Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Risk and uncertainty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk and uncertainty - Essay Example In contrast, there is an uncertainty when individuals are not informed of the outcome or of its distribution. Some authors suggest that risk is about the outcome of events whereas the uncertainty is specifically related to its probability. An effective inventory management is essential to ensure the better use of inventory. If the prevailing economic and market conditions are favourable, the organisation may use the inventory at its best level to generate more profits. Likewise, the firm should not choose to use inventory on a large scale when the existing business conditions are not promising. Businesses should use their excess capacity once they identify an emerging opportunity to expand their market territory or to increase sales volume. For instance, firms may use their excess capacity in peak seasons to take advantages of the favourable market situation. A cake manufacturing company must use its excess capacity in festival seasons like Christmas, New Year, and Easter because there will be an increase in the market demand of cake during these seasons. By using the excess capacity, the company can improve its production capacity to meet the increased supply needs. In addition, a company can use its excess capacity when demand conditions are favourable. To illustrate, a company would experience increased demand for its products/services following a positive review by reputed agencies and therefore the company must increase its capacity to benefit from this particular business situation. A number of strategies can be used to minimise risk/uncertainty exposure during the product launch (Harley Davidson low-to-the-ground hover bikes). It is clear that the organisation would not be informed of many risks and uncertainties when it launches the product into the market. A prior market survey can really assist the organisation to minimise its risk/uncertainty exposure to a great extent. The business can make use of the wide popularity of the social

Monday, October 28, 2019

Movie ticket pricing Essay Example for Free

Movie ticket pricing Essay Household behavior forms an interesting area of study for economists given that the human aspect involved in making of economic decisions by a household vary a lot depending on the perception of a commodity or service in the market. This is done in the view of gaining a certain level of utility only known to the consumer. One such area that has attracted scrutiny is the consumption and pricing of movie tickets and goods sold in the movie theaters. An article by Jennifer McNulty titled â€Å"Concessions on Movie Ticket Pricing? details the tricks present in the pricing of movie tickets and products such as popcorn crisps and soft drinks sold in the movie theaters. This paper critically analyses this article and discusses the economic sense in the article plus a reflection on the whole issue. Article review In this article the writer is worried about the high charges of popcorn in movie theaters than in ordinary shopping outlets. This she poses as the introductory question in the article asking â€Å"why does popcorn cost so much at the movies? † She notes that despite the high prices, movie goers are always willing to pay the high prices charged for the popcorn as evidenced by â€Å"all the people standing in line waiting to buy popcorn, soft drinks, and candy†. The author notifies us of the findings of a research by Stanford and the University of California, Santa Cruz that reveals the trick behind this idea. The findings show that charging lower prices for primary products in this case movie tickets and charging higher prices for secondary products in this case popcorn, beverages, peanuts etc drives the customer into seeing the bargain in the primary product and not the overcharging in the secondary product. This will always keep demand for both high courtesy of low price tickets. The author says â€Å"If you want to bring more consumers into the market, you need to keep ticket prices lower to attract them†. Products sold in movie theaters are charged on concession basis in that there is an added price on the product as a â€Å"commission† to the vendor. They account a lot in term of revenue for movie theaters as Jennifer says that â€Å"movie exhibition houses rely on concession sales to keep their businesses viable†. The idea according to Jennifer is that movie theaters transfer some movie charges to the concession goods. This then increases demand for movie tickets and revenues high but profits low. From the article we see that â€Å"Although concessions account for only about 20 percent of gross revenues, they represent some 40 percent of theaters profits†. Therefore it would seem that it is better to charge low prices for tickets so as movie consumers are made to believe that they have â€Å"saved† some amount on which they can spend on the concession goods. Unfortunately, this is just an illusion as the moviegoer ends spending more. Economic analysis of the article The movie theaters have hinged their business sense on the demand elasticity in response to price changes. They have noted that a proportionate increase in the price of movie tickets leads to a more than proportionate drop in demand of movie tickets. Therefore we would say that demand for movie tickets is perfectly elastic to price changes. On the other hand, demand for concession goods is not affected, as per the article by change in prices thus perfectly inelastic. Nevertheless, we would normally expect perfect some degree of elasticity when prices are increased to inconsiderate levels. This would probably force moviegoers to carry along products that they could have otherwise bought at the theater. From another economic perspective, we can say that there is a level of complementarity between the movie tickets and the concession goods though it is one sided. This is because of the fact that concession goods will and can only be consumed after purchasing a movie ticket. However, one can consume a purchase/consume a movie ticket without necessarily having to purchase any of the concession goods on sale in the theater. For fully complementary goods, it is impossible to consume one good in the absence of the other. In such cases, the price and demand of one affects the other. In the case of movie tickets and concession goods, the demand for movie tickets leads to a considerable increase in the demand for the more profitable concession goods. Unfortunately, demand for concession goods does not in any way affect the demand for movie tickets as a consumer can make use of the movie ticket alone without the concession good. Reflection Consumption of leisure hours by households do not usually follow economic principles witnessed in other goods and services. Households attach levels of utility on leisure hours as determined by fashion trends and culture. The idea of purchasing and consuming goods such as popcorns and peanuts in the movie theaters is something that has been nurtured by today’s generation and fashion. This is what is demonstrated in the article in that there is no economic sense that can link any complementing aspect between concession goods and movie tickets but just a creation of our society. It is thus the movie theaters that have capitalized on this fallacy to gain profits. I would personally think that the movie theaters have succeeded in making the best use an economic opportunity and are creating and inducing demand for otherwise low selling products in the name of concession goods. Therefore, the article plays its purpose of informing the moviegoers of where they â€Å"cheated†. In economic sense, the paper shows the power of elasticity in action.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Michael Levin vs. Richard Mohr :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Homosexuality - Michael Levin vs. Richard Mohr Homosexuality has been on debate for numerous years. It is mentioned in the Bible which is thousands of years old. But recently two philosophers have spoken how they feel about Homosexuality. Michael Levin and Richard Mohr's views on the subject are in conflict with one another. Levin argues that homosexuality is abnormal because it is a misuse of body parts that have evolved for use in heterosexual intercourse (Levin 354). Furthermore, because natural selection has made the exercise of heterosexuality rewarding to human beings, homosexuality has a high probability to unhappiness. Mohr refutes Levin's stance about homosexuality myths and stereotypes. He rejects arguments that homosexuality is immoral or unnatural. Levin exemplifies the point that homosexuality is misuse of body parts with the case of Mr. Smith, who likes to play "Old MacDonald" on his teeth so devoted is he to this amusement, in fact, that he never uses his teeth for chewing but instead takes nourishment intravenously. This is a clear example where Mr. Smith is misusing his teeth. In addition to misuse, Levine states that this man will have a dim future on purely physiological grounds (Levin 355). Since Mr. Smith isn't using his teeth for chewing, his digestive system will suffer from disuse. The result will be Mr. Smiths deteriorating health. Levin incorporates the evolution process into this example. He states that Mr. Smith descended from creatures who enjoy the use of such parts. Creatures who do not enjoy using such parts of their bodies will tend to be selected out. In particular, human males who enjoyed inserting their penises into each other's anuses have left no descendants. Homosexuality is likely to cause unhappiness because it leaves unfulfilled an innate and innately rewarding desire (Levin 355). Mohr takes a completely different stance on homosexuality. According to Mohr, homosexuality is perfectly unobjectionable. The unnaturalness charge that Levin give homosexuality carries a high emotional feeling. This feeling is usually expressing disgust and evincing queasiness. An example of such feelings are some people's response to women who do not shave body hair. Many of the people who have a strong emotional reaction, without being able to give good reasons for them, we think of them not as operating morally, but rather as being obsessed and maniac (Mohr 367). So the feelings of disgust that some people have to gays will hardly ground a charge of immorality. The idea of "natural" is a key defense in Mohr's debate. He states that natural is that it fulfills some function in nature. According to Levin, homosexuality on this view is unnatural because it violates the function of

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Alfred Hitchcock has been called ‘the Master of Suspense’, considering ‘psycho’ state how effectively he achieves the element of suspense in this film

