An Analysis of the Evolution of the E-Business in America Essay

Economic transactions have taken a toll of revolutions and evolutions from the most historic barter deals to currency minting to bank-to-bank transactions, and finally, electronic business. Undeniably, the phenomenal effect of information technology to the lives of common man has caught the complexities of all branches of science and economics in a single matrix. Similarly, it has extinguished spatial boundaries in the business arena. Upon the advent of the accessibility of the internet or the World Wide Web to the public in 2004, it has been deemed that e-commerce will shortly follow through. So thus soothsayers and journalists manifest into the world this forecast. Company websites and internet servers sprouted like wild mushrooms here and there, flooding the virtual world with what’s it’s’ people cannot usually find for themselves. A unique gadget which can be found nowhere at a shopping mall is now easy to find at Ebay or Amazon. om, or shopping for clothes can also be done via ordering online, and sending emails or conversing with another entity half an earth away through instant messengers now became a common activity to the technologically savvy. A worldwide acknowledgment of this phenomenon has now slowly shifted every human paradigm there is. This evolutionary way of business ‘anytime-anywhere scheme’ or transacting across the planet in only a matter of seconds has put le verage to the face of business vis-a-vis human technology. E-business or e-commerce, also known as EC, has now penetrated all elements of life, particularly the world of commerce and economics. Today, e-business is now the most preferred way of dealing with and between firms. In the fields of traveling, media, logistics, telecommunication, and manufacturing, as identified by Horsti, Tolonen and Brannback (2003) in their study of five electronic business models, it showed that operating a business backed by ecommerce and proper management of personnel skills and customer relationships is a critical success factor (CSF) and always has a direct correlation to business success. This gives light to the logic as to why bankers and corporations alike have resorted to sending orders and invoices via internet instead of sending messengers or bulky packages to each other and wait for days before the same arrives at each other’s doorstep. On an individual basis, transacting with another online instead of going to a bank and undergoing the tedious process of lining-up and filling out slips and various withdrawal or deposit forms has been the hip. Online credit card transactions has also been the trend nowadays especially to the technologically savvy. As Moslein (2001) would argue, the rise of ecommerce has extinguished traditional boundaries and spatial constraints of conducting business. So what really is it behind e-business and what makes everyone indubitably caught up with this intertwining net of transactions? In this paper, the aforementioned is put to a limelight along with a detailed analysis of the e-business phenomenon. A projection as to how e-business in America will perform in the short-run is also forecasted. Pros and cons of doing e-business as well as important dissections of it are also included herein. The first part of this paper shall serve as a guideline as to how discussion will flow and what models and methods were used in shedding light to the subject matter at hand. It also serves as briefer to the latter portions which delve deeper to the subject matter. The latter portions shall plainly consist of the author’s own views with regard to the topic, however, with sources to buttress proof of claims. The summary and conclusions are second to the last parts before providing a list of references used in this research. Statement of the Issues/Problems The dawning of the internet and the birth of ecommerce in which e-business arose forthwith has also given birth to online corporations and rebirth to traditional enterprises. However, the new age technology has also given birth to various risks and opportunities for misers to tamper with the gifts of technology to the disadvantage of those who are faithful in their dealings. In this regard, the primary thrust of this paper is to analyze the gradual paradigm shift of business in America to the modern e-business taking into consideration the management decisions of enterprises vis-a-vis the costs and risks in engaging into e-business. Further, this paper rests with the issue on how ecommerce evolved to what it is today. Given these matters, the ultimate question this paper aims to answer is: Why do businesses continue to prefer to do e-business despite online security threats and risks? Hypothesis E-business is a response of various industries to the market forces affecting it, and amidst costs and risks, the benefits of e-business to enterprises prove to shape corporate success, help industries maximize benefits and positively affect the entire business industry as a whole. Methodology This paper is a result of a collaboration, compilation, corroboration and interpretation from various sources of information gathered mostly through the internet. Various theories in economics and business management are also used to prove certain stands pertinent to the subject matter. The author has also included newspaper articles and opinions from renowned columnists all of which can also be accessed through the internet. The said sources were streamlined for this purpose of incorporating into this subject matter all indispensable elements of e-business. It is important to highlight that this paper is not to measure e-business per se because of the very volatility and fast speed of growth and advancement of the e-business itself. As stated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), measuring e-business and quantifying the elements of convenience and easy access to information is impossible given the current fast-changing nature of the market (OECD, 1998). Hence, this paper has enumerated the costs and benefits instead and weighed both in the light of the evolution of e-business to the stage. Degree of Reliance of Statistical Data/Literature Search The author has chosen only those sources which are strongly correlated and are very pertinent to e-business. For statistical data, there is an interim degree of reliance from high to medium degree, since statistics were conducted by professional research institutions and quoted from high grade literature. With regard to articles and sources, most of the studies consulted where products of doctorate and master’s degree holders who are expert in this field notwithstanding those who gave garnered distinctions (i. e. Nobel Prize, Pulitzer, etc. in the field of economics. Therefore, there is a high level of reliance on their studies. A Description of the Research Design This paper is purely research based and one which does not involve interpretation of raw statistical data. Due to the broad and constantly changing nature of e-business, a survey of the entire America is implausible. Thus, it is best to resort to data that have been gathered by reliable research institutions concentrating on the same subject matter. The literatures used herein are mostly second-hand ones and are retroactive in its nature such that theories used are identified as paradigms. Despite being cited and further cited in various citations, the theory is not eroded. Thus, citations of the same coming from other citations, or a chain of citations in one citation, are valid. It is also important to note that despite the varying nature of the sources used in this paper, the discussion shall not be deprived of important knowledge as regards the subject matter. Models Followed The paper follows three specific models in economics: the law on supply and demand, the model on cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and the game theory. This is because these three easy-to-understand theories are also the primary considerations of CEOs in choosing management decisions and doing other management strategies. In accordance with the objectives of this paper, various researches shall also be inculcated herein to give various theories and conceptions an equal footing as regards the topic. As a clarification, there are no current researchers who have analyzed the nature of e-business extensively and collaboratively using the aforementioned theories. Therefore, literature reviews are primarily based on historical findings on the evolution of e-business, analyses of various researchers on the nature of economics vis-a-vis ecommerce and not on concurrent ecommerce theories. This is also because majority of ecommerce theories are offspring of the theories on economics. Moreover, ecommerce theories may be relevant to the subject matter but are not directly connected to the topic such that answers to the research questions as aforementioned were more founded by basic economic theories rather than the specialized ecommerce theories on web-hosting and online selling.

English Channel and Resultant Displacement

An ostrich cannot fly, but it is able to run fast. Suppose an ostrich runs east for 7. 985 s and then runs 161 m south, so that the magnitude of the ostrich’s resultant displacement is 226 m. Calculate the magnitude of the ostrich’s eastward component and its running speed to the east. 1. Kangaroos can easily jump as far as 8. 0 m. If a kangaroo makes five such jumps westward, how many jumps must it make northward to have a northwest displacement with magnitude of 68 m? What is the angle of the resultant displacement with respect to north? . In 1926, Gertrude Ederle of the United States became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Suppose Ederle swam 25. 2 km east from the coast near Dover, England, then made a 90o turn and traveled south for 21. 3 km to a point east of Calais, France. What was Ederle’s resultant displacement? 3. Cheetahs are, for short distances, the fastest land animals. In the course of a chase, cheetahs can also change direction very quickly. Suppose a cheetah runs straight north for 5. 0 s, quickly turns and runs 3. 0 x 102 m west. If the magnitude of the cheetah’s resultant displacement is 3. 35 x 102 m, what is the cheetah’s displacement and velocity during the first part of its run? 4. The largest variety of grasshopper in the world is found in Malaysia. These grasshoppers can measure almost a foot in length and can jump 4. 5m. Suppose one of these grasshoppers starts at the origin of a coordinate system and makes exactly eight jumps in a straight line that makes and angle of 35o with the positive x-axis.Find the grasshopper’s displacements along the x and y axes. 5. The landing speed of the space shuttle Atlantis is 347 km/h. If the shuttle is landing at an angle of 15. 0o with respect to the horizontal, what are the horizontal and vertical components of its velocity? 6. The fastest propeller-driven aircraft is the Russian TU-95/142, which can reach a maximum speed of 925 km/h. Fo r this speed, calculate the plane’s resultant displacement if it travels east for 1. 50 h, then turns north and travels for 2. 00 h. 7.The longest shot in a golf tournament was made by Mike Austin in 1974. The ball went a distance of 471 m. Suppose the ball was shot horizontally off a cliff at 80. 0 m/s. Calculate the height of the cliff. 8. What would be the initial speed of a projectile that is launched from a cliff 210 m high and hits the ground 420 m away from the cliff? 10. The world’s largest flowerpot is 1. 95 m high. If you were to jump horizontally from the top edge of this flowerpot at a speed of 3. 0 m/s, what would your landing speed be?

