People’s Home Gadgets Essay

1. Provide advice to Paula regarding the nature of the HR system she should recommend for the customer service representatives at the six stores. There is a problem that PHG has faced employee turnover issues the figures indicates over the 70% more than management’s expectation. To reduce, turn over issues I’d like recommend an improvement of entire salary systems employees get their salary based on their performance, it makes high turnover issues that mean a representative who has remarkable ability when he sailing PHG stuffs. However, other people who can’t sales as much as sales top representatives ended up they got a lowest salary. So I recommend Paula to do establish fixed salary policies regardless of their sales abilities. 2. Identify a key strategic performance driver for this organization. They have strategic performance drivers based on low costs-high quality policies. It indicates a core concept of competition. In other words, it is called Cost leadership strategy. By lowering costs, they are able to get a high market positions more that other competitive. To maintain that position they always consider in respect of cost benefits. 3. How do the customer service representatives contribute to the strategic performance driver you identified? The company gives representatives a discretion which is able to provide lower prices by cutting margin of percentages. It was a unique policy. Finally, it makes them to maintain cost leadership so illustrated polices could give company a competitive edge in the market. A processes that establishing strategic performance is following. 4. Design an HR system to realize the strategic performance driver you identified. Be certain to explain how you would (a) design the work

Communication Studies Essay

This blog is for students of the Community College of St Vincent & the Grenadines who are to be entered for CAPE Communication Studies examination in May 2008. The blog contains information about the course syllabus, administration and assignments as well as the course content. Wednesday, March 05, 2008 The expository presentation for CAPE Communication Studies Internal Assessmblies The presentation has two distinct parts * A FACTUAL presentation on an aspect of your portfolio theme * A presentation about your research including an evaluation of two sources of information used to prepare your factual presentation. It will have all the following 6 elements present 1. An introduction (statement of topic) In the introduction you will give a brief explanation of topic/ theme and a preview (with a thesis statement) of what you are going to cover. For example. â€Å"My theme is Returning Migrants to St Vincent. Returning migrants or returnees are a group within the population of St Vincent who have spent a significant time away from the island and have then returned to permanently settle again. Returning migrants often are retired from their previous occupation which they pursued in a more developed country such as the United States, Canada or Great Britain or they have been working in another Caribbean state. According to statistics from the Customs Department given to me by Mrs B Chalres in an interview 4361 people claimed the concession for returning residents in 2005. Returning migrants experience 5 phases of adjuststment when returning which can be termed as â€Å"culture shock†.† Theme ; Returning Migrants to St Vincent. a group within the population of St Vincent a significant time away from the island returned to permanently settle retired from their previous occupation (the United States, Canada or Great Britain) OR working in another Caribbean state. Customs Department (Mrs B Charles) â€Å"4361 people claimed the concession for returning residents in 2005†. Returning migrants experience 5 phases of adjustmentwhen returning which can be termed as â€Å"culture shock†. 2. A rationale In the rationale you need to explain why you picked the theme and it can form part of the introduction. In the rationale you should mention any personal interests, current academic links and future career plans which influenced your decision to choose the theme For example I chose the theme returning migrants to St Vincent and specifically to focus on culture shock because I am a wife of a returning migrant. I have a BSc honours in Sociology and the concept of culture shock is part of socio-cultural studies carried out by Kavelo Oberg 1958. In the future I will be submitting my Masters thesis on this specific issue. 3. Discussion of issues The discussion of issues is the factual presentation about the theme and its narrowed focus based on the thesis statement. It should have a distinct organisational pattern and you should aim for one of the expository structures such as cause and effect, process analysis, analysis by division, classification etc (See Writing in English) It should also be referenced and include any research findings. You will also need to give a conclusion to your factual presentation as a sort of sub conclusion don’t wait until the end Here is an example of a possible outline for my example presentation (not all of it). It uses the organisational pattern of process analysis Remember you cannot read from a script! Culture shock 5 phases Honeymoon, rejection/ regression, conformist, assimilation, reverse culture shock Honeymoon Centre for Overseas Travel â€Å"the tourist phase† Questionnaire (300 returning migrants) 78% not feel â€Å"tourist† 82% â€Å"elated† Rejection Oberg – frustration etc Questionnaire 50% wanted to return after 3 months, Reasons, poor service, backward attitude, nothing to do, boring Interview Dr Sheridan Mental health presentations tend to be in 1st 4 months of return. 4. Challenges of research You need to discuss what difficulties you faced in preparing your factual presentation. If you did not have any difficulties then just explain why. For example (in note form) Questionnaires – time consuming, identifying sample, Other sources – no central data on returnees, newspaper articles useful Academic research not on St Vincent 5. Evaluation of two sources For this aspect of the presentation you need to discuss your research. The two sources need not necessarily be given as a reference in the presentation but they should be relevant. You should try to select two different types of data source e.g. a newpaper article and an interview. You may want to very briefly summarise all your sources before evaluating two for reliability and validity. Please see other parts of the blog for information on reliablity and validity. For example (in note form) Secondary sources: academic text books and journals, local and international newspapers and magazines, web sites: international public organisations e.g. Peace Corps general sites e.g. Wikipedia Primary sources interviews of experts in St Vincent questionnaire of returning migrants. Questionnaire of returning migrants Reliable: primary data source, research method suited to collecting data for social research Valid: Problem with sample size as total population of RMs unknown Problem with generalisation as differences between UK, US and other RMs more research needed. Overall reliable and reasonably valid The Experience of Return Migration: A Caribbean Perspective, Joan Phillips and Reliable Denis Conway, Ashgate Press, London 2005 Author expert Phd Social Anthrop. Specialised Caribbean writer – Canada Publisher: reputable, specialst academic main interest Social research Valid Recently published Problem no reference to St Vincent Overall general but very reliable and valid source 6. Conclusion The conclusion should be slightly different to the internal summary conclusion in your discussion of issues. At this stage you can express a personal view or put forward a possible solution. For example (in note form) Returning migrants YES culture shock 3 ways Honeymoon Rejection Conformist NO assimilation Solutions Programme – promote overseas, keep in touch, Information – government FINALLLY See my other post about the reseach using the internet for idea. Make sure that you are aware of the requirements for acceptable notes during the exam and be familiar with the marks scheme – it is not only content that is marked but also presentation skills.

Content Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Content Marketing - Essay Example There is no doubt the University Co-op acknowledges that it would not exist without the populaces that form its clientele base. In the spirit of mutual benefit, the organization has incessantly provided support ranging from $20 to $1,000,000 to students, faculty and the staff of the University of Texas in Austin as well as other community-based development projects (The University Co-op, 2013). It is indeed a venerable venture, the mother of hearty givers. Co-op GOES is one of the programs that the organization has supported for the past eight years. In the spirit of giving, the institution has continued supporting Global Opportunities in Education Scholarships. It has donated a total of $1,400,000 to Provost’s offices to sponsor hundreds of students to study abroad (The University Co-op, 2013). Many needy students with high academic capabilities have had the chance to realize their dreams through the organization’s culture of giving. Further, the organization gives students opportunities for capacity building by funding student organizations. Since 2002, the institution has devoted up to $1,566,291 to fund registered student organizations in the University of Texas, Austin (The University Co-op, 2013). Venerability of the University Co-op further exhibits itself in its continued support for UT Athletic Department Endeavors. For as long as institutions need to subsist, there is great need to sustain operations of University Co-op for the efforts it places in enhancing athletics and sports for both men and women. As it realizes the significance of sporting in individual development and has donated $1,165,000 towards sporting activities since 2002. The organization supports the Longhorn foundation, Athletics Academic Awards and Women’s Hall of Honor (The University Co-op, 2013). Additionally, the University Co-op gives opportunities to parents and their children to explore education and career chances in its locality

Marketing Research for Yelp in the Brazilian Market Term Paper

Marketing Research for Yelp in the Brazilian Market - Term Paper Example If you feel that any of the steps mentioned in the proposal contradict with your expectations, kindly notify us so that we may be able to make the relevant modification on a timely basis. BACKGROUND: Yelp is planning to provide its services to the Brazilian users regarding Brazilian markets and this research report would assist Yelp in initiating its operations in Brazil. The research report would include a comprehensive study of various factors that will help the organization understand the manner in which Brazilian businesses operate and the ways in which it can engage the Brazilian users. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research is to ensure whether it would be feasible for Yelp to start operating in Brazil. The research report would provide the factors that are responsible for the success of Yelp in other territories and an analysis of the fact whether those factors would be feasible in Brazil. The findings of the research report would assist Yelp in understanding the environment of Brazilian markets and modifying its strategy for entering in the Brazilian market accordingly. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: The research methodology to be followed would consist of primary research and secondary research. In primary research, the relevant information would be acquired directly from the users, while in secondary research, the information already available from different sources would be analyzed and it would be determined whether such information can be utilized for the purposes of this research. The primary research would be conducted through the use of online surveys using the social networking sites and questionnaires at different markets in Brazil. A set of questions would be designed that would focus on the attitude of the users towards a service like Yelp in Brazil. The surveys and questionnaires would include questions that would help the research team analyze their response towards such a service. In this manner, it would be found out whether the users anticipate the services provided by Yelp in Brazil or not. The questionnaire would be simple in order to ens ure a higher response rate. The following would be the key information to be acquired through the questionnaires: 1. What are users overall perceptions and attitudes towards the services like the ones provided by Yelp? 2. How users view Yelp as compared to other such websites in Brazil. 3. Understanding the attitude of the users by understanding the cultural specifics that are most common in Brazil. 4. The factors that the users like and dislike regarding the markets of Brazil and how a service like Yelp would help them decide where to shop and where not to. 5. What the users in Brazil know about Yelp, what they like about its services and what do they dislike about it. The secondary research would include the analysis of market researches already conducted by other organizations or independent researchers. It would