Alfred Hitchcock has been called ‘the Master of Suspense', considering ‘psycho' state how effectively he achieves the element of suspense in this film. The film Pycho is known for its suspense. The dictionary definition of suspense is ‘the anxious uncertainty the audience feels while waiting for an event. It's an attraction/repulsion response, or that ‘oooooh errrrr' feeling! ‘ I personally think that suspense is the feeling of not knowing what's about to happen, feeling unsure of how to react to the next thing that happens. It puts you in to a state uncertainty or excitement, like you are waiting for a decision. It makes you feel a degree of apprehension or anxiety. Alfred Hitchcock was brought up in a strict Roman Catholic environment. He always knew exactly what was right and what was wrong and was aware of other people's wrong doings. This comes across in the film. Marion was the first woman to be murdered and she was also the first person to be seen as immoral, she was seen in white underwear in the first scene as she was in bed with a man she was having an affair with. This shows her flaunting her sexuality. She was also seen flushing the toilet just before she was murdered. This is another thing that Hitchcock was brought up to think was immoral also Hitchcock was a misogynist. This might explain why he killed off the main female character in the film. Work played a huge part in Hitchcock's life, he was a workaholic infact. People would describe Hitchcock as obsessive with his films because he would devote his life to and take so much pride in them. Psycho was released in 1960. The morals and attitudes of people were a lot different in 1960 to what they are now. There were far more of the population who attended church and would call themselves ‘christian'. Also there was a much surer sense of definite rights and wrongs; moral and immoral behaviour was much more clearly defined. In the film this comes through clearly. In 1960, men were thought to be superior to woman they certainly occupied the higher status in their occupations. Marion is at work and the man who has come in to speak with her boss is talking to her. He looks old and arrogant. He is boasting about how rich he is, telling Marion about how he is buying a house for his daughter. He is trying to chat up Marion but she ignores him. He sits on her desk so that he is at a higher level than her to show that he is more important. Marion is seen in her underwear. This was a very rare thing to see in any film in 1960. Before she stole the money she was seen in white underwear which is shocking enough. After she has stolen the money, she is seen again in her underwear but this time it is black. White is seen as a pure colour so this is why she was wearing white before she stole the money where as black is not pure, a dirty colour, this is why she was wearing black after she had stolen the money, to symbolise that she has become immoral. The audience can now expect something bad to happen. Just before Marion steps into the shower were she gets murdered she flushes a check down the toilet. Films would never show a toilet being flushed in 1960. It was looked up on as an immoral thing to be seen. Now, in 2003, seeing someone flush a toilet on a film is completely normal. The film starts with a shot of Marion and Sam (her secret boyfriend) in bed. They talk about running away and getting married. Marion goes into work that day as if everything is normal. She sits down at her desk when her boss walks in with a man. The man sits down on her desk and starts telling Marion about the $40000 he has in cash to buy a house and he gives Marion the $40000 to put in the bank but Marion steals the money so that she can get married. She drives to a motel – the ‘Bates Motel', and gets herself a room. She spends sometime talking with Norman Bates, the owner, and then goes to her room for a shower but as she has a shower someone murders her. Norman then takes Marion's body and puts it in a river. Marion's sister, Lila, realises she is missing and asks Sam if he knows where she is, he doesn't. Arbogast is a detective who try's to find Marion so he goes to the motel to see if she is there but Norman says that he doesn't remember her. Arbogast still suspects something so he goes to Norman's house however as he goes up the stairs, he also gets murdered. Sam and Lila realise that Arbogast hasn't returned so Sam goes to the motel to look for him but he can't find him so then Sam and Lila go back to the motel. Marion's sister goes into the house to look for Norman's mother as Sam and Lila think that she knows something. Lila goes down to the cellar and finds a skeleton of Norman's mother just as Norman comes in to the cellar dressed as his mother with a knife to kill Lila but Sam stops him. Norman's mother was dead but he believed she was still alive, for example, he would pretend to be her and it was Norman being his mother who had murdered Arbogast and Marion. This is a horror/thriller film. It focuses on an individual who is mentally ill and it explores some of the possible consiqueses of mental illness. This is one of the most successful of Hitchcock films. This could be due to the amount of suspense in it. Hitchcock has used very successful techniques of creating suspense. There are many scenes in Psycho that are suspenseful for example the shower scene where editing was used in a bold and sharp way. The shower scene, in which Marion was brutally murdered, was a huge hit with its audiences. This is because is was so suspenseful. The quick cuts – the entire stabbing lasted only twenty seconds, the sound effects – you could hear the tearing of the flesh as the knife broke the skin but you never actually saw the knife cut the skin, the music – all strings, very high pitched, the sort of music that makes you cringe and know that something big is about to happen, all created a great amount of suspense. When Marion is in the shower we see the door of the bathroom open, but Marion doesn't. Seeing this makes us pay attention, at this point the suspense starts. Then the music starts and we see the knife. At this point we are almost certain that she is going to be murdered. Then the murderer pulls back the curtain and Marion screams. In my opinion, this is the most suspenseful point in the murder. As she is being stabbed, there are alternate shots of Marion and the knife and the music is very loud and fast. When the murderer has gone, everything slows down as Marion slides down the wall and falls to the ground. There is a close up on the blood going down the plug hole after the camera has very slowly zoomed in on it. There is then a close up on Marion's eye, as she lies dead on the ground, and the music is very low and slow and then all the action is over and the level of suspense suddenly drops. This plays with the mood of the audience, it takes them from a state of tension or anticipation, building up to the point were the murder is commited and then giving the audience a kind of release. The music plays a big part in creating suspense. The music used in Psycho is very sinister, high pitched and high tempo. The music not only creates suspense, it adds a certain amount of tension. As the camera focuses on different things, the music tempo and pitch changed to build suspense, for example, as the camera pans across the room with the money in it the music is a medium tempo but as the camera zooms in on the money the tempo of the music shoots up. This draws your attention to the money. Another of the most suspenseful scenes in Psycho is where Arbogast is murdered. He walks in to the house slowly and curiosly. This is suspenseful as the audience know he's looking for something and are waiting to see what it is. As he walks up the stairs, the audience see a door open slowly. This builds the tension and anxiety that the audience feel. We see someone step out of the room, at this point the music that was heard when Marion was murdered was played. The audience now associate this music with murder. The person who stepped out of the room starts to walk quickly over to Arbogast on the stairs. The music is very loud and quick at this point. The audience's heart rate is automatically increased and they are more exited/uncertain. You then again hear him being stabbed but don't actually see it. As Arbogast falls down the stairs, the camera is above him, and he then falls to the floor and the murderer stabs him again, then the music suddenly stops and the camera cuts straight to a different scene. All through that scene there is a lot of suspense. There is a great deal of suspense created in the scene where Lila goes to talk to Norman's mother. Lila walks down to the cellar. The audience thinks she is down there because Norman had said previously that he was taking her down there. When Lila walks into the cellar, she sees the back of who she thinks is Norman's mother. She turns Norman's mother around and find only the skeleton of her. Throughout this scene there is slow low music playing until she sees the skeleton then the music speeds up. We then see Norman running in to the cellar dressed as a woman. This confuses the audience but builds the suspense as the audience are unsure. When Norman walks into the cellar the music changes to the music played for the previous two murders. The music automaticly creates suspense as the audience presume there will be another murder. At this point, the audience immediately suspect that he is going to murder Marion's sister but then we see Sam who stops him from murdering her. This creates suspense because it is a twist to what has happened with the other murders, so we do not know what to expect. As Sam fights with Norman he knocks the light bulb so it is swaying. There is a close up of the skeleton, it is in the shadow, then in the light, then in the shadow again etc. because of the light bulb swaying. The audience feels calm at this point as the light bulb swaying slowly and quietly gives the impression that the drama is over. When Marion is driving away from Phoenix with the stolen money, the audience hear the voices in Marion head. We hear the voice of her boss, what he might say if he found out she had stolen the money. This is suspenseful because we are thinking what if her boss does know she stole the money†¦ what would he do? The voices make the audience feel anxious because they hear what Marion is thinking, and therefore they are put in Marion's position. We sympathise with Marion because we know what she is thinking. Although she stole the money, we don't feel sorry for Cassidy (the man whose money it was) he is a very arrogant man, he boasted about how much money he has and he tries to flirt with Marion. He doesn't respect Marion; he thinks he can easily get her because of his money. He says ‘I never carry as much as I can afford to lose. ‘ This tells us that he can afford to lose the money and it would be good to use the money for a good cause. If Marion had stolen the money from a charity, we would not sympathise with her because she is taking the money from a worthy cause. When Marion and Norman are in the parlour, Marion talks about Norman's mother. She suggests he puts her into a mental home. Norman's reaction to this suggestion builds suspense. He gets very angry and looks like he could get aggressive. He often compares people to birds as stuffing birds is his hobby. When Marion suggests his mother could go to a mental home, Norman compares his mother to one of his stuffed birds on the wall, he says how she is as harmless as one of them. He says how a mother is a boys best friend which makes us believe that he is very close to his mother but he is closer to her then anyone expected. Hitchcock has the title ‘The Master of Suspense'. I personally don't think that he deserves that title for this film. In 1960 he may have deserved it for this film as it was the first film like this, but now, in the year 2003, there are many films like this. It has suspense but I don't think it has enough suspense for him to have that title. Psycho is a horror/thriller film and it achieves the title of being a horror/thriller film better than it achieves the title of a suspenseful film.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Personal Finance Essay

Personal finance refers to the principal that is applied to the monetary decisions of an individual or a family unit. It addresses issues such as the ways in which the individuals or families obtain finance, budget, save and spend the monetary resources of a company over a given period of time while at the same time taking in account the financial risks and the future life events that are related to the businesses activities. The profits or loss of a company are derived by determining the incomes of a company and the expenses that are incurred by a company. If the incomes are more than the expenses the company generates profit for the company. If the expenses of the company are more than the incomes then the company incurs losses in the financial period of a company. Assumptions The income of Donna Terrell is estimated to be $3333 per month since it is assumed that he earns a salary that is equally distributed throughout the year. The expenses of Donna Terrell are also assumed to be evenly distributed throughout the year except in the months where Donna Terrell specified that the expenses were incurred in those months. After Sherman acquisition of his new job on June 2003 and his decision to assist Donna Terrell was a positive move since after the month of June the Donna’s business started to earn profits since in the previous months the business was incurring losses, but after June 2003 the company started to generate profits for the company, thus was in a position to run it affairs effectively (http://64. 233. 169. 104/search? q=cache:DmCJZy7zP6kJ) It is also assumed that Sherman would earn a salary that would be $1500 per the month that followed the month of June up to December 2003. In the first quarter of the year Donna business had been incurring losses from January to May 2008 since the amount of losses have been increasing rapidly since the expenses of the business were more than the incomes of the business. After Mr. Sherman decision to assist Mr. Donna in giving him financial assistance the business started to improve in its performance. The business incomes was greater than the expenses as from July to December of the Year 2003 and this contributed to the increased profits of the business as it continued with its operation until December 2003. As at December 2003 the Company had profits that were over $13000. The management of companies can run their activities if they ask for financial assistances from friends and also financial institutions since after the Mr. Sherman decision to assist Mr. Donna the performance of the company started to improve. The instances where the management of companies runs other business activities that generate revenue to a company this can contribute to the profitability of the company since the additional income increases the companies working capital that enables the company to generate as much revenue to the company hence its increased returns and finally this leads to the growth of the company. The management of companies should also plan their finances properly so as to avoid budget deficits as this can affect the performance of the company and also its reputation as this can result to reduce sales volume for a company hence in some cases due to the poor management of the companies finances the company go into liquidation that can lead to the closure of the company.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Henrik Ibsens Enemy of the People essays

