AMUL – A case study on IT in SCM

AMUL – A case study on IT in SCM A live case of Use of IT Amul is a leading food brand in India. It offers a wide range of products like milk, milk powder, butter, ghee, cheese, chocolates, Shrikhand, ice cream and many more. The brand name AMUL is derived from the Sanskrit word â€Å"Amoolya†, meaning priceless. The first products with the Amul brand name were launched in 1955. Since then, they have been in use in millions of homes in all parts of India, and beyond.Today Amul is a symbol of many things: Of high quality products sold at reasonable prices, of availability, of service. Amul has been accredited with ISO 9001 and HACCP Certification by QAS, Australia-the first food company in Asia to receive the HACCP Certification â€Å"Amul† is a well-acknowledged and live example of making a strong use of IT Formed in the year 1946, Amul initiated the dairy co-operative movement in India and formed an apex co-operative organization called the Gujarat Cooperative M ilk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).Today, this movement is being replicated in 70,000 villages in over 200 districts in India, transforming the rural landscape. This co-operative revolution has made India the largest producer of milk in the world today. Amul is also one of the largest and most celebrated food brands in India. GCMMF markets its products through 50 sales offices throughout India; and distribution is done through a network of 4,000 stockists who, in turn, supply 500,000 retail outlets.The complexity of logistics can be visualized in terms of: millions of litres of milk to be collected from millions of village members. Interestingly, milk is a perishable commodity; hence a strong coordination function is required in storing, processing and distributing the milk in required time. The case of Amul's supply chain is noteworthy simply because the movement has not only lead to efficient collection of milk but, more importantly, has used IT to create higher profits for milk pro ducers. Role of Information Technology IT has played a critical role in the development of the Amul brand.The logistics behind the coordination of approximately six million liters of milk per day from numerous village co-operative societies throughout Gujarat, and storing, processing and producing of milk products at various district dairy societies, is carried out with clock-precision. In these, IT plays a critical role. The installation of over 3,000 Automatic Milk Collection System Units (AMCUS) at village societies to capture member information, milk fat content volume collected, and amount payable to each member, has proved invaluable in ensuring fairness and transparency throughout the entire organization.GCMMF is an apex co-operative organization that comprises affiliated member dairies/district milk unions, each having its own manufacturing unit. These member dairies in turn collect milk from members who supply milk twice a day to the respective village co-operative societie s. To meet the challenge of growing business, IT was decided as the thrust area that would streamline the production and collection process and the processing of milk products. This is where the installation of AMCUS made the entire operation look simple.As milk is a highly perishable commodity in the supply chain, the AMCUS initiative is vital for the operations. More importantly, this initiative has increased the trust and transparency for IT in rural areas'. On an average, around thousand farmers come to sell milk at their local cooperative milk collection center. Each farmer is given a plastic card for identification, at the milk collection counter, the farmer drops the card into a box and the identification number is transmitted to a personal computer attached to the machine.The milk is then weighed and the fat content of the milk measured by an electronic fat testing machine. Both these details are recorded in the PC. The computer then calculates the amount 1 AMUL – A c ase study on IT in SCM due to the farmer on the basis of the fat content. The value of the milk is then printed out on a slip and handed over to the farmer, who collects the payment at the adjacent window. With the help of IT the farmers receive their payments within a matter of minutes.Each member preserves the milk in the cold storage, processing it and producing several products, sold under the Amul brand name. As all products have a limited shelf life, the organization's ability to conduct its operations in a smooth way is much more praiseworthy-especially when one considers the scale of the operations. Amul makes about 10 million payment transactions daily. On the logistics side, more than 5,000 trucks move the milk from the villages to 200 dairy processing plants twice a day, according to a carefully planned schedule.Amul took a strategic decision to redesign and re-organize the existing software applications in 1994 to meet the challenges of growing business. Accordingly, Amu l assigned the ERP software development project named as Enterprise wide integrated application system (EIAS) which covers a plethora of operations like market planning, advertising and promotion, distribution network planning, stock control, sales and accounting, budgetary control, quality control management and co-operative service management.Each of Amul's offices is connected by e-mail and all of them send a daily report on sales and inventory to the main system at Anand. Also, sales offices, C&F points and wholesale distributors of GCMMF have been connected through the Internet for timely exchange of information. Amul is also in the process of Web-enabling the entire supply chain so that it can capture key information at the source and use the same for decision-making. This would include the likes of transporters, member manufacturing units, oil packing stations, suppliers, depots and the ntire field force. A web site (http://www. amul. com) has been constructed featuring sport s information, recipes and quizzes (to stimulate buyer interest and to establish national brand recognition) and business-to- consumer order placement. Amul has a customer feedback channel which uses e-mail addresses like [email  protected] com for cheese products and [email  protected] com for butter products. E-competency has been established at the supply and distribution ends of AMUL's business.At the supply end, a computerized database has been established of all suppliers and their cattle. Computerized equipment measures and records qualities and quantities collected. Computers have been set up at member unions and village cooperatives. At the distribution end, stockists have been provided with basic training and computers. AMUL experts assist stockists and retailers to build promotional web pages. AMUL cyber stores have been set up at various locations in India, the USA, Singapore and Dubai.Each visit to the Indian cyber store sites results in considerable purchases. A st rong e-mail database of more than 10,000 customers has also been developed. In addition to the EIAS, Amul has also been using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to plot zone/depot boundary as well as a pointer for zone, depot and distributor locations, which are superimposed by product-wise sales data. Going forward, there are plans to introduce features like Internet banking services and ATMs which will enable milk societies to credit payments directly to the seller's bank account.In line with this vision, officials at Amul are looking at upgrading the plastic cards, which are being currently used only for identification purposes, to smart cards which can be used to withdraw cash from ATMs. Amul has radically altered the complexion of the supply chain-by eliminating the middleman and bringing the producer closer to the consumer-resulting in benefits for both. Amul has also linked distributors to the network and also incorporated Web pages of top retailers in their web site (www. amul. com) as part of B2B initiatives.Distributors can place their orders on the website, amulb2b. com, especially meant for accepting orders from stockists and promoting Amul's products via 2 AMUL – A case study on IT in SCM E-commerce. A big achievement of IT in Amul has been the automation of the complex supply and delivery chain. The automated supply chain seamlessly integrates the manufacturing dairy units for production, planning and raw material procurement. It handles distribution of milk from surplus unions to deficit unions.It is a live example of practicing Just in time supply chain management with six sigma accuracy! Amul's success in leveraging IT to its advantage lies in the simple fact that the organization has a clear IT vision and has made full use of the potential of IT for managing its supply chain. In 2003, GCMMF won the prestigious international CIO 100 award from IDG's CIO Magazine, USA. The 2003 CIO 100 award recognizes organizations around the world th at excel in positive business performance through resourceful IT management and best practices.GCMMF, whose IT initiatives have been driven by the philosophy of being an IT company in food business, has inspired all its employees to sustain the challenges as a â€Å"change agent† by excelling their IT skills in order to transform the people around them towards IT integration on both the ends of supply chain (village dairy farmer to end-consumer), GCMMF has also won the prestigious Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality Award for the year 2003.GCMMF has bagged this award for adopting noteworthy quality management practices for logistics and procurement. Over the years, it has established an efficient supply chain that penetrates even the remotest corners of the country. In summary, Amul has developed world-class expertise in the physical distribution of short-life produce. Already advanced in physical logistics, Amul has innovatively explored ways to use IT to enhance its supply ch ain. (Source: amul. com, ExpressComputers(16 Sept 2002: article by Srikanth R P), and other sources)GCMMF: An Overview Members No. of Producer Members No. of Village Societies Milk collection (Total – 2002-03) Milk collection (Daily Average 2002-03) Milk Drying Capacity Sales Turnover (2002-2003) 12 district cooperative milk producers' Union. 2. 28 million. 11,132. 1. 86 billion litres. 5. 08 million litres. 510 metric Tons per day. Rs 27457 Million. IT Enablers used by Amul †¢ Uses automated milk collection system units for collection of milk. †¢ Implemented a customized ERP system which is used in conjunction with GIS. Uses data analysis software for forecasting milk production and increasing productivity. †¢ Has connected all zonal, regional and member dairies through VSAT. †¢ One of the first five Indian organizations to have a Web presence. †¢ Geographic information system for sales and distribution planning. †¢ Data Information System Kiosk for data analysis and decision support to help in improving milk collection. †¢ Web enabled customer feedback channels. †¢ Strong initiatives in e-commerce. 3

