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Plug-in Hybrid vs. Pure Electric Cars Research Essay Essay

This world has prospered with gasoline cars since the late eighteen hundreds and nineteen hundreds. In fact, the world we live in today cannot stand without the benefits of gasoline-powered vehicular travel. Since the modernization of travel, the public can drive cars anywhere, including other countries, cities, streets, houses, or even backyards. The mass want of private automobiles has led to more drivers, then a huge amount of pollution, and then that familiar phrase: Global Warming. This is why we need a new alternative to the combustion engine, and there are very many ways to achieve this including plug-in cars and pure electric cars. But, to fully prevent Global Warming, our economy must run on pure clean energy. Plug-in hybrid cars have their benefits, including the ability to revert to an internal combustion engine when the battery dies, but pure-electric cars are the way to go because the battery has a much larger store of electricity and electric cars do not run on harmful gasoline; they run on clean energy. The pros of hybrid plug-in cars do not match the pros that the pure-electric car boasts. Although, there are some so-called experts who disprove this theory, and say that hybrid cars are the best way to go. A pro in the mind of Philip Dunn, a hybrid car advocate, is that â€Å"at higher speeds – above forty miles per hour – the gas motor kicks in and gives that peppy feel so many car owners look for when driving on the highway. † Another pro is that the hybrid car can â€Å"already get one-hundred mpg on fifty-five-mile trips using cobbled-together PHEVs,† (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) says Ben Hewitt, another advocate of hybrid cars. The hybrid vehicle also does not produce any Carbon-Dioxide from a stop, and does not produce any Carbon-Dioxide moving at less than under forty miles per hour. These pros, nonetheless, are better than a pure-gas engine, which compares with an average 21 mpg (estimation courtesy of EPA), and produces Carbon-Dioxide all of the time that it is running. But, these pros do not scratch the surface of the pure-electric car and its wonders. The cons of the plug-in car are various. The plug-in car costs â€Å"anywhere from three-thousand dollars to eight-thousand dollars more than conventional automobiles† (Watson), but these prices will go down as manufacturers start developing more hybrids and create more competition. Until there is more research, hybrids also use up the electric engine in under five-hundred uses, which leads to more money spent replacing the un-chargeable battery. Adding onto the list is the fact that hybrid cars will still use gasoline. In order to clean up Earth, hybrid plug-in cars and their problems shall not be created. Hybrid cars are also weighed down by both engines. The two engines also instigate the problem of maintaining two engines instead of one, which will make repair cost more than gas-powered cars in certain circumstances such as a car crash that damages both engines. Both pros and cons of the hybrid plug-in do not reach the level of pure electric cars. Few cons are tacked onto the pure electric car, but those few are important. Pure-electric cars cannot drive long distance road trips without being recharged. This can take up to three-and-a-half hours in some electric cars, which isn’t good for being late to work or a party. â€Å"The beneficial trend toward more environmentally friendly vehicles has had the unintended effect of placing the blind and other pedestrians in danger,† said Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-New York, 10th) in introducing The Pedestrian Safety Act of 2008 that would protect the blind from electric cars, which are silent. These cars are also pricy, with the Tesla Roadster reaching over one-hundred thousand dollars. These cons come with a reward, though. The pros of having a pure-electric vehicle are heavier than that of its cons. With an average of 220 mpc (miles per charge [based on EPA combined city/highway cycle]), the pure-electric car can cover the average daily driver’s commute and then some. The pure-electric Tesla Roadster can reach up to â€Å"125 mph and has a 0mph-60mph in less than 4 seconds† (Tesla Motors – Tesla Roadster). Also, whenever the brakes are used to stop, you charge the engine. Another thing is that, when stopped, the car does not consume any energy. All of this and zero-emissions boost the pure-electric car to the top of the list of daily drivers and high performance gas-guzzlers. Both types of car oust that of the gas-guzzlers on the road today. Although, to provide a cleaner and more-efficient future for Earth, humans must set aside fossil fuels and use clean electric energy, which a pure-electric car uses. The public cannot make a huge change into hybrid plug-ins and then switch to full electric power; just look at the Digital Television switch that has been postponed twice because people are too lazy to go out and get a free digital cable box. The people are slow to change, which means that in order to switch before humans destroy the world, humans must first change to pure-electric energy. If humans are ready to start the massive change to clean up Earth, those humans must first stop making a new mess. Works Cited Dunn, Philip. â€Å"Hybrid Cars – Pros and Cons. † (2006) 4 Apr 2009 . Hewitt, Ben. â€Å"Plug-in Hybrid Electric Cars: How They’ll Solve the Fuel Crunch. † May 2007 4 Apr 2009 . Watson, Jerry. â€Å"Hybrids – pros and cons. † (2005-2009) 4 Apr 2009 . http://www. teslamotors. com/performance/perf_specs. php Towns, Edolphus. Introduction of Pedestrian Safety Act of 2008, April 9th, 2008.

Similarities in the General Human Resource Practices Article

Similarities in the General Human Resource Practices - Article Example The technique actually examines the relationship between a single dependent variable and more than one independent variable. It is the most common type of method used. It shows a linear relationship holding the lowest sum of the squared variances. The assumptions such as normality, equal variance and linearity and finely and clearly examined by the researcher. A coefficient knows as beta are taken which is the marginal impacts of each variable. This technique is usually used by the firm for its forecasting. This technique is actually the variation of multiple regressions and allows the firms to predict different events. The technique used non-metric dependent variables and the actual objective of the technique is to achieve a probabilistic assessment of binary choice. The independent variable used by the researchers is either continuous or discrete. Later, a contingency table is formed holding the classification of observations and the observations and predicted results are matched. Then the researcher sum the events that are predicted to occur and they actually occur and sum the events that the researcher predicted not to occur and they actually do not occur. These two sums are added and divided by the total number of events. This shows the effectiveness of the model and helps to predict the choices. Â  

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

Intrapreneurship - Essay Example What does it mean, to intrapreneur with power In essence it means to use power effectively in the intrapreneuring process. I will attempt to clarify the meaning of intrapreneuring with power by explaining the overall process in five step (Brandt, 1988). 4. What are your sources of power and influence What sources of power can you develop to gain more control over the situation With your sources of power, which strategies and tactics for using power seem most appropriate The first step is to clarify your vision and objectives. This clarification step serves two purposes: First, it provides a basis for identifying who, inside and outside the firm, will be affected if the venture accomplishes its stated objectives. These people will almost certainly want either to support the venture or to obstruct its progress. Second, it enables the venture manager to identify what kind of help is needed for the venture to succeed. The second step involves systematically identifying all the people, groups, or organizations on whom the venture's outcome depends. These parties include: the major internal units that would be affected by the venture's success (for example, departments competing for the resources needed by the venture); the venture's prospective customers, distributors, and suppliers and their competitors; such groups as shareholders, employees, and unions (These groups should be retained only if they are relevant to the outcome.) In the third step, we must figure out what point of view these various individuals and subunits have on issues of concern to us. As a starting point we should identify the venture's opponents and allies. The opponents are those groups that will be, or we think will be, adversely affected if the venture succeeds. The analysis should turn up two or three key internal parties who are likely to obstruct the venture's progress. It should also identify two or three key external parties that have a vested interest in the venture's failure. We pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses. Also, the venture manager should identify key allies inside and outside the firm. All parties that would benefit from the venture's success should be identified. Even if they have not yet become allies, they are potential allies. The allies are the players whose support is most critically needed to promote the venture's progress. Particular attention should be paid to those who can help the venture meet its immediate objectives. With limited resources, the venture manager must rely on the resources of allies whenever they are available. In the fourth step we understand that intrapreneuring with power means

