Democracy †Essay Essay

Introduction Democracy, it is generally believed, had its roots in Ancient Athens. We know it spread its stems to most of Europe and later to parts of Asia by mid 19th century , mostly in the form of parliamentary democracy. But in the context of this paper,we are not interested in the histrocity of the idea or concept of democracy, but in the idea itself. That is to say we want to analyze the meaning of democracy and its different forms, study its efficiency (so to say), ponder over its limitations and compare it to other forms of government. Whether democracy was conceived of in Athens, Sparta or India is not a topic of interest in this paper (although there may be references to historical events in the evolution of the idea when pertinent). What does democracy mean? Democracy comes from the greek â€Å"rule of the people†. But as I searched for a definition of democracy in the course of research for this paper, a consistent defintion of it seemed to elude me. So we must examine some of these definitions and try to find a core to the idea of democracy, if there exists one. Bunch of different ideas and quotes are out thr on internet †¦put about 4-5 of them here and discuss if them from a current or historical perspective..ive written down one for u: â€Å"The right to dissent without repercussions to one’s personal well-being is the core value of Democracyâ€Å" * Nathan Sharansky Discuss quotes such as this to evaluate how these ideas are implemented in practice.. All this should take up about 500 words..  The only core value seems to be people get to elect their governement..how much of the peoples rights are respected after that greatly varies.. Forms of democracy Representative..constitutes parliamentary and liberal(most democracies are  these) Constitutional Direct Socialist Totalitarian ..discuss all thse†¦about 300 words.. A critique of democacy An illusion â€Å"There was no stone-pelting, nothing.There was no curfew †¦ They fired indiscriminately.† (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/kashmir-burns-again-as-india-responds-to-dissent-with-violence-2045905.html). The above was said by Abdul Rashid, a Kashmiri youth whose friend was gunned down by Indian army officials for holding a peaceful, nonviolent, anti-government rally in the summer of 2010. But this was not an anomoly in the process of democracy in India. Kashmir still remains the most militarized zone in the world with about a half a million troops on active duty (for the sake of comparison, the United States had about 165,000 troops in Iraq at its peak)(i read these figures on cia.gov..i dont remember the exact link ). How is that a government for the people is killing its own citizens for holding a nonviolent demonstration? How is such a huge militarization of a province in a democracy justified? Even a basic understanding of the ideas of freedom and liber ty that democracy entails shows how abhorrent these actions are. But these things happen, not just in India, but in other developed counties like the United States (Japanese americans in 1942), where the rights of their citizens are violated just when they would want to exercise them. So one must ask, are democracies really for the people? A study of history of goverment brutality in countries like India and the United States seem to suggest otherwise. The almost forceful takeaway of land by the Indian goverment in eastern India from farmers (actions which directly led to the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency, something the current prime minister of India called â€Å"the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country.†( http://www.ploughshares.ca/libraries/ACRText/ACR-IndiaAP.html)), seem to suggest otherwise. The locking up of Japanese Americans in internment camps in 1942 by Franklin Roosevelt and the Unites States government seem to suggest otherwise. The indiscriminate shooting of  unarmed, nonviolent Kashmiri youths (some as young as 9 years old)shouting â€Å"azadi!azadi!†(â€Å"freedom!freedom!†) by Indian security officials seem to suggest otherwise. One gets the idea. So maybe people like Vilfredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca are correct after all. The masses are always characterized by apathy and division, the powers to be by drive and unity (Femia, Joseph V. â€Å"Against the Masses†, Oxford 2001). Maybe all democracy does is shift the power scale, from domination by a despotic leader to manipulation by a democratic government. Maybe the people don’t really have much of a say after all. Maybe it’s just an illusion. Majority rule Majority always gets its way..discuss gay rights..civil rights in us..womens rights historically..religious parties like shiv sena in Mumbai..rising intolerance of secularism in india..majority rule can get tyrannical and the minority issues ignored when people get to decide resolutions to minority issues. The irrational voter â€Å"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.† – Winston Churchill Talk about how the common man is largely ignorant about serious issues and hence can vote against his/her interests..u can greatly discuss the recent midterms in us to make this point†¦basically ur sayin if we must solve economic issues we talk to economist..if we must solve environmental issues we talk to climate scientists..if we are talking abt what to teach in science class we take the consensus of scientist not what the common people of the state think (talk abt teaching creationism in schools..a lot of states in us have majority of it people wanting creationism be taught as science even though almost no scientist believe it to be science)†¦not everything should be up for a vote†¦.. Economically Ur a better person to write abt this Idealistic Show how its hard to apply democratic principles in practice†¦corrupt officials..apathetic citizens..uprisings etc.. Instable Frequent elections make the government instable†¦shitload of examples on the internet abt this.. Best we have? â€Å"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.†- Winston Churchill Compare democracy to other forms of governments like dictatorships, communist states, anarchist, socialist,etc..define and discuss each with respect to western liberal democracy..ive done some of it for anarchist Anarchist – Anarchists are those who advocate the absence of the state, arguing that common sense would allow people to come together in agreement to form a functional society allowing for the participants to freely develop their own sense of morality, ethics or principled behaviour. (from wikipedia). One such current society is Somalia, and it would not be hyperbole to suggest they are not doing very well. The lack of a state and police have led to nationwide lawlessness, violence and spiralled the country into utter chaos. I think Somalia really characterizes the severe consequences of not having a state and is not a direction one would want their country to go in. Giving people all the power has resulted in the most powerful and the most brutal of them to take power and the rest of people losing all freedom(ironically).

