Internal Auditing, 4 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internal Auditing, 4 questions - Essay Example The complex activities are to be controlled by managements of the organizations, and in the case of companies, naturally the first target is the Board of Directors of such organization made responsible to formulate proper policies, to control the various activities, the organization carries our in different countries, with cross cultures , different moral values, and different customer loyalties. One can see Nescafe, Cadbury product, Lux , Colgate ,cocoa cola, Pepsi, Philips, Sony, Motorola, Toyota and a host of consumer products available through out the world, where customers vary, their cultures vary, but they are bound by these products, which speaks of their qualityThese products made their own language.. For making such universal names, just like the saying that behind every successful man there is a successful woman, behind every successful organization, definitely there is a sound, solid, successful management structure with reliable management principles and policies, to operate their businesses across globe. These managements are successful, because of their management policies, which involve various control systems. Managements strength lies in the policies, they frame, and implementation of those policies, by establishing, various controls, at different levels of management. The first in the management hierarchy, na... Organisation structure --Controlenvironment basically includes the organization structure it self. Management's processes involve planning, organising, and directing the business activities, with the assistance of sound management structure. Different levels of management means-- Management by Board and its subcommittees, top management teams, middle and or functional management teams, operating or supervisory management teams. Boardand StrategicTop Management Middle or Functional Management Operating or Supervisory Management. The first in the management hierarchy, namely the board and top strategic management , formulate (i) the vision, (ii) mission, (iii) objectives of the organization,(iv) long term strategic plans ( ranging from 2 to 5 years period)and approve the plans and strategies prepared by other management structures. Functional management prepares strategiesandshort term plans ranging for six months to a two -year period. Operating management prepares operating plans and operating strategies that will range from one week to six months period. All these plans and strategies should be falling with in the top management plans and strategies. Once they are implemented in true spirit, the organization gives excellent results in all directions. But it is not so simple in the present day organisations. Organisation should have proper control systems in place, and internal audit activity exists to give reasonable assurance to the management that the control environment exists, andcontrol systems established by the management are efficient, effective and economical. Assignment of Authority and responsibility-- Managements function throughby fixing responsibilities on the individual mangers, and

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

LAW - Essay Example The element reality of the consent, on the other hand, refers to the requirement that the consent by either or all parties must not have been vitiated by any misrepresentation, fraudulent or otherwise, whilst the capacity to contract is a personal requirement on the part of the parties of the contract that they do not possess any legal disqualifications to enter into it. A disqualification for example is minority. Finally, the legality of the contract refers to the ability of the contract and its terms to hold before the law. Put in other words, the contract must not be legally invalid (Mead, Sagar & Back p 56). The problem at bar, calls for the application of the laws of contract formation particularly on the validity of acceptances and offers. The problem at hand concerns the initial phase of contract-making which is the formation of the contract. The problem here lies in the fact that there was a mix-up of the different elements of the agreement like offer and acceptance and the problem seeks to determine whether there was a valid formation of a contract and with which parties. The problem involves UCL Property Developers, the inviting party, and two companies vying for the building contract: the DC Builders, and; the GB Construction. The order of events is: first, UCL gave out invitations to tender to building contractors for the construction of its administration offices; second, DC Builders and GB Construction were the lowest bidders and pre-qualifiers for  £ 2, 250,000, and  £ 2, 410,000, respectively and each attached its own conditions and terms distinct from UCL’s; third, UCL awarded DC with the contract, in a letter, but for a slightly less amount and in accordance with its own terms; fourth, DC threatened to withdraw its offer if UCL does not amend acceptance within five days; fifth, DC formally

Creep Behaviour of Materials

Creep Behaviour of Materials Chen Yi Ling   Objectives The objectives of the experiment are: To measure the creep deformation in lead and polypropylene at room temperature To determine the effect of stress on the creep deformation of lead and polypropylene To appreciate the difference in creep behaviour between these two classes of materials To be aware of creep as a design consideration Theory 2.1. Introduction Deformation under a certain applied load over a period of time at a particular temperature is defined as creep, and it limits the load carrying capacity among structual materials. When subjected to a stress greater or equal to its yield stress, the material deforms plastically. Alternately, when the stress is less than its yield stress, the material will deform elastically. However, when the material has to withstand stress at high temperature, permanent deformation will occur even if the stress is below the yield stress obtained from a tensile test. Under a constant stress, the strain vary as a function of time as shown in Figure 2.1.1. [1] The different stages of creep are: Primary Creep/Transient Creep Strain rate decreases with time and deformation becomes difficult as strain increases. (i.e. Strain Hardening) Secondary Creep/Steady Creep Strain rate is constant The occurrence is due to the balance between strain hardening and strain softening (Structure Recovery) Tertiary Creep/Approaching Rupture Strain rate increases with time and the material is fractured. Increase in creep rate is due to the increasing number of damages such as cavities, cracks and necking. The damaging phenomena reduce the cross-sectional area, which increase the applied stress when placed under constant load. Viscoelastic materials such as polymers and metals are susceptible to creep. When subjected to a sudden force, the response of a polymeric material can be detected using the Kelvin-Voigt model (Figure 2.1.2) Viscoelastic materials experience an increase in strain with time when subjected to a constant stress, this is termed as viscoelastic creep. At t0 (Figure 2.1.3), viscoelastic material is able to maintain for a significant long period of time when loaded with a constant stress. The material eventually fails when it responds to the stress with an increasing strain. In contrast, when the stress is maintained for a shorter period of time, the material experience an initial strain until t1 in which the stress is relieved. The strain then immediately decrease gradually to a residual strain. [3] In this experiment, we will study the creep behaviour of a low-melting point metal (Lead, Pb) and a polymer (Polypropylene, PP) at room temperature. 2.2. Creep in Metals Creep can be observed in all metals if its operating temperature exceeds 0.3 to 0.5Tm [5] (Tm = Absolute Melting Temperature) (Figure 2.2.1) Creep strain (ÃŽ µ) depends on several variables, the most important variables are stress (ÏÆ') and temperature (T). Using stress and temperature, the creep rate () can be defined as: (Equation 2.2.1) Where, A = Constant n = Stress Exponent E = Activation energy for creep R = Universal gas constant Creep rate () increase as stress and temperature increase, hence Equation 2.2.1 can be redefined as: (Equation 2.2.2) Whereby n is the slope of vs lnA at constant temperature. 2.3. Creep in Polymers The creep in polymers is almost similar to the creep in metal as it is depends on stress and temperature, with a few exceptions. Comparing Figure 2.2.1 and Figure 2.3.1, the two graphs look similar except that Figure 2.3.1 has a recovery phase, which is termed as the reversal of creep. Possessing viscoelastic properties, the behavior of the material can be predicted using the Kelvin-Voigt model (Figure 2.1.2) as mentioned earlier, and hence, it will be used in this experiment. Equation 2.3.1 shows the relationship between the creep strain (ÃŽ µ) and time under constant stress: (Equation 2.3.1) Where and are the constant of the spring and dashpot respectively (Figure 2.1.2) On the other hand, Equation 2.3.2 shows the creep strain in relation to time: (Equation 2.3.2) Where is a constant. The data obtained can be plotted into an isochronous graph by taking the constant time section through the creep curves for a specific temperature. And the results obtained formed the isochronous graph. Experimental Procedures 3.1 Equipment for Creep Testing The load was applied steadily to the specimen using the lever principle shown in Figure 3.1.1. Steel pins were used to kept the specimen in place on one side of the lever and the weight hanger on the other. The weight hanger consist of 2 pinning position; the topmost hole was used when the hanger and loads were in rest position while the lower hole was used when the hanger was loaded. The following table shows the mass for the parts of the equipment which should be taken into consideration during the calculation of tensile force on the specimen If m was the mass of the load on the weight hanger, then the tensile force acting on the specimen can be defined by taking moment about pivot as shown in Figure 3.1.2. [(F+0.04) x 42] – [0.40 x 147] – [(0.16 + 0.04 +m) x 336] = 0 (Equation 3.1.1) Where, g is the acceleration due to gravity = 9.807m/s2 The extension of the specimen was measured using a dial gauge (DG). The DG was placed into a tube tightened using a nylon pinch screw to hold the DG in its place. It should be noted that the nylon pinch screw should only be tighten sufficiently to prevent the DG from moving when the loads were placed. The top of the DG was attached to the set up using a grooved plate which was bolted to the lever arm. This arrangement was to ensure the groove in this plate was two times the distance from the pivot to the centre of the specimen. Hence, the extension of the specimen detected by the DG was twice the actual extension of the specimen. And to counter for inaccuracy when zeroing the DG, an additional 3mm was taken into account before the start of the experiment. Thus, the actual extension of the specimen can be calculated by: (Equation 3.1.2) 3.2 Experiment Methods For the measurement of creep in lead, the load applied would be 0.9, 1.0 and 1.1kg. For the measurement of creep in polypropylene, the load applied would be 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9kg. Before conducting the experiment, the width, length, thickness and gauge length of the specimen was measured thrice using an electronic vernier caliper; the readings used for the calculation would be the average reading (highlighted in orange). 3.2.1 Experiment 1: Creep of Lead The lever arm was held in place using 2 pins; 1 of it to be inserted into the bearing block and the other onto the topmost hole of the weight hanger. Attached the specimen onto the set up using 2 pins. Place the Dial Gauge into the hole/tube but do not tighten the nylon screw yet. Attach the groove plate at the top of the Dial Gauge and lever arm and secure it using a thumb nut. Release the pin holding the weight hanger to take up any free movement. Make sure the specimen was placed vertically. Carefully adjust the Dial Gauge until the inner dial reads 3mm and the outer ring reads 0, then tighten the nylon screw. Load the required weight onto the hanger. Raise the loaded weight hanger to the lower hole (loading position) and insert the pin. Gently release the load and start stop watch. Record reading every 15 seconds for 30 minutes or till the specimen ruptures. In order to determine the secondary creep rate for each applied stress, 3 extension-time creep curves were required. The creep rate can be calculated using the following equation: (Equation 3.2.1.1) Where In this experiment, ln vs ln plot was required. Hence, the stress () on the specimen is given by: (Equation 3.2.1.2) Where, F is the load applied to the specimen (N) 3.2.2 Experiment 2: Creep of Polypropylene The test of creep of polypropylene is similar to that of lead, with a couple of exceptions. Before placing the specimen onto the set up, 2 ‘U’ brackets should be fitted over the 2 ends of the specimen. For polypropylene, elastic recovery was possible hence the specimen was not required to be tested until failure. Note that 15 minutes, 12 minutes and 7 minutes were the extension time required for 0.6kg, 0.7kg and 0.8kg respectively Place the required load onto the weight hanger. Record the extension for every 15 seconds for specific duration. After the extension period, remove the weights on the weight hanger and continue to record the reading (elastic recovery phase) every 15 seconds for 10 minutes or when the needle on the Dial Gauge stop moving for 1 minute. Repeat for other loads. Plot extension vs time curve to show the creep and recovery curve. In this experiment, strain vs stress plot was required. Hence, the strain rate () on the specimen is given by: (Equation 3.2.2.1) Where Results Results for Lead The increment of extension () was selected based on the results reflected on Figure 4.1.1. The creep rate (ÃŽÂ ­) of Lead was determine using Equation 3.2.1.1. The stress () applied onto the lead specimen was calculated using Equation 3.2.1.2. By adding ln to the values of and ÃŽÂ ­, Using the data from Table 4.1.1, we can plot a linear graph. Based on Figure 4.1.2, the stress exponent (n) from the straight line was 10.503. Results for Polypropylene A sudden drop was observed for 0.7kg, this was due to human error as results was not recorded promptly on specific time. Using Equation 3.2.1.2 3.2.2.1, the stress and strain rate is shown below: Based on Figure 4.2.1, when stress is constant, the strain increases as time increases, which tallies with the theory. 5. Discussion Usefulness of the Plot of lnÏÆ' vs lnÃŽÂ ­ By plotting lnÏÆ' against lnÃŽÂ ­, we can determine the gradient (n) or the stress exponent of the specimen, which correspond to the controlling mechanism of creep under testing conditions. Stress Exponent for Lead The stress exponent indicates the influence of deformation rate on the mechanical strength of the specimen.[7] At low stresses, n equals to 1, which indicates pure diffusion creep. At high stresses, n > 1, indicating other creeping mechanism besides pure diffusion. Factors affecting the stress exponent value The stress exponent for lead in this experiment was found out to be 10.503. And the factors which affects the value is the type of creeping mechanism behind the specimen. Some creeping mechanisms include Coble creep (Grain boundary diffusion) and Dislocation creep/climb (Power law creep).[8] Creep of Metals in Design Consideration The following are some methods to minimize creeping in metals: Employ materials with high Tm Reduce the effect of grain boundaries by using a single crystal with large grains or adding solid solutions to eliminate vacancies[9] Creep is an important consideration for when a component have to support a load at temperatures where Tabs/TM > 0.4.[10] For high temperature, creep is an important consideration in these three areas: Displacement-limited applications such as turbine rotors in jet engines Rupture-limited applications such as high pressure steam pipes Stress Relaxation limited applications such as tightened bolts and suspended cables [11] Viscoelastic Behaviour Materials which exhibits both viscous and elastic property during deformation is known as viscoelasticity.[12] In this experiment, both lead and polypropylene exhibits viscoelasticity to different extend. For lead, the time taken in which the specimen rupture decreases as the stress increases. However, its viscoelasticity is not high hence, its recovery phase is not as significant as polypropylene. Furthermore, the structure of lead is more crystalline than polypropylene, which means it is more brittle and more prone to rupture. For polypropylene, the extension increases as the stress increases. The extension and recovery rate of each load are as follow: Recovery rate is possible on polypropylene specimen because it has higher elasticity due to its amorphous structure. The amorphous structure untangles and lengthens out until it becomes crystalline. Conclusion In conclusion, the results obtained from the experiment is true to theory. Unfortunately, during the creep test for lead, some results are missing due to some human error resulting in an incomplete graph as depicted in Figure 4.2.1. For the creep in lead, load 1.0kg and 1.1kg rupture before 30 minutes. This shows that the heavier the load, the faster the creep rate. At even high temperature, t