Project management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project management - Assignment Example Project Management Office (PMO) A Project Management Office (PMO) can be termed as a centralised organisational unit or body which is likely involve in different phases of a project. The body is the core entity that ensures to provide basic administrative along with advisory and consulting support to the overall operations of the project. Moreover, a PMO also involves in strategic and grievance services that are required to successfully achieve the desired goals and objectives of the project (Canfield University, 2004). With regard to the case scenario, Volkswagen (VW) Mexico had founded an effective PMO which was principally established in order to monitor and control operations performed in the Jetta component assembly line. The PMO of the company played a major role for the project in terms of coordinating an effective financial plan along with appropriate schedule for each project function. Moreover, the unit also contributed by playing a crucial role in terms of procuring and ma naging adequate resources to ensure effective performance within the Mexico project assembly line (Project Management Institute, 2012). Project Control System Project control system generally incorporates various steps performed by different operational and management groups which facilitate to successfully accomplish the ultimate objectives of a project (Public procurement Guide, 2008). With regard to the project control system of Jetta assembly line, VW Mexico had highly focused on six major steps including programming or estimation, identification, budgeting, cost control, scheduling of project activities and performance measurement. In relation to scheduling of project activities, VW Mexico component’s design strategy for installing Jetta assembly line would be completed within 21 months in a budget of around USD3.3 million. The work breakdown structure of the project is segregated into separate elements such as defining project which entails stage gate review and stakeho lder development. Subsequently, the planning stage would entail design and new suppliers along with preparing the blueprint of the entire work activities. In addition, the phase of training, implementation and risk assessment would be comprehensively followed to ensure complete success of the project. Moreover, risk assessment phase would facilitate to ensure optimisation of the undertaken project along with ascertaining proper commencement of the production of Axel, Motor and Corner module (Project Management Institute, 2012). In this regard, it can be said that one of the critical components of project control system is to mitigate situations when delay occurs in the project schedule. In relation to Jetta assembly line project as well, the project manager needs to remain cautious to avoid any kind of delays. The project manager in such scenarios can take control by preparing a work breakdown structure for each and every activity of the project. Moreover, the project manager needs to carefully and continuously monitor any delay creating activity and if by

Factors Affecting Presidential Leadership Essay

Factors Affecting Presidential Leadership - Essay Example Presidential leadership can be affected by the personal capacity of the individual for leadership (Patterson 338). This is especially the case where the nation is facing a crisis and it needs the leadership of the president to see it through. The personal leadership capacity of a president often proves to be a decisive factor in the exercise of executive power because it determines whether or not his leadership is a success. The current expectation of presidential leadership in the United State is for the president to be very assertive in his actions because it can be considered to be a show of strength. This was especially the case where after the 9/11 attacks, President George Bush took the decisive action to launch the war on terror and go after al Qaeda by invading Afghanistan (Patterson 342). Therefore, the exercise of presidential power can be considered to rely heavily on the president’s personal leadership as well as how he conducts himself in diverse situations that a rise.National and international conditions have a significant effect on presidential leadership (Patterson 361). This is especially the case considering that the United States has become the most powerful country in the world and that it has to show leadership in order to not only serve its own national interests, but also those of its allies. In times of crises, both national and international, the president of the United States is often expected to display leadership and to chart the way towards finding a solution.

Marketing and International Retailing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Marketing and International Retailing - Essay Example 64), and that certain iue relating to corporate ocial reponibility are placed within the ame trategic context a, for example, pricing and continuity of upply. In the year ahead, retail trategit are likely to focu increaed attention on the election of appropriate partner organization (Wrigley, 1994, pp. 6-7; Lowe and Wrigley, 1996; Morganoky, 1997, p. 369; Martin et al., 1998, p. 14) and put in place appropriate leaderhip model to enure that interaction between individual throughout the partnerhip manifet itelf in buine deciion which in turn reult in a utainable competitive advantage being achieved and maintained. Thi mean that manager need to: A regard cutomer retention in particular, taff in each of the partner organization will in future need to be more pro-active in promoting the concept of cutomer relationhip management, which i underpinned by a clearly defined et of organizational value. A well crafted relationhip marketing trategy will help to enure that long-term, quality-baed relationhip are developed with taff in partner organization throughout the marketing channel (Grant, 1991, p. 45; Juttner and Peck, 1998). The adoption of thi approach will link marketing policy to human reource management policy, and attention will be focued on the co-ordination and flow of information among taff, between function and facilitate, and on the promotion of inter-organizational interaction (Cepede, 1995, pp. 251-2; Platt and Yeung, 2000). Furthermore, retail marketing planner and manager need to adopt a reflective approach to marketing deciion-making, and thi mean engaging more with marketing academic in order that a critical evaluation can be made of marketing policy and trategy related deciion. The reult hould be the development of marketing knowledge. New inight generated can be converted into new theoretical approache (Burton, 2005, p. 11). The outcome hould prove beneficial by advancing marketing theory, linking it to practice, and explaining development in current area of tudy uch a cutomer relationhip management (Baker, 2003). That aid, it i a quetion worthy of cloe conideration whether or not all thi can be achieved without a more holitic appreciation of what marketing intelligence repreent. An anwer will be offered during the coure of the paper. Firt, however, attention will be turned to what contitute a cutomer-driven international trategy, to the matter of developing long-term relationhip, and to the building of long-term partnerhip arrangement. Thee are conidered to be the key factor to be conidered when deviing a retailing trategy. Cutomer-Driven International trategie The focu on international trategy i not intended to exclude conideration of dometic trategy, but rather reflect the reality of twenty-firt century retailing and the focu of many of the other author whoe work i reviewed. That increaingly dynamic buine environment force manager to implement change, poibly through incremental adaptation and, when neceary, experimentation. Marketing manager therefore need to be aware of how intelligence gathered from the external and internal

The Impact of Internal Conflicts on World Poltics Term Paper

The Impact of Internal Conflicts on World Poltics - Term Paper Example From the end of World War II until 2000, over sixteen million perished through internal wars, compared to three and a half million from interstate wars, (Alley 1). For each interstate war within that period, approximately five internal conflicts occurred, the relative totals being 25 and 112 respectively and the incidence of internal war has abated since its peak during the 1990s, although not markedly, (Walensteen and Sollenberg 623)a. Averaging 53 months in duration, internal wars are often protracted; their bitter political effects and legacies of crime, lawlessness and impunity lingering even longer after the guns have fallen silent and even when seemingly settled they often maintain a lethal potential to reignite. Various termed internal, intra-state, or civil wars, these events often lack fine starting and concluding points as the conditions of neither war nor peace testify to inconclusive military outcomes and continuing settlement failure. These conditions harbour unaccountab le local elites exploiting them to loot the national patrimony as much about the causes, costs and impacts of internal conflicts remains essentially domestic, but its international dimensions are usually germane and often telling. Embattled governments invite outsiders in; internal conflicts spread across borders; war within states feed off and sustain commercial penetrations; intergovernmental and externally based non-governmental relief operations establish their presence; and these conflicts evoke an array of external interventions ranging from military infiltrations to United Nations (UN) Security Council enforcement engagements authorised under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter. Criminality is now a significant factor in the internationalisation of internal conflict and hence the comprehension of internal wars therefore requires an appreciation of their international dimensions and implications (Walensteen and Sollenberg 593-600)b. Without denying their significant international dimensions, definitions of intra-state wars focus primarily on domestic origins; events fought between self-aware, defined groups that have organisational capacities to plan and carry out military operations in support of political goals. When viewed as insurgencies, internal wars comprise unconventional armed violence organises to either topple an existing regime or secede from an existing state, (Snow 65 & Thakur 117), a distinctive feature is the widespread entanglement of civilians as agents and victims; and such risk overt targeting by protecting and harbouring combatants, operating inside borders and without sanctuaries to which they can withdraw. This confinement intensifies internal wars, combatants and civilians alike forced to live by the knowledge that, should they survive, they will likely have to physically coexist as former enemies and the evenge enacted locally as an end in itself confuses wide objectives, complicating agreement about negotiating priorities or settlem ent implementation within and between warring factions. Some internal conflicts drag on for so long that few involved retain notions of the originating casus belli or political purpose, the conflict in Angola being an example and to revise Hobbes, internal wars are nasty, brutish and long, (Alley 6) Impacts upon international politics Internal conflicts now cost the international community in a variety of ways. A first cost results from habituation to crisis as the trigger resource mobilisation and claims that such

