Exchange Rates Volatility and Risks Essay

There are a number of factors that could change the value of a currency with respect to another. If the inflation rate in a country is low with respect to the inflation rate in other countries, the prices of goods and services in the country with the low inflation rate become attractive for foreigners. However, increases in demand for the goods and services in the country with a low inflation rate are expected to appreciate the value of the country’s currency (Ana, FS 2004). Changes in interest rates tend to have a similar affect on exchange rates. Foreigners would like to invest in countries where the rates of return on investment are high. As the demand for investment in a particular country increases – because it enjoys a high interest rate in comparison with other countries – the value of its currency is expected to appreciate (Ana, FS). The exchange rates at a given time are also dependent on differences between the current account balances of countries. If a country is running a current account deficit, it generally means that the country is importing more than it is exporting, so therefore investments in the country may not be considered lucrative. A country with a current account surplus, on the other hand, is considered attractive for investment. As a matter of fact, the currency of this country is as attractive to foreigners as its products and services. By increasing their demand for the country’s products and services, foreigners are expected to appreciate its currency’s value. As its currency’s value appreciates, however, investing in the country becomes less affordable (Ana, FS). When a country is experiencing a current deficit, its government may decide to borrow money to finance the self same deficit. Inflation may ensue. Moreover, if the lenders believe that there is a default risk, they may decide to sell off the debt on the open market. In the United States, treasury securities may be used for this reason. In any case, the selling of the debt on the open market is expected to exert downward pressure on the foreign exchange rate (Ana, FS). Exchange rates are also affected by the political climate of a country at any given time. Political disturbance in a country may result in a loss of investor confidence in its currency. Conversely, countries that enjoy relatively stable political climates are able to attract investment and experience appreciations in the values of their currencies (Bergen, JA 2007). Undoubtedly, a firm must be able to manage the different kinds of political risks that it may have to face by investing in a particular country. There are three main types of political risks: firm-specific risks, country-specific risks, and global-specific risks. Of the three types of political risks, firm-specific risks include the volatility of exchange rates. These risks are expected to affect the multinational enterprise at the corporate and/or project level (Frenkel, M, Karman, A, & Scholtens, B 2004). For this reason, an exchange rate risk or currency risk – from the perspective of an American investor – is defined as follows: The risk that a business’ operations or an investment’s value will be affected by changes in exchange rates. For example, if money must be converted into a different currency to make a certain investment, changes in the value of the currency relative to the American dollar will affect the total loss or gain on the investment when the money is converted back. This risk usually affects businesses, but it can also affect individual investors who make international investments (Exchange Rate Risk 2007). There are three types of exposure to exchange rate volatility that an investor may have to confront. The firm faces translation exposure when its reported accounting profits must be adjusted as a result of foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Transaction exposure is the result of the firm’s agreement to undertake certain â€Å"foreign exchange transactions during the current period (Bolster, P 2006). † As an example, an importer may sign an agreement to purchase a specific quantity of goods from Country A and pay a certain amount of money to the country in ninety days. Through this agreement the importer is obligated to pay Country A by purchasing the units of Country A’s currency in ninety days. Seeing that the exchange rate may change in ninety days, the importer is exposed to currency risk (Bolster, P). Lastly, investors may have to face economic exposure to exchange rate volatility. This type of exposure to exchange rates volatility results from the need of the firm to conduct business activities in another country in future. Bolster, P describes economic exposure as â€Å"the need for foreign exchange transactions and exposure to exchange rate fluctuations that results from future business activities. † The experience of Toyota in the U. S. utomobile market helps to explain this type of exposure to exchange rate volatility. The company had managed to attain a sizeable market share in the United States. But, when the Japanese yen started to appreciate in relation to the U. S. dollar, the revenues of the company dropped significantly (Bolster, P). The good news is that it is possible for investors to manage the political risks, including the firm-specific risks that they may be exposed to. â€Å"Limiting, diversifying, and hedging† are all viable methods of managing political risks (Frenkel, M, Karman, A, & Scholtens, B p. 20). †

French and Indian War DBQ Essay

For many years, throughout the 17th century and 18th century, Britain maintained a neutral relationship with its American colonies. By upholding salutary neglect, the British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws, the American colonies remained obedient to Britain. However, after the French and Indian War (1754-1763), Britain’s relations with its colonist were drastically altered. The war greatly damaged Britain’s economy and because of its pyrrhic victory, a series of taxes were implemented on the American colonists.  The unfair taxation ideologically changed the Americans’ views on Britain and they felt they were not represented in Parliament. The French and Indian war altered the relations between Britain and its American colonists politically by giving Britain control of the east, economically by putting Britain in extreme debt and compelling Parliament to impose taxes on its colonists, and ideologically by shifting the colonistsâ€⠄¢ loyalty towards rebellion against Britain. The French defeat in the war paved way to the expansion of British territory throughout the eastern coastline (Document A). The colonists began to settle on the land beyond the Appalachian Mountains, which resulted in tensions with the Natives who primarily resided there. Canassatego, chief of the Onondaga Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy, delivered a speech to the representatives of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. In the speech, he speaks with an accusatory tone as he is angered by the unrightfully settling of the American colonists (Document B). He sees the white settlers as people who spoil his hunting and addresses to the representatives that they know the colonists have no right to settle in the Natives’ land. Because of this  speech and Pontiac’s Rebellion, Britain was forced to implement the Proclamation Line of 1763, which prevented American settlers from moving past the Appalachian Mountains. Generally, this angered the settlers because they believed they deserved the land due to their service in the war. This was an initial step to the Americans’ shift of ideology to rebellion. At the end of the war, Britain’s economy rapidly declined and it struggled to pay its war debts. As a means to solve this issue, it enforced a series of acts on the American colonists. A British Order in Council of 1763 concluded that the current revenue from the colonies was not sufficient to pay a fourth of the cost to collect it (Document F). It deemed it necessary to impose the controversial Stamp Act, a tax on all paper goods. The council speaks with concern as it stresses the income from the colonies is not nearly enough to relieve the debt. The council, however, only looks from Parliament’s view of needing to relieve the debt rather than the colonists’ view of unfair taxation. Colonists began to organize protests, chanting â€Å"No taxation without representation† as their slogan. On August 9, 1765, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to a close ally, John Hughes. In the letter, Franklin informs his friend of the uncertainty of the removal of the Stamp Act. Though he says it would be wise to stay loyal to Britain because if they were caught talking about expelling an act, they would be tried with treason (Document G). Franklin’s point of view is prudent because he cares for the future of him and his ally. He goes on to tell Hughes if he attempts to repel the act, his traits will always be remembered by the colonists. Another tax implemented by the British was the Sugar Act, which added a three cents tax and sales tax on sugar, a high value commodity. The series of taxes provoked the American colonists to boycott all British goods. The boycott severely weakened the already damaged economy of Britain. As colonial unity was formed within the boycott, colonial ideological values differed tremendously after the war. Colonists were already filled with resentment due to the Proclamation Line of 1763 and the taxation caused Britain’s and the colonists’ relationship to decline further.

Airline Marketing Plan

Executive Summary 1. 0 Executive Summary Puddle Jumpers Airlines, Inc. is a new consumer airline in its formative stages. It is being organized to take advantage of a specific gap in the short-haul domestic travel market. The gap exists in low cost service out of Anytown, U. S. A. The gap in the availability of low cost service in and out of the Anytown hub coupled with the demand for passenger travel on selected routes from Anytown indicates that a new entrant airline could be expected to capture a significant portion of current air travel business at that hub. The management of Puddle Jumpers is experienced in airline start-ups. Previously management grew Private Jet Airlines from a single Boeing 727 to a fleet of 16 MD80 series aircraft. Revenues grew to $130 million in a two year period from 1992 through 1993. Our research and projections indicate that air travel to and from Anytown is sufficient to provide a new carrier with revenues of $110 million dollars in its first full year of operations, utilizing six aircraft and selected short-haul routes. These sales figures are based upon load factors of only 55% in year one. Second year revenues are expected to exceed $216 million dollars with additional aircraft and expanded routes. Load factors for year two are 62%. The Puddle Jumpers plan has the potential for a more rapid ramp-up than was the case with Private Jet due to the nature of the routes and the demand for travel currently in the targeted markets served. In short, the frequency of flights needed to serve Puddle Jumperss target market exceeds the demand that dictated Private Jets growth. These sales levels will produce net profit of just over $1 million in the first operational year and $21. 4 million dollars in flight year two. Profits in year one will be 1% of sales and will improve to 10% of sales with the economies gained in year two. The over-all operational long term profit target will be 16% of sales as net profit in years three, four, and five. The companys long term plan is part of the due diligence package. The first operational year is actually fiscal year two in this plan. The first year of formative operations will burn cash until revenue can commence. This is due to the organizational and regulatory obligations of a new air carrier. Investment activity is needed to handle the expenses of this phase of the business. The following chart illustrates the over-all highlights of our business plan over the first three years. Gross Margin here is approximately 87% of sales since the only costs included in this calculation are travel agent commissions, credit card discounts, and federal excise taxes. Travel agent commissions are calculated on 30% of sales even though management feels the actual number will not exceed 10% of sales. NOTE: For display purposes in this sample plan, numerical values in tables and charts are shown in thousands (000s). Highlights 1. 1 Objectives The Company has the following objectives: 1. To obtain required D. O. T. and F. A. A. certifications on or before March 1, 1997. 2. To commence revenue service on or before July 1, 1997. 3. To raise sufficient seed and bridge capital in a timely fashion to financially enable these objectives. 4. To commence operations with two McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 series aircraft in month one, four by end of month four, and six by end of month six. 5. To add one aircraft per month during year two for a total of 18 at year two end. 1. 2 Mission Puddle Jumpers International Airlines, Inc. has a mission to provide safe, efficient, low-cost consumer air travel service. Our service will emphasize safety as its highest priority. We will operate the newest and best maintained aircraft available. We will never skimp on maintenance in any fashion whatsoever. We will strive to operate our flights on time. We will provide friendly and courteous no frill service. 1. 3 Keys to Success The keys to success are: Obtaining the required governmental approvals. Securing financing. Experienced management. (Already in place). Marketing; either dealing with channel problems and barriers to entry; or solving problems with major advertising and promotion budgets. Targeted market share must be achieved even amidst expected competition. Product quality. Always with safety foremost. Services delivered on time, costs controlled, marketing budgets managed. There is a temptation to fix on growth at the expense of profits. Also, rapid growth will be curtailed in order to keep maintenance standards both strict and measurable. Cost control. The over-all cost per ASM (available seat mile) is pegged at 7. 0 cents or less in 1996 dollars. This ASM factor places Puddle Jumpers in a grouping of the lowest four in the airline industry within the short-haul market. (US Air, the dominate carrier in the Anytown market, averages 12. 0 cents per ASM by comparison). The only three airlines with lower operating costs also operate older and less reliable equipment, and even then the lowest short-haul cost in the airline industry is currently Southwest at 6. 43 cents per ASM. Company Summary 2. 0 Company Summary Puddle Jumpers International Airlines is being formed in July, 1996 as a South State Corporation. Its offices will be in Anytown, Georgia. The founder of Puddle Jumpers is Kenneth D. Smith. Mr. Smith has extensive experience in consumer aviation. His bio as well as the backgrounds of all the members of Puddle Jumperss management team are enclosed herein. 2. 1 Company Ownership Puddle Jumpers International Airlines, Inc. will authorize 20,000,000 shares of common stock. 1,000,000 shares are to be set aside as founders stock to be divided among key management personnel. It is also expected that management stock options will be made available to key management personnel after operations commence. It is expected that founders stock plus option stock will not total more than 15% of authorized shares. Initial seed capital is to be attracted via a convertible debenture sold by Private Placement. This round of funding will have premium conversion privileges vs. later rounds and bridge capital.

