Gucci Marketing Plan Essay

Studies of workplace learning tend tofocus on largefirms even though small businesses constitute 98 percent of u. s. firms. Recent studies have found evidence of extensive HRD in small businesses. Other recent studies found a higher level of job satisfaction among employees of small firms than employees of larger firms. This study measured the nature and extent of HRD; the level ofjob satisfaction among workers; and determined the correlation between workplace learning activities and job satisfaction in small to mid-sized businesses. This study is also looking at cross-country comparisons and . mplications with Australia. Malaysia is a resource rich country and a major socio-economic force in the AsiaPacific region. Historically, the economy of Malaysia was based on agriculture and natural resources. Over the past 25 years, the pace of development of the Malaysian economy has been rapid. Throughout the 1980s and early 90s, the economy grew at an average annual rate of 7. 8 per cent. Strong growth in public investment and exports during this period stimulated domestic demand and contributed to a consistent rise in income and employment. But the Asian economic recession of the late 1990s and the severe worsening of ! v1alaysia’s external terms of trade led to a general slow-down in the growth performance. Various adjustment measures were used by the Government to restore balance and stability. The economy now appears to be emerging from the recession and recording GDP growth rates around 4 per cent per annum. In its efforts to transform Malaysia to a dev~loped and industrialized country, the Government began to focus on developing human resources. In recognizing the need for training government employees and to set an example for business and industry the National Institute of Public Administration, Malaysia (INT AN) was established in 1972. To further encourage and stimulate the private sector to introduce training and development for its employees, the Malaysian Legislature passed an Act of Parliament entitled Human Resource Development Act 1992. This legislation requires a manufacturing company which has more than fifty employees to contribute one per cent of its monthly payroll to a fund which would then be used to promote training. Wan (1994) reports that until these relatively recent undertakings â€Å"enterprise training in Malaysia received little attention from policy makers. Even now not much is known about it, despite the fact it is one of the most important sources of job-specific skill development†. In fact, Chalkley (1991) reports that the realization of the importance of training is a recent concept in Asia. The companies tackling such problems represent the exception rather than the norm. On average, companies in Malaysia and Indonesia undertake more training days than their counterparts in Singapore and Hong Kong, but spend less. This is because management training receives greater emphasis in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore, while in Volume 4 Page 127 CLWR 7th Annual International Conference on Post-compulsory Education and Training, 1999 Malaysia there is a greater emphasis on skills training, which is generally cheaper to organize. The estimates are that Malaysia spends an average of US$200 on training per employee per year. By comparison, British firms invest approximately US$5,000 annually per employee and Germany invests an average of US$7,500 annually per employee. U. S. irms invest, on average, US$l ,800 per year per employee in training and development, or by another estimate a total of US$60. 7 billion a year. Furthermore, estimates suggest that about 8 percent of new employees receive formal training in their first year of employment in U. S. firms and 20 percent of new employees receive such training in European firms, and 74 percent receive such training in Japanese firms. Developing the human resources of a company would seem to be key to increasing production and closing the gap between the level of worker skill and present and future needs. Businesses that have made training, education, and development a priority have seen it payoff through greater profitability and increased worker job satisfaction. Recent studies have found that job satisfaction is rarely tied to pay and promotion; but rather, workers are more interested in such things as feeling appreciated, being â€Å"in on things,† and career development all of which have linkages to workplace learning. Job satisfaction is simply how people feel about their jobs and different aspects of their jobs. There are important reasons why organizations should be concerned with job satisfaction, which can be classified according to the focus on the employee or the organization. First, the humanitarian perspective is that people deserve to be treated fairly and with respect. Job satisfaction is to some extent a reflection of good treatment. It also can be considered an indicator of emotional well being or psychological health. Second, the utilitarian perspective is that job satisfaction can lead to behavior by employees that affects organizational functioning, as well as a reflection on organizational functioning. Differences among organizational units in job satisfaction can be diagnostic of potential trouble spots. Each reason is sufficient to justify concern with job satisfaction. Combined they explain and justify the attention that is paid to this important variable. Indeed, Buhler (1994) emphasizes the point when she talks about the continued effort organizations must place on employee satisfaction and the economic importance to the company. â€Å"Organizations that believe that workers are easily replaced and do not invest in their workers send a dangerous message. This often results in high turnover, which is accompanied by high training costs, as well as hiring costs it fosters the same type of attitude in the employee, that the company can be- replaced and little loyalty is felt†. These studies make it clear that companies must take advantage of all workplace learning opportunities if they are to remain successful. However, until recently, most studies like the ones by Coblentz (1988), Beatty (1996), and Hitt (1998), for example, have been conducted in large corporations. Few firms in the samples have had annual sales of less than US$l billion. Most U. S. businesses are small to mid-sized with annual sales well under US$lO million (Lee 1991). No exact figures are available on the nature and extent of small businesses in Malaysia, but it is clear that they constitute a substantial part of the overall economy. In the same year, their contributions to total manufacturing output and employment amounted to 15 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Small businesses are playing an increasingly important role in the world economy as well. Small businesses (those employing 100 people or less) constitute 98 percent of U. S. businesses and â€Å"small businesses are responsible for 82 percent of the jobs created in the United States†. Yet, of the more than six hundred thousand small businesses started each year in the U.S. , 80 to 85 percent fail in the first five years (Small Business Handbook 1990). The economic wel,l-being of some regions of the United States is dependent upon small businesses where the majority of businesses (88 percent) employ fewer than 200 people. To date, little is known about the relationship between workplace learning and employee satisfaction in small to mid-sized companies. Studies by Des Reis (1993) and Rowden (1995) have found that such firms may not even he aware of the nature and extent of learning in their workplaces. Yet it is likely that the success of such companies is at least attributable to the ways in which employees are attended to, formally and informally trained, and developed. Statement of the problem Conventional wisdom says that small businesses do not have the financial resources nor the time to do very much, if any, training and development or workplace learning. These views on training in small businesses have generally been supported each time quantitative research has been conducied in a variety of small businesses. However, a recent qualitative study   found that, in fact, U.S. small businesses do engage in a considerable range of formal, informal, and incidental workplace learning, activities. The information gleaned from the interviews, observations, and documents provide a new foundation upon which questionnaires can be developed that can assess the extent of workplace learning from a perspective that small businesses truly understand. Another recent study found that worker s in U. S. small businesses were generally more satisfied with their employment situation than were workers in larger companies. The study found that 44 percent of the workers in small businesses said they were â€Å"extremely satisfied† with their jobs, compared with 28 percent at companies with 1,000 or more workers. It was speculated that factors such as job security, empowerment, and the ability to do what they do best might explain job satisfaction. While workplace learning was not one of the indicators in the study, the respondents reported that they could learn and grow on the job. An assumption of this study is that a sense of satisfaction a person feels about his or her employment can be directly linked to workplace learning. That is, employees who have opportunities to grow and learn in their job will express higher levels of job satisfaction. To test this assumption, this study first established the nature and extent of workplace learning in small to mid-sized businesses; established the level of job satisfaction reported in the same small to mid-sized businesses; and established the relationship between these learning opportunities and the level of employee satisfaction in these organizations. Volume 4 Page 129 CLWR 7th Annual International Conference on Post-compulsory Education and Training, 1999 Purpose and research questions The overall purpose of this study is to understand workplace learning in the Malaysian context. The specific research questions are: 1. 2. 3. What is the nature and extent of workplace learning in small to mid-sized Malaysian businesses? What is the relationship among three types of workplace learning (formal, informal, and incidental) in the Malaysian context? To what extent do those three types of workplace learning explain job satisfaction? Methodology A survey research design was deemed the most appropriate way to understand the relationship between workplace learning and employee job satisfaction. A survey instrument was developed that captures the essence of the findings on workplace learning revealed by the Rowden (1995) study combined with the Spector Job Satisfaction Survey (1997). Description of the sample Five Malaysian companies agreed to participate in the study. Potential companies were identified through contact with the local university. Students from the HRD program at the university administered the surveys at the companies. A total of 228 surveys were returned. The five companies consisted of a manufacturing firm, two financial services firms, an educational/training company, and a non-government organization (NGO). The manufacturing firm has been in business for 11 years, employs 54 people, and has gross annual revenues of RM 3, 000,000 (RM [ringgitt] 3. 8=$1 USD at the time of this writing). The financial services companies have been in business for around 10 years, employ a combined 150 people, and produce annual gross revenues of RM 360,000,000. The training company has been in business for eight years, employs 100 people, and has gross revenues of RM 3,000,000. The NGO has been in business for 12 years, employs 124 people, and while it does not generate revenue it has an annual budget of RM 2,000,000. All the respondents worked full time. Fifty two percent were female. Eighty seven percent were between the ages of 21 and 44. Sixty percent were married. Thirty eight percent worked at companies with fewer than 100 employees and 59 percent worked for companies that employed between 100 and 200. Eighty six percent have been employed by their current company for less than 10 years. Sixty five percent are non-supervisory and 69 percent earned between RM $1000 and RM $3000 per month. Seventy four percent worked in service industries while 26 percent worked in manufacturing. A description of the respondents is contained in Table 1. Instrument There is limited research on HRD in small to mid-sized businesses. Most people believe that small businesses do little, if any, development of their workers. For example, Training Magazine, which annually conducts a study of the training industry in the U. S. annually, does not even attempt to contact businesses with fewer than 100 employees and only 16 percent of their sample consist of companies with between 100 and 500 workers. Even the Malaysian HRDA ignores manufacturing firms with fewer than 50 employees. Volume 4 Page 130 CLWR 7th Annual InternationalcConference on Post-compulsory Education and Training. Several attempts have been made to determine the nature and extent of workplace learning in small business. Invariably, the studies concluded that, in fact, little HRD occurs in small businesses. A review of several of the studies determined that a likely cause of the lack of discovery of workplace learning in small businesses was due to the design of the surveys. A qualitative study by Rowden did reveal numerous indices of workplace learning in small to mid-sized businesses in the U. S. By looking at the field notes and transcripts of interviews of workers, it was believed that previous attempts to capture workplace learning in small to mid-sized businesses was due in large part by the language of the questionnaire. Making every attempt to stay as close as possible to the language and references used by actual workers in small to mid-sized businesses, a survey was developed to attempt to capture the natu†re and extent of workplace learning in these businesses. The research on job satisfaction in small businesses mirrors that of HRD in small businesses. Until a recent study little attention had been paid to worker job satisfaction in small businesses. This study found that workers in small businesses, generally, were more satisfied with their work than were workers in larger businesses. The study did not, however, seek to determine why the workers were more satisfied. The study mentioned ideas like better communication, a feeling of being in on things, and a smaller power distance-but no factors were actually measured. Again based on the Rowden (1995) study, a possible connection could be made between workplace learning and job satisfaction. To determine if this hypothesis were true, workplace learning and job satisfaction would have to be measured in the same small businesses. Then, correlational measures could be made to determine if small to midsized businesses with high measures of workpiace learning also had high measures of job satisfaction. The Spector (1997) Job Satisfaction Survey was determined to be the best-validated and reliable instrument for determining job satisfaction. A modified version was incorporated into the questionnaire along with request for background data. , Once developed, the instrument was subjected to critique sessions by area experts and graduate HRD classes to ensure for content validity. The process was continued until saturation was reached; that is, until no more distinct categories could be ascertained. The Malaysian version required some modification for cultural differences. For example, religious education had to be added since this is often provided for by Muslim employers and the â€Å"married-not married† question had to be expanded to cover all possibilities since feedback indicated â€Å"not married† sounded too much like a â€Å"curse† to them. The results of the development process was a six page self-administered questionnaire. The instrument is divided into three sections-workplace learning, job satisfaction, and background information. The three constructs or dependent variables for the workplace learning portion were formal, informal, and incidental learning. The reliability for each measure was conducted using Chronbach’s alpha. The formal learning scale included items measuring respondent’s perceptions of planned, organized, training activities. The informal learning scale included items measuring respondent’s perceptions of unplanned or spontaneous activities that lead to perceived learning on the job. The incidental learning scale included items designed to measure respondents perception of normal workplace activities that resulted in learning even though that was not the purpose of the activity.

