Personal problems Essay

1. There are many things that contribute to the pessimism of poor people. Some of the most prominent reasons why poor people believe that it is impossible to them to get out of poverty are high competition in labor markets, increased population (increased competition), lack of sufficient jobs, lack of proper education and the perception that the government is not doing anything to help them. With these factors, behaviors of frustration, oppression and depression will most likely exist. If such behaviors cannot be contained, then the cultivation of criminal mindset will be inevitable. 2.The most vulnerable groups of people who will live in poverty are those who did not complete formal education, those who are indirectly discriminated (due to race, age and social status) and those who have lost their faith with the government system of service. Possibly, these groups will not be able to access proper healthcare as well. They may not be able to afford even the basic health services, will not be covered by a health insurance and will be discriminated by corporate-established medical institutions. 3. Most people who live in poverty are aggressive when faced with personal problems. The poor commit crimes and they are high among their established segments in the society (Raffaele, 1968). However, in general, culture of poverty may be described as helplessness, marginality, dependency and the perception of not belonging to the system. Culture clashes may happen between the poor and the health care delivery system when it comes to understanding the needs of the poor, non-adherence of the poor to the instructions of health personnel, intimidation on the part of the poor and possibly moral and ethical abuse committed by health personnel. 4. To make the healthcare system more responsive to the poor, institutions should at least reach out to poor people even as a form of charity. They should initiate to help the poor because majority of them is socially powerless. Moreover, health institutions should at least adhere to the laws and instructions mandated by the governed in terms of providing services to the poor. References Raffaele, J. A. (1968, May 9). Culture of poverty. Retrieved from http://www. nybooks. com/articles/archives/1968/may/09/culture-of-poverty-2/

Spoof Ad

Tropicana Is an American company which specialises In the production of orange lulce_ This company, owned by PepsiCo, claims that it produces 100% fresh orange juice as it is stated on their orange juice cartons â€Å"100% pure squeezed†. On the contrary, researchers have found that Tropicana's promise of fresh Juice is not quite true. PepsCo Inc. released a series of posters almlng to convince customers that Tropicana orange Juice is more than just Juice, rather it is an essential for the body because it provides vitamins, fibers, and other nutritional benefits.The Ad, â€Å"It's More Than Orange Juice† emphasises a more positive reaction towards the brand, when truly the product does not live up to its promise. According to Heml Weingarten, a blogger on Fooducate, Tropicana orange juice is kept in refrigerator vats for more than 6 months before it is distributed to the supermarkets. Hemi also adds that in order to prevent harmful, pathogenic bacteria from forming Trop icana strips the freshly squeezed orange Juice of its flavour and colour, then adds them back through flavour packs when the orange Juice Is ready to be sold (18, 2013).Alissa Hamilton, author of the book â€Å"Squeezed: What You Don't Know About Orange Juice† noted that: â€Å"Tropicana Orange Juice does not possess the same amount of fibers, vitamin C, and other nutritional benefits that oranges provide† which Is considered as a Ile towards the juice being 100% pure and natural (2011). Rationally speaking, every orange fruit on earth has its own taste, some are sweet some are sour. On the other hand, Tropicana's orange Juice all taste the same which Is impossible unless It Is chemically engineered.Also, Tropicana's Orange Juice Is ble to last for a month without changing Its flavour which clearly does not happen with truly fresh orange juice. Mike Valente, in his article â€Å"Tropicana Orange Juice: Not So Orange! † explains how the Juice is pasteurized and d eoxidized, and once that is done the Juice is able to last for a longer period of time (2011). All of the above evidence Is consistent with the fact that Tropicana Is marketing their Orange juice product using lies through their ads trying to convince consumers that their product is â€Å"100% pure and natural† when it is really not.This act of manipulation led the Tropicana company to court. Jonathan Stempel stated that a lawsuit was filed against Tropicana for their fraud (2012). The Natural Society adds: â€Å"Tropicana Brand just settled out of court to the tune of 9$ million† for false advertising (2013). Spoof Ad By Lhkat Tropicana is an American company which specialises in the production of orange juice. This company, owned by PepsiCo, claims that it produces 100% fresh orange juice as it is stated on their orange Juice cartons â€Å"100% pure squeezed†. On the PepsCo Inc. eleased a series of posters aiming to convince customers that Tropicana orange Jui ce is more than Just Juice, rather it is an essential for the body because it product does not live up to its promise. According to Hemi Weingarten, a blogger on Fooducate, Tropicana orange Juice is kept in refrigerator vats for more than 6 months when the orange Juice is ready to be sold (18, 2013). Alissa Hamilton, author of the nutritional benefits that oranges provide† which is considered as a lie towards the s impossible unless it is chemically engineered.Also, Tropicana's Orange Juice is able to last for a month without changing its flavour which clearly does not happen with truly fresh orange Juice. Mike Valente, in his article â€Å"Tropicana Orange Juice: Not All of the above evidence is consistent with the fact that Tropicana is marketing their Orange Juice product using lies through their ads trying to convince consumers that â€Å"Tropicana Brand Just settled out of court to the tune of 9$ million† for false

The Question of Who Gets Stop-searched by the Police has Dominated Essay

The Question of Who Gets Stop-searched by the Police has Dominated Debate - Essay Example Within these ‘sensitive’ zones, the senior police officials were given the power to search any individual even without grounds for reasonable suspicion and seize materials allegedly used for terrorism, whether or not there are any actual grounds for believing that the materials were actually present, or used for terror acts. The law enforcement agencies are also under no obligations to justify their search action and the Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are vested with this special power, when there is a uniformed police officer accompanying them. The stop and search powers were supported by House of Lords in R (Gillan) v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis in 2006.1 Due to high instances of racial profiling in the process of stop and search, UK police have faced widespread criticisms for their methods used, with rising concerns amongst human rights activists and political circles on â€Å"racial profiling† leading to demands and proposal to restrai n UK police from conducting the stop or search with racial bias. Various levels of scholarly, policy and legal, analyses have been conducted, with focus on stop and search and its application and distribution across varying social groups (different ethnic, religious and racial minorities).2 In the studies related to stop and search, the leading question that has taken the limelight is who gets searched, but the more important questions that have been often been neglected concern how people get stop-searched, and whether stop-search does more harm than good. This article will explore the impacts of stop and search and the methods used, and study to see whether it is a more important aspect in this entire issue, than focusing only on who is stopped and searched. Discussion The power to Stop and search The power to stop and search in section 44 under UK Terrorism Act 2000 allows any uniformed police officer to stop any individual (a pedestrian) or a vehicle located within the ‘se nsitive zones.’ Section 44 has resulted due to various extensions to UK Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 made applicable through the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and the UK Prevention of Terrorism Act 1996. UK parliament implemented the measures were implemented by the UK parliament as responses to the bombings in London by the Irish Republican Army in 1992, 1993 and 1996 (in Docklands). The UK government contended that the newly established powers provided a chance to repress the terror acts and protect the citizens. The Section 44 of the UK Terrorism Act 2000 now states: 1. An authorisation under this subsection authorises any constable in uniform to stop a vehicle in an area or at a place specified in the authorisation and to search — (a) The vehicle; (b) The driver of the vehicle; (c) A passenger in the vehicle; (d) anything in or on the vehicle or carried by the driver or a passenger. 2. An authorisation under this subsection a uthorises any constable in uniform to stop a pedestrian in an area or at a place specified in the authorisation and to search — (a) the pedestrian; (b) anything carried by him. 3. An authorisation under subsection (1) or (2) may be given only if the person giving it considers it expedient for the prevention of acts of terrorism. 4. An

History of Modern Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

History of Modern Architecture - Essay Example Farnsworth is painted white in color while Philip Johnson’s house was painted black. Farnsworth house has a glass wall with minimal framing enclosed in two-thirds of the space between the planes leaving an open porch at one end. A third plane smaller but of the same proportions as the other two is placed alongside at low level to serve as an entrance terrace. Two shorts but wide flight of steps ink ground to terrace and lawn to porch inside the house. Farnsworth house is a freestanding building within a building within a building accommodates the servant space kitchen two bathrooms and a utility room. There are no other fixed walls. Other things are refinement for example the apparent asymmetric of the composition that is the relationship between the floor slab and the enclosing glass wall or between the house and the terrace. The house also has millions of thinnest possible steel bar, dividing the glass the big glass panes into perfect squares. Every floor both inside and outside is paved in the same white travertine. The hardwood flank walls of the service core to stop short of the ceiling to preserve the unity of the living space. Source:http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.vitruvius.com.br/media/images/magazines/grid_9/e5b03b34418f_image002_furnari_02_cortesecob.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/arquitextos/11.130 Johnson House is made of the herringbone brick that is the ground sheet is under floor heated, and glass walls protected against the wind and snow. It is very important to note that in Farnsworth House, the structures are paramount, and that is the H-steel supports the standing in for the classical columns. In John’s house, the steel columns are just part of the frame holding the glass. This gives a neat detail however not expensive. The four single doors, one in the middle of each wall only act as air vents to keep the non-air-conditioned house cool during

Protecting the Environment & Feeding the World Essay

Protecting the Environment & Feeding the World - Essay Example Let us discuss why privatization of water or engagement of corporations is favorable for solving environmental problems. Privatization of Water: Good or Bad Before going into the discussion regarding privatization of water, let us get a better understanding of what this term actually is. As we all know, the world is facing water shortage and environmental problems these days, which have created many problems for the poor and unprivileged people. Barlow states, â€Å"The global water crisis has become a powerful symbol of the growing inequality in our world†. Access to clean and safe water is one of the major concerns for most of the poor European people these days. Wealthy people have access to clean and pure water whereas poor people can only drink contaminated water, which is available to them from wells and local rivers. Water shortage creates many problems, such as, increase in the number of diseases, decrease in the economic and industrial progress, and increase in the nu mber of early deaths. â€Å"The shortage of water helps to perpetuate poverty, disease and early death† (Segerfeldt). However, the reality is that there is no water shortage at the global level. The problem lies with the management of available clean water. â€Å"We use a mere 8 per cent of the water available for human consumption† (Segerfeldt). Bad policies and poor management of resources are the main problems regarding the issue of water shortage. Governments of all European countries are taking proper steps to solve the problem of safe water shortage for the citizens. One of the best ways to solve environmental problems is privatization of water or greater engagement of corporations in the management of water resources. â€Å"Water privatization usually refers to the control or maintenance of water systems and water resources by private entities† (Weagly). An example of water privatization is a company working with a local municipality in order to develop a nd maintain a wastewater treatment plant, which should be able to provide clean and quality drinking water to the people. There exist two different points of view regarding privatization of water resources. Experts raise their concerns based on different facts, water availability statistics, and future forecast of water resources. Water resources have been in the control of public organizations since many decades but the fact is that those public organizations have not been able to overcome the issue of availability of safe water to the people. This is the reason why governments of some developed and poor countries have planned to prioritize the water resources in order to get good results. Supporters of water privatization believe that involvement of private water management companies in managing available water can improve the quality and cleanliness of drinking water. â€Å"Private companies might also stress that they can increase efficiency, improve quality and sustain operati ons over a long period† (Weagly). I personally believe that if public organizations are unable to make good policies regarding management of water in a proper manner, then privatization of water is a best way to deal with the problem of shortage of clean water. Privatization brings many benefits to the local people, such as, availability of clean water, increase in the