Reference Checks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reference Checks - Assignment Example dit-screens, full-blown background investigations, pre-employment written skills (aptitude) tests, and written personality-profile tests† (Perritt and Perritt, 6). In Europe, there is a more democratic practice of prospective employees themselves providing information â€Å"about themselves† (Perritt and Perritt, 11). In case of any unlawful behavior by employees, this document can be used as the employer to validate his/her innocence in the matter. US multi-national employers often conduct â€Å"written pre-hire tests† to assess whether the candidate has â€Å"the right skill sets or aptitudes† (Perritt and Perritt, 13). But in Europe, this kind of a test is not favored because of the â€Å"cultural and human resources† issues involved (Perritt and Perritt, 13). It is argued in European countries that such a test will evoke comprehension problems, translation issues and cultural confusions in overseas employees (Perritt and Perritt, 13). As the appl icant test responses are usually â€Å"private data†, in Europe, such tests will be against the data privacy laws (Perritt and Perritt, 15). Also, in Europe, there are severe restrictions on firing employees (Perritt and Perritt, 17). This makes the hiring mistakes tougher to rectify (Perritt and Perritt, 17). Even in such a situation, the European companies are known to stay away from intruding background check. There is also the instance of pre-hire drug tests, the approach to which US and European context differ greatly. In US, such tests are prevalent, while in Europe, they are unheard of (Perritt and Perritt, 3). But in Europe, â€Å"interviews with applicants’ past employers† is a tool that companies use to verify the background of their employees (Perritt and Perritt, 4). But in US, such an act may invite defamation litigations and misrepresentation suits for the previous employees and so they never disclose negative information (Perritt and Perritt,

Critical Analysis of Decision-making of a Student Nurse Assessment Essay

Critical Analysis of Decision-making of a Student Nurse Assessment Process - Essay Example This approach adheres to the mentor standards of providing students with constructive feedbacks. Roslyn also appears to have some reservations regarding Gina’s level of competence, a factor which might affect her assessment as a mentor. However, a mentor must also assess a student’s total performance such as the skills, attitudes and behaviors. Finally, Roslyn also considered getting the opinion of her colleagues and team members regarding the performance of Gina, which is a good point. This is so because Gina is also working with other members of the health team staff aside from her mentor Roslyn. The standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives by the Nursing and Midwifery council points out the importance of working with others to help protect and promote the well being of those in their care. Furthermore, the code also states that a mentor is expected to can consult from colleagues when appropriate while practicing fairness and non-discrimina tion. The NMC recognizes that the assessment contribution by others is a part of interprofessional learning. The following issues were raised by her team members—Gina’s tardiness, lack of initiative, poor knowledge of basic concepts and lastly her poor communication skills. In addition to this, the NMC code reiterates that a mentor must facilitate their student’s competency development. However, the resulting document of Gina’s assessment appeared to have only stated a general view about Gina’s performance. This is where the issues arise. While it is true that Roslyn mentioned during the interview the concerns regarding Gina’s communication skills, it was not stated on the final assessment paper itself. The paper on the... This essay stresses that starting off with the conduct of the assessment, the mentor Roslyn initially shows a sense of professionalism by organizing a plan of the interview. According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council mentor standards, mentors are responsible and accountable for co-ordinating and organizing student learning activities. The standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives by the Nursing and Midwifery council points out the importance of working with others to help protect and promote the well being of those in their care. This report makes a conclusion that Roslyn’s final decision made rise to issues of its accuracy and accountability. The good point about Roslyn’s assessment process was that she was able to inform Gina during the midpoint interview on Gina’s achievements and improvements. Her colleagues’ comments and concerns were also laid out during the interview. However, the final document of the assessment decision lacks all the other assessment results such as the colleagues’ comments regarding Gina’s performance and level of knowledge. In other terms, Roslyn had the difficulty of giving Gina an impression of a failing grade. Finally, it was not documented in the final decision about Gina’s need to make communication a further area for development. Therefore, the result of Roslyn’s final assessment paper on Gina’s performance did not exhibit enough fairness and accuracy.

Consumer attitudes towards celebrity endorsed products Dissertation

Consumer attitudes towards celebrity endorsed products - Dissertation Example Celebrity endorsements are considered to be scary and unstable but still the trend continues. Thus with the aim to establish whether celebrity endorsement on products have an effect on consumer purchasing such products, four objectives were stated in Chapter I. After extensive literature review in Chapter, qualitative research strategy based on content analysis method was adopted for this study. This study is purely based on secondary data and no fresh data has been collected. The study has achieved all the objectives. The study concludes that celebrity endorsement on products have limited effect on consumers. They create awareness and knowledge about the brand and the product but may not change the attitude towards the brand or alter the purchase intentions. The image of the celebrity should be able to communicate the message and this is based on the personality of the endorser. To survive in the competitive marketplace companies need to have a strong brand name and they use celebs to enhance their brand image. However, the marketers and advertisers appear to become over enthusiastic over time and enter into multiple endorsements and over exposure which potentially damages the brand. Advertisers have to be cautious in using a standardized approach across cultures and markets because consumer perception greatly differs across cultures. Strong celebs can generate high willingness to buy that product. It can create a brand narrative, increase the awareness of the company’s advertising, and use of celebrities has a positive impact on the stock returns of the company. However, over exposure of the celebrity may dilute the importance of the brand as the attention remains focused on the celebrity. Celebrity image is not static and this could impact the celebrity endorsement strategy of the company. This also impacts the consumer perception of the brand and the endorser. Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Rationale for the study 2 1.3 Research Aims and Objectives 3 1.4 Organization of the Study 3 Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.1 Chapter Overview 5 2.2 Definitions 5 2.3 Product and Brand 6 2.4 Celebrities and Brands 7 2.5 Advantages and disadvantages of celebrity endorsement 10 2.6 Brand enhancement through celebrity endorsement 12 2.7 Negative association with celebrity endorsement 14 Chapter Three: Methodology 3.1 Research Philosophy 16 3.2 Research phenomenon 16 3.3 Research methods 17 3.4 Research Strategy 17 3.5 Justification for content analysis 18 3.6 Data analysis 19 3.7 Sampling 19 3.8 Reliability and Validity 19 3.9 Ethical concerns 20 Chapter Four: Findings & Discussions 4.1 Celebrity endorsement and consumer purchase intention 21 4.2 Importance of brand name and the role of celebrity 25 4.3 Advantage and disadvantages of celebrity endorsements 26 4.4 Discussion 28 Chapter Five: Conclusion and Recommendation 5.1 Conclusion 32 5.2 Limitations 34 5.3 Recommendation for further research 34 References 35 Tables Table 4.1 Successful and Unsuccessful Celebrity Endorsements 22 Table 4.2 Table 4.2 Successful and Failed Endorsements with reasons 27 Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Background Globalization and the power of the modern media over consumer societies have contributed to the phenomenon of using celebrities to endorse consumer products. Celebrities today have become an important part of the marketing communication process because brands love

