skills as they learn to move and click the mouse during different computer based activities. Children’s social and emotional skills are also encouraged as they learn to share and take turns. The writing area is set up with a variety of writing resources including; white boards, papers, pencils, felt tips etc. This area is set up to promote children’s communication, language and literacy as well as their creative development as they use their imaginations e. g. to create lists or write stories. The creative area is situated at the back of the class room where it is not carpeted so that any spillage can be cleaned up easily. There are a variety of resources which include; coloured paper/card, materials such as foam and foil, scissors, glue, paint etc. This area promotes children’s fine motor skill development and also supports their language development as they begin to ask questions and talk about things that they are creating. The sand and water play is also located at the back of the classroom on suitable flooring away from books, tables and chairs to minimise mess and ensure children’s safety. Water and sand play helps children’s fine motor skills and also supports social development as children play and interact with their friends and peers. The tables and chairs are set out in a way which allows children to move around the classroom with ease. There are a number of colourful and attractive displays containing the children’s work around the classroom. There is also a behaviour chart and reward charts displayed in the classroom, this helps children’s emotional development as they feel valued and it also encourages their confidence and self-esteem.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The effectiveness of a free market system

The effectiveness of a free market system The market system is markets in which governments have very limited roles, it can also be known as the free market. Many may question this type of market system though, in that how can such a system without any major policies or government intervention, solve the basic economic problems of, what to produce? How to produce and for whom to produce? Adam Smith, a famous Scottish philosopher economist, argued that individuals pursuing their self interest would be lead as by an invisible hand in doing things that are in the interest of society as a whole. In this market, if an individual desires to start up a business, once established, would in turn benefit society by creating new jobs and opportunities. This benefit would move the societys production possibility frontier onwards and outwards, and would further result in a productively and allocatively efficient business. The main feature of a free market system is that it enjoys the pricing system which is determined through forces of demand and supply of a product or service without any influences of monopolistic or oligopolistic markets. This is the only time where government intervenes; in ensuring consumers enjoy the benefits of low prices. Competition within the market therefore, allows consumers to have choices and benefit from low prices and in return leads businesses to expansion or creation of new products or services. Free market businesses also have high profit motives therefore ensuring efficiency and effectiveness within the operational functions of the business. Based on information gathered it shows where1 Mexico benefits from a free market economy in the trillion dollar class with regards to investment climate. The country established this state through the mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Likewise, Tanzania enjoys more than ninety percent of total foreign investments. Some of the countrys investors include the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany to name a few. The sectors that attracted these top country investors are tourism, agriculture, fisheries, mining and manufacturing all under a free market system2. Altogether, it is appears that the market system is the best mechanism in encouraging a positive investment climate, however, everything that has advantages, must have some sort of negativity affiliated. In this market, with high levels of rivalry, it has been known to adversely affect employment and poverty levels in China and India in division between the rich and the poor. Even highly developed economies such as the United States and Canada are known to encounter these issues consequent of a total free market economy3. Additionally, in an attempt to maximize profit levels, business owners in a free market may be tempted to reduce competing levels and operate as a monopoly, in essence to non government intervention. Income differences are also likely to be substantial since there are no taxes imposed in reducing it. In the real world it is not perfect; it would never really have a market where demand is equal to supply a state of equilibrium. Therefore, in conclusion the free market would never really be a best allocating mechanism for scarce resources. Word Count: 524words PART A QUESTION 2 People disbelieves of a free market economy has highlighted the nature of a command economy. In contrast to a free market system, in command economies the government decides what will be produced? How it will be produced and for whom it would be produced? This further encompasses detailed instructions that are issued to households, firms and workers. There is very little private sector business activity within this economy as oppose to a free market economy. It is a very bureaucratic and time costly task of the government in planning and making decisions of these roles, as such; even though there is maximization in the application of resources, there is no completely planned economy where there is efficiency in the allocation of resources. With government in command, they produce products and services that are only required to be produced, consequently limiting consumers choices. Also, there is no room for competition within this economy, therefore any improvements in product designs is highly unlikely. Employees are also poorly motivated knowing that the business is not trying to make profits; therefore they are not benefited in any way from working harder, or even giving their input in showing the enterprise of how to possibly make its business more successful. On the other hand, with a command economy, there is stability within the economy. Also, this economy plans on a long term basis of perhaps via infrastructure investments, whereas the private sector is only after short term profits. The economy is intended to serve needs collectively rather than individually which allows equal distributions of wealth within its nature making no room for any discrimination. Through the high levels of government control in the economy, it does ensure sufficient supply of industrial products be made available at affordable prices for manufacturers all in the effort of the overall welfare of the economy. All production decisions are based on the governments assessments of peoples needs rather than the consumers spending patterns. 