Benefits of a Marketing Plan for Small Business

Research Topic 5: â€Å"I’ve got a small business with only 3 full-time staff. Marketing Planning’s no real practical use to me! Besides, I can’t afford the time and/or the money to do it† The writing of a marketing plan is extremely important step in the functioning of an effective and successful business. A marketing plan will give a snapshot of where the business currently stands, where the business hopes and wants to be and what needs to be done to achieve this. This is crucial if the business wants to grow or maintain its current level of profit. It could even be helpful if a business needed to down-size. Marketing plans can be as detailed as required, and as such are useful tools for large corporations and small businesses alike. The creation of marketing plans can be quite daunting without previous experience, and this is one reason why many small businesses don’t create a plan. Ross Cameron, of Cameron Research Group states â€Å"†¦there appeared to be a large number of small business owners who were not interested in growing. It is possible this is because many small business owners don’t know how to grow† (Hartnett and Keisler 2008, p. ) Many of the smaller businesses don’t understand the benefit of creating a marketing plan, and therefore avoid creating one. One benefit of creating a marketing plan is in analyzing the current situation. Particularly in small businesses, the ability to step back and take an external view of the business is often difficult for an owner, as that time can be put to use elsewhere, and the results of a situational analysis can often be confronting (Hartnett and Keisler 2008). Most successful entrepreneurs of the world are able to view and analyze the business from the outside. Another benefit of producing a marketing plan is the potential for â€Å"greater co-ordination of effort† (Overton 2007). In having a clearly defined plan for the direction of the business, as well as an idea of how to get there, all of the employees can be focused towards that same goal. A business that has no marketing plan can potentially have employees pulling the business in many different directions, as the goal is not clear. Producing a marketing plan can also help measure the success of any efforts put in to improve the business. In creating a marketing plan, it is best to quantify the desired achievement. For example, if a business wanted to improve its sales by 25% over the course of a twelve month period and this goal is identified within the marketing plan, then it can be reviewed after twelve months (or at intervals during this period). The results of the review measures the effectiveness of the marketing plan. If sales figures have grown by 25% or more, then it is seen as successful. If sales grew by under 25%, or worse, declined, then the marketing plan has not been as effective as it should be. The measurement of success of a marketing plan can also be used as a benchmark to set future marketing plans. Using the perceived effectiveness or not of the previous marketing plan, can be a useful tool for looking forward. It can inspire a business to set higher growth in sales figures, or to set the benchmark lower, to enable a sales figure that is a little bit more achievable, based on the previous marketing plan (Overton 2007). A marketing plan can also help a business by looking at its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (also known as a SWOT analysis). In providing this analysis, a business has a better viewpoint from which to build upon. Analysis of strengths provides important information about what the business does well in its operations. For example, it could be how the business differs from its competitors, or what makes the business more successful than others in certain aspects. For instance, this could mean that the employees of the business are better trained or motivated than at rival businesses, the business has higher valued intellectual property, or various other reasons. Similarly, the analysis of weaknesses provides information and comparisons with other businesses to enable better decision making and potential improvements. The analysis of opportunities and threats document how the business could be impacted in the future, for better or for worse. Opportunities enable a business to look at future growth potential, future trends in the marketplace, opportunities to take advantage of competitor’s weaknesses, or any other factor that may or may not have been identified in the strengths or weaknesses. Threats are basically negative opportunities and can be current or future factors that may possibly have a negative impact on the business. In drawing up the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for the business, and similarly for its competitors, the business can have a greater understanding of its current situation, and moving forward, a greater understanding of any potential hurdles or windfalls that may impact the business (positively or negatively). This in turn provides a better platform from which to determine the way forward, and to provide a plan to achieve the goal of the business successfully. One of the main benefits gained by creating a marketing plan is the actual documenting of the businesses goals and direction. By having a plan in hard copy, and having all employees working towards the same goals and in the same direction, the business is more likely to succeed in reaching those goals. A marketing plan is also beneficial in setting a budget for effective marketing. A marketing plan will allow the business to look at its target objectives and determine the amount of money to be spent on that goal. Stephanie Paul (2010) insists that a marketing plan is â€Å"†¦Often considered the most effective budgeting method†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that many experts believe that it is definitely the most logical way of setting a marketing budget. Similarly, a budget can also help create realistic strategies when looking at objectives from a budgeting aspect. â€Å"Understanding the return on investment on a marketing activity enables you to determine whether to keep them running or stop them and try something else†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Murphy 2009) Many small businesses feel that they don’t have time to develop arketing plans and strategies, but a marketing plan can be as thorough as the business needs it to be. In the case of most small businesses, the owner of the business inevitably works â€Å"in† the business, and has very little time to work â€Å"on† the business. However, a marketing plan doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. Whilst a large business may need h undreds of pages for a marketing plan, many small businesses can create effective marketing plans using as little as â€Å"half a dozen pages† (How to Create a Marketing Plan) McDaniel (2003) states â€Å"Developing a marketing plan is free and can be as simple as a time line of when to order business cards, networking opportunities, organizational meetings, speaking engagements and deadlines for publications†. The article also goes on to quote Ronelle Genser of Genser International Consulting â€Å"†¦there are three secrets to marketing. Commitment, Investment (not just money but of time, energy, and talent, as well), and consistency. † A marketing plan would be difficult without these aspects (McDaniel 2003) Around 98% of small business owners state that marketing is the hardest part of their job†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (McDaniel 2003). As seen above, a marketing plan can be effective at any scale, and should be a necessary tool for succeeding in business. For addressing the issue of time management in preparing a marketing plan for a small business, How to Create a Marketing Plan suggests taking â€Å"a couple of months to write the plan, even if it’s only a few pages long†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In conclusion, there are many benefits for writing a marketing plan, even for the time-poor owner of a small business. It enables the business owner to analyze the past and the present, as well as plot and plan the future direction of the business, the money spent on that plan and measuring the effectiveness of past, current and future plans. These are all practical uses of marketing plans, and for the basis of successful businesses, whether they are large multi-national corporations, or a small home business with few or no employees. Bibliography Hartnett R. , Keisler, K. , 2008, Small Business, Big Opportunity: Winning the right customers through smart marketing and advertising, Second edition, Sensis, Melbourne How to Create a Marketing Plan, 2010, Entrepreneur, viewed 2nd April 2010, Murphy, D. , 2009, Marketing Budget – Where do I start? , Vista Consulting, viewed 2nd April 2010, Overton, R. , 2007, Marketing Simplified, An introduction to marketing, eBOOK version, Martin Books, EBL EBook Library, viewed 2nd April 2010 Paul, S. , 2010, Cost of Marketing: What Is the Average Budget? , LegalZoom, viewed 2nd April 2010, < http://www. legalzoom. com/business-management/promoting-your-business/cost-marketing-what-is>

