Formal Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Formal Report - Essay Example In purchasing equipments like laptops and desktops, it is feasible and good to pick leasing, as it is cost effective. It is good to examine the management of information and technology process of an agency, determine the business needs of the institution concerning information technology and acquit an analysis based on the benefit of cost choice of leasing and purchasing, in the decision whether to purchase or lease equipments. If the decision is made in the correct way and for a good reason, it is effective in terms of cost and efficient to lease than purchasing equipments. It can be harder to manage and expensive to lease than an instant purchase of equipments, if the decisions are handled in the wrong way. Introduction Present value It is hard to compare the same amount of cost between the option of purchasing and leasing in the concept of present value. The cost of the future currency in today’s value of the currency is what referred to as the present value. Money availabl e for future worth less at this time than the money you can use at that particular time. The future money one should use in leasing or purchasing is be converted to the current price to equate the actual cost of each one, when equating the alternative of leasing and purchasing. Information Technology Acquisition The first option of getting information technology in companies and institutions is by the outright purchase, which is gotten through the fund or revenue of any agency. This can only happen if restrictions are applied on the funds. Capital leasing is the second option, which is an accord that spreads the payment terms of equipments. After payment, the person who has bought the equipment, obtains a title to the equipment, but still he has been able to get access of the equipments. The buyer is able to spread the payment of the equipments in a given time to reduce the financial burden due to its acquisition. In an operating lease, one does not get ownership of the equipments. The seller retains ownership of the equipments and the person who has leased the equipments uses the technology for a given period (Taylor, 2003). Management issues The budget of information and technology has changed in all sectors, due to the fast development of information systems. This drastic change has led to the evaluation of the management issues of information technology. To control and understand the environment based on computers, full ownership cost and asset management, is required. Asset management binds the whole information technology ownership. It provides the environment control of computers to allow the director to purchase information technology equipments and price for the maximum cost efficiency. Lease terms should not be over 75 percent of the equipment. If the institution wishes to buy an item after a leasing period, the organization must pay the required price. The value at the starting point of the lease is not equal or greater than 90 percent. At the end o f the lease, the lease cannot give the buyer the ownership of the

Subsidizing Distribution of Free

Subsidizing Distribution of Free Anti-Virus Software Essay In today’s technologically dependent society, organizations can run a high risk of infection from computer viruses. Due to this, it is necessary, as the CIO of the organization, to explore the need for distribution of free anti-virus software to home users on the network. As such, many organizations are faced with technical problems resulting from network security. An analysis of these security problems, to include an exploration of the role of the various IT users within the corporation, will reveal the need for distribution of free anti-virus software. According to Vamosi (2004), â€Å"millions of PCs worldwide still do not have basic antivirus protection, and thus are susceptible to infection†. For Vamosi, the problem for many corporations lies within the fact that the computers within the corporation lack protection from virus attack and, as a result, would benefit from the instillation of free antivirus software. There are many potential issues that can affect the network security of an organization. Specifically, there is a dire need for organizations to implement security plans and to install antivirus software on their network computers. As Vamosi describes, the problems associated with computer viruses could simply be solved if security organizations offered the programs free of charge. â€Å"Let the antivirus companies corporate clients pay for the software and the annual signature-file subscriptions, and let the home users download both for free† (Vamosi, 2004). As such, it is essential to give further discussion into the role of the various users in the IT process, to include the roles of top management/non-IT management, IT professionals, and end-users in maintaining network security in order to determine the overall effectiveness of providing the home users with free anti-virus software. The core to the IT team includes the IT Management staff. The IT management staff, traditionally, will pair with non-IT management to make executive decisions. More specifically, the Chief Information Officer is the IT manager responsible for â€Å"the day to day operations of an IT Department and the work of any contracted IT employees† (Watkins, 2008). It is important to mention that it will be this group of corporate employees that looks closely at the corporate budget in order to determine if the distribution of free anti-virus software to home users is a fiscally sound decision. Supporting the IT management team are the IT professionals. These individuals â€Å"are trained to handle a wide variety of development, support, and administrative tasks related to keeping information systems operating efficiently and being used effectively† (Watkins, 2008). The IT staff members will handle the day to day issues associated with installing the antivirus software as well as troubleshooting issues that arise with the network itself. Providing the free anti-virus software will certainly provide assurance for this employee group that the network is safe and secure for home use. The end-users in the corporation must also be considered in determining whether or not it is effective to install and distribute free anti-virus software on home use computers. In general, the end-users are those individuals who will work on computers within their home. As Watkins (2008) describes, â€Å"End-users typically have four types of issues, hardware-specific problems, operating-system specific problems, application-specific problems, and network/Internet specific problems. † In discussing the role of end users in this scenario, it is important to mention that end users also have different levels of skills. End-users â€Å"often lack is training in specific applications and in advanced Internet searching. They may also may be unaware of good security practices and often need help solving unexpected hardware and software problems† (Watkins, 2008). The core problem with security, as has been observed by many professionals in the IT field, was, at one time, that of viruses. That is, the viruses would load computers with adware and bring the PC to a halt. And, as InfoWorld describes, many of the problems and issues resulting from viruses and other technical problems are the result of issues arising from within the organization itself. â€Å"The threat posed by their own employees isn’t lost on security pros, 56 percent of whom rated workers who fail to follow security policy as a significant security challenge† (2006). Based on the above, it is then necessary to take into consideration the variety in perspective in regards to computer virus attack held by users in the IT system. According to Gaudin, â€Å"slightly more than 50 percent of end users surveyed say spam is not a problem in their workplace. However, 79. 1 percent of IT managers say it is a problem in the workplace. † At the same time, â€Å"when end users were asked if they think spam is under control at their company, 8. 4 percent say its out of control; 23. 3 percent say its barely under control, and 68 percent say it is under control. â€Å" This statistic can be compared to the results of IT administrators asked the same question. According to the survey results, â€Å"10 percent say its out of control; 33 percent say its barely out of control, and 56 percent say they have it under control† (2004). It is necessary to determine, then, the specific role that corporate home users play in the receipt of free antivirus software. In order to best secure the organization and protect the home users from potential attacks, it is necessary to develop a strategic plan of action that will protect home users accessing the corporate network. A plan of action, to include the distribution of free anti-virus software is essential, â€Å"as predatory as today’s criminally minded hackers are, IT professionals face plenty of threats from within their own enterprises — none more glaring than their own lack of a comprehensive plan for security† (InfoWorld, 2006). As the literature reveals, it is highly recommended that the corporation provide home users with free antivirus software. Doing this will enable the organization to more effectively secure the network while protecting corporate security from virus and other outside attack. References Gaudin, S. (2004). IT and End Users Differ on Spam Severity, Retrieved May 7, 2009 from: http://www. enterpriseitplanet. com/security/news/article. php/3370591 InfoWorld (2006). IT’s Confidence Crisis. Retrieved August 18, 2007 from http://www. infoworld. com/article/06/10/30/44FEsecsurvey_1. html Vamosi, R. (2004). Antivirus software must be free. Heres why, Retrieved August 18, 2007 from: http://reviews-zdnet. com. com/4520-7297-5123825. html Watkins, P. (2008). Module 03 Background Information. Retrieved May 15, 2009 from E:\modules\module03\background. htm.