Apple’s Competitive Strategies and Government Policies Essay

The Apple IPhone Company has created quite a name for itself through the creation and sales of the phone that is leading in innovation, technology, and consumer popularity. With many large cell phone competitor companies, such as T-Mobile, Verizon, At&t, and Sprint, the IPhone has managed to continually create a product and service that continues to beat the competitors in technology and innovation. The smaller cell phone companies such as Cricket, Metro PCS, and Boost Mobile are able to stay in business only because they sell somewhat of a different marketing strategy, which is a cheaper service plan, with older phones. The Apple IPhone has profited from the recent horizontal merger of T-Mobile, a large cell phone provider, and MetroPCS, a smaller cell phone provider. Two companies made this merger in the same industry that came together in hopes of increasing revenue for both organizations (Investopedia, 2014). The profit that came to Apple Iphone from the merger was increased sale s of the IPhone; MetroPCS has access to the unlocked IPhones and can now offer sales to nine million additional consumers that otherwise would not have access through MetroPCS (AppleInsider, 2013). A merger of this type offer other benefits such as â€Å"infrastructure and branding strength,† for the smaller organization, and creates stronger competition for other large cell phone providers as well (Yglesias, 2013). This competition will force other companies to create new service plans with reduced rates and better services in order to continue to remain successful in the industry. This will in-turn push prices down for consumers and level the playing field. The Apple IPhone Company participates in globalization through contracting the manufacturing of the IPhone product through a company named Foxconn Technologies, which is located in Western China. Foxconn creates more than forty percent of the US electronics, and employs around 120,000 workers twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. Many employees work six days a week with harsh working conditions that  require fast pace and high pressure from the employees leading to high turnover rates (Dihigg & Barboza, 2012) . Despite the harsh working environment, through globalization Apple is able to help other countries develop faster by providing employment opportunities for areas that would otherwise not have any. This also allows Apple to reduce cost of production creating a higher profit margin and sustainability rates for the organization as a whole (Investopedia, 2014). Government Policies and Regulations The cell phone industries have to follow government policies and regulations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have the authority to regulate how much a cell phone emits radiofrequency energy. If a cell phone device releases too much radiofrequency energy the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can have the company recall all the cell phones and repair or replace them. Someone can live near or under a cell phone base and receive the radiofrequency energy into their body this needs to be monitored at all time. U.S. Food and Drug Administration shares responsibility with the Federal Communication Commission to be sure that all phones sold in the United States meets the requirements. The Federal Communication Commission also regulates the base tower of the cell phones. A third party can be injured by someone answering their cell phone while driving and if that call is from a telemarketer that can be very bad. Telemarketers once only called your home phone, now they are given access t o our cell phone numbers. The National Do Not Call Registry has thirty-one days from the date of request to remove your phone number from the telemarketing list. The Federal Trade Commission manages the National Do Not Call Registry. If a company does not stop calling they can be subject to up to a $16,000 fine. We all have been told that texting or sending an email while driving can be deadly to the driver, to the passengers and to an innocent third party in another vehicle. Many states are adopting laws and penalties that can range from $50 to $400 depending how many times the drivers violates the law. A young driver will have their licenses suspended the first time or revoked if it happens a second time. A commercial driver cannot use a cell phone inside a vehicle that the engine is running. Not all states these laws based around cell phones and driving yet, but laws are expected to be in all fifty states as  the state sees it necessary. More and more people use their cell phones to store and receive bus iness information. Many people misplace and or lose their cell phone with sensitive information stored in the device. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 [Stimulus Act] will soon want any cell phones used for business to be notified when a breach as happened. Competition; Rules and Regulations Apple Inc. is one of the leading companies in the communication market and because of the rapid growth in technology the global competition is very tight. Telecommunications, globalization, technology, the Internet, and e-commerce have an increased amount of change. Due to this increase companies need to keep up and make changes in their technology, which also means they need to increase their supply, relations, labor, rules and regulations within the company to maintain their competitiveness within the market. Consumers are always looking for the newest technology when it comes to their cell phones, laptops, tablets, and computers. It is imperative for any company that wants to maintain a competitive edge in the market to offer better, faster, and newer products. They must also be willing to maintain service to their existing products as well. Management must make changes within their devices as well as the service they provide. For the company to be successful the management team must keep strong relations within the company as well as the consumers of the product as well. The individuals purchasing their devices need to be sure that they are receiving the highest quality product and also want the validation that if there is a problem with their device that Apple will be able to fix the problem. The levels of management, support staff, customer service, sales, and technical support must be able to meet the supply and demand while remaining cost effective. While most of the labor for manufacturing Apple products is outsourced to other countries; this is done because they can produce the product at a cheaper rate then they would be able to if it was manufactured within the U.S. Due to the outsourcing of work being done outside the U.S. there is a need to have a union representation for the labor that is being done in  other countries. The company needs to ensure that they create policies, rules, and procedures for the company’s employees both within and outside the U.S. Management team needs to make sure they are protecting their employee’s rights both within and outside the U.S. while maintaining their fairness to all employed and still able to create a product that is cost efficient and of the highest quality. Recommendations Apple iPhone merger with T-Mobile is profitable. The merger allows the iPhone to control a large part of the cell phone market. New companies entering the cell phone market must compete with the iPhone on a level of having cheaper rates. Entering a oligopoly market structure is difficult. The merger of Apple iPhone and T-Mobile may lead to other mergers of cell phone companies. Creating new technology by Apple will keep them as a front runner in the cell phone industry; continuing to improve on their now popular cell phone product through technological advances. The popularity of cell phones for more than just calling and sending messages to friends is on the rise. The use of cell phones to conduct business is the lifeline of the businessman or woman on the go. The regulations by the government will still need to be met. Apple in response to government regulations will need to make technological advancements in the safety of their product. The integration of cell phones to the hands free operation of a vehicles radio is one safety step taken. The promoting of not talking and texting while driving must continue and even increase to keep people safe. To keep up with the demand and the changing technology Apple will need to watch the competition closely. The possibility of future mergers will change the labor market. The outsourcing of Apple using a cheaper labor source helps keep production cost down. In order to maintain a high status in the cell phone industry Apple will need to continue to strive for excellence in the technology advancement. Providing superior products to its customers Apple needs make sure it keeps its employees happy. There are fewer unions today compared to years past. This shows that companies are becoming better at providing for its employees. This will need to continue  in order for Apple to stay competitive. Reference AppleInsider. (2013, May 1). T-Mobile, MetroPCS Officially Merge, Bringing IPhone to 9M More in US. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/03/t_mobile_metropcs_merger_it_would_force_at_t_and_verizon_to_improve.html Dihigg, C. (Interviewer)., & Barboza, D. (Speaker). (2012, January 26). In China, Human Costs are Built into an IPad [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/business/ieconomy.html?_r=0 Federal Trade Commission. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0108-national-do-not-call-registry Investopedia. (2014). Globalization. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/globalization.asp Investopedia. (2014). Horizontal Merger. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/horizontalmerger.asp TechTarget. (2003-2014). Retrieved from http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/news/1368978/Ensuring-mobile-data-protection-for-smartphones-is-critical Yglesias, M. (2013, March 28). The Cell Phone Merger America Needs. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/03/t_mobile_metropcs_merger_it_would_force_at_t_and_verizon_to_improve.html