4A planned economy, in theory does not suffer from any business cycles, that is, and is no booms or recessions: it does not experience crisis of overproduction. According to the CIA Factbook, it estimated that for a time the Soviet Union was the worlds second largest economy and was that of a command, the economy eventually collapsed though, resulting in the various republics gaining its independence, for e.g., Kazakhstan transitioning into a free economy. This country now reaps the benefits of a friendly foreign investment climate. The economy has been healthily operating since the transition. China, before 1978 and India before, 1991 were also important command economies. Presently, command economies are relatively rare however it does still exist in certain countries such as in Cuba and Iran. The student believes that there is really no room for investment climates within a command economy, especially since potential investors evaluates and investigates conditions for private sector investment. This is due to all the disadvantages discussed earlier, for e.g., the basic salary wages would in fact reduce the demand for labor which affects an investors decision in thinking of the long run outcome. Word Count: 517 words PART A QUESTION 3 As a free market allows practices of self interest without any significant restrictions, and a command economy allows minute capacity of individual economic freedom since most decisions are centrally taken by the government, the student would now discuss a mixed economy as a result to these market failures. In a mixed economy as in Trinidad and Tobago, the government and the private sector act together in solving the economic issues presented. The government controls a significant allocation of output through taxations, transfer payments and the provision of services such as the defense force and police force. Government also regulates the extent to which an individual may pursue their own self interest. In this market type, the government provides essential services for all in society, no discrimination; the private sector is encouraged to operate successfully in earning profits from enterprise. Competition within the market will result in innovate products produced at reasonable prices to consumers hence an overall satisfaction to consumers in having the benefit of choice of a product. In mixed economies, government rule out all inefficient business behavior, for e.g., dangerous products or polluted factories such as the International Aluminum Smelting Industry, which results in very detrimental health impacts to society. Some disbenefits though are that taxes may be too high to pay for public goods, which can result in a decrease in motivation to work hard or make profits. The public sector may also not be as productive and efficient as oppose to the private sector. Government also needs to be careful when setting controls over business operations, too much control can add to cost and thereby discouraging enterprise. Trinidad and Tobago is known to have an open investment climate meaning that almost all investment barriers since 1992 to be exact have been abolished. Based on data collected, 5due to the nations strategic location, natural resources, excellent infrastructure and pro-investment business climate, Trinidad and Tobago have in the past acquired the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean. Increased levels of export returns have stirred both the public and private sectors outflow and inflow. Some of the sectors in which potential investors may consider in T T is the Tourism industry, Music and Entertainment, Merchant Marine and, Energy and Downstream Industry to name a few. Trinidad and Tobagos recent investment climate has not been progressing lately though, especially with the recent downfall in the economy, it is quite a challenging investment climate presently., 6There is a need to attract major players in the energy sector that is, especially since the entrants of new competitors such as Brazil, Angola, Australia and off-shore West Africa, who all possess the ability to haul together the investment dollars the technical expertise from major multi-national companies. Competition is indeed though in this sector, as a result the energy chamber has decided to center the forthcoming 2011 T T Energy Conference on investment in the energy sector. The conference will be to discuss the various aspects in which investment can be influenced in the region as well as means in enhancing competitiveness. Another major sector in which investment opportunities could use a boost is that of the Defense and Security sector. Presently, Trinidad and Tobago is undergoing significant increased levels of crime. Though a risk factor, relevant investors can however use this as an opportunity to grow and develop their businesses market shares. Trinidad and Tobagos actual investment policies as at 2009 20137, states where these policies are proposed in providing principles and guidelines for national and foreign investments, some of the marketing strategies include: Identification and development of investment projects. Facilitation of joint ventures. Improving access to financing and communication of investment opportunities. Provision of training to entrepreneurs. Hosting of trade fairs and trade, and trade and investment conferences, (as mentioned earlier) Provision of opportunities linked to firms that are already established, for e.g., the oil industry. These policies are expected to improve the investment climate of the country. In so doing, it provides opportunities for people to better themselves; therefore they should take advantage in the overall view of a bullish climate. Word Count: 705 words. FOOTNOTES 1http://www.islandandresort.com 2http://www.aabf.org/tanzania_inv_guide.htm 3 http://www.wiki.answers.com 4http://www.en.wikipedia.org 5http://www.bdc.co.tt/exportdirectory/profiles.php? 6http://www.ttenergyconference.org 7http://www.investtnt.com

