Nokia Case Study Essay

Introduction: As a former global leader in the cell phone industry, Nokia have a history of great ability to adapt new markets with a solid strategy. Formed in 1865, Nokia started out as a lumber mill and moved on to the production of electricity and rubber. In 1992, Nokia decided to focus solely on the cell phones industry and rapidly obtained great market share, and later became pioneers of the wireless revolution which derived the smartphones. Despite this impressive past and former position in the cell phone industry, it is obvious from the case study that Nokia have several problems causing the crucial recession of its market share the past years. One of the problems is the slow decision making which halts the possibility of innovative activities. Despite a staggering cost of 40 billion dollars on Research and Development, none of Nokia’s cell phones reached the market due to the bad decision making and internal rivalries. In the cell phone industry, it is crucial that you act fast or else you will be outrun by the competitors, which is exactly what happened with Nokia. Rothaermel, Hess (2010, p. 13) states that consistent innovation is the factor that drives the worlds successfully companies and explains that innovation is a crucial competitive advantage for companies in a harsh economic time as it allows them to change the market in their favour and hopefully become market leader. Without any changes in the decision making process and in the innovative culture, Nokia will keep declining, as their competitors such as Apple and HTC Corporation will keep being in front and control the market. This paper will argue that, in order to achieve a bigger market share and a better competitive advantage, Nokia needs to speed up their decision making and change their innovative culture and the linkage between these activities. Relevant theory will be discussed as well as recommendations for future activities will be provided, in order to get Nokia back on track. Analysis and Argument The decision making process from the management of a company is a crucial process in both internal and external perspectives. It determines the current situation and the future of the company, and has to remain continuous due to the constant interactions from the environment. The decision making process determines whether the company succeed or fail when launching a new product on the market, and that is why the company has to know whether the market is ready for their product or not. Baum, J.R. and Wally, S. (2003) states that a fast pace of the decision making is crucial when competitive advantage is desired in a market, as the new product you are launching will be adopted in an early stage and enter the market quicker than your competitors. This argument is supported by Eisenhardt (1989; as cited in Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". 2008 p. 1) who has conducted a study of eight high-tech firms and concluded that the most profitable of these eight firms, were the ones with the fastest decision making process. A more superior study was completed by Judge and Miller (1991; as cited in Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". 2008 p. 1) who stated that there is no linkage between the speed of decision making process and the performance of a company only with the exception of fast-moving environments, such as the cell phone industry, where it was discovered that these participating companies had higher performance and fast decision making processes. The cell phone industry is a fast-moving environment due to the development of new technology and constant changes, and it is in this industry that Nokia is located. Finally, Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". (2008) argues in the light of the above evidence and personal studies, that a strategy with fast decision making will lead to competitive advantage. The importance of a fast decision making strategy is supported by the fortune of Nokia from the case study. With a very slow decision making and the sacking of several products, followed up by internal disagreements, the competitors in the fast-moving external environment suddenly started to outrun Nokia, which didn’t manage to address their internal abilities, such as the innovativeness. According to Andersen, T.J. (2001; as cited in Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". 2008 p. 4), especially this innovativeness reflects the company’s capability to be the first in their environment to launch a product or system, and create competitive advantage and corporate performance. Han, J.K., Kim, N., Srivastava, R.K. (1998) supports this theory and believes that the innovativeness serves the purpose of being a mediator between the company’s market orientation, and the company’s performance. Nokia have used a huge amount of expenses to obtain this market orientation, so one could argue that more efficient innovation is the key to reach better performance. This precise opinion is what Blundell, R., Griffith, R., Van Reenen, J. (1999) states, as they also links the innovation of a company, with the achievement of greater market share and market stock value. From the above mentioned theories of faster decision making strategy and an efficient innovation performance and the associating arguments of these theories, you can argue that a relationship and cooperation between them is crucial and inevitable. This theory is supported by Zehir, C., Mehtap, Ãâ€". (2008) who defines that the fast decision making combined with innovative performance will lead to better corporate performance. This relationship might be the key to get Nokia back on track and back at the top of the cell phone industry. Recommendation It is recommended that Nokia change their decision making strategy immediately and become more aware of the changes in the external environment. Nokia ought to design its decision making strategy around Eisenhardt, K. M. (1999) four keys to decision making strategy. First, Nokia needs to establish collective intuition by hosting regular meetings and realistic cases for the management department, which will develop their ability to discover threats and opportunities in an early stage and more precisely. Second, they must assemble diverse teams and challenge them through heuristic and stressing situations with numerous alternatives, so the teams will improve their decision making ability under pressure. Third, Nokia needs to discipline the timing of the decision making through paced time schedules, prototyping and consensus in the teams to maintain the momentum in the strategic choices. Lastly, emphasize a common goal and a clear set of rules, and remember to have fun. These tactics avoid that the decision makers are getting into interpersonal conflicts and waste the time on politics, which Nokia already have used incredible amounts of time doing without any luck. The execution of these four keys leads towards a more effective strategy, making the decision making process a cornerstone of the strategy. These four keys with the team based approach that is striving to create a common goal and keeping the process fun are to be transferred to the innovation department in order to optimize this as well. Teams of innovation and development are to be established, instead of letting the employees fight an internal battle for the right to keep their jobs. This battle creates disorder in the internal community, and is discouraging the employees and affects their efficiency. Instead, it is crucial that the innovative department works towards a common goal and is continuously challenged in order for them to keep the momentum and keep improving, while they are having fun doing it. Conclusion From the arguments presented in this paper, it is apparent that in order for Nokia to return to the top of the cell phone industry and reconquer the lost market share, they need to change the decision making strategy entirely, and develop a much faster and efficient one. This will allow them to launch new products to the market more frequently and increase the opportunity for successful products. These frequent products will promote the innovative performance and make the company more adaptable to the many changes in the environment, and allow them to affect the market themselves. It is not possible to choose which argument that is the most suitable, as they relate to each other because a faster decision making process leads to more efficient innovative performance, which leads to better corporate performance and more market share. The snowball effect will emerge, but Nokia has to start rolling the ball. With this in mind, these changes will not do it alone. Several corporate changes in the entire organization must be performed in order for this to succeed, but the history of Nokia will help them in this challenge, as they have faced great organizational changes before and know what it takes. References: Rothaermel, F.T & Hess, M (2010), ’Innovation Strategies Combined’, MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 13-15, viewed 20 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library, Eisenhardt, K.M (1989), ‘Making fast strategic decisions in high-velocity environments’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 543-76 Judge, W.Q & Miller, A (1991), ‘Antecedents and outcomes of decision speed in different environmental contexts’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 449-63 Baum, J.R & Wally, S (2003), ‘Strategic decision speed and firm performance’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 24 No. 11, pp. 1107-29 Zehir, C & Mehtap, Ãâ€" (2008), ‘A field research on the relationship between strategic decision-making speed and innovation performance in the case of Turkish large-scale firms’, Management Decision, Vol. 46, No. 5, pp. 709-724, viewed 20 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library, DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00251740810873473 Han, J.K, Kim, N & Srivastava, R.K (1998), ‘Market orientation and organizational performance: Is innovation a missing link?’, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 62, No. 4, pp. 30-45, viewed 20 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library, Andersen, T.J (2001), ‘Information technology, strategic decision-making approaches and organizational performance in different industrial settings’, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Vol. 10, pp. 101-19 Blundell, R, Griffith, R & Van Reenen, J. (1999), ‘Market share, market value and innovation in a panel of British manufacturing firms’, The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 66, No. 228, pp. 529-554, viewed 21 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library, Eisenhardt, K. M (1999) ‘Strategy as strategic decision making‘, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 65-72, viewed 21 April 2013, ProQuest Research Library,

EPC Plant Equipment Maintenance Process

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Is Communication Inevitable Essay

