Study on Brady Udall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Study on Brady Udall - Essay Example The thesis statement of this paper is that in his book, Letting Loose the Hounds, Brady Udall provides his characters an opportunity at hope to support his claim that dealing with the themes of sadness, despair and darkness alone cannot make a book candid and real.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jerry, the protagonist and the narrator of Midnight Raid, is a representative of those people who are dealing with the pain of lost love. "Midnight Raid", perhaps the widely acclaimed story of Udall which is also the first story in this book, reflects the themes of darkness and confusion in the beginning itself. Through the simple, crispy and witty narration by Jerry we come to know that Jerry, drunk, is at the backyard of his â€Å"ex-wife Amy and her new husband Howard† (Udall) at Scottsdale, Arizona, to see his â€Å"seven-year-old son, Tate† and to gift him a goat â€Å"without Amy or Howard finding out about it† (Udall). Here, Jerry, who lost his son in the legal battle to his ex-wife Amy, has come to meet him. Though Jerry is aware about the negative consequences of his action, he deliberately puts in an effort to see his son and communicate his love. Though he had a troubled relation with Amy he was a loving father to Tate.  Ã‚   Hence, Jerry though convinces himself that his relation with Amy ended due to the indiscretions and betrayals  Ã‚   from both sides and that Howard is Amy’s new Husband, he fails to convince the father in him. Jerry, at the moment, is fragmented and is heartbroken.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Midnight Raid is essentially a tragic story which has been tamed well to make it candid and real.   Jerry as well as other characters portrayed in Udall’s stories is found to be constantly dealing with the confusion whether to accept or to fight their sad circumstances. They are stuck in the battle of wills and are constantly being torn apart between ‘letting go’ and ‘wanting to let go’. In t he case of Jerry, we can see that he is confused and worried about his wife who "left [him] to marry this liver-spotted senior citizen with dentures and an artificial leg". He consoles himself at the thought that Howard is rich enough to provide financial security to Amy. His mind is "completely scraped out from the inside" when he finally left his loved ones with Howard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Udall by making Jerry the protagonist of Midnight Raid is purposefully interweaving humor in to the dark rather unpleasant story. Jerry, the narrator and the protagonist of Midnight Raid, was introduced by Udall as a six-foot-three Apache Indian carrying a goat into his ex-wife's back yard in the middle of the night. Udall bestows Jerry with comic sense that does not get stained even at the face of his desperation, which is evident from many of the passages of the story.   An instance for this is when Jerry, while narrating the â€Å"end of relationship story" states that his â€Å"divor ce was an honest, smash-mouth affair† (Udall).   Udall, in an interview by Robert Birnbaum, regarding the presence of comic in his stories, commented that "a book can't just be all darkness, all dark notes...I owe my characters some opportunity at hope or redemption. It's not going to be the redemption that the reader expects...I respect my characters...I can't just hurt them and kill them just for my purposes...It would be too much for me to do

Descriptive Words Essay Example for Free

Descriptive Words Essay Words Smile, grin, beam, smirk . . . Frown, scowl, glare, glower, grimace . . . Stare, gaze, gape, watch, gawk, ogle, look, examine, leer . . . Flinch, recoil, balk, cringe, shy away, pull back, wince, cower, shrink, tremble . . . Incredulous, disbelieving, skeptical, doubtful, dubious, uncertain, suspicious, questioning, vague . . . Quizzical, questioning, puzzled, surprised, perplexed, inquiring Interested, curious, involved, attentive, concerned, attracted, fascinated, engrossed . . . Sad, gloomy, cheerless, depressing, dark, dull, thick, dreary . . Happy, content, pleased, glad, joyful, cheerful, blissful, exultant, ecstatic, delighted, cheery, jovial . . . Scared, frightened, terrified, petrified, afraid, fearful, nervous, anxious, worried, timid, shy . . . Strong, burly, brawny, strapping, muscular, beefy, tough, fervent, intense, zealous, avid, eager . . . Coy, bashful, timid, modest, reserved, demure . . . Indifferent, apathetic, unresponsive . . . Remote, aloof, detached, distant . . Threatened, intimidated, alarmed, worried, anxious, troubled, upset, distressed, shocked, startled . . . Crash, thud, bump, thump, bang, thunder, smash, explode, roar, shout, scream, screech, shout, whistle, whine, squawk, blare, slam, stomp, stamp, noise, clap, bark, meow, moo, boom, yell, whisper, hum, snap, hiss, crackle . . . Taut, uptight, immobilized, paralyzed, tense, stretched, hollow, alarmed, strong, weak, sweaty, breathless, nauseated, sluggish, weary, tired, alive, feisty . . . Angry, resentful, irritated, enraged, furious, annoyed, inflamed, provoked, infuriated, offended, sullen, indignant, irate, wrathful, cross, sulky, bitter, frustrated, grumpy, boiling, fuming, stubborn, belligerent, confused, awkward, bewildered, empty . . . Angrily, anxiously, brightly, cheerfully, comfortably, curiously, delightfully, eagerly, enormously, excitedly, faintly, falsely, fearfully, foolishly, frightfully, gently, gracefully, gratefully, greedily, grumpily, helplessly, heroically, hungrily, impatiently, joyfully, kindly, luckily, magically, majestically, merrily, remarkably, splendidly, strangely, swiftly, unusually Afraid, fearful, frightened, timid, wishy-washy, shaky, apprehensive, fidgety, terrified, panicky, tragic, hysterical, cautious, shocked, horrified, insecure, impatient, nervous, dependent, anxious, pressured, worried, doubtful, suspicious, hesitant, awed, dismayed, scared, petrified, gutless . . . Bad, worse, poor, terrible, horrible, evil, wicked, corrupt, heinous, inferior, inept, ill, unfortunate , distressful . . . Big, huge, giant, gigantic, monstrous, tremendous , gargantuan , large, wide, important, influential, immense, massive, bulky, heavy, voluminous . . . Eager, keen, earnest, intent, zealous, ardent, avid, anxious, enthusiastic, proud . . . Fearless,, encouraged, courageous, confident, secure, independent, reassured, bold, brave, daring, heroic, hardy, determined, loyal, proud, impulsive . . . Good, excellent, fine, satisfactory , kind, generous, worthy, humane, pure, benign, benevolent , proper, valid, favored . . Happy, brisk, buoyant, calm, carefree, cheerful, cheery, comfortable, complacent, contented, ecstatic, elated, enthusiastic, excited, exhilarated, generous, glad, grateful, hilarious, inspired, jolly, joyous, lighthearted, merry, optimistic, peaceful, playful, pleased, relaxed, restive, satisfied, serene, sparkling, spirited, surprised, vivacious . . Hurt, injured, isolated, offended, distressed, pained, suffering, afflicted, worried, tortured . . Little, small, tiny, micros copic, miniscule, minute, inconsequential, Lilliputian, insignificant, narrow, thin, paltry, modest, slender, slight . . . Looked, gazed, peered, starched , stared, glanced, sighted, regarded , attended , viewed, inspected , directed, followed . . Nice, friendly, helpful, gentle, warm, inspiring, good-natured, kind, generous, cheerful, loving, happy, funny, peppy, relaxed, thoughtful, cooperative . . . Ran, trotted, skipped, hurried, moved, sped, operated, progressed , glided, flowed, traced, pursued, galloped, loped, fled . . . Sad, sorrowful, unhappy, depressed, melancholy, gloomy, somber, dismal, heavy-hearted, mournful, dreadful, dreary, flat, blah, dull, in the dumps, sullen, moody, sulky, out of sorts, low, discontented, discouraged, disappointed, concerned, sympathetic, compassionate, choked up, embarrassed, shameful, ashamed, useless, worthless, ill at ease . . . Said, acknowledged, acquiesced, added, addressed, admitted, admonished, advised, advocated, affirmed, agreed, alleged, allowed, announced, answered, approved, argued, asked, assented, asserted, assumed, assured, attested, avowed, babbled, bantered, bargained, barked, began, begged, bellowed, beseeched, boasted, bragged, brought, called, cautioned, charged, chided, cited, claimed, commanded, comment, commented, complained, conceded, concluded, condescended, confessed, confided, consented, contended, contested, continued, contradicted, counseled, countered, cracked, cried, debated, decided, declared, decreed, demanded, demurred, denied, denounced, described, dictated, directed, disclosed, disrupted, divulged, drawled, droned, elaborated, emphasized, enjoined, entreated, enunciated, estimated, exclaimed, explained, exposed, expressed, faltered, feared, foretold, fumed, giggled, granted, granted, grinned, groaned, growled, grumbled, haggled, hedged, held, hesitated, hinted, howled, impar ted, implied, implored, indicated, inferred, informed, inquired, insinuated, insisted, instructed, nterjected, interrogated, intimated, intimidated, itemized, jested, judged, lamented, laughed, lectured, lied, lisped, listed, made, maintained, mentioned, mimicked, moaned, mumbled, murmured, mused, muttered, nagged, narrated, noted, notified, objected, observed, opined, orated, ordered, petitioned, pleaded, pled, pointed, prayed, predicted, proclaimed, professed, prompted, pronounced, proposed, propounded, protested, proved, publicized, queried, questioned, quibbled, quipped, quoted, rambled, ranted, reaffirmed, reasoned, reassured, reciprocated, recited, recommended, recounted, referred, refuted, regretted, reiterated, rejoiced, rejoined, related, relented, remarked, reminded, remonstrated, repeated, replied, reported, reprimanded, requested, responded, restated, resumed, retorted, returned, revealed, roared, ruled, sanctioned, scoffed, scolded, screamed, shouted, shrieked, snapped, sneered, sobbed, solicited, specified, spoke, sputtered, stammered, stated, stipulated, stormed, stressed, stuttered, suggested, taunted, testified, thought, threatened, told, twitted, unbridled, urged, uttered, vowed, wailed, warned, went, wept, whispered, whistled, whooped, wrangled, yawned, yelled . . . Amazing, Attractive, Authentic, Beautiful, Better, Big, Colorful, Colossal, Complete, Confidential, Enormous, Excellent, Exciting, Exclusive, Expert, Famous, Fascinating, Free, Full, Genuine, Gigantic, Huge, Informative, Instructive, Interesting, Lavishly, Liberally, Mammoth, Professional, Startling, Strange, Strong, Sturdy, Successful, Superior, Surprise . . . Crammed, Delivered, Directed . . . Brave, Angry, Bright, Busy, Clever, Cold, Cozy, Deep, Flat, Foggy, Free, Fresh, Frozen, Gentle, Giant, Glad, Grand, Hollow, Hungry, Hurt, Lucky, Neat, New, Old, Polite, Proud, Rough, Serious, Shiny, Short, Shy, Smooth, Spotted, Strong, Tall, Tough, Weak, Wide, Wild, Wise, Bumpy, Careful, Cheerful, Chilly, Clean, Cloudy, Crisp, Damp, Enormous, Fancy, Flashy, Flowery, Frosty, Fuzzy, Huge, Icy, Kind, Marvelous, Merry, Messy, Mighty, Misty, Moldy, Plaid, Plain, Quiet, Scented, Selfish, Sharp, Slim, Slippery, Sloppy, Sly, Soggy, Spicy, Stormy, Striped, Sweet, Tasty, Thinly, Tiny, Velvety, Twinkling, Weak, Worn, Young . . .

