National Response Pl An Effective Emergency Plan - 1321 Words

National Response Plan Howard L. Hayes Saint Leo University Abstract Why is it necessary for our country to have an effective emergency plan in place? Why does it matter how the country responds to emergencies when every part of our country, including cities and states, face emergency situations on a daily basis all over? Some are bad to worse, and some horrific to deadly. Well, this paper explains the importance of the National Response Plan and why it is necessary for our country to have it in place. It explores several articles that have been published to show the results on the effectiveness and response of the National Response Plan. The National Response Framework, previously called The National†¦show more content†¦The federal government passed several relief acts since 1803, but none consisted of an emergency response until Jimmy Carter put one in place in April 1, 1979, which was called FEMA. FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management Agency. Their mission is to support the citizens and first responders to promote that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. The federal government has provided ways to respond to emergencies to provide immediate safety, food and shelter, and ensure that the needs of the communities are met. Since established, FEMA has maintained their commitment to serving the country s people. Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act were signed into law on November 3, 1988 and amended the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. The system formed creat ed ways to trigger financial assistance in case the president declared an emergency through FEMA. FEMA adopted many Acts to form under them, including Homeland Security Act, Sandy Recovery, and the Katrina Recovery Act. Because of the limited threats and disasters at the time, the plan was enough to cover all threats that the country faced. However, the plan was not enough to ensure safety and assistance of the two major circumstances after the devastating hit of the terrorists’ attacks on September 11, 2001 and

Essay Jay Gatsby The Tragic Hero in The Great Gatsby

According to Aristotle, a tragic hero character can be defined to be of noble status, but not necessarily virtuous. There is some aspect of his personality that he has in great abundance but it is this that becomes his tragic flaw and leads to his ultimate demise. However, his tragic ending should not simply sadden the reader, but teach him or her a life lesson. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is the tragic hero who portrays the corruption of the American dream through his tragic flaw. His devastating death at the end of the novel portrays the dangers of centering one’s life on money and other materialistic things and warns the reader not to follow his foolish steps. Jay Gatsby is the epitome of a tragic hero; his†¦show more content†¦She was a girl with wealth, connections and means—everything a seventeen-year-old boy could aspire to one day attain. It is this illusion that Gatsby falls in love with, not Daisy, and he dedicates his life to become a man that could parallel Daisy in both social status and wealth. â€Å"So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.† (98) Though Gatsby appears to be blinded by material possession and unethical in his means to acquire it, Fitzgerald sets him up to be the hero of the novel by contrasting his virtue to the sea of corruptness and material greed that made up the ambitions of most young folks in the 1920s. True, he made his money through illegal means, but his incredible sense of loyalty is striking against the dishonest, scheming American society. In the novel, it is clear that Gatsby is unfailingly loyal to everyone he loves, from his father to Dan Cody to Daisy, who he dedicated â€Å"five years of unwavering devotion† (109) to, even if they were not loyal to him in return. The American Dream has always been based on the idea that each person, no matter who he or she is, can become successful in life by his or her own hard work. The dream, to desolate immigrants escaping an oppressive Europe, also embodied the idea of a self-sufficient man, an entrepreneur garnering success through his own hard work and ambition, notShow MoreRelated Jay Gatsby as Tragic Hero of Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay974 Words   |  4 PagesJay Gatsby as Tragic Hero of Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby According to Aristotle, there are a number of characteristics that identify a tragic hero: he must cause his own downfall; his fate is not deserved, and his punishment exceeds the crime; he also must be of noble stature and have greatness. These are all characteristics of Jay Gatsby, the main character of Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby.   Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero according to Aristotles definition.  Ã‚   Jay Gatsby is an enormouslyRead MoreEssay on Jay Gatsby: A Tragic Hero1084 Words   |  5 Pages (Aristotle) The â€Å"tragic hero† is an indefatigable staple in all mediums of literature. Although the term’s defining characteristics have morphed since its initial inception by Aristotle those many millennia ago, the main idea has endured. To be a tragic hero, several requirements must be met. The formula begins with a character that possesses noble and admirable qualities. Then come imperfections to make him appear human and believable, and finally the tragic hero is completed when he experiencesRead MoreTo What Extent Can Gatsby Be Considered a Tragic Hero?1014 Words   |  5 Pagescan Gatsby be considered a tragic hero? Before we can judge if Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero, we should look at the exact deï ¬ nition of a tragic hero. According to the classic deï ¬ nition, a tragic hero is a  «great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat »1, and Oedipus, from the Greek Legends, is deï ¬ ned as the classic tragic hero. So, is Gatsby then a classic tragic hero, by deï ¬ nition? ! Even if the book itself is called  «Great Gatsby », isRead MoreTo What Extent Can Gatsby Be Considered a Tragic Hero?1023 Words   |  5 Pagesextent can Gatsby be considered a tragic hero? Before we can judge if Jay Gatsby is a tragic hero, we should look at the exact deï ¬ nition of a tragic hero. According to the classic deï ¬ nition, a tragic hero is a  «great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat »1, and Oedipus, from the Greek Legends, is deï ¬ ned as the classic tragic hero. So, is Gatsby then a classic tragic hero, by deï ¬ nition? ! Even if the book itself is called  «Great Gatsby », is JayRead More Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and the Tragic Hero Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby and the Tragic Hero      Ã‚  Ã‚   Aristotle invented a list of criteria in an attempt to determine the exact definition of a tragic hero.   The list states the following - the tragic hero must cause his own down fall; the tragic heros fate is undeserved; the tragic heros punishment exceeds his crime; the tragic hero must be a great and noble person according to the standards of the current society.   In Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby can be defined as a tragic hero who possessesRead MoreThe Secret Life Of Jay Gatsby1632 Words   |  7 PagesThe Secret Life of Jay Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is meticulously written to portray characters as soul sucking, money thriving, moral lacking individuals who are thrashed by his language, and scrupulous descriptions. Gatsby is depicted as a suave, cordial, and prosperous gentleman who is trying to raise himself in the ranks of riches, and approval. At first glance, it is hard to tell if there is a clear hero, or someone with qualities thereof; at least in the traditional senseRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgeralds Personl Influences on The Great Gatsby1762 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.† (Fitzgerald, 1925). The Great Gatsby is a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925, and takes place in 1922. The novel greatly exemplifies the time period that it takes place in, known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties† or â€Å"The Jazz Age†. One way of exemplification is prohibition and the Volstead Act. According to David J. Hanson from Potsdam.edu, the Volstead Act, which took place in 1919, establishedRead MoreThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Essay1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald The American Dream is the fantasy of complete independence and self-reliance mixed with the opportunity to attain wealth through ones labours. On the surface, this dream seems almost enchanted, offering people the unique prospect of achieving success regardless of ones race, religion or family history. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an immortal illustration of the American Dream. Fitzgerald analysesRead MoreEssay Outline Introduction: ANT A=Attention Getter: N=Necessary Information: In â€Å"The Great700 Words   |  3 PagesGetter: N=Necessary Information: In â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carroway, the narrator, has recently moved from the midwest to start his career in New York. He lives on the island of West Egg, next door to a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby. Nick becomes friends with him and learns that Gatsby is in love with his cousin Daisy. They never married because Gatsby had to go off into the military and he was not rich enough for her, so when Gatsby was shipped overseas, Daisy married anotherRead MoreEssay on Jay Gatsby’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby1253 Words   |  6 PagesJay’s Dangerous Illusions in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America is a land of opportunity and hopes and dreams can become reality. The American Dream consists of the notion that the struggling poor can achieve financial success through hard work. F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby, puts this premise to the test while also warning against the dangers of believing too passionately in any dream. The central character, Jay Gatsby, proves a tragic hero who succeeds financially but fails

