Thursday, December 26, 2019

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield

Overview Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, known as â€Å"The Black Swan,† was considered the most well-known African-American concert performer of the 19th Century. African-American music historian James M. Trotter lauded Greenfield for her remarkably sweet tones and wide vocal compass. Early Childhood The exact date of Greenfield’s date is unknown yet historians believe it was in 1819. Born Elizabeth Taylor on a plantation in Natchez, Miss., Greenfield moved to Philadelphia in the 1820s with the mistress, Holliday Greenfield. After relocating to Philadelphia and becoming a Quaker, Holliday Greenfield freed her slaves. Greenfield’s parents migrated to Liberia but she stayed behind and lived with her former mistress. The Black Swan Sometime during Greenfield’s childhood, she developed a love of singing. Soon after, she became a vocalist at her local church. Despite a lack of musical training, Greenfield was a self-taught pianist and harpist. With a multi-octave range, Greenfield was able to sing soprano, tenor and bass. By the 1840s, Greenfield began performing at private functions and by 1851, she performed in front of a concert audience. After travelling to Buffalo, New York to see another vocalist perform, Greenfield took the stage. Soon after she received positive reviews in local newspapers who nicknamed her â€Å"African Nightingale† and â€Å"Black Swan.† Albany-based newspaper The Daily Register said, â€Å"the compass of her marvelous voice embraces twenty-seven notes each reaching from the sonorous bass of a baritone to a few notes above even Jenny Lind’s highs.†   Greenfield launched a tour that would make Greenfield the first African-American concert singer to be recognized for her talents. Greenfield was best known for her renditions of music by George Frideric Handel, Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti. In addition, Greenfield sang American standards such as Henry Bishop’s â€Å"Home! Sweet Home!† and Stephen Foster’s â€Å"Old Folks at Home.† Although Greenfield was happy to perform at concert halls such as Metropolitan Hall, it was to all white audiences. As a result, Greenfield felt compelled to perform for African-Americans as well. She often performed benefit concerts for institutions such as the Home of Aged Colored Persons and the Colored Orphan Asylum. Eventually, Greenfield traveled to Europe, touring throughout the United Kingdom. Greenfield’s acclaim was not met without disdain. In 1853, Greenfield was set to perform at Metropolitan Hall when a threat of arson was received. And while touring in England, Greenfield’s manager refused to release funds for her expenses, making it impossible for her stay. Yet Greenfield would not be dissuaded. She appealed to abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe who arranged for patronage in England from the Duchesses of Sutherland, Norfolk and Argyle. Soon after, Greenfield received training from George Smart, a musician with ties to the Royal Family. This relationship worked in Greenfield’s benefit and by 1854, she was performing at Buckingham Palace for Queen Victoria. Following her return to the United States, Greenfield continued to tour and perform throughout the Civil War. During this time, she made several appearances with prominent African-Americans such as Frederick Douglas and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Greenfield performed for white audiences and also for fundraisers to benefit African-American organizations. In addition to performing, Greenfield worked as a vocal coach, helping up and coming singers such as Thomas J. Bowers and Carrie Thomas. On March 31, 1876, Greenfield died in Philadelphia. Legacy In 1921, entrepreneur Harry Pace established Black Swan Records. The company, which was the first African-American owned record label, was named in honor of Greenfield, who was the first African-American vocalist to achieve international acclaim.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Macbeth Good And Evil Essay - 1281 Words

Macbeth Good and Evil. No one is one hundred percent good or bad, but everyone has a good and evil sides that can be controlled if the distinction between right and wrong is made. The uncontrolled ambition of Lady Macbeth that made her become evil and the deep regret that she had after the evil act was committed show that everyone has a good and an evil sides. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, introduces three main areas on how someone’s character can vary between good and evil when ambition is not controlled by morality. These include strong desire will lead you to become evil, heavy conscience†¦show more content†¦This is how fast the uncontrolled ambition changed Lady Macbeth’s character. She became so evil she would kill her own innocent baby at her breast. She said, â€Å"How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out†(I, 6). Lady Macbeth’s morality was totally destroyed at this point. She didn’t think about what’s wrong or right to do. She was successful at convincing Macbeth, her husband, to kill king Duncan. King Duncan was murdered, his sons fled, and the sovereignty fell upon Macbeth as she wished. However, her conscience started to reproach her later. The scene where Macbeth murdered Duncan in his sleep shows that conscience made Lady Macbeth rethink what she. Lady Macbeth talked to Macbeth after the crime was committed, trying to stop him from complaining about the murder. She said, â€Å"These deeds must not be thought After these ways. So, it will make us mad†(II, 2). Lady Macbeth started to have a new understanding about committing committing an evil act. She realized that the crime can drive her crazy if she thinks about it too much. Lady Macbeth also realized that even though she has the position of queen of Scotland, she can’t be happy knowing that she committe d a crime to get the position. She said, â€Å"Naught’s had, all’s spent, Where our desire is got without content† (III, 2). What she meant is if she get what she wanted and sheShow MoreRelatedThe Struggle between Good and Evil; in Macbeth Essay1022 Words   |  5 PagesMacbeth is without a doubt a play about evil. The play revolves around the bad and wicked qualities in human nature, but Shakespeare also contrasts this evil with the power of good. In this essay I will explore the ways in which Shakespeare contrasted good and evil in Macbeth. These contradictions start in the very beginning of the play, with the witches. In line 12, the witches say, â€Å"Fair is foul and foul is fair.† This is interesting as they are suggesting good and evil as being one. The witches’Read MoreContrasting Evil and Good in Macbeth Essay examples1656 Words   |  7 PagesIn this essay I will look at the ways that Shakespeare has contrasted evil with good in his play Macbeth. 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Investigative Report On Travellers Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Investigative Report On Travellers. Answer: Introduction The research proposal intends to investigate the behavior, character and need of the target market profile which is the leisure travelers. Background Travelling is no more just a recreation in the modern world but it is becoming a necessity and a status symbol for many. Business organizations are investing millions of rupees to get the best clients and to provide them with the best facilities that will provide them an experience of a lifetime (Xiang, Magnini, Fesenmaier, 2015). A thorough understanding of the target market which are the people that travel with family, is important to examine and cater to the needs and demand of customers. Problem statement The importance of the research is that unless the demands of the targeted market customer are understood, their demands cannot be fulfilled (Mowforth Munt, 2015). For a successful business, every firm has to study their target customer. Research aim The research aim of the research proposal is to examine and analyze the buying behavior, character and needs of the family travellers. Research objectives To examine and study the purchasing behavior and habit of the family travelers. To analyze the needs and characters of the family travelers. To investigate and find out way to fulfill the need and demands of the family travellers. Research questions What is the buying behavior and purchasing power of the family travelers? What is the character and the needs of the family travelers? What are the ways in which their needs and demands can be fulfilled? Significance of the market The significance of the research is to develop an understanding about the clear profile of the target market, which are the section of travelers who travel with family. Literature review According to Bor (2017), family vacations are much more than just mere relaxation. It is an opportunity for families to interact and bond and values to be passed on. An increasing number of affluent families and extended families are choosing to spend their long holidays in vacation style settings (Reid Bojanic, 2009). Cruise ships, resorts, theme parks are very much in demand among the family travelers. Rental properties for short term with kitchen, multiple bedrooms and play area are very popular for large families. For beach vacations, resorts with various activities like tennis, fishing, swimming is popular (Hsiao Chuang, 2015). Customized tours that would cater to the demands of both young and old are preferred by family travellers. Families want educational experiences along with recreation. Historical visits, cultural places are visited more. River cruises are in demand by family travelers because it lets travelers experience multiple places both onshore and offshore (Watne, Brennan Winchester, 2014). Mutigenerational trips are getting more important. There are visitors from every age holidaying together off season travels plans are another growing popular trend among family travelers. Gone are the days when families particularly waited for festive seasons to plan tours. Travelling is no more restricted to Christmas or summer vacations alone (Fountain et al., 2015). Modern travelers are travelling at other times of the years. Kid friendly programs for families are in demand. Family travelers demand family suites. Transportation facilities make travelling easier for them. According to Hay (2017), family vacations are crucial for both relaxation purpose and for improving the bond between them. In the present age, families have very less time to spend with each other. Vacations provide them an opportunity to spend time with family and bond with them. Going on family vacations will create memories (Boes, Buhalis, Inversini, 2015). In this age of speed, people are forgetting the importance of valuable conversation with families. Every family needs to spend time together away from everyday schedule and phone calls (Hall Holdsworth, 2016). Family vacations are also important because it is the chance to pass on values to kids. Family vacations will expose them to new cultures, new food, and new experiences (Schnzel Yeoman, 2014). Vacations are a short escape from the busy schedule and daily stress. Family vacations need not be extravagant or expensive as it is mostly believed. However, a little investment can give a lifetime of memories. Research methodology This research proposal will make use of the secondary method of research analysis and primary method to examine the research topic. The proposal will conduct a secondary research analysis method to analyze in the topic. Various articles, books, and journals would be used to research on the topic. This would give a deeper understanding of the needs and character of the family travellers. For that purpose, the researcher would study several articles and journals that have been previously published on the research topic to get a knowledge about other the authors have written about it before which would give a better understanding on the topic. For secondary research analysis, case studies and articles would be referred to. Focus groups and group studies are most important in secondary research method. Once the secondary research analysis is complete, and all the necessary information has been gathered. The researcher will conduct a primary analysis. For a primary analysis method of data , collection surveys and interviews are used. For this particular research, the researcher will conduct a survey. Important information is gathered from selected participants with the help of a questionnaire that will be distributed to them. For the survey, the participants are chosen after they have fulfilled certain criteria. The criteria of choosing the participants for the survey are explained below. A survey was conducted between 50 participants who were given a questionnaire to fill up. Answers were concluded about the surveys on the basis of the information the participants chose. Findings After the completion of the research, several assumptions could be draw about the family travelers. A majority of the family travellers belong to the business class. The participants belong to the upper strata of the society since the middle classes are unwilling to spend large sum of money on vacations. The lifestyle of the participants is extremely fast. Several participants accepted the fact that in their daily life, they hardly get time interact with their family members. In addition, it was seen that the participants are very active on social media. Even during their trips, they are frequently using social media to post update of their trip. Conclusion Organizations that cater to the demands and needs of family travelers have to deal with a variety of customers preference. From infants to senior citizens, family travelers consist of every age groups which require careful attention and a variety of refreshing ideas that would satisfy an all the age groups (Hsiao Chuan, 2015). Families are increasingly becoming aware and willing to spend their savings on vacations because they are realizing its importance. Gone are the days when family holidays and vacations meant only for the upper strata (Guttentag, 2015). With the rising income and growing needs of the modern society, vacations are becoming an integral part of the society. Organizations can earn large profit by catering to the family travelers. References Boes, K., Buhalis, D., Inversini, A. (2015). Conceptualising smart tourism destination dimensions. InInformation and communication technologies in tourism 2015(pp. 391-403). Springer, Cham. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-14343-9_29 Bor, R. (Ed.). (2017).Passenger behavior, 1st edn, pp.123-145, Routledge retrived from: https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=enlr=id=N1dBDgAAQBAJoi=fndpg=PT6dq=family+travellingots=0A9dRVfbCwsig=6jP1TNv41cPty54kIMkMa9jRR1Iredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=family%20travellingf=false Fountain, J., Schnzel, H., Stewart, E., Krner, N. (2015). Family experiences of visitor attractions in New Zealand: Differing opportunities for family timeand own time.Annals of Leisure Research,18(3), 342-358. Retrieved from: https://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/9480/Families%20at%20visitor%20attractions%20final.pdf?sequence=9isAllowed=y Guttentag, D. (2015). Airbnb: disruptive innovation and the rise of an informal tourism accommodation sector.Current issues in Tourism,18(12), 1192-1217. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13683500.2013.827159 Hall, S. M., Holdsworth, C. (2016). Family practices, holiday and the everyday.Mobilities,vol. 11, no. 2, 284-302. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2014.970374 Hay, B. (2017). Missing voices: Australian childrens insights and perceptions of family holidays.Hospitality Society,Vol. 7, no. 2, 133-155.Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1386/hosp.7.2.133_1 Hsiao, T. Y., Chuang, C. M. (2015). Independent travelling decision-making on BB selection: exploratory analysis of Chinese travellers to Taiwan.Anatolia,vol. 26,no. 3, 408-420.retreived from: https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2014.976763 Mowforth, M., Munt, I. (2015).Tourism and sustainability: Development, globalisation and new tourism in the third world. Routledge. ISBN 0-203-43729-2 Master e-book ISBN Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/3277849/tourism_and_sustainability.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3AExpires=1518855180Signature=FYchx8rFF8%2Fkw%2F80iH9AHnJtXYQ%3Dresponse-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DTourism_and_sustainability_Development_g.pdf Reid, R., Bojanic, D. (2009).Hospitality Marketing Management (5th ed.). Wiley Publishers. Retrieved from https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Hospitality+Marketing+Management%2C+5th+Edition-p-9780470088586 Schnzel, H. A., Yeoman, I. (2014). The future of family tourism.Tourism Recreation Research,Vol. 39, no. 3, 343-360.Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2014.11087005 Schnzel, H. A., Yeoman, I. (2015). Trends in family tourism.Journal of Tourism Futures,vol. 1, no. 2, 141-147.Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-12-2014-0006 Watne, T. A., Brennan, L., Winchester, T. M. (2014). Consumer socialization agency: implications for family decision-making about holidays.Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing,31(6), 681-696. Retrived from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Torgeir_Aleti_ne_Watne/publication/271931190_Consumer_Socialization_Agency_Implications_for_Family_Decision-Making_About_Holidays/links/54e91c710cf2f7aa4d53122d.pdf Xiang, Z., Magnini, V. P., Fesenmaier, D. R. (2015). Information technology and consumer behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,22, 244-249. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698914001131