Performance-Based Funding In Higher Education

Performance-Based Funding In Higher Education Performance-based funding in the context of Higher Education System: Pros and Cons Abstract Performance-Based Funding once very popular in 1980s. However, when more other funding approaches been found out, Performance-based Funding no more a mainstream funding approaches. Recently, this funding approach has back to the stage, especially in the educational field. In this paper will explain about the pros and cons of this funding approach in the context of higher education system in Malaysia. Keyword: Budgeting, Educational Funding, Higher Education, Performance-based funding 1. Introduction Performance-based funding is one of the funding approaches among numerous types of direct public funding of higher educational institution approaches. The other types of direct public funding of institution have funding of teaching through negotiated formula, demand-side vouchers, funding for specific purposes or combined funding for teaching and research, block grant funding and project funding zero-based budgeting, quality circle, six-sigma, and etc.(Salmi and Hauptman, 2006). Performance-based funding is the approach that budgeting based on the performance of individual public university. The performance of individual public university can be measure by using Performance Indicator, which is a set of specific expectation that need to be achieve by the public university. Examples of Performance Indicator are like student result or the number of student passing examination. 2. Main Body Performance-based Funding is currently in the progress of implementation by the Ministry of Education in Malaysia toward all the public university in Malaysia. Implementation of the Performance-based Funding has brings some advantages to both Ministry of Education and public university. In this paper, some of advantages will be shown in clearly and briefly. 2.1 Help in Save Budget First at all, Performance-based Funding can Malaysia Government to save budget. Budget always is a hot issue in Malaysia, not only the Ministry of Education but the whole Malaysia Federal Government. For example the Malaysia Budgeting 2015 that release on 10 October 2014, after the Budgeting Plan is release, many different voices are talking about this Budgeting Plan, some are appraisal, and some are critics. Under the pressure of critics, Performance-based Funding can help release part of the pressure by saving the budget in Educational Fund. According to the study of World Bank / EPU, Performance-based Funding could save up to thirty percent of the budge. In Malaysia Budgeting 2015, budget for Ministry of Education is RM 56 billion (National News Agency of Malaysia). Save up to 30 percent of the budget, which means is about RM 16.8 billion. A reducing of such big amount of budgeting can be a great counter attack toward all the critics from outside. 2.2 Resources Allocation Another advantage following saving budget will be resources allocation. Based on the same example on previous paragraph, Performance-based Funding could release about RM 16.8 billion of budget from the Ministry of Education. This unallocated budget can be uses in many different ways, such as increase allowance for the staff of university, as a reward for high performance university, increase loan to students and any other way that can further improve the quality of public university in Malaysia. Besides using the unallocated fund in Ministry of Education, the unallocated fund that free by Performance-based Funding can be uses in other Ministry or field in the purpose of developing the strengths and infrastructures in Malaysia, so that Malaysia can become a developed country in 2020. 2.3 Motivate University to Work Hard. The implementation of Performance-based Funding will not only bring advantages to the Ministry of Education or Malaysian Federal Government, it also brings advantages to the public university. Performance-based Funding will motivate the public university to work hard. The Performance-based Funding will budgeting an individual public university according to the performance of the university on the Performance Indicator. Hence, to get more fund or budget, university will do harder on improving their performance on the Performance Indicator, such as the CGPA of student, number of student get first class honors, number of student passing particular examination, and etc. These Performance Indicators will be set and measure by the Ministry of Education, so that the Ministry can funding and rewarding based on the achievement on these Performance Indicators. 2.4 Avoid Vicious Competition Another than motivate the university to work hard, Performance-based Funding will help avoid the vicious competition among public university. Competition can be a double-edge in an organization, a suitable level of competition among colleague can improve the performance of organization. However, when vicious competition occurs, it will bring bad effect toward the organization. Same case in public university, to get more budgets from the Ministry of Education, university competes with each other to attract the attention of the Ministry, so that the university can get more funds. In many times, this competition between public universities will become vicious competition; this will bring bad effect toward the development of Malaysia, and the staff and student will become the victims of this competition. This Performance-based Funding could avoid the vicious competition, the funding will based on the performance of the university. In this condition, university will focus more on the achievement on Performance Indicators, and the universities will not have time to compete with each other. In other word, compete with other university do not bring any help in improving the performance of university. 3. Discussion Same like other funding approaches; implement of Performance-based Funding will not only bring benefit, it will have some side effects or disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages will be discuss at here. 3.1 Performance Indicators One of the main disadvantages of Performance-based Funding is the standard of the Performance Indicators. Performance Indicator is the specific expectation that will set up by the Ministry of Education. However, the problem is what standard this Performance Indicator should follow; this is because each university has own standard, own level, own expert field, and most important different number of students due to geographical condition. This means, a single set of Performance Indicator cannot fulfill all the standard of university; but it take more time, cost and human forces to set up and measure specific Performance Indicator to every and each of the university. Besides that, setting up a set of Performance Indicator for university may affect the behavior and the decision making of the particular university. When there is a Performance Indicator, university will be more likely to focus on those Performance indicators. University strategies, planning, decision making may become aggressive in making achievement in the Performance Indicator and may ignore other aspect of Teaching and Learning Process within the university in the purpose of getting more budgets. 4. Conclusion In a nutshell, implement Performance-based Funding in the higher education system has pros and cons. However, this funding approach has more advantages as compare to the disadvantages. Hence, Performance-based Funding is suitable to implement in higher education system in Malaysia. 5. References Abd Rahman Ahmad, Alan Farley. (2013). Funding Reforms in Malaysian Public Universities from the Perspective of Strategic Planning. (pp. International Conference on Innovation, Management and Technology Research). Malaysia: Elsevier Ltd. Nicoline Frà ¸lich, Evanthia Kalpazidou Schmidt ,Maria J. Rosa. (2010). Funding systems for higher education and their impacts on institutional strategies and academia. International Journal of Educational Management. Reelika Irs and Kulno Tu ¨rk. (2012). Implementation of the performance-related pay in the general educational schools of Estonia. Employee Relations. Tam, M. (2014). Outcomes-based approach to quality assessment and curriculum improvement in higher education. Quality Assurance in Education.

Vonneguts Changing Women :: essays research papers fc

Vonnegut's Changing Women What follows is an argument to the effect that, in the novels written before 1973, Vonnegut's female characters generally are presented negatively, either as pro-authority anti-individualists or as helpless or male-manipulated victims who never "grow" in either a personal or literary sense. In addition I maintain that, in at least two of Vonnegut's later novels, certain female characters exercise individuality in their own existences and effect positively the awareness and attitudes of male characters. From the beginning of Player Piano (1952) through Slaughterhouse Five (1969), Kurt Vonnegut describes the characters of his various worlds in terms of their victimization at the hands of a dehumanizing, or perhaps a better term might be "deindividualizing," technologically fixated, industrial/militaristic society. Time and time again in these novels the role of the individual is subsumed in the miasma that passes for "social responsibility." Like the real world in which every human being exists, Vonnegut's literary worlds feature nameless and faceless authorities (when such authorities are offered at all) who seem to be the masters in local, regional, global, and sometimes interstellar chess games. Often, as is the case in Vonnegut's 1951 "All the King's Men," these "manipulators" move their all-too-sentient pieces in what at times, for the victims, must seem to be diabolical--and what certainly are tragic--maneuvers. In The Sirens of Titan (1959) and Slaughterhouse Five the "accidental" nature or intergalactic point of view of the authority that seems to be "in charge of things" serves to distance humans from personal responsibility for the results of such maneuvering--as such results are described in the novels. In Sirens, for example, the inappropriate and often asinine behaviors of Malachi Constant are shown to be products of the direct influence of the Tralfamadorians who for millennia have manipulated human societies simply to communicate with a mechanized messenger shipwrecked on Saturn's largest moon. The same excuse can be made for the ultimate human manipulator in the novel, Winston Niles Rumfoord, as it can for the actions and attitudes of Bee, Rumfoord's wife and the mother of Constant's son, Chrono. That the communications sent to Salo on Titan consist of such inane and, given the non-human nature of the receiver, unimportant content as, "Be patient. We h aven't forgotten about you," and, "You will be on your way before you know it" (271), only makes more pathetic the fact that Tralfamadore has influenced directly the rise and fall of countless human civilizations in order to deliver such messages.

Lucy, by Jamaica kincaid

There are a lot of ways of reading this novel. It could be read, somewhat conventionally, with focus on Lucy, people and places. But if we look into the deep, we’ll see well-marked psychological picture of the young woman, her everyday struggle with herself. In â€Å"Lucy†, Jamaica Kincaid challenges the idea of passive/pathological sexuality in women. Lucy's deepest conflicts and her greatest anger arise from her relationships with her mother and then with her substitute mother, Mariah. Her own family seems fragmented, and in some sense her island community does, as well. The novel itself, however, does seem to connect mother and motherland–the island. That may explain somewhat the intensity of her anger and feeling of suffocation. Her rage against her mother is not simply psychological, an especially strong version of the usual parent-child conflict. Lucy’s relationship to her mother is highly complex; she has very ambivalent feelings about her. She is cruel to her, but also loves her deeply; she hates her and admires her at the same time. Although Lucy constantly discusses her anger toward her mother and Annie’s inadequacy and failure as a mother, she also peppers the novel with tender stories of their interactions. â€Å"I reminded her that my whole upbringing had been devoted to preventing me from becoming a slut.† it is one lesson, which mother gave to Lucy. Lucy describes her mother’s large hands, and her love of plants; she tells us of Annie’s lessons to Lucy about sex, men, and abortion, and of sitting on Annie’s lap as a child and caressing her face. Lucy also proudly shares stories of her mother’s life and her various triumphs. Despite Lucy’s anger toward her mother, she still feels a deep connection to her and identifies with her in many ways. Until she was nineteen years old, Lucy Potter had not ventured from her own little world on the small island where she was born. Now she is living with a family and learning a culture that is very different from her own. Lewis and Mariah and their four daughters want Lucy to feel like she is part of the family but at first she finds it difficult to fit in. She just wants to do her duty and in her off-hours discovers a new world through her friend Peggy and sexuality through young men, Hugh and Paul. Lucy often reflects on her life back on the island; the conflicts between she and her mother, and the British influence on the islanders. She remembers the time her mother showed her how to mix herbs that supposedly would cleanse a woman's womb but what they both knew was an abortion remedy. Lucy knows what is expected of her, to study for a respectable job like a nurse and to honour her family. She finds out that the tidy, neat world of the family she has come to love is not all it purports to be and how silence is a universal language. Lucy comes to North America to work as an au pair for Lewis and Mariah and their four children. Lewis and Mariah are a thrice-blessed couple–handsome, rich, and seemingly happy. Yet, almost at once, Lucy begins to notice cracks in their beautiful facade. With mingled anger and compassion, Lucy scrutinizes the assumptions and verities of her employers' world and compares them with the vivid realities of her native place. Lucy has no illusions about her own past, but neither is she prepared to be deceived about where she presently is. At the same time that Lucy is coming to terms with Lewis's and Mariah's lives, she is also unravelling the mysteries of her own sexuality. Gradually a new person unfolds: passionate, forthright, and disarmingly honest. Lucy leaves the novel crying with shame over her wish to â€Å"love someone so much that I would die from it.† Lucy does love someone that much, but she has thrown that love away because she could not adequately create a space for herself within it. When her mother tells her â€Å"You can run away, but you cannot escape the fact that I am your mother, my blood runs in you, I carried you for nine months inside me,† Lucy interprets that as a prison sentence. â€Å"To myself I then began calling her Mrs. Judas, and I began to plan a separation from her that even then I suspected would never be complete.†   Yet this is a prison sentence that all human beings must face, and Lucy’s way of dealing with it leaves her empty and ashamed at the end of the novel. Indeed, she states, â€Å"I was now living a life I had always wanted to live. I was living apart from my family†¦ The feeling of bliss, the feeling of happiness, the feeling of longing fulfilled that I had thought would come with this situation was nowhere to be found inside me.†