Negotiating a Salary Increase

Many factors outside of the employees control determine salary increases. Many reputable companies give employees handbooks that vaguely outline pay increases. In an uncertain economy, salary negotiations require preparation and keeping accurate records on the employee’s part. The key to successful salary increase is to convince the employer that the company cannot afford to do without the services the person who is asking for a pay raise is providing. Remember the person is always replaceable. The services that person provides should not be easily replaceable. The negotiation for a salary increase starts the first day the person starts working the company. Every employee should bring at least one unique contribution to the company that he or she works for. The strategy of these contributions should never be discussed with anyone. Unique contributions always stand out. No one can hide an excellent sales person or customer service representative at any level. Employees who have unique marketable skills cannot be easily copied. Having skills that are an asset to the company eliminates the human resources viable reasons for not giving the employee the salary increase. Appearance plays a big psychological part in negotiating salary increases. Upper management companies always expect their staff to dress professionally. In entry level positions, the employee’s salary can be determined by dressing better then what is expected. If uniforms are required, dressing up will take a little creativity. Ladies can wear extra jewelry. Gentlemen can go through the extra expense of having their uniforms dry cleaned. In business type atmospheres, manicures for both men and women to psychologically give the impression they are valuable to the company.   On the day of salary negotiations and evaluations, dressing better then usual is psychologically effective. Have an exclusive shoe wardrobe. When it gets to salary negotiations, never volunteer your salary requirements (Goodman 2002). When filling out the job application or submitting a resume, the applicant should never list an amount for salary. On the day of salary negotiations, the human resources know what the employee will accept. Salaries are dependent upon the employees past work history. This is all verifiable by social security numbers. It is to the employee’s advantage to do a background check to verify the information in their records is accurate. If the information the applicant is putting in writing conflicts with what is in the databases, he or she will never be told. Even if the information comes out to be inaccurate, the management already formed a permanent opinion. Be selective about the company. The financial investors and presidents are uncertain about the future financial status of the company. Do some research to determine what others are earning (Lloyd, no date given). Doing research will be well worth the time when negotiating salaries. Psychologically, an employee feels much more confident when the day comes to negotiate salaries if they feel they are prepared.   The employee should keep an accurate, detailed list of all the accomplishments that was valuable to the company. Remember that salary negotiations start way before the day the arrangements are made. Keep a professional, formal relationship with the management and co-workers. It is a good policy to never have conversations that includes anyone who is not present. The most successful negotiators will feel a lot more confident if they have a plan to compete with the organization or business if turned down for deserved pay raises. Works Cited: Goodman, P. â€Å"Landing a Plump Package in Tough Times† Business Week, com 4 Feb 2002 Lloyd, J â€Å"How to Negotiate the Salary You Deserve† Labour Protect.com No date given               

Great Lakes Dangerous Currents Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Great Lakes Dangerous Currents - Research Paper Example These lakes develop substantial water currents which pose a danger to swimmers and other merry makers. Around the beach, strong currents from the lake may spill over causing immediate floods. In addition, storms may develop over the water, thus compromising on the safety of small water vessels like boats. Based on these facts, local authorities concerned with marine habitats have conducted research are analysis on dangers posed by Great Lakes currents. According to Allen (2013), research results on intensity and strength of dangerous currents are used in conducting public education on combat strategies and safety measures to adopt while swimming around the lake’s shores. This essay appraises the breadth and depth of hazard associated with the currents. Appraisal will involve acknowledging available scientific information related to causes and nature of Great Lakes dangerous currents. Nature of Currents Prior to evaluating the nature of Great Lakes currents, it is appropriate t o develop a comprehensive understanding of water currents in general. In this case, water currents refer to massive movement of water at significant velocity either towards or away from the shores. These massive movements result from phenomenal incidences like breaking waves, temperature difference and dynamics in direction and speed of wind. In the context of lakes, speeding wind may cause water to accumulate and move fast towards the shoreline. On reaching a lake’s shoreline, those currents break after hitting the solid sand and moves backwards into the lake. In most cases, what determines the level of danger associated with currents is the speed and direction of water movement. John and Stephen (2011) say that fast currents are more dangerous than slow currents. On the other hand, Allen (2013) agrees that currents moving out into the lake are more lethal compared to those moving towards the shoreline. Causes of Death Great Lakes of Michigan are known to develop dangerous c urrents causes drowning and eventual deaths. Statistics shows that every year, deaths recorded by authorities within the lake increase at a rate of 3%. In the recent past, young males are on the receiving end. Male college students and teenagers are prone to drowning because of their enthusiastic and adventurous nature of swimming. In most cases, those killed by the currents were either pulled away from the shore or they were trying to rescue a drowning friend. According to Michigan State University (2013), trying to rescue a drowning person can be dangerous, especially whenever the rescuer is not wearing floatation equipment. On the other hand, people tend to panic whenever they are caught up with a retreating current. As acknowledged earlier, these retreating currents develop as a result of breaking waves. Great Lakes have a lot of structures like piers and walls which can initiate currents. Actual Status of the Lakes Lake Michigan Of all the Great Lakes in the state Lake Michigan features as the leading cause of fatalities associated with dangerous currents each year. One reason for this notorious trend is because Lake Michigan is undergoing an infrastructural development period. These infrastructural breakthroughs are increasing the Lake’s popularity among domestic and international tourists. Apart from the significant tourists’ population, Lake Michigan also has unique beaches with pre-disposing factors which favor

Diabetes WA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diabetes WA - Research Paper Example The 360 degree marketing approaches are important. The DAGMER (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Rules) approach tells the effective advertising must be measurable (Altstiel & Grow 2006). However, the marketing are the ongoing process and financial support is very important for these campaigns. Most of the campaigns must reach the target audiences. The basic target audiences are the people who are in the middle age, staying nearby the town and the diabetes WA centers. However, Diabetes can happen to anyone irrespective of their earning capacity and even many time juvenile diabetic patents are also seen. The major concept about the campaigns must be to create a concern about the diabetes within the minds of the diabetic patients. And for the future patients the fear of losing the happy moments with the family must be focused. It means the advertising campaigns must tell the viewers about the importance of him or her being fit and diabetes free. Media Mix: Media is th e most important factor in this case. The media is the platform which can help the campaigns to reach the mass. That is the reason the media mix is very vital. The media mix is basically the combination of the proper Medias which supports the advertising campaign efficiently (Surmanek, 1996). In this case the television and the radio are very important as they reach to the mass in a very efficient way.

Business Environments in the Single European Market Essay

Business Environments in the Single European Market - Essay Example The common market refers to a phase in the process of international integration, which according to a ruling of the Court of Justice, aims at doing away with all the barriers to trade between communities with a view of bring together national markets into one large market, forming conditions that are as close as possible to a legitimate internal market. It is important to tone that the Lisbon Treaty does not take into consideration the ‘single market’ concepts and those of the ‘common market.’ The words ‘common market’ were replaced the outcome of this stage of the process of integration, by the treaty, which on the operations of the European Union, according to the Treaty’s Article 26 is composed of an area that do not have internal frontiers whereby the free movement of individuals, capital, services and goods is ensured according to the Treaties’ stipulations (Barnard, 2012, p.99). There are several challenges that the community had to deal with during the stage of common market so as to attain the objective of single market. First, the formation of the common market needed the eradication of all export and import duties that existed between the member states of the community before the European Economic Community was formed. The member states successfully eliminated the custom obstacles even before the deadline set by the Treaty had expired and how they begun to put up some other barriers between them, immediately after they dismantled the tariffs, especially the technical barriers that were even more hard to deal with in some instances (Blanpain, 2012, p.65). The formation of a common market that looked like an internal market does not only mean that there was the trade liberalization among the member states that were taking part but also called for free movement of individuals, factors of production such as services, capital and labor. Furthermore, it involves a free formation of corporations and indivi duals in all the boundary of the member states so as to be in a position of exercising their business or professional activities (Rogovsky and Salais, 2012, p.73). Therefore, in order to talk about a common market, there has to be the availability of four major freedoms between the participating member states, including freedom of movement of services and goods, due to the eradication of the barriers of trade; freedom of movement of workers who are salaried and those that are not, as a result of the eradication of all the barriers to their entrance together with residence in the other member states; the freedom of formation of corporations and persons within the boundaries of the member states as well as of the offering of services by them within the countries that host them; and the freedom of movement of capital for the purposes of business and individual. Freedom seems like the key or main word of the common market (Lejour & Mooij & Nahuis, 2001, p.65). This paper will also raise awareness about the enlargement of