The Future of High Definition Television :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Future of High Definition Television â€Å"DTV is a much bigger step for television than the change from black and white to color† (Epstein, 12/99). The idea of a â€Å"digital television† came about nearly a decade ago in the early 1990’s when scientists realized that much more data could be sent to televisions if it was in a digital format, or a long series of 0’s and 1’s. This is the same method that computers use to send data and this method is very efficient. In fact, the data stream going into the television would be so great that 5 or 6 different channels could be broadcasted at the same time on the same frequency, giving viewers more options. Not only will there be more channels, but some of the other benefits would include a crystal clear picture, cd-quality surround sound, 2-way data-transmission, stock quotes, the Internet, and maybe even telephone services one day. The last four things are possible; they just haven’t been tested to a great extent quite yet. Ho wever, researchers agree that all these things will be possible one day. It is just a matter of time. What it comes down to is that some higher power, in this case the government, needs to step in to help progress this whole transition along or it could be years before everyone has an HDTV in their family room. There are only two main reasons for why the new high-definition television sets haven’t caught on yet. To understand the first reason, it must be viewed from the point of the consumer. Why spend all this money on a new television set when there is no programming for it? This is where the government steps in. By spring of 2002, all stations are required to broadcast shows digitally. Stations ABC and CBS are leading the pack by offering nearly all of their primetime shows in high definition (Takiff, 2001). NBC and FOX are lagging behind and have almost no shows broadcasting in digital (Takiff, 2001). However, by the year 2006, all analog broadcasts will be cut off and only digital broadcasting will remain. So if you think this whole digital television phenomenon won’t affect you†¦ think again. The second thing is price. A new 50† plasma screen HDTV ready television can cost upwards of $20,000 (www.

Two Neighborhoods

We'd make casual small conversation on Saturday mornings when no one had to work and we watched the kids play. We'd also go to the pool In the summer as another way for conversation and fun for everyone. Another good thing about that neighborhood was that it was in such a convenient location. My family and I were within walking distance from my high school, local gyms, flea markets and more. I was able to walk to any of these places whenever I wanted. Unfortunately, this all changed when my parents told my two younger brothers and me that we had to downgrade and move bout give minutes away.Originally I thought to myself, â€Å"that's not too bad†, but my thought was devastatingly wrong. Overtime I would figure this out. In this neighborhood I found that my ex-boyfriend lives one short block over from mine. Seeing him every morning on the bus to school was never the highlight of my day. Then, just when I thought I'd have a relief, summer came around. Of course, we both wanted t o be at the neighborhood pool all the time, so it was like I couldn't escape from him. Not only that disappoints me about this neighborhood, but also, we have to made as many friends in this neighborhood as the previous one.People just aren't as friendly and neighborly. People in this neighborhood hardly ever speak to one another. Also, this neighborhood, opposite to the one before, is farther away from all the attractions. I hate to be a complainer but the first neighborhood was just much better. That neighborhood is the opposite of this one and would easily be titled the best one my family and I have lived in since living in Charlotte NC. By Tiaras It was the year of 2007 that my family and I moved to our first house in Blatantly.In friendships with our other neighbors in that neighborhood. Everyone was so friendly amongst one another. We'd all show common curtsey and wave to those we'd see. And we watched the kids play. We'd also go to the pool in the summer as another way any of these places whenever I wanted. Unfortunately, this all changed when my Then, Just when I thought I'd have a relief, summer came around. Of course, we both not made as many friends in this neighborhood as the previous one. People Just from all the attractions. I hate to be a complainer but the first neighborhood was Just

Location: Bhogpur village, Dehra Dun district, India

Location: Bhogpur village, Dehra Dun district, India Introduction: The CAS project spanned two days in Bhogpur village. As a group of 32 students, we decided to combine creativity, action and service into one positive approach to work in the village in the short time we were there. Day 1 Total number of hours: 4 hours Total distance trekked: 4 km After lunch, our group decided that it was important for us to find out the problems of people in the area and to attempt to address them in whatever ways possible. To do this, it had been suggested that the group divided itself into pairs of two and went door to door in the village, interacting with the villagers. Although I believed that the idea was, on the whole, a positive one I was still apprehensive about the approach. Nevertheless, forcing myself to throw out any negativity, I decided to participate wholeheartedly in the interaction with the people of the village. Initially, my friend Shivaan and I had a hesitant start. I was extremely self-conscious and felt downright idiotic expecting unknown villagers to pour out their problems to strangers. But as we kept trekking through the village, I realized that the distance was merely in the head. The villagers ranged from old women to middle aged families and young adults. Some were very hesitant in talking to us but soon started interacting openly. Others were extremely vocal throughout. Shivaan and I noticed an underlying set of problems that pervaded the entire village. These included a water problem, an economic divide, gender issues, etc. I mulled over all these problems in vain. What was the solution that I could provide in a day, in a flourish to people who were far removed from who I was or where I lived? In the evening, my perception underwent a change. We decided to put up a program that would encompass two plays, a dance routine and a panel discussion. I was part of both the plays and enjoyed outlining the storylines and acting and directing at the same time. As we practiced, I thought about the initial negative attitude that I had had regarding the solutions we could provide to the villagers about the issues that they faced. Day 2 Total number of hours: 4 hours Total distance trekked: 2 km This was the day of the performance. Before an early breakfast, we moved to rehearse and have a run through of the entire performance one final time. Although there were occasional glitches, I managed to keep calm and be confident. We then trekked to the village area. After literally tugging villagers out of their homes to create an audience for our performance, we started. All four items were great successes. The smiles on the faces of the children and the curt nods between the adults said it all. Although it would have been far too optimistic to believe that we could make a huge difference in merely a day, I am sure that we did make a difference. We did ensure that the villagers realized what their problems were and also offered rudimentary, individualized solutions. With a smile on my own face, I realized that the entire effort resulted in success – we had, in some way or the other, managed to positively affect the villagers’ lives.

Conveyor Belt Essay Example

Conveyor Belt Essay Example Conveyor Belt Paper Conveyor Belt Paper Conveyor Belt Project Part 1 Project Description The new computer-controlled conveyor belt is an exciting project that moves and positions items on the conveyor belt within J millimeter. The project will produce a new system for future installations, and for replacement of those in the field, at a low cost. The computer-controlled conveyor belt has the potential to be a critical unit in 30 percent of the systems installed in factories. The new system is also easier to update with future technologies. The Project Priority Matrix for the Conveyor Belt Project (CBP) is: Constrain Enhance Accept Assignment Develop the WBS outline using the software available to you. TABLE A2. 6 Conveyor Belt Project; WBS Conveyor Belt Project Hardware Hardware specifications Hardware design Hardware documentation Prototypes Order circuit boards Assemble preproduction models Kernel specifications Drivers Disk drivers Serial I/O drivers Memory management Operating system documentation NetWork interface Utilities specifications Routine utilities Complex utilities Utilities documentation Shell Architectural decisions Integration first phase System hard/software test Project documentation Integration acceptance testing Question Does this information (WBS) allow you to define any milestones of the project? Why why not? What are they? Remember: Save your file for future exercises! or Use your file from Part I and the information provided below to complete this exercise. (See Table A2. 7. ) 1. Each work package will represent an activity. 2. The project begins January 4, 2010. 3. The following holidays are observed: January I, Memorial Day (last Monday in May), July 4th, Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November), December 25 and 26. 4. If a holiday falls on a Saturday then Friday will be given as an extra day off, and if it falls on a Sunday, then Monday will be given as a day off. 5. The project team work eight-hour days, Monday through Friday. Warning: Experience has taught students to frequently make separate backup files for each exercise. The software is never as friendly as users expect! Construct a network schedule for the conveyor belt project and prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: 1. When is the project estimated to be completed? How long will the project take? 2. What is the critical path(s) for the project? 3. Which activity has the greatest amount of slack? TABLE Al. 7 Activity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Conveyor Belt Project; Schedule Description Architectural decisions Hardware specifications Kernel specifications Utilities specifications Hardware design Disk drivers Memory management Operating system documentation Routine utilities Complex utilities Utilities documentation Hardware documentation Integration first phase Prototypes Serial I/O drivers System hard/software test Order circuit boards Network interface Shell Project documentation Assemble preproduction models Integrated acceptance testing Resource Design Development, design Design Development, design Design, development Assembly, development Development Design, documentation Development Development Documentation, design Documentation, design Assembly, development Assembly, development Development Assembly Purchasing Development Development Documentation, development Assembly, development Assembly, development Duration (days) 25 50 20 15 70 100 90 25 60 80 20 30 50 80 130 25 5 90 60 50 30 60 Preceding Activity 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 6,7,8,9,10,11,12 13 13 14,15 16 16 16 16 17F-S, lag 50 days 18,19,20,21 4. How sensitive is this network? 5. Identify two sensible milestones and explain your choices. 6. Compare the advantages/disadvantages of displaying the schedule as a network versus a Gantt chart. Include the following printouts: A Gantt chart. A network diagram highlighting the critical path. A schedule table reporting. ES, LS, EF, LF, and slack for each activity. Hint: the project should be completed in 530 days. Remember: Save your file for future exercises! Remember the old saying, A project plan is not a schedule until resources are committed. This exercise illustrates this subtle, but very important, difference. Part A Using your files from Part 2 input resources and their costs if you have not already done so. All information is found in Tables A2. 7 and A2. 8. Prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: 1. Which if any of the resources are overallocated? 2. Assume that the project is time constrained and try to resolve any overallocation problems by leveling within slack. What happens? 3. What is the impact of leveling within slack on the sensitivity of the network? Include a Gantt chart with the schedule table after leveling within slack. 4. Assume the project is resource constrained and resolve any overallocation problems by leveling outside of slack. What happens? What are the managerial implications? 5. What options are available at this point in time? Include a Gantt chart with the schedule table after leveling outside of slack. Note: No splitting of activities is allowed. Note: No partial assignments (i. e. , 50 percent). All resources must be assigned 100 percent. When you show the resource-constrained network to top management, they are visibly shaken. After some explanation and negotiation they make the following compromise with you: The project must be completed no later than February 2, 2012 (530 days). You may assign two additional development teams. TABLE A2. 8 Organization Name Design Development Documentation Assembly/test Purchasing Group RD (2 teamsl RD (2 teams) RD (1 team) RD (1 team) Procurement (1 team) Cost ($/hr) $100 Resources 70 60 70 40 If this does not suffice, you may hire other development t eams from the outside. Hire as few external teams as possible because they cost $50 more per hour than your inside development people. Internal Development Add as many development units (teams) as needed to stay within the 530 days. If you need more than the two units, examine all possibilities. Select the cheapest possibilities! Change as few activities as possible. It is recommended you keep work packages which require cooperation of several organizational units inside your company. You decide how best to do this. Hint: Undo leveling prior to adding new resources. Once you have obtained a schedule that meets the time and resource constraints, prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: I. What changes did you make and why? 2. How long will the project take? 3. How did these changes affect the sensitivity of the network? Based on the file created at the end of Part 3, prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: I. How much will the project cost? 2. What does the cash flow statement tell you about how costs are distributed over the lifespan of the project? Include a monthly cash flow and a cost table for the project. Once you are confident that you have the final schedule, save the file as a baseline. Hint: Save a backup file just in case without baseline! Prepare status reports for each of the first four quarters of the project given the information provided here. This requires saving your resource schedule as a baseline and inserting the appropriate status report date in the program. Assume that no work has been completed on the day of the status report. Your status report should include a table containing the pv, EV, AC, BAC, EAC, Sv, Cv, and CPI for each activity and the whole project. The report should also address the following questions: I. How is the project progressing in terms of cost and schedule? 2. What activities have gone well? What activities have not gone well? 3. What do the pcm and PCIC indicate in terms of how much of the project has been accomplished to date? 4. What is the forecasted cost at completion (EACf)? What is the predicted VACf? 5. Report and interpret the TCPI for the project at this point in time. 6. What is the estimated date of completion? 7. How well is the project doing in terms of its priorities? 562 Appendix 2 Computer Project Exercises TABLE Al. 9 April 1, 2010 Activity Hardware specifications Kernel specifications Disk drivers Memory management Gp. ystems documentation Utilities specifications Complex utilities Architectural decisions Start Date Finish Date Actual Duration Remaining Duration 2/9/10 2/8/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/8/10 3/30/10 1/4/10 3/12/10 3/29/10 2/5/10 37 25 13 13 13 16 2 25 8 0 87 77 7 0 85 0 Try to present the above information in a form worthy of consideration by top management. Include a Tracking Gantt chart with each report. First Quarter, April 1, 2010 Table A2. 9 summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished to date. Be sure to save your file after each quarterly report and use it to build the next report! Second Quarter, July 1, 2010 Table A2. 1 0 summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished report. since the last Table A2. 1 summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished report. since the last Fourth Quarter, January 1, 2011 Table A2. 12 summarizes the information regarding activities accomplished report. since the last TABLE A2. 10 July 1,2010 Activity Hardware specifications Hardware design Kernel specifications Disk drivers Memory management Gp. systems documentation Utilities specifications Routine utilities* Complex utilities Utilities documentation Architectural decisions Start Date Finish Date Actual Duration Remaining Duration 2/9/10 4/13/10 2/8/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/8/10 4/2 6/10 3/30/10 5/3/10 1/4/10 4/12/10 3/12/10 4/16/10 3/29/10 6/2/10 2/5/10 45 56 25 77 77 25 16 47 66 22 25 11 0 33 19 0 0 18 25 0 0 The project manager for the external development team that was hired to perform routine utilities reported that due to commitments to other clients they would be able to start on that activity 4/26/1 O. Appendix 2 Computer Project Exercises 563 ing TABLE A2. 11 October 1,2010 Activity Start Date Finish Date In Actual Duration Remaining Duration ~nt. Hardware specifications Hardware design Hardware documentation Kernel specifications Disk drivers Memory management Op. systems documentation Utilities specifications Routine utilities Complex utilities Utilities documentation Architectural decisions Integration 1st phase /9/10 4/13/10 7/19/10 2/8/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/8/10 4/26/10 3/30/10 5/3/10 1/4/10 8/25/10 4/12/10 7/16/10 8/24/10 3/12/10 8/17/10 7/30/10 4/16/10 3/29/10 7/27/10 8/11/10 6/2/10 2/5/10 45 67 27 25 110 98 25 16 65 95 22 25 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 rt! TABLE A2. 12 January 1, 2011 Activity Start Date Finish Date Actual Duration Remaining Duration ast 1St .st Hardware specifications Hardware design Hardware documentation Prototypes Kernel specifications Disk drivers Serial I/O drivers Memory management Op. systems documentation Utilities specifications Routine utilities Complex utilities Utilities documentation Architectural decisions Integration 1st phase /9/10 4/13/10 7/19/10 11/11/10 2/8/10 3/15/10 11/11/10 3/15/10 3/15/10 3/8/10 4/26/10 3/30/10 5/3/10 1/4/10 8/25/10 4/12/10 7/16/10 8/24/10 3/12/10 8/17/10 7/30/10 4/16/10 3/29/10 7/27/10 8/11/10 6/2/10 2/5/10 11/10/10 45 67 27 34 25 110 34 98 25 16 65 95 22 25 55 0 0 0 44 0 0 119 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 You have received quarter: revised estimates for the remaining activities at the end of the fourth Prototypes will be completed on 3/8/11. Serial I/O drivers will be completed on 6130/11. System hardware/software test will start on 7/1/11 and take 25 days. O rder circuit boards will start on 8/8/11 and take 5 days. Assemble preproduction model will begin on 10/14/11 and take 18 days. Project ocumentation is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will take 55 days. Network interface is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will take 99 days. Shell is expected to start on 8/8/11 and will take 55 days. Integrated acceptance testing is expected to start on 12/29/11 and will take 54 days. Prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: 1. What is the new EAC for the project? How long should the project take given these revised estimates? 2. How happy will top management be with these forecasts given the priorities of the project? 3. What recommendations would you make? Include a revised schedule, a Tracking Gantt chart, and cost table with your memo.