Using Gopher to Navigate the Internet :: Internet World Wide Web WWW Protocol Gopher

GOPHER The Latest and Greatest on the Internet. In April 1991, Gopher was developed at the University at Minnesota Microcomputer, Workstation and Networks Center. It was created to help users fins answers to their computer questions. (Nickerson, 53) It didn’t take long for this utility to replace the existing campuswide information systems (CWIS) at the university AND to become one of the hottest Internet resources available. (Hahn, 429) Why is Gopher so Grand? This utility lets the end user easily locate information using keywords and phrases. In a few short years this has become the†most widely used searching tool on the Internet.† (Levin, 60) The annual growth rate for Gopher traffic is 997%! (Fun Facts, 50) Up until recently, this Internet protocol had been mainly used by the government and academics. But it has caught on and is being used for business and leisure purposes. If one is interested in the latest NFL scores, schedules and point spreads, they can easily access this information at News and Weather. Business administrators can learn more about total quality management (TQM) by visiting (Maxwell, 299 and 670) What is Gopher? The official definition of Gopher helps to explain what this utility is, â€Å" The Internet Gopher uses a simple client/server protocol that can be used to publish and search for information held on a distributed network of hosts. Gopher clients have a seamless view of the information in the Gopher world even though the information is distributed over many different hosts. Clients can navigate through a hierarchy of directories and documents [menus] or ask an index server to return a list of documents that contain one or more words. Because the index does full-text searches, every word in every document is a keyword.†(Milewski, 41) Using the client/server architecture is advantageous because the two connecting machines need to communicate with one another for a very short time. The server shuts down the connection once it has sent out the file to the client. (Notess, 101) Gopher is an attractive Internet search tool because it allows the user to traverse the network with one simple interface. Via Gopher, the neophyte can access more difficult Internet protocols, such as telnet, FTP, and email, in a seamless fashion. The end user can effortlessly select an FTP site from a menu and not have to remember the cumbersome FTP syntax or lengthy addresses. Accessing Gopher To access Gopher you need Internet access. To start, dial into an Internet-connected computer and type in gopher at the systems prompt. Using Gopher to Navigate the Internet :: Internet World Wide Web WWW Protocol Gopher GOPHER The Latest and Greatest on the Internet. In April 1991, Gopher was developed at the University at Minnesota Microcomputer, Workstation and Networks Center. It was created to help users fins answers to their computer questions. (Nickerson, 53) It didn’t take long for this utility to replace the existing campuswide information systems (CWIS) at the university AND to become one of the hottest Internet resources available. (Hahn, 429) Why is Gopher so Grand? This utility lets the end user easily locate information using keywords and phrases. In a few short years this has become the†most widely used searching tool on the Internet.† (Levin, 60) The annual growth rate for Gopher traffic is 997%! (Fun Facts, 50) Up until recently, this Internet protocol had been mainly used by the government and academics. But it has caught on and is being used for business and leisure purposes. If one is interested in the latest NFL scores, schedules and point spreads, they can easily access this information at News and Weather. Business administrators can learn more about total quality management (TQM) by visiting (Maxwell, 299 and 670) What is Gopher? The official definition of Gopher helps to explain what this utility is, â€Å" The Internet Gopher uses a simple client/server protocol that can be used to publish and search for information held on a distributed network of hosts. Gopher clients have a seamless view of the information in the Gopher world even though the information is distributed over many different hosts. Clients can navigate through a hierarchy of directories and documents [menus] or ask an index server to return a list of documents that contain one or more words. Because the index does full-text searches, every word in every document is a keyword.†(Milewski, 41) Using the client/server architecture is advantageous because the two connecting machines need to communicate with one another for a very short time. The server shuts down the connection once it has sent out the file to the client. (Notess, 101) Gopher is an attractive Internet search tool because it allows the user to traverse the network with one simple interface. Via Gopher, the neophyte can access more difficult Internet protocols, such as telnet, FTP, and email, in a seamless fashion. The end user can effortlessly select an FTP site from a menu and not have to remember the cumbersome FTP syntax or lengthy addresses. Accessing Gopher To access Gopher you need Internet access. To start, dial into an Internet-connected computer and type in gopher at the systems prompt.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Human Rights :: Human Rights Essays