Emo Subculture

The Sensitive Subculture A skinny white boy dressed with long black hair, a tight-fitting vintage t-shirt, a pair of torn black skinny jeans and checkerboard converse sneakers walks on stage, strums his skull-covered guitar and sings. Emo is a subculture that heavily relies on emotion, mostly sadness and depression, and takes the emotions to an extreme; emo is short for emotional hardcore. The people in the emo subculture focus on emotion because they do not want to conform to the laid-back popular culture.They express their emotion through a unique music genre, fashion, and a melodramatic attitude in order to distance themselves from the common pop culture. The emo subculture originated from a style of music that mainly focuses on expressing man’s emotions through lyrics about love, anger, and hurt. The music genre conveys women as sexual muses, victimizing the man. While the music of the pop culture welcomes and encourages women sexuality, emo music has made women the origin of emotional pain for men, depicting them as â€Å"heartbreakers. † The music also creates messages about emos feeling isolated.For instance, the image of the album cover for the emo band, silverstein, shows a boy with long hair, wearing tight jeans, sitting alone, and weeping. In their album, Silverstein sings about, love, anger, hurt, and isolation, so the album cover reflects what the music in the album is about. Along with love, anger and hurt, emo music also sings about violence. Blood, kill, dead, hate, and pain are some common lyrics that are used in emo music and are usually directly related to women. The lyrics suggest that women cause pain for men; however, in the common pop culture, men are the ones who are inflicting pain on women.The emo subculture breaks away from this by reversing it. This rebellion is expressed through the emotional music and lyrics of the emo subculture. Along with music, the emo subculture expresses their emotion through a unique recessive fashion. The typical emo fashion consists of skinny jeans, tight t-shirts, zip-up hooded jackets, studded belts, converse or skate shoes, black nail polish, eye liner on both genders, and the notorious emo hairstyle. The typical hairstyle is comprised of long, straightened, black bangs brushed to one side of the face covering one or both eyes.In the second image, the boy’s thick black hair is covering both of his eyes completely. The way his hair covers his eyes, shared with the black shirt signifies how he wants to be secluded, and concealed in the dark. He does not want to see others and does not want others to see him. While the dress of pop culture is very brand driven, baggier, and represents how the culture is open, the slim fitted clothing the emos wear shows how they keep to themselves, focus on themselves, and worry about themselves in order to remain distant from the mainstream fashion.One cannot identify someone as being in a subculture just because of his or her f ashion or musical tastes; the attitude of a person must also be considered. The attitude of the emo subculture can be described as shy, quiet, sensitive, glum, mysterious, self-pitying, and introverted. A typical emo teenager in high school usually sits alone in the corner of the class, keeps to himself, and almost always looks depressed; If he is found with other people, it will usually be with other emos. The subculture has a unique attitude towards life as well.Emos feel that no one accepts them, so they outcast themselves, and view the world around them in a more emotional way. For example, if a common teenager was rejected by a group of people playing basketball because there was already even teams, he would pay casually accept it, and go on with his day. But, if an emo teenager was rejected, he would he would take it personally by assuming it was because they do not socially accept him. Emos tend to over exaggerate the emotions that one might usually feel.They express these em otions through the attitude they have towards life and everyday experiences in order to break away from the pop culture. The emo subculture uses intense emotion to rebel against the common pop culture by over exaggerating the simple emotions one feels in everyday life, showing how they want to be recluse by the way they dress, and singing lyrics of strong emotion. On the stage, the vocalist cries as he sings lyrics of how the woman he loved has left him feeling heartbroken and isolated. Emo Subculture The Emo subculture consists of two distinct groups. The Emo Subculture The term â€Å"Emo† that is now applied to individuals originated as short hand for â€Å"Emotional music† Traditional Emo Sub-Culture This â€Å"emotional music† draws from a broad range of contemporary genres linked with the common consistent themes of emotionally vivid views often associated with adolescence. For many youths of the mid-80s this music functioned as a safe-haven for emotional expression.Over time a subculture was formed around this mutual appreciation and in turn became a safe-haven where youths could freely express themselves while facilitating social interactions and identity formation for these introspective people. From this sprang the Emo subculture that rejected the mainstream in favor of independent performances. Additionally this culture allowed individuals to express their societal views with like minded people, creating the activist stance they are known for today.A s the popularity of the Emo movement grew it became much more accessible to the mainstream industry. Modern Emo Subculture As a result a re-invention of the music and culture was spawned and became the Modern Emo Subculture. While sharing many traits with the traditional Emo this new subculture embraced the mainstream direction of the Emo-music. In time the modern Emo would drift further from it's origins and the previously extreme individualism and non-conformist outlook was replaced with the familiar features of a Trend.This change in outlook paved the way for the signature style Emos are known for today as fans of popular Emo bands began to emulate their idols in both dress and style. The modern day Emo has ironically become heavily influenced by mainstream media and popular figures Emo Influences The Seven P's Marketing to Emos The product we are offering is a clothing range suited to the Emo culture.Product Our product will be differentiated from our competitors in a variety of ways. Our primary method of differentiation will be through the careful establishment of specific product affiliation to key Emo cultural figures and rallying points. We have targeted our approach in this manner to make efficient use of the insular nature of this subculture, making endorsements and sponsorships significantly more effective then those of more traditional consumer bases.The products we offer will also be recognised and differentiated by design. Our products will incorporate patches and logos with popular political, socio-economic and human interest messages much in the same way that many other clothing lines promote bands and groups. It is our belief that the Emo subculture will respond well to the clothing styles with which they are familiar, coupled with the opportunity to express their beliefs and individualism.The price management of the product will be integral to the success of this project Price Entering the Market Place We plan to enter the market in a less t raditional manner in order to take advantage of The Emo's specific traits In the initial stages of our entry to the market we will be undertaking projects to distribute our products at Indie rock music festivals. In particular targeting specific â€Å"up and coming† independent bands and groups Through this we believe we will be able to achieve some portion of the fans devotion to these groups securing customer loyalty while simultaneously achieving our primary goal of brand affiliation.In tandem with this approach we will be selling our products in our own online stores Only after completing our initial placement will our products be offered in retail stores We make this decision with the belief that this approach will generate a sense of exclusivity and hype within the Emo subculture to appeal to the individual nature of our consumer base We are confident that this can be facilitated through the use of social networking sites, in which the Emo subculture is highly active.Pr omotion is one of the cornerstones of our product implementation plan Promotion In addition to this our clothing range will not be separated into the traditional men's and women's categories. Instead we will offer a single androgynous clothing line to match the style and needs of our consumer base. To further facilitate the individuality of the Emo subculture our online stores will allow customers semi-custom design of their purchase through a set selection of logos and logo locations.Allowing customers to choose which message is displayed on what part of their clothing. E. g. A customer may choose to display a pro-vegan logo on the left shoulder or the right breast pocket. We shall be undertaking a number of promotional activities in order to achieve our brand recognition and product affiliation goals. As mentioned in previous sections it is our primary goal to affiliate our products with popular Emo bands and figures, such as Avenged Sevenfold and My Chemical Romance, as well as w ith key concepts and issues important to the Emo subculture.We can achieve this through advertisement at popular concerts either including the acts directly or through banners and posters Additionally we will be hosting giveaway events at concerts with free t-shirts, jackets and other clothing in order to further promote our brand image within the Emo subculture It is also our intention to host sales stalls at charity events with partial proceeds of these sales being donated to the charity in question.Many charity events are popular within the Emo subculture and this is an important opportunity for our corporation to further its image of sharing the same fundamental values as our consumer base. Of course we will also be implementing advertisement activities though social media such as Facebook and Blogging sites. The Emo culture has an active presence on these sites and it represents a cost effective process of engaging our target market.In our dealings with a characteristically exp ressive consumer base it is important to ensure enjoyable interactions People By distributing our products through popular Emo retail stores such as we will be ensuring that the staff will be able to relate to the customer This is important within the Emo culture as fashion is treated as a social statement As we will also be selling our products at concerts, music festivals and charity events, it is imperative we employ staff that can understand and relate to the Emo culture.This has the added benefit of requiring less training for these low level retail positions It is important to make the purchasing process an enjoyable experience Process This is especially true when dealing with such a close-knit and outspoken community. With such specialist products word of mouth could make or break.In order to achieve this we will be focusing on our employees being capable of rapport with the customer and individual opinion on choices as well as the implementation of our online customisation o ptions Emos are characterised as creative and expressive, it is our belief that these customisation options and the ability to discuss their choices with like minded individuals will greatly enhance their experience.Depending upon the success of the customisation function we may implement a custom order system for the independent retailers Physical Evidence Cost plus pricing strategy will be used to target segment with high disposable income Through analysis of the physical evidence we will be able to determine the suitability of our product range Joey Keifouz Ronald Mills Peter Whitehead The Emo Tribe Factors which increase subculture influence Emos and the Macro-environment Demographic environment †¢Increasing diversity: the population in Australia s becoming more ethnically diverse, which increases international exposure through personal relationships. Economic environment †¢Increases in consumer spending: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2. 5% over the previous yea r, which translates to an increase in total spending of the same amount. Natural environment †¢Environmental sustainability: Our product will be developed using environmentally sustainable resources.Technological environment †¢Manufacturing innovation: technology is constantly increasing manufacturing capabilities and reducing production costs †¢Social media: The advent of social media has increased advertising exposure for many subcultures including Emo. Political and social environment †¢Increased ethical and social responsibility: product designs are politically influenced and promote messages of responsibility.Factors which decrease subculture influence Emos and the Macro-environment Cultural environment †¢View of nature: the increasing amount of the population which believes in natural responsibility will increase the popularity of our product range. Demographic environment †¢Changing age structure: the average age of the Australian population is s lowly increasing. The Emo subculture is traditionally comprised of older teens and young adults. This will decrease the available market. Demographic environment (cont. ) †¢Geographical population shifts: populations are moving away from capital cities.This not only decreases exposure to Emo subculture, but also decreases advertising effectiveness. Demographic environment (cont. ) †¢More professional population: The rise of professionalism is likely to reduce the popularity of Emo subculture. Economic environment †¢Changes in consumer spending patterns: retail sales have decreased for 2012, eg. From June sales have dropped by 0. 8% Natural environment †¢Environmental disasters: There is always possibilities of natural disasters such as fire and flood which could damage manufacturing capabilities.Political and social environment †¢Changes in legislation: increasing legal restrictions may influence our products. Eg, legislation which bans public political stat ements would cause a sharp decrease in sales. Sales data will be collected from retail and online stores Analysis also reveals success rate of marketing strategies towards Emo segment Online â€Å"secret shopper† to obtain consumer perspective on our product range As a subculture based upon a musical genre the â€Å"non-conformist† Emo may indeed be more heavily influenced then thers Influences upon the Modern Day Emo are not limited to that of high profile bands and celebrities In today's society the Emo is easily recognised by their dark fitted clothing, distinctive hairstyles and overall androgynous approach to fashion. Due to the interconnection of the subculture Emos receive significant influence from their peers resulting in partial feedback causing core issues to self maintain within the society Of this group of peers some Emos have themselves achieved semi-celebrity status as bloggers and rallying points for the Emo subculture

Future Planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Future Planning - Research Paper Example   Future planning in the education sector can thus be summarized as the process of setting out in advance procedures, policies and set standards that enable the full attainment of the educational objectives. The future planning must be carried out in advance, identify the strategies and taking into consideration the level of expertise that is needed to implement the plan to completion (Fujimoto, 2012).Characteristics of future planningFuture planning has four major characteristics namely the primacy of planning, the future-oriented aspect, mission-oriented and being pervasive. The pervasive aspect of future planning is seen in the fact that it cuts across the various level of management as well as covering all the managerial functions (Selingo, 2013). This ensures that all the activities are undertaken so that no duty is left out unattended. The mission-oriented aspect of future planning is seen by the fact that it includes the mapping out process or the charting of the activities in a manner that assists in the satisfaction of human wants. It takes into consideration the past trends as well as the present happenings so that they can be used to accurately predict what is likely to happen in the future. The future can either be short-term or long-term depending on the sole objectives of the organization. Future planning structuresFuture planning in higher education institutions must take into consideration a number of issues that rotate around internal and external governance.   

Journal Article Critque Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal Critque - Article Example According to the author, the results of such study were based on specific details which were recognized as important points of framework to the general idea. There are different issues that have been covered by the article. One is the theological basis in the New Testament which is focused on the totality of the man (thus including the surroundings). In the said part, the nature of man and the nature of God had been discussed along with theological limitations to social involvement and the New Testament concept of ideal society.1 The author presented numerous concepts related to the image of God in man with respect to social responsibility. The article is leaning on the importance of human’s social responsibility in showing the image of God since in the totality of the man, the environment can be considered as a significant part. The author’s view is clearly targeted on promoting social responsibility. In every part of the article, clear references were given and multi-faceted discussion of the importance of social responsibility is given. In the first part which is about the theological basis, he presented the nature of man which is being a sinner and in need of redeeming himself by showing social responsibility. The concept presented regarding the nature of God revolves around giving love from Himself to man (1 John 4:8). Being in the image of God, the author pointed out that for man to be able to redeem himself, there should be an expression of love towards his environment which can be equat ed to social responsibility. The third point presented under the theological limitations of to social involvement since there were no clear rules on what to do, the author pointed out that man needs to decide for himself taking into consideration his free will and his need to redeem himself – which again indicated that social responsibility is the key