Monday, December 2, 2019

Parallelism In Greek And Inuit Mythology Essays - Mythology

Parallelism in Greek and Inuit Mythology The very early creation legends are difficult to trace to their original sources, since they were passed along by word of mouth from one generation to the next. There are many different legends about the origin of the earth, some similar to those told in other cultures. It is interesting that most of these legends can be tied together in one or more ways. The Greek and Inuit tribe versions of early existence are related in many ways. In both interpretations there is one creator. The Greek version explains that Eurynome, the goddess of all things, rises naked from chaos and finds nothing for her feet to stand on. She then separates the sea from the sky and dances upon the waves to the south, where later her hands would turn into a serpent (Switzer 10). Similarly, in the Inuit interpretation, a raven is born out of darkness and chaos. He searches around the dark trying to find his position; he finds water, grass and trees. After contemplating about who he is and what makes the grass grow, he eventually realizes that he is the Raven Father, the creator of all life (Ingpen 67). Secondly, both interpretations use the bird as the principal creator of all things. It is thought that Eurynome is the author of the universe. She becomes pregnant when her serpent hands coil around her. Next, she assumes the form of a dove and lays a huge egg which the serpent keeps warm until it hatches. The egg brings forth all the things that now exist: the sun, moon, planets, stars, and the earth with its mountains, valleys, stream, lakes, all living creatures, including the first humans (Switzer 11). In like manner, Raven flies through the darkness and finds a new land, for which he calls Earth. One day, he notices a giant pea pod and watches it as it splits open and produces a man. He creates the ox and caribou for the man to eat but tells him not to harm them (Ingpen 68). He continues to create animals, but then creates a woman to be the man's companion. Soon the man and woman reproduce and there are many children. Although similar in some ways, the two creation myths also contrast in several ways. The Greek version illustrates that Eurynome asexually becomes pregnant and lays an egg. This giant egg holds all things that now exist. In complete contrast, Raven witnesses man being brought to life through a giant pea pod. It is then when he creates a woman so that they can reproduce and have many children. In conclusion, the Inuit and Greek creation myths compare and contrast in different ways. Although told in two different eras by two completely different cultures, the two legends are still comparable in several ways. There is a variety of legends about the origin of the earth, but similarities can be traced through practically all of them.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Mikes Bikes Sample Final Report Essays