Importance of Events in Popular Music Essay

‘How do we determine the importance of historical events in popular music?’ Why should we determine the importance of historical events in popular music? Whats important to one fan of an artist is completely different to the views from a fan of another artist. Its not just what makes the papers , magazines and tv that matters to fans. News about artists is broadcasted in many a way in todays world, mostly because ‘stars’ and their ‘goings on’ are more important to the general public than they have ever been before. people like to look up to artists or in most cases now look down on their drug abuse or outrageous behavior and bring back the reality that we are all the same and can all go through the same tough times. Music is the most favoured thing in alot of peoples lives today. Ipods and mp3 players are something that a vast majority of people carry around with them religiously and would feel empty without. Its only human that people are interested in what their favorite artist looks like, where they come from and their general background. This however has lead to artists lives being intruded and covered across various news feeds and social networks more than ever before. General public forget that there are infact 2 sides to an artist. The side that we see when we they are on tour and their natural human side. When they are on stage they are a musician. when they are not on stage they are classed as a celebrity whether they like it or not. Quote taken straight from the second line of wikipedia when the well known name ‘Amy Winehouse’ is searched – ‘Winehouse is best known for her powerful contralto vocals, substance abuse and mental health issues’ On a website such as Wikipedia its their job to write a biography on famous people. They have to include stories from each persona. The person they are writing about is a celebrity and they are a celebrity for a reason. It’s wikipedia’s job to tell everyone who they are and how they got there. After reading the article on Amy it would seem that in some instances the fact that she has been caught smoking crack and been wandering round high in public in just her bra outweigh the better points about her career. Having then come across a ‘Talk’ page that gets raised if people aren’t happy with the way something is written it would seem my points were correct about this article – ‘This article covers Winehouse being photographed bloody and bruised, high, wandering in public in a bra, drug overdoses, being recorded smoking crack; it covers her health issues, her brushes with the law, in fact, every thing that has occurred over last year and a half. That the article doesn’t denigrate or make judgments or pronouncements about her attests to its neutrality, not a bias.’ Straight away in this article the writer makes reference to Amy’s ‘downfalls’ making this a more noticeable point to begin with. If someone had heard a song by Amy on the radio and decided they wanted to know more about her as an artist they would be immediately switched off by the statement ‘ best known for substance abuse and mental health issues’ this leaving an even bigger dent in a ruined fan base when the fact she had drug issues could have been kept as a minor point and concluded with the fact that that piece of news happened quite a while ago and she’s doing alot better and back in the studio recording her third album. But there’s also the argument that people need to know everything about her with it being a biography about a famous person. It would be bias of wikipedia to not mention the troubled aspects of her life aswell as her achievements in the music industry. There’s more news about artists going downhill than the fact their album may have been at number one for a matter of weeks because its what the public are eager to hear about. Writers are always looking for negative points to make about musicians as it gains kudos for them, the public love to gossip about others that are in a bad way and going through hell rather than gossiping about the fact someones been at number 1 for 10 consecutive weeks. It’s like some peoples lives depend on wether Winehouse has had another drug outrage and been forced into rehab again. We only knew Miss Winehouse for a short period of time before she was swept off the our headlines to rehab. This thought pattern lead me to thinking of an artist that had been round for a longer period of time that had gone through a rough patch before their career crumbled. If we look back to a piece of musical news I found online from the 60’s the way the articles are worded sound like the writer is writing the article with respect to the artist. Talking about what is happening to the artist at the time of course but in a way that is respectful and shows that the writer appreciates the problems that the artist in question is going through and has an appreciation for the music they make. â€Å"These two cats seem to add that final dimension that was missing before in Hendrix’s live music. On the â€Å"Are You Experienced† album, he taped over his own rhythm guitar, so as to have some sort of melody to fall back on. Larry Lee now keeps it present all the time.† The writer makes reference to the good things that have happened. Things that have changed the way the certain musicians music is written and how it has come to benefit future material. The article in question is talking about Hendrix’s gigs and his backing band and does mention the drugs he was taking at the time. The writer consistently praises Jimi and his band and only makes reference to the drugs right at the end of the article of which consists of one line. ‘The drugs were found directly on top of clothes inside his luggage. Now who puts their stash right on top? Especially well-travelled freaks like Mr. Jimi, through border crossings. When he re ­ported to the Toronto medical exam ­ining board, his body was found clean and pure. Ain’t a trace a shit in Jimi; but the word-of-mouth-and-press was not so clean.’ Even when making reference to the drugs the writer details the happenings in a jokey way as if to say ‘Silly ‘Ol Jimi!’ like the writer was close to Jimi or really admired him. When relating this back to todays news about stars you can tell alot has changed in the way we really appreciate musicians. The public go through years of enjoyment from an artist and their music, relating songs to their personal experiences but as soon as the star does something even as minute as forgetting to put knickers on they are slated and the writer jumps to obsurd conclusions such as the star must have forgotten to put knickers on because they had been taking drugs or drinking copious amounts of alcohol. There’s no appreciation for the artist and no respect for the way the artist feels. Jimi Hendrix died of an apparent drug overdose on the 18th September 1970. It was the death of someone who had created the backbone of R&B and rock music that musicians still use today. He created so many different techniques on the electric guitar that musicians class as basics or must haves today. The drug overdose that killed him is what has urged me to talk about Jimi. I was intrigued to see how writers spoke about him once he had gone and how people still remember him today. I wanted to see wether people remembered his celebrity side more or actually did remember him for the musical legend that he was and still is today. Drugs in the psychedelic 1960’s were used by many people for recreational reasons. LSD was the drug of the century, lots of other musicians used it and fans used it to enjoy music to its full potential. That was a regular occurrence in the 1960’s but after Jimi died of a drug overdose it becomes that little bit more concerning and people wanted to start digging for reasons as to why he’d want to kill himself. â€Å"I don’t want to be a clown anymore.† â€Å"I don’t want to be a ‘rock and roll star,†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Jimi says, emphatically. The forces of contention are never addressed but their pervasiveness has taken its toll on Jimi’s stamina and peace of mind. Trying to remain a growing artist when a business empire has nuzzled you to its bosom takes a toughness, a shrewdness† Note the fact Jimi states â€Å"star† when he speaks. He had had enough of the stardom that being a good musician brings. His story relates to Kurt Cobains story in the way that them being celebrities and their lives being invaded all the time got far too much for them. The clown part of the quote could link to the fact that clowns are a form of entertainment and people watch their every move when they are around. Jimi Enjoyed being a musician but was sick of people consistently following him around and he wasn’t able to get time to himself. â€Å"Lest anyone forget, Lea ­cock – Pennebaker’s Monterey Pop has immortalized his pyromaniacal affair with the guitar. Rock media bedroom talk makes him King Stud of the groupies. Stories circulate that he is rude to audi ­ences, stands up writers, hangs up photographers, that he doesn’t talk.† The way the writer speaks about this problem is in a respectable way, saying pop has ruined his relationship with his guitar. They don’t slate him for wanting to just be one side of the coin. Today musicians have two personas because it seems right to be that way. Music to them is work and its a shame that they have to be followed when they’re not doing their work. When anybody else finishes work they leave and become themselves again. There’s no rules when you’re yourself. You can drink where you like, say what you want, do whatever you like, wear what you want but being a musician has its limits. The public eye is always on you, you have to be wearing the right clothes whenever you leave the house and you have to look good when you leave the house. Today you can’t just be a musician, you’re a celebrity aswell and once the celebrity lifestyle has a hold of you there’s no turning back. Looking at other articles from the 1960’s it seems that alot more was accepted at the time. Drugs such as LSD, heroin, amphetamines and cannabis were widely used in the fan world and in the musical world. In todays world drugs are much less tolerated and forces crack down alot more on them. People have generally grown up knowing that drugs are bad and not acceptable and that you should never go near them. Back in the 1960’s people were persuading others to use recreational drugs to have a good time with them. With the case being that drugs were alot more accepted in the 1960’s writers at the time had less to write about musicians lives and more about the way they perform and the way their music is put together. Jimi Hendrix’s death was a turning point for popular music. A massive gap had to be filled and for years other artists have pioneered to become the new Jimi Hendrix, a true guitar hero. His death was so shocking that people still write about him and his achievements today. The music in the 60’s was so much more important than the stardom that people seek today which is why we remember Jimi Hendrix for his Music and Not his Drug abuse like Amy Winehouse.

Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Company - Case Study Example The company has been very successful in its operations because it employed the best strategies ever especially merging with Tetra Park, which led it to introduce more products to its normal production. This paper provides a clear picture of how the company was established, how it began operations, how it came to merge with Tetra Park the best strategies it employed in order to become the best in Saudi Arabia and how it is performing so far. The paper also describes the companies SWOT Analysis where it provides the company’s Strengths and Opportunities and Threats and Weakness. The company’s major threats include stiff competition from competitors, instability of economy, importation of similar products, unstable management, and incompetent staff. This paper mentions two main recommendations for these challenges. These are ensuring proper management, which leads to quality production, and proper marketing techniques, which include media advertisement. Therefore, it is ab le to give the viewer a clear depiction of the entire analysis of SADAFCO Company. Company Analysis Saudi Dairy & Foodstuff Company Introduction Saudi Dairy and Foodstuff Company (SADAFCO) was developed in 1746, with it’s headquarter centered in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The company’s production began in a year later with main concentration being on dairy products. Several other attainments were put in place in following years. ears. As from 1991, on top of milk-associated products engrossing ice cream, the firm has enlarged the product variety with the introduction of tomato paste, cheese (via the combination venture with Saudi New Zealand Milk Products (SNZMP) Saudi Arabia, snacks and hummus (through the attainment of Sara Snack Foods Factory in 1995). 1SADAFCO Company went public in 2005 and is recorded on the Stock Exchange of Saudi Arabia (Arnold 2009). The company has more than 100, 000 shareholders and is one of the top companies in production of foodstuff and milk products in Saudi Arabia. Despite going through a number of challenges, SADAFCO has never taken the content easy with having conq uered the technical challenges of the dairy industry in the Asian continent. Despite the fact that they have been substantial, they have also long been one of the top thinkers in local marketing firms, because they are familiar with the significance of band building (Al Fawzan & Al Sadhan 19). The ultimate aim of this context is to give a clear outline of SADAFCO Company in Saudi Arabia beginning with its external environment and general environment and winding up with the internal environment as well as issuing recommendations and conclusion. The external environment entails PEST-NED tools which are the functional units of SADAFCO. The internal environment entails vision, mission and objectives of the Company as well as strategies and tactics employed by the company in the market field. It also contains SWOT analysis which summarizes the operation of the company. External Environment General Environment This part discusses the different tools majorly

Source Evaluation and Analysis Assignment Essay

Source Evaluation and Analysis Assignment - Essay Example The article â€Å"Sustainable agriculture-The Basics†, is written by the Grace Communications Foundation. The GCF is involved with the development of innovative strategies such sustainable agriculture that are related to environmental conservation and bringing them into public awareness (GRACE Communications Foundation Retrieved from http://www.sustainabletable.org/246/sustainable-agriculture-the-basics). The main audience for this article is the general public, the government, and agriculture centered organizations. To arrive at this article, I searched the topic â€Å"sustainable agriculture† and began looking at the different options that the web provided. I choose this article since it is published by an organization, and hence the information in it is credible. The article defines sustainable agriculture as production of food or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, people, and animals. According to GCF, practicing sustainable agriculture leads to the production of food that sustains the demands of the current generation without limiting those of future generations. The article outlines the various benefits of sustainable agriculture and explains each in detail. Sustainable agriculture contributes to environmental preservation since crops and animals are raised without using toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers that degrade the natural resources. According to the article, sustainable practices protect biodiversity and foster healthy ecosystems (GRACE Communications Foundation Retrieved from http://www.sustainabletable.org/246/sustainable-agriculture-the-basics). Sustainable agriculture mind the health of the public since it recommends farm inputs that do not interfere with the health of the farmers and the consumers. It also supports proper waste management practices that reduce exposure of human to pathogens, toxins, and pollutants. The article says that sustainable agriculture benefits the

Should our ethical commitment be determined by the state boundaries Assignment

Should our ethical commitment be determined by the state boundaries - Assignment Example However, there are certain general aspects of ethics which are accepted everywhere in the world. This paper briefly analyses the question; â€Å"Should our ethical commitment be determined by the state boundaries?†. Should our ethical commitment be determined by the state boundaries? â€Å"Values are the rules by which we make decisions about right and wrong, should and shouldn't, good and bad. They also tell us which are more or less important, which is useful when we have to trade off meeting one value over another† (Values, morals and ethics, 2002). Values are different in different societies. For example, Muslims are allowed to keep more than one wife at a time whereas most of the other religions consider such things as sin or unethical behaviour. In other words, values related to sexual activities or marriage is defined differently by different religions. Under such circumstances, the question; whether a Muslim person living in a Christian country should be allowed to keep more than one wife at a time, is relevant. It should be noted that plenty of Muslims are staying in America and Britain like Christian countries. If such Muslims try to follow their customs and traits related to sexual activities while living in overseas countries, the chances of social problems are immense. Same way, same sex marriage is allowed in Canada. â€Å"All same-sex marriages declared legal and valid by Canadian justice minister Rob  Nicholson†(Post media news, 2012). If Canadians try to follow same sex marriage customs while living in another country, social problems may definitely arise. Imagine a situation in which a Canadian male living in Saudi Arabia tries to marry another male while living in Saudi Arabia. â€Å"As per utilitarianism, utility is measured in terms of pleasure and pain† (Crane &Matten, 2007, p.95).. Another argument is that â€Å"Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness† (Mill, 2004, p.6). It is a fact that same sex marriage provides pleasure to the Canadian, but it provides pain to the society in which these things are unacceptable. In short, it is better to keep ethics and morals within the state boundaries. At the same time, in certain cases, ethics and morals should be allowed to travel beyond the boundaries of states. According to Maccarelli, (2006) â€Å"what a person should do and what a person wants to do are often not compatible† (Maccarelli, 2006). For example, Middle East is a place in which people from all parts of the world are working together. These diverse people have their own beliefs in morals and ethics. Christian workers consider Sundays as sacred days and they always like to have weekly off on that day. On the other hand, Muslims like to have weekly off on Fridays. If a Christian employee asks weekly offs on Sundays, his authorities should consider that demand favorably if possible. Social contract theory says that â€Å"Majority of the humans are self-interested and they will work for preserving their interest. But the law of nature ask commands that each man be willing to pursue peace when others are willing to do the same† (Social Contract Theory, 2004). In other words, the ultimate aim or objective of ethics and morality is to promote peace and harmony across the world. In that sense, it is better to keep unacceptable ethical behaviours within the boundaries of

Why did the Cold War not escalate into full-scale war between the USA Essay

Why did the Cold War not escalate into full-scale war between the USA and the USSR - Essay Example Even though there was no face to face conflicts these two blocks engaged in secret and indirect conflicts between each other. This was known to be the cold war. It continued till 1990’s when the Soviet Union broke up under the influence of perestroika and glasnost. To be precise, the cold war started in 1917 immediately after the Bolshevik revolution and ended in 1989 after the break up of USSR. It was a conflict between Bolshevism and democracy. The cold war is regarded as the most important political and diplomatical issue of the twentieth century. It got its name because both parties were afraid of fighting each other directly. Instead they fought the war indirectly. They played havoc in different parts of the world as well as fought with words on issues. Threatening and denouncement were common. Moreover they raced to make each other look foolish. The term cold war was used first by Mr. Bernard Baruch who was a senior advisor for the 33rd president of the US, Mr. Harry Tru man. He used this term because of the frequently occurring crisis between the two sides even though they fought side by side against Nazi Germany. The actual cause of the cold war was the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917. ... This prompted Russia to behave negatively against west. Russians though that the west was interested in toppling their communist regime and used all its strength to defend and shun them. Even though the US recognized USSR in 1933, suspicion between the two countries continued on a high note. This continued in the Second World War where both the countries were allies. The cold war is considered as decade’s long struggle for world supremacy. It began escalating during 1945 when relations between Washington and Moscow started deteriorating. The deterioration ignited the cold war as well as set a stage for the dynamic struggle between the east and the west. Even though political leaders changed in both sides, the cold war continued. In another sense, the cold war was more political rather than military (Cold war. 2011). One of the main reasons why the cold war did not escalate into a full fledged war was because both sides knew that if the war was started, it could easily be a nuc lear war causing destruction to the whole world (Why the cold war did never escalated. 2011). During the cold war, many times there was concern that this would escalate into a full war with nuclear arsenal used by both sides and killing millions. However both the sides developed a deterrence policy that further prevented problems from escalating beyond localities. Often periods of escalations and crisis appeared during the cold war days. That was in 1953, when Josef Stalin’s sudden death caused a leadership gap in Moscow. During this time in US there was American presidential election. This crisis continued till the most famous Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Other critical events during the cold war include the Hungarian

EMBA 560 Executive position week 1 journal 1 Essay

EMBA 560 Executive position week 1 journal 1 - Essay Example e title, although my peers recognize my potential to contribute more towards the company’s success, for which reason my immediate superior and my peers have turned to me to help guide the others. I have set my aspirations high, but they are more than just wishful thinking. I figured that if we aim high and don’t quite reach the goal, then we still come quite close to it and end up better than expected. I aim to enter the managerial level in the next 24 months, and in the long term I believe I will be able to achieve the level of vice president for marketing. I firmly believe I am a viable candidate for this position, because I know I have the drive and initiative to excel in the marketing function. There are many insights and ideas I have that I know I could share with the firm and my colleagues in this division. I have acquired a keen sense about the medical experts and professionals to whom we market our high technology medical devices, and my Stage IV contribution would be to enable more effective marketing strategies in this area as well as the more generic products and services our company