Report on Religious Field Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Report on Religious Field Research - Essay Example Boundless light is both love and the element of love past the individual or human beings. This activity is not designed by any individual or for any individual. Boundless light is all inclusive. It argues that actual nature entails displaying everything and every individual as absolute love, and one of the forms of love involves the soul (Hagen, 1998). The soul also acknowledges that it is the expression of the love of real nature. In addition, meditation has been identified as a core part of the Buddhist religion. It is not clear the number of Christians who pray, but a large number of Buddhists all through history have not engaged in meditation. Until recent times, mediation has been perceived as a basic activity and is solely practiced by specified monks. Moreover, the Buddha largely laid emphasis on meditation, but a number of traditions, for example, the pure land engage in minimal or no meditation in their activities (Brodd, 2003). This paper will be a report on religious field research. The paper will discuss personal misconceptions on Buddhism, analyze how my previous understanding about Buddhism was changed through my encounter, discuss whether misconceptions about the religion of other people are widespread and an explanation on why or why not, and recommend a minimum of one action that could help lessen misconceptions individuals have about other people’s religion. Question 1 There are a number of misconceptions that I have had about Buddhism. One, that chanting is useless and meaningless. In contrast, Buddhist recitation or chanting contains explicit meanings with specified uses. There are also numerous forms of recitations. The recitation involving loving-kindness helps in passing loving-kindness to other human. Chanting also helps during meditation. It helps the mind in developing concentration (Hagen, 1998). Two, that Buddha is a god. Conversely, Buddhism does not follow the notion of God that is widespread to the monotheistic beliefs. Bud dhists hold the belief that all individuals have the power to become a Buddha. Three, that it is difficult to understand nibbana. In simple terms, nibbana refers to independence from the fundamental reasons of all suffering; the incorrect notion that people exists autonomously as a non-changing and intrinsic self. Nibbana illustrates the dousing of all delusion, hatred, and greed, causing extraordinary peace and clarity (Hagen, 1998). Three, that everything should be blamed on kamma. Conversely, kamma does not involve fatalism. Kamma refers to people’s choice expressed as actions of speech, body, or mind. What individuals presently go through, both pleasant and awful, are determined by the actions and thoughts of the individual in the past. Identically, what individuals will go through in the future is determined by their actions and thoughts in the present. A person’s kamma constantly changes based on how the individual act and think in the present times (Hagen, 1998) . Four, women are mediocre and is punishment to be born a woman. In contrast, Buddhism does not perceive women to be inferior to their male counterparts. Buddha was clear about treating both men and women in the same way. Buddha included females in the Sangha in spite of severe oppositions. Question 2 My previous understanding of Buddhism was changed through the encounter. First, I developed listening techniques so that I could hear what

Cost of Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Cost of Capital - Essay Example ls as far calculating the actual cost of capital of Pfizer, but it does point out that Pfizer has more equity than debt because the firms prefers to keep its interest payments low in order to maintain good liquidity and cash flows. Pfizer operates in industry that has very high risk. Every year hundreds of new medicines project fail for a variety of reasons. Sometimes these medicines do not work as the company expected or even when they work the new drug often is not able to comply with the strict protocols to achieve FDA approval. Whenever a medicine is not able to reach market the total costs that the pharmaceutical company incurred in becomes a sunk cost. A sunk cost can be defined as a cost that cannot be changed by any present or future decision (Weygandt, Kieso, Kimmel, 2002). Sunk cost are a major financial challenge for companies such as Pfizer. Minimizing projects that do not provide a positive stream of cash flows is imperative for the success of a company in the pharmaceut ical industry. Pfizer faces other financial challenges that are unique to its industry. For instance the company has to invest billions of dollars each year in research and development costs. The average out of pocket cost to develop a new drug is $1.4 billion (Mullin, 2014). Another financial challenge Pfizer faces is that it also takes a long time for a new drug to reach market. While a new drug is being developed the company does not obtain any inflows of cash from that project. Despite the challenges associated with developing a new drug when a company succeeds in creating a new product the law protects firms such as Pfizer. Patent protection allows Pfizer the ability to create a monopoly market on the new drug. Patent protection in the pharmaceutical industry can last eight to ten years. During that time Pfizer would face no competition for its new drug. Another challenge that Pfizer faces is a shortage of talent in many technical fields. In order to recruit new talent the firm

The Role of Political Parties in Mobilizing Electoral Participation in Essay

The Role of Political Parties in Mobilizing Electoral Participation in the U.S - Essay Example First, political parties provide funding and support of candidates that run for political positions. This is the most important support role of a political party is provision of a candidate with the party nomination. Other kinds of support also come in the form of money that goes into conducting political campaigns. in cases where the money does not come directly from political parties, parties still provide important strategy, logistics and organization information that make additional funding and smooth running of the whole operation possible (Ginsberg et al., p. 123). In the period leading to elections, parties help organize fundraisers to help meet budget deficits, they also provide workers for the campaign team of the candidate and monitors the opposition for any election irregularities. The last but most important support role of any political party to its candidate is to instill confidence in him or her of a fair election process. The other role of political parties is to act as political educators. In this role, they provide the necessary literary materials to enlighten voters on the issues that they need to know (Ginsberg et al., p. 223). These issues may range from civic rights to duties and responsibilities of voters towards their country. Part of this role involves instilling on the electorates the importance of casting their vote on the election date. As political educators, mobilizing candidates and educate them on the electoral process and possible outcomes, like their likelihood of being elected. Further, political parties provide information to the public concerning their stand on issues of the day. As part of their role as educators, parties have to periodically reminding members and voters on the importance of casting their vote, since if members do not go out and vote their candidates will lose the elections.

United Kingdoms Social Policy with Reference to Child Poverty under Term Paper

United Kingdoms Social Policy with Reference to Child Poverty under the New Labour Government - Term Paper Example One of the roles of the government is the formation of a legal framework and approach towards various activities that affect the living conditions of its citizens. The formation and application of these legal frameworks present various challenges while at the same time managing to improve the affected person’s standard of living. The concept under which a government seeks to improve the welfare of its citizens by the formation and implementation of various legislations and guidelines is referred to as a social policy. To illustrate the concept in detail, this essay will focus on the United Kingdoms’ social policy with reference to child poverty under the New Labour government. The gaps existing in policy development will also be given. The evaluation will be guided by information sourced from various written policy documents and statements from key politicians regarding child poverty (Davies 2008). Child poverty can be defined as a situation where a household lacks adequate resources to live above a generally agreed lifestyle. The British government approached child poverty from four aspects which are enshrined under the 2010 Child Poverty Act (Preston 2008). Under the Act, child poverty is defined from four perspectives, namely: relative low-income poverty, absolute low-income poverty, persistent low-income poverty and finally material deprivation. Under the relative low-income poverty, a child is deemed poor if their family’s income is below 60% of the median income. Absolute low-income poverty arises where a child’s family constantly holds an income of less than 60% of the median income for one fiscal year. The Act identifies persistent low-income poverty as one where a child’s household lives on an income of less than 60% of the median household income for a period exceeding 3 years.  

The holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The holocaust - Essay Example She was so compassionate that she had to direct all her motherly love to Hitler. On the other hand, Hitler’s father was a drunkard, harsh and ruthless man who would turn physical whenever he was slightly provoked. Many psychoanalysts claim that the attributes of his father played an important major role in shaping the personality of Hitler in his adult life. Based on the Adlerian theory an individual’s personality is developed through a creative and active process that is not dependent on hereditary or environmental factors. The traits that a person eventually shapes a person are mainly from the life experiences that he/she has faced. The close inclination of Hitler to his father served to influence him to assimilate a number of traits that later came to shape his character and personality. For instance, Hitler’s dad was very revengeful this made Hitler develop a sense of inferiority and fear towards him as a result of his harshness (Bauer and Keren). Parental brutality is a crucial factor that led Hitler to develop an aggressive personality, given the fact that his dad was so autocratic and commandeering it resulted in Hitler growing an introvert kind of character whereby he was antisocial and ready to prove himself to his peers to overcome his inabilities. Consequently, Hitler at his tender age had a dysfunctional anal character that made it difficult to interact with other people within his environment. The very character is responsible for the destructive and narcissism behavior that he later developed in life. However, the dysfunction on its own would not have culminated to the evil character of Hitler had it not been the harsh parental environment that he was exposed. Hitler appreciated the role and approval of masses, and this marked an important phase of his youthful years. The vengeful character that had been indoctrinated in him by his father was the principal force