What is communication? There are many meanings that can be given to communication. People always give their own meaning for communication. Communication is like a double-acting hinge, swinging outward to release your own ideas and swinging inward to receive the worthy thoughts of others. (Huish,S.) Communication is the process by which a person, group, or organization transmits some type of information to another person, group, or organizations. Is communication inevitable? Communication is something that takes place every minute in our daily lives. It is very difficult for somebody to pass a day without communication. Communication can take place verbally and non-verbally; so however it happens communication is still taking place. Communication is inevitable because communication happen even if we want it to happen or not, communication must take place whether it is verbal, nonverbal or both and communication is something that places a vital role in our life. Firstly, communication is inevitable because communication happen even if we want it to happen or not. Communication is something that takes place without we even noticing it sometimes. Sometime we go through things in our daily lives that discourage from communicating; no matter what we do you will have to communicate. People try to fight from communicating with others but it is really difficult. Is it possible for someone to go a day without communicating? This is really a tricky question. Communication is something that is really hard to run from. Everybody use communication in their daily life, it might not happen every minutes but eh do happen in their daily bases. Secondly, communication is inevitable because it must take place whether it is verbal, nonverbal or both. Verbal communication is the transmission of messages using words, either written or spoken. Nonverbal communication is the transmission of messages without the use of words. An example of verbal communication would be like say Hi, Bye or Hello and some example of nonverbal communication would be like waving your hand, smiling or nodding your head. Sometimes when people communicate they would  prefer to communicate both verbal and nonverbal. They find it more effective and understandable. When some people communicate using nonverbal communication the message is sometimes interpret the wrong way. Thirdly, communication is something that places a vital role in our life. Communication is something that must take place in our life. We can’t live our daily live without communicating. Communication takes place at home, school, work place and more. Communication is important, not communication is like not having a life, and you can’t live without it. Communication plays a vital role in our life because it helps us to learn, understand, and achieve different things. To conclude, communication is important and no matter what we do we can’t avoid from communicating with others. Everybody communication in their daily lives and it can happen verbally, nonverbally or both. Communication is just sending message from one person to the other. Communication is inevitable because communication happen even if we want it to happen or not, communication must take place whether it is verbal, nonverbal or both and communication is something that places a vital role in our life. Always remember that whatever you do that you can never escape from communicating with other. You will always have to communicate even though you wish not to.

Comprehensive Study Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Comprehensive Study Project - Essay Example Consequently, a wealth of literature exists on the benefits and risks of improving sustainability, and the decisive responsibility of facilities management to influence balance between ecological preservation, social equity and contributing positively to the economy. But because facilities management is an expansive interrelation of phases from construction into dilapidation, opportunities of sustainability are plenty. Benefits of sustainable facilities management present in reduced water consumption, energy use and fewer emissions that contribute to climate change. Optimization of resource consumption and increased value opens the plethora of social, ecological, and financial benefits. The application of sustainability in buildings enhances in value by 8-10 times the operational savings as presented in the journals of Cooper (2002), : A management tool for occupant fit out "comprises of core components to define the aims and objectives for the research paper of Technology, Engineering and the Environment. The terms of reference for analyzing the relationship between Sustainability and Facilities management for Occupant fit out: This research focuses on critical success factors and its effectiveness on the facilities management of the organizations. Deductive approach assists in designing the research framework based on literature review and existing theory to derive a conclusion. TThe research design enables researchers to find solutions to research problems through passing the various phases of research - collecting, analysing and interpreting observations (Nachmias and Nachmias, 1996). The research design needs to address data collection process. The correct understanding of the research problem is necessary for finding the required solutions (Ghauri, Grnhaug and Kristianslund, 1995). Research can follow the three approaches from exploratory, descriptive and causal methods. Exploratory research explores the boundaries of the environment with respect to the problems, opportunities or situations of concern for identifying related and relevant variables to the research project (Talaq, 2004). Descriptive research also provides a correct and valid representation of the selected variables from exploratory research. Causal research approach is instrumental in establishing causal link between these variables (Talaq, 2004). For the purpose of

Japanese American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Japanese American History - Essay Example Having taken the usual sciences as its standard in terms of create valid, generalizable and prognostic hypothesis, modern sociology is frequently critiqued for its incapability to produce such hypothesis in relation to the social globe. No doubt, this research is fraught at the start. Social science cannot create this type of hypothetical knowledge and neither be supposed to it effort to as the individual world is far too multifaceted and our sympathetic of it is always context reliant. What is necessary, he goes on to argue, is not a turn towards post positivist or postmodernist reductionism, but a latest way of conceptualizing social science so that it can get back its position as a sensible, thinker action. Furthermore, this topic of Japanese Americans and World War II is obviously the most written regarding episode in Asian American narration and perhaps is the mainly recognized past event of meaning to Asian Americans between modern Americans. That reminiscence is perpetuated, in both books and the public dialogue, in immense part by those who, like Myers, emphasize the past to safe the future. Japanese American To these split ends, a spatial explanation of the Japanese American imprisonment story must generate newest signs, factually, new road signs directly the entire Americans to those unremembered facial appearance of the Southwestern scenery. Those narratives necessitate generating novel chart modalities to meet head-on those available landmarks from side to side which social agendas are required, identities are openness, and precise desires are elicited. At an essential level, these narratives have to forward the tourist's sight. As things place now, tourists often decrease the countryside of the Southwest to something inspiring, religious, or beneficial, all founded on images of sun, desert, blue skies, dramatic gorge lands and mesas, cacti and coyotes, adobe structural design, living Indians, and extra symbols of a unlike civilization. But in addition such bearers of attitude and civilization, the landscape of Southwest are supposed to also be evocative tourists and others of that ap palling Thing, the custody. Internment Activities From the amount of novel literature faithful to the internment, we might believe this facing up to the appalling Thing is charming place. Certainly, there is a rapidly rising body of writing concerning this Japanese American knowledge. For instance, the main collection of Japanese American internment narratives, It exemplify on a diversity of voices of internment; on internees diaries, letters, stories, poems, and biographies; and on information accounts as well as authorized government declarations. In adding up, there have been recurrent sequential studies of and orientation guides to the Japanese American wartime information. These include the Encyclopedia of Japanese American History, Japanese American Internment all through World conflict II. Additional, in the preceding decade, we have seen more than a few more individual accounts of the internment camps, and the list is still increasing. Historical Background At the beginning of 1941, Japanese expansion in the pacific was countered by the USA. Japans profession of northern Indo-China provoked the USA to oblige restriction on Japan; which was hold up by the British and Dutch. The USA ended its trade agreement by means of Japan and decided additional loans to China. A whole halt to all petroleum products by the USA, the British and the Dutch aggravated a main disaster and a argument. Thus, the option appeared to the Japan either obedience to the USA or the use of military force to safe latest sources of oil and raw material. Moreover, Japan chosen second option and ultimately concerned her in to the war. Japan and the allies carried out number of

Aspects of contracts and negligence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aspects of contracts and negligence - Assignment Example If it is accepted then a contract is made. In Gibson v Manchester City Council - CA [1978] 1 WLR 520, Manchester City council was being managed by Conservative Party which worked with a policy of selling city council’s premises. Gibson made an application for information of his house and terms of mortgage on the council’s form (McKendrick, 2005; p. 47). The council replied by stating that it was prepared to sell the house at a purchase price of  £2,725 less 20% =  £2,180 which was not to be taken as an offer. Gibson filed in the application form with the exception of the purchase price and took it back to the council. The labor party took over and stopped all the sales where Gibson was informed that he could not complete the contract. Gibson sued the council on claims that the contract was already executable. It was ruled by the House of Lords there existed no contract because the parties had not come to a material agreement of the contract. For a valid contract to be executed, the offer must be accepted by the other party. The acceptance must be conveyed to the offeree, the agreement must be assured and the terms of accepting the offer must be precisely the same to the terms contained in the offer. In Entorres v Miles Far East [1955] 2 QB 327  the plaintiff delivered a telex message from England promising to buy 100 tons of Cathodes from Miles Far East in Holland. A telex message was sent back to the petitioner from Holland to England accepting the terms of the offer (McKendrick, 2005; p. 51). The issue was for the court to determine the point at which the contract was executable. In case the acceptance was valid from the time the telex message was delivered the contract was created in Holland hence Dutch law would come into force. In case the telex message of acceptance took place upon the receipt in England the agreement would be presided over by English law. It was held that; to amount to a valid acceptance the acceptance was required to be

Global management, people, and the digital divide Essay - 4

Global management, people, and the digital divide - Essay Example In poverty stricken areas, many people do not enjoy the benefits afforded by ICT, such as internet accessibility and networking. This is why such regions extensively rely on markets and donor driven aid to build their ICT infrastructure (Jonathan, 2005, pp. 22-25). However, failure to access such funds continues to widen the gap between the poor and the rich, especially in regard to internet accessibility. This inequality is rampant not only in developing countries, but in developed ones as well. In recognition of the identified digital divide, donors are increasingly considering the need to bridge this gap, through creation of low cost technologies, which can aid in enhancing internet accessibility in these regions. An excellent example is the recently adopted laptop per child policy, which seeks to ensure that children in underprivileged societies attain some level of technological advancement (Strover, 2003, pp. 275-277). The program further seeks to ensure that students experience a media rich environment both at home and school, which will make them more creative and critical with information technology. The program is also instrumental in increasing opportunities for students to overcome educational inequality. The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program is a high profile initiative designed to bridge the digital divide, by providing poor kids with low cost computers that support network capability. These laptops are specifically designed to handle low-power supply, as well as, the ruggedness of poor rural and urban regions (vanDuersen and vanDijk, 2011, pp. 895-905). Additionally, the laptops’ software features graphical programs and user interface that are designed to enhance learning. For instance, in the largely rural state of Maine, students from poor backgrounds have benefited from the OPLC program by acquiring means to access