Ethics Final Notes Essay

Ethics Final Notes Essay Ethics Final Notes Essay Jeremy Bentham Classical Utilitarianism Humanity is governed by pain and pleasure. The principle of utility is that which approves/ disapproves of actions according to their augmentation or diminishment of happiness. Pain/pleasure are measured by their intensity, duration, certainty, frequency, fecundity (measure of pain/pleasure as juxt. to the first), and purity; only if the sum of these produces more pleasure than pain should the action be taken. John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism Refined Emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity in regards to pleasure. The only ones fit to judge if a particular pleasure is worth a particular pain are the experienced. William Ross Intuitionism Posits that we inherently know right from wrong, but this knowledge is not in every case self-evident. There are certain duties that we naturally assume and those are: fidelity, reparation, gratitude, justice, beneficence, self-improvement, and non-maleficence. Non-maleficence is more important than beneficence, and that fidelity, reparation, and gratitude are, in general, more important than beneficence as well. Immanuel Kant The Moral Law Ethics are absolute and its duties are categorical. Ethics are based on reason, not emotion. The Good life is a virtue, regardless if it requires sacrifice of pleasure or not. The only moral action to be taken is that which should become universal law. Garret Hardin The Tragedy of the Commons "The morality of an act is a function of the state of the system at the time it is performed." The optimum population is less than the maximum because the planet and its resources are limited. The tragedy of the commons is the depletion of shared resources i.e., water, land etc., by individuals each acting in their own immediate self-interest but contradictory to the collective long-term interest. Hardin comes to the conclusion that appealing to the conscience is largely ineffective and the only effective action is the recognition of the necessity to legislate temperance of breeding through a form of penalties delivered via taxation. Karl Marx Each person should contribute according to their ability and receive according to their need. "Communism abolishes...all religion and all morality, rather than constituting them on a new basis." Jesus Sermon on the Mount Do not judge, but love. Love your enemies as yourself. Be modestly pious for piety's sake; do not do it to be lauded by others. Do not worry, but trust in God and he will provide. Nietzsche Beyond Good and Evil The noble or

Your Professional Bio How to Decide What to Include

Your Professional Bio How to Decide What to Include By Barbra Sundquist, Guest Blogger How Ever Do You Choose? Probably the hardest part of writing a professional bio is deciding what to put in and what to leave out.   After all, a bio is supposed to be short.   But most of us have done lots of different things in our work careers. How do you decide what to focus on? Theres a simple answer: focus on whats going to be most relevant and impressive to your target reader. A Bio is Not a Resume. You dont have to list everything youve ever done. Just focus on the parts that are going to sell you to your reader. So How  Do  You   Sell Yourself  ?   Heres How I Did It: When I wrote my bio for  HowToWriteBio.com, I focused on my technical writing and business coaching background the information that shows I know what Im talking about when it comes to writing professional bios. Thats what you want to know about me in this context, right?   You dont really care that over the past 30 years I have also been a waitress, private eye, bank teller, piano teacher, landscaper, university instructor, management consultant and business coach (and yes, I have been all those things). I left out that history and focused on what would â€Å"sell† me to people thinking about purchasing one of my bio templates. This is what I came up with: Barbra Sundquist is an experienced technical writer and business coach with a gift for taking complex info and making it clear. Over the past 20 years, Barbra has interviewed over 2500 people in a wide range of jobs to create their job profiles. She brings this broad knowledge of different jobs to her work as a bio template writer. Stick to the Program! As you can see, I don’t mention all my previous jobs. I don’t even mention that I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in public administration. What I do include is the information that is relevant to my audience: 1) technical writer with 20 years experience (lets the reader know that I am an expert writer with many years of experience) 2) business coach (assures the reader that I understand business and what’s required for a good professional bio) 3) interviewer of  over 2500 people in a wide range of jobs (again, lets the reader know that I have lots of experience doing this exact thing) Targeted Advertising My bio is targeted toward people who are on my How To Write Bio website. They’re reading my bio because they’re deciding whether I sound like someone they would be willing to buy a bio template from. So I make sure to include only the information that answers that question. I don’t distract them with other information. A bio is a little advertisement for you.   Think about who will be reading your bio and what you want them to know about you.   Then advertise your best and most relevant features! About the author: Barbra Sundquist helps people communicate much more quickly and effectively on a broad range of subjects. Her most popular website is www.HowToWriteBio.com. Category:Bio WritingBy Brenda BernsteinAugust 16, 2009

Violations under American Disability Act Case Study

Violations under American Disability Act - Case Study Example The foregoing violations shall be discussed individually. First, the American Disability Act (ADA) â€Å"applies to disabilities that affect a major life activity, and those areas of coverage are vision, mental and motor skills, ability to care for one’s self and commute to employment†. In the case of Miss Clark, the fact that she is blind has been known to the company for a long time, as she holds the Vice-President position. Even though she is suffering from visual impairment, it did not prevent her from fulfilling her duties and responsibilities as the Vice-President of the company. However, due to her physical disability, the company refused to promote her to the position of Senior Vice-President because they think that she is not capable enough to carry-out the functions of an SVP. In spite of this physical defect, she has remained loyal to the company and worked for them in several years. Without a doubt, there is a clear violation of the law when the employer pre vented the career advancement of Miss Clark by denying her of the position of the Senior Vice-President. ... f the major life activities of such individual; Second: A record of such impairment, or being regarded as having such impairment; and Third: Accordingly, to fall within this definition, one must have an actual disability, have a record of disability or be regarded of having one. Verily, in the light of the justifications provided by law, Miss Clark has a valid cause of action against her employer as the above requisites have been complied with and she can file a claim against her employer. The employers must take judicial of the fact that both the state laws and the federal laws give protection to employees who have been victims of discrimination because of a disability, and entitles them to file claims for damages. This is pursuant to the principle of â€Å"disparate treatment enunciated in the case of Raytheon Vs. Hernandez (540 U.S. 44 (2003)  298 F.3d 1030), where the Supreme Court held that in addition that disparate impact claims are also available to workers based on facial ly neutral policies that impact qualified individuals with disabilities differently than workers without disabilities†. Another glaring violation committed by her employer is against the provisions of â€Å"The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA. The law was enacted to â€Å"protect the employees’ justified expectation of receiving the benefits their employers promise them, and ensures that employees will not be left empty-handed once employers have guaranteed them certain benefits upon retirement† (Bennet-Alexander and Hartman 742). Under ERISA, Miss Clark has a legal standing to sue her employer for illegally termination when she was forced to resign and accept diminished retirement benefit package being offered by the company, which she later on refused for violations