International Employment Relations Collective Bargaining

Question: Describe about the Report for International Employment Relations of Collective Bargaining. Answer: Introduction The current report focuses on international employment relations. It is evident that an employment relation is certain to be amended. The organizations and the countries form the employment relations based on certain policies. Thus, in order to understand the basic principles and purpose of employment relation, the context of China has been selected in the current report. The paper provides the evidences that indicate the transformation that Chinese employment relations are presently undergoing from individual to collectivized relationship. The report also highlights the necessity of changes in Chinas labour policy. It is been identified that improvement Chinas employment Contract law has achieved the legal framework for the settlement to individual employee relation as well as accelerated the evolution of collective employee relation. Nevertheless, it is observed that the developed framework of individual labour relations is not effective and sufficient by itself to deal with the co nflict between employees as well as the capital. The current report focuses on the above-mentioned factors and includes an intensive analysis of the issues related to labour relations in China. As mentioned by Chang and Brown (2013), the transition towards a market economy as well as the integration of Chinas economy into the international market system leads to severe change in the employment relations environment in China. Conversely, it is also identified that the market-oriented reconstruction of the employment in the country takes place during a significant crucial period of transition from personal labour relation to collective labour relation. The report carries forward with focussing on these segments and providing a critical discussion. Issues related to the employment relations in China The changes in the economy play a crucial role in amending the labour relation in China. Changes in the economy in China are one of the major issues that have broad impact on the labour relations. As mentioned by Cooke (2016), the Chinas economy is transforming itself within the last thirty years in as growing speed; nevertheless, the social tissue as well as the employment relation is getting affected to a large extent. The scenario indicates that not only some 250 million of labour are affected, most other labour are also affected. Also, the rest part of the world is anxiously looking forward to China. However, on the contrary, Chang and Cooke (2015,) commented that China has been the winner of globalization for long time. In addition, in past few years, the country China economically was adopting itself with the growing economic power. The impact of this particular action leads to the development of global relations (Hui Chan, 2015). In this context, Friedman (2012) added that in 2009, China has the record of overtaking Germany as the country with third biggest GDP. It has now been the subject of time when China will leave behind Japan and United State. Furthermore, it is observed that employment as well as the industrial relations in China undergone radical transformation along with the journey towards a market economy. Within a limited time, the country has become the world of factory (Lee, Brown Wen 2016). However, some significant issues related to the labour relations have been found in the industrial operation and the global operation of the country. Although, China has previously been one of the largest equal societies but in the last twenty years, the country has become most unequal societies than any other Asian countries. According to the data provided by Asian Development Bank, the inequality has been increasing rapidly in China than any other developing countries. The inequality has severely growing among regions, industries and occupations. With larger disparity undermining sustainable economic development, China has experienced a massive growth in social conflicts and in labour disputes especially in last two decades (King-Chi Chan Sio-leng Hui, 2012). As put forward by Liu and Li (2014), the incidence of collective protest of different nature increased to 60,000 in 2003 from 10,000 in 1993. Hence, the major fact is that labour-related protests reached 46.9% of the collective protest in 2004. This scenario clearly indicates that labours issues in China has become one of the largest sources of social tension as well as the conflicts in China. Furthermore, it is also observed that incidents of labour disputes implied to local attribution councils throughout China have demonstrated a significant growth. As mentioned by Li and Freeman (2015), the increasing rate of labour disputes was seen between 20% and 50% each year in the last decade. However, no trusted source on strike found, but is generally believed that actions of strikes were also in the rise. Figure: Increase of labour dispute in China (Source: Lyddon, Cao, Meng Lu, 2015) Impact of regulations on employment relations in China It has been identified that Chinas resurgence as an international and political power is depended on its success in becoming the large sector global manufacturing. The country continues to record the negative attention for poor employment standard. As mentioned by McDermott, Jinyue Sun and Obar (2010), since the early 90s, trade unions as well as the consumer group in the Western region have significantly drawn on the corporate social responsibility context arguments to apply pressure on transitional corporation to develop the working conditions in China. As the increasing economic development as well as the urbanization transformed the Chinese labour landscape and ended long-term jobs in the corporate sector, thousands of workers, as the core of the political system were kept unprotected for long. It is observed that irregular payment of wages was spreading around, the workers without support and contracts lack lacked the confirmation of fundamental right in the workplace. Thus, to control and resolve the issues, the Chinese authorities made put a huge effort to protect the workers with the principles of regulation Labour Law of the peoples Republic of China, 1995. This has enforced a significant change in Chinese labour policy. According to the opinion provided by Anheier (2014), the last few decades of the last century experienced the most significant change in Chinas employment policy. This includes the replacement of permanent employment with the contract-based employment as well as the replacement of government posts allocations with the labour market. Such as changes in the policy indicate the pragmatics shifts in the labour policy. Another three regulations issued in 2007 and made that affective in 2008; the regulation focuses on addressing the shortcomings and drawbacks of the previous laws of labour relation. The Labour Contract Law, 2007 promoted the governments vision of Social Harmony and defended the core rights of workers. Furthermore, it has also been identified that instead of replacing the earlier regulations, the Labour Contract Law tries to fulfil the present gap. The law indicates that any labour relation needs to have a written contract. Government enforcing these laws In addition to all these, it has been identified that recent financial changes and the crisis in the economy has increased the pressure on Chinese government to protect as well as maintain the employment. Thousands of Chinese workers have lost their jobs. Thus, the government of China have responded to this situation with the technique of maintaining a low labour cost and stimulating local demand as well as the production. However, it has also been observed that these strategies have not always been consistent with the WTO obligations of China. The government of China claims that the laws are helping and supporting the labours in improving the work conditions and environment. According to the report, many large organizations have signed the long-term contract with the labours. According to the report published in Wall street Journal, the new law leads to some 70,000 labour arbitrations in 2009 (Chan Hui 2014). These particular arbitrations in 2009 focus on the contract violationsas well as the lost wages, Nevertheless, it is observed that no reliable data with statistics have been found on the enforcement of the lawsthus, it is necessary to rely on the NGO and government impression. In this context, Tomba (2014) mentioned that new laws have changed the scenario of China by making it easier for the labours to litigate in their interest as well as putting the obligations to the organizations to pay full attention to the worker demands. Nevertheless, Gallagher, Gile, Park and Wang (2014) argued that the law is incapable to alter the behaviour of the organizations since it is not enforced and the official union is not seen to be protesting the interest of the labours. In addition, Chan and Hui (2014) have mentioned that legal framework is mainly undermined by a profusion of imprecise and contradictory legal regulations. In this context, Anheier (2014) added that culture of non-compliance impeded effective compliance with the regulations. Furthermore, with the enhancement of laws, the government has mandated a 40 hours standard workweek. However, Chan and Hui, (2014) argued that standards were violated on a regular basis. Inappropriate and poorly enforced health and safety standards have put the workers wellbeing and life at risk. The government of China has till now done little to declare governmental as well as managerial obligations to make people aware of their rights. For instance, once it is observed that Europe an Business in China, a business enterprise, the industrial authorities and courts across the country enforced the law differently. However, in the evaluation of Chinas labour policy, it is identified that the legislation broadened up the gap between the regulations and the reality. Government policy with respect to the employment laws in China It has been observed that provincial governments of China have barely been rigorous in the implementation of labour regulations, especially when it is in conflict with the domestic economic interests. It is further identified that amended laws have done little to form the culture of compliance among the organizations in China. Conversely, the scenario of economic crisis stands as the barriers in the enforcement of the amended laws. In order to resolve the issues, the government of the country has done some amendments in the policy on employment laws. As mentioned by Hui and Chan (2015), China is considered as the most popular country with the record of boasting tremendous workforce in the world.The government of China focuses on the great importance of employment and considers employment as the first priority and top approach providing the stability of the community. The government of China proceeding with national condition has implemented the global experiences in its practices and developed the legal framework. In addition, with the help of new policies, the government has formed and applied a set of pro-active employment policies. Furthermore, the government of China is determined to promote the employment system with the help of national economy, aligning with the industrial framework, prolonging with the reform in countrys legal and political system. The government has also applied the technique of harmonizing the economic development between the rural and urban areas and enhancing the social security system. The Chinese government has applied multiple policies to develop employment opportunities and increased the range of employment. Lastly, through effective employment policies, the country has maintained the rate of unemployment under a socially tolerable range. As per the statistic of National Bureau, in 2005 the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in China met 18.2321 trillion with the increase of 9.3 in 2010 (King-Chi Chan Sio-leng Hui, 2012). In this context, Lee, Brown and Wen (2016,) added that in the previous decade, the rate of increase of GDP in China has been 8.6% in a stable manner. Moreover, the dat a reveals that total urban employed population reach 750 million. Proactive employment policy- The government of China has promoted Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China and Labour Law of the Peoples Republic of China and other significant regulations to protect the right of the labour to employment. With the help of above-mentioned framework, the government of China has formed the employment principles of labours finding their jobs, employment through market regulation as well as the employment facilitated by the government. The government of China has also developed and implemented some proactive employment policies such as micro-economic policies, fiscal, tax and financial policies. Micro-economic policy- The government bodies in China has always considered promoting employment as the strategic activity for socio-economic development. With the help of micro-economic policies, the country could take the control over the unemployment rate and increase job opportunities. The fundamental of the policy is to develop the principles of expanding domestic demand and implementing a stable fiscal as well as monetary policy. Changes in the policy From the year 2008, the labour policies as well as the legislation have let people know a new chapter of their history. The country has developed a series of new labour policies as well as the legislation. This includes the Labour Contact law, the Employment Promotion Lawand the Law on Mediation and Arbitration of Labour Dispute.These laws effectively influence the development of Chinese labour relations. For example, in 2007, Chinese arbitration institutions at each level dealt with 50,000 labour dispute cases. Nevertheless, in 2008 the scenario has been changed; in 2008 when the labour contact law was made affective almost 964,000 labour dispute cases were effective dealt with (Cooke, 2016). Thus, it can be added that new labour law is relevant and useful to increase and support the right of the workers. Why has it changed? There have been issues that put the labour market in a catastrophic situation. In the 1987, the Provisional regulation on Labour dispute in states enterprise were seen as the major issues as because of this labour dispute arbitration resumed. Likewise, there are many significant issues were found in the last decade such as unhealthy work condition, high unemployment rate, poor wages, irregular payment, collective labour protests and others. Due to the increasing number of issues, the government of the country has brought changes in the policy. Agreeing or disagreeing with Governments employment relations policy Changes in the employment policy made by Chinese government have been effective to deal with the increasing issues related to employment. As the economy of China transformed within last thirty years; thereby, due to the uncertainty in the economy labour relation suffered a lot. At the time of implementing the initiative creating Special Economic Zone 30 years back, the existing regional disparities increased. This initiative led to more catastrophic situation. For example, the quality of life went down and the situation of migrated workers became more problematic in the entire process of modernization as well as industrialization. In addition, the despite the legal initiatives, the legal framework of China especially for industrial relations remains as problematic since it does not identify the right to strike and need of association. Moreover, the lack of support or the absence of government bodies on labours right to put strike on social inequality made the situation worsen (Friedman, 2012). Therefore, it was necessary for the government of China to respond to such situation. The government of China was lagging behind other developing countries to build up a public statistical system to demonstrate the causes as well as the consequences of labours collective incidents. Also, the labour issues such as delaying wage payment or getting the lower than the standard wages, employment in private and foreign occupied delayed the pay check. Thus, it was necessary for the country to amend the employment policy to promote the right of labours. Strength and weakness of this policy As discussed above, the government policy on labour relations have been effective to resolve the issues caused by several factors such as economic crisis. The labours in China were affected and the rate of unemployment was increasingly rapidly based on the growing population. Strength of the policy The policy strengthens workers right and removes barriers of employment It decrease the rate of labour disputes across China The labours get the economic compensations when they are fired and this change in the policy helps to resolve labour disputes Enhancing competitive ability of the big organization Weakness of the weakness The standards of some articles is too high to relate with the reality The major intension of these articles of the laws to avoid the illegal employment practices in some enterprise to resolve the conflict between labours and organizations. This indicates that Chinas present industrial status depends low labour cost can be enhanced. However, industrial structure judgement is a long-term process; there are many labour-intensive organizations in China such as food and beverage industry, constructions and other industries of which developments depends on demographic dividend formed by employment costs as well as flexible working hours. Conclusion On the completion of the report, it can be mentioned that the amendments in the employment policy done Chinese government have been effective for millions of workers. Thus, recommendation to strengthen the role of labour union is establishing the harmonious labour relationship will be effective, if they are implemented appropriately. By following and maintaining the principles of Labour Contract Law, Labour Law, the labour need to perform their duties and responsibilities positively to help and support the labours. Through the new legal system, the labour unions could obligate the employers to make fair as well as legal labour contract under the special conditions that all labours are clear of their legal rights. References Anheier, H. K. (2014).Nonprofit organizations: Theory, management, policy. Routledge. Chan, C. K. C., Hui, E. S. I. (2014). The development of collective bargaining in China: from collective bargaining by riot to party state-led wage bargaining.The China Quarterly,217, 221-242. Chan, C. K. C., Hui, E. S. I. (2014). The dynamics and dilemma of workplace trade union reform in China: the case of Honda workers strike. InStrategies of Multinational Corporations and Social Regulations(pp. 203-217). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Chang, K Brown, W 2013, The transition from individual to collective labour relations in China, Industrial Relations Journal, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 102-121. Chang, K Cooke, FL (2015), Legislating the right to strike in China: Historical development and prospects, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 440-455. Cooke, FL (2016), Employment relations in China, in GJ Bamber, RD Lansbury, N Wailes CF Wright (eds), International and comparative employment relations: National regulation, global changes, 6th edn, Allen Unwin, Crows Nest. Friedman, E (2012), Getting through the hard times together? Chinese workers and unions respond to the economic crisis, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 54, no. 4, pp. 459-475. Hui, S-IE, Chan, K-CC (2015), Beyond the union-centred approach: a critical evaluation of recent trade union elections in China, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 601-627. King-Chi Chan, C Sio-leng Hui, E (2012), The dynamics and dilemma of workplace trade union reform in China: The case of the Honda workers strike, Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 54, no. 5, pp. 653-668. Lee, C-H, Brown, W Wen, X (2016), What sort of collective bargaining is emerging in China?, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 214236. Li, X Freeman, RB 2015, How does Chinas new labour contract law affect floating workers?, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 711735. Liu, M Li, C (2014), Environmental pressures, managerial industrial relations ideologies and unionization in Chinese enterprises, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 82111. Lyddon, D, Cao, X, Meng, Q Lu, J (2015), A strike of unorganised workers in a Chinese car factory: the Nanhai Honda events of 2010, Industrial Relations Journal, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 134152. McDermott, EP, Jinyue Sun Obar, R (2010), Chinese labour contract arbitration: No union, no problem, Labour and Industry, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 410-437. Gallagher, M., Giles, J., Park, A., Wang, M. (2014). Chinas 2008 Labor Contract Law: Implementation and implications for Chinas workers.Human Relations, 0018726713509418. Tomba, L. (2014).Paradoxes of labour reform: Chinese labour theory and practice from socialism to market. Routledge.