Mikes Bikes Sample Final Report Essays Mikes Bikes Sample Final Report Paper Mikes Bikes Sample Final Report Paper The report is intended to outline details of varying factors that have influenced each years decisions for Bikes Bikes Bikes, which have resulted in both negative and positive impacts. With continuous improvement , the business is increasing at a steady rate. The firms goal was not only to achieve the highest SHIP in comparison to our competitors, but was also to appeal to the maximum number of potential consumers and in result achieve the highest market share within the industry. Through our dedication, willpower, and ambition the company has successfully been able to achieve many of the goals that we had set out for ourselves. Bikes Bikes Bikes started out with a SHIP of $10. 82 and is at a current stance of $42. 37. It has also effectively acquired the highest market share of 28. 9%, surpassing he closest competitor by a significant 7%. As at the beginning of 2015, the strategy that our business had decided to implement was the specialization of producing high quality and high priced bicycles. This strategy came to be through the extensive research conducted by the firms management team in which they discovered that the first set of bikes mountain bikes, had a medium sensitivity to quality and price. As previously mentioned, our goal revolves around providing our consumers with a high quality bike. Moreover, Bikes Bikes Bikes management team also focused extensively on the firms brand awareness and advertising to induce ore value and provide incentive for future consumers. After the steady development of mountain bikes, a new line of road bikes were launched in 201 8, followed by the introduction to a second segment of the road bike in 2019, and lastly a line to appeal to the youth community in 2020. The team critically analyzed multiple strategies and made decisions over the course of the past six years with plans that looked upon maximizing aspects such as SHIP, market share, quality and efficiency indexes and minimizing aspects that could be of potential harm such as debt, wastage, and unnecessary expenses. Although the firm incurred challenges at times, he company was able to encounter an incline at a constant rate in which was a direct result of carefully planned meetings that occurred twice a week.. Moreover, Bikes Bikes Bikes management team created and maintained OF 26 strong relationships with the market by providing generous support distribution. A detailed elaboration on the various decisions made by my team and will be elaborated on in the following report. Sincerely, Wayne Hang president CEO of Bikes Bikes Bikes AFFIRMATION STATEMENT Please read the following items after the completion of your assignment Once you have verified these points, please complete the statement. All team members have referenced and footnoted all ideas, words or other intellectual property from sources, other than the data provided in the multi- player version of Mikes Bikes, used in the completion of this assignment. 2. A proper bibliography has been included, which includes acknowledgement of all sources used to complete this assignment other than data provided in the multi-player version of Mikes Bikes. 3. This is the first time that any member of the team has submitted this assignment (either partially or entirely) for academic evaluation. 4. Each member of the team has read the full content of the submission and is assured that the content is free of violations of academic integrity. Team discussions regarding the importance of academic integrity have taken place. . Each student has identified his or her individual contribution to the work submitted such that if violation of academic integrity are suspected, then the student primarily responsible for the violations may be identified. Note that in this case the remainder of the team may also be subject to disciplinary action. The listed team members listed below have participated in the preparation of this assignment and no other individuals have contributed to this assignment except as acknowledged. Name : Wayne Hang 20574871 Section contributed : Title Page, Letter to the Board of Directors, Introduction to 2018-2020, Strategies and Tactics, Every Years Summary Conclusion, Financing Template Name : Seems El-Bach 20583252 Section contributed : Table of Contents, Introduction to 2017, Strategies and Tactics, Key Performance Indicators, SOOT Analysis, Closing Recommendations, Accounting Template Name : Christina Aka Way Chain 20577525 Section contributed : Annual Performance Analysis for 2015-2020, Introduction to 2016 and 201 9, Marketing Template Name: Honoring Chin 20550322 Section contributed: Introduction to 201 5, Strategies and Tactics Date : Friday, November 28th, 2014 TA: Susan Wang World: S 002 croup 004 Team 8 TABLE OF CONTENTS Strategies, Results, and Analysis: 2015 Marketing, Operational, and Financial Strategies Firm Results and Analysis Summary Conclusions Strategies, Results, and Analysis: 2016 6 Strategies, Results, and Analysis: 2017 11 Strategies, Results, and Analysis: 2018 15 Us Mary Conclusions Strategies, Results, and Analysis: 201 9 20 Marketing Operational, and Financial Strategies Strategies, Results, and Analysis: 2020 24 us Mary conclusions: 2015-2020 28 Performance Indicators SOOT Analysis Recommendations to Board Appendix 33 STRATEGIES, RESULTS AND ANALYSIS: 2015 In 201 5, the firm had introduced a brand new management team in hopes of approaching the business from a new and differentiated perspective. They constructed and proposed multiple strategies the firm could potentially implement to achieve outstanding results. At the point of entry, the firm had established a SHIP of $10. 82, on par with other competitors in the market. Many of the offered strategies revolved around the important central goal that involved maximizing SHIP. To do so, a consensus was reached to adopt a gig quality strategy for the firms existing mountain bikes. Reaching this goal involved steps such as setting the price of the bike, Dave, above market average. However, by natural economics, an increase in price causes a decrease in demand, and thus the company planned to increase spending in areas like advertising and PR. In 2015, Bikes Bikes Bikes faced fierce competition with competitors who adopted similar strategies and fell slightly behind from the extra emphasis placed PR expense, which the mountain bike is minimally affected by. However, the firm did incur an increase in sales, SHIP, ND market share, despite the fact that it didnt reach the initial goals set out. The proceeding analysis will provide more depth as to why the company could not reach the goals set out to the highest extent. With regards to the marketing strategy, the firms priority was to raise product awareness and develop a high quality image for the mountain bike that it currently offers. This resulted in an increased expense in areas of advertising and PR. Although a heavy investment, the future benefits that it is to propose; such as increased sales will outweigh the money invested, and will eventually bring back profit. Often, quality is correlated with price. Goods that are priced higher than similar substitutes are often to assumed to have a characteristic that bring upon the distinction, in which it is often quality. Therefore, the firm decided to increase the price of the bike to $750. The increase in expenditures with respect to advertising and PR can also be justified by the price markup. It is more difficult to sell higher priced goods and therefore an extra effort should be taken to minimize loss of sales. At this point in time, the management team did not have the clearance level to make decisions revolving around operations. However, based on reports, seniors believed that it would be best to maintain a constant production level, slightly differing from the 18, 100 units produced in the prior year. Although the production remained consistent, the ending inventory at the end of the year had increased by 58%, forcing the firm to incur expenses associated with inventory storage. At this time, this is all that can be reported with respect to operations. Once again, the financial decisions for 201 5 were made by higher up management. The firm had began with a debt to equity ratio of 30%, in which it was incapable of paying this year due to lack of funding. However, the increase in retained earnings resulted in an increase in shareholders equity, immediately decreasing the debt percentage by 9%, to 210/6. Although no action was taken during this period, the management team is placing emphasis on the repayment of the debt as soon as possible as it will limit our expenses, with specific regards to interest. Firm Results and Analysis For the firms sole product line of mountain bikes, Bikes Bikes Bikes decided to increase the price from 5700 to $750 following its decision to implement a high price, low volume strategy to increase our sales revenue by 10%. Thus, he companys bikes are sold at the third highest price overall (second to two firms with a set price of 5770). Comparing the prices implemented this year to the common price of $700 last year, it appears that most firms also imposed a high price strategy. With a higher price, product demand was expected to decrease, so the firm invested more money towards advertising (of $1 million) and PR (of $700,000) to raise demand for the companys products in the market. Compared to the competitors, the firm had the third highest advertising budget and the highest for PR (at $1 00,000 more than the next leading firm). The objective here was to increase demand enough to generate more revenue by selling more bikes at a relatively higher price than all the other firms. Since the mountain bike is highly influenced by advertising opposed to PR, by spending more than most competitors in PR but not for advertising expense, the firm did not gain as much sales and market share as originally expected. From the overall decrease in demand, demand forecast accuracy also fell from 100% to 97%. In 2015, there was a total sales of $8,635,575. Similarly, cost of goods sold and gross margin fell to $4, 1 96,650 and $4,438,925 respectively. Coupled with the expenses of $2,334,931, the result was a net income of $1 ,373,478 ($94,452 less than 2014), which showed room for improvement in sales and expense management. This year, the firm placed fifth in net income in the industry, and the fourth highest in sales and cost of goods sold, but the highest in selling and distribution expenses. This lead to more cash being expended than earned as revenue, which impacted the firms profitability and placed the firm at the fourth highest in cash balance overall at $3,748,711. With a current asset value of $3,832,575, this signifies that the majority of the rims current assets is comprised of cash. Therefore, the firm is in a very good position to meet its short term obligations, as a current ratio of 6. 51 means having over 6 times more assets than liabilities due within the coming year. This is a significant Increase in liquidity from the current ratio of 3. 87 in 2014, as a result of $1 ,674,770 increase in current assets with only a $31 , 292 increase in current liabilities. Despite the overall decrease in net income this year, the firms return on sales, return on equity and gross margin percentage ratios increased from 2014 (by 0. 01%, 1. 83% and 2. 1% respectively). This means that the amount of generated income from each dollar of equity and sales is now greater, as well as a higher amount of revenue retained as gross profit this year. Out of all the firms, Bikes Bikes Bikes has the fourth highest value for each of the profitability ratios. This means that although our firm experienced more profitability this year, there is still much more to be done to keep the firm at a competitive advantage. Based on the companys overall performance, Bikes Bikes Bikes experienced an increase in SHIP of $1. 97, as well as an increase in earnings per share of 7 cents. The firm has the fifth highest increase in both categories out of the world (with even the next highest having growth of $1. 02 and 73 cents respectively). However, this signifies a relatively stale growth in comparison to all other competitors and a need to increase efforts in hopes of improving company performance. This year, our production remained at constant levels from 2014 (at 45% production, 15% wastage and 40% idle time). In the market, the firm had the fourth highest in production and subsequently the second highest in idle time percentage. As the wastage percentage is also linked to production, our firm as the second lowest wastage percentage out Of all the firms as well. Thus, we began with 150 units in inventory, produced 1 7,918 additional bike for sales and resulting with an ending inventory of 354 units. The firms inventory turnover ratio decreased from 71. 63 to 70. 2, which means the time needed to sell our inventory increased. Moreover, though carrying costs were forecasted at $4,306,804, the firm ended up with only $4,1 96,650 in the end. For all our operations and decisions this year, we decided to use cash as the only source of financing due to our objective of minimizing debt-to-equity Asia. Currently, due to the existing long term debt of SSL the debt to equity ratio was 0. 21 in 2015. In 2014, the firms debt-to-equity ratio was 0. 3, showing progress due to increased revenue. In comparison, most competitors have a lower debt-to-equity ratio at 0. 19, so it is important to further increase sales and decrease incurred debt in order to catch up with other firms. The companys main source of cash activity involved operating activities, including sales revenue, advertising, PR, salaries and other operating expenses. Our budgeted performance for 201 5 was an inflow of 1 ,884,943, though in actuality, our cash inflow from operations only amounted to $1 As expenditures Were controlled based on management decisions, one of the primary underlying reasons for the shortfall would be due to less revenue generated during the period than forecasted. Though no cash investing activities involving property, plant and equipment occurred, cash movement was present in financing activities. From the existing long term debt of $1 an interest expense of $80,000 was incurred. Coupled with the bank interest earned from cash, a final cash outflow of 321 ,873 occurred. To increase the amount of cash available to insane our operations, the firm should reduce cash outflow from debt and interest. Summary Conclusion TO restate, Bikes Bikes Bikes goal for the year of 2015 was to obtain a increase in sales. The strategy implemented to achieve this goal was correlated with the process of increasing advertising expenditures and production. After a thorough analysis, it was determined that Bikes Bikes Bikes was unsuccessful in achieving this goal because it did not meet the targeted sales revenue. It was specified that we would be able to achieve the goal if our sales had increased from $8,1 90,000 to $ 9,009,000. However, Bikes Bikes Bikes sales for the year had only reached $8,625,575. Moreover, in comparison to competitors, we placed 4th in sales ranking. Since the firm was incapable of living up to the goals, Bikes Bikes Bikes plans to improve this performance by carefully analyzing our information again and appropriately making decisions that will help the firm grow. STRATEGIES, RESULTS AND ANALYSIS: 2016 Following a year of steady performance in 2016, Bikes Bikes Bikes identified a need to further improve its operations in order to better compete within the market. The firm was unable to meet its goal of increasing revenue by 1 0%, ailing short by $383,425. Moreover, the firm ranked fourth in revenue and fifth highest out of all firms for SHIP at SSL 2,79 per share. To better the performance of the company while maximizing SHIP and market share, Bikes Bikes Bikes aims to increase the price of bikes as well as the branding budget in order to generate a higher level of sales. Moreover, by reducing unneeded expenditures like PR expense and excess production costs, the firm plans to maximize net earnings to put the company in a far more competitive and profitable position in the market in the future. Marketing, Operational, and Financial Strategies After critical analysis of 2015, the management team had strong evidence that competing firms had adopted similar high price strategies and that the 50$ increase was not enough. Therefore, a 5$ increase was implemented to be able to compete within the market. Also, the enticed investment in advertising was outshone by the larger investment of other firms. With respect to PR, Our firm incurred a useless expense as it became evident that mountain bikes have a low response rate. As a result, an increase in advertising was prominent and the immediate reduction of PR to O was implemented. This year the team had the opportunity to increase investment in branding. Since one of the firms main goals revolves around raising awareness, expenditures on branding are to have a significant impact, and therefore funds were allocated towards this expense. With consistency to maintaining a high quality image, Bikes Bikes Bikes focuses its strategies on having Sports and Bike stores stock our products. Sports and Bikes stores are often correlated with selling high priced quality bikes such as mountain and road bikes. With future plans to expand into the road bike segment, the team determined that it would be of present day and true value to offer support to these stores, in hopes of providing extra incentive to stock our bike line, and lines in the future. However, a malfunction occurred within the systems just as we were submitting the amounts and instead of transferring $75,000 and $300,000 to Bike Shops and Sports Stores respectively, the amounts submitted were 575 and $300. However, the firm plans to make a complete 360 and administer the accurate amounts in the coming days. Bikes Bikes Bikes decided to continue providing stores with 35% retailer margin as it provides them with higher incentive to stock our bike line. Again this year, the management team did not have the access needed to make financial decisions and therefore could not implement any strategies at this point in time. However, as shareholders equity continues to increase over the years, and the companys decision to not take out a loan has decreased the debt to equity ratio by 6%, bringing it down to 15% for this year. This year the firm experienced a significant increase in cash of 61 % from the 2015 balance, placing Bikes Bikes Bikes at an advantage since it acquires the second highest value. For the single bike line, Bikes Bikes Bikes decided to further increase the price o $755 in compliance with a high price, low volume strategy. Thus, the firms bikes now have the second highest price in the market. As a result, demand and sales volume for the firms bikes decreased further, from 17,714 units last year to 1 7,376 units. Our Performa sales amount was 18,148 units, so the actual result did not achieve the intended level and our demand forecast accuracy fell by 2%. In regards to advertising and PR, a decision was made to decrease the budgets to $950,000 and SO respectively. For advertising, this decrease caused the firm to now spend the second least in advertising. As a mountain bikes demand is minimally influenced by PR ratings, it was concluded that there would be no gain in allocating funds towards PR expense. Thus, the firm has an awareness rating increased from 0. 2 to 0. 22 (the fourth highest overall) and a PR rating of 0. 6, a 0. 04 drop from last year (now at fourth place in the industry). Regarding distribution, retailer margins were maintained at a 35-75 split of revenue with retailers (while other firms varied between sharing 25% or 40% with retailers). In terms of extra support, the firm decided to focus more on supporting sports stores, the most popular Handel to sell mountain bikes (at a support amount of $305 compared to $75 for bike stores and $50 for discount stores). Aside from one firm that chose to give SO of extra support, we provided the lowest amount of extra support. Overall, our firm provided the second most distribution support to retailer at $202,365, second only to the firm who spent $290,771 in total. Thus, the company now has a distribution rating of 0. 4 (which doubled from 201 5) and now has the second highest rating in the industry (only 0. 05 less than the leading firm). For sports stores in particular, 319 stores now stocking he companys bikes (14 more than 201 5) which is the third highest number overall. For bike and discount stores, the amount of stores stocking the firms products reached 76 and 201 stores respectively, the second highest amount of stores stocking for both. This year, production level was decreased from 17,918 units to 17,370 units to reduce expenses, ending inventory and carrying costs. The result was the firm having the fifth highest production percentage (at 43%, with the highest in the industry at 54%), the lowest wastage (at 14%, a 1% decrease from 201 6) and the highest idle time (at 42%). In the end, 348 units of ending inventory, and carrying costs of $4,1 17,843 were recorded, but no lost sales occurred (keeping the firms delivery rating at 1. 0 like all other firms). Inventory turnover ratio fell from 49. 57 to 5. This year, showing a far longer period of time to sell inventory, achieve sales and generate revenue (compared to 2015). By continuing to aim for a minimal debt-to-equity ratio, the firm only used cash to finance its operations this year as well. Overall, the firm experienced a increase in cash inflow from operations to $2,295,274 no activity in cash flow room investing and a decrease in cash outflow from financing o f $4,746 compared to 2015. This was due to increased sales revenue, reduced expenses as well as increased cash balance earning interest in the bank exceeding the interest expense from long term debt. In 201 6, the debt-to- equity ratio decreased from 0. 21 to 0. 15, which is relatively the second highest debt-to-equity ratio overall (the lowest being O. 13). In 201 6, the firm generated a net income of $1 from $8,527,272 in revenue, $4,117,843 in cost of goods sold, and $1,649,915 in expenses. Comparatively, this is the fifth highest revenue and cost of goods sold values of all firms (the highest with $1 1 in revenue and 54,71 6,443 in cost of goods sold). By reducing expenses on areas like PR by $685,026 in total, Bikes Bikes Bikes now has the lowest amount of expenses overall. The companys cash balance this year was $6,061 12, signifying an increase of $2,31 2,401 in cash from 2015. Thus, Bikes Bikes Bikes now has the second highest amount of cash in all. With a current assets balance of $6,143,583, this means that over 98% of the firms current assets is comprised of cash that can be used to pay off obligations and finance our operations. Despite an increase of $1 81 , 359 in current liabilities, the firms current ratio increased from 6. 51 to 7. 8 in 201 6, representing that the company is in an even better position to meet current obligations for the year while continuing its operations. This year, the firms return on sales and gross margin percentage increased by 3. 85% and O. 19% respectively. Incidentally, our return on equity ratio decreased by 5. 99%. As a result, the firm now has the third highest return on sales, gross margin percentage and return on equity ratios. This shows considerable room for improvement. The firms earnings per share increase d from $1. 37 to $1. 86, which is now the third highest in the world.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Sex and culture essays