Business Report On Coca-cola Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Report On Coca-cola Company - Essay Example Three factors which will be discussed in the report will be addressing the erosion of the profitability of the company. The factors include profit and nonprofit competition, actual or threat of potential entry and competition by products from outside the company. The report will also address the extent to which the coca-cola company has economic power to charge higher prices. Last the report will detail the strategies the company has employed to remain competitive in the market. Profit is the financial benefit realized when the difference between income and expenses yields an amount that is capable of sustaining the business activity. Profitability therefore is measured using income and expenses and this is the primary goal on any business venture. Price and non price competition, actual or threat of potential entry by competitors and competing products from outside the company are the immediate concerns in this context and therefore are adequately elaborated. The purpose of this report is to provide information for the management of the coca-cola and affiliates about the extent to which price or non price competition, actual or potential threat to entry in the industry by competitors and competing products from outside the company erode the profitability of coca-cola company. The report also addresses the extent to which the company have economic power to charge higher prices and lastly, strategies the company has put forth to remain competitive in the market. ... INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to provide information for the management of the coca-cola and affiliates about the extent to which price or non price competition, actual or potential threat to entry in the industry by competitors and competing products from outside the company erode the profitability of coca-cola company. The report also addresses the extent to which the company have economic power to charge higher prices and lastly, strategies the company has put forth to remain competitive in the market. Coca-cola Company is a multinational business whose headquarters is in America. Coca-cola manufactures, markets, retails and wholesales non alcoholic beverages and concentrates. The company was founded by Assa Griggs candler in 1892 and its headquarters based in Atlanta,CA. Ever since, the company has been on operation despite numerous challenges she has faced. Five major topics make up this report. To what extent does price or non price competition erode the profitabil ity of the company? To what extent does actual or potential threat erode the profitability of the company? To what extent does competing products from outside the company erode the profitability of the company? To what extent does Coca-Cola Company have economic power to charge higher prices? The strategies the coca-cola company has used to remain competitive in the ever changing global community. All these factors are discussed elaborately and adequately. PRICE AND NON-PRICE COMPETITION. Price competition is a situation where a company cuts the price of the product and instead offers it at a lower rate than usual. The price cut could be due to the company’s own volition or as a

5 Porter's Five Forces on Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5 Porter's Five Forces on Amazon - Essay Example The most significant benefit is charging Amazon only when consumers make the actual purchase. This room for allowance reveals just how willing suppliers are to offer their commodities and services to Amazon. Amazon maintains a low of five items from small suppliers to lower overhead costs. Suppliers reasonably treat Amazon like a pivotal and prestigious partner, which is the source of their explicitly evident and necessary devotion (Cukier, Hodson, and Ryan, 2009, p. 5). Amazon is among the pioneers of the e-commerce sector. This advantage offers amazon a significant degree of presence in the online retail market. Amazon’s superior customer satisfaction guarantees Amazon’s market share in the end. At the same time, Amazon has numerous rivals who offer a nearly similar diverse array of products and services with almost the same low prices (Cukier, Hodson, and Ryan, 2009, p. 3). Examples of such rival companies are Barnes and Noble, eBay, and Alibaba. Amazon’s presence on the internet compelled the company to improve its search engine capabilities to rival with those of Google and Yahoo. The risk of the substitution of Amazon is significant. There are a great deal of options to amazon’s products and services for online shoppers. Currently, Amazon is unique for only its patented features such as the one-click ordering. Many stores with physical outlets have an online presence. This presence means nearly all of Amazon’s inventory are available on the internet on other websites such as the direct manufacturer’s site. Products on such sites often do not have the same low prices or offers (Cukier, Hodson, and Ryan, 2009, p. 2). However, when Amazon does not present a better offer, consumers who really want the product will always substitute Amazon with other online retailers. The internet is a platform for the prevalence of new ideas

Analysis MYB26 gene and male sterile and Anther dehiesence Literature review

Analysis MYB26 gene and male sterile and Anther dehiesence - Literature review Example The Arabidopsis plant produce flowers from April to early June. The plants of this family are known as crucifers due to their uniform flower structure that resembles a ‘cross’ and are also characterized by a fruit named silique which is 5-20mm long with 20-30 seeds. The leaves are alternate (rarely opposite) and sometimes organized in basal rosettes. Figure 1. Arabidopsis thaliana plant: Left, the vegetative stage, before flowering and growth of the floral stalk (bottom left). On the centre an adult plant at full flowering/seed set. On the right, flower, floral stem and seeds. White bars represent 1 cm, except for flower and seeds: 1 mm. (image from http://www-ijpb.versailles.inra.fr/en/arabido/arabido.htm) Taxonomy of A. thaliana Genus Arabidopsis has several species but A. thaliana (L.) Heynh. 2n=10 is the most studied as the model plant. Kingdom: Plantae Order: Brassicales Family: Brassicaceae Genus: Arabidopsis Species: Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Importance of A. thaliana as a model plant Though it has no significant economic value, A. thaliana is widely used as a model plant in studying a wide range of subjects in plant science. This was first proposed as a model plant by Friedrich Laibact in 1943 (Meyerowitz, 2001) and now it is used extensively in studies based on evolution, genetics, population genetics and plant development. It is widely applied in genetic transformation studies, chromosomal analysis, genetic mapping and genome sequencing work. One important trait that makes A. thaliana an ideal model plant in plant science research is its small genome size. It has only five chromosomes with 157 million base pairs (Bennet et al., 2003) and the genetic and physical maps of all five genes are available. This is useful for genetic sequencing and mapping. In fact the first plant genomes sequenced were of A. thaliana in the year 2000 where 115.4 mega bases of the 125mb genome were sequenced (â€Å"Analysis of the genome sequence of the f lowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana†, 2000). Such information provides the basis of understanding molecular biology of many plant traits and research has defined the functions of its 27,000 genes and the 35,000 proteins they encode (Integr8, 2011). In addition, A. thaliana has a short life cycle (six weeks from seed germination to seed maturation), has prolific seed production and the plant can be easily cultivated in restricted space. A. thaliana can be efficiently transformed with Agrobacterium and large number of mutants is available (www.arabidopsis.org). This plant has thus become valuable in genome projects and facilitates molecular level understanding of the biology of a flowering plant. Since Arabidopsis thaliana is similar to many other plants, it is believed that the properties found in Arabidopsis likely to be found in other flowering plants too. Therefore analyzing the structure and functions about Arabidopsis genes will pave the pathway to study about other plant species. Arabidopsis Information Resources (TAIR), located in Carnegie Institute for Science Department of Plant Biology, USA maintain a genetic and molecular biology database of A. thaliana (www.arabidopsis.org). TAIR includes data on complete genome sequence with gene structure, gene product information, metabolism and gene expression, genome maps, genetic and physi

How financial crisis affected businesses in the UK economy Literature review

How financial crisis affected businesses in the UK economy - Literature review Example Thus, British faced the worst financial crisis in a number of decades; with several business operations affected, there are still aftereffects that can be seen such as the large sum of national debt. Britain also faced falling housing prices which contributed to the capital city’s despair. The Prime Minister at that time, Gordon Brown, had given a bank bailout plan which was accredited and which created a template followed by US and countries across Europe later. However, the recession was seen as persistent by the economists. The British currency had also fallen in value outside the Eurozone. Britain managed to play a major role in order to coordinate and find an international response to the financial crisis. There were G-20 meetings in April 2009 that were hosted by London, and PM Brown drafted a well-aimed and ambitious plan to fix the international financial regulations. After these meetings, the British finance ministry had to announce more bad news that the country was not breaking even on banking interventions and would probably end up losing more than $87 billion (Rayner, 2008). The financial crisis thus wiped off the country’s major banks, investors, companies, and markets. It was one of the days during the crisis when the pound suffered the worst one-day fall since 1992 on Black Wednesday. This indicated the severe global recession that was going to hit Britain and last for a very long time. The stock market had also been starting to face the shockwaves of the American corporate meltdown. Economic experts had analyzed that Halifax Bank of Scotland, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, had lost about 13% of its value and had high risks of being immensely affected by the global financial crisis (Rayner, 2008). The royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays also had a 9% decrease in their share prices. Thus the feat grew that other major investment banks would be affected severely following the