My Own Religion free essay sample

As I sat in the crowded gym that Tuesday night, listening to the chorus sing Alleluia without me for the first time in seven years, I suddenly realized why I had been suffering such a horrible senior year. Chorus was the spiritual aspect of my life, and this aspect had been neglected. Student government, drama, cheering these were things I did, but chorus was much more. In Emily Dickinsons Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church, she says that some people practice their religion in a church with other people, but she prefers to worship alone in her orchard. Like Emily, I prefer to practice a religion somewhere other than a church. It is my own religion. I joined the chorus in sixth grade, and it made a lasting impact. I soon found that chorus, not church, filled my spiritual needs. Standing with thirty to forty other kids around a piano, letting the music fill my soul and pouring it out in a voice that could give people shivers was my way of worship. We will write a custom essay sample on My Own Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was in chorus that I found solace on bad days and ecstatic thrill on good ones. No-thing could replace the feeling, or if it could, I hadnt found it yet. Listening to the beginning strains of Silent Night, I suddenly understood so many things. I understood why I never seemed to have enough time even though I spent my lunch hours wandering, looking for something I should be doing. I understood why math seemed impossible to grasp even though it had been one of my better subjects in past years. And I understood that the void that had been left in my life was not just from an ended relationship. By leaving chorus, I had forsaken the spiritual aspect of my life; without it, I was miserable. As I sat on the wooden bleachers that night, my turtleneck and long-sleeved shirt could not protect me from the cold chill that made my body shake in an involuntary shudder. The music forcibly entered my soul, fighting through layers of trivial things I had covered its space with. This was the reason I found listening so painful. The music, the spiritual part of me, should not have been so easily pushed out of my life and covered with things to fill in the gap. The chorus neared the end my favorite song, Oh, Holy Night and I allowed the tears to course freely down my cheeks. I wiped them away as the room echoed with applause. Thank you, I silently told the performers. Thank you for giving me hope.

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French Revolution and Nepoleon essays

French Revolution and Nepoleon essays Europe has been the focal point in history for hundreds of years. It has been the stating and ending place of many empires. Europe in the Nineteenth Century was a very critical point in history. Wars were being fought, boundaries of countries changed, countries were becoming unified, revolutions destroyed countries, but the most critical happening that did more to shape Europes character and structure in the Nineteenth Century, than any other event was the era of the French Revolution and Napoleon. The era of the French Revolution and Napoleon took place between the years of 1789 and 1850 and has impacted Europe the most in the Nineteenth Century. The French Revolution and Napoleon have had the most influence on Europe in the Nineteenth Century. The starting of this era was the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a social revolution caused by the growing middle class. The Revolution caused a change of power in the government. The power went from the kings and nobles to the people of the country. During the revolution the Declaration of the Rights of Man was created. This declaration stated: All men are created equal, natural rights of liberty, security, property, and resistance to oppression were given to all citizens, the government existed to protect these rights, the due process of law was created, also the idea of innocent until proven guilty. These laws in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and other ideas soon spread across Europe. The French Revolution proved that the people have the ability to overthrow the government. This scared many countries in Europe, because other monarchies did not want to lose their power. The French Revolution showed that other countries could have a social revolution as well. The idea of the nation-state also emerged from the French Revolution. The nation-states general concept is that the power of the nation resides with the people of the nation. All these idea...