Interpreting Macroeconomic Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Interpreting Macroeconomic Conditions - Essay Example he unemployment rates does undercut directly the major efforts put underway in the stabilization of the banking industry whenever crises arise like the recent financial crisis. The unemployment rates do increase the amount of toxic assets held by banks. This is because the unemployed borrowers end up defaulting on the loan agreements. This indicator also increases the cost of Term Asset-Backed Lending Facility that is meant to safeguard banks against defaulters. When many people are unemployed, they are unable to make deposits in the banks and thus the liquidity levels go low. This indicator does exacerbate the frictions experienced in the credit market since rates go high. These frictions could end up posing obstacles that bring difficulties to banks in their quest to adjust nominal rates whenever they arise. Examples of these obstacles created by the inflation on banks is the ceiling by the government on interest rates in the banking sector; and those that arise from the banks’ response to the given incentives and risks, which are brought about by the existing regulations, laws, economic conditions and policies. These frictions could also affect the economic growth by reducing the available amount to be borrowed. With high inflation, we get a situation where the interest rates keep rising and the cost of borrowing in the banking sector increases. The increased cost of borrowing due to inflation means that few borrowers would be willing to access loans thus reducing the portfolio of banks. This fiscal policy does affect the rate of economic growth since it adds to the aggregate demand. An increase in total federal spending, without a similar rise in tax receipts, means that for every dollar spent by the government, there is an income for the people that do satisfy the basic increment in the demand for the public commodities. Thus the people are willing to spend and in essence do rise the income for the second wave of demand increases thus reducing the income

Literary analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literary analysis - Essay Example Welty portrays the treatment meted out to the old woman in an eloquent manner, such that, the real life scenarios and the hardships faced by people due to factors like race, sex, religion and color can be clearly related with the story. The beginning of the story is so wavering that one tends to feel that there is no goal in the story, but at the end of both the story and the journey of Phoenix, one gets to understand the ultimate goal that Welty tried to present. Hardship, racism, solitude and indomitable love towards her grandson build the theme of the story, running their roots till the last part of it. Before progressing towards analyzing the literary aspects of the story being told, it is well worth to mention how well Welty has taken efforts to express the hardships faced by the woman in terms of her physical abilities. "Her eyes were blue with age," and "She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her" (Welt y 1941) clearly express about her being blind and having to take every step with an umbrella stick. That the protagonist is very old with almost a complete lack of physical strength is expressed by the author through the words, â€Å"Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles†. ... (Dan 1973) The plot begins on a chill morning, with the winter reaching its peak in the month of December. As Phoenix begins her walk, she expresses her feelings about the wild animals that she could meet in her journey. She indicates to those animals that she has a long road ahead to travel. Although the author expresses it as a direct interpretation towards the animals, indirectly, it is also to indicate the readers that she is suffering from senility. Another example shown by the author to instill this point in reader’s mind is when she sees a scarecrow and gets afraid thinking it to be a ghost. To add more credibility to this point, the author also doesn’t forget to mention that this is a path that Phoenix used to travel frequently in past. It is important to understand the abundant amount of information that author is trying to deliver through this single scenario. At first, she tells about her physical hardships, then about the hallucinations, her long journey and most of all, her determination to be in focus towards the goal irrespective of the disabilities. Welty has carved out exquisitely the characters of the supporting cast of the story. Be it the grandson, the hunter and the nurse, their characters are portrayed in a way very similar to how old age people are treated in day to day life. The use of figures of speech like â€Å"mouth open like a littlebird† (Welty 1941), to explain the condition of her grandson, vitalizes the readers and brings out a sense of joy in them. Once Phoenix crosses the hills, she stumbles on a hunter’s dog and meets with the hunter. Despite the hunter’s helping hand, the author brings

Personal skills audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal skills audit - Essay Example More importantly, the most skilled, the most proficient, and the best-rounded (academic and skilled) will be the ones enjoying success in this world. In this regard, it is very essential for every individual to carry out self-evaluation in order to learn about personal strengths and weaknesses and put efforts accordingly in the required direction. This paper is an attempt to identify and discuss various areas in my personality that need improvement and that will help me in achieving a successful position in my chosen field in coming years. For this purpose, I carried out a skills audit in different areas of organizing, social group, communication and linguistic, and creative, aspects of my personal skills. In addition, the audit also included audit of cognitive, contingency, self-managing, and physical aspects. This audit enabled me to identify some skills in which I have proficiency, such as time management, delegating, teamwork, and personal presentation. Moreover, it also helped me identifying skills and areas in which I need awareness and guidance. This paper will particularly include five different areas that I can improve t he most, and will include discussion on the way a placement would contribute towards improvement in these areas since I am not undertaking any placement. The foremost area in which I lack skills and can improve the most is communication and language. Communication has always been an important aspect of every successful project or individual, and in many cases has been the reason behind failures in life. Based on the outcomes of my skills audit, although I am a good listener and have fluency over the language, I believe that I still lack skills when it comes to reflecting and questioning the processes, as well as my own practices. In today’s competitive era, it is essential that a person should continue to reflect on one’s own practices, the only way to ensure best practices

Two Major Types of Literature Essay Example for Free

Two Major Types of Literature Essay Poetry A poem is defined as a composition written in verse (although verse has been equally used for epic and dramatic fiction). Poems rely heavily on imagery, precise word choice, and metaphor; they may take the form of measures consisting of patterns of stresses (metric feet) or of patterns of different-length syllables (as in classical prosody); and they may or may not utilize rhyme. One cannot readily characterize poetry precisely. Typically though, poetry as a form of literature makes some significant use of the formal properties of the words it uses — the properties attached to the written or spoken form of the words, rather than to their meaning. Metre depends on syllables and on rhythms of speech; rhyme and alliteration depend on words that have similar pronunciation. Some recent poets, such as E. E. Cummings, made extensive use of words visual form. Prose Prose consists of writing that does not adhere to any particular formal structures (other than simple grammar); non-poetic writing, perhaps. The term sometimes appears pejoratively, but prosaic writing simply says something without necessarily trying to say it in a beautiful way, or using beautiful words. Prose writing can of course take beautiful form; but less by virtue of the formal features of words (rhymes, alliteration, metre) but rather by style, placement, or inclusion of graphics. But one need not mark the distinction precisely, and perhaps cannot do so. One area of overlap is prose poetry, which attempts to convey using only prose, the aesthetic richness typical of poetry.

Lifestyle Factors And Disease Health And Social Care Essay

Lifestyle Factors And Disease Health And Social Care Essay In todays world, people are suffering from various diseases based on many lifestyle factors. Lifestyle diseases include diseases which occur based on regular habits of people. The onset of these lifestyle diseases is insidious, they take years to develop, and once encountered do not lend themselves easily to cure (John H, G. 2010). Such diseases are known as chronic diseases which are a major issue in this modern society. These are non-communicable diseases and are the major cause of death all over the world. Chronic diseases are now the major cause of death worldwide. Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, migraine and stroke are the main cause of deaths in the world, representing around 60% of all the deaths. In 2005, 35 million people died from chronic disease out of which half of them were women and aged fewer than 70. Around 80% of people in low and middle income countries have suffered from chronic disease (World Health Organization, 2010).Lifestyle factors are respo nsible for chronic illnesses because of many health related factors such as smoking habit, improper time management which leads to sleep deprivation and by following a hectic schedule. Some chronic diseases are hereditary; it is not the case all the time that lifestyle factors are responsible for it.Although they play a major role in occurrence of these diseases. A hectic schedule can also affect peoples lifestyle. They are not able to maintain a healthy relationship because of this hectic schedule. Thus, the unhealthy relationships formed lead to problems in working place, argument with parents, misunderstandings between friends, which cause stress (Smith, M et al. 2010). Thus, a continuous exposure to stress disrupts the mental state and may lead to health problems. Chronic stress affects almost every system in your body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process (Headsup, n.d) .The quality of relationships maintained by people relates to the ability of tolerance to stress. There are several ways in which stress is dealt with. The best method is a change in lifestyle. Controlling and being in charge of thoughts, schedule, emotions and way of dealing with problems (Headsup, n.d). Also relaxation techniques such as meditation , physical exercises, listening to soothing music, deep breathing, are some of the most effective stress busters. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy relationship and taking out time for rest and relaxation (Lifepositive, 2010). Besides unhealthy relationships, emotional factors also lead to chronic illnesses. A hectic schedule can leave a person having negative emotions and thoughts. Disease can be a result of long lasting negative thoughts. Negative emotions such as stress, anger, anxiety or resentment, without realizing it, can cause the body to act in an unnatural way (Ellis, 2010). Excessive fear can affect a persons kidneys. For children, fear leads to nocturnal enuresis which means bedwetting. In adults, fear disturbs the working of the heart and tends to cause a deficiency in the kidneys (Smith, C. n.d).Too much anger and over reaction to certain situations affects blood circulation and sometimes leads to an excessive response by the nervous system. All of this regulates the body functions such as heart rate and blood pressure which could trigger strokes. People go through constant pensiveness (over thinking or excessive mental work) and worry because of the busy lifestyles they live. Discussing work matter while eating, studying continuously for a long time and many other kinds of multitasking involves a lot of mental work and thinking. All this sometimes affect the lungs which cause breathlessness, stiffness of shoulders and neck, headache, memory loss and absent-mindedness (Smith, C. n.d). Sadness sometimes also has effects on the heart and lungs. For example, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy which is also known as Broken-heart syndrome is a disease which causes temporary weakening of the heart muscles .The syndrome is triggered due to emotional stress like death of a loved one, a break-up or constant rejection by someone. This causes shortness of breath or chest pain and also sometimes leads to heart attack. (Rowan, K. 2009)Despite of the problems and situations faced in life, it is important to develop the ability to deal with and take charge of our thoughts and emotions. This will help in remaining focused, flexible, healthy and positive at all circumstances. (Smith, M. 2010) Time management is a set of certain practices, skills principles and guidelines that helps an individual to manage time and accomplish what he/she wants. Time management is very important because time is a limited resource if not used wisely will never come back. Improved time management makes a person more productive thereby reducing time waste and effort. Also in todays age, some planning should be done to make smart choices. One of the most important ways to manage time is by eliminating the urge of doing things that distract oneself which ultimately disorganizes ones lifestyle (Nikitina,A. 2010).Laziness Is one of the key reasons for an unorganized lifestyle. If an individual is lazy he/she would have shortage of time to do productive things. There would be no time for thinking; thinking should actually be an individuals top priority action. There wouldnt be a definite finish time; laziness reduces work efficiency as an individual wouldnt find time for taking breaks. A lazy perso n wouldnt find time for exercise, no exercise reduces lifespan. Dr Weiller said Recent studies show that only one out every 20 people do the recommended exercise. Also a lazy individual would have no time for a personal life (Hindustan Times, 2010).Laziness also causes various diseases. One of them is avoliton which has an association with mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder .A person faces avolition when he/she has trouble in motivating himself/herself to do things (Smoker,M. 2010). Laziness is also a symptom for depression. Being lazy leads to an improper routine and an improper routine leads to diseases. For example eating at irregular times especially during midnight when the body needs to rest influences gain in weight leading to obesity. Fred Turek, professor of neurobiology and physiology in the Weinberg College said that Proper timing of meals requires change in behavior which could be a critical element in slowing the incidence of obesity. (Fellman,M. 2 009).Sleep deprivation is dangerous and rampant. It affects the brain severely. It is mainly caused due to the current lifestyle which is high paced causing lack of time to get sleep needed (Sleepnet 2007). Excessive usage of gadgets leads to Sleep deprivation. For e.g. Watching television keeps oneself awake when he/she should be sleeping. Also falling asleep with the television on affects sleep not in a positive manner. Another good example is the usage of cell phones during sleep time .A recent study shows that people usually teens sleep while using their cell phones to text messages back and forth. They always keep their cell phones within vicinity (Naczelnik,S.2010). The I pad has also been declared dangerous to use before bed time. Staring at its screen before sleeping can lead to lying awake all night because the direct exposure to its light source inhibits secretion of melatonin from the body (Zibreg,C. 2010).Adverse sleep deprivation causes serious diseases like diabetes, o besity and heart disease (Cyprus,S.2010) . However hereditary could also be one of the reasons responsible for chronic illnesses other than various lifestyle factors. Many chronic diseases such as diabetes, migraine are passed on within families from one generation to another. Inherited genes are not possible to heal consciously or subconsciously, and this is why chronic diseases are very difficult to solve with genes repeated within the family (Mihaela,T. 2010). In some individuals genetic factors may predispose them, but environmental and lifestyle factors are what determines whether disease manifests itself or not (Richardson,K. 2010). In developing countries lifestyle factors are one of the major risk factors for chronic diseases than people inheriting hereditary factors. They last for a longer period of time, and leads to high proportion of diseases. All in all, in todays generation lifestyle factors as mentioned in the above arguments play a major role in people suffering from chronic illnesses. Other than lifestyle, genetic factors are also responsible for the number of deaths due to chronic disease. And in order to overcome this everyone should lead an organized and a healthy lifestyle by encouraging more physical activity,avoid smoking and managing time efficiently.