Henrik Ibsen's Enemy of the People essays In Henrik Ibsen's play, Enemy of the People, Peter Stockmann is the real enemy of the people because he is primarily motivated by greed. He is a man with power and who does no mind using his influence to get what he wants despite who he has to hurt to get it. This paper will examine how Peter Stockmann's words and actions prove him to be the real enemy of the Our first indication that Peter might be less concerned with his fellow citizens than he is for himself comes from his reaction to his brother's news that the Bath establishment is a "permanent supply of poison" (I.143). Peter is very calm and seems to be only disturbed by the fact that such news could keep people from visiting the Baths. He asks Thomas, "Have you taken the trouble to consider what your proposed alterations would cost'" (II.155). Peter tells him that it would take nearly two years to complete the work and asks, "what are we to do with the Baths in the meantime' Close them' Indeed we should be obliged to. And do you suppose any one would come near the place after it had got about that the water was dangerous'" (II.156). These statements illustrate that Peter is more concerned with business than with the health of the community. Peter is also very arrogant. He does not think the people of the community deserve to know anything is they don't have to know it. He tells Thomas that "not a single word" (II.157) of the condition of the water should reach the public and that everything should be repaired in time in secret. When Thomas asks him if it is not the "duty of a citizen to let the public share in any new ideas" (II. 158), he tells him, "the public doesn't require any new ideas. The public is best served by the good, old established ideas it already has" (II.158). These statements indicate that Peter does not have much faith in the intelligence of the community. It also seems to reinforce hi...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Problem Solving and Data Analysis KeySAT MathConcepts

Problem Solving and Data Analysis KeySAT MathConcepts SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips SAT Math is divided intro three domains: Heart of Algebra Problem Solving and Data Analysis Passport to Advanced Math It's a good idea to get really familiar with what's going to be on the test, where it was derived, and what the SAT is really testing. This post will focus on one domain- Problem Solving and Data Analysis. This is an opportunity to get cozy with these concepts, and with the overall tapes of information that test-makers are looking for. Problem Solving and Data Analysis problems are all about applying your math knowledge to practical situations and looking at actual statistics instead of abstract, theoretical scenarios. Basic Information There are 17 questions in this domain (out of 58 total math questions). They aren't labeled or otherwise indicated on the test- you're never told which type of question you're working on. There are no Problem Solving and Data Analysis problems on the no-calculator section. You will always be permitted to use your approved calculator for questions from this domain- though you may not always need it. You will receive a subscore on a scale of 1-15 on this domain. There will be both multiple choice and grid-in questions. You'll be dealing with both single-step and multistep problems; sometimes, it's just a matter of reading the data and parroting it back, while other problems require a bit more manipulation of the numbers. General Concepts The test-makers want to know that you understand math thoroughly enough to use your skills in real-world settings. Quantitative reasoning is also crucial; you should be able to work with numbers and draw conclusions about what they imply. You’ll be working with a lot of numbers. Real-World Applications You should be able to build a representation of a problem. If a scenario is described to you, you should be able to model it mathematically by describing it with expressions and equations. You should know to consider the units involved. If there happens to be a shift of units (from feet to miles, or something like that), you should account for that as you calculate. You should keep track of the practical meaning of quantities. You're going to be representing real values with variables: don't forget what those variables represent. Also, be sure you understand how a change in one of these variables or quantities affects what's happening in the equation. For example, in a line ($y=mx+b$) with a positive slope (or value of $m$), increasing $x$ will also result in an increase in $y$. Data and Statistics There are a lot of graphs, charts, and tables that could be covered on the test. You should be capable of analyzing one-variable data in bar graphs, histograms, line graphs, and box-and-whisker plots- as well as two-variable data in scatterplots and two-way tables. In other words, you should be fluent in reading these various representations of data. You should be able to describe overall patterns. You'll have to identify positive and negative trends. You should be able to distinguish between linear and exponential growth. Specific Skills There are a number of skills that you'll want to be handy with on the day of the exam. In this section you'll find a discussion of these skills, including what they are and what they look like in action. In fact, let’s hope these skills aren’t all that new! Statistical Analysis The measures of center are arithmetic mean (average) and median. If they can't be calculated from what's given, you may still need to draw some conclusions about them. Even if you can't find the actual number, there may be a question about what possible values are, or how the values compare to another set of data. Outliers typically affect the mean, but not the median. The measure of spread to know is standard deviation. You've got to have the basic theory, but you won't need to calculate the exact value. You should be able to look at two sets of data and see which set is more spread out- that is, which has the greater standard deviation. Insofar as the precision of estimates is concerned, everything depends on the variability of the data and the sample size; smaller variability combined with a larger sample size makes for estimates that are more precise in terms of the actual population. Another tidbit of interest you should know is that randomization combats bias. You should, in context, be able to work with margins of error, which are affected by sample size and standard deviation. Confidence intervals should also be taken into account. The SAT always works with confidence intervals of 95%. This doesn’t mean that 95% of the population is necessarily described by the figure that’s been derived, just that we can be 95% certain that the descriptive figure that’s been reached is accurate. When analyzing the relationship between two variables, remember, correlation is not causation. If subjects for a sample are selected randomly, we can generalize to the entire population reasonably well. If subjects are randomly assigned to test groups, we can reasonably speculate about cause and effect. Otherwise, though, we’re out of luck. You should also be able to evaluate reports to make inferences, justify conclusions, and determine the appropriateness of data collection methods. Take a look at this problem: The correct answer here is (C). We know that removing one very high number from the set is not going to affect the median- the middle three values are all 12, so we know the median will still be 12, even if the middle of the data is shifted over one. The mean will shift somewhat if we don’t include the 24-inch measurement, but there are 20 other data points that anchor the mean at a relatively consistent value if any one value is removed. The range, however, will change from $24-8=16$ to $16-8=8$. The range gets cut in half if we remove the 24-inch measurement! That’s the measure that will change the most. Mathematical Models The domain of the SAT that we’re examining gives special attention to mathematical models. You must, therefore, be able to create and use a model. When two variables are presented in a graph, table, or other chart, you should be handy with analyzing and drawing conclusions with regards to the relationship between these variables. Relationships between variables can be modeled by functions, but remember the function is only a model! It may give scientifically accurate predictions, or it may just describe a general trend. You may be asked whether a model is good, acceptable, or entirely inappropriate. Let’s look at this problem: The geologist in the question provides a model regarding the country’s beach erosion. According to that model, beaches erode at a rate of 1.5 feet per year. 21 feet of erosion would therefore take 14 years, as $14(1.5)=21$. The functions you’re asked to work with may be linear, quadratic, and/or exponential. Linear and exponential are discussed in more detail below. Linear An important example of linear growth is simple interest, where you earn interest on your principal, each period, but not on any interest that has been added since that first deposit. This is modeled by the function: $A = P(1+rt)$. $P$ is the principal, $r$ is the interest rate, and $t$ is the amount of time interest has been accruing. Exponential An important example of exponential growth is compound interest, where you earn interest on the interest you’ve previously earned. This is modeled by the function: $A = P (1+r/n)^{nt}$, where $P$ is the principal, $r$ is the interest rate (typically annual), $n$ is the number of times the interest compounds per period (typically a year), and $t$ is the amount of time that has passed since the principal began accruing interest. Be careful! The stated rate of change may not be the same as the rate of change over time. This is typical of compound interest: You might take a loan at 9%, but if it compounds monthly, you’re really taking a loan at $(1+.09/12)^12 – 1 = 9.38%$ at the end of the year. On the other hand, you might make a deposit that accrues interest at a rate of 5%, but it compounds quarterly, so you’re really getting $(1+.05/4)^4 – 1 = 5.095%$ at the end of the year. Math and money are very closely linked. Ratios, Proportions, Units, and Percentages You’ll need to be familiar with direct proportionality/variation: $y = kx$, where $k$ is a unitless constant of proportion. This relationship may also be expressed as $x_1/y_1 = x_2/y_2$. You’ll need to know how percent increase and percent decrease work. Be careful about how you approach these problems; they can get a little tricky. Remember, for instance, that if you have a 20%-off coupon for an item that’s on a 20%-off sale, you won’t save 40%. You’ll save 36%, as you’ll pay 80% of 80% of the original price: $x(.8)(.8) = (.64)x = x - (.36)x$. Take a look at this pair of problems: This is the sort of situation where you’re asked to deal with quantities in very practical terms. These aren’t just numbers floating in and out of an abstract function; no, these numbers represent that annual budget, in thousands of dollars, for each of six different state programs in Kansas from 2007 to 2010. The first problem is asking for the approximate average rate of change in the annual budget for agriculture/natural resources in Kansas from 2008 to 2010. From 2008 to 2009, the budget grew by 127,099 thousands of dollars, or $127,099,000. From 2009 to 2010, the budget grew by 2,299 thousands of dollars, or $2,299,000. Thus, we add those two figures together, divide by two, and find that the average growth was $64,699,000, or, when rounding, (B). For the next problem, we are comparing the 2007-budget-to-2010-budget ratios across the various programs. We will first need to find those ratios: Agriculture/natural resources - $373,904/488,106=.766$ Education- $2,164,607/3,008,036=.7196$ Highways and transportation- $1,468,482/1,773,893=.8278$ Public safety- $263,463/464,233=.5675$ Out of these, the closest to human resources ($4,051,050/5,921,379=.6841$), is (B). Probability Two events are independent if one happening has nothing to do with another, like the sun shining and you eating a sandwich for lunch. The sun may shine, and you may eat a sandwich for lunch, but one does not cause or prevent the other. Two events are mutually exclusive if they cannot both occur, like me wearing a hat and me not wearing a hat. I can’t do both. For independent, non-mutually exclusive events: P(A and B) = P(A)*P(B), whereas P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B). For mutually exclusive events: P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B). There are other formulas for more complicated scenarios, but these will get you pretty far - they’re all you should need on the SAT. Let’s take a look at this problem: Twenty-five people passed the bar exam; of these, seven did not take the review course. So, the probability that the interviewed person in question did not take the bar exam is 7/25, or (B). Math and gambling are closely linked, too. It’s all about that probability. Conclusion This domain of the test is calculation-heavy, although there are some theoretical questions. These questions compose almost a third of the test. They cover, roughly: Statistical analysis Proportions Probability Modeling Real-world data Your answers will be scored to yield one of three subscores for the Math section. What’s Next? That was a fair amount of information. Digest it a little; then, a great next stop would be perusing our overall guide to SAT Math, including directions to a number of other great posts. Now, because Problem Solving and Data Analysis problems are so information-heavy, you may wish to practice with some word problems, to get used to that much verbal data being thrown your way. As you’re trying these practice problems, you’ll want to know how to use them to your best advantage. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Top 10 Hardest Working Cities in America -The JobNetwork