Political profile of your local congressional district Essay

Political profile of your local congressional district - Essay Example She is a lesbian and one of the four publicly-proclaimed gay public figures in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district is a Democratic Party stronghold. For instance, the 2004 presidential aspirant in the Democrat party ticket, John Kerry, scooped 62% of the total votes while Barrack Obama clinched 69% of the vote compared to John McCain’s 30% in 2008. The table below outlines the list of representatives since the district inception to date. Representative Party Date Note District created June 9, 1848 Mason C. Darling Democratic June 9, 1848 – March 3, 1849 Orsamus Cole Whig March 4, 1849 - March 3, 1851 Ben C. Eastman Democratic March 4, 1851 - March 3, 1855 Cadwallader C. Washburn Republican March 4, 1855 - March 3, 1861 Luther Hanchett Republican March 4, 1861 - November 24, 1862 Died Vacant November 24, 1862 - January 26, 1863 Walter D. McIndoe Republican January 26, 1863 - March 3, 1863 Redistricted to the 6th district Ithamar Sloan Republican March 4, 1863 - March 3, 1867 Benjamin F. Hopkins Republican March 4, 1867 - January 1, 1870 Died Vacant January 1, 1870 - February 23, 1870 David Atwood Republican February 23, 1870 - March 3, 1871 Gerry Whiting Hazelton Republican March 4, 1871 - March 3, 1875 Lucien B. Caswell Republican March 4, 1875 - March 3, 1883 Daniel H. Sumner Democratic March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1885 Edward S. ... Nelson Republican September 4, 1906 - March 3, 1913 Redistricted to the 3rd district Michael E. Burke Democratic March 4, 1913 - March 3, 1917 Redistricted from the 6th district Edward Voigt Republican March 4, 1917 - March 3, 1927 Charles A. Kading Republican March 4, 1927 - March 3, 1933 Charles W. Henney Democratic March 4, 1933 - January 3, 1935 Harry Sauthoff Progressive January 3, 1935 - January 3, 1939 Charles Hawks, Jr. Republican January 3, 1939 - January 3, 1941 Harry Sauthoff Progressive January 3, 1941 - January 3, 1945 Robert Kirkland Henry Republican January 3, 1945 - November 20, 1946 Died Vacant November 20, 1946 - April 22, 1947 Glenn Robert Davis Republican April 22, 1947 - January 3, 1957 Donald Edgar Tewes Republican January 3, 1957 - January 3, 1959 Robert Kastenmeier Democratic January 3, 1959 - January 3, 1991 Scott L. Klug Republican January 3, 1991 - January 3, 1999 Tammy Baldwin Democratic January 3, 1999 - Present Incumbent Retrieved from http://en.wikipedi a.org/wiki/Wisconsin%27s_2nd_congressional_district The incumbent is heading to the senate, paving the way for a new Democrat contestant to battle it out with the Republican opponent. These will be the first elections that the voters will be using new district boundaries based on the 2010 census. The Democrat candidate for the state representative 2012 is Mark Pocan while that of the conservative is Chad Lee. The third party candidate could have been Joe Kopsick although he did not collect enough signatures to appear in the ballot. According to Spicuzza and Barbour, Democrat nominations were highly contested between Roys and Pocan owing to the current ratings that place

Letter From a Birmingham Jail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter From a Birmingham Jail - Essay Example The author actually directed the letter to the members of the clergy and since it was deemed published in totality, the target audience for this particular discourse is the white moderate population, who were deemed indifferent. The white moderate segment of society was noted to have preferred the status quo or retaining order and keeping their stance as observers rather than stir the social condition to attain justice for the blacks. One is firmly convinced that his nonviolent strategies should therefore be directed to the white moderate segment of society through the creation of tension and intervention that would force this segment to move and openly profess that his advocacies are better than just being mere spectators and preserving order. The letter should have been directly addressed to the white moderate segment of the population to entice them to change their indifferent stance and enjoin them to support the elimination of prejudice and discrimination that has long been dire cted to the African Americans. The letter was addressed to fellow clergymen and was written in response to a supposed remark that classified Martin Luther King’s (MLK) activities as allegedly untimely and unwise.

Judgement in Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Judgement in Accounting - Essay Example Secondly, accounting follows a framework popularly known as â€Å"The Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting†. In addition, the overall accounting structure and basic formation of reporting, assists in conceptualizing accounting better. The knowledge of accounting principles, procedures, and rules is valuable to business and its eventual success in any given financial period. Financial records are made numerically and any accounting analysis on them should be numerical (Anthony, 1993). The â€Å"International Public Sectors Accounting Standards Board† sets standards and Recommended Practice Guidelines in accounting. They are used by government agencies in the national, regional, and local governments. According to this board, the Conceptual Framework for Financial Accounting is mainly used for preparation and presentation of general purpose financial reports (Needles & Powers, 2012). The Conceptual Framework also extends its authority to public sectors social secu rity funds, trusts, statutory authorities, as well as, international governmental organizations. However, the general purpose financial reporting has the main objective of providing financial information about a business that comes in handy when looking for current investors; reports to creditors when requesting for loans; and decision making regarding purchases, sales, equity holding and debts in line with the profits or returns. There are two types of financial reports. They include general Purpose Financial Reports and Special purpose Financial Reports. General Purpose Financial reporting refers to a central component of enhancement and support, of the financial reports by public sector entities. The intentions of these reports is to satisfy the information requirements, for users who may be in a position that lacks enabling factors for preparation of financial reports that are tailor-made, to meet their information needs. They also contain a number of reports each of which gives a response that is within the scope of financial reporting, with respect to the objectives of financial reporting. However, the scope of financial reporting also includes guidelines on how other various events and activities can be reported in the financial report. On the other hand, Special Purpose Financial Reports (SPFRs) are financial reports whose sole purpose is to respond to specifications for users that bear authority, to make such requirements and for a specific purpose (Piper, 2013). There are characteristics that guide the qualitative nature of important financial information. These characteristics include comparability, timeliness, verifiability and comprehensibility. However, the basic qualitative characteristics include relevance and faithful representation. For financial information to display relevance, it should influence the decision made by the user (Balakrishnan & sprinkle, 2008). Failure to consider the importance of the relevance of the information will create a niche, even after the decision is made. However, the financial information must display a predictive value and a confirmatory value to attain relevance. Moreover, the confirmatory value should either confirm or differ with the evaluations that were previously made. On the other hand, financial information that exhibits a predictive value must also exhibit a confirmatory value because these two values are interrelated. For instance, a company’s financial report can be used to project future earnings for the company (Gupta, 2009). However, it should also be verified that the method of prediction

Assistant Accountant at Mefic Capital company Assignment

Assistant Accountant at Mefic Capital company - Assignment Example nd Corporate Governance Mechanisms in Saudi Arabia I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background In this study the capital structure and the mechanism of corporate governance in Saudi Arabia would be discussed. The motive behind choosing Saudi Arabia is that I did my internship from MEFIC Capital Saudi Arabia, so it would be an added advantage for me in investigating the financial environment of the country. Moreover, my major is in Finance, which is why I have chosen to focus and explore the capital structure and governance mechanism. Discussion on corporate governance and capital structure has always been a challenge for the academic researchers in finance and accounting. 1.2 Research Objective The objective of this research study has been developed keeping in mind the issues to be considered for the study, learning outcomes and stream of study. 1. To identify diverse capital structure in Saudi Arabia and their implications 2. To identify the relationship between diverse capital structure and cor porate governance in the firms in Saudi Arabia. 1.3 Research Question What is the relationship between the capital structure of firms in Saudi Arabia with the external and internal corporate governance? II: LITERATURE REVIEW In this research paper, the discussion would be related to the capital structure decisions of the firms in Saudi Arabia and its association to the external and internal corporate governance system, which is generally considered to be one of the primary drivers in decisions related to capital structures. Various researches prior to this suggest that the capital structure is based on corporate governance decisions. Theories suggest that the size of the firm and profitability is negatively related to the debt equity ratio of the firm. These findings are in line with the... Various researches prior to this suggest that the capital structure is based on corporate governance decisions. Theories suggest that the size of the firm and profitability is negatively related to the debt equity ratio of the firm. These findings are in line with the agency theory, transaction cost theory or pecking order theory. It was found that the there is a negative relationship between debt equity ratio and market to book ration in case of assets, which also reveals that it is conflicting with the agency theory. On the other hand, in European countries tangibility has a positive relationship with the choice of capital structure and it is consistent with the agency theory. This study aims at discussing and analysing the capital structure with regards to corporate governance in Saudi Arabia. A quantitative analysis would be done to identify the relationship between capital structure and corporate governance, so as to identify an accurate association between these two major aspec ts in financial environment of Saudi Arabia. For this purpose a multiple regression analysis would be done for this study. A sample of 5-8 firms in Saudi Arabia in the securities market would be considered to conduct the study.