Free Essays on Terrorism: The Language of Terrorism :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

The Language of Terrorism    On September 11, 2001, two airplanes flew into the World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon, while yet another suspiciously crashed.   Blasted on T.V. screens across America, were images of fire, destruction, chaos and death.   Framed in colors of red, white and blue, were such headlines that read:    ³America Under-Attack, ²  ³The War Against Terror ² and  ³The Attack on America ²; all the while, urgent ticket taped messages flowed across our television screens and news anchors reported on the utmost of news.   To sum-up the days events, President Bush addressed the nation.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was in the President ¹s initial speech to the nation following the attack on the World Trade Center that the adjective  ³evil ² was first introduced.   Quoting from the bible, and making reference to a  ³power greater than any of us, ² the President reassured the American people of their safety and well-being.   Within a couple of minutes, the stage was set for all that was to follow.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since adopted by the media, the Bush administration and the American people, the religious reference of  ³evil ² by the President has become an integral part of the public discourse.   Framing the way we talk and think about the day ¹s events, and all subsequent events, including talk of Bin Laden, the Taliban and terrorism, the use of binary language in religious and metaphoric expression have become an important element in the  ³war against terrorism. ²Ã‚   And despite the   President ¹s and congress ¹ denouncement of any reference to  ³the attack on terrorism ² as a holy war, it seems as if the American ideal of  ³separation of state and religion, ²Ã‚   has become suspended and/or forgotten all together.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The intent of this paper is to analysis the language used by the President to describe the September 11th events, and consequentially, its binary effects.   Given the President ¹s religious and metaphoric references a dichotomous framework is thought to exit.   For instance, in using the term  ³evil, ² images of the devil and hell have been conjured up --and conversely-- images of God and heaven.   Helping to demonize those responsible, the initial language used by the President and later incorporated by the press, has since served as a political weapon from which to fight  ³the war against terrorism. ²Ã‚  Ã‚   In that the President ¹s speech evoked from his audience (most notably the American people) feelings of fear, terror, anger, and hatred, the appeal has been to the public ¹s emotions and senses rather than their ration and intellect.

Interpretation Alternatives of Shakespeares The Tempest Essay

Interpretation Alternatives of The Tempest      Ã‚   A production of The Tempest should emphasize the idealized methods in which Prospero uses magic to solve the problem of revenge which is so prevalent throughout his tragedies, perhaps the production might be a direct allegory for the magic of the theatre itself.     In this conception of the play, the scattering and bringing together of the characters in the script is significant in that theatre also could be said to bring people together and allow them to share in an experience of emotion, magic, and finally, of resolution. In this way the production could be used as a vehicle for conveying the idealistic virtues of forgiveness, compassion, and of course knowledge. In his book, A Buddhist's Shakespeare, James Howe draws attention to Prospero's epilogue saying, "In his epilogue this master, Shakespeare, has the character Prospero ask us, the audience, to confirm our collusion with both the master and his creature. Indeed the two relationships are reciprocal. We are asked to release Prospero from our "spell" by "prayer." Becoming white magicians, offering a supplication to God, we reenact the righteousness of Prospero's power, and thus confirm it. This confirmation, in turn, acknowledge's the power of Shakespeare's play to transform us into Prospero's image. We are not only to be consciously complicit in Prospero's character and action, but also to be fully aware of their author." (191) It seems to me that this final transformation in the audience is a very worthy goal to strive for in a production of this play. While being entertained by the magic and splendor of the production itself, I think it is possible for an audience to also be aware of the inherent ideals in the s... ...d truth in the story. While this would clearly be the most problematic interpretation of the script, perhaps it would also be the most effective by far for a modern audience which does not enjoy being preached at or having their truth force-fed to them in a boring, easily-understood, linear manner. Works Cited Cahn, Victor L. Shakespeare, The Playwright Praeger Publishers. Westport CT. 1996 Charney, Maurice. "Bad" Shakespeare Associated Univeristy Press. London, England. 1996 Howe, James. A Buddhist's Shakespeare Associated University Press. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. 1994 Hylton, Jeremy. Complete Works of WilliamShakespeare, Oct 4, 1999. Massachusetts Institute of Technology <http://tech-two.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html> Kathman, Dave. Dating The Tempest Personal site <http://www.clark.net/pub/tross/ws/tempest.html>    Interpretation Alternatives of Shakespeare's The Tempest Essay Interpretation Alternatives of The Tempest      Ã‚   A production of The Tempest should emphasize the idealized methods in which Prospero uses magic to solve the problem of revenge which is so prevalent throughout his tragedies, perhaps the production might be a direct allegory for the magic of the theatre itself.     In this conception of the play, the scattering and bringing together of the characters in the script is significant in that theatre also could be said to bring people together and allow them to share in an experience of emotion, magic, and finally, of resolution. In this way the production could be used as a vehicle for conveying the idealistic virtues of forgiveness, compassion, and of course knowledge. In his book, A Buddhist's Shakespeare, James Howe draws attention to Prospero's epilogue saying, "In his epilogue this master, Shakespeare, has the character Prospero ask us, the audience, to confirm our collusion with both the master and his creature. Indeed the two relationships are reciprocal. We are asked to release Prospero from our "spell" by "prayer." Becoming white magicians, offering a supplication to God, we reenact the righteousness of Prospero's power, and thus confirm it. This confirmation, in turn, acknowledge's the power of Shakespeare's play to transform us into Prospero's image. We are not only to be consciously complicit in Prospero's character and action, but also to be fully aware of their author." (191) It seems to me that this final transformation in the audience is a very worthy goal to strive for in a production of this play. While being entertained by the magic and splendor of the production itself, I think it is possible for an audience to also be aware of the inherent ideals in the s... ...d truth in the story. While this would clearly be the most problematic interpretation of the script, perhaps it would also be the most effective by far for a modern audience which does not enjoy being preached at or having their truth force-fed to them in a boring, easily-understood, linear manner. Works Cited Cahn, Victor L. Shakespeare, The Playwright Praeger Publishers. Westport CT. 1996 Charney, Maurice. "Bad" Shakespeare Associated Univeristy Press. London, England. 1996 Howe, James. A Buddhist's Shakespeare Associated University Press. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. 1994 Hylton, Jeremy. Complete Works of WilliamShakespeare, Oct 4, 1999. Massachusetts Institute of Technology <http://tech-two.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html> Kathman, Dave. Dating The Tempest Personal site <http://www.clark.net/pub/tross/ws/tempest.html>   