Customer Satisfaction on Nokia Essay

Nokia has played a pioneering role in the growth of cellular technology in India, starting with the first-ever cellular call a decade ago, made on a Nokia mobile phone over a Nokia deployed network. Nokia started its India operations in 1995, and presently operates out of offices in New Delhi,Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad. The Indian operations comprise of the handsets business; R&D facilities in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai; a manufacturing plant in Chennai and a Design Studio inBangalore. Over the years, the company has grown manifold with its manpower strength increasing from 450 people in the year 2004 to over 15000 employees in March 2008 (including Nokia Siemens Networks). Today, India holds the distinction of being the second largest market for the company globally. With the global launch of Ovi, the company’s Internet services brand name, Nokia is renewing itself to be at the forefront of the convergence of internet and mobility. From being a product centric company, Nokia is now focusing to become solutions centric. The strategic shift is built on Nokia‘s bid to retain consumers and empower Nokia device owners to realize the full potential of the Internet. Nokia will build a suite of Internet based services like Nokia Maps, the Nokia Music Store and Nokia N-Gage around its Ovi brand. Infrastructure business Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of communications services. The company provides a complete, well-balanced product portfolio of mobile and fixed network infrastructure solutions and addresses the growing demand for services with 20,000 service professionals worldwide. Its operations in India include Sales & Marketing, Research & Development, Manufacturing and Global Networks Solutions Centre. Headquartered in Gurgaon, Nokia Siemens Networks has 47 offices and presence in over 170 locations across the country. R & D centers Nokia has three Research & Development centers in India, based in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai. These R&D hubs are staffed by engineers who are working on next-generation packet-switched mobile technologies and communications solutions to enhance corporate productivity. The Center in Bangalore, the biggest R&D site in the country comprises S60 Software Organization, Common Technologies, Next Generation now called Maemo Software, Productization and Software & Services. Design Studio Nokia has set up its first Design Studio in Bangalore in partnership with Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. The first of its kind, the design studio will give Nokia designers and India‘s talented youth the opportunity to work together on new design ideas for India and the global markets. Manufacturing in India Nokia has set up its mobile device manufacturing facility in Chennai, India to meet the burgeoning demand for mobile devices in the country. The manufacturing facility is operational with an investment of USD 210 million and currently employs 8000 people. Nokia has recently announced fresh investments to the tune of US $ 75 million towards its manufacturing plant in Sriperumbudur, Chennai for the year 2008. * To know about the customer satisfaction level associated with the Nokia product and the customer Expectation level. * To increase customer satisfaction and recapture the market share by fulfilling the customer needs. * To study the factors affecting the consumption pattern Need of the study To study the satisfaction level of consumers towards the Nokia Mobile at Kaliyappa nagar, Sivakasi. Scope 1.This study focus on Features, Appearances, Battery backup and Software compatibility of Nokia. 2. This study help Nokia to recognize the factor which is most satisfied and which factor have more dissatisfaction influencing the consumers to buy the Nokia   Mobile Customer’s satisfaction When we talk about customer satisfaction, we talk about creativity. Creativity allows us to handle or diffuse problems at hand or later on in the process of conducting the everyday business. We talk about how, or rather what, does the organization have to do to gain not only the sale but also the loyalty of the customer. We want to know the payoff of the transaction both in the short and long term. We want to know what our customers want. We want to know if our customers are satisfied. Satisfaction, of course, means that what we delivered to a customer met the customer‘s approval. We want to know if customers are delighted and willing to comeback, and so on. Fleiss and Feldman present examples of that delightful-ness in their writings. Fleiss has written about Ben and Jerry‘s ice cream and Feldman has discussed excellence in a cab ride.As important as delightfulness is, some of us minimize it, or even totally disregard it. Level 1 Expectations are very simple and take the form of assumptions, must have, or take it for granted. For example, I expect the airline to be able to take off, fly to my destination, and land safely. I expect to get the correct blood for my blood transfusion. And I expect the bank to deposit my money to my account and to keep a correct tally for me. Level2 Expectations are a step higher than that of level 1 and they require some form of satisfaction through meeting the requirements and/or specifications .For example, I expect to be treated courteously by all airline personnel. I went to the hospital expecting to have my hernia repaired, to be in some pain after it was done, to be out on the same day, and to receive a correct bill. And I went to the bank expecting the bank teller to be friendly, informative, and helpful with my transactions. Level 3 Expectations are much higher than for levels 1 and 2.Level 3 requires some kind of delightfulness or a service that is so good that it attracts me to it For example, an airline gives passengers traveling coach class the same superior food service that other airlines provide only for first-class passengers. In fact, I once took a flight where the flight attendants actually baked cookies for us right there on the plane. When I went to the hospital, I expected staff to treat me with respect and they carefully explained things to me. But I was surprised when they called me at home the next day to find out how I was doing. And at my house closing, the bank officer, representing the bank holding my mortgage, not only treated me with respect and answered all my questions about my new mortgage, but just before we shook hands to close the deal, he gave me a housewarming gift. Brand image Hide links within definitions Show links within definitions. Impression in the consumers’ mind of a brand’s total personality (real and imaginary qualities and shortcomings). Brand image is developed over time through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme, and is authenticated through the consumers’ direct experience. Brand Value Buyers who are considering a purchase scan their service options and develop a consideration set. Within the consideration set, they develop a hierarchy of brands based on their assessment of Price, Product or Service Features, and Brand Name. Typically, they choose the brand at the top of their hierarchy, if available. If a brand is consistently at the top of their hierarchy, the buyer will be loyal to that brand. We believe consumers try to optimize value within a product or service category. Consumers therefore assign utilities (worth) to price, each relevant performance attribute, and brand equity. Consumers then trade off performance attributes and brand equity against price in order to optimize value. The relationships between the individual values of price, performance attributes and brand equity is summative and equal to total brand value. The values each respondent places on price, performance attributes, and brand equity define their value equation for a product or service category. We can derive these values at the respondent level using modified trade-off exercises. A key advantage of the Brand Value Model is that it allows the calculation of utilities and importance‘s at the individual consumer level. This acknowledges the highly individual nature of the evaluation of products and services in many categories. Furthermore, it permits an exploration of value structures across existing consumer segments or the development of new segments based on the components of the value equation. We believe the total value of a brand in a particular product/service category is composed of three parts. One part is due to the physical and readily identifiable (and replicable) features of the brand that delivers specific, tangible benefits to the purchaser, thus impacting purchase choice. We call these the tangible product features. The second part is due to some perceived intrinsic value associated with the brand name due to such things as the image transferred to the purchaser, trust, longevity in the marketplace, social responsibility, consistent performance, and so forth (i.e. the intangibles), and impacting purchase choice. We refer to this as the brand’s equity. The third component is the price/cost of the product. Thus, the total value (or utility) of a product or service is a function of 1.) Its physical, tangible, deliverable features, 2.) its brand equity, and 3.) its price.

DNA and Genetic Engineering essays

DNA and Genetic Engineering essays Genetic engineering is a technique used by scientists to transform the DNA (deoxyribose nucleic acid) of living organisms. DNA is the blueprint for the individuality of an organism. The organism relies upon the information stored in its DNA for the group of every biochemical process. The life, growth and unique features of the organism depend on its DNA. The sections of DNA which have been associated with specific features or functions of an organism are called genes. Molecular biologists have discovered many enzymes which change the structure of DNA in living organisms. Some of these enzymes can cut and join strands of DNA. Using these enzymes, scientists learned to cut the specific genes from DNA and to build customized DNA using these genes. They also learned about vectors that are strands of DNA such as viruses, which can infect a cell and insert themselves into its DNA. Scientists soon began to construct vectors which inserted specific pre-chosen genes into the DNA of living organisms. The job of the Genetic Engineer today is to improve certain aspects of living organisms to prevent diseases or the break down of the cells within. One example is seen in the food industry, for example, the tomato. The tomato is known to have a short growing season because of it's sensitivity to frost. Genetic Engineers were able to locate a gene in a fish that allows it to survive the cold water and then inserted this frost resistant gene into the tomato. Therefore the tomato can grow for a longer time, allowing the consumer to choose bigger and juicier tomatoes. From land to sea, Genetic Engineering can make a great difference in the food we eat. It has been modified for two main reasons: to change the rate of growth and to increase resistance to disease. Agriculture has more than one positive effect. Firstly, there is more production of crops in a smaller amount of space, increasing the profitability. Secondly, the crops are free of pestici ...