Strategic Management of Ryanair Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Management of Ryanair - Case Study Example The increased competition between rivals in the budget airline industry may lead to price wars which will greatly benefit the customers only. "This is why Ryanair has an advantage over other airlines because their policy of bundling low frills and low prices together means that they are competing for the more price sensitive customer." (Sean Brophy and Dominic St. George, 2003) The demand for short haul flights is ever increasing in Europe. Hence it became important that Ryanair had to take all the benefits of the first mover advantages, since there are many airlines trying to copy the services being provided by Ryanair. Davy (2003) believes that "there are only two pan-European low cost operators where first mover advantage and scale and cost efficiencies gave the two largest players, Ryanair and Easyjet, a significant advantage." The fact remains that after deregulation almost 80 airlines started operating at low cost in the similar lines of Ryanair and 60 of them have since become bankrupt. According to Michael O'Leary, Ryanair need not bother about the competitive rivalry since according to him "at the lower end of the market Easyjet and Go don't really compete with Ryanair." Ryanair had a distinct competitive advantage in being the cheapest 'no frill' carrier in the Europe. It was possible for the airline to have the lowest costs as they drove down costs in every possible area. In the matter of competitive rivalry Ryanair has taken away large amount of market share from the rivals Aerlingus and British Airways and to some extent from other airlines. According to Reuters (11th February 2005) "Ryanair also announced it would offer 2 million free seats, a move designed to pressure full-service airlines such as British Airways whose fuel surcharges have widened the gap on fares between budget and traditional airlines. Ryanair is fully hedged until the end of next March and has refused to impose a fuel surcharge, betting that low fares and even free tickets will draw passengers away from rivals." These strategic moves of Ryanair keep a check on the competitive rivalry. Michael O' Leary said"The more we can put pressure on high-priced airlines, the more we can convince them there's no point competing with us (on short-haul European routes)," Bargaining Power of Customers: The customers for the airline industry especially in the budget airline are highly price sensitive. Switching to another competitive airline is relatively easier and simple thanks to the presence of internet and online booking facilities. The switching also does not entail a higher cost. The budget airline cannot

Investigating Resistance Essay Example for Free

Investigating Resistance Essay Plan of Action I am going to find out what affects the resistance of a wire by using a six volt power supply in order to have a sufficient charge that wont be too strong or too weak, also so the wires wont get too hot very quickly as it would then greatly affect our results. Five different thickness of nichrome wire as well as changing the length. I will use 20,24,28,32 and 36swg and for each one I will record the voltage and the amps for the lengths from 100cm, down every 20 to 20cm. Do this by setting up the equipment as shown in the diagram below and change the wire after you have recorded all the results for the previous wire, doing so for each one: We will then use the results to find the resistance which is: R=V Resistance = Volts I Amps I will then record our results on a graph. After that I will do the same thing but record all the wires at 60cm three times to do an extra graph comparing cross-sectional area and resistance. Trial run Below is a results table showing our first trial run of our plan of action so we can see if anything needs changing. The wire used was nichrome-24swg. LENGTH (CM) V VOLTS I AMPS R RESISTANCE V2 I2 R2 V3 I3 R3. The results do prove my prediction correct but to show it accurately I will change my plan of action to going down in 10cm rather than 20cm. This will give me a wider range of results. Improved Plan of Action I am going to find out what affects the resistance of a wire by using a six volt power supply, five different thickness of nichrome wire and the changing of length from 100cm, down every 10 until I get to 10cm. The thickness that I will use are 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36swg. For each thickness I will record the Volts and Amps from 100cm down to 10cm. I will do this by setting up a circuit like the one below and changing the wire after I have recorded all the results for the previous wire: I will the use the results to find the resistance for each length of each wire using this equation: R=V which is . Resistance = Volts R Amps I will then do the same as the above but only record all the wires at 50cm three times to compare cross-sectional area and resistance. Then Ill do the graphs. Apparatus . Power supply, to supply the charge for the wires. . 5m of nichrome wire, for the charge to travel through. . crocodile clips, to connect the circuit. . wire cutters, to cut the wire down to the desired lengths. . metre stick, to measure the different lengths of wire. . connecting wires, to carry the electric current. . ammeter, to record the amps. . voltmeter, to record the volts. Fair Test I will make sure it is a fair test by using the same bit of wire when we record the 50cm three times, letting the wire cool down before moving on to the next length because heat creates more resistance, use the same amount of power for each wire so there are the same amount of electrons passed into the wire each time. Also I will make sure the circuit is connected properly at all ends. Method . Set up equipment as shown in diagram. . Cut a 20, 24, 28, 32, and 36swg nichrome wire to 100cm using a metre stick. . Start at 20swg and add it to the circuit. . Start at 100cm record the results and move the crocodile clip down 10cm. . Record the results from the ammeter and the voltmeter onto a table. . Move the crocodile clip down 10 more cms and so on until you get to the end. . Change wire to the next gauge and gradually work your way through all of them. . Repeat the 24swg three times at all lengths. . For all the thickness record the results three times at 50cm. . Then find the resistance using the equation R=V/A . Plot the graphs. Safety Box . Make sure bags and coats are in a safe place where nobody can fall over them . Walk in an appropriate manner around the laboratory. . Leave the wires to cool before touching them . Do not take water near the power pack and dont have the voltage too high Results Nichrome-20swg Length (cm) V volts I amps R resistance Nichrome32swg Length (cm) V volts I amps R resistance Nichrome-36swg Length (cm) V volts I amps R resistance Evaluation My results show that the longer a wire is, the higher the resistance will be and the thicker a wire is, the lower the resistance will be. This is what I predicted and it has been proved. The resistance in a wire depends on its shape and size. The scientific reason as to why thin wires have a higher resistance than thick wires is that the sea of electrons that flow throughout a metal all travel through at the same time and if the electrons have a larger area to travel through then there will be more space for them to flow freely with less collisions that cause loss of energy, but if they try to flow through a thin piece of metal they will collide into the other ions creating heat which then creates more resistance. Longer wires have more resistance than shorter ones because a short wire has a certain amount of resistance, now if you double the length of the wire then you will also be doubling the resistance. This is because there is a greater distance for the electrons to travel through so there is a greater amount of resistance slowing the current down. The graph comparing length and resistance shows a linear trend, but I think we may have made an error in the experiment. I think this because the line for the 32swg wire is above the line for the 36swg wire when they should be the other way around. I suspect that we may have used the same wire accidentally because the points for each result are so close, but generally speaking the theory is proved because all of the others have followed the expected pattern of an increase of resistance, in the increase of length and the increase of thickness. The graph comparing cross-sectional area with resistance shows that with each increase in width of a uniform nature, the resistance drops, but by a greater amount each time, i. e. 32swg-10 28swg-5 diff-5 24swg-2 diff-2 20swg-0. 9 diff-1. 6 If I was to do the experiment again then I would improve my method by being more accurate with my measurements of the wire. The problem with the measurements before was that the wires were very bendy and hard to straighten out so as a result the wires would have been longer then the actual length recorded, so I would use straight wire and would make sure it was cut to the nearest mm to get more accurate results. Overall I am quite pleased with my experiment. The results were generally successful and prove my prediction and the theory correct. If I could do it again then I would make sure I had all the correct wires for each experiment, and that the wires werent too hot as to affect the results in a major way by creating too much resistance. I would do this by leaving a longer period of cooling time so the heat will escape and the resistance will drop. There was two anomalous results on the graph comparing length and resistance. The reasons for these could have been an accumulation of not holding the crocodile clips at the right places, e. g. At 50cm instead of 60cm, or the connections that sent the current through the wire may have been held on tighter on one of the distances resulting in a stronger current and less resistance, and loser on the next resulting in a lower current and more resistance.