Kant vs. Mill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kant vs. Mill - Essay Example In other words, he says that one must act in a manner that one would expect others to act towards oneself. This Kantian ethical theory is popular because it is widely respected and consequently upheld by others. Mills’ ‘greatest happiness principle’ widely known as utilitarianism is fundamentally focused on the consequences of actions taken. He believed in the philosophy that actions, which result in maximum happiness for maximum number of people, are invariable good and therefore, the end justifies the means if it generates happiness for people. Popularised as act utilitarian theory, the actions, that are designed to benefit or have beneficial cascading effects on others, are morally and ethically right. Bentham propagates Mills’ theory and says ‘when choosing a course of action, one should always pick the one that will maximize happiness and minimize unhappiness for the greatest number of people’ (Bentham from Rosenstand p.176). I agree with Kant that trash should not be thrown out of the car window on the freeway primarily because Kant is quite vociferous on the issue that respect for others must become part of our actions and people must act appropriately. Throwing trash not only promotes the bad habit of scattering trash all over the place, even if it is a freeway, but it also violates the law of the state that encourages cleanliness, good habits amongst the citizens and ensures safety of other road users. Despite being a freeway, the people must ensure that their acts do not hurt the other people and throwing trash out of the window could inadvertently hurt people who could be passing by. Mills response to the issue is ridiculous because although cleaning lanes does provide employment to a segment of the people but at the same time, deliberately throwing trash would hurt the sensibilities of a lot more people! It must be understood that people are living within a defined parameters of a social framework. Hence, well being of

Pricing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pricing Strategy - Essay Example As opposed to the conventional practice of setting prices to cover costs in the restaurant industry, this upscale Chinese restaurant shall adopt a demand-based pricing strategy. Demand-centric pricing usually has three major components. Firstly, such a pricing allows companies to set prices to achieve particular sales targets (Levy & Weitz, 2012). Secondly, it allows the firm to assess the maximum and minimum prices acceptable by the target market (Levy & Weitz, 2012). Finally, psychological pricing allows companies to take advantage of the â€Å"high price, high quality† rule as well as odd pricing (Levy & Weitz, 2012). A cost-based approach is an inside-out approach which is clearly not suitable for the cafe as it would leave the cafe vulnerable to fluctuating commodity prices. Such a strategy would downplay customers’ perceptions of the upscale image of the restaurant. There may be certain food items for which customers would be willing to pay more yet the cost-based approach treats every offering equally and fails to capture the added profit that can be earned from such products. In such cases, a demand-based approach would be most suited which would allow the restaurant to charge a premium price for its high demand dishes such as Chicken Szechwan and Tempura fish. Although the restaurant is upscale, it must be understood that the presence of several Chinese restaurants makes this marketplace highly competitive for the restaurant. Skimming the market would, therefore, not be a suitable option. This is because skimming strategy works best for new products or those with little competition. Keeping this in mind, a penetration pricing would be used with an introductory offer for the new Chinese restaurant. The major advantage of penetration pricing is that it draws customers’ attention to newly launched products and encourages them to try them because of their affordability. At the same time, it would serve as a strategy for â€Å"breaking the clutter† by encouraging customers to switch from competitors to this restaurant. This would have the effect of attracting and developing a strong customer base during initial years of the restaurant’s operations. Although such a pricing strategy would result in lower margins initially, market share shall be increased in the long run. At this time, however, the creation of brand identity would be very significant. This restaurant brand shall not be recognized by its low prices but the VIP treatment given to customers and food quality at unbeatable prices. Only the highest quality of ingredients and expert chefs shall be used to prepare the meals. The articulate presentation as well as exceptional customer service shall be used to set high standards. By providing low prices and high quality of food along with dine-in facilities, long waiting cues are anticipated to develop in the restaurant which shall only be opened at one location initially. This shall further sign al the restaurant’s popularity which will be precisely the time when the penetration pricing strategy shall be replaced with premium pricing. This is because the upscale ambience and perception of high quality will justify the higher prices. Since the company will have developed a strong customer base that is loyal to the company’s high quality food and dining experience, the high prices later on would not deter them from eating at this restaurant. Also, by attracting customers through penetration prici

Spinach Contamination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spinach Contamination - Essay Example This achieved by using strong rationality and sensibility in making of decisions. Should be attentive to the problem and collect information from several sources, reasonable in making decisions by applying ethical values and appropriate legal principles in alleviating the contamination problem. Moreover, should be intelligent and responsible in the decisions. Facts on resolving this problem are that the health of consumers is at stake. Also, the people’s perception that not all bagged foods need to be cooked under high heat is false. It is assumed that people will continue to consume the fresh spinach as before. The problem to be resolved is that to eradicate the main source of bagged fresh spinach cause E. Coli bacterium. Search narrows; Response to new information makes it easier to presume that the sink for E. coli bacterium is found in Greens garden. This is evidenced by the data shown by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State of California to isolate the cause of the break. I would take samples of the spinach for testing and quarantine the remaining crops. Actions to take regarding the spinach products like spinach with dairy products and whole leaf packaged spinach marketed through Tossed Fresh is that all to be withdrawn from the market, isolated and tested. If confirmed that they harbor E. coli they are incinerated. This shows how I fell responsible for this problem and make decisions that are good for everyone. Actions taken with regard to other crops produced is that all will undergo scrutiny for the presence of E. coli inoculums and other disease-causing pathogens. After which they would seek clearance from the US food testing agency to be declared fit for consumption. Seeking of extensive information on proper methods of controlling the spread of E. Coli from reliable sources thus justifies my extensive corrective actions.