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY - Essay Example There are several reasons for the crisis. But they can collectively be classified as those about the taking of systematic risks in the financial system. An effective approach to explain the causes of the 2007-2009 financial crisis is to outline the three main solutions developed in Britain to address the problem. FRC Update The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is one of the primary agencies mandated with overseeing and development of the standards in corporate governance in the United Kingdom. Every other year, it reviews the UK Corporate Governance Code, which is a combination of principles set in reports and codes of good corporate governance required for the organizations that are listed in the London Stock Exchange. In 2009, after the financial crisis, FRC reviewed and updated the Code so that it better addressed the variables that have led to the financial crisis. Stricter regulations has been proposed and seriously considered as corporate managements were found to have taken e xtreme risks by making bad operating, investing and financing decisions. (Saunders and Allen 2010, p. 21) Particularly, the on-going development initiated by FRC since 2009 has focused on the need for disclosure, the increase in overall level of prescription and the emphasis on independent and authoritative for the chief risk officers and group risk management departments. (Picket and Pickett 2010, p. 148) The on-going update and developments within- and those initiative by the FRC underscored the fact that British policymakers saw the need to examine and update its corporate governance codes and requirements because it was identified as a major precursor of credit crunch. For instance, before 2007, the financial system has been undertaking systematic risks because of the so-called shift in the banking model from "originate and hold" to "originate and distribute". (Saunders and Allen, p. 21) This change supposedly exposed the financial system to risks because it led to the deteriora tion of the credit quality and the rapid increase in consumer and corporate leverage. (p. 21) FRC’s focus on corporate responsibility, accountability, transparency, regulation and prescription were all reflective of the need to address systematic risks. Introduction of ICB The establishment of the UK Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) also served to highlight the systematic risks responsible for the financial crisis that are sought to be avoided in the future. It was created in June 2010 and was mandated with the following purposes: reduce the systematic risk in the banking sector and explore the risk posed by banks of different size, scale and function; mitigate moral hazard in the banking system; reduce the likelihood and impact of firm failure; and, promote competition in both retail and investment banking with a view to ensure the needs of banks’ customers and clients are efficiently served. (UK Parliament 2011, p. 95) The objectives clearly reinforce the upda tes undertaken by the FRC by emphasizing the need to reduce risk-taking in both the financial and corporate sectors. By September 2011, ICB is expected to come up with a report containing the recommendations in regard to how to ensure financial stability and competition in the British industry. The ICB also underscored the role of regulation by states because prior to 2007, the policy that have permeated allowed for the ratio of banks assets to their capital base to grow far too high and that

Strategic Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategic Management - Research Paper Example It would represent hoe differentiation has helped in the achievement of success and attainment of customer loyalty worldwide. The study would also reflect the value chain analysis of the organization where it would be mentioning the primary activities and the secondary activities performed. The value chain analysis is an important part while planning for the business strategies as it helps in determination of the activities that are taking place in the business operations. Google does not provide only physical products to its customers. Thus the value chain analysis of the corporation is slightly different. The study would be concluding with discussions of the entire study. The SWOT Analysis, PESTEL Analysis and Porter’s five forces analysis would be mentioned in the appendices. Introduction Today, Google is the most renowned web search engine server. It searches higher than 22 billion pages and makes use of a unique algorithm which helps in receiving the targeted result of th e searched queries. It offers a large number of useful features, high technology based databases, various shortcuts and other services. Googling is to know the way in which Google thinks and search accordingly. It helps in searching in such manner which would work best for the user’s needs. Thus, it includes recognizing the procedure of exploiting Google’s strengths. It also includes knowing the procedure of accessing or using special databases and other features of Google. It is basically one spider program which helps in finding pages on public web followed by building databases from those web pages. Wordnet describes the spider as the computer program which prowls the internet in search of publicly accessible resources which could be added to the database. The similar search box in the home page of Google helps the users by providing them different ways of searching database by means of terms or symbols that would act as the search limiters. The unique page rank sys tem of Google helps in deciding that how the results would be organized for the purpose of display. Company Background Google Inc., is one of the American multinational corporation which is specialized in internet related products and services. It includes searching, cloud computing, different types of online advertising technologies and other software related programs. The organization derives its maximum profits from the AdWords (Google, 2013a). The company was established in the year 1998. It was followed by an initial public offering on 19th August 2004. The mission statement includes organizing the information all over the world and making it easily accessible and meaningful. The unofficial slogan of the organization is ‘Don’t be evil’ (Google, 2013b). After the establishment, Google has seen a rapid growth in terms of partnership, acquisition and chain of the product offerings. The online productivity software of the organization includes one official suite (Google Drive), email (Gmail) and the social networking website (i.e. Google+). The desktop products include various applications for editing or organizing photos, web browsing and various other features such as instant messaging. The organization leads in the development of the ‘Android Cellular Operating System’

SWOT analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SWOT analysis - Case Study Example There are numerous opportunities in existence for the hotel and the new owners. New trends in the hospitality industry are emerging. While these are becoming popular the old ones do not get obsolete. The opportunity for the hotel here is to integrate new ideas into the original one of boutique hotel. The owners of the hotel should make maximum use of these available opportunities when it starts operating to capture the market before new entrants take over. Threats to this takeover come from several places around the business. With the hotel having been previously operational, the new owners need to be aware of existing competition rivalry already in existence. This rivalry comes from the hotels which have been competing with the Good for business within the city. The other threat comes from within the company. The brand reputation which the hotel has created over the years comes as a threat if the company decides to discontinue the concept of the hotel. This posses a great threat as all existing clients may leave if the concept of the hotel changes

Working Capital Management Essay Example for Free

Working Capital Management Essay Steel comprises one of the most important inputs in all sectors of economy. Economy of any country depends on the strong base of the iron and steel industry. Steel is versatile material with multitude of useful properties,  making it indispensable for furthering and achieving continuing growth of the economy-be it construction, manufacturing, infrastructure or consumables. The level of steel consumption has long been regarded as an index of industrialization and economic maturity attained by country. Keeping in view the important of steel, the integrated steel plants with foreign collaborations were set up in the public sector in the post- independence era. Capital is essential for setting up and smooth running of any business. Investments made on fixed assets will yield excess each cash inflows apart from the pay back amount and is spread over a longer period of time. Hence the cash inflows (or) benefits associated are not immediate but are expected in the future. Cash inflows outflows occur on a continuous basis in case of current assets. Credit forms an essential feature in the business (credit given to customers 7 credit from liabilities, suppliers). Since there is some time log from the mine of sales sales realization current assets current which together constitute the net working capital, supports the business in its normal of operations. This calls for an efficient management of working capital. The policies, procedures and measures taken for managing capital again further importance in an organization like RINL where the working capital requirements runs in crores or rupees. Any mismanagement on the part of authority will not just cause loss but may even impair business operations. It is in this context working capital has gained importance. The growth of any organization depends on the overall performance such as production, marketing, human resource and financial performance of the organization. The financial performance of the any organization reflects the strength, weakness, opportunities and threads of the organization with respect to profits earned, investments, sales realization, turnover, return on investment, net worth of capital. Efficient management of financial resources and deliberate analysis financial results are pre requisite for success of an enterprise. In that working capital management is one of the major and important areas of financial management. Managing of working capital implies managing of current assets of the company like cash, inventory, accounts receivable, loans an advance, bank balances and current liabilities like sundry creditors interest payments and provision. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited is a multi-product steel-manufacturing unit with varying  cycle time for each product. The capital required by each department in a large organization like RINL depends on the product target for that. Particular year, invites the need for an effective working capital management. Monitoring the duration of the operation cycle is an important aspect of working capital management and control for an Effective management. RINL is now on its turn round path and needs to cut cost and increase its revenue its revenue therefore it must have to keep close check on the day to day expenses and to get a maximum utilization out of it. Some prominent issues should always be taken into account like: The duration of raw material stage depends on the regularity of supply, transactions time, degree of perish ability, price ability, price fluctuations, and economics of bulk purchases. The duration of the work in progress stage depends of Length of the manufacturing cycle, consistency in capacity utilization Different stages and efficient coordination of various inputs. The duration at debtors’ stage depends on the credit period Granted, discount offered for prompt payments and efficiency and r igor of collection efforts. Thus a detailed study regarding the working capital management in RINL is to be done to consider the effectiveness of working capital management, identify the shortcoming in management and to suggest for improvement in working capital management. â€Å"Working Capital is the Life-Blood and Controlling Nerve Center of a business† Working capital management is concerned with the problems that arise in attempting to manage the current assets, the current liabilities and the inter relationship that exists between them .The term current assets refer to those assets which in the ordinary course of business can be, or will be, converted into cash within one year without undergoing a diminution in value and without disrupting the operations of firm. The major current assets are cash, marketable securities, accounts receivable and inventory. Current liabilities are those liabilities which are intended, at their inception, to be paid in the ordinary course of business, within a year, out of the current assets or earning of the concern. The basic current liabilities are account payable, bills payable; bank over draft, and outstanding expenses, the goal of working capital management is to manage the firm’s current assets and liabilities in such way that a satisfactory level of working capital is maintained.