The Berlin Wall-Why did it come up Why did it go down Research Paper

The Berlin Wall-Why did it come up Why did it go down - Research Paper Example During the pre-war period, Eastern bloc’s authoritarian systems and erosion of political powers in pro-Soviet governments led to circumventing and defection of 3.5 million East Germans into the West where they could travel to other areas and neighboring countries. As a result, to strengthen the Eastern bloc emigration and defection restrictions; where legal migrations was in most cases meant to reunite families or when members of the minority groups were to return to their homelands (Mur, p.7), led to the construction of the Berlin Wall. The wall was intended to restrict movement which together with the Inner German Border, which was more separate and longer, help in implementing the emigration policy between the Eastern Block and West Europe. Reasons for Construction After the World War II, Germany was divided in to four occupation zones which were based on different social and economic ideologies from four allied powers such as United States France, United Kingdom and the So viet Union; whose ideological differences led to further political divisions in the economy. For instance, the Soviet Union expected to undermine the British position within their occupation zones with an aim of directly influencing the United States to withdraw from their positions to a point that nothing would stand along their communist rule. This would later be followed by establishment of Marxism-Leninism system with the major communism party required to channel down Soviet orders down the administrative apparatus; leading to nationalization of property and industries in East Germany Zone, and this led to internal wrangles within the zone and those of the allied powers (Major, p.2). This led to massive emigration of people from East Germany to the west; with creation of an elaborate police force and administration that was to oversee indoctrination of Marxism systems which were introduced in the school curricula and close surveillance of the implementation. In case of violation of the stated communism lines, punishments such as imprisonments, torture and death would apply and reprimands for the persons outside the public attention; which instigated the need to control movement of the people out of East Germany, and to protect the interests of the new communism establishment (Maltz, p.7), the wall had to be created. This was also influenced by the 1950’s Soviet approach of controlling the emigration and national movements; which presented a quandary for some Eastern blocs that were more economically advanced and those that were liberalized, which led to many citizens escaping the East for the West. By 1961, German Democratic Republic wanted to de-Nazify their occupation zone and to promote socialism system as means of public policy and development, which could only be achieved by restricting movement of people with different ideologies in to the zone and thus the construction. In addition, emigrants seemed young and well educated and the East German y officials feared â€Å"brain drain†; leaving for political reasons of communism at the expense of economic expectations by the East Germany would ruin their socialism agenda thus they needed to be controlled. Contraventions by the Soviet Union in and other allied powers in a bid to take full control of East Germany such as the closure of the Inner German Border and

Ratio analysis Essay Example for Free

Ratio analysis Essay Ratio analysis is a tool brought by individuals used to evaluate analysis of information in the financial statements of a business. The ratio analysis forms an essential part of the financial analysis which is a vital part in the business planning. There are 3 different ways of assessing businesses performance and these are: solvency, profitability and performance. Ratio analysis assists managers to work out the production of the company by figuring the profitability ratios. Also, the management can evaluate their revenues to check if their productivity. Thus, probability ratios are helpful to the company in evaluating its performance based on current earning. By measuring the solvency ratio, the companies are able to keep an eye on the correlation between the assets and the liabilities. If, in any case, the liabilities exceed the assets, the company is able to know its financial position. This is helpful in case they wish to set up a plan for loan repayment. Ratio analysis is also helpful in analysing the performance of a company. Through financial analysis, companies can review their performance in the past years. This is also helpful in identifying their weaknesses and improving on them. Polish Fine Foods needs to use ratio analysis because it is a valuable tool for the business’s management to determine the performance of a business and to control the cost measures when necessary. Also, ratio analysis helps them monitor and identify issues that can be highlighted and resolved. However, ratio analysis doesn’t take into account external factors such as a worldwide recession. Measuring the Solvency of Polish Fine Foods Now, I will use 2 rations to measure the solvency of Polish Fine Foods. First, I will calculate the current ratio for Polish Fine Foods. This estimates whether the business can pay debts due within one year from assets that it expects to turn into cash within that year. It is measured dividing current assets by the current liabilities. By looking at balance sheet I can see that Polish Fine Food’s current asset value is  £28500 and the current liability value is  £17000. I will need to divide  £28500 by  £17000 to find out the current ratio. This would give me an answer of  £1.7. This means that for each  £1 owned they have  £1.70 current asset. The figure should normally not fall below 1.5. If it reaches a value of 1 then there might be concerns  there about not being able to meet the debts of the short-term assets. However, we can see that Polish Fine Food’s current ratio tells us that this is a solvent business. This means that it is able to settle its debts when they are due to be paid. If the business is not solvent, then it means that it can’t do this. Being solvent would help the business to maintain their confidence. On the other hand, if the current ratio goes higher than 2 might indicate that too much finance is tied up in a short-term assets, which can result that not too much money are being used within the organisation. Secondly, I will measure the acid test. This is the same as the current ratio; however it is a harsher test of ability to settle short-term debts. It is more accurate as it takes away the stock and shows how well a business can meet its current liabilities. To find out the acid test I first need to subtract stock from the current assets and then divide the current liabilities by the answer of that. So Polish Fine Food’s amount of stock is  £8500 from the current assets which is  £28500. The answer of the subtraction is  £20000. Now I would need to divide the answer by the current liability which is  £17000 which would give me the final acid test ratio of  £1.20. This calculation removes the uncertain variable of stock, which might be not too important to the business. Similarly, this data shows us that Polish Fine Foods is a solvent business and it has the ability to meet its short-term debts. The business could continue to operate as it is currently looking to be successful. With the current ratio of  £1.70 and the acid test of  £1.20 Polish Fine Foods is a stable business. It is a healthy figure and shows that the business is in a good position. We can see that  £0.50 was tied up in stock and this is not a lot. Both rations show that the business is able to pay for its debts and they can also earn more income which means that the business would gave more profit as the business is solvent. Measuring the Profitability of Polish Fine Foods Profitability ratios show a companys overall efficiency and performance. To measure the profitability of Polish Fine Foods I will use 3 ratios. First ratio is gross profit margin. The gross profit margin looks at cost of goods sold as a percentage of sales. This ratio looks at how well a company controls the cost of its account and the manufacturing of its products. The larger the gross profit margin, the better for the company. To calculate the  gross profit margin I need to divide the gross profit by the sales and then time it by 100 to find the percentage. So, to find the gross profit margin for Polish Fine Foods I have to divide  £45900 