The economic downturn Essay Example for Free

The economic downturn Essay A. Analysis The economic downturn across the United States caused a decrease in funding to performing arts. Thus a proposal to merge the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera companies was made. There have been very few mergers of this type in history. In 1963 the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Madison Opera merged. Also, in 1985, the Chattanooga Opera and Chattanooga Symphony combined. These entities remained combined for a period of time, but ultimately disbanded due to ideologies and methodologies that differed. The Utah Symphony and Utah Opera merger discussion began in December 2001. The cultures of both entities are very different and divergent. This leads to a process to unite the two companies that is a challenging process. A1. Bill Bailey Mr. Bailey’s position is to survive the economic downturn and reduced funding currently affecting the performing arts. He holds the position of board chairman for the Utah Opera Organization. Maslow’s hierarchy of need can help Mr. Bailey influence the behavior of those involved in both organizations by appealing to their interests. Human beings have biological and psychological needs. Biological needs are those needed to survive such as food and sleep. Psychological needs are those that provide positive reinforcement to that individual, such as, success and love. Maslow’s hierarchy of need address the physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization needed to influence human behavior on a basic level (Tay Deiner, 2011). Physiological needs address the desire to find human comfort and reasonable conditions. Safety needs, in regards to work, lead an individual to seek opportunities that provide job security, reasonable compensation, and work conditions that are safe. The love need leads individuals to seek out co-workers to bond with and provide positive daily interactions. The esteem need provides individuals with positive reinforcement and seek job challenges and promotions to help provide this reinforcement. Finally, the self-actualization need provides the individual  the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes and more challenging tasks that may arise. Leaders to motivate individuals can utilize a basic level of Maslow’s hierarchy. The Utah Opera and Utah Symphony both want to continue performing. The economic downturn has affected both entities and Mr. Bailey could appeal to the employees through use of Maslow’s hierarchy. The safety need can be met through continued job security, compensation, and work conditions should a merger go through. The love need or social need could be appealed upon through the use of the same leaders after the merger progresses. The performers would also have the same peers as before and would expand this peer group. The artistic expression and excellence could be preserved through employment of the same artistic leaders post-merger. This would also help with the self-actualization need, since positive reinforcement would be generated for the members of the musical companies. They would have been involved in the decision-making process and the ideals of keeping leaders that had previously been employed by the entities. This would help the musicians remain autonomy and actively seek challenges out to continue with motivation in the self-actualization arena. A2. Scott Parker Mr. Parker is the board chairman of the Utah Symphony. His position is to also survive the economic downturn affecting the performing arts. Mr. Parker must find supporters that are influential and willing to support the merger with the Utah Opera. Mr. Parker has one influential patron who is not willing to lend support for the merger. Mrs. Abravenal does not want the Utah Symphony to lose the prestige that it has found, especially since her husband, Maurice, was maestro of the Utah Symphony for 32 years. Mr. Parker can utilize Alderfer’s ERG Theory for motivation. The ERG Theory steps do not rely on each other to work. The ERG Theory consists of 3 distinct parts: existence, relatedness, and growth (Steel Konig, 2006). The existence needs are the desire for physiological well-being. The relatedness needs are the desire to develop relationships with others is meaningful. The growth needs are the desire to reach an individual’s full potential. The ERG Theory need for exis tence and the desire for physiological well being is the main motivator under this theory. A merger  would help the symphony maintain in existence, since they are financially unstable at this time. Mrs. Abravenal can be educated that support from opera supporters will help keep resources available that are not currently available when the entities are separated. The ERG Theory for relatedness need will be a second motivator under this theory. The human desire for meaningful relationships will provide positive reinforcement to those involved. The supporters of both companies do not want to see them fail and disappear. The passion of the supporters can be utilized and capitalized upon to create a relationship between the two companies. Finally, the ERG Theory for growth needs can provide positive reinforcement for both companies during the merger proposal. The companies are failing separately, but together they could flourish. Resources would be combined and supporters for both would be involved in the growth processes. Mrs. Abravenal could continue her husband’s vision and help keep the symphony alive and flourishing. A3. Power The future CEO of the combine entities is Anne Ewers. She has both positional power and personal power. She has formal positional power and has the authority to get things accomplished. Ms. Ewers has a legitimate leader role and expects her orders to be complied with. Positive legitimate power involves influencing others to effectively work better whereas negative legitimate power influences others to follow directions due to intimidation or fear of consequences. Ms. Ewers also has referent power. Referent power is the charisma an individual has from his or her own personality (Krietner Kinichki, 2010). Effective leaders have charisma that include positional and referent powers. Effectively using the powers together would allow Ms. Ewers to inspire through her own personality and lead by authority. A3a. Positional Power Ms. Ewers has a proven record in strengthening finances within an organization. She has been a proven and successful leader for many years within the industry. The following examples are characteristics important in positional power: * Centrality – Ms. Ewers would need to establish communication roles between the symphony and the opera. The central role would be important in the chain of command, since she would control the flow  of information to both entities. * Flexibility – Ms. Ewers would need to be able to adapt to frequently to the work environment. She must be ready to be diverse and produce unique ideas regarding the merger. * Visibility – Ms. Ewers must minimize the negative press surrounding the merger. She must capitalize on positive news regarding the merger and be available to communicate the information to the interested parties. Ms. Ewers must be open and available to those who have a vested interest in the company’s merger. * Relevance – Ms. Ewers must be able to provide accurate information that is relevant to the company’s needs. She must be able to communicate with staff to procure the required information from both companies and prioritize the goal and tasks for both. This should also include integration of the goals and tasks of the merger as well. A3b. Personal Power Ms. Ewers will need to use her referent power to influence those involved in the merger. She will need to gain support from Mr. Lockhart to help influence the merger. Ms. Ewers has a proven record of reducing financial obligation of organizations. She can work with Mr. Lockhart, who has the support of the symphony, to help everyone see the benefits of the merger. Ms. Ewers and Mr. Lockhart can be co-leaders during the merger process. This would help decrease the opposition from the musicians currently seen. A4. Organizational Performance The musicians for the symphony and orchestra have contracts that were hard fought for. A merger would challenge these agreements and the musicians are concerned they would lose their livelihood and artistic autonomy. Thus, a merger is not viewed positively. The symphony and orchestra both have different cultures. They are both run differently and have different expectations. It is clear they cannot be organized into one entity for simplicity. However, this causes potential issues. For instance, if donations were placed in a singular account for both organizations this could cause resentment among the musicians. Also, the musicians may not like answering to one governing board. This could lead to feeling unappreciated and resentment. However, should there be two governing boards, both sides would be represented equally and the musicians would feel  less resentment and more musical autonomy. The biggest challenge would be among pay for the musicians. The musicians for both entities must be paid competitively and fairly. Options for non-salaried positions may be a viable idea. The organizations must be committed to remain impartial and fair during the merger to reduce any animosity. A4a. Recommendations Christine Osborne is the chairwoman for the musicians and has presented their guiding principles to Ms. Ewers. The musician support is important to the organization during the merger. The musicians are dependent upon Ms. Ewers and Mr. Lockhart to become the future leaders within the new organization. Ms. Ewers is an authority in the industry and is the future CEO. Ms. Ewers has a proven record of reducing financial liability within organizations in the industry. She has the power to combine the organizations and utilize a singular vision for excellence in financial and artistic realms. She can use the guiding principles set forth by the musicians to demonstrate her desire to see the organization succeed. Ms. Ewers must first use her referent power to influence the leaders of the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera. She will be the future CEO of the newly formed organization and must demonstrate her vision for the future. This will hopefully provide sufficient motivation to gather support from both entities. Her referent power and vision must continue to provide a passion to the individual management team within the new organization. Ms. Ewer’s passion should extend to all involved and continue within the organization. This passion created within the organization can help develop self-actualization and esteem within all involved. Next, Ms. Ewer will need to focus on the financial stability of the new organization. The economic downturn has decreased the funding to the performing arts. Ms. Ewer will need to address the decreased funding and find additional funding through different avenues. Ms. Ewer is experienced in fund-raising and will be able to promote the organization via this avenue. Also, performer salaries will need to be revised. The musicians have a current agreement in place, but with the merger this would need to be renegotiated. A challenge Ms. Ewer will face is a decrease in salary for the musicians, but she may be able to effectively place emphasis on the new organization and the musicians desire to see it continue, instead of the old organization failing all together.  Finally, Ms. Ewer must put together a management team that will be empowered during the merger. This team must be trustworthy and desire to see the new organization succeed. Ms. Ewer must empower this team to remain pro-active during the merger and to promote the interest of the new organization. A5. Influence Tactics Leaders to promote new ideas often use rational persuasion. Rational persuasion relies on knowledge, reason and facts to encourage someone to follow or endorse an idea (Krietner Kinichki, 2010). Consultation influence is another tactic which allows individuals involved to participate in the decision making process. This gives everyone involved empowerment within the process. Ms. Ewer can utilize consultation influence to involve the musicians in the decision making process and provide empowerment throughout the merger. The decision making process can be enhanced through rationale persuasion. Ms. Ewer can provide background information on both entities and the precarious financial position both faces. This will provide necessary information to rationalize why a merger would be beneficial to both entities. The information provided can be including Ms. Ewer’s vision for the future of the new organization. Ms. Ewer would provide the information necessary to make an informed decision and empower them throughout the merger process. Conclusion The merger between Utah Symphony and Utah Opera requires key individuals be in place that have the knowledge and skills to make it successful. The two boards will need to be pro-active and back leaders Ms. Ewers and Mr. Lockhart. The task will be far from easy, but if prioritized and a determination and passion are unified then the task will be much easier to attain. References Kreitner, R., Kinicke, A. (2010). Organizational Behavior. 9th Ed., McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, NY. Steel, P. Konig,C. (2006). Integrating theories of motivation. Academy of Management Review 31: 889–91 Tay, L. Diener, E. (2011). Needs and subjective well-being around the world. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(2), 354–365.