Professional ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Professional ethics - Essay Example In spite of this, the Russia remains one of the main greenhouse gas emitters globally. In Kyoto-1 protocol, Russia’s target for minimizing emissions meant indeed not exceeding a certain emissions level rather than real emissions minimizations, since the goal was distinct in relation to 1990 pre-collapse year. In Kyoto-2 protocol, Russia did not sign due to perceptions concerning its ineffectiveness in answering the climate change issue and the need to emphasize on a new comprehensive agreement applicable to every major emitters (particularly the US and China). With the U.S. and China playing the leading role in the climate-change summits and India and Brazil playing an active role, Russia will be the biggest polluter and the only key power not assisting to solve the climate crisis. Then, at the preliminary climate talks round in Copenhagen, Russia gave an even more unsatisfactory message. The countrys delegation head, Mikhail Zelikhanov, who is a parliamentary deputy of then Prime Minister Valdimir Putins URP, questioned the basic principle of the struggle against climate change claiming that scientific circles within Russia and elsewhere do not have a joint opinion on the global warming causes2. Zelikhanov told the lawmakers group from 16 nations in the Danish parliament hall. He suggested that a global panel be created to find out if global warming was being instigated by human activities and if it could be averted by cutting pollution. Domestically, climate change has certainly not received appropriate attention at policy level in Russia due to: the marginalized environmental issues status in general; the substantial role of fossil energies in its economy; inadequate knowledge and often ordinary ignorance about the climate change science and available climate policy opportunities; and a firm, although unfounded, conviction that climate change if anything can bring only benefits. Although Russia has embraced a series of

Islamc business ethics and Christina Research Paper

Islamc business ethics and Christina - Research Paper Example Islamic and Christianity have caused an increase in business ethical arguments concerning relations of firms with globalization and secularization. Religion is considered as the benchmark of moral values. It addresses morality questions of what is right and wrong in business matters. The role of faith and religious beliefs on ethical business practices in a community has been questioned. The conventional teachings of Islam and Christianity on trade ethics correlated issues such as values, legal codes of behaviour on the control of a business, the workplace and wealth attainment and use highly affect a business management. Ethical and moral issues in businesses are raised in cases involving bribery, corruption, fraud and cheating. Religion is also critical in ethical matters dealing with discrimination, injustice and rights of employees, customers and stakeholders as well as other values in business (O’Brien and Scott, 35). Islam is the only major religion in the world that was founded by a businessperson. Islam has been known to have tranquillity toward the profession of the merchant. The Quran and the Bible are integral in providing ethical and moral guidance from the faith perspective about business management. In secular civilizations, legal analysis are footed upon modern and always transient values and standards; in the Islamic community, these ideals and principles are guided by the Shari’ah and reference to other previous judgements (O’Brien and Scott, 38). For instance, Islam has provided women with enduring and unalienable privileges and has never differentiated against minorities. The Islamic law analysis underpins highlights on equity and justice. The Quran contains some details pertaining to contract law. This shows the significance of contracts as the Quran gives few laws and little legal details. The law corresponds to the accepted

Advertising in Deisgn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertising in Deisgn - Essay Example At the very basic level of effective advertising stands the ability to engage the consumer and capture their interest. In this way, design is one of the fundamentals of how this interest can be engaged and how a â€Å"first impression† of the firm/entity/organization/business in question can be represented (Croft, 2014). As such, firms must realize that the design process is a stage that corners should not be cut and costs should not be saved. The underlying reason for this has to do with the fact that effective design of any advertising piece is ultimately the initial representation and branding for the business or organization in question (Muryjas & Muryjas, 2013). As such, presenting a below quality design will effectively destroy the level of engagement that such a piece of advertising could have otherwise hoped to have achieved within any specific market. Unfortunately, many of the art design studios that are responsible for creating the basic renderings for how advertisi ng will take place are oftentimes somewhat divorced from the process itself. What this creates is a situation in which the nuances of what is being created are oftentimes lost on the designers (Lin & Chin, 2013. For this very reason, more and more advertisers have begun to integrate art design specialists within the very first iterations of advertising/market planning. In such a way, the message of what his being represented can more effectively and clearly be displayed through the designs that are utilized to help sell a given good or service (Matisoff et al., 2014). The congruity of the design is also an element that is oftentimes overlooked (Kwong et al., 2011). Even if the design stage and result is something that is visually appealing, the level to which the design resonates with what is being sold or what is being advertised is the true measurement of success. Instances abound in corporate history in which large multinational firms engaged in extraordinarily expensive

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Consumer Behaviour Essay Problem recognition is defined as the perception of a difference between the ideal state of affairs and the actual situation (stream notes chapter 1 Schiffman et al. (2011). Needs recognition is the first stage of all consumer decision process. The problem recognition for buying a RADO watch is initially my want for being able to wear a watch. However I know I want a luxury watch of high value and class, this makes the purchase of a high involvement highly complex and an extensive problem solving decision as it is very expensive. I will be very motivated in the next step which is the search for information. Being of such a high priced purchase I want to find out as much information as I can, not just about the product but also the effect of wearing a RADO watch. Firstly I will do an internal search of information, this is a quick sweep over the mind on what I can recall about the product and is done as soon as a problem is recognised. With lower interest or motivated purchases this could be deemed enough and I would move onto the purchase. However, as this is a complex purchase I want to know more information, this is called an external information search. By including an external investigation I will better understand the risks involved with buying a RADO watch. Such as functional risk, will the product work as expected? Physical risk, is the watch safe? such as reactions to the materials it is made from. Financial risk, is it worth the price? will I gain enough satisfaction to warrant such an expensive item. Social risk, am I going to embarrass myself or not fit in? Physiological risk, what effect will wearing a RADO watch have on myself esteem, will I feel good? and lastly time risk, the amount of time and effort spent on the purchase decision, was it a waste? The amount of time spent on an external information search all depends on the value of the product to the consumer. In this case I would undergo a very detailed investigation where I invest a lot of time because of my student financial situation. When doing external research I am soon effected by marketers and exposure to outside stimulants. For example when doing my search I wanted to see where I could purchase a RADO watch from . When I visited the RADO website I was soon drawn in by the instant look of class and wealth which appeals to my personality and realize by purchasing a new RADO watch I would be fueling my ego and moving towards my ideal self image. I also satisfied my need for knowledge and information about the product, I learnt what they were made out of, what new technology they include and what celebrities and events endorse the products, which to me shows they are of a popular status and could create a positive image about myself. Therefore I will move on to the next stage of the decision model, evaluation of alternatives. By using the conjunctive decision rule I am able to set a degree of cut off standard. The Executive watch market is very competitive and includes other brands such as ROLEX, TISSO and MIDO. All of which offer a similar product but I believe a RADO watch provides a better experience. Its combined features such as having a reputation of being scratch free, sleek and an industry leader for design and new materials match its personal experience portraying a high social class, wealth, success and confidence. After all Andy Murray wears one. After being satisfied with my choice and research I then purchase the RADO watch from either the Christchurch or Auckland supplier. However Purchasing the product IS important it is not the final stage of the consumer decision model. After purchasing the product a consumer then evaluates the effect, while wearing my RADO watch I evaluate its effect, has it meet all my expectations. Consumers will try to reduce post purchase cognitive dissonance by seeking support that they made the right decision, either from peers, advertising or other customers. After purchasing my watch I felt it did meet all my expectations of class and image aswell as functionality however I was not happy from the price I paid. RADO watches are very expensive ranging from over $1000 for the cheapest. After investing so much money I feel that it is not worth the satisfaction or wellbeing I gained. Therefore I would take the final step in the model by divestment. I would claim back my money from the watch by reselling it. Divestment is the remarketing, reselling or disposal of the product or packaging after use. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ My purchase of a Manual tooth brush is allot more simple and would be considered a habitual decision with low involvement as I would always choose the cheapest brush. The first stage, needs recognition would occur when my current tooth brush became worn out and I need a replacement. When undergoing an information search I would solely rely on an internal method and would feel satisfied that I know enough information about the product choices. The reason I have a low involvement outlook is because I see the product as low risk as there is no strong design difference or any features between the choices that effect social, financial, psychological, or time risk. they all seem indifferent apart from a slight price difference. This comes from a recollection of past experiences where I get the same satisfaction from any brand, The next step in the model, pre purchase evaluation of alternatives would solely happen at the single shop I went to when I am actually picking my product from the shelf. As a tooth brush is of low involvement and value to me I have no motivation to visit any other outlets and want to get the purchase done as fast and easily as possible. The next step is to purchase the item, which I will do by picking the cheapest one from the shelf, pay then leave the store to consume the product. When I consume the product I don’t have many standards that need to be meet. Therefore this brush easy for fills my requirements and I am satisfied. Being of a low involvement purchase the post purchase evaluation will be limited and not as extensive of such as the RADO watch. I will continue to re purchase this brand but only if it remains the cheapest, I have no brand loyalty and will switch to alternative brands if there are opportunities such as a sale. The final stage in the process is divestment. After use, both the product and its packaging will be disposed of as rubbish because it holds no further value for resale, unlike the watch which is still valuable because of its high price. cant try it on rado †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The standard consumer decision process model by Engel, Blackwell and Miniard is very useful for marketers as it is a road map of consumers minds which takes a journey through the different steps of consumption, starting with problem recognition then information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, consumption, post consumption evaluation and lastly divestment.