School life Essay Example for Free

School life Essay Nicholas Nickelby written in 1838 by Charles Dickens explores the life of a young school assistant at Dotheboys Hall and gradually explains how disgusted he felt. Laurie Lee later wrote an imaginary autobiography Cider with Rosie which is not just a factual account of the authors life but also accounts of events and incidents. This reflected school life in a different, vivid approach because you got his personal opinion. Obviously, both authors would show differences mainly due to the difference in time. Both Dickens and Lee were born in different eras therefore studied at school at different times. Not only was time a major difference, but the types of texts written; Dickens wrote a novel and Lee an autobiography and taking into consideration-originality. Cider with Rosie and Nicholas Nickleby both are diverse because they are written by different authors but Lees diversity is shown mainly by it being first person, yet everyone has their own style of writing. Nicholas cared about the other children but Laurie just cared only about himself. He did not hate school because of schoolwork but because he did not have to do any, which was contradictory compared Laurie. School life portrayed differently considering the eras of their birth therefore having an age gap and attending school at a contrasting period. Charles Dickenss educational system from early nineteenth (1812 -1870) ran differently relating to Laurie Lee during later twentieth century (1914-1997), is a significant difference. Buildings in Nicholas Nickleby were described as bare and dirty and the ceiling supported like that of a barn. The inside would be cold consisting of rickety furniture; whish suggests that the school was poorly built possibly due to lack of money. Nicholas being accustomed to poverty (by the unfortunate speculations of his father) had taught him to make his own way into the world; he may have found the school conditions familiar. Long ago, schools and the educational systems were not considered as a priority; consequently, no effort was made to improve them. There is hardly any mention of the exterior of the building or the surrounding environment. In Cider with Rosie, it is complete reverse; the issue is different. At the beginning, there are a few pages with a description of the natural environment like the valley, which consists of twenty to thirty houses made from Cotswold stone. Most of the surroundings are clarified at the beginning. There is more mention of the background and seasons compared to the buildings themselves. The houses ooze over the hills like thick layers of lava. There is mention of a Big Room which Laurie moves into; from becoming an indolent child to adult and tough that justifies his growth during school; from primary to secondary school. There is one distinctive difference and that is that in both tales; there is no real reference to buildings. Remembering that though, the earlier in time the worse the buildings were, the authors chose not to elaborate on this. Another difference is that there was increasing description of the countryside in Cider with Rosie that now may think he is boasting about the beauty of his hometown. The similarity is that there is not enough description about the interior of the classrooms. Charles Dickens vividly describes the teachers as rude people who liked mistreating the children please sir, hes weeding the garden. Mr. Squeers who is the head and most monstrous of the school alongside his wife is violent and negligent claiming he will take the skins off their backs he would even cane them if they did not behave. At one moment in time, he shows cruelty towards the children because when they receive some post from their families he reads it himself and judging form the messages received, were happy to get rid of their charges, and the news was simply a further addition to their misery. The teachers did not encourage the pupils to study and preferred then to weed the garden and clean the parlour windows. In Cider with Rosie, a dame teacher taught with a sixteen-year-old female assistant, similar to Nicholass case except Nicholas was the assistant. During the story the teacher Crabby. B has a nervous breakdown saying, I wont have it! when the children would not sit down! They soon found a replacement teacher Miss. Wardly from Birmingham. Lee describes her as having loose but stronger reins sharp-tongued, but patient enough. She wanted then to learn, so she encouraged them to and even wistfully wished her students good luck when they grew up and left. A further comparison in Cider with Rosie the children were not as well disciplined because they drove their teacher insane. The children in Nicholas Nickleby would not even dare treat their teacher with disrespect because they knew they could loose everything they had. However, in the twentieth century (Lees era) punishment and using the cane was illegal. There are people/characters in Nicholas Nickelby such a boy called Smike who is a half-witted inmate of Squeerss establishment who is treated like a slave. He is the oldest and does not have to do any schoolwork but is treated worse to the rest because at one time, he received a box on the ear from Mr. Squeers presuming to contradict his mistress. Mrs. Squeers is as bad as Mr. Squeers because she does not care about the children apart from their own spoilt son-Master. Squeers. She is also involved with the scandal of running the school as a business. Lee introduces his friends Poppy, Jo, Vera and Spadge who are all in his class and seems like they are his only friends. He only ever mentions them therefore, we have an impression they are the closest ones he has. He does not like Vera and decides it would be funny to hit her over the head with a stick. He describes Poppy and Jo as the two blonde girls and Spadge the rebellious class bully. Spadge was the boy who decided to mock the teacher Crabby. B. another character was the sixteen year old assistant who Laurie liked very much the pretty, gracious lady. Laurie has friends but people who he can confide and communicate with a positive, friendly atmosphere. In Nicholas Nickleby, Nicholas has no one to talk to and tell his problems to, except Smike who he eventually speaks to because Nicholas feel sympathetic towards him asking you are shivering? N-o-o. the children do not have permission to talk to each other because the teacher is too strict with them.