Top 10 Hardest Working Cities in America -The JobNetwork As a rule, Americans are a pretty hard-working bunch. After all, we’ve mythologized â€Å"the American Dream† as the reward for a lifetime of working hard and achieving a form of nirvana. We have a 34.4-hour work week, on average (in your face, Germany!), and are often terrible about taking our vacation days. Whether it’s working extra hours to make ends meet or to stay ahead of the workload, we put in our time. So what are the hardest-working hotspots in the U.S.? It’s a big country, and not every city is the same when it comes to working culture and time spent at work. This year, WalletHub has taken a close look at the work habits in 116 U.S. cities, and ranked them based on a number of factors like labor force participation rate, average work hours, and the number of workers with multiple jobs. Based on their findings, you may want to consider picking up stakes and moving to one of these metropolises for your own career. Let’s look at some of the ir hardest working cities, and the hottest industries in these moving-and-shaking cities.Anchorage, AKIf you’re a mainlander, Alaska might not even be on your radar for potential job opportunities and a strong working culture. With 42% of Alaska’s population and 47% of the state’s jobs, Anchorage is a bustling city with a strong presence in job sectors like the military (there are three bases located near the city), transportation, oil and natural gas, and tourism.Spotlight Industry: LogisticsAnchorage has become a major transportation hub, particularly in the shipping industry. FedEx in particular has set up shop in Anchorage, and considers it a major touchpoint for its global shipping program. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport accounts for 10% of Anchorage’s jobs, and sees more than 500 intercontinental cargo flights every week. Additionally, the port at Anchorage is responsible for more than 90% of the consumer goods that go in and out of Alaska. If you’re looking for opportunities in the logistics field, think north!More jobs in Anchorage, AKPlano, TX and Irving, TXFar from the rugged Texas ranch image, Plano and Irving are thoroughly modern cities perhaps best known as a headquarters hub: companies like Frito-Lay, J.C. Penney, Pizza Hut, Capital One, Toyota North America, and Cinemark Theaters all call Plano or Irving home.Spotlight Industry: IT/TechnologyAmong its many corporate headquarters, Plano counts many of the major tech and telecommunications companies:Hewlitt-Packard Enterprise ServicesVerizonAlcatel-LucentEricssonDellInfosys TechnologiesSiemens PLM SoftwareGearbox SoftwareCA TechnologiesAegis CommunicationsNokiaEven if you don’t have a background in IT, these corporate headquarters also offer opportunities for people in different areas, like office administration, human resources, communications, etc.More jobs in Plano, TXMore Jobs in Irving, TXCheyenne, WYAs the capital and most populous city in Wyoming, Cheyenne is one of the smaller cities on the list, at just under 60,000 people per the 2010 census. But what it lacks in population, it makes up for in opportunity. This city has a low overall unemployment rate, and is diversifying beyond the agriculture and mining that have always been part of Wyoming’s fabric. As it grows and changes, the city has also been rated the â€Å"tax-friendliest U.S. city† by Kiplinger’s.Spotlight Industry: ManufacturingWhile manufacturing jobs are on the decline in many parts of the country, it continues to grow in Cheyenne. Fertilizer manufacturing, electronics, precision instruments, and restaurant equipment are among the plants that have established roots in the capital city, and the trend continues as companies look for new cities to concentrate their stateside manufacturing programs.More jobs in Cheyenne, WYVirginia Beach, VAWhile the â€Å"beach† part of the name accurately describes the coastal benefit s of Virginia Beach, this city is hardly a sleepy beachside hamlet. Virginia Beach is the most populous city in the commonwealth of Virginia, and the 41st most populous city in the country. Tourism is indeed a major factor in the local economy, but it is also a major port for the U.S. military, as well as a hub for agribusiness. Virginia Beach was rated in the top 50 in a recent Forbes survey of the best places for business and careers.Spotlight Industry: U.S. MilitaryVirginia Beach is home to three major military bases, with a fourth just outside city limits: the U.S. Navy’s NAS Oceana, the Training Support Center Hampton Roads, the Joint Expeditionary Base East located at Cape Henry, and the Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek. If you’re not interested in enlisting in the Navy, no worries- these bases employ thousands of civilian employees in support roles as well.More jobs in Virginia Beach, VAScottsdale, AZOnce described by the New York Times as â€Å"a d esert version of Miami’s South Beach,† Scottsdale is a vibrant Western city that has become a major destination for travelers looking for year-round sun and dry warmth.Spotlight Industry: TourismIn Scottsdale, tourism accounts for 39% of the city’s jobs, with about 7.5 million people visiting the city every year and bringing many millions in revenue. Scottsdale features more than 70 resorts and hotels, with 15,000 rooms. Career opportunities also flourish at other tourism-related businesses like spas, golf courses, retail stores, and restaurants.More jobs in Scottsdale, AZSan Francisco, CARight next door to Silicon Valley, San Francisco is considered the commercial and cultural center of northern California. The city scored high on WalletHub’s â€Å"direct work factors† section, meaning that work week hours and labor-force participation were both high. The long work weeks are likely driven by the innovative startup culture that has emerged in San Fr ancisco, which often values hustle over traditional professional structures.Spotlight industry: TechIt’s virtually impossible to talk about San Francisco these days without talking about its evolving tech industry, which has helped change the professional profile of the city. San Francisco is a highly diverse city, an American leader in many industries (including service/tourism, financial services, and higher education). But in recent years, the trend has moved into the tech sector, with biotech and high tech companies like Apple, Google moving in nearby.More jobs in SanFrancisco, CACorpus Christi, TXAnother Texas entry on the list (there seems to be a definite theme here!), Corpus Christi is located in the Gulf region of Texas, bringing a different culture and commercial profile to the list than Irving and Plano. As the deepest inshore port on the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi has thriving oil/petrochemical and transportation industries, in addition to being a tourist dest ination.Spotlight Industry: Petrochemical Manufacturing and TransportCorpus Christi is in the midst of a â€Å"petrochemical boom,† meaning the city has become a major supplier for products created by refining petroleum and natural gas. The city’s oil refineries and petrochemical plants are at the forefront of providing chemical products to China and other developed countries around the world, with billions of dollars in development projects coming to the region by 2023.More jobs in Corpus Christi, TXWashington, D.C.Jokes about Congress aside, Washington, D.C. received high-marks in WalletHub’s survey of the hardest-working cities. As the U.S. capital, it’s tops in the presidential monument game, but also a large, diverse city that serves as a hub for a number of industries, in the public, private, and international sectors.Spotlight Industry: Civil ServiceIn Washington, DC the federal government is the largest employer, accounting for 29% of the cityâ₠¬â„¢s jobs as of 2012. Much of this is based on the sheer number of federal agencies that call the city home, but is also due to the fact that federal government jobs are often insulated from economic downturns that sometimes hit other cities (the government needs to keep running, regardless of external factors). The federal agencies also employ thousands of contractors, subsidiary businesses, and support businesses to keep things running smoothly. (Again, jokes about Congress aside.)More jobs in Washington, D.C.Sioux Falls, SDSioux Falls is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States (47th), and is definitively the fastest-growing city in South Dakota. Historically, mining and agriculture made up the backbone of the city’s economy, but in the 20th and 21st centuries, the city’s economic interests have diversified thanks to the state’s lack of corporate income tax.Spotlight Industry: Financial ServicesWhen you think of financial services, you might th ink of generic skyscraper buildings in large cities, processing data and crunching numbers. The reality is that many financial services companies seek out less crowded cities like Sioux Falls, which are off the beaten path. The city’s largest employers are major financial players Wells Fargo and Citigroup, making Sioux Falls a major destination for workers with backgrounds in accounting, actuarial science, or finance, as well as people looking for administrative work in a growing metropolitan area.While hard workers are (of course) found in every town and city in the country, this survey offers some valuable insight into which cities and regions are leading the way as we look for growth and innovation in the world’s largest economy. Where will you be looking for your next hard-working opportunity?More jobs in Sioux Falls, SD

Saturday, October 19, 2019

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Companies which are ready to use upgrade their human resources regimes are thus the ones who have found success in all relevant quarters of their business. With this necessary incorporation, they have been able to look at the ethical side of things as well since the moral grounds have been set in a proper manner and there are as such no apprehensions to state the least in the present times. A business can move from a position of stability to one of a complete unstable stance as it acquires different means of gathering the market and its driving factors that come along with it. The firm has to change its position with the changing times otherwise it will literally vanish away from its competitors and more so the customers, for which it actually exists. It must bring about technological innovations so as to meet the ethical guidelines and best practices which are geared up to make it sound, look and eventually feel different from the rest of the lot and in the long run, have a selling proposition in it and in its products that help it in winning the customers time and time again. [Cappelli, 1999] The work culture can be developed in a manner which suits the interests of the organization in the best form possible. For this to happen, it is necessary to understand that resources department has got an immense role to play in the related equation. We must understand that we live in a global world where human resources has of late been instrumental at dramatically changing the way we perceive the way in which people think, act and feel on the job. The basic dogma on which the dot com companies work is to reach out to the greatest amount of people and make those people as their clients within a short duration of time. This would be on the expense of not being at concern related with the loss in the stock prices. The culture which was adopted by these companies was of get large or get lost in the whole frame

Friday, October 18, 2019

Analyze 4 real cases of directors liability and lessons learned Essay - 1

Analyze 4 real cases of directors liability and lessons learned - Essay Example The initial case is a lawsuit concerning the president for a computer game company. In this case, the director breached his duty of being honesty because the Korean Website company reported the computer game company, 9Korea, together with the company’s director. This complains represented many people who had problems with the company, because it was using their personal residential registration number illegally. The residential claimed that the company’s president was not honest because he was illegally using their identities to open up new accounts for the online game developer. Regarding this case, the court alleged that the company together with its president should be the first party involved in campaigning against illegal use of other people’s names in online game registration. The courts also accused the company for being negligent by using other people real name together with their personal information, which affected more than 800 individuals without thei r permission. Therefore, the court posited that the corporation should reimburse every plaintiff a damage price of KRW 1, 000,000 (Loos 503). Second case is about Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO). A minor shareholder in the company called McMullin. Mr. Beran alleged this case, claiming that the chemical company director favors major shareholders when it comes to discussing the prices for chemical products. Mr. Beran claimed that the director failed to follow the required rules in implementing the prices, thus discriminating the needs of minor shareholders in the company. Regarding this matter, the court dismissed the case citing the fact that the plaintiff had planned to rebut the rule governing judgments, which is in place to cover all directors against liabilities. Mr. Beran filed this case because he believed that the company’s director breached fiduciary duties that required him/her to perform his/her

Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Article Analysis - Essay Example Likewise, the author proceeded with the discourse by expounding on accountability in organizations and emphasizing that it starts on the very top of the hierarchy. Building a framework of accountability was disclosed to require knowing one’s people well and encouraging open communication. Finally, Morris cited author and business thought-leader John Spence’s guidelines and principles for accountability in organization where a culture of accountability must be established to maximize the organization’s full potentials. Conclusions: Morris concluded that there is a need to upgrade the potentials of the organization’s human resources to maximize their strengths and facilitate the achievement of organizational goals. Through the enforcement of cultural norms and harnessing the competencies of people, accountability would be improved. As noted, â€Å"just like people, admired organizations are those that keep their promises- promises to customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders† (Morris, 2012, p. 73). Analysis: The article’s strength lies in the manner by which the author effectively structured his line of thinking and relayed the message intended for the audience. By using simple and straightforward language, Morris was able to assist in enhancing the understanding of readers from various backgrounds regarding the topic of accountability. Likewise, he supported his arguments through citing other review of related literatures and from works of people known to have established credibility on the topic being discussed. In addition, his credibility as a coach, mentor and as president and chief executive officer of an organization, assisted in providing viable arguments based on personal and professional experiences. However, one of the weaknesses noted was the failure to clearly list the authoritative references at the end of the discourse to determine their applicability from the date their respective literary works were published. Also,

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Nursing the Patient in Pain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing the Patient in Pain - Essay Example Searches will be made based upon these 5 aspects of epidural anaesthesia, using as a beginning the references supplied by Chumbley and Thomas. Epidural analgesia is now a commonly used technique used to manage the acute pain which comes after surgery, usually being a planned procedure, the best time to consider postoperative pain relief actually being before surgery begins. The method first became available in the 1960s ( Klein, 2011) and has increased in use especially since the1980s (Wheatley et al, 2001). Usually it is given for from 2 to 5 days postoperatively , this depending upon the surgery type undergone. After this period the patient should have recovered enough to cope with oral medication for their pain relief. ( Chumbley and Thomas, 2010, page 40). ... ffectively, according to evidence based practice, this method reduces any risk of major adverse outcomes according to Chumbley and Thomas ( 2010, page 35). Both opioids and local anaesthetics can be used . These medications can however themselves produce serious, possibly fatal, side effects. Usually the epidural cannula will be put in place while the patient is still in the operating theatre. The role of the attending nurse is to monitor and assess patients receiving epidural anaesthetics, and to work with the evidence obtained , reporting any possible causes for concern, and so work towards preventing the development of these adverse effects. The College of Anaesthetists ( 2004 , 4.1) describe how it is the responsibility of the department of anaesthetics to ensure that properly qualified staff and appropriate protocols are in place in order that epidural analgesia can be undertaken safely and effectively with the anaesthetist, pharmacy and nursing staff working together. The epidu ral space into which the medication is inserted by a doctor is the potential space between the outer membrane, the dura mater, surrounding the spine and the bony vertebrae. This space contains blood vessels, nerves, connective tissues and fat. The nerves which are present work in various ways, such as passing on messages regarding movement. They also relay messages via the sympathetic nervous system to the brain about pain, touch, and temperature. This potential epidural space is present from the base of the skull down as far as the sacrum, but the spinal cord itself only extends as far as the second lumber vertebrae ( Macintyre and Schug, 2007). The patient is usually placed with their spine curved as this makes insertion somewhat easier. The needle is pushed in until it reaches the hard

Ban driving of gasoline powered vehicles In U.S Essay

Ban driving of gasoline powered vehicles In U.S - Essay Example â€Å"To truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy†, says President Obama. For the last forty years, the Presidents of the United States have many times called for a reduction in the dependence of the country to fossil fuels. The consumption patterns of fossil fuels have utterly failed to honor the fact that the fossil fuels happen to be a finite and non-renewable resource (Borowitz, 1999). Stronger efficiency standards and high tax rates on motor fuels are some of the ways in which, the government has embarked upon to reduce this dependency. Though resorting to high efficiency technologies may make the cars go a few extra miles per gallon, eventually there will come time when the oil wells will go dry and the contemporary civilization’s dependence on non-renewable energy resources will jeopardize its survival. The need for a burgeoning investment on the research and development of the alternative ways of powering the means of transportation is to a great extent being withheld by the fact that nothing much is being done to wean off people from the gasoline driven cars. It is said that the necessity is the mother of invention. Research for alternative fuels will receive a shot in the arm; the day concrete measures are taken to discourage people from driving gasoline powered cars.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Nursing the Patient in Pain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing the Patient in Pain - Essay Example Searches will be made based upon these 5 aspects of epidural anaesthesia, using as a beginning the references supplied by Chumbley and Thomas. Epidural analgesia is now a commonly used technique used to manage the acute pain which comes after surgery, usually being a planned procedure, the best time to consider postoperative pain relief actually being before surgery begins. The method first became available in the 1960s ( Klein, 2011) and has increased in use especially since the1980s (Wheatley et al, 2001). Usually it is given for from 2 to 5 days postoperatively , this depending upon the surgery type undergone. After this period the patient should have recovered enough to cope with oral medication for their pain relief. ( Chumbley and Thomas, 2010, page 40). ... ffectively, according to evidence based practice, this method reduces any risk of major adverse outcomes according to Chumbley and Thomas ( 2010, page 35). Both opioids and local anaesthetics can be used . These medications can however themselves produce serious, possibly fatal, side effects. Usually the epidural cannula will be put in place while the patient is still in the operating theatre. The role of the attending nurse is to monitor and assess patients receiving epidural anaesthetics, and to work with the evidence obtained , reporting any possible causes for concern, and so work towards preventing the development of these adverse effects. The College of Anaesthetists ( 2004 , 4.1) describe how it is the responsibility of the department of anaesthetics to ensure that properly qualified staff and appropriate protocols are in place in order that epidural analgesia can be undertaken safely and effectively with the anaesthetist, pharmacy and nursing staff working together. The epidu ral space into which the medication is inserted by a doctor is the potential space between the outer membrane, the dura mater, surrounding the spine and the bony vertebrae. This space contains blood vessels, nerves, connective tissues and fat. The nerves which are present work in various ways, such as passing on messages regarding movement. They also relay messages via the sympathetic nervous system to the brain about pain, touch, and temperature. This potential epidural space is present from the base of the skull down as far as the sacrum, but the spinal cord itself only extends as far as the second lumber vertebrae ( Macintyre and Schug, 2007). The patient is usually placed with their spine curved as this makes insertion somewhat easier. The needle is pushed in until it reaches the hard

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Politics in the Caribbean and United states Intervention Essay

Politics in the Caribbean and United states Intervention - Essay Example in Caraley, 4). This egocentric approach of the US is what has prompted it time and again to get involved in the domestic matters of other nations. But the immediate reasons have been different for different regions and countries. For example, As far as the Caribbean region is concerned, it is observed that it is the â€Å"dramatic asymmetry in power† between the US and the Caribbean nations as well as the â€Å"geographic proximity† that prompted America to intervene there (Maingot and Lozano, 1). The US has been initially interested in this region so as to control â€Å"the commercial sea lanes† and also this interest was based on its policy of â€Å"dollar diplomacy† that is, â€Å"military intervention to promote and secure economic expansion† (Maingot and Lozano, 2). The importance that the US foreign policy gave to â€Å"stopping communism† was yet another reason why America often intervened in the Caribbean (Manigot and Lozano, 20). Sp ecific examples show that US annexed Puerto Rico as a full-fledged colony, established a puppet military government in the Dominican Republic, tried to overthrow many times the Cuban communist government and militarily occupied Haiti (Langley, 157). And as Caraley has observed, it can be concluded that the American foreign policy as evolved in the period of George W. Bush â€Å"is the establishment of American hegemony, primacy or empire. In the Bush doctrine, there are no universal norms or rules governing all states. On the contrary, order can be maintained only if the dominant power behaves quite differently from others†