Pupil Z Individual Observation Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pupil Z Individual Observation Program - Essay Example I decided I should then carry out the two-week observation programme. For one week, I have observed Pupil Z accessing school activities and leisure time in the supportive sitting position, stimulated by his hands while exploring items on his tray. In the second week, I prioritized opportunities for Pupil Z to access school activities and leisure time by lying on his back (supine position) and exploring his surroundings with his feet. These activities were a precursor to other motor skills (hands exploration), seeking to establish the impact these activities may have on his alertness, motivation and daily learning. Settings Pupil Z’s two-week individual observation programme started when he entered the school and it stopped when he left (9.30-3.30) each session / activity. Each session lasted about 25 minutes. Pupil Z’s am/pm snacks (2 x 30 minutes) included a 5 minute break, lunch (60 minutes plus 5-minute break), and 5-minute breaks between the sessions / activities. T hese breaks were not included in the total number of minutes of observation per day (200 minutes) and 1000 minutes per week. Every morning, Pupil Z had one-to-one interactions with an adult (massage). He was observed participating in class greetings, one additional group activities (e.g. sensory story, foot spa, messy play, etc.), and a self-occupation time (sensory exploration). An interval of 5 minutes was often allowed between the 25 minutes activity / sessions in order to prevent broadness and ensure that adjustments were made to fit his energy level. Every afternoon started with a self-occupation time (Little Room), followed by a sensory exploration. Next came a group activity, and the session usually ended with the whole class saying goodbye to each other. An interval of 5 minutes was allowed between activity/session. I felt it was important to provide Pupil Z with various short, repetitive, and well-cued routines (e.g. simple speech, environmental sounds, smell, body signs, e tc.) in order to help him orientate in activity, to understand what is going on, as well as to build his confidence and participation. From my privies observations of Pupil Z, I have also implemented motivating stimuli and activities during the two-week observation programme in order to motivate him (Appendix, 4). I have used the school timetabling curriculum forms for key stage 2 (see Timetable 2 and 3) to present my findings. The observation gathered on the observation form, (timetabling curriculum forms) were filled in traffic lights; green, orange, red and blue (Table 2 and 3). This overall description of the alertness categories of Pupil Z was complemented in agreement with class staff, alongside example behaviour for each category where Pupil Z displayed most common behaviour during school days. Table 1 Descriptions of Pupil Z different alertness levels Alertness level Colour Description Behaviour Active, focused on the environment Green Engaged in sensory activities (e.g., li stening, touching, smelling, etc.). Focused on other individuals or on materials in the classroom. Eyes open, head movements, body activity, reaching toward / for object(s), smiles, laugh and made some other types of vocalisation. Inactive, withdrawn Orange Focused on himself or without any focus. Activities are not directed to the environment. Flat posture, head down or turn

National Training Framework and Vocational Education and Training Term Paper

National Training Framework and Vocational Education and Training Workplace - Term Paper Example Vocational teachers, for the most part--and certainly those who teach in trade, industrial, manufacturing and health occupations programs--did not (and do not today) have to follow the same teacher preparation or state certification rules as did other public school teachers. Throughout the 75-year history of federally supported vocational education, occupational teachers were employed primarily because they had years of extensive experience in a craft or profession--such as auto mechanic, cosmetologist, medical technician, carpenter, nurse, electrician or mason. When college degrees were deemed a minimal requirement for teachers in most states and in most subjects, vocational education was granted an exception. In effect, then, vocational and technical education always has had a nontraditional or alternative approach to preparing and certifying its teaching force. This is an approach that dates to 1917, promulgated by Charles Prosser, the first administrative director of the board, who believed that teachers trade experience would correlate with student outcomes. Today, some vocational-technical educators subscribe to that philosophy, while others lean more toward John Dewey, who promoted a more general education to prepare teachers to help students ready themselves for a lifetime of learning and change. A way of approaching (vocational) training that places primary emphasis on what a person can do as a result of training (the outcome), and as such represents a shift away from an emphasis on the process involved in training (the inputs). It is concerned with training to industry-specific standards rather than an individuals achievement relative to others in the group. (Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1992)Â  

Performance management in the royal virgin islands police force Research Paper

Performance management in the royal virgin islands police force - Research Paper Example Performance management is process to evaluate the performance of an existing system and compare it with the goals and objectives of the system. Performance management ensures that operational and strategic objectives and goals are facilitated. The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force’s strategic plan is prepared keeping in mind the vision and also the priorities of the entire force. The strategic plan is prepared to meet with the expectations of the 21st century. The research process will try to find the suitability of the existing appraisal system against the active strategic planning of the organisation. The project will look to create an appraisal system in line along with the strategic planning of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force. Strategic plan is a very essential tool for motivating the organisational staffs towards universal set of goals, which demonstrates clear direction and leadership; it will also help to demonstrate to the key external partners as well as the gen eral public that resources are wisely invested. The strategic plan also enables the strategic management team to follow the progress alongside the objectives and also recognise achievements. The planning process in RVIPF consists of various steps such as establishing vision, mission and also the values for the force. The SWOT analysis is conducted to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which would enable them to prepare the strategic objectives. Strategic plan is broken down to an annual business plan and also assigning timescale and ownership for each of the section. The action taken in the planning process is monitored after each month. The RVIPF have updated their mission, vision and values for reflecting a more engaging and proactive force related approach. The strategic priorities for the RVIPF are to improve trust and public confidence in the

Capital in the 21 Centurey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capital in the 21 Centurey - Essay Example Bonds were, in essence, one population’s claim over the rest who paid they’re taxes. However, to find out the wealth’s ownership has been much complex as it is today in a world characterized by what Piketty refers to as â€Å"financial intermediation†. The existing financial system with the banks makes it complex to realize the ownership of wealth which is deposited by the common man and invested by the bank. Businesses then operated in similar ways as the present times with entrepreneurs founding startups and then offering stock options, earning capital gains, and investing some of it back into the business. The bottom line is that capital was an essential part of the society, beyond narrative stories, some of which operated as dynamic assets. By comparing the early businessman with the present system, the author has drawn many parallels in both the systems of capital and investment. With this Piketty (83) points out the risky nature of capital that has always been so at least in its early stages when it is also entrepreneurial in nature. The modern perception has it that capital has become more dynamic ever since the eighteenth century. The recorded literature from Britain and France provide the most information. It is observed that the capital-income ratio has remained stable between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for both Britain and France following a similar trend. This was followed by a sudden surge in the twentieth century which then returned to similar levels during the World War I (Picketty, 86). Hence, national capital which is the sum of private and public capital was defined as the sum of farmland, housing, other domestic capital, and net foreign capital (Piketty, 87). Foreign capital was extensively shaped by regional colonial powers and the variable played an important role in determining national capital. The most prominent changes have been the replacement of farmland while total capital

New product development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

New product development - Essay Example They have to compete against the other giants like Nestle, Hershey’s, etc. They made the new product’s launch by increasing the promotion strategies worldwide and made a huge impression by initiating in the name of 2012 London Olympics. The product was developed after several researches. To reach the targeted customers, the group has strained on the global marketing of ‘Challenge bar’. The product development was continued initially by studying the market divisions and the current financial situations. The company was looking to other global market also. The analysis of the environment and reflection of circumstantial features of the new product is crucial in the new product development process. They should be aware of the customer’s choice while the product development. If the customers like to buy healthy refreshments than the chocolates, then there will be deprived product expansion which will slow down the returns of the Cadbury. Product development is a method of increasing the marketplace. The Cadbury stays on the product development by watching the transforming lifestyle of customer, their outlooks, and customer’s buying behavior, their flavors and fondness. Cadbury always likes to maintain a novel approach to a variety and to excite curiosity in a particular product to attract the new clients and keeping the faithful customers. The proficiency and understanding required consists of novelty, inspiration, knowledge in food science and machinery familiarity, methodical and logical skills and a good understanding of the marketplace and business. The new product development is mainly relied on the better squad effort. It takes several ideas to make a thriving product. The accomplishment of the item development at Cadbury relies on good designing comprehension by collecting data about the openings in the market. The ideas for the new products can be got from the basic research. They will study

Capital in the 21 Centurey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capital in the 21 Centurey - Essay Example Bonds were, in essence, one population’s claim over the rest who paid they’re taxes. However, to find out the wealth’s ownership has been much complex as it is today in a world characterized by what Piketty refers to as â€Å"financial intermediation†. The existing financial system with the banks makes it complex to realize the ownership of wealth which is deposited by the common man and invested by the bank. Businesses then operated in similar ways as the present times with entrepreneurs founding startups and then offering stock options, earning capital gains, and investing some of it back into the business. The bottom line is that capital was an essential part of the society, beyond narrative stories, some of which operated as dynamic assets. By comparing the early businessman with the present system, the author has drawn many parallels in both the systems of capital and investment. With this Piketty (83) points out the risky nature of capital that has always been so at least in its early stages when it is also entrepreneurial in nature. The modern perception has it that capital has become more dynamic ever since the eighteenth century. The recorded literature from Britain and France provide the most information. It is observed that the capital-income ratio has remained stable between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for both Britain and France following a similar trend. This was followed by a sudden surge in the twentieth century which then returned to similar levels during the World War I (Picketty, 86). Hence, national capital which is the sum of private and public capital was defined as the sum of farmland, housing, other domestic capital, and net foreign capital (Piketty, 87). Foreign capital was extensively shaped by regional colonial powers and the variable played an important role in determining national capital. The most prominent changes have been the replacement of farmland while total capital

Post World War I jewry in america Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Post World War I jewry in america - Essay Example Rarely did the attacks turn violent although there were few recorded cases. Such include 1902 attack of Irish workers and police on the funeral procession of Rabbi Jacob Joseph in New York City, the lynching of Leo Frank in 1915, the murder of Alan Berg in 1984, and the Crown Heights riots of 1991. Anti-Jewish waned off following the Second World War and the rise of the American Civil Right Movement. Claims by The Black Nation of Islam that Jews were responsible for black labor exploitation, introduction of drugs and alcohol and unfair denomination into the community was conclusively done away with following a survey done in 1964 by the Anti-Defamation League. The survey revealed attitudes on anti-Semitism with the majority percentage of 29 Hispanic being most Anti-Semitic trailed by 36% for blacks and 9% for whites. The Jewish population has remained strong politically, mostly liberal with the democratic pattern continuing heavily into the 21st century. The vast majority of Jews, since 1936, have been recorded to have been Democrats. This saw to the 74% of the Jewish populous voting for John Kerry, a Catholic of partial Jewish descent in the year 2004. Again in the year 2006 87% voted for Democratic candidates for the House (Mendes-Flohr and Judah, 62). Jews were fast becoming prominent in Congress and state governments through the country in the year 1990 and significantly proved to be ardent supporters of the American Civil Rights Movement. American Jews have since prospered throughout the early 21st century with them being disproportionately represented in academia, business, and politics. Going by Forbes, Forty-five percent of the top 40 of the 400 richest Americans are Jewish. Twenty percent of professors in leading universities being Jews, Forty percent of partners in the leading law firms in New York and Washington, Thirty percent of American Nobel prize winners in science and 37 percent of all American Nobel winners are