Sweatshop Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sweatshop Labor - Essay Example The company ethical guidelines affect the whole operations of the business. When the guidelines are clear to all subordinates, the employees are unlikely to make unethical decisions. However, in case the company leaves the ethical issues to be decided by the supervisors, they are likely to engage in unethical issues which might end up tarnishing the reputation of the company in the market (Esbenshade, 2004). Therefore, ethical perspective such as the minimum salaries and age of the employees ensures that decision made inside the company’s premises observe these guidelines. A company influences its ethical environment by setting the standards to be met by the employees. When the standards are beyond what the employees can achieve, the subordinates are likely to engage in unethical behavior in order to achieve them (Esbenshade, 2004). This explains why some employees in Bangladesh working for one of the Wal-Mart subsidiary opted to come with their children in the workplace in order for them to help their parents to reach the set

Bipolar Disorder Essay Example for Free

Bipolar Disorder Essay Bipolar disorders which could also be called manic-depressive disorder consist of mood swings that range from a person expressing a low of depression up to the high of mania. People who experience depression may feel sad or worthless and may even lose interest or enjoyment in most recreational activities they previously found to be enjoying. When a person’s mood swings shifts frequently such as appearing happy to appearing sad in a blink of an eye it could be a sign of them having a bipolar disorder. â€Å"Bipolar disorders affect approximately 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6 percent of the United States population age 18 and older in a year†, (Lenzenweger , etc., 2007). The moderate age for detecting bipolar disorders is 25, (Lane , etc., 2007). Bipolar disorders have many of common misconceptions and myths. A common myth is if someone has bipolar disorder, all their moods are a product of the condition. The truth of this myth would be that people with bipolar disorder have moods and feelings just like anybody else, and not always is their moods connected to the illness. Often family members of the people who suffer from the illness think that once a person is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the condition cannot be stabilized, so any misspoken word or misunderstood action is blamed on the bipolar disorder. Just because a person is diagnosed with bipolar disorder does not mean that they cannot just have a bad day without the illness being to blame. In the beginning of mental illnesses it may have been expected from most people that the early history of bipolar and mental disorders were not petty, but more of an ignorance, misunderstanding, and fear. â€Å"There were many famous people who displayed classic symptoms of bipolar disorder, even though they were never diagnosed or treated. These historical sufferers of bipolar disorder include people such as Virginia Woolf, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Leo Tolstoy, Ernest Hemmingway, and Abraham Lincoln†, (Hall-Flavin, 2011). An important event in the history of treatment of bipolar disor der was reached in 1970, when the Food and Drug Administration finally approved Lithium. Bipolar disorder has patterns of different signs and symptoms since it is divided into several subtypes with their own individual signs and symptoms depending on how severe the diagnosis may be. Bipolar 1 disorder has symptoms of mood swings which can cause a person to experience difficulties in their job, school, or even personal relationships. Bipolar 2 disorders is less than bipolar 1. People may experience elevated moods, impulsiveness and a few changes in their functions but, can still maintain normal daily activities. Instead of people who are diagnosed having mania at a full-blown status, they have a less severe form of mania which is hypomania. In bipolar 2, stages of depression last longer than what the stages of hypomania last. The high and low phases of cyclothymiacs are not as severe as they may be with subtypes of bipolar disorder but, hypomania and depression can be destructive. Cyclothymic is a mild form of bipolar disorder which is also known to some people as Cycloth ymic disorder. If a person is experiencing aggressive and risky behaviors, decreased need for sleep, increased sex drive, or racing thoughts these can all indicate signs and symptoms of a manic phase or hypomanic phase of a bipolar disorder. The depressive phase of bipolar disorder can include signs and symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, changes in appetite, chronic pain without a known cause, and irritability. General symptoms and signs of all types of bipolar disorder are changes in mood during seasons, rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and psychosis. A significant function in bipolar disorder and other mood disorders is an imbalance of natural brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. There are several of these neurotransmitters, but those who are most significant to bipolar disorder are monoamines serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. A person’s mood, anxiety, emotions and cravings is regulated by the serotonin neurotransmitter. Unstable moods, insomnia and overeating can be caused by low levels of serotonin. Epinephrine is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for regulating metabolism and mental awareness. A person’s behaviors and addictions are affected by the neurotransmitter called dopamine by a person having low levels of dopamine could cause a person with a bipolar disorder to experience addictive behaviors. Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter that soothes the brain and encourages sleep when a person with a bipolar disorder has low levels of GABA it can create anxiety, depression, alcoholism and tremors (Mayo Clinic, 2011). A person must meet the text book criteria located in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), to be correctly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association and is utilized to diagnose mental conditions by mental health providers. Insurance companies may also use the manual to reimburse for treatments. Diagnoses are based on the specific type of bipolar disorder that a person may be experiencing. A large amount of people would love for there to be a specific test performed to know if a person has a bipolar disorder. It would be convenient if a person could just supply a blood sample and the results give you a correct diagnosis of bipolar disorder however, it is not that easy there is no precise physical test for bipolar disorder. A company called Psynomics offers a bipolar disorder test which is a saliva-based kit that they say can determine whether you physically have two genetic alterations that are found to be connected with bipolar disorder. However, there is hardly a true bipolar disorder test this test is only beneficial by telling you whether you have additional reasons to seek additional psychiatric testing to receive an accurate diagnosis. However, there is research in progress that may someday lead to a more essential bipolar disorder test. Research is being performed at the Indiana School of Medicine to identify active genes in blood samples associated not just with mood disorders, but with high and low moods. Researchers were successful through performed research in predicting high moods 85% of the time and low moods 77% of the time (Hirschfeld, 2008). Treatments of bipolar disorder are often performed by a team of professionals which may include a psychiatrist, who is trained to diagnose psychiatric illness and also to prescribe any needed medications. Bipolar disorder also can be treated by a psychologist who is trained in making diagnosis, usually does not prescribe medications, but is trained to give certain kinds of verbal therapies, which seems to work well for bipolar patients and then in many cases, bipolar patients may also see someone else who can provide therapy just by verbal communication. This is really an illness where very often theres a team approach from various medical professionals to treating the illness (Hall-Flavin, 2011). A person who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder treatments and episodes can be majorly affected by their environment. If a person who suffers from bipolar disorder is in a stressful environment then it can cause them to have more frequent episodes. It is vital for a person that is being treated for bipolar disorders to remain in calm and peaceful environments so that the treatments will be successful and beneficial. Psychiatrists and research believe treatment has shown improvements over the past decade. Several effective new drugs for maintaining mania are now available that can be used instead of only lithium. Professor Young explains: Newer antipsychotic drugs can control mania quickly without so many of the unwelcome side effects associated with older drugs† (Young, 2006, p. 23). References Bipolar disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/ Retrieved on February 20, 2013. Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 8, 2011. Hirschfeld RM. Psychiatric Management, from Guideline Watch: Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Bipolar Disorder, 2nd Edition. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/ Retrieved on February 20, 2013. Lenzenwenger, M.F., Lane, M.C., Loranger, A.W., Kessler, R.C. (2007). DSM-IV personality disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 62(6), 553-564. Young A. Bipolar Disorder the Four Dimensions of Care. 7th International Review of Bipolar Disorders. Abstract book p.23 Zelman, M., Tompary, E., Raymond, J., Holdaway, P., Mulvihill, M. (2010). Human diseases: A systemic approach (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