Monday, October 14, 2019

A Piece of Peace Essay Example for Free

A Piece of Peace Essay The terrorist attacks on September 11th affected more than just the lives of those in people who were the direct victims of the attacks. An entire nation was victimized and the whole nation grieved for those who suffered in New York City. As the attacks occurred I sat in my high school English class and while the teacher taught I day dreamed. It was a typical Tuesday morning and to be truthful I did not ever hear her the first time she explained the tragic events that had taken place just moments ago. I heard the word â€Å"terrorists† and the fragments of statements like â€Å"hundreds died this morning when†. Then, I could only hear my heart beat in my ears. I watched my teacher turn on the TV. She flipped through several stations. I dont remember what I saw but I can remember what I heard. It was the sound of people crying. Over the next few months, as a nation, we followed the story as did the world. I can remember President Bush attempting to comfort the United States and telling us America would be going to war for reasons that werent clear to me then and certainly arent clear to me now. Somewhere between the night of September 10th, when I was plotting how I was going to avoid school the next morning and the night of September 11th, I grew up. When I look back on that time in my life I am left with a single haunting thought It is the pursuit of peace which leads to destruction. Even today, years after the terrorist attacks, people still talk about how that day changed everything. I agree, in some ways. It changed me and I became something new. It changed my family. It changed how American view other Americans and how we view the rest of the world. Americans have since the birth of the nation believed that their way was the best way. Americans were shocked to find out that people hated them enough to want to kill them. September 11th forced Americas to reflect on the military, social, and political actions of America and how they effected people of other countries. Perhaps Americans are not always in the right. For example, President Bush I gave weapons to the Afghan people to win a war against Russia. When the Afghan people defeated the Russian, Afghanistan was completely destroy. American promised them they will help rebuild but they did not. That is why the terrorist were able to come into the country and making a terrorist breeding ground. I dont think that September 11th effects the way Americans conduct their lives daily. People who say it does are feeling the pressure of guilt. Society says we must not forget, and as Americans say we wont. As a nation the citizens learned that there is a fine line between terrorist and freedom fighter- we are just afraid to admit it and seem unamerican. Those men who ran planes into building, killed Americans and killed themselves wanted only one thing peace. They wanted freedom from the western world and choose to die. Just as we wanted independence from England centuries ago. In looking for peace they destroyed lives, families, and shook the protected ground the United States sat on. It made the country stronger but not smarter. I am anxious over the global discord and the cultural ignorance that seems to grow between the United States and the rest of the world. The problems in Iraq foretell and may spark future clashes with a number of civilizations in the future. Just recently I drove home from work and I flipped through different radio stations. I caught the end of Bob Dylans â€Å"The Times They Are A-Changing†. Its funny because that is my moms favorite song and I had forgotten it existed. I still can hear her sing, â€Å"Come gather round people Wherever you roam / And admit that the waters Around you have grown /For the times they are a-changin†, while she tinkered around in the kitchen way before anyone else got up. I dont know that I ever really listened to the words before. Dylan knew and my mom knew things I was just beginning to. Dylan and my mom knew â€Å"theres a battle outside And it is ragin† and September 11th did shake our â€Å"windows† and rattled our â€Å"walls†. As a nation its citizens have no right to â€Å"criticize What we [you] cant understand† and our â€Å" sons and [y]our daughters Are beyond our [your] command† (Dylan). Our soldiers fight a war for reasons no one really knows for America that would rather criticize them then help in country that does not seem to want peace. Dylan sings about the injustice in war and that we should not be afraid to speak our minds: Come writers and critics Who prophesize with your pen And keep your eyes wide The chance wont come again And dont speak too soon For the wheels still in spin And theres no tellin who That its namin. For the loser now Will be later to win For the times they are a-changin. (Dylan) Bush wants peace but for his own reasons and through those reasons American soldiers are dying, and so are the Iraqi people. It is ironic that while those terrorists die nobly but ur soldiers die in such a cruel way. McKay writes in his poem, â€Å"If We Must Die,† that people should not die for nothing or by doing nothing. That death is inevitable, especially in war, but all people must fight for the things we want in this world and hold on to life and liberty as long as we can: O kinsmen we must meet the common foe! Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow! What though before us lies the open grave? Like men well face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! (Claude McKay) In the summer of 2001 I was lying in my hammock and I could see a butterfly in my backyard. I remember as a child learning that caterpillars itch and go into cocoons to find peace from that. Change in a way is a form of destruction. To be able to be someone new people have to give up their old selves and move past who they used to bee. When a child develops into an adult, he must give up his toys, his childhood beliefs like believing in Santa Claus. His childhood fantasies must be destroyed if he is to move on. In the years that followed September 11th I could feel myself â€Å"adapt to my new surroundings† (White Line 2). White, through the use of nature explores the scary nature of change: I have to shed my skin again Adapt to my new surroundings become another version of myself. The change within me does not happen overnight but through the evolution of my life (White) I was filled with Americans sense of patriotism and unity. The new American was like â€Å"the first fish that grew tiny legs† (White Line 8). Christine Whites poem, â€Å"Molting† reminded me that it was not just me that grew up, the United States did too. Whites point of view is that change is not a bad thing and is inevitable. Nearly every person around the country joined together as one united entity to pay tribute and homage to all the fallen heroes. There was a sense of harmony and peace. In way I think America, even those the terrorist attacks were tragic, knew that such an event was needed if we were going to â€Å"shed our [my] skin† (White Line 1) and become a stronger nation. As time goes by and my bad memories fade I remember America in its full glory. Watching the cumulative effect of humanity shining through the fire and smoke. I remember how many people spoke about the importance of peace and understanding. I wonder if there can be peace if Americans are divide both support and protest our soldiers in Iraq. The war over there caused a war here between Americans. It is the protesters protest protesters on both sides of the issues – each wanting peace in their own way. People who do not want our soldiers fighting in Iraq believe that they would be peace if America stopped butting into everyones business. People who are for the war in Iraq believe peace will only come after the destruction of all terrorists. In the end these protesters (on both sides) are destroying the morale and lives of people fighting in the Iraq war and are disgracing the memories of those that died. The price of peace is extremely high especially because Americans do not know if we can ever have it. I do know that â€Å"The line it is drawn The curse it is cast / The slow one now Will later be fast / As the present now Will later be past† (Dylan). I do know that America must hold her ground against the terrorists. Americans will not be tyrannized and forced to live like cowards. Even when we face â€Å"the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! † (McKay Line 14). The American fight for freedom and peace has also managed to destroy our economy. Oil prices increased, the value of the American dollar decreased, and the stock market bottomed out. When Clinton was President the stock market was well over 10,000 after 9/11 it drop well under 8000. President Bush spent the Clinton Surplus on military, and it is just now in 2006 that the stock has become stabilized. I think that our economy will emerge from this disaster and become strong once again like it was before the attacks. In the pursuit of peace and destruction, people in Americans have finally understood their place in society and were back â€Å"in the sun† (White Line 10). Not as a not as a bystanders but an active and willing participants. Americans realize that there needs to be a great deal of change and those changes have started. American citizens encourage our â€Å"senators, congressmen Please heed the call / Dont stand in the doorway Dont block up the hall† (Dylan). And governmental officials are making changes. I think our nation needs to help a new generation of people realize that aftermath of that day when humans lives were lost and Americas unique humanity and independence was demonstrated. This generations hearts were opened and turned around in the wake of airplane crashes. On September 11, 2001 many people lost their lives because men were seeking their own personal peace. Daily our soldiers are destroyed one by one for the goal of peace. The American economy struggles because of the war for peace against terrorism. Americans fight Americans over whether we should be in Iraq or not which tears apart soldiers pride. Before that Tuesday in September, I never thought about life and death. I never considered the consequences of war and the denial of freedoms. Now that I am older, I realize that September 11, 2001 was not just pivotal point for me but America itself. Not since Pearl Harbor had the United States been unexpectedly attacked on its own land. Just as families pulled together so did the United States as a whole. As a nation we cried together and we healed together. To actually witness the attacks was life changing but to be part of the healing process was life affirming.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Effectiveness of self instructional module in immunizations