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

History - Essay Example On the other hand, they too gained a lot from the revolution as well. This is actually due to the fact that they got an available opportunity to mix freely and get to know the other non-Jewish neighbors. The Jews also had an inner feeling of ultimate security due to the fact that they had tirelessly championed for the liberation of their country importantly, self with the entire unity of their Christian associates. Their major strength was bestowed in unity and most importantly, self confidence. These are the main features that they used in order to champion for their rights without false pretense and very much boldly (Mazur, 2012). The Jews majorly originated from virtually every country in Europe and the Middle East but most of them migrated from Eastern Europe and Germany. The major reason for migration from the Middle East, Europe, Eastern Europe and Germany was due to poverty, discriminations and massacres (Joseph, 1988). The first Jewish immigrants to Chicago came from the cent ral Europe and arrived in 1841. Most of the early Jewish settlers began as street peddlers and later opened stores that later developed into reknown companies such as Florsheim, Spiegel, Aldens, Mandel Brothers among others (Mazur, 2012). The civil war that occurred in America divided the Jews along various different lines (Mazur, 2012). It separated the Jews physically and ideologically, this is to say that there were Jews in the south of the country as well as the north of the country, others upheld slavery and human trafficking while the others rejected and fought against the vice. In the same manner, there were other Jews who worked hard to ensure that there was unity among the Jews whereas on the other hand others were struggling to ensure that the Jews were actively divided (Mazur, 2012). It is very much evident that the civil strife that occurred in America affected the Jews as well. Consequently, there are three characteristics of the struggle that had a different impact on the Jews specifically. To begin with, the civil strife led to an increase in panic and uncomfortability among the Jews. This later gave rise to increased racial and religious differences and biases in America. To make matters worse, the Jews both in the north and south of America, were made to bear the whole blame (Mazur, 2012) Secondly, the Jews were however adversely affected by the fact that the Jews in the North were denied the chance to have or to elect an army chaplain. Even though the task was not that easy, the Jews saw that they too had a say and hence wanted a representation on the same. According to the law that had been put in place and was functional at that moment, an army chaplain had to be, â€Å"a regularly ordained minister of some Christian denomination† this therefore made it very difficult for the Jews to qualify. The law however was seen to become that strenuous and even President Abraham Lincoln himself made an effort to re-strategize the clause in orde r to loosen its strenuous ends but his efforts did not bear instant fruits. Instead it took the Jews over one year of great job and hard work before the law was amended and passed successfully (Joseph, 1988). The Jews also suffered the consequences of the civil war through an operation that was far much against the Jewish officials. This is the final and the most

The Clash of Science, Politics,and Medical Marijuana Essay

The Clash of Science, Politics,and Medical Marijuana - Essay Example Apart from that there is additional proof to support the utilization of marijuana for pain and nausea resulting from chemotherapy, as well as muscle spasticity linked with multiple sclerosis. Therefore, nurses play a crucial role being activists in encouraging elimination of obstacles to the use of medicinal marijuana. With the legalization of medicinal marijuana, nurses will be permitted to advocate for patient use of marijuana when it comes to medicinal purposes. This is possible through the coming together of a growing number of state nursing associations through the backing of therapeutic use of marijuana (Diana, 2011). What problems were encountered? Although medicinal marijuana has a number of benefits associated with it, marijuana has in most cases been flaunted as one of the harmless recreational substances available. Perhaps this is true considering that a number of reputable scientific studies concur that alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and even cigarettes tend to be more dangero us to the health of the user compared to marijuana. Apart from that, the celebrated pharmacological elements of cannabis have resulted in thirty-six states permitting its application as a curative drug for, amongst others, those agonizing from AIDS; a variety of painful, incurable, as well as debilitating illnesses; the dangerous consequences of cancer chemotherapy, along with glaucoma. On top of that, marijuana became used in the treatment of anxiety, as well as mental disorders (Diana, 2011). The most powerful argument against the marijuana use in the treatment of a medical condition is that marijuana might lead to the hastening or provocation of the same disorders it became applied to treat. Regular smoking of marijuana damages the cells within the bronchial passages that guard the body against breathed in microorganisms, while at the same time, decreasing the capability of the immune cells within the lungs in fighting off fungi, bacteria, as well as tumor cells. For those patien ts whose immune system became already weakened, this is an indication of increased possibility of risky pulmonary infections, consisting of pneumonia, which in most cases proves fatal in patients suffering from AIDS. The principal respiratory outcomes of regular smoking of marijuana tend to be pulmonary infections, along with respiratory cancer, whose association to marijuana application became resiliently suggested, yet not conclusively proven. These effects comprise of chronic bronchitis, lung inflation, impairment in the role of the minor air passages, the development of probably pre-cancerous abnormalities within the bronchial lining, as well as lungs, in addition to a reduction in, the abilities of a number of defensive mechanisms in the lungs (Diana, 2011). There is a perception that marijuana is at the source of a number of mental disorders, comprising of acute toxic psychosis, delusions, panic attacks, flashbacks, depersonalization, uncontrollable aggressiveness, hallucinati ons, depression and paranoia. Marijuana has for a long time now been known for prompting mental illness’ attack like bipolar (manic-depressive) psychosis, together with schizophrenia. This association with mental illness must assemble health

Principles of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principles of Marketing - Essay Example The main reason behind market segmentation is to help a company understand the needs of a particular segment (Beane & Ennis, 1997, p. 31). Mass marketing mainly assumes that all customers have the same interests and consumption behaviour. Segmenting the market can also serve in identifying smaller groups of consumers who make their own subsets an aspect that improve the overall efficiency of the company’s marketing efforts (Dibb, Simpkin, Pride & Ferrell, 2001). Market segmentation enables the marketer to compare different marketing opportunities of different marketing segments through studying consumer needs and potential, their level of satisfaction etc. This helps the company in coming up with appropriate strategies to satisfy the needs of these different segments. There are different forms of segmentation. These include geographical segmentation, demographic segmentation, psychographic segmentation and behavioural segmentation. Geographical segmentation This is segmenting the market based on the location of the customers. Demand of goods can vary according to geographic location of the customers. Geographical segmentation therefore, focuses on prospective markets’ location and different attributes that are associated with each location. The marketer can therefore, focus on either a single location or many depending on the varying requirements of each region and the cost of serving these locations. Demographic segmentation This is division of the market according to demographic variables such as age, gender, individual occupation, education or even family size. The marketer uses these variables in making decisions and identifying the target market. In an example, a company may decide to segment the market according to age of the people. As a result, it can develop different products that meet different requirements of customers that belong to various age groups (Hunt and Arnett, 2004, p.23). Psychographic and behavioural segmentation Psychograp hic segmentation divides the market into different segments which have similar lifestyles. Lifestyle is an individual mode of living and mainly describes how a person conducts his/her daily activities. On the other hand, behavioural segmentation divides the market according to behavioural characteristics of the customers. Different customers have different behaviours which are used by a marketer to market the produce (Kotler & Armstrong, 2011). Market targeting Marketing targeting is a process of identifying different groups of consumers that exist in a market who are likely to purchase a certain good or service. Target marketing makes it easier to price, promote and distribute the product or service at a cost that is effective. When targeting the market, a marketer should ensure that the firm has adequate resources to meet the requirement of the target market. Targeting plays an important role of reducing market ambiguity as marketers are able to have an in-depth knowledge concerni ng the target consumers. There are different forms of targeting. One of the methods is referred to as broad or undifferentiated targeting. The concept that underlies this method is that a product or service has a broad appeal to all customers irrespective of their age, gender and location. Second method is referred to as selective or differentiated method. With this

Aneurysms Nursing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Aneurysms Nursing - Case Study Example Not all aneurysms are live threatening but when the vessel is over enlarged it may burst causing massive internal bleeding (â€Å"Aneurysms and dissection†, 2011).In normal situations, arteries are capable of withstanding normal blood pressure due to their thick walls. Dissection occurs when a split occurs in either one or more layers of the walls of artery. This splitting causes bleeding along and into layers of the artery wall (â€Å"What is aneurysm†, n.d). Incidence, mortality and morbidity Aneurysms affect 1 in every 20 people in most societies and are therefore a global health problem. It is approximated that about 30,000 people suffer from aneurysms in each year in USA (Khurana, and Spetzler, 2006) with abdominal aortic causing about 9000 deaths yearly. Most of abdominal aneurysms occur in 5th, 6th and 7th decades of life (Debakey, Crawford, Garrett, Beall, and Howell, 1965 ; Mastracci and Eagleton, 2011) .The 9000 deaths are inclusive of 1400-2800 deaths which o ccurs due to elective operation in an effort to prevent bursting (Lederle et al., 2002). Aneurysms rupture causes approximated mortalities of 80-90% and most of the patients die before they are hospitalised.These deaths are inclusive of pre, intra and post operative cases (Russo, 2006).For aortic aneurysms, it has been estimated that 13,000 Americans die annually and most of these deaths occur due to dissections or bursting of arteries (â€Å"What is aneurysm†, n.d).On the other hand, abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are the 14th leading killer in USA (Russo, 2006). Risk factors and causes of aneurysms Any condition which leads to weakening of arteries walls predisposes a person to aneurysm. Other risk factors are smoking ,inborn abnormalities of connective tissue such as Ehler Donlos syndromes, congenital bicuspid valve abnormalities (Montgomery, Henderson, Ostrowsky, Karimmi and Hennein, 2010), high blood pressure, atherosclerosis which is characterized by building up of fa tty plagues in the arteries, deep wounds, injuries, infections occurring in blood vessels, inherited diseases such as Malfan syndrome (a health condition which affects body’s connective tissue) which causes people to have very flexible joints and long bones (â€Å"Aneurysms and dissections†, 2011).Pregnancy has also been linked with the formation and bursting of aneurysms of the splenic artery which leads to the spleen (Reed et al, 1992). Aneurysms can also occur due to defective genes which play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of arterial wall which offers strength and elasticity to arteries. It has been thought that disruption of extracellar matrix of arterial wall plays a critical role in pathogenesis of aneurysms such as intracranial aneurysms (Kuivaniemi,Troup and Prockop, 1991).For those patients with intracranial aneurysms it has been observed that they have decreased level of arterial structural proteins (Kuivaniemi et al, 1991). People with defect ive genes have been shown to have abnormal aortic matrix proteins, insufficient inhibition of proteolysis or overactive proteolysis, lack of elastin and abnormal production of type 111collagen which is a structural component of aorta wall (Reed et al, 1992). Patients who have autosomal dominant polystic kidney disease (ADPKD) have also been shown to have risks of developing aneurysms. In addition to this, infective endocarditis and Aspergillosis, syphilis infection, trauma and cocaine use has also been