by  £145400 and this would give me the answer  £0.3156. To find out the percentage, I now need to multiply it by 100 and the answer is 32%. The gross profit margin for Polish Fine Foods is used to compare how much value is added to an item in between being bought in as stock or materials and being sold by the business. A low gross profit margin could show that there are high stock costs or maybe that retail price is being too low. If the business has a high gross profit margin then it indicates that the business is financial stable. We can see that Polish Fine Foods doesn’t have a high gross profit margin- it is a bit more than a quarter. This means that the business is in a secure position. They could be more successful if they are going to try and sell all the stock they have first instead of getting other, so in this way the profit might increase. Next ratio that I’m going to use in order to measure the profitability of Polish Fine Foods is net profit margin. The net profit margin shows how much of each sales amount shows up as net income after all expenses are paid. The net profit margin measures profitability after consideration of all expenses including taxes, interest, and depreciation. To calculate the net profit margin I need to divide the net profit by the sales and then mul tiply by 100. Therefore, to find the net profit margin for Polish Fine Foods I need to divide  £14500 by  £145400 and this would give me an answer of  £0.0997. So after multiplying the answer by 100, I got 10% which shows the amount of net profit margin. This ratio is used to decide which of a range of products are worth continuing with. A low net profit margin might indicate that costs are too high. Polish Fine Foods’ net profit margin is quite low, so they could try to improve this by trying to sell the stocks first and then get other instead of buying lots of them at once which would get more money out. At the moment, the business is in a stable position, but they should try and reduce their costs in order to increase the profit they’re making. Lastly, I would use return on capital employed (ROCE) ratio to measure Polish Fine Foods’ profitability. This is the percentage return which makes the business able to generate the long-term capital employed. To calculate ROC, I need to divide the net profit by the capital employed and then multiply it by 100. Therefore, to fine the ROCE  for Polish Fine Foods I need to divide their net profit which is  £14500 by the capital employed which is  £24500; this will then give an answer of 0.591, and then multiply that by 100. The final answer for ROCE is 60%. This ratio has been used to show how efficiently a business is using its capital. The ROCE shows us now that Polish Fine Foods is doing well at the moment and they are using their money carefully. Polish Fine Foods overall has good ratios that currently keep them stable. Basically, all these ratios show the amount of profit generated by the company as a per cent of the sales generated. The objective of margin analysis is to detect consistency or positive or negative trends in a companys earnings. Polish Fine Foods is doing well, and looks like it is a stable business. However, there is still place for improvement, e.g they could try and reduce their costs and increase their profits. Measuring the Performance of Polish Fine Foods A growing business needs to be closely and carefully managed to ensure the success of new investment and expanding plans. Putting performance measurements in place can be an important way of keeping track on the progress of their business. It gives vital information about whats happening now and it also provides the starting point for setting targets that will help owner apply their plans for growth. Now I will measure the performance of Polish Fine Foods using 3 ratios. First ration is stock turnover. This measures how long stock is being held before it is replaced. To calculate stock turnover ratio I need to divide average stock by cost of sales and the multiply it by 365 days. To find Polish Fine Foods’ stock turnover I need to find the average stock first. The opening stock is  £5250 and the closing stock is  £8500. By adding them two and then divide it by 2, it would give me the average stock which is  £6875. Then I need to divide  £6875 by the cost of sales  £99500 and it would give me the answer of 0.06909547738. Then if I will multiply it by 365 it would give me the answer 25 days which is the average number of says the stocks are being held before being replaced. If the stock goes out of date and this could happen to Polish Fine Foods as their selling food, stock should be held for a shorter period of time. It is a disadvantage to the business if they held stock for a long period of time because it can be expensive and the stock can deteriorate in value. However, a high turnover of stock can be seen as an  indicator of a stable business. Polish Fine Foods has a low stock turnover, and this might be because it is a sole trader and it has been opened up recently. Polish Fine Foods can run successfully as they are able to sell their stock in less time than a month which means that the products don’t go out of date by the time they replace the stock. Next ratio I’m goi ng to use is debtor collection period. This measures how long debtors take to pay. To calculate debt collection period for Polish Fine Foods I need to divide  £18000 which is debtors by  £145400 being the sales and multiply the answer by 365 days. This gives me the answer 45 days, on average. It means that it takes 45 days for the debtors to pay the business. Other businesses allow the debtors 90 days until they pay the money. For Polish Fine Foods it only takes 45 days which means that is less time, so they won’t face any financial problems, struggling to get money from the debtors in order to buy some stock. This ratio shows that the business is performing well as they don’t face any cash shortage which would slow the business down. The last ratio I’m going to use in order to measure the performance of Polish Fine Foods is asset turnover. It measures how high the level of sales are in relation to the assets of the business. To calculate the asset turnover I have to divide the amount of sales by the assets. For Polish Fine Foods the sales amount is  £145300 and the assets value is  £24500. By dividing them two it would give me the answer of  £6. This shows that the business earns approximately  £6 in sales for every  £1. Knowing all this measurement is very important for the business owner because they can see how they are performing in different areas. Conclusion This report was written to illustrate the financial state of Polish Fine Foods. So I used accounting rations as evidence to measure its solvency, profitability and performance. First of all, I found out that Polish Fine Foods’s current ratio is 1.70. Another ratio I used is the acid test which gave me an answer of 1.20. This is the same as the current ratio; however it is a harsher test of ability to settle short-term debts. These ratios tell us that this is a solvent business. This means that it is able to settle its debts when they are due to be paid. If the business is not solvent, then it means that it can’t do this. Being solvent helps the business to maintain their confidence and make it operate more successfully. Another set of 3  ratios that show us the profitability of Polish Fine Foods are: gross profit margin which was 31.56%, net profit margin being 10%, then ROCE which is 60%. All these ratios show how well the business is running. Also, whether they are making any money and how profitable it is compared with other competitors. From all these ratios, I have found out that Polish Fine Foods is doing well at the moment. They are making enough profit to keep their business going, as they didn’t make any loss. Lastly, I measured the performance of Polish Fine Foods using 3 ratios: stock turnover which was  £6875; then it was debt collection period which was 45 days on average, and then the asset turnover which was  £6. Each of these ratios measure different segments of a companys overall performance. These ratios look at how efficiently and effectively Polish Fine Foods is using its resources to generate sales and increase profit. This is important for the business because Ania can notice any unusual fluctuations in the financial ratios over time and can see how the business is performing. This could also help Ania decide whether or not to grow her business and turn it into a LTD as it would give her enough information to see if she is financial stable to do so.