Life †Purpose Essay

Life is a gift. It is an honor, a spark, an excitement. We all have a world of our own. Albert Camus, once said, â€Å"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life† (Camus, 1946). Life is about living to your fullest abilities. Why waste our time looking for the meaning of each breath we take? Each person is a part of life. Each life has a world of its own. I believe that the meaning of life, is to find meaning in our own life. The meaning of life is a philosophical question concerning the significance of life or existence in general. It can also be expressed in different ways, such as Why are we here? , What is life all about? , and What is the purpose of existence? It has been the subject of much philosophical, scientific, and theological assumption throughout history. There have been a large number of proposed answers to these questions from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The meaning of life is in the philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness, and borders on many other issues, such as symbolic meaning, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, the existence of one or multiple Gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related experiential facts about the universe, exploring the perspective and parameters concerning the how in life. Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the pursuit of well being and a related origin of honesty. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question â€Å"What is the meaning of my life? † The value of the question regarding to the purpose of life may agree with the achievement of ultimate reality, or a feeling of oneness, or even a feeling of sacredness (d2bb. org,2011). The meaning of life is a question that is thrown around from person to person asking them what they think. Some people have an idea of what the meaning of life is and other has no clue. Some believe that you just live life and others believe while living life you find the meaning. When I had a conversation with my father about what the meaning of life is all about he had the same response to the question that basically everyone else had came up with. The one difference that he said while we were talking was that life is full of choices and decisions. I thought for a while about what he said thinking that there was more behind it then just what he had stated. What I came up with was that maybe he was implying that what we do during our period of living is what sets up the next thing that happens in life. So each choice that we make is important in that it’s not the meaning of life that’s so important but the concept of what we do during life is the meaning. Some might disagree still thinking about what my father has said to, but its just another point of view and I have no problem looking at it from a different angle. Another big topic when it comes to the question of the meaning of life is music. Music is a great way to hear what other people and especially artist think about the meaning of life thought their songs. Sometimes it’s hard to hear but if you listen closely there is always a message somewhere that says something about the meaning of life. For example, in the song I don’t wanna be by Gavin Degraw, he speaks out about what he thinks about the meaning of life threw what other people are and what he doesn’t want to become. â€Å"I’m surrounded by liars everywhere. I turn. Imposters everywhere. I turn surround me. I’m surrounded by identity crisis everywhere. I turn Am I the only one who’s noticed? I can’t be the only one who’s learned I don’t want to be anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately. All I have to do is think of me and I’ve peace of mind, I’m tired of looking ’round rooms wondering what I got to do Or who I’m supposed to be. I don’t want to be anything other than me† (azlyrics. com). What these lyrics are basically saying is that he can see that everyone around him is acting like something that there not. Then he says that he doesn’t want to act like everyone else and not know who he is but he just wants to be himself and live life the way he wants to. The next topic that is a good place to find out the meaning of life is the creative minds of artist and there art work. Art work is always a good place to find out the meaning of life because again the artist have a message in there work hidden and you have to find what there saying. The only difference from music is instead of saying the message they paint the message in a form of image weather it’s a paining or it’s a sculpture. There is many ways that you can discover meaning of life. In some ways its not what you find the meaning of life in its more about what you perceive of the meaning of life. When you look at something like a painting or a song what do you think it is trying to say? Does it paint a picture in your head and what does that picture look like? I find that the best way to see the meaning of life is threw movie. Movies are an image of the life that we live but it shows us the true meaning of life in a way that we can all understand. People are blind when it comes to what makes them in this world. Hope is another one, if you don’t have hope then you have nothing to look forward to so then what is the point of living. The main thought in a lot of movies are get busy living or get busy dieing. What this is suppose to mean is if your not going to start living and doing all the things you want to complete in life you might as well start on dieing. That brings me to my next question. Is there a God? If there is, why did he put us here? Any Christian asked will say our sole purpose is to serve God. First of all, what does that even mean? And second, I must ask why? Why would a supernatural being place us strategically on this planet strictly to serve him? That sounds pretty selfish to me. There has to be something more. Something solid or something greater. How could there not be (brainpickings. org)? The meaning of life is very complex and you can’t always pick up everything that it’s going to throw at you. That’s why movies, art and music in around so that other people who think about the topic more can show you there incite. If you listen and look at thoughts things you can learn things that will show you what the meaning of life is or at least what you can do to get started on living your life. I believe the meaning of life is to give life a meaning. Throughout my entire life, I have wondered what the purpose is. Why am I and every other human being even on this planet in the first place (thinksimplenow. com)? All my life I have worked hard to succeed. I have challenged myself and fought to do better than my best. Why? I asked myself. Why stress so much when I’m only going to die in the end? Pessimistic, I know. Finally, I thought, maybe the meaning of life doesn’t have to be so complex. Maybe the meaning of life is whatever we want it to be. Maybe the meaning of life is to give life a meaning. I do what I do because I want to do it. It’s that simple. I do it because it means something to me. Everyone adds their own meaning to life. The meaning of life is never universal. The meaning of life is never complex. The meaning of life is actually quite simple to think about. Many people help the needy. Others play sports. Both activities add meaning to those lives involved. Purposes change, but the overall meaning of life will always stay the same. The meaning of life is simply to give life a meaning. This I believe. Reference Degraw, G. (2009). I Don’t Wanna Be. Retrived December 31, 2012, from AZ Lyrics website: http://www. azlyrics. com/lyrics/gavindegraw/idontwanttobe. html Calmus, A. (1946). The Strangers. New York, NY: Vintage Books Brian, M. (2011). The Meaning of Life. Retrieved January 1, 2013, from Deciding To Be Better website: http://d2bb. org/meaning-of-life. htm Popova, M. (2012). Charles Bukowski, Arthur C. Clarke, Annie Dillard, John Cage, and Others on the Meaning of Life. Retrieved December 28, 2012, from Brain Pickings website: http://www. brainpickings. org/index. php/2012/09/17/the-meaning-of-life/ Su, T. (2011). What Is The Meaning Of Life. Retrieved December 28, 2012, from Think Simple Now website: http://thinksimplenow. com/happiness/what-is-the-meaning-of-life/.

Leisure and Recreation Essay

Recreation is essential in everyone’s life; it is a special time set aside to do something exciting. There are many benefits which associate with recreation, expert’s advice that one takes time aside from one’s busy schedule to do something which benefits the body, soul and mind. Recreation is a wonderful time to breakaway from everyday routine like work and school. Leisure activities can help improve Family bond, Psychological and Physical needs. Leisure activity is a great way to spend time with one’s family. It is almost a norm in today’s society to have both parents work while kids are taking care of by babysitters or staying in an after school program. Often time when one goes to the park, one can’t help but notice that the children are at the park with either mom or dad, it is rare to find both parents there. Because some parents spend more time at work than with their children, it is important to for them to recreates together. There are many activities family can participate in such as swimming, walking, rafting, or a walk at the park. Leisure time not only improve parents – child relationship, it also improve marriage relationship because parents tend to bond more when one spend time together doing things one enjoy. Families that recreates together are often time more cohesive than their counterparts. One of the psychological benefits of recreation is self-esteem, when children feels good about themselves, one makes positive decision and are more confident this in return makes one more productive in society. Some recreational activities teach children the importance of trust, positive social interaction and the importance of Education. Good news for working parents is that many community programs offer children after school and summer programs for a cheaper price. Yoga is one recreation which is known to promote better health because of the improvement of flexibility, better posture and relaxation. Leisure activities provide people with the opportunity to release energy and emotion in other areas of ones life. Many people find it comforting to volunteer at a homeless shelter or hospital while others enjoy staying home to play crossword puzzle. Physical activity through recreation can be acquired through many things such as walking, running or swimming. For an outdoor type person, a great recreation idea might be a camping trip or rafting. A relaxing choice for many would be spending time by the pool. People who exercise regularly are known to be much happier than the ones who don’t. Physical activity is stimulating and enhances the learning process in children. It is utterly important to start physical leisure early on in a child’s life; it is likely that the child will continue with recreational activity through adulthood. Obesity in kids is contributed by lack of physical activity, it is important for parents to engage kids in activities such as walking, swimming or biking. Staying active can release stress, lower cholesterol and overall improve one’s health. The overall benefits of recreation can help one live longer. Recreation can be done outdoor and indoor, bear in mind that recreation should be something that one enjoys doing. Doctors often recommend leisure activity to patients to improve physical and psychological needs. It is important to keep a positive state of mind; Active living is something that connects the mind, body and soul.

Annotated Bibliography-Sheila Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Annotated Bibliography-Sheila - Coursework Example The authors provide for research in the implementation of the system since it has many factors that limit the application. The changing physician growths study is compared to the increasing technology growth providing an in-depth review analysis. A method of research is limited to sampling of two centers in Canada. A barrier to the implementation includes technology, financial capital, and the time constraints which are in line with the previous research findings. It is important if the report could be implemented to reduce the health hazard. Gottlieb, L. M., Tirozzi, K. J., Manchanda, R., Burns, A. R., & Sandel, M. T. (2015). Moving electronic medical records upstream. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 48(2), 215-218. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2014.07.009 The article is published by the almetric group. The research tries to find out how the basic clinics in our society can be managed and be controlled by the use electronic medical records especially those found in the vulnerable places. The social determinants of health are well determined that provide an excellent literature review. The author examines various case studies as the methodology criteria to collect data which are in collective agreement to all the researchers. The findings nonetheless seem dissimilar to previous researchers, and they propose further research before any implementation can be done. It is significant if the recommendation of the research be further scrutinized since three cases cannot be used for validity of the study. The article is published online by Eileen Oldfield. The articles narrate how physicians have adopted the use of more simple electronic records in healthcare management with the primary functions of taking patient history, clinic records and demographics. However, ERH does not have complete features hence prompting further research proposal by the author. The review is in-depth analysis that makes the reader generate conclusions with ease. Furthermore, the

Infection Control Practice in Acute Care Centers Essay

Infection Control Practice in Acute Care Centers - Essay Example Other recent estimates indicate that the average annual costs related to hospital acquired infections currently range from$4.5 billion to $11 billion. The substantial patient morbidity of the healthcare associated inflections is particularly attributed to a number of risk factors that significantly increases the susceptibility of hospitalized patients to infections by viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites. Compared to others, patients hospitalized or under intensive care units often have a significantly higher risk of developing infections. Generally, some of the major risks include poor or compromised immune systems of hospitalized patients due to illnesses, overcrowding, invasive medical procedures that are often carried out in patients in acute healthcare centers and most importantly, poor infection control practices among nurses and other medical staff in many acute healthcare centers. Although hospital-based infection control measures and policies have been in place since the 1950s, the risk of health care acquired infections continues to be higher due to the lack of proper application, malpractices and implementation of these policies. For example, in most cases, the absence of effective infection practices such as failures to follow proper procedures or conform with the infection control guidelines often result in poor conditions thereby causing hospitalized patients to develop infections. Some of the likely reasons for the non compliance with hospital acquired infection control policies among nurses and other medical staff in acute healthcare centers often include work overload, lack of motivation, time, education, patient turnover, staff attitude and state barriers. However, substantial empirical evidence suggests that many hospital acquired infections can effectively be prevented or reduced through a number of strategies of improving infection control