Internal External Strategies Essay Example for Free

Internal External Strategies Essay Tradeoffs between an internal and external growth strategy goes together in an organization. The internal organization which focuses on the internal growth of the firm look upon the comforts for the internal people and the facilities are provided internally for the employees. The employees are boosted up and they are encouraged from giving them bonus, over time etc. the internal growth of an organization helps it to groom itself completely but this sets a backward area. The internal growth comprises on the employees moral, the expansion of the organization, more opportunities are overwhelmed for the employees and they are trained in such a manner that they become sharp and confident and boast them in an orderly manner. As a result only the internal growth is focused and the external has to go through a tough time as the only focus becomes the internal growth and the cost is ignored. The production cost gets higher and the demand is affected which leads to a decrease in the sale of goods in the market (Clare Stutely, 1995). On the other hand when the external growth is focused the budget and the cost are kept in view and the people are mainly focused on the output in the market. Cost cutting is observed and this even leads to the suspension of employees from their job. The cost of the product is kept in view and then decisions are taken to avoid any kind of disturbance in the demand of the product. This creates misconception among the employees and the owners and a huge gap is created among relations. Employees are not focused and not considered for increment. These are the tradeoffs between external and internal growth strategy (Triant, 2006). In international strategy external growth is focused as it is more profitable for them. In international trade only the cost and the demand is focused. Profit is only the motive of the international traders and therefore external trade strategy is the best approach.

Analysis of Edgar Allan Poes The Black Cat :: Poe The Black Cat Essays

Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat      Edgar Allan Poe wrote that the single effect was the most important aspect of a short story, which everything must contribute to this effect. Poe’s gothic tale â€Å"The Black Cat† was written trying to achieve an effect of shocking insanity. In this first person narrative the narrator tells of his decline from sanity to madness, all because of an obsession with two (or possibly one) black cats. These ebony creatures finally drive him to take the life his wife, whose death he unsuccessfully tries to conceal.   This short story easily achieved the effect that Poe was looking for through the use of description of setting, symbolism, plot development, diverse word choice, and detailed character development. In most cases, the setting is usually indelible to a story, but â€Å"The Black Cat† relies little on this element. This tale could have occurred anywhere and can be placed in any era. This makes the setting the weakest element of â€Å"The Black Cat.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Next, symbolism is always an integral part of any Poe story. The most obvious of symbolic references in this story is the cat’s name, Pluto. This is the Roman god of the underworld. Pluto contributes to a strong sense of hell and may even symbolize the devil himself. Another immensely symbolic part of â€Å"The Black Cat† is the title itself, since onyx cats have long connoted bad luck and misfortune. The most amazing thing about the symbolism in this story or in any other of Poe’s is that there are probably many symbols that only Poe himself ever knew were in his writings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, Poe’s plot development added much of the effect of shocking insanity to â€Å"The Black Cat.† To dream up such an intricate plot of perverseness, alcoholism, murders, fire, revival, and punishment is quite amazing. This story has almost any plot element you can imagine a horror story containing. Who could have guessed, at the beginning of the story, that narrator had killed his wife? The course of events in â€Å"The Black Cat’s† plot is shockingly insane by itself! Moreover, the words in â€Å"The Black Cat† were precisely chosen to contribute to Poe’s effect of shocking insanity. As the narrator pens these he creates a splendidly morbid picture of the plot. Perfectly selected, sometimes rare, and often dark, his words create just the atmosphere that he desired in the story.

Fed Ex vs UPS Case Analysis Essay example -- essays research papers

Executive Summery The parcel service industry is made up of four main competitors. These competitors are UPS, FedEx, Airborne Express, and the U.S. Postal Service. Since 2000, American consumers have spent more than $50 billion to ship parcels, packages, and overnight letters. New parcel distribution patterns developed due to the way U.S. manufacturing companies are operating. The Internet has expanded the reach of direct marketing, particularly with retail transactions requiring home delivery. Globalization has also created the need for parcel carriers to expand worldwide. UPS and FedEx are the leading parcel carriers in the U.S. FedEx has significantly expanded their capability to compete with UPS’s dominant ground delivery service. UPS has continued its strong marketing efforts in overnight and deferred air services. Both of these carriers have introduced information systems, which include user-friendly Internet interfaces. The carriers have also expanded logistical services and improved integration with customer supply chains. State of the Environment State of the General Environment More and more people are using computers and the Internet. Dual income families have increased spending; therefore more people are ordering products over the internet at a high rate. The Internet offers customers a one stop source for global shipping. Due to this, there has been an increase in using information technology and the Internet for businesses. This has created an increase in trade and investment along with global shipping logistics and supply chain solutions. With the increase in globalization, companies have had to adapt to the diverse work force and the culture of the countries in which they are conducting business. The parcel service industry is controlled by strict regulations and federal law. For example, September 11 brought stricter laws and regulations in the parcel service industry. Operations must maintain federal approval to operate in the United States. State of the Industry Environment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The parcel service industry is dominated by four carriers that make up 95 percent of the industries domestic revenue. Over the years, the industry has had an increase growth rate over time and an increased role in the economy. This is due to the way manufacturing companies are now operating. With the growth of the parcel service ... ...hich means that a business can get paid quicker, lower its capital requirements, minimize management headaches, manage change and gain competitive advantage. UPS focus is to help their customers consistently achieve these results. The core of UPS is the distribution of goods and the information that accompanies them. UPS has branched out to focus on services. The company’s expertise in shipping and tracking positioned it to become an enabler of global commerce and also a facilitator of commerce, which includes goods, information, and capital. To fulfill the vision of offering new services, UPS strategically acquired existing companies and created new kinds of companies that did not previously exist. Through these acquisitions and creations, UPS serves its customers by providing unique supply-chain solutions. UPS allowed its customers to better serve their own customers, and focus on core competencies. UPS has a Logistics Group to provide global supply chain management solutions and consulting services based on customers ´ individual needs. UPS has a mission to provide a list of options of integrated financial products and services that enable companies to grow their business.

Shark Attacks

On 11 July, 1916 Rensselaer Cartan Jr. saw a looming dark figure and noticed a large fin protruding from the water. A shark, the newest fear of many after the several attacks that occurred just days before. Yet he was 17 miles inland, he knew what he saw and set out to warn the town of the â€Å"sea monster† looming in the creek. â€Å"No way† were the thoughts of many as they heard Caratan Jr. tell his tale, and they continued on with their normal lives, despite his desperate cries of fear and warning. The attacks of Lester Stilwell and Stanley Fisher show that the technology of this era was very un-advanced, this was also the first recorded shark attack in fresh water, and the amount of time it took for a doctor to reach the place of the attack was lengthy and costly. The technology in this era was very weak in comparison to today’s modern medicine and was not efficient in life if death situations. In this time there was no ambulances and the way to be rushed to the hospital was by train and by automobile. If theses attacks had occurred in modern times, the death of Fisher may have been stopped. The death of Stilwell was definite, due to the fact that the shark mangled Stilwell’s body beneath the water, where he drowned. He also would have died from sheer amounts of blood loss and the fact that no one would have reached the eleven year old boy on time. Though modern technology has changed the amount of help that doctors can provide patients the patient, must be first saved from the cause of death. In this case the shark did not let young Stilwell have the opportunity of medical treatment that he so desperately needed. These attacks were a shock to the world because they occurred in a creek seventeen miles inland. Bull sharks have been found in various fresh water sources, sometimes far upriver or upstream in some cases, their high tolerance for fresh water nearly unique among shark species. (Davidson) The bull shark is a shark that is known to be found in modern times to swim into the mouths of rivers to find better prey. This was unknown to the people of 1916 as was many facts of the entire species of sharks. Nobody thought a shark would travel so far inland and in a creek no larger than 45 feet across. (capuzzo 89) The shark had been allowed to travel so far up due to the fact the the tide was at its highest point due to the lunar cycle. (capuzzo 91) The shark was easily able to maneuver and find its prey in the murky water. The amount of time that it took for a doctor to reach the scene, where Stilwell and Fisher were attacked was far too long. According to Julius Kish, no doctor lived or worked in the town of Matawan in 1916. This may have contributed to the fact that Fisher died and did not receive medical attention right away as was needed. The only immediate he received was that of his friends, who were in shock. His friends made a makeshift tourniquet using rope to stop the excessive blood flow. (Capuzzo 101) This was not enough to save the mans life, he needed immediate medical attention. Stanley fisher slowly began to die as he waited for the doctors to arrive to treat his wound, a large chunk of flesh missing from his pelvis. Fisher’s wounds were dire, yet he willed to live. â€Å"That afternoon in 1916, however, the treatment Stanley Fisher required was two hours and thirty-nine minutes away. † (Capuzzo 101) At this time hospitals lay far apart and the travel to a hospital may be too far and by the time patients reach the hospital, death has already set in. When Fisher pulled his body out of the water he lied there in a pool of his own blood. (capuzzo 100) As the blood would continue to flow he was at risk for blood loss and also diseases of having an uncared for open gash. With such a limited supply of medical attention in this era caused casualties that would be routine in todays modern age. The attacks of 1916 started an epidemic of natural fear against man eating sharks. Lester Stilwell’s body took two days to resurface. In those two days rumors flowed through America on what had happened to the boy. The curiosity on what caused this â€Å"rouge† shark to go on such vicious attacks initiated people to begin researching these mysterious predators. presently we now no much more about sharks and continue to research to better understand how these suspicious animals tick.