American History Since 1865 Essay Example for Free

American History Since 1865 Essay In the presidential election of 1912 there were two progressive candidates that impacted the landscape of America. Candidates Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were the frontrunner of the 1912 election. This election changed the country in ways that we as Americans can feel today. These two candidates spawned a progressive movement from a place where many American felt as if their government fell to help out the man on the ground doing the work. In a time when there was a big disparity between the rich and the poor throughout the country because of capitalism the President McKinley was assassinated to usher in Theodore Roosevelt. Although he became the President because he was the Vice President at the time of the assassination, Roosevelt’s charisma and his talent for public speaking made him a popular president. His ability to relate to the common man wasn’t the only thing that created favor among the masses; his policies while in office gave played a major role in his popularity. Let’s take a look at some of them. Roosevelt was a person that cared for the people, and as such when the popular book â€Å"The Jungle† by Upton Sinclair brought the countries attention to the meat and how it was packaged. The book told of the horrible unsanitary conditions that the Chicago meatpacking industry used to package their meats. The President then conducting his own investigation, after finding out that conditions were worst then what was in the book he acted quickly signed into law the Food and Drug Act. Thinking of the people and their conditions Roosevelt created what is known today as the Food and Drug Administration. This is just one of the things that President Roosevelt accomplished while in office, showing that he had the welfare of the country in mind. As President Roosevelt’s foreign policy played a major role in making America a superpower. With the creation of the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, President Roosevelt told the world that the United States would police the nations of Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. This wasn’t because we wanted to be nice, but it was to protect the interest of European investors and America’s economic interest (Mitchener and Weidenmier, 1941). This showed that President not only had the people’s welfare in mind but he had the financial future of the country n mind as well. During the election of 1912 there were two big Progressive Candidates that ran in this election. We covered some of the accomplishments/views of Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency before this election period, now let look at the Woodrow Wilson’s views. â€Å"I am, therefore, forced to be a progressive, if for no other reason, because we have not kept up with our changes of conditions, either in the economic field or in the political field. We have not kept up as well as other nations have. We have not kept our practices adjusted to the facts of the case, and until we do, and unless we do, the facts of the case will always have the better of the argument; because if you do not adjust your laws to the facts, so much the worse for the laws, not for the facts, because law trails along after the facts. Only that law is unsafe which runs ahead of the facts and beckons to it and makes it follow the will-o-the-wisps of imaginative projects. † (Wilson, 1913) In this statement that Wilson made he shows his feeling of why he is a progressive. Just as Roosevelt, Wilson felt as if the government was doing too much, yet not enough for people. So during the 1912 election he found himself running on a New Freedom platform where he wanted to limit federal government and fight the monopolies. He did this by addressing Tariffs, Banks and Business. He was successful in lowering tariff on such things as woolen, steel rails, raw wool, and iron ore. Now when he did this he brought back the federal income tax which hadn’t been in existence since the days of the civil war. Wilson used these federal income taxes to help run our government that he campaigned need to be limited. This federal income tax we are still paying today and we still haven’t limited government’s control over us. By addressing Banks I think that Wilson was able to help the agriculture industry and hurt the country’s finical status in the long run. With the Federal Farm loan Act farmers were able to cover the increasing cost of land. This helped the agriculture industry, but the Federal Reserve System created a system where the country was able to stabilize prices of goods in the country, and mange long term interest rates. I know you’re asking how is this a bad thing, to which I reply â€Å"Housing Market. † I think that if you owned a house or even watched the news you know that this when our system failed us. Thanks Wilson. As far as the Business Wilson was able to establish the Federal Trade Act. This Act was established to deter business from conducting unfair trade practices. The Federal Trades Act allowed its member to investigate and take action on companies who practice unfair trades. Summary In his campaign to change the Country through a New Freedom Woodrow Wilson beat out the more popular Theodore Roosevelt. The changes that Roosevelt made in office and the promises of a new and improved government did not fair that well against the promise of less government in the New Freedom that Woodrow Wilson offered during his campaign. The two Progressive Presidents stood for the betterment of the people and the removal of these giant corporations in the government. They both accomplished this in their own way, yet they did it differently.

Relationship Between The Nation State And Global Market Economics Essay

Relationship Between The Nation State And Global Market Economics Essay This paper discusses the relationship between the nation state and the global market. Giddens Structuration theory is used to conceptualise nation states as agents and the global market as the structure. It is argued that nation states may shape the global market according to their vested interests and needs and that power plays an important role in this process. A strong and effective state is therefore better able to use the opportunities offered by global market. Globalisation and Developing CountriesThe term Globalisation has been widely used in literature in a number of contexts. It has been seen as the global integration of financial markets (Walker and Fox, 1999:2), interconnectedness of world economy (Neuland and Hough, 1999:1), trans-border movements of capital and goods (Gill, 2000:4) and breakdown of national borders (Redding, 1999:19). Braibant (2002) further includes the development of advanced means of communication, growing importance of multinational corporations, population migrations and increased mobility of persons, goods, capital, data, ideas, and even that of infections, diseases and pollution in the process of globalisation. One aspect that is common among these perspectives is the breakdown of borders between countries, governments, economies and communities that has given rise to the global markets that are not controlled (but may be influenced) by a single country. The use of the term globalisation for the purpose of th is paper is limited to that of trade, finance and investment. A variety of terms are used to differentiate between developed and developing countries (for example north/south and rich/poor etc.), however the literature has come a long way since the days of using the terms such as first world and third world countries. This paper will stick to the term developing countries, which is used to refer to a number of heterogeneous groups of countries. For example it may mean the rapidly growing economies in Asia, negative growth economies (in terms of GDP/capita) in Africa, middle income and very poor countries, small and large, landlocked and ocean access and heavily regulated and recently liberalised countries. This paper however, when referring to developing countries includes all low- and middle-income countries as defined by World Bank (2000). There is a growing body of literature on the affects of globalisation and the opportunities and problems it may cause to the developing countries. The developing countries are characterised by weak economic, legal and political institutions that lead to corruption, insecurity, conflict and lack of competitiveness in labour, technology and skills. The introduction of trade liberalisation and increased international competition in such conditions can have serious consequences for the infant industries in the developing countries (Stiglitz, 2000). However it is generally claimed that opening to the global markets increases the flow of foreign direct investment into the developing countries, allows them to catch up with the latest technology without need for considerable investment or research, bring capital into the country, build expertise, induce innovation, and thus contribute to the general economic growth. Francois and Schuknecht (2000) provide some empirical evidence that openness to global markets leads to GDP growth. These findings are of course challenged by others. The Hegemony of Global Market StructureIn the sizable amount of literature, a form of structuralism can be observed that views the relation between the global market and the nation state as a zero-sum game where the growth of globalisation is seen as increased shrinking of sovereign state. Last two decades of 20th century saw proliferation of the literature that predicted the eclipse, retreat, crisis and even the end of the nation states as a result of growing forces of globalisation. The main premise of these viewpoints is that the nation states have lost control over their territorial boundaries, national economies, currencies and even their cultures and languages as well and thus the macroscopic form of power has shifted from the nation-states to the global market represented by global institutions and multinational corporations (Barrow, 2005). For example Castells (1997:243) in his chapter named A powerless state? argues that State control over space and time is increasingly bypa ssed by global flows of capital, goods, services, technology, communication, and information. Similarly Hardt and Negri (2000:xi) in their book Empire claim that along with the global market and global circuits of production has emerged a global order, a new logic and structure of rule-in short, a new form of sovereignty. Empire is the political subject that effectively regulates these global exchanges, the sovereign power that governs the world. Similar view is held by Camilleri and Falk (1992:98) global processes and institutions are invading the national state and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [are] dismantling the conceptual and territorial boundaries that have traditionally sustained the theory and practice of state sovereignty. The authors concluded that the nation state little choice other than delegating their authority to international and supranational organisations. Hence, it may be a bit exaggerating that the globalisation is the only reason that has resulted into the degradation of s tate authority but it appears from the literature that it is seen by many as the central one (Evans, 1997). Various examples are given to support this point of view. The powers of World Trade Organisation (WTO) to enforce sanctions and punish individual countries are cited as one of the ways in which the global capitalist system coercively seeks conformity. It is argued that individual countries have little influence on the creation and enforcement of rules in the system and even on the level of their own integration into the world economy. A well cited example of this is the attempt of Indonesian government to protect its domestic automobile industry by providing facilities such as tax holidays, lower import duties for spare parts and very low interest loans. These actions and their positive effect on Indonesian automobile industry did not go well with the global automobile exporters who saw their market share potentially in danger. A case was therefore raised against the Indonesian government at the WTO where it was defeated and thus forced to either roll back the measures it had taken t o protect and promote one of its nascent industries or risk severe sanctions (Hartungi, 2006). Another adverse effect of growing power of global capitalist system is that the developing countries have to increasingly compete within each other to attract the FDI which is termed by some as a race to bottom (Chau and Kanbur, 2006). In order to prove them more attractive to the MNCs, developing countries are forced to deregulate hastily and keep the wages and taxes low. Any attempt by these countries to increase the minimum basic wage, labour safety standards or restrictions on capital may result in relocation of MNCs from the country. This exposes the work force to further exploitation in countries where union representation, legal protections and access to basic facilities such as health and education and any kind of social safety net is already limited. Labour exploitations therefore have been reported in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Kenya and the Dominican Republic where govern ment is forced to keep the wages low due to for example competition from countries like India and China where the garment giants Levi-Strauss and Gap have been considering to relocate due to availability of raw materials as well as packaged services such as cutting, sewing and packaging etc (Hartungi, 2006). Similarly developing countries are coerced into various agreements (such as Trade Related Agreements on Intellectual Property Rights, TRIPS) under the auspices of WTO that are unreasonably costly for these countries to implement. It cost Mexico for example US$30 million to upgrade and enforce intellectual property laws (Finger and Schuler, 1999). Some developing countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Morocco and Cambodia are forced by the US government to enforce patent protection mechanisms for pharmaceuticals that go way beyond the standard TRIPS agreement and are known as TRIPS Plus. One of the many additional obligations forced on developing countries under TRIPS Plus is the extension of patent terms beyond the 20 years required by standard TRIPS agreement and used commonly by most countries in the world. The Almighty StateThis strand of literature focuses on the role of individual nation-states in enacting and reifying the global market structure. It views these as the principal agents of globalisation and the patrons of the political and material conditions required for its sustainability and influence. Its main premise is that the nation states are going through a transition in order to adjust to the new global political economy and balance the contradictory pressures of global requirements and national interests, hence there is considerable realignment taking place within the state apparatuses which many scholars incorrectly interpret as a decline of nation state. It is argued that without the intervention of the state, the existence and the reproduction of global capitalist market is not possible. The process of creation and strengthening of this system therefore requires active role of the nation states (Aglietta, 2000). However, the policies, attitude and institutions that are required to shape the capitalist structure of global scale take time to develop and thus the developing countries must manage the conflict between domestic and global interests until such institutions take root in the society (ibid.). This point of view is partly based on the work by Robert Cox (1987) published as a book titled Production, Power and World Order in which he challenged the notion that state is in decline and instead proposed the concept of internationalisation of the state. He argues that internationalisation of state is the conversion of state into an agency for adjusting national economic practices and policies to the perceived exigencies of the global economy. The state becomes a transmission belt from the global to the national economy, where heretofore it had acted as the bulwark defending domestic welfare from external disturbances. (Cox, 1987:254) Similar views have been expressed by Panitch (1993) who believes that far from witnessing a by-passing of the state by a global capitalism, what we see are very active states and highly politicised sets of capitalist classes (p63). He adds that the global capitalist structure as it stands today has been authored by the states and it has primarily rearranged rather than by passed states. The level of influence that individual states have on global markets may be different but ultimately the imperial economic and political relationships are not organised by the multinational and transnational firms, but by a system of states that have unequal influence across the globe. Aglietta (2000) therefore defines imperialism as a system of hegemony through which states are coerced by other state/s to adopt a set of rules that favour the stability of global system that may be inclined heavily towards promoting the benefits of stronger states. Thus the current form of globalisation has been constituted by a number of states with uneven inter-state relations and strengths. The role of states strength/power in benefiting from the global capitalist system is substantiated empirically by the work of Weiss (2005) by examining the evidence from Japan and East Asian NICs (Newly Industrialised Countries). The author concluded that the states with strong hold over the socio-economic goal setting and strong relationship with domestic audience were better able to adapt to the process of globalisation and crucially, were also better able to promote the internationalisation strategies of their corporations. Thus the differences between the states capacity (strength) directly affect its ability to exploit the opportunities of international economic change.