CIS375 Human Computer questions 1-3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS375 Human Computer questions 1-3 - Assignment Example Why would you produce an expensive device when there’s a cheaper one which can do the job with more efficiency? B. Using small touch screen devices is easier than lager devices due to their portability. It’s easier to move them from place to place rather than larger devices that you have to move to where the device is to use it. Large devices also provide a larger and bigger display surface hence its more accurate to operate on individual spots on the screen while touching. A. Functionality- As the price of devices reduce due to increasing technology level, most people consider the functionality of a device very useful. Some basic and important functionalities include internet provision(fast internet from 3G and beyond), Wi-Fi support, Camera, Music, Video playing etc. These are very common uses among people and anyone who needs them will highly consider the device they purchase. Ease of use-Touch screen devices have proved to be efficient especially when scrolling on screens. Unlike button based devices where one has to scroll through several icons to get to the target, touch screens allows direct selection so long as the icon is appearing on the display area. B. Using the bottom stove is easier than using the top stove. The problem with the top stove is that it is difficult to tell which control goes with which burner.  The solution is to arrange the controls in the same configuration as the burners. It is quite easy to tell which burner goes with which control. A. The three interfaces provide a form of interaction involving manipulating of objects presented as icons on the display. The interface of the 1987 Mac is too plain and offers very little aesthetic value to the user. Compared to the 2005 Mac Os X and the 2010 Ipad, the two offer better interface as the user can easily tell the meaning of an icon without even reading its label. For example on the ipad interface, the user can easily identify a calendar icon and a music player

Oedipus the King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Oedipus the King - Essay Example Parts of Oedipus are dramatic, rather than narrative. When Oedipus suspects that he has killed Laius, he doesn’t tell Jocasta of his suspicions, but drags it out of her bit by bit in an unnecessary dramatic fashion. He asks: Where did it happen? What did he look like? Who was he with? Can the survivor be sent for? Then he cries, â€Å"O God, what have you planned to do to me? (42). Oedipus also has several moments that arouse pity, and fear. The most notable of which is King Laius’ order to have baby Oedipus killed. Readers (as well as characters in the story) would feel sorry for the baby, but fear a king ruthless enough to kill his own son. The one element that doesn’t fit with Aristotle’s claim is poetic language. At least in the edition I have, the language is everyday, layperson language. There is nothing poetic about it, and little that requires in depth translation. The moment in which Oedipus realizes he has killed his father is a cathartic one. He is torn between the repulsion of having had sex with his mother, the knowledge that he has murdered his biological mother, and wanting to save face as a king, or allow his kingdom to show weakness. I doubt if anyone feels relieved by the events that took place. In the end, it was still depressing, unlike Aristotle’s view of Greek tragedy. It is true that Oedipus was neither totally good, nor totally evil. He was, obviously, a murderer, but he was actually attempting to flee because he thought it would save his father, not knowing he was the son of Laius. It is also true that Sophocles needed to put Oedipus into the position of king, so that when the true events were made known, there would be more of an impact, that if we found out some shepherd had accidentally killed King Laius. Oedipus’ unfortunate circumstances allow us to feel pity for him. It wasn’t his fault that he was ordered killed, and it wasn’t his fault that he didn’t recognize his own father There are a few points that

OHMs prac report Essay Example for Free

OHMs prac report Essay Introduction: OHMS Law states that the current passing through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the potential difference (i. e. voltage drop or voltage) across the two points, and inversely proportional to the resistance between them. The mathematical equation that describes this relationship is: Independent Variable: changing the resistance (OHMS) Dependant Variable: The current (A) is decreased because of the increasing resistors. Constant: The voltage is kept constant but is changed at the end of each test to make the investigation more accurate. Materials: Method: 1. Collect materials listed in above diagram 2. Set up apparatus shown above 3. Set the voltmeter to 1 volts and place the lead in the 5 OHMs resistor 4. Turn to the Power Pack and record the reading on the ammeter 5. Repeat step 3 and 4 2 more times. 6. Change the volts to 3,5,7,9,11,13 and 15, remembering to only record with the 5 OHMs resistor. 7. Record the results using the 5 OHM resistor 8. Repeat steps 4 7 but instead of using the 5 OHMs resistor, use 10 OHMs, 18 OHMs and 56OHMs resistors 9. Clean up all equipment and analyze the results Results: Current (A) Volts 5 OHMs 10 OHMs 18 OHMs 56 OHMs 1It can be seen from the Graph that as the volts increased and so did the resistors, the current was recorded lower that the previous. The highest current recorded was, 2. 557amps with a resistance of 5 OHMs and a voltage of 15 volts. The lowest current recorded was, 0. 017amps with a resistance of 56 OHMs and a voltage of 1. This shows that as the resistors increased the current was weaker, than of a low resistor at the same voltage. Using the Formula and rearranging the equation so R is the average value for the Resistor can be found. The Formula now would be . The Average resistor value for: The 5 OHMs resistor = 5. 857, The 10 OHMs resistor = 10. 340, the 18 OHMs Resistor = 18. 038 and the 56 OHMs resistor = 56. 238. Discussion: Systematic errors: The resistor not calibrated to the exact value displayed Ammeter not calibrated properly Voltage on battery pack not correctly calibrated properly Random errors: Leaving the resistors on to long causing the resistors to over heat and decrease the resistance. Loss of resistance to the resistors due to ware and tare on the resistors over a long period of time. Damaged equipment. Humidity and room temperature Improvements: There are some possible improvements that could be made to improve the results and practical experiment. The Equipment should be checked prior to the practical to reduce errors during the experiment. Also introducing more accurate results by recording the results ten times, instead of five, and work out the average. Use digital ammeters to measure the current. Compare the results to other practicals that were conducted and compare views and data. The Results: It can be seen from the Graph that as the volts increased and so did the resistors, the current was recorded lower that the previous. The highest current recorded was, 2. 557amps with a resistance of 5 OHMs and a voltage of 15 volts. The lowest current recorded was, 0. 017amps with a resistance of 56 OHMs and a voltage of 1. This shows that as the resistors increased the current was weaker, than of a low resistor at the same voltage. Conclusion: The Hypothesis is correct, as the volts and the resistance was increased, the current decreased. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