Rerum Novarum, especially its treatment of Socialism and Capitalism Essay

Rerum Novarum, especially its treatment of Socialism and Capitalism - Essay Example Consequently, it gives an opinion on the protection of property owned by individuals. The church promotes certain elements of capitalism while denouncing the extremist of the same ideology. The church gives socialism some sense of accommodation, though, only to the confines of providing collective support to the people, who are disadvantaged in terms of resource acquisition. However, most of the tendencies are of socialism are not championed and agitated for by the church. While the church encourages the state protection of property, it does not comment on social aspects that are owned collectively by the Society (Novarum 7). The state is viewed only as an agent of the rich, which is a characteristic of capitalism. Socialism does not promote the essence of work and wages a system that the church vehemently talks against. Reference is given to the works of the apostle Paul, who championed the essence of the work. To this end, socialism does not give much prominence as it is done for

Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Comparison - Essay Example There used to be one green board at the rear wall where we used to put up charts and drawings of our relevant subjects. whereas in US the classrooms I found were very much different from what I have seen in the middle east. the walls were colorful with more wall charts and drawings. The classrooms in the Us were more engaging and meant to keep the students in there more interested in studies. As compared to the schools and classrooms in US, Middle Eastern system had a stricter environment. The students in Middle Eastern schools are well behaved and disciplined as compared to the schools in US. The education system however, is very much better in the US, inspired from which improvements can be made in the education system of Middle East. From my experience, a classroom with a better engaging environment can be of great help to the students. As is seen in the classrooms of schools in US where they have maintained their classrooms according to the standard and age of the students studying in them. They have colorful walls, educational drawings and paintings all over the walls as well as for older and mature students they have all the relevant instruments and technologies within the reach of the students in their classrooms. Most of the schools and classrooms lack these advances thus making an American classroom far better to study and

Internet Banking Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Internet Banking Security - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the three major techniques are used by Banks to provide security to the customers Password Encryption Firewalls/Server. For the online security, the passwords or usernames pays an important role. The password is an important element that ensures verified customers to log in to their accounts. On the contrary, the hackers can seize a username or password while transmission and can utilize to access the customer’s account. A research states that an added authentication method is required because in financial services trust is now redefined. In addition, trust is identified as a significant factor that influences a customer’s presence in web-based commerce. Security threats are the main factors that work as a barrier to online banking. The customers are disturbed about the security and safety issues while using Internet banking options. The improved security measures can re-build the trust in customers that influence them to u sed Internet banking. II. Internet Banking Security for SME’s For discussing the SME industry in terms of Internet Banking Security, we have utilized a typical SME as an example. A. Centralized Database access for sales/customer databases The sales database and customer database are connected to the switch. Every request from the users is redirected to the router, where the router checks the Access Control List (ACL). In this scenario, the accounts staff has permissions to access these servers. However, all the other users on the network are restricted to access these servers. B. Email An SME has configured an email server to provide email facility to the employees. It is connected to the switch. The router analyzes all the email requests, from the inbound network, to decide whether to send it to the LAN interface or the WAN interface. The security factor is handled by the firewall and IDS C. Internet Access Internet access is only provided by the Internet Security and Accele ration (ISA) server. The network administration staff can create access policies on the ISA server to allow or deny Internet access by providing MAC address and IP address of the specific user. In a domain environment, as the SME has a domain environment, usernames that are created on the domain server are sufficient. D. Company Website and Intranet The intranet is available to everyone who is associated with the network. E. VOIP To support VoIP functionality, the VoIP architecture is connected to the public switched telephone networks (PSTN).

Write a plan for a new music-related mobile application Assignment

Write a plan for a new music-related mobile application - Assignment Example We have seen applications that help in pitch correction, instruments tuning and mobile recording. In addition, the music fans are able to enjoy music at a greater extent. Technology has also made music to be more affordable for the music fans. One of the major contributors of music evolution is the mobile technology (Katz, 2010). This technology has brought conveniences to hundreds of millions of people. There is a great correlation between music, mobile technology and social media. This is a major source of revolution. Every day new software and applications are developed to enhance the music quality. Technology has therefore turned the people not only to just mere listeners, but music makers (Childs, 2011). Therefore technology and music will always co-exist. This paper is meant to discuss the possibility of creating a plan for a new music-related application. The Alpha Music Studio is one of the applications that are meant to bring a revolution in the music world. This is an application that helps to organize music and music albums. The application will be installed on any device that uses an android, Microsoft windows, and Apple windows among others. The application will be able to split a piece of music into different components. It will also help the listener to listen to different components of music. Some of these components include the instrumentals, sol-fa notes as well as the vocals. In addition, the application will able to split the vocals into different voices. The application will have a speech-to-text component that is able to convert the audio sound into visual lyrics. With all these uses I believe that the application will have a number of users that will take the music industry to the next level (Van, 2009). The application will have a number of targets. I believe it can be used by a number of people. The first group that is being

Latin American Financial Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Latin American Financial Markets - Essay Example This situation reached a crisis in August 1982 when the government of Mexico announced a moratorium on the payment of capital totaling approximately $20 billion dollars scheduled for 1982 and 1983. This resulted in a complete suspension of new loans to indebted nations, placing a heavy burden on those countries in Latin America where almost 50 percent of worldwide debt was concentrated. The closure of international financing sources obliged the debtor nations, including Venezuela, to adopt adjustment policies that had a severe recessionary impact. Against this background, the Venezuelan government and the central bank agreed, in February 1983, on the establishment of a foreign exchange control system based on differential exchange rates. This allowed the granting of foreign exchange for basic imports and debt servicing at a preferential exchange rate, while the other transactions were directed toward the free market where the exchange rate was progressively devalued. The goal of thes e measures was to protect international reserves and to decrease aggregate demand, reduce consumption and investment expenses, while generating exchange savings that would permit servicing the foreign debt. These policies, however, affected the potential earnings and future possible consumption by the population. Therefore, it was necessary to arrive at an agreement with international creditor banks regarding the refinancing of public-sector foreign debt, to achieve an important reduction in the servicing burden. The Venezuelan government began contacts with the banking community in 1983, and in 1986 a restructuring agreement was signed. This had to be modified in 1987 due to the fall of oil prices, but this proved to be only a transitory solution until a new restructuring agreement was designed in 1990 in accordance with the Brady Plan mechanism. In this regard, it should be pointed out that 1988 ended for Venezuela with mounting pressures in the foreign exchange market and an increasingly adverse economic outlook. The presence of negative real interest rates gave rise to the inefficient allocation of resources and an accelerated capital flight. As a result, and in spite of existing exchange controls, net international reserves fell steadily and in amounts that fluctuated between $926 million and $4,900 billion between 1986 and 1988. Additionally, in 1988, the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GNP reached 7.4 percent and the inflation rate surpassed 30 percent, which was the highest level reached in Venezuela until that time. Unfortunately, the inflation rate became even worse in 1989, when it reached 80.1 percent, the highest registered until now. The 1990 Restructuring Agreement For the purpose of guaranteeing the viability of the economic adjustment and reform program adopted in 1989, it was essential to resolve the problem of servicing the public-sector foreign debt. The servicing of such debt on average represented almost 40 percent of the value of oil exports between 1982 and 1988, while the interest payments represented slightly more than 20 percent of the total fiscal expenses between 1987 and