The Sonnet Essay -- English Literature

The Sonnet Explore aspects of the sonnet tradition through reference to a range of material you have studied The word ‘sonnet’ comes from the Italian word ‘sonnetto’ meaning little sound or song. A sonnet is a special type of poem. The sonnet is always 14 lines long and usually expresses the poets’ personal feelings or thoughts; most often connected with love or death, which are two of the most basic aspects of human existence. The poem generally uses rhyme and metre to organise the poet’s ideas in a formal way. There are several different types of sonnets which all accomplish this in a slightly different style. The Italian or Petrarchan sonnet was originally developed around 1350 by Petrarch, an Italian poet (1304-1374). Petrarch had fallen madly in love with a woman named Laura, but she was a married woman and refused to become his mistress. Petrarch wrote poetry expressing the idea of courtly love and conveying his own misery and his slavery to the love of Laura; a love denied. His verses contain accusations about the fickleness of love, the timeless quality of art and the hopelessness and devotion of eternal love. The Italian sonnet is divided into two sections by two different groups of rhyming sounds. The first eight lines are called the octave. This has two four line units that rhyme in the same way. A b b a, a b b a. The remaining six lines are called the sestet and can have either two or three rhyming sounds arranged in a variety of ways: cdcdcd, cddcdc, cdecde, cdeced, or cdcedc. The poem is clearly divided into two sections by the two differing rhyme groups. The change from one rhyme group to another signifies a change in subject matter. It can also be said that the octet prese... ... years of pain’ the word ‘long’ is again repeated to emphasize the time he has been away and the suffering he has experienced as a Black in a ‘White’ world. The tightness, compression and discipline of the sonnet form does not disguise but rather emphasises his love for Jamaica and his suffering since he left. In conclusion therefore, the sonnet has developed from its traditional form albeit still retaining some of the aspects Petrarch may have once used centuries beforehand such as an octave/sestet structure. It was originally a formal love ‘song’ with high ideals and a rigid format. Shakespeare transformed it and made the sonnet more accessible and fun for the common man to enjoy. The sonnet has since evolved further and can be used in a wide variety of forms and for an even wider range of subject matter and can be easily read by audiences world-wide.