Mexican Migrant Workers and Lynch Culture Essay -- Mexico Agriculture

Mexican Migrant Workers and Lynch Culture More than a million agricultural workers migrated to the United States in the early twentieth century. The majority of these persons found work on small family farms in California; the white owners of these farms welcomed cheap labor. Although most migrant workers in California today are of Mexican descent, they originally came from all over the world: East and West Europe, China, Japan, Korea and Latin America, along with Mexico. The shift to almost exclusively Mexican migrant workers in the early 1900s was intentional. Growers at this time anticipated racial conflicts between the immigrating workers and the â€Å"natives† of California. Growers minimized local opposition to Mexican immigration by promising that the Mexican would return to Mexico (only a short distance away) following picking season. This broken promise enabled the growth of systematic oppression toward the incoming Mexicans. As time went on, growers depended increasingly on the cheap labor provided by the Mexicans. This dependence, coupled with rising unemployment in Mexico, created a rising influx of Mexican immigrants to California, establishing Mexicans as â€Å"the single largest ethnic farm workers group in California† by the 1920’s. [1] Because these workers were forced to settle into communities that did not want them, and in communities that were promised the Mexicans were only staying temporarily, Mexicans were segregated, victimized, and resented by the surrounding white population. This maltreatment eventually escalated into racial oppression comparable to that of the blacks in the Jim Crow south. [2] The racial hierarchy that Mexicans faced in the Southwest left t... ... or shot. The masked men were never investigated, or if they were, they were never arrested post-investigation. This information is available in more depth in Carrigan and Webb’s article. [5] Again, see the article cited by William D. Carrigan and Clive Webb for further information. [6] These groups are used to represent many other groups that adopt a similar ideology. I see them all a response to the growing Mexican population in the Southwest. Mediums like radio, internet, and other propaganda were used to broadcast the message of these groups, which was essentially that Americans must wake up to the â€Å"reality† of the Mexican invasion. More on these groups can be located at www.aztalan.net/lynched.htm. [7] Mexican American Civil Rights organizations have been formed in the Southwest to combat these oppressive forces, but they are severely outnumbered.