Essay on The History of African American Women being Victims of RapeEssay Writing Service

Essay on The History of African American Women being Victims of RapeEssay Writing Service Essay on The History of African American Women being Victims of Rape Essay on The History of African American Women being Victims of RapeAfrican Americans are the inhabitants of the United States belonging to the Negroid race and having full or partial African descent. They are descendants of slaves brought to North America in the 17th-19th centuries. At an early stage of human development there appeared an idea of ​​the differences between men and women, forming behavior and distribution of responsibilities. Unity and confrontation of male and female principles were central to the traditional African society. Biological sphere was a source of controversy between the sexes. Physical abilities and the traditional function of women motherhood were considered when demarcation of roles between men and women. The ability to reproduce was vital for all peoples of the continent. Wives and daughters were considered the main wealth of the family. Woman stood over the man in her functions. In this regard, there appears an idea of imaginary unclea nness of women in certain physiological periods (menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth). So, during these periods women are dangerous and can disrupt the harmony between human and nature. The man didn’t have such biological and social disadvantages. Thus man got a major role in the family and tribal collective. Women were imposed different kinds of taboo, for example, prohibitions on certain activities. In an African village womens status depended not only on gender, but also on her social role. Married African women were given the last place within the family, she was considered inferior kind. Researchers G. Bissila and M. Felu note that motherhood isolates woman from a biological standpoint, physiology isolates her aesthetically, religion makes a conviction (Amutah, 2012). African women lived by the rules of social isolation, utter dependence on her husband, lack of voting rights, inability to be head of the family. Family relationships in an African village could be consider ed as a collision of two clans in the property, social and religious aspects. African woman was deprived of individuality, her personal interests and needs were nothing compared to the interests of the community. African woman was passive due to her workload in agricultural work and responsibilities at home. They worked on the land, took care of harvest, brought home water and firewood, prepared food.From 1619 to 1865 the United States had a system of slavery, most slaves were Africans. They were taken by force from places of residence. First African slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619. Entrepreneurs often used black slave labor, thus reducing the wages of white workers. Such competition from Africans led to the fact that many white workers shifted to work in other places. That developed racial hostility. According to the Act of 1661, Africans were recognized lifelong slaves. Later, law about African slaves and their posterity was passed. Such Black Codes converted Africans into eternal property of slaveholders (Lang, 2011).Children of slaves were owned by the owner of their mother. African American women have experienced great suffering in the forced separation of families and the sale of children. Separation from family was extremely traumatic for women. Experiencing the pain of loss, woman changed forever. She became a victim without the right to change something. Codes introduced bans on trade, slaves were not allowed to learn to read and write, to drink alcohol without the owners permission, it was forbidden to hire horses, to keep dogs, guns, and they had no right to testify against white people. For the slightest offense slaves were succumbed to severe punishment. Slaves were in the same row with the cattle, implements and furniture. By the end of the colonial period there appear free blacks in the New World, but they were also limited in their rights: they had no right to participate in elections, to serve as witnesses in court proceedings conflict s between whites.For men, slavery was real flour, for women it was even worse. She was oppressed three times: as a slave, as a black and as a woman. They had a very hard work in the field. Cotton pickers wore heavy bags, their daily rate was 150-200 pounds (Bent-Goodley, 2013). Ones, who didn’t fulfill it, were punished. Pregnant women stopped working just a month before delivery. And they started working in the field a month after birth. Rest of the time women spent in housework. Female slaves had not only hard work, but also sexual exploitation. Sexual relations with African women, irrespective of their faith, were a kind of self-affirmation of white men. The superiority of one group over another group of men was shown by the forcible possession of women. In the places where there was a large number slaves, and the percentage of white women was small, liaisons between white men and black women were common. Another problem for female slaves was compulsory reproduction. That was especially practiced since 1807, when the slave trade was brought to an end, but high demand for labor remained. Then reproduction of labor power became a source of wealth of slaveholders. Black women were forced to have children as often as possible. The family was unable to protect young girls from encroachment of white men. In the 19th century, there appeared the American womens movement, represented by white and African-American women in the struggle for the abolition of slavery. In the mid- 60s, in the United States the movement for womens rights was formed, it received the name of feminism. It attracted public attention not only to the issues of gender equality, but also to sexual abuse, which was previously silent. Feminists achieved passing a number of favorable laws for women. By the 90th, popular feminist writers have done much to change the established views of society, but the complete victory was still far. As a result of the Civil War of 1861-1865 in the United Sta tes, slavery was abolished (Bent-Goodley, 2013).Nowadays, rape is one of the most serious forms of sexual harassment. Many researchers and doctors regard rape as a product of socialization process in the structure of the normal society. Modern researchers have proved that American women are raped far more often than residents of other countries. Trying to prove this fact, scientists consider psychosocial and socio-biological factors. In several studies anthropologist Peggy Reeves Sunday showed that rape is largely a cultural phenomenon. She compared the level of rape in 95 societies (Franiuk, 2011). Research have shown that incidence of rape in any society depends on the nature of the relationship between the sexes, womens status and the way of bringing up boys during adolescence. It has been proven that in societies provoking violence aggressiveness of men is a common phenomenon. In those cultures, men have high economic and political status, they don’t commonly take care of child-rearing and housework. In a society that is free from violence, relationship between men and women are different. They share power and authority, as well as contribute equally to the general welfare. In such societies, boys and girls are taught to appreciate care and avoid aggression and violence.In the USA, rate of rape is higher than in any other western country, one of the main causes is associated with stereotypical gender roles. Men are taught that power, aggressiveness and ability to get his own, even with the use of force, are an integral part of the traditional male role. Boys learn almost from childhood that they should strive to have sex and expect to succeed not stopping before unethical means to achieve their goals. American men perceive aggression as quite valid tool for obtaining sexual access to women. â€Å"Sexual assault is a logical continuation of the system, where men are taught to conquer what they want, while women should be passive, compliant and put m ens needs above their own† (Clay-Warner, 2009). Woman of any age can become a victim of a rapist. Recent studies show that more than 50% of American women survivors of rape have been first abused before the age of 18 years, and 22 % of them – before 12 years old. The fact that a woman has experienced rape before the age of 18 years highly increases the likelihood that in the future it would repeat (Wong, 2013). The level of reported rapes has cultural differences. For example, Asians report about rapes much than white American and African American. In the late 20th century, it was shown that women with lower socioeconomic status more often became victims of sexual assault in all ethnic groups. Obtained data can be explained by noting that people living in squalid conditions become victims of various crimes more often. African American women were subjected to forced sterilization in order to prevent the proliferation of people who were considered carriers of defective ge netic traits. African American women were sterilized in many states against their will, sometimes even without their knowledge. In the USA, African American women were subjected to forced sterilization more often, as it was believed that they were unable to control own sexual life. That was performed in order to limit the growth of black families applying for social security benefits. The greatest number of sterilizations took place in California from 1909 to 1964. Sterilization was subjected even to those who were healthy. Forced sterilization existed in the USA until 1974.Professor of sociology in the University of Maryland Bart Landry said that negative image of black women in the United States was formed back in slave times when black families were separated and white slave owners raped black women. Upon completion of slavery, African American women began to be considered as a part of the workforce. Black woman who has achieved success at work, who is a caring mother and wife s uch an important image is represented by Michelle Obama. Today, the USA is a home for about 42 million of African Americans. February 2014 was declared a national Month of Black History.

Learning Disability? There Are Many Resources for You

All people learn differently. But while all students have naturally variable approaches to learning (read more about different learning styles here ), others have difficulties with specific skills that generally come more easily to their peers. A learning disability is a neurologically-based processing disorder that makes it difficult for people to learn basic skills such as reading, writing, and math, or higher level skills such as organization, time planning, abstract reasoning, long or short term memory and attention. Some people have a learning disability in a specific area, in which case the individual’s performance would be significantly lower in that subject compared with every other area. Do you suspect you have a learning disability? If you, your parents, or your teachers think that might be the case, it’s important to have a psychologist or other certified tester diagnose it through formal testing. Once you have a diagnosis, there are many resources to help you succeed.   Also remember that having a learning disability doesn’t mean you’re not smart or won’t have a bright future. On the contrary, many successful people have learning disabilities, such as Steven Spielberg, Keira Knightley, Anderson Cooper, and Tommy Hilfiger, who all have dyslexia. They didn’t let it hold them back, and there’s no reason why you need to, either! Read on for more for more information about resources for students with learning disabilities. There are different types of learning disabilities. Here are a few of the more common ones. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. Some disorders, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and Dyspraxia, are not technically learning disorders, although they can still affect and impact students’ learning abilities. Many of the accommodations we describe below may also apply to students with these disorders. If you have a learning disability and are concerned with how it’s impacting your schoolwork and other areas of learning, your first step is to get it diagnosed and make sure your high school has all the necessary documentation. Ask your parents to set up a meeting with your guidance counselor or other school administrators to discuss the situation and describe what accommodations you will need, if you know. You will probably need a letter or confirmation from your psychologist or whomever gave you the diagnosis explaining your disability and how it affects your ability to complete you schoolwork. There are other types of support available to you. For instance, the SAT , ACT , and AP exams offer special accommodations for people with different types of learning disabilities, such as extra time. To learn more about how they can support you, check out our post, 2017 Welcomes New Testing Policies for Accommodations on the SAT . Additionally, many schools will give you extra time, assign you to a school therapist, allow you to type your assessments if need be, and make other accommodations depending on your needs. If you have a learning disability, remember that you’re not alone. Millions of other students have one too. Because there are so many people with learning differences, there are numerous organizations and associations that are dedicated to supporting these individuals and their parents. There are several unique resources for students with specific learning disabilities. You’ll likely find that your high school and the other people with whom you learn and interact are more than willing to help and support you. Still, you should make an effort to seek out services that can assist you. If you’d like a tutor to help you with your schoolwork or standardized test preparation, make sure you look for one who is specifically trained to work with students with your learning disability. You can often find tutors with this type of training through local learning centers, colleges, or your high school. Document your learning disability on your college applications. For tips on how to address it, check out How to Address a Mental Health Issue or Disability on Your College Application . When touring, visiting, or speaking with representatives at prospective colleges, ask if they have resources and accommodations for your learning disability. Many schools have dedicated learning centers that can assist you. In addition, check out the Mentorship Program . Our mentors drive significant personal and professional development for their high school mentees, and can provide insight on unique circumstances like navigating high school with a learning disability.   Combining mentorship with engaging content, insider strategies, and personalized analyses, our program provides students with the tools to succeed. As students learn from successful older peers, they develop confidence, autonomy, and critical thinking skills to help maximize their chances of success in college, business, and life.