Ever since human rights became the controversial issue that it is today, western countries have constantly clashed with other cultures over differing ideologies on the topic. The introduction of the media as a continuous broadcaster of international news has moved the inhumane conditions that exist in some countries into the spotlight. The result of this has been a painful realization that many cultures have a contrasting philosophy on the subject of human rights. The happenings in Eastern Europe over the last decade and at present in Kosovo are testament to this; human rights do not seem to be an inherent part of many cultures, China included. We in the west take for granted things like the freedoms of speech, press and association and struggle to comprehend the fact that people are literally dying to gain the same rights. China is a country that, historically, has had a different viewpoint on human rights. This stems back to Confucian days but also includes the Marxist idea that t he collective wellbeing is considered vastly superior to the individual. As a result, it is little wonder that when the west and countries like China open up a human rights dialogue, confrontations are inevitable. Human rights in China had its origins at about the same time that the Ching dynasty collapsed and again in 1911 as part of Sun Yet Sing’s program. Eight years later in 1919, a new iconoclastic movement took over and the appeal of human rights for the radicals of the time came about because it gave them the antithesis of Confucian values, the self. This antithesis aided them in their quest to escape the imperialism of the time and modernize China. Confucian teachings urge the government to rule humanely and with virtue. The ultimate goal of helping the common-people to become educated and thus prosper. Harsh laws and severe punishments, which were common in Confucius’ day, should be abolished. In short, his theories of governing were in complete contrast to those in power at the time. The solution to these problems was to awaken the people to the necessity of reason, and reinforce the thought of morality and harmony. One of the reasons that many Chinese do not formally o bject to human rights violations is that the collective wellbeing and not the self has been part of their culture for hundreds of years. Confucian teachings are so revered that elements are intertwined with communism throughout the economy and legal system.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

OBriens Things They Carried Essay: Experiences and Emotions :: Things They Carried Essays

Experiences and Emotions in The Things They Carried  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried is not a novel about the Vietnam War.   â€Å"It is a story about the soldiers and their experiences and emotions that are brought about from the war† (King 182).   O'Brien makes several statements about war through these dynamic characters.   He shows the violent nature of soldiers under the pressures of war, he makes an effective antiwar statement, and he comments on the reversal of a social deviation into the norm.   By skillfully employing the stylistic technique of specific, conscious detail selection and utilizing connotative diction, O'Brien thoroughly and convincingly makes each point.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The violent nature that the soldiers acquired during their tour in Vietnam is one of O'Brien's predominant themes in his novel.   By consciously selecting very descriptive details that reveal the drastic change in manner within the men, O'Brien creates within the reader an understanding of the effects of war on its participants.   One of the soldiers, "Norman Bowler, otherwise a very gentle person, carried a Thumb. . .The Thumb was dark brown, rubbery to touch. . . It had been cut from a VC corpse, a boy of fifteen or sixteen"(O'Brien 13).   Bowler had been a very good-natured person in civilian life, yet war makes him into a very hard-mannered, emotionally devoid soldier, carrying about a severed finger as a trophy, proud of his kill.   The transformation shown through Bowler is an excellent indicator of the psychological and emotional change that most of the soldiers undergo. To bring an innocent young man from sensitive to apath etic, from caring to hateful, requires a great force; the war provides this force.   However, frequently are the changes more drastic.   A soldier named "Ted Lavender adopted an orphaned puppy. . .Azar strapped it to a Claymore antipersonnel mine and squeezed the firing device"(O'Brien 39).   Azar has become demented; to kill a puppy that someone else has adopted is horrible.   However, the infliction of violence has become the norm of behavior for these men; the fleeting moment of compassion shown by one man is instantly erased by another, setting order back within the group.   O'Brien here shows a hint of sensitivity among the men to set up a startling contrast between the past and the present for these men.   The effect produced on the reader by this contrast is one of horror; therefore fulfilling O'Brien's purpose, to convince the reader of war's severely negative effects.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Organic Food Industry in India Essay

India today is on the threshold of an organic revolution and Indian Organic Food industry though at a nascent stage, has experienced steadfast growth in past few years. The country’s budding organic food market is transforming into world’s fastest growing organic food market backed by a shift in consumer behavior and spending patterns. Trends in the Industry Organic Food Stores New Varieties on offer Rising Investments Marketing Techniques Organic Food Industry has been blossoming in India. The industry to which overseas demand/exports was oxygen to breathe will be experiencing a colossal change in the consumption pattern in times to come. With growing health awareness among the people coupled with rising disposable incomes and support from Indian government, organic food will surely secure a permanent place in Indian households. Evolving perception of organic food from being a luxury only for elite to a necessity will drive the domestic consumption. Also, overseas demand for Indian organic food will remain robust and continue to drive the industry to rare heights. Indian Organic Food industry currently pegged at USD 189 million in 2011 is stated to grow at a CAGR of ~45%, to reach USD 1733 million by 2017. SCOPE OF THE REPORT Indian Organic Food Industry at a glance Emerging trends in the industry like organic food stores, Rising investments, Marketing techniques etc Demand Supply scenario encompassing production, demand & export numbers and projections Factors driving growth, Issues & Challenges Government Regulations & Initiatives in Indian market Major players Forecasts REASONS TO BUY To understand the various factors which are fuelling the growth and those which are/will be critical for the industry performance in the near term Comprehensive report covering all the aspects required to understand the industry performance and future prospects. The report elucidates the current market scenario of the industry and forecasts key parameters which helps to anticipate the industry performance A burgeoning organic market beckons to India’s rural farmers Indian farmers have started to reap dividends from their budding interest in organic farming. It wasn’t long back, around seven years ago, when Indian farmers started to go organic. In 2006-07, around 4. 