China and India

China and India Case study: China and India Question 1: Discuss the innovation implication for the leading developed nations concerning China and Indias rapidly escalating capabilities. It is not unreasonable to consider China and India as crouching tiger and hidden dragon (Engardio 2005) because both countries possess remarkable capabilities that others do not have. The term capabilities are broadly based, encompassing the entire value chain and representing technological and production expertise at specific points along the value chain. (Stalk et al. 1992, cited by Smith 2008, p.1). In other words, capabilities embrace both competences and resources. Foreign companies believe the two countries as ideal destinations to invest, first of all thank to abundant and cheap workforce. Two nations together account for one-third of the worlds population and the average hourly compensation is just a tiny fraction of that found in other commercial partners. In 2005, the labour cost is $1.1/hour in China and $0.9/hour in India (ANON 2009), occupy merely one thirtieth compared with Germany ($34.1), the UK ($26) or the US ($23.8). In addition to human resources strengths, Chinas abundant factor has been low-wage workers, many of whom become factory hands. Indias abundant factor has been the relatively well-educated, English-speaking labor that provides a low-cost gateway to global services (Cox and Alm 2008). This is not to mention technical and managerial skills which are becoming even more fundamental than cheap assembly labor in both nations. China is dominant in mass manufacturing with multibillion-dollar electronics and heavy industrial plants while India stays outstanding in software, design, services and precision industry (Engardio 2005). These capabilities undoubtedly lure foreign investors and also have influence on leading developed countries including giants like the US, Japan and Germany. As Engardio (2005) states these established powers will have to make room for China and India because they will be 21st-century heavyweights in almost every fields such as consumer markets, investors, producers and users of energy and commodities. For example, in the estimated share of global raw materials consumption in 2005, China uses 47% of cement, 37% of cotton, and 30% of coal while the whole world consumes the rest (ibid). The two countries are also racing ahead of the US in numbers of young professionals. According to Engardio (2005), Chinese and Indian engineers are supposed to combine skills: mastery of the latest software tools, a knack for complex mathematical algorithms and fluency in new multimedia technologies, which surpass those in the US. Little wonder the booming growth in young brains in China and India attra ct increasing number of investors to operate business there. Moreover, the rising consumer class contributes to innovation drive as well. Consumers of car and cellphone market in both countries have surged nearly 10 times since 2000 and made up the substantial part in the world market (ibid). Furthermore, young people of two nations are sensitive to fashionable devices and view products as status symbols, as a result, according to Philips Semiconductors Executive (cited by Engardio) these nations will play a greater part in defining global trends. In the future, there might be a change in positions of followers and leaders between these countries and the leading developed nations. Question 2: Evaluate the evolving balance of economic power shift from the West to the East Some economists believe that there is unquestionably a shift of economic power from the West to the East while others argue that Eastern countries are not strong enough to reverse the situation. In the one hand, advocates have a great number of persuasive reasons to support their ideas. Little wonder that the Eastern nations, especially two most populous countries in the world China and India, offer certain competitive advantages and chances to be attractive destinations for investors. Their appeals comprise not only cheap labor which becomes less crucial but also technical and managerial competences (Engardio 2005). In addition, the number of scientists, engineers and young researchers of these nations continues increasing sharply, on the contrary to the consider drop of the US and other Western countries. These factors no doubt contribute to the shift of economic power. In respect to other economic indicators, say buying power and production output, China ranks as the worlds second-largest economy and India is fourth, according to new World Bank data which uses new measurements of countries buying power in U.S. dollars. Also, the banks report of 2008 showed that developing countries now produce 41 percent of the worlds output, up from 36 percent in 2000 and 5 of the 12 largest economies are emerging countries (Wroughton 2008). These figures show the increasing greater role of nations from the developing world especially China and India in the world economy. With successive achievement, the prospective of China and India is definitely bright in the coming years. There is much optimistic estimation of the two economies. In 2012, China might pass the US to be the biggest buyer of luxury brands in the world (Khanna 2007). Also, Wroughton (2008) quoted Eric Swanson, program manager for the World Banks development data group that the domestic market in China is really much larger than people might have thought when they were looking at the exchange rate data said. Or as Engardio (2005) believes, the two nations will reshape the global economy with the percentage of world gross domestic product occupying approximate 50% while the EU makes up 15% and the US 26%. On the other hand, opponents argue that the two countries are facing plenty of obstacles that throw them far off course (ibid). Huge population contributes to their strength of workforce but as a double-edged sword if social, political and environmental challenges are not managed, may lead to increasing unemployment rate. Furthermore, to fulfil the widespread predictions that they will become superpowers, annual growth of at least 8% must be maintained regularly. It is obviously not easy for both to overcome such huge challenges as financial crisis, coups, political backlash, environmental problem, health, plain bad management and war which have derailed many other miracle economies in Southeast Asia and Latin America (ibid). The cooperation between China and India seems to lay the ground for sustainable economic growth and the power of two may reinforce their economic position in Asia as well as in the world market (Cox and Alm 2008). As Khanna (2007) states, there are three reasons for their symbiotic. First, in the past before 1962, they enjoyed close economy, culture, and religion. Second, neighbors trade more than non-neighbors do. Third, despite the same target China and India have different paths to go, thus, cooperation will reduce the competitiveness between them and boost the complementarities. In fact, there are some companies succeeded in making use of both countries capabilities. For instance, the countries state-owned oil companies Sinopec and ONGC have teamed up to hunt for oil together and both of them are powerful in two countries (ibid). Question 3: What are the potential market opportunities for China and India? Also discuss the future competitive threats of China and India for industries in developed countries. As the most populous countries in the world, China and India have major domestic markets that produce for them. They also suggests to other participants in the world economy that they are not only producers of goods but also vast potential markets. said Eric Swanson, program manager for the World Banks development data group (Wroughton 2008). Actually both countries have a great deal of potential market opportunities. One of them is the ability to attract foreign investment which enables the two nations to reduce unemployment rate as well as improve the living standard. Moreover, the approach with developed companies offers China and India valuable chances to learn their modern managerial style and technological advance. Basing on experience of the developed countries, they may learn their lessons and apply to the actual situations. Additionally, some multinational companies like Motorola, Microsoft and GE (Engardio 2005 and Khanna 2007) realize that they must succeed in both China and India at many levels simultaneously to gain competitive advantages. If they fail to view them as symbiotic they may lose their competitive edge not just in these countries but globally. This acknowledgement of international cooperations certainly enhances the key role of the two as key players in the global market. There would be more and more multinational organizations having little choice but being engaged to make use of both nations capabilities. Consequently, the potential market opportunities of China and India brought by the world giants would increase in comin g years. The recently rapid development and increased openness over the past quarter century of both countries, as an indispensable result, poses the competitive threats for industries in developed countries. China and India recognize that the cheap labor edge wont last forever especially in skilled areas and that technical and managerial skills are far more fundamental (Engardio 2005). They will specialize in generating products and services with high-quality but at ridiculously low prices. Companies in the developed world, therefore, would encounter the fierce competition of these kinds of product and service not only in domestic markets but global market as well. In addition, the China and Indias supply of engineers, scientists and researchers has grown considerably in contrast with a drop in the US and Westerner, which may lead to the shift of power balance in many technologies from West to East (ibid). This factor also sweetens the charm of these markets while erodes some industries appeal in developed markets.

Julius Caesar - Theme Of Friendship :: essays research papers

Friendship is a wonderful part of life, but it can unfortunately be used to deceive, for it is easy to manipulate with it, but only true friendship cannot be defeated, even after death. This element could well likely be the very thing that had sealed the fate of Julius Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, and all the other conspirators knew that they could use this to their advantage, and to Caesar’s disadvantage. Friendship, was what the conspirators used as a cover to blind Caesar from the truth, just as a hunter uses camouflage to keep the animals from seeing what he is up to. The conspirators also used camouflage, but they used flattery along with manipulation as a way to soothe any feelings of doubt that Caesar may have had about their sincerity. These essentials would gain trust, which is the key to all friendships. This trust would be lost and transform into betrayal, with the murder of Caesar. Even though Caesar was plotted against and murdered by Brutus and Cassius, friendship still proved a strong theme because it would falsify the conspirators intents. Caesar was susceptible to the power of friendship just as any normal person would be and his friendship for the conspirators unfortunately blinded him until Brutus’s final blow, by which time it was too late for him. An example of how the conspirators used their friendship with Caesar against him was when Decius, who is one of the conspirators, came to the house of Caesar on the Ides of March. The first thing that Decius says when he walks into Caesar's house is "Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar."(2.2. 58-59) Decius also referred to Caesar as "most mighty". This only made Caesar become more comfortable with Decius, and trust him all the more. The conspirators had already decided how and when they would kill Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, along with Decius, knew they had to lure Caesar close. They had an advantage at this because they knew that all they would have to do was prove to Caesar that they had a good, solid friendship, and this would help their situation and leave Caesar completely sightless to the fact that his situation had grown dire. So they decided to use their friendship with Caesar in a horribly deceptive manner, effectively, in order to kill him. Decius managed to start this off well by using flattery and quick wit in order to trick Caesar into going to the senate house, despite the fact that Caesars wife, Calpurnia had dreams of Caesars murder the night before. Julius Caesar - Theme Of Friendship :: essays research papers Friendship is a wonderful part of life, but it can unfortunately be used to deceive, for it is easy to manipulate with it, but only true friendship cannot be defeated, even after death. This element could well likely be the very thing that had sealed the fate of Julius Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, and all the other conspirators knew that they could use this to their advantage, and to Caesar’s disadvantage. Friendship, was what the conspirators used as a cover to blind Caesar from the truth, just as a hunter uses camouflage to keep the animals from seeing what he is up to. The conspirators also used camouflage, but they used flattery along with manipulation as a way to soothe any feelings of doubt that Caesar may have had about their sincerity. These essentials would gain trust, which is the key to all friendships. This trust would be lost and transform into betrayal, with the murder of Caesar. Even though Caesar was plotted against and murdered by Brutus and Cassius, friendship still proved a strong theme because it would falsify the conspirators intents. Caesar was susceptible to the power of friendship just as any normal person would be and his friendship for the conspirators unfortunately blinded him until Brutus’s final blow, by which time it was too late for him. An example of how the conspirators used their friendship with Caesar against him was when Decius, who is one of the conspirators, came to the house of Caesar on the Ides of March. The first thing that Decius says when he walks into Caesar's house is "Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar."(2.2. 58-59) Decius also referred to Caesar as "most mighty". This only made Caesar become more comfortable with Decius, and trust him all the more. The conspirators had already decided how and when they would kill Caesar, and Brutus, Cassius, along with Decius, knew they had to lure Caesar close. They had an advantage at this because they knew that all they would have to do was prove to Caesar that they had a good, solid friendship, and this would help their situation and leave Caesar completely sightless to the fact that his situation had grown dire. So they decided to use their friendship with Caesar in a horribly deceptive manner, effectively, in order to kill him. Decius managed to start this off well by using flattery and quick wit in order to trick Caesar into going to the senate house, despite the fact that Caesars wife, Calpurnia had dreams of Caesars murder the night before.