Thematic analysis social psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thematic analysis social psychology - Essay Example This analysis leads us to a conclusion that this can have quite long term impacts on ones personality and an individual would still find all those experiences alive within themselves. The impact of a parent’s separation has a great influence on what you become in later life. This study relates the suggested aftermaths of parents separation to the real life experiences as suggested by certain psychologists. The childhood experiences either good or bad have a major impact on a person as an individual. These factors can be labeled under attribution theory of social psychology and somehow deals with the cognitive aspect of it. The attribution aspect deals with the three main factors locus, stability and controllability and is closely associated with the personal feelings, experiences, expectations and how one controls the reason that results in the variation of behavior. Parents play a major role in a childs life, and the attachment a kid has to his parents plays a very constructive role in his development. (Bowlby 1951). Bowlby also supports the view the child undergoes separation anxiety due to the family issues he confronts. It is clearly noticed that a child has special bonding to his parents especially mother, and if the home environment stability goes off one is likely to have an impact on his personality. Kate DiCamillo had gone through such occurrence in her childhood as she states that her fathers departure had had a great impact on her persona. Her writings too were greatly affected by the childhood experiences she had endured. It is certain that the things in her life did not stay the same after her dad left. The purpose of this study is to find out how these childhood experiences affected Kate DiCamillo as a person and find how the non availability of both the parents can form what you are. In this study I am focusing on how the behavior she narrates compliments the theories described by the psychologists and how her ideas get

The operations of a spares supply and service support Case Study

The operations of a spares supply and service support - Case Study Example The company sources its supplies directly from Air solutions manufacturing plants in Birmingham and Manchester. Airco will also purchase the Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Unit directly from Air solutions because it offers discount for bulk buyers and the parts purchased are genuine. The company anticipates distributing Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) spare parts until the year 2014 while Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Unit (HACU) spare parts will be distributed by the company until the year 2017. This is because the company supports distribution of spare parts of a particular machine or equipment of a particular company for a period not more than fifteen years since the first year a machine or equipment has been introduced to the market or since major modifications of an existing machine or equipment has been made and released to the market. The aim of the company is to ensure that all spares of Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Unit are available and accessible at all times. In addition the company strives to provide quick service to all its customers. The company has three outlets. The main outlet is situated at Birmingham while the other points are in Leeds and Manchester. At the above selling point, the company is able to reach all its customers with ease and low cost. By the end of 2017, Air Solutions Company would have supplied a total of 180,000 Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and 180,000 Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Units. This is because each year, it sells 12,000 units each of them. By the end of 2017, the company would have about 19,800 total customers in the United Kingdom for both Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Units. It would have also sold a total of 1,497,600 spare parts. 806,400 spares of Industrial Air Compressors (IAC) and 691,200 pares of Heavy Duty Air Conditioning Unit (HACU). Airco Company would be commanding 7%

Synthesis and analysis on Total quailty control book by Armand V Essay

Synthesis and analysis on Total quailty control book by Armand V. Feigenbaum - Essay Example According Basu (2006), quality is never â€Å"optional† for the organization but necessary that ensures the continuity of a business. They believe that through total quality management the business is able to increase the quality of their service delivery and that of products. However, Armand (2008) believes that there need for â€Å"total† approach to quality and in specific points out to total quality control as the way forward to satisfy the customer needs. According to ISO 8402 total quality management can be defined as an approach of a company, that is intended to focus on quality delivery. Farther the ISO definition states that quality should be the duty of all the members of staff and not the managers alone and this is in line to Armands believe to quality delivery. Thus total quality management involves the employees, and other members of staff in coming up with ways of satisfying the quality of a product, process quality and organizational quality. Armand thus believes that with total quality control everybody in the organizations works hard to achieve the goals of the organization and works towards customer satisfaction. Previously, research had proposed on the need of quality for the success of any business organization (Beckford, 2005). However, Armand (2008) came up with the idea of total quality control in the success of a business. He believed that through total quality management in organizations was the way forward in realizing the quality of a product during the manufacturing process and, hence satisfying the need of consumers as they are the main reasons of being in business. This idea meant that all processes and the units used in the manufacturing of a product need to be focused on the final delivery of a high quality product. The organization should therefore be the one responsible for the high quality product. The organization according to him consists of the management, the employees and all other

Estimate the five operating expenses for each of the past three fiscal Essay

Estimate the five operating expenses for each of the past three fiscal years, and evaluate what operating leverage, if any, was applied each year - Essay Example According to both financial statements the five costs are Cost of Revenue, Research and Development, Selling General and Administrative Expenses, Non-Recurring and Others. For the sake of simplicity, Cost of Revenue and Selling, General and Administration Expenses would be regarded as Variable Cost and the other expenditure as Fixed Cost. From the Income Statement Extract for 2003 (Fig 2), it is clear that PFIZER operated with a higher degree of operating leverage than GlaxoSmithKline. This is evident in the company's fixed cost percentage as PFIZER's fixed cost position is 2% higher that its competitor. The fact that PFIZER has a substantial amounts of capital tied up in its fixed assets and in particular in Research and Development Expenditure, would account for its higher operating leverage. It should be of no surprise therefore, that PFIZER's Research and Development accounts for over 50% of its total fixed cost. GlaxoSmithKline may have been a little more conservative since its Research and Development Expenditure spans only 5% of its total fixed cost. The strategy therefore would be for PFIZER to reduce its fixed cost percentage and thus enable itself to manage its risks. It has successfully done so in December 2004 (Fig 3) and as a result its operations have expanded by 13%. GlaxoSmithKline, on the other hand, operating income expanded by only 3% despite the reduction of its operating leverage. This is owing to the fact that its revenue of $39 Billion only increased by 3%. Fig 4 According to Fig 4, the Operating Income of GlaxoSmithKline has improved by an additional 4% where as PFIZER fell by 5%. PFIZER operating leverage has increased again and hence would account for the fall in Operating Income by $3 Billion. It was clear that GlaxoSmithKline managed its operating leverage better and hence reduces its risk. Conclusion The question, which may arise, is whether PFIZER is in a better situation than GlaxoSmithKline The truth is "leverage is neither good or bad"(Schmedt May 1998). Each company must assess the amount of risk it is willing to take while striving to achieve its corporate objectives. It is important to understand the company's cost structure to enable management to make effective decisions so that it can compete effectively and achieve the competitive advantage it so desires. References Fred Schmedts, The concept of Operating Leverage : The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation http://www.noble.org/Ag/Economics/OperatingLeverage/index.html Glaxosmithkline PLC Financial Statements December 2003 to December 2005 - Yahoo Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/q/iss=GSK&annual PFIZER Inc Financial Statements December 2003 to December 2005 - Yahoo Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/q/iss=PFE&annual Buccino, Gerald P. and Kraig S. McKinley, "The Importance of Operating Leverage in a Turnaround," Secure Lender (September / October 1997),