Help Fonterra Take Advantage Marketing Essay

Help Fonterra Take Advantage Marketing Essay The Report has been designed to identify the current organizational restructuring could be applied to help Fonterra take advantage of strategic opportunities in the global market. The first part deals with the consumers, suppliers and competitors operating environment and develop strategies that position the firm most favorably in relation to competition and influence industry structure in order to enhance industry attractiveness. (Robert M. Grant, 7th edition, p.64) The Second part covers Fonterras stated mission, vision, strategies, targets, goals and values, and structure and systems. The suitability of these strategies to the operating firm environment are then evaluated and the change of strategy development is recommended. (Robert et.al, p.12) The report also indulges with the macro and micro environmental scan, present evolution of Fonterra, key strategic issues. It also identifies some of the key risk and opportunities faced by Fonterra. Introduction Fonterra at glance Fonterra is a dairy company, which was formed in 2001, and since than it has excelled and enlarged the milk processing and became the fourth largest dairy company in the world. Fonterras annual turnover is NZ$19.9 billion. They have built powerful relation with other dairy companies globally and its partnerships extent the world. Fonterra believes in the interest of people so that they can increase their global market. (Fonterra Co-operative Group, 2010) Fonterra is the biggest diary exporter with 11,000 farmers and these farmers are only the shareholders of the company. All these members supply milk to the Fonterra Company for processing milk into the dairy products. 95% of dairy products made in New Zealand are exported to almost 140 countries in the globe. Principal hubs of Fonterra are located in Auckland, Melbourne, Chicago, Singapore, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Shangai and Sao Paulo. All the sales and marketing in controlled and managed by these principal hubs.14 billion litres of milk is collected every year. (Fonterra Co-operative group, 2011) Fonterras strategy is to lead in dairy. Following are product list which Fonterra produces: cheese, yoghurts, cultured foods, butter, liquid, powdered milks. Following are the brand list of Fonterra: ANCHOR, ANLENE, ANMUM, FRESH N FRUITY, MAINLAND, CAPITY, BROWNES, SOPROLE, WESTERN STAR, PERFECT ITALIANO, TIP TOP AND CHESDALE. (Fonterra Co-operative group, 2010) 1.2 Reports Structure and Objectives The report aimed at highlighting the main objectives, vision of the company and for developing a strategic plan. The Report has been designed to identify the current organizational restructuring could be applied to help Fonterra take advantage of strategic opportunities in the global market. Specifically, lowing the dependency on commodity markets and grasping knowledge as a means to pursue value added growth through Fonterras alliance and brands. The strategic foundation of the report is divided into two parts: a) The Industry Environment b) The Firm Environment The first part deals with the consumers, suppliers and competitors operating environment and develop strategies that position the firm most favorably in relation to competition and influence industry structure in order to enhance industry attractiveness. (Robert M. Grant, 7th edition, p.64) The Second part covers Fonterras stated mission, vision, strategies, targets, goals and values, and structure and systems. The suitability of these strategies to the operating firm environment are then evaluated and the change of strategy development is recommended.(Robert et.al,p.12) The report also indulges with the macro and micro environmental scan, present evolution of Fonterra, key strategic issues. It also identifies some of the key risk and opportunities faced by Fonterra. Strategic Foundations 2.1 The Industry Environment Dairy companies for years have been the important industry in New Zealand. In 1871 at Otago, the first dairy company was set up. By 1920, 85% of dairy factories were owned by co-operatives were as there were about 600 processing factories. By 1930s there were almost 500 co-operatives but it was after World War 2 there were improvements in these dairy factories such as transportation, technologies and working systems which led to a change of consolidation, where the dairy co-operatives started merging with the other factories or companies and since than became bigger and lesser in number. At the end of 1990s, there were four dairy companies: The Waikato (New Zealand Dairy Group) The Taranaki (Kiwi Co-operative Dairies) Westland Milk Products Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company With the merger of the two largest companies, New Zealand Dairy Group and Kiwi Co-operative Dairies, Fonterra was formed along with the New Zealand Dairy Board. Fonterra has the four sales channels which together sells around 2.3 million MT of product. Fonterra Global Trade It was the worlds first online trading centre and since then NZ$1 billion product was supplied. It indulged with lots of dairy commodities which include milk, powder, butter and cheese to reach the markets in the globe such as The Middle East and Africa, the Americas and Oceania and Asia. Fonterra Ingredients This channels sells specialized dairy ingredients for the manufacturers in the four countries such as US, Japan, Western Europe and Korea. Fonterra Brands Fonterra sells the branded products to the customers and consumers in more than 40 countries in the globe. The Anchor and the Tip Top brand is oldest brand of Fonterra. Fonterra Foodservices It provides dairy ingredients and dairy brands to the consumers or customers such as fast food chains, airline catering centers, hotels and restaurants. Strength: Access to efficiently produced, high quality milk. An integrated business model. Strong global reach. Established customer relationships. Strong consumer brand positions in selected markets. Strong, broad product portfolio. Efficient farms.( Fonterra Co-operative Group, 2012) Weakness: Leadership uncertainties affecting the moral of the organizations. Frequent changes among board members. Largest markets are under represented in strategic Association of Professionals (Apex) Business structure relating to redemption risk, farmer choice, and capital for growth. (Keith Woodford,2008) Opportunities: Global demand exceeds the supply. China and India will make up about 50% of growth in global demand for milk over the next 10 years so the share of the market opportunity will increase. Forecast global volume demand growth of atleast 100 billion litres by 2020. Value growth driven by customer and consumer needs in each geography. Investing in underdeveloped countries which are experiencing rapid growth globally.( Country wide and Fonterra co-operative Group,2012) Threats: Global demand exceeds the supply New Zealands market restrictions structure and relative low cost may attract the new entrants in the market. Threats from the increasing global competitors. Few organizations can rival the diverse skills found in the business.(Kate Askew, 2012) Global Reach, Local Touch Fonterra produces the products, they distribute and sell these ready to use products around the globe, the brands gives the consumers the combination of world strength and local knowledge. They aim to have a deep and close understanding of customers demand and there changes in lifestyles, taste, eating and needs which vary from one market to other market. For example what customers prefer in Asia may not be the choice of those living in East Africa. Hence to meet the customer needs there is a group of local teams knowing the local consumers preferences and habits. (Fonterra Co-operative Group, 2010) The suppliers of Fonterra (New or Existing): Growth Supply Contract Fonterra provides an offer of Growth Contract system to the suppliers. All milk from provided to the new entrants and additional surplus milk from existing Fonterra contract suppliers. Deposit for new supply The new suppliers need to give their 100% of shares purchased just before they start beginning the supply. Owning shares With a new initiative, the suppliers can also share the capital cost of growing supply with the sharemilker where they can hold their own share. Maximizing the earnings of the supplier Through specialty milks suppliers can achieve much more profit over the standard payment of milk. Conditions for new land For new dairy land the suppliers must contact area managers. 2.2 The Firm Environment Vision, Mission, Strategies, Goals and Structure: Fonterras vision is to be the natural source of dairy nutrition for everybody, everywhere, every day. Its strategy is to expand in large numbers globally, aim at high-value areas of dairy demand and make targets to achieve it quickly. Fonterra targets to build strong and long-term relationship with the partners and maintain the undertaking from the bottom level of the organization. (Fonterra cooperative Group, 2010) Its Group Strategy is to increase the volumes and create more and more value by focusing more on new markets, and new products that meet the consumer needs for dairy requirements. It should be firm and have a deep look at the strengths, social and economic changes for increasing demand or needs for the dairy products. Fonterra calls it as the three Vs: Volume Value Velocity. (Theo Spierings, 2012) The societies in which they are indulged are related to this vision and they aim to be a sustainable dairy business. They look into-depth to be socially responsible towards everyone which includes there employees, consumers and partners. They focus at accomplishing right means of employment to keep the customers safe and healthy, the minimizing the damage to the environment, by creating new and healthy products.(Fonterra Co-operative Group, 2010) The Fonterra currently have new strength to achieve its goals, where it deals over 100 separate and different projects many of them already have started making progress.   It includes: An extreme move on the rapidly growing well known markets of China, ASEAN and Latin America where Fonterra already has a strong influence. It believes the New Zealand milk business make better return on capital. Development by combining milk pools (secure, high-quality sources of milk integrated with Fonterras business) abroad to carry higher value returns back to New Zealand and protect New Zealand exports. Increasing volumes of higher value consumer branded and out-of-home nutrition. A firm focus on meeting the advanced nutrition wants of mothers and babies, as well as ageing populations supported by targeted innovation in these areas as well as out-of-home nutrition. (Fonterra Co-operative Group, 2010) Fonterras seven strategic paths: Optimize New Zealand milk Build and grow beyond our consumers position. Deliver on food service potentials. Grow our position in mobility. Develop selected leading positions in paediatrics and maternal. Selectively invest in milk pools Alignment of business and organization to enable strategy. ( Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, 2012) Fonterras aim is to continue to do well in the globally traded market, while capturing the international growth opportunities in fresh dairy. Dairy demand through to 2019 is expected to be: India (highest) 45 million MT China 36 million MT rest of Asia 19 million MT Latin America 18 million MT Middle East/North Africa 13 million MT. With the exception of the trade-protected market of India, Fonterra has well-established positions in each of these markets. Fonterras strategy is to develop strong customer partnerships with leading companies in the food and nutrition industries to become their supplier of choice, and to continue to build its brands in growth markets within Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. With large international customers wanting the confidence of a year-round, global supply, Fonterra is increasingly complementing New Zealand-sourced milk with overseas supply, to provide and continue supporting the growth of fresh consumer dairy products. In 2010/11, Fonterra sourced 22 billion litres of milk globally, including 20 percent of Australias production and 24 percent of Chiles, both countries where Fonterra has well established consumer brand operations. In Latin America it sourced 2.6 billion litres of milk for its joint venture with Nestlà ©. New Zealand milk collection was 15.4 billion litres, representing around 89 percent of the countrys milk production. Growth in global sourcing will continue with Fonterra aiming to develop its own milk production capabilities within key growth markets. China is one example and there are feasibility studies currently underway involving opportunities in other markets such as India. Fonterra have always been extra ordinary at the simple nutrition of dairy. For years, its farmers work hard to give quality milk to number of people around the world. They have passed their farming expertise down through the generations, keeping alive the time-honoured traditions that have catapulted New Zealand to the forefront of the world dairy industry. (Fonterra Co-operative Group, 2010) 3 Environmental Scan 3.1 Macro environmental scan Globally the demand for the milk by the consumers will increase by more than 100 billion litres by 2020, as there is economic growth and increased population in markets which is pushing the growth demand, where as New Zealand is expected to contribute just 5 billion litres of additional milk supply by that time. With the overall increasing demand, Fonterra needs to increase their milk quantity to be on a safe position as a leading dairy exporter. At present, the demand for milk has increased especially among the young and the elderly which are getting more urgent and specific.