32 lakh ha reported organic produce — a large portion came from wild and non-agricultural land — which has now reached around 11 lakh ha, as per the recent report ‘The World of Organic Agriculture, 2013’ by FiBL and IFOAM (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). â€Å"The growth rate has reached around 20% per year, much higher than early expectations,† says Krishan Chandra, director, National Centre of Organic Farming. The current market for organic foods in India is pegged at Rs. 2,500 crore, which according to ASSOCHAM, is expected to reach Rs. 6,000 crore by 2015. It’ll still leave us at 1% of the global market. Thus, a huge potential is seen in the nascent Indian organic sector. â€Å"Apart from states like Sikkim or MP, we’re seeing a rising interest in Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, UP and Bihar,† says Chandra. India outnumbers every other country in terms of organic producers — with an estimated 5,47,591. Organic products, which until now were mainly being exported, are now finding consumers in the domestic market. â€Å"Even Tier II cities like Nagpur, Allahabad, Gorakhpur and Bhatinda show an increase in organic consumption,† says Sunil Kumar, AGM at Morarka Rural Research Foundation. According to a survey of 1,000 consumers in ten cities done by Morarka Organic Foods, around 30% of Indian consumers preferred organic products and were even prepared to pay 10 to 20% more for them. â€Å"Soil abused by chemical fertiliser excesses takes more time to produce comparable yields. Although, the cost of organic cultivation is much less, reducing cost incurred in purchasing costly inputs,† says Rohitashwa Ghakar, Project Head, International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture. * Regions reap their rewards North Growth: In UP, organic certification has gone up 36 fold in the last six years. The area under organic cultivation rose from 3,034 to 111,644 ha. However, most of the organic farming is under a corporate-farmer contract. In Haryana, with hardly any takers till 2008, organic crops today are produced in more than 10,000 ha. However, Punjab farmers have shown little interest. Of the total 4046 lakh ha of land under cultivation, only a minuscule portion 2104 ha is under organic farming. Popular organic crops: Nearly 40,000 farmers in UP are growing organic wheat, rice, pulses, maize, and numerous herbs like Tulsi, Ashwagandh, Aloe Vera. Haryana grows mostly vegetables like tomato, beans, or fruits like summer-squash, melons and mangoes. â€Å"Although I sell the produce in Delhi, most of it goes to retail chains†, says Kanwal Chauhan, a farmer in Sonepat. Challenges: Punjab State Farmers’ Commission consultant Dr PS Rangi feels that organic farming cannot feed the entire country. â€Å"One can grow vegetables or some wheat for personal use, but it can’t be grown on a large scale. † (By Pankaj Jaiswal, Rajesh Moudgil and Gurpreet Nibber) South Growth: In Kerala, at least 40 % of the farming is organic and the state is set to become the second fully organic state after Sikkim in 2016. From 7,000 ha in 2007, the state has spread organic cultivation to 16,000 ha. In Andhra Pradesh another 11,500 ha would be added to the current 4273. 54 ha this year. In Karnataka, under the organic programmes of the state, an area of 1,18,676 ha has seen organic farming benefiting around one lakh farmers, said R Anuradha, agriculture department. Popular organic crops: More than grains and pulses in Kerala organic farming is prevalent in cash crops, rice and vegetables. In Andhra’s smaller towns and villages, people are slowly shifting to organically grown rice, ragi and other millets. In Karnataka, crops like pepper, vanilla, coffee, nutmeg — which are not available in other parts of India — are a popular choice. Challenges: In large tracts of the state’s tribal belt like Karnataka and AP, the farmers have engaged in slash/burn farming for generations and do not use any pesticide or fertilizer. There have been no efforts to take this into account. (By Ramesh Babu, Ashok Das and Naveen Ammembala) North East Growth: 30. 92 lakh ha out of the net cultivated area of 43 lakh ha in the region have never seen the use of chemical fertilisers. Almost 89% of farmland is categorised as organic in Mizoram, which passed an Organic Act in 2004. Whereas Meghalaya, a major strawberry producer, eyes a turnout of 500 MT from the current 250 MT a year. Popular organic crops: Much of the area in the region is taken up by paddy, vegetables and fruits such as grapes. The more prosperous farmers are into cultivation of medicinal plants, rose and anthurium, primarily for export. â€Å"Mizoram has become the largest anthurium flower producer in India, owing to almost 98% of women anthurium growers,† said Samuel Rosanglura of Mizoram’s horticulture department. Challenges: Most state governments promote vermi-compost and manure in the region since bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides are difficult to access. (By Rahul Karmakar) West Growth: Gujarat has seen substantial growth in organic farming. It currently utilises around 42,000 ha under organic farming. Maharashtra has been a front runner in organic farming with around 6. 5 lakh ha under it, a huge rise from 18,786 ha in 2005-06. In Rajasthan, there has been a ten-fold increase. From around 22,000 ha in 2005-06, the state has taken a leap to 2,17,712 ha. Popular organic crops: Gujarat grows organic wheat, pulses and fruits like mango, chikoo and papaya. While cotton, turmeric, ginger are some crops grown in Rajasthan. In Maharashtra, cotton, cereals, fruits dominate the organic farming scene. The state has initiated a pilot project to grow grapes that will produce organic wine. Challenges: â€Å"Tribals who hardly use chemical fertilisers are left out of organic benefits,† says Kapil Shah of Jatan Trust that promotes organic farming. (By Mahesh Langa) Yoav Lev was a 22-year-old backpacker when he first came to India in 1987. A graduate from an agricultural boarding school in Israel, he came seeking inner peace from his ‘spiritual guru’, the late H. W. L. Poonja of Lucknow, better known as Papaji. â€Å"The quest was to find my true purpose and true self,† he says. He eventually stayed on in India, taking on a new name, Bharat Mitra, and is currently the Founder and President