The themes in Hamlet Essay Example for Free

The themes in Hamlet Essay Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a revenge tragedy that illustrates a tragic heros struggle with two opposing forces: moral integrity, and the need to avenge his fathers murder. Hamlet the prince of Denmark discovers from his fathers ghost that his father has been murdered with malicious premeditation and this atrocious act was committed by none other than his uncle Claudius. Inevitably Hamlet is instigated to seek revenge, however is incapable of such action due to the need for certainty and other emotional, psychological, and ethical factors; thus he remains indecisive. Through Hamlets complex, divided, introspective character and with the help of such an intriguing plot Shakespeare exposes the themes of immorality, revenge, and death; which are evidently the most significant and recurring themes throughout the play. Immorality plays a significant role in the play. The plot commences with Claudius not only committing the immoral act of regicide but also repulsively seducing the queen into marriage; completely disrupting the natural order of Denmark. Therefore Claudius has deprived the prior king of life, of crown, of queen Such corruption leads to Denmark being represented as a physical body which has been made ill as the people come to believe that something is rotten in the state. (I, iv, 90) The appearance of the previous kings ghost confirms a sense of foreboding about the future of the country since the new king has forced himself onto the throne through corrupt means. All this corruption affects Hamlets view of the world as well, where he comes to believe that the world is merely possessed by things rank in gross in nature. ( I, ii, 136) Even before Hamlet encounters his fathers ghost who reveals the truth about the murder, Hamlet is searing with indignation over how his mother with most wicked speed, [did] post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets (I,ii,156 157) Thus Hamlet foreshadows that such dissolute deeds cannot come to good (I. ii. 158) However when the ghost does reveal the truth Hamlet is overwhelmed with disgust at the immorality and injustice of his own uncles and his mothers foul deeds. Inevitably the occurrences of such immoral acts have brought a burning need within Hamlet, a need to seek to revenge; which is another significant theme that recurs throughout the play. Indisputably, revenge is probably the most essential theme in the development of Hamlet. Revenge is a dreadful, decadent and a bloodthirsty emotion and is the driving force behind two of the main characters in the play- Hamlet and Laertes. However Shakespeares conduct of revenge within Hamlet differs completely to the quintessential style of revenge during his era. Shakespeares illustration of revenge delves more into the physiological and moral aspect of seeking revenge; where he portrays that revenge is not an action that usually comes innately because even overpowering emotion cannot bring about immediate action. Therefore Hamlet contemplates heavily and plans the revenge, but fails to put his ideas into action until the last scene. The first sign of revenge is evidently seen in the beginning where Hamlets fathers ghost urges him to revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. (I. v.25). However Hamlet was still not convinced by the ghost as he believes it may be the devil( II,ii) Therefore in order to catch Claudiuss conscience and prove the ghosts message, Hamlet has a play enacted in the scenario of his fathers murder. This shows Hamlets need for certainty and deep contemplation. Even after The kings outburst when he had the perfect opportunity to kill whilst he was praying, Hamlet failed to perform. Hamlet states Now he is praying a villain kills my father and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven( III,iii). It is evident that Hamlet is a man with too much reason (III.ii) and not enough action. One could argue that it is as if he develops excuses for not completing the deed, mainly because he is human and that the deed is immoral. Therefore he is incapable of performing such action immediately. This proves that every action; even revenge is affected by rational considerations, involving the need for truth or certainty as well as moral, physiological and emotional factors. Nevertheless it seems as though Hamlet disbelieves the notion of performing a deed in a purposeful and controlled way; because when Hamlet does take action; killing Polonius, he prefers to do it irresponsibly, blindly and viciously. It evidently shows his thirst for revenge as well as the obscurity and complexity of his character. Hamlets blind, irrational, and impulsive, manner of killing Polonius without being aware of his identitiy formulates the beginning of a vicious cycle of retribution; as Hamlet becomes a part of Denmarks squalor and misery. This irrepressible and unjustifiable murder instigated Laertess(Poloniuss son) quest to avenge his fathers death. Later on in act 5 Hamlet and Laertes have the opportunity to avenge their fathers in a gruesome duel. However this only leads to their downfall, revenges eventual outcome- death. Shakespeare utilizes the theme of death as a cleanser of corruption, as all the corrupt players are killed through unnatural means which ultimately restores the natural order of Denmark. As destined the characters receive the deaths they deserve. Thus the king dies in Hamlets hand as well as being poisoned like the queen, whereas Hamlet dies in a soldierly fashion being provided the respect a soldier deserves. Inevitably death is seen as the ultimate resolution for immoral injustice. Death is not only seen as a cleanser of corruption but according to Hamlet death carries various meaning involving freedom, inevitability and the fact that death renders life meaningless. It is evident that Hamlets obsession with death works in three stages: death as a means of escape or freedom, his circle of life theory and the physical decay of death which proves the futility of life. From the very beginning Hamlets seems to find the world weary, stale, flat and unprofitable. (I,ii,129-134) and would have ended his agony by committing suicide if the everlasting had not fixed his canon `gainst self-slaughter. ( I. ii. 129-134) Hamlet ponders over the means to handle his outrageous fortune(III,i, lines 58-70)and contemplates whether he should fight the slings and arrows (III,i lines 58-70) that life has thrown upon him or he should end the heart ache and a thousand natural shocks (III, i,lines 58-70) by killing himself. However he is afraid of the after life and chooses the nobler (III. i, 58-70) path to face the suffering of life in order to avoid the gruesome aftermath of death. According to Hamlet aftermath can also involve the grave where the person has to face worms and maggots feeding on him, evidently pointing out that death is a leveler which inevitably everyone is entitled for. Therefore he believes that life goes around in a circle because a man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath feed of that worm. (IV,iii, 30-32) Hamlet also believes that life is meaningless because after death all physical beauty is lost. So with Yoricks skull in hand he reminisces upon all the moments he spent with Yorick and what has become of him now. Likewise, regardless of how women emphasize on their beauty; as Hamlet states to this favor she must come. (V. i. 192-195) Evidently Shakespeare, through the voice of Hamlet proves that all the greed and lust for power eventually leads to nothing in the face of death. Shakespeares utilization of the significant intertwining themes of death, revenge and immorality, he is able to coherently elucidate how immoral injustice can never be restored and unless all the corrupt players are purged and a new king, in this case Fortinbras, is crowned. In addition Shakespeare also exposes that ultimately revenge is not the solution for internal peace but rather when committed it brings forth chaos and disorder within the society; forcing death to be the only resolution to cleanse the corruption and bring back peace and harmony to the state. In the process of the play these universal themes are dealt not in the conventional sense but in a reality based fashion which any human being can easily relate to, and this is what makes Hamlet such a tour de force.

Human Resource Accounting

Human Resource Accounting First we need to look at any business in a profit motive and of course in a society prosperous kind as well. When we talking about any entity first thing that one can ask is about the output of that firm in terms of production. Resources to that particular organisation provided will have an intention in yielding some kind of output. Human resources in particularly will have a kind of criteria that should only satisfy with their skills and capabilities. Though skills and capabilities are not quite easy to design and anticipate in a desirable context but can draw some equators to expect. In doing this professionals need elaborated information with a measurable set of ends that possibly design the role and responsibilities of individuals in the organisation. When things can measure will evidently get managed. It is always important to set some standards and giving targets to the individuals such will helps in creating organisational structure with more ease and straight. Thus intellectu al capital all set to have advanced significance in valuing the firm value. Where human capital also get place in it. Organisations have got to control over the human resources in order to get more rigid and assist organisation carry further efficiency. Human resource management functions thus got more prominence in evaluating; measuring and managing human resources like any other divisions attain control over their relevant functions. Human Resource Accounting (HRA) is part of function of accounting and Human Resources as well. Much attention laid on human resource accounting in many years ago as research began in the 1960s by Rensis Likert [Bowers, 1973]. The importance which Emperor Akbar gave to the nine jewels (courtiers) is a strong evidence of this in the sixteenth century only. Many critics, researchers, scholars and many others perceived human resource accounting in different ways as a part of financial accounting, management accounting view and as a human resource function. Organisations must estimate the value arising out of employees then only it will make advantage to the stakeholders in terms of financial and managerial perspectives. Having a same kind of resources in terms of technology, tangible assets and even in number of human resources will still makes lot of difference between one to another. The bridge among the difference would be skills and capabilities of human resources. With the same technology, a solid human resource team makes all the difference [Archel, 1995]. Human resource accounting involves assigning; budgeting, measuring costs expend on (employees) human resources while recruit, select, hire, train and develop employees and judge their economic value to the organisation. Human resource accounting is an effort to recognize and report investments made on the human resources of an organisation which are not currently accounted under conventional accounting practice. In essence, it acts like an information system that advice the management what changes took place overtime to the human resources of the business, and cost and value of the human factor in particular organisation. The process may well furnish both the internal and external users; strengthen human resource management function (internal users) providing with relevant data which supports recruiting, training and other development decisions in and supplying investors, lenders and other external users of financial statement make presented information as to the investment in and utilisation of human resources in the organisation. Enhance the skills and capabilities of employees, setting some standards and to schedule the training and development programs by this practice. Exhibiting comprehensible strength of the organisation by exploring more information about potentialities of the organisation and to overcome the missing scarce of balance sheet for the investors by means of providing necessary adequate information. â€Å"Human Resource Accounting is mainly an information system that informs management what changes are occurring over time to the human resources of the business. HRA also involves a ccounting forinvestmentin people and their replacement costs, and also the economic value of people in an organization,† says P K Gupta, the director of strategic development-intercontinental operations, of Legato Systems India. HRA is primarily an information system, which update the management about the changes that are taking place in the human resource of an organisation. It is the art of valuing, recording and presenting methodically about the human resources in the books of accounts of an organisation. Definition: â€Å"Human Resource Accounting is the process of identifying and measuring data about human resources and communicating this information to interested parties.† American Accounting Society Committee on HRA â€Å"Human resource accounting is the measurement of the cost and value of the people for the organisation.† Eric Flamholtz of university of California, Los Angeles IT, hospital, sports club, research oriented and many organisations mostly depends on human capital rather physical capital. When we have a look at service oriented organisations which are creating more wealth to the society typically have greater significance to the human resources as the value of the knowledge and skills of its personnel more than that of physical assets of the organisation. Should HR accounting be rejuvenated at the present time? The answer lies in the level of consensus which presently exists about the crucial role that employee plays in all organisations (1992: 312).Most of the works on HRA focused primarily on validation and development of accounting the human resources. The treatment of human resource capital in final accounts and also on methodologies approaching in computing HRA and there are some researchers like Robinson (2009) questioning about the need of HRA. Though this study may/could not provide answers to these questions but can make a sense about HRA prevalence India and how they are handling in the books of accounts. However, in order to assess the value of the human capital, method of quantifying the significance of the knowledge, skills, capabilities and contribution of the human element as well as that of the organizational processes, like recruitment, selection, training etc., which are used to form and carry these human aspects, is developed. No particular HR accounting model is accepted by the accounting bodies all over the world. However, many organisations in India using the application ofLev Schwartz modelin both public and private sectors as well. Models for measurement of knowledge capital in monetary terms:- Cost modelsare based on the acquisition cost, including replacement and training costs and opportunity cost of human asset. The supporters of this model are Burmment, Flamholtz and Pyle. TheLev Schwartz model, more monetary-centric, is based on the likely future earnings of an employee till his retirement. Methods for Valuation: Historical Cost Method This method was proposed by Brummet to measure a firms investment in human resources. The current scarifies for obtaining future benefits is the cost of human resource. The method suggests capitalizing the firms expenditure on recruitment, selection, training and development of employees and treats them as assets for the purpose of human resource accounting. Capitalization of costs is contrary to traditional accounting norms and does not reflect value. Moreover the accumulated costs of human resource acquisition and development may not reflect its proper worth. Instead of this, the total performance needs should be assessed in relation to the total cost associated with human resource to reflect their value. Replacement Cost Method This method involves assessment of replacement cost of individuals, and rebuilding cost of the organization to reflect human resourceasset value of both the individuals and the organization. However, the replacement cost may not reflect either the actual costs or the contribution associated with human resource. Opportunity Cost Method According to this method the computation of monetary value and allocation of people to the most promising activity and thereby to assess the opportunity costs of key employees through competitive bidding among investment centers. Behavioural Method In this method a set of casual variables through psycho-social test results reflecting the appreciating or depreciating condition of human organization as reflected by a set of intervening variables, which in turn, are likely to result in the achievement of the end result variables. The investment in human resource value has been proposed to be amortized over the years in tune with the condition of the human organization. Economic Method Lev Schwartz advocated the estimation of future earnings during the remaining life of the employee and then arriving at the present value by discounting the estimated earnings at the employees cost of capital. The formula adopted for computation of the present value of the future earnings in an extension to the formula propounded by Lev Schwartz. Flamhlotz value human resource on the basis of the roles which the employees are to perform. The method also considers the present value of the future services at different service states and takes into consideration the migration of an employee from one service state to the other. However, the estimates of the employees occupying different service states in his career in the organization can be highly probabilistic and unreliable. Harmonson advocated the human resource value as the present value of the future wages payable for the next five years discounted at the adjusted rate of return. The adjusted rate of return is the average rate of return on the owned assets of all firms in the economy multiplied by efficiency ratio of the organization. This method attempts to bring into question the effectiveness of return on investment of the industry on the assumption that there are no extraneous factors and that the results were due to efforts of the employees. Each model has its own negatives and positive when it comes to practical application. In an Indian context, the Lev Schwartz model has an edge over the other models. Since the method has been widely adopted by Indian companies such as Infosys, DSQ Software Ltd., Satyam Computers, BHEL and SPIC, it enables the company to benchmark the performance and efficiency of their human resources with others. The assumptions in this model are realistic and scientific. The method has practical applicability when availability of quantifiable and analyzable data is concerned. Organisations which are undertaking this HRA process in India and some other global companies as well are as follows: Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited, India Infosys Technologies, India Reliance Industries, India NIIT Limited, India HCL Technologies, India Cadence Systems, India Legato Systems, India SBI, India Novo Nordisk, Denmark Frederiksborg County, Denmark Skandia, Sweden Environmental Protection Agency, Denmark The Body Shop, London, UK Xerox Mitsubishi Whitbread Ford Motors Esso And the some human resource accounting softwares: ADP, Kronos, Ceredian, Lawson, TempWare, Empact, SAP, UltiPro, Stromberg. [SOURCE : secondary] Interesting points to come across in this study are; o Book representation of HRA o Methodologies to adopt in computing HRA o The present importance given to HRA in different countries, organisations and in perspective of many scholars, researchers. o Is HRA more advantage in accounting perspective or HR perspective? And the belief of people involved in it through some sort of interviewing the professionals. o More focus on Infosys and BHEL where two organisations has different mode of industries. o And the value of HRA in recession timings.