Logical Positivism Essay

Also known as logical empiricism, rational empiricism or neo-positivism, logical positivism is the name given in 1931 by A.E Blumberg and Herbert Feigl to a set of philosophical ideas put forward by the Vienna Circle. This Vienna Circle was a group of early twentieth century philosophers who sought to re-conceptualize empiricism by means of their interpretation of then recent advances in the physical and formal sciences. Hence, the Vienna Circle represented a radical â€Å"anti-metaphysical† stance which held the view that an empiricist criterion for meaning and a logicist conception of mathematics could prove the meaningfulness of statements (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy). Logical positivism is the school of thought that attempts to introduce the methodology and precision of mathematics and the natural science into the field of philosophy. The movement, which began in the early twentieth century, was the fountainhead of the modern trend that considers philosophy an analytical, rather than a speculative inquiry (Passmore). As a school of philosophy, logical positivism â€Å"combines positivism with a version of apriorism , that is, the view that holds that some propositions can be held true without empirical support† (Wikipedia Encyclopaedia). According to the Oxford Companion to Philosophy, the movement’s doctrine is ‘centred on the principle of verifiability. This holds the notion that individual sentences gain their meaning by some specification of the actual steps we take for determining their truth or falsity’. In essence, logical positivism seeks to verify the meaning in statements through empirical observations. Historical Background of Logical Positivism The position of the original logical positivists was a blend of the positivism of Ernst Mach with the logical concepts of Gottleb Frege and Bertrand Russell. But, their inspiration was derived from the writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein and G.E Moore. According to Passmore, in his article â€Å"Logical Positivism†, the logical positivists thought of themselves as continuing a nineteenth century Viennese empirical tradition, closely linked with British empiricism and culminating in the anti-metaphysical scientifically oriented teaching of Ernst Mach. He further pointed out that in 1907 the mathematician Hans Hahn, the economist and sociologist Otto Neurath and the physicist Phillip Frank, all of whom were later to be prominent members of the Vienna Circle, came together as an informal group to discuss the philosophy of science. In addition, Passmore posited that they did this in hope that they could ‘give an account of science to the importance of mathematics, logic and theoretical physics without abandoning Mach’s general doctrine that science is, fundamentally, the description of experience’ (par. 2). Subsequently, they adopted views from the â€Å"new positivism† of Poincare and coupled it with Mach’s views in an attempt to anticipate the main themes in logical positivism (par. 2). Logical Positivists view of Traditional Philosophy The philosophical position of logical positivism in its original form was the outcome of the profoundly incisive influences of Wittgenstein and Moore (Runes 359). Logical positivists were concerned about the soundness of metaphysics and other traditional philosophy. They asserted that many philosophical problems were indeed meaningless. Hence, they decided to abandon the traditional approach to philosophy and attempted to persuade people to utilise their approach instead. One of the chief tenets of logical positivism was that the supposed propositions of metaphysics, ethics and epistemology were not verifiable and so were not strictly ‘meaningful’.[1] Furthermore, Carnap, of the Vienna Circle, corroborated this view in his work â€Å"The Unity of Science†, when he stated that ‘we give no answer to philosophical questions and instead reject all philosophical questions, whether Metaphysics, Ethics or Epistemology’ (qtd. in the Stanford Encyclopedia of P hilosophy). Therefore, the purpose of the logical positivists was not to renovate the principles of traditional philosophy but to destroy them. Metaphysics was rejected on the grounds that its assertions were meaningless since they could not be verified in experience. Thus, statements about the existence of God were discarded as pointless because they could not be verified. Notably, whereas earlier critics of metaphysics such as Kant and Hume had rejected the claims of metaphysics as a form of theoretical knowledge, the logical positivists took over from Wittgenstein’s â€Å"Tractatus† the rejection of metaphysics as meaningless. Furthermore, the logical positivists argued that the propositions of metaphysics were neither true nor false but could be regarded as pseudo-statements (Logical Positivism 61). Metaphysics was not the only traditional discipline that the logical positivists were concerned about. Likewise, epistemology faced harsh criticisms from them. On one hand, the neo-Kantians saw epistemology as ‘the propaedeutic to metaphysics and all other philosophical disciplines’ (Oxford Companion to Philosophy 647). They maintained that philosophy could be reduced to epistemology in which a topic like â€Å"the reality of the external world† was discussed. On the other hand, for the logical positivists, epistemology was disregarded as a significant branch of philosophy because they thought that there was no way of verifying the assertions postulated by epistemology. They argued that this branch of philosophy was â€Å"quite meaningless like assertions about the Absolute.†[2] They held this position because for them there was no way of empirically verifying that an external world exists which is independent of the world we know now, as such those statements were ignored. Another tenet of traditional philosophy that the logical positivists disagreed with was ethics. Certainly, they all rejected any variety of transcendental ethics and any attempt to set up a â€Å"realm of values† over and above the world of experience. Passmore stated that, Assertions about values thus conceived, fall within the general province of transcendental metaphysics and had therefore been rejected as nonsensical. But while Schlick sought to free ethics from its metaphysical elements by converting it into a naturalistic theory along quasi-utilitarian lines, Carnap and Ayer argued that what are ordinarily taken to be ethical assertions are not assertions at all. For example to say that â€Å"stealing is wrong,† is neither, they suggested, to make an empirical statement about stealing nor to relate stealing to some transcendental realm. â€Å"Stealing is wrong† would either express our feelings about stealing, our feelings of disapproval, or, alternatively (this was where the logical positivist opinions differed), it is an attempt to dissuade others from stealing. In either case, â€Å"stealing is wrong† conveys no information. (par. 17) In addition to the above mentioned concepts, logical positivists also posited the idea that propositions of logic and mathematics were meaningful but their truth was discovered, not by experiment or observation, but by analysis. Also, for logical positivism the ‘business’ of philosophy was not to engage in metaphysics or other attempted assertions about what is the case but rather to engage in analysis. Furthermore, the only genuine propositions were those that are verifiable (Brown et al 218). Basically, the logical positivists’ emphasis was on logic and language. Logical positivists preferred that, instead of accepting traditional philosophy, philosophers should subscribe to the doctrine of verification. Doctrine of Verification Central to the movement’s doctrines was the principle of verifiability, often called the verification principle that is â€Å"the notion that individual sentences gain their meaning by some specification of the actual steps we take for determining their truth or falsity†.[3] According to logical positivism, there are only two sources of knowledge: logical reasoning and empirical experience. The former is analytic a priori, while the latter is synthetic a posteriori; hence synthetic a priori knowledge does not exist (Murzi 7). For logical positivists, the meaning of a statement lies in the method of its verification. This means that a statement has meaning if, and only if, it is verifiable† (Bochenski, 57). Verifiable, in this sense, means that the statement is derived from knowing the conditions under which it is true or false. If the statement cannot be proven true or false it is disregarded as meaningless. Carnap emphasized in â€Å"Logical Positivism† that only meaningful sentences were divisible into (theoretically) fruitful and sterile, true and false propositions (61). In essence, a sequence of words is meaningless if it does not, within a specified language, constitute a statement. Ayer also defined, explained, and argued for the verification principle of logical positivism. Ayer expressed, in his book Logical Positivism, the view that â€Å"sentences (statements or propositions) are meaningful if they can be assessed either by an appeal directly or indirectly to some fundamental form of sense-experience or by an appeal to the meaning of a word and the grammatical structure that constitute them. In the former case, sentences are said to be synthetically true or false; in the latter, analytically true or false.† Once the sentences under examination fail to meet the verifiability test, they are labelled meaningless. Therefore statements about metaphysical, religious, aesthetic, and ethical claims are considered insignificant. For the logical positivists, based on the verification principle, an ethical claim would have meaning only in so far as it professed something empirical. For example, â€Å"if part of what is meant by ‘X is good’ is roughly ‘I like it,’ then ‘X is good’ is false.† The primary ‘meaning’ of such sentences is emotive or evocative. Thus, for Ayer, ‘X is good’ is a meaningless utterance. As such statements are not verified by looking at the entire words in a sentence but by minutely analyzing the words singularly in a sentence to determine there meaning. Likewise, for Carnap, words or sentences must be verified by certain criterion, for instance, the syntax of a word must be fixed, that is in each use of the word in what Carnap calls an ‘elementary sentence’ the meaning must be unchanging. Secondly, for an elementary sentence containing a word, it must be determined from what sentence is the word deducible, and what sentences are deducible from the word. Also, under what conditions should the word or sentence be considered to be true or false, how is it to be verified and what is its meaning? For instance, take this example by Carnap using the word ‘anthropods’. Anthropods are animals with segmented bodies and jointed legs (this is the elementary sentence) from this it can de deduced that X is an animal, X has a segmented body, X has jointed legs. Hence, â€Å"by means of these stipulations about deducibility or truth- condition, about the method of its meaning of the elementary sentence about anthropod, the meaning of the word is fixed.† In this way every word of the language is reduced to other words and finally to the words which occur in the so-called â€Å"observation sentences† or â€Å"protocol sentences.† Carnap claims that it is through this reduction the word acquires meaning. (Logical Positivism 62-63). Problems with Logical Positivism In the Contemporary European Philosophy, Bochenski claimed that the doctrine used by logical positivists to verify sentences involved great difficulties of various kinds. For instance, a one protocol-sentence can be called into question and tested by another protocol-sentence, such as; the sanity of a physicist can be called into question and examined by the psychiatrist (58). The question has been asked of the logical positivist as to the basis of the protocol sentence, but they replied by stating that the object of experience can only be sensations. Questions of reality are ‘pseudo-problems,’ because we can never encounter anything but sensations and we can never verify the existence of things that are other than our sensations (59). Bochenski also commented that since verifications are made by the senses, â€Å"no statement can be verified other than those relating to the body and its movements; all statements of introspective psychology and classical philosophy are unverifiable, therefore meaningless.†[4] It follows that the only meaningful language is that of physics, and that all science should be unified. One condition remains to be fulfilled according to Bochenski and that is, for a statement to have meaning: it must be built in accordance with the syntactical rules of language. Therefore, it is meaningful to say, â€Å"the horse eats† but â€Å"the eat eats† has no meaning. Also statements that you and I know such as, ‘I love you Mummy’ or ‘I am feeling really sad today’ would have no meaning because they cannot be empirically verified. How then would we express our sensations? There is therefore no guarantee that things verified will remain verified; for example, it was commonly known that the world was flat and that if you go to the end you will fall off, this was how it was known to be until it was rediscovered by Columbus and his men that the world was round. Another problem outlined by Passmore is that, because â€Å"the meaning of a proposition is the method of its verification,† it is not a scientific proposition. Positivists responded to this by claiming that it should not be read as a statement but as a proposal, that is, a recommendation that propositions should not be accepted as meaningless unless they are verifiable. In response to Passmore’s statement, Carnap suggested that the verifiability principle is a clarification which will distinguish forms of activity which are otherwise likely to be confused with one another; metaphysicians will thus be able to tell what propositions are meaningless (Logical Positivism). Impact on Subsequent Philosophy Passmore wrote that logical positivism is dead, or as dead as a philosophical movement ever becomes; but it has left a legacy behind. Logical positivism was essential to the development of early analytic philosophy. It was disseminated throughout the European continent and, later, in American universities by the members of the Vienna Circle. According to the Routeledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, this transplanted to the English – speaking world of ‘analytic’ philosophy. Originally, it set up a series of sharp contrasts: between metaphysics and science, logical and factual truths, the verifiable and the non-verifiable, the corrigible and the incorrigible, what can be shown and what can be said, facts and theories. Logical positivism tremendously influenced the philosophy of science and the application of logic (language) and mathematical techniques to philosophical problems more generally. Logical positivism therefore has an established place in the history and continuing development of philosophy. At least three reasons can be given for this. One is purely historical, regarding the considerable impact and influence of the movement in its glory days. A second lies in the intrinsic interest of its ideas. The third lies in the fact that even if no one today would call themselves a logical positivist some of its main positions, such as verification and emotivism in Ethics, are specification of the actual steps we take for determining their truth or falsity (Hanfling). Also, logical positivism was immensely influential in the philosophy of language. The philosophy of language for the logical positivists is concerned with four central problems: the nature of meaning, language use, language cognition, and the relationship between language and reality. Also, it was used in conjunction with logic (Wikipedia Encyclopedia par 1). The spread of logical positivism in the USA occurred throughout the 1930s. The pragmatic tradition of Pierce, James and Dewey, with its instrumentalist conception of science, provided a healthy stock on which to graft logical empiricism, which, particularly in Carnap’s work, already had a pragmatist bent (Hackers 183). The rise of logical positivism was evident in the European continent. The English philosopher Alfred Jules Ayer played an important role in spreading logical positivism. In his book, Language, Truth and Logic, Ayer completely accepted both the Verifiability Principle and the distinction between analytic and synthetic statements, and so he asserted that metaphysical sentences were meaningless. Furthermore, a direct influence was exerted by Waismann and Neurath who immigrated to England. According to Murzi, in his work â€Å"The Philosophy of Logical Positivism†, in the twentieth century, logical positivism has provided a platform for Italian philosophy, Polish philosophy and Scandinavian philosophy (19). The influence of logical positivism began to diminish around 1960 with the rise of â€Å"pragmatic form of naturalism due to Quine and a historical-sociological approach to philosophy of science due mainly to Thomas Kuhn.† Nevertheless, it must be noted that logical positivism played a very important role in the development of contemporary philosophy, not only for its philosophical principles, but also for its editorial and organizational activities. The efforts of the logical positivists to rid science and meaningful discourse generally, of metaphysics, their attempt to create a ‘unified science’ by laying bare the logical structure of scientific theories and thereby showing the structural similarities, their insistence on logic and empiricism as being the only two reliable and acceptable pillars of knowledge—all these contributed towards a scientific universalism.[5] Logical positivism is studied by many modern day students of philosophy and authors; philosophers well as have written about it thus testifying to its continued existence, if not its practice. Notwithstanding the above mentioned, it is necessary to note that while logical positivism may have laid a platform for other philosophies, its approach seek to have dismissed the traditional philosophies. Now, if one should pursue logical positivism seriously, then as postulated before, certain feelings would become empty. As Coppleston noted, the growth of logical positivism has helped to produce a mental outlook which was unfavourable to metaphysics and to religion (32). Logical positivism is synonymous to an amoral type philosophy and with those tendencies entrenched in our society a chaotic environment would be established. Personally, looking at its attempt to rid itself of things that can not be proven, in every case it has destroyed too much even where philosophers found it difficult to continue writing. Magee in his book, Confession of a Philosopher: A Personal Journey Through Western Philosophy from Plato to Popper, professed to this. For him, â€Å"there was a period in which several of the cleverest philosophers became reluctant to say anything at all, because almost nothing that might be deemed to be worth saying was, unless it was factually provable, permissible.† In conclusion, logical positivism, then, is an approach to verifying the meaning of statements through empirical observation. It is a philosophic tradition that attempted to use science and logic to determine the truth or falsity of statements, and to disprove the meaningfulness of metaphysical, ethical and epistemological ideas as we know them to be meaningful. Like any other school of thoughts in philosophy it has come up against criticisms, however it did make contributions to philosophy and philosophical thinking as we know it today whether it is by being studied, opposed, or supported by philosophers. Works Cited Ayer, A.J. ed .Logical Positivism. New York: Free Press Co-operation, 1959. Bochenski, I.M. Contemporary European Philosophy. London: Cambridge University, 1956. Brown Stuart et al. One Hundred Twentieth Century Philosophers. London: Routledge Publishing Ltd. 1999. Hackers, PMS. Wittgenstein’s Place in Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy. London: Blackwell Publishers, 1996. Hanfling, Oswald. Logical Positivism. Oxford: B. Blackwell, 1981. Honderich, Ted, ed. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. â€Å"Logical Positivism.† Concise Routeledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2000. . â€Å"Logical Positivism.† Wikipedia Encyclopedia. 5 Nov. 2006 Retrieved 18 Oct. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_positivism Magee, Bryan. Confession of a Philosopher: A Personal Journey through Western Philosophy from Plato to Popper. New York: Random House Inc. 1997. Murzi, Mauro. The Philosophy of Logical Positivism†. Online posting. 18 Oct. 2007. http://www.murzim.net/LP/LP00.html Passmore, J. â€Å"Logical Positivism.† The Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 26 Oct. 2004 Retrieved 24 Oct. 2007. http://www.comnet.ca/~pballan/logicalpos(passmore).htm Runes, Dagobert. Living Schools of Philosophy: Twentieth Century Philosophy. Iowa: Littlefield, Adams and Co. 1958. Shah, Mohd Hazim. â€Å"Logical Positivism, Scientism, Universalism and Globalization.† Online posting. 11 Jun. 2002. 24 Oct. 2007. http://sts.um.edu.my/E-Library/Lecture%20Notes/SFGS6111/LP2.pdf â€Å"Vienna Circle.† Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 28 Jun. 2006 Retrieved 18 Oct. 2007 http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/vienna-circle/ ———————– [1] Honderich, Ted, ed. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. [2] Passmore, J. â€Å"Logical Positivism.† The Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 26 Oct. 2004 Retrieved 24 Oct. 2007. http://www.comnet.ca/~pballan/logicalpos(passmore).htm [3] Honderich, Ted, ed. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. [4] Bochenski, I.M. Contemporary European Philosophy. London: Cambridge University, 1956. [5] Shah, Mohd Hazim. â€Å"Logical Positvism, Scientism, Universalism and Globalisation.† Online posting. 11 Jun. 2002. 24 Oct. 2007.

Online vs Offline Distribution Strategies for Hotels

In order to set the context of the presentation, it is important to examine where the distribution strategy takes place in the global marketing strategy. According to Meidan and Lee (1982), four main stages constitute the global marketing strategy of hotels: identification of the target market and the needs of these customers; formulation of the marketing objectives; definition of the constraints (mainly linked to the environment of the hotel); and finally, allocation of marketing resources.This last stage can itself be divided in four components, following the Marketing Mix model of McCarthy (1960): product, place (also called distribution), promotion and price. Before the internet and online technologies, the distribution channels were limited in the hotel industry. They could be separated into two categories: direct and indirect channels of distribution. Direct channel was the internal Sales team of the hotel. Salespeople were of vital importance when it came to â€Å"making cont acts with companies, organisations and channel intermediaries, such as travel agents† (Meidan and Lee, 1982).Indirect channels of distribution include Tour Operators (travel agents), airlines and in centralized operations in the case of franchised or chains of hotels. In these circumstances, what kind of distribution strategy can be put in place? The importance of intermediaries in creating value has been outlined by Dub? and Renaghan (2000). Surveys amongst travel agents have shown that the expectations of these different actors differ. Second in the top ten hotel practices cited by these intermediaries stands the criteria â€Å"hotel has good sales representation†, while first is that the â€Å"hotel has up-to-date reservations computer†.This last argument might nowadays be seen as a required attribute, but in 2000 this was seen as an advantage to the hotel. Another example of distribution strategy is developing intermediaries’ loyalty, and the attribute s leading to this loyalty differ between travel agents and meeting planners. All these criteria changed with the arrival of internet, as studied in the next section. The importance of the internet in marketing and distribution is undisputed by scholars and has been for years.This is no different for Hoteliers who can access this resource through a number of different ways. Their own website allows hotels to have more reactive pricing strategies, keep information about themselves up to date, and provides the easiest method to have contact with customers. Online directory websites, tour operator websites, and travel agency websites all act as intermediaries between the hotel and customer in much the same way as the offline travel agent used to do but to a global audience.Whilst taking a commission these can still be profit maximising channels for hotels because they sell to a broader customer base than the hotel would otherwise have access to. Review websites, whilst not run by hotels either, are also a crucial contact network with consumers. They are trusted by consumers and tap into Word of Mouth which has long been recognized as effective. Search engines have similarly been identified as commonly used by potential tourists and provide huge amounts of traffic to hotel websites.It is therefore important to consider purchasing advertising space through these for the Hotelier’s distribution channel. Whilst search engines and review sites are not technically distribution channels (as you cannot book on them) they are still important to be aware on when looking from a hotel’s perspective at the online system. Having said all this it is important to remember how fast moving the technology is in this section and therefore the best hotels will have an eye on the future and how that will effect distribution channels.This is what the following section will look at. Innovative distribution strategies such as IVR Hotel Reservation System and Promoted Hotels on Google Hotel Finder are the future, where it will be easier for Hoteliers to promote themselves than ever before. It opens a bidding war between various OTA’s to provide the lowest price. Various innovations in social media can eventually lead to the death of Online Travel Agencies. But on the other hand, search engines will have nothing to worry about as there is hardly anything better than search.There has been a rapid increase in mobile bookings in recent years. More and more people have started using their mobile devices to make various reservations. Hence, Hoteliers should also focus more on developing their mobile websites, enhancing the user experience and making their website and content more discoverable by using search engine optimization techniques. They should also ensure that all the content on the site is multi-lingual because information is accessed by a global market.In today’s world, travellers are exposed to so much information coming via different platforms that they no longer keep track of the source of information or even the format. They do not know the difference between media channels and content formats. In other words, the coming together of media channels and consumers has led to a new channel – customer engagement. Hence, hotel distributors should pay more attention to direct online channel and its various sectors such as websites, social media platforms, mobile web development and so on.They need to invest more in multi-channel distribution and marketing strategies. We conclude with a summary of the merits of offline and online distribution channels today. For offline this includes the ability for up-sale to customers, access to a demand of customers wanting an easier time booking holidays that their own distribution channels might exclude, and the fact that the face-to-face contact can provide friendlier interaction with customers the hotel is otherwise not able to provide.Offline will remain important in t he present day by selling more tailor-made products and specific ‘experiences’. For Hoteliers it is important to tap this market as well. At the same time online is obviously an important distribution method as well. It allows hotels greater flexibility and control, a globalisation of the product, increased interaction with customers, an ease of pricing and allows an incorporation of social- and multi-media.