of Organic India, one of India’s leading organic foods companies. It ended 2012 with Rs 60 crore revenues and hopes to reach Rs 90 crore this year, with about half of its sales in India. Five years ago, 75 per cent of our revenue came from exports and the rest from the domestic market. Now both markets have equal share:Raj Seelam Photo: A Prabhakar Rao Organic foods are those made from agricultural products grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers. It was from Papaji that Lev learnt the healing power of tulsi (basil plant). By 1997, he had begun cultivating three types of tulsi organically in Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh. In 2006 he launched Organic India with tulsi tea as its flagship product. Today, the company makes 18 different flavours of tulsi tea and 33 different herbal formulations or supplements, which are said to have medicinal value. He is gearing up to launch a complete range of organic food items, including rice and pulses. â€Å"We are in the final stages of a very promising joint venture to launch a comprehensive range of products both for the Indian market and for exports,† says Lev. He prefers not to reveal the name of the well known Indian company he is negotiating with. Lev is not alone. A clutch of entrepreneurs in India is betting big on the domestic organic food market . Consider Raj Seelam, an Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad alumnus. When Lev first took up tulsi cultivation, some 1,200 km down south in Hyderabad, Seelam was still selling pesticides and fertilisers. From 1988 to 2000, he worked in the farm inputs division of E. I. D Parry, a Murugappa Group company, one of the largest industrial groups in India. â€Å"It gave me a chance to interact closely with farmers and see the havoc that indiscriminate use of pesticides can create,† he says. This spurred him to consider organic farming, even though he was aware agribusinesses rarely succeed in India, because of low margins and excessive government control. Today, his company, Sresta Natural Bioproducts, sells a range of 200 organic products in India and overseas from rice, pulses, sugar, and juices to breakfast cereals and jams. â€Å"Five years ago, 75 per cent of our revenue came from exports and the balance from the domestic market. Now both markets have equal share,† he says. Indeed, the demand for organic foods in India has seen a sharp growth in recent years. While earlier, organic food producers primarily aimed at exports to Europe and the United States, there is now a gradual shift. â€Å"The demand for organic foods has been growing and today we stock a range of around 38 different organic foods in 40 stores as against just about half a dozen stores three years ago,† says S. Jagdish Krishnan, Chief Operating Officer of the retail and bakery divisions of Heritage Foods, an organic food company with a big presence in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. Most of the big retail chains now stock organic products, including Godrej Nature’s Basket, Hyper City, Food Bazaar, More, Nilgiris, Spencers and Tesco – Starbazar. While no of-ficial figures are available, industry estimates put the organic food market within India at close to Rs 100 crore, having grown five-fold in the last six years. When Seelam began organic cultivation in 2004, not a single domestic retailer was willing to stock his products. They feared stocks would not move, since organic foods are significantly more expensive than conventional foods. That is partly due to higher processing costs, since they choose to eschew chemical additives, as well as higher packaging costs, to ensure a reasonably long shelf life. A kilo of Sona Masuri rice, a well known brand, for instance, sells at Rs 40 per kg while organic rice of the same variety costs Rs 60 per kg. Again, tur dal (a commonly used variety of pulses in India) is available at Rs 90 per kg while its organic version costs Rs 140 per kg. This is despite the doubling of prices of these commodities in the past three years, while the organic variants have stayed at almost the same price levels. Seelam was forced to focus on exports. But unwilling to give up on the local market, he set up his own retail stores in four cities – Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune and Chennai – to promote organic products. Today, almost every major retail outlet is willing to stock his products. He has a presence in close to 40 cities and towns, ranging from Patiala in the north to Guntur in the south, and broke even last year. So, why have domestic consumers taken to organic foods despite their cost? Mukesh Gupta, Director of Morarka Organic, which mainly focuses on the domestic market, attributes it to rising disposable incomes and improved awareness about the health benefits of organic foods. â€Å"From 2007 to 2012, the average middle class income in India has shot up. The consumer is willing to pay more for good quality food,† he says. Between 2007 and 2012, the average middle class income in India has shot up. The consumer is willing to pay more for goodquality food: Mukesh Gupta Photo: Vivan Mehra/www. indiatodayimages. com The demand for organic foods will only grow in India, organic food producers claim, with the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act from February this year. The new law sets more stringent standards of food safety – raising the bar on the quality of food manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import. The stress on quality under the new Act will push up prices of foodstuff made using conventional techniques, reducing the price differential with organic food, and boosting sales, asserts Gupta. However, consumers would do well to ensure that they only buy certified organic products, say producers. Organic food products manufactured in and exported from India are marked with the ‘India Organic’ certification mark issued by certification agencies accredited under the the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) and monitored by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Most of the ing organic food companies in India voluntarily opt for this certification, though it is not mandatory for domestic sales. â€Å"The demand for certified organic foods has been growing since 2001. These are produced by about 570,000 small farmers in India with 500,000 hectares under cultivation,† says National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) Organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides with an environmentally and socially responsible approach. This is a method of farming that works at grass root level preserving the reproductive and regenerative capacity of the soil, good plant nutrition, and sound soil management, produces nutritious food rich in vitality which has resistance to diseases. India is bestowed with lot of potential to produce all varieties of organic products due to its various agro climatic regions. In several parts of the country, the inherited tradition of organic farming is an added advantage. This holds promise for the organic producers to tap the market which is growing steadily in the domestic market related to the export market. Currently, India ranks 33rd in terms of total land under organic cultivation and 88th position for agriculture land under organic crops to total farming area. The cultivated land under certification is around 4. 