Virgin America Essay Example for Free

Virgin America Essay With the foundation of Virgin Records in 1970, The Virgin Group is one of world’s largest business entities, which in 2009 comprised 300 companies under its structure, in businesses as diverse as space travel, mobile telephony, transportation, travel, financial services, media, music and fitness. The image and culture of the Virgin Group is tied to the image and personality of its founder Sir Richard Branson. The company’s fundamental values foster many of the dimensions of culture, which are highly internalized within the organization. Mr.  Branson realizes the potential and importance of those who work for him and therefore creates a structure, which is decentralized, through empowering his employees and providing them with autonomy. This paper aims at providing a critical view over the Virgin Group’s corporate strategy, in terms of strategic thinking and diversification, as well as a closer look at the business strategy of one of the Group’s businesses, the Virgin America. The Virgin Group is a company that encourages employees to use their awareness to make decisions rather than the standard quo. Because of the company’s corporate culture and structure, Virgin has successfully forecasted possible issues and has dealt with them in a timely manner. Many other organizations have a formalized structure and the Virgin Group is anything but formal and other companies may look at this as an area of concern but not for Sir Richard Branson, the ways he communicates and the way he leads is testament to why he and his companies are very successful and Virgin America will follow suit. Virgin America One of the most recognized name in the world, Virgin, created in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson a leading venture capital organization, is one of the worlds most recognized and respected organizations in the business enterprise. The Virgin Group is a diversified grouping of more than 300 privately held companies, employing approximately 50,000 people, in 30 countries. Revenues around the world in 2009 exceeded 18 billion (http://www. virgin. com/about-us/). The Virgin Group has become one of the most successful businesses in industries ranging from mobile telephony, transportation, travel, financial services, media, music and fitness. Of Virgin’s 300-plus companies, the majority are operating companies that own assets, employ people, and offer goods and services. These operating companies are owned and controlled by some 20 holding companies; most of these own several operating companies within the same line of business. For example, Virgin Travel Limited owns Virgin Group’s investments in Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Blue, Virgin America, and SN Air holdings. Overall ownership of most of the Virgin Group lies in the hands of Virgin Group Investments Limited a private company registered in the British Virgin Islands. The corporate strategy of the Virgin Group is to operate like a venture capital firm based on the Virgin brand. This strategy involves diversification at the individual business unit level and meanwhile, collaborations are created from hierarchical relationships and the interaction of the corporate head office with individual business units. By leveraging the Virgin Brand which has established a reputation in the customer minds of the unique Virgin culture and also allows Virgin to break into new markets and execute its ventures very effectively. Virgin Atlantic Airways is the largest of the Virgin companies and the number two airline in the United Kingdom, with this said Mr. Branson wanted to branch out of the UK to build his airline image to the United States. In 2007, San Francisco became the headquarters for Virgin America. Virgin America which has flown mostly trans-continental routes in the U. S. since its launch in 2007, has expanded to Canada with flights to Toronto and plans to begin service to Mexico. Sir Richard Branson vision was to have a â€Å"topnotch service† (http://www. irgin. com/company/virgin-america/), for the U. S travelers, with the exceptional service that is known on Virgin Atlantic flights. It has not been an easy road to get into the airline industry in the United States. Because of The Federal Aviation Act of 1938, which restricts foreign ownership of domestic airlines, Mr. Branson would had to partner with another American carrier, example Southwest Airlines and would have to turn over the business to the American carrier. Due to this, he eventually waited until the laws could change into his favor which it did not and decided to follow another avenue. He viewed some finance options that would be enough to satisfy the laws about foreign ownership restrictions. There were other American domestic airlines that viewed Virgin as a threat and tried to block the certification. This lasted for a year and half with Virgin America planes parked and not being flown. It was time and money being wasted because of the fear from the domestic carriers that Virgin may take some of their travel customers. Sir Richard Branson had some laws and political warfare going against him and his Virgin Group because of fear of being challenged and to enter a market dominated by U. S carriers. The Virgin Group sent many of millions of dollars in lawsuits, time and man power to establish a foothold into the U. S territory. Sir Richard Branson has a charismatic style and talent which is a strength that other companies are unable to reproduce, and which describes the Virgin label. The Virgin culture is what Sir Richard Branson has built over decades and that distinguishes the work environment within Virgin Group from other companies. It is a culture that is ‘not looking for clones,’ that is ‘like a family’ and is one that requires employees to have the ‘Virgin Flair. ’ (Branson, 2010) Because of these qualities which have created a corporate culture that is unlike in any organization and has become the way at The Virgin Group. Sir Richard Branson’s personality is the culture at Virgin and like he mentions and has been heard before from other leaders yet he is the only one that adheres to this motto that a companys employees are its greatest asset, particularly in service-based operations where your people are your product. You here this all the time in many organizations and yet you have cultures that are in flux with management, you hear many complaints from the front line to mid-level managers that do not trust or believe the upper management. But you can also say the same from the Executive level that the employees are not listening, what this is, is poor communication, the leader has to establish the culture for the company and Sir Richard Branson has done this time and time again, with over 300 companies. With Virgin America coming to the U.  S, the culture is going to be one that will challenge the likes of Southwest Airlines where the culture of this airline is fun and exciting. Sir Richard Branson talks about the Virgin culture and provides an example that when building a new cabin for one of their aircraft that he invites certain departments from inception so they work together so they all can be responsible for the failure or success of the new project. This also invites all to ask questions as a team so everyone input is valid and that which makes the endeavor more enjoyable and the work fun. It’s all about communication, no matter what the culture is and in the Virgin companies it’s all about customer service, and in the U. S, Mr. Branson will know that Americans are a low context culture that communication is important and is precise. The culture barriers will be minimal for Virgin America since California has a diverse cultural background. Why did Sir Richard Branson want to enter in the United States especially the low cost airline industry? Virgin Atlantic is an international company that has flights all around the world but not based in the U.  S. and with the heavy hitters of the airline industry, example, Delta, United, and Continental, Sir Richard wanted to get into the business that he sees that could be successful like Southwest Airlines. But like this paper mentions, this has been fraught with challenging issues and times (current economic conditions) and the time and money of negotiating with lawyers and political upheaval from other airlines. The goal of Virgin America is to provide the exceptional customer service and the brand of the Virgin name to the United States. In 2010, Virgin America had yet another setback, trying to get a gate at one of the busiest airports in the country, Chicago O’hare. Now the new low cost airline will be looking towards to Dallas, this is a blow to the many Americans looking for another option to flying in and out of Chicago and all because of the two major airlines United and American who control more than 90% of the gates. (Low-cost airlines would land for city-owned gates. 2010). I believe it’s a waiting game, another carrier, JetBlue had to wait of over year to get a gate at the O’Hare airport, patience will be the key to Virgin America and that does not bode well with Sir Richards standards even though he has played this game for some time. What Virgin America can do is work with other cities that are willing to work and make the financial numbers feasible for both parties and in time gate availability for Chicago O’Hare will eventually be available. The Virgin Group organizational structure is quite complex, with over 300 companies that operate in all unique industries. But all of these companies fall under the Virgin brand. The brand is similar or identical within each separate operation. This image is one of quality and innovation and by creating an exceptional brand; the company is able to create a high level of loyalty within its customer base. The diversity of businesses operated by Virgin Group helps the company maintain a high level of loyalty in many different industries. With the Virgin America company, this would fall under the Virgin Travel umbrella, (see chart) and would have a separate management hierarchal structure, almost like a franchise organization. References http://www.virgin.com/about-us/ http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2010/08/11/sir-richard-is-finally-linking-together-the-virgin-airlines/

Land Law Notes Essay Example for Free

Land Law Notes Essay Land includes land of any tenure, and mines and minerals, whether or not held apart from the surface, buildings or parts of buildings (whether the division is horizontal, vertical or made in any other way) and other corporeal hereditaments; also a manor, an advowson, and a rent and other incorporeal hereditaments, and an easement, right, privilege, or benefit in, over, or derived from the land Law of Property Act 1925 s.62 A conveyance of land shall be deemed to include and shall by virtue of this Act operate to convey, with the land, all buildings, erections, fixtures, commons, hedges, ditches, fences, ways, waters, water-courses, liberties privileges, easements, rights, and advantages whatsoever, appertaining or reputed to appertain to the land, or any part thereof, or, at the time of conveyance, demised, occupied, or enjoyed with, or reputed or known as part or parcel of or appurtenant to the land or any part thereof. He who owns the land owns everything up to the sky and down to the depths Unrealistic in modern times – pipes underground, aircraft above etc. Bernstein v Skyviews General Ltd 1978 QB: Establishes that a landowner doesnt have unqualified rights over the airspace of his land. Fixtures and Fittings Law of Property Act 1926 s.62 Whatever is fixed to the land becomes part of the land Holland v Hodgson 1872 LR 7CP 328: Looms were fixtures as they were attached to the floor by nails, not just their own weight. If an article is annexed to the land by something more than its own weight, its a fixture, therefore part of the land. Elitestone v Morris 1997: Bungalow couldnt be removed without its destruction. An objective test to determine whether the object was intended for the use or enjoyment of the land, or for the more convenient use of the object itself. General principle: whether an object is part of the land is determined by a) The physical degree of annexation Chelsea Yacht Boat Co v Pope 2000 1WLR 1941: Boat on a river was a chattel not a fixture b) The purpose of the annexation: for better enjoyment of the land or for the better enjoyment of the chattel? Leigh v Taylor 1902 AC 157: These tapestries were works of art, but could be removed without causing structural damage. Therefore they were chattels not fixtures. Re Whaley 1908 1Ch 615: These tapestries were hung as to create the effect of an Elizabethan dwelling house, therefore they were fixtures. Relevance? Buyer: Taylor v Hamer 2002 EWCA Civ 1130: The Court decided that the flagstones were fixtures, and suggested that a seller is not allowed to remove fixtures without informing the buyer if there is a possibility that the buyer expects the fixtures to be included in the sale. Mortgage lender: Botham v TSB 1996 EGCS 149: The bank applied to the High Court to decide if certain everyday articles in the borrowers flat were fixtures and therefore were subject to the banks mortgage, so it could sell them as mortgagee. Taxation: Melluish v BMI 1996 AC 454 Landlord and tenant: A tenant has the right to remove tenants fixtures and fittings at the end of the tenancy: Young v Dalgety 1987 1 EGLR 116: A better definition of a tenants fixture is any item which is properly legally identifiable as a fixture and which was installed and continues to be removable by the tenant, is a tenants fixture. Spyer v Phillipson 1929 2 Ch 183: So long as the chattel could be removed without doing irreparable damage to the demised premises, neither the method of attachment nor the degree of annexation, nor the quantum of damage that would be done either to the chattel itself or to the demised premises by the removal, had any bearing on the right of the tenant to remove it. Wessex Reserve Forces and Cadets Association v White 2005 EWHC 983: landlord’s intention here to ‘demolish’ the premises only led to its aspirations of regaining possession being ‘flattened’ when the court held that (objectively) the landlord’s (subjective) intention could not be implemented and that, in any event, the landlord would not require possession of the premises to carry out the proposed works. Ownership of things found on the land. Parker v British Airways Board 1982 QB 1004: court decided that the finder of a gold bracelet in a public area of British Airways was entitled to possess it against the whole world save the true owner. An occupier of a building has rights superior to those of a finder over chattels on or in, but not attached to, that building if, before the chattel is found, he has manifested an intention to exercise control over the building and the things which may be on or in it. Bridges v Hawkesworth 1851: The finder of a lost article is entitled to it as against all but the true owner. Waverley BC v Fletcher 1996 QB 334: owner or lawful possessor of land owned all that was in or attached to it. Local authority which owned a public open space had a right SUPERIOR to Finder to things found in the ground of that open space and was entitled to possess them against all but the rightful owner. Buried Treasure Treasure Act 1996 s.1(1) Defines what treasure is s.4(1) When treasure is found, it vests, subject to prior interest and rightsin the Crown s.8(1) A person who finds an object which he believes or has reasonable grounds for believing is treasure must notify the coroner for the district in which the object was found (within 14 days) s.8(3) Any person who fails to comply with subsection (1) is guilty of an offence s.10 Payment of rewards