Jewish Holy Days Essay Example for Free

Jewish Holy Days Essay Roy Rehberg Jewish Holy Days Paper Many different religions celebrate holidays of all kinds. Throughout history, each religion has developed their own traditions. These traditions are important as they have been traced back through our ancestors and provide a valuable lesson on how important traditions are. Judaism is no different. Although Judaism was the base of Christianity, the traditions are very different. Those of Jewish faith celebrate three major holy days in succession; Rosh Hashanah, ten days later is Yom Kippur, and finally five days after that is Sukkot. Time of the Year of Holy Day It all starts in the fall with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Following that is the most sacred day of the year, Yom Kippur. Although these days are now celebrated on specific days, it was not always like that. They used to just base it off of the harvest season. Yom Kippur is referred to as the Day of Atonement, which means to make up for faults. It is during this time that the Jewish people stick to a strict regime of prayer and fasting. Occurring in late autumn is Sukkot, which marks the end of the wandering period by the Jewish after their departure from Egypt. Altogether, this whole period in time is called the Days of Awe because of the effect it has on the people (Molloy, 2010). Historical Origin of Holy Day In order to fully understand Sukkot, we must first go back in the Bible to Exodus, more specifically the book of Numbers. In the book of Numbers, we are told of the Israelites being led out of Egypt by Moses. They were led out because 400 years before that, they had been made slaves. Moses led the Israelites to Mount Sinai where God handed down to him the Ten Commandments. After this they made their way to the Promise Land. Once they found the Promise Land, God told them they could enter; however, no one trusted God enough to go in. As part of a punishment for not having faith in God, they were forced to wonder for forty years. Sukkot commemorates the end of the Jewish wandering by giving thanks for a plentiful harvest. It is now one of three pilgrimage festivals that those of Jewish faith celebrate. Religious Practices Associated with the Days In the Torah, it states that on this holiday we should â€Å"live in booths seven days†¦in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I am the Lord your God† (Lev. 23:42-43) (History Of Sukkot, n. d. ). Sukkot means â€Å"booth† and refers to what the Jewish people were required to live in during this time. These booths must have 3 walls and be covered with some kind of material that will not allow for the building to be easily knocked down. In order for the roof to fulfill the commandment, the roof needs to be made of a material from the earth, has to be something that allows for rain to enter and the stars to be seen (Jewish Virtual Library, 2014). Theological or Cultural Differences Throughout all the different religions, people have made small changes or adjusted things to better fit their lives. For example, Christmas is a Christian holiday, but the way every family celebrates it may vary quite a bit. Theologically speaking, there is a definite difference between Orthodox Jews and Liberal Jews. Orthodox Jews believe in complete acceptance of the Torah, whereas liberal Jews believe that Torah laws are more lenient or adapt to the modern world. The cultural difference will not be as significant when it comes to Jews in different countries. For example, one difference would be the food served on Holy Days. Conclusion Sukkot is a very important holy day to those who are practicing Jews. The booths they build during this time are also significant to this day because they are a symbol of a more humbling time. Not only does Sukkot remind the Jews about bountiful harvests, but it is also a reminder of the faith they should have had in God at the promise land. Traditions such as these are handed down through ancestors and are an important part of our heritage and religious beliefs. References History of Sukkot. (n. d. ). Retrieved from

Religion and the Meaning of Life Essay Example for Free

Religion and the Meaning of Life Essay According to Frederich Nietzche, â€Å"A man who has a why to live can bear any how†. To me this statement provides massive insight into the human experience: all people need a purpose in life. As humans we need a constructive outlet through which we can invest our thoughts, emotions, efforts and energies. We need something to thrive for and strive toward. Religion, for many people provides this outlet in life in a most positive manner. It allows people to find themselves by losing themselves foremost. Religion encourages service to others, selflessness, forgiveness and ascetic values that allow people to displace personal prejudices and mental barriers that are roadblocks on the path toward self awareness and understanding. Religion teaches that human beings are direct creations of God. Due to this, the religious person places immense gravity into the definition of what it means to be human. To the religious person human life is sacred therefore all human beings are treated as if they are sacred entities. Dignity is vital to this experience and the religious person lives a decent life based largely on the fact that they find it a grave injustice to engage in dehumanizing acts. A dehumanizing act is any action that undermines the value of what it means to be human, and because human life to the religious person is sacred; treating other people and oneself with respect is part of the job description. Religious people also are heavily focused on remaining loyal to traditions and place heavy emphasis on the concept of togetherness through ceremonies, rituals and even celebrations. Religious people congregate and come together in a forum of mutual understanding of one another’s beliefs and values, and respect for the characteristics that make individuals unique. This is how religious institutions have survived throughout the ages. People of all sorts come together based on a mutual understanding of the same truths. The idea of coming together forms a family-like atmosphere that strengthens dynamics within individual households and strengthens interpersonal bonds among all people whom the religious person encounters. The religious person lives a life of kindness, simplicity and dignity highlighted by unity, loyalty and fairness. These concepts are vital to becoming a well integrated person which is the key component to finding one’s purpose and meaning in life. Once a person gains a sense of purpose, the other aspects of their lives fall into place based around what that person chooses to life for. When a person lives for their faith, their lives are based around morals that encourage reverence for all human beings and a genuine perceptive of righteousness. This is why religious people not only have a strong sense of self, but also have unshakable character based in a solid affection for mankind.

SSEs acquisition of The Energy Solutions Group (ESG)