The valid contract Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The valid contract - Case Study Example However, a point to be noticed in this context is that to be legally binding, the promise made by the party and its acceptance must be aimed at forming a legal relationship. Anything made out of natural relationship (or domestic arrangements) are assumed not to create any legally binding obligations. Nevertheless, the case -Parker Vs Clark [1960] NLR 286- demonstrates that although domestic arrangements are assumed not to create legally-binding obligations, in some cases this assumption may be overruled by the facts . obligations. Moreover, Irene made the offer without having any intention to avail consideration from Gina. The offer is made just out of natural relationship. Therefore, it is not possible for Gina to approach the court for justice and get the promised money from Irene. Though, Gina has made some promises after the promise by Irene, this does not amount to a promise, which is legally enforceable. In this context, the case Balfour v Balfour [1919] 2 KB 571 is worth notable as "it demonstrates the strong presumption that domestic agreements, even if framed in contractual terms, are not intended to create legal obligations" (Law Glossary, 2006). Usually, when an order is made by one party to another for the supply of certain goods for a consideration, it becomes a contract. Both parties are legally binding to the terms of the contract are obliged to perform their part. If any of them makes a default, the aggrieved party can claim compensation from the defaulted party as the transaction is legally enforceable. When one is making an offer to another on the strength of the offer made by a third party, and if the third party makes a default and it subsequently results in the non performance of the offer, the third party is no way affected by the default of the promissor. In the given case, though Irene has made a promise to pay Gina a sum of 15000 and subsequently defaulted to pay the sum, the offer (s) business or personal made by Gina will in no way affect Irene as the first offer itself is not a legally binding one. Therefore, it is not legally obligatory for Irene to pay the remaining amount to Kolumbie, the aromatherapy oil supplier. Is Gina liable to Jaymark Fitness for the 4,000 balance on her debt When an offer is made out of the strength of the offer of another and the subsequent default of the original offer, the second offer cannot be performed and will result in breach of contract. But, it is to be noticed that whether the original offer is legally binding or not. In the given case, the original offer is a domestic arrangement and it is out of the natural relationship between Irene and Gina. However, when Gina has placed an order for 10,000 worth goods and after the default by Irene, Gina could not keep the promise that the payment shall be paid later. Gina informed Jaymark that she could not pay the 10,000 owed but could manage 6,000 and that if Jaymark tried to sue her for more, she would declare herself bankrupt and Jaymark would get nothing at all. Jaymark reluctantly agreed to accept the 6,000 in full and final satisfaction of the debt. Therefore, Gina is not

Synthesis and analysis on Total quailty control book by Armand V Essay

Synthesis and analysis on Total quailty control book by Armand V. Feigenbaum - Essay Example According Basu (2006), quality is never â€Å"optional† for the organization but necessary that ensures the continuity of a business. They believe that through total quality management the business is able to increase the quality of their service delivery and that of products. However, Armand (2008) believes that there need for â€Å"total† approach to quality and in specific points out to total quality control as the way forward to satisfy the customer needs. According to ISO 8402 total quality management can be defined as an approach of a company, that is intended to focus on quality delivery. Farther the ISO definition states that quality should be the duty of all the members of staff and not the managers alone and this is in line to Armands believe to quality delivery. Thus total quality management involves the employees, and other members of staff in coming up with ways of satisfying the quality of a product, process quality and organizational quality. Armand thus believes that with total quality control everybody in the organizations works hard to achieve the goals of the organization and works towards customer satisfaction. Previously, research had proposed on the need of quality for the success of any business organization (Beckford, 2005). However, Armand (2008) came up with the idea of total quality control in the success of a business. He believed that through total quality management in organizations was the way forward in realizing the quality of a product during the manufacturing process and, hence satisfying the need of consumers as they are the main reasons of being in business. This idea meant that all processes and the units used in the manufacturing of a product need to be focused on the final delivery of a high quality product. The organization should therefore be the one responsible for the high quality product. The organization according to him consists of the management, the employees and all other

The valid contract Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The valid contract - Case Study Example However, a point to be noticed in this context is that to be legally binding, the promise made by the party and its acceptance must be aimed at forming a legal relationship. Anything made out of natural relationship (or domestic arrangements) are assumed not to create any legally binding obligations. Nevertheless, the case -Parker Vs Clark [1960] NLR 286- demonstrates that although domestic arrangements are assumed not to create legally-binding obligations, in some cases this assumption may be overruled by the facts . obligations. Moreover, Irene made the offer without having any intention to avail consideration from Gina. The offer is made just out of natural relationship. Therefore, it is not possible for Gina to approach the court for justice and get the promised money from Irene. Though, Gina has made some promises after the promise by Irene, this does not amount to a promise, which is legally enforceable. In this context, the case Balfour v Balfour [1919] 2 KB 571 is worth notable as "it demonstrates the strong presumption that domestic agreements, even if framed in contractual terms, are not intended to create legal obligations" (Law Glossary, 2006). Usually, when an order is made by one party to another for the supply of certain goods for a consideration, it becomes a contract. Both parties are legally binding to the terms of the contract are obliged to perform their part. If any of them makes a default, the aggrieved party can claim compensation from the defaulted party as the transaction is legally enforceable. When one is making an offer to another on the strength of the offer made by a third party, and if the third party makes a default and it subsequently results in the non performance of the offer, the third party is no way affected by the default of the promissor. In the given case, though Irene has made a promise to pay Gina a sum of 15000 and subsequently defaulted to pay the sum, the offer (s) business or personal made by Gina will in no way affect Irene as the first offer itself is not a legally binding one. Therefore, it is not legally obligatory for Irene to pay the remaining amount to Kolumbie, the aromatherapy oil supplier. Is Gina liable to Jaymark Fitness for the 4,000 balance on her debt When an offer is made out of the strength of the offer of another and the subsequent default of the original offer, the second offer cannot be performed and will result in breach of contract. But, it is to be noticed that whether the original offer is legally binding or not. In the given case, the original offer is a domestic arrangement and it is out of the natural relationship between Irene and Gina. However, when Gina has placed an order for 10,000 worth goods and after the default by Irene, Gina could not keep the promise that the payment shall be paid later. Gina informed Jaymark that she could not pay the 10,000 owed but could manage 6,000 and that if Jaymark tried to sue her for more, she would declare herself bankrupt and Jaymark would get nothing at all. Jaymark reluctantly agreed to accept the 6,000 in full and final satisfaction of the debt. Therefore, Gina is not

The Painted Door Essay Example for Free

The Painted Door Essay â€Å"No man is an island, entire of itself†. This quote from John Donne, states that no person could live there life without cn from people around them. They must live in an environment where they can communicate freely with someone even if it would be just one person; but what would happen to someone who does not receive or give proper communication? In the story, The Painted Door a wife named Ann lives in a deserted country side where communication with other people is hard to come by. Her husband, John, is the only person who she has by her side on a day to day basis, yet he does not put Ann as his first priority due to his obsession with working hard to pay of his debts. Due to this she feels as though she is locked out of society and resorts to secluding her own personal feelings from anyone around her. Even though she is unable to find the love that she once had for John she is able to see that Steven is able to provide her with the many necessities that John is unable to give her. Throughout the story, Ann struggles to find the love she once had for John causing her to break her bonds with him. She begins to break her bonds through lack of attention, Seclusion of personal feelings as well as finding new love in Steven. Throughout the story Ann always talks bout how she is unable to receive the attention she desires and is simply not cared for by John. Due to her lack of social interaction within the environment she lives in she tries to seek attention from anyone. When talking to John just before he leaves for his fathers farm, Ann begs him to stay and keep her company yet he refuses to do so. â€Å"It isnt right to leave me here alone. Surely Im as important as important as your father[John] But there is nothing to be afraid of even if it does start to storm. You wont need to go near the stable.Ill be back at the latest by seven or eight†,(Ross,288). Despite Anns plea for John to stay, she is completely ignored and all of Johns attention is focused on his father. Instead of trying to comfort her he tries to change  Anns mind by telling her that she will be alright even if the storm hits and that she does not even have to go outside and do any work. This shows how John does not take into consideration how scared Ann might be during the storm . Instead he puts the job of taking care of the farm into far greater priority evidently showing how Ann receives little to no attention at all from John. As a result of this Ann get put aside so that John can take care of his father. Later on in the story, as John is getting ready to leave he tells Ann how committed he is to get to his fathers house and brings up the past where he claims that he never missed helping his father every time he needed it. â€Å"You ought to know by now I wouldnt stay behindno matter how it stormed. Twice a week before we were married I never missed and there were bad blizzards that winter to,†(289). John has made it clear that he doesnt intend on staying. He shows Ann how committed he was to visit his father whenever he could even before he was married to her. His commitment to his father is far more important to him than staying at home to keep Ann company. Now Ann is certain that Johns care for her is very little in comparison to his father. Due to Anns lack of attention from John, Ann begins to break her bonds with John. Ann believes that no one is truly there to give her the attention that she desires. John has set his eyes on helping his dad and refuses to stay no matter how much Ann begs of him. Due to this Ann tries to do the same and starts to seclude her own personal feelings from him in hopes of trying to get him to show the least bit of care for her. She does this by sarcastically telling him how all her needs have been met just as he is heading for the door. â€Å"Yes – of course – I heard youPlenty to eat – plenty of wood to keep me warm – what more could a woman ask for?†,(288). Instead of directly telling him how she feels about him leaving, Ann makes this sarcastic comment in hopes of attaining some kind of sympathy from John however John responds trying to defend his father.â€Å"But hes an old man – living there all alone. What is it, Ann, youre not like yourself this morning†,(288). Instead of getting John to care of her she causes a bit of tension between the two of them. She does the exact opposite of what she intended to do and begins to put distance between herself and John. When John finally leaves to go and help his father Ann begins to talk to herself  showing how she truly feels about John. â€Å"Thats all I need – someone to talk to. John never talks. Hes stronger – he doesnt understand†,(295). Ann begins to tell herself that all she needs is someone to talk to. Ann knows that John doesn’t need attention from anyone because â€Å"hes stronger† but Ann knows that she isnt â€Å"strong† like John is. Instead of addressing these problems directly with John she keeps these thoughts to herself. By doing this she is unable to tell John how she wishes to be treated allowing more room for John to ignore her true feelings. Through this Ann breaks her bond with John due to the shadowing of her personal feelings. Although Ann hides her personal feelings from John she is not afraid to show her true colors as soon as Steven comes over. Steven is viewed by Ann as someone who can fill the gaps that John could not. He is someone who cares for her and is willing to give her the attention she wants in order to make her happy. Later on in the story Ann begins thinking to herself how Steven may not come to visit Ann. She makes herself believe that Steven would not come because he knows that John would come home to comfort his own wife in this gruesome storm. â€Å"It would be only natural for him to think that when the storm rose John had turned again for home. Another man would- would have put his wife first†,(295). However despite the treacherous storm raging outside, Steven comes to aid Ann in her time of need. Ann is is truly captivated by Stevens determination and begins to find comfort in Steven. â€Å"At the assurance of his touch and voice the fear that had been gripping her gave way t o an hysteria of relief. Scarcely aware of herself she seized his arm and sobbed against it†,(297). Ann is so overjoyed by Stevens arrival that she begins to cry in Stevens arm. She is relieved of all the loneliness the storm had caused her and is able to find comfort in Steven, something she could never truly find in John. As Steven proceeds to do his chores Ann begins to analyze Steven more carefully. She begins to compare John and Steven in her mind. â€Å"Swiftly she was making comparisons again; his face so different to Johns, so handsome and young and clean-shaven. Swiftly, helplessly feeling imperceptible and relentless ascendancy that therby he was gaining over her, sensing sudden menace in this new, more vital life, even as she felt drawn towards it†,(Ross,298). Ann starts to accept now that she has fallen for Steven she is drawn towards this â€Å"new,  more vital life† even if she feels that it puts her and Johns relationship in danger. By making these â€Å"swift† comparisons she is quickly able to see how much greater Steven is in comparison to J ohn. Steven is able to pick up where John is unable to finish. He is able to provide to Ann the care she needs and so much more. Due to Ann immediate attraction to Steven she begins to break her bonds as she is drawn into this â€Å"new, more vital life† where she wishes to stay forever. Ann was unable to find the love and care that she had been searching for in John. She had been given no attention despite the fact that she had needed so much of it from John. She found that John had not given much of a care to her feelings and therefore had begun to hide her own feelings from John. Although John was still not able to provide Ann with the basic love and care she needed from her husband she was able to find this love and care through Steven who provided her with exactly that and much more. Through these series of events, Anns bonds with John are broken as she approaches a new life that will provide her with the necessities she had been lacking in the previous one. She no longer has to seclude her personal feelings and she can now look forward to a new spring in which everything will blossom a new. She now does not have to worry about the lack of attention she will receive from John and no longer has to worry about John making it home in time. Now she can sit with Stev en and enter into the new vital life that awaits