The Building Defects Of Construction Construction Essay

The Building Defects Of Construction Construction Essay Introduction Building defects are always under the spotlight and the grave concern of the construction industry. Different buildings or structures produce different types of defects and require numerous levels and types of quality, which rely on the building functions, the construction or maintenance systems and also materials adopted. According to Watt (1999), a defect may be considered to be a failing or shortcoming in the function, performance, statutory or user requirements of a building and it might manifest itself within the structure, fabric, services or other facilities of the affected building. Josephson and Hammarlund (1998) quoted from Svensk Standard, SS 020104 (1987) states that defect is defined as the non-fulfilment of intended usage requirements in which requirements are determined by law, regulations, building standards as well as in contract documents, site meeting records and other project documentation. However, not all requirements can be specified as there are many details which are difficult to specify such as non-expressed basic needs of each individual. Therefore, these demands are referred as usage requirements. Opinions and responses from project participants are needed whenever specified requirements are wrong and defects will likely occur if those opinions are not complied. There is a clear difference between failure and defects. Failure is defined as deviation from original specifications which can or cannot be corrected prior to the handing over of the building. On the other hand, defect is termed as deficiency of the performance which becomes apparent once the building is operational. Failing to differentiate the two terms may lead to inaccurate and incomplete measurements, cost determination and perhaps inappropriate methods to reduce its occurrence (Atkinson, 1987). Georgiou et al (1999) suggest that defects can be classified as major defect or minor defect. Major defect is considered as those which cause the building to become unsafe, unsuitable for living in and not suitable to be used for the purposes for which the building was designed. On the other hand, minor defects is considered as those originate from poor workmanship or deficient materials used in the construction of the building but do not cause the building to become unsafe, unsuitable for living in and not suitable to be used for the purposes for which the building was designed. Defects which require less than Australian $500 to repair are considered as minor defects. In the meantime, major defects are defects exist after 12 months which need more than Australian $500 to repair and most of them are structural deficiencies (Georgiou et al, 1999). Georgiou (2010) and, Andi and Minato (2003) state that defects occur if a component has a shortcoming and does not comply its intended functions and acceptable level of quality as required by owners, contractors or regulations. Causes of defects Some of the defects are caused by natural consequences that developed over the period of time such as aging and typical uses. However, many premature defects occur due to the fact that improper skills and care are assigned on the building. The study by Building Research Establishment concludes that over 90 per cent of the building defects are caused by the promptly diagnosable faults in design or construction which could be foreseen beforehand and prevented. Generally the causes of defects are stated as the followings: (Lee, 1987) Insufficient brief Defects are often interpreted as originated from the strokes of designer or on the drawing board in many instances but in some cases they can be attributed as occurring at an even earlier stage. For instance, client may lay down unrealistic cost limits or fail to give clear indication about the functional requirement of the building. Normally, there is no clear information about the intended building life-cycle or maintenance requirements. Inaccurate design decisions The most common faults can be sorted as follows: Failure to follow well established design criteria in the choice of structural system and selection of materials Ignorance of the basic properties of material. For example, failing to make allowance for the differing thermal and moisture movements of materials used in combination. Usage of new materials or technologies which have not been thoroughly examined its effectiveness. This is often the result of uncritical reliance on manufacturers literature quoting stimulated laboratory tests. Misjudgement of user and climatic conditions under the material will have to perform. Complex details which have low probability of successful execution on an open building site. Poor communications between different parties such as design and construction teams. Construction method The construction projects normally take place in less ideal conditions and always emphasize on speedy completion due to time constraint which often resulted in careless delivery. Some manufacturers of so-called high technology components have little awareness of the strictness of a building site or the standards of accuracy achievable under such conditions although only a small proportion of defects were attributable to faulty materials. Materials may easily be damaged during transportation, loading and unloading, inappropriate condition of storage on site and placing in position even though the materials may be flawless upon leaving the factory. The defects can be prevented with by taking greater care during all the stages during construction project, providing appropriate training to all the workers and staffs, and ensuring closer supervision. User Activities Defects may be caused by unintended misuse due to the lack of knowledge on the correct method of usage or intentional acts of vandalism. This problem can be solved by providing more information such as the degree of severity of use and condition of use to the designer so that a better output can be yield. Besides, some defects may be correlated to the users financial conditions and also social attitudes. For instance, condensation is affected by the amount of money spent on heating and ventilating, and occupancy pattern. Maintenance Incorrect identification of root of the defects may lead to inappropriate remedial work. It wont rectify the original defects but may deteriorate the condition of the building further. Furthermore, negligence during inspection and repair works may lead to defects in previously satisfactory structures or elements. For example, stepping on unprotected felted roof can drive the gravel into the felt which can cause splits and cut and eventually lead to roof leaking. On the other hand, defects often occur due to the designers decisions. Designers often do not take into consideration how the materials will behave and react toward other adjoining materials during construction and during the life of the building. For instance, the application of green, rotting or damaged timber for floor joists will result in floor in the floor after completion. It is obvious that a material is often wrongly used even though the material itself is in perfect condition. Effective communication between designers and construction workers aids in solving problems. Sometimes, construction workers readily implement their own ideas of how to construct rather than discussing with designers when they encounter with messy construction drawings produced by inexperience designers. This is quite common in design-and-build form of contracts as the contractor stands to gain contractual advantage from drawing attention to design defects (Evans, 2005). Building defects are a matter of concern for a various reasons: The employer is eligible for what he or she is investing for. The presence of defects means that he or she doesnt get anything proportional of the amount paid for. Defects might delay the completion of the project and thus affecting the handover of the building. This is because it will take some time to inspect and rectify the defects. Lot of time and money may also be used up in identifying possible causes of defects, especially to attach blame. There may be significant disruption and consequential loss if defects are to be corrected in occupied buildings. Resources spent on defect rectification are not available for use elsewhere. Defects represent inefficiencies in construction procurement processes. Design defects affecting maintenance Civil Inadequate provision for movement Ignoring aggressive environment and weather condition effects Ignoring biological effects Inadequate structural design such as foundation Ignoring variations in soil conditions Ignoring load impact on structural stability Exceeding allowable deflection limits Ignoring wind effect on the structure Inadequate concrete cover on the reinforcement Improper locating conduits and pipe openings at critical structural locations Architecture Narrow stairs, passages doors Incompatible finishes with climate Specifying finishes which need complete replacement Ignoring climatic effects on exterior shapes Inadequate joints between faces Maintenance practically Ignoring access for maintenance equipment Designing permanent fixing which should be removable for maintenance Ignoring maintenance equipment availability Ignoring maintenance requirements in the design Civil Inaccurate measurement Damaged form work Excavation too close to the building Painting in unsuitable condition Inadequate water proofing and drainage Insufficient reinforcement concrete cover Cold joints Loss in adhesion between materials Early form work removal Poor soil compaction Inadequate curing Materials Different thermal movement in dissimilar material Selection of material which is unsuitable for the existing climatic condition Use of non-durable material Use of expired material Poor material handling storage Inadequate provision for movement This happens when designers ignore the spacing needed for contraction and expansion movements. Such movements will cause cracking of the structures which will result in corrosion of the structural elements such as beams, columns and slabs. It will also cause cracking on the wall which will affect the aesthetic value of the building. The most severe case attributed to inadequate provision for movement will be the structural collapse. Ignoring aggressive environment and weather condition effects The designers should always select and specify the suitable materials which are capable of withstand the existing weather condition during building design. This will result in less maintenance during the post-occupancy stage. Problems occur when a designer is used to certain weather condition in a region and then moves to another region which has different weather without giving consideration to the weather changes. It will cause material to deteriorate in a shorter time and might affect the other parts of the building. Ignoring biological effects Designers should be familiar with the building location and type of plants and insects existing in that area or in the vicinity. Designers should also determine whether any special treatments are needed to prevent these biological attacks. These preventions should be specified in the design drawings with certain degrees of clarity. Failing to deal with biological factors might require continuous maintenance which can be avoided during the design and construction stage. Inadequate structural design such as foundation Inadequate structural design happens when designers didnt design or under-design the structural elements of the building. This will lead to buildings settlement or failures. Besides, it will also cause cracking of the wall finishing. Settlement is movement within a structure due to the distribution or re-distribution of loading and stresses within the various elements of construction. Foundation failures may be caused by the changes in ground conditions affecting early footings, failure of foundation arches, and decay of timber piles or chemical attack on concrete foundation (Watt, 1999). Ignoring variations in soil conditions Soil conditions are almost the same in most places. But, soil structure may vary in certain places or conditions. Hence, designers should always determine whether buildings are able to be built on it by determining the soil condition and structure. This can be done by carry out proper soil investigation and surveyor geo-technical test. Poor soil condition might cause cracking of the structural elements or exterior and interior walls of the building. Ignoring load impact on structural stability The impact of movement resulted from physical or mechanical activities such as elevators, lifts, the vibrations of central air-conditioning systems or wind load in high rise building might causes cracking on the wall surface. Besides, vibrations from heavy traffic, machinery and piling operations will more or less produce the same impact of movement. The problem cannot be solved until the impact of the movement is isolated. Inadequate concrete cover on the reinforcement Insufficient concrete cover may result in the corrosion of the steel bars and cracking of the concrete. This is because the corrodents might reach the concrete reinforcement faster if there is inadequate cover or protection to the steel bars. The failing of the steel reinforcement will cause the failure in the structure. Improper locating conduits and pipe openings at critical structural locations Some designers do not amend the layout of the mechanical and electrical design which installs the conduits and pipes at a very critical location which might cause defects or cracking of the structural elements and damage to the electrical and mechanical system of the building. Incompatible finishes with climate Designers should always consider the climate, weather and environmental condition that the buildings will exposed to before choosing suitable buildings exterior finishes. Suitable colour and type of exterior building finishes should be selected carefully in order to prevent environmental effects on the finishes. For example, building with dark colours painting might not resist heat during hot weather. Specifying finishes which require complete replacement Designers should always prevent the usage of finishes which require complete replacement after failure. On the other hand, finishes which are easily available and require minimum maintenance should be adopted. The usage of wallpaper as wall finishes is not encourage as it requires total replacement if any part if it is damaged in order to match the colour. Ignoring climatic effects on exterior shapes Designers should make sure that the collection of moisture, water and dust can be prevented after the buildings are ready to be occupied. Proper designs which consider the climatic effects on exterior shapes might result in less maintenance need on cleaning and repairing damages due to climatic effects such as moisture, water and dust. Improper exterior designs might cause water collection at the building roof which in turn might constitute to moisture penetration into the building. Inadequate joints between surfaces Designers should specify appropriate joints between structures such as floor slabs and walls to accommodate the expansion and contraction caused by thermal. This is because insufficient joints will cause overlapping of the floor tiles and cracking of the surfaces such as walls and tiles due to thermal expansion. Ignoring access for maintenance equipment Buildings should be designed to allow for the maintenance access. The maintenance access factor should consider the clearance of the maintenance staffs and equipment. Failure to provide necessary access for the maintenance to be carried out will obstruct the maintenance work and deteriorate the specific part further which will cause the raise in maintenance cost. Designing permanent fixing which should be removed for maintenance Designers should avoid the usage of permanent fixations which require continuous maintenance and complete removal during maintenance works. All these will increase the maintenance frequency and also the maintenance time needed to be carried out. Permanent fixations that should be avoided are lamps, carpets and external windows. Ignoring maintenance equipment availability Building designs should be designed according to the current and existing maintenance equipment on the market. Designers should aware of the maintenance equipment on the market in designing a certain building. For example, problem may occur when cleaning a building exterior or window in a high-rise building and also changing light bulbs in a very high location. Maintenance cost may be accelerated if maintenance equipment is not available. Inaccurate measurement Inaccurate measurement happens when the construction contractor wrongly measure the building element size and the material mixture ratio such as concrete ratio. For example, the changes or alteration of the gap between door and door frame or window and window frame will causes water and moisture penetration. Besides, the construction contractor wrongly increases the water content to the concrete mixture will yield porous concrete which in turn will causes corrosion to the steel reinforcements and then, collapse of the structure. Damaged formwork Damaged formwork will produce a honeycomb or porous concrete surface which decreases the quality of the formwork. The porous concrete surface will enable moisture penetration which can cause corrosion of the steel bars and cracking of the structure. Inadequate water proofing and drainage Water proofing and drainage of building are normally being carried out wrongly and inadequately. Inadequate water proofing or water proof membrane may result in water seepage or leakage through slab, wall, balcony or deck. The building will be exposed to erosion, mold, decomposition, and construction damage if there is no proper waterproof membrane to prevent water penetration. For example, the building will expose to serious construction defect if there is no water proof membrane under the ground slab which helps to prevent ground water from penetrate into the foundation. Cold joints Cold joints normally happen between old and new concrete as the concrete is poured in part and left to dry before the rest of the concrete is poured. The dried concrete will not totally combine or fix together and lines will appear on the concrete. The cold joints will decrease the aesthetic value of the building. The severe case of cold joints will allow the water penetrate into the concrete gap which might cause damage to the steel bars inside the concrete. Cold joints can be overcome by inserting reinforcement bars into the fresh concrete which will bind the new concrete effectively. Construction materials Defects can be caused by the wrong selection or specification of materials by the designers. Selection of non-durable or low quality materials that is available at cheaper price may require plenty of maintenance during post-occupancy period. The climatic factors must be considered during selection of materials as materials quality will be affected and require replacement in a short time. For example, specifying indoor materials to be used at outdoor will cause the materials to perform irregularly. In addition, some materials which is highly adopted in overseas, might not perform effectively in Malaysia due to its hot climatic condition. On the other hand, the properties of materials should be considered when combining two or more materials together. This is due to the chemical reactions that might occur between them. For instance, tile glue and cement will separate from each other when used together as thermal expansion of cement is higher than the tile glue. The selection of the materials needs to be done carefully as it will affect the building quality and maintenance needs. Unqualified designers