The Psychology Underlying The Narrative Strategy English Literature Essay

The Psychology Underlying The Narrative Strategy English Literature Essay Robert Louis Stevensons novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a great illustration of how different disciplines of education are intertwined. Although this novel is used in many English courses, it could also be used in a Psychology course more specifically, an Abnormal Psychology course. On the surface, Dr. Jekyll is clearly suffering from dissociative identity disorder, more commonly known as a split personality. He alternates between the personalities of himself and his evil half, Mr. Hyde; however, below the surface there is another way this novel relates to Psychology. Dr. Sigmund Freud, a very notorious psychologist from the Victorian Era from which this novel is written, proposed a theory called Psychoanalytic Theory. This theory suggests the notion that the unconscious is split into three dimensions: the ego, the id, and the superego. Each of these dimensions represents one of the main characters in this novel. The narrative strategy in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is effective because it offers the perspectives of the three main characters, Dr. Hastie Lanyon, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Gabriel Utterson, which stimulates all parts of the unconscious making the novel appealing to all types of people. Dr. Hastie Lanyon represents the ego of the story which Freud describes as the decision-making component of personality that operates according to the reality principle (McCann, and Weiten 523). Lanyon is very much a realist. He speaks dismissively of Dr. Jekylls experiments describing them as  unscientific balderdash (Stevenson, 38). Lanyons dominant ego also makes him very skeptical. An instance that shows this characteristic is when he is following instructions to gather the contents of Dr. Jekylls drawer. Upon finding the contents, Dr. Lanyon says, Here were a phial of some tincture, a paper of some salt, and the record of a series of experiments that had led (like too many of Jekylls investigations) to no end of practical usefulness (Stevenson, 73). Dr. Lanyon seriously doubts the value of the work of his former colleague, Dr. Jekyll. His letter which shows his point of view of the events involving Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde shows the cynical side of the story which stimulates the re aders own ego by allowing them to question the plausibility of the events that occur in this mysterious novel. Dr. Jekylls alternate personality, Hyde, represents the id, which according to Freud, is the primitive, instinctive component that operates according to the pleasure principle (McCann, and Weiten 523). Hyde is described as a troglodyte. This is basically defined as a primitive or caveman-like creature. Hyde is described as a short and hideous man that repulses everyone that crosses his path. The id can also be thought of as the devil on your shoulder that gives bad advice just to satisfy the here and now instincts of the unconscious. Evil is always described as inferior to good and the way Dr. Jekylls clothes are too big for Hyde correlates with this outlook. The id has a very powerful negative influence over the unconscious mind just as Hyde is very negatively influential over Dr. Jekylls personality. According to Freud there is always an internal conflict going on inside the unconscious sectors of the mind between the evil id and the good ego. An example of how this conflict arises in the novel is when Hyde murders Sir Danvers Carew. This shows how the id, Hyde, overpowers the ego-like, or good, Mr. Carew for no obvious reason other than it was something to do that would please him at that very moment. The perspective of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde presented through the letter at the end of the novel shows the reader how the id can sometimes overpower the rest of the unconscious and can also counter the attitude of the ego or Dr. Lanyon, therefore stimulating the readers id. Mr. Gabriel Utterson represents the last component of the unconscious, the superego. Freud describes this this part as, the moral component of personality that incorporates social standards about what represents right and wrong (McCann, and Weiten 523). The superego acts as a mediator between the instinctive urges of the id and the realistic impulses of the ego. Mr. Utterson represents a perfect Victorian gentleman. He is polite and follows societys norms but his persistent investigations show that he cannot ignore the fact that something unnatural is going on with his friend, Dr. Jekyll. Although the three main characters were once best friends, after Dr. Lanyon decided that Dr. Jekylls experiments were too peculiar and later declaring to Mr. Utterson, Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He began to go wrong, wrong in mind (Stevenson, 38), Mr. Utterson became a mutual friend or the mediator between the other two gentlemen. The way the novel is structured, having Mr. Uttersons perspec tive contribute to the bulk of it, is effective because it is a midway point for the reader. It allows the readers own superego to mediate the events that occur regarding Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It is interesting to see what can be uncovered when different areas of education are applied to one another. Through the research of Dr. Sigmund Freud, one is able to relate the psychology of the unconscious mind to the behaviour, motives, and opinions of the characters Dr. Lanyon, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Utterson in Robert Louis Stevensons novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This novel is remarkable because the author chose a creative way to narrate so that every person that reads the novel, no matter if they are dominated by their unconscious ego, id, or superego, they will be able to relate to at least one of the main characters. The narration technique of this novel is significant because it stimulates each region of the unconscious mind and allows the reader to separately evaluate the views of each of the three main characters which, in turn, eliminates bias.

Live Flesh by Pedro Almodovar: Scene Analysis :: essays research papers

Pedro Almodovar’s 1997 film Live Flesh (Carne Tremula), is rich in both visual and story elements, making in the perfect candidate for a scene analysis. Upon writing this paper, however, this was almost to my disadvantage. I watched it through and whittled it down to about five scenes I considered analyzing. This self-challenge is a testament to not only this film, but Almodovar’s whole body of work; he has created so many thoughtful, intricate, and all together entertaining films in his career, I had to somehow forgive myself for just choosing one short scene out of only one of his movies for analysis. So, without further ado, here is an analysis of a scene from Live Flesh. The scene I chose to analyze is the one in which David (Javier Bardem) returns home from a basketball game, only to find out his wife, Elena (Francesca Neri) has slept with another man. It occurs at roughly an hour and 17 minutes into the film, and is relatively short, but extremely powerful. The opening shot to the scene of Elena returning home from her tryst early in the morning. She enters the shower and begins to smell her naked body, seemingly bringing back memories from the previous night. Every time she inhales, she lets out an orgasmic sigh, which makes it clear to the audience exactly what she is recalling. With each sigh it seems that she not only had an amazing sexual experience, but that she also doesn’t regret it at all. This is until her last deep breathe. After this, she pauses for a beat, and in this moment, a look of full realization about the events of the past night washes over her face. This moment is fleeting, however, because right when she turns the shower on, she closes her eyes, as if she is recalling not only the scents of the night before, but even the sights and sounds. As soon as she stops moving and cracks a smile, the shot quickly changes to David’s cab pulling up. The cab symbolizes David’s dependence, in that all he can do is sit in the back and tell the driver where to go, showing that his disability has forced him to become dependent on so many different people. The fact that David’s cab was shown right as Elena began to smile shows that David’s dependence is preventing Elena from truly being happy, which I’m sure is a struggle in any relationship involving a handicapped person.

Lorcas El Maleficio De La Mariposa :: Lorca Maleficio Mariposa Essays

Lorca's El Maleficio De La Mariposa Federico Garcia Lorca was a Spanish poet who explored universal themes of love, lust, death and violence under the semblance of whimsical tragedies. The self-proclaimed gay had fanciful reveries declaring his almost child-like take on the chaotic conditions of his time. Although disguised as nothing more than a dark fairy tale, Lorca's El Maleficio De La Mariposa, like all his succeeding plays, is replete with symbolism that is quite impossible to grasp for minds clouded over by years of the world's sensibilities. UP's Filipino translation of Lorca's earliest work was entitled Ang Malupit na Encanto ng Mariposa. I found it puzzling that the actors delivered English lines when the ticket said that the play was a Filipino rendition. Besides, the title was in Filipino. My puzzlement is not over the fact that it was translated at all. The original, after all, would have been impossible for us to comprehend since it was in Spanish. But why not in Filipino? Either way, it was translated. Therefore, some of the scathingly disturbing images of Lorca's dialogs may have been lost. However, I do not think the play was in such a serious tone -sad, yes, but not too high-brow and tight-lipped. It is amazing to think of how a man like Lorca, who troubles himself with the endeavors and tragedies of bugs and insects can be considered one of the greatest poets of the 21st century. The play had the makings of a fairy tale -what with animals thinking and contriving, a beetle obsessing over love, and a beautiful butterfly collapsing into their care. It was enough to make the little girl in me swoon with memories of childhood dreams, and hope that the beetle, with his troubadourian serenades, and the butterfly end up together. To add to this effect, the production was very pretty. Seeing the play through the artistry of Dulaang UP was a visual delight. The dainty lights overhead the audience brought us into the enchantment of the beetles over finding a butterfly in their midst. The choreography, too, moved the fantastic mood along. I didn't know one could create a whole routine out of beetles' and scorpions' scamperings. But amid the loveliness of the set and choreography, I found a terror in a tragedy that was still beautifully distressing. Here came out the pain of a longing frustrated by conventions in the young boy beetle's pining for a love he cannot have. Here is the brilliance of Lorca's poetry, the way he combines fear (in the scorpions' menacing advances) and pain (in the love that cannot be reciprocated) with beauty. That was where my confusion comes in, where I appealed to symbolism to make

The Decline of Aristocracy in The Communist Manifesto Essay -- Communi

The Decline of Aristocracy in The Communist Manifesto The decline of aristocracy in The Communist Manifesto began with Karl Marx’s statement, â€Å"The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggles.†1 Marx recognized the ideals of the social rank, which has influenced every society throughout history. The two social classes described by Marx were the Bourgeoisie, or the upper class, and the Proletariats, or the lower class. Before the Bourgeoisie came to social power, landowners and corporate organizations ran the society. Marx believed that the severe separation of the two classes greatly troubled society and that the two classes must coexist as one with each other.2 The Bourgeoisie were the landowners, employers, and those who received capital in the society. They had other people work under them and controlled labor in order to increase personal capital. â€Å"Marx delineates his vision of history, focusing on the development and eventual destruction of the bourgeoisie, the dominant class of his day.†3 The Bourgeoisie came up with the idea to create a new social class known as the Proletariats, which were the laborers for the production of Bourgeoisie industry. The Proletariat was composed of the lower class of individuals as well as the lower region of the middle class; which eventually fell into the classification of Proletariat. This class is identified by hard individual efforts. The Proletariats lived to work, and the only way that they were hired was if the business owners believed they could increase capital. Marx described the worker as a sort of soldier or a slave for their labor.4 Similar to slaves, the working class was exploited by their superiors, or the Bou... ... 1. Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party (Dayton: U Dayton P, 1999), 38. 2. Smith, J.N. "ClassicNote on Communist Manifesto." ClassicNotes by Gradesaver. 2000. Gradesaver. 22 March 2001 < http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/communist/ >. 3. Smith, J.N., ClassicNotes by GradeSaver 4. Lukacs, George. History and Class Consiousness (Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1968), 46. 5. Smith, J.N., ClassicNotes by GradeSaver 6. McIntosh, Ian. Classical Sociological Theory (New York: New York University Press, 1997), 17. 7. Lukacs, George, 46. 8. Smith, J.N., ClassicNotes by GradeSaver 9. Hoselitz, Ben F. "Karl Marx on Secular and Social Development: A Study in the Sociology of Nineteenth Century 10. Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party