Sex and culture essays Throughout history views about sex have been defined and redefined by each and every culture. To many virginity is viewed as sacred and cherish able, where as others, it means little. After taking a close look into the Asian, White, Black, Indian and Hispanic culture in the twenty first century we are able to still see the many differences each share, and how cultural influence, along with a growing population of sexual liberals have effected these races views. Also, we will see how a few of these races have changed their views over the many decades that have passed. First we will examine the White or Caucasian race, which is very familiar to many of us. To better clarify my meaning of the white race I wish only to examine the most familiar to me, the America, Caucasians. When looking back throughout history at the American White race, we are able to see the views of sexuality and virginity change dramatically. In the early 1930s many of the members of the White race held strong religious belief that sex was sacred and only to be active within the realms of marriage. Virginity was especially special and people were looked down upon for having lost it before married. In the social aspects, sex was unpopular to speak of or show publicly. This way of collective thinking can be viewed through the music, movies, and media of that time. In many of the silent films people never share a kiss and it was thought of risky to share physical contact. The music was soft and slow without any regard to sexual desire or action. Sharon Ullman states in Sex Seen, The Victorian world of homosocial relationships gradually gave way to one of the heterosocial associations. American men and women have always socialized in some fashion; however, such connections-particularly among unmarried individuals-were closely regulated in the early twentieth century, an era of gender-segregated friendships and social networks. Though such networks survive ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