UAE flower industry

UAE flower industry Introduction: Tulips is a flower delivery company in the UAE. It currently operates in Dubai and is applying business plans to operate in the rest of UAE with the view to become the market leader in the domain. Tulips started off its business in the year 2000 seeing the opportunities for growth in the region. Crossing all barriers Tulips gathered a strong sustainable base of regular buyers of flowers and also started delivering fresh flowers right at the doorstep just on a phone call. Providing the largest variety of flowers in its retail outlets (currently four in numbers) it is deemed to become the leading flower distributor in the city. The flower delivery market today has evolved out of a meagre retail business to one where more the innovativeness more is the price you get. It is not a single rose put even its petals do matter. Gradually all the florists are leaving their traditional business and diversifying their business into innovative system of preserving the freshness of flowers through refrigeration and delivering more exotic items with them like perfumes, chocolate, greeting cards etc. Tulips has entered into the same process. As a result it is looking out for opportunities so that it is not left in the race. The company has been meeting with the expectations of the customers and has been receiving good response over the years with majority of the customers feeling completely satisfied with the services of the company. The company now proposes to spread its business worldwide beginning from expansion in UAE with the introduction of doorstep delivery service centres, online booking business. Executive Summary: Tulips is a chain of floral decorations and delivery that operates various retail shops in Dubai. Flowers grace every event from ceremonies to weddings, from gifts to decorations etc. Tulips is the pioneer in this field by providing fresh flowers for all occasions on just a call. In this way it has set a benchmark by initiating the unique anywhere, anytime doorstep delivery of services o n just a single phone call thereby reducing all the hassles a customer has to take in first going to a florist, buying and presenting the flowers to the concerned person. Tulips has realised huge potential that lies in the Middle East for flower delivery and hence has decided to expand its portfolio by opening retail chains across the nation that provide quick delivery and also arrange decorations for parties, weddings and other ceremonies. For the first time in the region Tulips tends to begin online booking of flowers for the ease of the customers and expanding of the business for a higher growth. This business model is centred to the establishment of a nationwide retail chain fully computerized to take online bookings and orders. The goal is to tap the hidden potential of the market by providing world class services at the cheapest possible rates. The climate of Middle East being extremely hot, to preserves fresh flowers in store and during delivery is an important issue that lingers the plan when delivering to destinations far off to the retail store. This requires huge costs to be spent to maintain the freshness of flowers like air conditioning etc. The Company: Tulips is a leading flower outlet that provides fresh flowers in various artistic ways like bouquets, flower vase etc in selected parts of Dubai City. The company is on a rapid diversification process to evolve as the leading flower distributor through a nationwide expansion policy. Mission The mission of the company includes: Developing a sustainable client base. Providing personalized services to the maximum extent as possible. Innovation in design and decoration. Adapting to changing market scenario. Achieve break even within the second year of investment. Vision: Becoming the leading chain of flower distribution in UAE. Fostering intercontinental supply of flowers from UAE. The main keys to success of the firm lie in: Creating a retail outlet that confronts flower like an art gallery fully fresh and artistic floral arrangements. Additive products along with flowers. Advertisements and popularising services through quality service. Using the best available technology to maintain the freshness of products. Designing and customising the flowers according to the likes of customers. The Market: The market for floral delivery is rapidly growing as more and more customers advance into modern style of living and consider flowers as the prime object for greetings. Flower delivery has recently increased due to the increase in population and higher celebrations at various festivals. The market is not restricted to only UAE but has got wide expanse across the world. The demand for flowers will never decrease and their frequent use in bouquets, garlands make the market run all round the year. Located at the boundaries of Europe, Asia and Africa has got great potential to be a major centre of growth or the flower industry. Dubai Flower Centre is the only trans-shipment in the country that prevents perishing of flowers when imported from countries like India, Thailand etc. (Dubai Flower ) According to another survey for the household buyout of the flowers in UAE we gathered the following information: 30% of all households purchased freshly cut flowers at least once in a year. The mean rate of purchase ranged between US $60 to US $70. The maximum percentages of buyers include women. The income from bulk delivery accounts for only 27%. Competitive Comparison: In the corporate world it is not a difficult task to establish a flower shop or flower business in any region. After globalisation import and export of goods have become very easy and hence flowers can also be transported to various part of world with ease and little damage. This has allowed many companies to setup flower delivery service in UAE. Taking the advantage of location of UAE in the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe, companies import flowers from several countries, including Holland, Kenya, India, Iran and Equador. (UAE flower industry endures effects of crisis ) Some companies that sell flowers currently in UAE and are our competitors include:- DFC (Dubai flower centre) FlowerDubai.com Flowersdubai.co.uk Emirates florist.com Ready flowers Dubai Flower Centre: Dubai flower centre handles flower imports and exports and Dubai is the main hub for import and export of flowers. Dubai flower centre is capable of preserving 150,000 tons of flowers and other perishables. DFC is committed to deliver the above by providing: Increased capacity and connectivity between leading trading countries in the world. Trans-shipment and rapid consolidation. One of the worlds best cool preservation management. Facilities and Resources to enable value addition that is cost effective. Efficiency in commercial transactions. DFChas been designated as a trans-shipment hub. The main operations for handling items of import, export and transition trading take place on the base or the ground floor of the company. Shell life is maximized by efficient handling of the perishable materials. DFC is responsible for maintaining the perishable transit cargo of Emirates. Flowerdubai.com: Flowerdubai.com is an online shop of flowers. People can buy flowers form website flowerdubai.com and flowers will be delivered on the door. It uses door to door delivery service. There are many services given by the company as follows: (Fresh Flowers for Dubai ) Express Checkout Privileges Need not to enter the information again while booking flowers and hence saves time. Member Only Specials Exclusive discounts and offers from the company. Gift Reminder Services A remember policy to help the customer remind the dates of important occasions. Newsletter(s) Customer is daily updated with new ideas, offers and fun articles. Flowersdubai.co.uk: FlowersDubai.co.uk is an internet purchaser and seller of flowers and specialty gifts. FlowersDubai.co.uk is operated by Grey Matter SARL, one of the leading e-commerce companies, that was founded in 1996. Operating throughout the UAE, Cyprus and Lebanon, it is a key provider of tourism related products on the internet. FlowersDubai.co.uk sells flowers directly to consumers through its web portal and on telephone. This company delivers only to Dubai because the company does not deal with intermediary retailers, distributors and other online networks; they directly purchase it from the main source of flowers and gifts to provide the customers with the best lot of prices and exercise full control over the quality. As every country, has its own manners and cultures, Dubai too has it and thus FlowersDubai.co.uk utilises it to capture the market of Dubai. FlowersDubai.co.uk offers a huge variety of unique and artistic floral arrangements and gifts for holidays and other auspicious occasions. If the company has any item that does not appear in their catalogue or if customers have a special request, it just requires an email to deliver such objects. Flowersdubai.co.uk has divided the shops on three bases:- Shops by categories In these types of shops products are divided into categories Specials Flowers for Dubai Plants Etc. Shops by occasion In these types of shops products are categorised on the basis of occasion Birth day Congratulations Corporate gifts Get well soon Love romance Miss u New born Thank you Shops by price In these types of shops products are categorised on the basis of price Under $60 $60-$90 $90-$120 Over $120 Emiratesflorist.com: The company offers same day delivery tonearly every city in United Arab Emirates. They hope that their customers enjoy shopping on web portal. Customer can search from more than 200 offerings for the item of their choice which is far more than any competing site. The company offers superior service, free home deliveryand 100% satisfaction guarantee coupled with very low service charge as compared to its competitors. Tulips sees a major competition from this company. Emiratesflorist.com offers customers a wide variety and selection from amongst mixed bouquets, fresh-cut flowers, arrangements, potted plantsetc. for all occasions. Emiratesflorist.com is one of the fastest growing online floral retailers in the flower delivery industry as they deliver what they promise. The company accepts credit cards from all major providers and it is processed by one of the leading banking companies in the United States. The company has also divided its products on the basis of various categories similar to the last company. Ready flowers: Ready Flowers Company sends flowers and gifts all aroundUnited Arab Emirates every day. Ready Flowers employs a centralised management centre that monitors and controls all the orders that go through their system, thereby keeping a track that they are delivered on time to the customers. This process goes in parallel with a customer care centre where floral experts are always solving flower related queries. They do not use other flower networks to fulfil customers orders, as they send all of our flowers through their own network of experienced and professional florists. They offer a wide variety of beautiful Bouquets, floral Arrangements, Gifts and Corporate designer collections to ensure there is everything that the customer requires. They care about their customers, and that is why they stay in touch with all of their customers on a regular basis. They also have product division in several categories: Shops by categories In this type of shops products are divided into categories Specials Flowers for Dubai Plants Etc. Shops by occasion In this type of shops products are categorised on the basis of occasion Birth day Congratulations Corporate gifts Get well soon Love romance Miss u New born Thank you Shops by types: Season best Corporate flowers Flowers case Important dates Flower meanings Affiliates Testimonials Shops by colour: Red Yellow Orange Purple White Pink Thus we see that all the competitors of Tulips already have innovative features in their portfolio that really poses tough environment for Tulips to build its niche in for the flower delivery market. To counteract this Tulips maintains an innovative ERP solutions for its flower delivery business that integrates the good features of all its competitors. Every other seller has a unique advantage over the others in terms of their plan of services and Tulips has to create an innovative solution for managing its portfolio. The important features of business to be carried out by Tulips are as follows: Centralised management. Wide variety of choices. Delivery at the earliest. No false promises. Maintaining customer faith. Web portal reflects the theme of business to attract the customers. Customer service through surveys and feedback system. SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis is as follows: Strength The biggest strength of Tulips is complete knowledge of price and choice of customers and delivering the customized product required. This flexibility allows it tap further opportunities in the market. The present customer base of Tulips is large enough to give it a good growth for its starting endeavours. Weakness: The weakness of Tulips, lies in the plan of action which is shares many common features with its competitors and those features have already been implemented. Thus Tulips has to use the same tools to give better service than the others. Opportunity: The opportunities in the flower delivery market are vast enough to allow another player in the domain. A large number of celebrations and occasions continuously take place all round the year thereby there are many customers who can be the source of earning for the company. Threats: Flowers are perishable and stocks cannot be maintained over a long time as it increases the cost of preservation and can lead to huge losses. Hence the only way out is to sell off the stocks as soon as possible to prevent losses. The company if not able to deliver products at the right time can also suffer loss of reputation which can be extremely harmful for its business. Thus we see that overall structure is conducive for Tulips to diversify its business and look out for new growth opportunities in this sector. Tulips has implemented a unique business strategy that employs the good points of all its competitors and tries to solve as many problems as possible. Services: The main products that will form a part of the Tulips flower delivery process are mentioned as follows: Attractive floral designs by using a hybrid of flowers whose ready samples would be showcased at the stores and visuals and images would be available on the website. The designs will have specific names to allow online booking of pre purchased products. Attractive vases for different customer segments and concessions on the next purchase. Bulk booking for decoration at occasions with free arrangement of flowers upon delivery or at very low rates. Online or telephone booking for quick delivery to destinations with the options of sending chocolates or perfumes available at the store. Focus on every segment with the most economic to the most costly product. Special supply for bonsai plants for decorative purposes. Thus the customer will always get more than he wishes at Tulips. How many times it happens that people tend to forget the important occasions? For them Tulips brings a special Remember program. Customers can book their important dates with the Remember calendar and pay the money and get assured that the dates wont be forgotten from now on. In the event flowers remain undelivered Tulips is not going to cheat its customers but return half the amount of the flowers to the customer as a part of its fair service policy. Besides this the flower delivery portfolio of Tulips will contain services like: Regular delivery of flowers for households, offices as per orders. In store offers. Free greeting card with every purchase of flowers above US $ 60. Strategy: In order to implement aforementioned goals and services there requires an adequate plan for the roll out of the services including spotting of the market, location of retail stores and spotting the right customers. Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy and services of Tulips may be quite similar to its competitors but the factors of quality, timely delivery and cost effective services may set it apart from the others and develop its own niche in the market. Often the customers are neglected once served but Tulips has a strong customer support system that takes care that the choices of the customers are recorded to give speedy de livery the next time. Tulips flower delivery model is same as of its competitors but much more innovative to deliver what the customer requires and ethical in its policies. The marketing strategy can be outlined as follows: All the Tulips Retail Stores will have all the possible designs of floral arrangements and display of prices with each design. Customers will have choice to choose his/her design from the printed arrangements and can also have his / her own design. The customers who buy online will be sent different designs of floral arrangements and attractive discount policies from time to time as and when a festival or the occasions in the Remember record are near. No return policy will be provided once ordered and delivered however the customer s can exchange it in some due time with another of cost lower than what they ordered. Free delivery to destinations on orders more than US $100. Free gifts from time to time to make the occasion even more special. Kiosks at malls and shopping complex will be set up for the ease of customers if the retail outlets are far from their home. The five segments that Tulips tends to target have been formed as follows: Businessmen who work in Dubai and have families. Newly engaged or married couples. Boys and Girls. Event Management Companies. Restaurants and Hotels. Reasons for businessmen to buy flowers from Tulips: For spouse to foster romance. For family members on their birthdays and anniversaries. Easy and convenient delivery at the doorstep without having to postpone meetings or work. Options of additives like chocolates, cakes, and perfumes to manage the complete occasion. Reasons for Newly engaged and married couple and boys, girls: As a gesture of love. To rejoice on occasions. Reasons for Event Management Companies: During weddings. In decoration on various occasions. During business meetings and summits. Ceremonial occasions. Reasons for restaurants and hotels: For decorative purposes. For parties. For dates. For welcoming guests and dignitaries. Advertisement: The advertising strategy shall be targeted to all the above segments of customers through: Business and Lifestyle Magazines. Small TV commercials. Pamphlets with every purchase at shopping malls. Through discount coupons on purchase of perfumes and exotic chocolates that are sold at Tulips stores. Website and emails to customers. Sponsoring key events and events to attract the customers. Sales Strategy: The prime focus of the above segments is on the individual purchase of flowers. Thus the sales strategy at the start is not on bulk delivery but to add more and more customers to the database of the company in the short run. This will ensure that the market penetration will reach an optimum amount in the next 2 years. The future sales of the company shall target bulk orders like decorations at parties or supply to an Event Management company to embark on the path of higher growth and involve direct selling agents. Doorstep Delivery Online Booking And Delivery Targeting heavy populated areas. Streamlining designing and innovation to increase the sales. Management: The management of Tulips stores will be fifty percent owner based and remaining franchisee based. This will prevent franchisee from taking undue advantage by selling at prices higher than set. This will also decrease the setup cost of retail outlets and the division of profits will be done as follows: The total profit from sales will go to the chairman of Tulips. The franchisee will get 30% of the profit thereon and commission at 10% of the additional sales incurred above the targeted amount. The franchisee will have the freedom to sell at prices lower than the MRP to attract the customers. Tulips thus gets a share only in the sales. The cost of overheads like transportation, electricity sales employees and shop rent shall be born either fifty-fifty or Tulips can pay a larger amount if required. The losses shall be borne by both the parent company and franchisee equally. The management shall only comprise of three hierarchies only to prevent complexities and reduce the investment incurred over the wages of the employees: Owner of Tulips Franchisee Head Sales employees(in store, out store) The flowers that are left in the retail outlets shall have to be dispensed before they perish and lose their moisture. Thus the store maintains the policy to sell of the flours to local suppliers at low rates to avoid high losses. Pricing Policy: The pricing policy is extremely important to draw the attention of the customers hence the aim of Tulips is to give more to the customers at the lowest rates. A brief structure of prices is as follows: 15 vivid pink roses in a attractive vase= US $ 65 100 red roses in a fish bowl= US $ 180 Chocolates= US $ 25 to US $150 Cakes= US $45 to US $80 Perfumes= US $ 200 above These are the tentative prices of the objects but the range will be scattered around the above prices only. The prices may vary depending on the import prices and prices of the competitors but not on the account of keeping them low than everyone else but by delivering the best quality at the best prices as satisfaction must balance sacrifice. Financial Strategy: The financial strategy of Tulips is as follows: The wages of labour and rent on land and other expenses shall account to only 40% of the operating expenses. Main source of income is through cash flow. Advertisement costs and marketing costs to form 6% of the portfolio. In case of revenues exceeding the estimated ones the excess profit can be plough backed or bonus be given to the employees through bonus pool. Break Even Analysis: In the break even analysis we need to consider only the running costs which include utilities, payroll and rent. The chart below shows the break-even point and sales relationship under the assumptions: It is the minimum for each retail outlet. Monthly revenue Break-Even: US $ 6000 Average Variable cost: 30% Estimated fixed cost monthly: US 4000 Profit and Loss Estimation: The model assumes losses to occur only in the beginning months followed by profit and the following considerations on the gross revenue: 12% profit 28% cost on labour. 15% cost for inventory management. 27% overhead. 18% costs incurred on merchandise. Conclusion: Thus we see that the flower delivery business is of great potential as per the financial projections. Although these are just projections but we can estimate to grow really well provided we meet our objectives at the earliest. Tulips has a good advantageous position over its competitors which can be further strengthened provided optimum finance and opportunities arrive in its way. The initial start-up does not require loans as we have seen in the financial analysis and so all the preliminary amount shall be invested by Tulips only except some favours from outside investors. Tulips has good foresight to witness the boom that the flower delivery sector is yet to witness and it is right at time to have its presence in the market to tap all the available opportunities. The portfolio of Tulips once completing its first phase of expansion has plans to enter the world market to narrow the restriction of flower being produced and delivered seasonally and huge inventory costs. Bibliography: There have been no books referred in making the project although facts and figure presented in this plan have been retrieved from the following sources: UAE flower industry endures effects of crisis Retrieved May 10, 2010 from http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/UAE_flower_industry_endures_effects_of_crisis/35132.htm Dubai Flower Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.datadubai.com/directory/dubais_flower.html Fresh Flowers for Dubai Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.flowerdubai.com/