Globalisation and HRM

Globalisation and HRM This assignment discusses on the link between globalisation and HRM. It explains how HRM practices like recruitment and selection should be carried out in order to improve organisation performance and enhance important corporate aspects like how to dominate the global market. Human Resource Management is act of dealing with people in an organisation how to manage their behaviour and activities to increase profits. According to Decenzo and Robbins, (2004), and Bernardin, (2003), Human resources management (HRM) is the function within an organisation that focuses on recruitment of management and providing directions for the people who work in the organisation. Human resources management can also be performed by line manager and deals with issues related to people such as performance management, hiring, wellness, benefit safety, compensation, training and communication. In addition, HRM is the sense of getting things or work done through people. Its an essential part of every managers responsibilities, but many organisations find it advantageous to establish a specialist division to provide an expert service dedicated to ensuring that the human resource function is performed efficiently. Also how HRM processes should be in order to cope with global issues. The effect of globalisation on recruitment and selection is seen clearly now that organisations need to recruit people that are able to work in global situations and contribute to the global environment. According to Castells M, (2000), Globalisation is an inevitable phenomenon in human history that has been bringing the world closer through the exchange of products, information, goods, culture, services and knowledge. Over the last decades the pace of this global integration has become much faster and dramatic because of unprecedented advancements in science, communication, transport, technology and firms. So HR managers should understand how to cope with all these changes especially as many people prefer to get high quality products if they are offered from abroad. If companies understand this, they will reach organisational goals effectively. Saiyadain M (2004) According to Globalisation has contributed to various competencies which organisations have found effective to improving profit. Other positive aspects include financial organisation situations; where the developing counties have benefited from developed countries and financial organisations such as IMF (International Monetary Fund) and WTO (World Trade Organisation), where by these organisations invest money or commerce loans to the financial organisation. Also, globalisation has created thousands of jobs around the world and also has contributed to the growth of the worlds economy. In other contribution, globalisation has been effective to providing access to technological improvements and has also led to the reduction of barriers to trade. A market is what a business targets to benefit from by satisfying consumer needs. According to S. Skinner, (1998), a market is a social arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to discover information and carry out voluntary exchange of goods and services. Its one of the two key institutions that organize trade, along with the right to own property. Its importance to globalisation is to make the producer know what consumers of the market need at the moment in terms of satisfaction and organisation practices. Globalisation has made organisations to participate in local and international markets to improve quality of trade and the level of business operations. HRM needs to work on practical matters that affect their business because they need to cope with everyday changes and balance internal and external issues. There are issues over importance of communication or culture. These include issues about the rate of importance between background culture and adopted culture. However, it sometimes depends on the situation of the company. Contribution of the employee depends on the environment he or she is in. In case employing someone from a less developed country, training would be right measure for improvement. However, if he person is from a more developed region, then the HR department may want to just tech the person how to cope with the environment and the individual will be able to participate fully in everyday business. Capon C, (2004), Capon C, (2004), states that Development of global telecommunication infrastructures has led to success in establishing stable communication through service such as cell phones, internets, and satellites in the developing countries such Kenya, Uganda and Somalia. This has provided a link of third world countries to developed nations thus reducing world poverty. This point shows how important HRM is to the world, as recruiting the right person to telecommute can change the world. Globalisation has made trade liberalization; whereby every one can gain the movement to lower trade barriers and to open the world trade. It has increased the growth of goods and services, where people have got more income to improve the living standard in the society. Foreign competition is increasingly extending beyond the goods firms. Outsourcing of services in dorks, such as call centers. Its important to the business due to less cost. but is it morally acceptable by your customers. It improves cultural awareness between organisations, where it brings employees of different background of culture to work together without any conflict in the working environment. Saiyadain M (2004 Even though there are positive aspects, there are also negative issues that globalisation can cause. These include; Environmental pollution increases with globalisation as countries manufacture more products to satisfy demand. Also there is increase of carbon emissions to the atmosphere, whereby people are always traveling from one place to another, for example when and individual is assigned to work globally, he or she will have to travel by air thus contribute to air pollution. HR managers should act responsible and protect the environment. This could be done by limiting the number of trips carried out by the employees if possible, and also using transport means which are more environmental friendly. Capon C, (2004), Globalisation encourages development in already developed countries therefore leaving less developed countries to become poorer. Recruitment is the process of identifying that the organisation or company requires employing someone to the point at which application forms for the post have arrived at the company. According to Saiyadain, (2004), recruitment is the process where the organization gets people to work for them so as to be part of the organisation functions. A successful recruitment depends upon finding the right people with the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications to do the work required together with the ability to make a positive contribution to the values and aims of the company or organisation. Mendenhall M, (2007), Selection then consists of the processes involved in choosing from applicants, suitable or the right person to fill the post needed in the organisation with the right qualification. The selection process needs to be well carried out because HR managers may choose the wrong people and leave the right people. Matthewss J et al, (2004), states that, recruiting people who are wrong for the for the organisation can lead to increased labour turnover, increased costs for the organisation and lowering of morale in the existing workforce. Such workers are likely to be discontented, unlikely to give of their best and end up leaving voluntarily or involuntarily when their unsuitability becomes evident. They will not offer the flexibility and commitment that many companies seek. Managers and supervisors will have to spend extra time on further recruitment exercises, when is needed in the first place is a systematic process to assess the role to be filled and the type of skills and abilities needed to fill it. Most recruitment systems will be simple with stages that can be followed as a routine whenever there is a vacancy to be filled and which can be monitored and adapted in the light of experience. According to Dessler, (2005), The organisation should be aware that the provision of the disability discrimination Act 1995 not only makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled individuals without justifiable reason but also require employers to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace arrangements. Brewster C et al, (2007) states that The employer has the legal responsibility to ensure that no unlawful discrimination occurs in the recruitment and selection process on the groups of race, age and religion. Equality of opportunity is an integral part of the recruitment and section process, and to these end employers may offer encouragement and training to any under represented group of workers. For example to the management development of woman who are under- presented in management grades. The world in which human resource managers exist and with which they interact is continually changing, generating new issues and challenges for HR managers to consider during recruitment. There are specific qualities that managers should look at when recruiting for specific functions in the organisation. With the increase in intensified competition among organisations in aspects of performance, productivity and competent expertise, HRM managers are faced with a challenge of recruiting professional staff to have a competitive advantage in the market. According to Porter M (1998) Competitive advantage is an advantages ove competitors gained by offering cunsumers greater value, either by means of lower prices or by providing greater benefits and services that justifies higher prices Although recruitment has always held an important place within organisations the growing demand for highly skilled staff has meant that effective recruitment practices are now becoming a considerable resource of competitive advantages used to improve performance. This recruitment and selection learning module is designed to prepare individuals and trainers to introduce effective recruitment and selection systems. In addition the learning pack clearly outlines how to introduce a supporting measurement system for the recruitment process to maximize both individuals and organisations efficiency. Capon C, (2004), states that, With the increased pace in globalization, organisations are now operating under a multicultural environment. Hence organisations face a challenge of recruiting knowledgeable, talented, and skilled employees from different background as they are able to manage internationally. Multicultural environments boost business performance since there are different views from participants. Capon C, (2004), states that, Moreover, the riding wave of technological innovation forces the HRM managers to recruit staff who posses the acquired knowledge need to operate new machinery, equipment which are equipped with the new knowledge E.g. the use of email and internet as tools of information provision and communication, the use of computer databases to hold staff information and generate reports. Pareek U, (2004), states that, Furthermore, with global standardization of policies practices and HRM philosophies, the HR needs to diversify their strategies. Also organizations need to react in a way that is satisfactory to both the employees and consumers. For example, HR manager should emphasize on employing people who know proper hygiene when preparing food for the customers, in three years ago MacDonalds food chain received complaints from his customer that the food prepared was not good for the health of people, whereby their food contained a lot of fat and other unhealthy contents. Thus individuals who used to be loyal customers had a risk of becoming obese. At the same time, workers left their work due to the complaints from customers. MacDonalds therefore lost a lot of customers in a certain point as before, but after sometime, they changed the way of preparing their food and how they offer their services, then the number of customers also increased much more than the previ ous. According to Bernardin, (2003) Meeting the expectations of the law, the employer has the legal responsibility to ensure that no unlawful discrimination occurs in the recruitment and selection process on the grounds of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, age and religion. Equality of opportunity, its an integral part of the recruitment and selection process and to this end employers may offer training and encouragement to any under represented groups. Brewster C et al, (2007) states that, Employees and their representatives will also have an interest in fair, non discriminatory recruitment and selection policies, and they should be fully consulted when new procedures are introduced or existing procedures reviewed. The sex discrimination Act 1975, the race relation Act 1976 and 2000, the employment equality regulations and the disability discrimination ACT 1995 set out the legal requirements for employers. Capon C, (2004), States that, The organisations should be aware that the provisions of the disability discrimination Act 1995 not only make it unlawful to discriminate against disabled individuals without justifiable reason but also require employers to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace or working arrangements. Detailed guidance is available in the code of practice on the elimination of discrimination in employment. Robert et al (2004), and Dessler, (2005), Some of the issues which make the link between HRM and Globalisation more intensified include the rate at which the HR manager responds to Global-economic activities. For example if there is an absolute market in a different country, the HR department is responsible for defining means of which the business will perform in order to capture the market, including recruiting the right people for the job, and training them for them to learn how to develop. Pareek U, (2004), In conclusion, responding to intensified competition is crucial for an organisation since without competition its difficult to progress and offer excellent services. As a HR manager, understanding this concept will help the manager in defining exactly what the organisation prefers in terms of who to employ, and as a result, the right people will be employed for the job thus generate profit. In addition, the profit will even be high since the global economy has offered more market share to businesses. Reference Capon C, (2004), understanding organisational context 2nd Edition, Pearson education limited England. Brewster C et al, (2007) international human resource management, 2nd chartered institute of personnel and development, London. Pareek U, (2004), designing and managing human resource systems 3rd edition, Vijay Primlani, New Delhi. Mendenhall M, (2007), international human resource management, 4th Edition, Routledge, London. Matthewss J et al, (2004), human resource development 3rd edition Kogan page, New Delhi Decenzo, D and Robbins, S (2004), Personnel/Human Resource Management, Third Edition, Prentice Hall Inc, New Delhi. S. Skinner, (1998), Marketing, Houghton Mifflin, USA Bernardin J, (2003), Human Resource Management, Third Edition, Tata McGraw- Hall, New Delhi Robert C, et al (2004), Managing Human Resource, Third Edition, Pearson Education Inc, New Delhi Dessler G, (2005),Human Resource Management, Ninth Edition, Pearson Education, New Delhi Porter, M, (1998), Competitive Strategy, Free Press, USA Saiyadain M (2004), Human Resources Management, Third Edition, Tata McGraw- Hall, New Delhi