life cycle of stars Essay -- essays research papers

LIFE CYCLE OF A STAR Stars are formed in nebulae, interstellar clouds of dust and gas (mostly hydrogen). These stellar nurseries are abundant in the arms of spiral galaxies. In these stellar nurseries, dense parts of these clouds undergo gravitational collapse and compress to form a rotating gas globule. The globule is cooled by emitting radio waves and infrared radiation. It is compressed by gravitational forces and also by shock waves of pressure from supernova or the hot gas released from nearby bright stars. These forces cause the roughly-spherical globule to collapse and rotate. The process of collapse takes from between 10,000 to 1,000,000 years. A Central Core and a Protoplanetary Disk: As the collapse proceeds, the temperature and pressure within the globule increases, as the atoms are in closer proximity. Also, the globule rotates faster and faster. This spinning action causes an increase in centrifugal forces (a radial force on spinning objects) that causes the globule to have a central core and a surrounding flattened disk of dust (called a protoplanetary disk or accretion disk). The central core becomes the star; the protoplanetary disk may eventually coalesce into orbiting planets, asteroids, etc. Protostar: The contracting cloud heats up due to friction and forms a glowing protostar; this stage lasts for roughly 50 million years. If there is enough material in the protostar, the gravitational collapse and the heating continue. If there is not enough material in the protostar, one possible outcome is a brown dwarf (a large, not-very-luminous celestial body having a mass between 1028 kg and 84 x 1028 kg). A Newborn Star: When a temperature of about 27,000,000ÂÂ °F is reached, nuclear fusion begins. This is the nuclear reaction in which hydrogen atoms are converted to helium atoms plus energy. This energy (radiation) production prevents further contraction of the star. Young stars emit jets of intense radiation that heat the surrounding matter to the point at which it glows brightly. These narrowly-focused jets can be trillions of miles long and can travel at 500,000 miles per hour. These jets may be focused by the star's magnetic field. The protostar is now a stable main sequence star which will remain in this state for about 10 billion years. After that, the hydrogen fuel is depleted and the star begins to die. Life span: The... ...densities are shown as numbers on the the central line that defines the Main Sequence (M.S.) of stars. Most known stars lie along this line; they describe a stage in which a star reaches some fixed size and mass and commences burning of most of its hydrogen before changing to some other star type off the sequence. Star types, which are defined on the basis of stellar surface temperatures (page 20-7), are shown by the letters (O, B,...etc.) assigned to each group and evolutionary pathways for some are indicated. This particular plot also shows along the right ordinate the total time that Main Sequence stars of different masses spend on that sequence before evolving along the several principal pathways (see below); as far as we now know, stars do not completely vanish, but survive as dwarfs or Black Holes ( but the latter in principle can disappear by evaporation as Hawking radiation). Temperatures were obtained using Chandra X-ray data. BILBLIOGRAPHY www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/stars/lifecycle/ imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/teachers/lifecycles/LC_main_p1.html hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/1999/20/ map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_uni/uni_101stars.htm

The Growth of Democracy :: European Europe History

The Growth of Democracy In 1850, Britain was an undemocratic country. At this time the electoral system divided Boroughs and Counties. Voting qualifications were different in boroughs and constituencies. The vote was only given to men over the age of 21 providing their property was valued at  £10 or more, or land was more than  £2 per year in rent. Seats were distributed unequally and traditional ruling families usually formed the Cabinet. Furthermore, bribery and corruption were widespread and only the minority of the population were entitled to vote. At this time there was no form of a basic education for the population masses and there was still a lot of power lying within the House Of Lords and not with elected officials. A certain degree of money was necessary to stand for election because this was not a paying job, which, as a result stopped vast numbers of people standing for election because the did not have the finances to support themselves. Nor were they able to afford to stand for election a s due to bribery and corruption, the poor stood no chance of winning as they did not have the money to provide voters with what they wanted in return for their support. For democracy, there needed to be regular elections and although at this time elections were every seven years, this was not often enough. However between 1850 and 1918, progress was made towards Britain becoming a democracy. Now there was better communication and education increasing political interest and this influenced people in trade, industry and finance. Economic changes made people better off and left them wanting to take part in politics, and be represented in parliament. This general desire for the widening of the franchise led to pressure groups forming in 1864. The Extension of the Franchise was helped by the Second Reform Bill passed in 1867. In this act, all householders who paid rates with 12 months residence and all  £10 a year lodgers with one years residence in the Boroughs were given the Franchise. In the Counties, the Franchise was given to those  £5 property owners and all those who occupied property with a rateable value of  £12 or in Scotland,  £14. This act changed the views of The Liberals and The Tories as they now saw that many people backed the idea of a widening of the franchise. Party opinions changed in order to woo voters in the towns, but these changed opinions alone helped in bringing Britain towards democracy as now these political parties wanted to give the people what they wanted and were, agreeing with the populations views on this issue.

The Value of College Education

The Value of College Education Getting an education is something that is very important and is essential for the growth and development of an individual. By getting an education, a person is able to rise above the rest and is able to achieve so much more in life. This does not mean just in terms of monetary or career oriented way, education serves to enlighten the body, the mind, as well as the soul. College education is a step further and takes a person into realms that can only be understood and appreciated by someone who has earned a college degree.So many benefits exist for a college education, all of which are impossible to list in the course of this essay. This classification essay shall attempt to classify some of the benefits that a person can reap from a college education. College education has a profound effect on a person and his or her life. It helps people choose their careers more wisely and the college experience makes people become more confident and can make better a nd well-judged decisions. To get a higher education is perhaps crossing the biggest milestone of your life.A college education is a very valuable thing and everyone should get one so that we can all be enlightened and help make our society a better place. A college is a place where people come together in an environment that helps nurture their educational and professional curiosities. People learn to read, reflect, explore, listen, argue, and especially, stretch their known boundaries. A college education helps people and prepares them for the entry into the real world of economics and social bindings.Students learn what exactly personal freedom is and then they learn how to enjoy that freedom in the real world once the education has been completed. College teaches people to dream of, to reach their highest aspirations, to choose well, and to choose wisely. It is sometimes very perplexing to think that many people undermine the value of a college education. A college is where peopl e go so that their mental capabilities can be thoroughly challenged, where they can grow and mature as individuals and as future carriers of the society.People who complete their college education can be spotted out from a group instantly. Such people appear more poised and confident in every aspect of their lives. I believe that people who complete their college education are the ones who are most responsible in making a society a better place to live in. If everyone in a society gets a college education, the society can be improved tenfold because of the values and the traditions that a person learns in college.A college education can teach a person about his or her moral obligations and helps the people to realize what it is that is missing from their lives. It has also been noted that people who have had a college education are generally happier in life and that they appear more sophisticated and enlightened. Such people have a better quality of life as they understand more abou t the world and can appreciate the finer things in life such as art, music and theatre much more than a non-graduate.It has also been noted that people who have a college education tend to be more satisfied as individuals as it helps them to achieve a greater sense of personal development. They are more at ease within themselves and enjoy more prosperity than others enjoy. They find great satisfaction in the knowledge that they have achieved their education in life and they tend to take great pride in that. People meet many different kinds of people at college and this helps prepare them for the life in the field where one has to interact with all sorts of people who are working.This aids in a person's personal development as well. Students attending a college learn to write more effectively and to express themselves more clearly. Studying with students from all different kinds of economic, ethnic and social backgrounds also help the person attending college into learning more about the world and this brings the people of the world closer as well. People at colleges come from every aspect of life; a person going to college is bound to interact with his classmates who can come from all sorts of different countries, cultures and generations.This interaction is another valuable aspect of a college education and it helps shape a person's personality in a way that is unmatched by any other kind of an institution, whether it be a church or a home. A person, perhaps, learns the most throughout his or her college years and this not only includes academic education but also education in the social and political realms. All these things combined are very useful and very necessary for a person to obtain if he or she wants to lead a happier and brighter life.