Exploring the Themes of Forgiveness and Reconciliation in The Tempest b

Exploring the Themes of Forgiveness and Reconciliation in The Tempest by William Shakespeare Prospero is a character that seems to stand at the very centre of The Tempest. Throughout the play, he prompts most of the action, and he has the last word. The entire plot of the play is a scheme designed by Prospero to bring his rivals to a state of regret so that he can pardon them and restore the rightful order of things to his dukedom of Milan. As Prospero is seen as being all-powerful over the island, he could easily destroy or punish his enemies by any method or means. However, he chooses not to and brings the past conspirators face-to- face with the sins of their past, which causes them to be repentant. In a god-like way, Prospero forgives each of them, allowing them to live and return to Italy. In appreciation, they promise to faithfully serve Prospero. It is a picture of full reconciliation, with the exception of Antonio. This shows that the theme of this play is the ?chain of forgiveness and reconciliation?, filled with religious overtones. The religious theme in this play may be shown by how Prospero exemplifies wisdom, justice, and super-human good judgement. In relation to the other characters, this may be argued to show a Christ -like representation of Prospero to the readers or audience of the play. The time when the play was written would mean an audience composed of Christians, who would have almost certainly agreed that forgiveness was essential. Like Jesus he is betrayed by his enemies. After he is stripped of his power, Prospero is then sent to die at sea; but he is almost miraculously raised from the near-dead due to the loving care of Gonzalo, who is a God-like figure due to his age, wisdom, kindness ... ...dy. Act five presents a climax, when Prospero confronts his enemies, brings them to repentance and forgives them. Those whowere though dead were discovered alive, a lost son id resorted to a joyous parent and Those who have committed offenses repent and are forgiven. The conclusion shows how the reconciliation is brought about. What isn't clear is whether Prospero intends from the beginning to forgive his old enemies or whether his mercy is a last-minute decision. Merinda and Ferdinand are blissfully wedded a and Prospero is restored his rightful position and plans to sail home. He also generously forgives those who have wronged him, proving that ?the rarer action is in virtue rather than vengeance? because he concentrates on the re-growth instead of revenge, Prospero proves the true nobility of his character, while allowing all the characters to better themselves.

Elements of Relationship in D.H. Lawrences Works Essay -- D.H. Lawren

After spending a semester experiencing and analyzing the work of D.H. Lawrence, it has become obvious that he had several messages to convey to his audience. Through his characters, Lawrence commented on the condition of England, on social issues, and also on relationships. In his novels Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, and Lady Chatterley's Lover, Lawrence reveals three important aspects of relationships, and shows his audience the devastating results when one or more of those aspects are missing. When it comes to intellectual, spiritual and sexual connections, Lawrence makes it clear that all of these elements must be present in order for a relationship to be successful; it's either all or none. Lawrence's first example of relational incompleteness comes through Paul in Sons and Lovers. By the middle of the novel, the reader is well aware of Paul's connection to his mother, Mrs. Morel. Paul's awareness of his mother comes in the notion that ?when she fretted he understood, and could have no peace,? (51) and also in the way they act like excited ?lovers having an adventure together.? (81) Through Paul?s relationships, Lawrence reveals how ?an exaggerated intense spiritual love from the parents,? can make it difficult for the receiver of that love to cultivate healthy relationships outside the familial sphere. (Yudhishtar, 87) Because of his deep spiritual connection with his mother, it is difficult for Paul to give himself to other women, as can be seen through his relationship with Miriam. Although Paul likes Miriam and the two get along very well, his connection to his mother prevents the young man from really giving himself to her. Paul is turned off not only by how spiritual Miriam makes him (165), but also ... ...ming deeply connected spiritually with one?s children, and how that connection can prove disastrous for non-familial relations. Through Birkin, Ursula, Gudrun and Gerald in Women in Love, he shows the crippling effects that result when intellect is emphasized drastically more than spirituality and sexuality. Lawrence arrives at a perfect balance between Connie and Mellors in Lady Chatterley?s Lover, and although Connie suffers through two failed relationships before meeting success, Lawrence shows that intellectual, spiritual and sexual connects can indeed simultaneously exist on the same plane. Through these characters, Lawrence demonstrates the importance of having a balance of all three ingredients. Without a physical connection based on spirituality and a common intellect, Sir Jon would not be able to ?say good night to Lady Jane?with a hopeful heart.? (328)