Analysis of Oxygen Bearing Compunds

Analysis of Oxygen bearing Organic compounds Abstract The Unknown sample in the experiment can be tested to yield results such as 1 ° (primary), 2 ° (secondary), 3 ° (tertiary) alcohols. Tests such as the dichromate test, Tollen’s test, Lucas test, DNPH test and iodoform test would be very useful in determining the type of alcohol that the unknown sample belongs to. In the experiment, the unknown sample underwent series of testing to identify what property of alcohol it belonged to and the result was that it was a primary alcohol. It went through the Dichromate reaction, Tollen’s reaction and finally the Lucas reaction. Introduction â€Å"The analysis of oxygen bearing organic compounds† is an experiment in which a variety of tests are available to identify a compound’s property whether it is a primary, secondary or tertiary alcohol. The tests that are included to come up with such results are interconnected with one another like that of the Dichromate test, followed by the Tollen’s test to yield an aldehyde if positive for mirror coating. The second set of procedure would again start with The Dichromate test, followed by the Tollen’s test and finally the Lucas test to yield either primary alcohol if it became turbid or secondary alcohols as it’s result if it did not turn turbid. The last set of interconnected tests were that of again, the Dichromate test, Followed by the DNPH that would determine if the unknown sample is a Ketone (positive for red-orange precipitate) or a tertiary alcohol (if negative for red-orange precipitate). But before going deeper on what these tests are, what first are the difference between their results which are the primary, secondary and the tertiary alcohols, aldehydes and ketones? Alcohols are compounds in which one or more hydrogen atoms in an alkane have been replaced by an -OH group. Note however that there are different kinds of alcohols and Alcohols are categorized into different classes depending on how the -OH group is positioned and arranged on the chain of the carbon atoms. Chemical differences between the various types are possible. First to be discussed would be the Primary (1 °) alcohol, in which the carbon carrying the -OH group is only attached to one alkyl group. Meanwhile, In a secondary (2 °) alcohol, the carbon with the -OH group attached is joined precisely to two alkyl groups, these alkyl groups that are attached to the carbon chain may be the same or different. In a tertiary (3 °) alcohol, the carbon atom holding the -OH group is attached directly to three alkyl groups, which may be any combination of same or different [1]. On the other hand, another result that can occur would be the presence of ketones and Aldehydes. But again, to understand the experiment further, what are Ketones and aldehydes? A ketone can be characterized as either the functional group categorized by a carbonyl group (O=C) attached to two other carbon atoms or it can be identified as a chemical compound that contains a carbonyl group. A carbonyl carbon bonded to two carbon atoms makes ketones different from carboxylic acids, aldehydes, esters, amides, and other oxygen-containing compounds. The double-bond of the carbonyl group distinguishes ketones from alcohols and ethers. The simplest ketone known is acetone [2]. Lastly among the results is the aldehyde. The term aldehyde seems to have arisen from the wordds alcohol dehydrogenated. Way back in earlier times, aldehydes were at times named after the corresponding alcohols, for example, vinous aldehyde for acetaldehyde. (Vinous is from Latin vinum = wine, the traditional source of ethanol; compare vinyl. ). An aldehyde is an example of an organic compound which has a terminal carbonyl group. This functional group, which consists of a carbon atom bonded to a hydrogen atom and double-bonded to an oxygen atom (chemical formula O=CH-), is commonly called the aldehyde group. The other names for aldehyde group are formyl and methanoyl group. The aldehyde group is considered polar. Oxygen, which is more electronegative than carbon, pulls the electrons in the carbon-oxygen bond in the direction of itself, creating an electron deficiency at the carbon atom. Owing to resonance stabilization of the conjugate base, an ? -hydrogen in an aldehyde is more acidic than a hydrogen atom in an alkane, with a typical pKa of 17 [3]. Results and discussions The experiment included parallel testing of 3 liquids that would be used for comparison. the first sample would be the unknown sample, the second would be the positive standard in which formaldehyde was used and the last wold be the negative sample in which the simplest ketone, Acetone was used. Only three test were used to determine whether the group’s unknown sample was under the category of primary, secondary, tertiary alcohol, aldehydes or ketones. The three tests were done one after the other in this order: Dichromate test, Tollen’s test, and Lucas test respectively. In the Dichromate test, the unknown sample and the formaldehyde turned green meaning that dichromate oxidized the primary alcohol, secondary alcohol, and aldehydes to ketones or carboxylic acids. Samples turning green would be an indicator that the samples are positive for oxidation and therefore are oxidizable. On the other hand, the acetone remained orange which means that it is not oxidizable and can be further continued to another test, the DPNH test which would prove that it is categorized as a ketone because of the presence of a red-orange precipitate that indicates that the DPNH reagent condenses with the carbonyl containing molecules. The second test that followed the Dichromate test was the Tollen’s test. In this test, the unknown sample turned clear gray and the formaldehyde turned into a dark grey liquid with silver streaks. The silver streaks are similar with the silver mirror coat that means that the Tollen’s reagent oxidized the ammonium salts of the carboxylic acids with this, the formaldehyde was categorized as an aldehyde. Alternatively, The clear grey liquid of the unknown sample would indicate that it was not positive for the Tollen’s test and therefore it would need to continue to be tested so as to decipher if it is a primary or secondary alcohol. The last test would be the Lucas test in which the unknown sample did not turn turbid and therefore it was concluded to be a primary alcohol. Together with the unknown sample that did not turn turbid was isopropyl and MeOH which just remained as clear liquids. then again, the sample liquid that turned turbid was the tertbutyl. By this reaction, it is said that alcohols are converted to alkyl chlorides with ZnCl2 taking into consideration too that different alcohol types respond at different rates with ZnCl2. Table 1. Chemical Test |Unknown sample |Standard (+) |Standard(-) | |Dichromate |*unknown sample turned green |*formaldehyde turned green meaning |*Acetone remained orange meaning it| | |meaning it it oxidizable |it is oxidizable |is not oxidizable | |Tollen’s |*unknown sample turned clear gray |*formaldehyde turned dark gray with|*acetone turned very light grey | | | |silver streaks. then turned clear. | |Lucas |*unknown sample did not turn turbid|*Tertbutyl-turned turbid fast |*Acetone- Clear; already not | | | |*Isopropyl-clear |applicable since it is a ketone. | | | |*MeOH-clear | | Experimentation A. An unknown sample was given and it should be parallel tested with two other standards- one would be positive and one would be negative. B. The Dichromate test started the experiment. 8 drops of the unknown sample as well as the the two other standard- formaldehyde and Acetone was placed in separate test tubes addind 2 drops of of 10% K2Cr2O7 and 5 drops of 6M H2SO4. C. The Tollen’s test followed. 2 ml of freshly made Tollen’s reagent and 5 droops of the unknown sample were mixed. After 5 minutes and the silver precipitate did not form yet, it was placed in a 70 degree water bath for another 5 minutes. Then the results were observed. D. The last test was the Lucas test in which the iunknown sample, tertbutyl, isopropyl and MeOH was tested all at the same time. 5 drops of the sample was and 15 drops of concentrated HCl was mixed together with a â€Å"corn grain† amount of ZnCl2 solid and the appearance of turbidity was observed or not. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the unknown sample that was given to be tested was an oxidizable, primary alcohol based on the tests that were conducted. Since it was positive for the dichromate test, it was deemed to be oxidizable. In the Tolle’s test, as it did not produce a mirror coat, it was directed to the choice of being a primary or a secondary alcohol. And for the last test, the Lucas test, it was finally concluded that it was a primary alcohol since it did not turn turbid. References: Books: †¢ Timberlake, Karen C. , â€Å"General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry Structures of Life,Platinum Edition†, Pearson Education, Inc. , 2004 †¢ Bettelheim, F. A. , [et al. ], â€Å"Introduction to organic and biochemistry. 6th ed. †? Belmont, CA : Brooks/Cole, c2007 †¢ Wade, L. G. , . â€Å"Organic chemistry 6th ed. †. Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Pearson Prentice Hall, c2006. Additional On-line sources: †¢ [1] Clarks, j. (2003). Alcohol oxidation. Retrieved September 8 2008 from http://www. chemguide. co. uk/organicprops/alcohols/oxidation. html †¢ [2] N. A, (24 August 2008). Ketones. Wikipedia ®. Retrieved September 8 2008 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ketones †¢ †¢ [3] N. A, (31 August 2008). Aldehydes. Wikipedia ®. Retrieved September 8 2008 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Aldehydes

Coping up with loss Essay

However easy it might sound to cope up with a loss, only the person undergoing the mental trauma can feel the pain; – Affects personal, social and mental stability; – When you love someone or something that is very precious to you, the grief is intense; – It can be quite unsettling and frightening to cope up with a loss or a crisis or a life-changing event; – Talking to a very close friend or a spouse might help to a great deal; – Counseling and healthy advice on coping with a mishap might help; – Isolation is never a solution to heal grief. Face the loss; – Let your pain come out in all the possible forms; – Distract yourself with things you like to do and people you like to talk to; – Allow time to heal. Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any loss can cause grief, including: †¢Divorce or relationship breakup †¢Loss of health †¢Losing a job †¢Loss of financial stability †¢A miscarriage †¢Retirement†¢Death of a pet †¢Loss of a cherished dream †¢A loved one’s serious illness †¢Loss of a friendship †¢Loss of safety after a trauma †¢Selling the family home The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief. However, even subtle losses can lead to grief. For example, you might experience grief after moving away from home, graduating from college, changing jobs, selling your family home, or retiring from a career you loved.

Assignment on Current Information Technology Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

On Current Information Technology - Assignment Example This essay seeks to examine the use of research and development program in enhancing the operations of the firm in line with the firm’s strategy (Jacques & Fabrizio, 2014). As a point of departure, management of technology consists of management of research, products and development of processes. In essence, research development aims at expanding the company’s grasp of science and engineering skills and its relevant applications. Effective technological management needs integration of the process development and manufacturing engineering (Jacques & Fabrizio, 2014). This aspect of integration is common in the Japanese industries and it is immensely attributed to high-level manufacturability, with cost and quality effectiveness. Managing an R&D program in an efficient manner, a company must have a coherent product and market strategy. It is realizable that, the level of strategic attentiveness in one or more product- market. For instance, the strategic focus of the R&D program in managing the technological processes of the firm is to increased improvements in value, performance, quality and cost (Jacques & Fabrizio, 2014). This brings the difference between manual or physical firms’ strategy sustenance and the technologically sustained. The technologically based strategy management contributes immensely to the achieving of the firm’s objectives and helping in sustaining the market share and profit margins and this leads to high cash flows thus creating a competitive edge in the market niche. On the same note, the R&D program plays a fundamental role in replacing an existing product with a new one in the market. The role entails immense depths of improving functionality and lowering cost. In comparison with the manual replacement and managing of a replacement process, the technologically based management system oversees a smooth transition and ensures that, the rest of processes in the firm are not disrupted (Mario, Margherita &Massimo, 2013).

Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diversity - Essay Example Companies now realize that in order to create a productive environment such differences need to be harnessed in such a manner that everybody feels valued with their talents fully utilized for meeting the organizational goals. This study is an effort to look into such diversities in general. With the female gender rubbing shoulders with their male counterparts in almost all professions, the diversity on account of gender in particular is the one most talked about now a days. An effort would also be made in this study to analyze some cases in which women have been leading an organization. In order to manage an organization, there are a number of key stakeholders like customers, government, environment, human resources etc. Managing other operations and activities become far more convenient if a company is able to manage its human resources effectively. Having a pool of talented and motivated workforce certainly helps the matters. Terry & Franklin (1994) defines management as 'a distinct process consisting of activities of planning, organizing, actuating and controlling performed to determine and accomplish stated objectives with the use of human beings and other resources'. The older schools of thought considered the male workforce fit enough for all types of functions involving varying degrees of stress and strain, the female counterparts was considered delicate to the extent that they were not considered fit enough for such jobs. But times are changing and there are examples which prove beyond doubt that women employees are equally competent to handle any kind of s ituation. The society too has in general accepted this fact, which becomes all the more clear when we find out that there a number of companies where women have been assigned or designated on top posts. Indra Nooyi Indra K. Nooyi, the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, world's largest convenient food and beverage companies, is a leading example of how the women power has made its mark in managing the corporate affairs. Coming from a humble background in India, Mrs. Nooyi has traveled a long distance prior to becoming the top decision maker in Pepsi in 2006. She has served on the board of Pepsi since 2001, when she was named as the President and Chief Financial Officer1. Prior to her career with Pepsi, Ms. Nooyi has also served in Motorola as Vice President and Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning besides serving is some other renowned companies. This goes on to show that she has worked really hard to make it to the top post and she did not get the job out of sympathy or partial considerations. Acknowledging her business acumen leading bodies like Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the International Rescue Committee and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City have nominated her o n their board of directors. A recent study by Forbes, places her on the top of the 13 highest paid female CEOs in America (Kirdahy, 2008). Though, her total compensation is stated to be just about one-fourteenth of the highest-paid male counterpart, yet the process can be stated to have become in right earnest. It is worthwhile here to mention that she comes from a conservative family in India, and yet she has been able to to lead a company without the conservatism coming in the way goes on to prove