Case Analysis of Unidentified Industries2006 Essay Example

Case Analysis of Unidentified Industries2006 Essay Example Case Analysis of Unidentified Industries2006 Essay Case Analysis of Unidentified Industries2006 Essay `Case analysis of Unidentified Industries2006 Although different industries have their own characteristic, we can see some common features in certain industries. Thus we divide them into 4 kinds: Service, retail trade, manufacturer and online seller. List as below: Classification of Different Industries and their features 1. Service (Table 1) Advertising agency (AG) Commercial bank Health maintenance organization (HMO) >Their services are based on human resources. They do not need a lot of PPE or inventories and lots of money (like long-term debt). Since they provide their service first and the customers always pay at the end of the service, their account should be high. So now we want to find an industry that is zero inventories, low PPE, high accounts receivable and low long-term debt. See the table 1, we find E, G and N each has a very high accounts receivable, low inventories and PPE. It shows that they are all service industries. Now we have to look deeply to find the difference among these three industries. First, N has an extremely high accounts receivable (90%) and the longest receivables collection period (4,071 days). And their biggest part of liabilities is notes payable. It really meets the features of Commercial bank. So N is Commercial bank. What the different between E and G? We find that their percentages of balance sheets are almost the same. So we have to find some clues from selected financial data. It shows that their Receivables collection period and Revenue/total assets are pretty difference. With common sense, we know that HMO will have a longer Receivables collection period (They provide the service first and wait for the insurance company to pay for their service fee) and lower Revenue/total assets (Since AG is a pretty low cost industries, all we need is idea and time) when compares with AG. So G is AG and E is HMO. Result: Advertising agency (AG) >G Commercial bank> N Health maintenance organization (HMO) > E Airline > Both of them need certain PPE and their accounts receivable will not so high, which is not the same as the other three. Since air planes are very expensive, so the Airline Company maybe has a very high PPE, and certain long-term debt (to buy the airplanes). What is more, they do not have inventories, which is totally different from Family restaurant chain. So we look at the table and try to find a company that has high PPE, zero inventories, middle or high long-term debt. Only M meets the requirement. So M is Airline. Airline > M 2. Retail trade (Table 2) Bookstore Chain Retail drug chain Retail grocery chain Department store chain Features: Certain PPE, high inventories, high inventory turnover. >B, I, J, K It is hard to tell the different among them. In common sense, Retail drug chain always has a high Common stock. And Department store chain may have a high PPE. Department has a long Receivables collection period(Because they use their â€Å"own brand† charge card). So we can guess that Bookstore Chain> B Retail drug chain> K Retail grocery chain> I Department store chain> J 3. Manufacturer (Table 3) Pharmaceutical manufacturer(PM) Electric and gas utility(EG) Features: High PPE, Low inventories>D and L PM have a longer Receivables collection period (because they will not receive the money until their drugs can be sold by the drug retailer). , high level of receivable collection, and high price(drugs are always expensive) EG may have a higher PPE (since most of their products are relying on the PPE), and their receivables collection period should be around 31 days (just like the electric bills), so 40 days just meet it. So L should be EG. We can guess H is Electric and gas utility and L is Pharmaceutical manufacturer. Result: Pharmaceutical manufacturer(PM)>D Electric and gas utility(EG)>L 4. Online seller (Table 4) Online bookseller Online direct factory to customer personal computer vendor Features: Low PPE, low inventories, high cash > C and A For Online bookseller, they do not need long-term debt. For Online direct factory to customer personal computer vendor, since they sell most of their products to business ways and they do not produce things actually, so their inventory turnover should be very high, like C (79. ). So we can easily distinguish it from online bookseller. Thus Online bookseller>A Online direct factory to customer personal computer vendor>C 5. Others (Table 5) Restaurant chain Computer software developer There are only two industries left: H and F F has a higher Common stock, since computer software developer company like Apple, they has really high common stock, so we can guess that F is Computer software developer, while H should be restaurant chain. Restaurant chain > H Computer software developer > F . Final results: A>Online bookseller B>Bookstore Chain C>Online direct factory to customer personal computer vendor D>Pharmaceutical manufacturer E>Health maintenance organization F>Computer software developer G>Advertising agency H>restaurant chain I>Retail grocery chain J>Department store chain K>Retail drug chain L>Electric and gas utility M>Airline N>Commercial bank Table 1 |Balance Sheet Percentages |E |G |M |N | |1. Cash and marketable securities |8 |11 |18 |2 | |2. Accounts receivable |37 |51 |2 |90 | |3. Inventories |0 |0 |0 |0 | |4. Other current assets |5 |0 |6 |0 | |5. Plantequipment(net) |4 |7 |66 |0 | |6. Other assets |46 |32 |8 |9 | |7. Total assets |100 |100 |100 |100 | | | | | | | |8. Notes payable |6 |8 |4 |73 | |9. Accounts payable |39 |46 |4 |5 | |10. Accrued items |1 |2 |0 |0 | |11. Other current liabilities |9 |0 |19 |0 | |12. Long-term debt |15 |7 |10 |15 | |13. Other liabilities |6 |0 |15 |0 | | | | | | | |14. Preferred stock |0 |0 |0 |0 | |15. Common stock |25 |37 |48 |7 | |16. Total liabilities and net worth |100 |100 |100 |100 | |Selected Financial Data | | | | | |17. Current assets/current liabilities |0. 92 |1. 1 |0. 94 |1. 17 | |18. Cash, MS, and Ars/current liabilities |0. 082 |1. 1 |0. 72 |1. 17 | |19. Inventory turnover(X) |NA |NA |NA |NA | |20. Receivables collection period(days) |201 |89 |12 |4071 | |21. Total debt/total assets |0. 21 |0. 16 |0. 14 |0. 88 | |22. Long-term debt/capitalization |0. 33 |0. 14 |0. 16 |0. 15 | |23. Revenue/total assets |0. 675 |2. 079 |0. 542 |0. 081 | |24. Net profit/revenue |0. 074 |0. 022 |0. 072 |0. 204 | |25. Net profit/total assets |0. 05 |0. 045 |0. 039 |0. 016 | |26. Total assets/net worth |4. 03 |2. 74 |2. 1 |13. 28 | |27. Net profit/net worth |0. 2 |0. 123 |0. 082 |0. 218 | Table 2 |Balance Sheet Percentages |B |I |J |K | |1. Cash and marketable securities |12 |3 |1 |8 | |2. Accounts receivable |3 |3 |8 |12 | |3. Inventories |42 |22 |17 |35 | |4. Other current assets |2 |3 |5 |2 | |5. Plantequipment(net) |25 |55 |36 |41 | |6. Other assets |16 |13 |33 |3 | |7. Total assets |100 |100 |100 |100 | | | | | | | |8. Notes payable |0 |3 |4 |0 | |9. Accounts payable |26 |17 |16 |24 | |10. Accrued items |22 |4 |0 |5 | |11. Other current liabilities |0 |9 |3 |5 | |12. Long-term debt |0 |33 |27 |0 | |13. Other liabilities |17 |13 |10 |7 | | | | | | | |14. Preferred stock |0 |0 |0 |0 | |15. Common stock |35 |21 |41 |59 | |16. Total liabilities and net worth |100 |100 |100 |100 | |Selected Financial Data | | | | | |17. Current assets/current liabilities |1. 23 |0. 96 |1. 34 |1. 69 | |18. Cash, MS, and Ars/current liabilities |0. 31 |0. 21 |0. 36 |0. 59 | |19. Inventory turnover(X) |2. 7 |10. 2 |2. 3 |5. 7 | |20. Receivables collection period(days) |7 |4 |41 |16 | |21. Total debt/total assets |0 |0. 35 |0. 31 |0 | |22. Long-term debt/capitalization |0 |0. 57 |0. 37 |0 | |23. Revenue/total assets |1. 613 |2. 956 |0. 675 |2. 767 | |24. Net profit/revenue |0. 029 |0. 016 |0. 063 |0. 037 | |25. Net profit/total assets |0. 046 |0. 047 |0. 042 |0. 102 | |26. Total assets/net worth |2. 84 |4. 67 |2. 35 |1. 69 | |27. Net profit/net worth |0. 131 |0. 218 |0. 104 |0. 173 | Table 3 |Balance Sheet Percentages |D |L | |1. Cash and marketable securities |19 |0 | |2. Accounts receivable |8 |5 | |3. Inventories |5 |2 | |4. Other current assets |8 |6 | |5. Plantequipment(net) |14 |69 | |6. Other assets |46 |18 | |7. Total assets |100 |100 | | | | | |8. Notes payable |10 |3 | |9. Accounts payable |2 |5 | |10. Accrued items |1 |0 | |11. Other current liabilities |11 |5 | |12. Long-term debt |5 |30 | |13. Other liabilities |14 |26 | | | | | |14. Preferred stock |0 |1 | |15. Common stock |56 |29 | |16. Total liabilities and net worth |100 |100 | |Selected Financial Data | | |17. Current assets/current liabilities |1. 65 |0. 95 | |18. Cash, MS, and Ars/current liabilities |1. 12 |0. 37 | |19. Inventory turnover(X) |1. 6 |19. 8 | |20. Receivables collection period(days) |68 |40 | |21. Total debt/total assets |0. 15 |0. 33 | |22. Long-term debt/capitalization |0. 08 |0. 47 | |23. Revenue/total assets |0. 439 |0. 423 | |24. Net profit/revenue |0. 158 |0. 068 | |25. Net profit/total assets |0. 069 |0. 029 | |26. Total assets/net worth |0. 78 |3. 3 | |27. Net profit/net worth |0. 23 |0. 096 | Table 4 |Balance Sheet Percentages |A |C | |1. Cash and marketable securities |54 |39 | |2. Accounts receivable |7 |24 | |3. Inventories |15 |2 | |4. Other current assets |2 |11 | |5. Plantequipment(net) |9 |9 | |6. Other assets |11 |15 | |7. Total assets |100 |100 | | | | | |8. Notes payable |0 |0 | |9. Accounts payable |37 |43 | |10. Accrued items |15 |26 | |11. Other current liabilities |0 |0 | |12. Long-term debt |41 |2 | |13. Other liabilities |0 |11 | | | | | |14. Preferred stock |0 |0 | |15. Common stock |7 |18 | |16. Total liabilities and net worth |100 |100 | |Selected Financial Data | | | |17. Current assets/current liabilities |1. 52 |1. 11 | |18. Cash, MS, and Ars/current liabilities |1. 8 |0. 91 | |19. Inventory turnover(X) |11. 4 |79. 8 | |20. Receivables collection period(days) |12 |36 | |21. Total debt/total assets |0. 41 |0. 02 | |22. Long-term debt/capitalization |0. 86 |0. 11 | |23. Revenue/total assets |2. 297 |2. 19 | |24. Net profit/revenue |0. 042 |0. 064 | |25. Net profit/total assets |0. 097 |0. 155 | |26. Total assets/net worth |15. 02 |0. 6 | |27. Net profit/net worth |1. 459 |0. 865 | Table 5 |Balance Sheet Percentages |F |H | |1. Cash and marketable securities |49 |1 | |2. Accounts receivable |13 |1 | |3. Inventories |2 |7 | |4. Other current assets |6 |3 | |5. Plantequipment(net) |4 |81 | |6. Other assets |25 |6 | |7. Total assets |100 |100 | | | | | |8. Notes payable |0 |6 | |9. Accounts payable |4 |7 | |10. Accrued items |3 |8 | |11. Other current liabilities |25 |13 | |12. Long-term debt |0 |16 | |13. Other liabilities |10 |9 | | | | | |14. Preferred stock |0 |0 | |15. Common stock |58 |41 | |16. Total liabilities and net worth |100 |100 | |Selected Financial Data | | | |17. Current assets/current liabilities |2. 18 |0. 37 | |18. Cash, MS, and Ars/current liabilities |1. 94 |0. 08 | |19. Inventory turnover(X) |5. 2 |22. 3 | |20. Receivables collection period(days) |77 |2 | |21. Total debt/total assets |0 |0. 23 | |22. Long-term debt/capitalization |0 |0. 26 | |23. Revenue/total assets |0. 636 |1. 9 | |24. Net profit/revenue |0. 285 |0. 059 | |25. Net profit/total assets |0. 181 |0. 112 | |26. Total assets/net worth |1. 74 |2. 45 | |27. Net profit/net worth |0. 314 |0. 275 |