Eskimo Pie

Eskimo Pie Case Part 1 â€Å"As an advisor to Reynolds, would you recommend the sale to Nestle or the proposed IPO? † Subpoints: 1. The managers of Eskimo Pie wanted to find an alternative to Nestle’s acquisition offer for one main reason: Eskimo pie would lose its independence. If Nestle went through with the acquisition, Eskimo would not continue its tradition of being a stand-alone company in Richmond with this meaning that its headquarters and management staff would probably be replaced too.Fundamentally, Eskimo was reluctant to being acquired by Nestle because it felt it would be an aggressive takeover of the company. It would ruin a 70-year long business to take advantage of its tax conditions and it would probably transform the business similar to a traditional integrated manufacturing and marketing approach. 2. David Clark knew that Goldman Sachs had a long-standing relationship with both Reynolds and Nestle. This meant that GS had a conflict of interest in this acquisition.The solution that would best satisfy GS’s interests would be to sell Eskimo to Nestle but this might not be the best solution for Eskimo. So David Clark is dealing with Wheat First Securities instead of Goldman Sachs because he wanted to find an alternative to Nestle’s offer. Since Wheat First Securities had no long-standing relationship with neither Reynolds nor Nestle, it had no conflict of interest in this acquisition. It could see with more objectiveness which acquisition is the best for Eskimo.Furthermore David had personal interest in dealing with WFS because his own position could be put at risk by a Nestle acquisition. 3. IPO alternative: Bulls| Bears| * Good IPO market conditions, in terms of number of deals and value| * No exploitation of possible synergies with competitors, confirmed by Nestle as the major bidder| * Updated forecasts containing results (Sales, Net Income, Capex) better than expected| * Timing – an IPO offer would take a l onger time than a private sale| * Proceeds from the sale at least equal to Nestle’s offer in the worst hypothesis ($14 share rice)| * Uncertainty – related to price and future market conditions| * Less complications- no terms, provisions, negotiations, or compromises| * Lack of expertise of Wheat First Securities| * Social Benefits – saving a local company and jobs| | * Reynold would be able to get liquidity| | Part 2 1. Considering the DFCF model with the projections of Wheat First and growth of FCF of 5%, the equity value of the firm is $47. 286 million. Thus the offer from Nestle of $61 million is appealing for Reynolds, aiming to sell the company.Also the proceeds from the IPO proposed by the management and Wheat First Securities are able to adequately compensate Reynolds. Assuming a price range within $14 – $16, the net proceeds for Reynolds would be $51. 652 and $57. 230 respectively, still higher than the considered equity value. As a matter of fac t the private sale to Nestle is still the most convenient to Reynolds. 2. To value Eskimo Pie using multiples method we should decide whether to use the transaction multiple, available from the Drumstick deal, or business and market based multiples. The implied value on sales from Drumstick transaction can be used to assess the value of the company only if the two companies and deals are significantly comparable. In this case accurate information are not available and the peculiar business model of Eskimo Pie, based on licensing, makes this method not highly reliable. * Multiples based on business and market data imply the use of realized or projected values. The management of Eskimo Pie forecasts higher sales in the future years, thus using realized data to calculate the value of the company could lead to mispricing.Therefore the information of 1991 is used to implement the method. * Looking at comparable companies, two firms are operating in the same business, Empire of Carolina, Inc. and Steve's Homemade Ice Cream. Since multiples based on operating measures such as EBIT or EBITDA depend less on firm leverage and cash than those based on Earnings and we have relevant information available from those two companies, multiples like EV/EBITDA or Firm Value/EBIT seems to be most accurate. Considering the calculations in Exhibit 7 based on the Firm Value/EBIT multiple, Reynolds should sell Eskimo Pie for an amount not less than $56. 68 million. The offer from Nestle is consistent with this valuation of the company, whilst the proceeds from the IPO are sufficient to adequately compensate Reynolds only if the share price is higher than $15. 66. Notwithstanding, if we take into account the implied price using the P/E multiple or transaction multiple, the threshold to sell the company is even higher ($82. 891 and $73. 200 respectively). Thus, neither the IPO option nor the Nestle offer are appealing to Reynolds. 3. The theory says that multiples only work if the comp arison group is sufficiently comparable in all other respects.In order to know if we could use other companies’ multiples or the average of them we must see if they are sufficiently comparable to Eskimo, in other words we must see if the value drivers of the firms are approximately the same. The eligible companies in terms of business model and structure are Empire of Carolina, Inc. and Steve’s Homemade because they both market ice cream and license their formula. All the other companies having a different business model and structure will not be taken into consideration as comparable companies.As a first comparable driver we will use the operating profit margin. Eskimo has a 6,83% operating profit margin calculated on data of 1990 (exhibit 1). Carolina and Steve instead have respectively 15,38% and 11,11% operating profit margins. This tells us that†¦ The tax rate is the same for all companies therefore it is not a relevant driver in making a choice on which comp arable company to use. Since we don’t have the cost of capital and the cost of debt, we will compare the risk class and leverage among the considered companies.We can see that Carolina and Steve have very different risk classes, one is a C and the other is a BBB, Eskimo on the other hand is a BBB because to calculate the WACC we used a cost of debt correspondent to long-term bond in the BBB risk class. So this means that†¦ The leverage of the three companies are 0,07 (Eskimo), 0,08 (Steve) and 1,747 (Carolina). Carolina has a very high leverage because its debt is more than 1,5 times its equity, instead the other two have a debt which is inferior to their equity.So even if the two companies have similar business models, through a deeper analysis we found that Eskimo is effectively similar to Steve but very different respect to Carolina. Steve has a closer operating margin to Eskimo’s than Carolina. It also is in the same risk class, and its leverage is alligned wi th Eskimo’s. Carolina on the other hand has more than double of Eskimo’s operating margin. Its in a riskier class and its leverage is much higher than Eskimo’s. Therefore it was correct to use Steve’s Homemade Ice Cream as a comparable company.The only case in which we would use an average, instead, would be if the two companies were both very similar to Eskimo. 4. The fact that DFCF approach gives a lower value for the company than multiples-based approaches depends on market drivers. In particular, the case can be that the DFCF model implies a WACC that does not reflect the cost of capital and implied risk perceived by the market. As a matter of fact the market overvalues future growth opportunities, leading to high multiples on EBIT and Earnings.

The 8 Characteristics of Living Things

The 8 Characteristics of Living Things Overall in science there are 8 characteristics that can be used to determine whether something is living or non-living. Living things are made of cells, have levels of organization, grow & develop, maintain homeostasis, process by metabolism, respond to stimuli, reproduce & evolve over time. Yes those are the eight characteristics of a living thing. The first characteristic is that all living things are made of one or more cells. For instance living things are all multi-cellular, WE HUMANS, are multi-cellular. On the other hand though bacteria are unicellular but it’s also living.Multi-cellular organisms are made of many cells. The cell is the basic unit of life. The second characteristic is all living things display organization. Different parts of a cell are organized to do different jobs. Different parts of a body are organized to do different jobs also. The levels of organization in biological systems begin with atoms and molecules an d increase in complexity. The next characteristic is all living things grow & develop. We humans are born as babies & grow into adults. Our body grows and changes, so do plants! They grow from root, to stem into big plants.The cells get bigger and organisms develop, become more complex and gain new characteristics over their life span. The fourth characteristic is all living things respond to stimuli, they react to environmental changes. The reaction to a stimulus is a response. Organisms can sense stimuli in their environment and react appropriately. If an organism is unable to respond to harm it might not live long enough to reproduce. For example when you go to the doctor and they tap you on your knee, they are trying to test your reflexes. The fifth characteristic is that all living things reproduce.Humans have kids and babies, then they reproduce and it goes on again forever! Animals mate and have their children too. Reproduction is important because it makes your species go on . All living organisms have ways to reproduce weather asexually or sexually to produce an offspring. The sixth characteristic is that all living things take in ENERGY! We do that by eating, when you’re hungry in class and all you think about it food it’s because you’re hungry & you NEED to eat. Plants produce their food by using sunlight and photosynthesis. All living things break down food to make energy for themselves.Because good gives you protein & the good stuff you need for your body! Energy is required for ALL life processes. Almost done! The seventh one is that all living things maintain homeostasis. Now you’re probably thinking what’s that? Homeostasis is all the things organisms do to regulate their internal conditions and stay alive. For example you perspire (sweat) to cool off. Perspiring and eating are examples of maintain homeostasis. If an organism doesn’t maintain homeostasis they die. Like amoebas maintain homeostasis by mov ing towards food and away from danger.Finally, the last one is living things can adapt to the ever changing environmental conditions, in other words they can EVOLVE. Which simply mean we & other living things can change, weather it’s over a 100 years or a 1,000. Populations of species of organisms change over time over many generations. At time goes on they adapt more and more to the environment. Conclusion time, I listed all the eight characteristics. And they are all important when classifying if something is living or not. But yet we humans do all those things & plants and animals. We are all living and we need to maintain homeostasis!