Global Warming †the Great Delusion Essay

Matt Patterson argues in â€Å"Global Warming – The Great Delusion† that the alleged scientific consensus surrounding the theory of global warming is based not on fact, but rather on a web of mass hysteria and deceit. Patterson contends that â€Å"In fact, global warming is the most widespread mass hysteria in our species’ history†, and that the beliefs of global warming proponents are the result of their own delusional imaginations and a subconscious apocalyptic yearning toward which masses of people tend to subject themselves. While Patterson worries that what he perceives to be the delusions of global warming proponents run amok could prove to be a legitimate threat to the progress of Man, he argues that there is a growing trend of dissenters to the theory among the scientific community that will break the supposed fever of global warming hysteria. The author begins the piece by drawing a parallel between the actions of global warming supporters and the erratic behaviors of witch hunters and alchemists prior to the 20th century. He claims that Charles Mackay, 19th century journalist and author of â€Å"Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds†, would draw the same conclusions today concerning global warming proponents that he did when observing popular susceptibility towards belief in with hunts and alchemy. In doing so, he attempts to illustrate his point that the proponents of global warming are simply falling prey to the madness fueled by those around them, rather than basing their actions and beliefs on facts or evidence. To support this assertion, Patterson employs a bevy of Devil terms to describe the commonality between the ignorance observed by Mackay toward witch hunters and the ignorance observed by Patterson toward global warming activists. Terms like superstition, guilt, hatred, and apocalyptic yearning all seek to paint global warming believers as a reactionary group acting on impulse over evidence. A rebuttal might point out that Patterson has yet to provide evidence against global warming r discredit the available evidence that supports the theory, and Mackay’s point about humans self-inflicting worries upon themselves might not hold any water if the worry in question was indeed valid and supported by evidence. Patterson continues this assertion into the next paragraph, adding more emotional emphasis by claiming that â€Å"In fact, global warming is the most widespread mass hysteria in our species’ history†. By framing the argument so dramatically, Patterson draws a visible distinction to whom his intended audience may be: those who already agree with his position and are looking for solidarity in their own opinions, as well as those on the fence or who have a neutral opinion on the validity of global warming. By emphasizing the extent of the error of global warming believers to such a degree, Patterson may be attempting to pique the interest of those who have paid little attention to the global warming debate before. Additionally, global warming proponents are grouped into the term â€Å"warmists† in this paragraph, and later referred to as â€Å"climate cultists†. These terms carry a belittling connotation that implies that global warming proponents are members of an extremist fringe group, rather than the majority. A rebuttal of this point might simply note that the majority of climatologists still subscribe to global warming as a viable theory, and Patterson is still yet to present any evidence to support his assertions. The author’s argument continues on to present this perceived hysteria of global warming as not only a potentially viable threat to humankind and the institutions that have enabled it to thrive, but one that is evidently on the decline. Patterson expresses a fear that â€Å"Man will be convinced by these climate cultists to turn his back on the very political, economic, and scientific institutions that made him so powerful, so wealthy, so healthy†. By framing his argument in a way that transitions from highlighting the scientific ignorance of global warming to the policies that such a worldview could impact, Patterson attempts to establish a chain of logic that justifies his concern for global warming as an influence on government. The language used in the sentence (â€Å"climate cultists† trying to convince â€Å"Man†, turning their back on beneficial institutions) also implies to the reader that the proponents of global warming are actively attempting to undermine the institutions that have allowed humankind to thrive in the modern world. This opinion is underlined later in the article, when Patterson contemplates why many â€Å"hope† for climate change catastrophe. At this point, Patterson approaches the core of his argument, wherein he provides what he believes to be sufficient evidence that the idea global warming will soon cease to be a threat to the progress. He argues that the â€Å"fever is breaking, as more and more scientists come forward to admit their doubts about the global warming paradigm†. The use of a fever as a metaphor suggests that the hysteria that surrounds global warming acts as an ailment on society, and as more and more scientists challenge the theory, its credibility – and ultimately its power – is diminished. To support this statement, he cites quotes from scientists expressing reluctance and doubt toward the theory of global warming. Patterson makes sure to mention the alleged prominence of the dissenting scientists and to identify Ivar Giaever as a Nobel Prize winner, in an attempt to bolster the credibility of his sources through the use of God terms. A rebuttal of this point might argue that this is not evidence against global warming, but rather an argument from authority. By citing two examples of scientists dissenting from popular scientific consensus on global warming and asserting them as proof of the untruth of the theory, Patterson ultimately says nothing persuasive in opposition to global warming. Were he able to provide evidence of an increasing trend of scientists rejecting the theory, his argument might gain credibility, but by citing only two singular examples, he gives the reader no reason to believe that this information is indicative of the norm rather than the exception. Perhaps anticipating the counterargument that the majority of scientists still accept global warming as a viable theory, Patterson posits another quote from the group of dissenting scientists, who claim that â€Å"Alarmism over climate is of great benefit to many, providing government funding for academic research and a reason for government bureaucracies to grow. † While Patterson doesn’t expound on this claim, its presence in his article strongly implies that he identifies with the point made by these scientists. He then goes on to dismiss federal mandates related to carbon emissions as â€Å"schemes† meant to undermine the individual liberty of the voters. A rebuttal might argue that these points contradict the primary argument Patterson made at the opening of the article; by heavily implying that global warming proponents cling to the hope of â€Å"climate change catastrophe† mainly as an effort to profit from government funding and to further bureaucratic control, he nullifies his argument based on the quote from Charles Mackay that global warming fear is borne from superstition, Western guilt, and apocalyptic yearning. Overall, Matt Patterson’s article proved to be an unconvincing piece of rhetoric against global warming. He provided astonishingly little evidence to support his argument that global warming was a ridiculous superstition, and relied on two singular examples to demonstrate that scientists were flocking away from the theory. He offered no objective data on climate change and in fact opted out of even delving into the mechanics of the theory, choosing instead to merely assert the apparent lunacy and hysteria of global warming proponents in a shallow attempt to undermine their credibility. This piece may perhaps bolster the confidence of individuals who already deny the claims of the theory of global warming, but it would most likely prove unconvincing to almost any other audience.

SWOT Analysis on Electronic Arts Sports Essay

Background of the Company Electronic Arts (EA) are an international organization that deals with the development, marketing, publishing and distribution of video games all over the world. US census bureau identified electronic arts as software publishers industry. EA is well-established and independent producers of video games and according to the study by Thompson (2007), EA made global market up to $35 billion. In 2005, it was observed that the US made sales up to $7 billion along with the video games made by EA, and this amount was predicted to grow more in order, to set a record. The prediction was made on the analysis that retailers would be purchasing an Xbox 360, Sony’s new play station and Nintendo Wii in bulk. But, unfortunately, the originality of new consoles tapered off and a decline in sale was observed by 2010. There are various factors that contribute to progress the popularity and demands of video games among masses. Likewise, these video games were made, themed and styled to satisfy needs of all age groups specifically youth. Secondly, graphics play an important part in expanding the fame and demand of video games. EA showed a tremendous growth in the global market by meeting the needs of customers and by marketed the items properly, exactly according to the increasing budgets, sale promotions and advertisement levels. The growth of the company is evidenced that from the increased employee requirement and industry size. No matter, up to what extend the company has grown, in the competitive market there are always some opportunities, and threats that based on the company’s strengths and weaknesses (Allen, Blakeman, & DeMaiolo, 2011). This paper serves to provide the SWOT analysis of EA sports video games in order to evaluate that where EA sports stands in the global Manfred, T. (2013, September 26). EA Sports Cancels Its College Football Video Game Amid A Wave Of Lawsuits. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from businessinsider.com: http://www.businessinsider.com/ea-sports-cancels-ncaa-football-videogame-2013