The Industrial Revolution Of Mass Media Media Essay

The Industrial Revolution Of Mass Media Media Essay More than half of the worlds population is under 30-years-old and only 4 of them have not joined a social network yet. It took 38 years for Radio to reach 50 million users and 13 years for TV. Facebook reported a rise of 200 million users in less than a year (Social Media Revolution, 2010). 48 hours of video will be uploaded to Youtube in the next two minutes (Youtube Fact Sheet, 2010). Media consumption takes up almost a half of an average individuals time and, although live TV remains the favourite channel in most peoples media diets, new medias popularity is growing at an incredible rate (Ofcom, 2010). One quarter of the search results for the worlds largest brands are links to user-generated content and 78 of consumers trust the online peer reviews recommendations of a product or service (Qualman, 2010). In this context, it is no longer a choice, but a necessity, for PR professionals today to consider the numerous Web 2.0 tools and technologies and redesign their communication strategies around customers social activity. In order to adapt to the current media trends, most newspapers today are developing blogs, uploading video content to their website, offer e-newsletter subscription and so on. This may indicate that the channel is not as important to the media consumer as the content is. The combination between the old media of broadcasting and newspapers and the new one, of data communications, delivered on a single device, is referred to, by most analysts, as media convergence. A recent example of old-new media convergence is represented by the merger between the US magazine Newsweek and the news and blogs website The Daily Beast into a new entity named The Newsweek Daily Beast(Media Week, 2010). In his book Convergence culture: where old and new media collide Jenkins (2006:2) uses three different concepts media convergence, participatory culture, and collective intelligence to describe the convergence culture; in other words, it is the flow of information across a myriad of media industries, the collaboration between these media and the nomadic behaviour of media consumers in search of their desired kinds of entertainment, that define the term of convergence culture. The author implies that convergence is not just a technological concept, unifying various media in a single device, but a cultural and social one, encouraging consumers to act as communities, rather than individuals. Jenkins (2006) states that convergence culture impacts both the way media is produced and the way it is consumed, highlighting the changing relationships between media producers and consumers in todays online environment, sometimes their efforts reinforcing each other, other times conflicting with each other. He shows that convergence is driven by corporations (on a top-down level) when media companies are speeding up the flow of information to increase consumer involvement and hence revenues, and also by consumers (on a bottom-up level), who are demanding more and more control over the media content, the right to take part in the creation of it and the ability to access it wherever they go (Jenkins, 2006). Internet has changed the entire PR industry: the way PR professionals view their roles, the delivery of effective communication and the way a brand interacts with its customers (Solis Breakenridge, 2009). Unlike the old, traditional media consumers, the new consumers are active, migratory between different networks or media, socially connected and noisy, and media producers who fail to respond adequately to this new culture may encounter a loss of goodwill and decrease in revenues (Jenkins, 2006). With the democratization of media, monologue becomes dialogue and people are complementing the existence of PR professionals, becoming the main influencers (Breakenridge, 2008). Breakenridge (2008) draws attention on the importance of constant and targeted research during the whole lifecycle of a brand, highlighting the multiple opportunities available in the 2.0 world. Among these, there is the ability to monitor and analyse customer behaviour and determine how well is the brand received in the market. Furthermore, businesses can keep themselves informed and up-to-date on their competitors, but also understand their main influencers, such as the media, using a wide array of research tools available on the Internet, from the free search engines to the paid service providers. The convergence of the Internet and the public relations profession into PR 2.0 opened new doors for business communicators, who can now reach their customers directly, in ways PR pros have not experienced before: through blogs, social networking, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) technology, webcasts or podcasts.