Book review

The Soviet people thought after the war, their lives would get better but Stalin Hough if they wanted more, they would rebel. He did what he could to not let them want more than what they had. 2. In the summer of 1948, Stalin ordered a blockade of West Berlin The Cold War Powering 1 . Feeling that the future peace of the world would depend upon relations between the united States and Russia, FED devoted much thought to the planning of a United Nations, In which, he hoped, International difficulties could be settled. . Hiss was accused of being a Soviet spy in 1 948 and convicted of perjury in connection with this hare in 1950. It is very likely that he was innocent. Chapter 26 1 . Why did relations between the United States and Soviet Union deteriorate after WWW? P. 782-791 The USSR was based on a communist system and wanted to spread communism all over the world. The united States was based on a capitalistic democracy and wanted to prevent communism. 2. Why did Truman have Limited s uccess In Implementing his domestic agenda? P. 92-800 Congress rejected Trauma's proposal for call rights, a medical lobby blocked he plans for a universal health care program, his concentration on foreign policy rather than domestic didn't help, and there was a wave of anticommunism that weakened liberal and leftist forces. 3. How did the Korean War shape American foreign policy in the sass? P. 800-805 The Korean War shaped American foreign policy in the sass by showing the American people, and the rest of the World that communism would be militarily opposed. Chapter 27 1 . How did Eisenhower domestic polices reflect his moderate political vision?P. 811-815 He resisted expanding the governments power. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, obtained a truce in Korea and worked incessantly during his two terms to ease the tensions of the Cold War. I infer that he felt the need to end the war, during the war 3. How did technology contribute to changes in economy, substan tiation, and the growth of the Sun Belt? P. 821-827 4. Why did American consumption expand so dramatically in the sass and what aspects of society and culture did it influence? P. 827-832 Americans after WWW 2 entered an era of prosperity and affluence.This general well-being can be most Leary seen in the mass consumption of consumers goods fueled by television and the housing boom. The middle class benefited the most 5. What were the goals and strategies of civil rights activists in the sass? P. 832-836 The goals of the civil rights movement were meaningful civil rights laws, a massive federal works program, full and fair employment, decent housing, the right to vote, and adequate integrated education. The right to vote was passed and placed in the bill of rights (1 5th amendment) in 1870 part of the reconstruction era.So during ass's during the civil rights movement the right to vote was not one of their goals because it was already in effect for African Americans to vote. Chapter 28 1 . Why did Kennedy believe that engagement in Vietnam was crucial to his foreign policy? P. 877-884 Anticommunism, the red threat, expansion of communism in Asia were all part of his foreign policy at the time. The initial engagements in Vietnam were to stop the spread of communism. It was a policy of containment of communism. Kennedy feared that if Vietnam fell so would the rest of the Asia 2.Why did massive amounts of airport and ground troops fail to bring U. S. Victory Vietnam? P. 884-888 3. How did the Vietnam War shape the election of 1968? P. 888-893 LB] refused to run for re-election; he was burned out. The nation wanted (and needed) an experienced â€Å"get the Job done† president. Nixon promised to deliver! The country believed him. And he delivered 4. What strategies did Nixon implement to bring American involvement in Vietnam to a close? P. 893-901 Optimization. Its goal was to create strong, largely self-reliant South Vietnamese military forces. Book Review Book Review Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window Totto Chan: The Little Girl At The Window is a book which has engaging series of childhood recollections tell about an ideal school, Tomoe that combined learning with fun, freedom, and love and adventure. The school was in the railroad cars for classrooms and run by a good head teacher who was a firm believer in freedom of expression and activity. This book depicts the childhood activities of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, the author of this book, whose childhood nickname is Totto Chan and translated by Dorothy Britton. Expelled from first grade:The story starts with by telling of Totto-Chan’s expelling from the previous school when she was in grade one. The little girl ‘Totto-Chan’ was waiting all the morning for street bands to walk by the school and call them over to play their music which was considered as highly disruptive behaviour and aggravated, her teacher decided that the girl would be no more in the school. Fin ally, her mother found a school after searching and took her to the school- Tomoe Gakuen, where the little girl Totto-Chan impressed the head-master through her talking which stunned to her mother.The school has only fifty students in total and the classrooms were conducted in disused train cars. In the assembly hall, all students shared their daily lunch consisting of â€Å"something from the ocean (fish, seaweed, bonito flakes, etc. ) and something from the hills (vegetables, beef, pork, pickled plum, etc. ). † So, doubts scaffolding knowledge in Totto-Chan’s mind and she used to ask her mother about it when she returned to home. The headmaster meant to it was balanced food which necessary for children, but the children only concerned about to fulfilled the two requirements.This relates to the everyday knowledge which children can think on it and learn what is necessary for a good health. Mr. Kobayachi, the headmaster believed in experimental learning, even he asked the parents of the children send their kids with their worst clothes to school. Lessons at Tomoe: In that school, Tomoe, children enjoyed lot of freedom in the sense that they were free to do anything as their wish. The head teacher had trust on students; there they were engaged in such adventurous tasks like climbing trees, play freely or stay in class to finish a science experiment during recess.Students were getting space for doing or playing as their wish in which teachers guided them and help them how to do it, so their confidence enhanced through it. Here is a description of classes at Tomoe Gakuen: â€Å"At the beginning of the first period, the teacher made a list of all the problems and questions in the subjects to be studied that day. Then she would say, â€Å"Now, start with any of these you like. † This is one kind of methods of teaching by which teacher can able to observe that the children’s progress to higher grades by observing their interest in which area as well as their way of thinking.I think, it is a best way for teachers to know their students in a better way means to understand their interested field and teach accordingly (p. 12). Many activities based learnings were taught by the headmaster that really seemed impossible in practical, but it was. As you know, Children were encouraged to study whatever subjects they liked first, they were taken to ‘field kitchens’ and ‘farming lessons’ to learn the practical aspects of cooking food and farming, first hand- related to real life experience. Adventures on the school groundsThis is very surprising and interesting activity in that school. Totto Chan began her adventurous learning at Tomoe like she had a tree in the ground- which every child understood that tree is their private property, if anyone wanted to climb their tree must seek permission. So, one day she invited her friend Yasuaki-Chan to her tree because she knew that Yasuaki had had polio and c ould not climb. But Totto-Chan decided that Yasuaki deserved to see the world from the top of a tree, so she used some inventiveness and with full strength she helped Yasuaki to get to the top of the tree.At last, Yasuaki abled to stand in her tree and look at the surrounding areas and enjoyed which filled happiness and thrilled them both. It creates confidence to face the difficulties and problems and enhances problem solving skills. Except this, she had another most memorable experience when she dropped her purse down the toilet! Undaunted, she started emptying the cesspool by using a wooden ladle. Did you know what the headmaster’s reaction was when he saw Totto-Chan was doing such things? He asked her, â€Å"What you were doing† and he replied I dropped my purse. But she kept ladling out the cesspool; and the teacher came once more and asked, â€Å"Did you find it? She replied ‘No’. So, then teacher said in a smiling friendly tone, â€Å"You will put it all back when you have finished, won’t you? † (p. 21-22). So, from this, it seems that how she behaved like a matured person and how her ideas develop in cognitive level spontaneously through practicing ladling continuously for the lost purse. Railroad Car Arrives: The school Tomoe runs in the railroad cars you all knew very well.Miyo-Chan, the third daughter of head master said, there is coming a new railroad car tonight. Already they have sis railroad cars which lined up together as classrooms but one more was coming, so small confusion spread out quickly with terribly excitement also. So, Miyo-Chan was selected as representative to ask to her father about their decision, but her father, the headmaster agreed upon and instruct them to take permission first of their parents and will bring their pajamas and blankets.After reaching home, Totto-Chan explained her mother about a train was coming and she wanted to go and watch it how it was going there without tracks; a nd asked for mother permission. Her mother got surprise and finally what the matter was about she was talking and went with her to school and some children accompanied with their parents came too. The children were assured by the headmaster that when the railroad car will arrive, I will wake up you all. All children lay down in the Assembly Hall with their pajamas and blankets.In the very morning Totto-Chan woke up and others too, watched the big railroad slowly moved and they all danced in joy. The headmaster explained them, â€Å"Watch carefully, they are called rollers. Rolling power is being used to move that big car. † Through this activity, it is clear that students get idea about how the railroad cars moved from one place to another by using roller power. (p. 23-24) The Library Car Class: After winter vacation, children discovered something new and wonderful, and greeted their discovery with joyous shouts.It is the library car class where everyone wanted to do their fi rst class after the winter break. So, all 50 students piled up into the car with great excitement picked some books and read. But Totto-Chan couldn’t read well, she also picked a picture book that looked most entertaining. The library car class was suddenly full with loud voices like a flock of birds chirping song aloud. Really most entertaining moment for the children the school was ever (p. 61). Similar experience I had when I was in field visit to Vidya Bhawan, Udaipur.They run a Wheel Library for slum children where they carried a van with many books and games accessories especially for children like ludoo, carom, etc. We accompanied them one day in the afternoon (the Wheel Library runs twice in a week to a particular slum area and covers minimum 3 different slum areas), really children enjoyed the book reading- story books, picture books and learning was happening through many activities which conducted by the Wheel Library Teacher. Things to fear:When I think on this, m any questions struck to my mind- Who permitted the headmaster to experiment the children, fail and learn, teach them to fear? Are the parents known about the school’s teachings- to teach them to fear? Or Is it school’s objectives to teach the children to learn these things? Having eyes, but not seeing beauty; having ears, but not hearing music; having minds, but not perceiving truth; having hearts that are never moved and therefore never set on fire. These are the things to fear, which were said by the headmaster.War: A Dark Night Cloud A crucial time had come in between happiness and war. At last, the day at the school Tomoe turned to dark night by the war cloud. The World War II reached Japan soon and the school Tomoe Gakuen was destroyed in the war bombings. Through this children were able to learn and understood about cruelties and difficulties of war. As a watcher of the burning his own school in flame, the headmaster said to his son awfully, â€Å"After whom the school had been named, â€Å"What kind of school shall we build next? â€Å"Conclusion: This book is too entertaining to read, or seems like full of fairy-tale or fable, where Totto-Chan seems a magnet for trouble. Each part of the book seems to be a fun recollection story or a memoir of the author’s childhood. This book featured about an alternative schooling where children’s overall develop emphasized through activity based learning rather than the old-fashioned classroom teaching. This book is best for me in the sense that full with pleasurable moments, enjoyment and heart touching incidents. Book Review Book Review Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window Totto Chan: The Little Girl At The Window is a book which has engaging series of childhood recollections tell about an ideal school, Tomoe that combined learning with fun, freedom, and love and adventure. The school was in the railroad cars for classrooms and run by a good head teacher who was a firm believer in freedom of expression and activity. This book depicts the childhood activities of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, the author of this book, whose childhood nickname is Totto Chan and translated by Dorothy Britton. Expelled from first grade:The story starts with by telling of Totto-Chan’s expelling from the previous school when she was in grade one. The little girl ‘Totto-Chan’ was waiting all the morning for street bands to walk by the school and call them over to play their music which was considered as highly disruptive behaviour and aggravated, her teacher decided that the girl would be no more in the school. Fin ally, her mother found a school after searching and took her to the school- Tomoe Gakuen, where the little girl Totto-Chan impressed the head-master through her talking which stunned to her mother.The school has only fifty students in total and the classrooms were conducted in disused train cars. In the assembly hall, all students shared their daily lunch consisting of â€Å"something from the ocean (fish, seaweed, bonito flakes, etc. ) and something from the hills (vegetables, beef, pork, pickled plum, etc. ). † So, doubts scaffolding knowledge in Totto-Chan’s mind and she used to ask her mother about it when she returned to home. The headmaster meant to it was balanced food which necessary for children, but the children only concerned about to fulfilled the two requirements.This relates to the everyday knowledge which children can think on it and learn what is necessary for a good health. Mr. Kobayachi, the headmaster believed in experimental learning, even he asked the parents of the children send their kids with their worst clothes to school. Lessons at Tomoe: In that school, Tomoe, children enjoyed lot of freedom in the sense that they were free to do anything as their wish. The head teacher had trust on students; there they were engaged in such adventurous tasks like climbing trees, play freely or stay in class to finish a science experiment during recess.Students were getting space for doing or playing as their wish in which teachers guided them and help them how to do it, so their confidence enhanced through it. Here is a description of classes at Tomoe Gakuen: â€Å"At the beginning of the first period, the teacher made a list of all the problems and questions in the subjects to be studied that day. Then she would say, â€Å"Now, start with any of these you like. † This is one kind of methods of teaching by which teacher can able to observe that the children’s progress to higher grades by observing their interest in which area as well as their way of thinking.I think, it is a best way for teachers to know their students in a better way means to understand their interested field and teach accordingly (p. 12). Many activities based learnings were taught by the headmaster that really seemed impossible in practical, but it was. As you know, Children were encouraged to study whatever subjects they liked first, they were taken to ‘field kitchens’ and ‘farming lessons’ to learn the practical aspects of cooking food and farming, first hand- related to real life experience. Adventures on the school groundsThis is very surprising and interesting activity in that school. Totto Chan began her adventurous learning at Tomoe like she had a tree in the ground- which every child understood that tree is their private property, if anyone wanted to climb their tree must seek permission. So, one day she invited her friend Yasuaki-Chan to her tree because she knew that Yasuaki had had polio and c ould not climb. But Totto-Chan decided that Yasuaki deserved to see the world from the top of a tree, so she used some inventiveness and with full strength she helped Yasuaki to get to the top of the tree.At last, Yasuaki abled to stand in her tree and look at the surrounding areas and enjoyed which filled happiness and thrilled them both. It creates confidence to face the difficulties and problems and enhances problem solving skills. Except this, she had another most memorable experience when she dropped her purse down the toilet! Undaunted, she started emptying the cesspool by using a wooden ladle. Did you know what the headmaster’s reaction was when he saw Totto-Chan was doing such things? He asked her, â€Å"What you were doing† and he replied I dropped my purse. But she kept ladling out the cesspool; and the teacher came once more and asked, â€Å"Did you find it? She replied ‘No’. So, then teacher said in a smiling friendly tone, â€Å"You will put it all back when you have finished, won’t you? † (p. 21-22). So, from this, it seems that how she behaved like a matured person and how her ideas develop in cognitive level spontaneously through practicing ladling continuously for the lost purse. Railroad Car Arrives: The school Tomoe runs in the railroad cars you all knew very well.Miyo-Chan, the third daughter of head master said, there is coming a new railroad car tonight. Already they have sis railroad cars which lined up together as classrooms but one more was coming, so small confusion spread out quickly with terribly excitement also. So, Miyo-Chan was selected as representative to ask to her father about their decision, but her father, the headmaster agreed upon and instruct them to take permission first of their parents and will bring their pajamas and blankets.After reaching home, Totto-Chan explained her mother about a train was coming and she wanted to go and watch it how it was going there without tracks; a nd asked for mother permission. Her mother got surprise and finally what the matter was about she was talking and went with her to school and some children accompanied with their parents came too. The children were assured by the headmaster that when the railroad car will arrive, I will wake up you all. All children lay down in the Assembly Hall with their pajamas and blankets.In the very morning Totto-Chan woke up and others too, watched the big railroad slowly moved and they all danced in joy. The headmaster explained them, â€Å"Watch carefully, they are called rollers. Rolling power is being used to move that big car. † Through this activity, it is clear that students get idea about how the railroad cars moved from one place to another by using roller power. (p. 23-24) The Library Car Class: After winter vacation, children discovered something new and wonderful, and greeted their discovery with joyous shouts.It is the library car class where everyone wanted to do their fi rst class after the winter break. So, all 50 students piled up into the car with great excitement picked some books and read. But Totto-Chan couldn’t read well, she also picked a picture book that looked most entertaining. The library car class was suddenly full with loud voices like a flock of birds chirping song aloud. Really most entertaining moment for the children the school was ever (p. 61). Similar experience I had when I was in field visit to Vidya Bhawan, Udaipur.They run a Wheel Library for slum children where they carried a van with many books and games accessories especially for children like ludoo, carom, etc. We accompanied them one day in the afternoon (the Wheel Library runs twice in a week to a particular slum area and covers minimum 3 different slum areas), really children enjoyed the book reading- story books, picture books and learning was happening through many activities which conducted by the Wheel Library Teacher. Things to fear:When I think on this, m any questions struck to my mind- Who permitted the headmaster to experiment the children, fail and learn, teach them to fear? Are the parents known about the school’s teachings- to teach them to fear? Or Is it school’s objectives to teach the children to learn these things? Having eyes, but not seeing beauty; having ears, but not hearing music; having minds, but not perceiving truth; having hearts that are never moved and therefore never set on fire. These are the things to fear, which were said by the headmaster.War: A Dark Night Cloud A crucial time had come in between happiness and war. At last, the day at the school Tomoe turned to dark night by the war cloud. The World War II reached Japan soon and the school Tomoe Gakuen was destroyed in the war bombings. Through this children were able to learn and understood about cruelties and difficulties of war. As a watcher of the burning his own school in flame, the headmaster said to his son awfully, â€Å"After whom the school had been named, â€Å"What kind of school shall we build next? â€Å"Conclusion: This book is too entertaining to read, or seems like full of fairy-tale or fable, where Totto-Chan seems a magnet for trouble. Each part of the book seems to be a fun recollection story or a memoir of the author’s childhood. This book featured about an alternative schooling where children’s overall develop emphasized through activity based learning rather than the old-fashioned classroom teaching. This book is best for me in the sense that full with pleasurable moments, enjoyment and heart touching incidents.