Make Your Own Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Make Your Own Homemade Hand Sanitizer Some commercial hand sanitizer contains ingredients as scary as the germs they protect you from, so why not make your own hand sanitizer from ingredients you select? This is an excellent project for kids as well as adults since the project can be expanded to include a discussion about hygiene and disinfection. Youll save money, protect yourself from germs, and can customize the scent of the hand sanitizer so it doesnt smell medicinal. Homemade Hand Sanitizer Ingredients 2/3 cup 99% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or ethanol1/3 cup aloe vera gel8-10 drops essential oil, optional (such as lavender, vanilla, peppermint, grapefruit)bowl and spoonfunnelrecycled liquid soap or hand sanitizer bottle Make Hand Sanitizer Nothing could be easier! Simply mix the ingredients together and then use the funnel to pour them into the bottle. Screw the pump back onto the bottle and youre ready to go. How It Works The active ingredient in this hand sanitizer recipe is the alcohol, which needs to comprise at least 60% of the product in order to be an effective disinfectant. Essential Oils in Hand Sanitizer In addition to adding fragrance to your hand sanitizer, the essential oil you choose may also help protect you against germs. For example, thyme and clove oil have antimicrobial properties. If you are using antimicrobial oils, only use a drop or two, since these oils tend to be very powerful and might irritate your skin. Other oils, such as lavender or chamomile, may help soothe your skin.

The Turn-A-Card Behavior Management Plan

The Turn-A-Card Behavior Management Plan A popular behavior management plan most elementary teachers use is called the Turn-A-Card system. This strategy is used to help monitor each childs behavior and encourage students to do their best. In addition to helping students display good behavior, this system allows students to take responsibility for their actions. There are numerous variations of the Turn-A-Card method, the most popular being the Traffic Light behavior system. This strategy uses the three colors of the traffic light with each color representing a specific meaning. This method is usually used in preschool and primary grades. The following Turn-A-Card plan is similar to the traffic light method but can be used throughout all elementary grades. How it Works Each student has an envelope containing four cards: Green, Yellow, Orange,  and Red. If a child displays good behavior throughout the day, he/she remains on the green card. If a child disrupts the class he/she will be asked to Turn-A-Card and this would reveal the yellow card. If a child disrupts the classroom a second time in the same day he/she will be asked to turn a second card, which would reveal the orange card. If the child disrupts the class a third time he/she will be asked to turn their final card to reveal the red card. What it Means Green Great job! Working well throughout the day, following rules, demonstrating appropriate behavior, etc.Yellow Warning Card (breaking rules, not following directions, disrupting the classroomOrange Second Warning Card (still not following directions) This card means that the student loses free time and takes a ten minute time out.Red A Note and/or Phone Call Home A Clean Slate Each student starts off the school day with a clean slate. This means that if they had to Turn-A-Card the previous day, it will not affect the current day. Each child starts the day with the green card. Parent Communication/Report Student Status Each Day Parent-communication is an essential part of this behavior management system. At the end of each day, have students record their progress in their take-home folders for their parents to view. If the student did not have to turn any cards that day then have them place a green star on the calendar. If they had to turn a card, then they place the appropriate colored star on their calendar. At the end of the week have parents sign the calendar so you know they had a chance to review their childs progress. Additional Tips It is expected that each student stays on green throughout the day. If a child does have to turn a card, then kindly remind them they get to start fresh the next day.If you see that a particular student is getting a lot of warning cards then it may be time to re-think the consequences.When a child has to turn a card, use this as an opportunity to teach the child the correct behavior that should have been displayed.Reward the students that stay on green all week. Have Free-Time Friday and allow students to choose fun activities and games. For the students that flipped over an orange or red card during the week, they will not be able to participate.

To date human rights law has contributed little in terms of gender and Essay

To date human rights law has contributed little in terms of gender and sexuality related rights. Discuss - Essay Example Contextually, we must proceed to analyse the effects of human rights law in relation to gender and sexuality linked rights. This paper utilises a detailed review of academic and legal literature which is followed by a legal analysis. Next, case examples have been appended and the paper finally culminates at an appropriate conclusion. Evolution of the human rights law framework is one of the relatively recent developments. To understand the implications, backgrounds and characteristics of gender and sexuality related rights in relation to human rights, review of the literature related to feminism and feminist jurisprudence in particular becomes rather important. Hilaire Barnett has attempted to evaluate the relevance and implications of feminist jurisprudence from feminist, historical, socio-cultural and legal perspectives.1 Historical evidence of discrimination against women can be empirically testified by the practices like Chinese footbinding, female circumcision, Hindu suttee of India, European witch murders, wife sale in England, etc. A comparative analysis of these historic socio-cultural trends reveals the existence of certain tendencies in the society which give rise to gender-based violence against women. The legal developments too have been affected in efforts to curb these tendencies. For example, British colonial rulers in India had to pass a legislation that stopped the practice of Hindu suttee during the 19th century. Hence, gender inequalities and related violence have been intercultural and appropriate legal action in this regard must always be welcome.2 Further, analysis of gender based crime against women is extremely important in the context of criminal law as well. Law’s engagement with the female body is not only an ethical but also a technical issue in evaluating the existing criminal law framework.3 Addressing discrimination issues in regards of women is thus important in the context of UK. In fact, British women

External and Internal Environments Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

External and Internal Environments - Term Paper Example This also indicated that this firm is the 14th most profitable when compared with many other firms of its size (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). Upon considering further metrics, Forbes Global 2000 ranked General Electrics as the third largest company in the world. This paper seeks to discuss the internal and external environments of General Electrics Company. Segments of the general environment The general environment revolves around every condition in the outside or external environment, which is part of a background context of a managerial decision-making. In simple terms, the general environment of an organization is generally the outer layer that widely affects the organization indirectly and in many ways (Heide, 2008). Typically, environmental issues that may affect an organization consist of the social cultural conditions, economic conditions, technological conditions, political and legal conditions and demographic conditions. With reference to the General Electrics Company, two segments of the general environment would rank highest in their influence on this corporation. They are technological conditions and economic conditions (Griffin, 2012). Particularly, every company that chooses to invest heavily in technological advancements stands to benefit a lot especially when it outshines its competitors. General Electronics deals with products and services wherein technology plays a huge role in their success or failure. For instance, General Electrics offers healthcare products (P&Ls) for surgical operations (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). In this business, General Electrics offers a market-leading healthcare in interventional imaging and intra-operative that facilitates guidance for minimal invasive surgical procedures. Imaging products for surgery are integral in more than one sector as they are also pragmatic in other fields, which include orthopedics, general surgery, neurosurgery, cardiology, urology, GI and for specified processes such as management of pain (Heide, 2008 ). Indeed, technological conditions rank highest in its influence on the General Electrics operations. This is so because the world is today flooding with different ways of meeting the same goal but with different means indicating that technology is playing a huge role in influencing the functioning of many corporations (Ireland, Hoskisson, R. & Hitt, 2008). Economic conditions would also rank highest in their influence on the General Electrics provision of services since economic conditions change with time. Profoundly, a company’s performance and operations depend highly on the economic conditions of the time (Ireland, Hoskisson, R. & Hitt, 2008). Economic conditions would rank highest in influencing the operations and performance of this corporation because uncertainty regarding current global economic status poses great risk as its core consumers may continue postponing their spending decisions (Kurtz & Boone, 2011). This could be in response to negative financial news, u nemployment, tighter credit and/or deterioration of the asset or income values. Hence, economic conditions would rank highest in influencing the service provision of this corporation given such uncertainties could cause material negative effects on demand of the company’s products and services (Griffin, 2012). General environmental factors like the economic conditions and technological state have a heightened rank in the operations an

Human and animal interrelationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human and animal interrelationships - Essay Example Although highly anthropomorphized in their thinking and approaches, the rabbits are true to the idea of wild rabbits. Most animals in the wild make an effort to avoid humanity and their interactions are often that of hunter versus prey, forced domestication, and protection of crops and property (Grandgeorge, and Hausberger 397-399). They, human beings, are seldom beneficial for the animals in the long run. I find this book to be a realistic manifestation of human and animal interactions in that it provides a realistic relationship of avoidance and inadvertent contact. Chapter Summaries/Analysis PART 1: The Journey Chapter 1: The Notice Board The opening introduces us to the rabbits, and the main characters, of the â€Å"Sandleford† Warren. The rabbits are out grazing when they are forced away from a the â€Å"cowslip† growing in the field by the Warren Owsla, which is the ruling class and pseudo military of the warren, who believe that the best foods are reserved for th em. Fiver, Hazel’s brother, is thought to be a bit psychic believes that something bas is going to happen but he does not know what. He directs attention to a sign posted on the property. The rabbits cannot read it, but it clearly states that human construction is coming to this filed; this means that Fiver’s vision may not be entirely unfounded (Adams 11-160). Human beings, although not there in person, have a very important role in the opening of this story; in fact, they are the motivating factor in Five’s fears. The sign represents the human presence and intentions for the area presently being occupied by the rabbit warren. This could be perceived as an example for human shortsightedness and disregard for the consequences of their actions where other species are concerned and the threat they present to other living things homes. The relationship between the animals and man is one of negative cause and effect, without interaction at all. Chapter 2: The Chief Rabbit Fiver's concerns and dreams about the â€Å"bad† things that are coming are getting worse. He wakes Hazel in the night because he believes that they all must leave the warren before it is too late. The next morning Hazel takes his brother to speak to the Chief Rabbit, ruler of the warren, about fiver’s fears. They have to convince BigWig, Owsla guard, that the issue was important enough to disturb the Chief. He relays his vision to the Chief who ultimately dismisses them without really believing them. Hazel defended his brother’s â€Å"gift† but to no avail. BigWig receives an unpleasant admonishment for letting them in the first place (Adams 17-21). The interaction of humans in this chapter is nonexistent. Other than the reference made to Fiver’s vision and the posting in the field. However, no direct or indirect human interaction occurs. This chapter is used to show readers those daily goings-on within the warren. Chapter 3: Hazel’s Decision Hazel decides that he, his brother, and any other warren members that want to will be leaving the Warren. Dandelion and Blackberry explain that life for the bucks, male rabbits, in the warren that were not members of the Owsla life was not very promising. BigWig, also, wants to go. However, Captain Holly, in particular is an Owsla that may mean trouble for them (Adams 22-25). Again the human presence in this chapter is essentially irrelevant. They do not appear in this chapter in any way, shape or form. Chapter 4: The Departure This point in the