SSEs acquisition of The Energy Solutions Group (ESG) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report has been undertaken to come up with the intrinsic value of SSE plc which is operating in energy industry, using shareholder value analysis (SVA) model. The underlying value of the company is estimated to be  £12,122.14m, which is lower than the market value of  £15757.52m (FAME database, accessed on 19th January 2017). The discrepancy of the two values may be explained by referencing to Efficient Market Hypothesis, asymmetric information issue and shortcomings of SVA model. Based on sensitivity analysis, it is determined that SSEs intrinsic value is highly sensitive to changes in operating margin and WACC. It is found out that an adjustment of +2% made towards operating margin and WACC will remarkably change the company value by +86% and nearly -50% respectively. Therefore, analysts should pay more attention to these two variables when employing SVA model. The later section of the report identifies SSEs acquisition of The Energy Solutions Group (ESG) as a critical financial event, highlighting that the transaction will bring more synergy to the firms operation and enhance its competitive advantage in the energy industry. However, it is imperative for shareholders to keep track of the companys performance to alleviate problems of hubris or empire building. Objectives This financial report is expected to achieve two primary objectives. First, this report aims to provide the valuation and analysis of SSE plc a company operating in the energy industry by employing Shareholder Value Analysis (SVA) technique. Second, SSEs acquisition of The Energy Solutions Group (ESG) in 2014 will be evaluated with reference to finance theories in Mergers and Acquisitions. 1.2 Report structure This financial report is organized in five main parts: Section I: Introduction This section provides main purposes of the report and briefly describe structure of the report. Section II: Company Profile This section gives an overview of SSEs business activities, its market share and competitive positioning. Section III: Company Valuation This section covers the following contents: Evaluate the appropriateness of SVA model to value a company Perform the valuation of SSE plc using SVA model Provide justifications for variables and proxies used in the model Carry out comparative analysis and sensitivity analysis Section IV: Actual Corporate Financial Event This section critically evaluates SSEs acquisition of The Energy Solutions Group (ESG) with reference to finance theories. Some implications would also be proposed following the event evaluation. Section V: Conclusion This section summarizes the employment of SVA measure in case of SSE and then provide some recommendations. 2.1 Business Description SSE plc (Scottish and Southern Energy plc) is a British energy company headquartered in Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom. SSE was established in 1998 as a result of the merger between Scottish Hydro-Electric and Southern Electric. SSE is listed on London Stock Exchange and it stock forms part of FTSE 100, FTSE 350 and FTSE All-Share. SSEs business covers three segments: Wholesale, Networks and Retail. The Wholesale segment involves power generation from renewable and thermal plant in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe; the Networks segment is responsible for distributing electricity to customer premises in the North of Scotland and the South of England; meanwhile, the Retail segment supplies electricity and gas to residential and business customers in the United Kingdom and Ireland (Financial Times, 2017). Since SSE undertakes both generation and retail supply activities, it is considered a vertically integrated energy business. This makes SSE unique since SSE is the only company listed on London Stock Exchange involved in such a broad range of energy businesses (SSE, 2016a). Market share Regarding Wholesale business, in 2015 SSE had a small market share of 7%, accounting for only a quarter of EDFs share and about half of RWEs share (see Appendix 1). Referring to Ofgem (2016b), in 2015 the market shares of dominant energy producers in the UK remain relatively unchanged compared with these of 2014, which is also the case of SSE. With respect to Retail business, there were over 43 active energy suppliers in Britain by March 2016, most of which offering both gas and electricity supply (Ofgem, 2016a). SSE is included in Big 6 which are widely known as dominant leaders in the market, including British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, SSE, npower and ScottishPower. These companies supply gas and electricity to over 50 million household and businesses in Britain, with 87% share of domestic customers by March 2015 (Ofgem, 2016a). SSE is operating in a very competitive and well-functioning energy retail market. The firms market share in the market for energy supply can be illustrated in Appendix 2 and Appendix 3. By March 2016, SSE had the second largest market share of UK electricity supply market (about 15%), while its market share of gas supply (about 13%) only accounted for approximately one-third of British Gass share. Increasing competition in energy industry and SSEs competitive positioning Out of the three segments, Wholesale and Retail businesses have been facing increasing competition in recent years due to the entrance of new rivals in the GB Energy Supply market. There have been some concerns over barriers to entering wholesale and retail energy market such as the complexity and extent of credit requirements or low levels of liquidity in the market. Despite of these, new entry has taken place (see Appendix 4). The result of new suppliers entry is falling market share of the six large suppliers from 90% to 87% between March 2015 and March 2016 for electricity, and 90% to 86% for gas over the same period (Ofgem, 2016a). Specifically, the entry and growth of new suppliers has led to SSEs market share declining. There is a decreasing trend in the number of energy customer accounts for the past three years (see Appendix 5). In addition to the new rivalries entrance to the market, customers switching is another issue that reduce the market share of six large suppliers. Households are increasingly turning to smaller suppliers, with consumers complaining the sector is slow to pass on wholesale energy cuts and offers poor service. The total number of users switching suppliers in March 2016, 476,528 customers, was the highest since November 2013 (Energy UK, 2016). As the market become more and more competitive, attracting and retaining customers can pose challenges to SSE. However, SSE has a clear strategy to differentiate itself and create value by becoming a market-leading, digital and diversified retailer of energy and essential services. According to SSE (2015a), for the past few years SSE has: Launched its first large-scale advertising campaign for the SSE brand in both Britain and Ireland, known as Proud to make a difference campaign. The campaign has been implemented in many forms from TV, radio, billboards, print media to various digital and social media formats; Overhauled its digital channels in order to create a simple, seamless and intuitive customer experience and provide the best possible service at the lowest possible cost; Introduced a new customer relationship management (CRM) platform which facilitates better customer understanding and tailors communications and propositions to the needs of different customers; Developed and reopened sales channels and processes to ensure compliant growth. Additionally, SSEs commitment to decarbonization means that the firm will continue potential expansion in renewable energy portfolio which are comprised of onshore wind, offshore wind and conventional hydro. Furthermore, SSE is the leader in the UK energy industry to handle customer complaints. According to Energy Ombudsman in February 2016, only four out of 100,000 customer complaints required further investigation in the first three quarters of the year, pointing out the fact that 99.969% of SSEs customer issues were fully resolved (SSE, 2016a). 3.1 Evaluate the appropriateness of SVA Model There are many methods for estimating value of a company, including valuations based on asset, dividend, earnings and cash flows. Among these methods, discounted cash flow valuation is the most technical way of valuing a business as it is heavily dependent on assumptions about long-term business conditions. This measure is especially useful for cash-generating businesses which are stable and mature. Alfred Rappaport (1998) developed a simplified approach of cash flow discounting called shareholder value analysis (SVA). SVA model makes assumptions about steady changes in a number of cash flow factors as they are all relevant to sales level. There are obvious advantages associated with the use of this model. SVA is not subject to different accounting policies used by different companies and therefore can be applied across many business sectors. In addition, firms using SVA must concentrate on the future and customers, with specific focus on future cash flows. On the other hand, SVA is not a perfect model as it contains some shortcomings when being used in practice. Irrational assumptions about value drivers, as well as data unavailability are possible drawbacks that analyst frequently encounter when employing this model. 3.2 Justification of variables and proxies Employing the SVA Model to calculate a companys intrinsic value requires assumptions about a number of key variables. Sales growth might be the most important factor in the model, setting the foundation to come up with other variables values such as operating profit, incremental capital investment and incremental working capital investment. In case of SSE, sales growth is determined after careful consideration of historical growth rates, price forecast and potential future projects. For the last three years, sales growth has witnessed a decreasing trend, which can be explained by a number of reasons. First, energy prices in the UK are influenced by oil and coal prices; therefore, when these commodities prices move upward or downward, they are likely to drive gas and electricity prices in the same direction (Ofgem, 2016b). Since the second half of 2014, there were downward trends in oil and coal prices due to oversupplied markets for these commodities, contributing to declining energy prices and therefore SSEs revenues. The movements of oil price can be illustrated in the following figure: Figure 1: Brent Crude Oil price from 2010 to 2016 (Source: Bloomberg, 2016) Second, there are more and more energy suppliers in the UK market. Levels of new entry have been very high recently: 14 new suppliers became active between April 2015 and March 2016, compared to five between April 2014 and March 2015 (Ofgem, 2016a). The presence of new rivals leads to SSEs declining market share as well as the firms revenue. Third, more and more customers are switching to small and medium-sized suppliers, as shown in Figure 2. If this trend goes on, there will be much pressure on expected revenue of large energy suppliers. Figure 2: Monthly increases in the total number of domestic gas and electricity meters supplied by small and medium-sized suppliers (Source: Ofgem analysis of data provided by Xoserve, DNOs and iDNOs, 2016) From the above data, it might seem that SSEs revenue will be struggling in the next few years. However, there are evidences for investors to believe in SSEs sales growth for at least the next 5 years. First, oil price forecasts by World Bank, IMF and EIU indicate crude oil prices will observe steady increases from 2017 to 2025 (Knoema, 2016) (see figure 4, figure 4 and figure 6). Figure 3: World Bank Oil Price Forecast (Source: Knoema, 2016) Figure 4: IMF Oil Price Forecast (Source: Knoema, 2016) Figure 5: EIU Oil Price Forecast (Source: Knoema, 2016) Second, some renewable projects will be fully operational in 2017 and these will definitely support revenue growth in the next few years. As reported by SSE (2016c), three onshore wind projects under construction are expected to come into operation in 2017, including Dunmaglass (94MW), Clyde Extension (173MW) and Bhlaraidh (108MW). After above analysis has been taken into account, the sales growth is determined as the arithmetic average of the changes in sales over the previous three years, giving the result of 0.82%. This sales growth is reasonable given that SSE is operating in increasingly competitive industry, with customers tending to switch to small and medium-sized suppliers in recent years. The operating profit margin is predicted to be 2.87%, which can be worked out by taking the average of the margins in previous three years. The reason behind this assumption is that SSE is an efficient energy supplier committed to maintaining relatively low operating costs in order to make a fair profit. According to SSE (2015a), SSEs indirect costs per customer are around 20% lower than the average across the rest of the major suppliers. The effect of low operating costs can be demonstrated by stable operating profit margins for the last three years, and it is expected that this trend will continue for the coming financial years. The incremental capital investment of 53% is understandable as the company continues to develop secure, sustainable and low carbon energy infrastructure, given that the energy industry is switching to renewable energy sources. In its interim results for the six months to 30 September 2016, SSE announced it plans to invest a record  £1.85bn of capital expenditure and investment in Great Britain and Ireland in 2016/17 (SSE, 2016b). According to Alistair Phillips-Davies, SSE Chief Executive, the firm is making more investment in supporting the modernization of UKs energy facilities, and the total investment and capital expenditure by 2020 is forecast to reach approximately  £6bn. A relatively low working capital investment of 10% is determined since SSEs current assets are just enough to absorb current liabilities in the last few years. Trade and other receivables accounts for a large proportion of SSEs current assets due to the nature of the energy supply business. Meanwhile, current liabilities are mainly comprised of trade and other payables, which is because the company is making heavy investment in renewable energy infrastructure. Simply put, an incremental working capital investment of 10% is appropriate for SSE given that many potential energy projects will be under construction in the coming years. The corporation tax rate of 20% is applied to company profits (HMRC, 2016), and SSEs business is also subject to this rate. Another key variable in SVA is weighted average cost of capital (WACC). The cost of debt is determined as SSEs weighted average interest rate, which is 3.73% for year 2016. Meanwhile, the cost of equity is computed using CAPM model. SSEs beta (0.74) was obtained from FAME database, while the UK Gilt 10 Year Yield (1.40%) collected on Bloomberg website is used as the proxy for risk-free rate; all of these figures were retrieved on 19th January 2017. In addition, the UK market risk premium (5.3%) by Fernandez, et al., (2016) is another key component in the CAPM. Subsequently, a WACC of 4.59% is achieved and this is the required rate of return for SSEs capital providers. In short, the following seven value drivers will be applied in case of SSE: Table 1: Seven value drivers for SVA model Key Drivers Value Sales growth 0.82% Operating Profit margin 2.87% Tax rate 20% Incremental fixed capital investment 53% Incremental working capital investment 10% Planning Horizon 5 Required Rate of Return 4.59% Source: Analysts estimate 3.3 Employment of SVA Model Table 2 illustrates how SVA model is utilized in SSEs case. SSEs revenue of  £28,781m (recorded on 31st March 2016) was increased annually by a sales growth of 0.82% over a 5-year planning horizon. Subsequently, an operating margin of 2.87% was applied to revenues to come up with the firms operating profit. Before arriving at SSEs operating cash flows, a corporation tax rate of 20% was imposed on the operating profit, followed by subtractions of 53% in incremental capital investment and 10% in working capital investment. Afterwards, the present value of future cash flows was estimated by discounting the firms operating cash flows by 4.59% cost of capital. It is noted that SSEs terminal value at year 6+ was discounted twice, the first of which worked out the value at year 5 and the second one brought out the value in present day. After the net present value of  £18,930.7m was figured out, adjustments were made by adding  £360.2m cash and marketable securities, and then deducting  £7,168.8m total debt. After all, SSEs intrinsic value was determined at  £12,122.14m. Table 2: SSEs Shareholder value analysis (unit: million pounds) Year 1 2 3 4 5 6+ Sales 29,018.4 29,257.7 29,498.9 29,742.2 29,987.5 29,987.5 Profit 833.6 840.5 847.4 854.4 861.5 861.5 Associate Profit 206.5 208.2 209.9 211.6 213.4 213.4 Less Tax 166.7 168.1 169.5 170.9 172.3 172.3 Less ICI 125.1 126.1 127.2 128.2 129.3 0 Less IWCI 23.7 23.9 24.1 24.3 24.5 0 Operating Cash Flow 724.6 730.6 736.6 742.7 748.8 902.6 PV of cash flows 692.8 667.8 643.8 620.6 598.3 15,707.4 NPV 18,930.7 Add mkt secs 19,290.9 Less debt 7,168.8 Equity Value SVA 12,122.14 million Actual Value 15,757.52 million FAME access on 19th January 2017 Source: Analysts estimate 3.4 Comparative Analysis SSEs intrinsic value derived from SVA model was  £12,122.14m while its market capitalisation was recorded at  £15757.52m (FAME database, accessed on 19th January 2017), pointing the difference of  £3,635.38m between the two values. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is that all relevant information may not be incorporated into the share price. It could be inferred from Efficient Market Hypothesis (Fama, 1970) that the extent to which the share price is reliable depends on the efficiency of the markets. Under the strong form efficiency, the market value of  £15757.52m will fully reflect all past, present and insider information. On the other hand, if the market is under the weak form efficiency, the market value of  £15757.52m will only reflect the historical prices of the security, and hence lacking reliability. Furthermore, the information asymmetry, e.g. between management and investors and between investors themselves, is another explaining factor. Plesco Sobol (2013) states that investors who are ill-informed about financial disclosures can make unreasonable decisions in their investment. Due to irrational trading behaviours of these investors, share prices may not yield a fair market value. Another cause of the difference between the two values lies in the limitations of SVA model. The constant sales growth every year is not very realistic because the growth depends on potential development and firms strategies, which are subject to annual reviews. In the same manner, keeping WACC (4.59%) constant over 5-year planning horizon is not rational in practice, because the firms capital structure will change over time. Last but not least, the assumptions of sales growth and other key variables depend on each analysts subjective viewpoint. Changing these values by a small percentage might result in considerable change in eventual intrinsic value. 3.5 Sensitivity Analysis The sensitivity analysis performance indicates that SSEs underlying value is highly sensitive to changes operating profit margin. A positive adjustment of 2% made towards the operating margin will result in a substantial increase of 86% in the firms equity value (see Appendix 6). It is worth remembering that SSE is committed to preserve low operating costs so as to gain a fair profit. According to SSE (2015b), the firm has participated in a value program to ensure effective use of people and capital, the overall objective of which is business streamlining and simplification. This program comes with efficiency target, with expected  £100m of annual savings in overheads. In addition, the program involves reduction in offshore wind development as well as disposal of non-core assets. In general, this value scheme is likely to help SSE optimize its investment and re-balance its business. Moreover, it is noticeable that the firms intrinsic value is susceptible to changes in WACC. An adjustment of +2% in the WACC will lead to approximately 50% reduction in the firms equity value (see Appendix 6). According to Fitch Ratings (2016), SSEs equity has been diminishing recently due to the influence of sustained asset impairment losses and generous dividend pay-outs. In agreement with Pecking Order Theory, debt takes priority over equity in case external finance is required (Donaldson, 1961). Because SSEs cost of debt (3.73%) is lower than cost of equity (5.32%), it is appropriate for SSE to obtain  more bank loans to finance its long-term operations, while still making sure cost of capital is kept to a minimum. Particularly Fitch Ratings (2016) claims that SSE has a policy of accessing debt markets, ensuring that its committed borrowings equal to at least 105% of forecast borrowings over a six-monthly rolling period and adequate liquidity will be fulfilled until at least S eptember 2017. 4.1 Background information In the end of July 2014, SSE completed the acquisition of The Energy Solutions Group Topco Limited (ESG), the North west-based provider of energy management services, from Bridgepoint Development Capital for  £66m with an additional  £6m if agreed targets are achieved. Working with private and public sector customers, ESG identify improvements in their management of energy consumption; as well as install, maintain and support building management systems and solutions, saving customers around 20% to 30% of their energy consumption (SSE, 2014). 4.2 Evaluation of the issue in the context of finance theories This acquisition is classified into vertical MA (Mergers and Acquisitions). According to Arnold (2013), vertical MA occur between companies operating in the same industry at different stages of production, i.e. one company acquires another company that is either before or after it in the supply chain process. In case of SSEs acquisition, both SSE and ESG work in the energy industry. SSE involves in all many stages of energy supply chain including wholesale, networks (distribution) and retail; meanwhile ESG engages in the retail business where it is the designer and provider of energy management solutions. Therefore, SSEs acquiring ESG would be a downstream vertical acquisition. So, what is SSEs motivation behind this acquisition? Vertical integration has some advantages, including the attraction of increased certainty of supply or market outlet; reducing cost of search, contracting, payment collection, advertising, communication and co-ordination of production (Arnold, 2013). SSE (2014) states that the acquisition of ESG will strengthen SSEs services in competitive markets for industrial and commercial customers. These services are comprised of electrical and mechanical contracting, lighting services, private energy networks and telecoms, all of which are under the control of Enterprise division which forms part of SSEs retail business. According to Arnold (2013), one of the merger and acquisition motives is synergy in which the two firms together are worth more than the value of the firms apart; hence in this case, ESG will bring commercial synergies to SSEs Enterprise division. SSEs Chief Executive Alistair emphasized that managing energy costs and environmental impact are SSEs big priority for large industrial and commercial customers. Benefiting from ESGs expertise, SSE expects to meet the energy and related demands of these customers in an enhanced manner. It was confirmed that the ESGs existing management team would be in charge of the Enterprise division, and the firm believed that the commitment of the ESG management team and other employees will benefit its customers and the environment in terms of effective energy management solutions delivery. SSEs acquisition of ESG is considered a strategic acquisition in order to achieve external growth. There are two ways to categorize strategic acquisitions: by type of capability transferred and by their relation to corporate strategy (Goold Luchs, 1995). Regarding capability transfer, SSE (2015a) asserts that the acquisition of ESG added new capabilities to the business. (Goold Luchs, 1995) claims that value is created in an acquisition when competitive advantage of one firm is enhanced through the transfer of strategic capabilities including resource sharing, functional skill transfer and management skill transfer. The presence of ESG management team in SSEs Enterprise division will upgrade SSEs capability of strategic planning, ensuring that effective energy management solutions are delivered for the sake of customers. Generally, SSE is expected to benefit from management skill transferred from ESG. Another way to categorize strategic acquisitions is based on their contribution to corporate-level strategy. In other words, acquisitions are assessed considering their connections in maintaining and changing the balance between the firms existing domain and the renewal of its capabilities (Goold Luchs, 1995). An acquisitions contributions are classified into either domain strengthening, domain extension or domain exploration. In light of SSEs acquiring ESG, this would be an illustration of domain strengthening because this acquisition will deepen SSEs presence in retail business, especially reinforcing Enterprise divisions operation. Next, it is essential to see what happened with SSE stock price after the firm made announcement about the acquisition of ESG. Theoretically, when a firm acquires another one, a short-term impact on the stock price of both companies is expected. Specifically, a lot of practical studies point out that the acquiring firms stock price will go down while the acquired entitys stock price will rise (Investopedia, 2016a). With respect to the takeover company, its stock will go down mainly because of a number of uncertainties associated with the acquisition, such as turbulent integration process, lost productivity, additional debt or expense incurred and accounting issues (Investopedia, 2016a). Figure 6 demonstrates SSEs stock prices after the acquisition of ESG was disclosed. Figure 6: SSEs stock price movements after acquisition of ESG (Source: Hargreaves Lansdown, 2014) As can be seen from the above figure, SSEs stock prices witnessed decreases in two consecutive days after the acquisition and this conformed with the empirical studies implication m