McDonald's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

McDonald's - Essay Example Being in operation in over 90 countries in the world makes financial and economic trends an important factor in the company’s operations. The choice whether to import resources or purchase them locally is a vital element. Another principal element is the level of taxes that the company is liable to pay; how much do tariffs cost on specific brought in raw materials? What is the level of taxation for multinational corporations? What is the level of unemployment? (McDonalds, 2015). Growing and constantly changing ways of life can have a consequence on the performance of sales. Persons increasingly are looking for more fare that is sophisticated when they venture out to eat. Hamburgers and French fries are not as exceptional as before. Furthermore, while individuals in western states such as the US may enjoy hamburgers and chips (French fries) as they are commonly called, individuals in Asian states, for instance, favor rice. In the past, McDonald’s has recommended a rice burger in China and the company is currently supporting rice to be eaten for supper in that area. Although technology may be seen to play a limited function in the fast food sector, the perception is misguided right at the core. Actually, high technology supports organizations develop their management and output, at the same time cutting on wasted time and assets. It can aid with arrangement, collation, estimating sales and customer traffic, and efficient modes of payment. Technology can additionally be employed for easy, cheap marketing on the World Wide Web. In the current times, individuals care about restoring and safeguarding the environment. They care about issues such as environmental pollution and the consequences that waste packing methods are having on the environs. In the recent past, McDonald’s was put to task by conservationist over the polystyrene wrapping that

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

School wait list letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School wait list letter - Essay Example I look forward to take Organic Chemistry II and Microbiology early this summer, therefore, to complete all my prerequisites for the program. In order to do this letter correctly, I would suggest the following. I know that this isnt a rewrite of the letter, but I think that you might be missing the point a bit. Take into consideration that there are many people who have applied to this program. Perhaps several hundred. For you to get to the wait list, youve gotten to the first "cut" so to speak. What you want to do now is tell them more about you and how you are a fit for the program. The article that you have attached makes good sense. You want to let them know that you are still interested and give them a reason to bring you into the program. What makes you different from everyone else? What can you do that no one else can do? What have you done to show interest in the study? The thing is, the letter that you have now is okay. Its written well. But it doesn’t tell anyone anything. It tells them a very little about you. How much do you want this opportunity? How much do you feel that you are a fit? I would suggest going back to the article that you sent and answering the questions I suggested. If you want help writing it after that, great. Otherwise, its kind of a moot point if you dont want to add anything

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Trends and Challenges in Human Resource Management Essay Example for Free