Social work research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social work research - Essay Example Early diagnosis and interference in toddlers with learning disorders makes a considerable development in self-confidence and communal capability, which facilitates them in opening doors of chances in school and in the field of work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perin (1990) has shown in his work that the students with learning disabilities have above average or high intellectual capability. If they are provided with suitable support and instructions, then they can succeed in college academic programs. The community care has been provided to the students with learning disabilities in New York. The faculties of City University of New York (CUNY) and State University of New York (SUNY) have emphasized on the need of the students with learning disabilities (Perin, 1990, p. 2). Adams, Dominelli and Payne (1998) have debated that the communal worker’s main concern is ensuring that the public can handle or deal sufficiently with their lives. Under this approach, the community workers do not approve a theraupetic-helping role. Their involvements are much more practical –generally passing on information about sources and potentials (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 1998, p. 4). The stress on effects in the present competency –based strategies to social work is reliable to an ethical point of view that ignores procedures. The practitioners essentially want to avoid this position that follows the anti-oppressive strategies (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 1998, p. 8). Humphries (2000) portrayed that in a social model, disabilities arise from society’s breakdown to meet the obligations of the disabled individuals. It has been debated that conventional positivist and empirical research examples are repressive and alienating to loads of research subjects. It often deprives people and not leads to any development to their material situations (Humphries, 2000, p. 110). Lowes and Hulatt

New testament paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

New testament paper - Essay Example It will be shown that in Luke, Satan is given more dialogue and arguably, more emphasis with regard to a number of elements. Conversely, in Matthew, Jesus is provided with more dialogue, more personality, and thus, greater emphasis as a figure. By no means can it therefore said that Satan is more important, both are uniformly championing the realm of spirit against the realm of matter or material. Rather, the difference in emphasis will be examined in regard to the respective impact for the very significance of this duality or contrast. The difference of emphasis between Satan and Jesus, can be discerned at a number of junctures with regard to dialogue. Literally, one can quantify the amount of words provided by each and discern a measurable difference that represents a further distinction in emphasis. For instance, in line 4 both books articulate the idea that â€Å"Man shall not live on bread alone†, but Mathew adds: â€Å"but on every word that comes from the mouth of godà ¢â‚¬ (Mathew 4:4 and Luke 4). Further, in the line that follows the temptation presented to Jesus from Satan from the mountain top – that is, where he takes him to the top of the mountain and offers him everything in the earthly realm, Jesus is also given more dialogue. ... He is issuing a forceful command. Similarly, Jesus is actually â€Å"fasting† (Mathew 4:1) in Mathew whereas in Luke he merely â€Å"ate nothing† (Luke 4:1). There are religious overtones to fasting, whereas not eating does not carry the same weight. Jesus piety, reverence and humility finds greater emphasis with the idea of fasting especially when we consider what he says about it later: â€Å"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting† (Mathew 6:16). Fasting carries with it, connotations like sincere humility, and this emphasized in Mathew over and against Luke. As mentioned, the converse is true in Luke. That is, Satan is given more dialogue and more emphasis in a number of significant passages. Most notably, Satan's personality is more prominent in the line about taking Jesus to the mountain top. Consider the difference of emphasis in Luke: â€Å"I will give you all their authority a nd splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.† (Luke 4:6-7). Not only is this a more flourished emphasis, the usage of personal pronouns is quite astounding for such a small passage or phrase. The usage of 'I' occurs three times, and the usage of 'me' occurs twice. This is quantitatively different than the emphasis in Mathew, but also qualitatively succinct too with regard to the impact. By emphasizing the individuality of the figure, Satan is isolated and made a more succinct figure. The duality between the kingdom of god and that of Satan becomes glaringly contrasted as a result. By contrast, in Mathew he merely asks Jesus to bow down and worship him. In Luke, his power is emphasized become of the articulation

Discuss the Controversies of federalism that have arisen in America Essay

Discuss the Controversies of federalism that have arisen in America throughout its history - Essay Example The ruling denied the African people right to have the citizenship of the USA. The Dred Scott Decision intensified the causal factors of the Civil War in the USA (Cozzens). Slavery in the USA could not be stopped without the commencement of the Civil War. In the years between 1861 and 1865, more than six lac Americans lost their lives to achieve different objectives including preservation of the Union, defense of the rights of the states and the end of slavery. One of the controversies of federalism in the contemporary USA is the constitutional system in which, the state governments and the national government share power. When the presidential elections take place, voters are registered and elections are conducted by the states whereas the date for the national elections is set by the congress. The electoral votes are organizes by the national government while the ballots are counted by the states. The president is ultimately determined by the electoral votes organized by the national

New testament paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

New testament paper - Essay Example It will be shown that in Luke, Satan is given more dialogue and arguably, more emphasis with regard to a number of elements. Conversely, in Matthew, Jesus is provided with more dialogue, more personality, and thus, greater emphasis as a figure. By no means can it therefore said that Satan is more important, both are uniformly championing the realm of spirit against the realm of matter or material. Rather, the difference in emphasis will be examined in regard to the respective impact for the very significance of this duality or contrast. The difference of emphasis between Satan and Jesus, can be discerned at a number of junctures with regard to dialogue. Literally, one can quantify the amount of words provided by each and discern a measurable difference that represents a further distinction in emphasis. For instance, in line 4 both books articulate the idea that â€Å"Man shall not live on bread alone†, but Mathew adds: â€Å"but on every word that comes from the mouth of godà ¢â‚¬ (Mathew 4:4 and Luke 4). Further, in the line that follows the temptation presented to Jesus from Satan from the mountain top – that is, where he takes him to the top of the mountain and offers him everything in the earthly realm, Jesus is also given more dialogue. ... He is issuing a forceful command. Similarly, Jesus is actually â€Å"fasting† (Mathew 4:1) in Mathew whereas in Luke he merely â€Å"ate nothing† (Luke 4:1). There are religious overtones to fasting, whereas not eating does not carry the same weight. Jesus piety, reverence and humility finds greater emphasis with the idea of fasting especially when we consider what he says about it later: â€Å"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting† (Mathew 6:16). Fasting carries with it, connotations like sincere humility, and this emphasized in Mathew over and against Luke. As mentioned, the converse is true in Luke. That is, Satan is given more dialogue and more emphasis in a number of significant passages. Most notably, Satan's personality is more prominent in the line about taking Jesus to the mountain top. Consider the difference of emphasis in Luke: â€Å"I will give you all their authority a nd splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.† (Luke 4:6-7). Not only is this a more flourished emphasis, the usage of personal pronouns is quite astounding for such a small passage or phrase. The usage of 'I' occurs three times, and the usage of 'me' occurs twice. This is quantitatively different than the emphasis in Mathew, but also qualitatively succinct too with regard to the impact. By emphasizing the individuality of the figure, Satan is isolated and made a more succinct figure. The duality between the kingdom of god and that of Satan becomes glaringly contrasted as a result. By contrast, in Mathew he merely asks Jesus to bow down and worship him. In Luke, his power is emphasized become of the articulation

Country blues Essay Example for Free

Country blues Essay Blues evolved from an unaccompanied vocal music and oral tradition of African-American slaves and rural blacks in to a wide variety of styles and subgenres with regional variations across United States and later Europe and Africa. The musical forms and styles arose in the same region during the nineteenth century in the southern United States The country blues has been given several names such as folk blues, rural blues, backwoods blues, or down home blues. Blues is a choral and instrumental form of composition which is based on the use of the blue notes. This style originated in the Africa – American (Black Americans) communities of the United States. This kind of music transverse wide range of emotions and musical style . feeling blue is expressed in songs whose verses laments injustice or express longing for better life lost loves, jobs, and money. The central concept of blues performance is to be able to enable one to overcome sadness and lose the blues. Historically, the blues’ popularity coincides with the rise of the commercial recording industry, the introduction of race records aimed at black record –buyers after the year 1920, and the emigration of the black- Americans from the rural south to the modern urban North. (Philip, 1999) The country blues is usually considered to be an earlier form of the genre was first record in the mid-1920s . to day, there are several regional styles of country blues, which includes delta blues from the Mississippi delta. Texas blues and piedmont blues from the southeast . originally, country blues was usually recorded by a single singer, accompanied on the guitar or piano, with perhaps an accompanying harmonica, simple percussion. Starting year of 1930s, blues musicians fell under the influence of the urban cultures thus including the music and jazz. After the Second World War, the instruments were improvised hence electrified one were now in use . these included saxophones and amplified harmonicas. Especially in Chicago which is a prominent centre of blues recording Country blues were constructed from a much more diverse fluid musical field participated in by black and some white people. The use of blue notes and the performance of call-and response pattern in the music and lyrics art h indicators of African influences. The blues influenced the Americans and westerns popular music and then become integrated n to the genre of jazz, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, hip- hop and other popular music form. There are a few characteristics common to all blues due to the integration of other forms of music . some of the characteristic that were present long before the creation of the modern blues are cal –and response shouts which were functional expression. This was heard in slave fields shout sand holler, expanded into simple solo song laden with emotional content. The blues is nowadays known and seen musical style for both Europeans harmonic structure and the West Africa. Call-and responds tradition, transformed into interplay of voice and guitar. (Philip, 1999) The diddled bow ,which is a homemade one- stringed instrument was found in parts of America south in the early twenties century and Are African derived instrument that has assisted in the transferring of African performance techniques into the early blues instrumental vocabulary. also in the continued development of the blues music ,they adopted elements from Ethiopian and negro, including instrumental and harmonic accompaniment . he blues were loosely relate to ragtime but they preserved better the original melodic pattern of African music. ’ blues songs nowadays show many different structures which are based on tonic dominant chords and subdominant chords. These are all common in music the standard 12-bars is now recognized and documented form of blues from oral history and sheet music in African American communities through region along the lower Mississippi river. Original lyric form if blues was a single line repeated four times. The current most common structure is the repetition off one line once and this is followed by a single line conclusion. Early blues often were in the form of lose narrative where the singer expressed his or her personal woes in a world of harsh reality like a lost love, the cruelty of police officers, oppression at the hands of white folk, and hard times therefore the most oldest blues are records of gritty realistic information’s as it is in contrast with much popular music recorded at the time. Studies shows that the origin of blues spirituals was inside the exposure of slaves to their whites hence gospels origination. (Tony, 2004) The development of the blues was also triggered by the acculturation of the ex-slave population there was however ,essential africannesss in many aspects of the blues expression the social economic reasons for the appearance of the blues is that there was a transition from the slavery to sharecropping ,small-scale agricultural production and the blues have acted as a source of encouragement to them through the relief of third burdens through the interest that other communities have development, they get encourage to be the pioneers of impacting and framed kid f music thus they used in themes way in advertisements. The early 1900s development from group performance to more individualized style was associated with the newly acquired freedom of the enslaved people and again there was, according to Lawrence, there was a direct relationship between the national ideological emphases upon the individual teaching. Such developments were increased due to high perfumers had brought African-American music to new audiences both within the u. s and abroad. Great performers’ in19960s like John Lee Hooker continued to perform at enthusiastic audiences thus inspiring new artists in the traditional blues. Many compilations of classical prewar blues were published and together with music festivals, these brought blues to new audiences. White audiences’ interest in the blues also increased due to Chicago based movement in 1980s, blues to The resent both traditional and new genres are still being popular blue styles forms ,melodies and the blues scale have given a profound impact to the black community and the world ethnic groups as whole . First, these blue musical styles, forms and melodies have influenced many other genres of music. their scale has been everywhere in the popular music forms and informs many modal frames especially the ladder of the thirds used in the music . blues are also used by the community to pass their message to oppressors which I believed has lead the release of slave and the total banning of slavery and racism in the United State. (Davis, 1995) The most important direct predecessor of the blues was the spiritual, a form of religious song with its roots in the camp meeting of the great awakening of the early 19th century. So blues songs Spirituals were passionate song forms, which convey to listeners the same feeling of rootless ness and misery as the blues. This acts as a reminder of there past historical events hence their pasts grieves, . i. e. , Spirituals, however, were less specifically concerning the performer, instead about the general loneliness of mankind, and were more figurative than direct in their lyrics. Despite the earlier differences of the African- Americans and the Americans races have been brought together to interact by the interesting blues music. Blues have played important role of bring unity between the two enemies. The blues form styles acts as way of maintaining the vulture of Africans. This is evidence from the past records which still are much thrilling to many musicians. Though the different forms of blues are similar enough that they can not be easily separated many spirituals would probably have been called blues had that word been in wide use at the time. The social and economic reasons for the appearance of the blues are also important factors. This is because they brought a change in the economic development through the emergence of publishing industry. Blues has evolved from an unaccompanied vocal. Music of poor black laborers into a wide variety of styles and subgenres, with regional variations across the United States and this has been commercialized. (Davis, 1995) References Davis, F. (1995): the History of the Blues. New York: Hyperion Garofalo, R. (1997): Rockin Out: Popular Music in the USA. Allyn Bacon Lawrence W. L. (1977): Black Culture and Black Consciousness: Afro-American Folk Thought from Slavery to Freedom, Oxford University Press Philip, V. B. (1999): Immigrant, folk, and regional music in the twentieth century, in The Cambridge History of American Music, ed. David Nicholls Cambridge University Press Tony, B. (2004): Afro-Blue: Improvisations in African American Poetry and Culture University of Illinois Press