Lord Of The Flies :: essays research papers

Character Analysis:Ralph: main character- Ralph is the narrator of the story.Jack: Jack is Ralph main enemy in the story. He leads the hunters.Piggy: Piggy is the smart one of the group. Simon: He is my favorite character in the story. He is viewed as the Christ-figure and interprets the mysteries of the island.Roger: Roger is Jack’s â€Å"sidekick† and is a vicious murderer at heart. Sam and Eric: The twins stick close to Ralph until they are forced to join the hunters. Their main job is to watch the signal fire. The littluns: The littluns are basically the younger boys and ride the bandwagon. The two boys Ralph and Piggy meet each other in a thick jungle and discover that they crashed in an airplane and are stranded. They also learn that there are no adults present on the island and that none of the adults survived the crash. As they approach a beach, they find an enormous conch shell. Piggy gives the conch a little toot and summons the rest of the boys on the island to the beach. The boys assemble and elect Ralph as the leader. Ralph then assigns the Choir, led by Jack, to be the hunters. Then Jack, Ralph, and Simon set out to explore the island. Near the end of their journey, they encounter a wild pig. Jack tries to kill it, but is unsuccessful. When the explorers get back, a meeting is held. The explorers explain that the island is deserted but there is enough food to keep them alive. Jack and the hunters promise to supply meat. Ralph makes a rule that whoever is in possession of the conch shell is allowed to speak. Ralph proposes the idea of a signal fire to alert passing ships of their presence. All the boys agree and everybody rushes to the hilltop to start a fire. The fire sparks the gathered wood into a blaze. One of the boys is reported missing but none of the boys will admit to the likelihood of an accident. Everyone is hard at work the next day, either building huts or hunting. Soon the younger boys loose interest and go off to play. A meeting is called and the boys come up with some new ideas and talk about problems. Meanwhile jack wanders off and enjoys the peace and quiet. Soon the boys get into a rhythm of everyday life.