The Flu Shot Should Not Be Mandatory Essay -- Influenza Vaccine Papers

Should the Flu Shot Be Mandatory? Vaccines have been proclaimed by many people as one of the miracles of modern medicine. Vaccines are credited with saving thousands of lives and wiping out many contagious diseases. Recently, there has been a tremendous debate whether annual influenza vaccines should be mandatory. Influenza vaccines should be voluntary because people have the right to examine data on vaccinations and make their own informed decisions. Although people should have the freedom to choose to be vaccinated, the public needs to be educated about the personal, economical, and social benefits of receiving the influenza vaccine. In addition, people who are at a high risk of contracting influenza as well as health care providers should be encouraged to receive an influenza vaccine in order to decrease the major health burden associated with the disease. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a viral infection of the respiratory system and it is characterized by abrupt onset of fever, sore throat, and nonproductive cough. Influenza is spread from person to person by inhalation of the droplets produced when a person infected with influenza coughs or sneezes. In addition, it can also be spread by contact with infected objects such as utensils. Current influenza vaccines are about 70% to 90% effective in preventing influenza in healthy adults. Since the vaccines are made of dead fragments of influenza viruses, they cannot cause influenza. The strains of influenza that circulate change every year and therefore, it is necessary to make a new influenza vaccine annually. After vaccination, the body's immune system produces antib... ...ld not be mandatory and should remain the choice of each individual. However, people at a high risk of influenza as well as health-care providers should consider receiving the vaccine. In addition, programs educating people about the benefits of influenza vaccination should become a priority among health officials. Ultimately, people should trust their own judgment when deciding whether influenza vaccines are right for them. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Essen, G. A., "The Socio-Economic Impact of Influenza". http://www.eswi.org/Bulletin_October_1997.cfm [2] Frayha, Husn. "Influenza Vaccination: A Call for Action" http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/176/97-248R.html [3] "Influenza". http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/health&safety/factsheet/hsfssubstanceno37.asp

The Importance of Birth Control :: Contraceptives, Birth Control Essays

We have all heard sad stories of unwanted teenage pregnancies. There are the girls who drop out of school to care for babies they did not really want, having to work to support their unexpected new "families." There are the guys who marry before they are ready and perhaps to wives they would not otherwise have married-so often these marriages end in divorce. Most tragic of all, though, are the children who grow up knowing that they were not wanted in the first place, knowing that they were more a burden to their parents than a joy even before they were born. Clearly, we as a society need to get a grip on this problem of teenage pregnancy, and the obvious solution is to encourage teens to be responsible and practice birth control. But we face so many choices in deciding which type of birth control to use. Condoms? IUDs? Diaphragms? DepoProvera injections? "The Pill"? Abortion? Abstinence? Which method of birth control is the most practical and the most likely to provide a legitimate s olution to the problem of teenage pregnancy?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Far and away the most common method of birth control today is the birth control pill. The pill is relatively easy to obtain through Planned Parenthood clinics, the price is not unreasonable, and the pill has an excellent record of success in pregnancy prevention. However, the pill places all the burden of birth control on women, and although it is usually the women who have the most to lose in unwanted pregnancy, shouldn't [GR#1] men take some of the responsibility for birth control, too? Plus, the pill is something that users must remember to take every day, even if they do not engage in sex for months or years. The pill may have the added advantages of making menstrual cycles more regular, and decreasing the sometimes painful intensity of a woman's periods, but as far as being purely a method of birth control, the pill has drawbacks, too. Besides being something that the user must remember to take each and every day regardless of the frequency of sexual activity, being on the pill involves visits to the doctor's office or to Planned Parenthood with annual or even more frequent exams and tests that may be unpleasant and cost more money.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diaphragms? IUDs? DepoProvera Injections? These methods, too, place all the burden of birth control on the woman.

Federal government of the United States Essay

1. Based on your own research on industrial/commercial and government purchasing, what are those elements that you consider to be unique to each? The difference is the two is the government has certain authority and rights that commercial enterprises do not have in my opinion. The government is not in the business in making a profit. There are certain price limits set by the government that can not be exceeded majority of the times when making purchases. In Federal Government contracting, specific regulatory authority is required for the Government’s agent to enter into the contract, and that agent’s bargaining authority is strictly controlled by statutes and regulations reflecting National policy choices and prudential limitations on the right of Federal employees to obligate Federal funds. Commercial purchases on the other hand , is mainly guided by profit motivations. Each commercial/private vendor represents itself and can obligate their purchases in its own manner. 2. What are the skill sets that a purchasing and supply management professional should possess or acquire to be successful in the exercise of the purchasing functions with commercial or Governmental organizations? The skill set that a purchasing, and supply management professional, should possess or acquire successful is, relationship/team building skills. The ability to deal with a client /vendor or manufacture and come to terms and or agreement, that will benefit both parties. I also think you should have some prior experience 2-4 years in purchasing or supply management . Lastly, holding a degree in business management, contract services or acquisition management should also be a necessary skill.

My Favorite Place Essay

Through my life, I have had a few favorite places, but my overall favorite place is sitting in my front yard. A favorite place to me one that you can enjoy and relax, where you are at peace. This essay is about my favorite place, as I will tell you why it is. Sitting in my front yard, I watched my kids and grandkids play running around, swimming in the pool, and riding their bikes. My front yard has seen a lot through the years. I have a lot of great memories, and plan to make a lot more in the future. It is a place we had barbeques, parties, and other events. My front yard I can sit and enjoy the smell of fresh cut grass, kids playing and just relax. Our kids and grandkids all have played and left their mark in it, we all have. It was the place my kids and grandkids had their first skinned knees, they learned to ride a bike had their first cookout. Some of the memories I have of sitting in my front yard are birthday parties, my youngest daughter’s wedding, and the Fourth of July fireworks. All my kids and grandkids love to come to our house and play in the yard. We love to have them over; they are there about every weekend and more during the summer. Every Fourth of July when I am home, I set of firework for the family. I try to make it a big event we cook out, swim, and enjoy each other’s company. The kids and grandkids have a blast; we try to plan many things for them to do for the whole weekend. Most of the things have to deal with being outside in the yard. We had our daughter’s wedding in our front yard. It was a beautiful ceremony; we had what you would call a garden wedding. The weather was great, sunny skies and in the 70’s, a great day for a wedding. We had the chairs setup for the guests and the flowers arranged nicely. With everything setup I met my daughter at my front door and walked her down the isle to the alter to give her away. The ceremony was great everything went off without a hitch. In conclusion, my favorite place is a place is my front yard where I can relax and enjoy life with my wife, kids, and grandkids. It has great memories for me my wife and kids. Its where we all get together to talk, and enjoy each other’s company.