The KGB essays

The KGB essays During the Cold War not much was known about the activities of the Russian state security organization by western intelligence agencies. However after the collapse of the Soviet Union, documents that have been smuggled out by KGB agents (Wilson 1) have allowed agents to see just how much this agency knew and how far the Soviets managed to penetrate into western society. The question is where the KGB operations during the Cold War successful or not? Before the KGB, there was the Vecheka or Cheka, which was started on December 20, 1917 (Crozier 11). The Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin created the Cheka, so they would be able to combat counter revolutionary forces in Russia after the Bolsheviks took power. The man who was chosen to lead the organization was Felix Dzerzhinky, also known as Iron Felix, from Poland (11). Not long after the Cheka was founded, it sent a newspaper publisher, Aleksei Filippov, into Finland. Under cover as a journalist, he was sent on various intelligence assignments. This was the Soviets first attempt into international espionage (Andrew, Mitrokhin 24). After the end of the civil war, the Cheka was transferred to the control of the NKVD as the GPU (NKVD.org 1). During its time as the GPU, its mission was to infiltrate the groups of White Russians and Ukrainian nationals to try and destabilize them from within (Andrew and Mitrokhin 32). The GPU, after changing its name many times and switching from being independent or under NKVD control, was brought back under NKVD control as the GUGB after the German invasion (NKVD.org 2). When the Soviets started to push back the Germans, the GUGB regained its independence and became the NKGB. After World War II, Beria, a Politburo member and the ex-head of the MVD, united the NKVD and the NKGB into the MVD (2). After Beria was removed, the MVD was separated with the MVD keeping its original role and the new KGB taking control of state security (3). The i...

Behaviorism essays

Behaviorism essays Behaviorism is a school of psychology and theoretical viewpoint that emphasizes the scientific study of observable behaviors, especially as they pertain to the process of learning. That is the text book definition of behaviorism, my definition in my own words is, doing something that causes a response in someone or something, and by doing it enough times causes a constant reaction every time in the person or thing. John Watson founded behaviorism in the early 1900's. Watson emphasized the scientific study of observable behaviors rather then the study of subjective mental process. The behavioral theory dominated psychology for more then 50 years. Hockenbury and Hockenbury (170) Watson believed that as much as Pavlov's dogs reflexively salivated to food, human emotions could be thought of as reflexive responses involving the muscles and glands. In studies with infants Watson identified 3 emotions that he believed represented inborn and natural unconditioned reflexes, fear, rage, and love. According to Watson each of these emotions could be triggered by a stimuli. For example he found 2 stimuli that triggered fear, a sudden loud noise or sudden dropping A prime example of this is when you have a new puppy and you are training it To sit. Because he is just a puppy it will have no idea what the command "sit" is. So you Will have to teach it what the command means. When you give the command to the puppy you will push his butt down and show him what he is suppose to do when he hears the command. You will have to do this a few times until the dog gets used to it. Every time you give the command and the puppy follows it, you reward him for his Actions, either with a treat or pet and praise him. If the puppy doesn't follow the command you give him negative attention such as spank, or yell at him. Soon enough the dog will realize that every time I follow my masters command I get praised, but ...

Organizational Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Theories - Essay Example In this case, managing organizational change entails planning and implementing change throughout the organization in order to minimize organizational costs and employee resistance in the organization (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Environmental uncertainty in the organization entails the degree to which the company is related to different environmental forces that the company has to deal with including the suppliers, customers and technology (Daft, Murphy, & Willmott, 2010). Uncertainty in the organization applies to predictable future events especially to physical measurements, which are already established in the organizational environment. Uncertainty tends to arise in stochastic or observable organizational environments or due to organizational ignorance. Dealing with uncertainty calls for managers to put in strategies that see to it that they are dealt with them when occur, and this prevents stalling of processes. Organizational design/change tends to generate uncertainties in the organizational environments. In most cases, complicated organizational framework through which the organization manages to realize its main qualities may end up creating complexities in the organizational environments. In simple terms, organizational changes and design lead to ambiguity in working environments (Daft, Murphy, & Willmott, 2010). Managing change and design in the organization perhaps remains the biggest challenge, which organizational managers face in most organizations today. Staying competitive in most markets would require that the organization remain open and adaptable to change. Therefore, organizational changes in this case would mean new processes and designs in the organization. Alternatively, it would mean keeping employees motivated, maintaining market demands and being open to organizational changes. In most cases, these aspects may create uncertainties in any working environment especially when the

Pesonal invenstmnt in UK - Is it a science or a matter of good fortune Essay

Pesonal invenstmnt in UK - Is it a science or a matter of good fortune - Essay Example Participation by the people in the investment activity of United Kingdom is a long history. Personal investment is done by the individual. Personal investing constitutes an important part in personal financial investment. Personal investment is done for future expenditure plans such as to buy real estate, pay for family expenses and also to pay off outstanding loans. Now, the question is how an individual invest. He may begin to build up his financial assets in order to pay for long term financial goals. He may want assets accessible to make down payments on housing and may also want to guarantee that human capital is low risk by buying disability insurance and term insurance (Schewart, 1999, pp.1-2). Personal Investment is done in order to create a safe financial cushion which will be used in after years. The cushion includes various types of investment such as participating in pension plans, individual saving accounts, investment trusts, unit trusts, open ended investment companies , endowment policies, annuities and other transaction of gilts and bonds, shares, property, liquidity funds and other options (Nestpensions, pp.1-2). Personal investor should create an investment portfolio in order to better manage their investment which in turn helps them to improve their standard of living. In personal investment, portfolio plays very important role. Markowitz’s theory indicates that successful combination of a portfolio present a given level of risk with maximum expected return, or a given expected return with low level of risk (Ou, 2005, pp.31-39). If personal investor will be able to manage their portfolio in a well manner, then market will be defeated by them and they will get good return. However, it is impossible for everyone to get good return in investment in the United Kingdom. For this particular reason, there can be a debate that â€Å"the personal investment in UK – is it a science or a matter of good fortune†? Evaluation: It is a Science If personal investors in UK want to get higher return and to decrease investment risk, then they should learn and use some principles, theories and approaches in order to manage their portfolio in a significant manner and to make predictions on the trend of investment to achieve their goals. With the growth of investment theory, more principles, theories and approaches are coming up with the experts, scholars and investors. Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) Modern portfolio theory (MPT) is published by Harry Markowitz in 1952. It offers a framework for the systematic selection of portfolios which are based on expected return and risk principles. MPT principles are used by the financial advisors in advising their individual investor client and MPT terms are used by the financial commentators in discussing the current investing environment. The theory focuses on how risk averse investors can build a portfolio to formulate the best on expected return in view of a given level of ris k. Markowitz was the first to develop the portfolio diversification concept. He showed quantitatively, how portfolio

Jurisprudence - Liberal Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Jurisprudence - Liberal Feminism - Essay Example Just as feminism, feminist jurisprudence cannot be explained by any single theory4. It is a family of different frameworks or view-points that are used in the analysis of the desirable or real relationship between gender and law5. In her view, Christine Littleton considers feminist jurisprudence as a collection of various attempts aimed at critiquing, changing and explicating the law for the sake of, and from women’s point of view6. Christine Littleton argues that, feminist jurisprudence aims at explaining women’s experiences and at the same time transforming the law. Despite the fact that feminist jurisprudence is considered by many to be practical, theorists such as Carol Smart borrows from Carl Marx ideology and argues that feminist jurisprudence is both practical and theoretical; it is brought about through the methodology that ensures theoretical insights are reflected in political action and that practical insights are shown on theoretical development7. As far fem inist legal theories and feminist jurisprudence is concerned, there is one thing that stands out; both are aimed at the gender effects of legal practice and rules-particularly, how legal practices and rules affect women, and how law and legal practices define and reflect on gender identities. Additionally, both feminist theories and feminist jurisprudence focus on critiquing and exposure of the masculine nature of methods of law with a goal of changing both the methods and substance of law with respect to the goal of liberating women and feminist rejection of patriarchy. It must, however, be noted that-as had earlier been mentioned-feminist theorists have had different ideologies as to how legal transformation should be achieved and how it should be. Liberal feminism theorists have considered and argued that putting women into legal consideration and looking at them in the same breadth-equally-as men, may be the way to go about achieving the goal liberating women. Today, the debate is not only with regards to gender difference or sameness, feminist legal theorists have gone a step further and are more concerned with how to transform legal values, logic and the perception of justice. This notion of considering law as a neutral system of dispute resolution, regulation and justice,-a stand taken by liberal feminists-has been sharply criticized and rejected by contemporary feminist theorists, who have an issues with the concepts of objectivity, universalism, rationalism, and neutrality. They argue that defining law in the scientific sense without considering the political, moral and social reality is not the way to go; an argument also held by legal realist theorists. Those ideologies held by liberal feminists are disregarded and attacked on various grounds by other feminists. Accordingly, all of them argue that, the legal notions of objectivity and impartiality are just but perceptions that conceal the dominance and bias of the dominant groups-male. The argument is that, if sexes are considered unequal, there is neither un-gendered perspective nor reality8. In particular, the concept of objectivity has been attacked and it’s gendered nature exposed by MacKinnon, who argues that, the dominance shown by the male, is the most obstinate and universal system of power9. Similarly, the concept of impartiality has