Mans Search for Meaning in Fight Club and Siddhartha Essay -- Comparin

In 1922, Hermann Hesse set the youth of Germany free with the glorious peace of Siddhartha. Nearly a century later, Chuck Palahniuk opened the eyes of countless Americans with his nihilistic masterpiece, Fight Club. These two novels were written in different times, in different cultures, for different readers, and for different purposes. One is the poster child for love of self and nature; the other focuses on the destruction of both man and culture, yet the two hold a startling similarity in their underlying meaning, that in a darkening world of sin and distraction, letting go is the only true path to freedom, peace, and happiness. Though vastly different, Fight Club and Siddhartha both essentially tell the same story of man's search for personal meaning. Siddhartha is the story of a young man who leaves established society to find and create for himself a true doctrine for bliss. Raised and trained as a Brahman in a well-established religious family, Siddhartha feels vain and incomplete. He departs from his people and their lore, peacefully searching for his own dogma, what Hesse refers to as "The Self". "Siddhartha embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes him through a period of asceticism and self denial followed by one of sensual indulgence ("Siddhartha" 255)." Siddhartha soon finds, however, that nirvana is not so easily attained. Hesse follows Siddhartha through his lifelong journey of mental confusion, emotional turmoil, physical pain and pleasure, and, ultimately, spiritual unity between himself and the world. In short, it is "Hesse's attempt to restore his faith in mankind, to regain his lost peace of mind, and to find again a harmonious relationship with his world ("Siddhartha" 262)." Fight Club also is... ...uary 2003. http://www.newimprovedhead.com/club.htm Freedman, Ralph. "Hermann Hesse". Contemporary Literature. 10: 3 (1969): 421-426. Rpt. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Carolyn Riley. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1973. 146-147. Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: Bantam, 1971. Margetts, Jayne. "Fight Club". Between the Lines. Ed. Wendy Cavenett. 27 April 1998. 19 February 2003. http://www.thei.aust.com/tssmusic1/contents.html Palahniuk, Chuck. Fight Club. New York: Henry Holt, 1997. Sahni, Chaman L. "Siddhartha". Masterplots Complete. CD-ROM. Englewood Cliffs: Salem, 2000. "Siddhartha". Novels for Students. Ed. David Galens. Vol. 6. New York: Thomson Gale, 1997. 255-275. 16 vols. Wake, Bob. "Fight Club". Culture Vulture. Ed. Arthur Lazere. 21 September 1998. 19 February 2003. http://www.culturevulture.net/Books/FightClub.htm

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

BOOK REVIEW: HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN BY J. K ROWLING Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, written by J. K Rowling is the third book in the phenomenal Harry Potter series. The genre of this book is fantasy which involves magic, spells and Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I chose this book because the whole series is incredible, and J. K Rowling is by far one of the all-time greatest authors in the world. The adventure of Harry Potter, along with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, takes place in Hogwarts, home to many young wizards and witches.In their third year, Harry is forced to go on another roller coaster ride with many challenges that occur in the book. The plot starts when Sirius Black, a convicted murderer, escapes the prison of Azkaban. As Harry learns about Sirius Black’s unforgivable pass, he’s emotions start to rise and boil. As the book twists and turns, it follows Harry in his magical world not only with his friends Ron and Hermione, but also with the troubles that occur. The Dementors (huge cloaked, black, figures that float in the air) plays a huge part in the story.As part of a precaution, Dementors are put on Hogwarts ground to catch Sirius Black and protect students and teachers of Hogwarts. A new teacher was also introduced in this story, Professor Remus Lupin, who takes â€Å"Defence Against the Dark Arts†. Lupin also becomes very close to Harry. My favourite part of the story was when Harry caught the Snitch in the Quidditch Finals against the Slytherins. Main characters in this book include Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius Black, Professor Lupin, Dumbledore (Headmaster) , Professor Snape and Hagrid (Keeper Of The Keys and Grounds Keeper).As a reader, â€Å"Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban†, could well possibly be my favourite book. It is also the best, in my opinion, Harry Potter book J. K Rowling ever written. The storyline of this book flows very well and e very aspect of the book is detailed. There was not a single bit of this book that I do not enjoy. The book can be described as funny, adventurous, quirky and very imaginative. I score this book 10/10 and I’ll give it 5 stars. I would recommend this book to children and parents, 7+.

Facebook Hacking Essay

Hey Guys, This Is Awesome Tutorial Written By Me And Note That This Is Not Any Type Of Fake Methods, This Is Real And Worked Method To Hack Facebook In Just Couple Of Minutes, In This Trick You Just Need Three Friends In Victim’s Account. If You Have This Then You Can Easily Hake Your Victim’s Account. Facebook Is A Largest Community In This World, There Are Billions Of Accounts In Facebook Community And There Are Lack Or Accounts Increase Day By Day, All People Talking And Sharing Their Personal Things In Facebook, That’s Why This Facebook HACKING In Born. , M I Right Facebook Have Many Vulnerability To Hack Any Account But It Is Not Easy To Hack Facebook Account, Mostly Facebook Have Vulnerability In Their Applications So People Mostly Hack Facebook Using This Vulnerabilities And There Are Many Other Methods To Hack Facebook Account Like Key loggers , Phishing, Forget Password Trick, And Many More. In This Methods Most Of All Peoples Use Phishing Method To Hack Facebook Account But Now We Are Going To Hack Facebook Account With 3 Friends Method Which Is Very Easy, Here Below All Steps To Hack Facebook With Easy Method, Step 1 :- Go To Any Browser And Open â€Å"Facebook. com† And Click On Forget Password Without Writing Anything. Step 2 :- In Next Window You Have To Enter Victim’s Email Id Or Phone Number. Then Click On â€Å"Search†. Step 3 :- Then You Will See One Window Like Below, In This Click On â€Å"This Is My Account†. Step 4 :- In This Next Step They Will Ask To Reset Password With Many Methods Like Victim’s Gmail, Yahoo Mail Address Or Victims’ Phone Number And ETC But Don’t Worries We Don’t Need This Information In This Step Just Click On â€Å"No longer have access to these ? â€Å". Step 5 :- Awww. . . Now It’s Main Thing, If You Will Be Asked To Fill New Email Address, Where You Want To Receive Password Link, So You Have One Email Account, Just Make One Fake Account [Note:- Don’t Register This Email Id In Facebook]. So Enter Email Address And Click On â€Å"Submit†. Step 6 :- This Is Second Level Of Facebook Security Which Called As A â€Å"Security Question†, Here Facebook Have Vulnerability, You Just Have To Write Wrong Answer Three Times, Then You Will Bypass This Security. Step 7 :- In This Steps You Can Get Back To Your Facebook Account With Three Friends, So You Can See One Window Below, Click On â€Å"Continue†. Step 8 :- After Click On â€Å"Continue† You Will Be Asked For Choose Three Friends One By One. After Select Click On â€Å"Submit†. Step 9 :- Now Facebook Will Send Secret Code To This Three Friends, So Collect This Code And Click On â€Å"Password Reset This is Demo Version Android Text to PDF Converter Page No. 2 Link† Which You Got In Email. That’s All. . . There Are Some Problem You Have To Face With This Method Which Are Below, In Step 4 When You Click On â€Å"No longer have access to these ? â€Å", If Victim Has’t Set Any Security Questions, Then You Can’t Get Second Step, But You Will Be Ask For Real Email Id, Check Out This. After Clicking â€Å"I cannot Access My Email†. You Will Be See One Window Like Below, Under This Type Of Situation Choose Different Method To Hack Facebook Or Choose Another Victim This is Demo Version