The Epic Portraits Of Eve English Literature Essay

The Epic Portraits Of Eve English Literature Essay Renaissance literature has a wide range of genres with an assortment of sonnets, plays, epic poetry and more; however, the meaning lying within the stories is what catches the readers attention. In some, it is about desiring a woman or man who is unattainable or has a hidden political meaning, both of which can tell the reader about the time period. One of the greatest and most curious themes or characters portrayed is Eve from the book of Genesis. With Eve, the author can take a religious stand point of how it was a womans fault mankind fell to evil or it could pertain to womens roles within society. Either way it is looked at there is a further meaning which can be deceived as to how the authors of certain works look at society or the societal standards of the time. In Aemilia Lanyers Eves Apology in Defense of Women and John Miltons Paradise Lost, they convey two different yet intriguing views of women both relating back to the way in which Eve in the Book of Genesis is described. In a quick summary, Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat the fruit off of the Tree of Life and Eve was the first to create this sin, but is it really her fault the situation occurred? In Eves Apology in Defense of Women by Aemilia Lanyer, Lanyer produces an excuse as to why women are sinful through Eves character relating her primary sin back to eating from the garden. Eve is the first women on Earth who gave birth to all the children on Earth and is the main role model for women. Lanyer describes Eve as innocent and unknowledgeable. She was made simply good because God made her that way, therefore; through Him she does not know any better (Lanyer, ll. 21). Eve being unknowledgeable wanted to know more and was extremely curious. She was easily deceived or misled by the snake that was Satan in disguise because of her curiosity and ate from the forbidden tree for knowledge sake not out vengeance or direct violation. However, Lanyer points out that Adam, representation of all men, ate the fruit out of pure pleasure and therefore, directly disobeys God out of selfishness (Lanyer, ll. 53). Therefore, through curiosity Eve was pressured into finding out more in the life she was living. Further on in the poem, Lanyer reinforces that Eve was made from Adam as a result, the source of evil comes from and resides in him as well (Lanyer, ll. 65-66). Lanyer is continually trying to show man that women are not the problem in society but that it is man. She sees man as creating the greatest sin, pointing out that man had betrayed Gods son through crucifixion out of pure wickedness and deceit. However, Eve was an innocent mistake and through an individuals weakness not all women should be held accountable for her mistake because lessons can be learned (Lanyer, ll. 73-77, 85-88). Eves Apology in Defense of Women is a way for Lanyer to defend all women through defending Eves mistake by comparing it to the greater malice which man has done over the centuries. It seems as if Lanyer is asking how you can possibly blame Eve when it is mans fault for executing the Savior and is that not alone the worse crime? This poem illustrates the feminist view defending womens rights and fight ing for an overall equality for women in society through Eves story. Eve, as presented through Lanyer, is just a woman that was misled by man and is continually being punished for her mistake. However, through John Miltons perspective Eve is a woman unequal to man and for that she is in her rightful place. John Milton first introduces Adam and Eve through Satans perspective. This perspective is a first impression of the characters and how they are perceived by other beings. Satan first describes that they are lords of all, meaning that they are above all other creatures within this paradise (Milton, b. 4; ll. 290). The description goes further into stating that the two individuals are however, not equal in sex (Milton, b. 4; ll. 296). It relates back to the fact that women come second to men and answer to them, therefore; giving men a higher status than women. Eve is further described as being soft, sweet, and gracefully attractive compared to Adam and only serves God through Adam and by his word (Milton, b. 4; ll. 298-299). Furthermore, Eves complete appearance is described as naturally beautiful with a slender waist, natural golden hair that made her seem untidy yet prom iscuous, she yields to Adam, but seems modest sweet and reluctant (Milton, b. 4; ll. 304-311). Although, she seems to be a wanted and willing woman, Eve is still curious and capable of wondering onto the wrong path with her lack of knowledge. As the story progresses, Eve does not seem to enhance her role in Miltons work but continues a downfall in character. Continuing in book 4 lines 449-491, Eve begins to describe her awakening to Adam. She describes it as waking up under a covering of flowers within the shade and that she wonders amongst the gardens territory. In other words, she is born in darkness by a veil of beauty. It than explains that she is a wonderer which could be a foreshadowing event that there is evil in her and that there is a possibility of her getting on the wrong path falling to deceit. She finds a lake and appearing into it sees her reflection which memorizes her. She makes the comment that she was startled by it at first but then was pleased by it. Upon its return she was delighted, thus showing she was entranced by her own beauty in vain desire. She later admits that God speaks to her telling her that it is her reflection that she sees but he never presents himself to her unlike he does when Adam aw akens. Milton compares Eves turning back to her reflection to the myth of Eurydice explaining that if she were to turn back to her image she would be drowned in despair and anguish. Eve is easily compelled by her beauty and seen as being vain however; Satan does not succeed when trying to persuade her this way (Milton, b. 9; ll. 216). However, later she was easily swayed by Satan because he was able to make her feel equal to Adam and connecting her directly to God (Milton, b. 9; ll. 538-548). She is filled with narcissistic pleasure through herself not needing Adam anymore; without the connection to Adam she feels free to do whatever, including eat from the tree. In fear of death and Adam finding someone else like her, Eve tells Adam about eating from the garden. Adam than eats the fruit as well so Eve does not have to go down alone in consequence (Milton, b. 9; ll. 830-833). John Milton perceives Eve to being superficial and easily swayed. He does not place any good implications on her character making her out to be one of the villains but main characters of the story. Eve through Milton acts as a representation of women during his time period. While both Lanyer and Milton use Eve as a main character who is seen as unknowledgeable, curious, and swindled, they use her to tell two completely different stories with completely different meanings. Lanyer is compelled to use Eve as a reason for why women are treated unequally and how man is the problem creating the most malevolence. However, Milton is showing that women are unequal for multiple good reasons, one dealing with vanity consuming them and being unable to follow order. Each provides a viewpoint of that time period on how women were perceived and how sex roles played a huge part in society. Renaissance literature is able to take religious, political, and social standards and twist them in a way that the reader is able to gather an understanding of what life was like during that century. Aemilia Lanyer and John Milton took to describing their societies through the character of Eve in two different ways which were extremely compelling.