I Wish to Study Internal Medicine in the USA Essay -- Medicine College

I Wish to Study Internal Medicine in the USA Medicine appeals to me as a humanistic, challenging field that offers an opportunity to help people in the most vital aspect of their lives; their health. Medicine has passionately appealed to me from my early childhood. I come from a family of doctors. My father, who is my role model, taught me two important aspects in the field of medicine: To reduce suffering & do no harm to patients. With this strong foundation, as my basis and support, entrance into a rural medical school was out of fascination for the intricate human architecture and its functioning. Being constantly in touch with the field of medicine through my father and other fellow doctors and through 6 years of medical school and rotations, I realized that Internal Medicine has evolved as mother of all branches. That is what sparked my interest in pursing a career in Internal Medicine. The basic principal in the art of healing is, to investigate the etiology of a disease, to arrive at a proper diagnosis, to treat the condition appropriately, and more importantly attending to the emotional and psychological aspects of the patients illness. This gives me a great sense of joy and is simply the reason I chose the ever-challenging field of Internal Medicine as my profession. Healing is a universal language. Internal Medicine offers human interactions with the wide spectrum of patients of all age groups and socio-economic status. It requires emphasis on continued care, preventive practices and complex problem solving skills. I believe that an Internist is influential in shaping family dynamics, whether in the case of illness or death or in achievi... ...under the supervision of Dr. Lee Stone. I stayed in touch with current advancement in medicine through medical journals, publication and the Internet. In summation, what I can offer to your institute can be described by my 3D's theory in life. I am, "Determined in doing the best, Dedicated in giving my best, Devoted in performing my best". I can offer your program a motivated, responsible, team player and an enthusiastic person, who is committed to excellence, intelligence, and personal initiative. I am eager to support and promote the fine reputation of your institution. Hence, here I am, standing on the platform of the future, enthusiastic and curious about the world that is yet to be discovered, hoping to develop a strong foundation for the future years in this field.

Friends Essay -- Television Shows Entertainment Papers

Friends Welcome to "New York," where the folks are friendly, the buildings never falter, and all quarrels end with a quip. Not to be found on the East Coast, this Burbank, California-based "New York" is the setting of "Friends," the popular situation comedy that first aired on NBC in 1994. With roughly sixteen million households tuning in each week, not to mention syndication of re-runs, "Friends" has become a cultural icon. "Friends" is more than just a sit-com that begins on Thursday at eight o'clock and ends at eight-thirty. It is a living, breathing, fictional reality like a second home that isn't lived in, but lived through. Many viewers talk about the characters on "Friends" as if they were, in fact, close personal friends. They remember specific lines from episodes that aired years ago; they know each character's life history, personality traits, compulsions, strengths, weaknesses, idiosyncrasies; they even remember the names of minor characters who have appeared in only o ne or two episodes (Simon B4). The show is about six singles who "hang out in a New York City apartment, drink coffee, and make jokes" (Chidley 48). Although this simple premise borders on boredom, don't be fooled. NBC has shown us through shows such as "Seinfeld," which paraded itself as "a show about nothing," that less equals success, as far as ratings and viewer approval are concerned. The key to "Friend's" success, however, is not the inherent mediocrity of the premise. Rather, the simplicity of the premise redirects creative energy toward crafting incredibly well written dialogue to be superbly performed by a quirky, energetic, and charming cast. The humorous dialogue, the chemistry between the actors, and the charisma that emanate... ...ood Library. 18 March 2002. "A Cultural Touchstone." People 31 Dec. 2001: 68. Academic Search Elite Full Text. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 18 March 2002. "The Girl Friend." Rolling Stone 7 Mar. 1996: 34. Academic Search Elite Full Text. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 18 March 2002. Rice, Jim. "With 'Friends' Like These." March 31, 2002. http://www.sojo.net/magazine/index.cfm/action/sojourners/issue/soj9605/article/960541d.html Simon, Richard Keller. "Much Ado About 'Friends': What Pop Culture Offers Literature." Chronicle of Higher Education. 16 June 2000: B4. Academic Search Elite Full Text. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 18 March 2002. Wild, David. "Six Lives on Video Tape." Rolling Stone 18 May 1995: 62. Academic Search Elite Full Text. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 18 March 2002.

Amory Lovins’ Logic in Natural Capitalism Essay example -- Amory Lovin

Amory Lovins’ Logic in Natural Capitalism In the first chapter of Natural Capitalism, author Amory Lovins proposes a new method of capitalism that recognizes the importance of natural and human capital in the industrial system. Conventional capitalism places value only on capital that yields financial gain, and ignores the human and natural parts of the equation. Lovins points to this as the reason for many of the environmental, social, and economic problems on our planet today. He argues that the destructive practices of conventional capitalism must cease, and that a new industrial revolution must happen that will change how human beings support themselves and sustain the resources of the planet. In this chapter he offers suggestions as to how to implement such a revolution. The chapter opens with a passage describing an idealistically perfect world. In this utopian society, unemployment no longer exists and the demand for welfare has dropped. Oil only costs five dollars per barrel due to the discovery of alternate fuel sources. Lovins paints a picture of a world that everyone would like to live in, and says that such a clean world can become a reality if people read his book and follow the suggestions within. He also describes all the bad things happening in the world as a result of conventional capitalism and what will happen if governments and corporations continue on the present path. Lovins explains the relationship between the dwindling amount of natural resources, and the companies that exhaust them for financial gain without concern for sustaining the ecosystem of the planet. The resulting social problems such as poverty, malnutrition, and anarchy are of no concern to the corporations... ...emotional rhetoric than it needs. This chapter is heavily spiced with emotional appeal to sway readers without really delving into the actual argument. The entire opening paragraph and the first few pages contain nothing but emotional appeal. Lovins uses rhetoric designed to sway the emotions of the reader with the utopian scenario that he promises will come from changing the current capitalistic practices, and the vivid descriptions of the horrors of our environmental crisis. However, one should not assume that this chapter is merely emotional persuasion. Lovins bases his argument on rational logic and his informational sources are distinguished experts in their field. He makes a strongly supported claim and his words give me food for thought. I believe it would be wise for people to listen to the logical claim that Lovins presents and follow his suggestions.

Fotajek

The organizational and financial structure of the Fojtasek companies had been in flux since the spring of 1994. By March 1995, three different financial transactions have been proposed to streamline and restructure the firm: an outright acquisition, a leveraged recapitalization, and a hybrid transaction called â€Å"Private IPO. † Heritage Partners is interested in taking a stake in the Fojtasek Companies by proposing aâ€Å"Private IPO† transaction.The paper will analyze the health of the Fojtasek companies and the economic benefits gained from Heritage Partners’ proposal. Through careful calculations, one would recommend the proposed transactions to take place between Heritage and the Fojtasek family. Founded in 1986, Heritage Partners has developed a business expertise in family companies. Their value-added can be seen in the General Partners, all of whom had successful track records in Private Equity.Of the three elements that distinguish them, the most impor tant is their development of the â€Å"Private IPO† structure. This financial strategy enables majority holding while reducing estate taxation for the founder and management. For the Fojtasek family, they had been seeking potential buyers to restructure their company. Unlike its other product and distribution channel, business in the Baloleum Division has been declining. Additionally, the founder Joe Fojtasek has decided to step down at the age of 73 and hand over his role to his sons.Thus, Fojtasek companies decided to take advantage of the opportunity to radically streamline its structure for future growth—buyout, leveraged recapitalization, or â€Å"Private IPO. † There are two common disadvantages with leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations: a higher credit and default risk that comes with having a high leverage, and a possible loss of majority control that can lead to conflicts of interest. From both Fojtasek’s and Heritage’s perspective, it would be optimal to have a hybrid transaction that would lower debt levels while retaining family control of operation.From Heritage’s perspective, the exchange of securities under a â€Å"Private IPO,† instead of a large cash payout, would not only leave out ambiguities concerning tax obligations but also make financing for the transaction feasible. Moral hazard of family members is essentially reduced as their equity is being tied to the firm. From Fostasek’s perspective, the ability to retain family control of the company makes certain that some or all of management would not be replaced. In this sense, the â€Å"Private IPO† transaction does address the information gap, making this hybrid strategy an optimal strategy in this context.