George Saunders Analysis

George Saunders Analysis Unexpressed Internal Conflicts Conflicts are not only essential for the story but essence of the story. Readers prefer writing styles in which they can involve themselves through the entire story and feel the ‘anxiety of the protagonist or other characters to achieve the goals set by them. George Saunders reflects this writing style in some of his short stories, especially The Wavemaker Falters and The 400-pound CEO. His brilliant satirical writing in these stories portrays the narrators hidden emotions and feelings which lead to ill fate. He is ingenious in the way he describes the thought processes of his characters with authenticity. This detailed and blunt description of the tumultuous strings of thought of the characters helps us understand the reason behind all their lives pitfalls. We understand that self expression goes a long way in keeping ones sanity in the troubled and dark world created by Saunders. The protagonists of Saunders stories retain their genuine emotions inside of themselves which eventually lead to their downfall. In The Wavemaker Falters, the narrator is forced to suppress his anger he feels towards Leon as he is hard pressed under the guilt of killing a young boy by gross technical carelessness. He is overpowered by passivity and resignation, two elements by which he leads his day to day life. This leads to his downfall as he loses his happiness, his wife and all that had once been significant to him. In this short story, Leon constantly reminds him of his guilt by asking him not to feel guilty which instead of being of any help simply served to add fuel to the fire (Saunders 38). Furthermore, his life becomes nightmarish as he gets Clive in his dreams, in a state of utter disappointment. â€Å"One night he shows up swearing in Latin while another time with a wild story about an ancient African culture that used radio waves to relay tribal myths†(Saunders 39 ). Narrator does not resolve this issue by consulting a specialist, but continues to get depressed by the fact that he ended an innocent life. On the other hand, Jeffery in The 400 pound CEO suppresses his anger and indignation caused by day to day treatment bestowed by his colleagues. He is good natured and optimistic about life and thinks he deserves a second chance at happiness. He is portrayed as an optimist with a high degree of hope throughout the story. He believes that if he is good natured and sociable; it might change peoples behaviors and perception of him. In the story, he kills Tim in the process of trying to save an innocent girls life. He commits the murder ‘sick with rage knowing that Tim was a cruel monster. He always exposed Tim as a guilty person. Although Jeffery commits the crime, his intention is always to protect others, which he has difficulty expressing due to fear of being mocked (Saunders 59). This lack of self expression was the cause of the bottled up anger. Saunders writing style expresses optimism and fatalism in both the short stories to make his satire thoughtful. In the Wavemaker Falters, Saunders mentions narrators pessimistic character in his dealings with Simone. The narrator shows extreme cupidity with Simones happiness. He goes to Leons office and waits for Simon to come out ‘flushed and happy. â€Å"He wants to jumps out and confront her but he doesnt† (Saunders 42). Even when he gathers courage to confront his wife regarding her affair with Leon; he is put down by Simone who openly accepted her affections for Leon. He accepts the fact that Simons relationship with Leon will continue no matter what he does (Saunders 43). Hence he becomes all the more dejected and lacks enthusiasm to recapture what is truly his. On the other hand, Jeffery in The 400 pound CEO is optimistic and hopeful till the end. But on the other hand, he makes a strong atheistic statement because of the strong feelings of being cheated by God himself â€Å"I have a sense that God is unfair and preferentially punishes his weak, his dumb, his fat, and his lazy. I believe he takes more pleasure in his perfect creatures, and cheers them on like a brainless dad as they run roughshod over the rest of us†(Saunders 63). He is clearly dissatisfied with his physical appearance. He hopes that there is a God who controls the SubGod. He wishes his reincarnation with more â€Å"beautiful baby, destined for a different life in which I am masterful, sleek as a deer, a winner† (Saunders 64). He does not lose hope. In addition to that, he shows his willingness to secure another chance at life by asking Freeda out. She deceives him into believing that she wanted to date him, when the truth was that she wanted the money Tim offered for it. Moreover, Jeffery, a 400 pound CEO, accepts responsibility for Tims murder. He wished everything would turn out well if he speaks the truth in front of the judge. In fact, â€Å"the judge appreciated his honesty for saving a girls life† (Saunders 63). As a conclusion, Saunders authentic satire in these stories hooks up the audience to read his literature. The narrator from The Wavemaker Falter evinces the qualities of pessimism and demonstrates that he believes that he is powerless to change his destiny. On the other hand; Jeffery from The 400 pound CEO possesses an optimistic view in of life and never loses hope till the end. Also, the exaggeration was a great help as it facilitated the precise understanding of the narrators and other characters in the stories. It brings home the fact that lack of self expression clutter the mind, making it hard for the individual to live peacefully. Works Cited Saunders, George. CivilWarLand in bad decline. New York: The Berkley Group, 1996.

a man for all seasons :: essays research papers

A Man for All Reasons. For a truly Christian man, nothing is more important than preparing the immortal soul for the next life. In the play, A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas Moore is a devout Christian–apparent due to his unceasing prayers, vast humbleness, devotion to his family, and his ardency in maintaining the truth. His refusal to obey King Henry VIII shows that he believes strongly in life after death, for going against the King of England in Renaissance Era ensured swift, lethal retribution. Sir Thomas More fought for what he believed in and refused to be molded into something that he wasn’t. Sir Thomas More did not die in vain, he did not deviate from his personal beliefs. More achieved more in the end because he didn’t let death worry him. His last words illustrate this, â€Å"His will not refuse one who is so blithe to go† (99). More understood that he was in line with his beliefs. He knew that by dying and not worrying, he would be proving a point to the public by letting it be known that Cromwell had set him up. When More died it sent a message to the public that the King was wrong in what he was doing. As More died in front of a lot of people, it certainly showed to the public that it was honorable and he put his point across in the clear way. â€Å"†¦.but because I would not bend to the marriage† (78), More is simply stating that he wouldn’t agree with the King for the clear intention of staying alive. When More died it was for a worthy cause to take a stand against something he felt was real and because he did not worry in the process his actions were not in vain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By More dying, he proved a point to himself and the public. He proved that he was honorable and not going to succumb to the deceitful thinking of Cromwell and the King. â€Å"I have not disobeyed my sovereign. I truly believe no man in England is safer than myself† (40). This clearly demonstrates the fact that More knew what he was doing and wasn’t going to go against his beliefs for the sake of living. More knew that if he stayed alive, it would have been insufferable, living in jail for the rest of his life, no job, and little sight of family.

Racial Hatred in Notes of a Native Son Essay -- James Baldwin

â€Å"Notes of a Native Son†: Baldwin’s Essay on the Disease of Racial Hatred Racism is an ugly word that churns up strong emotions whenever it is mentioned. Shocking images of lynchings, church bombings and race riots creep into the mind, and cause an almost physical reaction of repulsion and disgust. History books and old television clips do a good job of telling the story of racial hatred in America, but not what it actually felt like to be an African American during those times. James Baldwin, a noted African American author from New York in the 1950s and 1960s, knew what it was like to experience years of unrelenting, dehumanizing racial injustice. In his essay, â€Å"Notes of a Native Son,† Baldwin uses his literary skills to tell about his family’s painful history under racism and also to analyze the effects of racial hatred on society – hatred that he compares to a disease of the human spirit. Baldwin uses the language of despair in his essay from the very start. In the opening paragraph, he sets the scene for everything that follows with five short, non-descriptive sentences that state the events going on around him at the time of his father’s death. The atmosphere is tense and solemn as the funeral procession moves through a barren wasteland of destruction on the way to the cemetery. Only the bare facts are written and Baldwin deliberately avoids using any colorful descriptions or interesting phrases in order to recreate the mood at this particular moment in his life. With this stripped down narrative passage, Baldwin sets an overall tone of bleakness, harshness and helplessness that he carries on throughout the essay. The audience is bombarded with a list of facts  ¾ his father is dead, his mother just gave birt... ...n in the 1950s, its message is still an important one for our society today. By sharing his personal life experiences, Baldwin provides readers with a snapshot of what life was like for a young African American man growing up in Harlem and how he was able to deal with racism on a personal level. By providing a running commentary and analysis of how his own situation relates to the African American community as a whole, Baldwin provides readers with an invaluable insight to the plight of people of color in the United States. In â€Å"Notes,† Baldwin uses his unique writing style to both inform and instruct readers about the dangers of allowing the divisions in our society based on race to continue unresolved. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Notes of a Native Son.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84.