Nevada Policy Scenarios Essay

1. Western Water Policy In light of population growth, Nevada must continue to seek new resources for water consumption. Options include working with farmers and states such as California, Arizona, Idaho, and even the country of Mexico. There are also various Lake Mead projects that could supply the needed water, as well as conservation projects within the state of Nevada. Write a 350- to 400-word response answering the following questions: a. Can you project the potential role the state government will need to fulfill in this scenario? b. Can you project the role the federal government might need to fulfill in this scenario? c. How much of a role should the federal government play in western water policy? Explain your answers. 2. Exploitation of Nevada Resources A radioactive waste disposal company has recently settled a contract agreeing to dispose of radioactive waste for various nuclear power plants located across the United States. Company executives, following several meetings, have decided to pursue waste disposal at Yucca Mountain, a short distance from Las Vegas. Using Ch. 11 of The Sagebrush State as a guide, write a 350- to 400-word response answering the following questions: a. In light of court decisions in the 1990s regarding control of federal lands in Nevada, why would eastern politicians and nuclear power plant owners show little regard for Nevadans who oppose storage of nuclear waste in Nevada? b. Is there any aspect of the Nevada Constitution that would influence land-use policies such as the one in this scenario? Explain your answer. c. In what ways can the Nevada state government play a role in important land-use decisions similar to this? 3. Past and Present Gaming Suppose you had the opportunity to develop a new casino in Nevada. Write a 350- to 400-word response answering the following questions: a. What historic political, social, and economic trends could you reference to support the positive opportunity and benefits of building a casino? What current political, social, and economic issues might deter you from embarking on such a project? b. Consider land-ownership issues. 4. Alternative Sources of Energy in Nevada The availability of land, sunlight, and other natural resources make Nevada an ideal location for alternative energy sources. Speculate on how Nevada could capture these resources to create a competitive advantage in their area. In what ways would this advantage be affected by political, social, and land-ownership issues? Write a 350- to 400-word response that considers political, social, and land-ownership issues relative to each of the following alternative energy sources: a. Solar b. Geothermal c. Wind d. Hydroelectric

The Public Needs to Know

The Acquisition Process Competition Requirements Choconda Martin BUS 319 November 5, 2012 Professor Calvin D. Fogle Almost all DOD systems are competed at some stage in the acquisition system (we would guess that less than 10% of acquisition programs do not go through a competitive process at least once in their acquisition cycle). Generally, the sequence is: †¢ Define the requirement (determine the mismatch between operational capability–more about this below); †¢ Advertise the need for a product that can satisfy the requirement; †¢ Accept bids from potential suppliers; †¢ Review proposals and select one or more suppliers, Order the product; †¢ Monitor progress; †¢ Accept the finished product; †¢ Review project documentation and pay for the product. This cycle repeats itself one or more times during system development and one or more times during procurement (purchase of a major end item previously developed or available commercially). For l arge systems, procurement follows a highly demanding DOD-funded development process and the prime manufacturer, almost by necessity, is the developer. In such cases, the competitive steps for a given phase of the acquisition process (listed above) would not be repeated during the procurement phase.Some things that I would change would be the misconception of communication within the industry during acquisition processing. The Federal Government has an obligation to conduct procurements in the most effective, responsible and efficient manner possible. Current market information is very vital as they define the requirements, so that the contracting officers can develop the acquisition strategies, seek opportunities for small businesses, and negotiate contract terms. Industry partners are the best source for this information, so productive interactions is very important and should be encouraged.The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) authorizes a broad range opportunites for vendor co mmunication, but agencies most time do not take advantage of these existing flexibilities. Some agencies may be reluctant due to fear of protests or fear binding the agency in unauthorized commitments. If we increase the awareness by training the agencies with the help of DAU (Defense Acquisition University) and agency training practitioners to conduct an awareness campaign we might be able to eliminate unnecessary barriers to engagement.Agencies should provide clear, consistent direction to their workforce and industry partners about how to engage with industry prior to award of contracts and task and delivery orders under the Federal Supply Schedule, government-wide acquisition contracts, and other indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts. While agencies do not have the resources, and are not required, to meet with every vendor at every step of the acquisition process, information gathered from industry sources plays an invaluable role in the acquisition process.For this reason, agencies must develop practices that will ensure early, frequent, and constructive communication during key phases of the process. The federal government’s ability to achieve successful program outcomes, effectively and efficiently, depends upon agencies establishing effective strategies for industry engagement and supporting those strategies with senior-level commitment.References Co-Workers/Supervisor/FAR The Public Needs to Know The Acquisition Process Competition Requirements Choconda Martin BUS 319 November 5, 2012 Professor Calvin D. Fogle Almost all DOD systems are competed at some stage in the acquisition system (we would guess that less than 10% of acquisition programs do not go through a competitive process at least once in their acquisition cycle). Generally, the sequence is: †¢ Define the requirement (determine the mismatch between operational capability–more about this below); †¢ Advertise the need for a product that can satisfy the requirement; †¢ Accept bids from potential suppliers; †¢ Review proposals and select one or more suppliers, Order the product; †¢ Monitor progress; †¢ Accept the finished product; †¢ Review project documentation and pay for the product. This cycle repeats itself one or more times during system development and one or more times during procurement (purchase of a major end item previously developed or available commercially). For l arge systems, procurement follows a highly demanding DOD-funded development process and the prime manufacturer, almost by necessity, is the developer. In such cases, the competitive steps for a given phase of the acquisition process (listed above) would not be repeated during the procurement phase.Some things that I would change would be the misconception of communication within the industry during acquisition processing. The Federal Government has an obligation to conduct procurements in the most effective, responsible and efficient manner possible. Current market information is very vital as they define the requirements, so that the contracting officers can develop the acquisition strategies, seek opportunities for small businesses, and negotiate contract terms. Industry partners are the best source for this information, so productive interactions is very important and should be encouraged.The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) authorizes a broad range opportunites for vendor co mmunication, but agencies most time do not take advantage of these existing flexibilities. Some agencies may be reluctant due to fear of protests or fear binding the agency in unauthorized commitments. If we increase the awareness by training the agencies with the help of DAU (Defense Acquisition University) and agency training practitioners to conduct an awareness campaign we might be able to eliminate unnecessary barriers to engagement.Agencies should provide clear, consistent direction to their workforce and industry partners about how to engage with industry prior to award of contracts and task and delivery orders under the Federal Supply Schedule, government-wide acquisition contracts, and other indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts. While agencies do not have the resources, and are not required, to meet with every vendor at every step of the acquisition process, information gathered from industry sources plays an invaluable role in the acquisition process.For this reason, agencies must develop practices that will ensure early, frequent, and constructive communication during key phases of the process. The federal government’s ability to achieve successful program outcomes, effectively and efficiently, depends upon agencies establishing effective strategies for industry engagement and supporting those strategies with senior-level commitment.References Co-Workers/Supervisor/FAR

Syllabus Spring

The exams WI II cover all available material (readings and lectures) and will be made up of multiple choc ice questions. The final exam is optional. Your three highest grades will be calculated in your exam scores-?your final exam score will replace your lowest exam score (or be door peed if your final exam score does not exceed any of your three previous exams' scores). You may schedule a makeup exam without any penalty if you have a verifiable egregious excuse (e. G. , written excuse from a doctor). Family vacations, your b ass requiring you to work on the exam day, entertaining visitors from outflow, extracurricular activities, etc. Re not valid excuses. Alternate exams must be scheduled before the exam is administered as scheduled. Syllabus (Toothsome) Exam (5%) There will be a toothsome exam about the material to ensure that you understand and the course's purpose, requirements, assignments and policies. This exam is not meant to be difficult and is not worth many points, but by understanding the course at a high level before e you are much more likely to succeed, so please take it seriously. Plagiarism (Toothsome) Exam (5%) One goal of this course is to begin preparing every student to be a scholar, boo h in thought and articulation of those thoughts.A first step toward this goal is understanding h owe to artic late *Please note: this syllabus is subject to change throughout the semester. Plea your thoughts while building on the thoughts of others and properly attribute Eng the ownership of all thoughts expressed. In other words, you must understand plagiarism and how to avoid it. While most Of you should have been taught this by now, this course will reinforce race the lesson. You will be given a toothsome exam that will require you to exhibit your knoll edge of legalism and how to avoid it.You will have one week to complete the exam, and it will be due at the beginning of the class on the deadline (see schedule). The following site s may help you with t his assignment: HTTPS://www. Ms. Deed/-?imbued/gastroenteritis)†polycrystalline. HTML http://owl. English. Purdue. Deed/owl/resource/589/DO/ http://www. Plagiarism. Org/ PAP Toothsome Exam (5%) Another important aspect of articulating your thoughts is ensuring that you c an find information and communicate your thoughts clearly to others, and particularly those read ins your work. One ay this clarity can be accomplished is through precise writing and support of your work.You will be given a toothsome exam to help you learn how to apply PAP style a s well as find information from the library/ library database and hone your critical reading skills. You will have approximately 1. 5 weeks to complete the exam, and it will be due at the beginning of the class on the deadline (see schedule for specific date). The exam will consist of two parts-?the first part will have you practice citing s pacific references and/ or construct a reference page from sample resources; the second part will re's re you to go to the library (or library website) to seek resources to practice search wing for academic articles.Though it is a toothsome exam, you should work on and complete you r exam individually. However, you are welcome (and encouraged) to use neoprene re's resources (I . E. , books, tutorials, online aids, librarians, etc. ) to complete your exam. Essay Assignments (20%) In order to provide you with practice of the skills learned in the toothsome ex. ms, there will be two essay assignments that are closely related to the material we cover in class s. These assignments will be announced approximately 1. Weeks before they are due and will be due at the beginning of the class on the deadlines (see schedule for specific date).Assignments must be submitted via the TACTIC page in DEL, under Assessment TTS Dropped (under the assignment NOTE: Your assignments will be checked for originality using academic honesty software. Do not include your name or any other did notifying information on your submission (this info is logged automatically via DEL). Please do not email assignments unless prior arrangements are made with the e instructor; unapproved assignments received via email will not be accepted. All written a assignments must follow PAP 6 style. I recommend you go here for help on this: http:// writing. Us. Deed/ Class Participation via Towpath (10%) Attendance -? of your mind as well as your person – is expected of you at ever y lecture. To this end, you will be expected to use the Towpath website/ app to respond to discussion questions during each lecture. These questions will only be available (on Towpath) at the time the question is asked in class. In order to receive full participation credit for a lecture, you must respond to all questions asked on that day. Complaints, excuses, or entrapments will not be entertained when considers Eng these participation points.It is your full responsibility to ensure that you access and respond on T owpath during the allotted time period. You may miss a Max of 2 lectures of participation points without penalty, technological/financial/ romantic issues included. Weekly Posts & Responses (1 0% + extra credit opportunity) In order to facilitate more interactive engagement with the course material, y o are required to post a response to the material presented each week (prompt here) on TOPCA t under â€Å"V†eek [X] Response Post†, and then vote AND comment on at least 2 of your class test' posts.Initial posts are due at pm on Thursdays, updates and comments are due at 1 1 pm on Fridays. Each week, the students who have the top 10 updated posts (with classlessness ma trial) will receive 5 extra credit points in the class (given as . 5 SONS credits toward the credit Max, see below) Extra Credit SONS System (Up to 5%) Throughout this semester, you have the opportunity to earn extra credit point s toward your grade. This extra credit research participation is worth 5% or 5 0 points in this course. To earn these mints, you would need to complete 5 hours of research. Syllabus Spring Class participation in this course ill be assessed as the ability of the student to raise the level of the class' conceptual knowledge by making a constructive contribution to the class discussion. There are several channels by which a student may contribute constructively to the class learning process: ; relating course concepts from readings to the discussion; ; commenting perceptively during class discussions; ; raising topic-related questions; ; conceptually expanding on classmates' comments; and, ; providing feedback to classmates' presentations.Students cannot â€Å"participate† unless they are present in class. As such, attending class is a minimum component of the class partial option assessment. Students will be given a daily class score according to the following rubric: O=absent, 50 = sleeping, testing or on the computer, 75=present, 85=present + contribution and 100=present + raised the conceptual knowledge of the class. Standard scores will be computed based on th e number of class meetings during the week and will be posted on Discovery.Students are expected to be on time for class out of respect for the instructor and their fellow classmates. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. If you miss or are going to miss a class, you are required to notify the professor via email. For every absence more than 4 unexcused absences will result in a 1 point reduction in the course grade. Any student testing or using a laptop for anything other than taking notes will receive a â€Å"O† for class participation for that day. B.Course Evaluation: All students completing the course for credit are required to complete an online course evaluation at the end of the course. Participation by all students is important, not only for our continued accreditation, but to assist in refining the course to assure quality instruction. The University will provide instructions to students via your campus email on how to complete the evaluation abou t two weeks before the course ends. You will be given extra class participation points if you complete the course evaluation C.