(Theo Spierings, 2012) PESTEL Analysis: (Oxford University press,2007) Political: Trade protectionism and restrictions including trade marks, labeling, bio-diversity, free trade arrangements and quotas arguments, guide sustainable action in the dairy Economic: Fluctuations in foreign currency, increase in demand rather than supply globally, production of commodity and milk prices. Continued consolidation of suppliers and customers. Social: Rapid increase in needs of consumer markets, demand in healthy and nutritive dairy milk and products. Traditional differences with regards to the demand of milk. Growth in nutrition and bio markets. Technological: Increase manufacturing efficiency while bringing down operating costs is the challenge, technology for product streams which requires indirect heating and cooling by each other, to  continue in the same way developing innovative farm to factory practices, implementation of new innovative technology to achieve cost, time and waste savings across the whole business,need of technology for fewer trucks which are required to transport the same quantity of milk. Environmental factors: Frequent changes in New Zealand weather have a great impact on the environment, as the need for product changes from season to season, reducing impact of global greenhouse gases as it will improve the quality of New Zealands environment. They have effective and safe management of farm practices that protects the environment from the pollution. Legal: Legal challenges for the requirement of healthy and safe environment. Threats from new entrants coming into the markets, following the legal procedure and laws for the minimum wages and working hours. Fonterra must come up with education units for training and educating the farmers for teaching about how to manage farm effluent, how to improve the quality of water, how to reduce energy use and waste from site. Farmers should be provided by the time limit to ensure that they meet the deadlines according to the rules and regulations. Fonterra requires focusing at upcoming projects to expand its relation in terms of partnership so that they can give much better services such as can give more and higher-value products to the customers throughout the world. Fonterra has earned a lot in countries like Latin America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Middle East but they should aim at profit buffer above the average return of the product, which is very important in times when there are commodity at lower price. There are two possible outcomes in the near future as the increase in demand can be divided into two parts, globally the overall demand for the dairy commodities in traded market is forecasted to increase by 1.2% where as the annual increase in dairy is forecasted to be 4%. Every year there is an increase in demand for dairy products by 2.7 %, where as in a decade time the demand is forecasted to be 147 billion litres. Level of competition has increased at very high level even though the Fonterra has maintained their global reach, this is Fonterras biggest strength as they know that lifestyles, taste and choices is different from place to place. To meet the particular demands of the customers the regional team is appointed to deal with requirement of the consumers as they will know the local demand. 3.2 Micro Environmental Scan Since the Fonterra was formed in 2001, it almost every year they had a market share in excess of 95% of all New Zealand milk product, but it had a fall at 90% in 2008- 2009, with further falls is still expected.(Keithwoodford,2008) The supply of milk by Fonterra has increased slightly, this is a big challenge for them as they aim at increasing the supply. In marketing sector the competition from the new entrants has increased rapidly this is one of the reason for Fonterra to redeem risk more than as it was in the past. It is a fact that at present they make it very easy for the new entrants to take interest in dairy farmer suppliers by keeping a high value share on the fair value share which is actually not related to the add value to the component of the milk price. (Keithwoodford,2008) As the redemption risk is high of their shares, Fonterra should have an optional business structure which will not only help in meeting their growth strategy, but also help in reducing their redemption risk of the shares as they can properly distribute returns to the suppliers or farmers. To meet the business strategies, objectives, goals and all legal procedures, Fonterra must emphasis on effective risk management. They should maintain the balance between the working of board and management and must have a healthy relation with the consumers, stakeholders, suppliers, shareholders, government and employees. Their should be a Formal strategy development which delivers substantial process and content dividends giving more strategic perspective, for setting priorities and making key decisions. Customers demand for the products keeps on changing, several customers demand much more better quality at same price. These changes in demand show that, the Fonterra can expect that in future their consumers will demand much better quality at same price. The new customers demand for those product or services which were never been created ever before, and old customers demand for the new services or product features. This creates a tensed situation as we need to focus on both current and new consumers. Whatever may be the choice, its difficult to manage this situation which can at arise at any time. (Bain Company, 2005) Fonterras deals with perishable products, so its very difficult to transport these fresh milk products economically at a long distance. Furthermore, it deals with very high trade barriers on dairy products. To deal with this trade barriers and transport issue they must establish strategic step to increase the efficiency in the working. (Gehlhar M.J,2009) Fonterra should use their research and development for establishing much more quality products, healthy products, those products which are naturally and ecologically are consistent. They must aim to establish their image in the minds of young customers as they are life-long customers. (Gehlhar, M.J,2009) Fonterra should convert on their capabilities as they can earn much more returns on the product rather than just being a branded manufacturer. Fonterra can maintain their leadership if they can differentiate their product features offerings from those of the competitors. To sustain as a leaders in the market it requires branding power and product innovation. (Gehlhar, M.J,2009) Fonterra should change its overhead expenses so that it can target on rapidly growing markets. Targets should be to exit unprofitable, uncompetitive and non-core categories and markets. Number of improve efficiency and effectiveness of corporate centers.(Fonterra Co-operative Group,2012) Fonterra supplies are secured through the co-operative structure but the threat exits if they can not make competitive milk payouts to the shareholders and suppliers. Competitors may respond to trade liberalization through increasingly global growth strategies. Evaluation Fonterra has changed their direction at higher value markets, they have greatly managed to maintain the same strategies of its firm which is at high volume and at low cost leadership. By an analysis macro and micro environment a number of issues have been highlighted. Fonterras ability to maintain the position is at risk and its structure limits its ability. Within the dairy industry there is a clear view that the current Fonterra capital restructuring proposals are not acceptable. They necessarily need 75 percent shareholder approval but at present it displays to be very low. The farmers at present are continuously rejecting the proposal but it does not mean that farmers are avoiding the change but they want to be sure with the dependency of the final outcome. (Allio, M.K,2005) Fonterra should have special capabilities inspite of being capable of differentiating their products. They should include physical input that should be used in food manufacturing so that the new products can be serve but can be differentiate from those of competitors. (Allio, M.K,2005) There is increase in healthy, convenient and environmentally friendly foods products in overall world food markets. There is a replacement of mass customization with mass production. So Fonterra should be practical for the changing present environment opportunities for branded food manufacturing by applying successful product differentiation strategies. To be at the same position, Fonterra should be capable in customer marketing, process innovation and product innovation. Differentiating a product may provide an organisation a competitive benefit as differentiated products have a unique or special attributes and there is a need for an organisation to develop unique capabilities which are not followed by competitors. Biology and science supports the dairy organisation not only in on-farm production but also in dairy product manufacturing. With the help of biotechnology, Fonterra can modify the workings along biological systems, either by using the natural resources or more advanced technological tools. (Datamonitor,2008) To develop some specific products, Fonterra must use a nutrition and health team that aims at specific health advantage. The team should be trained to target at world consumer health concerns such as: gastrointestinal health, immune health, dermatology, infant nutrition, sports health, bone health, therapeutics and animal health. Fonterras focus on the establishment of new products will definitely help to increase there demand in consumer products. (Datamonitor,2008) Fonterra should take a responsibility for educating the customers to promote some of the products. Guiding the market in their favour rather than allowing the market to guide the firm. They should use their particular capabilities to influence the new markets as to get hold on the new market. As said above they should provide consumer education as well and at the same time they must give more choices of products to their consumers. (Chris Bart, Nick Bontis,2003) At present there is rapid changes in the business environment, there are many so many unknowns and unpredictable situations arising in the business so there should always be an optional plan or strategy ready for these kind of situations. When industries can consolidate (or fragment) at breathtaking speed; when regulations can overnight either unleash or cripple marketplace participants; and when the price and availability of critical inputscan fluctuate wildly So the task of Fonterras strategy development must now be undertaken under conditions of extreme uncertainty.( David Calfee,2006) Winning strategies will therefore incorporate multiple scenarios for Fonterra to generate a range of feasible strategic solutions; they will also retain significant flexibility to allow rapid adjustments as industry or marketplace conditions change and alternative scenarios become more attractive. (Veit Etzold, Ted Buswick, 2008) Products come and products go in the business. Product life cycles that trace the rise and fall of a product. For example, the Walkman with the cassette enjoyed great popularity in the Eighties before it was displaced by the Discman. This was then displaced by the MP3 player, which in turn was displaced by the Apple iPod. And it is highly probable that the iPod will be displaced too one day by yet another product. So the firm should always have an altenative strategy . So demand can change with the time so Fonetrra must be flexible in meeting those demand within the time frame. (Veit Etzold, Ted Buswick,2008) However, if adequate changes are not made, or if made but its not sufficient to prevent the danger of financial risks, it should use the monetary policy as a secondary option for addressing those risks proceeding cautiously and always keeping in mind the inherent difficulties of that approach. (Tristan Nguyen,2011)