Literary Techniques in “The Things They Carried” Essay

A literary technique is a device employed in literature to add depth to a writer’s work. These techniques can be obvious, such as the technique of rhyme in a poem, or subtle, such as juxtaposition, which can go unnoticed by the reader. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien uses many such techniques to provide more depth to his book. Four literary techniques used by Tim O’Brien are symbolism, pathetic fallacy, irony, and juxtaposition. One literary technique prominent in The Things They Carried, particularly in the story by the same name, is symbolism. Throughout this story, O’Brien mentions all the things that the soldiers carry with them, both physical and emotional. However, the physical items that the men carried is more than just equipment- they are symbols that represent various facets of each soldier’s personality. For example, â€Å"Rat Kiley carried†¦ morphine and plasma and malaria tablets and surgical tape†¦ and all the things a medic must carry, including M&M’s for especially bad wounds† (O’Brien 5). The fact that Kiley carried medical necessities shows that he is a good paramedic devoted to doing his job well, but the M&M’s represent something different- Kiley’s optimistic and kind outlook on the war and life in general. Conversely, the tranquilizers carried by Ted Lavender represent his terror of the fighting in the war and his inability to face reality, rather choosing to escape from it by taking drugs. This is an effective technique because, by using these symbols, O’Brien can let the reader figure out for him/herself deeper aspects of certain characters’ personalities without actually stating them outright. Another literary device Tim O’Brien employs is pathetic fallacy, or nature mirroring humans’ emotions. In the story Speaking of Courage, Norman Bowker attempts to save Kiowa’s life but fails. He becomes depressed and remorseful about what he should have been able to accomplish. For a long time afterward, Bowker struggles with the fact that he was â€Å"braver than he ever thought possible, but†¦ not so brave as he wanted to be† (153); he is overcome with sadness and guilt. This is reflected in the weather at the time of Kiowa’s death. The soldiers were camping out in a field along the Song Tra Bong, and â€Å"the rain kept getting worse. And by midnight the field turned into soup† (145). The rain emulates the emotions of the weary and despondent soldiers. Pathetic fallacy is a very useful technique because it helps to provide the tone for the story. If the story was a sad one but the weather was bright and sunny, the tone of the story would be wrong, and vice versa. In Speaking of Courage, the fact that it was raining during the main event of the story helps the reader gain and understanding of just how bleak and dismal the events that occurred were. Irony, or a discrepancy between expectation and reality, is another literary technique used by Tim O’Brien in The Things They Carried. Many of the titles of the stories contain irony themselves. For example, Speaking of Courage is more centred on the themes of failure and the inability to be courageous than it is about courage. The story Love is not, as it would seem, about mutual love, but rather unrequited love. Field Trip, an expression with a usually very positive connotation, is a story about a visit to a battleground where many lives had been lost. The Story How to Tell a True War Story also contains much irony within it. The main point of this story is that a true war story cannot be told because the simple act of telling it makes it untrue. The title of this story is ironic- O’Brien makes the reader think that he wants to instruct them how to tell a true war story, but the reader soon finds out O’Brien’s real intention- that telling a true war story is impossible. Another ironic idea within this story is the idea that war can be beautiful. â€Å"You hate it, yes, but your eyes do not. Like a forest fire, like cancer under a microscope, any battle†¦ has†¦ a powerful, implacable beauty† (81). This catches the reader off-guard because of how greatly it contrasts with the view of war we have been previously given. He continues to say that, â€Å"a true war story will tell the truth about this, though the truth is ugly† (81). This is very ironic because although the actual event may be beautiful, if a true story is told about it, the story is ugly. This adds to O’Brien’s point that telling a story, even a true one, can only take away from the truth of the event. Using irony, O’Brien can present his message in a creative an interesting way, and this helps the readers understand his point better. Another technique used by Tim O’Brien is juxtaposition. The story The Lives of the Dead seems to be a bit of a non-sequitur to the rest of the book, however, O’Brien has put it where it is for a reason. The point of The Things They Carried is not simply to tell stories about the Vietnam War- the lesson goes deeper than that. It comes to teach that war is about more than just fighting- it is about the connection between life and death. It is about learning to detach oneself from death. It is about the sacredness and fragility of life. It is about so many things that many people never have to experience. But the Vietnam War is not O’Brien’s first time coming into contact with these kinds of issues. As a child, he had a beloved friend named Linda who died of cancer. Linda’s death was a major part of his growing up process. As a child, he already had to learn to distance himself from her death, saying, â€Å"It didn’t seem real†¦ the girl lying in the white casket wasn’t Linda† (241). And although he did not realize it at the time, her death helped him to deal with all the deaths he encountered in the war. For example, when Curt Lemon dies, O’Brien refuses to see his body as a friend who died. Instead he says, â€Å"his body was not really a body, but rather one small bit of waste in the midst of a much wider wastage† (238). The lessons that O’Brien learned as a child are very relevant and linked to his experiences in the Vietnam War, which is why he chooses to include The Lives of the Dead. But this is not the only message that O’Brien wants us to take out of the inclusion The Lives of the Dead in The Things They Carried- he wants to convey that even though something that happens in one’s life may seem horrible and meaningless, it may become of use to him or her later in life, and it may help him or her to get through an otherwise unmanageable time. O’Brien wants his reader to know that everything in life comes for a purpose. Throughout The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien makes use of many different literary techniques. In the story The Things They Carried, O’Brien uses symbolism. In Speaking of Courage, the literary technique is pathetic fallacy. Irony is used in How to Tell a True War Story, among others, and juxtaposition is used in the story The Lives of the Dead. It can be seen that literary techniques have a simple but powerful effect in The Things They Carried.

Brechtian Performance- Second Reflection Essay

1. What Brechtian techniques did you use in your group? Myself and my fellow group members used many different Brechtian techniques in our peace of Epic Theatre. Firstly, we decided on a social issue to base our peice of theatre on, our final being the issue of gay marriage. We then set this issue based on the story of The Three Muskateers, and changed the name to Three Muskaqueers.This word play and the theme of gay marraige continued on throughout our peice of theatre. Also, to continue the theme of homosexuality, we used Brechts idea of introducing Gods who pass jugdment on the play and the characters, Hamzah was our God of Gays. We also used a popular song the YMCA and changed the words according to our social issue and story. Other Brechtian techniques we used were scene cross cutting, gestus and greeze frames and we also had a narrator who introduced our play. 2. How well did you think you used them (Popular audince reaction/engagement/understanding. Critical; opinions of other practitioners & Self; personal targets you may have set yourself) I think that our group used most of the techniques very well. We were able to explicitly use the Brechtian techniques we chose, such as using a God to pass judgement and using a narrator, however i feel we could have improved on other aspects of Brechtian theatre; such as including the characters saying stage directions. If we had added more of these techniques our peice would have become more Brechtian and would have been more obvious to the audience that our performance was a peice of theatre. I think we used our social issue and story well as we cleverly created a play on words from the original story of the Three Muskateers to the Three Muskaqueers. I feel that overall, from the reaction that we got from the audience and how i feel about our peice of theatre from the targets i first set myself that we used the techniques very well. 3. How well did you ‘synthesis’ your content (what you were saying) with the form (how you were saying it) What did you think was effective and why? I think that we had quite a fair amount of synthesis in our production as we kept the theme of â€Å"homosexuality† and â€Å"gay marraige† running throughout the peice. We incorporated this theme into our chosen theme song, and into puns and jokes we made throughout the peice of theatre. I feel that we could have, towards the end of the peice kept the theme running more as we changed the story by making one of the main characters turn straight, and our teacher and fellow students did not fully understand this choice, so i feel that we could have made this mroe obvious or changed this. 4. If you were not happy with aspects of your work then what alternative approaches might you have pursued? Mention at least 2 aspects of your peers work that you thought was effective and why, as you consider alternatives. 1) I feel that we could have used the use of stage directions more because we did not include this as much as we could have, and this part of Epic Theatre is a very important part of Brechts work as he uses it to break the â€Å"fourth wall† between the actors, the play and the audience. 2) I feel that we also could have used either mime or mask in our theatre. Although none of the other groups did this, it is a very well known Brechtian technique, and would have made our peice of theatre stand out much more through the use of nboth Mime and masks.

Charles Chocolate case Essay Example for Free

Charles Chocolate case Essay Traelene beals â€Å"9am Friday† First, a formal case analysis – This should be written in a business style format using short paragraphs and sentences, self-explanatory headings, and any figures/tables that would facilitate reading. Reports are to be no longer than 2000 words (excluding appendices Issues to be addressed – No measures of productivity or efficiaency in the plant- no way of telling if the plant was doing a good job. Difficult demand forcasting due to seasonality of sales. 2 new stores had ok type sales. Best clients of Wholesale sales changed focus on cheaper items and also own products. Sales agents could be fired with 90 days notice. Other parts of US haven’t heard of us. Of the 221 wholesale customers purchase just $1000 worth of products. Other 125 purchase between 1000 and 2000 per year. Sales agents, don’t know how to represent the all products. Speculating future orders from wholesale clients to customize boxes and logos-waste of capital. 60% of the total online/phone orders were from existing customers. Online sales haven’t grown – orders processed within 3-4 days. Why ship internationaly(only 5%)—Antartica Really Summer problem at Sandwich heaven – why did staff leave? How to get new staff in this tight labour market. Marketing service – old fashioned — Undefined Target market? Packaging ? (tourists publicatins, seasonal print media and radio spots) How to increase awareness without diluting the brand. Leverage on solid search engine raankings to promote online sales Basic website, reminder service to customers-good/bad? Sales agents dint provide links to top accounts. Companies revenues had grown because of Sandwich heaven(franchising) High reliability on tourism. Corporate gift marketing – 25% discount – market was good – Explore boston ? ice cream sales Increase retail penetration? Acquire a niche chocolate company? What about the tradiotnal brand name? Internal capacity? Relocate factory? Background Charles produced high-quality, hand wrapped chocolates, Portland creams. Best quality, many loyal customers across the world. Huge factory(24000 sq foot)-owned-. Only 75 retail and 35 production employees, 20 in management. Working hours 7am-4pm(each day). – Leverage long shelf life Wholesale production required early planning and online sales required late production†¦ Production planning was completed by data distortions arising from out-of stock and over stock issues. – out of stock-over production – killed the pricing – by discount pricing. Special orders put the whole order on a stand still Retail stores provided 50% of sales. – Wholesale had 30% of sales – Charles is just used as an add on product. Online and phone – online 4% of total sales. –phone is 6% of total sales—60% of all these orders were from regular orders.. Avg sales $138 by phone and $91 from website†¦High growth industry†¦ Sandwich heaven – 10% of sales – Industry High demand for organic/dark chocolate- anti oxidant properties. Charles Chocolate case. (2018, Oct 13).

The impact of certain forms of technology on reading skills or reading Essay

The impact of certain forms of technology on reading skills or reading habits - Essay Example However, technological based reading has led to an increase in the reading of news, views, sexual content, general information, selected fields but has decreased the reading of literature. Electronic sources are now available for the students like iPods and kindle (of Amazon) that has greatly influenced the reading skills and habits of the students and in fact 34 percent of the students have access to their own iPhone. Today, majority of the schools increasingly have the access to digital media. With such kind of availability of technology, students can readily access the reading materials in a digital format. The paper discusses the impact of the reading skills and habits with the introduction of technology. Reading is one of the oldest habits with the passion of the greatest personalities of all the time. The emergence of technology has led to some extraordinary change in the reading culture and habits of the students. Imagining today’s educational system without technology can be difficult for the students and the teachers. A learning environment without interactive white boards, laptops, TVs and electronic devices would be difficult to identify as a conducive learning environment (Datta & Macdonald-Ross, 2002). Technology has made its existence in the reading behavior of the students. Although printed media still commands significant sales, reading is no longer confined to print reading as the scope of reading has evolved drastically in the recent days due to evolution of the internet to include web pages, e-papers, e-journals, websites, chat rooms, blogs, discussion boards, e-mails and other communication documents. This has made reading and access to information easier and f aster as a student can access information from the internet at their convenience (Gambrell, 2005). Reading habits can be determined by the number of minutes per day that are spent when