Beats Marketing

Read this college essay and over others like it now, http://www. Studded. Com/essays/Something-From-Nothing- The-Art-Of-1707686. HTML Something from Nothing the Art of Rap Essay898 Words Read this term paper and over 1,500,000 others like it now. Http://www. Studded. Com/essays/Beats- Marketing-63403078_HTML Beats Marketing Essay616 Words Since soccer is the most popular sport in Brazil, this campaign by Beats is a well-planned technique to raise brand awareness in the Brazilian nation.In addition, having Braziers most popular athlete wearing the merchandise is another successful step in reaching out to Brazilian consumers. One way this campaign may not be successful is the economic situation in Brazil. In August 2014, BBC reported that Braziers economy has fallen into a recession. Beats products are known for being high-priced, with most of them costing around $200. With many Brazilian struggling during the recession, Beats may have robbers selling their luxurious brand in the country. One way Beats can increase the success of their campaign to target Brazilian would be to demonstrate a more economical product. For instance, Beats can make a new commercial with the Brazilian soccer star Anymore wearing the Beats ear-buds product, which are about half the price of the Beats Studio product that he was wearing in the original commercial. The lower price may appeal better to the consumers of that country.

What is ADHD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is ADHD - Essay Example While it is clear that brain chemistry plays some role, the latter explanation seems more compelling and fully developed. Brain chemistry is one of the two main ways that one can theoretically approach ADHD and ADD. Using this theory, one would treat ADHD like a number of other neurological problems such as depression and anxiety, and treat it with drugs that affect the brain’s chemical balance in order to solve the underlying problem. The problem with this approach, however, is the fact that ADHD has never been conclusively linked to any particular brain imbalance, and no neurological test can be used to definitively identify its symptoms, unlike a large series of other neurological disorders (Furman 994). Thus, it seems that what we consider a disorder is actually a â€Å"collection of symptoms† that has not actually been associated with other neurological issues (Furman 998). The cause of ADHD thus does not appear to be a chemical imbalance in the brain. The competing hypothesis is essentially that there has been a great deal of social and lived experience that contributes to the development of these disorders. There is a great deal of support for such an argument: primarily, it seems that treating the co-morbid issues of children facing ADHD (such as family issues, learning problems and so forth) has a direct impact on their experience of ADHD, a reason why a variety of treatments, including family counseling and educational assessments, are necessary in dealing with ADHD (Furman 999). This theory, thus, constructs ADHD as more of a â€Å"volitional† disorder (Garro and Yarris 603), which, like many behavior problems, has its roots in choices that children make along with the environment in which they develop. This cause-effect relationship is better supported by evidence than the brain-chemical model, which is directly disputed by the prevalence

Teachings of Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Teachings of Islam - Research Paper Example Islam is just another monotheistic religion like Judaism and Christianity and like them preaches the oneness of God whom the Muslims call Allah. There are differences present in the practices but Islam in originality is a peaceful religion and it is the practice of the few which has gotten it labeled as a terrorist, violent or extremist religion. The basic beliefs and tenets of Islam The main belief of Islam lies in monotheism. Islam's fundamental belief is that God is one and Mohammad is His messenger. This belief can be elaborated by believing that God is one and supreme, unique, all encompassing and powerful. The second belief lies in the prophet hood of prophet Mohammad who initiated the religion in 610 A.D. Their belief relative to prophets is that prophets are human being sent for the guidance and showing the right path. Also that out of many prophets sent by God Mohammad is the last prophet. Thus Islam acknowledges the presence and the prophet hood of Jew and Christian prophet s like Jesus, Moses etc and their names are mentioned in the holy book of Muslims, the Quran. The third belief of Islam states that God sent Holy books of which Quran is meant to be for eternal guidance and all other books are negated by the revelation of Quran. The fourth belief lies in angels who are pure non-human beings performing divine jobs and the last belief lies in resurrection and the day of judgment. This day of judgment, according to Muslim beliefs will be the day when all actions will be weighed and decision regarding heavens or hell will be made. (Alhoda, 2001) There are five basic tenets of Islam of which the first and the foremost is belief in God with all his attributes and attributing no other partners with him. The second is saying prayers five times a day and men gathering in the mosque for Friday afternoon prayers. The third is fasting from dawn to duck in the Holy month of Ramadan (Muslims follow the lunar calendar) and the fourth is giving a fixed percentage o f wealth in the path of God to the poor and the needy. The last is performing pilgrimage to Mecca once in the lifetime for all those who can afford to do so. (Devera) Islam and Muslims in the U.S Muslims entered the United States as Moriscoes who accompanied Columbus when the continent was first discovered. These were followed by slaves who were brought to work in the US and the waves of migrations increased the number of Muslims (Kabourra). In the U.S. today there are between 6-8 million Muslims in the United States out of which African-Americans are predominant. It is the fastest growing faith in the United States (A brief history of islam in the United states) and mosques, Islamic centers and Islamic schools are found in every Muslim community. Regional and national conferences of Muslims are held and issues of common concern are streamlined. Muslims in the USA are allowed to freely practice their religion and MSA's (Muslim Students Association) are present and active in all coll eges and universities. A survey reports that there are 1000 mosques, 400 Islamic schools, 400 associations and over 80 Islamic publications in the US. (A brief history of islam in the United states). Thus Muslims in the United States can practice their religion more freely than a few Islamic countries for example like Turkey where the headscarf is banned or like Egypt or Morocco where being extremely devout is often

U01d2 Cost Shifting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U01d2 Cost Shifting - Essay Example There are a number of different treatments like the surgical, non – surgical cancer, organ transplants and other imaging like CT, MRI, PET scans and numerous other highly sophisticated tests which need to be considered and covered for. America’s health care system in the country is also structured in a manner which contributes to the rise on costs (Griffin, 2000). The concept of cost shifting is one of the major reasons that the costs have also gone up. Cost shifting simply implies at how the cost of care has shifted from one set of people to another group. The concept is such that if one group of people is unwilling to pay the bills, then the costs are redistributed to another set of people who can’t refuse to pay for the costs. One of the few reasons for the inclusion of cost shifting in the health care industry is the creation of Medicaid and Medicare. Shi and Singh explain that the cost shifting was included to offset costs when the charity received was used to make up for the difference. Feldstein explains that when there is a belief that cost shifting occurs, this could possibly be when the hospitals raise their prices to compensate for the patients that are lower charged (Morrisey, 1994). Feldstein also unveils that the costs have increased for two reasons, namely, an increase in the variable costs in terms of the wages and secondly, there are changes in the hospital payer mixes, i.e. an increase in the less price sensitive patients which allows the hospitals to increase the mark ups. This is viewed to be a profit for the hospital however this is a selfishly induced process and is controlled by the cost shifting. The knowledge that people have on the increase in the costs of the providers to make profits has led the industry to be impacted negatively and is also impacting the human charity as well. There is a clear sense of mis happenings within the industry where the rich are being given complete access to quality

Handling Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Handling Conflict - Essay Example It has been noted that the more optimism on the top management team leads to cooperation among workmate. Working together leads to better company results. Good leaders never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus all their energy on short-term objectives. When a leader fails to focus his/her attention on the short-term goals, the organization fails because of the imminent lack of momentum to reach the long-term goals that would ensure its survival. Leading with passion helps maintain the vision because when a person does something because he likes doing it. It becomes so easy to accomplish tasks (Perkins, Holtman, Kessler, & McCarthy, 2000). When a leader proves to be too nice to his subjects, the result is a lack of unity and respect. Therefore, the team he is working with performs poorly (Perkins, Holtman, Kessler, & McCarthy, 2000). The leader focuses the setting of the goals on the strength of his team. Focusing goals on strengths ensures that the goals are achieved. Lack of mentors and coaches makes the team inexperienced. A good relationship acts as the foundation of the company. Perkins, D. N., Holtman, M. P., Kessler, P. R., & McCarthy, C. (2000). Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackletons Antarctic Expedition. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt

EBay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

EBay - Essay Example Approximately 430,000 people today in the USA come up with all of or even the majority of their own existing through this web site (Lewis, 2008). The actual goal of eBay was to promote the task ethic and traditions associated with the exciting, wide open as well as trustworthy atmosphere to achieve and maintain the main concerns of the organization. For this it has successfully kept its customers protected from other rivalries by providing a smooth open trading forum for sale and purchase. This paper is an attempt to familiarize the audience about the success of eBay with a brief touch of its SWOT analysis, Porter’s Five Force Model, and Value Chain Analysis. 1. eBay: SWOT Analysis 1.1 Strengths 1.1.1 Brand. The fame of eBay brand is consistently increasing over the years and now the brand has become a source of benefit to it. The brand is widely appreciated throughout the world because the firm is expanding its areas of operation on global scale and thus public has its great awareness and recognition. The company has estimated greater revenue in near future due to the wide recognition of equity of eBay brand. In addition to this, eBay’s trademark, copyrights, patents, and domain names will also help the organization to get a competitive advantage over its rivals. In turn, eBay will enjoy extra sales and earnings. 1.1.2 Market Leadership. eBay offers the best and leading online auction services to the community on global scale. It is the leading company of auction industry as still it possesses 17% online market share and it will enjoy its leading place in various ways. Top rank position will enable the company to increase its brand recognition and greater impact on auction industry. eBay can easily combat the competition from any of its rivalry or new entrant by using its leading seat. 1.1.3 Strategic Assets and Earning Growth. eBay is possessing great strategic position in the market and this status provides it a competitive advantage over its r ivalries. In 2010, the eBay’s overall worth of sold products was $62 billion which was more than $2,000 every second (http://www.ebayinc.com/who). The company’s net revenue remained 2.5 and 2.8 billion dollars in first and second quarters of 2011 respectively. The potential of growth is estimated to increase significantly by December 2011 i.e. 17.40% which would be four times than of June, 2011. 1.1.4 Pay Pal. eBay has successfully kept its customers stay in touch with it by the acquisition of Pay Pal. The possession of Pay Pal has not only increased the numbers of customers but it also developed the confidence level of buyers on eBay manifold. 1.2 Weaknesses 1.2.1 Advancements in Technology. Since latest technologies are easily available in the market, therefore the auction market has been converted into replicated environment. Due to this trend, the auction industry is getting restricted to internet only. In order to ensure the auction more convenient, eBay must work on its user interface working environment. Although it is already producing great revenue, however, by doing so, customer level of confidence on eBay will be improved as well as the traffic of visiting users would also increase. 1.2.2 Expectations. eBay’s track record over the years has increased the customers’ level of expectations manifold. In current scenario it seems to be improbable that eBay will keep on producing the same upshots. Therefore, if eBay goes to do so, it means firm is forced to set

Refugees and Asylum Seekers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Refugees and Asylum Seekers - Research Paper Example The situations that makes it impossible for a refugee to return to his home country must relate to something that makes it unsafe, dangerous or fatal for the individual to return to his home country. There are two facades to examine these situations that puts a person in danger. One angle is to view it from an individual perspective, where an individual, due to some activities or inherent situations is subjected to possible death, torture or inhumane conditions. On the other hand, a person might qualify to become a refugee if there is a situation that has been declared by the international community as a war or internal conflict. Chimni (2000) identifies that widest root cause of the exodus of refugees is ethnic reasons. This implies that people are more likely to become refugees because of persecution related to their ethnic views and identities. Chimni (2000) identifies two reasons for this. The first reason is that ethnic differences are susceptible to exploitation. Secondly, the control of a state by one ethnic group is likely to lead to threats to the lives of people of other ethnic origins. This definition of the term 'refugee' is consistent with Article 1 of the 1951 UN Geneva Convention. (Carlier, 1997). This UN statute makes it imperative for nations to take in persons who fall into the category of refugees to be given the status of refugee, which makes them entitled to some degree of help, support and rights in the host country (Carlier, 1997). Normally, a person who has a genuine fear in his home country moves into another country and applies for an asylum (Chimni, 2000). The asylum seeking process allows a potential refugee to present the reasons why he is fleeing form his home country. It is up to the authorities in the host country to assess the application and grant or refuse the application on several grounds. In most developed countries the reasons for seeking asylum is segmented to seven categories and each category has its own rules and proce sses (Hynes, 2011). Thus each application has to be put into one of the seven categories. When this is done, the relevant rules would be invoked based on the facts presented by the applicant. If the application is consistent with the rules for the specific category the application goes through, the asylum would be granted. And when this is done, a person's status is upgraded from asylum seeker to refugee. In this instance, the person is given basic necessities in life and allowed to live and work in the host country (Hynes, 2011). Technically, when an asylum seeker is granted refugee status, he cannot be deported back to his country of origin either until the person voluntarily goes back to the country or the situation in the country is declared over and there is no threat to the life of the individual in question. In some cases, an asylum application could be rejected on one of several grounds including abusive or unfounded (Hynes, 2011). An unfounded application is an application made by a person whose claim for asylum does not have a basis. An example is the case of a person who claims to be at risk in his home country because of a human rights situation that his country has guaranteed against. Such an application would be declined by most countries because it does not seem there is a real threat. The second form of rejection is where an asylum claim is defined as a means to a given end other than escape from a dangerous situation in a person's home country. A common

Construction Industry, Climate Change and use of Renewable Energy Essay

Construction Industry, Climate Change and use of Renewable Energy Options - Essay Example Since origination, humans have been involved in various activities, utilizing the physical as well as the mental part. The activities only transformed our globe from a primitive one to developed one. But, one can see that these activities not only resulted in development but have also have caused destructions to our earth. That is, in his/her quest to achieve advancement, humans have invented or inventing many tools and are also developing rapidly in particular fields. But, unfortunately, the same tools and the developing fields are damaging human lives and the earth’s environment, which sustain the lives. One of the ‘developing fields’, which contributes to damages is the construction field or industry. The fact is, â€Å"the construction industry are generating close to one-third of all the waste in Britain while 20% of new building materials on the average building site are simply thrown away at the end of the job† (Seager 2007). Also, the important part s of the construction industry, lighting and heating of buildings have to lead to the generation of 50% of Britains carbon dioxide emissions. Most of the firms of the construction industry are following the plan, â€Å"three zeros - zero carbon, zero water and zero waste," with the changes made by the industry itself, as government legislation would take too long (Seager 2007).The use of eco-damaging products and faulty coordination by the construction industry is bringing in host of problems to the people mainly in the form of global warming. â€Å"The Stern Report, by Sir Nicholas Stern, the World Bank’s former chief economist, says the lack of coordination between elements of the industry creates poor quality, energy-inefficient buildings†¦ With no action, each tonne of carbon dioxide we emit will cause at least  £45 of damage† (Miller).  