Marketing Strategies Essay

A.1) By using PESTEL analysis we can analyze the macro factors affecting KFC Political Factors: Political factors refer to the government policies such as degree of intervention in the economy. KFC is asked to tell the people safety and health guidelines, KFC is also asked to label the genetically modified food (GM food). It follows the Animal rights campaigns by the government. Economic Factors: These include taxation changes, interest rates, inflation and exchange rates, economic growth. Social Factors: Social factors can have effect on the firms availability of the products, demand of the products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. In UK the population has been ageing. This change has affected the cost of the firms due to the pension payment to their old age employees because the firms is committed to the employees who work with the firm from a long cycle period. Some firms have started recruiting old age employees to balance the labor pool. The ageing population has also affected demand, for example the demand for medicines and sheltered accommodation has increased whereas the demand for toys and other young age products has fallen. Technological Factors: New technology brings up new products and new processes of production. MP3 players, high definition TV, online business are all new innovations created by technological advancements. Technology can reduce the cost, improve the quality and lead to innovation of new products. These technological advancements can benefit the consumer as well as the organization. Environmental Factors: Environmental factors include the change in climate and weather. The changes in the temperature can impact many organizations such as farming, tourism, and insurance, with major climate changed due to global warming and with more and more environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a big issue for the companies to consider. The desire of saving the natural resources and environment is having an impact on many industries such as tourism and transportation, for example more taxes are  being imposed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars. and the move towards more eco-friendly products and creating an issue in demand and making new business opportunities. Legal factors: This is related to the legal environment in which the business operates. In recent years the legal changes in UK has affected many firms. The introduction of new age discrimination and disability discrimination legislation, an increase in the minimum wage of the employees and greater requirement for a firm to recycle has affected organization. Such legal changes affect the cost of the organization

Formation and Maintenance of Relationship

Describe and evaluate the formation and maintenance of relationships In the field of psychology, the most common relationships are classified into 3 types: * Romantic relationship * Social relationships (Friendship) * Family relationship Romantic relationships Formation: According to the Reward/ Need satisfaction theory of Bryne and Clore in the 1970s, some romantic relationship may develop due to their satisfaction and happiness they achieve when spending time with the other partner. Most people when being asked why they are attracted to their partners would reply back with answers like attentive, attractive, supporting, caring, etc.This suggests that we are more likely to be attracted to people that we are satisfied or gratified to be with. Most stimuli in our lives can be classified into negative and rewarding ones. We tend to search for rewarding stimuli and avoid the negative stimuli. The things that we are most likely going to find rewarding tend to reflect our unsatisfied need s such as the need for company, financial security, an attractive partner and so on. Mutual attractions usually occurs when one meets the other’s needs although one might need company and the other in search for financial security. Maintenance:What keeps relationships going? Some relationship never seem to last and have any passion in while some can be extremely long-lasting and may even last for a life-time. Maintaining relationships was never a one-way process, it involves and requires the interaction of both the participants, each with their own needs and expectations. The partners not only have to serve their own needs but also satisfy the needs of their partners. The social exchange theory by Thibaut and Kelley in 1959: In terms of profit and loss, individuals always attempt to maximise the profit and minimise the effort needed.Rewards that may be received in a relationship can vary from care, money, companionship and sex. The effort needed that is the costs may vary fro m financial investments, time spent and attention given. The reward minus the costs is equal to the outcome or the profitability of the relationship. The stress of a relationship is dependent on the profitability of the relationship. Equilty theory of Walster et al. in 1978: This theory suggests that the most successful and longterm relationships are ones that have a balanced giving and receiving.It had a central assumption that everyone long for fairness in their relationship and when one puts a lot of effort into the relationship but gets little in return, they would feel unfair and inequity would create stress in the relationship, The greater the unfairness and inequity is, the more distress it would create in the relationship. Other theories: Other theories such as the one put forward by Steil and Wletman in 1991 suggests that men and women may judge the equity of a relationship more differently.Studies have shown that when the income is mainly from the male side, the career wou ld become a more important priority and it is usually agreed by both sides. However, when the female earn more than the male, neither partner rated their career as priority. Social relationships: Friendship Interpersonal psychology research object: Psychological relationship between people, is something much deeper than behavior, the relevance and necessity of the law of the behavior of the individual exchanges.Interpersonal theory of psychological research tasks: Is to fully reveal and clarify the general rules and mechanisms of interpersonal development, analyze the theoretical basis of interpersonal figure out individual and personal interaction of individuals and groups, and people in the system of interpersonal functioning explore interpersonal attitudes, social perception, self-perception, psychological control, interpersonal influence, interpersonal attraction, interpersonal conflict and group behavior, interpersonal.To establish interpersonal psychology unique concepts, term inology, category system, to provide a basis for further improve interpersonal psychology scientific theoretical system, accumulation of material for the enrichment and development of psychological theory and methods, this is a long and arduous job. At the same time, but also the interpersonal psychology in China as soon as possible, that is suitable for China's national conditions, after selection – intake – the Chinese way, to establish the actual interpersonal psychology system in line with China's national conditions for reform and opening up.Task of the interpersonal psychological research practice: (1) the right to deal with interpersonal relationships. (2) to adjust the interpersonal relationships. (3) continue to improve interpersonal relationships. (4) the development of new relationships. (5) correct deformity relationships. Interpersonal relations and social relations: (1) interpersonal and social relations are two different concepts, can not be confused.Int erpersonal relationships as a social relationship between the role and any other kind of social relations, is bound by the constraints of the relations of production, but also by other social relations, and thus should be examined in the interpersonal relationships within the social relations. At the same time, we should also see interpersonal relationships is the true reality of social relations phenomenon. 2) interpersonal and objective social relations is generated at the same time, interpersonal outset by the constraints impact of social relations, social relations exist in the relationships among Of course, social relations with the interpersonal concept of two-level has different theoretical generalization force. Emphasize the reality of the relationship between the overall aspects of non-personalized social relations, interpersonal relationships is more individual, personalized to show the reality aspect.Relationships are formed on the basis of the social relations, but not t he same thing. Social relations is the object of sociological research, which on the one hand to study the relationship of the human and material; the other hand, social relations, including the relationship between the ideological, legal relationship, the moral relationship. While interpersonal interpersonal direct psychological relations, it is constrained by social relations, is a reflection of social relations, but it has a certain relative independence.Relationships are a product of social relations: (1) any kind of interpersonal is always social relations. (2) the fundamental nature of human relationships is determined by the nature of the social patterns of social relations of production. (3) changes in interpersonal relationships is determined by changes in social relations. (4) the complexity of the personal relationships is determined by the complexity of the social relations. Necessity of interpersonal Research:Not exist in isolation, the links with the community, is boun d to a variety of relationships, including family relationships, friend relationship, Jacky (students) relationship, the teacher-student relationship, employment relationship, comrades relations, colleagues and leadership and leadership relations. With the thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the process of interaction of these relationships, interaction and communication with others, these relations between different objects will point to different directions.Healthy relationship is to attract and cooperation; but because of the environmental impact of personality factors, psychological factors and other reasons, many people deal with bad interpersonal relationships will inevitably be caught in the contradictions and pain, the relationship between the parties do not have enough wisdom to resolve resulting inner conflict, will be plunged into a crisis of human relationships, even interpersonal psychological barriers, thereby reducing their life happiness index.Important links between interpersonal and psychological health, good interpersonal comes from a healthy state of mind, self-confident, optimistic, calm, fraternity, to help others, humility, tolerance, and so on, these good quality behavior in interpersonal play a very good role in promoting, healthy relationships can also make people relieve stress, calm down, people's personal development, physical and mental health also played a positive role.On the other hand, problems in interpersonal relationships, will be more or less there some psychological problems, even psychological barriers interpersonal, in the interaction between people, they express more conceited, self-esteem negative psychological interference of others, suspicious, sensitive, jealous, resulting interpersonal again and again thwarted. Therefore, to study the psychology of interpersonal relationships came into being.

System analysis and design Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

System analysis and design - Coursework Example The system is supposed to work in the construction industry where it is supposed to allow for easier recording of the different equipments. It is also supposed to allow for the generation of the different reports suiting the needs of the users. The workers carried an analysis of the existing manual systems in order to come up with a diagram of the new systems. Different mode of data collection were used which included questionnaires and interviews. Interviewees were supposed to be the people who were participating in the current manual system and managers of the organization. To make sure correct information was given, first the interviewees were taught of the importance of the information that they were providing, and the need of it being correct. The answers given during the interviews were recorded, and the system design was drawn. To make sure that the system requirements had been captured in the system design, the experts visited a neighboring company by the name John contractors, who had a similar system implemented the previous year. This enabled us to learn some of the problem that was encountered by the team after deployment and improvements that were suggested. After the analysis of the current system, the team had to come up with a design of the online system. We had also to come up with the implementation mode which was arrived at that the system should be web based and have a database. The design took into consideration the different modules and requirements of the system which had been supplied to us in the specification document. Owing to security measures and need of availability of the system, it was to be designed in a way that it was to run from a server within the organization. The system included different levels of users who included the managers and the subordinate staff. 1. Offer security of information- The system ensured this by requiring people to log in before accessing it. This is made possible by having a

Problems of Industrialization in Pakistan Essay - 1

Problems of Industrialization in Pakistan - Essay Example This essay discusses the Pakistan country, that is a developing nation that is dependent on agriculture as the country is endowed with fertile lands fit for the economic activity. Nonetheless, the process of industrializing her agricultural activities has been faced by several problems impeding the whole process. This essay expounds on the different factors undermining the efforts to industrialize the operations in the country and not the negative effects that may result from industrialization in a given country. The factors were identified from the responses in a survey that was carried out to seek information from a variety of industrialists in the country in relation to the industrialization problems they have encountered, or the factors they consider detrimental to the process. The researcher discusses the problems of electricity and energy shortages, poor and underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of trained and skilled workforce problem, little emphasis that is given on research a nd development as well as declines in foreign direct investment, that is needed today. It is also concluded by the researcher that the country has been making efforts to promote its industrialization, but the efforts have had no positive yields yet. The researcher also mentiones that foreign direct investors, who can contribute significantly to industrialization through introduction of new technologies, are not attracted to a country with such deficiencies, that were discussed in the essay and that is the main problem.