Effectiveness of self instructional module in immunizations Abstract Immunization is the one of the most important and cost effective strategies for the prevention of childhood sicknesses and disabilities and it is a basic need for all children. Seven killer diseases causes a major threat to children and this decreases the health status and making them more vulnerable to infectious disease. The major cause for death is vaccine preventable diseases such as neonatal tetanus, measles, TB, diphtheria, pertusis, polio and Hepatitis B. Infectious diseases are now the worlds biggest killer of children and young adults. They account for more than 13 million deaths a year one in two deaths in developing countries. The present study objective was â€Å"to evaluate the effectiveness of self instructional module.† The Pre- experimental one group pre test and post test design was adopted. The sample of 100 mothers of under-five children selected by convenient sampling technique. A structured knowledge questionnaire was adopted to collect the data from the samples. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used in data analysis. The result of study shown that there was significant difference in the mean post test score. The findings reveals that pre test and post test mean knowledge of mothers of under-five children regarding vaccine preventable diseases is 8.5(SD+3.95) and 16.33(SD+4.79) respectively. Post test mean knowledge score higher than pre test mean score. The‘t’ test value was 12.54 which was significant at 0.05 level. Hence it is concluded that the self instructional module was effective to increase the knowledge of mothers of under five children. This study recommends that similar study can be undertaken on large sample to generalize the findings. Study can be done to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of nurses regarding vaccine preventable diseases. Keywords: Self instructional module, knowledge, vaccine preventable diseases, mothers of under- five children. I. Introduction Children are fortunately being recognized as people in their own right with their special requirements. Quality survival of the human race depends on provision of adopt care to his vulnerable population in their formative and developmental life years. Therefore Health services for children should be aimed at improving the future quality of human resources of the nation by enabling as many children as possible to reach adulthood with their potential uncompromised by illness, environmental hazards, or unhealthy lifestyle. According to WHO â€Å"Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely absence of disease or infirmity In India diseases like guinea worm, small pox has been eradicated since 1947 and now poliomyelitis is near to eradicate. In developed countries like in India 68 out of 1000 under-five children were dying each year and another 5 million were disabled by infectious diseases. The vaccination of children against infectious diseases (tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertusis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles and hepatitis B) has been a cornerstone of the child health care system in India. As a part of the National Health Policy, the National Immunization Programme is has been implemented on a priority basis. Awareness building about immunization of children, who are under five years of age, provides a sense of responsibility towards the need of the children and their protection. The involvement of mothers in immunization programme help in reduces seven killer diseases. Those mothers who are living in tribal and rural areas mainly ignore the immunization and they do not vaccinate their children. Some mothers have misconception about immunization and they believe their children can catch diseases if they immunize their children. To prevent seven killer diseases it is necessary to screen every child for immunization, coverage opportunities; otherwise full immunization coverage may not be possible. Delayed immunization is associated with low socio-economic status, female illiteracy, lack of knowledge on Vaccine Preventable Diseases as recommended by Universal Programme Immunization (UPI). II. Review of literature A comparative study was conducted to estimate the vaccination coverage level of children aged between 19-35 months living in rural and urban area in Kolar District of Bangalore. The result of study revealed that Statistically significant differences in vaccination coverage levels between the rural population and their urban counterparts were determined for individual vaccines and vaccine series as evidenced by 28% of the children were covered by immunization residing in rural areas whereas 46% were covered in Urban area. The study recommended that health care personnel need to execute the awareness among the needy population of the Kolar District. A study was conducted upon improving status of underfive children through awareness and knowledge of mothers regarding vaccine preventable diseases through health education messages and compare them with those without intervention. An increase of 19 % to 22 % increase was seen in the utilization of vaccination. The mother’s knowledge increased in the follow up from 60 % to 76.5% and the immunization status increased significantly from 46.5% to 75 % after the intervention. The surveys show that the health education messages significantly increased the vaccination status of children of under five years. A study was conducted to assess the knowledge of caretakers of underfive children in a pulse polio immunization booth in the Delhi. A semi –open-ended questionnaire was used. Study results showed that Only 252 (37.0%) respondent correctly answered, 176 (25.8%) gave a wrong answer while the remaining 37.2% gave no answer. While 268 (39.3%) knew at least of four diseases covered by universal immunization programme, only 23.9% knew all four diseases. The researcher concluded that immunization status needs to be improved by educating mothers and caregivers regarding immunization. A quasi experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching programme (STP) among 50 mothers of underfive children in selected paediatric hospital, Pondicherry. A closed ended questionnaire was used to collect the data followed by intervention of STP. The study finding shows that the post-test knowledge score (22.73) was higher than the pre-test knowledge score (12.78). The study claimed that STP is effective to enhance mother’s mother knowledge regarding the importance of immunization. The study recommended that nursing personnel should continue in health teaching approach especially to the health problems which can be prevented. III. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of self instructional module regarding vaccine preventable diseases among the mothers of under-five children; this is achieved by one group pre and post test knowledge score obtained by the subjects under the study. This study also obtaining answer to research hypothesis. IV. Methodology: A Pre- experimental research design with one group pre test and post test design, to measure the effectiveness of self instructional module. The study was conducted at selected areas in Tarn Taran. Subjects were selected by convenient sampling technique. Structured knowledge questionnaire was used to collect data. Part-I: Socio demographic variables. This part is consist of variables such as age, educational status of mothers, type of family, occupation, religion, family monthly income, no. of children and source of information. Part-II Structured knowledge Questionnaire: It consists 36 items of objective type questions related to knowledge on vaccine preventable diseases. Each item contains four alternative responses. The knowledge questions are chosen from seven common vaccine preventable diseases likely, Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Measles, Polio, Tetanus, Whooping cough and Hepatitis B. All the items were given equal score. Each correct answer was given a score of 1 and wrong answe rs a score of 0. Thus maximum score was 36 and minimum score was zero. The questionnaire was prepared in English and Punjabi languages. Reliability of an instrument is the degree of consistency with which it measures the attribute it is designed to measure. The reliability of the tool was assessed by collecting data from 10 mothers of under-five children from selected areas in Tarn Taran. The reliability of structured knowledge questionnaire was computed by Split half method i.e by calculating co-efficient correlation first and then by applying Spearman Brown prophecy formula. The reliability of structured knowledge questionnaire was 0.96 and thus found to be highly reliable. Ethical clearance had been obtained from ethical committee, prior permission for conducting the research was obtained from Municipal Corporation of District Tarn Taran and informed consent was taken from mothers of under-five children. The data was analysed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. V. Data Analysis Section A: Analysis of Socio -Demographic characteristics of the samples Table 1: Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Demographic Variables Table no.1 indicates the Majority of subjects 37% are in the age group of 21-25 years, about 25% were in the age group of 30 years. About 36% mothers were secondary educated, 24% were primary educated and minimum no. 20% were Graduate and another 20% respondents were of post-Graduate. Majority of subjects 30% were house wife, 26% were non-government employee, 24% were government and 20% mothers were self employee. About half of respondents were 47 % belong to Sikh religion, 32% were of Hindu, 14% mothers were Christian and 7% were belong to other religion. Majority of mothers 60% were belong to nuclear family and other 40% belong to joint family. 38% subjects were in the family income group of >15000. 26% were in the group of 10000-15000, 20 % were comes under the group of 5000-10000 and minimum number of subjects 16% belongs SECTION B: To assess the level of knowledge regarding vaccine preventable diseases among the mother of under five children before and after self instructional module administration. Table 2(a)Grading the knowledge of samples regarding vaccine preventable diseases in pre-test.N=100 The above table 2(a) shows that most of the of samples 76% had inadequate knowledge, 24% of samples had moderately adequate knowledge regarding vaccine preventable diseases and there was no adequate knowledge samples regarding vaccine preventable diseases. Table 2(B): Grading Of Knowledge Regarding Vaccine Preventable Diseases Among Mothers Of Under-Five Children In Post Test N = 100 Table 2(b) shows that most of the samples 67% had moderately adequate knowledge, 16% of samples had adequate knowledge and 17% of samples had inadequate knowledge regarding vaccine preventable diseases in post-test. SECTION C: Table 3: Mean and standard deviation of pre test and post test knowledge regarding vaccine preventable diseases among samples. Table 3 shows that mean score of pre test and post test of samples regarding vaccine preventable diseases is 8.55 (SD + 3.95) and 16.33 (SD + 4.79) respectively. Post test mean score was higher than the pre test mean scores the‘t’ test value is 12.54 which was significant at 0.05 level as (p>0.05). SECTION D: Association Between The Post Test Knowledge Sores And Selected Socio Demographic Variables TABLE-4: Analysis of Association between the post test knowledge sores and with selected socio demographic variables Table 4 shows that the association between post test knowledge score and socio- demographic variables such as education, occupation, no. of children and type of family of mothers of under-five children found significant as calculated values greater than table values at the level of (0.05). The association between knowledge score and the socio- demographic variables score of mothers, religion, family monthly income and source of information found non significant as the calculated value is less than the tabulated value at 0.05 level of significance. VI. Limitation and Research Needed The size of the sample was 100; hence it was difficult to make broad generalizations. No attempt was made to control extraneous variables. This study recommends the following further research. The study can be replicated on large samples for wider generalization Comparative study can be done on knowledge among urban and rural mothers regarding vaccine preventable diseases. Study can be done on the knowledge of health personnel regarding vaccine preventable diseases. A study can be done to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of nurses regarding vaccine preventable diseases. VII. Conclusion As good health is very important for each individual and knowledge regarding v

Saturday, October 12, 2019

ISIS and Lone-Wolf Terrorism :: Lone-Actor Terrorists

Contrary to many people’s hopes, the rise of ISIS confirms that the war on terror isn’t over. In the post 9/11 era, stricter security measures, technological advancements, and anti-terror campaigns impede large-scale terrorist attacks. Consequently, terrorist organizations are utilizing a new, more elusive modus operandi, developed by AL-Queida, to harm civilians: lone wolf terrorism. According to the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence, ISIS’ new strategy is â€Å"terrorizing the West asymmetrically through individuals inside of Western countries.† Though unconventional, lone wolf terrorism is no less dangerous, a sad truth that became all too real for the victims claimed by these attacks. This game changing strategy disguises terror among average citizens, enabling it to be everywhere, anywhere and nowhere all at once, effectively making anonymity the new face of terror. Matthew Francis, a researcher on radicalization and extremism, affirmed that â€Å"This will undoubtedly be one of the lures of the tactic,† because it makes terrorists harder to find. â€Å"The ominous threat of attack inspired by lone wolves has a profound psychological impact on a society, creating tension, polarization and terror.† However, justice will be served. In the words of Joe Biden: â€Å"The American people are so much stronger, so much more resolved than any enemy can fully understand...when people harm Americans we don’t retreat, we don’t forget. We will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice, because hell is where they will reside.