43 million Ha ( 2010-11). The Government of India has implemented the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The national programme involves the accreditation programme for certification bodies, norms for organic production, promotion of organic farming etc. The NPOP standards for production and accreditation system have been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country standards. Similarly, USDA has recognized NPOP conformity assessment procedures of accreditation as equivalent to that of US. With these recognitions, Indian organic products duly certified by the accredited certification bodies of India are accepted by the importing countries. PRODUCTION India produced around 3. 88 million MT of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food products namely Basmati rice, Pulses, Honey, Tea, Spices, Coffee, Oil Seeds, Fruits, Processed food, Cereals, Herbal medicines and there value added products. The production is not limited to the edible sector but also produces organic cotton fiber, garments, cosmetics, functional food products, body care products, etc. EXPORTS India exported 86 items last year (2010-11) with the total volume of 69837 MT. The export realization was around 157. 22 million US $ registering a 33% growth over the previous year. Organic products are mainly exported to EU, US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, South Africa and Middle East. Oil Crops (except Sesame) leads among the products exported (17966 MT).

Friday, August 16, 2019

Manchester United Finance

INTRODUCTION Today Manchester United is the most powerful football club in the world. They have been successful and renown mainly for their sporting success in the UK and in Europe where some of the best players went through such as George Best, Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. Manchester United is more than a simple football club, it’s a brand and they have been very successful in marketing. In less than 20 years they went from local to global and have more than 650 million fans through the world.They tried to deversify their activity during the years and the brand is also present in the business industry. STRATEGY Mission Statement. Manchester United wants to be the best football club on and off the pitch. Strategy a. Expand their portofolio of global and regional sponsors. b. Develop the retail, merchandising, apparel and product licensing business. c. Exploit new media and mobile opportunities. d. Enhance the reach and distribution of the broadcasting rights. e. Diversify revenue and improve margins MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE CEO : Michael Bolimbroke – Vice President of the Executive : Ed Woodward – Group Managing Director : Richard Arnold a. Director of Finance and IT : Steve Deaville b. Director of Venue : Karl Evans c. Director of Legal and Business Affair : Patrick Steward d. Director of Communications : Phil Townsend MARKETING MIX Positionning The product Manchester United is an upmarket product. It want to be different than any other football club, this is the reason why they have developed different range of product above football. Moreover they are always artnered with the best such as Nike, AIG, Vodofone all leaders in their sector. Product. First of all the product includes providing an excellent football team that plays and wins in an exciting way. Every season they want to be the best. However, there are other ingredients of the product including merchan dising such as the sale of shirts, and a range of memorabilia. The product also relates to television rights, and Manchester United's own television channel. Place. In one respect the place is Old Trafford where home games are played, but Manchester United also plays at a range of other venues.And, of course its products are sold across the globe, through the club's website and a range of other sales media. Manchester United markets itself as a global brand. The club also engages in a range of joint promotional activities, for example with the mobile phone company Vodafone. Manchester United books, shirts, programmes, keyrings and many other items are sold and promoted through its website. Price. The club has positioned itself at the upmarket premier end of the market and, as a result, it tends to charge premium prices as evidenced by the high cost of a season ticket to watch home league games. . Perform a general account analysis of Manchester United. Observe whether there is a bal ance between debt and working capital? Information There are three important parts of a company's ? nancial statements: the balance sheet, the income statement and the cash ? ow statement. The balance sheet gives a one-time snapshot of a company's assets and liabilities. And the income statement indicates the business's pro? tability during a certain period. MANCHESTER UNITED BALANCE SHEET. Consolidated Balance Sheet*

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Police Influence on Society