Coping With School Failure and School Achievement

Coping With School Failure and School Achievement DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS OF SCHOOL FAILURE Tony JREIGE Abstract (100 to 150 words) he present study examined the relationship between goal orientation, coping with school failure and school achievement. Two questionnaires, Goal Orientation (Niemivirta, 1996a) and The School Failure Coping Scale (Rijavec Brdar, 1997), were administered to 1057 high school students (aged from 15 to 17 years). The first goal of this study was to explore whether students can be classified in groups according to their goal orientation. The results identified four clusters of students with different achievement profiles: learning oriented, work-avoidance oriented, both performance and learning oriented and both performance and work-avoidance oriented group. Learning oriented group used emotion-focused coping the least frequently while students with combined performance and work avoidanc orientation used this kind of coping the most frequently. The second goal was to test the relationship between goal orientation patterns and the adoption of emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies, and academic achievement. It was hypothesized that goal orientation could predict school achievement directly and indirectly through coping strategies. Coping strategies were considered as mediators between goal orientation and school achievement. Path analysis demonstrated that direct effects of goal orientation on school achievement were not significant. The relationship between goal orientation and school achievement was mediated by coping strategies. Key Words: School failure, Depression, Anxiety, Coping. The problem of school failure is of great importance, as it affects students’ lives and future. In some cases, it leads to marginalization, rejection, alienation and exclusion; hence, the risk of a variety of other problems such as psychological and behavioral may emerge. Patterson and his colleagues (1989) point to an anti-social behavior as a consequence of such marginalization. We say that students who are marginalized and cannot easily adjust tend to drop out school. Although the importance of this topic, unfortunately, literature on the phenomenon of school failure of normally intelligent children and adolescents is still poor. There is a shortage of research that might offer an understanding of school failure in terms of psychological disorders. As a response to this fact, the main objective of this study is to look deep for emotional and psychological disorders accused to be guilty of this failure and, consequently, remove the stigma of being failure and irresponsible from students who lie behind their classmates. The main question we ask is: Do children and adolescents, who fail at school, really suffer from any psychological disorder, particularly depressive and anxiety disorders? And yet, another question emerges: Are females more susceptible to these disorders than males? As potential answers the above formulated questions, the following hypotheses were set up for the study: Children and adolescents who fail at school suffer from depressive disorders Children and adolescents who fail at school show evidence of anxiety disorders There is a gender significant difference in depressive disorders There is a gender significant difference in anxiety disorders LITERATURE REVIEW School failure The term â€Å"school failure† is difficult to define clearly; for some, it would include any kind of failure, repetition or delay in finishing school which usually leads the student to disqualification, and even to being stigmatized, especially because of the segregation between high and low achievers (Bourdieu,1994). On the other hand, researchers advanced several approaches to elucidate school failure, among these approaches we mention: Intelligence based on IQ scores. Supporters of this theory blame low IQs for school failure. Socio-economic status with children’s academic achievement: Supporters of this theory blame the poverty for school failure (Herbert, 1996; Turkheimer et al., 2003; Thomson Harris, 2004; Berliner, 2006, 2009). Interaction theory: Keddie (1973) and many others reproach the teacher for school failure. For them, teachers have a pre-defined opinion of how a student should talk and react and accordingly students are evaluated. Although all the above mentioned approaches, school failure may occur among students of high socio-economic status, beloved by their teachers, and have the ability and intelligence to succeed. Thus, these children get is a stigma of being a failure, a worthless, stupid and irresponsible person, while hidden emotional psychologicaldisorders are often the roots of their inability to meet the school’s standards. For us, several factors may lead to school failure, among these factors we mention depression and anxiety and the incapacity of using appropriate coping strategies. Depression Depression in children and adolescents is often a recurrent and very serious public health problem, it can occur with comorbid behavioral problems, suicidal risk, and psychiatric disorders, touching their whole life by impairing their social, emotional and physical health as well as their learning. Depression in children and adolescents may be expressed differently from that in adults, with manifest behavioral disorders (e.g. irritability, verbal aggression and misconduct), substance abuse and/or comorbid psychiatric disorders. In children aged between 6 and 12 years, the most common signs are classified into are school difficulties, somatic disorders (e.g. Recurrent abdominal pain, headaches), fatigue, apathy, eating disorders, lack of motivation, loss of concentration, irritability, restlessness which often lead professionals to misdiagnose the child with ADHD instead of depression (Melnyk et al.,2003). As for adolescents, the most common signs and symptoms are mood swings, social isolation, hypersomnia, feeling of hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders and drug or alcohol abuse (Richardson et al., 1996). Risk factors for suicide in young people are: previous suicide attempts; a close family member who has committed suicide; past psychiatric hospitalization; recent loss of a significant figure (through death, divorce or separation); social isolation; drug or alcohol abuse; exposure to violence in the home or the social environment; and handguns in the home. Early warnings for suicide are talking about it, preoccupation with death and dying, giving away special possessions, and making arrangements to take care of unfinished business. Williams (2009), offers a description to identifying depressed adolescents, such as: Somatic symptoms with features of anxiety. Sometimes poor functioning at school, socially, or at home. Bad behavior, particularly in boys. Rapid mood swings often occur. The fact that children are able to enjoy some aspects of their life shouldnt preclude the diagnosis of depression. Anxiety Anxiety is a normal part of living, it’s a biological reaction. Anxiety keeps us away from harm and prepares us to act quickly when facing a danger; it is a normal reaction to a stressful situation, thus it can help us cope with it. Yet we may find it sometimes in the core of the development of psychological disorders especially when anxiety becomes an excessive irrational worry of everyday situations, and a disabling condition severe enough to interfere with a persons ability to focus and concentrate where it becomes a disorder. Helfinstein (2009) believes that â€Å"anxiety refers to the brain response to danger, stimuli that an organism will actively attempt to avoid. This brain response is a basic emotion already present in infancy and childhood, with expressions falling on a continuum from mild to severe. Anxiety is not typically pathological as it is adaptive in many scenarios when it facilitates avoidance of danger. Strong cross-species parallels—both in organisms’ responses to danger and in the underlying brain circuitry engaged by threats—likely reflect these adaptive aspects of anxiety†. Half a century ago, Grinker (1959, p.56) believed that normal anxiety could be objective and real when we face natural situations that generate anxiety, e.g. child before his exams, parents in front of their child’s illness. Almost a century ago, in his â€Å"A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis† (1920), Freud believed that anxiety was used â€Å"in connection with a condition regardless of any objective†, it’s â€Å"a subjective condition, caused by the perception that an â€Å"evolution of fear† has been consummated†. †¦ Nowadays, for the American Psychologists Association (2013) describe Social Anxiety Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder among the anxiety disorders include where METHOD Sample The sample of this study comprised of 187 children and young adolescents (Males = 122 and Females = 65) aged between 10 and 15 years suffering of school failure and enrolled in the fourth to the eighth grades, randomly drawn from 10 schools located in Mount Lebanon Caza (5 governmental and 5 private). Tools Anxiety The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) developed by Speilberger in 1970 was used. It consists of two 20-item scales that measure state and trait anxiety in children between the ages of 8 and 14. The A-State scale examines the shorter-term state anxiety that is commonly specific to situations. It prompts respondents to indicate how they feel ‘right now’ (e.g. calm, upset) on a 3-point scale ranging from 1 to 3. Summing responses creates a total score that can range from 20 to 60. The A-Trait scale measures longer-term trait anxiety, which addresses how the child generally feels. It asks respondents to choose the best word that describes them in general (e.g. rarely, sometimes, and often) on a 3-point scale ranging from 1 to 3. Summing responses creates a total score that can range from 20 to 60. A separate score is produced for the State scale and the Trait scale to determine which type of anxiety is dominant and which type of treatment is the most appropriate. In 2001, we standardized this scale for the Lebanese children aged between 8 and 17; the cut points for normal children were: A-State scale: 33.36 The A-Trait scale: 37.26 The PROMIS Anxiety scale (AS) is the 13-item Short Form that assesses the pure domain of anxiety in children and adolescents. The PROMIS Anxiety scale was developed for and can be used with children ages 8–17. Each item asks the child receiving care to rate the severity of his or her anxiety during the past 7 days, and is rated on a 5-point scale (1=never; 2=almost never; 3=sometimes; 4=often; and 5=almost always) with a range in score from 13 to 65 with higher scores indicating greater severity of anxiety. The raw scores on the 13 items should be summed to obtain a total raw score. Next, the T-score table should be used to identify the T-score associated with the child’s total raw score and the information entered in the T-score row on the measure. The T-scores are interpreted as follows: Less than 55 = None to slight; 55.0—59.9 = Mild; 60.0—69.9 = Moderate; 70 and over = Severe Depression The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), first published by Maria Kovacs in 1992, assesses the severity of symptoms related to depressionand/ordysthymicdisorder. The CDI is a 27-item self-rated and symptom-oriented scale suitable for childrenandadolescents aged between 7 and 17. It asks respondents to choose the best sentences that describe their state during the last two weeks,on a 3-point scale ranging from zero to 2. Summing responses creates a total score that can range from zero to 54. The cut-point of 19 is able to differentiate between normal and depressive children (Doerfler, 1998; Ø ¬ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¬, 2001) The PROMIS Depression scale (DS) is the 14-item Short Form that assesses the pure domain of depression in children and adolescents. The PROMIS Depression scale was developed for and can be used with children ages 8–17; however, it was tested only in children ages 11–17 in the DSM-5 Field Trials. Each item asks the child receiving care to rate the severity of his or her depression during the past 7 days, and is rated on a 5-point scale (1=never; 2=almost never; 3=sometimes; 4=often; and 5=almost always) with a range in score from 11 to 55 with higher scores indicating greater severity of depression. The raw scores on the 11 items should be summed to obtain a total raw score. Next, the T-score table should be used to identify the T-score associated with the total raw score and the information entered in the T-score row on the measure. The T-scores are interpreted as follows: Less than 55 = None to slight; 55.0—59.9 = Mild; 60.0—69.9 = Moderate; 70 and over = Severe RESULTS SPSS for Windows (Version 17) was used for all analyses. The One-Sample T-Test was used to compare our sample’s levels of anxiety and depression with the means of normal children and adolescents of their ages. The Independent-Samples T-Test was used to understand whether anxiety and depression differed based on gender. Overall, Table 1 illustrates a general view Means and standard deviations of our of the study’s participants for STAIC, Anxiety Scale, CDI and Depression Scale where we can notice high means in comparison with their cut-points. These findings are proved by the T-test (Table 2) where the One-Sample T-Test was run to determine whether our psychological variables scores in our participants were different to normal. Defined as a Astate cut-point of 33.36, mean score (38.11 ± 3.06) (see Table 1) was higher than the normal cut-point; a statistically significant difference of 4.75 (99% CI, 4.16 to 5.33),t(186) = 21.21, p= .000. As for the Atrait, mean score (42.08 ± 3.82) was higher than the normal cut-point (37.26); a statistically significant difference of 4.82 (99% CI, 4.09 to 5.55),t(186) = 17.24, p= .000. The Anxiety Scale where the cut-point is 55, mean score (60.23 ± 2.46) was higher; a statistically significant difference of 5.23 (99% CI, 4.76 to 5.70),t(186) = 28.99, p= .000. These result are also noticed in depression scales as the CDI cut-point is 33.36, while mean score (20.02 ± 2.23) was higher; a statistically significant difference of 1.02 (99% CI,0.59 to 1.44),t(186) = 6.24, p= .000. Nevertheless, results on the Depression Scale revealed a mean score (58.79 ± 2.27) higher than the normal cut-point (55); a statistically significant difference of 3.79 (99% CI, 3.36 to 4.22),t(186) = 22.82, p= .000. Table 1. Means and standard deviations for the participants on psychological variables Table 2. T-test for the participants on psychological variables On the other hand, this study found no statistically significant difference on the Astate Checklist between males (37.95  ± 2.98) and females (38.40  ± 3.22) (Table 3),t(185) = -0.956,p= 0.341 > 0.05 (Table 4). Nevertheless, male participants had statistically significantly lower mean (41.61  ± 4.10) than females’ (42.95  ± 3.07),t(185) = -2.308,p= 0.022 On the Anxiety Scale, both males (59.78  ± 2.73) and females (61.06  ± 1.58) differ significantly in their perception of anxiety, t(185) = -3.481,p= 0.001 The main effect was also significant for the CDI, male participants had statistically significantly lower mean (19.71  ± 2.25) than females’ (20.58  ± 2.09),t(185) = -2.586,p= 0.01. This result was also observed for the Depression Scale where males mean score was (58.43  ± 2.42) and females’ was (59.46  ± 1.79) , t(185) = -3.027,p= 0.003 Table 3. Gender differences on psychological variables Table 4. Independant Sample T Test by gender on psychological variables DISCUSSION CONCLUSION The study calls for a fundamental change of attitudes in educational development and policy making and a redefinition of school failure as a consequence not so much of the child’s unwillingness to study, but of his inability to perform well. As a school dropout explained his decision to drop out:

Failed Leadership Essay -- Religion, Yahweh

Elijah is a prophet of Yahweh, Whom ministry is started with dramatic surprise to the local people and the nation. He announce drought that there will not be either rain or dew in the nation except by his word (1Kings 17:1). Elijah’s ministry again followed by another victory on mountain of Carmel in revenging the power that claims to be mighty. We see different pictures of Elijah in 1Kings 17-19. In Chapter 17 we see Elijah who is talking as powerful decision maker. In Chapter 18, we see Elijah who is victorious over his rivals, and confront with the King (1kings 18:17-19). In Chapter 19 we see a disheartened Elijah who seems forgotten his late victory over the prophets of Baal. Finally in this text (19:1-4) we see the fallen Elijah, fallen mighty saint who is begging for death and Elijah who was retiring from his long-term service as prophet of Yahweh (1kings 19:15-18). Lives of all the actors of this text may loudly speak to the Oromo people who have fled persecution o f dictatorial regime and suffered selfish character of some of their own leader who led the liberating institution. I. Application Today, when we read this text (1Kings 19:1-4 and 19:8-15) having the Elijah in the previous two chapters (17 and 18) in mind a lot of things may come to our minds, such things as confidence, mightiest , fair, and persecution. After the great events on Mount Carmel, Elijah did not get the opportunity to enjoy the victorious moments over the prophets of Baal. For those of you who had tremendous experiences in the struggle for freedom and went through persecution, it must be easier to understand what it feels to be in hopelessness, fair and disappointment. Lately friend of mine told me that he walked on his feet for nine da... ...ip and turn people face to worship the might God, however, he was filled with pride. Similarly the leaders who claim to lead the liberating force working toward the Oromo people might resemble Elijah who has big courage to work for the kingdom he is called to serve but failed in pride. Finally, the steps Elijah took in freeing people from worshiping the Idol could partly please God he was serving, to the contrary his pride displease God. Hence in order the struggles to continue the people who have been messing with the issue have to be removing. In our text God told to Elijah to go and remove the current political and religious leaders to be replaced by new leaders (1Kings 19:15-18). We are human being we will not serve forever and we will not mess up forever. God will use all possible means to call and install whom he want and remove that He wants to remove.

Magnetic Anisotropy Of Fine Particles :: essays research papers

"Magnetic Anisotropy Of Fine Particles" In nature, single domain particles are magnetized to saturation, where the magnetization has an easy axis, or several easy axes, along which it prefers to lie. In this case the total internal energy is minimum. Rotation of the magnetization vector away from the easy axis is possible only by applying an external magnetic field. This phenomenon is called magnetic anisotropy. Thus, the term magnetic anisotropy describe the dependence of the internal energy on the direction of magnetization of the particle. The energy term of this kind is called a magnetic anisotropy energy. Generally it has the same symmetry as the crystal structure of the particle material, and we call it a magnetocrystalline anisotropy or crystal anisotropy . This kind of anisotropy is due mainly to spin-orbit coupling . For instance, we consider an anisotropy that is uniaxial in symmetry. In this case, one of the simplest expressions of the magnetic anisotropy energy is Ea=KaVsin2 , where is the angle between the magnetization vector and the symmetry axis of the particle, V is the volume of the particle, and Ka is the anisotropy energy per unit volume or the anisotropy constant. The srength of the anisotropy in any particular crystal is measured by the magnitude of the anisotropy constants. Consider a specimen of fine particles having no preferred orientation of its particles. If we have spherical particles, there will be no shape anisotropy, and the same applied field will magnetize it to the same extent in any direction. But if it is a nonspherical particles, the magnetization vector will not necessarily lie along an easy crystallographic axis, but rather along an axis whose demagnetizating field is a minimum. This is called shape anisotropy and was proposed by (1947). In real systems, there is always a particle size and shape distributions as well as a distribution of particle enviroments, depending on the topology of the system (e.

The Importance Of Depreciation Expenses

Depreciation as a concept and in practice plays a very important role in a companys cash flow hence in funding. The reasons are basically two, firstly because depreciation is a way of self finance for an organization and secondly because is a way of decreasing taxes that the government claims as the company doesnt have to pay taxes on depreciation which consequently enlarges the cash flow of the company. As a term depreciation in accounting is the process of allocating the cost of a capital asset over the period of its useful life. Depreciation takes into account the decrease in the service potential of capital assets invested in a business venture, resulting from such causes as physical wear and tear in ordinary use, deterioration by natural elements or obsolescence caused by technological changes. Basically depreciation is a loss in value or a diminishment in market price of a good always taking the time factor into account. Depreciation is a rate of change in value in an asset fixed or current compared to the present value of that asset. For example if a company purchases machinery for the production of a certain product the management must take under consideration the equipments life cycle, meaning that this machinery has a certain period of time in which it can contribute to the production before it becomes useless. Useless in a sense of a newer machine will be invented in some years which will be probably faster or more capable to produce better quality. The time factor of course always varies depending on the asset. For example the usefulness of a computer may be three years before it needs replacing, as for a building may be fifty years. A Mercedes van for instance in year 2000 could be purchased at the value of 13 million drachmas and its productive life span before it needs to be replaced will probably be 8 years. After the 8 years the van purchased would cease from being of any productive use to the company and if it needs to be resoled its market value would have depreciated drastically due to the time fade from the initial purchase. Its devaluation is its year zero value less an annual percentage of the devaluation process updated annually. But depreciation doesnt apply only to current assets but also is applicable to fixed assets as well. Buildings are losing their value too taking the time scale factor under consideration again. If a new building in year 1980 was valued 100 million drachmas as a newly built structure its value by the year 2030 will be definitely decreased by the depreciation rate estimated. The most widely used method to calculate depreciation is the so called straight line method, in which the rate of depreciation is constant for the entire working life of the capital assets. Thus, if a machine cost 1 million 100 thousand drachmas and is assumed to have a 10 year useful life and a scrap value of 100 thousand drachmas at the end of 10 years, the amount of annual depreciation would be 100 thousand drachmas and the annual depreciation rate 10 per cent. Which is the annual depreciation divided by cost minus scrap value. Because depreciation is subtracted from the assets of a financial statement it is not a subject to taxation therefore the company has automatically achieved a higher cash flow status by depreciating its assets, the worth of its capital value. This can be visible from the following cash flow calculation.