Friday, October 11, 2019

JM Smucker Company Essay

The history of the J.M. Smucker Company is reviewed and demonstrates the evolution of the company. Business strategies and the importance of business intelligence systems are examined, concerning how the company conducts business. The company’s growth processes resulting from acquisitions and brand awareness are reviewed. Innovative plans implemented continually within the company are mentioned. The importance of people is stressed throughout the company and in the public eye. The J.M. Smucker Company continues to hold fast to the same values that the company began with over one hundred years ago. The J.M. Smucker Company Although the J.M. Smucker Company (SJM) began by selling its apple cider, for many years now it has been well known for its jams and jellies. Today, however, the company has expanded into several other markets within the food industry. They have continued to grow through acquisitions and name brand awareness. The company has a strong vision and holds to its moral ideals and values throughout its business activities. Smucker’s continually develops new product ideas to expand its peanut butter and jelly market. Additionally, the J.M. Smucker Company remains the leading producer of jam and jellies and is known for its quality products. History Jerome Monroe Smucker established the J.M. Smucker Company in 1897 as a cider mill in a small community in Orrville, Ohio about an hour south of Cleveland. Interestingly, Smucker’s apples used for cider came from an orchard that had been originally planted by Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) himself. However, due to the cyclical nature of apples, Jerome needed to find another source of revenue that would enable earnings throughout the year; thus, he decided to sell apple butter that he made using his grandfather’s recipe. His grandfather’s recipe provided him with a competitive advantage that no one else at the time seemed to have. The recipe used a secret method that captured the vapors typically lost in the process that permeated into the apple butter introducing a unique flavor drawing many customers to his mill and creamery (CEO, 2001). As a result of his unique apple butter, Smucker earned a positive reputation, took pride in his work, and began stamping his name on every crock of apple butter sold. The Smucker name continues to be a part of their packaging symbolizing a guarantee in quality that has spanned five generations of the Smucker’s family. The Smucker’s company continued to flourish as Jerome’s eldest son, Willard, delivered twenty-five cent, half-gallon crocks to customers using a wagon and was producing revenues of almost $60,000 as early as 1915 with a net profit of nearly $3,000 per year. In 1921, the J.M. Smucker Company became incorporated and already had an extensive line of quality preserves and jellies made from whole fruit and/or pure fruit juice. The company remained privately owned by Jerome and all of his children, sons and daughters. Its products were distributed throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana by way of the railroad and due to the large scale of volume, the Pennsylvania Railroad built a special siding to the Smucker plant in 1928 (History, n.d.). A railroad siding is an additional piece of track usually designated for specific usage, for the J.M. Smucker company for example, that runs alongside and connects to a main track at either end (Railroad, n.d.). The company was well on i ts way to expanding into the successful business it is today. Business Activities Packaging From the earliest of times, SJM strategized on how to improve its business activities to increase revenues while maintaining its quaint image reflecting the family’s strong conservative beliefs, which it holds onto dearly. Upon analyzing its packaging in 1938, the company realized there must be a better way to package its goods as opposed to its familiar crocks that were cumbersome and heavy to ship. Willard came up with the idea to use glass jars with an image of a pioneer woman boiling apple butter on the front that upheld Smucker’s reputation of old-fashioned quality (History, n.d.). Customers loved the new packaging, sales exceeded one million dollars in 1939, and the National Packaging Show awarded the organization for best packaging design success. Management The business survived the depression and war years reaching its fiftieth anniversary in 1947 and Jerome Smucker lived just long enough to see it before passing away at ninety years old. His sons, Willard and Paul, continued managing the company and sought methods to promote growth and diversification. Today, Jerome’s great-grandsons, Tim and Richard Smucker, manage the company by working together as a team and sharing the duties. Five other Smucker family members work for the company as well and the brothers’ hope is that one of them has what it takes to become the Chief Executive Officer of the J.M. Smucker Company in the future (Andrejczak, 2009). Over one hundred years later, the J.M. Smucker Company still exists as a family organization with the Smucker’s family maintaining partial ownership of the company. Products and Brand Names The Smucker boys, as they are commonly referred to, have increased sales sevenfold over the last decade through recent acquisitions boosting SJM into the number one market share position in ten different categories in America’s grocery stores and becoming a power player within the food industry (Andrejczak, 2009). Besides peanut butter and jelly, its products include shortening and oils, dessert toppings, syrups, fruit and vegetable juices, waffles, and coffee. Smucker obtained many of its products via acquisitions to expand its product line while focusing on major brands. Through the process, some of its brand names now include Crisco, Crosse & Blackwell, Eagle Brand, Folgers, Pillsbury, R.W. Knudsen Family, and Dunkin’ Donuts. Most of these brands and products probably seem quite familiar to the everyday person since SJM’s primary focus is on its consumer business. However, according to Tim Smucker, the business is divided into six areas: consumer, foodservice (restaurants and hotels), specialty foods (specialty gourmet products), industrial (proprietary fruit ingredients), beverages (health and natural foods beverages), and international (fruit spreads, fruit ingredients, juices and marinades) (CEO, 2001). In addition to having well known brand products, customers have come to recognize SJM’s tag lines such as, â€Å"Choosy mothers choose Jif,† â€Å"With a name like Smucker’s it has to be good,† and â€Å"The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup† directly associated with the products. Business Strategy Although J.M. Smucker sells its products internationally, its primary growth strategy as of the mid-1990s and still today is to acquire the number one food brands in North America that sell in the center of grocery stores. Its new strategy was determined by collaborating with many people that not only included executive level employees, but also listened to the ideas and thoughts from managerial and operational level factory workers in the decision-making process (Gunther, 2010). Smucker’s formed a simple and straightforward business strategy using a repeat business model that is geographically focused (Agramonte, 2008). The company decided to reach its goals by diversifying its products via multi-branding stemming from acquisitions. The Smucker family and managers met with analysts to examine their new growth strategy planning how to achieve their goals (J.M. Smucker, n.d.). The J.M. Smucker Company moved forward with its plans acquiring three major brands and several smaller ones. Acquisitions.The top three Smucker’s acquisitions were Jif and Crisco from Procter & Gamble, International Multifoods (IMC), and Folgers. However as SJM expanded their horizons, they knew necessary technological improvements must take place to align their new acquisitions within the company, which prides itself in quality and integrity. Making use of today’s modern computer technologies and services, the company hired Edgewater Technology, an organization that specializes in mergers and acquisitions integration, to assist SJM in building a common support system involving business processes, data requirements, and implementing a common set of tools while addressing risk management (LeBaron, 2007, June). Unfortunately at the time, SJM was still undergoing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation that slowed the progression of integrating the two organizations. Additionally, the two companies contained massive amounts of data in dissimilar source formats and st ructures that needed to be transferred. Edgewater overcame the challenges due to its familiarity with SJM and knowledgeable approach successfully completing the project meeting budget and time constraints. The J.M. Smucker Company pleased with Edgewater’s previous performance, hired them again to integrate IMC plants and contract manufacturers with SJM’s Canadian production plant. Edgewater set ought to transfer IMC onto Smucker’s U.S. systems and business processes and integrate IMC’s supply chain using a cross-border strategy (Lebaron, 2007, May). The project entailed the collaboration of eleven teams and SJM created an executive-level on-line forum for identifying, reviewing, planning, and resolving any issues. The integration was completed successfully producing substantial financial benefits that Smucker’s had hoped to achieve by acquiring IMC. Information Systems SJM not only employed information technology (IT) for its acquisitions, moreover it has always sought methods to achieve improvements throughout its business processes and has invested considerable amounts of money in new technologies. For example, Smucker’s chose Oracle for several of its information system needs. Oracle is one of the better-known companies that offer numerous services in business software providing customers with the flexibility they want to match their individual IT infrastructure needs. Furthermore, Oracle’s products contain benefits such as energy efficiency, outstanding availability, superb performance, and scalability. In 2008, SJM began utilizing Oracle’s Application Integration Architecture (AIA) and Oracle’s Siebel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Integration Pack for Oracle Trade Promotion Management (Oracle, 2008). In fact, Oracle stated the J.M. Smucker Company was the first customer to deploy its new AIA with its CRM In tegration Pack in 2008. AIA benefits Smucker’s by managing data flows and data synchronizations; thereby, optimizing business processes across enterprise applications. AIA is an integration structure that supplies a basis on which to build business process flows with pre-built integrations (Application, 2010). CRM, however, is a strategy designed to generate and sustain customer relationships by concentrating on downstream information flows via dependable systems and procedures (Valacich & Schneider, 2010). Many advantages such as individualized service, expeditious problem recognition and resolution, enhanced information, and better product development as a result of tracking customer behavior over time stem from CRM. Lastly, trade promotion management, enables sales and margin improvements, improves account and category management, and enhances collaboration and productivity between external and internal functions (Hand, 2008). Oracle’s Trade Promotion Management, CRM, and AIA together signi ficantly decrease IT expenses when installing and maintaining integrations. Furthermore, SJM has implemented Oracle’s Service-oriented Architecture, Identity Management, Business Intelligence Publisher, E-business Suite, and WebCenter Suite and has increased its business intelligence usage. Smucker’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) has the knowledge and leadership skills to execute enterprise-wide information systems to achieve the benefits that continue to move a company forward and sustain a technological competitive advantage. Every year the Oracle Magazine editors grant an award to people who demonstrate such leadership, commitment, and vision in managing Oracle technology (Kelly, 2009). Smucker’s CIO and Vice President of Information Services, Andy Platt, earned Oracle’s CIO of the year in North America award in 2009. Smucker’s also makes use of other technologies such as Retail Solutions Incorporated’s Promotion Execution Solution and Terra Technology’s Demand Sensing Solution adding value to SMJ’s supply chain. Demand sensing is the interpretation of downstream data with minimal delay for understanding what is being sold, who is purchasing the product, and the impact of demand shaping (Cecere & Bois, 2007). Demand shaping is a customer centric method of planning and execution aligning processes with customer demand at strategic and tactical levels (Dey & Singh, 2007). Basically, demand sensing may be thought of as a type of inventory optimization providing an effective use of resources that reduces inventory, lowers costs, and significantly lessens forecasting error by forty percent. According to the J.M. Smucker Company, it chose the demand sensing solution because the product could improve forecasting accuracy within the supply chain area (Gale Group, 2007). Further more, Terra Technology’s Demand Sensing Solution is completely compatible with Oracle products. Whereas the demand sensing solution optimizes inventory processes, Retail Solutions Incorporated’s Promotion Execution Solution enhances retail applications used within the consumer product goods (CPG) industry. Retail applications further promotional strategies by improving store level execution, reducing out-of-stocks, and maximizing the efficiency of merchandisers (Guyot, 2008). SJM selected the promotion execution solution as a supplement to its Radio Frequency Identification Tag (RFID) Analytics and On-Shelf Management already in use. The goal was to streamline J.M. Smucker’s supply chain and expand its Electronic Product Code (EPC), a family of coding schemes for Gen 2 RFID tags across multiple processes. The successful implementation of the promotion execution solution for SJM built better relationships with its retail customers. Moreover, SJM has obtained a logical decision making framework that aids in making complex promotional decisions. Electronic Commerce The Internet and World Wide Web have also fostered the J.M. Smucker Company’s use of technology. The company has utilized the Web by entering into the world of electronic commerce (e-commerce) in many sectors. The general term â€Å"electronic business† basically encompasses any use of technology to provide support to a business. On the other hand, e-commerce generally covers the technological aspects that aid in producing revenue either by directly selling goods to customers or by allowing a company, such as Smucker’s, to do business with other related companies within the food industry, for example. The company’s Web site types consist of business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B). SJM has a click-and-mortar strategy whereby the majority of its products sell at physical locations such as grocery stores with its B2C Web site following a traditional sales model where consumers are able to buy products directly from its Web site. Consumers may choose to view the Smucker’s U.S., Canada, or Mexico Web site. The Canada Web site allows the consumer to choose English or French as the displayed language and has a link connecting to the U.S. Website. The Mexico Website uses only Spanish for its language and has a different slogan than the other two, â€Å"Tu vida es mà ¡s rica con Smucker’s.† The slogan translates as, â€Å"Your life is more rich with Smucker’s† or â€Å"Your life is richer with Smucker’s.† However, the U.S. Web site contains a greater amount of information, product choices, and Web pages compared to the Canadian and Mexican versions. A stakeholder can gain much knowledge about the J.M. Smucker Company simply by examining its Web site. The Web site consists of six main pages titled Products, Recipes, Sensibly Sweet, What’s New, Our Company, and Shop Smucker’s. Within each Web page are additional pages and links. For example, the Sensibly Sweet Web page was designed with the health conscientious in mind and provides information about SJM’s reduced sugar and sugar free products with links that give tips on how to eat better and exercise. People merely wanting to learn about Smucker’s may click on the Our Company tab that supplies another list to choose from, including the history of the company, a list of its family brands, newsroom, and investor relations. Shareholders The Smucker’s Web site is one way technology has provided for stakeholders as well as shareholders to communicate with and attain information about the company. Shareholders may want to click on the Investor Relations tab that redirects a user to the Smucker’s Investors Web site that reports current stock information, financial news releases, analyst coverage, and a list of shareholder services to name a few. Furthermore, the site offers answers to frequently asked questions and provides a list of contacts for those who would like supplementary information. Lastly, investors may review SJM’s latest financial results, quarterly and annually, in comprehensive, detailed reports or Webcast presentations (another use of today’s technology) that explain future strategies and goals of the company.