Transformers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Transformers - Essay Example Transformers surfaced a number of years ago with its first movie debut in 2007. The movie was able to capture imaginations across the globe with its sophisticated graphics and depiction of cars turning into robots and back to cars again. In addition, the thrilling tale that bound the first Transformer movie kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting for more Transformer action and drama. Needless to say, the sequel to the first Transformer movie was bigger, better and more breath taking. The second part of Transformers has captured my attention since its inception since 2009, even though there have been other sequels as well. The second movie built upon the concepts delineated in the first movie and refined the conception of transforming robots and their mission further. Improved graphics, a stunning cast and a thrilling action story coupled to a strong plot made for an unforgettable movie. Living a routine life, I could not help appreciate the capricious nature of events depicted that assumed larger than life dimensions as two species of robots battled for control of their fates. The very label of the second movie, â€Å"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen† speaks volumes of the intent behind this movie. Although there have been other sequels of the Transformer movie series, but the groundwork laid in this particular sequel is unmatched. Primarily, when Transformers’ second movie is compared to contemporary cinema, it becomes clear that the concept existed at the margins and this movie brought this concept to the limelight in an unmatched fashion. A number of different science fiction movies dotted cinemas and imaginations across the globe but none of them depicted entire herds of robots, each with its own distinct character and flavour. The very idea of two divergent robot herds battling each other for control of certain resources on planet Earth to dominate the other seemed out of the mundane and ordinary

Finance Course work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance Course work - Essay Example In which, both targets and bidders were greatly influenced by the notion of greater efficiency especially this occurred in the first great merger wave period. In the following M&A history, various studies required the presence of legal and regulatory framework with an aim of solidifying the existence along with prolonging the success stories of M&A. Despite the implementation of regulatory-cum-legal framework, hostile takeovers did take place, leaving the negative impacts on the stock price of the targets. In the subsequent part of this paper, first, M&A definitions are accounted for, which is followed by motives and theories. Subsequent to that, Merger waves periods, legal-cum-regulatory framework are elaborated. Afterwards, strategies and tactics in takeovers, the effects of M&A on firm’s stock price and stock market are explained. Before conclusion, financial objectives and case study about Burlines Group’s acquisition of Telemetry business are incorporated. Numerous definitions for types of combinations of firms have been put forwarded (Frensch, 2007, p.23). Fundamentally, mergers and acquisitions take place when a firm seeking to expand its activities into new products (Boettke, 1994, p.394). Additionally, with the objective of pursuing common economic aims, the combinations of firms come out as a result of a union of legally and economically independent firms by serving the interests of both parties. Collectively, Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) take place when two or more organizations join together in toto or in part of their business operations. However, the difference between mergers and acquisitions are associated particularly with: the relative size of the individual firms in the business combination; management control of the joint business; ownership of the combined business (Coyle, 2000). Coyle (2000) further defines its broadest definition;

Students Caught Cheating or Plagiarizing Should Be Dismissed From Essay - 7

Students Caught Cheating or Plagiarizing Should Be Dismissed From College - Essay Example The present research has identified that plagiarism is an academic offense, which occurs when students copy information from materials written by other people and fail to acknowledge by citing and referencing sources of the information. This may be for example lifting texts from the internet and handing it over for marking, or purchasing papers from writers, with the intent of earning higher marks or beating deadlines for handing in their assignments (Harris 2007). Lecturers, who do not take an effort to verify the integrity of the assignments, end up awarding the high marks and believing that their students are bright while in the real sense, the opposite is true. The real essence of writing exams is to establish the capacity of the students and to take stock of the progress made in the course of learning. As such, results based on plagiarized assignments can never offer the right quality of graduates and this may have a negative effect on the kind of workforce a country depends on economic growth. It is therefore imperative to punish students caught cheating or plagiarizing in order to deter others who may be tempted to do the same. Dismissing such students from college is a viable punishment, which should be adopted by all institutions. On the other hand, there are people who feel that dismissing students from college for cheating and plagiarism is an inhumane punishment, especially for first-time offenders. They argue that there are better ways of dealing with such cases, for example failing a student in the affected subject. It is important to understand that not all plagiarism cases are intentional. According to them, students may lack the skills to cite and reference borrowed ideas while conducting research and writing assignments. Such students should not be made to suffer the consequences but should instead be given another chance to do the papers again or revise the mistakes on the marked assignments for a limited number of times after which the decis ion to fail them is reached.  

What the new expatriates should expect with leaders from another Essay

What the new expatriates should expect with leaders from another countries - Essay Example Ladies and gentlemen, as I stated just now globalization has brought us closer with each passing day and same has been the case among the nations – spread across the world’s horizon. We might have a definitive understanding of the American nation but then again little do we know about the kind of leadership prevalent within Brazil, Italy, India, Germany, Denmark and Australia. Thus these seven nations have so much in common but when it comes to an understanding of their leadership regimes and the like, we fall short on gaining that ground. Let us kick off with how the American leadership shapes up. America, as we all know is the super power of the world and hence the influence it has on the fraternity of nations is somewhat demanding. It wants to build relationships with the rest of the worldly nations only on the premise that they are willing to listen to what the American leadership has to say. As expatriates, you should know beforehand that American leaders are willing to listen yet they do what they deem best for their country, organization or society. As decision makers, they take all steps after going through each and every stage of the decision making cycle as the pros and cons are studied in an incisive manner. (Barber, 1988) They treat their subordinates with respect and dignity and reward them for their work and commitment. In a global workplace, communication holds the key and America, of all the nations has this advantage of understanding the different dialects and languages of the expatriates coming from different regions of the world. America is on the move and so is their leadership hierarchy – they are striving to achieve more and more through the means of diversity, rest assured. Moving on towards Brazil ladies and gentlemen, we take a look at the way this South American nation has progressed over the years. The Brazilian

A Brief Review of Creativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Brief Review of Creativity - Essay Example The idea that creativity is a result of brain function is based on observations of patients who experienced the split-brain operation (in them, corpus callosum was cut completely). The authors of the article present brief descriptions and examples of how patient with split brain behave in different situation. Then, the authors describe the fundamental finding that the hemispheres can function both independently and simultaneously. In this regard, Bogen and Bogen present their views on creativity and lack of creativity in the end of the article. More specifically, they state that corpus callosum plays an important role in creativity for it transfers information between the two hemispheres. For creativity, a partial hemispheric independence is important as well due to the fact that it is responsible for the dissociation of different stages creativity goes through in its development. While the above-mentioned stages of creativity take place in different hemispheres, corpus callosum passes the information obtained at these stages from one hemisphere to another, and it is this transfer which results in creativity. Bogen, J. E., and J. M. Bogen. "Split-Brains: Interhemispheric Exchange in Creativity."California Institute of Technology. N.p., 2003. Web. 18 May 2015.

The terms Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

The terms Race and Ethnicity Essay The terms Race and Ethnicity are vastly different in meaning. Regardless of their historical definitions which can be lengthy and tend to run off on many tangents. Race to me simply is based on physical characteristics. The color of ones skin, the bone structure, eye color and shape, or texture and color of ones hair. The physical makeup of a person determines their origin of race, for example Black, White or Asian. Race is simply our biological composition. Ethnicity on the other hand is based in culture, where a persons ancestry developed, their national origin being foremost and then their learned culture and background over time becomes ones ethnic makeup. Examples of this are Hispanic, German, Scottish, English, Mexican, or Jewish. For instance I am White but also German, Irish and Dutch and through my family history there are cultural traditions carried on in each generation that have become part of my ethnicity and make me unique but also group me with people from my -specific ethnic background. Ethnicity means sharing cultural similarities such as language, cuisines, dress and traditions that are part of a national culture. As far as the ways these concepts are important to the United States society, there are many, however not all of them are positive. These concepts are important to the United States society because people are recognized for the diversity of their race and culture as represented by each individual group. In my opinion race has been and is still used to determine power in our society and always brings separation by the ways in which its distributed. Classes are formed and people are either lifted to a higher level of class based on their skin color or race of origin and others are suppressed and disallowed to climb higher in society by the same racial definitions. I believe the biggest importance in our society regarding both race and ethnicity is the way people are treated regarding healthcare and the glaring class separation. Whole sections of people can be made to feel alienated or be made to feel inferior if society fails to bring diverse groups together as one mainstream society. Ethnicity as I have seen it has brought groups closer in society. People of diverse nationalities seem to stick together and celebrate their diversity in close knit groupings, gathering at holidays to share cultural traditions. Choosing cohabitation in neighborhoods of common nationalities and cultures, forming alliances with similar fellowships and even encouraging social activities within cultural groups. Everyone can learn from anothers culture and bring their own knowledge to the table to share with others. Our country was founded on diversity and the common understanding that we are all different and all deserve the same respect for our individual values. In order to ensure success in the future of our country we need to broaden our thinking and teach tolerance and appreciation for our differences.