Federal Bureau of Prisons Essay

The Federal Bureau of Prisons was established in 1930. Its main goal is to provide humane care for Federal inmates. There are 11 Federal prisons in operation. The Bureau consists of 115 institutions, 6 regional offices, a Central Office (headquarters), 2 staff training centers, and 22 community corrections offices. The Bureau of Prisons career opportunities web page is the place where you can learn about BOP careers, the employment process and current vacancies. The BOP career opportunities web page has quick links to: application steps, attorney recruitment, career FAQs, health care careers, job descriptions and job vacancies. The Bureau has approximately 37,700 employees within 115 correctional institutions. The BOP is currently accepting applications for: Chaplain, Clinical Psychologist, Dental Officer, Medical Officer, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant and Registered Nurse. The jobs are accessible through USAJOBS. The bureau has approximately 37, 700 highly motivated individuals working in 115 correctional institutions across the country and a wide range of occupations. Job opportunities within the correctional facilities: automobile, painting, plumbing, carpentry, and electricity. They are always accepting applications for dental officer, medical officer, and registered nurse. Salaries are based on the position and location of the job you are selected to fill. The Law Enforcement Special Salary Rate and Locality pay scale may vary from the General Schedule and Locality pay scale. Salaries for positions such as Electrician, Mechanic, and Plumber, are found on the Federal Wage System pay scale. A variety of health insurance plans are available to Federal employees, with the Government paying about 60 to 72 percent of the cost and the employee paying 28 to 40 percent, depending on the health plan. Basic life insurance is automatic and effective on the first workday the employee is in pay and duty status, unless the employee chooses to waive life insurance coverage. Every employee is guaranteed a life insurance policy. The Government pays one-third of the cost for Basic life insurance. Basic life insurance is the employee’s salary rounded up. After 20 years of service in a position covered by â€Å"hazardous duty† law enforcement retirement provisions is eligible to retire at age 50. BOP has four different work life programs which makes it easier to balance work and family. These programs consist of teleworking, compressed, flexible, and part time work schedules. Under special, limited circumstances, inmates who meet strict requirements may be allowed temporary releases from the institution through furloughs and staff-escorted trips. A furlough allows inmates to be in the community without a staff escort. There are several purposes for furloughs: for example these enable inmates to be present during a family crisis, facilitate re-establishing family and community ties, and allow an inmate to participate in certain activities to help his/her release transition. The Bureau may authorize staff-escorted trips for purposes such as visiting a critically ill family member; attending a funeral; receiving medical treatment; or participating in educational, religious, or work-related functions. The Bureau’s philosophy is to release preparation begins the first day of incarceration, focus on release preparation intensifies at least 18 months prior to release. The Release Preparation Program includes classes in areas such as resume writing, job search, and job retention. The program also includes presentations by community-based organizations that help ex-inmates find jobs and training opportunities after release. The Bureau places appropriate inmates in halfway houses prior to release to help them adjust to life in the community and find employment. Some inmates will be eligible for a release gratuity, clothing, or money for transportation to their release destination. The Inmate Transition Branch provides additional pre-release employment assistance. Many institutions hold mock job fairs to provide inmates an opportunity to practice job interview skills and to expose community recruiters to the skills available among releasing inmates. Qualified inmates may apply for jobs with companies that have posted job openings. This Branch also helps inmates prepare release folders that include a resume; education certificates, diplomas, and transcripts; and other significant documents needed for a successful job interview. Medical, dental, and mental health services are provided to Federal inmates n Bureau facilities. Most Facilities provide one or more primary Physicians who specialize in family practice. Medical officer provide direct service to inmates in Federal prisons (e. g. performance of diagnostic and preventive). Nurses play an important role on patient health, patient safety and patient education. (e. g. observation and evaluation of patients, perform case histories, conduct physical examinations, and order laboratory tests). De ntal officers are responsible for the full range of dental care provided to inmates. Pharmacist provide pharmaceutical care, they are responsible for medication. (e. g. same as nurse). Over 3,000 health care positions are offered. The food service operation within each institution represents a major program area within the Federal Criminal Justice system. The Bureau offers a food service career for correctional cook supervisors in a fast pace and challenging environment. Cook supervisor receive full training and are responsible for serving nutritious meals and provides guidance/direction to inmate cooks, bakers, butchers as well as in sanitation. Meals are served to a population of several hundred to 2,000 per meal depending on size and type of facility. Completion of a 2 to 4 year culinary degree is desirable but qualifying experience in quantity production from the military or food hospital industry is acceptable. Even though cook supervisors are at the entry level position, ambitious and interested individuals can apply for higher positions to Assistant Food Service Manager to the top Food Service Administrator. Each federal prison has its own education department that provides educational and recreational activities to inmates. Inmates are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle through physical fitness, health education and leisure programs. Inmates who participate in industries or vocational training programs are more likely to find and keep a job upon release and less likely to return to prison. The Bureau offers a variety of programs for inmates to acquire literacy and marketable skills to help them obtain employment after release. All institutions offer literacy classes, English as a Second Language, parenting classes, wellness education, adult continuing education, library services, and instruction in leisure-time ctivities. In most cases, inmates who do not have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) certificate must participate in the literacy program for a minimum of 240 hours or until they obtain the GED. Occupational and vocational training programs are based on the needs of the inmates, general labor market conditions, and institution labor force needs. An important component is on-the-job training, which inmates receive through institution job assignments and work in Federal Prison Industries. Parenting classes help inmates develop appropriate skills during incarceration. Recreation and wellness activities encourage healthy life styles and habits. Institution libraries carry a variety of fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, newspapers, and reference materials. Inmates also have access to legal materials to conduct legal research and prepare legal documents. The Bureau of Prisons has various job opportunities ranging from Automotive to electric and is always looking for professionals in the medical field. There are over 3,000 health care positions available ranging from Dental to nursing. While a job with the bureau of prisons maybe stressful it does offer benefits, such as retirement, paid holidays, flexibility room for growth and retirement options. Each federal prison has its own education department and inmates are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle. It is often found that inmates who participate in industries or vocational training programs are more likely to find and keep a job upon release and less likely to return to prison.