Sony and Marketing

The primary concern or objective of marketing is to identify and satisfy, or exceed the changing needs of customers. In view of this broad concern of marketing, it can be seen that the concept of marketing encapsulates many activities in a business. Marketing, in fact, refers to any activity undertaken by a firm that has been designed to plan, price, promote and distribute ideas, goods and services to target markets. These marketing activities were executed in order to create exchange, that is sales, that will result in the achievement of the proprietors’ individual goals and the firm’s goals, both in the short-term and the long-term. It is then obvious that marketing forms an integral component of any business’s operations. In particular marketing activities attempt to increase a firms’ revenue base, by placing an emphasis on enticing potential customers in target markets to purchase the firms’ products in order to satisfy their wants, rather than those of firm’s competitors. Consequently, the marketing directly contributes to the attainment of the financial goals of the firm. Hence, the success of a firm is reliant upon the extent to which it is able to identify, and satisfy or exceed the customer’s needs more effectively and efficiently relative to its competitors vying for the same markets. Marketing as an activity that entails several features, all of which are presented during the course of the marketing process. Such features include, firstly and most importantly, that marketing is a comprehensive process that begins with the creation of an idea and ends up as product that will be sold to satisfy a customer’s needs. Secondly, marketing is seen as a managerial process as it involves making managerial decisions about the particular mix of product, price, place and promotion in a firm. Furthermore, marketing involves managers planning and ensuring that particular sequenced activities are carried out, in order for the marketing plan to be successful. Finally, marketing is perceived as a way in which firms are able to satisfy the needs of customers, and in turn achieve their own business goals. Marketing provides the business with the ability to satisfy the changing wants of customers. In light of this, and the fact that businesses have become increasingly aware of the role that marketing plays in achieving success in the business, several approaches or philosophies to marketing have developed. There are five central approaches to marketing, with the use of a specific marketing approach/s depends upon particular business’s marketing strategy and the type of product being marketed. These different approaches are: Marketing Concept: this approach believes that customer’s want-satisfaction is the economic and social reason for an organisation’s existence. This approach stipulates that all of the business’s activities should be targeted towards meeting consumer wants, while at the same time meeting the organisation’s goals. In effect, this approach requires that the firm finds out what the customer wants, and subsequently develops a product to meet these requirements and then sell it at a profit. Production Concept: this approach states that the business will sell its product if it is both well made and affordable. Businesses utilising this approach require management to focus on improving production techniques and cost structures of the business. Consequently, this approach does not place emphasis on customer want-satisfaction. Product Concept: this approach has the attitude that ‘product is king’ and focuses on the quality, features, and performance of the product. This approach believes that if the product has more features or is of a better quality and performance compared to competitors, it will then gain greater sales. This approach is not customer want-satisfaction oriented. Selling Concept: this approach focuses on developing sales techniques and promotional activities in order to entice customers into buying an organisation’s product, whether they want it or not. Therefore this approach places direct emphasis on customers, but, possibly not on their want-satisfaction. Societal Marketing Concept: this is the latest marketing approach, it combines the main ideas of the marketing approach, that is, determining customer needs and satisfying the business’s goals, but also integrates social responsibility into the business. This social responsibility includes increasing environmental awareness, which may include tackling the problems of pollution and the exploitation of non-renewable resources. Modern day businesses are under pressure to adopt this marketing approach, in order to become more socially responsible. This approach not only focuses on fulfilling the customer’s want-satisfaction, but also satisfying society. The electronics firm, Sony, has expanded its operations from its establishment in 1946 in a ‘bombed out department store’, to become one of the world’s largest and most influential electronics firms. Sony, has furthermore, developed a worldwide reputation, as one of the worlds most innovative and technologically advanced firms. Its success can be attributed to several internal factors, which include, the freedom of workers to experiment, the passionate decisions of management, the established corporate culture, and also particularly to the marketing approaches that top management has integrated into the firm since its establishment. The leaders of Sony, from its founders to the present-day management, have encouraged their product designers to express and prove their individual visions about the development of new products to the firm, as with the Sony Walkman. In fact top management has been ‘willing to join the creative fray’, which has lead to the development of a cohesive firm with a corporate culture. This management style prompted the development of premium quality, unique, and futuristic products, and along with the establishment of a strong corporate culture, formed the basis of the firm’s competitive advantage. These aspects gave rise to adoption of several marketing approaches during the course of Sony’s life cycle. During Sony’s period of establishment the marketing approach was the key approach, since the initial management of Sony decided that the only way to succeed was to discover a new form of technology and develop a product from it, which would satisfy the wants of customers. This was evidenced by the conception of the tape recorder, and the first pocket-sized radio, developed for changing lifestyles. This approach has continued and still practiced today as signified by the recent development of the following products, the Walkman, the Handycam, the Discman, all of which are regarded by millions of customers as products that represent a way of life. The marketing approach was influential in the marketing of the Walkman, such a concept originated from a want of customers for a small, portable, tape/radio player, to replace the large, inconvenient players of the era. Sony identified this customer-want, and the Walkman was introduced, and heavily marketed, and in turn, became one of! the firm’s most successful products. In addition Sony has realised that consumer-want for electronics is apparent in all age groups and as such, it has developed several products for different markets, for example, ‘My First Sony’ was introduced for a younger target market. Another essential marketing approach for Sony has been the product approach, unlike other firms in Japan; Sony prides itself in producing products which have incorporated unique plastic appearance and futuristic features with superior quality, and affordability of price. These concepts have ensured that Sony’s sales have outstripped both domestic and foreign, including Western, competitors. In fact, Sony has upheld these concepts, in regards to their products, to the extent that they cancelled the production of a new television, simply because a rival had placed a similar product on the market. Coupled with the product marketing approach has been the design of products, which is a major feature in the marketing strategy of Sony, this is evident with the Sony Playstation, which has been carefully designed and uniquely developed for the younger target market. In the future, with the dawn of the digital age, Sony must place greater emphasis on the product marketing approach, to achieve sales, if it wishes to maintain its market edge. This requires, Sony, embracing advanced technology in the manufacturing of its products. The managers of Sony have realised the dilemma, that due to the speed of technological advancements, the products Sony releases today will become obsolete rapidly. Therefore, Sony is continually, incorporating innovation achieved via extensive research and development, to improve and expand upon its products to make them superior to competitors. This approach has lead to the development of several 21st century products to be used to dominate the future electronics market; these products include a portable head-mounted video player, a DVD player, and a new-generation computer. The final approach to marketing by Sony has been the selling approach, Sony, as a multinational firm, has earned a reputation worldwide as being a superior producer market leader, in regards to electronics products. The size of the company allows it to promote its product on a larger scale than that of many of its competitors. Potential customers are enticed to purchase the firm’s product, even if they do not need it, by the array of commercials, catalogues, and other methods, which portray Sony product’s as being superior. Further, the appearance of Sony’s products is heavily marketed as being state of the art, everyone is aware of the black, sleek, elegant, and futuristic appearance of the Sony the products. Sony is a successful international business as it has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most influential electronics firms, due to its ability to meet consumer-wants worldwide. This influence over the market is evident as domestic and international competitors wait for Sony to initiate a market trend via the introduction of a product, and then duplicate this, so as to benefit from Sony’s success. Furthermore, Sony has come to possess a worldwide reputation, which rivals those of the other multinationals, like Nike and others, a reputation which has made Sony and its products synonymous with quality and superiority in electronics. Sony’s is also seen as internationally successful as it has entered many export markets in the world, including Australia, Sony also has established several headquarters in different parts of the world, including America and Europe, which is a testament to its international success. This worldwide status has enabled Sony to discover chan! ges in consumer wants, new product ideas, and the success of different marketing approaches worldwide. Sony’s international success can be attributed to several internal factors, these in the passionate decisions of management, in that they allow the product designers the freedom to experiment and develop the ideas that may lead to a breakthrough for the firm. Further, Sony’s success can be attributed to the establishment of a strong corporate culture in the firm, which allows the goals of the firm to be achieved, as managers have ensured the everyone is able to focus on the overall picture of the firm. Sony’s integration of marketing approaches is another keystone to the firm’s international success, as the simultaneous use of the strategies has allowed the firm to better satisfy customer wants, and in turn better achieve its own goals. This success can be attributed, largely, to the role of product marketing in the business, the attitude that ‘product is king’ has allowed Sony to develop a general direction in which the firm is headed. The use of product marketing has resulted in Sony being able to, use different methods, such as market research and R&D, to discover the wants of customers, and in turn develop products to satisfy these wants, all of which has enabled Sony to gain sales and become successful, internationally. Product marketing has also allowed Sony to maintain its edge in the electronics market. As Sony’s designers are using the market approach to continually develop, improve, and expand upon their products to meet the changing customer needs, this coupled with large-scale promotion of the product, itself, has allowed Sony to maintain its competitive advantage. This approach has also meant that any perceived problems with the products can be easily identified and corrected. Finally, the empha! sis on product marketing has allowed Sony to develop products which are encompassing the ‘technology of tomorrow today’ allowing, Sony to maintain its success well into the future.