Learning Styles Inventory Essay

Taking the Learning Styles Inventory Test was an insightful, informational, and introspective experience as a whole. It measures seven areas of standards or measure that clearly define an individual’s behavioral approach on learning – the visual, social, physical, aural, verbal, solitary, and logical learning styles. Each question within the test inquires about an individual’s leaning or inclination to harboring the outcomes of learning from each means or scenario indicated. The questions provide a learning situation where one will determine how he identifies with it, and one’s identification with each specific scenario determines how one learns through various situations. Putting oneself within each scenario allows one to review or evaluate one’s motivations in learning in order to understand clearly how one’s behavior and learning environment would and should be altered to facilitate greater learning. The result of the Learning Styles Inventory Test clearly indicates my personality or takes on the learning situation. Out of the seven learning styles, the Memletic Learning Styles Graph, as shown below, depicts that I am more inclined to learn effectively when I utilize my physical functions. The rating for each of the learning styles was remote that the bodily-kinesthetic learning style (18 points) stands out among the seven. (â€Å"Learning Styles Inventory – Results Page,† 2007) This piece of information I find true as I do tend to want or need to manipulate or experiencing things in order to learn or realize the structures or dimensions of objects, concepts, occurrences, and such. (â€Å"The Physical (Bodily-Kinesthetic) Learning Style,† 2007) Therefore, the result from the test did not surprise me at all. Next to the physical learning style, the aural learning style (15 points) follows as the second dominant one that applies to me. This is yet another factual information because I do find myself enjoying the learning experience when I work with music or sounds in the background. (â€Å"The Aural (Auditory-Musical-Rhythmic) Learning Style,† 2007) Music, as part of the learning environment, sets the mood or rhythm that motivates me to carry on and finish, not to mention enjoy, what I am doing. On the contrary, the least learning styles that I can identify my learning behaviors with is the verbal learning style (11 points), also including the visual, social, and solitary learning styles (12 points each). This means that I am not motivated enough to learn by reading or writing, looking at or watching visuals, socializing with other people, and even keeping to myself. The results of the test suggest that my strengths lie in my motivations and capabilities to do, or to become more productive by being actively involved during the learning experience. However, it might be difficult to become motivated within the learning environment as learning media such as visuals, written texts, the processes of socialization and independent learning are part of learning strategies or approaches being utilized in most cases. Moreover, the learning environment is balanced, such that it fosters various methods or approaches in learning; and my unbalanced learning styles suggest that I will not be able to keep up with the learning environment. Perhaps the most logical thing to do at this point is to try to even out or balance the learning styles that I should be accustomed to in order to draw out the advantages from it whenever the learning environment or situation calls for it. If it remains to be unbalanced, like my test results indicate, inflexibility will not facilitate learning but hinder the process of acquiring knowledge and skills as learning environments vary every time. Accomplishing this goal means that I would have to expose myself to varying learning situations, and understand the importance of each one in order to balance out my learning inclinations for the seven learning styles indicated. With this in mind, as the realization of the need to balance out these learning styles I have come to realize, I believe that taking the test allows one to understand the importance of being exposed to various learning situations and experiences which fosters creativity, flexibility, and competence in the workplace. References â€Å"Learning Styles Inventory – Results Page. † (2007). Retrieved November 26, 2008, from Advanogy. com. Website: http://www. learning-styles-online. com/inventory/results. asp â€Å"The Aural (Auditory-Musical-Rhythmic) Learning Style. † (2007). Retrieved November 26, 2008, from Advanogy. com. Website: http://www. learning-styles-online. com/style/aural-auditory-musical/ â€Å"The Physical (Bodily-Kinesthetic) Learning Style. † (2007). Retrieved November 26, 2008, from Advanogy. com. Website: http://www. learning-styles-online. com/style/physical-bodily-kinesthetic/

American Agriculture

Analyze the ways in which technology, government policy, and economic conditions changed American agriculture in the period of 1865-1900. in your answer, evaluate farmers’ response. The period of 1865-1900 was one of the most crucial times in American history. It was a time period, in which America was mending, repairing, improving, reshaping, and reconstructing its society, economy, culture, and policies. Basically it was changing everything it stood for. This continual change can be seen in the following events that took place during this time. These events are both causes and effects of why America is what it is today. During the Civil War the economy in the North boomed — a continuation of the industrial advances from the 1840s. Technology was rapidly moving, economic conditions were rapidly changing, everything in the United States was booming—population, expansion, industries, etc. Technology was probably the most vital aspect of this time period. Railroads was/is the most influential thing that happened to the United States. If it wasn’t for railroads, America wouldn’t be what it is today. The railroads were a positive chain reaction. It changed American agriculture, delivering goods from state to state, sea to shining sea, etc. Railroads opened and expanded business in the Far West, where not much has been developed. There was much controversy concerning government policy and economic control. Individual enterprises fought diligently to dominate economic affairs but the government was obligated to intervene when unjust activity was apparent. It was unanimously believed, among businessmen, that the government should have very little say in economic issues, the basis for Laissez-Faire. Laissez-Faire was definitely incorporated in every issue concerning government policy. Many people are outraged with the political speakers. The people are saying that the political leaders have misled them. The Interstate Commerce Act was enacted to limit the freedom and wrongful capital gain of railways to benefit the people. The Senate passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, heavily influenced by the monopolies. The purpose of the act was to oppose the combination of entities that could potentially harm competition. Economic conditions during this time period were extreme. The Depression of 1893 was the most serious blow to the United States politics during the Gilded Age was the five-year depression that began in 1893. When the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad collapsed, a stock market panic ensued. Banks, railroads, & businesses closed, 20% unemployment; led to 1,400 labor strikes in 1894. Coxey’s Army in 1894 demanded government action to end the depression & job creation programs. Technology, government policy, and economic conditions changed American agriculture for better and for worse. Farmers had many problems during this time. Farmers were plagued by falling prices, high railroad & mortgage rates, & deflationary policies. Farmers usually lashed out at Eastern bankers, railroads, and U. S monetary policies, as well as the continued debate over gold and silver currency. Farmers were generally outraged about overproduction and how they don’t earn enough. There is a lot of supply, but the demand is very low. This time period was probably one of the most changing times in American History. American Agriculture Technology, government policy, and economic conditions changed American agriculture in the period of 1865-1900 in numerous ways. In the late 19th century, new farm machinery made a huge impact. It gave farmers the opportunity to produce more crops then they ever previously been able to produce. Railroads also had an effect on the agriculture. They charged farmers fees that they were barely ever were able to pay back. The industry played a role in which they created monopolies and gained immense amount of wealth which dominated the farmers. The monetary policy along with the steadily dropping prices of agricultural produce led farmers further into debt, eventually producing outcomes such as the crop-lien system and sharecropping. All of these tie into government policy, which, more often than not, favored the large and wealthy industries and monopolies over the farmers. Over the period of 1865-1900, Document A shows that agriculture was steadily declining. Wheat went from $2. 16 a bushel to $. 62. Cotton and corn both declined also, dropping from $. 83 to $. 10 a pound and $. 52 to $. 35 a bushel, respectively. Farmers were gradually losing profit from their produces. They thought they could compensate by producing more and more products, but this eventually caused overproduction and the prices hastily fell. Document A shows the trend of overproduction. Document G shows that all of the farmers’ difficulties could not just be blamed on overproduction alone. Railroad technology grew between 1870-1890 as Document B points out. As farmers exhausted soil in the eastern and central parts of the country, they had to continue spreading westward. As they expanded farther west, they reluctantly became more dependent on the railroads.

A critical exploration of incorporated and unincorporated business structures and an examination of potential consequences to managers and directors for ignoring provisions of the equality act 2010.