Northern Victory in the Civil War Essay

This essay will analyze the varied factor that led to Northern victory in the Civil War between 1861-1864. The central reasons for this Union success can be categorized in economic, political, and military factors; some of these elements would include the southern focus on cotton monoculture, the union naval blockade, the confederate doctrine of State’s Rights, and the strength of union generals and their military tactics, between others. Overall, the north achieved dominance due to a combination of these reasons. Economic factors led to Northern victory as although both sides had great military potential, neither side had few methods to actually realize that potential. According to the Millennial edition of The Historical Statistics of the united states, during the time of the civil war the Union owned 71% of all the rail roads of the USA while the CSA only had a 29%. Also the Union had 90% of the manufactured items and a 97% of the firearms produced, while the CSA only had a 70% of the exports. Regarding the rail roads, this were of main importance, as the Union transported weapons, soldiers, ammo, and raw materials through this, so the fact that the northern states owned 21. 788 miles of rail roads didn’t only mean that they could transport all the machinery across the country but also, that the south was terribly limited in their transport, therefore the CSA had the disadvantage that the Union controlled rail roads across the country meaning, that they weren’t able to use their full potential on industry (cotton etc. or militarily as most of railroads were used for the moving of troops, while the north kept their industry stable and was able to move troops across the territory. More over, coming back to the production, and exports facts, although the southern states had most of the exports before the war (selling enormous amounts of cotton), as soon the war started their relations with Britain (who bought cotton to the south) broke out, so they had no econom ic strength behind their forces, as all their economy was based on agriculture, and had no industries. On the other side the Union had a totally industrialized economy where they were able to auto-sustain their states, therefore their economy before and during the war never changed, meaning that they were in perfect conditions as firearm production was extremely overwhelming over the one of the CSA and, they had money enough to go over a war and support their army with food, clothes, and weapons. In this way the North was highly superior to the south as they were financial base strong, so they could borrow internationally and purchase weapons and supplies abroad. Finally the fact that the Union had a population of 22. 000. 000 and the CSA of 9. 000. 000, which 5. 500. 000 of them were slaves, was also important because the north had enough people, so that factories never stop working, and still they had lots of soldiers and a big army, on the other side the south with a little population did not had enough for both activities, therefore some people had to stop working for going to the war. Between the southern statistics, we can find that the economic ones, are ridiculously overwhelmed by the ones of the Union, and this was mainly because their focus on monoculture, therefore if the cotton declined, then the confederate economy would be devastated, as they had a closed market, were almost most of their work was dedicated to one product. Unfortunately for the confederate states cotton trade rapidly declined during the civil war as many southerner believed that without the south’s cotton exports, Britain’s textile industry would collapse, causing terrible problems for the British Empire, and as a result England would join the war to fight the Union, however it did not work, and Britain started to buy cotton to other nations. As a result, the confederacy suffered crucially from under–industrialization as its only manufacturing plant The Tredegar Ironworks at Richmond, while the North had innumerable factories of the kind. This meant that the Confederates States weren’t able to maintain their railways, armies, and troops in the frontier, therefore the north had and advantage as southerners soldiers were unprepared for fighting and there railroads where in terrible conditions, so their little possession of railroads became even smaller, while the northern states were perfect due to their economic stability. In a civil war control of the oceans and rivers is often a critical point. The union had grater naval end industrial facilities, and decided to blockade the south to strangle its trade and wealth. The idea came from a commanding general, called Winfield Scott who designed this plan to win the war with as little violence as possible. The plan consisted in closing the main confederate ports; so in May 1861 when the blockade started the south was cut from almost all international trade. Therefore, the CSA’s economy was even worse than it was before, southern economy was now basically based in one factory, which was not even near to the production needed by the southerners to fight a war, and as a result the confederacy’s wealth didn’t resisted much war, so lines wouldn’t hold for much longer, and finally the northern forces would overthrow them one way or another, as southerners’’ railroads where getting each time worst, they had almost no weapons or fighting equipment as there trade was cut off, and they only had one factory so provide with ammo, weapons, clothes for all of the south. Overall, we can see clearly that the war totally destroyed the Confederacy’s economy. Firstly, cotton production was dripping quickly as the south tried to force Britain to join the war, this was devastating to the south as they almost had no income, and they where in the middle of a war. As a result that cotton production was not needed any more, the slaves had now much less work to do, and this meant that there were also men who had to look after them, as they were â€Å"dangerous†, therefore, there where less soldiers to fight against the north. At the same time, the war had a direct effect on the plantations as â€Å"It did not seem to matter whether a Union or confederate army crossed a plantation, either way the result was devastation, crops were trampled down, stock was stolen [†¦]†[1], this clearly shows the state of desperation of the south army, and the situation they were in. also the fact that some planters escaped from war-zone with their slaves, brought disruption, as the bad news of defeat was spread by planters and slaves into new areas. Therefore, planters had to run away because their property was being destroyed, this provoked even more decay in their production, agricultural farms, that could be used for feeding soldiers, weren’t worked any more by their owners, therefore the south had no way of getting food, as they couldn’t buy to any other country due to the blockade, and the local productions was getting destroy rapidly by the war, giving in this way a great advantage to the north, as southerners soldiers conditions were in some cases deplorable. Concluding, the fact that the south bet to a future, which slavery was supposed to guarantee, after the breaking of relations with the exterior, slavery was a thing of the past after only a year of war. Therefore, the confederacy who had spent a lot of money in bringing them from Africa and buying them, making slaves the column of their economy, was just a waste of time and money as they were useless, as they couldent fight, because if they were given a weapon the would use it to kill their owners and free themselves, and they were also a waste of soldiers as it required many whites to control them. Therefore, slaves who were the future of the CSA, ended up being a weight in the shoulders of southerners, as they created deficit, and this affected also, the confederacy’s economy. However, while economic reasons were clearly important in the northern victory, political factors, also played a mayor role. Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, faced two challenges; one was to fight a war against the north and the second, to create a new nation. Therefore the south itself saw themselfeves in a bad position for fighting a war, because they had to care about to important things at the same time, and also they weren’t prepared to fight a war with another country like USA. Therefore, the lack of political organization, from the south, regarding to powers, was also an important issue, as the north was enormously superior, and had a better, and more organized political structure. As a result, the north fought a corporate war, while the south still had problems internally. Also confederate doctrine of state’s rights weakened the south as it created political disunity in the Confederacy. President Jefferson Davis, had to struggle with states governors, like Joe Brown, from Georgia or Zebulon Vance, from North Carolina, to get conscription approved, and even for basic military supplies. This disunity meant that the eastern and western fronts fought for resources, as most went to the east while the war was lost in the west. Firstly, this shows that states from the south did no believe they were going to win the war, as they started to withheld supplies to defend their own area, and this lead to Union victory, as they were separated, therefore, this didn’t just meant that they where more vulnerable as they were disunity, but also that they were weaker as states did not work together, each other to fight the north. Therefore the Union, saw the isolation of the southern states, and took advantage of it by attacking from different points, specially the west, and finally penetrating in this way through the North/south frontier, into the confederacy’s heart. Moreover, the role of foreign powers during the war was of main importance. Since the very beginning of the war, the Union made it clear that recognition of the Confederacy meant war to the Unites States. As a result, no nation appointed any diplomat officially to the confederacy; this meant that they received no diplomatic recognition. This was crucial, and one of the main aims of the North, because recognition to the south meant, a lot of income due to the cotton industry, and also weapons and machines to fight the war. Although the Union relied on its blockade to ensure victory, if the confederacy achieved recognition from Britain and France, this would have been much more difficult. Therefore, the fact that the CSA was not a recognized country before war, made things much more easier to the Union, as this meat no international support, and they were now isolated, clearly showing that they had no chances of wining the war without external help. Therefore this created conditions for the Union to win the war, as the fact that cotton trade was going down, and the only had one factory in the whole confederacy, made it clear that, they weren’t able to make it on their own, so the north clearly overwhelmed the south, as they had many factories to produce weapons, clothes etc. and also the support of European forces who sell weapons and machines to them; that’s why, it is so important that the CSA did not had a government, and a reason, of why they were so hurried up to become a nation. From the start of the war that Lincoln had a problem, which was how to unite the North sufficiently to make them want to fight and keep fighting. He needed an initiative, something that would give the northerners a reason to fight for. One way of doing this was through attacking slavery , and if we go back, some years before the war we could see that these really moved people (Uncle’s Tom Cabin), and although the civil war began over the secession of the South, and not over slavery, it was a fact which grew tensions between the Union and CSA before the war. Lincoln had to wait until Northern opinion was ready for the announcement of emancipation, where slaves would be set free. In 1862 the Atlantic slave trade was banned by the congress, but still people wanted more progress towards slavery destruction. Lincoln’s main reasons for this where: slavery had been already an important spark in the causes for the civil war, so to make sure war did not happen again. Free black were trying to enlist the Union’s army, and internationally the North would gain much support from the rest of the world, especially Europe, if the promised to crush slavery, and finally, in the same way the Declaration of Independence said, he thought that â€Å"all men are equal†. However, Lincoln suffered a resistance from his own cabinet, as they said that were private property, and under the constitution, it was not correct to do that. However, in July 1862, finally Lincoln’s cabinet agreed, and after the win of Antietam, the 17th of September, Lincoln decide that it was the right moment, son the 22nd of September of 1862 the preliminary proclamation was announced. It said that all slave owner who refused to make peace, all slaves in that territory would be freed on 1st of January 1863. Then, in January 1863 Lincoln put forward plans for gradual, compensated emancipation. After these, celebrations started all over the north. Rapidly runaway slaves joined the Union armies fighting the south, carrying wood, making roads and bridges between other things. On the other hand the confederacy tried to suppress all knowledge of the proclamation, but word spread around the south. Therefore, the proclamation strengthened the north as, people were encourage to fight, and were more enthusiastic, taking more participation and a major role in the war. Also, the fact that the Union was against slavery made international relations much easier to them, as other countries started to sympathize with the northerner’s actions, giving as a result a positive effect on the Unions economy. Also, the fact that slaves joined the army (178. 975, actually the 12. 5% of the whole army) was also of major help to the Northerners as they also started working at factories or scouting and searching for confederates or spying in the south. Therefore this led to Northern victory, as a huge amount of soldiers joined the army, internationals relations grew up, meaning more weapons and machines to fight the war, and finally, soldiers and people from the north had found the motivation to keep fighting. On the other hand, the proclamation weakened the Confederacy, slaves stop working at their plantations, or farms, therefore the had no workers, and that place was to be replace by the white, meaning in this way less men to fight the war. Slaves started rescuing Union soldier in the south, so they even started working against the confederacy, and as a result weakening their forces. Also, south’s international picture was terribly affected, as although eople already new the Southern states of the USA, worked a lot with slaves, with the proclamations, the Union was rapidly portrayed as heroes while the south became the villains of the story, and in this affected directly to the south’s relations with exterior, especially Europe. Therefore we can say that the effects of this proclamation led to northern victory, as 178. 975 new soldiers entered to the United States army to fight against the Confederacy. After proclamation, the North’s international view grew up in a positive way, while the southern one didn’t. This meant more exports and imports to the Union, which as a direct result made a huge significance in their trade and economy, and on the other side the Confederacy was left more isolated than it was before, meaning no weapons at all, and almost no income. The north had had found, an incentive to fight the war and give a quick finish to it, and the proclamation was the right push. Furthermore, workers were needed in the south to replace the place of the slaves, this meant less soldiers and less production for the confederacy.