The Importance of Judicial Review Essay -- American Government Constit

By creating a Constitution, it is assumed that the people are going to agree to it as the law of the land. The Supreme Court is responsible for upholding the Constitution by interpreting the laws for the benefit of the people. The justices would be violating their oath if they were to oblige this obligation. If the Constitution were not the law of the land, why would it exist? This is the justification for judicial review, or the right of the court to declare legislative or executive unconstitutional. The Constitution states in article III, section 2 that, â€Å"The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority.† (Shafritz and Weinberg 16). Therefore, Judicial review is an implied power that determines whether or not legislation is constitutional and is necessary for the protection of the Constitutional rights of the people. The judiciary is not a representation of a particular party as it is in the legislative and executive branches. Although justices belong to different parties and they may have views determined by their political beliefs, the role of a justice is to carefully determine and interpret laws based on the Constitution. To do this, they must provide legitimate reason to defend their decisions and therefore, judicial review is beneficial for a successful nation. As a result of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court found that it did not have jurisdiction over the case and therefore could not issue a writ of mandamus. This is the first instance of judicial review by the Supreme Court. Regarding judicial review, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in his opinion that, â€Å"It is empha... ...es his point by saying that it does not specify the extent of those powers. Personally, I believe that judicial review is a necessity in order to preserve the constitution. Thus, I disagree with Gibson’s opinion. Although I understand the content of his words and why he believes them, but I think a very specific power such as judicial review is necessary to check the other branches. The judiciary cannot abuse the power but the legislative and executive branches can create laws that are abusive to the powers given to them by the constitution. This is why judicial review is a necessity. Works Cited Epstein, Lee, and Walker, Thomas. Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2007 Shafritz, Jay M., and Lee S. Weinberg. Classics in American Government. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006. The Importance of Judicial Review Essay -- American Government Constit By creating a Constitution, it is assumed that the people are going to agree to it as the law of the land. The Supreme Court is responsible for upholding the Constitution by interpreting the laws for the benefit of the people. The justices would be violating their oath if they were to oblige this obligation. If the Constitution were not the law of the land, why would it exist? This is the justification for judicial review, or the right of the court to declare legislative or executive unconstitutional. The Constitution states in article III, section 2 that, â€Å"The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority.† (Shafritz and Weinberg 16). Therefore, Judicial review is an implied power that determines whether or not legislation is constitutional and is necessary for the protection of the Constitutional rights of the people. The judiciary is not a representation of a particular party as it is in the legislative and executive branches. Although justices belong to different parties and they may have views determined by their political beliefs, the role of a justice is to carefully determine and interpret laws based on the Constitution. To do this, they must provide legitimate reason to defend their decisions and therefore, judicial review is beneficial for a successful nation. As a result of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court found that it did not have jurisdiction over the case and therefore could not issue a writ of mandamus. This is the first instance of judicial review by the Supreme Court. Regarding judicial review, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in his opinion that, â€Å"It is empha... ...es his point by saying that it does not specify the extent of those powers. Personally, I believe that judicial review is a necessity in order to preserve the constitution. Thus, I disagree with Gibson’s opinion. Although I understand the content of his words and why he believes them, but I think a very specific power such as judicial review is necessary to check the other branches. The judiciary cannot abuse the power but the legislative and executive branches can create laws that are abusive to the powers given to them by the constitution. This is why judicial review is a necessity. Works Cited Epstein, Lee, and Walker, Thomas. Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2007 Shafritz, Jay M., and Lee S. Weinberg. Classics in American Government. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006.

SNC Reaction Paper

What was it spent on? Who were the recipients? Investigations suggested that the money was used to pay bribes to unknown North African agents in order to sanction mufti-million dollar future projects. This was possibly done to maximize company revenue, but the deed is still questionable with Demise's grey past. The archbishop Of Milan, SST. Ambrose once said, â€Å"When in Rome, do as the Romans. † Does this translate to Zinc's actions in North Africa? Doing business in different parts of the world can be a difficult game because of varied cultural and professional differences.What may seem wrong in North America may be an everyday occurrence in another part of the world. Bribery is one such act. A bribe, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is â€Å"money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust†. From personal experience, in some countries, not paying a bribe or not â€Å"giving a gift' may pro long or delay work, and in some cases even create a roadblock and completely stop the project. In some countries, offering a bribe is legal while in others it is considered a felony.The question forever is, is bribery ethical? Ethics, in my opinion, are culture specific and, as the professor mentioned in class, time specific. Slavery, for example was an integral part of a perfectly normal society in ancient times but now is considered a heinous crime. Pierre Daytime bribed officials to influence their decision in choosing SYNC Laving for construction projects. But even after investigations, it is not known what this bribe was used for. Daytime and Ben Sass were also linked to illegal activities like money laundering with the controversial Miramar Godhead of Libya.Keeping in mind his past history and the act of bribery itself positions me to believe that Daytime acted unethically. I also believe that bribery, in any form, is morally wrong irrespective of where one does business. In t his case, Daytime, the board of directors, the agents and the officials in North Africa are the active agents. The shareholders, potential and current clients, the employees of SYNC Laving as well as their competitors are the passive agents. Let's analyses the ethical issues in this case using a few models.Virtue Based Moral Reasoning expects en to maximize certain virtues like honesty, integrity, fairness and transparency. Daytime in his actions exhibited dishonesty and dishonor by bribing and laundering money. These actions were unfair to the shareholder as they were and still are unaware about where their money was spent. Lack of transparency creates a loss of trust amongst employees and stake-holders as well. Demise's actions were, therefore, unethical. Next, let's look at it through a Communitarian's approach. This method stresses that contracts, implicit and explicit, should be respect and not breached under any resistance.Daytime had a fiduciary duty towards the corporation, which he breached as the company lost its reputation as a result of this bribery debacle. He had also signed an implicit contract with the employees of the organization which was breached when he paid no heed to company ethics before making his decisions. Falsifying accounts by using terms like â€Å"project consultancy costs† and â€Å"project commercial costs† for the money spent towards bribes is equivalent to lying to shareholders as these statements are finally sanctioned by the CEO. Thus we see that SYNC Laving and Daytime acted unethically on the basis of Communitarian's.However, if you look at the decision through a Consequentiality perspective, an approach where only the consequences of your actions matter, Daytime, while making this decision was actually right. He paid a small price (in the form of a bribe), which in turn would bring in business worth billions and increase the company's revenue. He believed that ends justified the means. However, after the en tire incident unfolded, SYNC Laving not only lost a lot of money through trials and fines, but also lost something more important, trust and reputation.Thus, I believe that this act was unethical even through a consequentiality approach. If Daytime was acting under a veil of ignorance, he would definitely not authorize these payments. SYNC Laving could have been a company that has lost out to a lucrative contract just because another company was willing to bribe their way to the contract. Here we see that through a Rawlins Liberalism approach, Daytime was unethical. According to Graham Tucker's theory, an ethical decision should positively answer all his five questions. Daytime and SYNC Lapin's board fails to answer these questions positively.Was their decision profitable? Definitely not. SYNC Lapin's profits reduced from $76 million to $67 million in the first quarter of 201 2 itself. Secondly, bribe giving is illegal in Canada which negatively answers his second question, is it le gal? He then goes on to ask if it is fair. If you look at this from their competitors perspective, their decision was unfair to the competitors who missed out on deals as they refused to pay bribes. This decision was also not right as this money was paid to unnamed and unknown recipients to influence the company's goals.Finally, it fails to positively answer if paying bribes ensures sustainable development. Such acts result in recurrence of ill doing which in turn can backfire on the corporation. Most successful organizations usually boast of having a clean slate and usually do not indulge in such acts. Bribery may be a quick fix but is definitely not a permanent solution. Informs CEO and my former boss, Nary Murphy once suggested, â€Å"If bribe giving, and not bribe taking, is made legal then the bribe giver shall indeed cooperate with the authorities to expose the bribe taker.This seems o be an interesting idea and think it should be implemented†. Such a policy will encour age victims to blow the whistle on bribe takers fearlessly and in turn help combat corruption. In my view, businesses can very well flourish even in the harshest situations. Informs is a great example; an organization which flourished ethically in an environment which was not very welcoming to entrepreneurs with a conscience. Their vision was not to just build a profitable organization, but a respectable one. In 1984, Informs imported a supercomputer and the customs official at the airport refused to clear it without a bribe.Any delay was unacceptable and the only alternative was to pay a customs duty of 135% and then appeal for a refund. Murphy borrowed money and paid the duty. He believes that at the end of the day, a clear conscience is the softest pillow on which you can lay down your head at night. Firmly believe that bribery is an evil which eventually leads to corrupt business and political environment. Even though it is viewed differently in different cultures, morally it st ill is wrong and unethical. I'd rather not do business in a market which enforces bribery than silence my scruples and indulge in a social evil.