Influence Of The Media In Forming Negative Body Image Among Females

We set out in this paper to explore the influence of the media in forming negative body image among females. In the course of the research, we also looked at the influence of media—primarily TV watching—on males just to compare the two groups and their responses to media images. Our findings reveal that although distortions in body image are growing among both males and females, females are especially vulnerable to body-image messages and respond to them with distorted behaviors around dieting and with lowered self-esteem or self-image.These conclusions are supported further by some of the work of Garner, Garfinkel, and Olmstead (1983) who claim that media exposure to stereotypes of very thin women models and reinforces the association between thinness and the characteristics such as physical attractiveness, desirability, personal self-worth, and success. This can lead to internalization of a thin ideal stereotype by females, which can result in distortion of the mental image of themselves (Downs & Harrison, 1985; Ogletree, S.M. , Williams, S. W. , Raffeld, P. , Mason, B. , & Fricke, K. , 1990; Salmons, Lewis, Rogers, Gotherer, & Booth, 1988). Indeed, Myers and Biocca (1992) claim that only 30 minutes of TV watch a day can alter a young woman’s perception of body shape. Why is this important? First, of all the effect of pervasive media influence, such as extensive TV watching and the reading of women’s magazine which are full of diet programs, are distorting the image of females’ perceptions of their ideal body image.Whereas, in some eras in history a â€Å"Rubenesque† or plump figure was considered a favorable body type, in this period of time the ideal type is an emaciated look. This distortion can lead to behaviors that create unhealthy dieting and exercise patterns that have the potential to seriously affect a young woman’s long-term health outlook and can lead to diseases such as Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia . A second consideration is the role of self-image. It appears as something of a chicken-and-egg issue. That is, do media images cause lowered self-esteem and lead to unhealthy dieting and exercise behavior.Or does the practice of consistently unhealthy behaviors that don’t lead to the distorted image that is imagined by some women cause lowered self-esteem? In an article on the Media Awareness Network, it is claimed that all this media barrage leaves the message that women are always in need of adjustment so that whether it starts with the chicken or the egg the woman is going after a mostly unattainable goal of extreme thinness and thus can’t win and will ultimately end up with a lowered self-image.The third point is that the media benefit from the constant message that women are inadequate. The article on the Media Awareness Network cites the fact that the diet, cosmetic, and plastic surgery industries are direct beneficiaries of women’s feelings that their b ody images are inadequate. They state that, â€Å"By presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. And it’s no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty.Such women are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, diet aids, and memberships to health clubs. Obviously, this is a situation where a need is created, a consumer is convinced of the need, and services and products are introduced to fill the need. What are some of the considerations that exist that are trying to address and disrupt this unhealthy contract? The article on the Media Awareness Network states that â€Å"There have been efforts in the magazine industry to buck the trend.For several years the Quebec magazine Coup de Pouce has consistently included full-sized women in their fashion pages and Chà ¢telaine has pledged not to touch up photos and not to include models less than 25 years of age. † There was also significant attention to the models for Dove cosmetic products, who were average-sized women. These ads appeared in magazines and on TV. An informal scan of TV ads and programs might show some average-sized women, but they are still few and far between. Our unfortunate conclusion is that the fantasy image of a super-thin woman still sells products.

Outline the relative strategic positions of Netflix and Blockbuster. What are the key factors that explain the ultimate Blockbuster demise? Essay

Outline the relative strategic positions of Netflix and Blockbuster. What are the key factors that explain the ultimate Blockbuster demise? (as of the time of the case) In the following assignment I will begin by giving the relative strategic positions of Netflix and Blockbuster as of January 2007. I will then outline what I believe to be the top three key factors that explain the ultimate Blockbuster demise. Strategic Positions Netflix – An outside-in company At the time of the case, Netflix was a perfect example of an outside-in thinking company. Netflix‘s strategy was very straight forward – it was to allow the best home video viewing for its customers. This was a simple and clear strategy. This strategy meant Netflix could adapt and change its model of allowing the best home video viewing for its customers as its customers habits changed. By January 2007 Netflix was fulfilling this strategy via its DVD home delivery service. By the end of 2006 we are told in the case study that Netflix had 6.6 million subscribers, a library of 70,000 different titles which were held on over 55 million DVD’s, revenues of nearly one billion and free cash flow of $64 million. The company could deliver to 90% of its subscribers within a single day. Netflix demonstrated that it listened to customer feedback from very early on. When something didn’t work they changed it until the results showed that the replacement service was working. They changed their charging model from a per-movie price to a monthly subscription, they improved their delivery service through opening more distribution centres to allow for quicker delivery and therefore improving customer service, the range of movies on offer was not being limited to new releases but was instead being broadened to offer its customers more of what they liked, the tailoring of movies to the individual and finally carefully considered partnerships and alliances to increase their customer portfolio. At the time of the case Netflix had a sound business model however the CEO, Reed Hastings, could see large-scale change was imminent and he did not want to be left behind. He could see Video-On-Demand was the future and he wanted to be ready for it. The company had already been investing tens of millions in cash in VOD for several years. This demonstrated their desire to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Netflix was evolving to meet its customer’s desires. Blockbuster – An inside-out company At the time of the case Blockbuster were playing catch up. They had spent the recent past in a very dominant and comfortable position with almost 50% of the home rental market. During the period of dominance their model worked. They were in a position which was similar to that of Kodak at the time of the early introduction of digital cameras which ultimately saw the end of Kodak’s dominance in the photographic market. (Johnson, Whittington & Scholes, 2011, pp. 308). They had been very much in the position of an inside-out company whose success had been built around â€Å"depth of copy†. (Ritson, 2010, pp. 62) The only evidence of a strategy was to copy and try to improve upon models which had already been developed by its competitors. Blockbuster did not identify any threats to its market position until it was too late, and when they did recognise the threat their response was to copy, not to innovate. Blockbuster first dismissed the concept of online rentals in 2002, but went on to launch a version of their own in 2004. Key Factors in the ultimate demise of Blockbuster 1 – Blockbuster did not take its competitors seriously. Ritson tells us that a key factor in the demise of Blockbuster was one of ignorance and arrogance. Blockbuster ignored a tiny upstart with a new business model (Netflix) which began in 1999. In an interview with Fortune magazine in 2003, Blockbuster senior management were openly dismissive of the threat posed by Netflix. They stated that their customers were more â€Å"spur of the moment renters who did not necessarily plan their movie watching in advance†. Blockbuster viewed itself as a rental outlet and Netflix as a delivery service. It did not consider Netflix as a competitor. (Ritson, 2010, pp. 62) 2 – Blockbuster was always playing catch-up. Blockbuster saw itself as competing in a different market. Ritson states that if Blockbuster had realised early enough that it was in the entertainment business instead of the home rental business it could have launched a competitor service to Netflix or perhaps even acquired Netflix. (Ritson, 2010, pp. 62) In the case study we are told that Hastings stated in 2005 that, â€Å"we’re just thankful Blockbuster didn’t enter four years ago†. Again from the case study detail we can see that when Blockbuster did eventually start competing with Netflix in 2004 it launched similar products to its competitor and tried to differentiate itself through price. In the article, â€Å"Reinventing your Business Model† we are told that, â€Å"pursuing a new business model that’s not new or game changing to your industry or market is a waste of time and money†. (Johnson, Christensen & Kagermann, 2008, pp. 56) Blockbuster missed an opportunity to leap frog its opponents and instead of trying to break new ground they simply followed what was already working for its competitors. Meanwhile its competitors were already moving on. 3 – Blockbuster did not listen to its stakeholders or strategise. Blockbuster did not listen to what its stakeholders were saying and doing. The article â€Å"Strategic Management of Stakeholders: Theory and Practice†, tells us that by â€Å"attending to important concepts emerging from the stakeholder literature†, it is possible that â€Å"top management teams can increase the robustness of their strategies†. (Ackermann & Eden, 2010, pp. 179). The article goes on to demonstrate that by mapping their stakeholders in the following way companies can see very quickly who has the relevant interest and power to influence the company’s strategic direction. Stakeholder mapping diagram Keep satisfied Manage Closely Monitor Keep informed The lack of a strategy at the time of their dominance saw Blockbuster having to give up revenue when trying to imitate their competitors – $600 million forgoing late fees to match the Netflix model as well as spending heavily on advertising when taking their version of their competitor’s products to market. This money could have been diverted early on to innovate and to remain dominant in the home entertainment market. (Pugatch, 2007, pp. 43). BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Ackermann, Fran & Colin Eden. (2011) ‘Strategic Management of Stakeholders: Theory and Practice’, Long Range Planning 44, pp.179–196. 2. Johnson, Gerry, Richard Whittington & Kevan Scholes. (2011) Exploring Strategy, Text & Cases, Ninth Edition. Harlow: Prentice Hall Financial Times. 3. Johnson, Mark W., Clayton M. Christensen & Henning Kagermann. (2008) ‘Reinventing your business model’, Harvard Business Review, December 2008, pp. 50–59. 4. Pugatch, CB. (2007) ‘Rent this’ (Online). Available at: http://www.response-digital.com/response/200707/?pg=42#pg42 (Accessed 19th June 2013). 5. Ritson, Mark. (2010) ‘This Blockbuster is one you mustn’t miss’ (Online). Available at: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/this-blockbuster-is-one-you-mustnt-miss/3018752.article (Accessed 19th June 2013).

Hrm, Performance Mgmt.