Challenges and Choices of HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Challenges and Choices of HR - Essay Example Following this, the report will entail a discussion of the importance of Job design in an organization and the main challenges that are faced by the human resources managers in this regard. Job Design plays a very important role in every job. This mainly deals with making work arrangements to ensure that the job dissatisfaction is reduced to the maximum extent. The main aim of a job design is to reduce the dissatisfaction due to repetitive and mechanistic tasks. Organizations use this to raise productivity levels among the employees. This is mainly achieved by offering nonmonetary rewards like better and higher levels of satisfaction that employees can achieve (Pearson, 2008). Other techniques like enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation and job simplification also form a part of the job design process. Having understood the main aims of job design, let us now focus on the objective of job design. It is clear that there are a number of design options that are available for any job. Thus it is important to understand what the main objectives are for any job design. Firstly, quality plays a very important role and is one of the most important aspects to be considered while designing a job. Quality refers to the ability of the staff to produce high-quality products and services and this can be affected majorly by the job design. This also includes avoiding of errors in short-term and also includes the designing of jobs which help encourage staff to improve the job and processes and also make lesser errors. Secondly, speed also plays an essential role in job design. The speed of response is the dominant objective of job design. It is essential that jobs consider this aspect as well. For instance, in jobs like emergency services, speed plays a very important role.  

Strategy and Management of Change Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategy and Management of Change - Case Study Example The company was inspired mainly by the international brand McDonalds. Preempting the entry of McDonalds in the Philippines, our organization reinvented and differentiated itself by concentrating on Filipino way of doing the business. What pushed our organization during its earlier period are its internal strengths. Stores were structured to suit the ambiance fitted to customers, services were transformed into a full service fast food operations and equipments were updated to enhance effectivity and efficiency. Jollibee was able to enter the ranks lists of top 500 Philippine corporations in 1984 by reaching the P500 million sales mark. Barely 10 years in the business, our organization joined the ranks of the top 100 Philippine corporations. It made a record when it became the first Philippine fast food chain to break the P1 billion sales mark in 1989. In addition, it became the first Philippine food service company to be listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange in 1993. This was the strategy that helped our organization broaden its capitalization and lay the groundwork for sustained expansion of business operations both domestically and internationally (www.jollibee.com.ph). Pursuant to its long-term goal to dominate the local food service industry, our organization has expanded its market coverage. It acquired Greenwich Pizza in 1994, which by then has established a strong presence in the food service industry, to penetrate the pasta segment. The franchise of Delifrance was acquired in the succeeding year and paved the way for further penetration in the food segment particularly French caf-bakery which is a growing segment in the Philippine food market. With the strategic acquisition of Chowking, our organization has solidified its position as the dominant leader and made it a leader in the Oriental quick service restaurant segment. As a result of its success domestically, the extent of its business operations have grown exponentially. It now even owns a Chinese fast food chain operating in mainland China and a popular teahouse chain doing business in Taiwan. Jollibee is now an international brand with phenomenal expansion of business operations. From an ice cream parlor a few years back, it was able to put up over 570 stores in the Philippines and 27 international stores in countries like the United States and Hong Kong. The company had been earning laurels from the corporate world for many years now. In 2001, The Far Eastern Economic Review named it the top corporation in the Philippines and the sixth leading corporation in Asia. Jollibee had also won recognition for its contribution to the economy of the Philippines and the success of its strategies by the Asian Business Review, leading management consultants Hewitt Associates, and many Filipino corporate bodies. Jollibee had the distinction of being one of the very few companies that had been able to give multinational fast-food giants such as McDonald's and Burger King a run for their money. While Jollibee had a market share of over 60%, its closest rival, McDonald's had less than half of that. CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE Competition is a great factor for the survival in any kind of business endeavor (Robbins and Coulter, 2002). To be able to stay on top and gain advantage over myriad companies within the same industry, the organization

China and America Educational System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

China and America Educational System - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the college application in America considers the student’s own future career expectations unlike in China’s system were the college selection process is entirely determined by standardized tests that are administered annually. The pressure to pass these tests creates a burden since prospective college students will have to spend long hours while doing their revisions in order to ensure preparedness. Most higher education institutions in America have their own admission criteria and requirements depending on the preferred study program and thus comprehensive abilities and attributes of the prospective student are important in the selection criteria.As the paper highlights that  China and America education system differ from the way the curriculum is taught since American system values personal expression in the teaching strategies unlike Chinese system that values teacher lecturing. The American classrooms are based on discussion of materials and posing questions to students thus ensuring students actively participate in learning unlike China’s curriculum delivery methods that mainly involve lecturing and minimal participation of students during the learning process. The difference is evident in the differing attitudes of students while in classroom since American students are more likely to engage in group discussions that may sometimes be boisterous unlike Chinese classrooms where students remain more attentive to the teacher unlike they are called upon by the teacher to answer to questions while learning.

Vision and Values Essay Example for Free

Vision and Values Essay In their 2009 article, Darling and Heller contend that â€Å"The Key to the successful management leadership of organizational development in today’s era of dynamic changes is thereby embedded in the leader’s thoughts and feelings. I concur that a leader’s thoughts and feelings are paramount in determining the leader’s success and therefore the success of the organization. (Heller, 2009) In the Harvard Business Review article â€Å"Leadership That Get Results,† Daniel Goldman cites research which shows that up to 30% of a company’s financial results are determined by the climate of the organization. The major factor that drives the climate of the organization is the leader. Goldman also states that roughly 50-70% of how employees perceive their organization’s climate is attributable to the actions and behaviors of their leader. (Martinuzzi, 2013) A leader creates the environment that determines people’s moods at the office and their mood in turn, affects their productivity and level of engagement. People take their cues from the leader’s state of mind. For example, as a leader, one has to be particularly mindful to how to manage emotions if your organization is undergoing change. How a leader handle emotions during these crucial times can help or hinder the change process. It is a known fact that if the resistance to change is emotional, it is the hardest form of resistance to overcome. As the leader handling a change initiative, do not avoid the emotions that accompany the change process. The leader is the one who sets the mood and manage the emotions. A leader’s upbeat mood metaphorically oxygenates the blood of the followers. It may be one of the most potent contributions you can make as a leader. (Martinuzzi, 2013) I do not believe that Darling and Heller have identified a new approach to management in turbulent times because top producing leaders have been using this method for decades. References Heller, J. D. (2009). Organization development in an era of socioeconomic change: A focus on the key to successful management leadership. Organization Development Journal, 27(2), 9-26. (ProQuest Document ID 1737653851). Martinuzzi, B. (2013). A Leaders Mood: The Dimmer Switch of Performance. Retrieved from 1000 advices.com: http://www.1000advices.com/guru/leadership_mood_bm_html