Nortel Case Report Essay Example for Free

Nortel Case Report Essay The company also used to be affiliated with ATamp;T/Western Electric until Western was forced to sell its stake in 1949. In 1976, the company changed its name from Northern Electric to Northern Telecom Limited, and shifted its concentration on digital technology. In 1977, Nortel introduced its DMS line of digital central office telephone switches. Nortel ended its long relationship with ATamp;T in 1984, a year after deregulation named. Bell Canada Enterprises the parent company to Northern Telecom. In 1998, the company acquired Bay Networks and changed its name to Nortel Networks. In the late 90’s, Nortel’s sales of fiber optic network gear was predicted to help their sales, but the market became saturated very quickly. At the height of Nortel’s first 100 years the company amassed for more than a third of the total valuation of all companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), but once the Internet bubble passed, the company fell into ethical debacle. Nortel Networks Corporation, or formally known as Northern Telecom Limited was one of the largest telecommunications equipment companies in the world prior to its filing for bankruptcy protection on January 14th, 2009. During times of functionality, they specialized in multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturing. The company is based in Canada out of Mississiauga, Ontario, Canada. Their biggest rival always was Global System Mobile (GSM). Through the early 1990s, the company invested heavily in Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) in attempt to grow in European and Asian markets. This did not pan out so well as Nortel’s losses amounted to $27. 3 billion by 2001—causing them to lay off two-thirds of the workforce. From 2000 through 2003 there was a period of fiscal irresponsibility resulting from the work of the company’s administrators. Initially in 2000, they falsified their fourth-quarter earnings by $1 billion to meet market expectations and selectively reversing certain revenue entries. In 2002, administrators discovered $300 million in excess reserves being carried over and swept it under the rug for future benefit in addition to establishing another $151 million in unnecessary reserves. In 2003, administrators directed the release of at least $490 million of excess reserves to boost earning, fabricate profits, and pay bonuses. Losses turned to profits during this year thanks to the shifty methods taking place. Later in that year, administrators mislead investors as to why Nortel was conducting a purportedly â€Å"comprehensive review† of its assets—attributed by restatement $948 million in liabilities. They said restatement was caused solely by internal control mistakes instead of the truth that there was intentional improper handling of reserves which needed to remain hidden. 2 On October 23rd, 2003, the company announced that Nortel would restate its financials for fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002. Shortly after this restatement, the major players of Nortel’s administration that were responsible for all of this were exposed through an independent investigation. In March 2004, The CFO and controller were suspended, in addition to the announcement of further restatements and revisions; they were terminated a month later in April 2004. A restatement in early 2005 showed approximately $3. 4 billion in misstated revenues and another $746 in liabilities. In late 2005, Nortel admitted that restatements were the result of management fraud—beginning the downturn of their stock. The company ended up restating financials four times over four years, replacing senior management, and instituting a comprehensives remediation program designed to ensure proper accounting and reporting practices. Eventually on October 15th, 2007, Nortel agreed to settle by paying a $35 million civil penalty and admitting to violations of the antifraud, reporting, books and records, and internal control provisions of the federal securities laws. 2 On June 25th, 2009, Nortel’s price dropped to 18. 5 cents a share down from a high of $124. 0 in 2000. The company decided that month that they would discontinue operations and sell off all of its business units. Nortel’s CDMA wireless business and LTE access technology were sold to Ericsson, and Avaya purchased Nortels Enterprise business unit. Major Players in the Scandal: The major players in this scandal were the four members of the senior management: CEO Frank Dunn, CFO Douglas Beatty, controller Michael Gollogly, and ass istant controller Maryanne Pahapill. CEO Frank Dunn, who is also a certified management accountant. Dunn was mainly involved in the improper use of reserves from 2000 to 2003. CFO Douglas Beatty, controller Michael Gollogly, and assistant controller Maryanne Pahapill were also involved in this management fraud. 2 The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Toronto arrested ex-CEO Frank Dunn, ex-CFO Douglas Beatty, and former corporate controller Michael Gollogly on seven counts of fraud. Including charges â€Å"fraud affecting public market; falsification of books and documents; false prospectus, pertaining to allegations of criminal activity within Nortel Networks during 2002 and 2003. Magnitude of the financial issue: Nortel at its peak was one of the best companies that Canada had ever seen. Just like ENRON and other financial frauds at the time, Nortel appeared to be a shining example of success in the corporate world. Again like ENRON, Nortel grew through a strategy of aggressive expansion and purchasing of smaller companies in order to create a massive conglomerate. During the good times Nortel was the largest technology company and the most valuable company in Canada. Nortel accounted for over one third of the entire aluation of the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the Canadian equivalent of the New York Stock Exchange and holds the most influential stock market in Canada. Nortel employed about 95,000 employees worldwide. About 26,000 of those workers based in Canada alone. Nortel at one point had a market capitalization of almost C$400 billion. Nortel had set up pensions and healthcare protection for its employees. All of these were lost to either the restructuring under Frank Dunne which left about 60,000 employees without jobs or the bankruptcy that followed in 2009. Canadian government officials and regulators identified how destructive a full failure of Nortel would be on the Canadian economy. The Canadian government through the Export Development Canada project tried to lend money to the falling giant. However the Canadian government could not cover all of Nortel’s debt obligations. Nortel owed about $107 million and the EDC (Export Development Canada) could only supply about $30 million in short term loans. This $107 million interest payment accounted for about 4% of Nortel’s cash and put the company into bankruptcy. The world financial crisis of 2008 had put too much strain on Nortel and they were forced to begin liquidation. Public auditor: The auditors involved with this case were Deloitte and Touche. In documents from the fraud case, which is still being heard by the Royal court in Canada, Deloitte claims that they were not given proper documentation by Nortel. Deloitte claims that they did not have pertinent information which should have been provided by administrators at Nortel. Deloitte raised concerns to the audit board of Nortel in 2003 when Nortel turned a profit after Frank Dunne’s restructuring of the company. Deloitte raised awareness of potential fraud and did their duty in that respect. However further investigation conducted has implicated Deloitte in the financial reporting irregularities in Nortel which some have claimed dates back to the time of CEO Roth who held office before Dunne. Information coming out of the case states that even if transactions were deemed suspicious, they still signed off on the verity of the financial reports. Frank Dunne and some of his officers are now charged with fraud by both the SEC and the OSC which regulate the American and Canadian markets respectively. The case is currently still under review in the Royal court of Canada and civil charges have been brought in the United States. Fraud Triangle Nortel had experienced tremendous growth throughout the 1990s, allowing it to expand operations worldwide. Nortel’s expansion came during the telecommunication and technology bubble of the 1990s that inflated stock prices of companies in those sectors. Frank Dunn had taken over for the previous CEO, John Roth, in November 2001 during the telecommunication bubble bust. Dunn felt pressured to maintain the high stock price because it accounted for over one third of Nortel’s value2. Nortel management was also incentivized to post profits that produced executive bonuses with over $7. 8million going to Dunn alone. The primary members of the Nortel fraud were able to commit the fraud because, as executive officers and controllers, they were able to go around the internal controls of the company. That allowed them to implement many accounting practices that did not comply with GAAP. Nortel management’s rationalization for these fraudulent practices must have been that they needed to maintain the high stock price in order for the company to continue operating. Moral Breach and Ethical Issues As a publicly traded company, Nortel had the responsibility of fairly reporting the company’s true financial data to stockholders and potential investors. Dunn, Beatty, Gollogly and Pahapill breached this responsibility by establishing earnings management accounting strategies to manipulate Nortel’s revenues. Nortel management also actively sought to inflate earnings to trigger very large bonuses for key members of management. Perhaps, if these incentives did not exist then there would be less motivation to commit the fraud. Finally, Nortel’s auditor for over a century, Deloitte and Touche, has come under scrutiny by the defense lawyers in Dunn, Gollogly and Beatty’s civil trial in Canada this year. The defense claims that Deloitte approved of all major accounting adjustments that Dunn and his team had engaged in. Summary of Legal Actions On April 28th, 2004, Dunn and his fraud partners were fired for financial mismanagement2. On March 12th, 2007 the SEC filed civil charges against Dunn, Beatty, Gollogly and Pahapill for repeatedly engaging in accounting fraud to bridge gaps between Nortel’s true performance, its internal targets, and market expectations. Dunn and Beatty were charged with violating the officer certification agreement that was established by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Nortel settled with SEC on October 15, 2007 by consenting to be prescribed from violating the antifraud, reporting, books and records, and internal control provisions of the federal securities laws. Nortel paid $35million to the SEC, and $1million to the Ontario Securities Commission to establish a Fair Fund for affected shareholders. Finally, Canadian authorities arrested and charge Dunn, Beatty and Gollogly with seven counts of fraud. Their trial began on January 16th, 2012. Current Status: Nortel, once known as the largest telecommunications manufacturer in the world, filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Now three years later, the period of bankruptcy continues as the company discloses their every operating report highlighting each cash receipt and disbursement. When Nortel went bankrupt, executives believed that selling all business assets would be the best and easiest way to fight debt. Recently, Nortel has netted $7. 7 billion from selling its patents and businesses. As stated on their website, â€Å"Nortel remains focused on maximizing value for its stakeholders, including the sale of its remaining assets, resolution of claims, the wind-down of its global operations and entities, resolution of allocation matters with respect to the sale proceeds, and other significant restructuring activities toward the conclusion of the creditor protection proceedings. † The case for Nortel executives Dunn (ex CEO), Beatty (ex CFO) and Gollogy (ex controller), who were charged with fraud for affecting the public market and falsifying books and documents to earn larger bonuses, is still in trial. In February, a former Vice President of Nortel testified in court against executives stating that they had asked him to use questionable accounting methods to manipulate the company’s earnings. Although those who committed the crime have been charged, thousands of employees will still be left without pension plans and jobs. Nortel has spent over $20 million on retirement package these past two year, but unfortunately the company will stop the pension plan and disability program payments as it continues to sell away its businesses. By the end of 2011, Nortel was split into regional entities – Nortel Networks Limited in Canada and Nortel Networks Inc in the United States, causing disagreements over how to split $7. 5 billion that was earned by selling many assets and patents other corporations such as Apple and Microsoft Corp. The following charts, graphs and financial statements analyze Nortel’s current status. Case Study Questions and Solutions: 1. Dunn is a certified management accountant. Based on the facts of the case, which provisions of the IMA’s Statement of Ethical Professional Practice that was discussed in chapter 1 have been violated? Dunn violates many of the provisions of the IMA’s statement of Ethical Professional Practice they are as follows: 1. Perform professional duties in accordance with law, regulations and technical standards. 2. Provide decision information that is accurate, clear, concise and timely 3. Retain from engaging in any conduct that would prejudice carrying out any duties ethically. 4. Abstain from engaging in or supporting any activity that might discredit the profession. 5. Communicate information fairly and objectively. 6. Disclose all relevant information, that could reasonably be expected to influence an intended users understanding of the reports analyses or recommendations. 7. Disclose delays or deficiencies in information timeliness processing or internal controls in conformance with organization policy and/or applicable law. He violated these by selective reversal of revenue entries in 2000. Followed by concealing the reserves in 2002, which violated GAAP, and then avoided posting a profit so the company wouldn’t have to pay out bonuses. In 2003 Dunn released the reserves to falsely report a profit, which allowed them to eports a profit a quarter earlier than expected, and to pay out more bonuses to senior management. Also in 2003 he misled the investors about why Nortel had restated its financials in order to avoid uncovering the unethical management techniques him and his team had been using. All of these actions take away Dunn’s integrity and credibility in the field of manageria l accounting, which are two of the standards the IMA sets out. Dunn failed to meet his professional code of conduct and his company suffered because of it. 2. What are the responsibilities of an auditor to detect fraud? How were those responsibilities compromised by the actions of Nortel’s management? It is the auditors responsibility to report fraud if they find it, however in this case the actions of Nortel’s management made it difficult for the auditors to do their job. The false financial statements and hiding of money veiled the problems of the company from the auditors. Once there was a hint of the fraud the auditors found it and perused the trail, taking the ethical route and also following the code of conduct. It was their investigation that brought down the fraudulent executives and forced the company to restate its financials properly. This would eventually lead to the failure of Nortel. Nortel made materially false and misleading statements and omissions in connection with the quarterly reviews and materially misstated annual audits of financial statements. This caused the auditors to not be able to properly do their job, and review the statements. 3. Describe the incentives that created pressure on Nortel to manage earnings. Considering the role of Nortel’s management in this regard, discuss whether it met its corporate governance obligations as discussed in previous chapters. The incentives that drove Nortel to manage its earning where greed of the management team, the pressure to deliver bonuses, the pressure to survive an economic downturn, and the pressure to make the company seem like a good investment to both current and potential investors. In an economic climate of intense competition and corporate greed the management at Nortel fell victim to their vices and allowed the pressure to perform to overwhelm their priorities. This caused them to put their own greed and personal ambition before the well being of the company. Nortel did not meet its corporate governance obligations. It did not follow any internal rules of how to run the business. It ignored any corporate ethics they might have. It lied to stakeholders several times by misstating the financials. They did not follow the professional code of conduct of their careers and also did not follow industry standards. They broke the law. No one inside the company caught the fraud therefore their internal controls where not effective. Each of these immoral acts is a case where corporate governance has failed. 4. The final quote in the case characterizes Nortel’s failure as â€Å"just another casualty of capitalism. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? How would you characterize the cause of the failure at Nortel? I would argue that Nortel is not just another casualty of capitalism. Nortel did not function in a system of free market capitalism where the government had absolutely no regulation and let the markets function however they wanted. The capitalism system of North America is more of a mixed economy, which combines public and private ownership of companies, and also provides government regulation and intervention to prevent and deal with fraud. Even in a free market the system is meant to come to an equal balance of supply and demand, which cannot be reached if there is fraud involved since the supply has been inaccurately disclosed by the senior management at Nortel. I would characterize this failure as one of humanity. It was not the economic system that allowed this fraud to take place, but the greed of the people and a social environment that ties success so strongly to wealth. It was the social pressure and the effect of human nature that led to Nortel’s demise. . The case discusses how Nortel’s managers prioritized themselves over the shareholders, which, in part, lead to the company’s failure. What should be a company’s first priority? A company’s first priority should be following their code of ethics. The second priority should be the shareholders, followed by the management and other employees. This hierarchy ensures that all the business that is done with be both moral and legal , meaning there is no room to commit fraud and damage the company. In this way you are putting the shareholders first, because by providing a stable and healthy company the shareholders will see an investment that will be able to reach its highest potential. 6. Was Nortel’s settlement a fair penalty? Should the SEC have imposed harsher or more lenient sanctions? Should these sanctions have been on the managers, on Nortel as a whole, or both? A fair settlement would offer compensation to all those who were hurt by this fraud. Groups that may have been hurt could be shareholders, employees and customers. Deciding what is a fair compensation is a little more difficult, however as much of what these people lost as possible should be returned to them. As for the managers who created the problems and took part in the fraud should face a sentence of termination from their company, loss of license (if applicable) and jail time. The company and the individual managers have both failed stakeholders and should both be held accountable. In the case of Nortel specifically the stockholder settlement goes with these guidelines, as for the managers their trial is still ongoing and therefore no sentenced has been given to them yet.