Trends and Challenges in Human Resource Management Essay a.Discuss how a complete performance management system differs from the use of annual performance appraisals. The performance management cycle begins with objective setting where the appraisee ought to be oriented about performance expectations for the given performance period. Throughout the period, performance is measured officially through the performance appraisal exercise, where the appraiser is given the chance to give performance feedback through an interview. The performance management system subsumes the performance appraisal process, and is meaningfully linked to rewards based on outcomes or results. Following all these, modifications are implemented to objectives and activities, including the drafting of an individual development plan for closing competency gaps (Clarke, Rogers, Miklos, 1996). The following section describes the different types of performance appraisal systems, which, as emphasized, is only one part of the performance management cycle. The following discusssion is being made to reiterate the idea that performance appraisal is but one part of performance management. Trait-focused appraisal systems. A trait-focused system concentrates on employees’ attributes such as their dependability, assertiveness, and friendliness. Though commonly used, trait focused performance appraisal instruments are not a good idea because they provide poor feedback and thus will not result in employee development and growth (Kingstrom Bass, 1981). For example, in a performance review meeting in which the supervisor tells an employee that she received low ratings on responsibility and friendliness, the employee is likely to become defensive. Furthermore, the employee will want specific examples the supervisor may not have available (Kingstrom Bass, 1981). Behaviour-focused performance appraisal systems. Behaviour-focused instruments focus on what an employee does. Instead of rating them on personal traits, a behaviour-focused instrument would rate him or her on specific behaviours. For example, in the case of a bank teller, some behaviours that may be rated on are as follows: â€Å"Knows customers’ names†, and â€Å"Thanks customer after each transaction.† The obvious advantage to a behaviour-focused system is the amount of specific feedback that can be given to each employee. Further, the focus on behaviour rather than traits does not only reduce employee defensiveness but reduces legal problems (Kingstrom Bass, 1981). From a legal perspective, courts are more interested in the due process afforded by a performance appraisal system that in its technical aspects. After reviewing 295 circuit court decision regarding performance appraisal, Werner Bolino (1997) concluded that performance appraisal systems are most likely to survive a legal challenge if they are based on job analysis, if raters receive training and written instructions, if employees are allowed to review results, and if ratings from multiple raters are consistent. Following the performance appraisal process is performance feedback. In organizational parlance, this is frequently referred to as performance discussions. Perhaps the most important use of performance evaluation data is to provide feedback to the employee and assess his or her strengths and weaknesses so that further training can be implemented. Although this feedback and training should be an ongoing process, the semi-annual evaluation might be the best time to formally discuss employee performance. Furthermore, holding a formal review interview places the organization on better legal ground in the event of a lawsuit (Field Holley, 1982). Normally, in most organizations a supervisor spends a few minutes with employees every six months to tell them about the scores they received during the most recent performance evaluation period. This process is probably the norm because most managers do not like to judge others; because of this dislike, they try to complete the evaluation process as quickly as possible (Field Holley, 1982).   Furthermore, seldom does evaluating employees benefit the supervisor. The best scenario is to hear no complaints, and the worst scenario is a lawsuit. In fact, one study demonstrated that dissatisfaction and a decrease in organizational commitment occurs even when an employee receives an evaluation that is â€Å"satisfactory† but not outstanding (Pearce Porter, 1986). Finally, in the â€Å"tell and sell† approach to performance appraisal interviews, a supervisor â€Å"tells† an employee everything she has done poorly and then â€Å"sells† her on the ways in which she can improve. This method, however, accomplishes little. There are certain techniques that will make the performance appraisal interview more effective, and these are discussed in the following sections. Both the supervisor and the employee must have time to prepare for the review interview. Both should be allowed at least 1 hour to prepare before an interview and at least 1 hour before the interview itself (Pearce Porter, 1986). The interview location should be a neutral place that ensures privacy and allows the supervisor and the employee to face one another without a desk between them as a communication barrier (Rhoads, 1997). Performance appraisal review interviews should be scheduled at least once every 6 months for most employees and more often for new employees. Review interviews are commonly scheduled 6 months after an employee begins working for the organization. It is important to note that while formal performance review interviews occur only twice a year, informal â€Å"progress checks† should be held throughout the year to provide feedback (Rhoads, 1997). While preparing for the interview, the supervisor should review the ratings she has assigned to the employee and the reasons for those ratings. This step is important because the quality of feedback given to employees will affect their satisfaction with the entire performance appraisal process (King, 1984). Meanwhile the employee should rate her own performance, using the same format as the supervisor. The employee also should write down specific reasons and examples that support the ratings she gives herself (King, 1984). At the outset of the interview, the supervisor should communicate the following: 1) the role of the performance appraisal – that making decisions about salary increases and terminations is not its sole purpose; 2) how the performance appraisal was conducted; and 3) how the evaluation process was accomplished. It is advisable that the supervisor also communicate her own feelings about the performance appraisal process (Kelly, 1984). The review process is probably best begun with the employee communicating her own ratings and her justification for those ratings. Research indicates that employees who are actively involved in the interview from the start will be more satisfied with the results. The supervisor then communicates his ratings and his reasons for them (King, 1984). At the conclusion of the interview, goals should be mutually set for future performance and behaviour, and both supervisor and employee should understand how these goals are met (Cederbloom, 1982). In summary, a performance management system encompasses the phases of performance planning, performance monitoring, performance feedback, and performance development. In performance planning, the goal of the superior is to ensure that all objectives, key performance indicators, and even resources for performance delivery are clear and understood. In performance monitoring, the supervisor aims to keep track of whether the employee is delivering in accordance with expectations. This is done through communication and progress tracking. The performance appraisal exercise is only one practice subsumed in this whole system, particularly under performance feedback giving. Finally, in the performance development phase, performance gaps are addressed through coaching, classsroom training, and other individual development initiatives. b.Discuss the advantages of managing turnover in organizations. Turnover has been linked with affective and continuance commitment. Each of the three distinct dimensions to organizational commitment: affective, continuance and normative commitment are defined (Meyer and Allen, 1997). 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Affective commitment – means an employee’s personal attachment and identification to the organization.   This results in a strong belief in an acceptance of the organization’s goals and values.   â€Å"Employees with a strong affective commitment continue employment with the organization because they want to do so† (Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 5) 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Continuance commitment – is a tendency to engage in consistent lines of activity based on the individual’s recognition of the â€Å"costs† associated with discontinuing the activity.  Ã‚   â€Å"Employees whose primary link to the organization is based on continuance commitment remain because they need to do so.† (Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 5) 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Normative commitment – provides that employees exhibit behaviours solely because they believe it is the right and moral thing to do. â€Å"Employees with a high level of normative commitment feel that they ought to remain with the organization.† (Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 5) In their findings, Parà © and Tremblay provide that affective commitment and continuance commitment are negatively related to turnover intentions (Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 6).   In addition to these two distinct types of commitment affecting turnover intention, their studies also points to the factor they call Organizational Citizenship Behaviour or OCB.   OCB is considered as a key element in organizational effectiveness.   OCB is defined as â€Å"an employee’s willingness to go above and beyond the prescribed roles which they have been assigned† (Parà © and Tremblay, 2000, p. 6, quoting from Organ 1990). Based on Parà © and Tremblay’s findings, the stronger the citizenship behaviour, the more likely they are to stay in their company.   In effect, those with high turnover intentions are not as committed as those who intend to stay long with the company. The Job Characteristics Model of Hackman and Oldham (1980) show that the job characteristics of skill variety, task identity, task significance, task autonomy, and feedback   are likewise linked to management of turnover. The five core job characteristics are in continuous interaction with individual differences that evoke three critical psychological states in an employee.   These three states are: 1) when the job is structured by skill variety, task identity and task significance this could lead employees to experience meaningfulness in their work. 2) The second state, task autonomy, which leads to feelings of responsibility for the outcomes of work. 3) The third and last state is feedback, which leads employees towards knowledge of the results of their work (Douthit 2000; Huber 2000). These three critical psychological states lead to a set of affective and personal outcomes:   high internal work motivation, high growth satisfaction, high general satisfaction, high work effectiveness, and low rate of absenteeism (Mohamed 2004; Donovan and Radosevich, 1998). These affective and personal outcomes are the results of en employee’s job characteristics.   They are defined as follows: High internal work motivation – this is the degree to which an employee is willing to work and to consider the organizational objectives as part of his or her own goals (Mohamed, 2004). High growth satisfaction – this is the achievement of the employee in overcoming challenges, succeeding and growing (Steers Black, 1994) High general satisfaction – this the feeling derived from the overall satisfaction with the work itself. â€Å"This type of satisfaction is reflected mainly in decreased rates of absenteeism among employees† (Steers Black, 1994). High work effectiveness – this refers to both the quality and quantity aspects of work performance (Hackman Oldham, 1980). Low rate of absenteeism. In other words, in managing retention and in effect managing these characteristics of the job, the organization shall have more motivated, more satisfied, more effective employees (Hackman Oldham, 1980). c.Examine contemporary safety and health management issues in the workplace. Workplace Safety: Information (2007) defines workplace safety as an environment encompassing all the factors that may have impact on the welfare of the employees in terms of safety working conditions and the health of laborers. Aspects that are given priorities are the hazards found in the surroundings, workplace areas, conditions and workplace process flowcharts. Other issues among employees regarding grooming, drug and alcohol abuse, absenteeism, horseplay and tardiness, violence and work output submissions are also covered. If there is one organization monitoring the activities of the safety in the workplace, it is the Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA). OSHA is focusing on three goals as its cornerstones in regulating safety practices in organizations. First, it improves the safety and health of the workers, from the top management to the bottom, to make sure that there would be less accidents, hazards, injuries, illnesses, and fatalities that will occur in the companies. Second, it operates by making changes in the workplace culture to heighten the awareness of both the employer and its workers in committing its involvement in the health and safety of the company populace. Third, it assures the security of public confidence in maintaining the delivery of OSHA’s programs and services. Looking at the federal guidelines, OSHA’s proposed programs are less tough and are user-friendly for different companies (Guastello, 1993). However, a common query among organizations is that the benefits of behaviour modification programs, such as incentives may not have lasting effects or may diminish over time (Guastello, 1993). Many agree that safety programs using incentives can be found in an existing and well-rounded comprehensive safety program. Based on OSHA, there are four elements of an effective safety and health program such as management commitment and employee involvement; worksite analysis; hazard prevention and control; and safety and health training. In all these elements of incentive programs employees’ participation can be recognised.   First, a number of employees can be heads of safety committees, worksite analyses, accident investigations and safety suggestions. Second, by assigning among them a supervisor hazard prevention and control may be strengthened since peers will follow anti-hazard rules in their workspace.Third, employees can be seen in the active attendance and participation in safety meetings through quizzes, interactive role-playing and roundtable discussions. Giving the employees the chance to participate and be recognised in effective safety programs, they would feel that it is a privilege to be part of the core group of safety culture in the family. At the same time the myriad of manuals and guidelines provided discussing safety workplace incentives will still be very useful in keeping the employees aware of the controls and measures that the company is undertaking for the welfare of the workers in general (Walker, 2007). Reduction in the number of accidents has been shown to be possible with the strict implementation of workplace behaviour modifications (Lund Aaro, 2004). Using safety incentives is just one of the ends to the ways of improving population’s safety behaviours. By introducing a safety culture scheme in the organization, individual and group motivational factors for safe behaviour, risk justification, and optimism in workplace are deemed to show great improvement (Williamson et al., 1997). In one way or another, these factors are crucial and are influenced by the reward system such as incentives by recognising the individuals who are putting their best efforts to their work and doing their jobs in a safe manner. Safety incentive programs generally have two categories: (1) injury/illness-based incentive programs and (2) behaviour-based incentive programs (Hinze, 2002). Injury/illness-based incentive programs are based on the number of times that an illness or injury is incurred and such occurrence will be the criterion in rewarding workers and crew members. The programs go along with the assumption that: (1) facilities and equipment used are in good condition and do not cause any accidents; (2) employees are given proper training and work knowledge in administering the use of office equipment; and (3) accidents are usually the results of worker’s negligence or compromise on safety (Smith, 1997). Meanwhile, behaviour-based incentive programs observe the workers in such a way that their attitude towards work is assessed. Previous studies have identified the means of measuring worker’s behaviour as a means for recognising safety performance (Duff et al., 1993). Examples of activities of behaviour that can be rewarded are active participation in safety meetings and training sessions, ability to give sound suggestions about the improvement of safety in the jobsite, proper use of personal equipment and other behaviour avoiding accidents (Geller, 1996). d.Also, include a discussion of future trends and challenges in HR management. Since the theories, approaches and practices for Human Resource Management can be traced back to Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management, trends can be expected. Some of the recent trends that are being observed are moonlighting, human resource outsourcing, and two of Charles Handy’s organizational models – Shamrock and Federal, respectively. Moonlighting is when an employee holds dual or multiple jobs at the same time. Many employees become moonlighters if they salary they get from their primary job is not enough. Moonlighting has its advantages too. It can reduce the rate of turnovers in industries where work is routinary and it can also be a means for a company to retain their employees. The downside of moonlighting is that the company risks losing confidential information to competitors. It can also lead to absenteeism due to exhaustion and burnout from both jobs (Tett Meyer, 1993). Outsourcing is one of the latest additions to the trends in human resource management. An organization seeks out sub contractual employees for either product design or manufacturing from a third-party organization at a lower cost. Outsourcing is good for small to medium-sized organizations that are growth oriented since it can provide the owners free time to focus on developing strategies to gain competitive edge (Ulrich, 1997). It can also help transform the business by increasing the flexibility of the organization to meet the changing conditions, demands for products and services and technologies. It also makes the experts available for you. By outsourcing experts, you are able to improve your risk management and control over the business. Your credibility can also be improved since you do have the best in the field working for you. You also gain a network by associating your organization to the provider. Charles Handy’s organizational models are being practiced by enterprises depending on the nature of their industry (Armstrong, 2003). With these models, organizations can be flexible with their organizational structure in order to ensure their competitive edge. The Shamrock model or clover model consist of three main levels that represent a different type of organizational objectives: the core, the contractual fringe, and the flexible workforce. The core is basically the thinking part of the model. They are the ones that possess the most knowledge about the field and are the most paid. The contractual fringe is the part of the model that provides materials and service inputs to the core. The flexible workforce is responsible for the workload itself. Though these three workforces or parts need to be managed separately and differently, the organization has three different parts with varying responsibilities and expectations and yet work to achieve the same goal. In the Federal model, power is distributed and it is about building high commitment, professional organizations. The federal is a bit complex. It is decentralized but at the same time centralized when the situations calls for it. It is a system of small core organizations with much focused core competencies sustained by many resources available to them. It is also believed that in order to improve productivity a strong social agreement between the organization and the union and a good social welfare system is a must. Although more and more trends come to pass to keep up with the changes, more and more conflicting issues arise too. Selecting who to hire is becoming a more complex task. Training and developments are hard to keep up with since more technological improvements are made and competition is getting stiffer by the minute. Maintaining current employees is proving to be one of the top human resource managers’ problems, since more organizations try to outdo each other in regards to the compensation and benefits they offer to their would-be and existing employees. Diversity within the workplace is posing to be a relevant issue for the human resource department (Chen, 2007). Motivation and loyalty of employees is a perennial contemporary issue for the human resource manager. Mergers, acquisition, turnovers, and consolidation happen more often, and throughout all these, strategic human resource management is necessary to ensure continued delivery of objectives amidst turbulent change. References Armstrong, M. (2003). A handbook of human resource management practice. London: Kogan Page. Cederbloom, D. (1982). The performance appraisal interview: A review, implications, and suggestions. Academy of Management Review, 7, 219-227. Chen, A. (2007). The challenges of human resource management. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://ezinearticles.com. Clarke, D., Rogers, V. Miklos, S. (1996). Upward appraisal: Does it make a difference? Paper presented at the 11th annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, St. Louis, MO. Donovan, J.J. Radosevich, D. (1998). The moderating role of goal commitment on the goal difficulty–performance relationship: a meta-analytic review and critical re-analysis. Journal of applied psychology, 83, 308–15. Douthit, M.W., (2000). Job satisfaction returns to human and social capital. Journal of behavioral and applied management, 2000, 1(1), 67. Duff, A. R., Robertson, I. T., Cooper, M. D., Phillips, R. and United Kingdom Health Safety Executive (HSE). (1993). Improving safety on construction sites by changing personnel behaviour (HSE Contract Research Report No.51/ 1993). Field, H. S., Holley, W. H. (1982). The relationship of performance appraisal system characteristics to verdicts in selected employment discrimination cases. Academy of Management Journal, 25, 392-406. Geller, E. (1996). The psychology of safety: How to improve behaviours and attitudes on the job, Pennsylvania: Chilton Book Company. Guastello, S. (1993). Do we really know how well our occupational accident programs work? Safety Science, 16, 445-463. Hackman, J.R. Oldham, G.R. (1980). Work design. Reading, Massachusetts, Addison–Wesley, 1980, 114–21. Hinze, J. (2002). Safety incentives: Do they reduce injuries? Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction, 7(2), 81-84. Kelly, C. M. (1984). Reasonable performance appraisals. Training: Development, 38(1), 79-82. King, P. (1984). Performance planning and appraisal. New York: McGraw-Hill. Kingstrom, P.O., Bass, A. R. (1981). A critical analysis of studies comparing behaviourally anchored rating scales (BARS) and other rating formats. Personnel Psychology, 34, 263-289. Lund, J. Aaro, L. (2004). Accident prevention: Presentation of a model placing emphasis on human, structural, and cultural factors. Safety Science, 42, 271–324. Meyer, J.P.    Allen, N.J. (1997). Commitment in the workplace. Sage Publications. Mohamed, A.H. (2004, May) Using the job characteristics model to compare patient care assignment methods of nurses, 10(3), 389-405. Parà ©, G. and Tremblay, M. (2000).   The measurement and antecedents of turnover intentions among IT professionals.   Scientific Series.   Ciprano.   September 2000. Pearce, J. L., Porter, L. W. (1986). Employee responses to formal performance appraisal feedback. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 211-218. Rhoads, C. (1997). A year-round schedule said to take sting out of performance reviews. American Banker, 162(28), 6. Smith, T.A. (1997) What’s wrong with safety incentives? Professional Safety, May, 44. Steers, R.M. Black, J.C. (1994). Organizational behavior, 5th ed. New York, Harper Collins. Tett, R. P., Meyer, J.P. (1993). Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover: Path analyses based on meta analytic findings. Personel Psychology, 46, 259-293. Ulrich, D. (1997). Human resource champions: The next agenda for adding value and delivering results. Boston, Mass.:Harvard Business School Press. Walker, J. (2007). ABCs of safety incentives: Positive consequences to behaviour. Facility Safety Management. Retrieved April 10, 2008 from http:// www.fsmmag.com/Articles/2005/12/ABCs%20of%20Safety%20Incentives%20Positive%20Consequences%20to%20Behaviour.htm. Werner, J. M., Bolino, M. C. (1997). Explaining U.S. Courts of Appeals decisions involving performance appraisal: Accuracy, fairness, and validation. Personnel Psychology, 50(1), 1-24. Williamson, A., Feyer, A., Cairns, D. Biancotti, D. (1997). The development of a measure of safety climate: The role of safety perceptions and attitudes. Safety Science, 25(1-3), 15-27. Workplace Safety: Information. (2007). Workplace safety: Information and much more from Answers.com. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://www.answers.com/topic/workplace-safety?cat=biz-fin.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Essay --