Financial Performance of BRALIRWA

Financial Performance of BRALIRWA This chapter presents the theoretical framework used to evaluate the financial performance of BRALIRWA and the influence of corporate governance on the firm performance; and the research methodology followed throughout the research basing on the different aspects discussed in literature review. 3.1 INTRODUCTION As discussed in chapter one, the main focus for many companies is to create the best possible value for their owners and to secure excellent financial performance. The sound financial health of a company is one of its major goals and to maintain it, companies at one point of time have to look at the past and current performance to plan for future prospect. The most objective way to evaluate the financial performance of a company is through financial statement analysis. Financial analysis involves the assessment of a firms liquidity, its operating performance, its risk profile and its growth potential using financial ratios. Ratio analysis is an important and powerful analytical tool used for measuring the performance of a business entity (Van et Al., 2003). It helps stakeholders (shareholders, investors, creditors, managers, government etc) to make an evaluation about the profitability and financial soundness of the business entity (Bardia, 2008). Different types of investors expect different types of returns, if you are a stockholder, you expect an increase in the value of the stock you hold; if you have invested in a company with a history of paying dividends, you also expect a dividend; if you have loaned the firm money, you expect to receive interest and the return of loan principal. Although the types of returns they expect are different, equity investors and creditors both risk not receiving those returns. Therefore, both stockholders and creditors use financial statement analysis to predict their expected returns and assess the risks associated with those returns (Hongren, Sundem, Elliot and Phil brick, 2003). Analysis of financial performance allows comparison of practice performance from one year to the next, benchmarking of a practice against industry standards, and preparation of financial information for lending institutions or directors (Stallwood, 1996). The financial performance of a company can be influenced by many different aspects or factors and for the purpose of this study, corporate governance was taken into consideration and specifically the aspect of board characteristics. The board of directors is an important entity in a company creating a link between shareholders and managers and therefore playing an important role in the governance of the firm (Dehaene et al., 2007). Therefore, boards of directors are charged with the task of monitoring the performance and activities of top management to ensure that the latter acts in the best interests of the owners (Jensen and Meckling, 1976; quoted by OConnell and Cramer, 2010) 3.2 PROBLEM DEFINITION After the 1994 genocide many companies in Rwanda were destroyed and some of them have not recovered up to today. Among the companies affected by the genocide include manufacturing companies out of which some tried to recover and restart their activities progressively and the country is providing a good environment for business but this does not guarantee good performance on behalf of companies. Standard financial reports provide basic information on the current profit level of investment in assets but do not give information on whether profit is adequate, how efficiently the assets are being used to generate sales, how efficient the overall operation is, and whether there are short-term financial problems facing the business. Ratio analysis provides some answers to these questions by calculating the relationships between various figures on the balance sheet and the income statement and comparing the movements in these ratios over time and against industry averages can provide additional information about whether the organization is performing well or whether remedial action is needed (Stallwood, 1996). Ratio analysis is an important and powerful analytical tool for measuring the performance of a business entity. It helps stakeholders to make an evaluation about the profitability and financial soundness of the business entity (Van et al., 2003). Some key companies in the manufacturing sector do not have thorough financial analysis which makes it difficult for stakeholders to know how these companies are performing; BRALIRWA will be used as representative case study to exemplify the financial performance of companies in the sector and the way this performance is influenced by corporate governance. The way companies are directed and controlled can influence their performance (Berle Means, 1932), in some companies there is lack of consistency in reporting operating and financial activities as well as governance activities to shareholders in a fair, accurate, timely, reliable, relevant, complete and verifiable manner. Manufacturing companies in Rwanda contribute to the economic development of the country and hence a need to evaluate their performance in other to detect their likely future and take appropriate measures accordingly, as well as the influence of corporate governance on their performance. 3.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This study has one general objective and five specific objectives. 3.3.1 General objective The general objective of this study is to assess the financial performance of BRALIRWA s.a (2005-2008) and the influence of its corporate governance on the performance 3.3.2 Specific objectives To analyze the operating efficiency and profitability of BRALIRWA to know its level of operating performance. To analyze the sales and earnings variability in order to measure the risk that BRALIRWA may be exposed to. To analyze the internal liquidity of BRALIRWA in order to measure its ability to meet financial obligations in the short-term. To assess the impact if any of BRALIRWA governance on its performance. To analyze the sustainable growth potential of BRALIRWA. 3.4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The theoretical framework adopted in this study was developed based on different literature on the analysis and evaluation of financial performance and literature on corporate governance and firm performance. 3.4.1 Dependent variable According to Jones, Wahba and Heijden (2007), the dependent variable is the one main research issue you are studying, on which other variables in theoretical framework are assumed to have an impact. Creswell (2002), defines dependent variables as the outcomes or results of the influence of the independent variables. For this study, financial performance stands for the dependent variable. Financial performance is usually measured by ROE and ROA, for this study financial analysis is used to analyze the financial performance of BRALIRWA and the analysis is conducted in three categories; the analysis of internal liquidity, operating performance and risk. When analyzing internal liquidity, the intention is to indicate the firms ability to meet its future short-term financial obligations, this may be an indication over a certain period of the likely performance of a company because if a firm is not able to meet its short-term financial obligations for a long period, definitely this will affect its performance but the analysis of this may help the organization take necessary actions. The analysis here is based on current ratio, quick ratio, cash ratio, receivables turnover and inventory turnover. The analysis of operating performance, examines how management uses its assets and capital by measuring the sales generated by various categories of assets or capital and analyzes the profits as a percentage of sales and as a percentage of the assets and capital employed (Brown and Reilly, 2009). The ratios used are the asset turnover, equity turnover, profit margins, return on equity and return on assets. Concerning the risk analysis, both business and financial risks are measured and analyzed, here the emphasis is on the sales variability, operating leverage which consists of the variability of a firms operating earnings and then the debt-equity ratio to measure the financial risk. 3.4.2 Independent variables Independent variables are the variables impacting on your main research problem. They are called independent in a sense that those variables are affecting the amount of dependent variables and do not affect each other, so they are independent of each other (Jones, Wahba and Heijden, 2007). Corporate governance stands for the independent variable for this study. Corporate governance is the mechanism by which a corporation is managed and monitored. It determines a power-sharing relationship between corporation executives and investors by providing structure through which the objectives are defined; policies and procedures are established to ensure achievement of these objectives; and activities, affairs, and performance are monitored (Rezaee, 2004). Based on this definition and other definitions of corporate governance, it can positively or negatively influence the performance of a company and for the purpose of this study, the influence will be analyzed based on board characteristics which are treated as the moderating variables in this study and considered as one of the aspects of corporate governance. 3.4.3 Moderating variables Moderating variables are included in the theoretical model to modify the way that the independent variables will affect the dependent variable. They might act as a catalyst of these relationships and strengthen them or perhaps they just inhibit the relationship and weaken it (Jones, Wahba and Heijden, 2007). For this study the moderating variables are the board characteristics, and the following characteristics were taken into consideration the board size, board composition, CEO duality, board diversity and frequency of board meetings. The board size is the number of members on the board and as boards are considered to be large decision-making groups, size can affect the decision-making process and effectiveness of the board (Dwivedi and Jain, 2005). Talking about the board composition, the board may be composed of directors who may be executive meaning that they are employees of the firm, or non-executive meaning they are not employees of the company; and this may have an effect on firm performance. CEO duality consists of having the same person holding both the board chairman and CEO positions or having the CEO and board chair positions separate, this also may have an impact on firm performance. When it comes to board diversity, the consideration is that there may be some diversification in the board members which may or may not have an influence on firm performance; diversity for this study is seen as gender diversity, racial diversity and experience/background diversity. Board meeting frequency consists of how frequently the board meetings are scheduled and the board activity is measured by the frequency of board meeting, this frequency may impact on the performance of the firm. Figure 3.1: Theoretical Framework Source: Research, 2010 3.4.4 Research assumptions Based on the various corporate scandals due to the manipulation of financial statements, the researcher made an assumption that the information provided in the audited financial statements of BRALIRWA for the period 2005-2008 are true and accurate. It was assumed that the respondents would be willing to fill the questionnaires and that the staff in the finance department of BRALIRWA would cooperate in providing any necessary information regarding the financial statements. 3.4.5 Research limitations The study uses BRALIRWA as a case study, which may provide little basis for generalization on the performance of other manufacturing companies The study only use a time-series analysis because there are no competitors in the industry to compare with The financial statements analyzed were the balance sheet and income statement because the company does not prepare cash flow statement The study only used board characteristics as the aspects of corporate governance due to time and logistics constraints the researcher could not use other aspects. The study was limited to a period of four years from 2005 to 2008 3.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONs To achieve the research objectives of this study; the study has to answer the following major and minor research questions. 3.5.1 Major research questions How is BRALIRWA financially performing for the period under study and what is the implication for future performance? How is BRALIRWA governance influencing its performance? 3.5.2 Minor research questions How well is the management of BRALIRWA doing to generate operating profits on companys assets? How well is BRALIRWA management using the capital invested? How is BRALIRWA financing its assets and how variable its earnings are? How well is BRALIRWA doing to meet its maturing financial obligations? The above mentioned research questions will help in analyzing the financial performance of BRALIRWA and the influence of its corporate governance on performance. 3.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.6.1 Research type This study is basically quantitative with a small portion of qualitative and descriptive in nature and is using a case study method. The study is using the computation of different ratios to analyze the financial performance of BRALIRWA and statistical measure like mean, standard deviation and correlation are also used; and it is also qualitative in the sense that it is looking at the perceptions of staff on the influence of corporate governance on the performance. The purpose of quantitative research is to determine the quantity or extent of some phenomenon in the form of numbers (Zikmund, 1994). 3.6.1.1 Case study methodology This study is using BRALIRWA as a case study representing other manufacturing companies in Rwanda. BRALIRWA was chosen as a case study because of its long stay in the business and as being one of the manufacturing companies that were operating before the 1994 Rwandan genocide and which has continued operating and the major motivation for the researcher to take it as a representative case study is that the manufacturing sector in Rwanda is mostly made of food and beverages companies where BRALIRWA is dominating. According to Robson (2002:178) cited by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007), a case study is a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence. Yin (2009) defines a case study as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. According to Yin (2009), the case study inquiry copes with the technically distinctive situation in which there will be many more variables of interest than data points, and one result; relies on multiple source of evidence, with data needing to converge in a triangulating fashion, and as another result; and benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions to guide data collection and analysis. 3.6.1.2 Descriptive research This study is descriptive as it is describing and evaluating systematically how BRALIRWA has been performing for the period under study. According to Kumar (2005), a descriptive research attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem, phenomenon, service or program, or provides information about something or describes attitudes towards an issue. 3.6.1.3 Quantitative and qualitative research As discussed early, this study is a mix of quantitative and qualitative, it is evaluating the performance of BRALIRWA by quantifying it through different ratios to analyze the internal liquidity, operating performance and risk and most of the information is gathered using quantitative variables (through financial statements). On the other hand, the study is qualitative in the way that it has some variables which were analyzed without being quantified. The study is qualified as quantitative if one wants to quantify the variation in a phenomenon, situation, problem, or issue; if information gathered using predominantly quantitative variables; and if the analysis is geared to ascertain the magnitude of the variation. On the other hand, a study is qualified as qualitative if the purpose of the study is primary to describe a situation, phenomenon, problem or event; the information is gathered through the use of variables measured on nominal or ordinal scales; and if analysis is done to establish the variation in the situation, phenomenon or problem without quantifying it (Kumar, 2005). 3.6.2 Data collection instrument and source For the purpose of this study, both primary and secondary data were collected. To collect primary data questionnaires were distributed to the staff of BRALIRWA to know and analyze their perceptions on the influence of board characteristics on firm performance, the questionnaires were given to different staff but the most targeted were the managers and directors (management team) and heads of department and then some of the officers in different departments; interviews were also used with the staff in the finance department to get some clarifications on the content of the financial statements. And to collect secondary data, different literature on the evaluation of financial performance and those on the relationship between corporate governance (board characteristics) were reviewed through books, journals, articles and websites; and the financial statements of BRALIRWA for a period of 2005-2008 were consulted and analyzed through financial ratios. 3.6.3 Sampling methods Sampling is the process of selecting a few (a sample) from a bigger group (the sampling population) to become the basis for estimating or predicting the prevalence of an unknown piece of information, situation or outcome regarding the bigger group; a sample is a subgroup of the population one is interested in (Kumar, 2005). For the purpose of this study, judgmental sampling technique has been used to select the sample in order to collect primary data. Purposive or judgmental sampling enables you to use your judgment to select cases that will best enable you to answer your research question(s) and to meet your objectives. This form of sample is often used when working with very small samples such as in case study research and when you wish to select cases that are particularly informative (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2007 quoting Neuman, 2000). According to Kumar (2005), the primary consideration in purposive sampling is the judgment of the researcher as to who can provide the best information to achieve the objectives of the study; the researcher only goes to those people who in his/her opinion are likely to have the required information and be willing to share it. For the respondents to fill the questionnaire it required a certain degree of information about the board of directors and the judgmental sampling is the appropriate technique to this study. 3.6.4 Sample size A sample of 25 respondents was selected from the staff of BRALIRWA which is the population of the study; as stated early the sample was selected using judgmental sampling. The respondents were selected from different departments of the company and from top management to senior officers and the sample is the representative of the population. 3.6.4 Data analysis methods The study is based more on the secondary data as the evaluation of financial performance is based on the financial statements of the case company (BRALIRWA) and on primary data which were collected using a questionnaire to analyze the influence of the board characteristics on the financial performance of the company as perceived by the company employees. In the process of data analysis, the information from the financial statement were first presented according to the research objectives and research questions and based on the theoretical framework and literature review; then they were analyzed using appropriate ratios and the analysis was based on time series analysis, some statistics were used such as mean and standard deviation for the researcher to analyze the data and come up with conclusions and recommendations. To analyze the data collected from questionnaires, the following process was followed; first the data were edited, then coded and frequency distribution were used. To analyze, the open-ended questions, content analysis was used whereby different themes were identified from the answers given by the respondents and then verbatim responses were examined and discussed with reference to literature to come up with research findings, conclusion and recommendations. 3.7 CHAPTER SUMMARY This chapter discussed the research problem by highlighting that in Rwanda some key companies do not have thorough financial analysis and that the performance of companies may be influenced by the way they are managed and monitored where this may depend on the characteristics of the board. The chapter also discussed the theoretical framework that was used for this study and the dependent, independent and moderating variables were identified; financial performance is the dependent variable which is determined through the analysis of internal liquidity, operating performance and risk and the summarizing indicators of financial performance for the purpose of this study were identified as ROE and ROA. The chapter goes on discussing the research objectives, research questions, the assumptions and limitations of study. Then the chapter concludes with the discussion of the research methodology that was used to conduct the research and to achieve the research objectives and to answer the research questions that were put forward; the study is a mix of quantitative and qualitative, both secondary and primary were used and financial statements and other sources were used to collect secondary data and the questionnaire was used to collect primary and the questionnaires were sent to a sample of 25 respondents, the sample was selected using judgmental sampling.