Naming of Parts Essay

1. What is the ‘naming of parts’ that the title of the poem refers to? The naming of parts refers to the riï ¬â€še lesson in the poem, with the soldiers being taught about the parts of the riï ¬â€še. 2. The ï ¬ rst stanza identiï ¬ es the timeframe of this poem. Explain why ‘yesterday’, ‘today’ and ‘tomorrow’ might be signiï ¬ cant. This talks about the past, present and future, which is why it is signiï ¬ cant. 3. Explain the simile that compares Japonica to coral (lines 4-5). Japonica is a pink ï ¬â€šower that blossoms in bunches on trees in the spring. The poem compares the colour of the japonica to coral, and how it glows and shines. It talks about the beauty of the ï ¬â€šowers, and compares it to that of the coral. 4. In which lines is the title line repeated? What is the effect of this repetition? The line is repeated four times in the whole poem, three times in the ï ¬ rst stanza and once in the last. The effect of the repetition is that it ties the poem together, and it puts emphasis on the title. 5. Who do you think is speaking in this poem and who do you think is being addressed? Give reasons for your answer. I think that the speaker in this poem is a soldier that has just been recruited, and is being taught about how to use his riï ¬â€še. In my opinion, the poem is addressing the soldier himself, or maybe the world, and people in war. 6. In the second stanza, what is meant by the metaphor concerning the branches, and what is meant by the description of them as making ‘silent, eloquent gestures’? I think that Reed is describing the simple beauty of nature, and perhaps how the branches can be compared to human limbs, with gestures that are elegant and expressive. 7. Why do you think the poet has drawn attention to the piling swivel, â€Å"Which in our case we have not got† (line 12)? I presume that Reed has drawn attention to the piling swivel to show that the soldiers are in training, and have not yet received their own riï ¬â€šes, and therefore do not have the piling swivel. 8. The word ‘ï ¬ nger’ is used in two different contexts in the third stanza. What is the meaning of each, and what do you think is the effect of using both in close proximity? The ï ¬ rst mention of the word is a literal context, meaning that they need to use their thumb to release the safety catch, and not their ï ¬ nger. The second seems to me as if it is a comparison of the instructor and the blossoms of a plant. I think that it is so because the soldier has drifted off, and is looking at ï ¬â€šowers while listening to the instructor talk about not using ï ¬ ngers. 9. The fourth stanza begins with the word ‘And’ (line 19). What is the effect of this? It seems like it is a continuation of another sentence, or something that the instructor has said before. It gives us a way to link the ï ¬ rst part of all the stanzas together, as if the nature part of the previous stanza was something completely different. 10. In the same stanza, the phrase ‘easing the spring’ is used twice with two different meanings. What effect is created when these two ideas are considered side by side? The ï ¬ rst meaning is to ease the spring in a riï ¬â€še, a mechanical and literal reference. In the second mention however, the word spring is capitalized, and is referring to the season. When these two are compared to each other, the ï ¬ rst seems like a comparison to war and destruction because of the riï ¬â€še’s use to do so, and the second contrasts with references to reproduction and giving life. It makes a contrast between giving and taking life. 11. There is a lot of imagery associated with sexual reproduction. Give some examples of these words and explain how this language might contribute to the theme of the poem. The â€Å"easing of the spring,† where Reed writes â€Å"rapidly backwards and forwards,† could be associated with sexual reproduction. 12. In contrast, what ideas in the poem evoke the idea of death and destruction? The instructor’s mechanical and almost cynical explanation of how to use the riï ¬â€še, or how to kill and destruct in the war, evokes this idea very clearly. 13. Comment on the phrase: â€Å"..and the point of balance, / Which in our case we have not got†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 27-28). Perhaps this is talking about how the soldier feels that their lives have been thrown out of balance, or how the world is out of balance, engaging in warfare instead of appreciating the beauty of nature around them. 14. Why do you think the poet drew attention to the silence of the almond blossom? (line 29). I do not see any other reason than him wanting to draw attention to the incredible beauty of nature, and how this contrasts with the destructive warfare going on. 15. In your opinion, what is the main theme or message of this poem and how effectively has the poem communicated it? In my opinion, this poem is about the contrasts between the beauty of nature and war. I think this poem communicates this in a very good way once one has read it a few times and identiï ¬ ed the contrasts and metaphors that are hidden. 16. Lastly, write some comments about how your interpretation of the poem has developed since you ï ¬ rst encountered it. Don’t forget to reï ¬â€šect on your artistic interpretations last week – how did they help (or hinder) your growing understanding? Since I ï ¬ rst heard the poem, I have understood more and more of the meaning behind it. At ï ¬ rst, I only grasped the fact that it talks about a riï ¬â€še lesson, and that it probably had a connection to soldiers and war. I did not comprehend the relationship between war and nature that I interpret as the underlying theme now. I didn’t get very much out of the artistic interpretation last week, other than exploring the nature/war relationship more. The destructive versus growth aspect was also explored, and this helped me grasp the meaning of some of the metaphors.

Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Disabilities Essay

The education of students who have emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, health impairments, or traumatic brain injuries can be a difficult and challenging task if proper teaching strategies are not put in place. It is also important to for these students to gain self-advocacy skills and for teachers to teach the other students understanding, respect, and how to respond appropriately to the students with disabilities in their class. Another important aspect of the education of special needs students is an individual education plan (IEP). It is important to understand each individual disability before a teacher can properly determine the best teaching strategies. The education of students with emotional behavioral disorders is interfered because of an inability to build and maintain relationships with peers or teachers, an inability to learn, exhibiting inappropriate behavior and feelings, constant unhappiness or depression, and unreasonable fears about school (Clayton County Schools Special Education Department, 2012). Emotional behavior disorders in children are caused by environment, heredity, or both (Anjeh, D. , 2007). The education of students with physical disabilities is also more difficult. Physical disabilities are broad categories that include many conditions such as muscular dystrophy, missing limbs, spina-bifida, and cerebral palsy. There are many different causes of physical disabilities. Physical disabilities make it hard for children to more around and to control their voluntary motor movements (Anjeh, D. , 2007). Health impairments also cause issues related to a student’s education. Health impairments can limit a student’s alertness, vitality, and strength. Often health impairments cause a student to have extended absences, inability to attend a full academic schedule and/or inability to attend to tasks for the same length of time as peers (Clayton County Schools Special Education Department, 2012) A traumatic brain injury can also affect a student’s educational performance. A traumatic brain injury is an injury to the brain caused by an external physical force. These types of injuries can cause impairments of judgment, problem solving, sensory, motor ability, memory, cognition, thinking, physical functions, and speech (National Association of Special Education Teachers, 2006/2007). The most common cause of traumatic brain injuries are caused by motor vehicle or bicycle accidents. Other causes include being shaken, falling, sports related injuries, and gunshots. Traumatic brain injuries can cause physical, cognitive, and/or psychosocial-behavioral/emotional impairments (Anjeh, D. , 2007). Teachers can try many different strategies to help students with the above disabilities. These strategies are often beneficial for the regular student as well. Lash (2000) suggests that to help a student to concentrate better or pay attention a teacher can reduce distractions in the work area of a student, divide the student’s work into smaller sections, having students summarize the teacher’s instruction, and using verbal or non-verbal cues. Because short term memory is often affected by a traumatic brain injury a teacher can repeat or summarize the information needed frequently. The teacher can also encourage the student to use note cards, calendars, or planners. The use of mnemonics may also be helpful to the student. A teacher could provide students with traumatic brain injuries additional time, checklists, schedules, outlines, and other organizational materials. When teaching students with emotional and behavioral disorders the teacher must remain sensitive to these student’s issues. First the teacher must identify the behavior and its cause. Lewis, Heflin, & DiGangi (1991) found that the best approach is to pinpoint the specific behavioral problem and apply data-based instruction for remediation. Remediation should include encouraging new behavior in place of the bad behavior and using positive reinforcement (Algozine, Ruhl, & Ramsey, 1991). Extra training in social skills is also important. Teaching strategies for the physically impairment deal with the provision of certain accommodations and making learning as well as the learning environment accessible. Some strategies include giving the student extra time, reducing the amount of furniture in a classroom, and training staff on the health care needs of the student. The removal of physical barriers, elimination of social barriers, participation in extracurricular activities, inclusion in sports and leisure time activities are all strategies teachers can use with students with disabilities. Some students may require many visuals while other may require added audio. To improve a disabled students self-esteem and self-advocacy the student should be allowed to assume responsibility for their own learning which will improve their self-concept, feeling of belonging to the school, and success at school. A focus should be placed on teaching the student the skills necessary for taking responsibility and showing initiative in making decisions about their own instruction. It is also important for the teacher to help the disabled student’s peers to understand, accept, and include their peers with disabilities (CSWD, 2002). Inclusive classrooms can be helpful because they enable disabled and nondisabled students to discover the similarities they share and to accept each other’s unique traits that they have (Kliff & Kunc, 1994). As school communities become increasingly diverse, it is more important than ever that teachers, administrators, parents, and students work together to create a tolerant school climate where each student feels safe and valued. IEP meetings are an important part of a disabled student’s educational process. Present at the meeting were the student’s father, the special educational teacher, and a member of the staff that is responsible for any financial related issues that may come into play. The meeting began with a brief introduction and signing of an intake sheet. The special education teacher reviewed the child’s present academic levels and discussed reading comprehension and fluency improvements. A copy of all testing scores was provided to those present. The father discussed worries that his child is shy and the need for social skill training. Moving the child to an inclusive classroom was discussed but it was decided to wait for this transition for the beginning of the next school year due to the child’s need for routines. Lastly it was determined there would be a short meeting scheduled for the end of the school year to determine classroom placement for the following school year.