E-Commerce Analysis: Online Ticket Purchasing

E-Commerce Analysis: Online Ticket Purchasing CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the background of the research study. It starts by providing an overview of Electronic Commerce, customer satisfaction and service quality, followed by an outline of the current situation concerning â€Å"Online Ticket Purchasing† in Kuwait. The problem of the study is then defined, highlighting the research the study seeks to investigate and its significance alongside the research objectives, questions and methodology used to achieve these desired objectives. The research limitations are then explored and the chapter concludes with an outline of the thesis structure. 1.2 OVERVIEW Unprecedented advances in Information Technology in recent decades, alongside evolving business environments have seen the emergence of Electronic Commerce (E-commerce) as a major economic force. With the increasing number of Internet users and rapid development of network technologies, e-commerce is perceived as an essential application of the computer and communication technologies (Manvi and Venkataram, 2005 cited by Zhang and Tang, 2006). As observed by Gunasekaran and Ngai (2005) e-commerce enhances communication channels and provides a virtual interactive environment where the suppliers and customers can exchange information and products. Moreover, it improves the communications between partners along the value chain and offers an integrated business model by which companies can be more responsive and flexible to the changing markets and customers requirements (Zhang and Tang, 2006). E- commerce therefore replaces or enhances the traditional market channels by opening web-based storefronts, which is known as â€Å"business to customer e-commerce†. Firms present their products and services on the web and generate revenue from the sales of those products and services to their customers (Molla and Licker, 2001). According to Khalifa and Liu (2003) there has been considerable growth of internet based services, both from internet businesses and from traditional companies developing online services. The technology of e-commerce identifies what can be offered to customers, but only customers determine which of those technologies will be accepted (Lin, 2003). As Jamal (2004) has argued, in the last forty years the issue of customer satisfaction has been one of the most important theoretical as well as practical issues for most marketers and customer research. Satisfaction is significant in the success or failure of any business depending on the performance of the perceived service, if the perceived performance is less than customer expectation the customer will be dissatisfied; whereas, if the perceived performance exceeds their expectations then customers will be satisfied. Many researchers agree satisfaction is an attitude or evaluation that is formed by the customer comparing their pre-purchase expectations of what they would receive from the product to their subjective perceptions of the performance they actually experience (Oliver, 1980). Numerous studies on service quality and customer satisfaction present service quality and customer satisfaction as conceptually distinct, but closely related constructs. Satisfaction is defined as the degree of discrepancy between customers normative expectations for the service and their perception of the service performance (Parasuraman et al., 1994; Dabholkar, 1996). Different researchers such as Gronroos (1983) and Parasuraman et al. (1985) have tried to identify features of service more related to quality assessments. The most common measure reveals ten dimensions of service quality: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, communication, credibility, security, competence, courtesy, understanding the customer and access. These were then filtered to 5 dimensions and based on these 5 items a measurement tool for service quality was devised known as SERVQUAL (PUT SOURCE HERE!!!). While Yang (2001) highlighted the rapid growth of online retailing with broadening experiences of consumers online shopping, Santos (2003) believes that e-service quality can increase attractiveness, hit rate, customer retention, stickiness and positive word of mouth. It can also maximize competitive advantages of e-commerce. Numerous researchers have the discussed the dimensions of e-service quality including Cox and Dale (2001), Madu and Madu (2002), Parasuraman (2002), Yang et al. (2003), Parasuraman et al. (2004) and Lee and Lin (2005), yet online retailers appear to fail due to poor quality services provided to their customers. For that reason online service quality is significant for two reasons: (1) it influences customers satisfactions and intentions to shop online and (2) e-service quality plays a major role in attracting potential customers (Cai and Jun, 2003). Zeithaml (2002) points out online companies should focus on all elements of e-service quality before, during and a fter the transaction, as e-service quality is the extent to which a website facilitates efficient and effective shopping, purchase and delivery. 1.2.1 E-Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a critical element in the success or failure of any business. Web customer satisfaction has been emphasized as crucial by the rising demand for long-term profitability of dotcom companies and traditional companies that are â€Å"Net enhanced† (Pather, Erwin and Remenyi, 2002). An understanding of the factors that influence web customer satisfaction is vital for e-commerce. Satisfaction is a result of an effective evaluation, where some comparison standard is compared to the actually perceived performance. If the perceived performance is less than expected, customers will be dissatisfied. In contrast, if the perceived performance exceeds expectations, customer will be satisfied (Lin, 2003). A broad idea of traditional service quality might not be enough to build the e-service quality dimension, hence amending several variables is important. Santos (2003) discussed the e-service quality dimensions of, ease of use, web-appearance, linkage, structure and layout, content as the incubative dimensions; reliability, efficiency, support, communication, security, and incentive as active dimensions. This paper focuses on achieving a measurement of the service quality of the Jazeera Airways Website as perceived by their passengers, using a conceptual model of e-service quality developed by Santos (2003). 1.3 ONLINE TICKETING Electronic ticketing over the Internet facilitates the buying or reservation of tickets online, by making the process more easily accessible and convenient. Through these services tickets may be purchased from any location and at any time, provided an Internet connection exists. The tickets are ordered from a web site that provides both ticket information and the purchasing or reservation service. Internet booking or online ticketing concentrates on providing a helpful and efficient service to clients. Firms who sell travel tickets, performing arts, game tickets, concerts, movies and many other activities have notably embraced the online ticketing system according to Burford (1998). Convenience is a main advantage of buying tickets via the internet as the service is available at any geographical location, including ones home via laptop and cellular phone and at any time or day. Electronic ticket services have a further advantage by providing relevant information along with the service. This can help purchasing decisions and may encourage future usage (Burford, 1998). Another feature is that apart from maintenance and data updates, no manpower is necessary to offer the service once it has been established. The process of recording the transactions is more automated and overheads are reduced. An essential point is that ticket providers while providing a convenient service are thereby improving their public image and encouraging return customers (Burford, 1998). A number of countries across the globe are already benefiting from electronic ticketing including the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and France. In fact the U.S.A. it has 80% market p enetration, while in Europe it is approximately 40% and in the U.S.A. more than $350 million dollars in event tickets were sold online during 2000 increasing to $3.9 billion in 2004 (Bhatia, 2004). 1.3.1 Online Services and E-Ticketing in Kuwait The internet is a technology with many properties with the potential to transform the competitive landscape in many industries while at the same time creating completely new industries (Afuah and Tucci, 2003). The revolution of the internet continues to excel leading to rapid changes in many fields, at an overwhelming speed. In Kuwait, prior to 1990 internet usage was limited to electronic mail and minor services, however in 1992 a decision was made by the Ministry of Communication to facilitate the public data network. In the same year the National Science Foundation agreed to extend the Internet to Kuwait at a time when it was only available for US institutions and some selected institutions overseas. In recent years with the support of the Kuwaiti government for IT plans, practical steps have been taken in this field with the possibility of payment for mobiles and traffic tickets via the internet and the sale of online airlines tickets for the first time. These advances indicate the growth and development in the IT field in Kuwait as a whole. In 1943, the oil boom opened a new chapter in the modern history of Kuwait as The Kuwait Oil Company Limited (KOC) was founded. By 1947-1948 KOC developed the new Al-Nugra (Al-Mayass) Airport, located in the Nuzha district, operating in daylight only, with airlines opening offices in Kuwait City to handle ticketing and cargo operations for the Arab expatriate community. By 1954, the Kuwaiti National Airlines Company celebrated the arrival of the first airplane, which was called â€Å"Kazma† (http://www.da.gov.kw). The worldwide revolution of low-cost carriers (LCCs) started successfully with Pacific Southwest Airlinesin the United States, which pioneered the concept in 1949. Notable successes which have followed are Irelands Ryanair, which began low-fares operations in 1990, and EasyJet, formed in 1995. These low cost carriers then developed in Asia and Oceania from 2000 led by operators such as Malaysias AirAsia, Indias Air Deccanand Australias Virgin Blue. The low-cost carrier model is applicable worldwide, although deregulated markets are most suited for its rapid spread. In 2006, new LCCs were announced in Saudi Arabia and Mexico (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com). On September 12, 2005 Jazeera Airways owned by Marwan Boodai, Chairman and CEO, announced its first flights were open for booking. Jazeera Airways is the first privately owned airline in the Middle East, established in Kuwait. It offers passengers ticketless flights to Dubai, Lebanon, Damascus, Amman and Bahrain via the web, by phone, SMS or through travel agents (www.jazeeraairways.com). Breaking away from out-dated business models by developing a new model tasked with raising operational efficiency requires incorporating the latest revenue management procedures into the company and installing state-of-the-art technologies. This will ultimately enable travelers to become more independent in their bookings and payment. With tickets sold through a website as the main distribution channel, online booking is a very efficient distribution method for airlines. It reduces the number of back office staff and reduces the payment cycle. Jazeera Airways has worked hard to entice travelers to book through its website by making it the cheapest method to purchase tickets. Many promotional offers made by the company are available only to travelers who book online, therefore Jazeera Airways strategy is rewarding travelers who book online (www.jazerraairways.com) 1.4 PROBLEM DEFINITION Understanding customers requirements is vital to any business enterprise in order for it to remain competitive. Customer satisfaction is of great interest since it has a direct effect on customer retention, loyalty and the prospect of new customers. Retention is a major challenge, as customers can easily switch from one service provider to another considering the internet can facilitate easy access to a wide variety of choices with lesser cost. Acquiring new customers may involve significant cost on the part of the company in terms of marketing, advertising and promotion. Hence it is important to understand the determinants of customer satisfaction and assess the current experience of the customer in order to improve services. Customer satisfaction is a major issue of Jazeera Airways and good online service quality is a key factor that will determine in the long term, whether it will succeed or fail in retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Due to rapid technological advancements in the marketplace Jazeera Airways maintains a close relationship with their customers, as their expectations and perceptions of online service quality may change. This research will therefore be conducted on Jazeera Airways, the first low cost airline in Kuwait. Jazeera Airways offers online ticketing in its website as the main distribution channel. Therefore it is important to take into account the quality of its website and to pay more attention to customer evaluation of the service given. Customers want to make their own bookings in their own time without depending on middlemen; as a result it is necessary that online service quality determinants lead to satisfaction. Dissatisfied travelers may perceive one of the following: Web sites do not seem to have many of the very basic features that experts consider important in forming relationship with customers. Service providers undervalue the attributes that customers use to judge service quality that should be monitored and enhanced to help the service performance. There are other variables of the online service quality that affect the overall travelers satisfaction. Therefore this research aims to address such problematic issues by researching the relevant factors including current opinion of the airline users. 1.5 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES As this research study aims to examine the customer satisfaction of the service of Jazeera Airways in online ticketing through the quality delivered through its website, its main objectives are as follows: To assess the perception of each service of Jazeeras e-service Quality dimensions. To evaluate consumer satisfaction towards e-service quality for online service quality within Jazeera. To determine the important dimensions leading to satisfaction when purchasing online tickets within Jazeera. 1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS In order to fulfill the objectives of this study, the following questions need to be addressed: What key incubative dimensions do online customers perceive as important for their e-service quality? What key active dimensions do online customers perceive as important for their e-service quality? What are the most influential online service quality dimensions of the website as perceived by respondents with a high level of customers satisfaction in the Jazeera Airways website? What are the most influential online service quality dimensions of Jazeera Airways contributing to customer satisfaction when examining the Jazeera Airways website? Are the different socio-demographic variables involved perceiving e-service quality and satisfaction in the same way or differently? 