Mrkh

Depression, anxiety and low self-esteem in woman with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) Abstract Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) is a rare syndrome that not only causes physical conditions but emotional. The psychological effects of woman diagnosed with MRKH have never been fully discovered. The hypothesis and or purpose of this study is to evaluate self-report measures of psychological distress in woman with MRKH syndrome compared to woman without MRKH syndrome.A group of woman with MRKH will be assessed through anxiety, depression, and self-esteem scales to determine any psychological distress MRKH had on them when they first received the diagnosis up until later on in life. Similar studies and theories believe that coping with infertility can be taxing and cause psychological issues throughout a woman’s life. I belief observing woman when diagnosed with MRKH as well as following up with woman after dealing with the initial shock of this syndrome will give insight to being able to give proper coping skills to not only woman with MRKH syndrome but woman with infertility issues.Keywords: MRKH, anxiety, depression, infertility, menstrual disorders Introduction MRKH is a rare condition found in approximately 1 in 5000 female births, and it is typically diagnosed in mid-adolescence (Leidolf, 2006). The psychosexual development and the identity, femininity, body image and self-esteem of the patients can be significantly impaired by receiving this type of information about their bodies (Laggari, et al. , 2009). Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome is a condition that involves congenital absence of the vagina, fallopian tubes, cervix and/ or uterus.Some women have uterine remnants, or horns. External genitalia are normal. Chromosome karyotype is 46XX(normal female). The incidence rate is approximately one in 5000. Other symptoms involved to varying degrees are kidney abnormalities, skeletal problems and hearing loss. The cause is somewhat unclear, but the Syndrome occurs during the 4th-6th week of fetal development (Heller-Hoersma, Schmidt, Edmons, 2009). MRKH syndrome is divided into two types; type I Rokitansky sequence and type II MURCS association.Isolated utero-vaginal aplasia is referred to as Rokitansky sequence or to type I (isolated) MRKH syndrome. Incomplete aplasia and/or associated with other malformations, is generally referred to as MURCS association (or type II MRKH syndrome) (Camborieux, Guerrier, Morcel, 2007). Many components go into each case found with MRKH syndrome. Surgery may be in order to have a correctly functioning vagina in many cases. There are many different elements that can affect woman with MRKH syndrome physically and psychologically.Menstruation is considered to be one of the archetypal symbols of femininity and thus constitutes a phenomenon of great significance in the nature of woman (Laggari, et al. , 2009). Living in a world where fertility is a virtue can cause many c onfusing thoughts for those who are infertile. Adolescent girls struggle when trying to figure out who they are as kids and as women. Magazines, Television and Role Models stress the importance of becoming a mother and giving birth.Seeing pregnant women on a day-to-day basis as well as displayed as beautiful in the media shapes a certain image in girls’ minds. When diagnosed with MRKH many women feel confused, angry, and hurt. Adjusting to the diagnosis of MRKH is a difficult and traumatic process for these women, leading them to question their identity as women and to experience a sense of confusion regarding their gender, their bodies, and their social and sexual roles (Leidolf, 2006). Being diagnosed as abnormal can lead to many questions about ones identity.Many women who struggle with infertility difficulties struggle with psychological difficulties. MRKH syndrome is a rare disorder and has been limitedly studied. Looking at the connection between psychological stress wi th woman who have MRKH and those who do not will give insight to many syndromes that deal with infertility issues for example polycystic ovary syndrome. Studies that have been taken have shown a strong connection between anxiety and depression with woman with MRKH syndrome. Limited sample sizes have caused strain in the past studies.A past study states; â€Å"very little is known about the short and long-term psychological impact of MRKHS in females, but several clinicians have suggested that the physical malformations, absence of menstruation and infertility and the subsequent surgical intervention may all contribute to narcissistic damage in these patients† (Laggari, et al. , 2009). Finding out this information can help doctors prepare in helping woman cope with the struggles of infertility. In women with MRKH is it not only the struggle with infertility but also the conflict of identity.Many of these patients may also become depressed questioning themselves over their gend er and doubting their ability to fulfill the female role as adults in the future. They report that infertility is the most difficult part of the condition for young woman to accept (Laggari, et al. , 2009). Doing two personal interviews with patients with MRKH syndrome really helped get into the eyes of how one dealt with the overwhelming feelings of being diagnosed with this syndrome as a teen, and dealing with and living with MRKH as an adult.This interview will help in the preparation for the study we hope to perform for the future. Having such a rare disorder makes it not only difficult to study but difficult to find participants. Finding those with MRKH syndrome around the world willing to participate in this interview was very helpful. A set of interview questions was produced to ensure the best quality answers. Fake names were used to ensure the privacy of patients. Interview Questions 1. How old were you when you found out you had MRKH syndrome 2. How did you find out you ha d MRKH syndrome . What were the feelings/emotions you felt when you found this out? 4. Was there anything that doctors could have improved on? 5. Was there a support system available? Or something you would have liked to see? 6. Was there anything that would have made finding out and dealing with having MRKH easier? I asked two participants of different ages. Both woman were asked the same questions; Alicia fifty years of age, and Jessica twenty-two years of age. Alicia was diagnosed with MRKH at the age of fifteen, she found out due to â€Å"not having a normal size vagina. â€Å"Only a dimple sized vagina. † When she found out she was devastated, the doctors were pocking and prodding at her not having a support system treating her like some kind of experiment. â€Å"Today I am very thankful and try to be of any help to girls who are struggling with what I went through, never wanting a girl to have to go through it alone like I did. I know how hard it can be and believe a strong support system is very important. † Jessica is only twenty-two years of age and found out she had MRKH at fourteen years of age due to a lack of menstruation.Jessica said she was very confused, she thought something was wrong with her because she was different from all of her friends. After she found out she had MRKH she was overwhelmed but glad she didn’t feel so lost and alone. Jessica said she still went through a great deal of depression and grieving but it was great having a support group and having many girls that were going through the same thing. I found it very interesting to see the differences in answers between Alicia and Jessica due to their difference in age.Even though MRKH syndrome is still a very rare syndrome the doctors dealing with this syndrome are trying to improve on the support systems to keep improving on the psychological effects that this emotional syndrome can have on women. Methodology Section Recent studies have been performed trying to evaluate self-report measures of psychological distress in woman with MRKH syndrome compared to woman without MRKH syndrome but have none have fully succeded. Past studies have struggled with finding a significant sample size.I plan to contact woman with MRKH syndrome not only in the United States but also the United Kingdom. Having a bigger range will help get a more significant sample size. The four main MRKH doctors will be contacted in hope they will participate in this study. Helping find patients through this source will not only be helpful but more successful. I hope to find a central location to perform this study. Boston, Massachusetts is one of the central hubs for the MRKH community and believe it would be a great location for the experiment to take place.Before the experiment was to start I believe all the woman should be informed that there is a support system available at all times, if they are in any way uncomfortable they do not need to feel pressured to answer a ny questions, and or can return as they please not having a time limit. I believe that this is a very difficult subject and should be treated with the utmost care. Dealing with infertility and identity issues can cause great psychological stress on a woman. I believe looking at anxiety, depression and self-esteem would be a good start to looking at the psychological effects MRKH syndrome has had on women.Using The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), which is a widely used questionnaire and is the depression rating scale that is most often used with adolescents. BDI consists of 16 items, designed to assess the cognitive behavioral effective and somatic components of depression, and the severity or self-reported depressive symptoms (Laggari, et al. , 2009). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which is used extensively to assess global anxiety that varies across situations and anxiety that is stable across time and situations. The STAI is composed of two separate self-report scales (Laggari, et al. 2009). Rosenburg Self-Esteem scale is 10 items being rated strongly agrees to strongly disagree. This questionnaire observes how one views one’s own worth. Using these scales will let us observe the difference between woman with MRKH and woman without MRKH. Because MRKH is such a stressful syndrome the belief is the results will show significantly higher ratings in depression, anxiety, and self-esteem in woman with MRKH syndrome. It is important to following up with the woman who participated in the study years after the diagnosis.Looking to see the hopeful progress a woman has made in dealing with the diagnosis is important to helping women in the future. Using similar scales to assess their psychological state would be beneficial to track their progress. Reviewing and comparing both scales will then give an accurate depiction of the psychological effects that MRKH syndrome can have on a woman. I believe it is very important to make sure that a woman is stab le enough to participate in these studies after being diagnosed with MRKH.Many women have been known to go through severe depression and even attempt suicide after dealing with infertility issues, needing time to go through a proper grieving process. We want to get accurate measures, but want to make sure that participants are emotionally stable after leaving the experiment. References Laggari, V. , Diareme, S. , Christogiorgos, S. , Deligeorglou, E. , Chrisopoulos, P. , Tsiantis, J. , & Creatsas, G. (2009). Anxiety and depression in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome and Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 30(22). 3-88. Laure Camborieux, Daniel Guerrier, Karine Morcel. (2007). Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 13. Leidolf, E. (2006). The missing vagina monologue†¦and beyond. Journal of Gay Lesbian Psychotherapy. 10(2), 77-92. Heller-Boersma, J. G. , Schmidt, U. H. , & Edmons, D. (2009). Psychological distress in women with uterovaginal agenesis (Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Syndrome. MRKH). Psychosomatics; Journal of Consultation Liason Psychiatry. 50(3). 277-281. Parker, L. (2012, November). Personal Interview Taylor, T. (2012, November). Personal Interview

What Makes Johnny Depp the Actor He Is?