International Student Essay Example for Free

International Student Essay Nowadays , Education play an important role in our life . However , there are some countries which have poor education , poor teaching and learning strategies . Actually , Those students will go to higher education institutions country . It calls ‘’ International Students ‘’ . More importantly , United Kingdom is the most famous about education . The term ‘’ international students ‘’ is taken here to mean those students who have been educated in a national education system outside the UK and who on the whole are likely to be non-native speakers of English . There is a real story in the UK ‘’ Nicos Story’’ http://www.economicsnetwork. ac. uk/showcase/bamford_international Nicos was a postgraduate student at the Business School. He was diligent and conscientious and achieved good marks on his MA programme. He was expected to gain an overall distinction grade. He had excellent English language skills. An excerpt from Nicos email: I really wanted to finish my dissertation by September so that I would not have to go back to London again, but I broke down, I suddenly felt that I could not do it. I was going crazy and could not write a word anymore. I would stand in front of the computer for hours just writing a paragraph. So on Sunday I left and came to Greece. Today I went to the airport for the flight back, so that I could see you in the morning but as soon as I had to leave my parents and go to the boarding gate, I freezed and panicked. I could not picture myself alone again in the same places for even an hour. The last few days I have started feeling a human being again. I can talk with people and they are people who care about me, I go out with friends for coffee and I want to cry. The first morning I woke up, I started crying because my mother had washed my bag, someone had done something for me. Common diffiuculties for International students. According to this story , there are clearly challenges for international students studying at higher education institutions in the UK . As University City London adds that major problems for International students They go on to say that culture shock . ‘’ As well as having to cope with a new institution and educational environment, international students are having to adjust to a different national culture with often unfamiliar social customs and conventions. They may become very homesick. Where English is not the first language, having to converse with strangers all the time in a foreign language is a strain. Some women students come from cultures where they have had a sheltered life and spent little time on their own or in the company of males outside their family. They may be vulnerable in certain social situations or upset by conventions that they do not understand ‘’. Secondly , ‘’ Students for whom English is a second language may struggle with their courses, International students are often under considerable pressure to succeed academically and their expectations of themselves may be unrealistic. The transition to a different educational system and new approaches to study is often more challenging than to home students. For example, students from abroad are sometimes unaccustomed to active learning situations, such as participating in discussion and working on a team project. They may have had a much more formal relationship with their teachers and thus be less inclined than home students to seek help from their personal tutors ‘’ Thirdly, ‘’ The number of students experiencing financial difficulties has increased significantly in recent years and is likely to continue doing so. Some students are more or less permanently hard up; others create short-term difficulties for themselves by managing their money badly . It is expensive to come to university ‘’. More exactly , According to J. K Bamford ( 2008 ) ,’’ The first of the these challenges concerns English language ability, or rather consideration of the fact that many international students are non-native speakers of English. This has two aspects to it. Firstly, there is a minimum language requirement for entry for all overseas students and secondly, even if students have more than met this entry requirement they may not be familiar with technical terminology for a specialist subject area. For some students who have only just met the criterion for language, studying in English particularly at Masters level can prove onerous and stressful. In this case study this aspect of language ability , that is those students who had just met the language entry requirement, covered half of the students and the levels of independent study required at a very early stage of the course caused a lot of stress. Secondly, there are those that are confident in their language ability and who feel that language support classes do not meet their needs as the classes are too generic and what they are seeking is further explanation of specialised terminology, little time is spent in addressing the more specialist support required by these students. As a consequence, there is frustration expressed by these students as lecturers can mistake their lack of knowledge regarding technical or even political or cultural terminology as the students having difficulties with language, which is not the case. In addition the students have different levels of English, which can hinder the educational experience of the whole group. One student commented in a focus group that there are some people who come from different backgrounds I dont know enough about how people are taught in China but we have different levels of English and different backgrounds some people just receive and not give. Not speaking up in class can also make it difficult for tutors to gain a clear picture of the levels of English language ability and the understanding of the students. ’’ The second issue is that of the social and cultural adjustments of the students. Volet and Ang (1998) comment that tertiary institutions have a social responsibility to design learning  environments which foster students developments on intercultural adaptability (1998:21) While students did not feel that a lack of social and cultural knowledge of the UK had affected their ability to study, there was a feeling that lecturers should incorporate the knowledge of the students native cultures into their class discussion as this could benefit everyone. Class contribution can also be a traumatic experience but this can be facilitated by tutors who make the students feel more comfortable in discussing subjects with other students that they dont know. The importance of class interaction for overseas students is reinforced by Jackson (2003) who comments on the necessity for building a considerable rapport with the group. This rapport is seen as one of the most effective learning and teaching techniques for overseas students. As De Vita (2001) observes, different discourse styles create tensions that affect a students performance. Groupwork may also be an issue and the cultural diversity of groups requires students to use intercultural skills which require training. Understanding the International Student Experience. Moreover , Catherine Montgomery ( 2010 )has written a clear, small study of international students at one UK university, how they network and how they change. Its value lies in the depth of insight into student thinking. She has not drawn her conclusions from a one-off survey, which is the main research tool used to study international students. In surveys of students from non-English-speaking backgrounds, the prior assumptions of the researcher define the issues and pre-set the potential for discovery, the voices of the students are muted and anything different or unexpected is screened out in advance. In contrast, after a tour through part of the literature, Montgomery uses participant observation of the daily lives of seven networked students from China, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Italy and the Netherlands over a period of six months. The resulting picture challenges conventional thinking about international students. International students are often typecast as slow learners with poor English, limited class-participation skills, inability to think critically and a dodgy approach to referencing. In short, they are in learning deficit if not social deficit. It is no wonder they are studying abroad, goes the thinking, because their home systems are of a poor standard. They badly need our help. Montgomery turns all of this on its head. Her students are mature, curious and quick to respond and to learn. They are high achievers and a couple are truly exceptional within their milieu. After an initial period of academic adjustment, they learn to intervene and they power past the locals. They are conspicuously better motivated, focused and more aware of the benefits of higher education. These students are studying in an English-speaking country not because its culture is intrinsically superior but because English is the global language of business, professions and knowledge. They do not need to abandon the educational backgrounds and cultural identities that they brought to the UK, but they are eager to layer new learning and new identities on top. The effects of being a foreign student ‘’ Usually becoming a foreign student in order to study in another city can change your life in many aspects. Living in a city far away from home can bring many consequences and effects which almost always change a student’s form of life. When I became a foreign student, many things changed or had to change. You do not live with your family, so usually you have to learn how to live in harmony with others, how to do things by yourself, how to move to other places, etc. Being a foreign makes you learn a lot of things, but at the beginning it can be somewhat difficult, as it happened to me. That is why the purpose of this paper is to discuss the three main effects of being a foreign student. The main effect and the one that affects you most is the fact that you do not live with your parents and in your house, which means that you will not enjoy its commodities. It was so good when your mom cooked for you, and when the house maid used to make your bed. Your dad took you to school, and when classes finished, you returned to your room and made yourself completely comfortable. But becoming a foreign student implies that you will live in a dormitory or that you will rent an apartment . Usually you have to take care of dirty dishes, messy rooms, and cooking. This means you have to learn many new things, like how to cook several dishes. In a few words, you have to learn how to be independent. Another effect is that you have to find your way around the city, so you have to know the main parts of the city. If you have a car, it may be easier to explore the city. You can just get lost and see where each street takes you, and then find a way back home. But if you don’t have a car, you need to learn how to get around by walking, in buses, or with taxis. For this you may find out about bus routes or find out how much costs to use taxis, and in this way you can plan the time it will take you to get from your house to school, for example. This will force you to plan your time better, and maybe you will have less available time along the day. This may decrease the time you have to make homework or to hang out with your friends, for example. But over time, you learn how to plan your activities in a better way. A foreign student may also find himself feeling somewhat lonely, since arriving in a new city means you don’t know anyone. You may be lucky if another friend from your city comes with, but usually you are alone. It is important to start meeting people and making friends. In this way it will be much easier to get used to being a foreign student. You will have new people with who to hang with, with whom to go to parties. Besides you won’t have to be quiet all the time in classes like when you don’t know someone. Sometimes friends can also help you in a lot of situations, like when you have problems about running out of money, when you need to go to your house quickly but you don’t have a car, or when you need to get something that is not easily found. But most of all, with friends you can have a great time and learn a lot of things. Leaving your house and going to another city to study is an experience in your life that cannot be compared to any other experience in your life. You learn how to be independent, and you get to meet tons of people. It may be somewhat difficult to live without your parents and in another city, but this makes you learn how to live your life better and how to appreciate what you have, like your parents and your belongings. Besides, you get to appreciate the things you achieve during your life because you learn that your goals are not achieved easily, but that they cost a lot of work and effort. In conclusion, being a foreign student is great! ‘’