1.7 Research Methodology This research is considered deductive, quantitative, descriptive, explanatory, and exploratory to some extent type of study. The research follows the survey strategy approach and consists of 67 questions composed of a two page questionnaire distributed to the target sample in Kuwait. Data was collected using Arabic and English questionnaires, from a sample size of X passengers who booked online through Jazeeras website. The questionnaire consists of four sections (A, B, C, D). Section A solicits demographic information. Section B evaluates Jazeeras Airways e-service quality using an adapted Santos (2003) model. Section C measures the level of customer satisfaction. Statements of Section B and C are scaled using a Likert type scale from 1 to 5. Section D collects information added by customers that will add value to the research. 1.8 RESEARCH LIMITATIONS Throughout this research conducted in Kuwait regarding Jazeera Airways website service quality a number of limitations were noted as follows: The thesis investigates the customer satisfaction of Jazeeras Airways website service quality and does not include the companys perspective/point of view; therefore the study is limited in its scope to customers and not employees or managers. The study does not include product quality, price, situational factors, personal factors, and other services provided by Jazeera Airways. Using a quantitative approach only towards addressing the research problems, a qualitative approach is lacking. The research scope is limited as it assesses Jazeera online service â€Å"e-ticketing† excluding airport customer services such as check in, luggage, lounge and on board services. There is limited relevant literature concerning service quality in the airline industry in Kuwait and the region, therefore there are no previous findings or frameworks to consult. 1.9 THESIS STRUCTURE This study is composed of five main chapters. Chapter One presents the background details of the selected research area and the experience in Kuwait, followed by the problem definition, the research objectives and questions, the methodology, the studys limitations and the thesis structure. Chapter Two discusses related theories, concepts and models providing a comprehensive review and an insight into the subject area as a whole, followed by an explanation of the research to the country of Kuwait. Chapter Three describes the methodology, research design and techniques used in the collection and analysis of the data. Chapter Four presents the gathered data, their interpretation and analysis. Chapter Five looks at the findings, assessing whether they satisfy the research questions and objectives to draw conclusions from the results. Based on these conclusions, recommendations for management are provided with further suggestions for future research. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION In this chapter a comprehensive review of available related literature is made concerning website service quality and customer satisfaction. In the process various concepts, models and theories covering customer satisfaction, determinants of customer satisfaction, the relationship between online service quality and satisfaction and online service quality dimensions are presented and explored to give the study a wide ranging theoretical basis. In addition the relevance of the research to the country of Kuwait is also addressed. 2.2 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 2.2.1 Definition of Customer Satisfaction Oliver (1980) explains satisfaction as the summary of a psychological state resulting when the emotion surrounding disconfirmed expectations is coupled with a consumers prior feelings about the consumer experience. In other words, satisfaction is an attitude or appraisal that is created by the customer comparing their pre-purchase expectations of what they would receive from the product or service to their subjective perceptions of the performance they actually did receive. Customer satisfaction has become a key intermediary objective in service operations, because of the benefits it conveys to organizations (Ranaweera and Prabhu, 2003). The importance of customer satisfaction results from the generally accepted philosophy that for a business to be successful and profitable, it must satisfy customers (Shin and Elliott, 2001). While many authors have described satisfaction using various definitions, Table 2.1 presents a few notable explanations of customer satisfaction. Table 2.1 Definition of Customer Satisfaction Definition Author Customer satisfaction is a collective outcome of perception, evaluation and psychological reactions to the consumption experience with a product/service. Yi (1990) Satisfaction is function of consumers belief that he or she was treated fairly. Hunt (1991) Satisfaction is a persons feelings of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a products perceived performance (or outcome) in relation to his or her expectation. Kotler et al. (2000) Source: Research based From the above table we understand that satisfaction is the consumers evaluation of the product and service that meet their needs and expectations. According to Parker and Mathews (2001) there are two main interpretations of satisfaction; satisfaction as a process and satisfaction as an outcome. Whereas Gustafsson (2005) argues satisfaction has a strong positive effect on customer loyalty intentions across a wide range of product and service categories. 2.2.2 Determinants of Customer Satisfaction Zeithaml et al. (2005) argued that satisfaction, as shown in 2.1, is influenced by service quality perception, product quality, and price as well as situational and personal factors. Economists differentiate between two categories of properties of consumer products; search qualities and experience qualities. With search qualities consumers determine before purchasing a product like color, style, price, fit, feel, hardness and smell. Experience qualities, are hard to determine; as a result it can be evaluated after the purchase and until the service is received like vacations and restaurant meals (Zeithaml et al., 2005). Keaveney (1995)ppp.jpg point out that a main reason leading to customers switching services is price, as customers, based on prior experience with the service provider, sometimes felt cheated and believed that price increases were unfair or even deceptive. According to (Zeithaml et al., 2005) comparing the price relative to value and state, research reveals that customers of services will make trade-offs among different service features such as price level versus quality. A number of customers, for example, view price as an important element for their satisfaction more than quality. Perceived service quality is only one factor of customer satisfaction (Zeithaml et al., 2005). Consequently to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction, most researchers suggest that a high level of service quality should be delivered by the service provider as service quality is normally considered an antecedent of customer satisfaction (Cronin et al. 2000). Zeithaml et al. (2005) described a consumers emotional state as a personal factor. Satisfaction will vary due to customers biographical characteristics such as age, gender, education, ethnicity and income (Gilbert and Veloutsou, 2006;Van Pham and Simpson, 2006). Customers take partial responsibility for outcomes and describe those negative feelings that influence how a consumer responds to services, causing a person to overreact negatively to the slightest problem (Zeithaml et al., 2005). Situational factors can notably influence purchase decisions such as social environment, physical environment of the purchase place, time influence and the previous states (Vysekalovà ¡, 2004; Nagyovà ¡, 2001). 2.3 The Evidence of Service (3Ps) Services are intangible; therefore customers are searching for evidence of service in every interaction they have with the organization. The three major factors of service experienced by customers are: people, process, and physical evidence. Together these elements are considered as an evidence of the service. Each evidence or subset is present in each service 2.2. Firms should essentially manage the service quality that will lead to satisfying their customers (Bitner, 1993). 2.4 SERVICE QUALITY Numerous researchers have defined service quality their own ways, including Bitner, Booms and Mohr (1994) who described service quality as the consumers overall impression of the relative inferiority / superiority of the organization and its services. Perceived service quality is only one component of customer satisfaction (Zeithaml et al., 2005). According to Parasuraman et al. (1994) service quality is defined as, the degree of discrepancy between customers normative expectations for the service and their perception of the service performance. Gronroos (1982) stated that total service quality is customers perception of difference between expected service and perceived service. Afterward in 1984, he then explained service quality of the service encounter as two different dimensions: one is technical or output quality and the other functional or process quality. Therefore, service quality has become a well-liked area of academic investigation, recognized as a major factor in differentiating service products and gaining competitive advantage (Zeithaml et al., 1996). Table 2.2 presents the concept of service quality from varied authors viewpoints who combined suggest we can understand that meeting the need and requirements and achieving customers expectations depends on delivering the best level of service quality. Notably with time, service quality takes place before and leads to overall customer satisfaction Table 2.2 Definition of Customer Satisfaction Definition Author Service quality as the subjective comparison that customers make between the quality of the service that they want to receive and what they actually get. Gefan (2002) Service quality can be defined as â€Å"the difference between customers expectations for service performance prior to the service encounter and their perceptions of the service received†. Asubonteng et al. (1996) Service quality is determined by the differences between customers expectations of services providers performance and their evaluation of the services they received. Parasuraman et al. (1985,1988) Source: Research based Gilbert and Veloutsou (2006) determined different approaches to measure customer satisfaction, varying between measuring expectations relative to perception or measuring the performance aspect only, without relating it to the desired level of service. Service quality has been found to be an important input to customers satisfaction (Caruana, 2002). 2.4.2 Dimensions of Service Quality Service quality has been the focus of increased study in recent years as many researchers have tried to reveal features of services that significantly relate to quality evaluation in traditional service environments. In 2001 Brady and Cronin presented a model consisting of interaction quality, physical environment quality, and outcome quality. These dimensions draw on, among others, the work of Gronroos (1982) and Rust and Oliver (1994) who suggest that exploring both what is delivered (Gronroos technical quality) and how it is delivered (Gronroos functional quality) are important aspects of service quality. Table 2.3 Dimensions of Service Quality Quality Requirement Description Reliability Reliability Consistency of service/ dependability, i.e. the ability to provide the service on time, accurately and dependably Responsiveness Responsiveness Willingness/readiness of employees, i.e. the ability to deal effectively with complaints and promptness of services Assurance Credibility The extent to which the service is believed and trusted; involves honesty, trustworthiness and believability Courtesy The politeness, respect, consideration and friendliness shown to the customers by the contact personnel Security The freedom from danger, risk and doubt Competence The possession of staff of the necessary skill, knowledge and information to perform the service effectively Empathy Access The ease of approachability and contact Communication Listening to customer and keeping them informed about the service Understanding the customer Trying to understand the customers needs and specific requirements Tangibles Tangibles Appearance of personnel and condition of equipment Source: Parasuraman et al. (1985); Ghobadian et al. (1994); Curry and Herbert (1998) A most widely used and accepted study done on service quality is by Parasuraman et al. (1985). Having developed ten dimensions through focus group studies: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, communication, credibility, security, competence, courtesy, understanding the customer, and access. These ten dimensions were then filtered and extracted to five: tangibles, reliability, responsibility, assurance, and empathy, which constitute the basis of a global measurement for service quality, SERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Based on these five dimensions researchers presented a 22-item service quality scale and on an operational level service quality research has been dominated by the SERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al., 1985; Curry and Herbert, 1998). Table 2.3 presents a description of the service quality dimensions. 2.4.3 Relationship between Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality Service quality has been found to be an important input to customer satisfaction (Caruana and Malta, 2002). Cronin and Taylor (1992) examined the causal relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, and purchase intention. The results suggested that service quality was an antecedent of consumer satisfaction, service quality had less effect on purchase intentions than did consumer satisfaction, and consumer satisfaction had a significant effect on purchase intentions. Customer satisfaction had a stronger effect on behavioral intentions than service quality did (Dabholkar et al., 2000). As a process in time, service quality takes place before, and leads to overall customer satisfaction. Customers loyalty was affected by product quality, service quality, and retailer image. They also suggested that quality of product and service is directly related to customer satisfaction, and then leads to the loyalty of the customer (Cà ¶ner and Gà ¼ngà ¶r, 2002). Based on empirica l findings in service quality and satisfaction literature, service quality is one of the antecedents of satisfaction (Anderson and Sullivan, 1993; Cronin and Taylor, 1992), and loyalty is one of the consequences of satisfaction. Luarn and Lin (2004) indicated that not only customer satisfaction and perceived value directly affected customer loyalty, but also indirectly affected customer loyalty through commitment. 2.5 THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SERVING CUSTOMERS According to Parasuraman (2000), delivering excellent customer service is vital in case customers have to serve themselves by technology-based systems. With quick penetration of technology-based customer-company interfaces such as online banking and e-commerce, employee-delivered service is being replaced by self-service, reducing the need for face-to-face encounters between customers and company personnel. However, this fundamental shift does not mean that companies can afford to ignore customer service. Development of self-service technologies need to emphasize customer service to ensure the customer-technology interface is user-friendly, putting in place an excellent customer-service infrastructure (including properly tr