John Christopher Depp, better known as Johnny Depp is leading American actor known for his versatile characters in a number of Hollywood films. He was born in Kentucky, was raised in Florida where his parents separated due to a divorce when he was only 16 years of age. He strayed away from his siblings and peers into a life of drugs and alcohol at a very young age as a result dropped out of school and wanted to pursue a career in rock music. Over the next few years Johnny fronted a number of garage bands including the Kids and Iggy Pop. Raising popularity and sense of achievement along with determination and hope for stardom inspired him to move to Los Angles along with his band. There he met and married Lori Allison who suggested that he should try his luck with acting and introduced him to Nicolas Cage. Depp made his film debut in A Nightmare on El Street and later did a popular TV serial named 21 Jump Street in which his role as an undercover cop was much appreciated. After this he did a number of teen oriented movies until his next big break came with the movie Edward Scissorhands which was directed by Tim Burton. The flick turned to be a huge success which gave Depp the reputation of a serious, dark and idiosyncratic performer selecting future roles which surprised critics and audiences as the roles were very odd and unusal. Depp has been extremely in consistent with his relationships as he divorced Lori Allsion and was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn who was his co star in one of the films. He then had a series of love interests which include Jennifer Gray and costar Winona Ryder. Later he went on to date a leading British model Kate Moss and then finally leaving her to settle down with Venessa Paradis along with his two children, Lily and Jack in Paris, France. During his career Johnny has been a number of accusations which bought him into the public eye, first of which was the use and selling to drugs in 1993 and then the following year he was accused of trashing and smashing of a suite in New York. In 1999 he was arrested for beating paparazzi outside a restaurant in London. As a child he was engaged in self harm as explained by him in an interview in 1993 where he recollected that family problems and a sense of insecurity led him to inflict wound to his body. However, there may be a lot of ups and downs in his private life on screen Depp developed himself as an incredible actor. During the 90’s he was able to deliver hit after hit on the box office but it was not until 2003 in his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean which bought him into the lime light once more. His role as a pirate was much appreciated especially due to the on screen appearance in long ugly locks, gold teeth and a goatee. Earlier Depp had refused to do the role unless he got to dress his own way which enlists his as an actor who upholds the principles of creatively and the art of performance. He told that he had a strong feeling about the character which he couldn’t control so he had to diverge from the views of the director to develop a character which would be remembered for decades. His talents with the sword in the movie and special idiosyncratic way of walking in the movie are referred to as outstanding accomplishment as a performer. Depp has played singular and distinctive types of characters and his versatility has made many directors his huge fans especially Tim Burton with whom he has worked on seven projects. He is an intriguing actor who is interested in doing different characters and trying new things without the fear of his image. He is willing to take risks and try different things as with his film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in which he portrayed Willy Wonka which was reclusive and worrisome character which he loved to play. His latest adventure is Alice and the Wonderland which is also a directorial of Tim Burton in which Depp features as Mad Hatter another mad character who is thought to suffer from mercury poisoning. With the frizzy orange wig, frock coat over a red waistcoat, top hat, white painted face with green lenses he is almost unrecognizable in his freaky character for Alice and the Wonderland. In an interview he claimed that he envisions the character after a thorough research and try to add a part of himself to the character which makes it so distinct. Along with his talents in acting Depp is still pursuing his first passion which was music as has done a number of solo projects and plays with the band named P. Depp and Paradis grow grapes and have a wine making facility in Saint-Topez in France. He has had three academy award nominations for Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Neverland and Sweeney Todd. He won his only Golden Globe award in 2008 for the portrayal of Sweeney Todd. References 1. http://movies. ign. com/articles/633/633236p1. html 2. http://www. telegraph. co. uk/culture/film/starsandstories/7205720/Tim-Burton-and-Johnny-Depp-interview-for-Alice-In-Wonderland. html 3. http://www. ugo. com/channels/filmTv/features/piratesofthecaribbean/johnnydepp. asp 4. http://www. johnnydepp. com/bio. htm 5. http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0000136/bio 6. http://www. johnnydeppfan. com/interviews/ias. htm 7.

Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security Essay - 1

Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security - Essay Example Billions of people visit websites every day, which increases the likelihood that the product be seen by the target audience. If we count the number of users in Facebook its size would be greater than even United Sates. People are spending more time on the internet to do online shopping than the traditional shopping in the malls (Zarrella, 2009). No one likes to wait in the long queues during their holiday season and rather choose and order from home. Answer 2 Advantages of Social Media Marketing The best thing of suing social media marketing is that it is free. Anyone can sign up to their Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and other countless sites free of cost and can build huge list of followers in their page and post about any new product or new advertisement that the company is coming out with. According to a recent survey by comScore, it was seen that around 98% of the online population living in USA uses Social Media sites, and worldwide out of every 10 people 6 us es social media forums. Hence it is ideal for businesses to reach out to new target customers and new markets where they have no presence. Through these networks professionals can interact and share ideas and discuss about important topic across boundaries in much lesser time than ever imagined. Hence one can use LinkedIn as a more professional site or Twitter to give quick updates or Facebook as more friendly and informal sites. Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing Social media marketing might not be free, but a business needs to take into consideration the time it takes to make new relationships, time it takes to catch their attention, make the sites look great. The company needs to spend time regularly to update their status and read new comments of the customers, like reviewing their suggestions, replying to their comments, accepting any new request etc. Any negative publicity will severely damage their reputation as it is seen worldwide by millions of fans following. Though there are a lot of Social media sites to choose and spread their networks, firms must understand the simple fact that they are just a needle in the haystack. They have to stand out from the crowd. It is easy for anyone to get frustrated with lack of response form the customers; hence they must have a clear thought out strategy. It is not easy to get a Facebook like from millions of people in the internet, and hence they must take their time to build the relationship. Answer 3 Pepsi launched their Pepsi Refresh Project in 2010. Pepsi funded people for their business ideas in areas like health, food and shelter, arts and culture, education and planet and neighborhoods. Pepsi measured the results of their campaign through the level of engagement between their customers and their brands, the level of social impact it created and the brand-equity results it created. It was seen that consumers felt that Pepsi as a cola making company cares about the community and their thinking of Pepsi a s an innovative and forward thinking brand was strengthened. Pepsi’s research showed that the consumers who knew about the Pepsi refresh project started to choose Pepsi over any other brand while buying any cola drink. It was also seen that the social network which Pepsi developed had the largest fan base as compared to any beverage company. It showed both the aspects of how these kinds of programs can be very successful and not

Timed essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Timed - Essay Example Individuals within the hard sciences would point to the fact that the World Wide Web has promoted education and prompted a level of dialogue and discussion that would otherwise be constrained to specific scholarly journals. In terms of political science and governance, the World Wide Web has created a dynamic in which democracy and freedom of expression has come to be something that is expected by many individuals throughout the world. Furthermore, in terms of equality, gender rights, and the prevalence of violence, the Internet has assisted in seeking to reduce stereotypes and promote a more thoughtful level of engagement with respect to the individual rather than the group that they are supposed to be a member of. In short, the Internet has been a transformative force on each and every level; so much so that societies that have engaged with a high level of Internet use are invariably those that are among the most educated and fastest developing. However, all of this leads to a fund amental question; namely what the impact of the web has for the developing world. Firstly, with respect to issues of education, the impact is extremely powerful. Inquiring minds, educational facilities, and institutions within developing countries can provide invaluable resources to those that seek further education within their own sphere. Taking an example of rural schools within India or South Africa as a case in point, the reader can quickly appreciate the fact that these students have a wealth of resources, if they are connected to the web, that they might not otherwise have as a function of their own government education program or the texts/materials that they are required to read and understand as a function of their studies (Simons, 1998). Another relevant impact that the web has for developing countries is contingent upon the way in which it creates a further level of health understanding; both

Multicultural Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multicultural Society - Essay Example To begin with, I would define a multicultural society as a society with the coexistence of numerous cultures, trying to overcome racism, sexism, and other forms of cultural discrimination. At the same time, in the true democratic multicultural society different cultures should not live separately, they should communicate in the area of a culture meeting. The role of communication in a multicultural society is extremely high, because members of different societies have the only chance to understand each other through open dialog. Communication is very important for negotiations in such areas as business, education, medicine and others where definite rules should be fulfilled not depending on cultural belonging of individual. From my experience, most problems in a multicultural society arise due to lack of communication. For example, both local inhabitants and immigrants come across difficulties in the construction of a multicultural society. The greatest conflicts arise particularly in cities, because cities are where cohabitation between diverse cultural groups mostly occurs when different communities compete for material welfare. Taking all these points into consideration, I would say that the world achieves great success in building of a multicultural society, especially in developed countries.

The economy of a specific developing country Essay

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Exclusive interview with E. H. Sutherland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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