The Brown Wasps Essay -- essays research papers

The Brown Wasps   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Loren Eiseley’s Essay The Brown Wasps, Eiseley shows that humans and animals act in similar ways. He says that humans and animals cling to the things they know very strongly. Sometimes they even act as if nothing even changed. Humans and animals tend to want to return to things that they are familiar to as they grow older. Loren Eiseley shows how humans and animals try to cling or recreate an important or favorite place. This essay is about memory, home, places in time. Loren Eiseley does a great job describing the place that he is talking about to make the reader visualize and make them feel like they are there. Some examples are the old men, the brown wasps, the mice, the pigeons, the blind man, and even himself. He recalls his childhood in Nebraska and how the train stations used to be and how the pigeons would fly around waiting for people boarding the trains to feed them. Loren Eiseley once planted a tree with his father, when he was a boy and he ac ts like it has been there the whole time. Years later he returned to the house where they had planted the tree and realized that the tree he had been imaging all his life was gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning Eiseley describes the appearance of the train station and tells of the men that sleep on the benches. The lonely old men come into the train station for shelter and to get some rest. Whether they sleep for an hour or just take up space on the benches, t...

F. S. Fitzgeralds Fighting the Past and Self-loathing in Babylon Revis

F. S. Fitzgerald's Fighting the Past and Self-Loathing in "Babylon Revisited" Franklin Scott Fitzgerald's life as a writer in the 1920's shaped the stories that he created. Much of the content of many of his tales correlates with his private life with his wife Zelda, his trouble with alcohol, and their lives in Europe. Fitzgerald wrote the story "Babylon Revisited" - perhaps his most widely read story - in December of 1930, and then it was published in February of 1931 in The Saturday Evening Post. Mathew J. Bruccoli writes in "A Brief Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald" that "The dominant influences on F. Scott Fitzgerald were aspiration...Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, and alcohol," and each of these influences are painfully visible in "Babylon Revisited." Charlie Wales, the main character in "Babylon Revisited," is obviously an image of Fitzgerald and the life that he lived in the roaring twenties, but the sympathy that Fitzgerald's writing seems to presume is as shallow as Charlie's giving up alcohol. The bond between Fitzgerald and Charlie Wales, however, is not as sh allow as the contempt that Fitzgerald holds for the life that both he and Charlie experienced: both Charlie and Fitzgerald experience financial success, suffering marriages, and alcoholism. Through the narration of Charlie's past and his conversations with various characters in "Babylon Revisited," it is explained that Charlie became somewhat wealthy in the boom of the 1920's and spent it frivolously. Charlie and Helen Wales enjoyed a carefree life full of parties, plays, and other functions of high society in which they paid exorbitant amounts of money to every person that they dealt with, where Charlie remembers "thousand-franc notes given to an orchestra for playing... ...rough her affair with a French naval aviator contributed almost the entire storyline from which Fitzgerald created Charlie and the whole of "Babylon Revisited." Bibliography Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "Babylon Revisited." From The International Story. Spack, Robert, ed. St. Martin's Press: New York. 1994, pp86-102. William J. Brondell, "Structural Metaphors in Fitzgerald's Short Fiction," in Kansas Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 2, Spring, 1982, pp. 107-11. James M. Harrison, "Fitzgerald's 'Babylon Revisited'," in The Explicator, Vol. 16, No. 4, January, 1958, pp. 1, 3. Reprinted in Short Story Criticism, Vol. 31. Matthew J. Bruccoli's "A Brief Life of Fitzgerald" originally appeared in F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters, ed. Bruccoli with the assistance of Judith S. Baughman (New York: Scribners, 1994.); essay reprinted courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

The Role of Business in Foreign Policy Essay -- Foreign Policy

Throughout the course of American history, business-related interests have played a predominant role in influencing foreign policy. Foreign policy determines how America conducts its relations with other countries. It is designed to further certain goals such as security and trade. More importantly foreign policy seeks to ensure America’s security and defense and its ability to protect America’s national interests around the world. National interests that shape foreign policy covers a wide range of political, economic, military, ideological, and humanitarian fields. This is the stand the United States has taken in the last decades in regards to foreign policy. While the US government conducts its foreign policy, the public is kept purposefully unaware of the motives behind some major decisions it takes and most of the operations related to foreign policy. Even though the US foreign policy is set to protect its well being and to spread democracy, I think the US foreign p olicy is not only influenced by business but is controlled by those with these business-related interests as well. In this essay I will argue the magnitude of the influence of business on foreign policy in the United Sates government. For most of America's history, foreign policy has reflected an obsession with open markets for American business. Democracy and capitalism are associated with open markets, and the US has made the spread of democracy and capitalism across the world a priority. The US has been anticipating the Arab Spring; the fall of the tyrants in the Middle East opens unexploited markets. This opens new markets that have been controlled by dictators like Muammar Qaddafi who expressed their hatred to the US and anything associated to it. The spread ... ...we come to notice that beneath a multitude of causes influencing the flow of history, lays a valid and strong economic one. Works Cited Ells, Mark Van. 1998. "No Blood For Oil: Protesting the Persian Gulf War". Journal for the Study of Peace and Conflict Garten E. Jeffrey. 1997. " Business and Foreign Policy". Office of Foreign Affairs Jacobs, R. Lawrence . 2005. " Who Inï ¬â€šuences U.S. Foreign Policy?" Vol. 99, No. 1. American Political Science Review. Mandelbaum, Michael. 2010. The Frugal Superpower: America's Global Leadership in a Cash-Strapped Era. New York: PublicAffairs books. Sean , M. Lynn-Jones. 1998. "Why the United States Should Spread Democracy." Discussion Paper 98-07, Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University Shaw, F. Eugene. 1979. ‘Agenda-setting and mass communication theory’, 25, 2 , p.101. Gazette

Balanced Scorecard: Management Control System Essay

â€Å"Balanced scorecard† means different things to different people. At one extreme, measurement-based balanced scorecards are simple dashboards of performance measures grouped into categories that are of interest primarily to an organization’s managers and executives. Typical categories include financial measures, and customer, process, and organization capacity measures. Measurement-based scorecards almost always report on operational performance measures, and offer little strategic insight into the way an organization creates value for its customers and other stakeholders. At the other extreme, a strategic performance scorecard system is an organization-wide integrated strategic planning, management and measurement system. Strategy-based scorecards align the work people do with corporate vision and strategy, and communicate strategic intent throughout the organization. In other words, these systems incorporate the culture of the organization into the management system. In strategy-based scorecards, performance measures are only one of several important components, and the measures are used to better inform decision making at all levels in the rganization. In strategy-based balanced scorecard systems, performance measures are the result of thinking about business strategy first, to measure progress toward goals. In strategy-based systems, the first question to answer is the strategic question: â€Å"Are we doing the right things? † The operations, process, and tactical questions come later: â€Å"Are we doing things right†. Over the past decade balanced scorecards have evolved from systems that simply measure performance to holistic strategic planning and management systems that help manage and track strategy execution. Despite this evolution, the majority of balanced scorecards that we have seen over the past 10 years use a â€Å"just give me the measures† philosophy. These measure-centric dashboard scorecards are interesting, but not very robust and not nearly as helpful as they could be. These scorecards remind me of the old Wendy’s commercial: â€Å"Where’s the beef? † Strategy-based scorecard systems, on the other hand, create a â€Å"strategic thinking† mentality in an organization, and can help lift the organization and its workforce to a higher, more performance-oriented way to think and work. Each organization is unique, and there is no â€Å"one scorecard fits all† solution. This article describes how to develop a strategy-based balanced scorecard system for technology companies. We’ll share some lessons learned from developing strategic performance scorecard systems in dozens of businesses and industries over the past 10 years. The Balanced Scorecard as a Technology Company’s Strategic Planning and Management System Technology company management teams are challenged by: †¢ Rapidly shrinking product cycles †¢ Recruiting, retaining and rewarding technology talent Making and communicating critical product development decisions †¢ Tracking the evolution of customer feature demands and use models †¢ Disruptive, enabling technologies that can invalidate products or entire business models In addition, executives rarely communicate the strategic manner in which the business is being directed. The typical result is disagreement and misalignment in how these challenges are perceived and addressed throughout the company. Any technology company strategy needs to embrace these challenges. Strategy is a company’s approach to achieving its vision–it’s the organization’s â€Å"game plan† for success. One thing the technology company’s strategy needs to define is how it will measure product planning and development success. Strategy needs to define how ideas are advanced into opportunities. Passionate technology workers need to know why their ideas and views were embraced, delayed, or discarded. Strategy must describe the timing of such considerations, so that investments in programs underway are protected from an ill-timed innovation capturing the minds of employees. Similarly, programs that are off track need to sound alarms so that corrective action can be taken. Strategy needs to guide when and how to sound those alarms and ensure necessary corrections are taken. Strategy needs to dictate tracking customer feature evolution, and if the company wields the core technology its products need to be successful in the marketplace. Using a balanced scorecard as the strategic planning and management framework allows a company to deal with these and other issues that matter to creating value for customers and stakeholders, such as process efficiency, financial performance, and organizational capacity and readiness. Starting with a strategic view of how the organization creates value for customers, a scorecard system links strategy to what must be done operationally to be successful. Good scorecard systems focus on the critical few performance measures that provide real business intelligence and contribute to the achievement of operational excellence, employee excellence, and business success. But more important, these systems focus on the elements of strategy that can be made actionable – strategic objectives that are the building blocks of strategy. Developing a Technology Company Balanced Scorecard System The logic of building a scorecard system and using the system as the organization’s strategic planning and management framework starts with an understanding of the organization’s customers and stakeholders, and their needs. The management team then develops and validates the strategic components of the management system. The components include mission, vision, core values, strategic perspectives (i. e. , performance dimensions), strategic themes and desired strategic results, strategic objectives, an organization-wide strategy map, performance measures and targets, and strategic initiatives aligned with the objectives. Strategy is the common thread through the scorecard system and forms the basis for communicating the organization’s approach for gaining competitive advantage (for a business), or in the case of a public or non-profit organization, for improving mission effectiveness for stakeholders. The finished strategy-based balanced scorecard system translates customer needs, mission, and values into organization goals, strategy, objectives, performance measures, and new initiatives. In a strategy-based scorecard system, strategy is analyzed through four performance dimensions (perspectives): financial (stewardship for government and non-profits), customer/stakeholder, business processes, and organization capacity. A key strategy development step is the creation of several high-level strategies (i. e. , strategic themes), associated strategic results, and strategic objectives for each theme. Strategic themes are aligned with the organization’s vision and mission, and the theme’s strategic result describes a high-level outcome of successfully implementing the strategic theme. Usually three or four themes define the business strategy of the organization at a high level. Examples of strategic themes include Customer-Focused Operational Excellence, Market Driven Technological Excellence, Strategic Partnering, and Growth Through Innovation. Many other themes are possible, and the selection of vision and aligned strategic themes and results make for unique performance scorecard systems for different organizations. Another key development step is the creation of strategic objectives — the â€Å"DNA† of strategy. Objectives are expressed as continuous improvement actions that can be documented, measured, and made actionable through initiatives and projects. Once developed, objectives are linked to form a â€Å"strategy map. † A strategy map shows graphically how the organization creates value for customers, stakeholders, and employees. The strategy map is constructed by linking strategic objectives using cause and effect relationships. A strategy map is one of the most effective communication tools an organization can use to build transparency, alignment, and a focus on results.