The Physics of the Mangonel Catapult Catapults have been used for centuries by many groups of people, including the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Chinese. Catapults have had an assortment of purposes, but the most commonly purpose was to launch a projectile to destroy castles and soldiers. There were three main types of catapults; Ballista, Mangonel, and the Trebuchet. The mangonel was the most popular one. Different levels of torsion in the rope of the mangonel catapult decided how far a projectile was going to travel. Also the different objects that were used as projectiles and there masses also had a big role in the distance they would reach. If physics weren’t applied to building a catapult the catapult itself wouldn’t function correctly, therefore physics is what brings these machines to life. Though catapults are no longer used today in combat or any other use they still have a great history behind them. The mangonel catapult was the most well known one. The way this catapult functioned was by pulling back on a wooden stick that was connected to a wooden arm with a bucket, would pull that arm back. Pulling back on the wooden stick would cause the potential energy of the catapult to be stored in the torsion of the ropes of the wooden arm. When the wooden stick was let go the arm wood immediately return to its original position of 90 degrees where a wooden block would stop its impact and would then launch the projectile. When the arm reaches back to its original position it forms an arc with a radius equal to the arm length. Therefore the potential energy is transferred into rotational kinetic energy. Decreasing the torsion in the ropes of the wooden arm would make the projectile travel at a slower velocity. To calculate the t... ...ed. Another disadvantage is that the mangonel was not that accurate. The range was determined by the mass of the object and the strength of the catapult itself. Catapults were the weapon of the medieval times. The catapults had many purposes especially during war. Physics were applied to the building of a catapult without it the catapult wouldn’t function. The different levels of torsion would affect the catapults ability to launch a projectile higher into the sky, further, and give it a faster velocity. Also the different masses of objects used as the projectile were also accounted for those things. Though the mangonel catapult was a great catapult it also lacked some abilities, such as having poor accuracy and it wouldn’t work in wet conditions or cold weather like in the rain. Overall the mangonel is a great catapult and always has been over the past centuries.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Communication in Health & Social Care Essay