Introduction An important first step in any business decision is deciding the type of structure of the company. There are several business structures which may include sole proprietorship, partnership, corporations and unincorporated business structures (Bhushan 2008). The first section of this analysis is going to focus explicitly on unincorporated business structures; highlighting some of the benefits of establishing an unincorporated entity such as simplicity, low cost and flexibility and the risks of running unincorporated businesses. The paper will also discuss the benefits as well as the drawbacks of incorporation. The second section will explore on the employment law, and the Equality Act 2010 in particular. It will examine some of the provisions of EA 2010 and discuss the potential consequences for managers and directors where provisions of the EA 2010 are ignored. Defining incorporated and unincorporated organizations Before exploring further, it is important to first define incorporated and unincorporated organizations. Incorporation is generally defined as the creation of an organization’s legal identity, separate from its members (Behrenfield et al. 1989). On the other hand, an unincorporated entity refers to a collection of individuals coming together for a specific purpose (Davis & Lawrence 1963). The main distinguishing feature is the lack of a separate legal personality for unincorporated forms. Even though unincorporated entities may operate under a common name, they do not have a legal structure (Gansler 2013). Thus, the law does not distinguish between the organization and its members. Unincorporated business entity may take on three main forms: a sole proprietor, partnership, or unincorporated association (Oleck & Stewart 2002). To an entrepreneur seeking to start a business, understanding the benefits and the drawbacks of setting up unincorporated business structure as well as the challenges of incorporation is very important. Familiarity with the benefits and challenges encountered with each approach will help guide investment decisions. This will help in developing a better understanding of the various challenges, risks, and the concerns and conflict that the entrepreneur might face with each approach. Benefits and the costs of incorporation versus the advantages and the risks of running unincorporated entities The choice of whether to operate an unincorporated business entity or to incorporate the business is not an easy one. Each approach to business has its own advantages and disadvantages. This requires some form of analysis whereby one weighs the benefits and the costs of incorporation against the advantages and the risks of running unincorporated entities. One particular point that is worth noting is that, unlike unincorporated forms, incorporation limits personal liability. This particular factor sets corporation apart from all other forms of businesses. Unlike an unincorporated entity, a corporation is an independent legal entity which is separate from the members controlling, owning or managing it (Williams et al., 2000; Davies & Lawrence, 1963 & Lazier 2009). In other words, incorporation will shield the owner’s personal assets from business debts and claims. This is not the case with an unincorporated business entity as the sole proprietor or partners are subjected to unlimited personal liability for the firm’s obligations (Williams et al., 2000; Davies & Lawrence, 1963 & Lazier 2009). That is, the owners or individuals carrying out the activities of the unincorporated entity will be personally liable for the acts and liabilities of the entity. For example, if for some reason, the firm becomes insolvent or runs into debts; then all of the firm’s assets as well as the personal estates of the business owners/partners will be applied in the satisfaction of the business debts. However, the business assets will first be applied and any indebtedness due or rather not covered by the business assets will be recovered from the owners/partners personal estates (Carter 2014). This means that the personal assets for each individual running the entity will exposed to the creditors once the business has exhausted its assets and insurance. Another point of divergence lies with the filing of tax. Owners of unincorporated business structures are required by law to pay income taxes on all net profits of the business regardless of the amount taken out by these owners (Lazier 2009 & Oleck & Stewart 2002). On the other hand, a corporation is taxed as a separate entity. It is subjected to special corporate tax rates, separate from an individual shareholders tax. However, if a portion of the corporation’s after-tax income is distribute to the shareholders in the form of dividends, then a separate tax will be charged dividend received by each shareholder (Laurence 2014). The separate level of taxation can be beneficial in some cases. The corporate owners are not required by law to pay personal income taxes on profits that they do not receive (Williams et al. 2000). And, given that corporations are subjected to a lower tax rate than most individuals for corporate income between $50,000 and $75,000, the owners of the corpo ration may benefit from a low combined tax bill compared to owners of unincorporated business earning the same profit (Laurence 2014). Perhaps another advantage of incorporating a business lies in its ability to attract investment capital. Unlike most of the unincorporated business forms, incorporation allows the business to sell ownership shares through the company’s stock offerings (Gansler 2013). This can be of great benefit especially where the need for attracting more investment capital arises. This advantage also makes it easy to hire and retain key employees by allowing employees to purchase company’s stock through employee stock options. This is particularly beneficial to the firm as it helps in aligning employees interests with those of the shareholders (Bickley 2012). However, business that have no intention of â€Å"going public† or issuing stock options may not find this added expense worthy. Yet another benefit that is worth mentioning is that the business will have an unlimited life in the event of death of the owners. Corporations may last for centuries even in the absence of the original owners (Davies & Lawrence 1963). The business will continue to act a separate legal entity which can freely transfer ownership interest from one person to another (Carter 2014). But for unincorporated entities, the business may come to an end in the event of death of the owner. It is clear that there are enormous benefits with incorporating a business compared to running an unincorporated business. However, there are several drawbacks to incorporating a business as well. One particular drawback relates to the high cost involved in incorporation. The corresponding filing fees charged for incorporation and the extra administration costs and the considerable organizational and overhead costs incurred by the corporation can be extremely high (Carter 2014). Besides the high cost involved, the process of incorporation is normally very lengthy due to the huge amount of paperwork which must comply with regulations. Unlike many other business forms, incorporated business forms have many formalities and regulations that they must comply with such as recording shareholder rights, establishing a board of directors, maintaining corporate minutes, corporate records and filings (Davies & Lawrence 1963). On the other hand, unincorporated business forms benefit from simplicity, low cost and the flexibility associated with their structures. It is easy and less costly to set up an incorporated business entity compared to a corporation. Continuing maintenance costs are minimal and there is a greater flexibility in terms of conversion of the entity to other forms as the business grows (Bhushan 2008). Also, the length of time and the amount of paperwork involved in setting up an incorporated entity is very minimal compared to incorporating a business. Another consequence of incorporating a business is that it is subject to greater regulation and supervision by government bodies. For example, financial corporations such as banks and trust banks, credit unions, investment and holding companies, insurance companies and many others are supervised by the Department of Financial Services (PWC 2008). Supervision include an examination of the licensing and registration requirements and chartering among many others. Regulations governing incorporations are also highly complex. Establishing a bank in the US requires one to conduct discussions with regulatory advisors, lawyers and federal and state supervisory officials due to the highly complex banking regulations (PWC 2008). On the other hand, unincorporated entities are not subjected to greater supervision and extensive regulations as corporations. And since they are not governed by any statute, unincorporated business entities have more flexibility with regard to how the entity should be structured. The owners can take all the actions of an individual. However, this lack of regulation could be a problem when a dispute arises since there is no formal statute for addressing it (Lazier 2009). The choice of whether to incorporate or run an unincorporated entity is clearly a complex decision which can only be made with consideration of a number of factors such as the projected business risks/liabilities, the need for attracting addition investment capital, need for regulations among many others. The choice of whether to set to incorporate the business or set up an incorporated business structure will most likely depend on the projected risk and liabilities of the business. For example, if the business is going to engage in high risk activities such as trading stocks, then it would be best to incorporate the business in order to provide for personal liability protection. However, where the risk is minimal, it is prudent to consider establishing an unincorporated business entity. Nonetheless, I will advise the couple setting up the retail business to incorporate as the risks of running an unincorporated business may outweigh the risks of incorporating it due to many unforeseen costs arising especially where lawsuits are involved. Plus there are the benefits of attracting additional investment through company stock offerings and issuing of stock options to employees which will also have the effect of aligning employees’ interests with those of the shareholders. While incorporating may be time consuming and costly due to the high filing fees, the extra administration costs and the considerable organizational and overhead costs incurred by the corporation; the benefits are greater in the long run compared to running an unincorporated business entity. Assessing potential consequences for managers and directors where the provisions of EA 2010 are ignored. An important part of running a business is understanding the various employment legislations which may have significant consequences on managers and directors of the company if ignored. One particular employment legislation of great interest in this analysis is the Equality Act 2010. The Act requires employers to take reasonable steps to protect their employees from discrimination and harassment in various areas including age, disability, religion, belief, race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment and pregnancy or maternity (GOE 2010). For example, part 5 of the Act which covers provisions relating to equal pay create an implied sex equality clause in employment contracts (GOE 2012). These provisions require employers to ensure equal pay for both the male and female gender where the contractual nature of the work is the same (EHC 2011). In general, the act places duty on employers to protect the rights of each employee by ensuring that they are not being discriminated against in the various areas highlighted above. It requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to working arrangements to prevent job applicants or employees from any form of discrimination (Jacobs and Jerald 2007). Ignoring the provisions of the EA 2010 will lead to severe repercussions. Managers and directors that choose to overlook some of these provisions will face severe court penalties. In addition, the legal costs incurred may be extremely high. The legal bill for the employer starts right at the moment when the employee expresses grievance and files a claim of harassment, discrimination or victimization (Muyi-Opaleye 2014). It should be remembered that the cost of hiring employment lawyers is very high and the legal bill can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, estimates put the current defense costs of a single claimant lawsuit at $250,000 and a jury verdict of $200,000 (Heathflieid 2014). The settlement costs may fade in the face additional indirect costs that are often hard to quantify such as the losses resulting from damages to a firm’s reputation, the costs resulting from the loss of employee morale and distraction of organization’s staff as internal investigations are conducted (Heathfield 2014). There is also the loss resulting from the amount of time spent in defending against the claim. The managers/directors may incur indirect costs such as the loss of reputation which can also affect the firm’s reputation. Where such cases attracts publicity, the managers and directors may suffer from reputational damage irrespective of whether the claim was found to be valid or not. It should be remembered that reputation is a matter of perception and that the firm’s reputation is a function of reputation of key stakeholders including managers and directors of the company (Shah 2013). A strong positive reputation among the managers and directors of the company will result in a firm’s strong positive reputation and vice-versa (Burns 2012). If the managers and directors continue to allow for unfairness to go unchecked in the workplace, then this can cost them as well in terms of consumer demand. Consumers may react by choosing to do business elsewhere. This will have a significant adverse effect on the company’s bottom line as sales will significantly decrease thereby decreasing revenue and net returns. Companies cannot afford to lose a share of the market by allowing unfairness to go unchecked in the workplace (Burns 2012). The other indirect additional costs may have severe repercussions on the firm as well. Employee morale may decline to levels that their productivity are significantly affected (Burns 2012). Employees will feel that their grievances are not being addressed by the managers and directors of the company, thereby creating disengaged employees. Eventually, this will have a negative effect on the company’s bottom line. It is clear that the risk to the managers and directors for ignoring provisions of the EA 2010 are significant. From the very high costs of defending lawsuits to the hard-to-quantify indirect costs arising from reputational damage, loss of employee morale, and distraction of organization’s staff. It is imperative that the employer addresses employees concerns related to their employment contracts in order to avoid lawsuits and ensure a pro-active diversity workforce. If the employer fails to address employee concerns, proves evasive or provides unequivocal answers; it may lead to a tribunal drawing inferences which could be enough to establish a â€Å"prima facie† case of discrimination (Muyi-Opaleye 2014). Besides the lawsuits that may arise when a case of â€Å"prima facie† case of discrimination is established, the management may be ordered by the employment tribunal to undergo equality and diversity training. The Equality Act 2010 provides the employment trib unal with wider powers to order changes in workplace (GOE 2012). Conclusion There is no denying that the consequences of overlooking this employment legislation are enormous. The managers and directors may choose to ignore the provisions of EA 2010 at their own peril. The risk of ignoring these provisions is high from costly lawsuits to the hard-to-quantify indirect costs arising from reputational damage, loss of employee morale, and distraction of organization’s staff. 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