Human Resource Leadership - Worker Retention Programs Essay -- essays

Human Resources Leadership (Team 4)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Worker Retentions Program Waiwah Ellison Norma Gladhill Daniel Lewis Rachel Luce Angelica Player Lori Ruskey Abstract All organizations want to see an increase in productivity and a positive impact on the bottom line. Successful organizations realize employee retention and talent management is integral to sustaining their leadership and growth in the market place. The focus of this group project is on worker retention strategies. Worker retention strategies are programs designed to preserve existing quality workers by providing benefits and incentives. These benefits and incentives are provided to employees in various ways. Our group chose to explore six organizations in three different industries. These industries include Retail, Package shipping, and Airlines. Through research and investigation of three major industries we were able to develop a comparison of how these major organizations retain quality workers. First, we explore and learn how to keep people motivate to stop turnover within an organization. Secondly, we investigate employer’s benefits and incentive programs to keep quality employees. Finally, we examine workforce motivation and the engagement to commitment as organizations continually change initiatives and strategic planning. TARGET VS. WALMART Target and Wal-Mart have many similarities on their retention programs. Despite the difference in the size of their companies, they are both large enough to allow their employees to switch career paths within their own organization. Wal-Mart offers its employees different opportunities in many diverse department of the huge operation. They are retail, real estate, public policy, merchandising, logistics, IT, marketing, and advertising. Target offers similar areas of careers within the organization. Many other motivation tools are used for both Target and Wal-Mart to keep their employees happily employed. Merit increases in pay based on company performance are used almost the exact same way in both companies. They both have annual increase that depends on individual performance and company performance. Target gives its employees 25 cents per hour raise after 90 days in order to keep new employees. Holiday bonuses are offered to all Wal-Mart employees who have been with the company over one year. Gifts and ... ...e: hire only those who fit perfectly, offer great benefits, and perks. SWA has created an atmosphere that demonstrates appreciation for the employees, and has made Southwest Airlines an organization of which people are proud to be a part. Conclusion Employee retention strategies help organizations. They provide effective employee communication to improve commitment and enhance workforce support for key organization initiatives. Retention strategies build customer loyalty by distinguishing and positioning an organization’s unique products and services in today’s crowded marketplace. Economic growth and employee turnover is one of the most critical issue facing corporate leaders today. As a result there is a shortage of skilled workers. We have explored several aspects of the workforce stability. The employee retention issue continues in the face of unprecedented churning in the employment market. Human Resource Managers are provided with a wide range of tools to control employee turnover. Workforce stability can be a HR Manager’s competitive advantage in these turbulent times. This is one of the hottest topics for corporate leaders in all fields in the United States and globally.

Sharpie Brand Report Essay -- Business Analysis

Sharpie has been putting its mark on society as well as a variety of other surfaces since its inception in 1964. Today, Sharpie is the most popular choice of permanent marker in the world, available in over 20 countries. In the recent digital age, Sharpie was predicted to struggle as physical printing methods fell out of favor in exchange for keyboards and touch screens. However, parent company Newell Rubbermaid has taken some creative and unique marketing approaches to keep the Sharpie brand as a household name. New advertising methods, as well as embracing social media outlets such as Facebook have led to Sharpie becoming more popular than ever. Sharpie’s media purchases over the last decade have been very interaction oriented. Since 2009 Sharpie has shifted a large amount of their advertising attention to social media outlets, as well as many other non-media connectors. Sharpie has been getting up close and in touch with its consumers for most of the last decade, using professional athletes from various sports to promote their brand. While working with Paragon Marketing Group Sharpie sponsored the Sharpie 500 from 2001 to 2009. The Sharpie 500 was one of the most popular races on the NASCAR circuit. Sharpie was also the main sponsor of Kurt Busch and his No. 97 Ford from 2001 to 2006. Busch had a highly successful career whilst driving for Sharpie, even winning the first ever NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship in 2004. The exposure paid off according to Paragon, as Sharpie’s sales increased a minimum of 15% per annum. Sharpie also tried their hand on the links with the Sharpie Mini Tour. Working with the Professional Golfers Association, Sharpie held a nationwide, four event putting competition giving one fan a chance to play ... ...e 25 June 2009. Web. . Neff, Jack. "Think Ink Is Dead? Sharpie's Success Is Writing on the Wall: New Video Ads, Strong Facebook Presence Prove the Pen Is Still Mighty in the Digital Age." AdvertisingAge. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. Paragon Marketing Group "Sharpie 500." Paragon Marketing Group, LLC. 27 Aug. 2005. Web. 04 May 2012. . Sharpie Press Release. "Sharpie ® Mini Tour Swings Into Chicagoland For Cialis ® Western Open." www.sharpie.com. Newell Rubbermaid, 29 June 2005. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Sharpie :: Stained Brand Invention." Tris3ct. Web. 04 May 2012. .

Harley Davidson †Strategies Essay

Harley Davidson Company is a largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world. It has a wide range of vision and mission that makes Harley-Davidson apart from the competition and why their brand strength is legendary. The United States customers for example, have come to trust the name Harley-Davidson, which gives the company a competitive advantage over their competitors. The company strives to improve growth and increase demand for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Today the Harley Davidson Company takes the leading position in the business world, when demand exceeds supply this allows them to increase the prices of productions and stock. They have become a force to be reckoned with in the motorcycle industry, while continuing to maintain existence through either booming or recessive markets. The external matrix indicates that the Harley-Davidson company is above average when it comes to being perceptive and responsive in regards to opportunities and threats. Based on the weighted score of 3.  58, the major and minor strengths dominate the weak opportunities and threats. Besides from advantage of the company to the rest of the competitors, Harley-Davidson’s company looking at the other companies as a whole competitor, the hybrid expansion could generate a great deal more revenues (Datamonitor, 2006, p. 14). The competitive matrix indicates that Harley-Davidson holds a strong position among its competitors. Through brand image, customer loyalty, and a relatively stable financial position, the company can work towards growth in the global markets. One avenue is to purchase the 20 million shares of stock that the company has been authorized to buy back. Harley Davidson’s opportunity to buy back their shares is their opportunity to tell the world that they are still a financially stable company. This answer the question on how can Harley-Davidson improve its 2005 stock performance. Harley-Davidson, Inc TOWS Matrix The Matrix would give the best strategies in which Harley –Davidson Company motivates the customer heart and becoming a great tool of the company’s success as well. Under this matrix strategies developed were as follows with coded letter; Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O), Threats (T), Strengths & Opportunities ( SO) strategy, Weaknesses & Opportunities(WO) strategy, Strength & Threats (ST) Strategies, and Weaknesses & Threats (WT) Strategies. Under which noted that the strengths were comprises with at least factual description namely, 1. Brand Loyalty 2. Commanding Market share in heavy weight segment 3. Offering Cross Segments 4. Extensive Distribution Network 5. Strong Operating Performance and 6. Customers Loyalty. Furthermore, it is also noted from the list, the three listed weaknesses: Weak European business performance, Rising dealer inventory and decline in value of pre-owned vehicles and the SEC inquiry over production plants. While on the other hand, there are three opportunities offered by the company namely; SEC inquiry over production plants, Improvement in efficiency and Chinese Market. Plus other thing the company has to dealt with and made some direct action complied is the list of threats the company cannot avoid to tackle it efficiently. The threats were Intense Competition, Increase in raw material cost and Regulatory Issues. With such matrix strategies of the company, other new strategies can be developing that also of great used in the new company. From there, we can design a Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) strategies, SPACE, BCG, IE, Grand Strategy, and QSPM matrices that’s is also valuable to use in order to improve the business progress and development. Conclusions The company’s current strategies appeared to following, the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) strategies, that is, in addition to the previous existing strategies which are SWOT originated. Thus it gives the company big booms of success. That is, based on the financial and analytical data, Harley Davidson is a strong financial organization that has been in business for over 100 years and if they continue in the way they are working, they could remain in business another 100 years. The underlying grand strategy or strategy theme of the company is that, company uses an aggressive strategy, because it would be in the upper right, aggressive quadrant. The Explanation to this would be graphing the change of FSIS in the plane of CAIS versus FSES, the result would be increasing change of FSIS was found. Hence with these amazing results, the  Company gained the financial strength & industry strength (FSIS) increasing as the financial Strength positively overcome as well as the industry strength also positively reached. Stating the immediate and future strategy recommendations for the company will be , taking into accounts that competitor continuously becoming at large and introduces more vivid product assurance , the company can still compete more effectively if the continuous studies about how to gain trust among customers and also continuous seeking more effective strategies that will fits the need of the customers. Thus for sure the more the company blooms up to the highest level among the rest of the competitors. Providing a selection rationale and financial justification about the company’s financial strength will be Harley-Davidson, Inc has developed strategies in line with their aspirations to grow within a Global Market. The company prides itself on having brand recognition and customer loyalty. In the terms of generating revenues, the company has dominated the domestic market versus their competitor’s ability. Harley-Davidson is comprised of four segments (Datamonitor, 2006, p.  28). This enables them to focus on different targeted customers. The segments consist of standard, performance, touring and customized motorcycles (Datamonitor, 2006, p. 28). Other strengths include strong operating performance and distribution network. Harley products are sold by over 1,300 dealers globally (Datamonitor, 2006, p. 29). The ability to market and promote a brand name product to people all over the world, through various networking capabilities, provides the company will a stronger market position. The strong operating performance can be based upon the growth of the company. Looking at revenues from 2003 to 2005, the company has increased funds by almost 14. 5 percent within two years (Income Statement: Forbes. Com). According to the quarterly reports on Forbes, it appears that for 2006, the company will exceed the previous years’ revenues. Therefore, the company is continually growing and making their presence known in the industry.