1. Understand why effective communication is important in the work setting 1.1 – Identify the different reasons people communicate To express needs; to share ideas and information; to reassure; to express feelings; to build relationships; socialise; to ask questions; to share experiences People communicate in order to establish and maintain relationships with others, to give and receive information and instructions, to understand and be understood, to share opinions, knowledge, feelings, emotions, to give encouragement and show others they are valued. see more:people from different backgrounds Communication is an essential tool a carer can use to meet the needs of those they are caring for. It is a basic requirement of my job role to communicate with individuals and their families, other members of staff on a daily basis. Communicating with other staff members ensures effective team working and continuity of care. It also ensures any health and safety issues are recognised and reported. All carers attend hand over at the beginning of each shift and also complete communication books after attending an individual, thereby keeping other staff informed and aware of current situations within the workplace. Individuals communicate with carers to express their needs and preferences and to ensure they are met. As a carer I would discuss the options and choices available to the individual to allow them an informed choice regards their care. 1.2 – Explain how communication affects relationships in the work setting Effective communication is more than just talking, and is essential for the well-being of the individuals you care for. It includes body language, gestures, facial expressions, positioning and appearance. It is important to be aware of non-verbal communication when interacting with individuals at work. Communication is a fundamental relationship-building skill in the workplace. If people don’t communicate well they limit their ability to connect on any meaningful level and, at the extreme, can create conflict. Positive communication skills like listening, open questions, calm tone of voice. These help bring people together because they are behaviours that lead to creating relationships. Workplace relationships also become a lot stronger when people can clearly and effectively communicate what they need and allow others to do the same. 2. Be able to meet the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individuals 2.2 – Describe the factors to consider when promoting effective communication It is impossible to do without communication in health and social care, we have many reasons to communicate and it is essential communication is done effectively without misunderstanding others or being misunderstood. We communicate with: Patients, residents, clients, Health care professionals, Managers and supervisors, Family and friends. Factors to consider: – that most communication is non-verbal, that information must be factual and concise and not be littered with personal opinions (and documented in the same manner). Documented care should be dated, timed and signed. This last point is particularly important when maintaining medication records). There are many other factors to consider when promoting effective communication such as: – environment – is the location correct, it is noisy, do you need privacy, is the communication able to flow freely whilst doing a task or is a formal place required. – proximity – the better you know a person the closer you will be and sharing information is easier – closeness can encourage effective communication. Do you need to reposition yourself or say chairs around you to ensure you make effective use of the space around you so it is not a barrier to communication. – body positioning/body language – do you need to lean towards the person to encourage communication and show them you are interested but going too close can be invading someone’s â€Å"space†. Standing directly in front of someone may be interpreted as being too direct. Body language needs to be considered – arms crossed can be perceived as defensive and not open to communication. Standing over a person may also seem intimidating – do you need to kneel down onto someone’s level. – touch – A light touch on a person’s arm or hand can communicate caring and understanding, but sometimes touch can feel intrusive, even threatening. Touch is a safeguarding issue and you must never impose yourself physically on a vulnerable adult. You also need to consider the method of communication and what is the best way for effective communication such as – written (emails, texts, letters, reports etc), verbal (face to face or over telephone). You will also need to consider cultural differences when promoting effective communication. Acknowledging and responding to the cultural aspects of a person’s identity and care needs are strategies that are likely to enhance communication. Avoid general assumptions that beliefs about issues such as diet, personal care practices, sleeping arrangements and ‘health’ are shared by all service users. Another factor is language differences – Language is a central feature of any communication process. There is often an assumption in care settings that the language of the dominant culture should be used, which in most cases is English. Where care professionals are involved, this may also include use of technical health or social care jargon. Avoid using jargon where possible as it can confuse service users who are unfamiliar with the specialist terms. Physical difficulties influence the way individuals are able to communicate. This is another factor to consider. You need to be sensitive to the specific needs of individuals so communication is facilitated from the start. For example, if a person has difficulty enunciating (speaking clearly) following a stroke, allow enough time for a conversation to take place, check frequently that you are receiving their message correctly and reassure the person that they don’t need to rush. You also need to fact in those people with hearing difficulties or those who are visually impaired. You need to consider whether the person’s hearing aid is in and working, speaking clearly and concisely, ensure you speak directly to the person’s face or in front of them. Use facial expressions to aid understanding. With visually impaired ensure you introduce that you are there before launching into a conversation, use light touches on the body to let someone know you are there and make sure clearly end a conversation and let the person know if you are leaving. 3. Be able to overcome barriers to communication 3.1 – Explain how people from different background may use and/or interpret communication methods in different ways Diversity is something to be celebrated however everyone being different can cause issues with communication. We are all different and interpret information in different ways so we need to ensure we consider peoples differences when communicating. Cultural differences can mean people interpret communication differently. What is acceptable in one culture may not be in another e.g. a handshake between a man and woman may not be allowed, addressing the opposite sex may not be allowed, personal care of the opposite sex may not be allowed. People may also not be competent in communicating effectively – they may not have had a formal education or have special educational needs therefore it is important to consider how that individual can interpret information and in turn communicate themselves. In simple terms a person’s personality also affects how they communicate and respond to communication. A quiet introverted person may not be heard about a loud extrovert person. Also that person may not be able to digest information in a room that is full of loud, noisy people. Similarly a person who likes noise and a room full of chatter may not prefer a quiet environment and could â€Å"switch off†.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Community, Responsibility, and Guilt

Community, Responsibility, and Guilt The novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez tells the story of Santiago Nasar's death. More importantly it tells the story of what values and honor mean to a community and to what extent one can go to maintain that standard. A central theme in the novel is how a society can pressurize its people to act and behave in a certain way. They feel bound by a standard that if not kept, then it will bring shame to their family. In the novel, after her husband returns Angela Vicario to her family on their wedding night, she admits that it is Nasar that had aken her virginity.Her brothers, Pablo and Pedro, viscously murder Nasar to regain their sister's and familys honor. In this society a man or woman without honor is an outcast to the community and to the culture. Almost everyone in the community knew what was going to happen but no one did anything about it. Everyone in the community had excuses to why they did nothing to help. Excus es stating that they didn't believe it would really happen or that they Just didn't know what to do. Each person seemed to Just hope that someone else would do it; someone else would stop hem, and didn't want to take responsibility.The novel reflects how a community can victimize individuals within its society causing detrimental affects to both the general public and the specific individuals involved. The novel looks into the Latin American culture and how its cultural norms and the importance of honor effects the entire community. The principles that obligates the Vicario family and the community conducts the murder of a most likely innocent Santiago Nasar and burdens Pedro and Pablo with the duty to defend the family honor.In this culture, honor of a woman's purity does not only belong to the female individually but the honor belongs to the family as well. To not be pure can bring shame on the family name in the eyes of the entire community. So much so that keeping ones honor is more important than been truthful and keeping Godly values. This double standard makes it okay for a women to deceive their husband into thinking that they're virgins. We see this in the novel, page thirty-eight, where Angela is taught old wives tricks to fake her virginity on her wedding night and told that it is ommon that women have to do this.The community consists of both Latin culture and Arab culture ranging for different social classes. However, as stated in the lecture notes, both cultures connect through religion. Both the Latin and Arab cultures in the novel are Catholic. The Catholic religion is very important to all the members of the community. Cultural beliefs, traditions, and rituals form the Catholic Church influence the roles of the family. The novel presents a break down in religion. A break down in religion causes a break down in family values. This is why almost a ouble standard is seen with the communitys values.In the book, the Bishop never comes ashore to giv e his blessing, acting as if he is to good to stand with the people of the community and seems to Just be going through the motions. Another example is how Father Amador is told about the plan to murder Santiago but he never tries to stop it blaming it on being busy and not knowing what to do. If a leader of the church church do it either? The novel stress the importance of the Catholic Church and practicing church tradition, but at the same time there is stress to put all that aside or the sake of honor.To defend ones honor, it is okay to lie and murder as long as it is Just. It is even okay to make excuses for guilt. â€Å"No one even wondered whether Santiago Nasar had been warned, because it seemed impossible to all that he hadn't† (Marquez, p. 20). Everyone had an excuse for why they didn't get involved. They felt they didn't have to do anything because someone else would do it. Another double standard is how men having premarital sex at the brothel or prostitution house seems to be acceptable in the community but a woman having sexual relations efore marriage is what is wrong.The community is collectively thinking. No one is standing up as an individual. So then when everyone decides to stay silent the effects of their actions intern breaks down the community responsibility to its members causing havoc for many of the characters and the public as a whole. Having honor and commitment to the family and community is major theme of the Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Societal responsibility is different for men and women. â€Å"The boys were brought up to be men. The girls had been reared to get married† (p. 31).The community emphasizes a machismo culture. The women are taught to have suffered, be pure and be compliant to men. Men are taught to show and prove their masculinity and to be dominating. Society fails to care for and victimizes Santiago Nasar. However, I feel that the other characters are somewhat victims as well. Santiago, most likel y innocent, is victimized because he is slaughtered for deflowering Angela Vicario. Pedro and Pablo are victims because they are bound by honor and duty to regain their familys honor by killing the man believed to have taken it. So he ut the knife in his hand and dragged him off almost by force in search of their sister's lost honor. â€Å"There's no way out of this,† he told him. â€Å"It's as if it had already happened† (Marquez p. 61). This quote shows how the Vicario brothers are ruled by their cultural beliefs and feel that they have to do the deadly deed to be respected. Other examples are the hypocritical gender differences, which makes Angela a victim; and Bayardo is a victim due to the cultural expectation of having a pure wife and if she is not then he has to return her and face the embarrassment.This victimization of many of the characters is because they are all bound by the rules of their community's culture leaving them with no other outcome. Santiago is easily victimized because he was never told that he was going to be killed. He was a sitting duck unaware of the hidden predators waiting to slaughter him. This victimization was because no one in the community took responsibility and in the end their society felt that the murder was Just due to family duty and the regaining of ones honor.The structure of the story is told by an anonymous narrator who was there at he time of the scandal and returns years later to recollect information of how the murder of Santiago Nasar came to be. The narrator was apart of the community; in the novel the reader is told that he is a friend of Santiago Nasar and many of the other characters and we are told who his family members are as well. The narrator to is guilty like the rest of the community for not taking charge and helping to stop the murder of Nasar. He never mentions himself taking part in the responsibility to save Santiago or stop the Vicario brothers.He portrays the community as being au sing a double standard between genders. Men are masculine and dominate and women are submissive and taught to please the man. Overall he shows how the community's responsibility for each other falls apart. The reader finds out information on Santiagds death and how it came about through a series of ways: directly, indirectly, through associations, and hearing it talked about. In the novel, time Jumps from past to future throughout the five chapters and we are given different accounts of the events from various people in the community reconstructing the details of Santiagds murder.This adds more emotional effects in understanding the community obligations that lead to the murderous deed, but it also leaves the readers with a lot of questions and assumptions. Chronicle of a Death Foretold tells the story of a commun. This novel underscores how religious beliefs and cultures can nurture a warped sense of honor and values. In the novel the characters believe they are doing the right thi ng, but in actuality they go against the values of their religion that they claim is so important. Honor is above all and put above their very sense of right and wrong.