Emily Dickinson’s poem #371 Essay

Analyzing the poem by discovering how the author used literary elements usually is very essential to understanding the poem’s theme. As one of the significant elements, extended metaphor may convey one of key ideas in poetry. Depending on the poem, extended metaphor may provide the opportunity to reflect on even more deep and hidden, but just as important concepts the author chooses to convey. Similarly, in the poem # 371, Emily Dickinson uses extended metaphor as practically the most essential element to convey her feelings in regard to The Antique Book held as fascinating and exciting volume. Emily Dickinson compares real historical characters to the Antique Book, giving it the qualities of a fine gentleman. It is a â€Å"precious pleasure† to meet such a gentleman who will entice with and tell of his radical but thrilling notions. What must mesmerize Emily in the â€Å"Antique Book† are realistic images of â€Å"the Dress his Century wore,† along with the opportunity of learning about compositions by Shakespeare, Sappho, Sophocles, Plato, to inspect their thoughts in detail, and to understand their contradicted ideas- dreams of the future. Such account of acquaintance, enhanced with the facts of history, is an â€Å"Enchantment.† This sophisticated â€Å"figure† may be dear to the narrator in the same way Beatrice may be to Dante. It is only one of the many reasons why Emily Dickinson would call â€Å"Antique Book† a gentleman-like, where the contents of a volume either entice, reflect, intrigue, puzzle, or fascinate the narrator . The development of this metaphor may be compared with the process of reading and enjoying a book. It can also be seen as an acquaintance with a particular person. As when meeting the â€Å"gentlemen,† the narrator may acquire strong fascination for this â€Å"person.† Fascination of Emily Dickinson may be seen through diction, since it is evidently â€Å"a†¦pleasure†¦to meet and Antique Book.† Further on, it is a â€Å"venerable Hand to take† and later it is â€Å"His quaint opinions- to inspect.† It seems as if the subject begins to fascinate the narrator and thus the conversation begins to be more intriguing. Here, then, â€Å"Old Volume shake their Vellum Heads,† thus tantalizing â€Å"-just so-† The encounter leaves the narrator with only the wish and that is to hear more. Undoubtedly, the same concept can be addressed to  an act of reading a book. The â€Å"acquaintance† is then with an interesting book which on e reads on to inspect its contents over and over, filled with radical but inspiring ideas. It can be said in overall that the point of interest in this poem arises from the first stanza to the last. Such usage of an extended metaphor and also other literary elements is meant to reveal the theme. What especially underlines the extended metaphor and thus helps to reflect narrator’s fascinating and exciting account is the use of allusion, diction, iambic pentameter in the poem, and also such elements as assonance and consonance. Basically, a reference to some of the great people in history is intended to be an aspect of the extended metaphor, which personifies The Antique Book, and is an allusion to the great philosophers, poets, and playwrights. Iambic pentameter is a significant tool because it, though seemingly plain and simple as an element, may convey numerous things, ideas that prosperous elegance is admired. Emily Dickinson also uses â€Å"slant rhyme† that might add to the effect of the poem, created as a bit formal but still a bit irregular. It can produce the same effect a book must produce on the narrator in this poem. In turn, assonance and consonance help to distinguish the key ideas in the poem. Though not many, Emily Dickinson uses consonance to connect the words such as â€Å"theme,† â€Å"mutual† and â€Å"mind.† Also assonance is used in words â€Å"venerable Hand to take,† repeating the vowel sound to emphasize, especially, the privilege behind this act. Referring to all the literary elements Emily Dickinson uses, it must be that otherwise understanding of the poem may have become convoluted. Consequently the poem thoroughly can be analyzed to trace the elements essential to the theme. It is very important to use such elements where poem may otherwise be seen pointless. In the poem #371, Emily Dickinson effectively reflects on her feelings thus enabling the poem to be intriguing, as the book is to the narrator. It may be true that Emily, as an author, gets her ideas, such a strange at the time and a curious at others embodied in a poetic form, from the sort of â€Å"Old Volume† as the one described in the poem. If so, this correlation may help suggest a message of a broader issue reflected in this poem.

Bioavailability And Bioequivalence Studies

Bioavailability And Bioequivalence Studies Each year so many drugs loss their patent protection and opens the door for the generic alternatives. In this way Bioavailability and Bioequivalence studies becomes most important. Bioavailability is defined as â€Å"The rate and extent to which the active moiety is absorbed from a drug product and becomes available at the site of action.† Bioavailability can be generally documented by a systematic exposure profile obtained by measuring drug and/metabolite concentration in the systemic circulation over a particular time period. Scope of Bioavailability studies: Development of new formulations of the already existing drugs. Determination of effect of excipients, patient related factors and possible drug To ensure the of quality of a drug product during the early stages of marketing in order to determine the influence of manufacturing factors, storage and stability factors on drug absorption. The systemic exposure profile of drug or metabolite obtained by measuring concentratio n in the systemic circulation over a particular time period during clinical trials in the early stages of drug development can serve as a benchmark for subsequent bioequivalence studies. Bioequivalence is a relative term which shows the absence of a significant difference in the rate and extent to which the active ingredient becomes available at the site of drug action when two or more identical dosage forms administered at the same molar dose under similar conditions. Bioequivalence mainly focus release of drug substances from its dosage forms and subsequent absorption into the systemic circulation i.e. test dose plasma concentration-time will be identical with reference dose plasma concentration-time without showing any significant statistical differences ,then test dosage form will consider as therapeutically equivalent to the reference dosage form . Scope of Bioequivalence studies: To establish relativity between different formulations used during the development of a new produc t. The therapeutic equivalence of a generic product and the reference product can be demonstrated. Development of a modified release form of a product which has already approved as an immediate release formulation. Development of alternative salt form for pharmaceutically equivalent drugs. Bioequivalence studies are designed to establish equivalence between the test and reference products. If test and reference products are found to be bioequivalent,by this one can expect that the test product will also be therapeutically effective. Bioanalytical method validation includes all of the procedures that demonstrate that a particular method used for quantitative measurement of analytes in a given biological matrix, such as blood, plasma, serum or urine is reliable and reproducible for the intended use. Bioanalytical method validation parameters: Accuracy Precision Selectivity Sensitivity Reproducibility Stability Validation documentation is done, by using specific laboratory investigatio ns ,which ensures that the performance characteristics of the method is suitable for the intended analytical use. The analytical method is applicable only when the validation parameters are in acceptable range. Types of validation: A. Full Validation Developing and implementing a bioanalytical method for the first time. Full validation is required for a new drug entity. If metabolites are added to an existing assay for quantification full validation is required. B. Partial Validation:

Stairs Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stairs Design - Essay Example The National Safety Council reports more than 10,000 stair deaths per year in the entire United States and a much greater number of people get injured because of such accidents. The following paper discusses various aspects of stair safety in terms of its overall design and the designs of its individual elements. A stair is a composition of one or more riser elements in combination with the treads to achieve a desired elevation. A riser can be defined as a vertical distance between two horizontal surfaces of adjacent treads. A tread could be understood as a distance measured horizontally between the vertical planes of the foremost projection of adjacent treads at a right angle to the tread's leading edge. For assuring safety, it becomes imperative to check that uniformity is maintained in these sizes of the riser and treads. Dimensional uniformity in the widths of treads and the heights of riser is one of the most important safety factors in the stair design. On account of the psychometric calculations of the user, a mere difference of a quarter inch between adjacent riser height can cause and accident. The elderly people are more prone to such accidents as compared to the young users. Therefore the stairs that are not dimensionally uniform are significant hazards. Treads t Treads that are less than 9 inches wide result in the greatest number of missteps. Research indicates that riser heights between 6-8 inches and tread widths of 10 to 13 inches are most comfortable and fit most people's preferences. As per specification in building code, a maximum difference of 9.5 mm is permissible between the sizes of the largest and the smallest tread and the greatest riser height shall not exceed the smallest by more than 3/8 of an inch (9.5 mm). In case of the winders, treads should have a minimum depth of 10 inches at a distance of 12 inches from the smaller side. Optimal stair dimensions are 7.2 inch riser heights with either an 11 or 12 inch tread width. Providing a handrail assures greater safety to the stairs even if it is protected from both the sides with walls. The use of handrail prevents the loss of balance while using the stair. The absence of handrail is a major factor in stair accident. The human factors design handbook, 1992 suggests the rail height to be around 34 inches (there are varying data on the specified height where the handrail should be installed), and it should be seen that the rail has an appropriate size and section that could facilitate proper grip. The handrail should be maintained regularly and it should be checked that it is properly anchored to the surface. The handrail should be continuous throughout the entire flight and should not break anywhere in between. At the end, it should terminate in a newel post or should be treated to fix in an adjacent wall but should not be left untreated and open. When anchored against the wall, the rails should have a minimum space of one and a half inches with the wall to provide space for the knuckles during the grip. The stairs that are open from the sides should be installed with guards in combination with the handrail to provide lateral support. The guards should be placed close enough to each other that disallow the passage of a four inches sphere.While proposing an architectural design, stairs with one or two steps should be avoided