My Antonia

The book, My Antonia, by Willa Cather is a superlative piece of realism and vivid storytelling. The novel relates, through the eyes of narrator, Jim Burden, the fact-based story of a Bohemian girl, Antonia Shimerda, thrown into rugged farm life. The colorful and sensible traits of the title character, combined with a memorable theme, endear this book to all who open its cover. The first of these traits is the virtue of caring. Antonia watched over the children of her employer as if they were her own. She frequently acquainted them with the vibrant stories from her childhood and comforted them in their time of trouble. Additionally demonstrating her loving qualities, she was never ashamed of her illegitimate child and was always an exceptional mother. Finally, Antonia fiercely defended her family against insult, even to the points of vowing never to again notice one of her friends. Clearly, Antonia was the epitome of this virtue. Perseverance is the next attribute which had been perfected by this young Bohemian. She always did the constant manual labor that was necessary to run the farm well. On the other hand, insisting to go to the â€Å"dances† every night, Antonia started neglecting her work. Also, she persisted in seeing boys whom she hardly knew; this habit eventually cost Antonia her job. Antonia is surely an example that persevering is not always a first-class quality of character. Another personality characteristic of Antonia is her naivety. She persisted in traveling to Denver to marry a flighty young man, who, shortly after, left her and their unborn child. Additionally, trying to fit in, Mrs. Shimerda began to always dress like the other girls. Through this sample, it is obvious that this Bohemian, although mature in some ways, was ignorant of the seriousness of life. My Antonia The book, My Antonia, by Willa Cather is a superlative piece of realism and vivid storytelling. The novel relates, through the eyes of narrator, Jim Burden, the fact-based story of a Bohemian girl, Antonia Shimerda, thrown into rugged farm life. The colorful and sensible traits of the title character, combined with a memorable theme, endear this book to all who open its cover. The first of these traits is the virtue of caring. Antonia watched over the children of her employer as if they were her own. She frequently acquainted them with the vibrant stories from her childhood and comforted them in their time of trouble. Additionally demonstrating her loving qualities, she was never ashamed of her illegitimate child and was always an exceptional mother. Finally, Antonia fiercely defended her family against insult, even to the points of vowing never to again notice one of her friends. Clearly, Antonia was the epitome of this virtue. Perseverance is the next attribute which had been perfected by this young Bohemian. She always did the constant manual labor that was necessary to run the farm well. On the other hand, insisting to go to the â€Å"dances† every night, Antonia started neglecting her work. Also, she persisted in seeing boys whom she hardly knew; this habit eventually cost Antonia her job. Antonia is surely an example that persevering is not always a first-class quality of character. Another personality characteristic of Antonia is her naivety. She persisted in traveling to Denver to marry a flighty young man, who, shortly after, left her and their unborn child. Additionally, trying to fit in, Mrs. Shimerda began to always dress like the other girls. Through this sample, it is obvious that this Bohemian, although mature in some ways, was ignorant of the seriousness of life.

Graduate school Essay

Preparation Before applying, understand why attending graduate school makes sense to you. To clarify why you want to attend graduate school at this point in your life, try answering questions such as: †¢Ã‚  What will this degree enable you to achieve? †¢Ã‚  What do you plan to do with your advanced degree? Be able to express what about you and your experiences will help you to succeed in the program: †¢Ã‚  Make lists of professors, courses, research projects, ideas, travel, and other experiences that have been important to you, or have influenced your decision to apply to graduate school. †¢Ã‚  Think about any volunteer, extracurricular, or paid work experiences, as well as interests, special skills you possess, or honors and awards you have received. †¢Ã‚  What have you learned from your experiences? How have you used this knowledge? †¢Ã‚  Provide the admissions committee with information that supplements (not repeats) the information in the rest of your application. What important aspects are not clearly reflected in your resume, college transcripts and test scores? For example, you might want to indicate how you hope to benefit  from graduate studies, and how you intend to apply and integrate your graduate studies in your career. Writing Tips †¢Ã‚  Answer the question. Some applications require a general personal statement, others ask you to write on more specific topics. Be sure to tailor your essay to the school’s request. †¢Ã‚  Keep the essay clear, concise, and to the point. The essay demonstrates your writing ability and communication skills. Engage your readers with an effective introduction and clear structure. Say what you mean directly and avoid using phrases like â€Å"I think† or â€Å"In my opinion.† †¢Ã‚  Write your personal story. Set your statement apart by discussing WHAT is important to you, WHY it is important, and HOW you have used your talents and abilities in your life. †¢Ã‚  Be specific and give examples. For instance, instead of simply stating that you would make an excellent doctor (lawyer, engineer, etc.), provide reasons and examples. What experiences have you had that encouraged you to enter this field? †¢Ã‚  Follow any format guidelines provided by the school, such as length, font, or margin size. †¢Ã‚  Proofread! Ask several people to read through your essay, especially faculty in your desired area of study, English professors, career counselors, parents, and friends who will give you honest feedback. Ensure that there are no typos, misspellings, or grammatical errors. Over → USD Career Services †¢ Hughes 110 †¢ 619-260-4654 †¢ careers@sandiego.edu †¢ www.sandiego.edu/careers Tailoring Your essay will be different for each application. Know the special features, emphases, or approaches of each program, and reflect these in your essay. †¢Ã‚  What are the school’s strengths? †¢Ã‚  What makes the program a good choice for you? †¢Ã‚  How might you contribute to the program? Cautions †¢Ã‚  Do not include references to your experiences or accomplishments before college, unless there was an extraordinary achievement or trauma that had a significant impact on your current situation. †¢Ã‚  Do not mention subjects that are too controversial. Avoid offending the admissions committee. †¢Ã‚  Do not be too general. Top schools may receive thousands of applications, and you want yours to stand out. Keep your essay interesting, relevant, and tailored to the school. Additional Resources Websites at many universities contain advice on writing graduate school essays. The Writing Center at RPI www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/writecenter/web/gradapp.html UC Berkeley: Graduate School Statement http://career.berkeley.edu/Grad/GradStatement.stm UCSD: Application Essays http://career.ucsd.edu/sa/applicationEssays.shtml These commercial web sites offer helpful samples and tips on writing graduate school essays. By listing these sites, USD Career Services is not endorsing the additional paid services. Essay Edge www.essayedge.com/ Admissions Essays www.admissionsessays.com (click on Writing Tips) All About the Graduate Admissions Essay http://gradschool.about.com/od/essaywriting/All_About_the_Graduate_Admissions_Essay.htm The following books on graduate school essays are available in the USD Career Services Library. Graduate Admissions Essays, by Donald Asher (Ten Speed Press) Peterson’s Perfect Personal Statements, by Mark Stewart (Thomson Peterson’s)