Police Influence on SocietyThere always has been conflict between law enforcement and ethnic and social class groups. Some argue police will arrest an African American, Hispanic, or Asian before they will arrest a Caucasian; there is also a belief police will arrest a person coming from a lesser socioeconomic class before he or she will arrest a person from a more affluent place in society. Unfortunately, though the criminal justice system denies these allegations, history tells a quite different story.History of PolicingPrior to the 1970s, law enforcement officers were mostly Caucasian males, five foot 10 inches or above. Although this requirement no longer exists today, in the 70s it meant Hispanics and Asians could never look forward to a career in law enforcement; and though African Americans could meet height requirements, other discrimination practices kept them from advancing to a higher rank. In 1964, The Civil Rights Act abolished occupation discrimination; (Walker, 2011) ho wever; though minorities could become police officers, other obstacles like harassment, lesser assignments, and the inability to make formal complaints to those higher in the department because these senior administrators made the regulations.This meant that African American, Hispanic, Latino, and Asian officers were given menial tasks like clerical work, jailor duty, dispatch, and the processing during intake of new offenders. Also, minority officers rarely performed patrol duties, which was a requirement for promotion, minorities found it significantly harder to gain the higher ranks their Caucasian male counterparts could (Walker, 2011). Fortunately, things have changed significantly, and the role of police officer for minorities have become a  valid, important aspect of today’s policing. For instance, minority employment as police officers has increased dramatically. African American and Hispanics are now a majority in some police departments.Furthermore, in some cities , African American, and Hispanic officers are the majority of police officers. The positive effect within the community is the diversity in officers, gives different cultures and ethnicities police officers they can relate to more comfortably, which, in turn, strengthens the police/community bond. Some agencies offer incentive pay to bilingual officers if the majority of a certain area where only Spanish is spoken by the majority of the community. Though there are still some agencies believed to continue discrimination against different ethnic groups, but this is not believed to be true for the largest percentage of agencies.Arrest and ImprisonmentAlthough law enforcement itself has evolved, there are those who believe some things do not change; the treatment of individuals from different ethnic groups and social classes comprising this opinion. One category focusing on racial disparity transpires when a substantial variance in the proportion of an ethnic group signified in the over all populace and the proportion of the identical ethnic group highlighted at any other instance is determined in the justice process. For instance, 12% of the U.S. population is African American, and also account for approximately 40% of arrests, â€Å"50% of the prison population, and 50 percent of the inmates on death row† (Racial Disparities, 2012). An additional type of racial disparity is brought to light when a considerably larger proportion of a racial/minority group than Caucasians, are familiar in an area of the criminal justice system.For example, more than nine percent of the total population of adult males either incarcerated, or on probation/parole are African American, as opposed to the two percent of adult Caucasian males (Racial Disparities, 2012). Furthermore, African Americans are arrested four times as often on drug charges than Caucasian, though the ratio for drug use between the two are almost identical.Theory on ExistenceRacial disparities in the crimina l justice are placed in three categories:â€Å"differential involvement, individual racism, and institutional racism† (Racial Disparities, 2012, p. 1) African-Americans and Hispanics are differentially involved in criminality. Their criminal behavior is because these groups are afflicted by a significantly higher rate of poverty and unemployment. Some disparities are because of the prejudice of officers, the prosecution, defense attorneys, judges, probation/parole officers, and parole board members as individuals (Racial Disparities, 2012).Prejudicial beliefs and discriminatory behavior are characteristics of individual racism that leads to criminal justice authorities against minority groups and individuals. Finally, a portion of the disparities can be credited to institutional racism, which occurs because of statutes, classifications, and facility practices contributing to inequality against racial minorities. Social ClassTypically, lower income areas are known for higher c riminal activity and lower police presence; the â€Å"broken window† theory, which suggest disorganization and decomposing neighborhoods are breeding grounds for criminal behavior, are thought to be a lesser concern for police. However, in â€Å"higher class,† more affluent neighborhoods, police officers are thought to show greater presence, have faster response time, and are less likely to arrest or ticket a person from a higher level of socioeconomics. From a political standpoint, though most police officers do not differentiate between social classes; however, police agencies and public officials who oversee policing agencies, do.It is common knowledge that public officials attempt to gain and retain the support of affluent members of the community, some of this is accomplished by protecting the personal property and family of the affluent. Though this propagates positive relationships for police and the affluent, and has throughout history, it does not solidify rel ationships between police and the less fortunate. Police in early America were hand – picked by the affluent, and some are of the opinion this has not changed. Relationships between lower income neighborhoods and police are often strained because citizens in these areas are less likely to speak with a police officer out of fear of becoming identified as a â€Å"snitch,† and most are not willing to risk their safety, or that of their families’ to attempt to report or witness a crime.ConclusionJust as individual relationships are, at best, difficult to manage, the relationship between the criminal justice system and a diverse society is no less difficult. Racial, cultural, gender, religious, and sexual orientation have always been, and most likely always will be a significant area of controversy and intolerance in American society today. Though steps have been taken to reduce prejudice and discrimination against those of difference ethnicities and socioeconomic gr oups, the fact that the system has been forced into making laws to do this, is disturbing at the very least.