HR03 Performance Management Assignment No. I Assignment Code: 2013HR03A1Last Date of Submission: 15th April 2013 Maximum Marks:100 Attempt all the questions. All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks. Section-A Ques. 1Discuss the role of Performance Planning in setting performance criteria for achievement of goals of an organization. Explain with an example how an organization attempts to synchronize individual performance targets with organizational goals. Ques. 2â€Å"Performance Management –It’s about performing not just appraising† comment on the statement using theoretical concepts to support your answer. Ques. Elucidate the role of HR departments in the successful implementation of performance appraisal system in organizations. Ques. 4Explain why KPAs and performance targets form the building blocks of any good performance planning system? Section-B Case Study In response to an advertisement Murali Dhar Yadav applied for the post of an assistan t supervisor at Kanpur unit of Manorama Industries (P) Ltd. , leading manufacturers of telephone cables. He was 22 and had passed the intermediate examination in science from Uttar Pradesh Board securing a second class as well as a three-year Diploma in mechanical engineering from Allahabad Polytechnic.The selection was made in the last week of December, 2005 through scientific procedures including screening, psychological tests, group discussion, interview and medical check-up and as Yadav was found to be the most suitable person among 34 applicants, the management was pleased to offer him the position. Yadav joined the company and after completing six months’ training successfully he was formally placed as an assistant supervisor on Rs. 8000/- p. m. in the extrusion section dealing with the coating of polyvinyl chloride on copper or bunched cables. He supervised approximately 60 workers and reported to the general supervisor.His duties and responsibilities in this position included planning, training new operators, chasing schedules, developing new methods, inspection and quality checks etc. etc. Yadav’s performance as assistant supervisor from the very beginning was found to be uniformally efficient. His general behavior in the company towards his superiors, fellow-supervisors and workers was highly appreciable. He used to participate actively in informal get-togethers and parties in the canteen of the company. He inspired confidence, respect and enthusiasm in his subordinates.He was instrumental in increasing production and did not hesitate to work with his own hands. He welcomed responsibilities and did not pass on the buck. On the recommendation of the general supervisor, he was confirmed in his position. Later on, Baldev Prasad Sinha, an assistant supervisor in the cabling section, took three months’ leave, and Yadav was transferred to this section for the specified period of time. Yadav again demonstrated his ability and leadership qualities while handling responsibilities of the new section. Then, he was placed again in the extrusion section. In course of time, Rakesh Kochar, a production supervisor (shift n-charge) of the extrusion section was transferred to Kolkata unit of the company and to fill-up the vacancy thus created the general supervisor recommended the name of Yadav on the following grounds: 1. He had fair knowledge of extrusion, cabling and tinning. 2. He could get things done and had a control over the workers. 3. He was the senior most diploma holder in the extrusion department. 4. He took responsibilities willingly. 5. He had potential for leadership. The management was pleased to accept the above recommendation and promoted Yadav as a Production Supervisor (shift in-charge) at a salary of Rs. 5,000/- p. m. Gradually the factory expanded, more workers were employed and more machines were brought. However, it was found that despite the expansion, the production in cabling section was not incre asing proportionately as expected because of low motivation among workers. Yadav was transferred to this section to get the expected results. He attempted to motivate the workers by providing them good facilities for work, valuing their ideas, recognizing good work, and by changing the programmes and schedules according to the capacity of each individual.He also tried to inject team spirit among the workers by encouraging competition between the two shifts of workers. His techniques proved to be very effective and consequently production in the section increased 1. 35 times. Besides this, he also made useful suggestions for cooling the cables at the die for getting a mat finish which was implemented and since then being practiced. Later on, his services were rendered to the wire drawing section where production was suspected to suffer because of poor personal relations among the workers as well as between the supervisors.He attempted to create a healthy atmosphere in the section, to settle the disputes among workers through mutual understanding and to inject a sense of brotherhood and respect for each other. He succeeded in his attempts to build-up good relations and consequently, production increased 1. 2 times. Then, he was again placed in the extrusion section and by the end of the year, the general supervisor and the works manager appraised his performance as almost â€Å"outstanding†. Subsequently, Yadav was promoted as a general supervisor in production planning and control department.He was to be paid a salary of Rs. 17000/- p. m. The duties and responsibilities in this section included the following: 1. Coordination of wire drawing, extrusion and cabling sections. 2. Assessment of target requirements of raw materials. 3. Programming, coordinating and controlling the processes for machines. 4. Assessment of customer requirements 5. Delivery scheduling 6. Export order execution. Yadav showed mixed reactions to his promotion as a general supervisor in production planning and control department.On the one hand, he was glad to acquire the status of the general supervisor as well as accompanying financial benefits. On the other hand, he felt uneasiness for he was completely removed from the shop floor team of workers, which he enjoyed to supervise. He put his best efforts to perform his functions in the new position. However, despite his efforts, next month, 70 km of wrong colour-coded twisted wires worth about Rs. 22,000 were produced because of his incorrect planning for which he was warned to be careful in future.Again after 3 weeks, he was responsible for wrong twisting of 75 km of switch-board wire for which he was asked to submit an explanation by the works manager. Though since then such mistakes did not occur in his planning, a number of different kind of mistakes crept in because of miscalculations. Next, considerable work accumulated in the coiling section due to his incorrect planning. Again, the process was held up b ecause he planned 200 kg of 0. 4mm wire for cables but only 185kg of the wire could be actually available for it.The works manager reprimanded him privately several times for such inaccuracies in planning and did not know what to do. It was extremely surprising why Yadav’s performance tended to fall substantially below the standards expected of him by the company. Questions 1. Discuss critically performance appraisals of Mr. Yadav. 2. What are the reasons for declining performance of Mr. Yadav in the context of his performance appraisals? HR03 Performance Management Assignment No. II Assignment Code: 2013HR03A2Last Date of Submission: 15th May 2013 Maximum Marks:100 Attempt all the questions.All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks. Section-A Ques. 1Write a note on ‘Improving managee performance in rapidly changing organization’ Ques. 2Performance management is a critical final element of the performance appraisal process. Explain how effective mana gers help employees improve performance. Ques. 3We are living in a world of teamwork and collaboration, so much so that even, the Government at the Center and that in a number of states are being sustained through coalition politics. In such a scenario can you suggest any new way of measuring erformance of employees so that they are better performers in the new organizational context. Ques. 4Explain why in any performance appraisal form the appraisees are required to fill up much more than the appraisers? Section-B Case Study – SGM Education Enterprises is a company in Noida, which came into existence in 1986 but implemented 360 degree feedback only four years ago. However, owing to immense resistance, had to discontinue its implementation. It so happened that CEO of the company was earlier given a powerful demonstration by a vendor of 360 degree feedback and the CEO was quite impressed by it.Consequently he decided to implement it in SGM Education Enterprises as well. Once t he CEO decided to implement the 360 degree feedback, he took the initiative to appoint the vendor as consultant to ensure its implementation in the company. Towards this end, an e-mail was sent highlighting its benefits and the rationale for changing to the new system. It was informed as to how the ratings collected utilizing the new system will be linked to bonuses as well as the importance of finishing the On-line training and familiarization course on the system.Later, the consultant also imparted online training to all those who showed keenness to learn as well as provided links to various documents on how to observe, assess and record performance behavior. In case any employee had a doubt or needed clarification, he could contact HR personnel to resolve any problem. Question: Discuss in detail the method adopted by the CEO to implement 360-Degree feedback in the company. As per your opinion what could have gone wrong in this regard.

Aspects of Contract and Negligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Aspects of Contract and Negligence - Essay Example Standard form contract is very common in today’s world; it is mainly common with large companies. It occurs when companies draft terms and conditions of their agreements with their customers. The customers are not given an option to negotiate; if they cannot comply with the terms set, then their only option is to not enter into the contractual agreement. Unilateral agreement occurs when promises are made by one party, this type of contract can be best described by an advertisement requesting any person with any information of where about of a fugitive to turn him in for a reward. Bilateral agreements, on the other hand, occur when both parties have binding terms. This is normally in commercial contracts between companies. Bilateral contractual agreement is the best in the case of Katie and the builders. This is because it allows Katie to be able to set terms as well as the builders so that the work can be to her satisfaction. If one of the parties fails to meet the terms set, then the aggrieved party has a right to take a legal action. b) Standard Form Contracts The design of standard form contract is such that, in the event of breach of an agreement, it excludes liability or limited (Stone & Stone, 2002). A clause can be used to exempt a party from liabilities if it is part of the terms of the contract. If a party signs a document without reading it, he or she becomes bound by the terms set out in the document. If the document that sets out the terms is not signed by one of the parties, it can lead to lack of action against the party that breaches the contract. The main advantage of this kind of contract is that there is no need to draft it and the terms are very certain to the parties. The risks involved in this kind of an agreement are spread over to both parties making sure that none of them is on the losing side if their expectations are not fulfilled as a result of unexpected circumstances. The only disadvantage is that parties may have a hard time interpreting terms, and can even misinterpret them that can lead to a dispute resulting to breach of contract. c) Example of a Standard Form Contract An example of a clause in standard form agreement can read, â€Å"Jane will not be liable for any damages caused by negligence caused by Sam’s company†; this means that Jane will not take responsibility for damages that may occur because of Sam’s company negligence. d) Impact of Rules of Contract to Online Agreements The era of the internet has brought drastic change on how business contracts are carried out (Poullet, 2007). However, the rules of contracts remain the same and companies doing business online have to abide to the relevant regulations (Cavazos, & Morin, 1994, 39). These regulations were passed so that consumers who shop online can be protected as well as business people who order supplies online. The UK passed Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations in 2000 to ensure that consumers who pur chase goods and services are protected. These regulations do not apply to all kind of contractual agreement involving online transactions since they do not cover contractual agreements between businesses. They were passed as a result of a directive of EU of 1997 that provided protection for consumers involved in distance contracts (Great Britain, n.d). The regulations ensure that consumers have the right to request information concerning goods or services they are to be supplied with, and how much they cost before they can